Chaotic Dreams

by Czar_Yoshi

Rainy Ruins

The army outside recovered swiftly from surprise. Wasting no time, the general's squad barged forward, aiming straight for the mosh pit in front of the Sirens' stage. The student brawl continued unimpeded, zealots on both sides ignoring the weather and remaining furious in their fight. Sunset's mind control had vanished, but between the influence of the Sirens and Starlight's grating monotone, there was plenty of vitriol left to embody.

The Sirens themselves had climbed out of the pit via a ladder left at the back and turned their voices toward the waterlogged warriors charging towards them. Not at all minding what the rain was doing to their thin, thin clothing, they sang and swayed, causing the army to form up into a semicircle, pressing to be nearer to the center of attention. The general punched a cadet out of his way as another bombshell flew overhead, impacting a wall in a shower of rubble, the portable mortar embankments having been given no command to stop.

Sunset looked on in horror, shivering from the rain and other things. "You gave me back control at the worst possible moment on purpose, didn't you?"

Well, of course I did! the crown in her hands quipped gleefully in her head. The point is to convince you you need me, dear Sunset. Go on, now. Be headstrong. And the moment you realize you can't make it alone, you can order me to come back! It'll be a win-win for both of us!

Sunset glared over the edge at the muddying school grounds far below, not bothering with a response. "We need to get out of here."

Be my guest! the crown chirped. Oh, but wait, you're stuck up here because you can't fly. Silly me! Need my help yet?

Fat chance, Sunset thought as she climbed out of the tube dress. To her relief, her underclothing wasn't so big as to be unusable, and everyone below probably had better things to look at in the first place.

What are you doing? the crown asked as Sunset shivered harder, a wall of icy water needling into her exposed skin.

"Getting down," she said, eventually adding, "and trying not to die."

Grabbing both ends of the dress, she held it like a hang glider, and wasted no time in jumping from the tower. The dress billowed out above her, marginally breaking her fall, lowering her to a safe velocity, until...

Thud! "Ow!"

Something small and hard slipped from the dress, impacting Sunset's head and causing her to lose her grip. She plummeted the remaining two meters, landing hard on one leg. The crown and object landed beside her, the dress coasting into a growing mud pit nearby.

Well well well, the crown said, it seems to be that piece of the portal I so thoughtfully removed! I think it's trying to tell you something. What's that it says? "You're screwed, put the crown back on?" Admitting you need me has never been so easy!

Sunset ignored it, gasping and holding her leg, tears welling up in her eyes.

Oh dear. Broken bones already? That's not good. You'll hardly be able to go anywhere at this rate! Have I mentioned that demonic transformations come with a free, full-body heal? You could be like new again with just the tap of a crown! All you have to do is acknowledge that I am what you want...

"N-No!" Sunset snarled, biting back pain. "It's... it's not broken. I can walk. You'll see. Grraaugh!"

Grabbing the crown and portal chunk, Sunset propped herself up against the tower's scaffolding. Her leg wouldn't take any weight, but it was intact. More pressingly, she had to get inside and find clothing and a towel before she froze to death. Limping, wrapping the dress's muddy cloth around her torso to protect from the rain, hugging herself to conserve body heat, she slowly made her way to the gym door. She fell once, catching herself with her hands before her leg could take more damage, but sustaining more mud in the process.

"Nnngh..." Straining, Sunset tried to get back to her feet, but her legs wouldn't listen. An explosion rumbled through the black sky above as she put one hand forward and then the other, crawling, dragging herself, doing anything she could to come closer to the door and safety. A flash of lightning illuminated her target before her eyes, inset into the brick wall and still far out of reach.

The thunder that followed joined the crown's assault on her ears, but Sunset couldn't make either out already. Her knee hit a rock in the ground, or possibly a dropped tool. She couldn't feel if it was cut.

Her hair, matted by streams of water, dragged alongside her in the mud like a once-orange raft. Her fists were clenched, containing the items she'd dropped, though she only knew it because she hadn't told them to open. Icy water drained into her eyes, and she couldn't afford to wipe them. It wouldn't have helped; she could feel mud up to her elbows. At least she could feel something.

