The crackling of fire was the first thing Sunset Shimmer registered when she began to come around. The second was the feeling of a blanket wrapped around her, keeping her warm and toasty along with the heat coming from the fire. And as the human carefully opened her eyes, the blurriness slowly vanished to reveal the interior of a little cave, its entrance partly hidden by a giant boulder.
In the middle of the cave crackled a fire pit, a black pot with boiling water placed above it. It was then when a mouth-watering smell suddenly hit Sunset’s nose - her stomach growling in response - did she realize just how tired and hungry she was.
Too fixated on the brew, Sunset didn’t notice the boulder being slightly moved, and a figure quietly entered.
“Ah, you have finally awoken.”
Sunset snapped her head towards the being with a frazzled look. “What… wh-wh-what happened?” The young woman cursed herself inside for her heavy stuttering.
“Do not fret, my dear,” the figure assured her, with a feminine voice softer and more gentle than any silk. It soothed Sunset and calmed her down, though she could still feel her body shake a little.
The figure then stepped into the flickering light of the fire, revealing themself to be a tall, elderly woman in a simple maroon dress, covered by an ivory cloak and a staff in her right hand. Gorgeous long hair in the colors of dawn framed her wrinkled yet youthful face, with a smile just as soft and kind, and her eyes a rich lilac, holding a level of wisdom Sunset hadn’t seen in years.
“I do not wish you any scathe,” the woman continued as she took a seat next to the bemused high schooler. “I was wandering the forest to collect ingredients for tonight’s dinner, when I saw you lying in the grass, unresponsive. The sun was setting, and the creatures of the night were emerging, so I took you to this cave, away from danger.”
Sunset was still frazzled, mainly due to everything else that has happened beforehand, but she felt relieved knowing that the… witch? Magician? Sorceress? Whatever, she didn’t mean any harm.
Didn’t make her feel any less wary of her though.
“Oh, but where are my manners?” Said witch held out a hand as pale as her garment. “I’m Aurora, the wild witch of the Rib Peaks. I do not belong to any coven, as I view their purpose to restrict a witch’s magic as a blockade to one’s true potential.
“And may I know who you are, young lady?”
Sunset eyed Aurora’s hand with uncertainty. Accepting it would mean making herself vulnerable once again. And after recent events, she wasn’t sure whether she was willing to.
The human looked up, and almost gasped aloud at the gaze she was met with. The old woman’s eyes held nothing short of sympathy and understanding, and perhaps even a little bit of desperate hope, as if she longed for somebody to trust her and connect with on a personal level.
The life of a wild witch probably is a very lonely one.
Just like hers was once.
Oh what the heck… Sunset firmly grasped Aurora’s hand, feeling herself genuinely smile for the first time today. “Sunset Shimmer. A pleasure meeting you, Miss Aurora.”
The tearful smile she received from Aurora as she clasped Sunset’s hand between her own and gave it a firm yet gentle squeeze made the young woman believe she had made the right choice.
“The pleasure is all mine, dear Sunset.”
For a long while, none of them uttered a word. They kept smiling at each other, a sign that slowly but surely, a bond of trust between them was formed. The kind of trust Sunset hadn’t felt in years.
Not since…
“So,” Sunset awkwardly began. “You said you’re a wild witch?” A nod. “But isn’t that, like… against the law or something?” Sunset chewed on her lip. “From what I heard, mixing magic is considered treachery against the Titan’s Will or something.”
“Treachery…” Aurora chuckled wryly, which quickly turned into a scowl. “The only treachery is subjecting oneself to a tyrant who has the nerve to deny a witch their chance of reaching their true potential. And to ensure their position and power, they only allow witches who pledged their absolute loyalty to mix magic, under the guise of the so-called will of a higher entity.”
By the time Aurora was finished, she was shaking with barely restrained rage. Upon seeing Sunset’s startled expression, though, she took a deep breath and quickly pulled herself together.
“As to your question: the law cannot punish those whose existence remains elusive.” She then released a deep sigh in regret. “But I’m afraid your existence is very much evident.”
With that said, Sunset frowned in confusion as the witch reached inside her cloak and pulled out a rolled up parchment, holding it out to the human. Grabbing it with slightly shaking hands, Sunset carefully unrolled the parchment.
And the sight made her blood freeze in her veins.
