//------------------------------// // Entry 17: Rift // Story: MLDC: Firestorm Crisis // by Michael_Ravencroft //------------------------------// Hel reappeared in the same clearing that both girls had discovered upon their first transformation, now it seemed it was to be the sight of a new dilemma. Hel thrashed around, holding her head as if it threatened to split apart. The red sky and dark clouds had disappeared altogether, leaving the clear, starry night sky to be viewed in its entirety. The amalgamated Firestorm fell to her knees as she cried out with a demon like shrieking roar that pierced the night. Flames erupted from her body, engulfing her form. Suddenly, the flames parted, becoming pink and gold. Within a few seconds the flames were parted, thrown across from each other as their fusion came to an end. Sunset groaned as she rubbed her head, feeling as if someone had dropped the moon on her head, twice. She stopped rubbing her head for a moment, bringing her right hand up to eye level. It couldn’t be true, it was too fantastic of a thing to have happen to her. Sunset concentrated, drawing upon old techniques for tapping into her magic. Her right hand began to glow with the color of her magical aura, Sunset’s eyes widened with glee and happiness. For so long she had been cut off from her magical powers, forcing her to adapt and learn new skills here in this human world, but now, she had it back, her magic had returned. It was weak, but Sunset could feel it returning to its normal power level. In spite of everything that had happened, this was the one good thing that came out of that mess. A piece of herself had been returned. “Sparky…Sparky I –!” Sunset cringed when she heard the sounds of retching. She quickly turned around and saw Twilight on her hands and knees, her body heaving as she threw up the contents of her stomach onto the grass before her. Sunset quickly rushed to Twilight’s side, kneeling down to help her. “Easy Twilight, slow your breathing down,” said Sunset as went to place her hand on Twilight. But before she got the chance, Twilight swatted Sunset’s hand away from her, rather harshly at that. Sunset looked back at Twilight, now seeing her panicked and angered expression, which made Sunset feel hurt for some reason. “Sparky why did –?” “Don’t touch me, please just-just don’t touch me!” Twilight used the collar of her shirt to wipe her face, afterwards she slowly crawled over to the large rock and sat next to it, placing her back against its surface as she hugged her legs. Sunset wanted to go to her, but each shuffling of grass made Twilight flinch as if expecting to be attacked or hurt. “Twilight…what’s wrong, please tell me?” “We…I…killed someone…by my hands…a life was ended…!” Sunset’s gaze turned downcast, despite her joy that her magic was back, that was a fact that could not be overlooked. “Yes, Twilight, we – Hel – whatever – killed Atomic Skull. But, Sparky, he was going to kill BonBon, and he already maimed Lyra! If we hadn’t done that then more innocent people were going to die!” Twilight looked at Sunset, her eyes narrowed in anger as tears ran down her cheeks. “The fight was over the moment Hel took away his powers and armor! After that, he was harmless! She – we – IT – just continued to fight him, knowing that he couldn’t fight back, it wasn’t even a fight – it was MURDER, pure and simple!” Twilight ran a hand through her bangs as she continued. “I don’t understand…this can’t be the true form of the Firestorm Matrix, this can’t be what Professor Neigh wanted!” “Twilight…I…” Sunset was torn, revealing her magical powers would answer the question as to why they became Hel, but in so doing she risked telling Twilight of her own secret origins. But, looking upon the confused and hurt Twilight only made Sunset’s heart grow heavier with guilt. “I think it was because of me, Twilight.” The purple girl looked back at Sunset incredulously. “What on Earth are you talking about?!” With a deep sigh, Sunset brought forth her right hand. In mere moments her hand was glowing with her aquamarine magical aura, a sight that made Twilight’s eyes nearly bulge from her skull. “This…This is magic, Twilight…My magic.” “‘Magic’…” Twilight spoke the word in disbelief. “Magic can sometimes be influenced by a po – I mean a person’s emotional state. The strongest of these emotions, anger, hate, hope, and love, can severely alter what magic is capable of and more often than not, can make some of the most impossible things possible. I think…all my anger and hate for Atomic Skull, somehow awakened my magic and it latched onto my half of the Matrix. It may’ve jump started the Matrix into wanting to become whole again, and the result was us being dragged into the fusing process.” Twilight shook her head, trying to process all of this. “For a moment, let’s just say I believe such a thing. You’re saying that your ‘magic’ caused that to happen?” “Sparky, not just me. I felt it, same as you. You hated him too, you were just as angry as I was. Even if I was that pissed off, the changes probably wouldn’t have been that severe, but since we both were, my magic helped to reflect that anger and hate into…Hel, combining