“If they had that much trouble with just an ordinary hydra, then it looks like they won’t be of much help in dealing with the others.”
The speaker was met only with the sound of her boots crunching against the grass and dirt as she walked through a forest, the glow from the nearby moon and her cellphone her only form of light.
Her yellow finger was currently scrolling through several pictures, depicting several girls in brightly colored armor, using the very elements themselves to do battle with a massive, three headed hydra.
At first glance one would assume it was perhaps a stunt show of some kind or perhaps images ripped from a movie. However, the viewer knew better, as she’d seen it all first hand and knew that what happened on that beach was real.
Magic was real and it was in this world. And this girl, Sunset Shimmer, was one of the few people to know that truth. Then again, it helped that she was also one of the few who could even use its power herself. Though that knowledge and skill came with it’s own hardships and hangups.
With a sigh as she took one more glance at the images she shut her phone off and put it into her pocket, running her free hand through her fiery, yellow and red hair.
“Guess whether they can fight a monster doesn’t mean much since they don’t even have Applejack with them. Looks like I’m probably gonna be handling this on my own.”
Reaching into her other pocket, Sunset pulled out a small wooden circle, similar to a sundial, with intricate markings that divided it into four different colored sections. A closer glance showed there were symbols in the center of each section, though oddly enough the one section that was colored red had its symbol x'ed out.
It was a sight that only deepened the girl’s frown, knowing all too well what it meant and an unfortunate choice she made some time ago.
Shaking that thought off for the moment, her turquoise eyes drifted from the marked section over to the one colored yellow, with a symbol looking similar to a mountain in its center.
The image brought a melancholy in Sunset’s eyes, her mind drifting back to seemingly long forgotten memories.
“It’s for the best I suppose. This is my mess to clean up and I shouldn’t drag them into my problems.”
Wanting to put the issue out of her mind, she started to put the object back into her pocket when the arrows started to move on their own. The sight put Sunset’s senses on high alert as the two arrows stopped on the yellow portion of the item, which let off a faint glow in response.
Quickly dropping into a stance and putting the dial away, Sunset’s eyes darted through the seemingly empty woods, scanning for something or rather someone, yet was met with nothing but darkness. Yet she refused to let down her guard as even in her pocket, the dial only continued to glow, though it grew ever brighter by the second.
It was only after hearing the sound of moving gravel behind her that she finally found her target, practically feeling his eyes on her back.
“Hello Sunset. It’s been awhile.”
Sunset felt a shiver run down her spine at the voice, both in regards to knowing full well who it was and having been effectively caught out in the open. Part of her wanted nothing more than to simply use her magic to teleport away, but she knew full well her opponent wouldn’t sit idly by and let that happen.
Sadly this was a confrontation she’d have to see through, though whether it turned violent or not was still to be seen.
With a steady breath to calm her nerves, Sunset shifted on her feet and turned, her eyes meeting a pair of dark gray ones that again shook her, though more out of a sense of nostalgia than outright fear.
“Hey Coalstone, long time no see.”
Standing only about 40 feet away in the shadow of the trees, a figure stepped out from the dark revealing a young man of similar age to Sunset with a considerably sturdy looking build. This coupled with his dark black jacket, matching fingerless gloves, dark gray mohawk style hair and the rather large sledgehammer slung over his shoulder gave him quite an intimidating presence.
Befitting the young man’s name, his face for the moment reassembled hardened granite, neither smiling nor frowning, merely staring at Sunset with unreadable eyes. In a way it was almost chilling how empty his face looked in that moment, yet Sunset didn’t back away or even show a hint of fear, trying to keep herself loose and casual, hoping to avoid a fight.
“I wasn’t expecting you to just show up out of the blue like this. You did leave Canterlot High in quite a hurry last time I saw you,” Sunset punctuated that last part with a hint of bite, recalling the last time she’d crossed paths with the almost statue-like boy.
Her words caused a bit of a stir in his face, a twitch of the eye and mouth were her reward. Yet Coalstone remained quiet and calm for the moment. “We didn’t leave on the best of terms I’ll admit. Though, that could’ve all been avoided if you’d just left things alone.”
“It wasn’t exactly something I could just sit back and ignore,” Sunset retorted, still looking more than a bit peeved. “You came in contact with dangerous magic and put everyone in the school in danger.”
“And I wasn’t the one who came looking for a fight.” Coal responded with equal anger, swinging his arm in frustration. “Even with how things turned out, I never wanted to hurt anyone, least of all you.” His previous fire quickly died down as his expression softened. “I would’ve thought you’d at least know that much.”
Sunset’s spark of anger immediately cooled as her expression matched his own, a mixture of sadness and regret. “Of course I know that. I know better than anyone you can’t judge someone just because of one mistake. Especially when magic’s involved.”
For a brief moment neither said anything as it looked almost like some form of common ground had been reached, with any prior hostility almost gone. Yet, Coal could see that like before, Sunset wasn’t going to let this issue die.
“I also know what that kind of power does to someone. It slowly corrupts you and no matter your intentions it always ends badly for everyone. I’d watched it happen too many times already and I couldn’t let it happen again. My only regret now is that I didn’t stop sooner.”
Taking a step forward, Sunset held out her hand with a magic circle forming at her palm. “Coal, please, just give up the power and we can let things go back to how they used to be.” Sunset’s words almost sounded like begging, her eyes staring into those of her former friend, hoping against hope that he’d make the right choice this time and relent.
