The dim light of the moon and the chilly wind did little to assuage the dour mood inside the truck. Sonata had taken the driver's seat, both because Sunset only had a permit and also to allow Summer and Gilda to sit next to each other.

“So, where are we going, Sunset?” Gilda asked, trying to distract herself and the others from the bad vibes permeating the truck.

“I already told you. We're going to my hideout,” Sunset replied flatly.

"Well, yeah, I got that," Gilda said, rolling her eyes. "But, like, where is it? What's it like?"

"You'll see when we get there. I'm sure you'll like it," Sunset said with a hint of finality.

Gilda kept quiet after that, and silence once again dominated the truck. Sometime during the trip, Sonata's sullen mood gradually faded as her sad expression slowly transformed into an angry one. By the time they reached Sunset's hideout, she was fuming, though no one was particularly eager to ask her about the matter, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her temper. As soon as she stopped the truck, Sonata practically leaped out, yelling, “I can’t believe you want me out of your life, Sunset!”

“Please go inside, Sonata. We’ll talk later,” Sunset replied, still inside the truck. “It's cold out here, and I want to get at least a little warmed up before I leave.”

As Sonata stomped toward the building, Sunset got out, letting Gilda and Summer out as well. Finally outside the surprisingly cramped cab, Gilda and Summer stretched their legs, getting a good look at their hideout.

“Welcome to your new home, girls,” Sunset said with a slight smirk on her face. “Come on, let me show you to your rooms.”

Standing in front of them, barely illuminated by the crescent moon, was a dark, decrepit motel. Its signs were faded and damaged, many of the windows were boarded up, and the sorry excuse for a pool was filled with stagnant water, its liner rotted away in many places. Graffiti decorated several parts of the walls, though to Gilda's relief, she didn't recognize any of the gang signs. When they finished taking it all in, Gilda said, “Geez, this place is a dump. It looks even worse than the apartment, and that's saying something.”

“That's what makes it a good hideout," Sunset said, "No one ever comes around here. Well, besides the occasional bum." Sunset began leading them to the main office, Gilda following along reluctantly as if she expected the place to collapse under the slightest of breezes.

“This place is disgusting, Sunset!” Gilda whined out as she gestured at the scene. “You can't expect us to stay here. I'm probably gonna get a disease just looking at the place.”

“Gilda, we're not here for a vacation, remember?" Summer said chastisingly. "We need to lay low for a bit. Besides, once we get out of the city, I'm sure we can find a better place. Now, no more whining or complaining, alright? Besides, it's not that b--”

Summer's words were cut off as a cold gust of wind picked up a bit, causing one of the few remaining shutters to fall from its hinges. Gilda glared at Summer, who sheepishly looked away, her mouth shut. Ignoring the two, Sunset continued, “It's got several rooms that are still able to be used, each one with an only-slightly lumpy bed and somewhat hot running water. It's also got a firepit out back, which is great for cooking. Just don't use it at night if you don't want anyone seeing you.”

“Oh, what luxury! I bet the fireplace is made out of gold and silver, too,” Gilda said sarcastically. “Downplay it all you want, Sunset, but this place sucks.”

Sunset sneered but said nothing as the group entered the lobby, where they reunited with Sonata, who stood slightly off to the side, moping. Wasting no time, Sunset quickly pulled a couple of keys from under a pile of moldy papers in an office off to the side.

“What the--” Summer said in surprise as she tried to flip a light switch several times. “Come on, you piece of shit, turn on already!”

"Aww, what's wrong? The big, bad Thirteen afraid of the dark?" Sunset cooed, a slight smirk on her face. "Perhaps you should use that magic you're so proud of."

"Not funny, Fourteen," Summer spat, flipping the switch a few more times. "And I'm not scared! I just hate the dark."

Sunset watched in amusement for a few more moments before finally leading the group down the hall, grabbing a few battery-powered lamps on the way. "No electricity," she said simply. Summer and Gilda just shot her stern glares.

Sunset lit one of the lamps, and soon, the group stood in front of one of the rooms near the lobby, where Sunset said, “Alright, this will be Gilda’s and Summer's room.”

The room was decently sized for two people, though that was about the only good thing to be said about it. The mattresses and bedding were moldy and moth-eaten, the blue paint on the walls had long since faded to mostly gray, the wallpaper was peeling and rotted, and the television was broken as if someone smashed it with a hammer. Off to the side was a small bathroom, the tiling, bathtub, toilet, and sink each stained with mold, mildew, and other stains that the girls decided not to think too hard about.

