The Worst of All Possible Worlds

by TheTimeSword

Final World: Chapter 2

“How is this possible?” Sunset Shimmer asked, though it wasn't the pony who uttered the words.

The pony version stared up at the demon. “That’s what I’m wondering,” she replied, holding a hoof to her mouth. “You’re what’s been calling me? You’re what I’ve been dreaming of all this time? Everything has led up to you? To me?” Her mind snapped at the thought. “All about me. It’s… It’s always been about me.”

With a reflexive claw bursting out, the demon took Sunset by the foreleg, pulling their faces close. “Who are you!?” she asked, her black sclera swallowing the blue iris.

“I’m you,” Sunset answered, pulling away. As the claw let out, she fell to her rump, continuing her slack-jawed stare. “How are you here? How are you… that form?”

The revelation surprised the demon just as much as the pony. “You can’t be from beyond the mirror, can you?” she murmured, her fingers stroked her cheek. Then, her brows shot together with a grimace sewing her lips. “It was destroyed. Repaired, maybe? Couldn’t be.”

“Mirror? Then—” Sunset’s eyes darted past the gazebo’s frame, out into the darkened land. Her thoughts of the destruction, the torment, and the suffering caused to Equestria riddled her heart. She let out a mournful groan. “It was you. You caused all this.” Her whole body shook. “I caused all this.” Falling forward, she covered her head with her hooves. “I-I’m the worst.”

Crossing her arms, the demon stood with a look of displeasure slanted across her face. “Are you from another world?”

Sunset’s eyes shot up, meeting the demon’s glare. “How’d you do it? Did you steal it from Principal Celestia? Did you win it from Princess Twilight? How? Tell me!”

Bending over, the demon snarled at the pathetic pony. “Are you from another world?” she repeated, more curtly this time.

“Yes,” Sunset soundlessly answered. “I come from a world where you—” She hesitated on the word, brushing back tears “—where I was defeated. Where I was stopped. Friendship bested me, and yet you, here you are, in all terrible, glorious power.”

“Can you bring me to your world?” The eyes took pity. “I’ve grown bored of this empty one. The thought of aiding myself, both of us ruling over another world, pleases me greatly. Perhaps then we can create more than just golden flowers and dust.” Extending a claw, the demon expected Sunset to take it.

But Sunset slapped it away. “I’d never allow you in my world. You’re a monster!” The wall of photos flashed in her mind. “More than a monster! You’re the worst! You're nothing but a blight!” She then lowered her head. “And I thought I was done facing you. I thought I’d only see you in my dreams.”

“You came to my world, found me, and you had no intentions of requesting my help?” The demon let her claw slip through Sunset’s mane, feeling the strands. In an abrupt tug, the demon pulled Sunset up by her hair, forcing the pony to stare into her eyes. “You made a mistake coming here.” In her other claw, a ball of blue and black formed, edging itself closer to Sunset’s face.

And for a moment, Sunset felt herself slip into regret. Her stomach quaked in a shallow pool of anxiousness. The need to give up. To let go. Is this fate? Destiny? I got Twilight here. I saw her take off with that other pony, Starlight Glimmer. Maybe this is where my journey ends. Maybe this is what I deserve. Her body went lax in the grip as she grew into acceptance. Only one question held itself in her mind. “How did you do it?” she asked, her eyes staring up at the six-pointed magenta star.

The demon ceased her magic, a curious crease in her eyebrows. She remained holding Sunset in her tight grip, the strands of hair wrapped around her knuckles. “I spent weeks,” she answered, hesitating on the right words. “I used tabloids. Pictures. Recreations. I did everything I could to recreate the Element of Magic, used by that awful Princess of Friendship. And in doing so, I replaced it. Returning to the world beyond the mirror, I was gifted immeasurable power.” She did not grin, nor hide her displeasure. Only an expression of resolute pity remained. “And with the power I gained, I ruled.”

The answer sparked another question for the pony. “Is this ruling?” She lifted her hooves to her sides, displaying the destroyed world beyond the golden flowers.

“It was, once. I controlled that world beyond the mirror, and when I grew bored of it, I brought my minions through. An army to swarm the land,” the demon answered, her claw drifted and extended toward the flowers.

“Then how did it end up like this?” Sunset asked. “We wanted to rule. I wanted to be…”

“Princess Celestia,” answered the demon, surprising Sunset. “She knew of the mirror. When she became aware of my presence, she came to the mirror, smashing it, preventing my return to that world. In my rage, my fury, my wrath—I took her world.”

“You obliterated her world. Your world. This was your home!” Sunset cried, her own rage boiling up. Grasping the claw that dug into her mane, she struggled against the grip. “This was our home! We grew up in Equestria. How could you do this!?”

Dropping the pony, the demon took a step back. “I didn’t want to. They left me no choice!”

“You always had a choice,” Sunset whispered, slamming her hoof into the wooden ground. “When Princess Twilight went through the mirror, you could’ve given back the crown. You could’ve let everything go. You could’ve made friends with the girls of that world! Like I did!”

Scratching her neck, the demon tilted her head in confusion. She hesitated for a moment, her black and blue eyes studying the pony. “Princess Twilight. That was her name.” She nodded. “I remember her. She never even knew I took her crown.”

