//------------------------------// // 12. Lost to Time // Story: Fear The Hypnotist // by JeSuisLaPorte //------------------------------// Everyone had no trouble sleeping tonight in spite of the stressful encounter they had. Everyone but Sunset Shimmer who rolled around on her mattress for what felt like hours to her. She was too lost in her thoughts to find some sleep and after a while, she finally found herself falling asleep...  Only to wake up out of the blue. Her surroundings were completely alien to her and yet, familiar all the same. She was in a bed this time and definitely not in Pinkie’s bedroom. She was in a castle, Canterlot’s castle to be more precise.  “W-Why am I back here?” she asked herself out loud. She got out of the bed and noticed something odd; she was still in her human form despite being in Equestria.  “You’re still sleeping, Sunset Shimmer. You’re simply imagining my old bedroom.”  Sunset froze. That voice, it belonged to...  “Stardust Radiant. A name that nopony remembers, except for you. Oddly poetic, isn’t it?”  He was in her dream, but not under his actual appearance as a unicorn. Rather, he was in human form too, but not as a zombie. His clothes were mostly the same, except for the fact that his jacket had darker sleeves and didn’t have patches of fur on his collar. He was wearing fingerless gloves and lastly, his eyes were entirely covered in shadows, giving him a more ominous look to boot.  “You’re... just a figment of my imagination too, I suppose.” said Sunset, sounding disappointed to not see the real Stardust in his true light.  “No.” His response shocked her. “I’ve been brought into your mind by that wretched beast. Honestly, I’m quite happy that he did. Now, it’s time... we take a trip down memory lane you and I.”  The whole world around them began to distort before fading back in, taking them to a whole new setting.      In the garden next to Canterlot’s castle sat a young filly who was reading a book. She was studying its content for this was a book documenting all of the known spells in existence. This filly was none other than Sunset Shimmer who was, at the time, Celestia’s student for she had a special talent with magic. A talent that warranted her a place in Canterlot’s school for gifted unicorn. She was constantly showered with praise by her teachers for she surpassed all expectations. But this talent came at a cost. Despite the various praises she received from her peers, nopony wanted to be with her out of jealousy. She who was better, she who was smarter than her comrades. It evoked nothing but ire in their eyes. Nopony liked an egghead, they’d often say.  This left her all by herself, with nothing but her talent in magic to give her some worth. Without magic, what was she?  Unbeknownst to this little filly, however, there would soon be competition. Competition, that came in the form of a colt walking alongside Princess Celestia. This colt would soon come to challenge her own self-esteem and that can only lead to disastrous consequences, though not unforeseen.  As soon as her mentor came into view, Sunset lowered her book and hopped out of her seat to come great her, eager to show her what she has learned during her reading session.  “Princess Celestia! Princess Celestia!” she happily said while bouncing in front of the majestic alicorn. “Look what I learned!”  She placed a small glass in front of her and with her magic, she tore off an apple from a nearby tree and hovered it above the glass. Then, she closed her eyes and concentrated all her magic into this singular apple. In no time at all, the fruit began to crush itself into millions of tiny pieces, filling the glass with what was now apple juice.  Celestia lifted the glass and took a sip. To her surprise, it was really good. “Oh, my little pony; it’s really good!” She lowered her head to get on Sunset’s level. “You really seem to enjoy studying, don’t you?”  Sunset joyfully nodded. “I love studying magic! One day, I’ll be just as great as unicorns like Starswirl the Bearded!”   Celestia giggled, finding the little filly’s enthusiasm quite endearing. “I have no doubts you’ll do great things.” The alicorn suddenly felt something pulling on her back legs. She remembered what she wanted to say to Sunset. “I have some great news for you, Sunset. I have taken another unicorn under my wings.” She gently turned her head at the colt hiding behind her. “Come greet your new classmate, Stardust.”  Intrigued, Sunset Shimmer moved to the side to get a better look at this young unicorn. The colt looked horribly nervous, constantly avoiding her gaze. Celestia eventually gave him a gently push so he could finally break the ice amongst the two.  “H-Hi. My name is Stardust Radiant.” he said. His voice was really quiet, which made it hard to hear what he just said but Sunset thankfully understood his words.  “My name’s Sunset Shimmer. Nice to meet you!”  Celestia smiled, happy to see that the filly welcomed him with open hooves. “Well, now that you’ve been properly introduced; I'll show Stardust his bedroom.”  “Uh? His bedroom?” asked Sunset. Why would he get his own bedroom in the princess’s castle?  Princess Celestia briefly avoided her gaze for a moment. “Yes. You see... Stardust doesn’t have a home like you do.”  Now that she mentioned it, Sunset took a closer look at the colt. He was dirty. It was as if he didn’t take a shower in weeks.  “Don’t worry Sunset; I don’t have a favorite student. In fact, I love you all equally. It’s just that I want to give all my students an equal chance to succeed. I hope you can understand.” continued the majestic alicorn.  The filly didn’t think much of it. Princess Celestia was always right, no point in questioning her decisions. She simply nodded in response.  “The orphanages were full at the time. With nowhere else to go and with great talent to boot; Celestia took me under her wing.”  Next to the whole scene was an older Stardust Radiant in his human form. The older Sunset Shimmer was by his side, both observing this distant memory.  He was avoiding any eye contact with her as he continued onward with his speech. “You were quick to accept me as a new friend. So quick in fact, I had become your best friend within mere days of our first meeting.”  Sunset let out a saddened chuckle. “Yeah, most ponies thought I was too good for them and never really bothered to befriend me. Celestia must have noticed it and saw an opportunity to teach the both of us about friendship.”  Finally, Stardust turned sideways to face her. “You were so innocent when we first met, Sunset. Even to this day, I still wonder what in Tartarus happened to you.”  Sunset choked up a little and looked away out of remorse. “Believe me, I'm not proud of all the things I've done.”  “Hmm, we’re done here. Let’s go to the next memory.”      Now, the two found themselves back inside of Canterlot’s castle in its expansive halls. A young Sunset Shimmer was trotting happily along the corridors, making her way to Stardust’s new bedroom.  A guard passed by her and greeted the filly before going on with his day. Sunset really appreciated the respect she was being given by Canterlot’s Royal Guard; it truly was an honor to be held in higher regard by them.  She arrived at his bedroom and promptly knocked on the door, awaiting a response. The lower portion of the door soon opened, and Stardust peeked out, wondering why Sunset was here.  “Sunset Shimmer? Why are you here?” he asked curiously.  “Why I only came to play with you of course!” she answered vigorously.   Stardust looked back in his room and frowned. “But I need to study. Celestia told me to.”  