Sunset’s Hellish Adventure

Chapters

Chapter 2: A Much Needed Drink
Chapter 3: A Lesson in Hell
Chapter 4: Insult to Injury
Chapter 5: Strangeness to Her
Chapter 6: Soft Spot
Chapter 7: Goliath
Chapter 8: Big Softie's Big Break
Chapter 10: From Dusk to Dawn
Chapter 11: Beginning of Reckoning
Chapter 12: Broken War
Chapter 13: Ruined Destiny
Chapter 15: Goliath's Reign
Volume II - Chapter 1: Reawakening
Chapter 2: To the New Realm
Chapter 4: Hotel of Horrors
Chapter 5: Close Encounter
Chapter 6: Fallen From Grace
Chapter 7: Deathwish
Volume I - Chapter 1: Welcome to Hell!
Chapter 9: Into the Ring
Chapter 14: When All Seems Lost
Chapter 3: The Runt and the Blob

Chapter 2: A Much Needed Drink

Sunset trod down the narrow, rocky path that led towards a city. Her mind was fixed on finding her way out of here. There was just one issue about that, however... she had no idea how she was supposed to do that. How someone is able to just 'leave' Hell is the lingering thought in her mind at that moment. Was it even possible? How does someone just simply 'leave' Hell? She hoped to find out, preferably, somewhere in the city just up ahead.

It wasn't until she was just a few more yards away from the entrance that led into the town before she past a wooden sign post. The wood had chippings, nails poking out of it and scratches all across it, and in red the sign read 'Welcome to Sinner City'.

"Oh, this is gonna be riveting," Sunset said as she walked past, not at all excited for what she was probably about to endure as soon as she stepped foot inside.

The path below slowly turned into a road as she continued on. Sunset could tell already, she was now completely vulnerable to all of the terrors that laid in this concrete jungle just for her.

Her mind came back to that gargoyle back near the entrance to Hell. It told her to 'enjoy her punishment', which scared her more and more the longer she thought about it. Was she going to be attacked when she leasts expects it? Is there a torture chamber of some kind made specifically for her somewhere? Would she have to face against her greatest fears amplified to such a nightmarish extent and be forced to suffer through it for the rest of eternity?!

It made her sweat profusely from just thinking about how she was going to have to suffer. She kept her hands into tight balls of fists to keep her guard up. Nothing could sneak up on her if she expects it!

The streets she began walking through seemed to be quite desolate, but Sunset knew that's just what this place wanted her to believe! She saw all of those monsters back there. There were hundreds of them! No way they're all just gone now.

But while looking around for what may pop out, she did notice just how similar this place looks to a city back in the real world. The buildings all around her, they just looked like... houses. Just houses. The only difference being the consistent use of the colour red down here.

There were even cars. That certainly caught her by surprise when she realised. Just regular looking cars.

She shook her head, taking her attention away from all of this seemingly normal stuff. This place is just trying to make Sunset think it's normal, but in actuality it's all just a lie. Why else would this place be so empty?

Sunset just kept on walking with her head held up and eyes closed. This place won't deceive her and she'll show it just how. "Just get to wherever you need to go, and do nothing else," she quietly said to herself as she confidently strutted through the middle of the road.

There was absolutely nothing that could stop this girl. She was an unstoppable machine.

She walked past an alleyway between two buildings and she felt a swift, little gust of wind travelling behind her. She opened her eyes again so realise that there a giant shadow looming over her. Sunset slowly turned around to see a huge monster standing very close to her.

It was round, blue and had the raging face of a bull, with horns looking like they stood at just under two feet tall. It wore a black tank top, a denim jacket with torn sleeves, camouflage patterned cargo pants with a black belt around its waist, and it had a ring pierced through its nose.

"Give me all your money!" it spoke with a deep, growling voice, clenching a fist in front of Sunset's face, threatening her.

Sunset became so frightened, she could barely get any proper words out due to her shaking profusely. "I-I... uh... d-don't have any money! I-I swear!" She shielded her face and shut her eyes, preparing for the worst.

"Wait, what?" The minotaur like beast lowered its fist and became confused. The tone in its voice altered and lost its aggressiveness. "Are you new down here?"

Sunset peaked through her hands, she was ready for something terrible. "Yes, I swear! Please don't hurt me!"

The beast rubbed the back of its neck and looked elsewhere. "Umm... Well, this is awkward."

It was now that Sunset was wondering what was going on. She would have though that no money equals a clobbering. She lowered her shields. "Is everything alright?" she asked nervously.

"Look, don't worry about it. Here." It reached into one of its pockets and took out a few coins. "I'm not one to pick on newbies in Hell, so... just take it." It handed her the coins.

Sunset accepted the money with caution, and as soon as she did, the beast then began walking away.

"This is a one time thing!" it called back to her. "If I catch you down here again, you're in for it, girlie!"

Sunset just stood there, frozen with complete and utter confusion. "What. The actual. Heck just happened?"

After exploring, which really means getting herself completely lost, for a while longer, Sunset found herself in a much less desolate part of town. There were a lot of inhabitants of all different monstrous species, and they'll all seemed to be living quite fine as far as that can possibly go.

She kept glancing down to the currency that she was given earlier. She was given six silver coins with a fifty engraving on one side, and on the other side had an engraving of what looked to be a sickle. So she had three of this place's equivalent to dollars, assuming that's what this wasn't.

From looking at the money for a while, the thought hit her that there was clearly some way to make money, which would mean this place had actual jobs that these things could have. This place was seeming to be more and more like a real world civilisation the longer she thought about it.

And if it were one job that was on her mind at the moment, it would definitely be a bartender, because Sunset was beginning to get thirsty.

"Maybe this place has some kind of bar," she said out loud, keeping an eye out for any local pubs. "I wouldn't mind a bit of a wind down with a nice drink."

Sunset stood in place and turned her head all around, looking to see which way might be best to begin the search for a bar. Most streets seemed to look the same to her, it was hard to decide which road to take first.

She sighed. She didn't want to have to deal with this right now. 'Maybe one of the locals can help me out,' she thought as she then began looking for the friendliest looking face in the giant crowd that constantly walked by her. Her head stopped on a small creature that was just an orange head with arms and legs sticking out of it. It had one giant eyeball and fangs sticking out from its bottom jaw.

Sunset held her hand out to it as it passed her. "Excuse me," she called out. She was ignored however, so she followed the small monster for a bit and tapped on top of its head. "Excuse me."

"Ey, who's tappin' ma fuckin' head?!" it asked, turning around quickly. Its eye was drawn upwards towards Sunset. "Was it you, Hellgirl?" It pointed an orange sausage finger with an overgrown and dirty nail towards her.

Sunset held her hands up to block the finger from touching her. "Yeah, sorry. I just need help getting around here. Do you know where the nearest bar is?" She knelt down to its level.

The short monster put its hands on its hips... chin... its sides, looking quite offended. "Alright, two things: One, there's one down by Magma Street. Just go down that street there," it pointed to a path just behind Sunset, "and take a left. Can't miss it.

Two: don't try t' patronise me by kneelin' down to me like a fuckin' child! I can easily smack you down and rip your damn arms off!"

Sunset quickly shot back up and began race walking away. "Thank you for the directions!" she shouted back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the monster said sarcastically as it kept walking where it was originally going.

Sunset followed the instructions given to her. She looked above the crowd she was manoeuvring through to find a sign that let her know where to go. Her eyes moved all around the place until they were fixed onto what she needed to find.

'Magma St.'

Barging past everyone, Sunset made her way towards the street. Fortunately, this street wasn't as packed as opposed to where she just was, like this one part of town in particular wasn't as popular as just to the right of it. There were still monsters making their way up or down the path, but not enough to block Sunset's view of where she wanted to go.

In the distance, she could see a flickering, illuminated sign hanging off of a small metal rod poking out of a wall. She got a little closer to read it.

"Volcano's Eruption," she read the sign out loud, squinting her eyes a little. She gave a smile. "Sounds fancy."

Sunset was now close enough to get a good look of the entire outside. The building was mainly just a red bricked wall with black tinted windows elevated a few feet higher than regular windows, making it more difficult to see inside. The door leading in was made out of a black wood with a rusty gold door knob, and it had a few steps to climb up to get inside.

She was about to make her way inside until suddenly, a large figure came crashing through the window and landing face first into the ground. The thing stood back up and began punching its own hand, signifying a future act of violence.

"Oh, you're in for it now, motherfucker!" it chuckled, barging passed Sunset and going back inside.

Sunset followed inside, being greeted with neon lights dimly lighting the room up, smoke which, judging by the smell, came from many cigarettes, some kind of terrible hip hop being played over speakers and angry men crowding around one of the many small, round tables, drowning out the sound of the music almost entirely. They were all chanting, "Break his arm! Break his arm! Break his arm!" which caused Sunset to believe that there was an arm wrestling match in progress.

Opposite the ongoing showdown was the bar itself, being lit up much brighter with normal lightbulbs. The light reflected against the stacks and rows of bottles, pints and dispensers. Behind the counter was a grey hyena looking creature with a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and denim jeans. It seemed to be watching the match from afar.

Sunset's first instinct was to just go over to the counter and get a drink of whatever Hell had to offer. So that's exactly what she did, trying to pay no attention to the havoc being wreaked. She sat down in the closest swivel stool she could get to, looking towards the bartender. However, the bartender didn't even look at her, she was sure that amidst all of the noise, it hasn't even noticed her enter.

She brought a closed fist up to her mouth and loudly cleared her throat, but that didn't seem to gain the server's attention. She tapped her forefinger on the counter impatiently. "Hello! I'd like to order something, please," she requested.

"Yeah, yeah. Two seconds," the hyena replied, not taking its eyes off of the match, waving Sunset off.

"Are you kidding?" Sunset whispered go herself. Even the service down in Hell was horrible. At this point, it was just adding even more salt to the widely opened wound.

Sunset just began to stare off into nothing while she waited to be served, assuming if it even will come.

Whatever was going on behind her, the audience watching seemed to be getting way more excited, as if the arm wrestling match was about to reach its climax. Amidst the cheering, she could also hear cries of pain. Someone was definitely about to lose.

Sunset turned around to see the game for herself. She got up and tried to make her way through the crowd of hugely built monsters. She couldn't see much, but she could see who was losing. Out of everyone she could see in that moment, the one losing seemed to be the bulkiest. It made Sunset scared of whoever was winning.

However, while Sunset was too busy wondering, there was a sudden snapping noise that caused the entire bar to erupt in cheers. Everyone around her was jumping up and down, causing the ground to shake. She quickly made her way out of the crowd to safety and fell to the floor.

She looked back towards the crowd and saw that part of them were carrying the monster losing the match away. She was able to see that the monster was crying hard, streams of tears leaving its eyes, and its right forearm seemed to be snapped clean in half, causing her to wince. A shiver was sent up her spine as she could only imagine the absolute unit that could completely annihilate an already big unit.

Not wanting to be trampled on by the shouting bears of an audiences, Sunset picked herself back up and sat back down on a chair. The bartender was laughing hysterically.

"That poor fucker!" the bartender said, slapping the counter with its claws from its laughter. After calming down a bit, it turned around and picked up a piece of chalk, bringing it up to a chalkboard on the wall near the drink dispensers, drawing a line next to many rows of tally marks, all of them being under the name 'Barbed Wire'.

Even the name scared Sunset even more. She was in the same bar with some kind of monstrous maniac right now, and she was just a small girl in her early twenties. If the last guy left in tears with a destroyed arm, Sunset would have to worry about dying again.

The bartender wiped a tear forming in its eye and finally turned towards Sunset. "You wanting anything, lady?"

"Uhh..." Sunset looked between the names of many drinks. Needless to say, it was all nothing like she's ever drank before. Instead of choosing anything, she just took the coins she was given out of her pocket and placed them on the counter. "What's good for a Hell Newbie?"

The bartender looked disappointingly as it looked through the different coins. "Three sickles," it counted out loud. "Sorry, lady, that ain't getting you anything in here."

This day somehow managed to get even worse. "Really? Not anything?" Sunset asked sadly.

"Not a thing." The bartender shook its head. "Sorry," it said half heartedly and then turned away to arrange some of the pint glasses sitting at the back.

Sunset sighed sadly and laid her head down onto the counter. Nothing was going right today. She prayed that this wouldn't turn out to be the norm for her while she was here.

Suddenly, she heard giggling approaching from behind her. Sunset didn't look back up until she realised that someone took a seat on the stool to her right. She glanced up and saw what may be the first person she could recognise to be a girl.

This girl that appeared next to Sunset had lemonade pink skin with blood red hair made into a ponytail. She also had blue eyes and a light scar on her left cheek. She wore a light grey crop-hoodie, and tight fitting jeans. She looked to be around the same height as Sunset with an also similar build.

"My usual please, Volcano," the newcomer said to the bartender who seemed to be called Volcano. She continued laughing. "Did you hear all that back there?" She threw a thumb backwards towards where the match took place.

Volcano slid a pint on the counter towards the newcomer. "Girl, the whole block could hear it. In fact, I can still hear Chuck crying like a bitch outside."

The both of them became silent. Faintly, they could all hear bawling coming from the behind the exit.

The girl shrugged. "His fault for challenging, he of all demons should know what happens." She took a sip of her drink. "You added another point to my score, right?"

Volcano nodded its head. "Mmhmm. Ninety-two straight wins to our champion, Barbed Wire."

It was then that Sunset's head shot back up from the counter. She looked towards the girl again to analyse her more closely. 'This girl...?' Her heart began to pound. She leaned backwards a little bit, creating a bit of distance between the two girls.

It was then that the girl acknowledged the existence of Sunset. "Hmm. I don't recognise you. You new here?"

"Uuh..." Sunset's fear of being annihilated caused for her to no longer be able to form a coherent sentence.

The girl quietly laughed to herself. "I get it. I scared you a bit, didn't I?" she asked to Sunset. "Dont worry, I won't kill you unless you ask me to." She gave a wink and then took another gulp of her drink. "What's your name, stranger?"

Finally, words began to come out of her mouth. "S-Sunset. Sunset Shimmer."

The girl stuck a hand out towards Sunset. "Barbed Wire. Though, everyone calls me Barb."

Sunset brought her own hand forward hesitantly which caused for Barbed Wire to sigh impatiently and grab her hand herself.

"So, you deciding what your first underworld drinks gonna be?" Barbed Wire asked.

"That was the plan," Sunset replied. "Though, it seems I can't afford anything yet, sadly."

Thus caused Barb to slam her fist onto the counter. "Well, we can't have that! Volcano! Two pints of Hellfire, please!" she ordered aggressively, sticking two fingers high into the air.

Sunset raised her hands and began shaking them. "No, no, no! You really don't have to do that."

"Nonsense. You really look as though you could use a drink of something. It's the least I can do."

Volcano the bartender passed two large glasses filled to the brim with a red liquid. Barbed Wire then passed him a bill with a 10 on it. Sunset assumed that it must have been 10 sickles.

Barbed Wire held her glass up to Sunset. Sunset did the same with her pint. They both clinked glasses and began slurping down the substance together.

It was an interesting taste to say the least. Almost like she was drinking the gas from a lighter. A 'Hellfire', Barbed Wire seemed to call it. As the liquid travelled down her gullet, it left a slight burning sensation that stuck to her throat.

A few seconds later, the burning began to gradually increase. Sunset looked towards Barb who just looked back at her with a sly smile.

Sunset just now realised, she was played! This girl played Sunset with her generosity, and thanks to Sunset trusting a stranger, her mouth was on fire!

It was now that tears began to form in Sunset's eyes, and she started fanning her tongue as she let out painful moans.

Barbed Wire was sent into a fit of laughter, getting pleasure from Sunset's pain and displeasure. "Rule number one of hell, Sunset Shimmer! Don't trust anyone you just met!"

"Help me!" Sunset pleaded. Her hands moved faster to cool her tongue, which wasn't helping out at all.

"Sheesh. All right." Barb turned over to Volcano. "A cold water, please."

Another glass was passed towards Sunset, and it was immediately taken and shoved down her throat. The water fell like a waterfall as Sunset drowned herself.

Volcano rested his arms onto the counter as he watched Sunset. "Yeah, sorry about that. Barb likes to pick on the new demons that find their way here."

Sunset finished the glass of water down to its last drop, allowing the fire in her mouth to sizzle away. She tried to catch her breath as she glared daggers towards Barbed Wire. "You evil being!" she growled with barely any breath.

"Hah! You think that's bad, then you really don't know what Hell's really full of," Barb replied as she took a sip of her own pint of Hellfire. What amazed Sunset was that Barb seemed completely unfazed by the drink's immense heat.

Sunset scoffed. "Show off."

"Its all just getting used to it, really. You really think I handled my first Hellfire well?" Barb asked to Sunset. "Ask Volcano. He was there."

"Oh-ho, yeah! I remember that day," Volcano added on as he wiped a pint clean. "You were thinking about trying something new, so you mixed four of my drinks together!"

"And ever since it's been the perfect bait for the new demons!" Barb went into hysterics again.

Sunset just stared at Volcano confusingly. "Why would you sell that?!"

Volcano shrugged. "Once you get used to it, it's pretty good, and everyone agrees."

Sunset was dumbfounded. This place really was absolute insanity. She slouched over and just stared at the floor. Only hours after arriving, Sunset was already losing herself to Hell.

Barbed Wire took notice of Sunset's posture and placed a hand onto her shoulder. "Hey, cheer up there. We're all just fun and games, really."

Sunset slowly looked back up. "No... No, I'm not gonna 'cheer up there'! I've been dealing with nothing but the most weird and bizarre things since I got here!" Sunset didn't realise the scene she was making as she gained the attention of everyone in the bar.

"I'm in a line with people not even questioning where they are or why they're here or why they've transformed into monsters! And as soon as I arrive into the city, I'm jumped by a huge guy who gave me money because I had no money! And now I'm finding out that an experiment made by a customer became one of your drinks and you just accept her pranking people with it?! What is wrong with this place?! What is normal here?!"

Barb just looked with shock and amazement. "Wow. I've never seen anyone lose it like that. Look, I'm real sorry if I've caused you any trouble or whatnot."

Sunset put her hands over her eyes. "It's fine, I've just really been having a rough day! I'm ready to just...! To just...!" She then picked up her empty glass of water and hurled it across the pub, letting out a mighty cry.

The glass could be heard shattering. "Hey! Who the fuck threw that at me?!" a deep voice growled.

Not even looking where the glass landed, she turned back around, sat back down in her stool and sighed sadly.

There was a little moment of silence between the three at the counter which didn't feel too right to Sunset. "You not gonna kick me out or something for breaking property?" she nonchalantly asked Volcano.

"Meh. The guys break glasses all the time. It's all good," Volcano replied.

"Wait. Did you say someone gave you money after attempting to rob you?" Barb asked, catching onto what Sunset just said.

Sunset just nodded.

The realisation caused Barb to begin giggling. "You must have had a run in with Big Softie. Him and his men basically guard the deserted end of the city, claiming it as their territory or some stupid shit. You must've taken the wrong path into the city."

Sunset raised her eyebrow. "Wrong path?"

Barb took another sip of her drink and nodded. "There's two paths that lead into Sinner City right next to eachother. The Gargoyle is supposed to point you down the path that leads into the main part of town..."

"In all honesty, I wasn't really paying attention when it did that. I was a little caught up in the fact that I'm in Hell!" Sunset interrupted Barbed Wire.

"Haha! Yeah, it was like that for lots of others. But don't worry, Big Softie may look tough, but he's barely got an intimidating bone in his body."

Barb and Sunset then began sharing a laugh, until a huge shadow came looming over them both. They both fell silent and slowly turned around to see what towered behind them.

Just centimetres behind them stood a giant warthog creature, with a sleeveless leather jacket, gigantic jeans and humongous black boots. This beast looked down at Sunset with literal fire in its eyes and steam coming out of its snout.

"Did you throw that at me?" the hog asked, almost trying to sound nice over its clear fury.

Sunset's eyes widened as she visibly gulped. "I'm very sorry?" Her voice squeaked.

"You better come up with a reason to keep on living, fast," the warthog said sinisterly, cracking its knuckles.

Sunset began looking around frantically, sweating bullets. "Um! Um! I'm sure enough that even a strong man like you has enough kindness in his heart to accept the apology of a girl who made a simple mistake! Maybe if you open up your heart, you can accept my friendship!" she said insanely fast, being lucky that she was even understandable. She shielded her face with her arms.

The warthog paused for a moment. "...I'm a woman."

"Yeesh!" Sunset recoiled without thinking. She immediately slapped her hands over her mouth, but the damage was already done.

"Oh, you've done it now," Barb felt the need to add.

The warthog let out an enraged war cry as she threw a gigantic, hairy fist Sunset's way. Sunset swiftly ducked underneath and rolled out of the way. She turned her head to see that the warthog lady had quickly processed Sunset's narrow dodge, so Sunset launched herself back onto her feet and began making a break for the exit. However, other monsters were blocking the door and the smashed window. Even the doors leading to the bathrooms were blocked.

Sunset turned back around, now seeing the warthog charging towards her head first. She leaped out of the road, allowing the warthog to smack into the other monsters like a giant bowling alley.

While trying to keep her distance as fast as she could, Sunset landed on the floor in front of Barb. "Hey, Sunset, what are you doing? Fight back!" she tried encouraging, throwing a few punches to the air. "Give her the good ol' one two!"

"Why are you just watching?! Help me!" Sunset shouted in annoyance.

Barb held her hands in the air and shook her head. "No can do. You can't interfere with a bar fight. Just hit her, you gotta know how to do that at least."

"Easy for you to say! You're the one with unnatural-!" Sunset was cut mid sentence as a giant hand came wrapping around Sunset's stomach and, before she could process the situation, she was hurled across the bar, hitting off of a table and landing on the floor again.

She just laid there, unable to move due to the great pain. Everything hurt. She felt on the verge of fainting. She wasn't able to hear the footsteps very well, but she felt the rumbling of the floor slowly approaching her. The warthog wasn't done yet.

Through her blurry vision, she could see the silhouette of the beast right in front of her, casting darkness over her body.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Was this already it for her? Her first day in Hell, also her last? Can she die twice? It seemed as though she was about to find out.

"Ya should've just fuckin' stayed with the little guys where you belonged, you little whore!" the warthog growled.

Barbed Wire began to actually feel a bit of sympathy for the newbie. Something she didn't feel a whole lot. She's seen unfair fights before, but never before was someone on death's second door so quickly.

It was completely against the rules that they totally didn't make up that the audience never intrudes on a fight. She didn't know what it was, but there seemed to be this weird energy that radiated from this girl. Saying stuff like 'opening your heart' and 'accepting friendship'? Not what anyone would really hear anywhere in Hell. Maybe there was something she could do if it would mean anything at all...

"Umm... go get 'em... or some shit," Barb poorly "cheered", slowly raising a fist in the air.

Sunset didn't seem to react to Barb's shallow attempt of encouragement.

Barb sighed and then jumped up from her seat. "Come on, Sunset! Get up and kick her ass! You can do it!" she cheered with more heart. She couldn't believe she actually did that.

But Sunset was able to just barely hear Barb's drive on. The only positive thing she's heard at all today, and it was right before her own demise.

Suddenly, however, Sunset felt the energy in her body return to her. She attempted to push herself back up to her feet, her arms shaking trying to support her weight. Her breath was heavy and her knees were weak, but she still stood her ground against the warthog with her fists raised prepared for attack.

The warthog just began laughing hysterically. "Aww! How precious! You just want a hit before Imma have to kill you. Well, I'm ready for it. Give me all you got!" She spread her arms out and closed her eyes. "Let me know when you touch me, will ya?"

Sunset brought one of her aching arms behind her. If she was about to die, she'll at least go out having fought her battle, even if her attack couldn't even be felt. She swung her fist forward.

Before she could make contact, Sunset suddenly felt a surge of something in her punching arm. It landed against the target, creating a strong wave of wind from around her hand. From the rippling of the warthog's stomach, she was sent flying backwards, destroying everything in her path.

As soon as the warthog was down and staying down, the whole bar fell completely silent. Even Sunset could only stand completely still after what just happened. She just stared wide eyed at the monster that laid unconscious, fifteen feet away from her.

A flushing could then be heard and a monster came out of the bathroom. "'Bout time you guys let me out. What'd I miss?" It then saw the smashed tables that definitely weren't in the same place as before.

Volcano's jaw had fallen to the floor. "Yep. That'll do it," he said.

Sunset walked out of the bar with her hands in her pockets. She stared towards the ground as she walked slowly down the street, kicking a pebble she passed.

"Hey! Wait up!" Sunset heard someone calling.

Sunset turned back to the bar. It was Barbed Wire, jogging towards her.

"What is it?" Sunset asked blankly.

"That was quite a show you put on back there. I honestly thought you were gonna be torn to shreds."

"Gee, thanks. What definitely made it much better was getting banned, that was a blast," Sunset sarcastically retorted.

Barb just waved her hand at Sunset. "You're not banned. Volcano never holds grudges. He'll let you back in in a few days. Trust me."

Sunset shrugged. "Whatever." She turned back to her path and started walking again.

"Hold up there, newbie." Barbed Wire went up to Sunset's side and walked with her.

"What is it you actually want?" Sunset's tone began to sound more harsh. "Unless you really have something to tell me, I'd rather be alone right now."

Barb then clicked her fingers, giving a face like she just remembered something. "Right, right. I was just wondering if you had a place to sleep tonight."

"No. Why? Did that path I missed also come with a house?" Sunset sarcastically asked. "I'll probably find like a box or something, and a lone alleyway."

Barb put her hands in her pockets. "Mmm, I don't think that's gonna be very comfortable. Especially with the gangs that like to patrol at night."

"I'll take my chances."

"Wow, you really are crazy. Never place bets in Hell, you'll always find yourself deeper in the shitter." Barb held up a thumbs down as she blew a raspberry. "I'd be willing to let you stay at my place, if you want."

Sunset's facial expression now turned more surprised. "Really? We literally just met. You're just going to let me into your house?"

"What? You suggesting you might rob me? Please, I can already tell you're not that kind of demon. And you've definitely left a great first impression. You give off this very weird vibe that I find pretty damn intriguing. So, you coming or not?"

Sunset gave her offer a little though. It has been an exhausting day for her and all she wanted now was to just sleep it off. It seemed to be the next best thing when the drinks didn't exactly work out.

Even when tomorrow comes, she could get a start on where she may need to to if she ever had a chance of leaving Hell altogether. She was expecting a long journey ahead, but she knew it was all going to be worth it. She already didn't want to stay here for much longer, but she was going to have to bear it for a while, and starting now, she just needed some sleep.

"Yeah, I guess I could stay," Sunset answered. "Thank you."

Barb smiled with a little hum, causing Sunset to raise her eyebrow curiously. "What?"

"Not everyday you hear someone say 'Thank you' in Hell. You're quite the oddball, Sunset Shimmer."

Now Sunset began laughing a little. "What can I say, I guess I don't fit in everywhere I go."

Now, the two of them together began walking with eachother in the direction which Sunset could only guess was Barb's apartment.

Tomorrow was another day.

Author's Note

With chapter 2 finally out, it's now that I'm more than happy to announce that this will be my next large project.

Of course, much like my last big project, other stories will be written inbetween chapters, nothing too large (mostly just one shots) so I don't stray away working on something else for too long, but just a way to keep the freshness of working on this story, because BIG things will be happening!

Strings of the plot are being pulled together as we speak, and the way it looks... let's just say that the big man will have to wait a while longer for Sunset. :raritywink:

All criticism is welcome. I do want this story to be as good as it possible can be so if you got something you'd like to comment on or if there's any mistakes that slipped by, let me know down below.

Chapter 3: A Lesson in Hell

Barbed Wire fitted the key into the door of her apartment. Sunset stood behind her, curious as to what she will meet when she enters the flat. All she really hoped for was a place with at least a comfortable enough couch for the night. Even if it didn't meet expectations, Sunset didn't really care; she wasn't staying for long anyway.

Barb then turned the door knob, and with a click, the door opened to Barb's push. The place Sunset was met with was a black void, the only light being provided being from the dark sky out of the windows from the far end of the flat. Barb stepped inside the black hole, the darkness swallowing her whole until a light switch was flicked on. Barbed Wire was seen standing beside the wide opened door with a welcoming gesture.

"Please, come in," Barb said, holding her pose still until Sunset finally decided to move.

Sunset took a step inside of the flat, looking all around her surroundings. The place seemed to be pretty well kept, with white and pink striped wallpapers and brown wooden floors for the narrow hallway. It was a more sweet and calming atmosphere and quite a drastic contrast with everything else Sunset had seen in Hell. It wasn't what she was expecting from such a tough girl like Barbed Wire.

"You can go onto the couch. I'll just fetch you some pillows and a blanket," Barb said, disappearing into another room.

Sunset made her way through the hall and into a larger room, the kitchen taking up around a third of the space, and the living room taking up the rest of the space. The hallway aesthetic seemed to remain consistent throughout the rest of the house.

Sunset took notice of some of the paintings that hung on the walls in a black frame. One being of a mountain valley, with a luscious green scenery to be seen in the foreground and snowy mountain tops sitting the background. She was quite surprised to see a representation of such a peaceful location in a house that belonged to a maniac, let alone in Hell. She took a closer look at the bottom right corner to check the signature.

'A•Hitler 1911'

And there was the madness. Sunset just let out a sigh. 'At least he found an audience somewhere,' she thought before she had a seat on Barb's grey couch.

Sitting a few feet away from the couch, and beyond a black coffee table that was covered in bottles of alcohol and candy wrappers, was an old CRT TV. Either anything better is too expensive or Hell is well behind with the times.

This whole apartment seemed to have a very calming vibe to it, which was all Sunset could ask for at this point. However, despite how nice it felt being here, she knew she wouldn't have time to soak it all in due to her short stay.

But before she could get lost in thought about what her plan for tomorrow was, she was suddenly met with a pillow colliding with the back of her head. She quickly turned back around to see Barb standing at the exit to the hall with a cheeky smile, holding an blue blanket covered in sunflowers.

"Gotcha a pillow," Barb said, approaching Sunset's to be resting place for the night.

"Yeah, I can see that," Sunset replied, rubbing the back of her head where the pillow hit. "Ow, that was a hard pillow."

"Heh. Sorry about that." Barb handed the blanket to Sunset in a more polite manner this time. "That pillow is pretty old."

"Good to know you're very prepared for guests," Sunset sarcastically retorted.

"Hey, if you'd rather use a garbage bag then be my guest."

"Sorry! Sorry. It's fine, really... I'm just a bit frustrated and... I really need to just sleep the night away." Sunset placed the pillow against the couch's armrest and sat up against it.

"Oh! Before you do that..." Barb leaped over the couch and landed on the spot next to Sunset. "...there's a few things I should run you over about Hell. From what I saw tonight, you've not a damn chance of lasting too long here."

Sunset moaned, bringing herself up from her spot on the couch. "Fine, but please don't make this last too long. I need sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! Just listen for one more moment." Barb clasped her hands together. "So, first things first, I've noticed that you're a complete pushover."

Sunset turned her head in confusion. "What?"

"Well, one thing, you trusted me to get you a good drink, well done on that, and you also pleaded for someone to not punch your face in."

"I won that fight you know," Sunset felt the need to remind her.

"No shit. It doesn't negate the fact that you were a complete fucking baby at the beginning," Barb added onto Sunset's words.

Sunset blushed with embarrassment upon hearing that. 'Did I really look that much like a baby in front of everyone?'

"Secondly, I swear at some point I heard you call someone a monster." Barb looked at Sunset with disappointment. "I'm just gonna let you know that 'monster' in Hell is a lot more offensive than up on Earth."

"Why?" Sunset asked.

"You think these guys wanted to be what they've become? If Hell decides to make a person disgustingly ugly, then they're stuck like that, and calling them something like a monster will strike a very sensitive spot. Just call ourselves lucky we got hot bods."

Sunset laid back against the armrest. "Well, what do I call the civilians in Hell?"

"Hell residents are called demons. Just remember, no calling anyone a 'monster' unless you really want to die. You're very lucky that no one heard you back at Volcano's.

Anyways, next up, as a new demon of Hell, and because you're of age, you're kinda obligated to find a job."

Sunset groaned in annoyance as her back slid down the armrest and she was looking towards the ceiling. "Are you kidding me? I thought I'd be free of jobs now!"

Barb shook her head. "Nope. We got a hell of an economy here and we gotta pay for something to make sure it's not chaos."

Sunset sat back up straight. "Well, whatever, that's not really gonna be a problem for me."

Barb raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Whatchu talking about? Too good for a job, are you?"

"No, not that. I'm just not planning on staying in one place for too long."

Barb just stared deeply into Sunset. "I'm sorry, I'm really not following you."

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to come up with the right words to say. "Look, just listen. So, there's a ruler of Hell, right?" she asked.

"If there's a God, there'll be a Satan, which there is," Barb answered.

"Right. So he must determine whether what people deserve to go to Hell or not."

Barbed Wire's confusion only grew ever stronger. "You're starting to lose me again. Wait. Are you trying to say that the big man may have been wrong about you?"

Sunset gave a nervous shrug. "Yes...?"

Barbed Wire then broke into hysterics, causing for Sunset's face to droop in annoyance. Tears began to form in the yelling hyena's eyes as she began pounding her leg. "Whoo! Now that is a good one, Sunny! What makes you think that Satan, you know, the lord of the underworld, would have been wrong about you? I'm pretty sure it's an agreement between him and God about what happens to you."

Sunset gave a hmph in return to Barb's response to her idea. "Well, I'll have you know that where I came from, I was part of a team of superheroes given power by the magic of friendship!"

"I think you were hit a little too hard. You feeling alright?" Barb began to snicker again.

"I'm telling you the truth, and what we all did was shine light on those who are doing wrong and embrace them with friendship. How does any of that grant me a ticket to the world of sinners?"

"Perhaps something you've done in the past?" Barb suggested. "I don't think a couple good deeds after kicking a dog would get you into heaven."

"Okay, yeah, sure, I may have done... a few things..." Sunset never liked looking back on her past, all those horrible misdeeds she had commited. "But I've made up for all of my wrong doings and I've faced justice for my sins. Is that not enough? This just can't be it for me, right?" She looked down at her hands which rested on her lap, balled into fists.

Barb was able to see the distress in Sunset, but she wasn't sure of what to do at the moment. All Barb could do was let out a sigh and rest her head on her hands as she looked upwards, leaning further back into the couch. "I don't think it really matters. Even if you've made up with everyone, it doesn't change the fact that you still did... well, whatever you did."

"But I don't think that's really fair. After everything I've done, I wasn't even given the benefit of a doubt? It... it just doesn't sound right." Sunset then looked in Barb's direction, staring at her with confidence. "That's why I plan on meeting him. I'll do what I can to persuade him that I am deserving of a happier ending than this!"

"But do you really think he'll listen?" Barb asked, not even looking in Sunset's direction. "Hundreds of new demons arrive everyday, many of them having their own reasons why they were sent here. What makes you so special? You died, you were sent to Hell. That should be the end of it."

"Well, why are you here?" Sunset suddenly asked, beginning to feel impatient with her roommate for the night. "Don't you feel like you've been cheated out?"

Barb hesitated to make a reply. "Rule number four: no asking about how others died. It's thought of as very rude and personal."

Sunset raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not making that one up?"

"I don't make the rules." Barb turned her head away from Sunset and looked at a digital clock sitting on a shelf. It read in neon green letters, '00:13AM'. "Anywho, it's getting kinda late now. I'll let you go to sleep now." Barb pulled herself to her feet and began walking back towards the hallway to go to her own room.

Sunset sensed the feeling that Barb seemed to want to rush out, but she tried paying no attention to it, if it really is that personal to everyone. "Thanks," she just said as she cast Barb a small smile. She took off her jacket and boots, moved her pillow into a comfortable postiton and pulled the blanket over her body. "Goodnight."

Barb stopped herself before she could reach the hall, turning her head slightly back towards Sunset. "What did you say?"

"Goodnight, Barb," Sunset repeated.

Weirdly enough, a smile, a genuine smile, formed on Barb's face. She hid it to herself, but before she left, she returned a, "Goodnight," back to Sunset and switched the light off.

Author's Note

Kinda like this chapter, the next few chapters will be entirely dedicated to fleshing out the world a little more. But next time, not having it said moreso than things actually being done. Good ol' show don't tell kinda stuff.

Hopefully they won't all take so long to make, not that I'm expecting them to be very long in length, again, like this one. But once that I feel I've done enough, we can finally begin with the real meat of the story!

Once again, do let me know what you think and what you think I can do better, and I'll see you all for chapter 4.

Chapter 4: Insult to Injury

It was the beginning of a new day, according to the glowing satanic circle in the middle of the sky which shined light across all of Sinner City. A two headed monstrosity that somewhat resembled a pigeon landed on the roof of Barbed Wire's apartment block. After pecking at the edge it stood on, nibbling on a few tiny pieces of stone, it unleashed a monstrous shriek that echoed for a mile around the bird's perimeter.

Sunset, unfortunately, was one of the many victims of the demon's tyrannical screech and shot up from her spot on the couch. She swiftly jumped towards the window and opened it up, checking to see if the world was already going to end. Fortunately, there seemed to be no gigantic monsters in the sky to ruin her day, which just left Sunset to wonder where that horrible noise came from.

As she looked around, she heard the sounds of slurping coming from beside her. She turned her head to see Barb behind the kitchen counter, dressed in a dark grey dress robe, drinking from a white mug with an unknown black substance inside.

Barb raised her mug in a greeting manner. "Mornin'," she calmly said.

Sunset just shifted her eyes between Barb and the window with a very concerned look. Eventually, she pointed a finger out towards the window. "What was that?" she asked, afraid for the answer.

"That sound? Just a bird," Barb replied, taking another gulp of her drink. "They're pretty loud."

"Uh, no kidding they're loud. I almost had a heart attack hearing that!"

Barb snorted quietly at the Hell student's exaggeration. "Relax, Sunny. You'll get used to it." She slurped at her drink once again. "You want some coffee?"

Sunset showed surprise at the mention of coffee. But then again, this was Hell, so she was keeping herself wary. "Like, actual coffee? Like ground or lattes?"

Barb shrugged. "Just... coffee."

Sunset let her guard down against Barb's calm nature. She figured that the demoness must not be too much of a morning person. "Sure. I'll take a cup."

Sunset walked towards the counter as Barb turned around and looked out another mug from a high up shelf. "How you like it?" Barb asked.

"Two teaspoons and milk," Sunset replied, taking a seat on one of the three stools.

The water was boiled and Barb made Sunset's order. Once the warm liquid was well mixed, Barb slid the fresh mug of coffee across the counter and into Sunset's hand.

Sunset raised the mug slowly, staring deep into the light brown pool, just in case there was that one little detail to it that spelled out danger.

Having her creation be watched intently, Barb began getting annoyed. "Oh for the love of- it's just coffee!" she blurted out, her patience wearing thin. "Alright? No pranks. It's too early for that shit right now, so just drink it."

Not wanting to get on Barb's bad side by not drinking, Sunset brought the brim to her lips and she took a small sip, preparing for the absolute worst. She gave it a minute before the disaster settled in. However, after a bit of time, nothing happened. The drink didn't seem to be spiked with fire flakes like she feared. Sunset then took a bigger sip to get more of the taste in her mouth, and there was no catch to it. It really was just coffee. And it was good coffee at that.

"Mm. This is really nice," Sunset complimented, a small smile forming on her face. "Thank you."

"See? Nothing else to it," Barb said.

Sunset's smile turned into one of embarrassment. "Heh. Sorry. Guess I'm still kinda... cautious." She nervously giggled.

Barb rested her elbows on the counter, casting Sunset a devious smile. "Hah! Listen girl, you think I was bad to you, then you really don't wanna know what I've done to others."

Sunset now looked scared. "Yeah. I don't think I do." And she hoped she wouldn't have to experience the same later.

As the demonesses continued to drink their morning coffee, a thought from last night sprung to Barb's mind. "So, you were saying that you wanted to find Satan for a way outta Hell, huh? When do you plan on leaving for that perilous journey?"

Sunset swallowed a gulp that was in her mouth. "Well, just after this coffee actually."

Barb just looked at Sunset sadly. "Aww. Already? Leaving so soon?"

Sunset sat more up straight as she tried to collect her words. "Look, I really appreciate you letting me stay for the night, but I wasn't going to stay for long. I want to be in Hell for as least time as possible. So if I want to do that, I gotta start now."

Barb gripped her mug with both hands. "Well... if you're sure, then I guess I can't stop you," Barb said quietly.

"Thank you."

They both continued drinking with Sunset's mind being set in stone and Barb's being quite lost in thought.

The girls both walked out of the apartment block together with Barb staying by the door and Sunset going down the steps that lead into the apartment.

Sunset turned back and looked at her one-off flatmate. She casted Barbed Wire a kind smile and waved goodbye before she began taking the first few steps into her new journey.

Barb returned the wave with still quite a disappointed look. "Hey, if you're ever back, it's number sixteen, Firelin Street. Remember that."

"I will. Thanks Barb," Sunset finished. She turned away from Barb and continued walking down the street, finally, and officially, beginning her journey through Hell. This was either going to be easy or, for lack of a better word, hell. But Sunset knew that she was a strong enough girl to handle it.

It didn't even take half an hour, but already Sunset couldn't handle this. On her trek to find the way out of the city, she was completely lost in this red concrete jungle. Every street looked the exact same. Not only that, but the city was also humongous! Sunset didn't know where exactly in the city she was, whether she was in the middle or closer to the outskirts, but she was somehow still surrounded by skyscrapers.

Sunset was almost certain that she was going in circles too. Already she has had to take a few double takes due to not immediately seeing the differences between streets, that were right next to eachother, like Scythe Street and Scythes Street. Who was even coming up with these names?! It was driving Sunset insane just trying to think about it.

There was the idea to ask one of the locals for directions again, but she didn't really feel like potentially going through the trouble of angering another demon by unintentionally making fun of them. At this point, however, Sunset wasn't sure if she even had a choice.

She could also just try going in one direction and seeing where that would lead her. It was probably her safest bet, it was just the matter of if it is even the correct direction to go in.

"I'm never getting out of this city," Sunset said quietly to herself.

She looked around herself, searching for the best path to walk continuously forward. The path that was to the left of her current position looked as though it had more promise, so she decided that this will be the path she takes and began walking again.

As she walked, Sunset ensured that she always kept on the same path, which was made pretty difficult with the hundreds of demons that loved to barge past her, causing her to spin around a whole lot. Sunset wasn't even given time to collect her thoughts before more demons barged past her again and again and again. Walking through the moving maze of sinners felt like a greater challenge now.

As she tried making her way past the crowd, she would be constantly met with horrible things being said to her.

"Watch where you're going!"

"You blind or something, jackass?!"

"Get the fuck out of my way!"

It wasn't nice for Sunset to endure to say the least, but she knew that she had to press on further. She could almost be at the end, or be getting further away. She would soon find out.

After a while longer of walking in a straight line, Sunset was finally sure now that she was reaching the end now. In the distance, she could see where the buildings seem to end, and there is an orange light emanating from the ground just ahead. This looked like this was it, and it only took Sunset...

She had lost track of the time at that point, but it was certainly a long time.

Anyway, Sunset continued her journey for just a while longer, and soon enough, she had finally reached the edge of Sinner City. Now the only problem is the giant ocean of lava that apparently surrounded the city.

Sunset inched towards the edge, ensuring that she didn't fall off, and noticed that the city was elevated pretty high above the lava. If Sunset were to take a guess at that moment, she'd say it was about a fifty foot drop.

Now the issue to resolve, how was she to get across? 'It's probably more likely that demons aren't immune to fire and lava. I don't think I want to take the risk to find out if TV actually lied to me,' Sunset thought as she backed away from the edge.

It was time to think of a plan. Sunset tapped her foot as she thought of possible solutions. Perhaps there were lavaproof boats? None that she could see at the moment. Air transport? She definitely didn't have the money for that. She looked at her surroundings once again and almost immediately her eyes were drawn towards a possible solution.

"Maybe I could get across that bridge," Sunset said to herself with a smile. Just further down the road there was a red bridge. It was so long that Sunset couldn't even see the end of it, but it looked intact and sturdy, so it was probably her safest bet.

She walked the distance between her and the bridge, which took her another few minutes, and she was at the entrance to the bridge. There looked to be six lanes on each side of the bridge, with trucks, that were glowing purple for some reason, constantly coming in or leaving the city. Luckily though, there was a pavement on the sides that she could take. So Sunset took a step closer and-

"Stop right there!" someone yelled at Sunset.

Sunset turned around and saw a small, green and pretty overweight looking demon poking out the window of his small booth, holding a hand out towards her as if to stop her.

Sunset wasn't sure what to do, so she just stood in her walking position while glancing left and right to see if anyone else was around her. Eventually, she pointed to herself with a worried grin.

"Yes you, come here!" the uniformed demon instructed.

Sunset closed the gap between the two of them, standing just outside the window of this tiny booth.

"Where do you think you're going?" the demon asked.

"Am I not allowed to cross the bridge?" Sunset returned with another question, crossing her arms.

"Not without a permit, you're not. As the border patrol officer, I can't let you leave the city legally without one. That, and you also don't have the repellent on you it seems."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What would I need a repellent for?"

The demon cop threw a thumb in the direction of the lava. "Outside of the city is the home to a giant demon known as the 'Wormillium'. Not much is known about the creature, but it is said that it has a million teeth that can grind through the bones of any demon, leaving no trace of them left! It's one of the biggest monstrosities ever known in Hell."

Sunset looked towards the lava, and lo and behold, in the distance she saw the body of some beast poking out of the surface of the lava. She looked up to then see another bird like demon flying out of the city. After it had flown quite a distance away, from the lava shot up a huge worm creature. It cried out a loud and deep roar as its mouth opened wide, revealing many rows of razor sharp teeth, and swallowed the bird whole. It slowly crashed back down into the molten ocean, sending waves of lava to shoot upwards, but luckily none landed near the bridge.

Sunset froze in terror. Her face was wide eyed with her mouth hanging open with shock. She was really that close to being eaten alive by that thing, if it hadn't been for this demon stopping her.

"Yeah... That's the kinda stuff that will happen if you don't have the repellent. It's scary shit," the patrol officer told her. "If you want a permit and the repellent, you're gonna need to get them from town hall, but only if you've a good enough reason for leaving. You do have one, right?"

Sunset attempted to look away from where she saw the worm demon had struck, but as she turned her head, her eyes barely moved along with her. "Sure I do," she said hesitantly. "Though, what is considered a good reason if you don't mind me asking?"

The patrol officer just returned with a small shrug. "I just let people in and out. I don't get told why I should other than having a form waved in front of me. If you're lucky, you'll be the next."

It now looks like Sunset had to make her way back through the city for a quick stop. "Then I'll just go get one. Don't you go anywhere," Sunset playfully said before leaving the demon cop.

"I haven't left this spot in the last thirty years," the border patrol demon quietly said with a look of exhaustion.

Sunset's next destination was now the city's town hall. That would not be so bad if she had any sort of a clue of where she was even going. She didn't even remember if the path she was taking now was the one she passed before. So much of this city looked the exact same!

Sunset was still trying to hold back the urge to ask for directions, which was evenly matched with her fear of the thousands of demon strangers that she has passed since her arrival. Every demon that Sunset has met so far had quite an amount of aggressiveness to them, and not one them seemed trustworthy at all. But just maybe, she may find a hint of luck and meet an actually friendly demon...

...who is only in Hell because of the sins they had commited. The odds were not on Sunset's side, which was intelligently decided by her, but it a little luck she may get just what she needed.

Sunset just thought, 'Screw it,' and approached the closest demon to her. "Excuse me, do you know where town hall is?" she asked.

The demon she had asked turned around and looked at her. The demon putting his hands in his pockets, he said with a heavy Australian accent, "Ye just gotta go find Da'kwoods Pa'k, and around the otha' side of it you'll find a big buildin' with a bell towa'. That's th' town hall."

"Which street is this down?" Sunset then asked.

The demon pointed behind him at his left. "Down that one. Then take a third right, then a left and you'll find Da'kwoods Pa'k."

Sunset smiled as she began walking in the direction she was told, turning back to wave at the helpful demon. "Thanks a tonne for your help!"

"No problem, mate," the demon said before getting back to his day.

Progress was finally getting made. Soon enough Sunset can leave this hellhole and then it's all just a trek to find the lair, or whatever he lives in, of the devil himself.

Sunset ensured that she carefully followed the kind man's directions as she walked. She just had to find what sounded like the city's big park. Just had to find a place with red trees and grass, if she was going off of the consistency of red that is splattered around every inch of the city.

Eventually, Sunset found the park, and what she was not expecting was that the plant life was gigantic! The trees stood high at around forty to fifty feet. They were even growing over the fence with vines wrapping around the metal bars. This was no park. This was a jungle!

Sunset approached the park and tried to look through the trees to see if the park was populated at all, but with the lack of care clearly shown for the park forest, all she could see was darkness inside and could hear nothing else but birds chirping and the light sound of a cricket chirping. Crickets were apparently a thing in Hell too.

It looked like a mission to try and get through the park... so she just went around it. "As if I'm ever going in there," she said as she confidently strutted on the path on the other side of the park fence. Sunset did not take her eyes away from the dark depths of the park however, as she hoped that maybe someone was really inside and she was foolish to not take what may have been a shortcut. She didn't focus on what could have been, though. Sunset had made her decision and she was going with it, especially what with how close she was to the town hall now.

Sunset came around the corner of the park and was met with a horrible revelation: road works. Sunset had barely seen a demon drive a car and there were road works?! What was worse that beyond the work that was being done, Sunset could see the building with the clock. This was her destination and these maniacs just had to stop her!

There were a few worker demons over by the works. Sunset approached them, not realising the annoyed look that was plastered onto her face. One of the workers noticed Sunset and held a hand out towards her, stopping Sunset in her tracks.

"Step away from the site, ma'am. We're very busy working here," the worker told to Sunset.

Sunset just stood with her arms crossed. "I need to get to town hall. Anyway I could get through, please?" she asked.

"Sorry, ma'am. Only way to town hall is through the park." The worker pointed in the direction Sunset had just come from.

Sunset loud out a loud groan. "You have GOT to be kidding me!" She turned around and stomped her way back to the park's entrance, grumbling something under her breath.

"Ey, Digger. What's with her?" another worker called out from the construction zone.

Digger just gave a shrug. "Meh. Who knows. Back to work now, demons!"

Still grumbling annoyances, Sunset's pace did not falter as she turned into the park. Not even to dramatically look up at the entrance sign as she would prepare to endure whatever lurked within the darkness of the forest. There was none of that.

"Making me walk all the way back here because they just had to also close the sidewalk!" Sunset said as she followed the dirt path in the dark park.

As Sunset continued down the path, it became harder and harder to see as it seemed that this park had no light source. Or at least the lampposts that were scattered around the park were not lit up. The trees all gathered and their branches and leaves completely blocked out the sky above, preventing any light from shining through. All the light that Sunset really had was from the entrance, which wouldn't last her this whole journey.

As Sunset quickly, and angrily, paced through the park, she continued to mumble to herself. "...and now I'm having to walk through this stupid, dumb, dark park after being told to turn back and now-" Sunset then finally paid attention to her current surroundings, and realised she could not see any of it. "And now I'm lost!"

Sunset would then go to spend an embarrassing amount of time wandering around blindly. Tree roots were kicked, cobwebs were walked into, mud puddles were fallen into, and she could swear that a two-headed squirrel tried to bite her tail off. On a few occasions Sunset would finally see a light, walk towards and it turns out it was just the entrance again. Sunset was going nowhere.

However, through trial and error, and guiding herself with the park's fence, Sunset eventually found the exit she needed. She pulled herself into the outside light and laid on the ground, face up and out of breath. She gave a weak fist bump in the air.

The worker demon from before, Digger, walked into Sunset's line of sight, sipping on a steaming cup of coffee. "You made it. Well done!"

"No... thanks... to you," Sunset said inbetween puffs.

Digger held up his hands defensively. "Hey, it's not my fault you didn't decide to go around the other side." He then walked away from Sunset. "Dumbass," he said once he was out of earshot.

"The... other side?" Sunset asked herself. She picked herself up from the ground and sat upright, looking to the opposite side of the road works. It was empty. Sunset could have just gone around the park, and she spent all that time trying to go through... "You. Have got. To be KIDDING ME!"

This day was not exactly going Sunset's way. Progress was rocky. Very rocky. But she seemed to be getting there. She walked into the town hall as a dirty, sweaty mess. She trudged herself up to the reception, holding up all of her weight on her hands that sat flat on the desk. She brought her head up to look at the female demon that sat on the other side of the glass, quickly typing away at her computer.

The female demon turned away from her screen to look at Sunset. She was immediately caught off guard by Sunset's... poor condition. "Uuh... can I help you, ma'am?"

"Is this the place where I talk to someone about getting a repellent for the Wormillion?" Sunset asked.

"Are you referring the 'Wormillium'? Yes, this is where demons would get their permit for the repellent." The receptionist pulled out a few papers and handed them to Sunset through a gap in the glass. "If you just state your business on these forms, then you can have your repellent and access outside of the city."

Sunset took the forms and had a look through everything. She was confused as she looked through the contents the pages had, talking more than just reasons for leaving like that border patrol demon had told her.

"Uuh... is there by any chance that I can have the repellent even if I don't have my own business?" Sunset asked, hoping for a good answer.

The receptionist lady raised a sharp eyebrow at Sunset's question. "I beg you're pardon? Why do you want access to leave the city?"

Sunset paused, afraid to answer. "To just leave?"

"Miss, the repellent is meant for protection of delivered goods and resources or for expanding businesses across more of Hell. We do not pass it around to any demon that wishes to move or have a vacation!" the receptionist explained sternly. "So, either you state your real business for even needing the repellent, or you leave before I call security."

Sunset quickly passed the papers back through the glass, causing them to crumple and wrinkle, and rushed back out of the building.

Barbed Wire sat in her apartment watching TV as she tossed a handful of cheese balls into her mouth. She didnt really understand what she was watching, she had just flipped through some channels and chose one at random.

"And now for the weather report." the TV spoke.

But suddenly her door buzzer started ringing. Barb rose up from her seat and went to pick up the phone that sat close by to her front door.

Barbed Wire leaned against the wall as she held the phone against her ear. "Hello, Barbed Wire speaking."

"Hey Barb, it's Sunset," Sunset greeted embarrassingly.

Barb's eyes gave a cheeky grin which Sunset couldn't see. "Well, well, well. Look who's back already. So, did your plan not go so well?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Can I come back in please?"

Barb pushed a button that was under where the phone would sit and hung up the phone. On Sunset's side, the door to the block of flats give a buzzing sound, indicating that it was open. Sunset climbed back up to Barb's apartment, where Barb stood by the door awaiting for Sunset's arrival, still wearing the grin on her face. Sunset just rolled her eyes at Barb.

"It looks like someone failed to mention about the giant monster that blocked the city's exit," Sunset said nonchalantly, crossing her arms.

Barb just gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Must have slipped my mind. But as I kind of expected, your little plan seemed to go up in flames. So, what's the big plan now, Sunny?" Barb asked.

Sunset rubbed the length of her right arm. "I may have to take up on your advice and..." She sighed. "...find a job." She wasn't excited to have to work again, but it seemed that Sunset didn't have much of a choice anymore.

To Sunset's delight, Barb ditched the sly smile and looked at Sunset with more genuine eyes. "Well cool. What kinda job were you thinking about? Paper girl, cashier?" Barb looked up and down Sunset's body. "Stripper?"

Sunset gave a shocked facial expression. "What?! No!" she exclaimed as she suddenly began blushing hard.

"Well think, dammit. What were you good at back on the surface?"

Sunset gave a slight shrug. "I dunno. My first job was being a waitress at a sushi restaurant. So... any fast food places nearby that's hiring?"

Author's Note

I've got an announcement to make here... the entire story of Volume 1 is now planned out! I've got a bunch of new plans at the ready for Sunset and Barb and I think it'll come around to be my greatest project ever.

All of this volume's chapters are laid out and are at the ready right now to be written on. These may take quite a while to make, but I cannot wait for when the real meat of the story arrives.

As for the name of the volume... it's blurred on the cover for a reason. It's kind of a big spoiler for now, and you'll have to wait until later before I can reveal it.

All that said, I hope you've enjoyed the chapter. See you for the next one. Hopefully these Author's Notes aren't so long from here on out.

Chapter 5: Strangeness to Her

It was day three of Sunset's adventure in Hell, and already she has done so much. Sadly though, none of it was what she wanted. The first part of her plan was to leave Sinner City, and it seemed that was not meant to be for her. For now that was. Despite this horrible damper on her plans, it did not cause her to lose hope. Sunset knew that one day she will get out of here and find wherever Satan keeps himself.

For now though, Sunset has to abide by the city's laws and she had to go out and find a job. Where does she work? She works at a burger joint. It's her first day, and her just not 'looking forward to it' did not even begin to scratch the surface of how much she dreaded walking into the restaurant that morning.

She had prepared herself in the women's bathroom, taking a long look at herself in the mirror, with her pure black cotton polo shirt and snapback, both having the restaurant's logo of a toppled cheeseburger with red buns. The worst part of it all was the name tag that read 'Sunset Shimmer', which meant that everybody would know that Sunset was an employee at a restaurant named 'Sloppy Top'. It was not the most flattering name and Sunset had decided that she would rather be caught dead than ever say that name.

Sunset blew through her mouth to calm her first day jitters. She also lightly slapped her cheeks. "Okay, okay. You got this. It's just your first day at an embarrising excuse for a restaurant chain and that's okay." Sunset began to point at her reflection. "You don't need to impress anyone on the first day. Just get through the day and you'll be fine."

"Lunatic," someone suddenly said.

Sunset stopped what she was doing and looked back at the stalls. There was one with the door closed.

"Excuse me?" Sunset asked.

"You're just talking to yourself in the mirror like a fucking loony. Please stop. It's uncomfortable when I'm trying to take a shit," the occupying demon replied.

Sunset took that chance to finally get out of there. She mouthed to herself, 'Too much information,' before she rushed out of the restroom to take on the day.

Upon pushing the door open, Sunset took the time to get more used to the surroundings that she would have to look at for a decent amount of hours. It just looked like any other fast food restaurant with tables sitting next to large windows, higher tables and stools covering more of the middle area of the restaurant and the soda machines at the ready next to the counters. In addition to all of these generic features, the restaurant seemed to have quite a theme with the colour orange. From the counter and tabletops being made of orange plastic and wood, and the walls covered in orange paint. Aside from Barbed Wire's apartment, this place is one of the brightest places Sunset has seen in Hell by far.

Sunset took her place behind the counter. It was job time, and she had work to do. From now, 9AM, until 5PM, Sunset was to be the cashier woman, and as soon as she took her place and she was ready, her first customer had arrived.

"Oh no," Sunset said, her eyes shrinking.

"Boy, am I a hungry bitch today!" Barbed Wire had just arrived, shouting to the high heavens with a lot of forced excitement, and she had the most evil grin on her face. Sunset was very worried for what she had planned.

Barb strutted right up to the counter. The demonesses had their eyes locked onto eachother, Sunset staring in terror and Barb staring with a terror intent.

Sunset forced a smile onto her face in case she was being watched. "What are you doing here?!" she said through her teeth.

Barb rested her elbow on the counter. "Relax, Sunny. Girl just wanted some breakfast."

"We don't sell breakfast," Sunset quickly replied.

"What kinda place are you running? Fine. I'll have a..." Barb looked up at the flashy menu above Sunset. "A double triple bossy-"

"Don't you even dare!" Sunset seethed. She brought her hands over her mouth as she took a deep breath, and then she blew outwards, letting her arms fall back down as she pointed to Barb with her fingertips. "Is there anything that you actually want, or are you just here to annoy me?"

Barb held up her arms defensively. "Alright, alright. I just wanted to see how my girl was doing at her new job."

Sunset raised her eyebrow, not believing what her roommate was saying.

"...and I wanted a Grand Slopper meal with a cola and no pickles."

Sunset then nodded in an assuring manner. "Right." She pressed a few buttons on her register which displayed a price for her. "Seven forty-nine."

Barb began searching through her pockets, but she then suddenly stopped when she processed the price. "Hol' up. What the fuck? That's too expensive for a fucking burger!"

"Along with large fries and a large drink?" Sunset held onto her blank stare.

Barb didn't have an answer. She rolled her eyes to the right and then back to Sunset. "...maybe we could compromise?"

"Nnnno. Seven forty-nine to go."

Barb held up a finger to stop Sunset. "Nuh-uh. Sitting in."

"To go!" Sunset said harshly, giving Barb a hard glare.

Barb continuously began shaking her head left and right, while at the same time Sunset continuously nodded her head. It seemed that neither of the girls were letting the other one win.

However, the battle of the head shakers was cut short as it turned out that shaking your brain that much was not healthy, evident as both of them began experiencing headaches and a loss of balance.

"Ack! God damn, let's fucking stop," Barb said as she tried to remain up straight while her head throbbed and her eyes became cross. "Just let me stay, please? I won't annoy you for the rest of your shift."

Sunset made an quiet and unsure noise as she thought the offer over. On one hand, Barb wouldn't cause anymore mayhem, but then that would mean that Sunset would be alone at this boring job. On the other hand, Sunset would have company for a while at least, but then the problem there was that Barb could be lying and she was actually going to make this day worse for Sunset.

Sunset came to the conclusion that despite the horrors that may occur, the latter was the more interesting option. "Alright, you can stay in," she told to Barb. "But first, seven sickles, forty-nine skulls, please."

Barb made a pouty face, audibly giving a humph as she dug through her wallet, digging out a ten sickle bill. "You're lucky I'm so nice."

Sunset gave a friendly smile as she rolled her eyes. Barbed Wire was a piece of work, for sure, but she was certainly... charming to say the least. Sunset took the bill and pressed the button to open the cash register, when suddenly the till flew up in the air upon the burger worker pressing the button.

The cash register spun around while mid air, coins and notes falling out of the now open tray, raining down onto Sunset.

"Ouch! Ow! What the heck?!" Sunset was exclaiming as she tried to shield her face. Eventually, the metal rain ended, allowing Sunset to see what exactly had happened. But upon looking up, she saw that the cash register was only now just coming back down, and before she could react in time, it came crashing down on top of her head, sending Sunset to the floor.

"Holy shit!" Barb panicked. She jumped behind the counter and knelt down to her roommate. "Sunset, you okay?!"

Sunset groaned as she began seeing stars. "Just give me five more minutes, Princess Celestia," she said, slurring on her words.

"Princess Cele- what the hell are you talking about?" Barb asked back. An idea crossed her mind to try and snap Sunset out of whatever she was thinking, so she brought up a hand and it came crashing back down, making a loud and painful smacking sound as it collided with Sunset's cheek. "Wake up!"

Upon the hard slap, Sunset had snapped out of her dizzying episode. "Ooh man, what happened?" she asked, rubbing her eye as she sat back up. She caught sight of the metal mess all around her, with coins scattered across the floor and a cash register with a broken button and quickly, Sunset had remembered the events prior to this moment. "Oh... Right. I did that, didn't I?"

"What is going on here?!" a deep voice bellowed suddenly. Barb and Sunset quickly turned around to see a tall and round demon with a cigar in his mouth standing at where no one else but the employees could enter.

Sunset's eyes shrank at the sight of the demon. "Uh-oh," she whispered. In a very swift motion, Sunset stood back up, trying to appear as formal as she could in front of the man. "Mr. Slopper, sir. I'm very sorry, but a, uh... accident has happened. I'll clean it up right away." Sunset then knelt down and began picking up all of the scattered money.

Mr. Slopper was the strict, perfectionist manager of the restaurant and, unfortunately, Sunset's boss. "This barely looks like an accident, Miss Shimmer," he scolded as he shifted the cigar in his mouth to the other side. "I want every penny on this floor picked up ASAP or else you're doing the night shift as well!"

The boss' eyes shifted towards Barb after Sunset picked up the pace. "Well, well, well, if it ain't Barbed Wire. Judging by the situation I'm now seeing in front of me, I'm guessing you had something to do with this, like you're infamous for."

Barb scoffed as she crossed her arms. "Let it the fuck go, man. It's not my fault that you're ice cream machines are so shitty. Might be a good idea to invest in some that actually keep the soft serve frozen, y'know! And no, it wasn't me this time!"

"Then what did happen, if you don't mind me asking," Mr. Slopper replied.

It was now that Barb was at a loss for words. She held a finger up as if she was about to make a point, but then she knelt down to Sunset's level and began whispering to her. "What did happen there?" she asked.

"I don't know. I just pushed a button and then the register flew!" Sunset quietly answered.

It wasn't a lot for Barb to work with, so it seemed that she was on her own for this one. Standing back up straight, she told to Mr. Slopper, "It was just a little accident, so just chill out, alright?"

Mr. Slopper humphed as he crossed his arms. "Fixing 'little accidents' costs money, so don't tell me to calm down when my own shit gets broken!" He then fiercely pointed at Sunset. "And you! Don't fuck anything up!" Afterwards, the big bad boss turned around and headed back to his office.

Sunset and Barb just stood in silence after that whole fiasco.

"Wow. What an asshole," Barb commented, sticking her hands in her joggers' pockets.

Sunset scoffed as she got up from the floor with a small bag of money. "Tell me about it. During my interview, he told me that if a single order is sent to the wrong customers then it was my head."

Barb then proceeded to scan Sunset's face, seeing if any wounds were visible after that hard hit to her head. "You feeling okay, Sunny?" she asked.

"It's really no big deal, Barb, I can take him," Sunset obliviously replied.

"No, I mean after the register hit you on the head. You were out cold for barely a minute and now you're right back up on your feet, fit as a fiddle. A blow like that would have given you a concussion or something." Then, without consent, Barb got uncomfortably close to Sunset and tried to spread her hair apart to get a good look at her dome.

Sunset was caught off guard by Barb's sudden intrusion of personal space. "Hey! What are you-?! Get off me!" With enough effort, Sunset managed to push Barbed Wire off of her.

"Huh, your head seems to be perfectly fine... weird," Barb said. Coming to accept the fact that Sunset was perfectly okay, Barb took back her place in front of the counter where she was supposed to be. "So, you still got my order, right?"

"Yeah, we'll get that to you soon," Sunset responded, now standing in front of another register.

Barb then walked away and sat down at a table by a window. The situation that had just occurred was still looming in her mind, but if Sunset was as fine as she looked, perhaps Barb shouldn't dwell on it so much.

Shortly after Barb left, Sunset saw the front door opening again. Another customer had arrived, this time it being a slim demon with a blue mohawk, that didn't blend well with his crimson skin, and a yellow tank top that reached his knees with a '9' on the front of it. It was a mystery if he was wearing anything on his legs. He approached the counter, resting his arm onto it as he sported an overly confident grin.

"Can I take your order?" Sunset asked.

The demon spoke with a gravely voice, "Yeah, I'd like to have some of those fine buns, sugar." He then winked at Sunset.

"Excuse me?" Sunset asked, her face forming into disgust.

The demon bended further over the counter, getting into Sunset's personal space. "What dya say that we get out of here later and I'll show ya a good time."

She could not believe this. Her first day on the job and already some sicko was trying to hit on her. Sunset was ready to give this guy a piece of her mind, but before she even could, the demon's own face had shock and confusion written all over it. He seemed to be looking deep into Sunset's eyes before he slowly began walking away.

"Y-Y'know what? I-I'm just gonna go," he said before turning around and running out of the restaurant.

Everything was silent all of a sudden. Sunset was left with her mouth agape, trying to process everything that just happened. First a guy digged her looks and then treated her as if she was actually disgusting?

"Jerk," Sunset quietly criticised. She could see him running away in shame in her mind right now.

A couple hours had passed by, and so far it was going very slowly. Sunset hadn't exactly been keeping count, but she knows for sure that not even ten customers had arrived so far. Either business was slow in the morning or Sunset's first job in Hell just so happened to be at a not so popular restaurant.

Sunset's head rested in her hands as she leaned over the counter. Drifting her eyes side to side, there were three demons in the restaurant at the moment, one of them still being Barbed Wire. After she finished her meal, she never left for some odd reason.

Sunset yawned as her eyelids were starting to get heavy. If she started sleeping on the job right now she would certainly be kicked to the dirt, but what was she to do?

With the feeling that no one was going to come over for now, Sunset didn't hold her eyelids back. She let them close as her head began slipping out of her hands.

"Sunset!" She suddenly heard along with the clicking of fingers.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Sunset suddenly shot back up. Through her tired, blurry vision, she saw Barb had come over to her. "Oh, hey, Barb. You want anything else, like a dessert or something?" she asked as she stretched her arms behind her head.

"Nah, I'm good. Just wanted to make sure you were awake before I left," Barbed Wire said. "Slow day so far, huh?"

"Mmhmm," was all Sunset could respond with. She rubbed her eyes.

Barb looked down slightly. "I just figured I'd stay for a bit after that whole thing, in case nothing else happened. But it seems everything's fine, so I'm just gonn- Woah! What the fuck?!" she abruptly yelled, taken aback as she looked back up at Sunset's face.

Sunset was surprised by Barb's sudden shocked episode. "What? What's wrong?"

"Girl, what's up with your eyes? They're... different," Barb informed, getting a closer look into Sunset's face. "Go look in a mirror or something and see for yourself."

Sunset looked at her roommate with a confusing stare before she left to go to the bathroom once again. She looked into the closest mirror to the door and then looked into her own eyes.

"What the heck?!" Sunset jumped away from the sinks with a shocked reaction. Barb really wasn't lying, Sunset's eyes had changed with her sclera now being a deep, dark black colour that really brought out her teal irises. "What is going on here?" she asked to herself.

"What's going on is that you're going insane by still talking to yourself!" said the same demoness occupying a stall. She was still using the toilet after all this time.

"Well, maybe you should just let me, instead of feeling that you should comment while I'm having problems of my own, you hairy chested ape!" Sunset suddenly shouted in anger, turning towards the only closed door.

There was a moment of silence before Sunset heard the lock of the stall door turning, only for it to reveal a demoness with a large jacket on and a puzzled look on her face. "How did you know that?"

Sunset gasped and put her hands over her mouth. "Oh my gosh... I-I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me," she pleaded.

The demon waved her hand at Sunset. "Its fine, I've heard it all before. What I'm asking is how did you know about that? We've never seen eachother before."

It was then that Sunset now realised the situation. That demon was right, Sunset and her have never come into eachother's sights before, and now Sunset made a horrible remark about her body hair without knowledge of the demon to begin with.

Something was definitely wrong.

Sunset apologised once again before leaving the bathroom. The demoness just shrugged and lock the door again, only for some kind of plapping sound to be heard.

Barb just rested by the counter, waiting for Sunset to return. She scratched the side of her nose before Sunset finally came back.

"Barb, I think there's something wrong with me," Sunset commented, slightly beginning to panic.

"I thought so," Barb replied, now walking away from the counter. "C'mon, I'll take you to the hospital."

Sunset remained still as Barb tried to walk to the front door to the restaurant. "I can't just ditch work on my first day! I'll get fired for sure!"

Barb turned back to Sunset, letting out a groan. "Who cares? The more important priority is making sure you don't got some weird disease that makes eyes black. Now let's go!"

Sunset looked back and forth from Barb and the counter. She was probably going to regret this later.

The two demonesses found themselves at an ER, patiently waiting to be called in. Barb leaned back on her chair while Sunset swung her legs backwards and forwards and fidgeted with her thumbs.

Barb took notice of Sunset's uneasiness and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You made the right decision, Sunny," she said reassuringly.

Sunset casted a half-hearted smile. "Thanks. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be anything too bad."

"Don't worry 'bout it. Demons' immune systems make them close to... well, immune to most diseases. Earth diseases that is." Barbed Wire proceeded to lean back once more. Her eyes began to look through the other demons that were with them.

There was one male demon wearing a black tank top with his arms completely gone. Blood was gushing out of his arms all across the floor, but he wasn't making a fuss at all.

And then there was another male demon with some weird outbreak of zits that were the size of water balloons all across his body, and by the look of it, it would be a single pop and that man was as good as dead.

Finally, there was a scrawny, tall female demon that seemed to breath out what seemed to be smoke. Yes, not breathing in, but breathing out smoke. If Barb were to guess, that girl has had a couple thousand too many and now her lungs were literally on fire.

Eventually, a doctor poked his head around a corner and pointed towards one of the many demons. "Mind Melt, please?" the doctor asked for, who paid no attention of the pool of blood that completely covered the floor.

Luckily enough, the demon called was none other than no arms guy. He got up and followed the doctor to his office, finally stopping with filling the room with his nasty red liquid. Sunset had to lift her feet onto the chair as a result to not get her boots covered in it.

Soon enough, Mind Melt, or no arms guy, returned looking better than ever as he seemed to regain his arms, strutting out as he had a big smile plastered across his face.

"Oh-ho man! You would not believe how much this hurts!" he said as he walked away.

Soon enough, the doctor returned again. "Caramba-Mia, please see me now," he requested.

Now it was the zit covered demon that followed the doctor, with his nasty, saggy sacks bouncing with every step he took. Due to the immature mind of Barbed Wire, watching that got a giggle out of her.

"Kinda like being covered head to toe with tits," Barb quietly commented, receiving a punch in the arm from Sunset.

Many minutes later, the demon returned completely free of his fat body zits. "Ay-Caramba! That doctor's really something else!" he cheered for the other three to hear.

"Doctor's really sounding like the bee's knees," Sunset said with hope.

Barb shrugged. "Meh. This is all just general, treatable stuff. It's nothing too big."

"Roadkill, please see the doctor now," the doctor requested for the last demon apart from Barb and Sunset. The demoness got onto her feet and walked off, leaving Barb and Sunset alone in the mostly drained of blood ER.

Sunset and Barb had to wait what almost felt like forever before the girl finally came out, and as she did she was breathing insanely heavily with a distressed look on her face.

"He replaced my lungs with plastic bags! This is not an alternative!" she said before taking off for home.

The two girls just stared wide eyed at the demon as she left. After hearing how exactly the doctor 'helped' her, they both started getting some concerns.

"Intuitive," Barb said.

"This doctor's methods seem to be... well, certainly methods," Sunset added on before looking to Barb. "Will you come in with me? I don't want to be alone if the doctor decides that I need some fancy procedure."

"Fine, whatever," Barb replied.

"Thanks."

The two of them continued their wait. It wouldn't be long now as they were the only demons here now. At this point, the remaining blood on the floor from earlier had dried up, and now the floor had a red, flakey and sticky layer to it. It made Sunset sick to her stomach just from the sight of it, but Barbed Wire remained unphased, as though blood was as common as water in her life. Fucked up, yes, but it is what it is.

But eventually, it was finally time. "Sunset Shimmer, the doctor is waiting for you now."

Barb and Sunset then proceeded, after walking through the nasty floor, to walk to the doctor's office. They arrived at the door, and already some confused eyebrows were raised. The name tag on the door read 'Office of Doctor Doctor'.

"Is this some kind of weird joke or something?" Barb asked.

Sunset didn't reply however. Instead, she just knocked on the door and proceeded inside. Barb followed suit.

Upon opening the door, the girls saw the doctor on the other side of the room with their back turned to them, reading some documents.

"Sunset Shimmer, if I'm correct?" the doctor asked, not looking away from his work. He directed a hand towards a chair. "Please, have a seat."

Sunset followed the doctor's order, leaving Barb to stand in the middle of the room alone.

The doctor was now finishing up with what he was doing, evident by him tapping his documents onto the desk to straighten them. "Now, what seems to be the problem?" He swivelled his chair around to face Sunset.

A shocked gasped suddenly escaped Sunset as she saw that this doctor did not have his face shown. Instead, he was wearing a beaked mask with a head mirror and stethoscope.

The doctor began laughing after hearing Sunset's reaction. "Gets them every time." He stuck a hand out towards Sunset. "Hello there, my name is Doctor Doctor."

"Is that actually your real name or do a lot of people just hate you?" Barb asked suspiciously.

"I assure you, that is my real name. Doctor, followed by the last name which is Doctor," Doctor Doctor answered.

"What's your first name?" It was now Sunset's turn for a question.

"Plague," the doctor said quickly and surely.

Silence then tell upon the room from the complete disbelief from Barb and Sunset. The doctor stayed pretty optimistic, as though he couldn't feel the awkward vibes given off from the silence.

Barb scrunched up her eyebrows. "Doctor Plague Doctor... fuckin', just wow."

"Now it's all really making sense..." Sunset slowly nodded. She then shook her head, realising they were off topic. "Sorry. Anyway, yeah, lately I've been experiencing... weird outbursts of things, I guess you could say."

"Could you specify?" Plague Doctor asked.

"Erm... Random occurrences of super strength and my eyes suddenly changing colour, causing my vision to focus itself on a particular thing..." Sunset listed on her fingers.

"Like they are right now?" the doctor pointed out, pointing towards Sunset's face as her eyes had become the void like they were at the restaurant.

Sunset nodded. "Yup. And there's also... Umm..."

"Healing abilities," Barb jumped in, sticking up one of Sunset's fingers for her.

The doctor nodded. "And how long has this been going on for?"

"Since I arrived here two days ago," Sunset explained. "It's been very random and causing major disruptions in things like my work."

"Hmm. Very, very interesting." Doctor Doctor swivelled his chair back around to his desk and began typing at his computer. "I have an idea of what is wrong with you, but before I come to a definitive conclusion, I need to run a few tests on you. Is that okay with you?"

Sunset and Barb just turned to one another before giving some shrugs and half-hearted 'yeahs' and 'alrights'.

Doctor Doctor clapped his hands with delight. "Excellent! We'll get started right away!"

The doctor had Sunset sit on the examination table with her legs dangling off of the side of it. The doctor approached her with a reflex hammer at hand and steadied his aim as he knelt down to Sunset's knees. Barb just sat in a chair in the corner, waiting this testing phase out.

Now ready, Doctor Doctor lightly swung the hammer towards Sunset's right kneecap, causing her leg to swing out slowly.

Sunset just looked towards Barb with a confusing look, raising her shoulders as to tell Barb that she had no idea what this was supposed to test.

The doctor rubbed the chin of his mask that was probably his actual face. "Interesting," he said before getting into position of the left kneecap next.

Something that caught Sunset's attention was how the doctor was weirdly looming over her legs. "Umm, doctor? What exactly is this supposed to be testing for?" she asked.

But the doctor didn't answer her. Instead, he swung down his handy reflex hammer once again and all of a sudden, Sunset's leg swung with the force of a baseball bat hitting a home run, kicking Doctor Doctor directly into the stomach and sending him flying to the floor above.

"Holy fuck!" Barb exclaimed in both shock and excitement.

"Doctor! I'm so sorry!" Sunset apologised as she suddenly panicked.

"Congratulations, it's a boy!" the doctor could be heard saying from the floor above along with the cries of a baby.

"Okay, so the next test is going to be on that enhanced vision you mentioned," Doctor Doctor said to Sunset. "I just need you to make your eyes all black again."

Sunset nervously laughed. "Hehe... yeah, about that, it happens completely randomly after I blink."

"Then just blink until they do change."

Sunset sighed as she began to blink at a steady, consistent pace. Barb and the doctor watched closely so they can catch Sunset the moment her eyes changed. They stared intently, making Sunset a bit uncomfortable as they were directly in front of her, so they were hard to ignore.

Regardless, the blinking continued for a few minutes with no sign of her eyes having a difference. As a result of the excessive blinking, Sunset's eyelids began feeling tired and her eyes were beginning to feel irritated. It shouldn't be too long now, though.

Minutes keep passing by and no difference has been made in that time. At this point, Barb and the doctor just minded their own business as Sunset sat back down on the examination table, now blinking much slower than before.

Barb looked up from her resting her head in her hand and noticed that Sunset's eyes had changed to black again, but she kept blinking so she must not have noticed.

"Wait, Sunset, stop!" Barb suddenly jumped up, holding her hands out to halt her friend. "Your eyes!"

The doctor perked up excitedly. "Oh! Wonderful! Now let's get this part of the test started!"

"Don't blink in case they change back, alright?" Barb asked Sunset.

Sunset nodded as the doctor went to get fetch something from his desk. He returned to Sunset with a black piece of cloth.

"I'm going to need you to put that on for the time being," Plague Doctor told Sunset.

Sunset paused and looked up at the doctor to see if he was being serious. With the confirmation that he was, she wrapped the cloth around her eyes and tied a knot around the back of her head. She was now completely blind.

"Now, you told me that your vision focuses itself on a particular thing when they're like this, correct?" the doctor asked.

"Correct," Sunset replied.

"So if I am getting this right, this means that you are able to see things without having to actually look them, regardless of place in a room."

Sunset nodded as a response.

"So, with that knowledge, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Sunset placed her index and middle fingers on each side of her forehead to try and help her focus. Her vision was fading back in and she could see Barb and the doctor again, but she could still feel the fabric over her face. She could also see the doctor with his hand behind his back.

Suddenly, her vision seemed to move around the room and now she was looking at the backs of the two demons in front of her. From there, she could see the doctor's fingers.

"You're holding up three fingers behind your back and Barb's giving you bunny ears," Sunset answered with a smile.

"Excellent wor- Hey!" the doctor complained to Barb, getting a giggle out of her. The doctor cleared his throat as he spoke again, "Great work, Sunset. Not only could you see my hand, but you also saw me hiding it. I'd say this test was a success."

"Hold on. I'm getting something else," Sunset said with curiosity. She turned her head towards a wall as her vision focused in something in another room. "I'm now seeing a... janitor raiding a vending machine?"

The doctor gasped and quickly bolted out of the room. "You fat, greedy, son of a bitch! You better not steal all the caramel logs again!"

Sunset took her blindfold off and turned back to Barbed Wire with confusion as she noticed the doctor's absence. Barb just responded with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Now, for the third and final test, we'll test these 'healing abilities' that your friend mentioned," the doctor said with his pants brimming with chocolate bars.

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, about that, I'm not even sure if I even have healing abilities."

"Bullshit!" Barb interrupted. "That register hit your head like a fucking boulder and there wasn't a dent in your head when I checked! You got some kind of healing ability and I know it!" She turned her head towards the doctor. "Test her out, Doc."

The doctor nodded as a response. "Right. So first, Sunset, I'd like you to hold your arm out while also covering your eyes," he commanded.

Weird command, Sunset wasn't going to lie. But they've learned quite a lot so far, so what was the worst that could happen? She complied with the orders.

"Good," the doctor said. There was a moment of anticipation where nothing was happening for a moment. Then very swiftly, the doctor took out a knife and stabbed Sunset into her arm!

Sunset screamed in agony as she fell to her knees. "JESUS H. FUCK!!" she cried.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Barbed Wire fumed with panic and rage. She picked the doctor up off his feet by the collar of his shirt. "Why the fuck did you stab her?!!"

"Now, now. This is all necessary to the test," he responded calmly. He reached out to Sunset and pulled the knife out of her arm, causing her to cry out loudly again.

"You better find a fucking reason to keep on living or else I'll stick my foot so far up your ass you'll be vomiting shit for days!" Barb threatened as she audibly growled at the doctor.

Sunset riled with pain on the floor as she clutched her wounded arm. She continuously moaned and groaned loudly as she moved around, trying to find a way to either ignore or ease the pain. But then suddenly, she felt another weird sensation in her arm. It wasn't pain, nor was it a good feeling. She didn't know how to describe it, but as she looked at her arm, she could see that the wound was closing all on its own. Sunset watched as her veins reattached, then her muscles reformed and then her skin closed it off. The agonising pain then subsided. Sunset was fine now.

Sunset picked herself up from the floor as saw Barb ready to pound the doctor to a pulp. "Barb, stop! It's alright! I'm fine," she said, putting a hand onto Barbed Wire's shoulder.

However, it seemed that Barb was too angry to listen. "You hurt Sunset, now I'm gonna make you feel the same thing tenfold!"

"But Miss Wire! Look at her now! She's okay!" the doctor panicked, almost pleading for his life.

Despite not believing this little rat bastard, Barb turned around and then she dropped the doctor onto the ground when she saw Sunset standing there completely okay, like Doctor Doctor said.

"Sunset...?" Barb quietly said with disbelief.

"It's okay, Barb. Look, the wound closed off," Sunset said, showing her tempered roommate her once hurt arm. "I actually do having healing abilities, just like you said."

"Wow, that's... amazing." Barb was almost lost for words. She then looked towards the shaking asshole doctor on the floor. "Alright, bitch, that's all the tests you wanted. Now tell us what's up."

Plague Doctor picked himself up off the floor and then cleared his throat. "Come over to my desk and I'll tell you everything." He gestured the girls over to his computer and then jumped back onto his swivel chair and began typing.

"These tests were all just to ensure that you were telling the truth and not just making up some bullshit," he said.

Barb pointed her fist onto the desk, causing the doctor to jump. "You know, you're on very thin fucking ice after what you just did, so I'd suggest you think twice before saying anything else!" Barb said coldly.

"Sorry. Let me rephrase. It's not everyday that a demon comes to the hospital with symptoms like these."

"But what does it all mean, Doctor?" Sunset asked.

"You're a very special demoness, Sunset Shimmer. What these tests have proven is that you have an almost impossibly rare condition known as 'Devilitis'," the doctor announces.

Barb and Sunset looked back at eachother just to confirm that that's what he really said to them. "Devil-itis..." they asked in unison.

The doctor nodded. "It is an extraordinarily rare condition that gives a demon similar traits to that of a devil, much like the lord himself.

"Only very few demons ever get the condition, whether they're born in Hell with it, or they're sent to Hell with it. In this city alone, there are not very many demons with this same condition, the last documented one being diagnosed a few hundred years ago.

"These abilities that you have aren't even all of what this condition gives to a demon. There's not much else known, but a common feature amongst most Devilitis demons are two small bumps that sit symmetrical on any place on their body. Have a look." The doctor turned back towards his computer screen and pulled up a gallery of demons with said bumps. One had them on their shoulders, another on their ankles, on each side of their head and one on their breasts.

"Hehe, bumpy titties," Barb giggled to herself. "So what are these like? Are they tumours or something?"

"No one is sure why demons get these, but it doesn't seem to affect their health in any shape or form. They're just... shitty little bumps," the doctor explained.

"Is there anything you can do about this, Doctor?" Sunset asked.

The doctor shook his head. "There isn't any known cure for Devilitis. All I can do is boast to my other doctor friends that I just found the third Devilitis demon! Yeah baby!" he cheered to his screen.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Barb asked with wonder.

"Hey! No one ever gets one of these. You're gonna let me have this and be happy about it!" The doctor pointed a finger to Barb's face. "Anyways, my job is done here. Now pay up, I don't do this shit for free."

Barb just stared at the doctor blankly before snapping the finger that remained in front of her. "I think letting you live after everything is payment enough. Let's get out of here, Sunset. Let's leave this piece of shit to his games."

Afterwards, Barb and Sunset left the doctor's office as he began crying like a little bitch about his broken finger.

The girls were now sitting on the couch back at the apartment, both just staring at the ceiling.

"So, Devilitis, huh?" Barb asked.

"Mmhmm," Sunset responded.

"Kinda a shit name if you ask me. If I had to name it anything, it would probably be something like 'Satan-itis'."