“How is that possible?” Sunset asked, shocked.

“What do you mean?”

“She found out in mine,” Sunset said, then recalled the events. “I unlocked the doors, treaded like a long shadow through the castle, all my hard work and planning culminated in that one event. Opening Twilight’s door, I went to her end table. I took her crown. I almost knocked over a lamp—but I didn’t let it hit the ground. It wasn’t until…” Sunset realized where the past changed for the two. “It wasn’t until I tripped, awakening both Spike and Twilight. She saw me with her crown. She chased me through the mirror.” Her eyes went to the demon’s, staring up with sudden clarity. “None of that happened for you, did it?”

The demon held a breath in her chest, releasing it to speak. “I knocked over the lamp, it didn’t hit the ground. I replaced the crown. And then I returned beyond the mirror, with them none the wiser.”

“Sorry it had to be this way, princess,” Sunset repeated the words she first spoke to Twilight. “That never happened for you. You did what I tried, and you succeeded.”

“Are you jealous?” the demon smirked.

“No. The opposite,” Sunset answered, honestly. “You never found the comfort of friendship I did. You never discovered your own voice, and the forgiveness of those we turned.”

“Friendship?” spat the demon. “Now you sound like Celestia. If you tried to steal the crown, then you were kicked from her apprenticeship, right? You wanted power. How is it that you became such a crybaby wimp? Did failing hit you so hard you turned your back on what we always wanted? Power? To be something?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, I found the power we craved. Through a stronger magical force, I changed. I became someone else. Someone exposed to friendship and the feelings it brings. The power of friendship trumps any demon's ill-begotten magic. Nothing is stronger.”

“And where are your friends now?” snarled the demon, her teeth bearing down with saliva.

“They’re in my home, beyond the mirror,” she answered, then added, “They’re in the six worlds I left behind, too. And, they’re right there. Up on that hill. In every world I’ve visited, I found them. And they are what we’ve longed for, Sunset.” She held her hoof to the demon. “Your power is nothing compared to friendship. Even the worst person can change. You’ve just got to try.” Eyeing the crown, she nodded in its direction. “Give me the crown, let my friends fix this world. Let me fix you.”

Grabbing the crown with her claws, the demon replied, “I don’t need fixing.” Tossing the crown beyond the indigo gazebo, it landed in the field of flowers, disappearing between the golden petals. “This is who I am. Forever.” Holding both arms up, she extended her wings to full grace. “I am Sunset Shimmer, ruler over this pathetic world. Nothing can change that. Not even friendship. I am... infinite.”

The demon sat down on the bench, facing Sunset. “Unless you decide to change your tune and join me, explaining how you entered my world, I suggest you leave. Since you're me, I'll give you this one chance. That's it. If you choose to stay, I can't say what will happen.” She then twirled, putting her back to the unicorn, facing out at the golden flowers. She leaned on her elbows, her claws pressing against her face. “Unlike you, I got everything I wanted.”

Sunset took a single step back from the demon, unsure of what to say or do. Her eyes drifted between the beams of the gazebo, gazing upon the field of golden flowers. She tried to remember every dream in this place. The amount melded together like melting wax, only distant memories remained. Bits and pieces. A dragon. Crying. Multiples of friends.

Taking another reflexive step back, she hit the steps and took a tumble. If the demon cared, she showed no signs. The black and blue eyes didn't even turn to the unicorn on her back, let alone gasp at the silly sight.

Darkened skies. Golden flowers. An indigo gazebo. This is why Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon could never enter this place—it wasn’t in their worlds. Rolling to one side, she eyed the still demon. Is it her power that connects me here? Could it be her? If she wielded an Element of Harmony for so long, perhaps the Tree of Harmony recognized the wearer.

As she stood, she remembered something from the last she’d dreamt of this place. Her eyes shot up at the writing, the inscriptions scrawled into the wood like paranoid ramblings.

Indentations of words reminded her of the way she’d written inside the journal that started all her problems. Sideways, upside-down, barely in order. She filled the journal so much she needed a new one, and this demon did the same. Except the demon used the gazebo's ceiling as her book.

Trotting back into the center of the gazebo, Sunset craned her head, getting the biggest of the paragraphs in view. In a whisper she read the words. “I did everything right! This world is mine, Celestia is out of the way, and there’s nopony around who can stop me. There’s nopony anywhere. I’m finally happy. No need to socialize. No need to go out and make friends. Celestia was wrong about everything. She wanted to help time and time again, but the only helpful thing she ever did was banishing me from her apprenticeship. Now look at me. I’m not just her equal, I’m her better!”

As Sunset read through the other scrawlings, something struck her as odd. “What’s with the flowers?” she asked the demon.

Without turning to face Sunset, the demon answered, “Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

“I-I will, I just… wanted to know. The flowers are out of place. And why the gazebo? Where did you get it?”

