This time, Sunset did not wake up in her room, but remained in the dark.

“He... hello?” stammered Sunset, ”Nicholas?”

An icy wind blew through her body and chilled her to the bone. Why did she suddenly feel the cold? The darkness slowly cleared and Sunset could see a light in the distance that she was walking towards. She could hear voices and before she knew it, she was back in Applejack's living room. This time, however, the mood was far less exuberant.

In front of her were only four all-too-familiar figures, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity. What were they all doing here together? Last time it was just Pinkie and Applejack. She had made sure that the four of them never wanted to talk to each other again.

Suddenly, an icy shiver went down Sunset's spine as she suddenly spotted a large black figure next to her, whose body seemed to be made of billowing darkness.

“Are you...” Sunset swallowed, ”Are you the last ghost?”

Two bright yellow eyes looked at her where the figure's head should be. Sunset had a bad feeling. The first ghost had been a pony, the second a human, but this was something completely different.

The ghost pointed its scrawny, bony, long finger at the group in front of her and Sunset turned her attention back to the girls.

“A fabulous party darling!” Rarity attested to Applejack, but her cheerfulness seemed artificial.

“Thank ya Rarity it's nice to be able to spend this Christmas with ya all again!” Applejack struggled to smile, which was strange because Sunset could tell her words were sincere.

“Yes, I think so too, it's just a shame that it had to come to this.” Flutetrshy's voice sounded tearful and her head was mostly covered by her hair.

“Yes, I thought our first Christmas together would be a really nice party, but somehow even I don't really feel like celebrating,” said Pinkie.

Sunset was confused Pinkie always wanted to party and was hardly ever depressed. What kind of future was the ghost showing her?

“Ah know, sugarcube. Ah wasn't sure if Ah should invite everyone either, but Ah think Twilight and Scootaloo would have wanted mah to.” Applejack put an arm on Pinkie's shoulder.

“Yes,” Rarity began, ”I think it's best to honor her with our joy. It just takes so much out of me how hard Rainbow has been hit today. She hasn't come to the party yet either, I think we should pay her a visit. What do you think?” Rarity suggested.

“Oh yes, a surprise party for Rainbow!” said Pinkie happily.

“Ah don't think it will help Rainbow much, we were with her earlier and she wanted to be alone. Ah think we should respect that!” argued Applejack.

“Poor thing, I can't even imagine how sad she is.” Fluttershy buried her face in her hands and started to cry.

All the girls gathered around Fluttershy and gave her a huge hug.

Sunset wondered what had happened, but the ghost next to her was silent and just pointed at the scenery in front of them as Sunset turned around.

“Thank you!” Fluttershy wiped the tears from her face, “Tell me”... she began hesitantly, ”Have any of you heard from Sunset again?”

Sunset listened, now it was getting interesting. The expressions of the remaining three girls were a mixture of anger, worry and shock.

“Not since we beat her on the night of the Fall Formal,” Rarity was the first to answer.

“No wonder, after what happened, Ah would have run away forever and ever. It was bad enough that she wanted to enslave the whole school, but what happened to Scootaloo after that.” Applejack was literally boiling with rage on the verge of tears, ”It's better for her that we didn't see her again! God knows what Rainbow Dash would have done to her too!”

The girls nodded in agreement, only Fluttershy looked mostly worried.

“I know what Sunset has done is unforgivable, but somehow I'm still worried.”

“Just don't think about it! Sunset can't be helped anymore. I just hope that wherever she is, she doesn't cause any more trouble!” declared Pinkie.

“We should have nailed her on the spot or put her in Princess Twilight's custody. It's no good having her on the loose!” Applejack said angrily.

Sunset was confused about all that had been said. The four girls were supposed to have defeated her? And who was this Princess Twilight, Celestia's new pupil? Had Sunset's plan to return to Equestria succeeded? But how on earth had they been able to stop her? And what had happened to Scootaloo and Rainbow? And what for heaven’s sake could she have done that even Pinkie Pie no longer cared about her?