She was met with a caricature of herself, her striking red and yellow hair wavering dangerously against the background, her whole body in a stance of an imminent attack, and the coldest look in her eyes the young woman had ever seen. And beneath said terrifying image stood in thick, black letters:
THE HUMAN WITCH
REWARD: $1.500.000.000.000
But the last part was what terrified her the most:
DEAD OR ALIVE
Sunset felt all the oxygen drain from her lungs. Her hands started sweating, she went pale, she started shaking heavily and felt the world spin around her.
Belos wanted her gone. For good.
This was bad. Very, very VERY bad.
She faintly registered her trembling body being pulled into a warm embrace, a hand gently stroking her back as words of reassurance were being whispered into her ear.
“There there, dear, it’s alright. Breathe with me. In and out. In and out.” And it worked. The young woman felt the panic being slowly drained as the physical contact along with the soothing voice pulled her back to earth.
And the head rubs were a big help too.
… wait what?
Reaching up, Sunset’s hand came in contact with something feathery and fluffy, and received a happy chirp and another nuzzle in response.
“How peculiar,” Aurora noted with a chuckle. “Palismen usually don’t warm up to strangers that quickly, if not at all. And yet Philomena seems to have taken an instant liking to you.”
This… uh, I don’t know how to react to.
“It’s… n-nice?” Smooth, girl. Real smooth…
The old woman only let out another laugh. She then held her staff out and let out a brief whistle. Sunset felt the palisman perk at the sound, and then awed at the sight of a flamboyant phoenix resting upon the staff, its eyes briefly flashing as curled up its wings.
Terrifying and weird, but beautiful… wow…
“She’s quite a sight, isn’t she?” Aurora stroked her palisman’s feathered head with a look of pure, unadulterated affection. “Palismen come in all shapes and forms, be it mammals, birds, lizards, insects, or even a magical creature like Philomena, but they all act as a witch’s companion, a familiar, bonded for life.” She then smiled knowingly at the human. “Would you like to hear how palismen come to be, and what they’re capable of?”
Sunset found herself nodding eagerly. Her thirst for knowledge has always been her greatest attribute to survive in a foreign place, and with her current situation, she needed all the information there was.
A sudden gurgling sound startled the two out of their conversation. Sunset flushed redder than her hair as her stomach complained once more with an embarrassingly loud moan, and clutched it instinctively.
“O-oh my, you sound like you haven’t eaten all day.” Oh, she has no idea. “I suppose we can continue our talk over dinner, the stew should be done by now.”
A few minutes later, Sunset and Aurora were happily indulging themselves in their dish as the latter explained how witches, upon graduating school, carved their palismen out of a special magic-induced wood, which not only made them sapient, but granted them their own source of magic. That way, even a non-magic being like Sunset - better let her think that instead of trying to explain her unicorn heritage - would be able to cast spells if the connection between caster and palisman was strong and healthy enough.
Before long, the unease Sunset felt since the moment she awoke slowly started to fade away as they exchanged stories about previous adventures and past mischief. She was particularly intrigued when Aurora revealed her love for sweets things, especially cake, and how often she got in trouble for sneaking off slices thinking no one would notice.
In exchange, Sunset would tell her about some of the shenanigans she and her friends got into in the Human Realm. Like that one time Pinkie Pie went really overboard with the yeast for her triple chocolate peanut butter banana bread, and they spent the whole day cleaning up the kitchen from the plethora of batter. Luckily, Pinkie was one to always find use for leftover batter and they had organized an impromptu bake sale, donating the money to an orphanage Applejack had been volunteering at as of recently.
But the more she kept talking about her friends, the more reality finally started to sink in. She was stuck in a magical world far away from the people she loved. Her backpack was Faust knows where, containing all her belongings including her journal, so she couldn’t even message the princess to let her and the others know she was fine.
And on top of that, she was considered a criminal in this world.
While going against Celestia’s orders back in her unicorn days would be considered treachery, the former ruler of Equestria was never one to hand out a punishment this severe. Maybe life-long exile, imprisonment in Tartarus or banishment to the moon - petrification only as a last resort - but never a death sentence. Ending a creature’s life for good would have been a breach of Celestia’s ethics.
And in the Human Realm, the worst punishment Sunset had ever received was detention - and fixing property damage after her… demonization. Even after her true colors got revealed, Principal Celestia could have easily had her expelled from CHS, or sent to military school, or worse. But instead, she gave her a chance to redeem herself and become a better person.
Alicorn princess or human principal, Celestia had always firmly believed in second chances. A belief that the current ruler Princess Twilight greatly valued too.
But Belos wanted her dead. Period.
