//------------------------------// // The Element of Honesty // Story: The Bearers of Harmony // by Naren //------------------------------//   The Crystal Tree was even bigger now. When they had returned with Rarity, it had still been the same size as when they had left. Now, upon the morning of the next day, it had grown at least four or five more feet. The top of the tree was reaching up to the second floor, and that feeling of peacefulness had been amplified. The surrounding foliage had grown even denser, and now a couple paths now crossed the foyer. The water flowing from the stairs had dug a small channel in the stairs now, resulting in a cascade of water. It was collected in a small pond, where Sunset could see small animals drinking.   The glow from the symbols emblazoned in the crystal tree appeared to have a day and night cycle. In the day hours, they would glow brightly, illuminating the entire foyer as if the sun was out. During the night hours, they would dim down so that one could sleep. The morning ambience was probably Sunset’s favorite, however. The crystal branches of the tree twinkled and bounced the soft light from emblems across the foyer.    That wasn’t the only thing that had changed. Across the foyer she could now see small crystal roots interlaced throughout the floor. Some of them had even started to grow up and into the walls, giving the room a magical ambiance. They softly glowed with a circulating light, transitioning between pink, scarlet, gold, a soft yellow, and a white-blue. It was quite beautiful. The roots gave off the same feeling as the tree itself; that of peace, safety, and…familiarity? That couldn’t be right. Sunset’s musings were cut short, like they so often were these days, by a crystal bird landing on her shoulder. “Darling, the others are waiting for you.” Rarity spoke. Like many of the people of the world, strange, eldritch magic had transformed Rarity. At first they thought that she had been transformed into a small crystal bird, similar to Celestia or Fluttershy. But that was wrong, it was much…weirder than they had previously thought. No, Rarity had somehow become the entire flock of Crystal birds. She could control them all simultaneously, and she described it as being no different than moving a hand or leg. The hardest part for her to adapt to was being able to see from all the different birds. With that though, Rarity was able to use her new form-forms to provide watch, and communication between different groups instantly.    That raised another question. If Principal Celestia had basically become a werewolf, Fluttershy a spider centaur, and Rarity a crystal bird hivemind, then why wasn’t she changed? She had only lost her memories, and had avoided all physical changes. Why was tha-a sudden peck from the bird on her shoulder snapped her back to reality.    “I’m going, I’m going.” Sunset siad quickly, desperate to avoid any more pecks. Rarity simply huffed, and left her shoulder to join the others. She followed the bird down one the hallways leading from the foyer, and was surprised to see just how much life was in the hallway. In the course of only a few days, grass, bushes, vines, and even a few small trees had taken over school. A path had been built into the overgrown hallway, making it easy to not be caught up in the flora. Branches split off from the main path, leading into different classrooms. Fluttershy had been busy.   Sunset entered one the classrooms, and was met with a familiar sight. This time, however, there was an actual table from the cafeteria and not a bunch of desks. A map was laid out on the table, with some new markings on it. The city now had a name-The Twisted Maze. There was another mark in the city, marking out the Atrium. An Oasis in a hellish landscape.    Crowding above the map were three figures. Or rather, two figures and a bird. Fluttershy was looking over the map, cradling an angel bunny in her arms. Celestia was glancing around the room, not really focused on the map. There were multiple birds walking over the table, marking notes and crossing things out. It appeared that Rarity was using her ability to control all the flock at the same time to do some scouting.    Another crystal bird flew past her shoulder and onto the table. “Now that Sunset is here, could we please begin?” Rarity asked. Celestia nodded, Fluttershy smiled and waved at Sunset before nodding in confirmation as well. With approval all around, Sunset stepped up to speak.   “We know where we are going next. Para and the Tree have already synced, and I believe we are going after Applejack next.” Sunset said, channeling her best inner speaker. Her words were proved by orange light emanating from Para’s pommel, and the direction in which the sword was pulling. “Rarity, you scouted the southwest, right?” Sunset asked.   “Yes, darling. I got all the way to where Applejack's barn should have been. It has been completely overgrown by a dark forest. The foliage from the trees seems to block all light, and there is a complete lack of noise coming from the forest. No animals, no bugs, not even water flowing or wind swaying trees. Complete silence.” Rarity said.   “Thank you, Rarity. Here’s the plan- Celestia and I will follow Para to save Applejack. Fluttershy, you can stay here and help make this more livable. Rarity, you can be in both places at once, so you can help us communicate quickly.” Sunset said, and she saw a collection of nods from around the table. Inside, she was elated. Not only were two of her friends and her principal back, she was remembering large chunks of her memory. There were still some blank spots, the largest being around “Twilight Sparkle”. She would eventually remember everything, but for now she needed to focus on saving her friends.  Thanks to Rarity and her forward scouting, they were able to reach the forest without running into any beasts.However, the forest was a lot darker than Rarity had said. The three of them were standing on the precipice, and Sunset was getting deja vu from when they rescued Fluttershy. This darkness was different, though. It wasn’t the pitch blackness made of fear and dread. Rather, it was just truly the absence of light.    Luckily, Sunset had the solution to this problem. She felt her magic reserves, which had filled up over the course of the night. Instead of pushing the magic to Para, she wanted to try something. She shifted the course of the magic to her left hand, and then pulled it back in. Sunset’s hand was wreathed in a scarlet glow, and a smile crossed her face. She didn’t need Para to cast magic, but the sword did amplify it. Acting as a walking human torch, Sunset led the group into the forest.   She quickly came up with a name for the dark forest. The Neverlight Forest. No light pierced the canopy, casting the entire forest in pitch darkness. While Sunset did feel some fear, it was nothing like Fluttershy’s den, or when facing the Sirens. Instead, it was a more subtle fear. Built on natural instincts, the forest inflamed her paranoia. Thankfully, that fear was tempered by the fact she had Celestia by her side, and Rarity watching over them.    A sudden crack rang out through the forest, causing Sunset to spin to face it. It was just a deer that had stepped on a twig. The deer took one look at her, then bolted off into the shadows. When Sunset turned back to the group, she sighed. Almost predictably, both Celestia and Rarity were gone. She was alone. Buck.   A cold breeze washed through the forest, and over Sunset. She could feel the magic coursing through her hand flicker for a second, but a pulse of her will stopped that. Suddenly, she was very glad that her light was of magical origin. Acting on an impulse that may or may not have been fueled by paranoia, she drew Para from its scabbard. When her hand reached down for the sword, she cursed out loud.    Para was gone as well. How, in Celestia’s own name, had it been stolen? It was literally just strapped to her side less than a few seconds ago. She was dumbfounded. It made no sense, besides the ridiculous fact that Celestia and Rarity were gone. They were gone, Para was gone, she was alone, in a terrifyingly dark forest. She recognized the signs of what was happening. A panic attack.   As she dropped to her knees, she began to hyperventilate. Her breathing sped up, faster and faster, and swore she was about to pass out. Faster and faster, her breathing kept speeding up until-it stopped. Her breathing had even out as she felt an outside calmness wash over her. She could see a pale light surrounding her, almost silvery in color. She looked up, and gasped.   A pale, glorious, full moon shone down on her. Despite the thick canopy, Sunset could make out its shape in near perfect detail. It was as if it was ignoring the forest entirely, beholden to its own laws. Stars shone around the moon, and in fact, she could make out the entire night sky. It was breathtaking, and it did in fact take Sunset's breath away. It stabilized her, and she let out a deep breath. She would be okay, she just needed to stay calm.   That theory was quickly put to the test when she heard another snap behind her. What are the odds, Sunset thought, that sound is coming from a deer? It was not, in fact, coming from a deer. Rather, as Sunset turned around, it was coming from something a lot worse. It was made of pure shadow, almost merging with the dark forest. Sunset couldn’t tell how many arms it had, or where its body ended and the shadows began. The only thing that was not made of shadow were its eyes. Twin pits of white, they were unblinking and staring directly at her. The presence of the thing seemed to darken the area, to cover up the moon. The light from Sunset’s hand grew a little dimmer, and Sunset made an executive decision.   She ran. She turned and sprinted away in the opposite direction, moving as fast as possible. It let out no roar, no scream, no sound, but Sunset knew it was following her. She ducked under branches, lept over roots, and dodged the trunks of trees in a dash away from that thing. As she ran, it felt like the forest was getting closer, the branches and roots growing denser. Like the forest was trying to stop her. A thought came to her mind as she ran, and she acted on it.     