it with the power of the Firestorm Matrix to fuel the transformation and sustainability of its form.” “That’s just…just…absurd!” Twilight yelled as she shot to her feet. “‘Magic’, you expect me to believe that this was the work of magic?! That you somehow have magical powers?!” Sunset sighed, she knew someone as scientific as Twilight wouldn’t accept the notion or even the idea that magic existed. “I know it’s hard to understand, Sparky, but I’m not lying. I can tell this is different from the Firestorm powers, it’s something I haven’t been able to feel for so long!” Twilight kept running her hands through her hair, trying to understand but failing miserably. Her mind just couldn’t wrap around what Sunset was saying, and it sounded like she was happy about it! “Sunset, even if – if – I condoned the theory that it was somehow ‘magic’, are you telling me that you’ve always had that kind of power?!” Sunset made a pensive expression as she stayed kneeled down, unable to look Twilight in the eye. She knew telling Twilight more would result in telling her of her origins as a unicorn. That Sunset Shimmer was in fact from another world populated by magical talking ponies, and that its leader was an omni-powerful demi-goddess who could move the sun with but a thought. How was she to explain all of that? Any rational thinking person would consider Sunset insane, or at the very least had an overactive imagination. The lavender girl became increasingly infuriated, her logical world was being torn asunder by what they had become earlier and she needed answers, she needed something concrete to make sense of this whole thing. Sunset knew something, she knew and she wasn’t saying a word. Why was that? Why did she look so hesitant? Could they not confide in one another? What was the point in being in a relationship if you weren’t honest with the one you cared about? “Look at me Sunset?! Have you always had this power?! Have you always been able to use this ‘magic’?!” Twilight was met with silence, causing her to growl loudly. “Why won’t you say anything?!” “Because you wouldn’t believe me if I did tell you, Twilight!” Sunset yelled back, bolting to her feet as she stood before her girlfriend. “If I told you the truth, you’d think I was crazy or you wouldn’t believe me! Worse, you’d never…you’d never want to be with me, or even look at me the same way…!” Twilight took a step back, not really knowing how to respond to that. What could be crazier than what she told Sunset? Being grown in a test tube, groomed to be a sleeper agent, having an intellect that far surpasses the collective knowledge of the world’s brilliant minds put together, as if that wasn’t unbelievable enough as it is, they have the power to manipulate the atoms of anything and shoot beams of fiery plasma from their hands. If Twilight wasn’t living this life, she’d think this was some crazy TV show! So what could Sunset say now that wasn’t any less crazy than their lives were already? “The truth, Sunset, I don’t care how it sounds, just tell me the truth.” Twilight spoke her words sternly and without room for argument. Sunset bit her lower lip, she didn’t want to reveal it like this, in fact, Sunset hoped to never tell Twilight about what she really was. Maybe, if she could perchance to dream, she would’ve told her when they were together longer, long enough so that things like this wouldn’t matter, only the feelings they shared. But, like most things in her life, Sunset couldn’t have it her way. With a defeated sigh, Sunset lowered herself until she was sitting on the grass. “You want the truth, Twilight? Then you’d better sit down, it’s a long story.” Twilight was skeptical, but from what she could tell, Sunset was sincere in her actions. The studious girl gently sat down on the grass as well and awaited Sunset’s tale. “This…This is less about my magic, and more about where I came from. Because where I came from is filled with magic, it’s a part of everyday life, but the place I was born both is and isn’t this city…but the one thing you need know above all is this…I’m not human, I never was.” YEARS AGO… I’m from a world called Equestria, a land where its main populace is comprised of ponies. And these aren’t your everyday, run of the mill equines. No, these ponies are intelligent, sentient beings, with families, friends, and lovers. Each pony is divided up by its tribe, unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi – like the mythical horse in Greek mythology – and each has their own customs, traditions, and history. Earth ponies are easy enough to understand, they have magic that’s derived from nature. If you want to quantify it, their magic is directed mainly to their strength and ability to make plants grow bigger, stronger, and healthier. Some are better at it than others, but that’s something you’ll encounter in either world. Pegasi are, well, winged equines. Their magic is concentrated into flight, allowing them to go at speeds that defy logic. But the other use for that magic allows them to manipulate and control the weather, basically pegasi run all the weather for the entire land of Equestria, everything from snowstorms, rainstorms, tornadoes, and