//------------------------------//
// The Duel of the Deejays 
// Story: Sunset Eclipsed 
// by EldritchNexus 
//------------------------------//

Ms. Crystal Iris Roachanov--or Supreme Commander Chrysalis, as the members of her syndicate knew her--stood almost completely armored in the middle of her office, missing only her helmet and sidearm, which were laying on her desk. She was preparing to go out on the field again, for what seemed like the first time since her younger brother, Erik Bryon Roachanov, also known as Intelligence Officer Embryo, became the super-soldier known as Captain Umbriel. She was analyzing the preparations for her flight to Canterbury where she would rendezvous with him, when the door suddenly opened slowly. Clinging to the doorway stood a scrawny little girl with pale skin, big watery eyes, and long cerulean hair. Her eyes were twitching and her lip quivering.

"Penelope, what's the matter?" said Crystal, slowly.

The little girl strained to open her mouth and attempted to speak.

"Ma....ma." she said, slowly.

There were metallic footfalls outside, and a beautiful lavender-haired woman in sleek black armor rushed to the girl's side, and stooped to pick her up.

"Forgive me, ma'am." said the woman. "She must've wandered off when I was taking her back to her bedroom. I would gladly see her in bed right away--"

"It's quite all right, Lieutenant Cerci." assured Supreme Commander Chrysalis, flatly. "But you can wait for now. Please, bring my precious little Pupa over here."

"Yes, commander." said Cerci, who gently picked Pupa up and carried her to Supreme Commander Chrysalis.

Then she slowly put her down, keeping her hands on either side in case the girl fell over. But she retracted them when Pupa proved to be standing well enough. Chrysalis sank to one knee, and put a hand on Pupa's scalp to stroke her hair.

"Now what's the matter, sweetie?" she asked her daughter.

Pupa's eyes welled up with tears, and she hugged her mother's chest as tightly as she could.

"I guess she doesn't want you to leave, ma'am." said Lt. Cerci, gently.

"Now, now, now, daughter." Chrysalis said quietly to Pupa. "Mommy has work to do out-of-town, okay? This is very, very important."

Pupa, as usual, said nothing. But she shook her head, indicating she was either frustrated or confused.

"I have to meet with Captain Umbriel by tomorrow." she said. "You remember your uncle Erik, don't you?"

But Pupa just frowned ever harder.

"Now, let's not be difficult." sighed Supreme Commander Chrysalis, blinking her eyes slowly. "After all, your birthday's only three days away!"

Then Pupa burst into tears even harder, clearly bitter at the reminder. The reminder for a day that she could tell her mother would miss. Chrysalis patted little Pupa on the shoulder. Cerci could tell that Chrysalis was getting impatient, but couldn't tell if she should take Pupa out of the room or let her handle this kind of situation.

"Oh, that reminds me." said Chrysalis, suddenly. "I almost forgot about giving you a birthday present."

Pupa stopped shedding tears, and silently looked at her mother.

"Mommy will be right back, okay?" whispered Chrysalis. "Just wait here."

Chrysalis got up and walked over to her desk to open a bottom drawer. She shifted through the clutter and junk until she finally grabbed what she was looking for: A big stuffed pony doll with overly fluffy pink fur. She couldn't help but give a little grin just touching it again after what seemed like forever. She went back to Pupa, and gave the stuffed animal to her.

"Here you go, sweetie." she said. "This is Fluffle Puff. She was my favorite toy when I was around your age. She's very soft and warm. Go ahead and give her a hug."

Pupa took the stuffed animal from her mother's hands, and slowly squeezed it. Fluffle Puff made a noise like a sigh, which made the girl holding it smile.

"Do you like it?" asked Chrysalis.

Pupa nodded silently, but quickly.

"Happy birthday, my little Penelope." said her mother. "Now go on to bed, sweetie."

Penelope "Pupa" Roachanov slowly turned around, and Lt. Cerci led her out of the room. Cerci closed the door with a nod and salute to the supreme commander, who simply sighed in relief.

"Ah, I thought I'd never get that out of the way." she muttered, referring to her daughter's intrusion. "Now let's see what my little brother's gotten us all into in Canterbury."

She walked back to her desk, and put on her helmet, which was black and featureless, except for two large, bulbous green lenses for her eyes, and had openings in the back and top so that her long, straight cerulean hair could hang behind her. She activated the speaker on her helmet, and spoke into it:

"Node, is the helicopter prepared for travel?"

"Yes, madam commander!" confirmed the pilot. "And we have Blacks Seven and Nine ready to escort us to Canterbury."

"And what about the Hydra tank?"

"It should arrive there shortly after we do the same." said Node.

Chrysalis took her personal sidearm, a sleek black 93R Auto-9 pistol, off of her desk, cocked it, and then took a moment to look at it. For a moment, she mused about the SombraTech Deagalizer, that monstrous sidearm that her brother used in combat nowadays, and chuckled to herself as she looked at her own handgun.

"Leave it to Sombra Industries to try and one-up the classics." she thought, with a smirk.

