Canyon sat in his old office chair, surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke that danced its way out of the untouched tobacco that sat still between his fingers. He bared a look of volition, mixed with the few uncertainties that shrouded his mind.

He reached a hand to loosen his ebony black tie, allowing a few needed breaths to enter his uneasy body. Dark chestnut brown eyes wandered with immense focus towards the sloven surroundings that was his office. Dusty, unkempt and poorly lit by a few light bulbs, including the lamp that sat on his desk. Everything was in contrast to the pristine visage of the people within the room.

“It's chaos out there.” Said the woman that stood near the rickety door, donning a large black trench coat that gave her an intimidating frame.

Canyon looked at her, his eyes intense and solicitous.

“The hostages were proven to be unreliable.” Another woman said, donning the same trench coat as everyone else present. Except for Canyon.

Canyon clicked his tongue before speaking with a deep gruff in his voice. “There's something about this girl that I don't understand.” He paused. “You all saw what happened out there. In the rain.”

Everyone in the room exchanged subtle glances at Canyon's words.

There was only silence.

Canyon sighed, almost in surrender. “ Am I supposed to redeem myself for screwing up last night's mission? Hm?” He asked loudly, straightening up in his seat.

His inquiry was left unanswered as they all stood there in silence and in anticipation. They always do.

Canyon slumped back down. “Tell me, what are we really up against here?”

Again, there was only silence.

“A fucking liability, ladies and gentlemen.” Canyon slammed his palm against the desk before picking up the file folder and waved it angrily in the air. “This Lazarus bitch is just a pathetic bottom feeder who chose to play with the wrong people. And I'm supposed to cease all of my operations so I can take care of this one little inconvenience.”

Canyon slammed the file folder back to his desk before continuing. “Never have I been this insulted in my life. And now, she's killing off a bunch of my gang leaders for sport. Cheap game from a thief.” He laughed.

Sounds of men just outside the office's door briefly muffled, before the door burst open. There stood by the doorway were two of Canyon's men holding a struggling girl bound by metal wires that glued her arms to her torso. She had a tape on her mouth, muffling the growls of protest bellowing from her throat, and a dangerous fire in her eyes that bore deeply into Canyon's being.

Of course, Canyon just sat there. Not worrying, secretly disturbed yet ultimately relieved. He looked at his men. They had scratches and bruises that covered their entire faces. He didn't question it, didn't bother him either but it intrigued him so.

“Put her in a chair.” Canyon ordered.

His men did as they were told. The girl lashed out in attempts to escape from their hold, but their collective efforts proved dominant and she later found herself tied in a metal chair. Her limbs and and torso strapped tight, ensuring that escape won't be an easy task.

One of the men handed Canyon a brightly colored box that was tied in a bow. He eyed it questionably at first, switching his gaze from the box, to the man, then to the girl. Eventually, he accepted it with the least interest and waited no second to open it.

As soon as Canyon lifted the cover, a familiar severed head greeted him. Mangled and most definitely dead. He didn't let out a gasp, nor did he flinch, but he just looked at it for the longest time with that undying stoic look on his face.

Canyon placed the cover at the desk and looked at the girl again, who was certainly smiling behind the tape.

After all was settled, he asked for everyone else to leave. And so they did, leaving him and the girl in the dark, dimly lit and untidy office.

Everything was silent for a moment. Canyon seemed to cherish the peace as he stared at the girl in front of him with skepticism and bizarre wonderment. It stayed that way, until Canyon finally uttered a word.

“Sunset Shimmer. My god… you really are alive.” Canyon said, almost breathless.

Sunset tilted her head in a way that a curious snake would, trying to get through Canyon with her sharp look. Their eyes locked, as Canyon stood up and walked towards her. With a swift movement, Canyon ripped off the tape from Sunset's mouth.

“Raah!!! I just hate it when people try to shut me up!” She spat.

Canyon just stood there, quite uncertain yet intrigued nonetheless.

Sunset's eyes wandered around the room, silently spewing out her judgements. “This is what you call Barbatos’ Paradise.” She said. “And you must be Barbatos himself. The head of this operation.”

Canyon blinked.

“Nice to meet ya!” Sunset opened her palm, anticipating a handshake from the man.

Canyon just looked at her.

“What's the matter, Canyon? Not fond of zombies?” Sunset snickered, relaxing her hand dismissively.

Canyon's eyes frowned at the address but he did not falter. “Not quite, no.”

Sunset laughed. “So uhh… you like the gift?” She gestured towards the desk.

Canyon merely looked at her knowingly. Which Sunset responded with a mocking yet unsettling glare. Then he began in a soft voice, both curious and perceptive.

“Steal from the rich, walk into one of our houses, kill a bunch of gang leaders in their own territory. It's quite a sporadic behavior for a pleb.”

“And you sound so condescending for a fucking drug lord.” Sunset scoffed, smiling with amusement. “No one bats an eye when you do the nasty stuff, no! But when I finally do it, you start to act so violated. You even went further by taking a bunch of nerds as baits to lure me in.”