From her right hand burst a pulse of magic, and scarlet flame whipped out of her palm. It was nowhere near the strength that had come from para the day before, but it was enough to accomplish its job. The branches and roots directly in front of her were transformed into ashes, and the trees seemed to pull away from the fire.    The opening in the forest presented her with a miracle. At the back of the hole she created with the fire Sunset could see a large open field. She dashed through the forest's edge and into the clearing, only stopping when she was directly in the center. She panted to catch her breath, one hand on her knee, while her eyes scanned the perimeter. Beside the fires slowly going out behind her, and her left hand, there was no other light. The sky was now completely covered in dark clouds, blocking out the moon’s light.   Wind swept through the clearing, feeling cold and wrong. The light from the fires behind her was extinguished, and the magic glow in her palm was dimmed considerably. Now surrounded by darkness, it was a lot harder to make out where the beast was. Then her eyes spotted it. The creature made of pure shadows crept out the forest, and Sunset could finally make out its form.   It was like a snake, long and attached to the shadows of the woods. It slithered into the clearing, dozens of armlike appendages clawing at the ground. Its twin glowing eyes were staring directly at her. It paused for a moment, and Sunset swore she could hear something. Like something was cutting though the wind.After pausing for a second, it continued its advance towards her. Sunset’s hold on her magic crumbled, and she saw the crimson light surrounding her hand vanish. The only light was coming from the creature's eyes now. Just two pale orbs moving steadily closer to her.   It got nearly ten feet away from her when Sunset was blinded by a sudden light. A beam made of pure silver stuck the ground in front of the creature, scorching the earth. Sunset could see the snake-like shadow whip back, and she realized that the entire clearing was bathed in light. The clouds that had covered the moon were gone now, the entire sky was clear. Moonlight now shined down, allowing Sunset to see the origin of the silver beam.   A winged creature circled overhead, swooping down for another pass. A beam of silver light erupted from its head, striking at the shadow again. The creature did another circle around the clearing, before slamming into the ground in front of Sunset. Now that it wasn't moving, she could see the horse-like creature in its full glory.   The horse had two wings stretching out from its back, and extending from its head was a long, sharp horn. An Alicorn. The alicorn had dark blue fur, its mane and tail made of the night sky itself. Pure silver armor covered her body, with a dark crown placed firmly on the Alicorn’s head. On her flank lay what Sunset recognized as a cutie mark. The Alicorn’s was a patch of pitch black, with a pure white crescent moon laid upon it. While Sunset didn’t recognize her, she seemed familiar. Then the Alicorn spoke.   “Nightmare! You have no place here. Go now, leave this dream or be forever destroyed!” The Alicorn boomed. As she spoke, for the voice was definitely feminine, Sunset realized who was in front of her. It was the voice of Vice-Princpial Luna, but this must have been-   “Princess Luna.” Sunset spoke aloud. As she did, she could see the Princess move her head slightly. The monster took this chance to flee back into the shadowy forest, moving as quickly as it could. Princess Luna gave a quick sigh, before turning to face her. The Princess was just a little shorter than her, but Sunset could feel the magic behind the Alicorn.   “Sunset Shimmer. I have heard much about you. It is unusual that your dream was able to call to me, but these are unusual times. Before you wake, I have advice to give.” Luna said, her voice almost melodic. As she spoke, Sunset had noticed battle damage covering the Princess. Scratches and burns covered her silver armor, and scar crossed her right leg. Worst of all, was the groove cut into her horn. Like someone had cut it with a sword…or a claw.   “We are at war. Equestria has fallen under siege, and so long as it remains, we cannot provide you aid. Take the sword he gave you, and destroy the abominable tower. Do so, and It shall be unable to influence your world. Now Sunset Shimmer, Wake Up.”   Sunset awoke with a gasp, eyes adjusting to the darkness. They were still in the Neverlight forest. She was laying down, her head resting on one of the roots.The back of her head was aching, feeling it confirmed that there was a bump there. The slumbering form of Celestia lay off to the side, and a small crystal bird was pecking at her. It appeared that whatever had affected them had not affected Rarity. Sunset reasoned that it was probably due to Rarity being conscious across multiple bodies.    When she awoke, it drew Rarity's attention. The Crystal bird flew off to her in a haste, landing on the root next to her. “Sunset! You’re awake. I was so worried, you just looked away and then dropped to the ground.” That would explain the headache and bump. “After you fell, Celestia followed. Darling, what happened?”    “Magic. Something is hunting via dreams.” Sunset said, gesturing around. Around them lay sleeping bodies, some who looked closer to death than sleep. Thankfully, Sunset had somehow attracted the attention of the Princess of the Night. She had been saved by Princess Luna. Did that mean dreams could cross the mirror? It left Sunset with many questions, and few answers.   It seemed that Sunset was still a scholar at heart. Even after her exile, her time spent at Canterlot High, and the end of the world. That was somewhat comforting, at least. Regardless of darkness or shadowy dream monster, they would need to continue deeper into the forest. That would start with waking Celestia up.   Sunset approached the sleeping form of her Principal, drawing Para. Thankfully, the sword was actually there, and not missing as it had been in the dream. The sword's light illuminated the surrounding trees, casting the entire area in a subtle pink glow. It would appear that the blade had a bit of magic circulating throughout it, even without Sunset doing anything. She took a knee next to Celestia, and then realized that she didn’t know how to wake her up.   Sunset resorted to the most basic way of waking someone up; shaking them. She shook her principal, and to her dismay, nothing happened. Sunset shook her even harder, and yet nothing happened. Celestia didn’t even turn over to the side, or respond in any way. She simply lay there, barely even breathing. In an act filled with both frustration and despair, Sunset slammed Para into the ground.   When the sword impacted the ground, it released a wave of scarlet magic. The wave washed over her, Celestia, and the sleeping bodies laying around the forest. Sunset had unintentionally imprinted her will and intent onto the sword, and Para had reacted accordingly. All around them Sunset could hear creatures begin to stir. Then, after an agonizing moment of silence, they stopped. The creatures around her returned to their slumbers, save for one.    In front of Sunset, Celestia began to stir. She immediately fell to her knees and attempted to help rouse the sleeping wolf-principal. Sunset shook her, and to her relief, Celestia’s eyes slowly opened. They were drowsy for a second, before slamming open with alarm. Sunset spoke quickly, doing her best to calm her down.   “Celesta! It’s okay, you’re awake now. You’re safe, whatever was in your dreams cannot hurt you now.” Celestia looked at her with sudden confusion, eyes asking a wordless question. Sunset didn’t know how to answer her, and after a second or two Celestia simply shook her head. She helped her former principal get up to her feet, Celestia doing her best to thank Sunset for the effort.   Once everyone had gone situated, Sunset walked over to the place where she had slammed Para into the ground. She drew the blade easily, and found that any dirt or mud was simply washed off by a small pulse of pink energy. The pommel of the sword still emanated an orange light, and the pull was ever present. Small bands of pink magic pulsed up and down the blade, creating small flashes of light. Sunset made the executive decision to keep Para out, for this forest was definitely not friendly. Just as before, she conjured her will and pushed magic to her left hand, casting a scarlet glow that mixed with orange and pink.     The trio pushed deeper into the forest, taking care to avoid the slumbering bodies. The bodies on the ground were a weird mix of transformed beasts, and untransformed Humans. There was an even greater percentage of people who were half transformed, as if the transformation had been halted in their slumber. Just like Rarity had said hours ago, there was an eerie silence. It felt like the entire forest was sleeping,    They halted as they reached the edge of the forest, bordering a familiar clearing. Instead of just being an empty clearing, as it had been in the dream, two buildings occupied it. An overgrown road had been laid in between the house and barn, but grass and weeds had claimed for themselves. The strangest thing was the way branches had almost grown out the top of both buildings, forming a closed canopy over the clearing. In the space between them and the house was only an overgrown field. No sleeping bodies littered this area, it was completely empty of anything that would stand above knee height.   The door to the farmhouse was locked, but a hit from Para ensured that it would be forever open. The inside of the house was dark, and Sunset was reminded of Fluttershy’s den back in the Endless Road. This time there was no overwhelming sense of dread or fear, but rather, drowsiness. The whole house seemed to be exuding a sense of sleepness, telling her that she should just give in and slumber forever. It was easy to overpower with the combined strength of her convictions, and her ever strengthening mental barriers. She had been working on them since her encounter with Fluttershy.   The kitchen was empty, and the dining room as well. The living room had no occupants, but as Sunset approached the stairs she felt the forced drowsiness increase in strength. So naturally, she knew that her friend was upstairs. She ascended the stairs, and she felt like she could feel the mind behind the pressure telling her to sleep. It felt like…it was panicking.     