3. Rainbows and Rebirths
Sunset had made it home with ten minutes to spare. Twice on the journey back, Fluttershy’s van had made ominous noises that sounded like the engine was about to give out. But, it had pulled through, though a thick cloud of black smog had lingered in the air when Applejack and Fluttershy dropped Sunset off.
Selena greeted Sunset with a tap of her watch and a quirked brow. Sunset appeased her by delivering the salted pretzel she had requested before retiring for the night. Spot had already been asleep on her bed, and cuddled up next to her when she slipped under the blanket.
Before she knew it, birds chirped outside her window and sunlight crept across the floor. She rolled over and groaned, feeling the bruises the ocean had given her yesterday. She pulled her pillow over her head and allowed sleep to carry her off again. It didn’t last long. Spot pawed at her shoulder and tried to squeeze his snout under the pillow.
“Okay, okay,” Sunset moaned. She raised herself up and stretched her arms over her head. Spot jumped off the bed and scratched at the door, barking at Sunset to hurry up.
Eyes bleary, Sunset got to her feet and winced at a bruise on her hip. She opened the door and watched Spot race down the hall to the stairs. Sunset took a detour to the bathroom, noting her mass of messy bedhead. She thought of brushing it out, but it was one of those mornings where it would take too much energy.
A few minutes later, Sunset wandered into the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas. A stack of waffles and a bowl of strawberries sat on the counter. Sunset fixed herself a plate and took a seat at the island across from Selena.
“You’re up earlier than I thought you’d be,” Selena said while typing away at her computer.
“Spot needed to go out.” Sunset bit into her waffles, still warm and fluffy. “Thanks for breakfast.”
“My pleasure.” Selena took a brief stretch and rolled her neck out before hunching over her keyboard again.
Spot climbed back inside through the doggy door and began his routine of circling the table, waiting for Sunset to drop or deliberately feed him scraps. Sunset gave him a tiny piece of waffle, just to see his tail wag.
With only Selena’s typing and Spot’s patter of paws, Sunset breathed in the calm morning. She made slow work of her waffles, watching the shadows shift in the backyard as the sun continued to climb. Her phone remained silent, and she wondered if it would be a rare day where she didn’t see any of her friends.
Going back to sleep doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
They had never said when they were going to start training, just that they would after their beach day. One more day of rest and rejuvenation couldn’t hurt.
Breakfast finished, she got up and carried her dishes to the sink. There were a few dishes from last night, so as a courtesy to Selena, Sunset washed them too and set them on the drying rack.
“Could you do me a favor and take the garbage out while you’re up,” Selena asked.
“Yeah, no prob—”
“Lulamoon!”
“Aaah!” Sunset grabbed the frying pan on the drying rack and held it above her head as blue smoke poured into the kitchen. Selena was on her feet, hands raised in a defensive stance. She quickly dropped them into balled fists and stamped her foot.
“Artemis!”
The smoke cleared and standing in the middle of the kitchen, hands on their hips and triumphant smiles on their faces, were Trixie and Artemis. They both took a bow and Artemis said with his usual pompous flair, “Yes, the magical, father-daughter duo has returned!”
“Feel free to shower us with your applause!” Trixie added.
Selena instead glowered at them. “How many times have I told you, no magic in the kitchen! You could have set off the smoke alarm! Again!”
Artemis straightened up and flashed her a loving smile. “Come, turtle dove, who would I be if I didn’t make a dramatic entrance? Especially after being gone for so long?”
“Reasonable. You’d be reasonable.”
“And wouldn’t that be boring!”
Sunset put the frying pan away. “A little warning would have been nice. I thought we were under attack.”
“Aw, did we scare you?” Trixie asked, giving Sunset a smirk she didn’t know she had missed.
“Yeah, and I was this close to wailing on you.” Sunset held her index finger and thumb an inch apart.
Artemis laughed. “Then we’ve been gone too long if this is all it takes to frighten you!”
Selena sighed and cupped her eyes for a moment. “Well, you’re right about one thing. You have been gone too long.” She stepped forward and ducked under Artemis’ outstretched arms to pull Trixie into a hug and shower her with kisses.
Trixie gave an embarrassed giggle. “I missed you too, Mom.”
Selena gave her one more kiss on the head before turning and acknowledging Artemis, who still had his arms out. “And I suppose I can forgive magic in the kitchen this one time.” She stepped into his embrace and kissed him on the mouth.
Sunset turned her head to give them a little privacy. “So, how was it?” she asked Trixie.
Trixie put one hand to her chest and raised the other to the sky. “How else could Trixie describe the world tour she and her father embarked on other than stupendous! There were perilous pitfalls, sinister snares, terrifying traps, and angry animals! But was Trixie ever afraid? Ha! Not once! She overcame every trial with her death-defying feats of magic, now new and improved! That’s right, Trixie is now greater and even more powerfuler!”
Sunset stared, eyes-lidded as Trixie stood with both arms held triumphantly over her head. “‘Powerfuler’ isn’t a word.”
Trixie lowered her arms and rolled her eyes. “Why are you always such a buzzkill?”
“Someone has to keep your ego in check.”
“Trixie’s ego is just fine, thank you very much! You’re just jealous you didn’t have a life-changing adventure like Trixie did!”
“We’ve had enough excitement here that, trust me, I’m not jealous of your little adventure.”
Artemis pulled away from Selena and sighed contently. “I missed this.”
Trixie stuck her tongue out and Sunset smirked at her. She had missed this too, preferring to banter with Trixie than Shimmer.
Selena gestured to the remaining waffles. “You two must be starving. I can whip up some eggs and bacon too if you want.”
“Turtle dove, you’ve no idea how much we longed for your cooking,” Artemis said with a swoon.
