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Prologue - The Ghost of Friendship799 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 1 : Hunted3,023 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 2 : The Captain3,702 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 3 : Home Coming4,278 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 4 : The Traveler's Light3,205 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 4.5 : The Stranger1,753 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 5 : Sun Slinger4,067 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 5.5 : A Search led Astray 1,075 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 6 : The Crucible5,026 words
The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Final Chapter : The Devil's Lair6,931 words

The Fall of Sepiks Prime - Chapter 5 : Sun Slinger

Time passed as we waited in the Plaza for Lord Spike. Many Guardians have already gone to sleep, some others have taken off planet, and whoever remained was watching the ‘Midknight Crucible Matches’.

The Plaza was cold tonight. But the Crystal Empire’s forever glowing light kept the soul warm as we waited.

“How are you?” I asked.

“How am I?” Twilight responded.

“Adjusting that is…”

Twilight raised an eyebrow to me and went into her thinking pose, eyes up to the night sky, and with her hoof tapping on her chin, she took a moment to take it all in again. Considering our first encounter, the rush to kill, reuniting with old acquaints, and finally coming to terms with this new Equestria she’s woken up to.

“Everything is so different, but everypony is still their same old selves… With slight differences here and there…” She answered, tilting her when she thought of Spike. “And the others are off on another planet fighting for everyone! … I guess I’ll see them soon huh?”

The others, she must be referring to the remaining owners of the Elements of Harmony. Apple Jack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Flutter Shy. Those few and the countless others that roam the stars now are all Ponies that had shared a spot in Twilight’s life, once upon a time.

“I find that hilarious to be honest” I said.

“Find what hilarious?” Twilight reacted, turning to me puzzled.

“The Ponies that I’ve existed around for all this time have all been friends of yours since long before I was given light… A bit of a happy coincidence don’t you think?”

“That is a happy coincidence!” Twilight agreed, laughing at the irony of it all. But irony aside, Twilight came off a bit uneasy as she often glanced at me every now and again, turning away from me to the city lights the second I looked her way. And despite my talent for guessing what was on her mind, I decided to instead, ask her strait out.

“Is something bothering you Twilight?” I asked, as to her strange behavior.

My Guardian turned to me to answer, but was hesitant to say.

“How long have you been looking for a Guardian exactly?” she asked.

“Are you asking because of what Ditzy said?”

Twilight nodded her head.

“Since the Traveler created me I suppose…” I answered.

“For seven hundred years?”

“Yes, and I must’ve searched this planet over a couple hundred times…”

“That must’ve been lonely…”

“But well worth the wait in my opinion” I reaffirmed my Guardian.

Twilight smiled, and her eyes hazed back to the city, she must be tired.

“Getting sleepy? We can hit the hay if you want?” I suggested. But Twilight nodded back and forth.

“I’m fine, I just feel like…” Twilight paused; considering her next words, almost as if she had an answer, but became lost in thought of it as soon as it came to mind.

“Like your home again…” I concluded her sentence.

Twilight and I looked to another, she was unsure of how I knew that, but as she will soon learn, that because of my role as her Ghost, I am nothing short of a second personality to her, a voice of reason perhaps. Or even more to the point, a friend that is always there for her.

“Thanks Ghost…” Twilight said. Now giving a real smile that would certainly brighten the day of any sad face that would pass her by, but a gloomy face wasn’t really the word for what did.

A group of Hunters or rather a clan of Hunters was making their way from North Tower to the Hall of Guardians, no doubt going to celebrate their recent victory in the Crucible. Noticing them and abruptly turning to face the Palace again, I tried my best to avoid any interaction. Twilight however did not follow my lead. Looking over her left shoulder then her right, Twilight watched them walk by.

But I doubt it was because of their good looks. No, Twilight’s eye was caught by the gear that hung from their saddles. The lot carried mainly Scout rifles and Shotguns. The rifles appeared far different from what my Guardian’s firearm looked like. Titanium made and designed down to the very last detail, each gun showed to be significantly different from the other.

