Last Lights Falling

by Kalros

Noon

I sat there for a few moments trying to compose a response. Sunset was alive? In my head? What exactly had she seen?

{Plenty. You should be thankful, without me I doubt you’d have gotten the hang of my magic so quickly. But then again you are in the body of a magical prodigy.} Sunset half bragged, half explained. Is it bad that I found her tone of voice to be rather grating?

“So then Miss Prodigy. You know that I’m as lost as you are.” I mutter in response. At this point the sun has set and it’s completely dark outside my shelter. As I lay there I can pick up the odd sound from leaves rustling in the wind, the occasional crack of wood as the temperature falls, or the river flowing a couple dozen meters away. If it wasn’t completely pitch black I might enjoy this. Instead I feel like I’m being watched as every creak and snap of wood causes my head to look around for the source.

{I’m just as confused as you. One minute I’m in the castle, the next I find myself a prisoner in my own head… You’re human right?} I hear her reply which prompts me to respond with a small nod.

“I was… “

{Then why am I pony again…} Sunset mutters {I’m in a human world, I should be hu-}

“Whoa whoa whoa. Hold up there. Are you saying this has happened before to you?” I ask. It certainly sounded like it.

{You could say that. I doubt you would understand but let’s just say I’m kind of an expert on the matter.} she replies causing me to frown.

“I-“

{Stop talking with my mouth. You’re probably alerting all the animals in the area that we’re here.} she suddenly interrupted, a small jolt of pain piercing my skull. Was that supposed to happen? It wasn’t too bad, kind of like a pinch really, but it still got my attention.

“Oww… What if I prefer to talk though?” I respond, lowering my voice to a whisper anyway. She made a valid point.

{I suppose if you are too ‘simple’ to use your mind I shouldn’t try to push you.} I swear, I could see her giving me a condescending smirk with that last remark.

{Who are you calling simple? Just answer my question Sunset, has this happened before?} I reply getting more and more annoyed by her by the minute.

{ Before all.. This… I had been spent a couple years in a world with humans. Only I didn’t have to share a body that time. I would have expected to return to that form after arriving here, I guess I was mistaken.} she trails off as if lost in thought.

“So let me get this straight. You are a pony, that went to a human world, and turned into one of us, then later returned to your own world only to come here?” I asked, piecing the whole story bit by bit.

{Yes. In the other human world, let’s just call it the Mirrorverse, I was a student at a highschool. Over the last couple days many of the students just started vanishing, and then yesterday I woke up back in equestria before blacking out.} she explains causing more questions to pop into my head. High School? Just how old was this pony? As I open my mouth to ask I feel a twinge in my head again.

{Later… Right now you need a fire right?} she asks suddenly acting a little more cooperative.

“Uh. Yes? I don’t know how much you ponies can take but a late autumn night is can get pretty darn cold”

{ A pony can move about comfortably until about -10 degrees Celcius. Judging from how cold it feels right now… I doubt we will last the night…} she mutters and I can only nod in agreement before lighting up the area again with my horn and gathering wood.

{You know I could just cast a heating spell right?} she asks in an annoyed tone.

“Maybe, but you’re not in control right? So unless you can give me the knowledge I need to cast it then I suggest we make a fire instead. Besides when we are in the wild like this I’d like to have a fire as a deterrent for any animals looking for a meal…” I mutter as I float a large branch into the small clearing I’m in and start breaking it into smaller pieces with my hooves.

“Sides… A heating spell is harder to cast than making some sparks for a fire right?”

{If you wish to sleep then yes, I suppose your idea has some merit. Heating spells are not so difficult to cast, however you will need to sustain it even while sleeping. Not a simple task for somepony new to magic like you.} she mutters and I give a nod as I find some dry brush under some roots.

“How about something to dry this stuff up?” I ask, clearing off some snow from a large piece of wood.

{ There is, but I you’re still too new to magic to try it. Even with me hel-} she pauses for a moment {Stop!}

I pause for a moment and sit back on my haunches “What?”

{I’m going to try something. Clear you mind of everything} she explains. I had no reason to trust her, but then again we were both in the same boat. If I were to venture a guess she was going to try and take control and if that meant she could cast the spells we needed to get out of here I had no reason to say no.

“If you’re sure it will help…”

Taking a breath I did as she asked, the light from my horn flickering for a moment before going dark. For a moment a can feel one of my ears pivot around to the sound of wood cracking nearby but I ignore it as I try to detach myself from the world.

