Heavy breathing was all Sunset could hear. Her mind focused solely on that, but it wasn’t long before she realized it was her own breathing she was hearing. Once she realized that, she could hear her own heart beating loudly. Thump! Thump! Thump! It was deafening.

The woman opened her eyes and her nostrils were flooded with the smell of soot and smoke. It was coming back to her now, she had passed out after taking a small rest while she was making her escape from Lightning Dust’s lair. Eclipse had allowed her to rest as she asked, and once she closed her eyes, she must have micro-slept. Quickly, she checked the time, and it had only been a good two minutes since Eclipse and Horizon had headed off ahead of her. She had wasted precious time, but she still had enough time to make her escape.

Sunset composed herself and forced herself to stand. Her legs were wobbly, and she could feel exhaustion in every muscle in her body. She took a few steps and used a nearby wall to prop herself up. She panted lightly before she examined where she needed to go. Using the wall as a support, she managed to make her way down the hall to where she could spot a map. It had been so long since she entered this building that she had forgotten how to get out. She calmed herself and checked the map diligently. She memorized the path out and started once again heading that way.

After reaching the end of the hall, she turned right only to find a fire blocking her path. She cursed and navigated around using a different path, but soon she would fall to her knees with her back up against the wall. She coughed and panted as she tried to compose herself.

She hadn’t been completely honest with Eclipse when she told him she would be fine. Her body was extremely weak after so long without food, and now it was a struggle to walk a good eight feet. Looking around her, she could see that the fires were spreading fast and she needed to make better time. Looking at her phone, she called up Moon. “Hey, Moon… You there?”

Moon appeared as a hologram in front of Sunset and glanced around the room. “Sunset! I’ve been worried sick about you! What happened? You’ve been radio silent for days, and Miss Horizon has been looking all over for you.”

“I’ve been a bit tied up… I can give you the details later… Right now I need your help…” She stated.

Moon nodded. “Absolutely, what can I do for you?”

“I need you to check my vitals… And tell me what my odds are of getting out of here… Do a survey of the current area around me…” Sunset instructed.

Moon gave a quick salute before he closed his eyes and began to perform the task. After eight seconds he opened his eyes and frowned. “Your situation is very less than ideal, Sunset… Your vitals are very low, and given the heat, danger, and such of the environment around you… I’d say if you exert yourself too much, you’ll sustain significant injuries… It’s best to proceed with caution in your condition.”

“Going cautiously will definitely be too slow though…” Sunset stated.

Moon rubbed his neck and nodded. “Yes… That is a possibility as well. This building is coming apart at rapid speeds, it would be wise for you to move quickly if possible…”

Sunset nodded and leaned back against the wall with a smirk on her face. “Guess that means that like always, I’m put between a rock and a hard place… Story of my life…”

“I can call Horizon for assistance, I sense she’s nearby!” Moon suggested.

Sunset shook her head. “No, I dismissed her so she wouldn’t be in harm’s way… Leave her, I can take care of myself…”

“In this condition?” Moon tilted his head.

Sunset nodded before she lifted her right hand. Glancing at the demonic appendage, she let out a sigh, knowing what she needed to do. “It’s weird how my life always comes down to being forced to make choices that I’d rather not…”

“Such is the burden of human existence, Sunset…” Moon commented.

Sunset placed her hand over half of her face, and the moment that Moon saw this, he quickly emitted a beeping noise. “Sunset! I highly advise against that! In your current condition, demon state would be significantly more damaging to your body! I implore you to reconsider!”

“I have no choice, Moon… Sorry…” Sunset chuckled.

Moon frowned and looked away. “Very well… I’ll keep my eyes on your vitals… Please don’t do anything reckless…”

“Reckless? Me? You must have me confused with someone else…” Sunset chuckled.

“I wish I was…” Moon frowned before his hologram vanished. Once he was gone, Sunset let out a breath she had no idea she was holding in.

“Okay…” She braced herself as she focused her energy.

“Your power is mine… My body is your’s… Together… We are one!” She removed her hand and felt the demonic presence within her take over, giving her the strength she desperately needed. Now with newfound strength, Sunset pulled herself up and onto her feet. She looked down at her hand which now was flaring with demonic energy. It would be enough to push her through this, though she wasn't sure of the price she would pay for it, however, she had a feeling it wasn't going to be something she liked.

Sunset closed her fist and then focused her eyes forward, trying to compose herself. “Okay… Let’s do this…” She thought out loud.

Pushing herself forward, Sunset made her way down the current hallway where she encountered debris in her way. With a loud grunt, she waved her hand and a large black tendril came out of her arm, whipping the debris out of the way, and clearing a path for her. She looked down at her hand with intrigue, surprised that she was able to pull such a feat even with her body as weak as it was. This was the true power of demonic energy, able to give strength and energy when the body was completely devoid of it.

Wasting no further time on the thought, Sunset raced past the rubble and dived into a nearby shadow so she could navigate around a set of fires that were blocking her way.

Within seconds she found herself in front of one of the stairwells she needed to be at, but a large beam from the ceiling fell and nearly crushed her, but she quickly caught it between her hands, and with a groan, she heaved it out of the way. Her improved strength in demon state proved exceptionally useful in a life-or-death situation, that was for sure.

The hologram from her phone came back on, showing Moon as Sunset traversed up the stairwell, focusing on the nearby shadows so she could once again jump through them to shave some time off of her escape as the building began to collapse far faster.

“Incredible!” Moon praised.

Sunset dodged another piece of falling debris as she began to sprint toward the final stairwell. “Yeah, shadow walking lets me hop between shadows…” Sunset commented.

“I’ll make a note of it!” Moon nodded before disappearing again.

