Duel #22: Farewells: To a new Beginning
The gymnasium had fallen into a… perhaps ‘relieving’ being the best description as of the moment, silence. Twilight’s new, or perhaps regained, wings folded neatly at her back, all the while Sunset was still clinging to her, the fiery-haired girl peering over her shoulder at the spot where the parasite had vanished. The remains of Sunset’s black and orange duel disk lay nearby, the device letting off the odd errant spark, the screen flickering and flashing erratically.
“Whatever that thing was,” Twilight spoke softly, “it’s gone now.”
Sunset turned to look at Twilight. What had once been orange, hateful eyes, had now reverted to a bright cyan, the hatred and anger having evaporated, replaced by regret, and what had to be a great relief. The inky, black liquid that once seeped from them had cleared into pristine tears.
“You… You really forgive me?” she asked in a quivering voice.
Twilight answered with another embrace, Sunset willingly resigning to rest her head atop the tear-soaked shoulder. A few sobs still managed to escape her, before she whispered something in Twilight’s ear.
“Thank you…”
Up on the stage, Vice-principal Luna stood forth and began addressing everyone as they slowly began to make their way down from the top rows of the bleachers, “Students! Everyone, please…” she cleared her throat, “Would everyone please remain seated for a little while longer?”
The students, many still shook up from the night’s harrowing spectacle, though voicing confusion or discontent, complied with the head of the school. Everyone murmured in hushed tones, about the duel, the phenomena that they just beheld, and almost all of them were focused on the seven girls occupying the middle of the gymnasium now, with their spontaneous acquisitions of animal ears and wings.
Speaking of, Twilight’s friends were talking amongst each other about their own transformations. Rarity was currently tugging at one of her ears, all the while Rainbow Dash seemed to be discovering the ability of motion in her wings. Fluttershy had picked up the Element of Magic and was currently eyeing it with trepidatious curiosity. Pinkie, for whatever reason started randomly scratching behind Applejack’s ears, who, despite the protest, winked, while one of her feet started bucking, as if outside her control.
“Girls,” Principal Celestia walked up to Twilight and Sunset, the latter who swiveled to Twilight’s side, still grasping to her arm, looking up at the head of CHS almost fearfully, “we would like to talk to you in the back.” Her gaze fixated on Sunset, “All of you.”
“P-principal Celestia…” Sunset uttered, “I…” She fell silent at the motion of Celestia’s hand, urging her silence.
“Wait,” she looked over to the remaining… four? “Where’d Miss Dash go?”
“This – is – awe – some!” cried Rainbow ecstatically as she flew in circles around the gymnasium with her newly earned wings, leaving behind a rainbow trail.
“Miss Dash!” shouted Vice-principal Luna. “Get down from there this instant!”
-
The principal and vice-principal had beckoned them behind the stage curtain (which now had an awkward tear, courtesy of Archfiend’s Palabyrinth and the vice-principal being tossed through it earlier). They occupied a space surrounded by various props, some of which looked like they hadn’t seen use in at least a few terms’ time. Twilight urged Sunset to sit down on a stool to get her bearings, the ordeal having rendered mildly disoriented. Twilight exchanged glances with the other girls, each and every one expressing concern, now that the secrets the lot of them had been keeping had come to light, exactly as the worst-case scenario Twilight had dreaded from the start.
The two heads of Canterlot High stood before the girls, both still having their disengaged duel disks strapped to their wrists, looking, strangely calm, if not unperturbed about anything that just happened. Celestia, with her hand to her cheek, seemed to ponder on something, most likely the most apt questions, while Luna stood quietly, arms crossed, in waiting, seeing how she surreptitiously revved a hand Celestia couldn’t see.
“So… Um…” Rainbow broke the silence, her wings giving an idle flap, “I guess this is the part where you call the authorities, right?” she asked with an uneasy cringe.
Celestia and Luna looked at one another, followed by the former moving her hand up to her ear in a gesture, “Hello, nine-one-one? We have a case of our gymnasium being turned into a cold hellscape, one of our students turning into a fleshy demon and real monsters during our annual dueling event,” she spoke in as formal a tone as she could muster, but her upturned eyes belied it was anything but serious. Even Luna had to stifle a snicker from the display.
“So then,” Fluttershy peeped, “You’re not going to have us sent somewhere to be prod and probed and have stuff put inside us and…?”
“Oh heavens, no,” said Luna with a shake of her head, “The best we’d expect is ourselves having our permits up for debate.”
“So then… How are you being so calm about this?” asked Twilight, indicating herself.
“The wings and the ears are a new one, certainly,” Celestia remarked.
“And I can safely say that is not the tiara I made for the event,” added Luna, flicking a finger in the direction of the crown still in Fluttershy’s hands. “… Actually, where did that one get to?”
Twilight stepped forth, rubbing up her arm sheepishly, “Yea, it’s quite the story, but I swear by Celes- I mean, I swear, it’s all true.”
Celestia and Luna looked to her expectantly, the perfect cue if ever for Twilight to reiterate the events of the past three days. Barring the occasional interruption of Pinkie Pie making more repeats of some of her anime references, the principals made little to impede, though they did offer questioning looks to her or one another. Barring a few minute details, Twilight left out little, and they both admitted to having watched the “boss rush” from yesterday.
“Well, that would explain the lack of any credentials this far in,” Luna quipped. “It would also explain…” she glanced sideways for a moment, “Actually, never mind.”
Before Twilight could inquire, Celestia interjected, “Suffice it to say; that under most circumstances your story would be deemed as irrefutably… mad.” She coughed mildly, “Excuse me, but…” she turned to Luna, the two of them looking at one another.
“You’re really the princesses in disguise and this was all an elaborate test of leadership!” Pinkie blurted out, earning more than a few incredulous looks.
Luna rubbed at the back of her neck awkwardly, “It’s just that, well, we couldn’t imagine that people among us, let alone one of our very students, knew of the Dark Games…”
Now was Twilight and the girls’ turn to be shocked, including Sunset, standing up from the stool.
“Now just hold up!” exclaimed Applejack. “Ya mean the both o’ ya’ll knew about frickin’ magic existing and junk?!
