The Witchblade EqG: The 13 Artifacts

Saturday rolled around, and today was the day of Applejack’s funeral. Sunset sighed heavily as she sat in one of the pews of the church, she wore a black dress, simple, but elegant, something that Rarity made for each of their friends. Since this was going to be the last time they would all be in Applejack’s presence, Rarity decided that they should look at least somewhat fabulous for their friend. Apparently, Rarity asked the Apple Family if she could make the dress that Applejack would be buried in, her last gift to the person she loved.

They reluctantly agreed, reluctantly because they weren’t sure if this was healthy for the heartbroken teen. But it seemed she was able to do it, in fact, it seemed almost therapeutic for her. While it did hammer home the point that Applejack was dead and never coming back, it appeared to make Rarity happy that she could give this simple thing for her love.

Sunset looked around to see who else was in attendance, and from the looks of it, most of the Apple Family along with a good fifty percent or more of Canterlot High was there, a testament to how Applejack touched all their lives. Sunset saw Apple Bloom crying still, Babs Seed, her cousin, was comforting her, Babs’ parents were consoling Granny Smith, while Sugar Belle, Big Macintosh’s girlfriend, was doing the same for him. Although the muscular teen wasn’t outwardly bawling like some of the others in attendance, but those who knew the older teen knew he wasn’t the kind of person to express his emotions that much, in a way he was like Applejack, someone who would cry on the inside until they were alone where they could do it with no one looking.

Sunset understood, he needed to be the rock of the family now, he had to be strong for Granny Smith and for Apple Bloom. Celestia and Luna were in attendance, along with Dean Cadence, Shining Armor, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, even Sugarcoat. While she didn’t know Applejack, Sugarcoat said that she felt it was only right that she did, Applejack was important to them, so she was important to her.

The pastor came up and gave a beautiful sermon, said a few things about the family and about Applejack, and then came some who were asked to speak about Applejack, her family was first, obviously, retelling stories of when she was younger and of family reunions past. Granny retold stories of her grandchild, how she and Big Mac stepped up after their parents died and did all they could to stay together and work the farm. Up next were her friends, Rainbow Dash was first.

“…What can I say about AJ…? She was stubborn as all he – heck, but she was also the one of the few people I’ve met that never broke a promise she made. She was strong, not just physically but emotionally too, sometimes you couldn’t tell if something got to her or not, she had a good poker face that’s for sure.”

Rainbow rubbed the back of her head as she struggled to get her words out, trying not to choke up in front of everyone.

“She was one of my best friends…she was one of the few people who could compete with me. And yeah, we butted heads, sometimes yelled, and got mad at each other, but we’re the same stubborn kind of people. I’ve never met another girl like AJ…I…I miss her, her laugh, her voice, that hat she wore everywhere! I…I’ll never forget you, AJ.”

After Rainbow, Fluttershy was next.

“Applejack was always patient with me, all my friends are, but she was more so. She never got annoyed because I would be too shy, or was too afraid of something, she was also a person I could count on to be steadfast in whatever she set her mind to. She loved animals almost as much as I do, the first time we became friends, she brought me to her farm and let me help feed her horses and other farm animals. She was the rock of our group, and now that she’s…she’s gone, we’re kind of lost, but I know she’s looking down on us and telling us to get our acts together and keep moving forward. We’ll miss you, Applejack.

Fluttershy passed the mic to Pinkie.

“Applejack was a good cook, the only other girl I’ve met that’s as good as me. She helped keep me from going too overboard with some of my ideas, and I think some of you know how crazy my ideas can get.” There was a round of laughter throughout that chapel, as those of CHS knew exactly how crazy Pinkie Pie’s party ideas, or ideas in general, could get. “I promise to always apply WWAS, What Would Applejack Say, whenever something sounds like a good idea, but may be too extra.”

The girls were a little worried when it was Rarity’s turn. They asked if she was going to mention their relationship, but Rarity said she was not. She had talked to Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom about her and Applejack being a couple, it came out when she all but begged to make Applejack’s funeral dress. While they had no problems with her saying that she was, Rarity wasn’t so sure that it was a good idea when the rest of the family was present. She remembered Applejack speaking of some of their relatives and their conservative views, and the last thing she wanted was to sour the memory of her love in the minds of her family.

It was a great comfort to her when Fluttershy told her that Applejack was in Heaven and watched over by her parents. But Rarity didn’t want to take the risk in having Applejack’s family condemn her for her orientation. So, as much as her friends urged her, she made her decision to keep it silent…at least…that’s what she thought she would do, she had made that resolution the moment she walked into the church and sat on the pew. She steeled herself when it came her turn to come up and say her piece. However, now that she was on the stage, with her lover’s body resting peacefully in the open casket, the color drained from her cheeks, garbed in the dress that she made, that resolve crumbled.

“I came up here to speak about how Applejack made me feel as my friend, but I believe that my other friends have more than summed up what I feel as a friend.” She said this while looking at her lover, but then turned to face the audience. “Instead, I will tell you how she made me feel as her lover.”

There was a murmur amongst the crowd, mostly from the Apple Family. Some had a look of disbelief, others had expressions of indignation, and others were trying to hide their disgust.

“WILL Y’ALL BE QUIET AND LET HER SPEAK!!!”

Everyone fell silent when the booming voice of Big Macintosh echoed throughout the church, it was the first time he had said anything since the service started, and it honestly scared everyone how angry he sounded, but that anger was not directed at Rarity, no, that anger and his equally angry gaze fell on the rows that contained his family. The large teen sat back down in his seat and nodded towards Rarity, silently telling her that it was alright to keep going.

Rarity nodded back to Big Mac, appreciative of his intervention of any negative comments that were about to come from their family. “I understand that it’s not exactly a traditional relationship, but we were happy for the short time we had. We’ve been friends since Freshman year, and without really knowing it, I’ve grown to appreciate Applejack’s bluntness, she was the complete opposite of me. Whereas I like the more refined and fanciful things, she much preferred something simple and practical. And yes, just like with Rainbow Dash, we too ‘butted heads’ when it came to our interests.”

“However, I grew to admire her work ethic as she did mine, and from time to time she would let me dress her up. And it was those times that I could see the beauty that lied underneath, but more than that, I learned to appreciate her own brand of simplicity and practical mindset, she let me know that some things are good as they are. Applejack was a girl who wanted love just like all of us, and I wanted to be the person to make her happy, to make her feel loved. And for the…the short time that we were together…we were happy, the happiest!” Rarity turned to the casket and said, “Goodbye, my love.”

