Sunset woke up a few hours after Gilda and Summer left, feeling something soft and warm pressing against her back. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Sonata curled up next to her, lightly snoring. Sighing, Sunset thought, “Sorry, Sonata, but I have to leave. I can’t risk hurting you like that again.”

Trying hard to not wake Sonata, Sunset slowly stood up and got out of the bed, allowing the blankets to fall from her nearly naked body. "They undressed me? Pervs." She stretched a bit to get her blood moving. "Oh, well. My shirt was a wreck, and my skirt wasn't much better."

Making her way to the door, Sunset stopped just as her hand came to rest on the brass door handle when she heard Sonata softly moan, “Sunny...I love you...”

Sunset looked down, a look of shame coming over her. Softly, she growled to herself, “I can’t leave her like this.”

Making her way back over to the bed, Sunset gently pulled the blanket over Sonata’s shoulder, then folded the other half of the bedding over her, wrapping Sonata in a makeshift cocoon. Kneeling to one knee, she gently tucked a lock of hair away from Sonata’s face and behind her right ear. She kissed Sonata on her cheek, saying softly, “Sorry, but I can't stay, Sonata. I wish I could, but it wouldn't work out. You'll understand....someday.”

Turning back around, Sunset walked through the door, shutting it as quietly as she could. She made her way down the hallway to the room she frequented over the past few weeks whenever she had to get away from everyone.

The room was sparsely furnished. Beside the bed and nightstand, there was a recliner Sunset had dragged into the room sometime in the past, along with a broken mirror and an electric heater. A pile of old clothing sat near the bed. "That's new," Sunset mused, staring at the pile. Shrugging, she nevertheless walked over to pick through it.

“Okay, so I need Twilight to destroy me. How can I get that to happen?” Sunset muttered to herself while rummaging through the pile. “She’ll never fight a friend, so I'll have to force her. Now, how can I do that?”

Before long, Sunset found a new shirt to replace her old, torn one. She gave it a small whiff followed by a slight grimace. “It's smelly, but it'll do.”

Making sure to cut two slits in the back of the shirt with a shard of glass from the broken mirror, Sunset pulled the shirt on. Looking through the pile of clothing again, she soon found a pair of faded-black skinny jeans and a black leather belt. Changing into them, Sunset smiled to herself, purring as the clothes warmed her body against the chilly night. Except for her feet.

“Damn, forgot my boots in Sonata's room." Sunset scratched her chin in thought, finding herself staring at the pile again. "Hmm. I don't wanna go back and risk waking her up. Guess I can try my luck here again." Sorting through the pile one last time, Sunset didn’t find anything in her size, not even any socks. “Son of a bitch! You'd think whatever asshole was here last could've at least left me some good shoes!” She threw up her hands in frustration. "Fuck it! I'll just go barefoot."

Opening the sole window in the room, Sunset breathed in the chilly air of the winter night. She stepped out into the cold night, shivering as her bare feet touched the frost-coated ground. Closing the window behind her, she made her way to the parking lot and saw that the truck was gone. “Damnit!" she growled. "It's gonna take forever to get to Crystal Ridge now.”

Sighing, Sunset knelt down and closed her eyes, willing her wings to appear. Confusingly, she felt a great deal of resistance, forcing her to put a lot more effort than usual into growing her wings. “Come on, it shouldn’t take this fucking long to change!” she growled. Eventually, though, she felt her wings emerge from her back, fitting snugly through the slits in her shirt.

As her skin changed color, Sunset dashed forward and quickly leapt into the air, unfurling her wings. Giving them a hard flap, she soared high into the sky above the sleeping city.

“Hmmm. I could use something to eat and some fun before I go to Crystal Ridge," Sunset said to herself, smirking. "I need a new phone, as well.”

Sunset corkscrewed to a stop above the city. Before she could get her bearings, however, a feeling of severe dizziness overwhelmed her, and Sunset found herself falling to the city below. Trying to keep herself aloft, she spread her wings wide, trying to reorient herself while slowing her descent.

“What’s happening to me? I feel so sick,” she thought frantically.

Unable to regain control of herself, she slammed into a church’s steeple. Desperately clawing at the roof and trying to get a good grip, she slid off the roof towards the ground below. She screamed in fear as her body crashed into the pavement of an alleyway below her with a sickening thud.