Limply, agonizingly, she crossed the field, shivering violently and streaked with dirt and rainwater, at last reaching out and touching the door. Any sensation she had had of infinite stamina while being a ghost was clearly gone now; her body felt very much real, and it burned with pain. Or cold, she wasn't sure which. She was also apparently very hungry, even though it hadn't been long at all since Demon Sunset raided the school pantry. Or had it? She couldn't even think straight.

The door handle gave under her press, and she swung it open, hauling herself inside and collapsing on the hard floor in a puddle of water and dirt. The lights had gone off- a power failure, most likely. In fact, she was surprised the power had stayed on period while the shield was up. Maybe her magic had sustained it.

The door slammed shut behind her, bathing the room in darkness except for several patches of dim light cast by the windows, one of which she sat in. The crown and portal chunk lay in the water beside her, and she rubbed herself as hard as she could, trying to regain feeling in her extremities. Can't stop... have to get out... get Twilight, and get out... Warming herself with the fire of her own determination, Sunset began to realize that she was still alive.

A voice echoed out from the darkness. "Hello, former mistress."

Sunset gasped and looked up, clutching the tattered dress to her chest. She knew exactly who it was.

Snips and Snails stepped into a square of stormlight, back to their human forms. They wore slightly mis-fitting clothes, indicating that they, too, had had to change. "We've been expecting you," Snips said, trying his best to sound menacing.

"Yeah!" Snails added. "Why'd you go and take away our cool powers, huh?"

"Yeah!" Snips backed him up, redundantly.

"I've been possessed by a demon," Sunset wheezed. "I'm back to normal now, though. Please, you have to help me!"

"Pffft!"

"Keeheehee!"

The two former henchmen snickered and guffawed, then looked back at Sunset.

"You can't be serious!" Sunset cried. "You're laughing? Help me!"

"A demon, huh?" Snails leered at her. "You wanna know what I see, Sunset? I see that you just got owned! I bet it was Starlight..."

"Yeah! And you deserved it!" Snips added. "We're tired of getting bossed around, former mistress. Well, now the tables are turned, and it's our turn to be in charge! What do you think we're gonna do now, huh? Got any ideas?"

"Hmmm... Ohh, I might have an idea!" Snails replied, perking up in realization.

Sunset shrank back against the door, eyes wide with fright. "N-No! Don't! I need to survive, not... not be..."

The crown cut in. I'm always here if you need me, Sunset dear. But you shouldn't need my help for this. They're two horny freshmen! The power of friendship will surely save you if you just believe hard enough.

Snips and Snails advanced on her, arms outstretched like cheesy zombies. Though they clearly had no idea what they were doing, Sunset wasn't reassured. "W-what do you want from me?" she stammered.

"Take a guess!" they answered, not quite in unison.

Sunset was frozen, unable to think. She was finally herself again, and her reward was this. This. She was at the mercy of two unbalanced, gross freshmen, just like Twilight had been to her- no, the demon- earlier, before Starlight intervened. Without mind control, but that could ironically make things worse... Ironically, Starlight was once again the one person she wouldn't mind seeing burst through the doors with a sledgehammer right now.

Seriously? the crown said. Two useless, incompetent little villains and you completely lose your critical thinking ability? Perhaps you no longer wish to inspire wants, but you should at least still remember how to use them! You have what these two want! You are what they want! You're the one in power here! If you won't use me, at least listen to me! Come on, this is embarrassing! Your friendy-friend Twilight wouldn't freak out like this! She didn't! She kept her cool and even attacked you! You can do better, because you've got me, and you're up against them! Don't throw your body and dignity away due to a little pain and cold water!

Sunset's eyes focused. You're right... I think. Why do you have my back now?

Sunset, don't be ridiculous. I've always had your back!

...Never mind. I can do this. "Snips! Snails!" she barked, weakly. "You think you're going to enjoy yourselves? Do you even know what you want to do to me?"

Snips nodded. "In case you haven't noticed, former mistress, this school is toast! There's an army firing at us, and you blew everything up! You think things are gonna just go back to normal after all this?"

"Nope!" Snails cut in.

