"Rainbow Dash... meet Star Gazer's childhood friend, Sparkly Skies."
The black-winged pegasus gave a small smile while Rainbow Dash simply looked at her with a curious expression.
"So you're that friend of Star Gazer's who got mixed up in an accident?" she asked, her eyes traveling to the wings on Sparkly's sides.
"Yeah, I am," Sparkly answered. Her gaze shifted to the Wonderbolt Cadet uniform that Rainbow Dash was still wearing. "You training to become a Wonderbolt?"
Rainbow gave a cocky grin as she raised her forehoof in a salute. "That's right. You're looking at the future captain of the Wonderbolts, right here!"
Sparkly gave an encouraging smile and held out her forehoof. "I've seen you in action at the Young Fliers' competition and the Equestria Games," she said. "You showed off some really impressive stuff out there. You'll definitely make the team."
Rainbow smiled back and held out her own forehoof. "Of course I will," she chuckled as she bumped hooves with Sparkly.
*POOF!*
"What the...?" Rainbow Dash looked up in surprise, with Sparkly following her gaze. Behind them, a rolled-up scroll appeared beside Princess Celestia. Lighting up her horn, she unfurled the letter, her eyes darting across as she read.
"What is it, Princess?" Sparkly asked.
"Sorry, my little ponies," Princess Celestia said, rolling the letter back up before it vanished. "But I am needed back in Canterlot immediately for an urgent matter. I will leave Sparkly Skies in your care in the meantime."
"Alright, Princess," Rainbow replied. "I'll be sure to tell Twilight and Sunset that you stopped by."
"Thank you, Rainbow Dash," the Princess said. Without another word, she turned around and stepped onto the balcony. Spreading her wings, she took off towards Canterlot, flying until she became a mere speck against the early morning sky.
"Alright, down to business," Rainbow Dash said, closing the balcony doors and turning to Sparkly Skies. "I'm gonna go get Princess Twilight, just wait here with Sunset until I get back."
Sparkly nodded. Rainbow Dash galloped out of the bedroom, leaving the black-winged pegasus alone with Sunset.
Sparkly looked at the bedroom around her. A large bookcase sat on the far wall, and a couple textbooks were piled up on the nearby desk. Sparkly's eyes caught glimpse of the pictures hanging above them, and she stepped up to take a closer look.
There was one photo taken at the Grand Galloping Gala, showing several ponies laughing and dancing together. Another picture showed two unicorns at a convention, one dressed up as Batmare and looking flustered, the other pulling off a fierce Daring Do. Several more photos lined up next to it, all showing the unicorn that was now sleeping on the nearby bed.
Sparkly's attention turned to Sunset as she began to approach the bedside. Sparkly watched in silence as the unicorn slept, her eyes closed and her body completely motionless except for her breathing.
"Did you do this to her, Star Gazer...?" Sparkly murmured quietly. She didn't hear much from Princess Celestia about what Star Gazer was doing, only that she was causing chaos around Equestria under the name "Night Shade." Star Gazer hadn't been the same since Sparkly's accident, but the pegasus didn't expect this from her friend.
Sparkly also heard that the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well came into conflict with Star Gazer and her followers on many occasions. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered something that Rainbow Dash said earlier. "Wait a minute..."
"She's normally the one handing out all the beatings, but this time she was on the receiving end of a brutal one."
"She's normally the one handing out all the beatings..." "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well... that wouldn't be you, would it...?" Sparkly wondered out loud.
At that moment, Sunset shifted slightly. Startled, Sparkly took a quick step back, watching as the unicorn's eyes slowly opened.
"Wh... what happened...?" Sunset murmured quietly, turning her head and blinking. "How... did I get here...?"
Sparkly didn't say a word as Sunset, groaning slightly, slowly began to sit up, stretching as much as she could without hurting herself. She blinked a couple more times as she looked around her.
"This... this is my bedroom..." she muttered slowly.
"Um... excuse me...?" a voice spoke out.
Sunset's eyes widened. Following her ears, she turned and found a blue pegasus standing beside her bed. She wasn't sporting a rainbow-colored mane, only one made up of several shades of light blue and white. Her wings also appeared to be paralyzed, judging by the pitch-black color.
Sunset frowned. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my bedroom?" she asked.
"My name is Sparkly Skies," the pegasus answered. "And Princess Celestia brought me here."
"Sparkly..." Sunset furrowed her brow. Why does that name seem familiar...? She closed her eyes, trying to remember where she heard it before.
Suddenly, memories of her last encounter with her nemesis flashed across her mind. She remembered a tear-soaked Night Shade screaming about her friend.
Sunset shook her head. No... not Night Shade. Her name is Star Gazer. And she's distraught because of an accident that involved her friend, Sparkly Skies... the pony standing right in front of me. Suddenly, her head started aching, and Sunset placed a hoof on her forehead, grimacing in pain as she remembered the thrashing she took from Star Gazer, the last brutal moments before she blacked out.