The young Sunset giggled and swung her hoof. “You can always study when we’re done playing, silly!”  The colt’s head kept rocking back and forth between the pile of books on the floor and the filly in front of him. Eventually, he made up his mind with an excited smile. “I wanna play!”  Sunset spun around and ran, prompting Stardust to follow her. “Where are we going?” he asked.  “I know a cool place to play! I’ll show you the way!”  Observing the scene were the two older versions of Sunset and Stardust. The latter was the first to comment on the memory.  “You were my first friend, and my first playmate. I was afraid of the world before Celestia and you eased me to it. Never knew who my parents were no matter how hard I tried. I don’t believe I truly had any family at all. I was practically thrown on the streets and left there to die.”   Sunset looked back at her younger self who, at the time, didn’t know anything about Stardust’s rather tragic life before he was found by the alicorn. “It took me a long time to find out you were an orphan. I suppose it was simply because foals have a fairly limited view of the world.”  “You could say that.” Stardust walked in the direction that their younger selves had taken, prompting Sunset to do the same. “Let’s follow them. Wouldn’t wanna miss anything while we’re here.”     The two foals made their way to the tall maze near Canterlot’s castle, a place that Sunset liked to visit often. This time, she brought a friend to double the fun. “Tada! We’re going to play in this maze!” she proudly announced to the colt.  The young Stardust looked at the sheer size of the maze, unsure if it was a good idea to play inside. In his mind, they will get lost if they venture but that wasn’t a problem for the filly since she’s practically a regular there. “Are you sure we won’t get lost? It looks really big.”  “Pff, no way! I know this maze like the back of my hooves! Come on, it’ll be fun!”  Her confidence eased his worries, though he was still nervous. It would be the first he ever got to play with somepony.     But before they could enter the maze, something truly extraordinary happened. In the sky, something exploded suddenly, breaking the sound barrier and creating a ring-shaped rainbow. The two foals witnessed for the first time a Sonic Rainboom. Something that would later be more common once Rainbow Dash grew up.  “Woah... W-What was that?” Stardust was frozen in awe.  “It’s... beautiful. It’s so awesome!”  Behind them lied their older counterpart. “The Sonic Rainboom. A singular event that changed the future forever, though I wasn’t alive long enough to see its effects.”  Sunset felt a new wave of sadness fill her mind. “It unknowingly brought together the new bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”  Stardust Radiant continued on, seemingly not caring too much though the slight hints of vitriol in his voice indicated he was hiding his anger. “And from the looks of it, they put them to good use. I may have wielded one of the Elements, who knows? It sure would have been nice to see for myself how things evolved outside of Canterlot.”  “Well...” Sunset stared in direction of the school for gifted unicorn, getting Stardust to do the same. “You at least got to see one of its consequences for yourself.”  “Hmm, yeah, I remember her too. Celestia took a new student under her wing after she displayed an impressive amount of magic, just like us. Twilight Sparkle was her name, correct?” His memories were still clear from the looks of it.  “Yes, Twilight Sparkle was the third to join us. Although, we never really got to interact with her much because she was always lost in her books.” Sunset couldn’t help but let out a close chuckle. “Who would have believed she’d become the princess of friendship?”  “I guess we also could have earned that title... but we both know how THAT turned out in the end.” Stardust walked away, leaving Sunset to observe her young self-entering the labyrinth with enthusiasm. More specifically, she was looking at her foalhood friend, the same one she knew she would later go on to backstab.  “The fault’s all on me... I know.”  The man stopped momentarily. “You’re starting to understand, good. Now, let’s move forward in time... just a bit.”      On the streets of Canterlot, Sunset and Stardust, now a little more grown up, were chatting about their current progress regarding their studies under Celestia’s tutelage. Now, despite knowing about Twilight Sparkle from her, they both had yet to meet the unicorn for she was rather asocial. It was a trait that earned her many mean comments from her classmates who couldn’t understand why a pony would be so much against socialising, even at the most basic of level.  They did try to approach her, often waving a hoof at her to try to get her attention, but it was no use. Every time they’d call out to her, she’d ignore them, too captivated by her books to pay any real attention to what was two potential friends just waiting to be made.  Today, they saw Twilight passing by them and they wanted to try their luck again. Hopefully, this time she’d notice them.  “Hey Twilight!” said Stardust Radiant.  Just as expected, she passed by them without saying hello for she was lost in her book yet again.   “Uh, still nothing. You think this will eventually work? Maybe we should just go straight up to her face.” proposed Sunset Shimmer.  “But that’ll be impolite! Celestia always told us to be polite to other ponies.” protested the colt.  Sunset, however, was much in favor of her idea. “But how are we supposed to make her our friend? She won’t listen to us!”  Twilight Sparkle suddenly bumped into a stallion who looked to be not that much older than her. It was Shining Armor, her older brother. Her B.B.B.F.F as she referred to him. The little filly smiled, happy to see him again.  “So that’s Shining Armor. Celestia also talks about him a lot.” pointed out Stardust Radiant.  “Yeah, about how promising he looks. I wonder why Princess Celestia hasn’t chosen him as one of her students.” added Sunset.  Stardust looked at the two interact. They were pretty adorable together, two siblings that would both do great things in the future. Unlike his sister, Shining Armor was more outgoing and social, a far cry from Twilight’s behavior. Ponies sometimes wondered how they could be related.  “I heard that he wanted to join the Royal Guards when he’s older.” finally said the colt.  Sunset turned her head to look at Stardust. “Really? Maybe that’s why Celestia hasn’t chosen him.”  “Probably.”  The human Stardust finally stepped into the scene, drawing the older Sunset’s attention to him instead.  “Twilight Sparkle, huh? Must have changed a lot since I've last seen her, not that I care much; I barely know anything about the princess of friendship.” he spoke in a rather cold tone.  “She... got around to make some friends in Ponyville, after being instructed to go there by princess Celestia herself.” responded Sunset, though she could tell it didn’t pique his interest whatsoever. He already made it clear that he cared little about anything outside of her specifically.  “And to think that you valued friendship in your youth. As time went on, you began to reject it and by proxy; you rejected me.” The vitriol in his voice got under Sunset’s skin. He looked perfectly calm on the outside, but she knew that he was still very angry underneath his apathic façade.  She tried to reason once more. “Stardust, listen I-”  He got up in her face, startling Sunset who took a step back. His left eye was now visible, and it was a bright red that glowed with indignity. “Am I a joke to you?”  