"Well, they're not!" Snips continued, swinging a fist. "If we're lucky, we'll all get carted off to labs for magic testing or something! More likely, we're gonna die here, tonight! How do you feel about that, former mistress?"

"We're gonna die!" Snails stomped.

"You've been living your dreams for the last four years!" Snips folded his arms. "And all we've ever done is laughed with you and done your dumb dirty work! Well, now that it's all over, which of us is more deserving of getting their last wish?"

Snails nodded, eyes lidded. "Yeah. We've got some daydreams you could fulfill for us..."

That's your cue, Sunset, the crown warned. Time to decide if you're willing to protect your dignity against this most childish of threats. Needless to say, I'm more than willing to do it for you...

Sunset looked down at herself, then back up at Snips and Snails. Steeling herself, she gulped and forced a frown, tossing the muddy dress aside. "You two are idiots, you know that?"

"No, you're an idiot!" Snips countered. "Hah! I've always wanted to say that!"

Sunset interrupted him, eyes sparking. "You are. You have no idea how big you've scored right now, because all you've ever done is looked at pretty pictures and dreamed pathetic dreams that aren't real life. You have no idea what to really do with the object of your desires once you've got it, and believe me, you won't get this chance twice. Because the moment I can, I'll have you two back under my feet, and I'll grind you into the ground. So enjoy this while it lasts, kiddies... if you can figure out how." Discreetly, she put her hands on the floor, which was still covered in icy water.

This afforded Snips a second thought. "All right, then, former mistress," he said slyly, "what kind of final wish do you have?"

"Watch." Summoning her strength, Sunset slowly got to her feet, staggering from numbness and her hurt leg. Good. They're not trying to stop me yet.

"It doesn't work when it's one-sided," she said. "Real passion needs to be mutual. For it to work, you need to have nothing in the way!" And Sunset lunged for Snails, grasping his face in her hands.

As she had hoped, he yelled and pulled violently away. "Yeeeeowwch! Cold cold coooold!" He rubbed and rubbed at the spots on his cheeks where Sunset's icy hands had grabbed him.

With the burst of forward momentum afforded by his retreat, Sunset toppled back to the ground. On her way down, she grabbed the nearby Snips and dragged him down with her, obtaining a panicked yelp. She spun in midair so she was above him, uninjured side to the ground, and landed on him with a sharp elbow driving into his gut. He wheezed mightily from where he lay, cold water soaking into his clothing.

Sunset reached over from atop him, squirming to grab the portal chunk. She threw it at Snails, hitting him in the back before he could finish recovering from the cold shock.

He flailed briefly, and Sunset lunged toward him along the ground, grabbing his feet and tugging. The floor was still slick where he stood, and he toppled away from her. Sunset dragged herself nearer, pinning him to the ground with her good knee. Grabbing him by the shoulders, she slammed him face-first against the floor, eliciting another muffled groan. Rolling him over, he was out cold.

Sunset crawled out of the puddle, disgusted and proud of herself simultaneously. She had gotten away unscathed, true, but what she had to do to do it... She shuddered.

Behind her, Snips swore. Sunset looked back, and cringed: he was getting up.

"Ow, what was that for?" he complained. Ignoring the shock and cold, Sunset got to her feet again as quickly as she could, readying to tackle him again when he came after her.

...Except he didn't. "What was that for!?" Snips repeated. "Screw you, Sunset!"

Sunset narrowed her eyes at him, leaning over and holding her leg. "What do you think it was for?"

"What did you think it was for!? We just wanted to pretend we weren't at the bottom of the social ladder of this dumb school where we have to lick everyone's boots all the time! All we were gonna do was make you bow a bunch and tell us how awesome we were, and you beat us up for that! You... you big tyrant! We're outta here!"

Madly, he picked up the portal chunk and threw it at Sunset. It missed by a wide margin and bounced off into the shadows, cracking as it hit the floor. Snips picked up his brother and walked away.

Sunset felt sick. "But... Daydreams! Fantasies! You mean you weren't..." she trailed off, calling after his retreating figure.

"Social fantasies!" he shot back bitterly over his shoulder. "Girls are look, don't touch! Every idiot knows that one, idiot! Go back to your cave!"

