Prologue: Rebuilding a Fallen LifeView OnlineShadow EvolutionPrologue: Rebuilding a Fallen LifeMay's summer warmth bathed the city in an all-consuming light. The grass was as green as ever. The birds chirped their hopeful songs, and the butterflies drifted through the air without a care in the world. Back at the residence of one particular child, a new journey of discovery was about to begin. After graduation, Sunset decided to enroll in Ray Tech University in the northernmost region of the continent. She was scheduled to begin classes in September, intending to major in the field of computer science. Her ultimate goal was to learn game development and cyber security engineering. For those things, her mathematical knowledge needed to be as polished as a freshly smithed sword. One morning, a knock came from the other side of the Rich family door. Sunset opened the barrier to find a familiar face standing before her. "Silver!? I haven't seen you in forever!" the teen greeted jovially. "Is Diamond here?" "Yeah, yeah. She's in her room. I'll take you to her." Sunset led the child to her old friend's chamber. "I'll let you two talk in private," Sunset vocalized, "I have to study. We'll hang out later if you're not busy." Silver nodded. Sunset left her to enter Diamond's room on her own. Silver opened Diamond's door to a familiar sight. It was the same as ever, save for a few minor objects. "Diamond...?" Silver called out. Diamond turned around. The sight of Silver at her door summoned a well of emotion from within. Tears of relieved contrition fell from her eyes. "Woah! Why are you crying!?" Rather than respond verbally, Diamond tackled the girl in a tight hug. "I'm sorry..." Diamond whispered with a sniffle. "What happened to you...?" Diamond told Silver everything: her meeting with Sunset, her heartbreak with Apple Bloom, Anvil's treatment and research methods, and her budding relationship with Sunset. "Sounds like you've been through a lot." Silver noted. "I would've told you sooner, but..." Silver shook her head. "Don't worry about it." "What about you?" "I've just been between school and home. Without you around, I didn't really have much to do." "I'm really sorry. I wanted to be there, but I needed help." "It's cool. I get it. Everybody's got something to deal with." "I learned a lot. If you want, I can show you some stuff I did while I was recovering." "Sure. Sounds like fun." Diamond showed Silver her video game collection, her music, her new clothes, and her movies. She talked about the assimilation of her shadow and how it helped her cope with pain. Silver was equal parts amazed and bewildered by her friend's radical transformation. "I never knew you thought about this kind of stuff. It's all so strange and...Exciting!" the bespectacled girl declared. "Damn, it's good to see you again." Diamond poured out. "You, too." Silver concurred. "You know, Sunset's going to be leaving for college soon. When she's gone, we can keep each other company again like the old days." "Yeah...I'd like that a lot." "We should make plans with Apple Bloom and the others soon. To quote Pinhead, I have such sights to show them." "You're good at being scary, ya know that?" "Maybe I should audition for movie roles." "Definitely." "Nah, but seriously, there's too many drugs and weirdos in that business. If I did something like that, it'd have to be something small with you guys." "True." "So...What should we do now?" "Wanna go out for pizza?" "Hell yeah! Let's go!" The girls ran out of the room. They exited the house and headed into town. The day of Sunset's departure finally arrived. That morning, the teen failed to appear for breakfast. When Diamond inquired as to her whereabouts, she received little more than vague answers. Half an hour later, Sunset returned with a small puppy in hand. Anvil stood nearby, waiting for the family to say their goodbyes. "What's that?" Diamond asked curiously. Sunset knelt down to show the child what was in her possession. "A present." the teen replied. She handed Diamond the border collie, "His name's Draven." Draven licked his lips. The anxiety of moving to a new home was causing him to shiver. Diamond held the poor animal close to comfort him. "I love him." Sunset smiled. "Take care of him for me while I'm gone." Diamond looked her future lover in the eyes. She nodded. Sunset stroked the child's hair before rising back to her feet. "We'll miss you." Spoiled spoke in a nostalgically somber tone. "I'll be around for the holidays," Sunset assured, "Anvil, take care of Diamond for me." "I will." the therapist replied. Sunset hugged each of her family members, including Draven. "I'm gonna hang out with Twilight and the others for a bit before I leave. You guys take care." With that, the teen disappeared over the horizon. Anvil