With the final staircase in sight, Sunset raced up and hopped over a gap created by falling debris. She grunted but managed to make it to the entrance floor. She was in the home stretch, but suddenly another large explosion happened, knocking the girl to the ground. She grunted and groaned, but quickly she pulled herself to her feet. She checked her watch and realized she had stayed in demon state for far too long. She had disabled the auto-injection that normally pulled her out of it, as she was sure she would need far more time.

She had no choice though, if she stayed for much longer, she’d likely suffer more damage to her body. Sunset re-enabled the auto-injection and bolted toward the doorway.

As she felt the injection that pulled her out of demon state, she jumped over a fire that blocked her exit and rolled. Picking herself back up, Sunset panted as she walked out into the open, past smoke. She coughed but could hear her name being called.

Once she was past the smoke she smiled as she saw the group of teens along with Eclipse waiting for her to arrive.

As she came within eight feet of the group she gave a gentle wave. “Sorry for worrying everyone…”

“How did you get out?” Horizon questioned.

Sunset opened her mouth to answer but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. She gasped for air for a brief second before she felt her throat fill up with a thick liquid. She tried to cover her mouth but it was useless. Black sludge projected out of her mouth onto the ground followed by another round before Sunset fell backward and hit the pavement.

Quickly the group surrounded her as she began to twitch and convulse out of control, spitting out the black sludge as she did. Eclipse raced to her side and got onto the ground, quickly checking her pulse. “Fuck!” He hissed as he tried to hold her still.

“Help me! Hold her still!” He demanded.

Horizon, Jasper, and Keylime all gripped Sunset and held her down, her body was convulsing insanely, it was almost inhuman. “Hold her head to the side!” Eclipse instructed harshly.

Nodding, Bolt held her head sideways as he noticed her eyes began to have black veins appear in the whites of them. She spat up more black sludge, unable to stop twitching. “What the fuck…?” Bolt blinked.

Eclipse reached into a small pouch on Sunset’s belt and produced a small case which he ripped open to retrieve a small syringe. Gripping the cap over the needle in his mouth, Eclipse tore it off and positioned it directly over Sunset’s right forearm. “Alright…” Eclipse inhaled and exhaled as he stabbed her with the needle, injecting it into her.

Sunset’s whole body thrust forward, but the group kept her held down as she let out a long pained gasp before the twitching got worse. “What the fuck is happening!?” Bolt questioned.

“Just keep her still! And keep her head to the side!” Eclipse growled.

Nodding the group held her as Eclipse kept his fingers on her neck, keeping an eye on her pulse. “Vitals starting to return to normal… Come on Sunset, you’re almost through this…”

Once her pulse returned to normal, he released her and gestured for the others to do the same. “Alright, back off…”

Eclipse turned her head and checked her eyes. They had returned to normal, causing him to nod approvingly and sigh as he stood up. “Let her rest…” He said calmly as he took a few steps away.

The group watched her carefully as Jasper broke the silence. “What happened to her?”

Eclipse didn’t answer, instead, Cloud chimed in with a theory. “Maybe it’s some kind of reaction to the demonic energy in her body? Probably just her body rejecting it…?”

“That’s… a good thing, right? It means she’s fighting the demonic corruption in her body… Right?” Bolt suggested.

“Could have been something else…” Nova proposed.

“Maybe it’s just some kind of… Allergic reaction?” Candy chimed in.

Eclipse grunted, getting annoyed at their speculation. He spat out a piece of gum he had been working on to calm himself down and rolled his eyes. “She’s dying.”

The entire group looked in his direction with confusion in their eyes. “Excuse me?” Jasper asked.

Eclipse sighed and didn’t turn to face them. “She’s dying… She has maybe eight months left…”

“She’s… Dying?” Candy asked.

“Impure demons don’t live long. Demonic energy pulses through their body and slowly spreads. Her arm used to be just her hand, then her wrist, and now it’s almost her entire arm. Once it spreads to her heart… Her heart will stop. The demon inside of her will use her empty husk for a little while, but eventually, she’ll die…” Eclipse explained.

The group fell silent.

Eclipse finally turned and glanced at Sunset laying there, her eyes half open as she finally caught her breath. She could hear everything he was saying, there was little doubt. He continued. “That girl is already dead. Nothing can save here now…”

Cloud quickly offered an idea. “Horizon’s dark pull could possibly…”

Eclipse cut him off. “Kill Horizon.”

Cloud blinked.

“I can tell Horizon’s power is far too weak. It works by absorbing darkness into her own heart, and the light within her purifies it and destroys it… The amount in Sunset… It’s too strong, it would kill Horizon within minutes…” Eclipse explained.

Horizon looked down at her mother laying there. Sunset shook her head, finally speaking. “I would never allow it anyway… I’ve fucked up many times in my life, and I know I haven’t done right by you, Horizon, but I will never let you die for me… I will never let you be harmed because of me…”

Horizon was silent, she chose not to add anything, though Sunset suspected the girl likely wouldn’t have helped her even if she did ask.

Sunset sat up and grumbled as she gestured for everyone to back off of her.

“So that’s it? You’re going to die soon and there’s nothing that can be done?” Jasper asked.

Sunset shrugged before forcing herself to stand. All the others around her stood back up as well. “It’s already set in stone. There’s no way to stop it. I’ll die, turn into a husk, and then Eclipse will take my body out so it can’t be used to harm others… That was the plan.”

Jasper coughed and looked away as he rolled his eyes.

“Something to say, Jasper?” Sunset raised a brow.