"I was... you were not!" Rage and defiance lit Sunset's muddy face. "You had me at your feet, I couldn't move! I was barely wearing anything! What did you think you were doing? Don't you guilt me, Snips! Don't you... That was your fault! Get back here! Get back... Snips! Sniiiiips!"

No answer came. Snips was gone, his brother with him, and Sunset's temper soon left her as well. She buried her face in her dirt-stained hands, balance wobbling. "They could have helped me, and I only hurt them... What have I done...?"

I'd say it was a solid B-plus, the crown chimed.

"Shut up," Sunset choked. "You tricked me! You made me think they wanted to... wanted to..."

It was a perfectly reasonable assumption, the crown said. Besides, it's not like you didn't try the very same thing on Twilight earlier. It was on the table!

"That was you..." Sunset trailed off, her words tasting too foul to pronounce. She collapsed back to the floor, no longer able to stand. A shell flew in through a smashed window above and exploded near her, making a small crater and showering her with ashes and dust.

It was, yes. But I speak for you! I'm also simply overflowing with wise words of wisdom! Want some?

Sunset closed her eyes and didn't respond, the cold of the floor slithering into her prone form.

Then put the crown back on, for crying out loud! You're going to freeze to death like this, and then I won't have any purpose! So either buck up and stop wallowing in your recent successes, or let me do it for you!

Sunset's anger returned like a flaring cobra, and she opened her eyes. "You'll never have a purpose. I'd do nothing a thousand times before letting you have your way!"

Then prove it, the crown said, by staying alive. Wouldn't want to leave little Twilight eligible for someone unworthy, would we?

"Rrrraaaugh!" Sunset planted her arms under her, and pushed up into a sit. "Leave." She braced a leg against the ground. "My friends." Pushing, she wobbled upright, crown in hand. "Alone!"

Good! the crown chimed. Use your anger! Let it empower you. But first, go get dried off, or hypothermia's going to set in.

---

Shortly, Sunset hobbled into the locker room, having recovered the portal chunk. Limping, she turned to the showerhead. "Wonder if they still have any hot water?"

She turned the knob, and was quickly greeted by a spray of blissful mist. An army is currently attacking the building you're in, the crown lectured, and you're enjoying a warm shower. If I didn't know the context, I'd find this delightfully ironic!

I'm taking your advice again, so soon after you tricked me. Be happy. Sunset soaped and lathered the mudstains away, neck aching from the weight of her waterlogged hair. Her leg was beginning to burn more as it warmed up, but she decided that was a price she was willing to pay to restore the rest of her body.

Quicker than she would have liked, the hot water ran out. Figures, she thought. The power's still out. Honestly, she was surprised she could see at all; the only light came from a small hole in the roof inevitably caused by an explosion. Fortunately, it was draining stormwater away from the pile of clothing she would now be needing for herself.

Casting around, Sunset found what was probably a clean towel, and was eventually the driest she'd been in far too long. Wrapping it around her hair, she then examined the clothes pile, searching for something warm that wouldn't irritate her leg.

Miraculously, there was a wetsuit in a nearby locker she hadn't previously raided. Beaming, Sunset held it up: she wasn't sure what something like this was doing in the locker room of a high school gym, but wasn't about to ask questions when it was her size and absolutely what she needed. She also located a thick sweater and a skirt with fairly large pockets to wear over it.

Looking around for useful items one more time, Sunset found a plastic stick that looked as if it had been snapped off a mallet or something. Though it wouldn't be seeing sporting use any time soon, it could still have utility as a walking stick- she sure knew she needed one. It could double as a weapon in a pinch, but hopefully everyone else had bigger things to worry about.

Mentally, she checked the threats around her. The Sirens: out in the field. Starlight: fighting the Sirens. The students: fighting eachother. The army: still attacking the school. They're probably the biggest obstacle. Snips and Snails? Probably ran for the hills. Demon me? Still annoying, still evil, no longer in control.

Wow, such flattery, the crown quipped. Now, do you have a plan? Because those minions of yours were right earlier, this place is coming down, and we need to go. As if to emphasize its point, a shell impacted nearby.