Celestia nodded, “We are… surprised that Miss Shimmer knew of them, but we know very well the dark secret. Tell me; what do all of you know about the history of Duel Monsters?”
“Well… It was established by Crystalline Mirage Inc. twenty-something years ago, give or take,” stated Rarity.
“It revolutionized the gaming industry with the first mass adoption of hologram technology,” Fluttershy added.
“It’s the most popular game in the world?” Rainbow tried, though her contribution wasn’t as edifying.
“It’s based around ancient ritual combat from the times from before the Common Era,” said Sunset bluntly, drawing everyone’s gaze towards her.
“Oh, right…” Rainbow grinned sheepishly, “Twilight said that already.”
“Correct,” said Celestia, placing a hand over the deck fastened to her duel disk, “I realize that all seven of you must have a great many questions about mine and Luna’s involvement. Suffice it to say, what we said about our time at Academia, we weren’t being entirely honest either.”
“The world’s first dueling school?” asked Twilight in clarification.
“The same,” said Luna in confirmation. “You see… Back when we were attending Academia, there was an incident. One that the top branch is determined to never bring to light…”
-
Luna found herself being flung backwards by the same blast that decimated her remaining monster, something that was have been impossible for holo-images to perform no matter how real they appeared to be. She skidded what must have been good five additional feet upon impact, muddled senses or not from whatever she had been slipped.
She struggled to find her footing again, the pain from whatever was happening and her dulled senses making the ordeal all the more strenuous. It was not at all helped by the two monsters looming overhead, backed by their owners.
Her two fellow students: One a yellow-skinned girl with a disheveled head of frizzy strawberry blonde hair, the other with amaranth skin and bluish silvery hair styled at the front in a rightward angling bang. What they both shared was the uniforms they donned; similar to Luna’s in most aspects; white tops with red trimmings, red vests, red shorts and red ankle-high light boots instead of the blue trimming, vest miniskirt and royal boots of Luna’s attire.
These were Goldcap and Zappity, the former a… well, former Ra Yellow student recently demoted to Osiris Red and the latter a newfound companion from the Osiris Red dorm from the beginning, the dorm for the lowest ranked students of Academia on the verge of dropping out. When the two had approached Luna in such a humble display of wishing for tutelage from her, being among the top tier students herself, and not just for her ranking as Obelisk Blue, she’d genuinely felt the sincerity of their plight to improve.
But here she was now, what was allegedly the dungeon of the ruins of the centuries old fortifications of Eilean gu Ifrinn, now referred to as Academia Island. “The Island Closest to Hell” allegedly. What she thought would amount to a simple spot of practice in a quiet place, next thing she knew she found herself waking up after a drink, drowsy and more than a little disoriented.
What happened after was preposterous. Or at least it would have been, had she not seen it for herself. As she was coming to, Goldcap and Zappity had set up what she could only describe as some New Age “ritual” that people going through their gothic phases did on Friday nights (not that she’d ever deny maybe on occasion having something similar during some trying phases of her own life). The insanity started when the two of them produced a knife.
Having first fretted of the possibility two lunatics were planning on cutting her heart out like in some cheesy occult tale, they willingly cut their own palms and shed blood on a sheet of paper inscribed with something, one in the center of a ring of similar sheets which the three of them were within, the ones encircling being set with a candle atop each. The paper the two of them deliberately bled on lit ablaze with no feasible explanation, attesting to the fact that the fire was black, an impossibility given everything known to physics and chemistry. Unless… it wasn’t fire at all?
The epitome of madness arrived when the ring around them burst into blue fire, encircling them in a waist-high inferno.
“No going back now!” Zapitty had declared when the two of them activated their standard issue red Academia duel disks.
On trying to flee, even at the high risk of burns, Luna discovered the fire not acting very much as a barrier as she thought, but more as an outline, as some invisible force not only inflicted pain much akin to being burned, but also repelled her, effectively sealing her with Goldcap and Zapitty in the hellish arena they had through some unearthly means conjured. She was trapped, at the mercy of the two she’d thought needed her help, but instead their goals were revealed as absolutely insane:
“Once we defeat you in the Game of Darkness, your soul will be seized by the Underworld. Through the sacrifice of a strong soul, we’ll be granted the power to make us genuine dark duelists. The dark will give us the edge, and before you know it; we will be the ones rocking the Obelisk Blue colors!”
“Games of… Games of Darkness?”
-
“They used the Games of Darkness to get an edge?” Twilight asked in bafflement.
“Gee, kinda like someone else we know…” Rainbow stated dryly, turning a sideward gaze towards Sunset, who promptly slinked away in resentment.
“But… how did you get out?” asked Fluttershy, nervously kneading a lock of her hair.
The vice-principal looked to her sister in a fond, if bittersweet expression of gratefulness. This may have served as a cue to let the older sister take the figurative reins in the recounting of their past.
-
“Luna!” Celestia called, reaching the end of the stairway to the basement of the old dungeon ruins. She almost stumbled on the last step when she beheld the ring of blue flames, and the three… no, five figures within.
Ahead were the two Osiris Red students, Goldcap and Zappity, in front of whom were the projections of two Duel Monsters: A human sized knightly-looking being adorned head-to-toe in pitch-black armor with silvery linings, and white pauldrons, topped with a helmet resembling a stylized skull with a fanned out crest atop, while brandishing a large battle axe. The other was a sultry woman with flowing, glimmering white hair that ran down her shoulders and far down her back, garbed in a form fitting dress that was red from the top and black from the waist down, along with accenting long black gloves and a two-part black and red headdress. She brandished a two-pronged staff at her side.
It was the figure struggling to get back on her feet that had her focus; her night blue hair in a French braid that complemented the blue Obelisk Blue uniform. “Luna!” she called out again, the sight of her little sister behind the flames causing her heart to beat against her sternum in fear.
“Aw shit!” Goldcap spouted, “Did you forget to lock the door?!” she looked at Zappity angrily.
The silver-haired, red-skinned girl cringed, answering her accomplice’s question without a word. Not that Celestia cared. All she cared was getting to Luna: As the big sister, it was her familial instinct-driven duty to protect her. She looked about, trying to see if anything around could help her bound over the fire… Barring a few loosed bricks and a few accrued plots of soil bursting through the ruins’ floors, nothing. Swallowing in resolve, Celestia took one, two steps back, taking quick breaths in preparation, just as the footsteps of someone else reverberated down the staircase. She took off running.