She wanted to say no but paused for a moment. She hasn’t treated him the best in the years following this memory, she remembered it all. Her answer could easily make the situation worse if she says no, but no matter what; she’ll speak from her heart. “N-No... I was wrong to have treated you this way.”  His red eye faded away, though his frown remained sternly on his face. He cocked his head back, almost in disgust of her. “And yet you continued to act this way even after you murdered me. It took you a few more years to truly change... We’re moving on from this memory. There’s still much to see.”       Now, the two found themselves near the fountain located in the center of Canterlot. Sunset looked around, trying to find her younger self, but noticed that Stardust Radiant had already spotted them.  The two were trotting around town, looking forward to throw out a bit in the fountain. They wanted to make a wish. Sunset immediately recognised this memory. “I... I remember this one in particular. We first met him right here, didn’t we?”  “Sketch Pattern, yes. Yes, we did.” bluntly answered the man. “The second friend I ever made.”    The filly jumped on the sides of the fountain and gazed at the water, impressed by the large number of bits inside. The colt joined her, although struggling a bit to make the jump.  “Why were we going to the fountain again?” he asked curiously.  The filly gestured at him to look at the bits underwater. “Don’t you know the special properties of fountains?”  “Uh... n-no?”  She raised her head and proudly exclaimed. “If you throw a bit in a fountain, your wish will come true!”  The colt’s eyes slowly filled up with wonder as he took a deeper look at the structure they were standing on. “That’s amazing!” But then, he realised that he had no bits on himself. “Aw, I don’t have any bits to chuck in the fountain.”  Sunset smiled and pulled out two from her saddlebag. “Well it’s a good thing I have more than two left!” she offered one to a very happy Stardust. “Now we can both make a wish!”  “Thank you, Sunset! I want to wish for a-”  “No no no no!” interrupted the filly. “You’re not supposed to say your wish out loud. If anypony hears your wish, then it won’t come true!” warned Sunset.  “O-Oh! My bad.”  The two foals tossed their bits and made their wish, without telling each other of course. Then, just as they were about to leave, a young, almost squeaky voice called out to them.  “Hi there! You two looked adorable! Do you mind if I quickly sketch you two?”  A new colt has joined them, holding a sketchbook and a pencil in his hooves. He was sitting right next to them. How long as he been here?  The older Sunset chuckled. “I can’t believe we didn’t notice him at the time. He was right next to us.”  “Foals always have tunnel vision.” firmly replied the older Stardust.  The young Sunset stared at the earth pony in confusion. “Um, who are you? I don’t think I've seen you before.”  “My name is Sketch Pattern! I love to draw things!” he enthusiastically introduced himself.  He had a Cutie Mark which consisted of a sketchbook and a pencil, go figure. Well, with a cutie mark like that, surely, he can conjure up something good.  Stardust was very eager to see a drawing of himself, so he obliged. “Sure, I want to see your drawing when you’re done!”  “Huh? But I don-” her objection was cut short by the scratchy sounds of the pencil brushing against the sketchbook.  “Like I said, you two look like you like each other very much.” Sketch Pattern stopped for a moment to look back at them. “Are you two a couple?”  “What?” they both said in unison.  “My parents told me that when a mare and a stallion get together, that’s because they’re in love!”  Both Sunset and Stardust blushed, diverting their eyes from each other. “No! We’re not in love!” Sunset quickly shut down the idea.  Sketch nervously chuckled. “Oh, come on! I saw how you two were looking at each other.” He immediately went back to his work. The speed at which he was drawing the lines impressed the two foals. This colt was really, really good at drawing. Not only that, but his movement was surprisingly precise for such a young pony, an earth pony on top of that. No magic, only a great expertise in this form of art.  Sunset titled her head a little, trying to see Sketch’s drawing, but he immediately took his eyes off. “Don’t move! Don’t move! You gotta stay still or else it will mess everything up!”  “S-Sorry.”  Finally, he stopped drawing after a few more seconds and carefully examined his craft. Stardust took a few steps towards him, far too excited to wait just a little longer.  “Here it is!” he proudly exclaimed as he flipped the paper over to reveal his quick sketch of the two.  “Wow! Chuckled Stardust. “You’re pretty good! How can you draw so fast?”  Sketch laughed. “Just look at my Cutie Mark and you’ll understand!”  The two glossed over at his Cutie Mark and immediately understood where his talent came from. “That’s a cool talent!” admitted Sunset Shimmer. “What will you do when you’ll become a stallion?”  The young colt flipped through some pages on his sketchbook, eventually landing on the page he wanted to show. “A comic book artist!” he proudly said before showcasing his work.      “For a colt his age, he was quite extraordinary when it came to drawing. You think his parents already knew what he would do later on?”  Sunset asked that question to the older Stardust Radiant. He was always a firm believer of fate ever since he was found by Celestia.  “The same could be said for many ponies. It’s as if our lives are decided the moment we come into this world. This begs the question, Sunset...” He turned his head to look at her, his red eye coming back into view. “Was it destiny that killed me? Or was it you?”  “It was...” Sunset stopped, still debating whether she should say it or not. Their friendship was already broken at that point, nothing could make it any worse, so she chose to follow through. “It was me. The world never rejected you, Stardust. It was only me...”  “Funny you say that; I get the feeling that it’s the other way around.” His response was sharp, almost cutting her off with how quick he was.  “W-What do you mean?” she said, slightly disturbed.  “If the world never rejected me then explain this; Why did everpony forget about me? Why did you forget until now? Why did all my teachers forget? Why did all the Royal Guards forget? Why... did Celestia forget about me?”  Sunset was taken aback. Everypony forgot he even existed? Sure, she could understand why she would have tried to forget about him considering he brings back terrible memories but... the rest of his entourage didn’t even remember him? Not even the town he sacrificed himself to defend?  “I... I didn’t know.”  Stardust clenched his fist, trying to hold his anger back for just a while longer. “So apparently, I'm just a ghost who never even exited to begin with. Great.”     While they were busy talking to each other, their younger counterparts have just befriended Sketch Pattern. With this new friend, they formed a group of three, ready to take on the world and all its challenges together.  “Let’s meet together after school at this fountain!” announced the young filly.  “Sounds good to me!” replied Sketch.  The three then went on their separate ways. Sunset returned home and Stardust went back to the castle. Sketch waited for a bit, looking at his drawing of the two friends he just made. After a few seconds, he took out his pencil and quickly drew himself next to them.  “Gosh, I can’t wait to tell my parents about my new friends!”      “Still at the fountain...” noted Sunset. Their environnement hasn’t changed one bit. Not even the time of the day seemed to have switched. She noticed Sketch Pattern was still sitting on the fountain and quickly pieced out what memories this was. “This was the moment we decided on a name for our group.” she said with an air of nostalgia behind her voice.  “Deep down, you still long for the olden days, don’t you?” asked Stardust Radiant. “So am I.”  “I’m certain you have better reasons than me.” she said with an uncertain smile.  The fallen man noticed her attempt at bringing some levity to the situation and just for a moment... it seemed like he appreciated.  Now the interesting part was about to happen, indicated by the arrival of their younger selves.  They hopped on the fountain and greeted their brand-new friend. They were excited to see what he had drawn since their first meeting, a sentiment that he adored, as any artists would in fact.  The human Sunset Shimmer observed the scene with nostalgia, then her mind rapidly diverged to Sketch in particular. “Still... I wonder how’s he doing nowadays. It’s been so long since we last talked to him.”  “Hope he’s doing better than you.” brutally said Stardust.  Sunset looked away, unable to bare this painful feeling any longer. She knew that if she couldn’t convince her old friend to abandon his vindictive quest, then she’ll have to confront him once more. Before this, she had an easier time going against him since all she saw was a rotten corpse vaguely carrying his features but now, she was talking to him, she was seeing him again as a person and not a monster. Could she truly have the guts?  Unlike Twi, Stardust had not only hurt innocents; he murdered them. Simply getting him to stop and apologise wouldn’t be enough. It would mean to disregard the crimes he committed purely because her feelings wouldn’t allow her to.  Justice stands above feelings, she knew that. Justice is incorruptible whilst feelings are. In the end, it’ll be best to leave her friends to judge the right from the wrong in this situation for they wouldn’t hold as much bias as these two.  “I must admit; I did try to get in contact with him.” Stardust tilted his entire body to her. She had his full attention now. Worst of all was that for the first time, he had a look that showed something other than anger or indignity. Sunset looked back at him; her disappointed look quickly shut down his hopes. “I couldn’t get a response from him.”  “If you’re the one who comes out of this victorious, then please; try to at least visit him for me.”  His voice cracked a little. Compared to her, Stardust never hated Sketch Pattern. In fact, he always viewed him as his best friend, a brother even. He also considered Sunset as his sister, but that was a long time ago.  “I’ll try, I swear. I won’t let you down, it’s the least that I can do...”    “The three musketeers?”   Sunset shook her head vigorously. “No! That sounds lame! We can come up with a cooler name than that!”  Sketch simply shrugged. “It ain’t easy coming up with a cool name for a team of three. All the cool teams have four members!”  “Then how about... Triple Trouble!” proposed the young filly.  “It makes us sound like we’re up to no good.” complained Stardust.  “You’re right.” sighed Sunset.  “Then how about... the Wild Cards?” continued Stardust.  “The Smiling Friends?” hesitantly said Sketch Pattern.  Both Sunset and Stardust looked at each other in consideration. “We’ll take it... as a placeholder.” affirmed the filly.  “Meh, good enough.” supported Stardust.  “Well, now that that’s out of the way; let’s do something cool for today!” finished Sketch, eager to play with his new friends.    The memory began to fade away, leaving nothing but darkness around the two. “Moving on.” abruptly said Stardust.  “A... little late there.”  He looked at her, subtly frowning once more. “I’ve shown you our foalhood. It was nice indeed, but we both know the problems arose later on in our lives. Now, it is time we go to the root of this conflict.”       The school for Gifted Unicorns, a school meant only for the top of the cream in terms of unicorn magic. A school that brought unicorns from all around the continent to study the ins and out of magic. What made it so enticing was the fact that Celestia always kept a close eye on the student’s progress to observe who would be deemed a good candidate to be her successor. Unbeknownst to everypony in Equestria, the princess of sunlight’s reign was going to come to an end in the coming years. But for that to happen, there must be another pony on the throne.  So far, there were three unicorns that she was closely observing. These three were Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and lastly, Stardust Radiant. All three have displayed great potential in various domains of magic but of course, there was something missing in all of them to be her successor.   Twilight Sparkle was loyal, studious and great in magic but... she was rather inexperienced in making friends or even holding a conversation with anypony outside of Celestia and her family.  Sunset Shimmer mostly held the same qualities as Twilight, but she could be rather impulsive and impatient at times.  Lastly, Stardust Radiant had a very limited knowledge of the world as well as being somewhat underdeveloped due to his parent’s absence when he was a foal. Add on top of that his immense naivety and you’d understand why Princess Celestia was wondering whether she should still consider him as a potential successor.   Nevertheless, with enough time and effort, each could reach their full potential and become a worthy ruler for Equestria. They just needed a push in the right direction, perhaps a change in their routine to force them to experience the world in a different light. Anything really to get them to move past their flaws.  But all these thoughts had to lay off for the time being. The alicorn was simply going to enter the classroom and observe her three student’s progress.  The test the young unicorns had to do was fairly simple; to accelerate a plant’s lifetime so that it could blossom. Now that sounds easy on paper but let me tell you; it’s not as simple as it sounds. The speed at which its life is accelerated must be perfectly controlled or else it will wither away as quickly as it blossomed.  This same spell can also be applied to other living beings, but it is much more difficult to pull off successfully to the point that almost next to zero unicorns have ever been able to learn it, not that it’s really all that practical to practice on ponies.   With enough creativity and control over magic, one can add some flair to their plant, and that was what Princess Celestia was truly interested in seeing.  The students were all forming a line with their desk so the alicorn could have an easier time seeing their work. Passing by, she noted the results one by one. Some failed to blossom the plant, others outright killed it by aging the plant too much and lastly, there were those who succeeded. She comforted those who failed with kind and encouraging words to keep their spirits up, after all, it’s just one test amongst many others.  Finally, she got to the interesting part and that was her three students. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer got pretty similar results; their plant was beautiful, lively. They certainly surpassed the other’s, not surprising for it was what Celestia came to expect from these two.  