Sonata stumbled to her feet. Gritting her teeth, she tried to walk towards the door, only to suddenly find herself falling over as her vision blurred and the room swam. Celestia quickly caught her and said to her gently, “Sonata, you need to take it easy. Let me look you over before you try anything.” Looking towards the door, she added, “What were you going to do, Sonata? Face Sunset on your own? She’ll tear you apart.”

“Yes, I’m going to face Sunset on my own,” Sonata said irritably. “I need to go out there and stop her. I can’t let her suffer like this.”

A loud bang on the door caught her attention. Soft, warm hands began to cover her shoulders as she quickly found herself being guided down to the cold, hard floor. As Celestia checked her over, she said softly, “Sonata, you took an awful blow to your head. You need to stay still for a few moments while I check you over.” She added quickly, “Sunset can’t hurt you anymore. That door will keep her out.” She added under her breath, “Hopefully.”

Sonata groaned in irritation but did little else as Celestia took out a penlight. Switching it on, she used her free hand to open Sonata’s right eye, saying, “I want you to follow the light, Sonata. You said you knew what’s going on with Sunset. Why don’t you talk more about that?”

Following the light, Sonata hesitantly said, “Fine. That girl out there isn’t Sunset. At least, not completely. She’s…being possessed by a powerful fury named Queen Megaera. Megaera was imprisoned in the Furies Heart for centuries, only to be released into Sunset when she was stabbed. But, after being in solitude for so long, Megaera seems to have lost any sense of reason, acting only on her instinct to cause strife and feed off of Sunset’s rage, while Sunset uses her cunning and Megaera’s power to get revenge, which only intensifies her hatred.” Sonata began to tighten her hands into fists as a tear slipped from her eye. Celestia moved to Sonata’s left eye as Sonata added, “The two of them are making each other stronger. The longer they remain connected as one single being, the stronger they’ll grow.”

Celestia nodded grimly but decided to conclude her examination before getting into it. “Alright, Sonata, I don’t think you have a concussion. Try to stand up, but don’t do anything else. Please try to remain calm and relaxed while we all think of something.”

“I’ll try. I just really want to help her,” Sonata said sadly.

A silence fell over the room, and everyone looked toward the door as they realized that Sunset stopped hammering at it. Distantly, they heard Sunset’s footsteps as she left down the hallway. The group gave a shared sigh of relief as the immediate threat left them. During the lull, Celestia went to check on Jade, while Mr. Cake checked on Officer Cuffs.

As he looked over Officer Cuffs, Mr. Cake said, “I can’t believe I actually punched a police officer. My wife is going to throw a fit.”

Looking in his direction as she finished checking on Jade, Celestia said softly to him, “It may not have been the smartest idea, but you did what you felt was right, Carrot. Besides, if you hadn’t stopped Jade from shooting Sunset, then either your daughter or Jade wouldn’t be alive right now, so take at least some comfort in that.”

With a sigh, he sat down next to Celestia. His worried gaze locked with hers for a few seconds before he looked away, saying, “I love my daughter, Celestia. Do you think we can save her?”

“I don’t know, Carrot. I love her, too. I want to help her as much as anyone, but I don’t know if she can be saved,” Celestia replied sadly.

Twilight knelt down next to Sonata, asking, “Sonata, is it true what you said? Sunset needs someone related by flesh and blood to save her?”

“Yes. She needs an actual blood relative. No one else can truly save her. Not…Not even me.” Tears falling freely, Sonata took out her heart stone, looking at the glowing red stone. She held so much power, but she never felt so powerless. Angry, she tightened her grip on the stone, then dropped it in despair. Picking it up, Twilight locked her eyes with Sonata's for a few seconds, neither saying anything. Sonata gave Twilight a slight nod, and the princess pocketed the stone.

Getting up, Twilight asked Sonata, “I’ve never heard of Queen Megaera. Can you tell me more about her?” trying to distract them both.

