//------------------------------// // Chapter 26: Magical Girl Sunset Shimmer’s Last Stand // Story: Equestria Girls: A New Generation // by Naughty_Ranko //------------------------------// The night of the dress rehearsal had arrived without the situation changing drastically on any one front, meaning Sunset felt like she was walking a tightrope while juggling chainsaws and bracing to start catching bullets with her teeth at a moment’s notice. But at least for a few hours tonight, she knew what she was doing. One night of normal wasn’t too much to ask, was it? “Alright, so everyone should be on their side of the Off before the lights go out. Are our stars out of costume and make-up yet?” Sunset was standing off to the side of the stage with Misty who was toying with something in her pocket while nervously looking around the auditorium. Raising an eyebrow, Sunset keyed her wireless headset on. “Earth to Misty. You with me, co-director?” “Gah!” The girl almost dropped her clipboard in surprise and took the other hand out of her pocket to catch it. “Sorry, what was that?” “Costume and make-up check,” Sunset repeated after turning the headset back off. “Uh, yeah. Sunny and Pipp are ready. Everyone is in position, and Hitch will be ready to dim the light on your signal.” Sunset put a hand on Misty’s shoulder. “Hey, no need to be so nervous. It’s alright if things don’t go perfect tonight. That’s what a dress rehearsal’s for.” Misty took a few deep breaths. “Yeah, sure. I think we’re alright. Pipp seems much more relaxed since her mother gave her phone back.” “As long as she’s got it turned off while on stage,” Sunset said wryly. “Are all our guests seated?” “Almost.” Misty checked her notes. “Everyone is here at least. Mostly parents and guardians, Principal Celestia, oh, and your Plus One arrived just before I closed the doors.” Sunset blinked. “My Plus One?” “Yeah, you penciled in a guest on the list, though you never put down a name.” Oh, right. I did put a TBD down, because I was going to invite Flash as thanks for the other day. But he said he couldn’t come. So who …? “Excuse me.” Sunset could hear a deep, rumbling voice speak. “Is this seat taken?” “Not at all, please.” “Thank you, ma’am.” After pinpointing the direction and doing a double take, she could see Big Al sitting down next to Mrs. Haven, the piece of furniture bowing dangerously under his bulk. He was wearing a rumpled dress shirt and the cleanest pair of jeans she’d ever seen on him. “Those are my girls over there,” Mrs. Haven said, striking up a conversation and pointing towards her daughters on the other side of the stage. “Which one is yours?” “Hm, let’s see.” Big Al began to scan the auditorium until his eyes met Sunset’s. “Ah, there she is! The redhead with the blonde highlights.” He waved at her with a big, goofy grin, and Sunset couldn’t help but wave back. “… I see,” Mrs. Haven said after a moment. Just then, Alphabittle took a seat on the other side of her and introduced himself, which gave Al a chance to pull out his phone and begin typing something. He looked at Sunset as he pressed Send. She reached for her phone before it had even begun to vibrate to check the message. “Your friend told me there was an extra ticket available. I wanted to see the show, but I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of the whole school. Hope that’s alright, Sunshine.” Sunset gave him a genuine smile and texted back: “You’re always welcome here, Al.” She glanced over the rest of the audience. Some faces were strangers to her, but she thought she could make out Sprout’s mother by the family resemblance. She’d seen Rufus’ folks once or twice in passing while hanging out with Trixie. And then there were those she’d become familiar with. Aside from Haven and Alphabittle, Sunny’s dad and Hitch’s grandmother were both here. In fact, Hitch had just returned from helping his grandmother to her seat. “Everyone’s seated, Ms. Shimmer,” he told her in passing without making eye contact. She wanted to tell him ‘good job’, but he was gone before she could even open her mouth to speak. One last look at the audience, and of course the one look she caught were Celestia’s narrowed eyes. Everything is gonna be fine, Sunset, she told herself with a shudder, just a normal dress rehearsal. Keying her microphone on again, she looked to her students across the other side of the stage and spoke. “Alright, everyone. No reason to be nervous. Just do it like we practiced. If you flub a line or miss a step, it’s not the end of the world. Misty and I are here with the script to feed you the lines if you forget. Most important thing is, just go out there and have fun. Is everybody