//------------------------------//
// Chapter 36: Stories in the Park 
// Story: A Search for Something More 
// by HAKDurbin 
//------------------------------//

It's already been two weeks since Sonata left to find Adagio and Aria. For the most part, everyone in our group has been living life like usual the way Sunset and I agreed Sonata would have wanted. We go to school, we hang out at lunch and after school with our friends, and Rainbow Dash and Soarin have been winning more playoff games.
Despite that, however, it hasn't been the same without Sonata. Granny Smith seems to be the most down out of all of us even though she doesn't show it when she's serving us in the cafeteria during lunch period. It's clear that even though Sonata has only been with the Apples for the past five months, Granny sees her as if she is another one of her grandchildren, and she's worried about whether or not Sonata's going to be okay. Sonata gets to call the Apples now and then to say hi and let them know that she's alright, which is comforting, but it still doesn't feel the same as long as she isn't back at Sweet Apple Acres safe and sound.
Still, life has been going on even though our group is one person short. Applejack and Caramel had another date without me and Sunset spying on them, and according to him, it went nicely. He said that they got to know each other better, and they had a few good laughs while they had dinner and went to see a movie. When Soarin and I asked him if he's going on a second date with her, Caramel gave us a smug look and proudly said, "Maybe, maybe not," before he quickly changed the subject. Soarin and I took it as an implication that there will be, and Applejack probably wants it to be kept between the two of them.
Meanwhile, Sunset and I have continued to grow close. Much like when Octavia and I were dating, we've been staying at each other's side with every opportunity we have. We continue to hold hands and/or exchange text messages during English class, make out after school, and hang out at either my place or at her apartment whenever we aren't hanging out with friends or she doesn't have band practice with the other Rainbooms.
Sadly, today is one of those days.
After school ended for the day, Sunset told me that she has something big planned for band practice today, so we'll have to hold off doing things together for a couple of hours. As usual, whenever she breaks the news of band practice, I frown and don't hesitate to say that I'll miss her, and she smiles and say she'll miss me more in a flirty way that makes me blush much to her pleasure before we hug and kiss goodbye. Usually, I would see how Caramel and Soarin are doing, but Caramel has a thing going on (meaning planning his second date with Applejack,)  and apparently, Soarin is preparing for the tryouts for some games thing. I'm not sure what it is exactly. So that mostly just left me to resign to go home and play video games on my laptop.
I go home, and after saying hi to my mom, I go upstairs to my room and start playing a game on my laptop while listening to music. While playing, I think about Sunset and the Jedi necklace we found next to my driveway. It's just so weird and yet so cool that all of a sudden, I just happened to have a gift with the Jedi symbol. There's no way I'm going to wear it because I treasure Sunset's locket way more, but it's still an awesome yet curious gift. I can't think of anyone apart from the Rainbooms, Sonata, Soarin, and Caramel, who would have given me that, and they gave me their birthday gifts at the party. I even asked my parents about it, and they were just as bewildered that they didn't even notice it hiding under one of our bushes. 
Suddenly, I feel my phone vibrating. I take it out to see it's Sunset calling, which instantly makes me smile as I answer it.
"Hello?" I ask.
"Hey, babe, are you home?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'm just playing a game," I answer. "Did you finish rehearsing?"
I hear Sunset let out a depressed sigh before she answers.
"Yeah, we finished a few minutes ago," she says. "Can we meet somewhere? I kinda need to vent to you right now."
I make a confused face before I answer, "Uh, yeah, we could meet at the park or something."
"Sounds great," she says eagerly.
"Is something wrong?" I ask.
"No, it's just...well..." Sunset begins hesitantly. "I tried to find out why the girls and I pony up during band practice."
"Really?" I ask, surprised.
"Look, can we talk about this at the park? I'd rather rant about this with you in person," she says, sounding weary.
"Yeah, absolutely, I'll run over there in about ten minutes," I say.
"Great, I'll meet you there. Love you," Sunset says.
"Love you too," I say before I hang up and sigh, confused but eager to find out what's going on and hopefully comfort my girlfriend the best I can.



*********************************************************************************************



So, Sunset had an interesting afternoon by the sound of things. As soon as I met her at the park, and found a bench to sit on,  she sits on my lap and rants about how band practice left her as dumbfounded about magic in this world than she already was. Basically, without telling the other Rainbooms, Sunset got permission from Principal Celestia to bring some science equipment she bought to study how the others pony up and what it has to do with their instruments. So when Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity came to the music room to practice, they found Sunset with a lot of high tech equipment and telling them that she's going to experiment on them and they reluctantly agree with bewildering results.