“She’s actually someone very important to me. I want to help her as much as I want to help Sunset. You see, the queen is Tartarus incarnate. She’s the very reason Tartarus exists, and it causes her no end of suffering.”

Twilight was taken aback. “But…But that doesn’t make sense! Tartarus is a prison, a place of pure evil. How can she be Tartarus incarnate?”

Sonata took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “To make a long story short, Adagio’s grandmother, the Siren king’s mother, stole Megaera’s power over fire. This was done with the help of two very powerful sirens. Without the magical fires to feed her species or keep the cold at bay, the northern lands began to freeze, and Megaera’s species began to die. In a very desperate attempt to save her kind, Megaera used the last of her magic to take her species to a place of pure magic. Unfortunately, while Furies are adept at both light and dark magic, using that much light and dark magic to save her kind cost Megaera her sanity. She ripped a hole between Equestria and Elysium, casting every living Fury into the magical flames of paradise. But doing so tore that world in half one side filled with love and light the other filled with hate and pain. Those that died before they could be saved fell frozen into the ground, creating the frozen north as you know it today.”

“So why didn’t she go with them, Sonata?” Celestia asked. “And what do you mean ‘Adagio’s grandmother’? Aren’t you sisters? Her grandmother should be yours, as well.”

Sonata shook her head. “Adagio, Aria, and I are half-sisters—same father, different mothers. To answer your other question, she tried to go with them, but she was too corrupted by the magic she used. Elysia, creator of Elysium, wouldn’t allow someone with that much-corrupted magic into her world. So, wracked with hunger and rage, Megaera vowed to kill the three that did this to her and to her species: Aria’s grandmother Cantlanta, the king’s advisor Elizien, and Adagio’s grandmother Equita. Cantlanta is the only one who’s dead, having been turned to stone and shattered. The other two are arguably worse off; Equita became the Kraken, a monster twisted by dark magic that knows nothing but hunger, while Elizien became a monstrous, dark dragon, now named Bryagh, driven only by rage and hatred.”

“What happened if I may ask?” Twilight asked clearly not liking where the conversation was going.

“One thing led to another, and Megaera was eventually imprisoned in what you call the Demon’s Heart. And now, she’s possessing Sunset, likely still trying to satisfy her insatiable hunger.”

Twilight gulped as she processed the information. Steeling herself, she turned around and tightly gripped the heart stone. She closed her eyes, and her body began to glow purple. The stone in her hand glowed slowly, as well, slowly changing color from red to purple. Pinkie got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and asked cautiously, “Twilight, what are you doing?”

“I am helping Sunset,” Twilight replied resolutely. Once her work was done, she began to walk towards the door. Looking to her friends with her tears trickling down her cheeks, she said, “Goodbye, everyone. I love you all.”

Before she could talk herself out of it, Twilight pulled open the door and, to everyone’s horror, walked out. Fluttershy screamed out, “Twilight, come back! She’ll kill you!” She raced towards the door, only for Twilight to close it tightly just before Fluttershy reached it. Banging on the door but not daring to exit herself, she cried out again, “Twilight, come back! Please, come back!”

“I have to do this, Fluttershy! I don’t have any choice,” Twilight called from the other side. Raising her hands, she fired the last of her free magic into the door, sealing it shut. “The door’s magically sealed. No one’s getting in or out until I dispel the enchantment or lose consciousness.” She turned around and headed for the entrance of the asylum, thinking, “Or unless I die...”

Stepping outside of the asylum's main entrance a few moments later, she looked around cautiously. She didn’t notice Sunset’s presence until she took a sudden fist to her jaw. The blow sent her flying through the air, landing painfully several feet from where she stood. Getting up, Twilight looked at Sunset, who smirked back at her wickedly.

“Sunset, I don’t want to hurt you,” Twilight pleaded. “Please, call this off. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you back to nor—”

Her words were cut short when Sunset rushed her, roaring as she slammed her right foot into Twilight’s stomach, sending her through the air and landing near a tree. Twilight placed a hand over her injured stomach, groaning in pain over the deafening sound of the pouring rain. “Sunset, please. You don’t have to do this,” she tried again.

