Auburn’s face turned red, but then a cold sweat ran down his neck as he wiped his lips free of saliva after coming up from Eclipse’s nether region. A woman with wild red hair stood there with a handgun pointed at the both of them. He had never had a gun pointed at him before, so he just froze.

Sighing, Eclipse zipped his pants back up and tucked away his length shaking his head. “I guess that means I’ll have to deal with blue balls instead…” Eclipse mumbled.

Sunset kept her weapon brandished and flicked her head slightly to move some of her wild hair out of her face. She had really let herself go in terms of personal grooming, but she had kept her body in top physical form.

“You both have eight seconds to tell me who you both are, and who sent you…” Sunset demanded.

Auburn stuttered but managed to get no words out. Fortunately for him, Eclipse managed to get the conversation started.

“He’s irrelevant. Literally, he’s just from a few rooms down, and he was looking for a good time,” Eclipse explained.

Sunset wiggled her gun at Auburn. “Let’s see some ID then, tough guy.”

Auburn looked over at Eclipse, who just gave him his soft effeminate smile. He seemed so perfectly calm in this situation. “It’s okay, sweetie. Give it to her.”

Hesitantly, Auburn held up his wrist and his phone flashed his ID as a hologram in front of Sunset who examined it closely. With her own phone, she scanned it to check for authenticity. After a few seconds, she was convinced his ID was real and Eclipse’s story seemed plausible.

Nodding, Sunset stepped forward and placed a hand upon Auburn’s head. The geode on her choker began to glow as it did. After a few seconds, she spoke in a low voice. “Go back to your room…”

Auburn’s demeanor changed completely after her words. He grew calm as he stood up and nodded. “Alright…”

Once he walked out the door, Sunset locked it behind him. Eclipse huffed in annoyance. “You’re a real cockblock, you know that?”

Sunset pointed her gun at Eclipse. “You’re not off the hook yet, pretty boy. Who are you?”

Eclipse brushed a lock of his shining hair out of his face and smirked. “I guess you could say I’m a long-time fan… Sunset Shimmer.”

“How do you know my name?” Sunset grunted.

“You’re a lot rougher in person than I imagined… That’s alright though, rough is nice once in a while…” Eclipse giggled.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset stepped closer and pointed the gun directly at Eclipse’s head. “Why don’t you start talking about why you’re here and who sent you?”

“Or you’ll do what?” Eclipse laughed.

“Or I’ll splatter your demon brains onto the ground, and forget we ever had this conversation…” Sunset hissed as she pressed the gun directly to his forehead.

He laughed and shook his head, unfazed by her threat. “Darling, you think I’m a demon? You couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Then why are you here?” Sunset asked.

“I told you… I’m a fan…” He winked.

“How do you know me?” She continued.

“I have my sources…” Eclipse responded.

“But you won’t tell me?” Sunset concluded out loud.

He twirled a lock of his hair in his finger playfully. “Nope.”

“So you’re expecting me just to trust you then? Blindly? With no reason to do so?” Sunset asked.

“Is my pretty face not enough to instill trust in you?” Eclipse questioned.

Sunset groaned in annoyance before lowering her gun. While she could not eliminate the possibility of danger, she was certain that if he was trying to kill her, he wouldn’t have gone about it this way.

Is her working for Serenade? Sunset wondered.

No, he doesn’t seem the type. Not to mention, I can’t sense any demonic energy on him. Sunset thought. While she knew stronger demons could hide their demonic presence, she also knew that such a powerful demon would be closer to Serenade’s level and that meant he would have tried to kill her instantly rather than waste time with banter or answering any questions.

“You’re a guy, right?” Sunset asked though she was mostly certain of that, given what she had seen him doing. His face seemed almost like a woman’s though.

He giggled and winked. “Yes, though I know my girlish good looks are deceiving.”

“Definitely…” Sunset rolled her eyes.

“Okay… So you found me, now what’s your next move?” Sunset asked.

Eclipse retrieved a butterfly knife from his pocket and flipped it open skillfully. Sunset flinched and aimed her weapon again. Eclipse just tapped the blade against his velvet lips and spoke softly. “I’m here to help you.”

“Help me with what?” Sunset asked.

“I’m here to kill Serenade Dazzle…” Eclipse’s voice grew a bit darker as he said those words.

Sunset laughed and shook her head. “You’re insane, kid. I’d go home if I were you, while you’re still intact.”

“I’m serious…” Eclipse replied.

Sunset glanced at him with the corner of her that wasn’t blocked by her unruly hair. There was a fire in his eyes, and his demeanor had definitely grown more serious. No longer was he the impish jokester he portrayed himself as only moments ago; no, there was something deeper to him.

The appearance of this man only gave Sunset far more questions. Why would someone who looked perhaps eighteen or so want to chase after Serenade?

“Why though? How do you know of her?” Sunset asked.

“Serenade killed my parents,” Eclipse said plainly, “I intend to return the favor.”

Shaking her head, Sunset sighed. “Vengeance is a quest that only leaves one dead. You’re taking on something far stronger than you know.”

“This isn’t about vengeance, it’s about justice. Enemies of the world do not belong in the world, wouldn’t you agree, Sunset?” Eclipse tilted his head slightly as he spoke.

She squinted as she tried to get a read on him. “Sure, but you have no idea what you’re getting into…”

“I think I have a good idea. If I die trying to kill her, then that is an acceptable outcome.” Eclipse nodded happily.

What’s with this kid? Sunset blinked.

“Look, you shouldn’t be so eager to die…”

“I have no other reason to be alive, really; which makes me the perfect candidate to help you kill her, does it not?” Eclipse grinned.

