Prologue: A flower Blooms

Today is the day I make history...

Those were the words flying through my mind as I began packing for the greatest scientific achievement anyone could ever achieve—Proving Interdimensional Travel, Teleportation, and Wormholes, possible. No, not only possible but re-creatable within the twenty-first century.

My heart raced as I stuffed my backpack with various scientific equipment; Geiger counters, energy spectrometers, enough radio equipment to fill a small military base in my van, infrared cameras, and everything else anyone could need when dealing with magical portals. Even underwear. You can never go wrong with spare underwear. Once I finished packing, I quickly grabbed my smartphone from my desk in the corner of my small bachelor apartment, acquired my keys for my 2006 GMC Savanna, and rushed out my apartment.

Why was I in such a hurry? Well, many years ago I discovered something amazing a few miles into Kootenay Valley while hiking with my family. In the valley is a cave due west of Mount Sinclair. The cave itself isn't all that notable or out of place, on the outside. Inside the cave, however, is a wall of perfectly flat stone in the shape of a mirror. And several years ago when I touched this wall, my hand phased into it, but when I brought my family to show them my discovery. The wall was rock solid.

Of course, they thought it was my imagination. I was eight years old at the time, so why wouldn't they? But I knew what I saw and felt! So every year when my family and I make our annual camping trip into the valley. I would always visit the mirror to see if the portal would open again. And every second year, the gateway would open and remain accessible for three days.

I didn't tell my family, especially my Aunt Velma, in case they would tell the government about my discovery. I wanted to be the one to receive all the praise, the admiration, and money. Yes, I'm that vain. Can you blame a nerdy bachelor that studies theoretical quantum physics and the occult? And one that tried to summon a succubus for clearly moral and non-sexual reasons in the name of science? We all have fantasies, and you can't enjoy them all that much while broke.

With my gear all packed up in my van, I began driving out of Edmonton to the valley...after I grabbed a coffee from Timmy's. A true Canadian doesn't leave the house on a road trip without a delicious cup of coffee. I wondered what it would be like to venture through the portal? Well, I'll find out soon enough.

A few hours passed, a lunch break, followed by a quick stop to use the bathroom later, I pulled into a service road next to Banff-Windermere Hwy. I drove far enough down the service road so that no one would be able to see my van from the highway. Sometimes a patrol officer would come by, usually Sergeant Miller, Johnson, or Jalal. They were family friends and former members of my dads unit and made sure I was alright...and not illegally building an underground bunker to take over the world with my mad scientist experiments. Of course, I wouldn't do something like that...yet.

Anyway, after parking my van, I noticed another vehicle pulling in behind me in the shape of a white and black and heavily reinforced 2019 Dodge Charger; An Interceptor in street slang. They drive fast, hit hard, and the only one that I know of that drives one is Sergeant Miller. Oh! He brought donuts. Nice.

Shutting off the engine for my van, I grabbed my cell before jumping out the vehicle to greet Uncle Miller. The six-foot-ten behemoth of Canadian muscle did the same with his signature smirk that never leaves his face. Even when angry. His grin is very unsettling at times. And in one hand was a box of donuts, and the other rested on top of his standard issue Smith and Wesson 5946. 'I think he sees my Beretta 92FS. Never leave home without it. Dad would kill me if I did. Same with Mom...after she revived me.'

"Hello, Officer!" I greeted with a straight face while keeping my hands in full view. "These are not the droids you're looking for."

"Sure kid," he snorted before pointing at my van with his free hand. "And I don't see military grade radio equipment poking out the roof of your van either. What did I say about making a secret underground laboratory? Do you want to lose your scholarship for Harvard? Where did you get that crap anyway?"

I waved dismissively, "Through perfectly legal means, and I'm not making an underground lab. I don't have the cash to make one. I'm just doing a few experiments in a cave nearby."

"You stole it from Aunt Velma, didn't you?" he frowned slightly.

"No, I just got into contact with her supplier. I don't want anything to do with that research thief. And stealing from that cunt would give her a legal reason to jack my thesis on Quantum Wormholes and Portals," I frowned back with a bit a venom in my voice. Velma may be my Aunt by blood, but that bitch can jump in a fire for the amount of stuff she stole from the scientific community. She literally ruined several peoples careers through either sabotage or claiming plagiarism in court. I really don't want her anywhere near me when I announce my discovery to the world. She'll only shove her face in the camera and proclaim herself the "research lead" of my project. 'Fucking bitch.'

"Welp, I can agree with you on your Mom's sister being a thieving cunt. There isn't much I can do about that," he sighed in annoyance, followed by pinching the bridge of his nose. "Trust me. I've tried. Her claws are practically in the throats of all the courts, and pulling them out will only do more harm than good at the moment."

"Really? You can't do anything like contact your friends in the military to leave some incriminating evidence on Velma?" I questioned with crossed arms and a raised brow.

"Anything legal that won't come back to bite us in the ass," Miller groaned.

"Whatever," I relented. "Anyway, is there anything you need, and can I have a donut?"

"Well, I just came to check up on you since you've been showing up in the valley every two years and six months and coming to this very spot since you got your van. I might as well see what you are doing and, you know, do my job? Which, by the way, what are you doing with the military grade gear in your van?" He gave me a Boston cream donut to munch on with his question.

"As I said thousands of times before: I'm studying a local phenomenon that's emitting strange and unknown energy emissions from one of the caves located at the base of Mount Sinclair," I replied dryly. Not even the donut will make my tone sound enthusiastic at the prospect of becoming world famous. I hate repeating myself.

"Weed doesn't count," Miller chuckled. "And do you need some help carrying your stuff?"

"Don't you have a patrol route to follow?" I asked back with a chuckle of my own. I even pulled out a joint, lit it up, and began inhaling the plant of dopey calming. Thank Cthulhu pot became legal last year. Why take anti-anxiety and anti-stress medication when you can smoke dope? It's a cheaper alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, and I can grow it on the roof of my apartment in a greenhouse without issue. I only have to share some of my profits with Jill, the apartment manager. My funding had to come from somewhere, so why not exploit the multi-billion dollar marijuana market that opened up in Canada?

"Meh, chasing motorcyclists through the winding highway between Banff and Vancouver is more dangerous than people realize," he shrugged. "Besides, I want to make sure your minions hiding in your secret laboratory are being properly fed and cared for."

"For the last time! I'M NOT BUILDING A LAB OF DOOM!"

His grin only deepened. "Lab of Doom you say? I can't wait to see it."

I threw my arms in the air in defeat. My donut flew with my arms. Rest in peace donut-sama. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.

With the help of Uncle Sergeant Miller, I managed to get all my essential equipment inside the cave. The rest stayed in the van connected through a satellite link and the computer I have remote control over. I still had to set up a few fold-up tables, boxes, a couple cans of diesel and kerosene, a generator, an industrial heater, and some camping equipment. Oh! And food for the three days I'll be staying in the cave. I can't forget about that. Uncle Miller wouldn't let me forget with his constant remarks of there not being enough biomatter for my non-existent minions. 'Fucking douche. An awesome douche, but still a douche.'

I didn't waste time setting up my equipment. I only paused to eat and use the bathroom. Not having a lot of time, (three days to be exact), to prove the existence of a dimensional portal to the world required a lot of evidence, and I had a minuscule window of opportunity to acquire said evidence. With that in mind, the second I finished all my unpacking and prep-work, I began my study on the portal.

"Today on the 21st of June during the year of 2019. I—Gry Solana—make one of the grandest discoveries in Human history," I mused to myself with a camera recording everything I'm doing. "When Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon, saying his famous words, he inspired millions to take the impossible and make it a reality. Its only fitting that I say something inspirational as well." I scratched my head with the probe I was holding in deep thought for a moment. Then shrugged when I couldn't come up with something epic and decided to use whatever was on my mind.

"Furries are hot, and I would totally bang Artica, Shiira, Zoe, Naomi, Kisha, Pumzie, and Selene." And with those words of grand intelligence. I stabbed the probe into the portal, placed a weight on it, and jumped towards my laptop to check the data coming from the probe. However, before I could begin my analysis of the hundreds of terawatts worth of energy emitting from the portal, I noticed a figure standing at the mouth of the cave.

The figure in question was female. The girl wore a midriff black leather coat, a white midriff tank top, blue denim short-shorts, black leather combat boots, fingerless gloves, and a large sheath hidden behind her attached to her belt. A large, empty, sheath to be exact. As concerning as the missing dagger was. Her eyes and hair held my complete attention.

Her narrow aquamarine eyes glared pure death at me. Her long, thick, rose-red and gold-yellow hair shone like fire in the light. Both looked completely natural, which was strange since neither were natural on a human unless she dyed them or used contacts. And both were positively stunning. Oh! I found the dagger. It's an eight-inch, black, Bowie knife, and it's in her right hand. That's not good.

'Okay, strange girl in the middle of nowhere, armed with a military-grade knife, and she's glaring at me. She obviously doesn't want me in the cave. What to do?'

"May I help you?" I asked cautiously, while never taking my eyes off the girl. Her glare sharpened at the tone of my voice, and I can see her hand grip the blade even tighter. Not good. 'Gotta' reach for my gun without showing I had one. I have to distract her. The question is: How?'

"What are you doing here?!" replied the girl with a menacing growl. I took a step back, hands raised in the air. I absentmindedly noted that I now stood in front of the Portal.

"I'm a Quantum Physics Major studying this—" I pointed to the cave wall. "—Portal. Can I ask why you are pointing a knife at me? Am I being mugged? Everything in this room is being recorded and uploaded to a private server by the way."

"Get out, delete everything you learned here, and never come back," the girl warned. She took a step forward, her knees slightly bent, legs evenly spread apart. Her blade sat in a fencing "rest" position, while her free hand sat slightly behind her. She wasn't an amateur with her knife, so I only had, at most, two seconds to draw my gun. I took another step back.

"I can't get out with you blocking the way. Not only that, but why would I erase years worth of research just for a random girl with a knife?" I snarled back while taking another step towards the portal. She also took another step forward, her eyes never staying in one spot. 'Smart.'

"If you don't do what I ordered you to do, then I'll kill you," the girl took two more steps forward, causing me to do the same backward. I now stood almost directly in front of the portal. Any more steps towards it would force me inside it, and that's something I didn't want to do at the moment. Well, not with a girl threatening my life anyway. 'I need to act sooner rather than later. Fuck. I may have learned martial arts and how to properly use guns from my family, but I didn't think I would need it. Frankly, I would rather count the number of free particles in a box the size of the empire state building than having to fight for my life, even if it would be insanely boring. Monotony is greater than survival in my opinion. That and I have to keep my stress levels low or else I will have seizures. Several neck injuries will do that don't you know?'

'Welp, seizure or fall into a Quantum Portal? An hour on the ground twitching sounds better than dying at the moment. It's now or never. I just hope this girl is easily distracted.'

Taking in a deep breath, I lowered my hands, stared directly into the girl's eyes with DETERMINATION!

"Kill me? With an RCMP Officer behind you? Go ahead and try."

"What?" she gasped, eyes wide in fear. She even, much to my surprise, turned around to see if my bluff was true, giving me enough time to draw my Beretta, turn the safety off, but I couldn't get into a good firing position in time. The reason? Simple! She saw my laptop, which was connected to all the cameras in the room, noticed what I was doing, and charged at me.

I took one more step back in shock and fired at the ground by her feet by accident. She gasped, dropped her knife, but didn't stop her charge. I tried to bring my weapon to bear. The girl had other plans.

She tackled me. I fired once more before dropping my gun. We both fell into the portal. Everything else was so sudden and chaotic. I couldn't comprehend what was happening as we both flew through a rainbow tunnel reminiscent of the Rainbow Bridge from Thor: Ragnarok. And like scene during the movie when Loki, Thor, and Hella did battle. The girl and I fought. And by fought? I mean mildly struggle for a second.

She gripped my neck with her hands in a desperate attempt to choke me to death. I responded by kneeing her crotch as hard as I could. Her face contorted in pain, and she lost her grip but didn't scream. I didn't waste any time to make my counter-attack. I brought both my legs up, placed my feet against her stomach, and kicked her as hard as I could.

Fear determines if you fight or flee, but Hesitation determines whether you live or you die.

The girl's eyes went wide in terror as she flew towards the wall of the rainbow tunnel, and just like in the movie when Hella threw Loki. The girl collided with the wall, it collapsed like liquid glass, and the girl disappeared into the void. Never to been seen again. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and looked towards the white light rushing towards me. Want to know what my final thought was when I passed through the white light and lost consciousness due to a stress-induced seizure?

'Fuck! I dropped my weed!'

Celestia-POV

Princess Celestia knew something was wrong. She could feel it, hear it, and possibly taste it. Her heart raced, pounded, painfully so in her chest. Her large, alabaster wings twitched in agitation, edging the worried Aetherial to take flight and fly towards the cause of concern. But she didn't. She couldn't or else her worry would become the nation's worry. Celestia must remain unmoving like a mountain, calm as a pound, but the mask she wore could only hide so much of her true, innermost emotions.

'She's home. My little Sun is home,' Celestia thought with a kaleidoscope of emotion. Fear, Hope, Joy, Sadness, Anxiety, Mirth, Happiness, Love. Especially Love. A single tear fell down her cheek. Her face entrapped with a sad smile. Both confused the guards escorting her through Canterlot Hospital.

The rapid "click-clack" of Celestia's diamond heels echoed throughout the halls of the hospital and nothing else. All doctors and nurses paused in their duties to make way for their Princess, and all remained silent at the sight of their Goddess weeping tears of joy. Celestia didn't care what they saw or what they hear. Her little Sun. Her shimmering Light. Her daughter, Sunset Shimmer, has returned home, and there is nothing in the world that will keep Celestia from making sure her little girl was alright!

Celestia continued to follow the nurse leading her to Sunset. Of course, she didn't need to. She could sense her daughter's mana-signature from the castle. Sunset's aura had a unique flicker of hot and cold, raw power, free as the wind, calm as a still pond, an unmovable mountain, and very energetic. However, that's all surface information anyone could read. Celestia knew better, knew deeper, of who Sunset is. The Sun and Moon blessed her daughter with their light. Sunset's Mark of Destiny tied her to those two celestial objects. Making Sunset the only one in history capable of becoming not only Princess Celestia's true heir but Princess Luna's as well.

Sunset Shimmer, the Twilight Princess, that's her Destiny. But on that fateful day all those years ago, when Sunset disappeared through the Crystal Mirror over an argument so trivial. Celestia thought, no, she believed she'll never see her daughter again. Celestia abandoned Sunset, but now that she has returned. She'll never, ever, push her daughter away again! Not now, not in a million years.

'I promise to make you a Princess, but I need to make sure you're ready. The Ascension Ritual requires a deep and intimate connection to an Aspect of the Universe, and having two makes such a connection extremely difficult to form,' Celestia thought sadly. She should have told that to Sunset in the first place when she asked her about becoming a Princess but in her divine wisdom. Celestia continued to be vague and frustrating to a girl that learned best with blunt direction. Her other student, the one who'll wield the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle, excelled with her hands-off approach. If only that were true with Sunset, which in hindsight with how angry she got over Celestia's lessons. Celestia really should have figured that little detail out a long time ago. Celestia steeled her gaze with motherly determination. 'It will take some time to master Solar and Lunar Celestial magic, but once you've completed that training. You'll be ready, Sunset. I only hope the world can accept another Aetherial so soon after my sisters return.'

Celestia slowed her pace once she reached the room her daughter was resting in. Her hand shakily hovered over the handle. Hesitation destroyed her determination, allowing fear to fill her heart. She shook her head in a desperate attempt to banish those feelings before opening the door, and there sleeping peacefully on an elevated bed; Underneath a cotton blanket, was a young, beautiful, teenage girl with rose-red and gold-yellow hair, aquamarine eyes, long, pointed ears, and a fair complexion.

"Sunset," Celestia choked joyously. All her fear vanished, and a maternal protective need to comfort the girl filled its place.

Celestia's mask crumbled like sandstone with tears forming rivers down her angelic face. She shakily strode to Sunset's side and with tender, loving care. Celestia moved some of Sunset's hair away from her face before caressing her cheek longingly. "You're just as beautiful as I remember you."

Taking her gaze of her long-lost daughter for a moment, Celestia acknowledged all the other people in the room with her. Most were Magi—They have long, pointed ears with a Foci Crystal embedded in the middle of their foreheads—With a few Terrans—Who only had round, chimp-like ears—And Valkyries—Who have feathered wings and short pointed ears—Watching the sight of their weeping Goddess with worry and confusion. At the center of the group wearing a white lab coat and holding a clipboard was a calm, brown-haired Magi with hazel-colored eyes. Doctor House was his name and Celestia's personal Physician when she needed him. Celestia cleared her throat.

"How is she, Doctor? What happened?"

Doctor House calmly looked over his clipboard for a moment before replying, "According to our initial analyst: She suffered from an acute seizure no doubt caused by her sudden arrival back into our world. Her brain couldn't handle suddenly being able to use magic again and, in layman's terms, "shut down," to cope and adjust to the magical pressure of our world. Princess Sunset Shimmer will be fine once her body reacquaints itself to the magical field."

The others in the room could only look at the girl sleeping on the bed in utter shock at the revelation of her being a Princess. Celestia, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief.

"Is there anything else I should know about in the meantime, and how long until she regains consciousness?" Celestia asked while wiping away her tears. "I want to make sure my daughter is as healthy as she can be now that she has returned home."

"Her body placed itself under a temporary magic-coma. Though, according to our estimates, she'll awaken on her own time in a couple of days. If there are complications, we can force her to regain consciousness, but doing so might cause long-term problems. Especially with being able to process Mana. It's best to let her sleep and awaken on her own time," Doctor House explained.

"Thank you for your help, Doctor," Celestia thanked sadly. She wanted to talk to her daughter, move past their mistakes with each other, and be a family again, but if Sunset needed a couple days rest. Celestia can wait. She waited years for Sunset to return home, and now that she has? A few more days couldn't hurt.

Taking one final look at the sleeping girl on the hospital bed, Celestia noticed something missing that Sunset should be wearing. Her Focus. The little crystal all Magi wear since birth. 'She'll need it if she wants to cast magic without losing control. No matter. I'll get her another one...as a welcome home present. Yes, that sounds like a lovely idea. I hope she likes it. No Magi should live without their Focus.'

