//------------------------------//
// Prologue: The Intruder 
// Story: Finding the Light; or, The Human Witch 
// by ApiphobicDalmatianLass 
//------------------------------//

Emperor Belos gazed at the pitiful being surrounded by guards with his cold, hollow eyes as he rested in his throne. The being was kneeling before him, its face hidden by thick, vibrant red and yellow hair. One guard stood on each side, holding its arms in a firm grip to make sure it couldn’t escape.

“Well well, what do we have there?” Belos murmured in an enigmatic tone, sending shivers down the spines of everyone in the room.

“My liege,” one of the guards dared to speak, “this human here fell out of the door when it was opened to test its durability. Its appearance must mean the connection to the Human Realm is stable enough to enter, right?”

“Have patience, Steve,” Belos instructed calmly. “We have plenty of time to make sure the portal is fully functional for the Day of Unity. First of all -” The emperor faced the human again “- we have to take care of our little interloper here.”

Said being raised their head, revealing themselves to be female, cyan blue eyes set in a blank stare.



Sunset Shimmer might as well be a black cat, with how much bad luck seems to follow her everywhere that involves magic.

Today is no exception.

One moment she’s running like a madwoman, desperate to make it to class on time, the next she’s tumbling into the weirdly rippling portal in the statue of her school, ending up Faust knows where. The fact that she was instantly pinned down by a handful of bipedal guards dressed in white cloaks and beaked masks was clear proof that this place wasn’t Equestria.

And now she was surrounded by four of said guards, forced to kneel in front of a menacing-looking creature who seemed to be in charge of this institution.

His eyes were as cold as his appearance, his whole head covered by a golden mask with two long, upward-facing horns. His white cape fluttered in the slight breeze passing by and he had a firm grip on his oddly mechanical looking staff.

All in all, everything about this creature screamed “intimidating”.

“Now then,” She suppressed a shiver at his way-too calm voice. “State your name and occupation, human.”

Reluctantly, she answered. “Sunset Shimmer, high school senior.”

“Sunset Shimmer…” he echoed. “A very peculiar name for a human.” She didn’t dare question his comment. “And still being educated, I see? Maybe you can be of use to me after all.”

He chuckled lowly, and this time, she actually did let out a shiver. Sweet Celestia, even Nightmare Moon would have been intimidated by that creature’s eerie nature.

“Oh, but where are my manners?” He asked in a way too sardonic way to be polite. “Allow me, Miss Shimmer, for I am Emperor Belos, ruler of the Boiling Isles, bringer of peace and balance.” His eyes suddenly glowed an icy blue, narrowed. “And I do not appreciate other beings intruding on this land like that.”

Sunset felt a pit form in her stomach at his words. “O-oh?”

“You must understand,” he continued. “that I cannot simply allow you to go back to where you come from and pretend nothing had happened. There is just too much at stake right now, and I cannot allow myself a human threatening the peace by telling their kind.”

“Your Majesty, please be reasonable,” Sunset’s voice took on a slightly desperate tone. “How could I possibly expose your land’s existence without concrete proof? People would label me foolish, even insane!” She grunted as the guards pushed her down even further. “And what about my friends and family? Do you really distrust me that much that you’re willing to keep me away from them against my will?”

“I do not hold your kind in high regard in principle,” Belos remarked disdainfully. “You humans are simply too unpredictable, too cunning to be trusted. Even if you do claim to remain silent now, there is no telling what you are actually going to do once I set you free.” He then rubbed his long chin. “But maybe… maybe you can prove to me that you can be trusted.”

Sunset didn’t like what the monarch was implying, but nonetheless let him talk.

“You see, this world is inhabited by all kinds of demonic creatures, witches in particular, capable of using magic granted by the fallen Titan’s remains that form the Boiling Isles.”

So this is another magic world. Sunset pondered. Wait, a fallen Titan? What does he mean by tha-? She paused in mid-thought, then let out another shudder. Okay, that certainly explains that giant thumping heart up there.

“But there was a time, where witches recklessly mixed the magic, something the Titan never approved of. It brought despair and destruction upon the Boiling Isles, the Savage Ages. The Titan spoke to me, and the witches listened to his words through my mouth. Upon ascending the throne, I established the Coven System to ensure magic shall never be mixed again.”

