Finding a Place

by Battlecat


Chapter 39 - With Perspectives

Thursday, December 15, 2016, Cont'd – Adagio Dazzle:

I watched with a mixture of curiosity and irritation as the wannabe hero closed his eyes and fell asleep in mere seconds. Seeing someone fall asleep so quickly was unnerving, especially in the company of these Rainbooms that I didn't trust. Unlike my sisters, I was still somewhat suspicious of the motives of Silver Spark and Sunset Shimmer but at least they were making an effort. I didn't hurt that they were also apparently acquainted with the reborn Princess of the Night.

I hated to admit it, but I was probably going to need those two humans if we were going to regain any semblance of our former power. If Shimmer kicked the bucket, we wouldn't have much support here. That wasn't what really bothered me right now. What really got me was, I had seen this behavior once before. It was something I hadn't thought about in centuries before everything went wrong. Before we were even sirens.

One of the Thestral soldiers working with us was able to fall asleep in the blink of an eye, anywhere and anytime. I can't even remember his name now but that smug, well-rested face still makes my blood boil. When we asked him about it, he simply laughed it off as a bit of good luck and mental fortitude. Thinking back on it, he must have been a Sentinel though there was no way to find out now. Like so many, he had died during the war. A memory of the same Thestral flashed through my mind, his body shattered by an Earth pony's hooves as we retreated from battle.

I pulled myself back to the present before anything more unpleasant could pop back up. My hand was shaking with fear I hadn't felt since I became a Siren. The amulet had wiped out all doubts and fears but now a thousand years later, the crimes of those damn Solar Ponies were haunting me again. To distract myself, I returned my attention to the room and couldn't help shaking my head. The conversation in the room was on the verge of becoming an argument over who would get to go help Sunset. Feeding instincts die hard and I was very tempted to let this continue spiraling out of control.

“I'm telling you, I should go to the hospital to cheer her up,” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Darling, that might not be the best bet,” Rarity replied. “Hospitals are quiet, remember?”

“Who put you in charge?” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Why is this suddenly your call Rarity?”

“Well, who else is going to make the decision?” Rarity asked. “You? I'm sorry Dash, but you aren't exactly the most organized individual.”

“Seriously?! You’re one to talk!? I've seen your 'inspiration room'!”

Tempted but no. Not like I was going to get anything out of this. Besides, Sunset and Silver were both depending on this group and honestly, those two were the most tolerable humans I had met. It was time to put these children in their places.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. “This is the best you can do? Don't make me laugh! No wonder it was so easy to drive you apart.”

“Adagio, ah' don't appreciate yer attitude,” Applejack replied, crossing her arms. “Do you have anything to contribute to the conversation?”

I looked around the room at the hostile faces of the Rainbooms and the worried faces of my two sisters. My thoughts drifted back to the research, rumors, and stories we had gathered as we were preparing to infiltrate the school looking for magic.

“In fact, I might,” I replied.

I just gave them all a smirk and waited. It was time to remind them why I was in charge but I wasn't planning on making this easy on them. Petty? Yes, it was but it was too good to pass up. Everyone stared at me expectantly but I wasn't going to make this easy. Rainbow Dash's foot was tapping a mile a minute and I could tell she was going to snap any second.

“Well, spit it out,” Rainbow Dash snarled. “You think you're so smart? Bring it on fish face.”

“By your command featherbrain,” I snarked right back at her. I couldn’t help grinning when her eyes narrowed. It was way too easy to get under her skin.

I gestured at the magical book on the table. “Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Aria should take the journal, and go meet the Princess at the school. Applejack has a driver’s license and Pinkie Pie can let them use the Sweet Shoppe as a base rather than freezing in a car the whole night. Aria is the best fighter of the three of us and she can handle any trouble that might crop up.”

I saw a few nods from the first proposal. Pinkie was nodding so quickly I was wondering if her head might pop off her shoulders. That one scared me a bit, she almost seemed psychic. I pushed on and pointed at Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy and I should stay here,” I said. “We both know enough about first aid to help Silver if push comes to shove. The kids, Granny Smith and Macintosh will stay here as well for obvious reasons.”

“That leaves Sonata, Bird Brain and Rarity going to the hospital,” I said. “Featherbrain’s house is nearest the hospital, so it'll be a decent refuge if the doctors get twitchy since you're not family. Everyone has phones so if we need to switch out, we can contact each other. That's all I have to say, I leave the choice in your capable, harmonious hands.”

“Anyone have a better idea?” Dash asked weakly. “Come on, anyone?”

Nobody spoke up for or against my suggestion for a few moments. I wondered if the Rainbooms would just go back to arguing amongst themselves rather than accept my advice. Then the most unexpected member of the group suddenly spoke up.

“Thank you Adagio,” Fluttershy whispered. “Her plan makes sense and we can't argue about this all night. Our friends need us to work together.”

The others finally relented and began gathering together the items they would need to leave. I watched them dance to my little plan and felt a small bit of satisfaction.

“Heh, still got it Adagio,” I muttered to myself.