Turning back around, Celestia shooed away the crowd with a few flicks of her wrist and a stern gaze. "I'll answer all questions at a later date, but, for now, the girl on the bed is indeed my daughter, and I don't want the media overwhelming her the second she wakes up. So with that mind, unless you are the staff of this hospital, please leave Sunset Shimmer alone."

The crowd gave a respectful nod before disappearing, except for Doctor House. He stayed in the room with Celestia and once they were alone together. His face turned dour. Noticing the sudden drop in temperature, Celestia inquired her Physician.

"Is there something else, Doctor? Something you didn't want anyone else besides us to know about?"

"I don't think the others noticed, but if they did. They are rather good at hiding it," House frowned, his gaze narrowing on the girl sleeping on the bed.

"Get to the point, Doctor," Celestia glared back at the sudden hostility in the room.

"Her mind, just like her mana, is repairing itself. There were instances of Soul Magic used during our initial tests." House said darkly.

"What do you mean? And what kind of Soul Magic? Is Sunset alright?!" Celestia barked through gritted teeth.

"From what I could detect at the time, the spell Sunset subconsciously used, if my guess is correct, allowed her direct access to her Soul Memory. For what purpose? I don't know, but if her mind went under repair. Then someone either used Mind Magic on Sunset on route to the Hospital or while she was in the other world. If either case were true, then when she arrived back in our world, something triggered a defensive response, causing her Physical Memory to completely erase itself and her Soul Memory to fix the damage."

"Of course, this is just speculation, but I highly recommend security being severally tightened around the Portal and in Sunset's room. Something or someone tried taking control of Sunset, and whatever or whoever is in the shadows might still be lurking nearby," Doctor House explained in a hushed tone.

Celestia didn't know what to do about the information given to her. She was relieved that her daughter had countermeasures for mental manipulation, but her worry for Sunsets safety only worsened. "Whoever dared to attack Sunset will face the wrath of the SUN! I will NOT lose my little girl so soon after she returned home!" Doctor House backed away from Celestia in fear from her outburst and watched in awe as Celestia's multi-colored hair burned like a raging inferno.

'The rage of a mother hath no remorse or mercy for those brave enough to invoke the wrath of unending agony,' Doctor House thought as he watched Princess Celestia storm out of the room. 'I should make myself scarce until the Goddess of the Sun cools off.'

As Doctor House followed distantly behind Princess Celestia out of Sunset Shimmer's room, he felt something strange. He paused in the door frame of the room in wonder, the sounds of Celestia barking orders to have an entire regiment stationed around the hospital echoed in the distance. House curiously looked back in the room, feeling a strange warmth pulsate from within. It wasn't hostile nor gave the feeling of dread. The warmth was warm, welcoming, loving even. But it didn't last, and just as quickly as it appeared. It vanished.

"Odd," House muttered to no one in particular before leaving the room in confusion, he would investigate the event later.

If he stayed in the room for a few more seconds, however, then Doctor House would have discovered what caused the mysterious warmth in the shape of a glowing teenage girl sleeping peacefully on the bed. When the glowing ended, nothing appeared to have changed, but if one were to look at her Magical Core.

They would find a magnificent flower blooming for the first time in over two thousand years.

Arc 0 - Chapter 1: Mixed Memories

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Who am I?

Am I, Gry Solana? Quantum Physicist, Skateboard Enthusiast, Marijuana Farmer, Krav Maga, and MCMAP specialist, Furry Porn Critic; Child to Major Jammie Solana of the S.A.S and First Lieutenant Grey Solana of the JTF2; Sibling to Syliva, Grey Jr, and Bob.

Am I, Sunset Shimmer? Mage, Master Martial Artist in Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Capoeira, Kendo, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Kick-Boxing, and Fencing; Sushi Chef, Theoretical Physicist, Otaku, Graphic Artist, Painter, Gamer, Amature Porn Star, and Loner. No family. No friends. Only Coworkers and Acquaintances.

Both are me but at the same time. Neither. The memories flow, twist, and wrap around each other, blending them chaotically with the ferocity of a hurricane. Too much information. Too much pain. One half of the coin seeps in suffocating solitude, while the other flickers with eccentrically insane genius.

Who am I?

Should I find the answer? Do I want to? Am I both? Or am I some entity that gained these memories artificially and lost myself within the storm? All these questions fill my consciousness, and yet, I can't seem to find an answer. What would Gry do?

'Ask Sunset.'

Odd. I didn't expect that to happen. Why Sunset though? All her thoughts, hopes, and dreams have a dark, seething rage hell-bent on absolute destruction. Those feelings are on the surface though. They are easy to read, understand, and sympathize with. However, deep within Sunset's core, hidden beneath all that rage, is all-encompassing sadness capable of drowning emotionless gods in despair. Though, if Gry thinks Sunset holds the key to understanding what I am. Then do I ask? How would I ask? What does she know?

'Mystic Silence's: The Art of Imagination Vol. 4: Twin Memory Recollection, and Soul Mender's: Soul Harmonization Vol 2: Symbiotic Soul Memory Restoration.'

Oh. Well, thanks I guess?

I pulled the memories that held information on Twin Memory Recollection first. I figured it would be an informative place to start. And according to Mystic Silence—This spell will automatically separate the memories accidentally acquired by another individual by systematically sorting through them all via the magical signature associated with them. Interesting.

But how do I use it?

'Magic, duh. Focus on the Flame within your chest and draw it out. Don't push too hard or it will burn you. Let it flow naturally, like breathing.'

Alright.

Taking a deep breath—Wait. Does breathing even matter in the subconscious mind?

'Focus.'

Right. Sorry. Taking a deep breath, I searched for the Flame that the mysterious voice told me about. It didn't take long, like five seconds at most. The Flame felt like a beating heart. It was warm, hot to the touch even, but didn't burn, and it felt like a pulsating nova booming as loudly as a subwoofer set to max at a dubstep concert. It was mesmerizing.

As much as I wanted to feel that Flame in my metaphorical hands, I had more pressing matters to attend to. Grasping the Flame with my mind, I coaxed it awake. I breathed life into it, stroked it, and let it grow. I knew from Sunset's memories that I needed a certain amount of Mana to cast a spell, but I didn't know how much. Magic wasn't something I'm intimately familiar with.

Thankfully, I didn't need much power for Twin Memory Recollection. The amount of power needed to cast the Spell was equivalent to picking up an empty box from the ground. Which was good for me, but the second I activated the Spell. Things became weird.

Two hallways appeared before me. The right side had beige walls with doors found from various video games, military bunkers, and houses. Pictures aligned this wall. Some filled with friends. Some had photos of family members. There were even colorful lights lining the wall in between each door. This side of the hall felt loved and well cared for.

The left side on the other hand.

Sickly, mold-covered red walls, twisted, warped, and twitched like infected muscles. The door, if you could call them that, were made from rotten wood with a few of them having maggots eating them like a dead carcass found on the side of the road. The broken lights flicked with toxic energy, and the carpet in front of each door looked soaked with pus from an open wound. It physically sickened me just looking at it.

'Sorry.'

It's alright. Lovecraft really knew how to make some really fucked-up imagery. I don't blame you for creating a visual representation of both minds in our body. But which side belongs to me, and which side belonged to the intruder?

'Use the other spell.'

Okay. Hold your panties. Give me a second to gather my thoughts.

Before I cast Soul Memory Restoration, I wanted to poke my non-existent head through the first door to the right. It was a simple door. Nothing really popped out at me about it. Painted white, brass handle, four stylish divets marked the surface. It's something one would find in the average house anywhere in North America.

Gripping the handle, I opened it and in an instant. Memories flashed with a cornucopia of images, sounds, and emotions rushing down towards a waterfall pouring into a black abyss. I had to take a step back to properly process everything I've witnessed in a mere fraction of a second.

Gry Solana—Born on October 26th, 1997. Gry's a Scorpio, likes snowboarding, skateboarding, and mountain biking. Gry has a photographic memory, an allergy to bullshit, and a fetish for furry futanari. Gry's father is Major Jammie Solana of the British Special Forces. Gry's mother is Captain Grey Miller of the Canadian Special Forces. Both met during deployment in Isreal and got married after the tour before both retired from their respective militaries.

They were extremely strict with Gry during his formative years. Even his siblings. If one were to get an academic grade below 95%, they all were forced to do drills. They all were trained in Krav Maga and MCMAP, practiced with various types of firearms, and spare with each other. Gry's parents did this to instill an ever-enduring work ethic and because they wanted to make sure they could defend themselves.

Gry ended up in the hospital many times for broken bones, torn muscles, gashes, or wiping out from a bad fall. After one near-fatal crash on the mountain bike trails of Whistler Mountain. Gry couldn't do anything that caused too much stress or adrenaline. If Gry did, he would suffer from mild seizures.

His Uncle—Sergeant Friday Miller—Did his best to cheer Gry up about not being able to enjoy some of his most enjoyed activities. One of the things the always grinning behemoth of a man did to make Gry smile was magic. Not real magic, but tricks, sleight-of-hand, and other things that intrigued Gry. These tricks inevitably led Gry to chose Quantum Physics as his life profession since magic, (of the fantasy variety), acted similarly to the laws of the Quantum. Both, in Gry's words, "Give the finger" to Universal Physics without a care of the world. This choice was entrenched by the portal Gry found when he was a child, history, the occult, and fiction.

His relatives didn't care much about his life choices, but his parents did, even though they were harsh, stubborn, and terrifying some days. They loved Gry with all their hearts and helped him every step of the way. Without their support, Gry might have chosen something else to devote his life with. Like being a Lawyer or something just as useless. Still, he couldn't be happier. Gry only wished that his Aunt Velma would die in a fire while stabbed with shards of rusty metal, covered in acid, and buried alive in a vat of flesh-eating maggots.

Gry really despised Aunt Velma.

'Yep.'

Closing the door, I couldn't help but feel a little humble. The brief glimpse of Gry showed how, despite his loss of athletic ability, he was able to find purpose within himself. With every fail, injury, and punishment. He Endured. With every setback, obstacle, and wall. He found another way. When he needed help, Gry didn't allow pride to prevent him from seeking it. Perseverance is his virtue, which was something not many could survive and live to tell about it.

After viewing a small part of Gry's life. I had to take a look at Sunset's past. To compare and contrast the two different people within my mind, and to understand why her side of the hall that looked like Cthulhu puked out his stomach. But I couldn't just pick any door. Some of them had eyes. EYES!

'Pussy.'

Disembodied voices aside, I chose the least nightmare-inducing door to venture through. The door I chose still had the appearance of mold, decay, and rusted metal, but at least it didn't have tentacles or a thousand eyes glaring back at me. However, the claw marks were a nice touch. Far more welcoming than what some of the other doors had.

Steeling myself for the inevitable mind-rape of Sunset's creepy memories. With trepidation, I opened the door, and much to my surprise, I didn't lose my sanity. Instead, as the images flowed into my purpose, I only knew absolute horror.

Sunset Shimmer—Born on October 31st, 972 C.E. She's a Scorpio, likes Magic, Music, Drawing, Cooking, Anime, Video Games, and Porn. She ended up in the Canadian foster system a few days after being found on the side of the highway by a patrol officer. At the age of fourteen, Sunset gained her citizenship before enroling Edmonton Christian High. Her foster parents Mary and Joseph Victoria, had high expectations for Sunset while attending the private school. They weren't disappointed. Sunset earned many scholarships while attending and gained a spot at any major university in the world of her choosing. And at the age of sixteen, Sunset entered the California Institute of Technology as a Theoretical Physics Major.

When she turned eighteen, Sunset moved out of her foster parent's house to live on her own in a high-end apartment in Vancouver. She only lived there when not attending school, if she didn't want to live on campus during the break.

To pay for her tuition, Sunset became a Sushi Chef, an Amature Pornstar, Model, and an Internet Graphic Artist. All the jobs she enjoyed, but she didn't like people associated with them in general. 0r anyone at all for that matter. She treated everyone she met with venomous hostility unless she was on camera. She still hated the guy or girl who plowed her for millions to watch, but so long as she climaxed and got paid. She didn't care. So long as the pain within her heart remained mute and dull. She could continue with her plans of revenge.

My God. The things she had planned for Celestia. If half of what I'm seeing is possible, then I'm a glad Gry flung her into the void. The knowledge she gained from Cal-Tech gave her the information to advance the magic of Equestria by hundreds of years. Want to know what she used it for? I'll give you three words: Catastrophic Planetary Annihilation.

Imagine Planetary Devastation from Naruto Shippuden, and crank it up to nine-thousand. Sunset not only figured out how to make the base spell without the Rinnegan, but she improved it. Enhanced it. To the point that she could create another MOON and drop it anywhere on the planet!

The only thing keeping her from using such a spell is the insane amount of mana it would take to cast it. Oh! She figured out that part out as well in the form of a metamorphosis spell that merges her body, mana-well, and soul. In other words, she could have Chakra! Want to know else she reverse-engineered from all the anime she watched? Every single spell from Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fairy Tail, and Overlord. Every. Single. Spell.

The only problem she faced was the amount of mana she could use, the type of mana she had affinities with, and the amount of practice. Sunset knew she had a deep connection to the Sun and Moon due to her Mark of Destiny and how she got it. She could cast Fairy Glitter without the metamorphosis by connecting to those two celestial objects. But she didn't know if Celestia would die from the spell, or how much damage it would actually cause.

However, Sunset's most studied spell was the Sharingan. With it, Sunset could become one of the greatest mages in Equestrian history. The ability to learn any Spell, any Move, anything, and everything magic related, was something she devoted her entire life, her existence, on acquiring.

She wanted to be the best Mage; One that would make Clover the Clever and Starswirl the Bearded green with envy. And once Celestia acknowledged her power, her potential, the very thing the so-called Goddess of the Sun created?

She'll die.

Celestia will die in front of her subjects at the very hands of the one she abandoned, at the one she abused, she tortured, before Sunset takes the throne of Equestria for herself. But before the inevitable demise of Celestia. Sunset needed the Ascension Ritual to make herself an Aetherial. Thus, a Goddess.

The amount of information dedicated to Torture, Mind Magic, Soul Magic, and other vile atrocities meant just for Celestia is outright terrifying. Sunset wanted, desired, hoped, and dreamed, of the death of Celestia. She was obsessed with the eradication of the Aetherial. When she wasn't practicing magic, she was planning the murder of the Goddess. All that Rage, Hate, and Anger I felt coming from Sunset, all of it, directed at one person: Celestia.

I'm glad Gry kicked Sunset into the void. I don't know what would have happened to Equestria if Sunset could follow through with her plans.

I didn't bother with the rest of the memory. It's clear as day that Sunset was returning to Equestria once she got her doctrine in Theoretical Physics, and got her affairs in order. It was unlucky that she stumbled in on Gry during his researching of the Portal. The panic that followed, the fear of being found out before she could enact her terrible plans, caused her to make the biggest mistake anyone could make—She underestimated her opponent.

If she kept a cool head, wait for Gry to fall asleep, and kill him while unconscious. None of the events that happened would have come to pass. She would have been well on her way down the path of power and revenge without obstruction. She would have been laughing while she raped and tortured Celestia into submission. She would have been the happiest psychopathic girl in the world when Celestia's head rolled down the streets of Canterlot.

She would have. Past tense. She made a mistake, panicked, and got thrown into the void as a result.

'Fuck you.'

Closing the door behind me, I sat down, leaned against Gry's side of the hall, and took a small rest. The amount of information gathered from that one door was jarring. From the raw emotions to all the details attached to them, everything about Sunset's memory helped me understand her a bit. Her side of the hall gave a good visual representation, and I just thought it was a defense mechanism to prevent intruders from viewing her thoughts. The more warped and twisted the door appears. The more horribly vile the memory. I shudder at the thought of looking into the one with eyes, arms, tentacles, rotting flesh, blood, pus, vomit, teeth, breasts, cocks, piss, shit, and one that could talk.

The door I described appeared in front of me.

L̻̽ͨ̊O̷̾̓̐̔̑͒͊҉̼̺̭̩V̰͕̗̟̭͉̼͍͗ͫ͂ͯ͡Ę̨̟͚̝̼̔ͥ̍̍̅̍ ̳̼͉̥̤̝̣ͯ̌̾͑̾ͅM͖̦͌̊ͣ́̍́̇̊̚Ę̴̞̯̏͒̌!̛̥̻̳̘͎̪͍̙̙̓͗̅̉̂̚̕͡

I screamed and without thinking. I cast the second spell—Soul Memory Restoration—by accident. Hoping the thing that appeared before me would return from whatever satanic shit-hole it came from. Nothing in the world should ever have to deal with that monstrosity. Whatever created that door and the memories sealed within, I don't ever want to meet. Not now, not in a million years.

'Me neither.'

After my little episode of nearly dying from absolute, heart-destroying fear. I noticed the hall changed into a triangular room. Three paths appeared in the same fashion as the room. One led down Gry's memories, another to Sunset's. The third path, however, was hidden behind a vault-like, cog-shaped, metal door.

I could still see the abomination down Sunset's hall from where I sat. I shuddered before moving away from that particular path. I didn't want to deal with Sunset's memories anymore. There's just so much wrong with her mind if the imagery was anything to go by. So, instead, I decided to investigate the vault. I wondered what's inside? Is it another horrific hall like Sunsets? Or something more tame and peaceful like Grys? What is it anyway?

'That's the Soul Memory of whoever's body we're inhabiting. Opening it will reveal who you are, but is that something you really want to know? Is it...worth it? To know who you are? I don't think it is. You're better off not knowing.'

Well, that doesn't sound like she's trying to prevent me from learning the truth. Frankly, I don't care what she thinks. Not understanding your past is like trying to drive through a city while blind. You can't know where you are going if you don't know where you're from. That's the importance of history. So, like the insane little construct that I am. I grabbed hold the metal wheel of a handle and turned.

'...Today is the day I make history...'

I blinked.

'..."Hello, Officer!" I greeted with a straight face while keeping my hands in full view. "These are not the droids you're looking for."...'

Collapsed.

'..."Today on the 21st of June during the year 2019. I—Gry Solana—make one of the grandest discoveries in Human history."...'

Remembered.

'..."What are you doing here?!" replied the girl with a menacing growl. I took a step back, hands raised in the air. I absentmindedly noted that I now stood in front of the Portal....'

