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The Rage1,108 words
The Feeling of Powerlessness1,870 words
The Fever2,249 words
That Turns A Good Girl1,534 words
Cruel?1,744 words

Cruel?

A Changeling's entire life was based on survival solely because of the one flaw in their biology, their need to consume an abstract concept known as love. They went from civilization to civilization, infiltrating, feeding, and at times even destroying so that the ashes faded away in the winds of time, forgotten. A single Changeling could face many threats, magical ponies, ferocious minotaurs, deadly dragons as they lived and searched for the source that would give them life and energy. Together, a hive of Changelings would fight and die for their queen.

Alone, however, and they could be made to cower in fear.

The fake Filthy Rich was doing just that, torn between loyalty to his queen and terror as he watched the horde of Changeling fall. In this new form that used dark magic, Sunset Shimmer blew through them like a raging storm, magic like a dark fire washing over the Changelings. Wherever Sunset Shimmer fired her magic, Changelings fell, alive but out of commission and helpless. She held back... he knew she was holding back. With that much power coming off of her, it seemed to fill the air with a sort of static that all in the area could feel.

When the last Changeling had fallen, Sunset Shimmer turned her attention to him, black and blue eyes fixing a hard glare onto him as she slowly approached, stepping over the prone bodies of his fallen comrades. For a moment it felt like he couldn't move, couldn't breath as she stalked closer, prey to a more powerful predator. When he could finally move his legs, the Changeling turned to run but froze before even taking a single step as someone appeared from the shadows.

"M-My queen... Queen Chrysalis."

The woman stood tall but with a thin body, covered by a long dress that started off a teal green at the top and ended in a sickly, harlequin green at the bottom with holes and tears. Her skin had a dark, black tone to it and her long hair a slightly lighter teal blue compared to her dress. Bright green eyes stared at the scene in disgust, displeased to see her children having fallen so easily... and that one had been about to run away.

"You sniveling coward... go to those guarding Sunset Shimmer's friends, tell them to be ready. I will deal with our guest."

With a nod, the fake Filthy Rich turned and ran off, Sunset Shimmer keeping an eye on him and noting where exactly he was heading into the woods before looking back to Queen Chrysalis.

"Hmm, I had not expected you to embrace dark magic, Sunset Shimmer. Oh what your friends would think. How disappointed Princess Celestia would be."

To Chrysalis's satisfaction she had managed to elicit a small response from the other, a small clench in the fists as Sunset Shimmer's glare intensified.

"But where she would be so naively judgmental, I, however, am more open to opportunities. Which is why I will give you one last chance to-"

In the blink of an eye Sunset Shimmer was in front of her in a flash of light, her magically enhanced fist colliding with Chrysalis's mouth with enough force to send the Changeling queen flying back. Luckily the woman managed to roll back onto her feet after hitting the ground, hissing at Sunset Shimmer and wiping the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"I really have no patience for this Chrysalis. This will end in one of two ways... either you will step aside, take your Changelings and go back through the portal. Or, as I become more in tune with my power, I will beat you into the ground and break your legs so that you will have to crawl back."

Continuing to glare at the other, Sunset watched as the queen of Changeling slowly pushed herself back up onto her feet, dusting off her dress before looking up with a smirk to Sunset Shimmer.

"An interesting thing we have learned about the magic in this world. There is magic, but it's so foreign compared to our own that it is hard to tap into. And it takes time for Equestrian magic to convert into human magic. Yet even while not working at it's full potential, I would say even having the fraction of the power of a god will be more than enough for you!"

It happened too fast for Sunset Shimmer to react as Chrysalis held up a necklace... with a grey and red amulet with the shape of an alicorn at the top. It was around Chrysalis's neck just as the high schooler began to move to stop her, soon blinded by a flash of sinister red light to the point that she had to raise an arm to shield her eyes. Then she felt long, slender fingers wrapped around her throat as she was lifted off of her feet and into the air.

Sunset grabbed onto the wrist, eyes opening and shocked to see the new form of Chrysalis. While the same as before, her pupils were slit, the canines of her teeth were sharp fangs, insect-like wings were on her back and a crooked, wicked looking black horn had sprouted from her head as red aura seemed to seep from her eyes.

