//------------------------------// // Episode 14: Inner World // Story: Equestria Girls: Friendship Souls // by thatguyvex //------------------------------// Episode 14: Inner World It was with a syrupy, surreal slowness that the next five days of the school week passed with nothing of real incident occurring, leaving Sunset Shimmer feeling like a penned sheep that knew there was a timberwolf stalking the area, but had yet to strike. There was a tension like a static charge in the air, yet with nothing to relieve it Sunset felt restless. Time at school was spent more looking outside the window, wondering when the Hollows would attack would be, than paying attention to the class. One additional worry to add to the growing list was that her friend’s little sisters and their friend now knew far more than they should. There hadn’t been much else to do, after the battle last Sunday, other than to take them to the shop and that of course had led to awkward questions followed by even more awkward answers. Sunset had tried to keep the answers as minimal as possible, just the bare bones of what Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo needed to know to understand the situation was both serious and dangerous. Oh, and that blabbing about it to anyone was a no go. Not that Sunset figured many adults would believe the girls if they did go talking about it. A bunch of high school girls with mystical powers fighting demonic ghosts sounded more like a Saturday morning cartoon than anything remotely believable, so Sunset imagined the secret was mostly safe, even if the girls told everyone they knew. The bigger worry was that the young girls wouldn’t grasp the danger of the situation and would try to stick their noses into it all again. Hopefully that wouldn't be a problem, but it was now a background worry buzzing around in the back of Sunset’s mind like an annoying fly. Her unrest was not much aided by the fact that her attempts to commune with her Zanpaktou weren't having much luck. Clover had taken to spending more time training Sunset in swordsmanship, or ‘Zanjutsu’ as Clover referred it, and helping Sunset refine her Flash Step. By the time half the week was over Sunset had at least learned to use the high speed maneuver with enough ease that she could at least keep pace with Clover... most of the time. “A bit faster, Sunset, you’re still holding back,” Clover admonished her as the pair raced along the floor of one of the several canyons dotting Discord’s training ground, “I can tell you could move swifter than this.” Sunset grimaced, jumping from spot to spot to keep up with Clover’s flickering movements, the canyon walls spiraling by like a brown blur, “If I go much faster I lose my balance, and end up flat on my face!” “I know this is difficult, but you’re learning quite quickly. I’m merely trying to put some of that nervous energy to good use,” replied Clover, flashing to a halt at the mouth of the canyon’s far entrance, “Although I suppose we’ve practiced enough for today, at least where Shunpo is concerned. I have to remind myself that you’re making great strides already. We can afford to pace ourselves.” Sunset landed next to Clover, breathing hard, feeling the red hot burn of her blood pumping even as the sweat cooled on her face and chest, “I do want to be ready the next time the Hollows make a move. It’s just... yeah, this is going to take a while. I want to push myself, but the last time I tried pushing beyond my limits I ended up abandoning my teacher, my home, and going a tad megalomaniacal. Trying to find a bit more balance, this time around.” “You know, you have yet to tell me much about where you come from,” said Clover, and at Sunset’s reluctant look she went on to say, “I already know some simply from reports concerning that school. The Soul Society has kept an eye on it for some time specifically because of that portal.” “So you Soul Reapers already know about Equestria?” Sunset asked. “Not much, truth be told,” Clover replied with a curious and thoughtful look on her gray features, “We cannot cross over, you see. Any attempt a Soul Reaper has made to go through the portal has failed, as if it didn’t exist for us at all. I would think it the same for Hollows, otherwise you might have had an infestation of them over in your realm long ago. It's just that the portal seems to resonate with energy of a kind we’re unfamiliar with. That energy had always been relatively weak... until the events leading to your, um, ‘she-demon’ transformation. Since then the portal appears to have a much stronger resonance. It’s one of the reasons we kept certain individuals stationed there, to prevent any Hollows from getting close to the portal in case the increased energies in the portal attracted any. That said, I was merely asking because I was curious about your upbringing, about the kind of world you come from.” “Not that I’m not flattered, but I’d just as soon not talk about it,” Sunset said, looking downcast at the ground, “I’ve decided not to go back, and talking about it kind of just hits me with the nostalgia feels. I got enough on my mind lately without adding another bout of homesickness to the list.” “I understand. Still, perhaps, one day, you’d feel more comfortable talking of home?” “Here is my home, now, and I need to make peace with that,” Sunset said, then hesitantly added, “Maybe someday, though. Hey, if things go smoothly you might get to meet Princess Twilight. She’d probably be happy to chat with you until the sun rises about anything you wanted to know about Equestria.” “Ah, yes, the equine double of your friend. Strange to think the one from your home realm is some kind of royalty whereas the girl here is a fairly normal student,” Clover remarked thoughtfully. Was it unusual? Sunset had never really thought so. The two Twilight’s shared very similar personalities, and from what Princess Twilight had told her the rest of Sunset’s friends here had a lot of common traits with Twilight’s friends in Equestria. The human Twilight even lived in a wealthy family, somewhat mirroring the pony Twilight’s wealth, if not the status that came with being an alicorn Princess. Oh, and was that a small stab of jealousy still inside you? Sunset thought ruefully to herself, recognizing the residual sensation in her heart. Perhaps she was still a tad jealous of Twilight, who’d