Cinder didn’t exactly remember how she fell asleep last night, but when she awoke, she found herself lying in the dirt. Judging by the reddened sandy texture of the ground and the overcast of the sky, she could tell she was still in Dragon Scar, however. It was a fairly identifiable place where most said there was nowhere else in the world like it.

Only in Dragon Scar did it feel like the sun never truly shined. It was said that the smoke from the volcanos and dragons created a thick shell around the atmosphere of the country and created the overcast that seemed to mostly block out the sun. It was because of this that nighttime was especially dark in Dragon Scar, and why dragons with superior night vision were the most active at night.

Cinder remembered her teenage years growing up in Dragon Scar quite vividly. From the moment she had hatched, she had been trained for greatness, and there was nowhere better to train a warrior than Dragon Scar. It was a country that turned the strong into the mighty and separated the dragons from the hatchlings. For as long as Cinder could remember, she always rose to whatever challenges were presented to her.

She would pass her training and be granted the title of a warrior along with her own katana at a relatively young age. She had been hacking it with the best of them even as young as eight, and that was something she was proud of.

Looking up at the sky, there was more light than usual, which made Cinder guess the time to be around 8 AM.

The dragon rubbed her head trying to recall anything about last night.

How did I fall asleep out here? She wondered.

It wasn’t uncommon for her to train so hard that she would lose track of time, but it was rare that she’d pass out during training, especially for several hours in the dirt.

Cinder looked to the distance and could see a familiar large cave that she would call home. She wondered if her parents were still there and potentially worried sick about her.

The girl sighed and shook her head, realizing it was best to check in with them at the very least so they knew she was okay.

Wandering over to the cave, Cinder cleared her throat to speak. There was an odd feeling the back of her mind though which kept creeping up to the surface. Something about all of this seemed wrong, like something was a miss. She didn’t feel right, that was for sure.

Making her way into the cave, she blinked as she noticed there standing near the back of the enormous cave was a backside that she recognized. A dark grey dragon in his late twenties or so stood tall and proud. His height was impressive and only a hair taller than Cinder herself.

She could see his jagged spines atop of his head as his large wings were furled together.

Her eyes were drawn to his large claws which could easily slice through stone. There was no telling how sharp his claws truly were, but she could hazard a guess.

Cinder lowered her body and bowed in respect to the dragon. “Brother, I thought I’d never see you again!”

She remained down, knowing that it was a tradition to kneel before the head warrior of the Razorclaw family and her brother Ash had more than earned that honor. With his impressive sword skills and his finishing of the rite of passage in record time, he was truly a prodigy for the family. She recalled being trained by him along with her parents, but mostly it was Ash who taught her the way of the sword and of her clan.

Keeping down, Cinder smiled, “Brother, so much has happened since we last saw each other.”

Ash’s husky voice echoed in the empty cave as he remained facing away from her. “How dare you come back to this place...”

“What was that?” Cinder blinked, uncertain if she had heard him correctly.

“After what you did, how dare you come back to this place,” he repeated before turning to face her. There across his neck was a laceration where his throat had been cut at one point, and his left eye was missing.

Cinder cringed at the sight of him, but she now remembered what had happened to her brother. For some reason she had forgotten before, but now it was fresh in her mind. The moment she walked in and found him on the ground dying, she had never seen so much blood before.

She could recall him choking on his own blood before the coughs and gags would eventually stop and he laid still. Yet here he stood now, clearly upset with her.

“Brother, I don’t understand...” Cinder frowned.

Ash took a single step forward and stared the girl down uncomfortably for a good minute with his arms at his side, claws twitching as if he were ready to pounce on her at a moment’s notice. He could be unpredictable when it came to attacks, as he was a master of surprise.

“You, who have tarnished our family name, who betrayed us, dares come back to this place?” He questioned.

Cinder remained low as she continued to show her respect. “Brother, I have never been unfaithful to the family and you know that. Everything I have ever done was for the honor of our family.”

“It’s because of you that everyone is dead...” Ash’s voice grew quiet as he spoke those words.

Shaking their head, Cinder objected. “It was an accident, brother. I wouldn’t have ever allowed things to progress as they did had I known!”

“And yet they did, and now everyone is dead because of you, Cinder. You’ve disgraced our whole family. You are responsible for the end of the clan!” His voice raised during that last line, making Cinder wince at his words.

“I have spent the rest of my life atoning for it, brother. I will continue to walk that path for as long as it takes. I didn’t know what horrible evil I had unleashed back then, please forgive me...” Cinder apologized.

Ash shook his head. “Your words mean nothing. They’re as empty as your unclean soul. Guilt alone will not absolve you.”

“Whatever it takes to clean my soul, I shall do, brother...” She responded.

Holding his left claw out, he stood there focusing on said claw, until the object he pointed it to began to move on its own. The object though was the katana in Cinder’s right sheath. It pulled itself out of its scabbard and floated toward Ash, who took it in his right claw, brandishing the blade that was once his.

Cinder remembered taking his sword off of his dead body so many years ago. She promised she would use his blade to avenge him and her family. Like her own, it was crafted by claw using ancient techniques that were now lost with the death of her parents. His weapon was equally as deadly as her own, and combined they made an almost unbeatable combination.