Sunset shrugged her shoulders. "Or 'Lucif-itis'."

Barb pointed over to Sunset. "That's not bad. Heh. It's kinda like having superpowers. Its pretty cool."

"You kidding? With my super strength and enhanced vision happening at the most random times? That's only a recipe for disaster!"

"Meh, super healing's cool though," Barb said as she put her hands behind her head.

"Eh, I guess," Sunset replied, unsure.

Afterwards, Barb got up from the couch and walked away to another room. "Anyway, I'm gonna go for a shower now."

"You do that," Sunset said, not moving from her place.

Her mind was racing. The odds of her having some extremely rare condition, giving her special abilities that it seemed that she had no control over. She wasn't going to lie to herself, she felt pretty scared of it all. She especially felt a bit embarrassed about that sudden stabbing caused Sunset to lose herself a bit, showing a side she didn't want free. Sure, Hell is probably the place with the biggest sailor mouths in the known universe, but that didn't mean that she would succumb to it.

Sunset Shimmer, the demoness who didn't want to be, also having superpowers or whatever, it was an extremely strange and scary thing. Especially what with there being no known cure, it seemed that until Sunset did find a way out, she was going to accidentally cause a lot of havoc throughout this journey.

Suddenly, her vision changed once again, her eyes must have turned black. Sunset wasn't exactly sure what she was looking at. It was a cloudy room with what sounded like running water? Her initial thought was that maybe it was a small waterfall, but then the place cleared of it cloudiness and Sunset could now see the silhouette of a female figure.

Upon closer inspection, she made the image out to be Barbed Wire in the shower... naked.

"Ahh! No!" Sunset shouted, trying to cover her eyes. She jumped about the couch, not paying attention to the way she was kicking her legs until she heard a smashing sound.

Her real vision returned to her and she saw that she accidentally smashed the coffee table in front of the couch with her kicks.

"What was that?" Barb called from the bathroom.

"Uhh..." Sunset's mayhem has already begun.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait on this one. Turned out to be much longer than I anticipated.

Chapter 6: Soft Spot

Author's Note

Content Warning: This chapter contains attempted rape.

If none of this concerns you, then on with the show!

Chapter 6: Soft Spot

It was a dark and quiet night in Hell. Sunset Shimmer had just gotten off her shift at her job as a cashier of a fast-food restaurant with a terrible name, and she was roaming through the streets, making her way back to her roommate, Barbed Wire's, apartment.

At night, the streets of Sinner City seemed to be at their scariest, what with the sheer silence that plagued the place, causing for Sunset to be able to hear the buzzing of the lampposts, or the sounds of the strange creatures that inhabited the alleyways. The night's breeze sent chills up her spine, causing for goosebumps to form across the length of her arms and legs as she could barely find the difference between a gust of wind blowing past her neck or some stranger sneaking up from behind.

Barb's home was only a few blocks away from where Sunset worked, but the dread of something terrible happening made the journey seem like an eternity. Though, she has walked down this path a few times, and nothing had happened during those times. But tonight, it was much darker than before.

After she had ditched work to go to the hospital the other day, Sunset's boss has had her staying extra hours each night for the next week to make up for the time she lost, despite her leaving only two hours before her shift even ended.

Her boss' words still echoed in her head, "You're lucky I'm a reasonable man, otherwise your ass will have been out of here immediately!" What a guy.

As a result of this, she was set free when the streets were mostly empty. And it was the fact that they were so empty that scared her the most. Sunset was only let free when it came into the night's later hours, when most demons decided it was time to sleep, leaving the city seeming like it was abandoned.

Sunset kept herself weary of all of her surroundings, but where she didn't look was the ground around her feet as she suddenly stepped on the furry tail of a cat demon. It meowed loudly in anger, causing Sunset to jump. She was uneasy, and scarily so.

As the cat ran away, Sunset was left breathing heavily. She then began figuring if she really was just being paranoid, letting out a sigh of relief as a more calming facial expression crossed her face.

However, her moment of peace was very short lived as before she could even think about continuing her walk home, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her body and mouth, coming from the dark alleyway directly behind her. She was immediately pulled into the darkness.

Sunset struggled in the arms that held her and tried to shout out for help to no avail. The hand that clasped over her mouth muffled her cries to the point she could barely hear herself. She twisted and turned, trying to free herself only to receive a snarky laugh from the one dragging her away.

"We got a lively one 'ere, don't we boys?" the voice from whatever freak had her said.

"'Bout bloody time, mate. Woo, ain't she a beauty," another voice spoke up.

"Got ourselves a real catch 'ere," a third voice commented.

As she was dragged further into the darkest parts of the alleyway, Sunset passed by other demons that seemed to lurk here. Two of them which seemed to have red shark like faces and fins that poked through the backs of their jackets. The looks that they both had in their eyes spelled danger as they analysed Sunset's entire body.

Eventually, Sunset was forcefully pushed into a wall to which then the one who dragged her revealed himself. He was another shark demon much like the others, although this one had a scar that stretched from both his upper and lower lip on the right side of his face. He looked to be the leader.

Sunset's heart raced as she breathed heavily, staring into the deep, menacing yellow eyes of this demon which stared right back at her. The leader of these shark demons had Sunset pinned against the wall, preventing her escape. All Sunset could do was lean further into the wall to get as far away from these creeps as possible.

The other two demons were coming closer to her, standing behind the leader as all of their eyes were glued to her body.

Sunset's heart began racing as her breathing became very heavy and just as fast. She stood up straight, barely able to hold her own balance as her legs were shaking like jelly.

"How lucky we are that a fine little lady like you finds herself round this part of town," the leader said to her. He dragged his finger slowly across the underside of Sunset's chin. "It's not every day that Satan blesses us with such fine beauty. And by the looks of you, we've seemed to strike a diamond in the rough."

The leader began getting touchier as his hand slowly floated towards Sunset's breast, which upon contact caused Sunset, without thinking, to slap the demon right across the face.

The leader seemed stunned for a moment before his faced was filled with rage. "Get 'er, lads!"

Sunset was pinned right up against the wall once again with each of her arms being restrained by the lackey demons. She tried to break free, praying in her mind for her super strength to come out and she could escape, but it just wasn't happening. No matter how hard she pulled, Sunset was bested in the end.

"Teach you for being a naughty girl!" the leader said as he pulled out a knife from a holster at his side. The leader punched the wall beside Sunset as he slowly brought the blade up to his face, gently licking the sharp side seductively as he looked directly into Sunset's eyes.

Sunset shook and fought against the other demons as tears began falling from her eyes. "No! Please! Please don't do this!" she cried out.

"You really made a big fuckin' mistake, little lady," the leader seethed as he now brought the knife up to Sunset's neck. "Y'know, I wanted to be more reasonable, but now I see that you like to play it rough!"

The leader continued staring into Sunset's eyes as his free hand began making work on Sunset's jeans, undoing the fly and button and sticking his thumb inside, ready to pull them off of her.

As an evil smile crossed the leader's face, he suddenly shot forward and his face collided with the wall beside Sunset's face. Blood splattered onto the wall as the leader fell to the ground.

Before anyone could process what was going on, the other two shark demons were pulled away from Sunset and were forcefully smashed into each other before they joined their leader on the ground, lying unconscious, or possibly dead, in a bloody mess.

Sunset removed the hands shielding her eyes and saw the aftermath of the event that just occurred with the shark demons laying at her feet. She looked up as she heard heavy breathing and saw the cause of all of this.

Panting and breathing right in front of her was a giant, round blue bull demon, wearing a black tank top, a denim jacket with torn sleeves, and camouflage patterned cargo pants. Sunset gasped as she had a realisation.

"Y-You?!" she said with shock. "The guy that tried to rob me?!"

The demon held up a finger, telling Sunset to give him a minute as he continued panting. "Name's... Holy fuck... Name's Big Softie," he finally got out. "Give me all your... (gasp) money!"

Sunset remained still, watching Big Softie as he caught his breath. She was completely stunned. This demon just appears out of nowhere and completely bashed the skulls of those perverted shark demons... and saved her.

Sunset then suddenly broke down into tears, wiping her eyes and nose with her hands. Big Softie just stood there, confused with how he should approach this. He's never had to deal with someone crying before.

Big Softie rubbed the back of his neck, trying to collect his words. "H-Hey there, listen. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it has to be. I take your money, then I go."

What Big Softie wasn't expecting afterwards was Sunset rushing over and wrapping her arms around him, bringing him into a tight hug as she continued to cry into his giant chest.

"You saved me," Sunset said in between chokes.

Hearing those words caused for Big Softie to let out a sigh as he patted Sunset's back. "Alright now, it's okay." He caught glimpse a nearby closed dumpster. "Come on, let's sit down."

Big Softie brought Sunset over to the dumpster and lifted her on top of it. He hopped on afterwards, causing a shift in the weight of the dumpster as it leaned to the side before crashing back onto its four wheels again.

"I-I thought I was going to die," Sunset said as she still held onto her hero.

"Hey now, it's alright, you're safe," Big Softie responded. "You ain't dying tonight. Not if I've anything to say about it."

Sunset still had her grip on Big Softie's body, though her tears had calmed down significantly at this point. Her throat was tired at this point, but she managed to get out a quiet, "Thank you."

Big Softie patted Sunset's back once again, putting her more at ease. "It's okay. Those bastards ain't hurting you no more."

They both remained in the calming embrace for a good minute before Sunset pulled away and wiped the remaining tears in her eyes. "But I just want to know... why? Why did you save me?"

Not even being subtle about it, Big Softie hesitated to think of a response, looking around the alley to find a good enough answer to give her.

"Oh! Well, um... Y'know, I'm a big bad crook and... I kinda need you to be alive if I'm gonna rob you, y'know?" Softie felt as though he absolutely nailed that.

Sunset just casted a confused look his way. This big guy clearly wasn't the best at lying, he was perhaps even worse than someone else Sunset used to know.

Big Softie caught on to Sunset's unconvinced look. "Uhh, l-look, I don't really know what you want from me, I mean, we don't even know each other," Big Softie responded. "In fact, I shouldn't even still be here. You'd better get home, but know that next time your money is mine." He then proceeded to jump off the dumpster and run out of the alleyway as quick as he could.

"Hey, wait!" Sunset held her arm out to try and stop Big Softie, but he wasn't willing to give her the time of day anymore. There was something up with that guy, she could just feel it. Sunset then got off of the dumpster herself and gave chase.

Big Softie looked over his shoulder as he ran and saw Sunset steadily catching up, forcing him to up the pace.

The chase eventually led Sunset back into the streets of Sinner City, and it seemed that Big Softie made a swift getaway once he picked up the pace as he was now gone. She looked all around for where he could have possibly gone, but all she could see was a sewer lid that didn't seem big enough for a guy like this Big Softie.

Coming to the conclusion that he was gone with no trace, Sunset didn't continue with her search and headed in the direction back to Barbed Wire's apartment.

Barbed Wire was just chilling out, chowing down on some flaming hot chips as she watched TV. Usually, Sunset will have been home by now, it felt weird that she was running late and didn't say anything to Barb about it. Then again, the idea came back to her that Sunset was a strong little Devilitis demon and could handle herself, so Barb didn't let the lateness of her friend bother her too much.

Barb's attention was immediately pulled away from the television as she heard the door opening and closing. She looked over the couch and saw Sunset enter the room, plopping herself onto the seat beside Barb. She as well took notice of the troubled look on Sunset's face.

"How was work?" Barb asked, breaking the silence between them.

"It was... fine," Sunset replied hesitantly, looking away at the wall that Barb wasn't closest to.

Barb tilted her head to the side upon Sunset's weird response. "You feeling okay, Sunny? Don't think I've ever seen you look this lost."

Sunset slowly creaked her head back towards Barb, but her eyes remained downward, not even providing any eye contact. She rubbed the back of her neck before saying, "Well, you see... after I got out of work, I-"

Barb leaned forward in anticipation, throwing more chips into her mouth.

Sunset sighed. "I got jumped by a gang of demons, and I... They... I felt like I was about to die."

The mere second after hearing this, Barb's fist crushed the small foil bag in her hand, causing for the underside of it to pop because of all the air inside. Chips spilled across her lap.

Sunset jumped at the sudden loud sound of the bag, but she was more frightened as she looked back up and she saw the death in Barbed Wire's eyes. All of a sudden, Barb lunged towards Sunset and held her by the collar of her t-shirt. Sunset could feel Barb's fiery breath in her face, both literally and figuratively.

"Which fuckers did this to you?!" Barb said with a stone cold, frightfully evil tone in her voice.

"Whoa! Whoa, Barb. It's okay. I'm fine, really. I was saved before they could hurt me," Sunset added on, praying that Barb wouldn't accidentally tear her apart from her anger.

She could Barb's grip on her loosen as she also looked into Barb's eyes again without the fear of being blinded from the fire alone. Barb had turned more curious as she took her own seat again. "Oh. What ended up happening then?"

"I was saved by that Big Softie guy you told me about," Sunset explained. "You should have seen it, he really put those guys in their place... before telling me to hand over my money."

"Softie?! Saving someone?!" Barb asked with surprise. "Wow. I haven't seen his ass around this part of town in years. I've especially never seen him actually commit a good deed. Wait, you didn't actually let him rob you, did you?"

"Honestly, after everything that happened, I think he forgot about it from focusing on making sure I was alright. He's actually a really kind demon compared to others I've met."

Sunset then remembered what Big Softie proceeded to do afterwards. "Though, it was weird the way he ran away after I asked him why he saved me. He seemed... hesitant. Almost too scared to talk anymore."

Barb scoffed, resting the back of her head in her hands. "Yeah, well, if it's one thing you got wrong, it's that he's no saint. That big idiot is more like a pitiful pawn. The demon he works for is a giant, heartless dickbag." She then casted a glance over to Sunset. "Any semblance of this 'kind heartedness' you see in him, it is definitely long gone now, no trace of it left. Pretty much like every damned demon down here."

"Is that the pessimism talking, or do you really have no hope for anyone?" Sunset asked, crossing her arms and looking at Barb with a disappointed facial expression.

"You think I'm pessimistic, huh? Alright then, you explain to me why he would just run away from you like that. Go on." Barb waved her hand in a manner that told Sunset to proceed.

"I think that there's something he's not telling me, something deep down in his heart that holds him back to this day," Sunset said, staring forwards at nothing with a disheartened face. "Whatever it may be, it seems to haunt him and he's too afraid to open up about it, but maybe if I let him know I'm there for him, I could help him."

Barb replied with a loud and rude fit of laughter. "I'm sorry, Sunset, I really am, but what were you expecting? It's not like we're even sent down here to 'make friends' or to 'right our wrongs'. We're sinners, and that's all we'll ever be, so I don't understand why anyone would still dwell on the past like we can make a difference now. It's those choices that even got us here, so the best thing to do is to just let it be. At this point, it's just over."

Sunset almost could not believe what she was hearing. "And you're so sure that this is just how it has to be, or is that how you've been living your own afterlife, believing in something you told yourself?"

"You want to educate me on how to live an afterlife? We all ended up in Hell, so we all did something wrong and now we face our punishment as a result, living in a world where you can only rely on yourself, or in that Softie's case, only surviving by being under some stronger demon's foot. Yet here you are, still insisting on believing that maintaining a moral compass will get you anywhere here when it doesn't. Don't you get it? Nothing matters anymore."

Sunset looked down with a sad look. On one hand, she could see where Barb was coming from. Heck, who was she to argue with someone who has had years’ worth of experience compared to Sunset's over a week? But on the other hand, it just did not sit right with her at all. There was no way that every single demon was so heartless, that whatever they have done doesn't just linger in their minds. She just knew it wasn't possible.

"I disagree," Sunset said. She looked at Barb with a blank stare, standing up. "I believe that demons do have a heart, and I don't believe that they would just let anything go because of the way things turned out. You may have been able to, but you can't speak for everyone." Sunset started walking towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" Barb asked with concern.

"To find Big Softie," Sunset replied, not looking back. "I know that something is holding him back, and I can't sit here knowing he is suffering in silence, not after what he did for me."

"You really want to go back out there, now?! But what if you get hurt again?"

"What do you care?!" Sunset spat. "I gotta learn to rely on myself, right? Like you said, we're only here to face our punishment, so what does it matter if I'm hurt? Not like we can rely on friends here in Hell." With those words, Sunset walked out the door, letting it slam behind her.

Barb groaned as she rested her head again. "What a child," she said to herself. "I don't know how a demon can hold onto all that faith. I'm surprised she hasn't just given up on it all already and moved on." She then opened her eyes, staring at her own reflection from the glass of the TV before letting out a quiet sigh. "Kind of like how I did..."

Barb looked down towards her lap as she began thinking over what just happened, letting the realisation hit hard as she thought over her words. "I really did just say all that..." Barb placed a hand over her face. "Fuck..."

Sunset ventured through the streets of the late-night Sinner City once again with the mission to find Big Softie. She walked with a fast pace, although, her gait showed the anger she felt. She thought that she could trust Barb with her beliefs, but she just felt the need to spit it right back into her face.

Sunset kept coming back to the words, 'Not here to make friends.' She thought that they both were friends, but Barbed Wire showed her what she really believed. Barb doesn't want friends, clearly wanting to remain as some cynical, self-centred loner that rebelled against the world.

But despite all this, she knew she had a job to do. Sunset was more than capable of taking care e care of herself, as long as she had the Devil's powers at her side, whenever they decided to show up, she could face anything.

Now for then matter of actually finding a criminal demon. Sunset had no idea of where to start. Where would they even hang out? Do they have a home to go to?

She had one idea, and that was to go to the last place she saw Big Softie, where it seemed that he disappeared into thin air. It didn't make sense that he was just gone while Sunset was only seconds behind him. He had to have escaped somehow, and luckily that street wasn't far from here. So, Sunset began running off in the direction of the street she was in earlier.

She didn't expect to be back here already, especially given what happened not too long ago. But she kept her spirits, as well as her guard, up as she might just learn something here.

Sunset looked all around. There didn't seem to be any ways for him to have reached the roof, nor was there any other nearby alleyways he would have retreated to.

"Where did you go, Softie?" Sunset quietly asked to herself as she continued spinning around, looking for any possible answer to his escape.

It was then that something caught her eye. Only a couple of metres away from the alley's exit, sitting in the middle of the road, was a sewer lid. A moderately sized one at that, one that a big guy may be able to fit in with enough effort.

Sunset tilted her head as she walked towards the circular lid. She held her hands out ready to pick it up until she was suddenly engulfed in yellow light. Sunset shielded her eyes as she looked towards the light source, seeing as it quickly grew closer.

"Oh geez!" Sunset shouted as she swiftly jumped back onto the sidewalk, just in time for a purple low rider to race past her.

The car then suddenly came to a screeching halt as it slowly reversed backwards until it was in front of Sunset. The music was turned off and a window was winded down, revealing a pair of demons just looking towards Sunset through pairs of sunglasses.

There was silence between them all until the demon sitting by the opened window pulled out a handful of cash.

Sunset shot them both a disgusted glare as she crossed her arms. "As if. Beat it. I'm trying to do something here."

The two demons then had disappointed faces as the window was rolled back up and the car raced off again, playing the loud music again.

With that out of the way, Sunset went back to the sewer lid, slipped her fingers into the gaps around the lid and lifted it up, revealing a ladder that led into darkness and a sound of running water. Sunset looked down with an unexciting look as the smell didn't exactly help either.

She gave a heavy sigh as she knew that this may be her only lead to finding this guy, so she sucked it up and climbed down, ensuring to slide the cover back into the hole.

It was almost pitch-black once Sunset had made it onto the floor again, with the only light coming from waterproof lights under the water. There seemed to be two directions that Sunset could go, and hopefully one of them led to Softie's hideout. She played eenie-meenie with herself and finally decided upon travelling the right path.

Upon her travels, Sunset passed by a plethora of other ladders that led back up to the surface, and she made sure to check every single one. A majority of them were under other roads, with one time almost having Sunset's head cut off by the same low rider. She seemed to be going nowhere. However, the last ladder that she checked seemed to go someplace different. She could still hear cars, but they seemed further away, and she also heard a stream of water different than the sewer stream below her.

Sunset climbed out and she found herself under a motorway and beside a stream of water flowing across concrete. She turned around and found what looked to be a small home built from scraps that laid against the large concrete suspension for the motorway. She looked around the place and found a plethora of stolen, yet empty, wallets, as well as cheap Chinese noodle pots.

As she looked around, she heard a cracking under her foot which she found to be a now broken mirror. Sunset picked it up and examined the damage on the glass, until she suddenly saw another figure in the reflection behind her.

Sunset quickly turned around, and with the sound of a deep grunt, she jumped to the side, avoiding a large hammer that was swung towards the floor. She was barely able to process who was attacking her until the hammer came her way again, being swung from the side.

Sunset leapt over the swing and made a dash back outside. However, her attacker closely followed and had her cornered by the river stream. There was no way for Sunset to escape except by falling into the stream.

The attacker brought up the hammer over their head again, revealing their face. Sunset let out a gasp. It was Big Softie.

Softie swung the hammer back down and with no time to run, Sunset held her hands up to try and defend herself, however, the hammer made contact with her.

Big Softie had his eyes closed as he made the swing, but he could weirdly feel the hammer struggling to go down. He opened his eyes and watched with amazement as Sunset held the hammer's end above her head, preventing it from crushing her.

"What the...?" Big Softie said as he just watched, still trying but failing to push the hammer down.

"Big Softie, please, I just want to talk!" Sunset said with a strained voice.

Upon hearing what she wanted, Big Softie's shock disappeared, bringing back his anger. "I don't wanna talk to you!" He pulled the hammer away and tried swinging at a different angle again.

But with quick reflexes, Sunset caught the hammer again, this time getting her own hard grip of it. Big Softie tried to take it back, but Sunset wasn't going to allow him, causing them both to pull back and forth to try break each other's grip.

"God dammit, you! Why won't you just give up and fuck off?!" Softie shouted.

"It would be a lot easier if you weren't trying to kill me right now!" Sunset retorted.

Eventually, Sunset's fingers managed to dig into the stone end of the hammer, deciding to use this to her advantage as Big Softie's grip finally slipped, and with a swift turn around, Sunset flung the hammer away into the stream.

She turned back to Softie, breathing heavily as she looked with her own angry stare. But Big Softie wasn't willing to give up yet as he then threw a punch Sunset's way. Sunset was expectant of this now as the punch was guarded by Sunset making a cross with her arms, and with enough force, she pushed Softie back, making him fall to the ground.

"I didn't come here to fight you, Softie," Sunset said. "Please, hear me out."

Big Softie scoffed as he picked himself up. "What would you want with a criminal like me anyway?" he asked as he went back inside the small shack. "Why aren't you back home where it's safe?"

Sunset proceeded to follow Softie. "I couldn't think about anything else after seeing how hesitant you were earlier. I could see it in your eyes, there is something bringing you down."

Big Softie didn't look back at Sunset. He instead just picked up the broken mirror, looking at his reflection. "Yeah, what's it to you? A sinner bears a burden, big fuckin' deal. I'm sure most demons do. Go bother another one or something."

"I can't, though," Sunset replied with a saddened look.

"Why not?"

"Because no other demon would have had the heart to save me like you did." Sunset ran around the big demon so that they could look at eachother. "You saved me, Big Softie, and I think I should give something back to you."

Big Softie slowly rolled his eyes up to meet Sunset's before letting out an annoyed grunt. "Fine. What do you want?"

"I want to know why you really helped me."

Softie let out a long, drawn out sigh. "You really care that much, huh?"

Sunset replied with a nod of her head.

"I just didn't want to watch a demon being used like that knowing I could do something about it. Happy?" he explained with slight harshness in his voice. "I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't do anything and an innocent soul was hurt." He walked back out of the shack and sat by the edge, dangling his legs over the stream.

"How does a demon with a heart like yours end up in Hell?" Sunset asked.

"Nah, you don't wanna hear that. It's... not a very nice story," Softie replied, rubbing his nose on his arm.

"You'll probably feel better if you open up about it. It might even bring you some closure. Whatever it may be, I'm all ears." She threw a smile Softie's way, letting him know that she is there for him.

Big Softie gave a moment to think before he answered. Just what was with this girl's deal? Why would she care so much about him and the quick decisions he made? Usually, Softie was used to people not giving a shit about who he even was. Hell, whenever he tried to rob someone, it would normally just end in disaster. But now there's this girl showing genuine care for a crook like him. It didn't make much sense to him, but then again, if he doesn't tell now, there's probably a small chance that she'll ever go away.

"Alright. Well, you see... you might think I've a good heart, but the truth is that I've lived a life of crime for as long as I can remember. Even back when I was alive, it was like it was my whole life.

"When I was young, I never really found my... calling, you could say. So, to make some money I started to steal, and eventually I found myself somewhere that changed the rest of my life..."

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was still only a young boy with no family, no friends, scraping around for whatever goods I could find in the streets of my old home like a rat struggling for survival.

I was a swift little bugger, which meant that I became good at pick-pocketing folk. It became a bit of a habit until eventually I hit the jackpot. I made way with a guy's wallet, completely stuffed with cash! However, my victory was short lived as later that night, where I sheltered, I was then invaded by a guy about five times my size and ten times my strength. I tried to get away, but I was outmatched, and so I was taken away with rope around my wrists and ankles and a sack over my head.

When the sack was finally taken off, I found myself in a place not even a rat like me had ever seen before. I sat in the middle of a large room with a light shining down on only me. Within the shadows in front of me, I could see the shape of a man and the faint glow of his cigar. Upon closer inspection, I came to realise that this man was the person that I robbed only that morning. It turned out that man was a powerful gang boss, and he told me that he admired my determination of stealing from the likes of him and managing to get away for a while.

He offered me a place in his crew, promising that I'll be paid handsomely if I helped him out. I accepted without much thought about what I was getting myself into, and then for the next few years I worked under his rule, getting bigger and stronger until I proved to be a viable asset to the team, making the 'big' part of Big Softie feel more deserving as a result.

During my time in that gang, I watched as we dominated against rival gangs and expanded our own army until we were seemingly unstoppable. We had the power to take what we want when we damn so wanted, and it all felt so good.

However, there was one gang that rivalled the size and power of our's, and their leader was unlike anyone else we had faced before. He was cunning, relentless and certainly knew how to put up a good fight as he would send us home with fallen soldiers and lingering shame.

It seemed that we were outnumbered, but our boss had a plan, and he wanted me to be part of it to which I accepted with great honour.

One night, the boss and I had snuck into the enemy's HQ at an old, abandoned junkyard, and in the centre was a trailer with the lights on. My boss had given me a loaded pistol as we approached the door to the trailer. We both kicked down the door and I pointed the gun right towards the enemy's leader as he knelt close to the floor.

However, I realised that he wasn't cowering before us as I looked behind him and I saw a scared woman with a baby cradled in her arms. He wasn't acting out of fear, he was trying to protect his family!

I froze up when I saw the protective glint in the enemy's eyes, completely unable to pull the trigger.

"Do it," my boss said to me. "Shoot him and make our people proud."

But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I suddenly was filled with dread of having to kill a man with a family, which made me question all of the other families we've destroyed by taking over other rivals across the city.

I started to question to myself: what were we even fighting for?

But my boss kept telling me, "Kill him now, Softie! We will become the strongest in the entire city! And everyone else will bow before us as we prove our dominance!"

What did I do then?

I lowered my weapon. I looked at the eyes of everyone in the family and I saw their fear. I then knew that this wasn't worth it, not for the money, the power, not even for how much better my own life had become, because if for my life I had to take away another's, then I didn't want it one bit. Not anymore.

I turned to my boss and I told him, "No. This isn't right. We can't just destroy a family like this."

And then he scoffed at me. Telling me right to my face, "Pathetic," and he took the gun right out of my hand and put holes in the man's chest.

I still hear the cries of that man's girlfriend as she protected her baby in her arms. The man fell to the ground and his blood spilled all over the floor. I just stood there in shock, unsure of what I should do next, and the next thing I knew I was knocked unconscious.

I woke up, finding myself back in the same room where I first joined, but I was now surrounded by the entire crew, all looking at me from the darkness. They all had a horrible glare in their eyes that said death as they looked onto me. And in front of me was my boss, still holding the pistol in his hands.

He looked at me with a sad look. I'll always remember the last thing he ever said to me. "I always thought of you as part of the family, Big Softie. You're tough, strong-willed, but you don't know when to pull the trigger when it really counts. You've broken the code and went against your boss's demands, and for that we cannot allow you to continue knowing our secrets." He then pointed the gun towards me. "Goodbye, Big Softie."

Those were the last words I heard before it all went dark.

"And then what happened?" Sunset asked.

"I found myself in Hell," Softie answered. "I took the path into the abandoned side and just hid in a random house for what felt like weeks, laying in my own filth and sadness as if another death would eventually come.

"I couldn't stop thinking about how the world I came to know turned out to be far more sadistic and chaotic than I expected, and since crime was all I knew, I felt like this was it for me. Crime led me here, so what else to do other than nothing to ensure it didn't happen again?"

Sunset couldn't believe the story she was hearing. She had the thought of something bringing Big Softie down, but she never expected for him to hold such a heavy burden. She was horrified, but she was interested in hearing how the story ended.

Big Softie continued to speak. "Me avoiding the world wasn't meant to last as soon enough I was discovered by some demons. I felt a tapping while I slept and woke up frightened by the fact I was surrounded by demons of different shapes and sizes.

"The one who tapped me stood in front of them all, a well-dressed, short mole-rat demon with a top hat and cane. He stood over me with an eager look in his eyes. He asked me what was a big strong bull like me doing living like a hobo."

Big Softie slowly moved his eyes towards the night sky. "He told me that he could help me, and all I had to do was to join with him and his crew. I was very hesitant at first, but I looked around the faces of every demon in the room, and they all looked at me (while some seemed more competitive) with genuine soul, unlike the soullessness of the gang I had in my old life.

"They all looked more welcoming, so I took the hand of their leader, and now I'm living a more fulfilling life than I had in the living world, one where I feel that I'm not going against my own heart and nothing is kept from me."

Big Softie finished his story and looked towards Sunset. He suddenly jumped back upon realising how close she was and how large her eyes had become.

Wiping tears that have begun forming in her eyes, she said quietly, "That's a... really sad story. I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that." She placed a comforting hand on top of Softie's own hands.

"Nah, it's fine. It is what it is. Show weakness in a gang and you're as good as useless," Big Softie replied.

"It's not fine!" Sunset accidentally said louder than she wanted to. "Having a sympathetic heart isn't a weakness, it shows just how strong your will is. You wanted to make the moral decision. It's their fault they're all so filled with hatred and destruction! Don't blame yourself because you were brave enough to stand up for your beliefs!"

A small smile crossed Big Softie's face as he watched Sunset give her little speech. "Heh. Well, that's really nice of you to say, but that's just not how this kind of life works. This job doesn't have time for kindness. It's all just about money and power."

"But why? Why after everything do you still choose this life?" Sunset asked.

Softie shrugged. "It's all I know. If I didn't live this life, then I'd have nothing. I'm not good at anything else, so all I do is rob locals while I wait for my boss to call with a job. It's a slow life to say the least, but I'm happy as long as I'm not living with any new regrets." He then stood back up and turned to go back into his shack.

Sunset held a hand out. "You don't have to keep living like this. What if I help you?"

This caused Big Softie to stop in his place, catching him before he entered the door. "You? Help me?" he asked, not even looking back to Sunset. "I'm not sure how you plan on doing that."

Even Sunset had to admit to herself, she spoke without thinking. She didn't exactly know how she could help Softie, if there was a possible way. It would probably be a stretch, but she then had another idea.

"I might not be able to fix everything, but maybe I can start with something by letting you join my gang," Sunset said.

Big Softie's interest was clearly gained as he turned back to Sunset again. "Your gang?" he asked.

Sunset nodded. "Yup. Just started it. I call it..." Great, now she had to think of a name on the spot. "...the friendship group..." Amazing.

"In this gang, all members treat each other with kindness as we all get along through get-togethers or through conversation. Meetings are held whenever we feel like hanging out," Sunset finished with a happy smile and a wink. "We're also always there for each other. When one member calls for help, we'll all heed the call and be on our way to help, because that's what friends do."

The idea did not seem to garner much of a reaction from Softie, the most that was seen from his reaction was that he blinked. "Friend-ship group? You want to be my... friend?"

Instead of responding, Sunset proceeded to run over to Softie and jump onto him with wide arms, bringing him into a hug. "You've been through a lot of terrible things and all I want to do is to help you. I think this is a good start."

Big Softie was at a complete loss for words. Never in his life has he ever thought of the possibilities of having a real friend. All he knew were crewmates or acquaintances, but it's not like those names ever meant much in the places Softie had found himself in. This all seemed really crazy sounding in his head, but perhaps this girl was onto something. Maybe this could be the start of something new for Big Softie.

The mind that has been guiding Big Softie through Hell for years now was screaming at him, 'No! This is fucking nuts! Think about what will happen back at headquarters!' But at the same time, he felt something different down in his heart. It told him more solemnly, 'This is what you've always wanted, right? This may be the only chance you'll ever get at something like this. Embrace this new feeling.' And that's exactly what he did, he returned Sunset's embrace.

It felt good. Strange, but good. Softie wondered to himself, is this what happiness feels like? If so, he wanted to be happy forever.

Sadly though, they eventually had to let each other go, which they then proceeded to just look at each other, both of them sharing the same joy-filled faces.

It then caught Softie's attention that the night sky has gotten a lot darker since Sunset arrived. Just how long has this all taken? "You probably oughtta get home now," he told her. "Make sure you be careful when roaming the streets, and stay far away from dark alleyways."

"I will, and thank you." With that, Sunset lifted the sewer lid out again and began climbing down the ladder.

But suddenly, a thought came to Big Softie as he tried looking for his now gone hammer. "Hey, wait a second."

Sunset poked her head over the edge of the hole in the ground.

"Just a moment ago, you took my hammer right out of my hands and threw it into the river."

A blush crossed Sunset's face as she also remembered that happening. "Oh, yeah. Hehe. Sorry about that."

"It's all good, I can make another one, but what I want to know is how? How'd you do that?" Softie asked.

Given the opportunity to explain her condition to someone else now, Sunset climbed out of the hole again. She proceeded to explain her Devilitis to Big Softie, going into the abilities she has, including the super strength that allowed her to throw the hammer away, and told her the other experiences with her other quirks.

Big Softie showed a lot of confusion, but parts of it seemed to be making sense. "Wow, that's really weird. So, this 'Devils-Disease'-"

"Devilitis," Sunset interrupted.

"Right, 'Devilitis' just happens at random?"

Sunset nodded. "It seems to happen at convenient times, but also doesn't happen at the most inconvenient times. It's really inconsistent."

Big Softie let out a snort. "Really weird. Anyways, sorry, you can go now."

"Thanks." Sunset made her way down the ladder again. "If you ever want to talk, find me at sixteen Firelin Street."

"Will do. Bye."

"Goodbye, Big Softie."

And with that, Sunset began her journey through the sewers once again, and what with most streets looking the exact same, it may take a while longer before Sunset found herself on the right path back to home.

Meanwhile, Big Softie went back into his shack and proceeded to pick up a phone. He dialled a number and brought it to his ear, where the phone rang for a moment before someone on the other end picked up.

"It's Big Softie. You won't believe this, but I've done it. I've found one!"

Sunset walked back through the path the came in the underworld underground. It had just occurred to her that it would have been a good idea to probably count the ladders she had passed by so that she could get back. Oh well, she knows for next time now.

But right now, it was a matter of figuring out where to go. After about five ladders passed by was when Sunset decided to start climbing and checking, rinse and repeat until she was near home.

Upon doing this for a good while, something started happening all of a sudden. Her vision started moving around, meaning that her eyes have turned black again. Her eyes were taken up the ladder just behind her and back to the surface.

Once she was seeing the top, Sunset could then hear something.

"Sunset! You around here?! Come out!"

That voice was very familiar, and her eyes seemed to know that as they followed the voice, turning around to reveal Barbed Wire walking down the street, calling Sunset's name.

Sunset blinked and her vision returned to her in the sewers, to which she quickly climbed up the ladder she had just passed and returned to the surface.

There was Barb walking away from the sewer lid, still calling out Sunset's name.

"Barb!" Sunset called out herself.

Perking up at the sound of her own name, Barbed Wire quickly spun around and gasped upon seeing Sunset. She then ran towards Sunset as fast as she possibly could, squeezing the life out of Sunset by bringing her into a hug.

"Oh my God, there you are! I was looking all over for you!" Barb told Sunset as she didn't pay attention to how hard she held Sunset and the fact that she was throwing her body around.

"That's nice, Barb," Sunset barely got out with no air in her lungs. She could practically feel her bones cracking now. "Can you please stop crushing me?"

Barb opened her eyes widely as she now realised her own strength, took her long enough, and put Sunset back on the ground. "Shit. Sorry, I was just really worried because I couldn't find you."

Sunset felt actually surprised to hear that. "You were worried about me?"

The slim but insanely strong demoness brought her hand up to rub the back of her neck. "You see, I wanted to apologise for what I said to you earlier. You were right, I was only thinking about myself, but that was because..." Her words were caught in her throat.

"Because...?" Sunset started for her.

Barbed let out a strained groan as her face turned a harsher red than it already was. "Because I don't know the first thing about friendship! There! I said it!" she shouted. "I've never met a demon like you before, so I stayed here with knowledge that they're all just pricks, but I never once thought about what their past was like unlike you who thinks about everyone."

Those words... they sounded so familiar to Sunset. Perhaps her and Barb were far more alike than she realised.

"Do you forgive me?" Barb asked.

Sunset looked Barb dead in the eye as a smile formed in her face. "Oh, Barb, of course I forgive you, dummy."

"Does that mean we're still friends...?" Barb questioned, almost too hard for Sunset to hear.

She then proceeded to ruffle the tough girl's hair with her hand. "Yes, we're still friends. Now, why don't we just go home now? It's been a long night for us all."

Barb slipped her hands into her joggers' pockets as a smile arrived on her face too. "You're right. Let's go home."

And so, they both began walking back home together after a long night of questions, answers and discoveries. Sunset really felt as though she was making quite the impact on all of those around her, which may make her stay in Hell much more bearable as, along with her friendship with Barbed Wire becoming stronger, she also made friends with a brute on the outside who was also soft on the inside, Big Softie.

It was a tiring, hell of a night, and now all everyone wanted to do was to sleep the rest of it away.

As Sunset and Barb passed an alleyway entrance, they were stopped the the sounds of pained moaning. They both looked down the dark path as three pairs of arms emerged, carrying the hurt and broken bodies of the shark crew from earlier.

"Hey, Sunset? These the guys?" Barb asked.

"Yup," Sunset replied.

An evil grin now formed on Barb's face as she began cracking her knuckles. "Oh, have I got a bone to pick with you three," she said sinisterly as she gave a low, scary laugh.

Sunset kept back as she watched the show before her.

Chapter 7: Goliath

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 8: Big Softie's Big Break

On a dark, late night in Sinner City, silence plagued throughout the streets, where the whistle of the gentle breeze could be heard as well as the scattering feet of a demon cat chasing a skull rat. Once the vermin had been caught, the silence especially allowed for the crunching of the small creature's bones to be heard inside of the feline's mouth.

It was this reason alone that Barbed Wire absolutely loved the night time, where her worries were no longer relevant until the morning after. She could just snuggle up in her covers on her... admittedly, wonky mattress and rest her head back on her poufy pillows. Barb was just about ready for the magic of sleep to overtake her once more and bring her into a wonderland where nothing matters anymore.

Her eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. God was about to take her away, but not literally. She was now on her way to sleep.

But then her eyes opened again at the sound of a dink. Barb sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes, wondering just who would be ruining her rest. After hearing the same dink again, she traced the source to be coming from her window which sat just over the headrest of her bed. Someone seemed to be throwing shit at her window.

Barbed Wire stood up on her mattress and opened the window, sticking her head outside and revealing to the world her very nasty bed head. She looked around for the perpetrator, not really seeing anybody nearby. That was until she looked directly downwards and found the bastard.

"Big Softie?!" Barb asked with shock.

"Barbed Wire?!" Softie returned the gesture. "I thought this was Sunset Shimmer's address."

"She gave you my address?! Why would she-?" Barb then stopped herself mid sentence as she realised that what he just said didn't sound too right. "Nah-nah-nah, hang on! What do you want with Sunset? At three in the fucking morning as well!"

"None ya business, that's what," Softie rudely answered. "What window is she at? It's very important I see her."

"Yeah, I'll bet it's really important!" The sarcasm oozed right out of Barb's mouth. "Get out of here already, before I deal with you myself!"

Her command seemed to have worked as Softie began walking away now. Although, instead of walking away from her block, Softie instead rounded the corner to the front of the block. Where the living room window is. Where Sunset is.

"Oh no you don't!" Barb scrambled off of her bed and quietly, yet also quickly, left her room and tip-toed her way over to the living room window, passing by a softly snoring Sunset Shimmer.

Before she could pull apart the blinds, however, there came more dinking sounds from the window. She had to give it to Softie, while he seems desperate, he's got a good aim.

Nevertheless, Barb opened the living room window and gave Big Softie an enraged look. "Will you just go the fuck away?!" she said with a silent, shouty voice. "She's trying to sleep right now!"

"You go away! This has nothing to do with you!" Softie retorted.

Barb growled at Big Softie, but was then pulled away from him as she heard a shuffling. Looking behind her, Barbed Wire found a sleepy Sunset rubbing her heavy eyes and yawning.

"Barb? Is that you?" Sunset asked with a tired voice. "What's with all the noise?"

With some quick thinking, Barb slammed the window shut and drew the blinds once more, looking at her roommate with an innocent smile. "It's nothing. Just go back to sleep now, 'kay?"

And at that moment, a large rock came flying through the window, smashing it to pieces with an extremely loud shattering sound, and causing Sunset to scream as a response at it. As the rock landed on the floor with a loud bang, it only barely missed Barb's head.

"What's going on?!" Sunset shouted, retreating on the side of the couch farthest from the window.

"Hey, Sunset! Yoo-hoo!" a voice called out from outside.

Sunset recognised that voice. She looked at Barb confusingly, and Barb returned with a nervous look as she tried to cover the window with her body.

"Who's outside, Barb?" Sunset asked.

"No one."

Sunset let out a sigh as she got up from the couch. Stopping directly in front of Barbed Wire, she looked at her directly into Barb's lying eyes and proceeded to lift Barb out of the way like a toy with her increased strength. Avoiding all of the broken glass, Sunset looked out to the streets below and was met with a stone that was slung directly at her forehead.

"Ow!!" Sunset reeled back in shock, clasping at the mark now formed in the centre of her forehead.

"Oh, shit! Sorry!" the voice called again.

A few seconds later, the pain disappeared and Sunset was able to look out the window again, but not before making sure it was safe this time. Her hunch was correct as she saw Big Softie down in the streets, cradling a large number of rocks in his arm.

"Big Softie? What are you doing here?" Sunset asked, accidentally pricking her finger by putting her hand on the broken window frame.

Softie dropped all of his rocks onto the ground, rolling away with a collective clattering sound. "I need your help. Can you come down?"

Sunset looked over to Barbed Wire who stood away from the window and the broken shards of glass on the floor, furiously shaking her head at her with a mad facial expression.

"I'll be right there," Sunset assured Softie as she left the window and began making her way to the front door.

Her efforts were immediate stopped, however, by Barb deciding to jump in front of the exit. "Hold the fuck up! There is no way I am letting you leave this house!"

"Why not?" Sunset wondered. "Big Softie's in trouble and, as his friend, I gotta go help him."

"Absolutely not!" Barb made a stopping gesture by waving her arms from her chest to being spread out either side of her. "Its great that your both buddies and all, but this would be the third time now that you've left the house alone. How can I know you're safe out there?"

Sunset placed a reassuring hand on Barb's shoulder. "I'll be fine. I've got my devil abilities, remember?" Despite the obvious fact, it didn't get rid of the worried, sad look on her friend's face. Clearly, it would take more than unpredictable powers to convince Barb that Sunset was capable of taking care of herself. It was then that she had an idea. "Why don't you come help too?" she offered.

Barb's eyes had gone wide at the offering. "What- Me? Help him?!" She pointed to herself and then to the broken window as she mentioned the both of her and Softie.

"Three's better than two, right?" Sunset said with a cute smile, tilting her head further to one side.

At this point, Barb knows better than to assume that maybe Sunset won't dive into something she doesn't understand for once. No matter how she would plead or warn, her efforts would be ultimately worthless in the end. So what was the next best thing for her to do?

Barb gave an annoyed grunt. "Fine. But I'm only doing this for you. Not for him."

Sunset nodded in an understanding manner. "Right. So, do you want me to tell him to wait a minute longer for you to get dressed, or..."

Hearing that, Barb looked down at herself and realised that during the scene she was making, all she was wearing was a white tank top and panties.

With her bottom-half-less hoodie, her joggers and shoes back on, Barb and Sunset left the house together, with Big Softie standing in the middle of the road with rocks surrounding him.

"What's up, Big Softie?" Sunset asked, walking up to her friend.

"It's kinda a long story, but I'll tell you on the way there." Softie then began race-walking in the opposite direction, prompting for the girls to follow him. "Come on, we have to hurry!"

Barb and Sunset quickly exchanged glances before Sunset began jogging after Softie. Barb moaned once more as she figured this was how it was going to be and followed suit. Once they were both at Big Softie's side, Barb took it upon herself to say what they were both thinking.

"So, Softie, what's going on here?" she asked, glaring deeply into the bull demon's soul, or lack thereof. "Why'd you feel the need to drag us out here so late at night?"

"Barb, be nice," Sunset scolded, following up by softening her expression upon looking up to Softie. "But yeah, what is going on?"

"I've been thinking about what you told me, Sunset, and I decided to keep an eye out while at our gang's headquarters," Softie explained, never ceasing from looking straight ahead. "I overheard a call our boss was having. He was arguing with some buyers, saying how he's raising his prices or their peace treaty was done. Our gang supplied them with weapons. The buyers didn't take this too kindly and now they, along with my boss, are preparing to go at it. There's gonna be a gang war coming soon! It's happening all over again!"

"What?! Have you tried talking sense into your boss?" Sunset asked, not trying to hide her own fear when imagining the kind of battle that could rage out.

"I've tried everything! But there's just no reasoning with him when he's this angry! So, I decided that if there's no telling him to stop, we make him stop instead."

Barb rolled her eyes. "So, what you're saying is, 'I'm too scared to do it myself, so let me get a couple of demons to hide behind while they do my work'."

Sunset shot Barb a displeased glare. "Barb! What is with you?! Could you show a little concern, please?!"

"I'm not showing this piece of shit anything! He doesn't deserve it!" Barb began to raise her voice. She began to walk ahead of the other two. "I just want to get this over and done with."

Big Softie sighed. "Barb, you can't still be mad at me. That was a long time ago now."

Upon hearing that, Sunset's head flew between looking at Softie and Barb. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Do you two... have history?"

"You could say that," Softie answered. "We used to be friends-"

"We were never friends!" Barb turned back and shouted. "You made that very clear when you ditched me!"

Her curiosity had peaked now. This whole time, Sunset imagined that she was Barb's only ever friend. Come to think of it, Sunset wasn't sure how much she truly knew about her roommate. Anytime she ever asked Barb about herself, she always blew the question away, reinstating these rules of Hell Sunset was sure Barb had just made up. Perhaps today's the day she finds out about some juicy stories of the past from another source.

"What did you do?" Sunset silently asked Softie, leaning closer to him.

Big Softie briefly glanced down at Sunset, thinking over the worth of telling the story to her. It wasn't a moment of his afterlife he looked over with the most fondness, and he wasn't sure how his newest friend would feel after knowing he hurt her other friend.

"It's... not important," Big Softie came to the conclusion. "Besides, if we keep Barb waiting too long, she's probably gonna make it there before we do."

Big Softie and Sunset quickened their pace to catch up with Barbed Wire, who still stomped away with the same sour look on her face. Sunset placed her hand on her friend's shoulder as she caught up. As Barb saw her out of the corner of her eyes, a reassuring smile crept onto her face. Seeing Sunset care for her reminded her of why she decided to come in the first place. But as the hulking blue figure came into the other side of her vision, she was again reminded of the other reason she came, darkening her mood further.

"Hey," Sunset softly said to Barb. "Let's all just try to be a team, okay? It's just for one night."

Barb let out a long sigh, relieving herself of some of her anger. "Fine. I'll try to, for you." She tried to put Sunset at ease by forcing a big smile. It seemed to work as Sunset's face lightened and she walked further ahead with a calmer state of mind.

However, as soon as she was gone, Barb's smile immediately fell and her voice became darker. "Softie, you may have Sunset's trust, but I don't believe you for a single second."

"I want to change things because of Sunset. She sees that in me. Though, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything from you," Big Softie replied. "Maybe it's for the best that we don't see each other again after tonight."

"I agree." Barb held her hand out to Softie.

Big Softie stopped to look at Barb's hand before taking hold of it. They both shook and sealed the deal. But before Softie could let go, he was forcefully pulled Barbed Wire, getting to look directly into her fierce, horrifying eyes.

"But remember this, if you hurt her in any way, I will personally make sure that I am the last thing that you ever will see!" Barb promised coldly. She threw Softie's hand back towards him and took off once more. "You can count on it."

The trio continued their journey through the city, soon leading them towards a series of seemingly abandoned warehouses, redecorated by lots of scrap and junk to make it into more of a private base. Sunset looked over it all, feeling a sort of uneasiness to the eerie vibe it gave off. This must be the gangs' headquarters.

Big Softie took the demonesses through what seemed be a handmade, sturdy security door, placing them all in an enclosed space with the only thing on their way now being a gate with a number pad beside it. Barb and Sunset stood still while Softie went over to dial in the number code to let them through.

While they both waited, Sunset couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't too right. By the sound of the kind of business this gang did, she probably would have expected way more demons being here and a lot more noise, especially given the fact that she could see lights on beyond the gate.

To make sure her hunch was wrong, she used a new trick she found out about and blinked three times in rapid succession. She vision was now taken elsewhere, but she couldn't figure out where exactly. She could only see darkness. Sunset tried looking around from her new perspective and found her sights being on top of the walls that surrounded them. Down a hole in a dimly lit room, she saw herself, Barb and Softie still trying to open the door.

But why would her eyes take her here? It wasn't until Sunset finally heard a clicking sound that she realised. Sunset blinked three times once more and was brought back to her own eyes. She remained completely still with a look of horror on her face.

"Barb," she tried whispering to Barb, but her worried breaths almost made her speak louder than she wanted.

"What?" Barb asked, getting closer to Sunset to listen in better.

"Look. Up."

Barbed Wire complied and glanced upwards. It was almost completely pitch black, but among the darkness, she could very slightly see the silhouettes of figures. All it took was for one of these figures to slightly move for the light below to reflect on the metal object they were holding to blow their cover.

Barb gasped, sharing the same look of terror as Sunset.

This prompted one of the demons above to fire their weapon, sending a dart flying towards Sunset. Barb quickly intercepted the shot by jumping in front of her, sticking the dart directly into her left shoulder. She took the dart out of her, much to her discomfort, and looked it over. A tiny canister with a red tail on the end.

Before she could even turn around to show Sunset, Barb shortly lost all balance and fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

"Barb!" Sunset exclaimed worriedly. She got down by her side and picked Barb up from her shoulders. "Wake up! Barb! Please!" Her breathing became insanely quick, almost making it hard to breath and focus. However, she found the dart only centimetres away from Barb's sprawled out hand. A tranquilizer dart!

"Softie! Run! It's an ambush!" Sunset warned, the panic in her voice clear for all.

Big Softie turned around and looked down at Sunset with a face of despair. But he wasn't running away.

"Softie...?" A second dart was shot into the back of Sunset's neck.

"I'm sorry, Sunset," was the last thing Big Softie said before the effects of the tranquilizer took hold of Sunset too.

There was nothing but darkness. She was barely sure if she was awake, or alive. What was this place? Was this beyond the afterlife?

She tried to move, but her hands felt stuck, hanging directly above her head, and her feet were felt like they were fused together.

She tried to call out into the void, but her mouth was sealed shut. Her shouts were muffled, almost unable to create any sort of sound. Was this some kind of purgatory? Was she alone here?

Wait. She heard something. Footsteps. They sounded close, but she still couldn't see anything. She threw her head around more as the footsteps were getting closer.

"She's awake," a voice said.

They were directly in front of her. She stared forward into the black abyss where she heard the voice, feeling close to passing out with how fast her breath became.

Something suddenly crept onto the back of her head. She could her hair being pulled as something slid up and over her head. The light then returned to her, almost blinding her as it looked like the surface sun had shown once more onto her.

Soon enough, her vision adjusted to the new light, and she could finally see her surroundings. A demon was moving away from her with a thick, black blindfold in his hands. He stepped aside to reveal another demon who seemed to be analysing her thoroughly.

"So, this is the demoness you've been telling me about, hmm?" the new demon asked. He was a yellow lizard demon, wearing a business suit, walking with a cane, and she could spy a holster hidden under his jacket.

"She's the one, boss. The Devilitis demoness, as promised." Appearing from the door behind this lizard demon came... him. Big Softie. And this lizard demon... was his boss?!

Sunset tried to speak, forgetting that her mouth was forced shut.

The boss seemed to take notice of Sunset's efforts. "Oh, my apologies. Allow me." He reached a hand down to her face and quickly tore off the tape that sealed her mouth.

With a pained grunt and a burning sensation remaining on her face, Sunset breathed deeply through her free mouth, all while looking between Big Softie and his boss.

"Softie...? What... what's going on?" Sunset asked. "What about the gang war?"

Big Softie was about to answer, but his words were caught in his throat, and he looked away shamefully. His boss, however, began laughing maniacally at the sound of Sunset's question.

"Oh, is that what he told you? No, no, my dear. There is no gang war. In fact, our buyers are over the moon at the news that we can provide again," the boss explained happily.

"Provide...?" Sunset asked. "Softie, what is he talking about? You said the buyers were mad at the raised weapon prices."

Big Softie was still completely quiet.

"My, my, aren't you a slow one," the boss commented. "Read the room, girl! You've been deceived. We don't sell weapons. We sell Devilitis demons!"

They sold... No. No, it couldn't be. Why would Big Softie...? Why would he...?

"You... lied to us, Big Softie?" Sunset said with a betrayed look. "This whole time, it was all a set up?"

Big Softie clenched his fists as they remained at his sides. "Sunset, listen, I-" But he was then interrupted by the loud muffling from another side of the room.

Everyone looked in the direction of the muffling, and sitting against the wall was the bound Barbed Wire, with a blindfold covering her eyes and tape stuck across her lips. The boss raised his eyebrows at the sight of her.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," the boss said as, in unison, he removed the blindfold and tore the tape off of her face. "Barbed Wire!"

"You!" Barb hissed at the sight of the boss. She tried to throw her hands down, but found her efforts were futile as the chains trapped her hands above her head. Despite that, however, Barb continuously tried to break free, much to the boss' amusement.

"It's no use," the boss said, shaking his head. "Those chains are made from Satanium. The metal equivalent to the indestructible skin of a devil. Nothing is breaking free of them. Keep trying though, you might actually be able to scratch it."

Barbed Wire, blinded by her fury, kept at it, with rage fuelled grunts after every attempt to break the chains, all while the boss looked at her in the eyes with a shit-eating grin, not flinching once.

"You'll regret this! You all will!" Barb seethed. "When I get out of here-!"

"Oh, cry me a river, Wire," the boss sassed, turning away from her. "If you're smart, maybe you'll prove yourself useful again. That is if I don't decide to get rid of you."

This only made Barb even more angry. "HEY! DON'T FUCKING TURN AWAY FROM ME! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DIE!!"

The boss sighed, annoyed. "Her voice exhausts me. Take care of her, please."

The boss' accompanying goon nodded and proceeded to whack Barbed Wire across the head with a metal rod, knocking her out cold in a single swing.

"Barb!" Sunset cried, tears falling free from her eyes. "You're a monster!"

"I'm a business man. I sell the real monsters that hide in the shadows, devil freak." Before leaving the room, the boss looked to the goon. "I've to go make a call with the buyer. I want you to stand guard outside the door. Softie, you come with me."

As the boss left, Big Softie followed, but he then stopped as he heard Sunset beginning to cry.

"You lied to me," she said in-between sobs.

"...I had to." Big Softie closed the door behind him, leaving Sunset and the unconscious Barbed Wire alone and chained.

"No, you didn't," Sunset said silently to herself.

Big Softie dared not to look back at the door as he closed it, but it was profoundly difficult to walk away from it. That look. That damn look she gave him.

'She really did trust me, huh,' thought Big Softie. All went according to plan, but it felt like something didn't work. Either that, or something wasn't supposed to work.

"Softie," the boss called, pulling Big Softie out of his head. "My office. Now."

Big Softie finally stepped away from the door, however, he made the mistake of looking back at it, saddening him further. He followed his boss through the halls. The lights were all barely working, the carpets were torn and dirty and many parts of the wall had been punched through. Many gang members hung around each and every corner, either doing drugs or fighting one another. It wasn't the most stable environment to say the least, but they were all a team. Softie knew that, at least.

Eventually, the boss and Softie came across a door with a plaque stuck on the front of it. There was nothing engraved on it, but everyone knew that this was the boss' office. The boss opened it to reveal a mostly empty room, save for the desk and chairs that sat directly in the middle, and had, clearly, the best lights throughout the entire building. Something that a few goons were a bit jealous of.

The boss, with his scales changing to green, took his seat on the other side of the desk on his large, black leather swivel chair, while Big Softie just stood behind the shitty, small, plastic chairs, not wanting to risk breaking one of them.

"I must say, Big Softie, that I am very proud of you tonight," the boss began to speak. "You've really pulled through and actually managed to score us another Devilitis demon. I was beginning to think we drained this city dry of them."

Big Softie waved a hand towards his boss, all while rubbing the back of his neck with the other. "Ah, well, y'know. I do try my best to provide in any way I can."

"And what a job you've done! Not just the Devilitis demoness, but also the infamous Barbed Wire!" the boss praised. "Ah, the look on that girl's face was hysterical! She really believed you about that gang war story. I gotta ask, how did you gain her trust the way you did?"

"It's a long story. All I can say, really, is that I got her out of a difficult situation, she then found me, we talked a bit, and then she trusted me enough to tell me where she lived if I ever needed help," Softie explained, counting on his fat fingers the steps that led to the conclusion.

The boss looked in awe. "Wow. Befriending her so that she would follow you here herself. Devious, Softie! Dev-i-ous!" He wagged one of his scaly claws at Softie's efforts.

Softie laughed his boss' praises off, but it suddenly occurred to him. The events that happened that night. It all happened before he found out about Sunset's condition. Everything they talked out, everything Softie came to feel, it was all real.

He stopped fighting her before he knew. He told her his story before he knew. He joined her made up gang before he knew. And this was how he repaid her kindness? At the moment, his boss believed that becoming her friend was all part of the ruse, but Softie wasn't going to let him know that was not the case at all.

But what did it matter anymore anyway? Even Sunset probably believes that it was all a lie, so it's not like he could possibly get her trust back now. Now, he just had to follow along with what happens, the only thing he's good at.

"Just wow. You've done very good tonight, Softie. We'll talk again later, but now I need to make that call," the boss concluded the conversation, picking up the phone that sat on his desk and facing the window that sat behind him. "Run along now. Do as you please."

Big Softie complied with his boss and left him be. He began to close the door, but the sound of the boss talking caused him to stop, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Hello! Good to hear from you again!" the boss greeted enthusiastically. "It's certainly been a while, but I've got good news. We've managed to secure another Devilitis demon!"

There was a pause in his speech. Softie figured that the buyer took a turn to speak, but what were they saying?

"Price is as usual. I plan on sending a chopper with the package to you soon. It should arrive a few hours after dawn." He left a pause, presumably to let the caller speak now. "Yes, I suspect your little one will be very happy have a new snack after all this time. Send her my regards."

'A new snack'? What the hell did that mean? What had the boss been doing this whole time with the Devilitis demons? Realising the situation at hand, Softie audibly gasped, immediately following by slapping his hand over his mouth. He heard a shifting sound coming from inside the office and, in a frantic panic, shut the door and ran off, making thunderous stomps as he went.

Inside the office, the boss looked to the door in confusion as he heard the hard footsteps quickly getting further away. He gave an upset sigh and pinched the bridge of his lizard nose, scales now changing to red. "I'll call you back." The boss hung up the phone.

Sunset remained with her head held low, lost in thought. With eyes puffy from the tears, and messy hair covering her face. She was lost, unable to think of what to do now.

Now having regained consciousness, Barbed Wire continuously tugged on her chains, trying to break free of the unbreakable bonds. With her head throbbing with pain, she dropped herself against the wall, trying to catch her breath before trying again.

Sunset was left having to listen to the chains constantly clatter with every pull. Having about enough of hearing Barb trying and failing, she spoke with a low, croaky voice.

"Please stop."

Her demand fell on deaf ears. Barb kept trying, heaving and grunting at every pull.

"Barb, stop it."

But again, Barb seemed to completely ignore her, not ceasing from her attempts of escaping.

Sunset had now reached her limit. Scrunching up her face as the irritating jingling never ended. "Stop it, Barb!" she exploded.

Only now did Barb finally stop, looking at Sunset intensely with a dried blood stain on one side of her face and her chest constantly falling and raising with her heavy breaths. She looked as angry as Sunset, yet she seemed be fuelled by a different rage.

But Sunset didn't stop. "There's no use in trying anymore. It's over. We've been beaten. It's best to just accept it now."

"What?" Barb barely managed to say from her hard breaths. She struggled to pull herself further up so she can look Sunset in the eye better. "The Sunset I know would never give up so easily. No matter how bad things came to be, you've managed to pull through and remain strong. You've managed to do so much-"

"No! You're wrong. All I've ever done is just make things worse for everyone I meet!" Sunset's lip began to tremble. "The bar fight, the election, and now my Devilitis! No matter what I do, all I do is cause trouble! And now look at us. Because of me, we're hostages with no way of escaping!"

Barb's heart sank at her words. Hearing her friend accepting defeat like this, despite always having such a fiery spirit at almost every waking moment. She didn't want to believe that this was how it came to be, but not even Barbed Wire was sure about how they were both going to get out of this.

Suddenly, both of their heads turned towards the sound of a turning lock. The door was swung open, bringing light back into the room. From the door revealed the heavy breathing figure of Big Softie, with a set of keys in his hand and a pair of unconscious bodies hanging outside on the floor.

At that moment, Barbed Wire growled as it seemed all of her anger returned to her. "What the fuck are you doing back here?! Get lost, you traitorous shitbag!"

Big Softie chose to ignore her and knelt down in front of Sunset. "Please, you have to listen to me-"

"Why should I listen to you?!" Sunset said with a dark tone, avoiding any possible eye contact with the blue bull demon. "Everything you've done, taking advantage of my kindness just for the gain of yourself! Leading me on to believe that some demons can change, and then throwing everything I ever believed right back at me! Was anything you told me back then even true?! Or was it all just part of your elaborate scheme?!

Big Softie found it hard to collect any words at all. "I-It... It wasn't at first. I did think we could be... friends."

"You lie!" Barb hissed. "All you care about is pleasing your piece of shit boss! Even abandoning those who say anything against him! You're no different from then, Softie!"

Sunset looked to Barb and then back to Big Softie. She remembered back when they were outside. Softie refused to say what happened back then, but why? "What aren't you telling me?" she asked.

Big Softie's eyes widened at the question. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sounds came out. His heart refused to tell the only other person who had trusted him.

"Tell her the truth!" Barb commanded fiercely. "Or I will!"

Seeing no way out this time, Big Softie finally dropped his defences, closing his eyes to avoid the pairs that watched him intensely. "Okay. You deserve the truth. Shortly after I joined the team, I was told I was already being sent on a mission alongside a very experienced member."

"Who were they?" Sunset asked.

"Me," Barbed Wire interrupted. "I used to be a strong, trusted pawn in this shithole, and the day we met, he was tasked to be backup on my mission."

Big Softie nodded in confirmation. "We were tasked with infiltrating a warehouse for new weapons and ammunition. However, the odds were stacked against us, and we barely got out alive. The boss was disappointed, especially with me. But Barb stuck out for me, telling him how great of a team we both made. After that, we always worked together, even after a bad first impression, we really became a great team down the line." He suddenly stopped, showing physical hesitancy to continue on.

Sunset filled the silence. "But...?"

Barb groaned loudly at Softie's incompetence. "For fucks sake, Softie! But then, I found out about the boss' part in the disappearances of innocent demons. Softie was the first demon I told, and you know what he said to me?"

Sunset watched in amazement, yet also horror. She shook her head in response.

"Do you remember, Big Softie?" Barb asked.

He did, and it pained him every time he had to think about it.

A younger Barbed Wire stood in front of a younger Big Softie. She had managed to pull him aside into an empty of others room. Barb looked panicked. Softie had never seen his partner this way before.

"Barb. Hey, it's okay, calm down," Softie reassured. "Tell me what happened."

Barb took a deep breath, attempting to put herself at ease before she spoke. "I just heard the boss on the phone to someone. He was talking about the delivery of demons. He's the one behind all the disappearances!"

Big Softie did a double-take upon hearing this. "Wait, what?! A-Are you sure?"

"I just heard him in his office. He plans on shipping them out tonight! We have to stop him!"

A door suddenly opened. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Disappointing, Barbed Wire."

Barb gasped and quickly turned around. There was the boss, with his scales turned red, with a few armed goons standing by his sides.

"Not only is it incredibly rude of you to spy on me while I'm in a call, but now I hear that you are plotting against me. You truly break my heart, dear."

Barb scoffed. "Cut the bullshit! Why are you selling innocent demons?!"

The boss laughed maniacally at his goon's question. "Innocent demons? Now, who told you that?" His face then turned stern. "The demons we send away are scoundrels and menaces! Taking what they want, from whom they want, when they want! We're performing a public service by sending these demons to face the justice they deserve!"

"This is not part of the code!" Barb retorted. "We only strike back if an enemy strikes first! You're just sending demons to their doom because you're scared!"

"I'm not scared of anything. It's all just part of business. We manage to rid the streets of these demons, and in turn, we collect a great amount from the buyer."

Barbed Wire grunted. She wasn't planning on leaving without a fight, and it seemed that the time was now. "Well, we're not gonna stand for this! Big Softie and me, we'll stop you! Right, partner?" She turned to Softie, holding up a hand for him to take and stand alongside her.

But he just stood there, remaining quiet and looking very sorry.

"Big Softie...?" Barb lowered her hand, a bad feeling forming in her stomach.

The boss hummed, crossing his arms and keeping an arrogant smile on his face. "Well, well, well. It seems that your 'partner' is having some doubts. Why don't we let him speak for himself, hmm?"

"You... you have my back, right?" Barb's voice saddened the longer Softie kept silent.

He didn't even give his partner the time to look her in the eye. Softie remained still, rubbing his arm slowly. Eventually, he let out a regretful sigh and started walking to the other side of the room, where the boss stood. "I'm sorry, Barb," he said.

"W-What...?" Barb's voice trembled. "What are you doing?"

"He made his decision, Barbed Wire, and the smart one at that. He doesn't wish to become an enemy to our family like you," the boss said for Big Softie. "I think it's only best you leave, and never return!"

"But... we were partners..." Her eyes began to water.

Softie nodded in response. "Here, we were partners. But you don't want to be here anymore, so we are no longer partners. I believe in the boss, and I'll stand by him if others try to oppose him."

His words tore through Barb's heart like a million poisonous daggers. She was left alone, beginning to cry, and rage consuming her.

"Fine!" she cried. "You want to stand behind that double-crossing bastard, then you're my enemy too!" Barb ran to the window, using a nearby chair to break it open. She stood on the edge, getting one final look of her ex-partner with red eyes. "If I ever see you again...!" But she couldn't finish that threat. Just before the floodgates were released, she escaped through the window and ran fast and far.

With Barbed Wire now gone, the boss and his goons turned to leave, getting back to the work at hand. As the boss passed, he patted Softie's huge back. "You did the right thing, son," he told him.

Big Softie didn't respond. He was left stunned after the events that just unfolded. Did he make the right decision? He wasn't exactly sure, now. But he decided that it was what it was, and followed the boss, the man he put his most faith in.

"...and to this day, I still think about back then, and sometimes wish it played out differently," Big Softie finished telling Sunset. "I betrayed Barb's trust back then, and now I've done it to you."

Sunset was outraged. The wide eyes, twitching lip on her face gave Softie all he needed to now what she was thinking.

"Barb was right," Sunset said silently, slowly shaking her head. She didn't even want to hold it back anymore. She didn’t even care. "You're nothing but a traitor."

Big Softie held his head low. "I'm sorry. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but maybe I can give you a way out." He showed Barb and Sunset the set of keys that he had stolen.

"Why the change of heart?" Barb spat, not believing a word he was saying. "I thought you were okay with her being sent away."

"I just heard him on the phone. The boss lied to us all! That 'justice' that he said then, it wasn't true! He sends Deviltis demons to their deaths!"

"What?!" Sunset and Barb both exclaimed in unison.

Softie quickly nodded. "I only went through with it because I thought you would at least be safe. I would've never done it if I knew about this. I know I don't deserve your trust, but if you're willing to give me one last chance, I can get us all out of here. Then you'll never have to see me again. I won't bother you both anymore. Deal?"

It was hard to tell if he was just lying to them again. He had tricked her good last time, but looking at him now, the sweat running down his face, the frantic movements and the worried expression. He looked sincere, or at least, more sincere. It was going to be a long shot, and an especially big risk, but if it was the only chance they had, then perhaps it was going to be a worthwhile one.

Realising now that she was holding her breath, Sunset gave a long sigh, looking back to Softie with determined eyes. "Okay," she nodded.

Big Softie proceeded to then open the locks of Sunset's shackles holding her hands and feet. She finally stood up again after what felt like forever, stretching her limbs and finally brushing away the hair that clung to her face. Softie then went to do Barb's chains; however, he was more hesitant at first. With a shaky hand, he unlocked Barb, who stood up and stretched herself. Once she was finished, she immediately punched Big Softie on the arm, sending him flying across the room and crashing into some shelves, the contents falling on top of him.

A smirk formed across Barb's face. "That was for backstabbing Sunset," she said, flexing her fingers. She and Sunset went over to Softie and pulled him up off the floor.

The trio set out, trying to find a way out of the building. Big Softie let them all, being the one to ensure the place was empty and dragging Barb and Sunset around different bends and corners. Had their be any other option, they would have most certainly taken that, but now it was left all to Big Softie to help them out. Did they still trust him? Not even a little bit, but perhaps without him, they might be dead already.

They were taken around another corner, but Big Softie immediately froze up, holding an arm out to block Sunset and Barb's path.

"What are you doing?!" Barb whispered harshly.

Big Softie pointed round the bend with his thumb. "There's a couple of guys round there. Keep absolutely quiet. I know another way out."

There was another path directly ahead, and next to the guarded hall. With the guards' backs turned, Softie, Barb and Sunset slowly walked past the opening, holding their breaths as they went. They couldn't help but listen in on the conversation the goons were having.

"You know what I was thinkin', bruh? What's with all these devil names?" one of the goons asked casually. "Satanium. Devilitis."

"What you saying?" the other goon asked, squinting his eyes to his partner.

"I don't know. Find it kinda weird. Their not even good puns, either."

The other goon lightly laughed at the thought. "It is kinda weird. Deviltanium-"

"It's Satanium," the first goon corrected.

"...Is it?"

"I... I'm not sure anymore... Fuck man, that's gonna annoy me now!"

Moving away from that hallway now, the trio continued to tread lightly. There didn't seem to be as many gang members around this section, so they were left free to hurry and find the exit. The girls were amazed at how Big Softie managed to know this place so well. Every hall looked nearly identical to the last, especially with how oddly empty everywhere was. Barb made sure she kept a close eye on their supposed guide to freedom.

At the turn of another corner, Big Softie's face lightened up. "It's this way. We're almost free!" The trio ran down one final hall. This was it now. They were home free.

A collection of clicks was heard as they all headed for the exit. Before the door they were aiming for stood a collection of goons, holding semi-automatic weapons in their direction, and in the centre of them all was the boss, scales changing to the harshest red Barb and Softie had ever seen.

The boss shook his head. "Disappointing, Big Softie. Extremely disappointing. And here I was starting to think you had finally begun to prove your worth."

"B-Boss?! I-I... I can explain!" Big Softie stuttered.

"No need. I think it's quite clear what is happening." The boss shifted the left side of his jacket, revealing a revolver within his holster.

"Holy shit. Get down!"

Big Softie grabbed the girls and ducked behind a large crate. The goons followed up by commencing fire. The room was completely lit ablaze, with bullets spraying all across the walls, causing the walls to crack and crumble to dust on the floor, and the box that the trio took cover behind. Their ears were tightly covered, suppressing the sound of the storm of firepower rapidly striking.

"Sir, we can't penetrate the box!" one goon announced.

The boss looked to him in confusion. "What- Okay. One: you're going to kill our package if you don't stop firing all willy-nilly! Two: what is in those boxes?"

"Sir, it's our shipment of Satanium."

"Oh my fucking God," the boss sighed in annoyance. "Why are these by the exit and not in storage?! What incompetent fool did I hire to do that job?!"

The room fell into an awkward silence. The goons looked between one another, and the trio were left unsure of what to do.

The boss cleared his throat and calmed himself down. "My apologies, Devilitis demoness. Clearly, there's something to be established in amongst our members. We mean you no more harm, however, we cannot let you or your companions escape. I highly advise you give up immediately before I actually do give the command." He glared at his underlings. "Surrender immediately."

"What are we gonna do?! We're trapped here!" Barb whispered.

"What can we do?" Big Softie rhetorically asked. "I don't see a way out of this. The boss is never gonna stop unless he gets what he wants!"

An idea sparked in Sunset's head. It was a risky plan, hell, it was completely stupid and might not even work. But if she played her cards right, maybe, just maybe, everyone has a shot of living through the rest of this. Closing her eyes, Sunset raised her arms up high and could be seen by the boss and his guards. While Big Softie and Barbed Wire were still trying to figure out what to do, Sunset slowly stood up and walked away from the box, making herself completely vulnerable.

Barb quickly realised Sunset revealing herself and reached out to her, staying below the top of the crate. "Sunset? Where are you going?! Come back!"

"It's okay. I have a plan," Sunset reassured her friend, now turning directly towards the boss with a look of boldness. "I surrender, but first, I'd like to make a deal with you... mob boss." She wasn't entirely sure what to call him.

The boss had a look of interest. "Ah, a deal you say? Well, I am all ears, Devilitis demoness. What is it you wish to propose?"

"I give myself to you, and in return, I want you to let Barbed Wire and Big Softie free, and for you to never bother them again."

"Oh, is that all? Well, it's certainly a small price to pay for someone of your capabilities, but I accept your offer." The boss held a hand out for Sunset to shake, making the deal official.

Just as Sunset was about to make her move, she was suddenly stopped by Big Softie jumping in front of her. "No!" he shouted.

"What are you doing, Big Softie?" the boss asked, a dissatisfied tone now appearing in his voice.

"I won't let you take her! I know what you do with these Devilitis demons and I'm not gonna stand for it any longer!"

"My dear Big Softie, may I remind you that this is exactly what led to Barbed Wire's expulsion? Turning against her own family and defying her higher up! You don't plan on following the same path as her, do you?"

"I don't care!" Big Softie yelled. "For so many years, I've been kissing your ass, trying to find a way to provide something, anything, for this gang, just to make myself feel like I was finally worth something. But when I met Sunset Shimmer, she opened my eyes and showed me that there's a better world out there, and I was too blind to see it at first. But no more!

"I don't know what I can do for this world anymore, but I know that one thing I can do is protect the only demon that ever believed in me, and if I must die for her to be safe, then so be it!"

"Big Softie..." Sunset said quietly, completely taken aback by Big Softie's words.

"As you wish," the boss replied. "Let's finish this." He took the revolver sitting at his side and aimed it directly at Big Softie, his claw placing itself over the trigger.

"No!" Sunset cried. She felt her devil strength coursing through her arms, and in the blink of an eye, she pushed Big Softie out of the way of the boss' shot, leaving her to be the only target left. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Sunset prepared herself for the inevitable outcome of her actions. She may have failed her quest of escaping Hell one day, but at least she knows that she managed to make some kind of change to someone's life while she was here. That all made it seem almost worth it. She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

The bullet reached its target, and a loud thump was heard as a body hit the ground. Barbed Wire immediately looked over her shelter, heart dropping at the thought of her friend's corpse laying on the ground, but what she did see caused her heart to skip a beat. A body did lay on the ground, but it wasn't Sunset's. By the boss' side laid the body of one of his goons with a hole in his face.

"What?!" the boss wondered. He looked towards what the bullet should have hit, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

Sunset remained standing, radiating some kind of red aura. There's was a visible hole in the stomach of her t-shirt, but no bullet wound. As she stood, Sunset could feel something happening to her body, spreading from where the bullet should have hit. She felt... safe. She felt protected. She felt impenetrable.

"No, it... It can't be," the boss said in disbelief.

Big Softie, now seeing an opening, retreated back behind the crate with Barbed Wire. "What’s going on?" he asked his ex-partner.

"I don't know! Maybe it's a... devil thing..." Barb gasped at the realisation, flashing back to something that the boss once said, 'The metal equivalent to the indestructible skin of a devil.' She looked back to Sunset in amazement. "She has..."

"Devil skin!" the boss finished.

Around Sunset's body, she could feel her skin morphing into something new. The flesh being replaced with something that felt like stone. It went to her hands, spreading down to her feet, and finally, covering the entirety of her face. She was now completely shielded. Knowing this, she began slowly approaching the boss.

The boss jumped back behind his remaining goons in a state of panic. "F-F-Fire!" he commanded.

The goons nervously followed their boss' command and began firing their weapons at Sunset. However, despite their efforts, she was completely unphased by the projectiles. The bullets bounced off of her body, sending them all back to whence they came and taking the goons down one by one until only the boss remained.

The boss clumsily took his revolver out again and shot another bullet, leaving the chamber with only four more bullets. It did nothing to stop the Devilitis demoness. He shot again, leaving three. Nothing. Two. No luck. One. Not even a scratch.

His hands shook as he held the gun, his scales now changing to purple. He only had one more bullet left, yet no others could even harm Sunset. Taking one final chance, the boss closed his eyes and fired again. This time, the bullet reflected off of Sunset and was sent directly into the boss' shoulder. He fell to the ground in an agonising cry.

Sunset stood over the boss' pathetic body. He looked up at the terrifying demoness with fear.

"W-what kind of a demon are you?" he asked through the pain.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer, bitch!" And with that, she raised a fist and punched the boss' daylights out.

The trio finally left the hideout, all of them now being tired, slumped over, sweaty messes. Sunset's skin returned to normal, and wherever the bullets hit her body now made her itch. As they came back into the streets, the light began to appear over the city, daybreak was here. Sunset had work today, but for the sake of herself, she might just skip it and sleep.

"We did it! We survived!" Softie cheered, using whatever oxygen was left in his lungs.

"We wouldn't have been in danger if it weren't for you," Barb threw back his way, hastily throwing a finger at him. "But... I guess you did save us in the end."

"I guess that means you aren't gonna hit me then."

Barb shrugged. "Meh. Too tired right now. I'll get you back next time I see you."

Big Softie smirked. "Well... I guess that means that this is it. I'm free now."

"What will you do next, Big Softie?" Sunset asked.

"Hmm. I don't know. For now, it's probably best I lay low for now, but the first thing, I think, to do is that we... y'know. Say goodbye."

A sad look crossed Sunset's face. "Will we... will we ever see each other again?"

Softie shrugged. "Who knows. We might, but it most likely won't be anytime soon-" He was interrupted by Sunset suddenly jumping onto the hunk of a demon, bringing him into an embrace.

"Thank you, Big Softie," she said softly.

The bull demon was left dumbfounded. He could feel a small tear forming in the corner of his eye. He returned the gesture to Sunset, wrapping his arms around her too. "No. Thank you, Sunset. You made this lost, miserable bastard finally feel like something."

Barb just watched them both from afar. She wasn't really the one to show too much affection, but with an annoyed sigh, she walked over to Big Softie and patted him on his fat arm, as she couldn't reach his shoulder. "I guess you've earned a little bit of trust, or some shit."

Big Softie gave his old friend a smile. "Thank you, Barbed Wire."

A small blush formed on Barb's face, which she tried to quickly hide by crossing her arms and pouting. "W-Whatever."

After a moment to hug and give their goodbyes, the girls and Big Softie proceeded to go their separate ways. Barb and Sunset headed back to their apartment, while Softie was going to his handmade shack under the highway. It was a long night for the three of them, and it would be an unforgettable one at that, but once the pain and fighting had finally come to an end, each of them could all leave being confident with something. Big Softie was confident that he could change for the better, all for his new friend. Barb could leave knowing that she could put part of her past behind her and the gang would be severely wounded for a long time to come. And finally, Sunset had regained the confidence that maybe, just maybe, she did have the power to make a change for the better of the city. She did it with Big Softie, so maybe she could try bring Barb out a little more if she was persistent enough. Who was to know? There may be an answer to an untold question.

A goon had brought the boss back to his office and had bandaged up his wound. The boss sat at his desk once more, heavily breathing and hissing at the sharp pains in his shoulder. Beyond his desk, the goon that helped him awaited a further command.

"Leave me. I have a private call to make," he told the goon.

The goon nodded and swiftly made their exit, closing the door over behind them, leaving the boss alone. He reached over to his phone and dialled in a number, bringing the phone up to his ear once the ringing had commenced.

He could hear the phone on the other side being picked up. "Bold of you to call again. Where is our package?"

The boss laughed nervously. "Ha-ha! You see, it's a funny story, the Devilitis demoness may have... well, escaped, and is running free in the city again."

He could hear the caller sigh. "That is certainly unfortunate. However, all is not lost," the caller said.

"Y-You're not mad?" the boss asked.

"No, no. For you see, this may be a blessing in disguise. If this Devilitis demoness had managed to escape from you, then she must be very powerful. So perhaps, with that power, one day we'll find her falling before us herself. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father Betrayed." The caller then hung up the phone.

Author's Note

What a ride, and what an occasion too! As this chapter finally goes live, it will be almost one year since I posted the first chapter! I would have waited until the real anniversary, but I'm impatient, so here it is now. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I think it's time I finally showed you all...

Two letters in the currently unknown volume title! I give to you an 'E' and an 'F'!

Don't worry, more will be revealed soon... :raritywink:

Chapter 10: From Dusk to Dawn

Sunset was currently sat at Barbed Wire's dining table. Her head was currently caught up in a paper that was displayed in front of her, and with a pen in hand she was scribbling words down crazily fast, as though she had a lot of practice writing this letter down.

Barb then entered the living room with a yawn and a stretch of her arms. After the wrestling match a few nights ago, she began feeling tonnes better, aside from her muscles still aching like a bitch. Aside from that, she was good. However, when she caught sight of Sunset writing at the table, she did give an annoyed sigh.

"Are you seriously writing another letter to Rattingsbottom?" Barb asked. "Three, I think, should have been the limit, but what's this like the ninth now?"

It had been true. Just about every other morning after the mayor debates over two weeks ago, Sunset had been trying to get in touch with the supposed 'better' choice between the two candidates, Theodore Rattingsbottom.

"Excuse me, but I'm just making sure that my name stands out amongst possibly many others. If there is ever going to be a change, I have to get in contact with the one demon that might just listen," Sunset explained, clutching her newest letter and staring hopefully at it.

Barb's unenthused expression hadn't altered in the slightest. "Yeah, I'm not sure how everyone's gonna react if the mayor started doing things he didn't promise at the debate. Besides, the final vote count is in a few days. I think the time for talking has past."

"I know my odds seem... minuscule, but all I really want is to share some ideas. This city is infested with danger, and as the next possible mayor, I think he should take a little more authority rather than leave it be like he's always done."

Barb scoffed. "Still better than what that shithead snake has to offer," she said under her breath, remaining just loud enough for Sunset to hear.

Sunset had hoped that the other candidate would not have been brought up. She still has fear in her mind whenever she remembered about his plan for peace and his explosion of anger. Ever since that terrible night, Sunset never brought the situation up with Barb, not even telling her that Sunset had went to the tyrant's house itself. "This isn't about him right now. I've heard plenty to now know he's not worth the thought. Despite Rattingsbottom being better, things could still be even better...-rer!"

Then Barb finished off with a shrug. "Well, guess I can't stop you." She walked towards the kitchen. "Have fun pestering a man about how to do his job."

Sunset stuck her tongue out at Barb before getting back to writing her letter. She had practically all of her words memorised. She knew what to write and what she wanted to share with the mayor. With what little chance she did have, Sunset would keep writing letters until her hand fell off, then she would learn to write with her other hand and continue from there. Not only wanting to share how the city could be made better for everyone, but Sunset also wanted to warn Rattingsbottom about Goliath. After the conversation they shared, the possible tyrant seemed to share his potential intentions if he were ever to be in power.

One part of her told her not to worry so much due to the fact that Goliath has lost the election for hundreds of years, but yet another part thought it was better to be safe than sorry because, from what she could tell, the gap between the two candidates' vote count has gotten smaller and smaller. It was more possible than not that one day Rattingsbottom will lose.

Sunset looked through her letter again and again, checking for any small inconsistencies that might cost her to have to restart. All that she hoped was that she came across as even slightly professional.

Dear Theodore Rattingbottom,

You may recognise me for my display at the public debates a few weeks ago after being pulled up by your competitor. I am writing this to tell you that my views on a better city and Goliath's do not at all correlate. What I would like to do is have a discussion with yourself and to present my ideas on how Sinner City could be made a better and safer place for all demons alike. This may, in turn, also lower the probability of Goliath ever taking the lead at some point in the future. I hope that you will consider my offer and I hope to hear a reply soon.

From,

Sunset Shimmer

The letter looked fine to her. Nothing seemed out of place, and the structure mostly followed the same as her previous, with the possibility of it being word for word the same as her last few.

"There's an error," Barb suddenly pointed out, standing directly behind Sunset and scaring the life out of her. She didn't even hear Barb move over there. "You spelled his name wrong."

"I did what?" Sunset looked through the letter again and she saw it. She forgot the 's' in the mayor's name. Given that she wrote the letter in pen, the letter was now a bust, so she crumpled it up into a ball and started all over again.

The next morning, Sunset began making her way to her shift at Toppled Sloppy. She had sent yesterday's eventually perfected letter to the mailbox about as soon as she finished it, and now she believes she has finally made her voice loud enough. All she was to do now was to wait for a response.

Along the path, Sunset coincidentally came across the mail-demon. They were both not too far away from her apartment block, so Sunset was left very excited, but also very hopeful. It would probably be alright if she were just a few minutes late for work. It was only just to check her mail.

As the mail-demon was walking down the steps leading to a house, he had almost bumped into a Sunset blocking his path. He looked at her weirdly. "Uhh... can I help you?"

"Hi! Yes, I'm on my way to work and I just happened to see you. I was just wondering if you had any mail for Sunset Shimmer?" she asked.

The mail-demon sorted through the bag slung over his shoulder and pulled out a single envelope. "You got one." Sunset reached out to take the letter, but the mail-demon pulled his hand away from her.

