//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: Sunset Shimmer and the Castle of Everfree 
// by HAKDurbin 
//------------------------------//

On one of the higher levels of Castle Everfree, Flash was inside a dark drawing-room. He had opened a safe behind a painting on the wall and started looking through the files. But no matter what he found, there was nothing that gave a hint as to where the Horse Bills were coming from. 
Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. He let out a gasp and froze in place, worried that he had been caught by one of the queen's people. He tried to think of a way to escape until he heard a familiar voice whispering in his ear.
"You're cute whenever you break into a safe. You know that, Flash?" Sunset said.
"Sunset?" Flash asked, shocked as he turned around to see the amber thief. "I can't believe you made it up here."
"Aw! Is that all you have to say after two years? I'm heartbroken," Sunset said with a playful pout.
Flash frowned and said, "Drop the act, Sunset. I know you're only here for the prince."
"Oh, you know about my little message?" Sunset asked. 
"I do," Flash said, crossing his arms. "Why are you trying to kidnap the prince?"
"Kidnap?" Sunset asked, pretending to be offended. "That's such a naughty word. I prefer the term ‘dashing rescue.’"
Flash raised his eyebrow and said, "Seriously, Sunset, why are you going after the prince?"
Sunset smirked and raised her eyebrow as she asked, "Why do you ask? Are you jealous?"
"Should I be?" Flash asked.
"Extremely," Sunset replied.
"Why?" Flash asked.
"Let me put it this way,” Sunset said as she reached under her shirt and took out her rose necklace. “You've always wondered where this came from, right?"
Flash stared at the necklace, taken aback. He looked up at Sunset, who gave him a serious look and a nod to confirm what he was thinking. Flash frowned as moments between him and Sunset in the past became clear just by looking at the necklace. 
"I see," he said. "So, you're really here just for him?"
"I am," Sunset answered.
"Then, you're not here for the counterfeit money?" Flash asked.
"Oh, I’m here for that too, but I'm not going to try anything until Rough Draft is free," Sunset replied.
Flash hesitated and said, "Well, I'm here to find where the queen is printing the fake money. If I tell you where the prince is, will you not interfere with my job?"
"We'll see," Sunset said.
Flash frowned before he sighed, knowing Sunset well enough to know that was the best deal he was going to get.
"Fine," he said. "He's in the north tower."
Sunset smiled and said, "I knew I could count on you, Flash."
"Save it," Flash said. "Just don't cause any trouble."
"Hey, it's me," Sunset said with a cheerful smile as she walked away into the shadows.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Flash said before he went back to looking through the files.


***********************************************************************************************


The lights were out in Rough Draft's bedroom, and he was sitting on a chair next to the large window. It was over half-past eleven, but the prince couldn't sleep. His bed was left tidy and unused, and he hadn't changed into his nightclothes. He simply sat down and stared at the moon, which was the only thing that was giving light to his room. His face showed no emotion apart from the look of despair in his eyes, which grew as clouds covered the moon, keeping it from shining on him.
As he stared at the night sky, however, he felt a soft breeze blowing from behind him. He turned around to find the small window on the ceiling open, and there was a shadowy figure standing on the other side of the room. Rough Draft stood up and moved back to the edge of the window, worried that he was going to be attacked.
"Who are you? What do you want?" He asked.
The figure chuckled with her mouth closed and said, "Now, babe, I thought I told you you don't need to be afraid of me."
Rough Draft became confused with the figure's response until he realized that the person's voice sounded familiar. The figure walked over to him, and the clouds uncovered the moon just in time for it to shine on the room again, revealing Sunset looking at Rough Draft with a loving smile. The purple man stared in disbelief for a moment before his face lit up, and he ran towards her. The two of them squeezed each other as if it would make up for all the time away from each other's arms. Sunset sighed blissfully as she closed her eyes and snuggled her head on Rough Draft's shoulder.
"This is real," Rough Draft said. "You're really here."