Seeing the sword back in his claw brought Cinder a mixture of sadness and pleasure. Sad to see the blade raised against her, but pleased to see the sword in the claws of its rightful owner.

He held the blade above his head and slanted it as he prepared for an assault. “It is our clan’s code to kill all betrayers...”

She shook her head and apologized once more as she stood there with tears streaking from her eyes down to her cheeks. “Please brother... I have never betrayed you or anyone...”

“Save your tears, a warrior only cries when the fight is over,” Ash reminded as he kept his battle stance.

It was true too. She recalled him telling her that when she first began her training all those years ago. Still, it was difficult to get the tears to stop. Instead, she just stood there allowing more tears to fall. It was rare for Cinder to cry, but even she had her limits.

Ash seemed unmoved by her sobbing and kept his pose, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. “Cease your pathetic crying and face me.”

She shook her head adamantly. “I won’t fight you, brother. Please, forgive me, I didn’t mean to hurt our family. I would never do anything to hurt our family, you know that!”

Unmoved by her pleas, Ash repeated his command for her. “Stand up and accept your punishment, Cinder.”

“Please brother, forgive me...” She continued to beg as tears coated her cheeks.

“Betrayal can not be forgiven, now stand up and fight.” He growled.

“I won’t fight you, brother...” She shook her head.

“Then you’ll die like the traitor you are,” he responded before taking the first careful step toward her with his blade at the ready.

Tears still ran from her misty eyes, but Cinder came to a stand and retrieved her own blade for self-defense. She couldn’t bring herself to actually fight her brother, as her clan’s laws forbid it, and she reminded her brother of this very fact. “You know that it is forbidden to raise your blade to another TorXel.”

“You and I are TorXel no longer, aren’t we?” He suggested.

Cinder prepared for a strike as he came closer. “We are TorXel, and you know that. We’re the legacy of the clan, and you want to tarnish that legacy by doing this?”

“I am dead, Cinder. And that means I’m not anything anymore, but you, you are a traitor. You betrayed the clan, and that’s why you’re no longer a TorXel, and why there is no clan anymore.” He kept his blade held high.

Cinder could tell that reasoning alone wasn’t going to work. Ash clearly wanted a fight, and she knew from experience that when Ash wanted a fight, he got that fight.

Without warning, he slashed at her from above, bringing his katana down to be blocked by Cinder who had stepped back and raised her own blade above her head, backing it with her left claw as she pushed her brother’s sword off of her. She managed to avoid another swing and block the following one after that.

Cinder was fairly nimble when it came to sword work, but her brother was more than formidable, and if her plan was to wait until he got tired and then strike, then she knew that she would be waiting quite some time. Ash’s training had made him tough, and full of stamina (even for a dragon), to the point where he would never tire or get sloppy; at the very least not before his younger sister would give in.

Ash wasted no time taking another swing, only for Cinder to block it once more and their blades made a sharp ring as they crossed each other. Before they knew it, they were both were repeating these actions a good eight times before Ash growled and shook his head in disgust. His eyes narrowed as he looked at his sister with discontent.

“So your plan is to just block until you run out of energy and then die?” Ash questioned.

“I won’t fight you, brother. I told you that.” She shook her head.

“Then you’ll die, instead. It makes little difference to me. A traitor need only die, the method of their death isn’t relevant.” He shrugged.

Cinder frowned as she blocked another series of strikes. She watched carefully to ensure her brother had no openings upon her, but she knew that the more time that passed, the more likely she was to make a mistake, and with Ash on top of his game, that possibility was approaching faster than she imagined.

I can’t fight him. Cinder thought to herself as she sidestepped another slash and deflected a second with her right arm.

I have to though. It’s the only way. Either he dies, or I die. Cinder rationalized. If she didn’t fight, it would be the end of her. Ash’s skills may have made him the one in line to become the next leader of the clan, but that was nearly two thousand years ago. Cinder had been training and mastering her skills that entire time, and she was certain she was more than a match for him now.

Blocking another strike, Cinder growled as the tears in her eyes ceased; instead she channeled her feelings all into motivation. “Ash, I’m going to give you one more chance to lower your weapon. Don’t force me to use my blade against you, I beg you.”

“I’m better than you are, how are you in a position to threaten me?” Ash questioned.

“Ash, it has been a long time since you had seen me last, and I promise you that I am far more of a match for you than I was two thousand years ago. Lower your weapon or I’ll be forced to cut you down. I’m not going to ask again.” Cinder raised her blade ready to strike, this time offensively rather than defensively.

The pink dragon emptied her mind; she dismissed any and all memories of Ash being her brother, or of him training her. At that moment, she needed to focus on how to win, as it was clear that he wasn’t about to allow her being his sister to hold him back. Ash saw her now as nothing more than a traitor who stole his title, but she would prove she deserved it.

“Then, I suppose we’re destined to fight, aren’t we?” Ash asked as he kept his sword up, ready to go.

“I suppose so.” Cinder sighed as she kept a tight grip on her blade.

The two slowly circled each other, both with a katana held in the air, protecting themselves with the edge pointed at their foe. Their steps were in tune, along with their movement.

