None of Sunset's friends had any idea what they were looking at when the red haired girl raced down the street towards them with a smile upon her face that they hadn't seen in days. A light radiated from her that dwarfed even the blaze of the sun, despite the actual star resting just above the horizon.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" she asked them as she skidded to a halt near the crosswalk, the smile fading slightly when she saw their faces. "Um, what's the matter guys? Is there a magical attack going on or something?"
"No, it's just that you...seem cheerful. And rested," Twilight pointed out as she squinted her eyes at Sunset, who glanced down at herself.
"Yeah, not to be rude, but you've looked like crap ever since the school year began," Rainbow Dash added, only to be nudged hard in the stomach by Rarity. "Well, it's true!"
"Yeah, I guess I have been feeling kind of...really down as of late," Sunset admitted to her friends as she rubbed the back of her head. "The nightmares that I had been having really did a number on me. Between shattering my confidence in myself, trying to make me think that I'd fail all of you, and outright trying to kill me, it's amazing I haven't broken down yet."
Sunset blinked twice after speaking, realizing that she had spoken far more of the truth than she had planned. She then gazed at the horrified expressions that her friends wore, remembering why she hadn't wanted to tell them about her nightmares in the first place.
"But it's okay now! The nightmares are gone!" Sunset promised them as she unzipped her jacket, moving it to the side to reveal a rope that had been wrapped many times around her waist.
"Sunset...that's a rope."
"That's not just a rope, it's a lasso. And quite the lasso at that," Applejack said with shining eyes as she crouched down next to Sunset and ran her fingers over the rope. She felt a tingling sensation run through her fingers before she stood back up with a curious glance. "Ah've never felt anything like it before and ah've used plenty of rope. Where'd ya get it."
"Diana gave it to me. She said that it was given to her by her mother and that whoever wields it will be filled with the truth," Sunset explained as she placed a hand on the rope. "And she's been right about that. Ever since I've started sleeping with this, the nightmares are nowhere to be seen. I guess she was right--that everything those nightmares were saying were just lies."
"So that lasso is filled with the truth?" Twilight asked before aiming her watch at the lasso, but a frown crossed her face when the watch remained silent. "Darn, for a moment I thought it might be Equestrian magic, but my watch isn't picking up anything. Does that make it just a rope?"
"Well whatever it is, it's working," Sunset said as the group turned and started to head towards the school. "I've haven't slept so well in weeks."
"That was nice of her to give it to you," Fluttershy said from Sunset's side, but Sunset noticed that Fluttershy had a strange look on her face while she stared ahead.
"Especially if it was given to her from her mother. Ya must have really been in need of its help," Applejack added.
"You're right about that. I should go by her room around lunch and thank her."
"It is truly divine though. Look at the shine that is coming off of it," Rarity added as she leaned in to get a good look. "My word, it looks as if it could have been crafted by gods. I'm amazed that Diana would be willing to part with it. You must have made quite the impression on her."
"I guess I did," Sunset whispered, thinking about what Diana had said to her the previous week. "But we've also got a few other things to worry about. I've been out of action thanks to the nightmares and since that happened, more and more of those portals are popping up around the area. Fluttershy, you said that there was a timberwolf here a few days ago, right?"
"Hm...oh yes, there was definitely one of those," Fluttershy stammered quickly as Sunset's voice broke her from her thoughts. "But there was something strange about it. The poor thing was in pain. And its jaw had been crushed pretty badly. I wonder if it had been hit by a truck?"
"Well, we'll need to keep a closer eye out. Especially since Principal Celestia doesn't want word of there being magic getting out of the school if she can help it," Twilight reminded the group as they approached the entrance. "She's even trying to keep the teachers from knowing. So far only a few of them have caught on, but she assured me that they've agreed to be quiet about it."
"What about Diana?" Sunset asked the group after a moment of thinking. "Should we tell her? After all, she's been really kind to me and I...don't feel like I could lie to her. Not after helping me get rid of my nightmares."
