Corruption

Chapters

Distress Signal
Paranoia
Mission Assignment
Appleloosa
Spelunking
A New Friend
Swamp
Elixir
Snowy Mountain
Yakyakistan
Bad News
Ursa Minor
Forbidden Territory
The Hive
Escape
Fire Place
An Old Friend
Faces
Goat
Corruption

Distress Signal

On another boring school day, Sunset and her friends were listening to a boring lecture spoken by Miss Cheerilee.They were writing their usual notes in their textbooks in preparation for a big exam that would be coming soon. But before they could continue any further, Sunset felt her Friendship book glow and vibrate. It seemed urgent, so she said,

“Miss Cheerilee, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Hurry back, Ms. Shimmer…” Miss Cheerilee said in an annoyed tone.

After running out into the classroom hallway with her Friendship notebook, Sunset opened it and started reading the entire letter. Upon finishing, she dropped the book along with nearly herself and recoiled in horror at what she just read.

“What’s the matter, Sunset?” Twilight said after walking out of the classroom.

Sunset eerily turned around and looked at Twilight, filled with fear and dread. Seeing this, Twilight leaned closer to hear what she had to say. Sunset started explaining with what she read to Twilight, and the more she explained, Twilight made the same look that Sunset had when she finished reading the message.

***

Outside the school entrance, Sunset stood in front of the statue and was quite anxious about what would happen next. Twilight was the only one who accompanied her and she was beyond scared for her close friend.

“Sunset, you don’t have to do this. Maybe we can-” Twilight said before being interrupted by her departing friend.

“Twilight, the other Twilight in the pony world needs me. And if I don’t join them over in Equestria, everypony will be dead or worse! I’m sorry, but there is no other way than to say goodbye.” Sunset said with a tear in her eye.

“Don’t say that, Sunset. This isn’t goodbye. It’s goodbye until next time. Is it?” Twilight asked with a tearfully nervous voice.

“I dunno. But I promise that when this is all over, we’ll go to the movies together. You have my word as a friend.” Sunset said, wiping a tear off Twilight’s face.

“But what if you don’t come back? The girls will-” Twilight said before being cut off by Sunset.

“If the portal is permanently destroyed, I want you to have this.” Sunset said, handing Twilight her notebook.

“What? But this is yours.” Twilight said.

Sunset shook her head and said,

“Just hold onto it until I return. If I get lonely and I’m off-duty, I will write you girls. You have my promise.”

Twilight was unsure what to feel about this sentiment, but she accepted the gesture.

“Do you want me to tell the girls what happened?” Twilight asked.

“Sure. But don’t tell them why. If they hear about this, then this world could be in danger too.” Sunset requested.

“What? But if they-” Twilight said before being cut off.

“Please! Just don’t tell them until this is all over.” Sunset begged.

“...Okay.” Twilight reluctantly conceded.

After giving each other a goodbye hug, Sunset walked towards the portal. Before she could leave for Equestria, Sunset turned around and took one last look at Twilight. When they were finished giving each other a brief look of melancholy and nostalgia, Sunset jumped into the portal and went back to Equestria. Getting launched through the portal, Sunset got off the ground and looked around the room.

“What the…? The castle’s in flames…?” Sunset asked in awe of the destruction.

Just then, a huge dragon popped out of the wall, scaring Sunset out of her wits. Breathing fire out of its mouth, the dragon was about to melt Sunset like a candle, but Twilight appears out of nowhere and blasts the dragon’s eyes.

“Sunset! I’m glad you could make it!” Twilight said in a panicked tone.

“Twilight!? What’s going on around here!? And why are there dragons popping out of the walls!?” Sunset asked, trying to make sense of her new surroundings.

“No time to explain! Follow me!” Twilight shouted as she dragged Sunset with her.

Running through the entire corridor, the whole inside of the castle was in ruins and it was overrun with creatures from across Equestria. In the middle of their escape, they were being chased by groups of manticores and timberwolves. There were tremors occurring everywhere inside the castle and there was no time to waste. Seeing the exit, Sunset and Twilight made out of the castle by the skin of their teeth. Running around Ponyville, Twilight led Sunset to the train station where they ran into the Royal Sisters.

“Sunset Shimmer!” Celestia shouted upon seeing her former pupil.

“Princess Celestia, I-”

“We have no time to explain, Sunset Shimmer. Right now, I need you to join Twilight and head over to Canterlot to find any survivors! It’s imperative that everypony survives!” Celestia ordered.

Turning towards Canterlot, the entire kingdom was in flames. It was burning so brightly that it looked like a giant candle. But just then, they looked up at the sky and saw a dragon crashing down from above. After the dust cleared, it showed a large, shadowy dragon with huge wings, pointy teeth, razor-sharp claws, and reddened eyes. They could hear nothing but the growling and there were filled with terror. Just then, it started walking towards the group. Celestia said,

“Everypony, go.”

“What, sister?” Luna asked.

“You heard me! Help Twilight and the others search for more survivors! If we don’t do something, Equestria’s doom will be imminent!”

When the creature started getting even closer, it got on all fours and started to run towards them.

“But princess-”

“JUST GO!” Celestia shouted.

Heeding her command, Luna teleported them out of the battleground and into the streets of Canterlot. Immediately, they hid into the surroundings as they watched the creatures raze the entire City of Canterlot.

“Huh? What’re we doing here? We have to help Celestia fight against that thing!” Sunset said.

“You heard my sister, Sunset Shimmer. If we don’t save any lives, certain doom will be inevitable for Equestria.” Luna said in a firm tone before turning towards the havoc.

“But if we don’t fight against that creature, then-” Sunset said before being cut off by Luna.

“Leave that to me. You two need to find as many survivors as you can and bring them to the train station. No matter the reason, everypony must be saved at all costs. I will see you girls back at the Crystal Empire.” Luna said before flying away from the hiding spot.

After watching her fly away, Twilight turned to Sunset and said,

“There’s no time to hesitate! Find as many survivors as you can!”

Nodding towards Twilight in response, Sunset jumped out of the hiding spot and proceeded to search for survivors across Canterlot.

Paranoia

Running across the streets of Canterlot, Sunset and Twilight scoured everywhere for any survivors. Everywhere in the city of Canterlot, the areas were slick with corpses and all that remained were the creatures that invaded Canterlot. But they kept searching everywhere until they ran into Minuette and Moon Dancer.

“Twilight?! Sunset?! What’s happening around here!?” Minuette asked, wary of the carnage surrounding them.

“We have no time to explain, Minuette. Do you know if there are any survivors around here?” Twilight asked, trying to keep herself calm and composed.

“We left Fleur in charge of keeping the survivors hidden in the Canterlot Boutique. We tried signalling for help, but nopony was there. We volunteered to search. Lemon Heart’s over there with the rest of the survivors. We’ll take you there.” Minuette explained.

“But we need to hurry and fast. We don’t have much time until the creatures break the barriers.” Moon Dancer warned.

“Then we haven’t a moment to lose. Sunset, keep searching for any more survivors. I’ll go take care of those monsters.” Twilight said before teleporting to the boutique.

With only the three unicorns remaining, Sunset turned towards the duo and said,

“It would be best if we remained together until we make it out of this mess.”

“Agreed. Celestia knows what would happen if we separated from one another.” Moon Dancer said.

Just then, they heard an evil chuckle in the background.

“Huh?! Who’s there?!” Sunset asked before glowing her horn.

“I can taste your fear.” an evil voice growled.

“What?!” Sunset shouted as she turned around in a frenzy.

“Your souls are mine…” the voice said before disappearing.

But before Sunset could get to the bottom of this mystery, they were suddenly surrounded by ponies.

“Oh no. Everypony, we need to get to the train right now! Just follow me and-”

Just then, Sunset noticed some form of ooze on the ponies. It was leaking everywhere and all the ponies had were these complete, emotionless stares. Instead of answering her however, the ponies just growled at them.

“Everypony…?” Minuette nervously asked.

Suddenly, they hissed with viciousness and lunged at Sunset before being blasted away with her horn.

"Let's get out of here!" Minuette insisted before turning the other direction.

Immediately, the trio started running away from the infected ponies before they started giving chase. They dared not turn around out of fear that they would slow down and get caught. They ran throughout the entire city.

"What's happened to all the locals here?" Sunset asked while running.

"We dunno! Everypony was dead before we started hiding!" Moon Dancer responded.

The infected ponies kept on their tails before the creatures appeared out of nowhere. After the Manticores and the Timberwolves killed the infected ponies, they turned their attention towards the trio.

"Don't worry girls! They won't get past me!" Sunset said as she glowed her horn.

But just as she was about to fight against the creatures, they heard a roar from across Ponyville. The creatures left them behind and ran towards the source of the roar.

"What's going on over there?" A confused Sunset asked.

"I dunno. I just hope everypony in Ponyville are safe." Minuette said as she looked at Ponyville burning.

"Sunset!" A voice called.

They turned around and it was Twilight with the remaining survivors of Canterlot.

"I got everypony out! Let's go!" Twilight shouted.

"But what about the others?" Sunset asked, turning towards the ruin.

"They'll make it! The top priority is the survivors! Now let's go!" Twilight said as she made a run for it.

Reluctantly, Sunset and the rest of the survivors joined after her, running towards the train in the process.

After boarding the train with everypony else, Sunset checked outside to see if there were any stowaways on board. Needless to say, there weren't any. However, those infected ponies were unlike anything she's ever seen before. It was like something out of those zombie movies that she would watch with Twilight and her friends back in the human world. She couldn't wrap her mind around it, but she knew it had something to do with the ooze on their bodies.

"Is everypony accounted on this train?" Twilight asked, looking across the cart.

After counting everypony and setting them in pairs, Sunset walked to Twilight and sat with her while waiting for their arrival to the Crystal Empire.

***

Several hours have passed since everypony boarded the train. Onboard, there was a combination of tension and wariness across the cart. While everypony felt safe from the creatures outside, they were unsure if anypony was uninfected or if there were any Changelings onboard the train. Sunset could feel the intensity in the air and she felt distressed. But what she felt even more unnerved by was Twilight’s unusually calm demeanor. Normally, she would panic at a moment’s notice when things weren’t going according to plan and she overlooked a minor detail in her notes. But this time, she was more at ease than distressed. Sunset knew she had to get to the bottom of it.

"What do you think happened around here?" Sunset asked.

“It’s hard to say for sure, but this substance that we witnessed. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. But at the same time… it feels so familiar. It feels… angry.” Twilight said as she thought about the ooze.

“What are you implying?” Sunset asked, starting to feel unnerved.

“I can’t say for sure yet. But until we get to the bottom of this, I suggest we keep this from everypony else.” Twilight said.

“What? But they need to know about this. If we keep this under wraps, we’ll be-” Sunset said before being shushed by Twilight.

“Everypony will know about this. In time. But right now, we need to keep this all quiet until we figure out what we figure the source of all this and eliminate it.” Twilight explained in a discreet tone.

“Fine. But if anypony finds out about this, I won’t-”

“Leave that to me. But at least do me the service of keeping silent for the time being. They will all know when the time is right. You have my word.”

Reluctantly conceding to her demand, Sunset remained silent for her dear friend and kept her theory a secret. But she knew that something was wrong with Twilight. She was far different from the friend she once knew. The same one who reformed her when she stole her crown enact her scheme of taking over Equestria with her teenage army. Sunset knew that Twilight was hiding something, but she had to figure out what it was.

“We’re here!” Minuette shouted as she looked outside the window.

Outside appeared the Crystal Empire where the trains have stopped. Immediately, everypony got off the train and went inside the Crystal Empire. Twilight and Sunset took their time to get off and search for their friends. When they finished searching for them, they immediately walked to the throne room where they began to hold a meeting over what to do next.

Mission Assignment

In the throne room, everypony started going over what they should do next with all the chaos surrounding them and how they should strike back. But as they continued to speak, Sunset looked outside to see how far the chaos spread. While it didn’t seem terrible at first, the fire soon started to spread everywhere across the entire landscape and the creatures were demolishing everything within their sight. Sunset could only imagine what would happen next as she beheld the terror shown before her eyes. But before she could surmise what to do next, she heard a door open.

“Princess Celestia! Are you alright?” Twilight shouted as she rushed over to her mentor’s side.

Sunset couldn’t believe what she just saw. She witnessed her former mentor broken and battered from her battle against the dragon and all she could do was watch her limp her way towards the throne room without batting an eye. After watching her make her way towards the middle of the throne room, the group started talking about what to do with the survivors. Before they could go any further however, she heard Starlight speak up.

“But how long do you think we can hold out? We are up against a threat that could bring about the end of Equestria and we don’t know where Spike is! We have to find him!” Starlight cried out.

Hearing this, Sunset could understand the sentiment and wanted to do everything she could to help. But before she could speak up, Twilight told her that there was no way that nopony would welcome any creatures to the Crystal Empire in the cruelest way possible, leading Starlight to run out of the throne room in tears.

“You could have handled it in a better manner, Twilight Sparkle.” Princess Celestia, starting to feel angry.

“She’s right, Twilight. You were being nasty towards Starlight.” Sunset agreed.

Twilight paid no mind to Sunset and continued to argue with her former mentor even further to the point that Celestia stormed out of the throne room in anger. The group thought about what to do next before Twilight said,

“We need to split the units and armies. We can send them to the various cities, but most of them aren’t ready yet. Can we set up boot camps?”

“We can, but we would have to prepare a lot of compensation and payment for their services. What can we do?” Shining Armor explained.

“We’ll deal with that after we win.” Twilight boasted.

After they were finished coordinating their plans and strategies as well as delegating everypony, everypony left the throne room. But before Twilight, Pinkie, and Sunset could leave however, Luna said,

“Wait. I have something to show you, Twilight.”

“Can I come too? I haven’t been assigned either.” Pinkie begged.

“Very well.” Luna said in an annoyed tone.

“What about me, Princess?” Sunset asked, feeling curious about her unassigned position.

“Wait here. I have a very special assignment for you.” Luna said before leaving with Twilight and Pinkie.

So Sunset did as she was told and waited for Luna’s return. While she waited, she opened her notebook and started writing Twilight.

Dear Twilight,

I know that I’ve only been gone for a few hours now, but I want you to know that I’m safe and nothing bad has happened to me. Right now, I am waiting for Princess Luna to return to the throne room and I have no idea what she’s showing Twilight and Pinkie. Speaking of Twilight, I have no idea what’s going on with her, but she’s acting strange. It’s almost like she’s hiding something and I have no idea what it is. But turning to another subject, it’s worse than you can ever imagine in Equestria. Something unspeakable has happened to everypony in Equestria and it’s hardly even begun to look like all hell is about to break loose. But I digress. I just want you to know that we’re all safe and we are currently holed up in the Crystal Empire. I will write to you again soon.

Sunset Shimmer

After writing in her journal entry, Sunset closed her notebook and went back to waiting for Princess Luna to return. But by the time she put it away, Luna was already in front of her.

“O-Oh! Sorry, Princess.” Sunset said in a clumsy tone, bowing before Princess Luna in the process.