A long, exaggerated sigh left the demon’s lips, though she remained facing the outside. With a firm grip on the handrail, she snapped off a portion in her mighty grip. Turning it to ash, she held it cupped in her palms. “You’re standing in the Tree of Harmony,” she answered. In surprise, the demon let fall the ash. Her whole body steadied itself against the broken railing. Rising, she turned and kneed the bench she sat on, flipping it upside-down. “You dare cast magic at me!? I felt nothing but a tickle, but that doesn’t mean I didn't understand the meaning behind such an attack!”

Sunset’s horn remained lit, another magical blast ready to be cast. “You. You! You hurt my friends, you hurt their families. You destroyed the world! The whole reason I’ve gone through these worlds—the thing I thought called to me—it’s the Tree of Harmony. The very thing you’ve been standing in, moaning and crying, humming and laughing. All of it! The tree hasn’t been calling to me. It’s pure coincidence that I’m here. Stepping through the mirror, getting caught in the crossfire. It would've cried for anyone. It used your words to beckon for help!”

“What are you even talking about!?” the demon yelled, stomping a foot.

“Fate. Destiny. It doesn’t matter what brought me here. Maybe Discord foresaw everything, maybe he planned it this way. But now I understand what he meant. My crimes against the Elements of Harmony—the Element of Magic itself—it led here to you. To me. All of it, it’s always been about me, even if I was someone else.” Sunset unleashed another blast of magic, blocked by the demon. “All those lessons I learned, I let them burden me. I felt the weight on my shoulders, but it was because I’ve got something to protect that I let it fall on me.”

“I destroyed everything in this world!” The demon let out a rippling wave of magic, forcing Sunset to bubble a shield. The wave followed around the bubble like a flowing river hitting a large stone, reconnecting and breaking the flooring behind the unicorn. “There is nothing left to protect!”

“You ruined this world, and now I’ve told you I’m from a different one. How long before you decide you want to visit it? Even if I left right now, I know how smart we are. It wouldn’t take you much to figure out how, and you’ve got more than enough magic to do it,” Sunset replied. “But it doesn't matter if you think you're infinite. I’ll defeat you myself. And if I lose, at least I'll go down with my head held high. That's more than you can ever say!”

Releasing her bubble shield, Sunset snapped the wood of the gazebo around the demon's hands. Of course, it didn’t work. The demon snapped the magical cuffs like it was nothing. And in turn the demon shot another blast of magic, black and blue. With a deflection from her horn, Sunset too proved it was nothing. “You really think you can beat me?” the demon asked. Lifting her hands up, an explosion of light erupted from the palms, striking the ceiling of the gazebo. In a bright, rainbow-colored explosion, the roof was no more. Only a few beams remained, along with the handrail and flooring. The darkened sky loomed over them as dust settled.

“I don’t care.” Sunset stared at the demon. “All the magic in the world can’t beat friendship.”

The demon snarled. “If that were true—why’d they lose?” She pointed at the ridge; the bearers.

Sunset threw a look over her shoulder, the six stood in disbelief. Their hesitation to help apparent even from the distance.

“Even without the full set of the Elements of Harmony, shouldn’t friendship have won over?” mocked the demon.

“You’re right,” Sunset breathed. “I… They should’ve won. Why didn’t they?” she whispered to herself.

“We heard the stories. Nightmare Moon, Discord, her rise to princesshood. Even their help with those changelings and the Crystal Empire. We heard it all. But I won. I defeated them. I struck down their frivolous power and cast them aside. The princesses. Discord. Anyone who got in my way.” The demon then raised a claw at the six. “But I’m not perfect. It seems I missed a few. Have no fear. In my garden of magic, they'll be home with me.”

With a piercing scream, Sunset grabbed hold of the demon’s arm with her magic, forcing it up just as the blast rang out. The beam sailed above the field of golden flowers, to the hill, and just over the heads of the six. Terrified, Sunset turned to see the destruction, but the bearers were fine. In their fear, however, the six backpedaled out of sight, rushing down the hill and leaving Sunset alone.

A burst of rage swept through the unicorn. “I’ve had enough of demons!” She ripped the boards of the gazebo up from the floor, creating a wooden prison around the monster. It appeared to be a birdcage, much too small for the statue of the creature.

In an instant, the frame was shattered. “You’ll have to try harder than that! Let me show you what years of magic abuse can do to a girl.” Raising her hands, the demon extended a dark field around her. Sunset, unsure of the spell, leapt from the gazebo and took several more steps backward into the golden flowers. The energy transformed the wooden frame, decaying it. Cracked and faded, the paint peeled away and the boards snapped. As the ripple of energy grew, it reached the flowers, turning the golden petals grey. The plants shriveled like raisins, becoming nothing more than stalks, and eventually drying out to the point of dust.

Undeterred by the spell's apparent everlasting growth, Sunset placed a barrier around herself. With all of her magic focused on the shield, she trudged through the demon’s wicked magic. Even with all her magic defending her from the decaying spell, her trotting slowed. The magic tore away at the shield like an onion, ripping the unicorn's magic at an alarming rate. Nevertheless, Sunset pushed forward, her own repertoire of spells at her disposal.

“What are you doing? Do you believe I’ll stop!?” the demon bellowed with laughter. “The closer you come, the worse it'll wear you down, and eventually it’ll reach you. I won’t stop even if it does. My power will extend beyond the flowers, beyond the emptiness. It’ll reach those six and everything else in this world! Nothing will ever interrupt me again!”

