Spitfire and Soarin were waiting by the front entrance of the Canterlot Mall for their close friend and teammate, Fleetfoot. As usual the star athletes were attracting a crowd. Being local celebrities, the couple was used to being stalked by fans and paparazzi alike. It was the price of fame, really.
"What's taking her so long?" Spitfire complained as cameras flashed behind her. There were even people recording with their phones.
"Do we have to wait by the front door? I'm freezing!" Soarin complained just as the door opened and a cold gust of wind blew inside, causing him to shiver. His teeth also chattered from the chill.
"It's not that cold," Spitfire shrugged as the cold wind blew against her face. She had a higher tolerance to the cold than her husband and daughter. She had built up the tolerance thanks to her training for winter events.
"Yes, it is," Soarin argued. He hated the cold and wished he had gotten a thicker coat. He really wanted to be back home and sit by the fireplace or the radiator.
"No, it's not," Spitfire argued back.
"Yes, it is," Soarin continued to argue.
Spitfire rolled her eyes. Her husband could be such a baby sometimes.
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is!"
Just then, the front doors of the Canterlot Mall slid open to reveal a shivering snowman.
"BRRRRRR, it's really cold out there!" the snowman remarked as he rubbed his stick arms together before shuffling past the couple and into the warmth of the mall.
Spitfire and Soarin just stared at the snowman who stopped by a kiosk for some hot cocoa .
"Please tell me you're seeing this too?" Soarin asked as he kept his eyes on the ‘Frosty the Showman’.
Spitfire didn't saw a word, her wide eyes locked on to the snowman.
The couple was so entranced by the snowman that they didn't notice the doors opened and someone sneaking up behind them.
"Hey!"
Spitfire and Soarin jumped in fright, both quickly turning around to see Fleetfoot laughing.
"Very funny, Flatfoot," Soarin scowled at Fleetfoot as he called her by her team nickname.
"Indeed it was, Clipper," Fleetfoot grinned as she called Soarin by his nickname.
"What kept yah?" Spitfire asked as she crossed her arms, annoyed that they had to wait for her.
"Oh yeah! You guys won't believe this but I saw a talking a snowman that’s alive and can move on its own! !" Fleetfoot told them excitedly. "I saw it walk in here, did you see it?"
"Kinda hard to miss," Spitfire said as she pointed her thumb behind her.
Fleetfoot looked behind Spitfire to see the snowman drink some hot chocolate, only for its lower jaw to melt. He noticed his missing mouth but merely shrugged as he continued on his way inside the mall.
"I got to take a pic," Fleetfoot said as she took out her smartphone. "Scootaloo is going to want to see this."
"Speaking of which, we're here to shop for Scootaloo's gift, remember?" Spitfire reminded her fellow teammate and friend. "Although, considering what she had just done, we might want to hold on to it for a little while."
"What do you mean?" Fleetfoot turned to Spitfire after taking the photo and pocketing her smartphone. She was suddenly wearing climbing gear.
"We'll tell you on the way," Spitfire said as she and Soarin were also wearing climbing gear.
The trio turned to face the inside of the mall to see that it had transformed into a rocky terrain. Shoppers were climbing up on the cliffs to reach the stores. Some were being assisted by Yeti security guards. The Wonderbolts trio started climbing as they made their ascent to the 5th floor.
"SHE'S GONE?!" Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy shouted in utter shock as Pinkie Pie told them of Sunset's disappearance. “How can she be gone?!” Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded at how could Sunset simply just disappear. Her eyes widened when she realized the obvious answer. “Magic.”
"We better let Applejack know," Fluttershy said as she pulled out her smartphone and started typing a message to Applejack.
"Just where could she have gone?" Rainbow Dash muttered as she ran a hand through her rainbow hair.
Applejack and Rarity were waiting by the portal when they noticed the surface of the statue's base beginning to ripple before Princess Twilight stepped out, wearing the coat Rarity had given her.
"Welcome back, Twilight," Applejack greeted her otherworldly friend.
"Thanks," Twilight gratefully said.
The portal began to ripple again as a beautiful woman dressed in an equally beautiful white gown that hugged her figure nicely, with a sun symbol on the hips of the gown, stepped out on wobbly legs.
"Princess Celestia!' Twilight called her former mentor's name as she went to help steady her.
"Thank you, Twilight," The Solar Monarch thanked her former student. "This will take some getting used to." Walking on two legs instead of four hooves did indeed feel strange, and having her forehooves changes into those strange digits was also something she needed to get a handle on. Oh, she knew what they were for as Spike and Discord used them to grasp and pick up items so she would just do as they did.
Rarity and Applejack stared at the Sun Princess with wide eyes. Not only was she a spitting image of their principal, but she sounded just like her too. However, unlike their principal, the princess gave off an aura of royalty as well. Not to mention that she was absolutely beautiful.
“Princess Celestia!” Rarity stepped forward to curtsy. “I’d like to welcome you to our world!”
The portal rippled again and a man with black hair, white eyebrows and goatee wearing a dashing suit stepped out of the portal.
"So this is the other world our daughter resides in," Discord looked around curiously. “Not bad.” He would definitely come visit again.
"Discord?" Twilight was confused at Discord's appearance for he looked like a completely normal human. When Spike came here, he always ended up becoming a dog, so Twilight believed that only ponies would become humans. Then again, the Sirens had also become humans when Starswirl had sent them to this world. She would need to see the mirror portal’s effects on other creatures to see what would happen to them. Wait, she was losing focus. They were here to help Sunset Shimmer.