"What the heck, dude? Can I have my mail please?"

"You can get your mail as it goes through your letter box, just so that we can all know that it arrived to the designated destination," the mail-demon explained.

Oh joy, he was one of those mailmen. Looks like it was logic time. "Well, as well as a designated destination, the letter also has a designated demon, which you might have missed written right there on the centre of the envelope. And fortunately for the letter, its designated demon has found it. So fundamentally, you have no reason not to give it to me now."

"'Fundamentally,'" the mail-demon repeated in a mocking tone, "I'm on a strict schedule to deliver to each individual house in the order I can find them in, and I shouldn't be expected to just break routine because someone was so impatient they began hunting me them self in hope to get it early. Firelin Street, is it? I'm not hitting that street for a while, so I'm not gonna assess a single envelope being delivered way before I've even gotten to that street. So, how about you wait for your letter like everyone else, yeah?" He stuffed the letter back in the bag and started walking past her.

"Jerk," Sunset commented.

"Bitch," the mail-demon retorted.

Not the best start to her day, but she was already late enough so it wasn't much worth an earful from her boss going home to read her letter now. She went about the rest of her day just so eager for her shift to be over, which just made time seem to pass by much slower. It was murderous but she put up with it, despite the little sanity she had by the end. Sunset gave her co-workers the daily farewell and made a dash back to the apartment, climbing up (and almost tripping) on the stairs and almost causing for the front door to break what with how fast she had slammed it.

Barbed Wire peaked into the hallway from the living room. "You got a letter-"

"I know I have a letter!" Sunset just about shouted unintentionally. She marched right into the living room and found the envelope with her name on the coffee table, tearing it open with a claw and slipping the folded piece of paper out. She unfolded it and read through it quickly.

Dear Sunset Shimmer

It is rather odd to be hearing from you, not that I find that to be a bad thing. I remember what you had said during the debate and I must admit, I do admire your confidence and tenacity. You are clearly a woman with a lot of ideas, so I am willing to take you up on your offer. If you are free the night before the final vote count, I would love to meet you in my office at the Mayor's Tower at 10PM.

Sincerely,

Theodore Rattingsbottom

PS: Please stop sending letters to me.

Sunset was completely still upon finishing reading. It seemed that the letter had broken her, causing for Barbed Wire to take action by throwing a cheese puff at her face from across the couch. It worked wonders, if not a little too well.

"OH MY GOSH! BARB, HE ACCEPTED ME!" Sunset shouted with excitement, jumping up and down on the spot. "HE DID IT! HE DID IT! HE DID IT!"

"Wait, really?" Barb questioned. Sunset quickly showed her the letter, Barb following up by raising her eyebrows with surprise. "Huh. Well, I'll be damned. It's really that easy to get in touch with the top demon in power. Sorry for ever doubting you, Sunny."

"You are forgiven," Sunset said smugly. "But man, now I've gotta prepare. Okay, so he's the mayor, so I've gotta be presentable. I want- No. Need him to like me. Oh, what am I gonna say? Where do I even begin with my ideas? Is my hair a nice enough shade of red?!" It looked like Sunset was a tad nervous as she got up close and personal to Barb's face, holding clumps her hair in each hand.

"It's... certainly red," Barb comforted. She lightly pushed Sunset away and removed her hands from her hair to ensure she didn't accidentally pull it all out. "I think you're overthinking this a bit. You're pretty good at improvising from what I've seen. If anything, the mayor shouldn't be nearly as difficult than a dumbass audience. You'll be fine."

"But what if he doesn't like what I say? If I want him to consider anything, I need to really sell this thing!" In her head, Sunset played through every bad possible circumstances she could be left in. Rattingsbottom might laugh at her. Maybe she'll get locked up for her terrible ideas. Maybe he'll just shoot her where she stands! It might not happen, but at the same time it could! "I should make reference notes! Barb, I need a pen, a whole lot of post-it notes and possibly a really big chalkboard-" A hand suddenly covered her mouth.

Barbed Wire only gave Sunset a deadpan stare. Her paranoia was starting to get a bit irritating to Barb. "I'm gonna let go of your mouth, and when I do, I want you to just breathe. Okay?"

Sunset nodded.

"Good. So, I'm letting go... right... now." Barb's hand was removed off of Sunset's face, and thank the stars! It seemed that she had managed to make her roommate be quiet. However, Sunset's breathing was shaky and inconsistent. So Barb led her into a slow and calm rhythm by breathing deeply herself. They breathed in unison for a good minute before they came to the conclusion that Sunset was fine again. "Okay. Are we all calm now?"

Sunset nodded once more.

"Good. Now remember, you don't need to worry about a flawless plan so much. Maybe think of it more like a conversation than a presentation."

"Yeah... Yeah, I think that's a good way to take it," Sunset responded, regaining her confidence. "In the end, I'm just talking to someone. No big deal at all."

Barb lightly punched Sunset's shoulder. "There's the goody-goody I know!"

Sunset laughed. "I don't know what I was thinking. What's the worst that could happen?"

A black hoof knocked on the pristinely painted white door.

"Enter, Montgomery," a voice from the other side of the door said.

Montgomery, the sheep demon, entered the dimly lit living room, with the green carpet and the garnet wallpaper. The destroyed mantle on the opposite wall to the door had been replaced, but pieces of the damage still remained from the large tears on the wallpaper above the mantlepiece. In front of the active fireplace sat a chair, and in that chair... was him.

The chair spun around, revealing, with a wine glass in hand, the sharply dressed snake candidate, Goliath. "How many times must I remind you, Monty? You are free to enter as you please. I enjoy the company," he said, taking a sip of his apple blood.

Montgomery nodded. "Pardon me, sir. I just didn't want to possibly disturb you."

Goliath hummed. "Well, what brings you here?"

"Well... as you know, it is the night before the final vote count, and from what I've seen, it's not looking hopeful for us," Montgomery explained. "I would just like to ask, well, what was this plan you had? I feel as though I've not been so involved this time around."

"Fret not, dear Montgomery," Goliath reassured. "I do have a plan. I just had to make sure that all of our stars were aligned for this very moment. We just had to be patient."

"Are you not worried about that Sunset girl at all?" Montgomery asked.

Hearing that name again sent a wave of anger to wash across Goliath. He still remembered the last thing that had happened between them. Her forcing a side of him to be let loose, and having the nerve of promising she would stop him. How ignorant.

"When she was here-"

Goliath begun laughing, interrupting his assistant. "Sunset Shimmer? What do I have to worry about her for? She had good intentions, but it's clear we strive for different things. If she ever dares to stand against me, I'll surely make short work of her." To set an example, Goliath extended the claw on his index finger.

"Well, as long as you're sure," Montgomery said, being at ease as it seemed that his boss was confident. "So, what is the status with your plan?"

Goliath finished his drink and stood up from the chair. His tall and slender body loomed over Montgomery. "It is time. Come, Monty." He began to leave the room.

The candidate's assistant followed after him. "Where are we going, sire?"

"Oh, we're just off to visit an old friend."

Later that night, Sunset was roaming the streets of Sinner City alone with much more confidence than usual. Given the fact that she now knew how to control some of her abilities, she could now easily defend herself if it had to go that way.

However, as she passed some of the familiar streets getting closer to the mayor's tower, it brought back such horrible memories of being utterly humiliated live on stage. It was so bad that for a while Sunset wore a wig to work so she wouldn't be recognised. Her terrible boss wasn't all for that idea though, as his mind set was that 'now she could be recognized, she would attract more customers,' despite the demons already coming in solely to try and flirt with her. Most of the heat had died down at this point, but that didn't make Sunset feel all that much better.

She certainly learned a lot that day, and most of it she could thank Barbed Wire for as she was always looking out for Sunset, regardless of her own pessimism and outlook on afterlife. Barb was her only friend in Hell, they both trusted eachother, and if Barb didn't make an attempt to stop Sunset from what she was doing now, then she must be doing something right.

Sunset closed in on the city's crown jewel, one of the tallest buildings sitting right in the centre of everything, the mayor's tower. You would think the mayor, when it was built, had to have been compensating for something. But that was besides the point, she was here now!

Looking up at the leviathan building, the lights on most floors appeared to be turned off, all except for the bottom floor and the very top floor. That had to be Rattingsbottom's office, and the one way to get there was to go through the reception, which she was heading towards now. Sitting behind the reception table was the demoness Sunset recognised to be the mayor's assistant, wearing thick, square rimmed glasses, her black hair done up in a ponytail and wearing a grey two-piece suit. Approaching the desk, the receptionist immediately noticed Sunset.

"Ah! You must be that demoness that Mayor Rattingsbottom invited tonight," the mayor's assistant recognised, giving what seemed to be a not so forced smile despite being a bit overjoyed.

"That's right." Sunset nodded.

The mayor's assistant pointed towards the back end of the reception room. "You'll find the elevator over there. Ride it to the one hundred and twentieth floor and you'll find his office."

Why does a mayor's tower need so many floors?! Do all the floors even get used? "Thank you," Sunset said before she started worrying about the tower's usefulness.

Arriving at the back of the reception and waiting a minute after calling the lift, the two metal doors parted, ready to send Sunset up to the skies. She found the highest number, one hundred and twenty, and rode her way up. It sounded exciting, but in reality she was just standing still for a few minutes while a smooth jazz played over the speakers. But as soon as she reached the top and that ding sounded as the doors opened once more, Sunset was in business!

She stood beyond the doors, staring straight into the golden plate planted onto the centre, 'MAYOR'S OFFICE'. This was the moment she was waiting for. Her hand shook slightly, but she wasn't going to let that get the better of her. Sunset raised a fist and knocked on the door. After a few more seconds of waiting, there finally a came response, "Enter, please."

Sunset opened the heavy door into a large dark room. There was a red carpet leading up to a desk at the back end sitting by the building windows taking up that entire side of the wall. Most of the space was empty aside from cabinets and drawers at the left wall.

"Ah! Miss Shimmer! I've been looking forward to your arrival." There he was. Theodore Rattingsbottom in the flesh. The small and fat mole rat demon. She was probably more excited than she should, but not even whenever she and her friends saved the day did they have a chance to meet their mayor. This was pretty new stuff for her.

Sunset walked along the carpet and found herself now at the man's desk, sitting in the chair over on her side. Trying to look as formal as she could, given the fact that she came in her casual fit, by straightening her back and having her hands closed together on her lap.

"I'm honoured to be in your presence, sir," Sunset greeted with a polite nod. "I'm very glad you considered my letters."

Rattingsbottom chuckled. "Well, given how many times I saw your name over the last few weeks, it was hard not to. You're very persistent, but I would refrain from trying this again."

Sunset blushed with an embarrassed laugh of her own. "Y-Yes sir."

"Now, you said in your letter that you had some 'ideas' to make this city a better and safer place for all demons. Is that correct?" Rattingsbottom asked.

"That's correct, but I was also thinking about some answers too, and I knew only you could give me them."

This peaked the mayor's interest as Sunset never wrote anything about this. "Oh? What kind of answers were you thinking?"

Sunset looked straight at the mayor with a confident stare as she began forming her questions. "At the debate, you said that you have been this city's mayor for centuries, and yet what you promise to give to the public is the exact same as it currently is. I can't help but just disagree with that decision because the city we have is crime-ridden with death around every corner. Why haven't you used your power to try and fix this?"

Rattingsbottom sighed with a saddened look on his face. He then spun his chair around and looked down at the gigantic city below. "I do see what you're saying. You probably believe that I've spent my time being an irresponsible mayor, but try to believe that at one point I wanted just what you wanted."

"What?" Sunset asked. She was caught by surprise with the new revelation.

The mayor looked back towards Sunset. "In the beginning, I too wanted to bring a better sense of peace and justice to this city. Trying all I can to put in place a system that would reduce the crime and murdering, but the truth is that it is just not meant to be.

"You have to remember, Miss Shimmer, that we live in Hell. It is the home meant for wrongdoers and sinners. So, when you try to place laws on the population of demons that never initially followed them, you can imagine that every one of them waves it off as nothing. Even if I had begun to make a dent and what I planned actually was making a difference, new demons arrive every single day with no knowledge of what we have in place, and so they would destroy the newfound peace.

"I would continue trying today, but unfortunately this world just doesn't allow it. It was even because of my laws that I almost lost an election a long time ago."

This shocked Sunset. Given his track record, she would never have imagined a point where Rattingsbottom almost lost.

"What stopped you from losing?" Sunset asked curiously.

Rattingsbottom gave Sunset a sinister glare. "Goliath. For as long as I can remember, he has been my consistent rival. Despite his constant losses, he has never given up in trying to overtake me, even managing to scare off any other possible competition with candidates never returning again. If it wasn't for his history being public knowledge, he will have beaten me at the very beginning. Have you heard about Goliath?"

Sunset nodded. "I have. After what he did to me at the debate, I learned about him when he was alive." She wasn't sure if she should share the fact that she talked with Goliath in his own home. "I thought that it was him that I had similar beliefs with, but I'm glad to find out I was wrong. My question now is how did you save yourself from losing after?""

The mayor continued talking, "Soon after nearly losing, I learned that what demons really wanted was for the city to remain the same. That was also the same time where I learned that what I wanted would not work, so I promised them exactly what they wanted. I allowed them the freedom that they wanted, and ever since I've been their mayor with my opponent barely posing a good competition. At that point, my duty as mayor mainly came to be so that Goliath could never have that power."

"But surely you've noticed that Goliath's vote count has been steadily rising. He's getting closer and closer to finally winning. What are you planning to do then?" Sunset asked again.

"That is a good question, Sunset Shimmer, but I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure what I can do. Goliath may be a threat to our way of living in Sinner City, but he is also an invincible man. Especially given the fact we have no justice systems, he cannot be brought down. All we can really do is hope that him winning never comes to be.

"I have a question for you now, Miss Shimmer. What ideas are you offering that I haven't already tried in the past?" the mayor asked with a sad look on his face.

Sunset couldn't answer the question. She almost didn't even want to. Never before had she considered the possibility that the mayor really did try at one point. What she had been told tonight seemed to make every idea she had meaningless. In the end, Sunset said nothing, but dropping her head with shame spoke enough for Rattingsbottom to understand.

"I... really had no idea," Sunset said silently.

Rattingsbottom sighed. "I'm sorry if you didn't find what you were looking for, dear. I admire your optimism and I say to never lose that, but if you're going to place it anywhere, don't place it on hope. You'll just disappoint yourself even more. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

Sunset shook her head. "No, thank you. I think I have everything I need." She stood up and began to make her leave. "Thank you for everything, sir." And with that, Sunset left the mayor's office.

Every word of the mayor's just flew around her head, highlighting a different one every second. It messed with her mind majorly. She seemed to get nothing that she wanted, but at the same time it was like she got everything she needed. If she were to continue to hold onto hope like she had been trying to do all this time, it may just lead her down a dark road of misery. It may be now that she must come to accept it, Sinner City is as good as it will ever be.

With her head remaining low, she pressed the button to the elevator. It opened immediately before her and she travelled back down the one hundred and twenty floors, leaving the building through the reception and heading her way back home. Even if there was no hope for the city as the mayor says, at least Sunset can trust Barbed Wire to always be the best thing about it. Thinking that, it somewhat lifted her spirits.

Shortly after Sunset's departure, the tower's doors opened once again for the arrival of another pair of demons.

"I'm sorry, the tower is closed," the receptionist lady said, not looking up from her computer. "If you have an appointment, you'll have to come back tomorr- Oh! Sir Hendrickson! I wasn't expecting you tonight."

"Sorry to pop in unannounced, but I have urgent business with Mr Rattingsbottom." The tyrant extended one of his long claws. "How about we cut the greetings short, hmm?"

Theodore Rattingsbottom had started preparing to leave the office, packing up his work in a small brown briefcase. But he was cut short by a new knock on his office door. Strange. He hadn't invited two demons to visit tonight, had he?

"Come in," he said regardless.

The door opened and in came a very unexpected guest. "Theodore Rattingsbottom! My old friend!" Goliath joyously greeted.

Rattingsbottom smirked at his arrival. "Well, isn't this a surprise! Good evening, Goliath! What brings you here so late at night?"

"Is it a crime to visit my oldest rival?" Goliath asked. He held higher up a long, green bottle in his claws. "I thought that perhaps we could do a bit of catching up and share a drink, especially before the announcement tomorrow morning."

Rattingsbottom gave the offer a thought. "Well, it has been a while since I've been able to wind down a bit... Oh, go on then! Let me go grab some glasses."

Goliath held up a hand to stop Rattingsbottom. "Fret not, Theodore. I'll sort it out. You can just sit down."

After Rattingsbottom took his seat again, Goliath moved over to the cabinets sitting at the left wall, grabbing two wine glasses off of a shelf and pulling the cork out of the bottle.

"I must say, it has been a while since we've managed to talk outside of work. How have you been faring lately, Goliath?" Rattingsbottom asked from his chair.

"Oh, it's always the usual. Business, business, work, work. It's a never ending cycle, really. I just feel lucky to have finally found some free time." Goliath poured the red liquid into both glasses.

"How are you feeling about tomorrow? The gap in the vote count appears to be closer than ever, but I believe we both know who the victor is going to be."

Goliath's claws tensed around the glass he was pouring. "Remember, Theo, it's a bad idea to count your chickens before they hatch. Every failure is a lesson, and I've used my collected knowledge to find a way to finally beat you."

Behind him, Goliath could hear his rival give a small laugh. "Well, then. Who knows, maybe one day the victory shall be yours."

"Yes, maybe one day."

Out of Rattingsbottom's view, Goliath stuck one of his claws into one of the glasses. There was then a very subtle purple tint added to the red liquid, that of which couldn't be noticed in the room's darkness. He grabbed both glasses and made his way back to the desk, handing the mayor his drink.

"But enough about me or the elections. How have you been, Theo? I can imagine you having a fair share of stories to tell," Goliath said, taking his chair and crossing one leg over the other.

Rattingsbottom traced the rim of his drink with one of his hairy fingers. "Well, it is quite a coincidence, but not long before you arrived, I had a conversation with that girl from one of the debates. You remember Sunset Shimmer, right?"

That name again! It enraged Goliath beyond anything else. Everywhere he would go, that name was sure to follow. What a mistake he made making her feel like she could stick her nose where it didn't belong! But wait, perhaps this was a blessing in disguise...

"Oh, really? What was she saying?" Goliath asked, hiding his anger from the name drop.

"She believed that she could possibly help out in fixing the city's biggest issues. However, I told her that I've already tried everything to no avail," Rattingsbottom explained. He let out a long sigh. "Poor girl left the place feeling so disheartened. I hate to have been the one to break her dreams. She has a good heart, that Sunset."

Goliath shook his head, spinning the wine in his glass. "She's childish. Of course the future of the city has potential, but the last thing it will have is harmony. She just hasn't spent enough time here to figure out how to survive yet."

"Perhaps. I just hope she stays safe. It's a harsh world out there."

Goliath was getting tired of having to hear about that girl any longer. It was clear he had to move things along himself. "I propose a toast. May we hope for a better future where all demons can live alike. May the citizens be given a ruler that of which they deserve. May Sinner City one day thrive to glory. To the next mayor." He held his glass closer to Rattingsbottom's.

"To the next mayor," Rattingsbottom repeated, bringing his glass forward too.

The two rivalling candidates clinked their glasses and they both took a long sip of their drinks. Goliath watched Rattingsbottom drink his particularly closely.

A few seconds after finishing his sip, Rattingsbottom began feeling very strange. It was like his stomach was churning on a larger scale. The sensation seemed to move further up his small body and into his chest, causing a major burning feeling in his lungs. Then it proceeded to move again into his throat where it seemed to halt completely, and suddenly Rattingsbottom began to choke! He clutched at his chest, trying to stop the choking, but his efforts amounted to nothing! He reached out to Goliath in a last ditch effort, but Goliath just watched him. Staring at him with his sinister grin. The last thought that went through Rattingsbottom mind was one of shock and fear. Goliath did this to him! The former mayor's eyes began to close as he had now lost control of his body, falling off his chair and landing on the cold, hard floors. Theodore Rattingsbottom was dead!

With his work now finished, Goliath finished his drink and took both of their wine glasses and hid them in his jacket. He then took out his phone and dialled a number. On the receiving end answered Montgomery who had stayed in the reception.

"My part is now done, Monty. How has your job been?" Goliath asked.

"I've disabled the cameras and removed all footage of us in the building," Montgomery explained over the phone. "We should be in the clear now."

"While you are still at it, I'd like to add a little something. I've come to learn that Sunset Shimmer was just here before we arrived."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to keep the footage of her entering, but remove all the footage of her leaving. I believe this tragedy won't have to be a mystery after all."

"Can do, sir. I'll get right to it now."

"Bless you, Montgomery! I'll be returning shortly," Goliath said before hanging up the phone. He looked down onto his former rival's corpse one last time. "Well, Theo, it looks like I win."

The next morning arrived, and needless to say not very many demons were all too excited. For centuries the winner has never changed, so any hope that it would be any different this time around would ultimately be meaningless.

In Barb's apartment, Sunset was sitting on her couch/bed and was currently tuned into the news, waiting for the announcement to be made. However, she wasn't particularly excited about anything given the talk she had the night before. All she could really be happy about is that Rattingsbottom was going to win like he always did.

Barb walked into the living room to see her slouching roommate. "You still want to watch this? You know there's literally no point, right?"

Sunset glanced up to look at Barbed Wire. "Oh, hey Barb. I just figured I'd watch it anyway. It's my first one after all. How'd your match go last night?"

The couch leaned far to one side as Barb jumped into her seat. "Meh, pretty easy, really. Dible won't allow me too much time to get better, but he's at least given me stuff I can handle. I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you, though."

"It was probably for the best," Sunset said with a sombre tone.

"Why? What happened?" Barb asked, leaning forward to get a better look at her friend's face.

Sunset turned her head further towards the window. "He... well, opened my eyes I guess I should say. He was willing to listen, but even if my ideas did go through, it wouldn't have made a change anyway." She visibly wiped her eye with the cuff of her jacket.

At this moment, Sunset would have expected Barbed Wire to become more aggressive like she usually would if Sunset was sad. Probably promising something like breaking Rattingsbottom's arms or whatever. However, she was caught off guard by Barb softly wrapping her arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Sunset," she said very faintly.

At least she always had her. Sunset managed to spin around within Barb's embrace and hugged her back. "It's okay," she replied.

They would have remained in eachother's arms for a while longer if it wasn't for the TV speaking loudly. "We interrupt this programme with some terrible news! Earlier this morning, candidate for mayor, Theodore Rattingsbottom, has been found dead in this office!"

"WHAT?!" Sunset and Barb exclaimed in unison.

"Reports say that his body was found on the floor of his office with froth and liquid in his mouth. It's theorised that late last night, Rattingsbottom may have been poisoned! We now go live to Goliath for his comment."

The TV switched perspectives from the reporter to Goliath, now standing atop a stage with multiple microphones in front of him. "It absolutely devastates me to hear that my old friend has passed on. Whomever could have done this, I will do everything in my power that they pay the ultimate price!"

The reporter took over once again. "With the death of the only other candidate, Goliath has now been automatically elected mayor of Sinner City. As for the criminal responsible for Theodore Rattingsbottom's death, we have also received camera footage from the Mayor's Tower last night has been discovered, showing the culprit before and after leaving the scene of the crime. Have a look now."

Sunset and Barb gasped as to what came on screen. It showed the camera footage of Sunset entering the building and even when she was in the mayor's office. Static was then showing for a few seconds, but when the picture reappeared. Rattingsbottom's corpse could be seen on the ground with the room left completely empty otherwise. And then it showed the reception again with the mayor's assistant laying in a pool of her own blood. Sunset's body began shaking furiously with her face being horrified. It just couldn't be...

"The demon responsible has been identified as Sunset Shimmer! A bounty has now been placed to deliver to Mayor Goliath for further punishment."

Sunset fell to her knees as a clear picture of her appeared on screen. "N-No...! It- It can't be!"

Chapter 11: Beginning of Reckoning

This could not be happening... This had to be some kind of nightmare! There was no way this was real!

Sunset continued to look at the image present on the TV, trying to somehow convince herself that she was not staring into her own eyes. There had to be some sort of mistake here. Her face, her name, it was all exposed to the public, all while the city is pinning the blame on her for the death of Theodore Rattingsbottom. But she didn't do it! It wasn't her!

The entire time that Sunset had sat on her knees, staring horrified at the television screen, Barbed Wire had yet to say a single word. She just constantly looked between the screen and back to Sunset with her jaw agape. Soon enough, she finally made the attempt to place a hand on Sunset's shoulder, but Barb was very hesitant and her hand shook more the closer it came. "S-Sunset...?" Barb said.

"I didn't do it..." Sunset said almost inaudibly.

"I know." Barb's hand finally reached its destination.

But the very same second the hand landed on her shoulder, Sunset very quickly moved in front of Barbed Wire, gripping her by her upper arms. “I didn't do it!" she shouted with her breath becoming shaky. She began to lose control of her breathing. Sunset was very overwhelmed with so many thoughts and questions.

"I believe you, Sunset!" Barb knew that to be true, but she feared that no one else would believe her.

"This can't be happening. He can't have been murdered! He just couldn't have!" Sunset's voice cracked as she began to cry. "What am I going to do? What can I do?! Is Hell just against me or something?! Why can't a single thing go right for a change?!!" It was as though no matter how many chances she tried to give Hell; it always found some other way of making her stay worse.

Barbed Wire placed her hands on Sunset's cheeks, wiping away falling tears with her thumb. She wanted to tell her that it was all going to be okay, but given the situation, it would feel more of an empty promise. Instead, she told Sunset, "You can't rely on Hell to give you a good day, it's just not going to give you what you want. But what we can do is ensure that it never gets the better of us. I don't know what's going to happen or what our future will possibly hold, but I want you to know that no matter what, I'll stand by your side! Whatever it takes, I believe we can find a way to fix this together!"

"But how?" Sunset asked, sniffling still. "How can we change the minds of everyone after what they've seen? There's just no way anymore! I'm a criminal!"

But then, before Barb could respond, there came a loud banging on the front door. Barb immediately shielded Sunset by throwing her arm in front of her. She glanced back at Sunset, signalling for her to keep quiet.

Of course, with an announcement of a bounty demons would come rushing to their door! This city was already full of idiots, so of course everyone is going to want a piece of that! Demons will likely make their attempt to capture Sunset. Barb knew that she could not let that happen! No matter what, she will protect Sunset!

Barb slowly inched towards the door, getting close enough for her to peak through the peephole while not leaning directly up against the door. The coast seemed to be clear out in the hallway, but out from the corner of the peephole, something came swinging around to the door. In a split second, Barb jumped back to avoid the axe that came crashing through. It was ripped back out to reveal an elderly demoness looking through the hole.

"Here's Granny!" she said as a threatening grin crossed her face.

Already it seemed as though Barb had to bust some heads, and who would have thought that it would be her own neighbour from across the way too. She still hasn't even fully recovered from the Ogre fighting her. But for a demon that appeared at this age, this shouldn't take much out of her at all.

The elderly demoness swung into the door once again, which Barb used to her advantage by grabbing whatever of the handle came through the door and stole it from the psychopathic grandma, breaking the axe head from the handle.

"Hey! You bitch! I had to kill my husband to get that axe first!" The elderly women reached inside and tried to grab hold of the young whippersnapper with her frail, wrinkly fingers.

Without wasting anymore time, Barbed Wire bent the enemy arm against the door until she heard it break, which then it was immediately pulled back outside to the pained pensioner. Barb then went back to Sunset, taking her by the hand. "We're not safe here anymore. We need to go now!" And with that, Barb and Sunset began making their leave back through the now destroyed door, passing the demoness still crying on the floor. "You'll live! Get over it, for fuck's sake!" Barb shouted.

They both ran outside, only to find some demon's waiting for them hoping to collect the reward. The stairs leading down into the street was completely blocked off, preventing simple means of escape.

Luckily though, Sunset was quick to have an idea, so she grabbed Barb tightly and clacked her ankles together. With her newfound devil strength surging through her legs, Sunset launched into the air with Barb by her side, climbing up different flat landings one after the other and eventually landing atop the apartment block's roof. The demon's waiting out front then started to break inside to run up to the roof. Clearly, the time for resting wasn't now, so Sunset continued to make use of her Devilitis and leapt across the rooftops until she was sure the heat had died down, allowing her to catch her breath. Sunset sat down by the side of a vent.

"Good thing you have that, huh?" Barb commented. Sunset just threw her a thumbs up. "But we can't stay here for too long. Someone will have probably noticed us stopping here."

"What are we going to do now? Surely, we can't just run forever," Sunset said.

"I said I was going to help you, didn't I? What we gotta do is find the real bastard that did this." Barb cracked her knuckles in preparation for the heads she may have to bust tonight.

"But everyone believes that it was me that killed Rattingsbottom." Sunset looked out at the entire city before her. "And there are millions upon millions of demons this city! How are we ever going to find the one?"

"I don't know about you, but I think the answer's more obvious than you think," Barb said.

Sunset turned to Barbed Wire. "What do you mean?" She wasn’t given a reply. Instead, Barb pointed towards the central part of the city up towards the building that poked its roof above all others'. The Mayor's Tower. "Oh no."

"I'm afraid so, Sunny. That sly, conniving shit would do anything to get what he wanted."

Sunset hoped that it wasn't so, but, unfortunately, she could not deny that it all made too much sense. What does one do if they are found forever stuck in second place? They resort to extreme measures so they can to put an end to their losing streak. It would also seem that to get revenge, he had Sunset take the fall for his own crimes. A petty endeavour which appeared to have worked in his own favour. And now, for any morsel of hope that she could clear her name, she had to face Goliath once more.

So now the plan was how they were getting there. The streets down below were crawling with demons, and she knew the closer to the tower they got, the more there would be. It looked like their only option was to jump the rooftops the entire way through, but even the quick escape just now took a lot out of Sunset, and to do that for a few miles without stopping... It was daring, but it was the easiest option without having to fight through so many demons.

"Get on my back, Barb," Sunset commanded, hunching forward for her to climb.

Barbed Wire just as well knew how crazy the idea was, but she did not argue and followed Sunset's order.

With her friend now in tow, Sunset reactivated her devil leg strength once again and ran towards the edge of the roof, leaping off at the last second to the next building. This process was repeated countless times, and soon enough Sunset began to feel her legs burn with exhaustion. The burning wasn't terribly painful at the moment, but it would not be long before she could really feel it. She was sweating up a storm, but she kept on pushing, only thinking about making it to that tower.

Eventually, Barb and Sunset would come to find demons watching over the rooftops, and unfortunately, they would be at the one's Sunset was heading towards. While they tried to block Sunset's path, Barb thought of lending a helping hand and stuck out one of her arms to hit the demons out of the way, all while Sunset would attempt to evade them.

However, her run would soon be thwarted as she was getting closer to a much larger gap between the buildings. At this point, she was barely able to make the one jump. Nevertheless, she still had to try. At the edge of the next rooftop, Sunset squatted with her feet parallel to each other. She powered up her jump and finally flew through the sky! It was certainly a much further jump, but she was not sure if it was going to be enough. She stuck her hand far out to reach for the rooftop. Her fingers scraped the edge, but then slipped right off. The street below them had more demons than ever before, all of them looking directly towards Sunset and Barb as they just about hit the wall.

But then, before they could fall, Barb reached out and grabbed hold of the edge, quickly clinging onto Sunset's hand while it was still out. "I got you!" Barb said, her voice straining as she struggled to keep them both in the air. Her fingers were losing their grip, so she swung her other arm around, creating enough momentum to throw Sunset up top, and just as her last fingers had stopped holding, Sunset grabbed Barb by the arm and pulled her up too.

They had travelled far into the city, and the Mayor's Tower was only a few blocks away, however, Sunset's legs had almost become completely drained of their energy. As she stood still now, the pain managed to catch up to her, and she could barely stand. Despite that, she still invited Barb back on her back.

"Sunset, you're too exhausted! You can't keep going like this," she tried to explain.

However, Sunset didn't want to hear it. "Shut up! I still have some jumps in me! Now let's go!"

But before they could do anything else, they were interrupted by the roof door being broken down, revealling many demons looking to collect their prize. Sunset was finished with waiting and snatched Barb's arm. She prepared herself for another jump, but as she readied herself, she instead fell to her knees. Her legs have officially given up on her.

The demons surrounding Sunset and Barb were now given a huge advantage. Sunset could no longer escape herself and there was no way that Barb was making that jump. However, despite the odds that were stacked against them, Barbed Wire still stood her ground, hiding the worn-out Sunset behind her.

Barb looked between the faces of every demon around her, waiting for the very moment one of them makes a move. "You dipshits have all got the wrong demon!" she announced, not breaking her stance. "She's innocent!"

"That ain't what we're seein'. And besides, the price goin' for her? You'd be really fuckin' stupid to pass that up!" one of the demons explained. "So, if you're not deliverin' her yourself, we'd suggest you hand her over before things get ugly."

"Believe me, it was going to get ugly either way!" Barb remained patient until finally, one demon lunged at her. She easily avoided them and threw them back towards the semi-circle of bounty hunters. Everyone else took this as a signal of sorts as they all made their attempt to subdue the powerful demoness. Barbed Wire fought back hard and defended Sunset to the best of her ability. She found herself to be lucky that some of these demons were not so much experienced as fighters. But then as more demons began piling their strength onto her, a few other demons took this opportunity and had snuck behind Barb and grabbed hold of Sunset, tying her hands and legs tightly together. Sunset struggled to escape, but the ropes prevented her from hitting her hands or her ankles together. A demon then quickly knocked Sunset's lights out with a single blow to the face.

"Sunset!" Barbed Wire shouted, diverting her attention away from the demons she was holding back. This only created an opening as she was easily tackled to the ground, where she received the same as Sunset, finishing off with a blow making her become unconscious.

"Wakey, wakey!" Sunset and Barb could hear.

The two demonesses had begun to wake up, both of them feeling the same sore nose and binds around their wrists and ankles. As their eyes had now fully opened, they looked around to Sunset's realisation that they were in the Mayor's office, only now it seemed much darker than before. But in front of them and walking out from the shadows, they were both met with the demon that seemed to wait for their awakening.

"Ah! There we go now. I was wondering when you'd wake up." It was Goliath, resting on one knee to be at eye level with them both.

"You!" Barbed Wire hissed, already trying to break her ropes.

"Why yes, it is me. Glad we have that established. I must say, you two put up quite the chase. Really, I was only expecting to see Miss Shimmer, but I do enjoy the extra company, especially when they swear to protect the very threat to our city. You must be a friend. Do tell me, what is your name, dear?" Goliath asked, gesturing to Barbed Wire.

"As if I'd tell you anything! Especially given after everything you've done!" Barb shouted.

Goliath gave an audible 'harumph', clearly taken aback by his prisoner's comment. "'Everything'? Why, I haven't even done anything. Well, not yet, at least."

It was now Sunset's turn to speak. "What do you want with us, Goliath?" she asked.

"Mostly what I want is the same as what everyone wants. Just to know why you would do this, Sunset Shimmer? I mean, killing the mayor? That's certainly not the impression I got when I first saw you."

"I didn't kill him!" Sunset argued.

"Mm, the evidence says otherwise. From what anyone can find, you were the last demon to be seen in the building before the bodies appeared." Goliath moved away and sat on his new desk. "It doesn't seem that you have much of a leg to stand on Sunset Shimmer. So now, you've become a danger to our society."

Barb continued to struggle trying to break out of her ropes. She had the feeling that she might have loosened them a bit. "We know it was you, Goliath! You killed Rattingsbottom and framed her for it!"

Goliath snickered at the accusation. "Oh? You know it was me? With what clues? What are you basing your knowledge on?" he asked, leaning closer towards Barb. "Because unless you have even a scrap of evidence, I'd refrain from interrupting, okay?"

With the snake demon within close proximity, Barb attempted to lean forward and headbutt him. However, Goliath was quick and avoided her attack.

"Ooh! A feisty one! I like you, but try that again and we'll be having some issues. Observe." Goliath snapped his fingers and out from the shadows of both the left and right of the room emerged around ten or so strong looking demons. "Do you like it? They're part of a large project I'm working on. It's a small army so far, but soon enough our power will become unfathomable!"

The surrounding demons gave a round of cheers for their leader, sharing his excitement for the future of the army. Goliath accepted the high praise from his subjects while even encouraging them to give him even more.

"So, what? You've finally accomplished your goal of becoming mayor, but now you want more? And now you're manipulating innocent demons into doing your bidding?" Sunset asked, her eyes staring up to the new mayor with a stone-cold stare.

"Who said anything about manipulation? You wound me so, Sunset Shimmer, but I'm afraid to say that they all joined me by their own free will. All I've done is help them realise how much stronger they can be if they follow me," Goliath explained. "In fact, as we speak, my dear Montgomery is currently recruiting more citizens to join. I have also sent parts of my small army to go and recruit more demons across the city. In no time, my forces will be limitless! Though, if demons do start refusing, then we may have a bit of an... issue, to say the least. I waste no time with weaklings however, so I have those who have accompanied me to remove the blemishes from my perfect world. That's just how things work. If you don't believe in my vision, then you don't deserve to be a part of it!"

Suddenly, Barb finally snapped her ropes after constant attempts and jumped towards Goliath, aiming for a strong punch to his face. However, in the blink of an eye, Goliath turned to the side and easily avoided her attack. With Barb now flying past him, he took the oppurtunity and grabbed hold of her arm and head, pushing her body onto the desk.

"Honestly, the drama with you two!" Goliath scolded, holding Barb down like she was nothing, despite her thrashing. "Is it that hard to surrender?"

"Don't hurt her!" Sunset called out, worried for Barb's safety.

"I won't have to unless she continues this! My lord, treating me like I'm the criminal here!" Having being fed up with his currently trapped prisoner's fighting, he threw her back towards Sunset, his strength causing her body to slam and roll along the floor. Once she stopped, she finally remained still, allowing the ruler to continue. "Anyway, if that's all distractions out of the way, I believe we can finally get down to business."

"What kind of business?" Sunset asked curiously.

"Well, as the mayor, demons all around the city are expecting me to do something about the perpetrator for Theodore's death. Now that I have you, I can now exact something that's never really been known in Hell... justice!"

Sunset's eyes widened. "W-What are you going to do with me?"

Goliath sighed, kneeling before Sunset yet again and raising her chin up to him with his claw. "Well, if I imprison you, demons may fear that you'll just escape and wreak more havoc. I'm afraid that the only option is for you to serve your time beyond Hell, through death!"

With an opening finally present, Barb threw her fist once again, landing on the side of Goliath's jaw. He was blown to the side by the sheer force of the blow. Barb then freed Sunset of her ropes, lifting her to her feet. It seemed that Sunset's energy had returned to her, with her legs no longer burning.

Goliath quickly recollected himself. "Don't let them escape!" he barked to his small army. A few of his demons blocked the door to the elevator. "So, you want to play dirty, hmm? I'll be gladly to fulfil your dying wish. Watch closely, my subjects! For you are about to witness the true power of your new ruler!"

This was not at all what Sunset was hoping for! The doors were blocked, so it would seem that they didn't have much of a choice anymore. She could probably imagine how eager Barb may be for something like this, but the last thing that Sunset wanted to do was have to face against Goliath in a fight!

Barbed Wire was the one to make the first move. She rushed towards Goliath with fire in her eyes and a clear intent to defeat. A flurry of attacks was sent the tyrant's way, but he avoided each and every attack, moving his slender body in ways that didn't seem possible. He slithered his way out of Barb's fury rush and appeared behind her. Before Barb was able to process his escape, Goliath slammed his elbow directly into the centre of Barb's back. She let out a loud grunt of pain as she fell to her knees. It was unbelievable! Barb hadn't managed to land a single hit, and yet Goliath took her down with only one! How strong was he?!

There was no time for thinking, however, as Goliath turned his attention towards Sunset. "Let's finish this, shall we?"

Sunset did the only thing she could think of. She activated her devil arm strength, but she didn't know where to go from there. It was clear that Goliath was incredibly smart and fast. Any attempt to hurt him, he could possibly see coming from a mile away. For safety, she activated her leg strength too. If she was going to fight, she had to be prepared for anything.

Goliath approached her and immediately went for a leg sweep, knocking Sunset onto her back. She was left in a daze, but she snapped out of it in time to realize that Goliath was holding a fist over her body. She rolled out of the way for Goliath to make a hole in the floor, resulting in his hand getting stuck.

Now was Sunset's time to strike! She ran up to him and picked his body up by his shirt's collar. With Goliath now currently rendered helpless, Sunset forcefully threw him across the room with all of the strength in her arm. Goliath was literally sent flying across the room, eventually landing in the arms of Barbed Wire!

Barb's next attack was to suplex the bastard! Arching her back as Goliath's head came crashing to the ground! He was left laying on the floor, quietly moaning as he could only slightly move. Seeing that he was done, Barb ran to Sunset. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. You?" Sunset replied.

"Never better. Come on. We're getting out of here."

Before they could make their leave, however, they heard Goliath's sinister laugh. They both turned to see him rising to his feet once again. "Well, well, well. It appears I have underestimated you both," he said as he twisted his shoulder and cracked his neck. "You two really know how to put up a good fight! Perhaps I should make things more interesting. Soldiers!" The surrounding demons stood firm at the call of their leader. Then, with a raise of his hand, he clicked his fingers. "Onward!"

Then all at once, every demon that watched the fight closed in on Sunset and Barb, trapping them both in the centre of a circle.

"Sorry if this doesn't seem fair, but I can't allow you both to leave here anymore!" Goliath said from outside the circle. "Stop them!"

His soldiers all came charging in at once, brute forcing their way past each other to reach either Barb or Sunset. The demonesses stood their ground, however, with Barb reaching her hand back to Sunset, whispering to her, "Fling me." Sunset took her hand, and with her feet placed firmly on the ground, she twisted round and round with Barb gently raising from the floor. After gaining enough speed, they turned into an unstoppable spinning top!

The soldier demons tried to break through, but Barb's blazing fast kicks kept everyone at bay. However, as powerful as this may be, it came at a price as Sunset's sense of balance was very limited before she became extraordinarily dizzy. She slowed down as quickly as she could and Barb was now back on her two feet. Some of the demons still standing came rushing back as defences were finally low, but not even they were quick enough to out perform Barb by herself. She would jump to each side were they approached and socked each one away, with one of them falling back towards the window, smashing through it and plummeting to their unfortunate demise.

Barb visibly hissed as she slowly turned towards everyone else's shocked expressions. Perhaps she went too far there. "Hehe... Whoops?" she laughed nervously. But as she looked around the room, Goliath was nowhere to be found, that was when she heard light footsteps behind her that she realised... Goliath snuck up behind them!

With a hard blow to her head, Barb fell to the ground, not unconscious, but in a great amount of pain.

"Restrain them," Goliath commanded as he walked to the middle of his office. His soldiers then picked up Barb and Sunset, holding their arms back and legs down. Barb was barely holding on after that hit while Sunset had just come out of her dizzied state. "You know, you girls are strong, but your constant resistance is now really beginning to piss me off! You still pledge you're so innocent, and yet here you are, murdering one of my very own! I mean, how could you do that?"

"That man was just free of his debt!" one of the soldiers shouted with dismay.

"Well, there you go! Killing a man after finally being free! When are you two going to stop this madness? You have no chance of winning!"

Barb glanced up, with strands of her red hair blocking parts of her fury. "I'll stop when you're dead and buried!" she breathlessly said. "I won't ever let you take over!"

Goliath was just about sick and tired of this. "Do you ever be quiet? I'd rather not hear your voice playing in my head after we are finished here."

"I won't let you hurt anyone else!" Barb shouted with rage. She threw her hands and feet around, loosening the grip of the demons holding her down and escaping, and with her war cry, she ran towards Goliath, blinded by her anger.

Once again, Goliath narrowly avoided her, and just as she passed him again, he stretched a leg out and kicked her sending Barb flying at a blistering speed before she crashed into the wall beside the exit door. She tried to pick herself back up, but in the end, she slid back down the wall.

"Barb!" Sunset cried out. That monster! No matter how much he hurts, he never backs down! He was truly a heartless sinner! Sunset realised it now, Goliath must be stopped at all costs! Her head fell down, her breathing shaking from her sadness and anger. Never before has Sunset ever felt this much unrelenting rage. It made her feel... stronger. Throughout her entire body, she could feel herself being overtaken by a feeling similar to her devil strength, except much more!

With a furious roar, she knocked aside every demon surrounding her and charged to the unforgivable beast! She reeled back her arm, feeling the power surge through to the very tips of her knuckles before she let loose a mighty blow!

But, before her hand could reach its target, Goliath caught it without so much as a flinch. This was impossible! No demon could hold back a hit as strong as that!

"Hmm. Impressive," Goliath commented. "You think, even with strength as powerful as that, that you have even the slightest chance of defeating me. You really have no idea who I am!" Goliath punched Sunset directly into the stomach, causing all of her strength to fade away from her. She fell towards the broken window, only managing to catch herself by grabbing the edge before she could fall.

Goliath laughed, but what he couldn't see was that Barb had come back once more. While paying attention to only Sunset, Barb ran up behind him and roundhouse kicked him to the ground! The demon soldiers were about to act upon their leader being attacked, however, with one monstrous glare from Barb, they all backed off.

She ran up to the window edge, just in time as Sunset was barely holding on with one hand now. "Grab my hand, Sunset!" she called out, reaching out for her.

"Barb!" Sunset said as she fumbled with her free arm to try and grab her friend's hand.

"We're getting out of here. Together!" Barb casted to her a reassuring smile, letting her know that it was all going to be okay. Sunset couldn't help but smile back.

But then, she heard something, her face turning white from horror. That ear grating sound of grinding metal was heard, a sound all to familiar to Sunset. From the shadows behind Barb, Sunset caught a glimpse of a long sword-like thing glinting in the night's light.

"Barb! Behind-!"

But it was too late. Everything seemed to go suddenly silent except from the harsh gasp escaping from Barb's lungs. She slowly looked down to see three blades piercing through her body. She looked back to Sunset with a distraught face. She failed her. "Sun... set." The very last thing to leave her mouth as the life could be seen fading from her eyes.

"Barb!" Sunset screamed in agony.

Barb's lifeless body was then raised upwards and flung back inside. Sunset could hear the thump of her body hitting the hard floor, and from where her friend once stood, there appeared Goliath once more. He stamped his foot onto Sunset's hand, looking at her with a maniacal grin.

"Look at the world around you now, Sunset Shimmer! I offer you that much before I take it away forever! We could have worked beautifully together, and you had to make the worst mistake of your afterlife!" Goliath pressed his foot down harder, causing Sunset to cry with pain. "I am going to change this city! And I will do so without the intrusion of you! Goodbye, Sunset Shimmer! It's truly been a pleasure!"

Goliath finally kicked his foot forward, releasing Sunset's grip of the window edge. Time slowed down to a crawl as Sunset realised that she begun to fall. Was this it? Was this the end? Was this how it was supposed to be? Evil rising up, and good failing to stop it? It couldn't be. This isn't how it should have ended. Barbed Wire, her friend, her light, was gone. Goliath, tyrannical, evil, had won. And Sunset... she lost everything all in a single night. She tried all she could, and yet she was still destined to fall. Out of the corners of her vision, she could see her own tears flying off her face. Goliath was getting further and further away, which meant Sunset was only getting closer and closer...

How could it end like this?

Goliath turned away from the edge and to his remaining soldiers. He could only think of how disappointing they had performed tonight. Perhaps these demons in particular were not the fighters that he needed, but he wasn't going to dwell on it, especially with Montgomery recruiting more and more demons elsewhere.

But there was one more matter to attend to. At the side of his eye, there was the body of the demoness Sunset seemed to refer to as 'Barb'. Quite the fighter, but she would lose focus due to her own anger.

"Dispose of the body," he commanded. A couple of his followers came in to take Barb's body away, but before they could leave, a thought then came to Goliath. "Hold on." He looked over the body, staring into her barely opened red eyes. "In fact, take her back to the base to get her wounds tended to. And quickly! She's fading fast." The demons took Barb away, leaving their fearless leader and now fewer soldiers in the office.

Goliath began to snicker, which then grew into a scary laugh, and ending off with a loud holler. "Do you see now?! How strong we can be?!" His subjects replied with major applause and cheers. "This is only a taste of what we can all accomplish. With all of our strength together, we can expand our power to the furthest corners of Hell! We will let everyone know who we are! Will you follow me?!" The demons all shouted louder, they were with him.

Goliath walked back towards the window edge, looking out at his new city. "This night marks the dawn of a new age, and I will be at the forefront, leading our army towards a newer, brighter future! Hear me now, Sinner City! Open your eyes in the wake of a new dawn! Welcome one and all... to the age of Goliath!"

Author's Note

Welcome to the AGE OF GOLIATH!

Chapter 12: Broken War

In a street where it seemed that no life remained, there was a dark, abandoned convenience store. The shelves were torn apart, most of the supplies being gone, save for some empty wrappers, boxes and bottles scattered around the floor. In the back of the shock, there was a flickering light, struggling to stay alive. By that light, there could be heard a quiet static. A radio was still functioning, with the sound of a voice too subtle to understand because of the static. Out from the shadows, there came a large, hairy hand that carefully turned a dial on the radio. The further it was turned, the more the voice could be understood.

Heavy, panicked breathing could be heard from the source's end. From some of the gasps that there caught by the speakers, it could be told that a demoness was speaking. "H-Hello? Is there anyone out there? If this reaches anyone, any where, y-you have to help us! Sinner City has been taken over by a fucking madman! He's made an army from the citizens, and those who haven't joined him are being hunted down! Demons are dying left and right, and the number of soldiers keeps going up! There's some outside right now! I don't know how much longer we have before we're discovered, but if someone hears this, we're hiding out in the radio station at Grimfield Street. Someone, anyone, please! Help us!" The radio then cut out.

Grimfield? That was only a few miles from here. It would definitely take a while from the need to avoid the soldiers that plague the streets, but they are never too difficult to avoid. Perhaps it could be possible to save those demons from being found. It would require the need to be very careful outside, but maybe, just maybe, he would be able to save some souls. Big Softie then switched the radio off and left the store.

It has been just over a week since Goliath Hendrickson took over as mayor, and almost immediately after did the city fall into total chaos. All of a sudden, demons that were once friends had turned against everything they once loved and joined the mayor's army, and the ones that did not follow were taken away, never to be seen again. It is assumed that the demons who don't bow before Goliath were killed, so now the streets are essentially a wasteland. Almost anywhere you could look, demons could be found hiding from the patrolling, armed soldiers, with the odd one occasionally scouting out for supplies or running away screaming. Sometimes, there could even be found a rebellion of demons trying to fight back, resulting in bodies from both sides littering the road. The entire city has been split in two. The streets have become a battlefield. It was as though an all out war had been declared.

As Big Softie slowly walked down the street, he kept an eye out on his surroundings. How jarring it felt to suddenly have to feel scared of what could be hiding somewhere. What a difference a single man could do in a single night. After Goliath was elected mayor, it was announced that the beginning of this downfall was caused by none other than Sunset Shimmer, the one behind the murder of Rattingsbottom. Then not long after, he came back with the news that she had been dealt with. But it just couldn't be true. Big Softie knew Sunset. She wouldn't kill, she would always try to help. Sunset helped Softie, and now he is more free than ever. And what happens to her? She is punished for something there was no way she could have done. It wasn't made clear what Goliath did to her, but as far as anyone knew, Sunset Shimmer was dead.

And that just made Big Softie think of something else. Barbed Wire. His old friend. Where was she during all of this? Knowing her, she might have tried to protect Sunset when it all happened, but that would have led to an entire city fighting against two demons. So, if Sunset was declared dead, Barb may not have been far behind.

Big Softie couldn't help but feel that he could have done something then. If he hadn't lost the trust of the one demon that believed in him, perhaps he could have provided enough to help her. Given that weird condition Sunset had that made her stronger, she, along with him and Barbed Wire, may have made a force strong enough to take the tyrant down. But then again, maybe not. Softie knew that he was never really all that strong anyway. All he's ever been is a burden in both life and afterlife, constantly making things worse for everyone he ever met. While he was free, it came at a cost of pushing away every family he ever had. In this world, Big Softie was truly alone.

Wait, what was that sound? Big Softie stopped in his tracks and listened closely. It sounded like a pair of voices, and they were getting closer! Softie looked all around him, hoping for a space for him to hide. There was a car rolled onto its side nearby. He ducked behind it and remained silent as the approaching demons passed by.

"Wait, you're mom was against you joining Goliath?" one demon asked.

"I don't know what her fucking deal is! One second she wants me to 'get off my ass and get a job,' and next she wants nothing to do with me when I finally get one!" the other demon explained.

"What did you do then?"

"What else? Handed her over to the Injustice Officers and they do whatever it is they do."

Injustice Officers? This was the first Big Softie was hearing of this. They must deal with the demons that are caught hiding. And if there were separate divisions of Goliath's army, it may be far larger than he initially thought.

But while Big Softie was lost in thought, his arm accidentally nudged the car, causing it to slightly rock and lightly creek. This caused the voices of the passing demons to suddenly fall silent. Softie's heart nearly stopped as he heard footsteps slowly approach the car. He was about to be discovered!

Then suddenly, a beep was heard and the other demon began talking to someone, possibly over a radio of their own. This seemed to bring the approaching demon's attention away from Big Softie.

An exchange was shared between the demon and his radio. Softie couldn't hear exactly what the caller was saying, but from the way it sounded they were very frantic. "Apparently, there's a big gang of demons resisting a few blocks away. They're needing some backup now," the soldier explained.

Eventually, the soldiers' footsteps had faded away, leaving Big Softie in the clear. He's come across plenty of close encounters with Goliath's army, but he has yet to actually fight against them. Since his rule began, Softie has managed to maintain a low profile, especially surprising given his size. That was the magic of being a part of the right gangs that taught you how to keep a low profile. At least he can still use some of his skills for something.

But now, it was back to the road. If he had any chance of helping those at that radio station, Big Softie needed to pick up the pace. His journey became a repeated process of slowly and carefully making his way through the streets, keeping an eye out for any soldiers doing their routinely hunts. Surprisingly, he did not run into any others after that first time. At least, none others that were still alive.

While he's had to bear witness to it before, it still horrified Big Softie to come across the aftermath of an all-out battle. On any other occasion, Softie would have avoided this and went around another way. Unfortunately, this street was the quickest way to Grimfield. As he walked over the bodies of so many demons, he could see just how everyone had been shot dead or brutally beaten. The brains of one demon were scraped on the sidewalk, the arm of another was torn apart and another's body and head was plagued with bullet holes. Those were only the ones he couldn't help but look at. Just the sight of those few corpses alone made his stomach churn. Just how could one man turn an entire city against each other? Why was this the reality to come true?

Big Softie had just about made it to the end of the unsightly battlefield until he felt a hand wrap around his thick ankle. He jumped back around in shock, catching sight of a demon trying to climb up Softie's body. The demon looked to be barely clinging onto life, with a trail of his own blood showing where he had crawled from. The demon stared at Softie with a single, bloodshot eye, the other eye having been slashed at. "Help... me..." he said with little to no air in his body. As soon as he finished talking, the demon's grip loosened from Softie's jacket and his body fell to the ground, no longer moving.

If the sight alone hadn't caused him to throw up, it was this experience that sent him over the edge. Big Softie tried to run away, falling to his knees to vomit on the ground at his feet. What horror. Throughout this horror show, Big Softie was only ever an observer. He couldn't imagine what it must be like to actually be part of the fight. The image of the demon was not going to leave his mind anytime soon, if not ever, but Softie still pressed on, trying not to look back.

The radio station shouldn't be too far away now. The city only had few actual landmarks, but Big Softie knew the ins and outs of it. Having lived under a highway most of his afterlife, he had time to learn. But now he felt he couldn't recognise his own home. What used to be packed streets with the occasional mugging or even a murder in an alley here and there, is now a desolate world of carnage. It all changed so quick. Softie had barely enough time to process it at first.

It was only just over a week ago. Big Softie was fast asleep in his man-made shack by the sewer line. The sloppily nailed together wooden boards, which made the bed frame, bounced as he turned in place. A radio sat by the bed, not switched off, but not set to a specific channel. It just lightly played static, with Softie's snores drowning out the sound.

He was awoken suddenly by a hard knocking on his door. Softie jumped right out of bed and quickly made his way to answer the knocking while letting out a yawn. He wasn't sure who would be here at this time of the day. What time was it anyway? It didn't matter. Softie opened the door to a pair of demons that he didn't recognise. How did they find this place?

"Can I help you?" Softie asked.

"Afternoon, sir. We're representatives of the mayor, and we've been going from door to door recruiting demons as part of a new initiative," one of the demons explained.

A new initiative? That didn't sound like anything Rattingsbottom would ever do. This was very confusing. "I'm sorry, what's going on right now? I don't think I'm following."

"Have you been following the news lately?" the same demon asked. Softie returned with a shake of the head, causing the door-demon to sigh. "By order of Mayor Goliath Hendrickson, those following under his rule are issued to recruit new heads, and especially new muscle, to become part of his growing army."

Goliath? But that was impossible! Goliath never won elections! Just what had Big Softie slept through? "I-I don't think so. I think I'm gonna pass." Big Softie began to close the door, only for the demon to stick his foot in front at the last second.

There was a sinister frown on his face. "I believe I need to elaborate. Refusing our leader may prove to be a grave mistake. By doing so, it implies fear, weakness and disobedience. For the future of the city, he plans to remove these imperfections. I suggest you think before you decide. You wouldn't want to defy your new ruler, right?"

The more the demon went on, the less Softie could understand. It was clear that something had happened, and if Goliath was involved, he was certain it was nothing good. Big Softie was probably going to have to figure out more by himself. "Get out of my home!" he growled as he kicked the intruding demon's foot out of the way and slammed the door.

He went to grab the radio beside his bed, twisting the dials to find a channel in hope that he could gain an understanding of just what was going on. The static soon turned into a voice. "In the wake of the morning after yesterday's shocking news, our new Mayor Goliath has returned with a major update for our city going forward."

The news reporter's voice then switched to Goliath's. "Yesterday our city was met with a great tragedy. Our beloved Theodore Rattingsbottom was found murdered by the mysterious activist, Sunset Shimmer. She was immediately wanted for her crimes with an award placed for the one to bring her to me. I am here to announce that Miss Shimmer was found, and I will not hide it, she attempted to rebel against me, perhaps to end me as well. Her intentions were unknown, but alas, we can rest easy in knowing that Miss Shimmer has been brought to immediate justice!" A cheering crowd followed the announcement.

"This experience, however, has provided me with a realisation. We never know where demons, like Sunset Shimmer, who only wish to stand against their leaders could appear. We cannot go on knowing that there may most likely be criminals like this spread throughout the entire city! So, I propose a new solution. A new order! A chance to fight along my side as part of a large scale team that fights for power, freedom and equality! By serving under my hand, you open yourselves up to a better world. One with eradicated crime and newly built protection. We cannot allow refusal in these testing times. We cannot allow weakness anymore! This is where the future is pointing to, and I am now the guide towards a better tomorrow! Join me, and I'll give you a world of perfection in return!"

How, after an entire day of not listening to the radio, did Big Softie manage to miss so much? Rattingsbottom, dead. Goliath, mayor. And Sunset... No, it couldn't be. She couldn't have! There had to have been a mistake! Sunset wasn't a murderer! What did that son of a bitch do to her?!

Before he could figure that out, there was still the matter of the current state of the city. It looked like big changes were coming all for the worse, and if refusal was what Goliath called imperfection, then big trouble stood behind Softie's door. Or what was going to be left of it as there then came a loud banging from it. Within seconds, Big Softie's front door was gone, allowing for what seemed to be more demons than before inviting themselves inside. He grabbed his radio and stuffed it in his jacket. If he managed to make it out of this, it may prove to be useful.

However, there were no other exits or windows in his house, and any attempt of smashing through a wall would definitely result in the whole place coming down on top of everyone. Not only that, but Softie was also seriously outnumbered. If he even tried to fight, he's in for getting his shit kicked in. So, how was Big Softie going to get out of here? Well, there wasn't any time for thinking, so he tried the first thing that popped into his head. Charging out of this bitch!

The demons in his house seemed to range from big to small. While the big ones got knocked aside like a granny on a bus, the small ones were the ones to put up a better fight to his surprise, with one demoness managing to jump onto Softie's back as he ran, who then began to gnaw on his shoulder. Big Softie shouted in pain as he reached back and grabbed the tiny bitch, going in for a throw to the sewer line as he found himself outside. The demoness flew through the air and landed in the dirty water, being whisked away towards the unknown. And by 'unknown,' the ocean of lava that surrounded the city.

The demons inside of his house recovered rather quickly and attempted to fit outside the door at the same time. However, this resulted in everyone getting wedged together in the doorframe. This gave Softie a small window for him to escape. While the intruding demons tried again and again to not become one with the doorframe, Big Softie lifted the sewer lid on the ground and climbed down, making his quick getaway.

Before he ventured through the tunnels beneath the city, Softie remained still and quiet as he reached the floor, making sure that he wasn't seen climbing down here. He couldn't hear those demons anymore, and by the looks of it, they didn't try to open the lid he climbed down from. It would appear that Big Softie was safe. For now that was. He was safe to roam the underground, but who knows how long he would stay safe down here for.

Out of curiosity, Softie decided to take a peak at what was going on in the city. He slowly raised a lid just enough for him to look around. Immediately, something was very wrong. There were demons everywhere, all sporting some kind of uniform. Everyone looked like an army soldier that wore only black, even down to their thick vests, their paddings on their arms and legs, and their caps. Upon closer inspection, Softie could see a white logo of the front of a snake's face with very long, protruding fangs.

Some of these demons were escorting away other demons that weren't wearing their uniforms. There were some that seemed to be casually walked. However, some other demons looked to be forcefully made to walk, with the soldiers holding their arms behind their backs and pushing them along. There was one scrawny looking demon that managed to escape from the soldiers' hands, running towards where Softie was. He watched in horror as the escaping demon was tackled to the floor, followed by the soldiers beginning to beat him to a bloody pulp.

Looking around, no one seemed to be helping this poor soul. In fact, no pair of eyes even bothered to look in this direction. Everyone just moved straight with their heads fixed forward like an army of robots.

The lid was suddenly shut on top of Big Softie's head. Someone probably walked on it. He took this as his signal to leave. Any longer, and Big Softie may have become like those other demons.

The surface wasn't safe right now. Big Softie may have to reside down in the sewers for the time being, perhaps occasionally going back up when he was in need of supplies or things. But who knows how long the underground would stay safe for. Soon enough, those guys would end up coming down here too. He couldn't get a very good look, but from the way it seemed, this army was big. Possibly overwhelmingly so. No doubt this was Goliath's doing. He's got a hold of the city now, and it looked like he was acting immediately. From this point onwards, no one was safe.

And here Softie was thinking his life was finally starting to calm down.

In the present once more, Big Softie found himself nearby the radio station now. Hiding in a dark path right by the building, he peered around the corner and looked around. The voice on the radio really wasn't lying, there were a lot of soldiers roaming around the place. On one side of the building, four demons stood by a closed shutter-door, three of them being armed. Meanwhile, many other armed soldiers surrounded the other sides, some looking very impatient.

One of the four demons by the shutter-doors began to speak through a megaphone. "You have five more minutes to come out and surrender yourselves! Come out now or we will force our way in!"

Big Softie was going to have to act fast! But how was he going to get inside without getting caught? He saw a high-up window on the wall he was closest to, and there was only one guard standing by it. It shouldn't be too hard to get through this guard, but he still would need an idea. By looking at his own surroundings, Softie found a full trashcan and a decently sized rock. A mischievous grin formed on his face. He had an idea.

The lone soldier patrolled around their spot, kind of wondering why they were sent to this side by themself. All other sides had three demons at the least! So why was this wall the only exception? As soon as this mission was finally over, they were going to give a stern fucking talking to to their squad leader!

But then, out of nowhere a rock flew past their face, landing close by to the wall. The soldier looked back to where the rock could have come from and they were immediately met with a grey, metal can flying towards them, crashing into them and completely knocking them out, at least that's what Big Softie had told himself as he then snuck by the totally-not-dead guard.

With the trashcan being conveniently thrown to be right under the window, Big Softie hauled his body up on top of the box and then pulled himself up and through the window. Now, Big Softie was finally inside the building! Not without a little accident of course. The window turned out to be very high above the ground floor, not all being where he expected that window to lead. Suffice to say, Big Softie fell to the floor with a painful smack, letting out a painful groan as he picked himself back up.

"Oof. I think I broke my snout," he said to himself. He brought his giant hand to his face to find that, yes, his nose was a bit off-centre. Softie then placed his palms on each side of his snout and snapped it back into place with a satisfying crunch. What relief it was.

But getting his head back into the game, Big Softie was inside now. All he had to do was find the demons in trouble and, somehow, get them out of here. He began walking down the dark hallway he found himself in, leading him into what seemed to be a lounge or something. It was a large, open room, and it seemed to be the same room that those shutter doors led into.

From the look of things, no one seemed to be in this room. There wasn't much time left before those soldiers were going to force their way inside, so Big Softie had to act fast. He walked towards a path that led into another hall. He couldn't see anything from the darkness, which would make a rather effective hiding spot, which made him more sure that they would be there.

Just as his foot entered the hall, something sweeped him and sent him flat on his back. Emerging from behind a reception desk right beside where Softie was entering was a demoness aiming a shotgun directly at the big bull demon. She had short black hair and white skin, wearing a torn black t-shirt with some rockband he's never heard of on it, accompanied by black jeans and boots.

"Who are you?! How did you get in here?! Are you with them?!" the gothic girl frantically asked with a low, gritty voice, not taking an eye off Softie's vulnerable self.

Softie quickly held his hands up, trying to scoot away from her weapon's barrel. "What? No! No! I just-!"

Suddenly, another demoness came out from the shadows. She pushed the other girl's shotgun down, away from Softie. "Stop! Stop! He's not one of them!" she said with a more soft, higher-pitched voice. Big Softie immediately recognised this voice from the radio message. This demoness appeared to be much more shiny than the other one. With glittery silver hair and light grey skin. She wore a white dress that had been damaged and made dirty, and had a horn poking out from the right side of her forehead. She also appeared to be cradling a blanket in her arms. "Look. He's not wearing the logo. He's okay."

The darker demoness altered from deadly intent to sympathetic in just about an instant, now holding her gun at her side. "Fuck, I'm really sorry, man. I thought you were gonna try and hurt us. But what are you doing here? It's not safe, you know."

Big Softie picked himself up from the ground, presenting himself in a more orderly fashion. "I got the message on the radio and came to see what I can do," he explained. "And yeah, you really weren't lying, there are a lot of guys out there."

"You got my message?" the lighter girl asked, a surge of joy coming over her. "That's amazing! We can finally get out of here!"

"Hold on there just a minute." The attention was turned towards the gothic dressed demoness. "I don't like the way you said 'see what you can do.' How are you actually planning on getting us out? Do you even have a plan at all?" the goth pointed out, causing Softie to realise how far he really thought ahead.

"Oh, cut someone some slack for once, would you?" the lighter girl pinched the other's cheek. "I'm sure he's got a great plan! Right?" Softie didn't answer at first, causing the girl's smile to fall a bit. She laughed nervously. "R-Right...?"

Big Softie rubbed his arm, continuing to not answer. His silence told the girls everything, and were both sent into disappointment.

The goth one gave an angered groan as she held her head in her hands. "Great. Just fuckin' great! Random guy comes to our rescue without a plan, and now there's four of us that are gonna die."

Big Softie raised an eyebrow at the goth's statement. "Four of us?"

The lighter demoness cleared her throat, signalling for Softie to turn to her. She then showed him the blanket that she held onto, pulling back a piece to reveal the small, chubby face of a demon baby, with dark grey skin and black and white striped hair.

Big Softie's eyes widened at the reveal. Such a small and innocent little soul, being forced to endure such a chaotic war at such a young age. No doubt in his mind, with as little remorse as he had that Goliath would never hold back for something so pure amidst his evil. It made Big Softie furious at the thought of this child's future having to be ruined by the mayor and his army. At first, he figured that this mission would end with either him saving a life, or die trying, but now, seeing for himself how much was truly at stake did he now realise that he absolutely had to save these demons, no matter what.

The squad leader outside could be heard once more. "You have one minute left to surrender yourselves before we open fire!"

It was now that an idea finally came to Big Softie's head. It was stupid, it was dumb, and by God it was dangerous. Not like this whole experience of trying to just survive wasn't dangerous already. Regardless, Big Softie believed that he had found a way out. "I think I have a plan," he said.

Big Softie stood still, waiting patiently for the right time. Everything had become completely silent, and time had slowed down to a crawl as he waited for the perfect moment. On his back sat the two demonesses, holding onto eachother closely as they prepared themselves for what was about to happen.

It was then that a sound could be heard from behind the shutter-doors. Rays of light began to shine from under the doors. The soldiers were finally making their way inside the station. It was almost time.

Big Softie waited for the very moment that the shutters reached the top. He readied himself for the absolute second to go. When that time finally came, he blew steam out of his cow nose, sounding like a steam engine, and began charging on all fours out of the station. He pointed his horns outwards, allowing himself to ram down the demons that stood in his path. Up to this point, Big Softie never took part in any of the fighting, but for the sake of everyone's lives today, it was about time he did. Goliath wasn't winning today!

The trio were outside once more, but Big Softie was stopping for absolutely nothing. He turned on the road and continued running down the street, leaving the remaining soldiers in a state of shock from the sudden escape. The squad leader was especially stunned by the attempt that it took a moment for him to realise that he had to somehow act upon this. He quickly blurted out, "F-Fire!" and all the soldiers turned their weapons towards the rampaging bull. They lit the streets ablaze with their bullets. However, Big Softie was far too quick for their efforts to mean anything.

Big Softie turned towards the alleyway that he came from, hoping to escape from the heat through there. He didn't falter in his charge for a single moment, but suddenly, one soldier seemed to have picked up on his escape route as one of their fired bullets managed to successfully follow Big Softie, going straight through his leg just as he made it through the path.

His body collapsed from the agony, flinging the demonesses forward by the sudden halt. The light demoness held her baby tightly and close into her body as she braced for impact. They all fell to the ground, but were all luckily not hurt too bad. They both recovered rather quickly and came back to Big Softie's aid.

"Hey! Big guy! You okay?" the goth girl asked, trying to pick Softie up from under his giant arm.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm-" But as soon as he put weight on his injured leg, a surge of pain shot through the entire length of his leg, causing him to cry out.

The goth visibly hissed at the sight of the injury. "That's not good. We gotta go and get that thing looked at, and fast! How fast do you think you can hop?"

"I was renowned for being fast at hopping when I was alive," Softie explained, voice straining from the pain. He raised his leg with the support of the demonesses on either side of him.

"Good enough! Let's go!"

The trio then all made a break for it down the alley, going as quick as they could given the new circumstances. They still had Goliath's army hot on their trail, but if they all still had the smallest bit of luck left, they just might make it out of this alive.

Eventually, after a good while of running and hopping, the group found themselves a quiet place where they could hide for the time being and let Big Softie rest his wounded leg. It was an abandoned pharmaceutical. By scouting the place for supplies, the demonesses found a roll of bandages and a bottle with some alcohol still inside. While Softie put his foot on top of a box, the goth demoness dabbed a rag they found with the remaining liquid and applied it to the open wound, much to Softie's dismay as it hurt like hell.

Big Softie could feel a shout about to escape him, so he tightly shut his mouth, causing his cheeks to puff up with his own breath. To compensate, he pounded on the table beside him.

"Hey! You wanna keep it down! We're trying to lay low right now!" the goth hissed.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one with a hole in their leg!" Big Softie retorted.

"Could you both be quiet please?! The baby's still sleeping you know!" the light demoness scolded the two loud mouths.

Softie and the goth just glanced at eachother and then back to the angry mother. "Sorry," they said in unison.

After that, the treating of Big Softie's bullet wound continued. The gothic demoness rolled out a very long piece of bandage and began wrapping it around his leg. It was then that she realised something. "You know, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves yet. I'm Raven Wing. The girl over there's my wife, Dove Wing, and the kid's name is Silver Feather."

"Name's Big Softie," he said, now being more calm as the burning pain was over. However, he would still have to go through one last twinge of hurt as Raven Wing came to pulling the bandage in order to tighten it. It was so sudden that Softie couldn't help but react.

Raven recoiled from the sudden reaction. "Oh, sorry about that." She proceeded to finish her work in a more gentle manner. "Thanks, by the way. For getting us out of there. We had just about lost all hope before you came."

"Eh, it was nothing, really," Big Softie awkwardly replied. "I just can't believe that idea actually worked."

"It's not 'nothing'," Raven said coldly. "We really thought for a moment that we were gonna die. We knew that it was probably a long shot that a sinner of all things would respond to an SOS, but you actually did. You actually came and you saved us. So, thank you... for saving my family."

Big Softie didn't say anything else in response. Instead, small smile creeped onto his face. "It... must be hard trying to raise a kid during a time like this."

"Heh. It isn't half," said Raven. "Fuck. You can't imagine the close calls we've had cus the little guy was hungry or needed a change. It's actually how we found ourselves in that mess in the first place. And... done. How does that feel now?"

Big Softie lifted his leg off the box and back onto the floor. Putting some weight onto it again, it still hurt quite a bit, but he could walk on it at the very least. "Yeah, that's much better. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Raven Wing gave him a nod. "So, what about you? How's the war been treating you?" she asked, resting her head on her knee.

Softie sighed. "Not too good, if I'm being totally honest. I've really done nothing but run these last few weeks. I got no home, no plans, no friends. It's pretty much taken away everything I had left. Now all this lonely husk can do is try to survive. That Goliath can kiss my ass if he thinks I'll ever join him."

"Well, if you've not got anywhere else to go, perhaps you can stick with us," Dove Wing suggested, sitting on a chair further away from the two as she held her baby. "We were going somewhere that's said to be a sanctuary for demons needing a place to stay."

Big Softie raised his eyebrow at the idea. This was the first he was hearing of this. "Really? Where?"

Dove continued, "Some bar called... oh, what was the name? Raven, dear, do you remember?"

Raven looked all around, trying to remember herself. "Oh God, now you're asking me? Umm... something about a volcano, I think."

"'Volcano's Eruption'?" Big Softie asked. That was certainly a place he knew all too well, having going there all the time with Barbed Wire back in the good old days. "It's been a while since I've last been there."

"You know where it is?" Dove's eyes lit up with joy. "Could you show us the way perhaps? We've been looking for that place for ages."

"Of course I can show you. It's the least I can do after you helped fix my leg"

Raven snickered at his response. "Well, I personally think you've paid your debt off nicely with that rescue, but one last deed wouldn't hurt, I suppose. Let's get to it then." She patted Big Softie on his wide shoulder and already started making her way back into the streets.

"Hey, wait just a minute." Softie stopped Raven in her place. "I didn't say we were taking the streets to get there."

Raven scoffed. "What? You know a better way?" she asked.

"I know a... safer way." While Big Softie knew it was a safer way, it wasn't necessarily a better way. He himself was very used to it, but for other demons using it for the first time? It might not end well.

"Fucking hell! That smells awful!" Raven complained, pinching her nostrils shut. "Do you seriously take this path all the time?!"

Big Softie took the wives into the sewers, and just as he expected, neither of them were too keen about it. Dove Wing was willing to do it for the safety of everyone, but Raven Wing on the other hand was very close to turning away. If it hadn't been for a pair of soldiers they could hear in the distance, Raven may have never come down.

"Eh. If you've spent as much time as I have, you don't even notice the smell anymore," Big Softie reassured, limping his way at the front. "But trust me, when you know what paths to take, this is the safest way to travel through the city."

"And you do know how to get there, right?" Raven glared at Softie from behind in suspicion.

"Yeah! Of course I do! It's just... all coming back to me a bit slower than I thought."

"Are you serious?! Are we lost?!" Raven suddenly shouted. Her voice echoed all throughout the underground tunnels.

Everyone immediately stopped right in their place, keeping as quiet as possible as to make sure that nothing suddenly appeared and causing a major issue mid-mission. Luckily, nothing came from Raven's sudden outburst, allowing everyone to stop holding their breaths.

Dove rested a hand on Raven's shoulder. "It's okay, sweetie. I trust that he knows what he is doing. How much farther now, Big Softie?"

"It shouldn't be too far. Just a little more now and we're home free."

Dove nodded. "I'm glad. You're a very good demon, Big Softie."

Big Softie didn't respond, but he knew he wanted to. After everything he has done in the past, he knew it would take a lot more than a few good deeds within a day to rectify the years of hurt he had been a part of or he had caused by himself. Of course, neither Raven or Dove knew about any of this, and it was for the best they continued not to. "Thanks," he half-heartedly said.

Soon enough, Softie came to a stop beside a ladder. By looking at the very specific details of the rust on the metal and the dirt patches on the wall and floor, it only told Big Softie one thing. This was the one. He climbed up the ladder with the lovers following from underneath. His injured leg almost caused him to slip off, but he caught himself before anything bad could happen. Reaching the very top, Softie lifted the sewer lid slightly, just enough for him to peak at the street outside to see if anyone was close by. Seeing that the coast was clear, he slid the lid away and climbed out and into the surface. Raven followed after Softie, holding her hand out to help her wife out.

The four demons had returned to the surface once more, now in an entirely different location, far from the radio station now.

"Where are we, Softie?" Dove Wing asked, looking around the empty street.

"Take a look," Big Softie said.

The demonesses turned to face the direction Softie was facing, seeing a sign that hung off the wall with a flickering neon sign. 'Volcano's Eruption'. They finally made it.

They all walked towards the bar. Immediately, they noticed that it was weirdly dark inside the window. Big Softie continued to take the lead as he slowly pushed the door open, lightly ringing the bell that the door pushed by. The pub had certainly seen better days. Chairs and tables were all either thrown over or were smashed to bits. The bar itself didn't have any of its display lights turned on. There wasn't even a single bottle left.

"This place looks completely abandoned," Dove commented quietly.

"Yeah. Are you sure this was the place?" Softie asked.

"This has to be the place," Raven said. "You don't tend to find bars with similar names in this city."

"H-Hello?" Big Softie hesistantly called out. They were then met with a very unnerving silence. It seemed that this rumoured sanctuary had definitely run its time. If this was the case, was there any safe place left in the entire city? Did Goliath's army really manage to take over everything?

Big Softie's head suddenly turned to the sound of creaking somewhere in the building. Perhaps they weren't alone after all. He held his arm out in front of the demonesses, trying to get them behind him. Footsteps could be heard. They seemed to be coming from behind the bar, but what could possibly hide behind there? The closer the footsteps became, the faster his heart began to pound.

And then, a figure emerged from behind the bar. A grey hyena demon who was all too familiar to Big Softie. "Volcano?" he asked.

Volcano signalled everyone to follow him, not even speaking a word before he went back down into the bar. The trio all looked at one another in confusion. They knew they had nothing else to do now, so they all shrugged and followed the canine. They found where he came from. A hatch that blends into the wooden floor revealing a staircase leading into an cellar deep underground. Perhaps this was the safe place. Everyone went down the stairs, ensuring that they closed the hatch behind them.

As they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a large storage cellar with walls filled from top to bottom with alcohol. Sitting against every inch of the walls of the cellar were many other demons, all seeming to be taking refuge from the chaos outside.

"Damn, Volcano. How many demons are you hiding here?" Softie asked, looking around at the different faces.

Volcano sighed as he sat upon a storage crate. "I've been getting at least a few demons everyday since it all started. I'd like to keep safe as many as I can, but I don't know how many more I'll be able to hold. We can only pass around so many supplies."

"Don't suppose you have space a few more, huh?" Big Softie gestured to the family standing just behind him.

Volcano hummed nervously. "Mm... I don't know, man. We're spread thin as it is. I've got demons going out to get food and stuff, but it's getting more and more scarce."

"Please, Volcano? These three have been through enough already. The least you could do is just give them a place to rest, even just for a little bit."

"Look, I feel for them, Softie. I really do, but I'm already handling too much at once. We only have two demons that are willing enough to even go back out into that madness just to find any scrapes of food left or medicine and supplies for the injured.

"We had more about a week ago, but after one guy didn't come back, most of them became too scared of what might happen. Now, most of us are growing more hungry from the pathetic portions we have to split, and then some others..." Volcano looked back to the poor demons with a sad look. "I don't know how much longer they have left. I'm sorry, Big Softie, but I really don't know if we can take in any more."

This was the last thing Big Softie hoped to hear. He wasn't going to take it lightly that even the little bit of light that was left can't even save them now. He, Raven Wing, Dove Wing and Steel Feather have all come too far just to be denied as little as a rest. "What if I helped out too?" Big Softie suggested.

Volcano looked back up at Softie. "What?" he asked.

Big Softie's face was determined. "Let me help out too. I know this city better than anyone. The fastest routes, the most secure spots, the places with the most stuff. You name it, I can get it done. Just please promise me that you'll let them stay."

There was a pause after Softie gave his proposal. Volcano was constantly looking between Big Softie and the family, seemingly trying to make a decision. Big Softie would do anything at this point to ensure everyone was safe, but at the moment, the make or break was in the bartender's claws. Volcano kept them wating for his decision for a good minute before sighing finally. "Okay. They can stay," he decided.

The wives were overjoyed by the announcement. At least, Dove was, jumping, shouting and kissing her lover on the cheek. Raven, on the other hand, just had a smile on her face and not much else. Softie himself was very relieved at the decision.

"Thanks, Volcano. I promise, I'll get you everything you need," Big Softie said, holding his hand out to the pub owner.

Volcano scoffed and took the bull demon's hand. "You better. You're just lucky it's nice to see your ugly mug after so long. You can sit tight for now, but when it's time for another excursion, your ass is going out there. Got it?"

"I got it." Big Softie turned back towards the demon family. Their faces only grew brighter as they all looked at eachother again. "See? Told ya I'd get you here."

"I'll admit, you weren't half-bad," Raven said, crossing her arms.

"We can't thank you enough, Big Softie!" Dove said with glee. "But are you sure you're going to be okay out there?"

Big Softie chuckled. "Don't you worry, I'll be fine. I've faced with plenty of bad situations before. It'll be no different now, not even with a bum leg."

Dove hummed. "Just always remember to take care of yourself, okay?" She held up her baby closer for Softie to see. "Silver Feather will miss you," she said in a playful, childish voice.

"I'll make sure I stay safe for little Silver Feather here." Big Softie lightly held one of the baby's tiny hands in his large finger and thumb.

It was then that they all proceeded to find a place to sit. Dove and Raven went over to the wall on the other side of the cellar, and immediately they were met with demons gathering round and commenting on how cute their child was. As for Big Softie, he just stayed where he was. There wasn't much room for him anywhere, and he would be needed soon enough anyway. He figured it would be best to just wait for his time to venture back outside.

It was a strange feeling. The actions of his past, Softie could never seem to get them out of his head. They conflicted with his thoughts to help out others. He had always wondered if what he's doing is even worth it. If he even had the ability to help anyone. All his life, he would to rely on others to help him whenever he needed it, all while giving nothing in return. It was a state of mind that he felt sick to his stomach just by thinking about it. His mind always asked him, 'Do you really think you can change?' Only for it to flash the memories of Sunset Shimmer and Barbed Wire and how he hurt them. It gave him a feeling that maybe he was reaching for something that wasn't there. But now, as he looked towards the family, safe, smiling, happy, knowing that he was the reason for them being here now, he felt that he finally had the answer...

Yeah, maybe he could.

In the highest floor of the mayor's tower, there sat Mayor Goliath Hendrickson, looking over his city. It was a quiet moment. He always liked the quiet, the sound of a waking era of peace. His dream may not be fully achieved yet, but soon enough, everything would be perfect.

The office door then opened, ruining the ruler's moment of silence, and in came the sheep demon, Montgomery, Goliath's second in command. He approached the mayor's desk. "Good evening, sir. I've brought you the update that you requested."

There was another second of silence between them before Goliath decided that he had enough. He let out a long drawn breath as he turned to face the small sheep. "That's wonderful, dear Monty." He gestured for Montgomery to continue while he sat patiently.

Montgomery sorted out the papers he was holding, clearing his throat before talking. "Uh, let's see... The plans for your big project have made very consistent progress. At this rate, we'll be way ahead of schedule! And with the army growing at an incredible rate, also, we'll have more than enough soldiers for the big day."

Goliath nodded. "Good. Good. Tell me, how has our lovely guest been keeping?" he asked.

"Her condition remains stable. However, she's yet to awaken," Monty explained.

"Pity. I'd love to have a little chat with her. Oh! That reminds me of a little thought I've been having lately. Montgomery, what can you tell me about Sunset Shimmer?"

"I-I'm afraid I don't follow sir," Monty answered.

Goliath stood up. "You know. Sunset Shimmer? The greatest thorn in my side? The one who insulted me in my own home? The one who tried to stop me on my big night?"

"Umm, well, she's dead. You dealt the final blow yourself, you told me."

"Ah, yes. I did tell you that. How I finally set her free of everything and let her fall to her pitiful demise. That certainly did happen. There's just one small issue, however..." Suddenly, Goliath pounded the desk with both hands. "Where. Issss. The body?" he hissed.

Montgomery visibly gulped. He never enjoyed being in his boss' presence when he was angry. "I-I'm s-s-sorry, sir?"

Goliath slid across the table, becoming uncomfortably close to the small sheep demon. "If someone fell from that great a height, I would expect to see their insides splattered against the pavement! I go out that front door and I should expect to see Sunset Shimmer's blood staining the road! However, all I find is torn leather! Tell me, Montgomery, why don't I see her blood?!"

The sheep demon didn't respond to the tyrant's fury. Instead, he was shaking from head to hoof from sheer, absolute fear. His eyes were closed, but he could still feel Goliath's face coming up against his fluffy ear.

"Do you know what this means, Monty?" Goliath whispered.

Montgomery slowly shook his head.

"This means... that Sunset Shimmer... is... ALIVE!!" Goliath screamed. He turned around and suddenly kicked his desk, sending it and his chair through the window and plummeting down towards the ground. Goliath was left a raging, heavily breathing mess as he stared out the, once again, shattered window.

"S-Sir... Your chair..." Montgomery pointed out.

Goliath took a long sigh, relieving himself of his sudden anger. "That's... fine. I've been looking for a new throne anyway."

In the underground cellar, Big Softie looked across all the different faces that took refuge down here. Everyone looked like shit, to say the least, but from the way it seemed, everyone was keeping on. It was a funny thought, how the closest these demons may ever be, and it was all because of their home being taken over by a mad snake. At least they were coming together when it mattered. Big Softie could imagine how Sunset would feel if she saw this. Her endless optimism seeing this as some glimmer of light that's left in the growing darkness. He could probably use her advice right about now, about how he could stay as upbeat as her amidst the horrors.

"Damn you, Goliath," Big Softie muttered to himself. He swore, he wasn't going to let Sunset's death be in vain.

Suddenly, the hatch at the top of the stairs was opened, and climbing down the stairs with a large sack on their back was a really short demoness.

"Kiki! Where the hell have you been?" Volcano scolded, putting his claws on his hips.

