Throwing a magazine onto a nearby table, Candy Apple grinned as she conversed with her mother. On the cover was a young-looking Chinese woman with gorgeous light brown eyes, accented so perfectly by her expertly done makeup and soft-looking delicate skin. There wasn’t a blemish or imperfection on her face, and it went well with her silky flowing black hair.

“Jade Silverneedle is probably the greatest fashion designer of our generation next to you, mother! I can’t believe you’re getting to meet her for a collaboration!” Candy squealed.

Rarity smiled before brushing a lock of her dyed black hair behind her ear. It had been dyed black so long ago, that she would have forgotten how purple looked on her head if it weren’t for the photographs around the house of her when she was younger. Applejack actually kept Rarity’s senior picture on the wall, saying she wanted the woman to see how she has only gotten more beautiful over the years. Rarity was getting dangerously close to 40 now, after all.

While Rarity was always looking for new ways to expand her fashion line, she had to admit that getting to meet with Jade Silverneedle and Dynasty Fashions, her company wasn’t a matter of skill in business. Rarity had sent out her designs to every major firm in the tri-state area and hoped one of them would pick them up for distribution. Dynasty Fashions had gotten back to her quickly though.

In their letter, they insisted she meet with their CEO personally as soon as possible and they were very adamant that Ms. Silverneedle was exceptionally impressed with Rarity’s designs.

“There’s no certainty that she wants to do a collaboration, Candy. She’s a businesswoman, so she likely wants to talk business long before we agree on some kind of collaboration...” Rarity reminded her young daughter.

“True that! I heard she can be a bad bitch when it comes to business!” Candy exclaimed.

Rarity grunted disapprovingly. “Candy, language.”

Covering her mouth playfully, Candy nodded. “Sorry, what I meant to say is that she’s a ruthless businesswoman. I imagine negotiations will last a while. I read online that she grills her employees hard and expects perfection out of everyone who works under her.”

“Cursing is not ladylike...” Rarity reminded. “Anyway, if I can convince Jade to form some kind of partnership with me, it’ll certainly have a significant impact on our financial situation...”

“We’d get richer than Horizon’s family in no time!” Candy giggled.

Maybe a good decade or so ago, Rarity would have been excited at such a prospect, but age had made her wiser and changed her values. While she once admired the high society life, now she found her solace in family and a more quiet life, though she still found fashion to be a driving force for herself. She was content living in her moderate sized home with her wife and two children now.

Rarity laughed lightly and shook her head. “I wouldn’t say that, but Dynasty Fashions could certainly be a brand that skyrockets my own into popularity.”

“Jade is a fashion genius, so naturally she would recognize another genius!” Candy admired her mother.

Rarity blushed and giggled. “Yes, yes, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, darling.”

“Well keep me updated, I want to hear all about how it goes!” Candy smiled.

Jade had gotten curious and for some time now, she had been wondering about Horizon Shimmer’s mother, Sunset Shimmer, and why she was killed. Jade’s position on the metaphorical totem pole was low and given that she was human, she was on a need-to-know basis.

Still, the organization killed Horizon’s mother but didn’t explain too much about her, so Jade utilized some of her resources to find out more about the woman. Going through her files she was able to depict the kind of character that she once was.

Sunset grew up in Equestria, so she wasn’t human. While it was unclear to Jade, she surmised that the girl had a troubled and strained relationship with her family and came to the human world for something along that nature. From there she lived a very rough life of solitude and self-loathing until she ran into her group of friends who helped her overcome her bitterness at the world.

While she was a loving friend from then on, she became an enigma and a difficult person to know. Based upon the files that Jade had acquired, few people were very close to her, and she rejected many attempts to get her to open up. The evidence that Jade had found on her showed she vanished for three years at one point and she was somewhat of a loner even with her small daughter in the picture.

Jade examined all the data she could find and realized that there was clearly much more going on than she was being told. Despite her death appearing insignificant at first, it didn’t add up that the organization wouldn’t tell her more about it. If she came from Equestria, that meant that she must have had some kind of knowledge about their organization and what their intentions were.

Was it possible that Sunset was killed for knowing too much? Jade definitely thought it was possible. Or could it have been worse? Was Sunset a part of their organization at one point? It certainly made sense that she’d be put down for being a betrayer after all.

Jade was curious. For some reason she couldn’t just leave it alone, she had to know the truth.

The young beautiful Chinese woman had met with one of the other lower-tiered members of their organization, a subordinate named Glow. She was one of the few who joined late and as a result, wasn’t privy to a ton of information at the top, but given her lower position, she was the most likely candidate to leak info that she did have. Jade was certain that the red kabuki kept more from her than others due to her nature of being human. Other Equestrians, however, would likely be told more. There was a bond of trust with their own kind that a human likely couldn't achieve.

Glow sat atop of Jade’s desk and took a large bite out of a sandwich that Jade’s staff had prepared for the girl. She was a bit on the slovenly side and definitely stood out when in the presence of those who worked for a high-end fashion company. Crumbs fell onto the girl’s shirt and onto Jade’s clean floor which irked her, but she kept silent and tolerated the girl and her rude behavior.

“So why’d you call me here, Jade? Did Eight finally approve you to have an assistant?” Glow questioned.

Jade shook her head. The idea of this girl being her assistant brought her shame and disgust. She couldn’t imagine this character getting much of anything useful done.