"So first Fluttershy made the power go out while glowing butterflies flew around the room. Then Applejack floated in the air before it suddenly rained shiny, sparkling apples on top of my head. After that, Pinkie Pie's drumming made a bunch of balloons come out of her main drum and made me stick to the wall with all the static electricity that came from them. Rarity just floated just like Applejack and my foot got tangled in a wire, and then Rainbow Dash's guitar solo made my expensive control booth explode into rainbow sludge!" Sunset rants. "By the end of it all, I only had enough energy to admit that I have no idea how magic works in this world before I fainted!"
I stare at Sunset in shock as she starts panting after letting out her entire story. Her hair is messed up, and her eyes look tired and weary of the whole experience.
"So, now their magic gives most of them the ability to make things like living bugs and fruit appear out of thin air?" I ask.
"See? It sounds more ridiculous when you say it!" Sunset exclaims. "Granted, there were moments when we were fighting Sonata and her sisters where Fluttershy and Rarity conjured butterfies and diamonds respectfully, but this is something else. All I hoped to do was get some scientific data on how magic works in this world, and this just leaves me with even more questions. It's ridiculous!"
"But that was anyways a possibility, right? " I ask. "After all, you said yourself that magic doesn't always have to have any rhyme or reason to happen."
"Yeah, I know, but it still drives me crazy," Sunset complains. "Are these new features to our magic in this world? Should we expect butterflies and balloons to appear the next time we rehearse or if we have a gig? Am I going to summon fire the next time I play or something? I just wish I knew what in the world is going on with my friends and their magic?"
She huffs in frustration, and I pull her closer to me, trying to calm her down.
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay," I say quietly. "You did your best, and in the end, it just proved what you already told me about this magic before. Maybe, for now, the important thing is you know that it just happens and be glad that we're not going to need it to fight dark magic or something like that anytime soon."
Sunset sighs before she looks at me with a smile.
"You're right. Thanks, Rough Draft," she says.
"Anytime," I say, smiling back.
Without another word, Sunset lays her head on my chest. I continue to wrap my arms around her, and we stay in this position, just enjoying each other's loving company. I can hear Sunset let out a satisfied sigh, which makes me smile, knowing that she's happy to be with me in this quiet moment. The sun starts its slow descent, giving the sky a bright yellow-orange glow. Sunset and I both smile and enjoy the view when a thought enters my mind.
"So in your world, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna raise the sun and moon so that you have both day and night?" I ask.
"Yeah, pretty much," She answers.
"So how come the sun and moon in Equestria can't rotate without the two of them? Is there just no gravitational pull in that universe or something?" I ask.
Sunset chuckles with her mouth closed before she answers.
"Well, no and yes," She says. "It's kind of an odd mixture of both science and magic. As far as recorded Equestrian history can tell us, the sun and moon have always needed to be lifted and set by someone with the kind of power both Celestia and Luna possess at the required time. In fact, before they were born, unicorns had the responsibility. Honestly, my world is a world that relies on ponies for life to move on. Equestria is pretty much the most sophisticated and technologically advanced civilization, which includes the floating city of Cloudsdale, which is tasked to create clouds so that there can be rain or snow at the time that the land needs it."
"When you put it like that, it sounds stupid that there have been any magical creatures like Discord or Tierek who want to rule Equestria when the entire world needs ponies to fully function," I comment.
"As someone who was a raging she-demon with relatively similar goals, I can testify that common sense doesn't always come to play when ponies and other creatures desire power," Sunset says, smirking. "If there's anything that the darkest moments in my world have in common, it's that most of it comes from pride. A desire to rule, a desire to be all-powerful, a desire to be adored, etc. It may not always be the case, but so many occurrences in history like Nightmare Moon, the Lunar Rebellion, and King Sombra fall into that category in some way or another that involves gaining more power than they already possess."
"But not all, right?" I ask. "I mean Discord just wanted chaos, and the Changeling Queen wanted to feed her subjects."
"True, but thankfully ones like Discord and the Changeling Queen are rare," Sunset says. "Looking back at magical encounters like that and in pony tales, there is something dangerous about magical beings like Discord who just want to mess up the world for their twisted pleasure."
"Yeah? Any other examples?" I ask.
Sunset doesn't say anything for a moment, but then she lifts her head to look at me as she answers, "Well, when I was little, my family butler used to tell me all kinds of dark stories before bedtime about a mystical being that is said to be the one who causes all conflict in the universe for his twisted pleasure called Eternal War."
