Twilight’s mind refused to make that connection. This creature, this demon standing above her with claws and wings and fangs. This was Sunset?
No.
Twilight took a few steps back with everyone else as the demon jumped from the roof and slowly descended, kicking up dirt with every beat of her wings. Twilight couldn’t tell which emotion had more control right now, fear or disbelief. The voracious smile on the monster’s face told her it should be fear.
“I’m actually a little touched,” the monster said. Its voice was dark and deep, partway between a growl and a snarl. It sounded like Sunset, if she had been born in the depths of hell. “You all came out to look for little me? Truly, friendship is magic.”
Rarity raised her hands in a placating manner. “Yes, we were worried sick about you, Sunset. We’re so glad to see you safe and… safe. Why don’t you tell us a little about where you’ve been?”
‘Sunset’ raised her claws and examined them. “I went out and did a little soul searching. I’ve been struggling for a while with the idea of what I’m going to do with my life.” She clenched her fist. “And I realized, I got pretty far with my first plan. Until six girls decided to hit me with a rainbow,” she growled, her hair billowing wildly.
Rarity took another step back. “How about we take a deep breath, Sunset. Yes, we hit you with a rainbow, but look how much better your life became afterward. You have loving friends, you have Twilight here, you have a home with people who care about you.”
“And that’s real cute and stuff, but tell me, what’s the point of it all? Where will you all be in a year? Where will I be?” She drifted closer, a wave of heat radiating off her. “Friendship is nice, but it doesn’t last. Friends grow up, they grow apart, friends move on with their lives. This?”
She lifted her hand and a swath of fire engulfed it. “This power of mine? This can last. Fortunately, I have plenty.”
“S-Sunset,” Fluttershy whimpered, “what are you doing?”
“You ruined my plans! Years of hard work and patience in this disgusting world, wasted in a single moment!” She raised her hand over her head, the flames growing in intensity.
“I guess, deep down, I was still pretty sore about it. Have any of you ever been blasted by a rainbow? No? It burns.” Her savage grin returned and she leaned her arm back. “Here, let me show you!”
Twilight’s fear won out against her disbelief, and her survival instincts kicked in. She threw herself out of the way as the fireball screamed through the air, hitting the dirt and releasing a wave of heat that singed the hairs on her arms. She scrambled up from the ground and jumped out of the way as another fireball hit, leaving flickering embers in its wake.
“It’s nothing personal!” the demon said with a cackle. “I just hate all of you!” She prepared another fireball, aiming it at Applejack and Rarity.
“Sunset, stop!” Pinkie cried, throwing herself in front of them. “You don’t want this! Please, we’re your friends!”
‘Sunset’ lowered her arm, contemplating Pinkie’s words. “You’re right. Sunset doesn’t want this.” Her lips turned upwards. “But Sunset was a delusional little girl trying to believe everything would be all right if she believed in friendship and rainbows and love.” She raised her arm again, flames burning bright.
“I am not Sunset anymore! I’m all the things she tried to lock away! I am what she once was and the greatness she will be once again! I am Scarlet Inferno!”
Pinkie swung around and tackled Rarity and Applejack to the ground as the blaze streaked over their heads and crashed into one of the dirt hills. They rolled out of the way as Scarlet made a follow-up attack, coming within a hair’s breadth of hitting them, the heat leaving pink marks against their cheeks.
Twilight backed up into another hill. This isn’t happening. Nothing about this makes sense. A demonic looking creature that claimed to be her girlfriend throwing fire at them? Twilight thought nothing in her life would ever top what had happened at the concert. Her chest constricted, laboring her breath, and her world spun for a moment. That can’t be Sunset. It can’t be.
“Twilight, move!” Rainbow tackled her to the ground, helping her narrowly avoid an explosive blast. They tumbled against the dirt, getting it caught in their clothes and hair. Rainbow pulled Twilight to her feet and yanked her behind a set of stone cylinders. “Twilight, you have to say something to her!”
“What, why?”
“You’re her girlfriend!” Rainbow said with a ‘duh’ expression. “Maybe you can talk her down.”
“Rainbow,” Twilight said, trying to get her thoughts together, “I don’t think—”
“There’s no use hiding!” Scarlet flew overhead, hovering just above them. “Too bad you don’t have your magical girl powers! Bet they’d come in handy right about now!” She put her hands together, another orb of flames generating between her palms.
Twilight received one more pleading look from Rainbow. Against her personal belief and the voice in her head screaming to run the other direction, Twilight took a half-step forward.
“Sunset, please, it’s me.” Twilight’s mouth went bone dry, both from the heat and her failing nerves. What did she say in a situation like this? “Please, this isn’t you. I know you; you’ve changed. You’re not a monster. And I… I…” Twilight placed her tongue against the back of her teeth, trying to draw the word up from her heart.
Scarlet lowered her hands just an inch, the fire between her palms never going out. She gave a sharp fanged smile that did nothing to reassure Twilight. “Oh, this is just cute. Are you going to say you love me, Sparky? Throw all of those friendship and romance clichés at me? Sorry to tell you, this isn’t one of your fantasies. However, you were technically innocent in my downfall. Stand aside and I won’t kill you today.”
Twilight’s fight-or-flight instinct told her to take the offer and move. But if there was the smallest chance that this was Sunset, Twilight had to reach out to her somehow. And she refused to just run while her friends were in danger.
“Sunset, I know you’re scared of the future, but there’s a better way than this! We’re your friends! We can—”
“No seriously, stop talking, or I’ll roast you alive.” Scarlet raised her palms again, the miniature inferno glowing like the midday sun.
Heart threatening to burst from her chest, Twilight took a step backward. What did she do now? What could she do now? She looked into Scarlet’s black eyes. They held none of Sunset’s warmth. None of her compassion. None of her tempered fury. There was only hatred, and a hunger for power.
Twilight clenched a fist behind her back. You’re not her.
“Going to stand there? No skin off my bones, then!” Scarlet let out an ecstatic cry as she released the ball of fire at Twilight.
