"What are you all doing here?" asked Sunset.
"After all the fun we've had with you, wouldn't seem proper to not see you on your way out." said Applejack.
"Indeed!" said Rarity. "You truly are a delight, Sunset Shimmer."
"You're welcome back anytime." said Fluttershy.
"Yeah!" said Rainbow Dash. "Next time you come over, we should all do something awesome together!"
"I'll throw you a 'welcome back' party each time you visit!" grinned Pinkie.
"You may not have figured out what the book has to do with all of this, but you have our full support!" said Twilight.
"I'll try to visit you sometime soon, too!" said Starlight.
"You'll be missed!" said Spike.
Sunset felt her eyes water up. "Guys...I don't know what to say..."
Everyone gathered around for a group hug. "Thank you. Thank you all!" Sunset said, tears streaming down her face.
"No. Thank you." all but Sunset said.
"I'll come back soon, I promise!" Sunset said as walked into the portal.
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Upon exiting the portal from the plinth, Sunset rode out another wave of dizziness. "Ugh." she said. "What time is it?" She took out her phone and looked at the time. "Man, it's late! I was gone longer than I thought I'd be!" she sighed. I know this is a safe neighborhood and all, but I'd rather not take the chance. Sunset called a taxi on her phone. While she waited, she sent everyone a text.
Hey girls, I'm back! - Sent by Sunset Shimmer
Too tired to be bothered to check any new messages, she stood waiting for her taxi. Once it arrived, she got in. She gave the driver the address and she was on her way. The cab driver dropped her off in front of her place. Ahh, home sweet home.
She opened the door and took a deep whiff of the air. "Oh yeah. It's good to be back." She turned on the lights and walked over to Ray's cage. "How ya doing, lil' guy? Sorry I haven't been around all day, I hope you're not starving. I'll feed you extra to make up for it, okay?" Sunset said with a smile. She fed Ray, then went up to her loft. She let out a loud yawn. Damn, today really took a lot out of me. I'm surprised I have enough energy to move . She put on her pajamas and turned the lights off. She almost immediately fell asleep.
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She opened her eyes to a landscape similar to the one in her dream with all of her friends, but with one difference. Instead of sunny and vibrant, it was dull. Colorless. There was an almost palpable sense of sadness and despair in the air. Slowly, color returned to the landscape. The color orange. That's a good sign, thought Sunset. The air seemed to be getting warm. She could hear noise in the background. It sounded like cicadas at first, but then it slowly turned from the buzzing of cicadas to people talking among themselves. Then it changed to what sounded like people screaming as the temperature began to rise. "Wait..." Sunset said as she ran toward the noise. When she reached the peak of a hill, she stared in complete horror at the sight before her.
It was the whole of Canterlot. Not just the schools and the houses, but the observatory, the mall, and everything. Everything was on fire. The smell of ash and smoke was in the air. Sunset made a mad dash down the hill, fear taking hold of her heart. Bodies were scattered all around her. Some were crying over the corpses of their lost loves, some were staring at her with pleading eyes, begging for either salvation or the sweet release of death. Sunset teared up, knowing in her heart of hearts that she could provide those poor souls with neither. She heard footsteps behind her. She turned around.
Behind her were Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They all were terribly injured.
Twilight had a gash along her left leg, making it hard for her to move properly. Both her eyes were closed as she winced each time she stepped forward. Her right arm was in a cast and sling.
Applejack had a couple of teeth missing and spat blood on the ground. Her right ankle was badly twisted.
Fluttershy was missing part of her ears, which seemed to have been cut off. She had an open wound on her left cheek, which was bleeding.
Pinkie Pie had bruises all over her body and was struggling to breathe. Sunset surmised her injuries to be internal.
Rarity was wearing an eyepatch, meaning she must have lost an eye in a previous battle against some unknown foe.
Rainbow Dash was struggling just to stand up. She had her hand holding her left hip, which was covered with gauze. Her feet had looked like a truck ran over them.
"What...happened?" said Sunset, staring at her friends in disbelief.
None of them answered. Sunset turned around to see six cloaked figures, their faces hidden by masks. One mask had several animals etched on it. Another mask had a plague doctor's mask etched on it. The third mask Sunset saw had a nightcap etched on it. The fourth was a giant question mark. The fifth was a gravestone, and the last was a king's crown, which led Sunset to believe this was the leader.
She looked back and forth at her friends and the cloaked figures. It had seemed like time stood still. Nothing was happening. Until suddenly, they charged at each other and engaged in one final battle.
Rainbow Dash fell to the ground almost immediately, her eyes lifeless. "Oh, god...Rainbow Dash!" Sunset screamed. She ran over to her friend, tears streaming down her eyes. "Oh please no..." she pleaded silently as she felt her friend's hand. Her attention was diverted to another body that fell directly behind her.
"Applejack!" Sunset cried out. All Applejack could muster was a shuddering breath, then she remained still. Sunset shook her head in disbelief. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be! Why can't she wake up? She heard a loud cough, followed by the sound of a body crumpling to the ground nearby.
"This...this can't be happening." she said in shock as she stared at Pinkie Pie's lifeless body, blood dripping from her mouth. Sunset could no longer hold back the tears she was so desperately fighting. The only thing that snapped her out of crying was a sudden weight she felt on her shoulders.
She looked up and saw Fluttershy slowly dying, leaning on her for support for a second before succumbing to her fatal injuries. "NO!" she shrieked again.
She saw Rarity rushing into battle. "Rarity!" she called out as she reached out to grab her hand, but it had phased through. Rarity was blown back a few inches by an unknown force, then fell limp to the ground.
"Sun...set?" said a weak voice behind her. It was Twilight, reaching out for her closest friend. Sunset took Twilight's hand, grateful that at least one of her friends was okay. Twilight suddenly gasped. Sunset's eyes widened in horror as she saw a sharp blade poke through her dearest friend's chest. Twilight's eyes rolled back, and she fell to the ground, motionless. Sunset shrieked in anguish.
All six of the hooded figures encircled Sunset. Readied themselves to strike her, and-
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Sunset woke up in a cold sweat. For a few minutes, she simply sat there until everything that happened in the dream came back to her. She began to cry. Tears of relief, fear and sorrow flowed for a while until she had none left. She decided to check her phone for messages. Her eyes widened in shock at the messages that were left for her. No. Not just her. All of her friends. As she scrolled through them she came to realize that right now, at this very moment, they needed her. They needed each other.
"What in the name of Celestia happened while I was gone?!" said Sunset.