For the next week, Sunset had improved on her powers. But she also seemed to be getting oddly weak. She was getting better with magic but her health began to decline. Strange wisps of black magic kept being hacked up by her and Twilight began to worry. It was only a week before she would face the Sirens. Slowly but surely, the girl's shoulders drooped as the week went on and her body ached more and more.

Celestia watched her and refrained herself from using her magic to stop the poison. If she did it, Sunset would go berserk with power. If she were to try to remove the magic before the dark power of Sunset's own evil intentions got a chance to really take root, she'd kill her. This was not easy not saying a word, but having to watch your daughter die in front of your eyes slowly.

Twilight grew more and more anxious for her as the days went by and tried everything she could to treat this illness. But she didn't know it was something she couldn't solve. Sunset coughed beside her right now in bed with Twilight wringing her hands. It was a sight she didn't want to see. Looking out the window, she watched the rain fall outside. It was freezing rain that fell, making the roads slushy with ice. It was a miserable dark sky. The clouds blocked the sun from shining through and warming the cold air.

Sunset sat up and struggled to her feet.

"Lay down, Sunset. You're ill," Twilight said and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The girl pushed her hand away and got up looking pale and feeble.

"No. I will be fine. I need to get ready for when we encounter the Sirens," she told her.

The girl was a living reflection of her mother. Her pale skin and faint eyes reminded Celestia so much of August. Sunset's small nose and gentle features were a ghostly striking image of her. But the fiercely determined look and red hair was just like Solar. For her to look like them both all so suddenly made Celestia's heart quench. It was a wonder how at this time when death loomed so close that she looked like them. And that they happened to be dead themselves.

Sunset and Twilight had a small quarrel about her declining health and how she should be resting. Sunset insisted she be up and improve her skills, but Twilight was worried sick about her. In the end, Sunset's stubbornness won out and the girl moved past Twilight. The princess followed, fearful of anything that might happen.

Celestia just stayed behind knowing that whether or not she rested Sunset's condition would only decline.

Standing on the roofed porch, Sunset leaned on the rail hours after she practiced. She was getting better, that's for sure. But Twilight made her stop. The girl was sick with worry and looked as if she'd be ill herself. And Sunset didn't want that to happen. It was still raining that frozen slush outside, the icy chill of it making the hair on her arms rise. The ruler of Equestria was inside puzzling something out. She had told them she needed more time to think on the situation.

Twilight, on the other hand, panicked when she realized the pills Sunset took for her emotional mood swings ran out and hurried off in this weather to get them to prevent her from doing anything stupid. She entrusted Celestia with the task of keeping Sunset calm while she was gone. Well, that was working mighty fine since the ruler locked herself up in the guest room.

Sunset looked out and strained her eyes to see past the falling slush. Everything was foggy looking and there wasn't much to see really. She wasn't out there to see the 'fantastic view', of course. Her nerves were crashing down on her. She was worried that she might fail in keeping the Sirens away from the jewel and end up dead. She was also scared that they might hurt Twilight.

Anything could happen.

Anything.

The girl was gripping the rail so hard that her knuckles turned white. She needed her medicine and right now. Sunset squinted and glanced around. The rain hadn't lessened and the range of sight was still limited. As far as she knew, Twilight wasn't anywhere near. She wished she had a pill to pop. She knew that she was going to do something messed up and it didn't help that she couldn't see from one eye.

Just as Sunset was just about to have a mental breakdown, she saw something flash in the rain. It was orange, like, well, an orange. A raincoat. Overcome by curiosity, the girl stepped as close as she could get to the steps leading to the sidewalk without getting dumped on by rain and stared. That orange raincoat looked awfully like hers...Just like the one Twilight borrowed from her before she ran out to get the medicine...

It clicked in her mind that that had to be her.

Without thinking, Sunset ran out from under the roofed porch and into the rain. Immediately she was drenched from top to bottom in icy water/slush. She shivered hard but kept going toward the orange thing she saw.

"Twilight!"

When she called out her name, the girl began to move away, the distinctive color of her raincoat fading.

Maybe she heard me and is looking around to find me.

It was extremely hard to see anything in this weather so that answer was pretty logical in her mind. Sunset jogged in the direction of where the girl walked toward.

"Twilight, I'm right here!"

The girl in the coat sopped and kept her back to her. Sunset walked as casually as being very cold, wet, and in dire need of medication permitted and reached out to her.

"Hey."

Her hand was outstretched before her when it happened.

The girl in the orange coat whipped around and sliced her hand with a butcher knife. Sunset let out a cry of astonishment and pain. The falling ice water almost instantly got into the cut and burned it. Sunset was too stunned to see the second attack. The knife came swiping through her shoulder and another cry of agonizing pain came up from the fiery girl. It cut through her jacket and dark red blood seeped through the fabric and was washed down her front by watery ice.

The third attack was dodged narrowly and this time, the butcher knife was angled to go straight through her heart. Sunset, in a panic, tried to focus her magic energy on the assailant. This couldn't be Twilight. Not at all. She tried to focus on the person but was in constant need of having to dodge that her focus was broken way before she could gather her energy.

Sunset slipped and fell on the ground from the slick sidewalk and looked up at the assailant. They were advancing slowly with the knife dripping with cold water. This gave Sunset the time she needed to use her power. In a quick blast, she sent a shock wave of energy at the person. The girl stumbled back and the hood fell off. Sunset stared in horror at who it was.

It was Twilight.

She was standing there looking down at her evilly. Her face seemed to morph under the rain but Sunset couldn't quite tell from the hard foggy rainfall and nor did she care about that. It was the fact that it was Twilight that made her go numb all over. The girl turned and dashed away. And Sunset laid on the ground.

Weak.

Shocked.

And about ready to die.

Author's Notes:

What do you think? Like the chapter or what?