thunderstorms, all of it is coordinated by the pegasi. Unicorns, well, magic is more versatile for us. Through our horns we can cast spells and perform great feats of magical prowess. And like the others, some have a stronger affinity for the magical arts than others. Which is where I fell into. When I was younger, a filly really, which would’ve been when I was eight years old. I lived in Canterlot, it wasn’t the same as this place, far from it. Canterlot is the capital of Equestria, and in it, a mare whose magic far exceeds any other in the world rules us. She’s an alicorn, which is a pony who represents all three tribes, having both wings and a horn. Her magic is so powerful she can raise and lower the sun, as well as the moon. *Wait a minute, you’re telling me that one pony has enough power to make the sun and moon rise and fall at will?!* Twilight asked. *Yes, she can. And no, it’s not that she exerts her magic to rotate the planet, she literally moves the sun and moon. Unicorns could do it a long time ago, but it took a large group of them to do so, and the power required to do it drained them considerably so it was always tasked between more than one village to raise and lower the celestial bodies.* Anyway, I was a unicorn filly and my family wasn’t exactly the richest of ponies. Canterlot in my world was a city founded by unicorns and it’s also the wealthiest of all the others. So you had the lesser nobility and the true noblesse, and at the bottom are the ponies who have to scrape the bottom of the barrel just to survive in such a city. My family fell on the third tier of those three.     My mother was a maid who worked in the Princess’ castle and my father worked as a butler there as well. Because of our situation, service staff members who had children were allowed to live in the servant’s quarters. As much as my parents kept smiling and telling me “We’ll be alright”, in the end, I knew it was just something they told me so that I wouldn’t have to worry about how bad off we were. My family didn’t have much in the way of money, so servitude was the only thing they could do to make ends meet. In my spare time I studied magic, I went to school and checked out every book they had on magic, and over time I poured myself into them. I wanted to find a way to make our lives better, and I found it. Princess Celestia – *Hold on! ‘Princess Celestia?! As in our Principal, your legal guardian, Celestia?! She’s a princess?!* *Yes, she’s the ruler of all the ponies in Equestria, she’s lived for a thousand years, and probably longer than that.* *A single ruler who’s lived for a thousand plus years, and powerful enough to move the sun and moon; okay, sorry, I have to draw the line –!* *Look do you want me to explain this or not?! You were the one who said you wanted to know more about me, well then, I’m telling you everything! So just hold your questions until I’m done.* *……Sorry, please continue.* Anyway, I knew the best way to make a better life for myself and my parents was to make it into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. If I could impress the teachers then maybe I could get us out of that rut. Problem was, it was hard to just get into the entrance exams, and you had to know somepony – sorry – someone in order to get a hoof in the door. Of course, even with being a maid and butler, my parents were in no position to ask favors of anyone. Hell, if they did, I don’t doubt someone would’ve held it over their heads later on down the road. I didn’t want to have them begging someone to let me in, so I did what I had to do. *Which was…?* Well, when the day of the entrance exams started, I hovered near the room where the fillies and colts were going into to take their exams. I needed to show them, I had to prove even though I wasn’t fortunate enough to be born into a family with wealth, and even though I came from an impoverished home that it had no bearing whatsoever on the kind of magical skill I possessed. I waited and waited, and finally, I had my opportunity. I saw them getting the next examination test ready, and at the last second I rushed in and stole the spot from another foal. I used my magic to seal the door shut, it wouldn’t have taken much to break it, but I had figured that it was good enough to keep others out long enough for me to show them what I had to offer. “Young filly, what is the meaning of this?” “Please, ma’ams, sirs, I just want a chance to show you what I can do! My name is Sunset Shimmer and I really, really, really want to go to this school!”  I saw one of the proctors checking a clipboard and he gave me a really harsh glare. “You’re not on our list of candidates, Ms. Shimmer, and if you’re not on the list we will have to ask you to leave.”   