“You’re kidding, right?” Gilda asked, taking in the condition of the room. “You have got to be joking.”

“Nope,” Sunset replied curtly, handing a brass key to Gilda. “This really is your new home, Gilda. I know it isn’t the Queen or the Pony Six, but it'll have to do till I can get you three someplace else.” Gilda wordlessly snatched the key from Sunset's hand. Nodding, Sunset motioned to Sonata, and the two turned to leave. "Oh, and Gilda," Sunset said as she stood outside the room, eyes narrowed. "Just remember that you were the one who asked for my help on such short notice. So how about you stop looking that gift horse in the mouth, huh? Wouldn't want it to bite you." With that, Sunset closed the door, and the two were off to the siren's new room.

Once Sunset and Sonata were gone, Summer locked the door and noted Gilda's sour expression, saying, “Oh, come on, Gilda, it's not that bad. I mean, look: You have your own bed, and we don't have to share the bathroom with three other people.” Summer finished with a hopeful smile, trying to calm Gilda's fears.

“Sure, Summer. It's a real five-star experience,” Gilda said, still unimpressed. She made a show of taking a deep breath through her mouth. "Mmmm. You can practically taste the asbestos." Dropping the sarcasm, she continued, “I'm telling you, this place is a deathtrap.”

Deciding to take a load off and try to calm her nerves, Gilda walked over to one of the beds and moved to sit down. Before her rear touched the bed, however, a thought occurred to her. Straightening back up and nervously grasping the sheets and blanket, Gilda yanked them back, startling over thirty cockroaches that had been resting under the sheets. As the bugs immediately scattered, Gilda jumped back, exclaiming, “Oh, fuck this! That does it. There's no way in hell I'm staying here!”

---

After walking a bit down the hallway, Sunset noticed Sonata’s mood had still not changed. Wanting to leave on good terms with her, Sunset unlocked a door in front of Sonata and said, “Listen, Sonata. I know you're upset, but I never said I didn’t want you in my life. I simply don’t want to take the risk of you getting hurt, is all.”

“Then why'd you say you didn't want us involved with you anymore? Sure sounds like you don't want us in your life,” Sonata snapped, pouting.

“Because the only reason I'm here is because of the Demon's Heart. I'm a danger to everyone around me, so I'd like everyone around me to be those who deserve that danger.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Anon-a-Miss. I have the girls that set up the whole Anon-a-Miss account. Had to get the information from Trixie, but--”

“That girl you took? You didn’t hurt her, did you?” Sonata asked, worried.

“I was going to, but I decided to have some fun with psychology instead. Honestly, I'd be more worried about her friends. But none of that's important. What's important is that I have Anon-a-Miss, and my plans are finally bearing fruit, and it will be sweet, indeed.”

"Sunset, this isn't healthy," Sonata said worriedly. "This whole obsession with revenge. I've seen what it does to people. I've seen what it's done to my own sisters. I've seen what it's done to me. Getting your revenge on Anon-a-Miss isn't going to make you happy; you're just going to turn that anger on someone else, and eventually, the only one left to hate will be yourself. All of that hate and anger will just end up destroying you."

"Destroying me?" Sunset said incredulously. "It's giving me life! Weren't you paying attention? The only reason I'm alive is because of Dumbbell--who I did hurt, by the way--he stabbed me with the Demon's Heart. Literally, the only thing keeping me going is the hatred and evil in me."

"But don't you want something more out of life? Happiness, fun, love, anything good?" Sonata demanded desperately.

"Of course I do!" Sunset almost shouted. "Do you know how many dreams I had before Anon-a-Miss? Before I killed myself? How many goals and great things I had that kept me going even when things got tough?" Sunset fought to keep her tears at bay, but the battle was a losing one. "But those days are gone, Sonata! Those dreams and goals and great things are gone! All I have is my anger and hate, and neither of us can change that, so you're best off giving up and forgetting about me!"

Before she could wipe her eyes, Sunset suddenly felt Sonata's lips pressed against her own in a forceful kiss, rendering Sunset still. When Sonata ended the kiss, she sternly looked Sunset in her teary eyes and said, “I'm not giving up on you. Ever! I'm a siren, Sunset. There's a lot I don't know, but I do know dark magic, and I'm sure that I can help counter yours with the light magic you gave me. You just have to let me.”

“Don't you get it!? You can't help me, Sonata! When an evil being or dark magic or whatever is all that's keeping me around, you can't just take it away! Not until I've had my revenge."

"Forget about your revenge, Sunset!" Sonata snapped. "Revenge isn't going to change what happened to you. Revenge isn't going to bring back what you lost. All that revenge is going to do is pile more and more guilt and hurt on your shoulders until it destroys you."