{Let me see} I hear her mutter but try to ignore that as I focus on- HOLY HELL THAT HURTS!
I give out a scream of pain as it feels like my skull is splitting in two for what seems like an eternity before collapsing to the ground gasping for air.

“It worked.” my mouth says acting against my will as it emits an arrogant laugh.

{That hurt!}

“Really? I didn’t feel a thing. Now then.” She replies in an uncaring tone and I watch as Sunset spins her body around. A moment later her horn lights up and a bolt of light blue energy lances out striking the large piece of wood I had brought early. For a moment the wood lays there inert before a raging inferno of blue flame erupts all over it.

“A bit rusty but still better than those fools back home can do.” she mutters. As I watch the flames seem to isolate themselves on one end of the stick and change color back to the normal orange and yellow hues one would expect. Picking up the newly made torch I feel the pony start to make their way away from our shelter and towards the river.

{Where are you going?!? I thought we were going to just make a fire and sleep?} I asked in a rather confused, and angry, tone. Ok, I definitely had made a serious mistake. From my new prison all I could feel was contempt for me as I watched everything unfold and was helpless to do anything.

“You might not have heard them but I did.” She mutters placing the torch down nearby the waterside and Sunset turns her back to the light, staring defiantly into the darkness.

{Heard what?} I ask but I already know the answer as a minute later the flames reveal multiple sets of yellow glowing eyes that cluster at the edge of the light.

“Them.”

---

I felt good, really good. After spending years in that other world, the Mirrorverse, as a human I’d almost forgotten the thrill magic had given me, the rush of power as you made the world your plaything. I almost pitied these dogs for what I was about to do to them.

Almost.

{Why are that one’s eyes glowing green?} And there it was, the one downside to all this. I suppose it’s not his fault but this human, John, was really getting on my nerves. He sort of reminded me of Flash Sentry, my ‘boyfriend’ back in the mirrorverse. There was nothing serious between us, Flash was, like John, a tool I needed to use to get what I wanted.

It only took a moment to find the green eyes John was speaking of. I instantly recognized those baleful eyes when a gust of wind brought the scent of its rancid breath in my face.

“Timberwolf.” They didn’t have these creatures in the Mirrorverse. There was not enough ambient magic to sustain them. Instead we had the normal flesh and blood wolves that seemed to be following the wooden creature. A timberwolf leading normal ones; if they were not trying to make me into a snack I would love to investigate this a little further.

{Timberwolf? Aren’t all of these things timbe-}

“Not the same thing, now can you shut up so I can focus?” I mutter in annoyance. I know I berated him earlier for talking but had had a reason.

I had first noticed something was wrong when John was busy using my horn as a light. Odd shadows, the occasional glint here and there from eyes. Then later, once we started talking in the shelter I started to hear them moving about… A pony’s senses are not the same as a human’s, and while I did help John he still was still new to being a pony so I’m not surprised he didn’t notice. It didn’t take me long to figure out that something was moving about in the woods. I suspect the only reason they didn’t attack was because of the magic display, most animals tend to be cowards around the unknown.

Growling, the timberwolf advances forward into the light, its wooden and stone body illuminated by the flames. In my head I can feel John panicking at the sight which caused me a bit of amusement.

“Scared of the big bad wolf John?” I ask in a mocking tone as I move slowly to my side. Since dropping the torch and focusing my magic on something a bit more…. Practical, for this situation. That log only illuminated so much and while I could just use my horn I wanted something that would free my horn for other magics.

I stood my ground as the creature stopped a meter away and gave a huff, the horrid stench of its breath wafting over me.

“Jean, I need you to be quiet for the next couple minutes…” I mutter getting no response. Hopefully that meant a yes as I finished off the spell.

It was a simple one, designed by unicorns planning to work in caves or other dark places for extended periods of time. A couple of the beasts gave a yelp of surprise as the pack of wolves backed off for a moment. It was a definite improvement over the flaming log, the light exposing the pack as all of them, excepting the timberwolf, recoiled.

“Ta-ta…” I taunt the wooden construct. Giving a growl the beast leaps at me only to find empty speace as I manage to teleport a couple meters behind him.