Everything.

'...Fear determines if you fight or flee, but Hesitation determines whether you live or you die....'

I'm Gry.

'... The girl's eyes went wide in terror as she flew towards the wall of the rainbow tunnel. She collided with the wall, it collapsed like liquid glass, and the girl disappeared into the void....'

Where am I? More importantly...WHAT HAPPENED?!

I rolled away from the vault door with one massive suicide-inducing migraine imaginable. Having everything you've lost come back to you in just a few seconds felt like a bullet train slamming into my forehead at full speed. I made my pain known by rolling around on the floor, whining and complaining like a little bitch. On the bright side! I knew who I am now. So that's a positive.

A few minutes passed before I regained some semblance of coherent thought. When I did, I laid on the floor, staring at the bland, green ceiling, wondering what the hell was going on. One idea I instantly came up with for my predicament is that I'm the subconscious of Gry and that I'm a defense mechanism for his mind. Though, that can't be right. How can I be two separate entities but at the same time: One? Does that make sense? Should it? I hope I don't have to deal with an internal crisis involving my identity, the concept of the universe, the meaning of life, and everything in between. Those arcs in books are so dumb and convoluted sometimes. Hell, a majority of them are so simple to fix, but no~oo! We have to go on a journey while putting the identity crisis aside for the last minute. Which, at the end of the crisis, the identity problem still gets ignored and unexplained! Whatever. I'll deal with that later. I have another set of memories in my mind with a disembodied voice to deal with.

"Oi! Sunset! You still there?"

'Well, well, well, look who's back to the land of reality. How does it feel to have direct access to your Soul? Interesting, isn't it? The ability to alter your very being, remove parts of yourself you don't like, or maybe assimilate someone else to become stronger? Very interesting indeed.'

"Yeah, whatever. That's not important right now," I replied with false disinterest. If I'm honest with myself, I am a little curious about what a Soul is, but I don't have the time right now.

'Oh? Then what's important? Your family? Your friends? Knowledge? Power? You have access to everything about me. So why not find out for yourself?' she purred darkly.

Huh? No more monotone? Weird.

"What am I? What are you? What happened in the Portal? In that order please," I asked before standing back up. I took a look around, wondering where Sunset's voice was coming from, and thankfully. I didn't have to look far.

"To answer your first question—" she paused for a second and appeared in front of me. She wore the outfit from the cave and looking at her without the light shadowing her figure. She was beautiful. Sex Goddess beautiful. She had a perfect fit hourglass figure with jaw-dropping child-bearing hips. Her bust easily sat comfortably e-cup range and her thighs! A perfect mix of muscle and fat I thought only video game or anime characters could have. Did I mention her long, pointed, Elf ears that hugged her head closely? Well, now I did.

"—You are the subconscious of Gry: The mental representation of her deepest, innermost thoughts. You are the first and last defense against Mind Magic, the voice of reason, and inscriber of memories," she explained with a smirk. "If you weren't in control, I could have wiped Gry's soul and taken over her body. Then again, if she was awake, I could have easily have done that even if you were in the way."

"As for your second and third question? I'm the consciousness of Sunsets memories. Or to be more accurate: I'm what remains after you killed me."

"Wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute!" I stammered out. "I killed you?! Then how do I have your entire life inside my mind?!"

"What do you think happened to me when you kicked me into the Void? That I would wake up on a random world in the multiverse?" she laughed. "Nah, that didn't happen. My real body and soul is gone. It probably became the meal for the creatures that live in the realm between dimensions. There's no way to recover it. Not that I want it back. It s͠i̷̶͞ck̸̀e͏͜ńs̶ me," she growled the last bit out. "As for how I'm in your mind?"

"The real me, in a last ditched attempt to complete her revenge, implanted her entire consciousness into your brain in the hope that I could take over your body. She failed. Obviously," she snorted. "'Luck wasn't on her side since birth. If you didn't have a seizure when you did, I would have, like I explained before, erased your Soul Memory, and took over your very existence."

I was in shock. I didn't know how to respond. I just didn't. When I began my firearms and martial arts training, I knew that one day I would need it to defend myself, but not at the cost of another! Sure, there was a chance I would need to make the ultimate choice: My life or theirs. If there was a choice, I would always choose my own. There are people I care about, promises I've made. And I never break a promise. There is nothing in the world that will prevent me from breaking a promise. Not even death.

Then there is the fact that, despite Sunsets demise, she tried to have a copy of herself kill me, erase my existence, take over my body! Wait...why hasn't she yet? Didn't she say that I'm Gry's first and last line of defense? Why hasn't she tried to kill me?!

Okay. Calm down. Breathe. No time to panic. You've already done that Gry. Breathe. Alright. I'm calm. I'm calm.

"Are you done?" Sunset said dryly. "I'm not sure why you're freaking out about my death. I've killed a few people already. There's nothing special about killing someone. Especially a psychopathic cum-whore like myself."

"Done?! I'm not even close! Why haven't you tried killing me yet?! Are you waiting for an opening? For me to be off-guard?! Is this all a ruse to keep me distracted from your objective!?" I angerly demanded. "Well, answer me!"

"I literally can't harm you while you're asleep. That's when your subconscious is in complete control," Sunset replied with a roll of her eyes. "Not only that, but those with a photographic memory tend to be the strongest when it comes to defending against Mind Magic. Your mental capabilities far outclass my own."

"Now, if you were awake, then I could affect you. Your subconscious hibernates while conscious to sift and sort through all the information gathered throughout the day." she frowned. "I'm repeating myself. Stop it."

"Seriously, you can't do anything?" I asked disbelievingly. "How can I believe someone that planned to eliminate entire cities off the face of the world by dropping a mountain on top of them?

"Want me to prove it?" Sunset replied in monotone.

"I won't believe otherwise," I challenged.

"Fine," she sighed before she began walking towards me. My body stiffened, preparing for the inevitable attack. I ran simulations of what she could do while also summoning forth all information on Mind Magic from Sunset's memories. And when she finally stood in front of me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, leaned in, and a pair of silky, tender, pillowy lips met my own.

I froze, eyes went wide in shock, body froze, and the mind of my mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. Out of everything I came up with that Sunset could have done. Kissing me wasn't one of them. Though, as sudden as the act was. I kinda' didn't want it to end. There was something about Sunset. Something is hidden deep within her, that made me want to comfort her, to be there for her, to give her something taken from her long, long ago. And to be honest, being kissed by Elf Goddess is one mark off my bucket list.

The kiss didn't last long, even if it felt like forever. Sunset pulled away, a faint smile creased her lips. Her solemn, tormented, aquamarine eyes met mine, and without thinking. My hand cupped her cheek. Her eyes closed, enjoying the touch of my hand. It's as if my touch didn't hurt her like all the others before. She held it there, even as tears fell down her face. She looked so innocent, but I knew, deep down, she lost that a long time ago.

"Normally, I would be furious that I let a male kiss me, that one touched me. Then again, you're no longer male, the Portal changed you, and if I'm honest with myself. I truly, from the depth of my black heart, enjoyed every second of it," she choked out a pitiful sob and pulled away. "You're a good person, Gry...far more than I ever was,"

"Sunset, I don't understand," I said quietly.

"You will, in time, when you go through my Core memories," she smiled sadly. "It's funny. If my soul was influencing the power behind my decisions, all I'd know is unending rage and hatred towards you. It has been a long time since I've felt at peace, and I don't want this feeling to end, but I know it will. Your Soul is going to start correcting the mistakes within your mind. That's what Soul Memory Restoration does. It eliminates the contaminated memories that you've acquired."

I could only stare at her in silence. No words, nothing. I don't understand. How could I? One moment, Sunset is a monotone voice in my mind, the next a collection of thoughts and feelings. Now she has a physical body incapable of hiding how she truly feels. The kiss, her confession, her smile, the tears, her rage, anger, sorrow, pain, and joy. All of it confused me.

Her inhibitor is gone. Her Soul. If what I understand about her Soul is correct. Then without the source of her very being, her consciousness is at the mercy of my own. I'm influencing her, she knows it. She wants it. Had she only known, only felt, pain throughout her life? If the metaphorical representation of her mindscape is correct...then what happened to her?

Sunset's right. I will understand who she is. She knows I wouldn't let her go without an explanation, but due to the time constraints. I only had three days before her memories got deleted from my mind. And she lied to me. She could have taken over my body whenever she desired. I had only a minuscule amount of power compared to her, and everything I've done up to this point was by borrowing her strength. So why didn't she? Why?

So I asked, "Sunset, you could take over anytime you want. So why didn't you?"

She chuckled at the question, "Your Soul is influencing me. I don't mind it doing so. I've never felt so loved in my life. Not by my friends or foster family in Edmonton. Not by my friends in California. Not by anyone in Equestria," her smile died, and in its place, solace. "I'm a vain, jealous, greedy bitch, and there is nothing in the world that I covet most than Love, and to be honest, I wanted to, but I'm so tired. If I took over your body, then I would be consumed by my rage once more. I don't want that. I really, really, don't want that to happen to me again," another round of tears kissed her cheeks. "Why do you care so much about this broken, fucked-up girl?"

"Because someone has to, so why not the one who took your pain away?" I replied with a weak smile. "If your foster parents were here now. They would say the same thing. They were there for you, and I'm sure, even if you followed through with your plans. They would still love you."

"Even if I want to rape, torture, and abuse underaged girls? Even if I want to murder thousands and enslave the rest? The things I wanted to do to Equestria would make Hitler and Stalin look saintly. I don't think anyone would want to associate with me after all that. Especially if I force them to watch me murder a ten-year-old girl with a magically created cock," Sunset said licking her lips with an extremely disturbing smile.

"They're your parents. Of course, they would still love you, even if what you want to do is evil. There was good in you once," I responded gently, causing her mentally scaring grin to transform into a frown. Then her face morphed back into a cracked mask of depression as she looked away for a moment.

"It's funny when I looked into the Mirror of Destiny all those years ago. I saw myself wearing a black jacket with over a thousand people standing with me. Some had matching coats while others wore simple clothes or armor. What I've forgotten up until now about that image were my eyes. They were emerald flame-green. The same color as your eyes, Gry. Isn't that funny? The Mirror of Destiny showed me you," she wondered out loud.

I didn't know how to respond to that. Sunset knew it. That's why she said it. Another mystery for me to solve at a later date. She looked away, her eyes peering down her hall with a face of disgust. I don't blame her. Only monstrosities inhabit her mind. She looked back towards me with a look of calculation. It feels like she's searching for something deep within me. What does she see? I wouldn't know. Not for a while anyway.

When she looked away again, this time down my hall, another honest smile creased her lips. I guess she found what she was searching for, but what that was. I couldn't tell. I remained still where I stood. Not because I'm afraid of Sunset. That much is true. She scares me. No, I stood there for her. Waiting, like a statue, if she needed something to lean on again. That's the least I could do at the moment. That's all I could do at the moment. The spell cast to keep her Core memories, as well as all her magic and scientific knowledge, was taking its sweet time. I needed something to remember her by. Why not her legacy? I think she knew what I was doing if her brand new smirk was anything to go by.

"If you keep my Core memories, they will influence you in subtle ways depending on the emotions associated with them. Don't be surprised if you gained a sudden fetish for public masturbation, cravings for peanut butter, or feeling discomfort while wearing something that covers your stomach," she giggled as my eyes went wide in shock, and for how cute she looked. Her joy died as quickly as it came again. "Thank you...for keeping a part of me close to your heart. You have no idea how much that means to me, and before the spell finishes me off. Can you promise me something?"

"That depends on what you're asking me, but sure. I'll keep a promise," I said with a nod.

"Promise me that you'll become the greatest Mage in the world. Promise me that you'll take care of my foster family," the tears were back, and something's happening to her. Her legs, Sunset's legs! They're disintegrating! 'Fuck, I thought I had more time to talk to her! She wasn't supposed to disappear for a minimum of three days once Soul Memory Restoration is cast! I still have questions that need answering, and I don't want to dive into her past to find them! Fuck! What to do? What to do?!'

"Hey, it's alright. So long as you have my Core, what made me: Me. Then all your questions will be answered," she said sadly, her transparent hand placed on my shoulder. I tried to grab hold of it, but my hand went right through.

"I'm sorry," Sunset sighed. "I lied to you again. It's for the best, however. There is one more promise I want you to make before I go. Can you keep it?"

"S-Sure," I managed to choke out. "I'll keep it like the others."

"Thank you, Gry," she said softly as her entire body turned to ash. She looked into my eyes one last time. Rage, Hate, and absolute Fury filled her aquamarine orbs. I never looked away, and before she completely disappeared from my mind, she said with a dead, frozen tone, "Promise me you'll kill the seven who wronged me, the seven who made me who I am. Promise. M̸̄͐҉̛̞͉̜̠̠̺͉ͅȇ̌̔ͪ̆͗҉̗̭̮̗͖͎͜."

"I-I promise."

"Thank you," she sniffled happily. "Thank you, Gry. For everything. For killing me, for remembering who I truly was, for giving me something I lost long ago, and for allowing me some rest. Thank you, Gry. Thank you."

With those words, she fell apart like a wilted rose made of ash and scattered to the wind. Never to be seen, never to be heard, loved, acknowledged, or wanted. Not now, not ever. Not in the past, present, or future. The only one who'll ever know who Sunset truly was, is the one who ended her life.

I fell to my knees and looked down Sunset's hall. There weren't as many doors as there was before. Those that remained were her Core memories and all her knowledge of magic and science. I'll begin looking through them from the start once I've had time to adjust. For now, I pulled the Metamorphasis Spell from what remained and activated it. The Metamorphosis Spells was her first step on becoming the greatest Mage in Equestria. I was the logical place to start. I made a promise, three of them, and I plan on keeping them. It's the least I could do for her.

It's the least I could do for Sunset Shimmer, and I never break a promise.

Not now. Not ever. For I am Gry Solana.

Arc 0 - Chapter 2: Promises

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Everything felt off—My hearing, my breathing, sense of touch, smell, sound, all of it amplified beyond what would be considered normal. My body felt lighter and also heavier at the same time, especially around my chest area. It's as if there were two firm-but-soft mounds of flesh compressing my chest. They weren't uncomfortable, just...different, and a little sensitive to the touch.

With the haze of sleep clouding my thought process, I absentmindedly tried to push the mounds off my chest. They moved, slightly, but remained firmly attached. Frowning at the defiance, I roughly grabbed hold of one of the fleshy-orbs and pulled. It still didn't come off, and the action of trying caused both physical pain and pleasure. The involuntary groan of delightful aguish confirmed it rather embarrassingly. However, I was still in the state of 'morning zombie.' So naturally, I tried again, but this time I grabbed the other one.

"Mm~nn," came out my mouth...like a feminine zombie. Odd.

I finally decided to awaken from my slumber and investigate the things attached to my chest. To begin my investigation, I activated my biomechanical devices of ocular observation attached to my face. When they completed their initial program of opening their protective coverings, I got a blurry view of a well-decorated white room with some unknown machinery. Confused with my scenery, I cleared my eyes with my hands to get a better view of the environment I've found myself in.

'Huh, I'm in a hospital. Great,' I thought with a feminine groan of annoyance.

My hospital room looked quite fancy; dark mahogany dressers lined the wall underneath a closed window, two matching end tables sat next to my king-sized bed, paintings of exotic landscapes lined the medically-white walls, and your standard medical machinery sat to the right side of my bed. There were two sets of doors of heavy-duty doors. Like seriously! The one opening up to the rest of the hospital looked like it could take a fucking Semtex Satchel Charge without scuffing the paint! Then again, if by judging the furniture in my room. It did make some sense for the added security. I couldn't understand why I, of all people, was placed in such an expensive room. I guess I'll find out when the nurse shows up to check up on me.

Pulling myself from my general observations, I was made aware of another pressing matter that required my immediate attention—I had to piss. Why did that turn me on slightly?

'Alright, Sunset, have you read the script? I know most girls aren't comfortable with certain fetishes, so if you want to bow out for this flick. I completely understand,' spoke a woman with a German accent.

'It's fine. I don't mind getting a bit wet or dirty. I'm into most non-extreme kinks anyway,' a girl with a strangely familiar voice replied.

'Oh. Oh god. Oh. My. Fucking. God! Sunset! That was a piece of Sunset's memories!'

Sunset, the cave, the hall, doors, information, three promises, everything that happened while I slept all came rushing back to me. I began to hyperventilate. "Please, don't tell me that was real. Please tell me it was a dream!" I begged, holding my chest. That's when I felt those fleshy-mounds again, and I made the mistake of looking down. My breath hitched at the sight of a pair of large breasts. That's also when I saw everything else that was out of place. "I...I-I need a mirror. The bathroom! It has one!" Jumping out of my bed in fear, I rushed to the bathroom, slammed open the door, and looked at the person staring back at me with wide, fear-filled, aquamarine eyes.

The person had thick, shoulder-length, rose-red and sun-yellow hair. She had long and naturally smokey eyelashes, the face of a youthful goddess of beauty, a supermodel complexion, fair skin, and long, anime-style, elf ears that hugged the skull. She also looked young, around the age of sixteen if I had to guess. Her body-type didn't have the look of being fully mature, even though it would make most models green with envy. Then there were the clothes she wore if you could call them that.

Her fairly large breasts were held up by white-silk cloth wrapping around her back and neck. A matching white-silk loin-cloth that fell all the way down to her ankles covered her groin and butt while showing off her deliciously voluptuous hips and thighs, and I could see some of the silk covering her pussy for extra modesty. Thankfully, she didn't have any scars to speak of. If she did, explaining them would be extremely difficult.

During my brief observation, I noticed the person in the mirror looking where I was. Not only that but when I lifted my hand to touch my chest, she did the same. When I felt my ears, she followed the same action. When I opened my mouth and stuck out the impressively long tongue, (the tip reached an inch below the chin), she copied me.

Tears began to fall down our cheeks in knowing realization. Or I should say: They fell down my cheeks. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. I changed, transformed, into the very person I killed. I became the one who I promised, who I kept a piece of, in a last ditched attempt of remembrance. Is this a cruel joke? Punishment for what I've done? Is this penance as a result for erasing the existence of an individual? Not only did Sunset die in the Portal, but to add insult to injury, Gry as well? Is this what Sunset meant when she said: "the Portal changed you?" Does it matter? Should it? Do I want it to? So many questions, and not enough answers. Well, ones that mattered.

