The End of Everything

I want to be known and adored, respected and loved,

I want to earn my wings. To be known far and wide,

I want to write my name among the stars,

I want to be loved, please love me,

I want I want I want I want I want,

I want to matter. To mean something

Please.

Sunset Shimmer was dying.

Her breaths were shallow, slow. She had no energy left to move.

She was laying down in grass and dirt, but she could barely feel it.

She smelled blood. She smelled her own blood, and it wouldn’t stop. She didn’t even try moving, to force herself to stand, she did not have the strength for it.

Her vision was blurry. Her eyes barely opened. She struggled to breathe.

One of her wings was twisted under her body. It hurt, but she couldn’t move it.

Her mane covered her face. She could barely see.

Her eyes gazed upwards. It was a stone slab, one she could barely read.

But she could guess what it was, even from this angle.

It was a gravestone.

Here lies Sunset Shimmer.

She wondered how much longer it would take for her to die. For her to bleed out here or in some other universe. She wondered why alicorn constitution forced her heart to keep beating, when that blood was being taken into the soil.

Too strong to die fast, to die without pain. There were downsides to being an alicorn after all.

She was tired. She was ready to rest. Everything hurt, and yet she felt numb.

She closed her eyes, and fell asleep. Maybe if she let go, it would end faster.

Was this destiny? Was it fate? She got her answer. It was nothing, turning into everything. Her life, which had meant nothing, desperately crawling, bleeding through the dark, now had purpose. And the purpose was her.

It was everything.

Two unicorns walked side by side through the halls of the palace they called home. Both tired from a long day of study, both ready to rest. But one was considerably more relaxed than the other.

“...Sparkles, please don’t tell me you’re going to try to study more before turning in.” Sunset braced herself for the inevitable answer she knew was coming. “Your brain is going to explode at this rate, you know.”

“I mean…!” She adjusted her glasses with an embarrassed fluster.

“C’moooooon, you’ll keep me up if you keep your lights on!” She swatted her with a friendly tail, grinning. “And you’ll mumble to yourself the answers to your own questions, then you’ll giggle when you get them right, and you’ll–”

“Okay, okay, fiiiiiine…!” She relented, hiding her little smile. “I’ll just turn in, same as you.”

“Thank you!” She let out a sigh of relief, one she overperformed. “You’ll be fine– We’ll both be fine. There’s never been a test she gave us that we’ve failed, why would tommorow be any different?”

“I dunno, I dunno– I just don’t like leaving anything to chance. What if she gives us a surprise quiz, or springs about a new surprise combat Scenario–” Twilight began spiraling. “What if I freeze and–”

“--You won’t freeze.” Sunset came closer, incredibly confident, unflinching. “And even if you do freeze, I’ll be there to carry you to the finish line. So relax!”

“T-thanks, Sunset…!” She blushed, giggling lightly. “T-thanks for always, well, having my back.”

She looked away with a shrug. “Meh, you’d do the same for me. It’s not like you need it– Much.”

“S-still… Sometimes I just… I just see what I have to do, and I know I have to do it, but Celestia, she’s just–”

“She’s all bark and no bite. Don’t worry about her.” Sunset snickered, slapping Twilight with a friendly tail once more. “I promise you you’re only feeling that way because she’s super tall– Having to always look up when you’re dealing with her will naturally make you feel inferior. It’s a huge pain in the neck– Literally.”

Again, Twilight couldn’t help but giggle. “...I could never be as brave as you. Though I suppose it’s easier in your case, she did raise you…!”

“...Sure, yeah.” She looked away for a moment, but then turned back with a grin. “If you’re ever gonna have fun in life, Sparkles, you have to learn to disobey your teachers sometimes– And your parents, too.”

A shiver of anticipation passed by the unicorn’s spine– Both of fear of the mere thought of disobeying Celestia, but also at the sheer thrill of it.

Finally, they made it to their room. Sunset immediately threw her jacket over a chair, washed her face in the bathroom, then beelined to her bed, throwing herself at it.

Twilight removed her clothes, folding them neatly, and before she removed her glasses, grabbed a book.

“Twilight…”

“I-it’s just light reading! I promise!” She snickered as if she had been busted. “Not study! It’s j-just Daring Do, see?”

With a squint, Sunset read the cover, and let out a resigned sigh. “Alright then. Let me know if she and that sidekick of hers finally get it on.”

“Oh, I doubt it. Daring Do books are often really tame, and she doesn’t have a way with mares or stallions. I think she’s destined to be a loner, for better or worse… I don’t think the author would ever want to write that story down, though– Growing old alone would be a weird choice for the end of your series– Besides– They’re only working together in this story, I don’t think this sidekick would appear with Daring Do in any other book! Don’t get me wrong, I get what you see in the pair, but–”

“--Let a girl dream, Twi.” Grinning, Sunset made herself comfortable in bed, and let out a good long sigh. “Speaking of dreaming… Goodnight, Sparkles.”

“Goodnight, Sunset.”

The room was quiet– They could hear a little bit of the final hustle and bustle of Canterlot in the distance, and the occasional nightly bird call– But otherwise, complete comfortable silence.

For a while, she really was considering sleeping. But she couldn’t kid herself. Her frustration kept her awake.

With a grunt of annoyance, she turned to the ceiling– Stars adorned it, pegasi flew around clouds. The sun shined above everything.

“...Do you think we’ll ever get to do anything important?” She murmured.

“...Hm?”

“Celestia, she– She never lets us do anything.” She huffed, closing her eyes. “Even when I was a kid, she was so overprotective, and now that we’re ready, we’re so ready– It’s like she doesn’t want us to go out there and show her!”

“Well… An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” With a sympathetic smile, Twilight closed her book. “I don’t think she doesn’t believe in us, I just think, well, she cares–”

“--I don’t doubt she cares. She never stops caring– She cares too much.” Sunset couldn’t suppress her annoyance eloquently. “But I’m ready, you know? I’m sick of tests, I’m sick of studying– We’re absolutely the strongest unicorns in the world when it comes to magic– Where’s our wings, you know…?”

Twilight was significantly less frustrated. “...I know it can be a little annoying that she keeps telling us to be patient… Heck, you’ve been doing this for way longer than I have– But the way I see it, I would rather be completely, absolutely ready before I get those wings– Because my life is going to change forever if it happens–”

“When it happens.” Sunset corrected.

“Hihi, sure, when.” She nodded with a giggle. “Until then, well… I don’t mind enjoying my life as a unicorn a bit longer! We’re learning new things every day, Canterlot is wonderful to live in, and Celestia really likes us…! We’ll have plenty of time as alicorns to try new, different things, that’s for sure. So why rush…?”

Sunset felt silent.

She couldn’t help but smile.

“...You’re a lot wiser than you look, you know that Sparkles? And you look like a brainiac already.”

Twilight blushed, but said nothing.

More silence passed.

Sunset’s frustration turned to something else, as she watched the ceiling.

“...I think she had a sister.”

“...Who?”

“Celestia. I think she had a sister, once.”

Twilight leaned forward, in incredible curiosity. “Like… A thousand years ago…? ...How do you figure…?”

“When I was little, whenever I would, well, on incredibly rare occasions have nightmares, I’d go up to her room. And she’d always be… Talking to herself, by her balcony. It sounded like she was talking to family.”

“Oh… Well I’m not surprised a thousand year old princess would talk to herself. I’d pick up a weird habit or two, if I lived that long.” She adjusted her glasses pensively. “But why do you think–”

They both flinched. Twilight screamed.

With a flash, the Princess of Hope landed on Sunset’s bed, then fell to the floor with a sickening wet thud.

“H-holy crap!!”

“What the fuck are you?!”

Seconds passed with them both studying the unconscious bleeding figure before either moved.

Sunset leapt from out of bed. “Help me move her to the couch!”

“B-but her blood–”

“It’s better than the floor, Twilight! C’mon!”

With their magic, incredibly carefully, they moved the alicorn to the most comfortable position they could– The bespectacled unicorn was grimacing the whole way, shuddering at the sight of blood.

“Okay. Okay. Okay.” Sunset beheld the beaten, bruised, torn body before her. “Okay. This is the test, right?”

Twilight’s frantic, fearful glance alternated between the two of them. “W-what? What??”

“The test! She’s doing a surprise test on us, right? She wants to test how well we’re capable of using healing magic–” She winced at the torn wings and at the gashes on the flank of her counterpart, even now, blood pooled below her, the couch would not be clean so easily. “I-I mean come on. A dying… Clone of me? With wings? It’s…” The narrative fell apart in her head.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it’s you. It’s y-you!” Twilight trotted in place frantically, panicking. “W-why do you– Why does she have wings, why is she dying, oh my gosh, oh my gosh–”

Sunset sat down, glaring at her dying self. None of this made any sense. “...If she was going to make this into a test, she would have made it a little less gruesome. There’s no way she would want us looking at a dying body, much less a clone of us– She’s too protective for that... It can’t be the test.”

