//------------------------------// // Entry 25: The Offer // Story: MLDC: Firestorm Crisis // by Michael_Ravencroft //------------------------------// Sunset was feeling pretty good and she rode through the night on her bike. She and Twilight revealed just about everything having to do with the Firestorm Protocols, the magic, and the Organization. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity promised to be careful in their daily activities, and to call Sunset or Twilight should any kind of trouble arise. And the tidbit about the two of them dating as well, thankfully they were more than understanding of their relationship. Guess we worried for nothing, they’re all pretty chill about the whole evil organization and Firestorms and magic stuff. Even about what’s between Sparky and me…So those are the kind of friends Celestia kept asking me to make… The motorbike slowed a little as Sunset Shimmer reminisced about her past for a moment, remembering a time when she was even more arrogant than she was a few months ago. During her ride she reflected on herself for a moment, remembering why she so desperately wanted to become the best unicorn mage. It was to show the nobility that your status didn’t determine your magical talent, and to make a better life for my parents and us…I achieved all that…and even more horizons were opened to me when I became Celestia’s protégé…how did I let myself get that way? Sunset shook her head and revved the bike. It didn’t matter, what did matter was the here and now. She couldn’t fix her mistakes back in Equestria, and by the time the portal opened again, there wouldn’t be anypony left to even care. But here, she made many mistakes, and the cost for them was much higher here if she did nothing to right them. Fluttershy was a good first step to that goal, fighting as a Firestorm to stop the Organization was one way to atone, but Sunset felt that she made a genuine first step today. She pulled into her apartment complex, parking her “baby” in its usual spot. Sunset ascended the stairs to her apartment and went to open the door, but paused. She then looked to the window, seeing the lights on. I didn’t leave any lights on when I left this morning…and Celestia usually leaves a text message when she drops by the apartment when I’m not in… There was another factor for her edginess, there was a presence in her apartment, a magical one. Sunset’s hands glowed with her aquamarine aura, channeling her magic in preparation to launch a magic bolt or throw up a shield if need be. Cautiously, Sunset turned the knob and opened the door. The former unicorn raised her left hand and thrusted it out in front of her, like a makeshift gun she took aim as she fully opened the door. “Alright, whoever’s got the balls to break into my place, prepare to have them blown off!” “A good threat, but we have none to blow off.” Sunset blinked, she was expecting to find a thief, or a pervert looking to score a teenage girl’s panties. Hell, she even expected some Organization goon, but not this. Sitting on the loveseat was Aria, although, she was more laying on it than sitting in it. Her head on the armrest while her feet dangled off the other end. Her gaze shifted to the kitchen, seeing the blue girl, Sonata, currently…cooking, in her kitchen. And Adagio was sitting on the couch, looking at Sunset with a smirk.   “You can put that away, dear. We’re not here to hurt you.” Sunset remembered that her hand was still glowing, she quickly canceled her spell and cursed herself for revealing her magic to total strangers. But on that note. “Why are you three in my home?! How the hell did you get in here?!” Sunset demanded. “Oh, we just ‘talked’ to the landlady, she gave us a spare key and we waltzed in. You weren’t home so we waited,” said Adagio. “And I decided to cook us up something to eat! I was getting kinda hungry, and I know Ari gets grumpy when she’s hungry, and I didn’t know if you’d be hungry when you got back, so I decided to make enough for all four us,” said Sonata in a chipper tone. Sunset’s eye twitched. These girls just somehow tricked the landlady into giving them the key to her apartment, and now these same three girls were acting as if they lived here. And the girl named Sonata was cooking for them as if they were all already roommates! Sunset was about to lay down the law on these three, that is until her stomach released an unearthly growl of hunger loud enough for the three girls to hear. Despite trying to keep her intimidating stance, Sunset couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment. “Just cool your jets and have some food, Sonata’s a genius in the kitchen and I don’t feel like wasting the food,” said Aria in a warning tone. Sunset growled in annoyance and dragged her hand