“Trixie never wants to eat a root or berry ever again,” she grumbled.
“I remember those days,” Selena said fondly as she took the frying pan from the drying rack. “Trying to acquire a taste for squirrel because someone refused to cook rabbit.”
“Rabbits are for pets and tricks only!” Artemis said defensively.
And I thought this family was weird before. Sunset returned to her seat at the table. “Food aside, how was it really? I mean, did you guys find the Rainbow of Light?”
Artemis coughed and fiddled with his shirt collar while Trixie crossed her arms and turned her nose up. “Well… not exactly,” Artemis began.
Selena cracked an egg over the pan. “I knew this was a fool’s errand.”
“Hold on now, my love. We may not have found the Rainbow of Light, but we found unequivocal proof that it exists!” Artemis reached into his sleeve and rummaged around before pulling out the oldest, most disgusting journal Sunset had ever seen. The front half was completely gone, leaving the first exposed page brown, stiff, and moldy. The rest of it didn’t look any better. It looked like the whole thing had been burnt at some point, then submerged in water.
Selena looked at it and pressed herself closer to the stove, her nose wrinkled. “What did you bring into my kitchen?” she asked, fighting a gag.
Artemis held it gingerly, laying it flat in the palm of his hand. “This,” he said softly, like a louder voice would finish off what was left of the journal, “is something we discovered in the ruins of an old village. It appears to date back to the age of Arthur and Merlin, with its author claiming to know both of them. Most of it is blurred to the point of eligibility, but there are a few passages that are quite noteworthy. This one is exceedingly interesting.”
He waved his hand over it, and the journal slowly opened and turned to one of its last pages. Artemis held it closer to his eyes and read,
“‘—away the magic is foolhardy at best, but I could not dissuade them. The deed has been done. Already, the world feels… emptier. I had not reached attunement, but I can still feel it. To ensure to the highest possibility that nothing would ever be wielded for nefarious purposes again, they even locked away the Rainbow of Light. It at least remains on this plane. Only six pure hearts of virtue can unlock it again. Merlin’s words. I know not what he means, I can only hope that if it is ever needed, those six will appear again.’”
Artemis looked up at his captive audience. “It’s a rough translation from Middle Gaelic.”
“You speak Gaelic?” Sunset asked.
Artemis flashed her a grin. “I’m a man of many talents. But that’s neither here nor there.” He gently closed the book and switched to a serious expression. “There is a lot to take away from the one passage alone, but what pops out to me is that the Rainbow of Light does in fact exist, it’s still on this plane at the time of this writing, and that six virtuous hearts are required to get to it.”
“Arty, if the author is telling the truth about knowing Merlin, then this book is almost a thousand years old,” Selena argued. “For all we know, those six hearts came and went. The Rainbow of Light could still be anywhere.”
“Yes, it could be anywhere, but we know now that it does exist!” Artemis threw his arms out. “That is all the hope I need to keep going!”
Elbow propped up on the table, Sunset rested her cheek in her hand. “Six pure hearts to use a weapon of light? Sounds kinda like the Elements of Harmony back in my world.”
“Didn’t you say it was those things that blasted you when you were a demon?” Trixie asked.
Sunset closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. “Yes. They did do that.”
“You don’t think these Elements and the Rainbow are one and the same do you?” Artemis asked.
“I mean, probably not? Though they could be related somehow. What does the Rainbow of Light look like?”
Artemis held up a finger like he was about to launch into an explanation, but paused. He blinked. “Huh, you know, I don’t know.”
Sunset gave him a lidded stare. “You don’t know what the thing you’re looking for looks like?”
He sputtered. “Well, not exactly, I mean… it’s never been described! But, I’m positive I would know it when I saw it. It’s a Rainbow of Light! Hard to misidentify something like that.”
“The more you talk, the more I think Selena’s right: this is a fool’s errand.”
Artemis groaned, drowning out Selena’s satisfactory titter. “Not you too. Come now, sunnybun, you’re from a land of mystical and whimsy. Surely you know how to spot a world-changing artifact from a mile away?”
“No,” Sunset said flatly. “Because my world has magic items out the wazoo, I wouldn’t know which one could turn the world upside down or which one would just make me instant pancakes unless I knew exactly what I was looking for!”
“It’s a Rainbow of Light!” Artemis said like it explained itself. “An ancient artifact handed down to my ancestors by the gods themselves! Our sole duty is to guard over it! If anything, my very soul would be able to point it out once I laid eyes on it.”
Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. “If you ever actually see it! We don’t even know if it’s a metaphorical or a literal rainbow! Heck, the book just said they sealed it away! It could be behind a giant door for all we know!”
“A door that you apparently need six hearts to unlock,” Selena muttered as she scrambled the eggs.
Artemis put on a confident grin. “Well if anything, that narrows our search down! We just need to find something with six holes or pedestals or…” His mouth froze in mid-word and his pupils shrunk to microscopic dots. “Locks.”
Trixie leaned forward. “What?”
In a puff of smoke, Artemios vanished from the spot, leaving Selena to grab a drying towel and swat at the wisps of blue clouds left behind. The second she had gotten the room clear, another plume of smoke announced Artemis’ return.
“Will you stop teleporting into the kitchen!” Selena yelled.
But Artemis wasn’t paying her any mind. He had something large clutched against his chest and was giggling like a madman. “I’d already done it! Haha! I knew I was amazing, but even I didn’t think I was this amazing! Hahahaha! I’m so amazing, I’ve done amazing things without even realizing it! Ha!”
Trixie leaned back in her seat, eyes wide. “Father, you’re scaring Trixie.”
“More than usual,” Selena added.
Artemis hopped over to the kitchen island and slammed what he was cradling onto the counter. “Look! Look at it! I had it this whole time! It was just sitting in the emporium waiting to be sold because I thought it was just beautiful junk!”
