//------------------------------// // Chapter XXII: Immortals // Story: Sunset of Time // by Albi //------------------------------// Chapter XXII: Immortals Sunset hit the snow, sinking into the frozen slush. The bitter cold violated her fur, instantly numbing her entire body. She shivered as more falling snow settled on top of her, a white blanket eager to tuck her into the endless field that would soon become her final resting place. It was actually a welcome relief against the agonizing blisters and open wounds. Energy leaking out of her body, Sunset could do nothing but lie there, helpless. Blood seeped profusely from her chest while ragged coughs tore her lungs apart and brought even more blood to her mouth. She spat a great glob of it onto the snow, dyeing it crimson. She stared at the stain with emotionless eyes, wondering if she could see her reflection if she looked hard enough. She must have looked pathetic. Defeated. Then again, she was defeated: broken, exiled, and left for dead. Done in by cruel irony and betrayed by the pony she had called her teacher and friend. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have been so trusting? Blindly following orders, thinking she was doing the right thing? She wasn’t real. She was just a shadow—an echo across time. She shouldn’t have ever existed, and now she was going to die, cold and alone. A mercy death… Was mercy supposed to hurt? Was it suppose to feel like her insides were on fire—like her limbs were shattered? Her body gave a feeble twitch, and her mane fell in front of her eyes, drawing a curtain over the world. Get up… fight… for them... No. The fight was over. Whether it was her fading mortality or Vesper whispering in her head, Sunset knew she was done. She had tried, and she had failed. The smile Pinkie had given her was far, far away now. The ember of hope Twilight had lit was snuffed out. Vesper had won. Sunset’s life had been for naught. Sunset couldn’t take it anymore—the anger and hatred building in her heart. Against the pain—against the unyielding, unrelenting, unbearable agony emitting from her chest—she raised her head to the heavens, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath. And she screamed. Sunset screamed as loud as she could, wailing into the tundra until the sound reverberated back to her and rang in her ears. She screamed until her mouth was dry and her throat was raw. She screamed until her heart felt ready to tear in two, and the hole in her chest threatened to split across her entire body. She screamed out all of her pain, her anger, her sadness and her hatred. Then, she screamed some more. Her screams didn’t stop until a large bubble of blood blocked her throat. She forced it back down, choking on the acrid taste of copper. Shaking with the effort and the chill gnawing at her bones, she slowly raised a hoof towards the sky, reaching for the pillowy clouds that eclipsed the sun and showered her with frost and sleet, reaching for the heavens she knew she would never touch, having already been forsaken once. Strength failing her, she dropped it into the snow and sent a flurry of powder skyward. “Damn you, Vesper Radiance… “Damn you, Celestia… “Damn you… Twilight Sparkle…” The last of her energy waned, and an incredible tiredness enveloped her as the remains of her life-force seeped out. Sleep pulled at her eyes and wore at every muscle in her body. Violent shivering was all she could muster, now that snow had covered everything but her head. No, it can’t… end like this… I refuse to die here! But maybe… death was a mercy. She no longer had to face oblivion. Maybe now there was something to look forward to. Maybe I’ll see Mom and Dad… Her vision dimmed, the world of white becoming grey before fading to black. Sunset couldn’t feel her body anymore… but then, was it ever hers to begin with? No, don’t think like that now! And don’t give up! You have to stop Vesper Radiance! Why? It’s over… I lost… even if I did fight her… win or lose, I would have lost. As Sunset closed her eyes, she could hear mocking laughter in her ears. Yet it sounded odd… not Vesper Radiance’s, but much deeper, almost whimsical… She just regretted it was going to be the last thing she ever heard. “Mommy, look what I can do!” “Wow, Sunset! That’s incredible, especially at your age! Oh, honey, come look at what Sunny can do!” * “But, Mom, I don’t wanna go to school. What if no one likes me?” “Oh, you silly filly. I’m sure you’ll make some friends. It’s kindergarden—everyone is new and trying to meet new ponies. You’ll be fine, I promise.” * “Hiya! Oh, wow, I like your mane! It’s all fiery and stuff! What’s your name?” “Um, Sunset Shimmer.” “Hi, Sunset, I’m Ruby Dazzle, but you can just call me Ruby!” “You’re really hyper, but I like you. Wanna be friends?” “Sure!” “Hey, who’s that girl sitting in the corner?” “I don’t know. Maybe we should talk to her?” “Hey, what’s your name?” “Oh, I’m Flora…” “Why are you sitting all by yourself?” “Um… no reason… I just moved here and—” “Hey, it’s okay! We’re all new here. Wanna play with us?” “You guys don’t mind?” “Of course not, silly!” “Well, okay then!” * “I don’t know, Sunset. This seems really dangerous.” “Yeah, like, really, really dangerous.” “Relax, girls. Who’s the strongest unicorn in Canterlot?” “Umm…” “Me! As long as you stay close to me, we’ll be fine. The Everfree Forest isn’t that scary.” “Have you been there before?” “Well, no. But trust me, we’ll be fine.” * “Aghhhhhhhhh!” “I knew this was a bad idea! Why did I ever listen to you?” “Sunset, if we die, I want you to know this is all your fault!” “Duly noted!” “Aghh, oof!” “Ruby!” “Help!” “Get away from her!” * “I cannot believe that three fillies like you would just waltz into the Everfree forest like that! This has to be one of the most irresponsible, foolhardy things I’ve ever seen! What in Equestria were you thinking?” “Please, Princess Twilight, it wasn’t their fault. They were just following me. We just…. I just wanted to be like you. If you’re going to punish someone, then just punish me.” “... That is awfully responsible of you. What is your name?” “Sunset Shimmer.” * “Oh, thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you so much for bringing her back safe and sound! As for you, young lady, you are so grounded!” “We’re so sorry for the trouble Sunset and her friends have caused.” “It’s fine, I’m just glad nopony was hurt. But there is something I wish to discuss with all three of you before you leave.” “Y-yes, Your Highness?” “Your daughter is capable of incredibly powerful magic. She single-hoofedly defeated a pack of timberwolves. In fact, I’ve never come across such a powerful young mare before.” “Oh, thank you, Princess. She was actually going to apply to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns this upcoming year now that she’s of age.” “Well then, let me be the first to say congratulations!” “On what, Princess?” “On getting in, of course.” “Wait, what?” “Miss Shimmer, you have an incredible gift of magic, one that requires not just instruction from the school faculty but more in depth practices. I would like to offer you a place at Celestia’s school, as well as becoming my own personal student. After you serve your parents’ punishments of course.” “I-I-I-I-I, yes…” “Oh dear… she fainted.” * “Huff…. huff… Sorry… I’m late, Princess. Your castle… is just so big and I got lost and—” “Calm down there, dear. Please have a seat. And hurry! Your ice cream is starting to melt.” “A sundae? But I thought I was going to be studying.” “We will, in due time. But first, I’d like to get to know you some more.” “Get to know me?” “Of course! You’re going to be my first personal student, so I’d like to get to know you as well as I can. Just tell me some things about