"Hello to you too, asshole!" The newly arrived demoness stumbled as she came down the steps. "You gotta take a look at this! I think I found something you're gonna wanna see." Kiki carried the sack to a nearby crate.

"The way you say that makes me scared that you didn't get any new supplies. I hope you're not picking up some random ass shit!"

Kiki glared at the hyena demon. "Will you shut up and look?!"

Many demons got up from their spots and gathered around the crate. Big Softie was in amongst those at the front. The short girl placed the big bag on the crate where everyone could see it, trying to pull the sack away but was having a bit of trouble with it. The shape of the sack looked off to Big Softie. It wasn't shaped like anything he really recognised, or at least in terms of anything that would be useful. It wasn't until a strand of what looked like red hair fell out of the opening...

It couldn't be...

Big Softie swiftly ran over to the crate, helping Kiki with pulling off the rest of the sack. The thin fabric came flying off, letting itself slowly glide down onto the floor now being free of what was inside. Everyone simultaneously gasped, and Big Softie's eyes widened as far as they could possibly go at the sudden reveal.

He couldn't believe it. "Sunset..."

Author's Note

Next time: What hasn't she told...?

Fun fact: The title of this chapter is based on a title I had for a Spider-Man crossover that I stopped in favour of this story. Sun-Spider: Broken War. It was one of two large-scale stories I stopped for this one, actually. Perhaps a history lesson on this story's early conception wouldn't be a bad idea at some point. :ajsmug:

Chapter 13: Ruined Destiny

There is a tale as old as time about a kingdom that has been long since forgotten. It is the tragic story of the rise and the fall of a terrible king, and the tearing apart of a destined family.

Long ago, there was only a vast green valley of land. Four colonies lived harmoniously, each residing in one corner of the great land. War existed not, and no clan was greater than the other. Peace had been long maintained in this small world, far off from any neighbouring lands.

However, this land would soon come to experience fear for the first time. One day, a fifth colony suddenly landed ashore the sands between sea and grass. A great number of ships carrying an even greater army. The people of this mysterious clan marched through the green, and whatever villages the knights would come to meet would be seized via bloodshed. A stampede of horse hooves marched forth towards the four colonies' kingdoms, each one prepared for a fight. But alas, the enemy would prove to be too much for even one of the colonies to handle. The land, the grass, the flowers that glistened in the sunlight were stained with dark crimson. Soon enough, the peaceful world was quickly overtaken by the fifth, marking a new age with a new rule. The leader marked their territory in the very heart of the land, and thus, it would be ruled for years by the dreaded family that struck fear into those who would ever hear the name. The Hendrickson clan.

For years to follow, the ruthless rulers of the Hendrickson family would continue to plague the valley with their poison, amounting to a loss of hope from the ones who came before. Their world was gone, and no one had the power to take it all back.

But the darkness was not destined to remain, for soon after the rulers' eventual fates dawned the crowning of the successor. They would look at the damage their family had caused to this hopeless land and decide that this was not the way. An issue for peace would be restored, returning their subjects to lives they could happily live and repairing the darkened and dead landscape to its former glory. The corners of the land would regain their rule once more, and eventually, the world would come back to its peaceful state, with the four colonies of each corner, and the Hendrickson kingdom laying in the centre of it all.

The past of the Hendrickson's arrival would soon be forgotten as the generations passed, with the new kings and queens maintaining the newborn legacy of their family. All wrongs were resolved. And it benefitted to form a perfect world.

However, no secret can be forgotten forever. Soon, a new darkness would dare arise from the ashes, and they would bring poison to the land once more. It was destiny...

Deep in the forest that surrounded the Hendrickson castle, there was a small village. It wasn't largely populated, and not many knew of its existence. The people that lived there would learn to survive on their own, not needing to rely much on the services that the rest of the kingdom provided. In among the many families that lived in the village, there was one that would eventually see a change that would affect them forever.

Far outside the village and deep into the forest, there was a child that ran from tree to tree. They were like a shadow in the night, a figure that if you blinked, you would miss. This child would eventually come to a stop right by a large and strong tree. By using all of the strength in their arm, they brought up the axe they held and swung at the side of the tree. In an attempt to pull the axe back out, they found that they accidentally got it stuck inside.

"Destiny!" a gruff voice called out from somewhere in the woods. Behind the child, there then appeared a tall, very strong man who looked to be out of breath. "You... gotta stop running away like that, kiddo. I'm not... getting any younger here!"

The child nervously laughed, hiding the tall axe behind their back. "Sorry, Dad." This was Destiny Heartwoven, an agile and surprisingly strong girl barely the age of fourteen, with light violet skin and silky purple hair that shined in the sunlight. Almost every single day, young Destiny would venture out with her father, who worked as a lumberjack for the village, to try and assist him in any way she could. However, despite her toughness, she didn't exactly have the strength needed to cut down a real tree.

Her father held out his hand, issuing Destiny to hand the axe back over to him. The girl resisted at first, but the fierce eyebrow raise from her father would prove to be very effective, causing Destiny to release a loud huff and to give the axe away. The father walked past, lightly moving his daughter out of the way. By the tree once more, it was his turn to raise the sharp tool.

"Here's how you really chop down a tree," he said.

Destiny watched in awe as her father swung the axe hard and fast, penetrating through the tree and causing splinters to fly out in different directions. She was even amazed by how easy he made it look to pull the axe back out. One day, Destiny hoped to be as strong as her dad.

Eventually, the tree began to move over to one side, and along with the sounds of frantic snapping, the towering wood came crashing down on its side.

Her father never failed to amaze her. Despite deeming himself as only just 'the local lumberjack,' the man of the Heartwoven house was a well respected man throughout their village. Destiny felt very lucky to have a man this close to her be her role model.

But now suddenly getting herself out of her daydream, Destiny found that he was already just about finished chopping the tree into smaller logs. He began loading them all onto a wooden cart he had placed nearby. Destiny figured that this was her chance for her 'proving herself worthy' quota for the day. She began to lift one log at a time onto the cart, all while finding it difficult to wrap her arms around the wood. Meanwhile, her father proved how much of a show off he was by carrying not one, but three logs on his right shoulder! Though impressive, Destiny gave him a grumpy glare.

"Hey!" she whined. "How am I supposed to help if you hog all the logs?!"

Her father chuckled. "You snooze, you lose, Destiny. But if you want, I'll let you have a chance to help unloading once we get back, okay?" If it was one thing Destiny didn't appreciate too well, it was her father's snark. But help was help, she supposed.

The two finished loading the wooden cart and began wheeling it back home. It wasn't a large or a very pristine place like the castle grounds, but it was home nonetheless, with various man-made structures of all shapes and sizes. Everyone here was a neighbour to each other, giving a friendly wave as they passed by. With plenty of nice faces to meet, and little intrusion from those the folk did not recognise, it was a peaceful life these people lived. Destiny loved her home, and she would never give up on it.

In the heart of the land stood tall the castle of the Hendrickson family. Sat upon the top of a mountain, overseeing everything that surrounded it. It was here that the current king of the land made his mark, where he made his rule and honoured his family's era of peace. The sovereign of this land was none other than King David Hendrickson.

Currently, the king sat in his dining room, feasting happily after another day of hearing the public's demands and strengthening the bonds between the clans. However, he would not be the only one at the table as, sitting directly across, he was accompanied by the kingdom's prince, his younger brother. The younger man sat in complete silence.

However, the quietness, that allowed for the light patter of a mouse's feet to become prominent, proved to be quite troublesome to the king. He would attempt to break the silence. "A rather pleasant evening we've been blessed with," King David said.

The brother did not respond. Rather, he continued to eat, not glancing away from the platter in front of him. It was clear he was not in the mood for chatting.

The king, however, was persistent. "The people are approaching with more and more wishes over the last few days. It is still over a month until winter, but who is to say it is too early to begin preparations, hmm?" David caused himself to give a light chuckle, but as his sibling remained quiet, the king found himself going silent once more. "Brother, what will it take for you to at least speak to me again?"

"What is there to speak about, your majesty?" the brother finally spoke with a low and snarly voice.

"Oh, enough with the formalities, brother. Are we not allowed to be genuine with one another anymore? Like we used to be when we were young boys?"

It was now that David was able to look into his brother's eyes. All he could see was a cold stare, devoid of all emotion and surrounded by darkness. The younger man sat completely still for a moment, placing his utensils to the side as he seemed to be reading the king with his stare. "We are not children anymore, David. You have moved forth with your life, fulfilling your destiny."

David sighed. "You're not still going on about that, are you? I know you and father didn't always see eye to eye, but he really wanted the best for us both."

"Our 'father' was another link in our family's chain of manipulation. I do not understand how you are able to ignore what I found about our past-"

"That past is not ours anymore. Whatever you found, brother, it is not what our family is now. We have rectified our name for the sins our ancestors committed. We no longer have any need to dwell on darker times."

The prince stood up from his chair. "That is where you are wrong, 'brother.' The Hendrickson name was once bowed down to for the power we held. We were once truly invincible, ready for battle if it ever dared to show its face. And now? I pity how tragically the kingdom will finally fall." The young man began to walk away from the dining table, leaving his elder brother in disbelief. "Thank you for dinner, your highness."

But before he could reach the door, King David shot up from his seat and held a hand out towards his only family. "Wait, brother! I do not want us to be enemies. We could make a beautiful difference if we were both in this together. Please, Goliath."

Goliath stood by the door for a moment before turning back to give his brother that venomous stare again. "We could make a difference. But you are not willing to listen." With that, Goliath left the king to be alone.

No matter the angle the light shines, the other side will always be engulfed in an unrelenting shadow, but it is by this light that the darkness is kept at bay. Without it, the world would no longer be able to see the direction it was heading towards, thus casting order and alignment to the dust. We cannot exist with light alone, that is the world decree. Either we keep the light only to hold the darkness back, or we embrace a world eternally eclipsed.

However, the fued between light and dark is not a war that is decided. The light has a steady grip, but the dark will also have an edge. It is only a matter of time until the light's hold is broken and then destroyed.

At the break of a new dawn upon Destiny Heartwoven's sweet village, it was a beautiful day not to be wasted. Almost the entire village appeared to be out and about, fulfilling their routinely runabouts.

Destiny, on the other hand, took the time to rest herself, sitting upon the roof of her home and observing the village. After a while of smiling and waving to the fellow townsfolk, her eyes were drawn towards the tall trees that surrounded the area. She had never seen the land that laid outside her small home. The forest spread far and wide, and Destiny never journeyed too far in fear of getting herself lost. She knew she wasn't old enough just yet, but perhaps one day, Destiny will have a chance to explore the world outside. Maybe even see the Hendrickson castle in person.

It was then that Destiny heard something coming from the forest. She quickly turned around to investigate, and from the dark woods emerged a group of hooded figures that were very unfamiliar to her. "Strange," she whispered to herself. Destiny took this as the time to jump down from her high ground.

Never in her life has she seen a stranger wander into the village. It was certainly odd to have company in a small and unknown town such as this, especially folk that took a discreet approach when arriving.

Destiny followed the strangers as they blindly walked through her village, keeping herself hidden by hiding behind walls. There was something that rubbed her the wrong way about these people, and she was going to find out what.

Walking through the village's marketplace, the strangers gathered inside the baker's hut. Destiny managed to slip inside as the door closed and took refuge beneath a table without being noticed.

The strange people walked up towards the counter where the owner warmed them with a welcoming smile. "Welcome. Are you looking for any pastries or goods? If so, I just got a fresh new stock of delights!" the owner greeted. It was then that he saw the faces beneath the hoods that he realised. "Say, I'm not sure I recognise you. Are you visiting our village?"

The hooded man standing at the front quickly threw an arm out towards the baker, revealling a dagger that was barely an inch away from his throat. "Scream and you die!" the man threatened. He turned to his peers, blade still raised. "Gather all of the goods." The rest then ran around the store, collecting all baked goods into large sacks.

Destiny gasped. She knew there was something wrong with these people. They were bandits! The poor girl's mind was racing trying to figure out what she should do. If she tried leaving for help, she would most certainly be caught and then they'd both be doomed! But could she even take on this many bandits long enough for help to arrive? Her options were very limited and they were highly likely to end with terrible consequences, but what other choice did she have?

A pair of legs suddenly appeared in front of her, almost scaring her into shouting. Luckily, she hadn't been caught just yet. It appeared that Destiny resided beneath a table of cakes. With this bandit remaining in front of her for a bit, the devious young girl had an idea and reached towards the laces of this person's boots.

The bandit soon enough cleaned the table of its delights, aside from plenty of crumbs, and was ready to move onto another. But suddenly they were sent crashing down onto the floor, noticing that their boots had been tied together.

"Watch yourself!" the front man shouted to his companion. "We must finish quickly and leave before anyone notices!"

However, the dagger-wielding bandit failed to notice the child that snuck from behind, where Destiny jumped upon his back and pulled his hood over his eyes!

"Run!" Destiny shouted to the baker. The baker complied and ran out the store to look for help.

The man now began thrashing his head in every direction in an attempt to shake the clinging miscreant off his back, but Destiny ensured that she held on like a leech. The leading bandit tried swinging his dagger behind him. He continuously missed, however, he did manage to land a small cut on Destiny's left cheek.

Destiny continued to put up a good fight, but a pair of arms from another thug wrapped around her and pulled her off. She flailed around as she was held in the air, but her little arms prevented her from landing anymore throws.

"Hendrickson scum!" the leader growled, pointing the dagger up to Destiny's face.

"What are we going to do with her?" said the bandit who carried the helpless girl.

The leader devilishly snickered. "What are we going to do?" He lightly poked Destiny's stomach with his blade. "I am going to take this dagger, drag it all the way up your small little body and rip your skeleton out of your skin!"

Destiny was trembling with fear. She could feel her fingers getting tingly by her fast, heavy breathing. How could she have been so stupid? Springing into action without a plan and now she was about to die. She closed her eyes tightly, preparing for the worst.

But her eyes opened again at the loud bang of a door opening. Everyone's heads turned towards the entrance. A large man stood at the door, eyes quickly drifting across each of the bandits and suddenly becoming wide at the sight of Destiny.

"Destiny?!" he exclaimed.

"Dad!" Destiny shouted.

The leader bandit gave an annoyed sigh. "The intrusions by you Hendrickson rats never seem to end!" His intentions were then turned towards the newcomer, beginning to charge at him with his dagger held high. He brought his arm down for a strike, but it was immediately stopped by the father catching the thug by the wrist. The thug could no longer move. All he could do now was stare into the eyes of an angry father.

Destiny's father began to crush the thieve's arm in his big hand, causing him to drop the weapon. "Leave our village. Now!" His voice was seething with rage, striking true fear into the bandit.

The father pushed the bandit back, who held onto his almost broken arm. "We must leave!" the thug leader said before making a break for the back door. The one carrying Destiny dropped her to the ground and ran.

Now being safe, Destiny just looked at the ground. She knew that her father had approached her, but she didn't dare to look him in the eye.

"Destiny," her father said quietly. "Look at me."

Destiny tried to fight against the urge, but she hated to ever defy her father. She complied and looked up at him, expecting to see his furious stare. However, all she saw were his eyes welling up with tears. The parent quickly knelt down and tightly embraced his daughter.

"Thank heavens you're safe," he softly said. Destiny remained silent as her father quietly weeped while holding onto her. She was too stunned by everything to react back.

Soon enough, Destiny's father brought her back in front of him. "What were you doing, Destiny? You could have been really hurt. Why didn't you find help?"

"There was no time. The baker was in danger now. I know it was really, really stupid, but I couldn't sit around and do nothing!" Destiny explained, her adrenaline causing her to raise her voice unintentionally.

Her father was in shock. His daughter, immediately acting in the face of danger. He couldn't help but let a smile creep into his face. "Hmm. You remind me of a whole lot of myself when I was your age.

"I know what it's like to want to help and make a change, but you're still a young girl, Destiny. Everyone has a time where they can make a change, but I think you called yours a but early. Maybe wait until you're a bit older, okay?"

"Are you mad at me?" Destiny asked innocently.

Her father shook his head. "No, I'm not mad. In a way, I'm quite proud." He ruffled his daughter's hair with his big hand. "You've really grown into such a strong woman. I can't imagine how great you'll become when you're all grown up."

A tiny smile now grew onto Destiny's face. "Thanks, dad." With that, the father and daughter left the bakery. After crossing with danger and being there for eachother, the two would leave with stronger bonds.

Darkness will always provoke, but not always will it become the day's victor. The light will ward off, only for the time being.

In the throne room of the Hendrickson castle, the royal guard brought forth a group of chained-together prisoners before the king. The knights stood firmly in their ruler's presence.

"Sire! This group of bandits have been caught threatening and stealing from villages spread throughout the colony. We have identified them being of the Burchard clan," one guard explained in a loud voice.

The leader of the thugs looked up towards the king, laughing evilly. "You Hendricksons believe that you are so powerful because you have everyone under your boot. Well, let it be known that we of the Burchard have no respect for you, and we will continue to be against you until this kingdom falls!"

King David looked down upon the prisoners with a cold stare. "You dare invade our peaceful land, ransack our villages and preach that such a fued exists between we and one of our allies?! You sicken me!"

"What do you wish of us to do with these fiends, your highness?" the other guard asked.

"Send them back to their colony. I will let your own leader decide a fitting enough punishment for your crimes," the king decided.

The king's guards complied with his orders, taking the prisoners away to be sent back to their homeland, leaving the king alone. Now, without the need to keep a fierce face in front of his subjects, King David gave a heavy sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose.

There were certainly times where being the king would become a heavy burden. The fate of so many resting in the hands of one man. Did he make the correct decision with those bandits?

But the king would be pulled away from his thought by the sound of a scoff coming from the side of the throne room. David turned and saw his brother slowly walk in front of him with a severely disappointed expression.

"Pathetic," Goliath spat. "By your initial assertiveness, I assumed that you were finally taking the stand you should have since your coronation. Perhaps I should not have gotten my hopes too high."

"It is not my place to judge citizens that are not mine," David argued. "Had I do so and the Burchard clan were to find out, it would create a possibly devastating impact on our relationship."

Goliath smirked. "But that's not what this is about, is it?" He closely analysed his brother's face. David noticeably looked elsewhere as Goliath asked that question. "You were never the greatest at lying, brother. It's father, isn't it?" Now Goliath took notice of his brother's glance towards the floor as he said this. He knew it. "You worry of his disappointment. All his effort to ensure the cycle repeats, wasted on a king who is still second guessing every decision he makes."

King David's face grew hard again as he looked towards his younger brother. "I hardly believe you're in a position to comment in such a way, Goliath. Do not forget, I wear this crown. I suggest you choose your words carefully from now on."

Goliath laughed. "Please. You are only king because you were always so easy to manipulate! Father didn't see hope in you, he only saw a pathetic child that would worship him like a god, following every command he gave. You aren't giving the orders, you're only following them because that is all you know!

"You know you wanted to put away those low-life scoundrels, but you just didn't have the heart! You are not a king. You are weak!"

A silence fell between the brothers, only being taken up by Goliath's deep breaths from his anger.

"You are the spitting image of him," Goliath commented. "I couldn't be more ashamed to have once considered you my friend."

David was silent, his shock having taken him aback. The two brothers just stared at eachother for a moment, only for Goliath to make the next move. He turned around to leave the throne room. David did not try to stop him.

But before he left, Goliath left David with a final message, "You're not fit to wear that crown." And with that, the king was alone once more.

All that Goliath could think of now was how pitiful it was that things had to be this way. He and his brother, there was once a time they always agreed with eachother. David had changed. Goliath hated every minute of having to watch this kingdom fail to evolve.

Because of this, the people who were meant to be their allies were beginning to turn against them. Darkness was drawing near and only Goliath was seeing this future. Something had to be done. Something needed to change.

No one knows what happened that night. The castle stood cold and quiet on a grim, black night. The clouds hid the moon from sight. The castle torches were blown out by the wind.

What happened between the king and prince remained unknown by all present in the castle grounds. All that was known was that Goliath did not arrive to dinner that night. The neglected prince could be found hidden away in his dormitory. King David, however, could not.

His highness could not be found anywhere within his home. Until later that night, one of his subjects happened to stumble across the king. He never left the dining room. He did not even finish his dinner.

A chalice had been knocked onto the floor amongst a spilled purple liquid, uneaten food was left cold on a full platter and a white liquid dripped off the table's edge, coming from the frothing mouth of the king.

Unresponsive, white-eyed and limp. King David Hendrickson was dead.

The kingdom would be placed in a grave state of shock and worry, each and every subject wondering why, who, and what this would mean for the future of their home.

Every colony came together to each mourn the loss of their great ruler. For the short time he was in rule, he was to be forever remembered for holding onto what his ancestors created. However, among the humongous crowd, there was but one person who did not attend the funeral. Instead, he was far too busy planning his next move.

With David having now ascended, the crown would be passed onto the next in line. Within the next few days after David's passing, the Hendrickson colony would welcome their newest ruler: King Goliath Hendrickson.

Eventually, the light's hold will fall, and soon the darkness will take the lead.

From this point onwards, everything would change...

One day, in the small, secluded village once more, the people would receive new visitors. Only this time, there were tens upon tens of them emerging from the trees. Some of which were even riding atop horses, dragging with them large wagons set for carrying people. These new strangers were also dressed all in much more formal, valuable attire, wearing all metal from head to toe. It was obvious who these new visitors were, it was the king's royal guard.

The villagers would watch in awe right by their homes as the knights marched through. Just what were they doing here, of all places?

The soldiers all stopped as they reached the centre of the village. One of which stood on top of a rock where they could be clearly seen. The people assumed that this may be the guard's captain.

The captain removed his helmet and rolled out a parchment he carried, reading the contents loud for all to hear, "Hear ye, peasants! By the royal decree of King Goliath Hendrickson, we have come to collect new recruits for his expanding army of soldiers. We demand you all to hand your greatest and strongest along to the king so ensure that our kingdom maintains a bright future. Refusal of this offer is not an option."

This was a strange request, everyone thought. The new king had only been in power for a short time, and he is already demanding of his subjects?

"And what if we do refuse?" a civilian stepped forward, daring to ask.

Without receiving a answer, a knight stepped forward and swung the wooden handle of their halberd across the head of the civilian, sending him to the ground with a bloody gash.

"Is another example in order?" the captain asked. The silence all others gave was more than enough for him to continue. "This opportunity will prove to be for the greater good! King Goliath sees the future, and if we are unable to act upon it now, the Hendrickson kingdom could see dark days. So, I shall demand once more: lend your greatest for a greater tomorrow!"

The crowd was still as quiet as a dead man's coffin. No one knew how to react. Was this even real? Why would a king need to do this?

Among the crowd was Destiny and her family. They were all just as shocked as those around them.

"Dad? W-What's going on?" Destiny asked.

"I'm... not sure," her father responded. He turned to his wife who had a fearful look in her eyes. She lightly tugged on his arm, trying to get them all to leave. However, what would happen to everyone else if they ran away?

The captain of the guard looked across his audience. By the stillness of all the people, it was clear that his message was not getting through. "There is no choice in this matter. Submit yourselves immediately or we shall be forced to take a harsher approach!" His demands continued to not be followed. It left the captain without a choice. "Very well then. Guards-!"

"Wait!" a voice from the crowd shouted out. All heads turned towards the source of the voice, leading towards the raised hand of Destiny's father.

The people stood out of the way, allowing for the father and the captain to meet eye to eye. Everyone awaited for the man's remark. They feared as to what might happen to him for interrupting the guard captain.

Despite the dreaded silence causing for the father to fear, he finally spoke. "A good leader would never force their subjects to join a cause against their own wills. For what reason should we not have a say?"

The captain scoffed. "That would be due to your lack of understanding. Our home has lately been the target for ridicule and threats by foreigners that have intruded on our land. What we are gathering for is for the preparation if the other leaders have darker intentions. For the sake of our kingdom, it cannot be risked."

This answer did not satisfy the father. "And his solution, rather than peacefully requesting, is to tear families apart?" The anger in his tone became ever more clear the more he spoke.

"If the worst comes to be, you won't have a family any longer. Think other than the king's desires and try realise your own," the captain responded. He then caught sight of the young girl that stood close to him. "Wouldn't you prefer a future where your daughter grows up in a happier, safer world?"

Destiny's father held his breath. That fiend! He would dare turn this towards his own daughter? He was almost outraged that an accomplice of the king would do such a thing, but yet he said nothing.

The anger the father felt slowly became infested with anxiety. His eyes drifted from the captain towards Destiny who stood right by his side. A safer world, he said. There was a furious battle within the father's mind with both sides clashing fiercely, yet they both stood their ground.

Their village had been safe from any amount of danger for generations, but a life or death situation had finally occurred, proving it was possible.

He may not see Destiny grow up much more, but she should still be able to grow up at all.

But how would the village continue to properly function with so many needing to leave? Could everyone adapt? He knew that the people here had the determination to overcome, so he could place his trust in them overcoming this too.

The father just had one more question. He gave a sigh before looking to the royal guard captain once more. "Do we have your word that our families will be safe?"

The captain placed his hand on his heart. "Under the protection of the king, no one could possibly be more safe."

With this answer, the father turned towards his wife. He stood in silence for a moment, trying to look for the correct words, but it was clear that the mother already understood what he wanted to say.

The mother grabbed her husband's large hands and held them close to her, furiously shaking her head.

The father sighed and held his wife's head in his hand, using his thumb to wipe away a falling tear. His own eyes began to glisten, but he managed to give her a soft smile.

Destiny did not know what to make of this. Why was her mother crying? Why did her father stop arguing with the captain? She was putting the pieces together bit by bit and it became more clear.

The father then turned his head towards his daughter and knelt down to her level. Destiny looked anxiously into his eyes. "Dad? What are you-?"

"Destiny," her father interrupted. "I'm going away for a while. While I'm not here, I want you to take good care of your mother. Can you do that?"

Destiny appeared completely stunned by her father's sudden request, with her only shown reaction being tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. The little girl stood completely still for a moment. Her mind was racing with thoughts so fast, she almost completely forgot her father's request. Amidst all of the confusing thoughts, she could only think of one question, "W-Will I ever see you again?"

She noticed her father's failure to immediately answer. His small glance towards the ground but quickly back to her broke her spirit.

He tried to smile again as he eventually answered, "Someday." He planted a final kiss on her forehead. "Keep being strong. I know that one day you'll be able to accomplish amazing things. I love you, Destiny."

Destiny wanted to say it back, but the lump in her throat almost choked her, preventing her to get out another word.

Then, the father took one final look of his family before beginning to disappear into the crowd towards the captain. With the father followed many more citizens of the village, not wanting to test the captain's patience much more. They all said goodbye to their own families before they were pulled apart.

Amongst the crowd leaving, it wasn't long before Destiny lost sight of her father. She wanted to run and pull him back, but she was frozen. All she could do was watch.

Destiny could feel every second as she witnessed the carriages that invaded her home slowly disappeared back into the forest. There was just one thought left in her mind and it was played on an endless loop, 'My father is in there, and he is being taken away.'

She felt her mother tightly cling onto her as she struggled to repress her sobs. But Destiny couldn't hear them. She couldn't hear anything anymore. Her father was gone. Why?

In the months following, preparations were being made within the castle. No word was let loose to the public on what exactly was happening; the king simply kept to himself and his growing forces.

With hundreds of new recruits for his army, they would be placed to do gruelling training. Almost every ounce of life in every person would be drained until they were nothing other than a soldier awaiting the next command.

And yet, despite all of this pain, not one person understood what this was all for. Since their arrival, the king was silent. This continued to last for a very long time.

And when the time finally arrived, no one could have anticipated the storm that was coming. Once Goliath finally had his desired army, he waited not a second longer and set forth towards his destiny. The ground could be felt rumbling as a legion of marches in unison appeared over the horizon.

Today marked the beginning of the Hendrickson clan reclaiming its honour.

The first neighbouring clan was in sight. The home of those disgraceful peasants that would dare taint the Hendrickson soil: the Burchard clan.

Finally, with a deathly glint in his eyes, Goliath gave his declaring shout, and his army charged forth, laying siege to the kingdom. The people of Burchard fought to save their home, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the vastness of Goliath's forces.

The Burchard kingdom was quickly turned to ruins, becoming a distant memory within days of fighting. When pushing the battle back became impossible, the remaining citizens would fall to their knees for the tyrannical victor. However, Goliath refused mercy to any of his enemies. The ones who would blemish Goliath's world were no more. Hell was brought, and the king embraced every moment of it.

The same suffering would soon be brought towards the next clan in sight. The megalomaniacal ruler dared not to rest for longer than needed. However, before King Goliath's forces would reach the walls of the next colony, word was already spread of his attack. The remaining clans would then bring themselves together to hopefully hold against their great new foe.

The clouds above turned dark and blocked out all light. The two armies closed together in a brutal clash. One after the other, soldiers of both sides fell, their mixed blood drowning the grass beneath their greaves. It was a fight that no one wanted, yet their fates decided it to be. The cries of war were not for their homelands' honour, but instead being the acceptance that they would not leave these grounds alive.

The battle waged on with no sign of either side taking victory. Goliath watched from afar. He was afraid to admit, he feared the outcome of this battle. If this fight were to ever see the end, it could mean the difference between gaining his desires and losing them. But was it worth risking at the moment? Perhaps the king underestimated his opponents.

King Goliath called for a retreat for his remaining soldiers. Whoever still stood, they joined eachother in the make for home once more.

It was a devastating beginning for the new age, but in the eyes of the terrible ruler, it was all necessary in the path towards his desired world. This night was not a loss, but instead one of many potential missteps in Goliath's path. But despite everything that may happen soon, he will never wave the white flag. The war was not yet over. He will ensure that this new age becomes destiny.

Word was received across the Hendrickson kingdom that the soldiers would be returning home. After weeks of the king and his army's absence, families would be reunited again.

The people of the hidden village stood in the centre of their home in anticipation, waiting for their loved ones to come home. They would then see the same carriages that took them away emerging from the trees, with other guards and the captain riding on horses that dragged them.

The carriages would come to a stop in front of the citizens, and the door opened to let the soldiers leave. It was at this moment that everyone noticed that something was not right. With the great number of people that were taken away, they realised that just over half seemed to return.

The people began to question, calling out the names of the ones that could not be seen right now. Destiny would be one amongst these people.

She immediately noticed that she wasn't seeing her father within the crowd. She called out, "Dad? Dad, where are you?" But no matter which way she turned, her father could not be seen.

Destiny then turned towards the captain of the guards who stared forward with a blank expression. She reluctantly approached his steed.

But she was not the only one with this idea as many others began pushing past her, crowding the captain and asking similar questions. "Where is my son?" "Shouldn't my father have returned?" "Where is everyone else?"

The captain of the guard slowly moved his head towards the worried crowd. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he climbed to the top of one of the carriages so he could be seen by all. He took a deep breath and began to shout. "The soldiers you've given to us all fought valiantly, and their names shall go down in history for what they have done for the kingdom! However, it is with great sorrow that I must tell you that, as bravely as they fought, not all saw to the end."

A wave of gasps washed through the village. The faces of all citizens turned to grief, most immediately breaking into harsh sobs.

The captain only listened as entire village broke by his news. "My heart goes out to all who could not return today."

Did she hear that correctly? Destiny stared deep into the captain. It couldn't be true. Her father... No. He had to be lying. He promised that they would all be safe. He promised!

Destiny hadn't even noticed how heavy her breathing became. She had never felt so many strong emotions at the same time. She couldn't hold them all back. So then, she exploded.

"You... You PROMISED!" Destiny screamed as her eyes became waterfalls. "You promised that everyone would be safe!" Destiny then fell to her knees as she cried more and more.

The guard captain was taken aback by the girl's rage. Though, he supposed it should have been expected. "Truly, I am sorry, little one."

The citizens, despite their newfound sorrow, continued to bombard the captain with more comments and questions. "Why must we fight our friends?" "There's no reason for anyone to have died like this!" "Why would the king do this?"

The king. That's right. This was all his fault. This new king who took everyone away; who broke the peace between colonies; who let Destiny's father die! This man was no king... he was a monster!

Destiny's sadness turned into something darker. It was now an unrelenting rage! She despised this new king with every inch of her being! Something had to be done.

One month after the tragedy, the Hendrickson kingdom was left in disarray. No one knew what to do next. With the risk of being attacked at an all time high, everyone could only sit patiently in fear. There was no hope. All other colonies were now against them, and their king was the centre of it all. The people had no one.

However, King Goliath had yet to admit defeat. He only saw that failed attack as a setback. He would not underestimate power of all colonies banding as one again. His army was small once more, so it would take time to rebuild, but his dream was yet to be over. No matter what, the world would be his.

As for the hidden village, they continued to move forward, but no one had recovered from their losses. Each citizen gathered together to create a memorial for those who were lost to the war. A large stone carved in the centre of their town, the names of all lost family carved into it. They may all be gone, but their memories would never be forgotten.

Although, there was no other person still hurt more than dear Destiny Heartwoven. Each and every day, she would spend a great amount of time sitting in front of the stone, staring directly at her father's name. It still did not feel real. She still expected to go home and find her father returning with a cart full of wood. But he never did.

She placed her hand upon her father's name, hoping to just feel his soul at the very least. But it was just a name. No matter what she would do, it would not bring him back.

Clouds began to form in the sky. Destiny began to feel the rain hitting against her, but she paid it no mind. Nothing bothered her anymore.

"Destiny," her mother called from behind her. "Let's go home. I'll make us dinner."

Destiny did not respond. At least, not for a while. Her mother didn't push her, however. She understood how badly her child hurt.

Eventually, Destiny gave a heavy breath and pulled herself to her feet. Still staring at the stone, she just gave her mother a low, "Okay." So, she left with her mother, but she did not take her eyes off his name, even when it was too far to see.

In her mind, Destiny constantly reminded herself that he did not die for anything. Her father's life was taken away, not by the opponent, but by the one who led the battle. Their own king.

Destiny did not want to sit around any longer while the king is allowed to get away with it all. Every terrible thing is the fault of that despicable monster who would dare sit on the throne. If only he was gone, everyone would be free again, and the soldiers' lives would be avenged. It was decided...

Destiny was going to kill the king.

Darkness was spread throughout the kingdom. The castle sat upon its hill, dimly lit by torches placed around and inside. Knights roamed around every corner, keeping a watch out for any unwanted company. However, they were all completely unaware of the shadow that silently snuck by them.

Wherever the torches did not shine, a cloaked figure camouflaged into the night. She remained outside of the castle, scaling the rocky walls and peering into every window she passed by. Her hatred filled her with the strength she needed to see this mission through. It was happening tonight.

She ascended to the castle's next floor, but just as she was about to pull her body over the top, she barely noticed the guards that had just passed her. She lightly gasped and ducked her head out of sight.

A light from one of the guards' torches was shone her way. She held her breath, praying she was not discovered.

"What is it?" she heard one of the soldiers ask.

"I thought I heard something," the other replied.

She continued to dangle over the edge as the castle guards walked away. Once there was silence again, she was safe to pull herself up.

The cloaked girl continued to scale the castle, and she found that she was nearing the top. He had to be close now. She looked into one more window, and inside she found a bedroom and a large bed fit only for a king. This was it.

But then, the wind suddenly began to pick up. It caught her off guard, causing her foot to slip off a rock, causing a loud scrape.

Another light shined up towards her. "Hey! Get down from there immediately!" a guard shouted.

She did not wait a second longer and jumped through the window. This was very bad. She was discovered! That meant that she would need to finish her quest quickly.

The cloaked girl turned towards the bed. There he was. The king, sleeping soundly, entirely unaware of what was about to come.

She silently approached the bed, revealling her father's axe from inside her cloak. This was it. She was here. All of the suffering would finally be put to an end.

At the edge of the bed, she let down the hood of her cloak so she could look directly at his disgusting face. She wondered how a human being like this could possibly exist. Killing thousands, and yet feeling not a sense of remorse. This vile demon!

She raised the axe with both hands, not taking her eye off her target, just like he taught her. "You snooze, you lose," Destiny Heartwoven said.

Destiny swung the axe down onto the unsuspecting king's chest. Blood came gushing out of his body, staining Destiny's cloak and face in the process. King Goliath was immediately awoken and in agony. He had barely the breath to shout. All he could do was look at the weapon lodged in his chest and then up to the face of the murderer. Destiny stared him down with her cold blue-eyed glare.

Goliath could do nothing more. He had no strength left in his entire body to move. This couldn't be! Before his eyes, he watched as a peasant ripped everything away from him. His plans, his world, his future! All taken away by this lowlife!

They both continued looking into eachother's eyes as the life finally began to fade from Goliath's own. He fell back onto the pillows of his bed as he drew his final breath.

It was all over. King Goliath Hendrickson was dead.

Destiny would have stayed longer to allow her victory to settle in. However, a number of castle guards came storming into the king's quarters, and at the forefront was the captain. Her attention was too closely put onto her target, she forgot to mind the approaching guards! Her hood was down... they could see her face!

With that, she swung her hood back over her head, raced to the window and began to make her descent, all before the knights could catch her. It was a new dawn for her home, and without the corruption of the king, it could be a better one.

Where light shines, darkness will rise... but where darkness prevails, light will reclaim.

The captain went for the window in attempt to catch that criminal, but upon reaching it, he found that she had already disappeared. He caught a glimpse of her face in the brief moment; it was slightly obscured by the darkness, but he felt it was very familiar.

But with the invader now gone, all worry was placed onto their ruler. The guards surrounded the bed with the captain inspecting the king.

"Your highness! Speak to me!" the captain called, holding Goliath's body up. But it was no use. Feeling his neck for a pulse, he found that his ruler was truly gone. "No... No, no!" he roared. "Who could have done this?!"

The captain then noticed something strange beside his foot: a bloodstained axe. It must have been left behind by the culprit. He picked it up and examined it. There appeared to be an engraving on the bottom of the wooden handle; a name, one that answered his familiarity.

'HEARTWOVEN.'

There was no mourning following the murder of King Goliath. In fact, there was nothing at all. Life continued as it would, with all wondering what was to come next. The fighting has ceased, but it does not negate the damage already brought. Thousands have perished, a colony is history and another is without a monarch. The rest from battling felt very little to celebrate for in the grand scope of it it all.

After returning home, Destiny became far more distant from everyone. No one knew of what she did, and she would like to keep it that way. But with everyone still in belief that she is but a poor, innocent soul, it did not feel right to be around her fellow peers.

Her mother was very worried. Just as soon as she saw her daughter wake up in the morning, Destiny was already out the door before the mother could say a word. Then, Destiny would disappear somewhere without anyone seeing where she went. She would go out to look for her, but finding nothing in doing so. The mother understood why, though, and her child would open up when she was ready.

Destiny would sit far within the woods and do nothing. She wasn't sure of how she could move on now. It was as though she had fulfilled... something, but didn't have another direction to go beyond that. The lost girl gave a heavy sigh. If her father were here, he would tell her where to go.

This was life right now. There was no telling of where it would go, but everyone would come to accept that it was just the way for now, feeling like a grace period for some, but a void for all else.

But despite to all's belief, the suffering was not over. For some, it was barely just beginning.

It was almost a week after the death of Goliath. The announcement of his passing was made then, but never telling how.

The loud marching was returning to the village. The people could feel the ground rumbling as they turned and watched the castle guard emerge once more, this time with a large structure in tow, being wheeled through the trees.

The captain took the lead, with him and other soldiers going straight towards a particular house.

Destiny's mother chose to ignore the sounds of rattling greaves this time, as she learned that the army's arrival was nothing more than a bad omen.

But just as she tried to continue with her daily routine, her door was broken down with a loud slam, scaring the life out of her! Soldiers came running in and they seized the woman by her arms.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" the mother shouted as she tried to pull away. The guard's had too tight a grip, however. She could not escape.

The captain walked up to her and stared her down with an enraged face. "Mrs Heartwoven, you are held accountable for involvement in the murder of King Goliath Hendrickson," he explained.

The mother eyes widened. She almost choked on her own breath in disbelief. "What? I- w-we had nothing to do with it! I swear!" she pleaded.

The captain did not respond. He only gave a scoff as he showed her the axe found at the scene, showing her specifically the insignia with her last name on it.

"No... I-I don't understand. I don't know how that got there! Please!"

The captain threw the axe to the floor, causing the blade to get stuck in the wooden floor. "You have no right to speak anymore!" he spat. "For the murdering of our ruler and betrayal of your own kingdom, you and your family will be appropriately punished. Follow!"

The guards then began making their leave with the mother in their custody. They walked her out of her home, allowing her to see her impending punishment standing tall.

Destiny still resided within the forest, but she was drawn out by the loud ruckus she could hear at the village. Passing through the trees and back into her home, she could see a large crowd had gathered for something. Everyone was shouting. She couldn't recognise what they were saying, but she could read their tones and it seemed to not be for a good reason.

They all gathered around a strange, tall, wooden structure that was not there before. Wanting to find out what was happening, Destiny began pushing past the crowd. She was able to see lower down the tall structure now, but once she figured what was happening, Destiny stopped dead in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat.

There was the royal guard again. But why? There was no need for them to return anymore.

But Destiny's thought was interrupted when she caught glimpse of another person being forcefully held down by the guards. She saw her mother pushed down to her knees with her head held beneath a guillotine!

"Mom?!" Destiny shouted.

The mother then snapped her head upwards, looking directly towards her daughter. "Destiny! Run!" she screamed bloody murder.

The interest of the captain now turned towards the daughter who appeared from nowhere. He could not believe it... it was her! The one from that night. The murderer! "Seize that child!" the captain commanded. A pair of guards then started running towards Destiny, who just stood completely still from shock and fear.

"Mom, w-what-?"

"There's no time, Destiny! Run, and don't look back!"

But she still didn't listen. Her eyes became blurry from her arriving tears. She was almost within grasp of the guards.

However, the girl was suddenly scooped up by another resident of the village, running as fast as he could out of the village.

"No!" Destiny protested, reaching out towards her mother who began to disappear from sight. "Mom!" It was then she saw another guard swing an axe towards a rope that kept the blade suspended so high.

"I love you, Destin-!" The mother was cut off.

The man carrying Destiny stopped for nothing. His sights were set only forward in hope to bring himself and the child out and far from danger. The noise of the chasing soldiers may have gone silent, but that did not mean they had stopped, so he kept going.

However, the girl in his arms continued to fight him, thrashing and crying in attempt to escape. Her throat was becoming very sore and hoarse from her painful cries, and her eyes were stinging and puffy.

All the man could do was listen. This girl had every reason to want to go back, and it hurt him especially to have to stop her from doing so.

Using so much of her energy crying and shouting, it caused Destiny to waste all the breath in her body, so while she was still being quickly taken away, her vision began to fade, and she finally passed out.

Even as the light retakes its place, remnants of the darkness will always remain.

There was nothing but screaming to be heard. No matter where she ran. No matter how hard she pressed her hands against her ears, she could always hear them. They echoed all throughout this black, empty, and seemingly endless space.

She begged for it to stop, but it would come back more ferocious than before. The shrieks of many voices, male and female, they wrapped around her head and became infused with her brain. There were no more thoughts. Only the screams.

She would still try to do anything with the no options she had. It was meaningless, however. Nothing she tried would allow her to be free. No matter what she did she was still haunted, tortured. No matter how hard she tried it would not end!

Why won't the pain ever end?!

Destiny's eyes snapped open. The screams echoed out until it finally grew silent. She lifted her head to find she was in a pool of her own sweat. The pillow under her head and the blanket covering her body, all were soaked.

Holding herself up by her resting elbows, she looked around the room she was in. Destiny seemed to be laying on the bed in a small bedroom. Though, she didn't remember getting here, or even how she got here.

It was then that a door opened on the other side, and in came an old man with ruffled white hair, a broom mustache and glasses with circle lenses. "Ah, you're finally awake," he said with a pleased tone. The man let himself in, taking his place on a wooden stool that sat beside the bed and giving a kind smile. "How are ya feeling?"

Destiny didn't answer. She just stared at the man, confused, a bit scared even. It took a moment, but she finally came to recognise him. He was the same man who took her away from her mother. Her face then formed into an angry glare.

The old man sighed, his face dropping. "I get it, you're mad at me. I don't blame ya at all. I just... I needed to get you out there before them guards got ya." He then pulled a piece of bread out, handing it towards the silent girl. "Here, ya must be starving. You've been out for two days."

Hesitantly, she took the piece of bread out of his hands and scoffed it all almost in an instant. Once she was finished, silence fell between the two again.

Not wanting to provoke the young girl by possibly saying something wrong, the old man stood to take his leave. "If ya need me at all, I'm just out the back."

And with that, Destiny was alone. Truly alone. She did not want to show it while that man was with her, but once he left she could not hold it back any longer. Her chest began to bounce as her breaths became heavy and shaky. Her head was held low, and strands of her hair curtained her face. Crouching into a ball, Destiny began silently crying to herself.

That it should come to this. Everything in her world was gone, taken away to be never seen again. This wasn't how it should have ended. Even when her actions were for the better of all people in mind, why was she the one punished for it?

Her father, her mother, her home, her life...

Now, she was left with nothing, God knows where with God knows who. What was there left to this life, she pondered. What was there left of Destiny Heartwoven?

Later that day, the man came up to Destiny's room door. He lightly knocked with his free hand to no answer. Letting himself in, he found Destiny not there anymore. The man began looking all throughout the small shack with no sign of the girl anywhere.

It was then he caught a glimpse out of the front door, seeing Destiny sitting on the grass, looking deep into the distance.

The man approached from behind, making his presence known by clearing his voice. Destiny didn't respond. He gave a light sigh and decided to come to her side. "Mind if I sit here?"

Destiny slowly shook her head, to the delight of the old man as he took his place. He copied the girl by looking off, nothing much of worth to see rather than grassy fields and a small village just down the hill which their new residence sat on.

There was not anything to interrupt the peacefulness of this moment. A little bit of time where nothing new can go wrong, it was all either of them could ask for now.

The old man occasionally casted a glance towards Destiny, wanting to try and talk to her again but not finding the right words to open up with. Before he could get a word out, though, Destiny would be the one to break the silence.

"That's not our home, is it?" she asked, looking down towards the small, faraway buildings.

The man followed her line of sight. "No, I'm afraid not."

"You took us really far away, didn't you?"

"I did."

There was another brief period of silence.

"Why didn't you let them take me?" Destiny asked.

"How could I have? You've already been through too much, and I couldn't let them take away an entire family that has meant a lot to me," the man explained. Destiny turned towards him in interest. "Your parents and I, we've been good pals for years, since before you were born in fact. Your father especially after he helped build my home for my farm. But when he didn't come back... I almost felt like I'd lost a brother." The man began to tear up. "Then your mother... To get blamed and then..." He turned to Destiny. "I am so sorry."

She had not thought of it like that. They both have lost very important people. It wasn't without reason after all.

Now realising the awkwardness given by the new silence, the man wiped his eyes on his arm. "Heh. Think we're getting a bit ahead of things there." He held out his hand towards the girl. "Name's Harvey Esther, though, you can just call me Harv. And you're Destiny, right?"

There was something that felt strange hearing that. She didn't know what it was, whether it was how he said it or something else. Regardless, she had to give him an answer, so she shook his hand and spoke hesitantly. "Yeah... Yeah, it's Destiny."

In the days turning into months following, both Harv and Destiny would grow more accustomed to their new lives together. Harv would work on his growing vegetable farm, while Destiny would try to live her life just how she used to.

Occasionally, they would both go into the village below to sell their goods to the public. The change in scenery and the new faces felt very uncanny to the girl, but it was not something she couldn't eventually grow more familiar with.

However, they would find themselves with little success selling their fresh goods. Despite how friendly they both came off as, the fact still remained that they were both Hendricksons, and when one knew, everyone knew. It caused the two issues undeserving, with awful glares, harsh words and the occasional ruffian causing a ruckus.

Harv could handle it all, but everyday was a toll on Destiny's happiness. Her face did not show much, but on the inside, the girl was losing hold of her ever-growing anger.

Her old world was abandoned for one that punished her for even existing, and because of that, it hurt not only her, but her only friend who could barely live to feed them both. With the world not on her side, Destiny decided that she may as well help herself.

Another day, another failure. Harv ran his vegetable stand to barely any avail. It was the same as ever with most folk watching him intently as though he was about to do something awful.

For a villager that did buy his produce, they would then walk off only for another person to approach them and whisper, "You may want to be wary of what you buy from that Hendrickson man. That cabbage may very well be poisoned!" The customer would then turn to Harv and back to what they just bought, and he knew, just as they walked off and were out of sight, the cabbage would be abandoned.

It was a hard way to live, and he would only make less and less each day. He pondered if he should take the easy way out and abandon this place for another, but he did not have any idea where else he and Destiny could go and be safe.

Now that he thought about it, Harv hasn't seen Destiny at all today...

That was because she roamed in another part of the village, her face concealed by a brown tattered cloak. They wouldn't recognise her Hendrickson tainted self this way.

The hidden girl would weave between the crowd of villagers completely unnoticed, and in turn the people would be completely unaware of what was about to happen to them. In a swift motion, the girl would slip her hand into the pockets of unsuspecting villagers and pull out handfuls and pouches of coins. It did not occur to her that what she was doing was wrong. To her, it was only trying to live in a world that hated her, and with this she and Harv could last another few weeks.

She returned home late that night, opening the door to a very anxious looking farmer. Harv shot up from his chair and ran over to the girl.

"Destiny! Thank heavens yer safe! Where were you?" he asked.

The thief responded by holding Harv's hand and placing pouch full of money within. Afterwards, she retreated towards her room.

The farmer looked at it curiously. "Where did you get this?"

Stopping in her place, she took a second to quickly think of an answer. "I did some errands for some of the locals," she lied, only to try to get away again.

However, Harv was not convinced by that response. His grip around the sack tensed as his eyebrows furrowed into a stern expression. "Did you steal this money?"

There was then complete silence between the two. Moonlight shined through the open door and onto the farmer, while the girl was out of the light's reach and hid in the darkness beyond it. Harv had seen all he needed to.

"Destiny, you can't do this." He held the pouch high. "This... it's wrong. What if you were caught?"

"Well, I wasn't!" the girl spat. A piece of her anger had slipped out unintentionally. Harv was taken aback by her sudden harshness. "Besides, what other choice was there? Those people down there do nothing but look at us like we're monsters! I did this just so we could live. Something they wouldn't dream of letting us do."

Harv began slowly approaching the angry child. "No, no, yer looking at it all wrong. They're just hesitant is all, and they've a reason to be so. You'll see, in time they'll open up."

"You can't be sure of that. It's already clear, we're nothing to them. They may as well kill us where we stand!"

Harv knelt to her level, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, that's no way to think. Look, I get it, you're frustrated and-"

But he was interrupted by the girl forcefully pushing Harv's hand off her. "Don't say that," she said quietly. Her breathing became angrier, it was beginning to let loose. "You don't get it. You haven't a single idea of what I'm going through! I've worked to protect the people I love, and it all meant nothing! Everything I do gets repaid with only more pain and misery!" Rather than retreating for her room, she passed Harv and went for entrance.

"Wait, Destiny," Harv called out.

But suddenly, there was a deafening snap inside her. That call, it shot through her chest like an arrow. She could not take it any longer. She did not want to hear it any longer! "I..." she began, almost completely silent, but it would not last long as every ounce of pain she held back come out at once. "I have no destiny! I have no home, I have no life, I have no family! Don't you understand?! I have nothing! I am NOTHING!!" Her eyes stared death towards the farmer, running like river rapids with her audible breaths heaving heavily. Her throat burned, but she hadn't a single care for anything left.

There was no emotion to be read on Harv's face. After everything she gave him, she at least expected some kind of reaction. Why wasn't he doing anything?

But then, he started to move towards her, still showing nothing.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked, slowly stepping backwards to keep away. "Don't you have anything to say? Harvey, answer me!"

But before she could do anything else, Harv suddenly wrapped his arms around the broken girl and embraced her. The teenager did not know what to think of this. In fact, she could not think at all, she felt like she was going insane. Why? Why was he doing this?!

"You aren't nothing," Harv began. "Ye never were. I'm sorry I didn't see how badly you were hurting, but I promise that you won't have to face anything alone anymore. I'm here, and I'll always be by your side."

Destiny couldn't move or speak. It felt as though she was no longer in control of her body. As her friend's words settled in, her guard was put down and she went limp, falling deeper into Harv's hold. With her nose buried into his chest, she finally broke and spilled everything she had held back for so long.

Harv said nothing else, rather, he continued to hold the poor girl, gently patting her back as she cried. They both fell to the floor within each other as the moonlight now shined on them both. The night was to be long, and the days ahead were uncertain, but Destiny still had one thing left to smile for.

Even when the darkness has completely overtaken, a small glimmer of light is all it can take to ward it off once more.

It is fought back, but it is never gone...

For the better of herself, Destiny kept as far away from the village as she could. The urge to take did not cease, however, but she fought it. She did not want to displease her friend anymore, despite how poorly they continued to live.

She lived as secluded as her old home, with none of the outside world bringing itself to her to ruin it all yet again. It was as happy as it could be. Just her and Harv. It was all it needed to be.

However, it felt empty. Her days were spent doing nothing more than waiting for her friend to come back. That time alone, it only added more to her wanting to run down and be with him, but to go down there would mean to make herself vulnerable to humility. She would find herself just standing at the front door, her arm held out reaching towards the handle, only for her to freeze before she could grab it.

She had all the reasons to go, but all the reasons to not. It was a losing battle for both sides, where what becomes best is to do nothing at all, leaving the desire crippling. However, the girl could never find satisfaction in this outcome.

But not all ways were impossible to go. Turning her back to the door, the same force could not be felt as she looked at the rear door. So, she took a step, then another, and found herself free out the back. From there, she could not see the village downhill, so the desire slightly faded.

Still facing forward, she walked past the vegetables Harv worked endlessly to grow perfectly and came face to face with a forest. Just peaking inside and seeing seemingly endless rows of trees standing tall, she was filled with a new desire fueled with familiarity. The path at her feet only led one way, so she followed.

When there was nothing more to see than just trees, she finally found a morsel of satisfaction. This forest and her alone. It seemed like there was a single second where she was able to forget everything wrong, and feel that childlike urge to follow her father to chop down trees for a warming fire as she was sat alongside not only him, but her mother too. It felt like home. Here, she felt like Destiny.

She hardly even noticed due to her brief moment of happiness that her eyes were watering. What a world it was. She almost didn't want to leave and abandon this feeling, even if it would only be for a while.

However, as she walked along the path more and more, she would soon discover something. In the distance, she could see a piece of paper nailed onto a tree, fresh as though it was put there not long ago. Upon closer inspection she could see there was a portrait surrounded by words, one of which was written boldly in red. 'WANTED', and the portrait, she found it looked just like her: from her long, dirty purple hair to even the red of her eyes.

Below the portrait was all the proof she needed, 'HEARTWOVEN'.

With a sudden gasp, she tore the poster down and held it closely to her chest as she began hyperventilating. This was bad. If this was here, then that would mean they were still looking for her, and they were getting close!

There was no escape... Soon enough, they'll find her. Even if she ran, she would run out of places to go.

What was she to do?

On the other side of the hill, Harv continued to work his stand. It still was not much, but he found that more of the people would stop by and purchase his products. Not without hesitancy, that much he expected, but it appeared as though they were beginning to learn that he and Destiny were not so bad.

However, his thought was rudely interrupted by a concerning sight. Along the street, his eye caught a pair of armoured fellows walking along and showing strangers a sheet they carried. He immediately recognised them being of the Hendrickson army. If they were here, it could not be for anything good.

The villager that the knights were talking to then pointed towards his vegetable stand.

Harv did not wait any longer and made his leave. He attempted to walk away casually as to not draw more suspicion, but as soon as he was out of sight he made a run for home, carrying his old body back up the hill exhaustedly.

Both Harv and Destiny both entered the house through each side, catching each other in amidst their own shock and tiredness.

"Destiny!" Harv said.

"Harv!" the girl returned, clutching the paper tightly in her embrace.

The guardian grabbed the child by the shoulders, trying to maintain his own composure. "Listen, there's something going on right now in the village. I can't tell for sure, but we can't stay here any longer. We need to go, now!" he explained with frantic breaths.

He then noticed the paper in Destiny's hands, to which she slowly turned it to towards him, revealing her wanted poster. It was just as he feared.

"W-What are we going to do?" the girl asked, shaking like a leaf.

"It's going to be okay, as long as we leave right now-"

Knock, knock. And silence. Someone was at the door, the light from the outside casting a shadow of the figure that peaked through the underside.

Harv remained completely quiet by holding his breath, while Destiny needed to cover her mouth, muffling her loud and uncontrollable breathing. They both did not move an inch, staring directly at the shadow, praying that it would leave.

But then they began to speak, breaking the haunting silence, "We know you are in there. We are giving you a chance to surrender peacefully."

There was no response from either of the two. Harv began moving his feet back. So slow, one may not determine he was moving at all. With careful precision, he placed each foot on whichever floorboard created the least noise, motioning Destiny to move to the same one. It was a minute of slow, silent steps until the back door was in sight, but with the door was another shadow creeping underneath. Both exits were blocked off, preventing any escape. The girl looked up to her friend pleadingly, but he had no solution to give.

"You have until the count of ten to surrender, or we will use force!" the one in front ordered. It was then he slowly began counting.

Harv looked all around, trying to come up with something, anything! Doom was at their doorstep. Escape was impossible. Very, very soon, those guards will break in and seize them both! They both had no chance of avoiding this. But one might.

He suddenly remembered, there was a space just beneath the house, small enough for a child to sit within. He immediately got down and carefully lifted a pair of loose floorboards, then gestured for Destiny to go down. The girl complied and placed herself inside.

It was here that the guard outside was at nine. Time was almost up. While the girl tried encouraging Harv to follow her, he placed the floorboards back down on top, completely concealing her in darkness.

"Harv?" she whispered. "What are you-?"

"Shh!" he harshly returned, staring right at the front door.

"Ten!" the one out front shouted. Both doors were broken through, one soldier emerging from each side, surrounding Harv with little room to go anywhere now. The knight from behind pointed his halberd closely, and the one in front spoke with a deep, menacing tone, "Where is the girl?"

The girl in question listened from below. She could not see well through the gaps in the floor, but she recognised that frightening voice from anywhere. It was the captain of the king's guard.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harv responded, his voice quick and trembling.

The captain turned his sights towards his partner. "Search the place." The other guard nodded and handed his weapon over as he left for another room. It was now only Harv and the captain. "Do not play games with me, peasant. Witnesses all over town tell that your are harbouring this girl in this shack." He showed the farmer the very same poster that Destiny had. "Cooperate, and you may not have to suffer a similar punishment as she."

The venom this man spat, he was confident that this is where his search was leading him to. Harv could tell, he was not leaving without anything gotten.

The other guard returned without a child in tow. He looked towards his leader and shook his head.

"So, you've hidden her," the captain concluded. "Where?!" He pounded the blunt end of the halberd on the ground, right above where she was hiding.

"I'm telling you, I'm but a lone farmer. I've never had a child in my care, nor could I with my work," Harv pleaded.

But the captain's expression did not falter from his threatening gaze. "Hold him." The other guard complied and held Harv up by his arms, preventing him from moving. The captain then held the end of the halberd towards the left side of the farmer's chest. "Last chance. The girl," he threatened.

His hunch was correct, he would not leave this situation. "You'll never find her," Harv said.

The final nail in the coffin. The royal captain had heard enough from this bumpkin and slowly sank the spearhead into his chest. He tried to resist against the soldiers' attack, but he was ultimately powerless, and all he had the strength to do was let out a strained and almost silent shout. The man quivered in the arms of the soldier, his face petrified from the pain. The captain, holding the weapon tightly and pushing it in ever deeper, watched with satisfaction as the farmer began falling within his partner's hold.

Through the crack in the floor, Harv's suffering was all the girl could see. She watched as the spearhead disappeared from sight, his blood spreading a stain on his shirt. She did not move, she did not blink, she did not even dare to look away. She had to help him, to fix the mess she brought. Those guards... That captain! The one just as responsible for taking her family away! This was her chance to make him pay.

The captain finally pulled the halberd out of the farmer's chest, and the assisting guard dropped him to the floor, with Harv barely having the strength to sit upon his elbows anymore.

The two knights looked down upon the scum they ridded the world of one last time before beginning to make their leave. But then, the captain was suddenly pushed to the ground by something with the force of a bull, and his halberd was just as quickly swiped from his hand. Neither of the two were able to process the shadow that seemed to swiftly move around them. While the captain was gathering his bearings, the other soldier looked around for whatever they were facing, but before he could see anything, his helmet was torn off his head and an axe blade was swung through the side of his neck. The knight immediately fell to the floor with a great slam as his blood flooded out of his semi-detached neck.

It was now that the captain was able to bring himself back onto his feet, assessing the situation before him. There was no sign of anyone else in the room. This foe moved far too fast. He was then brought back onto his knees with a painful yell as this person managed to swiftly move behind him and slice the back of his knees through the gaps of his armour. Now forbidden from standing his ground, the attacker stopped in front of him, revealing themself in the light. Hands, rags and face stained with blood of his partner, it was her!

"You!" the captain growled. "You are going to pay for what you've done!" He attempted to lunge towards the sinner, but the pain in his legs barely allowed him within arm's reach. He tried with everything he had to keep himself up, and that was met with one final look of her cold, dead face. There was nothing behind those eyes anymore.

The girl did not hesitate. She drove the halberd deep between the eyes of the captain. This man, the one that only prolonged her grief, was finally gone. She let the weapon fall to the floor, stuck within the skull of the limp sack of nothing.

The girl was brought back to reality as soon as she heard the groans of Harv. She quickly turned around and ran to his aid, letting his back rest on her raised arm. "Harv! Y-You're going to be okay. We'll get some help and you'll be-"

"Destiny," he said weakly. This caused the girl to fall silent. He tried his best to raise his head to look at her stained, distraught face. Tears began forming in his eyes. "I'm sorry. You're... You're gonna have to do the rest on your own."

"Harv. No! Don't say that!" she pleaded, almost choking on her breath.

"You're gonna face with a lot of hard things, but I know yer a tough enough girl to handle it. No matter what, keep on living the way you know how." He lightly patted the girl on the shoulder.

She began to sniffle. "But... h-how can I if I don't even know who I am?" she asked. "Without you, who am I?"

There was a small pause before Harv gave her a soft smile. "You never needed me to figure that out. As long as you keep your head forward and don't look back, you'll find out. I know you will." The weight placed on the girl's arm became heavier as Harv began letting himself fall. "Goodbye..." His eyes closed before he could finish.

The lone girl held his head close to her heart. Her mind could not accept that this was it. She fought back ever so hard, trying to stay strong. But it was meaningless to attempt. The girl broke for good before her fallen friend. Now, there was nothing for her. Nothing at all.

The darkness returns with a vengeance. It always will. Each strike is stronger than the last, and it will grow to where the light has barely the power to fight back anymore. It dissipates like a candle's flame.

For the rest of her days, the lost girl would continue to live alone. No matter what, her feet kept her moving forward, never keeping her in one place for more than a day. She stole, she fought, she did all she could in order to survive. The world was harsh. It was not so willing to allow the girl to keep going, but she persisted, unsure of why. The girl was living for nothing more than to live. And to live was met with eternal hardships that amounted to nothing because it was repaid with more hardships.

Her very existence was the reason why she was here now. The day that army first appeared, it was a continuous downward spiral from then on. The act that was meant to save the young girl's world instead causing it to disappear before her eyes. Her old self was left stuck in the past, all while she today wandered aimlessly.

For a few years, the cycle would repeat for each new place she passed. Sneak, steal, survive. But her luck clinging onto life was wearing thin. The broken girl was unrecognisable, with wide black rings surrounding her soulless eyes, her clothes marked with every trouble faced, and her body as thin as a twig.

By now, the girl was ready to give up, but not without one last stop.

She travelled through the forest that she knew like the back of her hand, passing the old stumps that indicated she was close. Emerging from the trees, she found it. Home. Though, not exactly as she remembered. The village was left desolate, and all paths were covered by knee-high grass. Even the stone memorial, which was surrounded by vines and flowers of all colours.

That it would come to this. She could only picture it, after what she did, her home became a prime target for the king's guard. What happened to the villagers, she only hoped not the worst, but the knights' savagery that she would come to learn, it would not surprise her. Everyone had to suffer, and it was all her fault.

She would then come up to a very familiar house, with the door being broken down ever since that day. She stepped inside. Despite the plants that had moved in, it was just about how she remembered it. But this was not the room where it would end.

The girl walked towards another door, leading into a bedroom with a bed big enough to fit two. She crawled on top and laid right in the centre between the two pillows, much like how she would when she had nightmares as a child.

Her father. Her mother. Harvey Esther. None of them should have passed on. Not like this. The weight she felt in her chest that never went away since it arrived, it was too much to bear. Had she given herself up at the time, things may have been different.

But it did not matter now.

It was the end of the girl's journey, but yet it remained unfulfilled. As she could feel her body letting itself go, the same question that was engraved since she took it alone played one final time. As she watched the light fade from her vision, soon to be overtaken by darkness, she wondered to herself, who was she?

"Wake up," a voice quietly requested.

Barbed Wire groaned as her eyes began to flicker open. She felt awful, but she was unsure why.

"Wake up," the same voice said again, slightly louder than before.

She lifted her head as she could finally see, trying to collect her bearings. Although, she could not recognise where she was right now. She could feel that her feet weren't touching the ground, and her wrists and ankles ached like a bitch.

"Ah, there you are," the snarly voice spoke again.

Barb looked in front of her and immediately jumped backwards by what she saw. However, instead of getting away, her bindings only caught her and pulled her back, and it caused a great amount of pain to her stomach.

"Easy now. You're in no shape to move right now," Goliath informed. The snake demon stood tall in front of the weakened demoness.

But Barb had yet to calm down, as she threw her head in every direction, trying to piece together what was going on. "W-Where am I?" she asked frantically.

The mayor rubbed the underside of his mouth with a long claw. "Well, I suppose a bit of context is owed. After the event that was the night at my tower, I've brought you to one of my chambers just to ensure I could see you alone."

With her panicked breathing, the same surge of pain shot into her stomach again. She looked down to see her body covered in bandages, with her blood causing a wide stain. It was starting to come back to her now. "That night... you could have killed me, but you didn't. Why?" Barb wondered.

"You know why," Goliath answered sinisterly. "One thousand years ago, do you remember?"

Barbed Wire's breath was caught in her throat as her eyes widened. It was not a verbal response, but it gave the tyrant the answer he needed.

"I knew it," he said. "I could never forget the eyes of the one who took it all away from me. It is like fate wanted us to meet again, do you not feel the same way?"

It was then that Barb's anger began to build, being forced to remember all of that pain from so long ago. "I had to. You ruined the peace between us all. You were destroying the world! You took all of our families away and forced them to die for your own sick gain! You deserved to die!"

Goliath hummed upon witnessing his prisoner's breakdown. "Perhaps I did," he responded, causing confusion to Barbed Wire. "As a living soul, I would have never realised that there would be much more for me beyond the mortal realm. In a way, I thank you. Because of you, I have set my sights on something far greater!

"My rule will not end with the borders of this city. With my army, I will expand my rule to every corner of Hell and take it towards the lord himssself! Nothing, not even you will be able to stop me."

An annoyed grunt came from Barb, halting Goliath's speech. "If I'm not a threat to you anymore, why even keep me alive?"

"Because you are going to tell me..." Goliath rushed towards Barb, taking hold of her wrists in his wide, clawed hands. He then spoke with a deep, threatening voice, "Where is Sssunset Shimmer?"

A thousand years later, the war between light and darkness is not yet over...

Author's Note

Next time: What will she do...?

Chapter 15: Goliath's Reign

Sunset looked at the television in horror. She could barely control her breathing anymore. Her mind was spinning; her brain rattling around in her skull with every new thought that flashed one after the other. It hurt so bad, she felt like she was on the verge of fainting. She thought she could hear someone behind her talking, but the screaming voice in her head drowned out every other sound. Then finally, in a moment where she briefly regained her senses, she turned around to see Big Softie. His expression was worried.

"This is it..." she quietly said to him. Big Softie's eyes widened as he slowly shook his head in disbelief. "We need to leave, now!"

"B-But are we even ready?" Softie asked. "We didn't even have time to make up a plan or anythin'!"

"We don't have a choice," Sunset told assertively. "He's giving us until dusk to show up, that's only a couple of hours away. If we miss it... who knows what he's gonna do."

Big Softie pondered for a moment, trying to wrap his head around that it had to be done now. After a time, he nodded understandingly and stood on top of the nearest crate, getting a view of every demon in the room. "Alright, everyone, this is it! It's time we move out there and fight for the city! I'm thinkin' a full frontal assault on the Mayor's Tower! I don't know what we'll face, but if we push hard enough through, we can take Goliath and his army down! Are you ready?!"

Everyone raised a unified fist in the air, giving a chorus of war cries. They all understood the situation, and they were ready to set out.

Big Softie then jumped off the crate and went back to Sunset. He held a hand up for her. "Let's save Barb!" he said with a confident expression.

Sunset tightly clasped the hand with a serious face of her own. "Let's save the city!"

"Don't keep me waiting!" Goliath finished. He signalled for the camera demon to stop filming, to which they were further instructed to join the other soldiers.

Goliath stood alone at the very top of the Mayor's Tower. The tyrant snake looked off into the distance, through the vast buildings that stood so high and spread so far. He was on top of it all.

But also, there was the matter of his accompanying guest. "You won't... get away with this," Barbed Wire said breathlessly. The injured demoness kneeled on the floor with her wrists and ankles restrained. She was sweating profusely, and could barely breathe.

"Quite the contrary," Goliath replied. He turned and looked at his prisoner. "It is Sunset Shimmer who will not see what'ssss coming to her. Now that she sees I have you, she'll have no choice but to come out." He knelt down very close to Barb's face, squeezing her cheeks in his hand. "Are you excited to finally see your friend again?"

This act made Barb very angry, however, she could barely move to show it. Every little movement hurt. She was rendered weak. "Get off me...! Or I'll... beat your ass... bitch!"

Goliath snickered. "Oh, please, you're hardly in a condition to do such a thing. What's wrong? Are we getting a bit tired?" It was then that Goliath noticed thin, bulging, purple marks going up Barbed Wire's neck. Upon closer inspection, he found why his prisoner was especially slow today. Those were her veins. "Oh," he said in a dark manner. "Looks like my magic is finally beginning to take its toll."

"What are you..." Barb heaved, "...talking about?"

The mayor stood up and made his way back towards the edge. "In due time, my subject. If I were you, I'd start praying that your hero manages to arrive on time, because from the way it seems, she doesn't have a lot of time." His scaly face bore an evil smirk. "Neither of you do."

Overhead, Goliath could hear a plethora of propellers approaching from within the clouds.

The streets below were empty. Free of cowering demons, free of patrolling soldiers. It was a complete wasteland with the only sound heard being the whistling of the wind.

Debris, empty rations, even bodies, populating the ground where throwdowns had occurred, but have long since ended. After weeks of fighting, the war grew tired. Citizens would remain out of sight, and the army would search without issue. But now, there was nothing. Nothing more to fight, and nothing more to lose.

But now, slowly making its way through the streets came a rumbling. The ones in hiding nearby would peer out of the window to have a look to see what was happening. They saw an army. Not one that held the snake's symbol, but one that held their own ground. This was the resistance!

Everyone made their way to see. A crowd of demons walking through the city in plain sight. They all stood tall, not afraid of what might happen to them. From the small demons to the hulking masses, from the breathing souls to the man-made abominations. And at the forefront stood a blue bull demon leading the way, alongside a fiery haired demoness. In the wake of what lies ahead, they stand in line.

Watching as they all passed, some of those that had been sheltering for so long had finally come out and joined with the crowd. One by one, more demons found themselves with the confidence to stand alongside, and the resistance was made all the much greater.

And soon, the Mayor's Tower was within sight.

The leader came to a stop, still a ways away from the building. In the distance, he could see the army surrounding the entrance of the building. As expected, they prepared for something to happen.

"You ready for this, Sunset?" Big Softie asked, not taking his eyes off the goal ahead.

"No. Though, who would be, really?" Sunset replied, inspecting the building just as much. "Any word from Maggie and the gang?"

"Nothin' yet. No tellin' when they'll show up."

"Do you want to wait?"

Big Softie took a minute to think. After informing an old friend of his of their departure, he was met with the unfortunate news that they would be late. He looked up to the sky. Light still shined down, however, it was noticeably beginning to dim. If they waited, they would run the risk of missing Goliath's demanded time. It was too great to chance.

The leader shook his head. "No. There's too much on the line. We gotta strike while we got the chance." He turned towards the resistance and gave a shout, "ARE YOU READY?!" He was greeted by everyone's cheers.

"FOR THE CITY!" he yelled.

"FOR THE CITY!" they all repeated.

Big Softie turned back to the tower ahead. It was finally time. "CHARGE!"

The stampede had begun! Hundreds of feet ran towards the giant building and the guarding army. Goliath's soldiers almost immediately acknowledged their attack and raised their weapons, opening a wall of fire their way.

From the crowd, the Ogre came and ran ahead of everyone. "The Ogre will shield tiny demons!" he said as he spread his humongous arms out wide, acting as an impenetrable barrier between the army and the resistance.

The pro-wrestler took every single bullet as they came closer to the building. Once he was at the feet of the soldiers, the Ogre made two balls of his four fists and crashed them towards the ground. Surrounding soldiers tried to move out of the way, but the shockwave created sent them all flying.

This made way for the resistance to open first, and thus, the battle had begun. Countless demons clashed with each other, with fists being thrown, claws slashed, haired pulled and jaws crunched. Any armed guards refrained from using their weapons further as too many of their allies surrounded them, thus, the resistance was given an upper hand.

Volcano had about gone feral by pouncing on every demon that caught his eye. They were powerless to his swift, canine anger as he growled in the face of every enemy.

The Ogre was an unbreakable giant who took out a horde of soldiers with a single swing of his arm. The soldiers would attempt to ambush him, but the champion's strength was beyond comprehension. The beast made short work of any that stood in his way.

Big Softie made his way through the army with nothing more than brute force. While he was tough, he wasn't the quickest on his toes. While squaring off against soldiers, the resistance leader failed to notice the giant green arm heading his way, sending him barrelling through a plentiful amount of demons. While he was mostly fine, the same could not be said for those he crushed during his fly.

And, with her devil strength active, Sunset joined in fending the soldiers off. They all seemed to appear at a constant rate from all sides, having Sunset quickly twisting herself round as demons came and went in a flash. She managed to ward them away, though, she wasn't sure how long she could keep up.

Before she could realise, multiple soldiers came from behind and started piling on top of the demoness. Sunset was brought flat onto the ground, she couldn't move her limbs to lift them off. She tried all she could to push her body up off the floor. She wasn't losing this right away!

But then, she felt the weight on her back lighten bit by bit, but she wasn't doing anything. Soon enough, Sunset was able to move again, and she turned her head to see none other than Johnson lifting the demons off her.

"Hands off my ticket to fame, you whorish, low-life, nasty-ass, insignificant fucks!" Plague Doctor scolded, riding on the bulky shoulders of his creation. Before Sunset had time to thank him, the doctor was off once more. "Now, onwards, my son!" Johnson returned with a horrific howl as he plowed through more soldiers.

As Sunset picked herself up to get back into the action, her eyes were drawn to the very top of the Mayor's Tower. Up there, where her goal stood. She was so close now, but she knew she needed to help out here first.

High above the clash, Goliath stood and watched as the opposing forces fought. He looked with disgust. "Always so dramatic, Shimmer. You just never make things easy," he said to himself.

"She... She'll never let you... win," Barb said behind the tyrant. She sat on her knees, barely able to hold her head up anymore.

Goliath scoffed. "You demons are just so astounding. Regardless of how many times you lose, you all fail to see when it's over. No matter, I'll be sure to finally bring an end to your hopeless faith soon enough." He continued to watch at the battling waged on.

The soldiers never seemed to end. For as many as the resistance took down, more and more would come out to continue the fight. The resistance was beginning to take a quite a beating as they found themselves wearing out.

For those who could not handle much more alone, Big Softie and Sunset jumped in to lend a hand. They were growing ever so tired themselves, but they were not stopping for anything!

The two almost felt like they were everywhere at once as they faced more and more of the continuously growing army.

"How many of these guys are there?!" Sunset shouted as she swung Big Softie around to send a wave of soldiers down.

"Goliath must've rounded up every one of them!" Softie answered, rebalancing himself after such a dizzying move. "Looks like he really wanted to be prepared!"

Sunset grunted, barely having the time to be annoyed as more came. "At this rate, we'll never clear them out in time!"

A thought then came to Big Softie as his eyes went between Sunset and the building. "You gotta go, Sunset. Leave these guys to us!"

"I'm not leaving you, Softie!"

"You have to! Barb needs you, and this ain't endin' unless that bastard is down! Don't worry about us, we'll be fine!" When Big Softie was finally given a moment to breathe, he got down on all fours. "Get on my back. I'll get you to the door."

Sunset found it hard to move towards him. She didn't want to abandon these demons; she needed to help! But at the same time, staying here only wasted the little time she had left. There was no easy way, but the answer was clear. Sunset swallowed her pride and climbed aboard her friend's back, holding on tight to his jacket.

With his passenger at the ready, Big Softie dragged at the ground beneath and lunged forward, pointing his horns out front as he charged past every demon in his path. Sunset held herself as low as she could possibly go as demons of both sides flew by, some coming uncomfortably close to knocking her off. Softie raced by and came in crashing through the tower's glass doors and into the lobby, skidding across the floor to a complete halt. The carried momentum almost threw Sunset right off, but she still managed to safely latch on. She then climbed off the bull. Unfortunately, the guards would see what happened, and would then come piling through the door.

"I'll hold them back. You get up this thing!" Big Softie said as he ran back to the front. "Bring that fucker down!"

"You keep safe, Softie!" Sunset called after him, going in the opposite direction.

"Don't worry! We'll make it, all of us!" Big Softie gave her one last smile, moving on to blocking the soldiers' path, preventing them from getting in.

Sunset took for the stairs. She knew the elevator would take too long, and there was no telling what she would find on the way. Even taking the stairs themselves would take too long. She had to take another approach. After aligning herself in the gap between the stairs, Sunset activated the devil strength in her legs and jumped as high as she could. She flew past a few floors in one go, and had to quickly grab onto the stairs' railing before she plummeted back down. Regaining her bearings, she aimed for a new spot and took another leap, continuously doing so as she reached the top.

As she neared the peak of the building, she felt her heart racing faster and faster. She recalled on her last encounter with the tyrant, when she couldn't even beat him when there were two of them. How was she expecting to do it now, she asked herself in her head. If the army being here was a testament to anything, it only told that Goliath was ready. To make it even worse, he was holding Barb captive. If she is not quick enough... she didn't even want to think what Goliath would do to her.

If Sunset was going to have even a lick of a chance, she would need end this quickly.

Goliath smelled the air on top of the world. The snake's lungs were filled with a satisfaction as he looked far off into the world that would soon be his. He gave a great sigh of relief. "How appropriate, to bring such a frivolous era to a satisfying end. I believe that's what all warriors strive for at the very least."

"Do you... ever... shut up?" Barb wheezed. The space between her words grew ever longer.

As expected, his good mood to be soured by his enemies. "Oh, give peace. I wasn't talking to you."

And then, right on cue, the door to the roof burst open, and out came Sunset Shimmer, with determination in her eyes and a fire in her heart! Her goal stood directly in front of her, with her friend in tow. The chance to take back was now. She couldn't mess this up. Sunset approached slowly. With Barb bound and on her knees right alongside Goliath, she knew she had to tread carefully.

"I'm sssso glad you could finally make it!" Goliath said joyfully, sneaking a glance to the dimming sky. "And not a moment too soon, either."

"No more games, Goliath," Sunset spoke harshly. She didn't want to drag this out for any longer than needed. "You said you wanted to make a deal, so here I am."

"Oh, but should we not cherish this moment? It may be the last we do this little dance. Why not savour what little we have left?"

Sunset's face turned more stern as she stood a ways away from the tyrant. "Before I even listen to what you have to say, I want you to give me back my friend."

Goliath shook his head in disappointment. "You want her so bad? Fine." He grabbed the weak girl by her restrained wrists. "Take her." He then flung her body over to Sunset.

Sunset tried to save Barb before she hit the floor, but she wasn't quick enough. Barbed Wire hit her shoulder on the ground, to be immediately taken up by Sunset who kneeled alongside.

"Barb! Are you okay?" Sunset asked, resting Barb on her arms. She was shaking horrendously, unable to hold back how great it was to have her friend back and alive.

Barbed Wire could barely open her eyes anymore, but she opened them far enough to recognise the shape in front of her, even if it was all blurry. "S-Sunset...?" she said almost inaudibly. A small smile grew on her face, but it couldn't grow any wider.

"It's okay, Barb. I'm here!" But Sunset's relief was short lived as she saw the purple markings across Barbed Wire's face and neck. Having a feel of the marks, Sunset knew them to be Barb's own veins. She could feel them pulsing under her fingers. "W-What is this? What did you do to her?!" Sunset shouted towards Goliath.

Goliath laughed. "That would be the work of my venom! For weeks, a mere drop has coursed through her body thousands upon thousands of times, growing slowly until it has spread through her entire system. I figured I'd let her waste away once she became useless, but luckily for her, she managed to serve a final purpose at the tail end of her afterlife. I believe the poor soul has just a few minutes left. Unless..." The snake pulled a syringe out of the inner pocket of his jacket. It was filled with a sour yellow liquid.

"Do it!" Sunset demanded. She was oblivious to the stream of tears running like river rapids down her face. "Cure her!"

"Gladly, but first, I believe we have some business to take care of."

"Fine! What do you want?" Sunset raced through her words. She wasn't wasting a single second.

"It's not about what I want, Sunset Shimmer; I'm already getting it. It's about what all your little friends need. Because of you, so many demons have had to suffer. Rattingsbottom, your rebellion, even the demon you feel closest to. So, for the better of everyone else, I simply ask that you surrender yourself to me. You've already lost this war. Everyone's blood will be on your hands if you don't make the right decision now."

The tyrant made his ultimatum, presenting Sunset with what sounded like a choice. She was aware that he was just trying to get under her skin, and she was afraid to admit that it was working. She didn't mean for any of this to happen. She only wanted for the demons of the city to be safe again, but now the thought that plagued her was that she just put everyone in more danger than ever. And further back to before the war, Barbed Wire, the one demon that always had her safety in mind was now dying in her arms.

"Tick tock, Ssssunset," Goliath said.

It was presented as a choice, but there was really only one. Sunset nodded. "Okay," she said quietly. "I surrender."

The smirk on the mayor reached the far corners of his face. "Atta girl." He then held the syringe out, pointing the grip in Sunset's direction.

She got on her feet and walked towards Goliath. He stood with his offering hand out, with the other behind his back. She couldn't believe that, despite everything, they lost the battle in the end. But the one thought played in her mind, 'This is for the best.' Sunset accepted it. Sinner City was lost.

She was now mere feet from Goliath. Before her was the cure for Barb. She reached out for it, but as soon as her fingers wrapped softly around it, Goliath closed his hand around hers, and she was suddenly pulled towards him.

Sunset then gasped as she felt a pain in her stomach. She could not even process what had happened until she finally looked down and saw the five extended claws of Goliath's other hand piercing into her. Something purple ran through the long claws, disappearing into her.

Her breathing became out of control, inhaling more air and exhaling, preventing however much more pain as it could. Her head became very light, feeling as though she would either faint or throw-up right there.

Her head was then effortlessly lifted by Goliath's now free hand, using only a single finger as he raised her chin. They met eachother's eyes. She could see the gladness in his.

Goliath moved his mouth towards Sunset's ear. "I'm afraid our little game ends here," he said as he stepped away, slowly sliding his blades out of Sunset's body.

With nothing holding her up anymore, Sunset fell to her knees, the syringe sliding out of her grasp and rolling across the floor. She could hardly keep herself raised anymore. Her entire body burned in agony. With what strength she could use to lift her hands, she could see her veins bulging and purple, the exact same as Barbed Wire. It spread across her hands at an incredible rate.

Having finished his work, Goliath pulled a radio out of his pocket. "We're finished here. Commence Operation: Helltaker."

Upon his command, something massive descended from above the clouds. Sunset slowly turned her head around to see a fleet of five airships appear, evenly spread out with the leading middle one flying directly overhead. Even the fighting down below ceased for a moment as both sides watched the ships emerge. From this alone, Big Softie could tell that something went wrong.

From the leading ship fell a ladder that landed alongside Goliath. He grabbed onto it to be taken away, but not without a final word, "Sorry it must end like this, but I can't have you getting in my way again! Fare thee well!" With that, the ship began to take off, whisking the ruler away towards his next great endeavour.

Sunset could only watch as he began to disappear. How stupid she felt that she let this happen. Nothing more than another trick to get what he wanted. She felt so angry! But she hadn't the strength to show it, not anymore. She couldn't move. She couldn't cry. She couldn't do anything. It was over. Sunset failed.

She then heard something move behind her. Hastily turning her body around, much to the protest of the wounds in her chest, she found Barbed Wire slowly dragging her body towards her. She was almost completely consumed by the purple venom.

"Barb..." Sunset breathlessly said. The venom's effect took over her body incredibly fast.

Having reached her, Barb reached for the syringe, picking it up and presenting it to Sunset with a shaky hand. "T-Take... it," she barely got out. Barb fell forward, keeping herself up by holding onto her friend's shoulder. "You... You gotta stop... him."

Sunset shook her head. "B-But what about you?" she asked.

Barb returned with a snicker, which only sent her into a coughing fit. Despite the burning in her throat, she still forced a smile out. "Nah. I-I've... already lived long enough an... an afterlife. But you... still got a lot of learning to do if... if you w-wanna make it... through Hell." She then took Sunset's hand and placed the cure within it. Her eyelids were beginning to feel very heavy. "I... know... you... can... do it!" Barb could feel herself beginning to fade away.

Sunset held the syringe in her hand. After everything, what reason was there to believe that this wasn't just another one of his schemes? She knew there wasn't any, but with what little chance she had left, the last thing she should do is at least try. She didn't think for one second for what to do with the cure. Sunset immediately stabbed it through the skin of her arm. It immediately began to take affect.

Suddenly, she could breath again! The burning sensation spread throughout her body began to fade, and her strength began to return to her. The demoness looked around her body, trying to process what was happening, and she looked forward to see Sunset with a glad expression.

Realising what this meant for her friend, Barb began to panic. "Sunset? W-What did you do?!"

Sunset grinned cheekily. "Saved... your ass. That's what." She tried to laugh, which came out as nothing more than a pathetic wheeze.

"But what about you?! You... you can't die! Not right now!" Barb held tightly onto Sunset, beginning to cry.

Sunset pushed herself up from her knees. She struggled, and how she hurt almost prevented her from doing so, but she managed. She looked down onto Barb with as confident of a face as she could give. "I... still got some... f-fight in me left. I'm not giving up! Not til... not til the very end!" She then turned around ran as fast as she could to the edge of the roof.

"Wait, no! Please!" Barb tried to follow after her, but her strength had not completely returned to her legs yet, preventing her from moving. She reached out towards her. "Don't do it! Sunset!"

