//------------------------------// // Finale // Story: Savior // by Sparrow9642 //------------------------------// The forest was dark and intimidating, Sunset and Twilight arriving in the place that Sunset called her home. She wasn't sure if she could call it "home" anymore after all she'd been through with Twilight, as much as the fact that she was now seen as a traitor to her kind by the royals she absolutely despised. Before their arrival, the two had made some stops to ensure that they were properly prepared for what would be a climax for the ages. They had stocked up on some extra garlic spray and Sunset had given Twilight as best training as she could in a limited timeframe to defend against a vampire, teaching her mainly how to keep her senses wide open every second of combat, shall it resort to her having to fight. Sunset had also crafted some makeshift armor for Twilight in similarity to a bulletproof vest, its purpose being to soften any blows taken and lowering the chance of dying in one strike. She had tested it to be absolutely sure it was effective, and while Twilight had winced at the contact of Sunset's hits, it had absorbed the hit enough to work as effective armor. Sunset had made the decision to only use the garlic spray, seeing her body was built differently than Twilight's and could take the hits just like a human can take another human's punch. She knew that blows would be exchanged in this battle; Sunset and Molsken were nearly equals in strength, Molsken having only just a slight advantage over Sunset. However, while that had been true in their last battle, years had long since passed and Sunset's strength had grown massively, her recent transformation being enough confirmation to prove it. That wasn't to say that the latter wasn't the same case though, his guidance and training being under the most powerful vampires in existence. The truth was that Sunset had no clue if she could beat Molsken, meaning she was going into this with an intent to either beat Molsken or die trying. It was truly potentially her last battle. Folding up her wings and placing Twilight safely on the ground, she took in a long breath and let it out slowly, calming her dancing nerves. Turning to Twilight, she eyed her with a look of care and encouragement. "I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always love you," Sunset confessed. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and all that has led up to this moment, I did it all for you." Twilight smiled, pressing her lips to Sunset's in an embrace that spoke true love. They shared the kiss for a long minute that felt like eternity to them in the darkness of the forest, then pulling away, the same smile still on her face, Twilight responded. "I know you did, and I want you to know that, while bumpy at first, every second with you has been memories I'll cherish forever, even beyond death, shall I die tonight." She paused briefly, placing a hand on Sunset's left cheek. "I'll always love you too, and no matter what, I'll find you in death." They shared another kiss, this one shorter but no less sweet as the first one. Turning back to the dark maw of trees and foliage they took each other's hand and marched forth into the shadowy mass. Sunset led the way, knowing the area like the back of her hand, even in thick wood that blocked out the pale light of the moon high in the sky. It was eerily quiet and as dead as Sunset's nonexistent heart, seeming as if there was a lingering presence waiting and watching their every move as they walked deeper into the forest. Sunset couldn't sense or hear anything within their vicinity, so she guessed, as much as Twilight, that it was mainly the atmosphere of the forest mixed with their fear that was causing the uneasiness with every step they took deeper into the maw of darkness that was Sunset's home. To help her loosen the tension on her nerves, Sunset expressed a look to Twilight that gave assurance that she was just as scared and paranoid as she was. Showing vulnerability was one of the best ways to assure someone that they were not alone in their state of fear; it acts as a form of support, and from Twilight's reaction of walking more steadily, Sunset could tell her attempt had worked wonders for Twilight's dancing nerves. The relief didn't last long though, Sunset jumping to attention like a focused animal being alerted of danger upon a sudden voice grazing her ears like a poisonous hiss. "Come to me, Sunset… It was pure and lethal venom to her eardrums. She knew the voice, and she also knew that meant that the eerie calm was about to escalate into an intense quell that would quake the forest out of its peaceful slumber. She gripped Twilight's hand tighter, turning to her violet irises with a face that only spoke exactly what Twilight assumed after their sudden