“So be it,” Sunset replied, startling the demon. As she reached the center of the broken gazebo, she morphed her barrier, surrounding them both in the spell. The decay broke, disallowed from touching the afflicted outside world. “Keep going. Wither me as much as you want. We'll see who can withstand whose magic longer."

The demon continued her rotten spell, if only affecting Sunset and herself. She studied the unicorn, surprised by the unaltered fur and body of the pony. “How are you avoiding my magic!?”

“We mastered that decay spell! I blocked it with a ward spell. I’m very familiar with both, you see,” Sunset answered. “My cutie mark is magic related, remember? You'd think you'd remember that, being you.”

“But my power extends far beyond your control! I can last for eons, while your magic will dwindle in hours! Do you really want to stay trapped in a bubble in your final moments?”

“You’re right. You can last for eons. You’ve spent time in this world, building up your magic, your strength, and your vigor. But I’ve gone through many worlds. I’ve witnessed a variety of spells, adding several to my collection. And there’s one that makes me really, really mad. It was once used on me by someone I trusted, and now I’m going to use it on me again.”

With the demon’s abundance of magic, there was barely any notice other than the obvious pull of magic into Sunset’s horn. “What are you doing?” the demon asked, her focus remaining on the decay, unable to feel the tap of energy.

“Siphoning your magic. Now I too can last for eons,” Sunset answered with a smug grin.

“Siphoning!?” The word struck the demon worse than the magic. “How did you learn to do that!?”

“I found other avenues.” Sunset increased her draining rate, feeling the power surge through her body. “You can thank Midnight Sparkle for the idea, though you have no idea who that even is. She’s the one who told me to go back through and recount my memories. Filling a scrapbook, as it were. And it’s definitely hard to forget the spell that left me filled with so much regret. A painful memory, but it’s going to lead to a good result.”

Dropping her hands, the decay ended. The demon growled and raised a claw to Sunset. “I’ll give you something to regret!”

Sunset released the barrier and reeled out of slam’s range. The boards broke beneath the claw, and the other lurched for the unicorn. Ducking out of the way, a few strands of mane fell, cut by the sharpness of the demon’s nails. “Stop moving!” the demon beckoned as she sent a strike into the flooring. Claw marks ripped the boards from the ground and sucked the wind out of the air. “This is my world! I deserve to be the only Sunset Shimmer! It's mine!”

“No! You deserve to bear witness to all the pain and suffering you caused!” Sunset pitched back, staggering out of the way of flying debris, and almost tripping down the steps of the gazebo.

“I have! I've seen it all! I caused it all!” The demon lunged forward, slamming her palms on the handrails shouldering the entrance. Her wings surrounded her arms, making her appear as though she were a dark red cocoon, blocking the entrance to the gazebo. “It was my magic. Do you really think I don’t know what I did? The destruction I caused!” A laughter broke the words, a terrible giggle that turned into a moaning cry.

The abrupt change startled Sunset. For a moment, and only a moment, she let her guard slip. A costly mistake.

With her ultimate magic, the demon wrought the world between asunder. Like a snap of reality, Sunset became pulled toward the demon, dragging her to the ferocious claws. Clamping both shoulders in her clawed grip, the demon stared deep into Sunset’s eyes, a grin creasing the pale crimson cheeks. “You and I both know we’re good liars, but you still fell for it. You're mine.”

“And I also know every good lie has some truth built in,” Sunset replied, staring into the deep pools of blue demurred by the blackness of the eyes. Upon closer inspection, she noted the tears unable to dry on the demon’s cheeks, refusing to evaporate no matter how long passed. Within the terrible grip, Sunset felt a presence in her heart. Not quite a link, nor rejection. “We were angry for a long time. We wanted to stand on the top, to look down on Celestia. Is this really what we wanted? To show her how right she was?”

“Don’t start acting like you know me!” the demon spat, her grip tightening in her anger.

“But I do know you! I am you! Or, at least, a different version of you.” Sunset hung her head. “We wanted to rule, I remember so clearly. How could you let this happen? Didn’t you want to be somepony who others could look upon and see beauty and majesty? Is this really what I transformed into? Darkness?”

“You think your words are going to make me lower my guard, but they won’t. We are different! You’ve had friendship for years, while I’ve had… I’ve had no one!” Suddenly dropping the unicorn, the demon leaned back, a single step on cracked boards. “No one to talk to, no one to share with.” When the words hit their magical mark in her mind, the demon realized her mistake in the openness. “Not that I care! Who needs friends when I’ve got me?”

Sunset felt the change. Not just in the demon, but in herself. The Elements of Harmony. I always worried about what their choice of dealing with villains would be. Some deserved their punishment, of stone and crystal, while others only needed a second chance, like Princess Luna. “What do you do for fun?” she asked, thinking of the Element of Laughter.

“Fun?” repeated the demon. “Why do you care?” She readied herself to be attacked by the unicorn, her own black and blue magic forming in the palms of her hands.

