The Worst of All Possible Worlds

by TheTimeSword

World 4: Chapter 8

The bubbles stopped behind Sunset as she stared up at the gigantic cake. Celestia stood on the opposite side of the table, a fork covered in frosting firmly in her magical grip. The alicorn had stopped eating as soon as Sunset entered the gigantic ballroom. Guests and staff swiftly cleared at the sight of the unicorn, or perhaps it was caused by the transparent prisons full of dragons, Sunset was unsure which. It didn’t matter to her, though. Celestia was the one she wanted to talk to. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t know the right way to form the sentence. It was as though she were trying to tie a cherry stem with just her tongue, a parlor trick the mirror version of Pinkie Pie could do perfectly.

But it was Celestia who spoke first. “Sunset Shimmer. I suppose if you’re going to trample around castle grounds then we should shut down visitation till you’re gone. Wouldn’t want the city to know that we’ve got a changeling up for show.”

“Actually, I left the changeling with Sombra. He’s going to try and study it.” It took a lot of work, but it’s with him now.

“You left our only piece of verification with Sombra?” The fork hit the plate. “Well. I see your sense of judgement hasn’t changed over the years.” She took a napkin to her lips, wiping away the frosting.

“My judgement? Sombra’s been a great friend—I won’t allow you to bash him. Especially not when your own sense of judgement is so faulty,” Sunset fumed, a sudden heat brushing her cheeks.

The elder alicorn rolled her eyes. “Say what you will. My judgement was right about you.”

Those six last words almost sparked the end of Sunset’s lessons. Her face went steaming red, her legs planted themselves wide. An inappropriate flash of fantasy violence struck her mind. She wanted nothing more than to run across the table and slam both back legs into Celestia, just like she’d seen in the action movies Rainbow Dash kept. But a voice cut through her anger like a hot knife on chocolate. “Basing everything on what you see blinds you to new possibilities.” With a hefty breath, she let go of the hot air in her chest and closed her eyes. Focusing on nothing, she listened for a moment.

Oxygen. Breathing. The rapid movements of her chest expanding and diminishing. She could hear the breathing of Celestia. A dragon squirmed, perhaps interested in the fight, perhaps cringing at the argument. A scratch of metal on ceramic. The alicorn moved the plate, a shift against the tablecloth. Focus. She inhaled. “You’re wrong about a lot of things, Celestia,” Sunset said without opening her eyes.

“Why are you even here? Come to torment me?” Celestia grated. Her long legs allowed her to need only a few steps to reach around to Sunset’s side of the table.

“I’m here because of a mistake in time, a portal put me here,” Sunset replied, her eyes firmly shut.

“No. I don’t mean any of that. I mean here, standing in front of me. What are you doing now?”

Annoyed. Agitated. No, I could see that just by looking at her. Something else. She listened to each of the words in her mind over and over. “Tirek told me to stick with you in case anything happened,” she replied.

“Ah, yes. The great Lord Tirek told you to stick by me because of a threat to Equestria. A nice, big threat. A threat that, for some reason, only started instigating after you returned. And now you leave one of Equestria’s biggest threats with the Crystal Empire’s biggest threat. I don’t see why he sees so much in you, he’s going to get us all enslaved or worse.”

“Why don’t you like me?” Sunset asked, opening her eyes.

The alicorn’s face looked as if someone pinched it. With a big groan and a high chin, the alicorn shook her head and ruffled her mane. “It has always been about you, hasn’t it? You’d never dream to think about anyone but yourself or what affects you. You haven’t changed and you never will.”

Sunset remained calm, enduring. She chose not to get upset by the words. She’s angry. Anger gets thrown around at things that don’t deserve it. I threw anger at Tirek when I was really angry about how things were turning out. I was angry with myself. She frowned, dipping her forehead low as she thought. For a moment, she wrapped a hoof around her foreleg, feeling where her watch had once been. “You’ve changed,” Sunset said. “You’ve changed a lot.”

