Spike stared out the tinted window toward the streets below. He scanned around for the “heroes’” starting point, but it was lost amidst the building and streets.
Maud drew near. “Good thinking, Spike.”
“Thanks,” Spike moped. “I’m pretty sure Sunset can’t teleport, and even if she could, it would take too much magic to get up here and take the flag.”
“Okay, so they’ll have to come up then.” Maud turned around. “I’ll head them off.”
“Right,” Spike sighed while still looking outward.
~~~
“I’m only going to say this once.” Sunset drew closer to Rarity, forcing her to look straight into her fiery eyes. “You made the choice to come in today, so own it. Stop wetting your fur and start acting like you actually belong here.”
“I-I’m trying,” Rarity quibbled.
“Guh, you’re worse than the literal yellow-belly. And what are you afraid of? A scaly dweeb that treats an even bigger dweeb like she’s a Princess. Get over it!” Sunset snapped. A stomp sent up a swirl of flames. Rarity yelped and jumped back. Sunset scowled under her helm. “I fought a real dragon and you don’t see my hooves quaking. No, I’ll show that little dweeb he’s backing the wrong horse.”
Her glared sharpened. Rarity shuddered. “And you’re going to help even if I have to drag you into wherever those losers have holed up. I bet from hanging around Twilight he’ll try to think up some ‘cunning move,’ but he’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’ll fall for party tricks like that airhead. So, buck up and get it in gear because nothing, especially a sniveling unicorn that can’t even take care of her own problems, is going to hold me back.”
“My little ponies! Celestia’s voice rang. Begin!
Rarity gulped as the magic beamed images of the flag and its location into her head. Spike was standing right by it, eyes cast down and shoulders slumped.
“Let’s go,” Sunset ordered before going into a gallop.
Taking a deep breath, Rarity raced after her.
~~~
Twilight sat and watched the screen, eyes focused and jaw tight. Fluttershy sat beside her, though her attention occasionally shifted to the doors they had passed through.
She tensed when they opened, but relaxed a little when Applejack made way out and over to them. Like Lyra, she walked gingerly, but on her left leg rather than her right. Making her way over to Twilight and Fluttershy, she commented, “Well, this ought to be interesting. Didn’t imagine I’d ever get to see a dragon whelp fight.”
“I hope he does okay,” Fluttershy murmured, forcing Applejack to perk up her ears.
“He’ll be fine. If half of what Pinkie has told me about Maud is true, he probably won’t have to fight too much.”
“I don’t know.” Pinkie rose up beside Applejack and rubbed her chin. “I mean, there’s no way Maud could lose, especially since Sunset got her mad, but she’s got something cooking in that kooky head of hers.”
Applejack blinked at Pinkie and then chuckled, “Well, whatever Maud has planned, I guess we’re rooting for the villains this round.”
“Yep-yep!” Pinkie chirped. With a grin, she pulled out a box of malted milk balls and pitched it over to Applejack. In the time it took Applejack to grab the snack, Pinkie produced another bucket of popcorn for herself, this time coated with caramel and sour plum sauce. “Oooh, time for the fun to really start! Hey, Twilight, you want some?”
Pinkie’s question sounded distant to Twilight as she continued to put all her attention onto the screen.
~~~
“Well, at least you kept up,” Sunset snorted. Behind her, Rarity caught her breath and looked up at the building before them. Aura flowed out around Sunset’s horn. “Okay, let’s see what cheap tricks they’ve set up.”
“Wait!” Rarity called out.
The glow around her horn vanished and Sunset snapped her head back at Rarity. “What?”
“I… I can check,” Rarity stuttered.
Sunset narrowed her eyes. She let Rarity sweat a second more under her glare, then turned back around. “Then hurry it up.”
Rarity sighed with relief and then inhaled deeply. Marching up to the building, she lifted her right leg. As she did, the tip of her hoof shimmered, the gloss spread upwards until her entire hoof was glistening and translucent. Taking another big breath, she lit up her horn and pressed her crystalline hoof against a wall. She shut her eyes and continued to take measured breaths.
