Rise, Fall, and Rise Again
“I can't believe it's finally done,” Sunset proclaimed, smiling widely.
The woman looked up at the two-story tall mostly brick building that stood before her. It had a flat roof, much like the other structures that stood to either side of it, but unlike them, the second story was living space. Several windows were visible, though they were tinted, giving a bit of added privacy to a home that sat on the busiest street in town.
The main level had a wall of dark windows and a single large oak door that had been painted black. Lights hanging from long metal bars illuminated the outdoor drinking area that was gated off from the sidewalk with a wrought iron fence with brick posts on either end. A mix of dark metal supports, bright orange brickwork, and deep red accents, it fit the area while still standing out.
And nothing stood out about it more than the sign hanging out front, proudly declaring this establishment as “The Phoenix Bar and Lounge”. In the center of these words was a flickering reddish-orange phoenix feather constructed out of neon-filled glass. It was bold without appearing too ostentatious, or at least that's what Sunset Shimmer thought to herself.
“I can't believe you decided to fix up that dump,” muttered Rainbow Dash.
Sunset snorted, glancing at her friend out of the corner of her eye. There, standing in a row with the rest of her closest confidants was Rainbow Dash, the woman wearing a wide ratty cowboy hat that hid her face from the noonday sun. Wearing a baggy band hoodie, dark jeans two sizes too big, and comically large mirrored sunglasses, she looked like a miserable teenager.
“I can't believe you wore all that stuff on such a warm day. Aren't you hot?” Sunset retorted.
“Duh, but physically, nah I’m too hung over for that,” Rainbow Dash dismissed.
“Really darling. You couldn't have at least resisted the urge to partake so deeply. This is a most auspicious occasion you know,” Rarity added, shaking her head in disappointment.
“Whatever. You open new fashion whatever all the time,” Rainbow Dash dismissed.
“It ain't like Sunset’s got a whole string of bars or something. This is a big moment for her, and I for one am proud as a peacock,” Applejack declared, slapping Sunset on the shoulder.
“Thanks, Applejack,” Sunset replied.
“Hey, at least I look better than Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash shot back.
Everyone turned to the other odd one out, Pinkie Pie. She could not have looked any different from the traditional farming look of Applejack, the ever-elegant Rarity, the studious Twilight, or even the plain-dressing Sunset. Holding a bright pink parasol over her head was Pinkie Pie, or at least, Sunset assumed it was Pinkie Pie.
Her eyes were covered in dark black makeup while her mouth was hidden by a bedazzled cloth mask coated almost completely in glitter. The girl’s long hair hung over her face in an almost impenetrable wall of dull pink. The rest of her clothes fit a similar style, with her ankle-length pastel pink dress being covered in tiny black bats, and the army boots she wore bearing the splatter of pink paint.
“Unlike you, I caught a cold, and didn't do anything irresponsible,” Pinkie Pie accused, sticking her finger out at the other girl.
“R-right. Sorry,” Rainbow Dash muttered, looking away.
“Now girls. We’re here to celebrate Sunset’s achievement,” Fluttershy cautioned, stepping between the two women. “Let's not fight.”
“Just tell her to keep it down a bit. My head is killing me,” Rainbow Dash murmured.
“I must say I am impressed with how quickly you were able to renovate this place,” Twilight remarked, pushing her glasses further up on her face. “I remember this place from when I was a kid, but it's been boarded up for so long I just assumed there was nothing left inside.”
“Oh, there wasn't,” Sunset agreed. “But thankfully all the studs and supports were fine so it's not like I had to start from scratch or anything.”
“Still. You could have at least asked for a hand ya know,” Applejack remarked. “Big Mac and I coulda helped ya over winter.”
“I wanted to do it all myself, and besides, with Rarity’s backing, I was able to work on it full-time,” Sunset offered, giving Rarity a nod.
“It's no trouble at all darling. It has always been my wish to revitalize downtown. After all this town needs a bit of a facelift after that dreadful gang of hooligans moved in not long ago,” Rarity dismissed. “Now if only they could tear down that dreadful grain elevator.”
