Demon Shimmer
Meanwhile, Applejack and Sugarcoat were lying down, each on a bed in the infirmary. Sugarcoat had her broken leg in a proper cast and elevated, while Applejack was in a somewhat better shape with regards to visible injuries, only having her wounded arm and its shoulder bound in bandages, but she was in a less focused state. While as an Earthborn she had a much higher endurance than pretty much any Magicborn or Skyborn, and as a paladin and a farmer she had higher endurance than most Earthborn, but running like she did under the spells Sugarcoat cast on her last night and into this morning pushed her too far. “Thanks, for saving me. I owe you one.” Sugarcoat said without her usual bluntness.
“Paladin, Sugarcube.” Applejack said between somewhat labored breaths, “what else would Ah’ve done? Leave yah tah yah death?” she asked rhetorically with a labored chuckle.
“I believe that you are owed an apology at least on my part for what happened. You see one of the side effects of true-name magic is that there is always a balance, you can’t make it sunny one place without causing it to be cloudy elsewhere. In this case, your body seems to be going through a temporary decompensation in order to compensate for the stress that it went through.”
“No kiddin’.” Applejack joked before she finally passed out of sheer exhaustion.
At that moment, Juniper arrived helping an exhausted Flash. “What happened to him?” Sugarcoat asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“He fought a Trial by Combat against Longhorn for about five minutes give or take.” Juniper answered as Flash was guided to a bed, “And yes, he won.”
“Well soldier-boy, you’re more than a pretty face after all. Killing Longhorn is no small feat,” Sugarcoat almost reluctantly complemented the Sentinel.
Flash rubbed the back of his head and neck with his right hand a little nervously, “I couldn’t have done if Twilight didn’t give me a boon or two.”
“Boons? So you’re a Sentinel? I’ve heard about them,” Juniper said as she went over to get some medical supplies to do some basic first aid for Flash, discreetly getting a couple of test tubes. “I thought they all were devotees of Celestia.”
“A common misconception.” Sugarcoat pointed out, “A Sentinel is actually very similar to a Paladin, however, they have a more immediate connection with the demigod they are devoted, which is not limited to Celestia, than paladins have to the Teachings. It just so happens that Celestia has been the only demigod present on this planet continuously for the better part of the last millennium, but Luna, Mi Amore Cadenza, Discord, and now even Twilight can have Sentinels,” While she spoke Juniper tended to the small injuries Flash received from his last charge at Longhorn, while also filling a test tube with his blood.
“Hey, what’s that for?” Flash asked, unlike the others he had noticed it.
“Full diagnosis, just to make sure all is well, and to make sure in the case of you needed a blood transfusion, we know exactly what you need,” Juniper answered. “Which reminds me, I should also get a sample from Applejack as the paladin recovered and was more functioning. Just in case things go for the worse.” Flash didn’t question as Juniper finished with collecting the sample from him and then collected a sample from Applejack before she left the three.
Applejack had a feeling that something was off, thanks in part to both her training as a paladin and her connection to the Element of Honesty but still saw it some sound logic. “Ah suppose that makes some sense,” said Applejack, “but Ah expect ya ta share tha results with the wid us when they come through, et’s a bad practice ta do those sorts o’ tests than not inform the folks ya got tha samples from!”
“Yes, Miss Apple,” Juniper called back. This didn’t fully satisfy the paladin, but Applejack had to accept the answer.
As Juniper left, Twilight and the rest of her friends came in, “Spike is missing. I can’t reach him through our master-familiar link!” Twilight announced.
“Fluttershy could yah cast a few cure wounds spells, so wah can help yah find him.” The paladin said as she got up.
“Was Sunset in the booth when you got the tiara?” Sugarcoat asked. Twilight shook her head. “Have you considered that Sunset took him when she left?”
“But where would she go?” Rainbow Dash asked the question on everyone's mind as they were... well clueless about Sunset's movements.
“She managed to convince Longhorn to be her champion, she had to offer him something.” Rarity interjected. "She likely went to retrieve it so it can be used to her benefit."
Sugarcoat’s eyes widened in terror as she heard Rarity’s statement. “The dungeon! I told Sunny that trusting that bitch was a bad idea.” Everyone turned to Sugarcoat as Fluttershy finished restoring Applejack. “She’s got something planned with the Rustlers. We have to get to the dungeon before she releases them.”
“Indy, me and the others will meet ya there.” Rainbow then flew leaving a rainbow in her wake before anyone had the chance to correct her grammar.
“Are all Mystican Skyborn like that?” Sugarcoat asked the rest.
“Sadly, it is pretty much the rule, ” Flash answered as he went over to Sugarcoat bed, “Need a lift?” Sugarcoat nodded as Flash became a human crutch for Sugarcoat and the group started towards the dungeons.