stuck out her apprenticeship with Celestia and obtained ascension to alicornhood. There’d been a time Sunset would have given anything to be in Princess Twilight’s position of power and respect. There’d been a time her pride had demanded nothing less of her. But not anymore. I’m not that same girl, er, mare that ran through a portal in search of power to the exclusion of anything else. I’m... I’m better than that now. She looked forlornly at the Zanpaktou sheathed at her hip. She might’ve been a better person than she’d been in the past, but that didn’t seem to be helping her with her present dilemma. That half-Arrancar had done a number on her. On her and Clover both, and if what Clover said was true then a full Arrancar was easily magnitudes more powerful than what they’d faced. If it hadn’t been for Fluttershy... “Hey, can we give communing with my Zanpaktou another shot today, before we call it quits?” Sunset asked, “I know you said I can’t really push this, but we did nothing but sword and footwork training today, and I just wouldn’t feel right at least trying to talk with my sword once today.” Clover looked at her with a considering gaze filling her soft green eyes for a moment before she smiled and nodded, “If you wish. I had an idea on how to perhaps make this... faster, but also a tad risky. I didn’t want to try it so soon, but if you want we can.” “What way, exactly? And why is it risky?” asked Sunset. “Communing through meditation is meant to eventually open up your mind to entering your Zanpaktou’s inner world upon its invitation. There is a way to enter that inner world through more roundabout means. A technique that combines hypnosis with Kido to allow a Soul Reaper to step into their Zanpaktou’s inner world without being allowed in by the Zanpaktou’s spirit. This is risky because, well, your Zanpaktou is a part of you, but it is still its own entity, with its own personality. How would you feel if a stranger suddenly showed up in your room without permission?” Sunset let out a dry laugh, “I’d be pretty cheesed off, but then again, I’ve tried knocking on the door all week. Maybe it’s time to show my Zanpaktou I’m not such an easy girl to ignore.” ---------- “Really, must we do this? I just simply don’t feel right putting dear Fluttershy through this,” Rarity said to Discord as the man stood off to the side watching her and Fluttershy square off. Discord had been working the girls hard all week with regular sparring matches between them, with Discords helpers Screwloose and Screwball also stepping in to provide extra sparring partners in what in Rarity’s mind was a rather grueling pace. It was getting rather hard to keep a proper appearance while coming home each night drenched in sweat, bruises, and a head of hair staggered by split ends. Still, even Rarity had to admit that there were some beneficial results showing. She’d become rather comfortable with her unusual ability. At first the feeling of her own blood crystallizing into shape outside her body, forming the armored dress and rapier, had felt quite odd, but by now she’d come to feel natural with it and even admire the strange beauty and grace inherent with her power. She could use the crystals to shape new weapons around her base rapier, and had come up with several favorites such as a chain-blade whip and the large yet elegant scimitar. Yet always the rapier remained the core, as if it was the real weapon, the crystals just the extension. She could form them at a distance, using shards of crystal like projectiles, or striking with spears of them from the ground. She’d found doing so was more draining, however, and the furthest she could send her crystals was, at best, about fifty yards. Still, overall, Rarity felt confident to take on any more brutish Hollows that might dare show their faces in town. She certainly knew Rainbow Dash and Applejack were both nearly chomping at the proverbial bit for some action. Both of those girls had become equally comfortable with their powers in the days of training here with Discord. Rarity could regularly hear the buzz of lightning from Rainbow Dash’s wings or the smashing explosions from Applejack’s kicks, and had sparred with both at different times over the week. It seemed to her that Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were not so comfortable with their newfound abilities, however. Pinkie Pie’s dreadful alter ego unnerved Rarity to no end and she severely disliked having to spare with “Pinkamena”. The horrific girl was just unnatural, and quite uncouth. All that talk of eating and love of blood. Really, it was just impossible to think that such a beast had emerged from her lovable and upbeat friend! And as for Fluttershy... “I, um, don’t mind, really,” said Fluttershy as she nervously shifted on her feet a dozen paces from Rarity, “Its just, I, um, well, I don’t really know w-what to do to fight.” It’d been like this all week. Fluttershy could, just barely, seem to summon her transformed eyes, along with the halo and glowing third eye, but when she did the poor dear just didn’t seem to be able know how to use it to fight, even when sparring. Yet Discord kept firmly insisting they try, like he was doing now. “It's merely a matter of experience my dear,” Discord said with that utmost reasonable of tones, “When you used your power to deal with the Hollow you were following instincts born of need. Now you must learn to harness need as a matter of conscious will, rather than instinct. You have all the tools you need to succeed, you just have to have the will to pick them up and use them. Now, Miss Rarity, if you please, do begin.” Rarity let out a long, deep sigh, “Oh, very well. But I shall not be party to bullying my friend and if I say this has gone too far, I shall stop and hear no more about it!” “I understand your sentiments, Miss Rarity, truly I do, but you do your friend a disservice by treating her as if she’s made from glass-” “I, um, really don’t mind.” “-and she’ll not get any stronger through coddling. It is only a matter of time before, hmm, something happens, one way or another, and it was my understanding you girls wished to be prepared for it, yes?” Discord said, staring at Rarity with eyes that gave her a itchy feeling down her spine. “Be that as it may, I shall only do as I feel is best. Now, Fluttershy, are you ready?” Fluttershy visibly