“Listen… Kid-“ Sunset was cut off.

“I intend to kill Serenade, and then I am perfectly content with dying after. Don’t try and change my mind, because you have no idea who I am or what I’ve been through…” Eclipse’s face turned serious again.

Biting her lip, Sunset pulled up a chair from a nearby desk and turned it around. She sat in it backward and faced him, staring him down as he sat there nonchalantly on the old bed of her hotel room.

“Where did you come from? Here or…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

“That’s not important,” Eclipse responded.

“And how do you know who I am then?” Sunset raised a brow.

“Also not important.” Eclipse grinned.

Sunset let out a hearty laugh. “So let me get this right… You expect me to trust you to help me fight Serenade… Yet you won’t tell me who you are, where you came from, how you know who I am, or how you found me? And I’m supposed to be dumb enough to trust you?”

“You’d be amazed at how easy it is to trust someone you don’t know…” Eclipse spoke softly.

He had a point. Sunset had asked many to follow her under the guise of Glitch. Thousands followed her and many to their ultimate end. They had put their faith in Glitch despite not knowing who they were or where they came from. Would they have done the same for Sunset Shimmer, the pony behind the mask?

Still, the boy was a risk for sure. He was young and likely naive, she wasn’t in the mood to be protecting anyone while she worked.

“Look, Eclipse… I’m not in the mood to babysit, so why not go home?” Sunset smiled.

“I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me from here on…” Eclipse responded.

“I can ditch you the moment you go to sleep…” Sunset declared.

“And I can find you again, just like I did this time. I have all the time in the world, Sunset…” He grinned.

Sighing, Sunset looked to the ceiling as she thought about it. “We’re up against a monster… Something you can’t handle…”

“Neither can you, not on your own. We can teach each other…” Eclipse said.

Looking at him, she could see that he was serious. He wouldn’t be easy to shake, and that meant he would definitely find her again if she lost him.

“I left my family behind so I wouldn’t have to protect anyone…” Sunset spoke.

“Then don’t protect me… Let me protect myself,” Eclipse replied.

There was a long silence between the two. A silence that Sunset thought would never end, however, she eventually broke it. “Alright, fine. You get yourself killed though, and it’s not my fault. You keep a low profile, and do what I say, got it?”

“I’m very good at keeping a low profile.” Eclipse winked.

Sunset waved her hand at him. “Yeah? And what do you call what was happening when I walked in Mr. Low Profile?”

“Killing time.” Eclipse shrugged.

“Try and keep your dick in your pants and we’ll get along so much better…” Sunset sighed.

“No promises there.” Eclipse chuckled.

“I hate this partnership already…” Sunset facepalmed.

“Likewise.” Eclipse winked.

It had only been eight days since Eclipse showed up at Sunset’s hotel room, and since that day, he had kept to his word; he was right by her side and impossible to shake. Regardless of his unwavering loyalty though, he continued to remain enigmatic. Not a single crack in his armor could be found, and he wouldn’t reveal much about himself or his motivations. It irked Sunset, but there was nothing she could do.

Sitting at a cafe, Eclipse found himself staring at an attractive man across the street. His eyes fixated on the topless form of the man who had clearly returned from the beach. Looking down, he whistled gently as he observed his mermaid line. His tooth grazed his lip as he tried to contain himself.

At the counter, Sunset returned with two cups in hand, placing them in front of the two. Immediately, Sunset took a long sip from her cup.

Eclipse’s nose instantly caught the aroma but his eyes remained locked on the man across the street. “Latte?”

She nodded. “I got you a tea, I wasn’t sure if a kid like you even drinks coffee.”

Eclipse shrugged. “Never really gave it much thought back home…”

“So they had coffee and tea back at your home?” Sunset inquired.

“If you’re hoping for me to spill my guts to you, then you’re going to have to get me drunk or something…” Eclipse responded, licking his lips as he watched the man across the street.

“What are you looking at?” Sunset glanced in the direction he was facing.

He gestured with his head as his finger played with a strand of his shining hair. “That sexy piece of man right over there…”

Sunset sighed and shook her head. “Can you think with your head and not with your dick for a change?”

“Maybe what you say is boring.” Eclipse shrugged.

She reached over and tapped his cheek with her gloved palm. “Focus, okay?”

“Again, if what you had to say wasn’t so damn boring, it’d be easier to pay attention to what you say…” Eclipse rolled his eyes.

Sipping from her cup, Sunset clasped it in her gloved hand and shook her head. “You lack focus…”

“Are you always this serious? Like for real, you could do well with chilling out a bit. Maybe a drink or two can mellow you out… Or maybe you need to get laid… I can ask that guy over there if he’s interested after he’s done sucking me off…” Eclipse grinned.

“I’m married…” Sunset replied.

“Never a problem for most people…” Eclipse shrugged.

“I wouldn’t cheat on Twilight for anyone…” Sunset responded.

Eclipse smirked. “What a lucky lady… To be chained down with you…”

“So far I’m absolutely loving your company…” Sunset spoke with an obviously sarcastic tone.

He didn’t bother responding, instead, he sipped from his tea and kept his eyes on the man across the street, undressing him further with his eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, Eclipse spoke up. “What’s with the glove?”

“You won’t tell me anything about yourself, so why should I share anything with you?” Sunset raised a brow.

Eclipse shrugged once more. “Never mind, I’m not really that particularly interested anyway…”

Sunset’s eyes looked down at her hand. She opened and closed her fingers to remind herself that it was still hers’. It had already been so long since that day, and it was only getting worse. She used to only wear a black leather glove over it, but now she accompanied it with a matching wrist guard.

“Let’s just say you’ll know eventually if you live long enough…” Sunset responded.