down her face for emphasis. “Fine!” 30 MINUTES LATER… After consuming the incredibly delicious meal that Sonata made, Sunset and the girls remained at the dining table. She eyed them each critically, looking for any sign of danger. Sunset could still feel the presence of magic, and it was coming from each of them. “Alright, we ate. Now is someone going to explain why you broke into my apartment? Or do we just skip to the part where I throw you out?” Sunset asked. “Pssh, you can damn well try,” retorted Aria. “Down, Aria, we’re not here to pick a fight, remember?” Adagio asked. Aria reluctantly nodded, while Sonata giggled at seeing her friend get scolded. “Well, for one thing, introductions are in order. My name is Adagio Dazzle, the grumpy one is Aria Blaze, and our little chef is Sonata Dusk. And the reason why we’ve ‘broken’ into your apartment is because we want to talk to you.” Sunset huffed in annoyance. “You couldn’t talk to me any other way?” “Not unless you want everyone to know about your little unicorn magic.” Sunset bolted out of her seat, knocking the chair down from her quick movement. “What did you just say?!” “Unicorn magic, Sunset Shimmer. The very kind you were ready to blast us with when you entered your home.” Adagio could still see the rigidity in Sunset’s features. “Oh relax, you have nothing to fear from us.” “Tch, yeah she kinda does.” Aria argued, turning her head to look at Sunset. “The three of us are from the Organization.” Sunset was about to shout the command phrase, but Adagio quickly snapped her fingers. “ --------------!!!” Sunset clasped her hands around her throat. “ --------------!!!” Again, the word never left her mouth. “-------- ----------- --- ----!!!” Sunset was starting to panic, she couldn’t speak at all. She could feel herself saying the words, but the sound would not come out. She then looked to Adagio, who was grinning in amusement. Sunset slammed her hands on the table, glaring at Adagio. It didn’t need to be said to wonder what Sunset was thinking. “I just temporarily muted all sound coming from your mouth, Sunset Shimmer. I didn’t do anything to your body. You can’t afford to go Firestorm here, and really, we just want to talk.” Adagio explained. Sunset still held her glare of disbelief. Adagio sighed frustratingly. “Okay, let me be clear. We’re not here to fight, the Organization doesn’t even know we’re here or who you are for that matter! Otherwise don’t you think this place would be swarming with people with guns or some other abominations they’ve created?! So please, just sit down, and I’ll cancel out the dampening.” Sunset didn’t like this, although, it was three against one, even with her magic, Sunset didn’t stand a chance without being in Firestorm form. And she didn’t know if these girls had Firestorm Protocols either, or if they did, they were being concealed well. With little recourse, Sunset picked up her chair and sat back down at the table. Adagio snapped her fingers again and nodded to Sunset. “Wh-What do you want to talk about?” Sunset asked, relieved to hear her voice again. Adagio put her elbows onto the table and interlaced her fingers into a pyramid of contemplation. “It’s simple really, we Equestrians have to stick together.” Sunset’s heart nearly skipped a beat. “Y-You’re Equestrian?! Wait, you’re from Equestria?! Of course, that’s how you knew it was unicorn magic I was using! But…that’s not possible!” “It is, although, we’ve been here for much longer than you. At least, that’s what I suspect anyway,” said Adagio. “We’ve been here for yeeaaaaars, centuries really,” said Sonata. Sunset had to take a minute to absorb that. She had been in this world for at least a couple of years now, and yes, the portal seemed to play around with her age, changing her from a mare in her twenties to a girl in her mid-teens. But these girls, if they were indeed centuries old, they’d be old. There was no such thing as immortality in this world, not like the demi-deities and spirits that lived in Equestria. “I don’t understand, even if that’s true, you should be ancient, not even ancient, you should be dead in the ground! A human’s lifespan is not long, a hundred if they’re lucky, seventy to eighty at best!” Sunset argued. “Well, that would be true if we were ‘normal’ humans, but we’re not,” said Aria. “We’re something much more ancient. Tell me, Sunset Shimmer, what do you know of the Hippocampi?” Adagio asked. Sunset thought back to her days of tutelage under Princess Celestia, reading up on not just magic, but also magical creatures. One such stuck out to her the most, because it related back to one of her favorite unicorn mages, Star Swirl the Bearded. “They were a race of half-fish, half-equines that lived in the seas and large bodied waters of