I snicker at the sound of the name.
"Really? Eternal War? That's the kind of name that would be in dark fairy tales in your world?" I ask.
"Oh, and you're so proud of your name that Ms. Cheerilee says she wants a copy of every time we have a paper?" Sunset says with a playful smirk.
I chuckle nervously at her point before I say, "Continue."
"That's better," she says. "Anyway, Eternal War is an ancient being from before the time Equestria was founded whose original form is unknown. Some stories say he's some beautiful being who guides you to the afterlife. Others say he's a horrifying, conniving demon. Whatever the case, all the stories and songs from back then talk about Eternal War, who is the lord of all conflict in existence. Many early civilizations believed that there is a god that creates and guides the ways of war and the struggle between good and evil. There are even prophecies saying that one day he will create a war to end all wars that will rage for thousands of years and ultimately destroy all life save for the last living being standing. Whoever that last living being is, Eternal War will turn into a god for surviving his mighty war. Some religions and cults believed that life was created to fight for your place in the afterlife. The more you kill either in person or by command, the better your life in the netherworld will be. Thus, many early civilizations desired war to prove their worth in hopes of satisfying the one who they blindly believed was in control of every fight they caused. Ponies, griffins, minotaurs, zebras, dragons, horses, hippogriffs, and many other creatures would fight each other, never knowing that they were throwing their lives away for the sick pleasure of an unknown being."
I listen to Sunset intently, fascinated to learn about this mysterious being she is describing.
"So, does, or did Eternal War exist?" I ask.
Sunset looks at me with a smile, amused at my intrigue.
"Well, that's the thing about legends and pony tales in my world, they could be true given how there's so much we don't know about magic and life before Equestria was founded. But at the same time, they can just as easily be dismissed as just stories and myth from a time where no one understood much about the ways of science and ethics or even the depths of magic," she answers. "So stories and legends like Eternal War have long been viewed as nothing more than simply stories to tell foals. Granted, Eternal War is a character that pops up in a lot of stories, but that raises the question of where he is now if there's been nothing but myths about him for over a thousand years. Maybe he did exist but was somehow killed during those dark times, or maybe he's out there hiding in an unknown location in Equestria or beyond. For all we know, he could be locked away in the special prison for evil spirits, Tartarus. After all, that's where Tirek was, and no one remembered him before he escaped and attacked Princess Twilight and her friends. Honestly, babe, questions like whether or not someone like Eternal War exists is just one of those mysteries and legends that you can only speculate about at best."
I smile at my girlfriend before I say, "Well, it would be interesting to discover what a being like that must is like even though it's better that he isn't around to cause mayhem."
"Agreed," Sunset says, smiling back before she lays her head on my chest again. "It's better to believe that danger like that doesn't exist in Equestria and especially in this world."
I hum in agreement before we go back to holding each other in peace. We stay like this for a while before Sunset lifts her head again and gives me her signature smirk.
"You know, I just told you a couple of stories, and yet I don't recall you ever showing me the story you're writing in exchange for our date like you promised," she says.
I chuckle nervously before I respond.
"In my defense, we did get distracted with you going to Equestria, us getting together and a whole bunch of other stuff besides our 'making up for lost time' time," I say.
"Well, we have nothing to distract us now," she says with a flirty smile. "And I want to hear what my boyfriend is working on."
I chuckle bashfully.
"Well, I don't have my backpack with me, but I have gotten into the habit of copying my progress into my phone just to have a backup," I say.
"Well, then take it out and read it to me," she commands. "I don't want to wait any longer.'
"As you wish, my sunshine," I say, smiling brightly.
She gives me a satisfied smile as I take out my phone and open my notes app, and she lays her head on my chest again, waiting for me to read it to her. I clear my throat before I begin reading from the beginning to where I have made progress since Soarin interrupted me a couple weeks ago.






*********************************************************************************************


 I didn't know what to think. I felt like I should be disgusted by her strange act of kindness, but somehow I felt comforted, which I've never felt before. I wish I was able to ask why she would say such a thing, but before I could, my master caught up with us and ordered me to kill her. I tried to think of a way around it, but he kept ordering me to do it, and the twe'lik Jedi had her eyes closed, accepting her fate. I held my breath and sadly cut off her head, thinking it best that she died painlessly. But for the first time, I hated killing someone. It was as if my eyes were opened, and I started to see that my enemies weren't just my enemies; they were living beings with better, purer reasons to live than to gain power. Do you know what I mean?"
"I think I'm starting to," Rough Draft answered honestly, giving Aruetyc a kind smile that she returns.