Shaking her head to try to shake off the dizziness and blurred vision, Sunset slowly stumbled to her feet. “What the fuck just happened to me? Why do I...” Her words trailed off as her mind shifted back to when Sonata had placed her heart stone against her chest. “I need to find--”

A scream from deeper in the alley interrupted Sunset's thoughts. Growling at the distraction, Sunset nevertheless decided to follow the screams and investigate, quickly finding the source. A man was standing over a woman, a knife in one hand and the collar of the woman's shirt in the other. The woman herself looked like she was having a hard time simply remaining standing, her legs were shaking so hard. A sack of spilled groceries covered the ground at the woman's feet. Looking just past the woman, Sunset saw another man lying unconscious a few feet from her. The darkness of the alley hid the features of the aggressor, the victim, and the downed man. They hadn't yet noticed Sunset, and Sunset, surprised, watched for a little bit, taking in the sight.

“Help me, please! Anybody!” the woman shouted.

Sunset snapped out of her stupor in shock. “I know that voice,” she thought. "But why-- Sunset shook her head, deciding to act first and think later. “Get away from her!” she growled.

Turning around quickly, the man looked in fear as he saw Sunset's winged silhouette slowly approaching. “What the fuck!? Get away from me, you monster!” he shouted. He quickly put his knife against the woman's neck, screaming, “Stay back, or I’ll--”

Lunging in, Sunset quickly grabbed the man by his wrist and twisted. A loud, sickening crack echoed in the alleyway, punctuated by the man's pained cry.

“For the love of God, get away from me!” the man screamed, dropping the knife from his now-useless hand. Sunset wordlessly placed her other hand over his throat and quickly spun around, throwing the man to the end of the alleyway and away from his would-be victims.

“I’m so gonna enjoy feasting on your heart!” Sunset snarled, not noticing the woman helping the man slowing get back to his feet.

Preparing to charge again, she stopped when she heard her mother's familiar voice scream, “Stop!”

Turning back around to face her mother, Sunset slammed her eyes shut as a cellphone's flashlight brightened her features. As her eyes adjusted, she heard her father's shocked voice say, “S-Sunset?!”

Stumbling while she backed away from her mother and father, Sunset quickly found herself butt-first on the cold, hard ground, having tripped over her own two feet.

The mugger, having seen enough, ran out into the street, trying to get away from his attacker. The night air was filled with the screeching of tires and a nauseating crunch as metal struck flesh. All three occupants of the alleyway immediately stared toward the street, before Mr. Cake said to Sunset, “I have to get you out of here!”

“S-Stay back! I-I...” Sunset tried to scramble to her feet, stopping when she felt her father's arms wrap around her waist, pinning her wings to her back and arms down to her sides. “Pl-Please, I can’t let you see me like this! Not like this.”

Although her father was a bit shorter than Sunset was while in her demon form, he had a strength that belied his frame. Combined with Sunset holding her own strength back, Mr. Cake had little trouble holding her down. “Sunset, stop struggling!" he said. "Everything will be alright, but I need you to calm down.”

“No! Let me go!” Sunset sobbed as her tears broke the surface of her eyes. “I don’t deserve your love!” Her screams died down to quiet weeping. "I'm just a monster."

“Yes, you do. And no, you're not.” While his daughter struggled feebly to get free of her father, Mr. Cake continued softly, “Oh, God. We prayed so much that you would somehow come home to us, that God would return you to us.” Gently standing up and bringing Sunset up with him while she still tried in vain to break free, he said gently, “We have to get you someplace safe.”

“No! Let me go, Dad!” She shouted, her struggling increasing in intensity. Hearing footsteps approaching from the other end of the alleyway and fearing for her mother's and father's safety, Sunset quickly shoved her shoulders forward, knocking her father off balance. As her tears dried, staining her cheeks black, she said, “I’m sorry. I love you both, but I'm nothing but a monster. You're better off forgetting about me.”

To their horror, Sunset turned around, ran down the alleyway, and leapt back into the air, hearing her father and mother both scream out, “Sunset, come back!”

Embracing his distraught wife, Mr. Cake said softly as he held her in his arms, watching Sunset disappear from sight, “We’ll find some way to save her, dear. I swear it.”

“How, Carrot? I just want our baby back and for this nightmare to be--” Feeling a sharp pain in her stomach, Mrs. Cake groaned and collapsed into her husband's arms. Picking her up and rushing her to the entrance of the alleyway, he shouted to the crowd that was forming over the lifeless body of the mugger, “My wife's hurt. Somebody, help!”

Several people called for a paramedic as Sunset flew to another part of the city, growing angrier at herself by the second.

“I can’t believe I let them see me like this! Now they're just gonna try to find me, and I'm gonna end up hurting them. Now I really do have to force Twilight to destroy me!”

Tucking her wings into her back, Sunset dropped like a stone, slamming into the ground with a loud crash. Sunset lay there for a moment, moaning softly. "Strange. That used to hurt a lot less," she mumbled. As she slowly rose back up, she heard someone shout, “What was that?”