I turned my attention back to hero boy laying there on the floor and felt a chill run down my spine. His eyes were twitching and moving just like I'd seen hundreds of times while watching my targets sleep. He didn't seem peaceful though. His face was twisted with a determined expression and there was a light sheen of sweat already forming on his forehead.

“What is going on in there, Silver Spark?”


I pushed my way down the halls of yet another version of Canterlot High. There was a crowd of students gathered in the same spot they had been dozens of times before. I was losing track of how many subjective hours I had been trying to fight my way through her mind. I rolled my eyes as the usual chant of insults began again and gripped my sword a bit tighter.

“Secret Stealer.”
“Way to go Anon-a-Miss.”
“Traitor.”
“What kind of monster?”
“Who would do this?”
“One a monster, always a monster.”

I was seething with rage as I used my sword to smash the crowd out of the way. I wasn't being gentle with these manifestations of my fellow students. Between their behavior and the glowing eyes a few were sporting, I didn't have much sympathy for them as they disintegrated as my sword swept through them. They were just mediocre dream constructs that couldn’t even bleed so I swept them aside with extreme prejudice.

“BACK OFF!” I roared at the crowd. “Sunset, please! This isn't real.”

“Everybody has left me,” Sunset whimpered as if she hadn't heard me. “There's nothing left.”

“NO! We're still here Sunset! You have to fight this!” Spark yelled.

Again, she dissolved into a cloud of shadows, just like before but for one brief moment, she glanced at Spark. It was the first time she'd noticed our presence without immediately deriding our efforts as wasted. Her eyes widened for just a moment before she vanished completely. A moment later, the dream we were in vanished as well, leaving us back in the distorted entrance corridors. I looked at my weary companion and sighed.

“Did you notice anything with your superior senses this time Spark?”

“Maybe?” He replied. “It's like trying to smell the difference between two brands of butter but this one seemed more real than the others.”

“She seemed to notice your presence at least, so I think we're on the right track. Onward then.”

Spark sniffed the air and his ears twitched a few times. He gestured a hoof a floor corridor and began walking towards it. Before I followed him I glanced back at the door that would lead out to the Astral Plane. Was I actually doing anything useful or was this just a waste of time? There was just no way to know. I sighed and walked down the corridor to the next nightmare.


Applejack:

It was nearly eleven at night on my birthday and here I was sipping on a cup of coffee to try and stave off exhaustion. Instead of having a nice sleepover with my friends, I was sitting in Silver Spark's van in front of CHS waiting for Princess Twilight to show up. I wasn't exactly stuck on a party but I really wished I was back home with all my friends instead of just the present company.

“I spy with my little eye, something that is white!”

“Urgh, a snow-covered statue,” Aria answered.

“Nope!”

“A snow-covered bush,” I replied absently, staring off at the snow.

“Nope!” Pinkie chirped. “Come on, you two aren't even trying!”

“Please, just let me drink my coffee in peace,” Aria grumbled.

“Awwww, I'm sorry.”

Pinkie's hair starting to deflate. I'd always found that little quirk a bit unsettling. I was just grateful her personality counteracted the more creepy aspects of her behavior.

Aria glanced over at Pinkie sighed. “Ugh, we can play some more in a bit. Just let me re-caffeinate a bit Pinks.”

“Okie Dokie!”

I glanced over at Aria. True to her word she was sipping her coffee and staring out the window at the gently falling snow. It was hard to believe it had been snowing off and on all week.

“I hate winter,” Aria grumbled. “Worst time of year as far as I’m concerned.

Pinkie gasped with horror. “Why!? What about Christmas? The parties? The presents!? Snow? How could you hate this?”

“Doesn’t really make up for the cold,” Aria grunted. “I miss swimming. Before you say anything, indoor pools just aren’t the same."

"Hot tubs are fun during the winter," Pinkie chirped. "Silver's got a nice one."

"Maybe," Aria muttered thoughtfully. "Why couldn’t the portal be in California?”

“You’d have to take that up with whoever brought it here,” I chuckled. “At least winters are still relatively short here in Canterlot.”

“I’ll take your word for it, though I- . . . Hmph, what are these idiots doing?”

I looked in the same direction as Aria. There was a tall, lanky girl sprinting through the snow with three large men in hot pursuit. Just as she passed the statue, one of them caught up and tackled her. I recognized Lightning Dust’s face as she collapsed into the snow. The three men started viciously kicking and punching her while she thrashed in the snow.

“We have to help Lightning!” Pinkie gasped. “What do we do Aria?”

“Seriously?” Aria rolled her eyes. “Didn't she beat Sunset up? And succeeded multiple times with Silver? She was all ready to do the same to my sisters as well. Why would we help her?”

“Just because she’s been awful doesn’t mean she deserves this!” I exclaimed, fumbling through my bag.

“Ugh, fine,” Aria grumbled, stepping out of the van before I could continue.

I was frozen watching her, about halfway through pulling out my phone. Her next move nearly gave me a heart attack right then and there.

“HEY ASSHOLES!” She shouted. “WHY DON’T YOU PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!”