"Allow me, Twilight," Discord said as he offered his arm to Celestia.
"Such a gentlecolt," Celestia complimented as she wrapped her arms around the offered limb, feeling the strong muscles of Discord's arm.
"It's what you deserve, sweetie," Discord winked at Celestia.
‘Oh my,’ Rarity's inner romantic gushed at the love and affection the princess and Discord shared.
The portal rippled again and Princess Luna stepped out wearing a midnight blue dress with stars decorating the skirt and crescent moons were on the hips of the dress. She stumbled forward before falling to her hands and knees.
"This is most unpleasant," Luna complained. She then noticed her hands and blinked. "What in Equestria?" Luna brought her hands up and started to move her fingers. "What in Tartarus has happened to my hooves?!"
She then turned to her sister and her eyes widen at seeing her current form.
"Sister, what has become of you?" Luna questioned with great concern.
"It's alright, Princess Luna," Twilight assured the Princess of the Night as she walked over to her and knelt beside her.
"Twilight? Is that you?" Luna asked as she looked at this strange creature that sounded like the Princess of Friendship.
"It's me," Twilight confirmed as she helped the Night Princess up to her new feet. "I know this is a little overwhelming, but you'll get used to it."
"If you say so." Princess Luna wasn't quite sure she would get use to this form. Her body felt strange, she was on feet instead of hooves, and she was missing her wings and horn like Celestia and Twilight.
Applejack and Rarity simply watched the royal family and Twilight until Applejack received a text message which alerted everyone.
"It's from Fluttershy," Applejack noted as she checked the message, her eyes widened when she read it. "She says Sunset is missin'!"
"What?!" Everyone was shocked to hear this.
"How can she be missing?!" Princess Luna shouted as she marched towards Applejack with Twilight's help of course. "We were told that you were looking after her, so how can she be missing?!"
"W-well yah see..." Applejack tried to explain but she faltered under the Night Princess' intense glare. It was a glare that could give fillies nightmares.
"Princess Luna, please calm down. I'm sure it wasn't Applejack or any of the girls' fault," Twilight tried to calm Luna down.
Luna continued glare at Applejack before letting out a sigh.
"You are right, Twilight. My deepest apologies, Miss," Luna apologized as she bowed her head to Applejack.
"It's quite alright," Applejack assured her. "Ah understand that yer worried about Sunset."
"That is still no excuse for lashing out at you," Luna stated as she raised her head.
"There, there now, Luna. I'm sure you'll make it up to her after we find Sunset," Discord said as he and Celestia walked beside Luna.
Celestia looked at her sister with kind eyes, silently telling her that it was alright before looking at Applejack.
"From what Twilight has told us, my guess is that Sunset must have teleported herself," Celestia stated.
"But where could she have gone?" Twilight asked curiously.
Just then, Rarity and Applejack's notification alerts were heard from their phones, telling the two teens that there was a new post on MyStable. They were still keeping themselves up to date on Anon-A-Miss.
"Must be the girls confessing," Applejack said as she checked her alert but her eyes widened when she saw what the notification was.
"It's from Sunset's MyStableaccount!" Rarity cried as she saw it too.
At the mention of Sunset's name, everyone crowded around Applejack and Rarity as they checked MyStable and looked at Sunset's profile to see that SHE was doing a livestream. They watched the video and after waiting a minute, Sunset appeared onscreen.
"Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing great!" Sunset said cheerfully before coughing. She still looked very sick.
Princess Celestia's eyes widen upon hearing that familiar voice, a voice that she hadn't heard in years. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the creature that was without a doubt her daughter.
"My little Sunshine."
Discord looked between Celestia and Sunset. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he looked at his daughter. He opened his mouth to say something but words failed to come out. Honestly, he didn't know what to say, which was a first. Guess his gift of gab was gone right now.
"I would like to welcome you all to my first ever gaming livestream, live from the computer lab at CHS, and the game we will be playing is ‘Nightmare Games’!" Sunset cheered before she grinned mischievously.
Discord suddenly shivered oddly.
"That can't be right."
"What's wrong, Discord?" Celestia asked worriedly.
"I feel a magical disturbance," Discord explained before a wave of magic spread from the school and transformed everything into a chaotic mess.
"Whoa nelly," Applejack said as she looked at the pink clouds, the checkered sidewalks, the people being strange and the buildings floating all around them. Even after days of seeing this, she was still not used to it.
"This is just like what happened in Ponyville," Twilight said in utter shock.
"Oh my," Rarity said as she stared at her floating school.
"Now, I would like to introduce you to my special guests who will be joining me in trying out this new game. Please say hello to SunDash!" Sunset said as the camera panned out to show another Sunset Shimmer wearing a shirt with her and Rainbow Dash smiling inside a heart and a cap that said ‘20% Cooler’.
"Hey there folks," SunDash flashed them a smile before she started coughing. She was just as sick as the real Sunset.
"And SunJack!" Sunset announced as the camera panned out again to show another Sunset wearing a shirt with a smiling Sunset and Applejack inside a heart and wearing a Stetson hat.
"Happy to be here everyone!" SunJack waved at the camera. She too looked just as sick as the other Sunsets.
