Chapters Nearly a dozen people, within just as many days. Some simply wandered off without telling anyone, others went in search, only for them to go missing themselves. It wasn't something Sunset could in good conscience ignore. She had only been passing through town, but who knew when their call for aid would reach anyone else, or how many would go missing before then?
Clues were few, but the testimony of one witness had kept playing back in Sunset's mind on her way into the woods, following the dirt paths and broken branches. One of the first who had gone had been adamant to go, to see his wife. A wife who, according to others in town, had been buried years ago.
Now, Sunset looked down at the man with pity. His stare was blank, like he saw through her, one hand weakly lifted like he was hoping to seize something just above him, the axe he had wildly swung at her still limply in the grasp of the other, which he could no longer move. The panicked frenzy with which he had moved before had faded entirely.
"Tart, I'm sorry... I tried..." he whispered, with fading desperation. Sunset could see him grow cold as the blood pooled underneath him.
"This wasn't your fault," she said firmly, turning her sword in her hand, pointing the blade downwards. "Sun preserve your soul," she added with a mutter, before the sharp point drove through his chest. A quicker end than his wounds would have granted him. Or the frenzy, for that matter.
She looked up, not lingering on him any longer. It could barely be called a clearing, but the branches above were light enough to allow daylight to be shed onto the trampled mud and broken branches. More had been through here, wading, running, and dragging. And all the prints formed a trail, leading further inward, into the darker parts of the forest.
Sunset took a moment, looking up past the branches, hoping for a glimpse of the sun. As always, when she steeled herself for what she might find in nests and lairs, she called to mind her mentor's words and encouragements. She wiped her sword clean, ensured that the straps of her breastplate and pauldrons hadn't loosened, and pressed on.
It didn't take long until she found what she was looking for. It was plainly on the path, mere minutes from the treeline bordering the town, far closer than she had expected any more obvious danger. Goblins, gnolls, timber wolves, those hid themselves deep in woods and caves until it was time to rush out and strike. Not within the distance of a brisk walk, hoping somebody will stumble onto them.
That realisation was nearly as unsettling than what she actually found: The trees had taken back the walls of what remained of a tower, branch and root grasping onto and into stone, only a single story and a half remaining of what Sunset recognised as a Lunar Age watchtower, the wooden doors long rotted and fallen apart, leaving in their place a gaping stone arch, partially cracked and crumbling, granting free view of the interior. Woven from vines and membranes, in a green so deep and dark it shifted into black in the wrong light, strange cocoons stuck to the walls, connected by the same vines that spread across the stone and rotted wood like the web of a massive spider.
Sunset had researched and fought monsters spanning the entire country, from shore caverns to dingy basement dungeons, but never had she seen growths like these. But even at just a glance, a single word came to mind: Infestation.
The smallest part of her trembled and tugged at her to turn and run and never come back. Arguably, it was the more rational part of her, but she never even considered listening to it. She adjusted the grip on her weapon and whispered a short mantra while running her fingertips over the blade, growing its metallic sheen into a warm light, holding it raised to light her way as she stepped forward through the arch.
The light glistened on the membranes and every movement shifted the shadows of the vines across the walls, as if they were slowly curling and writhing. Sunset listened, taking every step slowly and keeping her eyes on the walls and openings, with an occasional glance upwards, where the canopy of overgrown trees created a natural roof to the broken tower.
When she got closer to one of the cocoons, she held her gaze on the open room for a long moment, before finally daring to shift her attention to the strange pod, holding her sword away so the reflective glare did not impede her vision. It was translucent, not fully opaque, but requiring her to lean close enough that her hair gently touched the surface. She nearly started back once she could actually make out what was inside.
A woman laid in the pod, pressed onto the wall, her body grasped and cradled by small vines. Her eyes were open wide but glassy, her lips parted but her mouth not ajar, betraying some remaining simile of life, despite her veins standing out against her pale skin like black scars.
Sunset glanced back into the room, quickly counting how many of the cocoons she could make out. The number got close to matching that of the missing townfolk, including the one she had met with on the way. He was already beyond help and yet these others were in for something much worse, no doubt. She rose the blade, setting the point against the sturdy membrane, hoping to aim somewhere close to the woman's heart.
"Sunset!"
Startled, Sunset turned and set her feet against the ground in a firm stance, pulling the blade back in front of her, its light cast onto the figure standing bright-eyed under the stone arch. Bright curls spilled forth from underneath the ill-matching cap, onto the doublet of faded blues and yellows, a cacophony of small instruments dangling form the girl's belt.
"Pinkie?" Sunset lowered her sword, the shock first eased by relief, then turning into renewed anxiety. She quickly strode forward, casting a searching glance through the crumbling room again. If the monster was waiting for a time to attack, this was it. "What are you doing here? Why would you leave the city, you know I was on my way!"
"But you took too long and I started getting bored and I thought you're definitely on some exciting adventure and I just had to see it!" Pinkie's voice carried and Sunset was surprised it didn't echo from the stone and into the woods. She quickly put a hand on her shoulder, her blade held off to the side.
"If you know I'm busy, then you know it's dangerous," she urged, looking at her pleadingly. "You need to get back to town, now, before something worse finds us!"