Twilight had a little more to add to Flash’s statement, as Sugarcoat directed the group, “Or at least it seems so. From my observations, they seem to have four settings, which Rainbow tends to cycle through. Those are Half-cocked, which she just so happened to demonstrate; genuinely caring, you should see her with her pet turtle some time; totally competitive, she takes challenges way too seriously and lazy as all get out, I can not begin to tell how many times I caught her just lounging about somewhere for no good reason beyond her terrible explanations.” Flash and Fluttershy shared a look basically saying to each other, ‘she has no idea what she’s talking about.’
Spike was snarling and growling as he was tried to break the leash that Sunset used to keep him to the wall in one of the empty cells, but he gave up once he realized that he was grossly ignored by Sunset as her attention was recounting the results of duel to the minotaurs and elected to just watch and see what Sunset was doing. Once she told about how Flash was given a new weapon by Twilight, “We have heard enough,” Doc Holstein said. “Longhorn is dead isn’t he?” Sunset only gave a closed-eyed sad looking nod. The minotaurs looked at each other as if they were having a silent conversation. Doc then turned back to Sunset, “If you will set us free, give us the power you gave Longhorn, and let us avenge our leader, we will fight for you.” Doc said as he took a knee, the other minotaurs then followed suit, “We will help you claim Midnight Castle. We will give you Mystica.”
Sunset hid her toothy evil smile as they all also bowed their heads at this. She raised her head and put her left foot in between the bars, the soul of it lifted up slightly at an angle. “You know what to do,” she stated. With some reluctance and hesitation, each of the minotaurs lowered himself to walk on his knuckles and knees, his head down and once close enough to her foot licked it in subjectivization, and after licking her foot they remained in a kowtow state as the others did likewise. Doc was the last one do so, but he did not kowtow like the others standing on his knees looking up to Sunset like he was the first of her disciples. Sunset brought her foot back and her hands started to glow a bright opal as they passed through the bars.
Spike, with his draconic eyes, saw something amiss in the glow. His eyes widened in a blend of terror and horror as if in a memory in a dream and a dream in a memory he had showed him the same spell used on someone he cared for. “NOOOOO!!!” he shouted revealing that he could still speak. Not that is stopped anything.
‘NOOOOO!!!’
Twilight et al had arrived at the entrance to the dungeons, the guards there were looking at each other utter confused at what they all just heard. Sunny, however, didn’t stop and went to the guards. “Open the door! By the authority as heir to Midnight Castle, Open the door.” Sunny’s holy symbol flashed and the guard with the key ring took it off his belt and went for the key to the door. It took him a second or two, but it felt like a solid minute for Sunny et al before he opened the door. The group more or less pushed the guards aside as they entered the dungeon
“Take one more step,” they heard as they saw Sunset at the other end of the dungeon with Spike in an orb of bright opal magic floating next to her left hand, her left hand and focus gem both glowing the same color as the orb, “And Fido here will be crushed to death.” She then tightened her grip and Spike start crying in pain as he was being crushed.
Twilight was about to run past everyone but was held back by Applejack, “Don’t hurt him!” she pleaded as it was clear Applejack was not going to let her go until she calmed down.
Applejack then shot a disapproving glare at Rarity, as she was levitating a block to send it flying at Sunset. “But she’s hurting Spikey-wikey,” Rarity challenged. However, the paladin won the silent test of wills as Rarity reluctantly let the block fall back into place.
Sunset loosened her grip. “That’s better. Now here is how this is going to work. Twilight send me her crown via levitation half way along the dungeon. I will then send Spikey-wikey…”
“You heartless bitch! Don’t you dare think you can call him that!” Rarity was about to charge at Sunset, but was stopped by Rainbow and Pinkie, “The little dragon is the sweetest soul in the world and that affectionate name, is how I show my appreciation for all he has done for me!”
Sunset could not help but chuckle at this development, and “I knew he wasn’t a dog, thanks for the confirmation, surprising he's actually a dragon. Well more than meets the eye." Sunset then cleared her throat. "But as I was saying, I send Spike here half way and we swap. Or else…” Sunset then began to tighten her grip again. Spike whimpered and struggled to force back the magic crushing him. After a second, Sunset loosened her hold. “Do we have a deal?”
“You have to be aware that if Twilight agrees to that, once she has Spike, she’ll do whatever she can to get the Element of Magic back and you won’t be able to use him as a shield.” Sugarcoat pointed out the flaw in the plan.