Her demands could not reach her, however. Sunset kept her head straight as she came closer to the end. Even with her devil strength active, the poison managed to hold her back significantly. She realised she may have a few minutes left, and that there was no way this was going to work. But Sunset didn't care. She wasn't going to give up on everyone! She'll keep fighting until she was no more, and that included now!

Hopping upon the barrier separating the ground from the fall, Sunset readied herself as she made as great a jump as she could towards the floating away ladder. Time slowed to a crawl as Sunset aimed for the very last bar hanging in the sky. She stretched an arm out as far as she could, frantically kicking the air to maintain as much height as she could get. She watched as her hand neared the target, catching up faster than it could get away.

But just as when hope was restoring, her claws could only lightly brush the ladder. Had it been just an inch closer, it all would have been fine. But the slightest distance made all the difference, and Sunset missed.

Everyone watched in horror as Sunset fell from the sky; Barbed Wire from up top, reaching her arm over the edge as Sunset drew further away, and Big Softie from down below, racing past everydemon to get directly beneath her.

Sunset knew it was a long shot. Not just trying to reach a flying ladder, but also saving the city. She thought they had the power to withstand Goliath and his forces, but, of course, she messes it all up at the most pivotal time of need. She at least managed to succeed somewhere. Now, Barbed Wire will live on, but even then, what did it matter if all she would continue to live through was a nonstop nightmare?

And the resistance. So many demons putting their lives at stake, and now Sunset negated all of their efforts by one mistake: she didn't stop Goliath.

Even as she fell right now, her mind screamed for her to back into the fight. However, it seemed that fate decided that she was finally finished here. Sunset stared directly at her goal that was making its getaway. She was so close! She needed one last chance to try! Her face contorted into rage! Was Sunset finished?

Not a chance!

A whole new sensation surged through Sunset's body. Across every inch of her being, the pain she was engulfed by seemed to disappear in almost an instant. She felt as her strength returned to her, in her arms and her legs; she felt her skin harden from her chest to the corners of every limb; she could suddenly see everything as her eyes turned deep black; two large and solid protrusions shot out from each side of her forehead; and finally, the strangest feeling came from the bumps placed on her shoulder blades, as though something was trying to break free...

Below, Big Softie kept trying to line himself up to catch Sunset as she very quickly neared the ground. He was ready for saving her!

But before Sunset could reach the concrete floor, she suddenly pulled up and shot right back up the building at an incredible speed!

Big Softie's jaw fell so low that it almost came off his face, and his arms fell back to his sides like jelly. He hadn't a clue what he had just witnessed right now. His brain was fried the moment Sunset flew away.

Even Barbed Wire, who managed to carry herself to the edge of the roof was blown right onto her backside as a red figure whizzed right past her. Once she processed what she saw, she couldn't help but let the largest smile stretch across her face as tears of joy broke out.

She pushed herself up into standing and threw her fists in the air. "Yes! You get him, girl!" she shouted proudly.

Through the skies above, Sunset Shimmer soared! She kept her head straight as she quickly approached her target, Goliath's fleet! In the distance, she could see the airships had managed to leave the city's perimeter. She didn't know where they were headed, but it definitely wasn't for anything good.

In her mind, she could finally focus on what was right ahead; Goliath had been allowed to cause havoc for too long now. For all the suffering caused by him, for the pain all demons had to endure, for everything he did to her friend, Sunset would not let go this chance to finally bring him down. Goliath's reign would end today!

The newborn devil had flown so far so quick, she was brought to the outskirts of the city, crossing the lake of lava that surrounded. A fleeting thought reminded Sunset of something to be very wary about. As she passed, a loud rumble could be heard beneath the sea.

But soon, she reached the other side where there was nothing but void land. Nothing to be broke or to be lost. The perfect place to bring these ships back down. The only question was how she was going to do that.

Sunset came close to the first ship stationed at the back-left side, grabbing the railing and pulling herself onto the exit platform beneath the balloon. She was about to make her way inside, but her attention was pulled away by a distant crash that came from behind. Slithering at a breakneck speed below, Sunset saw the incoming, colossal Wormillium! It opened its jaws to reveal rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth, and soon, everyone here might just be able to get a closer look.

But rather than appearing scared, Sunset's face lit up like a light bulb as she got an idea. "That'll work," she said before heading inside the gondola of the first ship.

Upon closing the door behind her, Sunset was immediately met with a carriage full of soldiers. They all just stared at her weirdly in their seats. But she couldn't spare time for greetings with a giant worm on her tail. "You guys have all got to get out of here! The Wormillium is coming!" she shouted.

A soldier began laughing mockingly. "Yeah, right. We got that weird spray that it hates so much. No way is it after us!"

Sunset just stepped out of the way of the door, guiding everyone's eyes to the small window with her hands. "By all means, look for yourself."

Much to her surprise, a demon stood up and looked out. They turned pale as they caught sight of the monster. "Yep. Big worm," they said weirdly calmly. That was, until they turned back and everyone read the suppressed horror of the soldier's face. "ABANDON SHIP!" they then screamed, grabbing a parachute hanging on the walls and rushing outside to make their dive.

The gondola was then turned into a frenzy as everyone else scrambled to grab and chute and jump. While this happened, Sunset moved toward the cockpit.

Meanwhile, on the front ship, Goliath watched proudly as he drew ever nearer to the realms beyond Sinner City. "Status, Montgomery," he requested, not taking his eyes off the closing in horizon.

"Nothing but smooth flying all the way to the nearest gateway, sir," the sheep demon informed.

"Exc-sss-elent." There was nothing that felt more relaxing to Goliath than the relief of having no more issues while he flew to finally take over the world. It may be the most at peace the snake had ever felt, having sent a satisfying chill slithering up his spine.

But then, at the secretary's side, a red light began blinking accompanied by an annoying beep. Montgomery took a look at the problem. "Sire, it appears that there is some sort of issue. Airship four is breaking formation."

Goliath sighed with displeasure. "Oh, for the love of all things unholy..." He then picked up a radio. "Squadron four! Return to formation immediately!" he commanded.

He was greeted by a lot of shouting from the receiving end. "Sorry, sir, but we're getting the fuck outta here! The Wormillium is hot on our ass!"

"You have the repellent, you idiots! Why would it be after you?!"

"Umm... sire?" Montgomery said, looking fearfully out the window.

"What?" Goliath followed his lackey's eyes towards the back ship.

As the airship drifted slowly out of formation, everydemon in the forefront ship's cockpit watched in horror as it was suddenly tackled down by the jumping pink leviathan. The ship was crushed with ease under the might of the Wormillium, like a bug beneath a foot. No one understood what could have happened.

"Montgomery, are you certain you applied the repellent to every soldier?" Goliath asked.

Monty began to shake with fear. "O-One hundred percent, sir. Each soldier was sprayed top to bottom as they entered their ships. No one could have slipped by."

What they were not aware of was the devil flying over to the back ship on the other side of the fleet. As she watched the parachutes of those soldiers disappear as they were left behind, it confirmed Sunset's thought, the Wormillium had a scent for her. If this monster was going to be persistent, then it was the perfect way to bring these ships to the floor.

She repeated the same process as last time: get demons off ship, worm versus blimp, worm wins, proceed to next ship. Much to the dismay of Goliath who hollered across every radio, commanding his army to stay in their stations, to which they all disobeyed.

It all finally came down to two more ships that the Wormillium was yet to destroy, including the mayor's own. He saw as his only other bbackup began drifting away, hissing more orders into the radio, "Ssssquadron two! You had better stay in formation or else you shall suffer the wrath of your new emperor!"

"That's going to have to be a negatory, your highness," the voice on the radio said.

Goliath's blood began to boil at the sound of that voice. His head creaked in the direction of the remaining ship, his eyes locking onto the figure hanging out the cockpit window. She casted him a salute with an overly confident grin on her face.

Goliath crushed the receiver in his claws. "How many times do I have to kill the same! Fucking! Demon?!"

"What should we do, sir? Do we abandon ship?" a soldier asked.

"No!" Goliath roared. "You shall all stay, and watch as I slice this demoness into ribbons!"

Then, right before the Wormillium could leap and crash into the second-to-last ship, Sunset flew towards the final one.

The resistance continued to hold the fort down back at the city. The battle raged endlessly, but yet, the rallied forces were beginning to wear out. No matter how many soldiers they brought down, they were still vastly outnumbered.

Big Softie was among the many that kept on, but even he was slowing down, becoming more frequently that a demon would get the jump on him. However Sunset was doing, part of him really hoped she would bring an end to this soon.

As he fought on, he would come to find Volcano after viciously gnashing another soldier. He looked to Softie and asked, "Hey, where the hell is Maggie?"

"I don't know! All she said was she'd run a bit late," Big Softie responded.

"We're kinda way past 'a bit' now! She oughta get here now, or we ain't lasting!"

"I know, I know! But we can't afford to stop! We gotta keep- Gah!" Big Softie was suddenly tackled to the floor by a number of soldiers.

"Softie!" Volcano shouted. The hyena loudly growled as he leapt towards the dog pile on all fours, sinking his sharp jaws into the arms and legs of each soldier and throwing them off his friend. He pulled the bull up off the ground as the soldiers laid around them with deep jaw marks in their limbs. "You okay, big guy?" he asked.

"Yeah. Thanks." Softie gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't mention it."

It was then the doctor suddenly appeared atop his big monster. His mask donned a panicked expression. "Hey, you know, I love a wholesome moment and all, but-"

"Incoming!" the Ogre roared, pointing in all directions. Whatever of his four fingers demons chose to follow, they would find more soldiers than ever closing in on them.

"Oh, come on! How many of these guys are there?" Big Softie complained. By the looks of it, far too many. The resistance could only watch as the army moved forward. With the small plethora of freedom fighters that still stood, they all shared the same thought: there was no chance they could hold off against that.

The Ogre acted as the army closed in, gathering every resistance demon he could and bringing them inside the Mayor's Tower where they would be safe for the time being. The wrestler spread his arms across the tower windows, blocking all that he could.

The soldiers all pointed their weapons towards the large, green demon and began firing. The Ogre's tough skin could stand against their bullets, but it was not long before they began to take their effect. What was nothing to him one second soon became a ever-growing fire on his front.

"The Ogre cannot hold for much longer," he said. He struggled to keep his arms up.

"What are we gonna do now?!" Volcano asked. His chest frantically pumped with panic.

"Well, folks, it's times like this where I can confidently say WE'RE ALL FUCKED!" Plague Doctor shouted. Johnson replied with a groan of agreement, from the doctor's interpretation that was.

"That can't be it! We got so far!" Volcano turned towards the leader. "Softie, come on, you gotta have something, anything!"

Big Softie just stood in silence, trying to think of any possible way for them to get out of this. But he turned up with nothing. He could never have seen coming how outnumbered they would be, and now, the worst came to be. As the leader, he failed the resistance.

"I'm sorry," was all Big Softie could say.

And like that, all hope was lost in every remaining demon.

"It's been honour bashing skulls alongside tiny demons," the Ogre said.

"Hear, hear," the doctor replied. He caressed the somewhat loosely stitched forehead of Johnson. "Farewell, my son. When you make it out of this, because you are too perfect to die, replace your brain with mine, and build an army of Johnsons in my honour."

Volcano sighed. "Guess it was too good to be true." He then placed his paw on Softie's shoulder. "But I gotta admit, you led a pretty good fight here."

Big Softie quietly sorted. "Thanks, to all of you. We'd never have gotten as far as we did hadn't it been for you guys."

The resistance all then braced for their nearing end. The soldier demons had stopped for a moment to reload their weapons, giving the Ogre time to prepare for the next onslaught. As well as they fought, the resistance was lost.

The rain of fire resumed, but the Ogre felt nothing hit him. Around them all, the resistance could hear bodies dropping one after the other. They glanced out to find that the surrounding army had almost all fallen to the ground, with no sign of the cause to be seen.

Big Softie mouthed a, "What the...?" as he wondered what could have happened.

"Hey, Softie!" a shout echoed from the rooftops. Big Softie knew that voice from anywhere! Everyone's heads looked upwards to find rows of armed demons over the edges of different rooftops. Among them all, one stood and waved to the demons below. She then climbed down the building, accompanied by two other demons, and met with the leader, and old friend. "Hope we didn't miss much."

"Maggie!" Big Softie responded joyfully. "A couple minutes earlier would've been better."

Maggie laughed. "Sorry 'bout that. The boss woke up earlier than hoped. We tried to convince him to help with the fight."

"How'd that go?"

"Not great. We had to knock him out again! Should be another while before he wakes up and realises we're gone."

Softie snorted at the thought of how that could have went. He wished was there to watch. "Well, thanks for your help there. Any longer, and we'd be as good as dead."

"I'd call you lucky for having that giant there. You didn't mention recruiting superstar wrestler the Ogre!" Maggie moved over to the giant and held her hand out towards him. "Big fan of your stuff!"

The Ogre spread a hand on his chest, as if to act humbled. "The pleasure is all the Ogre's." He gave her a giant finger to shake. "Many thanks for close save, tiny demoness."

"So, that all the soldiers then?" Volcano asked, looking towards the bodies left behind by Maggie and the gang's ambush.

"Unfortunately, no. We saw more heading this way as we were comin' down. We still got a lot of fighting left to go," Maggie informed. "Speakin' of which, here." She then signalled one of the demons at her side, who was holding a large sack over their shoulder. They placed the big in the middle of everyone, and opened it to reveal more weapons and ammunition. "If you wanna win, you're gonna need a bit of firepower."

"Fuck. Yes!" the doctor shouted with excitement. He reached down and grabbed a pair of guns for himself. "Johnson, we are officially the most badass duo of them all. Together, we bring the rain and the pain!"

"This'll be leagues above breaking my jaw on everyone's leg," Volcano said, grabbing one of his own.

One by one, all the other demons of the resistance took a weapon, with the exception of the Ogre who was content with his muscles. The resistance was back in the game, and just in the nick of time, as more of Goliath's soldiers were about to arrive.

The battle had yet to be won, but everything needed to be had was found. By the end of the day, Goliath's forces shall be taken down, and victory was sure to be theirs!

With the next ship having fallen victim to the Wormillium, Sunset flew towards the last one. Here, she would have her final encounter with Goliath. Only this time, she was more ready than ever before.

The devil grabbed onto the railing and there she was at the door. No doubt, she was nervous, but she wasted no more time with hesitancy and went inside. Like every other airship, it was filled with soldiers ready for battle. But they all sat frozen at the sight of her. She paid them no mind as she went past, giving them nothing more than a casual, "Wormillium incoming. Jump if you don't want to die," and moved on.

The demons followed her command as every one rushed out in a panicked state. Parachutes flew off the walls of the gondola quicker than the soldiers' descents. It was now just her and the snake, and any demons piloting the ship.

Before she reached the door to the captain's cabin, she spotted a can of spray left on the wall, labelled 'Away With You Wormillium' with a small star by the logo detailing, 'Now with 10,000% more salt! Without question, Sunset took the can and applied some to herself. It reeked, immensely so, but should make the worm not an issue anymore.

Now, standing before the one thing that separated her and Goliath, Sunset took a step forward, only to be immediately interrupted by a lightning fast quad of slashes running from the bottom to the top of the final door. Sunset stepped back as the door, now sliced into five, collapsed, revealling her goal beyond.

From the front of the ship stepped out the slender snake demon, sporting his famous white suit and top hat, and showing his claws, which have all extended into ten sword-like blades. He stared directly through her with a deathly yellow glint in his eyes.

He gave a soft, yet frightening, laugh. "You really are an impressive one, Ssssunset Shimmer!" his hiss was venomous, "But don't think for a second that, because of a fancy new look, you have any chance of stopping me."

"Chance or not, all you should count on is that I'll always be there to try bring you down, Goliath," Sunset replied.

Goliath smiled once more. "It has truly been a pleasure, but this will be the end." Goliath was the first one to move, opening with a swift swipe of his right claws.

Sunset managed to narrowly avoid the attack and returned with a running strike, reeling a fist far behind her head and jumping directly towards Goliath. The snake was quick to think on his toes, however, as he moved to the side and allowed for Sunset to tumble through the chopped down door and into the pilot's quarters. She rolled and landed on her feet, crouched down with a hand on the floor to steady her.

But before she could collect her bearings, Goliath appeared in front of her and brought his blades towards her, attempting to directly stab her with all ten claws. Sunset thrusted her own arms forward and held his hands as far away from her as possible. Her fingers were all in-between his. She struggled against the snake's strength, meanwhile, his maniacal laughter grew with every inch closer his claws came.

Seeing no other way out of this, Sunset resorted to let herself fall back, pulling Goliath over with her, and placed her feet on his stomach to throw him over. The tyrant flew and crashed onto the ship's control panel, causing the piloting demons to jump out of their seats.

"Sire!" Montgomery cried.

As he got back up, Goliath pointed a claw directly at his accomplice. "Keep this ship flying!" Afterwards, he approached Sunset once more, this time, unleashing a rapid series of swings of his blades.

All Sunset could do was move back, avoiding each blade by barely a hair. She was pushed further and further back through the ship. She knew she would soon lose ground, but she couldn't take her eye off Goliath to make sure.

However, as well as she dodged, Goliath would finally come in with a successful swing. In a panic, Sunset held up an arm to shield her face. The swords made contact, but they could not push through. Both Sunset and Goliath looked to what should have been a sliced off arm, and found that instead, Sunset managed to catch his claws with her hard devil skin.

With Goliath open, Sunset hit away his swords away and went in with a hook with her other arm. But he slithered out of the way in the blink of an eye, appearing directly behind her, where he then retracted the claws in one hand, grabbed Sunset by the neck and forcefully threw her to the gondola walls.

Her back slammed against the walls, knocking the wind out of her and leaving an indent of her shape in the process. Sunset only now remembered just how fast Goliath was. While she had the capacity to last, she wasn't sure how she was going to best him.

Goliath came in for another attempt of stabbing her directly. There was no room for her to escape this one, so she tucked herself into a ball and wrapped herself with her wings. Her newfound limbs managed to deflect the tyrant's blades, sending him stumbling backwards.

With him thrown off balance, Sunset took this as an opportunity and tackled Goliath, pinning him to the ground and letting loose a flurry of throws with an angry grunt after each one. There was nothing else on her mind right now, just to stop Goliath by any means necessary.

But while her attention was paid solely onto him, a couple of the piloting demons appeared behind her and held her up by the arms, lifting her off their ruler. Sunset thrashed in their hold, but she didn't have much room to throw them off her.

Goliath took the time to stand back up and catch his breath. He fixed his jaw with a loud, shivering crack. While his enemy stood immobilised before him, he retracted the claws on both hands and balled them into fists, punching Sunset repeatedly in the head and stomach. In a mere moment, Sunset's strength disappeared and went limp in the soldiers' arms. They let her fall to the floor.

"You are dismissed," Goliath said to his underlings, who then left Sunset and him alone again.

Sunset wouldn't spend too long on the floor as her strength quickly returned to her, but as she threw her head up, ready for another round, Goliath tightly clenched his hand around her neck once more and picked her up, hanging her over himself. Sunset hit his arm with everything she had, but Goliath's grip did not give way. The snake then tossed Sunset's body towards the exit of the ship. She hit the ground hard and slid across the metal floor until she was sent onto the platform outside, barely stopping in time before her body fell off the edge. Before she could get back up, a foot pressed down hard onto her chest. She looked up to see Goliath bending down to stare her directly in her furious eyes.

"This certainly feels familiar," Goliath said, laughing afterwards. He caught sight of an incoming beast. Sunset tried all she could to lift him off her to no avail. "It is clear, no matter how much we fight, we're destined to see each other again. Even at our greatest, defeating one another is but a fantasy. So, I'll have the Wormillium be your end instead."

A smirk grew on Sunset's face. "Joke's on you, scaly face, it's not after me anymore," she explained.

"What?" Goliath's eyes widened. He looked out to the monster again and watched as it travelled further under his ship.

It was not until it was directly underneath that the Wormillium launched itself up once more with a fearsome roar and crashed directly into the final ship. The platform began to rock ferociously as the ship began its descent. Goliath's grip on Sunset was interrupted and he quickly held onto the safety rail to keep steady. Sunset made her escape and flew up high, watching all other demons jump out with their parachutes.

While the Wormillium tore through the airship in search of what remained of the scent, it suddenly retreated with a sound of discomfort when all that was left was the repellent's smell. With nothing more, the beast turned and wriggled back to its home beneath the lake of lava. The remains of the ship were then allowed to smash into the grounds below.

When the coast was finally clear, Sunset floated down towards the wreckage. She explored what was left of this dreadful vehicle, with all of its twisted metal, the torn balloon remains and the machinery that kept it afloat, all destroyed. But this wasn't what she was here for.

She used her enhanced vision to get a better scope of the wreckage, searching all around until she found a rummaging beneath some of the debris. She followed her eyes' guidance, and she was brought to where Goliath had just now freed himself.

His suit had turned black, he held onto a wounded arm, and he appeared barely capable of standing anymore. The fallen king looked across his guiding key to victory, reduced to forever be ruins out in the city's barren outskirts.

"It's over, Goliath," Sunset said, approaching the snake demon.

"A major setback, yes. But a setback is all it will ever be," he replied, not giving the decency to turn and look at Sunset. "I've already waited a thousand years. What's a thousand more? It will only pave the way for me to return stronger than ever."

He soon felt Sunset standing directly behind him. He hid his claws as he slowly extended them. "All I have to do beforehand... is get rid of you!" Goliath quickly spun around and swung his blades at Sunset with a final ten claw slash, giving it the most strength as he could muster.

However, the devil did not even flinch as she held up an arm to block his last ditch effort. As his blades hit their target, they all cracked and broke off his hands. Goliath shouted in agony as he stumbled back and fell onto the rubble of his ship once more. Goliath heaved, trying to suppress the constant pain shooting through his hands. From the ends of what little was left of his claws spewed out droplets of his own poison and blood. With his swords gone, Goliath was rendered powerless.

Sunset loomed over the hopeless heap. "You could try again, as many times as you please. I'll show up to put an end to it. Even if we fight forever, I'll never give up and let you win!"

Despite his pain, Goliath still managed to muster a grin and a weak laugh. "Then... why don't you just kill me?" Sunset's eyes widened at the suggestion, and Goliath took note of it. "Look at your face, you know you want to. The thought is just eating you up inside! To prevent future havoc, and all you must do is end my afterlife now. So, why not do it already?"

Sunset shook her head. "No. I'll never stoop down to your level, killing whoever I please just to get what I want. You're an irredeemable monster! And if you ever try rise up again, I'll stop you before you can even hurt another soul. Count on it!" She then turned and began walking away from the tyrant.

"You... You dare turn your back on the almighty Goliath?!" he shouted, pulling himself back onto his feet, almost falling forward in doing so. Sunset paid him no mind. Goliath used whatever strength he had to try keep up with her. "You cannot stop me forever! I will never stop aiming to fulfill my destiny! I will best every demon in my path, kill any who oppose me, and someday I will rule all of Hell! Just you wait!"

It was then that a spark of light appeared around Goliath. He tried to step out of it, but found that an invisible barrier kept him within the circle. "What is this?" he asked, pounding on the barrier in an attempt to break free.

Sunset only now turned to look as she heard the commotion, and the two watched when a dark cage rose from the light on the floor. Soon, Goliath was sealed away behind bars, unable to break or bend the metal.

Sunset stepped forward to get a closer look, but was immediately stopped when a pair of blue, cosmic patterned portals appeared in front of her. From these gateways came out two grotesque, gremlin-like creatures, floating out of their portals with the tiny wings on their backs, and holding long scythes almost double their own height. One was a dark green, and the other was ash grey.

"Goliath Hendrickson," the grey one spoke with a scratchy voice, "you are demanded an audience with the Lord of Darkness, where you shall stand trial for your crimes against all Hell. Pray Satan have mercy on your soul."

Sunset's eyebrows shot directly up at the mention of that name. She carefully approached the two small creatures from behind. "Excuse me, did you say 'Satan'? Who are you guys?"

"Back away, demoness," the green one said with a more snotty voice. He turned his head to Sunset, holding a hand up to stop the girl in her tracks. "We are the Lord's loyal guard-goyles. It is best you do not disturb our-" The small goblin's words were suddenly caught in his throat as he noticed the distinct new features of Sunset. The horns, the rough skin, and especially the wings. He then tapped the shoulder of his partner.

"What is it?" Now the grey one turned, with his jaw falling to the floor and eyes becoming ants upon sight of the devil.

The two then looked around at the ruins of the airship, over to the caged Goliath, and then back to Sunset. "Did you do all of this?" the grey guard-goyle asked.

"Well, mostly with help of a giant worm, but I helped guide it," Sunset explained, rubbing her neck.

"Huh," was all the guard could reply. The two then leaned into each other. "We need to tell the boss about this," they whispered.

Sunset overheard them, and her face lit up with excitement. She knelt down and grabbed a hand from each guard-goyle. "Are you going to him now? Can I come with you? There's something I really need to ask him!"

The guards looked at her weirdly, taking a moment before saying anything else. They then slipped their slender fingers out of Sunset's grip and stepped back towards the cage. "No, we, uh... can't really do that, but we'll let him know, I suppose?"

Sunset's joy fell quickly into disappointment. All she could give was an awkward laugh. "Oh, yeah, that... that's fine, I guess. Heh."

While holding onto the bars of Goliath's cage, the guard-goyles tapped the bottoms of their scythes on the ground in unison, and directly below them opened a large gateway into another location. The guards and Goliath slowly sank into the portal. With it possibly being the last time they'll ever see each other, Goliath casted Sunset a damning glare before he finally disappeared.

Despite his heavy loss, Goliath did not protest against his capture. As Sunset watched him being lowered, Goliath seemed to just lay, not trying to prove he was powerless now. He sat and accepted his defeat.

Sunset managed to catch a small glimpse of the area beyond the portal. It wasn't much, but her eyes were pulled towards a strange figure sitting upon a throne, hidden in a shadow by the light that shined from behind them. This thing had large horns, much like her, and wings, like hers... Sunset stepped closer to the opening, reaching a hand out.

But then, the portal disappeared, along with the snake demon.

Sunset was left alone in the empty fields of Hell, greatly dumbfounded by the events transpired in the last few minutes. She was unsure of what to do now. She looked towards the ruins that Goliath laid on, finding all that was left being his white hat, scuffed, torn and dirty by the crash. It took her a minute to finally process it. Goliath was gone. The war was over. They had won!

Finally, Sunset turned and spread her wings, taking off back towards the city.

The battle for Sinner City waged on, and with the arrival of Maggie and the gang, the resistance was able to ward off what remained of the army. The soldiers fell to the feet of the defending demons one by one. Even the ones that were beginning to get back up after being taken down, they too were falling to surrender.

Big Softie and Maggie led the fray to its bitter end, taking out the few soldiers left that continued to fight.

But then, all the remaining soldiers came together for one last clash, charging towards the Mayor's Tower in a final attempt to retake the victory. The resistance stood their ground, more ready than ever before to protect their home. The opposing sides closed in on eachother, until they were suddenly stopped by a new figure shooting down from the sky, landing right in between the two. Every demon looked at the newcomer as she got up to her feet and stared the army down with a fiery glare.

In her hand, she held up the hat once worn by the terrible king and let it slowly fall to the floor. "Your leader is gone! This battle is ours!" Sunset shouted. The soldiers stepped back in fear of the devil before them's roaring voice. "The city is free. You all have nothing left to fight for."

The soldiers all looked towards the ruined hat on the floor, realising that they have lost the war, and began to scurry away to who knows where. The army disbanded, heading in all different directions that not one of them thought about. Their goals, now, were to run and hide.

As soon as they all disappeared, a huge weight seemed to fade away within Sunset's chest. She felt that, for the first time in forever, she could breathe right again. Her furious stare was replaced by a relieved grin.

She then turned to see Big Softie, who was happy to see her return. "Did... Did we do it?" he asked.

Sunset nodded. She couldn't contain her happiness for much longer. She broke out into a sprint towards her friend as tears began to fall down her face. Sunset almost tackled Big Softie to the ground as she jumped onto him, locking him into an embrace.

Big Softie gave a hearty, joyous laugh as he returned the gesture, followed by him lifting Sunset onto his shoulder. The two pumped their fists high in the air as they looked towards the resistance. "Victory is ours!" Softie shouted.

The resistance erupted into a sea of cheers. Demons cried, jumped where they stood, and hugged their allies tightly. The Ogre gave a victorious roar, along with Johnson, which was followed by a very proud, "That's my boy!" from Plague Doctor. Volcano wasn't one for shouting, but even he couldn't hold back a grin from forming. Maggie and her crew began firing shots high in the air to celebrate.

Sunset looked towards the entrance to the Mayor's Tower and found Barbed Wire coming out. She had to hold herself up against anything she could, with her legs still being quite weak. "Barb!" Sunset said, jumping off Softie and going to help her.

Sunset wrapped Barb's arm around her shoulder and walked her towards Big Softie and Maggie. Sunset's bounce, however, proved to be a bit much for Barb as each step was a sudden jolt of pain in her still healing stomach. "Ow, ow! Sunset!"

The devil finally noticed what she was doing and slowed down. "Sorry," she said.

It was now that Barb could take note of her friend's new look. Barb couldn't help but give an impressed whistle. "Damn, girl, you're really rockin' it with the devil look. The whole horns and wings deal? Cool. As. All hell!"

Sunset responded with a cheeky grin. "Not so bad yourself, given after what you've went through."

"Even at death's door I'm pretty as fuck." They both then arrived to where Big Softie stood. Even Barb had to admit, it was nice seeing the big bull's face. "Surprised to see you still alive, Softie," Barb said.

Big Softie pumped out his chest proudly. "Yep, and I faired much better than you, no doubt."

"Hey, I just had some bad luck is all." Barb held her hands up defensively. Her eyes then fell towards the demoness that stood by his side. "Nice to see you again too, Maggie. Hey, are you and Softie back to...? Y'know...?" She made a certain gesture involving a stretched out finger and a circle made with the other hand while bearing a cheeky smirk.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Charming as ever, Barbed Wire. Definitely didn't miss that."

Barb chuckled, then turned to Sunset again. "So, guess that's it then. What do we do now?"

"I think the first step should be to fix all the damage Goliath and his goons caused," Big Softie stepped forward. "We still got a while before things start feelin' normal again."

"But what about the mayor position?" a demon from the resistance asked, throwing their hand in the air.

There was no response to the question at first. All that could be heard was muttering between everyone else, each now wondering the same thing.

Sunset, for one, was rather taken aback by the question. "Wait, you guys still want to have a mayor?" she asked.

The ground shook around everyone as the Ogre came up and knelt down towards Sunset. "War has made the Ogre realise something. The Ogre does not wish to lose crushing demons' skulls like the blueberry. The Ogre, and other tiny demons, think we should have leader who will try to maintain the peace." Surrounding demons murmured in agreement. "And we think we know who new mayor should be..."

All eyes suddenly fell onto Sunset, who was confused at first, but she quickly came to realise the thought on everyone's minds. "Wait, me?! You want me to be the mayor?"

"You saved our city, Sunset," Volcano spoke up. "In your time here, all you wanted was the best for all demons. We were just too stubborn to see it. It should be you."

"Yeah! Even though you killed Rattingsbottom!" a demon said a bit too cheerfully. The demon was met with a glare from almost everyone else, causing them to look at the floor and think things over again. Their head came back up as they pieced it together. "Oh... Oh! It was Goliath- Yeah, alright, got it."

Sunset was flattered by the offer. She almost didn't know what to think. "I... Thank you, everyone, so much. But... it shouldn't be me." She shook her head.

Everyone's faces fell. They began bombarding her with questions:

"What? Why?"

"Are you sure?"

"Wait, did she kill him or not?"

Barb looked up to her with a concerned look. "Sunset?"

Sunset passed her back a reassuring smile, then turned back to the resistance. "Do you see what you've all managed to do today? I didn't lead that. I only fought alongside you. No, the one more deserving than me... is Big Softie." She looked towards her bull friend, who froze at the sound of his name.

The street fell completely silent. Big Softie looked all around him, making sure if there was another demon right behind him that had his exact name. When he was sure there wasn't, he pointed an index finger directly towards himself.

Sunset nodded. "Look around you, Softie. You made this! At the bar, it was you that inspired every demon to get up and fight, just when all hope seemed to be lost. You stood at the forefront and led the fight. None of this would have happened if not for your great leadership! You still wanted the best for every demon just when even I had given up on the possibility. You helped open my eyes again. So yeah, you should be mayor."

Big Softie only stood at a loss for words. His heart and his breathing became heavy. He barely understood what he was feeling right now. "I... I don't know what to say."

Sunset smiled. "You don't have to say anything. " She then began to slowly clap her hands, all while chanting something in beat to her claps, "Sof-tie. Sof-tie. Sof-tie..." After a moment, she then began to raise her voice, and chanted faster.

Soon enough, Maggie joined in with Sunset, followed by another demon. Then another. Then a few more. Then a lot more! Eventually, there was an entire chorus of demons chanting with each other, "Softie! Softie! Softie! Softie!" Sunset even nudged Barbed Wire's arm as she could tell she was only mouthing, getting her in on it too.

Big Softie stood in the centre of everyone, looking in every direction and seeing every demon's eyes on him. He wondered to himself, was everyone really looking to him to take on such a huge responsibility? He wondered, was he worthy of such a thing? By the looks in everyone's eyes... by the look in Sunset's eyes, who wore a very proud face, he could tell that she didn't think. No, she knew he was worthy.

Now, Big Softie felt that, for the first time in his afterlife, he finally found his purpose.

However, all would not be well for every demon, as Goliath, with his hands in chains, was forcefully pulled down to his knees by the scythes of the guard-goyles.

Goliath was taken to a large throne room. The palace walls were built with charcoal black stone that emanated a warm glow from the red magma that coursed through the cracks. The fallen tyrant sat in the centre of it.

And before him, atop the stairs that led to his throne and hidden as a silhouette by the wall of lava that continuously spilled from behind, sat the devil king himself.

"The trial for the crimes of Goliath Hendrickson will now commence!" a snotty guard-goyle voice shouted.

"King Goliath Hendrickson," his deep voice echoed through the great hall. "How I have much anticipated this meeting."

Goliath could only look in terror. He couldn't move or speak, not even when he was pushed towards the floor by one of the guards, being forced to bow.

"Show your respect to the dark lord!" the said guard seethed.

The devil held a hand up. "Easy now. This man is royalty. Restrain yourselves of such harshness in the presence of a fellow king."

The small gargoyle demon stepped back and bowed towards his leader. "My apologies, my lord."

The king hummed in pleasure. "Now, we shall truly begin. Hendrickson, I have been aware of your actions for a long time now. I have seen every measure you have taken. I know it all. Answer this, do you understand why you were sent to Hell?"

With his body shaking after every breath, Goliath raised his head and slowly nodded.

"Death for most means the end. For some, a new beginning. But for you? You chose to live now as you did back then, consumed by greed and a lust for power. You spent the last one thousand years attempting to seize control of an entire realm. And when doing so passively was no longer an option, you killed many innocent demons to finally rise. Is this correct?"

"Y-Yes. Yes, it is... your highness," Goliath finally spoke.

"But it was not enough, was it?"

Goliath remained silent. He did not want to answer that question. He hadn't even the gall to look at his ruler, which in turn, gave him the answer he wanted.

"No, it wasn't," the devil answered for his prisoner. "When all was finished in one realm, you planned to expand your rule to all realms. Your end goal? This very throne." He could be heard patting the chair's rest with his hand. "In my eyes, there is nothing you could say for me to consider taking mercy on you. Wouldn't you agree, Hendrickson?"

Goliath did not waste time trying to muster up anything that could save him from a grave punishment. He knew that this was the cost for his loss, and now, he had to pay the price. Goliath nodded as a response once more.

A knowing grin grew on the king's face. "For your crimes committed within your home realm, I sentence you to one hundred years in a cage over a pit of fire!"

The guard-goyles returned to Goliath, seizing him by the chains to take him away.

"And," the devil suddenly said, his tone turning much more harsh. The three demons stopped and turned back to their immortal master. "For your attempt to overthrow me, I sentence your hands to be sliced off from your body! May you lose your greatest weapons and never cause further harm for the rest of your afterlife! Take him away!"

Goliath's pupils shrank as he was pulled away once more. He could feel that his arms had begun trembling. That it should come to this; the last thought on Goliath's mind as he disappeared in the shadows of the door he walked through. The doors then closed, leaving the king to be alone.

However, all was not finished just yet as a guard-goyle flew up beside his lord's throne with his small, boney wings. "Umm... sire? There's something else you should know," the gremlin whispered.

"What is it?" the devil asked. The gargoyle then whispered something in his big, pointy ear. With every new element to this little story he was hearing, his intrigue only grew. A smirk crossed his face as his underling finished. "She does, hmm? Well, well, this day has certainly become much more interesting. Keep an eye on her for the time being. I want a constant record of her actions."

"Yes, your unholiness," the guard-goyle responded, flying away from the king's throne.

With this newly found interest presented to him, the dark lord was keen to see how this would play out. He leaned forward and his locked hands together with keen interest, his elbows still resting on the throne's armrests. "Let us see how worthy you are," Satan said.

A few days later, work on rebuilding the city was well underway. It would seem that, for a time, order had finally been accomplished in the city. Though, any could tell it would only last so long, especially with the stream of new demons that arrive everyday that didn't understand what was going on.

But after working so hard already, some demons needed a wind down, and what better place than the ruined, yet still standing, Volcano's Eruption.

Holding the nozzle in his paws, Volcano sprayed the golden liquid into a pint and slid the glass across the counter. It was then caught by a pink-lemonade coloured hand, being lifted up and having the drink it held disappear in almost a second. Barbed Wire gave a satisfied sigh as she wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "You don't know how much I missed this!" she said, placing the glass back down.

Volcano took a pint of his own and slurped the drink down much slower. "Y'know, I thought I did, but bein' back here again, I don't know why I ever missed it," he said, his face turning into a scowl.

"Should you be drinking on the job?" Barb wondered.

The hyena shrugged. "Eh. No one's buyin' right now. Still too busy over there." He looked towards the crowd of demons shouting and cheering around a table.

The two at the bar couldn't look over everyone to see what was happening, but they had enough experience to tell exactly what was going on just by the sounds.

"So, what's her score now?" Barb asked.

"Hold on..." Volcano raised his paw, listening closely for the familiar sound of splintering wood and the cries of a big, strong demon. He counted on his claws: three, two, one... and then came what he anticipated, followed by the cheers of every demon around them. The winner of this arm-wrestling match was decided. Volcano turned towards the chalkboard on the back wall, grabbing a piece of chalk and drawing another tally under the name 'SUNSET SHIMMER'. "That's forty-six straight wins. I think she's after your record, Barb."

"I'll let her have it. Probably about time I threw in the towel anyway." Barb stared directly into her empty glass, looking lost in thought.

Volcano turned his head to the side as he watched his best customer stare into space with a nonchalant expression. "You okay, Barb? Don't think I've ever seen you look so glum."

Barb snapped back into reality at the mention of her name and gave a forced chuckle. "Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just... thinking."

"What about?" Volcano asked. Barb didn't reply at first, but it gave the bartender enough time to get an understanding. "It's about him, isn't it?"

Barbed Wire still didn't speak, but she did give a long sigh through her nose, nodding her head as she held it low. "Not just him, Sunset too. It's been gnawing on my brain for days now, but I still don't know if I can do it."

Volcano walked into Barb's line of sight. "You wanna tell her, don't you?"

"She deserves to know, but I don't get why it's eating at me like this now. I've done it before with you!"

"Difference is, you're not incredibly drunk this time round. Trust me, it'll be worth a hella lot more tellin' someone you really care about." Volcano turned around and began pouring another pint out. "Maybe it feels different cus he's finally gone and can't do nothin' anymore. If I had to say, you're about a step away from finally gettin' some closure."

"Closure?" Barb asked quietly to herself. The more she thought about his words, the more they seemed to make sense, she supposed. It was true, she had never felt anything like this before, feeling as though there was a part of her that now felt empty. But maybe it wasn't emptiness after all. Just maybe, it was freedom.

This managed to calm Barb's nerves a bit, but yet, she still wasn't fully sure if she was ready to talk to Sunset. Speaking of the demon-turned-devil-turned-back-to-demon, along came Sunset, suddenly appearing from behind and taking a seat on the stool next to Barb.

"Hey, guys! What are we talking about?" Sunset asked.

And all of a sudden, all of Barb's nerves returned with a vengeance as she became panicked by her friend's abrupt interruption, looking towards Volcano for an answer of what to do. Volcano replied to her plea by nodding his head towards Sunset, letting her know to just get on with it. In addition to Barb's anxiety causing her to sweat, she quickly, yet subtly, shook her head. Sunset was one thing, but to do it in front of everyone was an absolute no go.

Volcano rolled his eyes. "We're just talkin' about you tryin' to steal Barb's high score," he saved the situation. "You're about halfway there already. Think you'll go on?"

"Meh, I think I'll stop. Winning arm-wrestling matches kinda gets old quick. A Hellfire please, Volcano?" Sunset requested. Volcano filled her brew and passed the glass. "I barely lasted twenty matches without getting bored, and we've got Barb here who's managed to overcome ninety-two! I'm not about to take that away from her. Second is good enough for me."

"Well, thank God for that, cus I don't know how I'd feel if my own student overtook me," Barb said. The two demonesses shared a laugh and drank on. It seemed that she was safe for now, but as joyful as she appeared, she was still being torn up inside by the thought on her mind.

But then, a new pair of demons suddenly arrived at the bar. Everyone turned their heads to see a sight they never thought they would bare witness to. In came none other than Big Softie, sporting no longer his red tank top or brown cargo pants, but rather, a snazzy dark grey business suit with the shirt, tie and everything. And right alongside him stood Maggie, wearing a similar suit of her very own along with a pair of sunglasses. They both walked towards the bar, paying hardly any mind to the dumbfounded expressions of everyone as they passed.

"Woah-ho, Softie! You look amazing!" Sunset complimented as he sat beside her. "So, is that you officially in office now?"

"Not yet. I'm decidin' to wait until the city's rebuilt and everythin' is, y'know, normal again. Just thought I should show it off is all," Softie explained, twisting his body around to show off as much of his new wardrobe as possible. "Been tryin' out a new title too: Mayor Softie. Not a bad ring to it, huh?"

"It sounds perfect," Sunset smiled. She then leaned over the counter to look at the demoness on the other side of her big friend. "And how've you been, Maggie?"

"Not too bad, if I say so myself. Starting soon, I'll be the official secretary to the new mayor," Maggie said.

Then came Barb's head from across the bar. "So, you left the gang too now, huh?"

Maggie shrugged. "It was a sorrowful farewell to everything except the work and the boss. Other than that, glad to be fucking outta there. And it's all thanks to ol' Softie here for the offer."

Sunset wasn't about to tell her that Softie asked her first. "That's great! Glad to see you doing well."

The newcomers then ordered their own drinks from the bartender, taking a minute to enjoy their pints. And, before speaking again, Maggie took something out of a bag she carried and passed it to Softie, to which he then turned towards Sunset with the object in his hands. He held it out to her.

"What's this?" Sunset looked at a neatly folded square of leather.

"A little 'thank you' gift from the city. It ain't much, but we hope you like it," Softie said, handing it over.

Sunset took the square and held it up at the two top corners, letting it fall and revealling itself to be a brand new spiked leather jacket! "Oh my... Wow! Thank you so much, Softie!" Sunset immediately slipped her arms inside of the jacket and wrapped it around her body. It fit just as snug as the old one.

"And if you look at the back, we put a couple of little slits for your wings to fit through," Softie pointed out, now noting that Sunset didn't seem to actually have her devil wings at the moment. "...when you have them, that is."

Barb gave a whistle as she checked out Sunset's new fit. "Not bad at all, Sunny. I've missed you with a jacket."

"Me too. I've felt like part of my identity's been missing the last few days." Sunset looked back at the suit wearing demons. "This is amazing, thank you both so much!"

"Ack, it's not problem at all, Sunset. It's the least we could do," Softie said humbly, raising his glass.

"And it finally stopped Softie's blabbering on about finding a perfect way to repay you, so I'd say he did us both a favour," Maggie suddenly said, snickering afterwards. This garnered a laugh from the rest, aside from Softie, who's laugh was more embarrassed.

When everyone had about calmed down, Sunset took the time to look at the demons around her. Throughout the months Sunset had spent in Hell so far, through the highs and the lows, she endured everything right alongside those by her side now. Even those that currently weren't in the room, every demon she has met so far have made the experience an unforgettable one, for the better or for the worse.

It was quite something to look back on for her. With how things have ran thus far, Sinner City now felt better than ever before. When she tried to recall the last time she was called a rude name as she passed a random demon, she came to realise just how long ago that really was.

Going forward, things were looking up. She suddenly had an idea.

"Hey, guys?" Sunset called the attention of her surrounding friends. When they all looked to her, she proceeded to raise her glass in the air, looking between everyone's faces as she said, "To new beginnings."

Softie and Maggie almost immediately brought their pints up towards her's, making a clink sound as the glasses made contact. They were then followed up by Volcano, who knew for sure that things were not going to be so different for him, but he still did it in hope that he would, one day, be proven wrong. Then all heads turned towards Barbed Wire, who seemed to hesitate to even clutch her glass tightly.

She barely had the strength to, and she knew why. But if she couldn't do this now, could she ever take the next step she needed? Barb wasn't sure of the answer, but she did know that the opportunity now shouldn't be wasted, so she finally raised her drink with the others, and in unison, they all took a long swig of their drinks.

To the new beginnings, sure to come for every demon.

Soon after, finally back at Barbed Wire's apartment, which was still in a state after the initial threat so long ago, Sunset looked at herself with her killer new jacket in the mirror in Barb's room. It was quite a strange feeling, given how long she had worn the last one for, but she was looking forward to the times to be spent with this one.

Meanwhile, Barb just hung out in the background, looking at Sunset from her bedroom door. She wore a smile, admiring her friend's childlike wonder over something that, to her, seemed so trivial. She almost envied her.

But then, barely after a moment of watching, the thought returned as it always did. Barb recalled everything that Volcano told her. One step closer to finding closure, and this looked to be the final step.

Was she ready? Even after so long, she knew she would never be ready for this. But yet, she still had to try. If she wanted her own new beginning, she must finally come to terms with her initial end.

"Hey, you wanna know something?" Sunset suddenly said, looking at Barb through the mirror.

Barb's train of thought was interrupted, having now an interest in whatever was on Sunset's mind now. "What is it?" she asked.

"After I took Goliath down, he was suddenly taken away by these really strange gargoyle looking guys. They took him through a portal and..." Sunset then turned around. "I think I saw him."

Barb tilted her head to the side. This whole time, she thought that Sunset had killed the bastard. "Who?"

"Satan," Sunset told. She couldn't hold back an excited grin to form on her face.

Barb's eyes widened. "Oh, woah. That's pretty big."

"Yeah. I didn't see him for long though. As soon as everyone was through, the portal closed right in front of me, and they were all gone."

"So, that means that Goliath is gone, like, for good now?" Barb asked unexpectedly.

"Well, I suppose so. Why? Is there something on your mind?" Sunset asked, turning back towards the mirror.

This was Barb's chance, she just knew it. Her heart immediately began racing, and she hadn't even begun talking yet. She was really about to do this. "Okay, so, do you remember that, uh, rule I told you about asking demons how they died?"

Sunset didn't take her eyes off the mirror. "Yep, I remember you telling me that along with the other rules of Hell, to which I debunked that particular one with Softie not long after. Why?"

Barbed Wire rubbed the back of her neck as she pushed on. "Well, I've been thinking a lot lately, and... I-I..." As she drew closer, she found it harder and harder to speak. At this point, she received a glance from Sunset. Barb swallowed the lump in her throat and breathed slowly through her mouth. "I... figured it's finally time you knew."

It was then that Sunset's eyes widened as she fully turned towards Barb. "Are... Are you sure?" was all she could ask.

Barb found it difficult to look her friend in the eye, but she still had the courage to nod her head. "There's nothing holding me back anymore, nothing except myself. So yeah, I'm sure."

Sunset nodded understandingly and followed Barbed Wire into the living room. The two demonesses sat themselves on the couch as Barb prepared herself for the story she was about to tell. She got this far, the rest was nothing she couldn't do.

Barbed Wire began slowly, "It all started over a thousand years ago..."

~ END OF VOLUME I ~

Author's Note

Volume II coming soon! Until next time!

Volume II - Chapter 1: Reawakening

SUNSET'S HELLISH ADVENTURE - VOLUME II:
BETRAYAL'S GIFT

"...and the next thing I knew, I woke up in Hell, alone," Barbed Wire finished telling.

On a quiet afternoon in the suburban side of Sinner City, Sunset Shimmer and Barbed Wire were sat in the latter's apartment living room.

Sunset's heart felt heavy after listening to her friend's story. "Oh my gosh..." was all Sunset could say. She held her hands close to her chest. "Barb, that's..."

"Tragic? Yeah, fuckin' tell me about it." Barb couldn't help but to sniff. She rubbed her eyes and turned her head away from Sunset. "Sorry, by the way."

"What for?" Sunset asked.

"For suddenly dumping so much on you just now. You... you probably didn't want to hear all that already."

Sunset reached forward and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Do you at least feel better you got it out?"

Barb sighed. "Yeah? No? I dunno, it's weird. Like, I've held all of that back for a thousand years, and now that I've opened up I can't exactly let it all out now. Get what I mean?"

Sunset nodded with a comforting smile. "For what it's worth, I'm really proud of you. The feelings are not going to just stop after finally speaking, but it's a huge step towards moving forward. Don't think you should regret doing so, okay?"

Barb gave a small chuckle while rubbing her face on her sleeve. "Well shit, already too late for that," she wittily replied.

Sunset knew she was making a joke. However, her face fell. "I'm serious, Barb. It's a hard road, but it's worth it."

Barb gave a heavy sigh; she felt as though she messed up. She nodded. "You're right, you're right. Sorry."

The two fell silent for a moment with nothing more to be told. They knew they could just move on with their day, but the silence spent with eachother felt comforting. They psychically agreed to make this moment last for a little bit.

But then, to ruin a good thing, the duo's attention were pulled towards the sound of something light falling at the front door.

"Is the post service back up?" Sunset asked.

"Must be," Barb replied. She went to investigate and found a thin envelope on the floor by the door. It was addressed to her, coming from someplace, as written below her name, called the "BFA Police Department". Barb picked it up and brought it back to the couch, tearing the envelope apart and drawing out the note from inside.

"What's it say?" Sunset asked.

Barb read aloud, "Dear Barbed Wire, I know it's been a long time since we last spoke, but I'm in need of your help. I'm in the middle of a huge investigation and I can't handle it alone.

"There's no one I trust more than you, so if you can, find me at the Police Department in the Big Forbidden Apple. I'll fill you in on the details then. I'm sorry if this feels sudden, but you're the only one I can depend on now.

"Your old friend... Fetch." Barb lowered the paper and stared off into nothing. Her mind was completely blank upon finishing. "Oh my God..."

"What is it? Who's Fetch?" Sunset asked.

"An old friend." Barb slowly shook her head. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever hear from him again, but... here he is! And he wants to meet up again!"

Sunset's eyes widened. "Woah, that's big." She then looked at the address on the envelope. "The Big Forbidden Apple? Not sure if I recognise the name."

"That's cus it's not in the city. In fact, it's another city entirely," Barb explained. Her eyes were glued to the name of her friend on the note. "Before he had to leave, he told me this was where he was headed."

"And now, he wants you to go to... wherever this place is?"

Barb shrugged. "Sounds like it. He's the toughest guy I ever met, so if he's asking for help, it can't be good." She finally looked up from the paper to her roommate. "I have to go, Sunset."

Her devil friend casted her a worried look. "But, Barb, you're still healing. Going out there could be really dangerous. I can't let you do this."

Barb's hand fell to the visible bandages wrapped around the bottom half of her torso. It was true that she had still yet to recover from Goliath's attack, but she didn't care, suddenly standing up to pace around the living room. "I can't just leave this alone, Sunset. I can't just sit by doing jack while my friends are out there in danger, I'm not doing that again!"

"Barb..."

"I don't care if it's stupid. I don't care if I've gotten weaker now. I've ran off for too long, and I've failed too many people. This is something I need to see through."

"Barb!" The stressed demoness stop at the sound of Sunset raising her voice, who then proceeded to lift herself and approach her friend with a more confident expression. "I can't let you do this alone."

"Sunset..." Barb couldn't prevent a relieved smile forming when hearing this. But she forced it away when another thought crossed her mind. "Y'know, you don't have to do this."

Sunset shrugged. "I know, but if you're too busy trying to keep others safe, who's watching out for you, hmm?"

"You really are just sickeningly sweet. You know that?" Barb snickered.

"I know, but I always get through to people. Every time." Sunset ended with a wink.

"Fuck yeah! We're goin' on vacation!" Barb threw a fist in the air.

"What do you mean we're not eligible for a permit?!" Barb shouted to the formally dressed demoness through the glass.

"I mean you're not eligible for a permit! A permit and repellent is meant solely for the protection of delivered goods and expanding businesses across realms. Not for vacations!" the angry receptionist answered.

"I'll have you know that this letter was sent straight from the police department!" Barb pressed the envelope against the glass for the receptionist to see for herself. "It don't get much more official than that, sunshine!"

"Looks to me more like a personal request than a direct commission. Either you leave now, or I will have to call security!" the receptionist threatened.

"Oh come on!" Barb then looked back towards Sunset and pointed a finger directly at her. "You know who this is, right? You're really just gonna sit there and deny the hero of the city? She's the damn reason you've a job right now!"

Sunset just stood eye wide and frozen. Being used as an excuse was not something she saw coming.

The receptionist demoness rubbed her eyebrows, meanwhile her other hand was in a tense clench. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I must abide by the strict authority. No exceptions."

"On whom's authority?" Barb asked. Her patience had about reached its limit.

"The mayor's! So, I'm asking you for the last time... leave!" The demoness behind the shield tugged on a string and rolled down a set of blinds.

Barb was just about ready to break the glass with her bare hands, but her rage fuelled breathing caused a pain to shoot through her healing abdomen. She stopped her oncoming rampage before she would hurt herself more and turned to leave, but not before smacking a small bucket of pencils onto the floor.

Barbed Wire forcefully shoved open the doors leaving the town hall, and sat at the top of a row of concrete stairs in an angry huff.

"Well, that could've gone better," was about all Sunset could think to say right now.

"Who does that receptionist think she is? This could be a matter of utmost urgency, and she's preventing us from maybe saving some more lives!" Barb complained, keeping an arm softly wrapped around her stomach, ensuring its safety.

"So, what do we do now?" Sunset asked.

A devious smirk then crossed Barbed Wire's face. "Didn't you hear her? It was by the mayor's authority. Which means we've got one more stop to make." She then slowly raised herself to her feet and climbed down the steps. "C'mon, Sunny, we need to get busy."

Sunset followed after Barb and they resumed their trek through the city, with their eyes now set for Sinner City's greatest monument, the Mayor's Tower.

After ascending to the tip-top of the Mayor's Tower, the duo waited with great anticipation, having explained their situation with the man in charge of it all. Making it even better, he also just so happened to be a great friend of their's. And he was just about to give his answer.

"It's gonna have to be a no," Mayor Softie said.

The eager smiles on both the girls' faces dropped instantly. "Wait, huh?! Why?" Barb yelled.

"Keep your voice down in the presence of the mayor, Barbed Wire!" Maggie, Mayor Softie's secretary, responded. She leaned over the desk, glaring intently towards Barbed Wire. But before a scene could be caused, Maggie felt one of Softie's big hands be placed on her shoulder. The mayor said nothing, giving only a comforting look. Maggie then gave a calming breath and stood up straight once more. There was clearly more time adjusting to this new lifestyle needed. "Sorry, Softie."

Softie looked from his second in command and back towards Barb. "We've hardly got the city up and runnin' again as it is, and sendin' demons outside the city is mainly reserved for-"

"We know what it's for," Barb interrupted.

"Then you should understand why I can't allow it, especially while we're still recovering. We've no more stocks of the repellant and we still need to regain contact with the city's suppliers." Softie adjusted himself in his chair. "Look, I get if this is urgent for you, but even if situations were better, I can't let you go. When another realm finds out that outsider demons entered their land, and trust me, they will, they won't take too kindly to it. I just want to make sure everyone stays safe."

The two were disheartened to hear this, Barb especially so, but Sunset knew she needed to at least try get her own word in, "C'mon, Softie. There has to be something you can do. Anything? We'll be careful, you know we will."

"Believe me, Sunset, I do trust you, but there really isn't. I understand if this 'Fetch' guy means a lot to you, but it's just too big a risk that I can't take. I'm sorry, but nothin' can change my mind. Is there anything else?" Softie then asked.

There was a moment of silence before Sunset gave a disappointed sigh. "I guess not." She stood up from her chair. "Come on, Barb. Let's go."

Barbed Wire herself looked like she was between rage and sadness. She didn't want to start something right now, so she complied with Sunset, standing up and turning to leave, but not before smacking another bucket of pencils on her way out.

After shortly accepting that they couldn't break through Mayor Softie, the two left with dismayed moods, and took it to the one place they could find a semblance of comfort: Volcano's Eruption.

Barbed Wire had her head flat on the counter, meanwhile Sunset was off to test something out.

"Hit me with another, Volcano," Barb requested, turning her head to the side so she could be heard.

"Man, this whole situation's really gotten you down in the dumps, huh?" Volcano the hyena asked as he slid a glass in his most loyal customer's direction. "So, what's the plan now? Anyway for you to sneak out the city?"

"And do what? Take on a frickin' leviathan worm? It's a lost cause. Nothing we can do now." Barb grabbed her glass and managed to poor it into her low down, sideways head.

"Couldn't Sunset, like, fly you there?"

"We thought of that, but Sunny's been having issues of her own. After so long of not using her powers, it seems like she's totally forgotten how to use them." The two by the bar then turned towards Sunset, who sat at a distant table in the midst of an arm wrestling match against another demon. Sunset was clearly giving every ounce of her strength to move her opponents hand, all while they made no effort to retaliate. They didn't move an inch.

"She's been like this for a while, but only now is she determined to find a way to bring them back."

It couldn't be seen too easily, but as Sunset tried more and more to push down the other demon's arm, she became all the brighter red in the face.

"Come... on! Come on!" Sunset strained. She felt on the verge of fainting.

"Girl, you been at this for fifteen minutes. All I wanted was a drink," her opponent said, paying more attention to the bar than they were the game.

Sunset then finally decided to give in, giving her a chance to finally breathe again. She wiggled about her cramped hand. "Alright, you win. Drinks on me," Sunset said in defeat. She moved over next to Barb and took her place on a stool. "Couple drinks for them and me, please."

As the bartender filled up a few more glasses, he made sure Sunset could see the grin on his face. "I reckon you almost had 'em there, Sunset."

"Save it," Sunset said, holding a hand up. "I don't know what's wrong with me. One moment I can activate my powers as easily as breathing, then the next it's like I never had them at all. Sorry, Barb."

Barbed Wire placed a hand on her friend's back. "It's alright, Sunny. You'll get it eventually, and I'll be there to help." She then clapped her hands together. "So, let's start brainstorming. How do we bring them out?"

"Better question would be how these powers were brought out in the first place?" Volcano suggested. "Maybe their source can give some clues."

Sunset looked back over the hectic times her devil abilities displayed themselves. "Well, before I figured out how to activate them at will, they just sorta appeared either randomly or at times I needed them."

"Like?" Volcano asked.

"Back during my first night in Hell, when I fought Cupcake. Before she could pummel me, I felt the strength surge right through my arm, and I took her down in one go." Sunset then turned towards Barb. "Then there was the time with your old crew. Their boss was going to open fire on Softie, but I stepped in the way and deflected the bullet with my devil skin. After that was the fight for the city."

"The wings and the whole devil shebang," Barb chimed in. "So cool!"

Sunset nodded. "Apart from that whole day where I just arm wrestled everybody who came through the door, I haven't had a need for my powers since I turned back into a demon."

It turned quiet amongst the three as they all pondered a solution to Sunset's issue. They tried to find a link between each ability's origin. It was then that, out of everyone, Volcano's eyes lit up.

"Okay, this might be a stretch, but what if your powers instinctively show up when you are in a tight spot? Maybe we gotta give 'em a reason to come out?" Volcano presented his theory.

The two girls thought over the hyena's idea. It made more sense than it didn't, that they could say at the least. Each time one of her powers shined in full force, it was mainly during times Sunset herself was in danger. They now had a lead to move forward with. However, there was one problem with this theory...

"So, in order to get my powers back, we gotta... hurt me?" Sunset asked in concern.

Volcano twisted his wrist in a 'sort of' fashion. "Maybe not so much hurt. More like... put you in mortal peril."

"You sound strangely eager about this plan, Volcano," Barb said, her eyes widening at the potentially revealed dark side of the bartender.

"You two come up with anythin' better?" he asked. The duo were silent for a moment before looking away and shaking their heads. "Didn't think so."

Sunset continued to think over her choices. It was a long shot, to be sure. If her powers had any chance of returning, she might have to put herself in some serious danger. However, that last part didn't sit too right with her.

"Wait, say we try something and it doesn't work, I'll have just killed myself then!" Sunset realised.

Volcano held his claws up defensively. "Hey, it was just a thought. You're welcome to try, unless you think of somethin' else."

"Maybe it doesn't have to be that big a risk," Barb suggested with a finger on her chin. "Something that could really hurt you, sure, but nothing fatal."

Sunset's head fell into her hands. She didn't like this idea, not one bit. But what else was she to do? She reluctantly raised her head again, not looking happy with the words she was about to say. "If that's all we got, then I guess we ought to try. Alright, Barb, what's the first thing we do?"

Barb stopped as she brought a pint towards her lips. "Oh, I'm not telling you that," she said.

Sunset's eyes shrank. "What?!"

"If we wanna be effective with this, nothing's better than the element of surprise!" Barb now wore a suspiciously devious grin.

What did Sunset just do?

The next day, Sunset found herself lounging about the house. She still tried on her own to unlock her powers, but her efforts were as fruitless as ever. There was nothing more she wanted right now than to help Barbed Wire, but her hope was fading fast.

She tried to punch her knuckles together just for the hell of it, and still nothing. If this didn't work, she wasn't sure how Barb's solution would be much better.

Speaking of Barb, Sunset only now realised she hadn't seen her at all today. She looked over the couch and towards Barb's bedroom door in the hall. Barb seemed to have left it open. Peering inside, there seemed to be no sign of Barb at all.

Sunset turned back around and looked across the living room. No sign of life was anywhere. Where was she?

"Think fast!" Barb shouted from behind the couch.

Before Sunset could even turn around, she was suddenly smacked around the head with a blunt object.

"Ow! What the- Barb! What was that?!" Sunset shouted. She found Barb with a baseball bat over her shoulder.

"Feel anything?" Barb asked, oblivious to her friend's anger.

"Other than the huge frigging lump I'm gonna have? Was that seriously your plan?!" Sunset tapped the back of her head where the bat collided with it, checking the damage.

"Okay. Note: direct approach didn't work. I'm gonna have to come at this from a different angle," Barb reviewed quietly to herself. She walked away to think of her next plan, but not before getting care for Sunset's head.

After that fiasco, Sunset and Barb took to the streets. It turned out that citywide takeovers meant no food for the fridge, even after a few weeks of it ending. As soon as it was heard that places were reopening, the two jumped at the first opportunity.

It was now that Barb realised something she found really annoying: Sunset was a fast walker. Perhaps she was just growing unfit. Regardless, she was having a hard time keeping up.

She suddenly came to a stop, huffing and puffing. Sunset noticed, and turned to find that Barb was a good few metres behind her.

"You okay, Barb?" Sunset asked.

Barb waved at her assuringly. "Yeah, yeah. Just... hoo, having trouble keeping up. Been outta the game for too long now." Sunset took a step towards her, but Barb was quick to stop her. "It's alright! I'll be there in a second. Just stay there."

"O-Okay?" Sunset remained in place as she waited for Barb to catch her breath. Though, she found it a strange thing to ask. Almost like she wanted her to stay in place. Wait...

On the wall beside her, there suddenly appeared a small red dot. Then another. And another. They moved closer to her until they sat on her body, to which she then realised there were many more all around her. She looked around to find where they were coming from.

From the shadows of an alley across the road from her came a collective round of shots fired, shooting Sunset at blistering speeds!

"Ow! Hey! Woah! Stop it!" Sunset tried to move out of the line of fire, but the armed demons kept their sights locked onto her. She had no means of escape from the barrage of bullets fired at her. That is, until the ones firing finally ran out of ammunition.

With a second to finally process what happened, Sunset examined her body. No bullets actually penetrated her body, but she was now soaked head to toe in red, yellow and blue paint.

Barbed Wire then walked up to her. "Feel anything yet?" she asked.

Sunset only replied with an annoyed grunt.

Naturally, the two turned back towards home, and Sunset wasted no time to clean herself up. It was clear that she would have to keep her eye on Barb until either her powers come back, or when Barb eventually runs out of ideas. If all of her ideas were anything like the last two, then she wasn't looking forward to the miserable week ahead.

Sunset finally stepped out of the bathroom, free of all the firing squad's paint. She spent an embarrassing amount of time just cleaning her hair because of not knowing if it was paint or just her hair colour. Regardless, she was sure it was done now.

However, as she entered the living room, she found Barb just looking at her, casually standing in front of a small cardboard box.

Sunset raised a brow. "Given up on the subtlety already?" she asked.

"Admittedly, this one's a bit harder to hide," Barb replied, shrugging her shoulders. "All I want you to do is lift this box."

Before stepping even a foot closer to the box, Sunset tried to imagine what the catch could be. She constantly looked between it and Barb. "What's in it? It's not a pie attached to a spring, is it?" She was surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to pies attached to springs.

"Lift it and see."

That only made Sunset feel worse. She slowly took a step forward, knowing not of the consequences she may face. Could it be a pie, or even worse, a boxing glove? She knew that Barb wasn't going to stop until Sunset finds out, so she may as well get it out of the way now. Sunset reached down and slid her fingers underneath the box.

She raised herself back up and just about threw her back out immediately. The box was obscenely heavy. She could barely get it a couple inches off the floor.

Meanwhile, Barbed Wire stared her victim down with a confident gleam in her eye. Her test this time was just a shockingly heavy box.

Sunset had nothing to say, but she wasn't going to let herself be beaten so easily. She gave it everything she got, trying to straighten her legs out and bringing her arms back up to her chest. Slowly, but surely, she was managing to raise the box until, finally, she had it in a comfortable enough position to hold.

Barbed Wire clapped her hands. "Very impressive, Sunset!" she praised.

Sunset returned a smile, though, it still hurt to keep the box up. "Heh, thanks. Not gonna lie, probably your best idea yet! So, what is in here?"

"Bricks."

It was then that the bottom of the box finally gave way, and the rock solid blocks came crashing onto the floor, one of which fell onto Sunset's foot.

After a while of crying in pain with a now injured foot, Sunset took back her statement about that last plan being the best one. For the rest of the day, she was just going to sit down, and maybe now Barbed Wire will halt any new ideas until Sunset was feeling better.

However, that would prove to be wishful thinking.

"Think fast!" Barb tried the bat again.

Barbed Wire stood atop the roof of her apartment building, looking off into the distance. The outskirts of the city looked so wide. She wondered how long it would take to reach the end, if there even was one.

She had one last plan she wanted to try. All she needed, right now, was Sunset to finally get up here.

And by asking, she in fact received, as the door to the roof opened, and out came a slow, limping Sunset with a cast around her foot and a bandage around her head. After the last attempt, the only result they got was a concussion.

"Glad you could make it," Barb said.

"Let's just get this over with," Sunset said with a low and tired voice. She approached Barb near the edge of the rooftop, looking all around for whatever surprise awaited her. It seemed empty so far. "So, what is it this time?"

"Okay, so I thought over everything I've done so far. After every attempt of putting you in danger, your devil powers haven't reacted in the slightest, so I figured we'd try something different this time around," Barb explained.

Sunset raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Okay?"

"This time... it's not you who's in danger. You're job, now, is to save me from danger." Barb took a step backwards, closer to the edge of the roof.

"Where are you going with this?" Sunset didn't like where this was heading.

"Think fast, Sunset." Barb then hopped over the edge and let herself freely fall.

"Barb! No!" Sunset shouted in a sudden panic. As if on instinct, Sunset rushed over to the edge (despite her pain) and leapt on after her friend. As they fell, Barb looked up at her with that same grin on her face. Whatever joy or confidence she had for things like this, Sunset was sure sick of it by now, but she still straightened herself out to catch up to Barb.

Sunset grabbed her falling friend's wrist, and a familiar sensation could be felt through her body. They quickly neared the ground, and Barb was ready to believe this was another fruitless effort.

But then she suddenly stopped falling, and was hanging mid-air. The only thing to reach the floor were the torn remains of a bandage. Barbed Wire looked up again and saw a flying being holding onto her.

"I got you!" Sunset said breathlessly. A pair of horns appeared on either side of her forehead; her skin was as hard as stone; her eyes were as black as night, with her teal irises shining brilliantly, and, most importantly, her wings slipped nicely through the slits of her new jacket. Sunset had successfully regained her devil form!

"Sunset! You're flying!" Barb laughed with glee, which was met with pain shooting through her stomach once more, but even that didn't interrupt her excitement.

"In the nick of time too! That had to be your worst plan yet!" Sunset replied.

"Relax. I would've been fine. I called the Ogre to catch us if things went awry."

"Then where is he?"

Barb's eyes widened as she looked down towards the ground. Despite her instructions, the Ogre was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, around the other side of the building, a large, four-armed demon waited, looking up towards the roof as to not miss his cue. He tapped his foot impatiently.

"Where is tiny demons?" the Ogre asked to himself. "She said to meet at south side of building! Or... was it north? Hmm..."

The wrestler could not finish his thought as he caught glimpse of a demon flying overhead. He looked up and found two familiar faces soaring through the dark clouds.

"...The Ogre thinks tiny demons no longer need help." And then he walked off, pleased with his job well done.

In the skies, the girls had their sights set to the outskirts of Sinner City. Barbed Wire hung on tightly as she sat on top of the flying devil. The injured demon couldn't help but to look back at the city as the distance between them grew and grew. Soon enough, they were over the river of lava and officially outside of the city's boundaries. They really did it. There was no going back now.

Barbed Wire looked forward once more, and gave a long breath. "Next stop, the Big Forbidden Apple!" she announced, pointing out front.

"Right! Though, there's just one thing I gotta do first..." Sunset said sinisterly. Barb looked down in wonder, which quickly turned to fear as Sunset suddenly flipped upside down, leaving nothing beneath her flightless friend but the cold, hard ground.

"Woah! Sunset, what the fuck?! Let me up!" Barb shouted as she clung to Sunset's body like a leech.

"I will... in a few minutes. I gotta pay you back for all those tests, y'know?" Sunset laughed.

"That is not cool! Flip back over right now! I am not kidding!" Barb continued to shout for all the time Sunset let her dangle.

And so, the two heroines went forth to new horizons. They knew not of what lied ahead, but they did know that as long as they always looked out for eachother, there was no demon that could stop them. Barbed Wire and Sunset Shimmer; they flew to a new, hellish adventure!

But as our heroes venture towards their next destination, a sinister mystery looms deep in the underground of the Big Forbidden Apple.

In a large, cathedral-like hall lit by only a row of torches on the side walls, many demons wearing silver robes stood in line with hoods concealing their faces. They stood before a large throne sat at the far end of the hall, and sat upon this chair was a demoness who was quite small for it.

The demoness appeared impatient, resting her head on a fist as though she was waiting for something to happen. The taps of her claws against the armrest filled the silence of the dead room.

She sat still with her eyes closed, letting time pass by to the best of her ability. For the other demons, however, their own patience was wearing dreadfully thin.

"How much longer must we wait?" one hooded demon spoke in a harsh tone. "He should have returned by now!"

The eyes of the demoness on the throne slowly opened, looking towards the one that spoke. "Father was clear with the details. It's possible he's facing a delay. So, if you would please have a bit of patience, then this will be over much sooner," she explained.

"I still understand not of why he would place us under the command of an eccentric child in his absence," the same demon continued to speak.

The snide comment struck a chord with the seated girl. She lifted herself from her resting position and bore a grin, revealling rows of sharp teeth. "Lest you forget, little one, that I am the omen daughter. How do you think Father would feel if you spoke ill of his choices, hmm?" She gave then an ominous snicker while staring the underling down.

The speaking out of turn demon finally resorted to keeping their mouth shut. The chill sent through by the girl's tone reminded them of the power she had.

But then, a collection of footsteps approached the entrance to the main hall. All eyes turned to see five more robed demons enter the room, four of which were much like all other demons, while the one in the centre was much taller, with red and gold inscribings on their own robes. Their face was still concealed, but a long white beard stretched down the robe, and a glowing white stare could be seen within the shadows.

All other demons kneeled as the taller one was guided through the centre of the hall, atop the red carpet leading up to the throne. The demoness rose from the chair and met with the tall demon from the top of the stairs. She bowed in their presence.

"It's good to finally see you return, Father," the demoness greeted kindly.

"As it is, too, a blessing to see you once more, dear daughter," the father said with a deep, yet soft voice. He moved up the stairs and took his place upon the throne, which was clearly more suited for him.

"Was your mission successful?" the daughter asked.

Father hummed. "Unfortunately, we are still yet to locate the grimoire. But let us not dwell on the failures made now. Our time will come one day. It was just not this day."

"That dumbass detective didn't give you any shit, did he? Just give the word and I'll rip that spine right out of his mouth!" the daughter said, cracking her knuckles.

Father slowly shook his head. "He has not proven much of a threat, and I doubt he ever will. Remember, daughter, the civilians of this realm are not our goal. We only intrude with the souls of this world if they assist us with moving onward. Which reminds me, while we were away, we ensured to retrieve a gift for you." He used a hand to signal a robed demon to move forward, and in their grasp was a rope that binded the arms and legs of another demon. Mumbled cries could be heard beneath the cloth used to gag them.

The daughter gasped like an excited child. "Father! Thank you so much!"

"Do so with this feeble creature as you will."

The daughter gave a large sniff, followed by a satisfied sigh. "Oh, I'm gonna have fun with this one!" She then rolled up the sleeves on her jacket and then pointed to the demon carrying her gift. "You! Free its mouth and legs."

The follower demon complied and loosened the knots between the captive's wrists and ankles. Almost immediately did the prisoner scramble to their feet and try to escape this frightening place.

"I love it when they run!" the daughter said before she closed her eyes. She focused the energy inside her, her blood began to boil, and her body began to change. The daughter's skin hardened, her claws became razor sharp, and a pair of horns emerged from either side of her forehead.

It was then that she gave chase, zipping out of the room in the blink of an eye. No one dared to watch, but they could hear as a body was tackled to the ground, and terrified screams begged for mercy. It was followed by the sound of flesh being pierced and the cries turning into agonising strains, clinging to whatever life remained. After a few more seconds, there was complete silence.

The daughter then returned, walking so casually all while using her sleeve to wipe a smear of blood still on her face.

The father looked pleased, raising his arms as if to gather his followers. "We continue to grow stronger with every passing moment. I forsee that soon, we will have everything we have always dreamed for," he said. "Rise for the oath." At his command, every demon stood up, raising their heads towards their leader.

They all began to speak in unison.

"Relinquish yourself of the binds, and bring yourself forth,
Give in to the sorrow, and be reborn whole,
Curse all traitors for their breach of faith,
Forfeit lost hope, and become one with the Betrayed."

Author's Note

Welcome back! It's time we delve into part 2 of Sunset's adventure. There are many more adventures waiting for our dynamic duo and I for one can't wait to share them all!

Also, with a new volume comes a sexy new cover art! Finally, Barbed Wire and Goliath have been properly brought to life, and for a little bonus, this mysterious 'Father' character...

Chapter 2: To the New Realm

Far beyond the perimeter of Sinner City, the venturing demons, Sunset and Barb, continued their flight towards the Big Forbidden Apple. After deciding that Barbed Wire had suffered enough dangling upside down, the fly forward was rather calm. However, the further they journeyed, the more doubtful they became of the direction they were heading.

"So," Sunset awkwardly began. "How do we know where the city is?"

"It's said that a gateway separates all realms of Hell. There's only one road outside the city, so if we just follow it, we should find something," Barb said, pointing towards the long, single road far below them.

The two kept their heads up, looking into the distance, hoping to see something standing out from the barren landscape. And finally, within their range of sight appeared a near vertical mountain, stretching hundreds of feet into the air, and sitting in front of that mountain was a tall, dark purple archway coiled into a double-helix. The road they followed lead straight to it; it had to be the gateway!

But as quickly as the demonesses got their hopes up, they suddenly heard a rumbling from behind. Barbed Wire looked back, and watched in fear as a colossal worm raced in their direction!

"Wormillium!!" Barb exclaimed. She frantically shook Sunset's shoulders. "Fly faster, fly faster!"

Sunset, however, was not as afraid. Instead, she had a look of determination on her. "So, you wanna play again, huh? Okay, let's see which one of us is faster!" And with a big push from her wings, the devil broke into an incredible speed!

The Wormillium remained hot on the trail, craving the taste of unsalted demon blood. Even at the speed Sunset flew, the worm was still only just faster. It caught up, slowly.

Barbed Wire hung on for dear life, wrapping her arms around Sunset's neck like a rope, with the devil's skin being too tough for her to even realise. They were getting close to the gateway, but Barb peaked back to see the Wormillium almost beneath them.

"Sunset...!" Barb said.

"Hang on!" Sunset shouted. The devil turned downwards and resorted to making a dive for the portal.

They gained more and more speed as they fell, but the Wormillium had a last gambit of its own. It lunged forward to catch its prey. Barbed Wire closed her eyes as the two were inches between the gateway and the giant worm.

But fortunately, Sunset was only just quick enough to avoid the leviathan and disappear into the gateway. Left without its lunch, the Wormillium tried to break to a halt, but it continued to slide, and its head followed the demons to the new realm.

In a world unfamiliar, the orange sky shined down on a luxurious metropolis. The streets were active with demons fulfilling their daily duties or conversing with fellow others. The buildings stood tall, with signs and jumbotrons advertising all kinds of news, goods and businesses, all with the entire city sitting upon a floating chunk of land high above a vast sea of molten lava. This was the Big Forbidden Apple.

Across the edges of the city were a variety of bridges, leading towards different realm gateways by the surrounding and confining wall, and by one of these gateways, a rumbling could be felt, concerning nearby residents that could feel it. Many eyes were turned towards the nearby portal, watching as it began to glow. Out of nowhere appeared two small demons, who one of which seemed to fly for a few seconds before crashing down onto the bridge. Some of the city's natives came to the aid of the two newcomers. However, as they ran across the bridge, they immediately came to a stop, realising that the rumbling persisted.

The two strangers collected their bearings and brought themselves back to their feet. Feeling the shaky ground below them, they looked back to the gateway, which still had that glow, signifying that not everything had passed through. Knowing of the coming danger, Sunset and Barb scrambled to get as far away from the portal as possible, and right at that moment, a humungous pink beast began to move into the new world. With the Wormillium's terrifying roar, every close by demon turned and ran for their afterlives, screaming as the bridge around the monster began to crumble and fall into the ocean far below!

Everyone on the bridge managed to clear out, but the Wormillium kept trying to work its way through the portal. Fortunately, the leviathan proved to be much to big to fit all the way through, and was left only able to thrash around in the little space it had.

Finally in the clear, Barb and Sunset fell to their knees as they reached proper land, and looked back at the stuck Wormillium. They each sighed in relief, having so narrowly avoided being its dinner. But just as it all seemed to be over, a swarm of small creatures came flying overhead from within the city. The two couldn't recognise what they were, but they flew at an incredible speed within a big, black cluster of what looked to be close to a hundred of them. The swarm gathered around the Wormillium, forming a tight circle that attempted to squeeze the beast, and fit it back through the gateway where it came.

The entire crowd gave things a moment before officially declaring that everything was fine now, giving a collective chorus of relieved breaths.

"Okay, I think the worst is over now," Sunset said. She stood back up and finally processed her surroundings. It was definitely a much more eventful first impression compared to Sinner City. This realm was huge, and a lot brighter as well. The skyscrapers here may even be taller than the Mayor's Tower.

But as the two's eyes wandered the concrete jungle, they saw this realm's demons staring at them aghast. Their entrance seemed to gather quite the audience. Sunset and Barb glanced at each other, trying to think of a way to pass this off.

"You guys look like you've never seen a giant worm come through a portal before," Barb said, which was replied with the same silence.

Sunset and Barbed Wire just stood there, looking like complete idiots. They couldn't decide whether to walk away now, or to try quell the craziness. Before they could do anything else, however, the sounds of sirens approached the city's edge. The crowd moved out of the way, and revealed a police car stopping by the sidewalk.

Having lived before modern times, Barbed Wire only recognised the fact that cars were properly used in this realm. But for Sunset Shimmer, she knew all too well that police spelled trouble. In addition to police demons stepping out of the car, a smaller swarm of the small creatures flew out and suddenly grabbed the duo by the wrists behind their backs. In a matter of seconds, Sunset and Barb found themselves in handcuffs.

"Hey, what the fuck is this?!" Barbed Wire yelled. They were both held down by the creatures, which they now managed to get a good look at them. They appeared to be small, black imp creatures, with a toothy grin and plump little bodies. They had wings that looked much like Sunset's devil wings, but they flapped at the rate akin to a fly.

They were approached by a demon in blue, looking up towards where the Wormillium caused a ruckus, and back down to the cause. His expression was threatening as he knelt down to their level. "You two cause all this mess?" he asked them.

"They just appeared out of nowhere, bringing that giant monster with them! I saw them!" a demon from the sidelines proclaimed. The rest of the crowd murmured amongst each other, trying to get their own say of the situation. The officer, however, kept his attention onto the strangers.

"Gonna have to take you in for some questioning. Get 'em in the car." The small creatures then pushed Barb and Sunset forward, bringing them into the back seats of the police car.

The duo looked at each other worryingly, scared if they had ruined their chances in this realm immediately.

Sunset and Barb found themselves sitting in a police interrogation room. It was small, with only a set of chairs, a table and a mirror on one side of the wall. They were alone, only being told to wait here for the time being. It had been a brief moment of waiting, but it felt like they were here for hours.

"What are we going to do?!" panicked Sunset. She tried her best to keep her voice low, knowing the possibility that someone was behind the mirror, listening to every word they say.

"It's gonna be okay. Just stay cool, and we'll be out of here soon," Barb said, keeping as straight a sitting position as she could. A bead of sweat could be seen falling down her face.

It would be another few minutes before the door by the one-way mirror finally opened, and in came a demon in smart business attire, wearing a detective badge. His menacing expression sent shivers down the demonesses spines. The officer slowly walked towards them and laid his hands flat on the table.

"You girls really stirred up somethin' fuckin' fierce," he said with an ominous voice. "A giant worm wreckin' up the bridge, an entire block up in a panic with you two right in the centre of the whole scene. What's your game here?"

"The fuck you mean 'game'? You think we wanted to bring the Wormillium here? That thing will not stop until it's got what it wanted; we're the victims here!" Barb argued back. Sunset's heart sank lower at near every word that left her heated friend.

"Seems to me that you know a lot about this creature. And it's also a crazy thing that there's no record of either of you in our files. So maybe you cut the bullshit now and tell me what the hell d'ya think you're doin' here, ya couple of outsiders?" the cop near enough spat right in their faces.

Before Barb could say anything else, Sunset interjected by raising a hand. "Please, officer, you have to believe us, we really mean no harm to this city. It was just a matter of... unfortunate circumstances. We're really here for a good reason!"

"Well, then this better be one hell of a story, now." The officer took a place in the chair opposite the girls.

While the interrogation continued in the confined room, a new demon had entered the space on the other side of the mirror. A tall demon in the form of an arctic wolf. He wore a long, grey trenchcoat and a matching fedora, of which the demon placed on top of a nearby hanger. Surrounding the wolf's eyes was a concerning amount of grey, with noticeable bags underneath.

He came in expecting just another mundane day of work, meeting with another cop who just sat and watched the interrogation through the glass with a mug of coffee.

"So, what is it this time?" the wolf demon asked.

His associate just shrugged, not taking his eyes away from the action. "Eh, couple a chicks bein' suspected of trying to destroy the bridge with a giant, freaky worm. I think they're from another realm."

The wolf's fluffy ears turned up at the sound of them being from another realm. He looked up and properly focused on the two demonesses. He didn't recognise the one with the leather jacket, but the other one... with her blue eyes, the pink lemonade skin and that scar on her left cheek... Could it be?

The arctic wolf got up and made his way over to the interrogation room's door.

Meanwhile, Sunset was in the middle of explaining things to the police officer, only to be interrupted by knocking at the door.

"What is it?" the officer asked, growing more frustrated. The door opened, and in came the wolf. His sights were set directly onto Barb. "This better be good, detective. I'm in the middle of important work right now."

"I'm sorry, detective lieutenant. I just need a quick second with these girls, if that's okay?" the detective asked.

The lieutenant rubbed his temples and sighed through his nose. As bad a day as he seemed to be having, he still rose from his seat and walked out the door without resistance. "You got until I come back with another coffee. I need a fuckin' break," he mumbled to himself.

With time for just themselves now, the detective took the lieutenant's seat, but while doing so, he caught the scarred demoness trying to break her handcuffs. "Could you wait another minute, please? So we can get things done?"

"What more is there to talk about? And what do you need us for?" Barb asked, halting her attempted escape.

"What's the matter? A couple centuries apart do something to your memory, Barbed Wire?"

Barb sat frozen for a moment. Her eyes began to light up with excitement as she came to realise who this was. "Holy shit! Fetch! It's really you!"

A grin stretched across Detective Fetch's face. "It's good to finally see you again, Barb! Though, I wish it could be during better times."

"Why did you need us to come here so urgently?" Barb asked.

"It's a little too much to explain right now, but it's big. If I can get you guys out of here, I'll be sure to fill you in."

"If?" Sunset asked.

"Just be calm. Let me do all the talking. The lieutenant may seem harsh, but he can be persuaded if the intention's good."

And at that moment, the detective lieutenant burst through the door again with a steaming cup of joe in tow. "Alright, times over, detective. Out," he said, throwing a thumb behind him.

Fetch stood up straight, staring his boss in the eye. "Lieutenant, I want these girls as part of my investigation."

The lieutenant groaned upon hearing the request. "This again? Detective Fetch, you've gotta give this up. It's been ages since you've had a break. There's been no sightings of that loony cult in months."

His words appeared to visibly affect Fetch. The suspects could see the frown that formed on the detective's face, but he sighed through his snout and kept his mind onto business. "I know that everyone doesn't believe in me, but I know I am so close to a breakthrough. All I ask for is help, and that's why I, personally, asked these two to come here now."

That last sentence really bought the lieutenant's attention, his brow turning up at the ends, looking near furious. "You-?! These two?! Do you know the trouble these two caused in the minutes they've been in the city? And you want them as part of this case you've been, oh, so careful with?" he mockingly asked.