stop. "It's time, Twilight," Sunset said assuredly. "He's waiting for us a few miles west." "Is he alone?" Twilight questioned. "I'm not sure. Most likely not, but for some reason he seemed more… civil than usual." Twilight lifted an eyebrow instantly. "What do you mean by that?" "I mean that it seems like he's willing to negotiate. I don't know what for, but knowing him, it's nothing more than a trick to give us a false sense of security." She paused briefly, her hand squeezing Twilight's harder upon her response. "Listen to me, Twilight, and listen good. Do not listen to a word they speak or propose. If they offer anything to you, deny it; they will attempt to use manipulation to persuade you, and if they do, no matter what, promise me that you'll fight to not fall under their influence." Twilight gripped Sunset's cold hand tighter in response, knowing what was to come next was going to be the most challenging thing she'd ever done in her life. It scared her without a doubt, but Sunset's presence made it bearable to face Molsken at long last. It calmed her. Gave her courage and bravery unlike anything. She wasn't the same Twilight as when this all began all those days prior. She was dependent, strong, brave, and reborn as a whole new being in a world she'd thought never existed, but she was here and experiencing it with every passing second. She was ready to fight for her life as much as her beloved's. "I'm not going anywhere," Twilight assured with a smile, causing Sunset to express her own in return. Sunset let go of Twilight's hand and motioned her to hop into her hands. "Let's do this," Sunset finalized, following with Twilight settling herself into Sunset's arms. A single flash of trees and the sound of a rampaging creature navigating over the foliage at the speed of a rocket followed, and just as fast as it all began, it left even faster, Sunset releasing Twilight from the safety of her arms and gripping her hand tightly once more. Molsken was nowhere to be found, only the usual sight that the entire forest gave no matter where you stepped met Twilight and Sunset in their new destination. Sunset wasn't stupid though, her senses able to hear him lurking just above them in a nearby tree, to which she called him out. "I can hear you loud and clear, Molsken!" Sunset clarified. "Come out and face us!" A brief silence of nothing but the forest's natural ambience followed, but was quickly purged with the venom of Molsken's voice. "Hehe, I forgot about those senses of yours, but don't worry, I have no intention of keeping myself in the shadows, Shimmer." His voice seemed to be coming from all around them, but Sunset's senses said otherwise as a pair of shadows finally began to shift, revealing the vampire lord that had been pursuing her and Twilight for the past days. He stood like a monolith in the faint glow of the moonlight, seeming to tower over the forest like a beast of immeasurable height and strength, but Sunset and Twilight stood strong in his presence, unmoved or shaken. His fangs glistened like stainless steel in the night, and his eyes of crimson burned like ancient embers in the reflection of Twilight and Sunset's own irises. It was an intimidating sight, but Sunset and Twilight gave him no fear or sign of weakness. "Heh, I've got to be honest with you, Shimmer, I didn't expect this to be the way that we'd meet again in the manner of violence," he stated genuinely. "You had so much potential to be great, but you decided the path of a fool. However, never would I have thought you'd be fighting me in a case of treason; defending the very kind we are enemies of! Killing my brother was one thing, but defending our very enemy?! You've become nothing more than a nuisance to all of our kind!" Sunset merely ignored his rant, awaiting whatever he decided to do next. The unusual persuasive tone of his voice she had heard at first had still not left her mind. "Are you done?" Sunset mocked. "I'm already fully aware of what you and the other royals think of me, but I could give a shit less about what you or they think." Twilight winced in surprise, shocked at how open and careless Sunset was acting towards Molsken. She almost laughed at the mockery, but knew better than to piss off a vampire lord. A growl slithered from Molsken's mouth. "You dare to mock me, peasant?!" Molsken objected. "Have you forgotten that I am the one with the advantage in our current little situation?!" "No. I haven't," Sunset replied quickly. "I'm simply showing you that you have no power over me personally. While I may be a nuisance to you and your lackies, the truth is, Molsken, that I am and always will be a vampire, no matter what." Molsken only chuckled in response. "You always were a stubborn little shit, and I see clearly that you're still the same as you were all those years