"From what I've learned," Sunset said, "the portal is my best bet for getting out of here. I have to get to it, and fix it. I've got this chunk. I've got the Element of Magic. I can still get my book, which is connected to Equestria. I can also get Twilight, and Spike should be here somewhere too. I'll just have to pray that's enough to make it work..."

Pray? You? To what? You're the strongest thing around, the crown said. Or, at least, you would be, if you'd only accept me!

Sunset ignored it once again, and limped out of the girls' locker room.

---

She stepped into the gym. A curtain of rain wound through the air from the window that had been smashed earlier. The water pooled on the floor was much wider now, and it continued to seep forward before Sunset's eyes. Carefully, she made her way to the entrance to the rest of the school, skirting the crater caused by the bombshell where much of the water was draining into a pool.

Limping into the hallways, she saw no obvious blast or water damage. Unfortunately, that was because she couldn't see much of anything- there were no windows, the roof was intact, and the power remained off. She hadn't managed to find a flashlight earlier, either.

Trying to search fallen lockers proved fruitless, but pressing on would be difficult with so much chaos on the ground. The hallway was crammed to bursting with ejected desks and all manner of flotsam, and with a hurt leg, roughing it was not the way to go. Thoughtfully, Sunset stepped back into the light from the gym, pulled out her two belongings and examined them.

Hesitantly, she raised a hand to touch the purple gem embedded in Twilight's crown, and it sparked a little. What are you doing? the crown asked.

Sunset's face lit up ever so slightly, and she began rubbing it. "Trying to make this thing useful without getting possessed."

The gem began to shine, and soon a soft lavender glow emanated outward in a beam, illuminating shattered ceiling lamps, cracked wall seams, and buckling floor tiles. Water dripped from above, and there was a heavy rush in the distance. All the clocks had stopped, and everywhere Sunset looked shone of twisted metal and smashed imitation plywood.

"Well," she said, beginning to pick out a safe route in the direction of the library, "this'll work."

Holding the Element of Magic in front of her like a ward, Sunset limped through the hallways, occasionally stopping to polish it when it needed a recharge. She skirted puddles, broken glass, and hanging wires, navigating turns and passages as if she'd lived in the place her whole life. ...Which she more or less had, even if it presently looked and felt like anything but home. Every time a shell impacted above, she cringed and took cover, ready for more debris to fall from the haggard ceiling.

Eventually, Sunset arrived at the broad double-doors of the school library. With a slight grin, she shoved the handle of one.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, Sunset tried the other, which was also stuck. Looking around, she found a mostly empty locker that wasn't too beat up, and with much effort and care, propped it up atop a sturdy desk. A nearby explosion nearly caused her to drop it at one point, but some timely reflexes and a bad cramp later, and it was stabilized.

Flexing her fingers, Sunset shoved the locker as hard as she could, plowing into the library doors like a battering ram. The locker hit the floor and disintegrated; the doors gave a little. Pulling one closed and pressing the other open, Sunset peeked an eye through the crack, trying to identify the blockage.

She groaned. The entire balcony section that ran above the entrance had collapsed, and two tons of splintered planks, torn carpeting and miscellaneous rubble now stood between her and her goal. A trickle of water wound its way through the doors and around her feet, the library dome having been thoroughly demolished and replaced by vicious sheets of incoming rain.

We're okay, she thought, I'm okay. There are entrances on the second story. I'll be fine.

Keep telling yourself that, the crown said. Or, I could just blast it open with a snap of your fingers!

Sunset didn't respond, already having turned to seek out the nearest staircase.

---

Sunset stared up the stairs, steeling her nerves for whatever lay ahead, the crown returned to her pocket. The staircase itself was thankfully intact, though the sheet of waterfalls cascading down it and the flood of light illuminating the landing bore ill for conditions above. Sunset wrapped her sweater tighter, hugged herself again, and began the ascent.

She wasn't barefoot. She had found a pair of track sneakers that roughly fit her, though they were designed to ventilate, not keep moisture out. Within two steps, Sunset found herself missing her high boots and all their functional beauty.