“C-Celestia, don’t!” called the winded voice of Time Turner, but to no avail, nothing would stop her from protecting Luna, damn the consequences.
She leapt, tucking her legs as close to herself as she could. She could feel a crackling force break across her form, and then came the feel of the biting flames to her shins, followed by the pain of impact as she tumbled to the floor, the roar of fire clearer than before. Hissing as the veritable webs of pain spread all around her legs, she clambered to her feet, glaring in fury up at the two madwomen. Her rage was quelled for a moment when she sidled and knelt next to Luna, who was still kneeling on the floor.
“Luna! Are you alright?!” she asked in fervent alarm, bringing a hand to her sister’s shoulder.
Luna shook her head furiously, tapping her forehead abruptly, “Hazy… Drugged me with… something…”
Celestia’s eyes widened in shock, which served to only fuel her anger when she turned her attention to the two Osiris Reds. Knowing what she and Turner had uncovered, she showed no hesitation as her blue duel disk was engaged.
“Intrusion penalty!” the device informed with its tinny voice, “Life Points decrease: two thousand!”
-
“Whoa…” Rainbow mouthed in astonishment, a sentiment Applejack shared strongly when the farmgirl took off her hat and held it top her chest in a show of respect for Celestia’s heroism.
Sunset, despite her evident status as guilty, took the chance to speak, “W-what happened? You won, obviously, but what about to those two students?”
Celestia looked morose, an apt indicator, given what had been involved. Luna took hold of Celestia’s left hand with her right, the sisters looking at each other in empathy.
“Despite my addled state at the time, and the physical effects and injuries, we won…”
-
Celestia’s monster, an elegant, complex structure of pristine while and radiant gold, spread out a great set of wings, composed of white folds mimicking plumage, and pelted her opponent’s monster for the final blow with a rain of droplets of pure light, each impact triggering a small explosion in its wake. Goldcap, the last of the two standing, was forced to endure the same pain as her own monster, when several stray droplets struck her all the same, before collapsing to her knees.
“Shit!” blurted Zappity, the red-girl looking about in fret. She tried to exit the ring of flames, but a surge of energy caused her to reel back. She began to spout an extended line of “Shit”, all the while Goldcap was still recovering from the last blow.
To add further complications, if one listened intently, the sound or crackly rumbling could be heard, even over the blue flames that still occupied most of the basement floor of the of dungeon. When the large projection of Celestia’s monster vanished, having blown a sizable hole on the ceiling and a crater on the floor, the rumbling seemed to intensify.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” exclaimed Celestia, helping the still addled Luna stand erect by taking her younger sister’s arm and slinging it over her own shoulders whilst putting a supporting arm around her waist.
It was then that the ring of flame vanished in a drafty burst, leaving behind a black outline. Before one could so much as thank their good fortune, the screams occurred. Looking behind them, Celestia and Luna watched how a pair of giant black skeletal hands had sprouted from the floor and seized Goldcap and Zappity. The former was pinned to the ground, unable to move, perhaps even unable to draw breath, only able to squirm her neck and feet, all the while Zappity was being held up in a gnarled grasp, the girl squirming and thrashing to no avail against the appendage’s grip.
“Help!” she plead, looking towards Celestia and Luna, her eyes seeping tears of fearful regret, “Please help me! I’m sorry! Don’t let them take meeeeee…!”
The last they saw or heard of Goldcap and Zappity was the two of them being pulled through the floor into pits of swirling blackness. All that remained was a haunting echo or Zappity’s pleads. Before Celestia could even fathom what had occurred, she felt someone else heft Luna’s other arm over their shoulders.
“Come on! We have to go!” cried Turner, helping support Luna, nudging the two of them towards the stairs out of the basement.
The three hobbled their way out as quick as they could, all the while chips and pieces of stone and worn plaster continued to fall off the ceilings and an increasingly alarming rate. The three almost stumbled when a chunk of brick violently popped from its placement. When the exit into the gloom of twilight was ahead, the three threw themselves for the escape, Celestia and Turner practically dragging a stumbling Luna upon getting out, as more stonework began to rain down upon the uneven, hilly ground of the island. They would not stop, not until they felt they were far enough away, and collapsed onto the grassy, watching as the old dungeon building began to crumble away, until there was nothing left but a colossal mound of stone, and the great cloud of dust that arose in its wake.
-
“Academia staff found us coming to investigate the ruckus. Luna was taken into detox for whatever they’d slipped her, and no-one ever found those two’s bodies,” Celestia concluded in finality. “Luna, Turner and myself testified over the dark duel, on top of the effects and paraphernalia Turner and I found in Goldcap and Zappity’s lodgings.”
Twilight found everyone, herself included, looking between one another and their principals. Twilight and Sunset in particular struck a definitive chord over the principal’s story.
“But how did they find out about the rituals to begin with?” asked Twilight, particularly since hers and Sunset’s knowledge stemmed from spirits.
Luna let out a troubled sigh, “That’s where it gets complicated,” she muttered, rubbing her temple. “See, as the first duel school, Academia felt it their obligation to teach the history of the game itself, based on pieces of archeological evidence, albeit incomplete. The facility is in possession of some material relating to the game’s origins: Stone tablets, carvings, even relics ancient sorcerers were said to use in rituals. These included written accounts, including a particular tome, the ‘Grimoire Obscure’, if I recall correctly.”
“A spell book?” asked Twilight more intently than intended, which was quickly followed up with a polite cough. “Excuse me.”
Celestia smiled faintly, “I suppose, given what you’ve told us, um… Princess?”
Twilight gestured dismissively, “Please, just Twilight is fine.”
“Oh? Well then, as Luna pointed out; they had bits and pieces from Duel Monsters’ history, including that tome. Our friend Turner was quite taken by the possibility of the supernatural, you see, and had been studying the tome as part of his extracurricular, though students only had access to a transcript. Goldcap and Zappity had managed to steal the grimoire from the academy archives and used it to enact a recreation of the Dark Games.”