"Say, Sunset, why don't you dress up too?" SunDash suggested.
"You know, I think you're right. I think I'll dress up as the main villain of the game," Sunset said before snapping her fingers and she transformed into a younger version of Nightmare Moon. "How do I look?"
"Much better!" both Sunsets said as they gave her a thumbs-up.
Princess Luna paled at seeing her niece become that horrible monster she once was. It didn't help that as she looked into Sunset's eyes she saw her dark side staring back.
"No, no, no ,no, no," Luna closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "This can't be happening. This isn't real."
Princess Luna suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her, causing her eyes to snap open to see a familiar head of multi-colored hair.
"It's alright, Luna. Everything will be alright," Celestia assured her baby sister as tears spilled from her eyes.
The Princess of the Night felt her sister tremble and realized that this was painful for her too. She returned the hug and assured her sister as well.
Twilight and Discord watched with concern before Discord stepped up to hug both sisters.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll come to her senses," Discord told them. "After all, me and Luna did."
The Solar and Lunar Princesses raised their heads to look at Discord's smiling face.
"Although, I must admit. I'm impressed with the chaos," Discord added.
"Discord," Luna sighed in annoyance.
"Sunset definitely has your flare for the dramatic," Celestia added. "My ponies feared that you might have returned seeing all the chaos she was unleashing."
"You don't say," Discord smiled at this.
"Yes, and I've gotten quite good at reigning in her chaos," Celestia said as she separated from her sister and Discord.
She closed her eyes as she started to concentrate. Soon, pony ears sprouted from on top of her head and a pair of white wings that were much bigger than Rainbow Dash's and Twilight's emerged from her back. Her body was then covered in a light golden aura as she rose into the air.
Everyone watched as the princess' aura intensified before it quickly vanished and her eyes snapped open.
"I can't dispel it!" Celestia cried.
"Why not?!" Twilight asked.
"She must've figured out how to counter my spell," Celestia explained as she descended. "When she was younger and whenever I dispelled her chaos, Sunset would always try to find a way to counter my efforts to stop her 'fun'." Celestia air quoted with her closed fists.
"Can't yah counter her spell?" Applejack asked.
"Normally yes, given I have enough time. But considering that time is of the essence..." Celestia trailed off as she bit her lip.
"You can't undo it," Rarity said dejectedly but her eyes widen in realization before turning to look at Discord. "Can't you do something about? You are Sunset's father and posses chaos magic yourself."
Discord crossed his arms over his chest as he thought over Rarity's question.
"Ordinary, I could, but because I am unfamiliar with this chaos. I fear that my intervening will do more harm than good. Sorry." Adding chaos magic onto chaos magic could have unpredictable effects and while he was the Lord of Chaos, he came to understand that too much chaos was a terrible thing.
The group were saddened to hear this.
"And that's why I'll never eat meat. Anyway time the start the game," Sunset said as her image along with her doubles shrunk into the corner of the screen as the game started and they were in the character selection screen. But something seemed awfully familiar about the characters.
"Wait a minute, that looks like Applebloom!" Applejack said in surprise.
"And Sweetie Belle!" Rarity shrieked.
"Hmm, I think I'll chose the sorceress Applebloom," SunJack said as she selected Applebloom's character.
"I got the archer Scootaloo!" SunDash announced as she picked Scootaloo's character.
"And that leaves me with the knight, Sweetie Belle," Sunset smiled as she picked Sweetie Belle's character.
Once all the characters were selected, the screen then switched to show a forest area with the CMC standing near a campfire.
"Hey, what's going on? Where are we?!" Scootaloo asked as she looked around frantically. She was dressed in a green tunic with brown pants and leather boots. A quiver of arrows hung from her back. Her tunic also came with a hood that had a feather attached to it.
"W-why am I holding a sword?" Sweetie Belle questioned as she brought up her sword. She was dressed in a suit of silver armor with a short pink cape. She also had a shield strapped to her left arm.
"W-what's going on?" Applebloom asked in a frightened tone. She dressed as a sorceress, wearing a blue robe with apples on it and a matching wizard’s hat. She was also carrying a magic staff.
"Why, you have been chosen to undertake a quest, brave heroes!"
The girls jumped at the voice that echoed around them and huddled together in fright.
"W-who said that?!" Applebloom demanded.
"Why, me, of course."
The voice spoke again before the speaker appeared in front of the girls. She looked like Sunset's demon form but with pony ears, antlers, hooves for feet, eagle talons for hands, black angel wings and a flaming halo to complete the look.
"W-who are you?" Sweetie Belle asked in fear as she pointed her sword at the unknown creature, but something about her seemed familiar.
"I am here to guide you on your quest, dear heroes," the demonic woman said with a smile.
"What quest?" Scootaloo asked. "And how come you sound and look a little like Sunset?"
"I am a loyal servant of the great Queen Nightmare Moon," the Sunset look-a-like said.
Meanwhile, Luna became pale at hearing her own niece's voice pledge allegiance to her darker self.
"As for your other question..." the demon smiled wickedly at the CMC causing them to cower in fear. "I'm a formless being and took on the form of someone you all know and loathe."
"Someone they all know and loathe, huh?" Sunset said as she leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed.
"Gee, I wonder who that could be?" SunDash said before all three Sunsets looked to one another and shrugged their shoulders.