Stardust, on the other hand, was something else. His plant grew three times, unlike Twilight and Sunset’s being two times. It was also magnificent with its vibrant colors and detailed patterns. This... was rather unexpected coming from the unicorn who previously lived on the streets of Canterlot.  How and why would somepony throw away such a wondercolt is to put it simply, bewildering.   “Very impressive, my little pony!” she finally said after carefully examining Stardust’s plant.  Of course, not to neglect the other two, the alicorn congratulated their valiant effort too. She really didn’t want to have a favorite, but her plans decided otherwise. The princess of the Sun needed a successor, which meant that not all her students will be given the same amount of attention. It’s a fine balance to walk through, but Celestia knew she could manage without hurting the other feelings.  Unbeknownst to her, somepony’s feelings had already been hurt, and it was Sunset Shimmer. The little filly, who dreamed of one day being a princess, had just learned that she had a rival. A strong rival that could potentially crush her in this competition.  While she was giving her speech to the whole class about the importance of perseverance, Sunset pouted in the back of the class, constantly gazing at Stardust for a brief moment before staring back at the wall next to her.  “So... all of that was over a blossomed flower?” insulted the older Stardust Radiant. “That day sparked some hostility in you, and our friendship took a turn for the worst. After years of being the best of buddies, you turned your back on me. And now... I'm turning my back on you.”  Sunset simply listened out of sadness, not really knowing what to say back. She was still hurt from all of these painful memories of the stallion she once considered to be her best friend.  “Way past the point of bargaining?” she said in a defeated voice.   Stardust walked forward, examining the plant his young counterpart blossomed. “That was years ago, Sunset. Years ago...”        Some time has passed since the last memory, and Sunset’s discontent for Stardust only grew stronger. At this point, she was a fully grown mare, which meant that it would soon be time for Celestia to make her final choice.  Somewhat insulted by Stardust’s progress, she often came to visit him just to make sure he wasn’t surpassing her too much. However, that one fateful day sparked even more hostility and hate in him, vile feelings that came in the form of a conversation she eavesdropped.  While wandering the corridors of the princess’s castle, Sunset Shimmer heard the voice of Celestia not too far from her current position. She didn’t think much of it, but quickly had a change of plans once she heard Cadance too. Hiding behind a statue, she supressed her magic to make herself undetectable and listened carefully to their conversation.  “You know I won’t be ruling over Equestria forever, Cadance.” The alicorn’s harmonious voice sounded a little sad this time, a rare sight indeed or... sound if you prefer.  “I... see what you’re trying to say.” Cadance had been an alicorn herself for many years. She had become one even before she became a mare, quite impressive for a unicorn.  “I have no idea when that time will come, but I must prepare somepony to take on the mantle just in case it will happen sooner than I expected.”  Now this discussion has gotten Sunset’s full attention. She was going to stay there for hours should she need to. With dreams of being an alicorn, of having all the power, she’ll be respected and admired by all, a feeling she doesn't quite have at the moment. The unicorn needed to know who Celestia had in mind.  “And you’re struggling to decide who it should be, isn’t it?” finally responded the princess of love.  Celestia nodded. “It is not a minor decision. The entire balance of Equestria will rest on the hooves of the pony I've chosen. I must be certain it is the right choice.”  “So, you want to know my opinion?” Cadance had a slightly worried expression on her face, her opinion could potentially make a drastic impact on the majestic alicorn’s final pick.  “Yes, you’ve seen what each of them can do and I know that you’re especially close to Twilight in particular.”  “Won’t that make my choice a little biased?” questioned the young alicorn.  “Cadance; I trust that you can be impartial for this matter. It’s an important quality for a princess.” affirmed Princess Celestia. “Who do you believe would be the best candidate to rule over Equestria in the future?”  Sunset Shimmer was now more intrigued than ever, going so far as to slightly lean out of her hiding spot to better hear the discussion. She was awaiting Candance’s opinion with bathed breath.  “All three of them have displayed a strong will and great talent in magic...” the alicorn paused for a moment. “But I can’t for the life of me choose between Twilight and Stardust.”  Celestia let out a brief smile. “I had the same two in mind.” She stopped for a moment, clearly thinking about the one who was left out. “Sunset is a great student, I have no doubts, but I believe she may be a little too... rash and impulsive. I prefer not to risk it, otherwise I'd be placing a burden far too heavy on a pony who may simply find more joy in something else.”  Sunset nearly broke her cover when she heard the princess’s words. She didn’t believe that she’d make a good fit to become an alicorn? The unicorn felt her blood boiling, Twilight Sparkle would be tough to surpass, but it was entirely possible. Their magic was fairly equal, so it was no big deal but Stardust? Now he was something else. Sunset Shimmer couldn’t even imagine herself ever rising above him in terms of sheer magical prowess. The stallion was a prodigy amongst prodigy, almost like a certain Starswirl the Bearded she read about.  She’d have to find a way to get him out of the picture.    The older Stardust reappeared before the human Sunset. He looked at the unicorn with disdain. “You wanted to be an alicorn. You wanted nothing but power to the point that you felt justified in murdering me.” He turned around to face his nemesis. “Why? Why did you want power in the first place?”  Sunset crossed her arms, feeling uncomfortable but determined to admit the truth before the apparition of her reanimated friend. “I was better than everypony at magic and they showered me with praise. I guess I just... let it get over to my head and believed that I deserved everything as a result. My ego dictated all my decisions, and it was hurt to find that it wasn’t going to get what it wants.”  His red eye shined through the shadow of his face once more. “So it was a spoiled brat that killed me? Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, you stick the knife in some more.”  Sunset looked away, desperately trying to avoid any eye contact with Stardust Radiant for her remorse was too great. Nonetheless, she could still feel his intense stare burning her very soul with its hatred. “Yeah, I was just a spoiled brat who couldn’t let her pride take a single blow. You’re entirely justified in hating me, but I want you to know that I've bettered myself since then. I’m not the monster I once was, everybody deserves a second chance.”  “Easy for you to say when you’re still allowed to have one. I only got one chance, and you blew it for me. Bravo Sunset. Bravo.” he said, sarcastically clapping his hands in the process.  The world around them began to distort, slowly reforming into yet another memory. Evidently, there was still a long road ahead of them. A road that would eventually lead to Stardust’s untimely demise. A horrible scene she would be forced to watch unfold all over again... and again... and again.      