• Published 26th Jan 2015
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Shattered Skies - Arctikfox



Shattered Skies has lived much of his life tending to his forests, but after he was betrayed by a princess he trusted, all he wants to do is to live a normal life even if the world tells his otherwise.

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(H) Chapter 42 -Sleepless Sleepover-

-Sleepless Sleepover-

Conversation passed into content silence as Sunset and Skyfall sat, watching the storm. She could tell Skyfall was gathering his thoughts, but she couldn't help but look at Skyfall as the streetlamp's cast itself on him from the side street.

"I heard a little of what happened from Twilight." Sunset said. "She tried to keep it a secret, but everyone was very surprised."

Skyfall shrugged. "I'm not. I got dumped, it wasn't going to last anyway." He leaned back and rested his hands on his lap, trying to lie to himself as his heart pulled in every way possible. "I was being foolish when I tried to make that work. Fluttershy is a nice mare, but her and I are just too different. In the end, there wasn't much there aside from basic attraction."

Sunset's voice caught in her throat. She expected him to seem more sad, but his mood came off as hurt and vindictive, the opposite of the person she had come to know. When she heard 'basic attraction,' she thought aloud. "Wait, you and Fluttershy only got together so you could... uh."

"Hm?" Skyfall glanced over to see Sunset making a circle with one hand and slowly pushing her finger from the other in. "Is that what basic attraction means to you?"

"Isn't that what you meant?" Sunset asked.

With quiet laughter, Skyfall rubbed his face. The conversation lulled into silence as Sunset waited for an answer.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Skyfall asked.

"Did you?"

"Did I, what?"

Sunset was embarrassed, but she persisted. "Did you and Fluttershy... fulfill your basic attraction needs?"

"Sunset Shimmer." Skyfall said in a sing song voice. "Are you really asking if Fluttershy and I had sexual relations? I know Rarity hounded Fluttershy about it without realizing the truth, but you? My lord, is it so hard to believe that her and I sipped coffee in content silence?"

"Yes."

"I swear, you ponies and your rumors." Skyfall hummed. "I mean, you're not wrong. But still, you all are rude for prying. A gentleman does not kiss and tell."

"Dear Celestia, I bet you're a raging pervert in secret." Sunset tried to suppress a laugh.

"No, but I do love to mess with people." Skyfall's laughter died into a nervous huff. He leaned forward and moved his elbows to his knees "I've been told before that I play too much when I get familiar with someone. Most people are too slow or too nice to actually do anything about it."

Sky grasped his left hand with his right and squeezed lightly to keep his concentration. "Honey was one of the few to really challenge me and get close to me."

"May I ask?" Sunset too leaned forward. "Why did you and Honey divorce?"

After a long pause, Skyfall shook his head. "Technically, she is still my wife. There was no formal procedure to break things off, but the time..." Sky paused once again and felt a sorrowful pull on his mind. "The time we spent apart and our actions during that time has formed a rift between us."

Sunset remained silent and made assumptions about the situation, assumptions Sky allowed her to keep. He looked over to see a pair of eyes staring back at him, a sympathetic smile piercing the darkness.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

Sky shook his head. "No, it's fine. If I didn't want you to know, I wouldn't have said anything."

He continued after distant thunder rumbled through the sky. "She thinks I don't know what she has done. A part of me wishes that were true. I'm letting her live in ignorant bliss because I know that telling me will validate her betrayal to me in her mind. Like so many things in my life I remain silent about what I shouldn't just to spare those I care about."

"Or to spare myself." Skyfall mumbled under his breath before continuing. "Honey has tried to be loving toward me and has even slept next to me on the nights she can't bear to sleep by herself. She respected that I had already had a relationship when she returned, but now that Fluttershy is no longer in the picture, she fears that pursuing a new relationship with me will only hurt us. Mostly because that means facing our own, individual demons. She has even told me that she believes Fluttershy will return and that when she does, she'll accept it."

"Do you love her?"

"Honey Bee or Fluttershy?"

Sunset Shimmer chewed her cheek. "Both?"