The three men attacking Lightning Dust jumped to their feet and swung around to face her. One of them reached behind his back to draw a weapon but Aria had a weapon of some sort leveled at him. With a pop and a buzzing noise, a small projectile crossed the space. The first guy began to convulse and dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Instead of immediately attacking, the other two gang members briefly glanced at the man writhing on the ground.

While they were hesitating, Aria closed the gap between them. She jumped into the air and drove her foot straight into the face of the second thug. She landed beside the third and backhanded him on the side of the head. The second guy was trying to get back on his feet but she lashed out with her foot to his head and sent him sprawling again. She hopped up to her feet and kicked something across the courtyard before settling into a ready stance. She quickly gestured at us to come join her.

“Wowee!” Pinkie gasped. “Silver said she could fight but just wow! I wanna see them spar now!”

“No kidding,” I replied tossing my phone to her. I hopped out of the car. “Call the police Pinkie!”

I hurried through the snowy courtyard to where Aria was standing over the three gang members. The weapon Aria had used turned out to be a Taser, probably the same one she used on Silver. The gang member who had collapsed had a pair of darts sticking out of his chest. Aria had a satisfied but slightly feral smile on her face that made me stop short.

“Well that livened up the evening,” she chuckled. “I was afraid this was going to be boring.”

“Well ah’ can’t argue with results,” I said. “Just so ya know, I meant we should call the police or somethin’. Pinkie's calling em for us.”

“They’d have finished her off long before the police got here,” Aria snorted. “The guy I zapped did have a gun after all. Plus we would have been next if they’d spotted us watching. Here, use these to make sure these bozos stay still till the police arrive. Then we'll check on the twit. She's still breathing from what I can see.”

I looked at what she was holding. She had just pulled a handful of zip ties out of a pocket in her jacket. I cautiously took some before raising my eyebrow at her.

“You carry these around all the time?” I asked dubiously.

Aria chuckled coldly. “What, you don’t? The one day I forgot to grab them, I wound up with my arm slashed before having my pendent destroyed. Things might have played out differently if I had them with me. Hop to it Apple, we need to get their arms and legs immobilized before they wake up.”

Her observation was a chilling reminder of how close they had come to beating us. She didn’t make any move to help but it occurred to me that she was trying to monitor the three assailants so I didn’t complain. Once I had the first one sorted, she got to work on the third while I work on the second. After that was taken care of, Aria flipped Lightning Dust over with her foot eliciting a pitiful moan from the injured girl.

“Suck it up princess,” Aria taunted. “Not that I really care but I am curious what you did to get the tar beaten out of you.”

“Ugh, because Gilda is an idiot,” Lightning Dust whimpered. “The only consolation is she’s going down with me.”

“Quit your whining,” Aria snarled. “You deal with criminals; don’t be surprised when you get screwed. So, who’d you piss off?”

She looked away from me and her voice was faint when she finally spoke. “The Scorpions.”

My heart nearly stopped right there. That was the name of the gang that hurt Silver and killed his parents. I walked over, grabbed the front of her shirt and yanked her halfway off the ground.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?” I snarled in her face.

Lightning Dust gasped with pain. “It wasn’t my idea! It was Gilda! It was Gilda’s idea! She said we just needed some professional help to deal with the monsters in our school!”

“So you two brought in the murders that killed Silver’s parents?” I hissed, dumping her unceremoniously back in the snow. “You’d better hope you don’t have any of Sunset’s blood on yer hands or ah’ll be the least of yer worries. Where are they hiding out?!”

“I don’t know! We met with them in town!”

I stood up and walked away from her, my chest heaving as I tried to calm down. I hadn’t felt angry like that since my parents died. I just about jumped out of my skin when Aria put her hand on my shoulder.

“You really care about those two, don’t you?” Aria murmured in a surprisingly gentle voice.

I crossed my arms and looked up at the falling snow. It was being illuminated red and blue by the rapidly approaching police car. Who were Silver and Sunset to me?

“Yeah, I do,” I finally answered. “They’re like family. I really hope they’re gonna be ok.”

The patrol car pulled up with its lights flashing. I could hear several more sirens approaching. Two officers jumped out, pulling their weapons. Aria and I both put our hands up in the air nervously but I relaxed when I recognized one of the police officers.

“Evenin’ Officer Armor,” I said, tipping my hat at him. “You stalkin’ us or are we just lucky to have your company this evening?”

Shining Armor laughed grimly. “I’m still a junior officer so I get a fair number of the evening shifts. Besides, you and your friends seem to be magnets for trouble. What’s going on this time and why are you even out here this late?”

I sighed. This was going to be a hard one to explain. All I had to do was keep magic out of it and we’d be ok.


I had lost track of how many hours had passed. It might have even been days subjectively but there was no way to tell. So many times watching Sunset get brutally rejected by our friends. Dozens of vicious mobs of students cornering her in the school hallways. Every imaginable instance of advice or rejection from Twilight Sparkle in the journal. It was all starting to blur together in my mind and the dreams just kept coming.

One of the worst parts was the way they could jump from one place to another in an instant. Every time I seemed to be getting close to finding the real Sunset in this mess, the curse snatched it away from me. Every once in a while we encountered a version of Sunset who seemed more aware than others but it always ended the same way. This time around she had gone from writing about her problems to Twilight in the journal at one moment to arriving at the Sweet Shoppe. This was her final attempt at convincing our friends she was innocent and it wasn’t going to go well.

