Sliver's Eclipse

by Ashrunel

Daughter of Hatred

“Sunny!”

There was no answer.

“Sunny!”

Silence.

“Sunny, where are you?!”

After a few moments, an answer finally came, faintly and softly, but still there.

“I’m up here, dad!”

Argyle Starshine chuckled to himself. Of course she was; he should’ve figured that she would be upstairs at the top of their lighthouse. He had just gotten back from a day out running errands in Maretime Bay. All the other earth ponies still gave him dirty looks and avoided him like the plague, but at least they didn’t verbally berate him this time around. Argyle sighed. That was about the best he could ask for.

Pushing the solemn thoughts from his mind, he made his way up the stairs of the lighthouse to find Sunny sprawled out on the floor, reading one of the numerous books that were lying around the lighthouse. When she saw her dad, she instantly dropped what she was doing and ran over, literally throwing herself at him in a tight bear hug.

“Hi dad! I missed you! How was your day?” She said excitedly.

Argyle chuckled, hugging his daughter back. “Oh, you know, just another day in the ol’ Maretime Bay. Enough about me, though. What have you been up to, my Sunny-Bun?”

“Studying the Guardians of Friendship, just like you!” Sunny squealed excitedly.

“Oh-ho, were you now?” Argyle said proudly. It gave him such comfort and pride knowing that he was raising his daughter not on the false demonization of the other pony tribes that the rest of the earth ponies in Maretime Bay were subjected to, but instead on the real history of Equestria, and the values of friendship and harmony that were pioneered by the Guardians of Friendship all those years ago. Clearly, his work was paying off. He knew that Sunny would grow into a kind, intelligent and resourceful young mare that would hopefully pioneer a new age of friendship and harmony for all ponykind.

“What did you find out?” Argyle continued.

“Lots of it was what you already told me,” Sunny said, “about how Twilight Sparkle was sent to Ponyville to learn about friendship, and that’s where she met her best friends of all time! Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie! They brought the true magic of friendship and harmony to Equestria, and defeated so many evil villains over the years!”

“Very good!” Argyle exclaimed, picking Sunny up in his hooves and swinging her around before setting her down again.

“But then, after Twilight was crowned Princess, something happened that caused all of the pony tribes to hate each other,” Sunny continued, her face falling. “That’s the part I don’t understand…what could possibly have happened to tear apart all the work that Twilight and her friends did?”

Argyle sighed sadly. “I wish I knew, Sunny-Bun. Whatever happened back then, it’s the reason that Equestria is the way it is today. I just hope that one day, us ponies can find a way to put aside our differences and get along just like the ponies of ancient Equestria did.”

“Me too!” Sunny exclaimed, nodding eagerly in agreement. She paused for a moment, a frown forming on her face. “I did have another question, though,” she said.

“Shoot, Sunny-Bun. What is it?”

Sunny looked up to her dad’s face, a sad look in her eyes. “All of the villains that the Guardians of Friendship defeated…what happened to them? Did any of them get…happy endings?”

Argyle breathed in deeply, pondering the question. “Well…I’m not entirely sure, Sunny-Bun. There were tales that Twilight and her friends managed to reform a few villains they had faced, like Discord, Starlight Glimmer, Tempest Shadow, and Sunset Shimmer, but as for the rest of them…King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, Cozy Glow, the Storm King…they all either met their demise or were imprisoned for eternity.”

Sunny sniffled. “But…if they repented their actions, and really tried to make up for it…wouldn’t they deserve a happy ending just as much as anypony else?”

“Of course, Sunny. Of course they would. And Twilight and her friends offered their friendship numerous times to these foes, but each time, it was rejected. I suppose that some creatures can never change their evil ways, unfortunately.”

Sunny shrugged. “I guess so…” She looked up at Argyle. “Dad…do you think that one day I could become a hero like Twilight Sparkle?”

Argyle leaned down, nuzzling his daughter. “I know you will, my Sunny-Bun. You’re already well along your way there. I’m so optimistic about the future of Equestria, especially since you’ll be there, pioneering the magic of friendship, just like Twilight did all those generations ago. It will be difficult to get all these modern ponies to listen to you, but I know that you’ll find a way, somehow, even if it takes years. I may not be around to see it when it happens, but know that I will always be proud of you and love you more than anything else in the world.”