“No need to worry about that, Sunset Shimmer. I have something I need to show you.” Luna said before ordering the guards out.

After checking everywhere, Luna summoned a device right before Sunset’s eyes. It looked to have the appearance of a mix between a staff and a scepter, but it suddenly started shifting into a cube right before their very eyes. Picking it up with her magic, Sunset asked,

“What is this?”

“It’s a device used to suck up whatever ooze remains whenever you have defeated any creatures outside the Crystal Empire. It will prove beneficial while you’re out trying to find the Elements of Harmony. It also doubles as a barrier while you’re fighting.” Luna explained.

“Elements of Harmony? What happened to them? And why is Twilight acting like this?” Sunset asked.

“Of that, I am uncertain. But I fear that Twilight is going astray and she is planning to use this substance to fuel her own agenda. I am not sure yet, but Pinkie might be conspiring with Twilight as well. But until I find out what Twilight is doing, this is not to be announced announced to anypony else outside this room.” Luna further explained.

“But what about Starlight? She feels the same way as we do and she could prove useful to exposing Twilight and whatever scheme she’s planning.” Sunset reasoned.

“Indeed. But she is too impulsive and rash. If she catches wind of this, she could jeopardize our progress and ruin our plans to keep Twilight in check.” Luna clarified.

“I understand…” Sunset said in a defeated tone.

“I do, however, wish for Twilight to see justice for her crimes against Equestria. But we need to be patient and see when she will expose herself. We will get to the bottom of this secret she is hiding. But you need to prepare yourself.” Luna said.

“Huh?” Sunset asked.

“We are not sure where the Elements of Harmony are, but you need to make haste and find them before the creatures do. I will keep in contact with this.” Luna said, giving her a device.

“What is this?” Sunset asked.

“It’s a communicator used specifically for unicorns during missions and emergencies. We will keep in touch that way.” Luna said.

“So when do I leave?” Sunset asked.

“You will be leaving with escorts. They will accompany on your mission.” Luna said.

“Will we see each other again?” Sunset asked, feeling unsure.

Hearing this put Luna in a stump. While she didn’t know what would happen next in their war against the Corruption. This little sentiment put Luna in hives and she felt sad, knowing that their downfall will be inevitable. But putting on a brave face, Luna said.

“I promise that we will all be okay, Sunset. Everything you will be doing is helping the cause. But right now, you have to abandon whatever fear you have left. This path will be perilous and you need to be vigilant in your endeavors to retrieve the Elements of Harmony. You have my word as a friend.”

Hearing this, Sunset gave Luna a long hug, taking in the fact that it will be unlikely she will ever return. After closing the door, Sunset left to make preparations for her long journey. When she was finished, she moved towards the gate, awaiting getting ready to leave. Taking a very deep breath, Sunset walked outside the gates, ready to brave the evil forces of the Corruption in her quest to retrieve the Elements of Harmony.

Appleloosa

Moving across the terrain surrounded by nothing but darkness, Sunset began her search for the Elements of Harmony on the map that Luna packed into her bag for her journey. One of the elements on the map was Honesty and it is somewhere in Appleloosa. After sneaking aboard a train guarded by dragons and griffins, Sunset and her escorts hid in some supply boxes while waiting for the train to arrive in Appleloosa. Since she knew it would take some time before their arrival, Sunset broke out her notebook and started writing to Twilight and her friends.

Dear Twilight,

How was your day? I know I only started on my mission to retrieve the Elements of Harmony, but how are you? So far for things on my end, I managed to sneak on a train headed for Appleloosa containing supplies. It wasn’t easy getting onboard, let me tell you. The stations are filled with so many dragons and griffins that you may as well call it a keep. But I gotta know. Have you told the girls yet? I won’t get mad if you say yes. I know it won’t be easy for them once they hear the news, but it’s for the best that you stay behind with them. Your world needs its defenders, after all. But still, I hope you’re doing well and I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely, Sunset

After closing the notebook, Sunset stored it away in her bag and waited for the train to arrive in Appleloosa.

***

Five hours later after falling asleep, Sunset was woken up by the train shaking from the bumps. She looked around the train to see if there were any creatures to see if any were walking into the cargo area. After seeing that there were none around, she got out of the crate and snuck her way off the train. When she got off the train, she saw that there were a pack of timberwolves guarding the compound.

She knew that there was no time for dilly-dallying, but Sunset couldn't risk being caught by the timberwolves. Moving as slowly as she could, she hid behind the crates to avoid being caught by the vile predators. But when she was about to move, Sunset accidentally bumped a box, alerting one of the timberwolves of her presence. Putting her back to the box, Sunset covered her mouth to keep herself quiet.

The timberwolf moved closer, sniffling around the area for any intruders within the vicinity. Needless to say, it knew the smell of ponies. This is the fact that mortified Sunset the most. Looking for something to throw, she found a bottle right next to her and grabbed it with her magic. As subtle as she could, she threw the bottle from across the train yard and cracked, distracting the timberwolf.

Seizing the opportunity, Sunset snuck away from the timberwolf and evaded its presence. Walking out of the compound, she looked forward and saw multiple buffalo in Appleloosa. Knowing she would be caught, Sunset decided to go behind some buildings and sneak her way around them. But even then, Appleloosa was so heavily guarded by the buffalo that a snake would have better luck slithering through a rat hole.

Sunset did what she could and moved as quickly as possible to avoid detection. Even at her most clumsiest, she remained silent and kept going without a hitch in her direction. That is, until she was noticed by a buffalo.

“Hey!” the buffalo shouted.

Sunset immediately turned around and glowed her horn before getting into a defensive position. It turned out to be a huge buffalo with a feathered headdress and markings across her face. Her horns were extremely pointed and ready to pierce anybody who stood in her way. No chances were being taken against this foe.

“Who are you?!” Sunset asked as she kept her guard up.

“Little Strongheart, pony. And you are trespassing on sacred land.” the buffalo said in an angry tone.

“Sacred land?! What a joke! You drove us out of our homes! Don’t you think that raises a few red flags?!” Sunset shouted while keeping her cool.

“Foolish pony! These lands were where we would stampede across the land and celebrate the sacred gift Equestria gave us. Until your kind swooped in and set up camp without consulting us. But now… you will feel the wrath of our ancestors!” Little Strongheart shouted.

Just then, various buffalo formed a circle and surrounded the defenseless unicorn. Sunset was unsure of what would happen next. But then she asked,

“Why are you doing this? The ooze surrounding is corrupting your minds! Can’t you see that?”

“That is where you are wrong, unicorn. We have been enlightened by a force that you will never hope to comprehend. A force that will see to your extinction.” Little Strongheart said as she’s getting ready to charge.

“Not if I can help it!” Sunset shouted before flashing them with her magic.

Blinded by the bright light Sunset emitted, the buffalo had a hard time finding her. Seizing the opportunity, Sunset snuck away from the buffalo and ran away from them. After running away for several minutes, she stopped to catch her breath. She looked around and listened for any sounds of hoofsteps approaching her direction. She didn’t notice any, but she knew that she had to keep moving unless she wanted to be fed to the timberwolves. So Sunset decided to stop dawdling and keep moving.

Her walk lasted for several hours, but Sunset could feel a faint presence from the Element of Honesty. Galloping as fast as she could, she could see a faint light inside an abandoned mining cave. Going through the boarded entrance, Sunset could see the light growing brighter the closer she got towards it. There was no mistaking it. The Element of Honesty was inside. Walking towards it, she dug it out of the dirty old mining cart inside and grabbed it.

“One down. Five to go.” Sunset said with a bright smile.

Just then, she heard growling from behind her. Frightfully turning around, she noticed a pack of timberwolves surrounding her. Snarling at the terrified unicorn with drool dripping out and their eyes locked, the timberwolves prowled closer to Sunset, eager to munch on their meal. Backing away from the timberwolves into a wall, Sunset wasted no time and teleported out of Appleloosa before the whole pack could pounce on her.

Outside of Appleloosa, Sunset turned around to see if there were any enemies around. After she was finished inspecting her surroundings, Sunset took one last look at Appleloosa. She knew that it didn’t mean much to her, but she couldn’t imagine what Applejack would feel if she knew what became of the once-lovely little town. It felt so unreal to her after seeing Equestria’s destruction at the hands of the creatures. But Sunset knew that she had no time to feel sentimental. So Sunset placed the Element of Honesty in her bag and proceeded to move elsewhere.

Spelunking

Having made her way through Everfree Forest, Sunset kept her horn glowing. She was unsure if there was a misplacement on the map, but the Element of Laughter was inside a spooky cave in front of her. Knowing that she had no other choice, Sunset glowed her Horn ever more brighter and entered the cave.

Inside the cave, there was nothing but water dripping from the large stalagmites above her along with the occasional squeak from the rats inside. The cave's eerie silence was the only thing that kept Sunset on her hooves. And the only presence remained that remained with her was evil. Everywhere she went, there was nothing but the same, corrosive ooze that was stuck across the walls and the ceilings. Deciding to have a look for herself, she sucked in the ooze with the device given to her by Luna.

"Just what is this slime?" Sunset said to herself as she analyzed it.

But before she could think on it any further, she heard heavy snoring deep inside the cave. Putting the device back inside her pouch, Sunset heads further into the cave to investigate the source of the snoring. But upon getting closer, she sees a huge family of corrupted Ursa Majors nestling with the Minors. Immediately panicking, Sunset hid behind a big rock and closed her mouth. Trying to slow her breathing, Sunset looked around and tried to find a way past the Ursas.

Just then, one of the Ursa Majors wakes up from its slumber and scratches itself. Sunset's blood froze the moment the Ursa Major opened its eyes. She had no idea what she would be able to do if she were to be spotted. But trying to keep her nerve, Sunset peeked behind the rock to see if the Ursa Major would either leave or go back to sleep. But it went from bad to worse as the rest of the Ursa Majors and Minors woke up from their slumber.

Sunset kept as still as she could behind the rock to avoid detection. But it wouldn't help for much longer as one of the Majors picked up on Sunset's scent. Knowing this, Sunset kept as low as she could and crawled through the stalagmites to avoid being seen. The Major who picked up on Sunset's scent growled an order for the others to find her.

Sunset kept silent and crawled as hard as she could to avoid the Ursas. Getting closer to another boulder, Sunset hid behind it to catch her breath. But while she was catching her breath, two Ursa Majors peered in closer to sniff her out. Sunset was dead silent as she felt their thick breaths hit the surface of her skin, their snouts were close to touching her, and their sloppy drool hitting the floor like a water faucet left unturned. Sunset was sweating bullets as the Ursa Majors got closer. But before they could catch, a roar echoed in the cave, prompting the Ursa Majors to leave her spot.

Peeking her head to check for any Ursas, Sunset was relieved to see that there were none left in the cave. Getting out of her hiding spot, Sunset proceeded to walk deep into the cave. But as she moved further down, she started to see these terrifying cave paintings on the walls. Some of which depicted a goat finding some form of fountain carrying the ooze. Sunset had no idea what it meant, but she knew that there was much more to the Corruption than she ever knew.

"Sweet Celestia…" Sunset said to herself as she looked at the cave painting.

But before she could inspect it any further, a couple pebbles startled Sunset. Doing her best not to panic, she proceeded to move forward and not look back for any reason out of fear that she would be killed with only the sound of the water dripping to break the silence. Venturing deeper into the cavern, she could see what appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Looking closer into the darkness, it appeared to be none other than the Element of Laughter.

“At least I now have one less scary cave to spelunk in.” Sunset said to herself before heading towards the gem.

But before she could grab it, she heard growling in the background. Knowing for certain that the Ursas would show up, she grabbed the Element and put it in her bag. But just as she was about to leave, a droplet of the ooze fell on her horn. Panicking and hyperventilating with the Ursas coming back to check on the racket, Sunset activated her horn. But for some reason, her teleportation spell wouldn’t activate.

“What the-!?” Sunset shouted upon realizing the teleportation spell wouldn’t activate.

Just then, an Ursa Major appeared in front of her. It snarled with a manic look in its eyes and it sported what appeared to be a smile on its face, accompanied by overflowing drool in its mouth. Sunset was as frozen as a statue the moment she made eye-contact with its bloodshot eyes. Sunset did what she could and tried to teleport out of the cave, but to no avail. The Ursa Major walked towards Sunset Shimmer, growling with hunger and anger before charging at full-speed.

“Oh, screw this!” Sunset shouted before charging at the Ursa Major.

The Ursa Major roared with terrifying fury as Sunset ran towards the monster. Seizing the opportunity, Sunset ran between its legs before it could catch her. In its clumsy attempt to get ahold of her, the Ursa Major fell right on its back before recovering to chase after Sunset. Keeping her eyes forward, Sunset kept running as fast to avoid the clutches of the pursuing Ursa Major. In spite of its colossal size, the Ursa Major kept really close to Sunset, almost within the grasp of its own paws.

Sunset tried to teleport out, but all it did was hurt her mind. While she kept running, Sunset suddenly started to see hallucinations. Hallucinations of which were twisted silhouette versions of herself as a demoness. Doing her best to ignore the images, Sunset kept moving and ran forward without looking back. But along the way, the hallucination started laughing. She had no idea why, but she couldn’t let it distract her. The more that she ran however, the laughter grew louder to the point that the hallucination started to cackle. Sunset’s nerves were in tatters the more she heard the laughter.

Seeing the exit of the cave, Sunset rejoiced as she ran towards the outside while the cackling suddenly stopped. But her happiness was shortly when the Ursa pack came back from their investigation along with a few dead ponies and creatures.

“Not good…” Sunset said to herself as she ran.

Seeing no other choice once again, Sunset ran full-speed ahead and ran between the legs of one of the minors. The Ursa pack tried to get her, but they clumsily fell down and lost sight of her. The Ursa pack roared in frustration and fury as they realized Sunset has escaped from their grasp.

Having made it out of the cave and running towards the Everfree Forest, Sunset started to feel her head spin.

“W-What’s happening to me?” Sunset said as she felt a sharp pain in her cranium.

Sunset looked everywhere in terror as she started to see things that ponies or any other creature would only see in their nightmares. It was hurting her so much that she could feel her brain began to split apart from all the pressure she felt from the ooze. Looking everywhere across her body, the veins in her body started turning pitch-black and went all the way into her eyes. She fell onto the ground, trying to fight back against her demise as she crawled across the ground. Just then, she started to hear a voice inside her.

“You seem to be looking well…” a voice called out.

“Who…?” Sunset asked, immediately turning around.

Upon turning the opposite direction, she could only see a burning silhouette approach her. To her surprise as the silhouette moved closer, it was none other than her previous demonic form. She was surprised to see her evil self again after so much time has passed since Twilight and the human versions of her friends have defeated her.

“What…? No! It couldn’t be you!” Sunset reasoned, trying to figure out why her former self was here.

“Oh, sweet little Sunset Shimmer. I just came here to see how my present-self was doing. And what I could do to pay her back after allowing herself to lose to Twilight and her pathetic friends.” Her demonic form said in a venomous tone before shifting into a pony.