"I can say the same thing to you," Sunset said. 
Rough Draft smiled and rested his head on Sunset's as they hugged. Sunset felt a tear in her eye while her heart leaped at the feel of her beloved's arms. Eventually, the two of them broke the hug, and they stared at each other's eyes with Sunset caressing Rough Draft's cheek.
"What are you doing here?" Rough Draft asked.
"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I've come to save you, silly," Sunset said.
"Save me?" Rough Draft asked.
"Well, you want to get out of here, right?" Sunset asked. "You obviously don't want to marry the queen."
"Well, no, I don't, but there's no way we can escape," Rough Draft said.
"Aw, come now, Rough Draft. You should have more faith in me," Sunset said with a playful pout. "I made it all the way here, didn't I? That's much farther than the last time I tried to break into this castle."
"I know, but there's no way that you can keep me away from her for long," Rough Draft said sadly. "Adagio is a powerful woman, Sunset. She has the resources to get whatever she wants no matter what it takes."
"Oh, you mean like this?" Sunset asked as she took out Rough Draft's ring from her pocket.
Rough Draft looked at the ring in shock and hissed, "Sunset, are you crazy? I left my ring with you because I wanted it away from here!"
"I know, but I don't think we need to hide it anymore since I'm getting you out of here," Sunset said as she put the ring on his finger. "Besides, it's your father's ring."
Rough Draft couldn't help but smile at the way Sunset was being thoughtful. Sunset smiled back, glad to see the prince smiling before she frowned and moved closer to him with her hand on his cheek again.
"I'm sorry about your parents, Rough Draft," she said.
Rough Draft's face fell, and he placed his hand on Sunset's hand that was on his cheek.
"Thank you, sunshine," he said.
"Do you know what caused it?" Sunset asked. 
"No. No one has any idea what happened," Rough Draft answered. "There was nothing in the remains that gave the firefighters a clue as to what happened."
"I swear, if I heard about it sooner and knew where you were, I would have come over to comfort you," Sunset said. 
"I know you would have, sunshine," Rough Draft said.
The thief and the prince smiled before they rested their foreheads against each other. Sunset began to slowly caress Rough Draft's cheek as she fondly stared into Rough Draft's emerald eyes. 
"Where did you go after your birthday, babe?" She asked.
Rough Draft's sad smile turned into an amused one, and he said, "My parents sent me to a monastery."
"What?!" Sunset shouted, moving her head back. "A monastery?! A freaking monastery?!"
"Yeah, it goes without saying that talking to them about our teenage love didn't go as well as I hoped," Rough Draft said. "They thought we were doing it since Granny Smith caught us in my room. I told them we weren't, but they didn't believe me, so they sent me to a monastery to atone for my 'impure deeds.' Spiritually, it was an enlightening time, but I didn't care for the people in Appleloosa or that I was so far away from you."
Sunset stared at Rough Draft in disbelief before she moved away from him and started pacing back in forth, growling in frustration.
"I don't believe this!" She snarled. "I looked everywhere from Canterlot to Manehattan, to Las Pegasus, to Saddle Arabia, and the whole time my boyfriend was in a monastery in some stupid apple farm town in the middle of the desert?!"
Rough Draft looked at Sunset, touched, and asked, "You went looking for me?"
"Of course, I went looking for you, you bookworm!" Sunset barked as she walked back to him. "How do you think I felt when I heard that your parents sent you away, and they didn't know where?"
Rough Draft smiled and pulled Sunset into a hug as he said, "Well, I think it would have been hard for us to meet in secret even if you did find me. A one-story monastery where I was staying in a tiny room isn't the same as my family's castle.
"That wouldn't have stopped me," Sunset said as she tightly hugged Rough Draft back in a possessive manner. "If the monks didn't like it, then they should have thought of that before keeping what is mine away from me."