Equestria. Some accounts showed that they are still around, of course, most of that information is dated since nopony actually did any follow up research. Apparently three of the Hippocampi used their magic to create strife on the mainland and as a result were banished by Star Swirl to another di…men…sion…” The three girls saw the light bulb click on in Sunset’s head. “Correct, we are in fact the three Hippocampi that were banished from Equestria centuries ago. The Sirens, they called us, due to our hypnotic melody. You see, we feed off of the energy of negative emotions, it makes us stronger and prolongs our life as well. Over the course of time, we’ve gravitated to places of great strife throughout history, and even caused a bit of commotion here and there that exploded into other things we’re not too proud of.” Sonata rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “Sorry…how was I supposed to know that was going to cause World War II?! Adolf was such a nice boy, too.” “Yeah, until the whole, you know, Holocaust thing and world domination shtick,” said Aria.   Now it made sense to Sunset why these girls said they lived for so long, even though Star Swirl banished them, they still retained their magic powers. “Unfortunately, our magic wasn’t strong here, and the magic in this world is piss poor compared to home,” said Aria. “No argument here,” replied Sunset. “Which is why we’ve only been able to merely survive this world, never gaining anything close to what we once had. We’d long since given up on finding a way home, and judging from the way you spoke of our dealings with Star Swirl, I suspect he’s also long since dead?” Adagio asked. “Yeah, that was years ago, before my parents and their parents were born.” “Figures.” Ha-ha! I’m still alive motherbucker, and you’re worm chow! “So I assume you’re from a more modern time in Equestria?” Sunset rested her forearms on the table and sighed. “As modern as it was when I was there.” “Tell us, Sunset Shimmer, for what crime were you banished? Or did you simply stumble upon this dimension by mistake?” Adagio asked. Sonata and Aria listened closely, for this was information they wanted to hear. “Self-banished, nopony did it, I did it to myself. I ran through a portal in Canterlot Castle and ended up here, and I’ve stayed here ever since.” Sunset explained. “WHAT?!” Aria rose up and slammed her hands on the table. “You actually chose to stay here in the miserable armpit of a world?!” Sunset sneered at the agitated Siren. “Look, I don’t have to explain my reasons for doing what I did to you, alright!” Adagio shot Aria a glance, making the purple Siren back down. Once that was done, Adagio returned her attention to Sunset. “How did you manage to get here, Sunset? Did you use a spell of some sort?” Sunset briefly considered keeping that information to herself. If legend was to be believed, these three were dangerous creatures, capable of throwing Equestria into war and conflict. But then again, the Elements of Harmony have reawakened, there was a fourth alicorn Princess too. Should these three prove to be that much of a threat, Sunset had no doubts that “Princess Twilight Sparkle” and her friends could use the Elements to fight against the Sirens. Bearing that in mind, Sunset let them know. “That statue in the middle of the quad at CHS. It’s the gateway to Equestria. On the other side is a mirror that acts like the portal, apparently Star Swirl made it, for what reason I have no idea? Anyway, I ran through it and ended up tumbling out looking like this.” Sunset gestured to her body. Sonata, Adagio, and even Aria nodded in empathy, knowing how difficult their human bodies were to get used to. “It must’ve been humiliating when you arrived here. I can only imagine what people thought about seeing a naked girl in front of school,” said Adagio in a sympathetic tone. Sunset raised an eyebrow at that. “What do you mean ‘naked’? I wasn’t naked.” “You weren’t???” The Sirens asked in unison. “Uh, no, I came out of the portal fully clothed. It was a different outfit from this, of course, but yeah.” Aria gritted her teeth and face palmed herself. “Are you kidding me?! She gets thrown onto dry land and fully clothed, and we nearly became naked corpses floating in a lake! What kind of bullshit is that?!”   “Aria calm down,” warned Adagio. Sunset gave the irate Siren a scowl. “Hey look, I don’t pretend know everything about magic. But maybe the spell Star Swirl used to send you three here was a last minute casting, it was probably unrefined and done at random. Magic like that needs an anchor on the other side of wherever it ends up. Star Swirl connected the mirror to the statue, allowing him to refine the spell so that anypony passing through it was made to look like this world’s inhabitants, which means clothed. Besides, I still had a hard time learning how to move this body!” Aria released a dry chuckle. “Oh poor thing. You were a pony, which means you had four legs! We had forelegs, but from the waist down we had fish tails! Do you have any idea how humiliating and scary it was to almost die in the place you called home?! To crawl onto dry land bare and exposed to the world?! Only to find out that you’re as far away from home as anypony can get?!” Sunset kept silent, she never had anything like that happen. Flash Sentry helped her out, and so too did this world’s Celestia. Compared to them, she had it easy. “I’m sorry…” Aria grunted and sat back down, her eyes stinging with tears. Sonata scooted closer to comfort Aria, while Adagio released a heavy sigh. “As you can see, we’re desperately home sick. We want to return home, and yes we’re fully aware that all those we knew back before our banishment are most likely long since dead. But, we long for the oceans, and our true forms. To feel the water, smell the ocean air, and swim freely. Surely, Sunset Shimmer, we have paid for our mistakes long enough? As the only other Equestrian here, you are probably the only one who’s qualified to pass such judgement.” Sunset put her hands up as if to stop Adagio. “Whoa, look, I’m not going to judge you! I’m the last person who should be allowed to pass that kind of judgement. Anyway, the portal is closed.” Adagio, Sonata, and Aria looked to Sunset as if she had just punched them in the face. Sunset saw this reaction and quickly added, “B-B-But it’ll open up again! The portal opens once every thirty moons, and stays open for three days, and only until midnight of the third day.” Sonata’s face brightened as she smiled widely. “That’s awesome! How much longer until then?!” Sunset poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher on the table and took a sip before answering. “Sorry we all missed our chance a few months ago, it’s closed until another thirty moons.”   “But you’re a unicorn, and you have magic! Can’t you just force it open?! Or punch a hole in space like Star Swirl did?!” Aria asked. Sunset could understand why they wanted back, part of her kind of wanted to see her home world again. Whether or not she’d stay was another matter, but to be a pony again for just a couple of days and enjoy life like it once was, was something precious. Sunset’s hand flared up with aquamarine light, she then waved it in front of her and two hologram spheres appeared. “Think of it this way. Say there’s a sort of drawbridge that connects this world, Universe A, and our world, Universe B.” From the spheres emerged the image of two bridges, both fell down and joined together, connecting both worlds. “When the drawbridges are down, like say, when the thirty moon period has come. The bridge between the worlds is open for the three days. But, when the three days are up,” Sunset waved her hand again, and the drawbridges went up, separating the two spheres from each other. “The connection is severed and neither denizens can cross. However, say we did ‘punch a hole in space’...” Sunset’s A sphere let its bridge fall down, and a small figure appeared on it. “Without an anchoring point, you could be shot anywhere in Equestria. Like Star Swirl did to you, he forced a gateway open and threw you into it, not knowing where you’d end up. You guys ended up here.” The blip of a figure was then launched at the B sphere and disappeared once it made contact. Then another appeared. “But, basically, this is what you were being thrown through.” Sunset waved her hand again, making the distance between the A and B sphere grow. At that moment dozens of tiny holographic spheres appeared around the A and B spheres, each labeled with a different letter. The blip that was the figure was shown hurdling through a vastness, passing by several worlds. “If I were to do something like that from here, with the low amount of magical energy this place has, whatever temporary connection I could establish could break, and send us spiraling to any of these infinite worlds. Hell, there may be another world worse than this one, or I might actually send us to Hell, who knows.” Sunset explained, shrugging at the last part. Aria’s fervor seemed to die down, now seeing the scale of which their goal to return was. It also put into perspective just how much worse their situation could’ve been. Being trapped in this parallel human world with the barest amount magical energy in the world itself, was probably the lesser of the evils that could’ve awaited them on the other possible worlds. “Besides…” Sunset waved her hand and the holograms disappeared. “My magic has only returned recently, there’s no way I’m strong enough to punch a hole like that in