“No, I actually had some questions I was hoping you could answer,” Jade said.

“I’ll do my best.” Glow gave a thumbs up.

Rolling her eyes first, Jade decided it was best to be subtle. “What do you know about Sunset Shimmer?”

“Why do you want to know?” Glow asked before taking another bite of her food.

“I was tasked with eliminated her daughter, Horizon, so I wanted to understand the family, it may aid me in that mission...” Jade half-lied.

Glow spoke with her mouth half-full. “Pretty unusual character, that’s for sure. The girl was a royal pain in the ass. She was Equestrian born, but she lived here.”

“Why would one of your kind want to live here though?” Jade asked.

Shrugging, Glow swallowed. “Lady had a family here apparently. She gave Equestria up to live among humans. She and old Princess Twilight had a strained relationship though because apparently, Twilight called her back to Equestria to fight in the war.”

Jade had only heard a little about the war. She knew it was fought between a demon siren named Serenade and the remnants of Equestria.

“Oh?” Jade raised a brow.

“Yeah, we found out that Sunset was Glitch. The hero of Equestria, saved the country and defeated Serenade. I hear she roughed her up good too. Fucked the girl up beyond words using something called the Siren’s Bane. After that Glitch vanished, but I guess now we know it’s because she came here...” Glow explained.

Sunset had defeated Serenade? She had to be incredibly powerful then as Jade had heard horror stories of how strong Serenade was. Some of the others had described her as a living nightmare in her hay day.

“So how did you guys manage to kill her?” Jade asked.

Glow took another bite and began chewing before she answered. She glanced over at Jade from behind her long curly blond hair. “Well, one of our own got the drop on her. See, they turned him only partially into a demon. Sort of like a slow conversion kind of thing.”

“Why does that matter?” Jade questioned as she lit a cigarette.

“The portal that Sunset had stowed away won’t work for demons. It blocks demonic energy from going through, so they sent a non-demon through but planted sort of a demon seed in him that would unleash after he got through. Naturally, it meant he was a weak demon, but here in the human world, Sunset’s powers were far weaker and he had the element of surprise. They got luckier in that she coincidentally was right near the portal when he came through...” Glow explained.

Taking a drag from the cigarette, Jade exhaled smoke as she listened. A simple low tier demon was able to kill such a powerful opponent? How?

“And he killed her?” Jade asked.

Glow nodded. “Yeah, it was a confirmed kill. They killed each other, but he made sure to phone in the report before he did. Apparently, the higher-ups even saw her bleed out...”

“How though? They weren’t there...” Jade pointed out.

Glow raised a finger. “The demon seed they planted in him was connected to our second-in-command. He was able to watch through the eyes of the demon they sent through. He saw the killing strike himself. Sunset Shimmer’s wounds were fatal, hell her fucking hand got cut off even. Blood everywhere, I heard...”

So Sunset Shimmer really was dead then. If the second-in-command saw it happen, then there was no denying it. It was a confirmed kill and that’s all there was to it.

“Why her though?” Jade asked.

Glow smiled at her. “Two reasons really... The first being she had the stone...”

“And the second?” Jade blinked.

“Eliminate a potential threat right out of the gate. I mean if she was able to best Serenade, then we couldn’t take a chance on her that’s for sure...” Glow said.

Jade couldn’t help but agree. It was indeed more ideal to not leave anything to chance if possible.

The black kabuki observed Jade’s building from a distance as they watched Glow leave from the front entrance. Their mask scanned the girl and confirmed she too was a demon, and within seconds the black kabuki gave chase to Glow from a safe distance, just out of sight, waiting for the right moment.

As Glow made her way back to her shelter, the black kabuki noted her path and the moment she turned into a secluded ally that cut between two old abandoned buildings, they dropped down behind them ready to strike.

Glow got lucky as she heard the sound of the black kabuki’s feet hit the ground ever so lightly and quickly pivoted to face them. She gasped as she stepped back dodging the stab of a knife.

“Y-you’re the black kabuki!” Glow gasped once more.

“Perceptive. Surely you know that the next part involves you dying then?” The kabuki spoke in their distorted voice.

“Killing me will only make the red angrier with you!” Glow warned.

“I’m sure you’re inconsequential to them, and even if you weren’t, I could care less...” The black kabuki spoke.

Gulping, Glow stepped backward glancing over her shoulder in the hopes that she could make a break for it and outrun them.

“Why don’t you give up? You can’t win against the red, and you know that! What do you hope to accomplish?” Glow asked.

Drawing a bow off of their back, the black kabuki loaded up an arrow and pulled the string back aiming for Glow. “I will kill any and all demons, without mercy. You’re all just a blight on existence and I will exterminate every last one of you and anyone who aids your kind.”

“Do you really think you can kill the red? They’re invincible!” Glow challenged.

“Maybe, but I know one thing...” The black kabuki spoke quietly.

“What’s that?” Glow blinked.

The arrow snapped from the string and sailed through the air, piercing Glow between the eyes. She didn’t even get a chance to scream before the arrow impacted and pierced her brain. She was dead before she hit the ground and like every other demon, her body quickly evaporated into a thick black mist.

Lowering their bow, the black kabuki finished their thought. “You’re not...”

“Thank you for meeting with me, Miss Silverneedle, it’s quite an honor to meet you. I have to admit you’re far more gorgeous in person than in your photos. They don’t nearly do your appearance justice, darling.” Rarity bowed gently as she approached the fellow fashionista, who offered her hand to be shook.