“Hey, that's the only terminal in a hundred miles. If that wasn't there, where would I take my wheat?” Applejack exclaimed.
“Well at least repaint the outside. It looks like that hasn't been done since Reagen was in office,” Rarity murmured, lip curled in disgust.
“More like since Lincoln was in office. I mean have you seen the other side of that thing? It's ancient!” Pinkie Pie added.
“Girls,” Twilight interrupted. “I think we are getting a bit off-topic don't you think?” Twilight interrupted.
“Why don't ya show us around and maybe pour me a bit of hair of the dog,” Rainbow Dash offered.
“Oh, oh, I’ll take a strawberry daiquiri please!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“I don't have all my supplies ready but I could probably mix you girls a drink or two,” Sunset admitted.
“Just a ginger ale for me please,” Fluttershy added.
“Beer, something hoppy if you got it,” Applejack declared.
“I guess I’m getting something for everyone. What about you Twilight, Rarity?” Sunset asked, walking over to the entrance to the bar.
“Chardonnay, if you don't mind,” Rarity answered.
“Just coffee if you have it,” Twilight replied. “It was a bit of an early morning for me. Someone nearly blew up the lab.”
“Alright, then take a seat,” Sunset began, pulling open the door and gesturing inside. “And enjoy all the hospitality The Phoenix has to offer.”
Sunset sighed as she polished a glass that had been clean for nearly twenty minutes at that point. The bar was quiet, but that was to be expected as it was a regular Thursday evening. Still, she had at least a couple of regulars, and a few others present so she could count on at least breaking even.
To her left, a couple of college students sat at a table, chatting amongst themselves and occasionally glancing up at the TV hanging on a nearby wall. Some local football team Sunset had forgotten the name of was playing, and her patrons were more interested in paying attention to that than their drinks.
A few bikers were seated in a nearby booth, their leather jackets hanging nearby. The half dozen men may have been intimidating twenty years ago but now they were greying, aged, and more interested in talking about the good old days than causing problems. Surprisingly good tippers, they were reliable patrons who only occasionally shot Sunset a lecherous look.
Other than that there were a few others scattered about, mostly factory workers that had gotten off work a few hours earlier. They’d drift in for a drink or two before heading out, unlike the small group sitting at the back of the bar, huddled around the pool tables.
Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and the rotating cast of nearly two dozen strangers they called friends were a staple at the Phoenix. They all dressed similarly, with dark makeup, black clothing, a pale complexion, and a flask they kept somewhere on their person. Outside drink wasn't really allowed but they had helped her toss out a few rowdy patrons over the last year so Sunset looked the other way.
“It's dead enough in here,” Sunset murmured to herself. “Maybe I should see if Pinkie Pie is down for another game of pool.”
Sunset perked up after noticing that one of the old timers had stuck his hand into the air and was waving her down. Upon seeing that it was one of the nicer of the group, Sunset perked up and made a beeline over to their table.
“What can I get you guys?” Sunset offered.
“Two whiskey sours, a pair of Coors light bottle, and a second of yer time if you don't mind,” he offered, his wry smile revealing a mouth containing more than a few gold teeth.
“I suppose. What did you have in mind?” Sunset asked pointedly.
“Nothin' like what you're probably thinkin' there darlin,” he dismissed, waving a hand in the air. “I was just curious about how you knew those young folk back there.”
Sunset followed the man’s gaze over to where Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and their friends stood, milling about the pool table and sipping their drinks.
“Two of ‘em I’ve known since high school. I couldn't even tell ya the names of the rest of them,” Sunset dismissed. “Why do you want to know?”
“Just a touch a curiosity is all,” he replied.
“They may not look it, but they’re a pretty rough crowd,” offered another.
“Yeah, right,” Sunset snorted.
“Just uh trust me on this one kiddo. They may not look it but there's a reason even my old H.A buddies steered clear of those fellas,” remarked the second man.