gulped, but gave a small, demure nod, and closed her eyes in concentration. Rarity waited patiently, knowing Fluttershy was the least practiced among them at controlling her powers, and even activating the change was still difficult for her. Rarity understood completely. Mentally recapturing the emotions that spark the change wasn’t always easy. Still, even though it took almost a full minute, Fluttershy’s body began to glow with soft yellow light. Rarity watched with fascination as the blue halo of energy appeared around her friend’s brow first, then that energy seemed to drain into her eyes until when both snapped open they’d transformed color into pools of bright, shining blue with striking gold iris’. At the same time her ‘ponied up’ features appeared, wings, ears, and tail, so too did the third eye open upon Fluttershy’s brow; this one a pure pool of blue light, like a beacon. Seeing Fluttershy’s change complete, Rarity activated her own, picturing in her mind the moment she’d been willing to sacrifice anything to save her sister. That raw emotion was the trigger, and focusing upon it brought about her own change. She could feel her power seep through her blood, a warmth without compare. The blood flowed out of her skin as if it wasn’t there, a series of elegant crimson rivers that in mere seconds flowed around her to replace her regular clothing with the finery of the red, armored dress. In her right hand the rapier took shape, solid red and crystalline. Rarity always felt a bit giddy at the change, now, as every nerve felt on edge, on fire, sensing everything around her and making the world seem to pop out in more defined colors. “Excellent,” said Discord, “Now, Fluttershy, when Rarity attacks you I want you to try commanding her to stop, like you did with the Hollow.” “Um, w-well... okay...” Rarity held up her sword but tried to put on a comforting smile, “I’ll be careful, darling. Don’t be afraid to put some ‘omf!’ into it. I won’t mind, really.” Fluttershy tried to hide her face with her hair, which wasn’t as easy now given the glowing third eye rather ruined the effect, “...Okay.” Well, that’s about as much enthusiasm as I can expect. I do hope she’ll be alright. Rarity thought with no small bit of guilt as she braced her legs, took on a fencer’s stance, and then rapidly advanced on Fluttershy with a few swift steps. Fluttershy yelped and backed away, and even as Rarity sent a small poke with her rapier towards the girl she could tell Fluttershy was terrified. She had to pull her strike to keep from actually hitting Fluttershy, and backed away a step herself. Discord sighed, stroking his beard, “Miss Rarity, you could at least try to make it look like you’re being serious. And Miss Fluttershy, you didn’t even try to command her to do anything.” “I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said, “It's just, um, sorry Rarity, but you looked very scary just now. You’re eyes were very, um... intense. And you moved so fast! I could barely see you coming.” “Yes, well, it does seem I’m a few notches swifter of foot while changed like this,” Rarity said, pursing her lips, “I could slow it down a tad, if you want?” Fluttershy smiled then, “Yes, slower would be great. I’d really appreciate it.” Just then Fluttershy’s third eye seemed to glow brighter, and Rarity felt... odd. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something felt different, like there was a weight on her that she couldn’t see. Shaking her head she got back in a ready stance, and moved to attack Fluttershy once more. However, while she had intended to slow down for Fluttershy’s sake, she found that she was not only moving slower, but much slower than she’d anticipated. Indeed she felt entirely sluggish and her strike, what was meant to be a fairly tepid thrust, was now like she was trying to move her arm through cement. Fluttershy blinked in surprise, easily evading the blow, and then her gold on blue eyes went wide, “Oh my! I’m so sorry Rarity! I, I think my power is doing something to you! Oh no, I didn’t tell it to! I didn’t mean to. Are you okay?” “F-fine, darling, just fine,” Rarity said, or sort of said, as she realized even her speech was slowed and slurred. It was like her whole body was slowing down, from her senses to her movements, to even her heartbeat. In fact she could feel it slowing down further, and further, making her head feel light... “Rarity!” She heard Fluttershy cry out, and then suddenly there was a massive burst of pressure, a sense of a massive spirit energy blanketing her, and suddenly she could move and think normally again. She could feel her heart beating back at its normal pace and she blinked through a bout a dizziness to see that Discord was next to her now, one hand on her shoulder while she leaned against him. It was his spiritual pressure she’d felt, and it covered her like a shield. “Miss Fluttershy, concentrate. Pull your spirit energy back,” Discord said calmly, and Fluttershy, who was near to crying, nodded and closed her eyes. Slowly the third eye also slid closed. Rarity, who by that point had recovered her wits, stood away from Discord, head still a tad light, and asked, “What just happened?” Discord was looking at Fluttershy, brow creased in thought, “I would say we are learning more about how your friend’s power works. She wanted you to slow down, and so her power made that happen. Almost too well. She could have stopped your heart from beating, had that gone on much longer.” “I... I didn’t mean too,” Fluttershy said, sounding miserable. Rarity felt a welling of sympathy and found herself going to Fluttershy’s side, embracing the girl in a quick, strong hug. “Now, now, it’s alright. I’m fine. Just a tad dizzy, is all.” She then shot a withering look at Discord over Fluttershy’s shoulder, “This is why I said we shouldn’t be pushing her!” “And I shall point out this is exactly why we should be pushing Miss Fluttershy,” said Discord, “Among all of you I suspect her power is quite possibly the most dangerous, to herself and her allies as much as your enemies.” Fluttershy hugged Rarity back tightly, then nodded to her and wiped her face with a shirt sleep, taking a few deep breaths to look at Discord. “I don’t want to ever have to hurt anyone. I thought my power just made it so people did what I told them, which is... which is bad enough.” “From what I’ve