“No! Th-This can’t be real!” Sunset shouted, stepping away from her demonic self.

“Poor, deluded Sunset. Still thinking she has been forgiven for her past transgressions! When she should have died in her battle against Twilight!” the demon shouted as flames surrounded her student.

“No! NO!!!” Sunset shouted as she felt her flesh get burned to a crisp.

Feeling her nerves break and her sanity slipping, Sunset screamed in panic as she tried to escape before finally fainting from the pressure she felt. But before she closed her eyes, she noticed a silhouetted pony come to her before finally passing out from the stress.

A New Friend

Blurry and disoriented from the effects of the ooze, Sunset had a hard time waking up. But as she was coming to, she started seeing images of a shadowy goat carrying a crystal heart containing the same ooze that infected Sunset when it dripped on her horn.

"Huh?" Sunset said, backing away from the silhouette.

Just then, the goat turned to Sunset with its red eyes. This chilled Sunset to the bone as the goat slowly walked towards her. Sunset tried to escape, but before she knew it, she was charged at by the goat and was crushed. But as she dizzily opened her eyes, she looked up and noticed that there was a shadowy dragon on top of her, baring its fangs in her face.

“Oh no…” Sunset said as she stared helplessly at her soon-to-be killer.

Rearing its head back, the dragon opens its mouth and launches itself at her face, biting it off in the process.

***

Sunset jumped out of her sleep, having awoken from that awful nightmare that plagued her mind. Looking around, it appeared that she was in some form of hut. But before she could take in her surroundings, the knob on the front door started turning. Getting in a defensive stance, Sunset awaited any foe who would come through that door. But then a voice said,

“Ah. So you are awake. I was beginning to fear that your mind would break.”

Entering the hut turned out to be none other than Zecora. On her back, she was carrying a basket filled with various types of herbs and plants inside the hut and she noticed that Sunset has finally awoken.

“W-What?” Sunset asked while feeling her head ring.

“Forgive me my dear, but we have never met. Acquaint with me while I mix this elixir. It may take some time, and the ooze on you will not be an easy fix.” Zecora said as she threw the ingredients in her black pot.

“My name’s Sunset. Who are you? And how long was I out for?” Sunset asked while she laid on the bed.

“My name is Zecora, my dear. And you have been asleep for about six months, I fear.” Zecora explained.

“What?! Why am I still here!? I need to-!” Sunset shouted, trying to get off the bed before feeling pain inside her body.

"Take it slow. You have been asleep for quite some time. You will need to lay low." Zecora ordered while making the. potion.

“Where’s my bag?” Sunset asked, having remembered her notebook.

“Hmm?” Zecora asked while focusing on the potion.

“My bag. It has a book inside. I need to write something.” Sunset responded while she struggled to get out of bed.

“I will get your book. Just stay in bed, or you will be on the hook.” Zecora said before heading into her cabinet.

Reaching inside, Zecora pulled Sunset’s bag out and gave it to Sunset before going back to mixing the potion. Immediately, Sunset reached into her bag and pulled her notebook out of her bag. Opening it, she read through the entire thing, hoping to find a response from Twilight or any of her friends, only it was filled with so many entries that a novel could be made out of it. In one of the most recent, she found a small entry on seventy-fifth page. It read:

Dear Sunset,

Are you okay? I know that I haven't been able to contact you because I was in the middle of class, but I was so shocked by your decision to leave that I could barely concentrate on my studies or any activities with our friends in general. Speaking of our friends, I haven't told them what happened yet. But they're gonna figure out your leave of absence pretty soon. Should I tell them? It'll only hurt them more if they're left in the dark. I can only keep quiet for so long. What should I do?

Twilight Sparkle

Reading this made Sunset pulsate with relief. Not only does she learn that her friends are still safe, she has received so many messages that it filled half her note book. Not wasting any time, Sunset immediately grabbed a pen and started writing down an entry to Twilight, letting her know that she’s still alive and well in Equestria. When she was finished, Sunset reached into her bag and reached for the communicator with her magic.

“Have you been any answering any calls on this?” Sunset asked.

“Yes, but it has been quite some time since you spoke. And you have barely just awoke.” Zecora warned.

“It doesn’t matter. I need to know if they’re still safe.” Sunset said, levitating the communicator to her side.

Without even thinking, Sunset tried contacting Luna. No response. Sunset tried again, but she received no response. After so many tries, she attempted to make contact with anypony else who had the communicator. But once again, there was no response. Just as she was about to give up, she received a call.

“Huh? Could it be…?” Sunset said, picking up the communicator.

Immediately pressing the button, the screen popped up and there seemed to be nothing but static at first. Just then, a pony appeared on the screen. It turned out to be none other than Starlight Glimmer.

“Starlight…?” Sunset said, filled with confusion and bewilderment.

“Sunset Shimmer! Thank Celestia…” Starlight said with relief.

“How did you get ahold of this device?” Sunset asked, feeling even more confused.

“There’s no time to explain. Listen to me, because I can only be on this machine so long before the Princesses return.” Starlight warned before turning the other direction.

“Why? Is everything okay?” Sunset asked, feeling concerned for her friend’s sanity.

“Listen. I have no idea if you have been speaking with Twilight or Pinkie, but they have been collecting samples. Samples of the ooze.” Starlight answered.

“Wha-What?! Why would they do such a thing?!” Sunset yelled.

“Ssh! Quiet. You’ll get us both caught.” Starlight warned.

“What’s going on? Why are they doing this?” Sunset furiously asked.

“Twilight says that she’s trying to find ways in fighting back the Corruption. But we know better. The more she collects, the crazier she grows. She has collected more than I can count since she and Pinkie left the Crystal Empire with those cursed weapons, and if this keeps going… I couldn’t bear thinking of the aftermath.” Starlight said as she started to sweat.

“What are you trying to say…?” Sunset asked.

“Trust nopony. The ooze has been here for so long that we have all become strangers to one another. For all I know, any of the Changelings could’ve snuck in here. It’s only a matter of time-!” Starlight said before turning around in a panic.

“Wha-What’s wrong?” Sunset asked.

“The Princesses are returning with Twilight. I need to go. Whatever you do next, trust nobody!” Starlight warned before shutting off the communicator.

“What will you do now, my friend? Surely, this cannot be the end?” Zecora asked, having overheard the entire conversation.

“How soon will the potion be finished?” Sunset responded, turning towards the outside window.

“Halfway done, though it may require some time before you need to run.” Zecora answered.

“I’ll see what I can do to help.” Sunset said before slowly walking towards Zecora working near her pot.

Swamp

After spending an entire five hours making the potion, Zecora dropped every last bit into a few vials before placing them in Sunset’s bag.

“What is this?” Sunset asked, looking at the green substance in disgust.

“Drink it. Quickly.” Zecora insisted.

Doing as she told, Sunset drank the entire vial and swallowed it before dropping the bottle, feeling as if she were about to vomit.

“I knew it would be nasty, but I didn’t think it would make me sick.” Sunset said, covering her mouth.

“You must drink this every five hours. Unless you want your final moments to be dour.” Zecora ordered.

“You mean it won’t go away?” Sunset asked as she looked into a mirror.

“I am not certain if it ever will. But the idea of the negative effects gives me the chills.” Zecora said in a dreaded voice.

“So I take it I’m not supposed to use my powers?” Sunset asked.

Zecora solemnly nodded to Sunset’s question upon asking.

“I guess the only way now is to push forward, is it?” Sunset said in a forlorn voice.

Zecora sadly nodded her head as Sunset looked outside for any enemies. Having finished checking for any enemies, Sunset turned towards Zecora and said,

"If you're ever in danger, I'll come back."

"Thank you, Sunset Shimmer. But have no fear. I am much more capable than I appear." Zecora assured.

"Then if I run out of potions, can I come back for more?" Sunset asked.

"Yes, my dear. But you must go. Equestria's fate is now dire. You are our last remaining fire." Zecora said.

"I'll come back if I need something. You be careful, okay?" Sunset said before heading towards the door.

Zecora nodded and helped Sunset out the door. After waving each other goodbye, Sunset started to walk out of the Everfree Forest. Moving through the thick trees and bushes, Sunset encountered various creatures. Nice or vicious, Sunset passed by and paid no attention to them.

But along the way, Sunset started noticing various eyeballs watching her across the forest. They did nothing but watch the defenseless unicorn mosey across the entire landscape and they could only drool with hunger as they eyed her.

Sunset lit her horn up to get ready for any attack the creatures will dish out. But upon turning around, she sees nothing but darkness surrounding her. However, she notices a huge cragadile behind her. It was huge and it let out a huge bellow. Its whole body was partially covered by the ooze and its eyes were bloodshot.

"Uh oh…" Sunset uttered in horror.

The colossal cragadile roared and started chasing after Sunset. In spite of its huge size, the cragadile was fast, agile, and very powerful. No matter where Sunset ran, the cragadile was right on her tail. Running as fast as she could, Sunset kept going until she ended up near a pit of starving cragadiles.

"Like this crap can get any worse…" Sunset said before turning around and seeing the same cragadile that chased her.

Alone and nowhere to run, Sunset tried to teleport away from the cragadiles, but then her head started throbbing. As the cragadiles got closer, Sunset's horn let out a black glow that starts to break apart her mind and causes her to hallucinate. In her mind, she could only see the cragadiles as huge and demonic lizards with a crazy look in their eyes. She panicked and tried to back away, but she always bumped into one when she tried to escape. It was like trying to find a way out of a snake pit. Sunset could do nothing but lose her mind in the overwhelming chaos.

Just then, one of the cragadiles bit her in the left leg, causing her to scream in agony as the giant rock lizard tossed her around like a broken ragdoll. After being thrown into a tree, Sunset tried to back away, but her leg was so bloodied and broken that she could only limp away as the cragadiles got closer to her.

“C’mon. Use your powers. You know you want to.” her demonic visage taunted.

"N-No!" Sunset defied.

"Why not? Nopony's here to help you. Nopony is with you. Who do you have to lose?" the demon pointed out.

"My friends, for starters!" Sunset countered.

"Then what about your friends here? Surely, they have already croaked about now." The demon taunted once more.

"Shut up! They will find a way!" Sunset shouted.

"But what about you? Do you think they would help a disposable pony such as yourself?" the demon asked.

“We both know that’s a load of crap! Just how full of it can you be!?” Sunset retorted.

But while she was arguing against her evil counterpart, the cragdiles slowly crept their way towards Sunset Shimmer. Bellowing with hunger, the cragadiles couldn’t contain themselves while they walked towards the limping unicorn. Their jaws hung wide open as they smelled her scent from a short distance. The closer they got, the louder the bellowing grew. But when one of the closer ones tried to take a bite of Sunset, the big one smacked it away before the other big one knocked it back. This led to one big brawl between the cragadiles as they fought for whoever would get to eat Sunset Shimmer.

“Go ahead. Blast them away. You may as well have a test run against those nasty cragadiles.” the demoness insisted.

“I won’t!” Sunset defied.

“Oh, quit this stubborn act. What matters to you more? Your pride or your pathetic friends?” the demoness countered.

Sunset tried to ignore her and tried to crawl away, but the cragadiles were just finished with their little skirmish towards one another and the large one walked towards her. Sunset tried to get away, but the cragadile scooped her up with its mouth and proceeded to chew on her.

"AGH!!! SOMEPONY HELP ME!!! ANYPONY!!!!" Sunset cried out as she was being chomped.

But while she was giving into despair, Sunset's horn started glowing darker. Her mind was going blank and all she could think of was the looming possibility of death. But before she knew it, her eyes went pitch-black and she did nothing but scream as her Horn glowed brighter.

"C'mon. Just one small nibble." the demoness goaded.

Suddenly, Sunset's horn let out a huge blast, decimating the entire cragadile group indefinitely. Getting out of the now-dead cragadile's mouth, Sunset crawled her way over to her bag and pulled out three potions before downing them in a heartbeat. When she was finished, she reached into her bag and pulled out her journal. But before she read or write anything inside, she heard dragons and griffins coming to her location.

"What in the name of Bahamut is that?" One griffin asked.

"Dunno. Although we have one helluva feast ahead of us." One dragon said, rubbing his belly.

Not wanting to get caught, Sunset grabbed her bag and hid underneath the base of the tree. But the bleeding was still active and Sunset had to keep her scent unmasked. But she was bleeding so profusely that she fainted into unconsciousness.

Elixir

Several hours later, Sunset woke up all blurry-eyed for a brief moment before getting her vision back. But before she could move, she had a splitting headache after her encounter against the cragadiles. When she finished rubbing her head and taking a few deep breaths, Sunset slightly peeked her head out of her hiding spot to see if there were any creatures still around. Peering around left and right to check her surroundings concerning creatures or any form of predator out there, Sunset was relieved to see that there were no monsters around. But before she could leave, she felt something touch her in the back, giving her a good scare. She briefly jumped and turned around to see it was none other than Zecora.

Are you okay, Sunset?” the zebra asked before taking a look at her body.

“I’m fine, Zecora. Although I do look a little red.” Sunset snarked before trying to leave.

“Your wounds are still fresh, Sunset. But I will help bandage you, so do not fret.” Zecora assured.

“Do you always speak in rhyme?” Sunset asked before being sat down by the tending zebra.

“Think what you will about my speech. But I am never out of reach.” Zecora said before wrapping a bandage around Sunset’s chewed leg.

“Right. At least you were a chew toy for some angry cragadiles.” Sunset said before letting out a slight yelp from her leg being bandaged.

“I am colored surprised that you are still alive. Anypony would be lunch before a friend in need would arrive.” Zecora chuckled before putting some ointment on Sunset’s bloodied areas.

“Don’t get me started.” Sunset said in an annoyed tone.

While Zecora was tending to Sunset’s wounds all over her body, she looked up and saw Sunset’s horn. It may not have looked peculiar at first, but Zecora started to see small cracks in Sunset’s horn. Cracks which began to seep out small droplets of ooze. They were dripping down slowly from her horn and it would not cease.

“If I may, there is some ooze leaking out of your horn. I hope it gives you no scorn.” Zecora said, looking at Sunset’s horn.

“What are you talking about…?” Sunset asked in a scared tone before starting to feel the leak from her horn.

“You will understand when we get back to my home. There are monsters that still roam.” Zecora said before helping Sunset off the ground.

***

After getting Sunset back into her hut and tending to more of her wounds, Zecora started to become worried. The more she glanced at Sunset's horn, the more the ooze leaked out. It would only be a matter of time before the inevitable happens and there would be nothing Zecora could do to stop it.

"Am I going to die…?" Sunset asked, looking at her horn in the mirror.

"No, my dear. You will not die. But without the Elements of Harmony, you will be short on time." Zecora said in a foreboding tone.

"Even so, I gotta keep going. If something bad were to happen to my friends, I won't be able to live with myself." Sunset forlornly said.

"I understand, but allow me to tap in your mind. There is something inside you that I must find." Zecora said, looking at Sunset's slightly-broken horn.