“Is that your attempt at being mysterious?” Eclipse smirked.

“You tell me.” Sunset shrugged.

“You’ve been hunting Serenade for about five years now, right?” Eclipse changed the subject.

Sunset sipped her coffee and finished it off before setting the cup down with an audible clack. “I’d ask how you knew that, but I know you have no intention of telling me.”

“You’re catching on quick…” Eclipse nodded.

Running her good hand through her long hair, Sunset leaned back in her seat. “Yeah, I’ve been hunting her for about that long. She isn’t an easy prey to pin down, and on top of that, I’m trying to stop her from gathering all of the shards she needs to restore a siren’s amulet… Her sister’s amulet to be exact…”

“And why would she waste her time doing something like that?” Eclipse asked, already knowing the answer.

“She believes her sister is reborn here somewhere in the human world. I’ve never heard of something so absurd before, but regardless if there is even a small chance that it’s true, we can not allow her and her sister to reunite…” Sunset answered.

Eclipse placed both hands onto the table and leaned in with serious eyes. “Adagio lives, I’m sure of that.”

“Reincarnation is a myth… An old legend, there’s no way that someone could be reborn as someone else…” Sunset shook her head.

“The thing about death… Is that it’s always a mystery. You would be surprised at what is actually possible. You need to start thinking outside the box if you want to catch a demon of Serenade’s caliber. She’s been to hell and back and yet you’re doubting the ability to come back from the dead?” Eclipse raised a brow.

He had a point. Death among mortals was fairly straightforward, but Sunset hadn’t considered that the concept might apply differently to those who were never meant to die. Was it really possible for Adagio to be reborn into the human world? Would a reborn Adagio even be capable of harnessing her siren powers?

No, it doesn’t matter. Serenade would likely turn her into a demon regardless. Sunset thought to herself. If that were the case, it didn’t even matter if she could re-awaken her siren abilities.

Serenade wasn’t an ordinary demon either, she was a demon on the level necessary to become the demon lord. It was highly possible that she was capable of things that were previously impossible. Sunset knew that coming back from the dead was impossible, but Serenade was the kind of creature that could make the impossible possible.

Princess Twilight had mentioned before that many ponies had tried to find a way to cheat death and every single one of them had failed. Every last one of them had wasted away into nothing with nothing to show for their efforts; but methods involving hell and demons had never been attempted, no one was foolish enough to try such a thing.

“So finding Adagio should be our priority then… If we can get to her and eliminate her before Serenade finds her then we may be able to take Serenade out before she gets any stronger…” Sunset surmised.

“Serenade is a powerful demon in her own right, how do you anticipate to take her out on your own, regardless?” Eclipse questioned.

“I managed to extract some information from one of her subordinates. The method that she used to get here in the first place wasn’t a conventional one. She could not use the portal like I could due to her high amount of demonic energy, at least not by forcing it open. To use it, she would need to wait for thirty moons to pass, and even then, she would risk dying in the process since demons can not pass through it without drastically risking their life…” Sunset began explaining.

“So what?” Eclipse shrugged.

Sunset sighed. “So, she employed another method of getting here, but it’s a one-way trip. I’m not sure about the details, but apparently, she had to sacrifice a large amount of her power to do so. She’s still quite strong, but not as strong as she once was…”

“Neither are you.” Eclipse smirked.

He was correct, of course. In the human world, while Sunset had mastered her abilities as much as she could, there was no denying that she was far stronger in her original form. Her mastery of her powers was far greater back in Equestria because she understood how magic worked there far better. Here in the human world, she probably only understood magic about 80%.

This meant that both Serenade and she were at a disadvantage, but there was a slim chance that Serenade wasn’t aware of that. Perhaps the boastful demon’s overconfidence could play right into Sunset’s hand.

No, it’s foolish to assume she’s gotten dumber. If I were her, I would be preparing for a fight before picking one. Sunset thought to herself. It made sense too, as whenever she would appear, it was as though Serenade always sidestepped her, avoiding a direct confrontation whenever possible.

“I suppose that we’ll have to determine how effective you will be in the long run then…” Sunset grinned back at him.

He chuckled and looked away. “Even with my help, you’ll need to be at your best to take down Serenade…”

“That is definitely true…” Sunset nodded.

Eclipse let out a long yawn as he rubbed his eyes. He wasn’t exactly sure why Sunset had ordered him up at the crack of dawn or called them both out to the middle of the desert, but he wasn’t exactly pleased with it. For someone as unkempt as she looked, she seemed to have a tendency to wake up rather early.

Checking the time on his phone, Eclipse noted it was 8:08 AM. Something about seeing that time made him feel odd. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it though. The feeling passed though once he looked away and realized it was likely just his imagination. After all, he couldn’t think of anything really significant about such a time.

Kicking some sand, he saw Sunset pull up on her motorcycle. The woman removed her helmet and shook her long hair. It looked like it was in desperate need of brushing, but Sunset didn’t strike him as the kind of person who put as much care into her hair as he did. His was long, silky, and well kept, and Sunset’s was a mess. Despite living in the human world and having to get by using illegal means, he still managed to get his hands on great hair products. His appearance was important to him after all.

Placing the helmet onto her bike’s seat after stepping off of the vehicle, she retrieved a bag that was hanging off of the bike. She glanced at the effeminate man standing before her and raised a brow. “I see you’re on time…”

“Yeah, which I meant to ask… Why the hell do you get up before the entire planet? Seriously, most days I see you up at like five in the morning…” Eclipse yawned.

“Well maybe you should go to bed sooner, after all, we’re supposed to stay focused so we’re ready for a fight…” Sunset lectured.