{Wait,wh-}

“I said be quiet!” Grabbing a few stones in telekinesis I begin to pepper some of the fleshy wolves, snapping them out of their daze. A couple of the animals gives frightened yelps and try to bolt for the trees, only for the timberwolf to give a loud growl which froze them in their tracks. Well, almost all of them. Two of the smaller ones were already within the trees and didn’t seem phased by their Alpha’s orders.

“Two down, three to go…” Not including the timberwolf there had been 5 of them… Cowed into obedience the others began to try and circle me again but they seemed rather reluctant. Really I just needed to take down the alpha and the others would cave. Watching the magical creature watch me I had a feeling it wouldn’t be particularly easy.

I had faced these creatures before. In my travels after leaving Canterlot I had ventured into the Everfree and a trio of the creatures had come after me. I didn’t fight them, Celestia had never taught me anything beyond the basics and honestly I really mind. Fighting was something better left to guards, and somepony of my status had more important things to do that learn how to beat a pony with crude magical blasts. Back in the everfree I had managed to evade my pursuers after destroying a bridge over a ravine. The wolves had been crossing it at the time and plummeted down to their doom.

Sadly, this time I had no bridges to cut and no place to run to.

Giving a bark the pack charges at me together and again I teleport a distance away, once more throwing rocks at them, even the occasional energy blast. Unfortunately it does little more than singe some fur and anger them.

{Can’t you just set it on fire?} John asks as I duck beneath a set of snapping jaws, the world then shifting around me as teleport again.

“Setting something on fire takes time and that wolf isn’t going to s-“ my explanation is suddenly cut off by a sharp pain to my chest, one of the wolves that had fled in the beginning had returned and was lucky to be near me when I teleported.

“AH!” we both screamed out in pain then. Twisting my head I manage to hit the thing with a magical energy blast causing it to let go with a surprised yelp. A moment later the world shifts again as I stumble out of another teleport. After creating a small shield I take a moment to look myself over I can see the blood gushing out of the wound. I was hurt, badly. Suddenly my confidence at the start of this whole debacle evaporates.

“Horseapples,” I muttered through my teeth as I watch a pair of wolves, along with the timberwolf rush towards me. Watching them, I came to a chilling realization. I was going to die. My shield might keep them out for a couple seconds, and I probably could teleport again but. The blood loss, my fatigue, I wouldn’t last. Sunset Shimmer, student of Celestia, future ruler of Equestria, was going to die in the middle of nowhere at the paws of a group of wolves. I had worked for years to get what was rightfully mine. I was not about to lose it to some muts and a sentient plant!

Sadly wishful thinking wouldn’t help now. Falling on my side I wince as I pour more magic into the shield which is taking a battering from the timberwolf. Not to be outdone the others follow their alphas lead and start tackling the barrier, causing me to wince as each impact drained me even further. The timberwolf, now confident in my defeat, stopped its assault to glare at me in contempt. It knew it had me. I could teleport maybe one more time but would collapse from exhaustion the moment I emerged. Maybe if I knew more about this place I could teleport somewhere safe bu-

“BOOM!”

In stunned silence I watch as the timberwolf shatters into pieces a moment later.

“Wha?” I mutter in shock, the shield dropping a moment later as my reserves finally gave out. I could feel myself drifting into unconsciousness as another explosion rings out and the wolf nearest to me collapses to the ground with a yelp.

{A hunter probably.} I hear John mutter, sounding as tired as me. The wolves are in a full panic now, running away in fear as this fires another shot downing another one of the animals. Turning my head to the source of the sound I can’t help but notice the small puddle of blood gathering beneath me.

“Hopefully they’re not too late,” I mutter and lay my head on the ground, the sound of footsteps on gravel being the last thing I hear as unconsciousness takes me.

Author's Note:

Soooo, I'm not particularly good at actiony things... But we are getting some movement out of the forest now. For those of you expecting Sunset to have opened a can of magical whoop ass I'm sorry to disappoint. We've seen what Twilight can do. Magical bolts, teleport, telekinesis, and the odd shield. The way i figure both ponies received a similar education with Celestia steering them away from combat magic. That isn't to say Sunset cant do amazing things, its just hard to do complex spells in the heat of combat.

Comments

[Pinklestia]

Well, I wonder who saved them?

[arancaytar]

One minute I’m in the castle

Hmm... I wonder if this is the night she tried to steal the crown?

He sort of reminded me of Flash Sentry

Oh shit John just got burned.