Sadly, Coal’s expression hardened and his mouth turned into a bitter frown, as a hostile aura started to form around him, his eyes glowing a sickly yellow as he pulled the sledgehammer from his back. “Even after everything that happened and all the time you’ve been here you still don’t get it? All the fighting between us and your friends back on the other side, everything we did and said, that wasn’t enough to get you to see the truth….pity.”
Hammer at his side, Coalstone took a step forward, causing Sunset to shift into a ready stance, both hands outward ready to react. Coal only responded by raising his hammer over his shoulder, its metal head shining yellow to match his eyes.
“Not much point in talking since we tried that once before.” Sunset flinched again, feeling phantom aches all across her body from their last encounter. “Might as well skip the rest of pleasantries and skip to the violence.”
Coal’s grip on his hammer tightened as he removed it from his shoulder and held it out to his left side with one arm, his shimmering eyes glaring at Sunset. “And this time it’s a proper one on one. No interference.”
Despite now having both hands up and spell circles ready, Sunset didn’t take another step forward, trying any way she could to defuse the situation. “That’s the demon talking, not you. Don’t let it control you.”
As the mention of the word demon Coal’s eyes immediately turned harsh, his expression filled with rage. “Like you’re in any kind of position to lecture me about power or control. And for the record…”
Coal’s hammer started to glow bright yellow as he slammed the head hard onto the ground, a massive fissure ripped through the soil and rock, sending a massive wave right in Sunset’s direction.
The scarlet sorceress immediately brought her hands together and focused her magic into her palms. “Barrier!”
A large crimson dome of energy appeared over her body as the tremor grew closer. Sunset’s mind remained laser focused on her shield, pouring what power she could into it and bracing herself for impact. Yet her eye drifted for a moment on Coalstone, standing casually in the back with a confident expression on his face as the fissure drew closer, forcing her to regain her focus.
Yet, just as the wave readied to collide with her shield...it suddenly split clean down the middle.
Sunset stood like a deer caught in headlights, watching the now two devastating waves of dirt rush harmlessly past her shield. Despite the heavy rumbling that reminded her of a subway train rushing by, not even a speck of soil grazed her shield, instead crashing into some trees about three hundred feet behind her.
Once the soil finally subsided, Sunset cautiously dropped her barrier, confused as she looked behind for a moment to examine the devastation before looking back at her opponent.
“Get it now?” Coalstone asked as he returned his hammer to his shoulder, looking somewhat offended at her prior insinuation. “This power is mine and mine alone? No one, no thing controls me.”
Seeing the danger was truly gone for the moment, Sunset refused to back down, having already heard these exact same lines from people like Sci-Twi and Gloriosa before. “You might think you have control, but I know that’s never the case. It’s only a matter of time before you do something reckless with that power and someone else gets hurt.”
Coal eyes narrowed at the mention of recklessness and responded with a sneer. “That didn’t stop you and your friends from playing superhero back at Canterlot High.” His voice grew colder, as his eyes started to glow yellow again, his grip on his hammer tightening. “So what, your little inner circle is allowed to wield dangerous magic without consequence, but the second I get powers of my own it’s suddenly too much of a risk? How can you possibly tell me that’s fair?”
Sunset flinched at Coal’s tone, recalling a similar exchange on the other side of the portal. “It’s not that simple, the girls and I…we were chosen to have those powers and….”
“And this power chose me! What’s so difficult about that to accept?” Coalsone roared back, eyes going completely yellow for a moment, his foot stomping into the ground causing another small fissure making Sunset jump a few feet back on reflex, guard raised.
“Because it’s too dangerous.” Sunset spoke with more volume, eyes zeroing in on the destruction his moment of anger caused as incentive to push the issue. “It’d be one thing if you had powers like what the girls and I had, then maybe we could’ve helped you learn to use it.” Sunset’s eyes narrowed, almost looking angry, though it was less at Coalstone himself and more at the invisible force guiding his hand. “But that magic you’re using. It’s not just dangerous, it’s evil.”
Coal’s posture seemed to shift at these words as his head dropped down, hiding his eyes from view setting Sunset on edge. Despite his prior anger, he remained motionless for several seconds, prompting Sunset to inch forward ever so slightly.
“You said something similar the last time we saw each other. Even after everything we’ve both been through, and everything you know about me, you just refuse to let me have this,” Coal muttered to himself, extending his arm out, allowing the magic to flow into his hand, setting it aglow. Sunset immediately went back on the defensive, readying her magic. Coal only frowned at the gesture as he opened his hand and pointed his fingers downward, causing the earth around them to fracture and shake.
Large chunks of rock, stone and soil erupted from the ground into the air, yet remained within a fixed area as Coal controlled the sediment effortlessly with his hand. In moments the hunks of earth started to collide with each other, gradually reshaping themselves, adopting a semi liquid like quality before they took shape.
In a matter of seconds, Coalstone looked on with a hint of pride at his display. “Feels a little nostalgic don’t you think Sunset. After all, it’s been quite a while since you got to enjoy some of my handiwork.”
Sunset only grimaced at the sight before her. The earth Coal had called upon now had been reshaped into at least 5 rather large and gastly statues in the shape of gargoyles.