“B-but– Why is this happening, who is she, why does she look like you, is she you from the future or something?!”

“If this is me from the future, something went terribly wrong.” With a hoof, she moved one of her wings, and verified that it was legitimate. “...After something went terribly right… She’s actually an alicorn…!”

Twilight was breathing unsteadily, her gaze once again shifting from between the two.

“Twi. Breathe.” Sunset suggested gently, coming closer. “I need you to go get Celestia, you don’t need to be here to see this. I’ll stay with the body until she can come over here and help us patch her up. Whatever happened to her must be really, really serious.”

Twilight’s gaze was firm on the dying alicorn.

“Twi. Can you do it?” Sunset reaffirmed. “Can you go get Celestia for me?”

“I-I-I, I, I think I should stay with her, you should g-go get Celestia. I-if that’s okay?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m s-sure.”

“Okay, hang tight! If this is a test, I’d rather fail it than to let whoever this is just die!”

“O-okay.”

Twilight was alone.

She sat there, in complete silence, interrupted only by the shallow breathing of the alicorn.

Carefully, yet curiously, she moved strands away from the hair of the Valkyrie– Only to be spooked and nearly fall backwards when she realized she was being watched.

And yet, the alicorn was harmless, defenseless, unable to even move.

“...S…Sunset…?” She asked incredibly carefully. “Sunset… Shimmer?”

The Princess of Hope’s expression contorted to a pitiful, mournful grimace, as she haggardly whispered.

“...T-Twilight… Twilight, I’m sorry…”She was barely audible. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

“...What?” Coming even closer, the unicorn tried listening properly. “What did you say…?”

”Forgive me… Please… Forgive me…”

“Um… okay? I accept your apology?” She tilted her head in confusion, watching as the alicorn bled out. “...But… You are Sunset Shimmer, aren’t you? Are you from the future?”

Quietly, weakly, the Princess of Hope began crying.

Twilight didn’t know what to say. But she tried anyway.

“...Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay! Sunset is getting Celestia, I’m sure Celestia will be able to patch you up!” She assured her as best she could. “I-I mean, I’ve never seen wounds like these, b-but…!”

The crying was incredibly weak, incredibly reserved. Her eyes were closed.

Twilight had one chance at this. She had to take it. “...Um, so, this is a weird hypothetical, but…!” She shot a careful glance towards the door. “...If one were to, um, seduce, maybe uh, court Sunset Shimmer, um, do you have any tips…? If you are her from the future, well, um, maybe you could tell me if we ever get together? I know it’s unlikely– I-I mean, she’s really cool and nice, and um, I never felt this way about anypony, which means I also have no idea what to do–”

Quietly, and yet firmly, the alicorn placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder– One she could barely raise.

Twilight felt a tingling of emotions, weak flashes of memories that didn’t belong to her.

All while the Princess of Hope smiled weakly, with tears in her eyes..

You have to convince her that she’s worth it. You have to tell her she’s good enough for herself. You have to make her know she’s good. That she needs to follow her heart, and that you want to be there to help her…

…And you have to be yourself.

H-how is being myself a good idea?! A-and how are you doing this??

You’re enough, Twilight. You’re more than enough. She doesn’t need anything more or anything else.

You’re everything...

Before she knew it, the alicorn lost consciousness, having strained too much. “W-wait! Wakeup! Augh, tell me what to do, I don’t get it–”

Celestia and Sunset barged into the room.

Twilight had to shaft those thoughts aside, and focus on the now. After all, the ongoing surgery would be grueling, brutal, and incomplete.

But some day, she would put what she was shown to the test.

The six elements of Harmony, none of which applied to her, all of which applied to her, inside and out, removing her own heart in plain sight.

Belonging was impossible, and yet, it would happen, against her will. The best moment of her life, the greatest most incredible event in all of the world, the birth of hope.

Rise. Rise. Rise.

Rise once more.

“All I’m saying is… You’ve been struggling, and I’ve noticed.” Even when expressing concern, Principal Celestia had kindness and care laced into every word. “It’s a normal part of growing up, Sunset. You struggle to find your place, you can be uncertain of what you’ll do…”

Leaning back on her chair, she couldn’t help but scoff– Even if the words were affecting her. “Pff. You don’t have to talk to me like I’m a kid. I’m not that young.” She averted eye contact, with a small indication of shame. “...And I’m fine. The girls keep me straight, I’m not relapsing, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about that. You’ve demonstrated time and time again that your growth is permanent.” She leaned forward on her desk, giving her an incredibly supportive smile. “What do you want to do with your life, Sunset?”

“...Bah. You’re not my principal anymore, you know.” She let out a bashful grin. “...Can’t give me detention for not knowing what to do with my future.”

“You’re right, I’m not your principal anymore.” With a shrug and a relaxed smile, she sat back on her chair. “...I’m just a tired old woman, who cares very much about you.”

It was ironic to Sunset– More than the Principal would ever know. She had to consider her answer carefully, as she looked away.

She would dodge the question slightly, but she owed her an answer, at least.

“...Y’know, when I was young, I knew exactly who I wanted to be.” Her smile wasn’t very wide, it was nostalgic, if anything. “Ever since I was a foal, I knew exactly what I wanted, I had this vision of who I wanted to be, and well…”

“A foal?” The Principal raised an amused eyebrow.

“Sorry, hah… It’s a pony thing. From back home.”

“Of course.”

“B-but yeah, the thing is… I never prepared myself for anything other than absolute success, since I was a kid. And well… I didn’t exactly reach my goal. I’m still picking up the pieces, you know? …Should I stay, or should I go.”

“I suppose I understand. You had ideals of who you wanted to be, and well… You didn’t match them.”

“Y-yeah. Life’s good though, you know? Life’s good.” She crossed her arms, her eyes shot briefly to the door behind her. “Those girls, well… They’re my future, for now.”

Nodding in agreement, she wagged a finger without judgement. “Yes, Sunset. Of course. And your profession?”

That struck a chord. She hesitated. “...I don’t know. Arts, teaching, well– I have some interests.”

“You are brilliant. I’m surprised you're not interested in going to a prestigious university, with our Twilight, even…!”

“H-hah, yeah, I thought of that. I don’t think I want to be in another Twilight’s shadow all the time, t-thanks.” Again, she forced herself to look down, no matter how much she cared. “She’s brilliant. Probably is going to wind up president, or cure cancer, or invent flying cars– Whatever it is, it’s going to be extraordinary.”

“We’re talking about you, Sunset.” She tilted her head analytically. “Unless you’d like to talk about her?”

“No, no thanks. Actually, the girls are expecting me– I was supposed to help them set up the banners for the freshmen…” She began getting out of her chair.

Celestia stopped her with a single glance.

She sat back down. “...What?”

“What do you want, Sunset? You. What do you want…?” She asked earnestly, genuinely, invitingly.

“I…”

She stopped, and pondered.

A few things came to mind, and she quickly shafted them aside.

She struggled to find an answer, and began getting impatient with herself.

“...Look, I just want to–”

The Princess of Hope interrupted the conversation with a flash, crashing on the principal's desk and rolling to the floor with a wet thud.

“O-oh h-heavens–”

“What the fuck– What?!”

Celestia immediately stood from the desk and knelt down before the body, not caring about getting blood on herself. “S-Sunset, it’s you! Is this some Equestrian madness at work?!”

“I-I don’t know, but she’s jacked– What the hell–”

“She’s bleeding. Oh goodness, she’s bleeding–” She moved the Valkyri’s jacket aside, seeing just how many cuts, bruises and wounds she had, how much blood she had. “T-these wounds, they were cauterized– Oh no, they’re tearing open–”

“What the fuck happened to her?!” Sunset crouched down, studying her. “I-is she even alive?!”

“She’s breathing. She’s still breathing.” Celestia accessed, doing her best to roll the Valkyrie onto a comfortable position, even on the cold floor. “Sunset, I need you to get nurse Redheart, now. Tell her we have code yellow!”

“A-a code, what, what? She’s a school nurse, how in the hell is she going to–”

“--NOW, SUNSET! PLEASE!” She commanded sternly.

“Right! Right! Fuck!” Sunset Shimmer sped out of the room– Likely her friends would have to wait much longer for her return.

Carefully, Celestia studied the body of the Princess of Hope– Whoever had tried healing her had done a rushed, desperate job. Large wounds had been cauterized, her flesh was seared, and yet– She had several bad open cuts still, and the fall she had taken opened some of the cauterized wounds, who even now soaked through her clothes, blood pools forming.