"I love Honey Bee, she is the mother of my child and for that she will always hold a place in my heart." Sky held his hand to his chest. "But as for a romantic sense, I don't know anymore. I've done things that at times seemed questionable, but I always had a reason and I never resigned myself to doing the easy thing because I feared the higher road. Sounds pretentious, I know."

Leaving the anonymity of the situation unchanged, Sunset prompted Sky to continue. "As for our little, yellow Pegasus? Do you still love her?"

Another folly of rain picked up, making the rushing water louder, but not so much so to effect the conversation.

"I never loved Fluttershy in the deepest sense. Had our relationship moved on, then maybe one day the fondness I feel toward her would develop into true love." Skyfall sighed. "Silver Coin, the Ponyville finance trader, has spoken to me many times before about love and I myself have been around long enough to have experienced much of what it has to offer. But why would I want to stay with someone who would let another's jealously dissuade her from remaining by my side?"

"What happened?"


An Unwelcomed Visit


"Skyfall. Fluttershy is here." Inko said quietly as she walked into Sky's study.

"I know." Skyfall signed one of the last scrolls of his daily pile and set his quill down before rubbing his eyes. "And you don't need to say why, we both know that this was coming."

The door shut with a click and a soft knock came from the study's door mere minutes later.

"You may enter." Skyfall said before glancing to an outstretched Sif, her unwilling look made him pause for the briefest of moments. "See that Raven and Ravenclaw get onto studying more of those artifacts."

With no sound, Sif bounded from the couch and stalked past Fluttershy, not even gracing her with a parting glance.

"S-Sounds serious." Fluttershy smiled.

"It isn't. What made you stop by?"

Fluttershy let loose a strained breath. "S-Skyfall, we need to talk."

"You're breaking up with me." Skyfall leaned back in his chair and scratched his elbow. "You're breaking up with me because you can't stand to date in secret?"

"No." Fluttershy said weakly.

"Does it have to do with my ex-wife living with me?"

"No..."

"Does it involve the other four mares in my house?"

Fluttershy smacked her hoof on Skyfall's desk. "No, Skyfall, just listen."

To show that he accepted silence, Skyfall crossed his arms and waited patiently for the usually timid mare to talk. She tried to stare Skyfall down, but it was obvious that she couldn't bear to. Her facade was too out of character for her and as such, she melted into her own hooves.

"Skyfall, I can't be with you." Fluttershy's voice shook. "I knew that other ponies liked you and I chose to ignore their feelings for yours. It was a mistake and I don't want to keep hurting them."

"Her."

"W-What?"

"Her. You don't want to keep hurting her." Skyfall corrected as he turned to look out the window, not wanting to look at the mare before him in fear she may start to cry. "Rainbow Dash came to you and begged you to stop pursuing me. At that point, you spilled that you were dating me and that degraded into yelling and then into tear filled arguing."

"But-"

"And the Rainbow Dash gave you an ultimatum; her or me."

"N-No-"

"Being she's your best friend from foalhood and fellow Element of Harmony, I can see I am sorely outmatched." Skyfall huffed, amused at the situation.

"You're being really cold about this." Fluttershy rubbed her arms. unable to look at Skyfall.

"What did you expect, Fluttershy?" Skyfall stood from his seat and walked over to the closest window. "Sadness? Bargaining? Anger? It is sad to admit, but most of my relationships end poorly. However, I do understand why you're doing this, but I can't say I approve."

"I know." Fluttershy slowly stood and walked to Skyfall's side and leaned against him one last time as a lover. She sighed, taking in his distinct aroma of turned soil and freshly fallen rain.

Sky glanced down to the pegasus at his side and watched as she tried to move towards his face, only to have a hoof placed on her lips.

"What you're thinking never works, Fluttershy. One day, if you ever decide that you want to live for yourself, I'll be here." Skyfall moved his hoof from her lips to her cheek. "Trust me, I know."

After the tears started to roll from her eyes and onto his hoof, Fluttershy turned and flew out of study and then out of his life.

"You know, she meant every kind word she ever gave you."

"I know." Skyfall said without turning to see the cream coated form of Inko at his side door. "That only makes this harder."