Twilight turned to run, but knew it was in vain. The heat scorched her back, and she heard the roar of death in her ears. In the next moment, she was swept off her feet as the world rushed forward, then came to a sudden stop. When the rest of her senses caught up to her, she turned around and found Rainbow, ears and wings up. The tips of her feathers were on fire.
“You okay?” Rainbow asked, seemingly unphased by the flickering flames.
“Y-yeah. I think so.”
“Good. Stay low.” She zipped back toward the smoking battlefield, where Scarlet had taken to terrorizing a fleeing Rarity. A prismatic blur swept into the air and struck a blow against Scarlet’s face.
Scarlet caught herself before she fell to the ground. With an errant yell she lifted both her hands to the sky, a ball of fire in each. They rocketed into the air, then denoted, sending dozens of smaller flares back toward the earth.
Twilight broke into a run again, praying she didn’t get struck by a projectile. She dived into a stone culvert and frantically smacked a flame eating the hem of her skirt. It left a black smudge and the smell of ash on her hand.
Okay, Twilight, think! What can you do besides sit here and wait it out?
When fire stopped raining from the sky, she poked her head out from the culvert, making a quick scan for her friends or Scarlet. Dusk had settled, hiding most of the scenery behind a dim veil. She could smell the scorched earth just fine though.
Emerging from the culvert, Twilight turned around to find a fireball fly right at her. She lunged to the side, but the blaze grazed her shoulder, scorching her skin until it was a blistering red blob. She hit the dirt and let out a yell of pain, the burn on her shoulder so intense, it occasionally felt cold.
“Whoops. That one was an accident. Oh well, might as well finish the job. Consequences later!”
Twilight rolled over, Scarlet hovering above her. A mote of fire appeared on the tip of Scarlet’s finger. Rainbow flew at her from behind, fist raised, but Scarlet swung around and kicked Rainbow in the stomach. As Rainbow gasped for air, Scarlet aimed a flaming finger at her chest and fired, sending Rainbow crashing to the ground in a shower of embers.
“Hahaha! I didn’t think it would be this easy! You’re all nothing without your precious princess!”
“Hey, Sunset!” a voice roared.
Both Scarlet and Twilight looked to the side. A steel girder flew through the air and smashed into Scarlet, sending her across the construction field. She landed with tumultuous crash, sending up a cloud of dirt. Twilight looked where the girder had come from, finding Applejack, hunched over, pony ears up.
She regained her breath, then sprinted to Twilight. “Twi, how bad is it?”
Twilight kept a hand over her burn, but made sure not to touch it. Even the slightest movement generated pain. “Bad,” she said with a gasp. “But, how did you do that?”
Applejack shook her head. “Ah don’t know. And it ain’t important right now. We have to get out of here!”
“Oh no you don’t!”
Scarlet shot into the air again, face contorted in rage. “I’m not done playing with you yet! You may have a few new powers, but you’re all insects compared to me!” She lifted her hands, her furious scowl shifting into an insidious grin.
Only, nothing happened.
She lowered her hand and snapped her fingers, producing only sparks. “No!” she tried again, getting off a few small flames, but nothing more. “No, no! Dammit! I wasn’t done!”
Applejack and Twilight shared a look of confusion, bordering on relief as Scarlet struggled to produce her fire. After several futile seconds, she gave up.
“Fine! You girls get to keep living for now. Enjoy it while it lasts, because next time, my powers will be even stronger! And I won’t be so inclined to just play with you!” She raised her middle finger, then ascended higher into the night sky, vanishing among the stars.
Applejack gingerly helped Twilight to her feet. “Easy there, sugarcube. That’s gonna need some medical attention.”
“Twilight, Applejack!” Pinkie ran over, soot and dirt covering her shirt and face. She pulled both of them into a hug, minding Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re okay! ...Mostly. Come on, Fluttershy is healing Rainbow, then she can fix your shoulder!”
They followed Pinkie behind a large mound of moved dirt, where Rarity sat next to Fluttershy, who was hunched over Rainbow. Fluttershy moved her glowing hands away from Rainbow’s chest, showing off a smoking hole in her shirt.
Rainbow sat up, then threw a hand over the hole, though there wasn’t too much to see. “Uhh, thanks, ‘Shy.”
Face red, Fluttershy murmured, “You’re welcome,” then moved on to Twilight. Keeping her hands just above the burn, Fluttershy gave a light hum, and her pink aura flowed out and engulfed Twilight’s shoulder.
The blistering pain subsided, dulling until it was just an irritating itch. Twilight’s bubbled skin eased back into place, pink as a newborn baby.
She let out a grateful sigh. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”
“Of course. Is everyone else all right?”
Applejack took a seat in the dirt. “Shocked and confused. But yeah, Ah think Ah’m fine.”
“Seriously, what the heck just happened?” Rainbow yelled.
Rarity bit her thumb. “It would appear… Sunset has unfortunately had a major relapse.”
That wasn’t Sunset, Twilight thought.
“But how? Why?” Pinkie asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Rarity said. “For now, let’s get somewhere far away from here. Someone was sure to have heard all that noise.”
Keeping close to one another, the six girls hurried back to their cars and made for the quiet suburbs. Twilight sat in the back of Rarity’s car, her eyebrows pressed together. What was that thing masquerading as Sunset? Where had it come from? Three of her friends had ponied up tonight, one of them for the first time. Why? And where on earth was the real Sunset?
Twilight didn’t realize the car had stopped moving until Rarity had got out. Twilight followed suit, seeing they had rendezvoused at Canterlot Park.
Rainbow clapped her hands together. “Okay, we need a new plan! Our best friend is flying around, potentially throwing fireballs at people!”
Twilight opened her mouth to comment about Scarlet not being Sunset, but stopped when she noticed Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack still had their pony features. She tucked that observation away, and was about to continue her original thought thread, when a plume of blue smoke burst from the ground next to them.
Rainbow and Applejack dropped into a fighting stance, but quickly eased up when Artemis stepped out of the smoke.