"Now... what was that before? About beating me into the ground?"

"Hurry up you idiots! We have to be ready for anything!"

The fake Filthy Rich was extremely nervous as he watched the dozen Changelings guarding the six pods move about, getting their weapons at the ready and forming a tight perimeter around their prizes. Six glowing green pods stood in the center of a clearing in the fortress, containing six girls that all appeared to be fast asleep inside. The five human elements of harmony and this world's Twilight Sparkle. They all had been touched by magic, they had it within them as part of their very beings. It had made studying this world's magic so much easier and had helped to speed up the process of returning some of the alicorn amulet's power.

However there came loud sounds in the distance, almost like explosions and they appeared to be drawing nearer. The faker had only a split second to jump out of the way as two bodies flew by, one covered in an ominous red aura and the other in a blue and black one. They had miraculously managed to miss the pods but the resulting debris from the trees they plowed through embedded themselves deep, with one pod having a very large tear in it.

"G-Get the pods out of here! We can't lose-"

The Changeling was put down by a blast of magic from Sunset Shimmer, losing his form and collapsing to the ground. Those that had not been wounded or knocked out by Sunset Shimmer and Chrysalis plowing through immediately fled to safer areas, leaving the two beings to battle without distraction.

While they seemed evenly matched, Chrysalis was slowly gaining the upper hand, pushing Sunset Shimmer back until finally an explosion of magic knocked the girl off her feet, leaving an opening for the Changeling queen to grab the other with her magic and begin throwing her about like a rag doll.

"You should have joined me Sunset Shimmer! We could have ruled this pathetic world together! But instead you chose your friends."

The final toss sent Sunset Shimmer through another tree before Chrysalis levitated a dozen more into the air and brought them down on top of the red head. When the smoke finally cleared, a large pile of broken trees covered the area where Sunset Shimmer had been. Chrysalis approached cautiously but with confidence that she had finally won, a sneer on her face as she looked to the pile where underneath she assumed Sunset's broken body lie.

"Such weakness..."

Suddenly Sunset shot out of the pile, looking battered but fine as she grabbed the front of Chrysalis's dress. Wings of black light appeared on her back and with a mighty flap she shot them into the air, climbing higher despite the battering that the queen started to give her, one hand reaching to grab the alicorn amulet.

"You fool! Only I can remove it!"

"Maybe... but I'm willing to bet such a powerful magic item is unstable from such a different magic! If I work my own magic just right, I bet I could get this thing to malfunction so badly that it blows up!"

"You wouldn't! It'll kill us both!"

"Do I look afraid to die?!"

Fearful green eyes stared back into determined teal blue, quickly losing in the game of chicken as she felt a magical pulse emit from the amulet as Sunset Shimmer's began pumping her magic into it. With a frustrated cry, Chrysalis took the amulet off and tossed it, teleporting away with Sunset Shimmer just in time as the explosion rocked the sky.

They reappeared back on the ground, this time with Sunset Shimmer's hand wrapped around the queen's throat, her fist raised as if ready to strike the woman before her. This pest had caused so much suffering... she could hear a small voice in the back of her head tell her it was best to just end this being's miserable life now. But...

"S-Sunset?"

Slowly looking over her shoulder, she saw that one of the pods had been opened enough that Fluttershy had woken up and crawled out. The pink haired girl's whole body looked like it had seized up in fear, eyes wide as she stared back at Sunset.

"S-Sunset... don't..."

Looking away and back down at Chrysalis, the woman trying to look stoic but her eyes betraying the fear she truly felt. Sunset tried to ignore Fluttershy up until she felt a part of arms around her mid-section as the kind girl wrapped her up in a hug, sounding as if she were crying. It made Sunset all the more conflicted about what to do as she heard Fluttershy plead to her.

"P-Please... don't. Don't kill!"

Author's Note:

This will probably piss off some people...

But hey, my story and I say it end here. Cliff hanger with Sunset Shimmer's future ambiguous now that the law is after her for that chase through the streets and such.

ENJOY!