yourself, Sunset.” “Oh, well… wow, hehe, I wasn’t expecting this.” “Just because you’re my student doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” “Friends? Wow, I’m friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle…” * “So, Sunset, what’s it like being the Princess’ student?” “Oh, Ruby, it’s so amazing! We have ice cream before we start studying, and she teaches me all sorts of cool and fun things! And she has all these great stories from when she was young! She told me about how she and her friends saved Princess Luna, and stopped Discord back when he was evil, and saved the Crystal Empire! It’s all just so amazing, I can’t believe it really happened to me!” “Yeah… that sounds great.” “We’re really happy for you, Sunny.” “You girls don’t sound happy. Wait, you don’t think me being Princess Twilight’s student will affect our friendship, do you?” “No, no, of course not!” “Good because it won’t. We’re still friends, and we’ll always be friends! The first lesson Twilight taught me was that friendship is magic! We’ll stick together, no matter what.” * “Excuse me, Miss Sunset, two ponies named Ruby Dazzle and Flora are waiting for you in the courtyard. They mentioned something about a picnic.” “Oh my gosh! I completely forgot about that! Darn it, I have a test I need to study for! Umm, tell them I’m really sorry, but I have to reschedule.” “Very well, madam.” * “Oh, oh, look at him. Isn’t he super cute?” “Ruby, focus. We need to study.” “‘We?’ You’re the only one taking Advanced Magical Theory, Sunset.” “Then keep it down. I have to get a good grade on this test.” “Ugh, why are you even studying? You pass all of your classes anyway. You’re the Princess’ student—don’t you automatically get an A or something?” “No, I have to work for my grade like everypony else.” “Not everypony has royalty to tutor them.” “What?” “Nothing.” “Girls, please, we’re here to have fun, remember?” “Well, that’s really hard to do when Sunset has her nose stuck in a book.” “Excuse me for trying to get good grades. I have an image to uphold now.” “An image of what? A stuck-up know it all?” “What did you call me?” “Girls…” “Ever since you became Princess Twilight’s student, you’ve been blowing off me and Flora more and more!” “I have not! I’m with you right now, aren’t I?” “No, you’re reading a stupid textbook!” “Girls.” “I have priorities now!” “Which are more important than your friends?” “I’m sorry I don’t have all the free time in the world to do frivolous things like colt watching!” “So now we’re frivolous, are we?” “Girls!” “Stay out of this, Flora!” “If you’re gonna turn into an elitist jerk like the rest of the students at that school, then you can go ahead and leave!” “Fine, maybe I will!” “Fine!” “Fine!” * “All right, Sunset, what’s wrong?” “Hmm? Oh, it’s nothing.” “This is the third time this session that you’ve zoned out, and you’ve been looking sad all week. You know you can talk to me about anything.” “It’s nothing, really, Princess, I promise.” “Are you telling the truth?” “...No.” “Well then…” “...Ruby and I… got into a fight.” “Oh my. Was it serious?” “No… yes… I don’t know. She thinks that I’m not spending enough time with her and Flora, that I’m too busy studying. But I have to keep my grades up, don’t I? If I do bad, then it’ll look badly on you, won’t it?” “Sunset, I think everyone in the school knows how seriously you take your education. You don’t have to prove anything to anypony. And you certainly don’t have to prove anything to me.” “But I still can’t just let my grades slip!” “Well, of course not. But Sunset, do you really think sacrificing some study time for your friends will devastate your grades?” “No, I guess not.” “Do you remember the first lesson I taught you?” “Friendship is magic.” “Mmhmm. It’s the most powerful thing in the world. If there’s anything I want you to take out of these lessons, it’s that love and friendship are the most important things you can have. They are what create harmony.” “You’re right, Princess. Tomorrow, I’ll go find Ruby and apologize.” * “Listen… you were right. I shouldn’t have kept blowing you off like I was. I just can’t believe you put up with it for so long before saying something.” “Yeah, well… It’s not like I wanted to yell at you. But sometimes it’s hard to get through that thick skull of yours. Still, I shouldn’t have accused you of being an elitist jerk. I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry for not being a good friend these past few weeks.” “...So… should we hug?” “A hug sounds good.” “Sniff… you girls are both so stupid!” “Come on, Flora, I’m sure a hug and some shopping will cheer you up.” * “Aaaaagh! Why is there fire raining from the sky! Princess, what’s going on? What is that thing up there?” “Sunset, you have to listen to me! I need you to stay within the castle grounds—do not leave unless you absolutely have to, understand?” “Yes! I mean, no! What’s going on?” “I can’t tell you right now, but I promise I’ll explain everything when I come back. Just stay safe, please.” “Y-yes, Princess.” “Good. Come, Spike—we have to finish this! I’m afraid Celestia and Luna may have already fallen…” “...Please, come back safe, Princess.” * Let’s name her Sunset Shimmer... Sunset Shimmer, my most faithful student… My name is Sunset Shimmer… Sunset Shimmer? This is Sunset Shimmer… I am Sunset Shimmer… There was a pony… named Sunset Shimmer… * “Everything is going to be just fine. I promise.” A jolt ripped through Sunset. Not through her heart but through her very soul. Her eyes snapped open; she bolted upright, screaming as her wounds assaulted her, and fell back down against the warm, grainy sand. Wait…. this isn’t right. The sound of gentle waves crashing against a shoreline greeted Sunset’s ears instead of the Frozen North’s bitter howl. She turned her head after her eyes adjusted to the sunlight and saw a sparkling azure sea, lapping up against white sand. Above her, seagulls cried as they toured a cloudless sky. A warm, tropical wind blew across Sunset’s face, bringing her the salty smell of the briny water. Am I dead? Is this Paradise? She tried to sit up again, but her body stoutly refused. If this is Paradise, then why am I still in pain? “Oh? Took you long enough to wake up,” a deep voice drolled. Turning her head in the opposite direction, Sunset saw a unique sight. Two large dandelions sprouted from the sand, slowly swaying in the wind. Tied to them was a discarded banana peel that had been fashioned into a hammock. And sitting in that hammock, wearing a pair of black sunglasses and slurping on a fruit smoothie, was the oddest creature Sunset had ever seen. One cloven hoof dangled out of the hammock, while a lizard’s foot was crossed over it. The creature leaned back on its lion paw, it’s eagle claw holding the coconut it was drinking from. Its long, snakelike body took up all of the hammock and then some, its spiky tail drawing doodles in the sand. “Discord?” “Sunset Shimmer?” the coconut asked. Sunset closed her eyes and opened them again. Discord was still hanging there, watching her from over his sunglasses. If he’s here, there’s no way this is Paradise. So that must mean… She groaned. “I’m still alive.” “Well, no need to sound so disappointed.” Discord tossed the coconut away, watching it turn into a toucan. “Honestly, any other pony would be jumping for joy right about now.” Sunset fixed him with an unamused glare. He floated up from his hammock and dangled over her. “Immortality ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, is it?” He smirked and snapped his fingers at her. A cool breeze blew across Sunset’s body, and she watched in awe as her wounds vanished. Warm energy flowed through her like soup, revitalizing her, and she quickly stood up to check herself over. Everything seemed in