stayed behind to console Diamond and her parents. Diamond lovingly scratched Draven's belly, both to comfort him and herself. He was a piece of Sunset left behind to remind her of the future awaiting them. For days, Diamond did little but watch TV and care for Draven. Silver appeared again to check on her. "Aw, how cute," Silver squealed in delight, "What's his name?" "Draven." "What breed is he?" "Border collie. I think she picked him out because of his fur. It symbolizes a balance of darkness and light. Come to think of it, I wonder if dogs have shadows too." "I've never seen a really bad dog before. It's their owners that make them that way." "You're starting to sound like me." "I want to be more like you." "Trust me, no you don't." "Huh?" "The things I've felt, I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy." "Is it really that bad?" "If it wasn't for Sunset and Anvil, I'd probably be in a ditch somewhere right now." "I never thought about it like that." "My goal is to keep you guys safe: you, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, all of you. I know there's only so much I can do, but every ounce of empathy helps. Compassion, mercy: these things barely exist anymore. I don't want them to disappear completely..." "Diamond..." Diamond shook her head. "Sorry. I just get carried away sometimes." Silver placed her hand on Diamond's shoulder. "I can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through, but I'm here for you. We all are. We'll do whatever it takes to keep you going." Diamond closed her eyes and held her friend's hand. Their conversation ended without another word spoken.
IntervalView OnlineShadow EvolutionIntervalMoonlight shone over the headstones of Canterlot cemetery. The cold autumn chill compounded the sense of finality: a means to the ultimate end, or perhaps, a new beginning. None knew for sure. In the dark of the night, a man ran through the grass and concrete. What caused him to move so swiftly was fear: not of the dead, but rather, those very much still living. He was being pursued by two forces, one of which he was quite familiar with. The other is what caused him to push his body to its limits. Just before he could make his escape, a figure stepped in front of him: a figure carrying a medieval-style sword. "Guess your luck just ran out." a feminine voice taunted. "Who are you!?" he bellowed in a blend of terror and rage. "The question isn't 'who am I', it's 'who are we'." "'We'!?" Behind the man, another silhouette appeared, butting him in the neck with a weapon of its own. The shock knocked him unconscious. "Took you long enough." the young woman spoke. The other figure pushed back the veil concealing it. Silver Spoon was revealed to be the man's captor. She was now the transitional age of sixteen, only two short years away from adulthood. "Give me a break, would ya? This place is huge." Diamond removed her own hood. "You've really gotta work on your agility." "You've got a whole year on me, ya know." Police sirens wailed as they approached the graveyard's exterior. "We should get out of here." Diamond suggested. Silver leaned over the unconscious man's body. Her expression was one of disgust. "Enjoy prison, scumbag." The adolescents fled the scene. Diamond and Silver quietly approached the Rich family mansion, careful not to wake Filthy and Spoiled. Once they were inside, they brushed themselves off. "Rough night?" a familiar voice spoke in jest. The teens' gazes shot forward. Mere feet away, Sunset stood shrouded by the shadows. The twenty-three-year-old stepped forward. "Miss me, kiddo?" Diamond dropped her sword. Tears in her eyes, she ran up to the older girl and hugged her tightly. "Seems like you've been making a name for yourself." Sunset said with a smile. Diamond, Silver, and Sunset went into the kitchen. They caught up over a late-night snack. "The paper mentioned a sharp increase in arrests," Sunset told them, "I knew at least one of you had to be responsible." "There were a bunch of abductions recently," Diamond replied, "All we had to do was follow his trail. Even if he doesn't tell the cops where the kids are, they'll find them eventually." "When did you start trusting cops, hm?" "Corruption is beyond my control. Putting lowlifes where they belong is a lot easier to handle." "After tonight, you guys should lay low for a while. If anyone figures out who you are, the guys you've already caught will likely come after you." "I agree." Silver stated. "I guess we can hang our hats for a while." Diamond concurred. "Anyway, how's school?" Sunset asked. "Fine," Diamond replied, "Silver's been helping me study for exams." "Do you know what you want to do after graduation?" "I'm debating between criminal justice and following in Anvil's footsteps. Silver wants to be an