Bearer Chapter: Order
"Calm down, Twilight. Your worry has given me a headache."
Sunset Shimmer rubbed her forehead with a long sigh. The Bearer of Magic paced about in front of her, each step more nervous than the last. Her hands were constantly moving as well, showcasing nothing but anxiety.
"Twilight, listen, it doesn't matter-"
"Doesn't matter?" Twilight gasped. "Sunset, all that we are trying to do, it all could be for not. Applejack knows and now the rest of the Brotherhood does as well."
"That doesn't mean they believe her..."
Twilight stopped and shook her head. "Applejack is the Bearer of Honesty, of course they do."
Sunset leaned on a wall. "All is not lost, Twilight. You and I are still two of the most powerful people on this planet, we can handle this."
Twilight placed her hands on her hips. "Oh? Do you think we're just going to kill whoever comes in our way? The Bearers are my friends."
"Not if they go against you." Sunset pointed out. "Two versus the world. That's what it is now and what it has always been. We're close. We can finish it."
Twilight looked away at the only candle in the room. The Palace bedroom was quiet without her pacing or her sighs. The Templar leaned on the wall still, a serious look on her face.
"On a better note, the Gryphon fleet should be arriving in Baltimare, if they haven't already. I say it's about time." Sunset chuckled.
"About that, did you really have to off Spitfire?" Twilight asked.
"I see you heard the news. Well, you know very well that she was too radical. The Wonderbolts would never accept Assassin aid. Oh, and how goes Rarity's mission? She should be back now, right?"
"Suri still lives. Rarity abandoned the mission. See, Sunset? They all know what we have been doing."
Sunset stroked her chin. "Perhaps, but I guess it would be better to assume the worst. Well, no matter, it is all about survival now."
"Sunset! Someone comes!"
Twilight teleported out of the room, much to Sunset's annoyance. The closed door to her room swung open to reveal the Empress of the Night. No words left Luna's deep frown and none left Sunset's bemused face.
The Empress was the first to look away from the other. Her eyes inspected the room, knowing full well who was in it just moments prior. Her mouth parted slowly and she started to address Sunset before even looking at her.
"I see you two have not given up your mad quest. Well, I am the bringer of sad news to you. My Sister has defeated your fleet."
Sunset's expression did not change. "Of course her behemoth would. What about the Ragnarok?"
"Still floats and so does her crew."
"Well there's that." She shrugged. "They are no doubt coming our way. Thank you, Empress, Twilight and I shall prepare accordingly."
"Do not treat me like some messenger. I am here to dissuade you from continuing your madness. Sunset, Twilight, Tia and I have always sought the best for you. Why throw it away for a dream you can't accomplish? This is madness! If you give up now, Celestia and I will protect you from the Assassins!"
"Your offer is hollow." Sunset told her. "Twilight and I don't need your help. We have gotten this far without it. You may not know it, but we still have shard users under our control. We will be ready for the Bearers and their pawns to come after us. No Luna, you need to focus on staying out of this."
"Staying out of it?" Luna spat. "How dare you! I am an Empress. I have the duty to make certain my people are safe. You Templar...You Assassins, nothing but shadows of your former selves. Corrupted beyond cure. You think you have some right to change the course of humanity?"
"Right?" Sunset took a step towards the Empress. "Right? It is our responsibility! We shall have both Order and Harmony! With the Assassins and Templar united, we can forge a single path towards success. You just don't see it, do you?"
"The Brotherhood and Order will fall to pieces before joining." Luna yelled.
"Indeed!" Sunset shot back. "That is why Twilight and I are destroying them. Both will crawl around, searching for hope in the dust of their defeats. Then they will see. After the death and mayhem, they will see that they can only rise again if they are united."
"Foolish talk!"
"Quiet! Empress, if you oppose us, then we can no longer be allies. Leave."
Luna's face reddened. "You dare order me in my own home? You are but a stubborn girl. It is you who should be leaving."