I hurried down the street to catch her but she was already going through the front door. The yelling got started right away. It was almost the same ever time.

“Hey! Get out!” Dash shouted.

Applejack’s voice was cold. “Yer not welcome here Sunset!”

“No, wait . . . Please!” Sunset exclaimed desperately. “I know you don’t trust me a- and I can’t prove I’m innocent-”

“Then we have nothing to talk about,” Rarity said coldly.

“Just leave you, secret stealer!”

Every cycle, I could never seem to reach her quickly enough, metaphorically speaking. She would barely reach a half-awake state before dissipating. This imagined blog account was posting vicious lies and secrets that I couldn’t even imagine. On the few occasions, I perused the site during the dream cycles, I had to wonder if these were real secrets from when Sunset ruled the school or if she was imagining new ones. I arrived at the door just in time for her to stumble out into my arms. She was blinded by tears every time and barely registered my presence.

“Sunset! Please wake up!” I gasped.

To my surprise, she actually reacted. “Silver?” she murmured. Then she sighed sadly. “No, just my imagination. He’s gone too.”

Even as I held her, she evaporated in my arms. The smoke just seemed to drift away.

“Sunset?! COME ON, WHAT THE HELL! I HAD YOU THIS TIME!

“This is getting ridiculous,” Spark grumbled. “I was sure we were close.”

The scene dissolved but instead of winding up back at the beginning, Spark and I appeared in the school courtyard again but something was different. I just barely spotted Sunset walking to the side door of the gym through the dark and snowy night. The windows to the gym were all dark, which was perfectly normal for the middle of the night. Spark's ear was twitching nervously as we surveyed the scene.

“There are at least twenty students in the gym right now,” Spark gasped, galloping towards the door. “Hurry!”

My heart was beating a mile a minute as I sprinted to catch up with her, praying I could make it in time.


Rarity Belle P.O.V:

It was official; hospitals were my least favorite place to visit. The smell of antiseptic was atrocious and it brought back the unpleasant memory of my grandfather's last days before he passed away. Even though it was nearing midnight, there were people in distress scattered around the waiting room, children crying and adults sitting with ashen faces. The company I was keeping today wasn't improving my opinion of the experience. At this point, I was just a whisker away from losing my temper with one of them.

“Come on!” Rainbow Dash shouted at the Nurse. “She's our friend! Why can't we go see her?”

“Even if you were the president you wouldn't be going up to see her,” the nurse replied sternly. “Miss Shimmer is still in intensive care and cannot have visitors until she is stable. Now, please step away from the counter before I call security.”

I pinched my nose and sighed. Rainbow Dash was in an absolutely awful mood thanks to Adagio's baiting. Now she was on the verge of getting all three of us booted out of the hospital. I was about to go in before Rainbow wound up heading to the police station but Sonata stepped in before I could.

“Come on Dashie,” Sonata said, cheerfully taking her arm. “We'll just have to be patient until Silver works his magic and she wakes up.”

“ARGH!” Rainbow Dash growled, stomping away from the counter.

I followed her and Sonata over to a quiet corner of the waiting room. Rainbow slumped down in her chair with a sullen expression on her face. Sonata, on the other hand, had the same friendly smile she always wore on her face and a big mug of soda in her hand. She was much like Pinkie Pie, always cheerful although she wasn't nearly as insightful. Honestly, that was a bit of a relief. There was also a bit of a cruel streak that popped up occasionally in all the Dazzlings that made me a bit nervous.

“Rainbow Dash, that wasn't like you,” I said quietly. “Are you alright darling?”

“NO!” she snapped, before wilting. “Ugh, I'm sorry Rarity. I just hate feeling useless. I swear that bitch Adagio is just looking for any excuse to piss me off.”

Sonata took a long drink from her pop and chuckled. “You do turn a pretty funny color when you're mad.”

“Ugh, what did I ever do to her,” Dash grumbled.

“You mean other than destroying our immortality and all the magic power we had?” Sonata asked with that touch of menace that made my skin crawl. Then her voice became cheerful like flipping a switch. “I don't know actually! Dagi certainly didn’t have anything nice to say when she got back from visiting you. Wouldn’t even tell us what happened.”

“I still don’t want to talk about it,” Dash snapped. “Besides, she started it!”

“Don’t you dare start a blame game here Rainbow Dash,” I chimed in before Sonata could. “It’s not important right now.”

Right then, all three of our phones chimed almost simultaneously, indicating at text had just come in. I pulled my phone out, hoping for some good news.

12:15 am: Applejack here so ya’ll know. Got bad news to share. Gilda brought the Scorpions here from Manhattan. Yes, those Scorpions. Lightning Dust was about to get beat in front of the school but Aria stopped em. Officer Armor is on the case so if ya see Gilda or anybody from the Scorpions, call him ASAP. Hope ya’ll still got his number from the last time. Apparently, the leader’s up there on the most wanted list so don’t be a hero. No word from Twi yet, so I hope Silver can hold out. Stay safe.