Twilight looked at her gun. Rusted, old, and the sight was broken beyond repair.

I honestly felt sorry for her. She was a new Guardian here at the Tower, young and resourceful, but without a single Mote of Light to show for it. And oddly enough, she didn’t mind at all. Overlooking the ugly details, Twilight took it for what it was. Unlike the Sawed-off Shotgun that broke, the assault rifle held together, and it aimed with a deadly accuracy. Given it had a proper sight of course.

“Your planning on keeping that piece of junk aren’t you?” I asked in an accusing manner.

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Twilight chuckled, posing the gun in different angles in the air.

It was nice to see her looking forward to something, even if it was short lived.

“Evening love,” greeted a thick Australian accent “I couldn’t help but notice that this selfish spec of light was bothering you” it was a Hunter, scruffy black mane, tall, dark blue coat and clad in dark green attire like most Hunters, this stallion presented himself as an average Hunter. But the only difference that set him apart from the others was that silver diamond shaped badge displayed just under his scarf, signifying that he was this group’s leader.

Twilight was unsure of who he was referring to until she took a double take at me.

“Wait, You don’t mean Ghost do you?” Twilight asked, but the clan’s leader only failed to put two and two together, and as such he answered saying.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry love, you must be new here, I’m Gilt Glider, the leader of this grand team of Mares and Stallions before you…” Gilt introduced Twilight to the clan, gesturing his hoof to them all.

“Oh! I’m Twilight, it’s very nice to meet you!” my Guardian said in kind.

“Likewise Twilight!” Gilt said in response.

And for a second, this seemed to be just another jolly meeting. But I’d never take Twilight for being forgetful, as Gilt’s statement was still on the forefront of her mind.

“I’m sorry Mr. Gilt, but what was that you said about Ghost?” Twilight asked, referring to Gilt’s rather questionable comment towards me.

“Right,” Gilt began, taking a moment to glace at me “I’d like to give you this piece of advice love; Ghosts like him aren’t the kind you want to be associated with…” Gilt said, and the clan alike nodded in approval as he explained.

Twilight turned to me, confusion filled her expression.

“What is he talking about Ghost?” Twilight asked me, but I couldn’t give her an answer before a certain somepony interrupted me.

“Ghost doesn’t care about anypony but himself…” said a random Hunter from the crowd, and following his answer, the rest of the clan agreed in both words and body language.

“Isn’t that right Ghost?” that Hunter repeated, “Yeah! You told the Speaker that we Guardians were a bunch of Foals!” said another, “You never liked Guardians!” “You were also against the Crucible, a training ground to hone our skills!” “Told the Speaker it was a waste of Glimmer…” “I’m just glad he isn’t the Speaker’s Ghost anymore…” “Stupid spec, doesn’t know what we’ve been through…”

Their insults kept piling up. But instead of burdening my psyche with such meaningless words and murmurs, I let it all slip past me. I’ve heard plenty of their complaining over the years to know when to stop feeling. Looking out to the Traveler, I forgot about the angry Equines, grumbling over things that I’ve said, choices that I’ve made, and while I still believe in what I said, I do regret one thing.

Not all Guardians are a waste of space. Twilight has disproven to me what I had believed to be fact.

That Guardians like Gilt and his party and every other Guardian were a bunch of resurrected wasted lives. Many a Ponies, Dragons, and Griffins have treated me with ill feelings and unwelcome greetings that all but ruined any relationship I would ever have with a Guardian.

If it wasn’t for the Speaker who encouraged me to find a Guardian of my own to not only benefit our fight against the Darkness, but my own life, I would still be out there, searching. But at the time, I only took the Speaker’s quest for me as a kinder way of banishing me from being his Ghost. Of course that changed when I met Twilight.

And because of her, I’m starting to see the benefits of fighting alongside a Guardian. And that’s good enough for me. So let them say what they want. I honestly couldn’t care less-

“C’mon Twilight, we can get you a better gun then that old peashooter!”

…

And that is when the thought just dawned upon me.