place, yet there was something off. She pressed a hoof against her chest and gave an involuntary gasp. Her heart was not beating. “I… I don’t understand.” She looked up at Discord, now occupying himself with some yarn wrapped around his fingers. “My heart… I don’t feel anything. And Vesper stabbed me. I died, didn’t I?” “Yep,” Discord said nonchalantly. “Then how am I still here?” Discord rolled his eyes. “Must I explain everything? Come on, Sunny Bun, you’re supposed to be a smart pony. Figure it out.” Sunset sat down in the sand. By all rights, her life should have ended. Unless…. Was there some other rule of time keeping her alive as long as Vesper lived? No. Not time… souls. “The Frostlich,” she whispered. “Ding, ding, ding!” Discord cried. “We have a winner!” Balloons and confetti rained down on Sunset, who found herself standing behind a podium with a buzzer on it. She took no notice, instead staring vacantly into the distance. “When I was reincarnated… the magic never left… so I’m still immortal?” A loud buzzing sound startled Sunset back into the present; Discord leaned over the podium, wearing a fancy suit and tie. “Sorry, Sunnykins. All questions must be in the form of an answer. But yes, you’re still immortal.” Sunset fell back on her haunches, her legs too wobbly to support her. “But how? Why?” Discord snapped his tail, bringing them back to the beach. “Ugh, you’re such a buzzkill. Now I know why little miss Twilight picked you to be her student.” In a flash of light, he stood in front of a blackboard while wearing a scholar’s cap and a monocle. “Now let me explain to your pony brain why you aren’t dead.” He raked his claws against the blackboard, make it wail in pain. Sunset covered her ears but was unable to block out the cries of agony. Discord grinned. “I’ve always wanted to do that. Anyway...” He flipped the board around. On the reverse side was a crudely drawn picture of the Frostlich. “Here’s how this works: a lich’s magic permanently binds their soul to their body. Normally—” He flipped the board again to a picture of a pony with wings and a halo “—when a pony sustains too much injury, or their little pony hearts just stop, they die, kick the bucket, push up daisies, etcetera.” Sunset nodded. “But because the lich’s soul is stuck to the body like glue, it ignores the laws of death!” Discord put his hands to his face. “How chaotic is that?” “Keep going,” Sunset ordered. “Just as well.” Discord rapped a yard stick on the desk Sunset was now sitting at. “This will all be on your test. Now then…” He turned the board over to an equally crude drawing of what Sunset guessed was her alicorn self. “Since you, Sunset—you naughty filly—took the power for yourself, you bound your soul to your body so that even after injury and decay, you’d keep walking.” On the other side of the board was a picture of Twilight with very large buck teeth and shooting a rainbow. “Since pretty purple princess here followed mommy Celestia’s orders, your soul left your body and floated away.” Discord crossed his arms, a sour look on his face. “No one was ever considerate of my feelings when they turned me to stone. Twice!” He raised his piece of chalk and bit into it. “Whatever. The point is, the metaphorical glue of the lich’s magic is on your soul, sunflank. So when you made a new body because your soul couldn’t find your old one, you kept your immortality.” Sunset pressed a hoof against her face. “Great.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “This is just great. Fantastic!” “Isn’t it?” Discord put his paw around Sunset’s shoulders and waved his other arm through the air. “Just think of all the things you can do now! Oh, the possibilities of chaos are endless! I’d envy you if I wasn’t immortal myself.” Sunset opened her mouth to snap at him but halted. Another question burned through her brain. “How do you know all this about me? In fact, why are you even here?” Discord groaned. “Celestia asked me to keep an eye on you ponies while you pranced around Equestria. I only agreed because I knew I’d get some enjoyment out of it.” He raised his head. “And I was right!” “Celestia asked you to watch over us?” Sunset’s anger boiled. “Why didn’t you just capture Vesper Radiance then?” “Did you not just hear me?” Discord appeared over her in a director’s chair. “Your little adventure has been like a grade-A film for me! It had action, it had drama, it had twists and turns and suspense! Why in Equestria would I bring that to a halt? I need to get my kicks somehow.” “So why are you here now?” “To make sure you don’t do anything stupid. And…” Discord snapped his fingers. A gold hourglass burst into existence over his paw. “To give this back to you.” He held it down to Sunset. She took it in her hooves, staring at the golden beads. “No thanks are necessary. I was just—hey!” Discord ducked as the hourglass soared between his horns. “Why are you—where are you going?” Sunset looked back. “Did you not just hear me?” she asked in a mocking tone. “I’m immortal. I literally cannot die. That’s not even an option for me anymore! My choices now are to live forever—to grow old until I’m just a walking skeleton! Or to fade away into nothing.” Sunset took a few steps forward, and the warm beach vanished altogether. She was back in the tundra, snow flowing all around her. “Princess Twilight… wants me to go be noble… to go be a hero. She wants me to be selfless and sacrifice myself. But what about what I want? What about my choice?” she shouted. She turned around to Discord, who was eyeing her with curious intent. “There isn’t a happy ending for me, I accept that! But I’m choosing the way this sad story ends. They can go deal with Vesper Radiance on their own—they don’t need my help! They beat her before! I choose to walk away.” The darkness in her cackled in triumph, and for a moment, Sunset felt dizzy. But she shook it off, along with the snow that had built up in her mane, and marched away into the tundra. She didn’t know where she was going, and she didn’t care. She just didn’t want to deal with it anymore. “Hold on, time out!” Discord slid in front of her. “You can’t just quit.” “Watch me.” Discord threw his mismatched arms up. “What about that big, disgusting friendship talk you had with Pinkie Pie?” Sunset paused and bit her tongue. “I… I’m still me,” she said over the growing laughter inside her head. “But I’m tired of being beaten and broken and forsaken, again and again and again. The me I want to be now just wants to be left alone.” She shivered as an icy wind blew through her heart, but continued to march on. That’s it, little replica—walk away. Forsake them like they’ve done to you. “Shut up,” Sunset barked. “I haven’t even said anything yet,” Discord said over her shoulder. “I wasn’t talking to you!” “Hearing voices now, hmm?” Discord shrunk himself and coiled his snakelike body around Sunset’s ear. “Hellooo? Is anyone else home?” He knocked on her temple. “Is there a yin to your yang, Sunny?” Sunset swiped him off with her hoof. “Butt out!” Discord return to normal size. “You know, the more I talk to you, the more I think you might be the yin. You’re starting to sound an awful lot like Vesper Radiance.” Sunset stopped. Discord’s words cut into her like Vesper’s blade. “Don’t… please don’t…” she whispered. “Don’t what? Compare the two of you? That’s what’s going on inside your head, isn’t it? Walking out on your friends seems cold to me.” “I can’t be selfish now. All of their lives mean more than mine…” No they don’t. It’s your life Twilight gambled with. You don’t owe them anything. “I’m not going to pretend I wouldn’t do the same thing, but I expected more from you, Sunset Shimmer.” “Stop it,” Sunset whispered. “Okie-dokie-lokie! You never change either, Sunny.” This isn’t change. This