The beasts in question were as well crafted as they were terrifying, rows of knife-like fangs and claws, massive bat-like wings, with some of the beasts even being armed with weapons varying from swords, to axes and flails. And yet, even for as unnerving as they might’ve appeared, Sunset still couldn’t help but marvel at the level of craftsmanship and detail put into each piece of stonework, looking as immaculate and polished as any piece found in a museum.
It all brought back a fair number of memories for her, most notably the image of both her and Coal smiling in a small art room, talking and laughing with several of his creations surrounding them.
Sadly those more pleasant memories were only that, visions of the past long gone, soon to be nightmares of the present.
Sunset herself kept one eye on the hostile pieces of stone, while the other remained trained on the summoner, knowing what was coming as Coal’s own expression remained flat, his vision focused on her. “Of course you know better than anyone that they’re so much more than simple decorations now. Shame you couldn’t appreciate that sooner.”
Gray eyes glowed yellow, an action shared by the statues, which began to twitch and slowly move in a manner that should’ve been alien given their rigid composition. Yet save for a slight groaning sound from pieces of rock sliding against each other, the beasts began to act as though they were truly alive.
Their yellow eyes blinked, mouths opened and closed, arms, legs and even wings stretched out as Sunset now found herself staring down five mobile stone beasts, all looking at her with clear animosity. Yet they remained stationary, held back only by the whims of their creator.
Ironically enough the stone master was currently looking upon his creations with a sense of elation and joy that heavily betrayed his intentions. The light chuckling only served to further said contrast and dig away at Sunset’s emotions, again reminded of the young man she used to know.
“Even though I’ve already done this same trick multiple times it still never ceases to bring a smile to my face.” Coal walked over to the closest creature, the beast bowing down obediently to allow him to lightly pet its head. “Seeing my creations able to move, even respond when I call to them. I can’t tell you how many years I dreamed of this, to finally have someone, anyone I could truly talk to, someone I could really trust…”
Coal’s free hand tightened as leaned his head down to hide his face. “I finally wouldn't be alone anymore.”
The beast Coal’s hand currently rested on remained motionless, only its still glowing eyes acknowledging its new found sentience. Despite what its master just said, it made no effort to move or even respond to his hand on its head. It simply stood there, awaiting a command.
The sight only served to make Sunset’s heart ache further, matched only by the anger she felt towards the demon that took advantage of his vulnerability.
“You’ll still be alone in Coalstone.” Sunset flinched as she felt a pulse of energy from her still semi-distracted opponent, his previously peaceful expression cracked by his teeth now gritting in anger. Yet, even at this sight, Sunset pressed on, knowing what needed to be said. “Even with that magic, all you’ll have are stone puppets…they’ll never be truly alive.”
The aura around Coal’s body immediately flared up stronger than before, now practically visible around his body, with several yellow markings blinking in and out of existence on his body as he laughed bitterly. The energy was so intense it actually caused various cracks to form on the nearby gargoyle, yet it didn’t flinch or moan, remaining still and silent in spite of the damage.
He removed his hand from the creature’s head as he took a few steps back, focusing his now anger filled eyes on Sunset again. “Maybe that’s true, but why should it matter at this point? Every attempt I ever made to make connections with other people always ended the same. With them forgetting about me, labeling me as creepy or weird, leaving me behind. At least with my statues…”
Coal gestured back to the stone monster, remaining unfazed even with the many cracks and fissures in its skull, ready to obey its master’s commands.
“At least with them, I know they’ll never betray me. Never judge me, never abandon me…not like you did Sunset.”
Sunset practically felt like she’d been stabbed by the accusation, being reminded of the many times when her sincerity was called into question.
“You were the very first person I felt I could truly consider my friend. You never thought ill of me. Never thought I was scary because of the things I made or liked, or whispered about me behind my back. You accepted me for who I was, cracks and all, and that meant more to me than you could ever imagine” Coal’s voice fractured as he spoke, his prior ferocity rapidly melting away, the glow across his body fading as his expression grew sorrowful. “And yet, I still felt isolated. After all, you had your little team of friends, going on all kinds of crazy little adventures thanks to those magic gemstones around your necks. Seemingly having a bond so strong that nothing, not even time, could ever truly tear it apart…and I wanted that.”
His eyes drifted down to his hand, which was quickly surrounded by the yellow aura of his magic, shimmering like a golden flame. “When I managed to get this magic, sure I was motivated in part to give my statues life, but I also hoped that maybe, you and I could form the same unbreakable bond you had with those girls. Then I’d have at least one person I could truly count on in my life.”
It was quite a staggering charge in atmosphere, with nearly all of Coal’s anger and ferocity having all but shattered amidst his heartfelt confession and showing of vulnerability. It truly shook Sunset to her core, any prior fear or desire to fight all but snuffed out.
“You never needed magic to be my friend Coalstone,” Sunset struggled somewhat to get out, trying to hold in fresh tears that threatened to leak from her eyes. “I always considered you someone important to me.”
“But not like the girls,” Coal’s words were empty as he spoke, as the bitterness started to return.
“That’s not…”
“DON’T LIE!” Coal’s anger seemed to return in full, his eyes looking almost fully yellow as the demon’s influence grew stronger. “No matter what excuse you try to make, the fact is you let them keep their powers but not me. How is that anything but bias?”
The yellow aura had returned in full, as the ground started to crack and his beasts began to growl hungrily at Sunset, matched only by furious look on their creator.
Sunset clenched her eyes tightly as magic circles formed on her palms, as it was clear her former friend wasn’t in the right state of mind to debate. To that end, she’d have to respond with the only method he’d understand at this point…Force.