“M-my god, Sunset…!” She couldn’t help but murmur fearfully.

Whoever had last taken care of her had struggled to even keep her from flatlining– Even she could tell that. And now the blood was exchanging hands.

“...Sunset, can you hear me…?” Principal Celestia whispered carefully, holding her hand. “Sunset, don’t fall asleep, we’re going to help…!”

The alicorn turned human stirred, barely, squeezing her hand, grunting, breathing weakly, barely opening her eyes.

“...Celestia… What’s happening to me…!”

The realisation set in slowly. She had already presumed that her life had ended long ago– that this would not just be another setback, not another adventure with a happy ending.

But she was ready. With all she had learned, with everything she was capable of now, despite everything, she would endure.

She would have to start again. But this time, she knew herself better.

When you’re at the bottom of a well, the only way to go is up.

She had fallen on these wells many times before.

What was one more, even without hope?

It was almost exhilarating, taking the Memory Stone and crushing it underfoot.

Time to try again, to rise again.

“...Stop pacing. God, I hate it when you pace.” Sunset snarled, her eyes fixed on the cold concrete ceiling. “I just want to fucking sleep, Starlight.”

“My plan is ready, we can do this.” She was manic, whispering as she watched what lied beyond the bars of their jail cell. “All we need is a distraction and we can break out of here, Sunset!”

“Even if we got out of this cell, and somehow rid ourselves of our horn cuffs, and then somehow made it to the courtyard, hell, or even if we made it into the streets of the city– They would just lock it down and catch us. Your plan sucks.” She covered her head with a pillow. “Just lay down and go to sleep.”

“I’m not rotting here for the rest of my goddamn life!!” Furious, she shook her unicorn cellmate.”Get up and help me think of something!”

“You did the crime!” Sunset shoved her away, standing to face her. “Do the fucking time!”

“S-shut up! God, why do you have to be such a defeatist–”

“I don’t know, why do you have to be such an insufferable nut job–

A guard banged metal nearby, and they immediately froze.

With angry screams commanding them to be quiet echoing in the prison halls, they immediately sat down obediently.

“...What if we fought as a distraction?” Starlight offered with a whisper, innocently.

“If we fight, I’m breaking your jaw. How does that factor into your plan?” Sunset frowned, glaring at her.

“Ugh, you need to be a team player here–”

They both flinched and backed away. Because with a flash, the Princess of Hope fell between them.

One was about to scream in surprise, the other quickly silenced her.

“...She’s an alicorn.”

“...She’s me.”

“...Some kind of clone, maybe a temporal event? She could be you from the future…!”

“Hah! Nice joke. As if someone like me ever got wings.”

Together, they inspected the body of the fallen valkyrie, carefully whispering as they studied her.

“...She’s still breathing.”

“These wounds look rough. Some were cauterized, others were stitched– Someone out there did a real rushed job. Ugh– This is definitely getting infected.”

“She needs medical attention.”

“Tough luck. She’s in Canterlot prison.”

“Sunset.”

“What.”

“She’s our distraction.” Starlight grinned, as she approached the bars. “Get ready to jump the guard– we’re leaving.”

The unicorn groaned in annoyance and placed herself in position, as Starlight put on an innocent tone. “Hey guard! We’ve got a wounded mare over here!!”

A thousand years.

A thousand years, picking up the pieces.

A thousand years, with no family to spare.

A thousand years, holding it all together.

A thousand years, and she would finally have a daughter.

And then lose her.

Adagio usually was bothered by being awoken so roughly– Her bed might have been king sized, but it was occupied by enough sleeping naked bodies already.

If any of her sisters barged into her room demanding anything of her, she would usually shout back, scowl or simply command one of her toys to see them out.

She would make an exception, this time. This interruption, this rough awakening… Was quite interesting.

“Poor thing…!” Her voice was slow, melodic, loving, as she ran her fingers slowly over one of the Princess of Hope’s strong, bloody arms. “...All banged up. Who did this to you, my pet…?”

All the Valkyrie did was stir, grit her teeth, as she uncomfortably tried moving– There were other sleeping bodies around her, and she was still bleeding.

“It’s okay, pet.” She assured, as she moved the alicorn’s human counterpart away from her, shifting her in her sleep. “I wouldn’t want you to get blood on my other playthings either…!”

The Princess barely moved, her breathing was weak, as her eyes could barely distinguish the dark surroundings of Adagio’s room.

“...So strong. So much stronger than the other one…!” She bit her lips, as she lifted the Valkyrie’s shirt. “...Oh yes. I’ll take good care of you. All your troubles–”

With a quiet snarl, Sunset’s hand stopped hers, gripping her wrist. Her eyes were angry, even despite her wounds.

“...Fucking… Siren…!” Was all she could mutter through gritted teeth.

“Strong grip, for a dying woman.” Adagio’s smile did not waver, as she raised a flirtatious eyebrow. “I like that.”

“I’m not falling for your– Fucking– Ugh– Tricks–” Coughing lightly, the Valkyrie let go– Her energy faded again, and she lost consciousness.

“...That’s it?” The siren crossed her arms, pouting. “Hello?!”

The Princess of Hope was completely unresponsive.

“...Beefcake? Hello?!” Angrily, Adagio slapped the princess of Hope a few times. “Wake up, hunk!!”

The fallen alicorn turned human didn’t even groan.

“...Unbelievable. Never, in all my centuries of living, has anyone ever fallen asleep on me.” She frowned, her pouting intensified. “Hello?!! I’m right here?? Most powerful siren ever, most gorgeous creature in the world, worship me?!”

She was not conscious enough to worship anything.

“...Well shit.” With a huff and a sigh, Adagio relented, and simply laid down, cuddling up to the dying, bloody valkyrie. “...Tomorrow morning I’ll take care of you, new toy. You’ll be wonderful, and you’ll be mine.”

“Look around you. Look at how many branches this tree has.” His voice was cold, definitive, unwavering. “There have only ever been– Nor there will ever be any more than six Elements of Harmony.”

Sunset studied the Princess of Hope carefully– With mixed emotions. An alicorn clone of herself manifesting out of thin air, and what's more, one that was dying… There was no precedent on how to feel about this.

“Zecora, c’mon, there’s gotta be something you can do.” She spoke curtly, desperately, watching her other self die. “You’re the best at what you do, aren’t you?!”

“Cauterized wounds, hastily stitched tears, forcefull magic healing, bruises and internal bleeding…!” The zebra pondered carefully, regarding the alicorn with pity. “There is only so much I can do for her– Attention and care from a powerful spellcaster; That is what she is needing.”

“Ugh, healing magic was never my forte…” She took a careful glance outside, at Everfree. “I know a few spells, what do you need me to do?”

“A few spells won’t cut it, Sunset Shimmer.” The zebra reprimanded, as she gently attempted to give the alicorn water to drink. “To heal these sorts of wounds– Even I feel like a beginner…”

“Well c’mon, you’ve got hundreds of potions you know how to do! Tell me which ingredients to go for, I’ll make a run for it!”

“If you want a list, that I can arrange, but you will not find all we need before tonight.” She gave her unicorn neighbour a stern look. “What we truly need here is help from none other than Twilight.”

“Not an option.” Sunset deflected immediately, grabbing a piece of paper. “She can’t know I’m alive, Zecora. Okay, give me the list, I’ll try and get the–”

The bleeding alicorn snarled in anger, extended a hoof and shoved the unicorn lightly, reaching for her poorly.

“Runaway.”

“W…What did she say?” The unicorn’s eyes widened.

“How ironic. Do not feel dismay.” Snickering, the zebra shook her head. “...She was simply calling you a runaway.”

“...Screw you, me.” Frowning, Sunset stuck her tongue at her counterpart. “Okay, let’s figure out–”

The Princess of Hope, no matter how weak, cast a spell. Her magic began as red, then turned purple at the end– It was a simple calling spell.

“...Did she just cast a spell?” Zecora approached her, studying what might have just happened. “Even though she is unwell…”

“Who cares, c’mon, we need to cook up a proper healing potion for her, give me the list of ingredients, and I’ll–”

They both froze, as they heard a knock on the door.

“...Are you expecting anypony?” Sunset whispered incredibly carefully, ready to run.

“...No, I am not.” Zecora approached the door absentmindedly. “...Unless I forgot?”

From outside, they both heard a familiar voice, one that belonged to none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle. “...Um, Zecora? Are you in there? T-the strangest thing just happened…!”

Whispering, the zebra turned to Sunset. “Out of courtesy to you, my friend, I will allow you ten seconds to run.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “But excuses to justify this–” She pointed at the bleeding alicorn. “...I have none.”