Pinkie's smile widened and she crossed her hands behind her back in an exaggerated display of bashfulness. "Aww, are you worried about me?"
There was a strange twist in her voice that felt off, a gleam in her eyes that didn't feel wrong per se, but out of place . Something that pushed itself warningly to the forefront of Sunset's mind. "Of course I'm worried. Now please hurry back to town."
"Ooh, I have a better idea!" Pinkie reached her hands up to embrace her, pushing forward into a big hug. "Why don't you stay-"
Sunset shoved her back and pushed herself away at the same time, nearly tripping over one of the vines covering the floor as she fell back into a careful stance, her arm outstretched with the bright metal pointing at her friend's chest. "You're not her," she said firmly, her voice as cold as the sudden, firm realisation.
"Whaaat?" Pinkie looked shocked at first, then sighed with an exaggerated shrug. "But I was doing so well, wasn't I!?"
"Pinkie may play the fool, but she knows danger. Besides, I should have heard at least one of her instruments if she was really wandering through the woods. Now where is she?"
Pinkie's expression twisted into a grin that wasn't impossible, but so entirely unlike her that it may as well have stretched her jaw out of place. Her voice dropped into a lower register in a similar display of failed mimicry. "Oh, who knows? Maybe she's back in the city, safe and sound. Or maybe she's right here." She gestured dramatically into the nest.
"Don't play with me," Sunset bit back, considering her words for a terrifying moment, but pushing them away. "This is what you do. You lure them in with the face of a friend."
"Aww and this one wasn't convincing enough? Poor Pinkie." Her voice distorted over the sickening crunching and crackling of the convulsions of her body. Pinkie's visage was gone, shifting and stretching and rearranging itself until she looked like someone different. The curls straightened out and darkened, the doublet softened and stretched into a long robe and a frame of bent silver spectacles twisted itself over the shorter nose.
"You like this one more, don't you?" Twilight asked with an innocence that didn't nearly feel as fake as Sunset knew it to be. "I can taste it, you know. The way your heart twists when you think of her."
Sunset's hand trembled. She saw it, she saw it change. She knew the charade, she had seen behind the curtain, yet when she looked past her blade, it was her friend she saw, her inquisitive smile, her delicate fingers sliding a strand of dark hair behind her ear in the same way. "Stop it."
"But don't you like me?" Twilight put a hand on the blade and pushed it aside. With a flicker, the light died, leaving both of them in the dark, illuminated only by weakening, distant daylight and the green glow of the membranes around them. "Don't you want to sit together again? And fall asleep while I read you stories?"
What if she was here? What if everything else was the trick? What if she struck out at her closest friend, confident she was slaying a monster, only to end up with Twilight's blood on her hands? The thought made her veins run cold. Even just the idea of such a loss drove her to take a step closer, the sudden burning desire in her chest to wrap her arms around Twilight's shoulders and hold her close, bathe in her warmth and doze off together in the sunlight, like they had done so many times in the castle's courtyard.
But it's not her!
Sunset bit down hard, blood from her lip tasting hot and bitter on her tongue. She forced the doubts back, despite their unrelenting protest, and pulled her sword arm back, only to force the edge into Twilight's side with a quick swing. Twilight's expression twisted to shock, then pain, then taunting delight.
"Oh, you're a treat." Sharp pain shot through Sunset's side and her upper arm. She yelped out and instinctively went to pull back, but whatever pierced her was still lodged inside. "You love her so much ! And yet... and yet!" Twilight's skin turned a deep, glistening black, her lower jaw split in two, both halves unhinging like a monstrous snake ready to devour her. Her eyes became sickening green pools, widening in ecstatic thrill. "Oh, I want all of it! Your love for her ! Your love for them !"
Sunset's mind twisted with the pain, but she could still make out the forceful grip on her legs, curling ever upwards. She tried to pull her weapon free from the wound, but was met with fierce resistance and tense creaking and scraping, finally culminating in a loud metallic snap.
Her lips parted but only a pained groan escaped her, none of the intricate words needed for a sophisticated spell. Instead, she raised her free hand between her and the creature, forcing her eyes shut before releasing as much of her magic as she could through her palm. The creature wailed at the sudden bright flash and whatever it had forced into her body retreated.
With a quick thrust, Sunset stabbed downwards, metal scraping over stone, but catching the vines that had begun to encircle her. With another tug of her legs, they snapped and she stumbled blindly away, her shoulder hitting the stone arch. She tried to blink the darkness out of her eyes and lifted her weapon again, turning to face the thing.
Its fingers were long and pointed, dripping with Sunset's blood. It was tall and wiry, its skin glistening like the carapace of a beetle, dark, jagged horns protruding from Twilight's hair. Her previous strike had been a good one, splitting the creature's side open, spilling green blood. And yet, the only remaining evidence of that success was the other half of her blade, still stuck in the abdomen where the smooth exoskeleton had already covered the wound.
In that moment, Sunset let the smallest part win. Whilst the thing still covered its eyes under agitated snarls, she stumbled and pushed herself away, through the arch, feeling her hot blood running down her side, every twist of the muscles of her sword arm sending new shocks of pain through her chest.