Back in the game, the CMC visibly gulped as they understood what she meant. They saw Sunset as a monster. Suddenly, lizard monsters wearing armor and equipped with swords and shields descended from the trees and attacked the CMC.
"Shit!" Sunset cursed as she quickly grabbed her controller.
"Sweet Celestia, I don't know how to attack!" SunJack growled as she just mashed buttons to see what they did.
Back to the game, Sweetie Belle managed to block an upcoming attack with her shield and swung her sword to slay her enemy.
"How am I doing this?!" Sweetie Belle shouted as her body moved against her will as she swiped at another enemy.
"Someone help!" Applebloom cried as she tried to cast a spell but she was attacked from behind. "Ow, that actually hurt!"
"I got your back, Applebloom!" Scootaloo said as she fired three arrows at the enemy behind Applebloom, killing it.
"Heads up, girls. Reinforcements are incoming," Demon Sunset playfully warned as she rested on a tree stump.
True to her word, more lizard monsters and even some goblin archers arrived; and the goblins aimed their arrows at the CMC.
"Girls, get behind me!" Sweetie Belle called out as her friends quickly ran behind her. She then raised her shield which started glowing before creating a barrier that surrounded them and blocked the incoming arrows.
"Good thinkin', Sweetie Belle," Applebloom said happily as she watched the enemies bang against the barrier. Just then, she raised her staff. "Lightning!”
The sky suddenly turned dark as thunder can be heard just before lightning started raining down on the enemies, completely destroying them.
"You did it, Applebloom!" Scootaloo cheered.
Back in the real world, SunJack let out a sigh of relief, "That was close.”
"Fools!"
Everyone jumped at the sound of the voice as a sphere of darkness appeared in front of the heroes before it disappeared to reveal a woman wearing a black skin tight suit with navy blue armor over her shoulders, chest, arms, legs and on her black wings. She had on a navy blue helmet with a single horn protruding from its forehead, as her hair which looked like it was plucked right out the starry sky flowed behind her. She had a symbol of a crescent moon on her skirt armor.
The CMC stared up in fright and recoiled when the woman's slit eyes glared down at them.
"They can't even take care of a bunch of worthless nobodies?" the woman said as she swung her hand and destroyed the barrier.
"My Queen," Demon Sunset kneeled before the woman. "To what do we owe the honor of your presence?"
"My dear niece, why are you wasting your time with them?" Nightmare Moon asked as she casted a glance at her niece. "Just be done with them already."
The CMC shivered at what the Evil Queen said and started trembling in fear.
"But Auntie, it wouldn't be fun otherwise," Demon Sunset spoke.
"Honestly, you're just like your parents," Queen Nightmare Moon shook her head. "Faust knows I love them but their inability to get the job done really drives me insane!"
"That's why they left you in charge, My Queen," Demon Sunset said as she raised her head to look at her aunt.
Nightmare Moon descended in front of her niece and motioned her to stand. The queen was easily taller than her niece.
"Listen closely, my niece. If you ever want to rule this land, you must do so with a firm hand and crush any nuisance before they become a threat."
Nightmare Moon then turned to face the CMC.
"Do not hesitate."
She started walking towards them.
"Show no weakness."
She outstretched her arm and summoned her spear.
"And above all."
The queen got into an attack position.
"Show no mercy."
Nightmare Moon swung her spear and sliced the CMC in half from their stomachs.
[GAME OVER!]
"SWEETIE BELLE!!" Rarity screamed in horror as she watched her sister being sliced in two.
Applejack could only stare in horror as she watched her little sister die before her eyes and being unable to do anything to save her.
Princess Luna backed away from the group that was gathered around Applejack's phone. She brought her right hand up to cover her mouth. She was stunned at what she had just witnessed. This world's version of Nightmare Moon had just killed three little girls and her niece was following in her footsteps.
"Luna?" Celestia called to her sister as she watched her retreat.
"Is this how she sees me?" Luna asked her sister as she looked at her, tears filled her eyes. "As a cold-blooded killer."
"No, no, no!" Celestia rushed over to her sister and enveloped her in a hug. "This isn't how Sunset sees you, this isn't what Sunset is like at all!"
"She's right."
The royal sisters turned to look at Applejack who's looking at her phone.
"This isn't the real Sunset," Applejack said, her voice cracking as the hand holding her phone started trembling. "The real Sunset would never do somethin' like this." She watched the shocked expression on the Sunsets before they let out an annoyed groan.
"Oh great, she one-shot us," Sunset said in an annoyed tone.
"I hate it when they do that," SunDash agreed as she brushed a lock of hair out of her face.
"Who would've figured we would fight the final boss so soon," SunJack said as she looked at the game over screen. "Well, time for a do-over."
All three Sunsets snapped their fingers and the CMC were back in one piece.
"What the?!" Applebloom looked around frantically. "Where am I?!"
"Didn't we just die?!" Scootaloo questioned as she checked herself over to see that she was in one piece.
"Welcome back, girls," Demon Sunset said sweetly. "Are you ready to continue your quest?"
"No way! I don't want any part of this anymore!" Scootaloo said as she threw her bow aside.
"Me neither, it's way too scary!" Sweetie Belle agreed as she too threw down her sword and shield.
"Take us back home!" Applebloom demanded furiously.
Demon Sunset watched the Crusaders look at her in defiance before letting out a sigh.