Rough Draft chucked with his mouth closed and petted Sunset's head. The amber thief eased up as she felt her prince's hand on her head for the first time in years. The two of them embraced in silence again until Rough Draft frowned and said, "I heard about you stealing again while I was Appleloosa."
"Yeah, I am," Sunset admitted as she rested her head on Rough Draft's shoulder. 
"I thought you weren't going to do that anymore," Rough Draft said.
Sunset pulled her head back to face Rough Draft and said, "I know, but when I used up all of my money looking for you and accepted that I would never see you again, it was all I could do. It's the only thing I've ever been good at, and it kept me going after losing you."
Rough Draft looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Does that mean you're here for the counterfeit money too?"
Sunset hesitated and said, "Well, that is originally why I came back to Everfree."
Rough Draft sighed in disappointment and broke the hug, saying, "I should have known."
"Hey, don't be like that, babe," Sunset protested. "That doesn't mean I'm not here for you too. I made it clear to my comrades that we're not going after the Horse Bills until you're safe."
"Yeah, right," Rough Draft said, turning his back on Sunset. "Nice to know I'm a little bonus for you."
"You're not a bonus!" Sunset hissed as she forced him to look at her. "My friends see you that way, but I don't. You're more important to me than the money."
"I don't believe you," Rough Draft said.
Sunset frowned and said, "Fine. If you don't believe me, then believe this."
She reached under her shirt and took out her necklace again, holding it up high so that the jewel was in front of Rough Draft's face. The prince stared at the necklace in disbelief and leaned his head closer to make sure that it was his present to Sunset. After a moment, he smiled and looked up at Sunset, who smiled back for a moment before she gave him a guilty look.
"I did try to forget about you, Rough Draft," she confessed. "I tried to convince myself that what we had was just a teenage romance, and I should move on. I even dated another guy at one point. But no matter what I did, I couldn't let go of you. I knew I would never forgive myself if I moved on or broke my promise to treasure my necklace. It's all I had left of you apart from our memories, but now that I found you, I want you back."
For a few seconds, Rough Draft did nothing but stare at the jewel again, making Sunset wonder if he heard her. Then, he reached into his pocket to take out the golden locket, pressed the button on top of the locket, and it opened to reveal Sunset's picture. The amber woman looked at the locket surprised as Rough Draft gave her a heartfelt smile.
"It turns out this was exactly what I needed before my parents sent me away," he said. "I admit I wanted to get over you too, but seeing your face in this picture helped me hold on. It kept me sane at the monastery, and while I've been stuck here in the queen's castle."
Sunset smiled while still looking at the locket. Rough Draft then lifted her chin so that she was facing him. They stared into each other's eyes a third time as Rough Draft put the locket back in his pocket before putting his hands on Sunset's waist, and she, in turn, placed her hands on his shoulder. 
"Nothing would make me happier than for us to be together again, sunshine," he said. "Just promise me that you will find a way to stop Adagio."
"I promise," Sunset said.
With that, they tilted their heads, closed their eyes, and their lips connected. They kissed slowly at first, savoring the simple feel of each other's lips for the first time in years, and then the kissing sped up as Sunset wrapped her arms around Rough Draft's neck, and he pulled her closer to him. They moved their lips around passionately until they were out of breath and pulled back to look at each other lovingly again. The couple was silent for a minute until Sunset remembered something. 
"You know, speaking of your fiancee, why does she want your ring?" She asked. "I read the inscription on it talking about light and shadow becoming one and something being restored, but what does it mean?"
Rough Draft frowned and said, "It's a prophecy made centuries ago about a hidden treasure."
"Oh, a hidden treasure? Do tell," Sunset said with a mischievous grin.
"Subtle," Rough Draft said sarcastically. "Anyway, Adagio also has a family ring that has the crest of the Celestial family. Somehow our rings are the keys to obtaining this treasure. That's why she's forcing me to marry her. Not only will it be good for her image to bring the families together, but she would become more powerful in terms of wealth than she already is from her counterfeit operation."
