//------------------------------// // 4. Afternoon Shadows // Story: Midnight's Radiance // by MrAlterad //------------------------------// Unfortunately, Sunset felt as though she was the only one in the hot air balloon ready for reaching the castle. Looking to her friends, she was now aware of how quiet the journey had been, with her questions to Shadow Blitz being the only exchange traded since they lifted off. Trixie was looking to Canterlot, and Sunset could see a fire in her eyes, the nervousness from before now lost in that flare. Spike was also looking to Canterlot, a worried look on his face, and Sunset guessed that it was from fear that he would be left behind when they arrived. Twilight's brow was furrowed as she poured through the book, the content within seeming to bring her a small amount of distress. Shadow Blitz was silent, her back to everyone else as she pulled the hot air balloon along, an aura of fierce determination emanating from her. And there sat Sunset Shimmer, fired up and ready to go, only to realize she'd forgotten to consider what to do with Spike when they reached Canterlot. She mentally kicked herself, as she started to consider what was best for him, versus what he wanted. He wants to go with us, Sunset thought, without a single trace of doubt. But, it'll be dangerous. What if Shadow Flare tries to pull something on us, and Spike gets caught in it!? She shook her head before a mental imagine of the possibilities could assault her. It would be safer if he stayed at home, but … if things go to the moon, then who will look after him? She then brought a hoof to her head, not liking the idea of planning for failure. If he comes with us, he should be safe if he stays in the secret passageways, right? “Canterlot is all quiet,” Trixie pointed out, briefly drawing everyone's attention to the city. Unlike Ponyville, no pegasi or unicorns had gathered clouds over the mountain, A fact likely enforced by Shadow Flare, Sunset assumed, seeing the streets were empty of Canterlot's typical activity. Hard to think that today is the Winter Solstice. Sunset couldn't quite tell from this distance, but she could imagine ponies peaking through the windows to note the hot air balloon. The snow in Canterlot was practically gone by this point, the melted streams running off into the proper channels to the large waterfall, which was almost overflowing. The moat into the city was partially submerged under a torrential stream, born from melted snow from the mountain, isolating Canterlot. Looking close, she could make out guards on either side of the moat, working to tame the stream. Briefly considering helping those guards, she shook her head and concerned herself with the bigger problems at hoof. Such as what to do with Spike. ...If the others will be looking for the Elements of Harmony while I talk with Shadow Flare, maybe it would be best to have another set of eyes. Sunset looked to Spike, who was taking in their home with earnest. “Twilight,” Sunset began, pulling Twilight out of her troubled contemplation, “When we reach the castle, if things get worse, can you send Spike home?” Twilight's eyes widened slightly as Spike turned to Sunset, a surprised look on his face. “You're letting me join you guys!?” Spike asked. “Yes, but only if you stick with Twilight.” “Got it! I'll stick to her like glue!” and with that, Spike gave Sunset a fierce hug, which Sunset returned with a warm smile. Her eyes then met Twilight's, who gave her a fierce and determined nod, prompting Sunset to mouth the words 'thank you' to her. Sunset didn't doubt that Twilight would look after him, if it came to that. “Oh, Trixie gets it,” Trixie said in a hurt tone, “Sunset doesn't think that The Great and Powerful Trixie is up to the task!” “Sounds about right.” Sunset quickly replied, “You're great at playing with foals, but looking after them? I think you should just stick to making them laugh.” “Hmph! Trixie can assure you that she knows a thing or two about looking after foals,” Trixie stated confidently, “Aand she is sure that Twilight agrees!” “Well, anything's possible, I guess,” Twilight replied with a sly grin. “It's okay Trixie,” Spike said eagerly as he let go of Sunset, “I think you'd be a great foalsitter!” “Thank you Spike! At least someone has faith in Trixie!” Trixie finished with an grateful look, a smile worn by the others for several moments. Slowly, the mirth in the air ebbed away as they saw the castle getting closer. Besides the lack of snow, it looked no different than when Sunset had been there in the morning, making her raise an eyebrow. “Blitz!” Sunset