Sunset recognized the object; she had seen it on her first day of work at the shop the Lulamoons owned. Sitting inches away from her was a crystalline blue chest shaped into a hexagon. On each of its six slanting faces was a keyhole.
Selena walked over, looking marginally less skeptical than before. “I don’t even remember where you found that thing.”
“Neither do I!” Artemis emphatically thrust his arms at it. “But I’m positive! This! Is! It!”
Trixie leaned forward, her reflection appearing against the chest’s polished surface. “You really think it’s in there?”
“Yes! Turtle dove, little moon, sunnybun!” Artemis put his hand on top of the box and gave the widest smile Sunset had seen on him. “Our family honor has been restored. We have the Rainbow of Light.”
*******
Moondancer set the blue roses in the vase and arranged them so their faces were all turned outward. The six she had picked had all bloomed marvelously; their petals a wonderful sapphire, each one perfectly folded over another.
She took the glass vase in her hands and began her trek to her mother’s secluded chamber. She hoped her father wasn't already waiting there. Between ignoring her and suddenly being interested in every aspect of her life, Moondancer almost preferred being ignored.
She ascended the steps of the north most tower and opened the door. “Good morning, Mother. I brought your favorite—” Moondancer dropped the vase. The silence and glass shattered, shooting shards of clear shrapnel across her legs and leaving the roses to lay in a pool of water. Moondancer couldn’t feel the physical pain, only the roiling fluctuations of hope and terror in her soul.
The bed was empty.
The heart monitor was off, the IV drip dangled in the breeze, and the sheets were unmade. Moondancer struggled to breathe. She backed out of the room, her heart bursting at the seams as a hundred thoughts shoved themselves to the front of her mind. She spun on her heels and bounded down the stairs.
“Mother!” Air refilled her lungs, quickly spent as she sprinted down the corridors and screamed. “Mother! Mom!”
She ran out to the garden, eyes searching for silver amongst the floral rainbow. “Mom!” Moondancer shouted, her voice carrying over the mountain.
She… she would see me first, right? Unless… Moondancer’s breathing constricted again. She dashed back inside and slid to a halt at an intersection. Her mother had to be here! Where else could she look? Where else could she go? The floor rotated under Moondancer. Why did this damn mansion have to be so big? Where was she?
“Moondancer?”
She twisted her head. Her father jogged down the hall, slipping something into his coat pocket as he drew near. He put a hand on her trembling shoulder. “Why are you running around and screaming like this? I thought we were being attacked.”
“Mother!” she said breathlessly. “She’s-she’s not in her room! She has to be awake! I have to find her!”
“Okay, okay, just calm down,” he said, though Moondancer could see the rising apprehension in his eyes. “We’ll find her.”
A single gulp of air was all Moondancer could manage. If her mom hadn’t come to see her first after getting up… her mind could only conjure grim alternatives.
Keeping a hand on Moondancer’s shoulder, Night Shade steered her down the corridor, opening every door along the way. Eventually, they were back in the entrance hall, and just when Moondancer believed her anxiety couldn’t rise any higher, a black portal opened at the top of the stairs.
Tempest stepped out, and the smirk she wore made Moondancer ill. “Ah, just the two I was looking for.”
Night Shade clenched his jaw. “Where’s Apalla?”
“You see, we’re really starting to run behind schedule,” Tempest said casually, winding the cord of the Soul Lock around her finger. “Lord Tirek’s true body may not be ready, but Starlight and I feel we would all benefit more if he was more… physically present. And we just happen to have an empty vessel lying around.”
Moondancer’s entire body shook. “No. You can’t,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You’ve gone too far this time, Tempest!” Night roared. “This wasn’t part of the deal! You can’t use my wife like that!”
Tempest continued to smile casually. “The deal was: you help me revive Lord Tirek and I’ll return Apalla’s soul. As far as I see, I’ve not broken our accord yet. Once Tirek’s body is ready, all we have to do is a little soul shuffle.” She suddenly winced and rolled her right shoulder.
Moondancer’s breathed in short, haggard gasps. Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Please! Please don’t do this! Can’t you use anyone else?”
“Oh, are you volunteering?”
“I—” Moondancer bit her bottom lip, puncturing it and drawing blood. If she was gone, there was no one else to execute her plan. But if she didn’t stop this, her plan was in jeopardy regardless.
“What if I volunteer?” Night asked, balling his fists.
Tempest snorted. “Don’t be silly, Shade. You still have a company to run. Unlike your daughter, you’re important. It was rhetorical anyway; Starlight has already begun.”
Moondancer clapped her hands over her mouth, bile rising in her throat. Her mother was going to play host to Tirek.
“I’m through with this!” Night yelled, reaching into his coat pocket. “Our deal is over!”
He drew out a silver revolver and shot three times at Tempest. The sound ricocheted through the large room, tearing across Moondancer’s eardrums. She stared in shock, looking first at her father, then up the stairs to Tempest. Her shadow arm was out, fist clenched, but she looked just as surprised as Moondancer.
Tempest unclenched her fist and the bullets fell to the floor. In the absence of the echoing gunshots, the manor was deathly silent. All Moondancer could hear was the leftover ring in her ears.
“A very unwise move, Night Shade,” Tempest said slowly, raising the Soul Lock. She aimed its center at Moondancer.
Moondancer’s soul seized up. Her body’s erratic shaking fell back to a meager tremble as a weightlessness fell over her. The tethers keeping her soul anchored snapped one by one.
This… this is how it ends? This is how my scene concludes? But… who will save the world? I don’t want to go yet…
“Moondancer!”