is who you are, deep down inside. This is us! Go on, be selfish! You’ll live longer—you’ll live forever! “But oh well. If you want your insane half to take over the world, I won’t stop you. Should be fun to watch.” “Stop it!” “And I’m going to be me until the very end of it all!” But you and I are the same pony, Sunset! Two sides of the same coin! You cannot exist without me! “I certainly hope your former friends won’t die in the struggle. It would be a shame if Pinkie Pie got cursed again.” “Stop it!” Sunset screamed. She shut her eyes and covered her ears with her hooves. “Stop it, stop it, stop it! I don’t know what I want, okay? I don’t know what’s right! I want to fight, but I don’t want to go away! I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to live like this—forced to just exist until the end of time! I just want it all to end!” Sunset breathed deeply but could no longer feel the blood rushing through her body. She dropped her hooves to the ground and opened her eyes. Snow still swirled around her, but Discord had vanished. The hourglass, however, was buried in the snow in front of her. Sunset trudged over and picked it up in her magic. From the outset of her journey, it had been a symbol of hope to her, proof that anything could change. In the past twenty-four hours, all it had become was a token of doom, reminding Sunset of what she had to give up to make that change happen. While the blizzard howled relentlessly around her, Sunset found herself at a crossroad. She thought she had been prepared to meet Vesper Radiance head on and accept her fate. But the urge to flee was strong now. She wanted to save herself; she wanted to resist Princess Twilight’s last request, just to say she wasn’t a pawn in someone else’s game; that she wasn’t just a sword to be pointed at the enemy. But her friends needed her. They need you to be a sacrificial lamb! That’s all you get from trusting and caring for somepony else! They just want to use you until your purpose is served! Sunset brought the hourglass close and rested her forehead against it. “What am I supposed to do?” The hourglass began to glow. The sudden light startled Sunset, and she dropped it into the snow. It was a soft blossom of light that spread outwards and bloomed all around Sunset. Purple runes popped to life along the gold base, floating off the metal and drifting away like butterflies. They danced around in the air, unaffected by the snowfall. In fact, it was as if the light was repelling the snow entirely. Sunset had to shield her eyes as the light’s intensity rose to its apex and shone brighter than the white snow. When the light began to dim through her eyelids, she lowered a hoof and stared at the hourglass, which now sat upright in the middle of a large purple star. And hovering just over the star, flickering like a phantom was— “Princess…”  Sunset breathed. Princess Twilight Sparkle smiled sadly at her. Adorned in her regal wear, she floated just out of Sunset’s reach. Her violet mane still blew, caught in a gentle wind instead of the strong gale that billowed around Sunset only a second ago. Like the snow, whatever light that had come out of the hourglass was repelling the wind. “Sunset Shimmer. My sweet, sweet student,” Twilight said with lamentation. Her voice carried a subtly echo, like she was speaking from the other end of a hall. “My faithful apprentice.” Sunset fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes, though she refused to let them fall. “Princess. I… why? Why would you do this to me? Why—” “If you are seeing this message,” Twilight continued, “then… I am so sorry.” Tears of her own fell down her face, and she bowed her head. “I have failed you.” Now Sunset understood why Twilight looked so incorporeal, why she sounded so distant. This Twilight was nothing but a memory. It still didn’t stop Sunset from hating it. She forced down her tears, cold loathing replacing them. She wanted to yell again, but she knew it would make little difference. Twilight looked up at her again. “I know what you must be feeling now—” “Do you?” Sunset spat. “—and you have every right to hate me. And while these words may not console you in any way, I still want you to hear them—” “Why should I listen to anything you have to say?” Sunset snarled. “—because I want you to know that I did not do what I did because I hated you or because I was scared,” Twilight said. Even in life, she had had a way of predicting a lot of Sunset’s answers. “This was the absolute last thing I wanted to do.” Her face tightened again as she fought another wave of tears. “I wanted you to grow up and live a full life. I wanted you to never have to struggle under the shadow of your other self. I didn’t want you to know the real identity of Vesper Radiance if I could avoid it.” “So you wanted to keep me ignorant then?” “I suppose, yes, I wanted to keep you ignorant—” Sunset growled in agitation. “—but more than that… I just wanted you to be happy.” Twilight sighed. “My words might never be enough. And this might not help either, but I want you to see something, Sunset. Please.” The hourglass released another wave of light. When the spots had stopped dancing in front of Sunset’s eyes, she found herself back in the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Royal Library, the hourglass back to its regular size. Twilight stood in front of it, several books floating around her along with large rolls of parchment. Sunset walked up to her with an eye of skepticism. “What are trying to show me, Twilight?” But Twilight had not heard her. She remained absorbed in her book, her mouth constantly moving as she wordlessly read its contents. “Great, more memories,” Sunset said bitterly. Behind her, the door opened with a squeal of iron, and in walked Celestia with a slight limp that Sunset had never noticed until now. Twilight had also heard Celestia enter, and turned to greet her with a grim smile which Celestia did not return. “Twilight, I’m afraid our wards are failing even as we speak. Even with Discord’s help, our magic cannot keep her contained for very much longer.” There was no immediate answer. Twilight just turned back and stared into the hourglass. “Maybe I was asking for too much. The curse Vesper dealt to Pinkie… and the Elements back in the Tree of Harmony. I guess hoping she’d stay sealed for a long time was foolish optimism.” Celestia stepped closer and put a gentle hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “How is Pinkie?” Sunset saw Twilight’s eyes do a frantic search about the room, trying to find something to derail the conversation. Yet, she found nothing and was forced to answer. “Weak. Very weak. I don’t—” her voice broke. “I don’t think she’ll last much longer.” Celestia inhaled deeply. “She fought for fifty years, Twilight. She almost lived a full life.” “That’s little consolation if Vesper returns and kills us all,” Twilight whispered darkly. Sunset flinched, never having heard something that dark from Twilight before. Celestia lowered her hoof and examined all of the books Twilight still had floating around them. “So, this is it, then?” Twilight gave a slow nod, still wiping the tears from her eyes. “My last, desperate plan.” “You truly intend to send Sunset Shimmer back in time to confront herself?” “Only if I have to.” Twilight looked up, the tiniest glimmer of hope in her eyes. “If she escapes, even without the Elements, we can still beat her, right? She doesn’t have a soul anymore—she’s not Sunset. If we defeat her, put her down for good, then everything will be fine!” A pained look drew across Celestia’s face, a look that resonated within Sunset. Celestia scrapped a hoof across the ground. “Yes… I-I suppose that Vesper Radiance isn’t necessarily Sunset anymore but…” She took a labored