“Unlike you, some of us are getting laid on occasion… You look like you’re past due by the way…” He smirked.

Sunset rolled her eyes and retrieved a wrapped-up item from the bag and tossed it to Eclipse.

Catching it, he looked down with confusion to see some kind of dark cloth in his hands.

“You should forget about your dick for a while and keep your mind on what we’re doing…” Sunset said.

He ignored her advice and unfolded the cloth to see a white fox mask inside. “What’s this?”

“Your disguise. If you’re going to fight with me, then you’re going to need to be able to blend in with me. I wear it to protect my identity from Serenade and her minions…” Sunset explained.

He chuckled. “And why are you giving this to me now?”

“You need to learn how to fight with the cloak on like me,” Sunset explained.

He gave a disapproving look as he looked at the cloak the mask was wrapped in. “Does it come in any other colors?”

“Black is better, gives us the cover of darkness at night time…” Sunset replied.

“Why the disguises though?” Eclipse asked.

“When Serenade came here, she only knew my name and that I was once Glitch; she didn’t know what I looked like though and that will keep us safe while we are on our downtime, understand?” Sunset explained.

Her logic was sound. He couldn’t argue that she made a solid point. “Alright, I suppose that makes sense…” He sighed while putting the mask on and donning the cloak over his clothes.

Like him, Sunset reached into her bag and retrieved her own black mask, and placed it upon her face. She followed the action by putting a cloak of her own over her body.

“So… Why are we out here?” Eclipse asked while adjusting his mask.

Sunset extended her gloved right hand and made a powerful-looking compound bow materialize in said hand. She gripped it and conjured an arrow made of dark energy with her left hand. She pulled the string back and snapped the arrow in Eclipse’s direction, to which the man jumped out of the way as the arrow hit the ground and evaporated into a black mist.

He glanced in her direction in confusion. “We’re here to test your abilities…”

He laughed and dodged a second arrow shot in his direction. “Why bother with that?”

“I need to see what I’m working with…” Sunset replied.

Letting out another laugh, Eclipse drew his butterfly knife from his pocket and wielded in backhanded. “Fine with me, I could use a little fun after all!”

Keeping her distance, Sunset let off another couple of arrows, one of which Eclipse deflected with his knife and the other he sidestepped.

Eclipse already knew that with a compound bow, Sunset would try and maintain distance between the two of them so she could keep her advantage in the fight. However, Eclipse knew from her time as Glitch, Sunset was also formidable in close combat.

He wasn’t much for long-range, he preferred to be up close and personal, so he would need to get close enough to make her bow useless.

Sunset let off a rapid volley of eight arrows. Eclipse dodged two, slashed another out of the air, and leaped high enough to jump off of another arrow. He flipped and landed in front of Sunset, taking quick swipes at the woman. Sunset in turn moved backward and held her metal bow in front of herself to block a few of the swipes.

In retaliation, she swung her bow at him knocking him back. She tossed the bow aside, and it evaporated into a black mist just like the arrows before she held up her right hand and took a fighting stance.

Eclipse recovered from the hit fairly quickly and took note of how it was somewhat odd that she was going to go barehanded rather than don a weapon to counter his own.

He got low and swung at her abdomen only for her to swipe down with her arm and knock his arm away. Quickly she gripped his forearm and twisted it. With another fast motion, she cracked his wrist with her left hand and disarmed him. He grunted in pain but retaliated by swiped at her with his free hand punching her in the chest.

Sunset grunted and released him only for him to continue the assault punching her in the gut a few times. After eight punches, she finally counter-attacked and swung downward hitting him directly in the head.

Eclipse fumbled and fell down to a knee. Sunset wasted no time and kicked him in the stomach while he was knelt down. The kick knocked him over onto his back which he quickly rectified by leaping back onto his feet. He was pleasantly surprised by how hard she could hit, and how well she could take a punch.

He laughed as he reached down into the sand and retrieved his butterfly knife. Flicking it open, he tossed the knife into the air and thrust forward, kicking Sunset in the gut and caught the knife after the kick and swiped at her.

To dodge the swipe, Sunset quickly sunk into the ground and traveled through her shadow into Eclipse’s. Once she came out of his shadow, she stood behind him and jabbed him in the back of the neck with her elbow.

He fell forward and dropped his knife but swiped the ground with his leg and knocked Sunset over. She recovered quickly and ignited her hand with fire and swung at him as he was getting back up.

Fortunately for Eclipse, he was able to get out of the way in time before he was burned.

“You didn’t say you’d use magic…” Eclipse complained.

Sunset created a wall of fire in front of herself and used the confusion to thrust forward and grip Eclipse by the throat, lifting him off of the ground as black tendrils began to wrap around his body.

He struggled and kicked to break free but it was no use. Finally, Sunset dropped him onto the sand and adjusted the glove on her hand. The black tendrils around Eclipse retracted into her hand. “Always expect the worst…” Sunset said.

Eclipse tried to catch his breath as he rubbed his neck.

“After all, Serenade won’t hold back any of her powers in a fight…” Sunset added.

He managed to stand and removed his hood and mask. The man ran a hand through his soft hair and sighed as he watched Sunset remove her own and walk back to the motorcycle. She reached under the seat and retrieved a set of water bottles, tossing him one. Eclipse caught it and untwisted the top.

Eclipse took a long sip and wiped his mouth as Sunset came back over to him. She reached to check his neck, but he swatted her hand away. “You’re a demon…” He spoke.

His words didn’t sound like a question, but instead, an accusation.

Sighing, Sunset nodded before taking a sip of her own water. “Yes… I’m a demon…”

“And yet you act as though I’m the suspicious one? How do you expect me to trust a demon to kill Serenade?” Eclipse asked with a raised brow.