“Of course, back then everyone believed such rituals as fabrications,” Luna stated. “When the Grimoire Obscure was recovered from the site, the officials of Academia forbade us from talking about the event. The board chocked it all up as an accident over the building’s decay and Goldcap and Zappity as unfortunate victims for having wandered into a restricted area. For added assurance, the Grimoire Obscure was confiscated, and the student body was none the wiser.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to have to state the obvious a second time,” remarked Rarity, “but this… So much to take in…”
“You an’ me both, darlin’,” said Applejack in agreement.
“And to think,” said Fluttersy, “all this time, we’ve been living in a world where magic, even if it is dark magic, really exists.”
“Believe you and me, girls,” said Celestia in an astoundingly level tone, all things considered, “the fact we too also learned that alternate realities are, in fact, also a reality, it’s all quite overwhelming.”
“So then…” Twilight looked in the direction of the stage, “how are we going to explain all of this to them?”
“Normally, Ah’m all for admittin’ the truth, but in this case, Ah’m feelin’ a might iffy,” said Applejack, as she reminded herself of her changed ears. “An’ then there’s all of this to consider.”
“Are we going to be stuck like this?” asked Fluttershy warily, indicating her own pair of yellow wings.
Twilight took a moment to ponder, thinking back to exactly when the impromptu transformation into them possessing pony traits came about, “My hypothesis is that the transformation was triggered by your actions combined with the presence of the Element of Magic. Even if Sunset had the crown, adhered to her or not, it still wasn’t in her control, but rather, the entity inside her was leeching off the crown’s vast reserves of raw magical energy, so the Element reached out to the five of you due to your own inherent virtues you share with your counterparts in my world to recreate proxies to the other Elements.”
The five transformed girls looked at Twilight with looks of inconclusiveness. They turned to Spike who had been sitting at Twilight’s feet. To their dismay, the dragon-turned-dog merely shrugged.
“The transformation is likely maintained by proxy, so by the time Twilight returns with the Element to Equestria, the link will be severed and you’ll revert to your normal selves,” everyone turned to look at Sunset, who, despite recovering from her recent liberation, managed a small, sheepish smile. “Former student of Princess Celestia, remember?”
“Whoop-de-doo,” mouthed Rainbow, evidently not amused.
“But is it true?” asked Celestia.
“It should. The portal will be cut off from this world, meaning nothing, physical or not, will be able to transfer,” said Twilight assuredly. “With magic I tend to be the expert.”
“And hey,” piped Pinkie, “if not, at least we’ll be popular at furry conventions.” Her remark was earned with silence, as well as a groan from Rainbow. “Honestly, I’m wasted here…”
“In that case,” Luna stepped forth, “let me and Celestia break it to the students.”
Celestia looked towards the stage tentatively, “Here’s something I never imagined doing during my career.” She turned to the girls, “You all should come too. I understand time is of the essence.”
Everyone, including Sunset Shimmer, complied with no objections and followed the heads of CHS through the curtain back into the gymnasium. The murmur of students talking amongst themselves came to an abrupt halt, each and every eye turned towards the stage. It was easy to discern several turned towards Sunset Shimmer in distrust and spite. Principal Celestia was looking about, as if trying to find something, when Pinkie inexplicably produced the mic from earlier from her infinite repository that was her hair, and handed it to Celestia.
Celestia softly tapped the mic, earning her a series of rhythmic sputters from the speaker system, thus proving they hadn’t been damaged, “Alright, so we won’t need to chip in for new speakers,” she quipped. “We don’t doubt that each and every one of you is confused, if not fearful, of what just happened tonight in our very own school.”
“Principal Celestia,” came the voice of Flash amidst the students, “with all due respect: That is the understatement of the century!”
Celestia smiled wryly, “Thank you, Mister Sentry. Students, as your principals, my sister and I have dedicated our lives to the advancement of your growth. Thus, it is also our obligation to look out for everyone’s wellbeing and safety first and foremost. So, in light of tonight’s incident, we felt it imperative that we come clean with something we were previously… requested that we never bring to anyone’s knowledge.” She looked to Luna, who proceeded to nod firmly, “Since the two of us are no longer beholden to Academia’s demands, we must ask: Are any of you familiar with the Academia West Tower Incident?”
A sizable amount of hands went up among the students, primarily those of the juniors and seniors, with a few sophomores and the odd freshman.
“I see. Well, for those who don’t know; the West Tower Incident was during our time at Academia, where said tower, an old dungeon building, collapsed and crumbled to the ground. Official reports from Academia would have everyone believe it was a simple accident, that the tower crumbled due to prolonged structural decay and two students happened to be crushed underneath.” Celestia took a moment of silence, the students remaining respectfully quiet as their principal gathered her thoughts. “My sister and I were two of the three survivors of that incident.”
This elicited a round of surprise from those listening. “The true cause of said incident was not far removed what we all witnessed right here: The Dark Games (or Games of Darkness). What I’m sure most of you will not know is that the very game that you, your fellow students, your friends, family members, even strangers passing by, take part, has a dark secret that Academia wishes to withhold for the sake of stability. Duel Monsters, though ordinarily a harmless game pitting two opponents to a duel of wits and skill, all the more improved with the advent of holo-image technology each and everyone of us uses to enhance the spectacle, are actually a recreation of the Dark Games of old.”
One of the tecchies stood up, a pale violet skinned boy with greyish blue hair and thick-rimmed glasses stood up, “But that’s a physical impossibility: Even if solid light has been established as a feasible concept, we’re still at best decades away from perfecting such a process.”
Celestia nodded, “Thank you for your astute contribution, Mister Chips. The fact of the matter is, hard as it might be for any of us to accept, the game we all play is the result of supernatural phenomena.”
Luna covertly nudged Celestia with an elbow, prompting her to hand over the mic to the younger sister, “In short; magic exists, and all of us are doing an imitation of magical ritual combat,” she stated bluntly.
Luna’s more stoic personality admitting to Celestia’s claims seemed to have had a profound impact as everyone began to converse amongst each other more fervently.
“That can’t honestly be the actual explanation… Can it?”
“Even Vice-principal Luna’s admitting on this!”
“This is crazy! Magic doesn’t exist!”