Coal expression hardened, his rage reined in enough to call the aura back, yet his eyes still pulsed with dangerous power as he stared the sorceress down.
“So that’s it then?”
Sunset’s eyes opened as her magic grew stronger and her resolve hardened. “It is.”
The stone worker’s fists tightened, the fabric of his gloves threatening to tear as he seemed to fight back a yell. Instead his eyes narrowed and grew cold, his pupils now a solid yellow as, with a single wave of his hand, he gave the signal.
“Charge.”
Roars and horrific howls tore through the woods as the stone beasts were finally given the order to attack. With nary a second to think Sunset watched as the creatures lurched forward, heavy bodies moving with a fair amount of impressive speed despite their bulk, the dirt below being ripped apart as they charged.
Her mind immediately went on alert as she kept eyes on all five creatures advancing and calculated the best course of attack. Mere moments were all she needed to formulate a plan as her hands started to flare with magic energy.
In an instant an object appeared in the palm of her hand. At first glance it appeared to be some kind of orange color drill of all things with black strap attached at the end. Its appearance confused both Coal and his creatures, but didn’t stop their assault, yet Sunset’s smirk at that moment said enough.
Pointing the odd toy at her enemies, the item’s tip shined with a bright light as Sunset called out her attack.
“SUN FLARE!”
The entire area was consumed with a burst of blinding white light, as if the sun itself had suddenly appeared in the clearing. It was in turn followed by a rather loud yell/roar of frustration.
Sunset looked upon the scene with a hint of satisfaction, seeing Coalstone covering his eyes, currently leaking a small stream of tears while he roared in frustration at suddenly being blinded. This satisfaction only grew as the stone creatures had suddenly halted, unable to see without him to be their eyes.
Not wanting to let the opportunity go to waste, Sunset tightened her grip on the now identifiable wand and sent her energy into it. An orange aura coated the drill like tool and extended outward, getting progressively flatter and sharper as it moved out till it was nearly five feet long.
Without a word Sunset charged forward towards the nearest gargoyle, and jumped, lifting her new blade over her head before slamming it forward with both hands.
“SHIMMERING SWORD!”
A single slash cut through the hardened stone as though it were clay, the heat burning both ends of the cut. The previously yellow eyes of the statue went dim as its pieces split and slid in opposite direction, crashing into small fragments, leaving nothing of the beast but rubble.
Sunset didn’t let up in her attack, immediately bisecting another nearby statue, before pointing her opened palm in the direction at another.
“SUN SHOT!” A dense ball of red and orange energy erupted from her hand, crashing into the sentient stone beast, sending burning chunks all across the field. The beast’s cracked and still flaming head flew several feet away from Coal, whose eyes finally stopped blinking as his vision returned and his glare along with it.
The remaining two gargoyles mirrored their master’s rage, growling and roaring over their fallen comrades, slamming their weapons and fists on the ground as a sign of intimidation, though it did little to shake the former unicorn.
“Looks like you’ve gotten quite a decent handle on this world’s magic.” Coal said with a bitter edge, not expecting things to go in such a direction. Yet despite seemingly having the advantage, Sunset remained guarded.
“We’ve all got our special talents, mine just always happened to be magic,” Sunset spoke confidently though without a hint of arrogance as she eyed the wand in her hand with appreciation. “And that’s why I know how dangerous that magic you’re using is. Even if you refuse to accept that.”
Coal only growled further, as he directed another of his creations to attack, to which Sunset merely fired another blast, this time from her finger that easily severed the creature’s leg, sending it to the ground, parts of its torso and jaw fracturing on impact. The beast continued to persist in an attempt to raise itself, only for another blast to shatter what remained of its head, earning another outright roar from Coal, while Sunset remained steadfast, even blowing out her still smoking finger like a gun barrel for a little lighthearted taunting.
“This place isn’t like back home where magic was random and unpredictable. I may not understand it completely, but I know enough to where if you were expecting me to back down and retreat like last time, then you’re wrong.”
The single remaining beast looked down at it’s still smoking comrade, prepared to advance, Sunset already ready to take it out, when Coal, eyes now looking completely yellow let out a bestial roar that halted both the statue and Sunset as well.
The sudden act of feral behavior didn’t seem to even register with Coalstone, who simply glared as his remaining creature, who returned to his side almost immediately. Sunset meanwhile showed a mixture of concern and growing anxiety, noticing other parts of Coal’s body were showing a faint shimmer like his eyes.
“Not good, he keeps subconsciously tapping into more of the demon’s power. If I don’t act fast, I won’t be I’ll be able to stop him without the girls.”
Searching her mind for a possible solution Sunset’s eyes quickly drifted back to the dial now resting in her pocket, mind picturing another of its sections. One that was red…with a symbol of fire instead of a mountain.
“If I use that, I might be able to overpower him. But I haven’t practiced with it since I got here and if I did I’d just be proving him right.”
Sunset’s moment of self reflection came to a half at the sound of her current enemy letting out a breathing.
Seemingly having cleared his head from his moment of anger, the ferocious stoneworker removed his hammer from his shoulder, spinning it so the head was pointed downward before gently placing it on the ground. Sunset’s senses immediately started firing warning signs as faint jolts of yellow energy seemed to flow through Coal’s body, who simply cracked his neck with a fairly loud pop before doing the same to his knuckles.
