A Certain Scientific Twilight

by Babroniedad

01 - Sunset - The Bloody Goddess

Author's Note:

The scene I’m setting here is Sunset coming to grips with who she is as the Maker’s Hand. She just took a life in the defense of one of her own, her beloved best friend. She’s starting to understand she’s not going to get to be the bubblegum redemption princess she hoped to be. Not every problem she will face as the Hand will be solved with Rainbow Lasers and friendship. Being who she is, that won’t stop her from trying. But she has to face the simple fact that to be who her Maker needs her to be, she has to be not just the gentle caress of loving friendship but the armored fist of righteous power. She has to be not just Princess Sunset Shimmer, but the goddess of War, Mars Ascendant. That journey for her is not going to be a one-act play. No one and done here folks. And her dear friend, her heart-mate Twilight, will be by her side.

Act 3 - Twilight Sparkle, Saturn Ascendant
Sunday, September 7, 11:48 PM Tokyo time.

---

Sunset held tightly to Twilight, tears still falling. Her best friend, her soul mate. They had tried to take her life. They had come into her home under a false flag, as allies. Then without warning or hesitation, they tried to lash out with lethal intent.

Worse than that, thought Sunset, staring at the ritual blade where it lay fallen on the floor beside them. They had used magic, Dark Magic, intending to slay her partner, and likely far worse, using the ritual blade that lay by her side.

She reached over to pick it up.

“Hold on Sunny! Are you sure it’s safe to touch?” asked Twilight in concern. She looked into Sunset’s eyes, tears of her own still falling, hurting not just in shock over what just happened, but in grief for Sunset’s pain and sorrow.

Sunset, seeing her best friend so deeply wounded by what she had done, seeing the love and concern so deeply felt in her friend's eyes, was moved with compassion. She pulled her hand back.

Sunset replied. “No. I’m not sure. But we need to know who did this. And to know who, I think we need to understand how, and why. We need to study what they left behind.” Sunset explained, more to herself than her friend, trying to organize her thoughts and feelings. She was slowly coming down from the shocked panic of seeing the blade drawn, lunging towards her BFF’s heart. In a frenzied, panicked rage she had reacted, correctly, and lashed out with her magic, banishing the threat to the furthest, most deadly thing she could imagine in that moment. The lethal sands of her realm, the cold, dry, deadly sands of Mars. With a shout. With an act of will, her magic had responded, and the threat to her beloved was gone. Removed. Parsecs away, a life was ended. If not directly by her hands, then certainly by her will.

Sunset couldn’t bring herself to feel any remorse for the girl she had slain. She knew she would, in time. She knew the shock and rage still coursing through her veins held her regrets away. But the regrets, and remorse would come. She was also certain if her friends were ever endangered, she would do it again, anytime, anyplace. She embraced her calling. She was the Maker’s Hand. She was the strong and gentle grasp of friendship, the open hand of greeting and invitation. And she was the strong armored hand of vengeance to those who opposed the Maker’s Will with lethal intent.

Intellectually she had realized that. Internally she even accepted it, without dwelling on or internalizing what it actually meant. She had given it a nod and filled it away to be dealt with later, if ever. Now, her destiny was right up in her face, in the shape of the ritual blade laying on her living room floor. It was a cruelly shaped and purposed reminder of the life she had taken, the soul she had sent on its final journey. She knew it was not destined for the storied, blissful plains of Elysium. No, in the assassin’s final moments, she had seen the lethal intent in her eyes. They were not the eyes of a soul seeped in goodwill, full of peace. The assassin's eyes were filled with hate, with loathing, and a deep willful desire to hurt, to maim, to rend. To end the life of her friend, and likely herself after that.

No. She couldn't pretend she had sent that soul on a peaceful journey. And in that moment, and this one, and likely every moment for quite a while, she found she didn’t and couldn’t care. She had done what was needed. She had done what was just. She had acted with no regrets or hesitation. She now knew she was capable of killing without regrets. A part of her worried over that. Another part rejoiced. She was capable of doing what was needed, of being the defender of all who were given over to her care.

The shock of the event still numbed all but the feelings of rage. Rage alone was fully felt. Her other feelings would return, she was certain of it. She knew they were buried under her anger and rage. And when they did return, she would have to deal with the conflicting thoughts and the conflicting feelings. But not now.

“Okay.” Mind made up, Sunset took a slow deep breath. She smiled at her friend and embraced her.

“I love you Sparky,” she breathed into her hair, eyes shut tight in gratitude. “Thank you, for everything! You’re my North Star. You keep me safe. You guide me. Thank you…” She gently breathed the fragrance of her friend in gratitude.

