“I don’t understand. What went wrong?” Celestia questioned as she ran her hand through her multi-colored hair, filled with both confusion and growing concern for Sunset’s dire situation.
“I know what went wrong,” Rarity spoke.
“You do?!” Celestia questioned as she quickly approached Rarity and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Tell me!”
“W-well you mentioned that If Sunset uses too much of either your magic or her father’s, that her magic will be unstable and it will make her ill,” Rarity began. “I then started to take notice of all the times Sunset has used her magic since she’s fallen ill and using her chaos magic.”
Celestia’s eyes widened upon realizing what Rarity was saying.
“She was given an overdose of chaos.”
Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Rarity, her grip on her shoulders tightened.
“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?!”
“M-my apologies, your royal highness!” Rarity quickly apologized as she felt the princess’ fingers digging into her shoulders. She stared into the princess’ furious eyes and was immediately reminded of Sunset’s own furious eyes when they had confessed to her about how they fell for Anon-A-Miss and initially suspected her.
It was a painful reminder and the way Celestia was digging her fingers into her shoulders was increasing. If Celestia wanted to, she could will Rarity to burst into flames if she did not give a most favorable answer.
“SISTER! CALM THYSELF!” Luna’s voice boomed as she used the ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE.
Celestia blinked before quickly releasing her grip on Rarity.
“My sincerest apologies, Rarity!” the Solar Princess quickly apologized as she bowed her head. She had let her frustration and anger get the better of her.
“It’s alright, your royal highness,” Rarity said as she massaged her shoulders. Celestia had likely left marks but she could worry about those later.
“It’s not alright, and this is no way for a princess to behave,” Celestia said as she shook her head.
Rarity walked up to the princess and placed her hands on her shoulders.
“Your royal highness, please calm yourself.” Rarity attempted to calm her. “Sunset needs you to remain calm if we plan to save her.”
“Thank you, Rarity and you’re right.” Princess Celestia gave Rarity an appreciative smile.
“But what about Mr. Discord?” Fluttershy asked with concern.
“He could be anywhere right now,” Luna noted. Right when they needed him, he just went and vanished.
Celestia bit her lip as she contemplated what to do. Discord was obviously distraught about hurting their daughter. It would take a while to find him as well as convince him that it wasn’t his fault.
But they didn’t have the time to find him.
Sunset was running out of time.
“Sunset needs us more right now. If we don’t find her and cure her soon then she will ultimately release all her energy in an explosion that will destroy your world.”
“WHAT?!”
Everyone was stunned at hearing this new information.
“Sunset’s going to go supernova?!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“And take the Earth with her?!” Rarity yelled with horror. She looked like she was about to faint but slapped herself to prevent it.
“Princess Celestia, a-are you sure that is what will happen?” Twilight asked nervously.
“I’m afraid so, but if it does come down to that, I’ll teleport Sunset somewhere where her explosion won’t do any harm,” Celestia said. Although, she prayed to her mother that it would never come to that.
“Then let us hurry and find Sunset Shimmer!” Luna urged.
Celestia nodded and closed her eyes in concentration as she tried to locate Sunset’s magic signature. It didn’t take her long to find it.
“Her magic is out of control,” Celestia muttered as she snapped her eyes wide open.
“Take us to her now!” Luna ordered.
“Please wait for us, Sunset!”
“Just hold on, darling!”
“Don’t die on us, SunShim!”
Celestia’s golden aura surrounded them all before they disappeared.
The group reappeared in Sunset’s location, and what they found could only be described as chaos gone wild and it was no exaggeration. The weather was constantly switching from blizzards of ice cream to baseball hail to freezing summer, to chocolate monsoons, etc. The environment kept switching from floating terrain to an apocalyptic city, to a race track, a discorded Ponyville, a checkered ground, pudding ground, jello ground, cartoonish sky, edgy sky, etc.
It was all so random, insanely random, which meant that Sunset’s magic was growing way out of control and her condition was gradually getting worse.
“Whoa,” Rainbow Dash exhaled as she was astounded at what she was seeing. “Sunset is somewhere in all of this?”
“Unfortunately.” Luna looked very worried as she looked at the out of control chaos. Even Discord’s chaos wasn’t this insane. At least he was in control, but it looked like the chaos had broken free of Sunset’s control over it and it had become an unstable magical force.
Celestia looked around herself with concern. She was having a hard time locating Sunset due to her daughter’s magical signature randomly bouncing around everywhere.
“Look sharp, everypony!” Everyone looked to Celestia as she started advancing forward. “We need to-” Celestia didn’t get to finish as she suddenly vanished. She just went ‘poof’ and disappeared.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight shouted as she rushed to the spot the princess had stood before and started looking around. She was beginning to panic. She had just lost Princess Celestia.
This was bad.
“Sister!” Luna shouted as she started looking around for her sister. “Where are you?!”
Just then Luna also disappeared.
“Princess Luna!” Twilight shouted in horror as not just one but both of the royal sisters were gone. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, nononononono!”
“W-what happened to them?” Fluttershy asked as she trembled in fright. Which one of them was going to vanish next?
“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash questioned, her eyes wide in shock as she noticed Fluttershy was starting to fade.
“Yes, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked, giving her friend an innocent look before she completely disappeared.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash shouted, not believing what had just happened.
“Girls, we need to-” Twilight Sparkle began to say before she too disappeared.