Something rammed into her and threw her to the ground. All feeling returned to her body as she hit the tiles. The numbing fog that had begun clouding her head dissipated and her soul settled back into place. She looked at her reflection in the polished marble. A shell-shocked girl stared back at her.
Then, her father hit the floor.
Moondancer turned her head, finding his purple eyes, the same ones she had inherited. The light had already left them. Night Shade stared back at Moondancer, not truly seeing her. His lips were parted, and Moondancer could feel his breath faintly against her face, the only sign he was still alive.
Alive, but empty.
And Moondancer was eight again, kneeling over her mother who laid on the floor, eyes wide and mouth open. She was breathing, yet she wouldn’t wake up, no matter how hard Moondancer shook.
She crawled to her knees and leaned over her father’s body. Her quivering fingers hovered over his chest, afraid to physically confirm what her eyes saw.
“You… you idiot,” Moondancer choked out. “Why?”
Tempest’s boots thumped against the stairs as she descended. She held her shadow hand pressed against her shoulder and grit her teeth. “Every time I think you’re on the hook, you find a way to wriggle off,” she said, disgusted.
Moondancer barely heard her. The seams of her heart had come completely undone, flooding her with emotions she couldn’t make sense of. She rested a hand on Night, feeling his faint heartbeat.
“I suppose we could reverse the situation. It would take a while though. And all things considered, this is much more entertaining. So congratulations, Moondancer. It looks like you’re now in charge of Shade Enterprises.”
The flood of emotions began pouring outward. Moondancer felt hot and cold at the same time. She was paralyzed, yet her body shivered like she was buried in snow.
“Why?” she asked weakly. “Why did you choose now to grow a spine? Why did you protect me?” She lifted her head to Tempest. “Why do you hate me so much?”
Tempest sneered. “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s not just you, it’s everyone like you. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth while I was lucky to be born at all. Given everything you could want just by asking while I had to claw my way to make a living. People like you take everything for granted and waste your lives never understanding what it feels like to suffer or struggle. Well, here’s a taste.”
She stomped back up the stairs and into the portal. “I’ll give you a few hours to get him settled into Apalla’s old room. Then, it’ll be time for Lord Tirek’s homecoming.” The portal closed behind her.
Moondancer looked back at her father. She wanted to slap him, to yell and rant. But his vacant eyes told her it would be pointless.
“Lady Moondancer.”
She looked up across the entrance hall. Porter and Lemon Fresh stood at one of the doorways, grim-faced and apprehensive.
Moondancer opened her mouth, letting a hiccup escape. She wiped her eyes and tried again, but no sound came out. She moved a hand and dug her nails into her arm until she broke skin.
She hissed, jumpstarting her vocal cords again. “Is it true? Am I in charge of the company?”
Porter nodded. “Master Night Shade did leave a missive that you would legally be allowed to take over if something happened to him once you turned eighteen. All of his shares go to you.”
“I see.” Moondancer opened her mouth to say more but the train of thought ended there. She was the CEO now. “Porter, Lemon, could you please take Father and… and put him in… Mother’s old room?”
“Of course, My Lady,” Lemon said, matching Moondancer’s hoarse whisper. “Is there… can we do anything else for you?”
Moondancer shook her head. “No, not now. I just…” She let her unspoken words hang in the air. Her maid and butler picked Night up and carried him away without a word, leaving Moondancer to kneel at the bottom of the stairs alone.
Her mind was a roulette wheel, spinning and landing on a topic that she could only process for two seconds before it spun again. Her father was gone. Her mother was to be a puppet. She was in charge of a global conglomerate.
Moondancer let out a single, strained, “Ha,” at the absurdity of it all. She knew it was real, knew it wasn’t a dream. Yet her mind couldn’t quite process what had just happened.
Her husk of a heart on the other hand seemed completely aware of the situation. An iron fist held a grip on it, making Moondancer’s chest ache. She placed both hands over her breast and doubled over. Her air passage tightened and the room started to spin.
Don’t fall apart. Don’t you dare.
But Moondancer wanted to scream, wanted to sob, wanted to throw a tantrum. Tempest was wrong. She knew what suffering felt like. She sniffled and hiccuped again.
Save your screams and tears for when it’s over.
Moondancer used the banister to pull herself to her feet and leaned against it, chest still tight and head still spinning.
“And it’s almost over, isn’t it?”
*******
The crystal chest sat on the repaired coffee table in the living room. Ten faces stared at it expectantly.
“So… what now?” Rainbow asked.
Sunset sat on the arm of one of the living room chairs having given Twilight the seat. She leaned forward and pinched her chin. “Well, my theory was, since you girls represent the Elements of Harmony and the Rainbow of Light seems so similar, maybe the box would have a reaction. If the Rainbow really is in there.”
Applejack put a hand against the chest and waited a few seconds. “Ah don’t think it’s doing anythin’.”
Rarity tapped a finger against her cheek. “And while that’s a good theory, dear, it comes with a snag. If you need the Elements of Harmony to open it, you would also need Princess Twilight.”
Sunset sat perfectly still but felt the chair shift. “Not necessarily. We beat the Sirens without her. Maybe we don’t need her for this either.”
Fingers crossed.
“And we still have our Twilight!” Pinkie said. “Maybe she can take the Princess’s place!”
The chair shifted again.
“Or, maybe it’s Trixie’s destiny to be a wielder of one of these mystical keys!” Trixie said loudly. “She is a descendant of Megan and Merlin!”
“But what if it’s none of us?” Fluttershy asked. “Where would we start looking for the keys?”
Artemis tugged on his goatee. “We’ve already scoured the globe several times. I can search my inventory, but I don’t think we’ll get lucky six more times.”
“Maybe we can trick it!” Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out a bobby pin.
“Pinkie, this ain’t a locked door; you’re messin’ with magic,” Applejack warned.