“There you girls are! What on earth in going on? I felt magic getting flung around, went to the factory, and only found scorch marks! Lucky for me, you girls left a trail to follow, otherwise, I would have assumed the worse!”
The girls looked at each other, mentally drawing straws for who would tell him. Rarity had apparently drawn the short one. “Well, Mr. Artemis, sir… we went looking for Sunset and we… sort of found her.”
Twilight growled.
“Has she mentioned the night of the Fall Formal to you?” Rarity asked.
“Both she and Trixie have talked about it, yes. Sunset tapped into some dark magic and became a rather foreboding creature for a moment, correct?”
Rarity nodded. “That’s a polite way to put it. Well, it would appear that Sunset has sort of… become that creature again.”
Twilight clenched her teeth behind pressed lips.
Artemis’ face darkened. He crossed his arms and bowed his head. “That… that is troubling indeed.” He inhaled sharply. “Do you know if there’s a reason for this?”
“Afraid not,” Applejack said with a sigh. “There must be an explanation though. Sunset wouldn’t just turn on us—not after all we’ve been through.”
Rainbow crossed her arms. “Either way, we need to find and stop Sunset before—”
“That wasn’t Sunset.” Twilight said with so much steel, it sounded more like a threat.
Applejack blinked. “Say again, sugarcube?”
Twilight looked at them all, a hard light in her eyes. “That. Wasn’t. Sunset.”
One-by-one, her friends exchanged a pitying look. “Twilight,” Rarity said gently, “I know this is hard to take in but, that, unfortunately, was Sunset. That’s what she turned into the night of the Fall Formal.”
“I know what she turned into,” Twilight said, fists clenched by her sides. “She’s told me plenty of times. How much that night still haunts her. How much she regrets that. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t her.”
Rainbow shook her head. “Twilight, you don’t understand—”
“No, you don’t understand!” Twilight shouted. The cork had popped, and all the emotions she had suppressed all night exploded to the surface. “I know I wasn’t there! I didn’t see her turn into a monster! But I know whatever attacked us wasn’t our Sunset—wasn’t my Sunset! Why would she turn back now? Why would she attack us? She loves us!”
“That’s what we’re tryin’ to find out,” Applejack said gingerly. “Ah get it doesn’t make sense, and it’s not like Ah want to believe it. But it’s the only thing that makes sense, right? You’re all about logic, Twi.”
“And you all shoot rainbows and summon giant ghost ponies when you feel enough friendship!” she yelled, throwing her hands into the air. “Yes, it makes sense logically, but you know what? I’m not going off logic right now; I’m going off what my heart says, and it’s telling me that Sunset is still out there! She isn’t that monster!” She pointed a finger at them. “And I’ll prove it!”
She spun around and bolted out of the park for home, ignoring her friends cries to come back. How could they believe Sunset would turn back so easily? They knew her just as much as Twilight did. Maybe she was one step further than them, but they should still know.
Yes, Twilight ran off logic, yes she had a desire to make things make sense. She was a scientist. But she also believed in the magic of friendship. She knew the heart was more than just an organ. She knew something in her soul told her this wasn’t right.
Her eyes stung, and the closer she got to home, the more her vision blurred. She managed to find her way up the steps of her porch, pushing the door open and slamming it behind her. Her parents’ greetings and questions fell on deaf ears as she ran upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom.
Twilight threw herself onto her bed, half out of frustration, half out of exhaustion. She buried her face in her pillow, tears streaming from her eyes like a faucet. Her entire body wracked with the force of her sobs. She wasn’t even sure why she was crying now of all times. She didn’t feel sad per se. If anything, she kindled a renewed fire in her heart. She would find Sunset. The real Sunset.
*******
Another restless night and long day of sitting through classes without Sunset. Twilight decided to forego lunch and use her time to look over the map and think of new possibilities. She was halfway to the library when Moondancer ran up to her with a wide smile of relief.
“Twily, you’re okay! Are you okay? Trixie told me what happened! I can’t believe you were attacked like that! You must have been terrified!” She circled around Twilight and continued to fret like a mother hen.
“Moony, I’m fine,” Twilight said in a tired voice. “Really. It was… an ordeal. But, we’re all fine.”
Moondancer took a small step back. “Are you sure? You don’t look so good.”
Twilight lifted her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Well, I can imagine why. Sweetheart, you need to go home right after school and sleep. You need your rest.”
“I’ll rest when I find something about Sunset.”
Moondancer pressed a finger to her mouth and frowned. “But... wasn’t that creature Sunset—”
“No, it wasn’t!” Twilight said with a viscous shake of her head. Her heated gaze bore into Moondancer. “I don’t care what anyone else says; that wasn’t Sunset, and I’m going to prove it.
As she composed herself, Moondancer looked at her with searching eyes. “You’re not going to stop searching until you find her.”
Twilight thought for a moment. “I won’t stop until I find the truth. I just hope that truth is she’s out there and alive.” She gave a curt wave to Moondancer, than moved around her to the library.
No one came to bother Twilight within her sanctuary of books. She poured over her map of the city, tapping a pencil against her head. Now, she had to find Sunset and avoid this flying monster posing as her. Twilight had no more leads or inklings left to follow, unless Scarlet knew where Sunset was. Twilight had a feeling even if she did, she wouldn’t give up information like that.
Scarlet attacked us near the factory. But that was after we searched all of them. Still, maybe there’s some clue still there, or at least nearby.
Her other hope was to find Shimmer and interrogate her. Between trying to find a wanted thief that had eluded the FBI for years, and her girlfriend, who had vanished without a trace, Twilight knew what the easier option would be. They had only found Shimmer before on a fluke.
Maybe I’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way. The idea made her stomach flop, but she steeled herself. She already had a demon try to kill her, this would be nothing.
After school, she grabbed a picture of Sunset taped to one of the lamp posts near the bus stop and tucked it into her bag. The bus for uptown arrived and Twilight climbed aboard, finding a seat near the back. It had been a while since she had taken public transportation. She hadn’t realized how used to riding Sunset’s motorcycle she had gotten. The wind against her skin, the blur of scenery rushing past her, feeling Sunset’s warm body pressed against hers, feeling like she could die at any moment. Twilight made a cross between a laugh and a choked sob.