let out, motioning the Shadowbolt close, “Where did the fight take place?” She considered it odd that the castle looked unscratched, having expected any battle involving Luna to have leveled half of the structure. “It happened in a field next to the castle. It's totally messed up now.” The training field? I guess Luna didn't want to destroy the castle during the- Sunset's thoughts were interrupted when she spotted a pair of guards guarding the front gates. She immediately pointed them out to the others before turning to them. “I'm going to address the guards, mind landing the balloon nearby?” Sunset asked, getting nods from the others, prompting Sunset to teleport down in front of the guards she had walked past just this morning. They both looked a little relieved to see the unicorn, and quickly saluted her. “What's going on?” Sunset firmly asked. “Canterlot is under lock-down until the current situation has resolved,” one of the guards explained as he pointed to the sun, “Princess Luna ordered all guards out of the castle, imploring that we look over the citizens of Canterlot until the crisis has 'taken care of itself'. She also ordered us to be compliant with Shadow Flare's orders, as long as it didn't bring any harm to others.” Follow Shadow Flare's orders!? Resolved itself!? Luna really does have a lot of faith in us! Sunset thought worriedly as she nodded to the guards. She then blushed slightly, and hoped nopony noticed as she asked another concern that's been eating at her. “Um, where's the captain of the royal guard?” “In the castle, he was summoned by Shadow Flare.” “W-What!? Why!?” “We don't know, our apologies Ms. Shimmer.” Sunset's frowned as she looked to the castle in concern. With her attention occupied by worry, she failed to notice the others catch up to her, the hot air balloon having been parked in the street. “Sunset? What's wrong?” Twilight asked, bringing Sunset back to herself as she looked to her friend, then looked away. “I-It's nothing, just something on my mind, that's all,” Sunset stated, not wanting to worry Twilight about her brother any further. She then briefly filled the others in on the situation, and shortly after she was finished, found herself distracted by the look on Trixie's face. “Guys...” Trixie stated, pointing to the castle, and everyone followed her direction to a set of large stained glass windows that let light into the throne room. A bright light was emanating from behind those windows, and Sunset could almost feel the source of that light looked at them, right now. “Trixie, let's get inside, mind giving me direction?” Sunset asked of her as her horn started to glow. Quickly catching onto her intention, Twilight motioned the others closer to Sunset. With them all gathered, Trixie's horn started to glow, her magic wrapping around the five of them in unison with Sunset's. And with Sunset's magic fueling the spell, Trixie teleported them away from the the front gates, and they all abandoned the bright, sweltering heat for someplace that was cool and unlit. “Ow!” Very unlit, as Shadow Blitz had just discovered. Trixie let out a small laugh as Twilight's horn lit up the old stone passageway, revealing that it was barely wide enough for two ponies to stand side-by-side. “Trixie cannot remember the last time we've done that,” she said as she looked to Sunset, a proud smile on her face. “Uh, what just happened?” Shadow Blitz asked, clearly not liking how confining the passageway was. “Trixie teleported us into the castle, using Sunset's magic,” Twilight said. “I'm no unicorn, so I don't really follow, but was it needed?” Blitz asked. “Teleporting four ponies and a baby dragon that far wasn't too taxing for Sunset.” Twilight explained, “But considering the cramped space we were teleporting into, it would require a level of finesse on the application of the allocation ratio—” “She needed Trixie's help,” Trixie quickly interrupted, “or else we would have been split up trying to get here.” Twilight let out a small sigh for her explanation being cut short, before she looked around. “Speaking of,” Twilight stated, “where are we?” The hidden passageways all looked very similar, and not having a proper starting point meant they were lost. Trixie however, gave them a beaming smile. “Close to the library!” she proclaimed as she pointed down the hall. "This was Trixie's favorite hiding spot, back in the day~!" “Excellent,” Sunset affirmed, her tone demanding the others attention. “Now that we're here, we don't need to worry about Shadow Flare spying on us. So, what I had in mind, is while I'm talking to her, the rest of you look