Pinkie pressed her tongue against her lips as she twisted the pin into a lockpick and stuck it into a keyhole. She jiggled it around, keeping her ear close to the chest to hear the tumblers Sunset was certain didn’t exist.
A soft pink glow shone from the keyhole. Pinkie gasped and jimmied the lock harder. “I think I got it!”
The bobby pin shot out of her hand and across the room where Selena caught it before it could puncture a picture.
Pinkie took a step back from the chest, smiling nervously. “Maybe I made it mad.”
The pink light intensified and concentrated into a single beam that struck the spiked bracelet on Pinkie’s wrist. It glowed in turn, and from it rose a small white ball that quickly grew and changed shape. When the light show finished, a golden key hovered in front of Pinkie. Its handle was shaped like a three-leaf clover, and the teeth looked like little balloons. It dropped into Pinkie’s hands, glitter trailing off it.
“Oooo!” Pinkie held it up to her face. “It’s so shiny!”
Twilight stood up and walked closer to examine it as well. “How did that happen? It had a reaction to Pinkie’s bracelet, but why?”
“Isn’t that the bracelet Sonata gave you?” Sunset asked.
Pinkie looked at it fondly. “Yep!”
Artemis narrowed his eyes. “Sonata? As in, one of the Sirens?”
“It’s a long story,” Selena said with a sigh. “Suffice to say, you and Trixie weren’t the only ones on an adventure.”
“But it ended with me and Sonnie becoming besties!” Pinkie chirped. “She gave me one of her bracelets to show we’re BFFs!”
“Well, if Pinkie has a key, it backs up my theory that the rest of you are supposed to have them as well,” Sunset said. “I’m just not sure what Sonata’s wristband has to do with it.”
“Artemis, sir, may I see that journal you mentioned?” Twilight asked.
Artemis reached into his sleeve and carefully pulled it out. “Most of it is illigible or outright destroyed.” He levitated it over to Twilight’s outstretched hands.
“Hmm…” Twilight set it on her lap and treated it with the gentleness of a librarian. “I might have the tools to restore the parts that are legible. I’m going to need some time though.”
Artemis smiled. “By all means. I leave this in your capable hands.”
“In the meantime, maybe we can get in contact with Sonata and see if her wrist band was already magical,” Sunset suggested. “Though I have no idea why the Siren’s magic of all things would help open a box of pure good.”
“Hey, let’s stay on the bright side,” Rainbow said, adjusting the scarf around her waist. “One key down, five to go. We just gotta keep an eye out.”
“But what happens when we get the Rainbow of Light?” Applejack asked.
“Find Tempest and that Soul Lock thing and blast ‘em into next week!”
Rarity shook her head. “I doubt it will be that simple. Though that does bring to mind the idea of us training. We had our beach day. As per our agreement, it’s time to get serious.”
“Training?” A giddy smile crossed Artemis’ face. “You girls want to hone those magic skills of yours?”
Sunset tentatively nodded, feeling an apprehensive bubble in her stomach. She could only imagine the whacky training regiments Artemis could cook up.
He clapped his hands and bounced up and down. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”
“Ugh, you guys are so loud!”
Every head turned toward the stairs. Shimmer leaned over the banister, still dressed in her nightclothes. “Can you keep your anime shenanigans down?”
“Oh right, she’s still here,” Trixie said flatly.
Shimmer looked from Trixie to Artemis. “Oh look, the wizards are back. What are you weirdos up to now?” She eyed the chest.
“We’re gonna start training to be superheroes!” Pinkie said with a skip.
Shimmer rolled her eyes. “I was joking about the anime stuff.”
“You’re pretty good at hand-to-hand combat,” Selena said. “Perhaps you could start to earn your keep around here and teach a few lessons.”
“Me, a teacher?” Shimmer pursed her lips in thought. “Nah. I don’t want anything to do with your supernatural crap unless the Sirens come knocking on the door again.” She gave a two-finger salute and walked away.
Artemis lowered his head and looked at Selena. “Seriously, what is all this business with the Sirens?”
Selena simply gave a quick point to Sunset.
Sunset tugged on her shirt collar. “Okay, I would like to lead with, we won and nobody got seriously hurt...”
*******
Moondancer looked over her father. He stared past her with familiar empty eyes. She made a snort and turned away, casting her gaze out the window to the garden. She thought about getting flowers for her father. She had always brought her mother’s favorites: blue roses, daisies, and lavender. She had no idea what flowers her father liked.
There were a lot of things she didn’t know about her father.
She turned around and glared at him again, every part of her body trembling.
“Why? Why throw yourself in front of me? Do you think this self-sacrifice makes up for what you did?” She ground her teeth together before continuing in a louder voice, “Because it doesn’t! I still loathe you, you stupid, stupid man!”
She clutched her heart, feeling it constrict. “I’ll take care of you not out of love, but of obligation. Until you wake up and give me an answer. Until you truly make up for the decade I spent alone. Understood?”
Night Shade stared at the wall.
Moondancer swatted the tears from her cheeks. She refused to fall apart over him. She sucked in a shuddering breath and stepped out of the room, securing her mask.
Tempest waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. “Don’t look so down, Moondancer. Do your job right, and you’ll have both your parents back soon.”
It took a surge of willpower to stop Moondancer from lunging at Tempest—from running her nails across Tempest’s face and leaving her a gash as long as her own. While the scenario played out in her head, Moondancer kept her expression neutral and nodded.
Tempest lifted her arm, a subtle wince crossing her face. A portal sprung up before them, and Tempest ushered Moondancer inside. She always likened portal teleportation to jumping into the ocean at night. It was always cold and left her feeling wet for the briefest of moments. The portal let out into a dimly lit lab, a sub-level unit judging by the lack of windows. It was sparse, containing a few computers on a row of desks and thick cables running across the floor and disappearing into the wall. Sliding steel doors stood across from Moondancer, the biohazard symbol etched into the right panel.