ago. Yes, you may, by the rules of reality, be a vampire, but to me, you are disowned as one of our species. You can think what you want, but in the end, Shimmer, I know what I DO have power over… His gaze shifted to Twilight's, her body jumping at the sudden realization that she was being eyed by the monster. Sunset caught on and objected instantly. "Don't even think about it!" Molsken chuckled again. "I'm glad we're on the same page. My resources tell me you two have become more than just acquaintances in our little game of cat and mouse, and I find that very intriguing." His words spoke venom and intimidation, to which Sunset responded to in her calmest demeanor possible. "That's none of your business." "It's all of my business, Shimmer; you brought this on yourself by taking the initiative to protect and defend this scum. All that has correlated in the past days is all my business, and it's your fault it turned out this way." Sunset couldn't respond, knowing Molsken was partially correct on certain parts of his claims. Part of this was her fault, but now wasn't the time to let her guard down, so she shook off the hurt and returned to focusing intensely on the situation at hand. "Now that we are clear on who is in control here, back to business," Molsken confirmed, a smirk meeting his cold lips. "Over these long days, I've come to realize something that I was completely foolish to have misinterpret. I've had time to realize that this human is really not even a factor in our little game, and that she was only a pawn caught in the middle of a vampiric crime. Therefore, I have no interest in her anymore; not even as a meal." Sunset's eyes went wide. She wasn't sure if she'd just heard that correctly, given she knew Molsken well, and knew he wasn't one to just give up something like a human meal so easily. "He's lying," she debunked in her mind, returning her focus to Molsken. "No. The only one I should've targeted from the start of our little ruse was you, Shimmer." Sunset winced at the comment, knowing now that she was the main center of attention to Molsken. She had to be absolutely alert from here forward; she had no idea where this was going. "It was you who stopped my brother from devouring this girl; you who killed him; you who stopped me from taking this weakling's life when I should've taken your's in vengeance. It was all you all along, Shimmer, and now that I've realized the real truth, I know who my real interest is. This human is nothing but a waste of dirty and tainted blood anymore." Sunset stood unopposed by Molsken's words, knowing that eventually it would've come to this regardless. She was a trophy to Molsken; the main prize he needed to defeat to truly become a vampire lord of the same stature as his fellow lords. She was his only obstacle from greatness, and Sunset saw that as desperation. Something that could work in her favor. "Then if you want to kill me so bad, come and get me," Sunset proposed. "I've been dying for a rematch anyways, and don't plan to lose against you again." Molsken followed with a devious chuckle that spelled out nothing good, and that's when Sunset knew that things were about to turn south fast. "While you play hastily, I think ahead. You see, I have more ways than killing you to destroy you," Molsken stated, venom staining his tone. "W-what are you talking about?" Sunset muttered with fear in her voice. "W-what have you done, you bastard?!" One single snap of Molsken's fingers followed, bringing forward a sight that Sunset nearly lost her non-existent stomach at. Two of Molsken's main lackeys held Vladimir Shimmer by his arms, dragging him into the scene in a struggle. He was in rough shape, his face cracked like glass, body weakened, and some of his limbs twisted and contorted to prevent any chance of fighting back. Sunset's eyes immediately drained tears, the sight breaking her into a state of unadulterated anger and sadness. Molsken had crossed the line. "Dad!" she shouted in desperation. "You son of a bitch! What have you done to him!?" "Simply what I needed to keep him calm, Shimmer," he replied mockingly. "He tried so hard to fight me, and his resistance ended him up in this shape. I even had to give him an anti-healing concoction to make him stop resisting, but don't worry, it'll wear off in time." "This is low, even for you! My father had nothing to do with our current situation! Going after him is nothing but a cowards move!" "Oh, I think you'll find his inclusion to be very much liable, once I explain that is." Sunset growled in response. She was almost ready to lunge, but Twilight brought her back to focus with a quick tightening of her hand to Sunset's own; a reminder to not fall to where Molsken could wipe her out in one shot. She calmed as much as possible, but her sadness did not deter as Molsken