ready?” She looked across the stage to the actors waiting there, gathered around a headset held between the group of them and got a nod as well as a thumbs up. Sprout, manning the backstage area, gripped the rope that would raise the curtain. She saw Hitch through the window of the technician booth, not looking up from his switchboard but giving a thumbs up. Lastly, she looked to Misty, who had gone back to fiddling with something in her pocket nervously, but gave her a nod. Sunset took a deep breath. “Alright, places everybody! Lights out!” Misty handed off her headset to Sunset and walked up on stage to deliver her opening monologue flawlessly despite her nervousness. Though Sunset could see her fingers twitch a couple of times, almost going for her pocket and whatever object she had been toying with earlier. Sunset figured it must have been some kind of good luck charm. She then proceeded to exit the stage to the right, opposite Sunset, so both sides would have a director on hand just in case. The play then proceeded into telling the childhood story of the two lead characters played by Sunny and Pipp. Everything proceeded well, almost too well. In Sunset’s experience, it was better to have a small hiccup early rather than a disaster later. Nonetheless, the butterflies in her stomach began to settle as her students got into their roles, and she even permitted herself a glance to gauge the audience reaction a couple of times. Everyone was clearly engrossed in the play. Argyle had tears standing in his eyes as he watched his daughter. Izzy’s off-kilter performance of the crazy cat lady had elicited quite a few chuckles. Even Celestia’s expression had gone from annoyed to be here to mild approval. When her eyes drifted back to the other side of the stage, Sunset furrowed her brows. “Hey, where’s Misty?” she whispered into her headset. Posey, who currently had the wireless headset on the other side, looked around and then simply gave Sunset a shrug in response. Weird. She won’t be on stage again until the epilogue, but she should be here. Sunset’s thought process was interrupted by folksy dance music coming on over the speakers. Sunny and Pipp walked onto the stage from opposite sides, took each others hands and began the dance hall scene, which was the big climax of the first act. Since this had been a frequent sticking point during practice, Sunset couldn’t afford to not pay attention here. But it turned out not to be an issue at all. In fact, they were doing much better than they had done in any practice session. They were so getting into it that it really seemed like they were a young couple in love, lost in each others eyes, taking slow turns followed by quick staccato dance steps. Why, it seemed like Pipp in particular was ready to lift up off the ground during one of her twirls with those shimmering wings on her back. Wait, what!? WINGS!? Sunset rubbed her eyes and looked again. There did indeed appear to be the faint, shimmering outline of pegasus wings on her back. She looked over at Sunny, and there were motes of light gathering atop her head in two distinct places, almost like pony ears. Sunset looked over towards the audience who seemed enraptured, a whisper about special effects making the rounds. But Celestia, who had taken her seat way in the back behind the family members, had shot to her feet, face white as a sheet and making eye contact with Sunset. She noticed it, too! But why … Her mind going a mile a minute, Sunset forced herself to analyze the situation. Looking closer, she noticed the feet of the two dancers. Shadows did weird things in multiple spotlights, which was probably why she hadn’t noticed it until now, but their shadows looked weird, warped, almost as if they were being pulled by some invisible force. Checking the ground around everyone else, Sunset realized that everyone’s shadow was being warped, even her own, and being drawn into a certain direction in a pattern that seemed oddly familiar to her. The back entrance? The door is open! “Ugh!” A grunt from the stage caught Sunset’s attention. Pipp had stumbled into Sunny’s arms. She looked weak. “Hey, you okay?” she could hear Sunny whisper. Sunny herself looked slightly ill, and the half-formed magical appendages winked out. I’ve seen this reaction before! During the Friendship Games! “Oh, this? It’s nothing. I accidentally slammed a door on my hand the other day.” “Yeah, those sliding doors can be dangerous, am I right?” “Apparently, the thief got their hand caught in one of the heavy sliding doors that leads into the lab.” No. No! That thing in her pocket? It couldn’t be, could it? “Misty?” Sunset spoke into her headset, but only got