Sunset Shimmer was many things: a sexy magical unicorn pony that used to be in a sexy human body, genius, Ex-Queen Bitch Bee of Canterlot High, Ex-Super-villain (now reformed), a student of a magical Alicorn Princess (but went rogue) and more importantly a good friend. Yes, Sunset Shimmer was all this and other things but she was no coward. That being said, Sunset couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of trepidation for what she was about to do. For Sunset Shimmer was about delve into unknown territory using magics not known to pony kind or any other species that she knew of; she was about to attempt the impossible and summon the spirit of a being not native to her homeworld of Anima but one from a different world altogether.
No candles lit the room Sunset was in, but the pale moonlight was more than enough to make out the six-pointed star that she had spent hours meticulously drawing. Wrapping around the star’s sides, almost protectively, were soft, curved lines. They were decorated and entwined with fanciful patterns that brought to mind a painting she once saw at an Art Festival. Once finished she thought back to her encounter with the one called Ruler and remembered the next part of her instructions for the ritual. The next part required a powerful medium for the spell and was told (as she suspected) that fresh blood was the best medium for the spell, but it was possible to substitute with other enchanted materials provided they were potent enough. However Sunset Shimmer always wanted to give her absolute best when doing things especially when it came to magic, so she had no qualms about using the various knives that had been given to her as a gift (from her ex-boyfriend Flash Sentry during one of her birthdays) to cut both her fore-hooves and back-hooves in order to get the necessary blood. Sunset didn't stop there, she also created a potion that consisted of Poison Joke, Heart's Desire, Seeds of Truth, a feather of a Phoenix, and shavings from her own horn but that piece wouldn't be added until later. Sunset levitated a small box from off a table, next came the final and perhaps the most important material for the ritual, the Catalyst. Luckily for Sunset, Ruler had given her the catalyst since there was no real way for Sunset get her hooves on one due to her being from an entirely different world from where the magic of the ritual originated. She opened the box to reveal a knife and what looked like an ancient pistol. Sunset remembered seeing these items before when one of her classes at CHS went on a field trip to a museum. Sunset placed the items in the center and stepped back to admire her work, and it was good. Time for the final part: the Incantation. Sunset lit up her horn and began to chant:
"An age of Iron, Fire, and Change. A foundation of Stone and Lead. Colored is our flag, black are your swords, colored is our enemy, black is your punishment! Thirst for light, thirst for blood. The Devil always rides!"
Sunset drew a new line with each word. Her beaker of potion flourished in the moonlight as she performed the last steps and dripped the last markings into place, not even pausing for a breath,
“Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat five times, and then shatter with every filling! I declare.”
Sunset strained as the flow of her own power into the circle almost overwhelmed her but managed to continue to speak the words.
“My will shall create your body, and your sword shall create my fate! Follow the call of the Holy Grail! If you shall accede to this mind and this reason, then come forth!”
The chanting caused the circle to glow and blasts of wind to swirl around her. Sunset would've felt like she was going to burn alive with all the power flowing through her. However, her experience of transforming on three separate occasions had given her a high tolerance to pain and stress on the physical, mental and magical levels. So what she was currently feeling was nothing.
She raised her hoof, exposing the Command Spells hidden upon it. The symbols lit up an evil red as the final stage of the contract was forged.
“From the Sixth Heaven, clad in the Armor of Darkness, come forth from the ring of conquest! You who brought about a revolution and a 'conceptual revolution of subjecting the old with the new'!”
Elsewhere in Ponyville and in other parts of Equestria, others had finally completed their own summoning ritual. They had used their own special components, and catalysts; and they spoke similar words. They were as ready as they would ever be.
Sunset took a moment to step back, close her eyes and steadied her beating heart which felt like it was beating four times faster than what was normal. When she opened them she saw that her room had filled with a dark purple mist and crackling electricity. Things were still, so still, and silent like the calm before the storm.
Suddenly a female voice pierced the silence.
It was bold, self-confident, just a bit arrogant and mocking but at same time regal, authoritative and wise.
"Hmph. So are you the one who dares to summon me? Are you the one who thinks they are worthy to be my partner? I ask you who are you?"
She stepped through the mist. She was a human but somehow different from the humans Sunset had lived with. She was tall, had red eyes and was peach-skinned. Her hair was long, lustrous and was a shade of brown it was almost black. She wore a type of military commander's uniform that was black except for the red cape and the golden frontal-piece on her hat that reminded Sunset of the sun with its many rays. But the most prominent thing of all was the sword she held out in front of her.
Sunset was in awe and for a moment didn't know what to say,
"Um well, I'm Sunset Shimmer. I'm a Unicorn Pony. I'm currently on vacation in my home country. My top three hobbies are music, reading, and Capoeira. And some of my skills include magic, science, and alchemy."
The female nodded,
"Very well the pact is now complete. Make no mistake though the Grail labels me as Servant and you Master you do not rule over me. You are not my Master, you are merely my partner. Understand?"
Sunset nodded,
"Okay, but what do I call you?"
The female human went silent for a moment,
"I think for now you may call me Demon Archer." she answered with a malevolent smile.
Demon Archer sat in one of the chairs in the main room of Sunset's house watching Sunset pace about.
"So. Now that you are here we need to develop strategies for defeating the other Masters. But first things first, we need to establish a few rules."
Demon Archer raised a brow, "Oh?"
"Yes. The first rule is you can't kill/maim/torture any of the other Masters without my authorization. You can only target the other Servants."
Demon Archer frowned at this but nodded in assent.
"Well, so far that is the only and most important rule I can think of at the moment. But there will be others in time." Sunset said.
"Very well, I shall abide your rules." Demon Archer replied, "Earlier you said that a Ruler had been summoned as well, tell me what she or he told you about the war."
Sunset nodded, "Fair enough. It all started a few days ago...."