continued to talk and hold his same mocking grin. "Good girl. Now, the reason your father is included is because I have a proposition for you, Shimmer. One that can satisfy both of us and put this entire mess to rest." Sunset only continued to grit her teeth at him, but she gave him the green light to speak furthermore. "You took something dear from me, so I feel it's only fair I do the same in return. Therefore, I give you three choices out of my sincerest generosity. You can either choose to lose your only other guardian that gave you existence, the one you love dearest outside of your own species, or take the chance of defeating me. Either way, you or the ones you love are destroyed of will, just as you destroyed mine that night. So, Shimmer, what will it be?" Sunset understood now. He wasn't referring to destroying her physically but mentally, taking away the only people she cared for and loved dearly; a fair trade. It wasn't a decision she could make. She loved both her father and Twilight too much to even contemplate putting their lives in Molsken's to end, but refused to show Molsken any sign of victory over her, so she gave him an answer that she could claim as her own form of a victory as all of her emotions erupted to the surface. "None!" She lunged forward at a fast speed, letting go of Twilight in the process. Everything seemed to go in slow motion for just a moment, up until Molsken chuckled in success at getting Sunset to do exactly what he wanted, his right fist smashing into her face and sending her flying in the opposite direction at an inhuman speed. The impact resembled the force of a massive bomb, ringing Twilight's ears as she yelled out in desperation for her beloved. It was far too late by the time she even managed to get a word out, the faint sound of distant trees being hit and falling resembling the sound of stampeding giants. Over the sounds, she managed to hear one thing though, and immediately, she knew she was in just as much danger as Sunset. "Kill them," Molsken commanded, taking off in the opposite direction to take on Sunset. Twilight wanted to object, but she knew she had her own problems to worry about, reaching for her garlic spray instantly and focusing as hard as possible to keep her eye on whoever chose to come after her. The one who held Vladimir's left arm dashed forward at her and knocked her to the ground, immediately baring their fangs at her with intent to strike her neck. Luckily, Twilight remembered her training, as much as her own defensive strategies as a human after the invasion of her home. She made quick action and quickly dug her thumbs into the eye sockets of her enemy. Screams followed from the vampire, retreating from Twilight in pain. While the creature was immortal and powerful, the eyes were as fragile and vulnerable as a human's own. It was probably the only part of a vampire that was in resemblance to humans, therefore, making it possible for a human to defend against one. Twilight quickly acted, standing back up and pulling out the garlic spray. Running to her enemy, once she had a clear shot, she bombarded the creature relentlessly with sprays of the pungent juice. Sunset had taught her that while one spray stunned an elite, a spray for regular vampires that were not trained to fight the effects of garlic would be stunned longer. However, in the many conversations she'd had with Sunset's grandmother, she'd learned that multiple sprays can temporarily paralyze a non-trained vampire for up to an hour, depending on how much is sprayed. It had proven to be true, the barrage of sprays leaving the creature frozen in place like a statue on the ground. She knew she was incapable of killing a vampire, their skin being as tough as a block of solid concrete, so she instead aided Sunset's father in his own struggle. He'd put up a good fight, but his injuries had proven to be effective, and now, he was pinned to the ground in submission to Molsken's lackie. Twilight already knew what to do, creating a diversion so she didn't stun Sunset's father unintentionally. "Hey!" she yelled, hiding the spray bottle to catch him by surprise. The vampire assaulting Vladimir changed his attention to Twilight, their face falling to a look of shock that she was still alive somehow. "I don't know how you're still standing, but I'm quite thirsty anyway, so you'll make a great appetizer before I finish off this one," he said, preparing to pounce. Twilight just readied herself, making sure her eyes were only on the vampire and her finger on the trigger of the spray bottle. She needed to act quickly, just before he lunged and was aware of her trap, so with all focus she waited. She watched his feet carefully, waiting until one of them was forward, and just as he took his step forward closest to her, she slinged the bottle and put