//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: Beyond Equestria 
// by |Scripture| 
//------------------------------//

	The hours in between the cleanup and the dance passed swiftly. Flash and Twilight arrived together, followed by Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. Flash wore a dark blue suit with a yellow tie and white shirt, Twilight wearing a dark blue dress with a light blue hem and star decorations, her arm looped through his. Pinkie wore predominantly white dress with blue and pink highlights, Fluttershy in a green dress with straps modeled after vines and decorated in flowers,  Rainbow Dash in a form-fitting strapless rainbow dress, and Applejack in a somewhat more modest version of Rainbow's dress, colored green with brown trim. Everyone filed into the gym, clad in suits or dresses, as their tastes dictated. 
Twilight looked around. “It's like I'm at the Gala all over again.”
“Gala?” Flash asked.
“It's a fancy dinner party back in Equestria. The last time my friends and I went, it was... exciting, to say the least.”
Flash chuckled. 
Principal Celestia stepped onto the stage, wearing a flowing blue dress with golden trims and called for everyone's attention. Once she had it, she began to speak. “As I'm sure you all know, we almost didn't have this dance tonight. But thanks to all of you, here we are. I can't tell you how proud I am of everyone who helped.”
Rarity looked around. “Where's Sunset?”
“Why?” Twilight replied.
“She always attends these. I don't see her.”
“Maybe she didn't want to come, knowing she lost,” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Putting the dress I made for her to waste.”
Celestia continued. “I think it's time we crowned our Princess.” An aide walked up to Celestia and handed over an envelope. “It w as quite close this year, but we do have a winner. And our winner is,” Celestia opened the envelope, “Twilight Sparkle!”

Sunset drummed her fingers on the table idly as she watched Twilight squeal with glee at being crowned Princess, watched her approach and bear the crown that held the key to Sunset's escape. A small smile formed on her face. Sunset was now clad in shimmering white robes with gold trim, with golden leather bracers and knee high boots, intricate designs covering them. An ornate golden amulet sat around her neck, bearing a ruby and topaz sun insignia. 
She glanced at a computer screen showing a variety of readouts, all green. She returned her attention to the video feed from the dance, watching Twilight do some idiotic dance on her hands and knees, which Flash joined in on. “A shame your victory celebration has to be cut short so soon, Twilight. Oh well. My people have been without their god long enough.”
Sunset got up and pulled a lever on a nearby wall. Generators powered up as the room was bathed in orange light.

Twilight stood with Flash near the punch bowl. “Well, that was fun,” Flash said. “I don't think I've danced like that since I was five.”
“I never said I was a good dancer.” Twilight replied. She reached up and felt her crown.
Flash followed the motion. “I guess that means you'll be going home soon.”
Twilight frowned and nodded. “I won't forget this, though. You've been amazing, you really have. You're going to make a girl here very happy.”
Flash was about to respond when orange light flashed through the room. Suddenly, he felt like something was drilling a hole in his chest. He clutched at the spot, noticing briefly that others were doing the same.
“Flash? Are you okay?” Twilight reached forward when the same sensation hit her, but rapidly moved to her head. People started screaming as a second orange light flashed through the gym. A third flash followed swiftly, followed by the most intense pain Twilight had ever felt, as though every nerve in her body had been set on fire, followed swiftly by blackness.

Sunset strode through the empty halls of the school, smiling. Just about everything had gone to plan. Trixie's ego focusing on Twilight, and even Twilight had played right into her hands, thanks to their shared goal. Well, formerly shared, now. She strode into the gym, spotting a handful of bodies among the piles of ash and clothing. She spotted Twilight's prone form near one of the tables, crown resting near her head. 
Sunset plucked it from the floor. “I suppose your soul was more resilient than I anticipated. Oh well.” 
She strode from the room and to the statue outside, the gateway out. She placed the crown on her head, felt its power flow into her, and swiftly out, recognizing she was not its owner. “Oh no you don't. You belong to ME now,” Sunset declared, drawing its energy into herself. Violet flames leapt to life around her hands, and she plunged them into the portal hidden in the statue. She felt the portal resist her, but the crown gave her enough energy to overcome it. She focused on the ponies of her home, and began to pull the portal open.