Another explosion rocked the school. It must have been nearby, because a step buckled under her, and Sunset barely caught herself. The flow down the stairs intensified briefly, as if a dam somewhere had burst and released a bulge of extra water and debris. A textbook floating down the stream toppled past her, and Sunset was grateful it didn't hit her good foot.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she saw the source of the deluge: over half the ceiling had collapsed, and the parts that remained buckled dangerously. Steeling herself, Sunset climbed through, trying to stick within cover as much as possible. She had little success, and her purple sweater soaked up rain like a sponge.

Shivering, Sunset pushed aside a toppled desk and climbed over a twisted locker. Lightning flashed across the sky, and a shell landed in the hallway behind her, causing debris to fall across the entrance to the staircase. Won't be going back that way, Sunset thought.

Gasping, she reached a door. It swung open to reveal the upper balcony of the library. The smashed roof dome taunted her, leaving at least an inch of standing water pooled on the bottom floor. Sunset looked across to the area she had stored her book, and the roof there was fortunately intact. More importantly, as was the bridge across.

She started along the side balcony she had emerged upon, feet squishing on the wet carpet. Suddenly, a shell flew in from the hole at a violent angle, slamming into a waterlogged support column it rested upon. The pillar shattered, causing the floor to groan and tilt in a dangerous slide downward. Scrambling, Sunset crawled along the incline, digging her fingers into a fracture at the top and hauling herself further up.

Suddenly, it gave without warning, and Sunset rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding smashing her forehead against the severed edge as she dropped. The balcony floor hit the water with a wet slap, sending a spray of water away from where Sunset lay. She looked up at the shattered walkway with despair, and groaned. "Unngh... How am I supposed to get back up there now?"

Oh, please. As if you really need me to tell you again.

Snapping at the crown to quiet down, Sunset gazed around. "There's got to be another way up... there!" On the far side of the room was a semi-intact staircase. One of its supports had shattered along with half the railing, and it buckled dangerously. However, it was technically a way up.

As quickly as she dared, Sunset picked her way through the forest of broken dome glass lining the floor beneath the frothing waterline. Damage to her shoes, she didn't care about. Cutting her feet... She didn't want to even think about that right now. Especially not her good one.

Leaning against the computer desk in the middle to support her weight as she progressed, Sunset suddenly felt her foot get snagged on something. She toppled forward, narrowly planting her free one in time to stem her momentum... and being graced by a sharp crick!

Grimacing, she pulled herself free, then sat up on the desk, rain thundering down around her. The bottom of her shoe had been sliced horizontally, nearly in half, but there was thankfully no red. Wiping her brow in relief, Sunset tugged free a shard that had become lodged in the sole, strapped the shoe back on, and continued her slog. One more of those, and I'm done for... Gotta be more careful! Get the book. Get Twilight. Get the book. Get Twilight...

Finding the book trolley laying in her path, Sunset knelt down and righted it, realizing that she could use it to test the way much more efficiently than her feet or walking stick. Leaning heavily on the trolley, she tilted and shoved it to push away anything on the floor, stepping lightly to avoid the shattered glass below.

The wind tore at Sunset's hair as she progressed, making her almost glad it was wet and sticking together. Due to the circular shape of the library and the way in which the dome had cracked, the entire room was a howling vortex of self-reinforcing turbulence, spinning and spinning without end.

The one blessing of this, she realized as she reached the staircase, was that it would be putting pressure against the bottom of the stairs... possibly easing her odds of a safe ascent. Maybe. She found herself regretting her lack of knowledge on wind physics and how big a difference such a force would actually make, but wasn't above taking comfort from the idea. Sunset wasn't sure she was above anything at this point.

Testing the stairs with a hand, they wobbled visibly under the pressure, and she groaned. Well... here goes nothing.

