Sunset Eclipsed

by EldritchNexus

Getting the Point on Pressure

Sunset Shimmer and Trixie Lulamoon unleashed spell after spell upon Lord Umbriel, but he continued to approach them. Unfazed by their attacks, he laughed at their attempts to subdue him.

"Really, now." he said to them. "Is this honestly the best you two could throw against me?"

"Hardly." answered Sunset Shimmer. "We're just stalling for time."

"Is that so?" questioned the large Changeling. "For what reason?"

"For when we show up to kick your Changeling butt!" yelled a voice.

"Ah, that sounds like Rainbow Dash." said Umbriel, looking around. "Now wherever is she?"

"Right up here!" shouted the voice of Lightning Dust. "And we brought friends!"

Lord Umbriel looked up, and saw Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, Captain Star Shield, and several pegasi guards were hovering in the air above them. But the Changeling simply laughed.

"Oh, a pair of hotshot mares, an old hand that should've stayed retired, and an inept brigade of royal guards." snarked Umbriel. "I am just so intimidated. Or I would be, if I wasn't capable of flying just as well!"

"And us!" shouted the voice of Applejack.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Radiant Dawn, and several other townsponies had arrived, and surrounded Umbriel on all sides.

"You'll never be able to take all of us, Umbriel!" shouted Twilight Sparkle.

"Give up, or face the wrath of the Canterlot Royal Guard." demanded Star Shield.

Suddenly, the Changeling began to laugh maniacally. Several ponies began to back down in fear. His horn began to glow brighter than ever. Everypony present could tell that he was going to cast something extremely dangerous, even volatile.

"What's he doing?!" shrieked Rarity.

"He could blow up half the town if that spell goes off!" yelled Trixie.

"Back down, or everything explodes!" roared Umbriel, his deep voice ringing in everyone's ears.

"That is quite enough, criminal!" boomed the voice of Princess Luna.

The lunar princess dropped down from the sky, alongside Princess Celestia. The two alicorns simultaneously raised their heads, their horns shining brightly. The Changeling found his spell being neutralized by the combined effort of the two regal sisters.

"Umbriel, you shall not conduct any harm upon the residents of this humble town!" declared Princess Celestia. "Nor shall you threaten my student!"

"Nor mine!" added Princess Luna. "You have lost, Umbriel. Surrender thyself, lest thou pay for this intrusion upon our kingdom!"

"Okay, okay." said the Changeling lord, nodding his head. "You win this round."

He folded back his wings, and bent his legs so that he sat down on the ground. Star Shield came down to the ground to check on Sunset Shimmer and Trixie.

"Are you two all right?" he asked.

"I think I'll be fine, as long as..." Trixie began, before putting a hoof to her nauseous face. "As long as...I just lay down somewhere."

"But I think I hurt myself while fighting him." said Sunset. "Could you get me to the hospital?"

"Of course, ma'am." nodded Star Shield. "There's one here in town."

"No!" interrupted Sunset Shimmer, distressed. "Take me to the one in Canterlot. I was planning on going back there..."

"Sunset, it's not your fault." said Twilight Sparkle, who came up to Sunset. "I don't blame you for what Umbriel's done."

"That's not the point. He came here for me, Twilight." Sunset shook her head. "I feel like a fool right now, going out in the open like this--"

"That's quite all right, Sunset." said Luna, softly. "You are safe now. Everything is fine."

She knelt down, and gripped Sunset with her wing to pull her closer. Luna comforted her as if she were her own child. Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but smile a little.

"I am so proud of you." said the princess of the night. "You are truly a good student. You have already done well, dear Sunset."

"How touching!" mocked Umbriel, who was being escorted away by a group of royal guards.

"You have much to answer for, Changeling!" said Princess Celestia, angrily. "But we will discuss this in the palace. Until then, keep yourself quiet!"

"Yeah!" shouted Rainbow Dash in agreement. "Keep your mouth shut, you scumbag!"

"Sunset, are you sure you don't want to get a check-up here?" asked Star Shield who came up to Sunset Shimmer.

"Yes, captain." nodded Sunset, whose tears had dried up. "Take me to Canterlot. Pressure Point can patch me up much faster than anypony here. After all, I don't wanna miss Umbriel's trial."

Radiant Dawn rushed up to the two, his copper-colored eyes watering.

"Oh, Sunny." he sniffled. "It's so good to see you're okay. I was so worried about you."

Sunset went over to comfort her brother.

"I know you did." she said, with an understanding smile. "You're my brother. It's your job to look out for me. But you promised me you wouldn't get so worked up about it. I can handle myself..."

She extended a front hoof upwards, which Radiant graciously accepted with both of his own.

"I know. I was just afraid that I'd lose you again, little sis." Radiant breathed. "I was so afraid...that Umbriel would've gotten to you this time. I don't wanna lose you, Sunset."

"I wouldn't want to lose you, either." Sunset beamed at her elder sibling. "I love you, big brother."

"Wow, it's just like me and Shining Armor..." commented Twilight.

"Now let's get back to Canterlot." Sunset told Radiant.

"You've got it." nodded the stallion.

---

Later on, Sunset Shimmer was brought back to the palace, and lay recovering on a bed in the infirmary. A bluish-white unicorn with a short purple mane stood over her, using his telekinesis to levitate a quill that he was using to write a report on his clipboard. Once he finished, he looked down at Sunset.

"Thanks, Presh..." said Sunset.

"Not a problem, Sunset Shimmer." droned Pressure Point, as he scrawled a report on the clipboard. "But you of all unicorns ought to know better than to pick a fight with a Changeling."