“Sunny here doesn't need to know about all that,” spat the first speaker, elbowing his friend in the midsection.
“Yeah no offense but I’m not buying that,” Sunset dismissed. “Pinkie Pie could barely bring herself to crack an egg at one point. I doubt she's some killer or whatever you think she is. Now, if that’s everything I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
“Thanks,” someone muttered.
But Sunset had already turned around and was walking back the way she came, a scowl on her face. She glanced over at the pool tables just in time to see Pinkie Pie make some particularly difficult shot. The small crowd then went wild, downing their beverages and teasing Rainbow Dash for losing again.
“Big-time criminals, yeah right,” Sunset muttered. “More like big-time goofballs.”
Sunset stumbled out of the bathroom, yawning deeply and stumbling blindly about the room. Her hand hit the switch for the lights and the small but cozy apartment above her bar lit up. Bringing the towel still dangling about her neck up, she wiped at her eyes before settling down at the table.
“Oh pizza pops, you are my one true friend,” Sunset muttered to herself.
As she took a bite and began to chew, she leaned back in her chair, and let her mind wander back. The night was fairly standard as far as things go, a little on the weird side but it could have been much worse. A glance over at the clock on her oven told her that it was almost three in the morning and that she had left an element on.
“Fuck shit, fuck,” she cursed as she stumbled over to the oven, nearly choking on her food in the process.
Turning off the element, she swallowed hard and then took a calming breath. The silence that fell after was deep, but it was broken by the clatter of metal coming from her right.
“That better not be those damn raccoons again,” Sunset murmured.
She walked over to the nearest window overlooking the back alley behind her bar and pulled aside the curtain, looking down at the narrow street below. What she saw was not some wild animal trying to get into her trash, but a group of people surrounding a motorcycle. The rider stood astride it was older, and wore a small helmet, allowing Sunset to see his face.
“Dave?” Sunset exclaimed in confusion. “What the hell is going on.”
She knew the bikers liked to park in the back for some reason which explained his presence. It did not explain why a small group of mostly hooded individuals had surrounded him and were seemingly keeping him there. Though Sunset couldn't be certain of who exactly those strange people were, his eyes soon adjusted and she had a terrible realization.
“Rainbow Dash… Pinkie Pie?” Sunset murmured in confusion.
Pushing open the window slightly, Sunset strained to hear what was being said, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Cut the bullshit. You haven't been with the angels for years. They ain't gonna show up and save your ass,” Rainbow Dash spat, prodding the man in the chest.
“You don't stop being a member, no matter how old, or clean you get,” Dave the biker retorted.
“If you think we’re scared of someone old enough to be our grandfather then you’re dumber than you look and you look like your parents are siblings,” Pinkie Pie added.
The group all chuckled save for the biker, who fumed silently.
“So what? You’re just gonna off me because I mentioned your day job?” Dave shot back.
“Ha, this guy thinks we were work in the day,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a chuckle. “What a buffoon.”
“There is a reason we’re called the night coven and it's not just the aesthetics,” Pinkie Pie added.
“What the hell are you freaks talking about?” Dave shot back.
“Show him,” Pinkie Pie ordered, glancing at Rainbow Dash.
“You got it, boss,” Rainbow Dash replied.
“What are you gonna do, kid? Bite me?” Dave mocked.
“Maybe later,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed before kicking him in the chest.
The man was launched off his bike with enough force to send him crashing into the wall on the other side of the alley. The impact shattered several ribs, and knocked the wind out of him, leaving the older man lying on the ground wheezing pathetically.
“Shoulda walked when we gave you the chance,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “No one interrupts the Night Revellers, not you, not H.A, not no one.”
“Quit toying with your food,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “Get rid of him before someone spots us.”
“Whatever,” Rainbow Dash spat.
Stalking up to the struggling male, Rainbow Dash paused when he pulled out a large bowie knife from a pocket inside his jacket. Though barely standing, he held the weapon with a death grip, glaring daggers at his attacker.