“Twilight!” Rarity shouted the princess’ name.
“Um, girls?”
Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked towards Applejack who was disappearing.
“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash rushed towards her friend but she was too late as Applejack vanished.
“Applejack,” Rarity whispered her name as she disappeared too.
Rainbow Dash fell to her knees and punched the ground in anger.
“Why? Why? Why?! Why?! WHY?!” Rainbow shouted as she continued to pound the ground. “Why is this happening?!”
“Maybe they just wanted to get away from you.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened at the familiar voice and quickly turned around to see Sunset Shimmer.
“S-Sunset?”
“Hey, Rainbow,” Sunset said her ‘friend’s’ name in annoyance.
“Y-you’re okay?” Rainbow Dash questioned as she stood up.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sunset returned, raising an eyebrow.
“You were really sick,” Rainbow answered as she approached Sunset and reached out to her. “Listen, we have to find the others-”
Rainbow Dash cut herself off when Sunset stepped back out of her reach.
“Sunset?”
“What makes you think I’ll go anywhere with you?” Sunset demanded as she narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash. It was a look of disgust.
“Sunset, what are you saying?” Rainbow Dash asked, not understanding why Sunset was acting this way.
“I’m saying that I want nothing to do with you, Rainbow Dash,” Sunset growled.
Rainbow felt like her heart had been stabbed.
“Is...is this about me believing you were Anon-A-Miss?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Oh it’s more than that,” Sunset began. “You treated me rather poorly after the Fall Formal, if you recall.”
Sunset stepped closer to Rainbow Dash which caused her to step back.
“Making me do the most ridiculous things and saying they were friendship lessons!” Sunset spat. “Always claiming the high ground.”
“Sunset, I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash apologized.
“Sorry?!” Sunset was aghast. “Sorry doesn’t make up for it, much less for your betrayal! Admit it, Rainbow Dash. Admit that you’ve always hated me.”
“No!” Rainbow Dash instantly shouted in denial. “I could never hate you! I-I love you Sunset!”
“You dare say you love me!” Sunset screamed. “You have no right to say that, you traitor!”
“Please, Sunset! I’ll do anything to make it up to you. I promise!” Rainbow Dash begged.
“Oh really?” Sunset smirked as an idea came to mind. “Do you still love me, even if I’m like this?”
Right before Rainbow Dash’s eyes, Sunset was engulfed in hellfire as she transformed into her she-demon form.
“Sunset, why?” Rainbow Dash questioned, her voice filled with disappointment.
“I’m waiting, Rainbow Dash,” the demon said as she spread her leathery bat-like wings.
Rainbow Dash swallowed the lump in her throat. She looked the demon square in the eyes and opened her mouth.
No words came out.
“Well?” Demon Sunset questioned, grinning in satisfaction as she watched Rainbow Dash repeatedly try to say something but failing to do so. “And you expect me to trust you.” Demon Sunset flapped her wings and took to the air. “Backstabbing traitors like you deserve to suffer.”
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash felt her feet sink into the ground and looked down to see the floor beneath her was now liquid darkness that threatened to swallow her.
“No!” Rainbow Dash struggled against the darkness but she continued to sink. With nothing solid to hold on to, Rainbow Dash was a goner. “Sunset, help me!” Rainbow Dash reached up towards Sunset, her eyes pleading her to help.
“As if,” Demon Sunset shrugged. “Why should I even bother saving a failed friendship?”
Rainbow Dash could only stare at the demon in horror as her vision started going dark until the darkness fully consumed her. She continued to struggle, desperately fighting back.
“Give it up Rainbow Dash, you’ll never escape the darkness of your own heart,” Demon Sunset’s voice echoed around the void.
‘My own darkness?’ Rainbow Dash questioned in her mind.
“That’s right,” Demon Sunset answered, reading Rainbow’s thoughts. “And you know what else?” Demon Sunset materialized in front of Rainbow Dash with the biggest, unnerving smile that exposed her razor-sharp teeth. “I’m not really Sunset, I am a physical manifestation of your hatred towards her.”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as her pupils shrunk.
“No...that’s not true.”
“It is the truth, Rainbow Dash. You can deny it all you want but your heart knows the truth,” Demon Sunset said. “You HATE Sunset Shimmer!”
The demon looked into Rainbow’s eyes. She could see the girl’s internal struggle as her face twisted in agony once she realized the truth. “NO!”
Rainbow Dash shut her eyes tight, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes as she shook her head in an attempt to banish the treacherous thoughts from her mind.
“NO!”
“That’s it, Rainbow Dash. Accept the truth your heart knows all so well,” The demon mocked as she ran a clawed hand down Rainbow Dash’s face. The demon’s finger began to glow as she lifted it back up to Rainbow’s face and poked her forehead. Demon Sunset pushed Rainbow Dash away, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she lost consciousness.
“Wallow in despair.”
“H-hello?” Fluttershy called out nervously as she looked around but couldn’t see anything due to the thick mist. “Is anyone here?”
This was scary and she was all alone without any of her friends. However, Fluttershy continued to walk forward, occasionally looking around to see if she could spot someone.
She needed to find her friends and get out of this strange place so they could save Sunset Shimmer. That was why, in spite of her fear, she continued moving. Just staying in one spot in a scary place like this would bring no benefit to her or anyone else.
“Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie!” Fluttershy called out her friends’ names but she was startled by a noise behind her, causing her to quickly turn around. “H-hello? Is anyone there?”
“Poor Fluttershy, it must be terrifying being in a strange place all by yourself.”
“W-w-who said that?!” Fluttershy asked nervously, her heart pounding furiously against her chest as she tried to look to where the voice was coming from.
“I bet you wish your friends were here, huh?” The mist cleared to reveal Sunset Shimmer. “Too bad you’re stuck with me.”
“Sunset!” Fluttershy was surprised and relieved to see Sunset. “Are you alright?”
“After what you did to me, I am far from it,” Sunset spat as she glared at Fluttershy.
“I-I don’t understand. I never did anything to you.” Fluttershy was bewildered by Sunset’s accusation.
“Way to play innocent,” Sunset spat with disgust.
“Sunset, I don’t know what it is that I did. But I’m sorry,” Fluttershy apologized.
“What’s the point of apologizing if you don’t even know what you’re apologizing for?!” Sunset angrily shouted.
Fluttershy was alarmed at the volume and intensity in Sunset’s voice, which was filled with so much hate and contempt.
“S-Sunset, Please. What did I do to you?”
“You betrayed me!” Sunset shouted, her voice loud enough to create a shockwave. Fluttershy stood her ground against the shockwave, struggling to not fall over.
“B-betrayed you?” Fluttershy fearfully questioned.
“Sweet Celestia, your innocent act is getting really annoying,” Sunset growled. “You believed that I was Anon-A-Miss!”
Fluttershy gasped.
"Sunset..."
"That hurts, you know. I thought you would be on my side at least, but I guess you never forgave me for bullying you. So, when you saw your chance to pay me back, you took it." Sunset grinned as she looked at Fluttershy maliciously. “You know, for someone who is supposed to represent the Element of Kindness, you can be really cruel, Fluttershy.”
“That’s not true!” Fluttershy denied the accusation. “I’m not cruel! I can never be cruel to anyone!”
“Funny you can say that,” Sunset said as a burning forest appeared around them, and animals were fleeing desperately from the blaze. “I believe this speaks for itself.”
Fluttershy brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she looked at the burning forest with wide, shock-filled eyes. She watched the poor animals flee for their lives as they dodged falling, burning branches. One little rabbit hurt his leg on a falling branch and couldn’t escape the oncoming blaze.
“Oh no!” Fluttershy said in horror as she quickly ran to the bunny. “Don’t worry little one, I’ll-” Fluttershy didn’t get to reach the bunny as an intense wall of fire blocked her path. “NO!”
Fluttershy desperately tried to find a way around the wall of fire, all the while the little bunny was frightened as the fire slowly approached him. Tears spilled from Fluttershy’s eyes as she couldn’t get to him. She looked around to see other animals that were trapped by the fire and she had no way of rescuing them.
“Why?” Fluttershy questioned as she looked at Sunset. “Why are you doing this, Sunset?”
“Me?” Sunset looked shocked. “Fluttershy, this is all your doing.”
“What?” Fluttershy blinked in confusion. How could she be responsible for this?
“You see, Fluttershy. This is all your innermost feelings on display and you are burning with hatred,” Sunset explained.
“All this…is my hatred?” Fluttershy couldn’t believe it. There was no way that she could be this angry.
“Don’t act so surprised,” Sunset said. “Like I said earlier, you never forgave me, Fluttershy. You secretly resented me and this is how you’ve always seen me!”
Sunset burst into flames and emerged from the fire in her demon form, glaring at Fluttershy maliciously.
"You want me to burn!"
“No! That’s not true! None of that is true!” Fluttershy cried, desperately trying to deny the accusations.
“Does this look like a lie, Fluttershy?!” Sunset bellowed as she spread her wings and the flames formed mirrors that displayed images of Fluttershy speaking to her animals.
“Oh Angel, Sunset was so mean to me today,” Fluttershy cried. Sunset had mocked her about her only friends being animals and how pathetic she was for being a doormat and letting people walk all over her.
“She makes me so mad, I just….” Fluttershy trailed off, clenching her fists in anger. “I wish something bad would happen to her!”
Angel and the rest of the animals in the room gasped at hearing Fluttershy wishing harm on another person.
“Sunset Shimmer is just the worst! She’s a monster!” Fluttershy cried bitter tears of anger, cursing herself for being so powerless in front of her.
Fluttershy looked at the image of herself in stunned silence. She really had said those things. Fluttershy cast a glance at Sunset but before she could speak, another fire mirror played back another memory.
“That Rainbow Dash is so full of herself!” Fluttershy complained as she entered her room and collapsed on her bed. “Can you believe she had the nerve to drag me into another one of her crazy stunts?!”
Fluttershy grabbed a pillow and covered her face as she groaned into it.
“I don’t know why we are even friends if all she does is use me to validate her ego.”
Fluttershy watched herself complain about Rainbow Dash, her eyes wide in shock as more fire mirrors displayed her complaining about her friends.
“I swear Rarity just sees us as her own personal models and labor.”
“Applejack is just so...pigheaded! Always thinking she’s right, not listening to anyone else’s ideas and being too stubborn to admit when she’s wrong!”
“I can’t believe Pinkie Pie ruined my silent auction! Who brings fireworks to a silent auction anyway?!”