I once posed this question to another. If I turned into an evil demon, would they do everything in their power to turn me back to good? Her answer was yes, and yet here I am, thinking that nothing but the worst for myself. Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe with all that magic in her, maybe we can still create something for the ponies in New Equestria. Maybe reshape reality. I’ve got to try, right? For myself, for them.

“I care about a lot of things,” Sunset answered. “Shouldn’t that include myself?”

The demon snarled and threw her hands up, readying a strike. “Do you think I’m a fool? As if I’d ease my defense for you to blindside me.”

“But we’re different,” Sunset threw the demon’s words in her face. “I can’t promise I won’t attack you again, but I can promise to warn you before I do.”

The notion struck the demon, turning the sour glower into searching confusion. “Promises can be broken,” she said, defensively.

“Then a Pinkie Promise is in order,” Sunset said, almost grinning.

“A what?”

Attempting to remember the words, Sunset answered, “Cross my heart, hope to cry, stick a muffin in my eye!” She mimicked the actions with her hooves. “It’s something a friend taught me.”

“If that’s what friendship is, I’m glad to have no part.” The demon stood on edge, though her magic retreated. She stared down her nose at the unicorn, holding herself as if she were waiting for an ambush.

“If you lack friendship, what do you do for fun?” Sunset came close, trotting around the broken floorboards, twisting the demon to one of the stable benches. “You can’t seriously be studying magic still, or dusty old tomes.”

The demon sat on the floor, refusing to sit on the benches too close to the pony. She folded into herself, crossing her arms and hugging her legs. “I do what we've always done. I imagine scenarios. What ifs, and how things could’ve played out differently. Retaking conversations I’ve had and playing them into something else.” She then turned her head to the gazebo’s entrance. “I also made a bunch of flowers when I grew tired of molding the Tree of Harmony.” She ran a claw against the wood. “It’s not even crystal anymore. I don’t remember the coloring.”

“I didn’t think we had any knack at cultivating a garden,” Sunset eyed past the broken beam, staring out into the field of decayed plants.

“With unlimited magic, I can change anything into anything else.” Her scowl returned. “I know what you’re doing, you’re trying to buttery me up.” Her wings extended and wrapped around her, shrouding her in darkness like the shell of an egg. “You want to find a way to use my power against me, is that it? To find my weakness?”

Sunset held a smile. “I already know your weakness. I’m you, remember? I’m the defeated version of you, at least. And I know what defeated me.”

The scowl broke. Confusion warped the crimson face. “I… am grateful to talk to someone again, at least.”

“You’re the first me I’ve met in any of these worlds. I may as well make the most of it. Not like I’ve ever been one to talk to myself.” She chuckled, and the demon, though creepily, laughed along.

“It’s not fair if you’re the only one asking questions,” the demon said. “How many worlds have you been through?”

Sunset tapped her chin. “Not counting my CHS and Equestria, six in total. No—seven, this world’s the seventh,” she answered with a single nod.

“And not a single version of us?”

“There was only one time I found the mirror,” Sunset answered before realizing the mistake. “Hey! That’s a second question. If we’re going to bounce off each other, then it’s my turn.” A grin wrapped Sunset’s cheeks when the demon nodded in agreement. “If there’s not much you do for fun, what about magic? With all that unlimited power, there’s got to be something you’ve always wanted to do and try. I can think of a few myself.”

The demon tucked further into herself, inclining her forehead against her arms. “Our cutie mark is the sun. Would it not be fun to control such a thing? To control all the stars in the sky? To bend them to our will? With unlimited power, with the strength of a billion alicorns, why would I stop at bending them to my will? They serve no purpose to loom above me, acting high and mighty, and so they served no purpose at all.”

Grimacing, Sunset felt a twinge of anger in her heart, but she cooled herself by letting the words permeate in silence. When her rage simmered, she acknowledged the answer. “Your turn.”

“Did you make amends with Celestia?” the demon asked, not bothering to raise her head.

“No,” Sunset answered honestly.

The answer surprised the demon, shooting her head up. “No? B-but you’re different! Surely you’re in her good graces!” The pain on the demon’s face, the expression of regret, it hurt Sunset more than the words.

“When I return to my Equestria, I plan on making amends. Though, I can’t say it’ll be right away.”

“Why not!?”

Sunset let the extra question slip by, choosing to answer the demon’s panic. “I’ve spent so long in these worlds, fighting off monsters and atrocities. I really just want to return home. To CHS. To my friends.”

Crawling like a child, the demon came close to Sunset, eyeing up at the unicorn. “You mean you don’t even live in Equestria? You live beyond the mirror? And you have friends there? How? Why? What good are they?”

“I’ve thought about returning to Equestria, but I couldn’t stand leaving them behind. They’re the whole reason I am who I am. Without them, I’d just be you—no offense.” Sunset closed her eyes, picturing the girls at CHS. “I miss them so much. I’ve been away for so long. All I pine for is returning home and wrapping them in hugs.”

The demon sat on her knees and looked away, refusing to meet Sunset’s gaze once the unicorn reopened her eyes. “Sorry. How many questions was that? I asked way too many.”

“Let’s say two,” Sunset giggled, patting the seat beside her. “I’ve got them off the top of my head.” When the demon rose, clambering against the shredded railing and turning to sit next to Sunset, she acknowledged the inquiry. “Alright. Starters, can you create anything you want? And if so, could you undo all of this?”