“Oooh a knife, whatever will I do,” Rainbow Dash mocked, raising her hands in mock terror.
“Bleed hopefully,” the biker retorted.
Surging forward in a surprising burst of speed, the man attempted to bury the blade in the young woman’s stomach. For a moment Sunset feared the worst, only for Rainbow Dash to become a blur of motion, dodging the strike. So fast was the younger girl that before Sunset had a chance to blink, Rainbow Dash was already behind him.
“Pretty quick for a geriatric old fuck. Not quick enough though,” Rainbow Dash teased.
Swinging back around, the biker slashed at the woman but again missed, his weapon hitting nothing but air. He didn't get a chance for a third attack however, as Rainbow Dash kicked him in the back of the knee, dropping him to the ground. He tried to rise, and push his way back to his feet, only for Rainbow Dash to be on him, a hand grabbing his wrist while the other gripped his skull.
“I hope you taste better than you smell,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
She then lurched forward and buried her teeth in the man’s neck, a pair of long fangs sprouting from her mouth. The biker tried to resist, but her grip was like iron, and even the awkward punches from the man’s offhand didn't stop her. His struggles and cursing slowly dulled until he hung limp in her grip, the color draining from his face until he was as white as a ghost.
“Hurry it up. We gotta clean the scene before someone shows up. I don't want to ruin this party just because you always play with your food,” Pinkie Pie demanded.
Rainbow Dash pulled her bloody mouth away from the man and shuddered.
“I’m done already, relax,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
A second later the body dropped, hitting the pavement with a dull thud. The moment the biker fell over, the spell that had fallen over Sunset was broken, and she gasped in shock. Recoiling from the window in horror she began to look around for any sign of her phone.
“Someone saw us,” hissed the voice of Pinkie Pie.
“It's just Sunset,” Rainbow Dash retorted.
“You took too long, now go clean up your mess,” Pinkie Pie ordered.
“But-”
“No buts. Do it spawn, your sire demands it,” shouted Pinkie Pie, her voice reverberating with a strange otherworldly tenor.
Sunset was fairly certain they continued talking after that, but she was too far away from the window to hear. Glancing around the kitchen, she brushed aside discarded papers, old bills, and random flyers, seeking out the small black rectangle.
“Come on come on,” she murmured.
There was a crash from somewhere below her. Someone had broken into the bar and by the sounds of it was sprinting towards the stairs leading up to the private quarters above.
“Wait, the bathroom,” Sunset exclaimed.
Sprinting towards the bathroom, Sunset brushed past the table, knocking aside a chair and nearly tripping in the process. Sunset managed to catch herself and cross the kitchen, a hand reaching for the bathroom door. The dull boom followed by a crash signaled that they had already breached the locked door and weren't far behind.
Throwing open the bathroom door, Sunset tossed aside the towel and grabbed the small black square beneath. Before she even attempted to open the phone, she slammed the door, or at least tried to anyway. A dark, gloved hand caught it before it could close completely.
“Fuck fuck fuck,” Sunset cursed, desperately typing her phone password.
“Don't make this any harder than it needs to be,” exclaimed a familiar voice. “I don't like this anymore than you do.”
“Rainbow Dash?” Sunset murmured.
The door opened to reveal that it was indeed Rainbow Dash standing there, the entire front half of her body stained crimson with the biker’s blood.
“Just close your eyes. I’ll make this as quick as I can,” Rainbow Dash muttered, stepping forward.
“No. You don't have to do this. I won't tell anyone,” Sunset pleaded while she continued to tap at the phone tucked behind her back.
“I literally have to. I’m sorry Sunset,” Rainbow Dash growled.
“No wait-” Sunset gasped.
Her gaze fell to the arm that had punched clear through her torso.
“I knew involving you was a bad idea,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “But Pinkie just had to support your business.”
The vampire sighed.
“Try not to judge me too harshly. I don't really have a choice in the matter,” Rainbow Dash added.