She exited the bus when it reached the mall. She didn’t walk through the sliding screen doors. Instead, she planted herself just off to the side, and pulled the flyer out from her bag. She took a deep breath. It was almost like public speaking, only it was with complete strangers and she’d be talking to them one at a time. She looked down at Sunset’s faux annoyed smile. Sunset would do all this and more if she were in trouble.
Twilight held the flyer up to the first person who walked by her. “Excuse me, have you seen her? No? Thank you. Excuse me, ma’am, have you seen this girl?” She repeated the action and question for the next several people she saw. Twilight received looks of pity, looks of sincere apology, looks of annoyance.
Her fear of bothering people wore away with each person she asked. Soon, she stopped caring if she sounded like a broken record. One of these people had to have seen Sunset somewhere. She caught people entering and leaving the mall, recognizing a few faces from school. She interrogated them anyway. If there was even a slight chance one of them knew something, she had to take it.
She stood outside the mall for hours, watching the sun disappear and people and cars come and go. Her legs and voice grew tired, and her spirit dampened with every consecutive negative response. When there was only a thin sliver of pink in the sky, Twilight put the flyer away and awaited the next bus to take her home. Greatly discouraged but not broken, Twilight would try again tomorrow, and if she didn’t get any answers then, she’d move on to another spot and try there.
*******
Friday came slow, with Twilight staring at her ceiling half the night. It had been a whole week since she had seen Sunset, the longest Twilight had ever gone without seeing or hearing her. It was surreal. Twilight hadn’t known her for a whole year yet, but she was such a strong presence, her absence left an unfillable void.
Twilight arrived to school as a layer of clouds rolled over the sky. Her dad gave her an extra kiss on the cheek, reassuring it would be okay like everyone else. She had learned to nod and just say thank you.
When lunch came, she avoided going to the cafeteria again, choosing to eat her packed lunch outside on the bleachers. Shadows crossed over her every few minutes, a cool wind blew through the neighborhood.
“Hey, Twilight.”
She looked down to the lower seats, finding Flash climbing toward her, the bleachers making a metal clank with every step he took. He sat next to her and took a moment to stare at the sky. “Dumb question, but, how are you doing?”
While Twilight believed there were no dumb questions, she appreciated he at least acknowledged his question was poor. “I’m okay,” she said, giving the traditional poor answer.
“Yeah, I understand.” Flash opened his backpack and pulled out a soda. “Want one?”
Twilight accepted it with silent gratitude. Strawberry, she thought, looking at the color of the can. Her next thought was of Sunset. She pulled the top open and took a sip. “How come you’re not inside?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, then took a sip of his own.
“We’re having a few… disagreements right now.”
Flash nodded. “Rarity told me all about it.” He looked over at her. “I think you’re right.”
Twilight almost spat out her soda, causing the fizz to rise to her nose. “You do?”
He looked down at the football field with a solemn expression. “I’ve known Sunset for a long time. And yeah, a lot of the time, she was faking with me. But you girls did something. You helped bring the real her to the surface. Sure, Sunset goes missing and then her demon form shows up a few days later. Yeah, you could put two and two together but, I saw how happy she was with you. She wouldn’t throw all that away. Not willingly anyway.”
He pressed a hand against his hair. “That all sounded less cheesy in my head.”
“No, it was perfect,” Twilight said, breaking into a smile. “Thanks, Flash.”
Flash glowed from the simple praise. “No problem. That wasn’t the only reason I came up here though. I wanted to ask if you needed any help. The other girls are trying to find a way to stop this Scarlet or change her back to Sunset. But, I want to believe you’re right and that the real Sunset is somewhere else.”
Twilight had an idea of what all the other girls saw in Flash. A genuine desire to help people combined with his handsome looks and guitar skills. In a different life, maybe Twilight would have fallen for him. “I really appreciate it, Flash, but…” She slumped her shoulders. “I’m not sure if there’s much you can do. I’ve just been asking random people if they’ve seen her anywhere. I’ve run out of places to look.”
“There might be a place you haven’t looked yet,” he said cautiously. “But I can’t promise it’ll be helpful at all.”
“I’m willing to try anything at this point.”
Flash pointed west. “Sunset and I used to go to the old junkyard a lot. You’d be amazed at some of the stuff people throw out that still work pretty well. That’s where we found the motorcycle. Again, I can’t promise you’ll find anything but—”
Twilight shook her head. “No, it’s brilliant. Like I said, any lead is good.”
“Cool, we can go check it out after school.”
*******
Twilight stared at Flash’s sport car. “This is yours? I thought this was one of the faculty’s!”
Flash rubbed the back of his head. “Dad owns one of the car dealerships. Got it as a sixteenth birthday present. It’s whatever.”
She chuckled at his modesty and climbed into the passenger's seat. Twilight had to admit, the thought of active searching filled her with more hope than the thought of standing on a street corner, shoving a flyer into people’s faces. Flash assured her it would be a short trip, leaving them plenty of time to look. Sure, they’d be looking through garbage but maybe, just maybe today would be the day.
Flash put on some music while they drove, loud rock ‘n roll Twilight knew Shining would appreciate. She tuned it out as she stared out the window, watching the houses disappear, replaced by vacant fields where more would soon be built.
“Not into rock?” Flash asked.
Twilight tore her eyes away. “Not particularly. It’s not bad. Just not my thing.”
Flash bobbed his head. “I feel that.”
Twilight let the song finish before speaking again. “You and Sunset… dated for a while, right?”
“Yeah,” he said slowly, his demeanor quickly becoming less assured. “I mean, for all intents and purposes, we were together.”
“So, did you…” Twilight played with her fingers. There was no nice way to say it. “I mean, I know if she did, she didn’t mean it—and I’m really sorry if this is uncomfortable in any way, but… did you ever tell her you loved her?”