for the Elements of Harmony.” Sunset then looked to Blitz, “And while they're looking, I want you to keep an eye out for everyone from outside the castle, so we can be updated on each others situation.” “That's your master plan?” Trixie asked, a little disappointed. “Look,” Sunset began, “since Luna hid that book from Shadow Flare, that means she doesn't know about the elements, right?” “She was defeated by them,” Twilight quickly stated, “Pretty sure she would know about them.” “Well, if she does know, then you'll have to hope she's more concerned with me than that.” Sunset had an idea as to why Shadow Flare wanted to talk to her. She knew that Sunset had learned the spell to move the sun. She was likely going to take care of Sunset as soon as she could. “I'm pretty sure I can distract her long enough for the four of you to find them, once you do, we can get out of here, and figure out what to do next.” “And what about you?” Spike asked. “I'll be fine, once I know you've found them, Shadow Blitz can send me a signal and I'll be back in the passageways in a blink.” “So what, we're not gonna fight her?” Blitz asked, clearly upset at the prospect. “We will, once we've found the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight affirmed, giving Shadow Blitz a firm nod, who reluctantly returned it. “And just what are those?” she asked. “I'll leave that to you three to explain, I'm heading out,” Sunset declared. “Sunset,” Spike began, walking up to her, “You're coming back, right?” She paused, feeling her heart ache as she looked into his eyes, and adopted a weak smile as she hugged him. “Hey now, who do you think you're talking to?” “R-Right!” he affirmed, rubbing his eyes before looking back to her. “We'll be waiting for you! So...” “I'll play it safe, so don't worry.” Sunset then looked to the others, “I'll stall her for as long as I can.” And then get out of there. No way am I getting caught! “Heh,” Trixie began, “Knowing you, you'll probably find a way to deal with Shadow Flare while you're 'stalling'.” “We'll make sure to find the elements as quickly as we can,” Twilight promised, “I may have a spell that can help, if we're lucky, it won't take too long. So don't do anything reckless.” Sunset nodded, and separated herself from Spike, giving her friends a determined nod as she turned around. “Hey, Sunset,” Shadow Blitz began, “Something I noticed when I fought her earlier, the banishing spell takes her a moment to get off, if you stay light on your hoofs, you can avoid it. Just don't get caught by her shadow, or you're done for!” “I see. Thanks for the heads up.” Avoid her shadow at all costs! Sunset thought to herself as she gathered her magic. “Good luck,” Blitz added, and with that, Sunset teleported away, ending up at a familiar corridor, outside the throne room. It was sweltering in the bright hall, and Sunset could almost picture the air wavering from the heat seeping from the closed doors of the throne room. She had to wonder what was keeping the tapestries and carpets from catching fire, and realized that it wouldn't take much for that to happen. A moment after arriving in the hall, a gold, slightly orange magical glow wrapped around the doors, forcing them open. A wave of heat was unleashed from the room, causing Sunset's eyes to water, forcing her to bring a shielding hoof forward as she looked into the room, seeing the mare that wished to speak to her, the mare that had bested Luna. Shadow Flare. Shadow Blitz's description didn't do her justice. She sat tall and proud, her coat pure white, her mane and tail consisted of a gentle conflagration, a flame that seemed to avoid touching the nearby drapes and carpets, and her eyes looked to Sunset, fired with pure determination and confidence. Through the flames of her mane, Sunset could make out a golden crown, glowing with heat. And she was large, being taller than two ponies combined. Yet, despite her size, she was still slim, even though her presence was daunting, making Sunset falter as she took Shadow Flare in. Almost to offset her fiery majesty, clinging to the ground around her, was a large shadow. All it touched was pitch black, no light reflected off of where it touched, and it wasn't following the typical rules associated to shadows. It wavered and shifted, not carrying a distinguished form, it was more like a shapeless mass centered on the mare sitting on the throne. Luna's throne. Luna had never liked the throne room, and preferred the library when she wasn't having to talk to nobles. Still, seeing somepony that wasn't Luna on that throne made Sunset's blood begin to boil. The heat