static as a response. “Misty! Where are you!?” “Ugh, I don’t feel so good,” Pipp was complaining on the stage, loud enough that concerned looks started to go around the audience. Sunset stopped thinking and acted. She ran towards the fire alarm near the rear exit, broke the safety glass with her elbow, and pulled it. When the shrill alarm sounded out and the lights came on automatically, she locked eyes with Celestia and pointed towards a certain direction. Celestia gave her a look as if she was about to argue, but then spoke clearly and loudly. “Everyone! Remain calm and make your way to the front exit! Please, follow me!” As confused audience members automatically began to respond to the principal’s authoritative voice, Hitch came out of the technician booth right as Sunset went by the door. “What’s going on? A fire? I don’t smell smoke.” “Hitch! Lead them outside!” Sunset barked and indicated the other students. “Out the front! I’m gonna find Misty!” Sunset gave her order and turned around without even awaiting confirmation. Even if he hated her right now, she knew he’d lead his classmates to safety. One of her students, she couldn’t tell which one in the commotion, asked: “Where is she going?” Sunset was out the backdoor and rounding the corner of the building into the night already before she could hear any more. The shadows were still converging, and she followed the trail with a knot in her stomach and rising terror in her heart. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run the other way. But there was one part of her brain, one quiet voice that pierced through the veil of fear. You might be the only one who can save her right now! Sunset’s feet skidded to a halt on the grass near the faculty parking lot. There was a black mass of shadows in front of her, more solid than she’d ever seen, just a dome of roiling blackness. But then some movement caught her eye, and she could see the unruly mop of teal and dark green locks within. “Misty!?” Something responded to her voice with movement, and a head turned, lifting ever so slightly out of the shadows. “Ms. Sunset?” Misty’s face peered out, her statement followed by a pained grunt and some heavy breathing. Her eyes were completely black, but Sunset could make out the wetness on her cheeks by what little light wasn’t swallowed up. Holding out her hand in front of her, Sunset took some tentative steps forward. “Misty, everything’s gonna be alright,” she said and cursed herself for how pitiful and choked up her voice came out. “I’m here. But I need you to STOP what you’re doing.” “Ngh!” Another pained grunt came through the darkness. “I … I can’t …” Misty’s hands came up out of the shadows, showing Twilight’s magic collection device that was in the process of drawing the shadows into it and confirming Sunset’s worst fears. “I only meant to take a little … argh! … But now I can’t stop it … help me …” Sunset drew closer with the intention of grabbing the device and shutting it off. That’s when a blast of shadow magic hit her straight in the chest with enough force to lift her off her feet. Sunset tumbled on the grass and heard something snap. For a moment she wondered if her neck had broken, and this was how it would end. But the blood in her mouth and the dirt under her fingernails told her otherwise. She was still alive, and so she pushed herself up onto her knees. Looking over her shoulder she could see the thing she had seen in her nightmares over and over again take shape. The shadows grew into the approximation of a human shape with thick, trunk-like arms and legs and no discernible head amid a massive chest. A Shadow Colossus had appeared, not as large as the one that had come out of the harbor of Maretime Bay three years ago, but still large enough to be nearly as tall as the school building. No! I was too late! The looming monstrosity took a lumbering step forward and the shadows began to swirl around its fist. Sunset forced herself to stand up and reached into her pocket. There was a momentary shock when she pulled out and saw the geode crystal in her hand. The hairline fracture from earlier had developed into a full crack. That’s what the snapping sound earlier had been. “Please,” Sunset asked between clenched teeth while holding the rock close to her chest, “just one more time. Lend me your strength. I need it. I can’t let it happen again.” As she saw the giant fist approach her, Sunset closed her eyes and prayed, to the magic itself, to her friends, to any god or devil that was willing to listen. She reached forth her free hand almost subconsciously. Boom! The sound of the impact from the huge creature’s fist sent shockwaves throughout the courtyard, yet