The first step held. Laying low to the stairs, climbing with her hands and knees, Sunset fought to distribute her weight as much as possible, reducing pressure on the cracked and sagging boards and increasing her odds of hanging on during a local failure. Forcing her mind away from the list of things she'd like to do to whoever designed such a thin, easy-to-destroy staircase, Sunset took another step, and another, clawing her way upwards and counting how many steps remained. Eight. She reached out a hand. Seven. She dragged up a knee, hissing as she banged it against a rim. Six. She-

Crrrackk! Sunset reeled, fighting for purchase as a tile in front of her collapsed. Doubled over, the previous step digging into her stomach, her arms flailed for purchase, grasping and dragging herself back onto the topmost surviving step. Her walking stick tumbled away, lost to the chaos below. The detached stairs swayed more freely in the gale as another bomb flew in, detonating the computer desk where she had taken refuge not five minutes ago.

Sunset shivered, looking around. In front of her, the next stair up fell away, and the remnants sagged dangerously. It couldn't end here, she needed that book. It couldn't...

She looked up. The balcony was within reach if she stood up fully, and the railing had been blown away some time ago. An intact support column stood directly next to her, indicating that it could take at least some punishment. It would have to do.

Feeling around for the solidest part of her stair, Sunset uncurled and began to stand. The balcony wasn't as far above as it looked, and she clawed at the wet carpet for purchase with her fingers, then her arms. Leaning against the solid platform, using it to support as much of her weight as she could, Sunset tensed, then jumped for the remnants of the staircase.

It shattered beneath her, but she clung to the balcony, legs flailing for something against which to push herself up. Part of the broken support found her, and with several heaves she was able to drag first her torso, then her legs up into safety.

Sunset lay there, panting. A shell flew by overhead, though it didn't fall into the library. Slowly feeling her strength return amid the hammering rain and her aching, freezing limbs, she got to her knees and then her feet, making a beeline for the area where she had hidden the book.

As she limped, another shell exploded somewhere to her side. A shelf of books blew apart, slamming and pelting into her. "Ahrrrrgh!"

They struck Sunset's good side, spraying across the floor, but she still toppled, crying out in pain as she hit the floor. Heaving, she dragged herself out of the pile and continued to her destination.

She rounded a final corner, and saw the shelf: sitting in a dark alcove, undisturbed. Throwing books off the shelves, she reached for her book, and withdrew it.

It was glowing.

"A new message?" Sunset gasped. "Who could have sent this? Spike should have gone through the portal..."

Open it and find out! the crown chimed.

Shivering, Sunset dried her hands and opened the book, careful not to touch it to her wet clothing.

______Heya, Sunset. AJ here.

"What?" Sunset's eyes narrowed in confusion.

______Spike just came and found me. He had Princess Twi's book with him, said something was wrong. From what he's said, it sounds like there's some weird communication stuff going on, so let me tell you what's going on over here.

First up, you didn't come to school this morning. I hate to say this, but we didn't actually notice until Twi showed up and started asking about you. Basically, the whole school's in a bit of an uproar right now on account of some drama involving Principal Celestia and a car crash, so I guess you could say we had bigger things to worry about.

Anyway, like I said, Twi- the Princess- showed up bright and early, saying something about a magical map and you being in trouble. We tried calling and texting you and got nothing back, so the seven of us got together- classes got cancelled- and went over to your place to look for you.

Nothing. Not a trace, and we searched the whole apartment from top to bottom. Hope you're OK with that, by the way. We were worried about you. Anyway, we were all still pretty spooked by what happened last night, and Pinkie and Rainbow started wondering if the two events were related- you disappearing, and the big crash and all. I figured we were just getting paranoid and skittish, so we sort of just left to go calm our nerves.

Oh, Twi (still the Princess) was getting all jumpy too. She kept saying something about how she had cut you off, and eventually left for Equestria to go try to write to you again. Well, I guess we know how that turned out.

Spike and Twi's book are with me now. We all went home after that, but I'm going to go round everyone up once again and see if we can put our brains together to help you. Hope to have you back soon. And remember, Sunset, we're your friends and will always stick with you. AJ out.

Sunset turned the page to keep reading; there was apparently more to the message. Impatiently, the crown's voice buzzed in her head: Oh, are you just gonna sit around here all day reading that thing one line at a time? We're in the middle of a battle in a storm in a collapsing building! Just skim the pages, and I'll remember everything and tell it to you as you go!

Dubiously, Sunset nodded, and briefly flipped through the remainder of the messages. She didn't read them fully, but it looked like each of her friends had written something. "Got it?" she finished.