“If you don’t like it, you can go back where you came from…” Sunset smirked.

“I keep my word. I said I’d be right by your side when we took down Serenade, however, I don’t have to like it…” Eclipse grunted.

“I don’t expect you to understand…” Sunset shrugged.

“It’s not a matter of understanding… I’m just disgusted…” Eclipse looked away from her.

She knew that he wouldn’t be okay with that fact, yet she hadn’t expected such a powerful reaction from him. Up to this point, she had only known him to be a jokester and never took anything seriously, so to say it was an odd change of demeanor would be an understatement.

Sunset looked down at her right hand and closed her eyes as she closed her fingers. “So am I…”

“To think, the great Sunset Shimmer would allow herself to become a demon…” Eclipse spoke with even more disgust in his voice.

“If you’re disappointed, imagine how I feel…” Sunset shook her head.

“As if I cared…” Eclipse finished his water and tossed the bottle aside.

“Regardless, we’re working together, so I guess I’ll have to learn to tolerate you…” Eclipse shrugged.

Sunset chuckled as she finished her own water. “I guess we both have to tolerate each other…”

Adjusting her cloak, Sunset had assumed her identity as the black kabuki. She knelt down on a steel girder in an abandoned construction site where she observed one of Serenade’s demon’s conversing with what she assumed to be one of his higher-ups.

Eclipse had arrived only seconds ago and perched next to her. He looked down at the two demons conversing with Sunset and then glanced over at her. “When do we strike?”

She held up her hand and silenced him. “We wait for his superior to leave. Then we get a jump on the weaker one and squeeze him for info.”

“And if he doesn’t give us any?” Eclipse asked.

“Regardless if he does or doesn’t, it won’t change his fate…” Sunset alluded.

Eclipse chuckled as he watched down below. The two were just out of sight so they could observe for hours if need be.

“Why not just strike now and get two for one?” Eclipse asked.

“How many demons have you fought on your own in the human world?” Sunset asked.

Eclipse shrugged. “None.”

“Exactly. While I have an idea of what you’re capable of in a fight; a fight against a demon is a different story. I’d rather not be burdened with saving your ass if we’re up against two…” Sunset explained.

Eclipse huffed and shook his head. “So this is another one of your bullshit tests?”

“You can consider it such if you like,” Sunset said plainly.

“I don’t think I’ve met anyone with as many trust issues as you have…” Eclipse sighed.

Sunset let out a small chuckle at the thought. “If you knew what I’ve been through, you would understand.”

“Somehow, I doubt that… At least it’s something we have in common…” Eclipse replied.

Sunset glanced in his direction. For a brief moment she had hoped he would elaborate on that point, but she knew it was in vain as the boy hadn’t bent on his distrust of her since the day they met. Still, she wondered about his past and what his true motivation was. The concept of his parents being killed by Serenade being his sole motivation just seemed too simple for someone as complicated as him.

To make it more strange, she still wondered why he sought her out in the first place. She had surmised he was from Equestria, but he wouldn’t say it out loud. Was he a pony like her? Or something else? Could he actually be from another realm entirely? Were there other realms?

The thought scared her. If there were more realms out there that could connect to their world then that meant the threat of Serenade was only the least of her problems. Shaking her head, she dismissed the idea, realizing she was worrying herself over “maybes” and “what-ifs”.

“Yeah, you definitely seem like the untrusting type…” Sunset nodded.

He shrugged. “I’ve learned that relying on others is the path to disappointment.”

Well, there’s a small hint at least. Sunset thought. She added it to the tiny list of things she knew about him in her head.

As the two were conversing, Eclipse pointed down at their target. Sunset looked in that direction to see that the other demon had left. She held up her hand to halt Eclipse as she instructed. “Alright, let’s try and do this clean and easy, okay? Follow my lead, and try not to get yourself killed…”

Flipping open his butterfly knife, Eclipse sighed and rolled his eyes behind his mask. “Let’s just squeeze this asshole, alright?”

Sighing back at him, Sunset nodded and adjusted her mask. “Fine…”

With those words, Sunset leaped down from where they were perched and came up behind the man they were watching. With a quick motion, she went to grab him around the neck, but somehow he sensed she was there and ducked moving backward while turning to face her, but unfortunately for him, Eclipse was already behind him and gripped him with his knife to the man’s neck.

“Afraid not, pal…” Eclipse said quietly.

He was young-looking, with light brown hair and light blue eyes. He had a messy head of hair and a soft face. Eclipse stroked his cheek with his free hand and chuckled. “He’s actually kind of cute for a demon…”

“Focus…” Sunset stated.

“Right… Okay, sweetheart, you’re going to tell us some info, got it?” Eclipse began.

“Piss off, I won’t tell you two shit.” He growled.

“Suit yourself,” Eclipse said.

Quickly, Eclipse ran his knife across his throat, causing black blood to spew out of it. He choked and gagged before collapsing on the flood and evaporating into a black mist, much like other demons that Sunset had killed.

She blinked in astonishment and looked at Eclipse with fury as she came forward and grabbed his cloak. “What the fuck was that?”

“What? He was useless.” Eclipse shrugged.

“We didn’t even try to squeeze him!” Sunset barked.

“Why bother? He said he wasn’t going to tell us anything…” Eclipse yawned.

“What the hell is wrong with you? We could have tried for more than eight seconds you know?” Sunset growled.

“And what exactly did you hope to learn from a lowly henchman anyway? Why waste time on him if he says he isn’t going to talk? We should keep right to business and not waste time on dead ends…” Eclipse spoke seriously.

This kid is unbelievable. Sunset thought.