Sunny smiled, embracing her dad. “Thanks, dad.” She sighed contentedly. “Being a hero really does sound amazing.”

. . .

“SUNNY!”

The four voices called out in unison as their friend touched down on the grass in front of Mirth and Tragedy. She tucked her glowing wings away to her sides, regarding Hitch, Izzy, Misty, and Pipp with the same pure hatred as before. It burned in her eyes, almost more than the glowing orange color they now sported.

“Sunny?”

Even though the mare spoke in Sunny’s voice, the tone of pure loathing was wholly unnatural of their friend.

“You mean the weak, foolish little mare who wanted to ‘unite’ Equestria?” The dark Sunny scoffed. “I destroyed her. I am what remains.”

“And just who are you now?!” Izzy called out angrily.

“Izzy Moonbow,” the dark Sunny spat. “Your overly-cheerful demeanor has always made me sick. Prancing around, pretending like there’s nothing wrong with the world…it’s nothing more than pure, unbridled delusion.”

Izzy gasped, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Hey! Leave her alone!” Pipp exclaimed heatedly.

The dark Sunny turned to her. “Pipp Petals…the drama queen. Always concerned only with the material world, placing no value on things that should really matter to you and your ‘friends.’ How selfish can you be?” Pipp recoiled at these words, collapsing to the ground, defeated.

“Sunny! How could you say that to her?!” Hitch exclaimed.

“Ah…Hitch Trailblazer…the sheriff. The stallion who is nothing without his position of power. Does it give you pleasure, ordering ponies around like they’re nothing but your slaves?” She scoffed, regarding him with the same unbridled hatred.

“Sunny…I…” Hitch began, at a loss for words.

“Sunny! Please, just stop this!” Misty shouted. “You can fight this darkness! I know you can!”

Sunny turned to Misty. “Misty Brightdawn…the orphan who thinks that she finally found a place where she belongs…a family…” She scoffed. “You couldn’t be more wrong. They only took you in because they felt pity for such a pathetic creature. Make no mistake about that. You don’t belong here,” she spat, before turning away. Misty broke down in silent sobs, her whole body shuddering.

“That’s not true!” Izzy exclaimed. “Misty knows it isn’t! Sunny’s just trying to manipulate us! You know that, right Misty?!”

Misty shuddered even more violently, sobbing uncontrollably. “I…I…”

“I suppose it’s only fair that I introduce myself to you ponies as well,” the dark Sunny said nonchalantly. “You may call me…Eclipse.”

“Eclipse, Mirth and Tragedy, huh?!” Izzy shouted. “Those are the silliest names I’ve EVER HEARD! And my name’s ‘Izzy Moonbow!’”

Eclipse ignored her, instead alighting her wings and flying up to where the Unity Crystals sat atop the Crystal Brighthouse.

“Eclipse! What the hay are you doing?!” Hitch shouted after her.

Eclipse turned back to regard Hitch. “I’m going to do what Opaline failed to do…steal the power of the Unity Crystals for myself! My goal is much loftier and grander than hers ever was, though…foolish alicorn.” Eclipse laughed to herself.

“Eclipse…Sunny…please, you have to snap out of it!” Pipp shouted. “We’re all your friends, remember?! We united Equestria and restored magic to all ponykind! Don’t you remember that?!”

“Oh, I remember alright,” Eclipse spat. “I remember how I was stuck with four good-for-nothing ponies that only served to get in my way!”

“That’s…not true…” Pipp said, trailing off sadly.

Scoffing, Eclipse turned and once more began making her way up to the Unity Crystals. Reaching them, she alighted her horn and began to siphon the magic out of them.

“No! We have to stop her!” Hitch cried.

“But what can we do?!” Pipp squealed. “We’re in no shape to even stand up, let alone fight!”

Hitch pounded his hoof against his head. “Come on, come on, think, think, there has to be something we can do!”