Then she twirled the automatic pistol in her hand like a gunslinger of the Old West, swiftly deposited it into her holster, and spoke again into her helmet's built-in radio:

"Then get the chopper ready. I'm coming to you right now."





The video arcade was bustling with people--most of which seemed rather underage to be out at that time of night--and music was blaring from the speakers of the DDR machine at the far end of the game room, where Remix was facing off against Vinyl Scratch.

Sergeant Craw was sitting at a booth in the corner, wearing his helmet and armor, and carrying his gas-operated sidearm on his waist. He was tapping the heel of his metal boot against the floor as he listened to the music.

He couldn't help but reminisce on the first time that he and Sunset Shimmer went to this arcade. He remembered how a few weeks ago, the two of them played three matches on the Street Fighter II arcade game before Sunset rage-quitted and stormed off with a huff. Craw went after her, and managed to persuade her to go with him to a dance club instead.

Deciding he was thinking too hard about it again, he decided to look around to see if he could recognize anyone else. Suddenly, he realized who was sitting in the booth next to his: Pressure Point.

Out of curiosity, Craw got up and took off his helmet, then approached Pressure.

"Hey, you're Pressure Point, aren't ya?" asked Craw. "Kind of an odd place for a reporter to be, don't you think?"

"Oh, you're one of those Chrysalis Syndicate guys, aren't you?" asked Pressure Point, analyzing Craw's shiny black armor. "The stuff you wear isn't exactly conspicuous. I mean, wouldn't just wearing a bulletproof vest or something under your clothes be enough?"

"You can never be too careful." noted Sgt. Craw. "You know, I haven't seen you snooping around a lot, like most reporters that I've seen."

"Well, I'm going to be honest with you, soldier-boy." said Pressure. "I'm not as fanatical as people make us reporters out to be. In fact, I'm not even that enthusiastic about being a reporter at all."

"Then why have the job?" asked Craw. "I mean, I don't think the pay could be that good."

"Because this job is a part-time thing for me." said Pressure, scratching his short, curly purple hair with his left index finger. "I'm only going to be a reporter until I graduate from the medical college. Once I become a licensed physician, I'm bailing out faster than you can say 'Lulamoon'."

"Lula-what?" asked Craw.

"Oh, right." said Pressure Point, who seemed reluctant, even upset that he brought it up at all. "Okay, so I know you and your Syndicate pals are running around Canterlot High for that Sunset Shimmer girl..."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I have a cousin--well, a second cousin--that's a student there. Her name's Trixie Lulamoon."

"Oh, yeah. You mean--" Craw grinned.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie!" said both of them at once.

Craw chuckled a bit, but Pressure didn't look even remotely amused.

"What's the problem, Pressure?" asked Craw.

"Trixie and her father are an embarassment to my family." said Pressure, his eyes narrowed.

"Why? What's wrong with 'em?" asked Craw. "I mean, Trixie's alright. In fact, I think she's just adorable, especially with that magician thing she has going on."

"Trixie's a brainless beauty that runs her mouth off and puts on overly flashy magic shows to compensate for the fact that she's a shallow, hopelessly untalented individual." explained Pressure, bitterly. "And Old Man Artie--oh, I'm sorry, the 'Supreme and Mystical Artemis'--is a terrible parent for raising his daughter to be just like him."

"Oh, yeah." said Craw. "I heard about Artemis. They say he's the best magician in Las Vegas, at least these days. In fact, some of the other guys in the Syndicate said they personally enjoyed his shows."

"Yeah, I know that he's great with magic." said Pressure. "But if he wasn't family, I'd press charges against his smoke-and-mirrors behind for turning Trixie into the annoying loudmouth she is today."

"Oh she's not that bad!" denied Craw. "Don't you think you're being a little extreme about this?"

"Behold, citizens of Canterbury!" shouted a loud, Midwestern-accented female voice over the music. "I, the Grrrrreat and Powerful Trrrrrrrixie, have achieved the highest of all scores on this arcade machine!"

Craw turned and saw Trixie stepping away from a machine for a racing game, pumping her fists back and forth in the air.

"Oh! just shut up, Trixie!" shouted a random person, who promptly tossed an empty soda bottle that struck the silver-haired girl on the shoulder.

Trixie turned on her heel, and leaned towards the other person.

"Oh, does the Great and Powerful Trixie have a challenge?!" she scoffed.

"Yeah, I have a challenge for ya:" shouted the voice. "Be quiet!"

Trixie growled, and raised her hands. She pressed her middle and index fingers against her temples, closed her purple eyes, and angrily uttered something under her breath, but her words were drowned out by the loud music. Pressure Point shot a dismayed look at her, and then back at Craw.

"You know what? Never mind." grumbled Sergeant Craw, with a shrug.

"I just hate it when she does that!" said Pressure. "It embarrasses me to no end to be related to someone like...that!"

"Then why are you here?" asked Craw.

"Because it's Trixie's eighteenth birthday, and her mom Selena wanted me to keep her busy while she and Artemis set up her surprise party."

"What?! I have a surprise party planned for me, cousin?" said Trixie, who stomped towards Pressure Point. "Then why did you have to bring me to a place infested with such insolent people? The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that we leave...now!"

