"Twilight, this just came from Princess Celestia!"
Twilight Sparkle jumped in shock at suddenly hearing her number one assistant's voice, the sudden movement causing several dozen papers to fall to the floor.
She had been searching for hours through tomes and ancient scrolls - half of which she couldn't even read because the ink had faded - desperately trying to find something that would open the portal.
But....if it was from Celestia...it must be important.
She gently levitated the letter from Spike and opened it. Her eyes widen as she quickly read the contents. "Spike! This is it! Celestia's found the spell we need!"
She read out loud:
"Dear Twilight,
Luna and I have been searching the remains of our old castle in the Everfree Forest, hoping to find something of Starswirl's that I might have missed after relocating. Sure enough, we found a scroll hidden inside a secret cache. If the date on the scroll is correct, we can roughly estimate that this is one of the last spells he wrote before his passing.
The scroll, after being translated, appears to be an updated version of the spell he used to banish the sirens, including instructions on how to perform the spell."
Twilight frowned as she read the next paragraph, "However, be advised that we don't know if this spell has been tested yet, so it is unclear if it will actually work or not."
Twilight and Spike shared an uneasy look before she continued, "That said, I acknowledge that, as a Princess of Equestria, you must make decisions that you believe are best.
All I ask is that you be careful, my former student.
I wish you well.
Signed,
Celestia, Princess of the Sun."
Twilight slowly set the letter down to look at the scroll that came with it, her brows furrowed.
"Twilight? Are....are you sure about this?"
Twilight sighed, then turned to Spike. "No....but it's the only chance I have."
Levitating the scroll so she could read the instructions, she opened a drawer with her magic and pulled out a piece of chalk.
Slowly, she drew a circle on the floor as she recited the words on the paper.
"Voco Magia ad creare Porta
Odium verba divides de lapsi sarcire ruinas
Omnium mortalium unire somnia
Harmonia autem est in omni receperint aestus
"
As Twilight read the spell, her voice reverberated throughout the room. The chalk circle glowed a bright blue and enveloped her in light. Each word she read off the scroll glowed and literally flew off the scroll. They flew around her, glowing gold, as they spun around and around.
"Aperi Porta Harmonia
Aperi Porta Harmonia
APERI PORTA HARMONIA!!!"
The room glowed white, and she was gone, leaving poor Spike looking about the room in fright and confusion.
Twilight landed in the snow on her hands and knees. Daring to look up she deduced that, yes, she was in the right place.....and in one piece, but that something was terribly terribly wrong. For one thing, the sky was green. And glowing. For another, there was a pile of charred rubble next her, still smoking.
The portal.....
"Twilight!"
Twilight turned towards the familiar voice and saw several cars and people in uniform outside the force-field. Police officers, she realized. Among them, she saw two familiar figures, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, looking both shocked and relieved to see her.
As she stood up, it hit her that it was freezing cold, and apparently she wasn't wearing a jacket. Wrapping her arms around her, she ran over to the two women.
"Twilight....how? How are you here? We saw-"
"That's not important right now. Celestia, what happened? Where are my friends?"
Celestia gave a pained look. "I don't know where Miss Pie, Miss Shy, and Miss Applejack are. They didn't come to school. But Sunset....Twilight....Sunset, she...."
Celestia turned away, unable to continue. Luna placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Twilight reeled back as if struck. She was too late.
Steeling her resolve, she took a deep breath. There would be time to mourn later.
Placing a hand on the force-field, Twilight vowed, "I promise, I will find the monster behind this and end this madness. Sunset won't have died in vain."
Celestia's eyes widened. "Died? No...no Twilight...you don't understand, Sunset-"
But Twilight had already taken off towards the school.
As Twilight entered the main doors - she was surprised to find them unlocked - and slowly walked down the dark and empty main hallway, she wondered about this new threat to Canterlot High. If Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were absent from school, then using the Elements would be a problem.
And then there was Sunset.....
Twilight steeled herself. No. Even with Sunset...gone....the Magic of Friendship was still there. All she had to do was find a way to disable the force-field and gather the others together-
"So you are here. Can't say I'm surprised."