Fetch kept his face straight. He wasn't going to lose this fight. "I take full responsibility for the damages they've caused. I should have been more mindful of the risks reaching out to another realm. But I promise you, if we can investigate further together, we will get one, if not, more steps closer to finding the Betrayed."

The detective had said his piece. Now, he waited anxiously for his superior's answer. His paws were closed into tight fists, and he felt that his jaw could break if he was clenching any more.

On the other hand, the lieutenant repeatedly looked between his colleague and the outsiders. He had every reason to throw these girls behind bars and fire Fetch for his foolishness, but he was at war in his own head. He had to force himself into a final decision. The lieutenant walked up to Fetch and looked him in the eye.

"You're one of my best detectives, Fetch, but you've gone too long with nothing, all because you won't let this case go," he said. The lieutenant left a pause as he built the courage for his next words. "One month. You find a break in the case within a month, or you abandon it for good. Is that understood?"

Fetch nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. I want those two out of my sight, and keep them out of trouble." With his hot drink in his hand, the detective lieutenant turned to leave the room.

The wolf couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir. You won't be disappointed!"

"I better not be. It's my ass the commissioner's comin' after as soon as he hears about this." And with that, Fetch, Barb and Sunset were alone once more, each finally at ease as the plan seemed to have worked. Shortly after, the demonesses were free of their cuffs and could leave the station without further bother.

In the streets of the Big Forbidden Apple once again, Fetch moved with a brisk pace, expertly weaving past crowds of demons, leaving Sunset and Barb struggling to keep up.

During a brief moment with less demons in the way, the demonesses ran up to either side of the arctic wolf.

"I think some thanks are in order for getting us out of there," Sunset said, trying to appear as friendly as possible. "I don't know what we would've done if you weren't there."

"You'd have been thrown in jail. It was some luck I got there right on time." Fetch turned his attention towards Barb. "I didn't know what to expect, but finding you being interrogated wasn't one of my first guesses."

"I'd hardly call it our fault. A girl's gotta go what a girl's gotta do," Barb said with a casual shrug.

"I also wasn't expecting a plus one."

Barb's eyes widened in realisation. "Oh, right! Fetch, this is Sunset Shimmer, a friend from Sinner City. If it wasn't for her, we couldn't have gotten here."

Fetch pleasantly hummed. "Getting out of the city and outpacing the Wormillium. You must be pretty smart, Sunset Shimmer."

"Well, I don't know about that. I've only been in Hell a few months," Sunset laughed, rubbing the back of her head. However, while she wasn't paying attention, she found herself barging shoulders with a passerby. Normally, she wouldn't have paid much mind to it, but in that instant, a frightening chill was sent through her spine.

Time seemed to slow down as Sunset turned around. Her eyes fell on a grey demoness with shaggy, neck length white hair with black tips and a small bun tied on the crown of her head. Her head twisted round, staring at Sunset with a pale face and a sinister green glint in her eyes. She wasn't sure what it was, but Sunset could just feel something strange about this girl, like she had a completely different aura from everyone around her.

"Hey, Sunset. You okay?" Barb asked.

Sunset finally snapped out of her strange trance and turned back towards her friends. "Uh, yeah. Someone was just looking at me funny. So, uh, it's nice to finally meet you, Fetch!"

"Likewise, nice to know someone's been looking out for Barb after I left," the wolf replied.

"Heh, yeah!" Sunset played things as casually as she could, but she couldn't shake that feeling that girl gave her. She wondered what was up with her or who she was, but when Sunset glanced back, the strange demon seemed to disappear within the mass of civilians.

The three went on, touring around the city, with Sunset and Barb acquainting themselves to the new sights all around them, until they finally reached Fetch's apartment building. They climbed up the stairs and Fetch let both girls into his home. It was bigger than Barb's apartment, with the walls plastered with a brown, victorian style wallpaper.

Fetch took them both into the living room, with the far wall covered in papers with red ribbons connecting certain pages. Some papers had faces and identities of other demons, and others had a part of the city's map with a circle drawn around a particular location. It was clear how deep the detective was in his work.

Barb gave an impressed whistle. "Looks like you've made quite a dent in this," she complimented.

"Yeah? Well, it's hardly enough," Fetch replied. He took off his hat and coat, placing them on a coat stand in the corner of the room. "Drinks, anyone?" he asked.

"Just some water would be good, thanks. How about you, Sunny?" Barb then found Sunset looking closely at one particular photo on the evidence board. Barb looked herself, not recognising who Sunset seemed so interested in. "Do you know her?"

"She looks a bit like the girl I bumped into earlier," Sunset said. The photo itself wasn't too great quality, but she could still see the short snowy hair with the green eyes. But the strangest thing about the picture was that it looked like she had horns...

"Hey, Fetch. Do you know who this is?" Barb asked, pointing towards the photograph.

The detective returned with a pair of glasses of water, handing them to his guests. He looked at the picture in question, then over to Sunset with a worried expression. "You said you saw her?" he asked.

"Yeah, and she gave me this strange look, like she could see straight through me or something."

"Hmm, I think it's about time I filled you in on everything. Have a seat." Fetch gestured Sunset and Barb over to a small table sitting alongside the apartment window. The demonesses took their seats, while the detective collected some forms and placed them in front of the two. He began to explain everything, "So, over the last few months, there has been a series of missing demon reports from all over the city. We haven't been able to track exactly who or where they are, but eye witnesses say it's the work of a mysterious cult known as the Betrayed.

"The Betrayed is a legion of demons who swear revenge on the living world for turning their backs on them, all lead by a madman they call 'Father Betrayed'. Hardly anyone's ever seen them, and most believe they don't even exist, but they've been on the force's radar for years now. They've never really acted before the recent events, but we've reason to believe that they're planning something bad.

"Our greatest evidence involves this girl right here." Fetch tapped his claw on the photograph Sunset was looking at. "Her name is Lucy Deathwish. This picture is from CCTV footage of her attacking a civilian. She pounced on him and held him down like a lion. By the time the police got there, it was too late, and Deathwish had made her escape."

The wolf then slid another photo into view. "This is what we found on the body." It was a picture of the victim's face, which appeared like they were attacked until they stopped moving. But the photo had a red circle drawn with a marker, bringing attention to the victim's neck, where there seemed to be a bite mark. On four different points, it was clear that some teeth pierced further inside. "By the time anyone got there, it was already too late. It seemed like Lucy didn't want 'em moving again after she was finished."

Barbed Wire held a finger on her chin. "So, if this Lucy did this, could she have done the same with the other missing demons?"

"That's what we're afraid of. And if that is the case, those demons are likely long gone."

"They have to be hunting demons for a reason. Is there some kind of connection between the missing demons?" Sunset chimed in.

"There is one, but it's not definite." The detective then fetched a set of different demon profiles. The two looked between each of them while Fetch continued talking, "Some of the reported demons were previously diagnosed with a very rare condition called Devilitis. It's a condition where some demons have hints of devil's blood flowing in their system. Those demons tend to have unique quirks that resemble a devil."

Sunset and Barb's eyes widened upon hearing this news, and unfortunately, Fetch took notice of this. "Is something the matter?" he asked.

"We may already know a thing or two when it comes to Devilitis..." Barb slowly mentioned.

"What do you mean?"

Without another word, Sunset rose from her seat and took a step back. She gave a deep breath, preparing herself to do this at will for the first time. Focusing as much energy as she could, Sunset tensed up every muscle, pushing herself to her absolute limit! Barb watched in awe, while Fetch could only in confusion.

Sunset's skin hardened like stone, her eyes changed to pitch black and her horns poked only a few inches out of her forehead. But before she could go all the way, Sunset gave in and fell to her knees on the verge of fainting. She gasped for air for a moment before showing off part of her devil form.

"You?! You have Devilitis?!" Fetch barked.

Sunset nodded. "I'm not quite there at controlling my full form just yet, but yes. And by the looks of things, I think Lucy Deathwish is a Devilitis demon too."

Fetch thought over the theory. He looked between the photo and the devil that stood before him, and the resemblance was night and day. Lucy had to be one too. "Yes... I see."

"So, if she's hunting down anyone she can with the condition while having it herself, they could be building an army. Maybe this one guy got away and they had to silence him," Barb added.

The detective shook his head. "I don't think so. From what we've learned, the Betrayed don't just let anyone inside. This kill, it may not have been the first, or even the last. Whatever they are doing, we've got to put an end to it as soon as possible!" He pounded the table with a fist.

The girls nodded agreement. "We'll be right there along with you, Fetch!" Sunset said.

"There's a little issue with that, Sunset Shimmer," Fetch said quietly. He stood straight and looked directly at her with a cold expression; Sunset was suddenly frightened. "You being a Devilitis demon, you're a target of her's now. What happens when she suddenly comes after us?"

The devil was taken aback by the question. Her heart beat faster at the thought. Still, she had to be strong. "I would never let her hurt either of you! I may not have full control, but I'm strong enough to protect you!"

"But how can we be sure Lucy knows she's a devil?" Barb asked, standing in the way of the two.

Fetch's head snapped to Barb, placing his paw on the papers. "Some of these demons were never diagnosed. If it's only Devilitis demons they want, then it's clear they have a way to find them somehow, which means it's only a matter of time until she is next."

The room suddenly fell silent. There was nothing more either demoness could say that could make things better. It was apparent that Sunset's Devilitis may just be the thing that places herself and those around her in danger. But she knew she couldn't let that happen, and she wasn't going to.

"Even if Lucy does know, I'm not going to wait around until she finds me. We have to use the time while we have it, and work together to bring the Betrayed down!" Sunset stood strong in front of Fetch, who was not all too phased. "If she finds me, I will do everything in my power to make sure no one is hurt."

While surprised by her display, Fetch did not appear intimidated by Sunset's power. "Do you promise?" he asked.

Sunset returned with a nod. "I promise."

The detective and the devil stared eachother down for another moment before a grin crept across Fetch's muzzle. He held a hand out towards Sunset. "Then let's get to work."

A smile formed on Sunset's face as she confidently shook the hand before her. Then suddenly, a pair of arms pulled the two in close as their faces nuzzled into Barbed Wire's cheeks. "Look at my two favourite demons getting along!" She shook them both, which proved to be a bit of strain on her bandaged stomach. She immediately stopped as pain shot through her, of which she was aided by both Sunset and Fetch.

The team was formed, and answers could be hiding anywhere in the Big Forbidden Apple! It was a new world entirely for Sunset and Barb, but no matter what, they were going to give everything to help the old friend put a stop to the Betrayed's plans! And it all began with finding Lucy Deathwish, before she found them.

Deep below the surface, a pair of heels clattered as the sound echoed through the dungeon-like hall. The source of the footsteps would soon enter the main cathedral, walking past the patient, white robed associates. The lone demon would stop as she stood before the throne of their powerful leader. Lucy Deathwish knelt down for her saviour.

"My daughter, you have returned, and I sense that your blood boils harsher than before," the father commented.

"Yes, Father Betrayed. That false devil stood no chance against my power. Though, I still crave more," Lucy Deathwish said.

The father hummed. "It may be a risk to send you back out there without the knowledge of another source. It may be best that you remain here until we can learn more."

Lucy turned her head up towards her leader with a conniving smile. "That's the thing, father. I have found another, and her blood is the richest I've ever smelled! I can tell, it runs through her system hotter than any of Hell's magma. If I get my hands on that, we could be unstoppable!"

"I ask that you be wary, dear daughter. If you sense that this girl is so powerful, it is in our best interest that we are patient until you grow stronger. I will not put you at the risk of the devils blood's wrath. Should you intake a great amount at once, it would be fatal. I do not wish to lose you, daughter. Am I understood?"

Lucy's heart fell with his command. She was silent for a moment before giving a quiet, yet shaky sigh. She looked back up to her father and gave a slight nod. "I do, father." Her time may not be now, but she had plans for this newcomer. Soon enough, this devil wannabe would fall at the hand of Lucy Deathwish! She would do her father proud, paving her family's path to freedom at last!

Author's Note

Father Betrayed... That name is familiar...

Chapter 4: Hotel of Horrors

It was back to the roads for the team of detectives. After the information they were given from the junkyard monster, the Blob, the trio had more than enough to move forward. Where the Betrayed resided may lie in the hands of a demon known as Azure Wayfarer.

As he drove, Detective Fetch pondered over the Blob's words. "A place on the far side of the city... Someplace no demon would dare go near... Hmm," he said to himself, quietly. He dug out his phone from his pocket and passed it over to Barbed Wire in the passenger seat. "Look up the buildings on the opposite end of the city."

Without missing a beat, Barb gave the phone to Sunset in the backseat, who just looked at her confusingly.

"Thousand years old, remember? I don't know how to work that thing," Barb explained.

Sunset rolled her eyes and opened the phone's map, scouting over one side of the Big Forbidden Apple. "What do you need me to look for, Fetch?" she asked.

"The Blob said Wayfarer was going somewhere no one would go near. That means one of a few things: it's either abandoned, shut down, or it's got a real bad rep. I need you to read me anything you see, anywhere with a low rating would be good, and we'll try narrow it down."

Sunset complied and filtered the map to show everything with two stars or lower. There were a few places that appeared. "Someplace called 'the Cat's Me-wow'," she read aloud.

"Nightclub. It's a fucking mess there, but the place is always buzzing. Couldn't be there."

"The BFA's Sloppy Top." Sunset raised her brows upon reading that. She's shocked that place stretched further than Sinner City.

"Nah. It was shut down due to severe health code violations, but it's not good enough a hiding spot."

"Alright. How about Harbinger Heights?"

The white wolf's ears perked up at that name. He came to a realisation. "Hmm. That hotel has been long since abandoned. After a disastrous opening, the place was shut down permanently. Condemned, some said. But yet, it's said the lights are still on, despite no one going in... Yeah, it's got to be there."

Afterwards, Sunset returned Fetch's device and he set a course for the Harbinger Heights hotel.

After a while, they neared the end of their trip, pulling up to their next destination. Standing tall and close to other buildings was the hotel. Despite being abandoned, the place looked alive. Most, if not all, of the windows had lights shining through. It left the three wondering if they had the right place at all. The front sign told them all they needed to know; 'Harbinger Heights.' It was definitely the place.

Everyone exited the cruiser and walked up to the front door. Torn, yellow hazard tape hung on each side of the door, with a broken lock and chain laying at the foot. Likely the work of Azure Wayfarer. Without hesitation, Fetch opened the door and everyone ventured inside, finding themselves within the decrepit, dank...

...golden, bright, and shockingly clean lounge. Everyone was pleasantly surprised how well kept the place was; it wasn't what they expected at all.

"Wow, this place is... beautiful," Sunset commented, taking in the scenery. The place was lit up by a huge, golden chandelier that didn't seem to have a speck of dirt or rust at all. The walls seemed to have a fresh coat of beige, almost glistening from the light. And the red carpet below their feet was fluffy and smelled wonderful.

"Yeah, but keep your heads up. Remember what we're here for." Fetch stepped forward, eager to get the investigation going.

They pressed on, walking towards a normal looking reception desk, with a normal looking receptionist: a demoness with the appropriate red uniform and hat, white gloves, all while bearing a large grin on her face.

"Welcome to Harbinger Heights! To what do we owe the pleasure?" she greeted. "May you be interested in booking a room? We've plenty of our finest still to nab!" The receptionist moved aside to show the full wall of keys behind her. The crew looked across the rows upon rows of keys until Fetch noticed that there happened to one key not on its hook.

"Actually, we're here to visit someone. There wouldn't happened to be a demon by the name of Azure Wayfarer staying in that room, would there?" Fetch asked.

The worker's face lit up. "Oh, Mister Wayfarer? He just so happens to be our most valued customer! Yes, yes, you'll find him in one of our rooms at the peak of the hotel. If you take the lift, it should take you right to him," she explained cheerfully.

Fetch stepped away from the desk, brows raised in surprise. "Hmm, that was easy."

"Thank you for your help." Sunset waved.

"No problem! And if you have any issue at all, just holler. And plead. And scream," the receptionist said slowly, tilting her head to the side, all while she still had that big smile on her face.

The trio were oblivious to the last few words as they were already on their way to the elevator. They called down the cubicle and waited as it arrived with a ding. The doors slid open, revealing a prestigious interior, with gold railings and a spotless mirror. They gathered inside, and the doors shut behind them, leaving the receptionist alone on the ground floor again.

"That Wayfarer sure is popular today," the attendant said.

Among the array of floors to choose from, their sights were set on the lone button at the very top. It was pressed, and the elevator began its climb of the hotel. Nice and calm music played as the team waited for their destination, watching as a light travelled up the buttons, showing which floor they were currently passing.

"Y'know, for a condemned building, it's pretty damn clean so far," Barbed Wire said. "Why was it shut down again?"

"It was said that everyone who entered this place on opening day left screaming. So many reports of horrific sightings came in, but none of them lined up with any other report or whatever forensics could find, which was already little to nothing. And yet, everyday more demons would go in and leave minutes later. It could only be assumed that something supernatural was going on. That reason alone shut down the hotel entirely," Fetch explained.

"So, is the place cursed?" Sunset then asked.

Fetch shrugged. "Could be. No one ever found what was behind all the hauntings."

"I can see why this Azure guy would choose this place now," Barb added.

The lift continued its ascension. The light on the floor buttons was only a few spaces away until it was at the very top. The team prepped themselves for the interrogation ahead. But then, as the elevator passed the second to last floor, there was a sudden jolt that threw the team off balance, catching themselves on the handlebar or the side walls. The lights flickered for a few seconds before blinking out, trapping everyone in complete darkness.

"Is everyone okay?" Fetch asked, recollecting his bearings. He pulled out his phone and turned the flashlight on, finding his team picking themselves up off the floor.

Sunset rubbed part of her head where she's pretty sure she banged it. "Ugh... Yeah, think so. What happened?"

Barbed Wire listened out, noticing that the lift wasn't making a sound anymore. "I think we're stuck."

Fetch went over to the wall panel. Under all of the floor options, there was an 'Emergency' button beside a speaker. He held the button down and leaned in closely, "Hello? The lift has stopped. Is anyone there?" he asked.

The detective waited for a response. A faint whisper was coming through the speaker, but no one could understand it. Fetch turned his pointy ear towards the intercom and could just barely make out what it was saying.

"Enjoy your stay," it said. They were then met with an unpleasant screech bursting through the speaker! Everyone covered their ears to shield themselves from the painful noise until a crash was then heard, following with the speaker dying completely, leaving them in an uncomfortable silence.

Fetch groaned. "Looks like we're gonna have to get out of here ourselves."

"Leave it to me," Sunset said. She walked towards the door and squeezed her fingers as deep between the gap as she could. Using her devil strength, the doors slid open, revealing that they were only slightly above the floor before their destination, with the top of the exit reaching just below the knees. Sunset then opened the other door below them. There was just enough space for everyone to slide through and get to safety.

As relieved as they were after escaping the confined box, it would be short lived as they looked across the level they arrived at. The carpets below were worn and torn, the colours turned to practically black, with whatever remaining squelching beneath their feet. The wallpaper was turned to shreds, revealing the damp, rotting wood hidden behind. The lights above continuously swayed back and forth, barely capable of staying lit and hanging on to the ceiling.

The team slowly walked down the hall, taking in all of the sudden dreariness and horrific stenches.

"This is a little more of what I was expecting," Sunset commented as she caught sight of a dark hole in the wall, concerned by what could be hiding inside.

"Let's just hope there's a staircase close by so we don't have to stay longer than we need to," Fetch said, fighting the urge to have to cover up his muzzle.

"That's if it even has stairs anymore," Barb said, walking over a fallen luggage trolley.

There was a mutual uneasiness the further they ventured down. Any opened doors they passed led into what looked like an abyss, and among the dead silence, a light breeze could be heard, breaking through cracks somewhere in the building. Everyone was holding their breath, trying to give themselves some sort of edge over whatever might be hiding. But the longer they waited, the more nothing happened.

Barbed Wire constantly looked around for something to appear, but as she kept searching, she came closer to believing that maybe there really wasn't anything, and she took the moment to breath out finally.

And in that moment, a skittering was heard coming from behind.

Barb did a instant one-eighty as a loud gasp escaped her mouth. She looked back to where they came, trying to see what made that sound. However, the other two just looked at her confusingly.

"What's wrong?" Sunset asked.

"I-I thought I heard something," Barb replied.

With their backs turned, a click could be heard down towards where they were walking. Looking forward again, they saw a lamp shining brighter than all the rest above a door. A gold plate was attached and it read 'Stairs'.

"Looks like we found the stairs?" Sunset said, quizzically glancing to her comrades. With nowhere to go but onward, they pressed on, walking towards the stairwell. It was a long hallway. In fact, it started to feel a little too long. They kept passing rooms, but they didn't seem to be getting any closer to the door. "Guys, I think something's-" When she turned to her friends, Sunset found that she was completely alone. "Barb? Fetch?" she called out, turning in circles. They had both disappeared without a trace.

Before Sunset could even think about where they could have went, the lights above her began to blow out. From each end of the hall, a pair of lightbulbs burst one after the other until there was a lone light right above Sunset. She looked up to her only source of light, being surrounded by shadows.

She couldn't see in any direction, unable to tell if she was looking down where she came from, where she was going, or if she just stared at a wall. Above anything else, she was not leaving her spot within the light. It was then that an idea crossed Sunset's mind. She shut her eyes tightly, and when they opened again, her eyes turned from white to black, enhancing her vision with her devil eyes.

However, it didn't seem to help much as it still appeared that she was in a void. Sunset looked around for a sign of something, anything. And that was when her eyes almost passed by a distant figure. They were still a bit obscured by the darkness, but she could see someone was there. They slowly walked towards Sunset.

"Barb? Is that you?" Sunset asked.

The distant person snickered. As they neared the light, Sunset was able to see more of them. She could see the amber skin they had, as well as the ends of red and yellow hair... And then she saw their shirt, magenta, with a red and yellow sun insignia.

Finally, she could see her face. "Guess again," Sunset said.

Barbed Wire ran through the endless abyss.

"Barb! Help me!" a voice shouted from the other direction.

Barb stopped in her place and immediately turned around. "Sunset! Where are you?"

"I'm over here! Please, help me!" Her voice continuously echoed. She sounded like she was getting further and further away.

Barbed Wire didn't waste any time. She sprinted in the direction she heard Sunset's voice. She was quickly becoming exhausted, and it only caused great pain to surge through her abdomen, but she didn't care. She fought through the constant pain to find her friend!

She kept up the pace, dead set on only moving forward, to which she could finally see something. A square of light was approaching. She could see the red sky through it. And around her, it seemed like a place was beginning to form. The sounds beneath her feet went from running on carpet to laminate flooring. Walls surrounded her, and there were demons spread across the ground. Barb's sights remained on Sunset who was...

Barb immediately came to a stop. She felt like her heart completely stopped beating.

She could see Sunset's hand hanging on the edge of a window, hundreds of feet above the ground.

"W-What...? What is this?" she said, unable to move.

"What'ssss wrong?" a chilling voice whispered behind her.

Barb whipped around to the newcomer. It couldn't be... Standing before her was Goliath, looking down at her with his piercing gaze! He held his arms outward, and his sword-like claws were stretched out, preventing any way of escape.

"No... That's impossible. You're gone," Barb tried to tell herself. Her hands were placed around her head.

The snake snickered with his long, toothy grin, stepping forward while dragging his claws along the floor. "You could never rid yourself of me. I'm as much part of you in this life as any life, Heartwoven."

Barb fell to her knees as she held her palms over her ears. "No! I'm not that useless little girl anymore! I... I'm Barbed Wire! I'm better! I'm stronger!"

"Is that so?" Goliath's voice seeped through Barb's fingers effortlessly. In a flash, he was no longer standing over the helpless girl. Instead, he was now by the window, where Sunset continued to hold. "Then why do you still fail everyone? You couldn't save them, and you can't save her."

Her head snapped in his direction, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She raced back to her feet and lunged at the snake with an angry shout, throwing a fist his way!

But before she could make contact, the tyrant disappeared into black smoke, his snarly laugh echoing through Barb's head. She landed back on the floor and immediately scrambled to the edge of the window. She grabbed hold of her friend's arm before she could fall.

"I got you, Sunset!" Barb said.

"Oh, Barb," Sunset replied.

Barb used as much strength as she could to pull Sunset up to her, but before Sunset was saved, another puff of smoke appeared all around her. They appeared as black molds that slowly took shape. It was before long that Barb perceived the forms they took. Surrounding Sunset, trying to pull her down with them, were the undead forms of Barbed Wire's father, her mother, and Harvey Esther. They all looked up towards Barb with lifeless eyes as they fought against her.

"How many have to die because of you?" Harv asked with the spear lodged into his chest.

"You only manage to seal our fates," her mother spoke, with her head floating above her neck.

"And now, she belongs with us," her father said, with arrows stabbed through his shoulders and a long slash across his body.

Tears spilled out of Barbed Wire's eyes like waterfalls. She pulled with everything she could, but she could feel her grip slipping.

"Don't let go!" Sunset pleaded.

"Hold on! I got you, Sunset!"

"But do you?" She heard Goliath's voice in her mind.

The arms of her former family suddenly broke apart Barb and Sunset's hold, and Barb watched as her friend was pulled into the fall. Her voice reached Barb's ears no matter the distance she was. All while, Barb just sat there, unable to close her eyes or control her breathing. Again, and again, and again, she had failed.

"Could it be that she'd be safer without you?" Goliath's voice was behind her again.

Before she could act, a blade appeared through her stomach. She was picked up while stuck on the claw and flung across the room, crashing down and rolling back a fair distance. She groaned as she weakly picked herself up, finding herself back in the dark void. Yet, she could still see herself.

"Useless," Goliath's voice echoed. Another of his claws came flying out of the floor and directly through her bottom half.

"Weak," he said again, followed by another sword.

"Murderer!" Then, a barrage of claws came flying out of the ground and stabbing through Barb anywhere they could hit. Goliath's voice would keep shouting and repeating his words. She fought to resist as much as she could, but it would only open up another place for Goliath's blades to pierce, leaving her held up by his vicious attacks.

She couldn't move. She couldn't hear, see or even scream. Barbed Wire was helpless, and there was nothing she could do.

The blades began to retract back into the floor. Slowly and one by one, setting Barb down where she would only lay.

The detective stood at the end of the hall alone, his paw resting on the doorknob leading to the stairs. But before he entered, Fetch waited to see if Sunset and Barb would make a return. He called out, "Barb? Sunset Shimmer? There's no time to be messing around, we need to go." Despite his orders, no one seemed to follow.

Impatient, he decided to open the door and go on through, bringing him into the stairwell. It didn't appear as bad as the room he was just in, but it had clearly seen better days too. The lights that went down the stairs appeared to all have gone out, leaving the lower floors of the hotel in pitch darkness, while the lights leading up shined like new.

Fetch climbed up the stairs with each passing light going out behind him. He failed to notice as such as his sights were set on reaching the top. However, the closer he came, the more he realised he was nearing strange noises. He was coming up to the next floor's door and could make things out more clearly. It sounded like fire.

As soon as he opened the next door, the lights behind him had fully disappeared, and he was faced only with what was on the other side. Fetch was immediately hit with a wave of heat, causing him to shield himself as he stepped out. When he felt as though he was in the clear, Fetch lowered his arm and looked with what awaited him, and he gasped.

He was back in the streets of the Big Forbidden Apple, and the entire city was up in flames!

Everywhere he looked, buildings were reduced to ruins and pileups of vehicles blocked the road, all of which were consumed in an everlasting blaze. Why was this happening? The thought played in his mind like a broken record.

Out of the corner of his eye, a demon was crawling along the ground. They looked injured. Fetch immediately went over to aid them, holding out a hand to lift them back to their feet. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

The demon struggled, but they managed to place their hand on his, and look up towards him. They had a quiet, shaky breath, but they managed to speak. They said, "Why...? Why didn't you stop them?"

"What?" Fetch responded.

But before he could do anything else, the world around him began to shift. He felt like he was moving at a thousand miles an hour, all while he stood completely still. He finally came to a stop at a different part of the city. Standing in front of him was the torn down remains of the police station. He stepped towards it and noticed there were more demons lying amongst the rubble, all of which he recognised to be his colleagues.

He dug out anyone he could, checking to see if anyone was alive, but his efforts were fruitless. Anyone he checked, they were all dead. But how?

Fetch then heard coughing coming from behind him. He ran over and dug them out, revealing the lieutenant, who looked up at his coworker with near closed eyes. "F-Fetch," he said.

"Are you okay, Lieutenant? What happened here?" Fetch asked.

"I'm sorry, detective. We tried all we could, but... we couldn't s-stop them."

"Stop who, Lieutenant?"

And then the world began to move once more. Fetch stood up and watched as he raced down the streets. He couldn't see anything around him as everything passed in a flash, but he could tell that it was all on fire. Somehow, the entire city was destroyed.

That is when Fetch grinded to a halt once more. He knew this area to be the city square, an open area of grass with concrete paths which the citizens would walk through. There didn't seem to be much on the surface, but it is when he looked up that it everything was clear.

Above him, the clouds swirled around a dark hole that hung just above the tallest skyscraper, and from that hole emerged a legion of vicious, mutated demons coming down to wreak havoc. By the side of this portal, there was also a colossal demon wearing a robe with a hood over his head. A hundred foot long beard fell out of the hood, and his arms were spread out, as though he was embracing the gateway.

Fetch took a step back, wanting to turn around and run, but the scrape of his shoe called the attention of the giant demon, who now looked down to him with white eyes like searchlights. The giant reached down and grabbed the detective, bringing him all the way up to meet the leader of this chaos head on.

The inside of the giant's hood was too dark to see within, but his eyes were gleaming, staring down at the puny demon like stars. "Your world now belongs to the Betrayed," he spoke with a bellowing voice.

"N-No," Fetch tried to convince himself. He looked back down to the city far below him. From here, he could see that every corner was polluted with the fiery orange and red, with black smoke making it's way to cover the entire sky. "This can't be happening!"

"You cannot stop the inevitable," the leviathan father said. Now, he began to tilt his hand over, causing Fetch to slip off. The detective scrambled to grab whatever he could, but even trying to dig his claws into the giant's palm couldn't prevent his fate with the fall.

Fetch descended from above the highest point of the city, his screams being deafened by the wind racing past his ears. The floors of the buildings he flew by appeared as a blur, perfectly reflecting his own terror. He watched as the grassy square below inched ever so closer, the blades looking like they pointed up just to catch him. Finally, Fetch hit the ground, but he wasn't gone. In fact, he only felt discomfort on his chest, as though he fell from a standing position.

He quickly picked himself back up, and appearing from seemingly nowhere, the back of Sunset was now in front of him, sitting on her knees. Her horns protruded from her head; she appeared to be in that devil form of hers, but her body also appeared to be shaking, as though she was crying. Fetch stepped closer, now being able to hear the Devilitis demon's soft whimpers.

"Sunset?" he said, sticking a hand out. It was then he noticed that Sunset was cradling something.

She slowly turned her head around, her face looking petrified with her tears staining her cheeks. Fetch could now see that she was holding Barbed Wire who was limp in her arms. He gasped.

"I couldn't save her..." Sunset spoke. Her eyes were fixed on the detective, who just took a step back from shock.

His mind was racing. How could this have happened so quickly? Why was he not able to stop it? Even after all the time he had devoted to this case, was the Betrayed just always destined to succeed? Now, the world was gone, and it was all his fault.

"And now..." Sunset suddenly said. Fetch turned back to the near silent demoness. "...I can't save you."

Suddenly, Fetch was surrounded by a swarm of the monstrous Betrayed demons. They stared at him like a pack of hungry wolves. There wasn't an opening for escape. Before long, the demons all ran towards Fetch with feral roars. Fetch tried to run in a random direction, but the monsters pounced on him, preventing his escape. He gave it his all to push them off, but they proved to be much stronger as they gnawed at his body with their vicious teeth.

Fetch cried and pleaded for help, reaching out towards Sunset, but she just looked at him with their fallen friend in her arms. As more of the creatures stood on top of him, the world around him disappeared. His world, as he knew it, was gone.

Sunset couldn't believe her eyes. Somehow, she was face to face with herself. But this form of her, she knew it all too well.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her younger self.

"I should be asking you that," the other Sunset said. She began to march around her, taking in her demon form. "How does a goody-two-shoes like you wind up in Hell... and yet she still wonders why she's here in the first place? Can't just pretend I don't exist, sunshine."

The real Sunset groaned. "Believe me, I'd never forget a little brat like you, but I changed. I paid for everything I did and earned where I went afterwards. We are not the same anymore."

She thought she had made her place known, but she was then met with rude laughter from her shorter counterpart. "Oh! Is that what you think? Then tell me, why does that form of yours look a little... familiar?" she asked with a twisted grin. It was then that the smaller girl began to change.

Sunset watched in horror as the clone's body twisted and morphed, growing taller by the second while her skin changed from amber to red. She could hear her bones crunching as they continued to grow in size, with the other Sunset's hands going from small and nimble, to long, ghastly and sharp. Her wardrobe shed itself, revealing a fiery patterned dress underneath. Her smile stretched from ear to ear they each became pointed. Her eyes went dark, and her hair stood up before setting itself ablaze. And finally, with an uncomfortable squelching and snapping, a pair of wings appeared and spread out far and wide.

The clone grew into an unfathomably tall nightmare, staring down the real Sunset with a horrific stare!

"Look familiar, Sunset?!" her voice became monstrous and angry, and her mouth glowed as though it was filled with lava. With a maniacal laugh, the true Demon Shimmer raised one of her giant boots, and brought it down on top of Sunset. Luckily, she was quick to evade the attack and ran in the opposite direction.

"You can't escape from me that easily!" Demon Shimmer spread her wings out and slowly flapped them, causing a huge gust of wind with every push. She took off from the ground and made chase.

Sunset kept running as fast as her legs could carry her. She looked behind her and saw her giant demon counterpart flying directly above her, trying to reach down with her razor sharp fingers. She slammed her hand down, with Sunset leaping ahead to avoid it.

The demon growled. "You're past will always be part of you! You can never run!" A light grew from the inside of the other Sunset's neck. It rose towards her mouth and began to fill with something, creating a rising high pitch screech. She charged her power until it filled her mouth before unleashing a huge beam of fire! The monster sprayed it across the floor, but Sunset continued to evade the efforts to bring her down.

However, her run was interrupted as the beast's beam shot across in front of her, creating a wall of fire blocking her path. It was then she noticed that her counterpart was never aiming for her. Surrounding her was an inescapable ring of fire, with the giant Demon Shimmer flying high above her.

"I have always been stronger than you," the monster said.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore!" Sunset shouted back.

The other Sunset roared loudly and tilted downwards to dive. Flames spilled out from her mouth as she rapidly descended. Sunset charged up her devil strength in her arms, preparing for the leviathan's attack. The raging she-demon gave a horrible cry as she neared the floor. Sunset threw her arm up to attack, but as soon as the other Sunset would make contact, she disappeared into a huge puff of black smoke. Sunset looked everywhere in a panic, but her counterpart was nowhere to be found.

"She may not scare you," another voice suddenly said. Sunset quickly turned around as someone new was walking through the ring of fire. A grey demoness with shaggy, neck length white hair with black tips and a small bun tied on the crown of her head. She wore a black crop-top with a leather jacket similar to Sunset's, as well as denim shorts with fishnet leggings and long black boots. She stared directly at Sunset with an emerald glare and a sinister smile on her face. Sunset recognised her immediately. "But I know I do," the newcomer playfully said.

"Y-You're Lucy Deathwish," Sunset said, slowly walking backwards.

"The one and only," said another voice. Sunset turned her head and found a second Lucy walking up to her.

"So, you're the girl that's gonna try stop us?" a third Lucy laughed. "Gimme a fuckin' break."

One by one, more clones of Lucy Deathwish began to appear from all sides. A whole army surrounded her, mocking and laughing at her.

Quickly, Sunset was at the end of her patience. "Did you all come here just to call me names or what?"

One Lucy tapped her chin, and then pointed up with a smile. "Well, how is this for upping the ante?" She then snapped her fingers, which didn't seem to do anything from what Sunset could tell.

"Sunset!" Sunset suddenly heard the panicked voice of Barbed Wire say. She found that one of the Lucy's had her arm around Barb's neck, holding her captive. She held a sharp claw up to Barb's face.

"Let her go," Sunset demanded.

The one Lucy just gave her a snicker as she slowly inched her finger closer to Barb's face. Sunset took a step towards them, but that only signaled the captor to start dragging her claw down Barb's cheek, prompting Sunset to stop where she was. A small trail of blood ran down the side of Barb's face, which was then licked up by a slender tongue. Lucy gave a satisfied sigh.

"You sick freaks! Let her go, now!" Sunset was beginning to get very angry.

"Or what? You know you can't save her. In fact, why don't I just do us both a favour and cut the tension." Lucy moved her claw down to Barb's neck now.

"Wait-!"

But without hesitating, Lucy instantly slit Barbed Wire's throat! She let the defenseless demoness free of her grasp and collapse onto the floor as she drowned in her own blood! All at once, the Lucy clones broke down into fits of laughter, slapping their knees and elbowing the clone next to them; they were having a ball. Sunset fell to her knees, and held her head as tears began to flood from her eyes. This demon, she was a monster. Sunset breathed really hard and heavily. She had not felt something like this in a long time.

Pure, unbridled, rage!

She turned her sights up to the clone that finished her friend, her face contorted with anger, and leapt over to attack her. Time seemed to slow down as she flew towards her first target. She watched as the joy from the clone's face disappeared and turned into fear. Sunset through a fist her at her, with that Lucy turning into smoke like the clone of herself did.

Silence befell the legion of Lucy's as they watched one of their own dissipate. They all started to run towards Sunset, but she wasn't finished just yet. As each and every Lucy came at her, Sunset would turn to whoever was closest and fought off each and every one of them. The number of clones dwindled, meanwhile Sunset had yet to falter.

She was down to the last few. None of them seemed to put up much of a fight, but she didn't care. She just wanted these things gone. She had her eyes on the last one. Her balled hand flew towards like an arrow from a bow, but before the fight could be won, the final clone managed to catch her hand.

The last Lucy looked at her mockingly, but Sunset didn't waste time and used her other hand to punch her in the stomach. Lucy was winded by the blow and stepped back, clutching her bottom half in pain. Sunset still had the same amount of fury in her eyes as she slowly approached her enemy. However, instead of mocking her or attacking, Lucy opted to run back through the fire, leaving Sunset to herself.

The anger inside of her seemed to disappear immediately as her mind went back to Barb. She looked around for her body, but she found nothing. Barb was gone, somehow.

In fact, nothing at all was happening anymore. Even the ring of fire had extinguished, leaving Sunset in just a dark, empty realm. She was sure she still had her devil eyes active and looked around for potentially a way out. It was then that she looked up and noticed something strange.

Floating above her was a wobbly, near-transparent outline of something. Sunset stepped forward in order to get a closer look. It certainly looked like some kind of figure.

"Hey," Sunset called out. She tried to wave at it. "I can see you."

The figure appeared to react to her, as it jolted back flew away from her.

"Hey, wait!" Sunset chased it down. This was the one thing in this entire place that didn't want her dead. She figured that it must have some sort of answer. The flying person wasn't in the mood for talking, however, as it clicked it's fingers and the hands of the giant Demon Shimmer erupted from out the ground. They each slammed down, trying to stop Sunset in her tracks, but the demoness was able to weave between the offending arms and continued going after the runaway.

"Stop!" Sunset shouted.

But it didn't listen. Instead, the elevated escapist clicked its fingers again, summoning a literal wave of Lucy Deathwishes her way. Every single Lucy laughed like psychos as thousands of hands reached out to grab the chaser. Sunset groaned in annoyance, but she prepared herself for the stunt she was about to achieve. She dove into the wave like a swimmer, with the Lucys she pushed past disappearing as she rocketed through. The runaway may have thought it successfully stopped her with that move, for Sunset to then emerge from the other side and continue her pursuit.

"Come on! Just- Ah... Just stop already!" Sunset could feel a stitch in her side.

"Urrgh! Fine!" the runaway finally said. It stopped right in its tracks and clicked its fingers and. Instead of convoking another nightmarish monstrosity, the surrounding darkness reverted back to the dank hotel hallway.

Sunset was more than relieved to finally be back in the real world, only to be immediately caught off guard as the figure that was running from her was none other than the hotel attendant. She was noticeably transparent, Sunset could see.

"You?! You were behind this all along?" Sunset said.

"Maybe. But you didn't have to go and ruin all the fun like that!" the ghostly attendant complained.

"That's what you call 'fun'? I almost had a heart attack in there! What part of that sounds like-?" Before she could finish that thought, though, Sunset had a realisation. "It was you. You were the reason this hotel shut down. You scared everyone away back then."

The attendant rubbed her arm shamefully. "I didn't mean to get the hotel closed down. It's not my fault everyone's a bunch of fucking pansies!" Her expression instantly turned angry.

Sunset held her arms up defensively. "Hey, woah, woah! I get that you might find that fun, but you've caused a whole lot of trouble and I think you've got to realise when people would rather the line be drawn." During her lesson, Sunset could see through the ghost and found Barb and Fetch laying on the floor amidst a panic. "I would like you to free my friends now."

The ghoul rudely snickered. "Why? They're the best play things I've had in years. Their fears are beautiful!"

"Free them. Now." Sunset's face turned stern.

Even as a ghost, she still felt threatened by Sunset's aura. So, she gave a disappointed sigh and clicked her fingers. "Fine," she said. After that, she descended through the floor. "You're worse than that other demon."

Sunset ran over to her friends and tried to shake them out of their nightmares. She went to Barb first, who appeared to be quietly sobbing while whispering, "Please, please, please," to herself.

"Barb, it's okay. Wake up," Sunset told her. As soon as she placed a hand on her shoulder, Barb instantly reeled back with a scared shout. But she quickly softened when she saw her friend in front of her all fine and well.

"Sunset?" Barb said. She then dragged Sunset into a tight hug. "You're okay! Thank goodness!"

"It's alright, Barb. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. You're safe." Sunset rubbed her back comfortingly. She didn't know what happened, but Sunset could tell her friend needed a moment, so she gave her all the time she needed. When Barb was ready, she let go of Sunset and they moved over to Fetch, who had a similar reaction as soon as they touched him.

Fetch looked between the girls, breathing rapidly. In time, though, he realised he was back down to reality. "Barb, you're... You're both okay!" Barb and Sunset held their hands out to pull the detective to his feet, to which Barb then wrapped her arms around the arctic wolf. "What happened?" he asked.

"That hotel attendant turned out to be a spirit and forced us to live through our own horrible nightmares, all for its own pleasure," Sunset explained. "But it's gone now; we should be fine from here on out."

"Then let's not sit on our asses much longer. We've got a demon to find." Even as Fetch said this, Barb didn't want to let go of him just yet. "Once you've finally decided you're done."

The team finally made their way to the top floor. It was a little more well kept together than the others, but it wasn't saying much. That wasn't what mattered though, as they spied Azure Wayfarer's door number. They had finally arrived!

But before they could reach their target's room, the door opened with a long, drawn out creak, and out came the last thing they could have expected. Without a care in the world marched Lucy Deathwish! She immediately noticed the trio on her way out and gave them an innocent wave with a wink. All of them noticed that there was a red stain surrounding her lips.

Lucy approached the wall in front of her and punched a gaping hole in it. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at the team and giving them a thumbs down before letting herself freely fall out of the hotel.

Barb and Sunset were left stunned by the sudden act, but Fetch wasted no time to charge straight into the room Lucy came out of. When he went inside, he almost felt like his heart stopped.

The room was in tatters, furniture was knocked over or smashed, and right in the center of the bed, surrounded by a pool of his own blood, was the body that he could only guess of Azure Wayfarer. His face was torn to shreds, making him completely unrecognisable, and there was a bite mark on the side of his neck.

Barb and Sunset entered after Fetch, each of them gasping as they saw the scene too.

"I-Is that...?" Barb hesitantly asked.

"No, it can't be," Sunset said, covering her mouth.

Fetch couldn't take his eyes off his target. Somehow, despite Wayfarer's effort to go into hiding, Lucy managed to track him down. The Betrayed had managed to beat them to it. "We're too late," Fetch said.

Author's Note

I was gonna hold this chapter off until the 4th anniversary of this story, but I couldn't wait another week, so here's the chapter now!

But seriously, how is it that this story is already 4 years old?! And yet this is only chapter 19?

Well, we work at our own paces I guess, but man, this story is gonna go on forever at this rate. Still though, I'm so happy that even after all this time later, I'm still so pumped to be working on this story more.

And on top of that, you guys who have stuck through all this time! I don't deserve such a patient audience, but I thank you endlessly for your support! Hopefully it won't be another 4 years until this adventure is complete, but only time will tell.

Before I go though, I wanna bring attention to THIS INSANE FANART by Wrangle Wolfe! Based on the fight between Sunset and Big Softie from way back! Never did I ever think that something I've made would inspire someone to make art based on it, but I'm looking at it and... I'm just so incredibly honoured. It's been a long road for me and this story so far, but having this just reminds me that not a single moment of it was a waste. Thank you so much, you absolute legend!

Happy (nearly) 4 years! See you for the 20th chapter!

Chapter 5: Close Encounter

Throughout the streets of the Big Forbidden Apple, the demon citizens thoughtlessly walked through their afterlives, enjoying the good times or passing by the little times without a care in the world. As far as anyone was aware, there was nothing new awaiting this life.

However, hidden deep below, somewhere no demon could ever find, a dark plot brews, and it all began with Lucy Deathwish, the Omen Daughter. The Devilitis demon entered the main hall where the Betrayed resided. It was empty of followers, bar a select few that stood by their leader, Father Betrayed. Lucy knelt before her father as he sat on his throne.

"You have been gone for a long time, daughter," Father Betrayed spoke.

"I'm sorry, father, I was just taking care of some business regarding one of those escaped false devils," Lucy replied.

Father gave a disappointed hum. "I asked of you to remain here. I demand you not be so careless."

Lucy lifted her head up to her leader. "But, father, I got him!" She looked down at her wrist with a clenched hand. "His blood runs through me now. There's no need for concern."

"There is plenty need for concern!" Father's voice grew. "We cannot risk anything happening to you as we draw closer to our time."

"If you're talking about that girl, I saw her while hunting for the other guy. She was scared stiff as soon as she saw me. No way someone like her poses a threat to us." Lucy recalled the blow that girl gave her at the hotel. It hurt a little more than she had anticipated.

"If her blood is as rich as you describe, then she may well be a formidable threat, and if you have encountered her, this means that she may be following you. I will not allow you to venture the surface anymore."

Lucy stood up straight and looked at her father with shocked eyes. "But there are hardly anymore false devils with blood worth a damn to find out there. I'm the only one who can easily sniff them out. You can't keep me here!"

"I must, Lucy. I foresee dark times ahead. My visions, they all include her. I am afraid you are not ready to face her. You are just not strong enough," Father Betrayed told her directly.

Lucy stood still with her mouth agape, as though she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Her lips slowly came up into a grin, silently laughing, which grew louder with her anger. "Strong enough. You think I am not strong enough? I am the Omen Daughter. I am the key that will lead us to victory, and after everything, I'm not strong enough?" In an instant, Lucy's face contorted into rage as she turned around and kicked the seats behind her into splinters for everyone to see.

The followers beside Father flinched as her furious gaze moved towards them. However, Father Betrayed remained unwavering.

"I'm one of the most powerful demons in all the city. All of Hell! And if you can't see that, then I'm gonna fucking prove it!" She stormed out of the hall afterwards, leaving the others to face the result of her outburst.

The hooded demons looked to their leader. "Father, are you alright?" one of them asked.

"Fret not, my children. Our path is written and will not be faltered. How Lucy proceeds is her quill now. We must wait to see what decision she makes."

A few days had passed since the team of detectives' encounter with Lucy Deathwish at Harbinger Heights. A day spent following a trail that would lead to the greatest break in the Betrayed case thrown to the waste, all because they were just a little too slow.

They were all shaken up after the events at the hotel, not just because of their opponent. Those visions they witnessed, pulling from the deepest, darkest corners of their soul, and bringing them out to what they couldn't tell apart from reality, none of them knew how to progress with the new thoughts on their minds.

Everyone sat at Fetch's table, with the detective holding his head in his hands. Barb appeared to be lost in thought, while Sunset tapped a claw on the table.

"What are we going to do?" Sunset asked, breaking the others out of their trance.

Fetch sighed. "I don't know. We're back to square fucking one. That bitch beat us to it. We've got nothing now."

"What about the Blob?" Barbed Wire suggested. "Maybe he could help again?"

"The guy doesn't even remember his own name. We got everything we could out of him." The detective stood up and went over to his evidence board. "I just can't understand how these guys can operate with such discretion, yet let themselves be known at the same time. I've searched every possible place they could be, and still nothing! At this rate, we'll never find anything before our deadline."

Then, Fetch's phone began to ring. He pulled his device out of his pocket and read the caller ID. It was the lieutenant. He pressed answer and put the phone up to his ear. "Lieutenant, is there a problem?" he asked.

Sunset and Barb watched the detective as he talked with his superior. It was just a faint murmur they could hear, but judging by Fetch's increasingly positive responses, they could assume that what he was talking to him about was something good.

"Okay. Yes, I understand. I'll be over as quick as I can. Thank you, Lieutenant." Fetch then hung up the phone and turned to his partners.

"What's going on?" Barb asked.

"Someone called the station. They apparently have info they want to share about the Betrayed. Let's go. Who knows how long they're willing to be kept on hold for."

The team wasted no time getting out the door. They raced through town to the police station, scrambling their way inside to find where the call was being made. They found the lieutenant resting on the edge of a desk with a phone to his ear. He spied the trio and spoke to the caller, "Detective Fetch has arrived. I'll pass you on, now." He then gave the device to Fetch.

The wolf brought it to his own ear. "This is Detective Fetch speaking. I've been told you have information for the Betrayed case?" he asked.

He could hear a nervous breathing coming from the other end. "Yes, I escaped from them a while back, but I'm not sure how much longer I'll be safe before they find me!" the voice on the other side tried to whisper.

"Easy there, ma'am. We'll be able to protect you. Are you in any danger at the moment?"

"Not right now, I'm sure, but they'll have a way to track me down. I just don't know when that will be."

"Alright. Just tell me where you are, and I'll gather a squad to keep you safe."

"No!" the demoness on the phone exclaimed. Almost everyone around the detective could here her. "I-I'm sorry, but I don't want to risk attracting unwanted attention. If you come with anyone, please, keep the numbers low. They're bound to find me, but I need someone to know this before that happens. I'm near the warehouse by Everlost Boulevard. Meet me there, okay?"

Fetch nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Stay safe." He passed the phone back to his superior.

"Need any backup, Fetch?" the lieutenant asked.

"Negative. They don't want to stand out. My team and I should be more than enough, however," Fetch explained, gesturing over to Barb and Sunset.

The lieutenant couldn't tell exactly how useful the girls were by a glance, but he found no reason to argue with one of his best. "Alright. Good luck out there, Detective."

The arctic wolf gave him a grin as he tilted his hat. "Don't worry. Today, we're finally going to be a step closer to finding these bastards."

And with that, they were off towards their next objective. Thus far, the team's efforts have come fruitless, with the Betrayed managing to stay a few steps ahead of them, but the detective felt hopeful about this call. Not just that he wanted it to be true, but that it needed to be. Knowing how much was at stake, their goal was more clear than ever. It was up to them alone that the worst would never come to be.

They pulled up to the warehouse mentioned on the call. The paths around it were packed with demons. Sunset and Barb looked around to see if anyone stood out. Meanwhile, Fetch had his eyes on the warehouse entrance. It was chained shut, but he spied an open window around the side. The car came to a stop, and the demonesses followed the detective to the window.

Before they made another move, Sunset used her devil eyes to get a view inside. "It's really dark in there, but I can see someone crouching on the floor. It's got to be the caller."

"Then let's get in there," Fetch said.

Sunset went to the window first, and locked her fingers together to create a step for Barb for leap over. Fetch followed, and Sunset was able to jump and climb over herself. As expected, the entire place was engulfed in darkness, with the only light coming through the windows.

They stepped further into the shadows, keeping an eye out for anyone.

"Is anyone there?" Fetch called out.

"Detective? Yes, I'm over here!" another voice came, sounding worried, yet innocent. The detective recognised it being the caller. The three could see something within the darkness. It was faint, but it was unmistakably a body.

Fetch walked ahead slowly, with Barb close behind. However, a strange sensation washed over Sunset. She was sure she felt something like it before. Getting closer, Fetch lowered himself to the caller's level, lifting a hand to put on her shoulder.

"It's okay, we're here now," he said.

"Yes, you are," the demoness whispered. Her worried tone vanished completely, replaced with a low, manic giggling. She looked up towards Fetch, and he could see her glowing green pupils.

Before they realised their mistake, a fist flew towards Fetch at a breakneck speed, sending him stumbling back! Sunset and Barb managed to catch him before he fell over, their eyes glued to the figure that hid in the shadows. The perpetrator leaped backwards and the flick of a switch could be heard, turning on the dim lights high above them. It was then, they could finally see who this caller truly was.

"No..." Sunset said.

Lucy Deathwish stood before them! Her stance was tall and confident, standing higher than the two that tried to aid their injured friend. The demon slowly approached them. "At last, we formally meet. How I've been waiting for this. Allow me to introduce myself: my name is-"

"Lucy Deathwish," Fetch interrupted, facing her with his bloody muzzle. "Right hand to Father Betrayed, a Devilitis demoness, and the one behind so many missing demon cases."

Lucy closed her eyes as she placed her claws on her hips. "Heh. Someone's been doing their homework. Well, I know a thing or two myself, Detective," she mockingly said. "We all know how much you put in to trying to find us, only to consistently miss us at the very last second. But I'm gonna warn you here and now, the road you walk only leads to suffering. I'd stop before it gets worse for you."

"You say that as if it's not me you wanted," Fetch replied.

Lucy clicked her tongue. "D'aww, it's adorable how important you thought you were. Luckily for you, you managed to serve one purpose, it being that it just so happened you have something I need." She pointed a claw his way, before slowly letting it drift to the fiery-haired demoness on his side.

"What do you want with Sunset?" Barbed Wire asked.

"The Betrayed have spent years preparing for a day that draws near, and I will be leading the way to greatness. All I need is to be undoubtedly unstoppable, and you are the last great hurdle before it becomes definite," Lucy explained. "Ever since we first crossed paths, I knew it was only a matter of time until our paths would meet."

Sunset was dumbfounded. Since the day they arrived to the Big Forbidden Apple, she feared the energy she felt from Lucy. As inevitable as it seemed, Sunset hadn't pondered what she would do should they come face to face again. But now, she realised how important her Devilitis condition was.

"That's why you killed Azure Wayfarer. You target Devilitis demons because you fear they'll stand in your way. So, by being the only one left, you think you're guaranteed victory," Sunset said.

Her answer only caused for Lucy to laugh scornfully. She didn't waste the opportunity to let Sunset know how right she really was. "Oh, you poor thing. I thought you were more experienced with your other side, but you're as much a false devil as any. Don't worry, though, your power will be put to good use once I'm finished."

The trio then watched as Lucy channeled her energy from within. She exuded a warmth as her skin became hard, her eyes went dark, and horns shot out of her forehead.

Sunset immediately knew the danger they were now in. The time to act was now!

"Barb, take Fetch and get out of here!" Sunset warned. She went ahead, holding an arm out to shield her retreating friends. Once they were a distance away, Sunset felt her own blood begin to boil as she underwent her own change. She still hadn't perfected her devil form, but she was able to activate her hardened skin and strength simultaneously, with her horns barely poking a few inches out of her head. Regardless, she was prepared for a face off.

Barbed Wire and Detective Fetch hung close to the wall as they readied themselves for a devil clash!

The two devils stared each other down, one appearing more confident than the hero. In an instant, Lucy charged forward, running on all fours before leaping up high towards Sunset. Lucy prepared her fist for a strike, for Sunset to narrowly block her by holding up an arm.

Lucy bounced back with a devilish smirk. Sunset tried to appear strong. Though, she feared if her enemy could see right through her confidence.

The Omen Daughter sprinted towards her prey once more, coming in for a rush of attacks. Sunset gave it her all to dodge or block as many as possible, but Lucy proved to be swift, managing to breach Sunset's guard and land some attacks on her body. For her finisher, Lucy quickly spun around, bringing a leg flying into Sunset's left side. Even blocking it, the strength was enough to send the victim down to the ground, already heaving from the efforts she was having to give.

"What's with the game of defence? Give me a fight!" Lucy said, holding a fist within her other palm.

Bringing some of her hair back over her head, Sunset picked herself back up and faced her opponent.

"Kick her ass, Sunset!" Barb cheered from the sidelines.

It was her turn to show what she could do. Sunset raced forward and showed Lucy her own strength with a punch. But Lucy was able to evade her attempt. Sunset would try again, and again, and again, but Lucy was far too fast for her to pin her down.

While she kept trying, Lucy would go to mock her by catching one of Sunset's hands. Sunset pushed her hand against Lucy's, who was even showing some struggle holding her back. Sensing the trouble her opponent was having, Sunset used the chance to throw her trapped hand to the side, sending Lucy's guard along with it, allowing her to bring her other hand up, delivering an uppercut to Lucy's chest.

Lucy was visibly winded as she stepped back. She held where Sunset had gotten her, recalling the last time this low-life had managed to give her such a blow. As much as an amateur this demoness was, Lucy knew she'd better not underestimate her.

Sunset appeared more frustrated than when they began their bout, but it would make no difference. Deathwish jumped high into the air, blocking the light directly above Sunset, appearing as just a dark silhouette as she quickly came back down. Sunset was quick to leap out of the way, letting Lucy crash into the ground with a cloud of dust forming around her.

Regaining her bearings, Lucy looked around for her goal, not noticing it coming from directly behind. Sunset grabbed the Betrayed member by her arrow-pointed tail, forcefully pulled her back and began swinging her around like a hammer toss. They both spun at a blistering speed, appearing as just a red and black blur to Barb and Fetch, until Sunset finally released Lucy, sending her flying towards the rows upon rows of tall, iron racking that populated the warehouse.

Lucy burst through the lined up rows, disappearing deeper into the building. Sunset couldn't see where Lucy landed, but she could hear a clattering coming from the back. The sound grew louder and closer, permeating throughout the entire building until it became an ear-bleeding collection of crashing metal on concrete. It distracted Sunset, shutting her eyes and shielding her ears from the agony. She failed to realise that all of the racking was toppling down like a row of dominoes, landing on top and trapping the demoness.

The horrible sounds finally subsided, and Sunset could only look up to see Lucy standing on top of the debris that held Sunset down. In her hand, Lucy held a large piece of metal, torn from one of the railings.

"Father always said to stop playing with my food, but it's too fun to resist!" Lucy said, near breathless. She held the piece of metal up high, pointing a razor sharp end directly above one of Sunset's eyes.

The enemy brought it down with the intent to kill, but Sunset was able to narrowly free her arms and catch the blade. The metal dented in her tight grasp, not being enough to penetrate her devil skin. Even in her position, the red head was able to push the giant knife back up to the wielder, poking her in the head with the other end. Lucy stumbled back with an irritated growl, allowing Sunset the chance to slip her fingers beneath the racking pushing against her body and lifting it enough to free herself.

Back on her feet, Sunset looked around, but there was no sign of Lucy anywhere.

"Sunset! Behind you!" Barbed Wire shouted.

She was able to quickly spin around, but by then, Lucy was already inches away from her, and Sunset was kicked down. Lucy flew by her, and then immediately came back, knocking Sunset on her other side. It soon became a series of Lucy returning with punches and kicks. Sunset was powerless in her current position as Lucy appeared everywhere at the same time. Eventually, the Betrayed member ended her flying rampage and wrapped an arm around her target's neck, trapping her in a headlock. Sunset attempted to pull the prying arm away, but she felt weak, and Lucy's grip was solid. She wouldn't so easily escape this time.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" Lucy whispered into Sunset's ear.

Barb and Fetch then saw Lucy baring her fangs as she spied a spot on the side of Sunset's neck. They dashed forward in an effort to help her, with Fetch reaching for a weapon beneath his jacket.

Meanwhile, Sunset continuously thrashed in the opposing devil's hold. Nothing she tried seemed to make a difference. So, she tried the last thing she could think of. On an exposed part of Lucy's arm, Sunset leaned her head down and bit directly into her wrist, managing to draw some of her blood and accidentally swallowing it. Lucy yelled in pain and immediately pulled away from Sunset.

She stood far away from her enemies and assessed the injury on her wrist, watching as droplets of blood seeped out of her punctured skin. Her arm shook. Her mind was racing. The wound closed because of her devil healing, but the damage had already been done. "What...? What did you do?!" Lucy shouted.

The moment was silent. Barb and Fetch were frozen from shock, and Sunset wiped the crimson that stuck to the outside of her mouth. It was an in the moment decision, but for some reason Sunset felt as though all of her energy had returned to her and then some.

Lucy's breathing grew. It couldn't be told whether it was in anger or fear. She was near exhausted, feeling weaker by the second. Regardless, she knew she couldn't waste around any longer. With an enraged shout, she lunged towards Sunset one last time.

Suddenly, Sunset was the one with the upper hand, catching Lucy by the arm without any kind of strain. Fear now crossed the Betrayed's face as Sunset swung Lucy over her head, slamming her into the ground. Her body caved in some of the concrete floor.

Lucy was still for a moment before slowly picking herself up with a quiet, pained groan. She looked up to see Fetch pointing his pistol her way.

"Lucy Deathwish, I'll ask you only once, and you're going to answer. Where are the Betrayed? What are you all planning?" Fetch demanded.

Lucy gave a soft chuckle, which only caused her to cough. "If I tell you, then it wouldn't be much a surprise. Isn't that the point of gifts?" she answered, much to the detective's annoyance.

Fetch held his gun closer, showing he wasn't bluffing. "Enough games, Deathwish! I won't ask again!"

The devil pushed herself into a sitting position and held her head closer to the weapon, unphased and still full of smiles. "But where's the fun in that, detective? It's not too long a wait anyway. In time, everyone will come to know Betrayal's gift."

Fetch just stared at her, confused. "Betrayal's gift? What is that? Answer me!"

"Oop!" Lucy said, playfully slapping a hand over her mouth. "Guess I accidentally spilled a bit of the tea! We can't have you go ruin the surprise, so..." Before she finished her sentence, she slapped the gun out of the detective's hand and tried going in for one more swipe at Sunset.

Her efforts remained futile, however, with Sunset grabbing her wrist, looking down with an unwavering glint. Lucy's arm hurt in Sunset's hold as tried to break through, but she was just thrown back to the floor.

"Enough, Lucy, you've no power over us anymore," Sunset said.

But instead of responding, the trio could hear the helpless demon whimpering softly. Lucy kept her head down as she began to tremble. A tear drop could be seen falling onto the floor beneath her.

"I just wanted to make my father proud," she suddenly said. The team looked at each other with surprise, then back down to her. "All I've ever done, it was all for him. As the Omen Daughter, I've been entrusted with so much power, and I pushed him away when all he wanted was to help me." She couldn't help but let gasps escape her mouth. Her small sniveling became a more audible weep. "He would be ashamed ever thinking I could be something great! I couldn't possibly show my face to him again, knowing just how much I've failed him!"

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden change in demeanour. They all mentally questioned what her goal could even be anymore, asking themselves, 'Would a psychopath like her really do all this for the sake of pleasing her father?' Even so, they knew they shouldn't show her any sympathy.

However, all Lucy needed, and got, was for their guard to be put down.

In the blink of an eye, Lucy snatched Barbed Wire by the arm and jumped towards the window they all came in through, creating a lot of distance between the rivaling devils. She held her hostage close and tightly around the neck, using her as a human shield.

"Barb!" Sunset shouted.

"You sick fuck! Put her down, now!" Fetch shouted. They both stepped forward, signaling for Lucy to visibly tighten her grip around Barb. They stopped where they were.

Despite her face being stained by the streaks of her tears, Lucy still wore an ear-to-ear grin. She heaved while staring intently at the devil who wronged her.

"How is it I can be bested by a goody-two-shoes like you? I am supposed to be the Omen Daughter! I am the key! I am perfect! Who are you?! Nothing but a disgrace to every demon with the blessing of devil's blood! I earned this! I won't return empty handed! I can't!" Lucy screamed, never averting her gaze from Sunset. Her mind felt fuzzy; she could barely even see. The one cohesive thought that crossed her mind now was the weak girl she held in her arms. Eyes still on her prize, she turned her head towards her hostage, and deviously licked her cheek with her slender tongue. "You know, regular demon blood isn't nearly as nice as devil's, but the suffering more than makes up for it!"

Fetch took notice of Deathwish's concentration on Sunset. It caused her head to slowly drift away from Barb's, leaving an open spot for him to act. He took no time to raise his weapon again and finally fire. The bullet flew towards the enemy, with her barely noticing it in time to move away. The flying lead managed to graze her cheek.

Lucy completely froze. Her grip loosened around Barbed Wire, allowing her to slip out of her arms and fall upon the floor. Sunset and Fetch immediately went to care for their friend while Lucy could only feel the strange pain on the side of her face.

She slowly raised a hand towards the sensation and analysed her fingers. Her arm shook more and more. Blood. Her blood. How could this be? A feeble weapon like that was able to harm her? She began to hyperventilate. "No... No, no, no, NO!" Lucy shrieked.

The trio looked up, seeing the terror that had completely taken over their foe. Lucy trembled as her eyes seemed to race between each of her blood-stained fingertips, and with one final glance to the team of detectives, she raced out of the window, disappearing into the city again.

The team were left in the warehouse with only each other now. They all breathed heavily from fatigue, holding each other close.

After a moment, Sunset turned towards Barb and checked her for any injuries. "Are you okay, Barb? Did she hurt you at all?" she asked frantically.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," Barb repeated. She hadn't felt that close to death for a while now, but that moment there, she felt like it would have ended much easier than last time. Her head turned over to Fetch, giving him a thankful smile. "You really saved me back there. Thank you."

Fetch gave a glad hum as he put a paw on her shoulder. "I'll do anything to keep us all safe. Come on, let's get out of here. It's been a long day."

Everyone picked themselves up, making their way back out to the city. They silently went back into the wolf's car who began driving back to the station.

"Sorry things didn't go as planned, Fetch," Barb apologised.

"It's fine. I should have realised it from the beginning, but I let her trick me and nearly got us all killed. It won't happen again, though," Fetch said. He didn't show it, but the detective was furious that the Betrayed managed to lure him out like a mouse. Even more than that, he was used to get to one of the demons who came to help him. They may have made it out alive, but because of him, it could have so easily played out differently.

In the back seat, Sunset appeared completely lost in her own world. She just stared at the passing citizens as they drove down the street, reminiscing on the events that just occurred. Never before had she felt so evenly matched with an opponent. Lucy thwarted her as much as she bested Lucy, and yet, in that moment where her pain and weakness seemed to dissipate in an instant, she was suddenly fighting Lucy without much effort.

Either Sunset somehow became stronger, or Lucy became much weaker. She looked down to her hands, making way for another thought. Maybe it was both. She began to ponder just why it was Lucy really needed her. She wouldn't stop mentioning devil's blood. That couldn't be a coincidence.

And then there was Barbed Wire. How horrible she felt. Reduced to a spectator while her friend fought for her life, then to be used as a shield, with her enemy knowing that she couldn't do a single thing about it. How could she have let herself become so fucking useless? Even with her injury, she shouldn't have let herself become so weak that she can longer stand up for herself. What would she do if she didn't have people like Sunset or Fetch to fall back on anymore? The thought would keep repeating in her mind, and she wouldn't be any close to an answer.

What was envisioned as a chance to get closer to their end goal resulted in possibly a glimpse into what might happen should they proceed. The same words from Lucy Deathwish played in everyone's heads, 'Betrayal's gift'. What could it mean? What did it have to do with their plans?

If they could never figure it out themselves, they were practically destined to find out eventually.

For now, they lived to see another day. But just how long would their luck last?

Later that night, as the Big Forbidden Apple became dark and silent, a figure leaped across the rooftops, hot on the trail of her next target. The scent of boiling copper grew stronger with every passing building. She was getting close.

She scanned the streets below for any signs of life. There were plenty of people minding their own business, but her eyes fell upon one demon in particular. With a satisfied grin, she jumped down into a nearby alley, biding her time until her prey was within reach.

The demon in question just wandered down the street, heading for home after a full day's worth of things done. They walked in view of a dark alleyway, only to her a soft clatter coming from within. They couldn't see anything inside, and was about to call it up to nothing. Until suddenly, a pair of arms reached out and pulled them inside. They tried to scream, but they were immediately silenced with an uncomfortable snapping sound.

The body was carried back up to the rooftops, where the predator would lay them flat and reveal the side of their neck. How beautiful their blood smelled, the only thought that raced through her mind.

Before long, the beast leaned in and sunk her teeth into the demons' skin, siphoning out every ounce of devil's blood as she could. When her work was finished, she released her mouth with a satisfied sigh. She could feel some of her lost strength returning to her.

The beast looked up towards the night sky. "Sorry, Father, but I'm doing this my way from now on!" Lucy Deathwish then began laughing maniacally into the night.

"Her path is written," Father Betrayed foresaw.

Author's Note

What a milestone! We have finally reached chapter 20!

Chapter 6: Fallen From Grace

It was a few days later. The team managed to return home safe and sound, but their near encounter with death managed to linger with them all. Despite his injured nose, Detective Fetch opted to proceed with his work, while allowing Sunset Shimmer and Barbed Wire some time away, to let themselves rest and recuperate.

This day, they were spending the morning in the house. Barb began her morning like usual. However, Sunset just sat at the kitchen table, staring out the window while paying no mind to the drink in front of her.

Barb took notice and sat on the chair opposite to her. It didn't break Sunset's attention. From this angle, Barb could see that her friend's eyes had a bit more of a shine to them, like she was tearing up. Barb wondered if her friend was looking at anything at all. "Hey, Sunset," Barbed Wire said.

Sunset blinked and quickly turned to see her friend. "Oh, Barb. Good morning," she greeted, casting a smile that looked a bit forced.

"You okay, Sunny? You look a bit lost in thought. Is it about Lucy?" Barb asked.

Sunset shook her head, finally picking up her mug and taking a sip of her coffee. "For once, no. It's just..." She found it difficult to come up with words at the moment. The more her thoughts rose to the surface, the closer she felt on the verge of crying. She resorted to wiping her face on her sleeve and keep smiling. "It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it."

However, Barb wasn't so pleased with that response. "You know you can talk to me. Did you lose something? Is it a particular day perhaps?"

"Well... I suppose it is my birthday today," Sunset answered casually. She wasn't expecting such a loud gasp to come from Barb following her.

Barbed Wire turned over to a nearby calendar hung on the wall. 'June 16th,' it read. Her head then snapped back to the apparent birthday girl. "I can't believe you didn't tell me before! Happy birthday, Sunset!" Her arms stretched across the table and wrapped around Sunset, bringing her into a celebratory hug.

"Heh. Thanks." Sunset returned the gesture and they soon let go of each other. "I didn't wanna make a big deal out of it, y'know? What with the investigation and all."

"Nonsense. You're allowed to enjoy your birthday, and we've got the day off anyway, so why not make the most of it?"

Sunset waved a raised hand. "You're too kind, Barb, but I'm really not up for much today, if that's okay?" She then stood up and made a retreat towards the spare bedroom the two shared. Barb was sure she saw the smile Sunset had disappear the moment she turned away.

Barb hated to see her friend so sad, but to not tell her about it too? That felt off, especially for Sunset. She didn't want to just leave her hanging on her birthday of all days. Whatever it was that was bringing her down, it wouldn't be enough for the plan Barbed Wire was currently hatching! She was filled with a newfound determination to make this birthday a good one!

A few minutes later, she was in the midst of a phone call with Fetch, who was at work.

"Barb, I said to call only for emergencies," Fetch said over the phone, holding his head in his hand in annoyance.

"This is an emergency, Fetch! It's Sunset's birthday and I haven't a clue on what to do! She doesn't seem to be feeling too good either. You know the city, is there anywhere we can go to that might cheer her up?" Barb asked.

Fetch sighed. He booted up the browser on his phone and searched for events near his home. A few results came up. "There's a concert showing in the park. Some band called 'Sound the Sirens' are set to be playing for a few days."

Barb's eyes lit up. "That's perfect! Sunset loves music. That ought to bring a smile on her face, for sure! Thanks, Fetch!"

"Yeah, no problem. Just make sure you only call for real emergencies next time, okay? Barb?" The detective lowered his phone from his ear to see that Barb had already hung up. He was certain she didn't stick around long enough for that last part.

Fetch decided to just move from it, as he had a job to do. He looked over his desk, filled with new cases about demons recently found dead, more than he had ever gotten before. "Deathwish, what are you up to?" he asked himself.

Meanwhile, Sunset just laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking. Her mind was filled with familiar images, ones that would last her a lifetime. Or did, for that matter. She hadn't thought much until now how she would handle this, but now that it's here, it laid a heavy weight on her chest that she couldn't shake off right now.

For now, she would just have to bear with it.

But for now, Sunset could hear movement coming from the door. She looked over and saw Barbed Wire, whose expression was soft. She stepped inside and sat at the edge of Sunset's bed.

"I'm not gonna make you tell me what's on your mind, if that's what you were thinking," Barb started. "But I hate to see you down on your birthday, so I've set up something for us to do. If you're up for it, that is."

Sunset now felt obligated to sit up alongside Barb. "You really don't have to do this, Barb," she tried to say calmly.

"I want to. Just the matter if you want to."

The birthday girl sat on the question for a moment. It wasn't the kind of day where she wanted to be bothered much, but she knew she would feel bad for turning down a kind gesture such as this, even if it was an attempt to lift her spirits. It was an argument with herself she wouldn't win, so she turned back to Barbed Wire.

"Alright, I'm in. What are we doing today?" she asked.

Sunset and Barb travelled through the Big Forbidden Apple, finding themselves wading through crowds of demons collected at the national park. Barb didn't tell Sunset a lot of what they were doing, wanting it to be a surprise. Judging by the population in this park alone, she gathered that it could be some form of event, and by looking over the heads of everyone, she could see a stage built near the centre, so it must be some kind of show.

The two collected their tickets and took their place amongst the standing crowd waiting by the stage. Sunset looked at the details of her ticket. They arrived just in time before the show began, but her eyes were drawn to the name of the band that were playing.

"'Sound the Sirens,' huh? I knew some sirens in my day," she told. "Weren't the nicest bunch, I'll say the least."

"Well, I'm sure these ones will be better," Barb added.

"No doubt about that. Though, I'll give them this, catchy tunes."

But then, the lights at the stage went out, and smoke machines began blowing out yellow, blue and purple smoke across different thirds of the stage. The crowd began to go crazy with excitement! An explosion of cheering and crying came from all sides! Sunset was confident she was in for quite the performance.

And then the music finally began. A bass could be heard, playing a riff that sounded strangely familiar. It was then that a trio of silhouettes walked towards the edge of the stage. They vocalised in perfect harmony, all while the centres of their chests glowed brightly red.

Sunset squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look. It couldn't be...

As the smoke cleared, spotlights above the band lit up and revealed the singers to the crowd. Sunset gasped. It was! Before her were the Dazzlings, now with skin like fish scales and large fish-like tails protruding from under their skirts. It was as though their human and siren forms had combined. And now, they stood here, singing the very song they tried to use to enslave her entire high school! But what were they doing in Hell?!

Barbed Wire seemed to be enjoying the song, but she turned to see a horrified look on her friend's face. She shook her shoulder as she tried to shout above the crowd, "Sunset, what's wrong?"

"It's them... Those are the sirens!" Sunset said.

Through her exasperation, Sunset's attention were turned to the audience who, as they cheered, emitted a glittery green mist that blew towards the red glow on the singers' chests.

Sunset covered her ears and ran off, with Barb following close behind. Her calls for Sunset to stop fell on deaf ears as the runner tried to escape the sound of the music. She ran for a while, finally stopping at a tree a ways away from people and, especially, the music. Barb found her sitting on the side of the tree, holding her head as she breathed heavily.

"What's going on?" Barb asked.

"Those girls are bad news. I don't know how, but somehow they've managed to get their magic back, and they're using it to hypnotise everyone in the audience," Sunset explained. "Oh, why today of all days?!"

Barb looked back towards the concert, now noticing the strange smog that seemed to be gathering at the stage. However, the audience didn't appear to be acting different as opposed to before the show started. "Everyone just looks to be having a good time. Are you sure?"

Suddenly, Sunset jumped up and gripped on each of Barbed Wire's shoulders. "Don't let them deceive you! It may not look like it, but everyone there is now under their spell. They can turn basic observers into an army like that," she said as she snapped her fingers.

"So, what do we do?" Barb asked.

"We stop this shindig before anything happens."

The concert continued on, with the audience cheering the names of their queens or singing along with them. The siren standing in front gave it her all to flaunt anything and all she could for her adoring fans; she whipped her marvelous, yellow fishtail around, allowing its scales to sparkle under the spotlights. It made the energy she stole from them all the sweeter. However, despite the performance she gave, she couldn't wait for it to be over already. She felt lucky that they had an interval just coming up.

But suddenly, the sound of the sirens' voices were reduced to just echoes, and the lights above them all shut off. The siren leader looked around to find what could have happened. The sister to her right, with purple pigtails and turquoise highlights, gave her a shrug. While the sister on her left, with a large blue ponytail and a pointed cut around her bangs, tapped her microphone in an attempt to get it working. The head Dazzling saw one of her technicians rushing towards her, telling her there was an issue with the breaker, meaning that the interval came a little early.

With the announcement of technical difficulties to the audience, Sound the Sirens were away, with some of the audience daring enough to climb up on stage and run towards their favourite siren, only to be tackled to the floor by security.

They all gave their fans a half-hearted smile before finally leaving towards their changing rooms.

"Adagio, what happened out there?" the blue sister asked.

"They said something happened with the breaker. Looks like someone may have tampered with it," Adagio, the leader, explained.

"Well, I for one say thank God. Dunno how much more of this I can take," the purple siren added.

They reached their room where they would be able to fix themselves. On the door were three golden stars with each of the sirens' names engraved onto them: Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. They all began to get ready for their next session, with Adagio fixing some of her makeup from sweating, Aria stretching her joints, and Sonata guzzling down a bottle of water.

While they were at work, the door behind them slammed shut, revealing a pair hiding behind it.

"Adagio Dazzle," the intruder said with an interrogative tone.

Adagio turned around, jumping in her seat when she realised who would be so rude to enter uninvited. "Sunset Shimmer?! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you three the same thing. Back with the 'putting innocent people under your control act', huh? Are you planning to take over Hell like you tried at Canterlot High?" Sunset asked, walking closer to the seated siren.

Adagio's confused face turned devious as she had the situation assessed. She stepped up from her chair and faced Sunset head on. "Oh, isn't that the dream? There's nothing I'd love more than to seize control of this red hellhole and, while we're at it, find away to exact revenge on your world, as well as Equestria for banishing us!" she spat.

"Trouble is, our magic can basically get us diddly-squat now," Aria Blaze, the purple middle sibling added. Her comment was met with an annoyed grunt from her older sister.

"Aria! She doesn't need to know that!"

"Meh. Why pretend what you can't show?"

While two of the band mates bickered, Sunset's eyes were drawn to the red jewel on Adagio's chest. It was identical to the one they had when they were alive, yet it glowed brilliantly, as though they were gifted new ones upon entering Hell.

But as her attention was set on that, Sunset failed to realise the third siren rising up behind and analysing her. Sunset felt a finger rub along one of her pointy ears, causing her to whip around to see Sonata Dusk, the youngest of the trio, standing just inches from her.

"Wow, it really is you, Sunset! Gah, how long has it been? Hell really treated you well; you got these ears and that cool arrow tail. Meanwhile, we have these really big ones. See?" Sonata spun around and shook her own tail. It was large and scaly, with tailfins at the end of it. She suddenly stopped when a thought came to mind. "Wait. If you're here, then that means... Oh my God! Did you die?!"

It was then that the most innocent of the three took notice that Sunset hadn't come alone. "Ooh, and who is this? I'm Sonata Dusk!" she cheerfully greeted, holding out an open hand.

Barbed Wire looked between the hand and Sunset, who looked puzzled on if she should even take it. She turned her eyes back to the singer and forced as polite a smile as she could muster as she shook the hand. "Uh... Barbed Wire. It's a pleasure."

"Wow, that's a cool name! So, what did you think of the concert so far? Pretty awesome, am I right? Hey Sunset, did some of those songs sound familiar?" Sonata questioned rapidly.

However, this was about as much as Sunset was willing to take. "Okay, enough! What are you three planning?" Sunset asked.

Adagio groaned, falling back into her chair. "It's always thinking we're up to no good with you. Is it so hard to think we're simply just performing? I'd figured after spending so long with those colourful bimbos, you'd be a little more considerate. But you're somehow more of a mess when you can't hide behind them anymore. Must have been real heartbreaking when you arrived here without them," she sarcastically teased.

The room was silent. The siren had struck something within Sunset. She began to walk up to the seated one, her form changing as she did. The trio of singers watched in confusion followed by fear as horns shot out of Sunset's head and her eyes turned black. Adagio was suddenly feeling scared. Sunset placed her hands on either side of Adagio's chair, preventing her escape. She faced her enemy with a growl.

"You have no idea how capable I am now!"

"Sunset..." she heard Barb say behind her. The devil turned back and saw her friend with a sad look, slowly shaking her head. Realising just how far she had gone, she stepped back from Adagio, to which her sisters immediately ran to her aid.

When all seemed fine, Aria turned up with a scowl. "You two should leave before we call security."

Sunset was tempted to speak against the singers, but she knew now anything she'd say would make it all worse. So, she reverted back to her demon form and walked out with Barb, leaving the band shocked with what they just saw.

The team walked away from the stage, with the Devilitis demon holding her head in shame. She was met with concerned glances from the friend to her side.

"This is all my fault. I should never have brought you here. Are you okay?" Barbed Wire asked.

Sunset lifted her head back up with a drawn out inward breath. "I'll be fine. I just lost my temper is all, but they are definitely up to something. I just... don't know what." She looked back to the stage where the show resumed.

The same green mist rose from the demons in the audience and collected into the sirens' gems. Yet, none of them appeared much different. Instead of bowing to their command, or starting a fight, everyone cheered on like any concert. She wondered what their goal could be, if there even was one now.

Later, Sound the Sirens wrapped up their show for the day and returned to their changing room. How exhausted they each felt. They fell into their respective chairs and took a moment to catch their breaths.

Sonata leaned over her own desk and chugged down another bottle of water. With as much passion as she gives her performances, she always ensures she's well hydrated! During the latter half of the show, Sonata noted that she didn't see Sunset Shimmer or that pal of hers in the audience, so she felt safe in assuming they left. Still, the encounter left her feeling uneasy, watching that beastly side of her former enemy go toe-to-toe with her big sister. Not the reunion she was expecting, but then again she didn't expect one in the first place.

Still though, she was glad her sisters were safe.

"So, what do you guys wanna do now?" Sonata asked.

The other two just turned their heads in her direction, both giving a questioning, "Hmm?"

Sonata stood up. "We don't have another show until tomorrow, so we have the night to ourselves! I saw a nifty looking shawarma place a few blocks away. How 'bout we give it a try?"

Adagio and Aria didn't look too enthused by the youngest's idea. "Ehh, I don't know. I'm too tired to go anywhere at the moment," Aria said.

"C'mon! When was the last time we got to just hang out somewhere?"

"Fuck that. When's the last time we had a day off? Adagio, you said you'd talk to him about this."

"I did, but I don't know what you were expecting. He barely let's us look at natural light unless we're on stage. Believe me, I'd leave as quickly as you if we had anywhere to go, but we if lose this, then we lose everything," Adagio explained for what felt like the hundredth time.

They were suddenly interrupted as the door to their room flew open, and in came a smartly dressed demon resembling a fly with red eyes and a green exoskeleton. He arrived with two guards by his sides. "Terrible show, girls! Absolutely terrible show!" he yelled.

"Oh, Mister Dible! We were wondering when you'd come by!" Sonata tried talking up to him.

Dible, the band's manager, held up a hand covered in tenant hairs towards the blue siren. "Spare me your bull, Dusk. What kind of show were you three putting on tonight? We were barely able to sell out!"

Adagio just looked at the horrible demon with a nonchalant stare. "Hmm, we were able to sell out... and that's bad how?"

"You know how this works, Adagio. You use your magic to get these bozos to buy more tickets. We sell every ticket within a few hours of announcing, yet today it took until right before the show even started to get rid of them all!" Dible pointed a claw towards the leader. "I'm barely hearing much passion in your voice anymore. I need you to project! Aria, you call those harmonies? You were sounding dissonant out there!"

"Dissonant?!" Aria said in disgust.

"And Sonata, I've never seen less eyes on you! Give them a show, for fuck's sake! You're becoming somehow more useless with every concert lately!"

"Hey!" Adagio shouted. She marched towards her manager and poked in right in his chest. "You can criticise me all you want, but don't you dare talk to my sisters that way! We gave you what you want, so why don't you back off?"

Dible didn't appear phased by Adagio's threat. He smirked at her. "I'd watch your mouth if I were you. Only one other demon has ever spoken to me that way, and let's say it didn't end too well for her." The insect demon turned around and took his leave, his security following behind. "I expect a much better performance tomorrow. Don't disappoint me again."

And then, one of the guards slammed the door behind them, leaving the trio with the repercussions of their manager's outburst. Aria felt ready to scream, but she held her breath and just resorted to kicking her chair over with a loud grunt. She breathed heavily, and turned to Adagio once she had calmed down a bit. "I can't take much more of this, Adagio! We need out of this!"

"If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them!" Adagio suddenly barked back. "We signed the contract. He practically owns us. If he finds that we step out of line, we'll be gone like we never even existed!"

Aria crossed her arms. "I don't see how we can't just hypnotise that bastard to set us free."

"Believe me, I've tried, but Dible doesn't even have regular ears. He listens with those stupid antennae on his head. Our spells can't get through to him."

"So that's it then? We're just gonna be stuck like this forever?"

"Is what he said true?" Sonata abruptly asked. Adagio and Aria put their anger on hold as they listened to their younger sibling. "I was sure I was giving it my all, but I guess it wasn't enough for him. Am I really that useless? Do you think he'll get rid of me?!" she said with tears welling up in her eyes.

Adagio turned worried and went to comfort Sonata, bringing her sister's head close to hers. "Sonata, you're not useless! Dible doesn't know what he's talking about. We need you as much as you need us," Adagio said, holding Sonata closely. She then turned her gaze towards Aria, and held a hand out for her to take. "You too, you big grump."

Aria forcefully scowled, but she couldn't hide the blush on her cheeks. She slowly came closer and joined the other two, much to the eldest's delight.

"I don't have all the answers, but whatever we face, we do it together. No matter what," Adagio comforted.

The members of Sound the Sirens stayed in each others' embrace, forgetting the sorrow and anger they were feeling. They now wanted to keep this moment lasting for as long as they could. For as much as the world seems to punish them, Sonata could smile at the thought that she still had her family.