Ash was the one to make the first move, lunging in at top speed, taking a horizontal swing at his sister, who ducked and twirled very low and sliced at his feet. Fortunately for Ash he was able to get out of the way before he lost even a toe before Cinder came to a stand and slashed upward from the ground.

He managed to take another step backward, placing even a few inches between the two as she narrowly missed his snout. Ash retaliate immediately as he did a series of cuts toward her, but all were unsuccessful as she blocked each one and gave him a cut upon his shoulder with her own sword work.

He wiped the blood away and kept his sword high as he began to circle her once more. “You’ve learned a few tricks, then? I guess you always were a good listener when it came to me teaching you, weren’t you?”

Cinder shook her head as she kept her eyes focused on him. “I didn’t learn everything I know now from you. I had other mentors besides you and I have even invented a few techniques of my own.”

“Little Cinder has finally grown up, you’re a far cry from the naive hatchling that betrayed us all...” Ash commented.

Cinder’s annoyance was growing each time he brought that up. She didn’t betray anyone, all she was trying to do was follow the clan’s laws. She may have been doing something unconventional, but she was trying to abide by the laws set forth.

“I didn’t betray anyone! I wanted to do things by the law!” Cinder argued.

“Yet we’re all dead now because of you. Serenade killed us all because of you, and yet you’re still alive. You got to live and we got death, how is that honoring your clan?” Ash asked before striking at her a few more times, each met with Cinder’s sword, but the last was her metal arm stopping his blade, gripping it tight in her claw.

She narrowed her eyes and squeezed. “You think that you’re the only one who suffered? I live with the guilt of what I’ve done and my arm is a reminder of that. I’ve suffered too, I’ve suffered for over two thousand years. I continue to suffer to this very day.”

“You don’t even know what suffering is...” Ash shook his head as he tried to pull his sword free.

His attempts to free his blade were in vain though, as Cinder’s grip was too strong. Her artificial arm was too much for him to break free from. She pulled and ripped the sword out of his claw and twirled it so the hilt landed in her metal claw. With both swords now back in her possession, she looked down at her brother’s blade once more.

It had been so long since she picked it up for the first time. She remembered feeling unworthy to wield it. For the first few years, she would carry it only but never use it. She didn’t want to use his blade for the longest time.

With both swords in her grips, she looked back up at Ash who was standing patiently for her. “When I first got this sword, I didn’t want to wield it. I didn’t want to accept you were dead, but I also didn’t want to wield it until I felt that I was worthy of it. I knew that if I held this sword in battle, that meant I was saying I was worthy of being called the Blade of Dragon Scar...”

“Are you worthy though, Cinder?” He asked with a smirk.

“It’s not up for me to decide, but I do know that you won’t be the one to decide that,” Cinder responded, and with a quick motion, she twirled with a downward slice, hitting him in the shoulder.

The blades were sharp enough to penetrate even his thick dragon hide with ease. There were new marks on his shoulder where she had cleaved him.

With both blades, she twirled backward and hit him a second time, then a third, then a fourth, and finally with her eighth slash she impaled both of the swords through him and his gut.

He groaned and looked down at the swords through gasps and pants. “Y-you... You impaled... me...”

She nodded as she held the swords in place. “I did what I had to do.”

He nodded as he felt her pull her swords out of him. Grunting in pain, he fell to the ground. Cinder watched as black blood poured out. He looked up at her through strained eyes and spoke his final words. “You’ll always... be nothing more... than a traitor...”

“And you’re always going to be dead,” she responded before impaling his head with her katanas.

He ceased movement and his body grew still. Within seconds his body went up in a cloud of black smoke, vanished from existence.

Cinder sighed and lowered her weapons. With that out of the way, she tried to remember why she was there or how she got there. Perhaps she could talk to some other dragons in the nearest town, or even consult with nearby clans to see if they had seen her. What was she doing prior to this? She couldn’t remember.

Her eyes somehow were drawn to her brother’s blade in her possession. It was a finely crafted sword, but it still held painful memories for her. Her brother’s sword-like her own was forged with dragon fire and with family secrets. Given that her parents never told her about blade forging, however, that meant that those two blades would be the last of their kind, which made Cinder hesitate to even use her brother’s blade at first. To use that blade meant to cross a line that she could never go back from.

In time, however, she found herself more comfortable with it, and eventually, she would use it in conjunction with her own sword without a second thought. It had taken her a good eighty years to master her brother’s sword, but it was time well spent in her mind. It wouldn’t have even been possible, had it not been for her sensei, however.

She frowned at the memory of her sensei but tried to keep her composure at the same time. It was not the time for more crying, she needed to be stronger than that.

A voice that Cinder recognized all too well echoed through the cave, causing the dragon to turn. There standing at the entrance was golden yellow mane with red tips, and fierce red eyes staring her down with a smirk upon her face. “Well, quite a bit you’ve managed to do here...”

Cinder raised both of her swords, ready to fight. “You did this to my family, Serenade! This is all your fault!”

Serenade shook her head and grew a gentle smile. “Is it though?”

“Of course it is.” Cinder growled as she stepped closer, weapons still ready to strike.