“So have you come for them?” Canyon asked.

Sunset momentarily broke into a loud laugh. “I don't give a shit about them! No, I'm here for that one bitch who put a bullet in my head and splattered my brains all over the pavement. Because seriously! I’ve been having this awful migraines and it's really bothersome. Now, why don't you be a good man and hand the bitch over so we can have a nice tete-a-tete.”

“He's relieved of duty.”

Sunset's face fell out of dismay. “You've gotta be shitting me.” She growled. “Came all the way here for nothing! Ah, fuck it. I'll just have you instead.”

The frown on Canyon's face hardened. It was a look of disappointment and almost of pity. “Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?”

“You're one of the big bad wolves. You rule this city like any other mobster would.” Sunset answered.

“You choose to run around, causing havoc in our territory as if it's your own personal playground. You're trying to make a statement, by killing gang leaders and displaying their bodies in front of people. You want us to be afraid.”

“Are you afraid?”

“I'm flabbergasted.” Canyon said flatly. “You did a great job, though. You made it look seamless, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, our fear must be invested into other things. People like you are just bugs trying to hinder with the operation. Pesky and ignorant of the grander scheme of things.”

Sunset flexed her jaw, not breaking the eye contact. “First of all, you're acting like I did these things out of impulse. You people just liked pushing too hard, alright? And second, do I fucking look like someone who gives a shit about the ‘grander scheme of things’?”

He could see it. The unsettling emptiness in her eyes. Canyon could have sworn that they weren't always like that before.

“You most definitely don't.” Canyon said absentmindedly. “But you're right. We pushed you. I understand that.”

Sunset squinted her eyes at him. “You do?”

“Very much so.”

Sunset was curious now.

“I believe it all started when we first met you. When I met you years ago.”

Something formed in Sunset's mind when Canyon constructed his sentence. Foggy memories, sounds, smell, she couldn't quite make it out. They rambled in her head like a tangled mess of strings trying to make sense of itself.

Shit!

Sunset tried harder to dig out the remnants that she needed to find. It was a long time ago. It was beautiful then it was ugly. She remembered the euphoria, the recklessness, the fun. All of the sudden, her life crumbled into a mess that could never be fixed.

Canyon's voice brought her back. “Do you remember Las Vegas?”

It clicked. “Yeah…” Sunset managed to crack a smile. “I remember you now. You and… that other… guy.”

Canyon gave a subtle nod, urging Sunset to proceed.

“It’s not something I remember a lot.” Sunset said, her voice trailing off. “After the show ended, we got invited to a party… it was the craziest party I’ve ever been to…”

Pictures of ecstatic colors rambled in Sunset's mind.

“Someone gave me a drink. A guy. He… he was tall, had white hair, eyes… they were bright green… then… I started losing my mind. I couldn’t remember what happened from then on… but something changed.”

“You were the result of a poorly executed experiment.” Canyon said. “Your body didn't take the drug too well. Made you a little insane.”

“Insane…”

“It wasn't the result we were looking for, obviously.”

Sunset lashed out in her seat, snarling like a rabid dog fueled by the primal urge to maul a man to death. “You son of a bitch!!!”

Canyon remained calm and still in his position, blankly staring at the murderous girl screaming in front of him. He continued. “I’m not the chemist behind it. But I do know, that being the prototype that it is, the effects on you were briefly observed to be unpredictable. We couldn’t have that.”

“Oh yeah?!”

“You can put it in a way that you were one of our many mistakes that we failed to contain.” Canyon said, amusement and guilt present in his voice. “Or just… simply forgot about and moved on.”

As her struggling intensified, Sunset's growls of pure anger started to sound more like feral noises.

“Fate is kind of an asshole.” Canyon humored flatly.

Sunset paused, her breathing erratic and labored. Her wrists and ankles sore from the persistent grinding against the leather straps.

“It's quite ironic once you see the bigger picture.” Canyon chuckled, leaning back to his desk, skimming through a bunch of file folders. “Me and my eccentric colleague were young men trying to play with their toys. Turned out that playtime backfired greatly. Kind of like a butterfly effect. We crossed paths with a harmless person like you, we decided to screw around, it fucked you up in the long run, and eventually made you the catalyst of an inevitable apocalypse.”

There was a pause that both crushed them in different ways. For Canyon, it was heavy. Sort of like a tragedy. While Sunset thought of it as another hilarious joke that backfired on them in a form of a nuclear bomb. She let out a giggle, then a hearty laugh, until she cackled her heart out she was literally running out of breath.

“In a way, it's only rightful for me to say that we screwed up big time.” Canyon smiled weakly.

“Oh, man! You really did! Almost thought the universe had some kind of unfathomable vendetta against my own existence!” Sunset wheezed, letting out a tear. “But it was you! You really fucked up! You fucked me up!”