“Shit. Shit. Shit–” The unicorn looked around frantically. She had to run, of course, but couldn’t take a bleeding carcass with her– Much less could Zecora explain why her couch was so bloody. She had no time to think.

And she froze, for a moment, as the dying alicorn in the couch laughed at her– It was a breathless, rough, exhausted laughter, but a laughter nonetheless.

“Fuck it.” Turning around, Sunset teleported away.

With a disappointed sigh, the zebra walked over to the door and opened it slightly.

“Excuse me– Hi Zecora, sorry to drop in unexpected…!” The Princess of Friendship smiled awkwardly. “I, um, don’t know how to explain, b-but– I just felt a strong calling to come here…?”

“Yes, Twilight, you are right on time.” She opened the door all the way, with a justifiably apologetic look. “...Let me preface this by saying this is no fault of mine…!”

The process was going to be long, scary and strange.

But she was going to sit through it and help– After all, she hadn’t seen Sunset Shimmer in years, and wanted answers.

“...Yes… Come to me. I’ll strip you of your wings and sever you from the heavens FOREVER.”

“I DON’T THINK SO!” She raised her chin defiantly, as her horn glowed. “In the name of the Queen of Harmony– I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!”

Autumn Blaze had a routine she liked adhering to– But she was always flexible, and greeted any new thing with absolute joy.

“‘Cause rainbows won’t light up the sky, until you let it rain…!”

On this particular morning, she was flower picking on the edge of her village while singing to herself– And would welcome any adversity or change, as she always did.

Fortunately for her, something different would definitely happen.

“Hiya, Sunset! Up and about your morning walk, are you?” The kirin smiled happily, hopping over to her neighbor. “What’s up?”

Her silent friend– Like every other silent friend in the village– was silent. But strangely, her face indicated emotion– A lot more emotion than the average of any creature that once dived on the stream of silence.

Sunset Shimmer looked… Distraught. Her lips were pursed, her brows were furrowed– Despite the inability to speak, it was evident something had happened.

“...Sunset, what’s wrong?” She tilted her head analytically. “Oh! Charades! Mime out what happened, and I’ll try to guess–”

The unicorn placed a hoof over the kirin’s lips thoroughly, shaking her head– And quickly, made motions to be followed.

“Oh sure, you want to show me! Whatever it is, I'm sure it’ll be fine!” With a pep in her step, she followed Sunset along. “Speaking of showing things– that little patch of sunflowers you planted in our orchard is coming along really nicely! Shame you never told me where you got the seeds, they’re really beautiful and healthy! Oh, and isn’t it pretty cool how they’re always facing the sun? I always thought it was so cool to see how some plants behave so weirdly, from vines naturally grabbing things around them to carnivorous plants knowing when to chomp down– It’s so interesting, for–”

She stopped in her tracks, falling silent.

In the middle of the road, was the Princess of Hope. Fallen, wounded, bleeding, unconcious.

“--O-oh. Um, what?!” Autumn looked between the two of them, incredibly confused. “W-why does she look like you?? And wings and horns– That’s a big deal for ponies, right? Why is she bleeding all over–”

Again, the unicorn silenced herewith a hoof to the lips, and began trying to carry the alicorn, struggling to do it alone.

“R-right! Right! I’ll help!!” The Kirin forced a smile, as she assisted on the leverage. “W-we can get her to Queen Rainshine! S-she’ll know what to do, she’ll patch her up!!”

“This went on for long enough. It’s my fault, I know. I wish I could take it back. I wish I had never hurt any of you– I wish…”

She stopped to breathe, closing her eyes, suppressing tears.

Her apology wasn’t worth anything. She knew that much. Actions spoke louder than words. It was time to act.

“...Goodbye. I love you. And I’m sorry I couldn’t do better.”

With her magic, she held the sledgehammer, and shattered the mirror.

Humming to herself, singing a quiet, gleeful melody, Fluttershy made her way over the Everfree canyons.

She didn’t fly unless she needed to– The vegetation was passive, beautiful, it grew on the mighty walls of the canyon, up and throughout with enormous trees accompanying it. Walking was a matter of patience and gentleness– Both were things she had a surplus of.

The terrain had collapsed in on itself, long ago. But for her, the vines would move aside, the trees would clear– And she was always thankful.

The sun was high in the sky. The occasional bird would sing, and she’d sing right back– Which sometimes prompted even more singing.

Her ears twitched. Somewhere, she heard a clash, a snap of magic.

Wary, she froze, for a moment– Hesitating to even pursue whatever that was. The forest would take care of it. Probably.

Another flash, somewhere. She flinched.

Curiosity got the better of her. She took flight, directly towards the noise.

What she found was even stranger than she could have imagined– In a small meadow surrounded by incredibly tall trees, there were vines entangling an alicorn.

The alicorn was bloody. She had many wounds that peppered her body, many that were roughly worked on by others, but wounds nonetheless.

The Princess of Hope snarled and strained. She took several breaths, psyched herself, and unleashed a flaming slash to some of the plants entangling her– Briefly, the forest retreated, and some of the vines on her loosened, if not were cut all together.

But her efforts didn’t serve much– She was incredibly weak, simple vines were overpowering her, strangling her, forcing her down.

“You… Fuckers…!” There was unending frustration on her snarls, as a tree root pinned her down.

She steeled herself, and released a fiery slash around her– Poorly choreographed, and weakly aimed, it brought her little relief.

One of the vines whipped herself around her flank, breaking the stitches in one of her larger wounds– She screamed in pain and anguish.

“U-um… Excuse me…!” Fluttershy flew down, landing next to her, but at a safe distance. “Excuse me…?”

“F…Fluttershy?” Sunset could barely look up. “...Why aren’t they– AGH– Why aren’t they attacking you?!”

“Y-you know my name?” The pegasus’s eyes widened, as she leaned forward. “Have we met, maybe?”

“F-Fluttershy– C-can you help me?!” The Valkyrie pleaded, the vines were taking her into the soil. She was going to be buried alive. “Fluttershy, please–”

“U-um… That depends, are you going to hurt the forest…?” Pouting, the pegasus stepped a little closer.

“I-if it stops hurting me– I won’t hurt anything– Agh, nononono–” A tree root entangled itself in her neck and began strangling her– She did not have the strength to fight back.

“You have to promise the forest you’re not going to hurt it.” Sitting down before her, the pegasus looked bravely as the alicorn drowned in dirt.

“I promise! I promise!” Sunset desperately struggled, as trees began swallowing her. “SHIT–”

The vines were completely encasing her.

“And you have to apologize for almost burning them– They don’t like that…”

She was being utterly buried.

“I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY, PLEASE JUST LET ME GO, I DON’T WANT TO DIE HERE!!”

The trees all stopped. The vines froze. She could barely breathe. But for a second, the forest was just a forest.

“P-please. Please. I’m begging you to let me go. I can’t fight anymore. I can’t fight. I don’t want to. I don’t even know where I am, please just let me go– Please, I don’t want to die like this. This isn’t a w-warrior’s death it’s j-just– It’s just–”

The trees receded, incredibly slowly, the vines loosened and retreated.

“...I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Twilight, I’m so sorry…!”

“It’s okay. It’s okay…! They’re letting you go…!” Walking carefully to her side, the pegasus offered a hoof. “...Can you stand?”

“I-I can’t. I can’t. I can barely move– God, it hurts, so much. It hurts everywhere–” She began crying involuntarily, spitting out dirt and blood. “T-they were going to bury me, right? They were going to bury me alive…!”

“...Something like that, yes. Everfree does not care for trespassers… Even, well…” She examined the fallen Valkyrie. “...Gosh, I didn’t know there were still living alicorns…!”

“Give it time. I-I’m not from around here.” Desperately, weakly, she tried laying down in a better position– Wincing at every movement. Her wounds torn, bloody, her wings ragged. “W-why– Why did it have to be so slow. I’m dying, and it’s so slow. It hurts so much– I-I can’t– And they keep trying to patch me up, I’m so tired…”

She laid back down, resting her body on the roots of a tree.

“I’m… Sorry, but I don’t really know any first aid…!” Fluttershy’s expression contorted into pity, as she sat down next to the alicorn. “You look really hurt, I wish there was something I could do…!”

“It’s… It’s fine…!” her breaths were shallow, weak. “I’m… I’m sorry that I hurt your forest. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to die like this…! B-buried alive, I…!”

Being as polite as she could, Fluttershy nodded. “...Well… If not like this… Then how…?”

“I… I…” Blood loss again. She was feeling weak, so, so weak. “...I just want her to have something she can bury…!”

It is incredible, just how much of our lives is dictated by ambition, or the lack-thereof.