The demon squinted, squishing the cyan pupils. “Undo it all? Why ask that? You think I’ll just undo all the suffering I caused?”

“I’m not asking if you would, but if you could.”

Demonstrating her power, the demon fixed the boards of the floor with her magic. “I’m not going to undo everything,” she answered hastily, as though she already tried and succeeded. “If I was going to do that, don’t you think I’d just fix the mirror and go back through? Rule a world with life where no magic exists but my own?”

“I suppose that’s true. You could do that. You could’ve opened a path to any other world, couldn’t you? Why haven't you?”

This time, it was the demon who allowed Sunset the extra question. “I never really thought about going to other worlds, not until you arrived. We really only wanted to rule over our Equestria, right? Even if I turned it into ash, it’s still… home.” She held her stomach. “They deserved it for treating me so poorly. This whole world should’ve been mine, it’s their fault they made me turn it into this,” she added in a hushed tone.

Sunset sat in silence, allowing the demon to ruminate. Something she knew they both did, and tried to avoid.

“I don’t get hungry or tired.” The demon side-eyed Sunset, biting her lower lip as she thought of more to say. “I don’t even know how long the world has been like this. When everything is the same, and nothing changes, it could’ve been months, years, even centuries. How do I know I haven’t diluted time, too?”

“This is far worse than what Starlight Glimmer did,” Sunset offhandedly remarked, forgetting her place in the conversation.

“Who is that?”

“She’s the one who bore the connections between all these worlds. Her messing with time took my Princess Twilight out of her reality and stuck her in another, one with an altered past. One without the bearers uniting.”

“They united here, though.”

“In the six previous, they didn’t. They never knew each other. They lived their lives without friendship, for the most part,” Sunset replied. “When I left the last world, Discord helped in shifting the path that Princess Twilight was on, putting us here, putting me where I supposedly needed to be.”

The demon’s face wrinkled at the name. “Even Discord helped you?”

“In my Equestria, Discord is friends with the bearers. He’s reformed.”

“Discord reformed? Is that why he—” The demon paused, a memory rippling in her eyes, drawing thoughts to the forefront of her mind. “I see now.” She inclined her head, the flame-like beehive unaltered by the sudden movement, not a strand out of place. “I know we’ve fallen out of order, but I think I only have one more question to ask.”

Sunset stared with worry, the expression held by the demon sent a chill down Sunset’s spine. The idea of a final question made her anxious. “Shoot,” she replied, hoping it wasn’t as dramatic as she thought, wishing her mind exaggerated the inquiry.

“How do you travel between worlds?” The demon brought her face close to Sunset, the coldness of her breath struck Sunset’s muzzle. “I don’t care to leave, to be honest. If I wanted to—I could, no doubt, as you've said—go someplace where an ancient castle looms. With history beyond my own. An olden place dwindling in historic euphoria.”

Debating on whether or not to answer, Sunset remained silent for a long moment. A question of her own suddenly sprung up from the idea. “I don’t mind sharing, actually. I think it might even bring a solution to my problem.” Her heart pumped harder, sudden jitters wrapped her legs like jelly in a bath. “Let me start from the beginning, when I first entered through the mirror.”

The demon leaned back, placing her arm around Sunset atop the chipped handrail. She sat close to the unicorn, completely enraptured by the idea of a story. An unheard tale transcending time.

“Princess Twilight discovered a while ago how to keep the mirror open at all times. I decided to sneak a trip in for an afternoon. Upon my arrival, I found a map in her castle and disturbing noises. Placing my hooves atop the surface, I was whisked away to a world where King Sombra ruled. He’d taken control of the Crystal Empire, made his army battle against Celestia’s, and he wasn’t losing. Not until I arrived. The bearers took him on with my help, we stopped his reign of terror, bringing peace to the Crystal Empire and Equestria once again. With the bearers finally united, we returned to the map, which accompanied me in all these worlds, and I sat them down on their seats. A portal opened. I moved on to the next, attempting to do the same things again.”

“You did that in five worlds after that? How many villains did they face?” the demon asked.

“Well.” Sunset waved a hoof, diminishing the success. “I really only helped in the first two worlds. The second, Equestria lost. The battle won by the changelings. Ponies were kept in cocoons, serving as love for the twisted creatures. They’re hard to explain, but they were kicked out of Equestria by the Elements of Harmony. That was the last time I won. After that, things changed.”

The demon leaned away from the unicorn, a wince tugged her mouth and pressed her fangs against her lips. “You, uh, only won twice? Seven worlds and five loses?”

Waving another dismissive hoof, Sunset rolled her eyes. “Quit interrupting me. Gosh, is this how Celestia felt when we were under her?” To her surprise, the demon giggled. The giggle turned into a bout of laughter that Sunset joined, both sharing a moment to settle. “The third world, I actually got along quite well with the ruler. You would've liked her.