"Okay. But how long will it be?" Sunset asked.

Patience, Sunset. Surely, your friends told you to never fret." Zecora said as she sat Sunset down.

Zecora went over to her cabinet and pulled out some form of red elixir. Bringing it over to Sunset, Zecora had her drink the elixir.

"What happens next?" Sunset asked, feeling uncertain.

"You will understand. But you must obey the elixir's demand." Zecora said as her voice grew fainter.

Suddenly, everything around Sunset grew dark. At this point, it was nothing but a pitch-black void inside Sunset's mind.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" Sunset called out.

"Anybody…" a sinister voice said.

"What?" Sunset asked.

Out of nowhere, Sunset was grabbed by a hand with claws at its fingers. Pulling her through at a very fast pace, she crashed through what seemed to be a mirror, but it was too fast for her to tell. Falling through various levels of glass, Sunset gets up and looks around only to see various mirrors of her human self in her reflection.

“What in the…?” Sunset asked as she moved forward to touch the glass.

Suddenly, the reflections’ eyes turned red and jumped out of the reflections to assault Sunset before holding her down for some reason. Sunset looked around her surroundings to see what was going on before seeing Twilight being held by her neck. She was gripped by none other than her demonic self.

“No! Twilight!” Sunset cried out before seeing her best friend’s being snapped like a twig.

“Do you see now? Everything that you do… whatever that revolves around you… is your fault. That is an undisputed fact passed down by your mistakes as Celestia’s APPRENTICE!!!!” her demonic self shouted before duplicating.

Every reflection popped out of the mirror and started attacking Sunset Shimmer. She fought back with everything that she could, but she was being smothered by the entire army of reflections before disappearing. The next thing that happened, Sunset was in her human form.

“Hello, Sunset.” a voice called out.

Sunset immediately turned and saw that it was none other than Twilight and their friends from the human world.

“Twilight…?” Sunset said upon seeing the rest of her friends.

“They learned everything, Sunset. And we’ve got a lot to say about your decision to leave us.” Twilight scowled as she walked forward with her friends.

“No! It’s not like that! I was-”

“Just what!? Trying to take all the glory for yourself!?” Rainbow Dash screamed.

“And trying to act like you’re the hero of this little escapade you’re taking?!” Pinkie yelled.

“Telling Twilight and not us is so uneloquent, even for you, Sunset Shimmer!” Rarity shouted.

“All the while keeping secrets from us while you were trying to take over the world!” Fluttershy scorned.

“You are about as low as it gets after keeping this from us, Sunset!” Applejack yelled.

“We are all disappointed in you, Sunset Shimmer. Now it’s time you finally get what you deserve.” Twilight said as she activated her powers along with her friends.

Sunset was freaking out and she didn’t know what to do. Twilight and the others fired various projectiles at her and Sunset dodged the attack. They kept going at her until her demon self appeared behind them, her eyes glowing as bright as a crimson moon. Right before Sunset’s eyes, her friends started burning up. Their skin, like wax on a candle, started melting away just before they started charging towards her. Sunset tried to blast them all away, but it was too late as they swarmed all over, melting the former along with them.

***

Snapping out of the trance, Sunset panicked as she struggled to tell fantasy from reality as Zecora tried to calm her down.

“Relax, Sunset. The potion has reached its max.” Zecora assured before hugging the distressed unicorn.

“It felt so real… Twilight and her friends… they…” Sunset said while trying to reconnect her mind.

“Did you see anything?” Zecora asked.

“All I could see were my friends and someone I never wanted to see again. But I did hear a voice.”

“Can you describe the voice?” Zecora asked while trying to keep her mind focused.

“It was monstrous. It was the same voice I heard when the creatures invaded Equestria. Sweet Celestia…” Sunset said before covering her mouth in horror.

“What is it, my dear?” Zecora asked, feeling even more concerned for Sunset.

“I need to find the Elements of Harmony. And I need to find them fast.” Sunset said before getting up to gather her supplies.

“But you have barely the cragadiles lash, Sunset Shimmer. Leaving in your current condition is rash.” Zecora objected.

“If I don’t do something, Equestria will cease to exist or worse. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here.” Sunset said before taking a few potions to recover.

“And what if the Elements have ceased to exist? Surely, you know you can’t escape this fix.” Zecora said as Sunset finished packing up.

“I dunno. But it’s the only thing we can do for our home. Even if it hurts like hell…” Sunset said as she left Zecora’s hut.

Sunset kept moving as the zebra helplessly looked on before leaving Everfree Forest, ready to continue her task in retrieving the Elements of Harmony.

Author's Note

Merry Thanksgiving, everybody! I decided that since it was a special day, I decided to publish this chapter for all of you. I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that two more characters will be receiving their own stories in RotSP. I will not say who it will be, but they will seem familiar to most of you. But anywho, enjoy this chapter and happy holidays!

This is Ghoul! I'll see you all on the other side!

Snowy Mountain

Wandering aimlessly around Equestria, Sunset looked for the locations of any of the Elements, she turned up short with little to no answers. So she decided to check the map that Zecora gave her since it was destroyed in her desperate escape from the cragadiles. Looking through the map before shifting her head to the north, she decided to set her views on Yakyakistan, located in the mountains.

Wasting no time, Sunset put the map away and proceeded to walk towards the nearest train station. After sneaking her way through the compound and getting into a train cart guarded by yaks, she planted herself into an empty box and waited for the train to start moving. While she waited for the train to finish loading up, Sunset decided to open up her journal and write to Twilight once more.

Dear Twilight,

I know you have a lot of questions about my situation, but you have my word that I’m fine. Although it was a rough few months since I was asleep. I have no idea what has happened since then, but I have been having these weird dreams. Dreams about a goat and a dragon. I don’t know why, but something felt off about them. The dragon, in particular, felt so familiar. It was like we have met before. It was covered in that same ooze that’s covering Equestria and it was like something out of that one horror movie we watched at Rainbow Dash’s house. And the goat that appeared with it was massive. Like it could easily crush or ram you, given the chance. When I was searching for the Element of Laughter, I saw some cave-paintings of that goat. I’m not sure if my mind’s playing tricks or not, but I feel like that goat may have something to do with this mess that Equestria’s in. But it could be just a dream. Regardless, I need to keep going. I’m headed to the mountains to search for the Element of Loyalty. I know you have a lot to say, but we will discuss more once I return. I will get back to you soon.

Your friend,

Sunset Shimmer

After closing her book, Sunset peered outside the box to see if anybody would come inside the cart to look into the boxes. But as the cart continued moving, she looked outside and saw Manehattan getting burned down by the dragons and griffins. She could only watch in disgust as the once fair city burned down before her eyes. But as she watched, two dragon guards and a griffin walked into the cargo cart to perform an inspection. Sunset kept absolutely silent to avoid being seen. But as she kept herself hidden, she heard the creatures conversing with one another. One of the dragons said,

“It’s been around a year and a half since we invaded Equestria.”

“Really? It feels like yesterday since the day we burnt those filthy ponies alive…” the other dragon said, filled with nostalgia.

“Pretty soon, all we’ll have left is the Crystal Empire. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when we ravage their stronghold.” the griffin said as he checked the items.

“You and me both. But I’ve been hearing rumors that the king is able to change forms now. Dunno if this is also true, but I heard that he was able to kill the Sun Princess.” one of the dragons said.

Hearing this shocked Sunset to the point she couldn’t even make a sound.

“How did he do that? The Crystal Empire has a barrier surrounding it. A snake could slither up and it wouldn’t make its way inside.” the griffin asked as he marked his checkbox.

“Beats the Tartarus out of me. But the king always finds a way. He always does.” the other dragon assured.

“Hmm. We better finish up before we get chewed out by the captain.” the griffin said before the others went back to work.

The three creatures continued inspecting the cart for any quality goods as well as checking for any stowaways on board. When they were finished, the three went back to the other cart and Sunset had a panic attack.

“I have to warn the princess.” Sunset thought before reaching for the communicator.

She called Princess Celestia, but no response. She tried again multiple times, but no call was received. Sunset felt distressed and scared for her mentor’s safety and all she could do was worry. However, she knew that she had a duty to fulfill and had to see it through to the end. When she was finished, Sunset put her communicator away and decided to nod off until she made it to the northern mountains in Equestria.

***

Six hours later, Sunset woke up only to feel the box she’s in is being carried outside the train cart she’s hiding in. But while she was being moved, there was suddenly a ringing in her head.

"No. Not now…" Sunset said, starting to wobble a bit.

"Do you honestly believe that they've forgiven you for your own misdeeds? All they were doing was kissing up. Making sure you were kept under their thumb…" jeered the demon who was close to Sunset's face.

"That's a lie." Sunset said as she reached for a potion.

"Oh? A lie? Then what about the princess? The same alicorn who kicked you out of Equestria for that teacher's pet back in the Crystal Empire?" the demon taunted while walking besides Sunset.

"Shut up! There's no way she would die! Not while we still have a fighting chance!" Sunset fired back.

"And what if she is dead? What will you do then...?" the demon said before picking up a ball of snow.

"I'll fight like I always have. Unlike you..." Sunset said as she took a swig of the potion.

"You can't snuff me out forever. The sooner you accept the truth, the sooner that you will accept that you were just a means to an end…" the demons taunted before disappearing.

Reaching into her bag, Sunset pulled out a potion and downed the vial in one go. Her headache stopped throbbing afterwards. When she was finished recovering, Sunset snuck her way off the train and started hiking up the mountain.

Up along the mountain, Sunset was bombarded by a thick volume of snow. She was freezing as she moved, but she had to muscle through because it was a long hike to retrieve the Element of Kindness.

Peering through the snow blizzard, Sunset couldn't make out what was beyond there. She couldn't make out the silhouettes in the snow, but they seemed to be lost ponies.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Sunset shouted.

Sunset moved closer to see if the survivors were okay. But upon getting a closer inspection, these ponies were seen devouring the corpse of a snow monster.

“What in the…?” Sunset said, feeling grossed out.

But before she could say anything, these ponies turned their heads around in two-hundred seventy degrees to Sunset’s location. Her heart stopped the moment these ponies turned their heads like owls. They turned around and slowly trotted towards Sunset in a creepy manner while she slowly backed away from them.

“I think I’ll just leave now…” Sunset sheepishly said as she turned around.

But as she turned around, a few more ponies appeared in front of her. But instead of saying anything, they just stared at Sunset as uncomfortably as they could. When she got a closer look, the ponies were completely dead in the eyes accompanied by a blank look. Bullets of sweat streamed down Sunset’s face, tremors overtook her body, and her nerves were in tatters as she wondered what they would do next. She breathed very heavily the more she looked around.

All of a sudden, their necks twisted downwards with a sickening crunch. Multiple eyes popped open all over their faces, their limbs twisted and expanded into spider-like limbs, and their faces had this unnerving grin. Then they started hissing. Only it sounded more like a twisted laugh than an actual hiss. The ooze streamed in their veins in circulation while contorting their bodies. Goosebumps popped all over Sunset’s shocked face as they started crawling towards her.

One mutated pony lunged at Sunset in an attempt to eat her, but she dodged and started running away from them. But they were gaining on her like bears attracted to honey. Sunset turned around and they were beginning to catch up to her. She wanted to throw them off, but her horn was so encased by the ooze that she can’t fire a single beam, let alone activate a teleportation spell. It would only be a matter of time until she would become their dinner.

“YAK SMASH!!!” a voice shouted.

Looking up, Sunset noticed various yaks jump off from the cliffs and assaulted the mutated ponies. Taking advantage of the chaos, Sunset jumped behind a rock and hid from the enemy. But as she kept herself conspicuous, she watched the yaks pick off the mutants in very barbaric manner. They tore off their limbs, they ripped their torsos apart in a brutal manner, and they threw them into walls so hard that their guts spilled all over. When they were finished slaughtering the mutants, the yak captain shouted,

“Search the area! There could be more ponies in the snow!”

The yaks spread out and started searching for any survivors. Sunset kept her head down in the hopes that the yaks wouldn’t spot her. Things were awfully quiet as she remained hidden. Peeking her head out of the rock, Sunset was suddenly greeted with a punch to the face by one of the yaks, knocking her out in the process.

***

Slightly opening her eyes, Sunset vision was slightly blurred and she couldn’t see where she was being dragged. But before she could make out her surroundings, she was knocked out once more, rendering her fully unconscious as she was being dragged across the snow.

Yakyakistan

Eight hours have passed since Sunset was knocked out by the yaks. Slowly waking up from her previous thrashing, she looked around to see what was going on.

"What in the…?" Sunset said as she was coming to.

After her eye vision went back to normal, Sunset sees that she is trapped in some form of net. She looks around and notices various yaks in the bleachers while five more were in some form of sports arena. Then she turns around and sees another pony beside her along with another creature which appeared to be a hedgehog.

The pony appeared to be a unicorn, only her horn was missing and she had a scar on her right eye. Her coat was a dark orchid color, her eyes were a moderate opal, and her mane was a moderate rose with lighter edges. Sunset had no idea who she was, but she seemed like somepony who knew something. But before Sunset could say anything, a yak shouted,

"Preparations for ritual combat almost complete! Prince Rutherford will appear soon."

Sunset looked down and saw five yaks in the arena. They were wearing no armor and they appeared to have war paint all themselves. But before Sunset scope out the situation, drums started playing.

Every single yak got off their seats and stomped on the bleachers in a celebratory manner. Yovidaphones started playing and then yaks started dancing in a ritualistic tone. Every dance step they took, the group started making hard tremors in the ground. But as the celebration continued, Prince Rutherford and his two aides came out of the entrance, immediately causing the instruments and the dancing to stop. They turned to the prince and respectfully bowed to him.

"Arise, my dear subjects!" Prince Rutherford shouted with happiness.

The yaks raised themselves up and faced him without making a sound.

"Today is cause for celebration of birth of Shadow!" the prince announced with a hearty voice.

The yaks cheered and stomped with glee when they heard the announcement. Just then, Prince Rutherford stomped on the ground to order silence, which the yaks obeyed.

"Yaks were able to smash cowardly ponies and we have spread influence across the North! The pony armies have been crushed under Yak hooves, pierced by Yak horns, and destroyed by Yak's very will! Yak has also received word that the Shadow King has a gift to show Yaks in Canterlot! A gift that Yak intends to see for himself in three days time along with plan to destroy Crystal Empire! But Yak wants to enjoy this occasion! An occasion that Yaks made happen with diligence and strength! Yak is proud of you! NOW!!!! LET THE RITUAL COMBAT COMMENCE!!!!" Prince Rutherford spoke.

Every single yak in the audience screamed with joy while the referee drew a ring in the snow. The five yaks took their positions and closed their eyes as the referee went out of the arena.

Sunset and the unicorn next to her watched the arena to see what would happen next. The yak referee raised stood up on his hind legs. Sunset was afraid of what would happen next. She tried to get out, but her horn was acting up once more and there was nothing she could do to escape.