Sparkly gasped, quickly stepping up with a look of concern on her face. "Are... are you okay...?" she asked quickly, stepping up to the door. "Do you want me to get somepony...?"
Sunset quickly shook her head. "No. No need, I'm fine," she answered.
An unconvinced Sparkly raised her eyebrow as Sunset continued rubbing her forehead. "Are you sure?" the pegasus asked. "Rainbow Dash said you were beaten pretty bad."
Sunset's eyes snapped open in surprise. "Rainbow Dash...? She's here? She's supposed to be at the Wonderbolt Academy for training!"
Sparkly tilted her head. "Really? Because she just left to get Princess Twilight."
Sunset paused for a moment, only to start rubbing her forehead again as pain shot through it. Two familiar voices rang through her head.
"She's one special unicorn, alright. I'm really happy to have somepony like her as a friend."
"Me too, Rainbow Dash. Me too."
"R... Rainbow Dash...?" Sunset murmured to herself.
"Is something wrong...?" Sparkly asked.
Sunset shook her head again. "No, it's nothing."
Sparkly didn't respond, choosing instead to stare at Sunset. Something about all this was bothering her. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Excuse me... Sunset, right?"
Sunset glanced towards Sparkly. "Sunset Shimmer," she said. "What is it?"
"Um..." Sparkly's gaze turned to the floor, and she began rubbing the back of her head nervously. Crap, how am I gonna ask her? I don't know how she's gonna take it... "Well... this might sound like a weird question to you..." She lifted her head, and she noticed Sunset raising her eyebrow.
"How weird are we talking?" she asked.
"Well..." Sparkly shifted her forehooves and her ears drooped as she tried to come up with something to say. "There's been... something bothering me about you... since I first saw you. And..." Without another word, she closed her eyes.
"What is it?" Sunset asked calmly. "What's been bothering you?"
Sparkly almost wanted to kick herself. She sighed and waved her forehoof dismissively. "Never mind, it's... stupid."
"If something about me is bothering you, don't be afraid to tell me," Sunset replied. "Just say whatever it is you need to say. I won't be offended."
Oh boy... Sparkly thought as she tried to hide the anxiousness on her face. "You sure...?" Sunset nodded confidently.
Sparkly took a deep breath. Here goes nothing, I suppose... "Um... are you... the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?" she said slowly, bracing herself for Sunset's response.
Sunset's response wasn't what she expected. The unicorn's mouth curled into a sly grin, and she just chuckled to herself. "And what makes you think that I'm the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well?" she asked, amusement in her voice. "I'd like to hear your explanation."
Caught off-guard, Sparkly needed a moment to recover before speaking. "Well..." she began, tapping her head with her forehoof. "You know-?"
But before she could continue, the bedroom doors opened. Sunset and Sparkly turned towards it as Twilight, still wearing her pajamas and nightcap, entered with Rainbow Dash following behind her.
The two of them stopped in their tracks upon seeing the awakened unicorn. "Sunset Shimmer?!" they cried out in unison and surprise. Before their friend could respond, Twilight jumped forward and tackled Sunset in a hug. The unicorn gasped loudly in pain as she tried to push her off. Rainbow Dash just hovered in the air, trying to hide her laughter.
"Thank goodness you're awake, Sunset!" Twilight cried out as she tried to keep her eyes from tearing up. "I was so worried about you!"
"Twilight!" Sunset squeaked, flailing her forelegs wildly. "Too much... hugging... pain... ow..."
"Hey Twilight!" Rainbow Dash giggled. "You trying to put her in the hospital or something?"
"Huh? Oh my-!" Flustered, Twilight quickly let go of Sunset and started blushing while the unicorn, grimacing in pain, rubbed her aching shoulders. "Sorry, Sunset!"
"Ugh... it's fine, Twilight," Sunset muttered, continuing to massage her shoulders.
"Heh heh..." Twilight nervously chuckled. Turning her head, she suddenly caught glimpse of her guest. "Oh! You must be Sparkly Skies," she said, extending her forehoof. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. I see you've already met my student and friend, Sunset Shimmer."
"Nice to meet you, Princess," Sparkly replied, shaking Twilight's forehoof.
"Just call me Twilight," the princess said, trying her best to avoid looking at the pegasus's wings. They're pitch black... her wings are paralyzed. But the question is... how? Total paralysis in pegasus wings is extremely rare... Is it possible...? "So I'm assuming Princess Celestia explained the situation to you?"
Sparkly's smile faded. "Not everything..." she murmured forlornly. "But I've got the general idea of what's going on. However..." Her worried gaze turned towards Sunset. "You are the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, right?"
Sunset remained silent as she turned towards Twilight. The alicorn simply gave her a small nod, and Sunset looked back at Sparkly. "Yes... I am the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well," she answered firmly.
"So that means... you're the one..." Before she could continue, Sparkly's voice trailed off, and her expression saddened as she turned away.
"Unfortunately... yes," Sunset sighed.
"... Her cutie mark."
Sunset raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Huh?"
"The pony you're fighting... what was her cutie mark?" Sparkly asked nervously.