Once more, Sunset felt herself go into a severe state of panic. Only this time, it was accompanied by tears sliding down her face, chilled from her fear. Reality struck her hard, reminding her she was alone, she was a criminal, she had no one to turn to, and she couldn’t call for help.
She was trapped. Maybe even permanently.
Aurora noticed Sunset’s distressed look, and immediately pulled her into yet another comforting embrace, with Philomena spreading her wings around the human’s head. Fortunately, it seemed to calm her down fairly quickly.
Okay… not entirely alone... get a hold of yourself, Sunset. We can figure this out. Right?
“Sunset,” Aurora began carefully. “I cannot possibly imagine what you are going through right now, being trapped in a world that is not yours. But I know what it’s like to lose someone you hold dear, feeling you might never see them again.”
She pulled away from the hug and put her hands on Sunset’s shoulders, gently squeezing them with the most solemn look on her face the human had ever seen.
“But your friends would not have wanted you to grieve for them. They would have wanted for you to keep moving, keep fighting for them, and to never give up no matter what. Though you may be realms away from them, they are always gonna be with you, right here in your heart.
“However, you cannot stay here and wait for a miracle to happen either. You must venture into this world and search for the answers you seek. But you have to be careful: The Boiling Isles have danger lurking everywhere. Around each corner, a creature awaits the opportunity to attack you. Even the flora is not to be taken lightly, for they have a macabre mind of their own. But I believe you can conquer this world, if you are willing to learn about it.”
Sunset knew where this was going, and she found herself asking: “Miss Aurora… Could you teach me the secrets of the Boiling Isles?”
The elated smile she was met with nearly blinded her as the old woman took her hands into her own.
“I could teach you that and so much more if you would like.” She gestured to the discarded wanted poster. “According to the parchment, you can allegedly do magic. Is that true?”
Sunset startled at the question. The truth was… she wasn’t quite sure herself. She didn’t yet have the time to figure out what exactly had transpired in that moment when she was in Belos’ castle. All she knew was that she had desperately wished to get away from there.
But it didn’t explain how she managed to cast a teleportation spell without a magic appendage.
Meanwhile, Aurora must have taken the silence as reluctance and gently squeezed Sunset’s hands again. Her left hand then let go and moved to draw a little circle in the air, summoning a single tiny light orb. The human awed as she watched it float towards her, her free hand automatically reaching out to hold it midair.
“Try and cast a simple light spell. But don’t attempt to copy my movements. Rather, cast the spell in a way that you feel comfortable with.”
In a way that I feel comfortable with?
Sunset held back a snort. If she was a unicorn and had a horn, it would have been ideal. But alas, she didn’t, so she had to improvise.
Nonetheless, she held out her hand again. Closing her eyes, the human inhaled and thought of her friends, the people who she loved and cared for. She let the happiness and love she felt for them embrace her, lighten up her heart, and she directed said light to her palm.
And when she opened her eyes again, there was a big orb shining brightly in her hand.
“I did it,” Sunset breathed. “I did it,” she repeated in a more elated tone, a stunned laugh escaping her lips. “I did magic.”
”Yes, yes you did,“ Aurora agreed with a big, proud smile on her face. Even Philomena cawed in amazement as they all gazed upon the orb as its bright light lit up the entire cave. A soft glow caught the witch’s eye, and her smile turned all-knowing. “And I think we just figured out the cause.”
Confused, Sunset followed Aurora’s gaze to her chest, and gasped quietly at the shimmer coming from beneath her shirt.
“My geode…” Sunset murmured as her hand curled around the gem. “B-but… how?”
Aurora gently covered the human’s hand with hers. “That is what we have to figure out. Together.”
And the smiles they gave each other shined brighter than any light orb.
[cue intro music: PINK BLOOD – Hikaru Utada (To Your Eternity Opening Theme)]
(Scene: A cliff, overlooking the skyline over the Boiling Sea.)
(We see Sunset Shimmer standing on the cliff, her back to the camera.)
~♫~
(Pictures of Sunset’s friends flash briefly on the screen.)
~♫~
(There’s a picture of Aurora and Philomena, as the camera begins to zoom in on Sunset. She slowly turns around.)
~♫~
(Halfway, she stops, and she looks at the camera. After a final flash of Luz, Eda and King, Sunset turns around completely, and her cyan eyes flash in the sunlight.)