pressure on the trigger like her life depended on it. While it was a little early with the spray, she opened her eyes to a vampire in a state of dizziness and confusion, meaning she'd hit her target. She didn't give him any chance to recover and just sprayed the creature down at a rapid pace, watching as the normally feared creature collapsed to the ground with a hard thud. Her training and advice had paid off, smiling in victory and rushing over to help Sunset's father up. The ancient creature that was Sunset's father gave Twilight the permission to let her help him, sitting him back up and leaning him against the trunk of a tree. "Th-thank you, human," he complimented. Twilight focused mainly on Vladimir, looking over his wounds with care and focus. Vladimir was more focused on other things though. "I'll be fine," he assured with a hint of pain in his voice. "Y-you need to get to my daughter and help her. S-She can't take M-Molsken on alone." Twilight turned to him with a look of concern, sincerely worried about the condition of his wounds. "Sir, you need help. I can't just leave you like this," she stated sympathetically. "My wounds are merely temporary. However, death is not, and if you really care for my family and Sunset, you'll leave me and help my daughter defeat Molsken. I'll take care of these bastards here in the meantime." "But sir, I don't know where they are. The forest is massive and they could be anywhere!" Vladimir nodded, sitting up more against the tree and moving his hands towards the base of his neck. He grabbed a golden chain around his neck and lifted it up over his head, a red crest that resembled a pristine red ruby attached to it. He handed it out to Twilight, so she took it into the palm of one of her hands, immediately noticing a red line that led from her, deep into the forest. "What is this?" she asked, baffled. "Just follow it and you'll find my daughter," he advised through painful grunts. "Hurry!" Twilight only nodded and placed the necklace around her own neck, turning from Vladimir in the direction of the red line. Once she was gone, Vladimir got himself to his feet carefully and walked up to the paralyzed vampires Twilight had managed to submit with very intense focus. "Time for some payback," he stated, moving to putting Molsken's lackeys to rest in an endless limbo. Sunset had met the end of her flight in a cave, crashing through the thick rocky wall as if it were paper thin and as fragile as glass. She'd taken some damage, but it was quickly healed in seconds as she stood up in wait for her pursuer not far behind her. Sure enough, he found her in seconds, rushing in and colliding into her with massive force, managing to block his blows as she skidded back into the wall of the cave. The force was powerful enough to crack a good amount of her stone-solid skin, fragments of it falling to the floor along with debris off of the cave ceiling. She pushed back with her own display of power, causing the cave floor to crumble under their feet and rumble in the entire enclosure as if a destructive earthquake were taking place at that moment. There was absolutely no give or budge between the display, showing the two were of equal strength. Both pushed regardless, their stubbornness and desire to outwit one another in power preventing them from stopping. Their fists clenched tighter. Their limbs tightened to the point of nearly breaking under the pressure. Cracks began to adorn their faces from the unadulterated force. Then there was an altercation in their display; the cave floor shattered from underneath them, opening to a massive chasm with a descent of over a hundred feet to another floor. Both of them fell, unable to recover from the effects of the force of their equal power. It was similar to the effect of being tagged in a fight; not knocked out entirely, just enough to be unable to respond to any additional strikes. Upon impact with the floor of the chasm, a shattering sound like breaking glass erupted in the vicinity, both struggling to recover. They both wobbled to their feet, appearing as if they'd just walked out of a long night in a bar. It didn't matter to them; all they were focused on was killing one another, taking a second to catch their breath and recover. "Impressive, Shimmer," Molsken mocked in-between breaths. "You've definitely improved since our last fight. However, it makes no difference. You've only seen a fraction of my true power. I've simply been toying with you in the entirety of our battle." Sunset only chuckled at his mockery, fully aware that he'd been holding back the entire time. "You don't think I knew that?" she mocked back. "If you're going to kill me, then do it. No more fucking around. If this is my last battle, I want you to come at me with everything you have." Molsken chuckled in response. "Very