My hand flew up to my mouth as I read Applejack’s message. This was simply the worst possible thing. A cracking noise drew my attention to Rainbow Dash. Her fist was clenched so tight her knuckles were turning white and had popped her knuckles. Fists clenched, she stormed out the front door of the hospital. Sonata and I jumped to our feet and ran out after her.

“I’m gonna kill her,” Rainbow snarled. “I’m done letting those two get away with this! Come on, I need you to drive Rares!”

She grabbed my hand and began towing me towards the car. I snatched my hand back and crossed my arms. The snow was blowing over us and made me shiver. Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to lose her mind.

“Not that I object to you driving places, but I believe an explanation is in order first. Calm down and explain. Where are we going?”

“Oh for the love of- To find Gilda obviously!” Dash growled.

I pinched my nose in frustration. “Do you have any idea where to look? Or what we’ll do if we run into those disgusting gangsters?”

“GRAH!” Rainbow screamed. “Stop making sense! I know where she might hide!”

“Canterlot is no small town Rainbow Dash,” I replied sternly. “’Might’ still leaves a lot of room for error when we’re dealing with murderers.”

“What if she’s not going to hide?” Sonata interrupted, staring off into the snow.

“What are you talking about Sona . . . ta?” I drifted off when I spotted the figure stumbling across the snowy parking lot. Gilda’s arm was clutched across her stomach and she was limping towards the hospital. She was obviously injured. At that moment I had a flash of inspiration. I managed to catch Rainbow Dash's arm before she could charge in and make a mess of things. This was going to call for a deft touch, even with a brute like Gilda.

“Let me handle this darling,” I said. “You can take the reigns if she's . . . unpleasant.”

Rainbow Dash stared at me like I had grown another head but nodded anyhow. With a curt wave of her hand, she gestured at me to go ahead. I sauntered calmly across the parking lot towards Gilda, wishing I had my Shadow Spade hat with me. Still, all it would take would be a touch of confidence and the game would be set. I held up my hand to stop her progress towards the hospital.

“Good evening Miss Razorclaw,” I said, giving her a cold smile. “We've been expecting you.”

Gilda looked at us with a start, noticing us for the first time. There was a nervous twitch in her eye indicating she was nervous. Still

“What do you mean expecting me monster lovers?” Gilda hissed through clenched teeth. “I've got places to be.”

Gilda tried to step around me but Rainbow Dash blocked her on one side and Sonata cleverly stepped in on the other. I was pleased they were following my lead. I imagined tilting my hat over my eyes to make me a bit more intimidating and gave her a winning smile.

“Of course we were expecting you,” I lied. “Why else could we be here waiting? Your attempt to have Lightning Dust murdered has already fallen apart.”

Her eyes shot opened “WHAT!” she gasped. “I didn't try to have her murdered! What's going on?! Where is she!?”

I resisted the urge to cheer out loud and simply gave her my most winning thoughtful smile. I felt a bit guilty about abusing her pain like this but time was of the essence. For the sake of my friends, I would get the information the police needed. Gilda was hooked, I just had to stay cool and reel her in.

“Well, perhaps my associates were misinformed,” I pondered. “Miss Dust was in the process of being beaten to death by three men at CHS when they intervened. Your name came up before she passed out so you became the prime suspect. Perhaps you would you care to share your side of the story to clear the air.”

“HE'S TRYING TO FUCKING FRAME ME?!” Gilda swore loudly. “That delusional lying bastard is the one you should be going after. The Scorpion King decided me and Lightning were worthless 'cause we didn't have enough money influence to be worth his while. That was after we did his stupid initiation challenges. He was supposed to help us drive out the monsters!”

“Like me?” Sonata asked curiously.

“Exactly,” Gilda spat, not even bothering to hide her pride. “I got started with Shimmer just the other day. I even managed to catch her alone after all this time. A few threats and a slash with the knife he gave me had her finally ready to leave town.”

“I see,” I said, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “Well, that is a fascinating story but it has nothing to do with Lightning Dust's incident.”

“It has everything to do with Lighting!” She exclaimed. “Using that stupid writing covered dagger was part of my initiation into the gang! So I took a shortcut and just slashed Sunset once with it. It's not my fault he discovered that and decided to take it out on us.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Very well, I suspect the police will want words with the Scorpions. If you would be kind enough to share where they're hiding you might be safe. Did you know they're some of the most wanted criminals in America?”

“I get it, I owe them nothing,” She groaned. “The chief lunatic and his crew are holed up in the old factory outside of town. Now, will you let me go to the hospital? I’m bleeding, this headache is killing me and I’m pretty sure my ribs are broken.”

“Take her in Dash,” I said. “That should be enough.”

Gilda began to slump over but Rainbow Dash caught her. I took my phone and began to dial officer Shining Armor’s number. Hopefully, they would be able to catch the Scorpions before they skipped town. I paused to take a breath, noticing

“Come on Rarity, keep it together,” I whispered to myself. “Plenty of time to collapse after the job is done. Just a little bit longer is all.”