Sunset smirked in response with a chuckle, “She’ll try." Turning back to Twilight, "So princess, do we have a deal?” Twilight took a breath to calm herself, she might have lost to Sunset before, but she knew better and she wasn’t alone, she also had one thing Sunset didn’t, an ally that covered the distance at the speed of light and there was nothing that could trip him up. Twilight then verbally answer, but took off her tiara and began to levitate it to halfway between her and Sunset. “You choose wisely, princess.” Sunset then sent Spike toward the same spot. Once the dragon-turned-dog and the tiara were right next to each other, the magic surrounding each change and Twilight brought her familiar to her at a near neck-break space and hugged him with a big closed mouth and closed-eyed smile. In the meanwhile Sunset finally held the Element of Magic. Sunset started to laugh at her moment of apparent victory. “Yes. Yes. Yes. It’s mine. Everything I’ve worked for. Everything Celestia denied me. It’s finally mine.” Sunset then lowered the crown onto her head. There was a sudden jolt that forced Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash back, as if they felt the vibrations of something out of tune and from the Elements of Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness, and Generosity came in a flash of light that matched Lemon’s, Indigo’s, Sour’s and Sunny’s Aura Marks but them seemed to peter out as if whatever magic placed on them had been dispelled. However, what got everyone’s main focus was on Sunset as she screamed. Her eyes become fields of white as from the Element of Magic a ball of bright opal colored magic with what seemed to be a black vortex spiraling in it appeared before she started to cry with tears streaming down before the opal and black colored magic started to creep and Sunset’s body, as it passed over her body until it finished her skin became a fiery red, her ears became pointed and bat like, from her back came bat-like wings that were the same shade of red on the front but black on the black, the whites of her eyes become black and her face took on a more beastly shape, several of her teeth becoming fangs, and her hair defied gravity spiking upwards. After the transformation Sunset started to laugh as if some part of her was glad to be this, all the while the ball of magic remained. “The power… the power… it’s… ahh...” Sunset said as she held herself as if she was high on a euphoric drug.
Twilight then turned to Sugarcoat and Flash. Both Flash and Twilight recalled what Sugarcoat said when Sunset asked if there was a duel. Sugarcoat reached one arm out to Sour to have the Berserker be the human crutch allowing Flash to draw his sword and get his shield. Sunset noticed that and chuckled, “Oh, you think you actually stand some sort of chance, that would adorable if you didn’t look so pathetic.” Flash was unfazed as he bent his knees reading to flash at her, “Sadly you’ll have your hands full.” Sunset then sent a blast of magic into the cell that the minotaurs were in. The bars vanished allowing the minotaurs to exit and form a wall between Twilight et al and Sunset. However the minotaurs looked more like how Longhorn looked when Flash stabbed him before his sword’s blade melted, but they all seemed to be individually weaker than Longhorn was Flash more so than anyone else knew that while numbers alone don’t convey victory, quantity is quality all its own. “Have fun. I got few scores to settle before the big one.” Sunset blasted the wall behind her, which led out to the castle’s courtyard. “Tata,” and Sunset flew out the opening.
“Go! I got this.” Flash said as his blade glowed purple like Twilight’s hair and his wings flashed the same shade of purple before he burst to the wall cleaving a path for the girls and Spike to go through before doubling back to buy them time to get past the score of demonic minotaurs. Most of the girls made it through the first time Flash bolted through the line. Twilight, however, was still at the other end with Spike. She was writing on a piece of paper, most likely a note to Princess Celestia. Flash could not help but roll his eyes at how poorly timed this was. Fortunately Twilight was a… well stupidly... fast writer and Spike’s message breath still worked. But that didn’t help matters as much as it could… twenty fiery demonic minotaurs about to encircle Twilight and a fallen demigod/demon on the lose… It went without saying, but Flash had his hands full. After his first double back, “Now’s not the time, Go! Go, stop Sunset, your friends need you, I can handle them. Go!” Flash sheathed his sword and taking Twilight by her arm and grabbing Spike before he bolted the two the rest of the group. Once there Flash drew his sword and charged at the minotaurs, while there were still twenty of them, all of the girls could tell that Flash was the only one of the twenty-one about to fight to going to come out of this alive.
The girls continued through the opening to see Sunset was sending various fireballs throughout the courtyard, some simply scorching the stone wall, some causing small craters in the earth, some sending the castle guard that came to fight the demon back, some were used to destroy every projectile and arrow fired at Sunset, etc, simply put Sunset was mostly showing off her new powers. “LADY SHIMMER, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” Cinch called out before ducking behind one of the pillars for one of the walkways in the castle that looked out to the courtyard. Juniper was cowering under the wall next to her.
“It’s called collecting the devil’s due.” Sunset sent another fireball at Cinch, only scorching the pillar, but the point still stood.
“Sunset!” Sunny called out, Sunset turned to face Sunny and the others as they took their weapons, save Applejack and Sugarcoat, the latter never had a weapon and the former had her sword with her usual clothes and armor, and both were still in the clothes they ran the 300-kilometer race in. “You’re still in debt to me, dearie.”
Sunset chuckled before conjuring another fireball and sent it to the eleven young women and the dragon-turned-dog forcing them to more or less scattered, unable to counter. Sunset didn’t let up forcing everyone to be farther and farther from Twilight, who she managed to corner. “So much for friends.” Sunset did not let up until she felt she was certain that Twilight’s friends could not help the demigod. Once she there she conjured a massive fireball and sent it at the trapped Twilight.