Sunset stood up and walked to the stage, she gave Rarity a hug on her way up as Rarity passed her the mic. The fiery haired teen looked upon the casket, “What can I say that hasn’t already been said about Applejack? She was the best friend anyone could ask for. She was a strong girl. She was a lot of things. But most importantly, to me, she was one of five girls who gave me a chance. Those of you who know me, know that I wasn’t the best person years back, for some, I was the bane of your existence. But it was Applejack, and these four girls here who brought me out of the darkness and filled my life with warmth and happiness that I never knew existed. She may be gone, but she’ll always live on, in our hearts and memories.”

With the final eulogy given, the pastor closed out with a sermon and then summoned the pallbearers to come up. Sunset was one, followed by Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Braeburn. The six brought the casket to the hearse, carefully loading it in and allowing the driver to close the door. Once everybody was at their cars, everyone drove to the cemetery where Applejack would be laid to rest. Once everyone arrived, the four girls and two boys headed to the hearse and retrieved the casket, walking it to the gravesite. It just hammered the point home more that this was it, it was time to lay their friend’s body to rest.

The gravesite had two other headstones, one that read “Bright Mac” and the other next to it read “Pear ‘Buttercup’ Butter”, the graves of Applejack’s parents. This was a plot of land that was bought a long time ago for their family, it was where Granny Smith would one day be buried, and one day, hopefully further into the future, the place where Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and their future children, husbands, and wives, would be buried.

Once everyone had been gathered, they lowered the coffin into the ground. Rarity sobbed openly, along with Apple Bloom, Fluttershy, Pinkie, even Rainbow. Sunset was crying but bit her lower lip to try and remain strong for her friends. Twilight and Sun were crying as well, Celestia and Luna were busy comforting Granny Smith, who was bawling as much as anyone, the Apple Family, along with the attendees from Canterlot Highschool, all were crying. While Sugarcoat, who had a hand in her pocket, was staring wide eyed.

The family and CHS students started to disperse, with some planning on returning to the farm for the wake. Sugarcoat quickly asked Sunset and her friends, along with Applejack’s immediate family, to stay a bit longer.

“What’s up, Sugarcoat?” Sun asked. “Why’d you want us all to stay behind?”

Sugarcoat looked upon the grief-stricken people before her, she then sighed and answered their question, “I thought it might be better to do this among those who knew about supernatural stuff.” Sugarcoat took out her right hand from her skirt pocket and showed her bracelet to everyone. “This isn’t a normal bracelet, it’s a magical Artifact called the Heart Stone. It lets me read auras and communicate with the spirits of the departed. This was a gift from my grandmother, and she left me a journal with how it works. I recently learned a way to extend what I see to others, so long as you’re all open to seeing.”

“Wait, are you saying we can…we can talk to AJ?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes.”

The group looked amongst themselves, but it only took a second for everyone to agree. Sugarcoat nodded and concentrated on the Heart Stone. The gemstone began to glow as wispy tendrils of orange light extended from the Heart Stone and touched everyone in attendance. After a few seconds, a figure began to form before their eyes and fresh tears fell again. There Applejack stood, she appeared in her old outfit, complete with her Stetson hat.

“Howdy, y’all, been awhile.”

“APPLEJACK!!!” Rarity exclaimed as she readied to fly into her lover’s arms.

Applejack backed away and quickly and said, “Whoa now, Rares, hold your horses! Ah don’t think Ah can hold ya…if ya tried runnin’ into me you’d probably faceplant into the dirt.”

Rainbow Dash was the first one to get in Rarity’s way, making sure that that didn’t happen. Once Rarity calmed down, she smiled at the apparition and said, “I’ve missed you, so much, we all have.”

“Ah know…Ah heard everythin’ y’all said about me at the service…” Applejack rubbed the back of her head, blushing a bit. “Gotta say…y’all made me blush hearin’ all that. Ah didn’t know ya thought so highly of me…”

“That just goes to show you how much we care about you,” said Fluttershy.

Granny Smith walked up to the apparition and gently reached out to try and touch her granddaughter’s cheek, but as she expected, her hand passed through Applejack’s body. “Guess it’d be too much to ask to be able to hold ya one last time…”

“Sorry, Granny.”

“Don’t worry nothin’ ‘bout it, are ya alright, Sug?” Granny asked.

“Ah’m doin’ really great, actually. Heaven’s beautiful Granny, Ma and Pa have been helpin’ me adjust since Ah got there,” Applejack explained. “But it ain’t no place Ah want to see any of ya fer a really long time, ya hear?”

“We hear you,” said Sunset.

Applejack glanced to Apple Bloom and walked over to her, she knelt a little and brought herself eye level with her little sister. “Bloom, Ah hate to ask this of ya. But ya gotta step up now, don’t be causin’ no more trouble.”

“C’mon, Sis…” Apple Bloom sniffled. “Y’know Ah learned my lesson. But Ah promise, Ah won’t,” said Apple Bloom.

Applejack nodded and then moved over to Big Mac. “Big brother, don’t be afraid to show others how yer feelin’. Ah know you want to be strong for Bloom and Granny, but that don’t mean ya gotta hide how much this is hurtin’ ya, or if yer feelin’ overwhelmed. Ya still got family that loves ya, and a girl too. So don’t be afraid to lean on someone.”

“Dammit, Jackie, ya gotta make me cry in fronta people,” said Mac as she cried.

Applejack walked up to Rarity and reached out to stroke her cheek, of course she couldn’t physically interact with them, but the moment that her ghostly hand did make contact, both swore they could feel each other for that moment. “Ah’ll always be watchin’ over ya, Sug. Don’t let me bein’ dead stop ya from livin’ yer life. Ah want to see ya be the fashion designer you said ya would. And…Even though it’ll be hard, Ah want ya to find love again.”

“How can I fall in love with anyone else? I’d feel as if I’d be cheating on you, love,” said Rarity.

“Ah’d feel worse if ya didn’t find someone else. Ah want ya to be happy with someone, a guy, or a gal, have kids, and then when it’s time, Ah’ll see ya again. Plus, it’ll just mean there’s more people who love ya up here.”

Rarity sighed. “You’re going to haunt me and pester me into finding someone if I don’t, aren’t you?”

“Damn skippy Ah am.”

“Stubborn as always, well, if I don’t want to have my things mysteriously moved around, I guess…I guess I’ll try, but I make no guarantees that I’ll love them as much I loved you.”

“So long as you love them, what we had was special, Sug, and that’ll be ours. What you’ll have with someone else will be special with them.”

Sugarcoat stumbled a bit, prompting Twilight and Sun to grab her from both sides. “S-Sorry, this is a little draining…I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep this up…”

“Sorry to inconvenience ya like this Sugar Cube. But Ah appreciate what yer doin’ fer us.” Applejack tipped her hat to the former Crystal Prep student. “Listen y’all, Ah’m fine, and Ah know y’all will be too. Like Ah said, Ah’ll always be there to watch over ya, even if ya can’t see me.”