That night, Sunset sat alone in Fetch's living room. She was stuck in her own thoughts after the encounter with the Dazzlings. Just what were they up to? She asked herself ad nauseum. The thought of them being here alone tore her up inside, and she didn't know why. It filled her with... she couldn't even tell what. Rage? Sadness? A sick kind of joy?

It toyed with her feelings from earlier in the day. That Adagio...! Who did she think she was?

As well as Sunset tried to push the image of them away, she had the relentless urge to go back, and it nagged on her ever since they left.

It was currently late. Barbed Wire was asleep and Fetch was still at work. Sunset knew that the sirens would still be in the city by tomorrow. She could easily go right now and find some answers. So, that's what she decided to do. She knew she wouldn't find sleep with the weight on her mind. With this, she commenced Operation Sneaky-Sneak Part 3: the Sneak-pire Sneaks Back, which was as simple as walking out the door.

There wasn't much of an idea if she happened to find the sirens, or where they even were, but the best starting place was definitely the park where they performed. So, Sunset headed in that direction. She kept her head straight the entire journey, no passing demons swaying her away from her set sights. The park was a fair distance away from Fetch's home, but Sunset arrived in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.

She rounded a street corner and there it was, with lights shut off and the gates closed, but by the lights from buildings across the other side, Sunset could make out the shape of the stage. She neared the road that separated her and her destination, until a hooded demon standing by a building noticed her.

"Sunset?" they asked.

Sunset Shimmer stopped in place as she immediately recognised the voice. She tried to look within the hood, for the demon to let it down to reveal themself as Sonata Dusk, holding a takeout bag in one hand and tapping away at her phone in the other.

"Crazy to find you again already!" Sonata greeted.

Guess this wasn't going to be as difficult as Sunset thought. "What are you doing out here? Are your sisters with you?" she started off.

"Nah, they're back at our hotel. I was just picking up some dinner. Wanna try a bit? It's shawarma." Sonata lightly shook the bag in front of Sunset, offering a bite.

"What? I-" Sunset grumbled to herself, not wanting to be taken off track. "Nevermind that. What are you three actually doing here?"

Sonata managed to take out her own food and took a bite. "Do you mean how we died? It's kinda funny actually," Sonata said with a full mouth. "It was a few years ago. We needed gas for our van and Dagi and Aria were too tired to drive, so I tried to do it myself, even though I hadn't gotten my license yet. I maaay have accidentally drove us into a lake. Took 'em forever to finally stop being mad at me about that."

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, I'm talking about these!" She pointed to the red glowing spot that shined slightly through the siren's hoodie. "I don't just see you three using your magic again and assume you're not up to something."

"Oh," Sonata said, looking down to her gemstone. "Well, guess it'd be impossible to keep it from you. We do use our magic, but it's really just to get people to like us and keep buying tickets. It's not nearly as effective as when we were alive, so we can't feed off much anymore. Sucks more given how our gems are now part of our bodies again, so it's just a big tease. See?" The singer pulled down the hem of her hoodie and showed Sunset her gem. She could see how her scales wrapped around it, holding it in place.

Sunset almost wanted to try pull at it to see if it was really true. How radiant the gem was, even this late at night. "So... you're not trying to take over the world again?" she sheepishly asked.

Sonata snickered at the question. "Well, my sisters absolutely would if they had the chance, but me? I'm just happy that I still have them both. We may not have a lot anymore, but just the fact that I still have my family after everything, I couldn't be more thankful, y'know?"

The former villain's words touched Sunset. They were gentle, honest, and free. Somehow, it put Sunset more at ease. However, it also reminded her of what she lost; the reason why she was so mad in the first place.

Sonata's smile fell as she saw Sunset grow upset. "What's wrong, Sunset?" she asked.

The Devilitis demon wiped her eyes as she tried to put a smile back on. "It's nothing. I'm... happy for you. I'm really sorry for how I acted earlier."

"Pshh, don't worry about it at all. Say, why don't you and your friend come to our show again tomorrow? I'll tell Adagio and Aria. We can go backstage and hang out a while before we have to leave. It'd be nice to become friends after everything. What do you say?" Sonata offered.

Sunset was taken aback by how forward Sonata Dusk seemed to be now. No longer did she look like the clutzy underling of the evil Dazzlings, but instead, more independent and sure. Even as former enemies, she didn't so much mind the thought of being something else as she faced someone she only recognised now. "I'd like that," Sunset said.

"Cool beans! Anyway, I oughtta bring this food back before they start wondering where I am." Sonata then began to walk down another street, waving at Sunset. "Catch you around, Sunset!"

"Yeah, see you," Sunset waved back. Now, she wasn't sure of what to do. She came out seeking answers and, while not the ones she was expecting, she was glad to have found them. Sunset Shimmer had a lot to think about now.

Meanwhile, Sonata made her way back to her sisters, meals in tow. What a peculiar day, she thought. But she was glad to leave with the potential of new friends. The innocent band mate wasn't sure how Adagio and Aria were going to feel once she told them about this, but she knew they would come around to it. They always did. Eventually.

She hummed to herself on her trek, until she was suddenly halted by a black limousine stopping directly on the road in front of her. The back door opened and a suited guard stepped out, gesturing for her to enter. Sonata complied and stepped inside, sitting herself beside another guard, with the first sitting at her other side. In the seats in front of her was her manager, Dible.

"You're out late, Sonata," the bug demon said.

"Sorry, I know. I was picking up some grub for me and the girls. I was going back to the hotel now," Sonata explained.

"Don't worry about that. I'm glad to have found you alone. There's... something I wanted to talk to you about." Dible's voice was low. It made Sonata uneasy.

"Yes, sir?"

"You see, we've built quite an empire, and it is all thanks to you and your sisters' magic. And because of that, our fame hinges on your magic. If one of you is out of line, we will easily lose everything we have, and we don't want that, do we?"

"No, sir."

"Which brings me to the sad news. Adagio and Aria still maintain such a strong hold on these demons," Dible explained as he looked out the window, watching the other residents going past. "You, however, do not. Even looking at the response to today's performance: everyone is talking about them, and no one is talking about you. I'm afraid your magic is having no effect anymore."

The siren's heart sank as she realised where this was going. "W-Wait! I can be better. I was just getting too comfortable is all. I promise, I'm still valuable to this band!"

"I really want to believe that to be true, but the crowd doesn't lie. You'll only hold Adagio and Aria back if we allow you to proceed. Even they know that."

"But Adagio, she said they need me! They would never abandon me."

"Oh, you poor thing. They just wanted to protect you from the truth, but I'm afraid this is business." The car came to a stop.

Nothing made sense. They were meant to always stand with eachother. They wouldn't do such a thing, would they? "What's going to happen to me?" Sonata asked.

The car door opened and Dible stepped out. With a sigh, he left Sonata with one more thing, "I'm truly sorry, Sonata, but... I'm going to have to let you go."

Sonata's eyes widened in fear as her former manager shut the door on her. She leaped out of her seat, only to be apprehended by the guards.

"Wait, you can't do this! Adagio! Aria! Help m-!" She was silenced by a guard wrapping a bind around her mouth. With that, the car took off towards who knew where.

The guards still held onto Sonata, trying to bind her arms behind her back while she constantly thrashed around. While she put up a fight, the guards would not find her attempts much of a challenge. They sat the girl in between them as the driver kept moving forward.

Sonata felt useless in her state, giving her time to process what was happening now. The worst came to be after all. And for the first time, her sisters weren't here to help out. By the time they realised something bad was happening, would it be too late?

She looked up to one of the guards with a sad look in her eyes. She tried to speak through the bind around her mouth. Fortunately, the muffled question was simple enough for them to understand.

"We're just makin' a quick stop near the edge of the city. Don't cha worry ya little head," he said.

"Yeah, you could get ya self into an accident worrying like that," the other guard added.

The two guys laughed at the witty response.

"Heheh! 'Accident!' Tha's a good one."

The siren shrunk in her seat as her captors laughed at her torment. There was no doubt that no one was coming to help her, but was there anything she could do at all?

Arms were tied, so throwing hands was off the table. Legs were free, but one quick sweep would have her down for the count. But what about her magical voice? Using her lips to try move the rope around her mouth, she found that it was a bit loose. While the guards laughed themselves silly, Sonata was able to free her mouth by moving the bind down to her chin.

The Dazzling's thoughts were plagued by the horrible things Dible has done. Not just now, as she was sure he wouldn't stop at just her. Her sisters were as vulnerable to this danger as she was now. Everything they had worked for at this point, it could be thrown to the waste at the snap of their boss' fingers should he deem them useless.

Sonata was scared. She was sad, and she was angry. Incredibly so. And she would not just let him get away with this! The guards were interrupted when a blinding red glow appeared inbetween them.

Sonata opened her mouth and began to sing.

The next day, a new crowd gathered at the park for the last concert in the BFA, and among that crowd was Sunset Shimmer and Barbed Wire, with the former being in slightly better spirits than yesterday. The audience around them was buzzing, and the two couldn't help but join along with the excitement.

Barb was surprised by her friend's change in display. She nudged Sunset in the arm. "Thought you were against sirens using magic," she playfully said.

Sunset returned with a shrug. "Sometimes sirens can sing a different tune."

Whatever that meant, Barb was glad that Sunset was at least smiling again. They returned to cheering with the audience. It was nearly time for the show to begin.

Elsewhere, Sound the Sirens (at least, two of them) remained in their dressing rooms, with Aria Blaze pacing back and forth in a panic and Adagio Dazzle scrambling through her phone.

"Do you have anything yet, Adagio?" Aria asked.

Adagio shook her head. "Still nothing. Sonata hasn't even looked at my texts since last night, and the police haven't come back with anything yet."

Aria loudly moaned. "Where is she? Where is she?!" Her voice grew more worried with every word.

Adagio was unsure of what to do now. She kept opening and closing Sonata's contact as if she would suddenly appear if she kept doing it. As for the police, she was forced to wait for an update. Last night, they had figured that their sister perhaps had her attention drawn to something she liked, but when the minutes turned into hours was then they realised that something must have happened. Neither of them got much sleep.

Suddenly, the remaining sirens were interrupted by the clicking of their dressing room door. Their hearts skipped a beat, praying that it was Sonata, but it was just Dible, who looked angry, as per usual.

"What do you girls think you are doing?! There are people out there waiting for a show. Get out there and give it to them already!" the Sound the Sirens manager shouted.

"Not without Sonata!" Aria unflinchingly retorted.

Dible appeared befuddled being stood against like that, but he kept his ground, as he knew he was always above them. "You think I pay you to laze around while your own fans are waiting for their queens? Wherever that brat is, I'm sure she'll show up, but right now, you two have a job to do."

Adagio looked up from her phone, growing frustrated by her boss' ignorance. "She's not just late, Dible. Sonata is missing! This is more important than a stupid concert." Her eyes turned to Aria. "We need to cancel the show and look for her ourselves."

The idea felt like a spear going through the bug man's chest. The horrifying thought of demons getting mad and demanding refunds! There was no other option in his eyes. "Look, wherever she is, I'm sure there is nothing to worry about. I think she would want you to keep the show going, yeah?" he lied through his mandibles. "So, how about we leave the emotions in here for now, and we can get back to them once the show is over?"

As much as the two wanted to squash Dible under their boots, they remained silent and walked past him, leaving for the stage.

The time was now. Smoke machines spewed their colourful contents across the stage, yellow, purple and blue. The sirens stood on one side while lights shined from behind them, revealling their silhouettes through the fog. Aria turned to her older sister with a worried expression, mentally asking her, 'What do we do?' Adagio returned with a reassuring smile, and yet, she wasn't so sure herself. They had never done this with one of them absent.

Regardless, they walked through the smoke as the music began playing. Emerging on the other side, they revealed themselves to the crowd, much to their excitement as an uproar was caused.

There were only two in the audience who weren't sharing in the eagerness anymore. Sunset and Barb looked in confusion, with Sunset feeling a wave of dread.

"Weren't there three of them before?" Barbed Wire asked.

"Something's not right," Sunset said. From there, she could see the concern on the sirens. "Come on. We have to go." The team then rushed out of the crowd, moving towards the back of the stage.

Meanwhile, a demon stood from a distance, watching as the show had already begun. Were they really doing this without the third?

Adagio looked across the audience. None of them seemed phased that only two of them came out; that no one stood at the third microphone to her right. It sickened her that they were being forced to go on.

Missing her cue with the song, she took the mic off the stand and turned to the backstage. "Turn the music off. We're not doing this without Sonata."

The backstage crew were puzzled by the sudden request, but they complied with the singer. The music was shut down, leaving a crowd in a sea of confused murmurs.

It wasn't long before Dible was on the stage, more furious than he had ever been. "What the hell do you think you are doing?! You cannot just shut the show down! I run this thing!"

"With all due respect, which is none..." Adagio began as she marched towards her manager. She stopped right in front of him and shoved the microphone into his chest. "I don't give a fuck. We are searching for Sonata, and that's final."

"You can kiss our asses, Dible!" Aria added, standing beside her sister.

Despite being stood against, Dible wasn't threatened, for he still had his fallback. "You forget your place again," he said for only his inferiors to hear. "My power far exceeds yours. I can make it seem as though you never even existed! It wouldn't be the first time, and it won't be the last!"

The Dazzlings' eyes widened as it was made more clear, followed up by their faces contorting into rage.

"What have you done with our sister?!" Adagio seethed. She marched forward, pushing Dible to the floor.

The insect quickly turned from confident to fearful as the sirens' gems shined brighter than ever before, causing for their eyes to glow bright red. He had never seen their powers like this before.

"Where is Sonata?!" Aria shouted.

Dible backed up as quickly as he could, making his way towards the backstage. However, he was stopped as Sunset Shimmer and Barbed Wire blocked the exit.

"Long time no see, Dible! Hope you weren't planning to make a run for it," Barb said to her former manager.

Dible looked up to the demonesses in a pleading manner. He pointed to Sunset. "Y-You! You were strong enough to defeat the Ogre! Please, help me from these beasts!"

Sunset almost felt like laughing at the pathetic attempt to protect himself. As capable as she was of clobbering the parasite, Sunset knew this wasn't her fight to have. "Nah, I think your business is with them now," she said as she looked at the Dazzlings getting closer.

Then, Adagio and Aria began to vocalise, with a rising and sinister harmony. They didn't have their microphones, and yet their voices echoed throughout the far reaches of the park! They had Dible shaking like a leaf beneath them. He looked above them both, watching as giant monstrous projections formed behind them. They resembled the Dazzlings, looking like their siren halves now fully realised into large sea dragon-like beasts!

These forms only made their voices more powerful, shaking the stage around them. Their anger and sadness only seemed to rise the more they sang, with tears quickly sizzling into vapour.

A rumbling began, causing for the audience to break out of their trance and realise what was happening. They saw as their idols had become monsters, and they all ran screaming in different directions. But with everything that was going on, the sirens did not falter, and if they kept at it, they may just level the entire park!

The only idea Sunset and Barb had was to hold on to something for dear life, trying to keep themselves balanced. Meanwhile, Dible took every breath from the Dazzlings head on, feeling as though his head may explode if it went on for much longer.

But then a set of footsteps raced onto the stage from the other side. Someone was crying out to the sirens, but they couldn't be heard. Adagio didn't stop her attack until a hand landed on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around.

Her eyes fell onto the intruder with a gasp escaping her mouth. "S-Sonata?" she asked.

And there she was. Sonata held her sister's face in her hands with a tearful smile, with a fedora-wearing arctic wolf demon standing alongside her. The little sister was so excited to see her family again that couldn't help but cry into her chest. Adagio would find herself so overwhelmed with emotions as well that she returned the sentiment, with Aria following closely behind. The Dazzlings all held each other closely in their safe embrace, keeping their focus solely on them as opposed to the world around them.

Meanwhile, Detective Fetch approached the cowering bug demon, frozen from fear, even with his soundful punishment having subsided. The wolf took out his badge and held it out for Dible to see. "Manifer Dible, you are under arrest for the suspected involvement in the kidnapping of Sonata Dusk. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law," he explained while other police demons came around and placed Dible's hands in cuffs.

The corrupt manager was swiftly taken away, leaving Fetch with everyone who remained on stage, two of which being his friends.

"Fetch!" Barb said excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

"It's all thanks to that blue gal over there," Fetch said, turning towards Sonata, who was held in the centre of the sirens' group hug. "She appeared at the station late last night quite shaken up, but she was able to let us in on what her manager was up to. We have more to look into, but if he's found guilty, he'll be taken away for a long time."

"What about the sirens?" Sunset asked.

Fetch sighed. "I'm not sure. We'll bring them in for interrogation. After that, it's up to them. They're not under his control anymore, so they're free to to whatever. But looking at 'em, I think what they need is time for each other. Now, I got things to check in on, so I'll bring the sirens round the station soon. In the mean time, I would go check on them." After that, the detective took his leave. It was only Sunset Shimmer, Barbed Wire and the Dazzlings left.

The duo approached the sisters, who now opened their eyes and saw them coming. They released themselves, but held hands with pleased expressions. The two teams stood before one another, wondering which of them should go first.

Sunset decided to break the ice, "Looks like the band's back together."

Adagio smirked. "More than you could think. We are the Dazzlings, now and forever. Should anyone threaten that... Well, we'll deal with them the way we know how."

"And how is that?" Barbed Wire dared to ask.

The band looked between each other before looking back at Sunset with confident stares. "Together," they said in unison.

"I hope that means you'll be staying out of trouble."

Adagio laughed at such a suggestion, catching even Sunset by surprise. "Don't think that we've changed as much as you were. The Dazzlings will always dominate!"

"She only means that to an extent," Sonata interrupted.

"She doesn't need to know that!" Adagio said back with an annoyed tone. The five all laughed together, ending with the siren leader looking at Sunset with the first genuinely nice expression she had ever seen. "I suppose we'd best be off. We'll be seeing you again, Sunset."

Sunset gave a pleased hum. "See you, Adagio, Aria... Oh, and Sonata?" The siren in question looked forward curiously, tilting her head to the side. "I'm really glad you're safe. You've got a good family."

Sonata's grin stretched far for the whole world to see. "I know. I like your new family too! A bit smaller than before, but I can tell you really care for each other!"

Sunset was surprised by her new friend's kind words, to then find Barbed Wire patting her on the shoulder, smiling at her with kindness. Sonata was definitely right. And with that, now the Dazzlings were away.

Before leaving, Sunset decided to spend a moment sitting on a hill, looking towards the now empty stage. It was quiet and peaceful, allowing the demoness to clear her mind. In the last couple of days, she now realises how clouded she had been, how intruding thoughts made her act in ways she found herself... ashamed of, to say the least.

Barbed Wire sat at her side, coming to notice Sunset staring off at seemingly nothing. "You okay, Sunny?" she asked.

"I was a real jerk yesterday," Sunset said, not taking her eyes off the stage. "I let myself be overtaken by my own sadness and I nearly took it out on Adagio. Had you not been there, I don't want to imagine what I might have done." She found herself beginning to well up again, but she chose to not fight it this time.

Barb leaned closer, placing her hand on Sunset's. "Hey, it's okay. I'll always be looking out for you, just like you always do for me. I'll never judge, but I'll never push either."

Regardless of her kindness, Sunset felt more ready to talk. "I've... been in Hell for a while now, and I'm not sure if I ever really showed it, but I've missed my old friends since the day I got here. I think yesterday, it finally settled in that..." Her tears nearly prevented her from finishing. "...I'm never going to see them again." She finally looked over to her friend, who appeared speechless.

"Oh, Sunset..." was all Barb could say.

"I took my life for granted, and I died, and I lost everyone I ever loved." Sunset became overwhelmed and quietly weeped into her crouched legs. Barbed Wire remained quiet. She wrapped her arms around her mourning friend and held her close. "I miss them so much..." Sunset breathlessly said.

Barbed Wire searched for anything to say, but she found herself with only a couple of words. She wasn't sure how much they would mean now, but she went for it anyway. "I'm here, Sunset," Barb whispered. "I'm here."

Later that night, the Dazzlings stepped out of the police station, having given all they had regarding Manifer Dible. Aria groaned as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Man, I thought we'd never get out of there. That took forever," she complained.

"So... what do we do now?" Sonata asked.

Adagio took off in one direction with her sisters following closely behind. "We'll go back to the hotel while we think of a plan for a comeback. That show we put on today broke those knuckleheads out of our spell, so we have a bit of rebuilding to do," the leader explained.

"You sure we should keep up with this music business shit?" Aria asked. "It's given us nothing but trouble."

Adagio stopped where she stood as her sibling's words sunk in. Struggling to find a retort, she defeatedly sighed. "I know, but we've been blessed with regaining our magic, and it's now the only thing we still have." Adagio turned her eyes towards the ground and spoke more to herself, "What I'd give to be able to get back at that Starswirl for banishing us, and those who shamed and humiliated us when we lost our magic!"

"That can be arranged," a new voice suddenly said. The Dazzlings looked around for the source of this voice, seeing nothing but empty streets until a hooded figure in silver robes appeared in front of them from seemingly nowhere. "Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk."

"Who are you?" Adagio asked.

"A humble child to the divine Father. Tell me, you all come from troubled pasts, being shunned, punished and abandoned by those around you, correct?" the mysterious demon said.

"What do you know about us?" Aria questioned, crossing her arms and raising an interrogative brow.

The stranger merely chuckled. "More than you could fathom. What if I told you our father holds the key that will allow you to exact the vengeance you crave?"

"I'd say you've done nothing but waste my time," Adagio didn't hesitate to reply with. She stepped past the strange demon. The other girls followed suit. "If you'll excuse us, we should be going now."

"You won't even consider returning to Equestria?" the robed demon suddenly said, stopping the Dazzlings in their tracks.

They each turned around as if they were revealed to a horrible truth. This... thing faced away from them, but they could all tell of the grin they were currently wearing.

"H-How do you know about Equestria?" Sonata asked concerningly.

"More than you could fathom," the stranger repeated. They turned, and a hand appeared from the inside of their robe, offering it to Adagio. "Why don't we talk more someplace else? Father Betrayed anticipates your arrival."

Adagio turned to her sisters for advice, but they were as confused as she was. What was she to do? How did this demon know of their home across dimensions? And most importantly, what did they mean about returning? It seemed like it would be too good to be true, but the knowledge this stranger had was certainly not lacking. If answers were what the Dazzlings were looking for, then they were only left with one choice.

Adagio hesitantly held her hand over the stranger's...

But this would not be the end of this tale, for one demon was nearing the final act of hers.

Late at night in the Big Forbidden Apple's junkyard, a young demon was setting to end off his day by placing scented candles around the place and lighting them one by one. He placed the majority of them around a shed that sat in the centre of the city of trash and junk. Inside this shed sat an immobile, grotesque being. A demon with barely any memories of his former life after being struck with a terrible curse. He was the Blob, under the protecting eye of his one friend, the Runt.

Once the Runt was finished with his work, he met his friend inside his small home. "The defences are placed, the Blob. Your scent should be covered up," the Runt announced.

"I am glad to hear it. Now, let's rest. There are plenty of supplies that must be replenished in the morning," the Blob replied.

"Right." The Runt laid alongside his massive friend. He closed his eyes to be taken into sleep. But then, a rattling of metal was heard, interrupting the tiny demon. The Runt looked outward, surveying the land to see if anything was out there.

His eyes drifted from side to side, but all he could see were the small flames from the candles. Everything seemed to be in place, until one of the candles went out right in front of him. A gasp escaped the Runt and he ran outside. One by one, more candles were blown out, but he couldn't see what was causing it. All he could notice was a blow of air from someone's mouth appearing at different sides in an instant.

Once they were all out, now emitting small trails of smoke, the junkyard was dreadfully silent. The Runt twisted around, trying to find what could be causing this. He whipped around one hundred and eighty degrees and was met with a tall and dark creature standing mere inches from him. He looked up and was met with sinister green eyes and a devilish toothy grin. Every breath it took was a growl, and it smelled like iron.

The Runt was scared stiff, only to be pushed aside by the monster. It walked towards the shed with nothing left in its way. Staggered and perplexed, the Runt hastily picked himself up to the sound of painful cries, monstrous howls and tearing flesh! The child didn't know what to do. He didn't know what he could do. The horrible sounds only continued, getting worse by the second. Until suddenly, they stopped.

The Runt stepped closer, wondering if it was over. He pondered the thought that maybe the Blob was able to fend off this fiend. As quickly as the thought entered his head, the monster crashed through the ceiling and made its escape, causing for the shed to collapse and fall onto the now unrecognisable corpse of the Blob.

The Runt fell to his knees. He couldn't take his eyes off the aftermath of what happened here, even with his uncontrollable breath and flooding tears.

Meanwhile, the monster found herself only growing stronger. She felt the surge of new blood running through her veins. There was one thing left in her sights, and now she felt ready to face it again. Laughing as her strength increased, Lucy Deathwish looked to the sky and unleashed an inhuman roar!

Author's Note

Sounds like someone has a Deathwish...

Now for the actual note: You would not believe how long I've been waiting for this chapter specifically. I always planned on bringing in some of the original cast at some point, but I wanted it to feel right and not just be for fanservice. If I had to bring in any of the old characters, then I knew they needed to be part of the story, and I figured that the Dazzlings were the perfect candidates! Been a long time coming, but I'm so happy I can share it with you now!

This will be the last chapter of the year. While I didn't quite reach the goal of getting half way through this volume before 2025 (Got close though), I'm still very happy with how much I managed to finish regardless. It's been an exciting endeavour this year to finally show the things I've kept hush-hush for a number of years now, and yet it is still to get even more exciting as Volume II progresses!

The Hellish Adventure continues in 2025! Thank you, and goodnight!

Chapter 7: Deathwish

It is said that one often meets their fate on the path they take to avoid it. However, the one who actively seeks their fate will often not find what they were looking for.

Two opposites. Yin and Yang. Black and White. Life and death.

Good and evil.

As different as they both seem, these fates are connected by one common factor: the fear of it! When the time comes that these fates clash, the world around them becomes still as it awaits the climax of this encounter.

The time has come. Sunset Shimmer and Lucy Deathwish will come to know true fear...

Dark clouds flew above the Big Forbidden Apple. They hadn't reached yet, but they threatened the city with a low rumbling and a soft drizzle.

Meanwhile, Detective Fetch stood at his evidence board. Lately, he has had to place more additions to it. Near every day for the last few weeks, there have been reports of more and more missing demons, any of which found dead. On top of everything, some were diagnosed with Devilitis, so the detective knew that the Betrayed had to be involved.

Every body found was torn to shreds, as though the killer didn't want any chance of them walking again. It sickened the detective to his core. No doubt it was the work of that psychopath, Lucy Deathwish. But this? It was more than ever. As though the beast within her was finally unleashed.

She was cleaning the streets in record time. Fetch feared what may happen once Lucy runs out of prey. Would she turn her sights to the general public? Was there an end goal to her bloodshed? Fetch knew they needed to stop her before that happens, if it hasn't already begun. Even if Lucy held the key to finding the Betrayed, Fetch couldn't let this monster roam the streets of the BFA anymore. If a devil can't be contained, they only had one choice. They had to kill her, now!

The detective was approached by Barbed Wire, who gave him a small smile in an attempt to calm him down. But the sigh he gave in return showed her how dire the situation was.

"So, what do we do now?" Barb asked.

Fetch closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the board anymore. "I don't know," he quietly replied. "I can't wrap my head around it. No matter how close we get to a breakthrough, they always manage to slip by and leave us at the beginning again. On top of it all, the Betrayed tried to snuff us out too."

"At least we survived. That should have told them how strong we are, right?"

Fetch just scoffed. "We got lucky last time. When they try again, who knows what will happen. We've only got a few days left to find a breakthrough. If we can't do that, then it'll all have been for nothing. I'll lose the case, and I'll have dragged you two into this for nothing."

"Don't say that, Fetch. We'll get something, you just have to hold onto hope," Barb solemnly said. "Right, Sunset?"

Turning around, Barb found Sunset slouching over the couch. She stared at her own hands, stretching her fingers out and constantly turning them back and forth. The day Sunset faced Lucy Deathwish was one that loomed in her head since it happened.

It was such an evenly matched fight. Getting out was always a close call, but then there was that one moment. Suddenly, Lucy didn't seem to pose a threat at all. In the time she spent thinking about it, Sunset traced the change in power as far back as when she bit Lucy on the hand. She remembered piercing her skin, with blood going into Sunset's mouth. After that, a strange surge of energy went through Sunset. It was unlike anything she had felt before, and Lucy was quickly left helpless.

But even further than that, Fetch shot at Lucy to save Barb. It only touched her cheek, but Sunset knew she saw a scratch then. The bullet was somehow able to harm her. It couldn't be a coincidence.

Sunset then saw Barbed Wire walk into view, waking her from her daydream. "Barb. What is it?" she asked.

"I said we could do this as long as we have hope, right?" Barb repeated.

Before she responded, Sunset went through her mental notes again. If her hunch was correct, the damage inflicted onto Lucy Deathwish could have also had an effect on her powers, which meant one thing... Sunset stood up, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, we can. And I think I know how." It was then that both other pairs of eyes were on her, waiting for her to continue. "We've narrowed down that Lucy only targets Devilitis demons. For so long, I thought it was because she was afraid that one could possibly best her, but it's not that at all.

"I accidentally swallowed some of Lucy's blood back when we fought, and I got so much stronger for some reason, all while Lucy seemed to get weaker. Do you understand what this means?"

Barb hooked a finger around her chin as she put the pieces together. "Then she wasn't killing Devilitis demons to leave her as the only one... She does it to get stronger!"

"Exactly! And back at the warehouse, I don't think she had ever faced someone who could stand against her." Sunset clenched a fist to see a vein on her wrist. "I've always known that devil's blood was mixed with my own, but I never thought extracting it would do anything. Lucy has a weakness now, so we've got an upper hand!"

"You're forgetting one crucial detail, Sunset," Fetch suddenly said. He didn't sound nearly as eager as the other girls. "If what you say is true, that means Lucy has gotten stronger. Meanwhile, you have stayed the same since the encounter."

"Then I get stronger too!" Sunset triumphantly said. "There has to be more Devilitis demons somewhere in the city." She then remembered they happened to know one. "The Blob! Maybe we can convince him to give me some of his blood, then my abilities will be enhanced!"

Fetch shook his head. He unstuck a file from his board and handed it to Sunset. She was surprised by the sudden move, hesitating to take the file from his hand. Regardless, she complied and opened the file. She gasped as she revealed a photograph of the dismembered remains of their new, grotesque friend.

"She beat us. Again," Fetch said with a low voice.

"Th-There has to be someone else. Anywhere! She can't have gotten them all! I can still stop her!"

The wolf growled. "Stop talking like that. For once, just stop," his voice suddenly raised. "Take a look at this realistically for a second, Sunset. If you were given a chance, do you think you would actually stop Lucy? Am I really supposed to place my trust in the same power that lunatic uses to kill innocent demons everyday?"

Sunset's eyebrows crossed by Fetch's sudden outburst. "I have only ever used my powers for good. If there's a chance I can take that away from her, I have to take it."

"But it's not enough," Fetch replied, shaking his head. "The crimes from the Betrayed are uncountable, and Deathwish makes up a majority of them. Even with her powers gone, do you think she's just going to stop? If we're going to put an end to her plans, we have to make sure she can never hurt anyone again. We have to kill her!"

"No!" Sunset quickly shouted. "Even though she's done so much harm, I could never bring myself to do the same to someone else. That's not what my powers should be used for! I won't kill her!"

"Enough with trying to play the big hero! This is so much more than your powers, and it's certainly more than you! People are dying! And they'll keep dying because we haven't done a damn thing to stop it! You had a chance to stop her before, and you hesitated the moment she was weak. Because of you, she got away! Because of you, she threatened Barb's life!"

Unbeknownst to the team, outside of Fetch's apartment block came a mysterious figure that had her eyes set on one particular flat. The demoness gave a large sniff. The smell of blood was as rich as before. She found her!

Fetch continued. "You may have stopped Goliath, but you're no hero! You're no more than an incompetent child!" he bared his wolf fangs.

Sunset turned away from the detective. She could feel her heart pounding. "Stop it! I'm not hearing another word of it."

"You can't walk away from this, Sunset! How long do you think it will be before Lucy kills every other Devilitis demon in the city?"

Sunset suddenly marched right up to Fetch with her eyes having turned black. "I am warning you, Fetch!"

Fetch remained unphased by the devil's attempts to threaten. "How long do you think it will be before she comes for you?!"

The feuding demons stared each other down until suddenly, the wall beside them was instantly destroyed! No one saw what happened or what the cause of it was, but in a flash, a demon came crashing through the wall and grabbed Sunset by the neck, bringing her along as the two crashed through more buildings!

Sunset was held up in front of her captor as she could feel so many walls caving in behind her back at breakneck speeds! She had no time to acknowledge what was going on or who was doing this until eventually, when the enemy leaped up through the roofs of many more homes and dumped her to the floor as they reached the top.

Sunset sat still from pain and shock. She stayed there for a moment, panting breathlessly before looking up to see who would do this.

"Miss me, Sunset?" Lucy Deathwish said. The Devilitis demon stood above her prey, stained with the blood from the victims of her rampage. She didn't look the same as their last encounter, appearing taller with larger arms and gangly claws. Her hair was let loose, covered in dirt and drooping over her constant wide eyes. Despite the hair covering, her pupils pierced through like green stars. She wore that toothy, manic grin Sunset remembered.

It wasn't long before Lucy made another move, to which Sunset held her arms up, quickly switching to her devil form to the best of her ability. Her horns poked out of her head and her skin solidified in time for Lucy Deathwish to charge forward and bring Sunset through more buildings as they dove for the streets below.

Back at the house, Barbed Wire picked herself up off the floor, covered in dust and rubble after Lucy's entrance. She looked around for Fetch and found him laying at the centre of everything, under the scattered remains of the wall. "Oh my God... Fetch!" She rushed over, cleared the damage and picked up her friend. "Are you okay?" Barb asked.

Fetch coughed as he carefully got back on his feet. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. What the fuck was that?" His eyes fell on the two gaping holes in his walls, and then to the damage spread throughout his home. The force of the intruder caused for debris to fly in all directions. His kitchen was left in tatters, his couch was torn to shreds, and his evidence wall was now a memory.

Fetch looked to the floor and found one file not buried or destroyed. It turned out to be the file on Lucy Deathwish. Looking at her face boiled Fetch's blood. She taunted the detective with this image alone, being the most comprehensive capture as the suspect made her quick escape when it was being taken.

The page creased in Fetch's grip. How he wished it was the real Lucy he was holding. He tossed the paper to the ground, his hand immediately falling to his gun holster as he dashed towards his destroyed door.

Barbed Wire was close behind. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"She's not getting away again! Come on!" Fetch replied, only speeding up as they left the building.

Back with the clashing devils, Sunset continued to hold on while Lucy destroyed everything in her wake with her enemy's body. Deathwish laughed and laughed as she watched the pain she caused Sunset and the carnage she left behind.

Sunset struggled to find an opening for retaliation as she was constantly bashed against wall after wall. She punched at the arm that held her neck, but it was as worthless as punching a metre thick block of steel.

Every breath from Lucy came with insane hysterics. She slammed Sunset down in the middle of the road of a busy city street. Cars that came their way suddenly braked to a halt, with the cars behind them crashing into their backs. Demons from all directions stood and watched the two girls.

Lucy stood above the floored Sunset and punched her while she was still down. Sunset held her arms up to block her opponent's attack, but her attacks hit with the force of boulders. Sunset didn't have enough time time to activate her devil strength, so she was defenceless at the moment.

Eventually, Lucy grabbed Sunset by the neck again, tightening her grip just to see Sunset struggle. She then used her other hand to punch her in the stomach, sending Sunset flying down the street and bouncing across car windshields. It was then that the surrounding crowd ran away. Some even taking out their phones and calling for help. As Sunset caught her breath, Lucy Deathwish began to charge through the abandoned vehicles, knocking them to the sidewalks with ease. Sunset took to stand up and channel as much power as she could, feeling it flow into her arms and legs.

When Lucy neared her, Sunset went in for her own punch, only for Lucy to stop and catch her hand. Sunset strained as her attempt did nothing while Lucy gave no effort in her resistance. With her prey at her mercy, Lucy turned Sunset's wrist upwards, causing a loud crack and Sunset to shout in pain. Then Lucy pulled Sunset towards her and spun around in place. When enough force was built, Lucy hurtled Sunset's body high into the air, for her to leap on after her.

The two went flying towards one of the upper-city's skyscrapers. Sunset was smashed into a solid part of the wall, left to sit in an indentation shaped like her body.

Sunset struggled to open her eyes, but she managed in time to see Lucy flying directly for her. There was no time to plan an escape, however. In the instant Sunset could see her enemy, Lucy had already reached her. The maniacal devil dug one hand into the wall to secure herself while using the other to grab the hem of Sunset's shirt. She pulled her in close and they stared into each others' cosmic eyes.

With a forceful shove, Sunset fell through the wall and into the building. She found herself in an office building where the demons who resided quickly stood and ran for their lives.

Through the hole she fell through came Lucy Deathwish, who confidently strutted. "I was hoping for much more of a fight! What's wrong? Too scared to hit back?" Lucy asked as her voice grumbled.

Sunset growled as she picked herself back up. "Just catching my breath is all," Sunset said back. She then ran towards Lucy herself, to which her target did the same.

They met in the middle of the floor, letting loose a barrage of attacks between them. Sunset hit anywhere she could, hoping that she could wain her enemy in anyway, all while trying to stand her ground as Lucy returned just as many punches. They soon sent their strength into one more strike, throwing their fists to collide into each other and sending a shockwave that shattered the windows around them. The devils pushed against one another. Sunset was left thinking they were placed on even grounds once again. However, Lucy was able to push Sunset's hand back, as much as Sunset tried to resist.

With the smaller devil left open, Lucy slid a leg beneath her, sweeping Sunset off her feet; her stomach pointed upward, leaving an opening for Lucy to bring an elbow down on her. Sunset crashed into the floor. She could feel it cracking beneath her, but she didn't go through it. It gave her an idea.

Before Lucy could bring a foot down to send her prey plummeting, Sunset managed to roll out of the way, jump in the air and kick Lucy to the floor with the bottom of both her boots. As Deathwish went down, Sunset grabbed on tight and prepared for a hard landing.

The ground finally gave way and the devils fell to the floor beneath them. Sunset stayed standing atop Lucy's body. She used the force of the demoness' body below her to break through the next floor, and then the next, and the next. Lucy waved to swat Sunset off her, but Sunset was able to ward off her attempts.

They fell down every level of the building until they reached the very bottom. Sunset's attention was taken away as she watched demons fled screaming around their fight and out the front door. She realised she made the wrong decision bringing the fight all the way down here.

Lucy was wavered as a result of the fall, giving Sunset enough time to begin climbing back up the tower. It wasn't long before Lucy Deathwish could see straight again, watching Sunset trying to make her escape through the holes they created. The devil snickered. "Think you can run away? You can't escape a death wish!" Lucy leapt into the air to chase Sunset.

While the devils fought, they were quickly pursued by Fetch and Barbed Wire, who both raced around the city in Fetch's cruiser. The demons on the streets seemed to be looking towards something, so the two worked with whatever directions they were facing to find Sunset.

"What are we gonna do if we find them?" Barb asked.

"When we find them, I'm putting an end to this shit show for good." With one hand, Fetch pulled his gun from his hip. "It's said that near nothing can penetrate a devil's skin, nothing except their own strength. So, I got my hands on bullets made of the metal equivalent. I could only get three bullets, though, so I have to make each of them count."

"Just make sure you're not aiming at Sunset when firing that thing, alright?" Barb felt the need to add.

It was then that another voice came through the radio attached to Fetch's car, "Calling for any officers within midtown. An emergency call was received about a commotion between two demons laying waste inside an office building. Officers are advised to proceed with caution."

Fetch took his radio and spoke into it. "This is Detective Fetch. I'm on my way now." He put the device back in its place and put the pedal to the metal.

Sunset Shimmer continued her ascent of the building. She neared the top, but she dared to look back and see Lucy Deathwish right on her tail. Before Sunset could reach safety, Lucy wrapped her arms around Sunset's body, rendering her unable to move. They crashed through however many levels were left above them until they reached the roof, where Sunset was able to slip out of Lucy's grip and land on the floor.

Lucy kept moving up, looking downward to see the target for her next attack. She could barely spot a red speck atop the roof before making her rapid descent for her most devastating move. Sunset knew she couldn't let Lucy hit the ground, so she jumped into the air.

The two closed in on each other, both reeling back fists for the ultimate clash! The rain raged on. Rumblings in the clouds were within arms reach. Higher than any building throughout the city, the devils met face to face above it all, bringing their fists together once more!

The impact of both attacks could be felt across the entire Big Forbidden Apple. Had they been closer to the ground, anything within their level would have ceased to exist being hit with the mere shockwave of such a cataclysmic rush! Sunset felt fatigued, though Lucy was unbothered. An exhausted breath left Sunset as her mind faded away. She began to fall back down with Lucy following closely after.

Approaching the building, Barbed Wire looked up to the dark clouds and watched as two bodies rocketed towards the ground. She pointed up. "There she is! Go! Go!" she frantically yelled. Fetch pressed his foot down harder.

As Sunset limply plummeted, barely staying conscious, Deathwish managed to catch her, holding Sunset below her with a wicked smile.

She laughed wildly. "Your blood is mine!"

They hit the ground together. A large dust cloud was formed, and inside it was a crater with the devils directly in the centre. Lucy, unharmed, held onto Sunset as she laid helplessly on the floor. The lower devil quietly moaned through small, desperate breaths. She made no attempt to resist anymore. She couldn't.

Lucy raised Sunset up to her level. Sunset hadn't the strength to lift her head and look her enemy in the eye. She was forced to look upward, letting the rain soak her face and hair.

"Father kept trying to tell me you were dangerous," Lucy said. Her words had no reaction from Sunset. "He said I wasn't strong enough to handle you. How proud of me he'll be once he sees how strong I'll become after I've dealt with you..." Lucy licked her lips as she brought her jaws close to Sunset's neck.

But then, she was suddenly interrupted with a loud bang. She turned around to see that the dust cloud had dispersed, and what emerged was Barbed Wire and Detective Fetch, with the latter aiming his firearm directly towards her.

She then looked down to where she felt a twinge in her shoulder, seeing that a bullet had penetrated her skin. "What...? How?!" she asked.

"Satanium bullets," Fetch replied confidently. He stepped closer to the raging monster. "Stand down and let Sunset go. Now!"

"Detective..." Lucy seethed. She complied in letting Sunset go, but her goals were turned elsewhere as she stomped towards Fetch and Barb. "I warned you!"

Fetch's hand shook as he held his handgun. He gave it his all to steady his arms, trying to aim directly at Lucy Deathwish's forehead. The approaching devil's path remained completely straight, making no effort to stay out of his line of sight. When Fetch was assured he had her in his sights, he pulled the trigger and let the bullet fly!

However, Lucy's agility proved to be superior as she slipped to the side in the blink of an eye, dodging the bullet. In that instant, she roared at the imposing demons and began charging towards them. Fetch stepped in the way of Barbed Wire to protect her. He held up his gun again, only for it to be swiped out of his hand and sent sliding across the ground. Lucy Deathwish stood before the much smaller, much weaker demons. She raised a hand to finally bring an end to those who stood in her way, only for Sunset to narrowly jump upon her back, wrapping her arms around Lucy's neck.

Sunset pulled the beast away from her friends while Lucy struggled to break free of her grasp. She reached around her back, only for Sunset to evade her hands. She tried to slam Sunset's body into nearby walls, but she proved to have a firm grip of her.

As powerful as Lucy had become, Sunset still somehow continued to be a major issue. Was it the bullet that weakened her? Or could it be that she was always so weak? She could hear her father's words in her head again. Lucy growled and shouted as she furiously shook her whole body in a vain attempt to knock her captor off.

While Lucy was distracted, Fetch made a break for his gun, which Sunset immediately noticed. In a last ditch effort, she sank her teeth into the bottom of Lucy's neck! Deathwish thrashed around in a frenzy, screaming and crying as she desperately fought, only for it to amount to nothing.

Sunset could taste the crimson flooding her mouth as she continuously sucked on the wound she made. It was boiling hot. She had to force herself to keep going, despite the growing urge to stop and catch her breath or to even be sick. Lucy still tried to escape Sunset's grasp with everything she had, but she was noticeably slowing down. Her size shrunk considerably, her eyes faded from black to white, and her horns retracted back into her head. Lucy's cries became gasps for air and her legs felt weak.

Once Sunset was finally finished, she released Lucy and let her fall to her knees.

The young Deathwish stared at the ground for a moment. She felt lighter. Smaller. All of that power that flowed through her... it was gone now. She slowly brought her shaking hands in front of her eyes, which ran tears down her cheeks.

"W-What... What did you do to me?" Lucy quietly wept.

She was met with no answer. Lucy turned around and saw Sunset, instead of finishing her off, staring at her own hands. The last time Sunset ingested devil's blood, it sent a wave of energy through her, restoring her fight when she was near down for the count. But now, it felt hollow and empty. As nothing as it was, it still felt strange.

Then it began. A shooting pain overcame Sunset, causing her to bend down and hold onto her head. The sensation worked its way through her body, leaving everything to writhe in searing agony! Sunset threw herself around uncontrollably, collapsing onto her knees as she couldn't focus anymore.

Barbed Wire and Fetch ran over and tried to hold her still. "Sunset! What's wrong?!" Barb asked. But Sunset's crying groans was all she was met with. All she could hear was her own brain and heart pounding like a giant hammer.

As Lucy watched what was happening, a thought entered her mind. Something that Father Betrayed told her about her devil abilities. It was then that Fetch stood over her with a furious glare, pointing his gun at her.

"What did you do to her?!" Fetch barked.

Lucy's sadness disappeared for a moment, returning that growing psychopathic laughter she was famous for. "You..." Lucy began with a small smile. She slowly stood up and limped towards Sunset, pushing past the detective. "You idiot! You messed with the blood. You took too much. And now it's tearing you apart from the inside out! I win!" She knelt down next to the crying girl, looking at her right in her frantic eyes. "Once you're torn to shreds, I'll consume the blood you will spill drop by drop and return to Father more powerful than ever! You hear me? I will-!"

But Lucy was silenced when a massive hand wrapped around her face. Through the gaps in the hair that fell over her face, Sunset stared directly at Lucy with her dark, devil stare. Lucy Deathwish punched and scratched at the arm, but she had no power over it. A muffled squeal came from inside the writhing hand as the arm it belonged to only seemed to grow.

Sunset rose to her feet. Barb and Fetch watched in horror as Sunset changed. Her body grew into a hulking shape. Her legs became taller with her left foot growing so large that it broke through her boot. The arm that held Lucy became a mass of muscles from her shoulder to her hand, while the other simply grew longer with her claws as long as a pitchfork. Her bottom jaw extended outward as her mouth became full of razor-sharp teeth. Her horns shot further out of her forehead, and similar spikes appeared throughout her body at varying lengths. And finally, Sunset's devil wings stretched out of her back with the loud sound of crunching bones, appearing larger than they had ever before.

Her veins bulged through any exposed part of her body, with the devil's blood glowing through her skin like lava. Her crying subsided, replaced with a deep, beastly growl. Sunset had transformed!

Lucy effortlessly failed to weaken Sunset's hold. The others could hear her pleading shrieks.

Sunset began to tighten her grip, causing the poor daughter prolonged torture as Lucy could feel her skull cracking within the monster's titanium hold. She cried louder than before. Through Sunset's hand, everyone could hear Lucy scream, "Father!! Help me!!" before her hand finally closed.

In the devil's clutch, Lucy Deathwish's head was crushed! Her blood drip from Sunset's hand while her body fell limp to the ground below. For a moment after, the beast stood there in the centre of the crater.

Barbed Wire and Fetch were just outside of it, frozen by what they witnessed. Their eyes darted from the deformed being that stood where their friend once was to the corpse of their now former enemy laying beside her.

But there was no time for waiting as a spotlight suddenly shined down on the creature. A helicopter flew overhead, followed by a collection of wailing sirens approaching from all directions, stopping at the edge of the hole in the ground. Large, armoured vehicles surrounded the perimeter, and out came tens of SWAT demons with shields and rifles. They all pointed their weapons towards the monster.

The soldiers spoke amongst themselves, "What the fuck is that thing?" "There's a body there!" "Should we open fire?"

Fearing what was about to happen, Barb ran out and stood in front of Sunset, holding her arms out. "Put your weapons down! Don't do this!"

One of the demons pulled out a megaphone. "This is now a restricted area under the guard of the BFA Police Department. Step away from the creature immediately."

"No!" Barb yelled back. "She's my friend! She was only trying to protect the city! I won't let you hurt her!"

Sunset looked down at the demoness in front of her. Her vision was as hazy as her mind and her body constantly twitched, but she could still recognise her as her friend. "Barb..." she said with a rumbling voice. She brought a hand close to her friend.

But that only seemed to signal the surrounding firing squad as one shouted, "Open fire!" letting loose an instant barrage of bullets attacking from every direction! Barbed Wire quickly ducked down to be pulled to safety by Fetch.

The teams' efforts had no effect other than lighting up the beast, who then looked up to the raining sky with a ferocious roar as lightning finally struck!

Something in Sunset's mind snapped as her sights were now set on the demons around her. As its eyes darted everywhere, the creatures pupils shattered, leaving only vacant, black as night eyes. The creature vanished from the crater in an instant and reappeared behind part of the crowd, using one arm to forcefully swipe them away! The SWAT team kept trying to make a mark, but the monster took each of them down all the same, using their own trucks to breach their defences! It lifted the vehicle over its head and threw it at the shrinking army. Many of them stopped firing their weapons to escape the truck's rampage, but some of them fell victim to the attack. The team quickly fell at the hands of the beast.

But the moment it stopped moving, another shot came from above. The devil turned up to the spotlight and used its vision to look past and see a sniper aiming down. It spread its wings out and took off in a flash, grabbing the helicopter by the nose. The helicopter spun around uncontrollably with the demons being thrown around inside. They stared into the eyes of the monster and saw the imminent peril that awaited them. Before they could flee, the monster sank its claws through the metal shell and used its strength to throw the vehicle into a nearby building, exploding upon impact!

Fire and death covered the streets as the monster landed back to the ground, cracking the concrete beneath its feet. Barb and Fetch watched in fear as the large, misshapen silhouette walked in front of the flames created as a result of its rampage.

The beast could only hear a raging crowd shouting, but there was no one left. It's mind was haunted with dark desires, fueled by the hot as magma blood that gurgled through its entire system. Its breath rose into a furious howl and its eyes darted in every direction. Now, it was only the beast that truly remained, and there was only one thing it craved. The Big Forbidden Apple had yet to know the danger it was in!

The storm had arrived...

Havoc will rain!

Author's Note

Happy 2025!

Volume I - Chapter 1: Welcome to Hell!

SUNSET'S HELLISH ADVENTURE - VOLUME I:
AGE OF GOLIATH

Sunset Shimmer slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry and her head was pounding up a storm.

"Oh, my head..." she groaned, resting a hand on her forehead. "What happened?"

Her vision began to clear up a little bit, allowing her to see her surroundings. She currently found herself laying on the floor of what seemed to a narrow, blood red cave.

This is strange. Just moments ago she was fighting against a new magical evil, like she always did, with her friends. So where did she end up disappearing to?

She placed her left foot firmly on the... rather warm, hard ground and pushed herself up straight from her knee.

Looking directly upwards, she could see a bright light, and the walls of this cave seemed to continuously rise up towards the light. She couldn't see the edge of the walls, so it's safe to assume it never even ends.

Looking around a little more, she found that there was a hallway that she actually could see the end of. This was the only direction she could go in so she began walking in that direction.

Odd. Sunset feels strangely fine after the battle she was just in the middle of. She remembered taking in a good amount of hits from who she was battling, so much so that she had trouble standing at the time. But now? Fit as a fiddle.

Upon losing herself in thought of how she was fine after being not fine, she found herself tripping over a small rock poking out of the ground that sent her to the floor.

"Oof!" she exclaimed. "Ow. Where did that rock even come--?" She cut herself short of what she was saying as she caught glimpse of her hands.

Her skin was red, she had long claws instead of fingers, and they were so long too. She stood up and moved her hands to her face to check if anything else is different. She moved her hands up to her ears and found that they were very pointy. Then she felt that something was weird about her mouth. She traced a fing- claw along her teeth. She had fangs?!

She then frantically looked all around her body for anymore differences. She looked at her back and... was that a tail?! Poking out of her jeans was a tail, and not even her horse tail when she ponies up, it had no hair on it and an arrow pointed tip.

She looked at her hands again. They were shaking, and her breathing quickened. "What's happening to me?!" She began panicking.

This wasn't right. She shouldn't be here. Something has gone terribly wrong and Sunset had to find out what and then get out of here because she didn't like this, not one bit. She continued following the path, praying that an answer for her laid at the end of it.

Once she passed through the tunnel's exit, she was met with... a really long line. A line that consisted of some kind of monsters of all different shapes and sizes. Sunset looked out towards the front of the line but she couldn't even see the end of it. Whatever these monsters were in line for, it was definitely for something important. Likely, it's a place where Sunset can find some answers.

She took her place in line. Hopefully this won't be too long.

Sunset grumbled as she still stood in the line. She had been there for what felt like two hours and she could, only now, just see the end of the line. And when she looked the other way, where she came from, Sunset wasn't even able to see the end of that line now.

She tapped her foot impatiently. She was just about ready to lose her mind.

The line moved forward by one monster.

"That's it!" Sunset concluded. She stomped her way past all of the monsters in front of her, which caused some to get quite angry with her.

"Hey, watch it!"

"What ya think you're doin'?!"

"Back in the line, ya bitch!"

Sunset paid them all no attention and continued forward.

Soon enough, she finally reached the end of the line, much to the anger to literally the hundreds of monsters she had to pass to get here. She approached what looked to be some kind of receptionist.

"Welcome to Hell, enjoy your punishment," a monster on top of a white pillar said with a snotty voice, handing another monster a slip of paper. "Welcome to Hell, enjoy your punishment." It did the same thing with another monster.

This thing will have answers for her.

"Hey!" Sunset called out. "I got a couple questions to- oh my..." She was caught by surprise at this monsters appearance. It had a red head with horns and a snout and red arms, which seemed this place's equivalent of normal, but what caught her by surprise was the fact that the rest of its body was stone. This thing looked like a gargoyle partially free of stone.

"Move it or lose it!" another monster said, barging past her.

This caused Sunset to break out of her trance and she finally walked up to the front. She waited until this gargoyle thing was finished with another monster before she jumped in.

"Uh, hi there. You mind telling me what's going on? What is this place?" she asked, waving her hand in front of the stoney beast, blocking its view of the monster behind Sunset.

The gargoyle handed Sunset a plastic card, which she took. "Welcome to Hell, enjoy your punishment," it said blankly.

Now Sunset went from very to extremely confused. "Excuse me, hell?! What's going on?"

"Ma'am, please move. You're holding up the line." The gargoyle pointed towards the mile long line.

This guy was testing Sunset's patience. "Just tell me what's up and I'll go, come on."

"Get out of the fucking way!" someone from further back in the line screamed at her.

Sunset looked towards whoever shouted at her. "I've the right to know! So just wait another minute!" she shouted back. She looked back at the gargoyle with a happy expression as if nothing just happened. "So anyway, as I was saying..."

The gargoyle moaned loudly. "You really don't know? Well, if you haven't caught on yet, don't see how you wouldn't have, it's pretty frickin' obvious, you're dead."

Sunset's emotion took a complete one-eighty with her eyes wide and shrunk to ant size. "...dead?"

The gargoyle nodded. "D-E-A-D. Here look." It snapped its fingers and a giant book appeared on front of it. "Name please."

"Sunset Shimmer," she responded.

The gargoyle flip through what looked to be thousands of pages and landed a claw on one. "Here you are. Sunset Shimmer, age: twenty-one, died: two and a half hours ago, cause of death: a fully charged fireball directly to the chest, leaving a large gaping hole, killing instanly." The half petrified beast raised its eyebrows with surprise. "Huh, that's a new one."

Sunset looked down at her hands with shock. "I'm... dead?"

"Yes. Now please just move on." The gargoyle pointed towards the path behind it which lead into a town. "Doing this same thing of over a hundred thousand years really does a number of your irritability, so if you wouldn't mind..." It shooed Sunset away with a shit-eating grin.

Sunset gave it a slow nod and slowly walked down the path, not looking up from her hands.

She couldn't believe this. She was dead. During that battle she and her friends had with that being... it had killed her, and she was sent here. Hell.

Wait...

"I died... and I was sent to Hell?!" she raised her voice coming to the horrible realisation.

Why was she sent to Hell? What had she done that warranted her an afterlife in the underworld? What did she do that caused this?

Sunset froze where she stood, guilt and dread filling up her entire body.

Was it her because of her past actions? Did nothing Sunset do after she changed redeem herself of those mistakes? Was she always destined eternal punishment despite changing herself almost entirely?

Sunset fell onto her knees. This couldn't be real. She didn't die, she must have gotten knocked out and this is all just a nightmare. Soon she'll wake up and all of her friends will greet her with smiles and hugs. It made Sunset smile just thinking about.

She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fists. She remained this way for a few seconds before opening her eyes again. Still in Hell...

She tried it again.

Nothing.

And again.

Unsuccessful.

She tried pinching her hand, slapped herself in the face multiple times. She even grabbed a stone that she found on the ground and jabbed it into her hand. It hurt a lot, no doubt, but it didn't wake Sunset up.

This really was real. Sunset Shimmer was dead.

Still on her knees, tears began to well up in Sunset's eyes. She brought her hands to cover her face and started to cry on them.

She had always imagined that she would live a long life or maybe even going out in a blaze of glory, but life just decided that wasn't to be the case and, before she could even realise it, she left without saying goodbye.

It just wasn't fair. She and her friends had grown so close to the point where they were more family than friends, and also harnessing the magic of friendship to spread their love with everyone else. And somehow that wasn't even close to enough for a better outcome?

"This isn't right," she quietly grumbled to herself. She stood back up with hands locked into fists. She casted a glare to the entire town just ahead of her and continued walking towards it. "No way this was what I deserved."

If it was one thing she learned from over the years, it was to never give up on what she believed in, and what she believed in... was a chance for a better afterlife.

Author's Note

This is something I'd like to continue with. But do let me know what you all think. This was quite something to work on after... let's just call it a hiatus from writing. I may be a little rusty after spending so much time away.

Chapter 9: Into the Ring

A few days later on an early afternoon, Sunset was preparing herself by putting her leather jacket on and slipping her demon feet into her boots. It was a day like this where she and Barb liked to go to Volcano the hyena demon's bar and drink themselves silly. Why they did this in the middle of the day instead of closer to the night, Sunset stopped questioning it, but she had to admit, it was a time she began to look forward to. It allowed her to take her mind off of the stress and struggles of Hell.

Over the last few days, Sunset just couldn't shake Big Softie out of her mind. Ever since they parted ways, she wondered just what he was doing now. It was a hell of a series of events, that much was obvious, but even after everything, Sunset couldn't help but feel worried for Softie, constantly wondering if he was doing okay out there by himself. It was worries like this that Barb and Sunset went to the bar anyway. After a few drinks, it was like every bad feeling and struggle washed right off of them. This was exactly what Sunset needed right now. However, it would seem that Barbed Wire was taking a lot longer than usual to get ready. Usually, she was always buzzing for a drink.

Sunset decided to check in on her friend and peaked her head through Barb's bedroom door. Amongst the mess of dirty clothes, empty takeaway boxes and cans of alcohol that plagued the entire room, Barb was still laying on her bed, fast asleep.

'Strange,' Sunset said in her head. 'She never sleeps in for this long.'

She approached the bed, but not without difficulty as she expertly placed her feet in-between all of the garbage as she moved along. At one moment, she came close to falling over, causing Sunset to furiously wave her arms to maintain balance. By the time she had finally gotten to the bed, the closest she could get without stepping in something she might regret meant that she had to lean forward to give Barb a little nudge. Not turning to face Sunset, Barb made a small annoyed sound and lifted the covers over her head.

"You good, Barb?" Sunset asked cautiously.

"Tired. Let sleep," responded Barb, her voice being slightly muffled by the sheet covering her face.

"You don't want to go to Volcano's today?"

Sunset saw the covers of the bed shift back and forth, which she could only take as Barb telling her ‘No'. She pinched her chin curiously but decided to not press on the matter further to not annoy her weirdly exhausted roommate. She turned around to leave but was immediately met with a pile of clothes blocking the path of her boots, causing her to fall forward and her face landing in a box of cold, unfinished noodles.

"So, Barb was just still asleep?" Volcano asked.

"Sleeping like a baby," Sunset answered, flexing her arm and fingers, ready to go for another round. She rested her elbow on the table once again for it to be tightly clasped by her opponent. Another demon appeared and placed his hand over Sunset's and her foe's. He counted back from three and another round of arm wrestling had commenced. Sunset gave it her all, but she was immediately defeated, and her hand was slammed against the table top.

Volcano turned around with a piece of chalk. "That's five for Basilisk, one to Sunset. Tough luck, don't think that 'super strength's' coming out anytime soon." He began pouring a pint out for Sunset.

Sunset waved the pain off her losing hand and sat at the counter to take her drink. "I'm telling you, there's a way to control it and I am going to find it. If it worked for the eyes, it'll work for the arms." She downed a gulp of the burning substance. "Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah! Barb! I've never seen her with so little energy before."

"Same here," the bartender replied. "It's not like her to be this lazy."

"What makes you say that?" Sunset asked.

"Well, ever since she started coming here, she just made it her routine to come in every single week on this day, and never before has she missed a week from what I remember."

That wasn't exactly what she meant, but this sounded more important. "Really? Not one? Any ideas to what might have made her so tired?"

Volcano shrugged. "Girl's veins are practically filled with caffeine. Though, it might have something to do with her job. I think that takes her through the night."

Sunset was beyond surprised upon hearing that, causing her eyesbrows to raise up high. "Barb has a job?" Never before has Barbed Wire ever told her about this. It was like every day she realised just how little she really knew about her friend. "What does she work as?" she asked.

"I think one time she told me she worked as a night guard," Volcano answered. "She never told me where though."

"Hold up!" shouted a voice from behind. Sunset turned to see her opponent now facing the bar while he was arm wrestling someone else. "She told me that she was a taxi driver at night."

That Sunset didn't believe. "Barb doesn't own a car. I don't even think she knows how to drive one."

Another demon then walked forward. This being a demoness that Sunset recognised all too well. Cupcake, the large demoness that fought Sunset on her first night in Hell. "Well, Barb told me she was an overnight nurse."

"Get real, Cups," Volcano returned with heavy snark, rolling his eyes at the suggestion. "Look in a mirror and ask yourself, 'would Barbed Wire, an angry powerhouse despite her scrawny physique, care for patients instead of putting them in the hospital?'"

"Tch. Prick," Cupcake insulted quietly before walking away, now in a bad mood.

Sunset looked back and forth between Volcano and the other demons in the bar with a stern eyebrow raised. "So, what I'm getting here is that Barb lied to you all? Has anyone ever actually seen her outside the bar?"

"I think the question should be, Sunset, has Barb ever not been by your side?" Volcano asked. "Ever been a moment where she's just gone?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but when she really thought about it, no. To her knowledge, there has never been a moment Barb wasn't by her side. If she wasn't careful, some demons might start getting ideas, but her mind was getting off topic. Thinking about it further, she came to realise something: every night, Sunset would decide to go to sleep first, leaving Barb alone. "She probably sneaks out while I'm sleeping."

Volcano scratched his furry chin. "Hmm. Maybe, if you're that much of a creep, you can follow her when she leaves."

It wasn't that bad of an idea, despite how the bartender put it, but Sunset has come to realise how terrible he was at this point. Sunset had work tomorrow morning, but her curiosity was immense and would most likely put her off for her entire shift. She was doing this tonight. A slight problem was that Barbed Wire had pretty damn good awareness, so if Sunset was sneaking around behind her, she'd have to be especially careful. It was operation: Sneaky-sneak part two, the sneakening!

Later that night, Sunset and Barb were hanging out on the couch, watching some cartoon about some super powered, preschool triplets whoopin' ass. Sunset had seen it before in Canterlot, but Barb looked completely lost while watching.

While Barb was too busy being confused by the fleeting bright colours, Sunset glanced in her direction inconspicuously, preparing herself to make a move.

"So, noticed you were a bit tired today," Sunset pointed out.

Barb's eyes didn't leave the screen. "Yup. Long night last night."

"I didn't hear you leave."

"Sorry. You were sleeping. Didn't wanna disturb you."

It seemed she was playing hard to get. Sunset had to bring out the big guns. "What's your job?" she asked, practically interrogating Barbed Wire.

Barb's eyes widened, her head finally turning in Sunset's direction. "Why's that matter to you?"

Sunset gave a slight shrug. "Just curious is all. You know my job, so I kinda wanna know your job." She mentally slapped herself in the face, already knowing how well this can possibly turn out.

From her peripheral vision, Sunset noticed Barb's eyes looking all around the room, almost as though she was looking for a way out. "Ssssstripper... Yeah, that."

And there it was, all the proof that Sunset needed. Everyone Barbed Wire has told she had said something completely different. It was clear to Sunset now that she was hiding something. But what exactly?

Barbed Wire looked at a nearby clock. '23:11' it read. She took this opportunity to jump up from the couch and to fake a yawn. "Well, would you look at the time! I am beat. I'll see you in the morning Sunset." She went to make her retreat to her bedroom, but along the way a horrible pain shot through her leg, causing her to almost fall on one side. Barb let out a quick cry of pain and immediately covered her mouth.

However, despite her efforts to cover her pain, Sunset took quick notice and went to help Barb to her feet. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay, Barb? What happened?"

"I... fell out of bed when I woke up," Barb explained, looking away from Sunset. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Barb said she was fine, but she certainly didn't look fine. There was something terribly wrong that she wasn't talking about, and the mere thought of it put a large pit in Sunset's stomach. Sunset carried Barb, with Barb's arm around her neck, back to her bedroom as she hopped along. Being so very careful, Sunset laid Barb in her bed and pulled the blanket over her body. Whatever was going on, it was not good at all. Maybe after everything else that has happened, Barb just didn't want Sunset to worry so much again, but that caused her worry to shoot right through the roof! No matter what it was, Sunset was going to find out what was going on and save her friend from further pain!

A few hours later, Sunset laid on her couch in the dark, still wide awake. She waited patiently and quietly for something to happen, checking on Barb from time to time with her devil vision. So far, she hadn't moved from her bed aside from the frequent turning in place. The one thing Sunset could tell, however, was that Barb was not asleep, evident by Barb's own impatient sighs.

Sunset wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. She could feel her eyelids trying to force her to sleep. It took all of her willpower to keep them wide open. The last thing she needed was Barb catching her awake at this hour as she would finally go to leave.

Speaking of which, something had finally happened. There was a soft ringing sound that played somewhere in Barb's room, Sunset heard. She watched as Barbed Wire dug under the covers and into her pocket, pulling out a flip phone and turning the alarm off.

This looked to be it, what Sunset had been waiting for. She prepared herself for her next move. What should happen now is Barb would try to sneak through the front door, unbeknownst to her that Sunset was actually awake. But just as Sunset recalled her plan in her head, she watched as after Barb put back on her shoes and slung a gym bag over her shoulder, she opened her bedroom window and started climbing down the ladders.

This wasn't part of the plan! Sunset immediately turned off her devil vision and jumped off her couch, then made a beeline out into the hall, down the stairs and outside. She looked around for Barb, catching sight of her bright red hair as she left the street.

Sunset remained in close pursuit in a not so creepy fashion at all, ensuring to stay back enough so that Barb couldn't hear her footsteps. As they both went on, Barb was eventually leading Sunset into areas that she had yet to explore. This part of the city appeared far more bustling. Rather than some shitty fast-food joint around every corner, there were now shitty casinos, theatres and hotels with lights shining as bright as the day.

Along with all of these amusements, it also seemed to attract consumers aplenty as the crowd only multiplied the further Barb and Sunset journeyed. It was getting increasingly difficult for Sunset to keep track of Barbed Wire, what with the demons that stepped in-between them or walked against them, some demons even barging their way past.

Sunset upped her pace, determined not to lose her friend, but as she pushed past the crowd, she came to realise that Barb had vanished! But how?! Sunset knew she did everything to make sure that Barb never left her sight. She looked around where she stood, despite every other demon’s annoyance. There was a dark, narrow, not easily noticeable alleyway between two brightly lit buildings on her left. Giving that this was her only lead, Sunset went through.

With a quickened pace, Sunset hoped to catch up with Barbed Wire, and in a stroke of luck, she found her once again! The operation was back on. She followed closely once more, keeping her footsteps and breaths as quiet as possible.

However, after a few more steps, Barb seemed to lose balance and clasped at her right thigh, moaning with pain. This caused for a gasp to unexpectedly leave Sunset's mouth. She noticed Barb's ears perking up at the sound. Busted!

Sunset looked all around for some kind of hiding place, thankfully finding somewhere in the nick of time just as Barb's head had turned around.

Barb pushed herself back up onto her feet, looking around for whatever made that sound. "Who's out there?" she called out.

From behind a dumpster, Sunset sat completely still, holding her hands close together, with her knuckles touching side by side, on her chest as she tried to slow her heart down.

With no returning call, Barbed Wire gave one last suspicious glance to her surroundings before pressing forward again.

Sunset reappeared from her hiding spot, finally catching her breath as she escaped that torture chamber of smells. She rested her hand on the bin's lid, doing so causing a dent to be left in the shape of her hand. She looked at her hand weirdly, wondering to herself why her strength chose now out of any other time to appear.

That aside, she managed to cover her tracks for now, but she may not be so lucky the second time if that came to be. With the promise to herself to be more careful, the following continued.

Wherever Barb seemed to be going, Sunset could only hope that the state of her leg was not because of this place. Out of everything Barb said that she worked as, Sunset pondered the possibility of one of them actually being true. The most likely one was the night guard shift she had told Volcano. But there were still problems with that, such as why would Barb pick a job like that if she had to walk so far away? With that logic in mind, the night guard job was quickly thrown out of the window.

Light could finally be seen ahead. It looked like Barb and Sunset were about to exit this really long alleyway, and as they got closer and closer, Sunset was now able to hear a lot of noise. It sounded like... cheering.

Getting out of there now, Sunset was amazed to see a large stadium sitting not too far away, with lights shining in every direction and demons packing inside in numbers Sunset couldn't count to in one sitting. She kept following Barb, where it seemed that she was going around the back of the stadium.

There was a security gate at a section exclusively for staff members with a security guard sitting in a small booth in control of the gate. Barbed Wire walked up to the guard's window and showed them a card she had pulled from her bag. The guard looked over her card and, with a nod of confirmation, opened the gate for her. It was now or never. Sunset silently rushed through the gate, praying in her head that she wouldn't be noticed.

"Hold on there, you!" the security guard called out from their post.

With sweat dripping down her face, Sunset slowly creaked her head to look at the guard, and yep, they were talking to her. It was then that she also noticed Barb turning towards her too. She was busted.

"Sunset?" Barb asked. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Uhh..." Sunset stupidly replied.

"Barb, is this girl with you? Do you want me to throw her off the premises so you don't strain yourself before the match?"

"What? No, it's fine. I'll just-" Barb sighed and then firmly grasped Sunset by the arm. "Get in, now!" She pulled Sunset into the stadium, leading her into what seemed to be a changing room, sitting the stalker into a chair. "Alright, Sunset. Spill it. Why did you follow me?"

"I just wanted to see what you were hiding. Everyone from Volcano's said you told them all something different when it came to your job," Sunset answered.

Barb rubbed her temples. "God dammit. Those idiots. Okay, fine. Looks like you've found your answer now. Happy? Can you please just go?"

Sunset stood up. "No, I'm not just gonna go. Not after seeing you hurt like that. What actually happened to your leg? Who did this to you?" She grabbed Barb tightly by the shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes in a state of panic.

"It was just an accident during one of the matches from the other night. You really shouldn't worry about me so much."

"Matches? What are you talking about? What kind of job is this?!" The one thing Sunset could no longer do was not lose her mind.

From this, Barb was able to figure out something new about her roommate: in a worried state, she was as dense as a rock. "For real? The stadium? 'Matches'? The leg? Sunset, I'm a professional wrestler for crying out loud!"

"I- What?!" Sunset was on the verge of a breakdown. Either that or she was currently in the middle of one.

Suddenly, another demon burst through the changing room door behind the girls. A formally dressed insect looking demon with red eyes and a green exoskeleton. He stormed up to Barbed Wire. "Do you have any idea how late you are?!" he asked.

"Ugh. Relax, Dible. It's not like he's gonna be going anywhere," Barb retorted. "He can wait a few minutes before I kick his ass."

"He may be able to wait, but the audience aren't as patient. Your absence is causing us to lose butts in those seats out there!" Dible, as Barb called him, then caught glimpse of Sunset on the chair behind Barb. "And who the fuck is she?!"

Barb turned towards the stowaway, who had a wide, guilty smile, deciding whether or not to sell her out and make her go home. But then again, she's already here and knows everything. What use would it be making her leave now? "A friend. I promised she could see the backstage."

"Well, whoever she is, do whatever you're gonna do and get out there!" Dible spun around and left Sunset and Barb alone with a slam of the door.

"He's mean," was all Sunset could say.

"Yep. As much as you are crazy. Did you really sneak behind me the entire way? That's a four-mile journey!"

"Yeah, charity walks can pretty much prepare you for any distance," Sunset wittily commented.

"What-ity walks now?" Barb wasn't sure if Sunset was making any sense now. "Gah! Never mind that. I gotta prepare myself, so you... I don't know, just wait here, okay?"

"But your leg-"

"My leg is fine!" Barbed Wire took her gym bag and then went into one of the changing stalls. As she changed into her wrestling outfit, she caught glimpse of the brown bruise on her right leg. Running her hand across it, it hurt to the touch, but she knew she couldn't let this stop her. Barb was winning this.

Throwing aside the curtain, Barb revealed her wrestling form to Sunset, wearing a black, leather sports bra that came up to her neck, accompanied by black joggers, fingerless gloves and a mask that revealed only her eyes, nose and mouth, with her crimson red hair dropping out the back of it.

"I'll be back soon, we'll talk then. Do not leave this room," Barb said, leaving Sunset alone in the changing rooms.

Sunset was still in a bit of shock from the discovery she made. Barbed Wire, her own roommate, sneaking out on most, if not all, nights to go and do wrestling in secret. Granted, being a wrestler is something Sunset would have expected, it possibly even explained the scar on her cheek, but what was troubling her the most was why Barb felt the need to keep this from her. Not in the 'why would you lie? We're in this together' sort of way. No, she was genuinely confused, like, what was the point? Not really much of a friendship or moral lesson to be learned from here.

But then, Sunset was pulled away by the sounds of a TV that sat up on a wall behind her. She turned around and watched. It seemed to be turned onto the channel premiering these matches as they went on. Sunset pulled her chair closer to get a better look, and rested her hand on top of the other on a long table that was attached to the wall beside her.

"Welcome back, folks! Tonight, we've a hell of a match for you to see! Don't we, Slider?" spoke the commentator.

"Right you are there, Boomy!" in came another commentator. "Before the break, we witnessed tonight's current undefeated menace taking out every poor bastard that stood in his way!"

The first commentator, Boomy, came back to speak. "This absolute tank decimates all in the ring! Leaving nothing but the hard shells of his opponents that he broke through with his bare hands! You know him! You love him! It's the Ogre!"

The camera then brought into shot the stage, where on a screen showed the name in large, snotty green, bold letters 'The Ogre', and from the stage emerged the scariest beast that Sunset had ever seen in Hell. A gargantuan, bald and green demon. With one eye and large teeth poking out from his bottom jaw, his oversized body, legs that stomped as hard as a crashing meteor, and arms, four arms, with muscles over twice the size of his own head! This looked to be the Ogre!

The Ogre marched his unstoppable way towards the ring, standing in the middle and held each of his muscles up high, causing the audience to cheer louder than ever.

"He's is a force to be reckoned with, this man! Winning against every challenger he has faced on the show!" announced Slider. "I don't think he could ever be stopped!"

"Well, wait right there a moment, my friend, because our next challenger is someone who really knows how to bring the pain! She's a horrifying shadow of the night! A reason to keep one eye open when you sleep! With a winning streak about as perfect as the Ogre's, it is Little Miss Mayhem!" Boomy cheered.

The sound of the TV was drowned out as the entire audience had erupted with excited cheers, with thousands upon thousands of demons cheering for the new arrival. The demoness that had then entered was way smaller than the Ogre, wearing a black sports bra and a black mask that had red hair spilling out of the back...

It was Barbed Wire! Which only meant that she was going up against that hulking beast! Coming to this realisation, Sunset pushed herself back up to her feet, but just as she did that her hand shot right through the table. Her devil strength seemed to activate itself again and now she's broken a table! How was she doing this? That she would have to figure out later as she could not forget about what her secretive friend was fighting. She knew Barb was strong, but was she strong enough to take on... that?! Sunset's mind screamed with nothing but fear and regrets! What had she done?!

"It's the match of the century, folks! Two of the scariest units we have ever seen will finally go at it head-to-head!" Boomy shouted into his microphone.

"I don't know about you, Boomy, but I think my money's safe on the colossus over there! Know what I'm sayin', eh?" Slider bet.

"Now hold on there, you fucking idiot. Mayhem over there is a slippery little shit that packs a real punch! I think the Ogre has finally met his match here! Who will come out victorious?!"

In the ring now, a microphone was passed over to the Ogre, to which the banter before the match had begun. "The Ogre is not sure if it very fair of me to fight such tiny girl. Lucky for you, I am compassionate man. Leave now, little girl, while you still have chance!" he said with a Russian accent.

Barbed Wire was given a mic of her own, giving a confident laugh into it before making her comeback. "Wow! The Ogre hesitating to start the match? If I'm not wrong, I'd say you were scared of your precious streak coming to an end cus of me!"

The Ogre snorted steam out of his nose, his anger rising. "The Ogre is over his conflicted feelings. He will squash your head like the blueberry!"

"Bring it on, big boy! Show this little girl what you can do!"

The microphones were thrown aside and the fighters readied into their fighting positions. The Ogre held his four hands out far and wide, planning to come at her at all angles, while Barb had a more standard pose, with her fists raised at the ready and her feet spread apart. And by the sound of three consecutive dings, the match had begun.

Almost immediately, the Ogre made the first move by charging towards Barbed Wire, his thunderous footsteps shaking the ring beneath their feet. While his steps were powerful, the Ogre was also slow, so Barbed Wire ran towards him, and with quick thinking, she dived in-between his legs and ended up behind her opponent. However, she wasn't too careful when getting back up on her feet as she accidentally shifted more of her weight onto her bad leg. It was a quick shoot of pain, but it wasn't stopping her yet.

Now having an advantage over the beefy green man, Barb threw a hard punch into the back of one of the Ogre's legs, only to discover that his calfs were as hard as trees as her hand cracked upon impact.

The Ogre slowly turned around with an evil glare, striking fear into the 'fearless' Barb. "Is that all little girl got?" he asked. The Ogre didn't wait for an answer as he went a flurry of fists Barb's way.

Barb gave it her all to try and dodge each and every attack, but with the extra arms it made the Ogre much more unpredictable and faster that she was finding it hard to keep up. Eventually, he landed a hit on her, and Barb was sent flying backwards into the ropes.

It was clear that the Ogre did not want to give enough Barb enough time to collect her bearings as she opened an eye to see him attempting a charge once again. Barb evaded once more by jumping to the side, however, that hit managed to take a lot out of her, and she was on her knees upon landing. She tried picking herself back up, but the pain in her leg was much more immense and she could barely stand on it anymore.

Suddenly, a giant pair of hands wrapped around Barb's body, and she was picked up to look at the rampaging beast in his one eye. Barb tried desperately to break free, but his grip was too tight.

The Ogre held Barb out far and high, presenting her to the audience as if she were a toy. "Is this your Little Miss Mayhem?!" his voice roared. From this, the crowd erupted into a chorus 'Boos' sent to the small and helpless girl. Despite the humiliation, however, Barb still tried to break out, managing to slip out an arm, but because of the Ogre's hard steel grip, he only squeezed Barb's leg, sending agonising pain through her body.

Now standing directly in front of the TV, Sunset watched with complete horror on her face as she could see just how badly her friend was hurting right now. This Ogre guy was letting up, and from the way it seems, he wasn't finished with her just yet.

The Ogre then brought Barb directly in front of his face, staring her down with that large eyeball of his. "It very sad, Little Miss Mayhem. The Ogre thought the legends were going to be true, but all he is given is another easy win!"

An ego. Something that Barbed Wire loved to see, for if the opponent becomes too confident then their guard is as good as gone. So, with this new glimmer of hope, Barb used her free hand and punched the Ogre directly in the eye. The Ogre let out a painful cry, stumbling back and loosening his grip on Barb, giving her the chance of escape. She slipped out of his hand and fell to the ring's floor, failing the landing.

Barb hurt all over, but she was not going down just yet. This guy wasn't so tough, he's just really big is all. And now she had an upper hand after blinding him. It was clear that a direct hit from her wouldn't do many favours for her, so she had to take a different approach, and she figured she knew just how to.

While the Ogre was still holding two of his hands over his face, Barb went to grab one of his free arms, and with all of her might she pulled him towards her. Never before had she ever tried to lift such an incredible weight, but it seemed to be working. She began to twist her body around, swinging the colossal opponent around her, gaining more and more momentum until the Ogre seemed to fly under Barb's control. After finally reaching a great speed, Barb gave a loud shout and swung the Ogre's body over her head and back down onto the ground, making a thunderous thud that shook the entire stadium!

There was then complete silence, the only thing to be heard being Barb's heavy breathing. That swing had taken everything out of her, but it seemed like it was worth it now.

Barb turned and faced the audience, letting go a victorious shriek, the crowd following her after.

"I don't believe it, folks! After taking such a great beating from the Ogre, it seems as though Little Miss Mayhem managed to come out on top!" announced Boomy. "How's that feel now, Slider?"

"Well, I'll just say I'm very fucking disappointed now, but still, what a match! I really didn't think the Ogre could ever be-! Hold on... It doesn't look like it's over yet, folks!"

Not over yet? What was he talking about? Barb then felt the ring floor shifting by her feet. She slowly turned around, completely freezing up as she saw that the Ogre had gotten back up on his feet looking completely unscathed.

The Ogre chuckled with a sinister tone. "Good try, but this match belongs to the Ogre."

The Ogre then unleashed another flurry attack onto Barbed Wire. Due to her body aching and her leg injury she was unable to fight back. Little Miss Mayhem then lost the match.

In the changing room once again, Barb sat down in one of the chairs with her wrestling clothing taken off, revealing her body covered with many more bruises. Meanwhile, Sunset knelt beside her, bandaging her friend's sore limbs. As she tightened the bandage on Barb's right arm, Barb immediately pulled away from the pain it caused.

"Ah! Fucking hell!" Barb shouted. "Watch it!"

"I'm sorry, but this is how I have to do it. Now stop being a baby!" Sunset scolded, grabbing Barb's arm again.

While Sunset continued her work trying to fix her friend up as best as she could, all while Barb just looked down with a shameful look on her face, occasionally hissing as pain kept shooting through her. There was an awkward silence between them both, that of which Sunset finally broke by giving a sigh.

"Barb, why did you hide this?" she asked. "Why did you lie to everyone?"

"I don't have to tell everyone how I make a living," Barb replied with snark.

"Okay, fair, but why lie about it?"

Barb shrugged. "I dunno. It was funny to confuse people, I guess."

Not the answer Sunset was expecting. She always somehow forgot just how different this world was compared to the living world. The lack of moral lessons to be learned was still pretty jarring to say the least.

"Although, just because you're helping me out right now, don't go thinking you're off the hook, Sunset," Barb suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked.

"Uh, hello? Following me without me knowing in the middle of the night? That's a majorly creepy line I didn't think you could ever actually cross."

After the commotion that was watching that horrible fight, Sunset had really hoped that Barb would have forgotten about that, or at least have looked past it now given the current situation. But nope. Barb still wanted answers and Sunset did owe it to her anyway.

"I just feel like I know very little about you," Sunset answered. "Ever since we met I've pretty much told my own entire story, but when I ask something about you, the question is avoided. I'm pretty sure that what I know about you is that you were in a gang years ago, and that you're a wrestler now. That's it. I want to know more about my friend, but I'd also appreciate it maybe if you'd tell me you didn't want to answer."

Barb was quiet for about a minute, finding it difficult to find the right words to say. "I... didn't realise you cared so much. Nobody's really ever cared about me before."

"Of course I care! After everything you've done for me, being sent to Hell doesn't feel as bad as it used to. In fact, what I'd love to do is just find a way to repay you for all of your care for me!"

This appeared to lighten the mood a bit as a small smile crept onto Barb's face. She wasn't gonna lie, she has certainly been an amazing friend. Giving someone a home, finding them a job, getting them a diagnosis, that only being some of the things Barb has done but she didn't want to brag too much.

But alas, as better as the mood was getting, it was brought back down in the blink of an eye as the changing room door was flung open and in came that insect demon from before which Barb seemed to call Dible.

"Terrible show, Barbed Wire! Absolutely terrible show!" he shouted.

"God, give a girl some privacy, why don't ya!" Barb covered her cleavage.

"Do you think I pay you to lose? No! There was a lot of money towards your name for you to win, and you just threw it back in everyone's face!" Dible seemed to ignore Barb's sass completely, a power that Sunset kinda wished she had.

Despite that, though, Sunset wasn't going to sit there while her friend was unfairly scolded at. "Hey, leave her alone, okay? She's already been through enough tonight. The last thing she needs is someone shouting in her ear."

Dible's eyes inspected Sunset, hinting that he had already completely forgotten her existence after about half an hour. "Are you really still here? Get out of here while we talk about how things work again, because it seems like someone needs reminding!"

Barb held a hand up to interject. "You don't get to speak to her that way! Sunset, you can stay."

"I'd prefer you watch that tone with me, Missy! Remember which one of us hands out the payment here! No good show, no money! So, if you don't do something fast, you can say goodbye to that paycheck!"

"You can't possibly be suggesting that she goes back out there! She needs to rest right now!" Sunset shouted. An idea then came to her mind. It was a terrible idea, but as long as it kept Barb out of harm's way, that was all that mattered to her. "What if I step in for her?"

"What?!" Barb and Dible exclaimed in unison.

"I can fight, for the most part, and I'm really strong too. Send me out instead!"

Barb quickly stood up, which she immediately regretted when her sides hurt, so she sat back down. "Sunset, no, you can't do that! You don't even know how to control your strength!"

"Then I guess I'm about to find out. What say you, sir?"

Sunset and Barb both turned to the bug demon, both of them hoping for the complete opposite response. Meanwhile, Dible, rubbing a claw under his neck because bugs don't have chins, thought of the possibility of a random girl somehow making a good first impression. If they both say something about a hidden strength ability, then it must be true. He always loved a good bet, and there may be a chance he just struck gold! "I'll cut you a deal, Miss..." He gestured to Sunset.

"Shimmer. Sunset Shimmer."