Sunset’s only response was to lunge in again. She quickly closed the gap between herself and Twilight, grabbing her by the throat and picking her up from the ground. “How does it feel, Twilight, knowing that you had a chance to end this before it even got started, knowing that you hurt me, knowing that you drove me to make a deal with the queen of Tartarus?” Growling, Sunset violently slammed Twilight into the tree. Turning around as Twilight neared unconsciousness, Sunset threw her several feet, letting the slushy ground break her fall.

“S-Sunset,” Twilight moaned. “Please. Please stop. This has to be enough for your vengeance.”

“Gee, I was hoping for a better fight than this,” Sunset scoffed. “Perhaps you’ll actually fight back if I go after Celestia or Pinkie Pie,” with a sick laugh, she finished, “or Fluttershy.”

Twilight stared at Sunset in disbelief. “Y-You wouldn’t.”

“‘Sunset, why are you doing this?’” Sunset said in a mocking facsimile of Fluttershy’s voice. “‘We can still be friends!’ What a loser,” she laughed.

Twilight slowly sat up, her head spinning from the blows she took, watching in horror as she saw Sunset turn to leave. Fearing for her friends, she fought off her blurred vision, she screamed out, “No! I won’t let you hurt them!”

Turning around, Sunset smirked, watching Twilight try to stand up. “Ah, good, so you do have some fight in you. That's great. I can get what I want, after all.”

Angry, Twilight clenched her teeth as she bawled her hands into tight fists. Lunging at Sunset, she threw her fist forward, striking her former friend in the face. The blow snapped Sunset’s head back, but with a laugh, Sunset quickly kneed Twilight in the stomach, causing the princess to double over.

“Get up!” Sunset demanded, seeing her former friend on one knee as she struggled to breathe. “Get the fuck up!”

Suddenly, Twilight caught Sunset off guard as she grabbed her assailant’s foot. Pulling with what little strength she had left, she threw Sunset onto her back and got on top of her, pinning her down and screaming, “Sunset, this has to end!”

Sunset grinned deviously and used her legs to flip Twilight over her head, laughing as Twilight again hit the ground with a thud and a groan. Sunset rolled backward slightly, then forcefully kicked the air and used her momentum to leap back to her feet. She faced Twilight, saying “Glad to see you’re actually willing to fi—”

Her words were cut short when Twilight swung unevenly at her nose. Ducking in time, Sunset laughed again, saying mockingly, “You’ll have to do better than that if you want to actually save your friends, Twilight.”

“Just shut up and fight me!” Twilight snapped back.

Grinning, Sunset gave a powerful flap of her wings and sped forward, grabbing onto Twilight, who screamed in fear as she was lifted high into the air. Sunset flew to the top of the asylum, throwing her captive onto the roof. Touching down a few feet from Twilight, she quickly launched forward, kicking Twilight in the chest and sending her back several feet toward the edge of the roof and into the railing at the edge. Trying to ward Sunset off, Twilight lunged in, catching Sunset in the mouth. Throwing another right hook, she hit Sunset in the cheekbone, and with a high kick, her foot collided with Sunset’s chin, causing the possessed girl to fall to her butt.

Licking her lips, Sunset chuckled. “It's about time you put up more of a fight.” Straightening her wings, Sunset launched herself at a blinding speed, catching Twilight completely off guard. Knocking her into the ledge, Sunset quickly grabbed Twilight’s collar and waistband, lifting the weaker girl over her head. Sunset looked up at the frightened princess.

“Give me what I want or die!” Sunset demanded. “Your choice.”

“N-Never!” Twilight replied, her confident façade marred by the tremor in her voice. “I’ll never destroy you, Sunset!”

