“We all want to believe what we’re doing is right. That we’re the heroes of our own stories. That we’re destined for greatness.

“That what we’re fighting for: our goals, our dreams, our desires; they’re all possible. And they’re for the best. For why else should we believe anything different? And it is true. We all have that potential.

“But, not everyone gets to achieve that greatness. Not everyone gets to be the hero. Not everyone gets to shine so brightly.

“And the ones that do… sometimes the brighter their light… the deeper the shadow they cast…”

Volume IV

Arcane Access

The gates opened without a sound, slowly revealing the architectural masterpiece hidden beyond. Cobblestone streets wound between perfectly sculpted marble buildings all painted in royal colors. Spires and turrets rose into the baby-blue sky, their flags catching the gentle mountain breeze. Water bubbled out of bronze fountains and sunlight glinted off polished glass. Verdant parks broke up the hoof-crafted structures; tall oak trees provided shade from the summer heat.

And towering over all of the city, its white walls and purple roof glowing in the light of day, was the pinnacle of Equestrian architecture and the seat of power for the country, overlooking it from its cliff-side perch. She had dreamed for years of issuing proclamations from its gilded halls, seating herself on the throne and knowing she had absolute control. She no longer entertained those thoughts. Now, she just wanted to walk through those corridors one more time, just to know it all hadn’t been a dream.

Sunset sprinted through the gates, her hooves thundering against the cobblestone. She was so close now. She just had to get through the city.

Weaving between ponies and in and out of crowds, she tore through the marketplace and plazas, ignoring the tantalizing aroma of Canterlot’s finest restaurants. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. She was almost home! She could finally tell Celestia she was sorry!

The road took Sunset through Canterlot’s most opulent neighborhoods. Hedges and golden fences hid the majority of the manors and villas from view, but the glimpses she did catch were enough to momentarily distract her. She kept her hooves moving though, slowing her stride but never stopping.

Then, she stood in the courtyard. The castle doors stood at the top of the steps, encrusted with rainbow-colored jewels the size of Sunset’s head. Celestia was behind those doors.

Sunset moved a hoof forward but heard something shuffle over her shoulder. She turned her head to see Twilight standing at the castle gates.

Sunset turned her head back to the doors. They were opening, and a shaft of brilliant light poured out. Sunset’s heart tugged her toward it, but she hesitated. She looked back at Twilight who had a hand stretched out. Sunset reached a hoof back, but the gap between them only seemed to grow, and the light radiating from the door began to eclipse the world..

“I won’t! I promise! I—” But the light grew brighter still until Sunset could see nothing but a white void.

*******

Sunset opened her eyes, her arm still outstretched above her. The morning light shone through the bay doors to the balcony and lit up the already bright blue wallpaper of the hotel room. She lowered her hand onto the soft blanket draped over her, her fingertips brushing against the girl curled up against her side.

Twilight slept soundly, one arm looped around Sunset’s. Instead of being tied up in its usual ponytail, her hair was splayed out over the pillow in a mess of purple and lavender streaks. She shuffled and murmured in her sleep, hugging Sunset’s arm a little tighter.

Both girls were barely clothed. Sunset only had on her unbuttoned shirt and underwear on, while Twilight was still dressed (though Sunset used that term loosely) in the revealing lingerie she had shown off to Sunset the night before. Their bare legs rubbed against each other, making Sunset’s heart and stomach flutter rapidly. Despite her breath hitching every time Twilight moved, Sunset didn’t dare pull herself away.

The room was quiet, save for Twilight’s soft breathing. It relaxed Sunset, though not to the point of falling back asleep. The sunlight was too strong. She contented herself with just looking at the ceiling and reflecting.

Yesterday—her birthday and the wedding of Shining and Cadence—had been long and hard-fought. She had fended off Tempest and learned a little more about her powers in the process. And while she had failed in redeeming Adagio, her friends, especially Pinkie, had managed to pick up her slack and get at least Sonata and Aria to change their ways for good.

Sunset frowned. Adagio was at large, and according to Rarity, she had a new necklace with which to manipulate people again. And Tempest still lurked in the shadows, no doubt scheming a new way to hurt Sunset and her friends. The knowledge Adagio and Tempest weren’t working together anymore didn’t make her feel better; it just meant it was more liable for them to both try something at once.