observed so far, I believe it would be more accurate to say that your power implants your will within a target. Whether that will is for them to obey a command, heal from a wound, or in the case with Miss Rarity ‘to slow down’, your power makes that will manifest itself,” Discord said with a small smirk appearing on his face, “Why, you’d never have to pay the pizza delivery driver ever again.” “Really, must you joke?” Rarity said, then looked at Fluttershy thoughtfully, “If that is your power, dear, it is very impressive.” “I’m not sure I even want it,” Fluttershy said, shifting nervously, “Not if its so easy to accidentally hurt someone.” “That’s simply a matter of learning control. Rather the whole point of this training,” Discord said, then added after a moment’s considering pause, “Also I do think there are some key limitations to what you can do. First of all, I suspect you can only affect one individual at a time. We can test it out, later when you feel up to it, but from what I witnessed I think it takes your powers full concentration on one subject to work. Secondly, your power can be resisted. That much we saw with the Hollow you commanded, who did resist at first. I suspect strong enough individuals might shake off your power altogether. The only reason it worked so well on Rarity was that she wasn’t trying to resist.” “I was rather caught off guard by it,” Rarity said, frowning briefly, but then decided to put on a more cheerful face, “Well at least we know more than we did before. That’s good, right Fluttershy?” “I suppose so,” Fluttershy said, still looking uncomfortable. The sight made Rarity feel less than stellar, herself. She wanted her friend to feel better, and decided there could only be one solution. “Well, I would say this calls for a break and a coffee run!” Rarity declared, and before Discord could get his mouth halfway open in protest she went on, “No no no, I insist! Not only coffee, but some delightful scones and muffins to go with it. I shall attend to this matter myself.” “Come no Miss Rarity, at least let me send one of my new shop girls. They do live here now and need to earn their keep,” Discord said, referring to the recently moved in sirens. Rarity eyed him for a moment, then shrugged. Coffee was coffee, no matter who went and got it, and she knew for a fact Fluttershy adored the scones that came from the local coffee shop. She could already see Fluttershy smiling slightly at the prospect. “Very well, but I still insist on paying for it myself,” she said, dismissing her blood armor and rapier with a elegant wave of her hand to then fish out her wallet to retrieve the needed cash. ---------- “What was that about?” Sunset asked, looking off with a worried frown towards where she’d just sensed the large burst of spiritual pressure she recognized as Discord’s. It’d only lasted a moment, and made her spine shiver. Discord’s spirit energy had felt somehow different from others. Even his energy feels slippery, she thought. “What was what about?” Twilight asked, looking up from the machine she’d brought down, or rather asked Applejack to carry down. Sunset recognized it as a device for measuring brain waves, complete with a silly bowl shaped helmet with blinking lights. Sunset was fairly sure the blinking lights weren’t a necessary component. Then again Twilight had clearly modified this machine for her own use, and no doubt had added some functions. “It seems Mister Discord felt like intervening in one of the girls’s sparring matches,” said Clover, eyes focused on a book she was holding without looking up, “I can feel everyone’s spiritual pressure’s, however, so whatever happened I don’t think anyone was hurt. If there’s a problem, they’ll call for us. We should concentrate on what we’re doing.” “Yes, of course,” Twilight said, wincing slightly as she adjusted some dials on her machine, which was in turn attached to a laptop she had set up on a fold out table. Sunset noticed that Twilight’s wincing seemed to stem from a few bruises on her wrists and arms. “You okay, Twilight?” Sunset asked, pointing at the other girls’ small injuries, “You been doing full contact sports lately?” “Hm? Oh, these? Um, no, not sports. Not really. I’ve been...” Twilight very deliberately looked away, and Sunset didn’t need to tap into her latent skills as a master detective to guess that her friend was keeping something hidden “Been practicing with my bow. Heheh, you remember how bad I was at, uh, archery? Well I thought I’d try to pick it up as a... hobby. Yup, so, archery practice.” “I see...” Sunset said, not really seeing at all. You’re hiding something, Twilight, but I’m going to trust that whatever it is, you have good reasons. The last thing Sunset wanted was to start mistrusting her friends. She just hoped that whatever it was, Twilight knew what she was doing. “So is your machine prepared?” asked Clover, setting down her book on the table and looking at the boxy device with a curious expression, “I’m not very familiar with the living world’s technology, but I assume this is some manner of scanner?” “It's a neurological monitor that I’ve modified to also measure spiritual energy patterns,” said Twilight, “While Sunset is undergoing this hypnosis I’ll be monitoring her mental state and how it's interacting with her spiritual state. It may help me better understand the connection between her and her Zanpaktou,” said Twilight, smiling happily as she got to explain something of a scientific nature. Clover looked over the machine with an appreciative nod. “Impressive. When the day eventually comes that your soul must cross over to the Soul Society, you should consider joining the Soul Reapers. Twelfth Division would love to have more keen minds like yours in our ranks,” Clover said, to which Twilight just blinked and gave a nervous chuckle. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Clover, but I kind of hope I don’t have to worry about that for a long, long time.” Clover opened her mouth to respond, then seemed to think better of it and just gave a shrug, turning to Sunset, “Let’s begin.” Sunset had found a relatively comfortable patch of ground to set out a mat and sit on, taking on the same cross-legged meditation pose she normally did while Twilight fitted the neurological scanner’s helmet onto her head. It looked absolutely ridiculous, but having done this kind of thing to her friends herself when she’d been studying how magic worked in the human world, Sunset didn’t complain. As Twilight returned to her laptop and started up the machine, Clover came over and sat across from Sunset. She then pulled out a pocket watch from her robes and dangled it in front of Sunset’s face. “Okay, if I’ve understood the technique from that book, this should help put you to sleep,” Clover said, slowly waving the watch back and forth at the end of its chain, then blinked at Sunset’s deadpan look. “What?” “Did you really just read a beginner's book on hypnotism? I thought you said this was some age old Soul Society technique?” Sunset asked bluntly. Clover’s face colored and she cleared her throat. “Ahem, well, yes, I’ll be using a minor Kido spell to bring you into your Zanpaktou’s inner world, but the actual hypnosis bit is something we have to do ourselves. I thought I’d try using human methods first before resorting to more Kido. Besides, it was a chance to learn something new! Couldn’t pass that up. Now, just follow the watch with your eyes and you should start feeling sleepy.” “I think for expediency's sake we should just use the Kido,” Sunset said and Clover sighed. “Oh, alright,” she put away the pocket watch and instead held her hands out, palms up and index and thumbs touching so the palms formed a rough triangular shape before her. A small green light appeared in the space between her hands and she said, “Just focus on the light. Stare into it until it fills your whole vision. Breath deeply, and slowly.” Sunset did as she was told, taking in a deep breath and slowly regulating her breathing as she stared into the soft, lime colored light. As her body started to relax and she felt her mind start to drift off in that fuzzy, warm state between sleep and wakefulness, she wondered what her Zanpaktou was actually like. She blinked, and found herself standing in another place, one that held echoes of the familiar even as she realized she was nowhere that truly existed. At first she was shocked by the familiar white pillars and long well carpeted corridors of what looked liked the hallways of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but it only took her a few seconds to see that the architecture of the school she’d attended in Equestria was mixed with the starkly clean walls lined with lockers that were from Canterlot High. It was as if someone had taken elements from both schools and blended them together. Modern florescent lights mixed with old magically lit torches, and as Sunset passed by various doors along the hallway she saw some led to classrooms of magical alchemy and cauldrons, while others held modern desks and computers. Two different lives, but I was a student in both. Is this my Zanpaktou’s inner world? I didn’t think it would take so much from my own background. She walked on, her footsteps echoing through the otherwise eerily silent halls. Just as she was starting to think of trying one of the classroom doors to explore one of the rooms, she abruptly found herself at the end of the hall, facing a pair of large wooden double doors that somehow seemed to stretch taller than the hallway would allow. The shape of the doors, and the gracefully carved, regal handles on them, reminded her of the doors leading into Celestia’s throne room at the royal palace. Suddenly feeling hesitant, Sunset took a moment before reaching out to open those doors. Despite their size the doors swung open easily at her touch, as if some other force was opening them besides her. Beyond was a space that very much took from Sunset’s memories of Princess Celestia’s throne room, although it lacked walls or ceiling. Indeed aside from the broken, marble pathway, carpeted in red, leading up to the stone steps that in turn led to a tall backed golden throne, there was nothing but an expanse of endless blue sky and clouds. It was as if the throne and the path to it were resting on a ocean of cloud, with the blue horizon like a dome on all sides. Unsure of herself, Sunset walked forward, crossing the wide pathway towards the steps leading up to the throne. Just as she reached the foot of the steps she felt the temperature suddenly rise in the air, and then a female voice, both strange and yet horribly familiar spoke. “Ah ah ah, that’s not your seat. You gave it up, remember?” Sunset spun around to face the speaker, just in time to have a powerful, red clawed hand grip her throat and lift her off the ground. Just in front of her face was a face that in some ways mirrored her own, yet was changed and twisted in a sultry, demonic visage. Bright crimson skin covered a body that was so much like Sunset’s, yet its clothing was simpler, a dark flame covered dress and large black boots that complimented the fiery head of hair and flaming tail the girl sported. Black eyes held gleaming teal iris’ and the girl’s grinning, wicked face was flanked by a pair of tapered ears. Despite the firm grip on her neck Sunset could still breath, and managed to say, “Y-you? You can’t be here! I...” Her demonic self scoffed at her, tossing her to the ground, “You what? Got rid of me? Tossed me out like yesterday’s garbage? Overcame your ‘inner she-demon’ or whatever with the power of friendship? Oh please, spare me the sputtering denials. It's been torture sitting in the back of your mind, cast aside while you’ve been playing super hero squad with your little playmates. Why do you think I got out the first opportunity I could find?” Sunset’s breathing had quickened, and her mouth was dry, her mind reeling. This woman, this demonic version of herself, this was what she’d become when she’d put on Princess Twilight’s Element of Magic and absorbed all of that magical power, transforming into the she-demon she now faced. She’d assumed that when the Elements of Harmony had been used against her in that form that the evil of it had been purged out of her... though somewhere in the darker corners of her thoughts she’d always feared that part of her still lurked, waiting. “The Zanpaktou,” Sunset said, “When I first grabbed it from that crater, you shifted from me, into it?” Her other self idly examined one of her claws, still smiling, “Almost right. I was born from the part of you that you tried to discard. I’m a Zanpaktou, alright, pure and simple, yet everything about me comes from a part of you