Sunset chuckled, “Great, now I have to worry about a voyeur Applejack peeping in on me and Pinkie. I knew you were kinky.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah’d swat yer ass if Ah wasn’t a ghost.”

“Allow me,” Sun stated as she swiftly stepped up behind her big sister and gave her swat upside the head.

“OW!”

“Thank ya kindly.”

“You’re welcome!”

Despite the annoying pain sensation, Sunset managed to smile at her ghostly friend. “We’ll always miss you, Applejack, we love you.”

“Ah know ya do, thank you.” Applejack looked at Sugarcoat and said, “Okay, Miss, ya can stop now, yer lookin’ a little tuckered out.”

“Thanks,” said Sugarcoat as she stopped the flow of energy coming from the Heart Stone.

The last thing the group witnessed was Applejack’s ghostly form waving goodbye to them as she faded away. Yes, the pain of her loss would be felt for a long while, but the fact that they were truly able to say goodbye to their friend made that pain sting less than it did before.

It was Sunday, the day after the funeral. Sunset rode her bike to a location that had been texted to her by her secret agent friend, Tempest. The OSOD agent had stated in a text that she needed to talk to her as soon as she could, for what exactly was not made clear, but if Tempest was asking for her then it must mean something was up, something bad enough to call her out immediately.

After about an hour drive, Sunset arrived at a little alleyway in the city. Sunset parked her bike and leaned up against the wall, she checked her phone to make sure that she was there by the meeting time, and confirmed she was on time. “Okay, Tempest, where are you?”

Sunset got her answer when her shadow suddenly expanded and swallowed Sunset into it. The former unicorn mare yelled out in surprise and was about to invoke the Witchblade, but then she was dropped out of the shadowy abyss, reemerging somewhere else. From what Sunset could tell, she had been dropped off in a building, it looked under construction, or under renovation, it was hard to tell. The shadows began to squirm and rise as a figure formed from them. After a couple of seconds, Sunset saw the starry night form of Tempest, and a second later, she dismissed that form and returned to her normal state.

“Sorry about that, kid, but I needed to make sure no one was following you,” said Tempest.

“And why would there be anyone following me? Tempest, why did you bring me out here for?” Sunset asked.

Tempest sighed as she walked into the light, her hands in her pockets as she got closer, a serious expression on her face made Sunset weary. “Listen, Sunset, what I’m about to tell you will most likely piss you off but believe me when I say I’m not making this accusation lightly or without proof.”

Sunset slowly nodded.

“The incident at Crystal Prep, the deaths of the faculty and students, I know who did it.” Tempest took out a photo from her pocket and handed it to Sunset. “It’s her.”

Sunset took the photo and saw that it was a candid photo of Twilight, a photo like the ones of someone who was under surveillance. “You shitting me, right? This is a sick joke! You think Twilight killed all those people!”

“I don’t think, I know. What I don’t know is if she did it of her own volition or if she’s being controlled by someone or something,” Tempest explained.

“Okay, now I know you’re full of shit. Twilight would never do that, and if she was being controlled, I would know! Witchblade would tell me if she was!” Sunset stated.

Tempest sighed and shook her head. “I figured this would be the case.”

“What?!”

“You’re letting your admiration for the other version of Twilight keep you from being objective. I went to the scene of the crime and rewound time for the building and the remains of the people who died there. We watched them reenact their deaths and heard everything they said, and every time it was ‘Twilight Sparkle’.”

“Tempest, if you’re trying to piss me off, you’re doing a damn good job of it,” Sunset warned.

“She’s telling the truth.” Sunset’s head turned to one of the columns, while Tempest didn’t turn at all. From behind the column emerged Shining Armor, the police detective had a beleaguered look on his face. “I went to the school, because I couldn’t shake off that something was off about the whole thing. When I did, Agent Tempest was there. She used her power to rewind time and we both watched the events unfold in front of us, and each time, only one name kept coming up. My…My little sister…T-Twilight.”

“This…This can’t be…” Sunset held her right hand to her head. “How…H-How did she do it?!”

“We couldn’t tell,” said Shining.

Sunset stared at the two adults incredulously. “You’re saying it’s her, but you don’t know how she did it?! I thought you went back in time?!”

Tempest cleared her throat. “My power doesn’t let me actually jump back in time. I accelerate or rewind time for both organic and inorganic objects. In this case, I created a localized time field, rewinding both at the same time to make everything…” Tempest waved her hand in the air as if trying to pluck the right word from the air. “…reenact what happened. All we could see was that the building was coming alive and killing the students, then a couple of students were killed on a stage bartering with Twilight before they fell dead, and then the whole place went up in flames instantly.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “So, what you’re saying is, you don’t have any real proof that it is her. And even if…by some minuscule chance that she did do it…can you blame her?! After all the abuse she’s suffered there!”

“Be careful how you phrase that, Sunset. Were they shitty people and deserved to be punished for their crimes? Oh absolutely, but not in that way. I gave Shining Armor enough info to bury Cinch and close down that school for a long while, but it suddenly disappeared, and was leaked onto the net and to the local news stations.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “And…?”

“And Twily’s good with computers. Really good…scary good if I’m being honest. You know she’s a genius, that girl could easily hack my computer, problem is when I took my laptop to get it looked at by our tech crew, they couldn’t find a single thing. No evidence of it being hacked,” said Shining Armor.

Sunset shook her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “So, all you have really is circumstantial evidence, and the last words of some dying pieces of shit. I need more than that if you’re going to make me suspicious of my friend.”

Tempest took a step forward and said, “She’s not your friend, not really. She’s Sun’s girlfriend, you never met this Twilight, she’s not the pony version you and your friends have come to know and love. And something tells me that that version of Twilight has led a very different life compared to the one we know. Hell, you even told me that she’s older than this one! She’s the same age as you, your original age, right?”

Sunset huffs, “Yes, she is older, in her twenties.”

“Which means she’s had time to learn more about herself, and from what you’ve told me, she’s a royal, a leader of a nation. And it sounds like she hasn’t ever been through the same treatment as this Twilight. You can have two people who are exactly the same, but raise them in different environments, and they can become completely different people. You’re a testament to that, you were – let’s face it – an alpha bitch, prideful, and arrogant, but then you changed. Whereas your double isn’t like that, and in fact, she’s like you are now,” Tempest pointed out.

Sunset opened her mouth to rebut that, but she couldn’t deny Tempest’s logic. Just because this Twilight looked, sounded, and had the same mannerisms as Princess Twilight, didn’t mean she was the same as her. Princess Twilight was older and had a bit more maturity to her, plus, at least from their correspondence, Princess Twilight had never been subjected to the kind of hazing and assault that this one had been. Although, Princess Twilight was a magic prodigy like herself, and if there was trouble, Princess Twilight could just use her magic to resolve the issue, plus, Princess Celestia was there, and no one messed with a student of Princess Celestia, lest you incur the wrath of the sun itself. However, this Twilight Sparkle didn’t have magic, nor did she have the threat of a sun goddess irradiating those who would hurt her to fall back on.