Twilight's head snapped up to see a hunched over silhouette a few feet away from her. She could distinctly make out two bat-like wings.
Twilight clenched her fists. "So you're the one behind this! Show yourself!"
The figure paused, then chuckled softly. "They really need to fix the lighting in this school. That's twice now we've met in a dark hallway."
The figure stepped forward, and revealed a twisted, sickly, but all too familiar face.
"S....Sunset?!"
Were it not for the red hair, and the single yellow streak left amongst the black, she wouldn't have believed it. But it was indeed Sunset Shimmer. Her hair was a mess, and covered half of her face, which was pale and gray. The single eye showing had black sclera and a golden iris. She appeared to be wearing some sort of black bodysuit.
Sunset gave a weary smile. "...Hey Twilight."
Twilight felt sick. "Sunset......I don't understand.....how-"
"-did it get like this? Honestly, I've been asking myself that for the past few days."
Sunset gazed down at her blackened hand. "Let's just say I've been having literally the worse week of my life." She touched the wall and it began to glow white. "Maybe it's best if you see for yourself."
Twilight looked between Sunset, then the glowing wall, then back, before slowly hesitantly, touching a single finger to it-
You're Anon-A-Miss!
How could you do this? After everything we've been through?
Secret stealer!
You're not our friend!
What part of leave us alone didn't you understand?!
And what do you do with a dog that starts biting the hand holding its leash? Get rid of it. They've been playing you like a pipe since day one.
Hope you had fun messing with us. Now it’s our turn.
I was stupid.....so stupid.....
Twilight opened her eyes to find she was on the floor. She shakily sat up, panting, her face burning with tears.
She saw it. She felt it. All of it. Everything Sunset had been through. Getting rejected by her friends not once, but twice, getting shunned by the school again, getting lured into a trap with the express purpose of doing her harm, and worse of all, learning that Rainbow Dash had been part of it.
Twilight covered her mouth, resisting the urge to vomit.
"Sorry. Probably should've warned you."
Twilight looked up to see Sunset looking at her, her expression unreadable.
"Sunset, I...I'm so....if I'd known....if I'd been here-"
"It wouldn't have made a difference. They had made up their minds. Nothing you did would have changed it."
Twilight stood up slowly as she gazed at her friend. She sounded like Sunset, but she sounded......wrong. "Sunset......where are our friends?"
"Your friends."
"Huh?"
"Were you not watching the same memories I was? Those girls are not my friends, and they never were. They only put up with me because of you." Twilight flinched at the accusatory tone. "But to answer your question, Applejack and Pinkie are at home, don't know where Fluttershy is, nor do I care, and Rainbow Dash and Rarity are....around, somewhere in the school. They're all alive, though they probably wished they weren't."
Twilight gaped, unable to comprehend the absolute apathy Sunset was showing.
"Sunset, you need to stop this."
Sunset's face twisted in contempt. "And how exactly do you propose I do that? This," she gestured to her corrupted form. "doesn't exactly have an off switch!"
"Sunset, this has gotten completely out of control! There are police outside!"
"Hm. Wondered what those sirens were. Again, what do you want me to do?"
"Take down the force-field! Let everyone go! Let our friends go!"
"They're. Not. My. Friends!" Sunset ground out, and Twilight noticed that her fangs were growing longer. "But sure, Twilight, I'll just take down the force-field, let the police in, and I can explain that it was just one big misunderstanding! Then we can all hold hands and sing one big rousing musical number!"
"Sunset, stop! This isn't you!"
"Maybe it is me! Maybe I like hurting people! Maybe I was lying to you and myself about friendship being worth a shit! Did you ever think about that?!" Sunset slammed her fist into the wall, leaving large cracks. Twilight jumped back, shocked.
Suddenly, Sunset gripped her head and screamed in pain. A giant horn sprouted from her forehead. Sunset's wings flared out as she shook her head violently.
Twilight reached out a hand in concern, but it was swatted away by black claws. "Don't TOUCH me!"
Twilight's eyes widened as she looked at Sunset's face. Half of it was completely black, and there were tiny black veins crawling over to cover the other half.