Twilight used her arms to cover her face in a desperate attempt to shield herself from the massive fireball, empowered by the Element of Magic, Sunset cast and sent towards her. However, before the fireball hit her she was forced out of its path. As she opened her eyes she saw Flash using his shield covering them as he flew her out of the area, however, it was clear the fireball did do a number on him, his shield was scorched and he had to get it off of his left arm, lest it touching it caused a flesh-melting burn, as Flash the clutched his arm, it was clear the force alone sprained the muscles, ligaments, and tendons and very likely nearly broke the bones. “Flash…”
“Occupational hazard,” Flash chuckled.
Twilight would have also chuckled, but she called out, “Look out!” too late as Sunset sent another meteor into the ground next to the two, sending flying. Twilight was able to recover and land safely, Flash, however, was not so lucky as he got the brunt of the impact’s blast.
Sunset chuckled at the sight, “So much for your hero!” Lifting her hands into the air conjuring and sending another fireball at Twilight, a fireball so large Twilight could not dodge it. “BUT I IT’S ALL OVER NOW!!!”
“Not quite, said,” Twilight, surprisingly unfazed, “you’re forgetting a few things about the Elements. Here’s a hint for one of the things regarding the Element of Magic, it doesn’t like having its power forced.”
Sunset just laughed and said, “Of all the final words you could possibly say, that’s it. No speech about friendship, no hyperbole about my ‘poor’ life choices, no statements about how you and Mystica will be able to get by without your element, just a declaration about why this won’t end the way I think it will. I mean there’s pathetic, there’s idealistic, there’s pathetically idealist, then there’s you. Celestia could have done so much better in finding someone for my old position when she was looking for a new student, the best choice she had was you.” Sunset held the fireball up with her arms held out as it grew to be many times its size. Her eyes became solid… and her voice changed to be more like a stereotypical guttural demonic voice. “NOW DIE!!!” she roared as she sent the fireball at Twilight.
Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash saw this and ran to shield their friend crying “TWILIGHT!!!”
Before the fireball hit Twilight, beams of light came from each of the Elements worn by Twilight’s friends at intersected and dispelled the fireball as if nothing happened. However, the magic didn’t fully vanish only changed its form pulling the six together. Seeing Sunset utterly taken aback at this development. As the magic that pulled her friends into a circle around her, much like their first group photo, Twilight spoke up, “And the Element of Magic get’s its true power from the other Elements of Harmony; Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and Loyalty. And it is with all these Elements together that true Magic is accomplished!” All the while the Elements of Harmony glowed as did the magic around Twilight and her friends. Once she finished the word ‘accomplished’ was finished, the Element of Magic seemed to fly of off Sunset’s head of its own will and lowered itself onto Twilight’s head. “The magic of Harmony.”
In that second the six’s eyes become fields of white and spoke in unison, “SUNSET SHIMMER!” their seventh announced as the six in their bubble rose to look down at Sunset, “YOU HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FORCE THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC TO BEND TO YOUR WILL! YOU HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE HARMONY!” there was a pause as the six looked at Sunset, they didn’t see the demon she looked like, they saw a little girl, a girl that felt cheated after pouring so much of her life into something, a girl that had the same expectations Twilight had placed on her by others, but many more she foolishly placed on herself and cracked up it all. They didn’t see a monster, only a girl on the edge, desperately clinging, a soul on the verge of being lost. “PREPARE YOURSELF FOR YOUR JUDGEMENT!” was all they said as a rainbow much like the one that struck Nightmare Moon jettisoned from the six and struck Sunset forcing her to the ground.
Once the rainbow and the magic dispelled, the six were back on their feet and the only signs of the skirmish aside from Flash starting to recover and the ashen remains of the Rustlers was an unconscious Sunset once again human, but her clothes were tattered and she was covered with scuffs, scrapes, and bruises. “What the actual…” Rainbow swiftly devolved into random groans and grumps and mutterings as she pulled at her hair. She then roared as she grabbed her bow and walked towards Sunset. “That’s it!”
“Rainbow, don’t! The Elements knew what they were doing!” Twilight tried to stop the elementalist as she took her bow and manifested an arrow with one purpose.
Looking down at Sunset aimed and drew back the ‘string’ all the way to her ear. “The Rainbow tasted you, it’s time it returned the favor.”
“I WON’T LET YOU HURT HER ANYMORE!” came a roaring voice that bore a level of authority that matched the sun’s power as Princess Celestia teleported to be right next to the unconscious pyromancer, shielding her from Rainbow Dash’s bow with her wing. In a panic, Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and flew as far back as she could. “ALL OF YOU GET BACK!” Celestia roared, not unlike a mother bear as she conjured a ring of sun quality plasma and used it to force everyone else back. No one was injured, but it was way too close for anyone’s comfort. As everyone was a fair distance away, Celestia kneeled down placed her right hand on Sunset’s left cheek. She then turned to look at everyone else around her, “I can’t lose another one! Not one so young! I can’t bury her! I won’t let you, any of you, take her away from me! Not this one!” She then looked back down at Sunset and whispered, “Not again, never again.”