~♫~
~♫~
~♫~
(Various images start flashing in rhythm: The first image is of Sunset and her friends jamming together in the school band room, the next one is them having a slumber party at Pinkie’s house, eating pizza and playing games. The third is of Sunset eyeing the Wondercolts statue in uncertainty, and the final four shots are her hand touching the rippling surface, her shocked face as she is pulled in, the human tumbling through the glitching portal, and finally being pinned down by a handful of guards.)
~♫~
~♫~
~♫~
(More scenes continue to flash: The first scene has Sunset facing the Emperor, the next one has her fleeing from his guards and teleporting mid-run. The third has the girl facing Aurora in an open red field, and the last scene has the witch holding out her hand as Sunset reaches out to take it.)
~♫~
~♫~
(Now we see the pictures either moving sideways, up- or downwards: The first picture is of Sunset and Aurora flying on Philomena, the next one is of the girl examining a carnivorous plant and the witch pointing out the sharp teeth of the flower. The third picture is of Sunset watching a family of giant rat worms nesting, and the fourth is of said high schooler casting numerous fire spells.)
~♫~
~♫~
(Sunset is now seen walking to the left, clad in a white cloak and Aurora's staff in her right hand while Luz and Eda (with King) cast spells in the background. Then said people are seen flying on their respective staffs while Willow, Gus and Amity appear, displaying their signature spells just like in the Season 2 intro.)
~♫~
~♫~
(Lilith, Boscha and Mattholomule appear next, with Lilith attempting to perform a spell, but failing, Boscha glaring, then punching the wall in rage, before flinching in pain, and Mattholomule with cross arms glaring, but then looking away.)
~♫~
~♫~
(The camera soars over countless Emperor Coven members, the nine coven leaders, a demonic Kikimora and the Golden Guard on his staff, and finally facing Emperor Belos, his eyes flashing an icy blue. Then it pans through the Bad Girl Coven, Luz’s friends, and finally facing a determined Luz alongside a hooded Sunset, her cyan eyes flashing in the darkness of the hood.)
~♫~
~♫~
(The hooded Sunset and the Golden Guard start a vicious fight, staffs clashing and sparks flying as they fire spell after spell, their covers briefly unveiling their upper face.)
~♫~
~♫~
(The scene pans over to Luz, Eda and King standing atop the Owl House, similar to that in the series intro. Luz opens her palms to reveal a light orb, and she sees another light orb in another pair of hands - Sunset’s. She looks up, seeing a warm smile on her face, which she directs to Luz from the light orb upon eye contact. Smiling back, Luz, along with Sunset lift up the orb to the sky, revealing the title of the story, Finding the Light; or, The Human Witch. Fire swirls around the title briefly before the screen cuts to black.)
The sky was coated in a purplish-blue color, a couple of golden clouds passing by. And in the midst of an open red meadow, Aurora and Sunset stood facing each other, an aura of pure pride and determination surrounding the two.
“Sunset Shimmer,” Aurora began solemnly. “In just a matter of a single week, you not only learned how to blend into a world of demons and witches, but also how to wield a foreign and unfamiliar kind of magic. You have truly surpassed my expectations, and it fills me with pride knowing that I was the one who had mentored you.”
Sunset smiled with glee and pride. “And I feel proud to call you my guide and mentor.”
Aurora’s smile faded. “But alas, all good things must come to an end. I must go my own route, as must you.”
Sunset gasped, but Aurora held a hand up to stop.
“Before you say anything, I have taught you how to survive on the Boiling Isles - but everything else you must learn by yourself.”
The witch gently put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “You are a very strong individual, Sunset. That is evident. But you must know this: The magic you wield is way more unstable and sinister than it seems at first glance. With each spell cast, the demonic power will start to cloud your mind, and corrupt you from inside out.
“Which is why you need something to keep you grounded, an anchor of some sort. Somebody to help you reach for the light in the darkness of your mind, people you can entrust yourself to.
“In other words, you need to make friends.”
Why does that sound so familiar? Sunset thought to herself wryly. She nonetheless found herself nodding at Aurora’s words. She hadn’t listened back then, she would not make the same mistake twice.
“But before you start your own journey, I would like to give you something.” With those words, Aurora took a step back and reached to unbuckle her ivory garment. “This cloak is made of Witch's Wool, a special fabric that repels powerful spells. It will protect you from magical attacks of various kinds.”
“B-but, Aurora, this is your cloak.”
“And I want you to have it,” the old woman insisted and threw the robe around Sunset before the latter could protest any further. “You will need it more than I do right now. Consider it a parting gift from a proud mentor.”