Shaking her head, Serenade reminded the dragon of the facts they both were apparently privy to. “None of it would have happened, had you not broken your clan’s laws. You could have just left well enough alone, but you chose not to. The results of your choice are your own doings, not mine.”

Cinder shook her head in protest. “I didn’t know what I was agreeing too.”

“Splitting hairs is often how most evil types exonerate themselves, you know?” Serenade pointed out.

“I guess that explains why you’re so shitty...” Cinder shrugged.

“All I do is wipe out vermin.” Serenade grinned.

“Sounds a lot like a bullshit justification to me,” Cinder retorted.

“You merely blame me for all you’ve been through because you can’t face your own reality. You’re responsible for your clan’s death, you’re responsible for losing that arm, and you’ve done so much more, haven’t you?” Serenade stepped closer.

Cinder gripped her blades tightly as she waited to make her strike, knowing that with Serenade’s skill, she could count on a tough fight.

“You haven’t even told Glitch the whole truth yet, have you?” Serenade smiled deviously.

Guilt pained in Cinder’s mind but she forced it out. “Shut up...”

“You never told her that you were the one who taught me how to fight, did you? That you were my mentor?” Serenade asked, already knowing the answer.

“Shut up...” Cinder repeated.

“I mean, how could you have known? You were just a teenager at that time... Nineteen if I recall...” Serenade circled the dragon, gently brushing her with her tail playfully.

“I should have never trusted you...” Cinder shook her head.

“And yet you did, despite your laws forbidding it...” Serenade giggled. “You broke the rules, and you paid the price. And now thanks to your training I was able to become as strong as I am, and eventually, I’ll be the demon lord and it’s all thanks to you.”

“I aim to correct that mistake,” Cinder replied.

“It’s too late, Cinder. You can’t undo what you’ve done. Will Glitch even trust you anymore when you tell them the truth?” Serenade asked.

“No one has to know the truth if I kill you before it comes out.” Cinder smirked.

“So is that your way then? Hide your misdeeds from those who would judge you?” Serenade giggled.

“My only mistake was trusting you.” Cinder shook her head.

Taking the opportunity, she swung her blade and ended up only slicing through the air as Serenade moved just in time to dodge the attack, but Cinder followed up with a flurry of subsequent strikes, all of which Serenade was too swift for.

The siren charged her horn and sent out a blast from it which Cinder held her metal claw up to catch the blast. Serenade blinked as the blast appeared to have been absorbed into her arm, causing it to glow with the same aura that her horn had. “What the?”

Cinder grinned. “I have learned a few tricks of my own. When my sensei built this arm, it was made for more purposes than just to replace my old one.”

“So you have some new toys, big deal.” Serenade shrugged as she shot another few blasts, all of which Cinder blocked with the same arm, absorbing them and making her arm glow brighter in the process.

“Allow me to demonstrate...” Cinder replied before holding her arm out with her katana still gripped tightly with her thumb. When her claw began to glow, Serenade blinked and jumped out of the way as an energy beam exited her claw and hit the spot where Serenade was standing previously.

“How did you do that? Dragons can’t use magic!” Serenade growled.

Cinder chuckled. “A true warrior keeps tricks up their sleeve for when things get too dicey. My arm allows me to absorb magic and send it back where it came from, but at a higher potency. It’s able to focus magic and amplify it. I’ve had it modified over the years though to hold more and more magic. I specifically had it worked on for centuries so that I may use it to kill you one day.”

“It’ll take more than a fancy toy to kill me.” Serenade growled.

The two engaged each other once more, this time Cinder used her swords to deflect magic attacks, save for the last one which she absorbed into her arm.

Serenade summoned a magic sword to her side which swiped at Cinder, only for Cinder to block it as well. Her swordsmanship had improved significantly since they had trained together over two thousand years ago. The Cinder that stood before Serenade now had over two thousand years of training rather than the meager decade or so when they had first met.

Slice after slice, the two danced with their blades, neither tiring until they both took a step back, weapons still at the ready. Cinder gripped her feet into the ground and kept her eyes locked onto her target with her katanas raised. “You’ve squandered my teachings, Serenade. You’ve forgotten the ways of a warrior that I taught you. You focused only on how to use what you’ve learned to kill mercilessly.”

“And you think that the TorXel achieved greatness through peace? Your clan probably murdered thousands mercilessly to achieve their place,” Serenade countered.

Cinder grinned and shook her head. “It shows what you paid attention to. Our clan founder never raised their blade to an innocent. It was forbidden from the start. They built our clan on honor, something you clearly don’t comprehend and it’s that lack of comprehension that prevents you from ever truly understanding our ways. So long as you can’t comprehend that, you can never use the way of the TorXel to its full extent.”

Serenade faked a yawn. “I know enough to kill you. Besides, with my demonic powers, I have no need of your ways anymore.”

Cinder laughed heartily and readied herself. “Relying on powers rather than skills is the biggest mistake a warrior can make. Your power should be used only to enhance your skill. Power without skill is worthless. Allow me to demonstrate.”

Focusing on her arm, Cinder could feel the magic from it leave the arm and enter the rest of her body. There was a small jolt of electricity inside of her, but it felt oddly pleasurable. Before she knew it, her entire body began to glow with the same aura.