“How's the… New patient?” The classroom was quiet– All the noise came from the outside, and as usual, they tried to ignore it. Vice-Principal Luna crossed her arms sternly by a blackboard full of annotations and inventory, watching as Sunset Shimmer entered the room. “Burning through our medical supplies, I imagine.”

“Redheart and Celestia are doing what they can.” The punk girl closed the door and leaned on a wall, letting out an exhausted sigh. “Don’t worry, Luna. It’s not like we’re using those supplies for much.”

Nodding in tired agreement, Twilight adjusted her glasses, sitting by a blueprint of the school. “...Sunset has a point. We may not know her, but why not try to help– Besides, one bite for us and it’s over, I doubt many of us will suffer from any standard injuries.”

“I just like to be prepared. We are hanging on by a thread enough as is. One of our own has already had to have her leg amputated– I can imagine this won’t be the last time this happens.” Clearly not agreeing with the two, Luna came closer. “...Now. Let’s review the plan.”

“Yes.” Quietly, Twilight tapped on the map of the school grounds, noting the parts of interest. “...In seven days, the portal to Equestria opens. If we want to evacuate through it and shut the mirror behind us, we’ll have to be prepared for when that time comes– We can’t go blind at this.”

“The north wing, past the main hall, is the most direct route to the statue.” Sunset murmured pensively. “...We might want to change our route so we un-barricade fewer doors.”

“If we are going through with this, we should clear rooftop access first. Get an advantageous view of the street.” The Vice-Principal pointed at specific stair access. “See what we’re dealing with before jumping headfirst into danger.”

“...Yeah, yeah... Not tonight.” Sunset let out a sigh. “We’ve got enough on our plates– Rarity’s still recovering, Pinkie is still missing, you know how it is…”

“Ugh.” Groaning in frustration, Luna rubbed her own temples. “It’s literally right outside our building– Yet it feels like a marathon.”

“It’s highly likely we’ll have a horde on the streets before the deadline.” Twilight noted somberly. “Me, Sunset and the girls will have to cause a distraction while you all go through the portal… My suggestion is–”

“--The school buses!” Sunset snapped her fingers with a grin. “The highways are all blocked, but we can make a whole mess around the block, double back and jump in after everyone when we’re clear! I bet they pack enough punch through those things– We can lure them away from CHS, and with our powers combined, we can probably keep them off our backs...”

“That sounds… A lot more unpredictable in practice.” Judgmentally, the Vice-Principal raised an eyebrow. “We shouldn’t even be talking about you all risking your lives without my sister present.”

“Well… We’ve got nothing but time.” Sunset resigned, her shoulders slumping, as she looked down. “...I’ll go check on her. Twilight, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah. yeah.” Absent-mindedly, the bespectacled girl followed her out of the room.

In the privacy of an empty hall right outside the gym, they talked. Sunset put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “...Status update? How are you holding up?”

Letting out a sigh with a short, genuine smile, Twilight touched her hand, running her thumb over it by instinct. “...Status is power-leaking on the central nervous core, and a general lack of hope executables...”

“Oh boy. Is there any way we can cool the overheating power unit?” Sunset let out a joking grimace.

“...Not without running a few very bad subroutines– Okay, I’m losing the metaphor.” She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “...And now I’m laughing. How in the world am I laughing…!”

Firmly, gently, Sunset pulled her into a hug.

One she accepted, and hugged back tightly, and began sniffling in, even.

“We’re going to be okay, Twi. we are.” Sunset lied with courage.

“...Sure, Sunset.” Twilight did her best to believe it.

“...He’s… probably fine?” Carefully, the redhead suggested. “We don’t know if he–”

“A bite is pretty definitive, Sunset.” Twilight left the hug, crossing her arms, looking away. “I know what you’re trying to do, just… Don’t. It’ll be easier for me to move on this way.”

“I’m just saying, there’s medical outposts on the edge of the city, we know that much. One amputation and well, maybe…” She smiled apologetically. “There’s a chance that he–”

“Timber is dead.” Twilight affirmed with absolute certainty. “And honestly, I’m at least glad I wasn’t there to watch it happen. If he hadn’t flaked on helping me with the scholastic fair here, he probably would have just died in front of me on these same halls we’re stranded in– And I think this is for the better. I’m trying to look at it objectively, okay–”

Once again, Sunset pulled her into a hug, as comforting as she could. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Twi. Anything you need, just ask, okay…?”

“You’re already doing the best you can…!” The smaller girl chuckled weakly. “I have no complaints or suggestions.”

“W-well–” Again, she smiled, forcing herself to look confident for her friend. “If you need anything at all–”

“Sunset, c’mon.” Twilight waved a dismissive hand. “There are other people in the world, you know?”

“I mean…” Twiddling her thumbs jokingly, she gave her a toothy grin. “Technically, there might not be, for long. Maybe.”

“Oh my god.” Twilight suppressed laughter.

“Too soon?”

“Too early.” They chuckled together. “Are we counting on the apocalypse so I don’t feel bad for you looking after me like this?”

“Hey, I’d do it no matter what, don’t sell me short.”

And there they laughed together, for only a little while.

Taking in a deep breath, Sunset pointed behind her with a thumb. “...I’m going to check on the patient. You want to come…?”

“Oh, absolutely, I just…” She took a moment to wipe her tears, removing her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose, breathing weakly. “...Just give me a moment.”

“Of course. See you there.” Again, she pulled Twilight into a brief, but effective hug.

And let go with a quiet apology, making her way to the gym alone.

Every door was barricaded, even by some of the rafters. Makeshift beds and tables were sprawled out across the room semi-organized, some of the students were sitting on the rafters, others were working elsewhere.

Rainbow Dash whistled quietly, calling for her attention from one of the stands. Sunset took two steps on it, but didn’t sit down. “...What’s up, Dash? You holding on okay?”

The speedster’s knee was bouncing with anxiety where she sat, her vision was focussed on nothing. “...How’s the patient, huh?” She deflected.

“I’m going to check on that now, actually.” Sunset turned away for a second, then back at her. “...And you?”

“Fine. Fine.” She lied. Seconds passed before she cupped her face in her hands. “Of all the fucking days for me to forget my fucking geode–”

“You can’t blame yourself. You’re here. We’re here. Let's do our best with what we got, okay?” Sunset affirmed sternly, but carefully.

“If I had my geode I could have saved Pinkie. I could have.”

“We don’t know if she’s dead or even hurt, Dash. C’mon, for all we know–”

“If I had my geode I could have saved Rarity!” She affirmed without hesitation.

“Rarity’s not going to die, she’s too stubborn for it.” Sunset waved a dismissive hand. “You can’t blame yourself for things beyond your control, man.”

“But I–”

“Breathe. Breathe, okay?” Sunset helped, coming a little bit closer. “...Look, if you want to help, I need you to talk to Fluttershy. She won’t listen to me, but… She’s the only one of us that could actually get a bird or two or even a racoon to come through those windows. A lot of us are starving, so…”

“She’ll never go for that.” Rainbow let out a sigh of disappointment, leaning back down on the rafters. “No matter how much I’d go for a grilled racoon right now– I’m not making her do that.”

“...Neither am I.”

They both sighed.

“...I’m going to check on Rarity. I’ll tell you about the patient later.” Sunset made her way down the rafters and further into the gym.

Morale was low. Every other student around her was exhausted and tired. Some tried making casual conversation, others were on their phones, trying to get a signal, failing.

Sunset made it to one of the beds, where Applejack was knelt beside.

Rarity was laying with her back on the makeshift mattress, barely conscious, recovering from an amputated foreleg, that even now had blood soaking through its bandages.

“I… If I lose her–” Applejack muttered tearfully.

“You won’t.” Sunset placed a hand over her shoulder. “She’s a fighter, AJ.”

“I-I can’t– I can’t lose her–” Forehead laying on Rarity’s thigh, the Farmer suppressed her tears. “A-and god, my family, my family t-they–”

“They have guns back at the farm, don’t they? They’re definitely doing better than us in that regard…!” Scratching the back of her neck, Sunset murmured, trying to stay positive. “C’mon, they’re probably safer than we are now…!”

Applejack had no answer, no energy to entertain the hopeful notion and attitude Sunset brought.

Rarity stirred, and she came a little closer. “...Dearest?” She called out weakly.

“Y-yes, sugarcube?!” The Farmer leaned forward, holding her hand.

“I… This…” Rarity murmured, barely audible, eyes narrowed. “...I won’t be able to wear heels anymore, will I…?”

Even through tears, Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle, lean forward and kiss her mournfully. “I’ll carry ya everywhere ya need, alright sugarcube? Ya don’t ever need to walk again…!”

“Alright, alright, it’s good to see you’re still capable of jokes, Rarity… I'll go check on the patient.” Sunset gave them a relieved smile. “Don’t let her move around, alright? I’ll get Nurse Redheart to come down here in a bit.”