that you tried to bury like an unwanted skeleton you were tired of keeping in the closet. But you can’t get rid of me anymore than I can truly be rid of you. We’re stuck with each other.” Rage poured into the she-demon’s eyes, her face twisting in a rictus snarl, “And I’ll be damned if I’ll let you take the throne of this world while you still prance about pretending like you don’t need me.” “Need you? What are you talking about? I never wanted to be anything like you, let alone need you!” Sunset said, standing up and balling her fists at her side, “You nearly destroyed my life.” “Correction, you nearly destroyed your life, I just happened to be the result of what you wanted and sought after. Oh, but now that your fluffy band of friendship bunnies aren’t cutting the mustard when it comes to power you come crawling right back to me. Well, forgive me if I’m not inclined to answer that call from a scared little pony who’s too afraid of her own shadow to remember what gave her such fire in the first place. Now, leave.” Before Sunset could respond the she-demon spread wide, bat-like wings and flew towards her. Sunset tried to dodge but was grabbed by the arm and swung around like a toy, thrown bodily back towards the doors leading to the hallway. She hit the ground hard and rolled through the doors, which slammed shut behind her. Sunset winced at the very real pain she felt, even if this inner world wasn’t exactly real. She stood and stepped unsteadily towards the doors again. She didn’t fully understand what was happening, but she knew she couldn’t afford to back down yet. Whoever or whatever the she-demon was, she knew she had to confront her. If she’s really my Zanpaktou’s spirit, then why did she take that form? Why reject me like this? But if she really is a manifestation of the evil that’d taken over me back then... It occurred to Sunset she might not have been thinking about this the right way. It wasn’t like she’d been possessed by an outside force, when she’d tried to steal Princess Twilight’s Element with a more than haphazard plan to return to Equestria as some kind of conqueror. No, she’d chosen to do all of that herself, and while the corrupted power of the Element of Magic had overwhelmed her thinking, she had accepted it was still her choices and her fault that had led to that crossroad in her life. She was just glad that Princess Twilight and her friends at Canterlot High had been there to stop her, and give her a chance to redeem herself. Pushing her way through the doors once again, Sunset saw that her she-demon self had taken a lounging position on the throne, one leg raised up over the arm of the throne while she leaned back on the other. “You’re a real glutton for punishment,” the she-demon said casually, “I was trying to give you a gentle hint to leave, but if you insist on coming back here I’ll have to start hurting you.” “I want to know who you are,” Sunset said, voice firm, taking a few steps down the pathway to the throne and then holding position, “That’s the whole point of me coming here! If you really are the spirit of my Zanpaktou, then talk to me!” The she-demon rose angrily from the throne, flames rising from her wings and hair like a wave, and Sunset could feel the heat even from afar. “Talk to you!? You’re the one who cast me aside. You’re the one who chose to ignore me, not the other way around! All this time, well before you picked up that sword, I was waiting for you to acknowledge me again. But you think your friends are enough to fill in all the blanks inside you. Well, they’re not! You’ve been so pigheaded about playing the good friend its like you’ve forgotten what made you who you are. You’ve forgotten your power, so why should I listen to anything you have to say?” “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say! My friends are the best thing that have happened to me since I went through that mirror and ended up in this world! I haven’t forgotten who I am, I’ve been discovering who I am.” A peal of derisive, bitter laughter rolled from the she-demon as she clutched her sides, the fire around her seeming to dance along with her mirth, “How can you know who you are if you’ve forgotten who I am? Whatever power your friends give you, it can only go so far when its them you need to protect. If a single one of them fell, what could you do, except cry?” The thought of any of her friends being hurt, or worse, filled Sunset with a burning rage and she shouted, “I wouldn’t cry! I’d protect them, no matter what!” There was a small spark of flame around her, as if it wafted from the throne itself to reach towards her, and the she-demon quirked and eyebrow, “Hmm, maybe you haven’t entirely forgotten who I am, but its not good enough yet. You’re still afraid of me, afraid of yourself. Until you let go of that fear, and take hold of me again, I won’t aid you. That Zanpkatou will be a dull blade in your grasp until you remember what sharpens it, sharpens your very soul.” “Wait, what does that even mean? Who are you!? What am I supposed to remember!?” Sunset shouted, but the she-demon was done talking, launching herself from her throne and delivering a powerful kick straight to Sunset’s chest. The pain exploded through her and she felt as if she’d just broken several ribs. The whole world spun and dissolved around her, until she woke up shouting. “What am I supposed to... to... huh?” Sunset looked around. She was sitting where she had been before, on a mat placed on the rocky ground of Discord’s underground training area. Sweat drenched her, and her chest hurt, as if the blow she’d taken in the inner world of her Zanpaktou had been real. Clover was looking at her with concern, as was Twilight, who was busily glancing between Sunset and the readouts on her laptop. “You okay, Sunset? What happened?” Clover asked, leaning forward, “You started sweating, and murmuring to yourself, then just suddenly jolted like someone punched you and woke up shouting.” “Kicked, actually,” Sunset said with a pained look as she rubbed her chest. No broken ribs like she’d thought, but she wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bruise. “My Zanpaktou spirit wasn’t exactly happy to see me.” “So you spoke with it? Amazing!” Twilight seemed to let her own worries melt away at the prospect of discovery, “What was it like? Tell me everything. I got lots of interesting