Serenade tilted her head, but had to move out of the way before she could question what just happened as Cinder came out swinging, this time faster than before. Serenade was finding it far more challenging to dodge her attacks as the dragon was moving swifter than before.

A strike narrowly missed Serenade and hit a rock, shattering it to nothing but shards.

“What the fuck?” Serenade blinked.

Cinder readied herself again as she came swinging at the siren, each slash more deadly than the last, finally though, one of them connected with Serenade and cut her face. The siren gripped the slash that crossed her snout and went down her cheek.

Standing tall, Cinder kept a grin upon her face, her fangs looking extra deadly. “My arm was connected to my nervous system a long time ago. This means that I can send the magic it’s stored through my entire body. That magic can enhance my reaction times, speed, and even my strength. As a bonus effect, it makes me more resistant to magical damage than before. While I can not conjure magic as you can, I can use it to enhance my skills.”

Serenade growled as she wiped the black blood from her face. “So that’s what you mean...”

Cinder moved swiftly and slashed at the siren. Serenade wasn’t able to dodge the attack in time and found her front hoof trying to block it, only to be slashed. She pulled back but Cinder used the opening to impale her chest with one of her blades. There was silence between the two for a brief moment as black blood dripped out of the siren.

Serenade looked down at the blade and then up at Cinder. She coughed and the same black sludge dripped from her lip. A grin found its way to Serenade’s mouth as she bled. “Well done... However, even though you have passed this test, you stand no chance against the real me.”

“What do you mean, real you?” Cinder squinted as she pushed the sword in deeper.

Serenade gasped at the pain but continued talking. “This has been only an illusion in your mind. A test if you will, and the real Serenade will be far deadlier than myself.”

“I’ll be ready for her...” Cinder growled, pushing her sword deeper.

Another gasp came out of the siren but she found herself laughing. “Can you face your own demons though? You can’t hide what you’ve done forever... Eventually, they will find out the truth. You trained me, you taught me your ways, and those ways kept me alive, they allowed me to kill your family, and they made me stronger... I am a monument to all of your sins...”

“All you are is a reminder of mistakes that are best left forgotten.” Cinder responded before taking her other blade and swinging it at the mare’s head. With one cleave, she sliced it clean off.

Once the head was removed, the body disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. Cinder blinked and looked around her, noticing it all began to vanish.

Cinder gasped as her eyes shot open. The first thing she saw, strangely enough, was the concerned face of Sunset Shimmer who appeared to have been worried. “Fuck...” Cinder spoke as she reached her metal claw to her temple, rubbing it.

Sunset came to her aid instantly and pulled the black tendril out of her ear. Cinder leaned forward, and Sunset caught her. “Are you alright?”

“A bit messed up, but I’ve been worse...” Cinder responded.

Sunset nodded. “You were really uncomfortable as you slept, I saw. What did you see?”

Cinder forced herself to a stand and looked away from Sunset. “My greatest nightmare. How about you?”

Sunset grimaced. “Let’s not talk about it. I think the door is ready to open though?” Sunset pointed.

Cinder peered over at the door that they had invested all this effort into opening and noticed that both sides were glowing now, clearly ready for them to pass through. If they had overcome such an obstacle, did that mean they were worthy of fighting the demon lord? Could they prevent Serenade from achieving her final form? Or was it already too late? What if she was destroying Equestria as they spoke.

There was no telling how long they had been trapped there, and thus there was no way to tell what was happening with the siren.

“What do you think is past that door?” Cinder asked.

Sunset blinked. “I... hadn’t thought about that...”

“You didn’t think they would just let us walk through and out of here did you? Remember they said there would be one final challenge beyond that door...” Cinder reminded.

Truthfully, Sunset had forgotten. Her mind was still focused on what she had just endured; she wasn’t exactly trying to focus on what laid ahead.

“What could possibly be worse than what we just went through?” Sunset asked.

“We’re about to find out, come on, let’s go.” Cinder gestured to the door.

Following, Sunset noticed there was something different about the dragon, her step was more purposeful, her stride filled with determination, and yet her demeanor seemed more taken back. There was something about her that suggested she had even more on her mind than she initially admitted.

Placing a claw upon the door, new text appeared before the two, causing them to step back.

Ye’ who hath passed these trials are advised to turn back. A far greater nightmare awaits you should you proceed. Dark truths you wish to keep hidden shall be revealed.

Cinder bit her lip hen she saw those words and reached over to grab Sunset’s shoulder before the mare could proceed to try and open the door.

Sunset blinked and looked up at the dragon with confusion. “Something wrong?”

“I have a feeling that when we go through there that a lot is going to be revealed about ourselves...” She paused, “and I wanted to just tell you now rather than let you find out in there...”

Sunset sat down, prepared for Cinder to lay something heavy onto her. “What is it?”

Closing her eyes, Cinder sighed. “I... I haven’t been very truthful about my connection to Serenade.”

Sunset tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Serenade killed my family and took my arm away, yes, but there is more to it than that...” Cinder’s eyes squeezed shut even more as she clearly was fighting back tears, a look that Sunset had not only never seen upon her, but one she thought she was incapable of.

“Oh?” Sunset asked quietly.