That struck a chord with Celestia. “Me? Canterlot and Equestria may have changed into a direction I hadn’t ever expected, but I certainly have not,” she spat venom.

“No. You’re angry. Consistently angry,” Sunset noted. “In the first world I visited, you were angry. That anger at Sombra turned to anguish, a suffering wonder if you’d never see your niece again or if the war would ever end. The second world, you were so angry with the changeling queen that you destroyed half of your own castle just to get to her. In the third, your anger was focused inward. You were angry with yourself, felt you didn’t deserve to rule. In this world—what is it that is making you so angry?”

“Worlds? Other me?” Celestia asked, but her questions were cut short.

“You know what’s making me angry? If I hear the word angry one more time, I’m going to burn my ears off!” Ember shouted, pulling on her horns. The dragoness had been listening to the conversation, whether or not she wanted to or not. “Nobody cares about your problems! There’s bigger lava fish in the volcano!”

“I agree with the dragon. I’ve talked with Tirek and spoken of your little anger issues. All you’re doing is projecting your own problems onto other people, creating stories and tales of other times to draw support,” directed the alicorn. “So, stow your fantasies and keep to yourself. I don’t need you exploding at me just because you didn’t get to be the big bad villain you always dreamed of being.”

Ember started to laugh. “Hey, the big pony’s got some spunk. Why can’t we be following her around instead?” The other dragons stifled laughs and pointed at Sunset, grunting their agreement.

And as much as she tried to deny it, Sunset felt angry. It hurt to swallow, her neck felt tight; strained. She chose to remain silent, gritting her teeth to bear it, but as the mocking picked up, she felt no other choice but to leave. No matter where she went, however, she could not escape the dragons who were glued to her, their contemptuous laughter only making her more red. She ran faster, out into the courtyard and down the marble walkways. She ran until she was out of breath, reaching a familiar garden. Birds flew from the fountain in the middle of the pony-made grove.

Sunset huffed and puffed, taking a moment to catch her breath as she stared down at the reflection of the water. It wasn’t a clear mirror of herself, ripples of the fountain’s spewing nozzle distorted her face. Her mind kicked itself for associating it with how she felt inside. I’ll start sounding like Sombra, seeing something in coincidence. She sighed, dumping her muzzle in the water and wetting her lips.

When she was done, she asked herself, “What would Tirek do?”

“Enslave all you ponies,” answered the young dragoness.

“Stow it. I wasn’t talking to you.” Sunset shot a glare back at the dragon, but the dragon did not falter.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like hearing the truth?”

“Tirek is trying to make it so you don’t have to fight with ponies. He’s trying to bring you in so that you can move freely amongst Equestria and see new things. What’s wrong with that?” Sunset argued.

“Tirek’s trying to change us, just like how he changed you ponies! What’s wrong with Equestria is that it isn’t Equestria anymore! It’s not even fun to steal from you guys. You’re pathetic.”

She’s not wrong. This isn’t Equestria anymore. It’s something else, but that doesn’t make it worse. My Equestria is filled with all sorts of villains, one even messed with time. Sunset looked at the water for a moment before swiping at the ripples, sending a splash over the side. She shook her hoof off and began to trot, burning a hole in the ground as she walked. The garden was filled with life and looked better than any other universe’s, but Sunset did not care. She could feel her blood boiling. I’ve only been given one lesson. How am I supposed to deal with all this garbage on one lesson? Tirek… What should I do?

Her mind raced back to Nightmare Moon. Would I have ever gone to her for help like I’ve done with Tirek? Why am I relying solely on his judgement?

As she reached the exit to the gardens it hit her. I’m not. I’m not supposed to deal with it at all. Tirek knew that I couldn’t, that I’d get angry. Does he want me to fail? No, that can’t be it. I bet he wants me to learn how to manage stressful situations like this. She looked back at the dragoness, the half-smirk of her beak-like face reflecting in the sphere’s transparent seal. Didn’t he say something about taking the world in? What if Ember takes in the world with me? Seeing the new part of Canterlot sounds pretty nice. And so she decided to take a walk. No one would stop her from leaving, after all. All the guards had been disbanded or sent off to the borders.