was only accelerating that fact, so when she entered the room, any traces of composure she had before she teleported where burnt to a crisp. Her anger made her approach Shadow Flare without any traces of hesitation or fear. “Sunset Shimmer,” Shadow Flare began, her voice commanding and gentle, a distinction that made Sunset pause, “Calm yourself, before you do something that we'll both end up regretting.” What!? Sunset stomped her hoof to the ground as she glared across the room. “You banished Princess Luna! And you're putting Equestria in danger! Why should I be calm!!” “Because, I need you in order to protect Equestria's future.” There was a certainty in those words, and the look in her eyes gave her words great power, and under that power, something dangerous began to form in Sunset's mind. Doubt. “What, what nonsense are you spitting out!? Didn't you return to take over Equestria?” “It's not that simple, Sunset Shimmer. Yes, I've returned to take back what was once mine, but I don't intend to do it alone.” Sunset looked to Shadow Flare, now a little confused, “Sunset Shimmer, I've been keeping my eyes on you ever since you got your cutie-mark. Surely even you know how rare it is to have the sun alone as your mark.” And with that, she turned to the side, revealing her own cutie-mark, the sun, the very same as the one burning in the sky. “You are important to Equestria's future, and I have seen how.” Sunset Shimmer was a student of Princess Luna, a 'Disciple of the Moon'. Many ponies in Equestria knew of her, and she herself had planned to help Luna with raising the sun. She already knew that her future would be important to Equestria. Still, hearing it from the pony that defeated Luna instilled Sunset with a sense of foreboding. “Humor me,” Sunset asked, Shadow Flare's unexpected words managing to calm Sunset to the point of reminding her why she was here. To buy time. And as the alicorn continued, Sunset's gaze looked over the rest of the throne room, seeing that it was just the two of them within. Shining Armor isn't here either, so where is he? “I have seen your work over the last month. You've learned the spell, and you have the power needed to raise and lower the sun. You also have other qualities needed, to rule Equestria.” Sunset eyes were instantly drawn to Shadow Flare, uncertain if she had heard her adversary correctly. “Come again?” Sunset asked, prompting Shadow Flare to adopt a lightly amused smirk as she stood up. She took a step forward, and Sunset took a step back, finding herself more wary of her foe than before. What's going on here? I thought she wanted to send me to the moon, not become her successor! “I'm saying that you can rule Equestria, with the sun falling under your command.” “What about Luna?” Sunset quickly asked, this unexpected turn in conversation putting Sunset in an uncomfortable spot, as she sought to change the topic. Shadow Flare's brow furrowed as she looked to Sunset. “What about Luna?” Shadow Flare echoed as her fire flared, making Sunset take another step back from the sudden burst of heat. “She trapped me in the sun for a thousand years. It's only fair I gift her a similar fate.” There were words Sunset wanted to reply with. 'You brought it upon yourself!' or 'Maybe you should have lowered the sun then!', but the heat Shadow Flare was radiating was too much for Sunset, making her take another step back, looking to her adversary in the eyes with a fierce look. Their gazes met, and Shadow Flare's eyes widened, seeming to remember herself, and her fire died down a little as she readopted her small smile. “That defiant look you hold, towards somepony stronger than you, and your concern for your teacher. Oh, Sunset Shimmer, I truly wish that you were my student, you're simply radiant!” Her smile then turned smug as her eyes glared at Sunset, “You like tests, right?” She took another step forward, her mane and tail flaring again as Sunset took another step back, her eye's widening at the unexpected hostility directed at her, Sunset's horn preparing for a teleport- She was caught from behind by the doors of the room slamming into her, throwing off her concentration as she flew towards Shadow Flare. Skidding to the floor, her horn started to glow again, and in a flash- Her magic fizzled off as she felt something wrap around her horn, and appraising her situation, she found herself laying on Shadow Flare's shadow. I've been caught!? Just like that!!? Sunset thought in disbelief as she tried to stand up, feeling the shadow's wrap around her like a coiling snake. “Sunset Shimmer, you shine so bright. You may be surprised