breath. “Twilight, it’s like you said: she has no soul now. Which means she has no inhibitions, no moral limits, no qualms about any of her actions no matter how sinful. She’ll be ready to kill from the onset, and with all the power she has…” “We can beat her!” Twilight said confidently. “If we all work together, we can stop her! I won’t let her ruin any of our lives! She already took Pinkie, but she won’t have anypony else!” Celestia cupped Twilight’s face and looked into her eyes. “Twilight…” Sunset moved around them so she could see Celestia’s face. There was a dull shine in her eyes—a light that was on the edge of being fully extinguished. Had she given up already? Sunset shook her head. Celestia didn’t just give up. Still, she couldn’t deny that look of resignation. She hadn’t given up, she just understood what Sunset knew was going to pass. They would fail. Twilight evidently understood this too, and broke down into her former mentor’s shoulders. “I don’t care! I don’t care! I have to try!” “I know you do, Twilight,” Celestia said soothingly. “And don’t think for a moment that I won’t either.” “I don’t want to do this to her! It isn’t fair! I see what you saw in her, Celestia—I see everything she has the potential to be. I know in the end it has to be her, but…” “I know, Twilight. Believe me, I know. You’re right, it isn’t fair. When she goes back… when she finds out—and she will find out… she’s going to hate you as much as she will me.” “I know.” Twilight pulled away and produced a tissue from thin air to dab at her eyes. “But I refuse to give up. There’s still a chance. We can still stop Vesper when she returns. Nothing has to be overwritten… no one else has to die…” The world began to dissolve in front of Sunset, returning her to the barren ice field. It wasn’t fair? Sunset thought. They were sitting in that room discussing her future, understanding full well what was going to happen to her, and to them it wasn’t fair? Of course it wasn’t fair! But what were they crying for? They weren’t the ones who had to do it! They weren’t the ones with their existence on the line! Sunset’s heart softened a little. Still, they had not, as a dark corner of Sunset’s heart believed, tossed her back in time simply to be rid of her. Twilight had indeed cared. On that last day, she had been fighting for Sunset. The field had fully returned now, and Twilight floated above her once more. “I know it won’t ease your heart much, Sunset. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t want this for you. Neither did Celestia. Still, we both knew it had to be you that would travel through time. You alone could stand against yourself—could face your sins and thereby redeem them. Your presence would also have the least impact on the timeline for several reasons as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now.” Her voice broke again, and she looked away to swipe at her eyes. When she looked back at Sunset, she was smiling her sad smile again. “There’s also… one more reason why it had to be you. Why you had to come back to this particular time. It’s… a selfish reason, one that might cause me heartache later on but…” Even in her holographic form, Sunset could see Twilight’s eyes sparkling. “I wanted to remember you.” “What?” Sunset asked. “I knew, whatever the outcome of your adventure, that a new timeline would be created: one where you… where we never got to meet in the future. But if I sent you back to this particular time, I knew you would run into my younger self and all of my friends. I knew we would work together and then… I would get to remember you. I wouldn’t just remember your fall from grace as Vesper Radiance. I would get to know Sunset Shimmer: the brilliant, kindhearted mare who has made me the proudest teacher in the world. “That’s what you are, Sunset: brilliant. You’re strong, you’re kind, and you’re a wonderful friend. Those are your characteristics. No matter what happens, remember that, please. Don’t let your past define who you are.” Twilight’s voice took on a tone of urgency. “I don’t care if you share a soul, you’re two different ponies now. You have qualities that Vesper doesn’t have. You have friends, Sunset. Never forget that. No matter what happens, no matter how much you hate me, I will always love you, Sunset.” A tear fell from Twilight’s face, and Sunset could have sworn she saw it physically hit the snow. “That’s all I have to say. I pray that we meet again someday, Sunset. Maybe we might not have to even say good-bye. If anyone can defy destiny... it’s you.” And with that, Twilight was gone. The purple star that had painted the snow vanished, and Sunset felt the cold wind and snow bite her once more. If anything, Sunset just felt more confused. Her shoulders were even heavier now. She knew what she had to do. But what did she want to do? I want the power I deserve I want to fight for my friends. I want to survive. I want to go and defend them. I want to hate to Twilight Sparkle. I want to fulfill her last request. Sunset looked at the hourglass before her, all of its sand resting in the bottom bulb. All this time, it had been around her neck, silently giving her hope and courage and strength. It was a symbol of the promise she made to the Princess that she would set everything right. Sitting in her hooves now, what was it worth? She found no hope, no strength, no courage—only confusion. If the answer was so obvious, why was it so hard to choose? She pressed a hoof against the glass. It was still warm, like Princess Twilight’s fur. “One day… you might have to make a choice, Sunset, of how you use those powers. You can either lash out and attack in anger and hatred… or you can use your abilities to defend those you care about in love.” Sunset removed her hoof and stared down at it, Vesper whispering in her ear again. “I… choose…” Twilight and her friends had walked out of the open rays of the falling sun, and underneath a thick canopy of woolly clouds. Snow whisked past them, carried by strong winds. The further into the icy wilderness they got, the harder it became to see. Twilight kept her scarf pulled high, keeping as much ice off her face as possible. If her photographic memory was anything to go by, she guessed they were fairly close to their destination. It was hard to be certain about anything, however, with the obstruction of falling snow. The field they were in was vast and flanked by short mountains. It was also practically empty, just stretching out in every direction for miles, which struck Twilight as odd. The rest of the tundra rose and fell, subtle sometimes yet still noticeable. This field was just flat: no hills or valleys or crags, just endless snow. Twilight stopped, her intuition kicking in. Her horn glowed brighter under the grey clouds. She closed her eyes, allowing her mind to drift into the magical aether. Two red dots appeared before her, one somewhere below her and another far out in the distance. She opened her eyes, facing the group of mountains in front of her, then looked down at the powder around her hooves. “What is it, Twi?” Applejack asked. “Vesper is somewhere underground. In fact, I think she’s inside the Crystalarium right now, and we’re on top of it.” “Well, why don’t you just blast through the snow so we can get down to this Crysta-whatever?” Rainbow asked. She had been grounded through the majority of the hike thanks to the weather. “Because I don’t know how deep it is,” Twilight said over the rising wind. “It’d take me hours to blast through solid granite. But the entrance is somewhere in the mountains. We just need to keep moving.” The snow hugged their abdomens, forcing the ponies to trudge through it with heavy hoofsteps. Ice blasted their faces, and the wind pushing them back grew fiercer by the