Aruetyc smirked at Rough Draft's answer.
"Sounds like you're taking your lesson from this 'good friend' to heart, Jedi," she said.
"I try to for what it's worth," Rough Draft replied.
"Heh, you Jedi and your humbleness," Aruetyc growled. "Now, where was I?"
"You reluctantly killed the twi'lek Jedi," Rough Draft answered.
"Ah, yes," Aruetyc said with a frown. "Anyways, for the first time in my life, I regretted taking a life. I hid it well from my master, but despite keeping my feelings hidden, I knew my sympathy for the Jedi was turning me into something the other Sith wouldn't like. What was scaring me more was when I was practicing with some training droids. I can destroy a dozen of these in seconds, but when I went against them after that encounter, they started to win. They had no special equipment or set on a new difficulty, but they nearly knocked me down like I was nothing more than a child. I slowly began to realize that this little bit of light entering inside me was draining my powers. Without my full devotion to the dark side, I was growing weaker, and I think Darth Barmas knew it deep down as he watched me cut the training droids down. He didn't even say anything to me. He just gave me a look that said the fighting was sloppy and left. At my chambers that night, I couldn't get either event out or my mind. I was scared of how the Jedi affected my connection to the dark side. I knew that I was going a path that will get me killed by fellow Sith if I didn't do something."
"So you defected," Rough Draft assumed.
"I ran away. There's a difference," Aruetyc growled. "Even if I'm abandoning my Sith ways, no Jedi or Republic soldier with a brain bigger than a pebble will be willing to take me alive after what I've done. Who would believe me?"
"I would," Rough Draft said plainly, earning a forced laugh from Aruetyc.
"You don't mean that," she sneered. "You're just saying that because you want to try out your new Jedi 'teachings' and not because you want to."
"No, I don't. I want to help you, Aruetyc," Rough Draft said sincerely. "I don't need the Force to sense there's no lie in your eyes. You have a lot of questions, and you are not going to get any answers by hiding near the Killik nests. You can't figure out what you want on your own, so please let me help you."
Aruetyc hesitated before she looked deep into Rough Draft's eyes. Her glowing yellow eyes, couldn't decide between trusting the Jedi and rejecting his offer while his emerald eyes pleaded for her to make the right decision.
"What about your precious Jedi Order?" she asked. "Say we manage to fly out of this planet and make it to your Jedi temple without a hitch. How do you know you can convince your fellow Jedi to give me a chance after all the harm I've done?"
"I don't," Rough Draft said honestly. "But I would like to try for you."
Aruetyc stared at the Jedi Master. She was in such a trance that it confused Rough Draft.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"No one has ever made any implication that they would selflessly do something for me," she answered.
"Then it looks like I'm the first," Rough Draft said with a small smile. "And you have a lot to learn about the ways of the Jedi. I assure you; however, the Order is not short on Jedi, who can help you understand the light. There's Master, Serinah, Master Candronia, even -"
"No," Aruetyc said sharply. "If I am to be allowed to your Order, you must be the one to help me."
Rough Draft looked at Aruetyc, surprised.
"Don't act so shocked, Jedi," she growled. "I'm sure the fellow Jedi you listed are admirable teachers, but I think we both know your fellow Jedi will see me as your responsibility and, as such, should be the one to help me in my confused state. Besides, I'll help you put those 'teachings, from this 'old friend' to practice by letting you teach me, so it's a fair trade."
Rough Draft hesitated as he looked at the winged Sith pureblood and saw that she's not going to back down. Finally, he sighed and gave her a genuine smile.
"Well, I can't argue with that logic, now can I?" he said with a small chuckle. "In fact, I'd say your decision to think of my own goals is a nice small step."
"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Aruetyc said with a smirk. "I make no promises that I will be easy."
"Fair enough," Rough Draft said with a small chuckle.
Suddenly, both Force Users turn to the entrance of the cave. They sensed that something is out there, and whatever it is, it isn't good.
Sure enough, three Sith warriors walked to the entrance of the cave. Two tall, Sith purebloods with long messy black hair, bright red eyes, and each carrying double-bladed lightsabers under their belts stood between a human woman with poofy blue hair, brown eyes, and two lightsabers carried under her belt. The woman walked ahead from her companions with her hands behind her back, wearing a confident and mocking grin on her face.
"Sunset Shimmer, Lord Barmas is displeased," the woman said in a mocking, sad tone. "It sounds like you don't appreciate all the hard work he's done for you."
"Spare me your act, Mietta," Aruetyc growls. "You wanted me to slip so you can gang up on me with your mindless drones."