Sunset's hands were engulfed in fire. Smoke began to exit the sides of her eyes as her anger boiled. Luna stood by with a stern look, not moving an inch away from the furious pyromancer.
"Do not think I'm an easy match, Your Highness. My flames will burn even you."
Twilight teleported in between them. "We are not going to fight!"
Sunset glared at her with literal fire in her eyes. "Luna needs to be incinerated!"
Luna guffawed. "Ha! Come and try! I'll teach you true Fear."
Twilight held her ground. "We are not fighting! Sunset, please calm down."
"Shut it! You know what needs to be done. Luna needs to die anyway! She wields the Element of Fear. We need it to unite the Elements and restore the Crystal Heart!"
"You are planning on rebuilding the Heart?" Luna growled. "You cannot be so foolish?"
"Luna, we do not need the Crystal Heart." Twilight tried to assure her. "That was just in one of our renditions of the plan. We can try without it."
"The fact that you would even think of doing so..."
"Enough talk! Twilight, it is time for survival."
"Sunset, no!"
The Templar summoned flames all around the Empress. Luna drew her sword, but the flames grew larger and faster. Twilight grasped Luna in her magic and threw her away from the flames before they became a central inferno that would have roasted her.
"You two are dead!" Luna screamed.
Twilight was thrown aside by Sunset. The Templar was now almost fully engulfed in a raging fire that covered her body. The whole room was being eaten by flames.
Sunset threw fire from her hands at the Empress. Luna dodged them the best she could, her black dress burning away. She countered the Templar by sending a mental attack that knocked the pyromancer to the ground.
"You are outmatched, Sunset." Luna said.
The pyromancer threw a large fireball at Luna. The Empress jumped to the side, watching the ball blow a massive whole in the stone wall. The wave of force it created made her flew through the doorway and out into the hall.
"Sunset! Please!" Twilight begged.
"You have to pick a side!" Sunset yelled. "We have no friends anymore. Anyone who stands in our way must die! Pick a side! Are you going to stick with me? Are you going to abandon me? Choose!"
Sunset did not wait for an answer. She turned and left a teary-eyed Bearer in the burning bedroom. Luna was just now standing up from her fall. The hallway was already on fire and there was no sign of the flames dying.
"Twilight and I have already changed the world." Sunset boasted. "Your Palace will burn to the ground. Everyone will see that the Sisters are unfit to rule. I may not be able to fulfill Twilight's plan now, but at least I can open up the path for the Templar to fill after me."
"I will not hesitate to cut you down!" Luna warned.
"Then try your best!"
Luna charged at her with her sword. Sunset jumped back, leaving a trail of fire were her feet touched the purple rug. The Empress felt sweat evaporate on her temple. The whole wall, be it wood or stone, was covered in fire. It spread like it was being fueled by wine. The magical flames ran throughout the Palace, alerting everyone of the fight.
Royal Guards saw the flaming demon and rushed from corridors and stairs. Sunset paused in her fighting to see the squads of Guards head towards her.
"Rather sad, I know most of these men..."
She prepared an attack for them, but stopped when Twilight teleported with her sword in hand. Soon heads were flying off the Guards' shoulders as the Bearer teleported from each one quickly, giving him a decapitating blow before moving onto to the next victim. They fell n such a systematic way that Sunset laughed.
"Only Twilight could make it look so simple."
"You have betrayed us!" Luna called through the flames. "How can you stand yourself?"
Sunset returned her attention to the Empress. "I have betrayed no one. If you ever thought I was on the side of Equestria, then you fooled yourself. I may not hold myself as a true Templar, but they are better than anything that has come before. It is not my fault you never gave them a chance."
"You did not see the horrors of the Shadow King."
"Neither do I hold his principals. The Order has risen above such pettiness. We guide the people. We make them understand. We are the teaching father to them. Something you have never been. With you and Celestia dead, we will have our opportunity to shine."