"Miss Shimmer. How about this? If you manage to last a total of five minutes in the ring, I'll give you half of Barb's payment, and if you win, I'll give you the whole lot. Deal?" Dible held his hard-shelled hand out to Sunset, awaiting her answer.

Without hesitation, Sunset grabbed hold of the manager's claws and shook it. The deal was sealed, she was really about to do this. "So, who am I going up against?" she asked curiously.

"What? You mean you haven't heard the theme of tonight?" Dible asked. "It's gonna be fighter after fighter until there's finally someone that can take the champion down!"

At the same time, everyone's heads turned towards the TV which was on the entire time and was playing the current fight. They all watched as the Ogre was still fighting strong and was currently destroying another demon that dared to square up to him. Without putting up too much of a fight himself, the Ogre won with supreme ease.

Sunset's eyes widened at the realisation. "Oh no," she said darkly.

"Oh yes, my dear! Now, I need to head out. You've got one more fight to wait through, so be ready before then! Got that?" said Dible as he took his leave.

Sunset stood up straight and furiously nodded her head.

"Good. Toodles! And Miss Shimmer, good luck to you out there. You're really gonna need it." And with that, Dible had left the changing room, allowing Sunset the chance to fall to her knees as she was overtaken with anxiety.

"Oh, what have I done?" Sunset asked herself, looking at her hands as they suddenly began shaking with fear.

"Something incredibly stupid! That's what!" Barb spat. "What are you thinking?! Going up against the Ogre?! You don't stand a chance!"

Sunset gulped and tried to force a grin on her face, lacking the confidence that desperately tried to show. "But I have to try, right? If you can't win that money, then I'm surely gonna do it for you, because it's what you deserve! I'll be your fearless champion!"

"'Champion's' one thing, but 'fearless'...?" Barb said quietly to herself.

"I heard that! Now, where can I get a costume?" Sunset jumped up and clapped her hands together, getting more and more pumped.

"You cannot be serious!" Sunset complained from behind her stall's curtain.

"It was the only thing I could find, okay?" Barb explained, still sitting on the chair as she waited for Sunset to change. "Come on out and let's have a look."

There was a small pause before Sunset replied. Clearly, she didn't like her costume. "...Fine." It would still be a good few seconds before the curtain was slowly drawn, revealing Sunset dressed in a complete sky-blue latex set, sporting a sleeveless crop top, pants and a mask with a hole in the back for her to make a ponytail. The colours clashed with her red demon skin.

"Woah mama," was Barb's reaction, giving a wolf whistle and causing Sunset to blush furiously as she tried to cover herself.

"You're not helping!" Sunset's voice went noticeably higher pitched as she turned away from Barbed Wire, showing her barely covered back.

Barb just laughed as a response. "I'm sorry, I'm just teasing. You look fine, really. So, you ready for your-" But then something on Sunset's back caught her attention. "Wait, what the...?"

Sunset remained trying to hide herself, not noticing that Barbed Wire was approaching her. When she got close enough, Barb then poked a part of Sunset's back, causing a sharp shiver to be sent right up her spine. She yelped and turned back towards Barb. "What was that?!"

"You've got some weird... stubs on your back." Barb pointed out to her.

Sunset, with a look of confusion, reached a hand behind her back and felt around for said 'stubs'. Between her shoulder blades she eventually found two little bumps that were very sensitive to the touch. Never before had she noticed anything like this, not even when putting the costume on. However long these have been there Sunset couldn't possibly say.

"These must be that other side effect that doctor talked about," Sunset remembered.

Barbed Wire groaned in annoyance. "I didn't want to be reminded of that guy, but I think your right. So we know these aren't some weird tumours, that's good. But then what are they? That guy didn't really give us an answer if I remember correctly."

Neither of them had enough time to think about it, however, as they then heard the three dings signifying a match’s end. It looked like the Ogre had come out on top once again, big surprise there, which now meant it was Sunset's time! Before departing for her possible doom, she took a few deep breaths and slapped her face. She was ready for whatever was gonna happen!

But that was when Barb remembered another thing. "Hey, wait. What's your stage name?"

"I didn't think of one! Gotta go! Bye!" Sunset quickly said before running out. In her time of changing, she couldn't think of a good name for herself, and it was especially too late now.

"We're back again, folks! And now we're finally getting ready for the final fighter of the night!" Boomy announced. "Will this final foe prove themselves worthy, or will the Ogre reign supreme as the Sinner City champion?"

"I'm certainly looking forward to this one," Slider said. "We have received word that this fighter is a brand new one! Their first match ever! So, give a hand for the all new, the mysterious... eh... Well folks, it would seem that this demon hasn't got a fucking name! So, let's just make one up, yeah? Give it up for Mystery Mofo!"

This was really her price to pay for not choosing a name? At least it was only going to be for a few minutes, then Sunset would be done with this thing forever. The crowd cheered upon hearing the name, but as Sunset stood out, displaying herself to everyone, they suddenly all went silent. Even the two demons commentating seemed to be stuck on what to say about her.

"Well, umm... W-What do you wanna say, Slider?" Boomy nervously passed on.

Slider on the other hand didn't seem to want to hold back. "Holy shit! Ain't that the scrawniest fighter I've ever seen! For her sake, let's just hope she's got some underlying power hidden in that skin and bones! Otherwise, we're actually going to have a body to clean after tonight!"

"That's one way to put it..." Boomy said quietly.

It was much worse than Sunset thought. At least this humiliation came with being able to hide her identity, but that didn't make it feel all that much better. She walked towards the ring in the awkward silence, all while the still standing Ogre grabbed a microphone once more.

"You chose wrong night to try something new, little one. The Ogre respects confidence, but do not think he will hold back! Your head is nothing but grape to the Ogre!"

Climbing onto the stage, Sunset had her very own microphone. She didn't exactly know how to approach this 'wrestling banter' or whatever, but she hoped that whatever came out of her mouth wasn't going to be stupid. She took a deep breath, and she suddenly felt something within her. Something very familiar. And then, she spoke.

"I will say, you certainly got a whole lotta bite, but referring to yourself in the third person so you don't forget your own name isn't what I'd call bark," Sunset said. "You got confidence? Then where is it? Because all I'm seeing is just a little boy here!"

This seemed to garner a reaction from the audience. It seemed what she said was pleasing to say the least. Meanwhile, she was wondering where the words were all coming from. She wasn't even thinking as she spoke.

On the other hand, her words seemed to anger her opponent. "Who do you think you are?!" the Ogre roared.

"Why don't you come here and find out?" Sunset finished, dropping her mic to the side.

The Ogre did the same, stretching out his twenty fingers until they popped, twisting his fat neck until it cracked and ending with a hard punch into his other palms. The frightening sounds was enough to turn Sunset's legs to jelly. But if she was going down, she would go down swinging. So, she copied her opponent's prep routine, but when it came to the punch she felt a surge being sent up her arms. Could she have just...?

Then came the three dings. The fight was on! Sunset prepared for the Ogre to make the first move, but he just stood still with a smug, toothy smile and his four arms crossed. He was waiting for her! But what should she go for? She couldn't possibly reach his eye. Was she to go for the legs?

"Is little girl hesitating?" the Ogre asked.

He was asking for it! It was time to prove if it was true! She punched her palm again and ran over to the Ogre's massive legs, reeling back her arm and then swung it forward towards his ankle. Upon contact, a shockwave was shot out of Sunset's fist and the Ogre's right leg was blown away, almost sending him into the splits.

Everyone, even Sunset, was silent from amazement. This small, firm with no muscle girl had managed to throw the Ogre off balance! Not only that, but Sunset figured out how to activate her devil strength! Perhaps she did have a shot at winning this thing after all.

But while Sunset was distracted with her discovery, the Ogre took this opportunity and swung his right leg back forward and smacking Sunset with his massive bare foot. She was sent flying to the ropes on one side of the ring, stretching them backwards and slingshotting her back near the middle. Sunset clutched her stomach. That kick dealt a mighty blow to her body, but she wasn't ready to give up yet. She wasn't even a minute into it.

The Ogre chuckled. "This will be interesting." He then used one of his lower arms to go for an underarm swing. Sunset was quick enough to avoid it, but the Ogre was just as fast when thinking of a follow up move. He clasped his top pair of hands together and tried to pound it down where Sunset stood.

It turned into a mad sequence of the Ogre trying to land a hit and Sunset trying to keep the pace up. She couldn't think of a way to attack back, he was far too fast with little sign of letting up! There had to be an opening somewhere, but Sunset's vision was mostly filled with giant green hands. That left her with one option, she would just have to go up.

Sunset watched the flying fists closely until she had gotten the right timing down, and then when another punch was headed her way, she jumped up and climbed upon the Ogre's knuckle. From there she ran up the length of the arm and leapt off, unleashing another strengthened throw onto one of the Ogre's pecs.

The Ogre had the air punched out of his lungs as he stumbled back. It seemed like Sunset was actually managing to hurt him. If she stayed careful, she could reach that five-minute mark easily, but her odds of winning? They seemed higher than she initially thought.

She prepared herself for the Ogre's next move, which would happen to be his charge attack. In retaliation, Sunset leaned against the ropes, stretching them as far back as she could and then propelling herself towards the charging Ogre. They both clashed together with Sunset punching the Ogre directly on his forehead. It caused the competitor immense pain, forcing him to find support on the side ropes as he clutched the now throbbing head.

From the way he could see it, Sunset was about as agile as a fighter as Little Miss Mayhem with an even greater strength. It was not looking good anymore. If he was going to win this, he would have to do it quickly. That was when a risky idea came to his head. He slowly began raising all four arms high into the air.

"Woah! What's this now?" Boomy playfully wondered for the audience. "It looks like the Ogre is already going for his finishing move, barely three minutes into the fight!"

"His finishing move?! You mean the one that is only supposed to be used in the most dire situations due to the damages that the move alone causes?!" Slider spelled it all out.

"The one and only! He raises all of his arms up high and slams them back down in a single, destructive slam! Last time anyone had ever seen it in action the entire ring was blown away, as well as the first seven rows in the audience!"

"Huh. That explains the designated splash zones." Just as Slider had said that, hundreds of demons in the front rows began crowding together further at the back.

"It is the deadly, the explosive, the low rate of survival move... THE WORLD ENDER!!"

The Ogre's arms had reached their peak. He was ready to release his devastating grand finale, but Sunset could not let that happen no matter what! Before he was able to slam back down, Sunset ran over to where his arms would land and held her arms above her head in an 'X' formation. Once the swing was made, Sunset had managed to catch the Ogre's hands, her strength only barely being able to hold him back. The Ogre wasn't giving up, however. He gave a monstrous roar while trying to push down onto Sunset, causing for the ring beneath her feet to begin cracking.

There didn't seem to be a way of escape. With all of her might she managed to keep the Ogre from causing such destruction, but in the end it seemed that she had just caused her own loss. The ground was about to give way. Soon enough, Sunset would be flattened under the ring.

But then a thought came to her. If she could activate the strength of a devil in her own arms, could she possibly do the same with her legs? It was worth a shot, what with the few seconds she possibly had left. Still being crushed under the Ogre's incredible weight, she struggled to get her feet close together. Once done, she clacked the sides of her ankles together and now her legs were overtaken by a powerful energy.

It was do or die now! Channelling all of the energy to her feet combined with the strength in her arms, Sunset jumped off of the crumbling floor, pushing back the Ogre's arms and sending him falling on his back.

As Sunset landed back on the floor, the Ogre looked at her with fear. It seemed that he had run dry of plans, which meant that this match was Sunset's.

"Gutsy," Sunset complimented. "Now, I think it's time I share my finishing move!" With that said, Sunset grabbed hold of one of the Ogre's feet and, much like Barbed Wire, began swinging him around. After gaining enough momentum, she decided to spice it up and leapt up with her enhanced leg strength. She had almost reached the roof of the arena with the Ogre still in her arms before she spun back around and with a great shout she said, "DEVIL HURRICANE!" and threw the Ogre's body down towards with blistering speed! Crashing directly into the centre of the ring! Sending pieces of it flying everywhere! And as the smoke cleared, it revealed the Ogre's unconscious body lying within the wreckage. The beast was done!

A judge demon approached the giant body and quickly counted to three before the bell rang once again, signifying the fight being finished. The crowd was silent for a second before erupting into applause. Sunset looked all around at everyone with a giddy smile on her face.

"What an incredible performance by the Mystery Mofo!" Boomy joyfully shouted. "In an unexpected turn of events, our newest fighter has just claimed herself the title of Sinner City's champion!"

"I just...! What?! How?!" Slider on the other hand was confused beyond words. "No one can survive his finishing move! That is no regular fucking demoness down there!"

Sunset then took the chance of climbing on top of the powerless foe and looking him directly in the eye.

"Who... are you?" the Ogre painfully asked, barely awake.

"I am the SHE-DEMON!" Sunset screamed for the entire arena to hear. The audience cheered louder with the newly crowned champion's victory cry. She almost couldn't believe it herself. Sunset really won!

"And there it is, folks! Let's hear it for the girl of the hour with the unoriginal name! She-Demon!" Boomy cheered.

Sunset Shimmer and Barbed Wire were finally walking back home together. It was late at night... again, and they both were hurting bad! With Barb's injuries and Sunset's aching muscles, it wasn't going to be a fun sleep for either of them.

Along with Barbed Wire, she held in her hand an envelope containing the money she was promised. With Sunset having won the fight, she got her full amount, and all Barb could do was just look at the sealed letter with relieved eyes.

"I don't know what to say," Barb said. "That was... really fucking unbelievable what you did back there."

"I'm just as surprised as you are," Sunset replied. She was constantly stretching out her arms to try and relieve the pain little by little. "That Ogre guy... whoo! He knows how to punch! I don't think I'm ever going to do that again!"

Barb snorted. "Yeah. Heh." There was a thought looming in the back of her head, something that she found hard to find the proper words for. With what little she could think of, she tried speaking anyway. "Listen, Sunset, I... don't know how else to, uhh... go about doing this, but... thanks," she said very faintly. "If it weren't for you doing something very stupid, I might not have paid rent this month."

Sunset had only just managed to catch the thanks, and despite Barb's not so great way of showing it, she still gave her a friendly smile regardless. "What are friends for? Little Miss Mayhem."

"Don't you start making a thing now! We are keeping this between us two only! She-Demon!"

The two wrestlers laughed into the night, bringing about the end to probably Sunset's most chaotic night in Hell. But as she has come to learn at this point, if she thinks she had seen it all already, Hell will always find a way to surprise her again. How soon it would decide to do that, only time will tell.

Author's Note

Well, hasn't this been fun? I wish there could be more, but it seems that the election is nearing its end...

Chapter 14: When All Seems Lost

Her body was left alone, floating through nothing. She could see, she could breath, but she could not move nor speak. She was as still as if she were dead. But she couldn't be dead, could she?

Nothing made sense. This space, she could not tell how long she had been floating here. It may have been weeks, though, it only felt like hours. How did she get here?

Her memory was very faint. One moment, they were at that tower, and then suddenly darkness.

For however long she spent here, the only thing that seemed to exist was the only thing she could remember, that night. It was constantly replayed before her. Surrounding her, it was his office. Behind her was the body of her friend, and in front was the snake.

She had no power in this space. All she could do was let herself be thrown around like a ragdoll. She was flung towards the shattered window, hanging off the edge with broken glass sinking into her fingers as her body dangled hundreds upon hundreds of feet in the air.

It was all coming back now...

She was just ready to fall, but there she came from the darkness inside, her friend. She came just in time to save her. It was all going to be okay.

But then, she felt that familiar ear piercing metal shing pass right through her ears again.

Her friend just stood, looking horrified. Through her mouth barely escaped her last word, "Sun... set." And then, she was pulled back into the dark room.

She screamed and shouted only for nothing to come out.

And then, he appeared once more. The snake looked her in the eye one last time, all before he finally took it all away.

She felt herself plummeting through the wind beneath her, causing her hair to fly and blind her. But as she fell, she could hear her voice once more. Slowly, it was coming back, and the very moment that she realised she was screaming the name of her friend, she hit the ground.

And she woke up.

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes, though, she was not sure if she actually did. In the few seconds it took for her vision to adjust, she believed that she was stuck in an even worse darkness now. But she soon put together that it was just a dark room.

She raised herself onto her elbows. It was there she could feel how much of a sweaty mess she was. The blanket that covered her could barely fall down with how hard it clung to her body. Sunset tried to look through the darkness, but from what little she could see, she didn't recognise this place. There were no windows. Just walls and wooden crates all over the place, a couple of which she was resting on top of.

Moving to sit on the edge of the large boxes, Sunset then noticed a plethora of bodies all across the floor. She was close to screaming in terror, luckily hearing some demons snoring. Everyone appeared to be asleep. Sunset gave a relieved sigh, figuring that she must have woken up rather late.

But not all appeared to be resting so easily, as a small light flickered on right behind Sunset. She spun around to see a very familiar face.

"So, you're finally back," Volcano the hyena demon greeted, holding up a lantern. "Took you long enough."

"Volcano?" Sunset whispered. "Where are we?"

"My bar's cellar. Just about the only safe place left in the whole city."

"What happened here?" the clueless girl asked.

Volcano raised his brow to the unexpected question. "Shit, you've been out for a while, huh? Wish I could live as clueless as you," he said with heavy snark, drawing a small grin on his face which barely lasted a few seconds before falling back down into a frown. "But I guess to make a long fuckin' story short, Goliath and his army took control of the whole city. Anyone caught going against him, they're as good as dead."

Sunset's heart sank upon hearing this news. She remembered, at the tower when she lost. Goliath must have immediately moved through the entire city. He really won, and now Sinner City was in more disarray than ever. How could she have failed this horribly?

"Hey, don't you normally have a jacket or something?" Volcano pointed out.

By being so caught up by the sudden confusion and chaos, Sunset hadn't taken time to notice that, yes, the leather jacket she normally wore was gone. Upon inspecting herself further, she also realised that the back of her dark-red tank top was badly damaged, with what felt like two large vertical holes going down almost the length. "Guess it got stolen while I was out," she figured.

"Hmm, can't imagine why." Volcano then reached off somewhere in the darkness and returned with a bag of chips, already half empty. "Here, you gotta be starving. It's not much, but it's all we got for now."

Sunset took the food and looked at the flavour. Sulted flavour Slay's. Not her favourite kind, but she wasn't going to be picky. "Thank you," she responded to his generous gesture. She lightly crunched on the black, crispy chips, doing her best as to not wake anyone up.

"So, what's your story? How'd Kiki end up finding you in a dumpster?" Volcano asked.

Sunset almost choked on a chip after that disgusting thought. "I was what?!" she almost accidentally yelled. With a silencing gesture from Volcano, Sunset controlled herself and brought her voice down again. "Well, after Rattingsbottom died, which I didn't do, by the way."

"Didn't think so," Volcano responded.

"After that, Barb and I went to the mayor's office to try get some answers, but Goliath tried to bring us down. He threw me off his building, and Barb... She's..." Her head slowly dropped, tears beginning to form in her eyes having to look back at that moment.

A light canine whimper came out of Volcano as he understood what happened. "Shit..."

Sunset rubbed her eyes. "And that's the last thing I remember. He was too strong; we didn't stand a chance. Now the city's in chaos because of me."

"Hey, it ain't your fault. He's an evil mother-fucker, but I'll give him that he's smart. He's always been a step ahead of everyone," the hyena tried to reassure. They then heard someone begin to groan in their sleep. "We'll talk more in the morning. Try get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Volcano," Sunset said, resting her back against the side of her box in hope of more comfort.

"Ack, it's nothin'," Volcano said finally before putting out the light in his lantern.

But she wouldn't find much rest that night. With far too much on her mind, it wasn't possible. To think that she had been gone for what looked to be a long time, and during that the city was being destroyed. Just when she thought Hell could not possible get any worse, it never ceased to surprise her.

After a few hours, which felt like days for Sunset, some demons were beginning to wake up. It was still dark as night down there, so Sunset could only assume it was morning. Other lanterns were lit from all around. Now, Sunset was able get a better look at this cellar.

All around, there were demons of all forms and sizes, none of which Sunset recognised. No one appeared to be keeping too fine, with just about everyone having suffered some sort of injury, either bruised, bandaged, or most commonly both.

The demons that had woken up each took notice of Sunset's awakening, with the ones sitting closest to her trying to push themselves further into the wall. Their expressions spoke fear.

"Are you all okay?" she calmly asked, reaching a hand out towards them. But upon doing so, they only retreated further back, resulting in some pushing themselves up the wall into standing. "What's wrong?"

No one would answer. She looked around and most, if not all demons gave her the same look. Everyone appeared to be afraid of her, with the ones she was closest to quivering from head to toe. Sunset reeled her hand back, taking her place back beside her crate with all eyes on her.

Though, she quickly noticed that among the demons that had woken up, Volcano had also, rubbing an eye with a furry hand. Sunset got onto her feet and made her way to the only face she knew.

She sat beside him. "Hey, Volcano," she greeted with a half-hearted smile.

"Hey," Volcano wearily returned. "Sleep alright?"

"I didn't really get any sleep."

"Yeah, it takes some getting used to." He arched his back backwards until a crack could be heard. "Still fuckin' sucks, though."

Sunset shook her head. "That's not it. I was thinking about, well, a lot last night... about everything."

A silence suddenly fell between the two. Their attention was mainly paid to the other demons who had moved on to their own thing.

"Everyone here seems scared of me," Sunset told the hyena, not taking her eyes off the unfortunate crowd.

Volcano hissed. "Yeah... Just about everyone here thinks it's your fault. One time I had to stop a few of these dumbasses from tossing your body up top," he explained.

Sunset quickly turned her head towards him with shock. "You're kidding."

"'Fraid not. Don't worry, I gave them a mouthful. Though, I'd watch my back if I were you."

"God..." A frown forced its way onto Sunset's face again. "These poor demons. If only I'd been better, I could have stopped this."

"Hey, don't go putting all that weight on yourself. It was gonna happen anyway. That's just Hell, we gotta live with it." Volcano proceeded to drink what was left in a bottle of alcohol.

"Look at them, Volcano. Hell or not, this is no way to have to live." Anyone could see it as plain as day. Under shell trying to survive, everyone was scared. "They're going to die waiting," Sunset quietly said to herself. Enough was enough. Sunset stood up with an aggressive look and took for the stairs up.

"Where you going?" Volcano asked.

"To Goliath. I couldn't prevent this, but I'm sure as hell gonna end it," Sunset explained.

Volcano rushed up the steps and grabbed the demoness' wrist. "Are you nuts?! His army will decimate you the second you step out there! No demon has a chance squaring off against them!"

"Well, they've never met a demon like me. Now, let go!"

"Even with your weird devil shit, you got no chance going alone. What are you going to prove by killing yourself?"

Sunset gave in trying to pull away and, instead, exhaled angrily. "I owe it to everyone. Because of me, Goliath is destroying everything. Because of me, everyone is struggling to survive. Because of me, my friend is dead! I have to do something, or else it will have all been in vain!"

Volcano shook his head. "Going out there won't change anything, Sunset. If Barb were here, she'd want you to stay safe. I've seen how she treated you against everyone else. She really cared 'bout you, y'know."

Sunset was then left silent. Volcano's words caused her heart to soften, causing her eyes to water. In an instant, so many memories of the time they both spent flashed in her mind. From bitter beginnings to ever strengthening bonds. If she wasn't angry, she always had that snarky smile.

But she died fighting for Sunset, and all she wanted to do now was return the favour.

"But..." she began with a quiet and hoarse voice, "...if I don't do it, who will?"

Volcano looked down at the floor for an answer. However, his thought was suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs.

"V-Volcano?" Sunset asked hesitantly.

Volcano immediately placed a paw over her mouth, not taking his eyes off the upstairs. "Shh."

The attention of everyone was put towards the slow creaking beyond the cellar door. Any light was put out and they were as quiet as could be. The only sound was the suppressed whimpering of some demons. They all patiently waited. The footsteps had stopped, but no one heard them leaving. Everyone knew, whoever it was, they were still there.

Sunset didn't know how to react. She had come from learning and witnessing so much in such little time, causing her head to spin, and the hand from Volcano forced her to hold her breath for so long she was ready to black out. However, an idea managed to surface.

After a quick succession of blinking, she began to see the outside. It was too dark to distinguish much, but among the shadows, she could definitely see a figure standing behind the bar. A large demon, with horns protruding from their head.

She took her friend's paw away from her face. "Wait, is that-?"

And then, a series of specific knocks were heard hitting off the door. Upon hearing it, the lights all came back on, and just about everyone gave off sighs of relief. Volcano went up the stairs, unlocked the latch and pushed up the door, allowing the newcomer inside.

Sunset watched as the demon came down from the darkness and into the light. After a moment, she could finally see their face, and he could see hers.

"S... Sunset?" Big Softie said with disbelief.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Sunset suddenly broke down as she rushed to the blue bull demon. "Big Softie!" She jumped and embraced the big lug. "Thank goodness you're alive!"

"I can't believe it, you're finally awake!" Big Softie laughed with glee, tightly holding the girl in return, almost breaking her back from sheer excitement. "I thought we lost you! How are you feeling?"

After a few more seconds, Sunset brought herself back onto the floor. "I'm fine, but what about you? Were you outside?" she asked.

Softie waved her worries off. "Ack, not so bad when you know the streets like I do."

"Yeah, but why?"

"He's one of my supply runners. He insisted, so not much I could do," Volcano enlightened. "Speakin' of, find much, big guy?"

Big Softie nodded as he showed the large white sack slung over his shoulder. "Got enough to do us good for a couple more days. Anyone else come back yet?"

"Not yet. It shouldn't be too long, though," Volcano said as he looked through the bag of supplies. He picked up a bottle which rattled in his grip and then hurled it towards a demon across the room. "Painkillers. Should help with the fever." The demon in question gave him a weak thumbs-up followed by a loud sniff.

As the bartender continued to hand out supplies, Sunset and Softie took off to sit with each other.

"It's so great to see you again, Softie," Sunset began. A smile spread across her face.

"Same. It's fuckin' crazy out there, but finally seeing you awake after waiting so long, gotta be the best news yet," Softie said. "Y'know, I had a look where you were found, hoping maybe I'd find Barb. But I couldn't. You wouldn't happen to know, would ya?"

Grief suddenly filled Sunset's chest once more. Her mind was pulled away by the excitement of seeing one friend again that she briefly forgot her grievance for the other. "Oh, Softie. Barb is... gone." She placed a hand on his big arm and gave him a sad look. "I'm so sorry."

Big Softie's face fell. "Barb's dead?" he asked, proceeding to ask it many more times in his own head. His old partner and friend... He then shook his head. "No. I don't believe it. She can't be. She's too stubborn to die."

While Sunset believed that to be true, it did not stop her from seeing those three blades in her head. "I suppose she would be, but Goliath was just far too powerful, even greater than my devil strength. I don't even know how I survived."

Big Softie looked up in wonder. "Well, I don't know much, but I'd say this was more than a stroke of luck," he thought out loud.

Sunset turned to him with a muddled look. "What do you mean?"

The bull demon shrugged in response. "Maybe not fate, but I think with what ya got, ya gotta make meanin' out of it. You lasted the fall, but can ya get back up?"

"Are you suggesting I fight back? I already tried that, but Volcano shot that dream down before I could make it to the door."

"Who said you had to go it alone?"

Sunset had not thought of that possibility, mainly because she did not want to. After facing the consequences once with one demon, she didn't even want to imagine what would be lost if the blood of many more demons were on her hands. "I'm sorry, but it's too great a cost. I'm not having someone lose their afterlife for me again."

"Then what are you gonna do?" Big Softie asked

"I... I don't know. I want to save everyone, but Volcano was right, there's no way I can defeat him."

Softie tried to move into Sunset's line of sight. "Not on your own."

"Big Softie, stop! I told you, I'm not doing it. We lost, that's it!" Sunset then turned away from him. Her own words only caused her heart to break even more.

Big Softie had about enough of this. With an aggravated look on his face, he stood up and went to the centre of the room. He then took a deep breath and shouted, "HEY!" This loud act gained the attention of everydemon. They looked in silence, wondering what Softie could possibly want.

He then began to speak, "Listen up, you miserable bastards! We've been cooped up in this basement for weeks now and we haven't got a damn thing to show for it. If we stay here, we're gonna die here. Do any of you want that?" He was given no response. "Didn't think so. So why sit here and slowly waste away, when we can go to that bitch snake and take our home back? Goliath might be strong, but he sure as hell isn't invincible. If we band together, I know we got a chance to dethrone that monster!" Softie held a fist up high.

"And why should we listen to you?" a demon from the audience asked. "We know that you're all nice and shit around her." They pointed directly to Sunset. "Killing Rattingsbottom, standing with Goliath at the election. How do we know you're both not secretly working for him? You might just want to hand us over to him! I know you've certainly got nothing to lose, Softie!"

Big Softie just looked at the demon with a horrible, fiery glare. He hardly noticed he began dragging his foot on the ground. But he suppressed his anger and continued on.

"I've nothing to lose, huh? What about my friend, who has helped me through one of the hardest things I've ever done, and who I was sure wasn't even gonna wake up? I get your concern, and I can't really prove otherwise, but I trust her more than anything. For me, she is worth fighting for."

Sunset held her hands close to her chest after hearing her friend's words.

"And I know I'm not the only one with something to fight for. Who here has lost something because of this destruction?"

Every demon in the room began looking at one another. While it was silent, anyone could tell, each of them had something they had lost.

The first to make another sound was Volcano, giving a heavy sigh. All eyes were on him. "I lost my bar. I never imagined, for as long as I'd been doin' it, that I'd miss the slow, mundane afterlife."

"Fight for it, Volcano. Get back the chance to sell drinks again," Big Softie responded.

"I lost my home," another demon spoke up. "You know, after years of trying to make the place look good, it's pretty fucking aggravating to not see it anymore!"

"Fight for it!"

"I lost my damn mags! That's thousands of sickles down the hole thanks to that shithead!" An awkward silence followed.

"...Sure! It's still worth fighting for!"

"I lost my best friend. I haven't seen her since this started. I hope she's okay," a demoness told with a quiet voice. She sat against the wall with her arms wrapped around her closed legs.

Upon hearing this demoness' loss, Big Softie turned to Sunset. As he expected, her words struck a chord with his friend as she looked at the poor girl with a sad look. After Sunset then noticed Softie staring at her, he gestured for her to go see the demoness.

Sunset hopped off from the box she sat on and went towards the demoness, kneeling before her and passing her a soft, kind look. "I'm sure she is. I... also lost a friend, and I know, wherever she is, I would do anything for her."

The demoness slightly raised her head to meet Sunset's eyes. "I-I would too."

Sunset held her arms out, inviting the demoness into an embrace. The girl was hesitant, but in the end, she accepted the offer, and the two hugged it put.

"So," Big Softie began, now bearing a confident look, "who's with me?"

There was not a peep at first, but with the expression on everyone's faces, Softie could tell that they weren't sure. Perhaps they were waiting for someone else to speak up. Near the back of the crowd, a demon finally broke the silence. Standing up from where he watched, Volcano walked towards the leader and held a hand out.

"I am," the hyena said.

Big Softie proudly took the hand, welcoming the bartender to the resistance.

Then suddenly, one by one, each demon began nodding at each other before holding their own fists in the air. They each repeated Volcano's words.

"I'm in!"

"So am I!"

"Fuck it! Why not?"

By the second, more and more demons were on board. The resistance was made official, with Big Softie as the leader. Finally, after weeks of waiting for this greater hell to end, a glimmer of a chance seemed to shine. There was just one more demoness that needed convincing.

After parting with the demoness on the floor, Sunset went towards Softie. She wasn't feeling as down as she was anymore, but she couldn't look Softie in the eye.

Big Softie figured he would talk first, "You know, I don't think we can handle this alone. We could use some of that devil strength ya got."

Sunset covered her mouth with a hand, but Big Softie could see that smile shine through. "Okay," she said softly. Her eyes finally met his. "I'm in." She wasn't sure how he managed to pull it off, but Big Softy, single-handedly, somehow managed to bring the good out of tens of once miserable demons. For the first time in forever, there was hope.

However, none of them knew of the darkness that would soon befall on them, for in the peak of the Mayor's Tower stood an ever-growing impatient Goliath. The tyrant stared out his window, looking down upon his great city. Thousands of his army patrolled through the grid-iron pattern of the streets, thousands more continuing to hide in-between. He was growing tired of the same sight everyday. Goliath almost felt ready for so much more.

At that moment, the door to his office opened, and in came his second in command.

"Montgomery," the mayor greeted. "I trust you've come with an update on my little project."

The sheep demon nodded. "I do, sire. Preparations are finally one hundred percent complete! They are ready to go at your command."

"Exc-sss-ellent. And what about the search party?"

Montgomery gulped anxiously before giving more. "U-Unfortunately, the body of Sunset Shimmer is still... yet to be found."

Goliath sighed, rubbing his temples. "It is one girl," he stated with annoyance. "How is it so difficult for one of thousands of soldiers to find her?"

"A-Are you mad, sire?" Montgomery slowly began taking a few steps back.

"Well, dear Monty," the mayor started as he turned around to face his assistant, "she has been my number one threat since we met. We've been faced with the likeliness that she is alive. And now, just when I want her the most, she disappears with no trace. So, let's ask again, am I, Goliath Hendrickson, mad?!" By this point, Goliath was looming directly on top of the much smaller man.

He then sighed. "No. I've just about grown numb to it. However, I am severely disappointed. That girl is out there, somewhere. As far as we are aware, she could be plotting something, just as we are finally ready. She's the last factor. It cannot be risked."

"What about the prisoner?" Montgomery suddenly suggested.

Goliath stood frozen. He hadn't considered that. "The... prisoner, yes." A new plan was formulating in his mind at that moment. "I've got it!" he declared. "If we cannot find Sunset Shimmer, then we will bring her to us! Inform the soldiers to ready themselves, Montgomery! It is time we finally begin!"

Sunset looked across all the demons. She was certain she had never seen so many smiles in the months she's spent in Hell. Everyone looked confident, finally looking at the brighter side of things even during this bleak time.

Big Softie then came and sat next to her, to which she nudged his arm. "You really got everyone pumped up."

Softie chuckled. "Yeah. All some demons need is just a little remindin' of what they got."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I know you're not just talking about them."

"Well, yeah. I hate seein' ya so glum, Sunset. I get you feel like ya gotta face this alone, but we got your back. And it won't all be on you either; everyone's got a bone to pick with that shithead. This is our time to make him pay."

To see such enthusiasm oozing from the bulky demon, it made Sunset very happy. Despite the conditions, one could mistake this moment being as joyous (at least, as joyous as it was) as the times before. But upon looking at everyone again, a thought did cross her mind. "You've really done an amazing job! Though, there's just a teeny little something that I'm kinda worried about."

"Let me guess, our entire rebellion can't even fill up a basement."

Sunset overdramatically acted surprised. "Oh man! How'd you guess?" The two shared a small laugh. "But yeah, I'm not sure if we have enough demons on board. If we're gonna win this, we need to get more."

"Well, just so happens I know some possible candidates. If you want, we could both go a little huntin'," Softie suggested.

Sunset's eyebrows shot upwards. "A-Are you sure? Isn't it really dangerous out there?"

"Trust me, ya couldn't be any safer than with me. It'll be smooth sailing to each of them."

"Well, if you're sure." The two hopped off their sitting crates. "But is Volcano okay with us leaving out of nowhere?"

"Don't worry about him. Besides, we need this, right? So, let's go."

Sunset slowly nodded as she regained her confidence. "You're right, let's do this!" Sunset and Big Softie then took for the surface.

In the centre of a desolate street, a sewer lid opened slightly. A pair of eyes scoured around, checking if anyone was passing by. After deeming it empty, the lid was pushed aside to make way for Big Softie and Sunset.

As soon as her head was out, Sunset began gasping for air as though she had been holding it the entire duration underground.

"You know, after doing it once before, I thought I'd be at least prepared for the smell again," said Sunset, happy to smell the regular fiery fumes of the surface again.

Softie snickered. "It'll take a few more times. Anyway, we're not far away now." The two walked alongside eachother down the street.

"So, who's the first one we're after?" Sunset asked.

"Probably the happiest demon in all the city right now, which ain't saying much because he's still a piece of shit," Softie described. "I don't know his name, but I did try invite him to the bar. He just said he was fine where he was, and after seeing a fuck-ton of bodies around his hideout, that about convinced me he was perfectly fine."

"Oh, wow. I don't think I wanna get on his bad side," Sunset responded, followed with a light chuckled, but there was an insincerity to it. Really, the main thing on her mind at the moment was the sight of the streets.

Everywhere they went, it all looked so lonely. Everywhere appeared to be abandoned. Sunset tried to look away, but every direction she turned she'd see no more than shattered windows, splintered doors and blood-stained walls. She resorted to just looking at the ground as she went on.

After a few minutes more of walking, Softie suddenly stopped, and Sunset barely saved herself from bumping into him. "We're here," he said.

They both looked up to the building. There wasn't a single light that could be seen by the windows. It looked to be nothing but pure darkness inside, causing the duo feelings of uneasiness. The one thing they could see was the flickering red plus sign hanging at the top corner of the building. It was the hospital.

Staring in through the front door, it didn't make them feel any easier. Had there not been dim lights brightening the void, they both might have decided to not walk into their possible doom and turn back. However, it was barely a time to stop. Big Softie was the first to move, with Sunset following behind. They began exploring the gloomy hospital, with even their slightest footsteps echoing through the halls. They could scarcely mostly anything around them, it was so dark.

"Hey, Softie? Are you sure this guy's even here?" Sunset asked. "It's so quiet..."

"This is where I saw him last. He might'a ditched."

As they ventured further into the building, it only became darker. The two had no idea where they were anymore, or where they were going. In what seemed to be a new room, Sunset found herself bumping into something. "Sorry, Softie," she said, holding her hands out to find him.

"That... wasn't me," Big Softie said, sounding to be much further down the room than Sunset.

A chill suddenly went up Sunset's spine. "What...?" She then caught the thing she hit, feeling all around it. It certainly felt like a demon, but it swung around with every little touch.

In a pocket she found, she felt a long, round plastic object with one end being wider. She pressed a button on it and the end brightly shined, almost blinding her.

"You got a flashlight?" Big Softie asked in the distance.

"Yeah, I think I-" She stopped as her eyes readjusted to the new lighting. After shining the flashlight forward, she found what she had bumped into. Dangling upside-down from the ceiling was a soldier missing his face!

Sunset screamed and clumsily stepped backwards towards a rope. She tripped over it and fell on the floor, to which a trap was set off, causing Sunset's ankles to be tied together and then pulled upwards, leaving her hanging upside-down.

"Sunset! Are you okay?! Woah!" By what Sunset heard afterwards, Big Softie triggered another trap.

"Softie!" Sunset called out.

"I'm good!" the tied up bull replied.

Thinking quickly, Sunset immediately tried to reach for the knot holding her feet. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach. She then looked around for her flashlight. It was found laying on the floor directly below her, also being just out of reach. What a day this turned out to be. She continued to struggle without any success.

But when hope of being saved was non-existent, an opening door echoed somewhere in the blackness, followed by slow, light footsteps. The team held their breath in hope that this newcomer didn't notice them.

"Ah, fresh meat!" a new voice said. They noticed them. A switched was then flicked and, one by one, the lights all turned on, revealing the room to everyone.

Surrounding Sunset was a plethora of soldier bodies, each one looking to be missing a random part of their body, where one would be missing an arm, and another missing a leg. She then found Big Softie. The trap he triggered didn't look to work as well with him as he laid flat on the floor with his feet hovering only slightly.

But at the end of the room was the source of the new voice. There stood a short, hooded demon. Neither of them could properly see their face, even as they came approaching.

The short demon was laughing menacingly. "Well, well. What an unfortunate twist of fate. Sent to kill, only to be killed. But don't you worry, I'll make sure your deaths are swift and painless, you snake ass-kissing- Wait." The demon then pulled down their hood, finally showing their face. Or, in this case, his beaked mask. "Number three?"

"Doctor? You're alive?" Sunset asked. She remembered this guy all too well, and she wished she didn't. Dr. Plague Doctor, the guy who diagnosed her with Devilitis through... unique tests. She could still recall that knife in her arm.

"What? Are you surprised?"

Sunset shrugged upside-down. "Kinda, yeah. You're a very outgoing demon, and not in a good way."

"Excuse you!" the doctor exclaimed. "Anyway, what do you want? And make it quick, I'm really busy here."

"We were gonna ask if you wanted to join our resistance to fight against Goliath and his army," Big Softie spoke, currently acting as ground for the small doctor to stand upon.

The doctor stared directly down at the much larger demon below him, almost poking his eye out with his beak. "Oh! Didn't notice you there, big guy. Fight Goliath, huh? What's in it for me?" He suddenly turned deadpan.

Right to the point with this guy, much like she remembered. "You get to take out more soldiers, I guess?"

The doctor rubbed the underside of his beak in wonder. "Hmm, intriguing offer indeed. Alright, I'm sold! You've come at a good time as well, I was just putting the finishing touches on my little project."

"Does it have to do with the missing demon limbs?" Softie wondered.

"I'm so glad you asked! Here, let me get you out of this." The doctor proceeded to pull out a stained knife from under his cloak and began cutting away at the binds. After releasing Big Softie with no issues at all, the doctor then climbed up the dangling girl's body, much to the dismay of said dangling girl who was forced to endure feet that have stepped in God knows what.

It wasn't until he was midway through Sunset's rope that she realised the world of hurt to follow as soon as her ankles were free. "Softie, catch me!"

In an instant, the final threads of rope snapped on their own and gravity was about to take its toll on Sunset's skull, for Softie to then narrowly save her by grabbing her body while she was still the wrong way around. Sunset opened her eyes to see the hard floor barely an inch away.

She gave a hard and relieved sigh. "Thanks," her voice cracked.

"Don't mention it," Softie replied.

But with no interest in the events that transpired whatsoever, the doctor walked by and back down the hall he came from. "Come, come." He gestured for them to follow. With not many choices, the two quietly complied.

The doctor brought Sunset and Softie into a new room. It looked like an emergency room remodeled to be some kind of laboratory. There were trays of all kinds of tools and sharp objects, all of which surrounded a desk covered by a white tarp. A large figure appeared to be underneath, with fat cables connected to a generator also disappearing beneath the cloth.

"What ya got there, Doc?" Big Softie asked.

"Oh, only my life's work over the past couple weeks. Behold!" The doctor then threw the large tarp off the table, making way for a disfigured abomination hidden underneath, clearly made up from the missing limbs and organs from the soldiers!

The two recoiled in horror, with Sunset having to immediately look away before she threw up.

"What the FUCK is that?!" Big Softie shouted, pointing directly at the monster.

The doctor clapped like a giddy child. "You like it? I call it the... uh... okay, I don't really have a name for it, but I usually call it Johnson while I try think of a better one."

Sunset began stomping towards the insane doctor with fire in her eyes, grabbing him by the side of his masked head. "What is wrong with you?!" she growled.

The doctor shook her off. "Wait until the best part, why don't ya! You haven't even seen this beauty in action!" He then moved towards a switch on the wall, pulling it down and causing a massive surge of electricity to shoot right into what they supposed was going to be called Johnson.

The lights in the room began to go crazy accompanied by a deafening buzzing and screeching. The light that emanated from the multitude of carcasses was almost blinding as the body spasmed where it laid. Sunset and Softie couldn't even watch what was happening. Meanwhile the doctor watched in pure awe with a pair of sunglasses over his goggled eyes.

After a moment, every light in the building finally blew out and silence had returned. Everyone was put back in an unnatural darkness as it all came to an end.

"And now, the reveal," the doctor said, flicking on a flashlight and shining it towards his creation.

It appeared still, however, they could all faintly hear a hoarse breathing. And then, with a series of cracking sounds, the monster rose from its rest. Its face was made up from four other faces. Its arms were vastly different lengths and sizes, while the legs were meticulously put together to be as close as they could. And the torso was hastily stitched together, with anyone able to see past the strings and take a look at its somehow functioning organs.

"It's alive!" the doctor cheered. He climbed atop the broad shoulders of 'Johnson' to appear more tall. "Together, we shall conquer any foe, Johnson!" Johnson could only give a groan as it looked off towards nothing.

Meanwhile, Big Softie and Sunset stared mouth agape at the horrifying creature. Sunset was the first to respond by clearing her throat. "Uh... we'll call you when we're ready," she said.

The duo found themselves at another part of town, far away from that crazy doctor and his big... thing. Off towards the second possibility they sought, bringing them both to a secluded warehouse. Apparently, this demon was a force to be reckoned with, so Sunset was very excited for who it could possibly be.

They approached the door quietly, but before Softie could grab the door handle, a great commotion could be heard inside. They could hear gunshots coming from all different directions, accompanied by a monstrous roar and thunderous footsteps.

Softie opened the door slightly, allowing him and Sunset a peak at what was going on. Inside the open space, they spotted some of Goliath's soldiers firing at something that was out of their vision. While they fired, they also appeared to be running away in terror.

Before the armed demons could get to safety, something giant came crashing down on top of them. They could finally see it. A giant green demon with four arms and a single eye. A big smile crossed Sunset's face. She recalled the fun she had with this guy! And he was certainly a great candidate for their force. The colossal, powerful and impenetrable monster: the Ogre!

They continued to watch in amazement. No matter how much the soldiers fired, the Ogre didn't show a sign of stopping. He was completely resistant to the army's attempts. In almost no time, the massive menace took out every demon and his rampage came to an end. Nervous about causing another scene, Big Softie decided to knock on the door first.

The Ogre's head twisted towards the partly open door. "Enter the Ogre's domain," he allowed. The two walked in and the Ogre's face immediately changed from rage induced to welcoming. "Ah, haha! The soft man! It been long time, friend!" He picked Softie up and gave him a noogie with a single knuckle. While fun for him, he was close to caving in poor Big Softie's skull.

His eyes were then drawn to Sunset, drawing a rivalrous smirk. "Well, well. If it not be the little 'She-Demon' as well."

Sunset raised her eyebrows. She was pleasantly surprised. "You recognise me?"

"The Ogre could never forget little girl's fiery hair."

"Ah. Yeah, I suppose that would be a dead giveaway."

The Ogre began laughing loud and proud as he finally set the not so big anymore Softie down. "So, what can the Ogre do for tiny demons?"

Big Softie rubbed his sore head. "We wanna know if you'll join us in fighting Goliath."

"The Ogre accepts." He nodded.

The duo were shocked by the immediate answer. "Really?" Sunset asked to be sure.

"Yes. The Ogre loves crushing tiny armies' skulls like the blueberry." The big guy pinched his fingers across all four hands to give an example.

"Well, great!" Sunset looked between Big Softie and the Ogre. "I guess we'll let you know when we move out."

"Much appreciated." The wrestler then caught a glimpse of a remaining soldier trying to crawl away. "If tiny demons will excuse the Ogre..." He then let out another angry roar as he chased the last demon down.

Sunset and Softie took that as their cue to leave.

"You cannot be serious!" Sunset shout-whispered.

"Look, I hate it as much as you, but he's packin' some good numbers. We could use something like that," Big Softie tried to convince her.

The two were currently hiding behind a building, out of sight of the armed demons residing in a pair of watchtowers in a seized army camp. The nestled demons came in great numbers.

"Softie, I love you, but this isn't going to work! He's probably the demon with the least amount of reasons to not kill us where we stand!"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Sunset let her arms droop in defeat. She didn't even need to think about it, she already knew the answer was no.

"That's what I thought. Now, follow me, and do what I do." Big Softie went ahead and revealed himself with his arms raised in the air. Sunset followed.

In seconds, the red laser sights of the lookout demons made their way towards their bodies. The guards were ready to fire, but upon realising who they were aiming at, they lowered their weapons while still pointing them towards the duo.

"Big Softie? What the hell are you doing here?" one of the demons said.

"We wanna talk to the boss. Let us in," Big Softie said, keeping his arms up high.

"Sorry, not gonna happen. Some nerve you got showing your face around us again. You think he's gonna forget what you and your little girlfriend did? Hell, he might just have us kill you right now!"

"Told you," Sunset quietly said.

Softie blew out of his nose in annoyance. "Listen, we got a proposal for him, so tell him we're here so we can talk this through. You owe me, Maggie!"

Sunset didn't understand what was happening, but it seemed to work as the demoness Softie spoke to dropped her weapon and pulled out a radio.

"I'm just saying, Softie. He's not gonna like this," the demoness said before finally bringing the device to her ear. After a moment of talking, the demoness sighed and pulled a lever at her side. "The boss'll see you. Don't say I didn't warn you." Afterwards, the metal doors slowly opened, scraping against the concrete floor.

The two made their way inside, but as soon as their feet crossed the barrier, another pair of guards came from behind and put their hands in cuffs.

"Hey, what gives?!" Softie shouted.

"Nothing personal, big guy. Just so you don't try anything funny."

Neither of them could argue. They simply complied so that they could just get this over with. The guarding demons then walked them towards a hastily built structure in the centre of the camp. They both recognised the material used to build this place were bricks of the indestructible Satanium.

The two were brought inside. It was mostly empty, having only more bricks used to build small walls, likely to be used as shieldings, and right against the back wall was a throne, still made out of the metal. Sitting on that throne was the not so pleasing sight, the lizard boss demon. His scales were coloured a dirty orange.

The boss took the first word. "Gutsy, daring to show your faces to me once again! Count yourselves lucky that I'm a compassionate man."

Sunset scoffed in response.

"Watch yourself there, devil-freak! After you ruined my plans last time, we decided we were due for an upgrade. Observe." The boss snapped his fingers, and a guard came and placed a Satanium ingot in front of Sunset and Softie. A laser was pointed towards the block, almost immediately followed by a loud bang. Once they looked at the brick again, it was knocked down with a hole where the sights pointed to. "Satanium bullets," the boss announced. "Now, no devilitis demon could ever hope of standing against us. For your safety, I'd consider choosing your next words wisely. With that said, what do you want?"

Big Softie took a step forward. "We're formin' an alliance to go kick Goliath and his army's ass. Right now, our chances of winnin' are little, but if you and the crew lend us a hand, I know we got a shot at gettin' the city back."

The boss did not look so pleased at the offering. "How rich! First, you tarnish my business, wound me, and now you come crawling to my door, wanting to take my demons. You really think I'm stupid enough to send my very own to die just for you? You've a lot of nerve!" He signalled for his guards to aim their weapons towards the intruders.

"Come on, boss! How long do you think you'll last like this? The city's gonna crumble if we don't do somethin' about it now. Do one good thing in your afterlife. Not even for us, for the rest of the squad. When we're done, I promise, you'll never have to worry about us again."

Some of the guards surrounding the two were taking glances at each other. However, the only one that didn't seem so touched was the boss, who began cackling. "We have been holding just fine. That snake and his little circus can barely stand a chance against me! I think I already don't have to worry about you, so..." The boss held a hand up, ready to snap his fingers once more.

But then another demon came rushing in, barging past a few in their way. "Boss! Goliath... they found us!" they shouted in between heavy breathing.

"Then take care of it!" the boss retorted.

"But, boss, there's a fuckin' lot of them!"

"How many could there possibly be for one measly little camp?"

"A lot," Sunset suddenly said. Everyone looked to her. She was using her devil vision. "At the entrance, they're covering every path. Tens, maybe even a hundred demons." She deactivated her ability and looked straight to the boss. "We need to leave this place, now."

The surrounding demons were now whispering amongst themselves, with more from the outside now coming to see their boss. They flooded him with questions.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Can we really take on that many?"

"Are we going to retreat?"

The boss could hardly think anymore with so much happening at once. To this point, he had faced no trouble with Goliath, but now it was happening and he had no idea what to do. He looked across the demons that depended on him, but the only faces he could see were Sunset and Softie's, which only made him angrier.

"W-We can handle them just fine!" the boss exploded. He tried to sound asserive, but everyone could hear his nerves escaping through his words. "Eliminate these two intruders, and go fight that army!"

Despite his heated commands, no one moved. The boss's eye twitched.

"Have you all gone deaf?! Kill these two immediately, or I'll-!" The boss was interrupted by a swift whack to the head, knocking him clean out.

His limp body was then placed upon the shoulder of the culprit, the one Softie called Maggie. "Now you owe me," she said to Big Softie. "Let's go, we can get out through the back." She began leading everyone around the backside of the camp, including the duo who still had their hands cuffed behind their backs.

Behind them, they could hear Goliath's army breaking through the gate. Beams of light flooded the front half of the camp as the soldiers piled inside.

At the very back, the boss's demons gathered at the wall. No one was tall enough to jump and climb over, all except Big Softie, who assisted by letting everyone climb on him. They moved as quickly as they could, but at any second would the army come around and find them all. Once the last demon was over, Softie, with his big hands still close together, leapt up and grabbed onto the top.

It was then that he was found by the beams of the soldiers' flashlights. Softie tried to haul his body over, but he found himself too heavy to do it quick enough. Bracing for the worst, he then felt a pair of hands latch onto his horns, helping him over the wall. He rolled his eyes up and saw Maggie still sitting on the wall, doing all she could to bring him up. Big Softie was then finally over the wall, just in time as the soldiers opened fire.

They all ran for what felt like ever, running into more of Goliath's troops which the armed demons made short work of. Once they felt that the heat was finally gone, the crowd resided in an abandoned apartment complex. Everyone had to take a seat to catch their breath. Sunset and Softie sat with the demoness that saved them all, Maggie.

"Man, you really got us outta there in the nick of time, Maggie," Softie said. "Shame what you had to do to him." He pointed towards the still unconscious boss who was just thrown onto the floor when they arrived. His scales had turned a dim grey, but they made sure to check his pulse. He was alive.

"I'm not too worried. All he worries about is his precious status; we're not dying for that. He'll probably forget about it anyway," Maggie said. "So, tell me more about this 'fighting Goliath' plot you idiots got going on."

Sunset sat more upright. "Well, we were-"

"Nah, not from you, hun, I was talking to Softie."

Sunset gave an agitated sigh. "Okay then." She slumped back on her seat.

Big Softie then took over. "We're plannin' on stormin' him soon. We've already got a good number who wanna fight, but I think with you guys' help, it would make a hell of a good difference in our chances. We can't do it on our own. Whaddya say?"

"Hmm. Well, you got balls even thinking this is a good idea. But... it's not the worst thing I've ever heard. We've already had too many walk out on us when this started. Fuck it, I'm in." Maggie gave Softie a smile. "Though, I don't speak for everyone else-"

Sunset suddenly stood up on the couch. "Hey, everyone! Who wants to join us in kicking Goliath's ass?!" she shouted. She was met with a chorus of eager demons.

Maggie was taken aback by Sunset's sudden show. "Wow. I guess we're all in then." She held out her hand for Softie to shake. "Whenever you need us, give a holler." Suddenly, Maggie pulled Softie in closer for her to whisper. "And you owe me double after saving your ass."

"What do you want?" Softie softly asked.

"Maybe just a call from time to time. Been fucking forever since we last hung out."

Softie grinned. "Heh. What happened to outright killing me?"

"Oh, come on. You know me, Soft, I'd at least have killed you quickly."

The bull's snarky look turned kind. "Done."

Maggie's smile grew wide. "My man!" she said, playfully punching him in the arm.

She turned her head to see Sunset at her side, having finished riling up the other demons. "Now, would you mind getting these off us?" she asked, holding up the cuffs that were still around her wrists.

Maggie laughed. "They're not Satanium. Just break 'em."

Soon after, Sunset and Big Softie finally returned to the bar. For once, spirits were high. With a chance to end this madness for arguably only slightly less madness, happiness was had.

Ensuring that they were truly alone, Big Softie knocked on the cellar door in a particular pattern and it opened before them. They ventured back down underground to be met with the angry glare of a hyena.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Volcano asked.

"Ensuring our victory, that's what," Sunset answered. "We went and recruited a whole bunch of demons. Goliath isn't going to know what hit him!"

Volcano still didn't appear too pleased. "A little heads up would've been nice."

"Knowing you, Volcano, you'd have told us not to. Just loosen up a bit, yeah?" Big Softie said.

"I'll 'loosen up' when I get my fuckin' bar back." With that, Volcano took off. He didn't show it, but they both could tell, he was glad.

After a successful mission, the duo proudly took a seat on some heavy crates.

"So, when d'ya think we should set out?" Softie asked his partner.

"I'm not sure, but it's gotta be soon. This has gone on long enough already, and I'm not going to fail these demons again," Sunset answered.

"Hey, we got this." Softie placed a big hand on Sunset's shoulder. "World's not yours to fix yourself."

Sunset gave a sombre breath, followed by a slow nod. "We got this," she repeated.

Elsewhere, a demon was scrolling through a TV hung high up the wall. There wasn't much on, but even little things provided a bit of entertainment. Unlike now where it appeared absolutely nothing of interest was showing. That was, until the screen showed nothing but loud static, catching all watching demons off guard. It was soon replaced with coloured bars.

A voice accompanied, "We interrupt this programme for a special announcement from your very own, Mayor Goliath Hendrickson."

Suddenly, everyone's attention was gathered towards the small screen.

On the screen, a close up shot of the snake demon's face filled the screen. "Ssssunset Shimmer," he said with a threatening voice. "I don't know how you did it, but I know you are alive and are still lurking in my city. I am sending this message with no intention of harm. I am a man of dealing, and I've but one request. Bring yourself to me immediately, and we may discuss. I'll be waiting for you at the Mayor's Tower. Oh, and just to ensure you come out..." The camera abruptly moved elsewhere and pointed towards another figure kneeled on the floor. Everyone immediately recognised who it was.

"Barb!" Sunset cried. She barged past everyone to get right in front of the television. There she was. Sunset almost couldn't believe it... Barbed Wire was alive!

But as soon as her friend was shown, the screen was quickly pulled back to Goliath. "Come to me now and I'll return your little friend. If you cooperate, you both might just live to see another day. You have until dusk. Don't keep me waiting!" The feed then cut out.

Sunset stood frozen in front of the blank screen. Her mind was swarming with too much at once. What was Goliath planning now? He was waiting for her. Barb was alive! Sunset had to save her! She had a time limit.

...She had a time limit.

Big Softie appeared behind her. "Sunset...?" he asked.

"This is it..." Sunset said almost breathlessly. She finally looked up at Big Softie. "We need to go, now!"

Author's Note

The time has come to bring this arc to an end...

Next time on Sunset's Hellish Adventure...

Chapter 3: The Runt and the Blob

In the dead of night within the city's junkyard, all that could be heard were the frantic patters of running feet, accompanied by a near exhausted breath. A small child was giving it their all to stay far ahead of their chasers, at the cost of the runaway running on fumes. They held a satchel close to their body, keeping the contents inside as safe as possible, looking in all directions as they ran past, trying to find anywhere to lay low for just a minute.

Along the path, the small demon caught sight of a trashed car that wasn't buried within the hills of scrap. Luckily, it didn't sit beneath a light, so it barely stood out amongst the other piles. The runaway jumped into the car, all while making as little noise as possible. Peaking out the empty windscreen, the small demon watched as a group of dark silhouettes ran by.

"Where did that little shit go?!" one of them shouted.

"He can't have gone too far! Find him!" another commanded. With that, the group continued on in their search for the little demon.

Once he was confident that the coast was clear, the runaway demon stepped out of the car and went off in another direction. He found himself a place that seemed safe enough before finally taking the time to rest, sitting down on the ground, ready to reap the rewards of his heist.

The small demon lifted the satchel over his head and opened it, revealing a collection of delectable looking donuts! He grabbed one that tickled his fancy and was ready to indulge, only to the interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Turning around to where he came from, the boy was met with the group of demons. The smaller demon jumped up and tried to find a way around, but his pursuers seemed to block the only way out.

They approached the kid with threatening stares, practically looming over the smaller demon. The vulnerable child held up an arm to shield himself, preparing for the inevitable. But after a few seconds, he came to realise that nothing was happening. He lowered his arm to see that the lowly thugs were now looking up towards something, each of them shaking in their boots.

It was then that the child heard a growling coming from behind. He slowly turned around, only to be met with a large, indistinguishable creature hiding within the shadows of an abandoned shed. The child could only watch. Meanwhile, the demons held onto each other for safety.

Looking close, the child could see what looked to be a grotesque face. It leaned closer, drew in a breath and unleashed a monstrous roar! The wind from its mouth knocked everyone down to the ground, leaving the thugs with no other option than to scramble away, crying fear as they disappeared into the night.

With them gone, the monster ceased its outburst and looked down to the child. The small demon did not look in terror, or even remotely afraid. Instead, the little boy appeared to be amazed!

Over the edge of the Big Forbidden Apple's expansive crater, light began to crawl over the cliff and down into the city. The light would see its way through the window of a city centre apartment, landing on the face of a demon who, unfortunately, had her head facing the window.

Barbed Wire squinted as Hell's sun hurt her eyes, and she immediately turned the other way. The new day was here, and she could not be bothered with it right now.

Upon switching sides, Barb glanced at the bed laying parallel to hers, only to find it empty with the blanket folded at one of the corners near the pillow. If Sunset was already awake, then there was no doubt that Barb was expected to soon be as well, and yet, she still closed her eyes, wanting to make the most of the minutes she had left in her bed.

However, it was clear there were other plans for her, as Sunset walked into the spare bedroom, already fully dressed. "Come on, Barb. We've got to be ready for our first day," Sunset said, slightly nudging her sleeping friend's shoulder.

Barbed Wire gave it her all to ignore the poking, but Sunset was surely more persistent than Barb was patient, releasing a grunt as she finally lifted her head. "Okay, I'm up! I'm up."

Sunset smiled as she turned for the door. "There's hot water ready if you want a coffee."

So much for a lie in. Barb hardly had the energy to move her body yet, so she let herself fall onto the, thankfully, carpeted floor and picked herself up from there. Begrudgingly carrying herself into the kitchen with only a large t-shirt and shorts, Barb made herself a steaming cup and plopped onto a nearby chair, much less enthused than the others accompanying her.

She took a sip of her coffee and looked between Sunset and Fetch with half open eyes. "I don't know how you two can be so chipper in the mornings," she commented.

Fetch stirred a spoon in a mug of his own, sitting opposite to Barb. "When you're working in the capital of Heresy, you've got to be ready for anything. Speaking of, you ought to get ready. We leave soon."

Barb gave a confirming hum while gulping down more of her drink, feeling the caffeine energise her body. She then slid a hand up her shirt to scratch the side of her body, partially revealing her bandages, of which Fetch seemed to notice.

"I've been meaning to ask, Barb, what happened there?" the detective asked.

Before answering, Barb downed the rest of her mug in one go, letting off a satisfied sigh before looking to her old friend. "Remember Goliath?"

"The snake demon? Don't tell me he's still trying to become mayor."

"Even better, he actually did it! And he gave me this as a parting gift, all before he launched an invasion to take over all of Hell. Not to worry, though. He was brought to an end by none other than our lovely Sunset here."

Fetch's eyes widened as they drifted over to Sunset. "Did you kill him?"

Sunset spat out her own drink. "God, no! I knocked him down a peg or two, but I didn't kill him."

The detective's brow angled slightly up, slightly displeased by that answer. "So, what? You just let him go? What if he comes back?"

"Relax. He was taken away by these gargoyle looking guys. No way he's coming back," Sunset waved off.

"Still though, you ran the risk of him endangering people's lives again. If I had the power you do, I'd ensure the safety of the people by any means necessary."

Sunset was left without a response. It was clear the two did not have the same ideals. Seeing that he was the one to finish things, Fetch tossed his cup in the sink and went to grab his jacket. "Alright. Get ready, you two. We've got a call for an investigation."

The two demonesses then quickly finished up what they needed before heading out, ready to begin their first day as investigators!

The team travelled the city in Fetch's cruiser, the detective in the driver's seat with Barb and Sunset taking in the Big Forbidden Apple as they passed by.

"So, what's the task today?" Barbed Wire asked.

"There's been reports of a strange creature sighted somewhere within the city's junkyard. No one knows what it is or where it came from, but it's reported to likely be a threat," Fetch explained, not taking his eyes off the road.

"And what do we do when we find it?" Sunset now asked.

"If it's got the brains for talking, we'll see if we can get a what and why out of it. Then... I don't know, probably find some way to get it out of there if it's compliant." The car was quiet once more. While everyone was in their own zone, Fetch felt his eyes briefly glancing to Barb's friend sitting in the back.

He was unsure of her place in this. She was talked up to have some might, yet Fetch felt a sense of worry. Not by what she might do, but what she might not be able to do. Fetch was forced wave the thought away, however, as he neared their destination.

Fetch pulled over onto the side of the road. Everyone looked toward the side they parked on, finding a broken metal gate, leading into the city's mountainous junkyard. One by one, they exited the car and took their place by the door.

"Welcoming," Barbed Wire remarked.

"This place was abandoned years ago, and since then, it became the home of thugs and crooks alike. So, we ought to stick close while going through here," Fetch said, stepping towards the entrance. "Understood?" The demonesses nodded and followed the detective inside.

The three stepped inside the monster's lair. The area was topped with tall hills of old, useless metals and trash, with only thin paths separating each pile. Despite this, the junkyard was hardly shy of places to go. Everyone aimlessly wandered about, keeping their eyes out for something, anything, out of the ordinary.

Heads turned constantly to even the faintest sound of a tin can rolling across the ground. No matter where they looked, there was always a dread that something was hiding behind them, even with the morning light.

Suddenly, a scampering could be heard coming from behind. At the same time, all three demons turned to where they heard it, and found nothing.

But with Barb's back now opened, something small and agile came swooping by, and swiped Barb's wallet right out of her back pocket. Luckily, the robbed demon was quick to notice, and began to give chase to the thief, the rest following behind.

"Hey! Give that back, you little bastard!" Barb yelled.

She followed the scoundrel all throughout the junkyard. The little guy was quick on his feet, but not faster than Barb. She found herself slowly catching up to the thief, keeping an arm out front to grab onto him. But just as the small demon was nearly within her reach, he suddenly turned into a thin alleyway of trash. It set Barb back a bit, but she still gave chase.

Eventually, they entered an enclosed area, where the kid had no other choice but to stop. A confident smirk crossed Barb's face; this was her chance!

She came to a stop mere feet away from the thieving demon. He turned out to just be a kid, barely even half the size of Barb. Still though, she wasn't just going to let something like this slide. Without hesitation, Barb snatched her wallet back from the tiny thief.

"I'll give you this, you're fast, kid, but you ever pull some shit like that with me again, I'll become the reason you don't sleep at night," she casually threatened.

It was then that another pair of footsteps approached them. Sunset and Fetch finally caught up.

"It's about time, guys! Don't worry, I got my wallet back." Barb waved the small, brown pouch in her hand.

However, her friends looked to be at a loss for words. They just stared right at her, standing completely frozen.

"What? I just said it's all good."

Sunset slowly held her hand out, pointing a finger beyond where Barb stood. "...Behind you," she said.

Confused, Barb turned and looked into a shoddily build shed. Inside sat what she initially assumed was a pile of muck and trash, but then she realised that the pile was moving.

The big blob began to rise. Frail arms stretched out from either side. A pair of small, misaligned eyes opened from the tiny head on top, while a massive mouth appeared at the bottom. It appeared that they had found their monster. A deep growl escaped its disgusting, slimy mouth before letting loose a massive roar towards the trio.

The three shielded themselves from the creature's assault of slobber. Once it was finished, they opened their eyes and found the kid standing by the monster, looking in shock.

The tiny demon stomped on the ground. "How are you not running away?! Aren't you scared of him eating you?!" he yelled.

Barb just scoffed. "Yeah, right. Unfortunately, we're no stranger to the strange, kid."

"You three should not be here. Leave immediately," the creature spoke with a voice so low, it could nearly make the ground rumble.

"So, you can talk. Sorry, but no can do," Fetch said, stepping forward. He took out his badge and held it up. "Detective Fetch of the BFA Police Department. If you will, I'd like to ask a few questions."

Before the creature could answer, the boy stepped out in front. "And why should he do anything for you?! Don't listen to them, buddy! They're probably some more bad guys!"

The creature held up a tiny hand. "Easy now, the Runt. Let's hear what they want."

Barb couldn't help but snigger at the name. "The 'Runt'?"

"Yeah! You got a problem with that, you old hag?" the Runt commented.

The small one's words seemed to strike a nerve, as Barbed Wire quickly marched over to him. "What was that, you little shit?! I'll fucking-"

"Barb, calm down," Sunset intervened, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. Barb looked between her and the Runt, taking a moment to regain her composure before deciding the kid wasn't worth the effort.

When all was said and done, Fetch continued. "How about we start with some easy ones? Who are you? What are you?"

"I... I'm afraid I have forgotten my name. But my friend here refers to me as 'the Blob.' I was just a demon, much like you all, until one night, when I was attacked and taken by hooded demons."

Everyone's eyebrows shot up at the sound of hooded demons. "Where did they take you?" Fetch asked.

The Blob closed his eyes as he tried to look back. "It's a bit foggy. All I remember is waking up with my hands and legs tied together, surrounded by many more demons, wearing the same robes. And to my side, there were other demons tied up too. There was a tall man at the front, saying how our worthless lives will soon, finally, have meaning. They locked us up like animals. I don't remember why they wanted us, but we all knew we were surely not going to live for much longer. But one of us managed to bust out, letting everyone free with him. It was a brutal escape, and everyone who ran were caught again, and I was hit with a curse that slowly turned me into this," the Blob finished.

"You're a Devilitis demon," Sunset announced.

"I don't know what we were, but I'd no doubt we were there for the same reason."

While the Blob told his story, Fetch noted down every important detail he could catch. He still held his pencil on his pad, waiting for anything else, but the large demon was quiet. "Is that it? Do you remember where you ended up when you escaped?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. When I got out, I quickly went into hiding before the curse rendered my legs useless. This place is as far as I got, and I've hidden here since, with my memory slowly slipping more and more away. But there is a way you might be able to help my memory..."

"And what's that?"

"A group of thieves have stolen something that is very vital to me. I ask that you help us get it back."

Sunset and Barb didn't react much to the offer. However, Fetch was dumbfounded, and he wore it all on his face. The detective closed his notes with an audible slap before he spun around to make his leave. The other two then grabbed his arms and pulled him back in.

"Where are you going?" Barb asked.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you actually believe this... thing?" Fetch replied. "Get him his shit and suddenly he has his memory back? What part of that isn't shady to you two?"

"Even so, it's the only lead on the Betrayed we've got right now. There's a chance that, if we do this, it really will help him out, which in turn will help us out!" Sunset said optimistically. "Don't you think we should take that chance?"

Fetch just stared at her as if she was an idiot, then turned to Barb. "How do you stomach her cheeriness?"

Barb raised her shoulders. "It takes some getting used to-" She was then met with a fierce glare from Sunset. "...but you learn to love it."

Barely convinced, Fetch shook himself free of Sunset and Barb's grasp with a sigh. He put his hands in his pockets. "Whatever. You two can play fetch if you really want, but I don't buy it."

"So, what? You're just leaving us here?" Barb asked.

"I'll be back, I promise, but I'm not gonna waste my time when I could do something actually beneficial to this case. Be careful around here, alright?" Without waiting, Fetch finally left the sight, leaving the demonesses with the boy and monster, only able to watch as he grew further and further away.

"Do you think he noticed the pun he made a second ago?" Sunset asked Barb.

"Honestly, I was really hoping he would bring it up," Barb replied. Their attention was then turned back to the Blob, who smiled with his giant, grotesque mouth. "Alright, Blobby, where can we find these punks?"

"They are located in one of the far corners of the junkyard. The Runt can show you the way, as long as you promise to keep him safe," the Blob requested.

The Runt's face turned unhappy. He stood in front of his friend with disappointed eyes. "Oh, come on! I'd be better off just doing it myself. Don't make me work with these two randos!" he complained.

"I'll say. Sunset and I don't need any dead weight holding us down, especially a snotty little brat like you," Barb said as she played with the child's cheeks. The Runt waved her away and rubbed where it turned a darker shade of red. He threw up a middle finger her way while sticking his tongue out. Barb did the same.

But then Sunset stepped in the way of the two's bitterness and tried to retain a more positive presence by kneeling down to the Runt's level with a smile. "Please excuse my friend. We really would appreciate if you'd help us. And we promise, we won't let anything happen to him," she said, turning her eyes up to the Blob.

The Blob gave a humm. "I feel you have a strong aura. I trust you'll come back safe."

Begrudgingly, the boy began to walk, gesturing for Barb and Sunset to follow behind him. The Runt took them through the rest of the junkyard, making unhesitated turns like he knew the place like the back of his hand.

"Sure you know where you're going, kid?" Barb asked.

"This ain't the first time I've have to deal with this lot. I've had time to learn," the Runt replied. The three came up to a broken fence, acting as a door into a dark den made entirely of scrap. The Runt lifted the corner of the fence, opening a gap wide enough for them to crawl through. "This is their hideout, so the place will be packed with demons. As soon as we go in, you two have to do exactly as I say. Got it?"

Sunset nodded. Barb didn't want to. They all crawled inside, with the Runt carefully closing the fence behind him. The tunnel was lit up by only barely functional lanterns, acting as their one guide through the dark hideout.

The Runt hung behind Barb. His eye couldn't help but have an interest in the square that sat inside her back pocket. Figuring that she was distracted for now, the Runt carefully snuck his hand inside, slipping out Barb's wallet. But as soon as it was free, his wrist was swiftly grabbed by Barbed Wire, who lifted up the tiny offender.

"Don't even think about it," she whispered through clenched teeth. She took her wallet back for the second time and placed the boy down. "Let's go. I've a feeling we shouldn't stick around."

The Runt shook his hurting wrist and walked ahead of the girls. They began approaching what looked to be an exit. "Relax. We're here," he announced.

They all stepped out of the tunnel and back into natural light. They were met with a square, concrete building with walls of shattered windows. On the side was a conveyer belt with cubes of compacted rubbish sitting on it, leading into the building through an open wall.

The trio hung out by the edge of the tunnel. "So, how are we getting in there?" Sunset asked.

"The place looks deserted. We should just storm it!" Barb added.

"Don't be so sure. Look." The Runt pointed up to the windows. Looking close, Sunset and Barb could see demons peaking out. "They ain't moving anytime soon, and as soon as they see us, the whole building's getting alerted."

"Don't suppose you've got a plan then?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Now, listen closely..."

Patrolling demons wandered back and forth the windows of the factory, keeping their base guarded from any foe, should they ever even have one. A snore was what it was. While resting his head on an arm, one guard glanced out the window for anything exciting. Junk. Junk. More junk. A pair of demonesses walking up to the base. Oh, and more junk. The guard went back to his usual nothing.

Then suddenly, his head whipped back around and he watched as, yes, two completely random girls just waltzed right to their front door. The scouting demon ran to the other side of his platform and shouted to the whole factory below him, "We got some intruders in this bitch! Right outside!"

Every other demon in the factory scrambled into position, grabbing their weapons and hanging by the front door. Then, the scout went back to the window and poked himself fully out to face the intruders.

"Freeze, bitchasses! State your business right now!" he shouted down.

The intruding demonesses stood their ground, one of which pointed up with one hand, with the other resting on her hip. "You guys have got something we want, and we're here to take it!" Sunset proclaimed proudly. "Come quietly, and maybe things don't have to get ugly!"

Only then did the factory doors fly open, revealing a dozen more demons wielding pipes, crowbars, golf clubs and spiked baseball bats.

"You and what army?" the scout asked.

The trespassers froze in place, with Sunset's finger falling in shame. Seeing that they were completely outmatched and out of their heads, Sunset and Barb raised their arms in surrender.

In no time, they were surrounded, with a couple holding their arms behind them. Their captors nudged them forward, guiding them into the factory, all while every other demon stood their place around, preventing any way of escape.

The inside of the factory appeared run down, yet still functional, with a plethora of garbage cubes used to keep the building standing. All of the machinery were at work on more and more of the metal bricks. Sunset and Barb were brought to the centre of the facility, a more cleared out area with more cubes used to hold the crew's gear. They were pushed down to their knees before a demon that looked no more imposing than the rest of the goons.

He appeared as a short, slender weasel, who spun the tip of a dagger on his finger. Even kneeling down, he was around Sunset and Barb's height. He gave a low snicker. "Youse girlies got some nerve tryin' ta storm our base," he said with a snarly voice. He then held his dagger close to the invaders' faces. "So, tell me, what brings ya here, hmm?"

"Just an old fashioned trade. If you point us to your leader, I bet we can settle things maturely," Sunset said, looking past her oppressor's knife.

"Ya talkin' to him already," the leader, apparently, replied. He gave Sunset a glare.

There was silence for a moment. Neither side made another move, but it could be seen that both intruders' lips were twitching. They were clearly giving it their all to suppress any and all laughter. The boss still stood his ground, leaning higher and higher over the two until they couldn't take it any more. Finally, the two fell into a fit of giggles, much to everyone's confusion.

The leader then rushed over and poked the tip of his dagger on Sunset's neck. "And just what's so funny, hmm?!"

The girl's, however, could barely calm themselves down. "Sorry! Sorry! It's nothing. I swear, we're really scared," Sunset said.

"Just don't ask us to kneel before you. You make it hard enough already," Barb added, only for them both to break into full hysterics. Even some of the others around them couldn't help but give a laugh of their own.

The boss was furious now! He grabbed Sunset by the hair and stuck his face in hers, pushing his blade further into her chest as a warning. Everyone promptly stopped laughing. "If it's a death sentence ya wanted, ya could've just said!"

It was then that a distant clattering was heard. Everyone turned to the back of the factory, only to find the Runt, still as a statue, with a plastic bag in hand and rusty tools now on the floor.

The boss looked between the girls and the kid. He put the pieces together in his head, causing him to laugh as he stood between the three raiders. "So, ya think ya real smart, huh, the Cunt? Distracting me with two bimbos has gotta be ya weakest plan yet. But how's about you give that bag to me? Now," he demanded.

"It's the Runt, and fat chance! You had no right stealing this!" the Runt shouted back. "We're taking this back, so why don't you just fuck off?!"

"Or what, ya little bastard? You don't got that monster of yours to hide behind no more. I've got the control now! So, either you give back my loot, or I kill your friends! Starting with this one!" The boss pointed his blade towards Barbed Wire. The goon standing behind her raised a crowbar to her head.

"Eh," the Runt shrugged. Barb's mouth fell open in disgust.

"...Starting with this one!" The boss switched over to Sunset.

"No, don't!" The Runt held a hand out to try and stop the criminals.

"The stash, Runt!" The leader held his hand out with a demanding gesture. Despite his threats, the Runt held the bag closer to him, hiding it from everyone else. The mastermind was left with only one option. "Do it," he signaled his underlings.

A demon next to Sunset slowly raised a spiked bat over her head, only to bring it back down with the force of a falling boulder, smashing against the top of the girl's head.

However, once the bat made contact, it was reduced to mere splinters, leaving only the piece that the demon was holding. Sunset turned to her attacker with a pitch black stare, showing that her skin had turned hard as stone. Without wasting another moment, Sunset broke free of the captor that held her down, to then brush aside every other demon close to her with ease, freeing Barb in the process.

"Come on! We're getting out of here!" Sunset called to the Runt.

But she was quickly met with the leader's dagger in front of her eyes once more. The small weasel was seething. "Oh, no ya don't! Ya don't just walk into my base and leave scot-free! I will end you right here! I will do it right now! You stand no chance against m-!" He was suddenly interrupted by a heavy shopping bag colliding with the side of his head, instantly sending him to the floor.

The Runt, standing directly behind where the boss once stood, slung the bag over his shoulder with a confident smirk. "Okay. Let's go," he said.

As simple as things seemed, the remaining minions were still there, and they all gathered by the front door to prevent the trio from escaping. The powered-up Sunset wasn't threatened, however. She rushed ahead and cleared the path by shoving the crowd to either side of the factory, some of which knocking over some of the stacks of cubes that kept the building standing.

With the team stepping out into safety, the enemy base began to fall in on itself. By the time they made it back to the tunnel, the entire front half of the factory was rubble. The mission was nothing short of a success. The team ventured back the way they came. Having faced the kingpin of this dump, everyone was certainly more confident when wandering through.

Sunset gave a relieved sigh. "Don't know about you guys, but I wasn't sure if we'd make it out of that one," she said, putting her hands behind her head.

"Is that a fact?" Barb asked.

"Pfft! Nah. Talk about all bark and no bite."

"And it was all thanks to my plan, remember," the Runt confidently spoke up, pointing a thumb towards himself.

Seeing the boy's arrogance, Barbed Wire snuck up beside him and stuck a foot out, tripping the Runt up. By hopping around, he narrowly avoided greeting the ground. "Is that the same plan that let yourself get caught, Clumsy?" Barb pointed out.

"It worked out, didn't it?!" The Runt yelled. "Had it not been for me, you'd have had your head beaten flat."

"By turning their attention onto Sunset?"

"Exactly! Letting her set about them by breaking that bat over her!"

Not willing to lie to themselves, the girl's became quiet. They were impressed by the Runt's intuition to think ahead. That is, until Sunset realised something.

"But I never told you that I could do that," Sunset said.

That finally shut the boy up. A stupid blush formed, causing him to turn away from Sunset and Barb, making his embarrassment all the more obvious. "W-well, we still did it! The Blob will have his goods back and all will be fine again."

Barbed Wire cocked her head to the side. "So, how does a little guy like you find yourself with a demon like the Blob? Is he a close relative? An old friend?" Barb pondered her options.

"No, actually. Well, yes, he's my friend, but it hasn't been for long. A while back, I was running from some of those guys, and they cornered me at the Blob's shed. I was sure he was about to eat me, but he scared them off and saved me. So, I've been by his side since. I know, I don't look like much, but he protected me, so I owe it to protect him," the Runt explained.

Barb raised her eyebrows in surprise. She couldn't help but let her eyes drift towards Sunset, who was also interested in the boy's story. A wave of guilt suddenly overcame her, forcing her to wipe her face with her sleeve to rid herself of it. "Heh, guess there's a good side to you after all, shrimp," Barb commented with a grin.

"So, what is in the bag that was so important?" Sunset asked.

"You had us go through all that for fucking candles?!" Barb shouted at the Blob.

"Scented candles," the Blob added.

"Oh, I'm sorry! So, since we just risked our necks for your scented candles, how about you tell us more about the Betrayed? I think that's a pretty small ask at this point."

There was silence between the pairs. The Blob didn't look to be ready to give answers of any kind. Meanwhile, the Runt set up all of the candles around the Blob and lit their stems. The smell of garbage and waste was quickly covered by the scent of fresh green apples.

The Runt put out his match, turning to see the girl's still standing there, waiting for an answer. "You've served your purpose. You can leave now," he said.

"What? But you promised you'd help us!" Sunset said.

"I have already helped in every way I can. Now, leave. You'll bring more unwanted attention staying here too long," the Blob replied.

Barb stormed up to the monster and stared him in his high up eyes. "Oh-ho, no. We made a deal, so it's high time you hold up your end of the bargain!"

"So, it was a sham the whole time, huh?" someone suddenly said from the hideout's entrance. All eyes moved to the back of the area, and they were greeted by the return of Fetch with a folder in his hand. He passed Barb and Sunset, standing in front of the junkyard's monster.

"And what have you come back for?" the Blob asked.

"I knew your ask for help was bull from the start, but learning you've had memory issues gave me an idea, so I went to get something that would help for sure," Fetch explained.

"And what would that be?"

Fetch held up the folder, filled with a stack of papers. "This is the current collection of missing demon files, all of which are either known to be involved with the Betrayed, or have been diagnosed with Devilitis. I'll read to you every name, and if any of them sound familiar, I want you to buzz it."

The Blob was quiet for a moment. "You... have my name?"

"I do, and I'll only give you it if you tell me more on the Betrayed. No bullshit. We have a deal?"

The Blob grumbled, closing his eyes as he made his decision. He opened them again and look the detective straight in the eye. "It's a deal."

Fetch opened the file across his hands and turned to the first page. Barbed Wire, Sunset Shimmer and the Runt stood by as Fetch read every name across every page. A gap was left after each case file for the Blob to answer, but he was yet to give anything, so Fetch pressed on.

The detective was soon nearing the end of the collection. He made sure to give extra time for the last few for if, by some miracle, the Blob recognised it.

"Amulet Charm," Fetch read.

"No, detective," the Blob replied.

"Swift Leap."

"No."

"Forest Daydreamer."

The Blob shook his head. Fetch lifted the next page over, giving a heavy sigh as he realised there were no more files after this. "Okay, big guy, this is the last one. Azure Wayfarer."

The creature dug as deep into his own mind as possible. Any flash of memory he would have, the Blob tried to retrieve anything that could be useful. There was a brief glimmer of something, it was so familiar, but it would be just out of his reach. Unfortunately, the Blob would only come up with the same nothing as ever. He looked to Fetch with a sad look. "I'm sorry, detective."

Fetch then defeatedly closed over the folder. "Thank you for your time," he said before turning away to leave. Sunset and Barb followed behind him.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get much, Fetch," Sunset said.

"That's alright. It was more than I've gotten in months. We'll figure something else out," Fetch responded.

The junkyard duo watched as their visitors left. The Runt couldn't be more pleased to finally be rid of them, but the Blob felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to help more, especially since they were willing to help him with his memory. Before they were gone for good, the Blob searched his mind once more. He kept the last name at the front of his mind, hoping that something, anything, would finally come to him. He could see a demon standing in front of him on a dark night. The Blob could see him shaking his hand, giving his farewells. The Blob could read his lips mouthing his name. He did had something!

"Detective!" the Blob called out. The trio stopped in their tracks and spun around. "I remember something."

Detective Fetch scrambled to get his notes and pen out of his pocket, nearly dropping them in doing so. He walked up to the cursed demon with his pen ready to write.

And so, the Blob pressed on, "It's not my name, but I know of Azure Wayfarer. It's still coming back to me, but Azure Wayfarer was the demon who helped us escaped those Betrayed demons' lair. Azure and I were the only ones who got out. I was hit with a curse, but it hadn't taken effect just yet. Before we parted ways, he told me where he was going."

"And where was that?" Fetch asked.

"Someplace he said no demon would dare go near. A place on the far side of the city. But I'm afraid that's all I remember," the Blob finished.

Fetch closed over his notebook with a smile on his muzzle. "You've done more than I could have asked for. Thanks for your help."

"We're sorry we couldn't help you remember your name," Sunset said.

"That is okay. You all have done so much already. I bid you farewell, and good luck on your investigation. Be sure you take down the demons who did this to me!"

"We will, we promise. Stay safe, and you stay out of trouble," Sunset targeted towards the Runt, who responded by crossing his arms and turning away. And then, the trio finally began to make their leave.

The three left the junkyard with more than they could have anticipated. What was meant to be an investigation of a disturbance in the city turned out to be a push towards finding the Betrayed. They had a new plan now, and it was to find this Azure Wayfarer and ask him some questions. Everyone was satisfied with the progress they made, but that would quickly be interrupted as Barbed Wire noticed that something wasn't right. She felt around her back pocket, and her breath was caught in her throat when she realised that her wallet was missing!

She let loose a horrible shout as she ran back inside the junkyard. "That fucking RUNT!"

Author's Note

Won't even lie, this chapter went through some hell. Should be smoother from here on out though.