"Drones? Now that's no way to talk about my darlings, Ash-Meq and Satomeen," Mietta says, hugging the arm of one of the tall, Sith pureblood men. "They are my strong, daring, loyal men who will do anything for me. Isn't that right, my darlings?"
The two Sith pureblood men, Ash-Meq and Satomeen, merely grunted in agreement while their eyes are glued to Aruetyc, or Sunset Shimmer, and Rough Draft. They growled like beasts ready to pounce while Mietta stood on her toes to pat one of them on the head. Sunset Shimmer and Rough Draft looked at each other disapprovingly before Mietta spoke again.
"Anyway, House Thul is acting suspicious about where our special warrior is, and Lord Barmas is promising a reward for finding you alive and unharmed. Can you help a girl out?"
"Not a chance, Mietta," Sunset Shimmer hissed. "Even if I came willingly, you'd take this chance to get rid of me to gain favor with my formal master."
Mietta let out a girly yet evil giggle.
"Oh, I'm sure your former master will want to torture me for failing to bring you alive," She admitted. "But then again, we've all seen how weak you have become after your latest ambush, so I'm sure Lord Barmas is already considering you to be another failed experiment. I don't think it would be hard to make up a story that your animal instincts took over to the point that the apprentice he knew is gone. It would sound like a mercy to only bring back your head as my trophy, wouldn't you say?"
Rough Draft chuckled lightly, pretending to be amused, catching the attention of Mietta and her lackeys.
"You know, say what you will about what flaws the Jedi code might have, but at least we aren't crazy enough to senselessly kill each other for control," he said amused. "If you Sith stopped playing these deadly, power-hungry games, you may stand a better chance against the Jedi. Maybe even live to see old age."
Everyone stared at Rough Draft before Mietta giggled again.
"My, oh my, oh my, how did I not see it sooner? This must be my lucky day," she said. "An opportunity to not only dispose of you but Jedi Master Rough Draft himself? Sunset, dear, I never thought you'd be so courteous."
In anger, Sunset Shimmer took out her lightsabers and stepped between Rough Draft and the other Sith.
"Take a step towards him, and I will slice you into pieces and brainwash your lackeys to be my literal pets," she growled.
Mietta stared at Aruetyc with a devious grin on her face.
"You must be joking, Sunset Shimmer," she said. "Not only did you hesitate to kill a Jedi, but you're starting to care for one? Maybe after I'm done with you, I should cripple Master Draft and break him to be my new 'drone' as you so lovingly called my loyal gentlemen."
Rough Draft didn't need the Force to know that Sunset Shimmer was infuriated by their opponent's taunt. He quickly walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Easy, Aruetyc," he warned. "Don't let her get to you."
"You know I have to," Aruetyc hissed. "I'm weak without my anger."
"This is just what she wants," Rough Draft said. "She's trying to trap you with your hate. Relax. Analyze what is before us."
Sunset Shimmer glared at Rough Draft before she took a deep breath and studied the Sith before them.
"Is there anything about these three that I don't already know?" Rough Draft asks as he kept his eyes on their enemies. 
"Mietta's drones can't think for themselves," Sunset Shimmer said. "They rely only on brute strength. She's the only one with both real brains and power."
"Then what say we trick her instead," Rough Draft suggested. "We lure her bodyguards into attacking first, and when we cut them down, she will be so angry that she will attack ruthlessly."
"Are you sure you can take these two?" Aruetyc questioned. "Ash-Maq and Satomeen are mindless, but they are still skilled in combat."
"So were the brainwashed drones that Darth Blumblood used against the Republic soldiers and me," Rough Draft said.
Sunset Shimmer thought about it before she smirked at the Jedi Master.
"Bet I can cut one down faster than you," she challenged.
"We shall see," Rough Draft said, smirking back before they stepped away from each other, and Sunset Shimmer turned to Mietta.
"You know, Mietta, if you're so proud of your henchmen, then maybe you should show us if they're worth being proud of," she said.
Mietta sneered and asked, "Now, why would I waste their energy on you too when I can take care of you myself?"
"Don't kid yourself, Mietta," Sunset Shimmer said with a grin. "You could never beat me in combat.
"True," Mietta said before she grinned deviously. "But this time, I don't need my lightsabers to beat you, now do I?"
Without another word, Mietta stretches out her hand at Rough Draft. The Jedi Master gasps for air as he's lifted from the ground and holds his neck. Sunset Shimmer angrily ignited her lightsabers and began to charge before Mietta raised her finger tauntingly.