Flash’s expression shifted through different levels of sad. He finally settled between self-pity and regret. “Yeah, I did. And she said it back.”
“When did you say it?”
“I dunno, maybe… five, six months into our relationship?” He took one hand off the wheel and ran it through his hair. “Love is always a complicated word.”
Twilight looked at her lap. “Yeah. How do you know when it’s the real thing and not just some passing phase or spur of the moment reaction?”
Flash laughed. “Sorry, Twilight. You’re asking the wrong guy.”
She gave a small chuckle, then fell silent until they arrived at the fenced gates of the junkyard. Stepping out of the car, Twilight unwillingly inhaled the stench of mildew and must. She fanned her nose and coughed before a few powerful sneezes escaped.
“You gonna be okay?” Flash asked.
“Yeah,” Twilight said with a sniffle. “Just my allergies. They’ll pass.”
They walked up to the front gate, closed by a simple padlock with a sign beneath it that read, ‘No loitering.’ The gate itself was only eight feet high; some of the junk piles loomed higher than it.
“So, how good are you at climbing?” Flash asked.
Twilight tilted her head back to take in the gate, now towering over her. “Ummm…”
“Just kidding.” Flash pulled a small, narrow screwdriver out of his pocket and went to work on the lock. He wasn’t as fast as Pinkie with her bobby pin, but after a minute of fiddling, the lock popped off. He pulled the gate open, ignoring the loud creak it made. There were no other buildings for half a mile.
“Fair warning: the smell only gets worse from here.” He waved a hand for Twilight to follow him in.
Old computer parts, pieces of cars, moldy furniture, worn out play sets, inflatable pools with holes in them. The junkyard was everything Twilight imagined it being, filled to the brim with the broken and unwanted. She stepped carefully, keeping an eye out for smaller parts that could trip her up. An old sprinkler had already succeeded.
Flash had been correct about the stench. Odors lingered on the leftover junk, ranging from cat pee to baby vomit to things Twilight didn’t want to think about. The collective dust and mold tickled her nose so whenever she wasn’t gagging, she would unleash a powerful sneeze.
“Sunset!” Flash called. He led Twilight down the dirty paths that wound around the junk piles. Many of the paths had grown narrow from the amount of scrap that had filled the area. He shoved a flat tire out of the way and walked into one of the wider clearings.
“Sunset!” he called again, cupping his hands against his mouth.
Twilight sneezed again and rubbed her nose. “You did say it was a long shot.” She turned in place, hoping to catch a glimpse of red and gold hair or a black leather jacket.
Flash shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked a spring coil away. “I know. Still, I kinda got my hopes up a little.”
“Yeah, I did too.” Twilight squatted next to an old antenna t.v. and played with some of the knobs. She would have to remember to come back her if she ever needed spare parts for projects.
“Well, this was the only idea I had. Maybe… maybe someone really did take her away.” Flash put his hands up. “But who would want to kidnap her?”
“You’d be surprised,” a sultry voice hissed.
Twilight jumped and stumbled back from the television and the pile it sat next to. Standing on top was Scarlet, looking at them with an amused grin.
“When—how—I didn’t even hear you!” Twilight yelled.
“It’s not like you could have if you actually tried,” Scarlet said. She rested an arm on her knee and chuckled. “Barely a week has passed and you’ve already moved on to Flashy boy here? Twilight, I’m hurt.”
“How did you even find us?” Flash asked.
Scarlet outlined Twilight with a claw. “We’re connected in more ways than one.”
Twilight huffed, choosing to ignore the demon’s cryptic nonsense. “Where’s the real Sunset?”
“I am the real Sunset.” Scarlet tapped a claw against her cheek. “Oh, you mean your little girlfriend. Deep down, she knows what she really is. Me.”
“Liar!” Twilight yelled, her face growing hot.
Scarlet laughed, showing off her pointed teeth. “That’s so cute how you think you know everything about her. You haven’t even known her a year. Then again, she has told you all her secrets. Maybe you just can’t come to grips that this is the monster that nearly conquered two worlds.” She raised her hand, her palm burning bright.
“And soon, I’ll finish what I started,” she said darkly.
Flash grabbed Twilight by the hand and yanked her out of the inferno’s path. They made a mad sprint down one of the narrow trails while Scarlet took to the air and laughed.
“Try and run, little mice! It makes the game all the more fun!”
A blast of fire struck a pile to Twilight’s left. It lit like a pyre and spat embers onto her, miniature demons that jumped onto her skin and left small, angry burns. She and Flash made a sharp turn as another blast hit the corner. Burnt plastic and metal mixed with the already egregious smell, burning Twilight’s nose as she tried to get air to her lungs.
They came to another clearing, the mountains of trash towering and leaning over them like curled fingers, their details lost in the sun’s fading light. A fireball arched over their heads and smashed into one of the scrap towers, setting it alight and sending it toppling down. Flash and Twilight dove out of the way, losing themselves in the explosion of dust and debris that covered the sky.
Twilight could barely see where she was going, only the pull of Flash’s hand guided her. He drew her into the bottom of an old playfort covered by a moldy curtain. Both of them collapsed against a support beam and refilled their lungs with tainted air.
“Maybe we can hide out here until she leaves,” Twilight said, her voice so quiet, she might as well been mouthing the words.
“Unless she decides to just burn the entire place down,” Flash said, trying to peek outside without moving the curtains.
Twilight paled. “I hadn’t considered that.”
Wing beats filled the air as something touched down nearby. Flash jerked back from the front of the playhouse, becoming perfectly still. Heavy footsteps crunched against the dirt and wood chips. Twilight and Flash held their breaths as Scarlet’s shadow drifted across the curtain. She muttered something incoherent as she passed by. Twilight felt another itch rise to her nose, and she scrunched her face to make it stop. Flash shot a hand over her face and pressed down, making the itch subside. Twilight gave him a nod of appreciation.
“Did you honestly think that was a good hiding spot?” Scarlet asked, her shadow turning toward them.