Sunset hurled a rolling flame disk at the Empress. Luna was not fast enough and it singed her ankle. She cried out in pain as her ankle's skin was burned away. The Templar laughed again.
"I thought the Bearer of Fear would put up more of a bloody fight!"
Luna's eyes glowed. Her hand was thrown up towards Sunset, creating a boom of energy that threw the pyromancer into the air. Sunset bounced off a wall and fell on her flaming face. The Empress then leaned on her sword and lifted herself up.
"We are more powerful than you believe. I am a nightmare when unleashed!"
Sunset quickly stood up. Luna was backing away down the hallway. The pyromancer kept the distance between them the same by cautiously approaching the backward peddling Empress. Sunset could feel the shard in her hand tingle with excitement. All this fire, all this rage, it fueled the shard and her. Even her breath felt like dragon's fire.
With a howl, Sunset blasted away at Luna with a constant stream of flames. The Bearer seemed to block the attack with a magical shield. Sunset had to admit, she did not know all of Luna's powers. What could Fear do outside of the dream world?
Luna set another force wave at the Templar. Sunset braced for this one and it only pushed her back a few steps. Suddenly, Luna opened her mouth, letting a swarm of bats fly straight at Sunset.
"Gah!" Sunset screeched.
The swarm of bats flew harmlessly by her. Her burning eyes widened with shock by the strange attack. Luna's arms were now covered in spiders, falling off her like water.
"It's an illusion!" Sunset yelled. "They aren't real!"
"Think that if you may." Luna said quietly. "You do not understand the power We have."
"Doesn't matter! The vermin burn like the rest!"
Sunset charged at the Empress. Luna swiped her sword about and cut the Templar's shoulder. The attack made Sunset back off and quickly cauterized the wound. Then she summoned her fire into the form of a broadsword and held it in a threatening way. Luna twirled her sword once in readiness.
The pyromancer stepped forward and gave a quick swing. Luna met the swing with her on sword, only to have it pass through the flames with no effect. Sunset swung again, trying to burn Luna's legs. Instead of simply dodging the attack, Luna countered by jabbing the tip of her longer sword into Sunset's outstretched arm.
"You may be covered in flames, but you still have flesh!"
Sunset cursed and jumped back. Her other arm called upon the flames on the walls, making them fall upon the Empress like a tidal wave. She lost sight of Luna as the flames swarmed about. Fire upon fire was brought down. The raging inferno was all Sunset could see.
"Even a Bearer has her limits!" Sunset laughed.
"Aye!" the flames seemed to say.
"How are you still alive?"
A blackish figure emerged from the flames. Sunset's fire lessened as she gasped at the sight before her. The figure bore little resemblance to the Empress. This new woman was covered in bluish armor, made in the like of ancient warriors. The helmet had two small horns in the back that looked like ears and a long, thin horn in the front. Crow feathers hung from the gaps in her armor and a back cap hug from her large pauldrons. Her pupils were slits and her eyes wild. Fangs protruded from her lips. Her skin seemed melted away to leave only a pitch black version instead. Her armored hand still held Luna's sword, ready to strike.
"Luna! What are you?" Sunset asked.
"We are Fear! Sunset Shimmer, you foolish child, have forced my hand. You now see Our true form. Since the Shadow's King's death, We have held his power. Fear was his most beloved Element. Now I, Luna the Cursed, have carried his likeness since. Our illusion of normalcy is passed. Be ready! You shall feel the sting of a thousand fearful lives penetrate your being. Thou art traitor, and deserves a death like no other."
"You are a monster!"
"Talk does not aid you! Fight!"
A shadow emitted from Luna's cursed body and charged at Sunset. The pyromancer threw her fire at it but it passed through the flames and struck her. She was thrown to the ground by the force and rolled over her head before stopping on the burning floor. She glanced upwards to see Luna turn herself into a black mist and disappear.
"Twilight!" Sunset called. "We must stick together!"
Twilight teleported next to Sunset. She was about to help her up, but the pyromancer's flames made her stay her hand.