All that Applejack could do was nod shortly, silently.

With a resigned sigh, she made her way out of the gym.

Most corridors were barricaded, and very few students still walked through the halls. There was one set of stairs they had cleared, and she climbed them all the way to the second floor, and entered one of the bathrooms.

The cold marble was drenched in blood, dried and recent. In one of the still enduring tubs, Nurse Redheart was bandaging the Princess of Hope, while Principal Celestia held her down.

“Is Wallflower back yet?” Sunset asked absentmindedly, coming closer.

“Still on a supply run. Miss Harshwhinny and some of the students are watching the door.” Redheart responded absentmindedly as she stitched up one of the Valkyrie’s arms. “That girl is something else, I’ll tell you…”

“Wallflower super powers. Told you.” She let out a light chuckle, sitting down next to her bleeding counterpart. “Hey, other me.” She waved. “...Are you behaving?”

“She has no choice.” Celestia pouted judgmentally. “We are not letting you leave here with those wounds, young lady.”

“I-I’m telling you. I’m going to die either way– Maybe one universe patches me up, and the next one has a King Sombra or a Grogar, ready to kill me– Don’t waste your supplies–”

“--Stop twitching.” Redheart narrowed her eyes. “We already settled on this. Don’t try to argue with us.”

“But i-in less than an hour–”

Gently, Sunset leaned on the wall next to her. “...No, man. Just no. I don’t care how bad the odds seem– And yeah, you took a few beatings. But from what I’ve seen of your memories, you never gave up before. Why would you now?”

“I’m just… So tired.” She resigned, leaning her head back, as she was forcefully bandaged. “I’m so, so tired.”

“Then let us help you.” Sunset smiled confidently, giving her an incredibly light nudge to the side. “Stop fighting people trying to help you in the multiverse, man. Especially other yous.”

“Correct.” Principal Celestia affirmed without hesitation. “It seems that it’s a universal constant that Sunset Shimmers struggle to accept help, hm?”

Both Sunsets let out bashful sighs.

The snow continued to drift and blow against their windows, as they huddled closely to the fireplace, and close to each other. There was an underlying exhaustion in the air, as they kept themselves awake, despite the circumstances, knowing they would soon have to go.

“...Can we just stay like this, just a little longer…?”

“...Every single memory of yours was erased in the entire world and you’re still fighting to get it all back?” The Princess of Hope grimaced, observing her counterpart, then frowning, turning to the Earth Pony besides them. “...Goddamnit, Wallflower. Really?”

“H-hey! We’re working together! Mutual interests, here!” She pouted, looking away. “If she dies, I die.”

“You’re not going to die.” The Ex-Captain murmured absentmindedly, as she fueled the fire she had prepared to warm them for the night on this cave. “I told you, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Things have already happened to us, Sunset! Things happened a lot!” She huffed, looking away. “We wouldn’t be in this cave in the middle of nowhere if–”

“--Where are we exactly?” The Valkyrie limped incredibly hesitantly, weakly, to the exit of the cave– They were in a tundra, it was cold, and it was night– She couldn’t ascertain anything other than that.”

“Northeast of the changeling kingdom.” Her counterpart stated simply. “We’re going to Yakyakistan.”

“There’s an alicorn clone of yourself in our cave and you’re not even a little bit surprised?” The gardener watched her in disbelief.

“...I’ve seen weirder things.” She shrugged, focussing on keeping the fire fueled. “Besides, you heard her, she’s not me, just an alternate me. Now if she was from the future, that’d be something– But she’ll be gone in an hour.”

“...Stalwart as ever.” Blowing raspberries, the gardener rolled her eyes.

“...Why are you going to Yakyakistan?” The alicorn sat down with a pained groan near Wallflower, who waddled slightly away, intimidated by her size.

Hopping closer to the fire and sitting down, the Earth Pony closed her eyes, devoid of energy. “...Sunset thinks that if we can’t find any history on the Memory Stone in the Canterlot library, we should try in other capitals of the world. Although I agree with her that there’s bound to be some place out there with the information we seek– I don’t think we’ll ever find it.”

“Whatever it takes, Blush.”

“I-It’s a stone that literally erases memories!” She was justifiably tired. “Don’t you think some of my ancestors covered their tracks enough to never have any information about it out there?!”

“Whatever it takes.”

Silence, accentuated only by the crackling of the fire and the wind echoing through the cave.

“...Your leg.” The Valkyrie pointed towards one very distinctive stump that resided where one of Wallflower’s legs should be. “...She took it, didn’t she?” She pointed at her other self.

“You’re very perceptive.” The gardener grinned with an ironic smile. “Why, did you take your universe’s Wallflower’s leg too? Or maybe you put me out of my misery like this one couldn't–”

“--No. I just… Well, I could tell.” She shrugged and sighed. “...it’s a multiverse thing.”

“Well, we’re still picking up the pieces. She ruined my life, I ruined hers, now we’re stuck together. Water under the bridge, right? Nah, we’re under the bridge–”

“--Whatever it takes, Wallflower!” The Ex-Captain stood up, speaking sternly, without faltering. “Whatever it takes– I will get my life back, and you’ll get yours, too. We’ll discover what that stone can really do, we’ll find out a way to reverse it, we’re going back home, I’ll get my family back, my mom back, Twilight back– I won’t stop fighting. But if you give up? I LOSE. So stop acting like we’re at the edge of defeat– We already lost. No way to go but up.”

Silence.

Wallflower let out a resigned sigh, and nodded.

“...Yeah. You’re right. S-sorry. I’m just not used to, well… Winning.”

“It’s harder to get used to than losing, I’ll tell you that much.” The Ex-Captain sat by the fire once more. “Losing is a part of being Sunset Shimmer. But standing the fuck up and trying again is, too.”

One day. I will set this right.

Two chaos gods, sat locked on an eternal battle of wills.

Not of wits, though. Certainly not of wits.

With a malicious, incredibly amused grin, Cosmos wagged her finger. “You’re stalling, sweetums. You’re stalling because you’re out of moooooves~”

“Please. Me? The lord of chaos?? Out of moves?!” He pouted and waved a hand in the air dramatically. “You insult me so! You sully my reputation! You–”

“--make your move. I’ll take your king and we can move to the next game.” She pretended to be disinterested, filing her nails.

The board already had some blood in it, courtesy of the fallen pieces.

But not all were down for the count.

“Discord! C’mon!” the White Rook Pinkie gritted her teeth and pointed forward. “Move Rainbow to that spot, then I can put her king in check– Dash can take her out!! We’ll WIN, DISCORD! WE’LL WIN!!”

“...We have to do this, man.” The White Knight Rainbow Dash murmured from her spot, sitting down out of exhaustion. “Stop stalling. I can’t stand one more second like this–”

“B-but, maybe I can somehow, well, um–” He hesitated fearfully, beholding the board. “Y-you can’t ask me to do this, please, maybe there’s some other way–”

“How do you think WE feel?!” Rainbow Dash roared in anger, frustration and grief. “WE CAN’T GO ON LIKE THIS!”

“Discord…!” The Black King Fluttershy murmured with an empathetic look. “It’s okay. Really, it is. As long as everypony else gets to live, I– I’m okay with it…!”

“Fluttershy, please!” He pouted, eyes watery. “There has to be some other–”

“Play the game or forfeit, dearie.” Cosmos’s smile was impeccably malicious, as with a claw, she patted her king into silence. “Play the game… Or forfeit.”

There was no silence. The white pieces were begging for him to move, and the black ones were fearing for their lives.

“...I’m… I'm sorry. I forfeit.” He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to look.

“HA! HAHA!” With fluid, simple movements, Cosmos closed the board, and threw it on a box of games they had absentmindedly, sealing it, all pieces inside. “My, you are always so predictable… That’s another tally for me, the tie is broken. But of course, I don’t mind going again.”

His expression was hardened, but he did not move. “...What’s the next game?”

She pointed towards a comically large wheel, and began spinning it. “On deciding the fate of Equestria, game number three hundred and seventy four…!” She giddily clapped her hands. “Let’s see in what new way I can demolish you!”

The wheel spun and spun. Sometimes it lasted an hour– They had nothing but time.

They had broken Equestria with their clash.

And now sat atop the rubble eternally deciding its fate.

At a distance, far away, in the ruins of what used to be Twilight’s castle, The Princess of Hope observed, leaning on a railing weakly. “...So that’s what Cosmos looks like.”

“Yep. She’s a real monster.” Her counterpart muttered, standing beside her. “You got to get a look, now c’mon, let’s go back through the mirror.”

“These games… How long have they gone on?” The Valkyrie narrowed her eyes.