"Sunset!" Twilight was screaming, crying, pure desperation and terror in every word. "Sunset, don't leave me! Please, help me!"
Retreat felt like failure. No matter how many times the Princess had emphasised the importance of knowing when to escape, leaving her work unfinished, nearly a dozen people in agony, and over a hundred more in looming danger tore at Sunset's heart. But none of it tore it asunder like the vivid memory of Twilight's pained expression as she lodged her own sword deep into her abdomen.
Even now, the doubt clawed at her. What if that had been the only truth in that encounter? What if that voice had truly been hers, begging her for help? She told herself it wasn't, that it couldn't be, that no rational view would support that fear. And yet none of it swayed her heart.
Regardless, both her weapon and body were broken, she was lacking in resolve, strength, and knowledge. But she couldn't move on, travel all the way back to Canterlot, to seek aid from her mentor or her friends. She needed allies quickly, tonight, and she could only think of one place.
Compared to where she had come from, the clearing in which she arrived was peaceful and welcoming. Moonlight lit up the petals and leaves of countless herbs and vegetables in the overgrown garden, a parade of unsorted colours, which carried on along the sides of the hut, some of the bending stones painted with symbols and patterns, while the mended part of one wall was a mosaic of many-coloured pebbles, and shawls and dresses drifted gently in the breeze as they hung from the upstairs windows.
Sunset almost felt deafened when she stepped closer. Without the rustling of leaves and bushes around her boots there was only the thumping in her ears and the dull pounding of her wounds. Even the gate did not creak when she unlatched it and pushed forward through the garden. And yet her arrival must have been noticed, because the front door swung open before she had even made it to the steps.
The woman in the doorway looked young, but deceptively so, as Sunset reminded herself. Her dark braids rested on both shoulders, on her vibrant yet aggressive clothes, as she affixed Sunset with a glare. "Well, if it isn't the heroic knight, dragging herself back."
Sunset stood straight, though she knew she didn't make an imposing figure right now either way, with blood pooling in her glove and the broken blade tucked in her belt. "Aria. I need your help." Her voice was tired but she was trying to will it to be firm, while not sounding like a demand.
"Of course. You only ever come when you need something." She stepped out of the doorway and back into the interior of the small home, leaving the door open. It was as good an invitation as Sunset could expect from her, so she sighed and headed up the steps and inside, closing the door behind her.
It was a cozy home, small for three women - four at one point - but undeniably filled with life, between the mismatched dishes on the table, the plants along the windows, coats and shawls scattered around on various chairs and hooks, and a warm fire crackling in the small hearth. Sunset was briefly overcome with the desire to just drop everything and lie down on the old sofa, far too big and gaudy to match any of the other furniture, to let sleep and comfort take her.
But before she could even honestly consider it, as out of the question as it was regardless, she became aware again of Aria's eyes on her, and of the steps coming closer from different parts of the home. The hurried pitter-patter from upstairs arrived first, bringing the shortest of the sisters into the room, her long ponytail following behind her like a standard as she barrelled in, her sharp teeth and wide eyes somehow adding up to an endearing grin. "She's here! I told you she would be! I was right!"
The more measured steps stopped, in the door left of her, just out of Sunset's view as she had turned to face Sonata. Adagio must have been in the kitchen, or more likely below, where the three of them practised their real trade. Simultaneously, she wanted to see her and embrace her, and never lay eyes on her again. But that choice was already made when she had started to drag herself here.
"So I see," the soft, warm voice said. "Come to make another bargain, o sunlit champion?"
Sunset felt her chest tighten as she finally turned. Adagio leaned in the doorframe, in a long dress and a wide shawl over her shoulders, her arms crossed over her chest and her voluminous hair barely tamed by tight ribbons. At once she was reminded of a hundred regrets, and just as many apologies she still owed but couldn't form.
"I... need your help," she said instead, weakly repeating the same words, while Sonata slipped the broken hilt from her belt and lifted her hand to sniff at it.
"What kind of help?" Adagio asked more pointedly, pushing herself off the frame and walking closer. A slim smile played on her lips, as if there was barely more than a little fight in their past. "There was a time I would have killed for you, but..."
"I just need information. And... a new weapon." Her tone dropped, exhaustion starting to drag on her shoulders. She didn't resist while Sonata unbuckled and pulled off her glove, holding it up by one finger so the blood pooled into her open palm.
"So that's two bargains," Aria pointed out sharply, prompting Adagio to quietly shush her.
"Come downstairs and tell us about it. Then we'll discuss payment." With a slight touch to Sunset's shoulder, she turned again and headed back towards the door. Sunset avoided the glare she could feel Aria levelling at the back of her head and followed.
She briefly became conscious of the mud she was now dragging through the sisters' kitchen, before she followed Adagio down the stone steps, leaving the moonlit living space and entering the dug-out cavern beneath the house, candles standing in small alcoves next to books, preserving jars, animal skulls, and other oddities. The centre of the room was dominated by a circle, carved into the flattened floor and featuring several additional circles, stars, and other shapes within.
Sunset stopped near the bottom of the stairs while the sisters walked past her, standing beside one another along the edge of the circle, facing her with Adagio in the middle. "Now then," the oldest began, her voice growing more serious, "you come before our coven in search of aid." Sonata waved her hand and one by one, every candle's flame flickered, shifting from its warm light to a sickly green. "Make your request."