“Twilight! Wake up! Please, wake up! Oh Celestia, please don't be dead! Please, you have to get up!” Spike tugged at Twilight until he saw her stir. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, I don't know what happened, but you've got to get up! Sunset has your crown!”
“Wha-?” Twilight slowly sat up, piecing together what happened. She was talking with Flash, then there was orange light, then... nothing. “Sunset has my crown?”
“She walked in and grabbed it! When I saw the orange flash through the whole school, I ran inside, saw her grab your crown, then head outside. She's doing something to it and the portal, and we've got to stop her! There's even some weird robot monsters gathering outside!”
“So she was the thief.” Twilight cursed herself for being so blind. She looked around for her friends and saw them laying prone as well, but stirring. A terrible thought occurred to her, and she turned to where Flash was standing earlier to see nothing but a blue suit and yellow tie covered in ashes. “Oh no...” She crawled over to his remains, tears flowing freely. She began to sob as she knelt.
“Did I drink too much or something?” a familiar voice said from elsewhere. Spike turned to see Applejack slowly sitting up. The others were following suit. Fluttershy gasped as she looked around and saw what had happened.
“What happened to everyone?” Rainbow Dash asked, standing.
Spike bounded up and explained briefly.
“I KNEW IT! I knew she was hidin' somethin'!” Applejack shouted. “Wait, where's Apple Bloom?”
“Wh-where did everyone go?” Pinkie asked timidly.
Rarity answered her. “Ash. Everyone's been turned to ash...”
“Sunset did all this? How? I don't-” Fluttershy started.
“Who cares how?! We know she did it, and she's got to pay!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“No.” Twilight rubbed her eyes and stood. “Not you. I never thought... I can't ask you to face her. You should go and find someplace safe.”
“No way.” Applejack stepped forward, wiping tears from her eyes. “I had friends in here, too. Heck, even my little sister was here! There is no way I'm leaving without puttin' boots to the little witch that's responsible!”
“Everything she's done here, all of her generosity and kindness, it was all a ploy to get us to trust her, just so she could betray us.” Rarity stepped forward. “I'm not as rough and tumble as Applejack, but I'm going to help too. I'm just glad Sweetie Belle was too sick to come tonight.”
Pinkie Pie stepped forward, wiping tears from her eyes. “I'm helping too. She made a promise to all of us, and then she broke it. Nobody should ever break their promises, especially not like this.”
Rainbow Dash stepped forward as well. “I'm with Applejack. Sunset needs to pay for this.”
Even Fluttershy stepped up. “I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'm coming too.”
Twilight felt herself tearing up again, and smiled. “Thank you. All of you. I don't know how we'll do it, though. I haven't figured out how magic works here.”
“Let's start by getting the crown from her,” Spike suggested.
The group nodded, and headed outside. Once they cleared the front doors, they were immediately spotted by metal constructs in the shape of mythical creatures. Several slithered around on long serpentine bodies with arms tipped in a trio of long, vicious looking blades, others in the form of centaurs carried strange-looking halberds. Even chimeras stalked the area, snake tails whipping back and forth like a predator about to strike, yellow light escaping from between its teeth. Beyond them all sat the maelstrom of magic that was Sunset. 
Two of the serpentine machines attacked, scattering the group. Twilight saw a straight path to Sunset, and ran as fast as she could, narrowly dodging a centaur's crashing hooves. As she rose to continue running, one of the serpent robots swatted her away with its tail. She landed in front of a chimera. She rolled away, the chimera's teeth catching at her dress.
As the chimera made to lunge, it stopped and turned its attention to something else. Twilight rolled away and looked to see Sunset on the ground, a soccer ball and the crown nearby. Twilight bolted for the crown, but Rarity grabbed it and tossed it to her. 
Twilight caught the crown as the other five formed up around her. She placed the crown on her head, which filled her with energy as her vision went white. It cleared quickly, and Twilight could feel magic coursing through her once more. She looked around and saw that she and her friends were no longer in their dresses, but in form-fitting uniforms. Twilight was in purple with magenta trim, Applejack in orange with green trim, Fluttershy in yellow with pink trim, Rainbow Dash in blue with rainbow trim, Pinkie in pink with yellow and blue trim, Rarity in white with violet trim.