space-time.” Aria huffed in frustration. “Great, so we got the runt of the magical unicorn litter.” Sunset shot Aria a death glare. “Hey! I was taught by Princess Celestia herself! I was her protégé, and I outshined a lot of uppity rich fillies and colts who thought they were hot stuff! But I showed them, I had more magical power and talent than any of them combined! So don’t you dare say that about me, I’ve earned that much!” Aria put her hand up. “Geez, put your fangs away.” The former unicorn huffed in slight anger, but calmed enough to address Adagio. “Anyway, that’s the situation as it is. You’ll just have to wait another thirty moons, but given that you’re immortal, I don’t think that’ll be too bad of a wait for you.” Adagio mulled over the information Sunset provided. In thirty moons from a few months ago, the portal would reopen and they could leave this miserable world behind. It was possible to return home, but then again, there was another concern. Time. “Unfortunately, Sunset Shimmer, while we do possess the ability to live longer, the same cannot be said of certain things.” “What do you mean?” Sunset asked, not liking the foreboding tone in Adagio’s voice. “Dagi means that even if we live for a long time and don’t age, that doesn’t mean things around us don’t. I mean, there’s no real guarantee that the statue will still be standing there come thirty moons. The school could commission a new one be built and that one destroyed. The school could lose all its money and the statue and the school could be tore down, and…well…with the way things are going with the Organization and the Firestorms, there’s a likelihood that things are going to be blown up during the battles in the future,” said Sonata with amazing insight. Sunset’s stomach tied itself into a knot, she had not thought about that happening at all! The possibility that the statue could get demolished by a random accident or because of some unforeseen financial trouble with the school had never crossed her mind until now. That statue was her only way back home, even though there were things she’d have to answer for back home as far as Princess Celestia was concerned, she still didn’t like the thought that her only way back could be destroyed. Whether or not she’d go back was irrelevant, but having the ability to do so gave her some comfort. Her mind flashed back to the times when she and Twilight did battle in the city, how close Atomic Skull could’ve gotten to having fired a stray blast that could’ve hit the school, or how Blaze could’ve done the same in their first battle. A sense of dread came over Sunset, how could she have overlooked something so crucial and important to her? Sunset slammed her head onto the table, groaning in frustration at her lack of foresight. Not only had she not planned on what she might do in this world as a future, but she also neglected to insure the safety of the only gateway back to Equestria. I was so damn focused on my plan back then, getting the Element of Magic, gaining its power, and turning this world’s inhabitants into my slave army…granted they don’t look like much, but once in the other world, in pony form, they could use their natural gifts to be of more use! I had blinders on the entire time, not even planning for what would happen if something went wrong! Sunset had never considered the possibility of failing, when she planned to hijack the Entrance Exam back in Equestria, she bet everything on that one gambit to impress the instructors. She knew then that failure meant punishment for herself and her mother and father, so failure wasn’t an option. It was the same for her in this world, she had planned for success, there was no other recourse but to succeed, however…her overconfidence proved to be her downfall. And now, all these worries and fears were coming to light, left with nowhere to run. “Sunset, are you still with us?” Adagio asked. With a quick shake of her head, Sunset snapped herself out of her revere. “Uh…yes, sorry. I zoned out there for a minute…” Adagio leaned forward, placing her hand over Sunset’s and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Sunset, I want to make a proposition if you will allow?” Sunset nodded. “The four of us have lived here long enough – us three more than enough – to know how this world is a festering cesspool of self-destruction. We’ve seen the atrocities humanity has committed to their world and to each other. Killed one another over the stupidest, if not smallest, of things. Land, religion, money, allegiances, race, skin color, trivial things. Perhaps, it is time for a regimen change?” Sunset raised an eyebrow, having an inkling of where this was going. “The Organization isn’t any better, pretty much the epitome of the worst of this world. So, why