Sunset shakily stepped forward. She knew these formalities nearly as well as the sisters did, having seen them multiple times, even when it wasn't her their unblinking eyes were fixed upon. She flexed her hand, still feeling the smear on her numb fingers, while she thought through her words.
"I encountered a monster, in the Northern parts of these woods," she began, dropping all sense of familiarity as she addressed the coven. "It bore the face of people I know and care for, to lower my guard. It lures people away from their homes with this deception and traps them in strange cocoons. Its skin snapped my blade and its wounds heal rapidly. I beseech you, tell me: What is it? And how can I destroy it?"
After making her case, Sunset raised her bare hand, holding it hovering over the circle. The blood that still wet her hand slowly ran towards her fingertip, flowing easily like water, and fell in a rapid trickle, hitting the edge of the carving. With a sharp hiss, her blood ignited, green flames travelling along the carved shapes until the entire circle was lit.
Sonata and Aria's voices rose together in a rhythmic hum while Adagio's lips parted in slow annunciations, her low voice reverberating among the stone walls. Quiet rattling and the fluttering of pages joined additional harmonies to their song as things among the alcoves seemed to spring to a taunting facsimile of life. The flames in the circle hissed again, shooting upwards in a sudden flash, the green cinders dancing in the air before halting in place, as if time simply stood still, outlining a grotesque sketch of long limbs, sharp talons, and many masks surrounding a horned visage. At once, all sounds seized again, as the sisters' voices ebbed away.
"Changeling," all three said in unison.
"A Queen in the making," Aria added in a flat tone.
"Reader of Hearts," Sonata whispered almost reverently.
"Consumer of Love," Adagio finished with harsh annunciation.
All three looked to Sunset again and Adagio spoke more evenly. "She will trap you in lies and delusions to harvest your love. It makes her strong. It breeds offspring once she has enough."
"You have to burn out her heart," Aria said in a commanding voice, "or sever her neck. But neither will be easy."
"She is ready for both blade and spell. Instead of cutting, you must break her," Sonata explained, grinning excitedly at the last part.
"You have your answers," Adagio said, dismissing the cinders with a casual gesture, "now what can you offer in this bargain?"
Sunset looked down at her hands, one gloved, the other smeared with her own blood, with fingers that had not stopped trembling since she started running. She knew better than to give in to this feeling of weakness, but there truly wasn't much material she could offer. They were not interested in coins, not over something like this, she had left most of her supplies in town, and none of her bloody leather would be sufficient.
Adagio hummed quietly after watching her hesitate for a time. "An act of service, then?" She stepped closer, across the glowing green embers lingering in the circle.
Sunset looked up, meeting her with a firm gaze. "My oath forbids--"
Adagio cut her off with a soft finger on her lips. "...acts of evil and cruelty, I know. I'm sure we'll find something agreeable." Her smile was calm, but there was a wildness in her eyes, a scheme forming in the inhuman depths. "When I come to collect, who knows, you might even enjoy yourself."
Sonata made a loud heaving sound and Aria spoke up with a disapproving groan. "You're letting her off too easy again."
"Okay, fine." Adagio turned to her sisters, leaning back against Sunset's shoulder. She straightened her back and lifted her arm slightly to support her. "One service to each member of this coven. How does that sound, o knight?"
"Costly," Sunset muttered, looking across at Aria, who glared back, before her eyes were drawn to Adagio again. Her hand tingled, hovering just inches from her hip. "But if that's how I'll destroy that changeling tonight, so be it."
"One service, then," Adagio confirmed.
"To each of us," Aria reminded warningly.
"It's sealed in blood, so don't try to wiggle out," Sonata added cheerfully.
"So!" Adagio clapped her hands, all candles suddenly flickering back to their natural, warm flames. "You two prepare the gallant knight's arms. I'll see to her rest."
"Oh, of course," Aria muttered with a roll of her eyes, starting to make her way to the stairs with the younger sister in tow.
"I don't need much rest," Sunset said firmly, "I'll be off as soon as--"
Once again, Adagio put a finger over her lips. "As soon as I've cleaned your wounds and not a minute earlier."
The moon was not supposed to be full, of that Sunset was fairly certain. And yet it was, hanging above the coven's home like the watchful eye of a giant, just peeking over the treeline. The fresh breeze carried with it the various sweet and bitter scents of the many plants in the small garden. Only the rustling of leaves accompanied the soft, slow hum of Adagio's voice.
The pieces of Sunset's armour had been set aside, along with the padded leather vest she wore underneath, giving easier access to the piercing wounds in her side and her upper arm. Sunset sat still on the small bench, flinching occasionally at the cold touch of the cloth Adagio cleaned her wounds with, and the sting of whatever tincture she had soaked it in.
She had put pressure on the wounds, in the simplest way possible, but only now did she really feel and see how deep they were. It bordered on a miracle that the changeling hadn't pierced anything vital in her abdomen. Perhaps it really was one, with the sun still overhead at the time. Her upper arm had been pierced entirely, smaller exit wounds on the other side, though each claw had missed the bone.