She trotted right out the gate where guards once looked at her with watchful glares. Hitting the main street of Canterlot, or what used to be the main street for this world, Sunset knew of one place she wanted to visit first. Heading left, she went down Restaurant Row. Overhead were signs with hoofprints patted under names, but Sunset searched for a very specific restaurant. The dragons would have their bubbles tossed and turned against the signs or low hanging awnings, but Sunset knew they wouldn’t pop, the changeling she left with Sombra was proof enough.

Eventually, Sunset found The Smoked Oat, hoping that a robust stallion with glasses still owned and operated the establishment in this timeline. To her dismay, the shop was closed. Going across the street, she found out The Smoked Oat had gone out of business, much like many of the others. Pinkie worked hard to make sure everyone was as good as they could be. Without her, things are worse off. Well, it’s not like Pinkie Pie ever made her way over to Restaurant Row in my world anyway. She headed back to the main street and out of the piece of Canterlot she’d known all her life. The road went down the mountain, railing guarded the path. Some homes had been built along the way but it was when she reached the bottom that the city opened up.

Ponies stared in alarm at the set of bubbles following Sunset. Most had never seen a dragon, most never dreamt they would unless Tirek got his way. “She must be friends with Tirek!” Sunset heard a mare call out, which was the logical reasoning. “Tirek’s treaty must be working!” another stallion said, which was also logical, yet wrong. Hearing them speak gleefully of the centaur reminded Sunset of Nightmare Moon once again.

“What a bunch of fools. We’re not here to be friends. If we were, why are we in these bubbles? Stupid ponies,” Ember said in a rather tame voice, to which her comrades held the same opinion.

Sunset chose to ignore the dragoness. If Sombra fails, I planned to move through this world’s mirror to CH. If I can’t access the mirror, I wouldn’t mind staying here in this part of Canterlot. There’s plenty of space, and it’d definitely be something new. Not that the library in Ponyville wasn’t nice or anything. She didn’t like to think of what would happen if Sombra failed. It wasn’t just for her sake she was allowing the stallion to work on the spell. If he could somehow see beneath what’s there, he might even discover a way to send me straight to Princess Twilight. He’s good at seeing what’s hidden.

Buildings of three and four stories slowly leapt up, and she found an empty street aside from a few mothers shopping with their children. Though not interested in the material things Canterlot offered, Sunset yearned to see the sights. Cadance would be ecstatic at Sunset’s change of heart.

Soon, the city filtered into buildings with triangle flags of multiple colors strung from roof to roof. A band marched, some celebration on behalf of something Sunset did not know. She chose to escape from the crowds, taking a back way through to another, darker toned set of apartments.

Her curious sense of exploration led her into a petite alleyway where carpets and rugs were tapered to both roofs, creating a darkness along the street. Many buildings on this path were storefronts with studios above. One she passed was a curtain shop with unique designs, the moon being the biggest of the displays. Another shop held crystal balls in the window with necklaces designed in the shape of the moon. Must be an alley for Princess Luna fans. I wonder how popular she is since her return. Some of the dragons were in awe of the merchandise, their mouths openly drooling.

Sunset noticed the big gem shop which displayed brilliantly cut sapphires, each under lock and key. “What I wouldn’t give for a taste,” Ember said, her eyes staring at the main gem in the center, a purple sapphire shaped as a tetragon. For a second, Sunset stopped and marveled that it looked like one of the Elements of Harmony. When she started to move, Ember called, “Wait, wait! Come back!”