“Explain then why there’s six girls with ears and wings and how Shimmer became something straight out of Ganger?”
“Oh yea. Speaking of: Why’s Shimmer still here?! Shouldn’t we call the cops on her!”
That’s when the students’ remarks changed from perplexed to hostile towards Sunset.
“Yea! She almost got us all killed!”
“Get off the stage you crazy bitch!”
“Someone; call the cops already!”
In the wake of the room-filled jeers, Sunset began to solemnly back away towards the stage curtains, when Principal Celestia spoke once again, “We kindly ask you not to ring any authorities.”
“Why the hell not?!” called one of the students, when Pinkie suddenly popped up from behind him.
“Because, silly,” she grinned, her voice lowering to a slightly disconcerting drawl, “no-one’s going to believe you…” she said in a needlessly ominous fashion before sliding back down, out of view.
Twilight urged Sunset to step back out onto the stage, taking her hand in reassurance. Sunset pursed her lips, looking at Twilight abashedly. She proceeded to step next to Principal Celestia, “May I?” she murmured, indicating the crowd.
Celestia bid Luna to hand the mic over to Sunset. She looked down on it tentatively, taking a composing breath with closed eyes, before speaking. “Despite everything that’s happened,” she looked over to Twilight, flashing her a small thanking smile, to which Twilight motioned the fiery-haired girl to continue, “Dark Games or not, I humbly accept defeat at the hands of my opponent, Twilight Sparkle: A woman much more deserving to bear this crown, than I ever could be.”
She motioned Fluttershy for the Element of Magic, to which Rainbow immediately seized the pink-haired girl by the shoulder, shaking her head vigorously. Fluttershy proceeded to fidget indecisively between the gazes of the two, before Twilight intervened, taking Fluttershy by the other shoulder, while giving Rainbow an assuring look. Rainbow eyed Twilight incredulously, before proceeding to relent with a frown. At the conclusion Fluttershy handed the crown to Sunset, who then motioned for Twilight to step forth.
Twilight walked up before her former enemy, the two sharing looks of acknowledgement, when Twilight courteously took a knee before Sunset. In a deliberate, ceremonious fashion, Sunset held up the tiara for all to see, before slowly lowering it onto Twilight’s head.
“Canterlot High, I present to you your new Duel Queen, and savior: Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight stood up, followed by, no doubt to everyone’s shock, Twilight pulling Sunset into another embrace. Sunset felt to hesitate for a moment, before Twilight felt Sunset’s arms in return.
“Thank you,” Sunset whispered softly.
“Welcome back, Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight whispered in reply.
Sunset scoffed, “I don’t think I was ever gone… Just a stupid pony.”
Twilight pulled back from the embrace, holding Sunset by the hands, smiling kindly into Sunset’s true eyes, “You can start over, Sunset. Like another dear friend who was also lost in the dark, you deserve another chance. This time, you will not walk it alone, but with a friend.”
Twilight thought she saw Sunset’s cheeks redden, right before she was forced to wipe a sleeve over her eyes. Sunset sniffed softly, when fresh tears trickled down both cheeks. Tears not of sadness or pain; but tears of hope, and relief. Their attentions were drawn to movement in their peripheral visions, seeing Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack lean forward in courteous bows, Applejack going as far as taking off her hat, before she promptly jabbed an elbow into the obstinate Rainbow’s arm, to which the rainbow-haired athlete too joined in the bow. Twilight even saw how Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna curtsied behind Sunset.
“Hmm…” hummed Pinkie, seeing that the audience wasn’t as ecstatic over the proclamation. “Not quite the response I was hoping…” an inexplicable “ding” sounded from out of nowhere, timed with her face brightening from some realization, “Oh! Good thing I had this stored away for the finale!”
The party girl dove underneath the stage curtain. Before anyone could inquire over what she was intending, Pinkie emerged back out, rolling out a familiar metallic blue rounder cylindrical device on wheels; the Bee & Miller mark thirty-six festivities launcher! Before anyone could make a move to stop her, she fed in a shell, haphazardly kicked it into pointing at an upward curving trajectory. Before she could slam on the firing button, the students began to cheer and applaud, seemingly out of fear rather than genuine enthusiasm. In an uncharacteristically non-Pinkie-ish move, the pink girl simply nodded, looking quite pleased with herself.
“That’s more like it,” she stated, before politely taking her spot among everyone and bowing.
-
After the crowning, Principal Celestia bid for everyone to return home (as well as making a reminder that school was back in session on Monday as per usual). With the night growing darker, it was now the opportune time for Twilight to make her way back, followed closely by Sunset Shimmer, but her friends’ counterparts, and even the principal and vice-principal had opted for seeing her off. Along the way, out in the hallways the Cutie Mark Crusaders were waiting for them.
Further on, just outside the door waited Flash Sentry, who proceeded to intercept Twilight, “Twilight!”
“Flash,” Twilight responded in surprise. “I thought you’d left along with everyone else.”
“Nah, I’m not carpooling,” he replied, though Twilight had no real idea what he meant by that. “I just wanted to say congratulations, even if things got… well…”
“Potentially lethal?” asked Spike dryly from Fluttershy’s hold.
The blue-haired boy stared at the purple puppy dumbfoundedly, “… Did your dog just talk?”
Spike raised a lopsided brow in amusement, “You literally just found out magic exists in your world, that two of the people you know are from a different dimension, and a talking dog still freaks you out?”
Flash proceeded to cough politely, turning his attention back to Twilight, “So then… What are you going to do now?”
Twilight looked at him with a tinge of sadness, “I’m afraid I have to go now. I’m… sorry that I deceived you for all this time.”
“Hey, I’m sure you had reasons,” Flash looked to the side awkwardly before turning back to Twilight.
Twilight smiled as she held out a fist as she had seen before, “Thanks again for helping me get on track. I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere otherwise.”
Flash reciprocated the smile and bumped a fist against Twilight’s, “Happy to help. You wouldn’t by any chance know if you might, ya know, come again?”
Twilight chuckled, “Not in a while I’m afraid.”
“Oh,” said Flash, seeming slightly disappointed, “bummer.”
“But hey, when I do: How about a rematch? No dark magic involved?” Twilight held out an open hand this time, which Flash took hold of firmly.