“What is she talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked while everyone both recovered from Celestia’s outburst and tried to process what the solar demigoddess meant. “It’s not like…”
“Mama…” Sunset said weakly as she began to phase into and yet also out of consciousness.
“Yes, my sunshine, it’s me.” Celestia whispered as held Sunset’s face with both of her hands, “I’m here.”
“Mo…” Sunset started as her vision began to return somewhat erratically and saw a woman with metallic sun-themed wings on her back, violet eyes and implausibly floating hair in a white gown.
Yet she didn’t finish as Celestia moved her right hand to hold Sunset’s left cheek in the palm. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know how much I love you, So please don’t my sunshine away.” Celestia shedding a few tears as she sang. When she finished the song as she pulled Sunset into a maternal embrace
“I am so...Mama… can you...” Sunset then, for the first time in so long broke down and cried. “Mama!”
Predictably the onlookers were very much confused, Twilight having gotten such a great shock that it seemed as if a light breeze could tip her over should it blow through the area, granted the reasons for their states of shock were entirely different from each other. “Ahem.” Cinch coughed as she stepped forward. “Princess Celestia.”
Celestia got back to her feet and turned to face Cinch, both gave a slight scowl, neither were really pleased to meet each other, but they both knew how to put up the facade of working together peacefully, “Baroness Cinch, you’re looking well, I am sorry about your late husband.”
Cinch took off her glasses and cleaned them with a cloth she had in one of her pockets, “May we dispense with the pleasantries,” both leaders knew that Cinch was electing to cut to the chase. Once the glasses were cleaned and placed back on, “What pray tell brings you here?”
Celestia gave a sigh before she answered, she had hoped that Cinch’s stance with her had softened over the years, but it didn’t surprise or shock her that the Baroness was a cold as ever, “I am here for my children.”
“It should be expected that you play fast and loose with that word, ‘princess’,” Cinch commented clearly not amused by how fast and lose Celestia uses certain terms. "If you wish to take your newest ‘equal’, and her ladies-in-waiting, go right ahead, but for Lady Shimmer’s…”
“Life imprisonment in Stonlingrad,” Celestia said almost too fast, cutting Cinch off. Cinch was taken aback, Stonlingrad was almost impossible to get out of, most of the inmates sentenced to life there died within a year with the exception of Nightshade the disgraced Wonderbolt. If Celestia was offering this, it could come out her nation’s revenue, something the taxpaying subjects would object to on principle, “At my expense.” Celestia finished, seeing Cinch ponder and knowing what gave the baroness pause.
“And should she be pardoned of her crimes in Mystica, that doesn’t translate here, however, if a convincing enough argument can be made, I might agree to commute the sentence.” Cinch was not agreeing, merely stating some of her own terms to this negotiations. Celestia knew that as well, she had dealt with other political powers in various places around the world to be foolish to assume that the deal was set.
“I do suppose that if we were to agree to any commuting of Sunset’s sentence, it would behoove us to have stronger ties.” Celestia knew better than to actually make the first offer in this regard, but she knew she had to be the to set the stage, she had ruled a continent-wide nation for the better part of a millennium on her own.
Cinch, also knew better to make the offer too, but she also knew Celestia could run out the clock, she, on the other hand, could not. Knowing she would have to make the first actual pitch, “Perhaps we start with a small retinue of the ESM, for training purposes at the least.”
Celestia knew it was only a start, but having a support garrison only goes so far, a lot of Mystica’s relationships with its allies was strongly re-enforced with trade, “And it would benefit us both more if we were to start trading goods more directly. There is a portal that leads to the greater area of the domain from Mystica, which can be moved to the Chantalot marketplace, and very likely adjust this side’s entrance to be much closer.”
“Although it would erroneous to leave it unprotected if it were to be left open indefinitely. Perhaps the retinue would be best stationed there, a short flight for any Skyborn and realistic distance for teleportation spells for Magicborns, of course, one or two members of the garrison actually residing at Midnight Castle on rotation.” Cinch suggested.
Celestia knew Cinch was about to accept the offer the deal, but she also knew she had to be the one to make the final pitch, it was nature of the beast, “We can start building tomorrow.”
Cinch gave a small grin, Celestia knew the deal was accepted, but there was still one more song and dance. Cinch’s smile faded and “Miss Montagne,”
“Yes, Baroness.”
“Get a quill and parchment, Princess Celestia and I have a treaty to write up.” As Juniper went to fetch the items in question. “Oh and make sure the injured parties currently not en route to the infirmary are escorted to it and see to that they are treated on your way.”
“Of course, Baroness,” Juniper said as she and a handful of guards led Twilight, Sunset, and Flash to the castle’s infirmary.
The following day, after as the garrison's construction was underway, before the portal was opened for Twilight and her friends’ return to Mystica, Celestia having taken Sunset the afternoon before to be replaced by a century of the ESM who were currently constructing the garrison with some help from the locals, Twilight found Flash sitting down on a log, he was on his break, she elected to join him. They sat in silence for a few seconds, Twilight had no idea what to say or where to start. If Flash was going to be assigned here indefinitely then, “It sucks, doesn’t?” Flash asked breaking the silence, after assessing what kept Twilight herself silent.