The sun beamed into the study, illuminating Inko and her auburn mane. "You should be more kind."

"I know..." Sky's shoulders drooped noticeably. "Why were you even eavesdropping in the first place."

Inko headbutted his side lightly. "You forget, me, Truth, and Blue, used to stalk you when you and Crystal were dating."

With a loud laugh, Skyfall nodded. "Back when you used to carry around that comically large hammer and be obsessed with buying a mansion."

"Hey, a girl has gotta have dreams." Inko smiled.

"Dreams." Skyfall's voice fell quiet as more inconsequential memories of his life that boiled in through his dreams came to mind. "I haven't had one in some time now."


The Next Morning
Present


The sound of a phone's camera and the snickering of many girls stirred Skyfall from his sleep. He noticed that seven of his new companions were scattered about on the back porch trying not to laugh. Upon closer inspection, Sunset was passed out with her legs rested across his lap and her upper body propped against the bench.

"I see you two got cozy." Rarity giggled.

Sky rubbed his face rigorously. "The storm was good last night. I came out to rest and Sunset came to visit."

"You came outside to sit by a storm, to relax?" Twilight, the Princess one, asked.

"Yeah, I haven't had real good sleep in the past few weeks so it felt calming." Skyfall gently rose to his feet and placed Sunset's legs down onto the bench gingerly. He patted his pant pocket and felt the runes jostle around. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work."

Just as Sunset woke up in a hail of flailing arms and legs, Sky disappeared into the house. "Wha? Why're you all here?"

Sky heard resounding laughter while looking around the spacious living room for a map. Pinkie had let slip that her mother was a geologist, a person in that profession was bound to have a map, or several, laying about.

"Pinkie Pie!" Came the scream of her sister, Limestone Pie. "Why is this behemoth in the house!?"

Sky looked down at the raging Pie sister who tapped her foot until Pinkie Pie and her entourage entered the house.

"Limey, it's okay, he is a friend of Twilight and Sunset's. They didn't have anywhere to go so we had a sleepover; please don't tell Dad." Pinkie smiled wide at her sister who just stared daggers back at her and then at Skyfall.

Sky passed Limestone after seeing that she was intent on staying in his path.

"Hey, where are you going!"

Pinkie reached her sister and gave her a look, silently telling her not to pursue her usual aggressive behavior.

"who wants breakfast!" Pinkie roared, followed by the unanimous affirmations of her friends. She turned to ask Sky, but he had already disappeared into the dark hallway. "Where is he going?"

Sunset shrugged. "He seems to have a lot on his mind. After talking with him for a few hours last night, he seems... lonely."

"You talked to him for a few hours?" Princess Twilight asked. "I can barely speak with him for five minutes without wanting to pull my mane out."

"Well he is a major tease, but once you get passed that he can hold a very engaging conversation." Sunset rolled her eyes after Rarity wiggled her brow at the statement.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at one another, Twilight mouthed Skyfall's name to Rainbow who only shrugged in return. Simultaneously, they turned when the shuffling of boxes alerted them to where Skyfall had gone. They awkwardly negotiated the hallway, both having not known the other was going to follow Sky.

As the light from the morning sun faded into the dim hallway, a beam of light poured in from a door that was left open. Twilight and Rainbow looked inside to see Skyfall separating four glowing items; A small white bone covered with black cracks. A small chunk of bark that had small indistinguishable words written over it. A blue rock with three slashes carved into it. And last, a crystal with mechanical carvings hacked into it.

He looked them over and cursed about their givers irresponsibility and how one was supposed to keep them separated. He pulled them apart after much wrenching and concealed them in a different fold of the black cloth they were kept in.

"What's that?" Twilight asked, startling Skyfall. He peered back to see Princess Twilight's human world counterpart enter slowly. "It looks like magic."

Skyfall sighed. "That's because it is magic, but it's something you shouldn't get near. I wouldn't want you all triggering a hurricane or a plague, or a hurricane that causes the plague."

"Those things can do that?" Rainbow Dash asked before leaving the hall without another word.