“Nightmare Moon returned, and Celestia let her win. In that world, darkness shrouded the land. A true night. Ponies still thrived, even basked in the moon. Nightmare Moon enlisted me to help the bearers gain the Elements of Harmony, and I tried my best. The thing was, a secret plot to take over the government blocked my plans to defeat her. I aided in keeping Nightmare Moon in power, I helped connect them to their Elements, and I even brought Princess Celestia back from the moon, rekindling the sisterly bond between the two. And then I just… left.”

“That doesn’t sound like you lost.”

Sunset grimaced. “Are you kidding? Nightmare Moon still ruled. Not Princess Luna, but Nightmare Moon! A land of eternal darkness! How can you say that?”

“You tried your best, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, and lost. I ran away.”

With downtrodden eyes, the demon said, “I ran away once. To a place beyond a mirror. Except before I ran, I didn’t fix anything. I didn’t even try. I just ran and ran, hoping and swearing vengeance.”

“Even if you count that as a draw, the fourth world I lost. Hard.” Sunset craned her head back, resting it against the demon’s arm and the railing. Her eyes shot to the darkened sky above. “Lord Tirek ruled, sort of. He’d become the guardian for Equestria’s citizens, if you can believe that. He stole all the magic in the world, leaving only a little for the princesses to do their duties. He even tried bringing in other creatures into Equestria to build a thriving community. He defeated King Sombra, and he and I even became friends. I was friends with both of them!

“And then, trying ever so hard to return to my Equestria, to help Princess Twilight stop Starlight Glimmer, I made the mistake of trusting the wrong stallion. Sombra betrayed me, stole all the magic from Tirek, and threw me onto the next world. With nopony to stop him, I’m unsure of what became of the world. I can only hope they’re alright.”

“I don't know who this Lord Tirek is, but I can't imagine it's any worse than this world,” the demon replied.

Sunset shot her head forward, staring at the ashen hills beyond the golden flowers. “I guess you’re right.”

“You guess?” The demon jolted in defense. “Were you not just claiming how I was the worst?”

The corners of Sunset's mouth tugged up as she glanced at the demon. “It’s funny. Discord knew I’d face you. He’d known all along. He prepared me for this, though in the end, it really didn’t help. Nothing prepared me for this world; for you. He’s both the fifth and sixth worlds, though they’re technically different Discords.”

“Different Discords? That should’ve been acknowledgement enough of multiple versions of yourself.” The demon snorted as if the notion would’ve crossed her mind immediately.

Sunset shrugged, her backpack brushed against the wooden frame below the railing. “I knew it was a possibility. There was a mirror in the fifth world. The Applejack there found it. I thought to destroy it, maybe I should've now that I've seen what you've done. It just didn't feel right to. Like, there's always a chance for a change of heart. Right? Discord himself is proof of that. For winning his game, he became my ally. He helped me in the sixth world, dealing with the alternate version of himself and his two twin minions.”

“So, you won Discord’s game. Aside from that world where you were betrayed, that’s four wins.”

“Why are you keeping score?” Sunset asked.

“And if you won the sixth world, which clearly you did since you’re here, then that makes five wins,” deflected the demon. “That’s five wins versus my one.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset pushed away from the demon. “You lost. This world isn’t a win. It’s just… mutually assured destruction.” The demon stared with a rising contempt. “We had dreams once. Goals. What do you have now? A plot of land with a garden of regret and a gazebo of ruination. Come on. That’s a loss.” Sunset clapped her hooves together, as if wanting a fight.

“Now that you’re here, I finally have someone to talk to. It’s not a complete loss. We can stay and play and chat forever.” The demon outstretched an arm, taking hold of Sunset’s hoof. “I’ll make it to where we’re together for eternity. You won’t have to worry.”

Placing her other hoof over the hand, Sunset shook her head. “I can’t stay. I’m going to return home, to my CHS.”

“How? You think those six will really return to the map of this world? Send you on your way? Even knowing they’d be stuck here?”

“It wouldn't be right to drag them that far, but I wouldn't need to. Sombra held enough magic to force the portal to open, to break the seal and move me on. That’s why I wanted to explain all this to you.” Taking the hand in both hooves, Sunset held it to her chest. “You’re a demon. You’re the worst of the worst. But no one ever gave you a second chance. Breaking the spell on the map that Starlight Glimmer caused, maybe it’ll reset everything. Maybe these worlds will disappear, or the events of the past will be reset and this time will be normalized. I can’t say for certain, but I don’t have the magic to try.”

The blackness of the demon’s eyes fell to the expanding width of cyan, her mouth agape. “But I can. You’re saying you want me to undo everything? To relinquish all that I've done and start over? But will I know what I've done? Will I still be the spiteful little mare who wanted nothing more than to be a princess? Or will I be this thing?” The demon glanced down at the crimson skin of her arms. "Will I be me?"

“I don't know. I don't have the answer. But we won’t know unless we try.”

Removing the hand, the demon held it to her own chest. “Why should I try? What makes you think I even deserve a second chance? Would you give Sombra a second chance?”

The question hung like a suspended party favor, twisting slowly and reflecting the light of her heart. Though hesitation tugged at her lips, Sunset’s mind went to the Sombra she met within Princessland. They weren’t the same, the two Sombras. But just as they were different, so too were these two Sunsets. “I would. If I returned to that world, I’d do everything in my power to defeat him. To strike him down. And, afterward, I’d beg him to be my friend. I’d forgive him, just like I was forgiven. Just like I forgive you.”