Growling, Sunset spun around and threw Twilight into the roof access door, watching as Twilight hit the metal door with a clang, the door bending slightly inwards from the impact. Chuckling wickedly, she slowly began to walk up to Twilight. Kneeling down, she grabbed Twilight by her hair and slammed her head into the rooftop. Twilight screamed in pain, blindly throwing her fists out and trying desperately to get Sunset to let go. One lucky punch struck Sunset in the nose with a soft crunch. Sunset fell backwards, holding her broken nose and growling in pain.

Seeing her chance, Twilight rushed to her feet and pried the dented door open. She took off running down the stairs as Sunset stood up and ran after her, screaming, “I’ll make sure to bring us both to Tartarus, Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight raced down the stairs from the roof. Upon reaching the landing to the third floor, she risked a glance behind her, nearly screaming when she saw Sunset appear on the top landing and leap down the stairs. Panicking, Twilight yanked out the heart stone and leapt over the railing of the stairwell, barely dodging Sunset’s claws. Sunset looked over the railing in shocked anticipation as Twilight fell three stories, grinning and licking her lips as she waiting for the inevitable crunch.

To Sunset’s surprise, however, Twilight grabbed the first-floor railing to halt her fall, but Sunset only grinned more widely as Twilight screamed in pain, her arms yanked from their sockets from the forced stop. Unable to keep holding on to the railing due to the searing pain, Twilight’s grip loosened, and she fell the remaining few feet onto the concrete floor.

“Aww, does it hurt, Twilight?” Sunset cooed wickedly, taking her time as she walked down the steps, savoring Twilight’s pained whimpers. “Does it feel like your whole world is collapsing as your every hope vanishes, leaving you cold and alone?” As she finally reached Twilight, she finished, “That’s what I felt when you banished me to this fucking world.”

Sunset took a moment to burn the image of Twilight’s battered body into her mind as the princess breathed heavily, her vision blurred. Sunset’s gaze, however, snapped to Twilight’s right hand, where she noticed a soft, purple glow. Kneeling down she grabbed Twilights hand forcing Twilight’s fingers open, Sunset clenched her teeth when she beheld Sonata’s heart stone.

“That little bitch!” Sunset snarled bitterly to herself. “I’ll rip her apart for this betrayal!”

Grabbing Twilight by the throat, she forcefully picked her up and forcing Twilight to drop the stone. Spinning on her heels, Sunset slammed Twilight’s face into the wall next to her, growling, “What did you think you were going to do with that, Twilight?” She moved her face inches from Twilight’s injured face as she added, “That traitor Sonata’s power won’t help you now, and once I’m done with you, she’s next.”

“NO!” Twilight screamed, feeling a rush of energy and magic in her body. With a right hook, she knocked Sunset back the blow forced Sunset to let go of her. “I won’t let this go on any further, Sunset! I won’t let you hurt my friends!”

Leaping at her, Twilight kneed Sunset in the stomach. As Sunset doubled over, Twilight grabbed onto Sunset’s head smashing her former friend’s head into her knee and forcefully threw Sunset to the floor. Twilight’s rage only deepened as Sunset laughed, the prone girl saying, as she coughed up some blood, “That’s it, Twilight. Get pissed. Use your hate to destroy me!”

“Shut up! shut the fuck up!” Twilight screamed back, punching Sunset in the back. Rolling her over, she landed a few more blows to Sunset’s face, yelling, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Her tears fell thick and heavy down her cheeks. Grabbing Sunset by her right arm, Twilight ignored the blinding pain in her shoulders as she spun around, throwing Sunset down the hallway with a loud scream. Sunset rolled to a painful stop. Slowly getting up, she smiled, spitting a glob of blood on the floor. Her eyes glowed red, and her body began to smoke as green flames erupted from under her feet.

“It’s time to end this Twilight.” Sunset locked eyes with Twilight for a few seconds adding, “Since you won’t give me what I want I am left with no other choice than to force you to destroy me.”