"Ah, ah, ah," Mietta said tauntingly. "If I close my fist, his neck breaks. Surely if you care so much about the Jedi, you wouldn't want that."
Sunset Shimmer growled in venomous anger, but she knew that she couldn't attack Mietta without her killing Rough Draft. She sighed and reluctantly turned off her lightsabers and put them back under her belt. Mietta laughed maniacally before Sunset Shimmer interrupted her.
"You know, this is part of why I was always better than you, Mietta," she said with a smirk. "You forget things like how I can use Force choke too."
Mietta laughed again and said, "Oh please, Sunset Shimmer. There's no way you could break my neck before I break your boyfriend's, and even if you did, I'm willing to bet he will be very disappointed that you will - AAAHHHHH!!!"
Mietta released her force grip on Rough Draft, and he fell to the ground gasping for air. He looked up to see Mietta screaming as she held her hand, which was bent funny. He turned to Sunset Shimmer, who is grinning.
"What did you do?" He asked.
"I did as you suggested; analyze the situation," she answered confidently. "I wasn't sure if I could save you in time if I went for her throat, so I decided to get creative and used force choke on her wrist instead. When I closed my fist, her bones and joints connected to her wrists broke instead."
"Painful but effective," Rough Draft said. "You're learning fast."
"Something I've always been good at," Sunset Shimmer said boastfully.
Ash-Meq and Satomeen stared at their mistress in shock before she turned to them.
"Don't just stand there. Kill them!" She barked. 
The two Sith pureblood men nodded robotically and took out their double-bladed lightsabers. Sunset Shimmer and Rough Draft ignited their lightsabers and took their stances.
"Do me a favor and don't die," Sunset Shimmer whispered to the Jedi.
"Same goes for you, Sunset Shimmer," Rough Draft whispered back, earning a small, appreciative smile from the defected Sith apprentice.
Ash-Meq and Satomeen let out battle cries as they charged at Sunset Shimmer and Rough Draft while Mietta stepped back to watch while trying to relocate her hand back to its broken socket. Ash-Meq started swinging his lightsaber at Rough Draft while Sunset Shimmer flew up to dodge Satomeen's attacks. Both Sith assassins stayed on the offensive, but Both Sunset Shimmer and Rough Draft parried their advances with ease.
As the duels raged, however, Sunset Shimmer noticed that Rough Draft is beginning to tire as he blocked Ash-Meq's constant, aggressive attacks. She knew she had to do something for her new ally and fast. As Satomeen continued to try to attack her from the ground, she got an idea and charged straight at the assassin. Unable to react to her charging at him in time, Satomeen raises his lightsaber foe's attack, but Sunset Shimmer takes his mistake to cut his lightsaber into pieces and place her hand on top of his head.
"Satomeen!" Mietta cries out, worriedly.
"This is the problem with you having such foolishly obedient henchmen, Mietta," Sunset Shimmer said with a smirk. "They are too focused on pleasing you to channel their anger properly. Why don't I fix that with this one?"
Force Lighting came out of Sunset Shimmer's fingertips and hit Satomeen in the head. But instead of killing him, the Sith Pureblood's face turns wooden like his mind was wiped out of his brain.
"Forfeit your mind, Satomeen," Sunset Shimmer commanded. "I am not your enemy, but as long as Ash-Maq lives, he is a threat to your desires to please your mistress."
"Don't listen to her, Satomeen," Mietta growled as she struggled to fight the pain of her broken wrist. "She's trying to brainwash you!"
But her cries fell on deaf ears. Satomeen's mind was under Sunset Shimmer's control, and his dull face turned into a look of rage as he turned to Ash-Maq, who is still fighting Rough Draft. He shouted out another war cry and ran to his comrade. Still struggling to fight the pain, Mietta can only watch as Satomeen took out a dagger and plunged it into Ash-Maq's back. As Ash-Maq feel, Rough Draft takes advantage of Satomeen focusing on his target to cut the brainwashed bodyguard down. Rough Draft deactivated his lightsaber and panted heavily as he gave Sunset Shimmer an appreciative nod.
"So, that's the brainwashing ability I've heard about?" He asked.
"More or less," Sunset Shimmer answered with a proud smile.
But before Rough Draft could comment on his companion's ability, a near animalistic growl is heard from Mietta. Rough Draft and Sunset Shimmer only had a moment to realize what is happening before the injured Sith warrior let out an unearthly scream. The Jedi and the winged Sith defector covered their ears in pain as Ash-Maq's lightsaber flew out of his lifeless hand and floated around Mietta. One of her lightsabers began to drift from her belt, and both lightsabers activated themselves.