"And there she goes to tell everyone about my-"

"Skyfall!" Princess Twilight's voice tore through the house.

Without hesitation, Skyfall pointed at the timid human counterpart of the grape soda Princess. "Twilight, right?"

"Y-Yes?"

"You guys have a mall here?"

"Yes?"

Skyfall heard Princess Twilight's rabid stomping and reached passed his new friend to shut and lock the door before gliding over to the window. "You coming?"

"Where are we going?"

"The mall?" Skyfall asked and deflated at her worried expression. "Listen, I have a lot of work and to be completely honest, your pony counterpart scares me. You seem calm and unassertive and much more pleasant to be around." He extended his hand eagerly. "So how about it? Show me around?"

Twilight looked back to the pounding door as her twin demanded it to be opened. Without realizing it, she was out the window and following Skyfall to the front.

"And where is it do you think you're going?"

Both Sky and Twilight froze up and turned to see Sunset dressed and ready to go.

"Sunset, hey." Skyfall said quietly as he tiptoed away from the house. "There's a gigantic sale at the market for fish, it's Saturday only and the store closes at ten. No time to waste."

"It's eight in the morning on a Friday." Sunset Shimmer descended the steps gingerly so as not to make the wooden planks creak more than usual. The sound of Twilight finally barging into the room were heard a guttural roar and subsequent complaining about 'why does he do this' occurred. "I think you've made Twilight beyond furious, I think it's best if the three of us disappear."

"That. Is an excellent idea, let's get outta here." Twilight chimed in as she pushed her glasses back into position.

Skyfall smirked as he started to jog away from the house as the reliable, faithful, clean, and morally righteous city transit bus rounded the end of the street.

"Where are you going now?" Sunset asked.

"Bus!"

"That costs money!"

Sky slowed to a slower pace. "Jogging is healthy."


The Mall


"It's a good thing you have a car, Twilight." Sunset sighed as she snuggled into the bucket seat of Twilight's car. "I have to admit it, I did not imagine you to be the sporty coupe kind a girl. I always thought you drove one of those smart cars or a minivan."

"Many people think that." Twilight smiled sheepishly. "My brother has a thing for cars and when I saved up enough for a car he made a deal with me; he'll match what I saved if it meant he could replace parts and tune up my car at will. I was hesitant at first because that would void any warranty, but he signed a contract stating he would cover any damage that was happenstance for five years."

"Wow." Skyfall spat.

"There's a contract for that?" Sunset asked.

"Yep, I wrote it up and he signed it." Twilight pointed to her pressure, temperature, and voltage gauges on her car's window frame. "I like to have any information I want available to me, so when I mentioned that, he was more than willing to sign."

"And we're here." Sunset said as the car swung into its spot. She turned and leaned on the center console to look at Skyfall. "So remind me, why are we here again?"

"Mall is filled with people, we're searching for clues." Skyfall tapped her seat to let him out. As he did, he explained the likeliness of Spirits still residing in Ponyville.

Sunset chewed her cheek at the thought of how she may live close to or even know a Spirit already. She didn't admit it, but she was silently terrified of Spirits, her own dark past having effected her deeply enough to view any amount of great power, dangerous to handle.

"So you really think Spirits live around Ponyville?" Twilight asked, making her way from the car and up to the mall's main doors with her companions. "From what I understand, they're beings of ancient power that at times tower over even the biggest of creatures. Aside from the events that have involved us, I haven't heard of anything like that here."

"Because they're probably trying to live normal lives." Skyfall pushed his way into the busy mall. "Most of them were tossed into this realm hundreds of years ago, anything they did then has likely faded into myth. No, they're here, we just have to make our presence known."

"How is that?" Sunset asked.

"Equestrian magic." Skyfall said. "That would be something they crave so that they could force their way through the barrier."

"Why would they do that?" Twilight asked. "To take over Equestria?"

"No, a Spirit's mission is to keep the world on track and keep it in a state of chaotic balance." Skyfall said. "Where one Spirit may appear to guide a creature into making the right decision, another may appear to guide them to something else. It keeps the world growing and changing. And thus, thriving."