Obliging, Rarity took the light-skinned woman’s hand in her own and gave it a gentle shake, noting how soft Jade Silverneedle’s grip was. As expected she was quite ladylike but exuded a stern and powerful woman’s aura. A fine business woman, but able to pull off such an astonishing feat while looking fantastic.

Rarity admired the Asian designer, and while their styles were not quite the same, she could respect someone who clawed their way to the top as Jade had. The drive and desire to be the best was something Rarity always had in herself, after all.

Jade kept a neutral expression as she nodded. “Yes, well cameras often are used to make things appear as they are not, wouldn’t you say?”

“Perhaps to an extent, but you do take quite an impressive photo regardless...” Rarity shrugged.

“As do you, Miss Apple. I’ve seen your photographs modeling your own stuff and not only are your designs divine, but you are quite the model yourself...” Jade stated.

Blushing at such praise, Rarity waved her hand dismissively. “You flatter me, Miss Silverneedle. My daughter is actually quite a fan of your work actually.”

“You have a daughter then?” Jade asked.

Nodding, Rarity began to follow the woman who gestured for her to come with her. The two entered an elevator that would take them to the top floor where they could retreat to Jade’s private office.

“Yes, she wants to design clothing just like her mother and you’re one of her idols actually. She’s insanely jealous that I’m even meeting you right now.” Rarity giggled as she placed a hand over her mouth.

Jade stood watching the floor counter of the elevator go up until it reached the eighth floor and the doors opened. “Interesting. I’ll be sure to sign something for her before you leave.”

“Oh, that’s quite generous of you Miss Silverneedle...” Rarity nodded.

As the two stepped into Jade’s office, she shook her head as she headed toward her desk. “Please, just Jade is sufficient.”

Blinking, Rarity nodded. She hadn’t expected Jade Silverneedle to be so down-to-earth, but it appeared so.

Opening a drawer and retrieving a pack of cigarettes, Jade counted only eight left. She drew one and placed it between her lips before offering one to Rarity which was declined promptly.

After lighting up, Jade leaned back in her chair and exhaled smoke. “I’ll cut to the chase then. I like your designs Rarity, and I think I could incorporate them into a new line that I’m doing. It combines my eastern themed designs with yours, and I think it’ll have a very refreshing effect.”

“Sounds bold. Combining themes can be tricky after all...” Rarity blinked.

“Nothing that I don’t think both of us can handle though,” Jade responded quickly.

She had a point. Rarity knew that between the two of them, they could be fashion goddesses. Their combined talent would be unstoppable. Rarity could already see the headlines talking about the two of them and their fabulous partnership that swept the fashion world by storm. It was an excellent opportunity, she would have to be crazy to turn it down, but something still irked her.

Why would such a well-known designer even notice me? I’m fantastic at what I do, but it’s still hard to believe that someone as well known as Jade is paying attention to smaller brands. Rarity thought to herself.

Indeed, why would Jade be interested in her? Rarity had to wonder, but she didn’t dare voice it, so as to not potentially cost the partnership.

“Do we have a deal, Rarity?” Jade asked before exhaling.

Nodding, Rarity offered her hand once more. “I look forward to working with you, darling.”

Jade shook the woman’s hand a nodded with a coy smile. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Angel sat down with Horizon Shimmer on a park bench after the two had agreed to meet up. Horizon wanted to understand her powers better and thought of no better way than to converse with another who also had a light affinity.

Sitting carefully with her hands in her lap, Angel smiled at Horizon who sat with her usual empty expression. Angel wondered if the girl ever smiled, as she observed her sitting there in a black and orange Lolita style dress; it suited her.

Opening her mouth to begin, Angel cleared her throat. “What did you want to talk about? I mean you invited me out here...”

“How did you get your powers again?” Horizon cut right to the chase.

Sighing, Angel shook her head. “I already told you, I don’t really know. One day I had them, and I couldn’t explain it. Maybe I’ve always had them but didn’t realize it until that day...”

“Do you think it’s possible we’ve all had powers and didn’t know it?” Horizon asked.

Angel shrugged. “It’s very possible. I don’t quite understand much of it myself if I’m honest. I have these visions but they don’t tell me everything and often times crucial information is omitted. I wish they would tell me more just as you would. The truth is that when things come to me, they aren’t always the things I would prefer to know...”

“Well, what do you know about the demon throne then? You mentioned it before?” Horizon questioned.

Angel looked up at the sky, not particularly enjoying such a gloomy subject, she chewed her thoughts and contemplated how to describe it. She had seen hell a few times in her visions, and each time she wished she hadn’t.

“The demon throne has been empty for some time, waiting for one worthy of sitting upon the throne...” Angel explained.

It oddly reminded Horizon of a story she had seen on a television series. “Why has no one claimed the throne yet?”

“There was a candidate for the throne prior... I don’t know much about it, but they fell in battle. A new candidate appeared to claim it, but out of nowhere, they were defeated as well. I believe the person who defeated the new candidate was the red kabuki...” Angel shuddered just thinking about how powerful the red kabuki had to have been.

Horizon blinked as she pieced it all together. She had heard about a girl named Serenade that was the most powerful demon that walked Equestria, at one point even conquering the entire kingdom where she ruled for a few years. She was defeated by a masked warrior named Glitch.