well, if you're begging for death this badly, I will happily oblige!" Suddenly, Molsken began to change. The ground shook once again in resemblance to an earthquake as he started to shout in a way that Sunset knew meant that Molsken had followed through with his claim. His eyes darkened to absolute black, minus his irises that glew crimson red, his teeth sharpened into daggers, and he started to grow into a massive monstrosity that nearly couldn't fit the cave height. As he grew, two wings spread from his back, shifting into a more defined structure, unlike their originally ragged and ancient structure. His ears grew more pointy, similar to an elf’s, and two horns grew from both sides of his head in similarity to a demon. It was quite an intimidating sight, and Sunset hadn't expected anything like this in the slightest, but she gave him nothing but crossed arms and a blank expression. "Where's that mocking attitude now, Shimmer?" he taunted in his new form. "This form is only to be used in dire situations, and can only be achieved by those of royal blood, so feel grateful that you get to witness something so rare." Sunset merely moved her hair from her eyes as a response in a way of saying she wasn't impressed. "All I see is an oversized bigot that thinks growing over eighty feet tall makes him any more powerful than he was before." Molsken only laughed as a response, rumbling the cave and causing small amounts of debris to fall from the walls. "You'll come to regret ever challenging me at full strength, peasant! I'm going to enjoy ending your life slowly very much!" With that, he threw the first blow at Sunset, to which she dodged easily by jumping out of the way. His massive fist crushed the ground, leaving a massive indent the size of two of Twilight's cars. He repeated this tactic quite a few times, Sunset dodging each with nothing more than a skip or hop. She was disappointed that this was the challenge she'd been handed, expecting something more than this, but she went with it regardless of how mediocre it was. "How pathetic," she taunted. "I was actually enjoying fighting your weaker form more. This is literally vampire training all over again, learning how to dodge actual threats." "Why don't you land a blow to me and find out just how much of "not an actual threat" I am, Shimmer," he offered. Normally, Sunset would have the mind and focus to know better than to even take any offer from Molsken, but her competitive nature and desire to kill Molsken in his most powerful form clouded her judgement, and she lunged right at his fist currently resting on the cave floor. Her fist hit with the force of a car crashing into a building at over two-hundred mph, intended to shatter the fist like glass, but something immediately made Sunset retort in pain, holding her hand and screaming at the sight of injection needle-size holes at the base of each of her fingers. A burning sensation started to slither up her arm and spread throughout her body as if a serpent laced with fire were slithering through every vein in her body. Along with that, her body suddenly started to feel like it had been beaten to death by a battering ram. It was unlike anything she'd felt before, and it was severe enough to drop her like a stone. Molsken had descended to his usual form and was walking toward Sunset with a look of absolute malevolence. "W-what d-did you d-do to m-me?" Sunset struggled, trying to get back up and failing miserably. Molsken only laughed in his victory, landing a kick to Sunset's stomach in her defenseless state. "I've temporarily taken away your immunity to pain and healing, just as I did your pathetic waste of a father," he explained mockingly. "Now, you will feel every hit and take every single one as a mortal would, but most importantly, you will not die to it, unless I rip your head from your shoulders, so that means that you'll feel the same pain I felt when you took my brother away from me!" A violent kick followed those words, this time being straight to Sunset's face and off of the cave wall. "How does it feel to be the very thing you swore to protect!?" Another horrid kick to Sunset's abdomen. "The thing that you betrayed your own kind for!?" Another kick. "The thing that took my brother's life!" Three more kicks. "And the best part of it all, is that I get to cause you pain and torture for as long as the serum lasts, and there's absolutely nobody who can save you now!" More kicks. Ruthless and destructive, and all Sunset could do was take them and writhe in absolute pain. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I failed." A tinge of pain struck Twilight's heart like a blow strong enough to kill someone. She had made it far and wasn't far from the cave anymore, but the trip had been tedious and long, exhausting her and running her short of breath. Then that feeling struck her heart like a death blow, and that's when she knew that Sunset was in trouble, and she didn't even hesitate to run faster than ever before. While the foliage remained hard to navigate, she found her way through it, eventually coming to a solid wall of stone with a massive hole in it. It wasn't just a casual opening to a cave, and she knew that she'd arrived at wherever Sunset was currently. Getting closer to the opening, she could hear Molsken's voice yelling things that she couldn't determine, but from the tone alone, she could tell he was saying them out of anger. She didn't have any plan as she climbed through the gaping entrance and looked upon the sight of what clearly had been the sight of some combat, dust still evident in the air of the cave's inner chasm. She quietly moved to the opening where Molsken's voice was emanating from, glad that she'd taken her time upon seeing the descent of over one-hundred feet down. Now, she was really at a loss. She couldn't fly or had a body made of concrete flesh and lead bones, so there was nothing she could do except watch her beloved be beaten senseless by Molsken until he decided to kill her. "Shit! What do I do now!?" she cussed in her mind. She searched her mind for some miraculous answer to getting down over a hundred feet, but then there was another set of issues; how would she get down without being seen, and more importantly, what would she do when she did? The garlic spray trick would most likely fail against Molsken, seeing he was of royalty and was probably trained to be unaffected by threats such as garlic. She'd perish in a single strike if she even tried entering that lower chasm. She cussed in her mind again. There was literally nothing she could do to help Sunset. "Except… One solution came to her mind. The one she had dreaded from the start, but in that moment, it seemed the only way to give Sunset a fighting chance in the slightest. "I have no choice… She stated in her mind as she grabbed a sharp rock from the cave floor and placed it near the underside of her left arm. "I'm sorry, Sunset… She dug a sharp edge into her skin and cut across her forearm, her crimson cocktail draining from the wound instantly. The scent met both Sunset and Molsken's nostrils instantly, causing Molsken to stop abruptly in his brutal tactics. His irises burned like a raging bonfire at the scent, his vampiric instincts taking over instantly. He eyed Sunset with deviancy. "Looks like your little girlfriend has joined the party, Shimmer," he stated. "N-no… Sunset wanted to speak more and tell Twilight to run and hide, but her body's state prevented her from even doing so, so all she could do was struggle as Molsken spoke the words that would seal Twilight's fate. "Why don't we give her a proper greeting? I'm sure she's dying to see you." With that, Molsken flew out of the lower chasm to the upper cave where Twilight awaited his arrival. She held a face of sternness in his presence, not giving him anything, even in her final moments. His assault happened too fast for Twilight to calculate, finding herself pinned to the ground by the monolith of a beast and awaiting the worst to come. "Get off of her you bastard!" Sunset exclaimed, having found even the slightest shred of strength to get up and defend Twilight, but her attempt was shattered with merely a shove back against the cave wall, immediately submitting her and leaving Twilight defenseless. She was out of options as she felt a searing pain and pressure attack her wound, Molsken's fangs clean in her and sucking her dry of life. In the mix of the pressure, Twilight thought back to the night she allowed Sunset to take some of her own blood, and could see that there was a difference. Sunset had been gentle and slow; Molsken's force was beyond that of Sunset's; it felt like her entire body was being pulled by the force of a thousand vacuums with a stinging and burning feel coursing through her body with each passing second. She knew she wouldn't survive, so she turned her gaze to Sunset as a way of saying goodbye, her eyes starting to leak tears and a smile on her face. She couldn't feel anything anymore by the time Molsken finished, and she guessed it was something that happened before you died. Molsken pulled his fangs from Twilight's arm and turned back to Sunset with a grin of victory on his face. "And now, you have nothing, Shimmer," he mocked. "Just like before, you couldn't defeat me, and now, it's cost you more than just pride, but something mor- Molsken stopped, his demeanor shifting into something more defeated than victorious. He suddenly started to choke and gasp for breath in desperation, collapsing to his knees and holding his hand at the base of his throat. "W-what is h-happening t-to m-me!?" he choked out. Even Sunset had no