Sky looked back to Sunset and Twilight before wondering into a Barns and Neighble book store. "Without Spirits, the world grows stagnant and gray. Everything becomes regimented and entire populaces fall under an illusion of what their ruler wants them to see."

"I thought Equestria was a happy kingdom?" Twilight asked.

"Oh yes, singing and eight foot candy canes, very cheerful." Sky scoffed as his head darted from side to side, scanning for the history section. He turned sharply and ran his finger along the book spines and stopped, still as a statue. "I hate the world and what it's become. I see the same sickness that ruined a great many civilizations in everyone there. I haven't had the heart to say it, but if I had the strength to stand back and let history take its course, I would."

"Skyfall, that is a horrible thing to say." Sunset scolded. "Are you saying, that if you had your choice, you would prefer to let Equestria fall?"

Skyfall flipped through the pages of a history book and bore witness to the very same evils he knew from the era before being a Spirit. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because the same negligence and complacency that sits in the mind of many Equestrians is the same weakness that lead to the fall of Rome, that lead to the start of not one, but three world wars, and lastly and more gruesomely, lead to turning a blind eye to the genocide of entire peoples." Skyfall grabbed the books placement tassel and placed it on one for the middle pages that outlined what he was talking about before closing the book and handing it to Sunset. "I have been around a very long time. I grow weary of seeing this same thing over and over. Like a bad joke that won't stop."

Sky turned and glanced back. "I'll be in music section."

Twilight and Sunset watched as their tall companion lumbered away without another word.

"Is he okay?" Twilight asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Sunset opened the book he had handed her and start to review the pages. "He's been really moody lately."

"Don't you know him, though?"

"Kind of." Sunset said. "He lives on the edge of the Everfree and I must admit, the first time I met him, I hated his guts. He was working an entire platoon of guards down to the bone, they all wore loose armor and by the end most of them were rubbed raw and bleeding while he sat back and ate pancakes."

"He did that?" Twilight asked in mild shock. "Why?"

"He is Ponyville's Guard Captain. Princess Celestia signed his commission because she believes in his ability to lead. She told me one night during dinner after I challenged the decision. She said that she has seen millions of ponies in her life and only two have ever held a candle to him." Sunset saw pictures of horrid internment camps and gruesome images before closing and shelving the book. "I've spoken with him a few times and the more I talk to him, the less I see a proud, witty Captain and the more I see of a tired, cynical pony at the end of his life."

"Maybe he's just lost his way and he can no longer see a the point of things." Twilight smiled and leaned forward with her hands cupped behind her back, breaking Sunset's peripheral vision to gain her attention. "Maybe. He needs a friend to help him find his way again."

"Are you implying that's me?" Sunset asked with a disbelieving smirk.

"Are you making the assumption I mean someone else?" Twilight retorted with a knowing look. "You helped me when I was lost, Sunset. He seems like he has much on his mind."

"Maybe we can both help." Sunset smiled as she hooked her arm around Twilight's and scooted her forward into a bouncy walk towards the music section. "We should force him to ride one of the kiddy rides and take pictures."

Twilight giggled into her hand. "That would be funny to watch, I bet he wouldn't be able to fit in any of them."

"I'd take that bet!" Sunset said before her voice died out. She looked on at the entire music section, with a guy as tall as Skyfall, it was hard to miss him. She hummed to herself at seeing he wasn't there. "Wheres Skyfall?"


Skyfall turned from the history section after leaving Sunset with the book and walked into the walled off section of the music area. After having skimmed the history book, it was clear that the last millennia had seen an unchecked advancement in technology. It was needless to search for direct references to the Spirits, books of legends and paranormal sightings were all too many. Most of the books in the bargain bin that sat near the edge of the store where no one would care to look was teeming with references. He grabbed one and intended on reading it while parusing for music.

Among the many Spirits that existed, Muses were the few that could not help but to stand in the spot light whenever possible. If this world was like the one before, then at least one of them would have a record deal.