Mirth cackled. “Sorry, Hitchy-Witchy, but the four of you can’t do anything to stop our glorious leader Eclipse!” He threw back his head, his laughter echoing across the dark bay.

“Three,” Tragedy said coolly.

Mirth stopped laughing, looking over at Tragedy, confused. “Huh? What do you mean? There’s four of them, idiot! Look, one, two, three…” Mirth gasped. “Wait, where’s the hyperactive unicorn?!”

Hitch, Misty and Pipp looked around wildly. It was true; Izzy was nowhere to be seen.

“What the hay?!” Hitch exclaimed. “Where’d she go?!”

High above, Eclipse grinned. Just a few more moments, and the power of the Unity Crystals would be hers.

“SUNNY STARSCOUT!”

Eclipse turned, confused. Where was that voice coming from? It sounded like…

In the blink of an eye, Izzy had moved from her spot on the ground to the base of the Brighthouse and climbed up the side of it with unnatural speed. Now at the top, she launched herself off the edge and straight towards Eclipse, intending to tackle her out of the air and stop the power transfer.

Eclipse summoned a magical blade of darkness out of thin air. Right before Izzy reached her, she turned in the blink of an eye and skewered the blade straight through Izzy’s gut.

“IZZY!” Hitch, Misty and Pipp screamed out in unison.

Izzy coughed up a mouthful of blood, squealing in agony. Eclipse regarded her with a wicked smile.

“You really thought you could stop me with an attack like that? You’re more delusional than I thought.”

Chuckling wickedly, she evaporated the blade, causing Izzy to plummet straight towards the ground, now unconscious from the pain.

“IZZY!” Misty screamed, running towards her and just managing to catch her in her magic before she hit the ground. She collapsed on top of Izzy’s body, sobbing, perhaps in an attempt to shield her from any further harm. Hitch and Pipp could only stare in blind shock. Everything was spiraling out of control. What the hay were they supposed to do?! At this rate, Izzy would bleed out and Sunny would steal the power of the Unity Crystals…

Eclipse smirked at the defeated faces of her former friends before turning back around to the Crystals. “Now, where was I?”

As she charged up her horn to begin the power transfer again, she was suddenly bathed in a fierce onslaught of bright green fire. Screaming in pain, she was sent careening into the side of the Brighthouse, slamming into it before falling to the ground, smoking.

“What the?!” Mirth exclaimed, looking up to the sky. His eyes widened in fear and he threw himself to the side as Tragedy did the same in the opposite direction. Right where they had both been standing, another plume of green fire hit the ground, causing a green explosion.

Hitch, Pipp and Misty looked around wildly, trying to find the source of the fire. A massive dark shape flew by overhead before landing in front of them. Now illuminated by the Brighthouse, they could see that it was none other than…

“Spike!” Pipp exclaimed. “Thank hoofness you’re here! But--but how did you know?!”

Spike regarded her solemnly. “I’ll explain everything later. Right now, let me deal with these Sliver Puppets.”

The three could only nod in unison. Spike turned to see Mirth and Tragedy at Eclipse’s side, helping her to her hooves. She was still smoking and obviously in intense pain. Spike charged up his fire breath again, but before he could shoot it at the trio, Eclipse shot him a look of pure loathing before she ignited her horn and disappeared in a flash alongside Mirth and Tragedy.

Spike stopped charging up his fire breath. “They’re gone for now, but they’ll be back. Are you all alright?”

Hitch shook his head. “We are, but Izzy…she was stabbed by that evil version of Sunny.”

Spike quickly made his way over to where Izzy and Misty lay on the ground. “I can cauterize her wound, but she needs to get to a hospital quickly.”

Hitch nodded in agreement. “We’ll take her to the Royal Infirmary in Zephyr Heights.”

“You…may want to turn away for this part,” Spike said solemnly. Hitch, Misty and Pipp nodded and reluctantly did so. They could hear Spike charging up his fire breath a little, and then the soft sound of flames, much softer than what he had used to attack Eclipse.

Even so, Izzy’s scream rang through the night, echoing off the coast and traveling out across the dark waves of the sea.