“You bet! I better keep at it if I’m gonna stand a chance against you now,” he chuckled.
“Flash,” Sunset spoke up, cyan eyes locking with Flash’s blue. The two of them stared at one another in uncomfortable silence. Alternating back and forth between whichever seemed to intent the initiative to try and talk, it finally came to Sunset who broke the silence, “Listen, Flash… I get anything I say might mean jack-shit at this point, but… well… I’m sorry I… you know.”
“Yea…” mumbled Flash, looking away from his ex. A wry smile inexplicably formed on his lips, “Huh. This is new.” Sunset looked questioningly at him, “You actually apologizing.”
Sunset hugged herself abashedly, “I mean it though: I’m sorry for how I just used you and tossed you out just like that. I understand if you never want to forgive me for it, but I just had to get this off my chest. One of many things, which I undoubtedly never will, but, gotta start somewhere…” she smiled meekly.
Flash seemed to consider the notion extensively, “Look, I… I need to give this some thought. I’m having it hard enough believing half of what just went down, alright?”
“That’s fair,” said Sunset.
Twilight looked at her approvingly, “You’re off to a great start,” she whispered.
With that, the crew gathered by the rearing Wonder Colt statue, the polished marble surface of the rear facet seeming to shimmer in an unnatural glint in the night. Twilight unfastened her deck from the duel disk she was still wearing, fanned it out, and picked out three cards, which she them held out to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
“Thank you again for letting me borrow these,” she said graciously to the three. “I wouldn’t have gotten far without these, or the help from three great teachers.”
“You really have to leave?” asked Sweetie Belle with quivering lips.
Sweetie Belle’s namesake sweetness seemed to retain the effect across dimensions where seeing her disappointed tugged at Twilight’s heartstrings, “I’m afraid so. If I don’t leave tonight, Spike and I’ll be stuck here for a long time.”
“In that case, Ah think you should keep my card,” said Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo glanced in Rainbow’s direction, “Umm… I’m sure Rainbow won’t mind if you keep my Effect Veiler. Ya know, to remember us by.”
Sweetie Belle threw her arms around Twilight, “Don’t forget about us, alright?”
“We can never thank you enough fer what you did fer us,” said Apple Bloom, holding a hand to her chest.
Having to try in earnest to suppress herself getting too emotional, Twilight gave all three a hug. Realizing herself still wearing the school’s loaned duel disk, Twilight proceeded to unfasten the device from her forearm, when Principal Celestia held up a dismissive hand.
“Tell you what, why don’t you keep the duel disk as a keepsake, courtesy of CHS. It’s not like it’s the newest model or anything,” she chuckled. “It’s a shame you have to leave so soon; it would have been quite interesting to have royalty, let alone interdimensional at that, attending our school.”
Twilight shared a laugh in rapport with her mentor’s counterpart, “I’ll make sure to tell my Celestia and Luna that.” She shook the hands of both principal and vice-principal.
Next came bidding goodbye to her five new friends, starting with Rarity and Applejack, the both of them hugging her together.
“We can’t thank you enough for what you did for us,” said Rarity in earnest.
“See ya later, Twi. When we do, you’re welcome at my home anytime,” said Applejack, patting Twilight on the back for good measure.
“Hey, Applejack,” Spike piped up from below. “Look after her, alright?” the dragon-turned-dog said in a slightly morose tone. He flinched ever so slightly when Rarity knelt down over him, picked him up and gave him an affectionate peck on the forehead. As expected, Spike blushed underneath his purple coat of fur.
Next was Fluttershy’s turn to embrace Twilight, “I’m sad to see you go so soon.”
“Me too, Fluttershy,” said Twilight. “And thank you for all your help in all of this too.”
The meek pink-haired girl chose not to demean herself and proceeded to smile sweetly upon parting from the hug, “I was more than happy to. Afterall, I got my friends back, all thanks to you!”
“Hey,” Rainbow Dash walked up, with open palms, “I’m not really a huggy person, so…” instead she held up one hand. Twilight believed she understood the proper etiquette of the gesture, and the two slapped hands together, to which Rainbow’s fingers deftly seized Twilight’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “See you ‘round, Twilight.”
Twilight giggled awkwardly, mostly to mask the pain in her hand, “You too, Rainbow.”
“Oh, and bee-tee-dubs,” the rainbow-haired athlete added with a daring brow, “Flash ain’t the only one who wants a rematch. Alright?”
“I’ll make a note of it.”
That’s when Twilight was seized from behind, feeling something soft press against her back as a pair of pink arms wrapped around her chest. “I’m so glad you didn’t turn us into witches!” cried Pinkie, Twilight cringing at a combination of her breathing being restricted and Pinkie’s breasts squeezing against her.
“Oh Pinkie,” Twilight rasped, “I shall miss your nonsensical remarks most of all…”
“Speaking of witches,” Rainbow remarked, looking over at Sunset who’d seemed to have stepped away from everyone else, to which Rainbow’s tone did nothing to help, “isn’t she going with you?”
After being freed from Pinkie’s hold, Twilight approached her fellow Equestrian, “Aren’t you, Sunset?” she asked, “Will you return to Equestria with me?”
Sunset looked towards the portal with uncertainty, then back at Twilight. After a moment of painful indecisiveness, she turned away from everyone holding herself once more in her arms, “I don’t think I’m ready just yet, or ever, honestly. The last time I spoke to Princess Celestia… I doubt she’d wanna talk to me after that.”
“Nonsense,” said Twilight encouragingly. “I’m certain she’ll listen to you; things have changed since-”
Sunset held up a palm, “Also I feel it’s kind of imperative that I first fix things here first. I don’t know how, but I need to start somewhere.”
Twilight felt disheartened at Sunset’s unwillingness to come home with here, however, she did feel the unicorn in human form did make an equally valid argument. As such, it felt only right to give her back something she’d lost; Twilight detached her deck from her duel disk, presenting it to Sunset, “In that case, you should have these back.”
Sunset reached out… and took hold of Twilight’s hand with one hand, and placed the other atop Twilight’s… her deck, and gently pushed it back to Twilight, “No. You were right about one thing, I did abandon Priestess and her kin. If anything, you’ve proved yourself more than worthy over me to have them.”