As Fluttershy listened to herself bad mouth her friends, the more the fire around her intensified.
“Now do you see what a horrible person you really are, Fluttershy?” Demon Sunset said, showing off a satisfying grin at seeing the devastated look on Fluttershy’s face.
Fluttershy collapsed to her knees, her face buried against her palms as she sobbed uncontrollably. The demon was right, she was an awful and cruel person.
Demon Sunset sinisterly laughed at seeing Fluttershy finally broken as the flames crept closer and closer.
“Girls, where are you?!” Rarity called out as she desperately searched for her missing friends. She kept a sharp eye on her surroundings in case something happened. They had gotten separated and Rarity found her in this strange place. It looked like a clothing boutique but every item up for sale was strange, unfashionable, and completely alien to the fashionista.
She really needed to find her way out of this place. All of the hideous clothing was making her eyes hurt.
“You look lost, Rarity.”
Rarity was startled by the voice. She scanned her surroundings to look for the source and, to her surprise, she saw Sunset.
“Sunset!”
Rarity rushed towards her friend, relieved that she looked unharmed.
‘Wait a minute!’
Rarity came to stop a few feet from Sunset.
“What’s the matter, Rarity? You don’t look happy to see me,” Sunset asked as she innocently smiled at Rarity.
“I would be happy to see you, if you were actually here,” Rarity stated. “Your mother warned us about the nature of this chaotic place.”
“Did she also tell you about how you can also influence the chaos?” Sunset questioned as she walked closer to Rarity.
“I’m afraid not,” Rarity said as she backed away from Sunset.
“You really are a generous person, Rarity. To give up your own chance at happiness for your friends,” Sunset said, a wicked smile spread across her lips at seeing Rarity’s pale complexion become even paler.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rarity stammered.
“You like me, Rarity,” Sunset said. “As more than just a friend.”
Rarity swallowed a lump in her throat before speaking.
“How did you figure it out?”
“Didn’t I already tell you? Your desires and feelings are influencing the chaos,” Sunset said as suddenly the surroundings changed into Rarity’s workspace. However, this workspace was different.
“This is…” Rarity trailed off as she recognized this as her dream workspace. There were fabrics and sketches of beautiful dresses just waiting to be made.
“What an amazing workspace,” Sunset complimented as she walked towards a nearby desk. “Truly a designer’s dream.” Sunset picked up a framed photo and looked at the picture. She then cast her gaze at Rarity who looked back at her nervously. “Catch.”
Sunset tossed the frame towards Rarity who managed to catch it. Rarity looked at the photo and saw an older version of herself with an older Sunset, both wearing wedding dresses.
“We sure look happy, don’t we?” Sunset asked. Rarity didn’t answer. “Why hide your feelings, Rarity? You were never one to give up on your ambition.”
“You already have your heart set on someone else,” Rarity answered sadly, remembering when Sunset confided in her about her crushes on Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
“That’s never stopped you from getting what you want,” Sunset stated. “Whatever happened to the Rarity that would stop at nothing to achieve her goal! The Rarity that would never give up!”
“The me that was so selfish. She only cares about her needs and not the needs of her friends,” Rarity said sadly, remembering how she forced her friends to help her finish her new line of clothes for a fashion show, all the while promising them that she’ll take them to New York with her, only for her to leave early the next morning on her own.
“That was pretty selfish of you, Rarity,” Sunset said. “But at least you won, right? That’s all that really matters.”
“You’re wrong. Victory means nothing if I lost my friends!” Rarity argued.
“That doesn’t change what you did,” Sunset said. “Just like how it doesn't change the fact that you thought I was Anon-A-Miss! Admit it, Rarity! You never forgave me for humiliating you before! When those pictures got online, you instantly thought it was me because of it!”
Rarity opened her mouth to argue, but the words were lost as Sunset’s words got to her. It was true. She was angry at Sunset for posting those photos and betraying their trust. She would be lying if she said that it didn’t reopen old wounds.
‘Have I really not let go of that?’ Rarity thought.
“Of course not. I am proof that you will never forgive Sunset for what she did to you at the Spring Fling.”
Black flames engulfed Sunset as she transformed into the ugly demon of the Fall Formal.
“I am all the hate and resentment you have for Sunset Shimmer, and not once has it ever diminished. In fact, I have only grown stronger!” Demon Sunset ( aka Sunset Satan) declared as she rose into the air, black flames spread around her and encircled Rarity.
Rarity stared in horror at the demon. She absolutely refused to believe her.
“It’s no use, Rarity,” Sunset Satan spoke as she looked at Rarity with a superior grin. “You use your makeup, beauty and fashion sense to hide that black heart of yours. But now it’s exposed for everyone to see!”
Laughter was suddenly heard as numerous students appeared behind the flames, pointing and laughing at Rarity.
“My god, she’s so ugly!”
“And she has the nerve to show her face in public like that!”
“She would have better luck winning a pig contest!”
The people around Rarity continued to laugh and hurl insults at her. Rarity covered her ears but she still heard them in her mind. Her mascara ran down the sides of her face as she fell to her knees and sobbed.
“You might be beautiful on the outside but you’re just an ugly bitch on the inside, Rarity.”
“Where the hay is everyone?” Applejack questioned aloud as she tried to see through the mist. One moment they were together and the next she found herself in this misty place. The mist was so thick that she could barely see in front of her so she needed to watch her step. A mist like this could hide a hole in the ground or the edge of a cliff.