"I wonder," Adagio said aloud, suddenly interrupting her melody, "how long it has been since I called you a reckless fool."
"I was last here about two months back. So likely then, I would say."
"That makes it sound like I'm getting predictable." She wrung out the cloth, the mixture of potion and blood pouring into the soil. "But it's true all the same. If I hadn't insisted, you really would have run straight back into that changeling's lair."
"And I'm going to," Sunset added, watching as the witch covered her wounds and began to wrap bandages around them. "As soon as the others have prepared me a weapon."
Adagio clicked her tongue disapprovingly, but continued bandaging her, at first in silence, then picking up the melody again, the hum rising into vocalisation after a moment. Sunset braced for the sting when she pulled the bandages tight, but her wounds only responded with a dull ache. She released her breath and her shoulders sunk.
She knew she wasn't done, she still had something to do, but the tension fell off of her shoulders regardless. The breeze, the moonlight, the scents and sounds around them, it all brought with it a sense of familiarity. She closed her eyes and allowed her muscles to relax, Adagio's voice soothing the pounding in her skull. It had been months since she'd last been here, but nearly a year now since she had left this place, on an evening not unlike this one.
The twinge in her heart was dull compared to the sting of guilt she'd felt then. Dull enough to ignore it for just a moment, to just sit here a little while longer. Without her notice, Adagio's fingers had found their way into her hair, running through the bright strands slowly, working out knots, her thumb occasionally brushing over the back of her neck.
It all fell in on itself. Her adrenaline was spent, the exhaustion made itself known, both body and mind started to drag at her. Her head sunk and Adagio gently guided it onto her shoulder, her other hand lacing with Sunset's fingers.
The chirping of birds finally dragged Sunset back into the waking world. She opened her eyes, looking across the cluttered table in front of her. Slowly, she sat up on the couch, casting the thin blanket aside, and went to look for her things. She found her padded clothes and armour nearby, cleaned up to a reasonable degree.
She had finished getting dressed and was tightening the straps of her armour when she paused, a tingling in the back of her neck letting her know she wasn't alone. "I'm sorry I intruded for so long," she said curtly, reaching up to tie back her hair without looking at Adagio.
"Sure you are. Always sorry about everything." The soft steps closed in, stopping behind her. Sunset hesitated a moment before turning around. Adagio's eyes were sunken, her lips unpainted, unkempt hair hanging free over her shoulders. "After you're done, come back here."
"I... have to move on to Canterlot," Sunset said quietly. She wanted to avoid her deep stare, but couldn't quite tear herself away.
"You haven't paid yet," Adagio reminded her, an undercurrent of strictness in her voice. She tapped Sunset's breastplate, like she intended to bore her finger straight through it. "I'll give you a week before I drag you back here to give what we're owed."
Sunset raised her hand, gently putting her palm to Adagio's cheek. "I pay my debts. You know that. But I have to finish this hunt, first. Who knows how many more fell victim to that changeling while I was resting." She could see Adagio's eyes glaze over halfway through her argument, a twitch in her lip.
"Sure. Of course." She took Sunset's hand, holding it for a second before decisively pushing it away. She stepped back and behind the curtain parting the living space in two. A moment later she emerged with a heavy implement in her hands.
Sunset held out her hands for Adagio to lay the shaft of the weapon into. It was as heavy as it looked, the shaft itself made of dull metal, ending in a flattened head, which was darkened as if scorched by flames. She weighed the hammer in both hands, then in one, before holding it by her side, in lieu of an appropriate loop on her belt.
"That one is from Aria. She wants it back." She held out something smaller in one hand. "And this one is from Sonata. Use it on the heart." Sunset took the dagger, its silver-like material shimmering in the daylight flooding in through the window. Its blade was sheathed in embossed leather, though a glint of red was visible where the mouth did not quite reach the guard. Sunset slipped it into her belt, making sure it was within easy grasp.
"And from me," Adagio finally added. She reached into her morning coat's pocket and pulled out a small, patterned cloth with a short flourish, before planting a kiss on it. Her mocking smile finally returned to her expression as she reached out to tie it around the strap of Sunset's left pauldron, just beside her breastplate. "Go with my favour, valiant knight."
There was a slight twinge of disappointment, but two bewitched weapons were more than enough. Instead of bemoaning the mockery, Sunset decided to play along instead, taking Adagio's hand and lowering her head to kiss the back. "I'll return it to you without fail."
"Changelings are tricksters. No matter what face it shows me, it's a lie." Sunset pushed aside a low branch to continue her path, tracing back her steps from the previous night. In lieu of letting her thoughts settle on Adagio again, she instead looked forward, shifting all her attention on the hunt, and on reminding herself of her prey's tricks.
"Twilight is in Canterlot. Pinkie is in Canterlot. So is Rarity. None of them have a reason to come out here." She moved the hammer from one hand into the other, taking a swing just past a nearby tree, getting used to the weight and momentum. "Applejack is with her family. Rainbow and Fluttershy are in Cloudsdale. They cannot be here."
Her hand drifted to the dagger at her side, gripping the hilt but leaving it sheathed. She could draw it at any moment, a quick thrust when she got a chance and it could be over. As long as she struck its heart. Or crushed its head. She slowed her steps when the trees shifted in a strong breeze, feeling a warning tingle run up her spine. She was getting close. But she knew what to do, she was prepared this time.