Sunset frowned and said, "I knew she's using you for her image."
"Uh, well that and she wants an heir among...other things too," Rough Draft said.
"Over my dead body," Sunset snarled. "How are you being forced to marry her, though? Did she threaten you?"
"No, she couldn't threaten me when my parents are gone, and you weren't here," Rough Draft said. "I'm engaged to her because, under Everfree law, people of royalty around our age have to be married whether we're ruling the land or not to keep both royal families alive. Add that to the fact that I'm an Everfree citizen, royalty or no, and Adagio kinda went all the way to Appleloosa just to command me to marry her, and I'm pretty much obligated to do it."
Sunset stared at her beloved, dumbfounded and said, "Good grief. That's ridiculous. Is there no way to avoid it?"
"Not really," Rough Draft answered. "If my parents were still alive, they would have prevented it because you have to get consent from a person's parents to marry them whether you're the ruler or not. As it is, I lost them and everything else in the fire. No castle, no money, and no political power whatsoever. It's just my lonely self and my family ring, and that's all Adagio wants."
"Well, bully for her," Sunset growled before she smirked and said, "Still, I'm going to enjoy disappointing her. After all, you're just one escape away from being mine again, and I'd be remiss if I didn't say I'm interested in this treasure."
"I thought I'm your priority," Rough Draft said.
"You are, baby, but there's nothing wrong with snatching this treasure from the wicked queen who is trying to use the love of my life like an object," Sunset said. "Besides, it kind of sounds like The Tale of Flaming Arrow and Silver Gleam. Don't you think? You are Flaming Arrow, Queen Adagio is the evil sorcerer, and I'm the heroic Silver Gleam who steals her handsome man and the powerful jewel that is your family's hidden treasure."
Rough Draft thought about it before he smiled and said, "Well, I've always seen you as the Silver Gleam to my Flaming Arrow."
Sunset's smirk turned into a sweet smile, and she placed her hands on both of Rough Draft's cheeks as she said, "And you're the Flaming Arrow to my Silver Gleam, and I don't know what I would do without you in my life."
"Nor would I."
Before Sunset or Rough Draft knew it, the lights in the room turned on to reveal dozens of Cozy Glow's Shadows surrounding them. The ones in front of them had their hands straight with the pointy ends aimed at Sunset. She moved in front of Rough Draft defensively, but two of the Shadows snuck up behind them and grabbed Rough Draft.
"No! No! Sunset!" He called out as they dragged him away.
"Rough Draft!" Sunset shouted. 
Sunset turned around to go after Rough Draft, but more Shadows blocked her way, pointing their sharp fingertips at her. She backed away to avoid getting stabbed just in time to find Adagio and Cozy Glow standing beside the assassins with mischievous grins.
"Well, well, well. The notorious Sunset Shimmer herself," Adagio said. "I must say I'm impressed. You made my captain of the royal guard, and my most loyal servant, two of the most deadly people I know, look like a pair of clowns. I'd be enraged if it wasn't so amusing."
Sunset kept her cool and said with a boastful smirk, "What can I say? I'm just full of surprises. And your little maid seems to have gotten out of that trap sooner than I thought. Either that or I've spent too much time catching up with Rough Draft."
"Tirek and I may have underestimated you, Sunset Shimmer, but you're a fool to think we don't know how to get out of one of the castle's traps," Cozy Glow said
"Yeah, I guess so," Sunset said with an uncaring shrug. "Is Twilight still down there, though?"
"She is," Cozy Glow answered. "We've led the rest of the Canterlot police to believe that she drove on ahead back to Canterlot."
"Did you? I would think Spike would be very suspicious of that claim," Sunset said.
"Oh, he was," Cozy Glow confirmed. "But after we told him that the inspector was chasing you, he was quick to get their force to pull back and try to catch up."
"And how do you expect them to find her when she's still in your trap?" Sunset asked.