Sunset stood as they examined their new outfits. She raised her hand, and the machines stopped. “It occurs to me that we have never been properly introduced, so allow me to do it now,” her arms spread wide as she spoke, “I am Her Divine Majesty, the God-Empress Sunset Shimmer, ruler of the Solari Covenant, an empire you have never heard of, and if you are wise, will never hear from again.” Sunset pointed at Twilight. “And you, little Twilight, have no understanding of what is happening here.”
Twilight focused on Sunset. “I understand you've murdered this entire school so you can take over the world. And I know I won't let you do it!”
Sunset laughed. “I admit, when I first came here, this whole world could have burned for all I cared. But, over the cycles, I've grown a bit attached to these humans, much the way I'd grow fond of a stray dog begging me for shelter day after day. That's why I did all this; a gift to those who have been good little pets for so long, they can now serve me for eternity as part of the mightiest army my world has ever seen. In the end, though, all that matters is my return home. This world is nothing otherwise.”
“Then why? What possible reason did you have for wanting the crown?”
“You are not the only one not from this world. I came from another alternate reality, deposited here by a noble I thought I could trust. I'll spare you the details. All I want, all I have ever wanted since I came here, is to go home. To my people. Not a single night passes that I don't worry what that heretic is doing to them, pretending he speaks with my voice. I'd wager my kingdom has fallen to civil war, my faithful children against the heretic's brainwashed followers!” Sunset took a moment to calm herself. “That portal you entered through is the only way out I have ever found, but it has a caveat: It does not open to the same dimension twice. It has yet to open to mine, and it may be thousands more cycles before it does. Do you understand? Once this portal closes, you and I both will be trapped here, forced to relive the same three years of this school, my hell for so many cycles I no longer bother to count.”
“What does this have to do with anything?” Applejack shouted.
“Come on, let's get her!” Rainbow Dash spoke up as well.
Sunset glared at both of them. “As though either of you would survive the encounter. I am a GOD, you little insects.”
“What does my crown have to do with this?” Twilight asked.
“I found a way to force it to open to my home. Unfortunately, I lack the magical force to hold the gateway open long enough for me to pass through. If the portal closed on me while I was still between dimensions, I would be trapped. I have searched the other dimensions it opened to for an artifact that would aid me in such a task, one that would not simultaneously try to enslave my own mind. Your crown is exactly what I was looking for.” Sunset held out her hand. “And so, I make you this offer, Twilight Sparkle: Give me the crown and return to your world. I will not stop you, and you will never hear from me again, I assure you.”
“Never.”
Sunset sighed. “So be it.” She turned her palm to face Twilight and fired a magic blast that threw her into the school. She teleported into the school in pursuit and spied Twilight buried in lockers and debris from the wall of the school. She spoke as Twilight pushed it off of her. “Decades, Twilight. Entire decades have passed. You and I both know that time flows differently between dimensions, so my people could have been without me for CENTURIES. I will not endure this torment another cycle, not another MOMENT! I will have your crown, I will go home, and I will not allow some self-righteous pony princess to stand in my way!”
Sunset moved to strike with a magic sword she conjured. Twilight fired a blast of magic that struck dead center, blasting Sunset back. “Your people are better off without you, if this is how you treat them!”
With a snarl, Sunset lunged and caught Twilight with a powerful right hook that sent her through a wall. “I am over eight hundred years old. I have forgotten more about combat than you will ever learn.”
“A shame you'll never know anything about friendship.” Twilight fired a few quick blasts of magic, which Sunset deflected before Twilight pulled a locker into Sunset's back.
Sunset threw the locker off of her, deflected Twilight's energized punch, and seized her by the throat. “And what happens when even your friends can't help? That is my story; friends, family, even lovers all fallen to the implacable forces of destiny. I was even forced to marry the stallion that murdered my own brother before I decided to change my destiny, and that of my people. By my hand, I turned a nation on the brink of extinction into a holy power no mortal dares challenge!”
“You're no god, just a monster!”
“Sometimes, the only way to fight monsters is to become an even bigger one. But if that is what will keep my people safe, then I will embrace my role.”