The crumbling ruin became visible through the trees only minutes later. Sunset crouched between the bushes to watch for a moment, though she saw no movement besides the trees. Maybe the changeling wasn't here, off to lure another victim. Or maybe it was hiding the same way it did before, ready to sneak up on her. After another tense moment, she pushed forward, hefting the hammer into both hands.
A quiet thrum emanated from inside the tower, in time with the ominous glow of the pods. Rather than go through the archway, Sunset went around the other way and quickly climbed through a collapsed spot in the opposite wall, keeping her eyes on the walls. She didn't have to wait long for a sign of her adversary.
"Sunset..." Rainbow sat slumped in the corner, a hand pressed over a nasty wound on her side. Her cloak and already messy hair were covered in grime and her complexion was pale. "She's still here somewhere--"
Not leaving any time for the doubt to set in, Sunset hurried over with two long steps and swung the hammer at her wounded friend, who scrambled aside and flipped up on her feet, the wound not impeding her in the least. The scorched head of the weapon hit the old brickwork with a loud thump, dislodging small fragments of stone.
"Vicious!" Rainbow noted with a wide smile. "I knew you'd be back. You don't taste like a coward."
Sunset turned and tried to close the distance quickly to use the same momentum, swinging for the creature's head. It leaned away from the swing, the cloak fluttering against Rainbow's back and closing around her, becoming a green travelling robe, her hair spilling over her shoulders.
"Y-you wouldn't," Fluttershy stammered, her hands clutched over her chest. "You wouldn't hurt us, w-would you?"
"Stop," Sunset said sharply, swinging from the left. This face was a mask, nothing more. And yet, she flinched when the hammer brushed by Fluttershy's side, the dull impact of metal on flesh making her tense up.
The mask faltered, black, chitinous skin showing under the ripped robe, not broken but fractured. Fluttershy's voice twisted into a snarl and she backed off quickly, stumbling towards one of the pods lining the walls. Her fingers stretched and blackened, as if rapidly going through atrophy, and the sharp claws burrowed into the pod's membrane, sending a sudden burst of sickly green liquid out from the puncture, obscuring Sunset's view of the creature.
She quickly stepped around the gushing liquid, but found no one there anymore. Her back tensed, her hands tightened on the shaft of her weapon, as she sharpened her ears, trying to hear past the sound of liquid, quickly reduced to a trickle. She heard the scraping just a moment too late. As she turned, the sharp, piercing pain of the changeling's claws raked across her back, mostly scraping leather and metal but piercing through to her skin somewhere. She faltered on her swing and only caught a glimpse of the creature as it skulked out of view again, blending with the long, convulsing shadows of the tendrils across the walls.
The thrumming seemed almost deafening now as she closed her eyes, trying to strengthen her other senses. The air felt heavy and stagnant, but she knew somewhere above her, beyond the tangled branches and darkened clouds, was the sun, shining its protective light. "Sun preserve me," she whispered under her breath, before slowly releasing it.
She didn't hear or feel anything, but her body moved regardless, turning and leaning left, dragging her arms behind to build momentum quickly. Her eyes snapped open just before the moment of impact. Rarity's eyes were wide, her mouth open in a silent scream as all air was forced out of her, the head of the hammer striking the left side of her chest. The moment passed agonisingly slow, the sound of cracking bones filling Sunset's ears and the red spray of blood clouding her vision, though before it hit her chest and the stone floor, it was green once more.
Rarity's breath rattled as she fell backwards, clutching at the gushing wound, before a piercing scream erupted from her. Sunset quickly lifted her arm to wipe blood from her face, ready to lift the hammer again and finish the struggle. And then she hesitated.
Princess Celestia rose to her knees, gleaming armour dented and blood staining her pure white cloak. She looked up at her with a look that was equal parts pleading and pitying. "Sunset, you have to stop," she said quietly but firmly, despite her shallow breathing. "There is no changeling. You've been tricked. Come back to us."
Sunset panted. She hadn't realised how quickly her heart was racing until now. Fake! She couldn't do it, not after she had raised a weapon against her already. This isn't real! She could never forgive herself for what she'd done. You would lose! She would lose. Celestia would never kneel before her.
She swung. The hammer impacted into the side of the princess' head, blood gushing from her skull as she crumpled to the floor with an angry whimper. Despite her conviction, Sunset's hands trembled. She had pulled the swing at the last moment, ruining her own momentum. But it only took one more. Even if it looked like the princess, just one more...
"Please don't," Adagio whimpered. She looked up at Sunset, tears streaming down her face, blood trickling from her chest to the cold stone floor and running down the side of her head, staining her curls a much deeper red. For just a moment, all strength left her and the shaft slipped through her fingers. The hammer heavily impacted with the floor.
The mistake was evident to her immediately, but it was too late. Adagio's blackened hand shot forward and the dull pain spread from her gut throughout her body. Her knees buckled and gave in, her back hitting stone a moment later when the creature pushed itself on top of her.
