The Goddess of Empathy

by The Sleepless Beholder

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Sunset Shimmer, Wallflower Blush, Alternate Universe, Romance, Adventure, Equestria Girls
Length: 73820

Sentenced to death for her crimes against the goddess Celestia, Sunset is given a chance to atone for her crimes by completing nine labors. But the cost might be too much for her to handle.

Similar to Icarus, Sunset tried to reach the skies only for the sun itself to bring her back down with force. Now she waits in a dark cell for the day of her execution.
But in what would be her last day outside of Tartarus, an intervention from a mysterious individual grants her a chance at redemption.

However, this redemption won’t be earned without labors, and they’ll only increase in difficulty as she completes them.

Inspired by No Time For a Sunset written by Thought Prism which you should go read if you haven't.

If you have, and you're wondering how did I go from Lancer to greek mythology... I've no idea.

Pre-read by the wonderful Dewdrops on the Grass and daOtterGuy

Chapters are being edited by the ever helpful EileenSaysHi! All chapters have been updated! I'm forever thankful for all their help.

Cover Art done by me.

Published 2021-05-01 20:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-05-14 16:35:13 UTC

The Path To Redemption

“Stand!” the guard orders me, hitting the side of my ribs with the butt of his spear.

I glare at him with all the anger I can project into my gaze, but he doesn't flinch, forcing me to obey and stand up. The chains binding my hands and feet rattle with the movement. The fact that a brainless guard can order me around is just salt in the wound of my current predicament. But I won’t be able to complain for much longer.

The guard positions himself behind me and points to the reinforced wooden door of my cell before announcing, “Sunset Shimmer. It’s time for your execution.”

“Took you long enough,” I say to show no fear of death, but the guard doesn’t care; he just presses the tip of his spear against my back as a warning. “What? You think spearing me from behind will be worse?”

“I can make it much slower,” the guard warns me, his frustrated tone making me smile.

“I’m sure your precious goddess will be delighted by that.”

The anger in his face almost gets a laugh out of me, but he hits me with the butt of his spear again, this time in the right temple and with much more force. I clench my teeth at the sharp pain erupting in my head and wait a few seconds before moving towards the door, just to frustrate him further.

The guard gives the signal for the door to open, and, as soon as it does, the shine of Celestia’s sun tries to blind me. She’s angrier than I expected, and even angrier are her followers waiting outside. The large courtyard of the gallows is packed full with people shouting at me, cursing my name and celebrating my upcoming punishment.

“Hypocrites! You pray about harmony and forgiveness and kindness, but you celebrate death with pleasure!” I scream mentally, holding back my anger so it doesn’t show on my face, and I start walking towards the execution platform with my back straight, a firm step, and always looking forwards. Even if these are my last moments, I will spend them with dignity. They won’t see me begging for mercy.

As I walk, I notice that mixed with the crowd are those who just two days ago followed me, ready to replace their goddess with a much better option, and they’re now cursing my name along with the others.

I feel my blood boil. “So that’s how it is. You worms take my offer for a better world, then go back to licking your goddess’s feet while I take the fall. What twisted form of justice is this that keeps you away from the noose?”

“You forced them to follow you when you realized they would never follow your true self,”a voice speaks inside my head, as angry as the sun that shines oppressively over me.

“True self? Look who’s talking. Do you truly believe to be as perfect as you’re portrayed?” I spit back at the voice, which is a good distraction from the stones occasionally being thrown at me from the crowd. I do my best to not flinch, letting them bounce against my body to show that they can’t hurt me.

But then, one impacts right where the spear had hit my temple.

Just as I expected, at the first flinch, the first show of vulnerability, a full barrage of projectiles is unleashed over me, trying to break me, forcing me to stop and raise my arms to protect my head.

“Move!” the guard shouts behind me, and I instantly feel a foot hit my back, sending me face first onto the dusty stone floor.

I spit dirt out of my mouth, still feeling the rocks raining over me, my only protection being my leather chest piece and my still bound arms atop my head.

“I said move!” the guard shouts again, hitting me in the spine with the butt of his spear.

“How?!” I shout at him, wanting to shove that spear up his arse.

“Crawl,” he says with a sneer that I can't see but I know is on his face. “Now!” He shouts, keeping his spear over my back so I can’t stand up.

Cursing under my breath, I start crawling on the floor, the crowd now laughing at my pathetic display. My only consolation being that their laughter interrupted the stones being thrown at me.

“You must be laughing,” I tell the voice in my head.

“This brings me no joy,” Celestia responds.

“Yet you’re allowing it.”

Suddenly, a hot wind blew against the crowd, silencing them, and even the guard had to step back, allowing me to stand back up with a grin on my face.

Not anyone can manipulate a god to their benefit. But I can.

I walk the rest of the way to the gallows without any more aggressions, the crowd’s ire quelled by the disapproval of their goddess. I start going up the steps, which are numerous enough for my situation to fully sink in.

This is the end. All that I worked so hard for is about to disappear the moment the floor falls under me and I plummet for a short eternity till the rope around my neck snaps my spine.

Worse would be to survive the fall. It would be some agonizing minutes for sure.

But maybe it would be for the best. Go out with a bit of a fight, staring down at everyone from above with my last bits of strength. Let it be known that I didn’t just lay down and die like a commoner.

I eventually arrive at the top, where the noose is waiting for me, and right next to it stands the captain of the Royal Guard. Stupid name for the army of a city without king or queen, but Celestia wanted to be both god and royalty. Calling herself ‘princess’ so the kids would like her more.

And they call me egocentric.

The captain grabs me by the shoulders and places me right on top of the trap floor before adjusting the noose around my neck. Surprisingly, he isn’t rough or hateful, not even an insult coming out of his mouth. Just the expected question.

“Any last words?”

I look down at the crowd that waits expectantly for my drop, and I can’t help but chuckle.

How many times did I imagine myself like this? But without the rope and with a victory speech prepared.

“Celestia…” I say looking at the sun, who had lowered its glare so I could see it without blinding myself.

I know she’s listening. I have her full attention.

One last time.

“TONGUE MA FART-BOX YA FUCKIN’ WALLOPER!”

The captain finally lost his temper and kicked the lever, letting me plummet to the floor that I would never reach alive.

I feel my stomach lurch at the sudden movement, hoping that I don’t throw up before dying. That would look pathetic.

My life doesn’t flash before my eyes, I can only see everything in a blur due to how fast I’m falling, and I can barely think as my mind goes into a panic due to my impending doom.

After a few seconds, the rope finally goes taut.

There’s a quick snap.

And I land with my back on the floor.

I open my eyes, not realizing that I had closed them, and look up. The noose had snapped perfectly down the middle.

Did I get lucky? Was the guard truly incompetent or cheap? Was this one of Celestia’s shite tests?

My questions were answered when I noticed a woman standing in front of me, wearing a long sky-blue cape with a pattern of leafy vines that cover her body. She was looking down at me, her wild green hair obscuring her face, but I could feel her gaze on me. A familiar feeling.

She is a goddess.

A goddess is standing right in front of me. Letting me see her physical body. Something Celestia never allowed me to despite dedicating almost my entire life to her worship.

And I could only think of one thing to say.

“Who in Tartarus are you?”

The goddess lets out a sigh that sounded… tired? Could gods get tired?

“I spare you from Celestia’s punishment, but if you wish to truly atone for your crimes, look for my temple.”

“And why would I do that?” I ask genuinely. “Is this some kind of deal?”

The goddess pulls her hand out of her cape, and with a twist of her wrist, my chains break apart.

“Hey, I asked you a question!” I protest, but the goddess turns into white petals that fly away in the wind. “What? You can't just leave. I have questions, dammit!”

It’s useless. The goddess is gone, and I’m left on the floor with a sore ass and in debt to some nutter with godly powers.

Beats choking to death, at least.

Speaking of which, the crowd that had gathered for the execution is now leaving, ignoring my existence completely. Even Celestia fucked off and hid her sun behind the clouds. A perfect show of the influence gods have in the world. No mortal would question their decisions. No matter how insane they were.

However… overruling another god? And Celestia specifically? That was impressive.

Maybe there’s something to gain in finding this goddess.

I stand up, rubbing my neck where the rope had bitten into the skin, and look at my clothes, covered with dirt and other stuff I don’t want to identify.

I need a bath, but the guards took all my money, and I’m sure my house is currently occupied by someone else. I also don’t have any allies that could shelter me.

I have only my life and the clothes on my back. Just like how I started years ago.

“Can’t cry over spilled milk,” I tell myself before I start walking to the public bathhouse.

As I move through the streets, I’m forced to shield my eyes from the light.

Little fun fact about Mycemare; every structure in the city, even the floor you walk on, is made of white as snow marble. Cleaned regularly till it reflects the sun upon its surface like a mirror. Only Celestia’s grace prevents her followers from ending up permanently blind due to this glaring design problem, and I don’t have that luxury anymore, so I have to walk around with fingers over my eyes, attracting the mockery of passersby.

I ignore them as best I can and continue marching onward, guided by memory since my vision is almost nothing, and eventually arrive at the bathhouse, letting out a sigh of relief when the roof hides me from the glaring sun.

Once I stop seeing everything in shades of gray, I move towards the large pool of water at the center, which is filled with people bathing or just relaxing from a day of hard work. “Great. Not even a chance of privacy.” I decide to simply ignore everyone and just go on with my business. There’s no reason for me to care about their opinions anymore.

I go to a lone corner of the pool and take off my black boots and chestpiece before using the water to clean the dirt and muck off of them–an easy task on leather, but my tunic would be more difficult.

I give one last look around to check that no one was paying attention to me before finishing undressing down to my underwear, then immediately jump in the water.

It is cold! Celestia’s supposed to use her glaikit sun to heat the water, but apparently she’s such a resentful boot that she will deny me even a warm bath.

Whatever, the boot can laugh all she wants, I’ll get clean anyway.

I plunge my tunic into the water, and luckily, since I wore my chestpiece over it, it got saved from most of the damage. After some good scrubbing, it’s clean again.

I leave everything under the sun so it could dry─I was honestly expecting the sun to hide behind the clouds again, but Celestia probably didn’t notice─and go back to the pool, scrubbing myself this time, careful to not put too much pressure over my bruises.

I take a deep breath and dunk my head under the water to clean my head. It’s at this moment, with my eyes closed and in the relative privacy inside the sky-blue water, that I let loose.

I lost everything! Years of planning, secret research, skulduggery and effort lost due to that delusional, feet-licking, book-loving, short-sighted, purple clipe! that can’t wipe her own arse without sun-mommy’s permission.

I almost had it in my hands! With that crown in my head I would’ve achieved godhood in just a few weeks! Two month’s maximum!

But now I don’t have followers to do my bidding. Or a quiet place to go back to. I can’t even feed myself.

I feel like I’m crying, but luckily, being under the water helps keep me convinced that I haven’t lost my dignity yet.

What in Tartarus am I going to do now?! Beg in the streets? Try again with some other god? Ask for forgiveness?!

Forgiveness…

That green-haired nutter. I couldn’t recognize her, so she mustn't be really well known, meaning that her followers most likely won’t know me, leaving fertile ground to start over. And if she has enough influence to override Celestia’s execution… yes… this could work… It’s the best option I have at the moment.

My lungs beg for air so I stand back up, take a deep breath, and go for my dry clothes.

New objective: Find the green nutter, and get her on my side.

How hard could it be?

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

First Labor: The Search.

First Labor: The Search

I leave the bathhouse ─immediately covering my eyes so I wouldn’t go blind again─ and start walking to my next destination; Star Swirl’s Library. A massive, three stories tall and six square long marble and oak monument of knowledge. I visited this place many times over the years, reading every book about gods, artifacts and history that I could, but even after going through thousands of books and scrolls, I never managed to read even a tenth of what’s contained here.

As soon as I enter, my vision changes from the glaring white of the streets to the colossal bookshelves that occupy almost every space available in the entrance hall, reaching the ceiling of the second floor, filled with uncountable amounts of books, parchments and scrolls. All of them gathered by the God of Knowledge.

And in front of them, the small reception desk rested, with a familiar grey-skinned woman with black hair tied in a bun sitting behind it, writing on parchment.

The one, and probably only, thing I always hated about this place was that I couldn’t find things on my own, no matter how much I tried. So I had to ask for help.

Her help.

“Good evening, Inkwell,” I greet her with a half-smile.

The woman doesn’t take her eyes away from her work. “Hello Sunset. I see you survived your execution. Congratulations.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” I say through gritted teeth. She always knew how to piss me off with just a few words.

“I’m being honest,” she says, lifting her head so I could see her neutral expression.

I raise an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“As insufferable as you are, execution seems a bit too hard a punishment.”

“Those may be the kindest words you’ve ever said to me,” I say, mockingly wiping a nonexistent tear.

Inkwell returns her gaze to her work. “This is also the longest conversation we’ve ever had. You would hear them more often if you were more talkative.”

“You’re not that interesting,” I scoff.

Inkwell remains unaffected by my words. “How would you know if we never talk?” I’m about to retort, but she interrupts me. “What information do you need?”

Finally. “I want to know all about a particular goddess. Green hair, sky-colored cape with vines, kind of a nutter.”

Inkwell looks at me with confusion for a moment. “That description doesn’t ring any bells, but you can certainly search for your answer. Follow me.”

Inkwell guides me through the aisles of the library, calling out to some of her coworkers and asking them to retrieve certain books from the bookshelves, until I eventually have a small army of librarians carrying stuff for me.

“This should be all we have about the known goddesses. As long as you don’t destroy anything, you can read them here.” She points at one of the large oak tables and benches where the librarians were piling the books into a small fortress of literature. “Good luck.”

With that, Inkwell leaves, and I’m left alone to research. Just as I’ve always liked it.

It doesn’t feel the same, for some reason.

I start going through the books, quickly finding some information on one of the known goddesses; Mistmane, the Goddess of Beauty.

I always found it ironic that she represents beauty, despite being described as anything but pleasant to look at. Though apparently she once was the pinnacle of beauty. I guess she pissed off some other god and got punished.

Regardless, her hair is known to be grey currently, so she isn’t what I’m looking for. I put her tale aside and keep looking.

The next goddess I find is Somnambula, the Goddess of Hope.

This one sounds a bit closer to what I’m looking for. Makes sense that she would intervene in a hopeless situation. She’s depicted with white clothing and more of a bluish hair, but she may be related in some other way. The tale of her ascension to godhood mentions her defeating the Sphinx, but I wouldn’t consider just scaring it off and not dealing with the problem permanently worthy of godhood. Sadly, I don’t make the rules.

That would be Harmony’s business.

Further research doesn’t reveal anything about a goddess with green hair, so I continue with the next goddess; Mage Meadowbrook, the Goddess of Healing.

She’s not a fit for the description, and her story is basically ‘I invented medicine and got rewarded with godhood’, which honestly is a much better reason than the other two. Doesn’t stop her from being a useless piece of shite.

Hours pass, and my frustration grows with each minute.

Even now, I haven’t found any goddess that fit her description. I had even gone back and reread the tales of the other goddesses in case I missed some mention of a disciple or something, but they didn’t contain even a clue about what I was looking for.

I start going through possible ascendants to godhood, checking if someone had succeeded. There were many ways of achieving the title of god, but many fell short or got killed doing something stupid.

Which isn’t my case. I got snitched on. There’s a difference.

When I glance away from the books for the first time, I realize that it was already night, and the librarians are blowing out the lights of the library.

“I already lost a day and I’ve nothing,” I mutter with clenched teeth.

“You can sleep here if you want,” Inkwell says, throwing a blanket next to me.

“I don’t need your charity,” I tell her with a glare.

“You could work here, you know?” Inkwell offers. “Earn some money during the day and research in the evening. Feed yourself with your own effort.”

“What makes you think I want to be a librarian?”

Inkwell shrugs. “I’m probably the only person in this city that would offer you a job.” With that, she turns around and leaves just as the last lights go out.

I look at the blanket. My new possession. Earned out of pity.

“Suck it up,” I tell myself, placing the blanket over me and laying on top of the bench I’ve been sitting on.

I think back to the warm and comfortable bed I had in my house, now being used by someone who didn’t work for it. And not only that, but all of my possessions,currently in the hands of someone else. My clothes, my paintings, my instruments, my old toys.

I’m not sure if I would prefer that they use them or destroy them.

I wipe my face and do my best to fall asleep. I need to work harder tomorrow.

I will get it all back.

The first voice I hear in the morning makes me want to explode into murderous rage.

"Sunset?"

I slowly rise from my slumber, the blanket falling from my frame and exposing what I hope is an intimidating-enough posture, and I stand full height over the purple woman that had dared to approach me.

"Hi Twilight," I say with as much venom crammed into my words as I can. "What do you want?"

The woman was wearing similar tunics to mine, but in light-blue colors with purple rims. Other than that, we couldn’t be more different.

Her dark-purple hair was straight and simple, while mine was curvy and wild. Her tones were darker, while mine were radiant. She was shy and dependent on others, while I was confident and independent. She barely thinks for herself, while I’m always looking at the future.

And above all that, she’s a slave to Celestia, while I only follow my own path.

“H-hi Sunset...” she mutters pathetically. “You look… uhm...”

“What? Am I too alive for your taste?” I really, really want to strangle her. Let her know how it feels when a noose is placed around your neck. But sun-mommy’s little trophy follower can’t be touched without repercussions, and I’m not eager to return to the gallows.

“I… I didn’t know it was going to go that far! I just wanted to-”

“Well, were it not for some green goddess coming out of nowhere, you would be apologizing to my still-hanging corpse!” I shout, making her shrink more into herself.

“Sunset, what you were trying to do was dangerous. I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t see it coming. I was worried about you-”

“Don’t feed me that shite Twilight! You only care about Celestia giving you praise!”

“That’s not true!” Twilight finally shouts back, clenching her fists in a poor expression of anger. “Why are you always like this? I’m trying to apologize!”

I cross my arms because I know I’ll beat her senseless if they move freely.“Do you, now? Or are you just trying to prove that you’re the better woman?”

“I’m...” The words get caught up in her throat, and I can hear the gears in her brain struggle to think of a response.

“Just tell me what you came here to do before I bash your head against the table.”

“Fine.” She changes her attitude to a more determined one, and stands firm and proper with false bravado. “By order of Princess Celestia, Goddess of the Sun, you’re banished from Mycemare until further notice.” She pauses, expecting some sort of remark from me. Shouting, pleading, cursing, or straight up just beating her to death.

I won’t give her the satisfaction.

I take a deep, deep breath, digging my fingers into my arms to hold it together. "I guess I should've seen it coming."

Twilight's pose falls apart rather quickly after my reaction, and she stumbles over her next words. “W-what? You don’t care?”

“I do. But it’s the will of your goddess,” I say before turning my back to her.

“B-but… I thought you would...” Twilight mumbles as I grab my blanket and start folding it till it's easier to carry.

"Is that all you have?" Twilight questions with her mind-numbing ignorance.

"Yes. Or will Celestia be so graceful to allow me to grab something from my house?" I ask, a little part of me hoping for a yes.

"Actually… It's my house now."

My eye twitches and I turn around, grabbing her by the neck of her tunic before pulling her face up to mine. "If you touch anything, no god alive will protect you from me."

“I would never!” Twilight pleads, eyes filled with fear. She knows I’m not kidding. “Spike’s the one that will live there. I’ll tell him to save your things.”

“He better.” I let go of her and grab my blanket to leave.

Twilight follows me. “Sunset, it’s just till further notice.”

"Oh! That makes a world of difference!" I scream at her with fire reflecting in my eyes.

“It means you can get it back,” she clarifies. “Just apologize to Princess Celestia and-”

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me, ye doaty clipe?!” I ask, genuinely dumbfounded by her stupidity.

Twilight takes a step back, apparently realizing the sheer nonsense she just said. “It's not impossible. You know Kindness is one of the six virtues Princess-”

"Kindness?!" I shout, my knuckles turning white as I clench my fists. "Where was this Kindness when your brother placed a noose around my neck? Where was Loyalty when my followers joined the crowd to throw stones at me? Where was Laughter when everyone ridiculed me as I crawled on the dirt towards my execution? Where was Honesty when Celestia said she would never replace me? Where was Generosity when, despite my efforts, I was granted nothing while you got everything on a silver platter?"

Twilight’s about to respond, but I'm tired of her clueless nonsense, so I turn to leave once again.

"Sunset!" Twilight keeps insisting. "I know you think they failed you, but you know they're important."

I stop, but instead of anger, I can't help but laugh. “You know which of the six virtues is truly important,” I say pointing at her. “Magic. Power. The abilities that creatures and gods can harness for their own needs.” I raise my arm and point at the sky. “Magic is the virtue that overshadows all others. The one that can change the world and fix its mistakes. The one that can grant you godhood.” I pause, looking at Twilight straight in the eyes. “The one that can give you the answers to all the things you’re always reading about and researching.”

I grin as my words sink into her head, filling her with ideas that I’m sure Celestia would disagree about, and I leave her behind with higher spirits.

However, before I can fully make my exit, another annoying voice stops me on my way out.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

I sigh and turn to address her. "No Inkwell, Celestia's pet interrupted me to say that I'm no longer welcomed in this city."

Inkwell remains stoic as she keeps writing her scrolls. "I wish she had started with that instead of the execution."

"What's your deal, Inkwell?" I ask, walking up to her desk. "What do you expect to gain from all of this?"

The librarian raises her head to look me straight in the eyes. "Is it that hard to believe that I genuinely want to help you?"

I give her a flat expression. "Out of pity."

She sighs and sets her quill down. “If you want me to be honest, try and be friendly with me. At least in these last moments before we probably never see each other again.”

I look her in the eyes, searching for any kind of trick or ruse, but she keeps being the hardest book to read in this entire library. She’s one of the few people I was never able to fully figure out, and honestly, this may be my only chance.

“Very well, I’ll be ‘friendly’ to you until I leave this library.”

Inkwell nods, taking my word for it, and gives me the answer to my question.

“I admire you.”

I laugh. Loudly. “Shut yer pus.”

Inkwell rolls her eyes, which was honestly surprising coming from her. “To be more clear, I admire how driven you are. You barely escaped being executed and lost everything that was dear to you, yet, only hours after the fact, you already have a new plan that I know you’ll follow till the end. Not everyone can do that.”

“I don’t cry over spilled milk,” I tell her with a cocky smile, but I feel like it doesn't have as much of a punch as I intended.

“Well, you could,” Inkwell proposes. “But I know it’s not your style. At least not in public.”

I cock my head to the side. “I thought you said we didn’t know each other much?”

“There are some things I notice,” she tells me, showing the first smile I ever saw on her face. “And one of those things is that your drive to move forwards and accomplish your goals is both your strength and your weakness. If the path you set for yourself is the wrong one, you’ll crash and burn, just like what you tried with the crown.”

I frown. “That was-”

“I know,” she interrupts me. “You can justify it all you want, but the matter stands that you would’ve died, and you’re alive by the whims of the gods you detest. And if you won’t hear my warning, I hope you find someone who can convince you before it’s too late.”

I clench my teeth, holding back a retort. “Since I’m being ‘friendly’ I’ll let that slide. Goodbye, Inkwell.”

I go for the exit, but the librarian tries to get the last word. “Being friendly isn’t just not being an ass.”

I stop, tapping the side of my thigh before turning around. “As infuriating as it is, I respect how you can keep your composure no matter what.”

Inkwell looked at me, seemingly pondering my words. “I suppose that counts as a compliment.”

“We’re even, then,” I turn to leave once again.

“She’s known as The Forgotten Goddess.”

I turn around and march over to her desk, slamming my hands on it. “How do you know? Since when?”

“Since last night,” she answers calmly. “Princess Luna talked to me in my dreams, and invites you to her temple over in Ceryneigh.”

“And you were going to hide this information from me unless I was friendly?” I ask as I stare her down with all my fury, but she’s completely unaffected.

“I would’ve told you anyway, I just wanted to have a bit of a pleasant talk before you leave.”

I cross my arms. “So it was out of pity.”

Inkwell shakes her head, “That wasn’t out of pity.” She bends down under her desk and pulls out a small wooden box. “This is.” She pushes it against my chest till I’m forced to grab it.

“What is this?”

“Lunch,” Inkwell answers matter-of-factly before diving back into her work.

I look down at the box, my first instinct being to throw it at her face, but instead, I envelop it with my blanket and fasten it to my back.

“Thank you,” I say as low as I can before leaving the library and heading towards the south gate of the city.

With a loud bang, the gates close behind me. A show of spite, since they would need to reopen them soon for the rest of the population when I'm far enough.

I feel tempted to sit down and ridicule them, but Luna's temple is far away, and I don't have much time. I look southwards to the dirt trail that would eventually lead me inside the Everfree Forest, the first and only landmark between here and Ceryneigh.

I sigh and start walking, having nothing to do but to plan ahead.

Okay, so she’s called The Forgotten Goddess, and her reaction to me not knowing who she was makes it clear that she doesn’t get much attention. She certainly has some pull in the pantheon if she can intervene in Celestia’s actions, and Luna told Raven about her, so she’s known with the gods–but not with the humans. She may have a very small following, which would mean she’s not really powerful. Why is she important, though? Did she perform some sort of miracle? She doesn’t look like the fighting type, so she may have powerful magic.

Luna can give me more information about her. I can find an exploit in her insecurities, use it to pull her to my side. If that fails, I can try and steal her followers. Offer to be her spokeswoman and spread the word of her so she isn’t forgotten, then use her as a medium to gain a following. I could also see if I can convince her to give me some useful blessing. The crown wasn’t the only powerful artifact in the world, and I could still steal it with the right tools and a good plan.

I just need to be more careful, and make sure I do it alone. It’s already been proven to me that followers can't be trusted.

After a few more hours of travel, I spot the entrance to the Everfree Forest and decide to sit down and rest at the side of the road, opening the box Raven gave me. Inside, I find some olives and figs, salted fish, a few pieces of cheese and half a loaf of bread, along with a wineskin and a large waterskin. It would last me till tomorrow if I ration it, so I may be able to reach Ceryneigh before I start being truly hungry.

I soak the bread with wine and start eating it in small bites as I check the sky. I only had about an hour more of daylight to travel, and then I would need to find some shelter to pass the night. If I’m really lucky, I may find some scrap of civilization to hide in; otherwise, I might need to settle for a tree in the forest.

I finish the bread and down it with the rest of the wine before going back on the road and entering the Everfree, keeping an eye out for any kind of shelter I can find.

Sadly, I’m not successful. And as the night is about to fall and cover everything in absolute darkness, I’m forced to pick a tree and hope for the best.

I rest my back against a tree and take a long sip of my waterskin before returning it to the box, which I hug to my chest after covering myself with my blanket. The last thing I need is for someone to steal it while I sleep.

Between the hard wood against my back and the bending of my knees to be able to cover myself completely, I can tell for sure that I’ll be sore in the morning, but I don’t have any other option. “Tough it up. This’ll sweeten the victory,” I say to myself before closing my eyes and doing my best to sleep the night away.

The morning was more horrible than I expected.

I wake up feeling anything but restful, and, when I try to stir into some semblance of awakeness, my muscles cramp painfully, and I let out a silent scream as I massage them so they loosen.

At least the pain wakes me up.

I eat a few figs to give myself some energy for the long day of walking, tie my things to my back, and set out on the road again. I try to stretch a bit more as I walk, but my muscles warn me that any wrong movement could end with a new painful cramp. My body isn’t used to this amount of walking, but it’ll get better at it with time.

Since I don’t have the energy or ideas to make plans right now, I settle with observing the world around me.

The Everfree is quite beautiful, to be honest. The tall fir trees flanking the road with their trunks and covering the sky with their branches, full of vibrant green due to the light of the sun that barely pierces through, makes it seem like you’re walking through a tunnel with an elaborate green ceiling, and the sound of birds and other forest life hidden between the trunks not only breaks the monotony, but adds to the natural beauty of the place. If things go right with the green nutter, I would like to pass through here again, without the exhaustion and… other baggage.

There are more people coming and going today, all of them merchants that don’t pay me much attention since it’s clear that I don’t have money on me. It’s something that I appreciate at first, but, after a few hours, I’m so bored that I wouldn’t mind hearing a voice different than the one in my head.

Mostly because it keeps whispering useless stuff in my ears.

But sadly, as the end of the day gets closer, I’m slowly left alone on the road once again. I’m expecting another lonely night of painful sleep, when suddenly I see something up ahead.

“Finally some good fortune!” I think as I approach an ‘abandoned’ cart with two horses still attached. I quickly make my way to it and start rummaging through the cargo, and my smile widens. Without opening some chests and boxes, I find a few dozen bits here, and a couple of tanned skins that could sell for even more, plus some water and a bit of food.

Obviously, the cart isn’t going to remain ‘abandoned’ for long –the owner’s probably shitting somewhere in the bushes– so I need to move fast if I want a quick ticket to Ceryneigh.

I begin climbing onto the cart, but then I hear movement coming from the foliage on the side of the road. I quickly go for the reins, ready to make a rapid escape, when suddenly a beautiful hind with red morning coat jumps over the bushline in a majestic arc before landing on the dirt.

Almost immediately, it turns its head in my direction, focusing his dark eyes on me.

I suddenly feel like a little kid with her hand trapped in the cookie jar. I can feel it judging my actions like a disappointing mother, and, even if it’s just a wild beast, it pisses me off.

“You got a problem?”

The hind moves its large ears a bit, but keeps staring, not even afraid of me. “Go away!” I yell, but it doesn’t even flinch.

Furious, I climb down from the cart and walk up to it, a bit surprised by the fact that it remains so calm. “You better run before I-'' The animal suddenly jumps and fires off like a lightning bolt, getting lost behind the bushes on the other side of the road.

I’m about to laugh, but before I can cry victory, I hear a low whistling sound, and something pierces my left arm. I scream in pain as I clutch my wounded limb, looking at an arrow sticking out of my flesh.

“What are you doing in the middle of the road?!” A voice screams from the bushes where the hind came from, and seconds later a woman walks through them.

She’s wearing a purple hunter’s hat and cape with what looks like little Star painted on it, which are a really bad color to blend into the environment like a hunter should, but taking into account that her hair is white and her skin bright blue, I’ll say that was a lost cause to begin with.

“What are you doing shooting arrows over a commonly used road?!” I scream, still clutching my wounded arm.

“Isn’t it obvious? Trixie was trying to get that hind that you just let escape.”

“Let escape? What, did you expect me to hold it in place while you shot through both of us?”

“Trixie would’ve thanked you for it,” the woman says, finally standing in front of me, and I just want to punch her lights out. She even has the perfect ‘come and batter me’ face.

“Well, I still got injured because of you!” I say pointing at the arrow sticking out of both sides of my left arm.

The woman rolls her eyes. “Don’t be a baby.” She suddenly grabs the arrow with her hands and snaps the tip before taking the rest out in a quick and painful pull.

I scream and, by furious instinct, send my fist towards her face, but the woman dodges it with irritating ease and pushes me against the cart. “If you stop your meckerm, I can patch you up.”

“Ye better dae, fuckn’ dobber.”

The woman rolls her eyes. “Stinkstiefel.” She digs around the cart, making it clear that it belonged to her, and pulls out some simple bandages before wrapping them tightly around my wound till the bleeding stops. “Better?”

“Yeah.” I have to admit, she knows her way around wounds. It doesn't even hurt anymore. “You still owe me for the injury.”

She rolls her eyes once more before shrugging. “Fine, Trixie can give you a ride over to Ceryneigh so you don’t walk while injured. You can see if you can get proper medical care there.”

“That would be a start,” I say before climbing up the cart, moving her stuff around to make a semi-comfortable seat. The woman doesn’t complain and jumps on, leaving her bow and quiver behind her before taking the reins and getting the horses to move.

Well, at least I’ll get an easier trip to my objective, and the wound could earn me some sympathy.

I set my things aside and lay myself to rest, hoping to recharge some energy, but my driver starts speaking. “Trixie’s sure you’re wondering, ‘just who is this beautiful woman who saved me?’”

I frown. “You just said your name in third person.”

“You are lucky to find yourself in the presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she boasts uselessly to the wind.

“Yay...” I deadpan.

“And who would you be, dear fan?”

I point at my bandages. “The woman you shot with an arrow.”

“Appropriate name. Your parents must be oracles.”

“Shut up,” I warn her, gritting my teeth. I don’t want to think about them.

“And why would Trixie do such a thing?” she asks, clearly offended.

“I just want to get some sleep.”

“And miss out on Trixie’s majestic tales? She has seen interesting things on her travels. There are many wonders to see out in the world.”

“Yeah, sure,” I say disinterested, but then I think of something. “Have you heard of The Forgotten Goddess?”

“Of course Trixie has.” She scoffs. “The Great and Powerful Trixie knows many secrets. That’s what makes her great and powerful.”

“Tell me all you know,” I demand, moving to her side.

“Very well.” She clears her throat before closing her eyes and moving one hand dramatically. “The Forgotten Goddess is who she is thanks to Princess Luna, goddess of-”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah yeah, I know her titles, speed it up.”

The woman frowns at me. “Well aren’t you rude. Do you have no appreciation for proper storytelling?”

“The only thing I’ll appreciate is you telling me what I want to know.” I point at my bandages again. “You still owe me.”

“Trixie’s already taking you to Ceryneigh.”

“It doesn’t cost you anything, neither does telling me about The Forgotten Goddess,” I say, losing patience.

The woman lets out an offended ‘hump’ and looks away from me. “Well, if you want to know so badly, you could apologize to Trixie.”

My eye twitches. “Excuse me?” I say with a frown.

“No, you excuse Trixie. Apologize and let Trixie tell her stories without rude interruptions.”

“Apologize? Rude?! You shot me with an arrow!” I scream clenching my fists.

“It was an accident. Trixie patched you up, and compensated it with a free ride.”

I’m starting to see red. Just what does this woman think she is? She’s even more unbearable and infuriating than Twilight. “Listen to me you little dobber. If you don’t tell me-”

The woman suddenly shoves me with her hand, displaying a surprising amount of strength, and sends me flying out of the cart, landing with my back on the dirt and knocking the air out of my lungs.

I quickly stand up, and I’m about to curse her name and all her future offspring when I realize something. All my possessions are still in the cart.

“Hey wait! Give me back my stuff!” I shout, running after her, but she ignores me and whips the reins, making the cart go just fast enough that I can’t reach it. “Fuckin’ thief!”

“Like you wouldn’t have done the same!” she shouts back at me. “You think Trixie’s stupid? Maybe she should’ve left you wounded on the road!”

I try sprinting faster, but I not only can’t reach it, I trip and fall on my face.

As I stand up and remove the dirt from my face, I realize that the night’s already falling over the forest. Soon it’ll be too dark to see the road ahead and I’ll surely become lost without any light source. The woman doesn’t seem to care. She probably has the road memorized due to her travels.

“Stop! Please!” I shout as I start running again, but she keeps ignoring me.

I’m getting tired and beginning to fall behind, increasing the distance between us. It’s clear I’ll never catch up to her. “Fine!”

I stop, clenching my fist and cursing under my breath. “I’m sorry!”

She doesn’t stop, but she lowers the speed of the cart. “For what?!”

“For being...” I sigh, defeated. “For being rude. And trying to steal your cart!”

She brings the cart to a stop, and turns to look at me. “Do you mean it?”

I’m about to say something snarky, but I stop myself. “Yes. I… lost everything I had recently. It's horrible, and I’m desperate. I shouldn’t have tried to put you into that situation. I’m sorry.” As I say those words, the sun finishes hiding under the horizon, and everything is consumed by darkness.

I lose sight of the woman, and I hear no answer. “Trixie, please!”

A small but bright light appears, trapped inside a dark metal lamp that hangs right beside Trixie. “Come on, grab your stuff.”

“Thank you.” I say honestly, surprising myself. I run up to the cart and jump on, grabbing my things and tying them to my back. “Are you still taking me to Ceryneigh?”

“Yes, that was the compensation for your arm,” she says with a calm smile.

“Thank you,” I say with relief, and I sit at the back.

Trixie whips the reins to get the horses moving. “Trixie recommends that you get some rest. You’ll have the tale of the goddess when you wake up.”

I want to argue. I want the answers now. But she’ll just throw me off again. “Okay.” I’m tired anyway, I can wait a bit more. I get as comfortable as the bumpy cart allows me and close my eyes.

Surprisingly, I fall asleep almost instantly.

I wake up on my own, and to my surprise, it’s still the middle of the night.

“Where are we?” I ask, a bit groggy.

“Welcome to Ceryneigh!” Trixie announces ecstatically.

I look around the cart, and indeed, this is the city of The Moon Goddess.

While Mycemare is a city that reflects the ‘glory of the sun’, Ceryneigh was built to appreciate the night. The roads are wide to let the shine of the moonlight illuminate the city, as its citizens have pleasant nightwalks under the watch of the Star. The buildings are painted in shades of dark blue, and I’ve read that they all need to have at least one large room with a skylight, where all family gatherings and important reunions are organized under the moon. One could argue it’s an invasion of privacy, but Luna can see everyone’s dreams at will, so it’s like arguing that the problem with being burned at the stake is that they use too much wood.

I shake my head and snap out of my thoughts. I’ve a meeting with a god.

I jump off the cart, grabbing my things and securing them to my back before looking over the houses for Luna’s temple. It’s a huge cathedral-like structure, so it should be hard to m-

Turns out, it’s right in front of me.

“You can thank Trixie now.”

I turn back to look at the hunter, and I notice that there’s something weird with her. It's like she has a very subtle moonlight shine over her skin, and her violet eyes look like they were coated in pure silver.

“I’ll need this back,” she says, before grabbing the bandage in my arm and pulling it off.

“What?” I ask, inspecting my supposedly wounded arm. As it turns out, there’s no wound to be seen.

“Say hi to Luna for me.” Trixie grabs the reins and whips them, but instead of the snap of leather, I hear a short thunder, and the cart and horses lurch forward before disappearing from view. I’m left standing with my jaw hanging, wondering what kind of being that woman was.

I slap the sides of my head to come back to my senses and walk towards the temple, knocking on the large ornate doors that had the moon and Star carved into the wood. After a few short seconds, the entrance opens just enough for me to pass, and, when I take a quick peek inside, I notice that there’s no one else here. Looks like I got a private meeting.

I quickly enter and start walking deeper inside the cathedral, looking around for any sign of the Goddess of the Moon.

The roof of the temple is a massive skylight set directly under the moon, illuminating all of the treasures kept inside. Treasures that I can't help but stop to look at.

Gods need followers to keep their powers strong over their dominions, and they attract them in various ways.

Celestia baits her followers with promises of peace and harmony in her marble city.

Luna gains followers with the wonderment of the things in the immense dark.

Looking up, I see the hanging spheres of multiple colors that represent our ‘solar system’., which I’m pretty sure Luna named to honor her sister.

Even if I find the claims that ‘the sun is the center of all’ ridiculous, the fact that there are other worlds completely different than ours fascinates me. We only have representation of nine, but supposedly there’s an unimaginable amount of planets in the immense dark, so the possibilities are literally endless. Sure, the planets that we know of would cause instant death to anything that wasn’t a god-like being if they went there, but it’s possible that a planet just like ours exists, with its own population and gods, but with a different evolution.

(A nutter in Celestia’s academy was obsessed with the idea. She eventually moved to this city so she could search for some dream planet she had imagined when she was little.)

I walk over to a bronze stand where a light gray comet rests in a dormant state. Luna herself brought it down from the night sky for us to ogle at, and, while it doesn’t shine brightly like when it’s up in the immense dark, it’s still quite a sight. The moonlight reflects off of it like polished metal despite having a porous texture, and when I slide my hand over it, it leaves a small tingle in my skin.

According to legends, some of the most powerful artifacts in the world have been created using materials gathered from the immense dark, Luna’s Nightmare Armour being the most used example. I continue ogling over all the things I can only find inside this temple, until a firm but still soft voice calls my name.

I move in the direction of the voice, until suddenly the moon shines as bright as the sun, and all that light focuses on a circle in front of me. I shield my eyes a little, but I manage to see as some shadows appear inside the pillar of light, taking a rough shape of the Moon Goddess.

“Welcome, Sunset,” she says softly, her words sounding like a lullaby.

“Thank you for the invitation.” I say while blinking, my eyes slowly adjusting to the bright light. “Although you could’ve skipped the transport.”

“Transport?” She asks me, tilting her head to the side.

I point behind me. “Yeah, the woman in the cart. It was a test, right?”

Luna laughs at me.

I swear, there must be some sort of bet about who can piss me off the most that I’m not aware about.

“Of course you would think the gods would take the time to test you in some way,” she manages to say as she calms down.

“What? Then what was all that about? I thought you were trying to teach me something or give me a lesson like with Inkwell!”

Luna shakes her head, still chuckling a bit. “We gave no instructions to Raven, and Trixie’s just really self-absorbed. But please forgive her. She’s not a bad woman.”

“I… don’t have enough proof,” I mumble. “What is she by the way?”

“One of my daughters,” Luna answers simply.

I figured. The ‘children’ of gods get some powerful blessings when they’re chosen. Trixie must be a favorite.

“If meeting Trixie was just a massive coincidence, are you just going to point me to the Forgotten Goddess and wish me luck? I would like to know just who she is.”

Luna raises an eyebrow. “Oh really? So you can brew some nefarious scheme against her?”

Shit. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“Sunset...” Luna sighs as she shakes her head. “Have you truly learnt nothing?”

I cross my arms defiantly. “You said the gods didn’t have the time to test me.”

“It’s not the gods testing you, it’s life,” she says with more aggressiveness in her voice, the lullaby tone lost completely. “Were it not for Wallflower, you would be dead and forgotten.”

My mouth morphs into a grin. “So that’s-”

“I said her name on purpose, Sunset,” Luna says with palpable irritation.

Way to take the fun out of it.

“Maybe my sister was right when she called you a lost cause.”

My heart stops for a moment, and I hate it for it. “I learned from her.”

Luna glares at me. “Clearly not.”

It doesn’t hurt. “Whatever. So, her name is Wallflower. Where can I find her?”

The Goddess of the Moon doesn’t respond. She just stares at me with contempt. And as the seconds pass, a small panic grows inside me at the prospect of her just leaving me without answer.