I couldn’t just leave, not after making a fool of myself by crashing another foal’s exam! If I didn’t prove myself then my parents and I would get punished for what I did, just for trying to help us live a better life. I saw what the test was, a lump of metal that had the instructions: “Mold this”. Now, even though magic is powerful, it’s still based upon how strong a connection that pony has to it. It also takes concentration, being able to speak many incantations mentally while focusing your magic on an object as unyielding as iron. I focused my magic on the lump of metal, channeling my mana into my horn and through it to the lump of iron. It glowed, rattling a bit. The proctors were watching me with mild interest, at best I was going to prove some entertainment for them, and when I failed they would call the Guards and throw me out. I kept focusing, trying to make the metal change shape and form. I needed to do this, I needed to show them all that we weren’t nothing because we weren’t as wealthy or connected as the others. All of that worry, all of those raw emotions, it all just came to a boil until finally, I erupted. I don’t remember too much of what happened, only what others told me. Apparently my magic surged, wrapping my tiny body in an intense magical aura. My eyes had shined with white light, and then, out of nowhere, that energy made my mane and tail bellow like fire, wings of fire shot out from my back as my horn continued to radiate intense power. My spell finally took hold and the iron superheated until it was white hot. Apparently I molded it into the shape of sword, which was kinda cool. But, even so, I felt trapped. There was so much power flowing through me, I was scared, it felt like it was going to swallow me. But before I knew it, it was over. I found myself looking upon a white alicorn mare, mane shimmering in different hues of the day sky, and gentle magenta eyes. I knew who this mare was, I knew all too well. Princess Celestia was standing before me, looking down at me with a neutral gaze. I snapped out of whatever trance I was in and noticed how much damage my magic did. The sword was stuck in the wall behind the proctors, and most of the wall where the other foals and parents were was completely gone. There were scorch marks all over the place, except for a clear ring where I was standing. I knew why Celestia was there now, she was going to punish me for entering the exams without permission and for nearly hurting everypony there! I curled up into a ball, shivering and crying, afraid for what she was going to do to me and my family. I sniffled and shook, I was so afraid that I made the Princess mad at me. I thought she was going to throw my family and me in a dungeon or banish us to some other dimension, or send us to Tartarus! The very pony who watched over us and protected us from harm, I made her mad and now she was going to punish me for what I did. But…when I saw the shadow of her foreleg reach out to me, she laid that hoof gently onto my head and began stroking my mane soothingly, like my mother would in order to comfort me. I was shocked, I didn’t know if this was just a trick to make me face her, or if she was genuinely trying to comfort me. I knew it was the latter when she crouched low, practically lying on her belly, trying to come down to my level. I dared to look at her and I felt a lump form in my throat, she wasn’t looking at me with a scolding or withering gaze, but in her eyes, on her very visage, I saw nothing but the love and kindness that my own mother would show me whenever I was scared. “Please little filly, do not worry, you’re alright. You’re safe.” At first I couldn’t believe she said that, Celestia must’ve noticed my disbelief because she lowered her head and nuzzled my cheek, gently. I was shocked, for the second time, because my tear stained face was messing up the Princess’ flawless white coat, but she didn’t care in the slightest, she only cared about making sure I felt safe. She pulled back after a little bit and smiled at me again, and I couldn’t help but smile a little in return.   “Are you feeling a little better, my little pony?” “I…I am…thank you, Princess. Um, w-what happened?” “You experienced quite the magical surge, I haven’t seen such raw magical potential in quite some years. Tell me, what is your name?” “S-Sunset, Sunset Shimmer.” “Well, Sunset Shimmer, if it is alright with your parents and you of course, I would like for you to attend my school.” I was so happy, my heart swelled to the point I thought it would burst out my chest! But then… “Princess! We can’t let this filly attend your school! For one thing she was not on the list of candidates, nor is there any sign of her parents or guardians! In fact, she cut in line of another candidate and used a binding spell to lock the door and bar any other potential students from entering! And after that display, Princess, with all due respect, that filly is too dangerous to be around other foals with that much power!” I curled back up into ball out of pure instinct, hearing that proctors harsh words scared me. Worse, I was scared they might actually convince Princess Celestia to not let me attend her school and punish me severely instead. She turned back to me and gave me that neutral expression she had earlier. “Ms. Shimmer, is this true?” I couldn’t lie, not to her. “It is true…your majesty. I-I cut in line and crashed the exam of another foal, I locked the door with a spell to keep anypony else from getting inside…I…I just wanted to show them that I was good at magic, too! I…I’m sorry…!” I felt the sting of my tears return, but I dared