At the top of the stairs was a hallway with a couple of doors on either side of it. She passed by a few, not stopping to check inside them. She didn’t need to, as the combined pull of Para and the ever increasing panic of sleepiness told her where she needed to go. After a few doors, she reached the end of the hallway, and the last door. A quick glance behind her told her that both Celestia and Rarity were behind her, ready for what could come next. In a quick, decisive motion, she pushed open the door.   Two bodies occupied the room, one laying on a bed, and one on a couch. Both were asleep, and the one on the bed showed only mild amounts of physical mutation. Sunset recognized the person on the bed as none other than her friend, Applejack. She had two antlers extending from her head, but she was otherwise unchanged. The same could not be said for the person sitting on the couch.    The first thing Sunset noticed were the shadows. Liquid darkness pooled around her, leaking from closed eyes. It’s mouth was agape, and to her horror, Sunset could see that shadow flow out of it. The once person’s hair seemed to be made out of the stuff, flowing behind her and into the pool below the couch. Cuts and scrapes littered its exposed skin, but instead of blood those shadows flowed from the open wounds. None of that was the worst part, though. No, Sunset actually recognized the person sitting on the couch. The purple clothes, familiar figure, and the crescent moon on her collar were obvious signs as to who this was.   Sunset was nearly bowled over when Celestia stepped into the room. She immediately recognized her sister, moving as quickly as she could to get to her. Unfortunately, there appeared to be nothing Celestia could do. Her sister, Vice-Princpial Luna, was in deep slumber that appeared to be unwakeable. It did not stop Celestia from trying. Sunset laid her free hand on Celestia’s shoulder, causing her to look at Sunset. Her eyes were brimming with tears, along with a growing, burning rage.    Rarity had landed next to the slumbering form of Applejack, and looked towards Sunset. Her eyes were laced with concern, for both of the sleeping victims, and for Celestia as well. Once Sunset had helped steady Celestia, they began their next task. Unfortunately, every way they tried to wake the sleeping victims failed. Shaking, yelling their names, even trying to use magic as she had before failed. Slumped against the door, Sunset decided to go over everything they knew.   Two of the bearers of Harmony were trapped in an endless slumber. They were in a forest where light never shined, and many sleeping bodies lay outside. Some sort of creature was hunting, or atleast using the dreams-there. Odds were, that creature was responsible for the dreams that Luna and Applejack were in. So naturally, she would need to enter the dream and defeat the monster.    “Rarity…Celestia. I might-might-have found a way to save them.”  Upon saying those words, Sunset could see Celestia immediately perk up, followed by Rarity. “While I was asleep in the forest, I was chased by a monster made of shadow. I think it’s the cause of this.” She said, gesturing to Applejack and Luna. “I need to enter that dream, and beat that monster.”    Sunset looked towards the small crystal bird perched on the bed, and found that Rarity gave her a small, if slightly reluctant nod. She then turned Celestia, and found herself being stared at. Celestia’s lips were drawn tight, her eyes distant and yet…hopeful. “I’ll save her, Celestia. I’ll save both of them.” Celestia’s jaw clenched, before she gave Sunset a nod of regretful approval. With both of their approvals, Sunset laid herself against a free and unoccupied wall. She took a deep breath in, and let it out. Embracing that drowsiness that had been pressuring her the entire time they had been in the forest, her eyes closed.   Sunset opened her eyes, and found herself to be outside the farmhouse. She was standing on the porch, situated to be right in front of the door that led to the interior. The house was situated in a large, familiar clearing. Sunset could that large swaths of the grass and dirt had been, for a lack of better word, razed. Completely obliterated. Looking up, she found only dark clouds. No moon shined down now.    She felt it before she saw it. A cold breeze whipped her hair, cutting through her clothes and directly into her skin. Yet she stood, unaffected. As Sunset descended the stairs to clearing, she saw it creep out the tree line. It was as she remembered it from her stint earlier in the dream. A humping upper body made of pure shadow, two horns extending from its head. Its lower body extends further and further, trailing off into the darkness of the forest. It’s eyes, unblinking, twin pits of pure white.    Unlike last time, however, she was prepared. She wasn’t caught off guard, stranded alone in a dark and treacherous forest. No, she was fully charged with magic, and she had an ace up her sleeve. She was an excellent planner, even if she had to come up with the plan on the fly. It was how she had conquered the High School earlier in her life.    