Looking over, Sunset saw Adagio and Aria leaving a restaurant--Sunset could hear just about every patron yelling angrily inside--and staring at her. Adagio's eyes widened in recognition, then narrowed. “Well, well, well, look who it is: the fallen angel herself. Long time, no see.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Adagio. Aria. Back to your old tricks already?"

"What can I say? We need energy before going back to Equestria." As Sunset walked toward them, Adagio paused, her smug grin fading when she got a good look at Sunset, replaced by an oddly nervous expression mirrored by Aria. "Uh, that's an...interesting new look for you," she said with a peculiar touch of worry.

"What are you--" Sunset cut herself off as she caught a glimpse of herself in the restaurant's window behind Adagio. Taken aback, she slowly moved forward, gently pushing Adagio aside to get a good look at her reflection.

Sunset's right wing was silver instead of black, and thick feathers covered it in its entirety. Her left was still black, but black feathers covered most of it, leaving only about a third of the bat membrane visible. Her face, although still similar to the demonic visage she was used to, was softer-looking, and her hair wasn't aflame.

“What the fuck did she do to me?!” Sunset finally shouted, glaring at the sirens.

“What did who--” Aria's eyes widened as she realized what Sunset was talking about. “Oh, for the love of Cantlintis, our sister did this to you,” she said, half surprised and half annoyed.

"Change me back!" Sunset snapped, grabbing Aria's lapels.

“I can't!" Aria snapped back. "Neither of us can. Now back off, bitch!”

Sunset's gaze shot to Adagio. “Explain. Now!”

Adagio rolled her eyes but said, “Fine. But not here.” Adagio hailed a cab and charmed the driver. She opened the driver's door and yanked him out of the car, saying, “I’ll drive, thank you.” Looking to her annoyed sister and Sunset, she added, “Get in. We have work to do, and I'd prefer to take this conversation on the road.”

“Fine, whatever," Aria said. She and Sunset got in the cab, Aria taking shotgun. “So, where to?”

“Hmmm, how about the church just down the block? We haven’t attacked a place like since the late sixties.”

"I don't care where you go. Just tell me what's going on," Sunset said impatiently.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" Adagio asked as they drove off.

"While I'd like to know about what Sonata did to me, let's get the more important question out of the way," Sunset began. "Why do you need so much energy?"

"A few reasons, most of which aren't important right now. The most important reason, for now, is that we should be able to force Sonata to stay away from Equestria." Adagio smirked, a plan reaching her mind. "Come to think of it, you might be able to help us with that, Sunset."

“You want me to help you hurt Sonata? Forget it! I'd rather die again then help either of you.”

“That can be arranged," Adagio grumbled. More loudly, she continued, "But maybe you would care to hear us out first?”

“Yeah, it's really not that bad," Aria said. "We just don't want Sonata going back to Equestria, and using our magic on her would use up too much energy and destroy her trust in us. I know you don't like us, and believe me, the feeling's mutual. Convince her to stay here, and we can both forget the other exists.”

Turning down the street and driving past the aforementioned church, Adagio cursed and sped through a red light, causing several cars to screech to a halt, horns blaring. “After you're done, we'll take you someplace safe. Then, you can do whatever you want,” she said, looking for a place to turn around.

“Fine, whatever," Sunset said, mimicking Aria. "But I don’t get it. Why don't you want Sonata to return to Equestria? She's already gone there before, and she came back fine.”

Slamming on the breaks and nearly causing Aria and Sunset to hit themselves on the glove compartment and headrest, Adagio yelled, “What the fuck do you mean she's has already gone home!?”

“It's true. She went home while I was in the hospital,” Sunset said, trying to calm her racing heart.

“But, the prophecy. We can’t let that happen again, Adagio,” Aria said in a shaky voice.

“What prophecy?” Sunset asked.

“None of your business!” Adagio snapped. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Oh, it's my business, alright. If you want me to help, then you’ll spill it about this damn prophecy.”

Adagio was silent as she got moving again, driving for half an hour in silence. A half-hour soon became an hour, then two, then three, when Sunset finally had enough. She growled, her eyes glowing red. “Answer me, Adagio, or I’ll kick your ass and toss Sonata through the portal myself. The choice is yours.”

Adagio kept her silence, but her anger was palpable. Pulling over on a bridge overlooking a small river, Adagio got out, slamming the door behind her as Aria and Sunset followed suit. Adagio walked over to the railing, glaring at Sunset and saying, “Fine, I’ll talk, but you have to promise me that you'll do all you can to stop Sonata from going home.”