minute. “Do you think Vesper is doing all of this?” Spike yelled from Twilight’s back. “Maybe,” Rainbow yelled back. “She is a flipping alicorn now!” “Not yet she isn’t,” Twilight muttered. By the time they reached the base of the mountain, Twilight could barely feel her hooves, even with her boots on. To her immense relief, when she cast the tracking spell again, Vesper’s crimson aura was only a cliff above them. The path up the mountainside was icy, and even the traction on the soles of their snow boots only helped so much. Slipping was constant, making the journey slow. Twilight was amazed at the amount of light they still had when they reached the top. It was dark, but she could still see a faint orange glow on the horizon. Please hurry, Princess. At the top of the cliff yawned the  mouth to a large cavern. Inside, the walls were covered in a thick layer of ice, and, to Twilight’s surprise, there were fragments of ancient-looking mining equipment frozen in the floor. “How close do you think Sombra got to finding the horseshoes?” Spike asked. “A little too close for comfort,” Twilight answered, following the trail of broken helmets and shovel pieces. The cave sloped down at a gradual pace until they came to what had once been a dead end. The wall had been very recently blasted open, and debris cluttered the floor. The corridor beyond was far narrower than the rest of the cave, and what they found at the end nearly caught Twilight by surprise. Her hoof stepped off into open air, forcing her to lose her balance and teeter precariously until Applejack pulled her back. “Heh, kinda like old times, huh?” Applejack joked. Twilight cracked a smile that faded when she looked into the bottomless shaft before her. The cave no longer went forward, just straight down into imperceptible darkness, perhaps into Tartarus itself. Fluttershy looked over Twilight’s shoulder. “Um, what do we do now?” “Improvise,” Twilight said. Her magic illuminated the room, and a purple disk expanded from the center of the pit until it filled the entire opening. Twilight’s horn never stopped glowing, even as she took a step onto her magic platform. It was solid and sturdy, holding up even after Twilight demonstrated with a few stomps on it. Everypony caught on and hopped aboard the magical elevator. Twilight’s magic strained a little under the combined weight of her friends, but she toughed it out and brought the elevator down, slowly but surely. The cavern swallowed them whole, plunging them deep into the darkness. Down they went, further and further. Twilight was now convinced the pit did lead to Tartarus. It was actually starting to become warmer, enough for Twilight to regain the feeling in her hooves. Dim light rose to greet them as the elevator reached its one and only stop. The tunnel before them was not as rough and worn as the cavern above. The walls here were dug out by hoof and had lit braziers running along them. Following them down, the walls changed from stone to marble until the tunnel opened into a large antechamber. Pillars lined the room, leading to a crystal door that had been thrown wide open. The hall beyond it once again disappeared into perpetual blackness. Rainbow discarded her winter clothes and spread her wings. She took a deep breath and said, “All right. I’m still hoping that dragon thing ate her, but I’m ready for a fight one way or another.” “Just remember,” Twilight said, discarding her own clothes, “the Frostlich can’t die. At best, we can just knock it out. We should just stay out of its way and focus on Vesper. Or even try to keep its attention on her.” Everypony nodded and Spike drew his sword, holding it with both hands. “Let’s go.” They galloped into the waiting maw unaware of the grinning eyes watching from the shadows. “Rarity, do you feel that?” Twilight asked. Rarity groaned. “Yes, it’s like someone is stepping on my horn.” She tried to illuminate the hallway, but only managed to produce a weak flicker. Twilight’s own light spell sputtered and died as they drew deeper in. Pinkie looked between the two of them. “What’s going on?” “Some sort of magic suppression,” Twilight explained. “A very powerful one too. But I don’t understand how it’s affecting us. We never stepped through anything like that door in the palace dungeons.” As they continued down the crystal hall, the suppression grew stronger, becoming a brick anchored to Twilight’s horned. She didn’t think it could get any worse until the stench of rotting flesh reached her nose, forcing her to violently gag. “Dear Celestia!” Rarity held a hoof to her nose and took several large steps back. “Please tell me that stench isn’t what I think it is?” “Whatever it is, it’s behind this door.” Applejack pointed with her free hoof to a door that looked similar to the one at the entrance. It took all their combined strength to push it open. The stench hit them full force, and it took every ounce of willpower Twilight had not to throw up. The central room of the Crystalarium was larger and taller than a cathedral. The polished crystal that made up the entire room gleamed so brightly, it looked like as if it was reflecting the afternoon sun. It could have been beautiful, if not for the ugly mass curled in the center. Four tall pillars surrounded it, each with chains that extended and disappeared somewhere within the mass of decaying flesh and white bones. Large, leathery wings blocked most of its body from sight, but its head was facing the ponies. The skin and muscle were completely gone, leaving it with just a bony grin. Large horns pointed back, grey and sharpened to an edge. Its eye sockets were empty, just indentations where its draconic eyes had once been. Fluttershy scooted behind Rainbow and stammered, “I-is t-that….?” “Yes.” Twilight nodded. “That’s the Frostlich.” The Frostlich was completely still, and if Twilight hadn’t been privy to its secret, she would have mistaken it for dead. Craning her neck, Twilight saw a dais rising up at the other end of the room. Sitting at the top was an alicorn statue of onyx with grey, fierce-looking hoofguards embedded with a red jewel in the center of each of them. The Obsidian Hoofguards. Twilight looked between them and the sleeping dragon. Would it wake up if anyone touched the statue? Or did it just react to noise? Could it even hear? Before she could analyze any of her own questions, Rainbow asked the most important. “Guys, where’s Vesper?” Everypony looked about the room and even glanced back down the hall, but the sadistic pony was nowhere to be seen. “Well, there’s no signs of a struggle,” Rarity said. “And I seriously doubt she ran away.” “Maybe we beat her here,” Pinkie said hopefully. Twilight shook her head. “I traced her magical signature down here. I’d do it again, but…” She grimaced at the pressure on her horn. This was certainly a trap; Twilight just wasn’t sure what kind yet. She took a step forward, trying to get a better look at the room. She immediately regretted the decision. Blue balls of fire appeared in the Frostlich’s eye sockets. Its joints groaned as it began to untangle itself from its sleeping position. It spread its formidable wings, revealing the rest of its body. A black, shriveled heart sat in its ribcage. Muscle still clung to its forelegs, along with shackles that attached to the four chains. Strings of skin and scales dangled from its long pointed tail. Around its neck, Twilight found the source of her and Rarity’s inability to use magic. Hanging loosely was a black collar with a large, blue orb stuck to the center. A suppressor orb. I wish Sunset had mentioned that! The Frostlich raised itself onto its hind legs and stretched its neck out. An almighty bellow erupted from it, shaking the entire room. It smashed against the floor and roared