“Yeah, being so far apart, even with your letters or if the other end was put in Magiville…” Twilight trailed off. She never fully grasped that being in love while young could be so hard until this moment.
Twilight then felt her right hand being gripped and squeezed tenderly. She looked up to see Flash had turned to face her. “I don’t like it either. But unless something happens and I am somehow stationed much closer to Magiville, as if Shining would elect to reactivate the old Everfree Keep, we’ll only be chasing a dream.” Both dipped their heads and looked away. “For what it might be worth, if anything, I will always be your devotee for the rest of my life.”
“It doesn’t feel like it’s worth a lot,” Twilight said as tears slowly started to form in the corners of her eyes. She soon felt her face being held by both of Flash’s hands as he dried her tears with his thumbs.
“I know I just said we’ll only be chasing a dream, but if you would let me, I really want to see if I can catch it.” Flash leaned in, closing his eyes, and kissed Twilight.
Twilight, however, pushed him back, “I am sorry, I can’t…” she was starting to cry as she ran to meet up with the others to head back home. Flash could only sigh as he too got up from the log, he had to get back to the construction. After about ten minutes, Twilight arrived at the portal to see her friends waiting for her along with the Shadowbolts to see them off.
“If you want to, you can visit Magiville, I think I find the perfect rabbit for you.” Fluttershy offered. “Angel… he’s not a good fit for you.”
“Yeah. Although I might need a stronger pet, got a bear.”
“I think Harry might have a friend that will get along with you.”
There were a few other conversations between Twilight’s friends and the Shadowbolts. “Well, we best be going.” Twilight interrupted the group.
“Well, Sugarcoat, maybe wah can have a rematch sometime.” Offered Applejack
“If what my father said about sporting events in Mystica is true, there will be the Mystica Games at the end of the tail end of the summer and start of the fall. I think that would be an adequate time and place for a rematch.”
“Deal.” and the truenamer and paladin shook hands. There were several more arrangements setups between the rest of the Shadowbolts and the Rainbooms, but it was time for them to go. They had a train to Magiville to catch. After one more farewell, the six young women and Spike left.
Once back in Chantalot, finding that the mirror was moved from deep within the castle’s depths to Twilight’s room during her stay, Spike was once again a dragon, “I am glad to be back here, and a dragon again, so next stop home...” Spike continued on as he walked out followed by all but Twilight.
Twilight lingered for a couple of seconds, “Goodbye Flash.” she whispered as she shed one more tear.
The following day, after Twilight et al returned to Magiville and a little over a week before the Summer Sun Celebration, Twilight was going over her books, mostly on the wing anatomy of non-Skyborn fliers, namely harpies and the rare but still occasional half-human-half-harpy hybrids known as kestels. There almost nothing on demigods in her own collection and that which already belonged to the Magiville library. Finding little that seemed helpful in the book she just finished reading she levitated it and stuck her tongue out blowing raspberries as a disgruntled child. At that moment she heard the Golden Oak front door open and slam shut followed by Pinkie Pie shouting, “OH COME ON YOU’RE NEW IN TOWN, I HAVE TO THROW A PARTY FOR YOU!”
Twilight sighed as she walked down stair to see who the poor unfortunate soul was that thought the Golden Oak was going to offer sanctuary to anyone running from a Pinkie Pie Welcome Party. As she got far enough down to see who else was there. “Captain Sentry of the Everfree Keep Garrison reporting for duty, your highness,” Flash said with a bow.
Twilight couldn’t contain herself and dove at Flash forcing the two to open the library door and out of the library. As she cuddled Flash, brushing against his neck and under his chin like a happy kitten, she even purred, “Um...maybe you got all the welcoming you need… I’ll go and throw the party for the rest of the barracks,” Pinkie said as she side-stepped away from the scene.
“I can get used to us bumping into each other like this.” Flash joked as he returned the embrace.
Epilogue
Around the same time, Celestia stood in front of Sunset’s cell in Stonlingrad. The cell itself use to be Nightshade’s, “I was a terrible mother.” Celestia started, blaming herself for how things turned out, as she placed her right hand on the clear barrier between her and Sunset, clearly wanting to actually embrace her long lost child.
“Not always,” Sunset commented as she placed her left hand on the clear barrier between the two inline with Celestia’s right hand as if to return the embrace. “But even when you were at your worst, I can’t say you were a bad mom, you had a continental-wide nation to rule, no matter how much you delegated, you always had your hands full.”
Celestia could barely hold back her tears, “That doesn’t change what happened between us, my daughter.” Celestia then gave a sigh full of grief before she continued. “I don’t want to see you here.”
“You’re still the reigning princess… well technically you’re more of an empress, but yeah, but I am not above the law.”