"Where's Luna?" Twilight asked.
"Somewhere. She is a shadow, beware."
"Shadow?"
Suddenly, Luna appeared from the floor and pounced at them with her sword. Twilight quickly took hold of Sunset and teleported out of harm's way. When they appeared on the other side of the hallway, the Bearer of Magic screamed in pain.
"Sunset! Your flames!"
"I am sorry." Sunset cried. "I'll control them better, but we need a plan! Luna is too powerful for only one of us."
"I understand. Let me think!"
Luna emerged from the shadows before them. Her sword was thrust at them. Twilight levitated her sword and blocked the attack. The two began to fight in swordplay. Twilight's sword versus Luna's. Sunset backed off to regain her wits as they fought in the fiery hallway. Parts of the Palace began to fall. Old supports and hangings fell to make large piles of burning debris. Smoke filled every corner and escaped through the now shattered stained-glass windows.
Twilight took hold of a Royal Guard's corpse and hurled it at Luna. The Empress was caught off guard and was stuck by the armor. A hellish scream left her mouth as she was pinned down by its weight. However, she was not down for long as she disappeared once again as a shadow.
"We must get out of here." Twilight stated.
"Of course we do! Come on."
Sunset led the Bearer down the hallway. They soon came across a set of stairs completely up in flames. Sunset could traverse the flames without harm, but Twilight hesitated.
"You go along. I can climb the outside." She said.
"No! We need to stick together. Luna is still after us. She'll kill us when we separate." Sunset objected.
"What should we do then? Stay here?"
Sunset looked around. "I'll clear the fire for you."
Sunset stretched her hand at the flames and the fire crawled away to the sides. With the path clear, they ran down the stairs. Palace servants and nobles who were unfortunate to still be inside ran around, desperately looking for exits in the massive structure. Sunset watched more than one leap out of the broken windows to whatever met them beyond. It was total chaos and destruction.
They both ran down another hallway, much shorter than the one they fought in. Dead persons trapped under fallen wood and stone were becoming more common as they went to lower levels.
"Do you see what you have done?" Luna called from the shadows. "They died with Fear in their hearts. Many of them had nightmares of this very fate, now to only become realized visions of the future. You are tainted, both of you! These deaths are on your hands."
"Do not lecture us!" Sunset shot back at the air.
Luna formed from the shadows in front of them. Her bluish armor reflected the glowing flames like glass. Sunset threw a fireball at her, only for the Empress to dodge by becoming shadow and returning to her normal state afterwards. Twilight blasted at her with a magical beam. It struck the Empress in the chestplate, knocking her to her knee.
Twilight teleported next to Luna to give a blow with her sword. Luna recovered and grabbed the Bearer by the throat before slamming her to the ground forcefully. Sunset picked up a sword from a fallen Guard and rushed at her opponent.
Luna lifted her arm up and deflected the blow with her armor. She then jumped at the pyromancer, grabbing her arm and ripping the weapon out of her hands. Sunset spat fire from her mouth at the Empress. It made Luna twitch away from the violent sparks. The Empress returned the attack by delivering a banshee-like scream at the Templar. Her wicked teeth gnashed and her lizard-like tongue hung out madly.
Sunset fell to the ground, her ears ringing from the awful noise. A shadow came from the floor and wrapped itself around her, pinning her to the ground. Twilight took hold o Luna in her magic and slammed her against the wall and then again.
"Gah!" Luna yelped.
The shadow kept Sunset still. Twilight finished her brutal attack by slamming the Empress face first into the stone floor. Luna jumped back to her feet unfazed. Both were uncertain when to counter. With their swords out and their other hands ready to deploy magic, they started to circle around.
"And now Celestia's mistake comes full circle." Luna said. "We knew from the beginning that you could not handle the Truth."
"I'm sorry, Luna, but you're wrong. I've been blessed by these artifacts. I'm trying to help a world with them. With such power I should not let it go to waste." Twilight countered.
