Hogwarts: Sunset's Legacy

by witegrlninja

In Which One Cop is a Bastard

As time marched on, Sebastian slowly began to heal.

He finally had the inner strength to return to classes, for one. Most of our classmates gave him a wide berth, as though he were so fragile that anything that could possibly remind him of what had happened would send him into another panic. As a result he mostly kept focused on his studies and stayed quiet, unlike his usual boisterous self, always eager to show off his knowledge. Like me, Ominis stayed by his side; though he said little, his presence alone was both calming and reassuring to him. Natty and Poppy also made it a point to come up to him and ask how he was doing, offering their help if he needed it. He was touched by the offer, though his mood soured when Natty suggested that Solomon would be missed dearly.

She couldn't have known, of course... but a simple glare got the message across. In a way he got his revenge when the two finally had their Crossed Wands duel, defeating her by turning the floor into ice and using her own momentum to send her into a pile of crates. Frankly I'd expected nothing less from him, and I knew for a fact he'd win his semifinals match - Selwyn's face paled as he realized he'd have to face off against him. And my own skills were thus far unmatched... I was looking forward to the challenge of defeating him again, just as much as he was looking forward to our rematch from the beginning of the year.

His appetite returned, and he also tried to return to his own dorm room at night, to sleep in his own bed with Ominis across from him for company... but that didn't last long. How could it when he had me to share a bed with? Though many nights we barely got any sleep, instead simply cuddling and talking with each other until the sun rose.

And every night that passed, I could feel my love for him grow.

Life returned to normal, for the most part. The amount of homework I found myself saddled with was finally approaching the amount Celestia used to give me, although the difficulty was still lacking. One such afternoon, after finishing my Potions essay, I lifted my arms over my head and stretched, hearing my back crack in relief.

Time to relax and kick back... and what better way to do so than with a hot bath?

I jogged down the stairs to the ensuite bathroom where my amber bathtub sat. After fiddling with the knobs until the water was just right, I poured in a soapy liquid until lavender-scented bubbles covered the surface. Once it was full I waved off my clothes with a swish of my wand, stepped into the water and leaned back into the grooves of the tub. My entire body instantly relaxed, a loud, long sigh escaping my lips as I closed my eyes. The gemstone readily absorbed the heat from the water, ensuring the surface didn't feel joltingly cold for even a moment like porcelain or ceramic.

I definitely needed a bathtub like this in the castle I'd have someday.

"Ahhhhhh..."

For a long while, I heard nothing but the quiet popping of bubbles and my own fleeting thoughts. At one point I heard the door to my Room open and shut; it was certainly Sebastian returning from a catch-up tutoring session with Professor Ronen. He wanted to be absolutely sure he had Diminuendo down pat, since he'd missed that lesson. I smiled to myself and laid back again, dead to the world around me.

Eventually though, I did hear footsteps drawing near before stopping abruptly. I opened one eye and saw him in the gap between the two decorative dividers, frozen in place with his mouth hanging open.

I opened my other eye, raising an eyebrow. "...Did'ja need something?" It was enough to shock him back into motion.

"Oh! Oh, Merlin, p-pardon me!" he spluttered, covering his eyes with his hand while shuffling behind one of the dividers. A few seconds later he cautiously poked his head out from around the corner, though stopping before his eyebrows became visible. "I, well... I was going to use the water closet, but if you're using the bath currently then I can wait," he explained.

"Oh, is that all?" I sighed, reclining my head again as I lazily readied my wand. "Go ahead, then- ...wait, number one or number two?" my eyes narrowed, hoping it wasn't the latter. From behind the divider I could see Sebastian's silhouette jump.

"W-What?!" he shouted again. "Are you implying... you don't mind if I use the loo while you're bathing? You don't mind if I see you naked?!" I stared at him for a moment, blinking in stupefaction.

Humans and ponies had very different opinions on nudity, I had come to realize. It never bothered me one bit - ponies only wore clothing on special occasions, otherwise their outer bits were free to flap about in public wherever they went. Hell, even Princess Celestia only wore her crown, collar regalia and gilded horseshoes most of the time! Such constant exposure to the pony body meant that nopony ever gave it a second thought... it was just normal.

Not that I'd ever walk around the castle or anywhere here naked... it was just not practical. Too cold.

"...No? I mean... given how we're a couple now, it's kind of inevitable at this point," I rolled my eyes as I lazily lifted a foot into the air, wiggling my toes. A sudden, amusing thought came to me while I slowly lowered it back into the water. "Wait, is this because... oh, don't tell me you've never seen boobs before!" I smirked, sticking out my chest teasingly.

"I-I have!" he answered quickly, way too quickly. "Just, erm... w-well..." But then he trailed off, and my head jerked back in surprise.

"Really? But, there's like- " I paused to make a mental count, " ...at least ten paintings in the school where the woman has her boobs hanging out! And they've got jiggle physics!"

"No, no, I don't mean- ...and besides, seeing breasts in a painting is entirely different from seeing them in the flesh!" he argued with a huff. An incredulous chuckle passed my lips as I sat up in the bathtub, purposely becoming a little more visible.