The stone worker’s face looked up till his eyes met Sunset’s again, enough for her to see his sickly yellow eyes.
“Guess I need to change tactics.”
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he rocketed forth at intense speed, closing the gap between them in an instant. Sunset’s eyes widened at the sight of Coal’s reeled back fist, yellow lines of energy surged up his arm as it rocketed towards her.
Her hands immediately rose to her front at the point of contact. “BARRIER!”
In a split second a small, red, circular shield formed from her palm, only just barely managing to block the bone crushing blow aimed for her. Yet even with the shield, Sunset could feel her arms shake from the sudden shock, a sense of numbness immediately creeping upwards, as she was pushed back, her feet leaving trenches in the ground.
Yet the young sorceress couldn’t dwell on that as she had to block another hard blow that pushed her back even further, her arms practically numb now to where it took all her energy to keep them up. Thankfully the shield at least held, though it was taking a considerable amount of concentration to keep them stable.
There was no immediate follow up attack, allowing Sunset, whose senses had been in a state of hyper focus, to come down somewhat allowing her to see that the second attack had pushed her back nearly fifteen feet from her original position. A fairly decent path of dirt led from the spot, and upon closer inspection Sunset could even see faint traces of leather from her boots mixed in with the soil, though that was of little concern to her at this point.
Coal conversely merely stood where he was before, both arms visibly glowing with energy, seemingly waiting patiently for Sunset to recompose herself. Which left the former unicorn puzzled.
“You know, typically when two people are fighting for their lives, they don’t give each other breathing room when they’re on the defensive.” In truth Sunset was happy for the respite and hoped to keep the conversation going for a moment so she could get the feeling back in her arms.
“Never said we were fighting for our lives, you made that assumption on your own,” Coal stated firmly as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sunset actually had to bite back a scoff at the comment.
“Call me crazy, but when someone sics living statues at people and tries to punch their head off, that tends to suggest life or death.”
Coal’s angry glare seemed to soften for a moment. “Just because I’m angry and hurt Sunset, doesn’t mean I want to kill you. At this point, I simply wanted to take you out of commission for a while.”
That actually did merit a scoff.
“Wow, glad to know putting me in the hospital for a couple of weeks was all you wanted,” Sunset said with a hint of an edge while testing to find she had gained some feeling in her fingers. “And then what, you're gonna find a portal back to Canterlot High and throw me into it?”
Coal’s frown only deepened, though he didn’t deny it. “Perhaps. Give you a little time to reflect on things and maybe see my perspective.” By now Coal’s prior hostility was replaced more with exasperation, the previously blindly glow of magic fading from all but his irises. “Why can’t you just head back or stick around and just leave me be. You’re the reason we’re even fighting here, not me.”
“Because Coal, as long as you have that…thing inside you, you’re putting every single person in this world in danger,” Sunset practically yelled at her former friend, feeling herself reminded of giving a similar speech to Twilight during the Friendship Games. Sadly like before it only had the opposite effect on the stone carver. “I’m only doing this to keep you and everyone else safe.”
Her reward for this concern was an annoyed groan from her former friend.
“Again with that, do you not even see how much of a hypocrite you are right now?” Coal’s eyes flickered with yellow light as he paced, waving his hand causing his remaining stone beast to shatter into fragments before the pieces shifted around again, setting Sunset on guard. Only this time instead of more of his monstrous creations, instead stood six statues of some familiar looking figures. ”Even though you’ve been here a while, I'm sure you haven’t forgotten these faces, did you Sunset?”
She did not.
With his magic, Coal had created six statues of Sunset’s human friends from their world, again made with the same painstaking attention to detail she’d come to expect from him, and a painful reminder of her situation.
The anger-filled craftsman merely glared at his latest creations, feeling a mixture of resentment and jealousy bubbling up inside of him as he stepped in front of the visage of Applejack.
“Recognize your farmer friend. As I seem to recall, the magic you let her keep made her strong enough to pick up a truck and toss it around like a beach ball. Perfectly safe.” He again sneered at the statue as he moved towards Pinkie Pie. “Or what about the little miss party planner who could turn sprinkles into miniature hand grenades, no obvious danger there I’m sure.”
As Coal’s anger continued to grow with each rant, the glow in his eyes and along his body grew as cracks started forming in the six visages of Sunset’s friends. Sunset sadly remained silent, both hoping to regain as much stamina as possible, and also unable to refute Coal’s claims as he stepped in front of the statue of Twilight.
“And of course, let’s not forget your science obsessed BFF. All the power of telekinesis in the hands of someone with crippling social anxiety.” Coal’s rage reached a fever pitch as he let his hand enclose around the statue’s head, clutching it tightly causing some minor cracks to form. “And that was after she went crazy and nearly tore apart the fabric of reality.”
The statue of Twilight immediately shifted into the black winged form of Midnight Sparkle, again making Sunset flinch at the accusation she had no proper argument for. Letting things get to such a dire point was certainly not one of her proudest moments.
“You let a group of emotional and irresponsible teenage girls hold onto destructive magical powers for weeks and didn’t bat so much as an eye, hell you actually encouraged them to embrace the magic from what I heard,” Coal practically spat that last bit out as he allowed the statues to turn to dust behind him, turning his now furiously glowing yellow eyes back to Sunset. “So why didn’t you let me embrace the magic, huh? What was so unique about them that I couldn’t be offered the same courtesy? Were we really friends like you said or was I just not special enough?”