Sunset could only awe as she gently touched the soft cloak with trembling fingers. It felt unlike any fabric she had ever held before, even Rarity would have marveled at such an exquisite material.
“I have one more item to hand you.”
Another one? Seriously?
“And no, this is not up for discussion. We have both agreed this is something you need.”
“… we never discussed…?”
“Oh no, not ‘we’ as in ‘you and me’.” Aurora smirked as she drew a circle in the air and her staff appeared in her hand…
… albeit without the palisman.
Sunset almost laughed at her mentor’s baffled reaction before the latter broke into heartfelt laughter. “Of course, how could I forget? I sent Philomena out to scout the area for possible threats. We are close to civilization after all, aren’t we?”
And they were. Having spent the week travelling the massive Titan’s corpse, Sunset and Aurora eventually ended up somewhere on the right arm, close to a bustling city named Bonesborough. It was said to be the biggest and most populated area on the Boiling Isles, well away from Belos’ castle in the chest, but close enough to be kept up-to-date on his nefarious plots.
Sunset was startled out of her thoughts by a sharp whistle from Aurora, and a couple seconds later, a fiery red trail in the distance began to approach them. Philomena wasted no time and took her place on the staff.
“It is time,” Aurora said in a solemn tone as she petted her faithful companion. “Farewell, old friend. Please take good care of dear Sunset.”
Said girl watched in horror as the phoenix became one with the staff and the witch held it out to her. “Wh-wh-whaaaaat? Wa-wait, nononono, th-the cloak was already too much, I-I can’t…!”
“Sunset. I insist.” Aurora gently took ahold of Sunset’s hand and curled it around the handle. “Every witch needs a companion. And while Philomena might not be your palisman, you and her have formed a connection that almost equals that of ours. She trusts you, and she feels as much a need to protect you as does with me. And don’t tell me Philomena has not found a place in your heart as well, isn’t that so?”
Sunset found herself unable to answer. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she had grown to like Philomena very much. The palisman represented her desire to start anew and change for the better.
Besides that, she longed to care for a pet again. Philomena will never replace her beloved pet lizard Ray, but the phoenix had nonetheless found a place in her heart.
And apparently, so had Sunset in hers.
Sighing in defeat, the human finally accepted the staff, clutching it with both hands. “I will take good care of her. I promise.”
“I know you will,” Aurora smiled. She held out a hand for the girl to shake in parting, but got surprised when Sunset went for a hug instead, almost crushing in how strong and desperate she clinged to her.
“Thank you, Aurora,” Sunset whispered brokenly. “Thank you so much, for taking me in, for caring for me, and for teaching me about this realm. I would have thrown in the towel long ago if you didn’t encourage me to keep going. I will never forget you.”
Sunset couldn’t see it, but Aurora had happy tears running down her face as she hugged the girl back just as fiercely. “And I will never forget you, dear Sunset. Thank you too, for trusting me.”
They held the hug as long as possible, neither of them wanting to let go of the other. But eventually, Aurora broke the hug and watched as Sunset mounted the staff. Before the latter took off, she took hold of her hand one last time.
“Remember Sunset: Do not let yourself succumb to the darkness. Keep finding the light.”
“I won’t disappoint you, Aurora. I promise.”
With those words, Sunset pulled the hood over her head and took off on her newly-acquired staff towards Bonesborough, off to new shores.
And Aurora kept watching her all the way.
“I believe in you… my faithful student.”
Sunset Shimmer had a very strong urge to commit arson right here and now.
Several hours have passed since she arrived in Bonesborough, and so far she had spent the majority of the time aimlessly walking the open market of the big city. Thanks to the cloak, pretty much everyone she encountered had mistaken her for a member of the Emperor's Coven. People had even offered her goods from their respective stands, just because.
At one point, one guard had asked her why she wasn’t wearing a mask, and Sunset had spouted out the first excuse that had come to her mind - “… a griffin attacked me out of nowhere and accidentally snagged my mask…?”. The guard started laughing hysterically, and she was pretty sure she was busted when he surprised her by admitting he has had that happen to him before. To her even bigger surprise, the guard gave her his spare mask and told her to be more careful.
Outside, Sunset smiled and gave a quick thank you, but on the inside, she was just baffled.
I guess the people here are more gullible than I thought… and here I thought Pinkie Pie was gullible… sheesh…
But this wasn’t the reason she was frustrated and wanted to commit arson - it was because of the huge statue of Belos in the center of town.