by the emotions brought on by such radiance...” Shadow Flare said, her words carrying a weight that drew Sunset's attention. She tried to teleport, but the grasp on her horn seemed to sap her magic, and despite her efforts to get free, she felt herself fall away into darkness of Shadow Flare's silhouette. ~~~~~~~~~~ Sunset found herself floating in space, surrounded by darkness, and it wasn't long before that darkness gave way to images. Memories. Sunset witnessed her past flying before her eyes. Displays of her power, the fruit of her hard work, every single instance was shown to her, including several she had once forgotten. She couldn't help but feel proud of everything she's done, but, she felt as though something was missing from all of those achievements. Mastering a growth spell before getting her cutie-mark. Becoming the best over all in her class. Hatching a dragon's egg. Becoming a student to Princess Luna. Teleporting from one end of Canterlot to another. Presenting the fireworks for Canterlot's Summer Sun Celebration. Clearing the clouds for Winter Wrap-up. Refilling the Feeder's Well. Saving Spike from foal-nappers. Becoming a 'Disciple of the Moon'. Graduating under Luna's tutelage. Memory after memory flew by, and seeing them gathered together, she noticed that all of her achievements were earned alone. Not a single one of her friends showed up in those memories, and at first it felt wrong. But the more Sunset looked through those memories, the more she realized. She had always earned her achievements alone. 'But just because we've worked alone, doesn't mean that we are.' Sunset heard from an eerily similar voice, and turned towards it, suddenly finding herself in a particular room in the castle. A room once shared by three fillies. Everything lacked color, and looking down to herself, she saw that even she was in shades of black and white. And standing before her, was a double of herself, giving her a small smile. “Okay, what's going on?” Sunset asked incredulously as she indicated her double, as well as her surroundings. 'Do I really have to answer that?' she asked as she tilted her head in annoyance, 'Clearly this is some sort of introspective look on who we are, brought on by the shadow snare that you were trapped in.' “Then, this is the test Shadow Flare was referring too. Why is she testing me?” 'I don't know, we'll have to ask her when we get out.' “We? Who are you?” 'You, clearly.' “Right,” Sunset replied as she rolled her eyes, choosing to let her 'other self' slide with just that, so she could pursue more answers, “And how do I get out?” 'I'd try the spell we love to cast,' Sunset's other self said, her light smile never fading. Sunset considered doing just that, but what she had just seen made her hesitate. “These memories, are they true?” 'Well, they're our memories, so they're as true as we make them to be.' “I mean, were my friends really never a part of my accomplishments?” Her other self considered the question for a moment before shrugging. 'Twilight and Trixie have helped us many times. So why do these stand out in our memories?' The memories played out again before Sunset, letting her come to her own conclusion on the matter. “I did these alone, with my own power.” And not only that, these were impressive feats. And as her memories played out, she kept an eye out, to see if there was a particular kind of accomplishment nestled within. Was there any achievement that I've actually done with both of them? Something great, that we've accomplished together? I suppose we were Luna's students together, but that's not what I had in mind for something 'great'. 'Yes, we did a great deal with our own power. We worked hard to accomplish what others couldn't,' her other self began, walking by the memories as they flew by, 'And at first, we did it for ourselves, to show how great we were. But, later...' And the memories played out again, and now, Sunset saw Trixie, Twilight, Luna, and later, Spike, were complimenting her, teasing her, praising her. Their words made her happy, and at some point, Sunset saw that she had stopped working to reaffirm her power, and started working for their praise. She was alone in her achievements, but with those she cared about in her accomplishments. Seeing all this, Sunset's brow furrowed. “I don't get it. How is this a test?” 