It was clear to her. “Serenade was the original candidate for the throne then.”

Angel looked over at Horizon with curious eyes. “How do you figure that?”

“Serenade was a powerful demon, she was defeated by a guy named Glitch. She ruled all of Equestria for a brief time. That would fill in the timeline where the original candidate for the demon throne was defeated... So Serenade was the original...” Horizon placed a hand upon her chin and looked down in thought.

Angel couldn’t deny that it made sense. Serenade was said to be powerful enough to thwart all of Equestria, so that certainly put her on a level that could achieve being the lord of all demons.

“So that means after Serenade fell... Someone else tried to take the throne only to be defeated by the red kabuki who is now next in line to get it...” Angel thought out loud.

Horizon shook her head as she came to a stand. “No, that’s not right either.”

“What do you mean?” Angel looked up at her with confused eyes.

Horizon tapped her finger in her palm as she explained her logic. “If the red kabuki defeated the previous candidate for the throne, then why aren’t they the demon lord already?”

“Maybe they’re not powerful enough yet?” Angel shrugged.

Shaking her head once more, Horizon reached up and adjusted her glasses. “No, it means there is still a question of if they will get the throne...”

“Meaning?” Angel tilted her head.

“There’s another challenger for the throne out there. There is another person worthy of the throne and thus the red kabuki can’t claim it until they defeat them,” Horizon explained.

Another one!? Angel thought. Dealing with one opponent powerful enough to be the lord of all demons was bad enough, but the thought that they now would have to deal with two of them was insane.

“Could it be the black kabuki?” Angel gulped.

Horizon considered that possibility but shook her head. “No, while they want the red kabuki dead, I didn’t get any demonic presence from them. I didn’t even detect a magic presence, to be honest.”

“So how does he tie into this then?” Angel asked.

“A second group after the stone, maybe? Who is to say that demons are the only ones after the stone? Others in Equestria could have evil intentions as well, right?” Horizon suggested.

Angel knew little of Equestria, but it was certainly possible that demons were not the only faction with ill intentions. Anyone who sought to be in power in Equestria could be trying to seize the opportunity. Hell, there was even a good chance that other humans from their own world would try and take the stone if they could figure out what it did or how to use it.

The two of them wished they understood what exactly the stone was or what it was for, as it would answer some of their questions.

“This whole thing could run deeper than we know then...” Angel frowned.

“Best to stay on our toes then.” Horizon nodded.

Bolt sat bored in class while he scribbled in his notebook. He was jotting down theories and ideas of what their group should be doing next to continue their mission to stop the demons that threatened their world, but they were hitting a wall. With no leads and no idea what the red kabuki was up to, they were clueless on where to go from here.

Fortunately, they had made a little headway in that Horizon managed to take down Summer Flare (albeit with the indirect help of the black kabuki) and their team had grown substantially in size.

He tapped his pen on his desk when he noted the door to the classroom swing open and in walked a young girl. She was petite in size, instantly making her the smallest and shortest girl in the class. She probably wasn’t even five feet tall.

Her outfit was very punk rocker, a midriff top with some kind of metal band upon it, and fishnet covering her stomach. A leather jacket was sitting on top of the top, and she had a black tattered up skirt with a utility pouch for carrying her belongings.

The look was completed with black and green striped leggings and a pair of black combat boots.

As she reached forward handing a note to the teacher, he read it and nodded before gesturing her into the room. Bolt noted the black nail polish on her fingertips along with a silver ring on her pinkie finger.

She approached the front of the class with a black stick in her right hand, tapping about as she moved. Her muted red eyes and the stick told Bolt all he needed to know: she was blind.

Her short neck length black hair had green highlights and was soft and silky looking. It bounced as she moved.

Clearing his throat, the teacher introduced her. “Everyone, this is Thorn Scratch, please make her feel welcome.”

Thorn bowed gently and gave a large grin showing off the snake bite piercings on her lower lip. “I look forward to learning with you all.”

“Why not take a seat next to Bolt in the back there?” The teacher instructed.

“Which way is that?” She asked.

“Bolt could you call out for her?” The teacher said.

Tapping his desk, Bolt raised his voice so the girl could hear him. “I’m over here.”

Nodding, Thorn began to make her way through the classroom, tapping her cane about until she located the desk. She sat down carefully and placed her cane next to her desk before turning to Bolt to speak. “Thank you for the help. You’re Bolt then?”

He nodded. “Yeah, Bolt Dash...”

“It’s great to meet you. Guess I’ll be relying on you from now on if I have any trouble, is that alright?” She asked.

“Yeah, no problem...” Bolt replied.

The class went on uneventfully, but Bolt couldn’t help but be curious about the new girl. There was a certain aura about her that made him want to know more about her. When the bell rang dismissing them, he stood up and loomed over her desk before she left.

“Did you just move here?” He asked.

Staying seated, Thorn nodded. “Yeah. My mom moved back here for work.”

“What’s she do?”

“She’s a musician, she does recording and mixing at a studio.” Thorn grinned.

So far the girl seemed fairly upbeat for someone who was blind.

“So hopefully this isn’t rude, but were you born blind?” He questioned.

Instead of getting offended, she chuckled and covered her mouth before shaking her head. “No, I could see at one point, but my eyesight was lost over the years. I had a condition that caused it. So I know what it’s like to be able to see. My mom is actually mute too, so it’s like we have a special connection through our disabilities.”