“You’re reckless…” Sunset said.

Their argument would be interrupted though as the other demon from earlier had re-entered the room. He looked at the two of them and conjured up dark energy around his hands when he saw the two masked figures in the room. “Black kabuki? And who is this other little shit stain?” The demon asked.

“Guess we’ll have to finish this discussion later…” Sunset sighed as she made her bow appear in her hand. “Stay focused.”

“Not an issue.” Eclipse chuckled.

Sunset quickly sprung into action and hurled a fireball at the demon who blocked it with a black fireball of his own. She could already tell that his control over dark magic was rudimentary at best, given his form. She took advantage of this and lunged forward with her right hand after quickly removing the glove.

Seeing her coming, he moved fast enough to grab Eclipse and wrap his arm around Eclipse’s neck. With his other hand, he made another fireball appear and threatened him with it. “Don’t make me hurt your little friend!”

Sunset growled in annoyance at having to rescue him, but to her surprise, something happened that she hadn’t expected. Behind Eclipse a sword made entirely of white light appeared out of nowhere and impaled his captor in the skull. When his body turned to black mist, Sunset looked down at Eclipse’s hand to see it glowing white before the sword disappeared.

Sunset relaxed herself and approached him shaking her head. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“That’s why they always keep coming back…” Eclipse chuckled.

Upon returning to their hotel, Sunset shut the door behind them and instantly grew irate with her partner. “How long were you going to wait to tell me that you could do magic?”

“You never asked…” Eclipse feigned innocence.

“I am so sick of your bullshit, what the hell aren’t you telling me? You can do magic, you know about me and you can do light magic at that! A fairly rare affinity, and yet you can perform it…” Sunset pointed at him incredulously.

Eclipse looked down at his hand and then smiled as he looked back up at Sunset. “Light magic isn’t so hard when your heart is pure…”

“You? Pure-hearted?” Sunset laughed.

“Just because I’m a sex addict doesn’t mean my heart isn’t pure. I say what I feel, and I present exactly who I am to everyone I meet. I may keep secrets, but my motivations are simple and to the point. Being pure-hearted doesn’t mean you’re an innocent person, it just means that you are completely genuine…” Eclipse smirked.

She had no counter-argument to that statement. Eclipse may not have been many things, but he was definitely genuine. What you see was what you got with him, unfortunately.

Sunset sighed and sat down at the desk in the room as she faced him.

Eclipse pointed to her right hand as he spoke. “That hand of yours already tells me that you’re nothing like that…”

“Is that what you think?” Sunset raised a brow.

“The hand isn’t the only reason…” Eclipse shook his head.

“What else then?” Sunset asked.

“You’re not ready for what you need to hear…” Eclipse chuckled.

Sunset stood up and approached him. “Tell me…”

He looked down at her hand and then gestured to the table in the room. “I can show you…”

Following his instructions, she approached the table. Both of them stood at either side of the table to where Eclipse gestured to the table once more. “Place your hand on the table.”

Shrugging, Sunset put her left hand down on the table to which Eclipse shook his head. “Your other hand…”

Nodding, Sunset switched hands.

“Take your glove and wristguard off…” He stated.

Hesitantly, she did so and carefully placed the black corrupted hand onto the table. When she looked at that hand, she was reminded of how it was no longer hers’. Her nails had turned into sharp claws and her normally effeminate curves had become sharp and pointed, making the hand look rather boney.

She hated looking at her right hand so much. Every time she saw it, it reminded her of how much she hated herself.

Slowly, Eclipse lowered his own hand down to her own to which Sunset gripped his wrist with her good hand. “Don’t… This hand is cursed…”

Eclipse looked her in the eyes. “Trust me…”

She didn’t know why, but somehow just those words were enough to get her to lower her guard. She released his wrist and waited patiently for what he was going to do.

Eclipse made his hand glow with light magic and quickly thrust it down onto the table pinning Sunset’s demonic appendage down. The sensation of his magic imbued hand instantly caused a horrid burning sensation in Sunset. She yelped and screamed as she felt it get worse and worse.

“Stop it!” She screamed as she attempted to break free, but the pain was so much that it had nearly immobilized her.

“No… You need to experience this…” He instructed.

“STOP! IT BURNS!” Sunset hollered.

“That’s exactly the point… You are powerless, Sunset. That’s a feeling that you’ve clearly been running from for a long time… A feeling that you’ve wanted to avoid accepting…” Eclipse stated.

“PLEASE! IT HURTS!” Sunset cried, her eyes now watering as she felt herself almost ready to black out from the pain.

“And what are you going to do about it, Sunset?” Eclipse asked as he squeezed tighter.

“AHHHHH! PLEASE NO MORE!” Sunset cried.

“What are you going to do about it, Sunset?” Eclipse asked again.

“PLEASE!” Sunset tried to tug herself free to no avail.

“LOOK AT ME!” Eclipse yelled.

Sunset was on the floor, her arm pinned to the table, but she managed to look over the table and meet his eyes.

“What. Are. You. Going. To. Do?” Eclipse asked, pausing after each word.

She cried and struggled, but kept her eyes locked on his and then looked down at her arm. She saw smoke coming from where the light magic was touching her. She had fought with all of her might, but she couldn’t escape his grip, it was paralyzing.

Looking back into his eyes, she whimpered and managed to get words out. “N-nothing…”

Eclipse nodded and released her. She fell onto the floor and gripped the affected hand as she curled up into the fetal position. She sobbed and trembled as she started to recover from the intense pain. She had never felt anything so painful in her entire life.