The yaks roared and screamed with anticipation as they waited for the referee to stomp. The yaks in the arena were ready, eager for death and victory. The bloodlust was killing them and they were ready to gorge.

Just then, the referee stomped with all his might and the battle commenced. Screaming with rage, the combatants started punching and stomping each other while the audience cheered. One yak impaled another in the chest while the others had a three-way skirmish. The referee stomped two times and the yak charged into the three-way. He charges into the other yak and clotheslined the opponent into the ground while the other crushes his opponent before letting out a primal chestpound. Hearing the referee stomp for the final time, the last two combatants charged at each other without hesitation. But the yak grabbed the other and body slammed him before stomping on him, killing his opponent in the process. The audience cheered at the carnage as the yak got up on his hind legs and pounded his chest while roaring before raising his arms in triumph.

Sunset was disgusted by this senseless brawl. She knew that the yaks were homicidal, but she didn't think they would endorse such violence. Then she notices the yak face her. Sunset couldn't shake the terror she felt as the yak licked its lips with sadistic glee.

"My fellow yaks! I give you Viktor, our new champion!" Rutherford shouted.

Every single yak cheered and stomped the moment the Yak Prince announce the name of the champion.

"The champion will now drink the Blood of the Shadow King! Remain silent as the champion drinks his blessing!" The referee ordered as the aides grabbed the bowl.

Remaining silent, the yaks watched as Viktor drank every last drop of the King's blood. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But then Viktor started to feel the change. He grew taller and more muscular, his horns grew larger, and his teeth became pointy and razor-sharp. He roared and stomped with rage while the audience cheered as loudly as they could.

"CHOOSE YOUR VICTIM!!!!" the referee ordered.

Viktor was very picky over who he would kill next. He was very eager to kill the unicorn with the broken horn, but he believed her to be too easy. The hedgehog would be too easy for him to kill. But then he decided on who he wanted to face.

"HER!!!" Viktor shouted, pointing at Sunset.

Her heart stopped when the yak pointed directly at her. Dropping her down without warning, Sunset struggled to get out her net as Viktor charged at her. While she was able to get out of the net on time, he grabbed her and threw her into a wall.

Coughing out blood, Sunset had a hard time seeing straight. But before she could focus, Viktor body slammed her into the ground and started pummeling her like a punching bag. Sunset could hardly breathe from the beating she had to endure. She tried to crawl away, but she was grabbed by her tail and slammed into the wall.

"Yak think toy is broken…" Viktor sadistically taunted as he walked towards Sunset.

She was on her rope. Sunset was facing Death's door and all she could do was helplessly watch as Viktor moved closer to her. But before he could perform the critical hit, Viktor was suddenly drop-kicked to the face by the unicorn with the broken horn before flipping onto her hooves, knocking him out in the process.

"C'mon! This place is too dangerous!" the unicorn shouted as she hoisted Sunset onto her back.

She turns around and sees the audience jump out of the seats to break the fence.

"Hey! Wait for me, Tempest!" the hedgehog shouted, having clumsily escaped from his net.

The fence was about ready to collapse.

"Shut up and get on, Grubber! Let's move it!" Tempest shouted as her hedgehog friend jumped on her back.

The fence finally came down and the yaks chased after the trio. Wasting no time, Tempest jumped out of the arena with her fellow kidnappees on her back as she ran out into the blizzard where the yaks couldn't find her.

Author's Note

Hello. As all of you have noticed, Tempest is in this story (Grubber too, but not for long). I have plans on writing two stories for Tempest and Zecora while Revenge of the Shadow Pony is on hiatus. But right now, I am currently writing this story and I will do these two afterwards (provided my friend isn't too busy, but that's another story entirely). Any, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section down below.

This is Ghoul. I'll see you on the other side.

Bad News

Three days later, Sunset woke up right next to a campfire in a dark cave. Right beside her was Grubber along with Tempest, who appeared to be recovering from some sort of battle. The latter struggled to straighten her mind out, so she just laid down until she could pay attention.

“She’s awake, Tempest!” the hedgehog shouted upon seeing Sunset awaken.

“Quiet, Grubber. If you yell any louder, the creatures will find us.” Tempest warned.

“I know. But the ooze everywhere and it learn where we are.” Grubber reasoned.

Ignoring this, Tempest finished cooking the meal for Sunset and had Grubber carry it to her.

“I thought you might be hungry.” Tempest said before moving towards Sunset.

Grubber held the meal out to Sunset and all she could do was cough.

“Oh, be quiet. My cooking isn't that bad.” Tempest lightly teased.

“It’s not the cooking.” Sunset said as she was coughing. “I dunno what’s going on with me, but everytime I try to use my horn, my head starts acting up. I’m sure it’s not news, but this ooze might have something to do with these headaches I’m receiving.”

“Does that also have to do with that gooey stuff leaking out of your horn?” Grubber asked, pointing at Sunset’s cracked horn.

Hearing this, Tempest smacked Grubber upside the head before walking over to have a closer look at Sunset’s horn. Holding up her head by her chin, Tempest glanced at her horn to see what was going on with it. She could see traces of the ooze circumventing across, but it wasn’t major. But as Tempest was checking, Sunset glanced at the walls and noticed the cave paintings from her last trip in trying to retrieve the Element of Laughter.

“Don’t any of these cave paintings look familiar to you?” Sunset asked as she looked at the wall.

"I've seen some of them when me and Grubber were hiding from those creatures, but I can't say that I'm familiar with them. Although there have been many paintings of that goat on there." Tempest said as she looked at the goat on the painting.

Sunset looked at the paintings and she felt something off about them. It was like speaking to someone familiar, but all she could do was speculate over who it was on the walls.

"Where will you be going when we get out?" Sunset asked as she looked at the walls.

"Me and Grubber are heading to the other side of Equestria to get away from this mess. What about you?" Tempest responded while looking at the walls.

"I need to keep searching for the Elements of Harmony. They are the only thing that can help destroy the Corruption." Sunset said, looking at the caved-in entrance.

"Um, are you sure about that? You look like you got tossed into a wrestling ring on accident." Grubber said, feeling worried about Sunset's condition.

"He's right, Sunset. You are in no condition to keep going. Just look at yourself. You could hardly breathe after fighting against that yak." Tempest said, trying to persuade her new friend.

"Even so, I have to keep going." Sunset retorted, trying to get back up.

"Sunset, there are no guarantees that any of the Elements are out there. And even if they are still around, there are chances that they could have been tainted by the ooze." Tempest said.

“Be that as it may, I have to keep looking for them. If nopony finds the Elements of Harmony, who will? I know I look like I’m on my last hooves, but I can’t give up. The future of Equestria hinges on the Elements!” Sunset reasoned.

“And say that you do find them, what then? How long do you think your friends will last? Everypony you know is outclassed and outnumbered. The Corruption is the strongest entity that anypony ever faced and it is the first foe that completely decimated the entire forces of Equestria. Any moment, they could be facing their final doomsday against those creatures that now plague the lands of Equestria. Do you think you can make it on time before your friends are either captured or killed?” Tempest countered, staring down Sunset for an answer.

“I have faith that my friends will survive. And even if that’s true, I have responsibilities to uphold until Equestria is save. Plus, I could be infected at this point. So I have nothing to lose.” Sunset rebutted.

“I used to think that way before I met Twilight…” Tempest reminisced.

Just then, Sunset realized something.

“Oh no…” Sunset mumbled before rushing to her bag.

“What?” Tempest said, following Sunset over to her bag.

“How long has it been since I passed out?” Sunset asked as she looked through her bag.

“Three days, I think…” Grubber answered, feeling unsure how long it’s been.

“Please pick up…” Sunset whimpered as she grabbed the communicator.

Turning it on, Sunset wait for an answer. Just then, the screen came up and it showed Cadance and Luna.

“Oh, thank Celestia…” Sunset whispered, fill with relief.

“Sunset? What’s the matter?” Cadance asked, feeling concerned for the unicorn’s well-being.

“It’s worse than you anticipated! Equestria has been overrun and I’ve been hearing rumors that the Shadow army is planning on making its way to the Crystal Empire with their king leading the charge! I had no idea… how bad this would turn out!” Sunset panicked.

“Calm down, Sunset. Just tell us what happened.” Luna said.

When she was finished taking a few deep breaths, Sunset said,

“After seeing Manehattan fall, I have started to hear rumors that the king was getting stronger. Upon hearing their plans of coming to the Crystal Empire next, I overheard them talking about Princess Celestia’s demise. Is this true?”

This question took both Cadance and Luna aback, but they knew it couldn’t be kept from her. So Luna came forward in an honest manner and said,

“Yes.”

Hearing this rocked Sunset’s entire body. Every emotion she felt in her system was like a volcano ready to erupt. Then she said,

“Oh no… there’s nothing we can do. We’re all dead! When the Anomaly makes it to the Crystal Empire, Equestria will become extinct! We’re fighting against a tidal wave that can be overturned! We’ll never-”

“BE SILENT!!!” Luna shouted in her Royal Canterlot voice.

This knocked Sunset out of her panic attack and she looked at the princesses. Then Cadance said,

“We will not lose. The only thing you can do for us is to keep moving around and see what the creatures are planning further. But for now, I want you to trust us in fighting back the Corruption. Okay?”

Deep within her heart, Sunset knew it was all a lie and it would be inevitable before the Crystal Empire is destroyed and all her friends were killed. But for the sake of everypony else and fighting back the tears, Sunset conceded,

"Okay."

"You have done a wonderful job keeping an eye out for any activities lurking in the darkness and as a princess, I could never be more prouder than I should, but for now, I need you to be brave and keep looking for any information. Can you keep doing that?" Luna asked.

"I will." Sunset said as she sadly nodded.

"Thank you, Sunset Shimmer." Cadance said before the spell ended.

When the conversation was over, Sunset dropped to her knees in shame and defeat after hearing the tragic news of Princess Celestia's death. Having overheard the entire thing, both Tempest and Grubber rushed to Sunset's side.

"I couldn't reach her in time…" Sunset mumbled.

"Sunset…" Tempest said as she and Grubber looked at her.

"She didn't answer. I didn't save her. My teacher. I didn't… I didn't…" Sunset said before she had an emotional meltdown.

"It's okay, Sunset. It's okay…" Tempest said as both her and Grubber hugged her.

"I never even got to make amends…" Sunset blubbered while she continued to sob.

"It wasn't your fault, Sunset. It was that monster's." Tempest comforted.

"Even so, Tempest. Even so…" Sunset said as she continued to sob.

"Shh. It's already happened, Sunset. Just let it out." Tempest whispered as she hugged Sunset as tight as she could.

Sunset continued to cry for one full hour before finally calming down.

Author's Note

Small update, but I have news about Arc 5. I have three chapters written so far, but I still have more ground to cover. This arc will consist of 20+ chapters and it has hardly even begun. I dunno when I will begin work on the other side-stories nor if I will continue or put this story on hiatus, but I will have you know that Arc 5 is progressing smoothly. Publishing the chapters is up to question, but I will update you when it is finished.

This is Ghoul. I'll see you on the other side.

Ursa Minor

When Sunset had finished crying, she gave herself time to recollect what happened an hour ago. Not only is she behind with retrieving the Elements of Harmony, but she lost her one and only mentor. Sunset was uncertain on what to do next and all she could do was wallow in pity.

"How are you holding up?" Tempest asked, putting her hoof on Sunset's shoulder.

"It is so unreal. I tried to warn her. How could the ooze get to her? I should've went back to the Crystal Empire. If I had been there, none of this would've happened." Sunset lamented.

"There was nothing you could have done, Sunset. The Anomaly is everywhere. No matter where you turn, it will always find you. Me and Grubber could barely escape Kluge Town without getting ourselves mauled by its residents and the hippogriffs over in Mount Aris." Tempest comforted.

"Even so, I would have been able to at least send a signal to somepony. Anypony that would be able to save Princess Celestia." Sunset said in a sad tone.

"I know, Sunset. And you have every right to be sad. But we can't stay here. Those creatures or those freaks will not stop until every last one of us ponies are dead. Which includes your mission to find the Elements of Harmony. Would Princess Celestia want that from you?" Tempest said while looking Sunset directly in the eye.

“Tempest…” Sunset responded in a defeated tone.

“Do you even know where Mount Aris is?” Tempest asked while keeping eye contact.

“Northeast…?” Sunset weakly responded.

Groaning from her uncertainty, Tempest grabbed Sunset’s hoof and said,

“I’ll take you there. But know that I will only take you to the path where you can get there. After that, you’re on your own.” Tempest directly said.

"Me and Tempest are trying to get away from this ugliness, so we're not gonna stay here. You can come with us if you want. No ooze anywhere outside of Equestria. At least I hope so…" Grubber said with uncertainty.

“I understand.” Sunset said as she tried to get off the ground.

“How about we rest for awhile until you can at least walk?” Tempest suggested, sitting Sunset down once more.

“Fine. But we’re leaving once I can stand up.” Sunset said as she sat near the campfire.

"Okay…" Tempest agreed as she sat near the campfire as well.

"By the way, how did the cave get shut in…?" Sunset asked, looking at the destroyed entrance.

"It's a long story…" Tempest asked, scratching the back of her head.

So Tempest cleared her throat and started explaining to Sunset about what happened while the latter was unconscious and Grubber was cooking their meals. Pretty soon, it built up to more stories told by Tempest. Every last adventure she had, every small detail, Sunset listened. She was mesmerized by every last horrific deed that Tempest listed, but the more she paid attention, the more she realized that they were more alike than they realized.

“You know… I used to be evil as well.” Sunset confessed.

"Don't worry. I had a feeling you were hiding something. After all, I used to serve under the Storm King." Tempest said before touching her broken horn.

"I hope you don't mind if I ask you a question." Sunset said, giggling nervously.

"Yeah? What do you want to know?" Tempest asked.

"What happened to your horn…?" Sunset sheepishly asked.

Hearing this, Grubber ran and hid behind some rocks, fearing that Tempest would lash out at Sunset. But instead of saying something, Tempest just touched her horn and lamented,

"I lost it to an Ursa Minor."

"I guess that explains the scar on your eye. What happened?" Sunset asked, leaning in to hear her story.

Tempest cleared her throat and started explaining to Sunset about how she lost her horn. Going through every small detail, She told her new friend about how she used to be a gifted unicorn before losing her horn and joining the Storm King. Then she got around to Twilight and her friends, telling her that meeting them has changed her life for the better and deciding to settle back in Equestria after all that has happened.

“Wow. And I thought I was evil…” Sunset said in amazement.

"I'm not very proud of my accomplishments, but that's what I did. And later on, I decided to spread the word of friendship with my friend, Grubber. But then all of this happens. Just what could've caused all this?" Tempest said while trying to keep the fire burning.

"I dunno, but there is something I need to tell you about Twilight." Sunset said as she leaned closer to Tempest.

"Is something wrong, Sunset?" Tempest asked as she faced the unicorn.

"I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I've been hearing rumors that she and Pinkie have been smuggling the ooze into the Crystal Empire."