Taking a step forward, Sunset waved her right hand downward, and Twilight instinctively rolled to the right as a bolt of lightning blasted through the ceiling, striking right where Twilight was standing mere moments ago. Looking at the hole left from the lightning bolt, Twilight gulped and said, “Please, Sunset. You must stop. This isn’t the way. Let me show you there’s a better way.”

“There isn’t a better way, Twilight! Either you give me what I want, or I’ll kill everyone that you love,” Sunset said adamantly.

Turning around, Sunset stalked down the hallway, turning a corner as Twilight painfully picked herself up. Pain shot through Twilight’s entire body and her world started to spin. “Please don’t let me pass out,” she muttered to herself, adding weakly, “Please, Elysia, give me the strength to save her....to save all of my friends.” Looking down, she picked up the heart stone again, holding it tightly in her hands. Her body began to glow as she felt warmth and love pouring into her. “I will not destroy you, Sunset.” she said climbing back to her feet “I love you, and I won’t let you fall any further. I swear this to you.”

With a shout of determination, Twilight ran forward, leaping over the hole in the floor. Quickly following the path that lay before her, she soon found Sunset standing in front of the metal door that held her at bay from killing her former friends and family. Sunset turned to face Twilight with a sick grin, saying, “Well, it's time to end this once and for all. Make your choice, Twilight, and make it now.”

Sunset theatrically raised her arms, then brought them down. Several bolts of lightning crashed through the ceiling, each one striking the door, causing it to explode in a spray of metal and electricity, revealing the terrified people inside.

Twilight's eyes widened in shocked fear. Stepping back, she muttered, “No. You shouldn’t have been able to do that. My spell should’ve kept—”

“You have ten seconds, Twilight,” Sunset spat in rage, pointing at Fluttershy. “That one’s first. She’ll die screaming, Twilight! You can save her Twilight if you give me what I want.”

“Sunset!” Fluttershy cried out, her tears falling freely from her cheeks. “Please, don’t kill me! I am so sorry for all the pain that we caused you, especially what Applejack and I did.”

Turning her attention towards the frightened group, Sunset heard her father yell out to her, “Sunset, I know this isn’t you! Please, you have to end this. I still love you. We all love you. If you must punish someone for failing you, then punish me!” Falling to his knees, he screamed, “You’re my daughter, for Christ’s sake! Please, Sunset, I beg you. Do what you must to me, but don’t hurt Fluttershy or the others.”

Sunset’s eyes became as cold as ice. “This is the only way, Father. I have no choice.” Turning her attention back to Twilight, she began, “Ten.”

“Sunset, don’t do this!” Twilight screamed.

“Nine.” Sunset slowly began to raise her arm, and thunder rumbled overhead.

“Sunset, please!” Sonata begged. “You can fight her influence over you. I know you can!”

For a moment, Sunset froze, her steely, cold eyes locking with Sonata’s pleading ones. Her eyes hardening even further, she continued, “Eight.”

“Sunset, don’t!” Twilight shouted. “They’re your family!”

Quickly snapping around, Sunset punched Twilight in the chest, knocking her several feet backwards. Leaping forward, she kneed Twilight in the chest. Pushing with all her might, she threw Twilight into a wall while the occupants of the room were forced to watch in horror. Sunset screamed out in pained rage, “Family? Family?! I don’t have a family, Twilight! I’m nothing but an experiment, a thing to be used and played with, then discarded when things don’t work out!”

Grabbing Twilight by her head, Sunset threw her into another wall, punching her in the stomach. Twilight doubled over, only to take a quick knee to the chin. Her head snapped back, hitting the wall behind her. Nearing unconsciousness, Twilight moaned out, “Sunset, please stop.”

“Kill me, Twilight,” Sunset demanded, leaning closer to Twilight. “It’ll all be over if you just fucking kill me.”

“N-No,” Twilight mumbled. “There’s another way.”

Growling loudly, Sunset grabbed Twilight by the lapels of her shirt and threw her to the ground. “Don’t you get it, you dumb bitch?” Sunset shouted. Sunset knelt down placing her hands around Twilights throat tightening her grip she added, “I’m gonna keep hurting you, you’re gonna pass out, and you’re gonna wake up to a bloodbath! And it’ll be all your fault because you couldn’t do what you had to do!”