“I know. But that'll make me the enemy.” Canyon said. “I decide to make things less complicated. I’ll redeem myself by finally finishing you off, avenge my colleague’s death and proceed with my usual operation. The city will go on without you. You’re not ‘The Verdict’. You’re just a liability. A little drawback; insignificant and inconsequential. That's what you are and you'll remain that way.”

“Have it your way. For now. But remember, I’ll come for you.” Sunset said, eyes twitching.

He leaned in to her until he was practically breathing into her face. “You think you’re gonna get revenge? Against me? Against us? What can you possibly do against an entire empire?”

“I like a little challenge. One way or another, this failed modus operandi of yours, will be shown in broad daylight. I’ll make you pay.”

“Please, do try.” Canyon dared with a humble smile, leaning back for a distance.

Sunset lunged herself forward with immense effort the chair almost tipped over. They just stared deeply into each other's eyes, one filled with contempt while the other filled with pure animalistic fury. Canyon decided to break eye contact and proceeded to grab the revolver lying on the desk behind him, putting a single bullet into its empty cylinder.

While Sunset watched intently, she said, “You started this whole manhunt just to get me. So, please do try your best to inquire.”

Canyon locked the cylinder in place and switched the hammer down. “On the contrary, I'm just going to shoot you. No questions asked.”

Sunset frowned. “What is this whole trouble with the money, then?”

“There are greater troubles to worry, I’m afraid. And at this point in time, not even money can prevent them from coming.” Canyon sighed, dread filled his voice amidst the small smile.

“Wow. You’ve given up. Just like that.” There was a thick coat of dismay in Sunset's chuckle. “Damn, what a fucking waste of energy.”

“Like I said, you're just a liability. And the only thing left to do now is to kill you.”

Canyon then continued to press the barrel against Sunset's forehead, who silently obliged to lean forward for him. Much so with a lopsided smile on her face, that, for once, brought chills down to Canyon's spine. Sunset felt the barrel slightly tremble, and she grinned even wider.

“Do you wanna hear the ultimate zinger, Canyon?”

The sound of Canyon's name coming from Sunset's mouth was unpleasant, and he couldn't help but grind his teeth.

“Of all the people in Las Vegas to be subjected by your failed drug experiment, you just happen to choose me, a citizen of Canterlot.” Sunset said with a painfully wide grin. “Fate may be an asshole, but karma will always be a bitch.”

Canyon readied his trigger finger, shrugging off Sunset's words. Seconds before he could pull the trigger, a low, bone chilling chuckle erupted from Sunset's throat, and it seemed as if everything had ceased to make a sound, and only her laugh had occupied all of space. It was haunting. The look in her eyes was not something a human should possess.

It was the epitome of evil.

Bang!

Canyon put the gun back at the desk. He stood there for a while, the image of those hateful eyes boring through, as if they were the eyes of the Devil himself. His irrational thinking took over him, thinking about the chances of seeing her, a dead person, hunting him down for retribution.

Yet there she was, dead and lifeless. There wasn't anything else to worry about other than the greater problems that lie ahead. He took a deep breath, took his flask and downed its contents, and finally regained his strong composure.

As he did, a loud knock came at the door.

“Come in.”

Two of his men entered. “Sir!” They called with a serious tone.

“What is it?”

“Someone has burned down one of our labs.”

Canyon paused for a moment and looked at the dead body slumped forward in front of him, eyeing it suspiciously so as he tried to think. Then, realization hit him like a bus.

“You little bitch.”

The men looked at him for confirmation.

“You stay here and burn the body.” He ordered one of them, as he joined the other and stormed out of the office.

The man looked at Sunset, dead and limp in the metal chair. He decided to accept the burden and unstrapped her lifeless body, before hoisting her up in his shoulder. He carried her towards the back of the office, there was a doorway that lead towards a hallway by a sliding door, which he opened. After the short walk in the hallway, he came upon a large room, riddled with rusty pipes and vents twisted like metallic snakes hanging by the ceiling and its walls.

Equipments were stacked everywhere. There were metal drums, buckets of gasoline and acid, hydrogen tanks were also present as well as piles of metal poles and other unused apparatuses, discarded and remained on the greasy floor.

Sweat began drizzling down the man’s face as the heat of the room started to get to him. He placed Sunset's body on top of a metal trolley, then proceeded to undress his large trench coat for his own ventilation. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he continued his work, and he dragged the trolley towards a large cremator sitting at the center of the room.

He opened the door and pulled out the large tray where Sunset's body should fit. He scooped up her body and transferred her to the tray, before pushing it back inside the cremator, and finally closed the door.

Stepping back, he pulled the lever, emanating a loud ambient noise that filled the entire room, summoning the burning hot flames that came alive and began to consume Sunset's body. All that was left to do was wait for forty eight hours for the body to become ash, which he would have to dispose of later on. Until then, he would regroup.

He stepped away and picked up his trench coat from where he left it. As he did, the loud noise suddenly stopped, allowing an eerie silence to take over the room. The man halted in his place and turned around, baffled.