"Uhh, Sunset Shimmer?" Rough Draft asked nervously.
"If you're asking if she's wielded lightsabers telekinetically before, the answer is no," Sunset Shimmer said. "I think we might have pissed her off more than we hoped."
"You took my boys away from me!" Mietta growled. 
Without another word, the animated weapons flew towards Rough Draff and Sunset Shimmer. They quickly ignited their lightsabers just in time to deflect the first blows. The Jedi and the winged Sith began to slowly retreat as they struggled to defend against the attacking lightsabers.
"I don't know how long I can keep this up," Rough Draft said as the double-bladed lightsaber continued to attack him. Then with one stroke, the lightsaber sliced Rough Draft's lightsaber in half, narrowly missing his fingers and plunged to a striking blow. Rough Draft held his hands close to himself and used the Force to stop the blade from reaching his heart barely.
Sunset Shimmer turned to notice her companion in peril and growled. She turned to the animated lightsaber attacking her and began attacking it with her crossguard lightsabers. Realizing what her enemy is doing, Mietta took out her second lightsaber with her good hand and charged at Sunset Shimmer. The winged Sith pureblood saw the female human's advances and quickly went back to the defense as Mietta, and the levitated lightsaber swung at her. Even with Mietta injured, her anger continued to channel through the lightsabers as she attacked Sunset Shimmer, and the double-bladed lightsaber continued to try to impale Rough Draft.
Rough Draft began to take a few steps back as he struggled to push back the lightsaber with the Force. He groaned, and his arms began to shake as he grew tired. He turned his head around, trying to think of a way to escape, only to realize Mietta has his back to him as she continued to attack Sunset Shimmer. An idea hatched in Rough Draft's mind, and with one big breath to focus, he stopped pushing the blade of the lightsaber back and quickly moved away as the lightsaber moved past him and pierced Mietta's left leg. Mietta screamed in pain, leaving her distracted long enough for Sunset Shimmer to slice through her opponent's waist with both of her lightsabers.
No one moved a muscle for a few seconds. Mietta's eyes widened as her mind processed what just happened. The animated lightsabers and the one in her hand slowly fell to the ground as the Sith warrior wobbled before she tumbled to the ground. She whimpered and gasped, trying to fight the pain as she slowly died. Rough Draft let out a big sigh of relief while Sunset Shimmer stared at her dying rival. She deactivated her lightsabers and slowly kneeled next to Mietta, who turned to Sunset Shimmer and chuckled through the pain.
"You...you couldn't beat me without your Jedi friend," she struggled to say. "I knew you were growing weak."
Sunset Shimmer gave out a half-hearted laugh at Mietta.
"Says the girl who always had a couple of muscular bodyguards at her side," she sneered.
"I better go and make sure our duel didn't cause any unwanted attention," Rough Draft announced as he walked out of the cave, leaving Sunset Shimmer with the dying Mietta.
Sunset Shimmer kneeled beside Mietta as she struggled to stay alive. She looked at Ash-Meq and Satomeen's lifeless bodies and frowned. The pleasure of killing her rival's minions faded away as she realized they only fought her and Rough Draft because Mietta manipulated them to obey her without question. She sighed sadly before she heard Mietta chuckling through the pain again.
"You're feeling sad for killing me and my boys, Shimmer?" Mietta struggled to say. "Good. The light is only going to make you weaker and weaker until you can hardly even pick up your swords. Too much time in the dark will do that to you."
"And where will that leave you, Mietta?" Sunset Shimmer growled. "You're going to fade into nothingness just because you wanted power. You are dying for something you can't take with you."
"Nothing but the pleasure to know that you're doomed," Mietta wheezed. "You can't adapt to the light soon enough to face your former master or the rest of the Marauding Krayts. When they realize that we didn't return, they're going to march full force to the Republic city, and neither you nor your Jedi boyfriend will be able to stop it."
"We'll find a way, Mietta," Sunset Shimmer said firmly.
"Are you sure?" Mietta asked as her grip on her life continued to fade. "Is hope to be with him and follow his beliefs really worth holding on to?"
 
*RING*
"Aw, darn it."




*********************************************************************************************





Sunset groans in annoyance as she takes out her phone.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Oh, it's a text," Sunset says, annoyed. "I think it's just Rainbow Dash saying that we need to -"
But then, her eyes widen, and she suddenly stands up as she stares at her phone.
"What's wrong?" I ask, standing up.