“I trained Serenade. I taught her my clan’s techniques over two thousand years ago. I was only nineteen at the time, and it was against our laws to teach non-dragons our ways...” Cinder admitted.

“Why though!?” Sunset stood up and stepped forward with interest. She had a mixture of disappointment and curiosity.

Cinder shook her head. “I was foolish. I trusted her, when I shouldn’t have. I broke my clan’s covenants for her, and it cost me my whole family and my arm. I’ve been paying the price for two thousand years now...”

She opened her eyes and Sunset could see them grow misty and tears begin to fall from her ducts. She looked over at Sunset with teary eyes. “I fucked up royally. It cost me everything, and my training is how Serenade has survived this long. I’ve spent two thousand years trying to undo what I have done... Please forgive me, Sunset. I didn’t want to tell you the truth because I feared you wouldn’t trust me if I did...”

Sunset bit her lip but shook her head and reached forward. “What possessed you to trust her? Did she use her powers on you?”

Cinder shook her head once more. “No. Not once did the siren reveal her true nature to me. The reality is far more complicated than that...”

Petting the dragon’s forearm, Sunset gave her a gentle smile. “We all make mistakes, Cinder. You were a teenager at the time. Serenade tricked you, you shouldn’t blame yourself for that.”

“I broke the laws of my clan, and they all died because of me...” Cinder reminded.

“You had your reasons, I’m sure. I won’t ask what those were, but you can’t change the past. You have to focus on the present.” Sunset smiled at her.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Cinder nodded. “Yes, you’re right. We can’t undo what has been done, and crying won’t bring my family back or save your country. The only thing that can make this right now is bringing Serenade down. With that spear, we actually stand a formidable chance of doing so.”

Sunset had forgotten about the spear. In her magic inventory, she had the key to Serenade’s demise. The first time she had held the spear she could tell right away that its power was tremendous, that it was exactly what they needed to win the fight once and for all. It was the very tool that would be the siren’s undoing.

Was it enough though? Sure the spear could give pause to the siren’s power and with its light enchantment it would stand a far better chance against her demonic abilities, but it was still a gamble. Serenade’s power was massive at that point and even with the spear, it was still a gamble.

“With your blades and my spear, we are definitely going to stand a good chance, I would imagine,” Sunset reassured the dragon and nodded.

Cinder smiled at her as she drew her swords. “Let’s face this last challenge together then.”

Sunset nodded as she stepped forward and pushed the door open. Without wasting any more time, the two walked through to their final test, eager to get home.

A small filly made her way down the street at full speed. She galloped at top speed, trying to escape her pursuer who was screaming for her capture as he tried to keep up. “Stop that filly! Thief!”

The young light coated filly managed to put enough distance between the two of them in time to slip away and into a back alleyway, where she hid behind a series of boxes. She waited patiently for her chaser to give up. A long eight minutes passed until she was certain that he wouldn’t be following her.

A sigh escaped the filly as she looked to her saddlebag where her stolen prize rested; an apple. It pained her to think she had put in so much work for a worthless apple, but her stomach demanded something, anything. Her powers were too weak to drain ponies for energy, so she would need to survive on conventional food, but that was also a challenge as she had no money or means to acquire it.

The little filly stuffed the apple into her maw, crunching down on it quickly, trying to fill the growling stomach that she had. It had been a good two days since she had last eaten and it wasn’t exactly a very filling meal either, just a part of a salad she had taken when a pony wasn’t looking.

This was the life of a twelve-year-old siren though. When Serenade and Adagio got separated, she had to learn to fend on her own. When the two were together, Adagio usually took care of the food situation, but now it was all up to Serenade to feed herself, and she wasn’t doing a fantastic job either.

The siren was growing weaker, her body slowly fading away. Her ribs were starting to show, and her muscle mass was disappearing, a sign that her body was eating itself.

She wanted to see her sister again, she wanted Adagio to come back and tell her that everything would be alright, but she knew it wouldn’t happen. She knew that this was likely the way things would be from now on, as there was not even a certainty that Adagio was even still alive. Ponies could have already killed her after they discovered she was a siren, after all.

Serenade had never cried over it though, she promised she would never cry, she would never allow ponies to make her that weak. Even if her body failed her, she wouldn’t give ponies the satisfaction of knowing they broke her.

As she devoured the apple, she sighed as her stomach demanded more nourishment, not appeased by the tiny morsel.

The filly found herself only wanting to go to sleep to stop the pains of hunger, and she moved some of the boxes to create a small protective barrier for herself in case it rained and hid underneath it. Looking to a puddle that hadn’t dried up, she sighed as she stared at her own reflection.

“I wish Adagio was here...” She thought out loud.

We all want things, child.

She blinked as she looked around. “W-who said that?”

There was no answer. She tapped her ear wondering where the sound had come from, not realizing that there was something watching her beyond her comprehension. A whole other world filled with demons and power, watching its latest potential prospect.

It was possible that this filly could become the next demon lord, but it was too soon. Her hatred for mortals wasn’t enough just yet.

The filly curled up and closed her eyes, trying to forget the world around her, even if for just a short while.