Twilight sent a surge of energy through her body and outward, releasing Sunset's grip on her. “The only thing a monster can do is destroy.”
Sunset shook her hand in pain. “You know nothing.” She lunged again, which Twilight sidestepped and moved to strike back to find Sunset had gone. Something grabbed her hair and began to swing her around rapidly and throw her through several walls and into the library.
Twilight could already feel the wounds piling up. Energy flowed through her again, either dulling the pain or healing the wounds, Twilight couldn't tell which. Sunset appeared again. Twilight spied a table on the second floor, grabbed it with her magic, and drove it into Sunset's back, snapping it. Sunset struggled to her feet, then teleported away. Twilight heard the sound of the destination behind her and spun just in time to catch Sunset's fist in her face. Twilight recovered and focused another blast of magic at Sunset.
Sunset swatted the blast away and returned with several of her own, forcing Twilight to teleport away. Sunset conjured a set of glowing teal throwing knives and launched them at Twilight's destination, who only barely managed to create a shield to block them in time. Before Sunset could move, Twilight sent her own magic back, and the two traded energy blasts for a time and incinerating several bookshelves before Sunset caught Twilight with an uppercut that launched her through the roof. 
Twilight attempted to gain control of herself in the air and managed only to slow her descent back into the rooftop. Sunset rocketed through a moment later, balls of teal energy like two tiny suns in her hands. Sunset fired, Twilight focusing her own energy blast to meet hers. It took all of Twilight's focus to hold back Sunset's destructive energy.
Twilight suddenly felt the burden of focus lift from her. She looked to find Sunset had vanished, then realized she had teleported when Sunset kicked her back down through the roof.

“Twilight!” was all Rarity could manage as teal energy lanced from Sunset's palm and blasted her friend through what had to be half the school. 
The machines began to move again as Sunset vanished, pressing the group together. “So, uh, anyone besides me know any martial arts?” Rainbow Dash asked nervously.
“I was in that class with you for a while,” Applejack replied, fists up.
“I took a self defense course once,” Rarity replied.
“Great. This'll go well.”
“I ain't going down without a fight!” Applejack swung at a lunging manticore and punched clean through its face. She pulled her fist out as the manticore stumbled back. “Wait, what?”
One of the serpent robots lunged at Rainbow Dash, who managed to dodge it more quickly than she had ever been before. She did it several times more in succession. “Oh this is just awesome! Super speed!”
A chimera charged at Rarity, who held her hands out in a weak defense. A giant blue sewing needle appeared and launched itself from Rarity's palms, impaling the machine, but not stopping it. It lunged again, and this time, Rarity held out her hand and thought of a pair of scissors, which appeared and cut the chimera's tail off. The machine fell, and as it tried to rise, Rarity impaled its final head on another needle, shutting the machine down. “Take that, you ruffian!”
Pinkie tried several things, but none of them worked to give her super powers. She did, however, find a large pink rocket launcher strapped to her back, labeled, “Party Cannon.” She pulled it off and fired at one of the centaurs, which exploded in fire and shrapnel. “Ooooh, pretty. I wish it was confetti, though.”
Fluttershy was cornered by one of the serpent machines, its blades glistening in the moonlight. She heard noises coming from the school, no doubt caused by Twilight and Sunset's duel. Just for a second, she wished she had some kind of power, too, something to help her friends, like the ability to become a ferocious tiger. She felt her body shift in response to her wish, and found the mind of a predator taking over. All it saw was prey in front of it, and it lunged, razor sharp claws slicing through the metal and circuitry like paper. She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the metal, and saw she had turned into the very thing she wished for, a tiger. She lunged at another machine.
Rainbow Dash zipped between machines, attracting their attention while Applejack pounded them into scrap. Pinkie fired at ranged targets, Rarity elegantly dispatching others, and Fluttershy the yellow and pink striped tiger treating it all as one big hunt. “There is no way we don't have this in the bag,” Rainbow said. Her hope faded as more of the machines appeared.