"You people sure are weird about nudity," I shrugged. "It's no big deal, ya know? And yea, we have magic, but doing laundry all the time is such a pain... my people go without clothes all the time." Upon hearing this anecdote about Equestrian life, Sebastian let out another strangled noise.

"Are you seriously telling me your people don't wear clothes?!" he exclaimed. "Even out in public?!"

"They do!" I clarified.

...

...

...

"...Sometimes," my eyes slid to the side. Sebastian was silent for a while as he tried to process everything.

"Right. Well... how long do you think you'll be?" he finally asked, trying to hide a bit of straining in his voice.

"Do you really have to go?" He nodded emphatically. "Then just go. Seriously, I don't care, everybody has to do it! Just have some courtesy and cast Silencio, and a small Incendio if it's number two."

"But... B-But... I... y-you..." I sighed with a grunt, rolling my head back in slight annoyance. It's normal for boys to want to ogle women's bodies, isn't it? And I'm definitely ogle-worthy... ah, maybe that's the problem, here. I nodded to myself, grabbed my wand and cast a quick spell in his direction. He shouted in alarm and stumbled into view, everything from the knees up and his stomach downwards rendered unviewable behind a pixelated haze. "W-What in Merlin's name have you done to me?!"

"Censorship spell. Now you can pee or poop and I'll be none the wiser," I grinned. "It even plays a charming little ditty while you're going."

"I- well, that still doesn't change the fact that you're naked!" he blurted out, his face an unnatural shade of bright red. Now that I knew for certain what his sense of hesitation was about, I cackled at his barely-contained semblance of wishing to preserve my modesty, lifted my legs and stood up from the water, thin streaks of perfumed foam and bubbles sliding down my body.

"You fool! The more naked I get, the more powerful I become!" I declared, striking a daring pose. Sebastian froze again; a thin trickle of blood dripped from his nose as a slight breeze blew, and he teetered and fell straight backwards like a statue. He probably would've shattered if he really were made of stone.

Heh... Don't tell me I broke him already!

Not even bothering with a towel or robe, I stepped out of the tub with my wand and cast Rennervate on him, smirking as he came to with a snort, staring at me with wide, captivated eyes.

"So, now that that's out of your system... can you just use the toilet, now?"

He wordlessly nodded.

"Good boy."

~

Honestly, I was looking forward to the weekend... I needed a small break from my studies. On Saturday morning, however, while I was on the way back to my Room after breakfast I heard footsteps running behind me. I barely turned around in time before Natty and Poppy both grabbed my arms and began dragging me along with them. Both of them seemed very angry.

"Whoa, what's going on?" I blinked, bewildered.

"I don't believe this!" the former growled. "You would not believe what we have just seen!"

"We were out having a nice flight over the Forbidden Forest, just the two of us," the latter explained. "But then we saw him!"

"Who?"

"Theophilus Harlow!" Natty spat. "He was leading a gang of his Ashwinders down one of the roads."

"They've captured what looked like an entire herd of thestrals!" cried Poppy. "The foals were lying unconscious in cages while their parents were being forced to pull the wagons carrying them!"

"Oh," I recoiled, feeling slightly sick to my stomach. I hated the thought of a... er, fellow equine being trapped and carted off somewhere to be sold off, or... worse. But given how much effort the three of us had put into gathering evidence for Officer Singer, it also confirmed to me that the police in the area were either unfathomably slow, totally powerless or frighteningly incompetent.

And frankly, I'd had enough of playing detective.

I began walking quickly alongside the two girls, negating their need to pull me along. "Are we going to catch up with him?"

"Yes, the plan right now is to track his gang and see where their hideout is," said Natty. I nodded in understanding; as soon as we were outside we got on our brooms, and I followed them as they retraced their flight. From our vantage point high in the air we quickly caught back up with the traveling poachers. To help ensure that we weren't seen I quickly cast Fumos and wrapped us in a veil of clouds.

My eyes narrowed as I spied Harlow lounging on the passenger's seat of the lead wagon. There were five of them in total, the four behind his loaded with two large metal cages each, holding thestral foals inside. None of them were moving or making any noise, meaning they had likely been stunned or bewitched into an enchanted sleep. The adult thestrals that pulled the wagons bore numerous ugly red gashes and purple blotches on their skin, their wings tied to their bodies with thick ropes. The drivers of those wagons jeered and shouted as they whipped at the poor creatures if they showed even a hint of resistance.

Disgusting.

"Monstrous... we have to do something!" Poppy glowered, shaking her head.

"You're damn right," I agreed. "As soon as we know where they're hiding out, I say we just take care of this problem ourselves. Clearly, the authorities aren't gonna stop him any time soon."

"I agree," Natty frowned resolutely. "I have stood by for long enough. Harlow and his Ashwinders' poaching enterprise ends today!" At first Poppy seemed to be in agreement, her eyes glimmering with ill intent... but she surprisingly hesitated to let her inner bloodlust consume her entirely.

"Even so, perhaps we ought to at least inform Officer Singer?" she asked.

"Pfft, why? So she can insist she's got it, then spend another month or two sitting on her arse until he does something else?" I groused.