Sunset looked to Shining Armor, his hands had tightened into fists, his whole-body language told that he was tense, talking about this was upsetting him. And why wouldn’t it? Sunset didn’t know what he saw, but it must’ve been too horrible for him to even try and deny it, otherwise, the loving and doting older brother that he is, would have sided with Sunset in agreeing that everything Tempest was saying was a lie.

“Say I believe you…hypothetically, how could she have done that?” Sunset asked.

“You got me, Sunset, I’ve seen a lot of supernatural shit in my life since I’ve been at this job, but I haven’t been able to figure that part out yet. I’m still working the possessed angle for now and I’m going to hit up our resident exorcists to see if they can tell if she is or not.”

“And if she’s not? What then?” Shining asked.

Tempest glanced between Shining and Sunset and released a heavy sigh. “SCK.”

“What?” they both asked.

“Secure, Contain, or Kill. Failing the first two that leaves only the last option, and if it’s not by me then it’ll be by OSOD’s other assets. There’s no shortage of supernatural weaponry and trinkets we’ve secured during the organization’s existence, and if need be, they’re willing to use them if the threat is high enough. And judging from what I saw, she could be higher given her intellect.”

“NO!!!” Sunset yelled. “Give…Give me time! Let me talk to her, let me investigate Twilight! I’ll find out for myself if she did it or not! Or if there’s something using her!”

Tempest crossed her arms and she thought over Sunset’s proposal, after a minute of silence the agent nodded. “Alright, I’ll give you forty-eight hours.”

“TWO DAYS?! That’s bullshit Tempest!” Shining accused.

“Look, it’s not up to me at this point. After the events that have happened in this area, OSOD is not going to stand by and let another mass casualty event go down, and like I said, it’s better to have me be the one to do something. Because the brass has been embarrassed multiple times by this city and they’re not going to pull their punches when it comes down it,” Tempest warned. “That’s your timeframe. Starting tomorrow I want you to find out what you can, otherwise I’m talking to her.”

Sunset clenched her fists tight, wanting to yell at Tempest for the asinine timeframe, but it seemed that Tempest wasn’t in good position either. “Fine, I’ll find out what I can.”

“Good girl. Now,” Tempest looked to Shining Armor, “I’m afraid this next part is a private conversation between me and the kid, you can go back now, Detective Armor.”

“Wait wha–!”

Before Shining Armor could speak further the shadows beneath the officer opened and swallowed him whole. Sunset looked on in shock and was about to ask what happened to him. “Don’t worry, I just sent him back to his patrol car. I brought him here the same way I did you, and as a heads up, that’s how I’m sending you back.”

“Okay, I take it you have more good news then?” Sunset asked snidely.

“Tch, great news…” Tempest stated with great sarcasm. “The brass wants the Witchblade.”

Sunset’s eyebrow raised, and the Witchblade’s ruby gemstone glowed. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah…imagine my surprise…” Tempest kicked the ground as she scowled. “They think you’re a risk to us with that power, they think that your otherworldly origins means that your allegiance will be to your home world and not to us.”

Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to comprehend the stupidity of what she was just told. “My friends and I have risked our lives to save this world, I’ve died twice, saved the world twice – not counting the Battle of the Bands – and again just recently! And you’re telling me that’s not enough to convince them that I’m willing to risk my life to save this world!?!”

“Look, I get it! You don’t think I’m pissed off about this, too?! Who do you think they asked to come and collect?!” Tempest stated.

Sunset widened her stance a little as she suddenly felt cautious around this woman. “So, is getting Twilight a test to see if I can be objective when I need to be?”

“No, but if you manage to do it, I might be able to use it as a way to grease the wheels and make them think different,” said Tempest.

“And you questioned why I kept the Artifacts out of your organization’s hands.”

“Like I said, I’m not happy about it either, but right now the main objective is to figure out if Twilight is possessed or if she did this on her own, as well as how.” Tempest resumed her shadow form. “I’ll be in touch. Oh, and hang on.”

Before Sunset could say anything more, she was transported through her shadow and returned to the alley where she parked her bike. Sunset growled and then punched the wall, leaving an indention of her fist in the brick wall.

“Please let this be nothing…”

After being given her mission, Sunset decided to snoop around Twilight’s room. Their rooms had locks, but everyone trusted each other and had nothing to hide. At least that’s what Sunset thought. Thankfully, Sun and Twilight were out on a little date, so it gave her time to go through Twilight’s stuff. Sunset walked into Twilight’s room and was immediately greeted by the purple dog that was Spike, the little pup barked happily up at her, wagging his tail hoping to play with her.

“Sorry, Spike, but I’m not here to play…” Sunset explained sadly as she kneeled and petted the little dog. “I have to look around for something…something that I hope will help Twilight.”

Spike tilted his head as if he either understood what she was talking about or had no idea. It was probably better that way, the last thing she needed was to look into the eyes of a dog that knew exactly what she did. Sunset entered the room and began her search, though, she had no idea what she was looking for.

“Do you feel anything in here?” Sunset asked the Witchblade.

}}} Not especially…residual energy of your counterpart’s Artifact, but also the energies of my Mother and Father, along with the Blood Sword, the Glacier Stone, and Pandora’s Box is permeating this domicile. If an Artifact is responsible for this, then I can’t differentiate one from the other if one is even involved. {{{

“Alright…guess I’m going look around.” Sunset willed the Witchblade to cover her right forearm as metal tendrils extended outward according to her mental commands. “Less fingerprints the better, let’s carefully move things, we want to lessen our presence in here as much as possible.”

}}} Understood. {{{

The metal tendrils began making their way over different spots that Sunset thought would be perfect for hiding things. She went through the drawers of Twilight’s dresser, rummaging under the clothes and between them to see if there was anything there. After sifting through all the drawers, she came up with nothing. Sunset shifted her attention to the bed, going under the mattress, the bed itself, the pillows, and behind the headboard, but again, she came up with nothing. After smoothing over the wrinkles, she headed into Twilight’s closet. More tendrils spider webbed outwards, one of things was she was grateful for was that Twilight was practical like Applejack, she didn’t have an obscene amount of clothes, just the right clothes for school, casual days out, or special occasions.

Once again, there was nothing. It was starting to frustrate Sunset, but she sighed and exited the closet, but paused when she noticed something strange. The last time she was in this room, the standing mirror was on the other side of the room, which if going by Twilight’s logic, was a more practical and efficient placement of the mirror. So, it didn’t make much sense to have it placed right next to the entrance of the closet when there was already one inside. Sunset looked behind the mirror and furrowed her brow, there was a hole there.