'Do I look like I know? Maybe the test is simply getting out of here.' Sunset considered that a moment, taking in the room again as the memories dispersed, indulging in a moment of nostalgia before focusing on her horn. Shadow Flare is in the throne room, so... With a flash, she found herself outside in the field next to the castle, which was not her intended destination. The field was free of damage, the lines showing the length of the field still intact. A small obsidian rock rested on the grass, unbroken. Sunset then cradled her horn, which flared briefly in pain before she looked around in confusion. 'I guess it'll take more than one hop,' Sunset's other self suggested, seeming to appear at her side, not to Sunset's surprise, who simply nodded at her words. However, before she could leave, another set of memories flew by her eyes, only, these were not her own. They were Trixie's. Memories of when she was a filly, flying by through the years, all the way up till just this morning. And they were memories of a particular nature. They were memories about Sunset Shimmer. Trixie, talking in the field with Twilight, complaining about how Sunset is always acting pushy. Fighting against Sunset in the rain, dodging spells that ruined the garden, fear guiding her hooves. Hiding in the corridor, under a spell of invisibility, as a grumpy Sunset walked past, looking for her. Crying in the library, mumbling about how Sunny was a meany-flank. Eyes looking to a great fireworks display that brought smiles to countless ponies, caused by Sunset's magic, and not her own. Eyes that looked on, filled with envy. The stream of memories seemed to pause on that particular moment, before continuing on. But, Sunset didn't let it continue. Seeing her friends memories was an invasion of privacy, and more than that, Sunset didn't like seeing these memories. Gathering her magic again, she tried to teleport to the throne room, ending up on the observation tower of Canterlot Castle instead. Once again, her horn ached, and it was stronger this time. The pain almost brought tears to her eyes, but the moment was brief, and when it passed, the only trace it left was a slight ache in her horn. “W-What was that about!? Those weren't my memories!” 'They were Trixie's. I guess shining bright has its downsides.' “Shining bright? That's what Shadow Flare said,” Sunset affirmed as she collected herself, then looked to her other self as a troubling thought came to mind. “Were those memories real?” 'Well, if they were, I don't really know how we'd know them. So, they must be something we knew, or suspected, but never witnessed.' Her other self then nodded, 'That sounds about right. We knew Trixie was envious of those fireworks. We knew she hid from us several times, and we knew she occasionally talked behind our back.' “Yeah, well, she was always-” Sunset began, but was interrupted as another stream of memories assaulted her. Oh for crying out loud! This time it was Twilight's, following the same pattern as the others, only, the content of these memories gave Sunset reason to pause. Twilight was crying in frustration, her horn aching as she tried to cast the same spell Sunset did, only to fail in some fundamental manner. Over, and over, and over again. Countless times, Twilight struggled to accomplish the same spells as Sunset, and failing, always in silence, where nopony would notice her frustration. A moment of genuine surprise greeted Twilight, when she managed to learn teleportation, before Sunset. There was a burning spark of happiness born from when she helped Sunset learn that very same spell. After that, Twilight's attempts at copying Sunset's magic were less frustrating, and yet, as Sunset saw her memories, she began to notice that there was something fundamentally wrong with Twilight's magic. Sunset had always thought that Twilight's magic was on par with a normal unicorn, but seeing how much effort Twilight put into her magic, only for it to go wrong, changed Sunset's perspective. Her magic had power, but lacked direction. As if Twilight's magic chose to do it's own thing when she tried to formulate a spell. And seeing those memories made Sunset realize what was going on. The memories she witnessed were in third person, instead of first person. She wasn't seeing her friends memories, or pieces of what she assumed her friends went through in the past. These memories were a mix of Sunset's beliefs, her memories, and Shadow Flare's memories. Shadow Flare had been watching them since they became Luna's students. No, not then. She started paying attention to them when they became a part of my life! As if on cue with her realization, another memory of Twilight's came before Sunset Shimmer, this one more defined, and quite recent. Stop it! Stop showing me their memories! Sunset mentally cried out, to no avail. Twilight was in the company of a yellow pegasus with a pink