don’t we do something about it? Obviously you’re a woman of exceptional intellect, and with a magical talent that far surpasses the mass collective of this planet. Combined with our experience and abilities, we could make this world our own.” Aria smiled at the thought. “We did plan on going home, or failing that, our other option was to just rule these idiots.” “It’d be soooo easy, especially with our Firestorm powers and magic!” Sonata added. “Think about it Sunset, better to rule on Earth than serve on Equestria, hmm?” Adagio’s words were like honey, sweet and oh so tempting, and it really didn’t help that her hand was still atop Sunset’s. Her heart began to thump in her chest the more Sunset stared at this Siren. Adagio’s body gave off an aura of lustful temptation, wanting to draw you in and never let go. It was then that her eyes fell to Sonata and Aria, and now, they too were giving off the same aura. Looking past the gruff and punk exterior of Aria, and the airheaded and ditzy behavior of Sonata, Sunset could feel that they too had similar physical allure. Sunset’s body became a little heated, something felt off, but at the same time enticing. Images flashed in her head, illusionary shadows of herself and the Sirens. She and the three girls, bare before each other, surrounding her with their lust and love, caressing her, and sharing in a pleasure that only they as fellow Equestrians could enjoy and appreciate. All this, while they stood atop a conquered world, under their rule with no equals. Sunset almost willingly gave into it, but, at the last second… ‘DON’T YOU DARE!!! SNAP OUT OF IT SUNSET!!!’  Hel appeared in her vision, her flame hair and wings flaring wildly and wrenching Sunset from the delusion. She bolted out of her chair so fast that it flew back and fell to the floor. Sunset stood about a couple of feet from the table, panting as sweat dripped down her face. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, pupils the size of pinpricks. Sunset looked to and fro, but only saw the apartment and Sirens still sitting at the table, looking at her with a bit of confusion. Sunset held her head, feeling a headache starting for some reason. Adagio looked to her fellow Sirens and nodded to each of them. “Sunset, obviously this is a lot to take in, why don’t you take some time to mull over our offer. You needn’t make such a life altering decision without first thinking it through,” said Adagio in a caring voice. “Y-Yeah…thanks…” “We’ll show ourselves out.” Adagio bid her sister Sirens to rise and they followed. Aria reached into her pocket and threw something at Sunset. Even with the headache, Sunset was able to catch the object out of the air swiftly. She opened her hand and saw it was the spare key to the apartment. “Next time we’ll knock,” said Aria before heading to the door. “I hear there’s a dance of some sort coming up at your school, why don’t you take the time to enjoy that and think it over. We’ll come back after,” said Adagio. As the door began to close a thought shot through Sunset’s pained skull. “Wait!” Adagio stopped and looked back. “The incident at the mall, Gilda and Lightning Dust having faulty Protocols. That was you wasn’t it? You’re magic feels the same, you did that to them, why?!” Adagio grinned, wondering when she’d figure it out. “Simple, we needed to make sure you weren’t just some anomaly of this world, or if you were in fact from Equestria. We figured using them to bring out and show us your magical power would prove it. Your subsequent fusing with someone without a Protocol did surprise us.” “W-Why…Why them?” “We feed on malice and strife, dear, and we could see the depths of their hate for you. Which is why – if we had to – we could’ve stepped in to save you. But as I said, your fusing made that a moot point.” “And you’re also responsible for people not remembering that I was one of the Firestorms, and that Dash and I fought them, right?” Adagio giggled and nodded an affirmative, she then closed the door behind her, leaving Sunset alone in her apartment. All three Sirens descended the stairs, breathing in the cool night air. “So, do you think she’ll actually go for it?” Aria asked. “If not, then we’ll just have to take her half of the Matrix. Still, part of me does hope she does say yes, would be a shame to have to kill someone as…” “Sexy?” Sonata asked. “I was going to say cunning and strong, but that too.” Aria rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. “What, we’re not enough?” Adagio stopped and turned to face Aria. The lead Siren thrusted her right arm out, and pulled Aria forward by the waist, making the punk Siren yelp in surprise. Adagio leaned in and kissed Aria upon her lips, making Aria’s eyes go wide for a moment before they slowly closed