"Oh, it's this one , isn't it?" A wild look stretched Adagio's face. The pain shot through her body again. She felt as though she was screaming, but couldn't hear her own voice. "I want it. All of it. But first, a little safety." The clawed hand rose up above her, poised to strike at her arm, as vines seized her wrist.
And then, in a flourish of green cinders and the sudden rush of sweet scents, a hand clasped the dagger at her side. Quickly it was slipped from the sheath and forced up into the arm of the changeling, making it yell out as the red-tinted blade erupted into a small flame. The creature's skin rapidly hardened as it recoiled, the jaw splitting at the chin and horns curling from the wild hair.
Sunset gasped out with the changeling's weight off of her, clutching her stomach with one hand while the other flexed against the sudden binding. A figure rose up next to her, as if emerging from the stonework, and from the corner of her eye she saw a second Adagio, the dress exchanged for boots and jacket, brandishing the flaming blade and launching herself after the monster.
"You!" The changeling's voice was still Adagio's, but twisted, grating, like a blade losing its edge as it was ground down too far. "Get out!" It caught Adagio's next stab, quickly overpowering her and pushing her to the ground, holding her wrist with one claw and her throat with the other.
Sunset reached for the vine with her free hand, scraping with the tips of her glove to try and get a hold, while the sound of choking struggle rung back in her ears. "Witch! You stink! Don't get in my way!" She managed to close her fingers around the tendril and yanked at it, only partially managing to tear it, but tugging at it enough to pull her wrist free.
The hammer had slipped her mind. Instead, she threw herself at the twisted mirror image choking the life out of Adagio, grabbing its arm with one hand and wrapping her own around its neck from behind, trying to pull it off of her. It felt like trying to snap a tree by force of strength alone, the chitin creaking and clicking as it started to close over the open wounds, green blood spurting out of head and chest with each snarling grunt. Sunset's muscles screamed but she only quickly adjusted her grip before straining and pulling again.
Adagio's grip on the dagger loosened, audibly struggling for breath through her clenched teeth. Until a moment when the changeling's hold wavered, just enough for her to lift her arm, reaching over with her other hand to grab the hilt, then push the blade forward into the open cavity before her.
With a loud hiss, accompanied by an angry scream, a burst of flames erupted out of the creature's chest, blasting cinders back into the witch's face. A moment later, the fire spread through her insides and out the side of her head. The body jerked and Sunset dragged it to the side, tossing it onto the stone, but its hand was still clutched on the witch's throat like a vice. Adagio croaked, blindly stabbing at the hard chitin, clawing at the wrist with her fingers.
Sunset's mind raced, suddenly remembering the other weapon. Darting back, she pulled it off the ground and turned, using the momentum to swing down, snapping the arm at the elbow, the claw extending and releasing Adagio's neck. She pushed herself away from the burning carcass, gasping and coughing, while Sunset sunk to her knees, her legs growing weak.
Her blood was rushing in her head, her heart thumping in her ears and the sharp, searing pain of her punctured guts finally arrived in force. She felt the panic start to set in and took a deep breath, halting it before breathing out, actively trying to slow her heartbeat. "Why..." she began when she found her voice again. "How... are you here?"
Adagio dropped the dagger where she lay as she pushed herself up enough to quickly shuffle over to Sunset, grabbing the handkerchief tied to her armour strap. "Have I ever given you something I didn't enchant?" she asked her seriously, before slipping the cloth away and quickly undoing the straps, enough to loosen the breastplate and open the padded clothes underneath and get at the wounds. Sunset slumped, resisting the urge to lie back and instead sitting as still as she could manage.
"Idiot!" Adagio barked sharply as she pulled a small flask from her belt. It smelled of grapes and herbs once the cork came loose. "You nearly kill yourself twice in just as many days, and for what!" With trembling fingers, she poured the contents onto the wounds. Sunset breathed in sharply and grit her teeth as the pain returned manifold, her flesh pulsing and twisting.
"Look around," she squeezed out, "at how many it already had. How many more could it... the whole town? The county?" Her eyes stung with tears, from pain and exhaustion both.
"So what! People die! All the time!" Adagio dropped the flask and reached for a smaller vial, keeping it tight in her hand as she said her piece. "More will die today somewhere! And tomorrow! What does it matter!?"
"It matters to them," Sunset said as evenly as she could, looking past Adagio as her vision went black for a moment. "It... matters to me."
Adagio's nostrils flared. She opened her mouth, ready to yell more, but faltering. "And you think your death won't matter?" she finally said, opening the vial and pouring the liquid into her own mouth.
"I... would you..." Sunset began to ask, but Adagio's hands gently touched her cheeks before she could finish and their lips found one another. Her lips parted at Adagio's urging and the witch's long tongue slid past them, pouring a trickle of bitter medicine onto hers. As soon as it slid down her throat, a prickly warmth spread through her body, numbing the pain. Sunset reached up, placing her hand on Adagio's shoulder to keep her there just a little longer, pushing into the embrace.
She could feel the sharp points of her teeth, carefully still to not injure her tongue or her lips. It lasted only a moment more before she pulled back again. Sunset breathed out slowly, looking up at her deep, glassy eyes. "Would you... miss me?"
"How can you even ask that?" Adagio said coldly, before lightly punching her shoulder, the rings on her hand dully hitting the pauldron. "How dare you ask that? I miss you every night. You're sitting right in front of me and I miss you!"