She hated playing defense. Tempest probably had some grand plan and all Sunset could do was react to any move made and hope for the best. She furrowed her brow, remembering the days where she was the one in control. She was the chess master and everyone else, her pawns moving along the board where she told them to go. Now, she was just a piece and had no idea what the enemy was plotting.

Well, they say the best offense is a good defense. If Sunset couldn’t read the enemy’s moves, the next best thing was preparing for any possibility. If yesterday had taught her anything, it was that she needed more practice with her powers, and she was willing to bet her friends could use some too.

Sunset turned her face to Twilight, still asleep. A stunning intellect, unwavering conviction, and burgeoning sword skills. Sunset couldn’t understand why Twilight had so much self-doubt. Though her loss to Moondancer had hurt her confidence, it seemed to have also fueled her drive to improve.

The Twilight from her dream had looked so alone, so defeated at Sunset’s desire to walk up those steps into Canterlot Castle. Sunset wanted to promise Twilight she would never leave her, but two years was a long time, and anything could happen. She loved Twilight with all her heart, but she missed Equestria dearly. And the more she dreamed about it, the more she wanted to go back.

Twilight smacked her lips and fluttered her eyes open. She yawned before smiling at Sunset. “Good morning.”

Sunset wrinkled her nose at Twilight’s morning breath. “Morning,” she said, managing a crooked smile.

Twilight noticed she was gripping Sunset’s arm and blushed, though she didn’t let go. “Umm… so…”

She shuffled some more, her blush growing deeper as her leg rubbed against Sunset’s. “We didn’t… um… do anything last night?”

Sunset shook her head. “You fell asleep pretty fast and didn’t wake me up at any point.”

“Right.” There was a small note of disappointment in Twilight’s voice. She moved her sight to the gap between pillows. “Maybe it was for the best. I really was out of it, huh?”

“You were stressed out the wazoo, and for good reason. Makes sense you checked out early.” Sunset reached a hand out and stroked Twilight’s hair. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better, I think. I don’t feel like I’m constantly about to have a panic attack.” She looked contemplatively at the blue pillow casing. “But… I don’t think… I don’t feel like…”

“Hey.” Sunset pressed the back of her free hand against Twilight’s cheek. “Don’t apologize. I told you, I’m not gonna force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

They leaned toward one another at the same time, lips meeting in a gentle kiss. When they broke apart, Twilight placed her head in the crook of Sunset’s neck. They remained motionless together, listening to the muffled activities of the other hotel occupants: footsteps and laughter and piano music drifting in from the atrium, and shouts and splashing rising up from the lake just below the window.

Here was another moment Sunset wished could last forever. But her arm was numb and her stomach, empty. She lifted herself up, carrying Twilight with her into an upright position.

Sunset grabbed her phone off the bedside table. Surprisingly, she had no missed messages from any of their friends. “A quarter after ten.”

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “Checkout’s at noon. We should probably get packed and ready to go.”

Sunset swung her legs off the bed. “Which means I should get dressed and sneak back upstairs.”

“Oh, they know. At least they think they do.” Sunset slipped her dress pants on. “But we don’t have to tell them anything. And Rainbow will get bored in a day anyway.”

Fully dressed save for her tie which she kept balled up in her pocket, Sunset kissed Twilight again, still laying in bed. “I’ll see you in a little bit, yeah?”

“Love you, too.” Sunset pulled the door open and slipped into the hallway. Over the railing, she could see some of the other wedding guests already lining up to check out. Dull chatter filled the open lobby as everyone went about their day, most of them dressed in swimwear. If any of them had any lingering concerns over yesterday’s oddities, they didn’t show it.

Sunset caught the elevator and rose to the seventh floor and made her way to her shared room. Approaching, she could already hear her friends talking on the other side. She sighed as she pulled out her keycard. “Let’s get this over with.”

With a press and a beep, Sunset pushed the door open, watching as the conversation quickly died and every eye turned toward her. The remaining five of the Spectacular Seven were gathered around the room, all of them grinning.

“What’s up?” Sunset said casually, strolling into the room and letting the door swing close behind her.

“Nothin’ much,” Applejack said, leaning with a foot braced against the wall. “Just chattin’.”

“Cool.” Sunset knelt beside her overnight bag and rummaged for her spare set of clothes.

“Some party last night, huh?” Rainbow asked, instigation clear as day in her voice.

“Yeah, it was a great wedding.” Sunset retrieved her clothes and stood up. “You girls all have fun?”