On a hunch, Sunset retracted the armor around her arm and balled her hand up into a fist. She carefully placed her fist into the hole, and it perfectly fit through it. Sunset was right, she had her frustrated moments before which resulted in her having to replaster her drywall more than once, so she knew a fist made hole when she saw one. Normally this wouldn’t raise an eyebrow, but considering it was Twilight, and knowing that the girl didn’t have anywhere near the same kind of strength that she and Sun possessed, or regenerative capabilities, a hole like this would’ve caused some bad scratches and might’ve broken a bone.

“…Unless she showed Sun and she healed her…”

If that’s the case, then why did she hide the hole? How long has it been like this? Since they started living here? Or since Twilight got attacked? Either way, Sun would’ve fixed it, or hell, she could’ve asked me, it’s easy enough…

Spike walked up to Sunset and nuzzled her leg, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Oh, Spike, sorry for going through Twi’s stuff, but if I don’t figure out what’s going on…bad things are gonna happen to her…” Sunset walked over to the bed and sat down on it, but she quickly sat back up when she felt something. “What the heck?”

Sunset put her hand under the blankets and felt something, she pulled the object out and found that it was Twilight’s cellphone. Must’ve been in a hurry, she thought. On a hunch, Sunset activated the phone, which asked for a password. The answers might be on Twilight’s phone, so she had to figure the password, but what could it be? Fuck it, it’s worth a shot. Sunset began typing the words “SunLight” in the password bar. There’s no way that this is going to – Sunset’s thoughts were immediately interrupted when the screen unlocked and allowed Sunset access.

“I stand corrected.”

The redheaded teen quickly looked through what she could, she went to the files and found a folder marked “Tests”. Sunset thought that it might just be practice tests for school, which was something that she wouldn’t put past Twilight, but better to check it out anyway. Sunset tapped on the folder and found it contained several video files, each one was dated, and earliest one was dated the day of Twilight’s attack.

Sunset played the video and watched Twilight explain what she found out about herself, about how she was able to regenerate. Then another file opened, and she saw a naked Twilight begin to modify her body, becoming older, younger, expanding her breasts and hips, and apparently…she even managed to grow a phallus. That’s when it hit her.

“Oh shit…that day I came to see them…that…that wasn’t a toy…oh shit, she actually…Fuck, here I thought that could only be done Equestria…”

Sunset watched more video files; each one was a of a different test of Twilight exploring and developing her abilities. The former unicorn mare stood up and walked to the middle of the room as she tried to figure out what she was seeing.

“You know, going through someone’s private things isn’t very nice, Sunset.”

Sunset’s body went rigid upon hearing the familiar voice of her friend. Slowly, Sunset turned around and saw Twilight standing in the doorway, hands at her hips as her face sported an unamused expression. “Uh…hi…Twilight…”

Twilight entered the room and closed the door behind her and slowly advanced on Sunset. “Why are you in my room, and why are you going through my phone’s files?”

“Uh…” Sunset began to back away from Twilight. “It’s nothing really…”

“It doesn’t look like nothing,” said Twilight.

“Shouldn’t you be on a date with Sun?”

“I am, we’re currently at a restaurant and I stepped out to use the restroom, I usually don’t forget things, but when you’re with the most beautiful and loving girlfriend in the world, small things tend to slip your mind, like my cellphone.”

Sunset chuckled nervously but stopped when she hit the edge of the bed. “Twilight, I know this doesn’t look good, but I need you to listen to me. There are people who think that what happened at the school wasn’t an accident.”

“Oh?” Twilight gasped. “Is that so?”

“Yes! They think it’s your fault, or that something was using you to do it! And if I don’t figure out a way to prove them wrong, bad things will happen to you!”

“Huh? And pray tell,” Twilight stood right in front of Sunset and looked her in the eyes, “how did someone come to that conclusion? The entire school is in ruins, burnt severely, not even the best forensics labs in the world can identify how the fire was started, or how the students and faculty were killed.”

“I…It doesn’t matter,” said Sunset.

“Oh, it does, Sunset.” Twilight placed her right hand on Sunset’s chest and then pushed her with more strength than Sunset expected from her. “It really does.”

Before Sunset could get up, Twilight pounced on her, straddling the former unicorn, and held her arms down. Sunset was not expecting this level of strength from Twilight, her grip was like steel. And what was worse, was that Twilight wasn’t giving her a threatening look, no, it was more like a sultry, smoldering look.

Twilight began to giggle, “I figured as much.”

“F-Figured what?” Sunset asked.

“That somewhere deep inside, you want me like Sun wants me.”

“W-W-WHAT?!! I-I don’t want you like that! You’re Sun’s girlfriend and my friend!” Sunset stated.

“True, but I know who you really, really want. You do love Pinkie Pie, but you never really get over your first crush. That blush says it all.”

Sunset could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, as ashamed as she was to admit it, it was true. She loved Pinkie Pie, but…there was always going to be a part of her that had a crush on Twilight, wondering “what if”.

“Sunset, tell me who told you that I’m a suspect in Crystal Prep’s burning and…” Twilight released Sunset’s arms and leaned back until she was upright. The teen genius’ hands gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing her black bra. Twilight flicked the hooks off and let her breasts jiggle, freed of their lacey prison. “I’ll let you have me. You can do all the things you fantasized about doing with Princess Twilight, I’ll even say all the things you wanted her to say to you.” Twilight moved closer; her breasts now pressed against Sunset’s. “Just tell me, Sunset…”

Sunset gritted her teeth, feeling shame as her loins began to stir. This was something she had fantasized about ever since she was saved by Princess Twilight. How many nights did she pleasure herself to the dark fantasy of making Princess Twilight her personal sex slave? How many times did she orgasm to the idea of Princess Twilight dominating her in bed?

“You’re…You’re right…” Sunset admitted. “I do fantasize about fucking Princess Twilight…”

“Then, just tell me, and you can fuck me right now. I’ll squeal and scream your name as many times as you want,” Twilight offered.

“But…” Sunset placed her hands on Twilight’s shoulders and pushed her back. “I’ve come to grips with that, and besides, Pinkie knows about that! Hell, do you know how many times she’s suggested having a threesome with Princess Twilight?! It’s all I can do to not write in my journal to ask her to pop over here so me and my girlfriend can ravage her! So, no, thank you!”

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Well, that’s no fun. I kinda wanted to know if there was any difference in your bedroom skills compared to Sun, but I guess I’ll just take what I want.”

Before Sunset could say anything, Twilight gripped Sunset’s head with her right hand and looked into her eyes. Twilight’s eyes changed color, with her iris and pupils becoming a bright magenta, while her sclera glowed a milky-blue. Sunset suddenly felt energy rushing into her mind, piercing through her memories as she tried to resist whatever was happening to her.