Twilight sneezed.
Flash grabbed a pot lid lying on the ground and ran out first, holding in front of himself like a shield. Twilight grabbed a jagged piece of metal and followed him. Scarlet stood in the middle of the road forward. Behind them was a small hill of debris, some of it still on fire.
Flash held his hand in front of Twilight. “You go,” he said, the small tremble in his voice betraying his defensive stance. “I’ll hold her off.”
“Oh that’s adorable,” Scarlet said with sadistic childish glee. “He’s going to play the white knight. Let’s see how long that act will last.” She held her hand up, creating another ball of fire.
Twilight held onto his shoulder. “I’m not just going to leave you here!” she said, slowly drawing him back.
“Twilight—” He cut his own sentence off when Scarlet’s fire went out, and she grabbed her own wrist, her face contorting in pain.
“This… wasn’t… the deal…” she said under her breath.
“Quiet, girl!” she said back to herself. “Don’t… interrupt me!”
“I’m not a murderer!”
“You’re whatever I tell you to be! I’m… in control!”
Twilight pulled Flash by the arm and climbed over the hill, scratching her knees on the sharper corners jutting out. Flash helped her keep balance over the uneven surface, and they jumped down onto solid ground as a jet of fire flew over their heads. Scarlet’s shadow flew over them, and Twilight looked up to fling her piece of metal. Her gasp of surprise was muted by Scarlet’s shout of pain. Scarlet clutched her cheek with one hand while the other readied another attack before she doubled over in mid-air and grabbed her head.
They retraced their steps back to the entrance, putting in an extra burst of speed when Flash’s car came into view. The gate separating them from safety shut and crumpled together in a cacophony of screeching steel. Twilight ground her heels to a stop before she crashed into the newly made barbs.
Scarlet landed behind them, her teal eyes flashing red. Drops of blood slid down her face from her fresh cut. “You know, I didn’t really have anything personal against you, Twilight. I was just going to kill you and pretend you were the princess. But now…” She held her hand out, flames curling around it. “You get to die for your own nuisance.”
A bolt of light hailed from the sky and struck Scarlet in the chest, throwing her backward. She released her fireball up into the air, where it vanished into the clouds.
An angel descended before Twilight and Flash, cloaked in a bright white aura. Wings with feathers made from moonlight sprouted from her back. A rapier sat in one hand, while a ball of light floated over the other. Her red and purple hair cascaded behind her, tossed to the side by an occasional breeze.
“Moondancer?” Twilight asked in a stunned whisper.
Moondancer looked back at her and offered a soft smile. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll keep you safe from this monster.”
Scarlet got back to her feet and narrowed her eyes. “Oh joy, you’re here. I’m surprised it took you this long.”
Moondancer turned back to Scarlet with a hateful glare. “I’m going to make you regret coming anywhere near Twilight.”
Scarlet snorted. “Sure, I’ll play along.” She pressed her palms into her cheeks. “Oh no, the mighty heroic Moondancer has appeared. Whatever shall I do—agh!”
The ball of light flew from Moondancer’s hand and crashed into Scarlet’s chest, exploding in a cloud of white smoke and glitter. Scarlet flew into the air, incensed.
“Okay, bitch, you wanna go? Let’s go!” Scarlet rushed down, and Moondancer flew up to meet her, light wings leaving behind a sparkling trail. Scarlet tried to keep her back with a barrage of small flares, but Moondancer raised her hand and created a glowing shield in front of her and pushed ahead.
When she got in close, she thrust her rapier at Scarlet, nicking her across the arm. It didn’t draw blood, but Scarlet looked murderous. She raked her claws through the air, forcing Moondancer to dodge left, then slammed a boot into her side, dropping her several feet.
Twilight made a tiny shriek. Her mind still hadn’t quite come to grips with what was transpiring in front of her, but she knew her friend was in danger.
But she has magic! My best friend is fighting a demon with magic! Why does she have magic? Why is magic suddenly everywhere?
Moondancer caught herself before she hit the ground. Another light orb appeared in her palm. She tossed it up, then smacked it with her rapier. Scarlet tried to smack it back with her hand, but it exploded on contact, releasing another thick cloud. Moondancer unleashed a beam from her hand into the cloud, and a shriek of pain came from within.
Scarlet burst free, face twisted into molten fury. She rushed forward, bringing her hand back to strike. Moondancer lifted her rapier to defend, but Scarlet grabbed the blade and yanked her forward and backhanded her. Moondancer fell to the earth, her sword clattering by her side.
“Moondancer!” Twilight yelled. She made to run to her side, but Flash grabbed her by the wrist.
“She has magic powers. We don’t. I think we should sit this out.”
Before Twilight could argue, Moondancer was back on her feet. She picked up her sword and rubbed the bruise on her cheek. “Hmph.” She raised her sword at Scarlet, and a bolt of light shot from the tip.
Scarlet shielded herself with her wings, crying out when the magic tore a new hole in them. She unfurled them and hurled a fiery missile. Moondancer raised her palm, creating a glowing forcefield and deflecting the fire into a pile of trash.
Twilight gagged violently and threw her hands over her nose. Smoke climbed into the sky, turning the setting sun red. Behind her, Flash was trying his hardest to pry the gate open, to little success.
Moondancer had taken to the sky again, making a wide slash at Scarlet. Scarlet darted back and sucked in a deep breath. From her mouth, a torrent of fire spewed forth. It engulfed the bubble Moondancer had hastily conjured, its fiery tongues searching for a way in.
The bubble shot forward and rammed into Scarlet, sending her into a mountain of junk that toppled onto her with a crash loud enough to wake the dead. Dirt and smoke rose in a plume, further tainting the once blue sky.
Emerging from her bubble, Moondancer aimed an open palm at where Scarlet had fallen and unleashed a salvo of small light beams. They fell upon the earth like a downpour of gold, blinding Twilight until all she could hear were Scarlet’s cries of pain.