Letting out a long sigh, Luna finally talks. “Sunset, hear me very carefully.”

“My sister has abandoned you. You’ve barely anything to your name. You’re completely alone. The only reason you’re not buried is because Wallflower didn't want you forgotten. And it’s because of her that I’m speaking with you. Yet you still try to jump higher than you can, take more than what you’re offered, and alienate everyone around you. Do you not realize this is your last chance at something good? What will be left of you if Wallflower rejects you as well?”

“I’ll still have this.” I tap my finger against my temple. “I’ll manage.”

Luna shakes her head. “If only you knew how to use it.” She sighs before opening her eyes wide, and for a moment, the color in them changes to a familiar silver. “Trixie will take you to Maremisius. That's where Wallflower’s temple is located.”

“Thank you for the transport.” I’m being genuine, Maremisius is in the heart of the continent. I don’t think I would’ve survived my trip there from this location and with the small bits of food I have.

“You’re welcome.” Her lullaby tone of voice had returned, but her expression was still a bit aggressive. “As a last warning, if you somehow hurt or anger Wallflower-”

“You’ll smite me where I stand,” I say, rolling my eyes as I leave for the door. “No need to be dramatic.”

Luna says something more, but I don’t care. This entire conversation was mostly pointless. Other than the location of the temple, I only got the name of the goddess. I thought Luna would be better than her sister, but she’s just a different brand of annoying. Looking down on me like they’re perfect. Like they know me better than myself.

I exit the temple and find Trixie waiting for me in the cart. “You want to talk about your travels?” I ask her. Maybe I can gather something useful out of her rambling.

Trixie doesn’t respond, she just whips the reins with the familiar sound of thunder, and my entire body is suddenly flung forward at high speed, only to abruptly stop a second later.

I cover my mouth as my stomach threatens to send its contents back up my throat. “Ugh, could’ve warned me!”

I’m suddenly flung again, but this time there’s no invisible force stopping me, and I spin in the air before landing painfully on the ground. “Fuckn’ dobber! What was that for?!”

I lift my head as I scream, and see Trixie staring down at me with her silver eyes glowing ominously.

“Have fun in Tartarus, Hurentochter!” she yells at me before disappearing with another thunder of the reins.

I guess this daughter is really attached to mommy.

I stand up and dust myself off before looking around for the nutter’s temple, and it's then when I realize I’m in the middle of nowhere.

Trixie left me at the base of Maremisius which is covered in dense vegetation and scattered trees along with a large river flowing a few meters next to the mountain, but there’s no signs of civilization here. Except for…

“This can’t be it,” I say as I look at the ruins of a temple.

The stone blocks and pillars that form the structure are cracked, corroded, and covered in vines and other vegetation, which seem to be holding the temple better than its original foundations. On top of that, it’s almost offensively small. One could compare it to a slightly more elaborate house, in which a family of more than three would have problems with space.

I’ve seen shrines in better condition than this, but despite its horrible appearance, I can see people inside. I make my way to the door and step into the temple, discovering that the interior is faring only a little better than the outside. but my attention quickly moves to Wallflower’s followers.

They’re… well… they look rather… as broken as the temple.

None of them are wearing any kind of religious clothing ─there’s not even a priest guiding their prayers─ in fact, the most common type of clothing are rags and parchleather. Some of them look sick, one in particular wearing robes marking him as a leper. And most notable are the three soldiers wearing armor with the insignia of Flash Magnus. You would think that they would be praying for that god instead of whatever Wallflower is.

But no, they, and everyone inside the temple sans me, are crouched and praying to the statue at the other side of the entrance. A statue of a familiar woman with wild hair and long cape with leafy vine patterns.

Compared to the rest of the temple, the statue looks very well preserved.

“You decided to come.”

I nearly jump out of my skin and turn around to find the Forgotten Goddess just standing right behind where I was a moment ago.

Yeah, I forgot, she doesn’t do the dramatic entrance like the other gods.

As I recover from the near-heart attack, I get a good look at the face that I couldn’t discern the day of my execution. Lime-green skin with a few tiny freckles above her cheeks, surrounding a small mousy nose. Her brown eyes look as tired as she sounded that day, but she doesn’t have bags under her eyes. Overall, she looks rather pristine.

That’s god biology for you. Although it’s rather modest compared to the rest of the female side of the pantheon if you count Mistmane’s previous body.

Instead of beautiful or godly gorgeous, she seems to have settled for just cute.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” she asks me, and I realize I’ve been staring at her, completely zoned out.

“Yes! A little. Could you repeat?” Keep it together, Shimmer!

“Forget-Me-Not!” someone shouts behind me.

“Forget-Me-Not! Forget-Me-Not. Forget-Me-Not,” the followers of Wallflower start repeating as they turn to her, bowing and praying, some even crying.

Wallflower smiles, doing a little bow to them. “Forget-Me-Not.” she says, and instantly the chanting and sobbing stops, and a notable sense of relief takes hold of her followers.

I’m out of words. Frozen in place.

This… feels wrong.

No god that I’ve heard of has this kind of desperate devotion. No god just walks into their temple and addresses her followers directly. Not even mentioning the fact that she bowed to them. And that… instant effect on them. How can they go from begging to serene in seconds? Most of these people are knocking on the doors of Tartarus. One of the soldiers I saw earlier is missing an entire arm, while another has half of their face horribly burned! But just a word and a bow and they all just… forget about it?

Who are these people?

I turn to look at Wallflower, who’s just scratching the leather armor covering her forearm like this is just another day.

Who is this goddess?

“Finding my temple and having the will to come to me was the first step of your atonement,” she tells me before moving out of the way to the entrance. “Do you wish to take your next step?”

I take a deep breath and slowly get my emotions under control. Regardless of who she is and what she does, she’s just a tool. I need her to get what is mine, everything else is secondary.

I nod, determined and focused. “What do you need me to do?”

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Second Labor: The Shapeshifter.

Fun fact: This chapter was based on Hercules's third labor, The Hind of Ceryneia

Godflower.

Second Labor: The Shapeshifter

For your next step to redemption, you’ll need you to face a changeling,” Wallflower tells me as we walk away from her temple.

“A changeling? Aren’t those extinct?” I question.

“You know who they are?” she asks me, apparently surprised by my knowledge. That’s good.

I nod. “They were killed under Star Swirl’s orders.”

Wallflower turns to face me. “Killed? Not ‘cleansed’?”

I know that kind of question. She’s testing me. “It doesn’t matter what fancy words the gods use, it’s still genocide.”

“I see.” By her expression, I can tell that my answer was roughly correct to her wishes. “What else do you know of them?”

I start counting with my fingers as we walk. “They were a race of shapeshifting creatures that fed themselves by extracting the love of others, leaving them with nothing but hatred. They lived inside large tunnel systems that could shape themselves by the will of their queen. They hunted mostly in secret until Star Swirl helped discover their ploys and the location of their hive. Celestia was the one that dealt the finishing blow to the last queen of the changelings.”

“Did she tell you her name?” Wallflower asks me.

“Uh...” I scratch my head, trying to remember. “I don’t think she mentioned it.”

I hear a little sigh come out of her mouth. “It’s Chrysalis Hiveblood. Please remember it.”

“I will.” That’s a bit weird. Did they have a history together? “What should I do with the changeling? Kill it?”

“Or get them to leave. As long as the cave is abandoned by the end, the rest is up to you.”

“Understood.” Fighting a changeling. It won’t be easy.

We arrive at a dirt road that curves around the base of the mountain, and looking behind us, I realize that there’s nothing to indicate that Wallflower’s temple resides here. No one would know its location unless they were told where it is.

Wallflower knew this when she tasked me to look for her temple. She knew she was sending me on a fool's quest unless Luna intervened. Luna said it was because of her that she talked with me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Wallflower asked her to meet me.

The green goddess stops in front of the road and points to the west. “Follow this road and you’ll eventually arrive at Nemarea. The cave of the changeling is in the hills around that city. Search for a trail of blue flowers – they will guide you to its location.”

“Nemarea… wait, that’s too far away from here! I’ll never reach it on foot, notwith what little food I have.” I was already stretching it with the travel from Mycemare to Ceryneigh, but this would be at least twice as long.

“How did you get to my temple?” Wallflower asks me.

“One of the daughters of Luna brought me in her cart.”

“Oh, Trixie. Did she tell you how to call her?”

I scratch the back of my head, looking away. “No...”

The goddess frowns, apparently surprised by my answer. “Why not?”

“I… you know what happened!” I exclaim, crossing my arms.

Wallflower gives me a confused look. “Gods aren’t omniscient.”

My eyes widen. “They aren't?”

She shakes her head.

That lying boot.

“So, what happened?” Wallflower insists.

I let out a sigh. “I guess I insulted her mither. She told me to ‘Have fun in Tartarus’.”

“There’s no fun in Tartarus,” she tells me before pointing eastward. “Cleomare is the nearest town to my temple. You can get a horse and some provisions there.”

“And how would I afford all of that?” I say, hoping to get some coins from the goddess.

She looks at me directly in the eyes. “Ask nicely.” Then she turns into petals and vanishes.

I’m left alone and stunned. “Okay... I don’t have much of a choice, then.”

Cleomare turns out to be a simple farming village of timber-framed houses with distinct thatched roofs and overhanging upper floors. There’s no immediate indication of to which god they pray, so they may be a mixed community with individual shrines in their houses, or they’re just too poor to afford a proper temple.

As I walk towards the center of the village, I look around in search of a general store where I could buy ─or, more likely, beg─ for some rations. It's the only thing I could get without money, since I don’t think any rational human being would give a horse to some wanderer they don’t know. It would be easier if I had some proof that I’m on a mission from the gods.

Maybe I should’ve asked for that instead of money.

My nose picks up a scent that immediately stops me in my tracks. It’s sweet, and makes my mouth water, so my legs move towards its origin without my permission, but I’m not complaining.

I arrive at a small stand full of something I’ve only seen in lavish banquets.

Apples.

Apples of various shapes and colors. Made into pies and other pastries. Covered with honey.

How can a small town afford what in Ceryneigh would be a delicacy?

“Interested in our apples, little girl?” the vendor asks me.

She’s an old woman with lime green skin and gray hair, wearing farming attire and an orange neckerchief dotted with red apples. Despite being old enough to be my grandmother, her body still retains some of the strength gained from hard labor.

“You grow them yourself?” I ask, pointing at the apples. That would be an explanation for how they can afford them.

“With the help of my family.” She says with pride. “Or at least those who haven’t moved away.”

I give her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t worry. They need to leave the nest someday,” she says, more to herself than me. “What can I offer you?”

I tap my fingers against the counter of the stall. “Actually… I don’t have any money to pay for any of this.”

The old woman takes a closer look at me. “You don’t look like a vagabond. Did you get mugged on your way here?”

“Something like that.” I was the one trying to steal, but didn’t get anything out of it, so I guess it doesn’t count.

The granny rubs her chin. “Well, I can’t just give them for free, but you seem to be an able woman. Tell you what, if you help my granddaughter with her chores at the farm, I can give you all that you can carry, plus some bits.”

I scrunch up my nose. Might as well try. “I wouldn’t mind working, but I’m on a mission from the gods right now. I need to get to Nemarea soon.”

“Are you a follower of Meadowbrook?” the granny asks me.

“No,” I answer, and I immediately regret it. Should’ve lied.

“Well, we’re going to send a shipment to Molorcolts later today. You can ride on it and get half of your travel done.”

Not the best option, but I’ll take what I can. “That would be perfect.”

The old woman points southward. “Just walk down the road till you see a big red barn. Can’t miss it. If you see a girl with a red ribbon on her head, call her over and tell her that I sent you to help out.”

“Okay. What’s your name? In case she asks.”

“Oh. I’m Granny Smith. Yours?”

Should I go around saying my real name? If word goes out about what I did in Mycemare…

“I’m Starlight Glimmer.”

“Alright, Glimmer,” the most buffed teen I’ve ever met says. “The job is simple. Grab a basket, pick the apples that are good to sell from the trees, fill the basket, load it in the cart, repeat. Got it?”

I nod. “Sounds simple enough.”

“Good. And don’t stuff your face or pockets with our apples while you work. I will know,” she threatens, pointing a finger at me and flexing her biceps.

I raise my hands defensively. “I wasn’t planning on it,” I lie.

“I sure hope not. Also, handle the apples with care. Don’t throw them in the basket or try kicking the tree to make them fall. They don’t have to get bruised.”

“Understood.”

“Good. You can start with the west side. You get a break in four hours.”

“Wait, four hours?!” I exclaim, but the girl’s already walking away.

I sigh and grab a basket. At least I’m not feeding pigs or shoveling shit.

As I approach the trees, I notice that almost all of them have a makeshift ladder set against them. That girl must be trying to make the job easier on herself. I start working, ignoring my rumbling stomach as I pick the sweet, juicy, apples from the trees, remembering that I can have many more if I do this right.

To my surprise, even though it’s hard work, I find some sort of peacefulness in this task. It’s as repetitively boring as cleaning Celestia’s temple, but being outdoors in the middle of an orchard makes it far from annoying. I guess it’s because I can hear birds chirping and leaves rustling. I can breathe fresh air, and even the sun on my skin feels different. It isn’t a watchful gaze, checking that I’m being a good girl. It’s just there, keeping me warm.

After a few dozen baskets, I cross paths with another farmhand, a red-haired woman with a dreadlock hairstyle and a light-orange kerchief dotted with white flowers.

“Heeeey, you’re the new hire, right?” the woman asks me with a very mellow voice.

“Just for today,” I answer as I climb the ladder to pick more apples.

The farmhand jumps straight up and grabs one of the branches to keep up with my climb. “Nice to meet you. I'm Tree Hugger. Blessings.”

“Starlight Glimmer,” I say, looking at her nonchalant grip on the tree. “You should use both hands if you want to climb the tree.”

“Oh, I can do one better.” The woman twisted her body backwards and hooked one foot on a branch before letting go. Now that she had both hands free, she bent her spine till they reached the apples, plucking a few before setting them in a big pouch she had at her side.

I just stare at her during all of it, my mouth slightly open. “That’s… very impressive.”

“You can do it too. You just need to trust in the arms of Mother Nature,” Tree Hugger says with a relaxed smile.

“I’ll trust the ladders for now,” I say nervously, and suddenly my stomach lets out a loud rumble.

“Wow, you got a tiger in that belly,” Tree Hugger says, looking at my midsection like if it were about to whisper a secret.

“Shut up. I just skipped breakfast,” I say with embarrassment, but then I realize I hadn’t eaten dinner either. In fact, I missed the entire night yesterday! It had barely started when I got on Trixie’s cart, and when she left me in Wallflower’s temple it was already noon.

My thoughts are interrupted when a red apple enters my field of view.

“Here, tame that tiger,” the farmhand offers me, suddenly closer and still hanging from the tree with just one appendage.

I shake my head. “No thanks, Apple Bloom already warned me about eating them.”

“Chill Sun-sun. I’ll tell her it was me.”

“My name’s Starlight.”

“I know, but you look more like a sunset made human. Are you a daughter of Celestia?”

“Never,” I say through clenched teeth. My stomach rumbles once more and Tree Hugger waves the apple again. “Fine!” I snatch the fruit from her hand and give it a large bite, letting out a small moan at the taste of juicy sweetness.

“STARLIGHT!” booms Apple Bloom’s voice from somewhere nearby, and I almost choke on the piece of apple.

“Chill Bloomy. It’s just so she doesn’t pass out from malnutrition,” Tree Hugger says, not even raising her voice, but it seems like the farmer can hear her anyway.

“If she’s so tired, she can take her break! Keep an eye on her!”

“Sure thing, Bloomy.”

“How did she know? Is she looking at us?” I ask as I quickly finish the apple.

"Nah, her chakra is just really connected with the orchard. The Apples have lived here for so long tending to the apples that they've developed a sixth sense for this place. Isn't that magical?"

"Sure…" I grumble. The gods just go around throwing blessings apparently.

I climb down from the tree and Tree Hugger just lets herself fall, landing like a cat. "Hey, I know a spot full of good vibes for your chakras. You should take a break with me."

"Sure, why not?" I say, carrying the basket full of apples and following the mellow farmhand through the orchard.

Her "spot," once we reach it, doesn't look really special, just a stump near the fence that separated the orchard from the farm animals, with Tree Hugger’s cart filled with apples sitting nearby. Twice as full as mine.

“This is the perfect spot to meditate and connect with nature,” Tree Hugger says as she sits on the stump and crosses her legs. “Do you want to join me? It’s an extracorporeal experience.”

“No, thanks. I just want to eat,” I say, sitting down and taking another apple from my basket.

“That’s okay. Take your time.” With that, she presses her palms together and closes her eyes, quickly disconnecting from the world around her.

I watch her for a few minutes until I get bored and just continue eating the apples.

Looking around, I notice that this part of the orchard isn’t far from the main entrance to the farm. It seems like the owners had spaced and located everything so they could quickly form a caravan to sell their apples. The door to the stables was just a few meters away, near the carts filled with the apples Tree Hugger and I picked.

An idea starts forming in my mind.

I walk up to the wood fence that keeps the animals locked in the farm and clap my hands to get their attention. They were mostly cows and sheep, but I counted four stallions walking around aimlessly. I just need one.

One of the horses finally looks at me and I signal him to come over, offering him one of the apples. The stallion immediately trots to me, showing that he was very familiar with humans, which was excellent.

Just one horse and all the apples I can carry, that’s all I need. Even if that teen could crush me with brute force, she won’t be able to catch me if I’m on horseback. I’ll lose my other stuff that I left at the house, but I consider it a fair exchange.

The stallion bites the apple I offered him, chewing on it while I look back at Tree Hugger. She’s still unaware of the world around her.

“He thanks you for the apple,” she suddenly says, but her lips don’t move, and the voice came from…

I look back at the horse, and I notice a soft glow around his eyes. “Tree Hugger?”

“Yes, Sun-sun?” the horse asks.

I look back at her body, and then at the stallion again. “Why are you inside a horse?”

“What better way to be one with nature than to be one with nature?” she uselessly non-explains.

“Does Bloom know you’re possessing her horses?”

“Don’t worry, it’s all consensual. He can kick me out if he wants, but he likes the company.” The stallion moves closer to me and nuzzles my shoulder. “He likes you.”

I slowly brush my hand against the side of his neck, returning his affection. Even if it’s a horse, it felt nice. “Tell him the feeling’s mutual,” I say with a smile.

The stallion moves back and turns to the side. “Do you want to ride him?”

“Uh… I don’t know how,” I admit, a bit embarrassed now that I realize my plan could’ve ended badly from the start.

“Don’t worry, we’ll guide you,” she assures me, and the horse lowers himself until he’s resting on the ground for me to climb on.

I spend a few seconds trying to decide, but I finally jump the fence and get on the back of the stallion.

“Grab his mane and press your legs against his barrel to keep yourself in place,” Tree Hugger instructs me as the horse stands up and starts trotting along the fence.

I’m nervous at first, but, after a few minutes, I relax and start to enjoy it, though it’s a bit uncomfortable having my legs forcefully spread apart this way.

“Ready to up the speed?” Tree Hugger asks me.

I grab the stallion’s mane a bit more tightly. “Ready!”

With a happy neigh, the stallion goes from trotting to galloping quickly, moving fast enough that my hair begins flowing in the air. It’s a bit scary at first, but, once a bit of adrenaline starts pumping, I’m grinning. Now I want to go faster.

As if they can read my mind, ─and one probably is─ the stallion starts picking up the pace again quickly approaching the corner of the barnyard.

“Pull his mane in the direction you want to go to make him turn,” Tree Hugger shouts over the stomping of hooves.

“What if I don’t want to turn?”

“You want to crash against the fence?”

“More like jump over it.”

Tree Hugger laughs, “I like your spirit, Sun-sun.”

I kick with my legs to get the horse ready, lowering myself against his back as we approach the wood fence. I have to be precise. Jumping too soon or too late will end up with a lot of hurt, especially if he lands on top of me, but risk-taking is already second nature to me.

The stallion shakes his head and moves with even more drive behind his hooves, and I hold his mane tighter as we approach the fence. Just as we’re about half a meter away, I pull from his hair and the horse lifts his forelegs, tucking them against his body as he jumps.

Time slows down for a bit for me as the several-times-my-weight stallion travels through the air, clearing the fence and landing a bit roughly against the grass at the other side.

I let out a shout of excitement and the stallion does a horse-equivalent of it. “How was that for a first-timer?”

The horse turns his head to me, but I don’t get an answer from Tree Hugger. “Are you there?” Still no response. “Let’s go see if she’s okay.”

I swear the horse gives me a nod before starting to trot back towards the orchard. Is everything magical in this place? In fact, why is there magic here? I don’t remember any of the gods being fond of nature specifically. Maybe it’s due to Wallflower’s temple being nearby?

I find Tree Hugger halfway through the orchard, already harvesting more apples. “Sun-sun! I see you managed to jump the fence,” she shouts from the branches.

“Did you miss it? I couldn’t hear you anymore.” I ask as I get closer.

“Yeah, you kind of got out of range. Sorry if it scared you.”

I frown, confused. “Out of range?”

“Yeah. That spot is where the good vibes are at. Connection with Mother Nature is really easy there.”

“Wait, you mean you aren’t the daughter of some god? You just… meditate?”

“I just accept what Mother Nature wants to give me.”

“So, you’re a non-follower?”

“I prefer to be considered a free spirit. Non-followers aren’t very accepted by most people.”

More like they pretend we don’t exist. Just like their gods. “So, you get magic from nature itself? I don’t remember there being a god of nature.”

“Everything in the world has some kind of magic. It’s a consequence of the gods doing big things to the earth and what lives off it. Mother Nature feeds itself from all this and grants it to whoever’s willing to listen.”

“What makes this place special then?”

“May I interrupt your conversation to remind you that there are still apples to be picked?!” Apple Bloom shouts from somewhere in the orchard. “And Starlight, you better put that horse back where you found it!”

Not wanting to anger the teen, Tree Hugger and I return to work.

After a few more hours of hard work, the apples were picked and loaded in a big cart, and I got my payment of a big lunch and enough rations for the road to Nemarea and back. Apparently, Tree Hugger put in a good word for me, and the Apples are considering hiring me full time at the farm, even giving me the old room of Apple Boom’s big sister.

I honestly don’t know if I should reject it or not. I don’t exactly know what Wallflower will tell me once I complete this mission, and I doubt I could just live in the temple. Regardless, it’s something I’ll need to figure out when I return from the mission, so for now, I’m just riding on the cart along with Tree Hugger, leaving the farm behind.

“So, you were telling me about what makes the farm special?” I ask.

Tree Hugger smiles. “Well, do you know what a Timberwolf is?”

“I’ve read stories. Wolves made of flesh and wood.”

“Not any wood, it was called Quebracho. Some say it was stronger than iron.”

“Wolves the size of a horse, coated in ironwood.” I chuckle. “Sounds like Mother Nature wanted someone dead.”

Tree Hugger shakes her head. “It wasn’t Mother Nature. It was a punishment from Meadowbrook.”

“Oh, really?” I knew the cow would have some skeletons in her closet. “And who did she punish?”

A small family of four, all followers of her. They were technically the first settlers of Cleomare.”

“What do you mean, technically?”

“Well, they built the first farm there, but by the time they planted their crops, food became scarce for them. They spent a lot of money on the construction, and what little they had left ran out quickly, leaving them with nothing to feed themselves. The father of the family traveled to Ceryneigh through the Everfree and begged for money or food, but the first days of winter had already arrived.”

“Yeah, not the best season to be generous with food.”

“Indeed. The father grew more and more desperate, until he finally caved in and tried to rob one of the local butchers.”

“Good idea. Meat’s easier to preserve in winter.”

Tree Hugger shakes her head. “Robbing anyone is never a good idea. He got caught by the butcher and had to fight him over the meat.” Tree Hugger lets out a sad sigh. “And accidentally killed him.” I share her sentiment, but I know the gods don’t mind small murders. “As if that wasn’t bad enough, the father was unable to unlock the door to the pantry. So, at the end, the only things he had were a starving family, a dead body, and butcher’s tools.”

Tree Hugger looks down, clearly upset about what she just said, and when I make the realization, I feel my lunch trying to escape my stomach.

“Yeah, that was my reaction when I first heard the story.”

“Did the family know?” I ask once my stomach settles.

“No. The father never mentioned the origin of the ‘meat’, so his family ate it completely unaware. Meadowbrook was as disgusted as you, so she cursed their food. Over days, tiny sprouts of ironwood grew painfully from their bones. The pain and visions of the dead butcher turned them mad until they were nothing more than beasts. The sprouts eventually covered their bodies completely, becoming the first and last Timberwolves to ever exist, and they abandoned the farm to hunt food in the Everfree Forest. Since Ceryneigh was the closest settlement, they were attracted to it, but Luna kept them at bay, so they always howled to the moon in defiance.”

“Okay, so that’s a horrifying story. But does it connect to the Apple Farm's magic? It isn’t the same farm, right?”

Tree Hugger shook her head. “When the first Apples settled in Cleomare, they heard about the family’s fate and burned what was left of the old, cursed farm, praying to Meadowbrook for her favor in their attempt to settle their own farm. Unknown to them, the smoke of the fire attracted the Timberwolves. They closed in on them at night, during a full moon. Granny Smith was the one that saw them coming, moving as a pack with murderous intention.”

“How did they survive?”

“A thunderstorm took the skies, blocking the full moon, and right in front of Granny Smith’s eyes, a huge bolt of lightning with colors of rainbow fell on the beasts, burning their hardened wood and flesh till even the bones turned to ash. Granny Smith swears on her apples that she heard a sound of relief coming from them before they perished.”

“Wait, rainbow-lightning?” I ask, my jaw hanging.

“Yeah. Pretty weird, huh?”

Yeah, no shit. That’s the signature of Harmony’s magic! No wonder the farm has leftover magical residue.

I spend the rest of the journey questioning Tree Hugger about any details of the event and whatever she could tell me about ‘Mother Nature’ and what abilities the Apples had displayed. Apparently, increased strength was one of them. Both of Apple Bloom’s siblings were strong enough to lift trees with just one arm. Another thing was that Granny Smith had a lot of weird rituals when she cooked the apples that supposedly added to their taste, freshness, and shelf life. In Tree Hugger’s case, she was able to ‘connect’ with nature through its ‘vives’ or whatever.

This all brings a lot of questions. Were the apples grown in the farm also magical, at least to some extent? Had they been spreading magic around? Are Tree Hugger’s ‘vives’ something that only exists in the Apple Farm, or is it that they’re just stronger in that place in particular?

And more importantly, why did Harmony, of all the gods, decide to intervene?

If Twilight heard about this, she would be hyperventilating by now.

I wonder how she’s doing.

“Sadly, this is where we part ways,” Tree Hugger says as she stops the cart. “Good luck in your mission.”

“Thank you,” I say with a smile before jumping down to the road.

“Are you considering going back to the farm?”

“I first need to solve this issue, but after that… I won’t say no for now.”

Tree Hugger smiles. “Either way, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Same.”

She whips the reins, and the cart starts moving away towards Molorcolts, leaving me alone on the road once again.

Somehow, it doesn’t feel as bad as the first time.

I should really get a tent if I’m going to keep traveling on foot, sleeping on the ground is going to kill my spine. Other than that, I’m starting to get used to it, and even if this road goes through the middle of nowhere instead of a beautiful forest, it’s still pleasant to travel.

“How’s everything going?”

I jump to the side, startled by the sudden appearance of someone at my side, but I see it’s just Wallflower. “You need to start wearing a bell.”

The goddess scratches her arm under the cape. “Sorry, it isn’t really voluntary.”

I stare at her.

Did a god just apologize to me?

“Did you get help in Cleomare?” she asks, walking at my side.

“Uh, yeah. I got more food and a ride that saved me half the journey.”

Wallflower smiles. “I knew you could do it.”

“Thank you?” I say, unsure of her intentions. “What were you doing?"

"I went looking for Trixie. I wanted to hear her side of the story."

I wince at the words. I didn't lie, but Trixie can surely paint everything in a worse light. "And what did she say?"

Wallflower starts counting with her fingers. "That you were rude, and bitchy, and impatient, and ungrateful, and-"

"Okay okay, I get it!" I shout, throwing my hands in the air. "I should've been kinder and all that shite."

"You've a really short temper, you know?" she says with a smile.

I'm about to insult her, but that would only prove her right. "I'm working on it."

Wallflower studies my face for a second. "Wow, you're really good at lying."

"Oh, bugger off."

To my surprise, she starts laughing. "Sorry, I rarely get to tease anyone."

Her words give me pause for a few seconds. "You're lonely?"

Wallflower scratches her arm under the cape. "I mean, technically I'm always with my followers, but it's very rare to talk with someone more personally."

"But what about the other gods? I thought you and Luna were friends or something."

"No. She was more of a mentor for me. And the other gods don't like each other a lot."

My eyes go wide. "Wait, really?"

"Well, The Pillars are close. Not as much as Luna and Celestia. Cadence is friendly, but she prefers to do her own thing in the world and almost never visits The Pantheon. The rest just… Well, Tirek alone is a lot to handle." Wallflower looks at me, studying my reaction as she asks. "Sunset, why do you hate gods so much if you know so little of us?"

I clench my fists. "Because I know they don't really care about us."

“And you were going to be different? With the ones who followed you?”

“If they had been loyal, yes!” I shout.

“And what about the ones who didn’t follow you? Or follow others? What about them?”

I stop and turn towards her, getting right in her face. “What about the ones who don’t follow?”

Wallflower moves away from me, her eyes wide.

Now I’ve intimidated a god. Soon, I’ll be famous.

Then the goddess’s eyes drop down, and she says nothing.

“Well?” I insist, even if I know perfectly well what the answer is.

Wallflower looks at me, her tired eyes showing a hint of a deep pit of regret hidden behind them. “I hope you find a better way to change that.”

I open my mouth to speak, but I freeze. That was not the answer I was expecting.

I turn to the road and start walking faster, trying to leave her behind. I don't care if it's petty or childish, but I’m not in the mood to talk right now.

Wallflower doesn't leave, but also doesn't catch up to me. She's following behind. Probably waiting for me to talk again.

Well, she can wait all she wants.

My trip has turned into a contest of patience, and I'm afraid I'm losing. It’s been three hours already and the goddess keeps following me, saying nothing, but I know she's just waiting for me to say something or do something or… I don't know!

My feet hurt and my legs are tired, but I can't stop to take a rest because that would inevitably lead to a conversation. I try to take my attention somewhere else, but there's nothing around us, just the sound of my footsteps and… wait.

I turn around, look at Wallflower's long cape that reaches just an inch above the ground, and open it with my hands.

Wallflower's feet are suspended in the air, not even close to the ground.

"You cheating nutter!" I exclaim. So that’s how she always sneaks on me!

"What? It's easier than walking," Wallflower excuses before covering herself again.

My eye twitches. "Easier than… you're a god! Walking shouldn't be a difficult task for you! Or are you just incredibly lazy?"

Wallflower rolls her eyes and stops floating, her feet hitting the ground, her cape shortening so it doesn't drag on the dirt. "There. Happy?"

I just look down at her.

"What is it now?!" she asks, though a bit of red in her cheeks shows that she knows what I'm about to say.

"You're short." Like, a full head shorter than me. It was the reverse with Luna, and Celestia's even taller than her. All gods are portrayed as taller and more imposing than any mortal.

Wallflower frowns at me, looking more adorable than angry. "I can make you smaller than a doll if I want to," she threatens.

I can't help but laugh. "Great! Then you can carry me in a pocket till we arrive at Nemarea."

Wallflower pulls her hand out of her cape and is about to cast a spell, but I quickly grab it with both hands. "I was being sarcastic!"

"I wasn't," she answers with a cocky smile.

I frown, not wanting this miniature of a god getting more sassy with me. "Wow, your hand is very soft," I say, hiding my smirk when the goddess pulls her hand away instantly.

"Trixie was right about you," she says with a put before sighing and calming down. "Do you have a plan for when you face the changeling?" she asks, changing the subject.

That's a good question. I was going to start planning when I arrived at Nemarea, but I could get something out of this. Like a…

"Can you give me a weapon?"

Wallflower seems surprised by my answer. "You're going to fight it?"

"I don't think it'll just go away if I ask nicely."

Wallflower tilts her head to the side. "Really? Have you tried it before?"

I look at her with genuine confusion. "Was that some sort of god joke I'm too mortal to understand? Or are you really suggesting that, the moment I see a dangerous creature from a time before I was even born that has a reasonable grudge with humanity and can easily tear me apart, I just raise my hands in surrender and convince it to leave its home by just asking politely?”

“I’m impressed by the number of assumptions you managed to cram into one sentence.”

I frown. “Can you give me a weapon or not?”

Wallflower sighs and moves her hand to her hair, digging her fingers into it before pulling out an abnormally large daisy. She hands it to me, and I accept it without saying anything.

“How do I use it?” I ask, doubting that she would just give me a flower as a joke.

“When your life is in danger, it’ll turn into a sword that you can wield,” Wallflower explains. “Do you know how to use a sword?”

“I can practice on the way there,” I assure her, securing the flower to my armor.

Wallflower slowly shakes her head. “If you really end up fighting, it’s better that you know how to.” She pulls both hands out of her cape, and places them at the sides of her mouth before whispering. “King Sombra, I have a request for you.”

Suddenly, right in front of Wallflower, a figure appears. A tall, muscular man with long luscious black hair, who had piercing red eyes that could only be described as ominous. However, the most notable feature of this man is that he seems to be… vanishing?

His body and his pants ─the only clothes he’s wearing─ are slightly translucent, and some parts become completely transparent for a few seconds, like he’s some sort of ghost.

“Forget-Me-Not,” the man says with a gravelly voice, bowing to Wallflower.

“Forget-Me-Not,” the goddess responds before pointing in my direction. “This here is Sunset Shimmer. I would appreciate it if you taught her how to keep herself alive in combat.”

The man, King Sombra, looks up and down at me with those red eyes, and I can't help but feel unnerved by his gaze. “She seems capable of being a strong warrior. I shall instruct her to be such.”

“Thank you, Sombra,” Wallflower says. “I leave her in your hands.”

“Anything for you. Forget-Me-Not,” he says, before Wallflower disappears into flowers.

Sombra looks at me again and speaks with a more commanding voice. “Have you ever been in a fight before?”

“Never,” I answer quickly as he walks around me, still studying me with his eyes. I can't help but find his glare intimidating, even if he’s not showing any anger.

“Then just a sword may not be enough.” From out of thin air, a round, convex bronze shield appears, and he throws it at me.

The shield was as phantasmal as him, but when I caught it, it seemed to become solid and heavy. I secure the straps to my left arm and pull out the flower, which instantly grows even larger in size. Its stem becomes thick enough for it to function as a handle, and a steel blade of decent size springs from the center, with the petals working as a guard.

“Let’s see if you can make a stance. Place the shield up and close to your chest, sword at the back and ready to strike.” I follow the instructions as best I can, and, after Sombra informs me to make a few adjustments, I get a good stance. “The guard of your sword doesn’t protect your fingers, so keeping your sword back is preferable than losing them. Now, your shield must be close to you when defending, protecting that half of your body from any attack. The other half of your body will need to be protected by parrying with your sword. If your opponent attacks your legs, you’ll need to retreat, so always be ready to move. Good footwork is essential.” He demonstrates this by standing in front of me, copying my stance perfectly. “When you attack, you expose your arm, so you must protect it with your shield. They need to move in unison.” He moves his arms, pretending to slash forward, and I copy the movements. “Good. You’re quick to learn.”

“Thank you,” I say with a smirk, doing the movement again and again, trying to memorize it.

“Let’s see how well you can defend.” Sombra once again summons a weapon from thin air, in this case, a massive bearded axe of darkened metal. There are various carvings along the blade that I manage to recognize from books about the Thracetral Empire, a thousand years ago, meaning this guy’s definitely a ghost of the past. Though if I recall correctly, the Thracetral Empire never had a king.

I’m so distracted with my own thoughts that I almost miss the massive axe coming for me from above, and I raise my shield to block it. The impact alone almost sends me to the ground, but my legs manage to absorb most of the blow and keep me standing.

Sombra pulls the axe back. “Against a weapon that can easily overpower your strength, a direct block or parry would be ineffective and potentially end your life. Try and deflect it, either by making it scrape off the front of your shield or pushing it away from your body with your sword. If either are impossible, move back and be ready to counter.”

He repeats the same movement as before, and this time I place my shield diagonal to my body, so when the blade impacts, the curvature of the shield redirects the blow away from me and into the ground, leaving him exposed.

I take the chance and throw a counterattack by striking with my sword in a vertical swing, but his left arm moves extremely fast, and his fist hits me right on my wrist, sending a shock of pain through my arm that makes me drop my sword. Not missing a beat, Sombra then hooks my feet with the blade of his axe and pulls, sending me to the floor.

“You can neutralize your opponent's attack by stopping its momentum,” he says as he helps me stand back up, surprising me with how solid his body feels despite how ghostly it looks. “You also shouldn’t lose track of where your opponent's weapon is and how they can use it against you.”

“Noted,” I say before grabbing my sword and taking a stance again. Combat seems more complicated than I thought, but I’ll learn it.

Sombra smirks, lifting his axe again. “I like your spirit.”

We continue practicing for about an hour, with me ending on the floor after each spar, but I’m getting the basics of it. Once I’m unable to stand back up, Sombra disappears, leaving the shield behind for me, and I’m left to rest till the next morning.

After another day of walking, and one more session of sparring with Sombra, I finally see the port city of Nemarea up in the distance, and more importantly, the start of a little trail of blue flowers.

Wallflower mentioned that they would guide me to the cave, so I strap the shield to my arm and start following it, watching my surroundings in case the changeling left some sort of trap.

As I make my way to the cave, I start forming a more solid plan of action. Changelings can take the form of your loved ones, but all my loved ones are dead, so that shouldn’t be a problem. The problem is that they can also take the form of different creatures, so I may end up fighting a wolf, or a lion. Maybe a bear. Another thing to consider is that I’m entering their lair, which means that they’ll have the home advantage, and I doubt I can trick them to come out to face me, given they’re creatures that live off lying and deceit.

After about an hour of feeling like I’m walking in circles, I see a small opening in one of the hills, right where the trail of flowers ends. I run up to it and check the entrance. It seems to be a pretty straightforward tunnel into the center of the hill, with no signs of life except for a faint green glow at the end.

I set all my stuff outside of the cave, and take out the flower, which instantly turns into the now-familiar sword. I take a deep breath, moving my arms and legs to loosen them and stretch, extending the time before I need to enter the cave and face whatever’s inside.

I shake my head and move forward. I can’t turn back now.

I make every step as silently as possible, walking with my shield up and my sword back, ready to attack whatever decides to come towards me, keeping my ears open for any sound of movement, but everything is eerily quiet. There’s no sign that something lives here other than the glowing-

Suddenly, that little light at the end of the tunnel vanishes.

I turn around, ready to bolt for the exit, but the entrance of the cave also disappears, and any source of light I had with it.

Then I hear it.

The grinding of rocks.

“No. No no no.” The cave is moving. “This can't be.” The cave of a changeling is moving. “Please no.” But a normal changeling can't shape rock at will.

Suddenly, the rock in front of me opens, and a green glow lets me see her.

Sitting on a throne of hardened slime. Twice my size. Wearing green tunics and boots that showed off her muscular body. With skin as dark as obsidian, green snake-like eyes, and long sea-blue hair that parted around the two jagged horns of the crown that Celestia supposedly kept as a trophy after defeating her.

The queen of the changelings.

Chrysalis Hiveblood.

“I’m dead,” I whisper to myself, but there’s nothing to do now other than face her, so I move forward.

The queen isn’t threatened by my presence. In fact, she’s just absentmindedly reading a book in her hands, not even looking in my direction.

“Another warrior looking for glory,” the queen says, her voice echoing around the cave. “Surrender your love to me and you may leave with your life.”

“I- I have no love for you to steal!” I shout, trying to feel brave as I take a fighting stance.

Chrysalis looks at me, and I feel her eyes piercing my mind, searching for something to take from me.

The queen smiles. “Quite the contrary. You've got a lot of love for someone in particular.”

I shake my head, trying to clear my mind. “For whom?”

Chrysalis points behind me. “Her.”

I suddenly feel two big, clawed hands grab my shoulders, and throw me against a wall with immense strength.

Instead of an impact, the wall opens into a wide, rectangular chamber that has small green pyres in each corner keeping it illuminated. I land and roll on the rocky floor, groaning in pain before standing up.

Something big steps inside the chamber before the wall closes behind it.

Not something. Someone.

Someone as tall as the queen. Armed with sharp claws and fangs. With skin red like blood. Black eyes with a sapphire ring in the center. Bat-like wings growing out of a burned copy of my leather armor and tunic. And blazing hair just like mine.

A demonic version of myself.

And on top of her head sits the Crown of Magic.

“Hi Sunset,” the demon says with a chilling grin. “What a disappointment you’ve become.”

"What? I don't get this joke," I say as I raise my shield.

"Is the idea of a magical construct too much for you?" The demon asks, tilting its head. "I thought we were smarter than that."

I shake my head. "I get what you are! But why do I look like that?"

The demon laughs. "Because unlike you, I won." It says, pointing at the crown on her head.

My eyes widen. "No. I wasn't going to-"

The demon lunges at me, and with a strike of its claws, tears my shield to pieces. "Don't lie to yourself." I try to attack it with my sword, but it catches my arm with ease, its hand holding my entire forearm. "We knew the risks of meddling with this kind of power." I try using my other hand to pry open its fingers, but its strength is many times greater than mine. "But what complaint could we have? We wanted magic, and I got it tenfold."

"But not like this. I wasn't going to become a monster!"

The demon tightens its grip on my arm, and I hear my bones crack. "Oh, please. Being human doesn't hold a candle to having this kind of power. The power to change the world to follow our rules. Wasn't that the whole point of it?"

I keep trying to free myself from her grip. I need to escape, somehow.

The demon sighs, shaking its head. "Sunset, you know how we get when people don't listen to us."