Candy could already tell what her brother was thinking and stepped in as she crossed her arms defiantly. “You really are some piece of shit, aren’t you? You come back into Horizon’s life after disappearing when you’re just going to drop dead in a few months from now? Maybe even sooner? You never had any fucking intention of making right by her, did you? Things must be so easy when you never have to face the person you’re betraying.”

Sunset looked over at Horizon, who was as stone-faced as ever. It was impossible to tell what she was feeling; the girl was truly an enigma beyond Sunset's ability to comprehend.

“I never intended any of this to happen…” Sunset began.

“Well, it did. And nothing you say now can fix it.” Jasper added as he stood next to his sister.

Sunset glanced at him but then back at Horizon. “Horizon…”

Horizon shrugged and looked over at where Yuna was being cared for. “I have to check on Yuna…” Horizon said before leaving to go to the starving girl.

Sunset sighed as the rest of the group wandered off with Horizon to tend to Yuna. Eclipse stayed behind and kept his eyes on Sunset as she looked at the ground and sulked. “Do you think dying is an appropriate punishment for everything I’ve done, Eclipse?” She asked.

Eclipse rolled his eyes as he stepped forward. “Everyone dies, so it’s not much of a punishment. That being said, you’re not dead yet. Make your last days count, kill Serenade and save your daughter from a world where Serenade is queen.”

“I doubt she’ll even be thankful that I did…” Sunset spoke quietly, refusing to face Eclipse.

“No, she won’t. That girl likely will hate you until the day she dies, and you’ll have to face death alone, but you can’t change that now. You made your choices, there’s no going back,” Eclipse said.

Sunset was silent before she looked up at him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the teenagers all getting back into their vehicles and leaving the two behind, without so much as a goodbye. Sunset had risked her life to keep Yuna alive, and not a single one of them even thanked her for it, and they couldn’t care less about the condition she was in.

As Sunset watched them leave, Eclipse spoke her thoughts. “Now you know what it’s like to truly feel alone in the world, don’t you?”

Sunset stared as the group drove off, following one another. “Hey, Eclipse… Do you think it’s better to be alone?”

He blinked, caught off guard by the question. He blushed as his mind for a brief second returned to Galeal, but he dismissed the thought. “I do now… It’s much easier to die when you’re alone, Sunset. Be thankful, it’ll be much harder to let it happen when you’re resisting saying goodbye. You may not be able to be the mother that Horizon needs, but you can protect her in another way.”

Sunset smiled gently and turned toward him and nodded. “Yeah… I guess you’re right… I guess the only thing I can do is move on… Can you excuse me for a moment, I need to make a phone call…”

Eclipse nodded and gestured toward his bike. “I’ll wait for you over there.”

After Eclipse mounted his bike and began to check his phone, Sunset stepped away and dialed a familiar number. After eight rings, the voice of Twilight came through the phone. “Sunset? Where are you? Horizon and her friends said you went missing.”

“I’m fine now… Horizon and her friends saved me, Yuna too,” Sunset explained.

“Oh… Well, why are you calling me then?” Twilight asked.

“I wanted to tell you that it’s okay… I understand why you want to leave now… You deserve to be happy, Twilight. You deserve someone better than me…” Sunset explained.

There was silence for a moment as a tear ran down Sunset’s cheek, waiting for Twilight’s response.

“Is that what you think I want to hear, Sunset?” Twilight asked.

“I think it’s what you need to hear…” Sunset spoke, gently choking on her words.

There was a short sigh from Twilight. “I really hate that you do this, you know?”

“Do what?” Sunset asked, confused.

“This is how you always deal with your problems, you either run from them or you try to absolve yourself from having to deal with them. You think that telling me it’s okay for me to find someone else will make it so you don’t have to feel bad anymore because you did the right thing in your mind…” Twilight sounded annoyed.

“I’m just trying to make sure you’re happy…” Sunset spoke meekly.

“It’s too late for that, Sunset. I haven’t been happy because of you, and you don’t get to just pretend to yourself that letting me go absolves you of that. You get to live with it, because at the end of the day… I still love you. I always have. I just can’t be with you anymore because all you do is hurt me. You don’t get to move on from the pain you caused me, because I haven’t, and I never will. We were supposed to have a life together, Sunset, but you were only there for the easiest parts… You didn’t endure the hard parts as I did… You were too busy being a hero to someone else, not to your family…” Twilight explained.

Sunset fell silent.

“You don’t get to feel absolved until a long time from now…” Twilight continued.

Sunset spoke softly. “I’m dying, Twilight… Horizon just found out too…”

There was a short pause.

“Seriously… Fuck you, Sunset. You think you can just guilt me like that?” Twilight asked.

“It’s not a joke. I’m serious… Ask Horizon yourself, she saw and understands why… The demonic power inside me is killing me…” Sunset explained.

Twilight sighed once more. “Well… I guess lucky you… You only have to feel bad for a little while then… I get to for the rest of my days…”

Sunset closed her eyes as tears poured out of them. “I’m so sorry, Twilight… I wanted to be a better wife, a better mother… I really did… I wanted to be so much better than my parents were… I wanted to give you and Horizon everything…”

Twilight ended the call with one final sentence. “It’s too bad you didn’t, maybe you could die happy then.”

She hung up after, leaving Sunset there with nothing but misery. The woman sniffled but then wiped her tears. She calmed herself and approached Eclipse, who tilted his head in confusion. “Who were you calling?”

Sunset shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore…”

He shrugged and gestured for her to get on. “Come on, there’s someone I think you need to meet…”

“Someone?” Sunset raised a brow.

“You will understand better when you meet them, come on, I think you need to see this…” Eclipse said.