“Fine. First, tell me what Sonata did to me when she used her heart stone on me.”

“It's a...special ability unique to her kind," Adagio began.

"'Her kind'?" Sunset parroted, confused.

"Ponies aren't the only ones with subspecies, you know," Adagio said impatiently. "Ours is just more nuanced. Anyway, this ability allows her to drain any magic being of their magic, but doing it too often will kill that being, so she doesn’t use it unless she has no choice.” Looking at Sunset as the girl took in the information, Adagio continued, “On a related note, I know what caused you to become a fury, Sunset. Well, part of one, anyways.”

“You know about the Demon's Heart?!” Sunset demanded, all other concerns leaving her thoughts.

“Know of it? It was a siren that created it," Adagio said, an odd look of sadness overtaking her features. "And it isn’t called the Demon's Heart; it's actually called the Fury's Heart, for trapped within it was the most powerful of all the furies: their queen Megaera.”

“Th-That can’t be. Princess Celestia wrote in her journal that it was called the Demon's Heart, that she got it from another version of herself when she visited another Equestria with Star--”

“Don't ever say that name in my presence!” Adagio screamed in rage.

“Fine, fine!" Sunset said, deciding to change the subject. "We can talk about the Fury's Heart later. I still want to know why you don’t want Sonata to go home, and so far, you've said nothing to convince me to stop her. So, how about that prophecy?”

Adagio looked away. “I-I can’t tell you. Suffice to say that if Sonata goes back, I'm going to lose her, and I can’t go through that.”

Sunset walked over and put her hand on Adagio's head, forcing the siren to make eye contact with her. "Look, Adagio. I may not like you, but I do like Sonata, and if knowing the prophecy will help me keep her alive, then I think I deserve to know. Now, tell me the prophecy," Sunset commanded, her gaze boring into the sirens.

Wearing an uncharacteristically meek expression, Adagio said, “Alright, you win. I'll tell you. But you won't like it.” Closing her eyes, Adagio sighed and began as her sister put a supporting hand on her shoulder,

“On wings of silver and black the harbinger tragic

Shall fly to fight both blood and Magic.

A need for love shall drive her hate,

But within she knows it is too late.

A dove will appear in the darkest hour,

And all she loves shall fear her power.

The weather shall her whims obey.

For good or evil, she'll decide that day.

A crown of blue above a warrior's head shall appear,

But the sign will but strengthen her wards' fear.

Her sense of honor gone, the cries of battle is all she shall hear.

Magic and maiden will through a mirror be wrenched,

And the warrior shall in fire be drenched.

Kindness shall die while Chaos rages,

And a war for a crown will reap its wages.

Laughter shall despair, her spirit harpooned,

As mutilated soldiers tend to their wounds.

The queen shall strike and seize another's power,

And Hope is born in the warrior's darkest hour.

The moon shall fall in the bloody strife,

While Faith shines the way through the cave of lost life.

Trust brings the warrior back to her feet,

A true friend's words to her own doubt beat.

She puts the ghosts that haunt her to sleep.

Loyalty will be tested and Honesty bested.

Compassion shall be taken and a horror awakened.

The horror shall fall to a siren's dying call.

The youngest of three lies dead, the price of the titan's head.

The Windigo queen shall return as Cantlantis burns.

The sun is sealed in a cage as all else succumbs to the queen's boundless rage.”

Sunset was silent for a while after Adagio finished. “Are you saying that I'm the one to do all that, Adagio?” she finally asked.

“No, you're not. But you are the harbinger,” Adagio said hesitantly.

“I don’t understand. How do you know? What does that mean?” Sunset stammered, her questions spilling out.

“It means you walk a fine line, Sunset. You have a choice to make, one that will not only change how the rest of your life will play out but will also affect the lives of thousands. You can stop all the horror I spoke about from happening, but only if you choose to set aside your hatred.” Adagio fished around in her pocket before pulling out her phone. She tossed it to Sunset. "Here," she said.

"Really?" Sunset asked, catching it and turning it on, noting that it wasn't password-protected. "You're just giving it to me?"

"Why not? Aria and I aren't planning on coming back to this wretched world, so we won't be needing them." Finished, Adagio got back in the taxi, adding, “Now go, Sunset. Choose your path, and may you find the peace that you so badly want.”

Without responding, Sunset summoned her wings and took off towards Crystal Ridge with purpose, thinking as she landed near the entrance, "Sorry, Adagio, but I made my choice long ago. As for Sonata, well, I'm sure I can find a way to have my cake and eat it, too. But first, I have some other business I need to attend to."

Next Chapter: The Rules of War (Edited and Titled by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 11 Minutes