Sunset Shimmer nervously tiptoed down the hallway, the minutes ticking by. The silence and emptiness of the place should have made it feel gloomy, but she was too lost in thought to notice.
However, the temperature dropped, and a figure materialized in front of her. She took a deep breath, steeling herself.
“Surprised to see me here?” she chuckled, unsheathing her sword.
The figure remained silent.
“Looking for a way to pass by?”
The figure took a step forward.
“I know the rules,” she grinned.
Another step.
Sunset swung her sword at the figure, yelling out, "Come and fight me, Death!"
The Reaper paused.
There was no turning back now.
The scythe flashed, nearly dislodging the sword from her grip. Sunset launched a counterattack from below, but the Reaper evaded it swiftly.
“Well done,” Sunset acknowledged, her sword still pointed towards the Reaper.
The Reaper sidestepped cautiously. Sunset kept her gaze fixed on him, wary not to let her guard down.
Another strike came, but Sunset parried it with skill. However, the scythe quickly swooped down again from a different angle, catching her off guard.
Sunset stumbled and fell to the ground. As she turned to face her opponent, she saw the scythe lunge towards her. She swiftly blocked the strike with her sword, but was knocked back.
She kicked at the Reaper's legs, creating some distance and allowing her to roll away and stand up.
“Is that all you've got?” Sunset taunted, taking back her fighting stance.
Her smirk faded as a shudder coursed through her body. Her breath became shallow, and her heart pounded in her chest. The hilt of her sword began to quiver in her grip.
“That's not fair!” she exclaimed, narrowly dodging another strike from the Reaper's scythe.
“Can’t fight me at my best?” Sunset goaded. “Need to make me tremble?”
A calmness swept over her body, and Sunset exhaled in relief.
“Now it’s my turn!”
She lunged with her sword at an opening, but the Reaper leapt aside and pushed her away with the haft of his scythe.
Sunset sprang aside and struck again, but he parried. The two clashed repeatedly, the sound of metal ringing in the air.
As the Reaper struck again, Sunset withdrew her attack, spinning her sword and thrusting the pommel toward him.
It didn't do much damage, as her opponent only took a few steps back, but it provided her with the momentary respite to retreat and resume her stance.
“Almost got you,” Sunset grinned, panting slightly.
They stood at a distance, waiting for someone to make the first move. The Reaper moved slowly, taking deliberate steps as they circled each other. His posture appeared relaxed, but Sunset sensed that he was prolonging the fight, knowing he had endless stamina while she did not. She needed to end this quickly.
She closed in, searching for an opening to strike. The Reaper remained unfazed, and Sunset thrust her sword towards him. His arm swiftly blocked the attack. Sunset quickly adjusted her stance and slashed her sword again in his direction, making contact.
She circled her sword and aimed another strike from a different angle, but the handle of the scythe deflected her attack. The Reaper stepped backward, regaining his balance, but Sunset seized the opportunity and kicked him to the ground.
She followed by thrusting her sword into him, but the Reaper rolled to the side, successfully evading the attack. Sunset continued her attack and slashed at him, but he blocked the strike with his weapon and kicked her away.
Sunset quickly stood up and saw the Reaper lunging at her with his scythe. She readied her sword to block, and as metal clashed against metal, she felt the force of the Reaper's push.
“I won’t lose,” she panted determinedly.
Unexpectedly, the Reaper withdrew his attack, causing Sunset to stumble forward. However, her relief was short-lived as she felt the sharp edge of the scythe thrusting into her back, causing her to scream out in pain.
She fell to the ground, gasping for air, feeling warmth spreading from her back as blood flowed out. Coughing, she tasted the metallic tang of it on her tongue.
The Reaper loomed over her, watching as Sunset's life ebbed away.
“I guess you won,” Sunset muttered.
Coughing again, blood trickled through her fingers.
"I fought for her," Sunset gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. “She deserves a second chance, too.”
Sunset felt her body becoming weaker with each passing moment, but her resolve remained strong. The Reaper remained silent, his eyes fixed on Sunset as she struggled to speak.
"I have everything," she continued, her voice trembling. "A loving family, friends that I can trust. I got my second chance. But she didn't. She has nothing. She's alone in this for her stranger's world."
Sunset closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "But now, she can have that chance. She can have the life that I fought for. Please, give it to her."
With those words, Sunset's body went limp. The Reaper stood still for a moment longer, before turning away and disappearing into the shadows.
When Sunset opened her eyes, she was startled to see a face staring back at her with emerald green eyes. A yellow and red strand of hair was laying over them. Was she looking at a mirror?
“Who are you?” she was asked.
Was that her voice?
She closed her eyes and opened them again.
Same eyes.
“What are you doing here?” the girl persisted.
Sunset looked around. She was lying on a bed, next to her a beeping device monitoring her heart rate.
But the most confusing thing was seeing herself sitting on the side of her bed, wearing a patient's outfit.
As she recalled the memories of her fight with Death, she couldn't help but smile. She didn’t expect for the Reaper to be so kind.
“Hello, Sunset,” she greeted her own doppelganger.
The girl gave her a suspicious look and stood up.
“What do you want here?” the girl asked.
“To tell you that you already have what you want the most,” Sunset replied.
“Of course.” The girl rolled her eyes, but suddenly coughed. Sunset immediately pushed herself up to sit, wincing at the stinging pain on her back.
“What else do you want to tell me?” the girl asked, her tone defensive. “How I should befriend anyone?”
Sunset hesitated for a moment, taking in the girl's hostility. But then she gathered her courage and spoke again.
“Yes,” she said, reaching out to touch the girl's hand. The girl jerked her hand away, causing Sunset to flinch.
“Sunset,” she said, her voice soft and pleading. “Please, listen to me.”
The girl's face twisted in anger. “I don’t need friends! I need power!” she spat, stomping away.
“You’ll be much happier if you—” Sunset called after her, but the door was slammed shut before she could finish her sentence. Behind the door, she could hear the girl’s loud coughs.
She laid back and sighed. There was some hope that her doppelganger would listen to her, but she knew that it would take much more to break the illusion.
Suddenly, the temperature dropped.
Looking to the side, she saw the Reaper standing before her. Chills crawled over her skin.
“You still want to save her?” he asked.
Sunset's heart raced as she struggled to find the right words. She could feel the weight of the Reaper's gaze upon her, his ominous presence making it hard for her to think straight.
“I—” she stuttered, her voice trembling with fear and desperation. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gather her courage. The memory of her family’s and friend's smiling face flashed before her, and she knew that her doppelganger deserved to get them too.
“She needs that second chance,” she finally managed to say, her voice shaking with emotion.
The beeping of the heart monitor slowed until it was just a single, steady tone, as her last breath escaped her lips.