"Fine, if you don't really want to then I'll send you back."
The Crusaders smiled at this.
"But then you'll never see your sisters again," the demon said with a smile as she snapped her fingers and Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash appeared in chains.
The CMC cried out their sisters name as they rushed towards them.
"Ah, ah, ah," Demon Sunset was wagging her finger as she snapped her fingers with her other hand, causing Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash to disappear before the CMC could reach them. "If you want them back, you’ll have to rescue them."
"Let them go!" Scootaloo demanded.
"Didn't you hear me? You have to rescue them," Demon Sunset rolled her eyes. "Geez, what kind of heroes are you?"
The Crusaders glared at the demon before staring at their weapons. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo started moving against their will and picked up their weapons.
"Ugh, these controls are so stiff," SunDash complained .
"I know, right?" Sunset agreed with her. "It feels like the characters are fighting against where we want them to move."
Back in the game, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo glared at the demon.
"What do yah want us to do?" Applebloom asked through gritted teeth.
"Simple," Demon Sunset snapped her fingers and the entire forest was transformed into a maze. "Reach the end of the maze and rescue your sisters."
"That's it?" Scootaloo asked while raising an eyebrow.
"Yep!" the demon replied cheerfully.
"What's the catch?" Applebloom asked skeptically.
"Weeell there is one catch," the demon said before snapping her fingers and walls of vines erupted from the ground, separating the CMC. "You have to reach the goal alone." The demon laughed before disappearing in flames.
Sunset, SunDash and SunJack were looking concerned.
"This doesn't look good," Sunset said.
"These characters are good when they work together," SunDash commented.
"They did work together to make Anon-A-Miss to frame us after all," SunJack pointed out.
Everyone in the whole school was shocked to hear this.
"Are you kidding me?!' Gilda shouted as she looked at the livestream on her phone while she was riding a unicycle over a tightrope.
"Those miserable brats!" Lightning Dust yelled in outrage as she was catching flying books in the library with a butterfly net while wearing a safari outfit.
Outside the school, Applejack and Rarity stared at Applejack's phone screen with wide eyes.
"S-she knows?" Applejack questioned as she turned to Rarity.
"She must have figured it out on her own," Rarity realized. "This must be her way of punishing them!"
"We have to stop her! Sunset isn't in her right mind right now!" Twilight urged as they all looked at the school. She looked to be on a verge of a panic attack.
"We're going to need the rest of the girls for this," Applejack suggested as she closed MyStable and started look for Rainbow Dash's number.
"Allow me to be of assistance," Discord offered as he took Applejack's phone and tossed it in front of him.
"Hey, what's the big-" Applejack cut herself off as she witnessed her phone turn into a door that opened to reveal Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.
"AJ?" Rainbow Dash questioned as she looked at her best friend/rival with a raised eyebrow.
"Twilight!" Pinkie Pie called out the princess' name in joy as she leapt through the door and enveloped Twilight in a tight hug.
"It's good to see you again, Pinkie Pie, but we have an emergency here," Twilight said urgently.
Pinkie Pie pulled away and held Twilight by her shoulders.
"It's about Sunset, right?"
"Y-yes," Twilight responded with surprise. "How did you know?"
"We got notified by MyStable about a new post on Sunset's account," Fluttershy explained as she and Rainbow Dash stepped through the door just as it closed and turned back into Applejack's smartphone before floating back to the farmgirl.
"Oh, right," Twilight said in embarrassment.
"So what's the plan?" Rainbow Dash asked before noticing the royal family. "And who're they?" The two women looked like Principal Celestia & Vice-Principal Luna but were dressed way too differently like they were going out for the evening. They were with a guy in a suit.
"Darling, this is Sunset's family," Rarity explained.
"Oh, uh nice to meet you all," Rainbow Dash greeted a little awkwardly.
"It's nice to meet you too. It is unfortunate that we have to meet under such circumstances," Princess Celestia said with regret.
“What’s happening?” Fluttershy asked.
“Sunset is torturing the CMC live on MyStable,” Rarity informed them.
“No way!” Rainbow Dash said aghast. “Sunset would never do that!”
“Indeed she won’t. Sunset would never hurt young fillies,” Celestia stated. She wouldn’t if she was in her right mind.
“It must be because of her fever,” Rarity said. “Sunset has been prone to manic behavior because of it.”
“She doesn’t look good,” Fluttershy said as she watched the Sunsets talk amongst themselves. They were breathing heavily and one of them was nodding off. “We have to stop her.”
“And we will,” Rainbow Dash said as she started walking towards the school. She jumped on top of floating stones to reach the entrance.
“Rainbow, hold up!” Applejack called out to her rainbow-haired friend as she followed after her.
“We need to stay together,” Princess Celestia said as she flew towards the school entrance and landed next to Rainbow Dash. “It might not be safe to get ahead of us.”
“Chaos is a wonderful thing,” Discord said as he skipped up the floating stone steps. “But I doubt you will find what it has to offer any good.”
“You can say that again,” Luna said as she had ponied up and used her wings to fly towards the school entrance. “I doubt your chaos has produced anything good.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Celestia spoke as she smiled lovingly. “It did gave me Sunset.”
“Okay, maybe one good thing,” Luna admitted as she landed near her sister.
Once everyone was gathered at the front entrance of the school, Rainbow Dash pulled the doors open and was met with a long empty hallway with doors lining the walls.