"Are you kidding? What good would telling her do?" Rainbow asked with a scoff as she rested her hands behind her head. "Oh, hey teach, just to let you know we fight monsters in our spare time using magic from another dimension. Do you really think she'd believe us, and even if she did, what good would she be?"
"Apparently you need to start paying more attention. Didn't you hear about what she did to that light in the cafeteria that almost hit Sunset?" Twilight asked, sighing when Dash shrugged her shoulders. "She destroyed it with a single punch--after deflecting everything that was thrown at her with a lunch tray. As weird as she is, there is no doubt that Diana is strong."
"So she's a modern day Amazon. I still say we don't tell her."
The group cut their conversation there as they entered into the halls, walking past students as their topics drifted off into other areas. That was until Twilight bumped into a certain boy and was nearly knocked over as a result.
"Whoa there!" Flash called out as he caught Twilight around the waist, the two of them glancing at each other before he pulled her up. "Sorry about that," he apologized as both of them looked everywhere except where the other was.
"It's nothing."
"Hey Flash, been a while since I've seen you," Sunset cut in when neither of them spoke. "I think that the last time we met, you were throwing food at my head."
"Yeah...sorry about that too."
"Heard that assistant principal Luna was all ready to expel ya, but Diana intervened and gave ya detention instead," Applejack remembered, getting a nod filled with shame from Flash as he hid his hands in his pockets. "How'd that go by the way? She beat ya upside the head with a lunch tray or something?"
"No...actually, detention wasn't that bad. All Diana did was ask me a few question and then let me go home," Flash said with a shrug, but when he saw their expressions demanding more he continued. "Well, the first thing she asked was if any strangers had approached me recently. I told her no and it seemed to worry her. She then asked if I had encountered something strange. I said no again and this time it frustrated her. She then asked if I have been having any nightmares."
"I'm noticing a pattern," Twilight muttered to herself.
"I told her no...except for the one I had where I had to perform a play by myself in front of the whole school. While in my underwear," he muttered as Rainbow began to laugh, turning his face red. "She laughed too when I said that."
"And then she let you go?" Sunset asked once Rarity had stopped Rainbow's laughter.
"Yeah. She didn't even seem mad at me for what I did in the cafeteria. But I still remember how she looked at me when questioning me," Flash shivered. "It felt like her eyes pierced through me, kind of what it's like when someone far beyond you is gazing at you. In all honesty I was glad to leave."
The girls all shared a look, but before they could continue the bell above them rang and told them it was time to get to class. They promised each other that they would pick up the conversation later before splitting apart.
-wWw-
"I didn't get the chance to thank you for stopping that food fight the other day. So, thank you, Diana." Diana didn't register the praise at first, as she was too busy staring out Celestia's window when the last of the students cleared out for the day. All except for Sunset's group, who were hanging out in front of the statue out front.
"I do not deserve all the praise," Diana explained as she tore her eyes from them and turned her attention back towards the smiling Celestia. "I may have...intervened, but it was Sunset who truly stopped the food fight. She is quite the authority figure here, isn't she?"
"She may be, but I believe that you did more than intervene," Luna spoke up with a raise eyebrow. "Did you train with the Spartans when you were over in Greece, because you moved like a fighter yourself when you were in that cafeteria. Dozens of teenagers throwing their food and other items at you and you didn't get hit once."
"You are not wrong Luna, I have been trained how to fight since I was little," Diana answered truthfully. "My teacher prepared me for nearly anything I might come across, but I admit that having food thrown at me was new."
"You also said something about being shot at?"
"As I said, he prepared me for many things."
Diana had to hide her smile as she watched the sisters share the same look with each other, but then Celestia's smile returned to her face and she rose out of her seat. "Actually Diana, I wanted to do more than thank you. I wanted to ask you something. I feel that the students here have been...struggling as of late, so I'm thinking that perhaps a field trip would do them some good. And I want you to be the teacher in charge."
"Why me?" Diana asked, but before Celestia could answer Luna stepped forward with a list in her hands.