That last part really struck Sunset, as she could feel the legitimate hurt in Coal’s voice. “I always thought of you as one of my friends, Coalstone. And I’m sorry I made you think I didn’t care. But like I keep saying, the magic you’re using isn’t like the kind the girls and I used, it’s too risky to let anyone have it.”
“Then why are you using it?”
Sunset immediately felt her stomach drop, her eyes again drifting to the device in her pocket, a reminder of not only Coal’s own evil power, but the same power she allowed herself to possess. Yet Coal didn’t smirk or look amused, his expression remained cold, as his completely yellow eyes bore deep into her.
“You call this power evil, you say no one should have it, and yet like so many times before you show your hypocrisy.” Coal’s tone only grew harsher as the previously faint yellow lines on his body grew brighter with each word. “Even as we speak the same power that flows through me is inside you as well. And you have the gall to judge my decision, to say I’m putting people at risk. YOU DARE!”
That last part was punctuated with another inhuman roar and a massive yellow burst of energy. Coal’s signature jacket was practically blasted off his back while his undershirt was shredded, revealing his sturdy upper body to the air. Across his now exposed arms and chest various jagged, almost tribal-like markings appeared in a glowing, sickly yellow color, the soil under his feet cracking and howling under the weight of his power.
Sunset felt her danger sense flare up louder than ever before, any prior sense of bravado shattering at the sight of her former friend giving in further to the beast within himself.
True Sunset had adapted well to the magic of this strange world and it was arguably more suited for combat than Equestrian magic. However, even that power had its limits and the foe before her was one such threat beyond what she could handle….at least under normal circumstances.
The demon hunteress’s mind again flashed to the dial in her pocket, weighing her options. However, that moment proved too long as she found herself leaping backwards to avoid another heavy strike meant for her face.
This only proved to be a glimmer of an instance as Sunset had to immediately raise her hands upward and form another barrier to block a devastating kick that struck with the force of a truck. The blow sent tremors throughout Sunset’s body as ground beneath her feet bent and caved to the force of the attack. The young girl felt every bone and muscle in her body creak and scream in utter anguish.
Stunned and unable to react, Sunset felt a crushing blow strike her abdomen, the air erupted from her mouth as she felt the bones in her rib cage scream as the bones struggled to stay together. Her body rocketed back several yards, rolling harshly across the grass and dirt, her own jacket and pants suffering numerous tears and even a few cuts before she came to a stop.
Sunset felt her head spin rapidly as she struggled to regain air despite the heavy pain in her chest. With a moment of lucidity, she brought her palm to her injury and channeled some of the magic she had, causing her hand to glow a light shade of blue.
“RESTORE!”
The previously burning pain quickly faded, as Sunset was able to again feed her starving lungs oxygen again and planted on foot on the ground. However, it was a temporary fix at most as she still felt a decent amount of pain, having only saved her ribs from shattering with that spell.
“I really should’ve studied up on healing magic back in Equestria.” Sunset mentally berated herself as she looked back up at her attacker, still glowing from the marks and his eyes, yet had adopted a hunched over posture, his hands open and fingers spread, like claws. And where once he was speaking fairly naturally his words had been replaced with a low growl, as he eyed her like a predatory beast.
“Traitor…..Liar. I…trusted you..I…believed you….and you…. BETRAYED ME LIKE ALL THE OTHERS!” Coal’s voice was now warped, sounding more animal than man, yet even now the anger and hurt in his voice still stung Sunset worse than his fists ever could, horrified at seeing him reduced to such a state.
“I’m sorry Coalstone. I’m so sorry.” Sunset wanted to say something to him, hoping perhaps her words could reach him. Sadly that door had long closed and now the only way to reach him or even survive…was to fight.
“No other option.”
All options exhausted, Sunset stood tall and calmed herself, as she allowed her eyes to close, searching within herself. Her mind scanned rapidly for what or rather who it sought and in mere moments Sunset could feel the dark, burning presence she’d willingly let attach to her. Fighting down a sense of regret and doubt she reached out and opened a small door between herself and the power, before letting it erupt out through her.
Coal observed his former friend angrily, his magic ravaged mind still in control enough to recognize something was off. He could sense something was coming…something not unlike his own power. For a moment, he almost felt a voice in the back of his head speak.
“I knew she couldn’t resist.”
Confused, Coal’s understanding immediately became clear as he saw Sunset’s eyes finally open…only now her beautiful cyan eyes were now a deep shade of red, as intense balls of fire formed around her hands, burning with a greater heat and intensity then the magic she’d used before.
The sight of those eyes and the flames caused Coal’s rage to rise even higher as he roared with renewed ferocity, yet Sunset stared him down unflinchingly.
With an angry swing, Coal summoned up several spears of sharpened rock and launched them at his prostrating opponent. However, she immediately retaliated, unleashing a fast moving wall of fire that consumed the stone, stopping them in their tracks and leaving behind puddles of molten rock that fell to the ground, burning away any foliage below.
Yet this sight didn’t inspire fear or trepidation, it seemed to only invoke further rage as the increasingly feral Coalstone let out a positively bestial roar so loud the nearby trees rattled and shook. His pure yellow eyes glared with intense ferocity as he looked at her still glowing eyes.
“HYPOCRITE!” He let out that single word with a guttural tone that was even less human than before, yet it still cut into Sunset just as deep. Yet she offered no response, instead summoning more flames to her aid, surrounding the pair in a ring of intense heat, so hot Coal’s eyes could see the ground beneath it start to resemble molten lava.