Sunset was curious but decided not to ask questions. Instead, she hopped onto the bike and held on tight as he started the engine. “Can we get something to eat though? I haven’t eaten in so long…”

Eclipse rolled his eyes as he slipped his helmet on and raised his voice over the engine. “You kidding? I’m surprised your body didn’t take the fat from your boobs! Then at least I wouldn’t have to feel them on my back right now!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Not thinking of turning straight, are you?”

“Nah, they’re making me gayer for sure.” Eclipse joked.

“You’re such a fruitcake, you know that?” Sunset teased back.

“Hey, if you keep banter like that up I might actually start to enjoy your company!” Eclipse laughed.

Eight Ball had been tailing Lightning Dust for a few hours, and from a distance had witnessed her death at the hands of Bolt Dash. Once Bolt had disappeared from the scene, Eight Ball came out of hiding and approached where Lightning’s body had vanished. Looking at the ground where she once laid, he saw the detonation device she had spoken of to Bolt. Picking it up, he examined it and laughed. Eighty minutes was more than enough time for Sunset Shimmer to escape, and he was certain that Lightning hadn’t really finished the woman off.

He dropped the device back onto the ground and shook his head with a smirk on his face. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a cigarette and lit it. He took a short drag from the cancer stick and exhaled while he examined the scene. Lightning was decimated by the child, and thus proved she was not worthy of Serenade’s order. A small bit of him was disappointed, he had hoped he would have gotten to see her beg for the pain to stop first.

With the cigarette between his two fingers, he retrieved his phone from his wrist and opened up a video call with his master who appeared in a hologram before him instantaneously. Serenade crossed her arms and raised a brow. “Eight, what news do you have to report?”

Eight took another drag and smiled. “It’s Lightning.”

“What about her?” Serenade asked.

“She’s dead.” He exhaled.

Serenade’s expression softened a bit. “You take her out?”

Finishing the cigarette, he tossed it onto the ground and stamped it out. “Nah, wasn’t necessary. One of those teenagers who hangs out with Sunset’s kid killed her.”

“So you are slacking on the job then?” Serenade raised a brow.

He chuckled. “I may have had a hand in putting her at a serious disadvantage during their fight…”

Serenade rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s good that she’s dead. What happened to Sunset Shimmer?”

“Turns out she captured her a while ago and was holding her hostage somewhere. Probably wanted leverage over you or something… It was a stupid plan, for sure… The kind of retarded shit that someone was dumb and as useless as Lightning Dust would come up with, that's for sure. Not interesting in the slightest either.” Eight shrugged.

Serenade shook her head. “She was dumber than she looked then. Did you apprehend Sunset, now that Lightning is dead?”

He shook his head. “Nah, not possible. The kid ran off to go get her. She’s on the other side of town and since he took a car, there’s no way I can get there before he does. Speed was Lightning’s thing. The kid was fast, but I think it’d use too much power on his part to try and go all the way across town, especially after a fight like that…”

“Damn, I was hoping at least we could get some use out of Lightning, but I suppose not… She turned out to be completely useless after all...” Serenade sighed.

“The girl was useless from the start, you knew that. Now she’s out of the way, we can focus more on those of us who actually can do their job…” Eight suggested.

Serenade nodded approvingly. “Agreed. You continue to impress me, Eight Ball. Now, go check up on Shield and see what he’s going to do about our little problem… Thinning out Horizon’s little entourage should be his top priority, we don’t want her getting too many allies after all.”

Eight agreed with her. “Yeah, I’ll see what he’s up to. I’m sure he’s got something cooked up, he’s usually more interesting than the Doc, that’s for sure…”

“I think the doctor is putting his talents to good use, he promised me he’ll have some things to show for his research real soon, should be some fun new toys that I’m sure those kids will absolutely love.” Serenade smirked.

“Sounds good, I’ll call you back when I’ve met with Shield.”

“See to it that you do.” Serenade nodded before hanging up.

Eight smirked and hung up, Shield would be much more interesting to see in action that Lightning Dust was, and he was looking forward to that.

The motorcycle that Eclipse and Sunset were on came to a stop in front of a hotel. Eclipse removed his helmet before looking over at Sunset who had stepped off of the bike, Sunset reached to her own neck and removed the geode clasped to it. She offered it to Eclipse.

“Here.” She held out her hand.

Eclipse looked down at the necklace in confusion. “Why are you giving me that?”

“I’m a lot weaker now… It’ll take a few days for me to be back to my full strength, so I can’t exactly protect it from falling into the wrong hands fully. It will only work for people who have the same bloodline as me, but that doesn’t mean Serenade or her minions won’t find a way to use it to enhance their own power…” She explained.

Eclipse took it from her and raised a brow. “This thing drastically enhances your ability to use magic here…”

She nodded. “Yes, but I can still use it without it, it just won’t be as strong. It’s safer with you for a little while until my strength comes back…”

Shrugging, Eclipse placed it around his own neck and grinned. “Do I look any sexier?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh, you’re absolutely to die for… I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you…” She spoke sarcastically.

“Well, now that you’re going to be single again, I might have to actually watch out…” Eclipse chuckled.

Sunset frowned and looked away. “So you heard that, then?”

He nodded. “I may have heard a little bit…”

The two were silent until Eclipse spoke up. “Tough break, Sunset.”

She blinked and looked over at him with surprise. “It’s not like you to try and console me…” She said.

He rubbed his neck and looked away. “Hey… It’s none of my business, but I know what it’s like to have your world shattered…”

Sunset stepped forward. “You still haven’t told me why you’re doing all this… Why you’re here… We’ve known each other for years now and you have yet to tell me anything about yourself…”

Eclipse sighed. “Yeah… I guess that’s unfair, huh?”