"You made me believe I was accepted. You made me believe I was family. You made me believe I was loved. But it was all a lie!"
Applejack was startled by the voice as Sunset Shimmer materialized in front of her. She did not look very happy.
“Sunset?” Applejack questioned, not really sure if this was really Sunset. With how crazy this place was, this could be another illusion to throw her off.
“You so easily believed I was Anon-A-Miss, without even a second thought,” Sunset stated angrily.
“A-ah didn’t mean to. It’s because-”
“Because it was the obvious answer, right? A leopard never changes its spots, right? And if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, then it’s obviously Anon-A-Miss!” Sunset cut off Applejack, her voice laced with venom.
Applejack was at a loss. Sunset was obviously very upset with her and she had every right to be. She was a lousy friend.
“There’s no excuse for what ah did, ah was a complete fool,” Applejack admitted, her tone was filled with remorse.
“So you admit it then? You never cared about me at all!” Sunset raised her voice.
“No! Ah do care about yah Sunset!” Applejack shouted.
“Bullshit!” Sunset shouted back.
“It’s the honest truth! Ah...ah love yah, Sunset!” Applejack confessed.
“Honest, huh? Funny you mentioned that,” Sunset began to say before she transformed into a she-demon. “Because my existence begs to differ.”
“Sunset, why did yah turn into a demon?!” Applejack questioned, very alarmed at what Sunset had become.
“It’s because of you, Applejack” the demon said.
“Because of me?!” Applejack was aghast.
“It’s people who claim to be honest that lie to themselves the most,” Demon Sunset explained.
“Ah’m not lying!” Applejack argued.
“Must I repeat myself?” Demon Sunset rolled her eyes. “Here’s a refresher.”
Sunset Satan snapped her fingers and a fire mirror appeared in front of Applejack. The farm girl looked cautiously at her reflection before it changed to see her looking very upset.
“That no good snake! Who does Sunset think she is?” Applejack spoke with disdain as she swung her ax to split a log in half. “Ah can’t wait to see her put in her place.”
The display soon changed to Applejack’s room where she was with Rainbow Dash.
“I can’t believe we have to teach Sunset about friendship,” Rainbow Dash complained. She lay on top of Applejack’s bed, tossing a ball into the air before falling back down on to her hand.
“It’s what the princess asked us and we owe it to her,” Applejack replied. “Besides, ah kinda feel sorry for her.”
“You never wanted to help me, Applejack, but you did it because you owed Twilight Sparkle,” Demon Sunset said. “You did it because you pitied me.”
“Ah...ah.” Applejack was at a loss, her own words rendered her unable to argue back.
“For your love for me is no doubt pity as well,” Sunset Satan concluded. “For the so-called Element of Honesty, you’ve done nothing but lie. But it’s probably okay since ah’m a no good snake!” The last part came out sounding like Applejack.
“No, no, this is all a lie!” Applejack denied as she shook her head.
“You’re right, this is all a lie. It was always a lie!” Sunset Satan shouted.
Darkness started pooling underneath the demon as it rose up to form of a wave of darkness.
“What’s happening?!” Applejack demanded as she looked at the dark wave coming toward her.
“Drown in your lies,” Demons Sunset said as the dark wave started rising towards Applejack.
Applejack could do nothing but brace herself as the dark wave crashed into her, sweeping her off her feet as she was lost in a sea of darkness.
No, a sea of her own lies.
“This isn’t good,” Twilight mumbled nervously as she looked at her surroundings. It looked like a library but the titles on the spines of the books were all nonsensical. Books that did not make sense were like one of her greatest fears next to too-many-eyespots ladybugs and way-too-cheesy quesadillas. “I have to find everyone so we can save Sunset.”
“So now you want to save me.”
Twilight jumped at the voice and turned around to see an upset Sunset.
“Sunset! Thank Celestia you’re okay!” Twilight said in relief, happy to see her friend was safe.
“For the so-called ‘Princess of Friendship’, you’re not very good at being an actual friend,” Sunset said in an annoyed tone.
“Sunset?” Twilight looked to Sunset in confusion. “Are you alright?”
“Why didn’t you come to help me sooner?” Sunset asked, narrowing her eyes at Twilight.
“I-I’m sorry, Sunset. I didn’t get your messages until recently,” Twilight tried to explain.
“I needed you, Twilight. I was feeling terrible and I needed you but couldn’t even be bothered to show up!” Sunset spat.
“Sunset, I’m sorry,” Twilight apologized, tears beginning to sting at her eyes. “If I’d known sooner, I would have come running! I swear!”
“Empty words, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight’s eyes widened upon hearing a familiar voice. She slowly turned around to see Princess Celestia as a human glaring dagger at her.
“Princess Celestia?”
“I trusted you, Twilight. I trusted you to look after my daughter,” Princess Celestia said in a tone filled with disappointment.
“What did you expect?” A voice said from behind Celestia before walking around her to reveal dragon Spike. “She did a horrible job at raising me.”
“Spike?” Twilight is confused. What was Spike doing here?
“I mean, what kind of parent doesn’t let their kid make any friends?” Spike questioned as he glared at Twilight. “It’s always study, study, study with you.”
“Spike, don’t talk to me that way!” Twilight chastised. “I taught you better.”