“That’s all very well, but why are you telling me this?” Sunset inquired, earning herself a painful jab to the back by the guard to her right, grunting as he hissed ‘Quiet, human!’.

“Unfortunately,” Belos continued as if she never asked. “There have been and always will be witches who reject the system. One in particular has been a thorn in my side for quite a while now, refusing to join a coven and propagating the use of wild magic. She has lost her magic quite recently, but she still poses a threat to the system.”

With a snap of his finger, a guard drew a circle and produced a poster, showing off an elderly woman dressed in red, with untamed grey hair and a little black demon at her side. “The Owl Lady, charged with treachery, con game, and Hexes Hold ‘Em bets, not to mention taking on an apprentice and teaching them wild magic. If you can bring her and her apprentice to me, I shall let you go back to your home.”

A long silence followed as Sunset seemingly pondered over the opportunity given to her. She knew this was a fib, and no matter how much she wanted to go home, she wouldn’t let herself be bribed like that.

Instead, she was formulating a plan inside her head. It was risky, and probably downright crazy, but hey, if you’re friends with someone who defies the laws of physics 24/7, they tend to rub off on you.

“… and you are really going to set me free again?” she finally uttered.

“Absolutely," he assured, his voice taking on a subtle sinister undertone.

“Well, in that case“ - Sunset paused for dramatic effect - “I decline.“

She heard a couple of guards gasp sharply at her answer. The emperor’s eyes had widened slightly. “Excuse me?” he asked bewildered.

“You heard me, I’m not going to do it.” She gave him a lopsided smile. “Because I’ve been in this kind of situation before, quite often even. I was given an offer too tempting to refuse, and every time I accepted -” Her face darkened “- I was always met with the same result: betrayal and exploitation. So how do I know if I can trust you not to go back on your promise and make me do more things to “earn your trust” without ever intending to keep your promise in the first place?” She was met with another deafening silence. “That’s what I thought. So forgive me for being wary, my liege” - she spat out his title - “but if you don’t trust me, I see no reason to trust you either.”

She held the emperor’s gaze defiantly, daring him to convince her otherwise and fail utterly.

Belos, realizing there was no reasoning with the human girl, rested his face in his free hand, letting out a disappointed sigh. “What a shame, but I guess that just further proves my point about humans. You leave me no other choice then.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Take her away. You know where to.”

Sunset didn’t resist the guards as they left the throne room with her. She was waiting patiently for the right moment to make her move.

After a while, one of the guards jabbed her in her back. Again. It was the same one who did beforehand, and he was clearly enjoying this privilege.

“You shouldn’t have turned down the Emperor’s proposition like that,” he sneered. “Now you’re going to spend the rest of your pathetic human life rotting in the Conformatorium.”

Sunset ignored his gloating as she carefully observed the hallway she was led through. Barely lighted, devoid of any living beings, perfect. She viewed the guard carrying her backpack, from which she has been forcefully separated upon her arrival, and inhaled subtly. It was now or never.

“That’s what you think,” she murmured cheekily, and suddenly raised her leg and stomped hard on his foot with the heel of her boot. The guard shrieked in agony and reached for his sore foot, letting go of Sunset’s arm in the process and getting a powerful elbowed jab to the uncovered part of his face. A sickening crunch sounded as he hit the ground, unconscious from pain overload.

The other guard didn’t have enough time to react before her free fist knocked the mask off his face. Then, a pair of fingers poked him in his exposed eyes, followed with a knee to the groin. And as he collapsed with a wheeze, he was grabbed by the collar of his robe and given a firm headbutt from the human, who then threw his knocked-out body to the side.

The third guard was almost done drawing a spell circle, but Sunset foiled his plan with a simple roundhouse kick to his head. He was thrown against a wall, sliding down motionless.

Sunset rubbed her forehead, slightly sore after that headbutt she had delivered, but nonetheless smirked and cracked her neck. “I may be a human, but I’m not helpless.” She scowled at the remaining, visibly trembling guard, her backpack in his grip. “Now hand over the backpack, unless you want the special treatment.” She cracked her knuckles as demonstration.

The guard only let out a frightened whimper.