I didn't mind the gender-bender, I was bisexual anyway, and magic can give me back my male reproductive organs if I want them. Pregnancy? Sunset had her tubes tied, so I don't know if that's possible for me anyway. Though if I could, the idea does intrigue me, but I don't think I'll be starting a family anytime soon.

What truly bothers me about the transformation has to be the fact that I will have to deal with Sunset's past. All the Hate, all the Rage, the Pain, Fear, Anger, Wrath, Lust, and Agony; I will have to deal with it all, and possibly the cause for those vile emotions and memories. It's one thing to hold onto her most private memories. It's another thing entirely to live through them all over again in real time.

With my realization over, I collapsed. My knees met hard marble tiling. Arms hugged my trembling body. The shock was over, and in its place: Sorrow and Fear. Sorrow for what has happened. Fear for the events yet to come. Choked sobs echoed in the luxurious bathroom, and for a few minutes. I let my emotions free.

When I finished my little episode, everything became clear. Sorta. The long, hot shower made everything else foggy, but that's due to the steaming water creating condensation on the opaque glass of the large walk-in shower. What came clear to me was Sunset's lie. I understand why she did it. Frankly, I would also. Telling an individual the true extent of just how in control someone is of your body would freak anyone out, and prevent any form of intelligent conversation.

The real Sunset, in the few seconds she had before her demise, accomplished three objectives: The first one was implanting her consciousness and memories in my body. I knew this already. Sunset explained it to me while I slept. What she didn't mention, what she lied to me about, was the full extent of just how much she changed my body. Only my Mind and Soul remained, and if they didn't influence her. Then I wouldn't exist as I did now in my current form.

I had another mental breakdown in the shower when I figured that out.

As for the second and third thing she did to assume complete control over my person? Well, the second involved a permanent Transmutation Spell that acted like the Polyjuice Potion from Harry Potter. She pretty much altered my entire genetic structure to perfectly match her own in every way, shape, and form, and gave herself some improvements. In other words: I'm a perfect biological clone.

Her final change to my body had to do with my ability to use magic. She ripped out her Magic Core from her body, separated it from her very Soul, and implanted into my own. The worst part about all of this? If she had two more seconds of flight-time, she would have latched her Soul onto mine. Two. Seconds. I don't know whether to be happy or terrified about my epiphany.

The only good thing about her changes had to be the fact that it's near impossible to mistake me for an imposter. It would take a Soul Mage to tell the difference, and Soul Magic of that caliber is highly illegal. What Sunset knew fell under the School of Restoration, which is legal for medical purposes. Of course, what she had access to she modified to suit her own needs. So, I got lucky in that regard.

I left the shower feeling clean with a hint of melancholy. Two towels I found underneath the marble sink—One covered my body, the other wrapped around my head. I didn't have much energy to care about the details of the bathroom, but I did notice a laundry hamper next to the door. That's where I left my borderline lingerie clothes. However, the one thing I was forced to care about had to be the stranger in my room waiting patiently next to my bed.

She wore a modern-looking light blue nurse scrubs with a rather generic labcoat, a matching cap, and she had a red cross over her heart and one on her hat. Now, that would be normal to see in a twenty-first-century hospital. What isn't normal is the pair of peach-colored feathered wings that came up to her chin and down to her knees. Did I mention her short, pointed ears? Or how about her pink hair tied in a bun? And don't forget her pink carnation eyes! They looked quite pretty actually, if a bit strange.

'She's a Valkyrie and a Nurse, and I completely forgot I'm in a hospital during my shower. The Nurse probably came by to check on me during her rounds,' I concluded privately. 'At least she waited outside the bathroom. I don't think I could have handled the shock of being walked in on while having my existential crisis.'

"Umm, may I help you?" I asked with the intelligence of a fish, and with a slight wince. 'Right, I have Sunset's voice now. That's not going to bother me for a while.'

The nurse gave me a warm smile and replied in a chirpy alto voice, "Good morning, Lady Shimmer. I am Nurse Joy. I'm responsible for your day-to-day care until Doctor Strange—your primary healthcare Physician—determines whether or not you're healthy enough to leave Canterlot General Hospital. Are there any questions you need answering before we begin going making sure everything is in tip-top shape? Perhaps some breakfast?"

Shaking my head from the shock of seeing an angel nurse that vaguely looked familiar, "Well, aside from waking up in erotic clothing, nothing much really. Something to wear would be nice, same with breakfast," I replied before making my way to the dressers to check what's in them. I opened the first one and cringed. 'Yeeeah, I'm not wearing that. What happened to my Walmart clothes? I kinda' liked those.'

"Is there anything specific you desire for breakfast?" she inquired further as I searched through the dressers. And each one that I dug through became progressively worse with what I saw in the drawers. There was no way in hell I would wear those overly frilly demonic monstrosities.

"I'll have whatever so long as it doesn't gain sentience and try to run away to freedom...or attack me," I shrugged nonchalantly. Nurse Joy giggled, and I sat down on my bed, wondering if I could request something to wear other than...whatever the fuck was in those dressers. So I asked, "Can I request something to wear that didn't come from whatever pit those things in the dressers crawled out of?"

Nurse Joy giggled again, "I'll have a courier acquire what you desire while you eat. Just write what you want down on—" she paused to hand me a piece of paper and a pencil "—this, but please be reasonable."

"Whatever you say, Nurse Giggles."

o0o - Celestia - o0o

Celestia heard the news an hour ago by one of her guards, that her daughter as awakened from her involuntary slumber. She put everything on hold—All her appointments, her meetings with the nobility, her yoga lessons, even her daily intake of cake! All of it so she could prepare for the long-awaited reunion of her long-lost girl.

She stood in her room finishing up the final touches of her 'Welcome Home' present to Sunset. Inside the little ornate box resting on a velvet cushion, was a finely cut aquamarine emerald. It's a simple thing. Most Magi received one when they are born to help them learn and cast magic. It's called a Focus, which as the name implies—The little crystal gets embedded in the center of the forehead for better control when using magic. For some Magi, it's necessary for more advanced Spells. For others, it's near impossible to even access their Magical Core without it. Celestia noticed Sunset without hers, so she personally commissioned the finest one for her.

"I hope she likes it," Celestia sighed as she finished decorating the box with a rose-red ribbon to tie it shut. She gave it a scrutinizing look, making sure everything was perfect. Sunset deserved that much. Once she was happy with the results, Celestia carefully picked up the box and carried it out of her pathetically bland room.

Waiting patiently outside her castle suite wearing a rather basic black suit with a matching tight-fitting skirt, was Celestia's secretary, Raven Inkwell. The stoic Magi held a clipboard behind her back while standing at attention with her signature no-nonsense expression permanently carved onto her face. Celestia gave her a polite nod while continuing her journey to the hospital. Raven followed suit.

"Hello, Raven. Is everything I've asked for ready?" Celestia inquired. Two days ago she had the entire castle staff prepare Sunset's apartment for when she arrived. Everyone available dedicated all hours of the day decorating one of the castle's most luxurious apartments. Celestia had it filled to the bring with books on magic, art, clothes, and other gifts she thought Sunset would like. Not only that, but Celestia even had a few ambassadors from various countries around the world wanting to meet Sunset.

Also, she planned on having Sunset meet her student, Twilight Sparkle, in the hopes that they would become friends. Her student, in particular, could use one that wasn't an academic groupie or one that would use Twilight for selfish reasons. That and Twilight spent more time with her books than with actual people. Her anti-social behaviors were concerning, especially since her student is the Element of Magic. Without friends, then the Elements of Harmony won't activate, and without the Elements of Harmony. Equestria will fall at the hands of Nightmare Moon. Maybe they can bond over their magical studies? It's worth a shot.

"Everything has been properly prepared," Raven curtly replied. "Though, there is one problem in the form of our Griffonian guest."

Celestia returned to reality with a raised brow, "What has Galahad gotten himself into now?"

"The booze, a couple of maids, and he's been picking fights with our Kitsune ambassador Naruko Epikkusunō, and her honor guard," Raven huffed. "Honestly, I have no idea why the Griffonian Emperor sends that drunk and his merry band of joyful degenerates as their nation's representatives. All they do is cause trouble."

Celestia couldn't help but smile, "Because Emperor Jellal knows Galahad will drive our nobles up the walls. It's quite entertaining to watch. There's never a dull moment with him around."

"Torturing the government with a foreign aid wouldn't look pleasant in the eyes of our allies," Raven groaned in anguish. "Especially when the victims come running to me with their complaints. I will defect if this abuse continues!"

"Oh, shush," Celestia giggled." I heard you say the same thing a week ago, and I have yet to see you pack your bags when Blueblood started to rant and rave over a stain on his shirt yesterday."

"Whatever. Let's continue to the hospital. Sunset should have finished her medical exams by now," Raven sighed in defeat.

A rock formed in the back of Celestia's throat, "Of course."

o0o - Sunset(Gry) - o0o

I stood in front of a blushing Nurse Joy wearing my new threads. The reason why her face was bright red? I may or may not have got dressed in front of her in a very seductive way. Or maybe because what I asked for looked a bit revealing. So long as I was comfortable and stylish, I didn't care what anyone would think.

I wore an open, black, midriff short-sleeved hoodie that has flame-orange inner-lining with my Cutie Mark stitched on the back, an orange, skin-tight midriff tank top that accentuated my tits, a black push-up bra, and fingerless leather gloves. For my legs; I wore a black thong underneath black denim short-shorts held up by a flame-orange belt, and to complete the set! I wore ankle-high black Neighpon battle sandals. Also, with the aid of my Nurse, I got the measurements for my bra, (it was 32-D-Even), and my biological age.

I'm sixteen again. I went from twenty-one to sixteen in a matter of hours. Sunset was two years older than me, and now I have to relive two years of puberty, but that's the cost of a permanent Transmutation Spell. Well, Sunset intended it that way. I think. I'll find out later. Also, I stood five-foot-four-inches tall, my ears measured at eight-inches in length, and I'm expected to see Doctor Strange in a few minutes. I wondered if Sunset would approve of my outfit? I did ask for a shirt as well, but when I put it on. It felt very uncomfortable. Like there was an itchy anvil crushing my stomach. I'm not sure why, nor does Sunset. She always felt uncomfortable wearing something that covered her belly. Weird, but I can live with it.

'I know I'm perfectly healthy...physically at least, but I have no idea how to pay for my hospital bills,' I thought while collapsing onto my bed with an exaggerated groan of eternal boredom. This action earned me another giggle from Nurse Joy. I couldn't help but grin slightly in amusement. Nurse Joy looked very cute with her cheeks tinted pink, and the little flutters of her wings only made her more adorable. Though, as much as I wanted to embarrass her more than she already is. I had more pressing matters that required my attention. I sighed. 'Doctor Strange is going to make sure my magic isn't going to cause me problems. Which meant I get to see if the Metamorphosis Spell actually worked. I hope it did. Sunset spent several years creating that little miracle, and I don't want her work to be all for nothing,'

I didn't have to wait long until Doctor Strange came in and...oh my God! He looks exactly like an elf version of Marvel's Doctor Strange! Please tell me he sounds like Benny. That would be fucking awesome! Jaw-dropping imagery aside, my hero walked into my room carrying a clipboard and a large, square, decorative piece of glass. I instantly sat up with a goofy smile plastered on my face.

"Haven't even said anything and the girl is already perky," the Doctor mumbled just loud enough for me to hear. 'He even sounds like Benedict Cumberbatch! Eee~hee~hee!'

"Ahem, yes, well, I'm glad you find my presence interesting Sunset Shimmer, but let's keep things strictly professional?" he coughed before connecting the piece of decorative glass to one of the machines next to my bed. Once it was secure, he turned the machine on and brought over to my bed. If I remembered correctly, the machine he turned on was a device meant to scan the Mana Pathways of the body and display them on the piece of glass he brought with him. 'Excellent! Now I can see if the MetaSpell worked!'

Doctor Strange turned to my Nurse with a roll of his eyes, "Nurse Joy, please give me the general synopsis for our bubbly patient here. I need a basic rundown before I begin diving into her magicis-system. Our residential grump, Doctor House, notice something strange with it during his initial diagnosis."

'HE SAID IT! HE SAID THE WORD! EEEEEEE!' I squealed girlishly in my mind. I mean, can you blame me? It's DOCTOR STRANGE! He's my number one HERO of the Marvel Universe! And he's standing in the same room as me! And he's a WIZARD! A WIZARD! I could die of happiness right now!

"Well, there isn't anything wrong with her, physically at least. No scarring, tattoos, or artificial marks of any kind on her body; her weight is a little off, but that's mostly due to her oddly dense bone and muscle structure. I have also noticed that her emotions are confusingly dull compared to the average citizen. However, when she does feel emotions, they come off rather...intensely, as you can clearly see," Nurse Joy explained with a chuckle.

"Quite," he hummed thoughtfully. "Is there anything else to note? Anything that stands out aside from obvious signs of developing Borderline Personality Disorder?"

I couldn't help but feel a little offended and concerned about being hastily diagnosed with BPD. I mean, I'd take that disorder over seizures any day of the week. But I can't seriously be developing it?! I had a very healthy relationship with my emotions! The only way I could possibly acquire...that...the MetaSpell. Sunset hypothesized that the Spell could potentially cause psychological harm in exchange for the enhanced senses. Great. That's a mood killer. Still better than seizures though.

"Not that I know of," Nurse replied cautiously. I noticed her give me some worried looks when she said that. I think she must have felt my mood change. Yay me! I got an empath for a nurse! I hope she doesn't notice my feelings towards peanut butter...or chocolate. I've been having cravings for both ever since breakfast. 'Please tell me I won't become an exhibitionist. I prefer to keep my sex life in the bedroom, thank you very much.'

"Alrighty' then. Now! Lady Shimmer, as you already know from patiently listening in silence, I'm Doctor Strange Conquering Crown, or Doctor Strange if you prefer. I'm your royally assigned personal Family Physician, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Dermatologist, Ophthalmologist, Neurologist, Psychologist, and Magicalogist," he introduced himself with a straight face.

'Jesus-Buda-Cthulhu-Lucifer-Xenu fucking Christ! Overqualified much?! Whoever assigned him to be my doctor I'm not paying for his bill!'

"I know, I know, I'm a bit overqualified, but I assure you that you don't need to worry about me charging an insane amount of Bits just for talking to me. I'm not like my other colleagues, and I'd like to keep it that way," he rolled his eyes.

'Can he read my mind?!'

"No, I cannot read your mind. It's just that easy to predict your current thought process, and if we are having this hypothetical conversation in your mind. I have a schedule to keep and more important patients to attend to than a Princess with a funky magicis-system."

"O-Okay," I nodded dumbly. "What's wrong with it and who assigned you to me?"

"The Internal Magicsis Scanner can properly show us the issues, or at least, give us an understanding. Doctor House felt something off with your Aura during your little nap," He pointed to the machine he activated. "As for who gave me the privilege of being your Doctor? You can thank Princess Celestia for that. Now enough wasting time and stand up so we can get a proper reading."

Doing as he said, I got up and stood with a fairly relaxed posture against the wall while Doctor Strange grabbed a crystalline rod. Nurse Joy proceeded to move behind the impatient doctor so not to get in the way of the business end of the machine. I idly wondered what would show up on the sheet of glass. I knew it showed the magicis-system of any individual. For Magi, it looked like a softball-sized seed with a thin stem trailing up through the body to the forehead. Terrans looked like they had a secondary nervous-system, while Valkyries appeared in the form of a tree that had branches in their wings. Also wondered how Strange would react to the results of the MetaSpell. Would he freak out? Would he try to fix it? Would he question how I'm alive? I didn't have to wait long for the answers.

"Hold still for a moment," Doctor Strange said, pointing the rod at me. "This machine is one of the older models, so try not to move."

The next thing I knew was a peculiar sensation, followed by a flash of light, then utter silence. When my vision cleared from the sudden blindness, I saw both Doctor Strange and Nurse Joy staring in pure shock at what is displaying on the machine, and when I took a gander. I couldn't prevent the devilish smile from forming on my lips.

'It worked. The Metamorphosis Spell worked! Sunset is a fucking genius!'

There on the machine for the world to see was my magicis-system. Instead of a little seed in the center of the chest that connected to the forehead, there was a complex web-like system throughout my body. The tendrils, tubes, ropes, vines, and strings penetrated every muscle, every bone! Even my tongue, ears, fingers, toes, nose, breasts, and pussy. My circulatory-system looked like its coated in fiber-like hairs. My nervous-system appeared to be braided, and don't get me started on my brain! It's so indescribably intricate and complex. I'd have better luck explaining String Theory to deaf and blind toddler. What I can say about the Mana Pathways in my brain involves the two crisscrossing ropes that connect to my eyes. They resemble the Chakra Pathways found in those with a Dōjutsu in Naruto. Interesting, but not important at the moment.

After my observation, Doctor Strange decided to look my way with a very serious expression. I, however, had a knowing smirk plastered on my face. He didn't like it. "I'm guessing by the look on your face, Lady Shimmer, that you know why your magicis-system looks the way it does, as well as the fact that your Mana is nine-times denser and three-times more concentrated than the average Magi. Care to explain that?" he inquired in a dead-serious tone.

Crossing my arms under my melons, I replied after pulling the memories from Sunset's Vault, "It's a Spell I developed on the other side of the Portal. It causes my Magical Core to go under a Metamorphasis. This evolution is similar to how a plant grows from a seed and blooms into a beautiful flower. The roots dig themselves throughout the body while the Magical Core transforms into the head of the flower. Meanwhile, the Mana condenses and purifies itself, the Spiritual and Physical Energy harmonize, and all my senses are amplified."

"In other words—" I leaned forward with a cheeky grin, "—I evolved."

Doctor Strange stared at me for a moment, contemplating the little tidbit of information I just gave him. Nurse Joy, on the other hand, stared at me with wide eyes. It was kinda' creepy to be honest. Especially with how her wings twitched erratically every few seconds. A little concerning but I think she's just nervous or scared of me. I didn't mind all that much.

When Strange finished his train of thought, he pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan of absolute annoyance, "I always get the weird ones. Why can't I get someone normal? Why always me? I miss Stylish Stark..."