Unable to watch silently any longer, Celestia shouted, “Sunset, stop! You’re killing her!”

Sunset roared in rage, “Shut up!” but Celestia’s shout had the desired effect; she had stopped choking Twilight long enough for Twilight to force herself away from Sunset. Rolling a few feet from her former friend Twilight coughed badly coming to rest on her stomach. She looked up in time to see Sunset rush Celestia, punching her in the jaw with enough force to lift her from the floor.

Celestia hit the ground with a cracking sound as Sonata screamed out, “Twilight, use the stone! For fuck’s sake, I gave it to you for a reason!” Trying to hamper Sunset’s rampage, Sonata threw herself at Sunset, who responded by throwing Sonata into a wall and punching her as hard as she could in the stomach. Sonata gasped out, “The stone! Use the stone!”

Throwing Sonata to the floor, Sunset quickly turned her attention back to Twilight, who was stumbling to her feet, blood trickling from the corners of her mouth. She stared as best as she could with her badly injured face at Sunset, who casually landed a right hook into Twilight’s right eye, knocking her down again. Twilight took out the stone, screaming out as she thrust it towards Sunset, “Forgive me, Sunset!”

Sunset lunged at Twilight, her right hand engulfed in flame as she readied a killing blow to the injured princess. Celestia couldn’t hold it in any longer. She rushed to her feet and threw herself on top of Sunset, screaming, “She’s your sister!” The force of the impact brought the women to the floor as Sunset looked disbelievingly and worriedly at Celestia as the older woman pulled her into a tight hug. “Twilight is your twin sister!”

“Sister?” both girls in question questioned, their eyes widening in shock.

Sonata, seeing her chance to help Sunset, rushed in, grabbing Twilight’s hand that held the stone. She turned to the still very bewildered girl, saying, “This will help save you both.”

Before anyone could stop her, Sonata rushed Sunset and Celestia, throwing herself on top of them and planting the stone onto Sunset’s breast. She screamed out, “Imorbea!”

A bright, white light erupted from the stone, forcing Celestia to snap her eyes shut. Opening her eyes a few moments later, she noticed right away that Sunset was no longer in her arms. Twilight was standing nearby, though she couldn’t see Sonata from where she lay.

The entire world was pure white as if the three had stepped into an endless void. No matter which direction the Twilight and Celestia looked, all they saw was white everywhere. Celestia looked at Twilight, saying, “Where are we? Where’s Sunset?”

Looking around herself, Twilight spotted Sonata and Sunset in the distance, along with someone else standing behind Sunset, who had her legs pulled up close to her chest. As the two approached the trio, they could make out more details of the scene. Sonata was kneeling before the unknown woman, Sonata has her head bowed low as her tears pooled in front of her.

“Twilight how did we get here?” Celestia asked.

“I don’t know Celestia.” Twilight replied, looking at the unknown woman behind Sunset she added, “We have to help Sunset. We have to get her away from that....creature.”

The stranger was tall with large, feathery, black wings and silver colored skin. Her two-tone blue hair, which looked like it was once beautiful, hung in thin strands, framing a face twisted into a sick grin. As Celestia came within earshot, she heard the stranger say darkly. “Don’t listen to them, Sunset. There can be no peace. Your friends and family betrayed you in the past, and they’ll betray you again.”

“Your Majesty, please,” Sonata could be heard pleading to the woman who stood behind Sunset. The woman tightened her grip on Sunsets shoulders growling lightly to Sonata. “We are not here to hurt Sunset.” Slowly, Sonata looked up, looking the woman in the eyes. “Or you for that matter. Please, let us help you. Let me help you. Let me save you from this fate that was so wrongfully placed on you,...Grandmother.”

Next Chapter: Saving Both (Edited and Titled by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 4 Minutes