Now fully embracing his power, Coal roared again, though this time with purpose. The ground near him fractured, as countless chunks of earth and stone lifted from the ground and flew towards him. In a matter of seconds his arms were encased up to the shoulder in stone, which seemed to soften for a moment so as to reshape into a proper form.
The demon possessed young man now had two arms secured within massive stone gauntlets. The rock was horrifically jagged all around, countless sharp edges and spikes seem to adorn each inch of the stone. The knuckles and shoulders were tipped with massive 6 inch spikes that resembled the fangs of a beast, while the fingers were tipped with razor edged claws, made worse by the hands being at least three times larger than Coal’s own.
The transformation itself was topped with a small stone muzzle of sorts adorning Coal’s mouth. Though even that seemed somewhat inaccurate as it more resembles the men-yoroi worn by samurai. And like so many of Coal’s creations it was just as jagged and gastly as the others, looking like a mouth filled with 2 inch knife like fangs.
Coal’s behavior quickly matched his new monstrous appearance, placing himself on all fours, growling angrily like a caged animal. His eyes looked at her with nothing but pure malice and bloodthirst, not even a fraction of the previous compassion remaining.
It was a sight that only caused Sunset’s heart to ache even further at the sight of her friend being reduced to little more than a monster. Yet she knew she couldn’t dwell on it long, as he was preparing to attack.
The attack in question was fast and heavy as Coal burst forward at an alarming speed, raising his claw-covered hands to slash right at her. Sunset immediately summoned more fire to her hands and swung them in a rotating motion, a giant cyclone of flames arising around her, forcing Coalstone to halt his advance.
Her enemy now on the backfoot, Sunset dispelled the cyclone and launched a stream of fire directly at her retreating enemy, whose advance was shortened due to the wall of fire behind him. Coal however, was not without a response, slamming his massive fists onto the ground and summoning a thick wall of stone to absorb the flames.
Undaunted, Sunset continued to pour on the flames hoping perhaps the sheer heat would melt through the thick stone wall, but Coal was not about to let her get the advantage. Reeling one of his fists back and letting out a roar, he punched the barrier, turning the shield into an onslaught of now flaming, stone shrapnel.
The assault of rock and sentiment forced Sunset to cancel her flame burst and immediately called forth another wall of flames. However, this proved to be more harmful than helpful as the stone fragments were flying at speed comparable to bullets, meaning the smaller pieces were turned into fast moving molten missiles.
While many of these projectiles missed, some were by mere centimeters, leaving Sunset flinching as she felt some of the cinders and heat brush past her skin.
However, she was forced to drop her defense as an especially large chunk the size of a small couch flew straight for her. Summoning as much concentration as she could, she concentrated the flames into her hand not unlike her Shimmering Sword technique, extending a blade of condensed fire.
Sweating from the heat, Sunset immediately swung down as the massive chunk of earth was about to collide. The slash cut through it like hot butter, Sending the chunks crashing into the ground behind her.
The blade almost immediately fizzled out as Sunset’s mind couldn’t keep its focus, the level of concentration needed to maintain it being too much to handle on top of everything else that had happened. Sadly she’d be granted no reprieve.
A large shadow overhead immediately forced her eyes to focus on Coal’s massive claw heading towards her abdomen. The sharp slab of rock closed in, already tearing into the fabric of her shirt as her mind went into survival mode.
Acting on instinct, flames erupted from her feet, burning through her socks and boots, rocketing her back out of his reach.
Like the sword, this moment of flight only lasted a second before Sunset’s now bare feet returned to the ground and skidded painfully against the soil and grass.
Ignoring the pain in her soles, Sunset attempted to raise herself up, yet found it difficult. Her lungs felt as though they were truly on fire while a sharp pain forced her to glance at her abdomen revealed three shallow but still bleeding cuts on her abdomen thanks to Coal’s claws.
Such an injury would’ve been easy to heal with her magic, but her reserves were nearly empty.
Overall she was in considerably rough shape. And taking a glance at her enemy, while there were a few minor burns on his arms and chest, of the two he was clearly the one winning this battle.
Looking at one of her palms, she tried to summon some more fire to her aide, but it took considerable effort to even summon up a small fame.
“No good, I’ve got maybe two bursts left before I’m finished.”
Feeling desperation start to set in, Sunset only felt her situation worsen as she saw that her foe had now summoned more stones, now covering his legs up to the knee in rock armor, complete with sharp talons. And unlike her he didn’t even seem that winded.
“TRAITOR!” He roared again, preparing to unleash another charge.
“I can’t stop him. Even with the demon taking more control he’s still more experienced using it’s power. My only chance is to find an opening and escape while I still can.”
Sunset mentally debated what course of action to take as she doubted he was going to let her run away. To emphasize that point he outstretched one of his hands and opened his palm. As always rock and stone bent to his command, the jagged pieces of earth quickly merging and reshaping themselves into another instrument of destruction.
In mere seconds Coalstone now held a massive stone warhammer, its shaft easily almost twice the length of his body. The top of the weapon was a gastly looking head, one end being for the most part flat but with the sides extended out not unlike an anvil. However, as it went up it revealed the shape of the head was meant to reassemble a tombstone of all things, again as smooth and well carved as was expected. However, what really sent the message home was Sunset’s cutie mark near the top of the stone’s face with the words R.I.P. Sunset Shimmer carved into it.