The leader’s decision to hunt Silver down after the original incident was already disquieting. All I could do was pray that it was just a coincidence that they were the ones that showed up. While I listened to the phone ringing, I listened to Dash and Sonata talking to Gilda.

Sonata was actually giggling as she helped Gilda limp towards the door. Her attitude did not even remotely match her words. “You know Silver will make your life a living hell if Sunset dies from the injury you gave her.”

“What!?” Gilda gasped. “She’s dying from a simple slash on the hand?”

“Why do you care? I thought that was your goal,” Dash grumbled. “Sunset’s already in intensive care thanks to you.”

“Yuppers!” Sonata chirped as they walked through the front door. “And if Silver bites the dust while trying to save her, my sisters and I will pick up the slack. We monsters gotta stick together after all.”

I shook my head at Sonata’s odd idea of being helpful. Then I heard Shining Armor's voice asking who was calling. A sly smile spread across my face and I wished once again I had the hat. It felt like the perfect moment for a dramatic pose which I, of course, executed flawlessly. It still wasn't the same without the hat though.

“Hello, Officer Armor, this is Rarity Belle. We have Gilda Razorclaw checking in at Canterlot Hospital with some injuries. Yes, she'll be fine. I know where the Scorpions are hiding.”

While I relayed the information to Officer Armor, I found myself worrying about Silver and Sunset. So many hours had passed with no word from Princess Twilight. I hoped he could hold out and keep her alive.


I burst into the gym just as the lights flicked on. Gilda and Lightning Dust were standing in front of Sunset who had already been knocked to her knees. She was surrounded by a mob of students, but none of them were familiar. In fact, they were more like caricatures of people with incomplete faces. Glowing eyes, a general human-like shape and that was about it.

“This ends now Anon-a-Bitch!” Gilda snarled at Sunset. “You’re dead!”

Spark sniffed the air once and gave me a look. His normally kind and amused eyes had gone completely feral. There was an unbridled rage in those eyes backed by determination. I could feel the wave of emotion from him echoing through our connection. Armor plates shimmered into existence around him along with his clawed armored boots.

“It’s her,” he simply said.

“You go left, I’ll go right,” I replied.

My breastplate, sword, and shield shimmered into existence and I charged with a scream of defiance. Bodies went flying from Spark spinning and kicking them with all his might. I alternated between bashing the manifestations aside with my shield and chopping at them with my sword.

STAY WITH US SUNSET!” I shouted. “YOU ARE NOT ALONE!”

This time when her clouded eyes caught sight of me and Spark laying waste to the other students.

“Sil-ver?” she gasped as if waking up. “Spark? What the-”

Then Gilda stomped in and kicked her in the jaw. Sunset cried out in pain as she sprawled to the ground. For a brief moment, I was distracted and I paid for it as one of the student simulacrums managed to clip me in the face with a section of pipe. My head was spinning as I counterattacked and knocked him down. Then Gilda pulled a dagger out of nowhere and raised it high over Sunset’s head.

“This ends now!”

“NO!” Spark screamed, leaping at Gilda, his clawed front hooves out in front of him.

His claws went straight into Gilda, unleashing a smoky cloud, another reminder that this was a twisted nightmare. She let out an inhuman howl of pain as she collapsed in a heap. I charged over and smashed Lightning Dust in the face with my shield. I’ll admit I found the act more satisfying than was probably healthy. Then I knelt down next to Sunset and took her hand. She looked at me, her eyes awake and aware though still confused.

“It’s all just nightmare,” I said to her. “I’m here for you.”

“Why?” Sunset gasped weakly, obviously still confused. “Why are you here? Nobody trusts me. They all hate me.”

I helped her up to her feet and kissed her gently on the lips. When I broke the kiss, I put my hand on the side of her face and gazed into her aquamarine eyes. They were brimming with frightened tears and I knew at that moment there was only one answer to that question.

“I’m here because we love you Sunset,” I whispered, brushing her tear away with my finger. “I love you. Don’t let the nightmare beat you.”

Before Sunset could respond, the nightmare Gilda laughed viciously and sprang up to her feet with inhuman grace. A familiar dagger was back in her hand and she stalked towards us. The other beasts wearing the incomplete faces were beginning to stir as well.

“You can’t win!” she cackled. “You don’t have the power to defeat me!”

My head was spinning but Spark and I both stood our ground beside Sunset. I extended one hand to slowly manifest a baseball bat which I hand it to Sunset while the curse just kept laughing. It was right of course. I wasn’t strong enough to beat it but maybe I didn’t have to be strong. I just needed to be smarter.

“We can try,” I snarled, lifting my sword. “I’ll die before I let you touch her again. We don’t need all the time in the world to protect the woman I love.”

While I spoke, I glanced over at Spark and winked. His eyes widened and he nodded. At the same moment, in the back of my mind, a distantly spaced ticking noise quickly turned into a steady buzz. The other students I had fought off were back on their feet, uninjured and ready to attack. I lifted my sword and prepared for the incoming swarm.