Sunset’s voice became softer. “Talk to me, Eclipse… You may have disdain toward me, but I really have no reason to have that toward you… I’ve been working with you this entire time, I just want to know why…”

Eclipse’s tone became less sarcastic and joking than Sunset was used to as he spoke up. “When I was young, I met a griffon… His name was Galeal… He was the only person who ever understood me. We connected so well, I finally came out of my shell. He showed me how to open up, how to be someone and not just another face in the crowd…”

Sunset was silent as she listened.

“Before him, I was shy, nervous, lacked confidence… But Galeal… He just… He just understood me right away. We were inseparable…” Eclipse went on.

“He sounds great.” Sunset smiled.

“When Serenade took over, he and I were put into work camps… I was sure we’d be separated, but I happened to be good with numbers… They put us in charge of construction operations, so we got to stay together, managed to avoid a lot of the harder tasks… He wasn’t great with numbers, but I lied and pretended some of my work was his, just so we could be together…” Eclipse continued.

Sunset looked genuinely surprised. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know you were in the camps…”

“When they finally separated us, I escaped and went looking for him… When I found him though… I found out he had been living a lie… Galeal never could admit he had feelings for me to his family. Didn’t want to carry the stigma… He was too embarrassed by me…” Eclipse said.

Sunset placed a hand over her mouth in shock. “What did you do?”

“I left. I joined the rebellion, I figured if I couldn’t be with him, I’d at least make myself useful… Kill the creature who murdered my parents…” He replied.

“And now? Why did you come here, Eclipse? You could have stayed in Equestria…” Sunset asked.

He paused and looked away. “I came here to find you…”

“Me?” Sunset blinked.

He nodded. “I broke into the royal archives, and when I was there, I learned that Glitch was actually Sunset Shimmer… I also learned that Twilight knew Serenade escaped and came here… I figured I could be useful again and serve under Glitch to stop Serenade again…”

Sunset frowned. “I’m sorry, Eclipse… I get it must be very disappointing to find out who I really am… Glitch was… Glitch was everything I’m not because that’s who I had to be when it went down…”

“You did what you had to…” Eclipse shrugged.

Sunset stepped forward and took Eclipse’s hand. “No… I didn’t.”

He looked at the girl with confusion as she continued.

“I wanted to show we were better… But I was wrong to do that… I should have killed her, Eclipse. I didn’t and now more people are paying the price for that. I won’t make that mistake twice, I will make up for my mistake, I promise you.” Sunset pleaded.

Eclipse sighed and nodded, gripping her hand tight, and the two released each other.

She smiled and kissed his cheek, causing the man to blush slightly. “Thanks for telling me… I feel like we’re a little closer…”

Eclipse rolled his eyes. “I’m still not into girls…”

Sunset giggled and tapped his nose. “Maybe I can convince you one day.”

“Pffft, I’ve seen you get out of the shower, doesn’t do anything for me.” He rolled his eyes.

She giggled and looked over at the hotel. “So… Are you going to tell me why we’re here?”

Eclipse grew silent for a second before he responded. “Yeah… There’s someone you have to meet, and I apologize in advance if this is weird…”

“Why would it be weird?” Sunset blinked.

“Just… Follow me…” Eclipse gestured for her to follow.

The pair walked toward room number eight and Eclipse inhaled and exhaled before he rang the doorbell. He stood patiently as the door swung open a few seconds later, there at the door was a woman with long wavy hair, only partially tucked under a black beanie.

She smiled at Eclipse and nodded at him. “Ah, Eclipse. And I am going to guess you’re Sunset Shimmer then?”

Sunset squinted as she examined the girl before she replied. “Starlight?”

Starlight blinked. “We’ve met?”

Sunset shook her head. “No. But you look a lot like the other Starlight…”

She chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. How is she, by the way? I’m kind of curious what my counterpart is like…”

Sunset shrugged. “I haven’t really talked to her since I left years ago. When the war was going on, she was kept hostage by a changeling, but it sounded like she had developed feelings for him before things were over, swore up and down he wasn’t like Serenade… Too bad it seems like she was wrong because he’s out here helping her now…”

“Hopeless romantic… Sounds like me.” Starlight giggled.

Eclipse cleared his throat, catching Starlight’s attention. She frowned, realizing they weren’t there for small talk. “I take it you’re here to see her?” Starlight asked.

“Please.” Eclipse nodded.

Nodding back, Starlight smiled at him. “I’ll go get her, one second.”

Starlight closed the door and her footsteps could be heard heading to the other room of the hotel. Sunset stood in silence as she watched Eclipse, wondering what his reasoning was for bringing the two of them there. Eclipse was always the type to throw her off, just when she thought she had him figured out, he would do something unpredictable.

After a few moments passed, the door opened again, and Starlight gestured for the two to follow her inside. “She’s waiting for you in the bedroom in the back.”

Eclipse gestured for Sunset to go first, and she did. Stepping into the hotel room, it was clear this was far from a permanent living situation. Eclipse stood at the hall where they entered and gestured for Sunset to go ahead of him. “I’ll wait here… I want to make a phone call anyway…”

Sunset shrugged and took a step forward before pausing to glance at Starlight who just smiled at her, telling her to go ahead.

Behind her, Eclipse’s phone had already connected him with a familiar-sounding voice, but Sunset could not make out what Eclipse and the woman on the phone were saying, she was positive he was speaking Germanic, a language commonly used in Dragon Scar.

“Ich bin hier bei ihr. Ja, Sie wird sie gleich treffen…” Eclipse glanced over at Sunset, who just started to head toward the door that she was instructed to. She wondered what he was saying and who he was talking to, but she couldn’t translate what he was saying, but she surmised her likely learned German from Cinder, now that she knew he studied under her.