“What the…?”

He walked back to the cremator, staring at it for a while. Inspecting it, trying his best to make it work by pulling the lever again and again but to no avail. Defeated, he let out a sigh and put his trench coat back on the trolley.

He grudgingly reached for the little door and pulled out the tray, revealing Sunset's burnt form, still smoking from the flames. Her clothes were burned into crisp, filled with large gaping holes that revealed her scorched flesh underneath. Her leather jacket didn't seem to survive the heat either, as it was reduced to its tattered and most unrecognizable self. Her face was disintegrated, one of her eyes had popped off, and her skin had melted down to the flesh. Her nose was gone, replaced only by a gaping nasal cavity. Her once radiant red and golden hair was no more, leaving a hideously scarred scalp.

The man turned to look at the cremator again, cursing at its impeccable timing. But orders were orders. And he would find another way to completely get rid of her body.

He began gathering his tools, which included a saw, buckets of acid and a large metal drum. He put on his back gloves and turned his attention back on the corpse, the saw held in his hand.

As he was about to dice the body to pieces, something caught his vision that caused him to stop. It was only for a split second, but he could have sworn that one of Sunset's burnt fingers had twitched in its place.

That's impossible, he thought. He eventually shunned the irrational thought off his mind and proceeded to do his work.

Just as he placed the saw on Sunset's neck, her corpse shot upwards, her boney hand snatched his wrist while the other held him by the nape, bringing him face to face with the horrific look on one of her red, bulging eyeballs.

The man froze in pure terror, letting go of the saw. Sunset’s fleshy cheeks curled upwards as she revealed all of her teeth in a morbid smile.

“Impossible…” The man gasped.

An ominous chuckle came from Sunset, as her fleshy smile grew confident.

“Do you wanna know what Hell feels like?”

Out of severe panic, adrenaline rushed within the man's veins as he thrust his fist hard against Sunset's face. Pieces of her blistered skin flew off her cheek, causing her to let go of the man, who staggered backwards until he hit one of the metal tables.

“... ow…”

Sunset swiveled her head back to the man's direction, her face even more messed up than it already was, flexing her loose jaw and trying to fight the overwhelming sting that ravaged her body.

“... dude, that hurts…”

From Sunset's point of view, she saw the little demon popped into existence just hovering on top of the frozen man's head.

“Holy crap, you look scary as heck you might as well replace Cerberus at the gates!” Flamepuff mocked between his cackles.

“You… little shit…”

The man pulled out the gun from his holster, but Sunset bolted off from the tray, lunged at the man and made a grab for his gun. Terror was evident in the man's features as he yet again came fact to face with Sunset's horrid and monstrous visage, drooling and growling into his face as they wrestled for the gun.

Both of them fought, their bodies clashing against any object they come across. Tables fell over, barrels rolled, until the man gathered his strength to grab Sunset and slammed her body down against one of the platforms. He pressed the barrel hard against Sunset's chest, and wrapped his finger around the trigger, then started emptying his round. Blood splattered everywhere as the bullets flew right into what was left of Sunset’s body.

The man roared with each effort, all while trying to pin her down with his weight. But Sunset wasn't stopping nor even dying. She continued to lash out. She continued to fight. She continued to laugh that sickly laugh.

This wasn't a human being…

“What the fuck!!!” The man yelled desperately, in fear and in panic, adding to the cacophony gun fires.

Then, the round was empty, and all he could hear were faint clicks that the gun made as he still kept pulling the trigger.

Sunset stared at him with one of her eyes, coughing up blood that didn't seem to be a big of a deal. Their eyes locked into a duel for domination. Until Flamepuff's voice caught Sunset's attention once again.

“Hey, bacon strip! Check these out!”

Sunset turned her head around to the right, and there she saw the little demon standing on top of a trolley placed just beside the platform. At his feet, lied various cutting tools, like scalpels and scissors.

Flamepuff crouched on his feet, making a face at Sunset as he continued to tease. “They're very sharp and highly contaminated. Perfect!”

Sunset snatched one of the scalpels and stabbed the man in the neck, pushing it deeper and twisting it. The man wailed in pain and withdrew his body from pinning Sunset down. Once his weight was off of her body, Sunset groggily sat up and hopped off the platform.

As she began walking towards the screaming man, the demon's cheers echoed in the background.

“Heeeeeeere's Sunny! And she is maaaaaaad!”

Even when Sunset was basically limping on her feet, bleeding out from her mouth and her chest, the smile never escaped her face. And it was enough to make the man shake in his knees.

He made a grab for the saw and made large swings, but proved to be Sunset was unnaturally fast and managed to dodge every one of his assaults. Her lonely eye unblinking and locked towards the man.

They moved in an intricate dance of attacking and flawless evasion, while the man grew desperate more and more. They circled each other, relentless and driven to end the other.

When the man made a move forward to slice Sunset's throat, she quickly moved to the side, grabbed the metal wire from the table, and used the man's failed balance to swiftly move behind him, before wrapping the metal wire around his neck in a surprisingly iron tight grip.