"Still you are so naive. Do you not see the horror you have made of Our homeland?"
"It's a transitional phase. Once we have established peace, Harmony will follow."
"I see there is no convincing you of the obvious." Luna sighed.
The Empress let lose a fury of shadows at Twilight. The Bearer of Magic raised a bubble shield over her to block the attacks. The shadows bounced off the shield and dissipated harmlessly. Twilight followed up by unleashing a ball of arcane energy. Luna faded into a shadow and flew out of the way. Then they both met with their swords in the middle of the fiery circle they had created.
Sunset struggled to free herself as she watched her friend and her former teacher fight to the death. Magic versus magic, sword versus sword. The fires around them grew higher and higher as they fought. The entire Palace, crumbling beneath its own weight. Years of history, art, decoration, and preservation lost to the inferno.
The two kept teleporting around each other. Strike after strike, parry after parry, counter after counter. Luna's black steel met Twilight's Assassin sword with sparks and a wicked noise. The Empress locked their swords together to free one of her hands. The gauntlet reached over and smacked Twilight in the mouth.
The Bearer of Magic lost her sword and fell to the ground. Luna caught the sword and cast it into the surrounding fire. With her own blade, she pounced viciously at Twilight. The Bearer threw yourself up and lunged at the charging foe. She sidestepped Luna's sword and stabbed her hidden blades into the gaps of the Empress's armor.
There was a pause in the action. Twilight withdrew her blades forcefully, making Luna fall to the ground. Her armor clanged against the floor. One hand held her up and the other rested at the wounds where red blood seeped out. Her breathing became heavier and could be heard over the fires.
"To be... surprised by my own... invention..." Luna gasped.
The shadows around Sunset left and the pyromancer leaped to her feet. Luna rested there for a second longer before slowly fading away in shadow. The Templar and Bearer met eye to eye before returning to reality.
"Is she gone?" Sunset asked.
"I doubt it. Let's just leave." Twilight said.
The two nodded in agreement and ran down a flight of stairs. The Palace was falling apart around them. They seemed to be the only ones left as there was no longer any servants or Royal Guards running about.
"It's getting too hot!" Twilight announced worriedly.
"Just a little longer, Twilight. Here! Let's jump out of this window and you can teleport us to the ground."
"Alright!"
They turned and headed for an open window. Sunset removed the flames that covered her body so that Twilight could take her hand. When they reached the window, the snowy Palace Gardens could be seen far below. At seeing the tremendous height, Sunset jumped back in fright.
"Oh, c'mon!" Twilight huffed. "It was your idea."
"Well, I can just walk through the Palace, fire's not an issue."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Luna is still in here! Remember what you said about separating?"
"Alright! Just do it quick!"
They leaped out of the window and in the next second, were on their backs in the snow. Sunset felt nauseated from the teleport. Twilight looked over at her to make sure she was alright before giving her a loving pat on the shoulder.
"Well, we got out of there." She sighed in relief.
"Yes..."
"But we are now on our own. I never thought we would have to go this far." Twilight lowered her head.
"To be true, neither did I." Sunset shrugged. "But here we are. It is all about survival now. Once we survive this, everything will go according to the plan."
"If we survive this." Twilight corrected.
Sunset sat up and gazed into Twilight's eyes. "We will get through this, I promise. You, I, and Magic will live. Besides, we got the shard users, remember? Minuette won't be imprisoned forever and we got others. We'll be fine."
"I hope so..."
They both looked upward at the burning Palace. The flames soared through the windows and across the balconies. It was a horrid sight to behold. Sunset only now felt some guilt, this was her home. Now it was nothing but a blackened mess and ash. The fires seemed to symbolize a new chapter in her life. She no longer had a shelter or a home. It was time to start a new and continue their plans.
"Well, looks like we need to find a new place to stay." Twilight uttered.
"Yup."
~
Ok, this originally wasn't supposed to be "climax" worthy. It's what happens when you write with epic music playing.