Sunset opened her mouth and tried to speak but no words sprung from her lips, only a torrent of blood. Her phone clattered to the ground, followed a moment later by Sunset herself, with Rainbow Dash withdrawing her arm. Lying on the cold ground, Sunset stared up at the woman she thought was her friend and watched as she stood over her, crimson tears dripping down her face.
“You deserved better then this. You deserved better than us,” Rainbow Dash whispered, before turning her back on the other woman and walking away.
Left to bleed out on the floor, Sunset could do nothing but lie there, waiting for the end. As the world began to fade, and her limbs grew heavy, she heard what sounded like a fire from somewhere nearby. She didn't have to worry about burning to death, however, as she was mere moments from slipping away.
In her last moments, she wondered how she had been so blind, and then there was nothing.
Sunset gasped and sat upright in her warm, soft bed within Canterlot Castle. She grabbed at her torso, lifting up her shirt and looking down, expecting the worst. What she found stunned her, for there was no hole, or even a scar. In fact, there was no trace that she had ever even been injured in the first place.
“What the hell?” She murmured.
Glancing around the room, Sunset found that she was back in the room she had left behind the day she decided to leave Equestria. It looked exactly as she had left it, with various tomes and scrolls open all over the palace, broken up by piles of discarded clothes. It was a mess, but that made sense as Sunset had not allowed the maids in, and she did not intend on ever having to clean things up.
“Was it a dream? Or…” Sunset trailed off, mentally chastising herself for even considering something so ridiculous.
She knew dreams, she knew what they felt like, and she knew that no one alive could make a dream last nearly fifteen years. The memories were too vivid, and too interconnected to be faked, ruling out any mental manipulation. Without any magical explanation, the only other possibility was that she was indeed dead and this was some manner of afterlife.
“Gotta get up. Maybe there is an explanation elsewhere,” Sunset muttered.
Rising from her bed, she found that she was dressed in the same clothes she had worn after exiting the shower on that fateful day. A loose t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants were comfortable and warm but they weren't exactly the nicest-looking choices. She hadn't even bothered to put on undergarments at the time, but that didn't matter, at least not anymore.
“Lets check the throne room,” Sunset declared.
Taking a step outside, Sunset found that the hall was empty, as was the sky outside the window. Not only that but it was silent, completely and utterly so, with only the sound of her footsteps breaking the quiet.
“Weird,” Sunset couldn't help but remark.
Making her way towards the throne room, Sunset found that she was completely alone. There were no birds in the sky, or even flies buzzing through the air. She could see no trace of any ants crawling about the ground, or any spiders nesting in the forgotten corners of the castle. There didn't seem to be any life at all, save of course for her.
“Hello!” She shouted.
There was no response except her own voice echoing down the long, empty halls. Yet despite that she held out hope that there would be someone, anyone in the throne room.
Upon reaching those vaunted halls she felt hope surge in her chest, only to be quashed when she entered the large room. The thrones were empty, and there were no guards or assistants present.
“Where the hell am I?” Sunset murmured.
Continuing her search for company, Sunset went to Celestia’s private room and found it empty. The barracks were similarly devoid of life, as were the kitchens, the gatehouse, and the walls around the castle. Now sprinting as fast as she could go, Sunset ran through the castle aimlessly before emerging into the gardens.
“Hello! Someone! Anyone!” She shouted at the top of her lungs.
Her desperate running stopped the moment she heard what sounded like humming from somewhere nearby. Heading in that direction, Sunset rounded a wall of hedges and emerged into what could only be described as a small grove. The wild trees, and tangled bushes were being tended to by the gentle hand of what looked to be a human woman.
Standing a few inches shorter than Sunset, this stranger had deep wrinkles and dark skin. Her curly hair stuck out of either side of her head, framing her face in a way that seemed to hint at deeper wisdom. Wearing a simple green dress, she certainly didn't look to be a gardener, yet she knelt amongst the wildflowers, plucking any that grew a bit too orderly.
“Ahh there you are,” remarked the woman knelt amongst the greenery. “I wondered when you would find me.”