“If she can’t talk and you can’t see how do you communicate?” He asked.

“Texting mostly. My phone will read to me what she says,” Thorn explained.

What an interesting girl. Bolt thought to himself.

“Well, I promised I’d look out for you, so if you need anything I’ll give you my number. Call me if you need help with something okay? I take my promises pretty seriously...” Bolt rubbed his neck.

The girl held out her wrist with her phone on it. Taking the hint, Bolt touched his own to hers’ and the numbers transferred. She smiled at him after the electronic exchange. “I feel like I can trust you, Bolt.”

“Why’s that?” Bolt blinked.

Holding out her hand, she opened and closed her fingers. “Could you please touch your hand to mine for a second?”

Shrugging, Bolt did as was requested and placed his hand in her hand. She closed her fingers around it and gave it a gentle squeeze. After only eight seconds her face lit up with a grin. “You can use magic, can’t you, Bolt?”

Pulling his hand away, Bolt’s eyes widened. How did she know? Was she just messing with him?

“What do you mean?” Bolt spoke, nervousness in his voice.

“I can sense it in you... You have magic, I’m pretty sure your affinity is lightning too...” Thorn spoke.

Looking around to see if anyone was listening, Bolt stepped closer and hushed his tone. “How do you know that?”

“I can sense magic in others. I knew I wasn’t the only one capable of it...” She grinned.

“You can do magic? How? Do you have a geode? Are you Equestrian?” He asked.

“Geode? Equestrian? What’s that?” She tilted her head.

So she doesn’t know. Bolt thought to himself.

“How did you learn about magic?” He asked.

The girl shrugged. “One day I had a dream that told me all about it and from that point out I learned how to use my abilities on my own. I learned that there are different affinities, but for a long time I thought I was the only one who could do it, but a part of me always knew that there were others like me... Maybe it’s not a coincidence that we met...”

Bolt didn’t believe in fate or destiny, but it was terribly convenient that the two of them met. He only debated on what to do for a brief moment before he realized that now that this girl knew of his abilities, it was only logical to introduce her to their group and bring her up to speed. He couldn’t just leave her alone now, since there were demons loose who would likely target her. With no eyesight, she was helpless to defend herself from them.

“There are others like us, Thorn... My friends. I’ll introduce you to them, but I should warn you... What we’re involved in is dangerous...” He explained.

The girl offered her hand again. “Take me to them! Danger doesn’t scare me.”

He had to admit: he admired her gusto. Taking her hand, he began to lead her to go meet with his friends, slowly explaining their situation along the way. Another ally was on their side.

After a good hour, the group brought Thorn up to speed on what they were doing and what was going on. They told her of the stone, the red kabuki, and the demons that were after them. She seemed to take it all relatively well and appeared to meet the information with a positive attitude. If anything, she seemed eager to help in any way she could.

“So that about explains it all, I suppose...” Jasper crossed his arms.

Candy looked the girl up and down and nodded as she made mental notes regarding her figure. “I’ll have a costume for her hopefully by tomorrow...”

“Sounds like these demons are pretty tough...” Thorn said.

Nova grinned as she hopped off of the couch in Horizon’s living room. “Yeah, but we’re tougher. We’ve got a wide array of talent in this group and with all of our magic being so diverse, we’ve got a huge advantage.”

“That reminds me... What affinity is your magic, Thorn?” Yuna questioned.

Thorn grinned and held out her hand. She focused her energy into her palm as she always had. Concentrating, she willed her power to manifest, and as always, it did. A black flame appeared in her hand, swirling around. The flame was ethereal and almost didn’t appear real. It was a ball of shadows fighting existence itself as it swirled in her palm.

“My affinity is dark magic.”

They all froze as they saw it.

“Like the demons?” Cloud covered his mouth in shock.

She shook her head. “No. Demons may be able to use dark magic, but my magic is not of demonic origin. It is said that dark magic is the rarest of all because to utilize it, one must be able to control darkness. Darkness often consumes its users...”

“So why can you use it then?” Bolt asked.

Thorn made the ball disappear before answering. “I have lived in the dark for so long now that I can not fear the darkness. Without vision, I can face darkness with a calm mind. That makes it easy to control for me.”

“This is actually awesome! A dark magic user! It’s like we’re adding irony to the fight!” Keylime exclaimed.

“I will admit... Being able to understand dark magic will give us a huge advantage against those demons for sure...” Horizon said.

“I could compile tons of useful data by studying her in action too...” Yuna added with her finger raised.

“Not to sound rude, but are you sure that y’all can... Handle this? I ain’t one to make others feel lesser, but with your... disability, are y’all sure you’re up to this?” Jasper asked.

None of them had considered that.

“This is going to be really dangerous...” Yuna warned.

Thorn smiled as she replied. “I want to understand my powers just as much as you all do, and now that you’ve told me about these demons and everything going on... I couldn’t bring myself to ignore all of it. I want to help in any way that I can. I may be blind, but I’m far from helpless. Give me a chance to prove myself and I’ll show you what I can do!”

“You have to admire her determination.” Candy nodded with pride.

Bolt looked into the girl’s muted red eyes and found himself smiling as he felt a sense of trust being forged between Thorn and his friends. Something about her made him see her almost as a sister.

“It’s settled then, welcome to our team, Thorn,” Horizon stated.