I couldn't help but giggle.

o0o - Celestia - o0o

After a few detours and an annoying confrontation with her nephew—Prince Vladimir Blueblood—Celestia entered Canterlot Hospital with her package still intact. Even after several close calls with a few civilians, a couple of rowdy nobles, runaway rainclouds, and bird guano, she managed to keep her present for Sunset clean and scat-free. She made sure of it.

Celestia let out a sigh of relief when she entered the pleasantly cool hospital lobby. Despite being the Goddess of the Sun, she didn't like the heat all that much. Her palms get sticky easily, her skin tans horribly, and on the rare occasion when she does go to the beach for some relaxation. She requires a few hundred layers of SPF-1000000. The Valkyries made the day a little too warm for her liking, and with all the random events that stifled her mission with her general dislike of the warmth? She gained a bit of a sweat.

'And I just had a shower this morning...'

Waiting patiently in the lobby for her was Doctor Strange. He's a peculiar individual—intelligent, skillful, generous, and very curious. One day, he appeared out of nowhere in the Canterlot Archives through a gold, spinning ring wearing a red cape and blue Saddle Arabian mage robes. The event was a little concerning considering he bypassed all the anti-teleportation wards that protect the building from intruders. Even more worrying was the fact he went straight for the Black Archives, phased through the enchantments protecting that section of the Archives, and proceeded to erase all tomes on Chronomancy.

When she confronted him on his actions, he simply shrugged and said rather flippantly, "Hylia asked me to erase those volumes. If you want to complain to someone about my actions; travel back in time by three-thousand five-hundred and forty-two years, go to the Forest of Twilight, get passed Hylia's protective charms, find her cottage, and complain to her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry for some shawarma, and there's this amazing restaurant in Agrabah that makes the best chicken wraps. Later!" He then disappeared through another flaming gold ring with a wave and without a trace.

Celestia found him again in Neighpon eating noddles a few months later. He gave her a raised brow before returning to his meal. No words, no acknowledgment, just complete indifference. She would have felt a little miffed at his lack of care, but she found his attitude a little refreshing. After sharing a few bowls of miso soup, Celestia managed to get a bit more information out of him regarding his actions in the Black Archives. The information he gave disturbed her greatly.

"Hylia requested those tomes to be destroyed to prevent disaster and to prevent you from changing certain events in the past. Both she and I saw the future of what would have happened if I didn't destroy those books. Suffice to say, but the entire planet splits apart into continental-sized shards due to a fight between you and the one you abandoned due to your pride. Which you lose spectacularly by the way."

'An apocalyptic battle between herself and the one she abandoned due to her pride.'

The Goddess of Magic, The Mother of Din, Nayru, Farore, and all Magi; saw the complete and total destruction of the world at the hands of herself and the one she abandoned due to her pride. What bothered her the most about the revelation was the next words Strange said to her after finishing his meal.

"Hylia is quite fond of a girl named Sunset Shimmer you know. After all, she's the youngest sibling of the Three Hero Sisters and heir to the Twilight Crown. Shame she fled through the Portal of Destiny. Hylia isn't happy about that, Celestial Lily."

Never had she felt such fear when hearing her real name before. Just thinking of the memory sent shivers down her spine. The amount of malice in his voice when he said those words made her feel a fear she hasn't felt since the Era of Unity: The fear of imminent death. No doubt he learned her real name from Hylia, and to make matters worse. The most powerful of the primordial gods, Hylia, the Goddess of Magic, knew about Sunset, and that she is keeping an eye on her. Celestia wouldn't fail Sunset again. She couldn't. She wouldn't! Now that Sunset's back in Equestria, Celestia will ensure Hylia's chosen heir ascends to her rightful place as the Twilight Princess. Celestia didn't want to know what would happen if she failed her task.

"Good afternoon, Strange. Are you doing well today?" Celestia greeted calmly. She didn't want to be impolite to an agent of Hylia...despite their history.

Strange shrugged, "Could be doing better, or something that doesn't cause my brain cells to commit mass suicide. Your daughter is quite good at throwing everything I know about Equestria magic out the window. Twilight Sparkle doesn't hold a candle to Lady Shimmer."

"I see..." Celestia didn't know how to respond to that. Twilight is quite exemplary when it comes to magic, but to have Strange acknowledge Sunset's skill over her student is a little worrying. Her daughter shouldn't have been able to continue her magical studies in a world without magic. Not only that but when it comes to natural growth, Twilight should be leagues ahead as well. Celestia planned on having her student tutor Sunset in order for them to bond over a common interest and also to reintroduce Sunset to Magic and Equestrian Academics in general. How far ahead was Sunset when it came to magic before her departure?

She didn't know.

She didn't pay attention as she should have.

All she had were her transcripts from her time in Celestia's School for Gifted Magi. That's it. Nothing else. No journals. No projects. No notes, documents, or even a Grimoire. Nothing. Celestia felt even more guilty about her lack of attention. She'll need to give Sunset a test in a few days on her growth. Perhaps a duel between her and Twilight? That sounds like a splendid idea!

"How is Sunset? Doctor House noticed something wrong with her memories and her magicis-system. Will...will she be alright?" Celestia asked with a hint of trepidation. Strange motioned her to follow.

"Something tried to invade her mind and take control of her body. I'm not sure what, why, or how, but what I do know is that the entity left behind a signature," Strange explained as they walked through the hospital. "As for her magicis-system? Perfectly healthy. What House probably felt was her magic healing the damage done by the mental attack," he said dismissively.

Celestia's hand clenched in anger, "What can you tell me about this signature?" her voice echoed with a vicious growl. The various nurses and doctors unconsciously stepped away from the tone of the Aetherial's voice. Strange, however, wasn't even phased, but the dangerous look in his eyes disturbed everyone around him even more than Celestia's voice.

"The Royal Guard, especially the Captain, isn't to be trusted around her. Keep them, and all who are loyal to Shining Armor, as far away from Sunset as physically possible," Strange replied venomously.

Celestia stopped in her tracks and stared at Strange in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Doctor Strange looked at her with an icy stare that froze everything it saw, "Who do you think tried to enslave Sunset and turn her into nothing but a breeding tool? Who was the one that found her in the first place?"

"Shining Armor."

Arc 0 - Chapter 3: Surge

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Magic: It's in everything. No, seriously, it's in everything! It's in all the food, the plants, animals, people, and many types of materials. I realized this while doing magical rehabilitation with Doctor Strange. Sunset didn't notice this little detail at all during her time in Equestria. Neither did Nurse Joy or Doctor Strange notice when I mention it to them. In fact, now that I think about it, they gave me a weird look when I told them about the ambient magic all around us.

I think I became a Sensory Type when I evolved. Handy, but annoying to master. I feel like a Pokemon. At least I'll be able to sense Ghost Types...

Magic Rehab mostly involved with me getting "back in the saddle" with my magic. Of course, I already knew how to control my Mana, Sunset's memories really helped in that area, but effectively control it? Yeeee~ah-no. There are a few holes, crushed equipment, melted everything, and a frazzled janitor in the Magical Testing Lab cleaning up my mess now. Sorry.

As it turns out from my little test, (and to the jaw-dropping shock of the entire hospital), I can use every type of magic. Even Multi-Casting, Silent-Casting, and Aura-Suppression. From Sunset's memories, I thought everyone was capable of doing those feats, but I guess that's not the case. Normally, Magi have to "SHOUT TO THE HEAVENS LIKE AN EIGHTH-GRADER!" in order to cast a Spell. Also, they can only cast one Spell at a time. Only. One. I didn't believe until Nurse Rough Touch used an Adept-Level Water Conjuration Spell called: Aqua Sphere.

"I am born of water from my circle of infinity. Please give the shapeless form from deep within my heart. Summon forth the elixir of life from the light of the moon to the palm of my hand!"

"Aqua Sphaera!"

When Nurse Rough Touch finished his magically dumb chant, there was a sphere of magically condensed water the size of a basketball hovering an inch above his hand. It took him a total of nine seconds to create it. I did it in one and without sounding like a thirteen-year-old that watches waa~aay too much anime. Of course, I put way too much power into it, so now the basement is partially flooded. Sorry again Strange-senpai!

After visiting the laundry room to clean my devilishly enticing attire, I got my release forms and was forced to wait in the lobby for Princess Celestia herself to come and pick me up. Two guards stood next to me wearing identical sets of armor made out of gold. I'm not joking. I could tell due to my passive Mana-Sense. The metal vibrates at the same frequency as the coins Equestria uses for currency, which is enchanted pure gold. I hope to Buda that their armor is only ceremonial. I'll eat my panties if it isn't.

Looking around the lobby as I wait for Celestia to finish her meeting with Doctor Strange, I saw a statue. The statue sat in the middle of the lobby. It's the first thing one would see when walking through the front doors. I couldn't get a good look at the sculpture from where I sat, but I know it's marble and that it depicts a long-haired Magi.

I wondered if the woman has any cultural or religious meaning in Equestria? Probably, considering how this world functions on magic. She must have done something in the past that earned her a statue in the hospital. There was nothing in Sunset's memories that told me about the woman. And since I have a couple of guards doing absolutely nothing but look like expensive ornaments. I asked the one standing to my right about the statue. "Who's the chick with the fancy robes?"

The guard didn't make a sound. Rude.

Thankfully, a random stranger heard my question and decided to grace me with her presence. She was a Griffonian. I can tell by the size of her wings. Valkyrie wings reach to the chin and the knees. Griffonians, however, reach to the top of the head and barely scrape the ground. They were also exquisitely fluffy! I'm definitely going to be an angel-sexual by the end of the week.

Anyway, the Griffonian wore scantily-clad white robes that showed off her cleavage, arms, hips, belly button, shoulders, and she wore decorative sandals to complete the outfit. She also had pure-white hair, wings, and silver eyes. She was the definition of Sexy Angel Priestess. And her boobs! They had to be G-cup at least! I couldn't help but be a little jealous even though I was formally male.

Staring dumbly at the beauty aside, I gave her a small wave to show my acknowledgment of her existence. She gave me a small smile in response.

"Good afternoon young mistress," the Griffonian introduced herself with a voice made of silk and a small bow. "My name is Verria Xexirus. I'm a Priestess of the Hylian Faith and apostle of Nayru. I overheard your desire to know about the statue. May I have the pleasure to gift you the knowledge that you seek?"

Well then, that's convenient. Here I thought I would have to torture my guards for the information I require. I guess they don't have to be my unholy sacrifices to the eldritch god of Kek. There is only so much torture one could take before their hearts give out. Magic will be a wonderful tool for my pranks. 'Thank my perky nipples my uncle isn't here. If he finds out my plans for Invisibility and Transformation, I don't think I'll be able to walk for the rest of my life from the beating that follows. My dream of becoming the greatest spy in the world will come to fruition! Mwahahahaha!'

'Now, how do I go about asking a Priestess about my lack of faith? I think playing the ignorant traveler would be good in this situation.' I stood up, placed my right hand on my heart, and gave her a respectful bow.

"I'm not really one for religion. I was home-schooled for most of my life. There are some things in this land that I'm ignorant of, but it's my desire to understand the world, magic, and life in general. So I'm a little curious about the statue and who it depicts rather than the one who made it. Would it be too much to ask for a beautiful maiden such as yourself to enlighten this lost soul?" I asked before looking back up.

The Priestess acquired a shade of pink on her cheeks. Even her wings gained a bit of color. Sunset uses Charm. It's super effective! Everyone else around me, even my guards, gave me their attention as well. Charm had an area-of-effect. SUPER EXCELLENT!

"O-Of course!" Verria sputtered out with a cute flutter of her wings. "The sculpture depicts the third daughter of Hylia and Goddess of Wisdom, Restoration, and Life: Lady Nayru. You can find art or a shrine in most hospitals and schools all over Equestria."

Wait. Hylia? Nayru? Sisters?! Equestria believes in Goddess of a video game?! How in the Nine Hells did that happen?! Why doesn't Sunset know about that?! Religion is an extremely important cultural aspect of a country! Knowing the religion of a country lets you understand the general belief of a populace! And knowing that belief allows one to connect and sympathize with the people! How can she not—

Locked in a Tower.

Trapped in a Castle.

Unable to connect with others.

Alone.

Forever alone.

—I fell to one knee. The sudden memory came so abruptly. My left eye burned, the right dripped the color of crimson. There was no sound, no feeling of touch, only the emotion of pure, absolute, soul-crushing, loneliness. Celestia locked Sunset in that tower. She sealed her away from everyone. Sunset wasn't allowed to leave the castle grounds. She wasn't allowed to bring anyone home. Not because of her ability to move the sun and moon, but because she was a commoner. An orphan. She was nothing more than a pretty clipped bird in a golden cage. The only place where she could interact with others was Celestia's School for Gifted Magi, however. No one there gave a fucking crap about her.

From the age of three, Sunset Shimmer was harassed, bullied, and ridiculed because of her non-noble status. They picked on her even though she was Celestia's personal student. In fact, that only fueled the fire. At the age of eight, Sunset never went back to that school and chose to stay in the cage Celestia made for her. The best part about this little memory? Celestia stopped interacting with her altogether when Twilight Sparkle destroyed the primary Examination Room for Celestia's school with a baby dragon egg.

Sunset would watch Celestia and Twilight play from afar while tending to the bruises, scrapes, and cuts from the physical abuse she suffered during her time at the school. She watched in silent agony from her tower while her so-called "mother" played with Twilight in the gardens without a care in the world. She didn't even acknowledge her existence, or rather, she didn't fucking care while Sunset cried and begged for someone to protect her from the monsters lurking in plain sight! Not even the teachers, guards, or the rest of the castle staff would help her! No one!

No one would help a little girl bleeding from having ice thrown at her in the middle of winter! No one helped her when she walked back to her cage with shredded clothes! She healed the wounds inflicted by the children of the nobles on her own! She fixed her clothes by herself! She was all alone! Alone! Alone!

ALONE!

Even though this memory was just a combination of hundreds of fragments from hundreds of memories, how could Celestia-no, everyone ruthlessly torment Sunset!? How could anyone stand by while a fucking child begged for someone to protect her?! Why didn't anyone try to comfort, heal, and love her!? And to make things worse! Everyone is acting like I'm the fucking incarnation of Hylia! Why now?! It doesn't make sense!

It's a trick. It has to be.

Celestia suddenly deciding that I'm important to her and choosing to "care" about my health is a farce. She never gave a shit about Sunset, especially when Twilight Sparkle came into the picture. The proof shows in the guards chosen to "protect" me. They weren't meant to protect, only detain. Their purpose was to keep me from wandering too far from Celestia. Also, the hospital staff was too polite and overly accommodating. If I wanted something, they would rush to the other side of town to get it for me. Even a five-star steak dinner that I had for food after my magical testing. Hospitals wouldn't do that. They need to maintain a strict code of conduct when it comes to food. Otherwise, they could cause complications with their treatments. Certain herbs and spices have been known to interfere with medication, and don't get me started on allergies! That's something I don't want to deal with.

I'm Sunset Shimmer now, and because of that. I have to deal with all her problems. Celestia must be here to force me back into the cage. Sunset's cage. Well, I'm not going! Not now! Not ever! I'm not going back to the cage! I'm not going back! I'M NOT GOING BACK!

'Okay, take a deep breath! Breathe in and out. My senses aren't working. Need to fix that. The flashback fucked me up. Calm down. Breathe.'

"...St...ck...She's...mon...!"

'Sound! I can vaguely understand, but I know someone is talking! My vision is still tinted red, and I'm on the ground in a crouching position. It felt like I'm standing in warm mud. Magic is spazzing out. Don't know why. Have to take control before it causes too much damage.'

"...The bar-rier...H-ow is s-he...De-m-on...Ge-t th-e prin-ess...!"

'It sounds like there are multiple people. I don't like their tone. They sound frantic...as if they are worried about something. My heart stopped racing. It's hard to move. Vision still tinted red. The scent of brimstone is suffocating. I'm warm. Why am I warm? Need to get a hold of myself. I'm not going back to the cage! Need to get up. Get up. GET UP!'

"...How is she not dead!? She's standing in lava...!"

"...Forget about that! She's a Demon! Keep the barrier up until her Highness arrives...!"

Blinking away the red liquid from my eyes, I'm finally able to view my surroundings. I'm still in the lobby of the hospital. There are twelve guards around me. Six of them are using magic. It's a barrier spell—Apprentice-Level—the barrier is dome-shaped, large, and around me. Not good, but beatable. I found out what's generating the scent of brimstone! It's the ground. I'm literally standing in a pool of molten stone! Why isn't my clothes on fire? Whatever. That's not important. Need to escape. Escape is important! I won't go back in the cage! I won't!

"Fuck, the demon is standing up!"

"Where's the Princess?!"

"I'm here! What is...The...Problem...?"

There are two new people in the lobby. One is my doctor. The other is a woman. The woman wore a beautiful white dress with yellow trim, gold jewelry, a crown, gold torc around her neck, and diamond high heels. Her long, flowing, multi-colored hair, reached passed her over-sized butt. Her giant, pure-white wings, were slightly opened in alarm. Gold covered the rim of her long, pointed ears. And her eyes! Her vile, hollow, putrid, lying, violet fucking eyes! The eyes of deception! The eyes of a liar! Those eyes belong to the one who abandoned Sunset! The one who didn't give a fucking damn of a little girl who wanted a mother! The one who locked Sunset in the tower! The cage! THE CAGE!

I'M NOT GOING BACK!

Arc 0 - Chapter 4: Lullaby

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o0o - Celestia - o0o

When Celestia heard the news that her daughter was turning into a demon, she dropped everything she was doing so she could save her. Not because Sunset was turning into a Demon, such a transformation required years worth of Dark Mana intake before the process could occur, and Sunset never touched Dark Magic in her life. No, she's going to save her from the Royal Guard. She knew the threat they possessed towards Sunset now after her talk with Doctor Strange. Celestia needed to get to her before they caused any damage.

Doctor Strange followed behind her as they ran through the evacuation hospital. Doctors and Nurses alike frantically rushed to get their patients to safety from whatever threat her trusted guard caused. Celestia could feel what sent the guard on high alert. Doctor Strange as well. The amount of raw Mana pulsating from a single location is concerning. So much so, that if it weren't for the enchantments placed on the hospital by Strange, the entire building would be on fire in a matter of minutes, but they won't last for much longer. They only had a matter of time before Sunset's surge jeopardizes the lives of Canterlot.