not turn away from the Princess. If nothing else, I could say with pride that I faced my punishment from our benevolent ruler with grace and dignity. I watched as Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow, looking from me, back at the proctors, and to the ponies still gathered outside watching us. After what felt like hours of waiting, the Princess made her decision. “You are right, she does have a lot of magical power, and if left unchecked it could put a lot of ponies in danger, even those closest to Ms. Shimmer.” I felt dread start to creep into my heart, and it was only made worse by those sadistic looks the proctors were giving me. It was as if they were saying “You don’t belong among our noble elite, and now you’ll be punished for it.” I wanted to run, but my stubborn pride wouldn’t let me, I didn’t want to be seen as a weak and cowardly commoner, I wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction. Princess Celestia turned back to me, and what she said next made me so incredibly happy. “Since this is the case, I have no choice but to take Ms. Sunset Shimmer on as my personal student.” I swear, everypony’s jaw dropped at that moment. “You have a great amount of magical talent Sunset, you can do great things with that power, if honed through study and practice. Do you wish to be my student?” I couldn’t help myself, I launched myself onto her foreleg and hugged for dear life. “THANK YOU, PRINCESS! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!” I felt like an idiot for acting like that, but the opportunity to be taught by Princess Celestia, the greatest magic wielder and source of near infinite wisdom, how could I not act like a foal. And then there was those guys again. “PRINCESS!!! You can’t possibly bestow such an honor to a mere common filly! We have many candidates, and all of them have just as much, if not more potential than this filly! At least wait until you’ve seen the other potential students!” “I have made my decision and it is final.” Despite the seriousness in her voice, I wasn’t afraid, mostly because I knew it wasn’t me she was directing that voice to. “Sunset Shimmer will study at my side, and, she will also attend the school as well to further her education. You all may move to the secondary examination room and continue exams there.” From then on, my family and I lived better – no – WAY better than we used to! We were actually given a house in the wealthier district of Canterlot, and I was given a small fortune for myself and my mother and father. I stayed in the castle so I could be closer to the school and so I could be ready to receive my private lessons from Princess Celestia. My life had finally turned around, I learned so much about magic, how powerful it was, how it could help others, defend oneself and those you care for, and how to use it to strike down those who would cause you harm. The lessons were more along the lines of the former than the latter, she stressed more defensive and constructive magical uses, only ever dipping into offensive uses when necessary. I aced all my tests, became the most popular mare on campus, I had everything I ever wanted. Everything my family and I deserved! I –! Sunset stopped her tale, a painful expression befalling her visage at that moment. “Go on, what else?” Twilight asked. “That’s it.” “That can’t be it, because…if…if any of this was even the slightest bit possible, then that doesn’t explain how or why you’re in this world and not back in your home dimension!” Sunset rose to her feet and clenched her fists as she turned her back on her girlfriend. “Well it’s all you’re getting, Twilight. I explained where I came from, and why I can use magic. I’m not human, I was originally a magical unicorn from a parallel world. But when I came here, I thought I lost my magic as a result. I felt that there was magic in this world, but it was faint, like grasping air, you know it’s there but you can’t hold it no matter what you do. But now it’s back, and…I’m happy!” Twilight stood as well as she looked upon Sunset incredulously. “You’re happy about what your magic turned us into?!” “NO!” Sunset shouted as she turned to face Twilight. “I’m happy because a part of me that I thought was lost is finally back! My magic was – is – a part of me! You have no idea how it felt when I lost it! It’s like losing a piece of your soul! Like something punched a gaping hole in your chest and nothing could fill that void! I don’t like that we became Hel, but having my magic back gives us an edge over the Organization now!” Twilight rubbed her temples, all this talk about magic, talking ponies, pony demigods, and parallel dimensions was starting to give her a migraine of epic proportions. “This makes some sense, now. Every time I did a biometric scan of you, there was always some kind of anomaly within your internal bioenergy flow. I thought the Firestorm Matrix was the cause of it, but now…Oh Einstein’s ghost, I don’t know anymore!”   