Before that, she needed to let the monster know who it faced. She raised her left hand, and pushed the magic through it. Manifesting her will, scarlet light wreathed her arm and hand. A beam of pure crimson flame shot out of her palm, and it slammed into the monster’s shoulder. She cut off the magic a second later, and waited to see how It reacted. It pulled back, before shadows curled around the hole left in its shoulder. As quickly as the hole had been created, it was filled with pure darkness once more. It made no sound, but Sunset could tell she had surprised it. She wasn’t going to just bow over this time.      Sunset held her right hand out to the side, and she mentally pulled against the dream. It was like pulling against a brick wall, so well made were the dreams walls. She hadn’t been Celestia’s personal student for nothing, though. The monster surged towards her, seeing her lack of movement as a chance to stop her. It was too late. With a surge of energy, Sunset pulled Para into her hand.   The sword appeared in her hand, cackling with pink energy. Its entrance into the dream released a massive surge of energy, which exploded outwards. The grass around her was flattened, the trees themselves bending. The monster was thrown backwards as well, but curiously, the house was left unaffected. As Sunset hefted Para onto to ehr shoulder, ehr eyes whinging as she felt something very familiar. Sunset could feel the will of the sword, better than she had ever in the waking world. She hadn’t just created a copy of Para in the dream, no, she had pulled the blade from the physical world into the dream. This was no dream copy, it was real.   The monster had recovered, and now it was staring at the sword in Sunset hands. Its eyes were wary, and she could see the fear in them. It made no sudden movements, besides the odd glance…towards the house. It felt like it wasn’t acting to hurt or even kill her, but rather to stop her. Sunset’s eyes widened.   “You're not trying to hunt me…You’re trying to protect something. Aren’t you?” Sunset said. The creature froze. She followed it stare, not at her or Para, but at the house. “It's in the house, isn’t it?” She questioned, and the monster’s eyes grew wide. Then, with almost maniac fury, it charged towards her.   She leveled Para towards the approaching monster, and forced her magic though the blade. She was always the best with fire magic. Just like her fight with the sirens, Crimson flames roared out of the tip of the sword. It rushed towards the monster, her intent to destroy the thing completely. Just before the flames made contact, it dashed to the side. It barely avoided the flame, but it managed to get past the crimson torrent with minimal damage. Sunset braced, but only felt a cold wind as the monster near on flew past her. It streaked around her, up the stairs, and then it slammed into the door of the farmhouse. The door crumpled like a piece of paper, and the monster disappeared into the shadowy house.    Sunset blinked, confused by the actions of the creature. Why had it just ignored her? A second later, the flames sputtered out, leaving only embers in the field. Sunset turned around, readying herself to go after the monster. It would be difficult as the house was dark and difficult to navigate. Para wouldn’t be able to swing freely in the hallways, leaving her with thrusting and her magic. A still mighty arsenal.   It happened so quickly. She felt her mental barrier power up to respond to an outside threat. She felt Para surge with magic, flowing into the defenses she had been crafting. None of it mattered. The will of something, something whose power far explained hers slammed into her mind. It felt like the tower, but it was so much worse. It ripped through her, and she fell forward with a cry.   Pain, that was all there was. IT ripped her mind, tearing into all she held dear. The pain from slamming her head into the ground was minuscule compared to the overwhelming force that forced its way through her mental defenses. It was so much worse than her transformation at the Fall Formal, that could not compare to this. It-It was searching for something, it hurt to think-It was looking for something. Her connection to Para. She felt it slam into the bond, trying to rip the sword from her. Para refused, screaming in defiance. IT pulled, and Pain flooded through her. It was close, ripping her mind to shreds- Oh Celestia, why? The pain-the pain-   “Get away from her!” A silver beam ripped through the air above her. She felt the overwhelming pressure on her mind lessen, but just barely. Enough for her to think. A dark, furred shape leapt over her, slamming into something. The impact caused the pressure to pull back even further, and Sunset found she could move her body once more. As she just lay on the ground, breathing in and out, a metal boot crunched onto the ground near her head.    “Sunset Shimmer.” A familiar, masculine voice said. “It would appear that you are in quite the predicament.” Sunset followed the metal boots to see a man in silver armor with a golden trim towering over her. Two Alicorns were emblazoned on his chest piece, the combined symbols of a Sun and moon on his Pauldron. Two massive wings, white as snow, emerged from his back. An outstretched gauntlet was offered towards her, and Sunset took it.      “When I told you to end this invasion, I didn’t expect you would decide to fight the Dream Eater himself.” The Knight-Regent said with a hint of a chuckle. Sunset, still recovering from brutal mental assault, just looked at him. “Nevermind that. Now, I would recommend you go and hunt your query. We’ll hold it off.” With that, he stepped forward and past Sunset Shimmer.   The Knight-Regent slammed his left hand upwards, and glowing pink energy swirled around the metal, before forming into a translucent sphere in his open palm. A twin helix of pink magic shot upwards, higher and higher, before exploding outwards. A massive pink dome came crashing down around them, completely banishing the eldritch pressure from Sunset’s mind. Immediately, she could tell that the Knight was holding back a massive amount of force, as she could see his arm shaking from the strain of creating the dome.    She heard something panting far in front of them, and realized that it was Princess Luna. She was gasping for air, clearly exhausted after her fight…with whatever she had been fighting. Just then a crack rang out through the air, and to her horror, she could see that a gap had formed in the pink shield. Behind, Sunset could  almost see the thing that had assaulted her earlier.    “Luna!” The Knight-Regent shouted. Immediately, the Princess of the Night jumped into action, a silver beam emerging from her horn. The beam slammed into the crevice, pushing back something. Pink energy washed over the cracking sealing it. It was obvious from the sweat pouring down their faces that this effort was exhausting.   Another crack sounded out, and another crevice formed in the pink shield. This time, however, Sunset could fully see the thing behind the shield. It was emerging from a swirling rift, the rift itself bleeding colors that couldn’t exist. The Dream Eater was a pair of jaws, as wide as the moon itself. Yet, it was small enough to fit inside the crack it had just created. It was actively contradicting itself, impossible even in a dream. As she laid her eyes on it, she felt the pressure slam back into her mind. She stumbled back even as Princess Luna unleashed a silver beam directly at it, pushing it back so the hole could be sealed. The pain in her mind as the god-like monster once more tore into was intense, but it was short lived.   “SUNSET SHIMMER!” Princess Luna’s voice boomed across the clearing, “GO!” WIth that, Sunset scrambled upwards, grabbing Para from where she had dropped it. With it in her hand, she felt the sword’s magic wash through her mind, flowing into her mental barriers. She rushed towards the house, and passed through the destroyed doorway.   She was met with an inky abyss, one that was quickly banished by the light emanating from the sword. Sunset could feel magic surge though the blade, more than she had ever felt before. It was like something had empowered Para…or perhaps someone. The resulting light from the sword completely erased the shadows. Well, it erased all the natural shadows. The Shadowy Monster in front of her just stared at her, then at Para, then back to her. Before she could react, it turned tail and sprinted up the stairs.   Sunset sprinted after the beast, clambering up the stairs as fast she could with a sword in her hand. As soon as she cleared the last step she held Para out in front of her, wary of an ambush. No attack came. Instead, the monster was simply staring at her, as if waiting for something. Upon seeing her approach, it once again turned and fled, running towards the room at the end of the upstairs hallway.   An idea crossed Sunset’s mind, but she rejected it for now. While it had some merit, she would need more evidence in order to prove it. Still, as she walked steadily towards the dark room, the idea lingered. What if it was the case? She pushed into the room, and found that it was the same one she had fallen asleep in. Applejack’s Room.    The couch where Vice-Princpial Luna had been sitting was empty, but not the bed. No, even in the dream Applejack lay sleeping on the bed. This time, though, Sunset could see shadows swirling around her friend's sleeping form. Above the circling shadows was a familiar monster made of shadows. It was crouched protectively over Applejack, and Sunset was forced to reconsider her previously rejected idea. What if…?   “V-Vice Principal Luna?” Sunset hesitantly asked. The creature perked up at that, and stared at her intently. It slowly, ever so slowly, approached her. It got closer and closer, but seemed to shy away from her. Or rather, away from Para. In a move that probably wasn’t very wise, Sunset sheathed Para in the floor. The monster looked at Sunset, to her empty hands, to Para, and back to Sunset. It got closer to her, face to face, before pulling back with…a sigh? It was the first sound she had heard from the creature, and it sounded as if it had let out a sigh of relief.    