Dismissing it, Sunset took a deep breath and entered the bedroom she was instructed to. She closed her eyes as she opened the door and exhaled before she opened her eyes. There sitting upon the bed was a face she had not expected to ever see again, a face that looks so similar to her own. The woman came to a stand, and her red hair cascaded over her. Even wrapped in a ponytail her hair was exceptionally long.

Sunset was frozen as the woman took a single step forward, her black cocktail dress swaying gently as she moved. She was only a hair shorter than Sunset as she came within a foot or so of Sunset.

Frozen, Sunset just stared at her, allowing her counterpart to break the silence. “I suppose you have at least eight dozen questions?”

Sunset lifted her own hair away from her covered eye to make sure she wasn’t seeing things for a brief moment. “It’s… No… It can’t be… You’re dead…”

Shimmer glanced away bashfully, running a hand through her hair. “Yeah… that is how it’s supposed to be, isn’t it?”

“So how are you here? I saw you die, I was there at your funeral…” Sunset reached forward, touching the girl’s face. Upon her touch, Shimmer locked eyes with Sunset.

“Equestrian magic has more capabilities than I could have ever guessed, my consciousness was preserved with it… It was like I was sleeping until the moment I was reborn,” Shimmer explained.

“That’s possible?” Sunset blinked.

Shimmer shook her head. “It’s not the way you think. This body… It may look like me, but it only does when I take control, my essence was placed within another. When I awoke, I was able to take this form again, thanks to the magic…”

Sunset smiled and stroked her sister’s cheek. “It’s great to see you again…”

Shimmer giggled and removed Sunset’s hand before she frowned. “Unfortunately, Sunset… This arrangement isn’t permanent…”

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.

Shimmer bit her lip and looked away. “The magic that keeps me here, the magic that preserves my consciousness… It comes from Equestria. So long as the portal between our worlds exists, the connection keeps Equestrian magic here in the human world.”

“So?” Sunset shrugged, not sure what she was getting at.

Shimmer made a serious face and placed her hands upon Sunset’s cheeks as she spoke. “Sunset… You will need to destroy the portal once it opens again…”

“What!?” Sunset stepped backward. “No way! I just got you back… If what you’re saying is true… Destroying the portal will…”

Shimmer nodded as her hands fell to her sides. “Destroy me, yes. The moment the connection is severed, the magic preserving me will dissipate, and I will leave the world of the living… Indefinitely…”

“You’re asking me to kill you… Again…” Sunset shook her head in refusal.

“You didn’t kill me the first time, Sunset. My death was no one’s fault…” Shimmer explained.

Sunset growled. “You would still let her off the hook? Adagio shot you eight times! She was trying to kill me! Doesn’t that mean anything to you!?”

Shimmer sighed and sat down on the bed. “I have had plenty of time to think, while I slumbered, Sunset. Adagio did something horrible, but I now know what drove her to it, and she has paid for it… Princess Twilight ensured that. Her execution was supposed to make it so everyone could put this behind them, but it sounds like you still are not satisfied…”

“I’m not.” Sunset crossed her arms.

Looking over at her older Sister, Shimmer met her with innocent eyes. “And what will satisfy you? Adagio is dead. There is nothing more that can be done…”

“And yet now that you are back, making things right again… You want me to kill you…” Sunset grumbled.

Shimmer tilted her head gently and frowned. “Sunset… You know this can’t continue like this… Serenade can die, but who is to say another won’t come through that portal? Serenade came here for revenge… Who is to say another won’t just take her place?”

“I’ll stop them!” Sunset raised a fist.

“How? You won’t be here…” Shimmer glanced at Sunset’s hand.

Sunset blushed and clutched her wrist in her other hand. “H-how did you know?”

“Eclipse told me… You’re dying, Sunset… You’ll be lucky if you have enough life left in you to finish off Serenade. You won’t live long enough to stop anyone who will try and be her successor. The only option is to ensure Equestria is cut off from this world… For good,” Shimmer explained.

Sunset cursed Eclipse under her breath, she should have known he would reveal too much, furthermore that he would keep secrets like this from her. Just when she thought she knew him a little better, he reminded her why she couldn’t trust him completely.

Sunset shook her head. “I won’t do it… I won’t kill you, there has to be another way…”

“In the end, Sunset… Everything will come down to a choice…” Shimmer reminded.

“Yeah… I know…” Sunset grumbled.

“In the end, there can’t be two of us… One of us has to go, and I am telling you… It’s going to be me. I’ve made my peace with that, but you need to stay here long enough to finish what you started…” Shimmer said.

“I won’t…” Sunset repeated.

“And then what? Your family? Your daughter? Everything you did to protect them will be for nothing. It has to stop somewhere, Sunset. When the time comes, I know you’ll do the right thing…” Shimmer stood up and smiled.

A tear ran down Sunset’s face. Shimmer stepped forward and wiped it away before pulling the girl into an embrace. Sunset squeezed her tightly as more tears came out. Shimmer released her after eight seconds and smiled at her older sister. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. There are bigger things at stake now, bigger than you and I.”

“I’ve missed you so much…” Sunset managed to get out.

She nodded and tapped Sunset’s nose. “I know you have, but we’ll be able to see each other again before this is over, I promise. This isn’t goodbye yet, we both still have work to do.”

“How can I get a hold of you if I need you again?” Sunset asked.

Shimmer gestured toward the door. “Eclipse knows how to find me.”

Sunset nodded and looked at the door. “As much as I want to catch up… I really should go, I need to check on Horizon and her friends…”

Shimmer nodded. “Go ahead, we’ll talk soon. I can tell you more then.”