Sunset walked towards Twilight, as annoyed as she was that Twilight couldn’t wrap her head around the concept of magic, she still wanted to comfort her. When she reached towards Twilight and placed her hand on her left arm, the lavender girl flinched away from Sunset’s touch, a look of fear and panic on her face. A stabbing pain shot through Sunset’s heart at seeing that expression, and Twilight noticed too late the damage it did. “I get it…I guess you don’t want to be touched by a pony pretending to be a human…” “No…Sunset that’s not why –!” “It’s fine, after what happened it’s probably best we don’t touch each other. We could become Hel again…” Twilight’s words caught in her throat, she hadn’t thought of that. Now that Sunset’s magic was activated, merely coming into contact with each other could trigger the fusion yet again. Twilight shuddered at the thought of becoming that she-demon again. The worst part of it all was that she could almost feel Hel, as if she were a part of her now. “I…I think we should head back to my house, I need to run tests on us. To see how the introduction of your…magic…has changed the Matrix.” “Let’s just…hold off on that…for now.” “But, Sunset –” “JEEZ, ONE DAY ISN’T GOING TO KILL US TWILIGHT, SO JUST GIVE ME THAT MUCH, PLEASE?!!” Sunset yelled with fury. Twilight jumped at the harshness in her voice, Sunset’s bangs created shadows over her eyes, keeping whatever intense glare she had hidden. But then, Twilight saw a stray tear fall down her cheek and sadness gripped her heart. “A-Alright, I’ll head home and we’ll meet up sometime…” “Yeah…” Neither of the girls could really look at each other, and a sizeable gap was left between them. They walked to the nearest bus stop and took it back to the city. Of course progress was slow, what with the recent battle that just took place. Fire and rescue, police, and even some National Guard troops were all over the battlefield that had become downtown Canterlot. Men in hazmat suits with Geiger Counters came out to inspect for radiation, finding spikes here and there. Twilight made a mental note to visit these sites and neutralize the radiation before it got worse.   During the whole bus ride, Sunset kept her gaze away from Twilight. Both girls didn’t really look at each other, silence had become their only comfort right now after what they went through. Despite not wanting to go to her house, Sunset felt it would be worrisome to her parents of the brainiac girl returned home alone. Eventually Sunset was able to get Twilight back home. Velvet and Night Light were worried when they couldn’t reach them, but thankfully the radiation near where they were was wreaking havoc with cellular phone signals as well as radio signals, so there was no way for them to communicate their wellbeing during the crisis. Sunset groaned when she remembered that her bike was probably going to be impounded and quarantined because it was near the fallout area. No doubt the thing was irradiated after all the nuclear power Atomic Skull let out. “Sunset, dear, do you want to stay with us for the night?” Velvet asked. “Huh? Oh, no, it’s alright, I’ll just walk from here. I’m good, really.” Sunset insisted. “We figure you can take care of yourself, but after everything that’s happened tonight, it’s better that you stay indoors. Police and the soldiers are probably going to be out all over the place after that, looking for anyone who’s thinking about starting trouble. And, no offense, but they’ll most likely go after teens out late at night, and alone,” said Night Light. Sunset really couldn’t beat Mr. Night Light’s logic, in the mood she was in, Sunset was most likely to get herself arrested. It was sweet of the two to think of her safety, despite not knowing that she was way more powerful and far more dangerous than anyone or anything out the streets right now. Reluctantly, Sunset gave in to Velvet and Night Light, she was tired and she knew neither of them would budge. Plus, she really didn’t feel like calling Celestia to pick her up right now. With that settled, Sunset took residence in their guest room and headed to bed immediately, barely saying so much as a “goodnight” to her secret lover. Both Twilight and Sunset couldn’t sleep, whenever they did they tossed and turned. Memories of the battle were still fresh in their minds, the feelings, the sensations, all of it was replayed over and over again, the image of Hel standing before Atomic Skull, and blowing his head away execution style. Even though it wasn’t by their hands, Hel was their creation, their bodies and power melded together into a monstrous form, acting upon their feelings of hate and anger towards him, and in keeping with that unspoken will, killed him. Twilight knew Sunset was right, killing Atomic Skull was the only way to save everyone. Skull wasn’t a Protocol user, he was a killer pure and simple, and he would’ve hurt many more before killing the both of them. That was probably the most frightening thing to Twilight, he was going to kill them both. They were close to death. Yes, she knew facing the other Firestorms was risky and life threatening, but at least with Sunset at her side, and the ability to render them powerless, their chances of survival were moderate, and with each victory their chances for survival only got higher. But when they faced Skull, he was the real deal. He wasn’t someone driven by greed and wealth, he