"I heard you, I'll leave soon, I just want to see if the new-"

Silently stalking by, Skyfall saw a young woman, around the same age as Sunset and her friends having her ear destroyed through a cell phone by someone very angry.

"Ada-Ada-Ada-Adagio, calm down, I'll leave now, you happy?" The pink woman growled. "Usual place? Fine."

She swiped the phone off angrily, jamming it in her pocket before turning directly into Skyfall's back, slamming into him. "Hey! Watch where I'm going, you idiot!"

As the woman stomped away angrily, growling at anyone that got too close to her, Sky felt his pocket heating up. He kept the runes concealed, but even though they remained hidden, it was clear that they reacted to the woman's proximity.

Skyfall brought up his hood and started to walk after the disguised Spirit, but faltered in his walk when he remembered Sunset and Twilight.

'No time.'

The thick crowd of the mall helped Skyfall blend in, even with his tall stature. Every now and again, the woman he tailed would look back. It wasn't hard to figure out that he may have been noticed as her worried looks increased, along with her pace.

Unfortunately, Princess Twilight and her posse caught wind of him being at the mall. As they were entering one of the many entrances, he tried to shrink the distance between him and the mystery woman. Sky groaned internally as he tried not to look in their direction.

"Hey, you in the hood!" A man roared. "Stay still, the police have been called and are on the way, don't make this worse!"

Skyfall's blood ran cold. He clenched his left hand and the legend book he picked up from the book store was still in his possession. He left without hiding it in his jacket, so security is after him for theft, but police for a discount book?

Swiftly, Sky became the center of attention in the sea of people, their gazes turned into a whirlpool around him, but his gaze was transfixed on his quarry. The Spirit stared directly at him and took a step away, causing Sky to step forward.

"I said stop!" The guard shouted. "Not one more step, the police will be here soon!"

"Skyfall?" Princess Twilight said, noticing the man's outfit.

Just then, the Spirit started to run and so too did Skyfall.

The crowd parted as the woman tried running away from her stalker, she dipped and dodged around the people she couldn't plow through and knocked over those she could. The longer this went, the longer people stared. Murmuring filled the halls as his boots thumped on the floor. Her heart started to pound harder as the heavy foot falls of her follower's boots smacked along the floor.

She desperately jabbed at her phone until she broke her pursuer's line of sight by darting down a maintenance hallway and through a utility door. She peeked out the door and saw the tall, hooded man blow past the hall's mouth, followed by two men wearing black uniforms and seven familiar girls.

"Aria? What is it? Why aren't you here already?"

Aria growled into the phone receiver. "Shut up, I'm being followed." She began to walk into the poorly lit maintenance hall and walked around bare machinery with uncovered ports and wires. "I started to run and he started chasing me."

"Did you get a good look at it?"

"No, he was wearing a hood." Aria said. "I remember him from the book store, I don't know how long hes been following me."

"Do you think it's Blue Line?"

"No, he wasn't wearing a mask." Aria started walking faster. "Adagio, I need you to meet me at the back entrance, like now."

"Already there, I'll get the moron to get the utility door open when she's done flirting with the Weenie-Hut vendor." Adagio snapped her fingers to get the attention of her other friend before groaning. "We were waiting for you and saw some cops rush by, then you called."

"Hopefully they get to that guy." Aria strained to squeeze by some heavy equipment.

"You sound shaken up, is he that scary?"

"I don't know, he stared at me like he knew me."

Adagio laughed. "How does someone stare at you like they know you?"

"Shut up, I don't know." Aria snipped. "I just felt scared as he followed me, usually I would just dart around and then hit them with something, but this felt different."

"Sonata got the door open, we're going to meet you." Adagio said and switched back to the topic. "How did it feel different?"

"I felt like I was being hunted." Aria said. "I haven't felt like that in a very, very long time."

"Do you think he was a Spirit?"

"I think so." Aria touched the carved stone around her neck. "When I bumped into him, I felt my rune heat up way too much, I thought my anger did it at first, but the longer it lasted, the more I knew it wasn't me."

"Then you noticed the guy."