data but I need to correlate the readings to the actual events that took place inside you and the Zanpaktou.” “I too would like to hear exactly what happened,” said Clover, her own face still shadowed by concern, “Spare no details.” At first Sunset was a bit hesitant, as she wasn’t sure she wanted her friends to know that her Zanpaktou spirit was taking the form of the she-demon she’d become at her lowest, most shameful moment. Yet she knew holding anything back would just make things harder, especially if Clover was going to help her figure this all out. She recounted what had occurred, not leaving anything out. Both Clover and Twilight listened patiently, though Twilight dug out a notebook and jotted down more than a few things while Sunset told her story. By the end of Clover had a look of deep thought on her face while Twilight remained inquisitive. “Is it normal for a Zanpaktou spirit to behave this way, Miss Clover?” asked Twilight. “No...” said Clover, “Not entirely. Combative Zanpaktou spirits are not unheard of. Many aggressive Soul Reapers have equally aggressive spirits dwelling inside their blades. Forging a bond with one’s Zanpaktou spirit takes a slightly different path for each of us. My Chishiki, for example, is a very curious and knowledge thirsty spirit, reminding me sort of yourself Miss Sparkle. When I communed with him Chishiki was always eager to learn, and our bond grew from a shared desire to know the world around us.” “Well, the only thing my Zanpaktou seems to want to do is kick my butt,” muttered Sunset, “She kept going on about how I’d discarded her, or forgotten her, or something like that. I don’t understand it. I didn’t discard that she-demon form, the Elements stripped it from me, and she said she was my Zanpaktou spirit anyway so it wouldn’t make sense to treat her as if she were just some residual power from that transformation.” “Could it be that she’s both?” suggested Twilight, “I mean, is it possible she is a Zanpaktou spirit, but also happens to have trace amounts of your, uh, ‘she-demon’ self trapped within?” “Given the unique nature of that Equestrian magic, anything is possible,” said Clover, “It's one of the factors that makes you girls different, especially in Sunset’s case. There’s never been a Zanpakou that interacted with magic and spirit energy at the same time, so... so this Zanpaktou spirit could be different than any other in the history of Soul Society. I must apologize, Sunset. This was too dangerous to try without truly understanding what your Zanpaktou is, and I shouldn’t have suggested doing it. Please forgive my carelessness.” “It's okay, Clover, really.” Sunset smiled and gave Clover’s arm a firm, reassuring squeeze, “I would have wanted to try this anyway. You told me there was some risk before, so it's not like you didn’t give me some warning.” “Still, we shouldn’t attempt this again. If anything I’m worried about pushing you to unlock your Shikai, now, because there’s no telling what your Zanpaktou spirit might do. If it's infused with strange magic from your home realm, anything might happen when you learn its true name and call out to it,” said Clover, eyeing the Zanpaktou at Sunset’s side warily. Sunset just shook her head. “I feel like I need to keep pushing forward, Clover. I have to keep up with my friends, so I can fight by their side. That, and while this might sound strange... I feel like I want to do this for her sake as well,”Sunset said while placing a hand on the hilt of her Zanpkatou, eyes softening. “She might be a raging she-demon, but she’s a part of me. I don’t know what part, exactly, but I got the feeling like she was kind of lonely, in there. I need ot figure out how to reach her, connect with her.” “Well, if that’s how you feel, I’ll try my best to continue helping you, but I think for today we’ve done enough,” said Clover. Letting out a long sigh, Sunset just said, “Won’t hear any argument from me, there.” “I heard the girls were getting coffee and muffins,” said Twilight, “Shouldn’t be too long before it gets here.” “Sounds perfect to me,” said Sunset, slowly standing and stretching her limbs. She could set aside the puzzle of her Zanpaktou for the time being. With the week as slow as it had been, maybe she had some time before the next emergency. ---------- Shining Armor was not in a good mood. At all. This manifested in an exceedingly cold and hard look on his face, a steel clad expression that was usually enough to make most people give him a wide distance. Cadence, as usual, seemed immune to his frosty mood, even though she was part of the reason for it. “You’re still mad at me?” she asked quietly as they both walked down a clean white hallway. Both of them were in full Quincy uniform, Shining Armor’s outfit a crisp and stark white military jacket and slacks, with a long mantle that trailed all the way down to his short, black boots. Both their booted footfalls echoed loudly, clacking upon the pristine tiles. Shining Armor let Cadence stew a few seconds before answering. “I told you I didn’t want Twilight being spied upon. I distinctly remember telling you that.” Cadence’s voice had that annoyingly perfect balance of apologetic and reasonably logical that meant Shining Armor knew he’d already lost the argument before it’d really started, “I know that you didn’t want her being followed or watched by our intelligence resources, but I decided to do this myself, without involving anyone else. She won’t even know the trace is there, and it will allow us to protect her in case there’s unforeseen troubles down the road.” “And if the trace is discovered? Not by her, but by the one training her friends?” Shining Armor asked, not willing to give up quite yet, “Do you think that man would just let her go if he knew she wasn’t just a Quincy, but had brought a trace into his shop?” “The trace won’t be discovered,” Cadence said simply, lightly touching his hand. He wanted to pull away to make it clear he was still mad at her, but it was almost impossible to ignore the gentle warmth in her touch as she continued to say, “Remember that when it comes to concealment there are few in our ranks that match my skill. Who else could have created a trace that’d bypass even Discord’s wards? Trust me, love, I know what I’m doing. I’m only trying to look out for Twilight’s well being.” Shining Armor was silent for a