“...A few years. If Discord wins enough, Cosmos will give up– But she tends to use Fluttershy as a meat shield. He doesn’t have the stomach to take the shot, so her score is higher than his.”

“...And you don’t even try to help them? Twilight is part of that horrific amalgamation. Celestia is, too.” The Valkyrie raised an eyebrow.

“What would you have me do?! What exactly would you have me –” She inhaled, centering herself, shaking her head. “It’s two chaos bearers. I’m lucky I was in another world entirely when this bullshit happened. There’s nothing I can do. If you want to shoot your shot, be my guest.”

“I… Can’t even fly. I can’t.” She murmured, looking behind her. Her wings were torn, she had lost a lot of feathers– Her body was peppered and full of dozens upon dozens of wounds, stitched, cauterized and bandaged that had not fully healed and were definitely infected. “I can barely walk. Going anywhere near them would just be throwing my life away.”

“Wonderful. We agree on something, then.” She exhaled, shaking her head. “Was there a Cosmos in your world too?”

“Not exactly. We didn’t let her surface.” She narrowed her eyes, gaze hardened. “My wife offered me one of the pieces of that fallen star, and as soon as I touched it I felt Cosmos worming her way into my mind– I didn’t let her.”

“...You resisted her? …Damn.”

“I crushed the piece of what remained of Cosmos– Then I took the one that was controlling my wife, and crushed it too.” She snarled. “I got furious that anything or anyone even tried to use us like pawns. So we found the other pieces and destroyed them too. Cosmos will never, ever return.”

“...Good for you, I guess. I wasn’t even here. As far as I know, the alicorns were all mind controlled into uniting to form Cosmos, it was pretty grotesque– But it’s over now.” She sighed, and shook her head, turning around. “...C’mon. Let’s not linger. They might see us.”

“...The Elements of Harmony…” The Princes of Hope murmured, surveying the horizon. “...They would work on her.”

“...Sure, but I don’t know if you noticed, but they’re compromised. Princess Twilight is a part of that thing, remember?”

“Maybe.” The Valkyrie grinned, turning to her. “But you’ve got another Twilight back in the human world, don’t you? You’ve got all of the elements– Human, but ready for wielding.”

With one single movement, with one single step, she would position herself between the world and complete oblivion.

And she would not falter. Not again. Never again.

The entire world would watch as she showed her true colors. Prismatic life, unyielding love.

Hope Shines Eternal.

“Welcome to the land of the permanent sun, where the flowers are melted and the future is fun,”

Closing the door to her room, Sunset murmured as she walked downstairs.

“The freeway lizards ain’t feelin' so good, on a one-way trip back to West Hollyhoof, let's go–”

She sang to herself quietly, as she opened the fridge, and with her magic, took three ice cream boxes, gathering them into one tower to place on the table.

“It feels so good to have a, perfect song, it feels so good to be in total control…!”

“That’s quite the breakfast, sweetie.” Gold Shimmer raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You know, we have actual food–”

“--It’s not breakfast if it’s past midday.” Flare Shimmer noted with a judging look. “You know, we usually save those for special occasions, Mustard.”

“It is a special occasion.” Sunset grinned, perfectly aligning three scoops into one cup, mixing them around and taking a bite. “I’m celebrating.”

“...Celebrating…?”

“Yep. Once again, a job did not contact me back to notify me if I got the gig– Meaning I didn’t.” Her smile was defiant. “I’m celebrating my recurring unemployment!”

Angrily, Flare Slammed a hoof on the table. “Why are you celebrating being a deadbeat–”

“Hey pot, it’s me, kettle. You’re unemployed.” Sunset responded immediately, without hesitation. “Don’t act like you’re better than me. We’re rolling around in the same shit, mom. You should be proud of me for taking after you!”

All the mother could do was groan in anger and cover her face– She was about to give out a blunt answer, but the father stopped both of them.

“Please, you two– Let’s not fight about this.” He pleaded, with a weary sigh. “...Sunset, we believe in you and hope you can do better. That’s all.”

“Hah, ‘we’.” Sunset mocked, giving a side eye to her mother. “Sure.”

“You give up too easily, you quit before you can–” Flare swallowed her anger. “You refuse to try!”

“I am trying. The world just doesn’t give a shit about Sunset Shimmer.” She responded absentmindedly, taking another bite of her ice cream. “...If anything, I’m ahead of the curve. I’m never going to get to the stars, so why even reach for them?”

With an incredibly frustrated glare, her mother took a spoon from her ice cream and ate it.

“Sweetie…” Her father let out a tired sigh. “...You can always try again–”

The table was crushed with a flash, by the landing of the Princess of Hope into their world, and the ice cream was no more, as they all beheld her with confusion and surprise.

“...Mom…? Dad…?”

The explanations were difficult.

They had to help her walk to the couch where they could talk properly– But one thing was clear– In some universe, out there, their daughter managed to achieve all her dreams… And now she was being punished for it.

“...You look tired, Sunset.”

“...I am tired, mom.”

“So… How long have you been like this…?” Incredibly carefully, Gold brought closer a first aid kit– Which wouldn't be much help, due to the severity of these wounds.

“...I haven’t been counting, exactly. I got these wounds after a month of being cursed.” she murmured. “But after that, I lost track of time, I spend a lot of time unconscious now… But I’m pretty sure it’s been at least two weeks since… Maybe more.”

“...And you’re still hanging in there?” Her counterpart grimaced, looking at how much dried blood was on the alicorn's fur. “...Holy fuck.”

Sternly, but with a grin, her mother turned to her. “...See? I knew it. I knew you gave up too soon. Somewhere, in another world, you didn’t give up on your work as a pupil with Celestia– And look how strong you got! Look how awesome you got, Ketchup! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!!! You can do it, you can still do it!!

“You can try again.” The Princess of Hope smiled. “You can try again and keep fighting.”

To see the world,

Things dangerous to come to,

To see behind walls, draw closer,

To find each other, and feel -

That is the purpose of life.

The Canterlot mountain had more than one meadow with view of the city.

Sunset often found herself having picnics there alone, where she could see her home, where she could see everything– And reflect. Alone, but comfortable still.

On a field of flowers, by the shade of a tree– This time, she wasn’t alone.

“...You have no idea how frustrating it is to be the ‘number two’. The one that just isn’t as good– The one that got left behind in the dust.” Sunset murmured with a sigh, taking a disinterested bite of her sandwich. “...She got her wings. She’s the perfect pupil, and I’m just… I’m just the one that’s still working on it. The fucking laughingstock of Canterlot. Celestia believes in me, but that faith doesn’t mean shit if I can’t–”

“--You’re looking at this the wrong way.” With a warm smile, the Princess of Hope shared the food, sitting as comfortably as she could. “You haven’t tried living in Ponyville, I imagine?”

“...Why would I? That’s her turf. I’m better off studying here. She’s onto better things, surrounded by friends all the time. I’m where I need to be if I’ll ever get those stupid wings. She… She’s doing better than me.”

“I’m sure Celestia has told you already, but all the studying and training in the world won’t get you wings, heh.” She shook her head, smiling, lighthearted, unburdened. “It’s about you. How you feel inside, who you really are, how well you understand yourself.”

“...Really?” She raised an disinterested, skeptical eyebrow. “And how well do you understand yourself?”

“...Perfectly, I think.” She surveyed the horizon, with a listless, joyfull gaze. “...I’ve seen my life on a mobius strip. I’ve met hundreds of versions of myself, at this point– I’ve seen so many variations, so many versions of the same choices, and honestly… It just made me love my life more. It just made me love myself more– Love her more.”

“...But your life is over, isn’t it…?” She regarded her other self with pity. “...You’re stranded in the multiverse, far from home, wounded to hell– How can you be relaxed at a time like this–”

“...She’s coming for me. One day. I don’t care if it takes a year.” Again, her gaze was on the distance, the horizon, the setting sun. “...Honestly, I don’t care if she never finds me. I know she’s hanging onto my memory, just like I’m hanging onto hers. If my place among the stars is to help my other selves forever, then… That’s what I’ll do. Whether it's moving a couch, whether it's saving a world through battle, or just to have a conversation, like this… I’ll help. I’ll bring hope with me where I go. I’ll keep fighting, and I won’t stop until I make it back home.”

Letting out an exhale, and a small chuckle, Sunset nodded. “...Yeah, I figured that a version of me that became an alicorn would be perfect…!”

“Oh, I’m not perfect. Far from it.” She grinned, tilting her head. “I am Sunset Shimmer, after all.”

“...Hah. Good for you. Seems kind of insane, that in some other world, me and Twilight Sparkle hit it off– The perfect student of Celestia that outshined me in every way…”

“Twilight Sparkle is not the problem.” The Princess of Hope came closer, speaking as earnestly as she possibly could. “She’s the solution.”