"Yes." Aria hurried her walk, suddenly feeling the same unease as she did when the hooded man followed her. The darkness of the maintenance hallways and the cool draft that blew through them made her shiver. "Anyway, I think he may have wanted my conduit."

"Another Spirit trying to get back into Equestria?" Adagio scoffed. "After what we pulled, you think they would just give up, it's obvious those Princesses are still watching the portal like a hawk, even if we could break the barrier, we would only be thrown back."

"And the tongue lashing from Placid Rain!" Sonata cheered as she and Adagio rounded a corner, meeting up with Aria.

As the call ended, Adagio sighed. "If you didn't recognize him, we need to go to Rain and report him so we can send this to Earth."

"She might not listen, she was pretty steamed at our little failure." Aria said.

"Well, that happens, she needs to know if there is a Spirit trying to get our runes."

The name Earth was spoken from the shadows as the hooded man emerged.

"You!" Aria turned and stepped back quickly. "Why are you following me?"

"Why'd you run?"

"Cause you're following me?" Aria growled. "Now out with it if you know what's good for you."

"Aria Blaze, Adagio Dazzle, and Sonata Dusk. You three still running around in your trio?" The man rolled his eyes and stalked closer.

Adagio stepped between Aria and the Man.

"You've always been very protective, Adagio." The man sighed, looking to each of them. "I didn't recognize you at first, but now I do. May I ask, why is it that you three still spend time with one another? All you do is fight."

"These two morons can't coordinate their own lives." Adagio sassed before scowling. "But that's none of your business, mystery man."

"Are you three still dreaming of living the rest of your lives being papered on some distant desert island?" The man chuckled, shocking the woman before him.

"So you are a Spirit." Aria grumbled.

"Yes." Skyfall admitted. "I'm looking for Earth. It's somewhat urgent."

"We wouldn't take you to Earth even if you were a Spirit." Adagio said. "We wouldn't risk getting sent halfway across the planet because we ousted our leader."

Skyfall hummed to himself in thought, considering dropping a name to shorten the length he believed he may have to go to see Earth. "Not even if I said I was Shattered Skies?"

Boisterous laughter erupted from Sonata. "Right, if you were going to attempt a name drop, next time try someone that isn't dead and gone."

'Dead and gone?' Skyfall thought, taking slight offense.

"Well, how about Ardennes?"

Aria tapped Adagio's arm before whispering harshly into it.

"Well, Mr. Ardennes." Adagio soothed and tried to turn. "We have to go."

"You haven't been dismissed." Skyfall's monotonous tone cut the cold hallway's atmosphere of uncertainty. He watched as the three girls turned to him. "I need to see Earth and I won't let you three hinder me again."

"Again?" Aria asked.

A tense minute passed the four Spirits as they stared at one another, unflinching and uncertain as to what was about to happen.

Adagio, Sonata, and Aria stood shoulder to shoulder as their runes glowed; ring, wrist, and neck respectively. They reared back and before they could let their siren voices destroy his eardrums, Skyfall slammed his rune onto the water pipe on the wall causing water inside, and the water in the drums down the hall to rupture and shoot hot steam through the hall, scaring the three Spirits.

"Run, now!" Adagio yelled as everyone's vision was obscured.

The hall glowed blue as Sky held another rune, forcing the water vapor to grow heavier and the fog to dissipate. As he regained visibility, the three girls had already disappeared, but a phone sat on the floor screen still a glow.

"Bingo." Sky muttered as he saw the name adagio flash across the screen before the phone shut off from water damage. "Damn, need rice to fix this." He looked at the fire rune breifly and sighed. "That would fry the electronics."

Sky stood and stretched, feeling a lump in his jacket. He patted it and tisked at realizing he stole the book. "Now I gotta sneak back."

Slowly making his way to the opened door of the maintenance hall, Skyfall scanned the surroundings. He saw a smooth-top squad car sitting by the mall entrance with an officer at the wheel, talking on his radio, eyes transfixed on the doors.

A familiar woman walked out of the doors and passed the car, drawing the eyes of the officer inside before he scanned back to the mall's entrance. Her fire-like hair only screamed one name.

"Sunset?"