All suppressed rage and fury rose within her veins, and she was so close to using a fire spell and burning the entire statue down…
“I don't need your pity. I was the most wanted criminal for years. You should fear me.”
… had it not been for a particularly interesting voice coming from the nearby bounty stand. More specifically, the grey-haired lady cladded in a maroon dress.
Most wanted criminal? She does look awfully familiar. Could it be…?
Sunset fished out the crumpled paper from the grumpy garbageman with a subtle flick of her hand and levitated over to her. And there she was: the Owl Lady herself, the very person Belos wanted her to hand in, in exchange for “freedom”. She was then approached by another witch with dark-blue hair and a tiny demon… dog? … but Sunset wasn’t really paying attention to her.
Rather, she was too busy marveling at the dark-skinned girl standing next to the wanted witch. Belos had mentioned the Owl Lady having an apprentice, but all the people she had encountered - for all their bizarre appearances - had one thing in common: long and pointy ears.
But the girl’s ears were short and round.
Just like mine… is she a human too…?
And said quite-possibly-not-completely-sure human was currently examining a bulletin board littered with wanted posters.
Oh Faust, please oh please don’t let there be a poster of me.
“Guys! Guys! You have to see this! ¡Esto es increíble! Somebody pinch me, cause I think I just found another human!”
Me and my big mouth.
And the Owl Lady looked anything but impressed at the girl’s excited statement. “Luz, don’t believe everything you read. For all we know, this could be the Emperor trying to find any petty reason to lock someone up.” The witch squinted at the caricature. “And whatever that “human witch” did, Belos must be really desperate if he wants her dead. Her bounty is even bigger than mine!”
“But Eda~,” the girl - apparently named Luz - whined. “What if she’s actually human? That means the Emperor has managed to fix the portal after all! And with the Day of Unity approaching, he might actually go through with whatever he has planned!”
Again this ‘Day of Unity’, what’s up with that? Sunset then backtracked for a moment. Wait a minute, she knows about the portal!? So she’s a human too, stranded in this realm, just like me!?
Sunset Shimmer almost bolted towards the group, but remembered just in time that a) she was dressed like a coven guard and would most likely get a beating out of it, and b) she couldn’t show herself in public with the looming threat of a bounty dangling above her head. So she resolved to observe her new potential allies until an opportunity presented itself.
And eventually, it did.
Luz, accompanied by the little maybe-a-dog-demon, decided to join a crew of pirates on the hunt for a ’Selkidomus’, though the girl failed to notice the subtle nod the captain gave someone in the bow window of the ship.
But Sunset didn’t. Curious.
Making use of her newly acquired magic, she briefly cast an invisibility spell on herself to board the ship and hide somewhere in the far end. Something fishy was going on there, she was sure of that.
(“Hey King,” Luz asked her companion. “Do you also have that weird feeling that you’re being watched?”
“King want a cracker!”
“… yeah, you’re right, it’s probably just me.”)
As time passed, Sunset found herself amazed at Luz’s skills in magic through the seeming use of runes drawn on sheets of paper, like creating a vine to reach and scrape barnacle-like creatures off the bow, or using fire to fuel the ship.
And even while hunting the Selkidomus, Luz showed nothing but adeptness as she fired icicle after icicle and roped the creature in with a bunch of vines.
This spellcasting method could revolutionize the whole magic industry! Even equines without a magic appendage could cast spells, this is incredible!
But what surprised Sunset was how Luz kept her posture even when things were escalating - Luz had the Selkidomus in her grip, but then something exploded and a thief escaped with the money. She wasted no time, she cast an ice spell, jumped onto it, being protected from the boiling hot water, then used a fire spell to propel herself towards the cash-stealing thief.
Sunset was impressed. Very impressed.
For a human, she’s a wonder with sorcery…
“Alright fellas, I’ll take it from here.”
From there, Sunset saw a person that unsettled her. A person covered with a white robe and a mask made of gold. The look of the new guy made Sunset narrow her eyes in suspicion.
That guy again… everything about him just screams trouble to me… wait, he’s going after her!
Sunset reacted in one second flat. With stealth, she sneaked past the pirates and used her staff to tail the golden-masked boy, being careful to remain unseen. Where he coated himself with abomination goo and went underwater, Sunset chose the aerial approach and coated herself with a smoke cloud to blend in with the sky.
Her stealth skills in all those video games against Rainbow Dash were finally paying off.
Luckily, it turned out that the thief wasn’t anyone dangerous, it was just the Owl Lady trying to help out. Unfortunately for them, that masked guy seemed to catch up.