Then, before her very eyes, it began to change. The shadow solidified into a solid body, its many limbs becoming only four. Sapphire and grayish blue hair extended from its head, while its facial features became much more defined. The eyes, once pure white, now were a beautiful opal surrounding a black pupil. The only things that remained from its previous form were the two, shadowy horns.   Vice-Princpial Luna collapsed top ground, heaving for air. Sunset immediately moved to help and comfort her, steadying her. Luna looked up and at her, and despite opening her mouth to speak, no words came out. Instead, Sunset spoke.   “Luna. You’re safe now. All you have to do is wake up.”    When Sunset opened her eyes, she found herself slumped on the wall. Two massive eyes were staring directly at hers. Sunset chuckled softly, before raising a tired arm and pointing. Celestia followed the direction of the gesture, and her eyes went wide. Not only had her sister changed, no longer were shadows pouring out her face and hair, but she had woken up as well. She was staring at Celestia in confusion, and more than a little panic.     Upon recognizing the coming calamity, Sunset rose as quickly as she could, but the room's attention was drawn to a sudden set of coughing. Applejack had woken up, and looked around the room in shock. Sunset, now on her feet, rushed towards her friend and slammed her in a hug. It was a familiar action, as if it should be named after someone. Applejack gasped in surprise, but returned the action. Eventually they parted, and Sunset found herself in a difficult situation.    Luna was now hiding behind the couch, and Sunset could see tears in Celestia's eyes. She would have to resolve the situation, before anything truly bad could happen.   “Vice-Principal Luna. Would you please come out from behind the couch? No one here is going to hurt you.” Slowly, Luna emerged from the backside of the couch. Not that she had been very hidden, as the shadowy horns from the dream had given her away.   “Sunset Shimmer? What…what is going on here?” Luna asked, and Sunset heard a grunt of agreement from Applejack. It appeared she wasn’t able to speak just yet.   She took a deep breath, then gave them the shortest explanation she could give. “The world ended. Acoypalse, ragnarok, whatever you want to call it happened. Nearly everyone was transformed into monsters, or into some form of insanity. I lost all my memories, I couldn't even remember my name. I got this sword from…” Sunset paused. Perhaps it was better not to tell them about the person she had been seeing in a dream. “...From a Crystal Tree.” That was a lot better. “Now we need to rescue all the ‘Bearers of Harmony’ and destroy the tower that caused this.” She finished.   Luna looked at her shock, and then at Celestia. Sunset could see as Luna made the connection, and gasped softly. “T-Tia?” Luna whispered, her voice in shock. In response, Celestia nodded, tears in her eyes. Luna approached her sister slowly, carefully, before embracing her in a hug. Unfortunately, good things will always come to an end. Especially in the new, horrific world they had found themselves in.   A howl cut though the air outside, causing the entire party to freeze. All the bodies outside, of beasts and humans alike, had been sleeping. Luna’s dream had trapped them, but the dream was gone now. Sunset swore, drawing a look from Luna and Celestia. “We need to go. Now.” Sunset stressed, none of the others arguing. She grabbed Para, and gestured for the rest to follow. As a group, Sunset in the lead and Celestia in the rear, they ran. Into the hall, down the stairs, and through the door. They had made their way down the porch stairs, when Sunset stopped abruptly.    Monsters were emerging from the forest line, all shapes and sizes. Beasts and other things, were staring at the group, collectively staring at something. The normally soft glow of Para’s star was harsh now, and if the sword could make noise Sunset knew it would be growling. She could feel its will, but as more things emerged from the shadows Sunset came to a terrible realization. They wouldn’t be able to survive this.  Unless…   Sunset drew on her magic, pulling it into the sword. Scarlet energy wrapped around her, Para, and the group. She pulled on her magic even further, drawing from her deepest reserves. Princess Celestia had once scolded her when she had done a similar thing, warning her of the dangers of over drawing magic. You could shatter bones, shatter your horn, or worst, you destroy your very soul. It didn’t matter. Sunset could either endanger herself, or watch as her friends were killed by terrible monsters. It wasn’t much of a choice.   Scarlet magic grew brighter and brighter, causing the horde of nightmares manifest to halt in their place. Some of the more humanoid ones raised limbs to shield their eyes, while others stumbled backwards. Despite the growing pain, she continued to draw magic. It was nothing compared to pain from the Dream Eater, and even less to pain of failing her friends. Magic flowed around the group, highlighting them all in crimson energy. With a scream, Sunset pushed all her magic and more into Para. With an explosion of red energy, they were gone.    Sunset’s last sight before slipping into unconsciousness was that of a Crystal Tree.