"But what else is there?" Sunset asked resignedly, shoulders slumped. "What else can I do?"

"You can move on, Sunset," Sonata said gently, leading Sunset to one of the beds. "I know it's hard, but you have to let go of this hatred."

"And let them get away with what they did?" Sunset asked, disgusted.

"Sunset, if Trixie knew who Anon-a-Miss is, I'm sure a lot of other people do, and I'm sure they won't let them get off scot-free. In the meantime, you can move to a new city, start a new life, and make new memories with new friends, with new experiences," as Sunset fell onto the bed, Sonata's voice softened as she finished, "and with me."

"Wh-What?" Sunset asked, fearing where the conversation was going.

Sonata bit her lip as she lay down on top of Sunset, gently and briefly kissing her. "I love you, Sunset. I want to go with you, be there to help you overcome your pain, and spend the next century of my life with you." Her voice took on a pleading tone. "We can forget all about this city and what happened here and live together, where you can finally be happy. All you have to do is let me get rid of the darkness inside you."

"No," Sunset breathed, beginning to panic as she tried to push Sonata off of her. "No, no, no! I can't go through this again. Get off, Sonata!"

“No! Not until you're cured of all your hate.” Sonata grabbed Sunset's wrists and pinned her arms to the bed with surprising strength. She pressed her lips to Sunset's again, slowly working her way down the struggling girl's neck. “You've been overworking yourself, Sunset. You haven't gotten a wink of sleep in days. Just relax and let me do this for you. I can remove the darkness infecting you, but you have to let me. I know you're scared, but I truly just want to help you."

Closing her eyes, Sunset stopped struggling and leaned her head to the side, baring her neck. Sonata smiled, moving her hands to rest gently on Sunset's shoulders as she began kissing Sunset's neck again. Seizing her opportunity, Sunset grabbed Sonata and swiftly reversed the pin, glaring down at the surprised and blushing girl now underneath her.

"I said no, Sonata," Sunset said sternly. "I can't-do this with you. I've rushed into love before, and it just ended up killing me. Now, I can't stand the thought of that manipulative, hurtful bitch. Rainbow hurt me deeply, Sonata, and I don't want that happening to either of us. And it will happen."

"But how could you be so sure?" Sonata whined.

"Because I'm a monster, Sonata!” Sunset snapped. "Why can’t you see me for what I am?”

"No, you're not!" Sonata said.

“Yes, I am! That's all that I am!” Sunset spat back. “I'm scared of what I am and of what I might do to you. Just let me go. Let me do what I have to do, and then, I can force Twilight to finally end my nightmare. It's better that way.”

"Sunset, I'm not Rainbow Dash! I won't ever do those things to you, and I know you'll never do those things to me. You're not a monster. You're a girl who's been beaten down and hurt. I can save you. I can make things right for you.”

Sunset slowly got off of Sonata with an irritated expression. “Alright. If words aren't going to convince you to leave me alone, then I'll just have to use drastic measures." Stepping back a bit, Sunset took off her coat and torn shirt, leaving only her bra on. Doubling over as her skin started to redden, Sunset continued coldly, “Maybe now, you'll see exactly what I mean.”

Sonata watched in horror as wings erupted from Sunset's back in a bloody spray as her skin turned a deep crimson. A pony's tail soon followed, erupting from her tailbone, stained with her own blood. Sunsets ears became pointed, and her eyes turned as black as night, a stark and disturbing contrast to the still-bright teal of her irises. Her canines and fingernails lengthened and sharpened. Slowly, her hair grew brighter, until it suddenly burst into flames. Slowly standing up, Sunset let out a loud, demonic roar, causing Sonata to instantly scramble backward in fear. Seeing the terrified look on Sonata’s face, Sunset said, “Take a good look, Sonata. This is what you have fallen in love with! A true monster!”

Turning away from her, Sonata screamed in fear, “No! This can't be real!”

Sunset tightly grabbed Sonata's arm and head, forcing the siren to face her and roaring, “Look at me!” Sonata looked Sunset in the eyes. "Tell me what I am, Sonata," Sunset commanded.

Sonata swallowed hard. “A fury! You're a fury,” she said, whimpering.

A confused look came over Sunset's face, but before she could say anything, the door behind her burst open, and Summer rushed in, screaming out, “Get away from her!”