Heading toward the door, once Sunset placed a hand on the knob and opened it, Shimmer’s voice echoed back to her. “Sunset.”

The redhead turned briefly for Shimmer to finish her sentence. “Take good care of Eclipse… He’s more special than you know…”

That statement somehow set something off in Sunset. There was something about Shimmer’s tone when she said those words that left Sunset uneasy. She nodded sheepishly and exited the room, heading toward the entrance where Eclipse was now standing outside conversing with Starlight.

Sunset left the hotel and shut the door behind her and she came directly in front of Eclipse only inches from his face, and he could see she was angry as she pointed her finger at him. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know until you were already gone, I took you here because I thought you should know…” Eclipse explained.

“But you know more than you’re telling me… Shimmer said you were special… Why would she say that? She hardly knows you…” Sunset raised an angry brow.

Eclipse shrugged. “Who knows?”

“You told her something… Something you’re not telling me!” Sunset accused.

Starlight tried to calm the two down. “Let’s all just relax…”

Sunset pointed at her next. “Do you know what’s going on?”

Starlight shook her head as she waved her hands defensively. “Shimmer doesn’t tell me anything, honest!”

Sunset turned her anger back toward Eclipse and held her finger on his chest as she spoke harsh words. “What aren’t you telling me, Eclipse!?”

“Nothing…” Eclipse shrugged.

“Oh really? Because I’ve been wondering about something since I walked into that house… Something that doesn’t add up regarding your story…” Sunset stated.

Eclipse moved her finger off of him and rolled his eyes. “And what’s that?”

Crossing her arms, Sunset watched Eclipse closely. “Why were you in the royal archives to begin with? By the time you went there, the war was over… You had no reason to try and find out who I was…”

“Cause I wanted to finish off Serenade!” Eclipse growled.

“Except you had no reason to think Serenade escaped from prison in Equestria… The only people who knew about that were those in the royal family… Which means you only could have learned it from the archives…” Sunset pointed out.

Eclipse grew silent and looked away.

“Which means you had another reason for going there… What was it?” Sunset asked.

Eclipse stepped away. “This is stupid…”

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Sunset yelled as she stepped after him.

“And I’m done talking about this…” Eclipse sighed.

“You don’t just get to decide to do whatever the hell you want! I have let you get by for years without so much as explaining where you came from, but I think I fucking deserve some kind of explanation about who the fuck you are, why the fuck you’re here, and what the hell is going on!” Sunset demanded.

Eclipse turned toward her and spoke in a harsh tone. “Listen, you don’t need to know.”

“I want to know!” Sunset stomped her foot.

Eclipse smirked and leaned in as he gave a sarcastic response. “Well, you don’t always get what you want. I think you of all people should know that pretty well, hm?”

“Am I interrupting something?” A masculine voice asked.

The group all glanced in the direction of a tall man standing there with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a brown hoodie and a large irritating grin. His short dark green hair was well kept for someone who looked like they had just gotten dressed by throwing on whatever was in the closet.

Eclipse noted the man’s impressive muscles and shining yellow eyes as he took a casual step toward them.

“Who the hell are you?” Eclipse asked.

He chuckled and pulled his hands out of his pockets. Cracking his knuckles he bowed his head lightly as he introduced himself. “Name is Shield, I send my regards on behalf of Serenade. She heard your friends killed Lightning Dust.”

“And yet here you are lined up to die just like her…” Sunset threatened.

Shield let out a jovial laugh and shook his head. “I assure you I am nowhere near as weak as that girl was. Lightning was expendable, nothing more than a pawn necessary to be knocked over to get closer to our enemies…”

“And you’re supposed to be a knight in comparison?” Sunset asked.

He tapped his chest playfully. “That’s right.”

“Looks like another pawn to me…” Eclipse commented.

“I think they told me about you… Eclipse, yes? The one with quite the mouth on him?” Shield smirked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know…” Eclipse grinned back at him.

“So… We all know why I’m here, I need you to tell me where those teenagers are… Do that, and I promise I’ll only beat you within an inch of your life…” Shield threatened.

Sunset stood behind Eclipse and spoke in a whisper. “I don’t know if I have enough strength to take this guy right now… My body is still recovering…”

Eclipse raised a hand dismissing her. “I got this…”

“Eclipse, you shouldn’t do this on your own…” Sunset protested.

“I said I got this…” Eclipse stepped forward and cracked his own knuckles. His size was far from impressive compared to Shield, but his aura of confidence matched the man’s, causing Shield to be slightly confused. Even without a display of Shield’s power, Shield was confident that this puny man had no reason to believe he could take him on, where did his confidence come from?

The two began to circle each other, hands made into fists, ready to throw down the moment one of them took the first advance. Sunset stepped back and pushed Starlight away from the fight. Starlight whispered to Sunset. “Can Eclipse take this guy?”

“I don’t know…” Sunset replied.

Eclipse and Shield kept their eyes locked upon each other as they continued to walk in a circle, paying close attention to the other. “Look, kid… You don’t know it yet, but you don’t stand a chance against me, why not just tell me what I want to know?”

Not even flinching, Eclipse replied. “What makes you even sure that I know where they went? It’s not like I know them that well…”

“I’m sure you could find out… A simple phone call is all it takes, right?” Shield suggested.

“Why would I want to help you?” Eclipse raised a brow.

Shield laughed. “Because if you don’t, I’ll kill you. Then I’ll just track them down myself…”

“If you could do that, why even come here asking me?” Eclipse questioned.

“This is faster… Now, are you going to tell me?” Shield grinned.

“Eat shit.”