Everything becomes a blur as I'm suddenly lifted into the air until I impact painfully against the ceiling. Before I can register the pain, the demon pulls me down to the floor with even more strength, then flings me against one of the walls.

As my body bounces on the rock, the pain finally registers, and I scream louder than ever before in my life. I land on the floor, and when I try to stand up, a new shock of pain travels through my right arm. Looking at it, I notice that it's slightly bent in an unnatural way, and it's quickly starting to swell and show spots of blue under the skin.

"You… you broke my arm!"

The demon grabs me by the hair and lifts me up till we're face to face. "And?" I clench my left hand into a fist and try to hit it in one of its eyes, but I miss completely when the demon pulls me away from it. "Oh, wouldn't we enjoy having Twilight like this? Hearing all those useless apologies she always spouts before silencing them forever?"

"I would never do that!" I shout at its horrible face.

The demon gives me a wide, sharp-fanged grin. "You lie. Because I would. And I'm you."

"You're not me!" I scream. "I would never kill Twilight! Or anyone else!"

The demon lets out a short laugh. "Yes, yes. We had morals and all that shite. But the curious thing about acquiring this kind of power is that you realize a lot of things about yourself that are just… irrelevant." It lets go of my hair and grabs my head with both hands, her clawed thumbs pressing against my skin, dangerously close to my eyes. “We were such a fragile little thing. Starved for attention and affection. Maybe a hug will make you feel better.” It presses me against its torso and places one arm around my back, then the other.

I struggle against its embrace, trying to break free, even if it’s futile. The demon just laughs at my pathetic attempts and starts hugging me more tightly. I scream as I feel my bones crack and break and the air escapes my lungs.

Right before my ribcage fully collapses, the demon lets go, and I fall on the floor. I try to take a deep breath, but I’m forced to let it out when a burned boot hits me right below the ribs.

Now that I’m back on the floor, I notice that the entire bottom of the room is covered by a magical pink mist, and I realize that this chamber has been sucking out my love since the start, preparing a banquet for the queen.

The demon leans on its knee, digging its heel deeper into my guts. “Do you think she regrets it?”

“W-what?” I ask, looking at those black eyes that stare into my soul.

“Begging Meadowbrook to save you,” it answers casually.

My blood runs cold. “Shut up.”

“Do you think she would’ve preferred to save dad instead?”

“Shut up!” I shout, trying to break free of its boot.

“Or maybe just herself?”

I try covering my ears, but I can only move one arm. “Please.”

The demon leans forward till our noses touch. “Would they be proud of you?”

Tears start running down my face.

“Would they be proud of me?” She asks with a huge, toothy grin.

“No… They wouldn’t…” I say between sobs. “Why would they? You’re a monster.”

The demon laughs. “And I’m you.”

I feel the last remnants of love start leaving my body, but holding desperately what I still have, and with what strength I’ve left, I shake my head. “You said it yourself. You’re what I could’ve been. And I won’t make that mistake again.”

The demon frowns. “You’re right about one thing.” It lifts its boot, holding it right above my head. “You won’t make another mistake ever again.”

As the demon pulls its leg back, my brain’s survival instinct reminds me of two words that may save me.

“Chrysalis Hiveblood!”

The demon freezes, its boot mere inches from crushing my face.

I hear the rock move, and soft steps approaching me.

The changeling queen stands next to the demon, the pink mist of love seeping into her, and looks down at me. “You know my name?”

I try to answer, but my body has had enough. I’m too tired, and breathing is too painful to get enough air in my lungs.

I manage to say three words before consciousness leaves me.

“It was… genocide.”

I wake up, still in the cave, feeling weirdly sticky. I take a deep breath, and to my fortune, it doesn’t hurt as much as before. Looking down at myself, I notice that almost all my clothes have been removed, and an orange slime has been applied to my wounds and over the broken bones.

“What is this?” I ask, touching it with my finger. It feels pretty warm.

“Royal jelly,” Chrysalis answers from her throne, just a few meters in front of me. “It’ll help heal your wounds.”

“Thank you,” I say as I sit in the block of rock the queen had made so I could rest.

Chrysalis closes her book and leans back on her throne, looking at me. “Since you know my name, could I know yours?”

“I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

The queen lifts her head, thinking. “I don’t recall a name like that. How were you able to know who I was? Did Celestia confess to you?”

“No. It was another god… Wallflower Blush, The Forgotten Goddess.”

The queen takes a moment to think. “Another name I’m unaware of. Was this goddess the one that sent you here?”

“Yes. She said that I would need to face a changeling to atone for my crimes.”

The queen frowns. “How would killing me help you with that?”

“I… don’t think I was supposed to,” I admit with shame. “She never said that I should kill you. She even hinted at just asking politely that you leave the cave.”

Chrysalis chuckles. “It would have worked. If my lair is discovered, there is no point in staying. Hundreds would come to try and slay me. I would’ve even thanked you for the warning.”

I cover my face with my hands. “I feel like an idiot.”

Chrysalis shakes her head as she laughs. “You’re just inexperienced. You remind me a bit of myself during my younger years. Cunning, ambitious, thought that I could bend the world to my whims. That's why, when I became queen, I wanted to expand the hive to the rest of the continent."

“But Star Swirl stopped you,” I say with a sympathetic smile.

“He wasn’t the first,” the queen confesses. “Halfway through my expansion, two women stood against me. A warrior and a diplomat. Cadence and Luna."

I lean forward in my seat. "What were they doing there?"

"Cadence wanted to stop my shadow war and asked her adoptive aunt for help." Chrysalis smiles at the memory. “Luna was working on her ascension at the time and was a powerful warrior. She faced my army alone and fell enough of my troops that I decided to grant her niece’s wishes.”

"She was the diplomat, I assume?"

"Yes. She had heard of our need for love and considered it a curse that could be cured. She came to me and offered to help find a solution to our nature. At the time, I considered it an insult. Thought myself too smart to have failed to see another solution to our need for love. But they managed to change that."

"How?"

"When diplomacy started failing, Luna realized that my ego was my weakness and took a gamble. She challenged me to one-on-one combat. If she won, I would accept their deal. If I won, they became my prisoners." Chrysalis was grinning now. "We fought for an entire day, and despite our injuries, neither of us would go down. But while we fought, Cadence was busy spreading her ideas within the hive."

"Wow. I didn't know the goddess of love was into skullduggery," I say with a chuckle.

Chrysalis laughs. "Neither did I. But by the time Luna and I decided to call it a draw, half of the hive was convinced that we could find a new way to gather love. So, after one more night, I accepted the deal."

My eyes widen. "Wait, what?"

"I accepted," Chrysalis says with a shrug. "I canceled my plans, released prisoners, returned lands we had conquered, and worked with Cadence to find a cure for our curse."

"But then… Why did Star Swirl…"

Chrysalis sighs. "Cadence meant well, so did Luna, but the truth of the matter is that you don't invade half of a continent without doing things that many would consider horrible. Star Swirl hated us. Being the God of Knowledge, he doesn't forgive any kind of lie, and we were creatures born to deceive others. So, when we lowered our guard, he made all our crimes known and declared us enemies of humanity." Chrysalis' hands gripped the arms of the throne tightly, making cracks in the hardened slime. "Thousands of soldiers marched against our hive, with dozens of warriors seeking to ascend. Celestia was one of them."

"It’s said that she killed you."

"She was about to. But Luna stopped her." I see a tear running down Chrysalis’ cheek. "She and I had grown close since our battle."

"What?!" I exclaim in disbelief. All of Ceryneigh would lose their shit if they heard about this!

"She was the one that finished convincing me to try to change the ways of the hive. And every time Cadence came to help, Luna and I spent some time together. Many of them in my bedchambers."

I do my best to not imagine the queen fully naked. "So… Celestia let you go?"

“Yes. But by that point my hive had been destroyed. And I never saw Luna again.” Chrysalis looks at her book, sliding her fingers against the cover. “I’ve spent the rest of my life searching for any remains of my hive. Making sure they’re safe.”

“How many have you found?”

“Four. They’ve successfully adapted to human life thanks to Cadence’s efforts. But the risk of being discovered by Star Swirl still remains. So none of us can be at peace.”

I look down at the floor. “I’m sorry. I...”

“I know. And I’m sorry for your loss too. And for using it against you.” Chrysalis lifts her head to look me in the eyes. “It was really impressive, you know? Many who enter that chamber and lose so much love for themselves end up accepting death. But you managed to persevere.”

“I guess I’m too stubborn to die,” I joke, and Chrysalis smiles.

“I hope you’re not too stubborn to learn from your mistakes. And mine.” She rises from her throne, grabbing her book. “Can you walk?”

I jump down from the block of stone and carefully extend my limbs, but I don’t feel any pain. “I can.”

“Good. Get dressed and head to the exit. It seems a friend of yours has been waiting for your return.”

“Friend?” I ask, but the queen just walks away, morphing the rock around her into a tunnel to the outside of the hill. I quickly dress myself and follow her, with the by now dry orange jelly on my body breaking and falling apart as I run.

When I’m finally outside, I see a black and green crow flying away, and Wallflower standing just a few feet in front of me.

“You succeeded,” the goddess says, trying to smile. But her eyes are focused on my previously broken arm.

“You… saw all that?” I ask, pointing behind me.

Wallflower scratches her arm as she walks closer to me. “I did… and I’m sorry… you shouldn’t have to go through that.”

She looks like she’s about to cry. For me. Why? “But it was a punishment, right? You tried to warn me, and I didn’t listen. It was part of the test… wasn’t it?”

Wallflower shakes her head. “I knew it could happen. But I didn't want it to. If you failed, then I failed too.”

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Wallflower keeps proving to be different from all the gods I know. Or maybe she isn’t. If Luna can have a relationship in secret, what other things aren’t they sharing with their followers?

Was… was Celestia also worried during her tests?

“You could stop with these labors,” Wallflower says, looking me in the eyes. “You could just go back to Cleomare and live at the farm, or wherever you want to go. You've proven yourself enough for me.”

Going back to the farm? Pick apples for a living? I don’t think I’m made for that. “No. I’ll continue. I need to make up for what I did.”

Despite how sad she looks, Wallflower smiles. “Yeah. You’re better.”

I let out a long sigh. “If I was, I would’ve realized-”

“They don’t hate you.”

I freeze completely. “W-what?”

“When that demon used your parents against you, I searched for them in the underworld. They...” Wallflower takes a deep breath, having difficulty talking. “They were sad about the path you chose, but they know you can do better. And I concur.”

My body starts to shake. I don’t know what to say or do. I never thought I would hear from them again. How long have they been looking? How much do they know? I-

Wallflower hugs me, and as I feel her caring embrace, I break down. I hug her back almost desperately. Letting myself cry out everything I’ve been holding for years into her shoulder.

I’ll do better.

I’ll make things right.

I promise you.

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Third Labor: The Sirens,

Fun fact: This chapter was based on Hercules's first labor, The Nemean Lion

Fun fact2: Originally, this chapter's was going to be named The Demon

Chrysalis Hiveblood.

Third Labor: The Sirens (Showdown)

It’s been two days at sea and I already hate it.

Besides feeling sick from the constant movement, the food I have is already a few days old, so, while still edible, it isn’t in the best condition, nor is it of the most healthy variety to begin with.

On top of that, there’s also the massive amount of nothing I have to do other than keep the ship from capsizing. I wish at least Sombra could be here, just to have someone to talk to, but I don’t really know how to invoke him. He just shows up to train me while I travel.

I sigh and sit down next to the mast, deciding to do the only thing I can; meditate.
Of course, without Tree Hugger and her magical spot, it's massively ineffective, but I already counted every floorboard on the deck, so I'm running out of options.

Closing my eyes, I concentrate on my breathing, following the sensation as it goes in and out, doing my best to relax my body despite the rocking of the boat. To my suprise, I manage to see her, the slightly blurry image of Wallflower, sitting in front of me. Smiling.

I smile back at her, happy to have some company, and my attention goes once again to that woolen tunic she has on her, and the threads that come out of it. What is it? Why does she have it here and not on her normal body? Where do the threads go?

I’m tempted to reach out to them, but I remember that it pulled me out of the trance the last time I tried. I’ll need to reach them some other way. But how?

Then a thought occurs to me.

What if this is her connection with the world? Tree Hugger said she saw roots, but that may not be universal. I may need to find my own way of connecting.

I put all my effort into focusing, trying to create something from me that can connect with the rest of the world. But what shape should it have? Roots like Mother Nature? A thread like Wall-

I got it!

I can see it, a single, pure-white thread in front of me, coming out of my chest. Now, I need to connect it with...

Wallflower’s gone.

Ok… a bit worrying, but no matter, I just need to find something else. I send the thread into the infinite expanse of… whatever this plane of existence is, searching for a connection. I’m in the middle of the sea, so maybe a fish? I don’t know if they’re smart enough to think. I hope I don’t connect with the Sirens, I doubt they would just let me take over the way Tree Hugger does with the horses. Maybe a seagull or-

There! I connected with some-

“Sun-Sun?”

I shiver as I open my eyes, and I see Wallflower sitting on the deck in front of me. “Did you just call me-?”

“I didn’t,” she quickly replies. “And I would advise you to not do that again. Though I feel like that will only encourage you to keep trying.”

“I mean, if I just did what I think I did, Tree Hugger will be very curious about it too.”

Wallflower lets out a small, frustrated sigh, scratching her arm under the cape. “I guess it should be fine as long as you only do it with one person at a time.”

“Wait, I can do it with more than one person?”

Wallflower groans at her slip. “I’m not talking about it.”

“Is this something you do? Is it possession, or something else? How many people can you do it with?” Wallflower just frowns at me, making her stance on the matter clear. “Alright, questions for later.”

Wally’s angry face just gets cuter. “Questions for never.”

I raise my hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. I’ll just figure it out on my own.” I can't help but chuckle at Wally’s exasperation, which only makes her glare harder at me.

“You can be a real melter sometimes,” the goddess grumbles as I laugh.

“Look, you know I like you by this point, but you can't expect me to not try and figure out how this works. It’s like my–” I stop when I notice Wally’s anger had disappeared from her face, and now she’s looking at me with… is she blushing? “Are you okay?”

Wallflower seems to snap out of a trance before answering. “Yes! Perfectly fine. Just be careful with that.” She looks away from me, completely unable to hide her transparent attempts at finding another subject.

As amusing as her panicking is, I help her out. “Do you have any advice for when I confront the Sirens?”

“Oh! Yes, that’s why I’m here. You’re about to encounter them, just a few minutes from now.”

I could hug her, this is a massive advantage. “Thank you lots.”

“Have you prepared something to not get caught in their song?”

“I bought a bit of wax to cover my ears. Sombra and I agreed that I shouldn’t deafen myself for the fight, but I don’t have any defense otherwise.”

Wallflower frowns as she thinks for a moment. “Okay, I have something that would block the song and keep your hearing.”

“That's great!”

Wally looks away from me, wincing a bit before talking. “You’re… not going to like it.”

“Well, if it lowers my chances of getting eaten alive, I’ll deal.”

“Okay,” she says, tapping her legs. “Close your eyes.”

I do so a bit reluctantly, bracing myself for whatever she’s about to–

I suddenly feel her hands slap both of my ears at the same time.

“AHHHhhh, you fucking walloper!” I scream as my ears ring.

“I told you.”

“You could’ve told me a bit more! Bawbag.” As the pain starts to subside, I notice that the ringing remains, if just a bit lesser.

“This will distort the song entering your ears, nullifying any trance they try to put you into.”

“Okay, that’s pretty worth it. Thank you for doing it right before I meet them, too.” I stand up and go for my weapons, taking the flower in one hand and the shield in the other.

I feel two arms wrap around my torso in a firm hug. “Good luck.” I quickly try looking back, but I only catch a glimpse of flower petals floating away in the breeze.

Smiling, I check that the rope tying me to the mast is well secured. The last thing I want is to fall in the water during this encounter. I look at the flower, noticing that it’s still in its dormant state, meaning the Sirens haven’t found me yet.

I lower the sail and rest myself against the mast, keeping an eye on my surroundings. They’ll probably open with their song, though maybe they’ll skip that and go directly to a physical attack since it’s just me. If they capsize the boat, I’m dead, even if I win. Speaking of which, I’m still not sure how I can win to begin with. I’m guessing fish scales wouldn’t stop a sword from slicing them open, but I don’t want to kill them. There has to be a way to break the curse, though I doubt Star Swirl would just leave an obvious weak spot on them. Then again, it would make sense for him to do just that in case they got out of his control, given Sombra said he was still human at that time.

Suddenly, the flower starts glowing, and as it transforms into a sword, I hear them.

“Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh.”

Those… beautiful voices… like a sweet whisper.

The ringing in my ears suddenly rises in volume, snapping me out of the trance.

I look around again, trying to find some movement in the water.

“You didn't know that you fell.”

I see a purple fin break surface, moving closer to my ship, and a golden one joins it soon after.

“Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh.” I start singing along, walking stiffly towards the edge of the boat, hoping that they think their spell is working. As I reach the edge, I see a blue fin appear in the water, moving towards me, before the rest of a large horse-like head covered in fish scales rises from the ocean. Raspberry eyes look hungrily at me, and a predatory smile lets me see two rows of long, sharp, pointy teeth.

“Now that you're under our spell.”

The creature sets its two horse-like arms on the deck, pushing herself further out of the water as she tilts the ship. Her jaws open, ready to snarf me down in a single bite.

I grip my sword tightly, looking down her long neck for any vulnerable point to strike, and I’m surprised by what I find at the base of it. A shiny red gem the size of an apple, seemingly fused horribly into the flesh of her chest. The blue siren pulls her head back to attack, so I move quickly, delivering a powerful strike with all my strength.

I’m rewarded with the sound of the gem shattering into pieces.

The mesmerizing song is suddenly replaced with the horrible shrieks of the blue siren as she starts writhing in pain before falling onto the deck, splintering the wood with her weight.

She goes still for a moment, making me think that I killed her, but then her body starts convulsing again. I can hear horrible squelches and cracking of bones as her form shrinks down, making me want to puke, but once they finally end, the Siren has fully transformed into a blue woman with two-toned hair.

It worked! I can break their curse!

I’m suddenly reminded of the rest of the trio when the purple sea monster jumps out of the water in my direction, her jaws open and ready to tear me to pieces.

I manage to raise my shield in time for it to take the brunt of the attack, but the Siren's mandibles are too strong, and they start bending the metal, so I quickly slash the leather straps with my sword, freeing my arm right before the Siren finishes chomping down. I’ve lacerated my forearm, but better that than losing it completely.

The purple Siren spits out my now useless shield into the sea before lunging at me again, but this time I'm ready. I dive below her jaws, giving me a clear sight of my target. I swing again with everything I have, and the red gem shatters.

The purple Siren starts thrashing around the deck, damaging the boat before her body finally begins to reduce in size. The most worrying damage is a quite nasty tail bash to the mast, but I'll have to worry about it later; I still have one more to go.

I stand up and look around me in search of the yellow Siren, but she seems to have disappeared from the water. It isn't till I hear her growl angrily that I spot her… above me.

She's floating in the air.

Star Swirl, just what the fuck have you created, you crazy bawbag!

I grab my sword with two hands, ready to break the last gem as soon as I get the chance, but due to the monster being able to fucking fly, I'll need her to attack first. However, by the way she's looking at me, I think that she realized the same thing. She's calculating her next move, which is extremely worrying.

After a five second standoff, the Siren decides to go for a full frontal assault, so I prepare to dodge and counter with a slash to the gem. But when she's almost at arm's length, she suddenly stops and pulls back, making me think she's retreating.

I’ve been so focused on her jaws that I don’t see her tail coming till it hits me square in the chest.

I'm thrown from the boat in a long arc, and the sound of the rope snapping chills my bones even more than the cold water as I sink under the ocean. I quickly swim to the surface, taking in a lungful of air right before hearing the Siren dive into the water behind me.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck!

I start swimming as fast as I can towards the boat, feeling the Siren chasing behind me like the predator she is. As soon as I reach the ship, I raise my arms and lift myself up, but right before I finish climbing on, the Siren crashes into me, knocking the air out of my lungs. My sword flies from my hand as I momentarily black out, my head having smashed the deck after the impact.

As my vision slowly comes back into focus, I feel something warm and wet get a hold of my legs.

"Shit shit shit shit!" I scream, trying to pull myself out, but the Siren swallows my legs, ensuring that I can't escape. With a good hold on me, the sea monster lifts up from the water, pulling me away from the deck and my abandoned sword before tilting her head back and swallowing again, pulling me fully inside her mouth.

"No no no, not like this!" I scream as I grab the Siren's teeth with all my strength, their sharpness cutting into my hands as I try desperately to halt my descent to this creature's stomach, but another swallow breaks my hold on them. "No no no, please!" I shout, clawing at her tongue for any kind of hold I can get, but it's useless.

This is it. This is how I end…

No! There has to be something to do. I'll make her vomit, break the gem from the inside, take over her mind if necessary. I won’t die like this!

Suddenly, two arms enter the Siren's mouth and grab my wrists, pulling with enough strength to stop my descent down the throat. The next thing I hear is the sound of crystal breaking, before I’m promptly deafened by the Siren’s scream.

As the sea monster starts convulsing, I'm forcefully pulled out of its mouth by whoever grabbed my arms, and we fall onto the deck of the ship.

"Are you okay?" my savior asks me, and I'm about to kiss her when I realize she isn't Wallflower. It's the blue Siren girl.

"Something's wrong!" another voice shouts, and we turn to see the purple former Siren holding my sword in her hands, standing over the writhing body of the third Siren, who seems to be stuck mid-transformation, coughing and hacking before barfing out one of my boots.

"Ewwww." The three of us exclaim while the last Siren finishes transforming, now that she doesn’t have an obstruction in her throat.

The now-human woman looks around at us, noticing her two sisters' new form, and smiles before speaking with a hoarse voice. "It's finally over…" The other Sirens go over to her and they all share a big hug, overjoyed by their broken curse.

I smile at the sight, but as the adrenaline wears off, my wounds start painfully begging for attention. Both of my hands have shallow cuts along the palm and fingers, my right arm has a laceration that's bleeding more profusely, and, after touching the part of my face that got smashed against the deck, I can feel it swelling painfully.

I wish I had some of Chrysalis' jelly, but I guess some bandages will need to suffice for now. I also need a bath. I reek of fish and some other things I don't want to imagine. I slowly make my way to my supplies, rummaging through them till I find the bandages and a big wineskin.

"Let me help!" The blue Siren exclaims, suddenly appearing at my side and taking the bandages.

A purple hand grabs my arm, moving it slowly to look at my wound. "You're gonna need some stitches here," the purple Siren says before rummaging through my things in search of some thread and whatever she could use as a needle.

I smile at their help and look back to see the third Siren standing a few feet away from me, arms crossed, rolling her eyes but with a small smile on her face.

Now that I get a good look at her, I notice that the transformation back to human wasn't really intended. The… 'slot' where the gem was fused to their bodies is still there, luckily not bleeding, but it's a small hole of scar tissue right under her neck. Besides that, her skin still has scales in certain parts, like the shoulders and the sides of her torso.

She also has some pretty big ti-

It's then that my brain finally catches up to the fact that all three Sirens are completely naked, since the transformation wasn’t kind enough to give them clothes.

They… don't seem to mind, so no harm done, right?

"This will hurt."

"What?" I manage to ask before I feel a needle pierce my skin. "Ahhhhh!"

"Oh, suck it up, it's just a needle," the purple Siren chastises me and continues with her stitching.

"It took me by surprise, that's all," I say as I do my best to not show how much it hurts. That scream was embarrassing enough.

"What's your name?" The blue Siren asks as she finishes bandaging my hands.

"Sunset Shimmer, pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, the pleasure is definitely ours," the yellow Siren says right behind me. When did she get closer? And why does she sound so-

"My name's Sonata," the blue Siren says, interrupting my thoughts. "And these are Aria and Adagio," she adds, pointing at the purple and yellow Sirens respectively.

I just nod, since my mouth is too busy clenching my teeth each time the needle goes into my arm.

"So, why has our hero come all the way here and risked her life to save us?” Adagio asks very close to my ear, sending a shiver down my spine despite the pain.

"I… was sent on a mission. By the Goddess of Empathy.”

“Goddess of Empathy?” Sonata asks, more surprised than confused.

“Oh, don’t tell me that painted excerebrose actually became a god,” Adagio says, with all that sweetness in her voice replaced with venom.

“I thought her thing was giving hope and quisquilian things like that,” Aria adds before finishing with my arm, finally letting me unclench my teeth.

“If you’re speaking about Sonambula, yeah, she became the Goddess of Hope after defeating the Sphinx.”

Sonata grabs my non-wounded arm with a surprisingly intense grip; it seems like some of their old body’s strength remains. “Did she kill her?!” She asks with eyes about to cry another ocean into existence.

“No no no, she just sent it away by solving her riddle,” I say quickly to calm her.

“I told her the riddles were way too easy,” Aria grumbles behind me. "But the morosoph thought herself smarter than everyone else."

Right, these three are probably older than Celestia and Luna. No wonder they know ancient creatures personally.

"Well, as long as your goddess isn't part of those six excerebroses, we should be good." Adagio says before resting her head right above my shoulder. "Now, dear hero," she adds while running her finger under my chin, "tell us about yourself."

"Buh," is everything I manage to say as I stare at those brilliant raspberry eyes. Though my sight quickly goes down to- Focus, dammit! "That's not really important now, I need to take us back to the mainland." I quickly stand up and move over to the mast, unfurling the sail so we can start moving. "See if you can find something to cover yourselves while I'm at it!"

"We don't mind staying uncovered, if you enjoy the view," Adagio offers with a sultry smile, and I'm very tempted to accept.

“I thought you enjoyed taking them off first.”

“Don’t ruin the moment, Aria.”

“Sorry, I didn't want to ruin your ‘meal’.”

“Would you shut up?!”

I sigh with relief as the sirens start loudly arguing between each other, letting me focus on steering the ship back towards the coast. I look at the cut in my arm and realize it’ll probably leave a nasty scar. A small price for victory.

At least the hardest part of my labor is finished.

Night came fast for us, and, with it, some problems I didn’t consider when I set out to sea.

Even if I had hoped to save the Sirens, I didn’t make preparations to host three more guests, so I didn’t have spare beds, food, or even any clothes, which is the reason why they're currently wearing togas made from pieces of a spare sail. We’ll need to ration the food till we reach the shore, unless we get lucky and find another ship that can trade us some food.

So for now, it’s old jerky and hard tack for us. Not the best food in existence, but it doesn't seem to bother Sonata, who's just snarfing it down like the starving castaway that she technically is. Aria, for her part, doesn't seem to like the food even a single bit, but she's reluctantly eating little bites at a time. Adagio hasn't touched her food, looking at it with the disgust one would feel towards a rotten cadaver. She's become less… forward with me since her fight with her sisters, but she still glances at me from time to time in suggestive ways, making sure I notice.

Like right now, she's looking at me like I'm a– did she just lick her lips?!

"So…" Sonata says, interrupting my thoughts about that tongue’s movements. "What are you going to do now? What did the Goddess of Empathy want from us?"

Aria's and Adagio's attention suddenly focuses on me. Apparently this was something they’d been wondering for a while. "Well, my orders were to stop you from, you know, eating people."

"Like if that bearded morosoph gave us a choice." Aria growls, showing that they still had those razor-sharp teeth from their Siren forms.

"I'm pretty sure he was the one that wanted you all dead. Neither I nor Wally wanted to kill you. She even asked me to save you if I could."

"And we're mighty thankful for that. Though I think we haven't shown that enough." Adagio gives me that look again that never fails to put a bit of red on my cheeks.

"Wait… did you say Wally? As in Wallflower Blush?" Sonata asks, moving closer to me.

"Yeah, in fact, I think she said to save you specifically if I could." Wait, she knows her by name? How?

"Wally became a goddess?!" Sonata exclaims, and I can't help but feel an uncomfortable stir inside me at hearing someone else call her that. "Talk about a missed opportunity," she says sulking. "I shouldn't have sold her off."

My eyes immediately center on her. "What?"

Aria and Adagio look at each other, but Sonata keeps talking. "Like, Tirek offered a lot of money, and extra for her since she was my favorite, but a goddess-"

"The fuck are you talking about?!" I ask, clenching my fists, food crumbling in my hands.

Sonata looks at me with confusion. "Uh, my property?"

Sombra’s words come rushing to the front of my mind. “...they mostly handled the slave trade...”

"You enslaved Wallflower?!"

Sonata immediately backs down, raising her arms. "Hey, calm down!

“You enslaved a human being!”

“What? She isn’t human."

"What do you mean not human?!" I scream, going for her neck, but I'm suddenly tackled to the deck. "Get your scaly hands off of me!"

"We will when you calm down." Aria says as she and Adagio pin me to the floor. I swear, if they had normal strength, I would be kicking their asses off the ship right now.

"You better explain to me what she meant by that! You three owe me!"

The two Sirens look at each other before looking back at Sonata, giving her some sort of signal. The third Siren slowly gets in my range of vision, confused and a bit scared. "Okay… so… what do you know about the world right after Discord was defeated?"

"That kind of knowledge is up to speculation nowadays." I answer as calmly as possible.

"Really? You suck at keeping records or something?" Aria questions, making me glare at her.

Adagio suddenly seems to have an epiphany. "Wait, are those speculations based on what the Pillars say about those events?"

"Y-yes… most of them at least."

She gives me a wide grin and says something that might change the entire perspective of history if it was true. My jaw drops as I blurt out a response.

"What do you mean, Grogar won?!"

"Well, we weren't there to see it, but we can tell he succeeded in his mission."

"How? What was his mission? He isn't a god as far as I know."

Adagio laughed. "Oh, he didn't want to be a mere god. What Grogar wanted was to become Death itself."

"...what?" Are these three hallucinating or something?

Sonata raised her hand. "Well, back to what I was saying. After Discord was defeated by Harmony, the world was… kind of a mess. I mean, it was even more of a mess before, but now there was no one in charge of that chaotic mess. There weren't many rules, so a lot of stuff had to be made in his absence. Things like gravity, time, and… well, death."

"I’m sorry, I swear I'm one of the smartest people you'll find in this current era, but I don't follow."

"She means that death wasn't a thing.” Aria explains. “People and creatures didn't die of natural or unnatural causes. And if you knew magic that could heal your body, which a few knew how to like Star Swirl and Grogar, you were basically invincible. That's why our war lasted a thousand years. Warriors on both sides would just get healed and go back to fight endlessly."

“That’s why, when Grogar heard about our spell to make people fight for us, he added us to his army and gifted us an entire city for ourselves.” Adagio adds with a proud grin, which right now I want to punch off her face.

“This history lesson still doesn’t explain why you said Wallflower isn’t human. Or do you just consider all of your slaves below humans?”

“I will tell you if you stop interrupting me!” Sonata complains, her cheeks puffed.

I roll my eyes. “Fine, just tell the story then. And after it, you two will let me go!”

Sonata claps her hands together. “Okay, so. Wally actually predates humanity.” I’m about to ask what she means by that, but a stern glare from her stops me. “She and her entire ‘race’ are from the times when Discord was in his prime. When things were far more chaotic and magical. She and her race became more human-like when we, actual humans, started appearing.”

I shake my head. “Wait, she looks and acts just like me or you. Just, you know, godly. What makes her not a human?”

“Well, what is a human being like you and I made out of? Physically.”

“Uh… bones, flesh, organs... a lot of blood?”

“Correct! However, beings like Wallflower aren’t made of these things. She’s made of raw magic.”

I take a second to process that. “Raw magic… like a construct?”

“Yes! Just a kind of advanced version of it. Fully autonomous and ageless, always working at its full capacity.”

“Well, then we must be talking about different Wallflowers somehow. The Wally I know is always tired.”

Sonata frowns. “Really?... That's weird. Maybe she was a different Wallflower. I never discovered what Tirek wanted her and her race for. He just bought everyone from us and left right before Star Swirl invaded our city.”

“Do you by chance know what happened to that mountain of muscles?” Aria asks me.

“He’s the God of the Underworld.”

There’s a long pause as the three Sirens stare at me while processing my words.

“What the fuck?!”

“He betrayed us!”

“I’m gonna break his horns and shove them up his-”

“Ahem!” I shout over their words. “I shouldn’t be defending the guy, but he isn’t on good terms with the Pillars if that’s what you’re assuming. His relationship with them is more of a… dubious peace treaty.”

“I don’t believe for a second that Star Swirl didn’t try to turn him to stone or banish him to the Shadow Realm!” Aria shouts.

“The what?”

“Some weird pocket dimension he created to banish stuff into,” Adagio explains to me, and I can't help but wonder if that’s related to the Lord of Shadows.

“Well, according to recorded history, which may or may not be bullshit going by you three, Tirek became the God of the Underworld roughly around the time Grogar was defeated. So, the Pillars couldn’t just remove him from existence, and he’s since been living in Tartarus, where they can't reach him.”

“Wait, he actually built that thing?” Sonata questions.

“That’s why he needed so many slaves,” Aria concludes.

“It still leaves the question of why he didn’t take the human slaves too.”

“Maybe he didn’t want us to notice?” Sonata proposes.

“We definitely need to have a talk with him later.”

“Good luck with it, but before that, could you please get off of me?!” I shout, getting the Sirens’ attention.

“You promise not to attack Sonata, even if she deserves it?” Aria asks me.

I take a very deep breath. “Since Wally asked me to save her for some reason, I’ll leave it up to her to determine if I should strangle Sonata or not.”

The sirens holding me look at each other. “I think that’s the best we’re gonna get.” They slowly let me go, and I sit back on the deck before going for what’s left of my abandoned food.

“All good?” Sonata asks me, and I just glare at her.

“Fair...” With that, everyone goes back to their dinner, though I mostly just stare at mine like Adagio is doing.

This was quite a lot to go through.

Wallflower may be a construct, the Pillars have been lying for years ─old me would be quite happy with that─ Grogar is the very concept of death, and I’m the savior of three slavers, cannibals and…

He fed them the most dangerous of his enemies till the fight against Grogar ended.

“Wait, if death wasn’t a thing till Grogar won, what happened with the people Star Swirl… fed to you while-”

Adagio cuts through my question with sharp wording. “We decided to never talk about it.” She stares at me with fierce, protective eyes, and just like Wally, I see a small plea behind them. Glancing to the others, I see one of Sonata’s hands trembling, the other is firmly held by Aria.

“Sorry, I assumed you weren’t fully aware of things during that time.”

“We were aware enough,” Adagio says, looking at her food with the same disgust before forcing herself to eat it.

None of us say a word till it’s time to sleep.

There isn't enough space under the deck for all four of us, so I take my things to the top and set myself against the mast. It was like when I left Celestia's city, same uncomfortable position, same sheets; the food was better back then, though.

Looking up at the stars, at the supposed multitude of worlds barely different from ours, I can't help but wonder if things could be better.

I know that they could be worse if I succeeded in stealing the crown. But if I had asked Twilight for help? That's an option I never considered. I never considered getting actual help from somebody, I just wanted blind obedience so I could work on making things my way.

So I could make things right.

Yeah, that would've ended poorly.

Letting out a tired sigh, I get as comfortable as I can and drift off to sleep.

I slowly open my eyes, expecting to be awakened by a ray of sun in my face, but I notice someone placed a piece of cut sail above my head to block the sunlight.

"Great, they're naked again."

I rise from the deck and stretch, letting my bones pop back into place. It's a bit nostalgic, I must admit. The sound of laughter catches my attention, and, when I look to the sea on my right, I see Aria and Sonata in the water, swimming around with impressive speed and grace. Looks fun.

"Good morning, captain." I hear a voice say from the edge of the ship, and when I move over to look for the source, a yellow arm comes out of the water and pulls me down till I'm face-to-face with Adagio. "Why don't you join us? The water is great right now."

Oh, she's on forward mode again. Perfect.

"Someone should stay in the boat to make sure it doesn't drift away from you," I say as plainly as possible.

“Fair enough, then I’ll keep you company while the others play,” Adagio says with a smirk, beginning to pull herself out of the water, but I stop her by pressing my palm into her forehead.

“Before you try anything, I want to talk about Grogar.”

"Why would you want to talk about that old goat?" Adagio asks, her mood soured.

"I need to know if he's responsible for something."

Adagio lets out a sigh and goes back in the water. "When Grogar told us about his plan, he never mentioned an intention to cause death specifically. He always said death was a necessity of the world. Not something people wanted or deserved, but that needed to exist. So, if what you're asking is if Grogar is responsible for the death of someone you cared for, I can't really say for sure, but I don't think the old goat would do it out of malice."

I slowly nod. But then a different question pops into my mind. "What about people surviving death?"

Adagio has to think about this one for a few seconds. "Well, part of our deal was that me, my sisters and the others of his high ranks would get to keep our immortality after he became Death. The fact that we didn't starve to death while we were chained for years tells me he kept that promise, so I imagine he isn't against making exceptions for people."

The question would be; what kind of people? Was I one of those? And if that's the case; why?

"Hey… is this some sort of… did someone die while you lived?" Adagio asks me carefully, a tone of worry behind her voice.

Don't keep it to yourself. "My parents…"

Adagio looks back at her sisters, almost reflexively. "Very sorry for your loss."

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Thank you for the answers."

"Hey, why don't you come inside the water? I'll keep guard on the boat. You need a bath anyway."

I frown and sniff myself. Yeah, I reek of dead fish and whatever passed through the Siren's mouth. "Fair, shout if the boat drifts too far from us or you see something in the water."

Adagio nods and begins pulling herself out of the water, so I quickly start changing so I avoid looking at her naked body. I set my armor and tunic on the edge of the boat so I can reach and give them a scrub, and approach the water in my underwear.

"Oh, stop being boring," Adagio exclaims before pulling my underwear off.

"Hey!" I shout trying to recover my dignity, but the Siren kicks me off the boat. "I'm gonna drown you!" I'm suddenly grabbed by the other two and pulled away, while they all laugh.

I ended up having a lot of fun in the water. Turns out I really needed some relaxation after everything that happened yesterday. Plus, I'm finally clean. AndAdagio washed my clothes and let them dry while I swam with her sisters.

I was so sure she would 'accidentally' drop them in the water so she could see me naked all the time, but she didn't, so I guess she isn't as rude as I thought. Actually, none of them seem like I would imagine them being. Being slavers, cannibals, and until yesterday, literal monsters, I was expecting them to be… I don’t know, trying to kill me? I know they don’t want to thanks to my sword, but that’s probably because I saved them from the curse. How will they act with normal people? What will they do once we’re back on land? At first, I thought Wally would take them in like me and others, but now that I know the past they have, I doubt either of them would want that.

“Hey, hero.” A voice snaps me out of my ramblings, and when I turn, I see the naturally scowling face of Aria. “Can I talk to you in private?”

I look to the other sisters, who’re at the other side of the boat, eating some raw fish that they hunted in the ocean. It’s a bit frightening seeing how easily they can bite chunks off of them, but at least it means we won’t run out of food. “Uh, sure.”

Aria sits down in front of me, her pose as firm and dominant as her expression. I would know. “What is the plan when we arrive at the shore?”

Am I being pranked by some god? “I’m not sure. It depends mostly on what Wallflower decides.”

I notice Aria clenching her teeth, not liking the answer. “Fine. But I’ll need a favor.”

“What kind?”

“When we are allowed to leave, we would prefer that our… past be forgotten. So we can start anew.”

“Wait a second,” I say, copying her pose. “Who said you would be just allowed to leave?”

Aria frowns. “Did you rescue us just to throw us in a cell?”

“My original mission was to just kill you. I saved you despite that, but that doesn’t mean you’re just free to do whatever.”

“Why not?!”

“You're criminals!” I shout before realizing the hypocrisy. “You’re slavers and murderers as far as I know! You can't just be free like nothing happened.”

Aria looks at her sisters, who seem to not have heard my voice. “Yes, we were. We’re not saying what we did in the past was right. Even then we knew that it was wrong.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because it was what we were good at! We had a skill and we used it as best we could to guarantee us a good life,” she growls at me, clenching her fists.

“And how can I be sure that you won’t do it again?” Aria seems taken aback by my words. “You’re still immortal. You’re stronger and more dangerous than the average person. And you have nothing if Wallflower or you yourselves decide to stay on your own.” I pause for a moment, but, before Aria can respond, I add something more. “I just want to be sure that what I’m doing won’t make things worse in the long run.”

Aria takes a deep breath to calm herself. “It’s true, I can't really promise you we won’t do something bad down the line if things get hard. Survival of the fittest is an ideology we have followed before. But…” she points at me with a trembling finger. “My sisters and I paid the price for our past crimes. Thousands of years chained and being forced to eat the people we once called friends, only finding some relief when we knew they were truly dead. If you’re gonna judge us, do it by what we do from now on, not the past. Because we. Have. Paid our due.” She then points at the wound in her chest, and the mutations on her body. “We’ll never be the same after all of that.”

I take a second to process that, imagining just how it must’ve felt, dragging my hand over my forehead and hair. “You're right. I’m… sorry.”

Aria lets out a long exhale, calming herself back to the regular scowl. “You had your reasons. But still, can I trust that we can at least get a clean slate from now on?”

I gave her a slow nod. “I can't give you guarantees, but at least for my part, I’ll give you three a chance.”

“Good enough for now.” She offers me her hand.

I smile and give it a firm shake. “By the way,” I look back at Adagio and Sonata to check that they’re still away. “Is Adagio… into me? Or is she always like that?”

“She thinks you’re delicious.”

“Delicious meaning…” I say for Aria to elaborate.

“Literally delicious. She can't get your taste out of her mouth.”

It takes a second for things to click in my head. “She wants to eat me?! Again?!”

“Not literally, she’s too small for that now, so I guess she’ll settle for eating your–”

“Nope! No, thank you. I’ll pretend those words didn’t exit your mouth. Goodnight!” I quickly move away from the group to go find my sword, just in case.

I’m suddenly woken up by the sound of panicked shouts. I swiftly rise up from my sleeping spot and take my sword, which is already ready for a fight. “What’s happening?!” I ask, seeing the three sisters scramble to get the sail down.