Squatting down to her level, Eclipse positioned himself in front of her, his long silky hair cascading over his form as he spoke in a serious tone. “It’s only when you accept that you can’t do anything that you can truly start to grow… Knowing when you are absolutely powerless to stop something is the only way you can truly get stronger. When you live in denial of your limitations, you will only become a victim of them, do you understand that?”

Sunset panted and kept her eyes on him as he continued.

“It’s not until you are put in a situation where you have to accept that there is no hope that you can really say that you’re being honest with yourself. I’ve already been to that place, and I’ve accepted that death may be my eventual fate at the end of this journey, but I can honestly say that I look death in the eyes and feel nothing…” He stood up and offered his hand to help her up.

She took it and he pulled her to her feet. “You, however, you still fight with yourself…”

“And what makes you so much more enlightened?” Sunset asked as she put her glove and wristguard back on.

“I’m not. I’m not spectacular in any way… And that’s the point… Until you realize that for yourself, you will continue down a path of self-destruction…” Eclipse said quietly.

“You don’t know a thing about me…” Sunset growled.

“I know all I need to know…” He smirked before turning away and heading toward the bathroom. “I’m gonna shower and then head to bed. Think about what I said…”

As he exited the room and closed the bathroom door behind her, she looked down at her hand and pondered his point. There was definitely some truth to it. It wasn’t her own death that she feared though, it was what would happen to everything if she failed her mission. If she were to go before Serenade was stopped, the world as they all knew it would fall apart.

There was no telling what kind of destruction that Serenade would cause if she wasn’t hindered in any way. Sure Eclipse was fairly tough, and so were her friends, but they couldn’t take on someone like Serenade. She had fought her once before and that was with the Siren’s Bane. Without that blade, she would be far more difficult to take down. There was also no telling how much her powers had grown or evolved since their last encounter.

She cursed himself as she sat down on the bed. She had the chance to kill her, she had the chance to not be in her current predicament. She chose mercy though, she chose to show the demon that she was better, and now all it had done was turn her into a demon just like her. Bitter irony.

While she knew that she had flaws, she also knew that she was always honest about how much she hated herself. In her heart, she knew that most of the negative qualities that others could list about her were probably true. Sunset Shimmer was definitely a fatally flawed person.

She didn’t understand Eclipse, but it seemed as though he had a better grasp on her than she was willing to admit. The last time she had felt so vulnerable was with her wife Twilight. It had been so long.

Tapping her phone on her wrist, a hologram came up with her photo album. She flipped through it until it landed on a photo of her daughter sitting upon her shoulders, and there next to her was her loving wife Twilight, giving her an affectionate peck on the cheek.

She missed them both so much. She wanted this to be over so she could go back to them, but it really had been a long time already. Five years had passed, and she didn’t even know what her daughter looked like anymore. She was likely already well on her way to being a woman, and Sunset was missing it. She loved that little girl so much and wanted nothing more than to be with her, but she knew that it was too risky. If Serenade knew about Sunset’s family, they would be in harm’s way.

No matter what happened, she had to keep her family safe, even if it meant they would hate her for it. She sighed as she closed the picture and curled up onto the bed and hugged a pillow. “All I can do now is protect them in the only way I know how…” She whispered to herself.

Dr. Sunset Shimmer had received a rather strange call to a modest apartment in the center of the city. Ordinarily, she didn’t do house calls, but the person on the phone insisted on such and offered a rather handsome cash offer for her services and discrepancy.

She wasn’t pressed for money by any stretch of the imagination, given that her family was worth well over $800 million, and she was slated to inherit her family’s wealth when her parents passed. She was an only child, so she wouldn’t even be splitting it with anyone, but the large sum of money offered made her curious.

Knocking on the door, she got no answer, but then she noticed the intercom next to it. Tapping it, she spoke into it, “hello?”

A ditzy-sounding voice responded. “Who is it?”

“Dr. Shimmer, I was called here?” She responded.

“The door is unlocked,” the intercom replied.

Nodding, Sunset opened the door and adjusted her glasses as she noted the interior of the apartment. It was decorated with rather expensive-looking items, clearly whoever lived there had expensive tastes.

Coming down from a stairwell a rather gruff-looking girl with pigtails crossed her arms as she stood there staring down the doctor. Sporting some tattered jeans and a shredded Metallica T-shirt, she gave off a rather unpleasant aura.

Coughing, Sunset offered her hand. “Dr. Shimmer, nice to meet you.”

The girl didn’t even bother taking Sunset’s hand as she replied. “Aria Blaze.”

“Right…” Sunset lowered her hand and rubbed her arm awkwardly. “So… Ms. Blaze why am I here?”

“How discrete can you be, Doctor?” Aria questioned.

“A doctor does not disclose information about their patients, that’s just basic principle…” Sunset shrugged.

“Fine…” Aria nodded before gesturing for the woman to follow her upstairs.

Cautiously, Sunset began to follow her up the stairs, where the two women arrived at a bedroom with the door open. Stepping inside, Sunset saw a woman with long blue hair laying in bed with a weak smile on her face. “Hello, doctor…” She spoke softly.

“Hello… Who might I have the pleasure of addressing?” Sunset asked.

“Sonata Dusk…” She stated.

“Right, so what seems to be the problem, Miss Dusk?” Sunset questioned.

Aria answered on her behalf. “She’s been sick for a few days, and we wanted to make sure that it wasn’t anything too serious…”

Nodding, Sunset retrieved a stethoscope from her bag and then set the bag onto the floor before approaching Aria. She placed it upon the girl’s heart and listened carefully. After only a few seconds she squinted in confusion before gripping the girl’s palm to check her pulse.

“That’s odd…” Sunset said quietly.

The girl’s heartbeat was far slower than anyone she had ever encountered, perhaps less than two beats a minute. It didn’t make sense. With a heart beating that little, she should be dead.