The young maid chuckled mischievously with her mouth closed and said, "People disappear when traveling all the time."
"Indeed," Adagio said. "But enough about Inspector Sparkle. Let's get back to you, Sunset Shimmer. You have my thanks for bringing the ring back."
"Don't flatter yourself," Sunset said. "I only brought it here to give it back to Rough Draft."
"Indeed? And what other business do you have with my fiance?" Adagio asked. "Were you hoping to use him to get to me?"
Sunset smiled proudly and said, "You can keep your little counterfeit operation for now, Your Highness. All I want is my Rough Draft."
Rough Draft looked at Sunset lovingly while Adagio frowned and put her hands on her hips.
"And what makes you think he belongs to you, thief?" She asked.
"Because I have his heart, and he has mine," Sunset said. "You just want his ring and his body, but I want the person."
Adagio gasped, pretending to be offended, and shouted, "How dare you! I value Rough Draft more than a criminal like you ever could!"
"And yet the two of us just agreed we want to be together," Sunset countered.
"Yes, I overheard," Adagio said, smirking. "The two of you think you're like two characters in some fairy tale book that are going to get a happy ending after years of being apart. How childish can one get? 
"You can insult us all you like, Your Highness, but it won't change how what I have with him is greater than anything you'll ever have," Sunset said.
Adagio's smirk grew, and she said, "I should have Cozy Glow's Shadows tear you to shreds for making that claim, but I'd rather not have my groom's room tainted with your blood."
"You'll regret not doing that, Your Highness," Sunset said. "You'll never get another chance to get rid of me so easily."
"Oh, I beg to differ," Adagio said. "Now, if there's anything you want to say to Rough Draft before I dispose of you, now would be the time."
Sunset turned to Rough Draft, who was still struggling with the two assassins that were restraining him. The prince was visibly terrified for the amber woman's life. Sunset gave her beloved a small smile and blew a kiss before she said, "Don't worry, babe. I'm going to be fine."
"How do you know?" Rough Draft asked. 
"Just have faith in your sunshine," Sunset said. "I'll be back soon enough."
Rough Draft stopped struggling, and he looked into Sunset's cyan eyes that showed incredible confidence in what she said. He smiled back, trying to look hopeful as he said, "I love you."
"I love you more," Sunset said. 
Adagio chuckled and said, "That is so sweet. Truly it is. Now, without further ado, Sunset Shimmer, I must bid you farewell."
At that moment, the floor opened beneath Sunset's feet. The amber woman screamed as she fell down the hole, having not expected to be standing beneath a trap. Rough Draft's heart sank as the assassins let him go, and he rushed to the trap door only for it to close before he was close to it. He stared at the floor, afraid of what happened to Sunset while Adagio and Cozy Glow grinned. 
"Even if the fall doesn't kill her, she'll still be in a foul pit where there is no escape," Adagio said before turning to the teenager. "Now, leave me. I must speak with my groom alone."
“At once, Your Grace," Cozy Glow said with a bow. 
The teenage maid gave her Shadows a signal, and they all bowed to the queen before they disappeared within a blink of an eye. Cozy Glow took a moment to smirk at where Sunset fell into the trap door before she exited the room through the bedroom door. The room became quiet with Adagio watching Rough Draft staring at the floor before walking over to her fiance.
"You've broken my heart, dear Rough Draft," she said. "Snogging another woman days before our wedding? I expected you to be more loyal as my husband-to-be."
Rough Draft stood up and glared at Adagio, saying, "Spare me the act, Adagio. I never wanted to marry you, and you know it."
"I know, but I still expect loyalty as your future wife," Adagio said. "Besides, I may seem like a horrible person now, but I know that you will eventually see through my flaws and learn to love me."
"I doubt it," Rough Draft snarled. "Sunset is the only woman I will ever love."