"What!? Why would they do that!?" Tempest furiously asked.

"Your question is as good as mine. But Starlight told me to trust nobody and I dunno what to think." Sunset answered.

"Then why are you telling us?" Tempest asked, starting to feel suspicious.

"'Fess up, pony!" Grubber urged.

"Because you two and I could be the only three creatures left in Equestria and I'm the only one who can retrieve the Elements of Harmony." Sunset said.

Just then, they heard a creak in the rocks, startling the trio.

"Did you hear that?" Sunset whispered.

At first, it all seemed quiet. Just then, the rocks toppled down and in front of them appeared a mutated ursa minor. It was tall and hulky with large amounts of muscle, and it had eyeballs everywhere on its face. It had no lips and its mouth contained rows of teeth.

“Friend of yours?” Sunset asked, feeling unnerved by its appearance.

“Don’t talk! Just run!” Tempest urged before she turned around.

Following her advice, Sunset picked up Grubber and started following after Tempest. The Ursa Minor chased after the trio deep into the cave. Keeping ahead of the monster, Tempest looked around for something to stop the creature in its tracks. Looking ahead, she saw light at the end of the cave.

"Sunset, can you use your horn?" Tempest asked as she ran.

"I think so. Yeah." Sunset answered.

After making it to the exit, Sunset looked up and saw rocks hanging from the ceiling. Wasting no time, Sunset fired a shot at the rocks, causing the entrance to collapse. The Ursa Minor tried to get through, but its efforts proved fruitless as the rocks crushed it.

"We need to keep running. It could come back any minute." Tempest urged as she pulled Sunset away.

Doing as she said, Sunset ran away with Tempest, awaiting what new challenges lie ahead.

Author's Note

Small Update: I took a look at the votes and it stands 5-2. So I will be prioritizing Spike's Polygamy Wedding before I work on any other story. However, I will still find time to work on my other projects and I have plans on doing an AU Profile for Luna. Plus, I need the time required to writing the Origin Story with the best quality that I can deliver. Double plus, it's been a long time since I worked on a Spike Story like this. But now that the PSA is out of the way, enjoy this long-awaited chapter.

Forbidden Territory

Having run throughout the entire forest, Sunset and Tempest stop to take a breather while Grubber jumps off her to take watch for any enemies. They sat near a dead tree and took a load off. They were exhausted from running out of that cave after encountering that Ursa Minor back in the cave. Sunset made sure to check her bag just in case her journal fell out. Luckily, it was still inside and she closed her bag to keep it from falling out.

“How are things on your end?” Sunset asked while checking for any monsters.

“We seem to have lost the Ursa Minor. Although I’m not sure if the other monsters have caught on to our escape.” Tempest answered while double-checking her supplies.

“We better stick together while we’re out here! Celestia knows what’ll happen if those monsters out there get ahold of us!” Grubber said while continuing to keep watch.

The unicorns took the hedgehog’s advice to heart and proceeded to keep checking their supplies before leaving their resting place. The trio proceeded to walk through an unknown forest outside of Equestria. They had no idea where they were and how far away it was from, but they kept vigilant and made sure to avoid any form of attack coming from any creature that would cross their path. Especially during the night times where only black clouds and the blood moon kept them company.

"How far do you think we strayed away from the Crystal Empire? Tempest asked, starting to feel worried.

"No idea. Though by an estimate, I'd say we have moved thousands of miles away from here." Sunset answered in a grom tone.

They looked at each other out of sheer concern and worry while they rested. So much is lingering on their mind and they have no idea what to expect now after wandering so far into enemy territory. It was only then Grubber said,

"Hey girls, I think I can see Canterlot from here."

The two unicorns looked off into the distance where the hedgehog pointed out and, to their horror, had noticed the Ooze-covered City of Canterlot. It was like something out of a nightmare nopony could wake up from, let alone attempt to run away from it. Sunset could feel its aura all over the city. It was nothing compared to the times when she fought against the various entities back in the human world. Canterlot was now the citadel of true, unfiltered evil and it was now the city of death. Regardless, they felt the need to see what was going on there. But walking over to Canterlot was like walking straight into the lion’s den. Neither of them were prepared and they had no idea what would happen if they were to infiltrate the citadel if they were to be spotted. And even then, curiosity took over Sunset and she wanted to go over. But then Tempest said,

“Sunset… whatever it is you’re thinking, it isn’t worth it. No matter how much information we receive and what weaknesses we may find over in Canterlot… getting our heads cut off isn’t worth the risk. So don’t even think about going over there.”

“But if we don’t figure out who their leader is, we can’t-!” Sunset said before getting her mouth covered by Tempest and ducking down along with Grubber.

They kept quiet and still when then heard a couple of manticores growling from a short distance away. The creatures thought they had heard something, but they decided to let it go after assuming it to be a false alarm. After listening to them leave, they slowly got up and resumed their discussion with each other.

“Sunset… going over to that citadel over there is suicide. Even if there were creatures who haven’t turned, there isn’t a snowball’s chance in Tartarus that we can just be allowed in. Plus, there are more of those things out there.” Tempest said, trying to reason with the determined unicorn.

“Even so, there has to be something we can do. It could be our one and only chance to uncover that monster’s secret identity.” Sunset countered, trying to give her new comrade a reason.

“I’m sorry, Sunset. But it’s far too dangerous to walk over to that citadel over there. We need to leave this area right now.” Tempest said as she and Grubber turned the other direction.

But instead of listening to her, Sunset proceeded to walk towards Canterlot. Quickly taking notice of this, Tempest and Grubber rushed over to stop their comrade from venturing any further.

“Did you not hear me, Sunset!? Canterlot is dangerous! If you go over there, you will be getting yourself killed! Do you want to die for nothing!?” Tempest said while keeping her friend tackled.

“Tempest, this could be my one and only chance to discover who their leader is! If you don’t wish to join me, then do as you please! But don’t interfere in my mission!” Sunset said while trying to get off the ground.

“Sunset, just listened to Tempest! We know how much your mission matters, but it won’t amount to jack squat if you die for nothing!” Grubber shouted as he put his two cents in.

Continuing to be stubborn, Sunset tried getting Tempest and Grubber off of her. However, it was all in vain as their combined strength kept the unicorn down. But having become fed up with their excuses, Sunset teleports away from them and just looks at her two companions in disappointment before saying,

“You two can leave if you want, but I’m going over to Canterlot whether you join me or not. And if you two wish to stop me, then-!”

Suddenly, they were surrounded by a swarm of Changelings and Hippogriffs. And just as Sunset was going to activate her horn, she suddenly starts having hallucinations of her demonic self invading her psyche once again.

“Nice to see that you’re treating your new friends well~. So what’re you gonna do about this crowd in front of you~?” her demonic self teased as she wrapped her arm around Sunset.

Sunset started sweating all over her body once more. But her breathing grew shallow, her heart was beating faster, and she was on the verge of feeling her brain snap in half like twigs being stepped on in the middle of the forest. However, just before she could react, she and her companions were knocked out where they were to be taken to Canterlot.

Author's Note

Small update: I have already finished chapter one of Spike's Polygamy Marriage. I dunno long it will take me, but I am aiming for twenty chapters. It's gonna be a fun story, a nice change of pace from all the sad shit you've been reading. It will all be worth it in the end. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

The Hive

Inside the throne room, Sunset, Tempest, and Grubber woke up with chains tied around their bodies and had burlap sacks covering their faces. But because of the sack, they couldn’t see where they were nor hear what was being said. Although they could faintly hear something about being separated from one another. And not only that, but Sunset could faintly hear someone talking. Someone familiar. But before she could pick up on any more of the conversation, she was knocked out cold along with Tempest and Grubber before being taken away once again.

. . .

Waking up once again, Sunset started hearing clicking, growling, and hissing as well as dripping noises surrounding her. She had no idea where she was nor could she figure out where Tempest and Grubber were, but she could already tell that she was being taken away by Changelings. She heard cartwheel noises underneath and quickly figured out that she was being taken someplace in Equestria. Sunset couldn’t make out what it was, but it was cold and dark all over her. But suddenly, the cart stopped and all the noises came to an eerie halt when she was brought right before Queen Chrysalis hanging up from the ceiling. Just then, a Changeling reported,

“We have found a spy from the Crystal Empire, my queen. A spy that has been sent by the princesses.”

“Is that so? Remove her sack.” the Changeling Queen commanded.

Doing as she said, the Changeling walked over and removed the burlap sack from Sunset’s head. She looked around and saw that she was surrounded by a swarm of hungry Changelings with every visible intent on killing her. Sunset tries activating her horn, but the Ooze covering it inhibits her chances of attacking, let alone escaping. So she looked up and saw something hanging from the ceiling. It had armor plating all over its back with multiple eyes staring directly at Sunset as in a creepy manner. It had a tube up top and it seemed to be giving birth to the Changeling Grubs that are resting on the ground. From the looks of it, it almost seemed to be a creepy decoration made to intimidate other ponies into submission. But as the unicorn kept looking, Thorax said,

“While you were unconscious, one of our drones found some of the Elements of Harmony inside your bag. We have also gone through your journal and we have learned that there is another world besides our. If you and your kind were to ever escape, the King’s ultimate revenge will not reach fruition.”

A feeling of dread loomed over Sunset once she heard what happened while she was knocked out cold. Having learned that the Elements of Harmony are now lost, all the work that Sunset has put into was all in vain.

“How long was I out for…?” Sunset asked in a scared tone.

“Two days. But pretty soon in months, your kind will begin to suspect and turn against one another while we continue to plan towards your inevitable downfall as all of Equestria slowly becomes a void. The princesses have already begun turning against another. But once all of you are out of the picture, Shadow King’s rule will be law and nothing will stand against us.”

“But we never did anything to you! Equestria has welcomed you all with open hooves and this is how you repay us!? You are the ones who wronged us! After everything that Twilight and her friends did for you… after all that they sacrificed… you decide to-!” Sunset shouted before getting cut off by the sudden laughter from all the Changelings except for Chrysalis.

The unicorn was taken aback by their change in demeanor after giving them her rant about their betrayal. Sunset must’ve thought that she was the only sane creature inside the Changeling Hive, because Thorax countered,

“You speak of friendship like it’s of utmost importance. Well, allow me to give you a reality check, Sunset Shimmer. For many eons, we creatures have been misused and oppressed while you ponies reaped away the benefits of power. Friendship!? What a sick joke! Friendship is nothing more than a transaction used to buy whatever trust you can find and use it to fulfill whatever selfish needs that you desire. Wanna be friends? Let’s eat lunch together! How about we sing songs and act like we’re better than everypony else! This idea that you hold towards friendship… it is enough to make a grub puke. And you and your friends are the root cause of it all!”

“In what world would you come to believe in such a disgusting interpretation of friendship!? I have no idea what your king has put inside you, but you are making a big mistake! Friendship is not a foundation based on lies and manipulation! It is a meaning of trust and love! Can’t you-!?” Sunset shouted before being cut off by Thorax once more.

“Even now, you continue to stand up for Twilight and her stupid ideology of friendship. Well, I couldn’t care less over your opinion on what we aim to do. Because pretty soon… your kind will cease to exist and our revenge will be fulfilled!” Thorax shouted with glee.

“Revenge!? For what!? What did all of us do to deserve this!? We were just living in peace until-!” Sunset shouted before being smacked across the head by a Changeling wielding a spear.

“Be silent, pony! You will speak when we allow it!” the Changeling shouted before right by Thorax’s side.

“Thank you, Pharynx. As I was saying, the King has already succeeded in his various campaigns against your kind. We have taken your cities, your lands, your lives, and there is only one place left to take… the Crystal Empire.” Thorax said with a sinister tone in his voice.

“What…? You’re lying! The Crystal Empire won’t fall so easily! Once Twilight finds a way to counter you, you’re gonna wish you were still enemies with us! I promise that I won’t rest until-!”

“Silence!” Queen Chrysalis shouted with a low growling noise in her voice.

Sunset looked up and saw Chrysalis lower herself slightly down before turning around to face the unicorn. Sweat started dripping down Sunset’s head as the queen slowly unveiled herself. Chrysalis unveiled herself and she has taken a more grotesque appearance as a Changeling. Having evolved into a full bug, Chrysalis’s inner-shell was more insect-like and she had multiple legs across her body. She has developed a long reptilian tail, a much larger horn, and she has mandibles all over her face. She even has beetle-like wings on her bag. But her face was covered with multiple eyes across her face and they were more insect-like while even sporting antennas above her brows. She looked down at Sunset Shimmer and growled,

“In my domain, you are my feast! And while my king speaks, you will be silent!”

Sunset kept silent and paid close attention to Queen Chrysalis while she tried to activate her horn.

Escape

Sunset desperately tried activating her horn, but it wouldn’t light up and she was running on fumes. Every Changeling surrounding the unicorn growled with hunger and they were all ready to feast on her bones. Then she got to struggling out of her chains while the Changelings moved closer to Sunset.

“Yes, my dear. Struggle. Watching you squirm like this fills me with joy while my children suck away your marrow as they trim away at your sinew.”

As Sunset struggled to escape, she suddenly noticed her horn glow. Only it wasn’t glowing with her usual blue tint. Instead, it was glowing with a black aura surrounding it. Suddenly, the headaches returned and Sunset began screaming in agony once again. However, the aura surrounding her horn triggered a blast which killed half the population of the Hive. Sunset’s headache subsided for now and now that she was free from her bonds, she proceeded to make a quick exit. But when Queen Chrysalis, King Thorax, and Pharynx woke up from their brief unconsciousness. Seeing what has become of their hive, Chrysalis, Thorax, and Pharynx clicked their mandibles and roared in anger as half the swarm proceeded to chase after the unicorn.

“KILL HER!!!!” Queen Chrysalis roared as she proceeded to chase after Sunset in a frenzied state.

Hearing her antenna signals, the remaining Changelings immediately chased after Sunset while she proceeded to run across the Hive to search for an exit. But it wouldn’t take long for Chrysalis to burst out of a wall as she hissed and growled at the unicorn.

“I see you, Sunset Shimmer!” the Changeling Queen growled as she spotted the defenseless unicorn.

Thorax and Pharynx transformed into their hideous bug forms before giving chase. Sunset fired at some stalagmites to throw them off a bit while she continued running, but Chrysalis’s protective shell prevented the falling stalagmites from piercing her body. And it wouldn’t just stop there. The Hive suddenly started collapsing a bit during their brief little skirmish and Sunset had no time to waste.

"RAUUUGHHHH!!!!!!! SUNSET!!!!!" Chrysalis roared as she frantically chased Sunset.

Terrified out of her own mind and feeling no desire to be the Changeling Queen’s dinner, Sunset continued to run as she fired at more stalactites above her. But as she kept moving, she could hear the cackling from her demonic persona in her head. However, Sunset kept her face forward and continued to run.

“Nuh uh uh, Sunset~!” Thorax taunted as he got closer.