“Glad to be of service!” Thorn saluted.

Jade could tell that the red kabuki was growing impatient with her lack of progress. She had been biding her time to find the perfect moment to strike on Horizon and her friends, but the group never seemed to split apart for long enough for her to take her opportunity. When Horizon wasn’t with her friends, she was well within the walls of her estate, which would be challenging to enter without raising public alarm.

There wouldn’t be much of a point in killing Horizon if it alerted the entire police force to her, as then the red kabuki would have to silence Jade to ensure that the organization’s existence remained a secret. It wasn’t above their leader to kill their subordinates to protect the cause.

On top of that, Jade still didn’t have a clue where the black kabuki was or how she would kill him. While she had the aid of her plants, they didn’t seem to be able to get a read on him. He was an odd creature, if not solely for the fact that despite his impressive strength and ability, Jade could sense no magic in him. Was it possible that they had been played by a powerless opponent? His martial arts and skill with a bow couldn’t be denied, but what if he really was just an ordinary mortal with no magic at all?

She racked her brain trying to think of a way to get them there. Pacing her office, Jade recalled Rarity. She was the mother of two of their group members, and she had mentioned that her daughter was a huge fan. That presented an opportunity. Jade could invite Rarity’s daughter to see her private collection and tell her to bring her friends with her. That created a means for her to get to them.

It was almost perfect, no one would find her actions suspicious, then she could kill Horizon Shimmer, and let the red kabuki deal with others.

The only hitch in the plan was the black kabuki. While it was obvious he wanted the stone that Horzion had, there was no certainty he’d show up on command, even in Jade attempted to lure him out. No, he was too clever to fall for a novice trick after all. She needed another way.

To make matters worse, she was taking a huge risk just trying to lure Horizon and her friends out, as if she left her office, there was no doubt that the black kabuki would try and hunt her down. She only had safety where she was because no one would be stupid enough to kill her right in her own office. With cameras all over the building, the police would be alerted almost instantly, and that created problems for all of them.

It was unavoidable though, she would need to take the risk. She hated the idea, but the increasing impatience of the red kabuki took precedent. If she didn’t deliver results for their leader, she would end up like Summer Flare, or worse.

Getting on her phone, Jade cleared her throat as she called Rarity. The phone rang eight times before the woman picked up. “Hello? Ms. Silverneedle?”

“I told you, please call me Jade...” Jade responded with a faux nice tone.

“R-right... Jade... What can I do for you?” Rarity asked.

“I recall you mentioning that your daughter was a big fan of mine?” Jade spoke.

“Oh yes, she loves your work!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Well, how would she like to take a tour of my private collection? She can bring her friends along as well.” Jade began to pour a drink from a bottle of scotch in her liquor cabinet.

Rarity was stunned for a brief moment, taking a few extra seconds to respond. “T-that would be incredible! You’re serious?”

“Of course, consider it a token of gratitude for our new partnership. We’re in this endeavor together, after all, right?” Jade replied while trying to sound as earnest as possible.

Rarity apparently didn’t catch onto her poor acting as the woman seemed to remain fairly ecstatic at the offer. “Thank you so much! I’ll let her know right away!”

“How about this Saturday? I’m sure the kids have school, so I wouldn’t want to impose on their studies...” Jade said.

“Of course, I’ll let Candy know right away. Shall they meet you at your building?” Rarity asked.

“Of course, I’ll open the doors for them at 8,” Jade responded.

“Alright, and thank you again, darling.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Rarity...” Jade spoke quietly before hanging up her phone.

Now it was all in motion, all she needed to do was play her cards right and she could complete her task.

With his hands in his pockets, Bolt stood next to Keylime as the two walked back to her home. Bolt had insisted on taking her home and not allowing her to go alone under the guise of protecting her, but in actuality, he knew that the girl could protect herself. In truth, he just wanted a chance to be alone with her.

Sadly after getting his opportunity, Bolt had neglected to realize that he didn’t even know what to talk about with the odd girl. She was incredibly cute, but it was difficult to carry a conversation with her, due to how random she was at times; other times she was outright incomprehensible.

To his good fortune, she started the conversation for him. “Did you know that sharks will get sleepy if you push their nose?”

He blinked and turned to face her as the two walked. “Uh... No, I didn’t know that.”

“Useful if you’re ever in a one on one fight with a shark!” Keylime grinned.

Rubbing his neck, Bolt laughed. “I’ll remember that if such a situation ever arises.”

“It always pays to be prepared, that’s why I keep an emergency confetti launcher in my bedroom.” Keylime raised a finger as if she were stating the obvious, when in actuality, Bolt didn’t have the slightest clue what she was talking about. He feigned understanding, however.

“Right... So what do you think about that black kabuki that Horizon was talking about? Sounds like a pretty tough customer...” Bolt pulled a hand out of his pocket as he gestured at her.

Keylime looked up in thought with a finger on her chin before shrugging. “Dunno, maybe he’s like an alien from the future or something?”

“What do you base that on?” Bolt blinked.

Unsurprisingly, the girl shrugged again. “Nothing, it’d be pretty cool though. It would certainly increase the level of plot twists in this mystery.”

“That it would, but let’s hope that isn’t the case...” Bolt laughed.

Keylime frowned at his statement but begrudgingly, she nodded back at him. The two arrived at her house moments later and the two turned to face each other, Bolt just standing there silently while Keylime stared at him with an expectant face.