The man dropped the saw when he felt his jugular break, then he found himself gasping hopelessly for air, with nothing but hoarse squeaks and wheezing coming out of his broken throat.

He fell into his knees, his face turning purple, and his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Sunset dragged the man by the neck from behind, causing him to fall to his back, still struggling with the dwindling life he had in his clutches.

Sunset struggled to pull the man to his feet as he still tried to fight her, but she eventually conquered him with her strength returning in her body. She pushed him down to his back on top of the cremator tray.

Sunset paused for a couple of breaths, spitting out few ounces of blood that flooded her putrid mouth.

Flamepuff found his way back to her shoulder, a cheeky smile stretched across his face filled with overbearing pride. They both stared down at the struggling man, with nothing but genuine fear, confusion and terror in his eyes, reducing him to the once frail boy he was, and not the skilled assassin that he was supposed to be.

“For a walking barbecue, you sure did a good job at messing this one up. And an assassin! You never fail to deliver!”

“... heh…” Sunset sluggishly breathed before letting out a couple of bloody coughs.

“I mean, who wouldn't lose their focus at the sight of you? Daaaamn!”

Sunset slowly turned her head to her shoulder to give Flamepuff one of her cold glares.

Flamepuff's grin dropped and his face wrinkled in concern.

“Uhh, you okay?”

Sunset glare went from cold to completely blank.

“First time in the flames, huh?” Flamepuff said. “Nah, you'll get used to it once you visit my station. You just can't beat the heat. Though, I’m sure you'll have no problem adjusting.” He nudged.

Sunset blinked then let out a heavy loud sigh, not even wanting to make sense of what the little demon just said.

“Alright alright. Do your thing now, bacon strip.” Flamepuff said, raising his tiny hands in surrender, then teleported to the cremator's lever.

Sunset turned to look at the man once more. His eyes begging for mercy, but all she gave him was the emptiness in her bloodshot eye, before slowly, and agonizingly sliding the tray back inside the cremator and shut its small door close.

“Let there be light!” Flamepuff pulled the lever, awakening the machine and let its flames consume the man entirely.

After the whole ordeal was done, Sunset collapsed on the floor.

Flamepuff looked down, and his ears flopped. “Oops.”

He hovered down and landed on top of Sunset's chest. She was barely breathing, and was slowly being snatched away to the darkness.

“… god, I can’t feel my everything…”

“Look on the bright side! Sooner or later, your nerve endings won't be able to let you identify the difference between a pinch and mutilation!”

“... I… I look like shit, don’t I…?”

“You look more like an inside out butthole.”

“... euurghhhh…”

“Shhh, don't worry, bacon strip.” Flamepuff cooed. “You'll get your beautiful looks back soon enough. Skin, nose, hair, everything. In the meantime…”

The little demon opened his mouth with each corner stretching towards the back of his head, revealing rows of needle-like teeth lining his jaws to the brim. A long and slimy tongue slithered out of his void of a throat as he leaned down and planted a wet kiss on Sunset's burnt and dry lips, just moments before she could drift away to an exhausted sleep.

All of the outlaw in Barbatos’ Paradise had began digging out their guns in bullets from gaps of their floor boards, the holsters under their dining tables, the shelves in their closets, and the storages in their beds. With only one gang leader left, Tomahawk, had to act as the voice of every faction present.

Which, was not an easy task to pull off.

“Make sure everything is loaded, boys!” Tomahawk ordered between his cigar, placing all the shells inside his shotgun.

“I heard they finally got the girl.” One of the men said, strapping on a holster around his belt.

“Yes but unfortunately some bastard's still doin’ the She Devil's work.” Tomahawk said.

“You got the word?”

“Why, it's the fallen knight himself. Flash Sentry.” Tomahawk responded. “A cook from Ghoulash got his hand served up in a platter after the encounter. Whoo, never knew that boy had the outrageous balls to pull that one off!”

“Do you wish to go through with it?”

Tomahawk's strong features softened for a bit. “That boy's like a son to me. I wish there was another way.”

He paused for a moment, eyes focused at the heavily hectic scene before him.

“Just another day on Barbatos’ Paradise!” One of them cheered, followed by loud manly hoots.

“Alright, let's turn this place upside down!” Tomahawk yelled, gaining back his usual demeanor while shouldering his shotgun.

Every one of them, under the single command of Tomahawk, has left the buildings and started marauding the alleys, kicking doors of every establishments and even went far by barging into homes of the women and children, destroying their floors and storage rooms.

Flash Sentry's name has been strongly worded out to every single soul present as an enemy, one that Tomahawk secretly ignored, but with the heavy heart, he accepted the burden of duty.

“People of Barbatos’ Paradise, I am here to make an announcement.” Tomahawk began before a huge busy club, ceasing all activities with one loud gunfire from his shotgun. “We have a daring character named Flash Sentry. He's killed a few of our people and burned one of our properties. So if any of you are harboring him, or even got the clue where he's hiding, now's your chance to do the smart thing.”