Starlight Glimmer sat in front of one of the computer monitors, one leg crossed over the other. She idly tapped the keyboard with one hand while holding a coffee mug in the other.
“Hello, you two,” she said, sparing a quick glance over her shoulder. “Lord Tirek will be out in a moment. He’s getting… adjusted.”
A spike of nausea hit Moondancer. She attempted to swallow, but her dry mouth made it immensely difficult. She tried to distract herself by digging her nails into her wrist.
Starlight stood up and moved next to Moondancer. She pretended to make herself busy by straightening her lab coat and said from the corner of her mouth, “I’m sorry about your dad.”
“Shut up,” Moondancer said, glaring at the floor. She came to regret that command. As the three of them waited, silence hung over them and made Moondancer fidget. Her heart thumped erratically and her body started to shake again.
It won’t be her. It can’t be her.
Half of Moondancer’s mind tried to call Tempest’s bluff; that she hadn’t actually taken Apalla and just wanted to get a rise out of Moondancer. But the other half knew the truth. That side tried to mentally prepare for whoever—whatever walked through that door.
Because whoever it was, it wasn’t her mother.
Finally, the metal panels on the door hissed and slid apart, and a cloaked figure loomed in the threshold.
Moondancer’s breath hitched. Her mental preparation had done nothing for how her heart would react. It froze in her chest and the rest of her body followed suit, leaving her unable to look away from the horror drawing toward her.
Apalla Lulamoon didn’t walk with the graceful gait Moondancer remembered. She instead stalked ahead with her shoulders hunched forward, giving her a domineering presence. Her movements were stiff, and her attention was drawn to her own hand as she flexed her fingers one by one. Her hair was still limp and brittle, and her skin looked clammy and pale.
She looked up and caught Moondancer’s eye, and Moondancer’s frozen heart shattered. This wasn’t a phantom, a hallucination, a doppelgänger. Moondancer saw the physical presence of her mother. But only the physical presence. The pride and love that had once shone in Apalla’s eyes no longer existed. There was only a monster inside, and it drove Moondancer’s fight or flight instinct haywire. Did she maul the creature wearing her mother’s face, or run and hide in her room forever?
Apalla—no, Tirek, drew closer, his heavy boots thumping against the hard floor. Instead of the nightgown Moondancer had dressed her mother in, Tirek wore a black vest and trousers with a ragged cloak draped over his shoulders.
Tempest dropped to one knee and bowed her head. “Lord Tirek,” she whispered with reverence.
Starlight took a knee as well, and Moondancer, finding some control of her body again, slowly got down and averted her eyes.
Tirek stopped in front of them. “Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Starlight Glimmer. ...Moondancer Lulamoon.” It was Apalla’s voice in all but delivery. Instead of the whimsical, life-loving cadence Moondancer remembered, it was cold, uninterested, detached.
Moondancer chanced a glance up. Tirek glared down at her, distaste and suspicion in his borrowed eyes. Tirek turned his attention on Tempest and held out her hand.
“My Soul Lock, if you would.”
“Of course, My Lord.” Tempest reached for the amulet around her neck, and for the first time in Moondancer’s life, she saw fear on Tempest’s face.
She slipped the cord over her head and handed it up to Tirek. The second it left her fingers, Tempest’s face grew pale. She broke into a succession of ragged coughs interspersed with desperate gasps of air. Her hand scrambled into a pocket and pulled out an inhaler. Moondancer could see some wear on it but couldn’t imagine when Tempest had ever used it.
Tempest took a puff then inhaled deep before regaining some composure. Tirek hadn’t spared her a glance. His eyes only beheld the golden amulet resting in their palm.
“There are hardly any souls in here,” Tirek said with motherly disappointment.
“It has been hard to gather them without drawing suspicion, My Lord,” Tempest said weakly. “The world is quite different from when you were last here.”
“Quite.” Tirek raised his head and sniffed the air. “This world’s magic has been nearly depleted… no… it’s missing.”
“We are doing our best efforts to recreate what magic we can in the meantime,” Starlight said.
He nodded. “You were wise to give me this body in the meantime. Magic flows through her blood; a good stand-in for the lack of world magic to attune to. And more souls will help offset the balance.” He slipped the Soul Lock over his neck and raised a palm. A blue flame burst to life and hovered before his face.
“I spent quite some time in my Soul Lock. Long enough to begin to question if I would ever be free again. Perhaps my ambitions would amount to naught. Perhaps humanity would continue to struggle and beg to gods who care nothing for mortals.” Tirek smiled and looked down. “And then I stumbled upon you, Fizzlepop. You who had been dealt a terrible hand in life. You struggled and suffered, with no divine intervention to aid you whatsoever. You have blundered in the past, but you have remained steadfastly loyal. And for that, you will be rewarded.”
The flame in Apalla’s palm turned black and he brought it down on Tempest’s head. Tempest’s breathing became frantic as black lines arced down her face and neck and disappeared under the collar of her shirt. She grabbed the stump of her arm and screamed, thrashing under Tirek’s hold.
Between her screams, Moondancer could hear the sickening crunch of bone and squelch of flesh. She closed her eyes, her urge to vomit rising ever higher. Tempest’s scream reached a crescendo, then came to a stop. Moondancer cracked an eye open and gasped.
Extending out of Tempest’s sleeve was a new arm, fully formed and the same mulberry color as the rest of her skin. Tempest flexed her fingers and made a fist. Sparks of black electricity danced over her knuckles. She took a deep breath and a cynical smile returned to her face.
Tirek took a step back. “Rise, Commander Tempest Shadow.”