I must’ve been staring out into space for a good while, because when I finally came to, I saw my Guardian over by the venders, keeping her assault rifle in grip while another Mare was trying to take it, almost as if she was trying to do my Guardian a favor by trading her old gun for a new one.

“Twilight please, you’ll need better equipment then this to be an effective Guardian, let us help you…” the Mare tried to convince Twilight.

“N- No, its fine, really, I- I’ll just find some old parts and repair it, I- it’s not that hard…” Twilight struggled to decline them without rejecting their misplaced kindness, but it was clear to me that she was being bothered. And that was not something she needed today.

“Twilight love, I’ll give you my gun,” Gilt suddenly said, approaching my Guardian and presenting his red and white Silvered Maverick to her “Please promise me you won’t go patrolling with a gun that can’t aim…”

Gilt got Twilight thinking rationally like the famed scholar that she was. But Twilight shook her head, declining his offer, but if only she had to say no once.

“And I’ll throw in my Fusion rifle too!” said one of the Hunters “And you can have my Rocket launcher!” said another “No a Machine gun will come in more handy then those inaccurate things!”

The clan of Hunters was arguing over which gun Twilight should take. They were all practically shoving those dangerous firearms in her face, crowding around her like a school of fish. And while it wasn’t obvious to Twilight why they were doing this, offering her top tier equipment like it was bird seed being thrown on the ground, it was painfully obvious to me.

They were recruiting her.

Being nice to her for their own personal gain; it made me sick.

“Twilight!” the Mare shouted as she yanked the old assault rifle from my Guardian’s hooves. Twilight fell forward; without her grip on the gun anymore she landed face first onto the ground.

“This is for the best…” the Mare said, pretending that she didn’t just hurt my Guardian.

Twilight lifted her head, nose bleeding, she looked up at her gun, Twilight was just about to reach out for it again, but Gilt stepped in between them, and offered my Guardian his hoof.

“Twilight love, I understand that you’re afraid of this new Equestria, but we can help you, join my clan and we’ll turn you into the best Guardian you can be…” Gilt’s proposal sounded too good to be true, but Twilight was not in her right mind. Her eyes were shifting around, reading the ground for an answer, but she didn’t like what she read. Deep down she knew that he was right, and what other choice did she have? She didn’t know anything about this place, and much less of what to do.

Shutting her eyes, Twilight tried to convince herself otherwise. But Gilt’s hoof was right there, and all she had to do was reach it with her own. Twilight lifted her hoof to his, one more inch and Gilt Glider would have yet another Pony to join the Future War Cult.

But there was no way on this Equestria that I would let that happen.

I gained speed, and rammed head first into Gilt, barely gathering enough force to hurt him, nudging him to move just a little left, preventing him from meeting with Twilight’s hoof. Of course he reacted to my attack and slapped me back for it. I got knocked against a vault, smashing the display screen when I made contact. Gilt moved toward me, eyes lit with fury, he intended to hurt me again, but as he swung, I dodged. His hoof now shattering the already broken screen, I floated under him, making my way through his other appendages. Gilt stomped a few times, attempting to squash me before I had made it past him. Now clear of their leader, I turned to the other Hunters. Aiming for the Mare holding my Guardian’s rifle, I sped up again, cutting across her front hooves to make her drop it. The gun fell, and landed in front of Twilight, I then turned back around to face them. The Mare was holding her hooves in pain, and the rest of them shot me a nasty look, while Gilt pulled his hoof out of the Vault display screen, shards of glass littered the floor as he yanked it from the hole.

Gilt walked back to us, pissed like the rest of them. But I was done ignoring them.

“Twilight doesn’t need your cheap kindness!” I refuted, “No gun in the Crucible is good enough for her, she’s capable and strong without you cultists!” the clan was raising eyebrows here and there, wondering as to what I was getting at.

“Ghost…” Twilight said to me, looking to me in concern.

“Are you alright Guardian?” I asked her, to which she replied with a nod and a smile.

“And what would you care? You despise Guardians!” Gilt retorted.

“You’re right! I hate pitiful peace keepers like you! But not this Guardian… She’s different!”

