The Issue of Multiple Sunsets

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

One Hell of a first meeting

"Can I touch your arm?"

Aria Blaze turned to look at the extra nerdy Sunset that was now sitting in the passenger seat beside her. Sunset Shimmer was staring at her arm, eyes wide, and mouth hanging open with a bit of drool at the corner. Ever since the two of them had been introduced, Sunset had stared at Aria the same way that Sonata stared at ice cream sundaes. Not a comforting thought when the way said siren ate said sundae could easily be described as "brutally."

She did not care what Adagio said, Aria still maintained that one had actually cried out in pain and terror.

"No!" she snapped. Aria then turned her attention back toward the entrance of Crystal Prep. There stood this world's Twilight Sparkle, talking to the Crystal Prep students. For some reason or other, they had wanted to talk to Twilight alone, because they were sort of friends or something? Well, whatever it was, it meant that Twilight was talking to them while the rest of their little group were sitting and waiting in the Jeep.

Aria slammed her hand down hard on the horn, holding it down to honk it very loudly for a very long time.

"HEY TWINERD!" she shouted out. "Shake a leg already. Just give them your phone number and you can figure out the orgy stuff later!"

Twilight buried her face in her hands, her cheeks so bright red, they could have been used on a fire truck.

"Really, Aria," Rarity asked from her spot in back, "was that necessary?"

"No, but it was fun, and I'm ready to get going already."

"Surely you could have waited another minute or two."

"Yeah," Aria replied. "I could have. I also could have licked by finger and shoved it in the lighter slot to shock myself."

Which, in all honesty, she would have actually enjoyed it quite a bit. In reality, though, she had actually mentioned it not only because it was silly and sounded unpleasant, but something that Sonata was actually still defensive about.

So, it was actually surprising when she did not speak up to defend herself.

"Sonata?" Aria asked, turning to try and see the other former siren.

"Aria?" Sonata asked as she was staring out the window. "What's that?"

Aria moved to try and get a look at what Sonata was pointing at. Floating in the sky was a figure. It was little more than a silhouette, making hard to catch any real details, but Aria made out a pair of demonic wings.

Whatever it was, she was sure that it was not here for anything nice.

Multiple thoughts went through Aria's head at once. Two of them were tied to typical fight-or-flight response. One was that she wanted to fight that thing: to try and take it down and beat it into submission like when she had been in a full siren and had beaten up a great white shark. Another was that she should flee: just start the engine and get out of there because that thing was out of her league and not her problem. Adagio's voice spoke up in her head, pointing out that leaving would mean abandoning one of the people she had come up with, which would mean the others would get upset, and likely go back on the deal to try and let the three of them return to Equestria. Another voice pointed out that it did not matter if they were allowed to go back to Equestria or not if they were dead, and since they were mostly human now, they could die. Also, for some reason, the song Highway to Hell was stuck in her head.

With a groan of frustration, Aria Blaze threw open the door to her jeep and jumped out, running toward Twilight and her friends.

"GET INSIDE!" she shouted. "Get back in the school! NOW!"

The four girls stopped talking, turning to look at the quickly approaching Aria.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know," Aria replied, "but I'm pretty sure that" -- she pointed toward the flying figure -- " is a bad sign." She turned toward the Crystal Prep students. "So get inside."

The students turned and started running toward the doors.

They did not get far before rings of pale blue energy came down, collapsing around the top of their heads. As it did, they stopped, turning around to face the figure. Their eyes were sightless, nothing but glowing magic could be seen from them.

"Sunny?" Twilight asked, looking at her friends. "Lemon? Indigo?" She held up a hand, waving it back and forth in front of their faces and getting no reaction. The rational part of her knew that she should get away, but between the emotional shock of the situation and the curiosity, she found herself unable to as she tried to figure out what happened.

"Grab her!" commanded a voice, so deep and gravelly that it barely sounded human, much less female.

Lemon and Sunny moved toward Twilight, grabbing her arms and holding them down, while Indigo grabbed her around the waist.

"You," the voice commanded. "Let her go."

Indigo let go and took a step back, allowing the new arrival to stand eye to eye with Twilight. Twilight recognized her instantly, and could not believe it. She had seen pictures of her, and heard the story, but not, she was looking at her in the flesh.