“Even after all I’ve done? I’ve done terrible things, Sunset. I still hear cries, sometimes not my own. How could anyone forgive that? How could anyone do something so difficult?”

“It’s okay.” Sunset pulled the demon close, wrapping herself in a hug. “I’ve done terrible things too. We’re not so different.”

“If I fix your map, if I break whatever spell resonates within, will I still exist? Will this world become something else?” the demon asked.

Releasing the demon, Sunset met the cyan eyes. “Sunset Shimmer,” she spoke to the demon, “I don’t want you to just break the spell. I want you to come with me to my world. I want you to renounce your evil ways and share in the friendships I’ve made. Only then will you understand your terrible mistake, just like I did.”

“You have no idea how truly I want that to happen,” the demon replied, a bout of tears striking her crimson skin and brushing down her cheeks. “I can’t do that, though. Even if you think I’m worthy, I’m not. I’d rather be here, or perhaps in my world within the mirror." She paused, hesitation shifting her eyes. "But if I can fix the problem caused by ponies in your world, I’d like to try.” She rose up from the bench. “If I’m going to rule the world, I want it to be at least because I did it on my own. Not because some interloper altered the past.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset held a smile. “I suppose that’s good enough. Maybe on the way to the map I can convince you to reconsider. I mean, the girls and I met both Princess Twilight and the Twilight of that world already. Having two Sunsets would definitely mean an easier time of homework.” Sunset rose to stand next to her demon self.

“See, that’s a good reason to not go back. Dealing with homework,” replied the demon, a slight chuckle followed.

“The only thing you’re going to be dealing with is Tartarus, demon.”

The sudden, unforgiving words struck the two Sunsets with panic and concern. Their eyes drifted around the broken gazebo, eventually landing on the group of six who stood within an undecayed portion of the golden flowers. The Princess Twilight of this world had the Element of Magic atop her head, to which she kicked off with her magic. Levitating the real Element of Magic, she placed it atop her head, glaring at the two with a feverish intensity. “It’s time to put you into stone and turn you into pebbles!” she yelled. “Girls! Let us use the Elements of Harmony! Once and for all!”

Before Sunset could beckon a word, plead for sanctuary, or offer a rebuttal, the six rose in a white light. The Elements connected, their power forming. However, the demon didn’t hold back either. Unleash a slashing bolt of energy across the six, the black and blue magic struck the bearers. Like a mosquito attempting to feed upon a diamond, the energy fell apart all at once. “No!” Sunset yelled as the light exploded upward in a beautiful display of rainbow color. It rose and rose and then fell and fell, riding itself toward the gazebo. Toward the demon.

In a moment of fear, dread, and obtained knowledge, Sunset knew what would become of the demon who now had become her friend. Without a second thought, Sunset pushed the demon out of the way of the oncoming blast. Though it meant sacrificing herself, she accepted her fate.

As the rainbow light struck her, she felt pride. Not for herself, but for her friends. No matter the world, no matter the time, they always connected. They worked hard to defeat whatever villain fought against friendship. And as her body turned to stone, becoming a statue no different than others she'd seen, she held a proud smile. She was a hero, if only to herself.

Comments

[prism heart]

I wonder how everyone will react to Sunset's sacrifice?

[Snowkitsune]

Eeeeppp0 we missed girls

[llDenkerll]

Wow... just, wow.

[Anachronon]

So... that happened. I thought that the Elements of Harmony are not stupid, and know that Sunset has changed immensely? She even sacrificed herself. However, they turned her to stone, wow. Still, perhaps the demon will talk to the bearers, trying to convince them to bring pony Sunset back. Hopefully they are not too far gone. Yes, they lost their entire world, so they are more than justified to feel anger. But trapping the mare who wanted to help them out and not doing anything to bring her back would be cruel.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

And now we wait

[Crimson Dawn]

9688172

While the story could go that way you are making an assumption there. This is being done from the view point of Sunset so we know she believes she is going to be turned to stone but by the end of the chapter there is no indication that this has actually happened. She could be hit with the beam and nothing happens. Or she could be turned to stone we will have to see but the current writing does not actually say she was turned to stone.

[Anachronon]

9688306
Oh? The sentence:

”And as her body turned to stone, becoming a statue no different than others she'd seen, she held a proud smile.”

made the impression like it actually happened. My bad then.

[RolkFlameraven]

Ok, stone would make sense for demon Sunset, she is even stronger than Discord it seems, but our Sunset? She might be making it happen, with her own belief.

Either way, I doubt her demon self is going to take this well. Next chapter should be... Explosive.

[RDDash]

Booooooo to Twilight, also Nooooooo to Sunset

[compathorn8987]

9688175
just till friday i think we all can make it

[TheTimeSword]

Since we're one chapter left, I may as well mention this now.

Every arc has a name. They're all mentioned in Sunset's second journal. However, the seventh isn't. I named it for my own help, but it's not mentioned in the story.

The name is: You're Pathetic\You're Mine

[Secundum]

Whelp.

[Csquared08]

Oh heck