"I'm not a chauffeur, Trixie." said Pressure, annoyed. "So don't treat me like one!"

"You will bring me back home--"

"Or what?"

"Or the Great and Powerful Trixie shall kick her foot so far up your--"

It was then that Sergeant Craw decided to leave the two family members to argue in solitude, and check up on Remix and Vinyl Scratch.

Remix and Vinyl were still pulling off accurate, rapid-fire dance moves on the platform, even though they had been going on for twenty-five minutes straight. They were currently dancing to an instrumental rendition of "Starsign" by Apoptygma Berzerk, and neither of them looked like they were stopping anytime soon. Just like that, a series of blips were heard on Remix's wrist-computer; they both passed.

"Not bad, dude...not...bad." Vinyl Scratch panted, as she tilted her sunglasses up so that her purple eyes were visible. "You and I should..."

Then she hesitated, getting off of the machine.

"Wow, I dunno how to say this." said Vinyl.

"Say what?" asked Remix's electronic voice program.

"That we should totally collaborate together on an album or something." said Vinyl. "You know, like, make dance mixes or covers of songs like the ones we were just dancing to."

Remix flipped the microphone on his helmet back, and toggled a couple of switches on his helmet to deactivate the red light on his visor. He tugged on his helmet so that his mouth was away from the voice-distorting electronics.

"I don't collaborate with pre-graduates." he spoke with a voice that turned out to be very deep and raspy. "But you did good yourself, kid."

"Wow, you really mean it?" asked Vinyl.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be speaking to you with my normal voice right now." said Remix.

"Wow, that's your normal voice?" asked Vinyl. "What happened, did ya get sick or something?"

"It doesn't matter to you, Miss Scratch." said Remix.

"Well, could you at least take your helmet off so I can look at you?"

Remix clicked his helmet back into place, as if it was his way of saying "no". Vinyl frowned a little.

"Yeah, that's cool, I guess." she said. "I like you with all that stuff on, anyway. Very retro."

Remix nodded ever so subtly.

"But still, what'dya have against pre-graduates?" asked Vinyl Scratch. "I may not be in college yet, but I'll let you know that I happen to be one of the best darn musicians in not only CHS, but in all of Canterbury. I wrote my first lyric when I was seven, composed my first song at ten, and made my first mixtape when I was twelve. And guess what? I've actually been hired by a whole bunch of different people across town to provide musical entertainment for all kinds of occassions! Birthdays, plays, you name it!"

"Yeah, that's nice." said Remix's electronic voice. "But I normally don't work with teenagers..."

"Yeah?" said Vinyl, slowly.

"Though I think I might make an exception for somebody of your caliber, Vinyl Scratch." continued the electronic voice. "I suppose we could cover a song together. Only one song. But later."

Then Vinyl smiled.

"Thanks!" she said, turning to leave. "See ya tomorrow, dude."

The crowd of onlookers parted for her, while Remix started to fumble with his computer, which started beeping just after Vinyl Scratch left. Craw's helmet, which he had just put back on, started to buzz shortly afterwards.

"Attention all Syndicate personnel, this is Captain Umbriel with an important message." said the captain's voice. "Supreme Commander Chrysalis will be arriving within the city limits of Canterbury at sunrise. I want everyone to prepare for her arrival when this happens."

Sgt. Craw frowned, though nobody could see it due to his helmet obscuring his face.





Captain Umbriel, meanwhile, was sitting on the porch of Celestia and Luna's residence, with Vice Principal Luna sitting in a chair beside him, wearing a black bathrobe and slippers with her arms crossed.

"Do you really want to....do...what I think you will to Sunset Shimmer?" asked Luna.

"Only if necessary, Luna." Umbriel said, his helmet off. "But regardless, this will all be over in a few short days."

Luna stood up on the lawn, the grass brushing against her heels. She looked up at the night sky, towards the Moon. Umbriel stood up and went next to her.

"I'm afraid that this may be the last time we ever talk to one another, baby." said Umbriel, coolly.

"Oh, goodie." mouthed Luna, coldly.

"But before I go, I wanted to savor the moment, and ask you:" said Umbriel. "How would you like to join the Syndicate?"

"Excuse me?" Luna turned.

"You are a smart and clever woman. We could benefit greatly from you--."

"I'll have to pass, honey." said Luna, flatly. "I've seen the world, and to me, it's all here, with my sister, CHS, and its students."

She slipped on a hood, and turned away from the streetlights so that her face was shrouded in the darkness.

"It's been...quite the experience knowing you." said Luna, flatly. "Good evening, captain."

"Just a moment."

Captain Umbriel approached Luna, turned her by the shoulder, and stuck his face forward to whisper:

"Feel free to call me anytime."

Luna nodded frigidly, backed away again, and sank into the shadowy threshold of the front door, dissolving into the house's lightless interior without a sound, the door seemingly closing by itself. Umbriel caught a glimpse of two beautiful green-blue eyes gazing longingly at him in the darkness behind the glass, before they blinked, turned, and disappeared mysteriously. Umbriel smiled widely, and then turned away.