Twilight looked at Sunset in surprise, “You’re certain?”
Sunset nodded. That was when the familiar presence of Priestess fell over Twilight, the pink-haired spirit’s astral image appeared between the two, looking at Sunset in worry.
“Sunset, you don’t need to feel ashamed. I was never angry with you for what happened.”
“No, Priestess,” Sunset’s mental echo reverberated as such that even Twilight could hear it faintly. “Twilight deserves your companionship more than me. I want to thank you for all you did to try and help me, Priestess, but perhaps it’s better for you to take a new charge.”
“Though I am going back to Equestria…” Twilight noted.
Sunset smiled, “This could be an interesting experience for Priestess, don’t you think?”
In a rare occurrence where Priestess came close to losing her remarkable composure, she looked to Sunset in sadness. Though an immaterial image, the spirit reached forth a hand, which Sunset accepted into her own, as if holding onto the spirit as if she were flesh and blood. Sunset nodded to Priestess appreciatively.
“Very well… If that is what you wish. I will be happy to accompany Princess… Lady Sparkle to her home domain. Who knows…” an inquisitive smile formed on the spirit’s features, “this could prove a most edifying adventure, for all of us.”
“In that case,” Twilight took Sunset’s hand and led her to the girls. “Everyone; as a friend, I ask that you help Sunset on the road to recovery.”
Their reactions were… not quite as welcoming as Twilight had initially hoped.
“What?!” Rainbow Dash blurted abruptly. “After all of this, you’re asking us to be friends with her?!”
Sunset was visibly struck by the athlete’s abrasiveness, but Twilight was undeterred, “You may not have seen all I saw during the duel, but I believe what would be best for Sunset is for someone, or someones, to show her that she doesn’t need to be alone. And I couldn’t think of anyone better to show her the light than the five of you.”
This gave the five girls pause. They looked to one another uneasily, save for Rainbow who was steadfastly refusing to even address Sunset.
“Um… well…” Fluttershy muttered, “A-alright. Because I trust you, I promise I’ll try to help Sunset. I think it’s only fair how you helped us.”
“Not gonna lie, Ah’ ain’t exactly thrilled about this set-up,” said Applejack, crossing her arms.
“Now girls,” to everyone’s surprise, Principal Celestia was the one to intervene, “I for one agree with Twilight Sparkle’s proposal. The road to recovery isn’t easy, but maybe you five can make all the difference.” Twilight saw how the principal gave a subtle wink.
Sunset looked to the portal, still holding onto Twilight’s hand, “You better get going. Not much time left.”
Twilight nodded, and with one final hug, she waved goodbye one last time to her new friends in this new world, before picking up Spike approaching the statue. Reaching out, her hand sunk through the faux stone surface of the rear facet of the great pedestal, before stepping through, her senses being overwhelmed by the disorienting swirl of colors.
-
The first thing she saw was the crystalline blue of the walls of the Crystal Palace. And then came the sudden sense of misplaced balance and vertigo, when she found her body forcibly plummet forward. The sounds of hooves clapping against stone reverberated through the room, a sound so commonplace, yet something she had earnestly missed the past three days. Added with the ungraceful sight of a certain purple infant dragon lying prostrate on the ground, coupled with the sound of something clattering to the floor beside him.
“Twilight!” came the soft voice of the pegasus Fluttershy.
“You’re back!” exclaimed the afloat pegasus Rainbow Dash.
“You’ve got your crown!” came the ecstatic voice of unicorn Rarity.
The evenly bouncy and boisterous quadrupedal Pinkie Pie leapt in elation, “I knew you could do it!”
“Oh, we were so worried…” said Applejack, holding her Stetson to her chest with a hoof.
Princess Celestia, in her regal, almost ethereal grace stepped forth, looking to Twilight expectantly, “Sunset Shimmer, is she alright?”
As Twilight’s body continued to reacclimate itself back into its normal quadrupedal configuration through the limbo between universes, despite the slight blurriness and swirls of colorful rings revolving in her vision, she looked to her mentor with confidence. “She’s going to be fine. I believe she is in good hands, and I’m certain she will play her cards right.” She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself over the apt word play.
Pinkie sputtered, “Honestly, I don’t know who writes this pony’s material…”
“Sooo, what exactly is this doohickey?” asked Rainbow, the pegasus clutching in her hooves a silvery grey disk with a slight rectangular protrusion at the back and two strips clinging to its sides.
-
The moment the ripples on the portal’s surface died down, the first thing to happen was Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s equine ears and wings vanished in an abrupt flash. This was followed with Pinkie, in a desperate attempt at trying to follow after Twilight Sparkle, rushing forth, only to slam against solid marble before promptly collapsing onto her rear.
“Oh, bummer…” she pouted.
“Well, Ah’ guess that’s it then,” said Applejack, sounding only slightly less disheartened as the pink party girls.
“Do you think we’ll ever see her again?” asked Rarity, holding onto Applejack’s hand as everyone stared at where the portal once lay.
“I hope so. She was amazing,” said Fluttershy with a sliver of hope in her voice.
As the five girls began to converse about the night’s events, with everyone distracted, Sunset Shimmer began to slowly make her way off school premises. After all she’d done, she doubted anyone would truly come to accept her at CHS, no matter how authentic she’d been in her gratitude towards the one who ultimately saved her. Perhaps it would have been better if she simply vanished. It would be difficult, but maybe she could find somewhere else to hide away. There was always Everfree in the next county over; it was small, reclusive, maybe she could get a job and live out her life as best she could, now well aware and feeling the gravity of remorse. She managed to settle in this world once before, surely, she could do it again, somewhere where none knew of her past, and the numerous sins.
She was suddenly stopped by a pair of yellow arms folding around her belly, followed by a body both pulling and pressing against her, “Fluttershy…?”
“Don’t go,” said Fluttershy, embracing Sunset from behind her.
“But… I…” Sunset stammered, “All the times I threatened you? And stuffed you in a locker, I-”
Fluttershy’s hold did not waver, “I promised Twilight I’d help. If you’re really sorry for all those things, then I forgive you.”