“I don’t remember the hallway being this loooong before,” Pinkie Pie noted.
“Well, it could be worse,” Fluttershy said as she went to open a door to reveal a three-headed dragon destroying a city. It looked at Fluttershy and opened its mouths to fire lightning at her.
Fluttershy slammed the door shut immediately and leaned her back against it to keep it shut just as she felt the impact of the dragon’s attack against the door, her body trembling in fear.
“I was wrong, so very wrong!”
Rainbow Dash pulled Fluttershy away from the door and held her close.
“Nopony open any doors; there’s no telling what could be on the other side,” Princess Celestia ordered.
“Like a dog singing opera?” Pinkie Pie asked aloud.
“Try a whole play with dogs as the cast,” Discord said from besides Pinkie.
“Oooooh, I want to see that!” Pinkie said in excitement.
“I’d like to see that too,” Fluttershy said shyly.
“Are we really talking about dog opera at a time like this?” Rainbow Dash groaned in annoyance.
“Of course, you have to have a little fun or you’ll be driven mad,” Discord warned.
“He’s right.”
Rainbow Dash turned to look at Princess Celestia.
“I’ve dealt with Discord’s brand of chaos before and raised a filly who is just as chaotic if not more than her father. So trust me when I say that you’re better off having fun.” Celestia explained.
“Oookayyy?” Rainbow Dash said in a skeptical tone.
“Don’t fight the chaos, embrace it,” Discord encouraged. “Only a crazy person tries to find reason in a world gone mad. Hahahaha!”
Discord walked over to a nearby door and as he opened it he was met with a cannon that went off and blew his head off.
Fluttershy and Rarity gasped before fainting. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were stunned before going to help their friends. But the three princesses weren’t at all alarmed that their companion just lost his head.
“Knock it off, Discord! Can’t you see you’re scaring them?” Princess Twilight chastised as she motioned to the unconscious Rarity and Fluttershy who were being held by Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
“Oh fine!” Discord’s headless body said before his head popped out from his neck in an annoyed expression.
Princess Celestia opened another door and found the cafeteria filled with students either dressed as clowns, pirates, dinosaurs and other bizarre things. She saw some students literally wrestling with their food.
“Curious,” Luna said as she looked inside what appeared to be a classroom. However, the students were upside down and their desks were sitting on them.
“Sweet Celestia!”
At the sound of Sunset’s voice everyone who was conscious turned to Applejack who was looking at her smartphone.
They rushed back to her side and saw Sweetie Belle dodging and weaving through pillars of vines that were coming out of the walls and ground. She used her sword to slash at some of them and blocked others with her shield.
“This is crazy!” Sweetie Belle shouted as she dodged and slashed her way through the vines. “How am I even doing this?!”
“Come on, come on, almost there,” Sunset muttered as she had an intense look on her face, her fingers moving the joystick on her controler and pressing the right buttons. She then noticed the vine walls gave way to stone ones just up ahead.
Sweetie Belle noticed the end of the vine maze and she broke out in a smile. Seeing the end in sight, Sweetie Belle was motivated to get there as fast as she could even though she had no control of her body.
Sweetie Belle got closer and closer to the end of the vine trap. The vines had started sprouting more rapidly as she approached the end.
Sunset had to time her reaction perfectly to avoid each vine but in doing so she put extra stress on herself. Sunset’s vision started getting blurry and her eyelids started to become heavy.
“Just...a bit more,” Sunset muttered as she started nodding off, a vine grazing Sweetie Belle’s arm as she was too slow to dodge it.
“Hang in there, Sunshine,” SunJack said as she commanded Applebloom to use a fire spell to burn the vines that got in her way.
Sweat covered Sunset’s face as she started coughing, but she continued to push Sweetie Belle harder until she finally reached the end of the vine trap.
“Made it!” Sweetie Belle cheered as the path behind her was closed off by vines.
“I sure did,” Sunset muttered weakly as she closed her eyes, a small smile on her lips.
However, Sunset and Sweetie Belle’s victory was short lived as the ceiling suddenly collapsed on top of Sweetie Belle and crushed her to death.
“Sunshine, wake up!” SunJack called out to ‘herself’.
“You’re dead!” SunDash shouted as she she made Scootaloo shoot an ice arrow to freeze the vines.
Sunset slowly opened her eyes to see a blurry screen. Her eyes soon began to focus and she saw the Game Over screen.
“Damn,” Sunset muttered weakly before pressing continue.
“Aaah!” Sweetie Belle shrieked as she found herself back at the beginning of the stone maze. “D-did I just die again?!”
Before Sweetie Belle could ponder anymore, she found herself leaping forward and just managing to avoid being crushed by the ceiling again.
“That was close,” Sunset sighed in relief. She then noticed the stone ceiling move and figured that it was going to keep slamming down as long as someone was underneath it.
“Don’t overdo it, Sunshine,” SunDash said, giving Sunset a side glance before focusing back on her game where she too had reached the stone part of the maze.
“Sorry, this game is a little more challenging than I thought,” Sunset apologized as she wiped away some sweat from her brow.
“Thank goodness Rarity wasn’t awake to see that,” Pinkie Pie said from beside Applejack. “But Sunny shouldn’t be playing video games when she’s so sick.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Princess Celestia said from behind Applejack. Her daughter was having a hard time trying to stay conscious and if she continued to push herself like this then it’ll only worsen her condition and the CMC might not be able to escape from the game Sunset had trapped them in.