“...I’ll take your word for it, I guess.” Her counterpart had doubts.

“...Do you want to know what being in love feels like?”

A hoof was extended, offered.

And gently, hesitantly accepted.

And that’s when Sunset Shimmer saw everything.

A thousand years loving her might not be enough to satiate me.

“H-holy shit…” She tumbled, breathing weakly, eyes focused on nothing. “T-Twilight, s-she’s–”

“--Everything.” The Princess of Hope affirmed without hesitation, smiling proudly.

The wind began blowing behind them.

The alicorn’s hide shivered– Her attention was drawn to something happening, just beyond the flower meadow.

Energy began crackling in the air. The two Sunsets flinched, as it took form.

And at a distance, they could see it clearly– A portal took form. One of a kind they did not know.

It crackled with electricity, yet was perfectly stable.

Instinctively, the Princess of Hope, despite her wounds, forself to stand. Her ears twitched.

She could feel it, even now– She could guess what was coming, but steeled her heart– Not wanting to give in to a potential false hope.

But she wasn’t wrong. This was exactly what she hoped it was.

From the portal, the Princess of Harmony stepped out. Smiling, barely containing her excitement.

Her wife saw her– Letting out an exasperated sigh. “...Twi…?”

“S-Sunset…!” She stepped forward, barely containing her tears. “I-I made it! I found you!”

No more words were needed. They galloped towards each other, and embraced each other– Rolling around in the field of flowers, petals were taken by the wind, kissing, embracing each other with wings, loving each other truly and fully, crying, together.

Any pain they felt was ignored. Loving each other was the priority.

Time stood still, as they felt each other, as they laughed and cried, as they embraced. Nothing mattered more than this moment– where their hopes were justified, where their fears were quelled, where they had peace, finally, after so long, had peace.

And there they remained. Her counterpart watched them the entire time.

Through laughter and tears, the Princess of Hope finally managed to speak. “Can we… Can we go on a vacation now? Like, go on a cruise? Maybe a resort? Maybe go blimp riding or something…?”

“We can do whatever we want…” She affirmed through kisses, resting her head on the crook of her wife’s neck, on top of her, laughing breathlessly. “...Together, my sun.”

“Together, my star.” Sunset replied with so, so much love.

They were together. Nothing else mattered.

I love you.

I love you.

They had to take a moment– A moment to lean their foreheads together, to laugh, to cry– Only when the moment passed could Twilight finally stand, to worry, to pity.

“Y-your scars– Oh gosh, o-oh no– You have so many new scars…!!” She grimaced, studying her wife’s fresh and recent wounds– Dozens upon dozens, so much dried blood. “Y-your wings, your feathers, on no…!”

She was still the wife she knew– But the damage was impossible to ignore– Her body, her face, all were peppered with new scars that would likely take months to heal– The mere thought that Sunset might not be able to fly for a prolonged amount of time filled her with bittersweet sorrow.

But the Princess of Hope would be okay. She had endured everything, and would endure even more– They were together, nothing else mattered.

“It's not as bad as it looks, hahah…!” She deflected poorly, making light of how much even now, with her wife laying on top of her, she was hurting. “...A lot of universes tried patching me up. Even the humans, hah… I’m pretty sure even Queen Rainshine tried, at some point–”

“Get up. Get up, let’s go home!! You need medical attention, everypony’s waiting to see you, let’s go, let’s go!!!” Her wife pointed a wing at the portal emphatically.

That concern was everything– She had missed it. As the Princess of Harmony helped her stand, she felt deeply just how much she missed being able to lean on her.

“I love you so, so much.” Sunset smiled dumbly, taking a roof to her wife’s cheek gently, looking at her beautiful eyes. “I knew you’d find me. I knew it.”

“W-well it was touch and go…!” She leaned closer, they felt each other’s breaths. “I had some help from friends of yours, too…!”

“Tell me about it when we’re home, then!” Grinning, she pointed at the portal.. “...Ready?”

“One more thing!” She turned to Sunset’s counterpart, who sat beholding them in immense surprise and confusion. “You’re this world’s Sunset Shimmer, right?”

This world’s Sunset Shimmer watched the beautiful tall alicorn regard her with affection. “...Um. Y-yeah. Yeah!”

She studied the Princess she knew, but didn’t know. She was much more taller than her Twilight– So much stronger. And yet, she wore no regalia. There was a weariness to her style, and a few wounds she had recently healed– This was above and beyond her already high expectations of what Twilight Sparkle could become.

She was beautiful.

The Princess of Harmony smiled with incredible confidence, incredible love. “...You know what to do next, right? You know what to do with your Twilight? You know how to earn your wings?”

There were paths, and there were choices– So many little choices she made to get this far.

She just needed a little nudge. She could see that now.

This was her nudge.

“I… I think so. Yeah.” She smiled weakly, realising the monumental importance of this meeting.

With a light chuckle, the Princess of Harmony nodded and winked. “It sounds like you’re going to have a wonderful year, then…! Goodbye, Sunset Shimmer.”

Twilight Sparkle wasn’t the problem. She was the solution.

Sunset could understand that, as clear as the sun sets now.

“Y-yeah! B-bye!” She responded awkwardly.

The two alicorns walked together, and headed towards their portal, towards their home, embracing each other with their wings.

Sunset sat there, watching as they vanished, and the portal did too– Taking light and hope with them, but having shown her a new way.

It took her a few minutes to breathe properly again.

But she understood, now.

She understood everything.

With newfound determination, she packed her things, and took the first train to Ponyville.

“B-but I’m ready! I promise! I want to be strong, like you! Please, make me an Alicorn!”

The statement, the desperation, nearly made her chuckle, but she didn’t want to be insensitive. After all, the irony was not lost on her; She knew exactly how that felt. This was her chance to say to her words that she wished she herself had heard, when she was in the same position, all those years ago.

“This isn’t about being worthy, it’s about knowing who you are, who you really, truly are, and what you can provide to our world, and the people you love. Your time, here and now, while you are not an Alicorn, is a time of discovery, it is a time of learning, little one. I need you to understand how precious that is… And I need you to understand that I love you. Above all else, know that I love you, daughter.”

Author's Note

You know, as I'm wrapping this fic up, some thoughts of what to do next come to mind, and I realise that one of my ways to continue exploring what I did here is to just... Write an anthology. If I ever wanted to write more multiverse stories I could just do it at any time.

...But then I realised this is kind of an anthology already, isn't it?

This story had a pov, yes, but it's fundamentally been the exploration of dozens upon dozens of stories exclusives to themselves, only united by an underlying theme.

This chapter was originally meant to be much shorter, too-- But I kept getting ideas, lmao. The zombie EQG universe was absolutely not something I planned a year ago, I had the idea like two days ago, lmao, and enjoyed it so much I had to put it to paper. If anything, it could be it's own fic altogether! Maybe, heh. Maybe. Also I even considered not referencing Forgotten Sunset here at all, but I just had to. Scratching an itch.

Speaking of the zombie universe, let's all mourn for Wallflower, who was out there being a good helpfull survivor, and missed the chance to see Sunset prime shirtless and bloodied up. Our strongest soldier o7

Also about the little snippets that are inbetween every sequence-- I kind of been having ideas like those for dozens of chapters now, I had to really contain myself not to abuse this little mechanic. If you're wondering why 'KILL DISCORD' Chapter had so many of them too, its bc I couldn't contain myself anymore lol.

Writing Sunset Prime so weak is such a change of pace for me, too. Having this ultimate warrior be so weak, so wounded she can barely walk, that she's getting nearly murdered by plants, no less. Goddamn. she's going to be forced by her loved ones to walk on a wheelchair for like a month lmao, not to mention the forced bedtime lol.

Speaking of that ending, too, well... Even a year ago, when I was planning this fic, I was considering if I wanted to add more conflict to the end of this chapter, if I wanted to have something happen, a new ultimate challenge, a new problem for either of the Prime protagonists to overcome.

...But no. I realized pretty early that the journey was over, that the multiverse would be kind to a dying Sunset-- And that the most fitting time for Twilight Prime to arrive and save her would be... As soon as she could, in any universe whatsoever.

I resisted the temptation of making something grandiose, Twilight saving Sunset just at the nick of time or something. I feel like this is more fitting to the theme, I think.

Special thanks to redhoodie for proofreading all this, and even sending this image as reaction to this finale -v-

I could have written an even more bombastic ending... But nah. I've had my fill of bombastic, the multiverse has, too. It's time for peace, I think.

It's funny, too. I could absolutely end the fic here.

But nah. I want to endulge, and write more.

Thank you so much for reading along all this way. one more chapter left, and it'll have art to accompany it, heheh.

See you on the next and final chapter: "Everything."