“Yeah, taught me to fear you!” Spike fired back.
Twilight gasped.
“That’s nonsense, Spike!”
“Oh yeah? All my life, I have only ever known was your approval,” Spike stated. “I was so afraid to disappoint you that I did everything I could to make you happy. I was so afraid that if I messed up even once you’ll send me away.” Tears welled up in Spike’s eyes as he glared at Twilight. “And the worst part is that I would never know if you cared about me at all!”
“Of course I care! Spike, you are my whole world! I love you with all my heart!” Twilight said with complete honesty.
“You sure have a funny way of showing it,” Spike said as he looked at Twilight with disappointment.
“Face it, Twilight!” Sunset shouted as red veins spread throughout her body, steam started rising from her exposed skin. “You’re a failure as a friend!”
“You’re a failure of a princess,” Princess Celestia said.
“You’re a failure as a mom,” Spike said next.
Twilight started hyperventilating, tears cascaded down her cheeks as this was all too much for her to take.
“AHHHHHHH!” Twilight screamed in agony as she collapsed to her knees, sobbing as Celestia, Spike and Sunset looked on in disapproval.
She was a failure.
“Sunset! Sunset where are you!” Princess Luna shouted at the white void. “Please sweetie, I want to help you!”
“Help me?”
Sunset materialized in front of Luna. The Night Princess gasped as she saw the state her niece was in. Sunset looked very pale and there was a dark aura surrounding her.
“Sunset!”
Luna rushed to her niece but then she started screaming in pain.
“Stay away!” Sunset yelled as she held onto her stomach, her face twisted in pain.
“Dear niece, you are unwell,” Luna pointed out as she tried to approach Sunset. “Let us-”
“I said stay back!” Sunset shouted, causing the dark aura to flare. “You’re the one who did this to me in the first place.”
“W-what?” Luna stammered, suddenly getting a sinking feeling.
“When you attacked mom as Nightmare Moon, your magic did something to me,” Sunset explained before she started coughing.
“No,” Luna whispered as her worst fears appeared to be coming true.
Sunset looked to her aunt, dark heavy bags under her eyes.
“Aunt Luna.”
Sunset’s eyes rolled to the back of her head before she passed out.
“Sunset!” Luna quickly closed the distance. She held her niece’s unconscious body in her hands as she checked her pulse. She felt Sunset’s weak pulse before it stopped. “No.”
Luna looked to her niece’s calm face, her life having left her body. Luna held on to her niece’s lifeless body as she started crying.
“Sunset...my poor Sunset. What have I done?”
‘We can still save her.’
Luna was startled as she heard a hauntingly familiar voice in her head.
“You.”
‘That’s right, Luna. But there isn’t time for that now. Our niece needs us.’
“She’s gone and it’s all your fault!” Luna growled.
‘There’s still a chance to save her!’ Nightmare Moon argued.
“How can we possibly save her?” Luna questioned as she ran the back of her right hand against the side of Sunset’s face.
‘By giving her some of our power,’ Nightmare Moon said.
Luna’s eyes widened at the suggestion before they narrowed in anger.
“Are you suggesting to infect her with our corruption?!”
‘Corruption? This is our power we are giving her, a part of ourselves,’ Nightmare Moon stated. ‘Are you willing to let our flesh and blood die?!’
“It’s already too late. She’s gone and it’s all my fault,” Luna said with great remorse.
‘Don’t throw this chance away, Luna,’ Nightmare Moon pleaded. ‘Don’t let our niece die!’
“Death is a much kinder fate than what our corruption will do,” Luna said as a stray tear fell on Sunset’s face.
‘What will our sister do to you once she finds out what you did?’ Nightmare Moon questioned.
“Whatever punishment our sister deems fit, we will accept without question,” Luna stated sadly. For the crime of killing her own niece, she deserved a fate worse than death.
“I’m glad you think so, Luna.”
Princess Luna raised her head to see her sister glaring at her with a look of intense hate.
“Sister.”
“DON’T YOU ‘SISTER’ ME!” Celestia shouted using her Royal Canterlot Voice. “You have done the most despicable, horrendous, monstrous, unforgivable crime in Equestria. The murder of our daughter and heir to the throne!”
Celestia raised her hand as a golden aura surrounded it. Luna reached for her throat as the same golden aura surrounded her neck, squeezing it tight.
“Your punishment will be eternal suffering!” Celestia declared as she raised her sister into the air and created a portal underneath her. “Goodbye, Luna.”
Celestia released her hold on Luna and she fell in the portal before it closed.
Princess Luna found herself floating in a dark space.
“An eternity in darkness,” Luna murmured sadly. However, it was not meant to be as the darkness gave way to a very familiar place. “This is our old castle.”
An explosion brought Luna’s attention to the roof of the castle where, to her surprise, she saw her sister flying away as Nightmare Moon gave chase.
She remembered this.
“No, no it can’t be!” Luna took to the air, not even realizing that she was a pony again.
She chased after her Nightmare self as she attempted to strike Celestia with a blast of dark magic. Luna waited for the right moment before she fired a blast of magic just as her Nightmare self did the same. But her magic went right through her Nightmare self and instead hit her sister who let out a scream of pain.
“NO!!” Luna screamed in horror as she watched her sister fall. Her Nightmare self only laughed at her sister’s fall.