It was honestly so over the top it almost made Sunset laugh were it not for the considerable pain she was in. “Nice to see that even with that demon in your head you’re still as subtle as always.”
Coalstone only responded with a growl of annoyance, slamming the shaft onto the ground, shattering it effortlessly to show its weight.
It was thanks to that weapon that Sunset was able to think up a plan as she clapped her hands together and began focusing her magic.
The flames condensed into her hands as she slowly spread her palms out, the flames taking solid form, almost looking like molten steel. In mere moments, Sunset was now holding a rather long and intricately designed red and orange sword, flames licking its single edged blade.
The sight of the weapon seemed to earn an almost approving look from the stone craftsman, again which served to lighten the mood a little.
“What can I say,” Sunset muttered, offering a bitter smile, assuming a kendo-like stance with both hands on the sword. “I picked up a thing or two from those fantasy books you love so much.”
Her tone was again not hostile, but almost friendly, as if hoping one last time to reach out to the young man encased in a cage of stone and his own anger. For a brief moment Coal seemed to hesitate, as if considering what he was doing.
Sadly the glow in his eyes brightened again, his eyes narrowing as he let out another roar before charging at Sunset, his deadly maul raised high over his head.
Sunset immediately entered a ready stance, as she focused on the edge of her blade, while taking a single glance at her feet.
“Only one shot at this.”
Coal’s hammer descended fast, almost like a missile, to which Sunset raised her sword up, bracing the back of the sword with her other arm. As the hammer drew closer Sunset pushed her focus to its breaking point, the edge of her sword glowing a fiery orange, the soles of her feet following suit.
As the head met her blade, Sunset braced her legs the instant it made contact. The moment was only a second yet the crushing weight behind the attack made it feel like hours. Sunset almost screamed as she felt her legs buckle under its weight, and for a brief instance it appeared as though similar red markings appeared across her skin.
Yet she pushed that down as she ignited the flames beneath her feet, again propelling herself with as much force as she could muster. The now superheated edge of her blade ascended with her, combined with her sudden acceleration the blade sliced through the hammer head of the weapon and catapulted her high into the sky above.
Coalstone could only look up and see Sunset’s body fly higher and higher above the treeline. Sunset barely gave him a single glance before picturing a location in her mind’s eye with what strength she still had.
“TELEPORT!”
In a flash, she was gone, leaving the beast of stone below her alone in a burning field.
His yellow eyes glared furiously at the spot in the sky where she vanished, his mind attempting to locate her through some method to no success. Neither her magic signature or even her scent remained.
She’d managed to escape.
The burning anger inside rose to a heat that could’ve matched Sunset’s magic, as his eyes and marks shined so brightly one could’ve mistaken them for a fallen star. Raising his head to the sky he let out a roar that shook the trees and earth around him, in vain attempt to get her to return.
Yet even with his mind still in a haze of magic and fury, he knew she avoided him for as long as possible, for the moment he was too much for her to handle. Yet, that thought brought him no comfort. Though he knew something that would.
Feeling his senses reclaim themselves he returned to an upright stance, as the stone around his feet crumbled away. As the haze started to clear, a new image in his mind formed, one he’d locked away deeply sometime ago, as he held his hand outward.
The rock started to rise up again, slowly taking form. Slowly the pieces of earth formed into a shape, as Coal’s memory flashed back to a particular design he’d worked on. One that he’d come up for a special occasion.
As the stone continued to take shape, further memories and emotions started to flood into his mind, a warm feeling began to take root in his heart, one he’d almost forgotten.
When it was finally complete Coal could only look up it with bitter regret.
The statue at a glance almost looked like a literal angel with a pair of feathered wings fully extended, each feather lovingly carved down to the follicle. The figure in question was clad in what appeared to be a beautiful gown of some kind, flame like boots, gloves along with a somewhat familiar studded jacket covering the individual’s shoulders. Shoulder length hair cascaded down the statue’s back just above the wings. And the face of the figure was a perfect recreation of the individual not two minutes ago he was in a battle with save for an almost tattoo like domino mask over her eyes.
Below, near the statue’s feet was a small plaque that read Daydream Shimmer with Sunset’s sun symbol carved right above it.
The sight of the statue caused old feelings to bubble back to the surface. Hurt, betrayal, anger, sorrow…and something else, something more intense than the others. For a moment an image flashed in Coal’s mind.
This however, wasn’t a memory but more desire or perhaps a dream. It was himself seated on a couch, in a small room, with the statue in question just a few feet away. He was smiling, though not at the piece of stonework, but rather its inspiration sitting on his lap, returning his smile with one that seemed to shine as bright as the sun itself.
A cold sensation on his face broke him from the vision of what could’ve been. Lightly touching his face with his claw, he found the tip was now wet, his eyes looking back at the statue, a reminder of something that maybe could’ve been, yet now never would.
And that realization caused his anger to rise again, as any happy memories were replaced with feelings of hatred and rage.
The look of pride he held for the statue was replaced with disgust . Letting out an angry roar with a single furious swipe he reduced the art piece to rubble, leaving only the still smiling head remaining intact.
Staring but for a moment at its face, with a single stomp, it too was turned to powder as he turned, slowly walking away from the field, and from the past. Now only a bitter reminder of the life he and Sunset once had.
Once friends, now no more, for his heart was sealed away, encased in stone.