“We need to move faster or it’ll catch us!” Aria shouts as she climbs the mast.

“What will catch us?”

Sonata points behind us. “The bigger fish.”

I turn around and go over to the back of the ship, scanning the sea in front of me. The waters aren’t still, there are some waves around us, so it takes a few seconds for me to see it moving close to the surface.

Emerald scales, large red fins, sharp long teeth poking out of its mouth.

A Sea Serpent.

I immediately run and help the sisters get the sail ready so we can move at max speed, but the wind isn’t in our favor, and I can hear the damaged mast begin to break with the wind pressure. “We’ll lose the mast if we keep going like this.”

“We’ll be worse if it catches up to us!” Aria shouts back.

“Don’t you three know it? Have you ever faced it before? Does it have a weakness of some sort?”

“Every time it would come for us we would just fly away to a new location. And I doubt your sword will do anything to it.”

I look back at the Sea Serpent and notice that it's been getting closer to us despite our boost in speed. It’ll catch up to us soon, even sooner if the mast breaks down.

We can’t escape.

Fighting it would be suicide.

There’s only one option left.

I sit down on my knees, and join my hands in prayer. “Lady of the sun, whose morning you gift us every day, please cast your sunshine on me, and grant us protection of things unseen.”

I wait for a moment, hoping for some signal or some change in the weather, but the sun is hiding behind the clouds.

“Lady of the sun, whose morning you gift us every day, please cast your sunshine on me, and grant us protection of things unseen!” I shout this time. I know she’s listening, she has to be.

I see the Sea Serpent getting closer, it’ll soon be upon us, and the damn boot keeps acting dumb.

Suddenly, Sonata kneels beside me. “Lady of the sun, whose morning you gift us every day, please cast your sunshine on me, and grant us protection of things unseen.” I see tears running down her cheeks as she says the words for the first time, her voice trembling with fear.

Adagio takes a knee beside her and hugs her sister, whispering the prayer as she looks at the Serpent approaching.

Aria also joins in the whisper, standing in front of them, with a long piece of splintered wood whose tip is just pointy enough to be considered a spear.

I look back at the sky, but the sun is still hiding behind the clouds. She’s not listening. She doesn't care.

The Sea Serpent rises from the water, much bigger and more monstrous than even the Sirens once were, its big blue eyes looking down at us, its sharp jaws almost grinning at our hopelessness.

Aria readies her spear, and I stand with my sword in hand. Maybe cutting the tongue once I’m in its mouth will bleed it to death if the wound is large enough.

Suddenly, the clouds part, and a ray of sunlight lands directly on the Serpent’s eyes, making it reel back as it hisses in pain. Almost at the same time, a sudden current starts pushing our ship away from the monster and closer to land. Aria and I still hold our weapons at the ready in case the Serpent tries to attack, but the creature seems to have been completely blinded by the sun, its blue eyes now covered with white. It starts thrashing around in panic, trying to orient itself, but luckily we are already far away enough that we can’t get hit by its flailing body. Only when we see it disappear under the water do we finally sigh in relief and calm down.

We're safe. By a literal miracle.

I turn to look at the sisters and I’m suddenly pulled into a group hug by Sonata.

“We’re alive!”

“Why do happy people’s hugs hurt so much?” I strain to say as my lungs, spine and ribs get crushed.

“My theory is that they're too dense to give normal hugs.” Aria answers, her insides being equally pulverized.

Sonata finally lets us all go, and while we try to recover our breath, she turns to me. "By the way, what was that ritual you were saying? That's what brought the sun and stuff, right?"

"The- oh, you mean the prayer? Yeah, it was a prayer to Celestia, Goddess of the Sun." The three look at me with some confusion. "Right, you probably missed those ones."

"How many gods are there now?" Adagio asks.

"Uh, wait a second." I make sure we are going the right way and that the Serpent isn't around before sitting down with them. "Okay, so. You all knew about the Pillars and Tirek. Have you heard about the Ladies of Time?"

"Yeah, we met them a while ago," Aria answers.

"I believe those two were the first to become gods," Adagio adds, which makes sense.

"Okay, so, besides those and Wallflower, the next one to ascend to godhood were sisters Celestia and Luna, as goddesses of the Sun and Moon respectively."

Sonata raises her arm. "Wait, but we already had sun and moon in our times."

"Did they steal them or something?" Aria asks.

"Well, the story is, was," I correct, "that Celestia ascended when she killed Chrysalis."

"They killed Chrissy?!" Sonata suddenly explodes in rage, raising up with her sharp teeth bared and fists clenched.

"No no no no no, she isn't dead. It was a lie, she's fine, I met her a few weeks ago. We're actually going to her home so you can meet her there," I quickly shout to calm the angered Siren, which luckily works well enough as she lets out a sigh of relief before sitting down.

"I don't care what her mother did, Chrysalis is a sweet girl and shouldn't be hunted for what we did," she says grumpily.

"She… did start a war with the entire world."

Sonata blinks twice but her stance doesn't change. "She must've had her reasons."

"Okay. As I was saying, that was supposedly how Celestia ascended to godhood, being both revered by a large enough population and having the blessing of the gods after defeating such a dangerous foe to the world. But I discovered that it was a lie, so I don't know what she actually did."

"What about Luna?" Adagio asks.

"Supposedly, she stopped a meteor from destroying the continent."

"That… sounds kind of impossible," Aria says with a raised eyebrow.

I shrug. "Both sisters were pretty powerful, so I do think it's possible."

"Were there other ones besides those two?" Sonata asks.

"Yes, the next one was Cadence. She's… a bit more complicated."

"How so?"

"Well… she-" I stop, noticing a subtle shine all along the ship, right before it suddenly freezes in place.

We all look around us with weapons drawn, ready for some kind of attack, when I notice that the sail has been frozen too, meaning that whatever stopped us is of magical nature.

"We're close to land!" Sonata shouts, pointing at the pier in the distance, probably a few hundred meters away. "We can swim the rest of the way!"

I wince at the distance. "I won't make it that far."

"We can carry you. Let's go." Adagio grabs my arm and starts pulling me to the edge, but right before any of us can jump on the water, a bright silver circle appears in front of us, and inside it I can see a familiar symbol.

"Oh no."

The circle brightens, shooting a pillar of light to the sky for a few seconds, and when it disperses, it reveals an old man, without any wrinkles on his skin, wearing tunics with different shades of deep blue, decorated with markings of stars and moons.

It was Star Swirl, the God of Knowledge. The real Star Swirl.

We can all feel the raw magic emanating from him like an oppressive heatwave, yet Aria is mad enough to throw her makeshift spear at him, which disintegrates before it even gets close to hitting the target.

The ancient god focuses his eyes on me. "I thought my letter was clear, Sunset Shimmer. You had to kill these three so they would stop their rampage of harm. Why are they still alive? Why are you taking them to shore?"

I swallow a lump in my throat before responding. "I broke their curse, they're normal now. They pose no threat."

Star Swirl looks at the Sirens, who slowly move behind me, looking for protection. "These three will never be normal. Their mere existence is a threat to all."

"Because we know the truth you've been hiding for so long, you bearded morosoph!" Aria shouts defiantly.

To my surprise, Star Swirl seems unbothered by her words. "Whatever you think you know lacks any form of proof, and telling the world about your origins will only land you a slower death for defying the gods."

That is sadly true. Even if we had proof, the people would be more willing to burn us at the stake than hear our words.

"Regardless of what you wanted, Wallflower was the one that gave me this task, she'll decide their fate," I say, hoping that some rule between the gods could help me keep these three safe.

"She may be the Goddess of Empathy, but even she must know that these three deserve no mercy." Star Swirl raised one of his hands, moving his fingers until a circle of magic formed in front of it. "Besides, the Sirens are my responsibility after all." I feel very powerful magic start to gather into the circle. "I would recommend stepping aside."

I stand my ground, not sure if in some act of stupid defiance or just because I was freezing out of fear, but regardless, the last thing I want is for this bearded bawbag to murder the Sirens.

I consider praying to Celestia again, hoping for another miracle, but one suddenly presents itself on its own.

"The Sirens aren't your responsibility anymore."

Star Swirl turns his head back, and standing behind him is a much taller figure, looking down at him while wielding a dark blue, star-patterned trident. "What do you mean by that, Luna?"

"The Sirens have been my responsibility since the sinking of Mount Aris,” the goddess exclaims, clutching the trident in her hand.

“These aren’t the same kind of Siren, Luna. These are ancient monsters, they do not deserve protection or pity," the god explains calmly, not the least bit threatened by his peer.

“They’re creatures of the sea, which is my domain. So I will decide their fate." Luna takes a step forward, looming over him.

Star Swirl scratches his long beard, looking at Luna straight in the eyes. The Sirens and I are practically shaking, waiting for a response.

“Very well, but only as long as they remain in your domain. If I see them come to dry land, they’ll be out of your protection.”

“I still have to present them to Wallflower,” I interject.

Despite looking at his back, I know Star Swirl just rolled his eyes. “With that exception.”

“Very well, I’ll escort them there,” Luna declares, pulling her weapon back.

“As you wish. Do not be late for our meeting.” With another circle of magic, Star Swirl vanishes, and we all let out a sigh of relief, almost falling on the deck as the tension leaves our bodies.

"Despite the years, he's still a piece of shit," Adagio grumbles, while my attention focuses on the imposing goddess that is now standing right in front of us.

"I… sorry for… when we first met–" I start mumbling, but I stop when Luna lets out a long laugh.

"You mean when I made you literally face your inner demon?”

‘Luna’ laughs again at my absolute confusion, then lets me see her eyes change color to a familiar green. “Chrysalis?!”

Hearing my words, Sonata lets out a loud gasp. “Chrissy!” By some form of magic, the blue Siren suddenly launches herself into the disguised changeling, nearly pushing her off of the ship. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much! You’ve grown a lot!”

“Nice to see you too,” Chrysalis struggles to say as the blue menace hugs her neck with tremendous strength. “Now please get off me!”

Sonata lets go of her and takes a few steps back. “Oops, sorry, I forgot you like personal space.”

I feel like she and Pinkie would get along if they met, but humanity wouldn’t survive.

“Thank you for saving our asses,” Aria says, giving the changeling a fist bump while she smiles. “We owe a lot of favors already,” she then adds, her scowl returning immediately.

“I’m assuming what you told that old beard was a pile of lies,” Adagio says, seeming a bit upset at the changeling’s presence.

“Not all of it. You can be safe in the deep sea. What’s left of my family hid there for some time. It’s out of the gods' direct sight.”

“We’re not aquatic anymore,” Adagio points out, raising her eyebrow.

“I can teach you how to shape your bodies like my kind does.”

That statement got a reaction from all of us.

Sonata's excited. Aria seems hesitant. Adagio's incredulous. And I'm just dumbfounded that changeling magic can be learned. I need to get her to give me some lessons.

“I know you wouldn’t propose it if it wasn’t possible, but are you sure?” Adagio asks. “I know you like my sisters, but this is pretty much taboo for your kind.”

Chrysalis gives the Siren a sad smile as she lowers to her eye level. “A lot has happened. The changelings’ customs are pretty much gone. And I'll do whatever I can to save what little family I have left. And that includes your sisters and you.”

The Sirens look at each other, the full weight of Chrysalis' words sinking in each of them. Sonata walks over to the changeling and hugs her side, Aria adding a hand on her shoulder as a form of consolation.

Adagio seems to be internally fighting to say something, but, after about a minute of silence, just crosses her arms and sighs. "Thank you. We... really don't have anything else, do we?"

"I'm afraid so. But there's new allies to make," Chrysalis says, glancing at me.

Adagio looks in my direction, and I notice a hint of a smile on her lips. "I think I'm up for some new friends. But first we need to meet Wallflower."

"She's waiting on the shore." Chrysalis lifts her trident, and a sudden current starts moving the boat at top speed towards land.

"Wait, that's actually Luna's trident?" I ask as I brace myself from the sudden movement.

"I collected it from the center of Mareantis years ago." Chrysalis looks at the dark blue weapon, rubbing her thumb over it. "I thought that it would be enough for her to at least come take it back. See her again, even if it's brief."

I give her a sympathetic smile. That event was more than just 'years' ago. It must be a torture in of itself. I wonder why Luna would keep her distance, though. Maybe too risky of an encounter if the other gods realize she's alive?

I can visit her temple again and ask. Once this is over.

It takes just a few minutes to reach the shore, and, just as Chrysalis said, Wallflower is waiting there, walking circles on the sand. She looks a lot more nervous than any other time I’ve seen her.

As soon as we hit the shore, Sonata jumps off the ship and goes to her.

“Hey Wally… been a while…” she says nervously, rubbing her arm as she seems to struggle with finding the words to speak. “Sunset told me you–”

Her speech is cut off as Wallflower’s left hand grabs her neck in less than a second.

I can’t move. Aria and Adagio, who were the first to defend Sonata every time she was in danger, are also frozen in place. Even Chrysalis doesn't dare to move a muscle.

Because while Sonata cries and struggles to breathe… we all feel it.

It’s… a familiar feeling. Right, my execution. When I was at the top of the gallows and looked at the thousands of faces watching me. All their hatred focused solely on my person.

This is similar, except that instead of the population of a city, it feels more like entire generations of humankind are being concentrated in the singular body of Wallflower. Their ire burning in her eyes, their vengeance strengthening the hand that is about to snap Sonata’s neck like a twig.

Then suddenly, just as quick as it came, that feeling leaves, and Wallflower pulls her arm back as if Sonata’s skin was burning her.

“I’m sorry…” Wallflower says as she takes a few steps back. “I… thought I was better than that.”

Aria and Adagio quickly run over to Sonata, who’s touching her neck softly, feeling a quite noticeable mark where Wally’s fingers pressed into her skin.

Wallflower tries to flee by turning into petals, but she’s suddenly stopped when they burn with a green flame, leaving her confused.

I feel Chrysalis' hand rest on my shoulder. “Go with her, I’ll help the others,” she whispers in my ear before going with the Sirens, offering some comfort to the very scared Sonata.

I quickly run up to Wallflower, touching her shoulder to stop her from trying to leave again. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yes,” Wally answers automatically, then looks at me with confusion. “Shouldn’t you be worried about her?” she asks, looking briefly in Sonata’s direction.

“She has her family, you only have me right now.”

“I have others…” Wally says, and I can tell it’s another slip.

“Are they… inside you?” She pauses for a moment, seeming to think something over, then gives a small nod. “Are they who pushed you to do… that?

Another pause, much longer this time. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“I have time to listen. If you want,” I offer, trying to look her in the eyes,

“I don’t,” she says with bitter coldness, scratching her arm under the cape.

“Okay, not now. But later? That was… I’m just worried.”

“Did they tell you?” She asks as she finally looks me in the eyes. “About the slave.”

“They did… and I would also like to talk about that.”

Wallflower looks at me for a few more seconds before letting out a very long sigh. “Can you stay at the port? We can talk there after I… deal with some things.”

“It’s okay,” I say, grabbing her other shoulder. “I’ll wait till you feel ready.”

Wally nods, taking a deep breath before looking at the Sirens. “Tell them that they’re free to go with Chrysalis. She already told me what she had planned to keep them hidden.”

“I will,” I say with a smile, and it makes me happy when Wallflower smiles too.

“And… thank you for saving them,” she says before vanishing into petals, leaving me with a lot of questions.

But I’m more worried about what the answers will be.

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Third Labor: The Sirens (Consequences)

(Picture will be added in the future)

Third Labor: The Sirens (Consequences)

As soon as Wally is gone, I walk over to the Sirens. Sonata has Chrysalis’ Royal Jelly on her neck, and the other two seem to be calming her down after what happened.

“Wallflower says you’re free to go. I’m entrusting you with finding them a safe place from Star Swirl,” I add, looking at Chrysalis, who gives me a nod. “However…”

The two eldest Sirens glare at me, a clear warning to choose my next words very carefully.

“I need to know what happened between you and Wallflower.”

“We don’t need to tell you anything. We don’t want her forgiveness,” Aria spits at me, clearly defensive. Adagio almost adds something, but Sonata grabs each of their hands tightly. She doesn’t look at them, but her message is clear.

Before Sonata can say anything, though, Adagio cuts in. “I was the one who captured Wallflower and her bunch. I wouldn’t call them her family or even her townsfolk; just people she happened to be around. We used that group to construct defenses around our city for the war. Wallflower was… very bad at it.”

“And I punished her for it,” Aria interjects. “Whips on her back. Almost daily. Sometimes just to destress myself,” she says, and the guilt I feel coming from her is the only thing stopping me from attacking her.

“I took her away from Aria,” the Sonata whispers through her sore throat. “I put her to work on our palace’s garden, and she seemed infinitely more happy with it. The gardens became very beautiful.” She’s smiling; some good memories must be coming back to her head.

Aria’s lucky Sonata said that, as it’s helping cool me down.

“I guess that’s why she asked me to save you in particular,” I say, before my eyes wander back to the wound on her neck. “Did something go wrong at the end?”

Sonata nods. “Yes. I… made a huge mistake.”

Aria and Adagio suddenly move defensively in front of their fellow Siren, but she keeps talking.

“I wanted to reward her, and she was cute and attractive. So, I invited her to my room, and… told her to undress herself.” Sonata clutches her hands tightly. I know, because I’m doing it myself, though for very different reasons. “She froze. She was confused. Scared. And I was too used to seeing her as property to realize it.”

Sonata looks down at the sand, her hands trembling like mine.

“I got impatient and ordered her to do as I told her, which only made her more scared. I went to do it myself, but as soon as I touched her...” Sonata pauses for a moment, visibly shaking. “I’ll never forget how she screamed. She ran away, and I was too stunned to follow. I found her in the garden the next day, but I didn't approach her. I didn’t want to scare her again, so I let her be and continued like nothing had happened. I just kept her as property and nothing else. Then Tirek came by and bought her from me.” Sonata wipes her eyes. “When I saw her again…” She moved her hand close to her neck. “I wanted to apologize. But she’s clearly still scared. I think that’s why she tried to…”

She finally looks me in the eye. “I’m not looking for forgiveness. The fact she doesn't want me dead is more than I expected and… deserved. But, if this still haunts her, please help her. I wish I could myself, but that’s clearly out of the question.”

I take a deep breath. And another one. And one more, till I finally calm down. “Thank you for sharing this.” I slowly stand up, my fists slowly relaxing. “I’ll make sure it won’t haunt her anymore.”

Sonata nods, bearing a sad smile. The other two Sirens also relax, their focus returning to caring for their younger sibling. Chrysalis gives me a nod, a small but proud smile on her lips. “I’ll take it from here. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” I say, letting out a sigh. “I’ll need it.”

The walk back to Nemarea’s port is a thankfully brief one, though with the way my mind was working at the moment, it wasn’t a peaceful walk. Wallflower had a quite literal tortured past, is older than civilization itself, not human, and apparently possessed by an unimaginable amount of… I’m not sure what, but it looked dangerous. To say I’m worried would be an understatement.

My stomach rumbles loudly, cutting through my thoughts. I guess a week of seafood wasn’t very satisfying. To the Merry Cherry then.

I make my way to the inn, and, as soon as I set foot on the establishment, I get hug-tackled by Ocellus. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” the (relatively) young changeling screeches, hugging tightly and making me see stars.

“You’re gonna break her in two, Obelus. Give the girl some breathing room,” Cherry chastises her from the bar, and quickly makes her way to us as we stand up. “I see you got your first battle scar,” the ex-adventurer says with some pride. “Did you bring the Sirens’ heads, or did you turn tail and run with your life?”

I look at the scar in my arm for a moment before responding. “I didn’t bring any heads, but the Sirens are dealt with,” I say to keep things vague. Giving details wouldn't be good, considering how things turned out.

Cherry gives me a long look before nodding. “Yeah, you’re not bluffing. Not with that scar and your attitude. The waters will be safer from now on!” she announces, and the entire bar erupts in cheers. “Thanks to our brand new hero here!” she adds while lifting my wounded arm with care, and the patrons raise their drinks to me.

I… feel rather elated by this. I certainly didn’t expect this kind of reaction, but it definitely feels nice. Something to really be proud about.

“Come girl, let me get you a drink or two. On the house,” Cherry said as she guides me to one of the fancier tables.

“A bit of food would be nice too,” I add with a smile.

“Sure thing, dear. A full course meal for our hero.”

The next half hour feels almost unreal. Not only is the food the most delicious ever – well, still second to Granny’s – and the mead the sweetest thing, but I also get a small audience wanting to hear how I defeated the Sirens, Ocellus being the first in line. I tell the tale as best I can without compromising the Sirens and Chrysalis, saying that the Sirens had simply turned into normal fish when defeated.

After that, I get many thank yous from the sailors, who had been stuck in port from the fear of the sea creatures, and some even give me some bits; I seem to be earning quite the profit from this adventure. One of the sailors even tries to give me a very fancy sword, but I refuse, saying that I was already well-armed.

Once the celebrations die down and the patrons return to their usual business, Cherry approaches me and sits down at the other side of the table. “So, what will our hero do now?”

"I've unfinished business with my… employer," I say, fidgeting with my fork.

"Really? What god would that be?" Cherry asks, now more curious than ever.

"It's… complicated. Not a very well-known goddess."

"Oh, The Forgotten Goddess?" Cherry guesses instantly. She's good at this. "I thought she was a myth."

I shake my head. "She isn't. She's just… reserved."

"Well, are you two meeting here? I can give you a more private table."

I perk up at that. "Can I get my old room?"

Cherry shakes her head. "Sorry, dear. We got booked while you were at sea."

I sigh. "Then a private table will do."

"Right, let me go get it ready now." Cherry’s about to stand up, but Ocellus stops her.

"I'll take care of it," she says, before going straight to a table far in the back and starting to clean it up.

"Heh, that girl's a treasure, I tell you," Cherry says with a smile.

I let out a chuckle. "She is." Then I look at Cherry. "How long have you known each other?"

"Since I started this business. So… about a decade," she answers, watching Ocellus work. "Curious thing. I've aged every year, but she looks just as young as the first day I saw her."

"Must be a good bloodline," I say dismissively, but she turns to me with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Oh. You know."

"Of course I know. There's only so much you can hide when you live with your boss," the woman says with a laugh. "But she's safe here. I would crush whoever tries to harm her.” She drives her fist into her palm for emphasis, and I can feel from here just how much strength she could channel in that simple motion.

“Did you get blessed?” I can’t help but ask.

“Nah. Never earned the privilege. But I did get this,” she says, showing me that belt I noticed before. The one with Rockhoof’s insignia on it. “Got it passed to me from an old partner.”

“Adventuring partner, or partner partner?” I ask with a smile.

“Yes,” she answers with a smirk.

“Do they live here?”

“Oh, I don’t know. We got separated before I settled in.”

I wince a bit. “Sorry to hear that.”

“It's okay. Old story by now." Cherry stays silent for a few seconds before looking at me. "Hey, if in your travels you happen to stumble across a guy named Buffalo Bull, tell him Calamity Mane lives here. Leave it up to him to decide what to do with that."

I nod, then turn to Cherry's left. "Hey, Wally."

"Hi," Wally answers timidly.

The old veteran nearly jumps out of her skin. "What the- Where did you come from?"

"It's not intentional," I say before standing up. "There's a more private table at the back." Wally nods and stands up too. "Thanks for your help," I say to Cherry, still recovering from the sudden apparition.

Wallflower and I walk up to the table and sit down. The corner is a bit dark, but that's kind of the point. Wally looks more comfortable now that she's just with me, but I can tell she's still stressing about the coming discussion.

To be fair, I don't feel ready either.

About a minute passes as we both remain in uncomfortable silence, Wally barely being able to look me in the eyes.

I clear my throat to break the silence. “So, why don’t you start from the beginning?”

“The beginning…” Wally repeats, seemingly to a third person I can’t see.

“The Sirens… maybe your birth?” I offer. “Just, your past in ge-”

“I don’t know.” She cuts me off.

I take a deep breath. “If you need more time-”

“No. It’s not that.” She clarifies. “I…” Wally presses her hand over her chest, below the neck. “I have the scars, but… I’ve forgotten about the slave.”

I frown, moving a bit closer. “What do you mean?”

This time, Wallflower’s the one that takes a deep breath, though she also shuffles a bit in her seat. “I guess I should start with what I do remember. My ascension.”

Tirek used my kind to build Tartarus. A massive, sprawling underground city where the dead would live once Grogar became Death. The Goat had promised Tirek, like many others, that he would keep his immortality, even if the world became mortal, in exchange for this city, but Tirek didn’t fully trust him, and decided to make sure he would end up victorious no matter what. So, Tartarus was built with two purposes: to host the dead, and to channel a very complex spell. One that would need an absurd amount of magic, workforce, and souls.

My kind gave him all three of those.

So, when Tartarus was completed, Tirek used the spell to absorb all the magic in my kindred’s bodies, till nothing of them remained. He became as powerful as the gods, but he didn’t become one. One of the requirements wasn’t met.

Because of me.

I had escaped some time ago, guided by a cloaked figure that had infiltrated Tartarus to uncover its secrets. She later revealed herself as Star Swirl’s apprentice, Clover the Clever.

I explained to her what Tirek intended to do, and how the plan was soon to be completed. She asked me if I wanted to save my people. I told her I didn’t belong with them.

That she should’ve saved someone else.

Clover then asked me to forgive her.

“Forgive you for what?” I ask, noticing that Wally’s hands are trembling. “What did she do?”

“She…” the trembling got worse. I see Wally’s hand go for her arm, but I grab it before it does, holding it firmly along with the other. She doesn’t resist. “She put their souls inside me.”

I frown. “What do you mean-”

“-put them inside me?” I asked, scared of this woman I barely knew.

“If Tirek absorbs their souls, he’ll be too powerful to stop,” Clover explained, but that didn’t help at all. “We don’t have a choice.”

“You’re not giving me one!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that!” I tried to run, but my body didn’t move. I saw a magical glow around it, and it suddenly forced me to kneel in front of the woman as she drew a magic circle around me. “Please, stop!”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated as she completed the circle, and before I could beg further, she pressed her hand against my forehead.

What happened? Where am I? What's going on?Where's my son?Who’s in my head?Stopit!Whyareyoudoingthis?Arewetrapped?Help!Isanyoneoutthere?Mom!Idon’twantthis!Makeitstop!Arhsind!snauinmfsnxuyvbappsmfishviusbvioamdpsaofuobhsibvjisxnmcpoanmciuashfiuosnvoisndugvbfdyigbnosnmpfmsapcjrbeuoagbpdimniodscnyaiireogpbiusdoavisdunviaypnvsijomxpibfuisapbgyiapbvujoiaenruiphnfguipabgvnauivndiauspgvbeipuvbuisadbvypiaearuipgbiadpnvgiaosdhvnuipbnvyipaenuhnadfyivbydfuipavbuaioenvuanivgvoPIJNIOJNOUDANVIEAPOGVBUIADSPVNUIAPHVNHJUAVBLNOXMPWXPAMNDCYIFBUOERAVNADPVNYUEIOPGBNGANUSIDPVGBSPNVFUSIVBAPOINEUOGNUYIDSOPABPVCIUPWUABFYUAPOBHVUONAUIPEUIAGUIOAENVUHIWPANGOENVGJUOIPDAVHAUEGHIUPEAHGAUSORVHUERGAPJGNIOMVIOSHNVPABNOGEGNEUIOHGPGGUIOIABFDISAGFBSONCVA

“It was too much. So many voices. Screaming,” Wallflower says as she shakes again, but I’m holding her tightly, brushing her hair; a poor attempt at comfort, but it’s better than nothing.

The rest of the patrons had noticed her outburst and are now looking at us, but a stern glare from Cherry gets them all to pick up their stuff and leave. Only Ocellus and Cherry remain, both looking very concerned.

I keep hugging Wallflower till she very slowly calms down, taking deep breaths till she can speak again, then pushing me away to have some space. “I… I don’t remember much after that. Just vague instincts. I’m not even sure if they’re my own memories… I don’t think I’m the slave anymore.”

“So, when you attacked Sonata, that was the voices acting through you?” I ask slowly.

“I’m not sure,” Wallflower admits, looking down at nothing. “Maybe a bit of both.”

“Do they do that often?”

“No. It’s only happened a few times. When they agree to something other than letting me take the reins.”

"They let you control your own body?" I ask, more angrily than I meant.

Luckily, Wallflower seems to understand my intention. "It's more complicated than that. I spent years, maybe centuries trapped with them. My body didn't age or rot, but my mind was as lost in the chaos of voices as everyone else. It wasn't until a voice from the outside started talking to me that I was able to break free."

"A voice from the outside?" I ask, right before it hits me. "Luna!"

Wallflower nods. "She found me in what’s now my temple. She did her best to call out to me, make my own mind crawl out of the pit. And, after a few decades, she succeeded. From there, I managed to calm the others down. Have them cooperate. Till finally my body could move."

"I owe her a lot, then," I say with a smile. "That's when you became a goddess?"

Wallflower takes a few seconds to respond. "I was never officially made one."

I frown. "But… I thought the other gods needed to be in agreement. I know you attend reunions and such. You must count as a goddess for them."

Wally shakes her head. "Not for Star Swirl. And they only do that because of the arrangement they did with Luna."

"Luna made a deal with them?"

"Yes. After she rebelled."

My eyes go wide. "Excuse me, what?!"

"When I told her how I got millions of souls in my body, she was enraged. So, she created the Nightmare Armor and her trident, took the Crown of Magic, then marched to Mount Equestria to fight them. She managed to defeat a few, but was defeated by Flash Magnus. She would've died if Celestia hadn't intervened. I don't know the details after that, but Luna became a goddess, and I was allowed to… exist."

"To exist?" I growl, clenching my teeth.

Wallflower tries to scratch her arm, but I place my hand on top of it. "Starswirl considers me one of the most dangerous things in existence. Just like Tirek."

"Why?!" I nearly scream.

Wallflower takes a while to finally respond. "I didn't stop taking souls in."

That makes me recoil a bit. "What do you mean?"

"Every one of my followers. Everyone who accepts me as their god. When they die, they don't go to Tartarus. They go to me. They join all the other souls in my memory."

My jaw nearly hits the table. "How… how many are there?"

"Billions… maybe more."

"And… they're trapped like you were?"

"No. Not like I was. I'm able to prevent it from becoming a pit again. Now it's more like a proper afterlife, where everyone can rest and be remembered." She pauses for a second. "And the other option is to go to Tartarus, where they power Tirek's ambitions." Wally clenches her fists. "Clover's gamble only delayed him."

"So, he's growing as powerful as you?"

"No. His method doesn't involve actual worship, more like he leeches from them. But it’s enough that the gods don't want to test his strength, so they leave him alone in his little kingdom."

"Wait… if you're more powerful than him, why aren't you at the top?"

"I may be… 'powerful', but I'm also fragile. If I ever lost control of my mind and it all devolved into a pit again. I may never come back from it."

There’s a long silence till Wallflower talks again. "So… that's the story." She turns to look me in the eyes. "What now?"

I honestly have no idea. This is way more than I was expecting. Should've known I wasn't prepared to handle the problems of a god.

But I'm not giving up that easily. Not when it matters.

First things first.

"Well, Sonata is truly regretful about what she did. It was, apparently, a mistake she never got to correct and wishes she could, but understands she can't." I look at Wally's eyes. "I know you say that you're not the slave anymore, and that there are many people in you that have many more grudges than you, but she just wishes that you won’t be haunted by it anymore."

Wally's eyes seem to suddenly focus on nothing. Is she thinking? Talking with them?

"What about Aria and Adagio?" she finally asks.

"I don't know exactly what their stance on the matter is, but they aren’t proud of what they were. They want a fresh start. And they want to protect Sonata from whatever punishment may befall her."

Wally's eyes go to nothing again for a few seconds. "We'll discuss it. But I won't be punishing them. They've suffered enough."

I nod. "That's more than they expected."

Wally sighed and looked extremely exhausted all of a sudden. "Can we hold the rest for later?"

"Sure thing." I say before offering my hand to her. "And… whatever happens. I'll be with you. Be it gods or monsters."

A small smile appears on Wally's lips, and she grabs my hand, holding it tightly. "Thank you." She looks at me, and seems to think something for a few seconds.

She leans forward a bit, then suddenly bursts into flower petals and vanishes.

I immediately sigh and collapse on the table. I never had a conversation drain me like this.

"Hey… Sunset," Cherry says as she places a drink on the table, which I take and down in one go. "You're in deep trouble, eh?"

"Yeah. And I thought my execution was rough."

"Your what?" she shouts.

"Long story."

Cherry sits down in front of me. "Well dear, I can tell your adventures have just begun."

I look up at her. "Yeah. Seems that way. I still have many more labors to go through."

"Yeah, that too." Cherry then unbuckles her belt and sets it on the table. "This might help a little."

I look at it and shake my head. "It's yours. You earned it."

"And I can damn well do what I want with it," she chuckles. "Take it. It served me well for years, but I left the adventuring life long ago. I prefer that it helps someone do more good in the world."

I look at her. "You barely know me. I was a criminal just a couple weeks ago."

"So were the changelings, once," Cherry says, and I notice Ocellus perking up her ears. "I trust you'll make the right choices."

She pushes the belt towards me, and after a few seconds, I finally take it. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, dear," she says with a smile. "Good luck in your next labor. I hope it isn't as difficult as the Sirens."

"That reminds me," I say as I clasp the belt around my hips, feeling a sudden surge of strength all over my body. "I need to meet someone again."

I enter Luna's temple for the second time in my life and find a small group of people in the middle of a ceremony. I silently step aside and wait, observing as the priest scatters some white, bright dust on the shoulders of a woman kneeling before him.

The woman then stands up, the dust gently falling off from her, and I can almost see the dust moving, as if it were a patchwork cloak over the woman. She then bows to the priest and turns around, and I notice that she’s with child. The husband embraces the woman, careful to not touch the white dust, and kisses her, holding her for a few seconds before letting go.

The priest says a few words and the couple thanks him, joining their families as they walk out of the temple.

Then the priest turns to me. "Are you curious?"

"I'm guessing it was a blessing ceremony. For a healthy child," I say as I walk closer. "What was that dust you used?"

The priest rubs his hands together and shows me a pinch of that white dust. "It's Moondust. Blessed earth of our goddess. We use it for all manner of blessings, as it's an extension of her care." He then lifts his hand and blows it in my face. Resisting the urge to swat it away, I let it fall on my skin, just closing my eyes so it wouldn’t get in.

When I open them, I’m not in the temple anymore. I’m in… the courtyard of a castle, under the starry night sky. In front of me is a large garden full of exotic plants I’ve never seen before, shining beautifully under the moon’s shine. The air is filled with a mixture of pleasant scents, though the only one I can recognize is lavender, since it was prominent in Luna's temple too.

"Where am I?" I call out as I step into the garden, knowing she's somewhere around here.

"A private corner of existence made for me and me alone. Where no eyes or ears can reach us," Luna says behind me.

As I turn to see her, I’m struck with the sight of her real body. Her hair flows in waves, looking like a piece of the night sky filled with little stars. She wasn’t as tall as Chrysalis, but definitely taller than me, with a pair of blue wings on her back. What surprised me the most was that she was wearing a cloak like Wallflower, except this one seemed to be made out of patchwork, kind of like the one the dust had formed around the woman before. "I made this part of the castle in memory of Wallflower. I thought it would be appropriate for our talk."

"So the idea of the gods living all at the top of Mount Equestria is wrong."

"Yes. We all have our little personalized spaces where we live. No mortal is supposed to set foot in this place," Luna explains as she walks over to me.

"Oh… I'm honored then." I say as I reach over to the flowers, feeling the petals with my hand. "And… I actually wanted to talk about Chrysalis."

Luna looks at me, saying nothing for a moment. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that to be the reason for your visit."

"Sorry if I'm intruding on your personal matters. It's just that some things don't add up for me."

Luna lets out a small sigh. "I guess if I was open to talk about Wallflower, Chrysalis would be the next step. Ask away."

"Well, the obvious first question is, well, why did you never visit Chrysalis? You must know she's alive and has your weapon."

"The reason is quite simple. It is forbidden. Gods are prohibited to show themselves in front of mortals outside of certain occasions. And even then, it must be through an avatar."

And here I thought they just liked to be dramatic. "I guess Wally's the exception."

Luna nods. "She's the exception to many rules. She has many freedoms to compensate for her… less than fortunate upbringing."

"Yeah. I also wanted to thank you for that. I didn't expect to hear that you fought the gods for her."

The goddess starts walking along the pathways in the garden. "I used to be more aggressive in my younger years. I don't regret fighting for Wallflower, but I certainly would have come up with something better than a full frontal assault."

"Still, she's here because of you. You saved her from that pit of voices," I say as I follow her.

"I did. No one deserved such a fate. And I'm impressed Wallflower has managed to turn that into an afterlife for the less fortunate." Luna smiles proudly as she says that last part.

"Going back to Chrysalis. Can't you show up with an avatar? Send a message? I can give it to her myself."

Luna sighs, sitting down on a stone bench that grew up from the floor. "Besides that general rule, I'm further prohibited from seeing her by Star Swirl."

A second bench appears for me and I sit down as I frown. "From Star Swirl? Wait! He knows she's alive?!"

"Yes. Knowing things is his whole persona. That and paranoia."

"But I thought he hated the Changelings. Why wouldn't he kill her? What does he gain with…" then it dawns on me. "You… he gains you."

Luna nods solemnly. "As long as I keep to the rules, he won't bring any harm to Chrysalis or what's left of her family. That has been the deal for a long time. Though now he also has the Sirens as leverage."

I wince at that. I guess tricking the God of Knowledge isn't so easy. "Why can't your sister and Cadence do something about it? They must be against it, right?"

"They're. But none of us can oppose Star Swirl."

"Why?!"

Luna looks me straight in the eyes. "Friendship."

I blink once. "Please tell me you're joking."

Luna seems to deflate as she speaks. "I'm afraid not. The Pillars are friends, they'll support each other in whatever matter is discussed. Be it with votes or strength. So Star Swirl makes the rules for all of us."

"And there's no other way? You can’t leave and make your own pantheon?" I ask, but even as I say the words I realize it's a very dumb idea.

Luna shakes her head. "That would spark a war, at best. And they have superior numbers and cooperation. We've no option but to obey."

"I'm… I'm sorry." I clench my fists tightly. I thought the gods were selfish and unfair before my execution, and it seems I wasn't completely wrong. At least one of them seems to be exactly how I expected them to be.

"It is as it is. I appreciate your concern for me and Chrysalis, but sadly there's nothing to do." Luna pauses for a moment, grabbing her hand tightly. "If you do see Chrissy again, please tell her I haven't forgotten about her. Not for a single day."

"I will," I say with a nod. Would a hug be inappropriate right now?

Luna stands up, and I’m about to at least offer it when she suddenly turns serious. "How do you feel about Wallflower Blush?"

"Um… isn't it obvious?" I say, a bit taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation.

The answer gets a chuckle out of Luna, before she gets serious again. "When we first met at my temple, the warning I wanted to give you before you left was to not hurt or anger Wallflower because I was worried about your safety rather than hers. But that has changed now.”

I feel a small shiver run down my spine. “What do you mean?”

“She told you about her past. She opened up to you. That hasn’t happened in more than a thousand years. Not since I managed to take her out of that pit.” Luna takes a step closer to me, her hands going behind her back. “And she cares for you. You’re more important to her than you may think. So, if you truly wish to help her with what she has revealed to you, do so with caution.”

I slowly nod, feeling the weight of her words. “I will. I… also care about her.”

Luna smiles, standing back up. “We can tell. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll be returning you back.”

“Actually, I’ve one more.” I pause, a feeling of dread gripping my body. “Do gods need to sleep?”

Luna doesn’t answer with words. She just gives me a sad smile.

I already knew the answer.

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Fourth Labor: The Queen

Fun fact: This chapter was based on Hercules's twelfth labor, Cerberus

(Picture will be added in the future)

Sorry for the very long chapter. I didn't expect for it to go from 10k to over 25k words. Hopefully the rest won't be so long, and won't take so much time to make.

Thank you for your infinite patience.

Fourth Labor: The Queen (Remembrance)

The road back to the farm after my small detour to Luna's city has given me a lot of time to think. Sadly, it's not my preferred 'actually productive' kind of thinking.

I'm still ruminating about what Wallflower and Luna told me. How big the scale of what's actually going on is, and how much I weigh on that scale. I know I can, and will, do something about all this, but the problem is knowing where to start.

Confronting Star Swirl or any of the others is out of the question. They probably wouldn't even listen to me to begin with. Maybe I can push the other gods to oppose them? It could at least lead to a draw.

My thoughts are interrupted as I see a familiar figure in the distance. Tree Hugger, with her empty cart just waiting in the middle of the road, waving at me. I get my horse to trot over to her and quickly embrace her in a hug.

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Yup. Figured you would come through here, and I was already on the road back from Molorcolts, so I waited."

I raise an eyebrow. "Wait, you mean you waited… for days?"

"Oh, no no." She waves her hands. "I've only been waiting for an hour or so."

"Oh, did Mother Nature tell you I was near or was it just luck?"

"A bit of both." She looks at me more closely and noticed my scar. "That looks like it hurt."

"It did. But luckily I lived, and even managed to complete my labor." I shake the reins and started moving. "How've you been? And the farm, and everyone?"

Tree does the same with her cart. "The farm is good. Bloom is losing patience with her sister. I'm afraid she's gonna march to Molorcolts on her own. Granny has been trying to convince her not to."

"Why? Aren't they family?"

Tree chuckles. "That they are. And every member of that family is as stubborn as a mule. Two Apples fighting is a good reason to seek refuge."

"Still, it seems like something they should talk about."

"Oh, surely. But they won't listen to each other when they're angry. Just fight uselessly."

"That's… okay, I can see it. But why don't you mediate? You surely see them when you deliver their apples."

Tree shakes her head. "Big Mac is always the one receiving the cargo, and it'd be easier getting water from rocks than getting him to speak more than one word at a time."

"So, the Apples suck at communicating with each other."

Tree nods. "Pretty much."