"Well, let's see. The students all respect you, you're the only teacher that has no issues with disobedience, you punched a glass light to dust and you are stern but fair with the students. I think it's safe to say that you're prime leader material."
"Plus, Sombra is the other teacher that you will be working with. And I'd like someone I know I can trust partnered with him," Celestia added with a sigh. "He means well, but dear heaven is he extreme. So will you do it, Diana? Your will be taking your own classes of course."
"Very well, I shall do it. So where are we going?"
"There's a field in a forest not too far from here where a battle was fought a long time ago. Since you and Sombra both teach about history and battles, I figured that this would be a good chance to get the students out in the field and help them to learn," Celestia said. "There is also a museum, but in my experience students don't seem to like those as much."
Motion out the window caught Diana's attention and her eyes flicked over to see that Sunset and her friends were racing off towards the back of the school, looks on their faces that made Diana's eyes narrow slightly. Diana made a hurried excuse before walking out of the room and heading in the direction that she had seen the girls go. The moment she was alone she used her superspeed to quickly exit the building and race around back, spying the girls standing out in the dirt filled area...across from a monster.
'A manticore?' Diana thought as she recognized the monster, which roared at the girls before it began to lumber towards them. Yet to Diana's interest, the girls did not falter under the creature's roar and actually began to advance towards it themselves. All except for Twilight, who hung back.
The creature roared again before lunging at Sunset, but right before it grabbed her a blast of red light erupted from her body and hurled the creature back. Diana's eyes widened as each of the girls followed suit and were bathed in a different colored light, changing them from regular girls to girls filed with magic. She saw that Dash and Fluttershy had wings as well.
'So, all of them possess that kind of magic?' Diana pondered before gazing at Twilight, who was the only one that hadn't changed. The girls then hurled themselves at the creature, most of them flying around it. For a brief moment Diana considered what she should do before hiding behind a pair of bleachers, every muscles tensed in case she needed to enter the fight.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash slammed their shoulders into the creature, forcing it back as it roared with fury. It raised its paws to slash at them, but beams of white and red magic wrapped themselves around its arms and held it in place. Diana noted that Rarity and Sunset where the ones using the beams, leaving Pinkie and Fluttershy to be the only ones yet to act.
To Diana's complete surprise, Pinkie threw herself onto the creature's back and grabbed hold of its face, forcing it to keep its eyes open as Fluttershy slowly walked up to it. It struggled with all of its might, but with the other five pinning it down it could not move.
'What is your plan, Fluttershy?' Diana pondered as Fluttershy stopped in front of the manticore, taking in a deep breath before glaring into the creature's eyes. Diana raised an eyebrow at the motion, but once more she was surprise as the creature began to howl as if it was in pain. It struggled against its bonds, but was unable to break free. Fluttershy then began to advance forward and pushed the creature back with her glare, backing it up towards the vortex on the field.
And then something happened that only Diana was fast enough to see. A beam of what looked like broken glass severed the magic that had been holding the manticore's arms. With its limbs free it swatted away Applejack and Rainbow Dash, before the creature's eyes turned red and it turned towards Sunset with a furious bellow. The girl barely had time to lift her arms and cry out as the creature barreled down on her.
CRACK!
Sunset's screams were drowned out by the sound of something breaking. A loud crack came from the back of the manticore's skull before the creature fell flat on its face, with a rock lodged in the back of its head. Fluttershy rushed to the creature's side as the others checked up on Sunset, who was gazing in the direction of where the rock had come from. But to her confusion, she didn't see anyone.
'So that is the magic that Celestia was talking about,' Diana deduced far above the field, gazing down from the sky at the seven girls with interest. 'And aside from Twilight, the six of them seem to be able to tap into a magical power that is powerful. I can feel it. But how did the six of them...'
Diana's thoughts then died as she remembered something that Hades had said to her--about the magical items that he had wanted. That there were six of them. With realization dawning in her eyes, Diana gazed back down at the girls, piecing together what Hades had said. Piecing together exactly what magic Hades wanted her to take from this world.
"Hades. You bastard."