“I’m not sensing any spells,” Rarity said after a moment. “There’s… something on the fifth floor blocking the stairs, but after that, nothing until…” She gulped. “The flag.”
“So, they’re both up with flag then?” Sunset glared upwards with her eyes and horn aglow. “Wait, that’s Ms. Stoneface on the fifth floor. Damn, what the hay is she doing?”
“G-guess we’ll have to find out?” Rarity suggested.
“Hmm.” Sunset let out a snort. “Guess we will. Come on.”
Both of them advanced into the lobby and then up the stairs. They moved in silence until they reached the fifth floor. Sunset held up a hoof and Rarity halted behind her. Creeping up to the door that led out to the main area, Sunset pressed up against the adjoining wall.
Her horn lit up and the air around her grew hot. Rarity drew back while her face turned crystalline and angular. Sunset reared back and then blasted the door. It went flying off its hinges but then stopped in the middle of the room. Something floated it to the ground.
Maud blinked at Sunset and Rarity. “That was fast.”
“Damn straight!” Sunset charged forward, horn ablaze. Fire lashed out from it and homed in on Maud. Instead of striking Maud, they crashed against a thin black substance. Sunset was undeterred and barreled headlong at Maud. Her hoof raced up to uppercut Maud, but the substance shifted around to block the blow. Sunset felt whatever the stuff was move under her hoof and leapt back. “Heh, what’s an earth pony doing with a talent like that?”
Maud sent the substance down into the floor, where it molded back into her shadow. “I won’t let you pass… you’ll meet your doom here, heroes.”
“Oooh, I’m real intimidated,” Sunset sneered. “That talent’s got me interested though. Let’s see what you’ve got!”
Sunset and Maud raced at each other. Armored hoof collided against solid shadow, fire singed cloth, and Sunset’s glare was met with a blink by Maud. While the two duked it out, Rarity sidled along the side of the room, edging closer to the second set of stairs that led to the higher levels. Maud spotted her while keeping Sunset at bay, but kept her attacks focused on Sunset.
With the door feet ahead of her, Rarity made a mad dash for it. A shadowy tentacle whipped at her, but it struck only her costume, tearing it. Unmarred crystal glistened through the rip. Rarity did not let the attack impede her, flung the door open, and raced upwards.
When the door slammed shut, Sunset jumped back. “Heh, smart move.”
Maud blinked. “What do you mean?”
“You and I both know that foal is terrified of dragons. She’ll never be able to get the flag away from him, no matter how much of a dweeb he really is. You’re hoping to drag out our fight until time runs out.” Sunset raked a hoof against the ground in a shower of sparks. Her horn grew bright and the air wavered and turned blistering. “Like that will happen.”
Maud blinked, but her shadow rose up until it loomed over her. However, it did not fully match her due to its mane puffing outwards while hers remained concealed under her cloak. Somehow, it had eyes that glowed bright.
“You’ve run your mouth long enough!” it screeched, taking Sunset aback. It had Maud’s voice, but to hear it laced with emotion stunned Sunset for a second. “Like I’ll let you get past me!”
While initially shocked, Sunset grinned. “Heh, that’s a new one. You’ve got me real interested now, Maud. You’ll be a perfect test run!”
“I could say the same,” said Maud. Her shadow’s hooves lifted off the ground, split, and lengthened. “Lyra’s moves intrigued me.”
“More ways to kick your flank!” her shadow shrieked.
Maud’s shadow then stretched out and slammed its left hand down on Sunset. Sidestepping the blow, Sunset sent out a volley of fireballs that crashed against the shadow. Sunset continued the assault, angling her horn in different directions, but the shadow always managed to rise up before a spell could land on Maud.
At the same time, the shadow’s arms curved towards Sunset and struck at her with smaller tendrils that extended out of the forearms and larger smacks with the hands. Sunset deftly danced around them, even while the floor cracked and the windows rattled from the force of the blows. Maud moved in step with Sunset, keeping the distance between them even, never giving Sunset a chance to launch attacks from a closer range.