“Tons!” Pinkie said bouncing on the bed. “You missed the fondue fountain! And then we went out and skipped more rocks on the water! You can really see the stars out here!”

“Yeah, but I bet Sunset saw plenty of stars last night,” Rainbow said, her grin turning raunchy.

“Have you girls really spent the entire morning contemplating whether or not Twilight and I had sex?” Sunset asked flatly.

“Some of them have, yes,” Rarity answered with measured disappointment. She sat on the couch, filing her nails. “I told them it was none of our business one way or the other.” She paused her filing and gave Sunset a once over. She smiled contently then resumed work on her nails.

Sunset had no idea what Rarity had gleaned but somehow, she knew it was the truth. With a shrug, Sunset passed by a disappointed looking Rainbow and stepped into the bathroom.

“It’s a simple yes or no question: are you still a virgin?” Rainbow asked.

*******

She pushed herself into a sitting position then slouched over, resting her hands in her lap. The washcloth over her face slowly folded off and fell onto her silk sheets. The scars on the left side of her face prickled, and the bruise on her right side throbbed. She inhaled slowly through her nose, feeling her chest constrict, then slowly exhaled. The tension didn’t leave.

The weight in her chest made her hunch over. She interlocked her fingers and squeezed. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I tried. I…” Moondancer gave a soft shake of her head. She had no excuses. Now more than ever, she was certain Twilight hated her. And rightly so.

“But it’ll all be worth it, right?” she asked, a bitter taste on her tongue. “Saving the world. Saving mother… it can’t be done without sacrifice.”

But to be scorned by her best friend and scarred by her worst enemy… and that sad look Fluttershy pierced her with. More and more, Moondancer was starting to wonder if her goal was worth the things she lost.

She tightened her grip on her fingers, turning her knuckles pink. She needed Tirek to die. She needed Tempest to fail. She needed to tell her mother how very sorry she was.

The path she was on was near its end; she could feel it. It was far too late to turn back now. Maybe someday she’d find a way to make up for it. For now, she just needed to survive. Destiny would be hers yet.

Chest still tight, Moondancer climbed out of bed and began her morning routine. With her teeth brushed, her hair combed, and her mask set carefully on her face, Moondancer put on a simple day gown and peeked her head out the door.

The hall was empty. Moondancer took a few tentative steps and strained her ears for any sudden noise. When the coast seemed clear, she carried on at a guarded pace. Tempest had been furious at her burn and subsequent betrayal from the Sirens. Moondancer was surprised she hadn’t been the target of Tempest’s aforementioned fury, though she supposed the day was still young.

The manor sat quiet, as it usually did. The smell of breakfast drifted through the halls and made Moondancer’s stomach growl. She had been too tired and anxious to eat dinner yesterday.

Increasing her pace, Moondancer reached the ground floor and pushed the dining room door open. Her lips immediately pursed and her eyes narrowed.

Her father sat at the head of the dining table, a plate of food in front of him. Two seats down on his right was a second plate, untouched.

“So, what? Instead of ignoring me, you’re going to ignore my words instead?” Moondancer asked brusquely. “I thought I made it clear I wasn’t interested in your feeble attempts at reconciliation.”

Night Shade gestured to the plate of food. “Please, Moondancer, I just want to have breakfast together,” he said wearily.

“Because Lemon made your favorite crêpes, and I’ve already sent her on errands for the day. She won’t be back until lunchtime.”

“I can wait that long.” Moondancer’s stomach gave a needy growl. Her eyes lingered on the two perfectly rolled crêpes drizzled with hollandaise sauce on a bed of hash browns. She balled her fists and marched over to her seat. “You are not to speak.”

Moondancer’s knife cut the tense silence by splitting her first crêpe in half and clinking against the plate. She pointedly kept her eyes on her food, watching the hollandaise sauce drizzle over some of the mushrooms and tomatoes that had spilled from her crêpe’s center.

“You look nice today,” Night said, pushing around a piece of his eggs benedict.

“And I want to eat my breakfast in peace.” Moondancer lifted a piece of food to her lips. “The only reason I’m still here is because I would hate to spill this on the carpet and make a mess for Lemon Fresh.”

Food in her mouth, Moondancer bit down hard on her fork. She pulled it out, chewed methodically, then said evenly, “You don’t get to ignore me one day, then decide you’re tired of it the next.”

Night tapped a finger against his fork. “It’s been a long-time coming, really.”