I sigh. "Well, Pinkie did ask me to go see them, so maybe I can uncover what's keeping Applejack there."

"We would really appreciate that."

I smile. "You sound like you're part of the family."

"Just like you."

I shake my head. "Not yet. I need to tell them who I am."

"That you do." Tree pats me on the back. "By the way, what was that you did before? Getting in my head."

"I've no idea. I was trying to connect with something, like when we practised on the farm, and suddenly I connected with you. Sorry if it was uncomfortable or invasive."

"Nah, don't worry. I knew it was you, so no harm done," she assures me. "I do the same with animals, after all. And it's, I think, similar to what you're doing. A gentle prod that I have to let in."

"And you just did it?"

"I could recognize it was you, so why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. Privacy? I don't think I would be comfortable with someone just getting in my head and searching what's in there." It definitely wasn't comfortable when Chrysalis did it.

"I'll keep that in mind, but I don't think it works that way. I can't read the minds of whatever I share a mind with, but I do share their feelings a bit and make assumptions from there."

That makes me pause for a moment. "Wait, but you and I spoke. Or at least, I heard you talking."

"Yeah, and I can't do that, so I guess whatever you did was either a bit different than what I do, or you're better at it than I."

"I doubt it's the second," I say with a chuckle. "You're quite an expert in it."

Tree smiled a bit sadly. "I appreciate that. Many just think I'm faking it."

"Really? Why don't you chase them around as a crow or a wolf or something?"

Tree laughed at that. "Not my style. And I don't like forcing the animals to do stuff. I just go with what they do."

I nod. "Well, I think what you do is very special. Not many can do magic without a blessing from the gods. You're amazing in your own way."

I think I see Tree blush a bit at that, which puts a smile on my face.

We continue our travel to the farm, chatting about more common things till we finally reach home.

Home… it really feels like that now…

I hear Bloom and Granny Smith before I see them, both standing in front of the house, loudly arguing about Applejack.

"Ah miss her too! But ya can't just go and knock down her door to yell at her!"

"She had plenty of time to explain herself! I want answers!"

"Sunset!" Granny exclaims as she sees me approach, clearly thankful for the distraction from her conversation. "So glad to see you back in one piece."

"I hope it wasn't too bad," Bloom chimes in, looking genuinely happy to see me.

"It was… honestly, scary and dangerous. But I did it," I say with a small nugget of pride. "I can tell you all about it, but first… I wanted to talk with you… about who I am.”

Bloom and Granny look at each other before stepping aside, leaving a path to the house. "Come in then, I'll prepare something to eat while we hear you."

I smile and nod.

It takes a while to explain everything, all that I told to Tree Hugger before, plus what had been happening during the labors. Bloom, Granny and Tree all listen with full attention as we sit at the table, the only other noise apart from my voice being their chewing on Smith's cooking.

"So… that's all of it. I think… any questions?" I ask nervously.

"Have you actually killed anyone?" Bloom asks first, earning a small glare from Granny.

"No. And I don't plan on ever doing it." I grip one of my hands with the other. "That's a line I never wanted to cross. Even when I was… blinded."

"So, when you went to deal with the Sirens…" Bloom inquired.

"I'm not foolish. If I have to, I will. But if there's a chance to avoid it, that's at least worth pursuing, right?"

"Of course," Granny answers. "Whether we like it or not, the world is quite dangerous. And doing these labors is bound to throw you into the worst of it."

"Sounds a bit unfair, if you ask me," Bloom says as she crosses her arms.

"A few months ago, I would've fully agreed with you. But despite what Wallflower says, this is still me making up for what I did. What I intended to do. What I could've caused." I feel a shiver run down my spine. Tree places a hand on my shoulder, giving me enough comfort to keep going. "And it's not like I'm risking my life in vain. I've helped people. And understanding things I wasn't aware of when I made my initial plan."

"So, what's the new plan?" Bloom asks. "What are you doing after the labors are done?"

The question takes me by surprise, and I need a few minutes to finally react. "I'm working on it. It took me years to make my attempt on just Celestia, and I'm still learning new things with every labor." I look at all three of them, a second each, and lower my head. "And… if you would have me, I’d like to remain here for a while longer. But I understand if you feel uncomfortable with it."

Granny and Bloom glance at each other. "We never said you weren't welcomed here."

I can’t hide the smile those words give me. "Tree told me you knew I was lying. But now that you know why…"

Granny Smith reaches out and grabs one of my hands. "That changes nothing. Or rather, it doesn't because of who you are now. You said it yourself. You're making up for your mistakes."

"Plus, it's not like this town doesn't have its own questionable history," Bloom added.

I frown and look at Bloom. "What do you mean?"

"We won't be telling what they don't want to share, but many of the people in town have arrived carrying some weight on their shoulders. Even that sweet girl Pinkie Pie has her own bag of buried problems."

"Pinkie Pie? The one that convinced the town to go along with my bad lie?" I ask in disbelief.

Granny nods. "Indeed. Her and many others. I'm guessing being near the temple of your goddess had something to do with so many burdened folk arriving here, but all of them have found their place and paid their time. And the community has been happier for it."

"And if you think our farm has become your new home," Bloom adds, "we’d be glad to make it so. Permanently or otherwise."

A smile shines on my face. "T-thank you," I say as a tear escapes my eyes. "Thank you so much." Tree stands up and I feel her delicate arms wrap around me, then Bloom’s strong ones, and finally Granny’s.

I hug back as best I can, muttering my gratitude to all of them. For welcoming me in. For forgiving my past. For giving me a home. A future.

For being my family.

The warmth of the sun on my skin. The chirping of birds in the trees.The breeze running through the orchard. I can feel it all. I open the eyes that are not mine, and look at my body resting atop Tree Hugger’s stump, frozen in a meditative pose.

“It’s a bit weird and cool to see myself moving,” Tree says, her mind currently residing inside a squirrel, leaving her body vacant for me to practise with it. “Is it difficult?”

“It’s… as if I was always you. Sort of,” I admit, looking at my hand. “Is it like this when you go inside animals?”

“I can't be sure. I share the body with them, so I only know what they know. I think it’s easier that way, but you clearly like to challenge yourself.”

I chuckle. “You’re not wrong, but, in actuality, I just don’t feel the same connection with the animals. Only with you… so I guess I’m limited to other humans.”

“Hmmm. Have you tried connecting with Mother Nature like this?” Tree asks me, and I look to my right, at one of the apple trees that populate the orchard. I walk up to it and gently press my hand against its bark, feeling the rough, live wood against my digits. Well, actually Tree’s, but kind of ‘same thing’ now.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts and focus on the tree, casting out that white thread into it and hoping it connects with something. Bloom called it 'fishing', which I think is appropriate.

After a full minute waiting for Nature to bite, I give up and sit down against the tree before returning to my body. "Nothing," I say with a sigh. "And if I can't do it with your body, then I don't think Mother Nature will ever connect with me."

Tree opened her eyes and turned her head to me. "I think you got it backwards, Sun-sun. Mother Nature, and I think everyone else, will only connect if you do it in your own body."

"I guess you're right." I look at her closely. "How did it feel for you? The first time."

"Like you were right beside me," Tree answers instantly. "Or more like behind me, but in a good way. It was nostalgic, and I got a taste of your emotions for a moment."

"How bored I was?" I say with a chuckle.

"You were scared," Tree says seriously. "And you had a good reason to be scared. I almost wanted to… somehow be there to help you."

"I really appreciate that. But you would've probably gotten eaten by a flying fish."

"It technically would count as returning to nature, so I wouldn't be too bothered about it."

I just start laughing. "You're the best, Tree."

"Right back at ya."

We hear a bell in the distance, telling us Granny had lunch ready for us. Tree stands up and stretches her body, and I do the same, hearing some nice pops before walking over to the house.

As we walk, I grab Tree's shoulder and close my eyes for a moment, focusing on the world around me. I extend those strings from my being, not focusing on making a direct connection, but rather trying to 'feel' with them.

The world suddenly turns from a black void into a blurred lightshow, letting me see the odd shapes of everything a few meters around me. It's… a bit disorienting, but being able to see all around me will surely come in handy someday.

If I had just started learning this from the beginning, who knows what I would be capable of? Star Swirl better have a good explanation for the ban on magic teachings.

I pull the strings back and open my eyes just as we enter the door, and the smell of fresh-cooked food guides me to the table. I help Bloom set everything up while Tree and Granny bring the food over.

The elder of the family sits at the head, with Bloom at her right followed by Tree and myself. The right side of the table is left empty. A free space for those that are not here. They each thank their respective gods before we start eating, and the pleasant warmth of the food does wonders to my tired body.

"Hey, Sunset," Bloom calls out. "Has your goddess given you anything to do yet? We've that big harvest to do on the west side of the orchard."

"Nothing yet. I'm actually a bit worried. It's been a few weeks since the last time we talked." I stir my food a bit with my fork. "I'm hoping she's not in trouble."

"What kind of trouble could a goddess get herself into?" Granny asks. "You might be worrying too much. Unless there's something you're particularly worried about?"

I do my best to not react to that question. "She's in a complicated position with the other gods. That's all I think I can say."

"If it's private stuff, we won't be digging," Tree says, and the others nod.

I can't help but chuckle. "You're fine, don't worry. Wallflower is… more normal than expected." I set my fork down. "Have any of you ever met one of the gods? In any way? Or at least heard of how they are in actual person?"

This sends the three of them into a silent minute of thinking.

"I can't say I have. Only the statues or idols," is Bloom's not-surprising answer. She's still young, after all.

"I've heard of Sonambula being a sort of therapist to her flock. Though I've never witnessed it with my own eyes," Granny says a few seconds later.

"Mother Nature isn't really a god," Tree says, frowning as if looking for the correct words. "More like one of the aspects of existence. One of her strings, so to speak."

"One of her strings? Wait, you're telling me existence is a… person?" I ask, my old question completely forgotten.

Tree shrugs. "I'm not sure. Mother Nature isn't something I can really describe past her name and what I've seen her do. There's a will, of that I'm sure, but it's a will that has something more behind it."

I press my fingers against my temples. "Okay, there's a lot to unpack there."

"Well, we can talk about it if you-"

The main door of the house is suddenly slammed open, and a tall figure enters at an inhuman speed. We barely see the pink blur till she's at the table, right next to me.

"Sunset Shimmer," says the crying, desperate face of Cadence. The Goddess of Love looks like she's about to have a panic attack. "I need your help."

There's a deafening silence as we all process what's happening, till Granny eventually says, "I'm gonna go prepare something for our guest."

Well, if there was ever a doubt about if Wallflower was the exception to the rule, seeing the Goddess of Love being a scared, nearly sobbing mess drinking apple juice like a scolded kid just cleared it.

She is just…I don't even know what happened to her and I already feel bad for her and like… I can relate. This is seriously messing with me.

"So… what happened?" I ask as neutrally as possible.

Cadence needs a second to compose herself before answering. "Some of my children have left me."

Granny Smith's immediate reaction scares me. "What do you mean?! That is not… oh, poor souls. Why did they do it?"

"It wasn't their choice. I'm sure of it," Cadence answers. "The queen manipulated them somehow. It's like they're bound to her."

"What queen?"

"The queen of the Thracetral Empire. She has made them her loyal lackeys and plans to use their blessings as a weapon."

"Why don't you break whatever hold she has with them?" I ask as I set my plate aside, the food already gone quite cold.

"I would. And much more. But that would be breaking the rules, and if the other gods find out about this," Cadence holds back a sob. "They'll kill my children."

"Wha- why?! You said they aren't willingly following her!" I exclaim in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter. With the blessings given to them, they're too dangerous to be let loose."

"Can't you just take their blessings away?"

"That would also kill them."

"Well, what can you do then? What can I do that you can't?" I shout more angrily than I should.

"You can stop them," Cadence says, almost begging. "Undo whatever the queen did to keep them controlled. I can handle the rest from there."

"You're asking me to fight people with blessings from a god?" Remembering what Trixie was capable of, I don't fancy my chances.

"You're the only one I can trust with this. With your capabilities and your morals, I know you'll be able to do it." Cadence pauses for a moment. "But I'll also need to ask you to keep this hidden from Wallflower."

I wince. "Uh, she's-"

"I know she's your goddess, but I can't risk…" Cadence pauses again. "She's right behind me, isn't she?"

"She's right next to me," I say pointing at the very disappointed-looking goddess at my right.

Cadence winces at that look. "Oh… sorry for not noticing."

"I'm more offended by the fact you don't trust me," Wally grumbles.

"Sorry. I just want to keep this as secret as possible."

"You think I would've told anyone?" Wallflower raises her voice for the first time since I’ve known her. "Or were you just worried I would object to sending Sunset against your children?"

Cadence taps the tip of her fingers. "Well… are you?"

"Of course I am! Especially when you try to do it behind my back!"

"I need her help! And I know how much you care for her so I couldn't risk-"

Wallflower pulls her arm out of her cloak, but I quickly grab it. "It's okay. I'll help her."

Wally turns to me, all the frustration gone from her eyes. "You don't have to."

"I want to," I look at the goddess across the table. "And she needs it."

Wallflower clenches her teeth, trying to be subtle, but I notice anyway. After a few long seconds, she sighs and relaxes. "Okay. This shall be your Fourth Labor."

I smile and kind of want to hug her, but I hold back. "Thank you." I turn to Cadence. "I'll do the best I can to free them."

The Goddess of Love teleports to my side and traps me in a bear hug that rivals Pinkie's. "Thank you thank you thank you! I knew you were a woman of pure heart."

"I don't think that's-"

"Now. I would hate to send you without anything, so let me think what blessing I could–"

"You're not blessing her," Wallflower says, her seriousness returning as she glares at her. "The last thing I want is the other gods finding out about this and ripping the blessing out of Sunset too."

Cadence sighs. "You're right." She then turns to me, noticing something. "You got a blessing from Rockhoof?"

"Oh, no. I got this from a… friend," I say, showing the belt Cherry had gifted me.

The Goddess of Love smiles mischievously. "You could maybe convince him to give you a blessing."

I raise an eyebrow. "Weren't we keeping all of this secret?"

"I know you're very good at lying~"

"Cadence," Wally says, almost threateningly.

"Right. Sorry. But I do trust you to be able to gain his favour without mentioning that it involves my children. Rockhoof is quite friendly, and I would bet he'll help you if you make a good plea to him."

"I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with the idea, but I guess it's better than going in with just a magical belt and sword." I let out a small sigh. "Where can I find him?"

"In his city. Molorcolts."

Apple Bloom immediately jumps off her chair. "I'm going with you!"

"No you're not," says everyone in the room, including me.

"Why?!" Bloom whines in a way that makes me question her age.

Granny Smith placed her hands on the table. "Bloom, I know you want to speak your mind to Applejack, because so do I. But I know well how stubborn both of you are, so I trust Sunset here to do a better job making her talk about whatever mess she got herself into. And you still have chores here and you're not dumping them on poor Tree so you can yell at your sister."

"But–"

"No buts."

"But–"

"I'll ground you."

Bloom looks like she really wants to utter her third but, but instead just groans and sits back on her chair. "Just… Sunset… Please ask her why, for me. That's all I wanna know."

"I will," I say with a smile. "I also want to know what happened. And I'll make sure she returns. At least to explain herself."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Wallflower about to disappear, and I quickly grab her. "Hey, could we talk a bit?"

Wally looks surprised for a second before lifting her finger. Instantly, a swarm of petals surrounds us, and, when they disperse, we're out in the orchard.

I blink a few times before reacting. "Can you teleport me to Molorcolts?"

"Is that why you wanted to talk?"

"No no no! I just wanted to know how you were doing. It's been a while since I saw you."

Wally cocks her head a bit. "You… missed me?" She asks with a hint of red on her cheeks.

"I… yeah," I admit with a chuckle. "So, how have you been?"

Wallflower sighs and sits down on a log that sprouts from the ground. "Tired. Dealing with my 'infractions' to the rules. Godly bureaucracy, mostly."

I nod as if I knew what that meant while I sit with her. But I could tell it was unnecessarily annoying. "I guess it's my fault." Wallflower looks at me, confused. "I didn't kill the Sirens. Messed up things with Luna. The whole Chrysalis deal, probably."

"Oh. No, it's not because of you… well, not all of it. Many of them are just because of my own disobedience of the rules."

I nod and smirk. "So, I'm not the only rebel here."

Wallflower pauses for a second before bursting out laughing. And gods, I love how she sounds. "Never saw it that way, but I can't refute it either. You're clearly the expert in this."

I place a hand on her shoulder. "I'll teach you all I know. You'll be tearing down the entire pantheon by winter."

I'm rewarded with more laughter. "You're certainly rubbing off on me." Wally takes a deep breath to calm herself. "What about you? What have you been doing?"

"Found a new family," I say, looking down. "I always thought I would never have that again. I… pushed away so many opportunities for it."

Wally's hand joins mine on the shoulder. "You deserve love, Sunset."

"I thought I deserved many things. That wasn't one of them." My hand slowly grips hers. "And I've you to thank for changing that."

"You've yourself to thank for that," Wally countered. "All I did was show you what you were doing wrong. All the right things you did yourself. You're the one responsible for your own happiness."

I smile, and we stay like this for a while, our hands still together, till she removes hers so she can lean her head on me. "I'm very proud of all you've done so far. And I know you'll do a lot more."

I look at her, my smile fading a little. "You think… I can eventually do it?"

Wallflower lifts her eyes at me. "Do what?"

"Change things. With the gods. The people. The correct way this time." I clench my fists. "It's not that I'm thinking on giving up, but I–"

Wallflower grabs my chin and gently moves my head till we're looking eye to eye. "I believe in you, Sunset. I know that you'll change things for the better."

As I look into her soft bark eyes and hear those words, I can almost feel my heart doing a flip. I beg my arms to stay still and not do anything too sudden, but, in the position that we’re in right now, if I only lean forward, I could–

Wallflower lets go of my chin and moves back. "But you're still on your road to that. There are some things that need to happen before you can truly start making changes."

I do my best to not look disappointed. "Things like what?"

"Well, helping Cadence is a good start. You won't be able to make a change with only me at your side."

"I think I also have Luna."

"And I'm confident you'll be able to handle Rockhoof."

"Any advice for that encounter?"

Wallflower thinks about it for a moment. "You know what? Be yourself."

"You do know I don't treat the other gods like I treat you, right?"

"Very aware of that. But for real. I think just being yourself will work wonders for it. Trust me."

I chuckle. "Alright. Rockhoof better be ready."

Wallflower lets out a small laugh and slowly opens her arms, inviting a hug that I quickly take. "We need to talk more often," she says as she hugs me tightly, as if she doesn't want to let go. "Good luck, Sunset."

And just like that, she vanishes into petals. And I can't help but grab some in my hands, feeling them between my fingers.

They're as soft as her.

The morning after, I depart for Molorcolts on the family's cart. Tree had decided to let me deliver this week's shipment of apples, which meant someone else had to bring the cart back, since I would be continuing my trip north.

AJ was coming back, one way or another.

I admit, I'm a bit nervous about talking with Applejack. I've become her adopted sister without her having any say in it. Not that I think she would be against it… I hope she isn't. I’ve accepted the job of solving the family problem without knowing basically anything about her.

But I'm not breaking my promise. Applejack must have her reasons, and I'll get her to tell me what they are.

Taking a deep breath, I whip the reins to get the cart moving again. It’s gonna take a while to reach Molorcolts, so…

"Sombra," I call out, and a few moments later, the ghostly image of my trainer appears beside me. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, is this about our last chat?" he asks me.

“Yes. I know you’re somehow related to the Thracetral Empire. And since my next labor is there, I think it’ll help me to hear your story.”

Sombra remains silent for a few seconds, mulling over his answer. “Very well. The road is as long as my tale.”

He sits down next to me, looking at the marks on his axe. “I was born in the Thracetral Empire. My family wasn’t truly rich, but we had a good deal of influence. My father had served in the military till he was too old to fight, and my mother was the high priestess. We were also really proud of the Empire. We had been one of the only factions to stand up to the changelings and successfully defend our lands. And we were still prospering while the rest of the continent struggled.”

“Were you there for the invasion?” I ask out of curiosity.

“No. I was still too young. Dad was a veteran of it. He always told me tales of the war like it was a big adventure. Made me want to be a soldier, just like him.” Sombra frowns after saying that, but doesn’t elaborate. “For the majority of the population of the Thracetral Empire, the invasion that had destroyed nearly half of the continent had been a good thing. But one woman in particular had been horrified by the events. Empress Amore.”

“Amore…” I say as my brain searches through what I remember of my studies. “She was…” My eyes grow wide. “Cadence’s mother…”

“Yes. And the ruler of the Empire during my time.” Sombra places his axe on the back of the cart. “After the war, Amore wanted to change the ways of the Empire. Our military-focused culture had saved us from invasion, yes. But it made us blind to the horrors that these conflicts generate. We celebrated the survivors instead of mourning the fallen. Families pushed their sons and daughters to be soldiers instead of builders, crafters, artists or farmers. People were even strongly suggesting we should claim the lands the changelings had lost, as they were severely weakened. That we would ‘help’ those that had lost so much by making them part of the Empire.”

Sombra’s fist clenched tightly. “Empress Amore was against it. And she started to implement changes so we would stray away from that path. Many were unhappy. Many opposed her ideas, despite her status. And every dinner table was filled with discussions about how Amore was going to be the ruin of our great Empire.” Sombra looks down at his hands. “Mine was no exception. But unlike my parents, I decided to act.”

“Act… how?” I tentatively ask. Afraid of the answer.

“At the time... In my eyes. Amore was the one thing holding the Empire back. So, removing her was the obvious solution. And who better than myself, the son of a war hero and the high priestess, to be the new ruler?”

I wince as he says this. Sombra notices, but doesn’t acknowledge it.

“So, you staged a revolution?”

“A bloody one.” Sombra is now looking forwards, but his eyes aren’t seeing anything I can see. “Led by the people. Rising up to fight for the glory of the Empire. Seeking to kill the Empress and all those that wanted us to change for the better.” He reached back and grabbed his axe again, looking at the marked blade. “I led the charge to the palace myself. Drunk with the feeling of victory in our hands, I separated from my personal guard and made a dash for the throne room. Killing guards. Royals. Servants. Anything that stood in my way.” He grips the handle of the axe with all his strength, as if trying to break the weapon in half. “And when Amore was finally in front of me, I removed her head before she could even get a final word out.”

Sombra falls back, looking exhausted from just the remembrance. “I named myself king. Pretending that I would serve the people instead of my own ideals. But my rulership, if you could even call it that, was extremely short.”

“Because of Cadence,” I say, and he nods.

“She was alive, and had Celestia and Luna as her adoptive aunts. They barged into the palace with a fury I had never witnessed before. I was no match for them.” Sombra looks up, at the sun high up in the sky. “They were going to just kill me at first. But I, like the fool I was, told them that it would not matter. That I had already proven to the people that it was possible to take power. That the ideals that guided me to do what I did wouldn’t die with me.” Sombra’s face suddenly turns much darker. “They proved me very wrong.”

I can feel myself shaking. “W-what did they do?”

“They sought out Luna’s old friend.” He turns to look at me. “Wallflower.”

“No…”

“She refused at first. Knowing the consequences. But she owed Luna. So, eventually, she accepted.”

“What did she do?” There was no record of The Empire having a king. “Did she… make everyone forget about you? About what you did?”

Sombra laughs. “That would’ve been much better. But no. She didn’t just make everyone forget me. Existence itself forgot about me.”

I feel a shiver run down my spine. “What does that mean?”

“It means that… I no longer exist. No one remembers me, because there was never a King Sombra. My parents never existed. My home never existed. All of that was removed. Every friend I had. Every person I convinced to side with me. Every coin I had spent. Every book I owned.”

“The manuscripts of Gusty...”

He nods. “That’s how Celestia and Luna made sure there wouldn’t be another like me.”

I say nothing. Taking a full minute trying to even begin to comprehend what that would feel. “But… if you don’t exist. How are you here?”

“Because of Wallflower,” he says with a smile. “She hated what the sisters had forced her to do. To the point her relationship with Luna was pretty much destroyed. So, she remembered me. And I ended up like this.” He raises his semi-ethereal arm. “At first, I thought it was just her way of punishing me further. But as I served under her, and watched her care for the ones that follow her, and even those that don’t, I understood.”

I see Sombra smile with an air of gratitude. “Remembrance. That’s her gift to us all. From the highest noble to the most insignificant beggar. She will remember you. What you lived. What you did. Who you are. Even if you never had anyone to remember you when you’re gone, you’ll never be forgotten.”

“Forget-Me-Not…”

He nods. “Forget-Me-Not.”

"Wow…" I stare down at the reins as I take it all in. How the Empire was. What the goddesses did. What Wally is capable of. Who Sombra is.

"If you were removed from existence, how is it that I can see and feel you?" I ask out of curiosity. "Was it something Wally did?"

"In a way," Sombra says as he looks at me. "She mentioned my name. And you heard it."

"That's all?"

“When so little of you exists, even the mention of your name is enough to manifest existence. Be it limited like this.”

I nod, deciding to not push the subject; it feels a bit sensitive. “So, what happened to the Empire afterwards?”

“It fell into disrepair. Without their wise queen and my… drive, there was a scramble for power that let a long string of weak and short-sighted leaders take over. Further debilitating the Empire with every change of hands. The Empire is a shadow of its former self, but it’s still worthy of some renown.”

“Is the current queen like those leaders?”

“No. She’s a bit more like me. Just more ruthless, if you can believe that.” Sombra frowns. “She wants to bring the Empire back to its glory days. And will use those five to do it.”

“Even if they’re blessed, I don’t think they’re enough to pose a threat on a larger scale.”

“They can’t. But it’s enough to keep the people thinking her plan will work. And so, they keep her in power.”

I frown. “So they’re just a political tool.”

“I'm afraid so.”

I clench my fists tightly. "Well, they won't be for long. I'm getting them out of whatever that Boot got them into.”

“You’re going to kill her?” Sombra asks.

I look at him. “...maybe. If it’s necessary.”

He gives me a nod. “Good answer. I wish you good fortune in your task.” And with that, he’s gone.

I take a deep breath and shake the reins to go faster. I should arrive at Molorcolts before nightfall.

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Fourth Labor: The Queen (God of Strength)

Fourth Labor: The Queen (God of Strength)

Molorcolts is visible from miles away. The city is surrounded by a 200-meter-tall wall made of polished marble and thicker than a warship. It's the most imposing, impregnable fortress ever created outside of possibly Tartarus itself.

It's Rockhoof's signature. The pride of his capital. A show of the might of his followers.

And a complete waste of time and effort.

The wall could be a fourth of its size and still fulfil its purpose. No army would be able to go through, and any flying enemies would have less of an advantage over your soldiers posted on the walls. Even if there was a land creature so dangerous it needed walls so stupidly big, Rockhoof should be the one protecting the city in that case, not a wall that took entire generations of regular people wasting their entire lives on this insane project so they can flaunt it to others.

I haven't even reached the city and I'm already wanting to scream at a god. This is gonna be way harder than I thought.

But that isn't my priority at the moment. So, as soon as I cross the massive gates, I follow the directions Tree Hugger gave me until I’m in front of a big establishment – The Pulped Apple. Kinda reminds me of Cherry’s place, though not as big. It also looks… badly maintained. Was business going bad for the Apples here?

I quickly make my way to the back of the place, finding the large back doors of the storage area. I get down from the cart and knock to announce my arrival. Seconds later, a large man opens up, looking down at me with gentle eyes that look a bit out of place in his intimidating figure. Well, not really intimidating, just massive. I think only Bulk is larger than this guy.

“Uh, you are Big Mac, right?” I ask nervously, and only get a simple nod from him and a slight burrow in his brow, as if asking what I’m doing here. “I came to deliver the apples from the farm,” I say, pointing at the cart. He looks at it, his frow deepening for a moment before nodding and going to close the door, which I stop with my foot, clenching my teeth as it nearly breaks my bones. “I also need to speak with Applejack.”

After a long pause, he finally talks. “Not here.”

“What do youAHH!” I pull my foot out so I don’t lose it and hop on my other for a moment till the pain passes. Eventually, the large doors of the storage room open and Big Mac comes out and grabs the horses, pulling them and the cart inside.

I quickly move in and help unload everything while having a look around. Kind of a simple storage, but I can see some preparation tables deeper in the room. Something I also notice is that most of the shelves are empty. Kinda understandable, since apple products rot comparatively faster than other foods, even with Granny’s help, so keeping a big storage of them would only mean throwing a lot of it away.

Once the last of it is settled, Big Mac gives me the reins of the cart as a silent and polite ‘get out of here’. “Sorry, but I’m actually leaving tonight for the north, so either you or Applejack will have to take it back,” I say with a smirk, but the sudden anger in his eyes takes the smile immediately out.

He looms over me, and with a threatening touch to his voice, he asks. “Who are you?”

I take some air, stand my ground, and answer. “Part of your family. By Granny’s and Bloom’s choice. And I promised them I would figure out why the other half of the Apples have been missing.”

I can feel his eyes staring right into my soul, and for a moment I expect to have to defend myself from a punch from this tower of a man. But instead, Big Mac suddenly falls to his knees, and hugs me.

"How… How are they? Gods, Bloom must be so grown up by now," He says with such pain in his words that I think the punch would’ve hurt less.

I hug back and do my best to be comforting. "Yeah, she looks like an adult, but sometimes she acts like half her age."

That brings a chuckle out of him. "She hasn't changed much." Mac pulls back and looks at me with a small smile. "What about Granny?"

"She's doing fine too, but worried about you two." I offer a hand for him to stand up, but he does it on his own, towering over me again. But I don’t feel threatened anymore. “Just, what happened? At least an explanation of that will calm them down. Especially for Apple Bloom.”

Big Mac, even with his change in attitude, seems against telling me anything. I can see the conflict in his eyes and the way he stands perfectly still. But eventually, he points to a door at the back of the storage room. “I can tell you over some food.”

Seems like the apple does fall far from the tree in some cases; Big Mac’s food can’t hold a candle to Granny’s. Though, what is surely not doing him any favours in that regard is that all the ingredients he uses are… cheap.

Looking around the small kitchen, I can notice similar things. Half-broken tools are still being used. Lots of empty space in the cupboards. Almost no decorations. They’re being frugal about everything.

“You two have problems with money?” I ask, and Big Mac nods as he sits in front of me at the table. "Is that… why you haven't returned to the farm?"

"Partially." Big Mac's face tells me he really doesn't want to tell me everything. I see a deep shame in his eyes. But he also knows that his situation won't get better by keeping it to himself. "When we first arrived at Molorcolts, we had already searched for a location where we could start this business. It was small, but affordable. We were meant to arrive with our stuff, pay the owner, and the place was ours."

"But this isn't that place," I say, knowing that the dimensions of the warehouse alone weren't considered small by any means.

"Eyup. Before we could make the payment, some twins came over to us, asking questions about us. They told us they were also in the business, and that they needed people to work at their establishment while they started another business out of Molorcolts. They showed us this place, all the machinery they were using, and told us that they would give us full ownership of it in exchange for a cut of our profits. Applejack didn’t like it, but the offer was too enticing.”

“Too good to be true,” I interject.

“Eyup. And we only realized it when we tried using the machinery. It broke apart. It needed a lot of repairs, so we used our money to get everything up and running again. We were planning to complain to the twins when they came for their share of the profits, but instead, some woman came here with a pair of guards demanding that we pay a lot of money we owed her.”

My eyes widen. “Don’t tell me they-”

“Tricked us. They had an arrangement with the previous owner where they would be the official ‘owners’, but in actuality they were just renting the place. And when they sold it to us, we became the new renters without knowin’ it.”

“Motherfu-”

“We used what money we had left to pay the debt, but we were expected to keep the payments coming. We still had hopes since the machinery helped make things easier and we were making good profits. It was going to be a few hard months, but doable.”

Right at that moment, I realize something. “Wait, where’s the machinery? Is there a separate room for it?”

Big Mac shakes his head. “The twins came back one night while we were away and took everything. They left a note saying that the machinery still belonged to them, and that they thanked us for so kindly repairing it.”

“Wait. They tricked you, robbed you, and left evidence of everything. Why aren’t they arrested? Haven’t the authorities done anything to help you?”

Big Mac sighs. “We tried. But they never broke any laws with the contract, and they left the jurisdiction of the city. If they came back, sure, they would be in jail. But they won’t.”

“But there’s plain injustice here! You should be allowed to at least renegotiate the contract!”

“Strawberry Sunrise isn’t interested in losing money. And she hates apples anyway. She would be happier if we went bankrupt. As for the law, they won’t do anything since we were the ones dumb enough to fall for it.”

I clench my fists furiously. “How have you been able to pay the money?”

“Applejack got another job. She spends most of her time there while I handle things here. Later I met Thunderlane and he’s been helping when he can, but he’s just a guard. I don’t want to extend our hard life to him.”

I take a moment to rub my temples and calm down. “I get it, that AJ doesn’t want Granny or Bloom knowing about this.”

“Nope. She made me promise to never tell them. At least till we manage to find a way to fix all of this.”

I give him a nod. “Where does she work?”

“At the foundry in the middle of the city. The one that holds Rockhoof's temple.”

“Good,” I say as I stand up. “I’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

As I walk through the busy streets of Molorcolts, I can't help but feel small among its infrastructure. Everything seems to be specifically designed to be tall and imposing. Just like the wall.

Doors tall enough for a dragon to fit through. Streets wide enough for six carts to pass without problem. Taverns so massive entire neighbourhoods could find beds without feeling cramped. Giants would feel at home here. And the fact humans took the time and effort to build it this way was baffling.

But the biggest of all was the foundry. The temple. The place Rockhoof thought better represented him. A structure of polished marble and engraved metal. Imposing like a castle and tall enough you could see over the wall of the city from the very top.

Black smoke came out of the brick chimneys as the bellows inside worked non-stop, their fires being maintained by the worshipers, blacksmiths, and armourers. And the heat of those fires could be felt even from the outside.

Lucky for me, the monolithic gates to this industrial titan were wide open, allowing me easy access to the interior. No one stops or even questions me. There are no guards posted for security, and the people I see are busy working, carrying lumber, coal, ores, and metals towards the different sections of this place.

"Any of them could be AJ. Finding her here may be harder than I expected," I say while I delve deeper into the heart of this ant nest. The heat is almost unbearable. I feel like my clothes are gonna combust at any moment, and I hope there's some sort of water around, because I'll need some deep gulps soon.

I call out to a couple of workers. They wear leather gloves, aprons and heavy boots that make their step clank against the floor. They seem to ignore me, too busy throwing pieces of ore into a big foundry.

I change my strategy and start searching upwards, trying to locate some lookout post where the foreman could be. Certainly, they would be able to tell me where AJ was. Otherwise, I'm searching for a needle in a haystack.

Wait…

I close my eyes and focus, extending my strings and perception around. I try and push it well past what I've attempted before, but I need to cover a lot of ground.

I realize this place is even more alive than I initially thought. There must be hundreds of people working here. Still, I need to find AJ among them, so I try to seek that same magic from the orchard. If all the Apples had it, then it's my best bet.

After a few minutes, I get it. It's very faint. Almost… like it's being choked by the magic from the temple. But I can tell from it that she's alone, which should make it easier to talk.

I open my eyes and turn in the direction I felt her presence come from. It ends up taking me to a slightly less hot place, which seems to be where the metal is given shape. I hear the heavy hits of a hammer, almost like thunder, and as I turn a corner from one of the large forges, I see someone who definitely must be Applejack.

Strong build like her family. Wielding a hammer bigger than her fist like it was nothing. Covered in ash and sweat. And bearing an angry scowl that didn't fit with the freckles on her face.

I approach her as she dips the blade she had been hammering into a vat of oil, and gently introduce myself.

"Why’d Big Mac send you?" She asks before I can even try to speak.

"Family," I answer briefly and sincerely.

"If you care about my family, you're gonna return to the farm and tell them that everything is okay," she orders, and continues to work till I stand in front of her.

"I do care about our family. And that's why I've come all the way here to help you."

AJ gives me a scorching glare. "I don't need help. Just some more years of hard work and we'll be fine."

"A couple of years keeping secrets from your family? Of slaving away in this oppressive environment because of an injustice done to you?"

"Yeah, that's life. And I'm not gonna be throwing a tantrum about it." She then grabs the next piece of bright hot metal and starts hammering it.

"No, that's not life. It should never be. You should be enjoying your business and not hiding from your own family!"

"I could've. Fucked it up. So now I'm fixing my mistakes."

She tries to hit the metal again but I grab her hammer arm. Even with the belt, it takes effort to stop her. "But it wasn't a 'mistake'. You got screwed over by shady people. The law. This God. They should be helping you! Not leave you to waste your life away like you're not deserving of it."

AJ glares at me again. "Quite hopeful you are. Why don't you go ask Rockhoof to see if he cares?!"

"I will-"

"What's with all the yelling?" A refined voice shouts over our fight.

I turn to look at the newcomer and see a quite beautiful woman, dressed and equipped just like Applejack but somehow not having even the slightest bit of ash, dirt or even a tear in her clothes. She looks pristine, and like she doesn’t belong in this place.

"Sorry, boss. Just got some… family visit," Applejack says as she takes advantage of the distraction and frees herself so she can go back to work.

"Darling, I told you many times to not call me boss," the woman says as she walks over to us.

"Sorry. Rarity."

"AJ" she says insistently, causing Applejack to chuckle.

"Fine. Rares."

"There you go." Rarity turns to me. "You just need to be firm with her and she'll loosen up. Sounds contradicting, but she's just that stubborn." She offers me a hand, and then I notice how jacked she is. She's definitely not just a pretty face. "And you are?"

I throw away the first fake name that my mind comes up with. "Sunset Shimmer. Her… adopted sister. Kind of."

Rarity smiles. "Oh, here to finally hammer some sense into AJ?"

"Not you too, Rares," Applejack whines as she finally stops hammering. "I've told you a hundred times-"

"87, actually. And saying 'the sky is green' a thousand times won't make it happen," Rarity counters immediately.

"Why did you give me this bloody job if you don't want me here?!" Applejack shouts in frustration.

"I do want you here. But not for the wrong reasons."

"Fine! Then show me the solution. What am I supposed to do to fix all of this?!" AJ asks as she crosses her arms.

I turn to Rarity. "I wanted to speak to Rockhoof. It's an important matter."

She tilts her head. "What kind of important matter?"

"I need his help." I turn to AJ. "And I'll see that he helps you too."

"Pft. Good luck with that," Applejack says before grabbing her hammer once again.

"If it's for Applejack too, I'll prepare something," Rarity takes AJ's hammer from her hands as she walks away.

"Ugh!" AJ punches the hot metal instead, which looks not much different than using the hammer, and lays back against her workbench before sighing. "Well, since you're here… how's everyone at the farm?"

"They're okay. Worried about you.” I say. “Tree Hugger liked helping me practice her meditation stuff, so she wants to try and teach more people in town. Hopefully she’ll have some volunteers. Granny does her routine every day. Manning the stand. Keeping order at the farm. Handling the money. I sometimes play cards with her to entertain her for a bit.”

AJ smiles. “She cheats a lot.”

“Oh, absolutely. She’s not as sneaky as she thinks.” We both share a laugh and I let out a small sigh. “Apple Bloom is gonna come here any day. She wanted… she needed to know why you never returned."

AJ seems to mull about that for a bit before looking me in the eyes. "You really are part of the family now?"

I nod. "They saved me. Showed kindness I didn't deserve and helped me be better."

A brief smile appears on her face as she nods. "Besides what I already told you… I fucked up. My fault or not, I made the decision. And… I can't bear showing my face to them and telling them how I ruined things."

"AJ…" I say as I move closer to her and offer some comfort. "It's your family. What kind of reaction do you think they'll have?"

"Disappointment… shame… anger… hatred…” Applejack grabs her arms as she slowly slides down against the workbench, each word pulling her down a bit more.

I quickly grab her into a half hug to keep her up, making sure we are eye to eye. "I thought the same. When I confessed to them who I truly was. And their reaction was of understanding, support, and genuine love. I can assure you, it'll be the same for you."

"I guess…" AJ said, looking aside before seemingly catching up to something. "Wait. Were you a criminal or something?"

"We can discuss that later," I say firmly to avoid the subject for now. "For now, I want you to focus not on what you want but what you need."

AJ pauses. "What I need…" she looks around. At her workplace. The temple surrounding her. Her role in all of it. "I need to see my family."

I smile. "And they need it too."

AJ lets out a sigh. "It's gonna suck."

I chuckle. "Maybe at first. But everything will be better in the end."

She looks up at me with a half smile. "I'm starting to understand how you ended up as family."

"Sorry to interrupt," Rarity calls out. "But I've got everything ready."

I give a nod and help AJ up. "Lead the way."

Rarity took me to a small metal platform with the symbol of Rockhoof carved on it. Directly in front of me, at floor level, was a large vat of molten metal, its orange glow illuminating this entire section of the temple.

Rarity then passes me an iron ingot, a chisel, and a hammer. "You've to carve your prayer into the ingot and cast it into the vat."

I genuinely roll my eyes. "Your god is too dramatic." I sit down on the metal floor and start etching the prayer into the ingot.

"Father of hammers. Digger of rivers. Builder of monuments. Master of Strength.

Please give counsel to those of strong faith."

Once I'm done, I chuck the thing in, worried it might overflow, but the piece of iron simply sinks without even disturbing the surface.

Seconds later, a figure emerges from the vat of molten metal, slowly taking the form of a large man, only a head shorter than Chrysalis. Muscular like no other. With a beard as long as his hair. A 'perfect' physique, some would say.

He carries a belt like mine, but filled with holsters where all manner of tools hang in waiting to be used. The most important one, however, is the one set at the very back. A large, ancient-looking shovel.

Rarity bows her head to the god. I do not.

Rockhoof, or rather, the molten avatar of him, looks down at me, quickly noticing my belt. He crouches down, getting on my level and offering what I'm guessing is a smile between the liquid metal. "I remember that one. I see it has passed hands once again." He frowns a bit as his sight focuses on my eyes. "I hope you'll respect the legacy of such an item."