"And she'll only inform my mother of our plans... goodness knows I do not need another lecture," Natty rolled her eyes. "I am tired of hiding it from her. She needs to understand that I will not be safe from the Ashwinders until everyone is. I shall pursue them until they are finished!"

"You both have a fair point," Poppy shrugged, her eyes growing dark as she let out a small giggle. "A stroke of good luck that I've grown a bumper crop of Cabbages."

~

Harlow and his gang traveled for what felt like hours down the road, all of them behaving as though they hadn't a care in the world. Nobody they passed by dared speak with them, many even made it a point to look away.

But gradually the roads they traveled grew rougher and narrower, until finally it led them towards a grand manor by the coast, surrounded by thick stone walls. The three of us halted and held our position as we watched them pass through the gates and disappear inside.

"I wonder who they had to kill to control such a stronghold," Natty sighed. As well-kept as the manor seemed, there were also obvious signs of a struggle - some of the windows had been blasted out, a number of decorative banners were in tatters, and there appeared to be a large swath of charred ground in the center left of the manor's courtyard.

"How will we get in? I can only imagine how many guards there must be if Harlow himself has made his camp here," said Poppy. I squinted as I tried to get a better view; while I couldn't see anyone on top of the surrounding walls, I could definitely see silhouettes of people moving within the manor itself. Harlow lowered himself off of his wagon and made a few gestures to the others before heading inside, leaving his underlings to take care of the thestrals. Among a smattering of tents and supplies the courtyard was filled with brown-gray metal cages... that many beasts meant that many people watching over them.

"We could always just fight our way in," I shrugged. It'd likely be the only way - there wasn't any cover we could take to sneak in, nor were there any holes in the wall to slip through. They'd definitely see us coming from the ground or the air. I wouldn't even be surprised if they'd noticed the one random cloud in the sky that was seemingly unaffected by the wind.

But my conscience nipped at me as I considered a frontal assault. While I could certainly take care of myself, I still wasn't as confident in the abilities of my two... friends. I didn't... want either of them to get hurt.

"That may be our only option," Natty nodded grimly. "I see no other way."

"It's not ideal," frowned Poppy, "but you're right. There's just no natural cover to take advantage of."

"Welp, the good ol' Gryffindor method it is, then," I remarked with a smirk. "I can at least create a diversion for you two to improve our chances." Er, well... your chances, anyway.

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'll be fine," I grinned to Natty. "You two just get ready to swoop in over the walls." After a moment's consideration she nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Be careful." I pulled some of the cloud cover with me as I flew away from them, over to the manor's western side. About a thousand feet now separated us, and I hummed to myself as I wondered how to create the most distracting chaos possible.

Something that would strike fear into their hearts and demoralize them until they fainted from pure shock.

A malicious grin spread across my face.

The cloud surrounding me glowed brightly as I channeled ancient magic into my spell, sweeping my wand in wide, slow circles. High above the manor a dark spot appeared, rapidly billowing outwards into a layer of clouds as thick and grey as smoke, sparking orange and white and roaring with thunder. Feeling the building heat from even this distance, I focused my will into the maelstrom, letting the fire and plasma coagulate and grow.

Channeling this much magic took some effort, but the results were well worth it. The air turbulence kicked up an especially loud peal of thunder as fire began raining down onto the topmost floor of the manor alongside massive slow-moving balls of lightning, a giant sprite flashing to life above the clouds. The windows on that floor shattered from the sudden heat as the stone and brick surrounding them melted when the flames landed and spread out, while the ball lightning exploded and blew it apart bit by bit. Gradually the rest of the manor was set ablaze, but the courtyard and all its caged beasts were left untouched.

That oughta do it.

Glancing back in Natty's and Poppy's direction I saw their cloud float over the outer wall and into the courtyard. I left my cover behind as I flew down to join them, finding Natty blowing their cloud away with a simple flick of her hand as they stared up at the storm in terror-stricken awe; in exchange for an apocalyptic burst of magic, it was already fading away.

"...I am not even going to ask how you managed a Firestorm that powerful," she gaped. "Perhaps it's for the best that Sallow defeated me."

"Even more impressive you left all of the creatures unharmed," Poppy breathed as we surveyed the courtyard. The entire area was lined with cages containing all manner of beasts, each of them squawking, roaring or screeching in fright or anger, begging to be released. The three of us began mass-casting Alohomora to open the cages and set them free - Fwoopers, Jobberknolls and the captured Thestrals filled the skies as Nifflers and Kneazles slinked into the shadows. The Puffskeins bunched together until they formed what looked like a giant, multicolored pompom ball and rolled away in a group through the gaps in the gate. A pair of Unicorns reared up and galloped away, while a group of Mooncalves just wandered around aimlessly until I rolled my eyes and levitated them over the walls.

Soon the courtyard was empty except for the three of us. To my slight concern, none of the Ashwinders I'd assumed were watching the captive menagerie were present. Even if I'd scared them all into retreating, there should've been at least a couple of stragglers watching their death come for them.

No... it was like the courtyard had been abandoned before I had cast my spell. So they'd noticed the strange cloud after all... maybe these thugs weren't completely oblivious. I snorted in amusement as my eyes swept my surroundings.