“I was never sure if I was going to be a good father. I suppose I subjected myself to a self-fulfilling prophecy.” He set his fork aside. “My parents were never great at showing affection. And I guess that carried on to me. That’s one reason I fell in love with your mother. She was never afraid of her emotions. She always brought out the best in people.”

Moondancer rolled her eyes. “Thank you for that cliché diatribe. I feel like we’ve bonded on a deeper level now.” She dug her fork into a lone mushroom. “There’s a difference between a lack of affection and ignoring your daughter.”

“And I told you, you were a fool.” Moondancer cut into another piece of her crêpe. “Though with some of the choices I’ve made, it’s clear I inherited that unfortunate trait from you.”

Night Shade sighed again. “And yet, I have no idea where you get that sharp tongue from.”

She looked up and stared her father in the eyes. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

He stared back. “Your favorite color is pink, specifically fuchsia because you thought it was the funniest word to say when you were four. Your favorite flowers are carnations, specifically pink, and your favorite tea is lavender with one drop of honey. You have a soft spot for old school rock and roll. I can hear you play it late at night sometimes.”

Night folded his hands on the table. “You got the leading role in every play you auditioned for except As You Like It, which is your favorite. You were absolutely amazing at the ballet recital you had when you were twelve. Porter recorded it for me. Whenever you’re in the garden, you always tend to the roses first. As much as you’d love to act on Broadway someday, you also want to write your own screenplays. And… you’re in love with that Twilight Sparkle girl.”

Moondancer’s cheeks flushed and she turned away. Her food no longer sat well in her stomach. “So you made a few notable observations.”

“Just because I wasn’t there doesn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention,” he said softly.

“Yes, well, she loves someone else. And no doubt loathes me, so your approval means very little.” Moondancer got up, pushing her chair back. Breakfast no longer appealed to her. “I’ve indulged you long enough. I’m going out to the garden. And no, that is not an invitation to follow.”

She marched over to the door and put a hand on the knob. She cleared her throat. “How did you know I wanted to write?”

“You gave me a short play about a princess rescuing another princess from a dragon when you were five. I keep it in my desk drawer.”

Moondancer looked over her shoulder. Her father had a small, nostalgic smile on his lips. Perhaps the first time she had seen one in a while. She let out a small huff and pushed the door open, her chest tighter than when she had woken up.

*******

Sunset and the girls stood in the hotel lobby, bags packed. With fifteen minutes to noon, the space was filled with all the overnight wedding guests who hadn’t checked out yet. A few of them looked in Sunset’s direction and whispered to one another behind their hands. Sunset popped the collar of her new leather vest and gave them a smug smile.

Rarity let out a forlorn sigh. “Say farewell to paradise, ladies. We shan't see it again until the next wedding we attend.”

“It was nice while it lasted,” Applejack said. “Aside from the ambush and kidnapping.”

Rainbow slouched and shoved her hands into her pockets. “Seriously. Even on our vacations, we can’t catch a break. Our powers are cool and stuff, but I’d like just one trip where something bad didn’t happen.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to have a talk about that when we get back home,” Sunset said, moving up a space in the checkout line.

Cadence and Shining picked their way across the atrium, stopping to thank and chat with family members before reaching the Spectacular Seven. Cadence hugged each of them in turn.

“So, where are the newlyweds headed for their honeymoon?” Rarity asked coyly.

Both Shining and Cadence let out barks of laughter. Shining shook his head. “This is our honeymoon.”

“I get paid well, but not that well,” Cadence said, wiping the mirth from her eyes. “After buying our new apartment and paying for the wedding, we couldn’t afford any sort of lavish getaway.”

“So, we just booked our room for an extra night,” Shining explained. “Maybe next year we can afford to go somewhere.”

Twilight entered the lobby, wheeling her suitcase behind her. Like her brother and new sister-in-law, she was stopped by various family members. She stood in her awkward pigeon-toed stance for all of the brief encounters but had a smile on her face, albeit a shy one. When she finally reached the group, Cadence pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

“Look at my new baby sister-in-law!” she squealed, showering Twilight’s forehead with kisses. “I know we’ve already practically been sisters, but now, it’s official!”

Twilight managed a giggle once Cadence eased up her grip. “It’s great to have you as part of the family.”

Sunset broke her attention away when the line moved forward again. A clerk waved her over, and she went through the rigamarole of signing out and returning the card keys. When she wrapped up and turned back toward Twilight, she saw Night Light and Velvet had joined the family circle.