mane and tail, as well as a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail, who looked fairly sharp. Both ponies looked beautiful, and they were both conversing with Twilight about Sunset Shimmer. “Well,” the pegasus began, “maybe she just needs a nice relaxing stress-free vacation?” “I don't know about that,” the unicorn stated, “she sounds like a pony that loves to work really hard. I can relate.” “Still,” Twilight started, looking a little down, “I wish she'd visit more often. I mean, I know she's very busy, but she can teleport to Ponyville, so it shouldn't be that hard for her to come over occasionally.” “Maybe you should ask her,” The pegasus suggested, “If it's not too much trouble. “I, I couldn't do that,” Twilight admitted, “She's so, well, amazing. Ever since she we were fillies, she always pursued her own goals with a fiery look in her eyes. I, I just don't want to slow her down, just because I miss her.” Sunset's ears fell as the memory faded. Is that how it is now? 'Don't bother Sunset, she's super busing being amazing'? 'It's not easy, being the best.' Her other self stated sadly, her tone and words making Sunset's heart sink as she turned to her. “What point is there in being the best if it separates me from my friends!” Sunset quickly admonished. 'Like I said, it's not easy. Sunset, we're a smart pony. Deep down, we knew this was happening. We knew that we've been drifting apart from the others, since graduation.' Sunset had no words to counter, so she simply avoided the gaze of her other self. “I want out of here.” I have other things I need to worry about. I ... don't want to deal with this right now. 'Are you sure you want to leave now? It'll be harder the second time around.' “There won't be a second time,” Sunset declared, and her other self gave a sad nod as Sunset gathered her magic, bracing for the coming pain, as she teleported to the throne room. ~~~~~~~~~~ When the light cleared away, Sunset found herself standing right where she originally was, on the observation tower, now under the burning sun, her adversary standing nearby. Briefly taking in the vista, Sunset looked to Shadow Flare, no longer certain what to make of the mare that banished Luna. “Looks like you made it out with little difficulty,” Shadow Flare stated with a smile, “Congratulations.” “Just what was all that about?” “That was about showing you what affect your light has on others, particularly those close to you,” Shadow Flare explained, “That aside, you've passed the first test, so I think your entitled to a reward.” So, because I press stalwartly press forward, others look to me in envy? Sunset thought, recalling what happened between herself and her father long ago. She then looked to Shadow Flare, a little confused. “How, exactly, did I pass?” All she did was show me how blind I've been. How inconsiderate I've been for my friends! I didn't do anything that would be considered passing a test! “You passed by making it out of there. It had little to do with what you've learned. All you had to do to pass was to teleport three times. Each teleport was suppose to be harder then the next, but I suspect that you didn't even notice. Your magic really is quite incredible.” Sunset found no comfort in her compliment, and was slightly annoyed that being shown her 'radiance' wasn't part of the test. Wait, radiance? Sunset thought, her eyes widening as a particular verse in a poem came to mind, 'By Flare, Spark, and Radiance, ignited'. Am I the radiance in the prophecy? Sunset wondered, her thoughts being derailed by Shadow Flare's following statement. “So, for your reward, I present to you a chance to save Equestria.” “Huh?” Sunset asked, now certain she had no idea what this burning mare wanted. She then blinked, realizing her proximity to Shadow Flare, yet not feeling any heat radiating from her. Flare pointed to the sun, burning high above them. “I'm letting you lower the sun,” she replied with a small smile. What is this, another test? “Why?” “Well, I've left it up there long enough. If it stays there any longer, then winter will be completely ruined, the seasons will be knocked out of order, and then I'd have to go and put out wildfires.” “Wait,” Sunset began, raising an eyebrow, “you actually care about all that?” “Why wouldn't I?” Shadow Flare replied, sounding a little hurt, “I was trapped in the sun for a thousand years, watching all the ponies below. It's only natural that Celestia's influence would win me over, so how could I not come to care about Equestria?” “Then why did you leave the sun there!? Why have it so brimming hot! Why banish Luna!?” “The