Sunset suddenly looked frightened, and took a step back. "You can't fix this, Twilight. You can't fix me. Please....just go."
Twilight shook her head. "No Sunset. I won't leave you like this."
As Twilight walked forward, Sunset snarled a warning, "Twilight....."
"I know that things are bad. I know you've been hurt. But this isn't the way! Lashing out won't make you feel better! I know you feel alone now, but you're not. You have me. Friendship isn't always easy, but believe me, it's always worth fighting f-"
"Shut UUUUUUUUUPPPPPP!!!!! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!"
With a roar, Sunset's wings flared out, and bright green flames surrounded the two in a large circle.
Sunset began to laugh. "Heh. Heheheheheh. I destroy the portal, and you come anyway. I tell you to go and you don't. LISTEN! Well, fine. FINE! You wanna stay? Then STAY!!!!"
Sunset made a throwing motion. Twilight instinctively threw out her arms only to lower them when she heard a clanging sound at her feet. She look down to see a sword.
Twilight's pupils turned to pinpricks as she whispered, "....no."
She looked up to see Sunset holding a sword of her own, sheathed in green magic. "Oh yeah. It's round two, Princess. And this time, only one of us gets out alive!"
Wow. Twilight? What a moron you are, if you thought that mere words would defuse the bomb rather than speed up the countdown. And to say that drivel after seeing her memories? You're a fool.
Whether Twi lives or dies is irrelevant at this point, Sunset's broken - and Twilight could've at least given an effort in saying: "I'm sorry I failed you, and I'm sorry they failed you in the end...but please, forgive them and let go - and come with me. I am not going to fail you again..."
Of course, by this point Sunset embraced being evil so it is a moot point.
Now the question is: Death by Cop, or Death by Sword?
What I see is that Sunset wants to hurt everyone that made her suffer. So, considering Twilight was the one who pushed Sunset into the arms of the betrayers, it's safe to say that Sunset wants Twilight to suffer without killing her. So, what would hurt the Princess of Friendship the most?
Sunset is going to force Twilight to kill her, forever staining the violet girl's hands and heart with the sin. Sunset's free and everyone suffers.
Is that right?
Activating combat mode.
So either Twilight gets killed and the story takes a possibly darker theme or Twilight has no choice but to kill Sunset and regretting it for the rest of her life knowing she failed in this circumstance.
Either way.............damn!!
Words can only do so much before they become useless.
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"Keep talking to me! Don't let it take over! You're not a monster, you're one of us!"
Don't keep us waiting so long this time, please.
All I can really picture for this fic tone-wise is 1981's Evil Dead.
The bit with the swords made me snort. If Sunset had said "Groovy", it would've been even better. Of course that's not the equivocal thing happening to the film series, but still.
Quoting Discord: "I'm gonna need more popcorn."
BITCH, YOU BETTER HURRY THE FUCK UP, THIS IS GETTIN' GOOD!!!!
ps: your not actually a bitch, that's just the way I speak sometimes.
As much as I want Sunset to win (because she DESERVES to win!), but I rather Twilight end Sunset, putting her out of her misery. Twilight made a mistake leaving Sunset to the 'evil' of the Humane 5 and not being there for her, she owes her that much. R.I.P. Sunset Shimmer.
The darkness I see is Twilight taking Sunset out with her just as princess Celestia comes to watch and seeing two of her most care for students and a fellow princess die Celestia would go Daybreaker and burn the entire planet. But I think you have a twist. You keep mentioning discord for some reason.
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Uhhh......where? Where did I ever mention that Discord would be in this story?
8575776
You didn't but he doesn't have to be listed as characters.
Next chapter.....
"You cannot be serious..." Twilight deadpanned.
"I'm as serious as I've ever been Twilight! Right here, right now, it ends. Whether it be for me or you will be decided."
Twilight slowly shook her head in disbelief. "You are not in your right mind...This is madness." She kicked the sword at her feet away. "I will not kill you. And I know you will not kill me."
"Do you really want to bet on that?.." Sunset hissed. Twilight looked straight at her.
"Then do it."
"Gladly!" Without hesitation, Sunset raised her sword, but before she could even bring it down, Twilight reached out and grabbed her wrist that held the sword, before twisting it, forcing Sunset to drop it in pain.