"Well, if this doesn't scream 'trap', I dunno what would," I grumbled. "I think we'll be ambushed shortly."

"We are stronger than Harlow, and he knows it," glared Natty. "That's why he's resorting to this sort of trickery." Suddenly I felt a massive pulse of magic radiating outwards from the manor, stretching beyond its walls. The trap had been sprung: someone had just conjured up a barrier to prevent our escape. It was nothing I couldn't break through, though it would take me some time and concentration. Far easier to just face whoever had done it and break the barrier that way, along with their body.

"And there it is," I smirked. "Just as I thought."

"His mistake... let's finish this," Poppy nodded resolutely. Pops and cracks soon echoed all around us, Ashwinders Apparating into the courtyard until we were surrounded. More of them swarmed out from the manor's entrance, Harlow himself trailing behind them with a confident grin on his face. Some of the Ashwinders had been wounded by my Firestorm, their burns and cuts hastily bandaged and still bleeding.

"Little Natsai Onai, isn't it? And her two excruciatingly loyal companions," he sneered, flicking his wrist as though his wand were a whip. "You three have done quite a bit of damage to my business interests, heh... but I must grudgingly give you some credit," he glared dangerously. "What was once a mere annoyance has become... remarkably problematic."

"Says more about you than it does us, don't you think?" I snarked. "Feels bad being outsmarted by three kids, doesn't it?"

"Oh, but fortunately I pride myself on my... problem-solving skills," he replied, raising his wand at me. "With the three of you here, I can now pluck those thorns from my side and kill you all myself... Except for you of course, Sunset Shimmer."

My eyes narrowed.

"Oh, yes, I know who you are... hard not to hear about your exploits around the valley," grinned Harlow. "You're exactly what Rookwood needs, and if I catch you here and turn you in to him... heh, why I'll be set for life."

"Who do you think you are, terrorizing people in this way?!" snarled Natty. Harlow paused for a moment, chuckling as he turned towards her.

"Me? I'm just trying to make an honest living," he answered, anger and impatience growing in his voice. "First you freed that white hippogriff and stole my orders from Rookwood... now you've killed half my men and got those blasted centaurs guarding those snidgets! Our snidgets!"

"Those snidgets don't belong to you!" Poppy yelled furiously, raising her wand. "And neither does Highwing! You'll never touch them, not as long as I'm around!" Harlow's eyes shifted towards her in turn, and he smirked.

"Then I'll just have to remedy that problem... right now." To my displeasure, his version of "remedying" the problem was to Disapparate away to the relative safety of the manor's upper floors, leaving the three of us to fight off his entire gang of Ashwinders.

How annoying... cowardly, too... but ultimately a smart move. Why exert yourself when you had your own personal army to fight for you? It was just unfortunate for him that I was more than a match for them all. My eyes flared to life with ancient magic, the power within my soul desperate for release.

At the first twitch of the enemy, I swept my wand in an arc and raised a shield of earth around the three of us. What sounded like a hundred spells slammed against the shield, but even though it cracked it held firm. It was cover enough for Poppy to unleash a horde of Chinese Chomping Cabbages from her pocket dimension, the vegetables sailing over the wall of earth like a tidal wave. Another sweep of my wand broke the shield into fragile shards of rock and sent them flying outwards like a grenade, the shrapnel slashing and piercing the closest Ashwinders, further attracting the cabbages with the scent of blood.

Our enemies scattered; we fell upon them like a pack of Timberwolves hunting a lone pony. Natty's hands were a blur as she pointed and gestured at the Ashwinders: punches shot out blasts of fire, chops sent Diffindo waves streaking outwards, her palms sending her foes flying with Depulso. Poppy made brilliant use of the spells she'd had to learn in her previous life: ensnaring her quarry with Incarcerous and gutting them mercilessly, but also surprising everyone when she pulled out a very large, potted Venomous Tentacula from her pocket dimension. Some of the plant's jaws snapped around the limbs of two Ashwinders that had been foolish enough to wander into its range, while the rest spat poisonous, acidic sap at those further away.

But, of course, my own enhanced magic did most of the work. My Confringos burned blue-hot, splitting into multiple projectiles whenever they struck an enemy. Descendos half-buried my foes upside-down in the ground, their legs flailing uselessly until their breath ran out and they suffocated. Superpowered shockwaves of Depulso sent them flying into the sky until they disappeared from sight. I grabbed entire groups of enemies in my magic and swung them around like ragdolls, smacking them into every obstacle I could see, then into each other when those obstacles eventually broke. Blood splashed and flew freely in the air as flesh split apart and bones shattered.

Within minutes Harlow's forces had dwindled to less than ten. I summoned a final burst of ancient magic and sent a bolt of lightning chaining through their bodies as the villain Apparated close by to try for a sneak attack. Natty and Poppy were ready for him, Poppy firing Incarcerous at his legs to trip him up while Natty swiped her palm downwards, her Descendo flipping him upside down and forcing his spine into an awkward bend while smashing his face into the ground. I watched with satisfaction as he struggled to recover from the blow, twirling my wand in my hand before casually swinging it downwards.

