SunLight Sliders: Infinite

by Amber Spark

Chapter 30 - The Albinocorn

Sunset came around, squeezing her eyes tighter as she was dragged back into the waking world. She understood why her angel recommended they never meet again. The sensation of a drill against the front end of her brain wasn’t quite worth it. She found use of her right arm and pressed a hand to her throbbing head.

“Sunset!”

She groaned. “Please, not that loud, Sparky. I feel like I have the worst hangover in the multiverse.”

An oddly familiar chuckle reached her ears. “Be thankful that’s all you got. Even I wasn’t sure what was going to happen when I hit you. A little disappointed a headache was the worst of it.”

Sunset kept her eyes closed, unready to face the harsh light of the world she assumed they were still in. “Twilight, why am I hearing Discord?”

“Well…” Twilight said hesitantly, “it turns out he’s alive, and he beat Lady Sparkle for us.”

“... That’s a handy amount of deus ex machina. Not complaining though. What happened to demon me?”

“I was demon you!” Discord said, like it was the punchline to an elaborate joke, which at this point, Sunset thought it might have been.

Keeping a hand cupped over her eyes, Sunset opened them and stared into the anxious face of Twilight. Two feelings collided together in Sunset’s heart: longing and guilt. She had dragged this girl up and down the multiverse and nearly got her killed on a number of occasions. Above all that, she had toyed with Twilight’s feelings and in the process, left herself even more confused than Twilight probably was. Her angel had been right—they needed a long talk.

As nerve-wracking and painful as it would probably be, Sunset was looking forward to it. Something mundane and normal after the long adventure they had had.

Twilight helped Sunset into a sitting position, then gently pulled her into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Sunset saw Discord roll his eyes, though he wore a playful grin. “You children are always so sentimental. It was just a little chaos magic. I wasn’t trying to kill her.”

By the way the drill pressed against Sunset’s skull, she thought otherwise. Still, with Twilight pressed against her, the pain already seemed to ebb away. Sunset looked away from Discord to the seemingly immobile form of Lady Sparkle. Her eyes were wide with horror and disbelief, the kind that classic villains had when they couldn’t believe they had been beaten. It was enough to make Sunset grin triumphantly, even if she had nothing to do with the victory.

Twilight pulled away from Sunset and followed her eyes to Lady Sparkle. “So… what happens to her?”

Discord dug a claw into his ear as he spoke. “You know, I’m not one-hundred percent sure. Like I said, every little bit of her is gone. It was the only way to get rid of the Twive Minds since it was so ingrained into even her.” He pulled out a wad of cotton candy from his ear canal, shrugged, and took a bite of it. “The way I see it, there’s two possibilities.

“Either I unfreeze her and she becomes a drooling corpse, or I unfreeze her and she becomes a blank slate, free of all memories, personality, everything.” Discord finished off his candy with a loud smack. “I’m fine with either, really.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes, and Midnight’s voice rose from her throat, low and scathing. “I say we just leave her. With all the shit she’s put us through, leaving her as a petrified statue is the softest punishment I’m willing to give her.” Her face broke into a malevolent grin. “Do you think she can still see and hear everything around her?”

Discord leaned over Lady Sparkle. “No. Pretty sure no one’s home.”

Midnight frowned. “Boring.” Her un-Twilightish glare softened, returning the empathetic light Sunset much preferred.

“I know she did terrible things. A lot of terrible things. But, if she really is just a blank slate, we can’t leave her here like this. Right?”

Sunset lowered her hand from her eyes and looked at the broken world around them Nothing but smoldering rubble and red haze as far as the eye could see. No magic, no people. It would be a rather fitting prison. Sunset was tempted to agree with Midnight, yet Twilight had a point. If Discord was correct, then for all intents and purposes, Lady Sparkle was dead. A second punishment seemed redundant.

On the other hand, if she couldn’t even process the world around her in her present state, what was the point in unfreezing her? They could just let her be and move on with their lives.

Sunset stared intently at Lady Sparkle. Already, she felt her heart soften. Evil or not, dead or not, this Twilight was still a Twilight. She deserved to go out with some dignity. And Skylark deserved some closure. Sunset sighed. In the end, she had a weakness for any girl who called herself Twilight Sparkle.