comment, watching the vampire lord falter furthermore. Only until a chuckle from Twilight met the cave did it become clear that Twilight had somehow tricked him into assured death. "Y-you got t-tricked by a m-mortal," she muttered out. "Y-your own g-greed l-led to your d-demise." Twelve hours earlier "You're absolutely sure this'll work?" Twilight asked, a small cylindrical tube being presented to her. Sunset's grandmother nodded. "What lies in this is centuries of research and gatherings of multiple ancient poisons that are not known of by many. Back in the 1800's, vampires were used like lab monkeys for human remedies, and in those hundreds of years of testing, the vampires reacted very negatively to many of the test ingredients to the point of where they died on the spot. I've gathered all that caused such reactions, and have bundled all of them into a single pill. This is the only one that exists, because many of the things that caused death died with the evolution of history, but to get the ones that still exist are nearly impossible. I am giving you this ONLY as a last resort, shall it come to where you have no other way to keep my Sunny safe. The poisons will not affect you, only the vampire, and to make it work, you'll have to take it at least thirty minutes prior. This is the most potent thing I have, so I expect you to use it wisely and correctly." Twilight nodded and took the tube from the elderly vampire, placing it in a safe pocket of her jeans. "I'll protect her no matter what it takes," Twilight assured. "I promise I won't let this go to waste.” Sunset couldn't believe it. Twilight had outsmarted Molsken by using his own greed against him, but at the cost of protecting her and losing her own life in the process. Molsken continued to choke and beg that the impossible had just happened to him. Being beaten by a mortal was the worst way to die, and he was about to die because of that reason, and there was no stopping it. He couldn't speak or object, starting to succumb to the poisons in one devastating climax. His breathing slowed, his choking receded, and in one single collapse, Molsken fell silent and limp in death. The battle was over, and somehow, Sunset and Twilight had arisen victorious. However, the cost of victory had been one life; Twilight's life, and Sunset refused to accept it as she dragged herself desperately to Twilight's side, reaching out her hand for Twilight's own. She could already feel her emotions starting to swell, and she didn't care. She loved Twilight more than anything else and wouldn't leave her side. As her tears began to escape, a faint but happy voice spoke. Twilight's voice. "H-hey, w-we did it, S-sunset… Her words were like a whisper. Sunset, while in agonizing pain and her heart shattering slowly, managed to giggle in response. "No. You did it," she spoke slowly. "Hehe…. Y-yeah, I-I did… Sniffles and sobs started to escape Sunset, but she still tried to talk normally. "I-I'm so sorry, Twilight… I should've just held my ground, but… I-I just… "H-hey, d-don't blame yourself, S-sunny… "But, i-it's because of me that y-you're here! If I-I'd just stayed calm, we could've figured out another way!" Her sobs intensified instantly. "I-I was supposed to protect you! B-but I-I failed! I let you down, and let you get killed!" A sudden warmth met Sunset's hand, Twilight's own weakly caressing the top of it. She quickly gripped it tight, the warmth not as warm as usual, but it was still warm and still Twilight. "Y-you did p-protect me, S-sunny, and g-gave m-me a l-life t-that I w-would've never had i-if I'd never m-met y-you that n-night. Y-you protected m-me so m-much that it w-was my turn t-to protect y-you for o-once… "But, your life is more important than mine...You have a life to live, things to see, people to meet…Why protect me when I'm the one that led you to this…. The grip of Twilight's hand suddenly tightened. "B-because, I love y-you, Sunny… F-from that d-day in the spring t-to now… A-and I always w-will… That did it. Sunset found the strength against her body's objections to meet Twilight's lips for the last time, tears escaping her eyes as she passionately embraced her beloved in near-death. The two shared the embrace as one for a long while, up until the embrace broke from Twilight's body falling limp. Her hand's grip with Sunset's fell, and a single breath escaped Twilight's mouth in the sound of a death gasp. Twilight Sparkle; Sunset's beloved, was gone. All that followed was tears and sorrow, Sunset's emotions breaking in one whole culmination of unadulterated grief. She cried for what felt like eternity, up until she passed out on Twilight's chest stained with her tears. She didn't know when she passed out, only that she'd lost everything, and in some way, even though he was dead on the cave floor, Molsken had won.