“We’re still going to talk about this sword-wielding business,” Night Light said. He didn’t sound angry, but Twilight still shuffled nervously.

He gave his daughter a hug. “But I am glad you’re taking up some form of self-defense.”

Twilight kissed each of her family members goodbye and joined her friends as they headed out. The Sparkles waved them as they went, shouting out one last round of thank yous.

The sun shone brightly, forcing Sunset to shield her eyes upon first stepping into the front courtyard. When they finished adjusting, they gravitated toward a lone figure sitting on a bench in front of a flamingo topiary. Golden Light watched them as they came up the path. Sunset turned her head and picked up her pace, taking Twilight’s hand into her own. As the group crossed by, Golden cleared her throat, and Twilight slowed to a stop.

She faced her grandmother, shoulders shaking momentarily before she squared them and said with only a slight tremble, “I’m not going to apologize for anything I said or did yesterday.”

“Hmph. I didn’t expect you would.” Golden looked over to Sunset. “I still don’t like you.”

Golden sniffed and got to her feet. She eyed Sunset and Twilight’s interlocked hands and shook her head before hobbling away on her cane. “Most men aren’t worth the trouble anyway,” she muttered.

The group stared after the old woman. Twilight broke the silence with a soft exhale and said, “That’s the closest thing to a blessing I’m ever going to get.”

“Who needs her?” Rainbow said, resuming the walk back to their cars. “Seriously, between her and everything that happened yesterday, I feel like we barely got to enjoy this place.”

Laughter drifted up from the lakeshore, and Sunset heard the satisfying pop of a racket against a tennis ball in the courts nearby.

“You know what we need?” Rainbow continued. “A real vacation! No Sirens, no relationship drama, no villains trying to kill us! Just the seven of us having an awesome time!”

Sunset sighed. “It does. But, I’ve been thinking…. Yeah, we won yesterday, but it feels like it was by the skin of our teeth. I think we need to focus on honing our magic. Tempest is still out there and we have no idea what she’s planning next or when she’ll attack us.”

They reached the parking lot, the wheels on their bags kicking up gravel and making enough noise to mask their conversation.

“Like, I get it,” Rainbow said, “I totally wanna get better so I can punch some more bad guys in the face! But this is our last summer vacation together! We should be hanging out and having fun!”

“I think defending ourselves and Canterlot is a little more important,” Twilight said stiffly.

“You both bring up good points,” Rarity said calmly. “I would like to get better at my own magic and stop whatever machinations the villains have. But all work and no play makes your skin dull and gray. Surely one day of fun can’t hurt?”

Twilight shook her head. “I thought we’d be safe here at the wedding, but Tempest attacked us almost in plain sight!” She sighed. “I’m not against having fun, but we have more important things to worry about now. What happens if we’re on this vacation and we get attacked again?”

“What? The only reason Tempest and the Sirens got so far is because they split us up! There’s no way she can beat us if we’re all together!”

“Dashie’s right!” Pinkie chirped. “Put the seven of us together and we’re invincible! We’re like the Power Rangers! Or Sailor Moon! Or Voltron!”

Each reference flew over Sunset’s head. “Look, I have confidence in us too, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Please, Sunset!” Rainbow put her hands together. “One day! Then we can do all the training you want!”

Twilight facepalmed. “First of all, it’s ‘carpe diem’. Second, it means ‘seize the day’. Third, you have been using the word a day calendar I gave you!”

“Fine, I have,” Rainbow grumbled. “It’s actually kinda cool learning new words.”

“The point,” Rainbow said loudly, “is, let’s seize the day! Let’s go to the beach! We’ll surf, eat ice cream, build sand castles, play volleyball, and roast s’mores! Then, the day after, we get ready to fight some evil hag!”

They reached Rainbow’s car first. Sunset leaned against the trunk, arms crossed and lips pressed together. What Rainbow asked wasn’t unreasonable. A single day at the beach where they didn’t have to worry about anything? Yet, she knew she would end up worrying anyway. If Tempest was bold enough to attack them at a hotel, a beach wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But, Pinkie was also correct about them being much harder to beat when they were together.

Sunset cast a look to Twilight. “A single day at the beach couldn’t hurt, right?”

Twilight chewed her lip. “I mean… I want to, but… there’s so many things that could go wrong.”

Rainbow grinned. “Hey, the faster we do it, the sooner we can get to work. Plus, there’s no way Tempest would attack us again so soon after we whupped her butt.”