Dragons eat gems. Got to remember that, Sunset noted, thinking ahead. The walk helped clear her mind, and it had been a while since she got to see things for fun and not for research. Not that exploring the Castle of the Two Sisters wasn’t fun. She frowned at her reflection in the glass, which is when she heard the rumble of Ember’s stomach. Her eyes shot up a brow, glancing at the dragoness who held her gut. “Don’t look at me like that!” the dragon yelled, shaking a fist at the unicorn.

Sunset smiled to herself as she continued her walk. Reaching the end of the alley and stepping out into the sun, she found the center of a bazaar. Throwing a hoof to her brow to protect her eyes, she glanced around at the world she stumbled upon. Beams connected to the roofs of the square area with four alleyways allowing passage out, all the same size as the tiny one she came through. Rugs laid up in the rafters, but not enough to completely block the sun. Blankets lined the rough cream stone of the square bazaar, and there were tents and stages covering every space. No foliage stood out, there was no room for it. The place was huge, but even so, it seemed too small for the number of ponies. Some danced, some played music, and some did trickeries. She could even see a few griffons, dragons, and a changeling. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the changeling, but none of the other ponies batted an eye.

“You a new act? Dragon balls? You won’t pull in as much attention as me!” a voice said from behind Sunset.

Though the changeling was a surprise, when Sunset turned, she thought it were a ghost. “W-who are you!?”

The voice sprang up, raising blue hooves into the air. “I am the Great and Powerful Tr-r-r-r-rixie!” the unicorn rang as fireworks shot off behind her.

“Trixie!” Sunset almost wanted to hug the unicorn before she remembered it was not her Trixie. “I’ve, uh, I’ve heard of you! What do you, I mean… Are you performing here? What is this place?”

“You’ve found the Talent Market and you don’t even know what it is? I’m guessing you’re not a local.” Trixie trotted slowly around the fellow unicorn, eyeing the yellow and red mane. Her eyes dragged up to the dragons. “What’s with dragons if you’re not here to do an act? Come on. You’re pulling my legs if you don’t have something to show off. Nopony is dimwitted enough to just stumble in here.”

“No, I’m just watching over these dragons for someone else.” Sunset could almost see the enthralled reaction of Tirek if she told him about this part of Canterlot. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found a pony with magic in here somewhere. Her eyes drifted between the sax playing dragon, the griffons playing dice games, and the pony doing a hoof stand with just her muzzle.

Trixie wrapped a hoof around Sunset’s neck, dragging the unicorn forward into the bazaar. “Well, come on then newbie. If you’re here then you’re going to have an act soon enough. Most of us don’t get far from the Market once we get drawn in. And you’re just in time for my act!” The blue unicorn pulled Sunset toward a stage where she sat her down on a sandstone bench. Trixie then rushed behind the wooden stage and disappeared for a long moment. A dual of curtains ran the stage. Sewn in many places, Trixie’s patchwork had to be the only thing keeping them together. It swayed slightly as the performer got things ready.

Some of the crowd noticed Sunset and the bubbles, while others came and sat down to see the show. As the intrigued watchers filled the rows, a set of lights spat on with a flicker and Trixie came running out, skidding on her back legs just as confetti cannons sprayed over her. “Welcome ladies and gentlecolts to the only show in Equestria where magic still exists!” The Great and Powerful Trixie yelled, the applause deafening.

Magic still exists? Sunset almost fell forward at the thought. Her eyes shot to Trixie’s, and the grey pupils that were a common trait to the magic-less were still there. No, she doesn’t have her magic. But to Sunset’s surprise, the blue unicorn’s act did seem like magic. From flaming juggling where she remained unburnt, to sawing herself in half, and even escaping a box full of scorpions, the blue unicorn did it all. This seems far more dangerous than usual. With her magic, she could have just teleported out. Though I suppose that would diminish the feat. Sunset’s hooves were getting tired of clapping, but without true magic, Trixie’s act became far more impressive. Eventually, the show ended, and the ponies around her threw up gifts and flowers to the young, blue unicorn.