Sunset then came to a halt and allowed an inky hand to crash down on her. A fiery shield flared up against it. Maud’s eyes sharpened and she sent her shadow’s other hand against Sunset, but it too hit flame instead of its target. Both pushed against Sunset’s spell, trying to reach through the fire to get at her, but she held firm. With a grunt, she pushed them away in a fiery blast.
The shadow fell back to the ground, but then Maud popped out of it and uppercutted Sunset, sending her sprawling backwards. She managed to roll back onto her hooves. Now, though, her helm was dented and a bit of blood dripped out of it.
“You’re just full of tricks, aren’t you?” Sunset snickered. Her horn lit up again. “Well, so am I!”
The air around Maud brightened. Shadow raced up to encase Maud, but the air exploded first in a shower of embers. Sunset stayed on guard, which served her well, when Maud popped up out of the nearby ground and tried to strike at her again. This time, Sunset pulled her head back to avoid the blow, but then a shadow burst out of Maud’s leg and hit Sunset right in the horn.
The blow knocked her back. Even with her helm, her head still spun. Gritting her teeth, she slammed a hoof to the ground and managed to stay upright.
“Good move,” Sunset spat.
“A unicorn’s horn is their greatest weak point,” Maud stated. “Hit that hard enough and they can’t properly cast a spell. You’re good, Sunset…”
“But without magic, we’ve got you dead to rights!” Maud’s shadow declared.
“Well, thank you for stating the obvious. Too bad I know basic biology too and, unlike everypony else that just accepts that weakness, I’ll show you how a hero handles a vulnerability!” Sunset flung out her hoof and sparked her horn, in spite of the blow. However, while her horn had sparked, it did not glow. Instead, aura rose out of the seams between the armor of her leg. The air around it grew even hotter than before and the armor went from golden to bright red. Where it covered her hooves became a blinding white.
Maud shielded her eyes when a flash went off, making sure to keep her shadow close and ready to either attack or defend. When her vision returned, she was greeted to Sunset holding her hoof up in front of her face. Her hoof still burned bright white while the rest of her leg up to the knee shimmered with a crimson aura.
“Making the prototypes was difficult,” said Sunset. “So many of the materials I needed were restricted, but here, they give them out like candy.”
Maud blinked. “Your leg’s on fire.”
“Oh, it’s a bit more than that.” Sunset flexed her leg back and it struck the wall behind her. The entire building shuddered when her hoof exploded against the concrete, taking out majority of the wall. Standing in front of the smoldering hole, Sunset sparked her horn and turned her other hoof crimson and white. “This is…”
~~~
“Thaumic reconfiguration,” Twilight gasped. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Sunset.
Applejack scratched her head. “Thauma whatsit?”
“Normally, unicorns can only access their magic through their horns,” Lyra explained. “The same way magic flows through a pegasus’s wings or earth pony’s hooves and tail. Even my spells still rely on my horn to do the spellcasting. Sunset’s done something on a whole other level! Her horn is still the catalyst, but she’s spellcasting through her legs!”
“She managed to figure out how to adjust her internal mana flow without blowing herself up,” Twilight murmured. “I thought such an idea was only theoretical.”
“It was,” said Celestia, while keeping her eyes on Sunset through the screen. “What a prodigy to have both succeeded in reconfiguration and in mitigating the blowback.”
~~~
“… Hooves of Immolation!” Sunset roared as she pulled back one leg while springing at Maud. With sharpened eyes, Maud summoned her shadow as a thick block in front of her body.
The explosion ripped out of Sunset’s hoof, shattering the windows and shaking the entire building once again.
“Fascinating!” Photo smiled with glee. “Ah, but vat of ze otherz?”
Twilight snapped out of her awe to turn her attention to Spike. The screen showed the room he was in from the outside, so she was able to watch Rarity tiptoe up the steps and brace herself against the wall. Her chest rose and fell, and even through a screen, Twilight could tell her heart was racing.
On the other side of the wall, Spike took a whiff of the air and stood up. His brow furrowed. His fangs came out when he clenched his jaw and then his claws.
“Rarity,” he muttered. His next words came out as a hiss. “So, you’ve come, hero.”