'If only I wasn't wearing heels...' Celestia cursed herself as she carefully ran down the stairs. She would have teleported to the lobby, but it possed too much of a risk. The enchantments could fail if she passed through them with how Greater Fairy Warp works. In any case, it wouldn't matter in the scheme of things. Fairy Warp takes the same amount of time to run down three flights of stairs to chant out the Spell. And Strange won't use his Mystic-arts Warp Gate to teleport anyone either for any reason. It's quite frustrating at times.

Another frustrating thought about the situation came from the information Strange gave her about Sunset's condition regarding her mind and magic. Sunset showed signs of Borderline Personality Disorder, which is a condition that affected her emotions in very intense ways. This condition wouldn't have been an issue. Equestria has the medical knowledge and technology to help regulate her condition. The problems stem from her magic—Without proper control, Sunset could Surge or even Flare if she felt the wrong emotion!

Sunset had no control over her magic, and to make matters worse? She had more magic than a recently awakened Aetherial! If Sunset Surged, she could level a five-story building in a matter of seconds, but if she Flared?

She could destroy a small town just as fast.

Love could also be potentially dangerous for Sunset to experience. The amount of destruction from the betrayal of the heart could be apocalyptic. Not to mention Sunset might never feel love for the rest of her life towards the person who betrayed her. Or at all! Cadence shouldn't be a part of Sunset's life. Knowing her niece, she would try playing matchmaker with her daughter the second she meets her. That can't happen. The risk isn't worth a life of absolute unhappiness. Continuing her rush through the hospital, Celestia finally arrived at the scene that her guards were so worried about, and stared in horror.

In the center of the main lobby of Canterlot General Hospital, standing in a pool of molten stone, held in place by a Class-3 Elemental Phoenix Barrier, surrounded by guards, was her daughter. Sunset's body let out bolts of black lightning that violently struck against the barrier. Her hair made an F-5 fire tornado look calm as a summer breeze. And her eyes! The sclera flickered between purple and black, same with the iris, but with red and aqua instead. As for her pupil? It was as sharp as an elder dragon's. After Celesta made her brief observation, Sunset's maelstrom eyes locked onto her, causing her body to freeze.

Hate: Pure, unrelenting, violent, vengeful, seething, vicious, hatred, filled Sunset's slitted eyes with an undertone of fear, pain, and anguish. She snarled at Celesta like a rabid dog, showing a row of perfectly sharp teeth that looked more draconic than human. The sound of her growl even distorted the air around her.

"This is more than just a magical surge," Celestia gulped taking a step back. "She has absolute control over her raging mana. One false move and everything within a two-mile-radius will turn to ash."

"Thank god all her attention is on you then," Strange nodded in agreement with an expression of annoyed indifference. "Keep her distracted while I put her to sleep. The second the barrier breaks, she's going to try to connect your face with her fist."

Celestia didn't like the fact she's going to be a target for an enraged Magi, but she understood the reasoning behind the decision. All of Sunset's attention was on her at the moment, she didn't know why or how her daughter became so enraged, but one thing's for certain.

It wasn't natural.

Another thing that wasn't natural about Sunset was her brute strength. With a single punch, she broke through a barrier meant to hold down a rampaging, fully grown, adult dragon. When the shield fell, the entire room drowned in the heat coming off of Sunset. The sudden change in temperature caused everything flammable to burst into flames. The ceiling, the benches, even the statue of Naru started to melt. As for the sprinkler system meant to snuff out a fire when detected? Boiling-hot steam flash-cooked everything it touched. If it weren't for Strange's quick reaction, Celestia could have died. Her guards, however, weren't as fortunate.

The guards of the Arcane Special Forces, the ones responsible for the barrier in the first place, were on the ground screaming as their armor fused with their cooking flesh. Well, what's left of it anyways. Charing bone is visible through the cooking muscle. Not to mention the boiling air dissolved what's left of the skin where it's exposed. Their horse screams echoed an eldrich choir to the tune of Iram Caelesti Phoenix, and the scent of human flesh made the scene all the more horrifying.

As for the rest of the Guard that were unfortunate to find themselves locked in the lobby with Sunset? They were ash staining the marble floor with the color of blood-gray and liquid metal. Only the Arcane Special Forces have special enchantments tailored for Elemental Magic of the highest caliber. Though, considering they were holding Sunset in place for as long as they have. It's not surprising those enchantments failed. They must have drawn from the mana powering their armor to keep the barrier up which was a fatal mistake. They should have drawn from the hospitals emergency power. 'Oh well. That's one problem I no longer need to deal with. The fewer witnesses, the better.'

During Celestia's analysis of the developing situation, Strange made his move and vanished from sight. Celestia didn't know where he went, but she knew he didn't go far. Now, the only people visible in the melting lobby was Sunset and Celestia. The former slowly walking toward the latter with enough killing intent to murder an army. Celestia couldn't help but feel nervous. Her first interaction with her long lost daughter is one with death and destruction. Also, she needs to keep her daughter distracted long enough for Strange to do whatever he needs to do. 'This is not the family reunion I envisioned,' Celestia thought solemnly. Letting out a sigh, she made her first move.

Gathering her mana into her hands, Celestia weaved a simple Froze Prison spell and launched in at Sunset, thinking that it would hold her in place for a few minutes. However, when Froze Prison collided with Sunset, the ice only added to the boiling mist, and Sunset dashed with her fist in the air in retaliation. 'I'm stupid. Frost Prison? What was I thinking?! I should have used Dante's Flame Palace. At least that spell would have consumed Sunset's fire, making it impossible for her to move.'

'This is going to hurt.'

Celestia couldn't dodge, raise a shield, nor respond to Sunset's attack. And such an attack it was! Sunset's fist made contact with Celestia's face, as Strange predicted, the impact destroyed the barrier protecting her, sent her flying through a wall of solid concrete, several more walls, out the hospital, through the city, and into the castle.

When Celestia finally stopped her impromptu flight, she found herself resting at the base of her throne surrounded by her guards. She did a quick scan on herself and found out that her wings are broken. Same with her arms, legs, ribs, and face; the front half of her body is charred, her clothes destroyed and exposing her naked body to the world, and everything else severely damaged. The only word she muttered out before her body shut down to repair itself was the definition of poetic genius.

"Ouch."

Meanwhile, Strange watched with muted glee at the sight of Celestia knowing what it's like to be punched by a mock Asgardian...or the Hulk. He didn't like her, not by a long shot. Her sense of morality was as twisted as her mother's. Which was something that led to the utter destruction of Paradisia, and nearly...The World.

He was there during that battle, watching from the sidelines. The moon was destroyed, rebuilt, and used as a weapon. The entire planet split apart into giant shards that almost floated off into space, and Celestia's mother laughed at the destruction...after she killed her own siblings, absorbed their power and souls, and proclaimed herself the God of the New World before being put down by Cherry, Clover, and Black. The world was also repaired by those three after the battle.

Strange knew how that monster came to be, but he couldn't do anything about it. Even as the Grandmother walked through the Castle on a daily basis without a care in the world, and unaware of the possibility of assassins waiting to end her life. Just one spell, one poison, one dagger, and the Unity Wars, the Demon Wars, the Fire Wars, and the Void Wars won't happen. Just. One.

He sighed, knowing that Time should not be tampered with when its already set in motion. All he can do is watch and prepare for the inevitable. Speaking of which, he turned to Sunset, who was making her way to the hole she made and snapped his fingers. The teenage girl collapsed onto the floor, unconscious from having all her mana ejected from her body so suddenly. Another snap repaired the lobby as if nothing happened, and another erased all the bodies littering the floor.

"Thank you, Hylia, for warning me about Sunset's surge," he said as he picked up the girl in question. "Now, let's take you home that the Goddess herself prepared for you."

One more snap of his fingers, he was gone, and the hospital returned to normal as if nothing happened that afternoon.

Where am I? That's the question going through my mind right now. I have no idea what happened after my little episode when I let the emotions of Sunset's core memories overwhelmed my own. One moment I am standing in the lobby glaring pure death at Princess Celestia, the next I'm wrapped in some form of cloth. Not only that, but someones carrying me to an unknown location. I can tell from the gentle swaying of my body with each step my holder is taking.

I wish I could see, however. There is the slight problem of a cotton scarf covering my eyes. Thankfully, my carrier noticed my predicament and moved the blindfold from my eyes. And the first thing I see was a pair of powerful, deep, loving, compassionate, soft, warm, and sorrowful emerald-green eyes silhouetted by moonlight and snow. That's when I noticed something off about her eyes. The iris glowed and shifted in a flower-petal pattern, and from aqua-green to emerald-green as I noticed before. Kinda' like Toneri Otsutsuki's eyes. What was it called again? The Tenseigan? Cool, but freaky.

I couldn't make out any other details about the person aside from the shape being feminine, and she looked like a more mature version of Sunset Shimmer. Not only that, but her hair had the appearance of fire, her face had several scars, and she had a very motherly smile on her face. She looked away from me for a moment, much to my displeasure. I wanted to see more of her face, to memorize every detail, but something had to interrupt my investigation. Thankfully, it made itself know.

"We don't have much time, Hylia. If we don't leave this era soon and return you to your original time-period, bad timey-wimey things will happen!"

Was that David Tennant's voice? No way! First senpai Strange and now the Doctor! Please tell me I'm dreaming?! I must be dreaming! If this is a dream. Don't wake me up!

"I know, Doctor, but what I need to do cannot be rushed," the women holding me replied with a voice made from the smoothest silk and the softest of feathers. Her voice filled my heart with the warmth of a mother's love.

She looked back down at me, her eyes now filled with regret, pain, and sorrow. Her gentle smile quivered, tears began falling down her face. I felt my body slowly descend in what appeared to be a doorway of an expensive-looking building. I didn't want her to cry. Why is she crying? Why?! I don't understand!

"I'm so, so sorry Sunset, but I have to leave you here. You'll see me again, one day when you're older and much, much stronger," she choked out a sob. "Be a good girl for me, okay? Your life will b-be hard and filled with p-pain, and I know it'll appear as though I'm ab-abandoning you, and I don't w-want to, b-but if I don't le-leave you here. Then th-the world will end!" She paused to give me a trembling kiss on my forehead, and all I could do to respond was cry with her. "Goodbye, Sunny, m-make Mommy proud!"

Then she started to sing. "You are my sunshine~ My only sunshine. You make me happy~ When skies are gray."

'Wait!'

"You'll never know, dear, how much I love you~ Please don't take my sunshine away." She continued to sing while walking away from me without taking her tear-streaked eyes off of me.

'Don't go! I have questions!'

"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping~ I dreamed I held you in my a-arms. When I awoke, d-dear, I was mistaken~ And I hung my head and c-cried."

'Please don't go!' I tried to reach out, but my cacoon prevented me from doing so. Hylia gave me one last smile before knocking heavily on the door with her magic. I shouted, cried, begged for her not to go, but to no avail.

"Y-You are my sun-s-shine, my only s-sunshine~ You make me ha-happy~ When skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I lo-lo-love y-you. Please...D-don't ta-take m-my...Sunshine aw-away." With one final tear, one last reassuring smile, Hylia dissolved into a cloud of red and yellow rose petals. Leaving me alone, in a strange place, by myself, before the door opened to reveal a strange woman wearing a nightgown and holding a lantern.

Arc 0 - Chapter 5: Maid

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Pain, why was I in pain? It felt like my eyes were drenched in gasoline and set ablaze. Who would do such a thing to me? Did I not suffer enough? Was I only born to feel anguish? To experience torment whenever I escape from the realms of dreams? I must find the answer and flay the person who forced me into this unethical torture! Oh, right, there was a ray of light assaulting my ocular sensors. Whoever left the blinds open to allow the heretical light of the sun to bask in my presence shall receive a boot to the head. Nothing will save the bastard that left the blinds open! No one!

How did I know about the blinds I hear you ask? Simple! I opened my eyes and received the full force of the sun!

Growling in anger, I tried to hide from the light by burrowing underneath my extremely comfortable pillows. Then the Fire Nation attacked in the form of a stranger entering my holy domain. Making my retreat into Fort Blanket impossible.

"Good morning Lady Shimmer!" spoke the sacrifice gleefully. "It's time to wake up and enjoy this beautiful day!" She tried to remove my blanket from my person, but FAILED! Nothing will take my precious from me! The blanket is mine! MINE! The sacrifice can't have it! Fluffy Huggles belongs to me! ME!

"Screw mornings. My name is Sunset, not Sunrise. The sun can die for all I care," I hissed back at the sacrifice. I can tell she didn't find my comment amusing if her 'sigh' was anything to go by. The next thing I knew, I was hovering over a giant Olympic-sized bathtub with elegantly sculpted marble statues, gold-lined everything, and roman-styled pillars. The entire room looked like something the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite, would own. Which would have been cool to find out about if I wasn't dropped into the pool by whoever teleported me there, (still in my clothes mind you), like a sack of potatoes, against my will.

Groaning in annoyance for the treasonous action of waking me up before I desired, I promise a painful death for the person who teleported me from my throne room by finding a tentacle rape monster and lock them in a room until one of them dies via cum inflation. With that in mind, I quickly took a look around to see if anyone else was with me. There wasn't. Coward. Letting out a sigh, I knew I wasn't going back to bed anytime soon, so now fully awake, I took off my now wet clothes, and tossed them to a random location in the room. Someone will take them to the laundry room later. And I might as well have a morning bath before I get around to exploring the new building I've found myself in. 'Speaking of the new place I've woken up in...Where the hell am I?'

Trying to remember all the events leading up to my current location wasn't all that difficult, but it was very concerning. The hospital, Doctor Strange, the Test, all leading up to my mental breakdown in the lobby were quite clear to me. Afterward? It's somewhat muddled. My mental episode...Fuck that sucked. I completely lost my shit to the emotions from Sunset's memories overwhelming my conscious. I mean, seriously, everything fucking turned into goop from my magic flaring! And don't get me started on the Royal Guards trying to hold me down. That was a fucking pointless endeavor. Same with Celestia trying to use Ice, of all things, to hold me down.

After Falcon Punching Celestia, that's when things get fuzzy. One moment, I'm standing in Canterlot's General Hospital about to chase after Celestia to finish her off in my blind rage, the next? Sunset's real mother was holding me with loving care with the Doctor hiding in the background.

I have no clue how that happened. I think it was another memory. Sunset's first, clear, memory if I recall. I shouldn't have seen that until I had better control over my magic. Then again, I shouldn't have gone apeshit after learning that Hylia is the Goddess of Equestria! I need to partition Sunset's Core Memories better before the end of the week or else I could have another episode. I was hoping I could do some research about Equestria first before delving into my newfound power, but I don't think it's a good idea after nearly destroying the Hospital.

' Still, it's good to know what Sunset's real Mom looks like, but what she said greatly disturbs me,' I thoughtfully sighed. 'End of the World? Time Travel? Bad Timmy-Whimmy things? So many questions. I better get answers sometime down the line.' Speaking of answers, I need to figure out where the hell I am.

Finishing up my holy ritual of heavenly cleansing in the Olympic-sized bathtub, I began my search for a new pair of clothes! I didn't need to look far. There was a small room attached to the east side of the pool, and by small, I mean huge! The entire area was its own massage parlor, sauna, change room, with mudbaths, scented candles, a shit load of mirrors, and don't get me started on the shower! The "walk-in" shower sat dead center of the room surrounded by four roman marble pillars with angels made of gold decorating them. Naked, angels, I must add. All of which stood in a sexy pin-up pose against the pillars, which, by the way, curled towards the center to create a dome made of stone clouds. Did I mention there was no opaque glass or anything really to hide my sexy shame? Not only that, but you can clearly see the shower from all angles no matter where you are in the room. The word "Exobitionist" comes to mind when thinking about what the architect had intended while designing this room. I shuddered at the thought.

I found my clothes next to a couple of towels on a bench next to what appeared to be a nearly see-through changing wall in the corner of the room. Well, I say clothes, but in actuality, it was just a black and gold silk robe with my Cutie Mark emblazoned over where my heart would be. I found it strange that the robe had my Cutie Mark on it, but didn't think too much about it. 'I can't get over the fact that I have a magical tattoo on my shoulders now. If my sister found out, I'll never hear the end about it.'

Before I could dry myself off with the towels presented, I found a note resting on the robe. I decided to open it up to see what it said before tending to my other needs.

"Dear Sunset Shimmer.
I know you might be confused, annoyed, and disoriented at the moment, and I perfectly understand why, but you need not fear of your current location. You are in the safest location I can possibly provide for you until you're able to protect yourself. That's waaayyyyyy too many "yous." Whatever, I was busy writing this note with an annoying Time Lord complained about how much I'm spoiling you, Sunset, while enchanting the place, and dealing with the staff meant to take care of your every need, while buzzed. Anyways!
This mansion is the largest in Equestria and yours! Same with all the wealth located in the treasury. All of it belongs to you! It's also fully stocked with everything you need; From books on magic, clothes, training equipment, willing victims, food, peanut butter, and a bunch of other goodies for you to find! <3 <3 <3
Fancy Pants is your neighbor, as well as one of my agents tasked with guarding, teaching, and giving you assistance when needed. His wife, Fleur, while may not appear all that dangerous. She's one of the best assassins in the world. Use her well! ;)
Other than that, I don't have much else to say without breaking causality as the Doctor kept screaming into my ears for the past six hours. Anywhooo~ Your BRAND NEW PERSONAL MAID (the one that teleported you into the tub. Do you like it? I bet you like it!), will enter the room in five minutes after you've finished reading this letter. Have fun with your new pad! Bye <3 Bye! XP
Love - Hylia
P.S.
I know you want answers, but the ones about me won't be answered for a very long time...At least 60-80 years from now. The others will gradually come to you over the next two years before the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration. Just be patient Sunny, and all will be revealed. I love you, sweetie. Never forget that."

I couldn't help but blink a few times in shock as my mind tried to come to terms with what I just read. 'Mansion? Wealth? Knowledge? My own Maid?! HYLIA! I cannot be this lucky!' Were my primary thoughts. To be honest, I thought I was kidnapped by a secret organization who wanted to use me as a pawn against Celestia. I would have never thought that the Goddess of this world would grant me such a boon. Instead of struggling to find a job inside an unfamiliar world. I can live my life in luxury without worry. And don't get me started on the whole "agent" business! Fleur? A World Class Assassin? I mean, I could potentially use her services if Celestia tried anything funny against me, but isn't this all a little much?