"I'll use it for good," I say sharply. "Since you appear to neglect doing good in your own city."

Rockhoof rises up, crossing his arms. "I guess I should’ve expected such accusations from you. Anything in particular?"

"There's a clear example of you doing nothing." I take a step forward, challenging him. "I'm sure you're at least aware of Applejack."

The god nods. "I am. What is she to you?"

"A sister," I declare firmly. "And I want her to be treated fairly."

He raises an eyebrow. "Fairly?"

"She slaves away in a place she doesn't belong, while her abusers run free from any punishment!"

The god shakes his head. "Such is life."

My eye twitches. "Excuse me?!"

The god lifts a hand to silence me as he talks. "Struggle. Hardship. And sometimes unfairness. Those are simple events of life. We grow and learn from them. Just like your sister is doing now."

"What is there to be learned from this?" I ask angrily. "And why are those that wronged her left without this 'lesson'?"

"They're expelled from the city. They won't hurt anyone aga-"

"Yes, they will! They'll go somewhere else and do this all over again! The problem isn't solved just because it isn't happening in your city! And that doesn't solve my sister's situation."

"Your sister is already solving her situation on her own. With hard work and determination. She'll be stronger at the end of this. Just as things should be."

I scoff. "Oh, really? You're gonna ask her to pull herself up by the bootstraps next?"

The avatar snorted. "You're ridiculing your sister's honest work."

"It's not honest work if it's caused by unfairness!" I point directly at his molten face. "She didn't make a mistake! She was tricked into it! And you should be helping her!"

The avatar clenched his fists. "I accepted her into my temple. Gave her a place to build herself up again. That's as much help as one should give."

"Why? So she can 'learn'?! I ask again, what is there to learn from senseless suffering?"

"Haven't you learned?" Rockhoof counters. "You were- no, actually, you still are a criminal. One that was rotten to the core and intending on committing some of the worst acts possible for a mortal."

Feeling like I got a slap to the face, I step back for a moment. "I… I'm paying for my mistakes."

"And so is your sister."

"She didn't commit a crime!"

"That only changes the severity of the labour. Isn't that what you do? How do you learn to be better than who you were before? Would you have changed into who you're now without the challenge and hardship you endured?"

I clench my fists. "...no… I wouldn't have."

Rockhoof sighs, his avatar visibly relaxing. “And that’s my point. Even if unfair, hardships teach us to be better. It’s how your ancestors built up the world we have today. That’s why one can only-”

I lift a hand to silence the god as I talk. “I wouldn’t have, not because I wouldn’t have seen the error of my ways through hardship, but because I didn’t have the support I needed to better myself.” I look him straight in the eyes. “That’s what Applejack’s family, which I’m part of now, gave me. And that’s what you should give. Hardship may sometimes have its merits, but suffering doesn’t make one better. It turns people into what I was. Or breaks them in the process. And I won’t have that for my sister. Or anyone else.”

Rockhoof is silent for a few moments, seemingly in thought. “You’re certainly different from what Star Swirl would have me believe.” He lets out a chuckle. “Though, did you summon me just to yell at me in defense of your sister?”

I go silent for a bit, remembering my original mission. “I… wanted a blessing from you so I could complete my next labor.”

Rockhoof’s avatar doesn’t seem to react for a few seconds, till suddenly it bursts out in raucous laughter. The molten metal around him begins to drain away, down and down until his actual body, somehow looking even more towering and massive than before, stands before me.

“Oh, lass,” he says. “It’s been centuries since a mortal threw me for a loop like that. I’m definitely glad your execution got interrupted. The world would be worse without your kind of determination going around in defense of others.” His laughter turns into a giggle. “I won’t bless you. I don’t think you’re mature enough to handle that. But I’ll help ya keep that fire in you from going out.”

His massive hand reaches for my head and plucks two of my hairs. One red, and one yellow. He then gestures to the vat, and the molten metal flies out, forming a massive anvil in front of him. Rockhoof places the hair on it, then pulls out his large smithing hammer, raising it high above his head before striking.

The force of the impact throws me backwards, but luckily Rarity steps in to catch me. My ears are ringing and my head hurts, but as soon as I regain enough coordination, I get back on my feet and face the god once again.

“How do ya like it?” Rockhoof asks as he lifts something up from the now broken anvil. A golden circular shield with a red and gold sun engraved on the center. It is, at least to me, beautiful.

I extend my hand to touch it, and I’m surprised when the shield flies off on its own and finds its place on my right arm. It doesn’t have any way to secure it, but it seems to stay in position even as I move into a defensive pose.

“It’ll make sure to defend you no matter what. Hope it helps you, lass,” Rockhoof says with a proud smile.

I take a moment to gather myself and nod. “I’m sure it will. Thank you.” I then frown. “But-”

“If you would allow me,” Rarity intervenes, knowing what I’m about to say. “I can look into solving Applejack’s problem.”

The god nods his head. “Very well. But do not abuse the authority I’ve given you.”

Rarity makes a small bow. “I would never dare so.”

Rockhoof slowly steps back into the molten metal and looks at me, sinking. “Good luck in your labors, lass.” he says before fully submerging, the vat quickly turning cold.

I release a deep breath and turn to Rarity. “Okay, that went better than I expected.”

“Indeed,” the woman said with a smile. “I was intending on stepping in if you got shut down, but you really have a fierce attitude.”

“That’s the nicest way someone has described that part of me,” I admit with a chuckle.

Rarity giggles along as we walk away from the vat. "I got a lot of practice with AJ. Speaking of, are you returning with her?"

"I would like to, but I need to cover a lot of ground if I want to reach the Thracetral Empire. You wouldn't have some transportation I could borrow?"

Rarity shakes her head. "Unless you can somehow get a ship upstream, we don't really wander out of the temple."

"I imagined. But don't worry, I'll come up with something." As I say this, AJ approaches us, and I notice she no longer looks as defeated as before. I even sense a bit of hope blossoming deep in her.

"So… how did it go?"

Rarity quickly steps forward. "Well, darling. I'll be in charge of clearing this debt problem you have with your landlord while you go to reunite with your family."

AJ nods. "Sounds fair enough. Thank you. Both of you."

I smile and pull her into a big hug, Rarity joining right after, and my new sister returns it warmly. We stay like that for a few long seconds till we finally let go.

"By the way, do I just say I quit or is there something else involved?" AJ asks Rarity.

"Oh, you're not quitting, darling."

"I'm… not?" AJ asks, confused.

"No no no. I'm firing you."

AJ looks even more confused. "Okay… what's the difference?"

"The difference is, since I'm leaving you without a way of paying your debts, it's my responsibility to give you a final pay according to all the time and effort you've invested in us. Enough to sustain you while you search for your next job."

"That… would be mighty kind of you," AJ says with a smile. "But… it does feel like I'm taking advantage of our… you know…"

"Oh, nonsense, darling. I'm implementing this for everyone. And I also have some ideas you could help me with."

"Sure thing. I like hearing you," AJ says with a happy smile as the two walk away, close together and silently holding hands.

Leaving the temple behind, I welcome the feel of the slowly-setting sun on me. Taking a deep breath, I set out to fix the next problem.

How am I making it all the way to the Thracetral Empire?

Walking is definitely out of the question. I need at least a horse. And rations that can last me the entire trip there. A tent and bedroll would be nice too. I check my purse and count my funds.

"Maybe I can purchase one half of a horse." I sigh. "The books never mention how unprofitable adventuring is." I place my purse back on my belt and look up at the sky. "Could I get a hand in this?" I ask, but obviously, I get no response. Godhood probably doesn't earn much anyway.

I'm suddenly hit by something, and find myself meeting the street along with my attacker.

"You okay, Snips?" someone asks before taking the weight off my back.

"Yeah. Sorry, lady," my accidental ambusher says as he’s pulled off of me, before offering a grey hand to help me up.

I choose to ignore it and get up on my own, giving the two young boys a light glare as I check that my purse is still there. "Watch where you're going."

“Sorry,” the kid says more genuinely. “We're running late."

"Late for what?" I ask before I can think better.

The two kids look at each other. "Wha, haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?" I again ask before thinking.

The two look at each other again, giving some sort of knowing look, then suddenly start… dancing?

"Coming to Molorcolts today!"

"After completing her tour to the west!"

"The one!"

"And only!"

"The greatest!"

"And powerfullest!"

Powerfullest isn't a word.

"Trixie!!!" Then both shout, and I feel a slight shiver as people around us cheer too.

"She's here?" I say, looking at the sky. Not even remotely amused.

The two nod. "She's performing at the plaza soon."

"We should go."

"See you there, miss!"

And like that, the two run around me and get lost in the crowd, who now seem in more of a hurry than before.

I let out a sigh. "Well, it was on my to-do list." I turn around and follow the crowd, hearing commotion ahead till I reach the plaza.

I quickly locate the cart next to a large wooden stage, with large pieces of cloth covering the background. The people have gathered around, either standing at the front or climbing over stuff to watch from the back. I make my way to the front, keeping a hand over my weapon and another over my purse. Right as I reach the cart, a sudden loud bang startles me.

Looking up, I see flashing lights flying into the sky, letting out a whistle before a bright explosion occurs. The crowd is mesmerized by the spectacle, and that distraction allows Trixie to appear seemingly from nowhere. “Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

The crowd cheers, clearly knowing Trixie. Maybe even having seen her before. But I thought she was just a hunter or traveler.

“Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed!” As she said this, more of those loud things shot out from behind her stage, illuminating the now-even-darker sky.

I have seen these kinds of shows before. Velvet insisted it was good for your soul to appreciate the wonders the world created thanks to the gods. But I had never seen anything like what Trixie’s displaying. Of course, some sort of divine magic was at play, but a lot of it was thanks to weird apparatus that Trixie pulled seemingly out of nowhere. And she uses them each like she knows them by heart.

Was she an inventor on top of everything else?

So mesmerized am I by the act that I watch till it’s complete, and once Trixie makes her final bow and disappeared, the spell finally breaks. "Shite! I need to catch her."

I run towards her cart, which is already leaving. The stage had already disappeared like every tool the blessed woman uses. I manage to jump in and make my way to the front of the cart, where Trixie offers me a hand.

"I saw you in the crowd. Did you enjoy the show?" She asks with that cocky smile of hers.

"Yes. Though I still think Great and Powerful is a bit much."

Trixie rolls her eyes. "Is that all? Because I'm throwing you out of the cart if so."

I nod. "Still mad at me. I don't blame you."

"Trixie isn't mad. Just… apprehensive of your attitude."

"Regardless of how you put it, I did step out of line the last time we met. And I apologize."

Trixie nods. "Apology accepted."

I pause. "Just like that?"

"Why? You want me to give you labors too? Trixie's horses would definitely like a bath. And one of the wheels in the cart is a bit creaky," she says while making mocking thinking gestures.

"I can do those things for you to call it more even. I'm just-"

"Still new to forgiveness?"

I sigh. "A bit. Also, sorry about interrupting your storytelling."

She chuckles. "Thank whoever taught you that for me."

"Will do if I see her," I say with a small laugh.

"But more seriously, it's alright. Mom told me a bit of what you've been through, and what you've done for others. She's quite impressed. So, Trixie prefers to leave that past you behind for now."

"Well thank you." I narrow my eyes. "You straight-up call her mom?"

"Yes," she fires back immediately. "Are you jealous?"

A bit. "Mostly curious."

Trixie nods. "Trixie likes to think that she and I have a closer relationship than normal. She…" Trixie grips the reins a bit tighter. "She saved me from a very bad spot. And cares for me to the point of giving me a blessing."

I place a hand on her shoulder, offering some comfort, but my mind can't help wandering back to Celestia accepting me into the temple when I had nothing.

Was this how I should've turned out? Thankful? Feeling closer to the goddess of the sun than with anyone else? Looking back, it doesn't seem like it was gonna be that way. But maybe… if I had…

Trixie snaps her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to the present. "Were you having a dramatic flashback or something?"

I let out a laugh. "No. Just… we seem to be similar in some ways."

"You do have some greatness and powerfulness."

"That's not a word."

"Language is a social construct."

"I'll smack you."

"I'll shoot you again."

"So it was on purpose!"

"In Trixie's defense, she– waaaahhh!" Trixie squeals as I get my arm around her neck and proceed to rub my knuckles on her head. I only last a couple of seconds before she suddenly vanishes and grabs me from behind, locking my arms with hers. "You won't be defeating Trixie. Her Greatness and Powerfulness is superior!"

I start laughing and relax my body. "Okay okay! I give." As soon as she releases me, I turn around and give her a playful punch on the arm. "Cheater. Hehehe. Is that your blessing? You can move faster than anyone can see?"

"Oh, it's much better than that!" Trixie suddenly disappears, then instantly reappears on top of one of the horses, striking an elaborate pose. "Trixie was blessed by her mother with the blessing of Ubiquity!"

"Ubiquity?"

"Indeed. Trixie is not constrained by silly concepts like distance! She can be wherever she wants in an instant. If she's needed somewhere, it's like she was always there."

"That sounds extremely useful."

"Oh, absolutely. Trixie uses it to travel the world and see all of its wonders. Even collecting some of them for her shows."

"So that's why I couldn't recognize any of those contraptions you used?"

She gives me a proud nod. "Precisely. There's a lot of places in the world that would appear like magic to you."

"I'm honestly surprised there's other civilizations out there."

"Yeah. That was my first big shock. Sadly, we're located in a bit of a geographical cage. Surrounded by mountains and not a lot of nautical exploration due to monsters. There's a city called Canterlot just a few weeks' travel to the northwest we could contact if one can make a pass through the mountains."

I feel like my mind is blown. "Wow… that's… what have you seen there?"

"Well… this may blow your mind. But they worship different gods than us."

"..."

"I'm not lying."

"..."

"I swear on my mother."

My brain finally comes back to work on making words. "Do they know Celestia controls the sun?"

"Apparently, they have their own god that controls that."

"And what, does Celestia and this god just share ownership of it?"

"Well, the sun isn't up all the time. Maybe she only controls it when it goes over this part of the world."

We spend what feels like a whole hour theorizing and talking about these other kingdoms and empires around the globe. With me being fascinated by every new thing Trixie reveals. And just like last time, when I finally come back to being aware of my surroundings, I’m no longer in Molorcolts.

I’m staring at the gates of the Thracetral Empire’s capital in the distance.

“Wait! How did you know I needed to come here?” I ask.

“I told you; if Trixie's needed somewhere, it's like she was always there,” Trixie says with a proud smile as she places a hand on my shoulder. “Good luck in there. I heard security is tight. You might want to cover your face in case they are looking for you.”

I don’t know why they would be looking for me, but I nod and give her a hug in return. “Thank you.” Then I jump off the cart, wave her off, and set myself towards the entrance, using my old cover as a makeshift cloak.

Time to find out what happened to Cadence's daughters.

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Fourth Labor: The Queen (The Arena)

Fourth Labor: The Queen (The Arena)

I use the old blanket Raven gifted me as a makeshift cloak, wrapping part of it into a hood to cover my face as I walk through the massive gates of the city, in line with many others. The security seems strict, with many armed guards set up around the gates. However, they’re not really searching for anyone. It’s more like they just have soldiers at the ready in case of an attack. Gives me the feeling they’re at war. Or about to go to one.

I sigh in relief as I finally get past the checkpoint. It was surprisingly easy, but again, they aren’t really expecting me to arrive. I need to hold on to the element of surprise as much as I can. Counting my coins, I start searching for a marketplace to purchase some less noticeable clothing.

It doesn’t prove hard to find one, especially with the giant statue at the center. Such monuments normally would be about the most prominent god, in this case Cadence, but instead, I’m surprised to see a very… dog-faced woman with a crown on her head. Definitely not a god that I recognize. She’s standing firm, with a hand pointing forward and slightly to the sky, while the other holds up a parchment with the words; “Respect through strength. Peace through discipline. Reputation above all.”

Yeah, definitely the kind of person that would try to enslave the daughters of a goddess.

Around the statue is a circle of tents selling different products, from dried fish to cloths and silks. Soldiers also patrol around the perimeter, putting some of the merchants on edge every time they get close.

I make my way to one of the stands, manned by a woman with purple skin and dark purple hair. I immediately get a bad vibe from her, but I decide to ignore it and look at her wares, quickly grabbing a few things that would help me blend in with the style of the city, and present my coins. “Do you have a place I could change?”

“Yes, over here,” the woman says, quickly taking the money. She shows me a smaller tent at the side, covered in several layers of dark cloth for privacy. The inside is hot and poorly illuminated, but privacy is privacy. I quickly put on my new clothes, making sure my old ones are well covered. I’m not facing Cadence’s daughters without armor. I also make sure to hide the shield well on my back, hoping it won’t catch too much attention.

I suddenly get another bad feeling, and when I close my eyes I sense someone behind me. I quickly turn around and grab a hand coming for my pouch, giving it a pull to bring the culprit inside the tent with me. To my surprise, it isn’t the shop owner, but a younger woman of white skin and sky blue hair. She looks scared and regretful, clearly not a simple robber. “I’m sorry! Suri told me to do it to keep my job!”

“I already gave her my money. Why is she trying to take more from me?” I ask, letting go of her.

“Because you’re a foreigner. She expects you'll have a lot of coins and not be a repeat customer.”

“I only have six coins left,” I exclaim, showing her the proof. “Is it really worth it with so many guards around?”

The woman nods. “With the taxation from the war effort right now, every bit counts.”

My frown deepens. “I get that you’re desperate, but if she wants crime to pay her debts, she should at least not make others do her dirty work for her.” I sigh and hand her what I have left. “Please do your best to get away from her.” The woman takes the coins, looking conflicted. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Coco Pommel,” she says with a bit of shame, clearly not expecting to have the one she tried to rob take pity on her.

I place my hand on her shoulder. “Alright, Coco. I can tell you’re not doing well here if you’re being forced to rob people. Do you have any family or friends that could help you?”

She shakes her head. “My family is all the way in Molorcolts. I can’t make it there with so little money.”

I think for a moment before getting an idea. Focusing, I try to send a line and connect to Trixie. Hopefully she’s nearby.

After a few seconds, she responds in surprise. “Wha-Sunset?”

“Hey, Trixie. Could you please-”

“How are you in Trixie’s head?!”

“Look, I need a favor. Can you take someone to Molorcolts?”

“Yeah, no problem. Are they a friend of yours?” she answers, changing from slight panic to seriousness in almost an instant.

“They're a person in need.”

“Send them out of the walls and I'll take care of the rest.”

“Thank you, Trix!” I open my eyes and see Coco looking worriedly at me.

She quickly takes a step back, raising her hands in apology. “Sorry, I thought you were spacing out.”

I smile to reassure her everything’s okay “No worries. I was contacting a friend. She’ll take you to Molorcolts in her cart.”

Coco’s eyes are wide with disbelief. “R-really? I can just leave?”

I nod. “She’ll make sure you make it there. I hope you can get back on your feet from there.”

Coco suddenly hugs me tightly. “I-I will! Thank you so much!”

I pat her on the back, giving her all the time she needs to calm her emotions. “It’s my pleasure. Wish I could do more.” As soon as I say that, I suddenly have an idea. “By the way, do you know anyone in the city that could give me some information about what’s going on?”

Coco thinks about it for a moment. “There’s Maud. She works at the construction on the west side of the city. Look for a stone-carved woman.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Stone-carved?”

“You’ll get it when you see her.” She then gives me a few directions to find the construction, thanking me once more before leaving the tent.

I wait a few moments and come out lighter in coins, but feeling better than when I entered.

I follow the directions Coco gave me and proceed through streets that haunt me with their silence. Even far smaller villages, such as Cleomare, were busier than this. I expected to at least see some children playing, or people going about their day. But here, even in the market, I only see the occasional person or squad of soldiers. One in particular, carrying a cart filled with civilians, and apparently going house by house asking something out of the cityfolk. Maybe coins, probably the people themselves.

Eventually, I make my way to the construction site Coco had told me about. There are around a dozen workers seemingly doing repairs to the walls in this side of the city. It doesn’t look like it had been attacked; more like it’s just getting some maintenance done. Replacing old blocks with more sturdy ones.

I quickly survey the scene to find this ‘stone-carved’ woman. Finding her turns out to be surprisingly easier than I expected.

She’s standing right in the middle of the site, giving silent signals to the workers as they move around at her command. Her skin is gray like granite, and hair of an almost sad purple, wearing the most simple, plain clothes I’ve ever seen anyone wear, and seemingly devoid of voice. I make my way to her, and even before I can reach her, she proves me wrong on that last count.

“How can I help you?” she asks in a monotone voice without even looking at me.

Alright, she can talk. “Hello, I was told you could help me get an idea of what’s going on in the city?”

She turns around to face me, her expression showing no emotion. “Who told you that?”

“Coco Pommel. I helped her go home and she directed me to you,” I say, trying to bridge some sympathy between us, but she doesn't seem to react at all to the news.

“Thank you for that,” she says, and I genuinely can’t tell in what sense she means it. “What do you want to know?”

“Well… I’m new here, and I was wondering what’s up with all the soldiers around. Are you about to be attacked?”

Maud shakes her head, which is the only form of expression she has shown so far. “The Queen has ordered a draft and full restoration of the army and defenses. No one is sure why or for what yet. Just following orders so far.”

I scratch my chin. “Does this have anything to do with the fact Cadence’s daughters have joined her?”

“That’s actually a weird thing,” Maud says. “Those five are athletes. Not warriors.”

“But the queen is training them for war,” I insist.

“Yes.” Maud looks more closely at me, and notices my belt with the symbol of Rockhoof. “Are you here to help?” I nod, and she signals me to follow her back to the empty streets. “Some of us have been expecting some action from the gods. Cadence especially. Didn’t really expect Rockhoof to send someone.”

“I was actually sent by Cadence. Rockhoof has offered me some help, but he isn’t really in the know about this,” I explain as we suddenly take a turn into an alleyway, avoiding a patrol of soldiers.

“Who do you follow?” Maud asks with her usual deadpan expression, which makes it impossible for me to decipher why she wants to know.

“Officially, no one. But I’m working labors for a lesser-known God,” I explain as we exit the alleyway and continue down the road.

“Wallflower?”

“You know her?” I exclaim with surprise.

“She keeps me updated on how my sisters are doing.” She turns to look at me. ”How’s Pinkie Pie?”

I’m taken aback for a few seconds, but manage to get a response out. “She’s okay. Misses a friend that’s hopefully on her way back to visit her.”

“Applejack, I assume.” Maud suddenly stops and kneels down, placing her hands on her dirt road. She stays there for a few seconds before speaking. “Yeah, she’s on her way there. Pinkie will be preparing a welcome back party.”

“How do you know that?” I ask as she stands back up, and the woman simply turns around and offers her hand to me. I tentatively grab it, and suddenly feel as if my consciousness is expanding further than ever before.

It’s like… I can feel every stone in the city. From the blocks making the houses and walls, to the pebbles scattered on the floor, to the earth beneath my feet. And everything standing on it. I can feel the people moving around, the soldiers marching, the animals feeding on grass or hay.

Maud lets go of my hand and everything returns to normal, and it feels weirdly silent. “Do you, by any chance, also know someone named Tree Hugger?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. Sounds like a chill person,” Maud answers before going back to guiding me through the city, now knowing she’s purposely taking different routes to avoid the guards’ patrols.

“So, what brought this whole militarization?” I question as we move.

“The Queen seems like she’s always wanted to do this, ever since she came to power. She’s been using propaganda to sway the public opinion to her side. And it’s worked. There are very few of us that see the obvious negatives here.”

"Any idea what exactly made her go all in on it?”

“Yes. There was some sort of expedition she kept mounting from time to time, looking for something inside old ruins. My guess is that she found whatever it was she was looking for.”

“And what did she do with this ‘thing’?”

“The day she got it was the day Cadence’s daughters joined her.”

“So, the two are most likely connected. Possibly a way to force them." I bite my thumb as I think. "There are a few artifacts that could do that. They would need to be quite strong. And hard to remove."

"I hope you can find it then, even if just to take control away from the queen," Maud says as we arrive at an imposing pyramid-like structure with a tall tower at the summit that seems to shine like a crystal when sunlight reaches it. Small waterfalls slide over the sides till they reach a moat at the bottom. A large wall made of different material than the palace itself surrounds it, leaving only one heavily guarded entrance. This must be the palace.

I can't realistically see myself getting past that without a fight, so I go to reach for my sword when Maud stops me. She presses a finger to her lips and signals me to follow her, taking me over to one side of the external wall, where the vigilance seems lacking. She then walks over to the stone and places her hand against it, whispering some words. To my shock, the thick wall that would’ve taken a pickaxe and a couple of hours to break through moves on its own until it forms a perfectly sculpted doorway.

“Wha- how did you do that so easily?!” I exclaim.

“I asked politely,” is Maud’s plain response. “Now go. Before they notice.”

“Thank you,” I say with a nod and a pat on her shoulder before going through the doorway, which closes behind me to leave no evidence of the breach. Now inside, I quickly make my way to the palace. The moat is my first obstacle, but my shield proves to be the solution. Making it float in the middle, I use it as a stepping stone to reach the other side. I start looking for an entryway, deciding to go for the windows on the first floor. I use the incline of the walls to run up and reach the windowsill of one, pulling myself up, and use my sword to break the latch, getting inside.

Once in, I quickly check for guards and, luckily, don't seem to find any. I take a moment to close my eyes and focus on the world around me, like I did at Rockhoof's temple. My vision is quick to find the biggest source of magic, that being five individuals at the very center of the palace, but more interesting is the smaller source just next to them. It wasn't as bright as the others, but it was definitely divine in nature.

I open my eyes and start making my way there, staying low and keeping an ear on alert in case I hear anyone coming. Luckily, it seems the brunt of the security forces remain outside, leaving plenty of space to move around. When I finally reach the center of the palace, a large open garden, I'm surprised by how well-illuminated it is. Large mirrors direct the light from the outside, letting it rain down on the garden and keeping the plants and flowers alive. Within, I quickly spot the five daughters of Cadence training in the center.

One, sporting a ponytail and freckles that kind of reminds me of a rose-haired Sonata, is at the back, using bow and arrow to hit targets, with impressive accuracy. I seem to remember Cadence saying her name was Sour Sweet.

The other four are engaging in practice with each other in two pairs. One has a woman with pigtails and silver hair, a bit on the shorter side, wielding a large longsword that’s being easily parried by her opponent; a woman with blue-green hair and more roguish looks wielding dual short swords, seemingly having no issue with the heavy weapon she’s facing. Those would be… Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap.

Looking at the other duo, I see a green-and-yellow-haired woman with a more wild style, using a spear and buckler shield. I notice that she moves strangely, like she snaps into a new position from time to time, keeping her opponent, a violet short-haired woman with a heavy one handed mace, mostly on the defensive. Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare.

Maud said these weren’t warriors, but it seems the queen has trained them well. Speaking of, I see her up on a balcony overlooking the garden. A tall, older woman looking down at the five with disdain. I close my eyes to check again what the magical tool could be, and I see that glow at her hip. She's carrying it with her.

I also notice something that takes me by surprise. Before, I had seen the daughters bunched together, but now that I see them separately, I noticed that Indigo has at least twice as much divine magic than the others. And the first thing that comes to mind as an explanation is… she must have a direct lineage to a god. I doubt she shares blood with Cadence, otherwise she would have mentioned it. I guess the goddess adopted her from the other family.

Back to my mission. Now that I have the location of the artifact, all that's left is taking it. I figure a simple sleight of hand should be enough, so I move around the garden, keeping low and out of sight from the warriors. I take some stairs at the back and make my way up to the balcony, where I see the queen standing there, luckily with her back towards me.

I see her reach for something at her hip. A whip. That must be the artifact. She takes it and lifts it over her head. "Sugarcoat! Put more effort into your swings!" I hear the snap of the whip and a wince of pain. "Sunny! Stop fooling around and attack already!" Another hit of the whip. Then another. And another. Accompanied with more shouting and harsh words.

I can't help myself.

Throwing caution to the wind, I go towards the queen and catch the whip before it can strike again. And as my skin makes contact with the rough leather, I realize my mistake. I can feel the magic of it seep into my body, and before I can try anything, the queen gives a simple command.

"Stop." She turns around as my body freezes in place and hits me again with the whip, sending a searing pain through my skin. "Disarm." Against my will, I drop my flower and let my shield clatter on the floor. Another hit. "State your name."

My lips move without my control. "I'm Sunset Shimmer."

The queen raises an amused eyebrow. "Why has Sunset Shimmer come all the way here?"

"To save Cadence’s daughters."

The queen smirks. "Interesting." Then starts walking away. "Follow me." I turn around and go after her, leaving my weapons behind. I try closing my eyes and focusing on Maud, hoping to make contact and ask for rescue, but whatever has control of my body is blocking my access to the strings. I can't make a connection without them.

The queen and I walk through the palace until we arrive at the throne room. It's surprisingly empty and devoid of decorations. I had assumed the queen would've filled it with her personality, but other than poor illumination, it was mostly bare. The queen walks up to the throne and sits on it, making me notice that part of the backrest had been cut off at head level.

"I am Cinch," the queen says. "I had expected to meet you, eventually, but not this soon."

“I don't think we normally would have a reason to meet.” I say as control over my body slowly returns.

“Oh, I disagree. We both have common goals after all,” Cinch says with a smile that unnerved me. Because it was clear she was being honest.

“My goal isn't war.”

“Really? Were you planning on using diplomacy on the gods?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “...so that's what this is about.”

“Of course it is,” Cinch says as she gestures to the empty throne room. “Humanity can pretend to have all the power they want, but the reality will always be that the gods are above us all. Their judgments and rules keep us below them, but thanks to people like you and I, that'll soon change.”

I look up at her. “And how do you pretend to do so?”

“This was once a city devoted to Cadence, but now her daughters serve me and her people are going to war. Just like this one, many other cities will fall and join us. And with each one, the gods will lose more and more of their power and control over us.”

“They'll send bigger armies than what you have. Multiple of them. Blessed heroes will seek to bring you down just like they did with the changelings. You'll fail.”

“They will fail. Thanks to this.” Cinch lifts her whip. “A single strike will turn even the most powerful of heroes to their knees. And they'll serve me and our cause.”

“They'll die! They'll lose their blessing and die and it'll all be for nothing!” I shout at her, hoping to pierce her confidence.

“Either way, it's a victory for us.” Cinch grins. “And even if I fail, others will take my place. There's no shortage of people wanting to tear down the gods. You're a perfect example of that.”

“Maybe…” I admit. “But not like this. Not by sacrificing so many people in pointless wars. Not by taking the freedom of those we pretend to ‘liberate’. You will replace the gods but change nothing about the world we live in.”

Cinch lets out a hum of disappointment. “I guess we have less in common than I had hoped.”

I take a deep breath. “The difference between us is that I have seen a side of the gods unknown to many. I see that some have been victims as much as us.”

Cinch's disappointment quickly turns to rage. “You dare compare our suffering with theirs?! All up on their ivory towers while we scramble in the mud?” She stands up from her throne. “I do not care for their ills. I'll make them respect us. We shall build a reputation of unbreakable will against those that would oppress us. We'll stand proud and face them without fear.” She points at me with the whip. “You can stand beside us. Or serve as an example of our strength.”

I can't help but chuckle. “By executing me? You wouldn't be the first that tried that.”

Cinch chuckles right back. “Unlike her, I'll give you the chance to fight for your life. Should you win, you'll be free to go.”

“I am humbled by your merciful act,” I say with as much sarcasm as the words can handle.

“Guards!” The queen shouts, and the armored soldiers quickly barrel into the throne room, nearly tripping over each other. “Take Miss Shimmer to the arena. Give her her weapons and announce that soon there will be a new spectacle for the people, and all of the Shadowbolts will participate. I expect the entire arena to be full.”

“It'll be done,” one of them says before shackling my arms. “Come with me,” he says as I glare at him. “P-please…”

I sigh and obey, by my own will this time. Memories of my execution flash over my eyes, making my hands tremble with fear.

But at least this time, there’s no shame or anger inside me.

I can hear the arena slowly fill up with people, their chatter loud enough to be heard through the false floor above me. They seem excited by the event, even if it'll end in death no matter what. Is everyone really that attracted to public murder?

I sigh and prepare my weapons. I'm gonna have to use every trick possible to at least survive this. I don't know how it'll play out. If I'll have to face them one by one or all together. If there'll be extra hazards or special conditions. But what worries me the most is the fact that I'll be fighting innocent people. Victims of Cinch's blind ambitions.

“I can get you out of this,” Wallflower says as she suddenly appears inside my cell. “Dying here won't solve anything. You can do more good in another place.”

“Would they be safe?” I ask pointing at the arena above.

Wally takes a few seconds to respond. “No…”

I shake my head. “Starswirl knows what's happening. He knew from the very beginning.”

“...yes.”

I clench my teeth. “So, if I fail here it's the end for them. I assume Cinch is also on the chopping block?”

“Along with the city.” Wallflower leans against the wall. “Considered a lost cause and removed.”

“What is Cadence offering to delay that decision?”

“The same thing Starswirl always wants.”

“Just like with Luna.” I bite the tip of my thumb as I think. “So… I either cheat my labor and condemn who knows how many to their end. Or I fight Cadence's daughters to the death. That's what's at stake here?”

Wallflower bows her head. “I'm sorry… I shouldn't have made this a labor.”

“That's not what I'm regretting.” I look down at my sword. “I don't want to kill them.”

She places a hand on my shoulder. “They're too strong for you to incapacitate them. Even if the odds weren't heavily stacked against you. You've to fight them with all you have.”

I keep looking at my blade. My gift from her. Meant only to protect me from harm just like my shield. “Would giving me a blessing be considered cheating?”

Wally pauses, surprised by the question. “I think not. As long as it doesn't specifically help you complete your labor.”

I present my sword to her. “Make it so I'm unable to kill or harm the innocent. Even if it means my death.”

Wallflower’s eyes go wide. “Sunset, that's not a blessing, that's a curse!”

I don’t back down. “Can you do it or not?”

She takes a few steps back. “Y-yes but-”

“Then it's what I want and what you should do. If you really think I'm not the demon Chrysalis showed me.” I know that's taking a step too far, but I need her help here. I know she cares, and I care too, but this is a risk I need to make, and she needs to take it with me.

It's not easy for her, and for a moment I worry that she’ll just teleport me out of here and just deal with me being angry at her instead of dead, but eventually she walks up to me and presses a hand upon my blade as she closes her eyes and speaks in a soft voice.

“Sunset Shimmer. Due to the pureness of your heart and the fire of your conviction, I give you my favor and place upon you a blessing. Your past mistakes have taught you to not only be kind but also understanding of others. You seek no enemies and favor the downtrodden, always seeking to save rather than kill. For these actions, I give you a portion of my power so this part of you can reach its full potential. My blessing upon you is… Empathy.”

As she finishes her little ritual, I feel… the same… I expected some rush or something like when I put on the belt, but instead everything feels like it always has. However, my weapon does change. A white shin takes over the blade, making the sharp edge appear blunt in my eyes. “Will this… be enough?”

“I guess we'll find out,” Wally says, before I take her by surprise and hug her.

“Thank you… for trusting me and everything else you've done for me. I promise I'll do all I can to survive this.”

Wallflower smiles and hugs me back. “I know you will. And I'll be cheering for you from the crowd.”

We stay like that for a full minute before we hear the guards coming for me. “When this is over, I've a… big favor to ask you.”

“What is it?” Wally asks, confused at the fear in my voice.

“I'll tell you later,” I say, forcing a smile as the guards reach my cell and Wally is forced to disappear from view.

“Sunset Shimmer. It’s time for your execution,” the guard announces.

I sigh. “Here we go again.”

The platform slowly rises me up to the arena, the bright sun nearly blinding me as my eyes adjust. In front of me, at a considerable distance, the five daughters of Cadence stand at the ready, weapons drawn.

So, fighting all of them it is. Not that my chances were that good to begin with.

Cinch comes out onto a large balcony overseeing the arena, wearing some extravagant regalia that didn't seem to fit her or complement her colors. Seems like she just put on whatever she found to look dignified enough for the crowd. “People of the Empire! Today I bring you a spectacle not yet seen inside these walls. We have a warrior blessed by the gods themselves! A worthy opponent for our heroes!” The crowd cheers for the Shadowbolts, throwing roses and ribbons in their direction. “Today, we'll see if the gods truly favor those that follow them.” She points at me. “Only by their divine intervention will this poor soul survive this trial.” The crowd quickly starts booing me, but the queen raises a hand to silence them. “Do not shame her for her bad decisions. Pity her instead. For she has chosen to put her faith on deaf, uncaring ears.” The queen raises her whip, and with a thunderous snap of it, she shouts. “Begin!”

Sour Sweet starts things off by jumping a considerable distance, taking three arrows out of her quiver and sending them at me with frightening speed. My shield moves and blocks them, leaving them strewn on the floor. Lemon Zest quickly follows, her lance aiming for my stomach. I manage to sidestep that and try to go for a cut with my sword, but she suddenly moves–no, she suddenly is further away. She keeps doing this as she attacks me. Moving extremely fast in a small burst. I can even hear a small ‘bomp’ each time she does it.

A beat. That’s her ability.

Lemon is suddenly pushed aside by Sunny Flare, who brings up her mace and strikes my shield with force. It holds its ground, but when Sunny raises her mace again, the metal ball at the end of it starts shining brightly, and when she impacts a second time, that brightness nearly blinds me, and I can feel a great amount of heat coming off of it. I try to keep my defense up, but Sour comes around and fires more arrows, forcing my shield to move away from Sunny. She tries to bash my head off my shoulders, but I manage to duck under her attack and slash at her stomach. I hear her scream, and for a moment I panic thinking that I actually cut her, but despite seeing her clutching her midsection as if I had split it open, there's no wound to be seen.

“That's how it works. Got it.” Sunny takes a step back and Indigo replaces her, her short swords quickly moving to try and prune my limbs off my torso. Luckily, Sombra’s training has kept my reflexes sharp, so I'm able to dodge away from her attacks. However, when I try to block, Indigo’s strength just completely overpowers me and I'm flung off to the side. I'm forced to quickly roll on the sand to get away from a follow-up attack. Her strength is monstrous, not surprising from someone with a direct lineage. Even with my belt, I'm no match against that.

Lucky for me, Sugarcoat comes in and hip checks Indigo to the floor before swinging that longsword of hers at my neck. I jump back, then spring forward to strike at her chest, but at the last second a sugar-like crystal coats her torso and my blade bounces off it. I try another angle, but the same thing happens. No matter where or how fast I strike, her defense is impenetrable. I only manage to get away from her when Sour Sweet fires more arrows at me and almost hits her teammate.

I turn to the archer and am relieved to see that her quiver is now empty. She's gonna have to face me in close quarters, and I'll have my shield available for defense. My hope quickly vanishes, though as I see her gesture in my direction, and suddenly all the arrows strewn over the battlefield fly over to her and set themselves neatly back in the quiver before she draws them again.

So… invincible defense, unlimited arrows, beat combat, radiant strikes, and overwhelming strength. My only advantages are my shield and my skill. That and the fact they aren't fighting as a team, I need to take them out one by one. Sunny is still gripping her stomach, so the pain I inflict lingers. I guess it's a matter of how much they can take.

Indigo goes after me, but I quickly step back and start sprinting towards Sour Sweet. Lemon tries to cut me off, but I can predict her beat and I manage to land a cut to her leg, giving me time to sidestep her and continue. Sour fires every arrow she has against me, but my shield keeps me protected, and once I'm close enough, I move in to strike. The archer blocks my first blow with her bow, but I then kick one of her legs, making her stumble, and drive my sword into her chest. This time, I see how the blade goes straight through the body, like a ghost, leaving no injury behind even as I pull out.

Sour Sweet clutches her chest, looking like she got the air kicked out of her lungs, and simply falls to the ground.

I turn and see Sunny Flare coming in with her bright mace read to strike. I put my shield forward, but this time I place the back of it towards the enemy. Since it's a concave shape, when the light explodes, it gets all funneled into Sunny’s face. Temporarily blinded, she swings wildly, trying to strike at me, but I crouch low and manage to cut her legs, making her fall too.

The next one to face me is Lemon Zest again. This time, her strategy changes to dive in my direction spear-first, like a ballista bolt, using her beat to change direction in an instant and do it again. I wince as one of her dives manages to grace my side, but I manage to trip her on the next dive by throwing my shield at her feet. She recovers quickly with her beat, but now I can push her into the defensive. She tries to back down to make distance between us, but I pursue her and keep trying to strike her. Despite how small her shield is compared to mine, she's quite skilled with it and makes hurting her quite difficult.

Having an idea, I let her take a few steps back away from me and throw my shield at her head. She dodges it, but I instantly call it back so it hits her from behind. Lemon stumbles and I quickly move in and land a cut against her throat, throwing her into a severe coughing fit that lands her on the floor. Now there's only two left, but they're the most dangerous.

Indigo charges at me, her short swords at the ready. Remembering what Sombra taught me, I prepare my shield to deflect the blow and counter, but, to my surprise, Indigo lets go of her blades and hugs my shield before running away with it. I try to recall it, but her grip is too strong for it to escape.

Without my biggest defense, Sugarcoat comes in to finish the job. I try to strike at her but she coats one of her hands with crystal and catches the blade. Then, she ditches her longsword and covers the other hand, hitting me right in the guts with it, knocking the air out of my lungs. She pulls that fist back and forms some scary-looking spikes over the knuckles before trying to destroy my face. By a miracle, I manage to dodge it and use my arm and neck to trap it in place, leaving both of us in a standoff. We each try to pull the other down, and thanks to my belt, I slowly start winning that battle until I can finally push her off.

The crowd’s favor slowly starts turning in my favor; more and more people cheer me as I slowly defeat their champions and push them on the defensive. But, apparently, Cinch will have none of it.

“Stop your whining and fight!” she orders with a sharp snap of her whip, and suddenly the fallen Shadowbolts stand up. They still look in pain but their bodies move regardless, picking up their weapons and slowly surrounding me.

I keep my eyes on Sour Sweet. Without my shield, her arrows can easily end me if I don't see them coming. Lemon Zest grabs her buckler and presents it to Sunny, who raises her mace and lights it up before striking it.