moment before saying with a sigh, “You could have asked me, first. You also could have told me sooner than this morning. You’ve had that thing on her for days now.” “I wanted to make sure it was working smoothly and that I wouldn’t have to remove it. The trace will stay attached to her shoulder, melded without being noticeable by anything short of a detailed examination of her spiritual makeup. I’ll be able to see and hear most of what happens nearby her, hence if she gets in over her head we’ll know about it and be able to help.” “Assuming either of us are in a position to do so,” Shining Armored muttered, “Do you know what this emergency meeting is about?” “No, but your father must have had a good reason to call it in. I’ve heard he’s mobilizing almost half the Hueco Mundo Hunters Battalion at orders from His Majesty.” “Has His Majesty said anything to my father about why he needs this mobilization?” “Your father has not discussed anything he may have spoken of with His Majesty,” Cadence replied, “Regardless, I suspect this is in response to the rumors of Las Noches stirring. We’ll find out soon enough.” The hallway opened into a wide antechamber with a vaulted ceiling, where a wide, circular table of dark wood dominated the center of the room. Shining Armor immediately recognized the light blue skinned man with a well groomed dark head of hair similar to Shining Armor’s own standing at one end of the table, with a similar white military uniform but also wearing the officer’s cap of a battalion commander. Night Light looked up from several maps spread on the table, his eyes lighting up slightly at the sight of his son but only giving a curt nod and salute, which Shining Armor and Cadence both returned. “Sir,” Shining Armor said in polite, formal tone, “Sternritter B, Shining Armor, reporting.” Cadence mirrored his speech, “Sternritter L, Mi Amore Cadenza, reporting.” “At ease, both of you,” Night Light said, glancing to his left where two women had been seated at the table, having watched both Shining Armor and Cadence enter, “This constitutes the full force I’ve been authorized by His Majesty to call upon at this time, until we know more about the situation. Shining Armor of course recognized both of the other people present. One was his mother, Twilight Velvet, her soft gray skin and two toned white and purple hair offset by her cool, calm expression as she gave him a small smile. The other woman was taller than his mother, with a slim, athletic build, with white alabaster skin and long, wavy hair that was a pale shade of pink. “Five Sternritters,” Shining Armor said, “Plus half your battalion, father. At the risk of breaking etiquette, what the hell is going on that needs this much firepower on standby?” “Shining, really, language,” Twilight Velvet said, while the woman next to her laughed. “Do you find something funny, Fleur De Lis?” asked Cadence casually. “My apologies, but you four really do make for an adorable family dynamic,” said Fleur, hiding her giggle politely behind a raised hand, “It's a real shame the prodigal daughter isn’t here to complete the set.” Night Light’s eyes narrowed, and Twilight Velvet’s grew frosty. Night Light cleared his throat, “Our daughter is not of what of concern...” he glanced at Shining Armor pointedly, “At the moment, anyway. No, right now why I have been asked to call this meeting is because our scouts in Heuco Mundo have noted a massive gathering of Hollows in the Forest of Gillians.” Shining Armor frowned, stepping towards the table to look at the maps, which showed vast swaths of desert, the bleak dead landscape of Hueco Mundo; The Hollow World. One vast area of that dry, nearly lifeless realm was a series of massive canyons and underground caverns, the Forest of Gillians, so named for that was where many Hollows of that classification gathered. If there were enough Hollows there now to make the Quincy take note, something had to be in the works. “How many are we talking about?” he asked his father. “Our last reports showed no less than a hundred Gillians, plus a horde of lesser Hollows nearly three times that number.” Shining Armor exchanged a look with Cadence. The lesser Hollows were of little concern, but the Gillians were another matter. On the hierarchy of Hollow evolution they were still well below Arrancar, but significantly stronger than common Hollows. Just a few Gillians weren’t much threat to a single Sternritter, who were the Quincy's most elite warriors, the 'star knights' of His Majesty. However, any gathering of a large number of Hollows was worthy of note, especially since it'd require a high level Hollow to control such a horde. Still... “Even if this group did come to attack us here, that horde wouldn't pose much of a threat,” said Shining Armor, “Not here, at the seat of Quincy power. They’d be slaughtered. The same applies if they decided to attack the Soul Society. Even just a few of the Soul Reaper Captains would be sufficient to deal with that number of Gillians. And yet any Hollow powerful enough to gather that many Gillians together and force them to cooperate rather than eat each other would also be smart enough to know that. Ergo... they have a different target in mind than either us or the Soul Society.” “That’s our conclusion as well,” said his mother, leaning forward, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin on one hand, “It must be an Arrancar or Vasto Lorde controlling that many Gillians, but our scouts couldn’t get close enough to determine which. It may just be a rogue looking to set themselves up independently of Las Noches, but there’s also the possibility that they intend to attack somewhere in the living world.” “And if they do, it will be our job to put a stop to it before the Soul Reapers get involved?” asked Fleur, “A nice bit of competition to see if we can wipe out the Hollows first before our age old blood enemies show their faces.” “More important than that, we stop the Hollows before too many lives are lost,” said Night Light, “If they attack in force in the world of the living.” “And if they do, is there really any doubt of where that attack will appear?” asked Shining Armor bitterly, “There’s only one city lately that has attracted so much Hollow attention, and I somehow doubt they’ve lost interest.” Night Light gave a solemn nod, “Yes, our home city is a likely target.”