Sunset forced herself not to avert her eyes again, holding Adagio's gaze, before she felt exhaustion drag her down. Resisting this as well, she pushed herself up, walking a few steps to pick up the dagger. "These... these people are still alive. Let me finish my work."
Adagio didn't always consciously start to sing, sometimes realising she had started a few words in. There was no magic in her voice this time, just a thoughtless drifting to match the natural rhythms of the knife on the board, the sizzling in the pan, and the regular chop of the axe outside.
She added the last few vegetables to the dish and made a slight beckoning motion with her finger, dragging at the flame underneath the stove until it flickered and shrunk. Leaving the food to simmer, she went a few steps down into the cavern to call for Sonata, before heading out through the back door. "Girls, it's nearly done."
Aria swung the axe down one more time, leaving it stuck in the stump. She silently picked up an armful of the chopped wood to bring it inside, stepping past Adagio, who was still waiting for their guest. Sunset straightened herself, resting the gardening hoe on her shoulder like a polearm. Her hair had loosened during her work, hanging over one shoulder. Her arms glistened in the sunlight and her face was flushed, her eyes down on the rows of plants as she navigated her way out of the garden.
"Not straining yourself, I hope?" Adagio asked teasingly, keeping her eyes on the knight as she set the tool aside and washed her hands in the water basin.
"With gardening?" Sunset splashed a little water onto her face and headed inside alongside her.
Adagio watched her, her eyes running over the bandage on her arm and the muscles moving beneath the simple shirt. All her wounds were healing well, even the one she had forced to heal far too early. On the one hand, it was a relief to see she had gotten away with no lasting damage, at least physically. On the other, it was likely due to her oath, which just left a bitter taste in Adagio's mouth.
She picked up the pan and carried it to the table, where Sunset was just joining her sisters. Aria ate in silence as usual, while Sonata was bouncing thoughts off the walls, talking out loud while still managing to eat the largest portion. Sunset made occasional indication that she was listening, not that it was really a dialogue.
It nearly felt the same again, as before. The four of them, splitting chores and sitting down to eat together. More and more, Sunset let her see a smile again, casting her bright light into the room. But it wasn't the same, not truly. She would leave again. Not tomorrow, not the day after, not before she had paid her debts, but she would leave. Back to her friends, to her order, to the princess. To her life without them.
When they had finished, Sunset picked up the plates without being prompted, carrying them back into the kitchen to wash them. Adagio looked up, finding her sisters looking back. Sonata's eyes were pleading pools of blackness while Aria's showed the faintest glimmer of hope, despite herself. Adagio sighed under her breath and pushed herself out of the chair, heading into the kitchen as well.
The moon was full again, like it was most nights. Sunset washed up quickly before heading inside before the cold could really set in. A fire was crackling in the hearth when she entered the living room. She locked eyes with Aria for a moment, before she moved past her, towards the stairs, wordlessly clapping her hand on Sunset's shoulder.
She pulled her hair free and left her boots by the door, near where her padded clothes and armour rested against the wall. The couch creaked as she sat down, the satisfying ache of peaceful work in her muscles. She was about to lie on her side and close her eyes, when two candles on the nearby table lit by themselves.
"Take your medicine," Adagio said flatly, but not unkindly, appearing over the edge of the backrest and handing a steaming mug down to her. Sunset took it with a wordless smile and held it between her hands, waiting for it to cool. She expected Adagio to head up the stairs as well, but instead she moved around the couch and sat next to her, tugging her morning coat closer around herself.
Sunset watched the candle flames for a little while, taking careful sips from the mug. The smell was too sweet, and the taste too bitter, as if one had stolen all flavour from the other. After a small while, Adagio leaned back and looked towards the stairs. "They miss you too, you know."
Sunset took her next sip slowly, stretching the moment. "I know," she answered once she set the mug down. "I miss them too. But you don't want me to apologise."
"I don't want you to be sorry. It doesn't help anyone." Adagio moved closer. Sunset didn't look up yet, but she could feel the curly hair tickling her cheek. "But do you know what might help me ?"
Sunset took a deep breath, releasing it in a sigh. If there was something simple that could fix things, she would do it without hesitation, but there was never so easy a way out. "I can't stay."
"I know." Adagio put her hand on Sunset's cheeks and gently turned her head to look at her. "Come to bed with me."
Sunset's heart skipped a beat. Her lips parted as she searched Adagio's expression for nothing in particular. "I... shouldn't."
"Why not? I won't have you for long, so let me have you ." She put her other hand to her cheek as well. "Please," she finally added in a whisper.
Sunset's mind stalled, ready to take off running but finding nowhere to go. There was nothing to think through, or consider, or weigh out. She wrapped an arm around Adagio's waist and leaned her head down, slowly but firmly pushing into a kiss. And with no bitter potion and no twisting of her insides, she held it for a long moment, her other hand finding Adagio's thigh. Just as silently, they parted again.
"We still... shouldn't..." Sunset whispered. "I know they'll hear us."
"Fine." Adagio made a short motion with her finger and the blanket unfolded itself from its place on the couch and wound itself around both of them. "Then I'll stay here."