“So, you’d rather let our fists do the talking then?” Shield laughed.

“Seems that way, because talking to you is fucking boring…” Eclipse nodded.

“Show me what you got then…” Shield pounded his chest.

The two continued to circle each other as Shield waited for Eclipse to make an attack, but instead, he continued waiting for an attack on his end. It was clear that Eclipse had no interest in striking first, so Shield’s patience lost out and he thrust forward at Eclipse with a mighty hook.

Eclipse dodged it and swung back, hitting Shield’s face, noting that it didn’t even phase him. Eclipse gave him another hit, but like the first it did nothing. Shield put some distance between the two as he stood proudly. “Is that all?” Shield asked.

Blinking, Eclipse summoned a light sword into his right hand, realizing that Shield had some kind of magical protection keeping him from being harmed.

Charging forward, Eclipse swung at him, hitting him with the blade of pure magic, and followed it with several more swipes noticing that pieces of Shield’s body chipped off as if they were rocks, leaving small indents on his form. Eclipse squinted in confusion as he saw the chips quickly fill back up, restoring his body to perfect condition.

Shield just stood there proudly with his hands on his hips and a big grin on his face. “What the fuck…?” Eclipse asked.

“A little gift from Serenade… You like it?” Shield smirked.

“What the hell are you…?” Eclipse wondered out loud.

Shield pounded his chest. “Serenade’s demonic gift enhanced my natural abilities. I’ve always been very resistant to pain, but with the demonic powers, I have… My body is literally covered in a thick layer of armor. The armor regenerates almost as quickly as it's damaged…”

“In other words…” Eclipse stepped backward.

Cracking his neck, Shield took a fighting stance. “In other words, I am completely invincible. I am impervious to any and all types of attack. The armor on my body is resistant to magic and physical damage. You can not so much as scratch me.”

“This is bad…” Sunset commented from the sidelines. “If Eclipse can’t even hurt him, how can he possibly win this fight…?”

“He’s in a bad spot alright…” Starlight nodded in agreement. “We should all get out of here…” She suggested.

Eclipse was carefully stepping, watching Shield’s every move. It was clear his style was more defensive, but with such an impossible-to-beat defense, that meant he was free to attack however he pleased. If an opponent didn’t need to worry about defending, it meant they could even just wait out any would-be attacker. Eclipse knew he couldn’t just keep striking without knowing the secret to Shield’s armor. For all he knew there really was no way around it.

He cursed under his breath as he began to formulate a plan. He was completely protected from all attacks, but his armor could still chip, that meant perhaps there was a way to damage it enough to get a hit on him, but Eclipse would need more power to do something like that.

His mind quickly went to the only option he saw before him on how to increase his power, it was an option he had hoped to avoid, but now he saw no choice. If he didn’t do something, there was a high probability that Shield was going to kill all of them. He cursed again as he realized the situation he was being forced into.

Taking a breath, he placed his hand upon the geode that Sunset had given him, causing Sunset to squint in confusion. Starlight instantly noticed Sunset’s change in demeanor. “What’s wrong?”

“Is he trying to use the geode? It’s not possible for him to use it…” Sunset commented.

As Eclipse held the necklace, it began to glow, and the sword in his hand grew much brighter, larger, and was now encased in a fire aura. Eclipse released the geode and grinned as he brandished his much more powerful sword. “Armor or not, no one is invincible. Serenade would never give you a power that would put you in a better position to fight than her.”

Shield laughed, but Eclipse didn’t give him a chance to answer before he swung his new stronger blade, hitting the brutish man repeatedly, chipping pieces of his armor away in rapid succession. After about twenty hits, Shield jumped backward and regenerated himself. He shook his head and sighed. “Just as I thought… You’re way too weak… Killing you won’t even be fun… Don’t worry though, I have a suspicion about where those kids are… I’m gonna go kill them first, and I’ll come back, maybe you’ll suck less when I return.”

Eclipse stepped forward to stop him, but the man jumped so high that he was able to land atop a nearby building and ran off just as quickly. Eclipse cursed and opened his hand, allowing the sword to disappear into thin air. He sighed and shook his head.

Sunset stepped forward and immediately questioned him. “How were you able to do that?”

Eclipse ignored her question and gestured in the direction that Shield went. “We should probably warn the kids…”

“Answer my question, Eclipse,” Sunset demanded, crossing her arms.

“Maybe Eclipse is right, Sunset? This really isn’t the time for…” Starlight tried to mitigate, but Sunset cut her off.

“Eclipse, I demand to know! That geode chose me, meaning it can only be used by people directly linked to me by blood. How were you able to use it?” Sunset asked.

“It doesn’t matter, we have more important things to worry about…” Eclipse tried to get her to drop the subject, but Sunset was adamant.

“Tell me right now, Eclipse. I want the truth, who are you? What other unique abilities do you possess? You can just use the geodes without any need for connection to them? How is that possible?” Sunset growled.

“No, it’s not like that…” Eclipse shook his head.

“Why should I trust anything you say? You can’t explain anything about yourself to me. Why did Shimmer say you were special? Why can you use that Geode? What aren’t you telling me?” Sunset stomped her foot.

“It’s not important right now, Sunset…” Eclipse said.

“It’s important to me! Who the fuck are you!?” Sunset yelled.

Reaching his breaking point Eclipse shouted back at her. “ECLIPSE SHIMMER!”

The two both froze for a moment before Sunset reached and touched her lips in shock. “You mean… You’re…”

“Your brother.”

I am working on fixing the images in other chapters! Promise!

Also yes. I have literally been waiting maybe... a year or so to reveal this secret of the story! Yup, Eclipse and Sunset. :P