when Sunset opened her eyes, she found that she had caught the fist ten times the size of her own with her outstretched hand. She could still feel herself being pushed back by the sheer mass, but the unstoppable force had met the immovable object. When Sunset saw the motes of light collecting near her hand, she fully gave herself over to her past and pushed back. “Solar Flare!!!” Whoosh! A brilliant beam of magic sunlight shot from her palm, obliterating the huge shadow arm in its path and continuing on way up into the night’s sky. Taken aback by the powerful attack Sunset had developed in her later years as a magical girl, the Colossus actually stumbled back a few steps with an ear-piercing screech, but the shadows were already coalescing to reform the appendage. Sunset took a deep breath and felt the magic course through her. Her left palm was burning, flesh searing as she clutched the white-hot geode, but she refused to let it go and, instead of fighting against it, wrestled that burning pain through the rest of her body until she felt a familiar tingle between her shoulder blades. Taking off her leather jacket and tossing it to the side, she stood there as flaming wings erupted from her back and framed her face in drifting embers. “Alright, you shadowy motherfucker! Class is in session. Lesson #1: YOU DON’T FUCK WITH MY STUDENTS!” Crash! Sunset pushed herself off into the air just as the other huge shadow fist slammed down where she’d just stood, burying itself into the dirt for several inches. Aim for the appendages first, Sunset thought, fear pushed out of her mind as her brain kicked into that ruthless, analytical mindset she reserved only for life or death fights ever since her last Fall Formal. Misty will be at the center of it, but I need to weaken the creature before I can get to her. Swish! Sunset ducked and weaved through the air, the clumsy punches of the Shadow Colossus whistling past her head by mere inches. Wreathing her hand in magic flames, she slashed at the creature’s stumpy legs and sent it to its knees. Then she flapped her wings to gain altitude and obliterated the left arm with another Solar Flare. “MISTY!!!” Sunset’s voice boomed across the battlefield, amplified by her magic, in the hopes it would get through to her student. “If you can hear me, keep fighting! I’m coming for you!” But just when she had finished her declaration, something flickered at the edge of her vision. “Ah!” Sunset yelped as she suddenly felt herself lose several feet of altitude while her wings briefly vanished and then reformed. She clutched the geode tighter in her left fist. Don’t give out on me now! I just need to see this through! Her magic held for the moment, but the momentary distraction was about to cost her. Her eyes widened as the next giant fist came for her, but there was no time to avoid it this time. Crunch! The fist slammed her into the side of the school building, leaving her coughing and spluttering in the Sunset-shaped hole in the wall amidst crumbling brick and mortar. Ow! Nothing broken? That’s something, but that’s gonna be a hell of a bruise in the morning. “I’m getting too old for this shit. Gah!?” A shadowy tentacle had wrapped itself around her leg, and Sunset could feel herself being taken for another ride in a high arc. There was no sense in trying to figure out her trajectory, the scenery was going by too quickly, and all she could do was try not to pass out from the g-forces alone as darkness crept towards the edge of her vision. Crash! The sound of screeching metal and breaking glass brought her journey to an end, and Sunset noted the blue car roof she’d landed on. “Oh, come on! Why my poor Fiesta? Could’ve aimed for the principal’s car at least.” Getting her bearings, Sunset slashed down towards her ankle with magic fire and freed herself from the grasp. Pushing herself into the air once more, she resumed her aerial attack to try and weaken the Colossus. But every time she landed a serious blow, the shadows would gather and reform the creature’s body. This isn’t working! I don’t remember it having this kind of regeneration ability three years ago. With exhaustion starting to set in and feeling her magic starting to weaken once more, Sunset landed on the edge of the school building’s roof to catch her breath. Her lungs burned, trying desperately to suck in enough oxygen to replace what she’d expended. “Ms. Sunset!?” Sunset’s heart froze at hearing the voice, all the fear she’d held back until now flooding back in instantly. “Sunny?” Not just Sunny, but Hitch, Sprout, Izzy, Zipp and Pipp as well. All of class 2-A was standing in the courtyard below and staring up at her in disbelief. Before