Sunset waited a bit for the crowd to disperse, she wanted to talk to Trixie. “Hey, you. Release me! I am Princess Ember and I command you!” she heard the dragoness say. Sunset turned around to see a free dragon looking up with a mocking grin at the cerulean dragon. A sax sat on a strap around his neck. With a shake of his head, the dragon continued on, only causing Ember to violently thrash in her bubble.

“What’s her problem?”

“She’s not allowed out of her bubble. None of them are,” Sunset replied once she saw it was Trixie.

“Well that’s no fun. They looked to be enjoying the show. If you’re not an act, why bring them along? Are you here to drop them off?” Trixie rattled off her questions.

“They’re prisoners, war criminals. You know politics. They burnt the Appleloosa orchard.”

Trixie shifted from one side to the other then back again. “That’s pretty rude. I suppose I’ve spent so much time here that hearing of dragons doing awful things—well, it almost seems like a thing of the past. Growler over there has a pretty good dancing act with a monkey that he claims is a cat, to which he plays a pretty mean sax. Growler, I mean, not the monkey.”

“What about the changeling?”

“Tom? He’s a good guy. He’s willing to transform into whoever you want for money. He’s also willing to do mostly anything.” A creeping blush swallowed Trixie’s cheeks. “Mostly anything. I usually just have him transform into me so I can hear myself speak. It’s like ambrosia to the ears that others get to experience, but I’m never on the receiving end.”

Sunset’s brows fell together. “His name is Tom?”

“It’s just a nickname. Says if his hive knew he were here, they’d march and come drag him back, so he uses a different name. Those changelings are freaky if you ask me, but Tom’s nice. Just, uhm, don’t ask him out. He’ll say no. Not that I’d know or anything.”

Sunset threw a dumbfounded look over her shoulder at the blue unicorn before shaking her head. “So, this Talent Market, it’s just a breeding ground for all the races to come together?” Her eyes shot up to Ember. “See, Ember? This is what it could be like all over the world.”

“Well I don’t know about that,” Trixie replied, wagging her head. “We’re a close family here. We even got a few cooks who used to house a restaurant on Restaurant Row, if you can believe it. A stallion and his daughter. They were run out of the Row because ponies didn’t want to try their food. Something about the marks on their restaurant. That’s how it is for most of us here. Don’t belong anywhere else.”

“Every place has something like this. I’ll bet the dragons have a few eccentric outcast villages,” Sunset said to Ember, but the dragoness didn’t respond. “I mean, this dragon, Growler, he’s here for a reason. Probably doesn’t have a hoard.”

“Doesn’t have a hoard? What type of dragon wouldn’t want a hoard?” one of the other dragons said to another, a fearful worry oozing in his words.

“Oh! We even have an old king who Lord Tirek defeated! He was run out of the Crystal Empire and ended up here!” Trixie cried happily, grabbing Sunset and tugging her through the bazaar’s musical center. Some of the bubbles bumped up against the musicians, turning the litany of music into a jumbled mess of lilting cries. “What was his name again? King Sunburn?” Trixie asked herself.

There is no way Sombra is here, Sunset reasoned. As they pushed through the crowd, Sunset could see the outline and color of a stallion who looked similar to the shape of Sombra. When they got closer, she was aghast to see the similarities between the two stallions, aside from the fact that this stallion was a few more years wrinkly, and a lot shorter. “Hello whippersnappers,” the dark grey stallion said as the two mares came close. “Are y’all here for a signin’?”

“You are not Sombra,” Sunset said dryly, her face stone.

“W-wh-what do you mean I ain’t Sombra?” The old stallion whistled whenever he spoke his S’s, most of his teeth were missing. His snout was so wrinkly that it looked like a shirt just taken out of an old dryer. “I’ll have you know I was king of the Crystal Empire, young lady! I’m thousands of years old!”