Twilight dropped her shoulders. “I don’t like it. But, you all seem set on it.”

Sunset put an arm around Twilight. “Don’t worry. If anything happens, we can handle it.”

*******

Twilight rode with Sunset and Rarity back to Canterlot proper. Sunset joined her in the back seat, letting Twilight lean on her shoulder. Rarity smiled the entire time.

The trip was mostly quiet. Sunset passed the time by watching the scenery shift from tall evergreen trees planted at the base of the mountains, to soft rolling hills turning yellow under the summer heat, to the suburban landscape she was used to, with downtown Canterlot in the near distance.

As Rarity drifted into the exit lane, she spoke up, “Sunset? While I’m all for training after our little beach day… how exactly are we going to do that? Most of our powers aren’t exactly subtle.”

Sunset thought of Pinkie’s fireworks and her own phoenix powers. “Hmm. Maybe we can find somewhere remote? I’ll ask Selena about it.”

Stomachs growling with afternoon hunger, the girls stopped for fast-food before Rarity pulled in front of the Lulamoon house. She waved Sunset and Twilight out, promising to see them tomorrow.

Suitcases and lunches in hand, the couple walked up the front lawn to the porch. Sunset fumbled with her keys, placing her takeout bag in her mouth so she could unlock the door. “Selena, we’re home,” she said between her teeth.

Selena poked her head out from the kitchen, a pencil sticking out from her pulled-up hair. She always tied it into a ponytail when she was writing. A relieved smile eased the worry creases on her forehead. “Good. How was the wedding?”

Sunset set her lunch down and pressed the tips of her fingers together. “It was good! Mostly!”

“Tempest and the Sirens attacked us,” Twilight said, her narrowed eyes pointed toward the carpet. “Moondancer was there too.”

Selena pressed her fingers to both sides of her temple. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

Sunset raised her hand. “But if we hadn’t been there, things would have gone a lot worse. We saved the wedding, and Sonata and Aria really reformed this time!”

“Well, that’ll be hard to do since they willingly let themselves be arrested.”

“Hmph.” Selena crossed her arms. “Well… that’s surprising at the very least. But forgive me if I remain unconvinced.” She heaved a sigh. “I’m glad you’re both all right, but this just amplifies my concerns. What did Tempest even want at the wedding?”

“I don’t really know?” Sunset wondered aloud. “The Sirens were there to steal our magic. I guess she was just there to make sure they did it? Oh, Aria broke the Staff of Sacanas.”

“And we’re right back to bad news.” Selena took a seat on the living room couch. “What do we do now?”

Twilight raised her head. “We need to prepare for whatever Tempest tries to do next. We need to practice. We need to be better.”

Sunset heard the unspoken ‘I’ but left it alone. “She’s right. We can’t predict what Tempest’s next move will be, but we can train to counter it. The only problem is, we’re not sure where we can practice without being seen.”

Selena rested her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers. “I suppose that’s the best plan we can make for now. As for where to train… we could use the backyard once Artemis returns and sets up a few illusion wards. I don’t know how effective a training area it would be though.”

“No. They sent me a letter a few days ago, but there wasn’t any indication if they were coming home soon or not.” Selena made a solemn frown. “I’m really starting to wonder if this Rainbow of Light isn’t just a wild goose chase.”

“Megan and Merlin stopped Tirek with something,” Sunset said confidently. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll find it.”

Twilight wrung her hands. “Miss Selena? If it’s not too much trouble, could we practice today?”

Selena faced Twilight, but her eyes glanced toward Sunset. Sunset gave a subtle nod, to which Selena arched her eyebrows in curiosity. Still, she nodded and said, “Very well.”

“Thank you!” Twilight quickly opened her suitcase and pulled her sword. She kissed Sunset on the cheek and hurried for the backyard door, her lunch forgotten.

“She got her confidence shaken pretty bad,” Sunset said, responding to Selena’s inquisitive look. “She needs something to boost her self-esteem.”

“I see.” Selena looked to where Twilight had exited. “I would think she of all people would know success doesn’t come instantly. But, I’ll see what I can do.”

Sunset bowed her head. “Thanks.” She then pressed her index fingers together. “One more thing before you guys get to it.”

Sunset shifted from one foot to another and smiled sheepishly. “Can I go to the beach tomorrow?”

Spectacular Seven

by Albi

Volume IV: Arcane Access—1. The Morning After