first two were to send a message of my return to all of ponydom.” A small frown then adorned her features, “The other was for revenge, of that, Celestia couldn't make me waver on.” She then looked to Sunset, and quickly abandoned her frown for slight curiosity. “Well? Aren't you going to lower it?” Sunset considered that for a moment, the itch to see if she could pull it off returning in force as a thought came to mind. She then caught a slight shadow from the corner of her eye, Shadow Blitz, who was keeping her distance, watching Sunset, and casting a glare at Shadow Flare, who seemed to be ignoring the Shadowbolt. I guess the others haven't found the Elements yet. Sunset thought as she appraised the sun, 'The Lonely Sun' poem's last part implied that lowering the sun would set Celestia free, but does Shadow Flare know that? She wondered, now starting to see that this was also a chance to resolve this entire conflict. Focusing on the sun, her horn started to glow, the pieces of the spell coming into place as its glow grew brighter and brighter. Feeling the sun become wrapped in her grasp, she worked to move it. It was heavier then she thought, but she wasn't going to be deterred. As her horn glowed brighter, a small smile adorned her face, as she started to feel the sun move. It started off slow, but as she focused, her breathing slowly picked up, and the sun's pace also increased. She could almost feel its harsh light start to cool as it got lower and lower in the sky. Halfway through its journey to the ground, a cold breeze from the mountain greeted the two of them, sending a chill down Sunset's sweat soaked spine, almost making her lose her grasp on the sun, as it continued its decent. The sun was now starting to change color, the sky shifting toward the hues of sunset, and Sunset's smile turned into a triumphant grin as she saw victory before her. So, when the sun suddenly came to a complete stop, she was thoroughly caught off guard. It hovered there, almost touching the horizon, on the edge of welcoming back the night. Sunset's brow furrowed as she tried harder, grabbing on what was left of her magic as she put everything she had left in making the sun fall below the horizon. It still didn't budge, and glancing a look to Shadow Flare, Sunset's eyes widened when she saw that Flare wasn't using her magic. Shadow Flare was just watching, and seemed to have nothing to do with the sun's immobility. No! I won't fail now! Just, move!! Sunset thought desperately as she started to feel her magic give way, Come on! Just a little more! She was so focused on forcing the sun to retreat, that she was oblivious to the pain in her horn, numb to the fact that she had stopped breathing, and didn't feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. I can do this, just a little further! This will save Luna, save Equestria! So don't stop now! Still, despite putting her everything into completing the sunset, the sun failed to budge since its initial stop. Feeling the weight of her failure assault her, Sunset's magic died out, and she slumped over, her body's demands forcing her to take in several ragged breaths as she looked to the sun, now becoming aware of the throbbing pain in her horn. She felt a strong urge to pass out, but she fought it off, not daring to let an easy release take her from this moment. Despite her efforts, her body didn't seem willing to getting up, and in the haze of her thoughts, she gathered a good guess as to why. “So, so close to bringing back your princess, still, that's simply your limit at fault.” Shadow Flare said in a slightly impressed tone as Sunset was wrapped in her shadows, “Still, don't feel so bad, Sunset Shimmer. For what its worth, you're failure to bring back the night will help free Celestia.” “W-What are you ... going on, about.” Sunset managed to get out as she felt the shadows wrap around her horn, then eyes, closing off Equestria from her. “Sunset Shimmer, as you can probably guess, every light casts a shadow. The more radiant the light, the greater the silhouette, and there are few whose radiance is on par with Celestia's. Her shadow was loneliness, and for you... Well, all I have to say is, thank you, for being who you are.” Her voice started to grow distance as she finished, “Don't worry, Equestria will be in good hooves, of that, we'll both be sure of,” she added in a strangely thankful tone, as once again, Sunset Shimmer was swallowed by darkness. And with Shadow Flare's words, Sunset recalled the last thing her other self said when she had escaped the shadow snare earlier. 'It'll be harder the second time around.'