Twilight held her tightly. “Thank you for saving me, Sunny. Again. My life and heart are yours. I love you.” Twilight smiled, holding tightly to her friend in gratitude, tears of relief and joy still falling down her cheeks.

“I love you too, Sparky. More than life itself I love you. I don’t ever want to leave you. I don’t ever want to lose you! Forever, Sparky! I’m yours, forever,” Sunset smiled, holding tightly to her friend.

Smiling, Twilight nodded. “Forever, Sunny. I’m yours forever too.”

---

The door to the apartment opened, and the concierge entered. She found Sunset and Twilight still clutched tightly to each other smiling, tears coursing gently down their cheeks.

Taking the scene in, the concierge immediately took out her phone and reported what she was seeing.

“We’re okay. Twilight’s okay,” Sunset called out to the concierge. Her mood immediately darkened as she growled, “But the one who did this will never be okay again.” Taking a deep breath, she continued. “We need your help. We need to find out who did this and bring down judgment on them. We need to track them down.”

Sunset bent down to examine the ceremonial blade. She could see runes engraved around the blade. “Have any of you ever seen anything like this?” She asked Twilight.

“Hold on,” Twilight responded. The blade was surrounded in a magenta glow and gently lifted to the dining room table. Twilight took out her cell phone and snapped a picture of the blade, then started cross referencing the runes. A minute later, she used her telekinesis to flip the blade on the table and took another picture, cross referencing the runes on the back of the blade. Minutes later she had what she was looking for.

“Okay,” she reported. “It’s a spell poem.

Life bound, unbound

Soul bound, unbound

Severed, bound eternal

Torment unending Pain eternal

“I think it’s supposed to sever a person’s life force and soul, then bind their soul to eternal suffering in hell,” she summarized, then gulped as the reality of what could have happened hit her.

Sunset’s eyes bulged. “Son of a … Now I’m really glad I sent that murdering bitch to die.”

Twilight turned to her friend in concern. “That’s just the hurt talking, Sunset. I know you better than that.”

Sunset looked at Twilight, tears in her eyes.

“Twilight, they didn’t just try to kill you. They were trying to send you to hell. Eternal hell. I want mercy for everyone, but someone so viciously merciless? Someone that evil? I’m pretty sure any mercy I may have felt for them is long lost.” She shook her head. “No, I won't shed a tear for them. They made their choice. And I’ll happily live with my response. What I can’t live without is my friend. Twilight, I can’t live without you!” Reaching out to Twilight, she pulled her into a tight hug.

“I understand,” Twilight said. She cupped Sunset’s face in her hands. “Sunset, I feel the same way about you. I would do anything to protect you! And, I never want to be apart from you.”

Pressing her head to Sunset’s, Twilight smiled. “If you are the Maker’s Hand, then I am your shield. I am your sword. I am your protector as you work her will.” A Teal glow briefly enveloped the two girls, then faded.

“What was that?” asked Sunset, stunned.

Twilight smiled. “I think the Maker just blessed my oath. I think you and I are oathbound.”

Twilight wrapped the blade back in a magenta glow. “I think we’ve gotten all we can from this for the night, and frankly I’m sick of seeing it. I’m going to keep it somewhere safe until we can examine it further.” A dark portal opened up over the table, and with a flick of her telekinesis, the blade disappeared into the portal. It closed, disappearing.

“Thanks! I was sick of seeing it too,” sighed Sunset.

Twilight took Sunset’s hand. “Sunset, I need, no… we need some help. I’m going to get the Princess. She might have some better ideas about this, and she can help us sort this dark magic out. We’re out of our league here, we need her help.”

“No! I don’t want you leaving. I’m not letting you out of my sight,” stated Sunset, gripping Twilight’s hand tightly.

“Then we can go together,” said Twilight. “But we need her help.” Letting go of Sunset, she ran into their bedroom, then returned a minute later. “She’s waiting for us at the portal. Let’s go.” Twilight turned to the concierge. “We’re going to get some help from a friend. We’ll be back later tonight, but if you need us for anything, we both have our phones.”

Still holding Sunset’s hand, they both disappeared in a magenta flash.

---

They appeared before the TACIT unit in Twilight’s garage lab. “One more hop, babe,” said Twilight, still holding her hand. They disappeared in a magenta flash again, to appear before the portal at CHS, where Princess Twilight was waiting for them.

She pulled them both into a hug. “I am so sorry to hear what happened. I’ll do anything I can to help,” the princess said, holding them both tightly. “Do you still have the artifact?”

“It’s in my hammerspace,” assured Twilight.

“Okay, that will work. Let’s get back to the castle and my lab. We can examine it there then see if we can piece some of this together. Are you ready?” the princess asked.