“Sunset, please don’t resist me, I don’t want to hurt you. You’re important to Sun, and I’m not sure how powerful you’re healing factor is, so I’d like to avoid giving you brain damage,” said Twilight.

“I think you forgot…I got shot in the head…! Can’t get more brain damaged than that!!” Sunset retorted. “And I’m sorry!”

“For what?” Twilight asked.

“THIS!”

The bracelet form of the Witchblade released metal strands that weaved into a six-inch blade. Like a striking cobra, the blade lashed out and pierced Twilight in her left shoulder, digging deep into her flesh and causing the teen genius to scream in pain as she hurriedly fell off Sunset and onto the floor. The blade dislodged and unraveled itself to return to the bracelet. Sunset had a look of panic on her face when she saw the blood pouring from Twilight’s shoulder, the sight of seeing her friend in pain, and knowing that she caused the pain was hurting her inside.

“Twilight, I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! I tried not to hit any place that was vital!”

Twilight sat on her knees, clutching at her wounded shoulder as she glared at Sunset. However, a green glow came from her shoulder, and the wound quickly closed, leaving no trace other than the blood trails. “That really hurt, Sunset.”

Sunset’s right arm was quickly clad in armor, she could hear the Witchblade suggesting use the full armor, but she was vehemently against it. “Twilight, whatever’s taken ahold of you, you have to fight it! You’re not this kind of person!”

Twilight stood up, she then snapped her fingers, making her shirt and bra reappear on her body. “You don’t know the kind of person I am, Sunset. I’m through being everyone’s whipping girl, I will be no one’s bitch! No one will touch me without my permission, no one will use me, no one will claim dominion over me! I’m not the helpless little nerd I was four years ago. I’ve gained power.”

“I’m starting to see that,” said Sunset. “Look, even though what you did was horrible, I understand why you did it! Crystal Prep was abusing you, and I can understand that you did it in a fit of rage –!”

“But it wasn’t a fit of rage.” Twilight said calmly as she crossed her arms. “Yes, I was enraged, but mine has been a more calculated and cold fury. I planned all of that for a week, and it culminated in what happened last Friday. I understand that you’re looking for a reason, some mystical or even demonic outside force influencing me. But I can tell you that this not the case. Everything I did, I did because I wanted to. None of them were good people, Sunset Shimmer. Not even one of them was going to become a good person once they left Crystal Prep. If anything, they were going to hurt more people through whatever profession they eventually got into, or just through their presence alone.”

Sunset wanted to disagree with her, but after hearing how Twilight suffered at the hands of those other kids, it wasn’t a stretch to think that they might’ve hurt more people than just Twilight. “I get where you’re coming from, but you can’t just dispense justice like that!”

Twilight scoffed at that. “Please, you’re not an officer of the law, nor are you recognized as an official member of any law enforcement branch anywhere, and yet you take it on yourself to go out and fight against those who would do harm to others.”

“Only the supernatural threats! Occasionally some normal crimes, but only if your brother asks for help! But recently it’s ALL been supernatural stuff!” Sunset pointed out.

“Be that as it may, I ended several potential threats before they had the chance to do harm to others, no different from you.”

“You can’t just assume that all of them were going to end up being bad people! What about Sugarcoat?!” Sunset asked.

Twilight bristled at the mention of her friend’s name. “Sugarcoat was different! She didn’t want to end up like me, so she did what she had to in order to survive! She never harbored ill will towards me, she even saved me from getting seriously hurt!”

“How many others were like that?! Did you read their minds?! Did you check every single person and see into their souls to know that they wouldn’t change?!”

Twilight opened her mouth but stopped…she…she hadn’t considered that. Was it possible for any of them to change? Could they have changed given time and the right influence in their lives? “That’s…theoretical, with no basis!”

“You’re looking at someone who changed! I was a complete, tyrannical alpha bitch before I got hit with a rainbow laser! I became one back in Equestria, and I only got worse when I came here! But my friends – your new friends – helped me to see the light, along with the other version of you!”

Twilight waved off that notion. “I can’t really use you as a basis for that. You’re technically not human, and you haven’t been raised by humans, you lived most of your formative years in another world with different values than we have here on Earth. From what you’ve described, Equestria is less harsh than our world is, whether that’s due to how your specie’s brains are wired, or due to your upbringing is up for debate, but the fact is you’re still different. You’re not entirely human, you may have the compacity to change, but that doesn’t mean every human being does. You would rather take a chance on those other kids?! How many lives would they ruin? How many would be made to suffer their mistakes until they eventually saw the light, if ever?!”

“You’re telling me that there wasn’t one person other than Sugarcoat that could’ve changed?!”

Twilight’s mind flashed back to when Sour Sweet tried to protect Sunny Flare, how they were willing to give up being anywhere near the city if it meant they could live and be together. Really, how much harm could they have caused like that? Was she too rash in her decision to kill them? No, she did make the right choice, of course she did.

“What happens now? Are you going to tell Sun?” Twilight asked. “Or are you going to try and subdue me?”

Sunset grappled with what she knew she needed to do, and what she wanted to do. She needed to subdue Twilight and figure out what was wrong with her, but she wanted to give her time to come to her senses. “………Go back to Sun, finish your date. I’ll…I don’t know, just GO!” she ordered.

Twilight nodded and with a flash she disappeared.

Spike, who was hiding under the bed, came out and whimpered as he saw the confused rage on Sunset’s face. The former unicorn yelled into the room, startling the pup. She fell to her knees and struck the floor, she didn’t know what to do, that’s a lie, she knew what she had to do, otherwise…

Twilight reappeared in a stall in the lady’s room of the restaurant. Once she exited, she looked at herself in the mirror, there were still bloodstains on her arm, shirt, and skirt. Twilight snapped her fingers and released a magenta wave of energy that rid her of the bloodstains on her arm and clothes. The teen genius looked at herself in the mirror, Sunset’s words from earlier were still ringing in her head, but she couldn’t take back what she did, what’s done was done, the students and faculty of Crystal Prep were dead and by her hands. The image of Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare appeared in her mind, along with the annoying question. Could they have changed? Could any of them have changed if given the chance?

Admittedly that wasn’t the biggest problem at the moment, someone knew about what she did at Crystal Prep, and that someone told Sunset about it. But who? Surely it wasn’t anyone from Crystal Prep, the only survivors were the janitorial staff, Cadence, Sugarcoat, and Sun. The latter three were far away from the school, while the former was ejected from the school building. If anyone did witness it from the inside, they would be dead, but that didn’t make sense, how could the dead speak?

“Considering things that have happened, it’s not that farfetched to believe that someone has the ability to speak to the dead. Perhaps Fluttershy? She does have the power of that Spear…”

It was frustrating, irritating, she had committed the perfect crime for all intents and purposes, and now it was coming unraveled by an unknown element, an unforeseen witness to her machinations. The worst part of this…she had to tell Sun. If she didn’t…she might side with Sunset and try and subdue her, but if she explained it…maybe something different might happen.