again, blasting the ponies with freezing air. Its blue flames then noticed the chains still binding its wrists and ankles and began to yank at them. With one tug, part of the chain began to crack. “Twilight?” Rainbow made a loud gulp. “What do we do now?” Snap! One chain was loose. Twilight looked at the orb around the Frostlich’s neck. If they could break it, they stood a chance of beating it. Snap! Both of its forelegs were free. Twilight looked behind them. They could also run. The beast probably wouldn’t be able to catch them. But then Vesper would swoop in and take the Obsidian Hoofguards for herself. Watching the Frostlich pull at its back shackles, Twilight steeled herself. “Break that orb!” she cried, charging forward. Sunset’s teal elevator reached the bottom floor, just as a bloodcurdling roar pounded against her ears. They woke up the dragon. She walked into the antechamber with no expression on her face, nor an hourglass around her neck. It was just her… And her original self standing in the doorway, talking excitedly to herself. “Yes, yes! Go, you pathetic pawns! Go and fight the wee beasty! Once the orb is broken or they get killed by the dragon, the Hoofguards will be all mine! Untold power… immortality… soon it will all belong to me! Heeheehee, ahahaha!” Smoke curled from the corner of Sunset’s eyes, and her horned hummed as light gathered at the tip, pointed at the back of Vesper’s neck. Vesper stiffened like a board. She whipped her head around, countering Sunset’s spell with one of her own. The jets bounced off each other and flew off in random directions. Vesper’s face was whiter than a sheet and her pupils were nonexistent. “Y-you… how are you… you can’t be…” Sunset couldn’t help but smirk. “What’s the matter, Vesper? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “Why aren’t you dead?” Vesper shrieked. “I killed you!” A dark chuckle rolled in Sunset’s throat. “Heh, I kinda wished you had. It’d be easier for me.” She glared at Vesper, one eye hidden behind her bangs. “You put me through the lowest rings of Tartarus. So I think it’s only fair I returned the favor.” Vesper took a step back and snarled. “You’re still going to fight for those worthless, so-called friends of yours? You’re still going to play the hero?” Sunset’s horn started to glow softly. “While it’s true the world would be better off without you, I’m not so much doing it for their sake anymore.” She pulled her lips back into a feral grin and charged. “I just want the pleasure of killing you myself before I go!” Twilight rolled out of the way as another set of ferocious claws narrowly missed her. Out of instinct, she tried to charge her horn, but came up with only leaden weight against her brain. She ran beneath the Frostlich to avoid getting crushed by its back foot. The Frostlich, deeming her no longer a major threat, turned its attention to Rainbow, coming in for another dive. It snapped at her with its sword-like teeth, making her swerve to the right. She swooped back around, but a fierce shake of its head kept her from getting at the blue jewel around its neck. Applejack tried to run another distraction, leaping over its tail and bucking at its back leg. The Frostlich grunted, but merely flicked its tail in the opposite direction, forcing Applejack to retreat. Pinkie had regained some of her vigor. She bounced around the Frostlich, appearing and disappearing in random places as it constantly tried to strike her. Still, the beast was quite able in multitasking. It swiped at everyone like they were bothersome flies, and its sharp teeth and claws kept them from getting a good strike against the suppressor orb. For a monster with rotting limbs, it was pretty fast. Its attention was on Spike, who had just cut at its exposed muscle with his sword. The Frostlich bellowed in annoyance and reared up on its back legs again, sucking in a deep breath. Twilight felt the temperature in the room begin to slide. An icy fog hung around the dragon’s mouth, while more swirled around in its chest cavity. “Everypony, move!” Twilight yelled. She dashed for Spike, flipping him onto her back with her head. She ran beneath the Frostlich’s legs again as the beast came back down and released a blast of frozen air. Everything it touched instantly became laminated in a thick layer of ice. It spread across the floor and up two of the pillars, eventually reaching the wall. In mere seconds, half of the room was covered in ice. “Whoa…” Spike said with a puff of warm air. Twilight pulled herself out of the corner she had tucked them into and silently agreed. Seeing half the room covered in a perfectly even layer of permafrost was an eerily beautiful sight. Her eyes, however, raced around the room to make sure none of her friends had gotten caught in it. To her relief, she found most of them tucked away in the corner adjacent to her, while Fluttershy had ducked behind the statue, and Rainbow hovered near the top of the room. With the smirk of a daredevil, Rainbow dove towards the Frostlich’s neck, straight for the back of its collar. Twilight held her breath. The Frostlich was still recovering from its freeze attack and checking if it had hit anything. Rainbow came down like an arrow, hoof outstretched. She was only a few feet away when the Frostlich adjusted its wings and smacked into her. Rainbow stumbled through the air, her trajectory thrown off. She catapulted forward and bounced off the Frostlich’s skull before hitting the icy floor and sliding to the wall. Once again, Twilight charged her horn on instinct and got no response out of it. She rushed forward, desperate to do something. She turned and bucked against one of the monster’s rear legs, while Spike slashed at it. In the next moment, Twilight was hurtling through the air, smacked by the Frostlich’s tail. She crashed on her side near the foot of the dais. She groaned and wheezed, but managed to crack her eyes open. Off to her right, she saw Spike’s sword lying on the ground, but she couldn’t see Spike. Directly in front of her was Rainbow, lying with her back against the wall. Before the Frostlich could strike, a loud clang issued from the side of its face. “Hey, ugly!” Rarity yelled, holding a piece of the broken chain in her hoof. “Over here!” She hurled it at the Frostlich, striking him below the eye. It roared and turned its attention away to slash at Rarity, leaving Rainbow time to roll over and flee. Someone flipped Twilight over onto her back. “Twilight, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked. Spike stood next to her, looking unharmed. Twilight sat up with a throbbing pain just beneath her wing. A small trail of blood snaked down her fur from an open wound. “I’m fine,” she said, seeing Fluttershy’s horrified reaction. “It’s not that bad.” “One of the barbs on its tail must have hit you,” Spike said. Twilight stood up. She winced, but the pain was manageable. “See? No big deal. Are you okay though?” Spike nodded. “Fluttershy caught me.” The trio turned to the battle in progress. Rarity and Applejack were taking turns attacking the Frostlich; one ran a distraction while the other threw chain pieces at the suppressor. Rainbow had returned to the air, waiting for the right moment to strike. Pinkie, meanwhile, had managed her way onto the Frostlich’s back, and was shimmying up its spine. It finally took notice and reared up again, flapping its leathery wings and blowing Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack into the corner. Pinkie held on for dear life, nearly becoming crushed when the wings folded together. Then, the Frostlich stopped. It held its wings out in place for a moment,  and then slowly lowered itself onto all fours. Its snout pointed towards the open door and the dim corridor beyond. Now Twilight heard it