Luna dived down to where her sister landed and touched down in front of her. Her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks as she saw black veins spreading from where Celestia was hit on her stomach. Just then, the scene changed to Celestia lying on her bed with several doctors surrounding her.
“You’re doing great, Princess!” a female unicorn doctor said.
Celestia was breathing heavily, her face covered in sweat as she struggled with her labor.
“I can see the head!” a pegasus doctor said with excitement.
“Just a little more, Princess!” A male earth pony doctor beside Celestia encouraged.
Celestia let out a yell as she gave one final push.
“It’s a filly!” the earth pony doctor yelled excitedly but then his excitement died when he took a good look at the newborn foal.
Luna calmly walked beside the female unicorn doctor and saw for herself the damage she had done. Sunset looked very frail. She had dark purple veins spread across her body as they glowed like a pulse. Her coat and mane colors looked faded.
“Is she alright?” Celestia asked with great concern despite feeling exhausted.
“She doesn’t look so good, Princess,” the unicorn doctor said as she examined Sunset. “This is dark magic and it has hampered your foal’s development.”
“We’ll do what we can to stabilize her!” the pegasus doctor said as he and the other doctors in the room gathered around Sunset.
Luna simply watched as the doctors work to save her niece’s life. She cast a glance to her sister to see her crying. The scene changed again to Celestia encouraging a very frail looking Sunset as she attempted to walk.
“That’s it, my little sunshine,” Celestia said with a smile as she watched her foal take shaky steps.
Sunset was struggling to move her legs, each step requiring greater effort than the last. She still had the purple veins and when they pulsed, Sunset fell to the ground in pain.
“Sunset!” Celestia rushed to her daughter. She lay beside her as Sunset snuggled up to her. “It’s okay. My little sunshine.”
Luna’s heart was breaking as she watched her niece struggle to survive after her birth.
She had done this.
She had robbed her niece of everything.
The scene continued to change, displaying Sunset’s life as she continued to struggle. She could barely do the simplest spells and even that took a heavy toll on her body. She was ostracized by the other ponies as they feared catching ‘The curse of Nightmare Moon’.
It just wasn’t fair. It was not Sunset Shimmer’s fault she was like that. It was hers.
Luna collapsed as tears cascaded down the sides of her face. She had made her niece’s life not just painful but miserable as well.
“How could I have been so careless?” Princess Celestia said to herself as she looked around the empty void carefully. She needed to find the others, regroup, and figure out a plan to save Sunset Shimmer.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Celestia turned to her left to see her daughter, smiling smugly at her.
“Another trick of this place?” Celestia questioned. She knew this could not be her daughter. The last time she had seen her, her little sunshine had been suffering from her illness and the toll her chaos magic was doing to her body. This was merely a magical projection.
But that did not make her any less real. It was currently Celestia’s only way of speaking with her estranged daughter.
“Call it what you want but it doesn’t change the fact that you were a terrible mother,” Sunset stated as she frowned at her mother.
“I know that isn’t really you, Sunset,” Celestia said, but it didn’t stop the words from hurting her.
“So you deny your own flesh and blood, sister?”
Luna appeared beside Sunset, giving her older sister a disapproving look.
“Is it because she reminds you of me?” Luna questioned as she was engulfed in darkness and transformed into Nightmare Moon. "Sunset has inherited our best qualities.”
Sunset Shimmer changed into her she-demon form, Sunset Satan.
“The best quality Sunset inherited from you was your eyes and kind, gentle heart,” Celestia corrected.
“Not to mention my delightful sense of humor and fun!” Discord appeared behind Nightmare Moon and Sunset Satan. He wrapped an arm around them as he pulled them closer. “Come on now, Celestia. Isn’t it about time we bury the hatchet and live together as a family?”
“I would love nothing more than to live happily with my family, but right now Sunset is in need of my help,” Celestia said firmly as she turned away from the trio and started walking away.
“You’re abandoning us again,” Sunset Satan said.
Celestia’s eyes widened before she quickly turned around to see the moon shining behind Nightmare Moon before she disappeared. The moon now had the shadowy image of Nightmare Moon’s visage.
A portal appeared behind Sunset Satan as she turned back to normal, only for red veins to spread throughout her body, and steam started rising from her exposed skin. She had a look of pain as she was sucked into the portal.
Discord gave her a gentle smile as he turned to stone, before shattering into a million pieces and fading away.
Celestia was shaken to her core at seeing her family suffer the fates she had placed upon them. She took several deep breaths as she attempted to calm herself down.
“This isn’t real, none of this is real.”
“Do you honestly believe that?”
A column of flame erupted from the ground. The flames dispersed revealing a woman as tall as Celestia with flaming red hair, golden armor covering her chest, wings, shoulders, and forearms. She had golden high heeled armored boots as well as a golden skirt armor. Her midriff was bare and showed off her six-pack abs.
“Who are you?” Celestia asked with wide, shock-filled eyes.
“I am Daybreaker,” the flaming woman identified herself as she looked at Celestia with her cold amber eyes. “The smarter, prettier, more powerful version of you.”
“You’re wrong, you are nothing like me,” Celestia argued as she glared at this corrupted version of herself.
“Don’t deny it, Celestia. Deep down you know this is who you really are,” Daybreaker said, smiling deviously. “Where do you think Sunset gets her power, intelligence, beauty, ambition, cunning, and cruelty from?”