Spike watched as Twilight was blasted away and the others discovered the powers the Element of Magic must have given them. He had seen the Elements do whatever the situation called for before, so now seemed to make perfect sense with just one of them. He resolved himself to go find and help Twilight when the new machines appeared. “Okay, if this keeps up, they're going to get overwhelmed. I've got to find out where they're coming from and stop it.”
Spike ran inside and immediately heard the sounds of Twilight's battle with Sunset as they tore the school apart with their magic. He bit his lip and looked around. Something silver slithered down a distant hallway. He charged down the hallway, following where the machine came from. “Okay, Sunset had this hidden from everybody this whole time. Where's a good place to hide stuff for a long time?” He thought for a moment as something collapsed in the classroom next to him.
He peeked through the door, now off one of its hinges and saw Twilight quickly conjure a shield to protect herself from the desk Sunset had just thrown at her. After a few traded blows, Sunset managed to backhand Twilight into a wall. A vicious looking teal sword snapped into existence in her hand as she made ready to impale the recovering Twilight. He ran inside and bit Sunset's calf, forcing her to stop as she cried out.
Twilight recovered enough to blast Sunset into another wall, detaching Spike. Before either could say anything, Sunset rose and, with a roar, retaliated with a conjured javelin that Twilight barely managed to teleport away from. It disappeared shortly after it embedded itself in the wall. The duel resumed, Spike remembered his task and ran off to find the device that was spawning the machines.
“Okay, it's got to be in the basement. There's not a whole lot of places here that the students wouldn't have seen something.” Another glint of metal caught his eye, and he turned to see a centaur materialize in front of a door. He ran up to it after the centaur left and saw it was labeled, “Basement, Staff Only.”
Fortunately, the door was unlocked, and Spike hopped down the stairs. Lights lit up just about every surface in the room, most of them orange. He scanned the room and saw another door, one that definitely didn't belong to the school. “Must have had some kind of illusion spell on it, or a janitor would have noticed.” He tried to open it but found it locked. “Great.” He turned and saw stacks of boxes that looked like the computers in the library, but with no monitor. “I bet those are important.”
He leaped up to the top of them via other objects, and began to push to knock them down. As each one fell, lights turned off or turned red. “Red. That's probably bad for this thing. That means I should keep doing it!” He looked around and saw a laptop sitting on a table with a lever not far from it.
Spike tried the lever first, which he found to be fastened in place now. He turned to the laptop, didn't see anything helpful, and began to look around again. Something hit with enough force to shake the school, and a gray box on the wall came open. Spike peered inside and saw a lot of switches, none of them labeled. “Maybe one of these does something.” Spike began to flip switches until all of the lights in the room died at once. Something behind the locked door began to wind down.
Spike ran and checked the laptop. Everything it was monitoring had turned red, each giving an error of power loss. He smiled to himself. “Spike saves the day again!”

Twilight had stopped holding back after Spike saved her. She was becoming exhausted, though. Every spell Twilight knew, Sunset seemed to know too, and more. She noticed Sunset using some kind of spell to enhance her own physical strength greatly, and Twilight tried it now when she bucked Sunset through half the school and out into the parking lot.
Twilight stepped out and barely dodged an incoming car from the sky. She looked to see Sunset hovering in the air with the entire parking lot suspended around her. Twilight dodged as each of the cars came rocketing towards her, then charged for Sunset. She managed to fly straight at Sunset, tackling her out of midair and landing the two of them on the roof. Twilight got to her feet unsteadily, too late, as Sunset landed a kick into her midsection that sent her skidding across the roof. 
Sunset wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, idly noticing that it came with blood as she approached Twilight. Twilight did the same with her sleeve, then launched herself at Sunset, energy forming in her hands. Sunset moved to block the expected attack, but Twilight stopped short, closed her eyes, and detonated the energy in her hand, blinding Sunset. 
As Sunset recoiled, Twilight took a moment to catch her breath, then channeled the strength enhancing spell and began to punch as hard as she could. With each hit that connected, it sounded like a thunderclap, Sunset stepping backward with the force of each blow. Twilight only got a few punches in before Sunset grabbed one of Twilight's incoming fists, responded with one of her own into Twilight's gut, then flew into the air and threw Twilight back down into the school.