The youthful revelers just stood there expectant and silent under the somber strobe lights, with dozen of Tomahawk's armed desperate men among them pointing guns for intimidation and enforcement.

“What? Nobody's got something in their noggin? Hm?” Tomahawk asked almost rhetorically, scratching beard with the tip of the barrel.

Everyone just shuffled in their positions like a confused pack of pups.

Suddenly the lights went off, followed by rapid gun fires that caused everyone to duck on the floor. Not a moment later, chaos was unleashed as bullets began flying through the air, emitting a firework of a show in the darkness of the scene.

All of the remaining youth had successfully fled from the scene, leaving only the ones armed with guns.

The armed men scurried around with their heads down like alarmed rats as the anonymous shooter continued firing mercilessly. Blood splattered and bodies fell. Tomahawk sought refuge from a nearby wall with a couple of his men by his side.

“Shit, it's him!”

“Get down!”

Tomahawk held his shotgun close as he carefully moved closer to the edge of the wall, hoping his voice would be heard.

“Flash!” He yelled.

Bullets flew towards his direction, bursting the wall's edge into little chunks and cause him to immediately back away for his dear life.

“Dagnabbit, Flash! Have you gone mad, boy?!” Tomahawk shouted furiously. “Listen to me! Every soul in every faction that are pissed are comin’ to get you now! Unless you stop what you are doing this instant, someone's gon’ cut your tail for good!”

There was a sound of faint shuffling of feet in the background. Squeals and yelps of panic could still be heard, but all was at great tension waiting to be broke.

“Why did you have to do it?”

Flash voice was quiet, calm, but echoed throughout like a menacing call that kept everyone else alert.

It was Tomahawk who decided to retaliate, scoffing loudly that made everyone else's attention shift towards him.

“You are starting to take this a little too personally, Flash!!!”

“You treated them like animals, butchered and beaten to death without mercy. Why?”

“You wouldn't understand. How could you? You left!”

“This is the reason why I left!” Flash barked back “You people are monsters!”

“Yeah?” Tomahawk chuckled, beckoning his men to move closer to his side ready their guns. “What does that make you? You've killed people tonight for trying to defend their homes. People with families and children!”

There was no reply, but Tomahawk didn't want any silence between them.

“Do you really wanna know?” Tomahawk asked loudly. “Why didn’t you ask your little vixen about what she truly did, huh?”

“It was just a fucking car, Tomahawk!” Flash roared so furiously, his body trembled.

“She started a war! A war that will burn Canterlot to the ground! We did what we did because we had to! But you wouldn't understand our ways because you abandoned us for a life that abandoned you in the first place!”

Flash suddenly stopped as Tomahawk's words carried a significant weight in them that he came to recognize.

“A war?” He choked out, a flurry of emotions spiralling within him like a relentless hurricane. “No! You're lying!”

“You’re really out of your mind for even thinking that I'd lie to you.” Tomahawk pulled out a stun grenade, signaling for his men to brace themselves, before pulling the pin and tossed it in the dance floor where Flash stood in place.

“You’re fighting for the wrong side.”

Within a millisecond, Flash dropped to his knees out of severe disorientation as the lights blinded him, and the deafening sound causing him to lose balance. He felt ultimately sick, and most importantly, vulnerable.

He was blind. All he could see were blurry shadows moving in his direction that almost looked like ghosts dancing in the dim lights. He quivered terribly as he tried to gain himself back, but his arms failed him, his senses betrayed him, loud, echoing muffled voices bombarded his ears. And by the time he could truly see what was going on, he was hit with a strong force that pinned him back down to the ground in shameless defeat.

Flash knew that in that moment, he was about to meet his end. He wanted to fight back but he was just so damn tired.

“We got him!”

“Call in the guys! We got him!”

“Oh, they're gonna skin ya alive!”

Flash, being nearly unable to think coherently or move, was pulled up to his knees, his arms tied to his back with a coil of metal wires. To keep him from falling to his face, Tomahawk held him up by the back off his collar.

Amidst the immense pain his distraught senses had suffered, Flash tried his best to gain back his oriented state, blinking his way into clarity. His blurry vision slowly turned clear, and there he saw familiar faces surrounding him with guns pointing directly at his position. And there was no denying that they were all angry.

A figure from the shadows emerged from the wall of bodies. He stood in his tall from, accompanied by a group wearing the infamous trench coat Sunset had been warning him about.

The thought of Sunset made him stressfully and immensely worried again. He soul couldn't rest unless he he found her.

“What are you gonna do to him?” Tomahawk asked.

“Well, for starters, we could kill him for the destruction of property, and for harboring Sunset Shimmer.”

“Who the hell are you?” Flash slurred, his head wobbling in place.

The tall figure knelt to Flash's level, eyes intensely staring down at him. “I'm the head of this operation.”