too. Shouting, and the faint sound of spells being cast. There was the thunder of a cannon, and out of the darkness came Vesper, landing on her back with her wings splayed out. “You’ll pay for that, Replica,” she grumbled as she got to her hooves. She then spun around and stared up at the Frostlich. She bared her teeth and looked over at Twilight. “You still haven’t smashed the suppressor?” Twilight paid her no attention; her eyes were on the pony emerging from the shadows. Her heart leapt into her throat and tears welled in her eyes, overflowing down her cheeks. “Sunset…” Sunset felt her magic become inhibited as she stepped further down the hall, into the well-lit room that she had blasted Vesper through. That was fine; she would just beat Vesper with her own bare hooves. She stopped at the threshold, gazing up at the immense, rotting dragon. It was even larger than she remembered. She heard not the joyous cries of her friends, only the bellow of the Frostlich. She saw not their tears of relief, only Vesper’s annoyed scowl. Sunset charged at her, only to have Vesper take to the air. Sunset jumped to the side, avoiding the Frostlich’s claws and shouted to anyone listening, “Break that stupid orb!” Everyone broke out of their relief and amazement, and jumped into action. The Frostlich made a wide sweep of its claws to push them all back, and while most moved out of the way, Applejack merely turned on her hooves and bucked at its claw. It came clean off and sailed across the room, leaving the Frostlich stumbling for balance. Sunset just cleared its shadow before it landed on its side with a calamitous crash. Its tail whipped around angrily, separating Sunset from Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike. Before Sunset could find a way around, she was hoisted into the air from behind. Everything grew smaller as she climbed to the top of the room at a breakneck speed. “Let’s see how you enjoy freefalling,” Vesper whispered. She threw Sunset down with a voracious laugh. If Sunset’s heart could still beat, she knew it would be pounding right now. How many times had she fallen since her journey had begun? Far too many for her liking. She wondered how her immortality would work if she was splattered across the ground. Fortunately, a rainbow blur raced up and snagged her out of the sky. Sunset rode in her hooves as they spiraled back to the floor. “Sunset, I can’t believe it! You don’t know happy I am to see you still alive!” Rainbow cheered. “Less talking, more fighting!” Sunset said curtly. Rainbow dropped her off on the ice; Sunset slipped on the glossy surface as she landed. She stopped herself from falling in time to see the orb fly by her head. It hit the floor, producing a large crack, but it did not break. Sunset made to grab it, but slipped onto her stomach. The Frostlich regained its balance and pushed itself onto two legs, sucking in its breath. “It’s going to breathe ice again!” Twilight yelled. Sunset looked up to it gazing down at her. She looked over at the orb, a few yards out of her reach. She stood up and ran two feet before her hoof slipped backwards and she fell again. Rainbow swooped down again and scooped her up, flying her across the room. “Wait, what are you doing?” Sunset yelled. “Saving you! I’m not letting you get turned into a popsicle!” “What about Spike?” “What?” Rainbow stopped and whirled around, gasping at what she saw; Spike was running towards the orb, sword in hand and valor in his eyes. “Spike!” Twilight called, but Spike didn’t heed her. He raised his sword over the orb as the Frostlich drew its head back. Sunset’s body tensed as the blade came down over the crack, just as the Frostlich leaned forward and breathed. The blade smashed into the orb breaking it in two, and a teal shield wrapped around Spike, while a violet one covered the Frostlich’s head. The inside of the purple shield quickly became obscured in ice until it was impossible to see. When the frost vanished from the Frostlich’s chest, Twilight dropped her shield and gasped. The dragon’s entire head was frozen solid. Even the fires in its eyes were encased in ice. It began to thrash around wildly, swinging its arms and tail, beating its wings. Rainbow ducked away from its wild attacks and carried Sunset down to the floor. Behind her, the Frostlich smashed into one of the four pillars, knocking it apart. In the process, its own head snapped off and landed in front of the entrance. The rest of its body shuddered and toppled over while chunks of the pillar landed on top of it. When its tail stopped thrashing, Twilight teleported over to Spike’s side and squeezed him tight. “Spike, you did it! Because of you, we won!” The alicorn statue exploded into a thousand onyx shards, leaving only the Obsidian Hoofguards unscratched. Vesper dove for them, her grin stretching from ear to ear. “Not yet we haven’t!” Sunset yelled, discharging a salvo of magic. Twilight followed her lead, and together, they filled the air with blue and purple bolts of magic, leaving Applejack and Rainbow to charge for the Hoofguards. Vesper’s horn glowed brighter than a star, and the air in front of her distorted, then split open to form a portal. All of Twilight’s and Sunset’s attack gravitated towards it, while Vesper rained fire down on Applejack and Rainbow. Another portal opened up over the remaining ponies heads, barraging them with Sunset’s and Twilight’s own magic. Pinkie pushed Sunset out of the way of an incoming blast, narrowly avoiding getting hit herself. Rainbow had managed to grab one of the Hoofguards at the cost of half her tail. The victory was short lived, however, as Vesper descended and delivered a blast to Rainbow’s chest. She sailed across the room, mouth open in a silent scream. Fluttershy caught her and wailed at the amount of blood soaking Rainbow’s chest. Vesper caught the fallen Hoofguard and used it to backhoof Applejack as she got close. She spiraled off the dais, and slid past a charging Sunset. Sunset could barely give Applejack any thought; her mind was screaming, No! at the sight of Vesper stepping into the Hoofguards. She wildly fired every spell she could muster. None of them reached Vesper. A column of red light enveloped her entire body. Sunset froze, watching the light bathe the entire Crystalarium in its glow. She had seen the pillar before. No. Last time she had been in the pillar. Her soul pulsed, like it was trying to break free from her body. She doubled over and clutched her heart, desperately sucking down air. Laughter rang in her ears, bubbling up from her aching soul. “Your entire journey was pointless!” Sunset lifted her head up with strenuous effort. As the pillar of light began to fade, a long, slender leg stepped out of it, wearing the Obsidian Hoofguards. “I am now the greatest being on this planet!” Sunset’s soul pulsed again, and she screamed in agony while the laughter grew louder. Her vision flickered, obscured by an impenetrable darkness. Hatred, anger, fear and despair all rose up from the abyss and enveloped her soul. Large, immaculate, golden wings emerged from the light. “I am your only princess now! No! I am your queen!” Someone might have called her name, but Sunset couldn’t hear them anymore. She could only hear the sound of her own laughter. She felt her lips pull into a maniacal smile as she looked upon her alicorn self, standing proud upon the dais. A tall, spiraling horn pointed to a lethal tip. Long crimson-and-gold locks flowing in an unseen wind. Her eyes were draconic slits, filled with rapturous glee. She was as tall as Celestia and fully adorned in the Dark Regalia. Sunset fell away, swallowed by the darkness of her own soul, but she still felt her mouth and voice in synch with the alicorn before her. “I am Vesper Radiance!”