“Where am I?” Sunset asked.
“You are in Limbo, dear child,” she exclaimed, rising from her position and turning to face Sunset fully. “You have done much good in your life, but even that was not enough to erase the sins of your past. At least not completely.”
“I…” Sunset sighed. “I suppose that's fair.”
“Humble and accepting. Perhaps they judged you too harshly,” the stranger remarked, brushing her hands on her dress. “Not like it matters anymore. You aren't long for this world anyway.”
“What do you mean?” Sunset pressed. “I thought you said I should be here.”
“This is, unfortunately for you, your home now, but you will not stay here for long,” the stranger continued, walking past Sunset and approaching a tree. “You will return to the land of the living for a time. For you have work left to do.”
“What do you mean? What work?” Sunset pressed. “None of this makes any sense.”
“It is true that although you have many regrets you don't bear enough of a grudge for you to return with the aid of a spirit of vengeance,” the stranger continued, seemingly oblivious to Sunset’s continued questions. “Nor do you have the willpower to return on your own, even temporarily.”
“No,” the stranger pressed on, clipping a small straight branch growing sideways from the trunk of the tree. “You will return because it is the will of the phoenix, who will give unto you a hundred of her lives as thanks for what you have done.”
Sunset stood in silence, merely watching as the stranger continued to move and speak.
“Another will serve as a middleman for this transaction, enabling your ascension from the lands of limbo,” the stranger explained. “Only when you have righted the wrongs done unto you can you rest once more, and perhaps earn the salvation you seek.”
“What do I have to do?” Sunset muttered.
The strange turned, revealing that a wide, wolfish smile had spread across her face.
“Kill them,” replied the stranger. “Kill them all.”
Sunset opened her mouth to respond only to find herself levitating off the ground. Slowly at first, she quickly picked up speed, launching into the air and leaving the lands of Limbo behind her.
“Damn kids,” muttered the grave tender, plucking the bits of shattered headstone sticking out of the snow. “Don't you have better things to do?”
Equipped in snow gear, the elderly man of sixty cursed whoever had done this, as well as his knees for aching so fiercely that he worried he may not be able to stand up again. Once the job was done, he pushed his way up, rising into a slightly awkward stand, legs shaking slightly.
“Come on man. Just gotta do one last once over and we can go home,” he whispered to himself.
Trudging through the deep snow, the grave tender made his way back to the main path. There he stood, breathing heavily, a box of broken masonry tucked under an arm.
“Right, now back home and… hello, what's this then?” He asked no one in particular. “Who left you behind?”
He walked over to the edge of the path, eyeing a grave three rows over that for some reason had a large bright red flower resting on it. A sight made stranger by the fact that not a single bit of snow was present upon the small plot. Some alien source of heat had apparently melted it all, leaving only a single small pool of water in the middle.
“Odd,” he remarked to himself. “There are footprints leading to the grave as well. I wonder who left that behind?”
He was about to step forward and remove the feather when the small puddle began to bubble. In moments it went from bubbling softly to boiling with such intensity that the water evaporated in mere moments. The snow surrounding the grave turned straight from a solid to a gas, their state of matter forcibly altered by the powerful change in temperature.
“What in the hell? Is this some kind of prank?” Muttered the grave tender.
This wasn't like any prank he had ever seen. Usually, when fire was involved it was a burning bag of dog poop or something like that. This was beyond some childish joke, that much was painfully obvious.
The grass now free of the snow burned to a crisp in mere seconds. A moment later and even the headstone began to turn red and begin to melt.
“I don't get paid enough to deal with this,” murmured the older man before jogging away with all the speed he could muster.
Behind him the headstone slowly became a liquid, flowing out in all directions. The ground at the center of the plot cracked, a dark fissure splitting the earth in two. And from the darkened depths reached a skeletal hand, its bony fingers wrapping about the feather. A moment later a second hand emerged, followed by a skull that contained neither blood nor brains, only fire.
Sunset Shimmer lived again.
Author's Note
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