"Rainbow Dash is texting from our emergency text group. She says she needs help," she answers in panic.
"Did she say what happened?" I ask worriedly. 
"No, just to meet her at the front entrance of the school," she says. "The others are already sending text messages saying that they're on their way. I'm sorry, but I got to go."
"I understand," I say sincerely. "If there's trouble over there, you better get going."
"Thank you, Rough Draft," she says appreciatively.
She grabs her backpack and is about to run before I grab her hand. She turns to be confused before I pull her close to me and give her a deep kiss. She caresses my cheek as she kisses me back before we part, and I say, "For luck."
Sunset smiles at me and says, "I love you, Rough Draft."
"I love you too, Sunset," I reply.
Sunset gives me a quick peck on the lips before she starts running as fast her legs can carry her. I sigh as I watch my girlfriend race to CHS, worried about what situation is happening now.



*****************************************************************************************




A couple of hours have passed, and I'm back in my room playing my game again after having dinner with my parents. It's going well when suddenly I feel my phone vibrating again. I take it out to find that it's another call from Sunset, and I immediately answer.
"Sunset, is everything alright?" I ask eagerly.
"Uh, yeah, everything's fine," she answers with a chuckle.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Well, it didn't have anything to do with magic so much as Rainbow Dash broke one of her guitar strings and needed a new one," Sunset answers.
My face turns into one of shock and annoyance as I try to process this news.
"You mean to tell me that Rainbow Dash sent a text that's meant for emergencies leading both of us and the other Rainbooms to worry that something magic-related happened again only to find out that she just needed a guitar string?!" I exclaim.
"Yup," Sunset says. "She just happened to have bumped into Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo after they finished detention for the day and they asked her to perform for them, but one of her strings suddenly broke, so she thought it was urgent to get a new one which only I have."
I sigh in frustration at this news, and I hear Sunset chuckle in response.
"I know, babe, it's not cool that she got any of us worked up for something as silly as that," she says. "We all gave her a good ridiculing after eventually performing for the crusaders inside the school hall. On the bright side, though, it did give me a brief chance to send a message to Princess Twilight about our pony transformations, so maybe she could give me an insight over what it's about."
I sigh again before I say, "Well, if anyone can help you figure it out, it's the Element of Magic. And at least there was nothing dangerous or mysterious that happened."
"Actually, something mysterious did happen," Sunset Shimmer says reluctantly.
"Really? What?" I ask.
"Well, it's the strangest thing, but while I was sending my message to Twilight at the front entrance, I saw someone sneaking by the statue," she says.
"Sneaking?" I ask, confused. 
"Well, more like studying it, I think," Sunset replies. "I think it was a girl, but she had her face covered with her light blue hoodie. She was definitely doing something to the statue or was going to."
"Do you think it's someone else that came from Equestria or something?" I ask.
"Not likely. If she was thinking of going into the portal, she might have gone in before I noticed her," she says. "I think it's someone from this world. When I tried to talk to her, she ran away and got on a bus heading to Crystal City, so she probably lives there."
I'm puzzled at this news as I ask,  "Do you think she somehow knows about the magic from the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands?" 
"I don't know, but I'm very interested in finding out," she says eagerly.
"You sound a little excited about this," I say.
"That's because I am," she says. "I know I should be worried that it's someone like the E.M.R. trying to understand magic, but I have this feeling that this could lead to something exciting. Maybe it's just my curious side acting up again just like with trying to study our magic or something, but I want to find out who that was and what they were doing."
"Do the others know about this?" I ask.
"No, I haven't told them yet. I figure it's better to tell them when we have study period at the library tomorrow," Sunset answers. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know there's nothing to worry about."
I sigh, unsure that she should be so eager about some mysterious person snooping around where the portal to Equestria is, but then I smile, knowing that the school isn't going to be attacked again.
"Well, I do appreciate that you called to let me know that, sunshine," I say. "I'm glad I won't lose sleep worrying about whether or not you are okay."
Sunset chuckles.
"That's sweet, babe," she says. "I'm glad I didn't make you worried for too long too. And I'm also glad I got to hear what you've written so far on your story."
My smile brightens to hear her say that.
"I'm delighted to hear that, Sunset," I say.
"You should be," Sunset says. "But there's one little comment I'd like to make."
"Oh?" I ask.
"If someone like Mietta were asking me that question in real life, my answer would be that you are more worth it than words can describe," she says.
My cheeks turn pink at the sincerity of her words, but my heart feels warm, hearing her say that out of love.
"I love you, sunshine," I say.
"I love you too, babe," she says.