The red, evil, horrendous flesh.

Sunset Satan.

Cyan irises surrounded by black sclera stared at her from burnt red skin. Bearing a mouthful of razor sharp teeth in a grin, she reached out one clawed hand, taking a hold of Twilight's chin.

"So, you're this world's Twilight Sparkle," she growled out.

"What do you want with me?" Twilight asked, trying to pull back from the grip.

"You?"

Throwing her head back, Sunset Satan let out a laugh that sounded like a heavy metal rocker gargling with gravel.

"I don't want you," she replied. "I just want to make sure that you don't use your magic to interfere."

She then turned toward the Jeep, demonic wings flaring out behind her.

"Or you, Rarity," Satan called out. "Either of you try anything, and you very well might hurt one of these poor, innocent girls who simply can't help themselves. And you wouldn't want to do that, now would you?"

Rarity stopped, halfway out of the Jeep. Her eyes narrowed and lips pursed as she scowled at Satan. With a huff, she sat back down, crossing her arms.

"Good girl."

Satan turned toward the mind controlled girls.

"You, --" she pointed at Indigo, "-- and you, --" she pointed at Aria, "-- go bring me the Sunset Shimmer in that car. Now."

Indigo Zap turned and started walking toward the Jeep.

Aria Blaze stepped forward, turned and punched Sunset Satan in the stomach. More specifically, right in the solar plexus muscles. The impact knocked the air out of Satan's lungs, causing her to drop to the ground and hold her stomach as she tried to catch her breath.

Indigo Zap, Sunny Flare, and Lemon Zest all blinked and shook their heads, with Sunny and Lemon releasing Twilight as the magical glow of Satan's mind control disappeared from their eyes.

"What happened?" Sunny asked, rubbing her head. "I feel... fuzzy..."

"Wow," Zest said, looking around. "I feel like I was back at The Rainbow Sphincters concert."

"Last thing I remember," Indigo stated, "we were talking to Twilight when -- OH DEAR SWEET MOTHER OF BASKETBALL SHORTS! WHAT'S THAT?!" She pointed at the prone Sunset Satan on the ground.

"That's another form of Sunset Shimmer," Twilight answered, rubbing a hand down along the front of her shirt. "I've heard stories and even seen a picture or two, but never thought I would actually see it for myself."

"Yeah, really interesting or whatever," Aria said, stepping forward. "But we need to do something about her before--"

The rest of her statement was lost as Sunset Satan shot a fireball. While the humans were recovering from the sudden blast of blistering heat and blinding light, Satan took flight, launching herself up into the air and above the crowd. She unleashed another pair of fireballs into the ground, creating a cloud of hot dust that burned at eyes, noses, and throats.

With the crowd distracted and blinded, Satan turned her attention toward the Jeep, flying toward it as quick as she could manage. Her eyes narrowed more as a predatory smile spread across her mouth, like a hungry shark that scented blood in the water.

Rarity stepped the rest of the way out, focusing her gaze on the rapidly approaching evil Sunset. One hand grasped at her pendant as she lifted the other up in front of her.

"Now, darling," she said in a calm but firm tone, "I don't want to hurt you, but I will defend myself if necessary. As such, I am asking you to not force me to do something we shall both regret. Although, really, it would be best if you chose to assist us in this matter."

Satan rolled her eyes, letting out a snort.

"Oh, really, darling?" she asked, spewing acid with the last word (not literally, thank goodness). "You think that just because you have a taste of real magic, you can defeat me alone?" She leaned in, eyes narrowing. "And what, pray tell, darling, are you going to do? Throw one of your little shields at me?"

She suddenly shot forward, grabbing Rarity's wrist and pointing her hand upwards. Satan's grip tightened, squeezing until it Rarity felt like the bones were being ground to dust.

"I could snap your neck, or burn you into a pile of ashes if I wanted," she growled out. Sunset Satan then leaned in closer, her nose almost touching Rarity's. "Just be grateful I have no interest in doing such a thing."

She then threw Rarity, launching her into the air. Rarity screeched as she flew, like a hysterical missile.

With her out of the way, Sunset Satan turned her attention to the Jeep, and her target.

As the driver's door was ripped open, Crystal Prep Sunset Shimmer pressed against the passenger side, trying to make herself as small as possible and hoping that it would be the one moment where the infinitely improbable happened as she managed to phase through the solid matter behind her.