"Oh, please don't give me that, my precious. You're a grown man. You should learn to move on from an ex-girlfriend from when you were a teenager," Adagio said. "Besides, it's not like I had her killed just because she tried to take you away from me. She was an international criminal after all, and breaking into the Castle of the Two Sisters has been punishable by death since before our families split apart."
"That won't change how much Sunset means to me," Rough Draft countered.
Adagio sighed dramatically and said, "I suppose that's fair, my love. Even when you do fall in love with me, it may be difficult for us to match what was special about an old flame. It's a challenge many married couples go through."
"You think?" Rough Draft asked. 
"I'm counting on it," Adagio said. "But I'm not afraid. Let any challenges come after us. We will pull through as husband and wife."
"You're delusional," Rough Draft said.
"You may think that way about me now, Rough Draft, but you soon will accept that I'm right," Adagio said, placing her hands on Rough Draft's shoulder and leaning close to him with a kittenish look. "We're all that's left of the ancient blood of the sun and the moon, my love. For centuries, light and shadow have been kept apart, and thus our bloodline has been divided. It is our destiny to reunite the families of Celestia and Luna in holy matrimony. Our heritage, our legacy, and our grand future as the royal family of Everfree are ours for the taking, and I am thankful that I will fulfill the prophecy with you by my side."
The queen then moved her hand to caress Rough Draft's cheek, but he swatted it away. Adagio furiously slapped her fiance hard in the face, making Rough Draft step away backward, holding his cheek. The pale apple green woman walked over and grabbed Rough Draft's chin, aggressively, forcing him to look at her.
"You would do well not to do that again, Rough Draft!" She barked. "Even if we're not married yet, you're still an Everfree citizen under my rule! You will respect and honor me in the manner I deserve as your queen and your wife! When I tell you to come to me, you will come! When I tell you to do something, you will do it! When I want to touch my husband, even if it's a small stroke on his cheek with just one finger, you will not refuse me! Do you understand?!"
Rough Draft coldly glared at Adagio and said, "I'm not afraid of you."
"You will be if you keep up that rebellious attitude," Adagio snarled. "I'd rather not earn your love and respect through fear, but I'm willing to do anything to get what I want, including your heart. You and the hidden treasure will be mine, Rough Draft, and your beloved ex can't do anything about it."
But as Adagio and Rough Draft glared at each other, the moment was suddenly interrupted by a faint beeping sound. They looked at each other, confused until Rough Draft looked down and found that the beeping was coming from his ring. Adagio was baffled as she let go of Rough Draft's chin, and she lifted his hand to look closely at the ring. Suddenly, the top of the ring exploded with a pop, and small confetti came out of it, followed by a small statue of Sunset lowering her eyelid and sticking out her tongue on a spring. The queen looked in horror while Rough Draft gave his fiance a smug look.
"A fake?!" Adagio shrieked. 
"Looks like you better be sure you're right about Sunset, Adagio," he taunted. "After all, my sunshine warned you about it being hard to get rid of her."
Adagio's face turned red in fury, and her hands became balls of fists. But then she took a deep breath and slowly regained her confident demeanor, saying, "Perhaps you're right, my love. Even so, no one has ever come out of the pit that your ex is in now. Dead or alive, it won't be difficult for Cozy Glow and her Shadows to get the real ring and make sure that she doesn't come back."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Rough Draft said. "I have faith that Sunset will outwit your people no matter what you throw at her."
Adagio smirked and said, "Then, I guess we'll just have to see what good that faith does. One way another, though, I will get the ring back in time for our wedding. Until then, I bid you goodnight, my dearest Rough Draft." 
With that, the queen exited the room, leaving Rough Draft all alone. He stood still for a moment before he decided to walk over and sit back in his chair and began staring at the moon again. Then he took out his locket and opened it again to look at the picture of Sunset's smiling face. He smiled and thought about Sunset's promise to free him from Adagio's grasp, but the smile soon faded as a feeling of doubt entered his heart.
"Oh, Lord," he said. "Just let her be okay."