Her phone was buzzing with texts, dragging her attention down to it. Having not seen Skyfall, she nearly passed him until the sound of failed whistling snapped her from her daze.

"Skyfall?"

"H-Hey."

"Need help?" Sunset chuckled as she glanced back to the police car.

"A little." Skyfall said before being pushed further into the maintenance hall by the firecracker. She tore at him in a demanding manner, confusing him. "What are you doing?"

"Give me your jacket. They're looking for a tall man in a brown jacket." Sunset said, yanking off his jacket and shrouding herself in it. "If it's on me they might not link the two."

Words caught in his throat. "That's... actually really clever."

"Thanks." Sunset hooked Skyfall's arm. "Now come on, we need to stuff you in Twilight's trunk."

"Um, excuse me. Her what?"


Pinkie's House


"I can't believe you, Sunset, you skulked away with him and encouraged his delinquent behavior!" Princess Sparkle seethed. "I thought he was doing so well, too. But no, first chance he gets and this happens, your guard force questions us and now they're hunting him."

"It's not that big of a deal, the police don't really care if someone steals a bargain bin book from the book store, that's more their loss prevention's department and even then, it's a book no one wanted." Sunset said. "I mean yeah, I would like to know why he felt it was okay to steal, but I'm more concerned with the person he was chasing like a madman."

"I'm sure there was a good reason, Twi." Applejack said and started to chuckled as Skyfall appeared from behind her truck, mimicking Twilight's angry movements.

"There's no good reason to steal a book, it's disrespectful." Twilight barked.

"Um, Twilight." Fluttershy said.

Sky turned and ducked behind Sunset's car and low walked to the house.

"Yes, Fluttershy?"

"Skyfall was just behind you, mimicking you. He's behind Sunset's car."

Twilight turned and angrily stomped toward that side of the car, only to have Skyfall walk out from the back and scurry up the stairs and through the open door Pinkie Pie held open for him.

"He is too silly." Rarity whispered into Sunset's ear.

"You have no idea. It's the same thing in Equestria, he is the worlds biggest tease." Sunset turned and followed Skyfall into the house and watched as he threw together a bowl of uncooked rice and delicately placed a phone into it.

"Water damage?" Sunset asked, only to receive a curt head nod. "Who does the phone belong to?"

"Adagio Dazzle."

"What!? Those three?" Sparkle shouted as she entered the room with the rest of the group. "Skyfall, we need to talk about your criminal behavior and your lack of-AH!"

The room filled with sudden blinding light. when it dissipated, Skyfall stood with two runes, the red and blue ones. When fire and water runes meets they can a great many dangerous things, but the one useful thing they can do is give of brief flashes of blinding light.

"What was that?" Sparkle asked.

"A makeshift flash bang to get you off your high horse." Skyfall said. "There are some things we need to discuss."

"Like?"

"First off, how is it that you know, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk?"

"We fought them the battle of the bands." Twilight rubbed her eyes intermittently. "They're sirens from Equestria that tried to return to take it over, why?"

"Well, they're Spirits, not Sirens." Skyfall placed the bowl of rice on a nearby table and grabbed a book from inside his jacket.

"That." Twilight cut him off, obviously still upset at the book theft.

"Relax, I got caught up following the Spirit and forgot to put it back." Skyfall started to flip through the pages.

"See, told you it was an accident." Applejack said, throwing a hand up. "That's a good explanation."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I was going to take it regardless, I just got caught up and caught." Skyfall smiled as the group facepalmed. "What? You act like I have money to pay for things."

"You do."

"Not this realm's money." Skyfall stuck his nose in the air. "Princess Twilight should have bought me this book."

"So I have to pay for anything you need, otherwise you'll swindle someone into getting it for you"

After a brief pause, Skyfall smiled sheepishly. "Yes?"

Author's Note:

I'm pretty sure I've proofread this for error, but I'm doing so after a double shirt. (Shift, yes it was on purpose xD)

I'll blog post about something story related, should be soon, but life is life.

Please PM me with errors instead of commenting them, I'll see them faster that way.

:heart: Should be more active soon.

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