Sunset shook her head. She placed a hoof over her face as she heard the snickering of the dragons. “King Sombra is no longer a king. He just refers to himself as Sombra. He also isn’t old. He and the other citizens of the Crystal Empire were gone for a thousand years, he’s only old in relative terms,” Sunset told the fake king.

“Yeah, he’s also a wimp! Couldn’t even help his marefriend out!” one dragon shouted.

“I’m not his marefriend!” Sunset turned to shout.

“And how would you know young lady?” Sombra asked.

She turned back to the fake king. “Because I’m friends with the real Sombra. He’s a bit of a—” Egghead is what Rainbow would say “—bibliophile. Has glasses and a cape. He’s friends with Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. And he’s here in Canterlot.”

Trixie gasped so loud it startled the dragons. “Do you know real royalty? Have you met any of the princesses!?” She then leaned in real close. “Do you know Lord Tirek?”

The new closeness of the magician unnerved Sunset, along with the wide, innocent appearing smile. Bragging isn’t really my style anymore, she mulled over for an introspective minute. “Well… Lord Tirek is my… teacher. I’m his new apprentice,” she said with little confidence. I haven’t learned much from him just yet.

“You’re Lord Tirek’s apprentice!?” Trixie shouted and the bazaar stopped. No music played, no voices spoke. Nothing.

Sunset felt that all eyes were on her. Sharp glances and wide-eyed stares, she was the focus. All were waiting for her to speak. “Uhh,” she stammered. “Yes?”

The bazaar swung into motion. Ponies, griffons, dragons, and the changeling named Tom, they all moved to crowd around the unicorns. Each shouted their question, some outstretched their limbs just to touch the supposed greatness. “Back off! Back off!” Trixie yelled as she slapped away some of the group. “Give her space! I met her first!”

“How can all these people actually like Tirek!?” Ember shouted, her voice amplified by the bubble, forcing all those around Sunset to hear her.

The crowd once again stopped, their sharp glances turned sour, their bulging eyes turned mean. “What do you have against Lord Tirek, young lady?” the fake King Sombra said with his wispy old tone. “I’ll have you know I was happily defeated!” I wonder if that’s true, Sunset stopped and thought. He was going to tell me, I should have let him.

Ember shook with passion, throwing her hands up as she shouted, “Tirek is ruining the world! He takes and takes and does nothing but ruin lives! How can any of you support him!? How can you ponies take his side!?”

“We were social outcasts long before Lord Tirek. All he’s done is allow us washouts to live together in harmony,” Trixie replied, raising her snooty muzzle up at the arrogant dragon.

It was the other, free dragon, who stepped forward next. “Lord Tirek has allowed us dragons into pony lands without alarm or the need for wardens. We don’t need to be friends with ponies. Doesn’t mean we have to be enemies, though,” the dragon named Growler explained in his deep voice.

“I came to Equestria because my species is full of hungry fools,” Tom said. Sunset had not gotten a closer look at the changeling before, but seeing him up close, she noticed the scar across his face. He had all the distortions that came with being a changeling and more. “Most of Equestria still sees me as a monster, and I don’t blame them. But here, in the midst of everywhere else not liking me, Talent Market doesn’t bat an eye at my arrival. Thanks to Lord Tirek, I can be accepted for who I am.”

If the changelings have returned, I’ve got to convince Lord Tirek to help them, there’s no doubt about it. Maybe I can undo the mistake I made in letting the Elements of Harmony decide the changelings fate. Sunset stepped toward Ember’s bubble. “You see Ember. The world isn’t bad under Tirek. You’ve got to see things can be normal for the dragons. You can save your species if you’re just willing to bargain. The changelings too,” Sunset explained.

Ember’s eyes shifted around the bazaar. She placed both hands against the sphere and pressed her legs on the opposite side. “You’re wrong,” she whispered. “You’re wrong!” she repeated, shooting flame down into the bottom of the bubble. “No! You’re wrong!” The temper tantrum grew. “Wrong!” she cried. “Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!”