was a soldier, a trained professional in the art of killing and combat. None of the other Firestorms gave off the same murderous intent as he did, Twilight could now tell the difference. As strong as some of them were, none were as bloodthirsty and sadistic as Atomic Skull was. It only brought on more fear for Twilight now that she thought about it. We just took out someone who was supposedly going to kill us. They knew we wouldn’t live, but we did. Now they’ll have to rethink their strategy if they want to come at us again. But…does that mean they’ll resort to more extreme measures? What else do they have that predated the Firestorm Project? And is it even worse than Atomic Skull?! Twilight bolted upright in her bed as she struck the mattress in frustration. Idiot, you knew this would happen! The stronger we get the worse things they’ll send to try and stop us! We just assumed they wanted the Firestorm Matrix inside of the both us, but I never took into account that they might just resort to outright killing us! Cutting their losses makes sense but… Twilight fell back on her pillow, rubbing her eyes as she tried to piece this together. Her tired eyes drifted to the wall behind her, more accurately, to who lied on the other side of it. Part of Twilight wanted to go see Sunset, to reassure her that everything was okay. Which was strange because it was usually the other way around. But whenever she motioned to do so, her body froze. Sunset had revealed to Twilight part of her origins, that she was not human but was in fact a…a pony. A magical, talking pony from a parallel world, now turned human. She…She had to be making that up. Magic talking ponies, parallel dimensions! Okay, the parallel dimensions is a viable theory, but a world inhabited by equines that can talk and use magic to control practically every facet of nature?! That’s just…completely…utterly……untrue, right?  Sunset spoke about that world so passionately, so strongly and with so much emotion, as if she really did go through all that. She wasn’t speaking as if telling a fantastic tale. It was more like one recalling past memories. Do I dare believe her? Believe in some world called “Equestria”, where there are sentient ponies, ruled over by a thousand-year-old goddess pony? Truthfully, compared to what we’ve been through, it’s not unreasonable to think of such things. But…Sunset said, when she came here, she thought her magic was lost to her, gone. I guess it makes sense, if she had that kind of power she wouldn’t have need for the Protocol, and I doubt the trouble she caused at CHS would’ve been as…relatively minor as compared to what she could’ve done with magic. To believe or not to believe, that was Twilight’s dilemma. She wanted to believe Sunset, the irrational part of her, the part that loved Sunset, told Twilight that her words were true and held no deceit. But the rational part of Twilight begged her to reconsider what she was told. Sunset Shimmer had been secretive about herself, even during all this time they were growing closer, she never fully opened up to her. Even though Twilight revealed to Sunset all the secrets of her origins, how she was made, why she was made, and what her life now means to her, Twilight practically bared her soul to Sunset and in the end she accepted her. Maybe it’s because of where she says she’s from is the reason Sunset can accept what I am. Compared to a land filled with magical beings, a human being grown in a test tube isn’t very farfetched. It would also validate why she’s living alone, but, if she did have parents in this parallel world, why didn’t they all come here together? Was it by accident? Did she – Oh stop it Twilight! You’re being absurd! You can’t…this goes against everything you were taught by Professor Neigh! To believe her old teacher or to believe her new love, such was Twilight’s decision.         Sunset awoke early, real early. The sun had barely rose into the sky, and as far as she could tell, everyone in the house was still fast asleep. The fiery haired girl let out a long sigh. Telling Twilight even that much about her past was painful, as happy as those portions of her memories were, they were still painful because it reminded her of what she lost, and it reminded her of greatest regret. “No point in sulking about it now. What’s done is done, this world…this world…” Don’t tell me you’re going to say “this is my home”? That’s just so…cliché! Sunset glanced over her right shoulder and saw the ghostly image of Hel looming behind her. The rebel girl always had a part of her that still held onto the anger, past and present, and now that part of her had been given a face and body. Hel smiled her fanged smile at Sunset, making the yellow girl turn away from her. Oh don’t be like that, Sunny.  “Don’t you dare call me that! You have no right to!” Sunset spat. Well, in a way, I do. Hel floated closer to Sunset, placing her clawed hands on Sunset’s shoulders. I’m not just part of you, Sunny, I’m also a part of Sparky as well. I’m both of you, in one. So, in a way, I do have the right. Oddly, Sunset could feel Hel’s claws on her shoulders. Yet, despite her demonic form, Hel took care in how she placed those claws, she made no threatening gestures nor did she seem to want to harm her. Sunset stiffened when she felt Hel dip lower, bringing her arms to hang over Sunset’s shoulders as her head came to a rest on her left, nuzzling her cheek. “Stop that,” she hissed. C’mon, even I know you need a little affection. Why don’t we go see Sparky, I’m sure she’s probably feeling a little frisky, battle usually brings that more primal part out of someone. “You just want us to fuse together again so you can come out and kill someone again!” Sunset accused. Well, if by “fuse” you mean making Sparky scream your name in ecstasy then that’s another story. Hey, if you want, you and Sparky can consider me your love child!  Sunset blushed furiously at how casual a remark that was for Hel. But seriously, I don’t need to come out. I’m only here to vanquish your enemies, and yes, that means kill them. I was only doing what neither of you alone had the nerve to do. You had the intent, but not the guts to pull the trigger. That’s where I came in.  “Even so, Twilight was right, you could’ve just ended it then and there. You took his powers away, he was defenseless and weak, and you could’ve just…” Hel brought her claws up, hugging Sunset closer to her ethereal body. Sunny, you and I know that this isn’t the first time we’ve kept kicking someone when they were down. Fluttershy is the perfect example of defenseless and weak, and yet you just couldn’t help but want to verbally abuse her until she was a shivering, whimpering little speck of the weak thing you knew her to be. “Shut up! I…I never hurt her, physically! Not like what you did to Skull!” Hmm, true, you’re right. But you came close a number of times. Knocking her fliers out of her hands, slamming your hand against the locker, just inches away from her head; you’re no saint Sunny, and we both know that words can wound someone deeper than any blade or bullet, enough to where it can even be felt physically.  Sunset shivered as she clenched her fists. “Why are you doing this?” I just want you to keep all this in mind. You love Sparky, and she’s yours now. You may want to change, but in the end I’ll still be here. Because, really, you need me, you need my power if more things like Atomic Skull come around. And come on, you can’t say having your magic back isn’t a great plus.  “That’s…That’s true, I guess…” You want to keep Sparky safe, and live a happy life? I’m the answer. With me, nothing on this planet can touch either of you, we could burn the Organization to the ground! The thought was appealing, very appealing. Sunset shook her head and wriggled herself free of Hel’s grasp. The ghostly demoness looked shocked for a moment, but not hurt in the slightest. She saw their relationship as love-hate. It’s fine, Sunny. Eventually, you’ll understand that I’m only here to protect you two. I mean it, I’ll kill and destroy whatever threatens your lives, that’s a promise I intend to keep.  “Yeah, because if we die then you die, too!” Sunset shot back. Hel shrugged. Admittedly yes, ceasing to exist would royally suck. So with that in mind, I’ll just give you some alone time. With that said, Hel vanished from Sunset’s sight. It wasn’t enough that she was dealing with her demons, now she had an actual demon lurking as close as her shadow. With a sigh, Sunset opened the door to her bedroom with the full intent of leaving, but when she did she gasped. Twilight was standing there, hand just a few inches away from where the doorknob was a moment ago. Twilight backed up, seeing Sunset’s sudden opening of the door. “M-Morning, Sunset.” Sunset averted her gaze and walked past Twilight, heading for the stairs without saying anything. Confused, Twilight went after Sunset, she was already at the door and about to open it when Twilight reached the bottom of the stairs and called out to her. “Sunset, wait, where are you going?!” “Back to my apartment.” “B-But, weren’t we going to do some tests? I need to see –” “Twilight, I…I think it’s best that we don’t stay near each other. Not with what’s happened to us.” Twilight felt her heart pang from hearing that. “Sunset…what are you saying?” “ ………” “Are you…Are we breaking up?” Twilight asked with dread. Sunset’s eyes flew wide open as she turned on her heels and embraced Twilight. The lavender girl struggled against the hug, wanting a proper answer. But she couldn’t help it, feeling Sunset’s arms wrapped around her brought Twilight comfort. Unfortunately, Sunset pulled away, letting out a shocked gasp. The former bad girl shook her head, trying to regain her composure. “No, Twilight, no we’re not breaking up! In fact, that’s the last thing I want to do!” “Then…why did you say all of that?!” “Just…It’s for our own safety, and…I need to sort things out for myself, I’m sorry!” Sunset quickly opened the front door and bolted, running out to the sidewalk and continuing down at great speed. Twilight ran outside as well, making it to the sidewalk as she watched Sunset’s retreating form. She wanted to call out to her, she wanted to chase after her, but Twilight felt that somehow that would just make things worse. So she stood there, watching Sunset run until she was gone.