Spinning on her heel, Sunset turned around, roaring at Summer, who lunged in, punching Sunset in the mouth and knocking her off balance. Falling onto the mattress, Sunset quickly leapt back to her feet and rushed Summer, tackling her and driving her out into the hallway and into a wall, cracking it. Hearing the commotion, Gilda came out into the hallway. Seeing Summer and Sunset fighting, she screamed, “Stop fighting, you two!” Sunset turned to glare at Gilda, who staggered back. "Holy shit!"

As Sunset began advancing on Gilda, Summer stumbled back to her feet. Her own skin became darker as her eyes turned a bright, piercing yellow and her canines elongated, curving slightly inwards.

“Get back here, you bitch! You want a piece of me, come and get me!” Summer bellowed. “I’ll rip you limb from limb!”

Summer tried to ignore the pain as bony protrusions reminiscent of a bat's thumbs burst from her shoulders, destroying her sleeves and staining them with blood. Her elbows produced thick, bony spikes, and sharp tips erupted from her knuckles. Letting loose a guttural roar, Summer lunged in just as Sunset turned to face her, slamming her fist into Sunset's face and flooring her.

“Stop,” Sonata yelled, rushing out into the hallway after the two, “For the love of Cantlantis, stop fighting, please!”

Seeing Gilda nearby, Sonata yelled, “Gilda, please, you have to make them stop! They’ll kill each other!”

“Are you crazy? I'm not getting in the middle of that!” Gilda said, eyes wide.

Sonata let out an exasperated growl. “Then I'll do it!” Sonata leapt to the side as Summer threw Sunset head over heels towards her.

"Blue, what are you gonna go?" Gilda asked worriedly.

“I'm going to drain Sunset's magic. It's the only way to stop them from killing each other.”

“Sonata, stay away from them! They’ll kill you!”

Ignoring Gilda, Sonata reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out her red heart stone. She ran toward Sunset while the she-demon rose back to her feet.

Seeing that Sonata was coming, Sunset's eyes turned first a dark purple, then a deep red, and she positioned herself to pounce. Summer dashed toward Sunset, grabbing her by the neck and picking her up. Sunset struggled for a bit before Summer flung her into a rotted door. The door broke apart from the collision, and Sunset crashed into the room, sprawled on the floor. Just as Sunset began to pick herself up, Sonata rushed in, placing her heart stone to Sunset's chest. Instantly, the stone glowed a bright red as its magic began to drain Sunset. Roaring in fear, Sunset tried to get away from Sonata, only to find herself pinned to the floor by Summer.

“Hold on, Sunset. This will be over soon,” Sonata said through her tears. “I know you're scared, but I won’t hurt you.”

Everyone watched as Sunset slowly changed back to her human self while Sonata cradled Sunset in her arms. The deed was done, Sunset slowly lost consciousness, and Summer, reverting back to her own human form, lifted Sunset and carried her back to Sonata's room, Sonata and Gilda in tow. When Summer laid Sunset on the moldy bed, Sonata knelt beside it, draped over Sunset's chest, weeping. “I’m so sorry, Sunset.”

“Will Sonata be alright, Summer?” Gilda asked worriedly. "That looked rough."

“I don’t know," Summer replied. "I've heard of sirens doing something like that, but I never thought I'd ever actually see it.”

“I’ll be fine. I'm more worried about Sunset,” Sonata softly said, choking back her sobs. As Gilda and Summer looked questioningly at her, she continued, “I used my most powerful spell. It allows me to drain a pony's magic, but at a heavy cost to the pony. It'll take about a year for Sunset's magic to fully regenerate, and in the meantime, she'll be more tired, she'll get sick more easily, and she'll have periods of weakness and dizziness or even faint spells. It's such a dangerous spell that if I use it again on her before her magic regenerates, it'll kill her. So please, Summer, don't make me use it again. I want to help her, not kill her.”

“I don’t get it, Blue? Why are you so hellbent on helping her? Yeah, she gave us a hideout, but other than that, she's kind of a bitch,” Gilda said.

“I'm in love with her, Gilda,” Sonata replied softly, brushing a lock of Sunset's hair to the side.

Gilda and Summer exchanged glances before Gilda gently pulled Sonata away from Sunset and turned her around to make eye contact. “Sonata," Gilda said, "Sunset doesn’t love you. Whatever you're looking for from her, she won’t be able to give it to you.”

“Your wrong, Gilda! I know you are. Somewhere, under all that hate, Sunset is trying to be free of this. She told me she's scared of what she is hurt by what was done to her. I can’t just let her suffer, but I also can’t let her have her way with Anon-a-Miss, and I can't let her get to Twilight.”

"What do you mean? What does Twilight have to do with this?" Summer asked.