"Is this really the best you can do?" I sneered. "Give up... you're hopelessly outmatched." Harlow said nothing, only groaning in pain as he lifted his scowling, blood-covered face towards me.

But suddenly I heard a familiar voice shouting in the distance, quickly growing closer. "Girls! What are you doing?! Girls!"

"Officer Singer?" Poppy mouthed in surprise.

"What?" I tried to keep my eye on Harlow as our heads turned in the direction of Officer Singer sprinting towards us. What was she doing here? Unless Natty or Poppy had sent her a letter before coming to me, which was extremely unlikely, there was no explanation for why she had suddenly appeared.

...

...

...

Unless...

And within seconds, my stomach dropped out from within me.

"Crucio!"

"Imperio!"

It happened so fast I could barely process it. Officer Singer raised her wand towards Poppy while Natty dashed to my side out of the corner of my eye, her body morphing into her Animagus form as she leapt. She transformed back a second later, screaming in agony as the red lightning of the Cruciatus Curse arced across her body. Meanwhile, Singer's eyes glowed for a moment as Poppy suddenly froze, her eyes glowing with the same light.

My heart skipped a beat; that Crucio was aimed right at me! But Natty had leapt in its way and suffered the effects...

Ignoring the cold dread washing over me as I remembered the spell's pain, I teleported about ten feet away from my previous position to create some distance so I could face both of them at once. Harlow finally dragged himself back to his feet as Singer cut her run into a jog, then calmly walked forward with a swagger, gazing disdainfully at Natty as she twitched on the ground, her cries growing weak.

"Foolish little girl," she purred. "I told you... I would handle everything." After a moment's pause she added insult to injury by kicking her in the stomach. Natty retched breathlessly, curling in on herself like a dead spider.

"You..." I took a step backwards as she stood by Harlow's side. "I knew you couldn't possibly be that bad at your job."

"Figured it out, did you?" she sneered arrogantly at me over her nose. "A pity you never broke any laws alone in my presence... I could have had you apprehended long ago, and saved the both of us all this trouble."

"Quite a boon having the law on your side, innit?" Harlow grinned as he reached around Singer's back to pull her close, the two sharing a quick kiss.

"Alright, so you're not quite as stupid as I thought you were," I grimaced, repulsed by their show of affection. "But I'm still stronger than the both of you put together. How 'bout you just give up now before I really get angry?"

"Oh, but it's not just us you'll have to deal with," Singer smirked as she waved her wand. Like a marionette, Poppy's body hovered in from the side until she was dangling in front of them, being used as a human shield. Though she smoothly raised her wand at me, the look in her eyes was frantic.

"S-Sun... set... h-help..." she breathed through clenched teeth, trying her hardest to resist, to break free from the curse. I blinked uncomfortably at the prospect of potentially having her magic used against me - I would certainly need to defend myself, which was something I suddenly didn't quite want to do.

Against all my past-held notions, I now freely considered Natty and Poppy my friends. If this had taken place months ago I would have simply continued with my assault and accepted whatever harm came to them as collateral damage - of course I would've taken the time to heal them afterwards, but... only after the threat had been dealt with. Now, however, I didn't even want to consider such... heartlessness, I had to admit.

Both of them were in trouble; as their friend it was my duty- no, my desire to protect them. Natty was clearly out of the fight for now, so she was relatively safe. I needed to save Poppy from her fate, her puppet strings.

I scowled darkly at the crooked cop. "If you know what's good for you, you'll put her down. Right now."

"Gladly," she grinned, flicking her wand. Poppy tried to scream out a warning as an incantation bubbled out of her throat at the same time, spellfire coming straight for me. I simply threw up a Protego to block the attack, but then Harlow began casting as well, having gained his second wind. With a grunt I teleported away to a nearby alcove on the manor's third floor, staring down at my enemies and their captive while they tried to determine where I'd gone, the pair blasting what little debris remained in the courtyard that could serve as cover.

I needed to remove Poppy from the fight as quickly and safely as possible. Only then could I unleash my wrath upon these two idiots, these fools who thought they were so untouchable, so artificially powerful. I was all too happy to show these worms what true power really was... after all, it was so rare that I got to show off like this.

A smile spread across my face. The magic glowing from my eyes alerted Harlow and Singer to my position, but I had already teleported to their left by the time their spells blew apart that manor alcove.

Sorry, Poppy. "Stupefy!" Poppy exhaled roughly as she lost consciousness; now she could no longer fire spells at me while under Singer's control. The crooked cop snarled at the loss of her shield's ability to fight for her, but a smirk reappeared when she realized she could still use her.

While I shielded myself from Harlow's attacks, Singer heaved and hurled her wand, using poor Poppy's limp body like a troll's club floating in midair. Though her attacks were slow and easy to dodge, eventually I had enough and Accioed my friend by her clothing, wrenching her from the policewoman's grasp. She grunted as her connection broke, green light sparking from both their eyes before vanishing. As my friend flew towards me with the residual momentum, I broke the Accio's connection for a split second to aim my wand at the ground, defensive palisades of stone jutting upwards in front of me and making the two villains flinch. Poppy's trajectory allowed for her to sail clear over the spikes, then I caught her again in my magic and used Wingardium Leviosa to bring her body to a gentle halt. Carefully I levitated her over beside Natty, who had fallen unconscious as well from Crucio's pain, then with a surge of ancient magic I summoned a Protego around them, forming a blue-white barrier of swirling, sparking protection. Satisfied that they were now safe, I turned my full attention towards these two insects.