The battle outside raged for what felt like hours to Rainbow Dash, but she wasn't sure if that was her new found speed, exhaustion, or the wounds setting in. She used a blade she had picked up from one of the serpent machines and stabbed another chimera with it. A few needles from Rarity and it fell. She spun, looking for more of them, but there were none. She relaxed a bit, seeing that everyone's new uniforms bore a number of scorch marks, slashes, and other wounds. “So, that's it?”
Applejack crushed the head of one of the centaurs. “Looks like it.”
“Well then, we should go find Twilight. Sounds intense in there.”
The group gathered and moved to go inside until Twilight's body came flying out of the remains of the front doors, crashing to a rest at the foot of the portal. She didn't move. Sunset followed shortly thereafter, scowling, bleeding, and sporting multiple scorch marks.
Rainbow Dash knelt next to Twilight and saw that she was still breathing. “Don't worry, we've got this now. You take five.” She rushed at Sunset, the others not far behind.
Sunset dodged Rainbow Dash's lunge with the blade, seized her wrist, and drove her elbow into Dash's forearm, and was rewarded with the sound of bones breaking. The same elbow found its way into her face, knocking her back. She ducked Applejack's kick and hit Fluttershy with one of her own, knocking loose one of her fangs. Sunset and Applejack traded a few blows before Applejack caught the heel of Sunset's palm with her nose, followed by a heavy kick to her midsection that sent her flying. She leapt over Fluttershy's next lunge and stomped on her tail, seized it with her magic, and flung the tiger into a tree. Pinkie's answering rocket almost caught Sunset, but she dodged and fired a blast of magic that sent Pinkie ducking for cover. She looked at Rarity. “Nothing from you?”
Rarity fiddled with her hands. “No, I like my face arranged the way it is, thank you.”
“Good. It's such a pretty face,” Sunset replied before a glowing blue scarf wrapped itself around her head. She tore at it and caught a blast of energy in her gut, launching her into the school again.
Twilight struggled to stand as Rarity helped her up. “Are you all right? You look dreadful,” Rarity asked.
“I feel dreadful. I don't think I can keep up anymore. I've fought powerful beings before, but this...” Twilight replied between breaths.
“Don't worry, we're here now,” Rainbow Dash said, clutching her arm.
“For all the good that does,” Applejack said. “Feels like I got hit by a semi.”
Fluttershy, now human, and Pinkie Pie approached. “Don't worry, girls, as long as we stick together, we can do this!”
“I told you this wouldn't be easy,” Twilight said.
“And I told you she killed my sister. I'm not giving up until she takes me next or I get her,” Applejack said.
“ENOUGH!” Sunset roared, storming from the front door once more. “This ends now!” Her hands crackled with energy and took the shape of two swords as she charged.
“This is it. Thank you, all of you, for standing by me,” Twilight said, feeling a familiar energy fill her. She noticed the others begin to glow their colors. She knew this energy, the energy of the Elements of Harmony, but it felt... off, like two puzzle pieces that didn't fit together just right. Her suspicions were confirmed when the beam fired from her element, and was only varying shades of purple.
It struck home, stopping Sunset in her tracks. She braced herself for another magic blast, but felt nothing from this one. “Is this it? This is your final push?” Laughter rose in Sunset's throat as she made to approach, but found she couldn't mover her foot. She looked down to see her legs turning to stone. Her mirth was swiftly replaced with rage.
Sunset called upon every ounce of magic she could to resist the effect, and managed to wrench her leg free of the stone spell. She did this repeatedly, each step taking her closer to Twilight. If I can just kill her, I can stop this! I WILL NOT BE DENIED! Despite her best efforts, the effect was outpacing her ability to resist it. Her rage slowly turned itself into desperation as she called upon even deeper reserves, some she didn't even know she had.
New strength welled within her as she wrenched an arm free of the stone, but she still couldn't fully resist it. She pointed at Twilight, her eyes glowing gold. “You think this will hold me!? The cycle will start over, and when it does, all that you have done will be undone! I will be free of this prison, and when I am, I will find you! Do you hear me, Twilight?! I WILL FIND YOU!”
Stone enveloped Sunset's mouth, freezing her in her posture of defiance. It was the last thing Twilight saw.