"Her cutie mark... let's see..." Sunset's mind replayed the events of her last encounter. What was it again...? After a few moments, it came back to her, like an upwards flick of a black cloak. "The Big Dipper... that was her cutie mark. It was a constellation of the Big Dipper," she answered slowly.
"No..." Sparkly's voice began to crack, and tears started to fall from her eyes. "That's her... that's Star Gazer... that's my friend..." She turned around and began sobbing quietly. "I don't... I don't believe this..."
Twilight approached the sobbing pegasus and wrapped her forehoof around her shoulders, doing her best to comfort her. Sunset also caught herself tearing up, feeling sorry for the two friends. Rainbow Dash lowered her flight goggles and turned away from the group, but everypony already knew she was trying her hardest not to be seen crying.
"Star Gazer... how could you do this...?" Sparkly murmured quietly. "What happened to you...?"
"Sparkly... she lost her way," Sunset replied. "And... she's also suffering."
"Wh... what are you talking about?" Sparkly asked, a slight hint of anger in her voice.
"She... she was distraught the last time I saw her," Sunset told her. "I was at her hideout rescuing Daring Do's assistant and an old mentor of mine, and we ran into her on the way out. They mentioned you, and Star Gazer... she, she just broke down."
"Is that why you were...?" Twilight began to ask, but she stopped and shuddered. The memory of her cradling an unconscious and heavily-injured Sunset in her arms still haunted her.
Sunset nodded, and her eyes fell to Sparkly's wings. "Yes. Whatever happened between you two, she was taking it really hard. Her magic got out of control... I was helpless against it." Wincing slightly, she lit up her horn. A teal aura enveloped a small hoof mirror on her dresser as it levitated towards the unicorn. She took the mirror in her hooves and glanced at her reflection.
Sunset always did her best to keep her crimefighting injuries to a minimum. Thugs got in a few lucky shots on many occasions, but her suit's protective padding did an excellent job at softening the blows. As a result, her bruises were usually minor and healed up fairly quickly. Even Star Gazer wasn't able to cause much damage when Sunset fought her in Manehattan. Sure, she took two magic blasts and fell off the rafters, but she wasn't too banged up by it. By the time she and Stray Wind boarded the train back to Ponyville, she had mostly recovered from the fight.
"The first time I fought her, back in Manehattan, I didn't have much trouble with her," she said. "She got a few hits in, but nothing I couldn't recover from quickly. But she was a lot calmer then. Even Stray Wind snatching the Earth Relic from right under her muzzle didn't set her off nearly as much as mentioning Sparkly did." As Sunset gently brushed her bandaged forehoof against her reflection, she realized just how dangerous Star Gazer was without the Relics. If she gets her hooves on them... there's no telling how much damage she'll be able to cause.
"This time... her emotions fueled her magic, and she was merciless as she blasted me and slammed me around like a rag doll. I never got a chance to fight back or even defend myself. She was in pain, and I pleaded with her, begging her to let me help her and Sparkly. But my words fell upon deaf ears." Sunset lowered the mirror and closed her eyes.
"Even as she lifted me into the air, ready to deliver the final blow... I still tried to reach out to her."
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Sparkly all remained silent, watching as a single tear fell from Sunset's eye.
"Star Gazer needs a friend to reach out to," Sunset said. "She needs somepony to be there for her."
"Much like you did when you first arrived in Ponyville," Twilight murmured, gazing at her student. "You also lost your way, and you spent years suffering for it."
Sunset nodded slowly. "And just like me, she pushed away Princess Celestia, who was simply trying to guide us. So somepony else has to-"
"Wait a minute," Sparkly interrupted, catching everypony off-guard. "What do you mean she pushed away Princess Celestia?"
Sunset raised her eyebrow in confusion. "She's been trying to get revenge on Princess Celestia, just for your sake. Didn't you know that?"
"WHAT?!" Shoving Twilight to the floor as she hastily broke free from her embrace, Sparkly galloped towards Sunset.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Rainbow Dash blurted out, lifting her flight goggles and rushing over to Twilight. The alicorn sat up, rubbing her head while Rainbow glared at Sparkly.
Ignoring Rainbow's outburst, Sparkly grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and leaned in close to her face. Sunset winced in pain as she looked into Sparkly's panicking eyes. "What does Princess Celestia have to do with me?!" the pegasus shouted.
"Your wings are paralyzed, aren't they?" Sunset answered hurriedly. "Star Gazer said Princess Celestia was responsible for the accident that caused it!"
Sparkly didn't respond. She let go of Sunset's shoulders and dropped to her hooves, breathing heavily as she tried to make sense of what she just heard. She slowly approached the wall, facing away from the group.
"Hey, is something wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked, her anger fading as she started to approach Sparkly. But a lavender forehoof blocked her path. She turned to find Twilight beside her, who merely shook her head.
Nopony else heard Sparkly Skies as she whispered under her breath.
"It wasn't her fault, Star Gazer... it was nopony's fault. You were just trying to help me fly..."