she could even formulate a response, movement caught her eye. The Shadow Colossus had noticed them too, and now the shadows were forming around them, taking the shape of several human-sized Shadow Puppets. “NO!!!” BOOM! Sunset barely even registered the main attack that had slammed into her perch behind her. She’d already jumped off the roof, wings tucked in for maximum speed. Only at the last possible moment did she flare her wings to take the impact force from lethal to merely bone-shattering as she threw herself in front of her students with arms outstretched to make herself as large a target as possible. “ARGHHH!!!” She screamed as six shadow lances that had been aimed at her students shot through her at once, not leaving any physical marks but threatening to tear her soul asunder and shatter the spark of her magic forever. Her legs gave out from under her and she fell to her hands and knees. “Ms. Sunset!” Sunny’s panic-stricken voice reminded her that the danger wasn’t over, and she forced her remaining magic into her wings which flared brightly, bathing the night in brilliant sunlight for a few feet around them which caused the eyes to sting and dissipating the smaller Shadow Puppets instantly. “Get out of here,” Sunset grunted as she struggled to her feet, whole body shaking.“You shouldn’t be here.” “But we came to help! Ms. Sunset, you’re hurt!” Looking around, the six youthful faces were full of fear and confusion at what was going on. Yet, they all stood their ground. All here to lend a hand despite what was going on because they had been worried about their friend. Sunset looked at Sunny and, for the first time since she’d forced her transformation, she saw her own reflection in those clear, blue eyes full of hope and fear. The pony ears and tail were back, but the shimmering horn was just a faint outline. Her eyes were a blazing white light and her burning wings were the deep orange of a fire that was consuming the last of its fuel. Neither the detestable demon of ambition unleashed from the past nor the angelic warrior of light so righteous in her cause. Just the image of a broken woman desperate to make up for past failures. She couldn’t help but reach out and touch Sunny’s purple hair. A brief spark of magic passed from teacher to student as a strand of Sunny’s hair turned all the colors of the rainbow at once. “It’s alright. I’ll go get Misty. You get everyone to safety,” Sunset said, an odd calm suddenly befalling her. “It’s your turn now.” “Ms. Sunset, wait!” In spite of those words, Sunset turned and stumbled on shaking legs back towards the looming darkness that was the Shadow Colossus. I have to finish this before my time runs out. Her strides became longer and more steady. “AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!” Sunset shot up into the sky one last time with a battle cry that could probably be heard in Equestria. Fwhoosh! Like a shooting star, Sunset launched herself at the chest of the creature, her whole body wreathed in flames, and latched on for dear life. She punched, scratched and clawed at the roiling shadows below with her burning hands. “GIVE … HER … BACK!” “Ms. Sunset?” She could see her! Suddenly, Misty’s face appeared from the shadows, and for a moment the blackness retreated from her eyes at the intensity of Sunset’s flames. “Misty! Take my hand!” Sunset reached out into the darkness, and she could see Misty starting to reach back for her. Crack! Something snapped and the darkness returned with a vengeance, her fire snuffed out like a candle. “No! No, not now!” Sunset screamed as the shadows once again swallowed Misty up with a muffled cry for help. Sunset felt herself being bodily ejected from the chest of the Shadow Colossus and making a hard landing in the dirt. She couldn’t feel her magic at all! “I just need a little more!” She begged and opened her left hand as she got back up to a kneeling position. Time seemed to slow as she stared at her scorched palm, revealing the cracked fragments of the broken geode that had gone completely dark. Dozens of tiny fragments and dust fell through her fingers while the two larger fragments remained completely inert. She looked up at the monster which was drawing back its huge fist to deliver the final blow, with no trace of Misty in sight. So this is how it ends, she thought. What a failure you are, Sunset. Couldn’t even save a single student. As her arms fell limply by her sides, Sunset closed her eyes and felt a tear run down her cheek. “I’ll see you soon, Pinkie Pie.” Boom! … … … Should I be feeling anything? I thought it would hurt more. Slowly, Sunset opened her eyes and looked up. There above her wasn’t the specter