‘Impressive, human,’ Belos’ voice suddenly rang from everywhere in the hallway, startling both Sunset and the guard. ‘You managed to single-handedly overpower three of my guards through physical means alone. I clearly underestimated you.’

Seeing the human girl distracted, the guard quickly drew a spell circle and disappeared into a portal. Sunset barely witnessed said portal closing behind him, dissolving into nothingness.

“NO!” Sunset exclaimed as she reached for the place where the guard had vanished, her hand only managing to brush the magic’s remnants before it dissolved too. Staring at her open palm for a moment, she fell to her knees, numb from what has transpired just now.

Her backpack was gone. Her backpack, which contained all her personal belongings, was gone. Her phone, her guitar strings, the group photo of her and her friends, and her journal, her only connection to Princess Twilight, to her friends, was gone.

Everything is gone…

‘Why so distraught, human?’ Belos inquired. ‘And over a bag, of all objects? It is a bag like any other, plain and insignificant.’

“SHUT UP!” Sunset bellowed to the walls. “You don’t know anything, Belos! You don’t understand just what I had to go through my entire life! How much I’ve lost and suffered, how much I’ve regretted! You don’t understand and you never will!”

‘Your past trials and tribulations are of no interest to me,’ Belos scoffed. ‘What is, though, is that you are an even bigger threat than I first believed you to be. The Conformatorium does not suffice anymore.’

As Sunset remained in her knelt position, footsteps could be heard coming from all sides. ‘As we speak, other guards have been alerted of your presence. And once they seize you… I think you will make a fine statue for my collection.’

That last sentence finally snapped her out of shock and she made a mad dash. To where, she didn’t know. Just away from this place. Away from the sardonic laughter which seemed to follow her everywhere.

‘Foolish human. You actually think you can outrun me and my guards?’ As Sunset turned the corner, she saw at least a dozen guards coming her way, making her turn heel and run into another direction. ‘This is my castle, Sunset Shimmer, I have my eyes and ears everywhere.’ Next corner, more guards, another direction. ‘I can see every move you make, hear every breath you take.’ More guards up front, U-turn. ‘And everywhere you go… I’m there as well.’

Before she knew it, Sunset was completely surrounded. There were just too many of them to slip through undetected. A few circles were drawn and vines burst from the ground, restraining her once more.

‘Give up, human, there is no escape! Surrender now and accept your fate!’

As the guards kept advancing onto her, Sunset grimaced against the pain in her arms from the vines. It can’t end like this. I won’t ever see the girls again, or Princess Twilight, everyone. It can’t end like this, it just can’t!

Against all hope, Sunset closed her eyes. Please, Titan, if you really can hear me, please, I beg you, have mercy. I never meant to intrude on your land like that. All I want is to get out of this place. A single tear slid down her face. Please, I just want to get away from here…

And as if to answer her silent prayer, her geode, hidden beneath her orange shirt, suddenly emitted a steady glow through the fabric. The guards close enough to see were bewildered by the mysterious shimmer.

And then, before any of them could even blink, the human girl was enveloped in a bright light, and vanished into thin air.



The reactions were various. Some guards were murmuring to each other in shock, others were simply standing around, utterly speechless. But none of them was more shocked than the emperor himself.

Belos had witnessed the girl’s disappearance with his own two eyes. This was no mere illusion or trick, he could not see nor hear her anywhere in his castle.

She had teleported. She had used magic. Real, genuine magic.

Where or how she acquired it he didn’t know. But there was one thing he knew for sure.

This human must be eliminated. At all costs.



Meanwhile, somewhere in a densely wooded forest, another bright light made Sunset reappear again. Her body swayed unsteadily, legs wobbling as she tried her best to hold the balance in her dazed state.

Somehow, she had managed to teleport herself away from the castle. Against all odds, she had used magic. 

It didn’t make any sense. How in the world did she use magic as a human? Even being part unicorn, she had no horn to perform a spell.

But her mind was too much in a haze to think clearly right now. All it registered was how utterly drained her body felt after she had pulled off that stunt.

Her legs finally gave in, and Sunset collapsed face-first into the dirt, passed out from both physical and emotional exhaustion.

TO BE CONTINUED…