Celestia had a thought, it was a way for her daughter to be free, but it was foolish, risky and had an extremely low likelihood of her seeing Sunset alive again, but the thought of her daughter wasting away… “Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead use to have this policy where people convicted of crimes would perform acts that ran the risk of death for the state and have those acts count towards their sentence.”
“Like some sorta suicide squad?” Sunset asked as she raised an eyebrow
“No, something worse,” Celestia gave a downtrodden look to the young pyromancer, “they would send them out on a quest that they were sure was either was certain to fail or had an objective they knew full well couldn’t be completed. A task that goes beyond a fool’s errand, an endless mission. But many of that day had a different name for it, they called a ‘suicidal quest’, it was something terrible, something Luna and I never wanted to see again.” Celestia stopped as she looked at the floor, she couldn’t hide the tears that were starting to form in the corners of her eyes. “And now, in order to give a chance at continuing to live, I have to revive it.”
“That’s not a bad way to go,” Sunset lied, “so, give me the impossible quest. If memory serves, you, Luna, your protege and her friends have done the impossible before. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn’t try to live up to the example my mother set?” That brought a bittersweet smile to Celestia. “I admit, I let my ambition get in the way and drive me in a direction that dragged your example through the mud, but if doing an impossible quest is the only way to even come close to cleaning it then I’ll do it, no matter how long it actually takes, then I’ll take on the challenge. Besides if my older sister and my kid sister can become demigods, so can I,” Celestia freeze, which went unnoticed by Sunset, “Not biologically of course, in spirit.” Sunset laughed at the idea, Cadance, Twilight and her; all three of them, sisters to each other, to her, a ridiculous notion. All the while not noticing a shift in Celestia’s eyes, before Celestia also chuckled. After the laugh, “I suppose you probably need to get going, you know getting ready for the Summer Sun Celebration, it’s about a week away.”
Celestia gave a sad nod of acknowledgment. A thought crossed her mind, “Warden, jailer, left the barrier for a minute!” Celestia’s order rang and echoed but did not fall on deaf ears, reluctant and hesitant, but not deaf, the barrier rose and in a second, Celestia was holding Sunset like any other loving mother, “I love you, Sunset. I hope to see you on this side of the barrier soon.”
“Me too, Mom. Me too.” The two broke and the barrier was lowered. Reluctantly, Celestia left, there were various things she still needed to attend to. Sunset went back to her bunk, she looked at items in her cell, one was a book, the book that she used to communicate to Celestia, she opened it to her last entry, an entry full of rage, anger, hate, only to see that there was a response, many responses, almost half the rest of the tome’s worth, there were pleas of coming back, tear strained apologies, well wishings, updates on Twilight with hopes that if Sunset would come back, the older girl would help the prodigy with social skills, to challenge her as only a sempai can, how much Cadance missed her kohai, and so many others that Sunset skimmed through to see the last entry by Celestia which seemed to have been written two months ago, it was three simple words, ‘I love you’.
At the same time deep within Midnight Castle, Cinch, Juniper, and Sunny arrived in what appeared to be some sort of laboratory. With computing machines and a large cylinder in which was a bath of a clear liquid and an array of other experiments, such as but not limited to tesla coils providing power, “You have the blood samples from Princess Twilight and Lady Shimmers?” Cinch asked Juniper.
“Yes… Baroness.” Juniper said as she took out of her satchel a collection of multiple test tubes each full of blood. “I also have samples from Twilight’s champion and the rest of her group. Although I still don’t know why I had to collect all these, I thought the samples from the Shadowbolts was enough,” she pointed out as Cinch accepted all the samples and took them to a machine right next to the cylinder.
“My sisters and I were born and raised here, not in Mystica and none of us have achieved a state like Twilight or Sunset. In addition, Mystica has been nurtured by the presence of a demigod for a thousand years as their ruler, image what we could be like with something more powerful.” Sunny commented, “Also, dearie, there is more than one way to beget a demigod.”
“So is this why you were permitted to side with Sunset, to get samples of all their blood, to make a demigod? But what about the whole Elements of Harmony thing?” Juniper asked still not following.
“How else could I get Sunset’s help, dearie?” Sunny asked as if Juniper could not see the obvious. “Also with the small tamperings I was able to impose on the Elements Lemon, Indigo, Sour and I were able to still enabled to have Sunset actually tap into power at the heart of the Elements, granted it turned her into a demon, but you need some darkness to balance the light.”
“However, all this was only part of it. The other main reason I allowed all this was to make an alliance with Mystica. And with a support garrison here...” Cinch stopped as she looked to Juniper as if leading the secretary to her reasoning.
Juniper thought for a moment, “they have a vested interest in maintaining your or Sunny’s sovereignty and will have to fight alongside us should any of our external threats invade. And with Longhorn killed and Sunset incarcerated in Mystica, there no more domestic threats,” Juniper then looked to Sunny Flare, “aside from...possibly Sunny… maybe revolting. Please forgive my lack of tact.” She said as she hid her face behind her notepad.