Tempest stood up and crossed her new arm over her chest before making another bow. “You honor me, Lord Tirek.”
Tirek nodded and moved onto Starlight who looked up with hopeful expectation. “This ‘science’ you’ve brought along has been quite beneficial, Starlight. Continue your work and I promise, when I open the doors to the divine, you will have your reward.”
Starlight nodded. “Thank you, Lord Tirek.”
Finally, Tirek stepped in front of Moondancer. Their eyes met again, and Moondancer fought to not throw up. Every fiber of her soul told her the picture she was looking at was wrong. Yet she held her gaze with her mother’s cold, indifferent eyes.
Tirek knelt down to be at level with her. “There’s such pain and anger in your eyes,” he said softly. “But that’s to be expected. I’m in the body of someone you care about, aren’t I?”
Moondancer said nothing, biting her tongue.
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to her. This is merely a temporary substitute until my body is back. But, I am curious…”
His hand struck out and grabbed Moondancer’s neck, squeezing her windpipe.
“Spawn of Megan… descendant of Merlin… your bloodline has been a thorn in my side for countless generations. Why should I not kill you where you stand?”
A thin trickle of air passed through Moondancer’s throat, and she wheezed out, “My ancestors… were wrong to… seal you away. I want… what’s best for humanity.”
Tempest cleared her throat. “As much as I would love to see you obliterate her, My Lord, she currently is an asset to us. For now, she owns the business that funds our research and endeavors.”
Tirek looked over his shoulder then back to Moondancer. “So she’s our patron? Hmph. Very well.” He released his grip and Moondancer crumpled to the floor, gasping and holding her throat.
“But I warn you,” her mother’s lethal whisper dripped into her ears, “I can feel the resentment in your soul, the hatred. If I find any trace of treachery, any vain hope of stopping my machinations, you will never see your mother ever again.”
Moondancer gave a weak nod.
“Good girl. Come, Tempest. I feel there is much you need to inform me about the ways of the modern world.”
Moondancer brought herself to her hands and knees as Tirek and Tempest exited the room. A hand brushed her shoulder and she slapped it away.
“Why?” Moondancer asked in a raspy voice. “Why did you do it?”
“I didn't really have much of a choice,” Starlight said simply. “And it’s not like this changes your plan that much, right? There’s just an extra step now.”
“Shut up!” Moondancer balled her fists. “An extra step? You call having to watch that monster masquerade as… as my… my mom an extra step?”
“I never said it would be an easy step.”
Moondancer glared up at Starlight. “Go. Just go.”
“Eheh, right then.” Starlight smiled awkwardly and backed off. She followed after Tirek and Tempest, exiting through another door. The silence after it closed was haunting.
Moondancer remained on the floor, her breathing still haggard, not by her sore throat but by her constricted chest. With each passing second, it grew tighter. And while the room was quiet, thousands of thoughts screamed in her head at once.
This time, she couldn’t fight it. Her mind settled on the image of her mother’s cold eyes looking down at her, and Moondancer let out a short, choked scream. She screamed again, just to clear her air passage. She inhaled…
And Moondancer screamed.
Stats
Page generated in 0.027 seconds
Total duration
1,093 users online
2,163,917 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Whoa......
Trixie riding her noble steed Sunset Shimmer will safe the day :>
Moondancer is going to need so much therapy after this....
So.. anyone else feel sorry for Moondancer yet?
Oh boy the big bad is free. Good to see Artemis and Trixie back home.
This is the price one pays for selling their soul to the devil.
So, the Rainbow of Light is in hand, and the destroyer is set loose. Yup, things are starting to speed up.
Hopefully Twily will get something out of that journal.
And so the hunt for the keys. Or at least significant objects. I do hope Twilight gains possession over the final key over Sunset. Or something Twilight gives Sunset or something. Poor girl has gone through a lot and her self-esteem doesn't need her being demoted to extra. She's not magical, but I hope she can still provide crucial assistance.
And speaking of girls who have been through a lot, Moondancer. While I won't forgive her for her petty jealousy and hatred of Sunset, no one deserves this. Thrust into a role they're unprepared to take with the lives of their parents at stake...
Also....it's "illegible", not "eligible"
Moondancer you walked yourself into this. But at the same time I can't help, but pity you.
First, you lose your mom, your only friend, an opportunity to make more friends, and now your Dad.
The only thing you can do now is screw over Tirek in any that you can.
I never felt more horrible for Mooondancer. No matter what she's been guilty off, in the end, she's a poor girl who's spent what should've been a happy normal childhood bereft of any parental guidance, and watched over by a horrible witch who wants her to destroy the world.
And poor Night Shade. He is a man without ANY good options: either enabling the violation of his wife, or risking the life of himself and his family. While his actions were ill-advised, he's acting in the way a cornered rat would.
Hopefully, his act convinces Moondancer to switch sides already.
10688496
Uh...
I'd say that Tempest is worse than the Devil.
The Devil can tempt a person, but he can't make you do something.
Tempest has basically threatened a man and his family into doing what she wants.
Night Shade didn't make a Faustian pact, he was forced into being evil.
Hello pain and darkness, my old friend QwQ...
I was sure pinkie would have a much more displeased reaction to losing sonatas lucky wrist band 🤔
And was it established what applejacks or rarity’s keys are?
I guess we're finally at the climax now
10688803
We're close but not there yet. Volume V is the climax. That being said, the author said this volume is the busiest one.
Oh dear.
Doggo!
HEH!
English as a language is a schizophrenic kleptomaniac with consistency issues. What's one more made-up word?
He's a man of many talents.
The Elements.
She gets it.
Why not?
What is this, Kingdom Hearts?
What have you got in mind?
The Box from Season 4.
What.
You're kidding.