“No, Sunset isn’t like that!” Celestia denied.
“Quit denying the truth that you already know,” Daybreaker said as she flared her wings. “We were just as arrogant when we were Sunset’s age, and rightfully so! Sunset was better than anypony else, truly our daughter in every sense of the word. But then she turned against us!” Fire erupted from the ground around them, encircling around them to make a ring a fire as Daybreak raged. “You failed to remind Sunset who is in charge. You failed to teach her respect!”
“You did say she takes after us. We were rather rebellious towards Starswirl after all,” Celestia reminded her corrupted self, a sly smirk on her lips.
“Don’t look so smug; it is because of your failure that our daughter is going to die,” Daybreaker reminded Celestia, smiling in satisfaction at seeing the painful look on her counterpart’s face. “Your failure lead to us imprisoning our love in stone, your failure at reigning in our sister forced us to imprison her in the moon; and not only did you fail to reign in our daughter which caused her to run away to another world, but because you failed to properly diagnose the problem, you made her condition worse and now she’s dying!”
Hearing her corrupt self list off her failures deeply hurt Celestia. Everything she had said was true.
“And now it’s too late to save our dear little sunshine,” Daybreaker approached Celestia. “You’ll have to live with the horrible truth that because of you, our daughter, the very embodiment of our and Discord’s love, will die!”
Celestia glared at her corrupted self, tears stinging her eyes before they spilled down the sides of her face. She was right. She was to blame for everything. She was to blame for destroying her family.
The Princess of the Sun, a mare who shone as a beacon of hope, strength, beauty, knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration, finally gave into despair as she fell to her hands and knees before she wept.
Pinkie Pie ended up in a closed down and scary-looking pizzeria. She recognized it from a game Sunset Shimmer had played on her online gaming channel. Upon the stage were broken down animatronics and there were cold pizzas on the tables. Nobody was in attendance and the arcade machines were all broken. Cobwebs also covered every corner of this creepy place.
Pinkie Pie looked at her memories floating around her. They were all good memories of her having fun with her friends, especially Sunset.
Sunset was laughing in all her memories. She had a bright and beautiful smile. Pinkie Pie was super happy that Sunset was smiling. Sunset had a very rough time after the Fall Formal, but Pinkie tried her very best to lessen that by making Sunset feel appreciated and loved.
But then Anon-A-Miss happened and Sunset’s smile went away.
“Sunset,” Pinkie Pie whispered her friend’s name sadly. “I’m so sorry.”
Pinkie then spotted something in the distance. She squinted her eyes and could barely make out red and yellow colored hair.
“Sunset!” Pinkie cheered as she made a mad dash towards her friend.
When she reached Sunset, she found her sitting on a chair, staring at nothing with a blank expression.
“I’m happy I found you!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly. “C’mon, let’s go find the others, I’m sure they will be happy to see you!”
Sunset didn’t respond.
“What’s the matter, Sunny? Don’t you wanna go back to our friends?” Pinkie Pie asked.
Again there was no response.
“C’mon Sunny, everyone is waiting for us,” Pinkie Pie said gently, but Sunset remained unresponsive. “Are...are you mad at us?”
No response.
“I’m really sorry, Sunset. I was a big idiot and I’ll do anything I can to make it up to you!” Pinkie pleaded. “Let’s see that beautiful smile of yours!”
Still no response.
“H-how about I do a trick?” Pinkie said nervously a she stood back. “Nothing up my sleeve.”
Pinkie Pie reached behind Sunset’s ear and pulled out a pie.
“Tada!”
No response.
“H-how about this!”
Pinkie pulled out a stage that looked like a street corner from her skirt pocket. She then leaned against a light post as she ate a banana. Once she was done, she threw the peel in the garbage but missed it and that same peel landed on the sidewalk. She then walked towards the peel while holding a stack of pies, stepping on it which caused her to slip and the pies to land on top of her. She ended up covered in pies and looked ridiculous.
“Wasn’t that funny?!”
Sunset remained unresponsive.
“C’mon Sunset, why won’t you smile?” Pinkie Pie asked as she knelt down next to Sunset. “Please smile, Sunset.”
Sunset did not respond.
“I’m really sorry,” Pinkie apologized again, tears welling up in her eyes as her hair deflated. “I didn’t mean to take your smile away.”
Pinkie Pie rested her head on Sunset’s forearm as she started crying.
“Sunset, I’m so sorry.”
Sunset was still unmoved, even as Pinkie continued to cry.
Discord looked at the ducks that were feeding on the bread. He didn’t feel like returning back to his realm so he decided to just stay in the park. He could still hear his daughter’s scream of pain.
“C’mon, dad!”
Discord looked to see a young woman about Sunset’s age motioned her father to follow her.
“I’m coming.” the girl’s father caught up to his daughter. He was holding two pairs of ice skates.
“We better hurry or the line at the ice rink will get even longer!” the girl reminded him.
“I don’t mind the wait since I have my special little snowflake by my side,” the father teased.
“Daddy!” the daughter lightly punched his arm as they resumed their way towards the ice rink.
“Too bad we can never have that,” Discord muttered sadly as a stray tear slid down the side of his face.
“Looks like someone needs some cheering up!” Discord turned to his left to see a young woman carrying a table. “Do not worry, for the great and powerful Trixie shall amaze you with her feats of magic!”