He was confused by her expression and after eight painful seconds of silence, Keylime huffed and crossed her arms. “You’re not going to say that you’ll see me later?”

“Yeah, sorry, I was trying to think of a cool way to say goodbye...” He rubbed his neck and averted his eyes while a small blush came to his cheeks.

Keylime tapped his nose teasingly before stepping backward with a smirk on her face. “Well, I expect to hear it next time.”

“Sure thing.” Bolt grinned back at her before shooting her a thumbs up.

Keylime turned around and headed inside her home while Bolt watched her leave. He was still surprised at how attractive she was.

Cinder stood with only one of her blades in hand as she watched her young student prepare to strike with her backhanded short sword. No matter how many times she saw it, she still found it interesting to see not only a left-handed sword wielder but one who also felt more comfortable using her blade as a backhanded weapon.

The technique would be unpredictable to foes, but far more challenging to master. With a short sword though, it was possible. The primary focus though had to be perfecting how she struck. With backhanded weapons, her range was short, but she could catch enemies off guard.

Tapping her katana on the ground lightly, Cinder signaled the start of their spar. Candy carefully took eight steps to the right before bending her knees to take two quick steps forward and swipe with her sword, only to be blocked and deflected by Cinder’s mighty katana.

Not deterred, Candy took a few more swings, all blocked or deflected by Cinder. After about the eighth strike, Candy swiped at the woman’s feet only for Cinder to crouch down and grab Candy’s sword with her metal arm.

Candy struggled to free her sword from Cinder’s grip only for the older woman to point her katana at Candy’s face, coming dangerously close to the young girl’s nose. Candy gulped as she looked down the blade and then ultimately looked directly at her mentor’s eyes.

“And you’re dead.” Cinder removed her grip from Candy’s sword before lowering her own.

“I’ve been doing this same lesson all week!” Candy sighed.

Cinder shook her head. “And while you’ve made great progress, you must master your basics if you hope to advance.”

“Master, with all due respect, there are apparently a significant amount of demons likely heading our way... The red kabuki-“ Candy got cut off by her mentor.

“You’re not ready for. If the red kabuki comes your way, you should avoid a confrontation or pray that I am nearby... Candy, you are strong, but you must hone your skills. One day you will be ready, but the path to being a swordmaster requires patience and diligence...” Cinder spoke with a powerful voice, one that clearly came from years of experience. Her words sounded recited, which gave Candy the impression that she had been told the same thing in her own youth.

“I’m glad to hear that, perhaps you have enough patience for a challenging student...” Bolt’s voice called from behind Cinder.

The reptilian woman turned and narrowed her eyes as she gazed upon the teen who stood with a petite gothic looking girl. “It’s rude to interrupt a master’s training sessions you know...”

“Forgive me, but I was hoping you could take on another student...” Bolt grinned.

“I do not take on just any student.” Cinder crossed her arms. Bolt got a good look at her impressive bicep along with her mechanical arm.

“This one is a challenge, but I don’t think anyone else would have the skills to train her. She wants to join us, but she will need help if she wants to be able to be kept safe...” Bolt placed a hand upon the small girl’s shoulder and pushed her forward.

Thorn stood there silently as Cinder eyed her up and down. Coming closer, Cinder inspected the girl from all sides as she nodded. Crouching to close the gap between their impressive height, Cinder met her eyes with her own and noticed that Thorn’s eyes didn’t move at all.

The young teen’s eyes were glassy and cloudy, but it was obvious that they were a muted red. Cinder understood her situation instantly. “You’re blind, correct?”

Thorn nodded. “Yes, I have been for a long time.”

“It will definitely be difficult to train a student who can not see... But it’s not impossible. You will need to rely on your other senses to fight... Tell me, can you do magic?” Cinder came to a stand.

“Yes, I can do dark magic. With it, I can see things in the shadows. If something stands in the shadows, I can sense it with my magic...” Thorn explained.

Cinder laughed. “So at night, you’re far more formidable... Well, with this and your hearing you might be able to master a weapon.”

“So you’ll teach her?” Bolt asked.

Cinder nodded. “She will train with Candy and I shall also do private lessons with the girl. Tell me, child, what is your name?”

“Thorn Scratch,” Thorn stated.

“Very well, I am Cinder Razorclaw, but you may refer to me as Cinder if you wish.” Cinder bowed.

Thorn gave her a smile and nodded. “Very well. Shall we begin training right away then, Cinder?”

“That would be most wise.”

Releasing her hand from a plant in her office, Jade blinked a few times before she sat down in her office chair. The plants had shown her all she needed to know. Thorn was a new recruit in Horizon’s group and was now being trained by a woman named Cinder Razorclaw.

Horizon’s group had no idea that Jade could watch them all virtually anywhere they went. It was the plants that helped her. They did her bidding and as a result, she could see anything near them. They were a diverse network across the entire city where Jade could spy through each and every plant. In this sense, she could call upon them to view her enemies at any time.

Still, there were limits to her power, such as her range was limited to just outside the city limits unless she moved. This meant that she could only keep an eye on things that were at a reasonable distance from herself. Furthermore, she needed to touch a plant to access the network of plants around her.

Her opponents had no idea how much she knew though, and that gave her a keen advantage over them. Still, she couldn’t underestimate them. Tomorrow when they came to her office she could size them up and execute them. From there she only needed to take the stone from Horizon Shimmer and it would lure out the black kabuki.