“Miss Dusk… Your heart rate is…” Sunset began.

“Abnormal?” A womanly voice came from behind her.

Sunset turned to see an attractive tall slender woman standing at the door. A cigarette was perched between her lips as she ran a hand through her wild orange hair that went down past her butt.

“Precisely…” Sunset nodded.

The woman approached and removed the cigarette from her mouth as she stood by Sonata’s bedside. “Like you were told… You should be discrete… So is she going to be okay or not?”

Sunset looked down at the sick girl in the bed who just smiled at her. Sighing, she looked back up at Adagio. “I’ll have to examine her for a bit, so please wait outside…”

Adagio smirked and put her cigarette back in her mouth. “You’re the doctor…”

The woman sashayed out of the room taking Aria with her, leaving the good doctor to look at Sonata closer. Most of the girl’s anatomy on the outside seemed normal, but even with the many advances in medical science that had been made in Dr. Shimmer’s lifetime, there was no explaining what was going on inside of this woman.

Scanning the girl’s stats with the phone on her wrist, Sunset couldn’t make much out of the results.

After a good hour, she finally stepped out of the room and removed her glasses as she pressed her temples. Adagio approached her with a hand upon her hip. “So, what’s the story, doc?”

Returning her glasses to her face, Sunset squinted as she examined Adagio. “Well, health-wise, I am at least somewhat confident that she has the flu. I’ve given her some medicine, but I have to admit that when I checked her stats they didn’t appear in any databases… This girl has never been to a hospital in her entire life…”

“So?” Adagio shrugged.

“Her body temperature is far too hot for even the flu… She should be dead…” Sunset continued.

Adagio remained silent.

“Then there was the fact that the shape of her heart is… Abnormal… Based upon the scans I did of her… It’s like… She has…” Sunset placed a hand upon her chest as she thought about it, but Adagio finished her sentence.

“Two hearts. Actually, it’s not two, but her heart is split into two cavities that alternate pumps… Still a single heart though…” Adagio spoke.

Sunset stepped closer and hushed her tone. “Listen… I’m a doctor, I can help but I need to know the truth of what is really going on… What is this girl? Is she even human?”

Adagio sighed and shook her head while she stuffed her hands into her pockets. The expensive gold bangles on her wrists clattered as she did so.

“No, none of us are… We’re sirens from another world…” Adagio said it so plainly.

Sunset blinked in astonishment.

“You don’t sound so shocked, so you either don’t believe me or you’re used to seeing weird shit…” Adagio smirked.

Sunset placed a hand upon her head. “No, it’s not that… I mean the evidence is right in front of me… Yet somehow… This doesn’t seem that surprising to me… It’s like… Somehow I was prepared for something like this…”

Adagio laughed as she gestured for Sunset to follow her. The doctor nodded and did so as the two entered the girl’s bedroom which was covered in designer clothes that were littered across it. She grabbed a chair and offered it to Sunset who sat carefully with a raised brow.

Looking at the mess in her room, Adagio chuckled. “Sorry, the maid doesn’t come until Tuesday…”

“So you’re all from another universe or something? Sirens?” Sunset cut to the chase.

Adagio pulled a cigarette out of a packet and offered one to Sunset who declined. “I don’t smoke.”

Nodding, Adagio flipped out into her mouth and lit it before sitting on her bed. She took a long inhale and then puffed smoke out. “Yeah, we’re sirens from another universe…”

“So how do you manage to stay hidden?” Sunset asked.

“Our powers allow us to manipulate people to our will, so we use that to keep people from asking too many questions… And of course to fund our lifestyle here…” Adagio smirked.

Looking around, it made sense. This girl had expensive tastes but definitely came off as someone who lacked the class that usually came with an upbringing that brought out expensive tastes.

“So if you can do that, why not manipulate me into helping you then? Why ask and then request secrecy?” Sunset questioned.

“Our powers have limitations, doctor. Back home we could siphon magic from those who possessed it, however here… Human energy is very weak. While our powers can manipulate people to give us what we want, it isn’t strong enough to affect those with stronger constitutions…” Adagio explained.

“And because I’m a doctor…” Sunset began.

“I figured you might be too smart for my powers to affect you in their current state…” Adagio sighed.

Sunset found it odd how at ease she was with all of this information. It was as if she somehow already knew it already. Placing a hand to her temple, she closed her eyes for a moment, and something flashed through her mind.

The image was brief, but she managed to make out that it was of Adagio, but she was different. The girl was far younger and standing in front of an Audi, and inside the Audi was… Her?

Sunset opened her eyes and noticed Adagio staring with a raised brow. “You alright?”

“Y-yeah… It’s just… Have we met before?” Sunset asked.

Adagio shook her head. “Can’t say we have, I think I’d remember that red hair… But somehow you do seem pretty familiar… It’s strange…”

“I get the same feeling…” Sunset concurred.

Coming to a stand Sunset cleared her throat. “Listen, I promise I’ll keep your secret, but you have to let me come back to check up on her to make sure she’s okay, alright?”

“How do I know I can trust you not to blab what you just heard?” Adagio questioned.

Sunset shrugged. “Who would believe me anyway?”

“I suppose you have a point there… Still… Somehow I feel I can trust you… Which is odd because I’ve never really trusted anyone before…” Adagio rubbed her neck.

“Then I’ll see you in a few days?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah… Okay…” Adagio nodded.

Sorry for the long delay between chapters. I have so many things going on in my life right now, but I promise this story will get finished! We're getting so close. Part II is going to be a lot of backstory and explaining what happened in the time jump between Act VI and Act VII, but it's all important stuff.