“I have to tell her…”

Mustering her courage, Twilight walked out of the bathroom and to her and Sun’s booth. It was a nice restaurant, and with the amount of money that Sun threw around, they were able to get a private booth away from other people. Her fiery haired girlfriend was taking a sip from her glass when she spotted Twilight heading her way.

“Hey, Sparky, took a minute didn’t ya? I thought you fell in and I’d have to go and get you,” Sun joked.

“Heh…not exactly…” Twilight sat down across from Sun, her eyes staring at the menu in front of her.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You look down.”

Twilight brought her hands together as she tried to figure out how to explain herself. Sun was one of the few good things in her life, the last thing she wanted to do was lose her. For a moment she entertained a dark thought of using her power to manipulate Sun’s memory to make her so devoted her that no matter what anyone said, she’d believe Twilight and fight to the death for her. Then her mind went down the rabbit hole of all the ways that this could end badly for her and Sun.

Sun reached out with her right hand and placed it over Twilight’s hand, she gave it a reassuring squeeze, making Twilight look her in the eyes. “Sparky, whatever it is, just talk to me. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Twilight winced. “………Even if it’s about me killing everyone in Crystal Prep………”

Sun’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“Sunset…I did it. I killed everyone at Crystal Prep. My powers, they go further than just altering my physical form or rapid regeneration…my powers have also increased my mental capabilities, allowing me to tap into a wide range of telekinetic abilities.”

Sun raised an eyebrow. “Such as…?”

Twilight looked around to make sure no one was looking their way. Once she was sure, Twilight tapped into her power. Suddenly, her pink shirt changed to a blue one, and her black skirt turned white. “I can rearrange matter on a subatomic level…also…”

“I can read minds and project my thoughts to others.”

Sun jumped as she looked around, she heard Twilight’s voice echo everywhere, but her lips didn’t move. Are you…Are you really reading my mind right now?!

“I am, along with projecting my thoughts to you…I’m diving into your memories or anything like that, just surface thoughts.”

Sun had a look as if she wasn’t sure how to process this. Well, that explains how you know all the right spots when we were in bed.

Twilight blushed. “I maaaaaaaay’ve used my telepathy to find out what you liked…”

Noted, so let’s keep our conversation in our minds for now. So, what happened? How did you manage to kill everyone in the school?

Twilight bit her lower lip. “If you allow me…I can show you. I can replay my memories and project them to you. It’ll be a lot faster than me explaining everything. While I’m at it, I’ll show you how I figured out my powers too.”

Twilight closed her eyes, Sunset felt a tingling sensation in her mind, and in less than a second, several images flashed through her mind. She saw how Twilight nearly died, and then got revived in the girl’s room at Crystal Prep. Running various tests in her room late at night on how her abilities worked, the night she went out and tracked down Lemon Zest. The moment she killed Lemon Zest in a fit of rage. The moment she came up with her plan to bring down Crystal Prep. And of course, the day it all happened, Sun saw it all, the students running in fear, not knowing that they were trapped in a giant deathtrap. Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare’s death, and apparently, they were in love. And lastly, Sun saw how Cinch met her end.

Sun took a deep breath that she didn’t know she was holding, the images were rushed, but she got everything. Wow…Sparky…that’s…I want to say impressive, but at the same time that was intense.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry I haven’t told you about any of this…but when I did all that, I thought that it would be a new beginning,” said Twilight.

Sun rubbed the back of her head. Well…we still can…look, I feel the same way as you, those people were assholes, this was just karma catching up to them. We just don’t tell anyone. Sure, Sis will be pissed if she ever finds out I kept this from her, but if it’s for you I’m sure she’d see it our way.

“…And that’s our other problem…”

Twilight sent more images into Sun’s mind, showing her…what she found in her room, as well as what Sunset told her. Twilight felt shame when she showed her what she did to try and convince Sunset to tell her who knew about what she did, and she feared that Sun would get up and leave her.

After the images were done, Sun took a long minute before finally thinking something. Okay…I have issues with you trying to seduce information from my Sis…but with that being said…this isn’t good.

Twilight ran her hands through her and sighed heavily. “I know! I don’t know who it is, but at this point that might as well be irrelevant! Sunset knows I’m the one behind it, and all she said was bad things are going to happen to me! She thinks I’m possessed or being controlled by someone! Maybe we can play that up somehow?!”

Sun shook her head. Nuh-uh, Sis isn’t going to fall for something like that…shit…shit…fuck. Okay…goddammit I didn’t think I needed to do it this soon…but we don’t have any time left.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Sunset, what are you talking about?”

Sun didn’t answer, instead she called the waiter over.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“We’re going to leave,” Sunset pulled out two one-hundred-dollar bills from her wallet and put it on the table. “Keep the change as your tip. Sparky, let’s go.”

Twilight didn’t have time to ask before she was led out of the restaurant by Sun. They headed to her car and closed the doors. Once inside, Sun drove, she didn’t say to where, she just drove. She kept driving until they were on the outskirts of the city, to the point that the suburbs were turning into country road. Once they were far enough away, at least for Sun, she stopped on the side of the road and remained silent for a minute.

“Sparky…remember when I told you and Sis about how my parents died?” Sunset asked.

“Yes…”

“I was half telling the truth. We were at a museum, and we were attacked, but not by terrorists or robbers…it was one person.”

~*~*~*~

Sunset was admiring the art with her parents, but that’s when something odd occurred. A flash of violet light went off in the middle of the room, garnering the attention of everyone in the room. It was a man, or at least she assumed it was a man based on the physique. He was covered in violet robes, the hood of which was brought up to cover his face. The scary thing was, where she should be able to see his face, all she could see was darkness, and two glowing violet eyes. As if the shadows in the hood refused to let any light in.

“It’s here…I know it is,” he said in a distorted voice.

The guards of the museum arrived with weapons drawn, but the moment they did so, the robed man raised his right hand. In it was a crystal sphere, and at the center of it was the image of a skull. This crystal glowed brighter, and before the guards could give any orders, the crystal released five blasts of electrical energy straight at the guards. Their bodies were electrified, making gurgling sounds as they bled from their eyes, mouth, and ears before all five of them fell dead.

Sunset’s mother and father hurriedly rushed their daughter to the employees only door and threw her in there, yelling at her to find a way out. Sunset did as she was told and ran, she ran as fast as she could, not to just get away, but to get help. But the sound of the door she came through getting blasted made her panic and stumble into a crate that fell from one of the shelves. When it smashed on the ground, that’s when she saw it, the Ember Stone. It called out to her, the moment she laid eyes on it the Artifact beckoned to her.