Fluttershy P.O.V:

I was fighting to stay awake. The slowly ticking clock and Adagio Dazzle were my only companions at this point. The text messages from our friends about the Scorpions and Gilda were horrifying. Granny Smith had made an angry comment about rotten apples before locking the whole house down. The drapes were closed and she was currently sleeping in an easy chair in the kitchen. There was a loaded shotgun sitting on the counter and we were under strict instructions to wake her if anyone came up the driveway.

Watching Silver Spark sleep had been a terrifying experience. He was restless and breathing heavily like he was running a marathon. I frequently wiped the sweat off his brow and cheeks occasionally but there wasn’t much more I could do. Every once in a while magic would glow around his head and eyes but he never ponied up completely. The worst was at about one in the morning when he grunted like he had been punched. His head had snapped to one side and several red welts appeared on his cheek. Now his left eye was swelling like he had been punched.

I looked over at the leader of the former Sirens. She still scared me but after Dashie was gone she seemed to relax. We hadn’t spoken much except to discuss what needed to be done to protect the house or help Silver. Right now she was lying on the couch with her eyes closed. I felt like I had to talk to someone.

“Adagio, are you awake?” I whispered.

Her eyes opened and she looked over at me in surprise. “What do you need?”

“I- I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I just wondered if you wanted to talk. If that’s ok with you that is. You can go back to sleep if you want.”

“Really?” she asked, curiously, her purple eyes watching me carefully. “No it’s fine; I was just resting my eyes. Honestly, I was under the impression you didn’t want anything to do with me.”

I wrapped my arms around myself instinctively and sighed. “No, no, that’s not it. I’m just always nervous.”

Adagio raised her eyebrow at me. “Does that have anything to do with the extra foundation you’re wearing around your left eye?”

I couldn’t bring myself to respond. How had she seen it? I just let out a little squeak of terror and hugged myself even tighter.

“I won’t tell anyone if that’s what you’re worried about,” Adagio replied calmly. “I’ll leave it for now.”

“Thanks,” I murmured, feeling relieved. “How long do you think Silver can handle this?”

Adagio glanced over at him and winced. “Astral Sentinels were a secretive bunch a thousand years ago so I honestly don’t know. What I do know is using magic is just like using a muscle. It gets stronger as you use it but there is always a limit. At some point, he won’t be able to go on.”

“Then what?” I asked nervously.

She shrugged. “Could be anything. I once saw a unicorn drop dead after overcharging a spell.”

“Oh- oh dear,” I whispered, staring at Silver’s immobile body. He barely seemed to be breathing but a quick check confirmed he was still alive.

“Hey, don’t let it scare you,” Adagio said apologetically. “Sorry, but I had to be honest. I don’t even know how much magic he’s using for this. He might be fine, he might just wake up with a headache or temporary burnout.”

I sighed and looked over at Adagio. She had a surprisingly sympathetic expression on her face and for a moment I saw a flash of regret.

“It’s ok Adagio, I appreciate your honesty,” I whispered. “Just because I’m shy and scared doesn’t mean I don’t want to know the truth.”

Adagio stared at me for a moment and then smiled. I don’t think I’d ever seen such a warm smile on her face.

“You’re braver than you let on Fluttershy. I find that intriguing. Maybe we should hang out or something when this mess is wrapped up. Just don’t tell anyone else! I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Do you like animals?” I whispered.

“As long as they don’t hate me,” Adagio replied wistfully. “I had a pet manta ray when I was young. We used to swim everywhere together. I haven’t bothered with pets since our exile.”

I stared at her, my brain freezing up at the concept of a pet manta ray. It was so easy to forget the three Dazzlings weren’t just from another world but that they were originally sea creatures. I think there was a small squeal of delight slipping out of my lips but I was just too happy to be embarrassed. Adagio was actually reaching out a bit. To me! Of the three Dazzlings, she was having the most trouble fitting in and I might be able to help? Yay!

“Kay!” I finally squeaked.

Adagio chuckled and got up off the couch. She sat down cross-legged next to Silver. “You get some rest now. I’ll keep watch on the Thestral for a while.”

“No, I’m fine,” I replied. Then I yawned, betraying how tired I actually was.

“Yeah right,” Adagio muttered. “Get a bit of shut-eye so your head is clear if I need you.”

I relented under her stern gaze. It was an almost motherly expression and it made me wonder again about how the three Dazzlings fit together as a group. I considered asking but shyness and another yawn swept that idea away. Under her watchful gaze, I laid down on the couch. I closed my eyes and was asleep in seconds.


Gilda charged in with her dagger raised and tried to stab Sunset. I stepped in and bashed her arm away with my shield. When I countered with my sword, the gash I opened in her arm began bleeding the same black smoke as my own curse did.

Protect Sunset!” I shouted. “We can’t let them hurt her! Every second counts now!”

Outside, lightning flashed in the sky and the snow began falling even harder. A club bashed across my arm and another hit me in the back, knocking me to my knees. I summoned my wings forth and used my magic to propel myself off the floor before my attackers could pin me down.

Applebloom:

This sleepover hadn't worked out the way I had hoped. I mean, it was great that I was here with my friends at all but now Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and I were stuck up in my bedroom. It was five in the morning and I had hardly slept a wink. This was all too surreal. Granny with a shotgun in the front room, all the doors and windows locked. Our sisters were out in the snowstorm tryin' to help Sunset and I felt more like a useless child than normal.