While Jade wasn’t confident she could defeat him on her own, she knew if she called upon the red kabuki, they would come to her aid if only to get the chance to take the black kabuki down.

That would leave only the white kabuki, which Jade had gathered wasn’t nearly as formidable as their black ally. Once they were all taken care of though, Jade could prove her loyalty to the cause and perhaps be let in on more secrets of their organization.

It was wishful thinking, but at that moment it was either perform or die. Eight Ball made it clear that failing this task wasn’t an option and he came off as a man of his word. He likely wanted her to fail simply because he would never accept a human among their ranks.

Sitting down at her desk, Jade began to smoke a cigarette. After about eight puffs she pulled out some stationary from the inside of her desk and began to write a letter.

To whom it may concern,

My name is Jade Silverneedle. I came here to America from China many years ago. My life was challenging at first, and I struggled to make a living here for some time. When I was still a young adult though, I encountered a strange person who called themselves the red kabuki. I don’t exactly know who they are or what they are after, but they offered to let me join their organization.
There was a trade-off to joining though, I was required to become a demon and then prove my loyalty.

I don’t know much about these demons, but I do know that all demons manifest their powers differently. There’s a good couple dozen of them that I know of. They pulled most of their kind from another world called “Equestria”. I don’t know the full scope of how they got here, but it seems like they can’t get back.

Their end goal isn’t clear, but I think it has to do with Equestria. Their interest in our world seems minimal at best.

I’m writing this letter in the event that I fail at my mission. If someone is able to kill me, then I suppose they earned the right to know what I know. Strength paves the way to the future, and I am inclined to submit to that strength. If you’re reading this, then you’ve won and maybe you will determine how this all plays out.

Jade took the letter and folded it up, sealing it into an envelope. She took the letter and placed it in the top drawer of her desk.

She had a strong feeling that she might not succeed in taking down Horizon, so it was safe to have a backup plan.

Perhaps the organization was wise to distrust her, as her loyalty wasn’t too deep. If she were to die, then she didn’t care what happened to them all after. Once she was no longer a part of it, she couldn’t care less.

Still, she had tried her best to make a name for herself under the red kabuki, and if it wasn’t enough then she accepted her fate. She had survived so long, and now she would see if she had what it took to truly be accepted as a member of the organization. Could a human really rise to be a formidable demon? Or was her spirit just not strong enough?

She didn’t know, but she knew that tomorrow would determine it all.

Eight Ball sat atop of a table in the warehouse where he was stationed as he commanded his subordinates around. One after another, he sent them on tasks until a distorted voice caught his attention. “How’re things going with Jade, Eight Ball?”

He turned and sure enough, the red kabuki stood there behind him. He eyed them up and down and grinned as he saw his master. “She’s saying that she intends to lure Horizon and her friends tomorrow to her facility where she’s going to kill them. With any luck, the black kabuki will show up with his white friend.”

The red kabuki nodded. “I see, Jade is no match for all of them, I should go attend this matter personally...”

He blinked in astonishment. “You? Do you really want to waste your time with such small fries? Why not send someone else?”

“If you want something done right, sometimes you must do it yourself... Besides, I grow bored waiting for things to happen. Maybe it’s time these children got a taste of what they were up against...” The red kabuki reached under their cloak and retrieved a hilt made of a jagged black crystal with bones infused into it. It was something straight out of hell.

Attached to the black demonic hilt a long set of bones materialized forming what looked like some kind of spine that split into three at the tip. The entire thing was set ablaze after it came into existence and the red kabuki flicked it to their side showing off the impressive weapon. Eight Ball had only witnessed the weapon once before, but he knew its name well: Hell’s Lash. A powerful whip wielded only by the kind of demon that stood at the top.

The red kabuki was a demon among demons and Horizon and her friends had no idea what they were getting into.

Eight grinned with excitement as he nodded. “I suppose it’ll be a real treat seeing you dispose of them... What about Jade though?”

“If she succeeds in her task, it won’t make a difference. Kill her after the stone is in our possession. I don’t care how.” The red kabuki stated.

“So it’s true then... We never did have any real intentions of allowing her to join us?” Eight questioned.

“A human has no place in our ranks. She was a pawn from the start, if she was too foolish to know that, then she deserves her fate. This organization is for true demons only, a human can never stand among us as an equal,” the red kabuki explained.

It was an explanation that Eight had already expected and hoped for. Just like his master, he too despised the idea of a human tainting their group, but he had suspicions for some time that she was merely a tool to be used.

“All the loose ends will be tied up soon then...” Eight grinned.

“Once we kill these kids and the black kabuki, we can focus on finishing what we came to this pathetic world to do... Once it’s completed, we can finally have what’s rightfully ours’...” The red kabuki thought out loud.

Eight was filled with excitement. Everything was going so perfectly according to plan. Once they finished killing off their opposition, they could casually walk to their goal with nothing in their way.

Tomorrow would be the day they claimed victory. Tomorrow would be the day that their enemies met their doom.

And at last, the final member of the kid's team is introduced! Thorn was the last planned member of their team, and she is obviously unique in a few ways.

For starters, she is blind as you can see (no pun intended), and her affinity is dark magic.

Sorry for the long break everyone!

Next chapter actually is the end of "Part 1" of Act VII!