I need to calm down and think things through. There's just too much happening to me right now. If I don't fix my memories first, the emotional whirlpool swirling in my mind will cause me to lose my shit again. Take a deep breath. In! Out! In! Out! Good...I'm calm now.

"Hello, Lady Shimmer. Did you enjoy your surprise morning bath?" spoke a voice from behind.

'Nevermind.'

Turning around, I saw the woman behind the voice standing near the door with the smudgiest, shit-eating grin plastered on her face. I automatically vowed to end her existence even though she's as sexy as a Succubus. Her breasts are easily F-cup without question. Her legs went on for miles that ended with perfectly thick thighs. Not to mention her hourglass body, her tight bubble butt, boner-inducing face, sensual eyes framed with long, luscious lashes; all made her insatiably desirable.

She was a Magi with short black hair and chestnut-colored eyes. She wore a skimpy French maid outfit with black stockings and matching black shoes. The skirt of her outfit barely covered her groin area, and from where I stood. I can clearly see her lower lips covered by a string of black beads, which, by the way, only made her flower bloom a little bit. I bet she was chosen deliberately by Hylia to entice me, but I will not be easily seduced!

Giving her the nastiest glare of death I could muster, I replied, "No."

Her expression didn't change at all. In fact, she looked even more pleased. There is something wrong with my maid, but I can't put my hand on it.

"Aww, don't be like that, Master. You'll get wrinkles before you turn forty," she giggled huskily. "Now, as much as I want you to bend me over and ram your arm elbow-deep into my already-lubed, stretched-open ass. We have a schedule to keep! So let's go!"

"Wait. What?" I dumbly blinked, but, alas, my question went unanswered. She grabbed my hand with a crazy look in her eyes and proceeded to drag me through my brand new mansion against my will.

By the way; her ass was, indeed, lubed and stretched wide open. She demonstrated this fact by ramming a small bottle of wine from the kitchen all the way inside her.

It stayed there for the entire tour. She only took it out after we entered my room, followed by removing all of her clothes, putting on a blindfold, ball-gag, and somehow; tying herself up with rope within the span of a few seconds; whimpering and begging for punishment Hylia must have promised her.

I want a new maid. Mine is broken beyond repair. Oh! Her name is Innocence. No, really. That's her name. Biggest fucking lie I've ever heard.

Arc 0 - Chapter 6: Home

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Snow blew across an arctic tundra landscape. It's blinding curtain kissed three individual's exposed skin with the love of several million razor blades. A violent howling echoed throughout the icy valley with the power of an orchestra of wolves singing a ballad of death, and the wind sang back in rage.

A woman with blond hair, red eyes, and clad in a black cloak with red and green rose petals fluttering in a non-existence breeze; stared blankly at a tall man wearing black, full-plate armor. Another woman with red and yellow hair that flowed like fire wore a similar cloak, but with red and yellow rose petals. Her left black eye with purple rings and six tomoe hid behind her hair while her right eye looked like an ever-shifting aqua and emerald-colored flower. She also stared blankly at the armored man standing defiant before her.

In the distance, a city made of crystal stood tall and proud in the sub-zero landscape. There, on the edge of its protective barrier, six individuals watched in trepidation. A girl with rainbow-colored hair fluttered her wings in worry, but she couldn't move in fear of getting in the way of the person she loves most.

Another member of the group placed her hand on the rainbow-haired girl's shoulder to calm her down, "I'm sure she'll be alright, Sugarcube. Plus, she even has Clover the Clever helping her out. We don't need to worry about nothin'."

"It just doesn't make any sense!" the purple-haired girl shouted in confusion. "How does she know Clover the Clever?! Why did they call each other sisters?! And how do they know King Sombra?!"

"I don't know, Darling, but something tells me that we really shouldn't bother them about it right now," another member of the group chimed in.

"Oh, I hope they'll be alright," a pink-haired girl whispered warily.

Clover breathed in deeply for a moment, calming her nerves for the battle that's about to commence. She delved deep into her soul and made contact with the creature that's been sealed within her ever since she was small. "Hey, Kurami. It's been a long time since we fought together, huh?" Clover smiled at a ten-story-tall female nine-tailed fox sleeping lazily on a meadow of flowers.

"Indeed it has, especially with Black over there," Kurami said in her naturally deep, motherly tone. "It may have been several centuries since our battle with those vile Aetherials, but for Black? I don't think a few months have passed for her. She's still in her prime. Don't slow her down, eh?" she finished with a giggle.

"Please," Clover scoffed, leaving her mindscape. "She's the one that's going to slow me down!" Clover turned to the girl standing beside her. Their eyes met, they nodded, and both dashed faster than the speed of sound with their raw physical ability at the man clad in black armor.

Clover's fist instantly collided with Sombra's face; followed by Black's foot slamming against his stomach. Their combined force sent Sombra flying across the Arctic tundra faster than the eye could see. Next, Clover's entire body became cloaked in a golden robe made of raw mana. Kurami added her power to Clovers. She nodded to Black, and what happened next made everyone who was watching from the sidelines tremble in fear.

Black raised her left hand, a black orb formed between her fingertips. She looked towards the crater formed on the side of a mountain to the north with Sombra struggling to break free from. She took a deep breath, let the orb fly towards Sombra, and slapped her hands together.

And when the orb got into position, she shouted, "CATASTROPHIC PLANETARY ANNIHILATION!"

The mountains that once separated Paradicia from Equestria were no more, and Equestria gained a second moon at that moment.

What does one do with an extremely horny maid who doesn't understand the meaning of self-control or shame? That is today's question, and frankly. I have no idea how to answer it. Innocence is someone whom I'd never thought I would ever encounter in my life. She's the very definition of a compulsive hypersexual nymphomaniac! Seriously, she wouldn't stop masturbating while we toured my new home! Speaking of which—What the fuck is up with this place?!

I found so many notes left behind by Hylia all over the mansion. Some of them contained useful knowledge about certain rooms and how they functioned. The others, I swear on my own grave, were there just to fuck with me. Like, this one note I found in the peanut butter pantry, only said, "You're welcome, Butterslut :P!" Another one I found in my literal sex dungeon that said, "I know the future, and I got to say. I'd never think it would be possible for a young girl such as yourself to be capable of stuffing that 34-inch monstrosity all the way in! I mean, I know you used an elasticity spell on yourself, but come on! Even I'm...Scratch that. I had sex with a five-story dragon once a few centuries ago. LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER! I'm so proud! <3"

There were many more, but I'm not too comfortable remembering them. They were just, so, wrong! As if I would allow Innocence to be my personal toilet for an entire week! No! Just! No! And don't get me started on the walk-in closet in my bedroom that's filled with sex toys! Does Hylia, Sunset's real mother, think I'm crazy sex-addicted mega-slut or something?! When I meet Hylia, I'm going to slap her stupid face with the dildo sword I found in the closet, while coated in Innocence's love nectar!

Aside from all the asinine things I've found in the mansion, It's quite a comfortable home. There weren't obnoxious signs of wealth all over the place. There is the wonderful scent of maple syrup and books lingering in the air, and it didn't feel empty. Even as I sit in the library on a beanbag chair, reading the basics on Mana Control. I've never felt so comfortable before. It's like I've always lived in this mansion. I can only describe the sensation as surreal.

Letting out a sigh, I took another look at my personal library. It's a perfect blend of Jay Walker's Ridgefield, Connecticut home, and George Lucas's Lucasfilm Research Library. It somewhat reminds me of the Duke Archives from Dark Souls as well, with all the tomes on every type of magic placed on the shelves. There are over thirty-thousand unique books on magic, and magic alone. I can't help but admire the wonderful collection Hylia left for me.

I don't think I'll be able to finish them all right away, well, not unless I can use the spell Sunset designed to increase her learning and training speed. I can't use her version of the Shadow Clone Jutsu right now. It's a real shame, but I once finish with the basics. I should be able to use her patented, Astral Clones, with ease. 'I still can't believe she created and improved the Shadow Clone Jutsu to such an insane degree. They're basically Wood Clones with similar properties to Madara's Limbo Clones, and they have all the benefits of all three clone variants without the flaws. Suck it Tobirama! You ain't got nothing on Sunset!'

I made it my mission to finish every book inside my personal library. I wanted to learn, to know, everything there is about magic; I wanted to know how to throw fireballs, how to turn myself invisible and give myself a dick for...science reasons. But, for now, I'm stuck reading the basics while also assimilating all of Sunset's knowledge about the topic of Magic. The mixture really sped things up. I only wished the same for my control or lack thereof.

"BOOM!"

"Damn it!" I screamed in frustration. I sent another practice medicine ball into the enchanted ceiling for the tenth time today. Speaking of today, I'm trying to learn telekinesis. It's not going all that well.

"You almost had it, Mistress," Innocence smugly replied. "Would you like to take your frustration on my naked butt?"

Letting out a huff while kicking the practice implement aside, I replied, "No. For the last time. No."

She sighed in dejected disappointment, "One day, your hand is going to turn my ass red, and we both will love every second of it." She handed me my water bottle. "Why don't you take a break? Sir Fancy Pants is going to visit today. I don't think he'll appreciate a sweaty Mistress as much as I do."

"Fine. I almost have the control down for telekinesis anyway. Plus, a shower does sound good. Can you make lunch?" I asked while trying my best to ignore the liquid dripping down Innocence's thighs. 'Where did Hylia found this hypersexual masochistic nymphomaniac? Why couldn't I get someone normal? It's starting to get difficult to hide my own arousal.'

One very cold shower later, I sat in a corner in the same outfit I wore when I left the hospital. It's been a week since I Falcon-Punched Celestia, and from what I've heard; she's made a full recovery. Though she has yet to talk to me again or send her goons to eliminate me, I'm not going to put by guard down around her. Then again, if Hylia says Fancy Pants and his wife is trustworthy. I can possibly ask them for help with several things that I'll need in the future. After all, I have several promises to keep, and they will need several things before I can go about honoring them.

Innocence served me a cup of coffee while I waited in my restaurant-sized gazeebo. It had everything from a fridge to a barbeque, even a completely filled cooler of cola! I don't know whether or not to be scared about how much Hylia knew about me. It's starting to get too "stalkery" for my liking. However, she did make my new home as comfortable as possible. So, I won't fault her for that.

Taking a sip from of coffee from a mug that said, "I hate clothing that covers my stomach," a noticed a man wearing a three-piece suit, had stylish blue hair, a monocle, and he sported a bitchen' mustache. 'Huh, he's not wearing that stupid crystal on his forehead. Neat.' Accompanying him is a dangerously sexy woman wearing a white one-piece dress that barely covered her D-cup breasts, and it opened up all the way to her stomach along her left leg; revealing her black-lace g-string if one looked close enough. 'I'm starting to see a pattern when it comes to women's fashion. They all are extremely revealing.'

Lust, (my other maid who was the exact opposite of Innocence), was the one leading them to me. When they got close enough for me to see their eye color, my head started to...feel...funny....

"...Why, hello there little one! How may I help you this rather cold evening?" spoke a posh individual standing in the doorway of a giant mansion. A little girl wearing dirty, hand-me-down clothing, shivered in place with a shovel in her hands, looked up at him with a weak smile.

"C-Can I s-shovel your s-s-sidewalk for some m-m-money?" her teeth chattered. "I-I won't take l-long. P-promise!"

The man stared at her with soft eyes. He looked over at his one-kilometer long driveway for a moment, then to the small shovel that she must have found in a garbage can somewhere. His heart hurt at the sight of such a brave little girl trying to make ends meet for herself on Hearths Warming of all days.

He could easily have his servants to the job since it's part of their paygrade, but they are all at their own homes for the holidays, but something told him that this bacon-haired girl with glowing aquamarine eyes was special. Thus, he came up with a better idea than allow her to suffer in the cold.

"What's your name little one?" he asked while reaching into his wallet. The little girl shuffled in place nervously.

"S-Sunset Shimmer!" she replied honestly.

"Sunset Shimmer. That's a beautiful name," the man beamed before handing her a few hundred Bits. "Here, a cute little girl like yourself shouldn't be out working in the cold. You should be with family." The fire in Sunset's eyes died at the mention of the word "family."

"I-I don't have a family," she whispered sullenly. The man felt a knife stab his heart when he heard those words.

"I see," he sighed. "Well, would you like to stay here for the holidays? I know my wife would love to have some female company."

She shook her head, "I can't stay, but thank's for the offer, Mr...Um?"

"Oh, pardon my manners. My name is Fancy of the Pants'y, my little lady," he responded with an over-exaggerated bow.

"Hehe, nice to meet you," she giggled at his silly name.

The memory ended with a lot less pain than before, also with a lot more shaking. When I opened my eyes, Innocence and Lust were both looming over my body while my guests were watching on with worry. I blinked, trying to figure out what they were saying. The ability to hear tended to take a bit longer to reactivate, but, for once, I wish it didn't.

"Is she going to be alright?" Fleur De Lis asked warily.

Innocence nodded, "Yes, she will be once she takes a drink of my fruity vaginal juice I saved up for her! Not only that, but all the aphrodisiacs I spiked inside it will definitely light her body on fire! She won't be able to stay asleep after drinking my homemade Elixir of Youth!"

Fancy Pants turned to the less insane maid for answers, "Do you know what happened to my little friend?"

"She underwent a Memory Relapse," Lust replied in monotone. "It wasn't her first one either. She had quite a few of them during the week, but don't worry. Hylia told us that Sunset shouldn't suffer from them for long. Once she can use magic properly again, she can fix it herself."

"Why is she having problems with her memories in the first place?" Fancy Pants asked, and that's where I decided to interject.

"Because I did something stupid when I returned to this plane of existence," I groaned out my reply, which wasn't a lie when you think about it. "But that's all in the past." Sitting back up from my awkward resting position, I took another swig of my coffee. Thankfully, it was still warm.

"Ah, it's good to see you, my little friend!" Fancy smiled. Fleur also looked quite relieved. Fancy's smiled instantly turned into a frown a second later. "Although it pains me to tell you this, our meeting must be short. Celestia has invited you to the castle later today, and she has several dignitaries begging to meet you. Plus, from what I hear. She plans on having you do a little battle with her current prized pupil, Twilight Sparkle, for some twisted reason despite your rather "extreme" reaction to her presence back in the hospital. Thus, I came here to warn you ahead of time."

I blinked dumbly for a second before his words finally sunk in.

"Fuck."

Arc 0 - Chapter 7: Dignitaries

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I walked to the Canterlot Castle with two guards personally assigned to me by Hylia, much to my amusement. They didn't want to come since they both are quite lazy, but reliable when it comes to their job. They complained about how much a pain it is to walk around the city, babysitting me as I go about my daily wanderings. Today was no different.

Guarding my left is a crimson-haired Terran named Wrath. She wore full-plate armor similar to Mordred's from Fate Apocrypha, but completely black with red markings. Her weapon of choice was an ultra-greatsword in the shape, color, and fucking design of the Darknut sword from Twilight Princess that had red for the engravings instead of gold! 'I don't know if this world is trolling me anymore.' She also had Mordred's primary sword Clarent attached to her hip instead of the Darknut's backup weapon, and it was black with red markings, which I found to be rather neat.

As for the silver-haired Terran named Peace to my right? She wore the not safe for work version of Fate/Grand Order Dark Avenger Jeane D'arc's armor that showed off her stomach, cleavage, thick thighs, and armored panties, but silver and she had her cape. She even had her signature longsword attached to her hip! 'Where did Hylia find these girls?! Did she deliberately gave them weapons and armor from anime and video games?! I swear, I'm going to go insane from how much it's bothering me! Why?! Just. WHY?!'

And don't get me started on all the guys hitting on the three off us as we walked down the street towards the castle! My, God, they were annoying! Peace absolutely loved the attention. Wrath and I, meanwhile, wanted to kill them all. However, Wrath, when she saw a pretty girl, would hit on her before Peace dragged her back into formation. But not me! Come on! She even looks like Mordred from Apocrypha if she was tall, had big tits, and curves in all the right places! If there is anyone in the world who I'd genuinely want to date at the moment, it would be Wrath! 'Curse you Hylia! Why surround me with so much eye candy but only the insanely kinky one wants me! It's not fair.'

Though, as interesting as it was to admire my two amazing companions. They were still my guards. Anyone who attempted to approach me with less-than-pure intentions were immediately knocked unconscious by either Peace or Wrath before the perpetrator could react. I had to do a double-take to process on how fast they are! Not even the Valkyries of the Royal Guards could match their speed! If I calculated how fast they moved across a ten-meter distance from standing still, they literally dashed at Mach-3 without breaking a sweat. I think the Royal Guards were slightly terrified of my companions, whoever they are, but I'm not complaining. Celestia's hounds deserve to be afraid of me. The less I have to deal with them; the better.

I kept up practicing my magic as we walked since Fancy Pants did warn me that Celestia planned on having her prized pet have a magical duel with me. I had no idea why. According to Fancy, comparing my Mana Pool with Twilight's is like comparing a pond to Lake Superior. I'm even more powerful than Princess Celestia now—though, not by much—after my body had time for the Metamorphosis Spell the real Sunset created to fully-adjust to my body. When it came to magical power? Only Strange, a girl named Starlight Glimmer, a few of Hylia's agents that are protecting me from a distance, Trixie Lulamoon, and Discord came close or were my equal. And I'm getting stronger every day, which is screwing me over when it comes to Control. I can barely use Telekinesis without destroying whatever I'm trying to move.

Why does this have anything to do with my duel with Twilight Sparkle? Well, at the moment, I can only use raw mana to fight with without killing her. Pyromancy comes naturally to me, but I don't want to accidentally turn the arena into a pool of lava again or kill Twilight. Telekinesis will have to be the only spell I use during the duel, however. I can't use it properly without standing still. I don't have enough Control to use TK while moving. I'd end up crushing everything I grab with it. 'Oh well, I guess that's future Sunset's problem now. Present Sunset is about to enter the castle, and she needs to keep her guard up.'