Sunset watched at the flames engulfed the bubble ball, filling back in on Ember. “No! Ember stop! You’re only going to hurt yourself!” The flames filled the entire sphere, turning the translucentness into a rampaging fireball. Sunset was wrong, however. The flames eventually popped the jail with the dragon’s angered fire spewing out onto the floor. The crowd backed away quickly, tripping over each other to avoid the inferno.

The dragoness landed on her feet, punching the ground, surrounded in flames unburnt by the fire. It was as if the flames didn’t even touch her but simply rested on her scales. They wrapped around her neck, wrists, legs, and belly. A helmet of fire clinged to her like hair. Before Sunset could react, Ember set ablaze the other bubbles, catching the nearby beams between roofs aflame, along with the few rugs that shaded the Market. “Ember! Stop! You’re only going to make things worse!” Sunset tried to say, but she was forced to the ground, pushed out of the way of a burnt rug by Trixie.

“We’ve got to get out of here!” Trixie said as she continued to shove Sunset.

But Sunset fought back, breaking from Trixie’s grip. The other freed dragons began setting fire to the surroundings, some even rushed off down separate alleyways. Sunset trailed along the stone parts of the Market, the fire rapidly growing thanks to the ever blowing mouth of the cerulean dragoness. “Ember!” Sunset called out as she was forced to go around the long way of the bazaar, passing Trixie’s stage. The changeling Tom ran by her, accidentally tripping on his way out. He was quick enough to dodge out of the way of a falling rug. The beam followed, unleashing a burst of fire and blocking Sunset’s path back.

The dragon named Growler was helping the old, fake king down one path as Sunset passed him. Her whole body shook, but thankfully the smoke could not grow thick. The rugs that had shaded the bazaar were falling from the flames, allowing the air to be free for parts where the flames did not touch. One such part Sunset reached and turned, trying to get to Ember, but just as she did, the dragoness blocked it with her flames. “No! I refuse to help the changelings any longer! I will deal with Tirek myself!” Ember shouted at the fire, knowing Sunset would have heard her.

“Ember!” Sunset shouted, garnering the attention of the dragoness. “You don’t have to do this! Look at what you’ve done to this peaceful place! They were happy! They were a community! If you go after Tirek, this is all you’ll find. Ruin and destruction. Believe me. I know that path!”

The dragoness stared at Sunset as the flames rose higher. She did not say another word, and Sunset could only wonder what she might be thinking. Spreading her wings, she flew up into the air where Sunset could have no hope of catching her.

Flames were spreading, the other dragons escaped. There was not much to burn against the stone buildings, but the beams that held the rugs overhead were falling and splashing the fire around her. Sunset jumped over one such beam, her hooves feeling the burning underneath as she landed on the opposite side. Pressing her muzzle into her leg, she rushed out the only opening she could find, skimming into the sunlight of the city.

She hacked and coughed for a long moment, her eyes watering and blurry. “There you are!” a feminine voice called out, rushing to pick Sunset up before the unicorn could collapse on the ground. “Looks like we found your act’s talent. We should definitely leave it for the end of the show, though.”

“Thanks, Trixie,” Sunset coughed into her shoulder. “But I’ve got to get back to the castle and let Celestia know I’ve failed. All the dragons have escaped. Ember’s gone. And it’s all my fault.” She pushed off the blue unicorn, stumbling past the crowd of onlooker ponies who were coming in with water buckets.

“I didn’t catch your name!” Trixie yelled over the crowd, both hooves to her mouth.

“It’s Sunset,” Sunset tried to yell back, but the smoke shriveled her throat. “The name is Sunset.”

Comments

[Anachronon]

I can only imagine how much Celestia will jump on this situation like a hungry dog. I REALLY REALLY dislike this version the most. She is only bitching around and acts high and mighty around Sunset as if she was beneath her. Kind of sad for somone of her supposed age and experience.

I hope she gets her ass kicked at one point, would be well-deserved. Karma!