Tomahawk nudged Flash by the nape for some kind of response. “Be polite.” He mumbled.

But Flash was tough as a rock and he didn't say anything, slumping his head forwards in defeat. Canyon took amusement in this, then rammed his fist hard into Flash's gut, causing him to hunch over and cough up blood.

“If you're gonna start some real trouble, try not to be half-assed at it.” Canyon growled into Flash's ear.

Tomahawk decided to intervene. “He's just a boy, Canyon.”

Canyon stood up to meet Tomahawk's level. “Just a boy. He's another liability.”

“Yeah, well maybe you're right.” Tomahawk said. “But he is much more sane than that little bitch. She clearly had some serious influence on him. Probably got into his head.” He turned to look down to look at Flash, who refused to look at anyone.

“But he is one of us.” Tomahawk said, removing the dog tag that hung from Flash's neck, showing it to Canyon with a hopeful look.

“I am not… one of you.” Flash growled.

“He's not your enemy.” Tomahawk added, trying to sound convincing to Canyon.

“That's not for you to decide, Tomahawk.” Canyon said sharply, urging Tomahawk to keep his tongue. He held a hand out, motioning the other man to give up the dog tag.

Tomahawk handed out the dog tag with defeated eyes. He understood that he had no more power left.

Canyon pocketed the dog tag, then nodded to his men. “Take him.”

Tomahawk watched as two of Canyon and his men started to drag Flash's body out of the building.

Everyone else, especially Tomahawk, remained absolutely quiet as they watched and listened to Flash's broken voice filling the club, like an animal struggling to escape his eventual slaughter.

Canyon knelt in front of Flash, a gun pressed against his temple.

There in Flash's final moments, Canyon saw the broken person that he was. His eyes, filled with sorrow, contempt, but most importantly, regret. It was a miserable sight to look at, one such thing that he was obliged to put to rest.

“You could've been so much more.”

Tomahawk took a deep breath, bracing himself for the inevitable, then…

Bang!

Canyon and his men left with Flash's corpse, not leaving a trace except for the droplets of blood on the floor. It was the only confirmation they needed that the established order was brought back once more.

Barbatos has left the kingdom, leaving only one king left with three empty thrones.

Azure ran and she ran as fast as she could. After witnessing the shocking incident in that damn club, she had to tell her, that is, if she was still alive. After about a minute of navigating her way from one rooftop to another, she came across the infamous warehouse. One that no one else were allowed to use or enter but Canyon and his men.

But she had her ways. She used one of the ventilation shafts sticking out in the roof platform, and slid down into the ventilation systems. It wasn't long before her venturing in the tight spaces directly brought her to an empty and quiet hallway. But knowing the place, she came prepared with the gun Sunset bestowed her.

Azure then stumbled upon an office door, and she was compelled to open it. Turning the handle with one hand while holding the gun in the other, Azure slowly opened the door.

Azure nearly jumped at the sight before her.

“Holy shit!”

“Who goes there?!”

There, sitting at the office table, was a person with a bandaged face, who was shocked as well, and almost shot Azure right at the face.

“Oh, it's you!”

Azure was shrouded in confusion. It appeared to be that the bandaged stranger was actually Sunset, and was donning an oversized black trench coat.

“Sunset?” Azure asked, frowning.

Sunset grinned under her bloody bandages. “Hey, girlfriend!” She greeted joyfully, raising her arms as a welcoming gesture. Azure winced when she saw Sunset’s burnt hands poking out of the coat's sleeves.

When Sunset noticed that the younger girl was utterly frozen at the sight of her, she immediately added, “Oh, yeah. About this,” she gestured to herself. “It’s a long story.”

“Holy crap...”

“I know you're confused.” Sunset said, raising her hands. “Canyon, or his men rather, tried to kill me. Again. But as you can see, I'm still alive. It's just that, my body went through severe alterations. Don't worry, this is just temporary. In the meantime, you just have to endure this horrendous view.”

Azure gaped at her for a moment, taking note of Sunset's bloody lips peeking through the bandage holes, the little thin hairs poking out from the top, and her severely red bloodshot eyes.

“Yeah…” Azure said, putting her gun bag in her jacket. “Are you gonna be okay?”

Sunset nodded feverishly. “Yep! I am definitely gonna be okay, girlfriend.”

Azure took notice of the little empty bottles that laid across the table, then looked back at Sunset. “I can definitely see that.”

“So, why are you here?” Sunset asked. “As you can see, I'm actually kinda busy.”

Azure just stared at the bandaged woman, with a look extremely uneasy and disoriented.

“Geez, does my face really freak you out that much?” Sunset scowled.

Azure quickly shook her head. “No!”

“Pfft. Liar.” Sunset snickered quietly.

“I-it's just that…” Azure paused, pondering at the right words to say. Memories of the incident flashed through her mind that she most definitely wished she hadn't witnessed.

“Flash is gone. Canyon shot him.”