Sunset held both their hands, looking resolute. “I am. Let’s do this,” she agreed. Twilight squeezed her hand and nodded.

“Okay, let’s go then,” said the princess, pulling them both with her towards the statue’s base. Side by side the two Twilight’s entered the portal, still holding Sunset’s hands as she was pulled into the portal after them. With a kaleidoscope whirl they spiraled through the portal emerging as their pony selves on the other side. The princess stuck her landing, Twilight stopping by her side making only the slightest of stumbles.

“Ahhh!” came the shout from behind them as Sunset was ejected from the portal, chair and all, only to flip as she came to a sudden stop colliding with both their backsides.

“Ouch,” laughed the princess, helping her counterpart up. Sunset looked up from the floor dazed as she was lifted in a magenta glow and gently back into her chair after it was tipped back upright.

“Uh, thanks?” said Sunset, still looking a bit flustered. “Sorry about that!” They all laughed.

The princess led them over to her workbench. “Go ahead and set up. I’ll ask Spike to get us some snacks. We’ll need the energy,” she smiled, heading to the doorway. Leaning out, she called out to Spike. “Hey Spike, they’re here! Can you grab us some tea and snacks?”

“On it!” Spike called back as the princess rejoined them. Twilight had already placed the ceremonial knife out on the workbench.

“Oh wow, I can feel the malice radiating from that,” noted Princess Twilight. “And you said you translated the ruins already, right?”

“Yes,” answered Twilight. “The spell says

Life bound, unbound

Soul bound, unbound

Severed, bound eternal

Torment unending Pain eternal

“We think it severs a person’s life force and soul binding them to hell in eternal torment,” she summarized

“Wow! That’s dark. Who in the world would make something like this?” wondered Princess Twilight aloud as she examined the blade with her magic. “Okay, this feels weird. The magic radiating from this blade feels off, similar to how your psychic powers felt when you were using them. Something isn’t adding up here.”

“How’s that?” asked Sunset, watching her examine the blade.

Princess Twilight mused for a moment. “I have a theory, but it needs some testing to confirm. Are you up for it? Or is this a bad time for distractions?”

“Honestly, after what happened, I could use a distraction,” admitted Sunset.

“I just want to find out who is behind wanting us both dead. We know it’s the cabals, but what do they hope to gain from it? Why are they doing this?” agreed Twilight.

“Then let’s try to find out,” acknowledged Princess Twilight.

---

Several hours later they were still seated around the workbench, notes now scattered over the surface, teacups and cake plates cleared to the side while they poured over their findings.

Sunset scratched her head. “So let me get this straight. The malice we’re feeling radiating from this blade is a form of Sympathetic Magic? And that’s different from Harmonic Magic? And we can use both?”

“That’s what I am seeing here, yes,” agreed Princess Twilight.

“And can anyone use both?” Twilight asked.

“Anypony, er. Anyone can, yes,” agreed Princess Twilight. “But, from studying your psychic magic, it’s clear there are two different types of sympathetic magic. And they are incompatible with each other. If your body was tuned to one, it would have difficulty using the other.”

“Difficulty? What does that mean, just it would be hard?” asked Sunset.

“More like, nearly impossible. Or, even if possible, it would likely kill you,” replied the princess.

“What?” gasped Twilight. “Using magic could kill you? How does that even happen?”

“Harmonic Magic gathers its power from the relationships between all things, or the energy created by our feelings about them. We gather that energy into ourselves then use it to cast our magic. We can exhaust our mana reserves, but it doesn’t take away anything from ourselves. Though with Dark Harmonic magic, drawing from our dark feelings like anger or hate can bend our minds, eventually permanently.

“What I am measuring from this blade is a form of Sympathetic Magic. It differs from Harmonic magic by its source. While Harmonic magic is power from the relationship between things, Sympathetic magic is powered by the essence of the thing itself. That means, as a caster of Sympathetic magic, the cast pulls its power directly from the caster. For normal sympathetic casting, the pulled energy comes directly from the life force, essentially the soul, of the caster.

“But for your psychic magic it’s powered indirectly. The energy is pulled from what you said is called your Personal Reality, lending it an imaginary component. The advantage to that is substantial, as you are no longer limited by the power of your or another's soul. The imaginary component allows you to factor up limited by only the power of your imagination and intellect.

“But the energies are incompatible. If you were a habitual caster of normal Sympathetic magic you would have an extremely difficult time creating your own Personal Reality, and refining your magical pathways to handle the imaginary component of the mana. But that’s not the worst part.

“The imaginary component of Sympathetic magic is not renormalizable with normal Sympathetic magic. The unbounded infinities of their interactions would produce anti-energies that would tear you apart. Trying to use normal Sympathetic magic in a body tuned for imaginary Sympathetic magic would literally destroy your body from the inside out. It would kill or at the very least cripple you.”