It was a bright and sunny day on the great city of Canterlot. On such a beautiful day, what better place to eat than outside, just under the Sun? The trio had taken a liking to the name “The Smiling Friends” as they thought it sounded kind of cute, which is why they kept it around long after they were just foals. The three were sitting at a table on the terrace of a nearby restaurant, looking at the menu.  “Grilled cheese? That must be new, ‘cause I don’t remember seeing it on the menu last time I went.” mentioned Sketch Pattern while he was glancing over all the meals.   “Why would they be grilling cheese? That doesn’t sound tasty at all.” innocently said Stardust.  “It’s more like a sandwich, if you looked closer at the menu you wouldn’t be asking this.” corrected the earth pony with a bit of amusement in his voice.  The stallion spotted it on the menu and began to laugh nervously. “I should probably think before I speak.”  “And here I thought it was Sunset’s whole shtick.” teased Sketch.  This finally got Sunset Shimmer to put down her menu. “Real smooth, Sketch.”  For breakfast, they had a lot of option. Usually, they’d stick to the same meal every time they went, but this time, they wanted to experiment a little and pick something that was out of their comfort zone.  “I don’t eat muffins that much... you think that’ll be a good pick?” asked Stardust Radiant after careful consideration.  “If you want to, it’s your personal decision after all.” responded Sunset.  Sketch Pattern winced, trying to evaluate if what he was about to choose would be a good idea. He eventually just shrugged it off and went for it. “Meh, I think I'll just eat a whole buncha fruit and hope that it’ll go down the drain smoothly.”  “...Lovely image there.” Sunset didn’t look comfortable with the earth pony’s lack of restraint.   “What? I can’t be the only one with this problem.”  The three had a strange dynamic, but nevertheless, their friendship carried through to the present day. They had gone a long way since they were just foals meeting each other for the first time. Sunset and Stardust were studying under Princess Celestia, both in a competition to become her successor, although the stallion was unaware of it all. Sketch, due to being an earth pony, was going in an entirely different direction from the unicorns. His drawing ability, as well as his overall speed, had greatly increased and he dreamt of one day working on the famous series of Daring Do which became extremely popular in a matter of weeks since their first inception.   Of course, that implied that their path was going to diverge one way or another and they knew that they wouldn’t be able to see each other all that much. The line of work that Sketch wanted to branch in was mostly located in cities outside of Canterlot, meaning he had to leave his old life behind at some point should he want to pursue his dreams.  That alone created a more sorrowful atmosphere between them. It was a topic they’d rather avoid, so they could focus on the present and enjoy the time they were spending together before it would come to an end.  But denial can only go so far...  “Oh finally! Breakfast’s here.” announced Sketch as he saw the waiter arriving with their plates.  “This time, Sketch; try to keep your bladder in check. In other words, don’t drink too much apple cider.” playfully warned Sunset Shimmer.  Stardust looked at Sketch incredulously. “You drink apple cider for breakfast?”  “What? You’re telling me that’s not normal?”  Sunset giggled. “Only alcoholics do that I believe.”  Sketch looked at her with wide eyes before gazing at his cup of apple cider. “I don’t have a drinking problem.”  “I wasn’t implying, I was affirming you had a bit of a problem.”  At this point, the earth pony was the one holding the group together unbeknownst to him.  Whenever he was around, Sunset Shimmer’s growing dislike of Stardust took a backseat, going so far as to almost forget about her hate completely.  “All good things must come to an end.” The current Stardust Radiant reappeared before our Sunset. “Sketch’s presence kept our friendship somewhat intact, but it wasn’t enough to fix it.”  He stopped to look back at the memories of themselves, mostly at the stallion he still called his friend. “When you murdered me; has Sketch Pattern ever come to mind? Did his feelings ever come into consideration, or were you just blinded by hate?”  The red-haired girl stared at the earth pony, feeling even more remorseful. It’s been so long since she last saw him, much less contacted him. The trauma of what she had done led her to supress nearly all of her memories of Stardust and by proxy, of Sketch. Now that they were unlocked, she finally got to realise that she had hurted another pony with her reckless and spiteful actions.  “N-No... He didn’t come to mind when I left you to die.”  Her answer sparked a new wave of wrath in Stardust, his eye shined even brighter, and his teeth were clenched with such intensity that you could hear them crack. Then, he looked away, avoiding eye contact with Sunset for the first time. A few tears spilled down his face as he looked once more at the memory of the stallion. “You didn’t deserve this, old friend...”      Time jumped forward yet again and now; the two humans found themselves at Canterlot’s train station. Both of them choked up once they realised what this memory was.  The “Smiling Friends” were all present, awaiting the arrival of the train. All three looked awfully sad, trying to hold back their tears. Sketch was in front of the two unicorns with a couple of luggage that they generously helped him carry.  This was the moment the two had to say goodbye to their foalhood friend. A difficult moment to live through as they had spent more than a decade together. Despite knowing for a year that he was inevitably going to leave, they were not mentally prepared.  The air carried a feeling of sorrow as it brushed against their mane. Dark grey clouds filled the sky. This combination really didn’t help to lighten up the mood.  Sketch Pattern was leaving for Manehattan where he hoped to work on the Daring Do comics that were currently in production. Recently, he had been feeling rather uninspired in Canterlot. The city was beautiful, yes, but there weren’t many jobs in the domain of art available. Not only that, but he had spent his entire life there and he had grown tired of it. The inspiration just wouldn’t come anymore, and, in the end, he had to make the difficult choice. It was either his friends, or his passion, the driving force behind his life.  He chose the latter, a decision that the unicorns understood. While they could have persuaded him to stay, they knew better than to control somepony else’s life.  “So... this is it, huh?” Sunset was the first to break the saddening silence. “Never thought this day would come so soon...”  “So did I.” responded Sketch. He looked at the floor, struggling to find to his words. “Crazy how fast a year fly by.”  “But we made the most of it, didn’t we?” said Stardust, trying to add a bit of optimism to the situation.   “You two sure did. I only followed along ‘cause I had nopony else.” Sketch struggled to finish his sentence. A few drops of rain fell from the dark clouds. “Frankly, I don’t know how I would have gotten through my life without you. I just... hope I won’t be all alone in Manehattan.”  Sunset trotted up to him and placed a hoof around his shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll be able to make some friends there.”  “Like Celestia always said; friendship is magic.” added the stallion. “I’m sure you can get along with you coworkers. I mean... that’s how Sunset and I first met. Right, Sunset?”  