Yeah, I'm not surprised.
Heroic Sacrifice. Classic.
Hm, interesting...
Is, that a Steven Universe reference?
Not quite.
Yes, Pinkie, yes it is.
Illegible.
Oh dear.
No.
Tirek is the Salem to Tempest's Cinder. She's even missing an arm and has a scar.
You are in command now, Admiral Piett.
Not sure how to feel about this, but, I'm keeping an eye on Starlight.
I'd feel worse for her, but my pity well is dry.
Weeeeellll... Shit. Someone get Twi a diet Coke (no coffee for her). She's going to need some pep.
Oh my, looks like we gonna have some action soon, cause I don't believe that Tirek would just sit there waiting.
10688708
She didn't lose her bracelet, it was needed to just be there for the key to be created.
This piece of text is after she got the key
Wooooow, that was quite a heavy chapter. Spectacularly so. Moondancer is really gonna need help now to save her parents, but she's gonna need to get through her pride first to do so. She can't do this alone. And it's breaking her to try. Still, at least she seems to have some support in whatever her plan is. Starlight's words imply so. That's an interesting twist and makes me wonder more about her. And Night Shade, man, while he was late on everything, tragically so, at least he tried to do what was right before his soul got taken.
And man, great to see the Spectacular Seven find the Rainbow of Light! I honestly expected them not to realize until they had all the keys, so color me surprised. They have more keys than they realize, but they'll have to probably interact with the box to do so. And poor Sunset, no one is even considering her as an option for a key. Still, she probably doesn't consider herself one given her guilt over everything. Looking forward to seeing how that will go.
And great to have Artemis and Trixie back! Their charm certainly meshes well with everyone and offers exactly what they need. Though, they have missed a lot and it will be fun to see how they end up handling it. Spectacular chapter and I am looking forward to the next one!
Just when you thought things couldn't get worse...
Also, can the Rainbow of Light defeat Tirek or is it just more magic for him to feed on?
Thanks for the chapter! So intense! Also I call BS on them handing her mother back over once he gets his body back.
I'm betting the final key will be given to either Sunset or Twilight by Moondancer, but only after Moondancer finally realizes how wrong she's been about both Sunset and Twilight... Then she'll either get her soul sucked out of her body or just straight up die.
If Artemis is right, that Chekov's Gun has been a long time waiting to fire.
Which implies that long-range murder is still viable.
10689384 Yeah, things are probably going to get ugly soon.
Hatred of the good for being good never benefits anyone, Tempest. And anyone else remembering a certain rat-personified character getting a new appendage as a "reward" and then being killed by said appendage?
Oh boy, I've seen this movie before.
And Moondancer...
Shall we go over the list?
You've alienated the one girl who was more than a friend to you, you've all but destroyed any chance of ever having actual friends, your face is scarred for life, your father is now in a coma, your mother's body is now under the control of a demon (who hates your family), and you're pretty much little more than a means to an end who is quite expendable now.
And for what? Something that is looking more and more like an empty promise every day.
As Applejack would say: "Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you?!"
Oh man, I hate Tempest sooooo much. xDDD
[EPILEPSY WARNING]
10692849
OK...
I think it is clear that Moondancer has not had it easy, and a lot of her actions were driven by the fact that she has a demented sorceress watching over her shoulder.
She's not completely innocent, but she has been put through things she doesn't deserve.
10711400
Sunset Shimmer's life hasn't exactly been peachy, yet she didn't sell her soul. And history's full of people who had a human devil breathing down their neck and still managed to remain good.
10711741
Sunset bullied and blackmailed an entire school, stole the most important magical artifact, and tried to lead a coup because she thought her life wasn’t ‘peachy’.
And listen, I’m done trying to convince people outside of the story whether or not Moondancer deserves all the vitriol. I’m just saying, if you’re going to keep comparing her to Sunset, then compare her to all of Sunset.
10712810
I'm aware of what Sunset did, but she didn't try to hand humanity over to a demon.
Also, I never said Moondancer deserves what's happened to her. I simply laid out what it's cost her and how little she has to show for it.
And finally, as I've said before, what makes Moondancer's actions even more reprehensible is the fact she clearly has the intelligence to know better.
You know, Artemis, all rainbows are made of light...
*reads a bit further*
Yes, that's what I expected. Still...
It really makes sense of how Moondancer got to this point in the story and it's really interesting to watch her arc. In the beginning, she was driven largely to save her mother and had jealously towards Sunset. Then she fell under the amulet's influence and went mad for a time and by the time she was freed from it she had burned her bridges with Twilight, then she shows remorse but at this point, she just keeps getting dragged deeper and deeper down the hole, pulled down by Tempest. Part of me hopes she has a happy ending, or possibly a heroic sacrifice near the end. Whatever happens to her it'll be interesting to see.
Hope someone inspects it before fluttershy' parents use it again.
Phew
Oh spot
Great to see those two back.
And maybe not treated well too.
I think they are, well imo that is.
But how will they open it is the question.
Oh no!
Tbt I feel a bit emotional over this part.
Showing that he still loves her very very much.
That's new.
Reminds me of a scene from one of the Harry Potter films.
Now that's what I call nightmare fuel. Well written.
The language the journal would have been written in wouldn't have been Middle Gaelic as Gaelic was still spoken entirely in Ireland at the time Arthurian legends take place. Most realistically it would have been written in Latin, but the common spoken tongue was Common Brittonic, the ancestor of Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.
10688643
His one good option was never letting Tempest in his house
Tempest you are the Queen of fools
I am so curious to see where this story is going with Princess Twilight. Sunset is still holding onto this petty grudge, even after this long. Though I guess it could just be a character flaw. Just because she's a better person now doesn't mean she has to let go of her dislike of her, justified or not.