“Ya'll awake over there?” I whispered to my companions.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo murmured. “This bites.”

“It's scary,” Sweetie Belle said. “Oh, I hope Rarity is ok.”

“I hope Silver and Sunset are ok,” Scootaloo grumbled. “What is he even doing?”

“Ah' don't rightly know,” I replied. “Applejack just called it dreamwalkin'. I don't know what that really means but Silver's magic is all kinds of weird.”

I sat there staring at the ceiling in my silent bedroom. The silence of the house was broken by a drawn-out moan of pain. That was when Sweetie Belle sudden burst out of her bed. She wrapped a blanket around herself and tiptoed to the bedroom door.

“Where ya goin'?

“I want to see how he's doing,” she whispered. “I'm tired of being stuck up here worrying about everyone.”

“Hey, wait for me!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

I grabbed my robe and was hot on both their heels in seconds. We slipped down the stairs and past Granny who was sleeping in her big rocking chair. When we rounded the corner to look into the living room I had no idea what to make of the sight. Fluttershy was wiping Silver's forehead with a cloth. He had an awful looking black eye and his mouth was twisted into a half snarl that looked like an animal, especially with the long pointed teeth. His pony ears were clearly visible on the top of his head and his massive bat wings were splayed out on the floor, twitching spastically.

“What does this mean Adagio?” Fluttershy asked in a frightened voice.

“I have no idea,” She whispered. “If I had to guess, he needs all his magic. You all tap your magic more effectively when you're in your pony forms. Now, what are you three doing out of bed?”

Adagio had shifted her gaze from Silver to us. We froze

“I- ummm, we-we heard Silver groan and were worried.”

She gazed at us flatly for a moment, then inclined her head at the couch. “You might as well sit down. I wouldn't say no to the company. I'm guessing you haven't slept much either.”

We shook our heads and went to sit down. As much as I wanted to ask questions, Adagio's expression made it clear she expected silence. We watched them take care of Silver for a few minutes but then there was a crunching noise outside the window. I didn't really give it much thought and quickly pulled the drapes aside to see who it was.

“It's Silver's van!” I exclaimed. “Applejacks ba- Hey!”

Adagio had grabbed me and pulled me away from the window. “Get down on the floor!” She hissed. “We locked the house down for a reason. If that had been the Scorpions, you would have been an easy target! Granny Smith, get ready!”

I got down and so did Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. To my surprise, Granny's eyes flew open instantly and she grabbed the shotgun without hesitation. She was usually slow to wake up, so this was a shocking turn of events. Adagio walked to the front door, while Granny aimed the gun from the kitchen. It was just like the movies. Adagio was gonna pull the door to one side and Granny would take em out if they were bad guys.

“Ok, everyone down on the ground,” I heard Applejack say outside the door.

“Why?” Princess Twilight asked.

“Cause I'm gonna ask Granny to open the door and she'll shoot anyone who's on their feet. We agreed on it over text after we found out about the Scorpions. Don't get up till she gives the all clear.”

“Nice one Granny!” Aria crowed from outside. “I approve! We're all good here Adagio!”

Adagio pushed the door open while Granny kept the gun aimed at the door. After a moment of silence, Adagio looked outside, then waved at Granny to stand down. I let out the breath I had been holding. I'd never felt so scared in my life.

“Well come on in!” Granny exclaimed.

Princess Twilight was the first through the door in her skirt and summer clothes. She looked freezing cold but her expression scared me. Her face was streaked with tears and she looked even more frightened when she saw Silver. She dropped to her knees beside Silver and ran her hand over his cheek. My sister, Aria, and Pinkie were close behind.

“Where's Princess Luna?” Adagio asked in a worried voice.

“She can't use magic in a human form,” Twilight replied, pulling an amulet from around her neck. “She's on the Equestria side of the portal, waiting for me to take care of this.”

I had never seen anything like it. It was a loop of gold wrapped around a deep blue gemstone the size of my fist. It almost seemed to be flickering with stars floating inside. For a moment, it reminded me of the night sky. She looped the amulet around Silver's neck and laid the gem on his heart.

“What is that?” I asked. “It's amazin'!”

“A beacon,” Twilight replied in a worried voice. “I hope this works.”


I felt a brief moment of pressure on my cheek as I tried to fend off another strike to protect Sunset. She was doing her best but it was clear she was running out of energy. We all were. Spark had a broken wing but he was still fighting with every vicious trick we had devised during our long lucid nights on the astral plane. I was probably going to be covered in bruises assuming I could keep this up. That was looking less likely with every passing moment.

The curse seemed to sense my fading strength and redoubled its efforts. Attackers I had sliced down got up again and continued their onslaught. There was a loud snap as a club smashed into my shield arm from behind. I felt the bone breaking and for a brief moment, the entire dreamscape blurred. I heard the impossibly slow and distorted voices of people in the real world for a moment before I regained focus. I knew it was nearly game over and I let the shield fall off my useless arm.

"I'm sorry Sunset," I whispered, blocking the next attack with my sword. "I tried but I'm just not strong enough."