I realize their plan too late and I'm blinded by the sudden flash. I quickly jump to my left, but an arrow still strikes me in the arm. I go to remove it, but it just gets pulled by Sour’s blessing, worsening the wound. My vision is still fuzzy, but I can hear them coming after me. I need…

I fully close my eyes and focus, just like at the temple, just like Maud had showed me, and I can see them, the magic of their blessings creating blurry silhouettes of each of them.

I dodge Lemon’s spear and slice her in the face, hopefully messing with her sight. I drop low to avoid a mace swing from Sunny, but before I can attack her, Indigo comes in and kicks me in the ribs, cracking several of them before throwing me in the air. Sour tries to nail me as I fall, but I manage to block the arrow with my sword.

I plummet onto the floor and quickly stand back up with a wobble, but I remain steady. Even with my sight back, they can easily overwhelm me. I won't be able to win. Without my shield, my only defense is my sword and… Sombra's teachings…

I smile and shout. “Have you ever heard of King Sombra?”

Lemon dives towards me. I sidestep her, but she hits me on the head with the back of her spear.

“He ruled this very city, in a rebelión against the old ruler that brought peace to the Empire!”

Sunny comes in with a swing. I dodge and kick her away, allowing Sugarcoat to come in with her longsword and take a slice at me, giving me a shallow cut on the leg.

“He spent a thousand years paying for his sins, becoming a new man. One that has learned from his mistakes. Learned why peace was the better option. While the ways that all of you have adopted will only bring suffering!”

Sour Sweet knocks an arrow, aiming for my head.

“He was erased from existence, but never forgotten! The Goddess of Empathy made it so! She remembers him! I remember him! And now, all of you know about him!”

I open my eyes and see Sour Sweet firing, the arrow going straight for me…

…only to get blocked by the head of a bearded axe.

“You really took a gamble there,” Sombra says with a smile as he stands next to me, his body much more visible than ever before.

The crowd erupts in murmurs as this man has just appeared in the middle of the arena. Cinch is also confused; there's no way she could've predicted this.

“So, do you have a step two in this plan of yours?” Sombra asks me as the Shadowbolts recover from the surprise and start approaching.

I take a moment to breathe and get ready for the next round. “I'll tell you when I come up with it. For now, don't kill any of them.”

“I've killed enough in my past life.” He moves forward and engages with Sunny, her mace and his axe clashing in a display of shadows and light. He uses the head of his weapon to hook the mace and take it off her hands, before I come in and slice her neck. Once again, Cinch's order overrides the pain.

Sombra kicks her off and turns to Lemon, who dives towards him with her spear, but, to her surprise, the weapon goes right through him, and Sombra simply grabs her by the armor and throws her away. He then turns to Indigo and throws his axe at her, forcing the woman to jump out of the way, freeing my shield.

I quickly call it back and block a couple of arrows before sending it right at Sour's face, knocking her down.

Sombra’s axe teleports to his hand and he engages with Sugarcoat, finding a match of strength. Meanwhile, I have to deal with Indigo, who had picked up her short swords and come right at me.

I parry the first strike and dodge the next, jumping back to create some space between us. She tries to slash at me again, but my shield comes back and hits her in the wrist, forcing her to drop one of her weapons. We keep trading blows, my shield doing the lion’s share of the effort as I try to think of some strategy.

Sombra is at least keeping the others off my back. His ghostly body gives him the advantage as arrows and blades go right through him. However, things take a turn when Sunny gets her mace back, its blinding light seeming to counter his shadows.

I get too distracted by his fight and Indigo manages to disarm me, preparing to just cut my head off. My shield saves me again as it intercepts the attack, but Indigo throws herself forward, using her strength to throw both of us to the floor. She then places a hand on my neck and starts choking me to death.

I try to knock her away with my shield but she uses her other hand to pin it down. I'm left with only my good arm to try and push her away, struggling to get air into my lungs. “Come on… you don't… want to do this…” I try to take her hand off my throat, but I can't even make it budge an inch, and my vision is starting to go blurry.

“Snap out of it!” I shout as I press my hand against her face, trying to force her to move.

There’s a flash of light.

I see the Shadowbolts training back in the garden, my body feeling exhausted but magically forced to continue.

My vision shifts and now I'm inside a large barrack, holding onto Lemon as she shivers in my arms.

Another shift. I'm kneeling in front of Cinch, and I can feel my body trying desperately to grab my short swords and take her head off.

More shifts, more images, until eventually I see one where two women look at me with smiles, one holding me in her arms and singing a lullaby.

A raging scream snaps me out of whatever that was as Indigo jumps off me, clutching her head while tears run down her face.

Sugarcoat sees this and immediately rushes towards us, her whole body and even her longsword being covered in sharp crystal. All the Shadowbolts had looked impartial to the fight, but now it looked like Sugarcoat was genuinely desiring to kill me. I pick up my shield and ready myself, but before she can reach me, Indigo turns around and punches Sugarcoat in the stomach, easily breaking the entire armor like it was dry clay.

I look at her confused, and she simply turns to me and points to Sugarcoat. “Whatever you did, do it again!”

I smile and nod, going over and pressing my hand on Sugarcoat’s head. More visions flash over my eyes, more suffering and desire to kill Cinch, but also good times in the past. Reading books as the others got drunk, thinking they were idiots, as I was the one that would have to deal with their hangover in the morning.

Sugarcoat also screams as she wakes up, coughing and cursing Indigo before looking at the others still fighting.

Lemon Zest is being grappled by Indigo while Sour Sweet is on the floor, her arms tied behind her back by her own bow string. Sunny and Sombra are locked in combat, seemingly matched, until Sunny manages to dodge a swing of his axe and lands a heavy blow of her glowing weapon.

Sombra staggers back, falling to one knee before vomiting blood on the floor. However, instead of pain, he looks at the bloodied sand and starts smiling, even laughing in joy before looking at Sunny and standing back up, his axe ready to continue the fight.

I quickly make my way to Lemon and place my hand on top of her head. Visions show me being a good drum player, among many instruments. And how horrible it felt having my loving beats being used to kill others. Long nights of crying as the guilt ate me from the inside.

Instead of screaming, Lemon passes out once I return, tears running down her face. Indigo gently places her on the floor and looks up at Cinch up in the balcony. She lets out a growl and picks up Lemon’s spear, presenting it to me. “Grab it.”

I do it, confused as to what her plan was, till she suddenly spins in a circle, dragging me with her before throwing the spear and me in the air, aiming directly at the queen.

She's as shocked as me and is able to do nothing as we crash against each other, knocking down the small throne she was sitting on, her regalia now sprawled all over the floor. It takes me a moment to get my bearings and groggily stand up, the weight of my wounds, exhaustion, and whatever magic I used to wake Indigo and the others up starting to take its toll on me.

Cinch, however, recovers much more quickly. “You really live up to your reputation,” she says as she raises her whip, making my eyes go wide. “You’ll be a great tool.” Before she can snap her weapon, a familiar bearded axe flies past me and chops off the queen’s arm holding the whip. As she screams, I turn back to see Sombra smiling at me, right before Sunny lands a heavy blow against his head.

I clench my teeth and turn back to my fight, quickly locating the whip on the floor. Cinch also sees it. We both throw ourselves to grab it. We both succeed.

Sadly, she's the one to grab the handle.

“Let go,” she orders me as the leather bites into my skin and the magic compels me to obey.

I stare right into her eyes, and tighten my grip. “No.”

“I said let go!” She pulls again, but I still hold on. She keeps trying over and over, but, despite the magic trying to seize my body, I keep myself locked in place, every muscle in my body tensing in defiance. It takes all the strength I have left, but I won’t let her control another person ever again.

After a few seconds of screaming and trying to get my hand to open, I see Cinch's skin start to become paler, and her grip on the whip eventually falters as she collapses from blood loss. I watch as her breathing becomes shallower, and just when I expect her to die, a pink hand touches her wound, and the blood starts flowing back into her body.

I look up, and see Cadence in all her glory, her wings stretched and her body covered in the radiance of the gods. The crowd is losing their minds at the sight of their old goddess, and now I can't hear any fighting coming from the arena, and I can’t focus enough to see past my blurry vision.

But I can see Cadence looking at Cinch with both hatred and pity before turning to me and smiling. “You can rest now.”

I smile back. And immediately pass out.

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Fourth Labor: The Queen (Bad News)

See you all in six months :raritycry:

Fourth Labor: The Queen (Bad News)

I slowly open my eyes as I wake up, my whole body feeling numb. I look around myself and notice a brazier burning at my side, keeping me illuminated. My body is naked under a white blanket and all of my wounds are tended and bandaged. “Must be a hospital,” I say, trying to get up. It’s a bad call, as the numbness is instantly replaced by a shock of pain, and I clench my teeth to not scream.

It was loud enough for someone to hear it and come looking. “Finally. I thought you would never wake up,” says the non-amused voice of Sugarcoat. She looks much better than when we fought, less tired and even with some makeup on. Her clothes had also changed from combat leather to a burgundy satin dress, decorated with her sugary crystal. It looks quite beautiful, much more refined than the armor she fought with. “Sorry to start with this, but could you let go?”

“Let go?” I ask before looking down and noticing I still have the whip in my hand. It takes a surprising amount of effort to open my hand, and it's quite painful to relax those muscles after… “How long have I been here?”

“This would be your third day,” Sugarcoat answers, as she takes the whip with as much disgust as though it were a rotten corpse. “You not only had to recover from your wounds, but you also were suffering from magical exhaustion. Plus, we had to wait till the whip's magic faded from your body.”

“Speaking of… are you all…?”

“Yes.” Sugarcoat nods. “And all of us owe you for it.”

I chuckle. “Just doing my labor.”

“You did more than that, and you know it,” Sugarcoat protests. “You could’ve left. You could’ve just killed us. Any sane person would understandably consider it a lost cause. You had nothing to prove but what you would do for others.”

“None of you deserved what Cinch put you all through. I couldn't let it continue, nor let it end without you all getting your lives back.”

Sugarcoat frowns. “Yes… Some of us have been struggling with that. Lemon especially. And Sunny has been worried about your friend.”

She turns her head to the side, and I follow till I see Sombra a couple beds over. I instantly try to get up, biting through the pain as I get a better angle to look at him. Half his head is covered in bandages that look quite bloody by this point. “Please tell me-”

“He’ll live,” Sugarcoat assures me as she grabs my arms and gently moves me to sit at my bed. “You don’t need to worry. Just lay down and rest. I’ll go see that Red Heart changes his bandages and check on you, okay?”

“Y-yeah…” I slowly relax and let the pain back to my attention. It didn’t feel like I tore any of the sutures, in fact they looked quite healed, but my body had spent a lot of time in bed so I needed to take it easy.

Sugarcoat stayed with me for a minute till she was certain I would be okay before going out of the room.

Just a few moments later a healer comes in followed by Sunny Flare, who immediately goes to Sombra’s side. “How is he? Will he recover?”

“From what we can tell, his body healed itself from most of the injuries, but his right eye appears to be lost,” Red Heart explains. “There isn't much we can do other than feed him and change the bandages.”

“I'm quite happy to be able to taste food again,” Sombra groans, making Sunny lit up with hope. “I feel well enough to at least walk for-”

“No. You're staying here till you fully recover. And that goes for you too!” the healer shouts as I'm about to step out of bed to speak with Sombra.

“Calm down, Red Heart, they're heroes,” Sunny says, trying to intervene, but the healer has none of it.

“That’s exactly why they need to stay put. I don't want them doing something stupid and worsening their wounds.”

As the two argue, I feel a familiar touch on my shoulder. “You did it.”

I relax and lean back into her chest. “Almost didn't. Had to cheat a bit.” I chuckle. “Thank you for helping me.”

Wallflower hugs me from behind. “All I did was make it so your sword wouldn't kill them.”

I place a hand on top of hers. “Which I'm thankful for, but you did more than that.”

“What do you think I did?”

I frown and turn to look at her. “The breaking of the curse? The whip not taking over me? That wasn't you?”

Wallflower shook her head. “No, Sunset. That was all you.”

“B-but how? I don't have magic. I mean, I can communicate with people and feel magic around me but-”

She presses a finger against my forehead. “That connection with people, that's what gave you the entrance to Indigo's soul.”

I stare at her. “Was that what broke the curse?”

“Not exactly. Do you remember what you learned from Chrysalis?”

“I'll never forget that, but I feel you're not-” something clicks in my head. “I saw her past, her trauma. Her emotions.”

“And brought them out to strengthen her resolve and shatter the whip's control over her,” Wally explains. “That's the key to defeating the weapon. They couldn't break it because the enchantment was strengthened with constant use. You gave them the strength to finally break it, and in return, they gave you the strength to fully resist it when Cinch tried to do it to you.”

Wally holds my hands with hers. “The emotions from Chrysalis. The connections with Tree Hugger. The sight with Maud. The willpower with Cadence's daughters. Each of those strengths came from your bond with them. They give to you, you give to them. You understand them and they understand you. That is Empathy.”

And that's my blessing. A blessing I never expected to have. That I wouldn't deserve in the past. But now… I'm finally making some good.

Wally smiles as she presses her forehead against mine. “I'm very proud of you. You've grown a lot and conquered so many challenges. You've earned all you've gained.”

I smile and grip her hands a bit tighter. “Thank you… for everything.”

She smiles back before moving back. “Now, you mentioned a favor you wanted to ask me. What was it?”

I freeze for a second, taking a deep breath. This was going to be difficult. “So… Sombra told me about what you did to him. How you made… Existence almost completely forget about him.” As I talk, Wally's face goes from warm and happy to a freezing cold emotionlessness. “And I know that hurt your relationship with Luna, but I wanted to ask you to…” Wally's eyes make me pause. They're not angry… more… disappointed.

“What. Do you. Want me. To do?” I feel each pause as a knife slowly moving closer to my heart. I know this could easily destroy everything I've built with her. But…

“I wanted you to make Starswirl forget about Chrysalis…” Wallflower’s expression doesn't change. She's not saying anything. “I just… she misses her family and they miss her too.” Still nothing. “I want her to be able to see them. I owe her so much, this is the only way to repay her.”

“Done.”

I blink. “It's… just like that?”

Her shoulders rise in a half shrug. “It's not hard for me when it's a specific target and a specific memory.”

I blink again. “Oh… I'm sorry. I thought it would be harder than that.”

“Oh, there will be consequences. I'll have another target on my back once he figures it out, eventually. But for you and for this motive, I think it's worth it.”

I pull myself closer to her. “You sure? I’m thankful but… what’s exactly the risk here? I’ve never heard of gods having any rivalry with each other other than Tirek.” I slap my forehead. “I should’ve asked that before I made you do this.”

Wallflower chuckles and grabs my hands again. “I appreciate that you care. As for the risk…” she looks up, searching for the words to explain. “If two gods decided to fight each other, the first to act would most likely win. We’re equally powerful and know each other pretty well, so if it comes to direct conflict, we would know how to immediately defeat the other.”

“So, if Starswirl tried to… get rid of you,” my grip tightens. “He needs to be sure to strike first. Take you by surprise.”

“Which he knows it’s nearly impossible in my case. I’ve many eyes and can hide my tracks well.”

“So… would you win?”

“Possibly, but this is Starswirl. He has spent thousands of years planning, making deals, placing people where he needs them, and has the rest of the Pillars on his side. Even if I won, even if I removed him like I almost did to Sombra, the consequences would be…” for the first time, I see her shiver as she speaks. “It would be war. Just like with Grogar so long ago.”

I quickly pull her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I… I shouldn’t have-”

“No.” She hugs me back. “It wasn’t wrong to do it. All the good you’ve done, it wouldn’t have happened if you held back out of fear.” She pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes. “I’ve been pissing him off for my entire existence. I’ll take care of him, and you can continue making the world a better place. One labor at a time.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever had so much faith in me” I grip her tightly, holding back tears. “Thank you, for saving me from the noose.”

“Thank you, for being what I needed.” She leans closer, making me think she's going for a kiss before placing her forehead against mine. “You've a good heart.”

Before I can move, she turns into petals, leaving me with the taste of flowers on my lips.

After a few more hours of rest, Red Heart finally lets me get out of bed and walk around.

My first stop is two beds over. “Thank you for the help. And sorry I dragged you into it.”

Sombra snorts. “I did so willingly. Never felt more alive.”

“Will that change things for you? You're definitely staying in people's memories now. You could try and become known again.”

Sombra looks away in thought. “I guess. Nothing has come to smite me yet. Hopefully that won't change, I'm technically escaping my sentence.”

I wave my hand. “Oh, I'm sure Luna and Celestia have changed their minds about you. And you've completed your sentence in my eyes.”

That gets a proper laugh out of him. “I’ll admit, not long ago I wouldn't have believed that. But you've shown that it's possible.”

I tilt my head. “Possible to what?”

He looks right at me. “Move on. Be better. Fix things.”

“Oh… yeah.” I absentmindedly bite my thumb. “I guess I did.”

He grins. “Hard to accept?”

“Very.”

That laugh again. “It’s been a long time since you started. At least since we met.”

“Which I'm glad for, for everything you've helped me with.”

“Same here. And I'm impressed by the way you've used my teachings. I'll admit, at first I didn't have the same view of you as the goddess did.”

I lean forward. “What view does she have of me?”

“Go and ask her,” he answers with a smirk.

“Oh, come on!” I whine with a smile. “You could at least give me a clue.”

He gives me a flat look. “Sunset, if you haven't been getting clues by now, you're not as smart as I think you are.”

“Fair fair,” I kept laughing for a bit before standing up. “Best of luck wherever life takes you.”

“Thank you. And likewise.”

After that, I take my leave and step out of the hospital, taking in the fresh air and sunlight. From what I can see around me, it seems this hospital was inside the palace, possibly for personal use by the royals if they fell ill.

The first thing that catches my attention is the sound of drums in the distance. I follow it along the corridors of the palace till I reach the center garden, where I find Lemon Zest sitting with a couple of drums around her.

As expected, she's really good, her Beat clearly helping, but, as I approach her, I notice something wrong. Her grip on the drumsticks is visibly tighter than necessary. Her expression is focused, but, at the same time, doesn't seem to be focused on the drums. I can see dried tears across her cheeks.

Suddenly her rhythm starts faltering, till she eventually changes her grip and stabs into one of her drums with the stick. Again and again and again.

I move over and grab her arm, making her look at me, and that seems to snap her out of it. “Hey, hey, it's okay.”

“It's you…” she says as if she's seen a ghost. “I… thank you for…”

“I know, don't worry.” I take the stick from her. “What's going on? Are you okay?”

Lemon looks down at the destroyed drum with a sigh. “I'm… I'm trying to get back to music.”

“You were doing pretty well till now.” I say as I place the drumstick down. “You've quite the skill.”

“Thank you…” she says, wiping some tears before they can roll down her face. “It's hard.”

“How so? What makes you go like…” I gesture to the destroyed drum. “that?”

She sniffles. “You saw it. When you broke the curse. How I felt.”

Thinking back on it. The pain, the feeling of something lost, something stolen, something…

“She tainted your music.”

“With blood,” she adds. “Blood that I can never clean off.”

I hold her hands, seeing them shaking. “It was her. It was all her. You don't have to suffer for it anymore.”

“I wish it was that easy…” she looks back at the drums. “But I don't want to call it quits, even if it hurts now, even if it takes the rest of my life. I'll get my music back.”

I smile and let go of her hand. “You're very strong, Lemon. I know you'll get it.” I sit down. “How about playing something for me?”

“Huh?” She looks at me confused, then pushes the broken drum away and grips the sticks tightly again. “What would you like me to play?”

I shrug. “I don't really know any songs that aren't temple prayers. Just play with your heart.”

Lemon seems hesitant at first, but closes her eyes and starts with a slow beat, building up till her other hand comes into play and adding a more upbeat tone. Things pick up, and the beat takes form, quick and energetic. Lemon looks like she's slowly distancing herself from everything else, focusing only on the music. And that's where the song goes fully into it, the Beat magic making it wild but never losing rhythm.

Eventually, the song ends with another slow beat, this time descending from the encore, and once it finishes, Lemon lets out a breath I didn't realize she was holding.

I clap my hands. “That was amazing.”

She smiles, a bit embarrassed. “Thank you.” She lets go of the drumsticks. “I think I'm gonna take a break. Just realized I haven't eaten anything.”

“Please do.” I help her up, and I'm suddenly hugged tightly before she quickly walks away, not saying another word.

I could never imagine such a person trying to do harm to anyone.

I close my eyes and search for Cinch, locating her down in the dungeon.

Time to have some words with her.

The dungeon is, as expected, a cold, humid, dark place. In contrast to the palace, this is more of an excavated mineshaft, with only the floor having been leveled so one could walk without stumbling. The only other sign that this isn't just a cave are the metal cell doors embedded in the walls.

Cinch had laid behind one of these, hair disheveled and clothes in tatters, her stump properly tended – unlike the rest of her. There are no guards, nor need of any, as the whole place feels like it naturally sucks the willingness to fight out of you. It's unnerving.

“We meet again,” Cinch says before I can utter a word. “The right you would've come to gloat about her victory, taking my place and using my downfall for her own plans. But it seems that Sunset Shimmer did die at the gallows.”

I grit my teeth. “That Sunset wouldn't have been able to defeat you. She would've failed, just like you.”

“Would she?” She lifts her head to look me in the eyes. “You've her fight, I'll give you that, but you're incapable of doing what's needed for the world to change.”

“I’d say dethroning you was quite the change.”

“Oh, really?” She grins with rotten teeth. “Have they decided on a successor? Is that murderer king going to take charge again? Or are you getting rid of the monarchy altogether?”

I cross my arms. “That's up to Cadence to decide.”

“So, you come in, do the gods’ work for them, then leave while they clean up what's left.” She laughs, a sick laugh that seems to cost her. “You really are just another pet. A loyal dog on a tight leash.”

“Not all gods are the same. I know Cadence will do what's best for her people, the people you decided to hurt till the wound got infected.”

The bitch shrugs. “What are a few sacrifices for the benefit of all? Thinking so small will get you nowhere.”

“You haven't benefited anyone. All you did was impoverish and draft these people into resentment and desperation.”

“Yet the Arena has been more popular than ever. Ever since I exchanged the boring sports for proper gladiatorial fighting.”

“Joy and competition, twisted into murder and bloodlust.”

“And the people always asked for more!” Cinch stands up, her energy seemingly renewed. “You make some bold claims about how the people feel, but you've no idea of them. You've been here barely a week, and unlike you, they are not deaf to the truth.”

She suddenly moves forward and shoots her arm through the bars, grabbing one of mine. “You'll see it soon.”

I feel my flower transform and I jump to the side, barely dodging a spear meant for my liver. Turning around, two people wearing guard armor that clearly doesn't fit them look at me with hatred. Spear Guy tries again, but I dodge and grab the shaft of his weapon, pulling him towards me and headbutting him to the floor. The other pulls out a sword and charges at me. I force Cinch to let go and duck under his attack, grabbing the guy by the hips and chucking him upwards so he crashes against the hard cave roof. He plummets like a sack of potatoes.

Spear Guy takes me by surprise this time, pulling out a knife and managing to slice at my torso, but a punch to the face knocks him out properly. I look at my wound. I've had worse, but the problem is that my other wounds seem to have opened. Red Heart isn't going to be happy.

“You see now?” Cinch says from her cell. “They came for me, their true leader.” I look down at the unconscious men. They have the keys to the cells. “You may have defeated me, Shimmer, but my goals will live on. Because all I have to do is show the people the truth, that we can fight against the gods, and they'll become what the gods fear the most.”

Just like what happened with Sombra. And the only way to stop it was…

“I can see the revelation in your eyes. Now, Shimmer, will you keep fighting a losing war against humanity’s true nature, or will you-”

“Enough of that,” Cadence says, and Cinch crumples against the wall of her cell, sleeping soundly. “I'm sorry, Sunset. I should've known they would attempt something like this.”

“Who were they? Are there more?” I ask as Cadence uses her magic to take the weapons and armor away from the unconscious men.

“There surely will be more, but we can't know who or how many till they decide to act.” More guards appear and take the two men away. “I was hoping that keeping her here would be enough, but it seems they’re quite determined to free her.”

I turn to look at the sleeping Cinch. “Is there a more secure place for her?”

“Plenty, but none of them here. As long as she's inside the city, and alive, their priority will be to free her instead of…” Cadence doesn’t want to finish her sentence. “I know this isn't inspiring much confidence, and I won't lie and say I've everything under control, but there isn't an easy solution to this kind of problem.”

There is…

“Do you know… why Wallflower and Luna aren't on speaking terms anymore?” I ask, slowly, turning my head towards Cadence.

“I don't… I believe that was before my time. Why do you ask?”

I've got to be sure. “What's the plan here? What will you do to solve…” I gesture vaguely in Cinch's direction. “...this.” Will it be the same as me?

Cadence takes a deep breath. “I've a friend that will be able to take over from Cinch, try and right things back to how they were before. There will be pushback, especially when I leave to tend to other matters. I'm already stretching my stay.”

“And after you leave and this ‘friend’ arrives?”

“Cinch will be put on trial for her crimes. We'll put everything she's done in front of the people, the testimonies of all of my daughters and those that have been affected. If things go well, it'll be enough to fully destroy any reputation she still has and her followers will disband.”

“And if things don't go well?”

Cadence pauses. “More attempts to free her. Riots. An uprising. Shini- my friend's life will be in danger. My daughters’ most likely forced to fight again or flee.”

“Definitely flee,” I say. “They’ve fought enough.”

Cadence steps closer to me. “Sunset, I understand and appreciate your worry but, what's going on? Do you know something?”

I don't answer. Not right away. It takes me a few seconds that Cadence gives me to clear my thoughts and take a deep breath. “No. I don't. This isn't something I can do yet.” I gently place my hand on Cadence's shoulder. “I trust that you and your friend will be able to solve this. And if the worst happens, call me and I'll be here as fast as I can.”

Cadence smiles and puts her hand on top of mine. “Thank you, Sunset. I know it means a lot coming from you.” I nod and slowly pull my hand back before turning to Cinch once again. “Do you want to stay for the trial?”

“No…” I turn away from the cell. “I'm not the one she hurt.”

After some shouting from Red Heart, I got my wounds tended again and was forced to stay in bed till I healed completely. Which was fair, admittedly, but didn't make it any less boring.

At least I have company.

“Are you two sure you want to keep fighting?” I ask Indigo and Sour Sweet, who stand at my sides fully armored and visibly armed.

“I was always more of a fighter,” Sour Sweet says with a shrug. “And if some Mammalucco tries that again, I'll shoot them!”

Indigo gives her a look before adding. “What she means is that someone has to be able to defend the others, so they may never be forced to defend themselves. Even if they can fight, it'll do them no good.”

I nod. “I understand. And I know firsthand how good you two will be at it.”

Sour chuckles. “You're good too. For a cheater.”

“Damn right I am, and I'm not agreeing to a rematch.”

We all laugh.

“I don't know if Sunny or Sugarcoat will join us, they're still trying to decide what to do,” Indigo says. “Sugar is quite intelligent and capable, and Sunny-”

“Hasn't let go of that dark guy,” Sour interjects. “It's kind of adorable.”

“Yeah, she got quite scared she had killed the guy. It would've been her first.”

“Luckily, Sombra was made of tougher stuff,” I let out a sigh. “Keep an eye on him for me. I also don't know what he'll be doing now that he's more corporeal.”

“Keep an eye on him?” Sour chuckles. “Bad joke.”

Indigo gave her a light slap on the shoulder. “We will, but I think he'll recover before you do.”

“I have something for that.”

Indigo and Sour jump and reflexively go for their weapons as they realize Wallflower is standing between them, but I'm too distracted seeing the Royal Jelly she's holding on a clay bowl to care. “Yes! Give it to me. I want out of this Pumpin' Kip.”

Wallflower smirks as she comes over and starts applying it to my wounds. “Chrysalis sent it as a thank you for what you did for her.”

Once the surprise fades, Indigo and Sour wave at me and silently leave us alone.

“It was the least I could do. And you should take the credit for it.”

“She did thank me, too. Said that I shouldn't have taken that risk.”

“Has Starswirl realized it yet?”

“Not that I know of. He'll either be very loud or very silent about it. Silence is the worst case scenario.”

As she finishes placing the last of the jelly on my wounds, I grab her hand. “If there's a way I can take the fall for you, I'll take it.”

Wallflower smiles. “Then I'm glad that there's not.” She boops me on the nose. “You can't take every burden.”

“I… guess not,” my grip on her hand tightens. “But you carry many.”

She rolls her eyes. “I'm a goddess, Sunset.”

“You still hurt.”

Wallflower freezes, the smirk disappearing. “I do. But I've always hurt. I'm used to it.”

I gently pull her closer. “I don't want you to keep hurting.”

She doesn't resist. “There’s nothing you can do.”

“I'll still try.” I place my other hand on her shoulder.

“I know you will…” She leans down, till her face is right above mine. “I… want…”

I move towards her, but instead of her lips, I feel a hand. She gently moves me away. “Not yet. I'm not ready.”

“I’ll wait,” I smile, and she does too.

She fully pulls back, and I let go of her hand. “For now, you deserve some rest.”

“Can I rest with my family instead of this bed with the mean healer?” I ask with puppy eyes.

Wally laughs and gives me a nod, before my vision is suddenly flooded with flower petals.

As soon as the petals disperse, I'm standing right in front of the door to the Apple residence in Molorcolts. I quickly knock on it, and after a minute Big Mac opens, smiling as he sees me, then looks confused before pointing at the jelly all over me.

“Oh, it's a healing salve, it'll dry in a few minutes. How're things here?”

“Great,” he says with a big smile. “AJ is coming today with Granny, Bloom and Tree. We're having dinner together.” He looks like he's about to cry. “It's been so long.”

I hug the big guy, and he picks me up like I weigh nothing, taking a deep breath. After a few seconds he lets go and puts me down. “Will you be joining us?”

“Absolutely!” I say with a smile. “Let me help you set the table. You can tell me how things have gone since I left.”

We go inside, and Big Mac and I start pulling out the tablecloth, getting extra chairs, some old desks to extend the table, and extra silverware to accommodate everyone.

“Rarity helped us make a case against Strawberry and her contract with us. With the backing of Rockhoof’s temple, our case was taken more seriously and the contract is being fully renegotiated.” He pauses for a second. “If we can pay her what we ‘owe’ her and some extra, we can have full ownership of the place.”

“That's great, but do you have the money for it?” I wish I could cover it, but I'm still basically only carrying enough to live by.

Big Mac waves me off. “The money is coming with Granny and the others. Pinkie went around and collected donations from the entire town. They gave us more than enough.”

“That's… I'm so happy. You deserved so much better.” This time, it’s me getting teary-eyed and hugged.

“You helped a lot with it, sis. Getting AJ out of that temple and back home is something I should've done so long ago.”

I pat him on the back. “You had a lot to handle too, Mac. And I have to give most of the credit to Rarity for changing her mind.”

Big Mac lets go. “She's coming too. I think she'll be part of the family soon.”

“She's quite welcomed.” I grin. “You got anyone? I seem to remember you mentioning someone once.”

Mac suddenly gets nervous. “Well… I haven't… asked yet.”

“I see. How long have you known each other?”

“We met while AJ and I tried to get our case against those Flim Flam brothers. When Applejack went to the temple, I kept making claims so at least they wouldn't forget what we were going through. Thunderlane talked with me during it, and after a bad day he offered to buy me something to eat and cheer me up.”

“Sounds like a kind heart.”

“A big softy,” he chuckles. “We kept going out together, helping me relax from the situation, and then he started coming over and spending time with me when he was off-duty. Started buying stuff for us. I kept insisting I could fix whatever broke, so he-” he starts laughing. “-the smart ass comes back with a full toolset. Tried to say it was a ‘gift’.”

I laugh with him. “I like him already.”

Big Mac sighs. “Yeah. He's been a lot of help going through these times.”

“And I'm sure now that things are better, you'll return the favor.” I elbow him on the side. “A nice official date would be a good start.”

He glares at me with a smirk. “Sure.”

“Hey, Big Mac! Got something for you!” someone shouted from outside.

“That would be him.”

We both walk out to see the knight on horseback, having taken his helmet off to perfectly show his wide grin. “I wanted you to meet a new friend of the Guard,” he points to another man that was just catching up to him, riding his own horse which curiously had a large tarp covering its barrel.

The man in question looks like he's exiting his prime, with about half of his hair turning white, particularly the long mustache that frames his lips. Wearing clothes fit for traveling and a wide hat, this was either an experienced merchant, or some close-to-retirement adventurer.

“This is Buffalo Bull,” Thunderlane announced. “The new bounty hunter of the Molorcolts Guard.”

“Don’t need to present me like that, son. I'll be retiring before I make a proper name for myself,” the old man says as he grabs a rope tied to his saddle. “But for now, I brought these two here. Consider it a gift from Rockhoof.” He pulls the rope, causing two beaten-up men to stumble forward, their clothes dirty and skin covered in scratches.

As soon as he sees them, Big Mac steps forward, a fire in his eyes as his muscled body tensed with rage.

The two men smile nervously at him, lifting their shackled hands in meager defense. “Now, calm down buddy...”

“We've only done what one does for business...”

“It was never personal...”

Big Mac looks ready to crush them into bloody flesh ingots, and I can't blame him. I can tell, just by being near them, the kind of poison they work with. The same I used back at the temple in Ceryneigh, but with less tact and brain.

To my surprise, Big Mac just blows air out of his nostrils like an angry bull and steps back, leaving the two cowards nearly hugging each other. “Make sure they don't get out of wherever you put them.”

“Gladly,” Thunderlane says as he grabs the rope from Bull. “Wanna go out and celebrate afterwards?”

Big Mac takes a moment, mainly to let the rage drain out, before looking at me, then responding. “Actually, would you like to join the family dinner? My folks from Ceryneigh are coming over today.”

Thunderlane grins. “I’ll be there for sure. Will dress to impress.” Then he departs, taking the two rascals away.

“I'll take my leave too,” Buffalo says, tipping his hat to us before turning his horse around. “Pleasure meeting you.”

I quickly move over to stand in his path. “Wait, you said that was a gift from Rockhoof?”

“Yeah, he asked me to find them and bring them over to be judged. I guess you got the big guy to like you." He gives me a lookover and his eyes focus directly on my belt. “Where did you get that?”

“Calamity Mane,” I say with a smirk. “She's living in Nemarea.”

“I haven't heard that name in a while…” he says with a sad face. “Is she well?”

I nod. “Yeah, she has a big tavern she runs with good company.”

“I see, she really rooted herself.” He nervously pulls from his mustache. “I… I'm not sure what to ask first.”

“You could ask her yourself,” I step forward. “She made it sound like you two were really close.”

He lets out a sigh. “We were. We both loved the thrill of adventure, the long nights together, and the road to unknown lands. But it wasn't meant to last.”

I frown. “What happened between you two?”

“I proposed,” he shakes his head, regret in his eyes. “Wanted to make it official. She told me that would require us to settle down, to make a home for ourselves and leave the road. I, like an idiot, insisted that we didn't need roots, that we could get married and just keep doing what we had been doing for years. She told me that if marriage didn't change anything for us, then she didn't want it.” He takes a deep breath. “So, she left. Said she would settle down in the closest town and that I could either go after her or keep to the road.”

I purse my lips. “And you chose the road.”

“Yep, biggest mistake of my life. I thought it would be fine. Didn't blame her for the decision, we were both adults, but the more I traveled the more lonely the road felt, and the more angry I felt with myself. And Bill felt the same way, he didn't even want to spread his wings anymore.”

“His wings?” Bull chuckles and lets me peek into the tarp covering his horse's barrel, and I spot a feathered wing hidden inside. “No way!”

“Don’t shout too loud,” he says with a chuckle. “If people notice, they'll swarm us.”

“Of course they will. Do you have any idea how many people want to ride on one of these?” I say, trying to reach over and touch those wings, but Bill takes a step back and stares at me. “Sorry.” He huffs as a response, and I look up at Bull. “You mentioned you were retiring. Why not go see her now? You won't be on the road anymore.”

Buffalo pulls on his mustache again. “I could, but… it's been so long. And it sounds like she already made her own life. She doesn't need a ghost of her past coming to bother her.”

“Trust me, she would be happy to see you again. It may have been long ago, but you two remember each other. And fondly, I dare say.”

“Maybe…” he scratches his head. “I promised to stay for a few weeks to set up a bounty-hunting group to deal with criminals like those two. I'll think about it while I’m here.”

I nod. “Sounds fair, but if I see her again, I'm definitely telling her about you.”

He lets out a hearty laugh. “My goodness, girl. Do you follow Cadence?”

“No, but I do believe in what she does,” I say, catching myself off guard with it.

Things have really changed, haven't they?

“You feel that?” Buffalo asks, reaching for something on his hip, his horse also looking around trying to find the source of the feeling.

I spot it immediately. “Hey, Wally. What…” I flinch. Wallflower looks distressed, nervous, her hands not leaving her cape as she avoids looking at me. “Did something happen? Is it Starswirl? Cadence?”

“No… it's…” she pauses. “I'm sorry.”

“Wally. What is it?” I say stepping over and nearly grabbing her by the shoulders.

“Bad news… from your home.”

I pull my head back. “Home? What do you mean?”

She takes a deep breath. “Twilight Sparkle has stolen the Crown of Magic… she's become something like what you saw in the cave… maybe even worse.”

My hands start shaking. “W-what…”

“She's destroying the city as we speak.”

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Fifth Labor: The Fallen Angel

Fun fact: This chapter was based on Hercules's eighth labor, Mares of Diomedes

Well, at least this time it only took 5 months T_T

But dammit, I'll finish this thing eventually. This next arc is the one I've been wanting to get to since the first draft. The greatest challenge in Sunset's Redemption.

Thank you for your infinite patience.

Third Labor: The Sirens (Preparation)

"A dragon? How did it settle so close to Stymphacolts? Their lands are far from here," I ask, grabbing a rabbit leg from atop the campfire.

"No idea. All we knew was that it landed on the mountain next to the city and that it was a fire dragon. We had to kick it out before it melted the snow of the mountains and caused a flood," Rainbow explains, waving her own rabbit leg around as she talks. "The Wonderbolt Guard was busy fifty miles to the east, so the city gathered the best they could find, which obviously included me, and sent them to kill it or at least scare it away."

"Is that where…" I point at Rainbow's missing left arm.

The rainbow-haired soldier looks at the stump as if she had forgotten it was there. "Yeah... me and Dust got the worst of it." She points at another of the three soldiers I had seen when I first arrived at Wallflower’s temple. She has golden hair and light turquoise skin, but only in the half of her body that wasn't covered in horrible burn scars.

"Did you win, in the end?"

"Of course!" Rainbow exclaims with that pride she shows often. "We had a great plan. We moved into its cave while it was sleeping, Dust and I climbed the walls till we were above its head, and the rest of the platoon waited in hiding. When Thunderlane gave us the signal, me and Dust jumped on its head and rammed our spears into its eyes."

"Making it easier to hide and dodge its flames. Clever," I say, and Rainbow's chest swells with pride.

"It was my idea, and it worked like a charm. I just… fucked it up right after that."

"It was just bad luck, Rainbow," the third soldier, a massive muscular guy that barely fits into his armor, says, earning a hard glare from his crippled companion.

"I. Fucked. Up." Rainbow reiterates, clearly not for the first time. "I didn't jump far away enough and the dragon got my arm for its last breakfast. If it weren't for Lightning's insanity, I wouldn't be talking right now."

"She was bleeding out," Dust explains. "I knew a tourniquet wouldn't cut it, so I needed to cauterize the wound. And there was a dragon blindly breathing fire around us."

My jaw falls as the words sink in. "No way. You guys are insane."

The two women shrug. "It's the soldier's life. High risk, high reward."

"And what was your reward for missing an arm and getting half of your body burned?” I ask. “Getting Magnus to throw you out just because you couldn't fight anymore? Is that why you're now in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to your name but old armor and stories around a campfire? How is that fair?!"

The three soldiers look at each other nervously, and I realize I was shouting at them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."

"It's okay," Rainbow says with a smile that tries to hold itself together. "It does suck that our service is over, but that's just how things are. You fuck up, do something reckless, or just realize that it's not for you, and you end up with nothing. We at least have Wallflower to care for us now, and some stories to tell to whoever wants to listen."

I shake my head. "Magnus should be the one protecting you, not Wally."

"She's right," the big guy says. "You two should've been part of the Wonderbolts."

"Well, apparently we weren't made for it," Rainbow says, raising her stump as much as she can.

Dust crosses her arms, a fierce scowl dominating her features. "That's bullshit, Dash, and you know it."

Grunting, Rainbow throws the rest of her food into the flames of the campfire. "There's nothing we can do about it now." She stands and quickly walks away, her two comrades following behind after a few apologies.

I just nod and leave too, walking towards Ceryneigh.

As I reenter the town that has become my new home for the last few weeks, I keep thinking back to Rainbow and her friends. There are many in the temple who have similar stories of being abandoned by the gods they followed in one way or another, but sometimes it was justified. There are some “bad apples” praying to Wallflower, but apparently she doesn't mind them.

It makes a lot of sense now, why she would want to intervene with my execution.

I suddenly feel a shiver down my spine, and I crouch just in time to let a pink blur fly over me. I quickly take a fighting stance, staring down at my opponent.

Pinkamena Diane Pie. Personal space's natural predator.

"Hi Starlight!" the personification of positivity says, jumping back to her feet after failing to surprise-hug-tackle me. "How's the temple?"

"Still in ruins," I answer, lowering my guard. "I was thinking maybe I could get some builders to repair it."

I'm instantly trapped between two inexplicably strong arms forming a bearhug. "Awww, that's really sweet of you!"

"You're going to hug the sweetness out of me," I struggle to say, with my ribs crushing my lungs.

"Oh, I know!" Pinkie exclaims, releasing her death grip on my body. "You can send a letter to Applejack! She and her family helped build half of the town."

"You know Applejack?" I ask, kind of pointlessly. I'm pretty sure Pinkie knows everything anyone in this town has ever done or will do.