Sunset turned around and before she knew it, she was intercepted by the Changeling King and his brother before she could escape. Pharynx grabbed the unicorn and slammed her into a wall. They proceeded to bite into her skin as she desperately tried to push them off her. But it was all fruitless when Queen Chrysalis cornered her.

“It’s dinner time~!” the maniacal Changeling Queen said as she pulled her head back.

But before Chrysalis could bite Sunset’s torso off, the brave unicorn fired a stalactite above her and it fell on her, killing the Changeling Queen in the process. Thorax, Pharynx, and the rest of the Hive looked at the sight of their now-deceased queen and let out mournful hisses as half of the colony proceeded to carry her corpse away. Enraged by what Sunset pulled against them, Thorax shouted,

“I WILL WEAR YOUR SKIN LIKE A ROBE!!!!”

“YOUR INTESTINES WILL BE MY SCARF!!!!” Pharynx screamed as well.

But before they could inflict any form of damage on Sunset, the dreaded Malwhorff crashed through a wall and roared as the Changelings started to panic.

"MALWHORFF!!!!" one of the Changelings screamed as the dreaded creature charged in.

Using the creature's timing to her advantage, Sunset proceeded to make a swift exit out of the Hive while Thorax and Pharynx as well as the other Changelings were too distracted in fending off the monster.

. . .

She got away from the Hive as far as she could, but Sunset had a much more pressing matter now. The Elements of Harmony were now gone and she was pressed for time now more than ever. Without her communication device, there was no way she could contact the Crystal Empire. And even if she returned, it would have already been too late. But before she could think on this dilemma any further, Sunset heard rapid wing-flapping from a close distance.

"SUNSET!!!!!!" a voice screamed out.

Sunset, quickly making out Thorax’s voice, made another run for it while he proceeded to chase after her. However, the two Changeling brothers caught up to the defenseless unicorn and held her against a tree. Upon getting a closer look, their bodies were covered in scars and their faces looked like they ripped apart. Furious and fuming with hate, Thorax yells,

“YOUR AGONY HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!!!!”

But before they could maul Sunset, the Malwhorff caught up to the two Changelings and grabbed them. They tried breaking free from its grasp, but they were soon overpowered and eaten alive by the creature before turning its attention to the unicorn. Like before, Sunset made no attempt to reason with the creature and just ran away like her hooves were on fire.

. . .

After a whole hour of running had passed, Sunset stopped to take a breather. Spotting a cave on her left, she ran inside to take refuge from the monsters that continued to ravage Equestria of life. But now that she was safe for the time being, she took the time to reflect on everything that had happened to her so far; her means of communication to the Crystal Empire were now gone, Tempest and Grubber were captured and placed in Celestia-knows-where, the Crystal Empire is set in stone to be invaded next, and to add insult to injury… the Elements of Harmony were now gone. Sunset felt nothing but failure well up within her body and there was nothing she could do to reverse her mistake. If she hadn’t decided to infiltrate Canterlot, then none of this would have happened to her. It was a fatal decision that nearly cost Sunset her life and an incredibly tragic one at that. Now that she has lost everything, Sunset felt nothing but resignation and weariness as she decided to rest in the cave she chose to hide in while the monsters continued to destroy Equestria.

Fire Place

Having set up a fire to keep herself warm several hours later, Sunset proceeded eating whatever was in her bag that had to offer. While she was amazed to see that her journal was still inside the bag, she could still feel the bitter sting of defeat after hearing about what happened back at the Hive.

"Are you still thinking about them?" a voice asked.

Sunset looked up and saw her demonic self sitting across the side. But instead of backing away in a panic, Sunset simply groans and lowers her head in annoyance.

"What do you want?" Sunset asked in a defeated tone.

"Oh, I'm just here to see how my pathetic alter ego is doing after nearly losing her intestines to those Changelings back at the Hive~." Sunset's demonic self taunted.

"Haven't you tortured me enough? Why can't you just leave me alone?" Sunset asked, starting to feel agitated.

"Or what~? Call your friends over and destroy me in one shot~? You can't destroy me, Sunset. I am a part of you. Like marrow in a bone, you can't get rid of me." Sunset's demonic self said as she walked towards her original self.

"What is it that you want from me?! Isn't it enough that I lost the Elements of Harmony?! Isn't it enough that my friends could die any moment from now?! Isn't it enough that I have nearly died countless times while searching for a bunch of jewels?!" Sunset asked as she grew more and more angry.

“And what would you say if my answer was no~?” Demon Sunset taunted.

Having heard enough, Sunset decided to ignore her demonic self and just focus on the fire until it was time to leave. But the latter would have none of it and she moved even further towards the former.

“How do you think your companions out there are doing~? Could they be suffering~? Or could they already be someone’s dinner by now~? You should know since you should already be dead by now~.” the demon taunted, trying to get under Sunset’s skin.

“What in Tartarus do you care if Tempest and Grubber are missing? They’re already captured and there’s nothing I can do to reverse their situation. They’re gone!” Sunset said, doing her best to keep her cool.

“Oh~? I thought you believed in everything that nosy little princess back in the Crystal Empire stood for~? I guess it takes a demon to know a demon, considering how little you think of others~.” the demon said in a vicious tone.

Hearing this set off Sunset in the worst way possible. She has already suffered under the turmoil of death and she has now lost her new friends and companions. And now she is, being insulted by her demonic self after hearing about what happened to the Elements of Harmony. Slowly, the unicorn begins to lose it.

“Would you mind repeating what you said to me? The flame crackles got to my ears.” Sunset asked in a cold tone.

"Don't be so delusional~. You know what I am referring to~. You - the pony who knows so much - is always trying to decide for yourself what is right or wrong. The same way that you believe you are above everyone else, human or pony." the demon viciously said.

"And what does that make you…? All you have done is hurt others while telling yourself that you deserve the entire world on a silver platter. Doing nothing but spreading vile hatred and venomous lies while lurking behind the scenes in order to further your agenda. And you have the gall to think you are free of charge after everything you did?" Sunset said, breaking down everything that happened in her past life.

"Oh, my poor naive girl~. While I merely gave you the push to commit all those horrible deeds back here before getting yourself banished, everything that happened was all you~. You clearly had no regrets when Princess Celestia kicked you out of Equestria and you were on a power trip when you took over that pathetic high school back in the human world~. So who's more guilty now~? The demon who gave this girl the push to achieve her goals~? Or the girl who voluntarily turned her back on her kind because she wasn't given her own crown…?" the demon asked in a much more menacing tone.

That speech was a clear slap to the face for Sunset. Perhaps after a long time of delivering counter-speeches of defeating everyone that she encountered back in the human world, she had no idea what to say. It was like a bucket of ice-filled water was splashed all over her and she felt too cold to speak. Sunset wanted to say something, but there was no way she could counter everything that the demon told her.

“You are a pawn to them. A true fraud. Once they are done, they will banish you back to the human world just like Celestia did when you were still her student. An outcast. Nothing more than a means to an end to them while you chase after the Elements of Harmony. Waiting to be thrown out like trash. But what will happen if they find out you lost them? I couldn’t bring myself to spare the details of the consequences. But this time, not even Twilight will come to your aid when your time will come. Because no matter how hard you prove to them how much you have changed, you are the same as you always were. A demon. Just like me.” the demon said in a truly cold voice before vanishing.

Sunset had a lot to take in after hearing that speech. What if she was right? Twilight surely wasn’t acting like herself when she was called over to Equestria. If anything, she acted like a totally different mare when she first arrived. It would only be a matter of time until the Mane Six accomplished what they intended to do. And what would become of herself? If what the demon said was true, then Sunset would clearly be in for it after making use of her services. She couldn’t even bring herself to think of the consequences after the war was over. What if they found out she carried a small sample of the Ooze inside her horn? Multiple scenarios played inside of Sunset’s mind and all of them were equally unpleasant if not more so than her previous banishment.

But before she could think about the horrendous future she could potentially have, she heard something deep within the cave. Deciding to leave the fireplace for the time being, Sunset goes deep within the cave to investigate the source of the noise.

An Old Friend

Heading deep within the cave, Sunset could hear sounds of struggling deep inside. Like someone or somepony was in pain and was keeping themselves hidden until it would subside. However, it clearly wasn't the case as Sunset got closer. Up ahead, the unicorn found a beat-up carriage on the right side. When she got closer, Sunset heard coughing inside the half-destroyer wagon. She went inside and was nearly greeted with a laser to the face. After dodging the laser, Sunset went inside and saw that it was none other than an ailing Trixie in bed.

"Trixie…? What in Celestia's name…?" Sunset said in a shocked tone.

"S-S-Sunset…? Is that… you…?" Trixie asked in a weak voice.

Sunset walked even closer and saw Trixie covered in patches of the Ooze surrounding her body. Her eyes were reddened, her skin was pale as snow, and she was coughing up blood all over her carriage. From the looks of her physical state, Trixie was nearing the brink of death. But Sunset couldn’t just leave her to suffer like this. She tried to leave the carriage and bring her back to the Crystal Empire or, at the very least, get her to Zecora’s Hut. But Trixie stops her and says as she coughs,

“Hey. Why not… stay awhile… Sunset? I haven’t… seen you since… your banishment. I would… love to… get… caught up… with you.”

Seeing that Trixie really wanted to speak to her after all this time as well as being in no shape to be moved anywhere, Sunset complied to her request and sat by her side. They slowly started explaining everything to each other about what happened after their separation and what they did during their time away from one another. The both of them laughed as they remembered when they were defeated by Twilight and her friends, albeit with heavy coughing fits from Trixie which enabled Sunset to help move her a bit to ease the discomfort slightly. But then Sunset asks,

“What happened to you, Trix? How did you end up like this and did you survive this long without being seen?”

Trixie immediately stopped laughing and gave Sunset a sad expression while she laid still in her bed. Then she shifts her eyes to the ceiling and says with a melancholic tone in her voice,

“When… everypony was… evacuating… I was in… a panic, and… I kept… hidden. At least… for a while. Until… a month ago… one of… those… things… scratched me. A total… accident. But I thought… nothing… of it… at the time. But somehow… I began… getting… these… weird… symptoms. Pretty soon… I started… hearing… voices. Horrible… voices. Telling me… all sorts… of… disgusting… things. Things… nopony… should… listen to. I’m still… hearing… them. Although… not… so much… now.”

“I think I might have those symptoms too. Only they’re hallucinations and I’m still seeing things. It’s a nightmare. Just what could have happened to Equestria…? We could never have done on this scale to warrant such an attack.” Sunset said in a perplexed manner.

“Don’t know. But… I have… a feeling… that… Spike… is… behind… all this.” Trixie claims as she coughs.

“What…? You’re lying. Spike would never do anything to cause all this. It must be-” Sunset before getting cut off by Trixie.

“Please… Sunset. The writing… is on… the wall. Starlight… told me… that Twilight… banished… that poor… dragon. In that cave… me… Starlight… and Spike stayed at… he must’ve… found something… that pushed him… over… the edge.” Trixie said in her dying breath.

“No. Twilight would never do that. Even if she was unreasonable at times, she would never go so far as to banish her Number One Assistant. It’s ludicrous to think that she would.” Sunset said, trying to deny Trixie’s claim.

“Believe… what you… want. That’s… just my… two cents. But Starlight… where is she…? Is she safe…? Is she alright…?” Trixie said as she looked at her former classmate.

“I don’t know. But if there’s one thing that I do know about Starlight, she would never give up and she will do whatever needs to be done until it is done. She’s fine.” Sunset said, trying to assure Trixie that her friend is safe.

"When you… see her… again… please… tell Starlight… that I'm… I'm…" Trixie said before being cut off by her foalhood friend.

"Don't worry… I'll tell Starlight what happened. But what about you? Will you be okay?" Sunset asked with a sad smile on her face.

"Please… you think… that I'm… in… much trouble. This… this… is… nothing. But Sunset?" Trixie asked as her coughing grew worse. by the minute.

“Is there anything I can…? Something I can do… to help you?” Sunset asked, trying to hold back the tears.

Suddenly, Trixie’s eyes started bleeding out. Her breathing grew shallow, her movements began stiffening, and her bones suddenly began cracking. Looking up at Sunset with desperation, the dying unicorn begs,

“Kill me… kill me… kill me…”

Her phrase went on repeat over and over like a broken record. Sunset had no idea what to do and she was at a total loss for words. But then she saw Trixie begin to mutate. Multiple teeth begin popping out of her mouth, various eyes pop out of her head, and her dying breath is replaced with growling. She attempted to lunge at her former friend, but Sunset grabbed a pole and pinned her against the bed. After all this time of being separated from one another, Sunset was very conflicted with killing Trixie. She knew how much she was suffering, but this decision was hard to make. But having seen her like this and watching her go rabid has made her choice all the more apparent. Holding back whatever emotions she felt and focusing her resolve, Sunset said with a sad tone,

“Goodbye… Trixie.”

On that note, Sunset activates her horn and blows Trixie’s brains out. The former let go of the pole and took a look at the latter before walking over to cry by her now-deceased friend’s side. While they may not have seen eye-to-eye on many things before Sunset’s banishment, Trixie was still her friend and she never wished to end it like this. Sunset spent a good hour crying by her friend’s side before laying her back in bed and covering Trixie’s face with her bedsheets. After leaving her carriage, Sunset decided to continue down the cave to figure out where this source of dark magic was emitting.

Author's Note

I'm still in the middle of writing Spike's Polygamy Marriage. Granted I'm still on two chapters so far, but it's coming great so far. I'm also working on my Tails x Rouge story which will be on A03. How many chapters it will be I have no clue on, though I am aiming for 30+ chapter or more. Either way, these stories are still ongoing and they will not affect my focus on the main project. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Faces

Walking through the dark caverns with her horn as the only source of light, Sunset made her way through the shadowy corridors while keeping her sanity in check. The only sounds that kept her company were squeaking rats and water dripping from the stalactites. She wasn’t completely afraid, but the noises and sounds would startle the unicorn at almost every turn. Not to mention that her demonic self invaded her head constantly without end. But after everything that she has been through up to this point, it has become clear that Sunset has nearly reached the end of her rope. If she were to encounter another creature that was bigger than her or another one of the mutated ponies, she would rather die than become their meal.

But this time, this source of magic was much fouler than any other that Sunset came across. It was murky, bloodthirsty, and worse of all… hungry.

“What in Celestia’s name…?” Sunset murmured as she passed through the shadowy corridors.

Along the way, she encountered dead critters laying on the ground with maggots feasting on their corpses. Blood was splattered everywhere across the walls and all forms of animal skins were nailed everywhere. Specifically those of a goat. Just then, images started appearing in Sunset’s mind. Images of a goat terrorizing Equestria.

“N-No…! This isn’t real!” Sunset shouted trying to shake her head.

But they wouldn’t stop flashing. She could only see various images of that same shadowy goat fighting the Royal Sisters as well as making its acquaintance with the Abyss before bonding itself to the creature.

“Like what you see so far~?” the demon taunted.

“Do you know this goat…?” Sunset asked as her head throbbed.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out, my pathetic host. Now get moving.” the demon mocked before disappearing.