Sunset and Cinder found themselves in a rather large arena looking area. It was vast and wide and clear of any obstructions, but far in the back, a good few hundred feet away was a massive looking archway that they both assumed was some kind of portal.

“Looks like that’s our ticket out of here...” Sunset suggested as she pointed to it.

Cinder nodded, but noted that it didn’t appear to be active. “Looks like it isn’t ready for use to use just yet, though.”

Sunset figured it wouldn’t be that easy, after all, they were both told they would be tested before they could leave, and she had a feeling that said test was not just trying to figure out how to turn a portal on.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this...” Sunset responded.

“Me too,” Cinder agreed.

As if to answer both of their fears, the ground began to rumble below them. The two tried to find something to grab onto to maintain their balance, but failed and toppled over. Cinder gripped one of her swords, ready to go into battle if she needed to, while Sunset tried to land on her stomach rather than her back where she’d be more vulnerable.

The two watched as the ground cracked open, and a blast mist shot out of it like a geyser. Following the black mist though, the crack grew bigger and a tremendous one-eyed monster burst through it. Its size was massive, large enough to be a building as two bug-like claws with razor-sharp talons protruded from its chest.

It appeared to be like some kind of giant worm with fangs dripping with black sludge and sharp spines on its back. Though they couldn’t see where its body ended as it was rooted in the ground, they imagined it was far larger than it even appeared.

A blood-curdling screech came from its gaping mouth as it stared the two down with a fierce vibrant glowing green eye.

“What the hell is that?” Sunset blinked.

Coming to a proper stand, Cinder offered a claw to Sunset which the mare took to get herself off of the ground. “Looks like our final challenge.”

Nodding, Sunset took a battle stance with her blade drawn on her right hoof, while Cinder drew both of her katanas. “Sheesh, this thing is ugly...” Cinder stated.

“It would make Serenade a perfect boyfriend then, right?” Sunset chuckled as the two prepared for the fight of a lifetime.

“You’re assuming it’s male.” Cinder smirked.

The two would have to cut their banter short, and couldn’t even take a moment to laugh at their own jokes as the creature screeched again in their direction, its loud volume enough to send shockwaves through the ground itself, rumbling it and causing the two to almost fall again. Fortunately, they managed to stay upright.

The monster leaned in and swung at the two with its massive scythe-like appendage. The blade was massive, but fortunately, both girls ducked in time to narrowly avoid the attack.

“That was close...” Sunset commented as she watched the creature pull its claw back and do a downward strike with the other claw, which Sunset rolled out of the way of.

When the claw missed her a second time, it got impaled into the ground and the monster struggled to get it free. Seeing it struggle, Sunset decided to take the opportunity to try and administer a counter-attack. She jumped and landed atop of the claw and ran along its length to try and get closer to its main body.

Naturally, the monster didn’t allow her to simply get closer to it, and took its other claw and swiped it at her, only for Sunset to duck and avoid it. Once she was sure she was in the clear, she raced further down its claw and reach its body where she administered a single cut to it, which opened and a series of black tendrils came out of the wound.

She blinked in shock when the tendrils reached out and grabbed her, and threw her harshly to the ground.

Sunset grunted and groaned as she picked herself up, thankful she had the combat suit, or she would have been in far more pain than she was.

The tendrils reached for her again, but she rolled out of the way, only to be saved by Cinder who had closed the distance and cut the tendrils away with her razor-sharp blades.

Both girls moved a few feet back, trying to stay out of the range of the tendrils protruding from its injury. Once they flailed about pathetically, they retracted back inside and the wound seemed to heal up almost instantly.

They weren’t even afforded the time to question what had just happened, as the monster took another swipe at them which they were forced to jump over and roll further away from its body.

Cinder caught herself by flapping her wings and steering where she would land, followed by Sunset tumbling after, with Cinder catching her.

Back on their feet after the attack, Sunset nodded to thank her ally before they both took a fighting stance once more. “So any plans?” Sunset asked.

“We can’t get close to it, so I think we’ll need to focus on striking it from a distance,” Cinder suggested.

“Striking it where though? And with what? That last attack was a direct hit and yet all it did was create more problems for us!” Sunset pointed out.

Nodding, Cinder rolled toward Sunset to avoid yet another claw attack. The claw in question had made another swipe at the dragon this time, but Cinder was far too agile. She made a slice at the appendage holding the claw, but like the body, more tendrils came out of the wound, causing both of the girls to move backward.

The two began to move at full speed to put as much distance between themselves and the monster as they could as it screeched, causing another quake. Sunset and Cinder kept their balance but looked back at the thing. “It’s going to bring this whole place down! We have to kill it somehow!” Sunset commanded.

“Any ideas?” Cinder asked as they both ducked from a claw swipe.

“Would hit it until it dies constitute an idea?” Sunset asked.

The monster than reeled back and with its mouth open spat a green liquid that the girls jumped to get out of the way of. The liquid sizzled and made a burning sound, implying it was acidic in nature. Cinder wiped the sweat from her brow and looked over at Sunset. “No, I would not consider that an idea, we need to stop this thing before it turns this area into an acid pool. We can’t fight it if we can’t even stand.”

“I think its eye might be a weak point.” Sunset pointed.