Canterlot Castle is as grade up close as it was from far away, White limestone made up a majority of the walls with large stained glass windows decorating the exterior. Massive gardens filled with exotic flowers surrounded intricate walkways leading to various towers, buildings, and to certain sections of the castle. Guards patrolled all over the place in the ugly gold armor, and the castle's staff walked about doing their assigned duties.

Warth, Peace, and I walked to an opened gate with two guards protecting the entrance. When they saw us walking towards them, they immediately straightened their postures, and the female Magi guard summoned a clipboard attached to her side. I approached them calmly with a smile on my face.

"Good afternoon, Soldiers! I'm here to meet with a few foreign dignitaries on Princess Celestia's request," I said cheerfully.

"Sure you are," the male guard snorted, pointing his spear at me. "Get lost before we arrest you for disturbing the peace and trespassing on Royal Property."

"Plus, we aren't expecting anyone of your stature today anyway. Go back to whatever backwater town you and your companions came from," the female guard chimed in.

I raised my brow. 'Really, these guys are going against Celestia's orders? I can clearly see my name on the clipboard the female partner is carrying. Whatever, I'm dealing with this shit. I don't want to be here, to begin with.' I flicked my head to the two guards, signaling to my companions to deal with their bullshitery with an appropriate response.

"What are you—" the male guard try to say before Wrath used his skull to practice her baseball swing. Meanwhile, Peace ripped of the female guard's armor with her magic, stabbed her spear into the ground, made the tip round before placing her up the ass and through her mouth, killing her instantly while doing so.

"That was...overkill," I blinked, unknowing on how to react. They simply shrugged in response. Shaking my head, I walked passed the mess into the castle's courtyard with my companions. It's Celestia's problem anyway.

oOo - Naruko - oOo

'Another day in Celestia's horrible city. Kami, I can't believe I'm the one that gets sent on these stupid diplomatic missions!' Naruko thought in despair as she walked into the meeting room meant for ambassadors like herself to talk to important individuals.

It's a spacious room decorated lavishly with gold, expensive ornaments, and all the other junk Naruko absolutely despised. Two couches separated by a mahogany table sat in the middle of the room near a couple of Prench windowed doors that open up to a balcony. There's even a maid waiting inside beside a trolly covered in "imported" tea her home country sells to the Equestrian morons who pretend to know a thing or two about tea. Naruko pretended to not feel insulted in front of the maid, took a cup of liquid diarrhea, and promptly took a seat in one of the uncomfortable couches that felt as if her nail fox tails were bent the wrong way.

"Thank you," she smiled fakely at the maid. "You may go now." The maid bowed politely before leaving the Kitsune and her two guards in the room to wait for Celestia to bring in her "lost daughter" for a meeting. When the maid closed the door, Naruko dumped the tea in a nearby flower pot, pulled out a flask from between her G-cup breasts, and filled the teacup with Sake.

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking, Lady Epikkumisutoresu?" chuckled the neck-length white-haired Kitsune to her left. She turned to him with a raised brow at the man wearing a red trenchcoat over a dark-blue v-neck t-shirt; he also wore blue jeans, black leather boots, and the nine-tailed man played with his greatsword named: Hanran.

"Dante, it's never too early to drink in this awful city," Naruko snorted, taking a drink of her preferred brew of choice. Her other guard who looked similar to Dante, but he had white swept-back hair; wore a long, silver buttoned blue coat with three separated coattails. A white, serpentine pattern ran around the collar, with a snakes head hanging over the coat's left shoulder, and its tail slinked down the right, all the way to the bottom of the coat. A gold lining ran across the edges of the coat, and a silky, golden flower blossom pattern decorated the inner lining. Each cuff of the coat also possessed five, gold-buttoned straps with gold lining with identical straps on each shoulder. And on his hip attached by a blue sageo was a black scabbarded katana with a gold and blue hilt shaped like two hexagons; the top and bottom of the hilt decorated with gold rings, inside of which are various circles in clusters of three, arranged in triangular patterns; and the handle braided with white fabric; and a dragon head matching the colors of the hilt decorated the pommel. His name was Vergil; the twin brother of Dante. And his Katana's name is Yamato.

"I agree with, Lady Naruko," Vergil stoically added, his arms crossed. "This city would also drive me to drink. The amount of sin lurking in the shadows is on par with our homeland's Tartarus Gate. It's sickening."

Naruko let out a sigh slumping deeper into her seat, "Shame Celestia doesn't do anything about it or cares. If only her guards weren't corrupt to the core, then this city could really be the Diamond of Equestria." She took another sip from her teacup. "Do either of you have any idea on whom Celestia is bringing to see us?"

"I heard from a little birdy that our guest is the uncrowned Princess of Equestria," Dante smirked, stabbing Hanran into the stone ground with ease. "She's also apparently more talented in magic than Celestia's prized pet, Twislut Snarkle."

"I've also heard from my own sources that The Seven Deadly Sins, The Seven Holy Virtues, The Knights of Hylia, Noblesse Oblige, and Fairy Tale is protecting her," Vergil frowned in thought.

"Wow!" Dante whistled. "Even Fairy Tale? Aren't those guys responsible for slaying the Tri-Demon Goddesses of Unity from a thousand years ago, and, you know, nearly destroying the planet?"

"Nevermind the fact that all of Hylia's most loyal guardians are protecting a single individual AND working together while doing so," Vergil snorted in amusement. "Whoever Celestia is bringing us must be one special girl."

"Indeed," Naruko hummed, wondering who Celestia was bringing to meet her. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, and the Aetherial Goddess of the Sun herself walked in with a girl who looked quite peeved at being here. Naruko, Vergil, and Dante's eyes all collectively went wide in shock.

'No wonder Hylia's guardians are protecting you!' Naruko screamed in her mind as she made every check in the book to ensure what she's seeing was an illusion. When everything she did to confirm the identity of the girl walking towards her, her eyes softened for a moment before summoning a black Nodachi and Tanto to her person, causing her companions to gasp in horror!

Naruko gave her greatest masterpieces that will be known all throughout history one final look before standing up, taking a few steps to the girl, followed by kneeling before the girl, presenting the blades as she did so.

Naruko's mind only had one thought during this entire interaction, 'This is how it all began, Kami Amaterasu. I'm glad I was the one who forged your most legendary blades: Cynder, The God Slayer; and Ash, The Dragon Feller. I'm glad I got to learn from you in the past, and I can't wait to meet you again in the future. My Goddess.'

A single, joy-filled tear fell from her cheek when Sunset Shimmer took her life-long companions for the first time in her soon-to-be long life.

oOo - Sunset Shimmer - oOo

I entered the castle without another incident, which made me rather surprised. I figured the Royal Guard would do everything in their power to prevent me from Falcon Punching Celestia all over again, however. It appears as though the event never happened in the first place. I overheard from my staff that she went through several walls until stopping at the base of her throne charred, bloody, and broken; everything was fixed or replaced, making it appear as if nothing happened.

An escorted guided me around, showing off all the new things about the castle since I was gone. I didn't like them. Flashes of Sunset's Core Memories bombarded me relentlessly; some good, others horrible. I did everything in my power to suppress them, but the strongest of them nearly forced me to my knees.

Images of a little girl sneaking her way out of the castle to shovel snow, adults giving her looks of disdain, guards hitting her, shooting magic at her, or tossing the poor girl out of the window for shits and giggles; all of the pain, all of her suffering. I felt it all.

Rage began growing in my heart when Celestia almost yelled at Sunset when she tried to tell her supposed "Mother" of the bullying going on, but dismissed it as the lies of an orphan trying to earn sympathy. Celestia even had the audacity to say, "You should be more like Twilight Sparkle—Quiet, Polite, Diligent, and more Respectful to those around her." When the guards heard about it, they got rougher, meaner, more savage in their attacks against her.

Sunset's first three months in the castle were filled with Guards, the Staff, or the odd random Noble taking their frustration out on the little orphaned girl. I can smell her blood, hear her cries, see her tears trip down on the carpeted halls, feel her pain, her suffering, her anguish when she thought Celestia would treat her with love, compassion, and care! No matter what Sunset tried to do to get her "Mother" to make them stop, nothing worked. In fact, Celestia began seeing her less and less until she forgot about her entirely and had Princess Cadence take care of Sunset. The heartbreak nearly broke her when she found out.

'How dare she say that she cares!' I screamed in my mind, grinding my teeth into dust, hands clenched, and hair appearing more and more like fire every second. My escort realized something was wrong due to the fact that Wrath and Peace were slowly drawing out their primary swords while looking at me with concern in their eyes.

When one guard walked up to me to check if everything was alright, the back of my hand met his armored face, removing his head clean off of his shoulders. My attack cauterized the wound shut in an instant, but his head looked as though someone cooked it until it was completely black and falling apart inside his melting helm. I continued walking as if nothing happened, leaving behind burning rug and molten stone with my every step.

"S-Should we get the Arcane Special Forces before she e-explodes?" the escort fearfully gulped behind my back. I ignored the comment since I was trying to calm my shit before I fucking destroyed this fucking place from existence!

"She'll be fine. Give her a second," Wrath gulped nervously. "Hopefully."

"Our orders are to protect the Mist~ress from unwanted individuals and to hold her down long enough for someone to knock her unconscious if she goes on a rampage during a memory relapse," Peace added worrisomely.

"If that does happen, it's best if you run for your life. Sunset's flames are hot enough to flash-melt limestone in a hundred meter radius. So, yeah, get out of the city before she burns it down."

'Shit, really?' I blinked in surprise, stopping in place. I shook my head, 'Anyway, I need to calm down. What did Sunset say about our magic again? Focus on the Flame within my chest and draw it out. Don't push too hard, or it will burn you. Let it flow naturally, like breathing. Okay, take a deep breath! In! Out! Don't fight it. Guide it. Let it breathe on its own. In and out! Go~od.'

"See! What did I tell you?" Peace let out a sigh of relief, sheathing her sword as she did so.

"Damn," Wrath pouted. "I was hoping for some action today."

I glared at them both, Wrath in particular, "I want some action too that doesn't involve Innocence, but a certain someone won't take the hint." And with a huff, I turned back around to resume my journey with only my hair appearing like fire minus the heat, and extra sway with my hips hoping that Wrath stopped being such a moron. 'God, reliving Sunset's memories make me moody and horny despite having BPD. Argh! Screw you Sunset and your stupid body! My libido is worse than when I was a male! It also doesn't help that Wrath looks and acts like my ideal girlfriend! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I want a refund!'

"Wow, I guess it's also her time of the month as well," Wrath chuckled, causing me to stop, anger flaring once more. Slowly, I turned around in time to see Peace and the escort taking a step away from the heavily armored girl.

"What—Oh," Wrath said as my fist impacted her face, sending her flying down the hall before creating a crater in the wall.

Later.

We finally arrived at the meeting place with the idol of my hatred, waiting patiently and smiling as though nothing was wrong, however. When our eyes met, Celestia cringed before looking away. Meanwhile, Wrath was now sporting a black eye, Peace giggling at her pain, and the escort frazzled over all the dead guards we left to rot in the halls. It's not our fault they all collectively came rushing at us to make an arrest. I blame Celestia's lack of communication. According to Peace, they were corrupt anyways.

Celestia wore a new outfit than what she donned back at the hospital. It's similar to the garb the Hylia Priestess wore, but a little more modest. She still had the same jewelry though, and in her hands was an ornate box with my cutie mark emblazoned on the top. I didn't need to waste brain cells to figure out what Celestia intended to do.

I walked up to her, glaring pure death all the while, "What do you want, Celestia? Didn't you get the hint that I wanted nothing to do with you back in the hospital, especially with all the shit you guards have been putting me through since I re-entered this fucking world?" The venom in my voice made her visibly wince. "Which, by the way. I'm not sorry about the bodies my companions, and I left to rot in your stupid castle's halls. They didn't get the memo that I'm, "apparently," royalty now."

She handed me the box, "I'm sorry about—" I cut her off by grabbing the half-hearted gift before incinerating it in my hands. Tears seemed to form in the corner of her eyes from this action. It only made me angrier.

"You're dead to me," I spat viciously on the ashes gathered around my feet. "Never forget that."

"—Can't we put our horrible past behind us?" Celestia asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"No," I sharply replied. "Not now, not ever. My scars may be gone, but my memories are eternal, and I'll never forget the shit you put me through in favor of your precious pet, Twilight Sparkle. Speaking of which, where is the little bitch? I heard you wanted me to send her to the hospital via a duel? I always knew you were abusive, but wouldn't having her fight me be somewhat excessive?"

"Let's just go meet with the dignitaries first before going further into detail about the duel," Celestia replied shakily, followed by walking down the hall towards a door with two guards on either side of it. Her entire body trembled a bit as well, especially her wings. They appeared to be particularly sullen and twitchy. 'Good. I hope she feels horrible.'

"Fine. The sooner I get done talking to whoever wants to meet me, the sooner I can break your precious daughter, Twilight Sparkle," I snorted hatefully.

Celestia turned her head slightly, "She's not—" I cut her off again.

"Well, it sure looked like it growing up since after my first three months living here. You dumped me for Cadence to deal with. How do you think that made a five-year-old orphan girl feel? Cause it sure made me feel so~oo special," I said in a sickly sweet voice, causing Celestia to go silent. My companions were equally quiet. I can even feel their shocked expressions staring at the back of my head. Not that I cared all that much. I don't need their sympathy to achieve my goals.

We entered the room where the dignitaries were waiting in silent tension. I don't know why Celestia even bothered having me meet them in the first place. It was nothing more than a waste of time for me. I can be spending all my time at home practicing magic and eating peanut butter when I get frustrated over it or honing my martial arts skills. I kept all of Sunset's memories about her knowledge on the subject to add to my own repertoire and, suffice to say. I'm getting the hang of it. The Astral Projections that I can spar against in my personal gym really help me out in mastering my new skills.

As for the dignitaries? All three of them had nine fox tails, fox ears on the top of their hands, and were human. The color of their fur matched the color of their hair, with the boys being white, and the girl had long, braided red hair. Speaking of the girl, she stood roughly five-foot-eleven, had a boner-creating hourglass body with curves in all the right places, deliciously thick thighs, wide, child-bearing hips; long and slender legs, a firm, bubble-butt, and her breasts—if I remember how to measure boobs properly—had to be G-cup! She also wore the same outfit that Ahri from League of Legends A New Dawn Trailer wore, which showed off the massive amounts of cleavage created by the giant pair of tits on her chest.

'I didn't think a natural pair of G's could exist,' I thought in awe. Then I remembered that I'm in the same room with Celestia. My admiration died as quickly as it could be born.

That's when I noticed the shock on the three Kitsune's faces. 'Were they expecting someone else? I don't know them, but judging their expressions. They clearly knew me.' The red-haired kitsune summoned a sword, which further astonished everyone in the room, followed by standing up, walking towards me, and kneeling before me with two swords in her hands.

The largest blade was a black scabbard, one-meter-and-a-half-long Nodachi that didn't have a crossguard. The two-handed hilt seamlessly merged with the profile of the scabbard, and it had a black metal pommel. The only way I could tell the difference between the hilt and scabbard was the black sageo tied to a little hook. The Tanto had the same appearance. 'I'm guessing these are for me,' I thought, grabbing the strangely comfortable swords.

"I don't know what I did too, um, earn these, so thanks, I guess," I bowed sheepishly.

The Kitsune woman simply gave me a smile, "Trust me, Lady Amaterasu. What you've done in the past gave us all a brighter future. Now! The blade of the Nodachi was forged from the scales of the black dragon Death Wing, Adamantium, Mithril, and Astral Steel. It took me one hundred and eight years of non-stop forging inside the magma chamber of the Naruko supervolcano to create the blades in your hands. I hope you'll take good care of them." She turned to the white-haired kitsune with short hair. "Vergil, I entrust her training to you. Take good care of her."

"What?" both Vergil and I said in unison. Me because I was given a sword that took over a hundred years to create by a master smith, and Vergil because he was ordered to train me. I looked around and saw that my guards were dumbfounded, but Celestia? Her eyes glued to the swords in my hands. Her eyes filled with terror. She unconsciously took a few steps away from them in fear. And if I heard Naruko words correctly. She knows me from somewhere, adding to my growing list of questions I need answering. 'Also, why Amaterasu? Does she think that I'm their Goddess of the Sun? Argh! So frustrating!'

"You heard me, Vergil. I'm asking you to train Lady Amaterasu in the ways of the sword. Don't disappoint me," the kitsune woman said sternly in her musical high-tenor voice.

Vergil let out a sigh of annoyance, "Fine. Your will is mine to obey, Lady Naruko."

"Good!" she cheered, turning back to me. "Now, you need to claim your swords, Lady Amaterasu, before you can leave with them. You know, tradition and all that jazz."

"Okay," I shook my head, knowing what she meant. "Wait. Why do you call me Amaterasu, and how can you give me these two swords?" I asked quickly. She gave me a knowing smile.

"Sorry, I can't say. In the words of a smartly dressed gentleman traveling around in a blue box—Spoilers. You'll figure it out in time."

'The Doctor!? Really?! Fuck all these mysteries!' I let out a defeated sigh before I unsheathed the Nodachi first, revealing a glossy black blade that looked like black fire was frozen in the metal. When I cut my hand on the insanely sharp blade and let my blood run down its length; a dim red flame appeared in the black metal, and a whisper kissed my ears. I instantly knew her name. I'll figure out Naruko later.

"Cynder. Your name is, Cynder. And the Tanto's name is, Ash," I smiled, feeling the love come from my swords.

Meanwhile, Celestia's entire body shook in fear. Her lips trembled as she whispered out faint but frightened words of terror.

"It can't be. It can't be! N-Not Cynder, The Aetherial Slayer! I thought the sword that slew my parents got destroyed by Starswirl a thousand years ago?! Why is it here?! Why did it accept Sunset as her master?! Why, Hylia? Why?!"

Only the Kitsunes, Wrath and Peace heard Celestia's frightened mutterings.

Last Sunset

by Winter Rosario

Prologue: A flower Blooms

Arc 0 - Chapter 1: Mixed Memories

Arc 0 - Chapter 2: Promises

Arc 0 - Chapter 3: Surge

Arc 0 - Chapter 4: Lullaby

Arc 0 - Chapter 5: Maid

Arc 0 - Chapter 6: Home

Arc 0 - Chapter 7: Dignitaries