The shy one’s words felt how they struck a chord. It was both a sinking feeling in her guts, combined with a tug inside her chest. Fluttershy had always been the easiest in the entire school in her own grade to push around due to her innate meekness. Among the entirety of the student body of CHS, she was admittedly the last person Sunset had expected to forgive her for her numerous transgressions.
Sunset felt at a loss for words, “You… You’d really forgive me?”
“A little kindness goes a long way, I think,” said Fluttershy, still holding onto Sunset.
And there it was; a tug inside Sunset’s chest eliciting a flurry of emotions she hadn’t felt in such a long time. Believing she’d she enough tears herself for one night, Sunset swallowed the dryness in her throat, “I’m sorry for how I treated you, Fluttershy.”
She felt the hold on her tighten just slightly. “Apology accepted,” Fluttershy mumbled, before finally letting go, only for Pinkie Pie to pop up was she was wont to do and hugged Sunset from the side.
“Hugs are always nice,” the party-girl declared.
Sunset looked at the party girl, feeling just as surprised as she had with Fluttershy, “Even with someone who tried to sabotage all your party preparations for tonight?”
Pinkie snorted, “Awh, I’m sure that was the icky-sticky-fleshy thingy talkin’!”
Sunset grinned awkwardly, “I honestly want to believe that right now.” That’s when she noticed Applejack and Rarity, the couple looking much less enthusiastic as the previous two. Given what Sunset had done to those two, these were among the many individuals she could never imagine wanting to forgive her. “I take it a simple apology won’t make up for it on your end?”
The two looked to one another, with Applejack crossing her arms in an assertive display, “If all this were regular circumstance, Ah’d say no.”
“However,” said Rarity, picking up after the other, “as these have been the most unusual circumstances… I think it’s only fair we give you a chance.” Before Sunset could so much as think of a response, the fashionista held up a finger in warning, “But you’re on thin ice as it is. You’re going to owe us a lot for this.”
Sunset pursed her lips regretfully, “Duly noted. Can I at least say that I’m truly sorry for what I did? I guess whatever was inside me just coaxed me to hate the vision of two people so happy together as the two of you but…”
Applejack managed a wry smile, “Well, Ah’ s’ppose that’s a start.”
“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie called out, waving to the athlete who’d kept her distance, “Don’t you have anything to add?!”
Rainbow waved her off dismissively, “I’ll pass.”
“Get over here!” blurted Pinkie, appearing beside Rainbow and shoving her towards the gathered group, setting the athlete right in front of Sunset. “Now what do you saaay~?” She looked at the two with an anticipating, eager smile.
Sunset needed not to guess that Rainbow seemed the least receptive to the notion of making amends with her. The rainbow-haired athlete looked at Pinkie in what could only be interpreted as annoyance, to which Pinkie stared up at Rainbow with wide eyes that seemed to inexplicably sparkle and her lips pouting.
Relenting with a frustrated groan, Rainbow had the courtesy of making eye-contact with Sunset, “Alright, just… Just don’t be a bitch, okay?”
Sunset was not impressed with Rainbows stubborn abrasiveness, but she supposed she should have expected as such from someone eventually, “Crystal.”
With apologies given, silence fell among the six. Looking up at the rearing Wonder Colt statue, Sunset began to wonder. What was Twilight doing at the moment? How had she broke news of her to Celestia, or the no doubt scores or questions she would be asked pertaining to the human world as the first pony to have properly been here and back. And how would Priestess adapt to Equestria, a world where magic was as integral to the world as air? The next time the portal was to open, Sunset hoped in earnest, that the new princess of Equestria would make her way here again.
Fluttershy was the first to break the silence, “So, um… What will you do now, Sunset?”
Sunset took something out of her jacket’s pocket which she fanned out. It was the deck she had wielded as a pawn of the abysmal parasite that had plagued her. The five incarnations of the fleshy Summoned Skull staring up at her amidst the cards. Feeling a change in the air around them, without hesitation, Sunset flung the deck with an arcing throw, the dark, twisted Archfiends being picked up by the autumn winds and were scattered away in every direction. The six of them watched as every grim card flew off into an uncertain destination.
“… Someone could have probably used those,” said Pinkie absently.
Sunset snorted, “Maybe. But I sure wouldn’t. I’m through with having my anger direct me. I’ll pick out a new deck, and a new life.”
“And this time I will not go through it alone. Thank you, for everything; Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
-
♪ In a splendid world,
colorful and magical
Where Little Ponies live
in peace and always in harmony!
They make the sun shine,
they make plants grow
and they spread joy
when you meet them
Go and fly, My Little Pony!
If you want to meet new friends,
take flight and listen to your heart,
and you can face any adventure!
Go and fly, My Little Pony!
Make your dreams come true and do not stop!
Do not stop!
Do not stop!
Do not stop!
Shy and lovely,
grumpy and romantic
are the traits of the friends
you're going to meet.
And day by day you will grow up,
many problems you will solve.
With the other ponies, you know
you will have fun!
Go and fly, My Little Pony!
If you want to meet new friends,
take flight and listen to your heart,
and you can face any adventure!
Go and fly, My Little Pony!
Make your dreams come true and do not stop!
Do not stop!
Do not stop!
Do not stop!
Go and fly, My Little Pony!
If you want to meet new friends,
take flight and listen to your heart,
and you can face any adventure!
Go and fly, My Little Pony!
Make your dreams come true and do not stop!
Do not stop!
Do not stop!
Do not stop! ♪
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so what will sunset;s new deck be and will she get a new spirit,
I think it will be fire king avatar.
Awww <3
What a lovely ending to a phenomenal 20-chapter story
What an emotionally empowering ending! I was legit on the verge of shedding a tear at such a late hour cuz it was so heartwarming how you wrote the Twilight's return home scene. And that song at the end, good lord. I can sense a mix of orchestral and electric guitar work with those lyrics.
What an amazing crossover story.
pinkie stop breaking the forth wall.
A shadow game!
Pinkie Pie: NEVER!
Though somewhat predictable, this was still an enjoyable read. Thanks! I know you wrote a sequel centered on Sunset in Equestria Girls, but I think I'd be more interested on Twilight might be up to with her new companion and the incredible new technologies, ideas, and game she brought home with her. How would Equestria as a whole react to these potentially world-changing items?