"I gave you the benefit of the doubt Sunset, I really did not believe you would do something like that, but I see I was wrong...I know you've been through so much...and I'm so sorry for that.." Twilight's voice wavered. "But this is not the answer...and you know it...Just let it all go, and we can make everything right."
"It's far too late for that, Twilight. This school has practically been begging me to be a monster, so I will. I'll be a monster they'll never forget!"
For the first time, Twilight felt like she truly knew what Celestia had gone through when she had to banish Luna.
Twilight, though, with no means of banishment right now, felt like there was but one way to end this, and stop Sunset for good.
"No, you won't, because I won't let you destroy yourself."
"I already have, Twilight, and now, I'll destroy YOU!!" With her free arm, she struck Twilight across the face, sending her to the ground.
Twilight groaned, and saw the previously discarded sword within reach.
Sunset gave a cry and went for the final blow.
Twilight grabbed the sword and rounded around, barely deflecting the blow from her position on the ground.
There was a loud clang as the two weapons collided.
SSunset chuckled as Twilight got back to her feet.
"I guess we are in agreement now then." She smirked.
"I will do what I have to...You leave me no other choice."
Sunset scoffed and charged at Twilight, the two swords once again clashing.
Back and forth, the two once best friends fought for the upper hand over the other. Twilight knew that her only chance was to fight for all she was worth, as Sunset was clearly doing.
"You. Should. Have. Stayed. In. Equestria!!" Sunset punctuated each word with attacks, her sword clanging against Twilight's as she deflected the blows.
"Yes." Twilight agreed, as she blocked another blow. "we both should have... Neither of us should have ever come to this world... I would rather never have met you, than to see you suffering like you have been here, and like you are right now...All because of that cursed portal.... and because of me."
They continued their clash as she spoke.
But now," She blocked another blow. "I will set everything right."
With new vigor, she began attacking back with her own sword, rather than merely deflecting.
Repeatedly, she began attacking Sunset with new strength. No longer was she a mere high school student, she was fighting now, as Princess Twilight Sparkle, the warrior princess of friendship, who had defeated Tirek.
Sunset was quickly finding herself being overpowered by this new side of Twilight that she hadn't been expecting.
One last time, Twilight brought her sword back, and as Sunset put her sword up to block, she could have sworn she saw a surge of purple magic light up Twilight's sword in a glow, as she gave a cry and struck Sunset's sword with unnatural strength, literally shattering Sunset's sword blade, as she, and her now broken sword, were sent crashing into the ground.
Twilight knew she couldn't give Sunset the chance to merely fix her sword with magic. Before Sunset even had the chance to recover, Twilight put her sword to Sunset's throat.
"T-Twi..."
Twilight froze. Sunset's voice had reverted back to normal, weak and pleading. But Twilight knew it was all just a ploy.
A tear escaped Twilight's eye.
"F-Forgive me..." Twilight whispered, and did what had to be done.
Immediately, her sword disintegrated, the wall of green fire that had surrounded them died down, and had she been outside, she would have seen the giant dome that enveloped the school, melt away into nothingness.
Rainbow dash, who was still holding Scootaloo, felt an unnatural sensation on her arm. She looked down to the spot where the word "coward" had been permanently placed, and, as she watched, the word liquified, and poured off of her arm like oil into a puddle on the ground, and the lacerations on Scootaloo's back began healing before her eyes, until her back was completely clean.
In the gym, the beasts dropped dead and also disintegrated into nothing, while the students were all freed from their torments, and their bodies returned to normal before their eyes.
All around the school, whatever Sunset's dark magic had impacted, or hurt was returned to normal.
Twilight could hear cheers, and cries of relief as people came out of hiding throughout the school.
Twilight paid no attention to any of it, she just hugged Sunset's body to herself and wept.
.............................
As the police entered the school,, one of the students, coming from the gym, approached an officer, practically begging.
"Take me to jail! PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEE!!!!!"
And her mindsight I do believe she views twilight as her last connection to our past that needs to be eliminated one way or another
The ending of this chapter reminded me of a DOOM song.