Even when the light faded, Twilight had a hard time seeing beyond the dust. Moondancer looked down at the wreckage, a faint red glow in her eye. When Twilight blinked, it was gone.
Grinding metal and the shuffle of plastic and wood came from within the smoke. Scarlet haphazardly rose into the air, leaning to one side. Scratches and scuff marks covered her from head to boot.
“I’ll… remember this,” she panted. With a strong flap of her wings, she sailed off to the horizon.
Moondancer descended to the ground, her ethereal wings fading. Then, she swooned and fell to her hands and knees, her sword rolling away.
“Moondancer!” Twilight ran over and knelt beside her. “Are you okay? I thought you didn’t have magic! I mean, I’m glad you do… I think. But… what’s going on?”
Moondancer shifted and sat down, keeping a hand pressed against her head. She let out a soft chuckle. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy. My body isn’t used to using that much magic at once. It’s still relatively new.”
“‘Relatively new’?” Twilight was caught between making sure Moondancer was all right, and interrogating her for details.
“I know you’re confused, and I promise, I’ll explain everything shortly. Just…” Moondancer yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Give me a moment, please.”
Flash took a seat on Moondancer’s other side, his fingers red from his futile attempts at opening the gate. “Man, hanging out with you girls is dangerous. Thanks for saving us, Moondancer.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Flash then leaned over and looked at Twilight. “But did you understand what happened back there?” He jerked a thumb at the alley they had escaped from.
Twilight shook her head. “Not really.” A partial lie. Twilight had an idea, but she refused to give it focus, aloud or as a concentrated thought.
Moondancer looked curiously between them. “What happened?”
“Not important,” Twilight said quickly. She looked at the crunched gate. “Let’s focus on getting out of here.”
*******
Moondancer found enough spare magic to pull a hole in the gate, and the trio left as fast as they could, columns of smoke rising behind them. Conversation was kept to a minimum until Flash pulled in front of Twilight’s house just as the moon peeked out from behind a cluster of low hanging clouds.
“Thank you, Flash, for everything,” Twilight said. “I’m sorry you… almost got killed.” She tried to laugh only for it to come out forced and high-pitched.
Flash gave her a smile that matched her laugh. “Hey, it’s not the first time some weird magical stuff has happened to me.” He cleared his throat. “I’m glad I could help in some way. And if you need anything, just call.”
“Thanks.” Twilight and Moondancer got out the car and waved him off.
“He’s quite the gentleman. I can see why so many girls are taken with him,” Moondancer said.
Twilight kept her eyes squarely on Moondancer. If she hadn’t intervened, Twilight could only assume the worst. But the fact that Moondancer had intervened with magic... Twilight had placed finding Sunset higher on her list of priorities, but after what she saw today…
She shook the thought away. “Full disclosure, Moony,” she said firmly. “How long have you had magic? You…” Twilight felt a pang in her heart. “You haven’t had them the whole time we’ve known each other, have you?”
Moondancer held a hand over her mouth, stifling a gasp. “Heavens no, I would never keep such a secret from you. Well… not for very long anyway.” She folded her hands behind her back. “My powers are a relatively new development. New in that, they’re only a year old. I just never knew how to tell you. You were always so grounded in science and logic and reason; I couldn’t drop such a revelation on you. Then, the Battle of the Bands happened and I learned all your friends were already magical. I just didn’t know when the best time to mention it was. It isn’t something you just slip into casual conversation.”
Twilight nodded along, finding it believable so far. “But if you had magic, why were you affected by the Siren’s music?”
Moondancer sighed and bowed her head. “I wish I knew. Perhaps it’s the way I acquired it.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s… a little complicated.” She held her arm out and rolled her sleeve up, tracing a finger along one of her veins. “You see, Trixie and my uncle have magic in their blood. Their powers are handed down through our family line. It is their birthright.” Her arm fell along with her posture. “I was not granted that inheritance. Magic does not flow through my blood. However…”
She raised her arm again, spreading her fingers to the moon. “If one trains hard enough, one can open their soul to the magical world! They can become in tune with the natural magic that flows all around us! What’s left of it at least.”
Twilight compartmentalized her thoughts, saving her deeper questions and hypotheses for later. “So, you trained yourself to use magic?”
Moondancer smiled. “That’s the simplified version, yes. Through sheer determination and rigorous training, I finally reached enlightenment a year ago, and have been honing my skills ever since.”
“Fascinating.” She couldn’t wait to tell Sunset. “So, is that how you knew I was in trouble?”
“Of sorts.” Moondancer took Twilight’s hands into hers. “Our souls are interconnected, my little star. I swore that I would always be there to protect you, and I’m a lady of my word. I would rather die than allow some ill fate to befall you.”
Twilight looked into Moondancer’s violet eyes, finding nothing but love and sincerity. She slipped her hands out and took a step back, watching Moondancer’s smile fade to a curious frown.
“Moondancer, that means so much to me,” Twilight said softly. “You’re my best friend, and you mean the world to me…” She steadied her pounding heart. “Listen, I know you like me.”
“But of course. As you said we’re—”
“No.” Twilight blushed. “I know you like like me.” She felt like a third grader.
Moondancer’s cheeks turned pink and she made a rare stammer. “Y-yes, well… I…”
Twilight pressed a hand to her face. “I can’t believe it took me so long to notice. I care about you a lot, Moony, and I’m so glad we’re friends but… Sunset and I… even if she’s gone…”
Moondancer made a shuddering sigh. “You love her.”
Twilight couldn’t answer. She just listened to the continuous crash of her heart against her chest.
Turning her face to the moon, Moondancer didn’t say anything for a while. A knot twisted in Twilight’s stomach to go along with her aching, pounding heart.
“I understand,” Moondancer said at last. “I know what it’s like to love… and lose someone.” She made a short laugh. “I just don’t understand why you picked her. Not even over me, just the fact that you picked her.”
“Moondancer.” Twilight almost smiled.
She looked back at Twilight, unfallen tears in her eyes. “There are only two things I care about in this world. And you are one of them. Sunset had best appreciate what she has.”