Dead silence. There was something about Sunset's face that Azure could not read. It could just be the bandages obscuring any potential facial cue, but she tried her hardest to search for something. Anything. Sunset didn't flinch nor react. She just stared into space like there was nothing.

“Thanks for telling me. Now, shoo.”

Azure was taken aback at the response. “Seriously? That's all you're gonna say?”

“I gave him a choice. He obviously knew what he was about to get himself into, he definitely braced himself for it, then boom. It fucked him in the ass.” Sunset said defensively. “Didn't say I didn't warn him ‘cause I definitely did.”

“So… just like that?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“He was your best friend, Sunset!”

“Oh, and all the sudden you care about him!” Sunset shot. “See? This just shows how much of a hypocrite people really are. You didn't give a shit about him. Why take such offense so seriously?”

Azure couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that Sunset had grown to be such the narcissist. She knew she treated Flash like nothing. But for her to react in a way, devoid of any human qualities, without grief or even deep concern, Azure just had to wonder; was Sunset even worth reasoning with anymore?

“You really are a cold hearted bitch.” Azure laughed defeatedly. “Well, hope you have a nice life. See you never, Sunset.”

“Piss off.”

With that, Azure left, completely beaten. A loss Sunset wouldn't even acknowledge.

She proceeded to skim through Canyon's papers that laid across the table. She then found herself contemplating about the news she just heard. It wasn't anything unexpected, really. But there was something else boiling inside her. Was it anger? Well, she was angry most of the time. Was it sorrow? She was completely immune to that. Or maybe, it was disappointment.

“One less pest to worry about.”

Sunset looked down and found Flamepuff, dressed like a black short-haired cat, lying lazily on the tabletop. The demon turned feline nudged a roll of cannabis he salvaged from Canyon's drawers as an offering to his obviously distraught friend.

Sunset solemnly accepted the joint, putting it between her mouth and lit the tip for another smoking session.

“Bravo, bacon strip.” Flamepuff said. “Flash has finally fallen to the pit of his own darkness. It was all you had to do. To fully break him until, you know, he was gone. Metaphorically and literally speaking.”

Sunset pondered. “Never wanted him to exactly die.” She said. “So much for reviving ‘Bonnie and Clyde.’ Heh, I knew he would ditch me.”

“He was just a poor substitute.” Flamepuff told her.

The frown behind the bandages intensified, and the only thing nullifying the heaviness within her was the effect of the cannabis, bringing a sort of delightful peace to her disturbed being.

A moment later, she laughed. Softly, this time. “Is it nuts to say that I was just beginning to like that bastard?”

“Such sentiments are merely superficial.” Flamepuff countered while grooming himself. “He was your favorite plaything for the longest time.”

“Maybe.” Sunset nodded, almost agreeing. “He was better than all the whores I've slept with.”

“Does his death mean anything to you?”

“Does it have to mean anything?” She threw the question back as she let a cloud of smoke dance away from her lips.

“He was the chains that bound you to where you used to stand. He was your voice of reason, the dwindling candlelight in your world filled with violent angst and depression. He was the very last thing that was taken from you.”

When Azure said that Flash was killed, Sunset couldn't feel a damn thing. Didn't even registered to her. But there was something about Flamepuff, the Devil himself, telling her things. They weren't telling her to mourn, or cry. But she was definitely compelled to do something.

“With Flash Sentry gone, no one is going to tell you to hide anymore.” Flampuff said. “Take his death as your liberation.”

“What must I do, then?” Seconds into contemplating, Sunset immediately found herself smiling. “I won the battle for Flash's soul, it cost him his life, in the hands of my enemy. Hardly sounds like victory.”

“What do you think?”

“You see, one big reason why I kinda lost was I didn't have a concrete plan. I was childish and I rushed through things.” Sunset said as she shuffled through the papers that scattered on the table. “Canyon, Barbatos Paradise, they're all part of a bigger, more elaborate plan. I for one, just came in and upset their operation.”

“You did.” Flamepuff said. “This all began because of you. Like Canyon said, you're the catalyst of something bigger.”

Sunset's grin grew into a curious one. “Huh. Interesting.” She puffed a few clouds into Flamepuff's direction. “Let's say, in a couple of weeks, Canterlot will be burned to the ground. Don't you think it's just pure injustice if I don't take part in the fun?”

“I think it's travesty.”

Sunset thoroughly read the papers, immersing herself in them, studying them. Files of people, articles, even architectural blueprints. She found herself smiling deviously, knowing she had all of the information she needed for her own plans to work according to her desires.

Now, she wasn't going to estimate these people, but she would damn well make sure they never underestimate her ever again.

“Plans plans plans. They all have it!” Sunset mockingly waved the papers in her hands then slammed it back down the table. “I'll have mine.”

A mischievous grin grew on the demon cat's lips. “And for that, we're gonna need a vacation.”

“Good idea.” Sunset suggested, gathering the papers and stuffed them inside a briefcase. “I’ve got some studying to do.”

Author's Notes:

Welp.

Lemme know what you all think of this one!