Yes, now hurry up, it's raining!

Peering out into the storm, Sunset shivered again, and looked for a safe place to carry the book. Her sweater was soaked through, and her skirt wasn't much better. With a sigh, she opened the wetsuit and dropped it in- it was a tight fit, and she was already hoping she wouldn't have to fight anything, but it worked, and the book needed to stay dry. Sighing, and shivering again from the breeze, she turned to pick up the crown.

The moment she touched it, she knew something was wrong; it was lighter than usual, and bent slightly from her touch. Holding it up to the light, it didn't glint; it had a dull coat of yellow paint instead of polished metal. The lavender star wasn't a gemstone, in this light, it looked more like a giant sticker. The crown was a fake.

"What!? When..." Sunset looked around frantically for the real Element of Magic. "Where are you?"

I'm right here, the familiar voice answered, in you. Where I've always been. As for the crown which presently allows you to use me, I have no idea. The only perceptive senses I have access to are your own, exactly the way you felt when I was in control.

"Then what's this? Who took Twilight's crown!?" Sunset scrambled, searching the floor in a panic, hobbled by her hurt leg and the bulky book bound to her chest. "Who else here can use Equestrian magic? Twilight? Adagio? Someone who can't use it, but just wanted to hurt me like Starlight, or Snips and Snails?"

Whoever it is, I'm sure they wouldn't have stuck around, Demon Sunset said. This hideout of yours is getting less safe by the minute. Now go, go!

"No. It's got to be here. It must. I'll need it, I- gahhhhaugh!" A shell rolled into the alcove and exploded. Sunset was partially shielded by a stack of discarded books and her proximity to the ground, but the blast smashed a hole in a nearby wall, causing the ceiling to tilt and collapse around her.

Sunset rolled, avoiding a large chunk of falling mortar. It's not here! Get out of here! Run! Demon Sunset urged. Needing no further bidding, Sunset struggled to her feet and lurched to the edge of the balcony, into the storm.

Down below, the water level had risen considerably. It now looked high enough to conceal all manner of dangerous objects below- craters in the floor, angled shards of glass from the dome, anything that could potentially do a number on her shoes and her feet. If she was worried about cuts the first time around... The balcony creaked under her weight, swaying dangerously, and she gripped the one intact portion of the railing to stay upright. The stairs she had used and the bridge to the second-story entrance were both completely impassable, having fully collapsed into the maelstrom below.

Casting about for other routes of escape, the ground floor exit appeared to be her only option. The broad double doors remained jammed with debris, but if she could get to them... Fighting the cold, Sunset staggered to the collapsed edge of the staircase.

On this side, the balcony actually ran somewhat completely all the way to the cave-in blocking the doors. The collapsed rubble there was where she needed to go, and it might be her safest shot at a way down, as well...

Making up her mind quickly, Sunset broke into as fast of a walk as she could. Behind her, another support pillar gave out after a bombshell went off near it, and she felt the ground sway beneath her. Get Twilight. Got the book. Get Twilight. Got the book...

Eventually, she reached the blockage in safety. Sizing it up at a glance, Sunset found one particular large chunk of balcony flooring that appeared relatively intact, leaning at an angle to the doors. Hmm... I bet there's an empty pocket under that thing. It's where I'll start, then.

Sunset slid down to the ground floor, relishing the traction that even wet carpet provided at such an angle. Gripping a beam haphazardly so as to avoid splinters ruining her suit, Sunset began clearing the way around the fallen platform. Eventually, it was open enough for her to see that it was, indeed, empty below.

Ignoring her better instincts, Sunset wiggled under and braced her back against the slab. Pushing against the door with both hands, she heaved, adding her good leg against the wall. Suddenly, the platform creaked, groaning away from the door and into a firmly upright position. Panting, Sunset reached out and gave the door handle a tug, prompting it to rustily swing ajar.

With a smirk, Sunset darted forward, flattening herself as much as she could with the book to her chest and slipping through the crack in the doors. As she vanished, the balcony segment teetered, and fell against the door with a resounding crash, firmly locking the entrance closed behind her.