The view in front of her was pants wettingly terrifying (again, not literally) that student Sunset was having a hard time believing it despite the evidence being right in front of her. A demon with her face. One that was able to fly and launch fireballs. One that was coming after her. And Sunset doubted it was a friendly greeting. There was no fruit basket or anything that said "welcome," or "let's be friends," but plenty that said "I will eat your flesh and suck the marrow from your bones."

One of Satan's twisted, red, clawed hands stretched out toward student Sunset, reaching for her ankle. Images of her sock and flesh burning away flashed through her mind. Sunset's breath caught in her throat, leaving her unable to breathe as her entire body froze, paralyzed with fear.

"Whack-a-mole!" Sonata Dusk shouted as she popped up from the backseat. She then swung down hard, slamming the tire iron down on Satan's wrist. There was a loud slap of heavy metal against flesh and Sunset swore she could hear the crack of bone fracturing.

Sunset Satan screamed out in pain as she yanked her hand back, clutching it to her chest. She glared at the smiling Sonata, baring her teeth and snarling.

"You... little... bitch!"

"Try anything and your nose is next," Sonata warned as she held up tire iron. "Or your jaw. Or anything that gets in reach, really." She gave a shrug. "I'm not picky."

With a snarl, Satan reached out and grabbed a hold of the iron, gripping it tightly. She gave it a yank, but Sonata yanked back, not letting go.

Satan's eyes narrowed as her grin grew wider.

Smoke began to rise from the metal tool, curling around the clenched fingers. The metal began to glow a cherry red around Satan's grip.

"Think you can take the heat?" Sunset Satan asked.

The glow grew brighter, the red moving further along the surface of the tire iron as the area around Satan's hand grew lighter and lighter until turn white. Smoke started to rise from Sonata's hand, the air taking on the scent of burning meat.

With a hiss, Sonata Dusk finally let go of the tire iron, blowing at the palm of her hand.

Sunset Satan tossed the tire iron, the molten metal twisting and warping as it hit the asphalt of the parking lot.

"STOP!" a voice called out from above.

Another version of Sunset Shimmer had shown up. The angelic being that had helped save The Friendship Games: Daydream Shimmer. She floated in the air on wings of light, a white dress floating around her. One hand was held out to her side, with Rarity floating in a glowing ball beside her.

Daydream came down from the sky, floating just above the ground. She lowered Rarity before dispersing the orb, releasing the other girl.

"Never thought I would see you again," Daydream said, staring at Satan.

"And I was hoping to never see you," Satan retorted. Turning she glared at Crystal Prep Sunset.

"This isn't over," she growled out before taking off.

Daydream watched her go before walking toward the Jeep. Seeing the other Sunset inside, she smiled and held out a hand.

"Are you okay?"

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

I'd wonder how none of them thought to remove the crown from Sunset Satan's head, but only Rarity would know that and even then I'm not sure.

[Ri2]

9103876
I'm not sure it would have mattered in this instance.

[ShadowLDrago]

9103911

Probably not, the Sunset in question would likely still be dangerously insane, and who knows how that'd affect the crown itself, but still, thinking out loud and all that jazz.

[Comickook]

Holy moley. Was THIS a great chapter or what? The long-awaited Sunset Satan vs. Daydream Shimmer meeting. And it was quite worth the wait.

Indeed, the exchanges, characterization, action and future chapter set-up are all quite well done in all the right places. I particularly liked Aria and Sonata stepping up to the plate (so to speak) and helping 1. undo the brain-washing on the Shadowbolts , 2. nailing Sunset Satan with the tire iron when she was in range and 3. Generally helping foil Sunset Satan's attempt to kidnap Crystal Prep Sunset.

I'll very definitely be looking forward to the next chapter (as well as the chapter after that and so on).

[aceina]

good chapter hope you update soon keep up the good work

oh also raise your hand if you want to see daydream and satan make out

[aceina]

9105860
ive seen every season of power rangers so yes i saw that and ok just the gold armor and staff made me think of the gold ranger

[Eroraf86]

Well, now we have Daydream. This can only be good.

[Pr1deM0rn1ngstar]

Good grief if those two went at it, it would be like the battles of Heaven and Hell