“And how pray tell; is she any different from the rest of us?” Gilt asked out of spite.

“Because she’s my Guardian!”

…

Silence moved throughout the crowd of Hunters, the expressions that they made were both odd and amusing. If only they had stayed that way. The Hunters all but erupted in hilarity, each of them crying out from my own absurd statement, and for the first time in a very long time… I felt humiliated.

Laughing and spitting, the Hunters struggled to say how crazy I was. They all honestly thought I would never meet a Guardian I would get along with… and they still don’t believe it.

Slowly descending from where I was previously floating in the air, it would seem that all those painful words had become a mountain, which was now tumbling on top of me.

It’s… so… Heavy…

…

“BE QUIET!!!” a loud commanding voice rang aloud.

The Hunters ceased their endless laughter, turning to the source of the voice behind me.

It was Twilight. Her eyes were wide with visible anger, her teeth scraped against each other as she tried to hold them in place from her hate, her chest puffed up, she breathed heavily, and her inhaling could be heard loud and clear.

“T- Twilight love, what are you- “Don’t even talk you depressing dolt!” Twilight stopped Gilt from uttering another word.

“And that goes for the rest of you,” Twilight bellowed to the rest of the clan “You all boast like you know what’s best, demanding praise for being open with your hatred toward Ghost, but I see now that you lack understanding for anypony other than yourselves!”

“And it’s true! Ghost is my Ghost, and anypony who says otherwise can say it to face or to my hoof if their Stallion enough to say it!!” Twilight taunted the group, but I think Twilight was completely unaware that her own Canterlot Voice ringing aloud in the Plaza.

None the less, Twilight’s words had left the Guardians surrounding her both surprised and offended. As few had ever been talked back to with such ferocity, while many others were growing old of mine and my Guardian’s opposition towards them. But remained quiet regardless.

“Wow…” I finally said, looking to Twilight out of amazement.

“Are you alright Ghost?” Twilight asked me with such tenderness. To which I replied with a nod of my body, and the best I could offer her in terms of a smile.

This Mare never ceases to amaze me.

“Oi, them be fighting words filly…” Gilt said to the two of us, stepping forward while the other Hunters crowded around us. Twilight and I looked around, finding no escape in this wall of angry Guardians.

“Let us go Gilt!” Twilight shouted, facing him in a fearless stance.

“Why? I honestly don’t believe Ghost can fight alongside any Guardian, and what was that you said? That I should talk to your hoof if I said otherwise? So why not settle this in a little Crucible match? Unless… You were lying of course” Gilt was trying to agitate Twilight even more. Challenging her to fight in the Crucible of all places, things did not look good for us.

“I never lie…” Twilight hissed. Forcing her way into Gilt’s personal space, giving him a hint to back off; but given that Gilt was enjoying this, he naturally didn’t.

“Really? Because I don’t believe you…”

“You don’t have to believe anything Gilt; you should take my word as fact…”

“And why on Celestia’s green Equestria would I ever do that?” Gilt asked, questioning Twilight one final time. And for just a moment, I could have sworn Twilight was going to throw the first punch. But like everything with this Mare, she decided to surprise me once again.

Flipping out her wings, Twilight forced a few Guardians around her to flinch and dodge them as she did. Every Guardians attention around us had their eyes fixated on the large set of wings that were being displayed atop this Unicorn’s back. Each and every one of them stepped back in fear, scared of this Alicorn that was suddenly right in front them.

“I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, forth heir to the throne of Equestria, and bearer of the Element of Magic!”

Twilight’s introduction was a tad unorthodox for most Guardians to handle. Nearly every one of them expressed their shock by moving away from the Alicorn, and each of them were wide eyed and with their teeth chattering.

Twilight also was a little shocked, seeing so many Ponies afraid of her wasn’t something she would ever want to see. But Twilight still held her wings up high, showing the world that her wings were a sign of hope. But with every action, there is always an equal or positive reaction.
For in the midst of the multitude of Guardians, one Pony hadn’t moved an inch, instead he just stood motionless. It was Gilt, staring at Twilight, surprised like the rest, but his expression changed to a grin as he started to laugh quietly. Everyone turned to Gilt, as his reaction was more bizarre then a Princess showing up in the Tower.