Sunset narrowed her eyes when she heard that voice.
“Hello, criminals. What’s about to happen should be relatively painless. If you just do what I say.”
That has to be the most condescending voice I have ever heard…
“And why would we do that?” Luz asked.
“Because none of you can use real magic.”
And what exactly does this guy mean with… real magic?
“You don’t know that!”
“Maybe not, but I do know you’re standing on a plant that eats flesh.”
A Carnivapous… ouch.
Sunset glared harder at that mocking laugh the robed boy was giving. It reminded her of the unicorns from Canterlot - uptight, arrogant, I’m-better-than-you personalities. She despised it all.
It didn’t help that she also used to be that kind of person, or pony. She shivered at the thought.
“Why are you guys hunting the Selkidomus? It’s a peaceful creature, and you’re provoking it!”
“The Emperor ordered me to slay one. I’m just following orders.”
From there, the further actions only helped with infuriating Sunset Shimmer. Putting up a good fight against the duo, dangling them over the boiling shore, blackmailing them using their companion, and forcing them to take on the creature, despite it being a peaceful one.
As time passed, Sunset had descended to the guard’s level and her rage was fueling up more and more within her veins.
She had enough.
“Well. That was relatively easy.” The boy put down the cage and sat down on the sand. “Guess it’s back to daydreaming again. Or maybe I could take a quick nap.”
“How about a never-ending sleep instead?”
Alarm rose within the guard. “Huh? Who’s there?”
“Have you got no shame?” A voice as cold as ice was heard. Maybe he was just imagining it?
“Does breaking other people make you feel good? Knowing that you have the law on your side, does that make you feel untouchable?”
Okay, that was definitely real, and he was freaking out a bit by that point. He didn’t let it show.
“It’s just like you said - you’re just following orders, like a pet. Because that’s what you are. Belos’ stupid little pet.”
“Whoever you are, quit playing hide-and-seek and show yourself!”
“Fine, if you insist.”
A puff of smoke appeared right before the startled guard’s eyes, revealing a person cladded in a simple ivory cloak, the hood obscuring their whole face. A staff with a phoenix palisman was clenched tightly in their hand.
“Hello, Coven Scum. A great displeasure to meet you.”
The guard felt himself get flustered. “C-Coven Scum?! Do you know who you’re speaking to?!”
“Don’t know, don’t care. You’re a guard, Belos’ stupid little pet. That’s all there is to you.”
He was about to retort back, but then figured it wouldn’t be worth it.
“If you’ve only come here to insult me, then you’re wasting your time. I have better things to do than to listen to you, witch.”
“Like what? Sitting around, daydreaming while other people do the dirty work for you?” The person then pointed their staff into his face. “And do not call me a witch.”
Behind the mask, he rolled his eyes. “Whatever. As I said, I have better things to do. If you would take your leave, I would much appreciate it.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Goldie,” the person retorted, not removing their staff. “You have something that was taken from me. Or rather, your master has, and I want it back.”
He decided to humor them. “Oh? And what would this be?”
“Oh, let me think,” they pretended to think. “My dignity. My freedom. My friends. My name. He took all of that and so much more.”
Another eye roll from the guard. This was starting to get annoying. He stood up. “I don’t have time for this.” He then started to walk away…
… but was stopped by an unknown force. Which levitated him up in the air. And turned him around. Telekinesis. Shock was seen behind his mask.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“A-a-are you performing-?! I-Is that telekinesis?!”
“No, it’s obviously a light spell. OF COURSE IT’S TELEKINESIS, YOU DOUCHEBAG!”
The person felt the guard trembling within their hold. He tried to reach for his staff, only to find it on the ground. He must have dropped it when the person decided to perform the spell.
“What’s wrong, Goldie? Griffin got your tongue?” they mocked. “And here I thought you’d give me more of a challenge. How pathetic.”
“Tha-tha-tha-that’s-! How are you this strong?!”
“Please. I mastered telekinesis long before I could speak.” They then hovered the guard over the shore - the boiling, boiling shore.
“Now, let’s try this again, shall we?”
“Wa-wa-wait! What are you doing?!”
They shrugged. “Dangling you above the Boiling Sea, just like you did with those two. Now,” they started lowering the guard. “I’ll say it again - you have something I want. Just answer my questions, and you won’t be in the witch’s brew.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Try me.”
The steam reached his foot and he yelped. “Okay! Okay! What do you want from me?!”