engineer." "So I guess your therapy's over, huh?" "Yeah. Figured it was time to put all that shit behind me and look forward to whatever's next." "You're already halfway to earning your reward." "Feels like everything happened so fast, ya know?" "That's what happens when you dictate your own future." "Let's head upstairs. Draven'll be happy to see you." Diamond led Silver and Sunset up to the second story of the house. She opened the door to her room. Draven practically knocked Sunset over. "Hey, boy! It's good to see you too!" Sunset whispered in a high-pitched tone. Diamond and Silver giggled. Sunset rose back to her feet. "We should get some sleep." Sunset advised. "Silver can stay in here with me. Your room's the same as you left it." "We can talk more in the morning. Night." "Night." Sunset closed Diamond's door behind her, leaving Diamond, Silver, and Draven to keep each other company. "You really love her, don't you?" Silver asked suddenly. "She was my first guide through hell. I learned a long time ago people like her tend to hold special places in our hearts." "So it seems." "Plus I'm looking forward to finally getting laid. Like, you have no idea." "You said it, not me." "Ah, shit. I forgot my sword. I'll be right back." "I'm gonna turn in. Night." "Night." Sunset stayed through Halloween before returning to school. Diamond and Silver followed their usual routine, spending time with Apple Bloom and the others. When they were alone, they would often have long conversations about life and what might come after, all to the backdrop of a heavy, melodic soundtrack. It felt like a movie scene where the formula had been drastically turned on its head. With their childhoods behind them, they prepared to enter the next phase of existence.
Entwined SoulsView OnlineShadow EvolutionEntwined SoulsAfter graduating high school, Diamond attended a local university so she could remain close to Sunset. With her parents' help, she purchased the house where Sunset had lived before moving in with them. The two moved in together shortly thereafter. Sunset expected Diamond to want to make love on her eighteenth birthday, but was surprised when the younger girl held off. "I'm trying to exercise self-control," she told Sunset, "If I can't contain myself, everything I've learned will be for nothing. I need to know I can before I take that leap." Wanting to respect her lover's wishes, Sunset agreed. It would be another three years before they took their relationship to the next level. The winter of 2032 was a period of deep reflection for Diamond. She spent many days thinking over her life, especially the last decade. Though the initial realization that existence was beyond her comprehension brought her great pain, her growth since then had morphed her into the epitome of what it meant to be human. She was wise, caring, and above all, self-aware. On the cold, dreary morning of December 21st, she made up her mind. "I'm ready." Sunset lovingly stroked her cheek. She pulled Diamond in for a gentle kiss. It was a first for both of them. "How was that?" the older girl asked smugly. "Everything I dreamed of." "Despite everything that went down, watching you grow up was an amazing experience, ya know?" "Everyone put things into perspective for me. I was able to find out who I really am." "You taught me who I was too. I knew what love was, but not on this level. I found the closest thing to happiness people in our predicament can achieve." "Happiness itself is subjective, but we never stopped trying to find it. That's what matters, right?" "Yeah. We're making an honest effort. That's what counts." Draven barked. "I think he's telling us to get on with it." Sunset said coyly. Diamond pulled the older girl onto the bed. Emotions raced through them as they delved deeper into their exploration. They laughed about what they could and cried at the rest. The stronger their feelings became, the closer and tighter they held each other. The act itself was heightened to divine levels, alternating between tenderness and lustful aggression. This continued for hours as they pleaded for each other's ceaseless touch. A gentle rain carried Diamond and Sunset to the world of dreams. Draven laid at the foot of the bed, as though to guard them from the outside world. From that day forward, the couple would never leave each other's side, no matter what trials came their way. Neither the harshest flames nor the depths of despair could tear apart what they had built. They vowed to free themselves from resentment and strive to build something that would transcend time itself. They would show love to those who needed it most, and bring about the kindest world they could manage. It would be the oath that bound them together, forever and always... *...Pelt...Pelt...Pelt...* The End...