“Sunset was talking about forcing Twilight to 'end her nightmare'. I...I think Sunset wants Twilight to destroy her, and not just, like, put back into her grave. I mean destroying her entire body so that there will be no way she can come back again.”

Summer's eyes widened and her jaw fell open in disbelief. “Wha--Tha--But why!?”

“I don't know. We can ask her when she wakes up. She'll be out for a while, so you should have plenty of time to find supplies and a better place. I’m pretty tired, too, so I'll stay here with Sunset. And Summer?”

“Yes.”

“I know you and Gilda are worried about me, but I’ll be fine. I just need some rest.” Sonata tiredly looked back at Sunset. "I don't get it, though. I thought all the furies died out when I was young."

"Furies? What are those?" Gilda asked.

Sonata’s opened her mouth to answer but instead yawned, the fatigue from her spell catching up to her. "I'll tell you later. For now, it's nap time." Falling onto the mattress, she fell into a deep sleep.

When she was sure Sonata was asleep, Gilda said, "Okay, let's grab Sonata and get the hell out of here. Sunset's crazy and just tried to kill us. I'm sure Sonata will understand after a while."

Looking down, Summer said, “No, Gilda. This is her choice. I'm worried about her, too, but we can't just take Sonata away from Sunset. She’ll never forgive us.”

Angry, Gilda clenched her hand into a tight fist, saying, “Fine, Summer. We’ll do it her way for now, but we are not letting her out of our sight. Not when Sunset's around.”

“Fine. But this one time, we'll keep Sonata here; we need to go get some supplies.”

Gently picking Sonata up, Summer laid the sleeping girl flat on the mattress next to Sunset, pulling an old, ratty blanket over the two of them. Finished, she motioned for Gilda to join her in the hallway. The two left the building and got into the truck, Gilda taking the wheel.

“Where to, Summer?”

“We need food, clean clothes for Sonata and Sunset, and better bedding for all four us. We also need something to keep Sunset from getting loose if she changes again. I can’t take her on like that again.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. You were like a wild animal. What happened back there?”

“I think whatever made Sunset how she is is starting to affect me as well. So because of that, I want some way of putting her on a leash, so to speak. At least until I can figure this out.”

“I think I know where we can get everything we need. The only problem is that if Sunset wakes up while we're tying her up, she might attack us. I can’t risk our baby's life getting into a fight with her.”

Laying her hand over Gilda's stomach, Summer said confidently, “I know, babe, but don't worry; I think I know how to tie her up without waking her up.”

“Good. Then it's settled. We'll get what we need, then come back and make sure that Sunset can’t hurt anyone.” A terrifying thought ran through Gilda's head. "Oh shit, I think Sunset has Anon-a-MIss!"

"What makes you think that?" Summer asked, giving Gilda her full attention.

"Sonata said she can't let Sunset 'have her way with Anon-a-Miss.' I'm not sure, but the way she worded it made it sound like Sunset already has Anon-a-Miss somewhere. Summer, we have to find out where, or we're in deep shit!"

"We are?"

"Yes! It's called 'accessory to kidnapping', and as long as we're with Sunset, we're going to be suspects. I don't want a felony charge on my record, Summer; I got enough to worry about as is."

"Alright, alright. We'll get what we need, then I'll talk to her. Besides, we already failed that one girl she took. I don't want to fail another."

"Good. Let's get this over with, then. And we should make sure that Sonata doesn't get involved, as well. She's already piling enough on her plate." Another thought occurred to Gilda. "Wait, how are we going to pay for the supplies? I don't want to keep stealing to support myself or our baby."

Summer smirked deviously and said, "Oh, don't worry; I have a way."

Gilda looked askance at Summer and slowly said, "Okay," and let the matter drop. She started the truck and said, "Oh, and we are so talking to Sonata about her feelings for Sunset. I really don't like leaving her like this."

"We'll talk to her. Let's get going, already."

Gilda shifted into gear and pulled out of the motel parking lot, driving off into the night.

---

In another part of the city, a dark-blue car pulled up to Canterlot High School. A wizened man with a long, white beard stepped out of the car and slowly walked into the school. He walked straight to Luna's office, and, seeing the door open, he knocked on the doorjamb. Luna held up her finger and continued typing her report, her eyes glued to her computer screen. Grinning, the man said, “Luna Evenstar, it is good to see you again, too. It’s been almost fifteen years.”

Snapping her head up from her work, Luna rushed over to him, hugging him warmly and saying, “Star Swirl, I am so happy to see you!”

Next Chapter: The Sirens' Prophecy (Edited by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 26 Minutes