“Answers. I want answers.” They brought him closer - from there, he could deduce he was dealing with a female. A very powerful female.
He was getting his ass handed to him by a girl. How embarrassing.
“Question one - where do the guards store the confiscated valuables?”
“Like I’d tell you!”
Big mistake. She lowered him even further - he yelped again as the steam hit his behind.
“You were saying?”
“ALRIGHT! The stuff is brought to the Contraband, in the Conformatorium!”
“The Conformatorium, you say?” the female inquired. “And where exactly is this ‘Conformatorium’?”
The guard could only groan in annoyance. “Near the Emperor's castle, in the Titan’s chest. There! I told you! You happy now?!”
It seemed so because she threw him into the sand after the answer.
“Great, I have to go back to that place again. Why does that not surprise me?”
While she wasn’t looking, the guard tried to reach for his staff, only to prove his effort futile when she stepped on his hand and kicked his staff away after he yelped.
“Nice try, kiddo.”
“Oh come on! I gave you what you want already, now can you please leave me alone?!”
“Ugh, fine. At least you said the magic word.” She threw him his staff, which he caught. “Now take your staff and crawl back to where you came from. And don’t even think of coming back here if you know what’s good for you.”
“... fine. You may have outsmarted me today, stranger, but I assure you, it won’t happen again.”
She stopped him before he could fly away. “Also - one more thing.” He stopped and looked back.
“Call me Phoenix. Bon voyage.”
And with that, she slapped his staff hard, causing him to launch away, far, far away from the shore.
Well. That was easy.
“Heh, and I only needed telekinesis to defeat him. What a rip-off,” Sunset wondered. “Oh well. All bark and no bite.”
Though that magic display was kinda impressive.
Sunset then took the cage and peeked over the curtain. The demon dog inside made a sound and started spinning. She covered the cage again, having a look of surprise. Then she did it again.
And again. And again.
Sunset giggled. “You’re strangely adorable. Fluttershy would cuddle you to death.”
“No I’m not… who’s Fluttershy…” the little demon then seemed to go back to sleep.
I think my heart just exploded. Twice. This is just too adorable~
“SPICY TOSS!”
“Huh?!”
Sunset turned around just in time to avoid a fireball coming at her, but then found herself being tackled into the sand. They rolled around while Sunset tried to shake off the attacker, but this one was persistent.
“Give us - ugh - back King, Golden Guard!”
“What?! Argh! Let me go! I’m not - gah! - I’m not that douchebag!”
The attacker stopped immediately - then her hood was removed, but Sunset was too busy with her aching body to register that.
“I’m gonna feel that the next day… ow…” A delayed reaction, but after a few seconds, her mind registered what happened - her hood wasn’t on.
She was exposed.
Locking eyes with her attacker, it was none other than the human girl herself, Luz. Who was currently pointing at her with a trembling finger, a strangled breath escaping her open-wide mouth.
Act casual, Sunset!
“... s’up?”
Not that casual!
“You-you-you! I-It’s you! H-Human! Girl! Witch!”
“Uh, actually, I prefer sorceress, if you don’t mind…”
“EDA! I FOUND HER! IT’S THE OTHER HUMAN!”
“Uh, yeah kiddo, I see that…” Eda was right behind her. She then looked confused. “Wait, but if you’re here… where’s the Golden Guard?”
“Er… he probably… went home?”
Nice. Real nice. First impression score: zero.
Eda just grinned. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
“… maybe?”
“Yep, that’s all the confirmation I needed.” She then shook Sunset’s hand. “Nice to meet ya, human witch. Name’s Eda, the Owl Lady. Though you’ve probably heard of me, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, I have… and please, don’t call me a witch, I’m a sorceress.”
Before Eda could ask anything, Luz popped in, excitement level rivaling that of Pinkie Pie.
“I have so many questions!” she yelled. “Where did you come from?! How did you get here?! Have you always been able to do magic?! Or did you acquire that ability somehow?! I’ve been wanting to become a witch for years, but I could never cast real spells until I came here! Ay, Dios mío, I can’t believe I’m actually talking to a real human spellcaster!”
Sunset smiled in amusement a little bit. Yep, she and Pinkie would be besties. Two peas in a pod.
Luz had one last question. ”Who are you?”
The sorceress had to collect herself for a moment, but then she smiled warmly, and with a spin of her staff, she introduced herself for the first time.
“I’m Sunset. Sunset Shimmer.”
TO BE CONTINUED…