and she melted into the kiss, throwing her arms around Adagio’s neck. Sonata watched the display, smiling at how Aria did not protest and gave into Adagio’s passion, and a little annoyed that she didn’t receive any smooches. After a minute, Adagio ended their makeout session, releasing Aria who seemed as if she were in a daze. The lead Siren then made a grab for Sonata, making the airheaded girl squeal in delight as she too was given a passionate kiss. She made sure it lasted as long as Aria’s, she loved her girls and wanted make sure they were both shown affection. Adagio parted from Sonata and looked to both Sonata and Aria in kind. “Trust me, you both are enough, but I think poor Sunny could benefit from our closeness. You can’t say the prospect of a fourth hasn’t been on your mind,” said Adagio. Sonata made it clear she didn’t mind, the bubbly little songstress was more than happy to add Sunset into their little group. Aria, on the other hand, while she admitted to herself that she had thought about it, she somehow saw that the two of them would be at each other’s throats just because how close they were in attitude and personality. “Well, food for thought. We’d better report to Dusk before he starts to wonder.” Sunset decided to turn in early, putting away the dishes in the sink for washing later. She turned off all the lights in the living room and went into her bedroom. She quickly disrobed and put on a tank top and some pajama shorts before slipping into her sheets and resting her aching head onto the soft pillow. She didn’t know exactly how long she’d been out, but something roused her from her slumber. A feeling washed over the dark room, a feeling of not being alone. Sunset carefully scanned over the area, her eyes having adjusted to the darkness to make out objects in her room. Despite not seeing any silhouettes out of place, Sunset couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was staring at her from the darkness. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t blast them when you had the chance!’  Sunset’s vision caught sight of a distortion in the air. The piercing aquamarine eyes of Hel stared directly at Sunset, causing her to scramble back until she met the wall behind her bed. The demoness walked slowly towards the edge of the bed, her form becoming more detailed as she got closer. “I didn’t know who they were, and it’s like I can explain how I splattered three girls with magic without looking insane!” Sunset shot back. Hel scoffed. ‘I still don’t like those three, they’re nothing but seductive whores! I could feel it, they aren’t right.’  “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.” Hel’s body disappeared, and like swift wind, reappeared on the left side of Sunset’s bed, making the former Equestrian shrink from her presence. ‘And what was with that look you were giving them?! You looked like you wanted to be the meat in their threeway sandwich!’ Sunset’s cheeks burned as she stood on her bed to gain some height over her inner demon. “That was just…I was…! I mean…! It didn’t mean anything!” Hel crossed her arms and gave Sunset a deadpan expression. ‘Right, you’re so horny you’d imagine yourself in the middle of a fourway with those three, who – if you recall – work for the same people who are trying to kill you and Sparky!’ Sunset growled in indignation, sitting herself back on bed as she stared at the sheets. “Why the hell do you even care?!” ‘How many times do I have to tell you both before it sinks in?!’ Hel asked as she threw her clawed hands into the air. ‘I’m here to protect you and Sparky! Call me whatever you want, hate me, I don’t care, I won’t say I’m sorry for killing a killer. And I definitely won’t apologize for any others who threaten you two! I will do what you two cannot. Plus, I had to keep you from cheating on Sparky.’  Sunset glared up at Hel. “I would never cheat on her!” ‘Please, had I not snapped you out of it, you’d have ended up in bed with all three of them tonight!’ Hel roared. Sunset wanted to retort, but guilt struck her heart. For that instance, for those few moments, Sunset had felt like she wanted to do that with the Sirens. She ran a hand through her fiery hair, not believing that she even contemplated letting that happen. “Oh Celestia…what’s wrong with me…?” Sunset stiffened when she felt Hel’s clawed hand stroke her hair with care, it was beyond weird. Her inner demon was actually trying to comfort her. ‘I’ll be there to snap you out of it again, but don’t make me have to. This is the last thing you or Sparky need.’  With that, Hel disappeared into the darkness, and the presence Sunset felt was gone. She was alone again, with nothing but her thoughts about her actions, and the things she learned about herself and the Sirens.