“Hey Sun Slinger!” Gilt called out, looking up to a pillar near the far left side balcony of the Plaza. A lone Warlock was lying down, most likely sleeping atop the pillar.

“Sun Slinger!” Gilt called out again.

“What!?” shouted the Warlock, and judging by the tone of the voice, it was a Mare.

“Ghost finally found himself a Guardian!” Gilt told her.

“Oh, wow, amazing! Now let me sleep!!” the Warlock yelled.

“And I would, but it’s about his Guardian!” Gilt responded.

“What about his Guardian!?”

“She says she’s an Alicorn!”

The Warlock didn’t reply, instead she lied there, and after rolling the word ‘Alicorn’ around in her head for a while, she stood up. Looking over her shoulder at the crowd of Hunters by the vendors, she faced them, and dropped to the ground. She became obscured by the crowd, Twilight and I waited and listened, hearing the hoofsteps of the Warlock get closer and closer. The sound of her approaching was accompanied by the sound of the crowd making a path for her to walk to us.

Twilight lowered her wings as the crowd had finally parted.

“The Alicorns are dead…” the Warlock began, “And even if there was still one around, I would have killed it myself before-

The Warlock’s sentence stopped short as she laid her eyes on my Guardian. Dumbstruck and distraught was the expression on her face. This Sun Slinger was a Unicorn, her eyes a silver white, her mane of crimson and yellow, and her natural coat colored of brilliant amber. The Armor she wore was gold and red, which was held together with a stunning black cloak.

And now that I got a closer look at her, I instantly recognized who she was.

Sunset Shimmer, the one and only Sun Slinger, a specialized Warlock class that was discovered when she was resurrected. Since then Sun Slinger Shimmer has become the Warlock Vanguard for the FWC. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she had some history with Twilight.

“Sunset… Shimmer…?” Twilight said slowly.

“Sparkle…” Sunset muttered, the look in her eyes blending in with her tone; cold and distant.

“I’m so glad that you’re safe!” Twilight cheerfully said, stepping a little closer to her. My Guardian’s eyes started to fill up with water, tears of happiness for another friend found.

But as Twilight approached, Sunset reared back, and punched my Guardian square in the face; and with enough force to send Twilight’s head hurling backwards against the ground. Crying out in pain Twilight grabbed her head with her hooves, shacking with pain on the concrete. Twilight looked to Sunset Shimmer, and to my Guardian’s own surprise, was holding back her sobbing as tears fell from her face one after another.

“Sunset- “Shut up!!” Sunset stopped my Guardian, “You ruined my life!!” Sunset pointed her hoof at Twilight accusingly, fighting back the urge to punch her again.

Twilight didn’t understand, she didn’t understand at all. It would seem that Twilight had wronged this Mare before, but as she searched her memories for an answer, she remembered nothing. Twilight looked up to Sunset again, seeing now that her tears had been wiped away, Twilight sat there, and waited for the Sun Slinger to speak again.

“The Crucible… Now” Sunset ordered Twilight without another word. And my Guardian listened, heartache echoing within her heart, she stood up to follow her.

“Should I get a match set up Slinger?” Gilt asked Sunset as we started off to North Tower.

“Yes, request a Deathmatch for me” Sunset told Gilt.

“Right away!” Gilt chimed, and then trotted on ahead.

As we kept walking, Twilight held her head low to the ground, sad and somber.

I truly and desperately wanted to stop my Guardian from going to the Crucible, she’ll be eaten alive by those blood thirsty Guardians, all aiming for her head. And if I were Twilight I’d really give that Sun Slinger a piece of my mind for hurting Twilight the way she did. But I’m not Twilight… All I can do now; is respect her choices, and guide her the best I can.

But I’m afraid of this Sunset Shimmer… What is she looking to gain from Twilight in the Crucible? Answers, relief, or revenge?

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