"Now there's nothing holding me back," I chuckled evilly at them, my eyes flaring with magic. "Cry 'uncle' if you want to give up." Harlow and Singer tensed, but stood their ground.

How foolish.

Magic swirled around me as I immediately laid into them, my Glacius firing outwards in a wide arc and flash-freezing everything in its path. Harlow and Singer Apparated out of its way, the former reappearing in front of me while I heard the pop of the latter behind. I teleported straight upwards into the air about thirty feet in response, then immediately cast Levioso on myself so I wouldn't need to think about falling. Despite feeling the pull of their Descendos my enhanced spell proved stronger, and I swept my wand in another arc to scorch the other half of the courtyard with a blue-hot Incendio.

The flames licked at their heels as they Apparated to the relative safety atop some leftover metal cages. I grinned as I flicked my wand, ripping the bottoms of the cage walls from their floors like the peel of a banana and bending them upwards to trap them. Without the walls to support the part upon which they stood, the bent cages plummeted back into the flames with a jolt. I saw the panic on their faces as they hastily Apparated away, reappearing on the small sliver of battleground that hadn't yet been affected by my magic.

My chuckling devolved into manic laughter as I lifted my wand into the air. In immediate response the ground began rapidly rolling itself up from both ends like a scroll, a layer of earth two feet thick rising up and collapsing over itself. Harlow and Singer were forced to Apparate to the frozen portion of the courtyard, the ends of the towering lump of earth colliding with each other and crumbling with enough force to shake the ground. With the ground already covered in ice I unleashed Aguamenti like a geyser, droplets instantly freezing and being swept along by the water until it carried an arsenal of jagged ice shards with it. Again they Apparated out of the way, but with nowhere else to go but the frozen ground, their momentum made them slide and lose their balance. A smirk bloomed across my lips as I swirled my wand in a figure-eight, bending the ice at the fringes upwards and over until they formed walls of sharp icicles, then sent them flying towards each other like a closing pincer with a flick upwards.

With the ice speeding everything up, Harlow and Singer could only cast Protego to avoid injury. Even so the icicles managed to puncture their shields, poking their bodies before melting away harmlessly. Meanwhile the flames from my Incendio had consumed all that there was to consume and burned themselves out. My next move was to cast a whirlwind of Ventus into the ashes, throwing a thick cloud of dark dust into the air and providing cover for my follow up.

I poured as much ancient magic as I could into my horn, the light from my eyes barely peeking through the darkness. Giant hands formed from the shadows itself and grabbed on to their limbs, holding them in place and preventing their escape. Heat began coagulating in the air, melting the larger specks of debris and attracting more motes of ash to them, where they built up and grew into marble-sized blobs of glasslike matter. The blobs stretched out and lengthened as the wind swept them around, solidifying them into ragged, fragile needles that burst apart at the slightest impact. These were small and fast enough to pierce their shields entirely, and I heard them growl and hiss in pain as thin, red scratches bloomed across their skin, their clothing seeming to fray on its own.

Eventually Harlow ripped his wand arm free from the shadow hands and cast a Ventus of his own, blowing away the needle storm and the rest of the shadows. With so many small wounds open on their bodies, so many sensitive nerve endings exposed, I smiled wickedly as a flurry of calculations flashed in my mind, and with another mere wave of my wand I Transfigured the ice and moisture in the air into hydrochloric acid. The pungent mist rose lazily into the air, and it wasn't long until both Harlow and Singer were moaning their displeasure, wiping the stinging sensations from their bodies in vain.

"Have you had enough?!" I cackled as I swung my wand again, sending a pulse of heat to melt the frozen acid into a quagmire of toxic sludge. Being distracted by the pain Singer took one step forward and instantly fell as the muck trapped her boot, her foot sliding right out of it and crumpling beneath her in an unnatural angle. She screamed in agony as she involuntarily rolled onto her side, spreading more of the sludge over her body. In her desperation for relief she latched on to Harlow's legs and dragged him down with her, the two selfishly climbing on top of each other as their bodies obeyed their base instincts for safety.

Suddenly I felt the barrier surrounding the manor shatter - was someone coming to our rescue so soon? What a pity. There was still so much more I could do to these insignificant pests. If there had been any Ashwinders whose cowardice had gotten the better of them and they had escaped, this would send one hell of a message to Rookwood, and eventually Ranrok.

To prepare for their arrival I made a few more mental calculations and flicked my wand, the ground solidifying as the acid was neutralized and evaporated. I glared at Harlow and Singer in disgust, their bodies covered in filth mixing with streaks of blood, my lip curling as I cast Incarcerous on them both, wrapping them in a comically-thick layer of chains with their backs to each other. A padlock appeared to lock the two ends of the chain together as Professor Onai came running up the hill, followed closely by two other constables I didn't recognize.