of doom or the Pearly Gates like she’d expected, but her six students, hugging each other with their eyes clenched shut while shielding her from the fatal blow. When she sucked in a breath to scream for them to get out of the way, she realized that the shadowy fist was suspended in mid-air. No, not the air, held in place by a shimmering force field. And there was something else shimmering. Pop! … Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Sunset watched in awe as a set of pony ears popped into existence atop each of her students’ heads. Slowly, they began to drift up into the air. “What’s happening?” Sunny exclaimed when she finally opened her eyes. Sunset scrambled to her feet and just managed to grab Sunny’s shoulders as she felt herself being lifted up alongside them by something familiar, something warm, something jubilant. It was as if an old friend had just shown up out of the blue and wrapped her up in a hug. I know this magic! “It’s the Magic of Friendship!” She choked back tears. “It’s back!” As everyone got their bearings and the initial shock of suddenly floating in the air wore off, they all looked around each other. Izzy was the first to speak up: “It feels tingly!” “What the hell is going on?” Zipp asked, searching with her feet for something solid underneath her and finding nothing. “It’s magic,” Sunny uttered. “Isn’t that right, Ms. Sunset?” “Right,” Sunset confirmed. “Sunny, my magic is gone, maybe forever this time. So I need you to do it. Do you remember my lesson about focus and release?” “I … think so,” Sunny replied hesitantly. “Now’s the time to use it.” Sunset looked around the rest of her students. “Everyone, Sunny is going to need your help. Just focus on her and go with the flow.” Unsure looks passed between the students, until Hitch met her eyes and gave a nod. “Alright, Ms. Sunset. I don’t understand what’s going on, but we’re with you.” Sunset nodded and turned back towards Sunny who has staring at the Shadow Colossus who seemed to … almost be afraid to come near the aura being exuded by the Magic of Harmony. Sunny had her lips drawn into a thin line and was staring at the large creature that had surely haunted her nightmares as much as Sunset’s. Sensing the hesitation in her student, Sunset asked: “What is it, Sunny?” “It’s just … Misty is in there, right?” she asked with a slight quiver in her voice. “Like my dad was? I don’t wanna hurt her.” Sunset smiled and said in a reassuring voice: “That’s good. Remember that magic responds to what’s in your heart. Don’t think about attacking that thing. Think about saving Misty.” Sunny looked back over her shoulder and nodded. She closed her eyes and gathered the magic. When she opened them again, her eyes were the same gleaming white as Sunset’s had been earlier, and the ethereal outline of a golden horn and wings surrounded her. Sunset squeezed her shoulder lightly. “Now, release,” she whispered. Zoom! Once more, night turned into day for a brief moment as Sunny unleashed the rainbow, the force of pure harmony arcing high up into the sky, then slamming back down onto the Colossus and burning away at the shadows. Inky, viscous shadows came off the creature in chunks under the intense rainbow of pure harmony, turning into dust before they could even hit the ground, and the light kept burning without so much as a flicker until the work was done. Only then did it quietly recede. Calm suddenly reigned supreme over the courtyard, which had been such a fierce battlefield until moments ago, as the six beings who had ended that fight floated down towards the edge of a crater several feet deep alongside their teacher. Sunset was stumbling forward as soon as her feet hit the ground, sliding down into the crater. She took a single step to the side to crush Twilight’s accursed invention into pieces beneath the heel of her boot with what strength she had left, but otherwise her path was straight ahead. The blubbering, sobbing mess at the bottom of the crater looked up at her, tears streaming down her face. “Ms. Sunset … I didn’t mean to …” Misty instinctively drew back at the swiftness of Sunset’s approach as she knelt down next to her. But Sunset reached out her hand, drawing Misty into a fierce hug. The sobbing gave way to surprise for a moment, shoulders shook, and the waterworks started up again. “I’m sorry,” Misty said with a quivering voice as she grabbed the edges of Sunset’s shirt and began crying into her shoulder. “I’m sorryyyyy!” “I know,” Sunset said simply while gently stroking the young girl’s hair. “Trust me, I know.” For the longest time, the silence of the night was only broken by Misty’s sobs as the new champions of Harmony looked on.