Princess Celestia marched towards another door and opened it, only for flames to spew forth and consume her.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried out in horror as she watched her mentor be engulfed by the flames.
“Relax, Twilight Sparkle. Our sister is fine,” Princess Luna assured the Princess of Friendship.
True to Luna’s word, the door closed to reveal Celestia on fire. However, she did not seem to be cooked alive. She did not seem harmed or in pain at all.
“P-Princess? Are yah okay?” Applejack asked as she stared at the flaming princess.
“Do not worry, Applejack. Fire has no effect on me,” the Princess of the Sun said as she unfurled her wings and dispelled the fire.
Applejack’s eyes widened as for a brief moment. Princess Celestia’s hair became red and yellow when she dispersed the flames, making her look like Sunset.
“It’s not just fire; Celestia is immune to high temperatures. Which is annoying since she turns up the heat in the sauna whenever we go to the spa,” Luna explained as she shot her older sister an annoyed look.
“That explains why Sunset takes hot showers,” Rainbow Dash said as she recalled when she took a shower at Sunset’s apartment. She hadn’t paid attention to the hot and cold setting the shower lever was set in and when she turned on the shower; she shrieked in pain as soon as the really hot water hit her body.
“And why she can juggle bowling pins that are completely on fire,” Pinkie Pie said while nodding. Sunset had helped her at a birthday party where she entertained the kids by juggling burning bowling pins. During her performance, the fire had magically transferred into her hands as she tossed the bowling pins to Pinkie Pie who had caught them in a dramatic fashion, exciting the kids. As Sunset showed off the fire on her hands, she clapped them together and turned the flames into butterflies, awing the already excited children.
Pinkie Pie got paid extra for that.
“I assumed that you were all like that,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Oh no, most of us regular ponies can’t do that,” Twilight explained as she looked at her mentor. “Sunset’s is as unique as the rest of her family.”
“Oh my,” Rarity said as she started regaining consciousness.
“Yah alright, Rarity?” Applejacked asked.
“I will be,” Rarity said as Applejack helped her to her feet. “Sorry about that, I must have wasted valuable time as you tended to me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Luna told her. “You can’t possibly predict what he’s going to do.”
“I try my best to keep you all guessing,” Discord said honestly.
Twilight just shook her head and when Fluttershy regained consciousness. They all decided to split into four groups to make it easier to go through as many doors as they could.
Fluttershy and Applejack were with Discord, Rainbow Dash was with Princess Celestia, Rarity was with Luna, and Pinkie Pie was with Twilight.
“Alright, Luna, Twilight, Discord and myself will be the ones to open the doors. We have no idea what could be on the other side, and with our magic, we should be able to handle what this place throws at as, “the Sun Princess explained.
“Right,” the Rainbooms agreed as they went with their group leader to resume their search.
Scootaloo explored the maze. Separated from her friends and being controlled like a puppet, she had no choice but to do it alone.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that our lives are in danger, being inside a video game wouldn’t be so bad,” Scootaloo commented. “ I hope Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are okay.”
Scootaloo was scared. She had no idea what was going to happen next and without her friends with her, she had to face it alone.
As she turned a corner, her foot stepped on a panel. A part of the wall slid open and a horde of ravenous zombies came spilling out. She screamed as she started shooting them with arrows. She managed to get a few of them but the zombie horde was closing in. There was no escape as they swarmed her and tore her limb from limb. Some even used her arms and legs to beat on her body.
“Ow! Hey, stop that!” Scootaloo cried out as a zombie hit her head with her own arm.
[GAME OVER!]
SunDash just stared at the screen with a dumbfounded look.
“Okay, that just happened.”
“Like that time you accidentally got a kill shot on Widowmaker,” SunJack commented as she narrowly dodged a pit full of spikes, only to be impaled by spears that shot out of the wall. “Shit!”
Scootaloo materialized back at the start of the stone maze She gasped before looking around frantically.
“I-I’m back at the beginning?”
Scootaloo groaned as she realized what this meant.
“Oh great, is this going to happen every time I die?”
Scootaloo sighed as her legs started moving and lead her back to where she was before. She tried to remember which panel was it that triggered the trap, but it didn’t matter as the panel suddenly sunk by itself and triggered the trap.
“What the hell?!” Scootaloo shouted in shock as she started shooting arrows at the zombies.
“You’re not getting me this time,” SunDash said as she activated one of her abilities.
Scootaloo suddenly fired an arrow behind the zombies before firing more arrows around them and finally jamming her dagger on the ground, which started crackling with electricity which spread to the others and frying the zombies.
Scootaloo watched in amazement as the zombies were all electrocuted before dropping to the floor and disappearing.
“That...was...awesome!” Scootaloo cheered, flashing the biggest smile ever. “I wish Rainbow Dash could’ve seen that!”
Scootaloo walked forward and as soon as she did, she activated another trap which teleported her somewhere in the maze.
“What just happened?” Scootaloo questioned before seeing what appeared to be the end of the maze as she saw a forest at the end of the tunnel. “Is that what I think it is?”
“No way,” SunDash whispered as a smile spread across her lips. “Looks like I made it out.”
She moved her joystick forward which caused Scootaloo to move on ahead.