And yeah, Sunset is basically Scorpion. "Get over here!" (Now I want fanart of her with a burning skull and breathing fire)
Luna's Nightmare design came from some awesome art. Here's one:
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Welp Sunset and Twilight blew it here. They have now lost their base of operations and a safe and secure place in the open. They both should have learned the sage advice to of Knowing when to fold 'em. Soon even Sunset will loose her allies and both will be truly alone against the world. So the real question is how will die first Sunset and Twilight and how long will one follow the other?
6627149
"I can't really remember. It all kinda happened so fast."
Flames are a fickle ally Twi, they must be constantly contained and held at a distance. When you are unable to provide fuel to the fires they will consume you. The peace you've received is a false one: you can never stop running, never hesitate, never falter. The smallest mistake shall bring down the entirety of the solar guard, brotherhood, order, and the first bearers. Hole up little rats, for when the hounds come you will be ripped asunder.
6627264
"Actually, when a fire is not fed, it dies. Have you ever camped out?"
*WHAM*
6627275 What Rares said.
I shall clarify for your egghead self: as long as you remain useful you help by fanning the flames and fueling them, once your usefulness has expired you are nothing more than debris which shall be consumed by the fires you've stood to close to. 
What music where you listening to when you wrote this chapter?
6627556 Same that I put in the chapter. AC3's "Trouble in Town."
I fell in love with that song when I finished AC3. It was a good rush for the final chase.
6627602
6627613 Great Scott! Two VS One! Going through a whole building! Using swords and magic/force!
I just went full Star Wars there....
6627649
And it was a reversed situation also! The single fighter was the good guy and there where two villains. Hopefully Luna survived and she can come back later to beat Sunset again while Celestia can spank Twilight. Yes I know full well how kinky that sounds.
6627662 That's something I don't want fanart of...
I still can't wrap my head around the many instances where the authors let a certain mortal character win in a fight against someone who is battle hardened immortal or ageless as the case may be with millenium of real fighting experience....and significantly more powerful. Especially without divine intervention.
6628967
"Are you really underestimating me? I have hundreds of years of fighting knowledge inside of me because of the Element of Magic. I also have a shard and I'm one of the most well-educated people on the planet, because, you know, I'm Twilight freakin' Sparkle."
6629639 mlpforums.com/uploads/post_images/img-1525486-3-63550__safe_princess-celestia_princess-luna_crossover_parody_text_warhammer-40k_imperium_emblem_aquila_imperium-of-man_warhammer-40000.png
Your arguement is invalid!
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6629671
"Welp, I seem to have lost this battle..."
6629702 Indeed.
6629702 mlpforums.com/uploads/post_images/img-2598426-2-twilight_sparkles_so_much__by_guyrandom-d4shz9u.png
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You know...You could have achieve great things...But, you threw it all away for a half-thought out ideal and half-thought out execution of it.
The two images above are the versions of you that succeed in life where you
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6629742 Dafuq you on about?
6629751 I'm on about the thing that I'm on about...
Seriously though. Twilight feels like a failure here...failure in executing her ideal, failure in completed and or perfected her ideal. In other words...she is not high enough level as a chess master.
6629964 I agree with Fluttershy, as I had to stretch this universe to make her even remotely able to be an Assassin.
Rarity, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the Renaissance Assassins (of which this story's Assassins are based on). Both like fashion, both are elegant, and both are cunning.
In the show, Rarity doesn't back down to violence. In "Dragon's Quest," she actually threatens a dragon (to his face also) that she'll rip him apart. So I see as long as Rarity doesn't get too bloody in the process, she'll be fine killing for a greater purpose.
6629772 And this is also one of my failures in this story and reason I'm recreating a better story in Brotherhood. But, yes, she IS a failure, misled by both her friend and her Element. She's a chess player that had it all right, but after one screw up, doesn't know any comeback tactics.
6652109
"Or is this the ending of the beginning?"
no longer do they have protection from the sisters wrath....This will be interesting