Cinder blinked and looked back at the creature, noting its glowing green eye. She did have a point, its eye did appear different from the rest of its body, perhaps it was indeed a weak spot, and even if it wasn’t, it would cause the creature to be unable to see them, which was an advantage they could certainly use.

“How we gonna hit it though?” Cinder asked.

The creature was a good few dozen feet tall, so even with a well-placed jump, they wouldn’t be able to reach its eye with much ease, and without the use of her suit, Sunset’s only projectiles would be magic. She glanced around for something solid to use, until her eyes fell onto Cinder’s claw, and the sword gripped in it. “I got an idea...” Sunset smirked.

“Let’s hope it’s a good one,” Cinder replied.

Sunset nodded. “I think it is. It’s going to require some skill though, so listen up.”

The creature spat once more in their direction, and the two girls rolled out of the way, bumping into each other as they did. They continued moving to keep the creature from being able to hit them, as Sunset explained her plan. “You can fly me close and I’ll throw your sword.”

“Throw my sword? What happens if you miss?” Cinder asked.

“Well, I guess I just won’t miss, huh?” Sunset grinned.

“You think one sword will take it down?” Cinder questioned.

“Your blades are stronger than normal swords if I recall. They should pierce its eye with no problems.” Sunset reminded it.

It was true. The katanas were forged with ancient techniques in Dragon Scar, and were quite sturdy compared to other blades. They were designed to cut through dragon hide, which was considerably thick, so there was little doubt that the blades had the toughness to pierce the eye of a massive demon.

The only concern that Cinder had was that they would only get a single chance. If Sunset missed, they’d be sitting ducks and now down a weapon. They had to try it though, it was the only plan they had.

“Alright, let’s do it.” Cinder nodded as she gestured to her back.

Jumping on, Sunset levitated Cinder’s left-hand blade with her magic and gripped on tightly to her back as the dragon’s mighty wings flapped a few times, lifting them off of the ground.

As they drew closer, Sunset positioned herself so that she could aim the weapon. They would only get a single chance, so she had to make it count.

Dodging the monster’s mighty claws that slashed at them and an acid spit or two, they managed to get as close as Cinder could muster. “Alright, throw the thing!” Cinder commanded.

Sunset focused and readied her shot. She tried to wait for a moment when both Cinder and the monster were holding still enough to get a clear shot. Once she saw her opportunity, she hurled the sword at full speed.

As it soared through the air, everything grew silent to the two until it punctured the eye of the beast causing a screech like they had never heard before. Cinder covered her ears and lowered the two as the sound was immobilizing her.

Once they landed, Sunset watched as the black blood spurted out of the eye and the creature writhed in pain, finally collapsing and ceasing movement. She sighed as she stood there panting, amazed that her plan had actually worked.

Cinder recovered from the screeching and sighed as she walked over to the monster and gripped her blade stuck in its eye. With a quick tug, she managed to dislodge the sword and sheathe it. “Not a bad plan, Sunset. Though I’d expect no less from the famous, Glitch.” Cinder winked.

“It only worked because I had you at my side.” Sunset giggled.

The two stood smiling at each other until a black apparition appeared in front of the corpse. It began to take a shape until it looked exactly like Sunset, but with glowing red eyes. Sunset blinked and stepped back from it.

It spoke in a broken version of her own voice, deeper and filled with hatred. “You have passed the challenge, however, what have you truly wrought?”

Sunset squinted at the doppelgänger. “What do you mean?”

“You were told that this challenge would make you face truths that you wished to keep hidden and Sunset... You haven’t been telling the full truth about what you are, have you?” The copy spoke.

Cinder looked between the two and tilted her head. “What’s she talking about Sunset?”

The copy smirked deviously. “Why don’t you tell her? There is a shadow cast over you, Sunset. A shadow that you have suppressed, but is still there. It wouldn’t take much for the darkness to turn you into what Serenade is, would it? You already gave in once, and you were close to doing it again too.”

“What’s she mean, Sunset?” Cinder asked.

Sunset was quiet as she looked down at the ground, speaking softly. “I... I became a demon once before...”

Cinder blinked.

“It was a long time ago, but I pulled back, I never wanted to be that again...” Sunset looked over at Cinder with serious eyes.

“Want is irrelevant.” The copy spoke, “if you should give in again, there would be no turning back.”

“That won’t happen.” Sunset growled.

“We shall see, Sunset Shimmer. For now, though, your path out of this place awaits.” The copy stated as it disappeared.

Beyond them, the large archway whirred and whistled until a portal appeared between it, ready to be used.

Sunset frowned as she looked over at Cinder. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you... I figured if anyone knew I was a demon before... They wouldn’t trust me...”

Cinder stepped forward and placed a claw upon her shoulder. “I guess we both have our regrets then?”

Sunset smiled at the dragon and nodded before patting her claw with her hoof. “No more regrets though. Let’s go get us a demon siren, shall we?”

Cinder chuckled as she removed her claw and looked to the portal. “Yeah, this vacation sucks anyway.”

Did anyone catch the little Halo easter egg? Or the Doom one?

So, it's been a long two weeks, but we finally are leaving the demon world after all this time. I hope we can get back to a regular schedule "soonish".