“Unfreeze her, Discord,” Sunset said with firm conviction. “If she’s brain dead, we’ll put her out of her misery. If there’s something there, we’ll take her back with us.”

Discord gave a slow, exasperated shake of his head. “Sentimental, every last one of you.” He snapped his tail, and a flash of light emitted from Lady Sparkle. There was more color to her face, and her eyes blinked very slowly, as if she was coming out of a long dream.

She sat up, eyes growing wider with each swivel of her head. Sunset could hear the girl’s erratic breath from across the courtyard.

Well, she’s not brain dead.

“Where… am I?” She looked over at Sunset and Twilight huddled together. “Who are you?” Her eyes found Discord, and she let out a loud yell and scrambled backwards, falling several times. “What is that thing?”

“Well, I never!” Discord said, putting his hands on his hips. “I mean, I have but I still have feelings!”

Ex-Lady Sparkle was on the verge of tears. She pressed one hand against her heart and another against her head. “What’s… I can’t remember… who… where…” Tears poured down her cheeks and she began to hiccup. “What’s go-going on? I can’t remember anything!”

Midnight grinned. “Nevermind, I’m enjoying this.”

Twilight shook her away and stood up. Gingerly, with her hands raised in a placating manner, she stepped toward the frightened former nightingale. “It’s going to be okay. I know you’re scared, but we’re here to help you.”

Sparkle didn’t look convinced, but seeing as she had backed herself against a large piece of upturned cement, she had nowhere to go. “Who are you?”

Twilight knelt in front of her. “I’m… a very close friend. Almost like a sister.”

The words seemed to resonate with Sparkle. Her frightened doe look softened just a modicum, and her tears fell at a slower pace. “You do seem… familiar?” She looked over at Sunset. “So does she. I think.”

She moved her other hand to her head and gripped the sides of her skull. “But… I can’t think. I-I can’t even remember my own name. What happened to me?”

“Don’t worry,” Twilight said reassuringly, “we can take you to someone who will help.”

While her headache persisted, Sunset found the strength to stand, wobbling at first, and using a large piece of rock to hold herself steady. When the world stopped shifting under her feet, she stumbled over and picked up the talisman, half charged.

“Hey, Discord,” she said, bringing it over to him. “Can you do us one last favor?”

Discord, lounging on an upside down loveseat, draped his head down and clicked his tooth. “I dunno. I seem to be doing a lot of favors for you lately. What do I get out of all this?”

Sunset shifted uncomfortably. “I mean, what do you want?”

Discord snatched the talisman. “Nothing a mere mortal like you could give me. Just promise me the next time you come and visit, it’s just to say hi. I’ve had enough of Sunlight brand madness to last me a lifetime. I need something else to break the monotony.”

He handed the talisman back, fully charged and thrumming with power, then bowed with dramatic flair. “Ladies, this is where I bid you adieu. I’m off to find a Celestia to bother. My world is always open, just make sure to knock!” And with a flash of light, Discord was gone.

Twilight helped Sparkle to her feet and guided her to Sunset. With the three of them gathered together, Sunset pressed the button and watched as a portal split open in front of them.

“Is… is that normal?” Sparkle asked, curiosity and fear written in her eyes.

“Relatively speaking,” Twilight said. She gestured for Sparkle to head through. With trembling shoulders, she did as told, vanishing into the soft light.

Sunset reached for Twilight’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “One more stop. Then, you’re home free.”

“Home,” Twilight repeated. She squeezed Sunset’s hand and pulled her along into the portal.

Author's Note:

Chapter written by The Albinocorn!

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Author's Note: A hundred dimensions away, a tall woman sat at her desk, black and white lips pursed as she massaged her temple. The metal halo above her turned an annoyed shade of green.

Stella Nova sighed. "This is why we can't have nice things."

Comments

[The Scarlett Mare]

A hundred dimensions away, a tall woman sat at her desk, black and white lips pursed as she massaged her temple. The metal halo above her turned an annoyed shade of green.
Stella Nova sighed. "This is why we can't have nice things."

Well, Stella, you could just maybe turn off your interdimensional scanners and force them to ignore any trace of Sunlight, because last time you said, and I quote:

“Your proposal will be considered. If only so I never have to see you universal constants again,” she spat. She stalked toward the portal. “Go home. And may we never cross paths after this.”

Well, you could probably make an effort yourself, don't you think my dear tyrant?