After listening to the demon’s toxic words, Sunset proceeded forward as she continued her spelunking. But along the way, she continued seeing the images of the goat in her mind. She could make out silhouettes of the goat gathering the creatures across Equestria. Then she saw a silhouette of the goat fighting the Six Pillars and Gusty the Great. But just then, Sunset began seeing various zombified ponies crawling towards her as they wailed and moaned for death.

“N-No! Please! Keep away from me!” Sunset begged as she started glowing her horn at the zombies.

Naturally, they didn’t listen to her warning and continued crawling towards the unicorn. Having no other choice, Sunset begins firing lasers from her horn at the zombies. But the more she fired, the more her head began to ache. If she continued like this, her brain would shatter like glass. So Sunset decided to power down her horn and run away from the zombies. She ran a very far distance away to the point where she could no longer make out the moaning and wailing. But as she travelled even deeper, she heard very intense breathing all over her. She looked upwards to see who it was. And to her horror, it was the Human Twilight’s face staring straight at her. Her eyes were moving around in a seizure-like manner and her breathing was very intense.

“Twilight…? Is that you?” Sunset asked, trying to keep herself from panicking.

But instead of saying a word, Twilight just remained silent and continued to stare at the unicorn. Unnerved by her silence and incessant breathing, Sunset continued to walk. But along the way, she began seeing more of her friend’s faces on the walls. And their faces were plastered all over the wall with their seizure-like eyes and their raspy breathing being the only source of noise that broke the noise. Shivers ran up Sunset’s spine as she looked everywhere at the walls and all the human faces were plastered all over the wall, including her enemies from the Human World.

“Keep it together, Sunset…” Sunset muttered to herself.

She continued walking, but she was incredibly unnerved by the faces staring right at her. If there was any theory that Sunset could make right now, it would be that she’s either dead or she has entered a coma at some point. Because none of what she sees here makes any sense. It was like she entered into a horror movie that freaked her out so much that she couldn’t sleep properly for a month. Or if she entered some cheesy haunted house and Rainbow Dash pranked her with one of those scary masks that she kept inside her closet. But this wasn’t a movie nor a haunted house. It was all real… and Sunset couldn’t make any sense of it.

“Pony…” a familiar voice growled.

“I know that growl.” Sunset said as the sweat beads trickled down her head.

The growling grew louder and much more intense while the eyes from the faces started moving even faster. Sunset moved around in a circle at a rapid pace before the ground started turning into liquid. She looked down and saw the Abyss form into a face before it formed an eerie, toothy smile. Suddenly, it opened up its jaw and tried to eat Sunset. With no other choice left, Sunset teleported out of the way before the creature had a chance to close its maw. Immediately after teleporting, she proceeded to run away as the monster gave chase. Sprinting through the vast corridors of the cavern, Sunset faces forward to avoid slowing herself down and to keep at a fast pace to avoid being eaten alive by the Ooze. But while she ran, the goat inside her mind suddenly appeared right beside her. Induced with panic and hysteria, Sunset ran even faster to avoid meeting her bitter fate. But it was all in vain when she was pushed to the right in a very aggressive manner. She proceeds sliding down a vat where stalagmites were in her way. She was able to avoid the obstacles with ease, but this chase came to an everlasting halt when she hit the floor.

Getting off the ground, darkness only surrounded the isolated unicorn. Deciding to glow her horn, Sunset looked around and saw piles of corpses laid on the ground like it was some sort of ritual. And before her… was the mummified corpse of a goat in an agonized state.

“Sweet Celestia…” Sunset whispered in a fearful tone.

“No. Just me.” an unknown, but strangely familiar voice said behind her.

Sunset turned around and saw a tall Ooze-covered dragon in front of her. She couldn’t make out who it was, but she immediately recognized the voice. And it all but confirmed Sunset’s worst fears.

“No… it can’t be you!” Sunset shouted before the Ooze-covered dragon proceeded to swipe its claws at her face.

Author's Note

Small Update: I will be publishing a double-chapter this coming Saturday because I'm gonna be busy at work through most of the week. I have no idea when I will be able to focus on the stories I'm currently working on, but you have my word that my publishing will be unaffected. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Goat

Sunset jumped out of the way to avoid the swipe, but the dragon quickly maneuvered its left arm and swiped it directly at the unicorn’s face, scarring her in the process. She immediately recovered, but the dragon got closer to her and started scratching her all over her body.

“You carry my essence.” the dragon said before throwing Sunset into a wall.

Staggering to get off the ground, Sunset fired some lasers at the dragon to keep him at bay. But the dragon easily avoided the shots and punched her face. The collision to her head heavily impaired her vision and Sunset had a hard time figuring out where the dragon was. But before she could react, the dragon proceeded to sink its teeth into Sunset. She screamed in agony as bits of her flesh were torn off before being thrown across the room.

“I haven’t seen you since the last time I’ve been in the human world. How is everyone else doing over there?” the dragon asked before forming a tentacle whip on its right arm.

Flinging its arm, it dragged Sunset back towards it before proceeding to slam her head into the ground repeatedly. She had a hard time discerning left and right. All this excruciating pain that she is going through is chalking up everything that she has been through her journey across Equestria. It was too late and she was already facing Death’s door. But before she could do anything, the dragon stopped and said,

“You’re nothing but a broken toy.”

Then the dragon threw her across the room and ensnared her with the Ooze that lingered on the ground.

“What would your friends say after they found out you lost their one and only chance of defeating me…? Only to find out my essence has reached the world that you love so much?” the dragon sadistically taunted.

“What…?” Sunset asked as she made out the dragon’s face.

When she got a closer look, she finally recognized the monster behind all the chaos and misery that now plagues Equestria. It was none other than her friend and Twilight’s former number one assistant… Spike.

“Why…?” Sunset asked as she looked in shock.

“Hmm?” the tyrannical dragon wondered as he looked at the nearly-broken unicorn.

“Why would you do all this!? After everything Twilight and her friends did for you… why…?” Sunset tearfully asked.

“Because I was dealt a cruel fate and I had no choice but to submerge into it! Your friends turned their backs on me! ON ALL OF US!!!!” Spike roared as he looked Sunset straight in the eyes.

Sunset was at a complete loss for words upon hearing her former friend’s answer. While she may have noticed that Twilight was acting strange since the moment she arrived, Sunset would never have imagined that her friend would do this to Spike. There was a difference between listening to two sides of the story and having the truth thrown into your face.

“Twilight…? No… why would she-?” Sunset asked before having her face grabbed by Spike.

“You could never understand. After all, you were the Sun Princess’s disgraced pupil. But it will no longer matter once my army charges into the Crystal Empire.” Spike said with sheer menace.

“Spike, I don’t know what happened to make you turn out this way. But I understand what it means to feel betrayed. If you just tell me what happened to you, we can-” Sunset said before Spike nearly digs his claws into her skull, nearly touching her brain as he looked her in the eyes.

“Betrayed? That’s funny. Because in the beginning, I seem to recall a certain pony who betrayed her own teacher and princess for more power in Equestria and would do anything to get it just because she craved it. Even if it meant stealing the crown from that sad excuse of an alicorn. And by the time you retrieved the crown, the battle was already decided; you were too pathetic to wield something that could potentially destroy the world. In other words, you are shallow. A fraud who believes the whole world revolves around her and believes that she is owed it. You were already a sniveling little coward, Sunset. You were just too good at pretending to be something you never were.” Spike said with incredible venom in his voice.

Just then, Spike proceeded to grab Sunset’s horn and began absorbing the Ooze that came out of it. When he was done, the unicorn dropped to the ground as she watched the dragon walk to the mummified corpse of the goat while fusing it to a shard of the crystal.

“I am looking forward to seeing our friends again. Because when I see their shocked expressions and listen to their meaningless attempts to reason with me, I’m going to take everything away from them. The same way they took everything away from me when I was cast away by your pathetic friends.” Spike said as it gazed at the corpse.

He delicately caressed the head of the goat’s corpse while looking at it as Sunset helplessly tried to break out of the Ooze’s grasp. Looking at his right hand, he put the Ooze into a shard of a crystal before proceeding to place it into its heart.

“This process will take two moons for this ritual to complete. Five moons. Perhaps a decade. But that will be all the time I need for Grogar’s resurrection.” Spike said as the heart on the goat’s chest started to slightly glow.

“Grogar!? You mean that the silhouettes, the voices in my head, the nightmares I’ve continuously had… they were all because of that thing in the middle of the circle!?” Sunset shouted as Spike turned towards her.

“Yes. But he is the one true leader of Equestria. And the one who will bring us closer to our goal.” Spike said as he walked towards Sunset.

“Do you even hear yourself…!? Haven’t you realized what you’ve done!? All you’re doing is destroying everything that you come across and all you did was massacre innocents!!! You’re no messiah!!! You’re a monster!!! All you created in your path to all this was death and destruction while you slowly make your way to reducing Equestria to a wasteland!!! Hatred and violence will never lead you to friendship!!!” Sunset angrily shouted while trying to escape.

“So what if I have led myself to this path? It will no longer matter once I get my revenge against your friends…” Spike said in a cold voice before raising his right arm at Sunset.

“No-!!!” Sunset shouted before being knocked to the ground.

Sunset tried to escape, but her efforts were in vain as the clone dissolved into the ground and left the cavern. She slowly slipped into unconsciousness before finally shutting her eyes.

Author's Note

So this is the penultimate chapter. I know that this is irrelevant right now, but I just learned that my cat died of cancer and has been cremated. From I've heard, she was choking on fluids and she had bruises all over her bodies. I didn't see the signs. But she was a nice kitty and has been by my side since high school. RIP Remy. You will be missed.

Corruption

One day and seventeen hours later, Sunset woke up from the heavy beating she took from Spike. As she got up, she coughed up blood from the massive blows she received while she fought the evil dragon. Sunset looked around the circle and she saw Grogar in that same pose. Only his heart started slightly glowing and something slowly started crawling out of the ground. Upon getting a closer look, Sunset noticed the Ooze approach the dragon, griffin, and hippogriff corpses and bond to their bodies. Knowing that this spelled trouble for her, Sunset immediately booked it and proceeded to run away from the circle. But because of her wounds, she could only get so far until the corpses slowly rose up from the ground with their flesh, feathers, and scales getting restored to their bodies.

“Whatever it is that Spike did to me, I hope that I can teleport!” Sunset shouted as she limped away in a panic.

But when the newly-resurrected corpses got up, they immediately spotted the damaged unicorn and chased after her. Like before, Sunset faced forward and continued to run away. However, they were completely gaining on her and she had no hope of defending herself against her attackers. So in her last ditch effort to avoid being potentially eaten alive, Sunset looked up and said,

“Horn, don’t fail me now…”

With one final chance given to her, Sunset flashed her horn and magically teleported out of the cave back into the forest. Looking around to see if there were any monsters around for a moment, Sunset let out a sigh of relief upon realizing that the forest was completely empty. However, this emptiness was what bothered her. There was no creature or monster in sight around the forest. Not even the Ooze was visible from her position. If anything, it was mostly likely an ambush before she could get mauled to death by anyone inside the forest. But before she could think over her situation some more, Sunset smelt something in the air.

“What in Equestria…?” Sunset said before figuring out what she just smelled.

She looked up to the sky and there was smoke floating in the air. It was coming in from the front left-side of her position. Not having much of a choice and already developing a bad feeling, Sunset decided to follow it over to where the source was coming from. She spent an hour tracking the trail of the smoke. Right now, Sunset was going through a marathon. Because of her injuries, she had a hard time running and keeping herself quiet while she moved. Should a creature or monster find her, she would already be dead before she could run. Not helping the fact that she just used her horn to cheat death before getting killed. But as she kept moving through the forest, she immediately spotted a tower from the distance.

“Oh no… please no…” Sunset muttered as she got closer to spotting the source.

But when she got through the forest, it was just as Sunset feared; the Crystal Empire was completely decimated and everypony was massacred one after the other. Ranging from adults to foals, every single pony was exterminated and brutalized while the creatures and monsters did away with them. Sunset kept herself hidden out of fear that she could be spotted and killed on sight. But while she was keeping safe, Sunset spotted Starlight outside of the Crystal Empire, carrying a foal. She looked closer and spotted Flurry Heart in her grasp. While she was slightly relieved that the foal princess was safe, nothing could ignore the fact that the Crystal Empire was completely destroyed and Sunset was powerless to do something about it.

But the next part was what made all her fears come to pass: she saw Cadance, Shining Armor, and the rest of her friends captured and ensnared while Spike observed them. But while she watched them get put on trial and imprisoned, Sunset suddenly noticed that Twilight wasn’t among her friends. And she didn’t even see Luna anywhere when the Crystal Empire was being destroyed. However, she saw a vague silhouette up in the sky and it seemed to resemble an alicorn. Upon getting a closer look, Sunset saw Twilight flying away. But before she could say anything, she looked closer and saw that it was a different form of Twilight. A different form that Sunset was very familiar with: it was none other than Midnight Sparkle.

“Oh no…” Sunset murmured before lowering her voice.

Sunset kept herself hidden underneath an uprooted tree base and remained silent while Midnight passed by her without batting an eye. As soon as she was gone, Sunset got out of the tree base and looked towards Midnight was flying. She had no idea what this sinister alicorn was planning now, but one thing was for certain; something went incredibly wrong back at the Crystal Empire. And if the Twilight she reunited with was anything to go by, she must have done something to instigate her transformation. But there was another pressing matter: Spike was the source of all the mass Corruption that continues to plague Equestria and he has seemed to accomplish his goal of defeating her friends. Plus, Starlight had just escaped with Flurry Heart before either of them could be potentially killed. There was always the chance that they learned about Spike’s identity, but there was also the other chance that they have no idea he is the reason why Equestria is ending and he has already finished what he set out to do.

Sunset felt the urge to tell them if this was the case. However, there was also the premonition that they wouldn’t believe and just carry on without her. While every part of Sunset believed that it was wrong to deceive them, the situation that she was placed in time and time again was far bigger than her and she needed to set aside her emotions for the mission. A fact that absolutely disgusted her, but knew that was right nonetheless. But if Starlight figures out that it’s Spike, she will have no idea what to do should this fact come to light. But deciding to set that aside for now, Sunset decided to mentally pull herself together and teleport close to where Starlight was without giving away her position. Sunset had no idea what would happen next, but there was one thing that she knew; if this threat were to be eliminated, she would have to remain silent until the time came where Spike would have to be killed. And that was a fact that Sunset found absolutely corrupt.

Author's Note

But sadness aside, I'm glad that you've read this story. It was long overdue that I finish it and I've been wanting to get back into it, but I didn't find the motivation for it until I've put it into a vote. As for Spike's Polygamous Marriage, I'm about a chapter and a half so far, but it might take me awhile to write the entire story. I am also working on my Tails x Rouge story on A03 while coming up with more ideas for Spike's Polygamous Marriage. However, I will do everything I can to publish content for all of you and my work time will not affect my activities. Anyway, take care and enjoy the final chapter of Corruption.