"It's not I could help it." said Sunset. "He caught me--and everypony else--off-guard."

he scowled at his former classmate.

"Well, I guess even you can't be perfect at everything." said Pressure.

"Excuse me?" Sunset cocked her head to the side.

"Oh, nothing." droned Pressure, as he continued scrawling the medical report. "It's just that I remember a certain unicorn I went to school with. Smart, beautiful, but totally insufferable. Always studied by herself, never hung out with anyone else, rudely brushed them off."

"Look, I know I haven't exactly been a nice pony in the past--" Sunset began.

"Yeah, yeah." said Pressure. "I know. Spare me the details, alright? Listen, I'm sure you've got much better things to do with my irritating cousin and your other...friends. To be honest...I think I harbored some respect for you back when we were classmates. Or at least, I would've done so, if you weren't so--"

"Look, I hardly think you're one to talk." said Sunset. "Remember how you used to criticize my brother all the time?"

Pressure sighed.

"All right, all right." said Pressure. "I guess I have some apologies of my own to make. Listen, Sunset. Would you care to let Red--Radiant know that I'm really sorry about the argument earlier this week? And all the times at school?"

"You could tell him yourself, you know." said Sunset. "He's in the Night Guard, so he's not that hard to find."

"Well..." Pressure hesitated. "All right. I'm just not sure if I'd have time."

"Oh...you'll have time." said Radiant Dawn's voice.

Radiant stood in the doorway to the ward, wearing his night guard armor.

"Funny seeing you here, Pressure." he said.

"Well...I am the doctor here." said Pressure Point.

"Really." said Radiant. "So is my sister okay?"

"Yes." said Pressure Point. "A couple sprains and sores...maybe some blunt trauma...but nothing too serious."

"Good." said Radiant. "At least you can be helpful when you're not being pretentious."

"Listen, about the school." said Pressure Point. "I admit that I was very childish--dare I say, foalish even--But I've grown up since then. Older, wiser."

"Well, I sure hope so." said Radiant.

"And I want to say I'm sorry that I gave you such a hard time back then." said Pressure Point. "I should've been more sensitive about you and Sunset's feelings. And I'd like to say congratulations...I guess, for helping save Fillydelphia."

"Yeah, and I didn't even need to blow anything up." snarked Radiant, who was scowling.

"Red, what's the matter?" asked Sunset.

"Ah...nothing, Sunny." said Radiant. "I'm just feeling kinda down about...you know."

He lifted a hoof and point at his horn.

"Oh..." said Sunset. "Pressure, you're good with surgery. Think you could help Radiant Dawn find out what's going on with his horn?"

"Goodness, that thing's still acting up?" Pressure stated.

Radiant's horn shot out sparks, two of which hit Pressure on the muzzle.

"Yow!" Pressure yelped as he jumped back. "I'll take that as a yes!"

He rubbed the ash off his nose.

"I'd like to do that, but that'll take some time." said Pressure. "Could I set an appointment for...a couple weeks or so?"

"I guess." said Radiant. "Though I thought a pony whose special talent is medical attention and surgery would be able to do it faster."

"Well, I'm sorry to say that the materials and supplies I'll need for this sort of thing will be...quite expensive." said Pressure. "But if there's anything else I could do, just let me know. It's the least I could do for giving you two so much trouble in the past."

"Don't worry, we'll let you know, doc." said Radiant Dawn, who let out a yawn. "I've gotta get going. Duty calls, ya know."

The door opened again, and Trixie came in.

"Sunset, how are you---" she paused.

"You?!" she and Pressure both said to each other at the same time.

"If you're here to check on Sunset Shimmer, she's fine." Pressure told her, through barred teeth. "Now go."

"Trixie can come and go as she pleases, cousin." Trixie said.

"Yes, and I hope you can go soon." said Pressure Point. "I don't have time to mess around with annoying relatives today. I have a very busy schedule today."

Suddenly, the two started arguing nonstop for what seemed like ten minutes. Sunset, who had been watching the two go at it until just that point, got out of her bed.

"I...think I'm going to lay down in my own room." said Sunset. "I'll leave you two to...resolve your family dilemmas alone."

Comments

[Jirodyne]

... What? Just... Wha? Why are there no comments. Do people skip this chapter?

Just... Just wow. This right here, sums up a lot of what is wrong with this story, and it isn't getting any better.

The pacing is horrible, the characters change emotions on a dime, problems are invented that didn't exist before.

How has no one pointed this out yet?

[EldritchNexus]

6874199

Okay, I've re-written the chapter. How's it look now?

And as for why nobody else commented on this chapter? Well, if some of the other comments are any indication, it's because most people that would have had a problem with this chapter likely already dropped out and stopped reading before they even got anywhere near this point in the story.

"And it isn't getting any better". Patience is a virtue. It'll all pay off towards the end. Believe me, the writing gets much better during the second major story arc, and the sequel (Sunset Rekindled) is by far the superior story.

And if you want to complain about people not commenting on stuff, then would you please care to explain why you're not commenting on anything apart from the "bad" moments, and only a few of them at that? I'd sure appreciate it if you commented on something you DIDN'T think was stupid/OOC. Just so that I know you're not being biased/bitter/spiteful. In fact, you're kinda starting to irritate me with your vague complaints.

And yes, people HAVE comments on the sporadic emotions and other stuff, MUCH EARLIER ON. So unless you can give me some specific moments, you're really not telling me anything new.