“I can’t believe I made it out,” Scootaloo said as she approached the exit. But as soon as she exited the tunnel, she was suddenly catapulted high into the sky before landing inside an active volcano.
[GAME OVER!]
SunDash starred in absolute shock at the Game Over screen, her hands trembling as she gripped tightly the controller.
“Are you KIDDING ME!!”
“That must suck,” Sunjack commented as she activated Applebloom’s shield spell to block incoming arrows from the walls as she made her way through the tunnel, only to stop as she came across a fork in the road.
One path was on fire while the other was filled with alligators.
“No brainer here,” SunJack shrugged her shoulder as she activated Applebloom’s water spell to put out the fire before walking down that part of the maze.
As Applebloom made her way down the path, she came across a dead end.
“Guess ah gotta go back,” Applebloom said out loud, but as she turned around to go back, her path was blocked by a wall that came down from the ceiling. “Really?”
Suddenly,the walls to the left and right of Applebloom started to move closer to her.
“Really? The closing walls trap?” SunJack raised an eyebrow at this. “And it’s a cutscene, just great!”
SunJack groaned as she set her controler down and ran her hands down her face in frustration.
Appebloom was panicking as she looked around at the enclosing walls. She tried a fire spell to blast the walls but it didn’t work. As the walls closed in on her, Applebloom activated her shield spell to surround her in a protective bubble. The walls impacted against the shield and to Applebloom’s delight the shield held. However, Applebloom heard a snapping sound and then her shield bubble popped causing the walls to quickly close in.
Applebloom screamed in terror as she vainly attempted to push back the walls but she was not strong enough and was eventually crushed.
“APPLEBLOOM!” Applejack screamed in horror as she watched her little sister be crushed.
“No need to shout, Applejack. Your little sister isn’t harmed in the slightest,” Discord assured her.
A snapping sound could be heard from Applejack’s smartphone and the walls pull back to reveal a flatten Applebloom who blinked twice before a breeze blew her away like a piece of paper only to be caught by a taloned hand.
“You didn’t really think it would be that easy did you?” Demon Sunset mocked as she folded the flatten Applebloom into a paper airplane and sent her flying down the tunnel.
“How the hell are we supposed to beat her if she cheats?!” SunJack yelled as she motioned to her screen. Applebloom flew down several corridors before finally being snatched up by a baby Manticore who proceeded to tear up the paper airplane. “And now I’m dead, just great!”
“Screw this!”
SunJack snapped her fingers and the maze was replaced by a forest.
“Hey! No cheating!” Demon Sunset yelled angrily at the player.
“You’re one to talk! I know you popped my shield you cheating bitch!” SunJack argued, steam started rising from her body.
Demon Sunset gasped, “What?! I did no such thing!”
“Like Tartarus you didn’t!” Sunjack reached into her screen, grabbed the demon by her dress and pulled her partly through her monitor. “Knock it off, or Celestia help me, I’m going to make you regret it.”
“I’d like to see you try,” the demon smirked.
“Uh oh,” SunDash said with wide eyes. “You shouldn’t have said that.”
“Nice knowing you,” Sunset said before coughing.
SunJack smirked as she pushed the demon back inside the game. She then tapped her monitor twice which caused her screen to display the demon’s character model. Sunjack then proceeded to change the demon’s appearance, giving her back her normal skin tone and human form. She then added a flowing white dress, golden shoes, golden bracelets, wings of the same color as her skin and the mark of a sun similar to that of her mother on the hips of her dress.
“Aaaand initialize,” Sunjack said as she double tapped her screen which brought her back to the game.
The formerly demonic Sunset blinked before checking out her appearance. Her face turned red before glaring at the player.
“You made me look like Mom!”
“We did say we wanted to be like her,” Sunset said as she had a faraway look in her eyes.
“That was a long time ago,” SunDash said, her eyes focused on her game but there was regret in her voice.
“Mom has always been so supportive of us, and we let her down,” Sunjack said sadly.
“She must really hate us,” Sunset said as tears welled up in her eyes that turned to steam. “That explains why Twilight answered the journal and not her.”
Princess Celestia listened to her daughters’ conversation and brought her enclosed fist up to press against her chest where her heart is.
‘Oh Sunset, how could you say such a thing?’ Celestia thought as tears welled up in her eyes. ‘I have never stopped loving you.’
The formerly demonic Sunset walked through the forest, a visible frown on her face as she mumbled about how ridiculous it was to make her look like her mother.
“The nerve of myself to do this to me, I’ll get myself back for this.”
As Princess Sunset continued to walk, she heard a noise nearby and when she went to investigate it, she saw Applebloom. A sinister grin spread across her lips as she had an idea.
“Applebloom!”
Princess Sunset walked with the grace her mother had taught her, she put on her best disarming smile as she stood in front of Applebloom.
“Thank goodness I’ve found you!”
“S-Sunset?” Applebloom was surprised to see Sunset here and dressed the way she was.
“It’s not really me, I’m an NPC and I’m here to help you,” Princess Sunset lied to her. She saw the hesitation in Applebloom’s eyes before she responded.
“Okay, I trust you, Sunset,” Applebloom said She was hesitant to rely on this version of Sunset. But considering her circumstances and what she had just done to the girl, she really had no choice.
“Thank you, Applebloom,” Princess Sunset said as she smiled kindly.
Inside, she smiled wickedly.