Sunset blanched, then nodded. “Yeah, bad idea, got it. But we can use imaginary Sympathetic magic with Harmonic magic with no issues, right?”

“As you have shown, clearly true,” agreed the princess. “Harmonic magic does not resonate with Sympathetic magic, so there’s no interaction between it and the imaginary component of the Sympathetic magic. You would be completely safe.”

“That’s a relief. I really don’t want to have to give up half our arsenal,” nodded Sunset.

Twilight nodded as well. “So technically, a Harmonic magic user could use normal Sympathetic magic too, right?” she asked.

The princess nodded, but held a hoof up in caution. “You could, but what would be the point? You’re limited to burning up your life force or stealing the life force of others. That in itself is not harmonically neutral, and would diminish your ability to cast Harmonically. Using the imaginary component is harmonically neutral as neither your’s nor another's life force is actually used or destroyed.”

Twilight nodded, understanding. “It makes sense, no point in shooting ourselves in the foot. Psychic Sympathetic magic only then, got it.”

“So what does that tell us about this blade?” asked Sunset, pulling them back to the task at hand. “How does that tell us anything about who’s behind this?”

Princess Twilight answered. “Right off, it tells us this blade is a magical artifact from the Human Realm. It’s crafted and seeped in the Sympathetic magic of the Human Realm. I suspect it’s an older artifact, if only because someone was crafting an artifact now, after Academy City has advanced the science of Psychic magic with its intrinsic power advantage of imaginary sympathetic magic, the artifact would likely have been crafted to use that.”

“So, artifacts can be made for psychic magic?” asked Sunset.

“Of course!” replied Princess Twilight. “Once the magic has been codified, runes can be developed for it, encapsulating the magical matrices involved, and once etched into an artifact and properly enchanted, or to use the scientific term, activated, it would function like any other enchanted artifact, as long as the activators Personal Reality remained available to power it.”

“And that’s likely why there are so few if any psychic artifacts around. They depend on the casters Personal Reality,” mused Sunset.

“Not exactly,” clarified the princess. “If the runes were crafted properly, any sufficiently similar personal reality could activate the spell. In essence, it would work anywhere someone believed in it.”

“Wow! Like a holy relic or something,” noted Twilight. “That explains so much.”

“Exactly,” noted the princess.

Sunset nodded. “Wow, so there may be tons of psychic artifacts out there that we just don’t know about. That’s a lot to take in.” She shook her head. “And we’re getting off track, again. So, likely an older artifact that is powered by apparently pathological levels of hatred. That still leaves the questions of who made this and why is it binding souls to eternal torment? What’s the point?”

“If I had to guess,” Twilight noted, “I would say it was crafted for exactly what it looks like. It’s a sacrificial blade. It ‘s made to issue payments to hell for something that was promised, just like in the stories of the elder times.”

“Payment to who?” asked Sunset.

“Well, according to ancient mythology, the lord of Hell is the old god Beelzabub,” answered Twilight. “So, I believe payment to the lord of the elder gods.”

“And what does he get from this, aside from souls to torment?” asked Sunset in confusion.

“Power,” answered the princess. “Souls, especially in deep emotion like passionate torment, give the old gods power… Sympathetic magical power.”

---

Sunset and Twilight returned through the portal shortly afterwards, thanking Princess Twilight for her help.

Returning to their apartment they found the apartment cleaned, with a note from the concierge, informing them that the police had come, documented everything, took the concierge's statement, then authorized her to clean up when they finished. The police requested Sunset and Twilight arrange a meeting with them so they could get their complete statements on the attack.

“I’m too tired to deal with this now,” yawned Twilight. “It’s just too much for one day.” She went into the bathroom and got ready for bed. Sunset wheeled in after her.

“We can deal with it tomorrow,” she agreed as she performed her ablutions then dressed for bed.

Sunset transferred into bed, snuggling up with Twilight, who turned off the lights. They left the window clear, looking out over the city lights. “Good night Sunny,” Twilight whispered, shutting her eyes and holding tightly to her BFF as they drifted off to sleep.

Comments

[Grand-Galvatron]

This is a really good story. Great job.

[AngelaCA]

I'm gonna be honest that is the most non-platonic , platonic relationship I have ever read just make it officially non-platonic already 🤣(*my Sunlight supporting heart has been screaming for it ever since I started reading this*)🤣 but you do you *ehem* just hoping for Sunlight ship to sail*ehem*🤣

Anyway thanks for the great fic🙏🥰 even if my ship may not sail it's still a great fic overall🥰