Sunny and Cinch looked at each other and rolled their eyes ever so slightly, “Regardless, soon we will have the ultimate weapon…” Cinch said as the three turned to witness the machine finished processing the samples and soon something was released into the cylinder.
A zygote.
Meanwhile just near the coast closest to Midnight Castle, what looked like three stars fell into the water from the heavens. Within four seconds three female voices were heard singing fainting at first, barely able to get over the waves bashing on the shore, “Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh.”
At the same time, deep in the Everfree Forest, in a cave under the Castle of the Two Sisters a crystalline tree was surrounded black thorny vines, in fact, they were actually wrapping around the tree.
Well, that concludes 'The Lost Student', and a year since I finished My Little Mages: The Revenge of Nightmare Moon
This has been a longer ride than I expected when I started, much like with My Little Mages: The Phantasm of Philanthropy
So we have the plundervines making their move now (go to My Little Mages: Weight of the Crown), Cinch is planning something very, very... well I can't say anymore.
.
Let's see what's nex...
"I will claim what should have been long ago!"
Tirek? O_O
"Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh, You didn't know that you fell,"
The Sirens? O_O
I have my work cut out for me. And that's not even Season 5... O_O
Well, hopefully, I will be much closer to the Season Eight finale this time next year than I am to the Season 7 finale (still unaired), well I am closer to season 7 finale than I was to the season 6 finale last year. 
Well, see you all soon.
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Well this was a satisfying ending... and now you have me hyped for the sequel!
That being said, if you ever need help with new ideas or storyboarding.... I'm more than willing to help.
That was an explosive ending for this story!
Now, with all this foreshadowing, the excitement will be terrific!
Hey there. Thanks greatly for getting the final chapter up. It took a while, but was definitely well worth the wait. Once again, excellent job on the action, characterization, exchanges, general wrap-up and future story set-up in all the right places. I particularly liked how Twilight proved to be right about how the Elements hate to be forced AND the mother/daughter moments between Celestia and Sunset . At any rate, I will very definitely be looking forward to more of your work, but will also be quite willing to be patient.
Oh my gosh! It's CELL! It's "incoherent gibberish" Cell! This is bad.
8405767
Actually, it's ... well, wait and see.
8405778
Midnight Sparkle?
8405784
I want to answer that but I also don't want to spoil anything. So please be patient?
8405789
Fine then, until proven otherwise I will continue to refer to it as Cell, deal?
So, either Flash was the only officer to apply or all the other officers purposefully backed out to give him a chance with Twilight. Then again, neither of those statements are mutually exclusive.
Also, who did Celestia have Sunset with? Can Celestia parthenogenize or something?
8405822
8405825
Honestly.... I have no answer... these were things that I never considered.
8405834
You know, I was going to suggest that Celestia adopted her, but you seemed to imply otherwise.
8405963
8405973
I'm sure you realize by now that it normally takes two people to make a baby, unless human parthenogenesis is a thing in this universe.
8405985
I know. I am leaving the identity of Sunset's father a secret, for now. In part, because it doesn't matter for the narrative at this point.. Darling, can we please move on or PM me your questions?
To quote Magpiepony's Pinkie Pie, "There's no escape! NO ESCAPE! I TELL YA!"
8407135
Hold on. Was he headed that way in the first place or was the library the closest public building he could use to hide from Pinkie?
🎵Hold on, make it last/Hold on, never turn back🎵
I know old Taylor is dead, but at least she lives on through her music.
8407266
I was thinking HTTYD when Astrid punches and then kisses Hiccup at the end of the film
8407248
Actually, he was at the mayor's office first and has been aiming to go there next, as a surprise to Twilight, but he was spotted by Pinkie. Speed of Light vs. Speed of the Plot...
8407869
Dang! Where have I heard that before? It sounds eerily familiar, but I can't quite place it.
8409610
Honestly I think that's a Foxhelm original...
8409622
It's weird that I would find that phrase eerily familiar because I don't even watch/read wartime love stories. I just know that they exist. 
It sounds like something off of a wartime love story where the guy is going to war and is begging for his girlfriend to wait for him to come back (long pause) which is more or less what this is.
8409622
I think I just remembered what I was getting that line mixed up with. There's a scene in The Midnight Dance by CartoonNerd12 where Rainbow and Soarin were trying to fly fast enough to catch a star. I mean, your line and her scene are kind of more or less expressing similar concepts, except that her scene ended on a happier, more optimistic note. No offense.
8409743
Well, in that scene in that story, that couple finally came to terms with their feelings and they had no perceived obstacles in their way, here is more of at least one of they two vocalizing that there are obstacles and yet that one still wants to make the attempt
8603225
Sorry, darling, but I can't tell you.
There a reason why, at least to me, the Shadowbolts lost to the Mane Six so easily?
8798669
Yes
10546900
Oh sorry, i thought it was a fanfiction of mlp. My mistake.
10546931
No it's a series of book by an underappreciated author