Sunset didn’t say a word. Instead, she nodded for she her emotions were overwhelming the poor mare.   Sketch’s eyes began to water. “I promise you I’ll send you letters from Manehattan. I won’t ever forget about you two.”  Stardust moved closer to him and after a long moment, hugged him. “Promise me you’ll come visit us, please.”  The earth pony was taken aback by the affectionate gesture but quickly embraced it. “I promise.”    The human Sunset watched the scene with teary eyes. This memory already hurted enough to relive, but she knew what happened afterward and it only made her sadness worse. The three never got to reunite after this fateful day. This was the last time they were together. However, they did receive a letter from Sketch a couple of days later, but never met him face-to-face again. Then... nothing. No more letters all of a sudden. They had truly drifted apart, seemingly forgetting about their friendship. Perhaps this was why Sunset had a strong dislike for Twilight. A dislike strong enough to warrant stealing her crown and escaping into the human world for this alicorn had it all, friends and a lovely home.  Stardust Radiant seemed just as sad for he was crying. No sobbing, no weeping, only a stream of tears dripping down his face as he silently watched his past self say his final goodbyes to his best friend, the only one who hadn’t betrayed him. In the end, he dropped to his knees, his face appearing exhausted. “I can’t take this kind of pressure.” His head slowly lifted upward to look at the dark sky. “You failed us both, Sunset Shimmer. Failed us both...”  He suddenly got back on his feet and stomped towards Sunset with a vengeful look in his red eyes. He grabbed her by the collar and pulled her closer to him. “I helped you realise your true potential. Showed you what you were capable of alongside Celestia. We all put our faith in you. We all said you could achieve great things. And you respond by letting me be engulfed in a sea of flames. I’ve said it once and I'll say it again; Am I a joke to you?”  Sunset didn’t know what to say. She could only look at him with sadness in her eyes for it spoke a million words. Eventually, he dropped her to the ground and began pacing back and forth. He was in a state of distress, a state that only grew worse each time he got to see Sketch Pattern again.  “Stardust, we can still make amends.” said Sunset with desperation in her voice. She wasn’t pleading for him to let her go, no, she was pleading for him to let go of his hate and return to the light. “I swear I'll do everything I can to bring you back from the dead. Please, allow me to help. Allow me to fix my greatest mistake.”  The man didn’t move a muscle. “Sunset...” His voice had regained its composure. “I am beyond saving. I’ve spilled the blood of those who were undeserving. I don’t deserve your pity.”  “B-But why did you kill them? Was it just to send a message?”  Stardust looked at his hands, human in appearance but he knew it was just an illusion casted by this dream. “Do you know how it feels to be dead? No, of course you don’t.” He turned around to face her once more, one hand gripping his chest as his head looked down. “It’s a real nightmare. You don’t feel anything, no joy, no pain, not even the wind blowing on your face. You only feeling like you don’t belong anywhere. This torment grew worse with each passing day. I thought that maybe if I did something horrible, then... I’d get to feel something even if it’s guilt.” He raised his head to reveal his bright eyes that pierced the darkness around them. “Nothing. I felt nothing when I killed that guard, nothing when I murdered these innocent girls, nothing when I mentally tormented that wannabe magician. Nothing. I... am a monster, and monsters don’t deserve second chances.    I’m going to bury you with me...”      Now they have finally arrived on that fateful day. The last day Stardust would spend amongst the living. Some terrible complications forced Celestia’s hooves elsewhere, but the threat of the dragon couldn’t be ignored, hence why she sent Sunset and Stardust. Out of all her three students, they were the most prepared for battle.  Inside the majestic throne room, the two unicorns were readying themselves to embark on their long journey. Stardust Radiant paced around frantically, deeply lost in his thoughts while Sunset silently stared at him in disdain.  Should they succeed, Princess Celestia would feel more justified in choosing the stallion over her but at the same time, if she tries to sabotage the mission, she’ll get in big trouble. She somehow had to find a way to paint Stardust in a less than flattering light if she wants to get a shot out of becoming a princess.  “Are we planting tents or what? We should get moving already!” she shouted. The stallion was startled by the strength in her voice.  “Oh, sorry. I’m just terribly nervous. I mean, Princess Celestia never prepared us to fight a dragon!” he responded, his hooves nervously clapping against the tiles. “She wouldn’t send us to our death, right? She must have faith in us! I mean, of course she must! Why else would we be sent to stop a dragon from burning down an entire town!”  Sunset Shimmer groaned. “Get a grip on yourself, Stardust! You’re the most powerful unicorn in Canterlot at the moment! With me, you got this in the bag.”  Ever since Sketch left for Manehattan, the mare has only gotten more violent towards the stallion. She comforted him with harsh words and belittled his efforts. To him, it was just because she was still saddened by the earth pony’s departure. What he failed to realise was that this behavior was still very much present during their later foalhood, only it was not as pronounced and much more subtle back then.  Nothing truly changed, she was only more straightforward with her harsh behavior. “Okay, I think I’m ready to go.” Stardust picked up his saddlebag and stretched his legs.  “Good, let’s not waste any time then. We have a dragon to stop.”    The human Stardust watched the scene with weary eyes. “Now that I finally get to see these memories again, I feel nothing but shame for not noticing the signs.”  “Don’t blame yourself for anything. It was entirely my fault it even happened.” Sunset came to his defense, despite being the culprit behind his death.  “But I would have lived had I been more vigilant, and most importantly, not blinded by the past. I overlooked everything and found excuses for your behavior when there were none.”  Sunset didn’t know what else to say, Stardust was too far gone. He seemed unable to free himself from his past mistakes and she hoped that she could somehow make him move on, even if she has to die for it. Monster or not, he deserved a second chance. After all, it’s reasonable to assume that his spirit must have been corrupted in some form when he was brought back as a zombie. The dead do not rise from their grave because of a virus, no, it takes the forbidden magic of necromancy to bring a ghoul to the realm of the living.  Whatever reanimated Stardust Radiant could have accentuated his anger or even manipulated him into killing innocent people. Yes, mind control, it must have something to do with that tyrant that always appear whenever the zombie was nearby.  And yet, there was a nagging thought in the back of her mind. The thought that maybe, this giant had nothing to do with Stardust’s killings. The thought that maybe, his anger had consumed all his morals.  “You’ve seen our history together and remembered the rest. There’s no point in wasting more time around here; it’s time you witness your crime. Let it sink in what you did.”      “Sunset! Thank Celestia you’re here!” Stardust was holding on for dear life. Too exhausted to pull himself up from the inferno below him, he needed to have somepony else give him a helping hoof.   Sunset Shimmer looked at him and looked like she was about to pull him up, but then she stopped to consider. The stallion was terribly confused as to why she was pondering what she should do in a moment like this. I mean, it was fairly obvious, wasn’t it?  “Uh... are you going to pull me up? I can’t hold on much longer!” he shouted in desperation. The unicorn kept on looking below him, getting more and more nervous each time he saw the fiery streets. He wasn’t going to live through a fall like this, especially without the use of magic, to which his exhaustion prevented him from casting any spells at the moment.  His strength was waning, enough to the point that his right hoof lost its grip. Now holding onto the building with just one leg, Stardust was getting more desperate. “I’m... I’m going to fall! Pull me up, please!”   Finally, after a long moment of sitting idly, Sunset Shimmer grabbed his last remaining hoof. A powerful wave of relief washed over Stardust as he was now waiting for her to pull him out of harm’s way. However, nothing happened for a few seconds. That was, until the mare opened her mouth.  “You know... I find it rather amusing how similar we are in some ways. You’re defined by your talent in magic. I’M defined by my talent in magic. Both, lonely ponies who never got to experience friendship.”  Unsure what to say, Stardust nervously laughed. “Yeah, it is rather amusing now that I think about it... You’re not going to let go, aren’t you?”  “However, I can’t help but notice just how superior you are to me in magic. So far, you’ve dwarfed me in every spell that we learned, even those that I have learned before you.” continued Sunset as she ignored the stallion’s words. “In the end, it was you who was picked to receive all the glory. As for I? I don’t know what will happen to me. Magic’s all I can do right. Without it, I'm nothing.”  “S-Sunset? What are you getting at?” weakly said Stardust.  “I’ve always dreamt of being an alicorn like our mentor! But you... you took away my dream, my hope! Thanks to you, I have lost my only chance at achieving my one and only dream. I’ve got nothing left now unless... you’re out of the picture.” A sinister smile slowly formed on her lips as her head closed the little distance that remained between the two.  Stardust’s eyes began to water. He wasn’t about to cry because he knew he was about to die, no, he was devastated to see that his closest friend had just betrayed him. The one pony he always looked up to since he was a colt.   Sunset chuckled maliciously. “Long live the princess.”  With one swift move, she pushed the stallion’s hoof away and watched as he fell down the pit of fire. What was rather chilling was the fact that he didn’t scream as he fell. Instead, his face was locked in an expression of pure betrayal, an image that had burnt itself into Sunset Shimmer’s mind. The one image that she remembered the most about her deceased friend.  As the mare walked away from the scene, she felt her heart pounding at a pace she never experienced before. She committed murder and on top of that, the victim was her best friend. Betrayal and murder, two terrible crimes that sadly mesh well together.  But on the bright side, with him out of the picture, she can achieve her dream of being Celestia’s successor. She just... needed to close her heart to the pain.          After returning from her mission, Sunset lied about how it went down. She painted Stardust’s death as being a heroic sacrifice, though she did portray herself in a more positive light all the same. The sadness she expressed while explaining the whole thing to Celestia was a both genuine and fake. It was... a strange feeling. The stallion’s death still hadn’t set in. A part of her body was in denial, especially after spending all these years with him. The unicorn just felt unstoppable, there was no way he could have died and yet, she killed him. Two conflicting emotions, two conflicting stances, how was she supposed to feel?  The confusion was still fresh. During the funeral, Celestia and Cadance both mourned his death. But Sunset? She just stared blankly at the stand where all his memorials were placed. She was still unsure how to react to the situation. She thought she’d feel satisfied if he was gone, no longer there to surpass her in magic.  But as time passed, she only felt more horrified at the atrocity she committed. Her progress plummeted over the days and Celestia didn’t blame her for it. She was grieving, so the alicorn was more lenient and instead offered some help to make her feel better.  Then, something odd happened. The weeks flew by, and things started to go back to normal. The two alicorns looked happier and Sunset, dissatisfied to hear that she still wasn’t being considered to go to the next stage of Celestia’s studies. Strange considering a few days ago they were still mourning the death of Stardust Radiant. The stallion had somehow faded away from their consciousness, like he never existed.  His death, his legacy... gone. That extended to everypony in Equestria without exception. The once great and powerful unicorn had become nothing more than a ghost.    The memory distorted into an incoherent mess. Random buildings were floating in the sky, the ground was a combination of grass, stone tiles and wood. Everything turned inside out and that’s when the human Stardust reappeared before Sunset Shimmer.  “You took everything away from me. My voice, my freedom. My LEGACY. And then you have the audacity to make my death meaningless.” He clenched his teeth and curled his hands into fists. His red eye stopped giving off this look of apathy, being replaced with wrath.   “Wake up, Sunset Shimmer. Wake up and... prepare yourself. I’m coming for you, and I won’t stop ‘till you’re dead.”        Suddenly hit with a strong spasm, Sunset finally woke up from her terrible dream. Now, she was back at Pinkie’s house where all her friends were peacefully sleeping. Everything was back to normal... except for the giant shadow looming above her. Yeah, the giant shadow with purple eyes. That constituted as anything but normal.  It was the Tyrant, who else could it be? The poor girl was frozen, both out of fear and awe at the intimidating size of the beast. The creature was looking at her, but it wasn’t moving.  “You have quite the history, I must admit I was very intrigued by what I saw. I just want to... dig more inside your brain. See what else I can find, especially on my little Twilight.”  Sunset didn’t move a muscle, her eyes still widened at the sight of the impossible horror that was just right above her. Its face suddenly winced.  “Doesn’t it feel weird to you that poor Stardust Radiant vanished from the collective consciousness of Equestria? It feels like a big, big thing to just gloss over.”  A large grin formed on the beast’s face. Sunset’s jaw nearly hit the floor. “No...”  “I had my eyes on you for quite some time. I just didn’t take action as I believed there was a more opportune time to make my move. Lo and behold, I found it. Then, I just had to let go of my clutch on your mind and help you remember.”  Sunset tried to raise her back from the mattress she was laying in, but her body wouldn’t move.  “Who said you had any power? I am the King of this world. I am the one who has all the cards... and you’ll just have to deal with the hand I give you.”