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Sunset is starting to annoy me. Why she can't see the evil Tirek is doing?

And Celestia, considering your tract record on judgement you can't say a bucking thing.

Honestly I see none of the three princesses will be ruling after everything is fixed.

All Hail Queen Twilight.

[Wysteria]

Yeah, not liking this Celestia. But lookong forward to the next chapter.

[Shade7]

Act 4 is pure weirdness.

Outside of the fact that Elements of Harmony, when used without understanding of friendship literally, turns you into a demon.

Meaning that absorbing elements doesn't actually do anything outside of raw magic. Thus meaning this is either inconsistency that's going to be ignored or my favorite option, Tirek was actually evil and is manipulating ponies to be his livestock so he can consume their magic to the infinity.

I liked Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3. But 4 has been... Boring and confusing. Like I am ready to go to act 5.

Also seriously disappointed if Tirek's just a good guy. Like insanely so.

[Joural]

At this point, I'm mostly waiting for this segment to end. It doesn't feel like it's leading to a conclusion built around how wrong Tirek actually is, how horrible and oppressive the regime he's built is, instead it feels like we're supposed to believe he's legitimately reformed, when he still has the same goals, still behaves in the exact same way- now he just pretends to be doing it for someone else's sake. Whether he believes his own lie or not, it feels like you've approached this arc in the worst way possible.

Also, it's incredible to me that you expect us to buy that Cadance and Shining are okay with Twilight being banished into the dangerous wilderness beyond Equestria. It's almost as ridiculous that Celestial and Luna are okay with sending innocents somewhere so explicitly dangerous solely for not wanting to give up something that is literally a part of them.

[Snowkitsune]

8798985
All hail our furry overlord

[Stainless Steel Fox]

I delayed reading this because I hoped that enough chapters would be posted to end this arc. I have to agree that it's been basically dragging on without feeling as if it's going anywhere. I'm not even sure how this arc will end, and not in a good way. What even constitutes a positive outcome, beyond Sunset reclaiming her magic and getting out of there?

[Lightning_Striker]

I find it interesting, that, in act 3, everyone was critisizing Sunset for trying to make that Equestria like hers, and that NMM wasn't so bad, despite multiple ponies being unhappy, and then their reaction to this, that Tirek must be evil dispite all the good we have been shown. Tirek even allows ponies their own paths, allowing them to leave with their magic intact if they so choose, as well as allowing the princesses their magic. He also has legitamately changed, imparting those lessons upon Sunset, even.

[LordBucket]

Sunset noted. “In the first world, you were angry. That anger at Sombra had turned to anguish, a suffering wonder if you’d never see your niece again or if the war would ever end. The second world, you were so angry with the changeling queen that you destroyed half of your own castle just to get to her. In the third, your anger was focused inward. You were angry with yourself, felt you didn’t deserve to rule. In this world – what is it that is making you so angry?”

This is the first time Sunset's time travelling has been mentioned to this world's Celestia. Why doesn't she ask questions or acknowledge this in any way? She's acting like she already knows. Something similar happened earlier in the arc too: Sunset asked for confirmation from Tirek that he would give magic back to ponies who wanted to leave. How did she know this? I didn't see anypony mention anything of the sort prior to her asking for confirmation.

Also, I have to agree with the other commenters. Arc 4 has been rambly and not very cohesive. Also, Sunset's personality seems to have very suddenly shifted. She's latched onto both Tirek and Sombra way too quickly to be believable, and apparently given up on her magic and her plans way too easily. And it seems like there's a lot of filler material that isn't contributing to the story.

The previous three arcs were cohesive and well written. Arc 4 has been dull and unconvincing in comparison.

[Caffeinated Pinkie]

I for one really enjoy this arc and feel that Tirek is actually doing a lot of good for Equestria.

[Csquared08]

Hmmmmmm

[Ocean Waves]

Something is really wrong in this arc. If there isn't at least some mind control or mental compulsions going on I will be disappointed.