Hopefully they also weren't corrupt. I wondered to myself just how infected the Ministry's police forces were... they were a far cry from the relative perfection of Celestia's system.

"Natty! No, Natty!" Onai wailed as she completely disregarded Harlow and Singer, rushing towards her daughter. I dispelled the protective barrier around them so she could get to her side, Poppy beginning to wake up from being Stupefied. Once she realized what had happened she rolled over to face Natty, gently cradling her while Professor Onai rendered aid. The two constables, in the meantime, kept their wands pointed at Harlow and Singer; four more officers Apparated into the area, and together they officially put the pair under arrest. One of the officers in particular had a satisfied grin on their face as she yanked Singer's badge from her chest - perhaps she had drawn similar suspicions from her colleagues about her true loyalties.

For a brief moment a wave of paranoia ran through me, remembering the fears I'd had when something similarly cataclysmic had occurred just a few weeks ago and the authorities could have been involved. What about all of the bodies? The three of us had to have slaughtered close to a hundred Ashwinders. But glancing around I was able to calm myself down - my Incendio had largely cremated those the flames had touched, and the acidic sludge had dissolved the rest. Anything that might've been left over was now buried under a hard layer of black earth.

...Sometimes, I truly was quite the genius.

~

Hours later, after multiple interrogations by the police Poppy and I were finally allowed to return to Hogwarts. We'd learned that Professor Onai had had a premonition of our fight, allowing her to quickly enlist the constables in Hogsmeade before Apparating to the manor, explaining their sudden arrival. Our testimonies corroborated with all the crimes Harlow had committed that we were aware of, as well as Singer's numerous coverups ranging from bribes to coercion to destruction of evidence. I wasn't sure if their crimes - though terrible and myriad - warranted a stay in the worst prison I'd ever heard of, but it was certain that neither of them were going to see the light of day again for a very long time.

As soon as we hurried through the entrance we ran straight for the hospital wing. Poppy breathed a sigh of relief, Natty was awake and sitting at a table with a late dinner set out in front of her, albeit in a wheelchair. Her mother fretted by her side as she ate while rolling her eyes, her expression brightening as we approached.

"Oh... are you sure you are up for visitors?" Professor Onai worried, stroking her daughter's arm as she held her hand tightly.

"Yes, mother," sighed Natty. "I feel fine, and it will do me good to see them."

"Very well," she bowed her head as she stood up to give us some privacy. "But do not overdo it, Natsai."

"Oh, Natty!" Poppy gasped as she nearly leapt into her lap, wrapping her arms around her. Onai whirled around at the commotion, shooting her a look of caution.

But they ignored it. "It is good to see you too, mpenzi," Natty chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"Really? A wheelchair?" I smirked with a hand on my hip. "Milking the special treatment, are we?"

"I am doing better than it appears... I am only here because my mother insisted," Natty rolled her eyes again as she jutted her head towards her mother, who was talking with Nurse Blainey. "...I was relieved when she told me that you were both alright," she sighed.

"Of course I am," I puffed out my chest proudly. "I had it all under control."

"How are you feeling?" asked Poppy.

"Well, I've had better days," Natty shrugged. "But Nurse Blainey says that I am on the mend." Just then I remembered what had happened that landed her here in the first place, and the pride drained away into humility.

"...I really didn't expect you to take that Crucio for me, though," I frowned. Though I... would rather you than me. "Um... thanks, for that."

"Oh, don't mention it," Natty waved a hand somberly. "The moment that I saw Harlow aim his wand at you, well..."

"You quickly made the choice to protect her," offered Poppy as she squeezed her again, pressing her cheek against hers.

"I did what I had to, and I would do it again," she smiled at me. "I could not simply stand there and let you get hurt."

"Yea, but... what if it wasn't just Crucio that he cast? What if it was something worse?" I glanced away guiltily, biting my lip. It could easily have been any other curse Harlow had fired at me, even...

...Even Avada Kedavra, like he did in our first encounter.

She could have died because of me.

"Then so be it. There was nothing that you-" Natty trailed off mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she suddenly gasped.

"What is it?" Poppy tilted her head.

"...Oh. Oh, my," she stammered. "I cannot believe it took me this long to see it! H-He made a choice... based on instinct... my father!"

"Your father? ...Oh, right," I nodded, remembering what she'd told me about him, and how he'd died.

"Yes... you, my friend, are no more to blame for my injuries today than I am to blame for my father's sacrifice years ago!" continued Natty, talking more as though she were reassuring herself than explaining to us. But as she spoke I felt a weight lifting from her heart, her soul echoing with lightness and tranquility.

"From what I know of him, it seems there's a lot of your father in you," Poppy hummed as she nuzzled her head beneath Natty's in the crook of her neck. She smiled warmly as she gazed down at her.

"That's very kind of you to say," she sighed gently, resting her chin on top of her head. "I hope that you are right." Poppy giggled as she tilted her head back to kiss Natty on the cheek.

"Of course I am! And now that we've finally taken down Harlow and exposed Singer, everyone is safer now because of us... because of you," she said.