When she picked it up, Sunset felt a rush of power come over her, a flame was building in her body, heat that spread out through every cell of her being. The man in the violet robes eventually found her, and attacked, out of pure instinct, Sunset unleashed a torrent of flames that pushed the robed man back to the entrance. Feeling confident from her newfound power, Sunset gave chase and found herself back in the gallery. And that’s when she saw the bodies of her parents, turned into paste from the violent energies of the robed man’s crystal.

Sunset, in a moment of emotional distraught, released a burst wave of flames that washed over everything in the room. She wanted to destroy everything, including the robed man for killing her parents. When her rage quelled, she gasped, the man in the violet robes had not been killed as he formed a barrier around himself. The man released the orb and prepared to attack but stopped when the crystal in his gloved hands began to blink.

“Oh, I see.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“Listen here, child. I purpose a deal.”

“A deal?!”

“Do you want to see your parents again? Perhaps change everything about this situation? Then gather the Thirteen Artifacts.”

“What do you mean, ‘Artifacts’?!”

“The Ember Stone in your hand is one, this is mine, there are eleven more out there. Whoever can gather all thirteen will have the power to rewrite reality as they see fit. In other words, you can change the universe into whatever you please. You can make a utopia, a world where there is no war, or you can make the world the same, with some differences, one of them being your parents aren’t dead and are alive and well,” said the robed man.

“YOU’RE LYING! YOU’RE JUST MAKING THIS UP!!!”

“My power and the flames you’ve created here would say otherwise.”

Sunset looked around, and indeed, the robed man did have a point.

“Gather the remaining Artifacts, and when you have, I will reappear before you once again. And we will do battle for each other’s Artifacts. You’ll be able to avenge your parents and bring them back all at once. Remember child…Remember…”

After giving that ultimatum, the robed man disappeared, leaving Sunset in the middle of a raging inferno, crying her eyes out.

~*~*~*~

Twilight blinked after seeing the images in her mind, these weren’t fabricated memories, these were genuine. “Sunset…”

“I’ve worked hard to try and locate all of them, I came here to Canterlot City when I heard about the sightings of the Witchblade, one of the Thirteen. The Ember Stone, Spear of Destiny, Pandora’s Box, the Blood Sword, the Angelus and the Darkness, and the Heart Stone. The only ones I have yet to find are the Rapture, the Wheel of Shadows, and…one more.”

Twilight tried to comprehend everything that Sun was telling her. “Was…Was Indigo’s necklace one of these Thirteen?”

Sun nodded. “The Glacier Stone, the sibling to the Ember Stone. There’s still three more out there, not counting his Artifact. But I know they’re here.”

“How can you be sure?” Twilight asked.

“The Artifacts are attracted to each other, the more that are gathered in one place, the more of them will come together. It’s like a supernatural magnetism, they can’t help but be drawn to each other. So, I’m certain the Rapture and the Wheel of Shadows is here, and the second to last one as well,” said Sunset.

Twilight sat back in her seat; all of this was too much. Sure, the magical items that they’ve encountered were powerful, dangerously powerful. But never in her wildest dreams did Twilight imagine that these thirteen together had the power to rewrite the universe itself, that broke all known laws of matter and energy, time and space, and these magical items were powerful enough to reach out across the entire universe?!

“Why are you telling me all this?” Twilight asked.

“Because it might be the only way to save you, Sparky. If I can get the last Artifacts together, I can rewrite everything, make it so you never went to Crystal Prep, erase every bad thing that happened to you there! I could make it so that we were friends since childhood, grew up, and fell in love with each other! My parents would be alive and friends with yours! I can make a world that’s free from strife! But most importantly, you’d be safe!” Sunset explained.

“Wait…if what you’re saying is true…I won’t remember you…if you rewrite everything, I won’t remember everything we’ve been through.”

Sun placed her right hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “If you want, I can make it so that you keep your memories, if you want. But honestly, I think it’d be better if I changed them. Do you really want to keep the memories of Indigo raping you?! Of Crystal Prep abusing you?!”

Twilight thought about it for a second, the ramifications of something like this would be great. There were a lot of unknowns right now, what if this robed man was just feeding Sun lies about this supposed power to reshape reality? What if it was just a clever way for him to get her to collect a variety of dangerous magical items for him to use to rule the world? But…what if it was true? Well, one thing was for certain. Sunset’s warning about something bad coming for Twilight, she was vague, it could either be law enforcement or some other agency that she wasn’t aware of.

And the last thing she wanted was to have her big brother, her parents, see her as some kind of monster. “Okay…we just need to gather the Artifacts, correct?”

“Yes…just the ones that remain.”

“You said Sunset’s Witchblade is one of them…how did you plan on getting that one?” Twilight asked.

This time it was Sun’s turn to sit back in her seat. “Honestly…I wanted to save her for last…I might be able to convince her. But I can feel that it won’t be that easy.”

“Okay…Sunset…if reality can be rewritten, that means anyone who dies now can be brought back to life, right?” Twilight asked.

Sun sighed. “From what my research on the Artifacts says, yes, everything that happens from this point until the time of the Gathering can be undone.”

“……So, that means if we needed to…we could…could kill someone and bring them back.”

“If it comes to that…but I know it will. I’m too close, and now that this has come up, I have to accelerate my timetable…Shit, of all the ones that will be the hardest, Fluttershy’s Spear and Sis’ Witchblade will be the hardest to retrieve. Fluttershy’s a trained assassin, and that Spear is extremely versatile, together they’re lethal, and could easily kill me even with the Ember Stone protecting me…”

Twilight saw the distress on her girlfriend’s face. She moved over to the driver’s seat, surprising Sun when she straddled her waist and sat down on her lap. “That’s true…but then again…she doesn’t know about me, not yet.”

“What are you saying, Sparky?”

“Your big sister probably won’t say anything to the girls until she’s talked to me, if we want to catch Fluttershy off guard, then we need to go and retrieve her Spear now.”

Sun placed her hands on Twilight’s hips and looked up into her eyes. “Sparky…she’s definitely a kill target. The Spear of Destiny is connected to her and follows her command, even if we knock her unconscious and take it away, she can just recall it. If we do this…we’ll have to kill Fluttershy…”

Twilight pressed her forehead against Sun’s. “I don’t like that either…she’s a kind and gentle girl…probably the most innocent person I’ve ever met. And the last thing I want to do is take another of your sister’s friends from her so soon after they’ve lost one already…but…their pain won’t last forever. We just have to…to steel ourselves long enough to get it done. We’ll bring them back; you’ll bring them back.”

Sun moved her right hand to the center of Twilight’s chest, she stared at that spot for a moment before looking back up at her eyes. “Yeah…I’ll bring them back.” Sun brought Twilight into a tight hug, afraid of letting her go. “I’ll bring them all back.”