This time, Twilight did smile. “Thank you, Moondancer.” She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend.
Moondancer eagerly returned the hug. “You’re welcome, Twilight,” she said, a faint sadness in her voice. When Twilight broke away, Moondancer stood awkwardly fiddling with her thumbs.
“Twily,” she said, her head down. “Could I ask one tiny favor?”
“Sure?”
“Could you…” Moondancer coughed. “Could you not mention my magic to anyone? I… I don’t want it to get back to my family.
Twilight immediately thought of the Lulamoons, and the sheer delight Artemis would have finding out his niece could cast magic. “But, why?”
“Don’t misunderstand—I love them dearly, but…” Moondancer sighed. “I’ve had to train so hard to get where I am, where they were born with it. I know my uncle would love to train me, but I already know how much I would struggle with him and Trixie. I don’t want to disappoint their expectations.”
“Moondancer…” Twilight put a hand on her shoulder. “I haven’t known Artemis very long, but I know he would never be disappointed in you. But, I can see how it might be a little overwhelming.” She offered Moondancer an encouraging smile. “I think you should trust them. They’re you’re family. But I promise, I won’t tell. I’ll let you do it when you’re ready.”
Moondancer smiled in return. “You really are the best, little star.”
*******
She loves her.
It was a sobering thought. One that fed the guilt eating at her insides. Moondancer had known this was a possibility, narrow as might be. But here she was, possibility now reality. Twilight was under no spell or illusion.
She loved Sunset of her own volition.
Why?
Moondancer stepped through her front door with that thought in her head. Sunset had been a demon! A literal, fire-spewing demon! And Twilight knew that! But she still loved her?
It’s… admirable.
Moondancer sighed as she walked upstairs. Sunset was dangerous. Moondancer still had no qualms about removing her from the play. But to see her little star in so much pain… that pricked at her heart like thorns.
She channeled that pain into anger as she stomped through the east wing. She could barely stand seeing Twilight in emotional pain. Finding her in mortal peril? Lines had been crossed.
Moondancer didn’t bother to knock. She forced open the door to her father’s study where, as she suspected, Tempest was seated behind the desk.
“Have you lost your barbaric mind?” Moondancer hissed between clenched teeth.
“Moondancer!” her father barked from a large armchair off to the side. “You know better than to come in unannounced!”
She ignored him entirely and kept her eyes on a smirking Tempest. “I told you Twilight has no magic! And yet, I find your new pet trying to kill her!”
Tempest scribbled something on the sheet in front of her. “You didn’t seem to have a problem a few nights ago.”
Believe me, I did. “That’s because I knew Scarlet wasn’t aiming to kill, and Twilight had friends to help her. This was a blatant attempt at murder!”
“Oh please, don’t act like you stand on some moral high ground with everything you’ve done.” Tempest stood up and stretched her arm. “I had a hypothesis, and I wanted to test it. Sadly, I’m not happy with the results.”
“What are you—”
“I knew that girl was a hindrance to your focus, Moondancer,” Tempest said coldly. She pulled her golden amulet out from her jacket. “You’re forgetting the real goal here.”
“I am not—”
“I sent Scarlet after Twilight to see if you would interfere. And of course, I was right.”
“Twilight is innocent!” Moondancer felt her face beginning to splotch. “Leave her out of this!”
Tempest sat down, a cold smile on her face. “Moondancer, if you had to choose between saving your mother and saving Twilight, which would you pick?”
Moondancer’s heart froze. It must have reflected on her face, because Tempest’s smile grew wider. Her mother or her only friend? Only someone truly sadistic would make someone choose.
Shoulders falling, Moondancer let out a bitter sigh. “Mother,” she whispered.
“I thought so. I’ll leave Twilight out of this, on the condition that you stop trying to put her before our agenda. Otherwise, next time she’s out alone, Scarlet’s hand might slip.”
Moondancer bowed her head. “Very well.”
“Good. Now go check on Lamia.”
With one final glare, Moondancer backed out of the room. She retreated down the hall, ideas spinning in her head. Twilight’s happiness, or her own? Twilight’s safety, or her own?
Moondancer sighed, a tear slipping down her face. What was one more regret on an ever-growing list?
********
The minuscule amounts of sleep Twilight had gotten throughout the week finally caught up to her, and she slept all through Saturday morning, missing two calls from Rainbow and Rarity. Clearing the fog from her head, Twilight stood up and stretched her arms. She still wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk to them, especially after what had happened yesterday. The struggle in Scarlet’s voice replayed in Twilight’s ears. She could remember every word.
“I’m not a murderer!”
Scarlet had hesitated, argued with herself. Twilight gripped the edge of her bed and bit down on her lip. Why would a demon fight with itself unless it wasn’t fully in control? Twilight remembered the cold night in the mountains. The conversation she and Sunset had shared on the couch by the fireplace.
“It’s like she’s sitting right there! Right on the edge of my heart. One mistake… one mistake and I’ll…”
Her tears fell to the carpet. Maybe she had to face facts. Maybe Scarlet really was Sunset. It wasn’t of her own volition, Twilight was at least sure of that. Still, facing the realization head on left a bad taste in her mouth. Part of her still refused to believe it. Something, something about the situation didn’t sit with her.
“Vesper Radiance? I’ll save that if I ever become a villain again.”
Twilight lifted her eyes, the thinnest sliver of hope shining in them. If that had been the real Sunset, she would have called herself Vesper Radiance! It was an incredibly weak thread, but Twilight clung to it. She had a reason to keep searching!
She looked at her clock, amazed she had slept until two in the afternoon. Spike hadn’t seemed to mind. In fact, he was still at the foot of her bed, sleeping on his side. He lifted his head when Twilight rose to take a quick shower and put some weekend clothes on. She pulled her shirt over her head and picked her phone up. She supposed she could at least call Rainbow and Rarity back to see what they wanted.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, alerting her that she had a new text message. Her heart froze solid, stopping all air flow, both in and out. Time crawled to a stop as she read who the sender was.
Sunset.