"Hmm, thank you," Natty replied with a chuckle. "But we make a formidable team."

"Hey, don't forget about me," I grinned down at them both. "You may have gotten the girl, but I think it's fair to say that I'm a pretty important part of this team, too."

"Of course you are, Sunset." The both of them laughed, Natty holding Poppy a little tighter as they quieted down. "You, my fellow traveler, have enriched my time at Hogwarts beyond anything I could have imagined... thank you. I believe your friendship to be one of the most important in my life."

I blinked in surprise, gasping quietly at the sentiment. I would've thought it ridiculously, paradoxically obvious months ago, but somehow she was genuinely grateful for my involvement in her life... both of them were. All the ponies I had ever known cursed my name and my existence because I was so much better than them, when they should have been thrilled to bask in my mere presence.

But these two... they didn't see that at all. Instead they saw me as their equal, and could relate to me... and somehow, I was content with that knowledge. Maybe even... happy, knowing they liked me. And I was willing to admit that... I liked them, too. I enjoyed their presence, the distinct lack of peace and quiet they brought with them.

I smiled as I saw them cuddle into each other, turning away to stare out of a window to give them their moment. The air was light and calm; two of my friends had finally healed from their past wounds... they had found their inner peace.

...I could only hope that one day, my best, most dearest friend could do the same.

~

Pride. Fear. Worry. Guilt.

"He... he did what...?!" Sebastian stared in horror, his face pale as parchment. Finally back in the safety and comfort of my Room and my boyfriend, I had thought it would be great fun to relax on the couch and recount the battle to him. I was excited to tell him about how I'd effortlessly ravaged both Harlow and Singer and gotten them arrested, but I was taken aback by the waves of emotion that poppled from his soul... I don't think I've ever felt him actually fear for my life.

"He missed, though... hit Natty, who decided to leap in front of the spell for me," I looked away as I tried to muscle past the emotions. "And then that bitch Singer, it turns out she was dirty - she's Harlow's girlfriend! So after she Imperioed Poppy I had to knock her out so she couldn't use her to cast at me anymore, and then she tried to bludgeon me with her like she was a hammer!" He stared a thousand yards in front of him as I explained the spells I'd cast, the strategies I'd employed, but once I'd reached the part where I'd formed the ashes into needles of glass I realized he wasn't listening, and closed my mouth with an awkward frown.

He remained quiet for a few moments. "Uh... you okay?" I asked as I nudged his arm, causing him to finally blink.

"You... you could have gotten seriously hurt... you could have... d-died..."

Ah, geez. "Well, I didn't. And it'll take a hell of a lot more than that to kill me," I tried to reassure him. Sebastian said nothing, only sighing as his eyes slowly fell to the floor.

As much as I felt they were unnecessary... I could understand his feelings. After all, it was only natural to care so much for someone you loved. With a sympathetic sigh I reached over and wrapped an arm around his back. "Hey, it's okay... I'm still here, and I'm not going anywhere," I said. "I promised I'll always be by your side... a couple of criminal arseholes aren't gonna keep me away from you. You know I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," he sighed again, shaking his head. "I just..."

He trailed off, but he didn't need to finish his thought. He felt guilty moping around while I was taking care of business, even though he knew he didn't need to. Overcome with the sentiment I wrapped my other arm around his chest and pulled him in close for a hug.

"...You're really such a sweetheart, you know that?" I smirked. "I love how much you care."

"Do you?" he replied halfheartedly as he returned the hug. I nodded against the side of his head, feeling empowered by the sensation of thick, soft, warm clothing pressing against my chest, his hair tickling my cheek.

"It might be what I love the most about you," my voice softened. "You just have the biggest, kindest heart, you'll try so hard to do anything for your loved ones... I appreciate that."

I closed my eyes as I felt him relax, and for a while we simply held each other in silence, his fears and worries slowly bleeding out of him. After a time the clock across the room softly chimed eleven times, prompting me to finally let go, but not before giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Don't ever change," I breathed, smiling warmly. He smiled as well, leaning in to close the distance between us.

"...I won't."

Comments

[Moonlight Tome]

So! There's all the companion storylines finished up, just need Rookwood and the final trial! We're in the endgame!

[witegrlninja]

11763702
We are! Only five chapters and an epilogue left to go!

[Booster Spice]

Sunset could do with an Apparate Disjunction spell thats targetable so with overpower se can bounce around but anyone else attempting it gets Splinched in various manners and levels?

[Moonlight Tome]

11765365
Nope! Dragon pox is basically just the wizarding version of chicken pox. As for who Anne is: keep reading and you'll find out!

[Voltaje]

Dude, Harlor and Stinger did use crucio and imperio, just that guaranties that they will go to Azkaban forever, why didn't she say so, it would be easy to corroborate with their wands, and some inspection of the victims.

[witegrlninja]

11779594
In Equestria, the harshest punishments are being sent to Tartarus or being turned to stone, both of which at least leave you alive and with your sanity intact. Azkaban, on the other hand, is pure torment 24/7 with the threat of Dementor's Kisses essentially killing you. Even Sunset thinks that kind of punishment is excessive when her mind is clear.