It's a bit scary, to be honest.

"Of course I do! We were best friends before she had to leave," she exclaims as she jumps up and down excitedly.

After dusting off, I start walking towards the farm with Pinkie following close behind. "Why did she leave, exactly? Her family doesn't talk much about her."

"Well… she was supposed to come back, but instead she sent a letter saying that she would stay in Molorcolts with her brother and help him with the business they were setting up. Which was weird, considering Apple Bloom was left alone to tend the farm. I mean, isn't acquiring the product the priority when you want to start a business?" Pinkie ponders, which might be dangerous depending on what conclusion she arrives at.

"I'm sure she has her reasons. If you think she would be up to fixing the temple, I'll pay her a visit." Maybe I can get a discount. I don't have a lot of money.

Pinkie's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Really?! Oh, I'll make you a map so you can find her. I can't wait to see Jackie again!"

"Wait, I didn't say I would go right now!" I shout, but she’s already speeding away, leaving a dust cloud behind. "Well… I'll cross that bridge later."

I make my way to the farm, finding Apple Bloom already hard at work.

"Came for my shift!" I shout at her.

"East side. Seventeen full baskets minimum!" she shouts back.

"Got it!"

I've come to really like the little buff-girl. She's a complete overlord when it comes to work, but, once the day’s over and gets to relax, she turns into a completely different person. Cheery and curious about everything.

I have to lie a lot about who I am. And I'm sure she could tell a few times at least, but she hasn't called my bluff yet. Neither has Granny Smith, and she seems to be even more insightful than her granddaughter.

They surely know something; the question is how much.

I focus on the work at hand to avoid thinking about it. Speaking of, I didn’t expect to like farming so much. It’s a chore, sure, but not as bad as working in Celestia’s temple, and this is an effort that gives a good reward. Tasty, juicy reward. Besides, I don’t know if it’s because of Harmony’s influence or something else, but the orchard is a pretty calming environment.

Tree Hugger says that Mother Nature helps her and Bloom with the harvesting, making the work effortless, and I guess it’s true, because before I can really track the passing of time, I have seventeen baskets ready for storage.

I press my hand against one of the trees, trying to sense a connection like Tree Hugger does, but it still escapes me. I need to keep training.

Regardless, I mutter a thank you, and go over to where Bloom is working. “I have the baskets ready; want me to help you take them to the barn?”

“It can wait, it’s time for lunch,” the farmer says as she climbs down from one of the trees, leaving the apples in a basket before turning towards me. “Do you want to join us? You’re always welcome.”

I’m about to decline, but my stomach betrays me by deciding to grumble loudly. Mother Nature may help with time passing, but hunger seems to be out of her reach. “You sure? I don’t want to give Granny more work cooking.”

“None of that, you know Granny likes having you around.” Apple Bloom places her arm over my shoulders, ensuring that I couldn’t escape. “And I appreciate all the help you give us.”

“It’s not that much,” I say, smiling while pointing at the baskets she had gathered, almost double what I had managed in the same time.

”Even if it was just one apple, it would be one more than me and Tree can.”

“Is Tree joining us for lunch?”

“Nah, she says Mother Nature gives her all the nutrition she needs.”

“Oh, really?” I say looking back at the orchard. “I have to ask her about it.”

“After lunch,” Bloom says before walking to the inside of the house, pulling me along with her arm.

“We have apple fritter, apple bumpkin, caramel apple, apple strudel, apple tart, baked apples, apple brioche, and apple cinnamon crisp,” Granny Smith lists off as I stare at the table full of delicacies that would normally cost a fortune in Mycemare, yet here were just lunch.

“Don’t forget proper etiquette,” the voice of Twilight Velvet reminds me. One of the first things I had to master when I started working at the temple.

“You’re drooling a bit,” Apple Bloom points out.

Had to.

I wipe the drool and sit a bit straighter to compensate. “Sorry.”

Granny lets out a small laugh. “Oh, don’t worry dear. Bloom can’t eat with her mouth closed, so you’re in good company.”

“Ah don’t!” the younger Apple shouts, and I do my best to hold back a snicker.

“Of course, Bloom. But enough talking, eat before it gets cold.”

I immediately start filling my plate with a piece of everything, manners be damned. I never liked Velvet anyways.

“Never had food like this?” Bloom asks with a cocky smile. I shake my head, my mouth too full to talk."You must be from the east. Luna's city, I would guess."

I take my time to swallow, thinking about my answer. "That was my last stop before here."

"Oh, so you're a wanderer?"

"Something like that. To wherever Wallflower tells me to go."

"I still can't believe we never heard of her," Granny says as she discreetly pushes one of the further-away plates to me so I can reach more of these delicacies. "Even with her temple being so close to us."

"I'm also curious about that. Aren't the people at the temple members of this town?"

The two farmers looked at each other for a few seconds. "Not that we've heard. Almost all of the town follows Meadowbrook or Somnambula."

"Isn't Somnambula a bit far from here?" I ask before munching on a piece of tart.

"Yes, but some of the pilgrims after us came from her city, so they have a good base here."

"That's quite the trip. Did they come for some reason in particular?"

"Be not nu," Bloom mumbles before swallowing. "You would have to ask one of their descendants. Like Filthy Rich."

"But stay away from his wife," Granny warns me. "She's not very... ‘pleasant' to strangers," she adds, clearly wanting to use some more colorful language.

"I would think I'm no longer a stranger after spending so much time here."

"Well, we still don't know your-" Bloom says, before being interrupted by a sharp inhale. I quickly shove a piece of fritter in my mouth to buy time as Apple Bloom turns to glare at Granny.

Fuck, why did I slip that out?

"Star,” Granny says, waiting till I look her in the eyes before continuing. “Only when you feel ready.”

I swallow and slowly nod my head. “I… I think I’m gonna go practice with Hugger.”

“As you wish. Bloom will take care of the dishes,” Granny says, and Bloom restrains her complaints as she watches me stand up.

“Thank you for the food.” I say before quickly leaving the table, exiting the house in a hurry. Once outside, I take a deep breath, calming down.

Don’t panic. They know nothing. Just need to invent some story for them. Make it convincing or vague enough and I’ll be fine.

Needing some distraction, I make my way over to Tree Hugger's spot. The farmhand is sitting on her stump, waiting for me to arrive. "Hey Sun-sun! You look a little bit brighter today."

"Thank you," I say with a smile before sitting in front of her. "You seem as relaxed as always."

"That's my way of living." Tree Hugger laughs before shifting to her meditative posture. "Wanna join me today too?"

“Of course,” I say, copying her posture.

“Righteous! Now, breathe deep, seek peace.” We both close our eyes and concentrate on our breathing, following the sensation as it goes in and out, before slowly relaxing our bodies, one part at a time.

Meditating has been surprisingly difficult, especially the first few days since I asked Tree Hugger to teach me. She’d said that I should try to sense Mother Nature’s reach to the physical world, which, from her perspective, were roots closing in on her body. However, what I saw the first time was... that demon from the cave... and it scared me out of focus. It took a few tries till I could face it and not be scared, feeling sure that it couldn’t hurt me.

Then I started seeing my parents. Sometimes they were dying on the ground, their hands black and dead, and bodies covered with multiple swellings. Sometimes they would be just standing in front of me, smiling and talking, but I could never hear what they said.

After that, things started to become a mixture of people I knew.

I saw Meadowbrook and Celestia, but in flesh and blood instead of their statues. Staring at me.

Judging me.

I saw Sombra, repeating his lessons in my head, sometimes going at me with his axe.

I also saw Twilight, at the age when I first met her, crying or being scared, hugging her dear Smarty-pants. It was something that would also pull me out of meditation.

But the weirdest was when I saw Wallflower.

She looked just like the real one, but much more tired and even a bit older. And unlike the rest of my visions, she was sitting in front of me.

Smiling.

I asked, and Wallflower denied meddling with my meditation. I actually had to explain to her what Tree Hugger did till she understood what the question meant.

Speaking of, it’s her that I see now. Sitting in front of me with her pleasant smile. But there’s something different.

She’s not wearing her cloak, in fact, she’s wearing some sort of beige thick woolen tunic whose edges unravel into threads that seem to extend forever.

Is that…

I try to reach out to her, but the image instantly vanishes and I snap out of the trance.

“Hey! You kept it up for a long time there. Did you get close?” a little bird with Tree Hugger’s voice asks me as it rests on my shoulder.

“I… need to keep practicing,” I say, shaking my head to clear my mind.

“You’ll get it soon enough. I can tell you’ve all you need.”

“Thank you.” I pet the bird, making it chirp happily, getting a laugh out of me.

I’m still surprised by how open everyone is here. Always willing to help or at least give some advice. Things were very different back in Mycemare.

No… I was very different.

“Tree Hugger.”

“Yes, Sun-sun?”

“Do you know who Sunset Shimmer is?”

“I suppose that’s your real name, right?”

I chuckle. “I guess I’m not that good of a liar.”

“You would have a better chance if you didn’t use the name of a known criminal.”

I turn my head to the bird. “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way I got that unlucky making up an alias on the spot.”

“Sorry, Sun-sun, but Starlight Glimmer’s a real person. I’m surprised you never heard of her.”

“I never went out of Mycemare since I moved there. What did she do?”

“She stole an artifact of power from Meadowbrook’s temple in order to ascend to godhood and make everyone ‘equal’, or something like that.”

I slowly blink while my mind screams in panic. “Wh- why didn’t anyone tell me? Why did you just play along?”

“Well, you came to town wearing a mantle as a backpack, having walked all the way here instead of traveling with a horse or caravan, claiming to be a known criminal like it was the most normal thing in the world. You needed help. So, Granny Smith offered you a job.” The bird extended her little wing towards the orchard. “She brought you here, where she and Bloom would be able to know what you were doing while you were alone. If you were a thief, you would’ve probably grabbed what food you could and run. But you didn’t. You even rejected the food when I offered it to you the first time.”

“I… did try to steal from you. I was planning on robbing one of the horses-”

“While I was meditating, I knew. I was the horse that got close to you. Remember?”

I sigh as I shake my head. “My point is that I would’ve stolen from you if I didn’t know you were the horse.”

“Then why didn’t you do it when you got out of my range? The horse obeyed you, and you were far away to pick some food and escape. Why did you come back?”

“I… was worried for you...” I admit, rubbing my hands together.

“See, you’re not a bad person deep down. That’s why we trusted you. And when we told Pinkie, she spread the world around town. She got everyone to play along till you felt confident enough to tell the truth.”

“So… you were caring for me?... All of you?” I ask as I turn to look at the bird.

“Of course! Well… not all of us. Spoiled said that she would get you hanged if you brought any harm to the town.”

“I would never! I would just commit petty theft at worst!” I shout, flailing my arms.

“Chill, Sun-sun, we trust ya, and you aren't even the first to come here to escape from their past. However… I need to ask why you changed your name. If you’re comfortable sharing.”

I take a deep breath, buying me some seconds to think.

Fuck it. I’m already committed to this.

“I tried to steal one of Celestia’s most powerful artifacts to try and ascend to godhood and change the world for what I thought was better. I failed, got sentenced to execution, only to be saved by a god I’d never heard about that offered me the chance to complete labors to atone for my crimes. In the last labor, I was faced by a demonic copy of myself that made clear that actually succeeding in my original goal would have turned me into a worse monster than what I thought gods were.”

I regain all the air that I expelled on my explanation and brace myself for her reaction.

After a few moments of silence, the bird flies away, and Tree Hugger’s eyes open. “Ok, I’m not being defensive, I know you’re a good person now, but I’ll need a bit more context.”

I let out a long sigh, placing my hands over my legs. “Well… it all started when I was little.”

I’m from a small town east of Mycemare. Far east. Far enough that worship to the gods wasn’t really prevalent. Very few followers lived there, and, as the years passed, they migrated to the bigger cities where they could be closer to the gods, so we eventually became an atheist community.

We lived normal lives. Expanding the town, making sure that we wouldn’t be hungry or cold in the winter, and trading what we had to whatever merchant happened to pass through. We worked together, and persevered through many hardships.

Until we got hit with a plague.

It started killing hundreds in days, destroying everything we had worked to make, and we had no way to fight it. So, everyone started to pray to Meadowbrook, begging her to save us.

But it turns out that praying isn’t so simple. Unless you know the god’s prayers and rites, you’re just wasting breath. When we realized this fact, my father and many others decided to travel to the nearest big city and beg for help there. They were our last chance to survive. Many didn’t make it to the city, but the ones that did got no help at all.

The people of the cities saw a bunch of plague-ridden non-followers, begging for help from the gods that they had ‘abandoned’. “Of course you came begging for help now that things aren’t going your way. You should’ve said your prayers before, to prevent this from ever happening to you.”

While this was happening, the town had only a few dozen habitants left. And they were all infected. I spent the majority of those days in bed, burning with fever, barely having the strength to move, waking up in pain only to fall back unconscious shortly after. The only thing I was able to see during those moments of lucidity was my mother, kneeling in prayer over me, begging Meadowbrook to save me.

By some miracle, when the people in the cities started praying to Meadowbrook to save them from the plagued non-followers, the goddess finally did something to help us.

She didn’t bring back those who had died by a plague she had supposedly eradicated a century ago.

She didn’t descend from the havens to cure the very few that were barely alive.

She got plague doctors sent to our dying town, in carts that would take days to reach us.

When they eventually arrived, they started treating those who still had breath in their lungs, piled the dead in our abandoned granary, and found my mother dead next to my bed, hands still in prayer, and me, keeping myself alive by sheer spite.

I was treated and eventually cured, along with the five or six that remained of my people, and we all got to see as the plague doctors torched what was left of our lives and our loved ones to eliminate any traces of the plague.

After that, we were escorted to Meadowbrook’s city, where the citizens welcomed us with forced smiles and promises of new lives with them. As followers of their god.

I wanted none of that, so I left the city on my own and walked west till I stumbled upon Mycemare. Celestia pitied me and let me stay in her temple. From there, I started a new life. One with a singular purpose.

I thought that if I became High Priestess, a spokeswoman of one of the most important gods, I could make a change in the world. So I spent every hour of every day working towards that goal. I cleaned the temple, learned the prayers, studied all the rites and history, and made as many powerful friends as I could.

But it was all for nothing.

Twilight Sparkle, the girl I grew up with during my time in Mycemare, someone who spent more time reading books than praying, got elected as the next High Priestess due to her happenstance connection with the Crown of Magic.

At that moment, I understood that if I wanted the power to change the world, I couldn’t just wait for someone to give it to me. I had to take it. By force, if necessary.

“...But I was wrong. I only would’ve made things worse. And I’m paying the price for it.” Finishing my tale, I wait for Tree Hugger’s response.

It surprises me by how simple it is.

“Fuck.”

She exclaims this with a hand on her forehead, and after a minute of thinking, finally speaks again. “Hey, sorry if this sounds insulting but… why didn’t you get Twilight on your side?”

I frown, confused by her question. “What do you mean?”

“You said you made friends with powerful people, and that you grew up with Twilight. Why not explain your motives to her and get her to help you?”

I wince as old memories crawl to surface in my mind. “Twilight and I didn’t have the best kind of relationship growing up. We fought a lot. Mostly because of me.” My fists clench involuntarily. “I… I didn’t like her even before she was elected as High Priestess. She was just... ” I try to find something negative to use against her, but everything just sounds so petty now. “I thought that she was below me. I thought a lot of people were below me. That they were just stepping stones to reach my goal.” My vision becomes a blur as my eyes water. “Even with Wallflower. After she saved my life and tried to give me another chance to make something with my life, I just saw her as a tool.” I look at Tree Hugger, tears about to escape my eyes. "After hearing all of this… can you still trust me? Do you really think that I've changed from that?"

Tree Hugger looks at me in the eyes, her normally relaxed expression replaced by something much more serious. "I'm sure, because I've seen your very soul change, Sunset. I don't know what that demon did to you, but I could feel that something changed in you when you came back."

A strangled chuckle escapes my throat. "I did lose a lot of love. Maybe that's what's making me repent."

"Hating yourself isn't repenting, Sun-sun. That's not what you're doing. You're looking at yourself from a different angle and wanting to change things for the better. Because you know you can be better."

"I… I do want to change things. I can tell that I'm not the same as before but... I just don't know how or where to start now. I bet everything on a power grab, but that option is out. How can I change the world if I'm just human?"

Tree Hugger smiles, her calm demeanor slowly returning. "You would be surprised by what one person can do, Sun-sun. I know you're capable of achieving it, you just need a bit of direction."

I wipe the tears from my eyes and slowly nod. "I guess Wally will guide me. I don't know what she'll get me to do next.” My next chuckle isn’t strangled. “I just hope it doesn't hurt too much."

“Hey, if it makes you feel better, you can talk to me about it. I’m not a priest or anything, but I can listen.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Tree. You’ve helped me a lot,” I say, finally being able to smile. “Thank you.”

“I just did what’s right to do.” Suddenly, Tree Hugger looks up, and, just a second later, I do too, as a weird feeling snakes its way up my back. “Something’s coming.”

We don’t have time to prepare or do anything before something lands right next to us like a bolt of lightning, sending dirt and dust everywhere. Once it settles a bit, I manage to see a creature I thought I would never witness.

A white, blue-maned pegasus. Its fur spotless despite the impact, mane waving in the air by a magical wind, and beautiful golden eyes.

I want to ride on it, so bad!

"Letter for Sunset Shimmer." I suddenly realize the pegasus already has a rider, and that she’s just spoken, snapping me away from the allure of the magnificent beast.

She's a blonde woman with grey skin, wearing the most clean and gold-trimmed white chiton I've ever seen. I feel like I know this woman, and it isn't until I notice her eyes that I remember her depictions. Known by many names, but with the important title of Messenger of The Gods.

"Uh… I need you to take it," the woman says with a worried expression, waving the letter in her hand.

"Right, sorry." I move over to her, resisting the urge to pet the pegasus, and take the letter from her hands. I quickly open it and start reading.

Sunset Shimmer.

By request of The Goddess of Empathy, your next labor will be to sail into the Lacoltnia Sea and track down the Sirens. These are three dangerous predators that will kill on sight, and you must eliminate all three for the safety of the region.

You have a week to complete this labor.

Star Swirl The Bearded, God of Knowledge.

"Wait, who's the-" I try to ask, but the messenger is already flying towards the sky in her beautiful mount. "Okay. I need to leave the farm for a while for one of my labors, can you explain it to Apple Bloom?... Tree Hugger?" I turn towards her and notice that she has her eyes closed and a goofy smile on her face. "You're inside the pegasus, aren't you?"

"It feels great." Tree Hugger's eyes suddenly open. "Awww, out of range."

After a brief explanation to Apple Bloom, she not only let me go before finishing my workload, but she also lent me one of the horses so I don’t have to walk all the way to Nemarea again.

Bloom and Granny also saw me off, waving me goodbye and wishing that I came back safe.

It almost feels like… they’re…

I… I have to tell them next… I should’ve trusted them from the start.

I shake my head, focusing back on the road. The pier at Nemarea would be the easiest way to sail into the sea. The problem would be getting a boat, which I could maybe rent for a day, and finding the Sirens, who only have an entire ocean to hide in.

Although, I suppose they’ll most likely find me first, which would be the worst case scenario here.

I won’t luck out this time. I need to be ready.

I suddenly feel something press against my back, and when I turn my head, I see a large patch of wild green hair. “Hi Wally.”

“Yo,” the tired goddess responds.

“Are you okay? You look exhausted.”

“Had a reunion at the Pantheon. Nothing tires me more than that place.”

“You don’t say. Wait, do gods sleep?" I always find myself questioning stuff like this when Wallflower's around.

“We don’t,” she says before yawning, making it a bit of an oxymoronic statement. “But politics can put anything to sleep.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“Do you remember what I said about gods not getting along?”

I slowly nod my head.

“Well, that's made abundantly clear whenever we have a reunion." Wallflower moves her hands around me and starts counting with her fingers. "Celestia and Luna are always having some sort of argument, even when they have the same opinion. Cadence’s wanderlust nature has her not attending many of the reunions, so, when she does appear, she’s out of the loop most of the time. Tirek refuses to leave Tartarus, and honestly I can't blame him. I get ignored most of the time, so that only leaves The Ladies of Time and The Pillars to decide most matters, but since the six always support each other, they end up swaying the result in their favor all the time. It all ends up being a pointless discussion where half the room might as well not be present. It took a lot of convincing to make them agree to let you handle the Sirens.”

Once her rant is over, Wallflower lets out a long sigh and rests herself against my back again.

I want to ask questions, but she really seems to need the respite, so I try to relax and make the trip as smooth as possible, slowing the horse down so we don’t bounce too much.

After a few minutes of silence, Wally speaks again. “What have you been up to?”

“The usual. Helping at the farm. Meditating. Meeting people. Just… living, I guess. It feels like it’s been a while since I did that.”

“I’m sorry I threw you at the Sirens,” Wallflower says, her arms pressing against my sides in an awkward hug. She always feels so soft.

“It’s okay.” I say turning my head back to see her. “I assume it’s part of my atonement, right?”

Wallflower shakes her head. “I already told you, you’ve proven yourself enough for me. Sadly, that won’t convince the rest of the gods.”

And Celestia. “So I’ll do labors for them now?”

“Basically, but they’ll still be assigned by me.”

“And you chose the Sirens? Do you know them?”

Wallflower doesn't respond. She remains silent for a few seconds before suddenly appearing right in front of me. Really close.

She smells like flowers.

“Sunset… this won’t be the same as Chrysalis. I knew she could be reasonable, but the Sirens are something else entirely. I won’t blame you in any way if you have to kill them.”

I stop the horse and look her in the eyes. There’s something hidden behind them. A request she thinks is unfair to ask for.

“I can find a way to save them,” I assure her. “You know how stubborn I can be.”

“You don’t need to,” she tells me, but the small hint of a hopeful smile tells me what she really wants.

I chuckle. “We’ll see.”

Suddenly, Wallflower’s head snaps up and seems to be listening to something I can't hear. “Sorry, I need to go. I’ll see you at the port.” She gives me a quick hug that I wasn’t expecting and vanishes into flower petals.

I can’t help but smile before wiping the reins and starting a good gallop towards Nemarea.

The clang of metal rings through the open field as Sombra’s axe and my new shield collide. I now have enough strength to block his attacks, but the tadger’s still monstrously strong.

Sombra pushes my shield away with the axe and goes for a quick strike against my ribs, but I manage to backstep away and counter with a fast slash towards his chest. The tip of my blade ‘cuts’ through his half-phantasmal body, leaving no wound, but granting me the victory.

“I wanted to ask, do you know anything about the Sirens?” I say as I catch my breath.

Sombra places the axe on his shoulder before answering. "Yes. I got my hands on many old manuscripts from Gusty The Great during my mortal years. One of them-"

"Wait!” I exclaim with wide eyes.“From Gusty?! The Gusty?"

"That's what I said," Sombra answers nonchalantly.

"That can't be true. There haven't been any records of her since… you said your mortal years?"

Sombra raises his left hand, showing its slight etherealness. "I don't consider this living."

"When were you born?” I ask, curious about the origins of this ‘king’.

Sombra takes a couple of seconds to think his answer. “Around a thousand years ago.”

“W-what?” I mumble perplexed. I was not expecting him to be that old. “Wait, that’s around when Luna and Celestia became goddesses.”

“They already were goddesses when I met them. I can tell you the full story, or we can talk about the Sirens.”

"Right, I should focus." I place my flower in my armor and attach the shield to my horse's saddle before sitting down on the grass in front of Sombra. "So, what can you tell me about the Sirens?"

The king also sits down, and, to my surprise, part of his phantasmal body starts to turn into shadows, which move between us and start taking different shapes as he talks.

"The Sirens were the queens of Dazzberos, a now ruined kingdom on the other side of the Lacoltnia sea."

The shadows move, taking the form of three long-haired women dressed in different styles of armor.

"They were part of Grogar's legion, along with Tirek, Ariadne Hiveblood, and Gusty the Great. They were the captains of his forces, but they mostly handled the slave trade in his territory, using some sort of magical song to control their subjects and even some enemies that had lost the will to fight. When The Pillars invaded Dazzberos, Star Swirl captured them and turned them into monsters.”

The shadows swirled, and suddenly the three figures seemed to scream silently as their forms expanded and twisted, until the women had turned into huge, long-tailed sea-horses, with large jaws filled with sharp teeth and equine forelegs.

“He chained them to the port of Dazzberos and fed them the most dangerous of his enemies till the fight against Grogar ended. I always thought that they starved to death after that, but apparently they survived, and are now free.” Finishing the tale, the shadows dispersed.

“They’ll use their song to trick your mind, dull your senses if not control you completely. Then they’ll feast on your flesh. They’re big enough to sink a small boat by themselves, and even if they are animalistic, they’re still smarter than a common creature. A direct confrontation will most likely end with your death. You need to take any advantage that presents itself, and, obviously, stay out of the water.”

“I’ll come up with a plan,” I say before grabbing my left hand, stopping its shaking. “If their song is their main weapon, I could use wax to cancel my hearing.”

Sombra scratches the underside of his chin. “I would advise against nullifying one of your senses in battle, but it may be your only option. You would still face three powerful creatures.”

“If they’re confident in their song, maybe I can pretend to be under its influence? Take at least one out with a surprise attack?”

“That would be a good start, but keep in mind that these three are sisters in all but blood. If one falls, the other two will surely become enraged and hunt you for more than merely food. It’ll be personal.”

I slowly nod. “Could there be a more diplomatic way of dealing with them?”

"I figure if you could break their curse they would be grateful, but I don't know what method Star Swirl used to make their transformation possible. He was still a mortal when he did it."

"I guess asking him to remove the curse is out of the question," I say, remembering his actions with the changelings.

I'm sure Wally would give me that option if she could.

"Standing between Star Swirl's justice and his enemies may be more dangerous than the Sirens," Sombra warns me. "Pick your battles carefully."

"I will."

Hopefully.

After two more days of travel, I finally see the wooden walls of Nemarea in the distance. As I approach, I see half a dozen archers standing at the ready in the two watchtowers that frame the entrance of the port-city. They seem very strict, which is weird considering Cadence is the most favored here. The 'diplomat', as Chrysalis called her.

Once I'm in front of the gates, one of the city's guards approaches me. "What's your business in Nemarea?"

I'm about to make up something when I remember that hey, I have evidence this time!

"I'm on a mission from the gods!" I announce, almost grinning as I pull out the letter The Messenger gave me. The guard seems confused by my claim, and, before I can clarify, turns around and goes back behind the walls.

After a few minutes of waiting, he comes back, followed by what I assume is the captain of the guard, judging by the blue violet cape added to the bronze armor all the guards were wearing. "Letter," he states simply, extending his hand to me with impatience. Even with the helmet covering most of his face, I can feel his fierce eyes staring at me from within.

I comply, and he takes a few seconds to go over the words before looking at me more closely, almost as if he recognized me. "I'll take you to the harbor. Kevin!" he shouts, and another guard comes running from behind the walls.

This one doesn’t look like a combat-oriented guard. He only has a chestplate and a short sword on him, otherwise looking like any other civilian.

"Go to the market and get some rations for Shimmer, she's going to be at sea for a while," the captain orders, and 'Kevin' simply goes to do what he was told. "Follow me."

I nod and follow the captain through the city, getting a good look at what Cadence's influence can do to a community.

Apparently, it involves a whole lot of flowers.

Each brick house has a small garden surrounding it with different colorful flowers, and the paved roads have a planter box down the middle, filled with red and pink roses. It all makes the place look much more colorful and vibrant. Plus, the smell of salt and fish gets covered by the floral scents.

I'm sure Wally would like it here. She would know about it, right?

As we make our way to the port, I see a large wooden longhouse with Cadence’s emblem over the entrance, right next to the city’s market, where I spot Kevin running between the vendors, piling things into a small cart behind him. When we approach the entrance of the market, I notice a statue of the goddess herself, her right hand extended forwards and her face immortalized in an expression of care and solace.

I always thought of her as the most vain of the goddesses. Just a pretty face made to smile and wave without much purpose other than to remind you that love exists, and worse, that she somehow controls it, so you’re never really sure if you love someone or it’s just a god making you feel something. But she tried to help the changelings. She almost succeeded. She still helps them.

Would she have helped my village if she had seen it?

“One second please,” I say as I stop my horse and move over to the statue. The captain l simply nods before crossing his arms. I climb down and press my cheek against the stone hand, saying a little prayer to Cadence.

“Lady of Sunshine, if you see my heart as clear as crystal, fill it with light, and may your love give me strength.” I clap my hands as I finish and return to my horse, the captain giving me another nod before continuing.

We eventually arrive at the port, an extensive marble structure with carved rectangular columns depicting the port’s history. And it seems to be a long history. You can see the evolving ship designs, the expanding trade routes, even columns dedicated to the birth and obituaries of the townsfolk.

This all makes it very confusing for me when the captain takes me away from the main entrance to the port, and instead to a side of it that seems to be under either construction, remodeling, or expansion. There, we find a few small boats tied to the makeshift pier and some workers currently on shift, one of them spotting us and calling out to another who appears to be the foreman.

“Yo, Thomas! Yer Brother’s here!”

‘Thomas’ is a very tall-but-thin-as-a-branch guy, and, just by seeing his features, I can tell he’s a soft soul. A clear contrast to his brother.

The foreman runs up to us immediately, panting a bit at the sudden exercise. “Is that her?”

Wait… “What?”

“She is. So keep it together,” the captain grumbles.

Thomas winces a bit. “Sorry, Pharynx.”

The captain’s armored hand crashes into his helmet. “It’s Phalanx!”

Pharynx… wait a minute! “You’re changelings?” I whisper as low as I can, leaning forward on my horse.

“...Yes. We all live here,” Pharynx reluctantly responds.

“Mom told us about you,” Thomas adds with a smile.

So that’s why she was just outside the city. “So, you want to help me?” I ask, looking at the captain.

“Help you more than what a letter would,” Pharynx says, with a more relaxed, but still terse, voice. “You won’t get support on a mission from ‘The Goddess of Empathy’.“

“Really? Why?”

“She doesn't exist,” he answers simply.

I frown instantly. “She does exist. She’s-”

“I know she exists, but she's not a normally recognized goddess. People will think that you’re lying to them. Some may even try to hang you for it.”

“Oh...” I guess claiming partnership with a god is out of the question from now on.

“Anyway. Thorax here can give you a boat.”

“You should call me Thomas.”

“I know what I said!” Pharynx shouted, making his brother shrink in place. “Now go find something that can get her to the open sea.” Thorax nods and, just like Kevin, quickly runs to do what he’s told.

Pharynx then turns to me. “Do you have any sailing experience?”

“Uh… no, but that would be the crew’s job, right?”

“Sorry, but I’m not sending anyone, much less my own family, to do something this dangerous,” he says with his arms crossed, making it clear it wasn’t up to debate.

“Okay, well, can you give me a run of the basics?”

“Thorax can help you with that, I need to go back to my post. If you need me, tell Kevin to go find me.” He points behind me, and I see the poor guy carrying a heavy cart full of supplies. “This is all I can give you. I hope you can succeed in your mission, allies are very rare for us.”

I turn to him and give my most confident smile.“I thank you. I promise I’ll succeed.”

Allies… not stepping stones.

Okay, sailing is a lot more complicated than I first thought. I spent the entire day going over the basics with Thorax, he even gave me a test run in one of the… what was it called? Karve, I think. He said I did pretty good when I wasn’t puking or falling off the boat. At least one of those problems can be solved with a bit of rope.

Needless to say, the plan of leaving immediately has to be postponed; luckily, all the food Kevin bought can last for a long time, and Thorax promised to take care of the horse, so now I’m walking with a wounded pride towards the massive inn connected to the port.

The entrance to the place is flanked by rose bushes, and, at the top, a carved wooden sign names it as 'The Merry Cherry'. I enter the establishment and find it fully packed, though not so much that it's impossible to move between the tables. Most people here are sailors, obviously, but I can tell there's a lot of people from different corners of the continent.

I make my way to the bar as discreetly as possible and call the attention of the innkeeper. Cloudy, crimson hair, pale skin with a dot under her left eye, nice but still slightly worn clothes. She's clearly a woman a bit past her prime, but she seems to keep herself as elegant and young as possible, though a quick look at her callous hands and toned muscles makes it clear she isn't against getting her hands dirty. I also notice that she's wearing a heavy leather belt with Rockhoof's insignia carved into a bronze plate in the center of it. An ex-adventurer, most likely.

Needless to say, I like this woman. And the paintings and trophies lining the walls of the bar tells me that she's well-travelled, maybe even more than Trixie. She could be useful… of help, for me.

I walk up to the bar, and the woman immediately greets me with a smile. “Welcome to The Merry Cherry, what can I help you with?”

“I’m looking for a room for the night.” I say, counting my coins. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too expensive. “And wanted to ask if there have been some words of a trio of monsters in the open sea.”

The woman looks at me up and down, studying my clothes and body. “You don’t seem exactly the sailor type, Miss...”

“Star...” I stop, and take a deep breath. I need to stop lying. “I’m Sunset Shimmer. Have you heard of me?”

The woman thinks for a few seconds. “Don’t think I have, but I think I’ve heard some rumors of what you’re looking for. One of Blueblood’s ships was found adrift not long ago. The ones who found it say that there weren’t any signs of struggle or combat, but that there were some bite marks along the deck. Big ones.”

Yeah, charming them to the deck and then feasting on them. “There wasn’t any blood?”

“Apparently not, nor any bodies. It’s a bit unsettling.”

“They probably swallowed them whole,” I reason out loud, and the woman looks even more uncomfortable than before.

“Are you here for the reward?”

“Reward?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Blueblood’s offering a lot of coins for whoever brings him the heads of whatever ate his employees.”

“I… something like that. If you can tell me where they were sighted, it would be very helpful for me.” The woman taps her fingers against the wood, trying to decide if she should tell me or try to convince me to stay away from the sea. “I have to face them anyway, but I’ll need all the help I can get.”

After a few more seconds, the woman sighs. “Northwest of here, between the coast and Marerhytia. It’s still a big area, but–”

“It’s a start.”

“Yes.” The woman studies me one more time. “You can have a room for free. Least I can do if you’re going to get rid of those things.”

“I… I appreciate that. Thank you,” I say, a bit surprised by the generosity. The changelings were one thing, but this woman barely knows me. And knowing me would only sour her opinion of me. “Sorry, I never asked your name.”

“Oh, I’m Cherry Jubilee, pleasure to meet you.”

"The pleasure is certainly mine."

“Obelus!” Cherry shouts, and a young waitress turns around to look at us. “Prepare room 5 for Miss Shimmer.” The girl nods and quickly leaves for the upper floor. “You want something to eat?”

The growling of my stomach answers the question for me.

After some pretty decent food ─Sorry Cherry, but Granny’s cooking can't be topped─ Obelus shows me to my room, which, upon seeing it, makes me very glad that it was given to me for charity, because there’s no way I could pay for something like this.

The room is very spacious, with a big mahogany double bed with ─after a quick check─ actual silk bed sheets and wolf pelts. It also has a large bear rug, a very elegant wardrobe that takes the entire wall, some eternal-torch candelabra that keeps everything in a very pleasant warm light, and a big double window that gives a nice view of the town, from where I could really appreciate all the color the countless flowers gives to the town.

“E-excuse me...” A soft voice says, and when I turn around, I find the waitress –Obelus, I believe– standing at my door, hugging a metal tray while looking nervously at the floor. “Can I… uhhh… can I come in?”

“Uh, sure. Is something the matter?”

“N-no. I just… wanted to talk.”

“Oh, you don’t need to be so scared about it. I’m not scary... Am I?”

“Well, it's just that...” Obelus looks back at the door, checking that it was indeed closed. “Pharynx says that I shouldn’t be talking longer than necessary with anyone, because it could blow my cover, but since you already know mom and the rest, it should be okay, so I wanted to know how are things outside of this city. I mean, you clearly travel a lot, so maybe-”

“Okay okay, I get it!” I shout to stop the barrage of words. I didn’t expect to run into the full family so quickly.

What’s left of it...

“Look, I’m not that well traveled myself, but if you want to talk about something in particular I can spare a few minutes.” It’s not like I have much to do till tomorrow.

Obelus lights up with excitement and basically runs to sit on the bed next to me. “So, where are you from? How’s the culture there? Have you seen any creatures in your travels? What are these things you’re hunting?”

I get a sudden flashback to when I first met Twilight, before I… yeah.

I clap my hands, organizing the multiple questions she threw at me. “Well, I’m originally from a place called Mycemare, which is the center of Celestia's worship.” I hear a small growl, and when I turn to Obelus, I see her frowning with sharp teeth bared. “Yeah. Fuck her,” I say flipping off the setting sun on the horizon, and I laugh when Obelus does the same.

“I hope you get to replace her.” Obelus says, the seriousness and… sadness in her tone wipes the smile out of my face. “Maybe then we’ll be able to leave this place.” She looks down at her reflection on the metal tray, and I see a hint of her true eyes, an artic blue instead of greyish cyan. “Maybe mom will see her again.”

“You mean Luna?”

Obelus nods. “She barely talks about her with us, but it’s clear she misses her. She’s always reading that book non-stop.”

“What’s in that book?” I can't help but ask.

“Poems that she wrote for her. Luna loved them.”

“I...” Don’t know what to say. What do you even say in a case like this? “I hope they can see each other again someday.” Obelus says nothing, my words doing nothing to bring her any calm.

We stay silent for a few very long seconds, till she asks me a new question.

“What do you know about Luna?”

I drum my fingers on my thigh. “Well… I know some things.” Mostly negative ones. “Most of them are legends.”

“Would you please tell me about them?” Obelus asks me, with big bright eyes and an excited smile that steals a chuckle out of me.

“Okay, let me think.” I scratch my chin, trying to remember some good story of her─which is hard when you’ve spent most of your life focusing on the bad things in those legends. “I know, have you heard of Stallionfades?”

“I think it was on mom’s invasion plans, but she cancelled that whole operation for some reason.”

I look at the woman with a raised eyebrow. “How old are you?”

“Two Hundred-ish.” We stare at each other for a few seconds. “It would be like nineteen for your species.”

“Cool.” I clear my throat and think back to how Trixie, Tree, and Sombra told stories.

“Stallionfades was once the home of the Harpies, old creatures once created by Star Swirl to tie the winds to his control. They were originally just four, one of each cardinal, but, with time, their numbers expanded till they became one of the world’s most ancient civilizations.”

Obelus chuckles, interrupting my tale. “Sorry, it’s just that there are a lot of older races, us included.”

“Maybe someday you’ll be able to update our records.” I say, and judging by the sudden glint in the woman’s eye, she likes the idea. “As I was saying, this new not-as-ancient civilization wasn’t fond of living at the beck and call of Star Swirl, so they eventually abandoned him and settled themselves at the top of Mount Aris, creating the kingdom of Stallionfades, from which all the winds of the world originated.”

“Wait, what has Luna to do with any of this?” Obelus interrupts me once again.

“I’m getting to that,” I grumble.Trixie was right, it is rude. “Since they fulfilled their role, Star Swirl didn't deem it necessary to punish them for disobeying, so he let them be and allowed them to expand their civilization and culture. However, he also did nothing when they were attacked.” I pause for a moment, knowing things will get ugly now. “An old king wanted to conquer the Harpies and take over the control of the winds and weather, even calling himself The Storm King, to prove how his victory was assured. And sadly, it was. His army crushed the Harpies, who never had a real enemy to fight before. Many died, many more were captured, including their Queen, and only a few managed to escape. They would later found a new city in another mountain, far from here.”

“Harpystone?”

I nod before continuing with the story. “The Storm King had won, but he couldn’t fully control the winds like the Harpies could, causing hurricanes and thunderstorms, making sea travel almost impossible. Despite being the responsibility of Star Swirl, Luna was the one that dealt with the issue, since the wind was a crucial element for her domain. She threw her trident at the top of Mount Aris, collapsing the mountain, freeing the winds, and making the entire island it sat upon sink to the bottom of the ocean, where the Storm King and all his subjects drowned.”

“But… weren’t the Harpy’s also there? Did she kill them too?”

That’s how I wanted to see it. An uncaring god, killing indiscriminately because someone inconvenienced them. That was the perfect story for my intentions.

But...

“There’s a belief that Luna didn’t just sink the entire island to drown The Storm King. She did it to prevent any further invasion to the Harpy’s kingdom.”

“How?”

“Luna rules the oceans, so she sent them to the bottom of them so they would be safe deep in her domain. She changed them from creatures of the skies to denizens of the sea. A new race of Sirens.”

“Like the ones you’re hunting now?”

“No no no, these were different. Much less monstrous and without the hunger for human flesh. It’s even said they’re some of the most beautiful beings that you can find. Obviously, no one has ever reached so deep, so it’s mostly speculation, but knowing how Luna is now, I like to think it’s the truth.”

“I’m gonna go ask mom!” Obelus announces, standing up like a spring. “She surely knows the truth!” She then quickly darted out of the room, leaving me alone with a smile on my face.

“Nineteen. Sure.” I say with a chuckle before stretching and lifting the covers of the bed, ready for a nice long sleep.

After a few more days of training and nights telling stories to Obelus, who later would tell me that her name is actually Ocellus, I finally feel ready to set sail into the ocean.

“Remember, don’t sail into the wind, it’ll push you backwards or just snap your mast in half. If you must sail against the wind, use the oars,” Thorax reminds me as I prepare to set sail.

“But, it’s just me here, I can't row this boat by myself!”

“Then pray to Luna for the wind to change.” Ocellus suggests.

“What are the words?”

“Oh grand lady of the sea, this humble follower that you see, wishes for safe travels across your lands, guided by your starlight hands, so we may see your night again.”

I repeat them in my head, making sure I memorize them correctly before hoisting the sails and start gaining speed to leave the harbor.

I look back and see the entire changeling family waving at me, even a black and green crow perched on Ocellus’ shoulder. I wave to them, then set my eyes on the intimidatingly endless expanse of ocean water. “Alright, time to find the Sirens.”

Author's Note

Next Chapter:

Third Labor: The Sirens (Showdown)

The Sirens human form.