Sunset's mind was racing and she could already imagine how angry everyone would be if her plan had really been successful. But there was no way they could have stopped her then.

“Tell me ghost, what happened to Scootaloo?” Sunset suddenly turned to the spirit. She had the feeling it would be most willing to show her that fate. Even though Sunset was afraid of the sight.

The room darkened and as it slowly began to clear again, fog spread out in front of them. It took a while for Sunset to see where they were.

It was the local cemetery. No! Sunset thought to herself, it couldn't be.

The cemetery was deserted except for a group of people in the distance. Four of them were standing around one of them, who was kneeling on the ground with her hands in her head. In front of them was a single gravestone under a bare tree. As they got closer, Sunset realized that it was Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, and the person on its knees was Rainbow.

Everyone seemed very depressed and Sunset had never seen Rainbow so upset and full of grief. She knew what that meant, but she couldn't bring herself to want it to be true.

“Tell me, ghost, is what I see here what will happen or what could be?” Sunset wanted to know. But the ghost remained silent and pointed his finger at the group.

“I miss you so much!” she heard Rainbow's whimper. “Why did it have to be you? I should have been much more decisive. It's all my fault.”

The girls tried to placate Rainbow, but she batted each of their advice and hands away.

“I love you with all my heart and I will try to be happy at Christmas for you. Even if I don't know how yet.” Rainbow promised.

She wiped the tears from her face and sang a song that Sunset recognized as the one she had sung with Scootaloo.

Fear and certainty rose up in Sunset. Rainbow was finally helped up by her friends and they left. The ghost pointed steadfastly at the gravestone.

“I have understood! But tell me, can I change anything about this future?” Sunset tried to negotiate with the spirit. But it left her no choice Sunset had to face the truth and read the inscription on the grave.

With wobbly knees, she stepped closer to the grave. It was a beautiful gravestone, full of flowers. Slowly, she read the inscription.

“Here lies Scootaloo, a cheerful soul, good friend and great little sister”

At the last words Sunset broke down in tears.

“Why?!” she screamed, ”Why are you showing me all this? When I can't change it!”

No answer came from the spirit. Full of rage and despair, she turned to him on her knees.

“Please tell me if her fate can still be averted if I change!” pleaded Sunset.

The ghost remained motionless.

“Why don't you talk to me, am I really already lost? What's the point of all this? Is this what awaits me?” asked Sunset desperately.

At these words, it had become dark around them again and an icy wind was now constantly blowing through her bones. A loud creaking could be heard and they were in an abandoned house. No light was on, no window pane was whole and only the moon provided some light. Sunset was afraid, but the ghost only pointed away from her again and Sunset followed his gaze.

There was a huddled figure in the corner, hands wrapped around its knees, leaning against the corner. Sunset knew who it was.

She turned back to the spirit. “I can change!” she implored.

But the ghost pointed forwards. Sunset didn't move and so the room came closer and with it the figure in the corner.

“If not for me, then at least for Scootaloo!” pleaded Sunset.

The corner came closer and closer and she now looked her lifeless self in the eye. Her body was covered in frost and the life was gone from her eyes. She now looked as lifeless as her heart had probably always been.

Sunset clung to the shadows of the ghost. “Please Scootaloo doesn't deserve this! She's not like me! Don't make her pay for the mistakes I've made!” Sunset appealed.

Terrified, Sunset saw the frost settle on her fingers and feet and begin to fight its way down her body.

“I can change Ghost, I can change! You haven't given me your advice yet!” Sunset interjected in desperation, but the cold continued to spread.

“I want to honor the past and learn from it, live in the present and think about the future! I don't want to be the pony I was. Please spirit give me a second chance! Let me change Scootaloos and my destiny I beg you! It mustn't be too late!” Tears streamed down Sunset's face. The rest of her body was already frozen. With her last breath, Sunset breathed.

“I'm sorry Scootaloo!”

Author's Note

We are near the end. Thanks for everyone who stayed tuned and enjoyed the story so far!