“NO! NOOOOOOOOO! DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL!” Button Mash rants as he pounds his desk which causes his camera to shake for a split second. He lowers his brown face and rubs it hard with both hands. “This can't be happening! Not today of all days!”

“Everyone, just . . . calm down. We'll get through this,” Sunset Shimmer assures on guild voice chat and her live recording on youtube. Thanks to the latter, I can see her face as she speaks as well as Button Mash. For everyone else, I can't even see their in-game characters because we're all dead. Instead of that, I'm looking at a window that reports our statistical losses and the fact we can play again in another session in twenty-six minutes.

Several guildmates on voice chat ask Sunny how they can get through this when they just lost their base. Even at this moment, those thieves are probably working their ill-gotten gains to help fortify their new position. Next time it won't be just them we'll have to deal with, but our own reprogrammed patrol droids as well.

“Well, we can't just give up!” Sunny argues. Looking at her screen, I see pleading desperation in her eyes. “Come on, guys! I know it looks tough, but we can do this if we all stick together! We can get our stuff back. We can't just let them get away with this!”

Some guildmates reply that these guys already have gotten away with it. Their strike plan was executed with military precision, and now they have even more resources to work with to fight the RPG's off.

“Guys, I know it looks bad right now. Believe me, I noticed.” Sunny's eyes cast downward. Not only do I see her at the brink of despair, but she looks like she's about to break down and cry.

Over resources in “Bullet Hell”? I can't believe it!

“Is this really important to you, Sun Blaze?” I ask Sunny but refer to her by her in-game character. After all, I'm not supposed to know who she is in real life.

Still looking downcast, I see Sunny shake her head. “Kitty,” she replies, “you don't understand. My guildmates and I have been working for many months to accumulate those resources. Almost a year.” She looks at the camera sadly. “We've poured countless hours working to build something. Something grand. Something we can be proud of and those assholes just swept in and took it all away from us!”

“But isn't that how the game is supposed to be played?” I counter questioningly.

Sunny shook her head a bit as she said, “It doesn't have to be. There are plenty of other ways to grow in 'Bullet Hell'. Plenty of dungeons or npc monsters we can farm, for example. For the most part, that’s what we did.

“They didn't have to be jerks to us, they chose it, and dammit, I frickin hate bullies like that!” She places a hand on her chest. “I used to be a bully like that back in high school, and I hate myself for it too.

“For me, this is just another sharp slap in the face. A reminder of who I used to be and what I chose to change from.

“My friends in real life helped me to change and to see that there is a better way in life, and I'm grateful for it, but this . . .” She trails off. Tears rise in her eyes. “I just . . . I don't know what to do!”

Watching Sunny in pain like this, it stung me. She is easily one of the most beautiful souls I have ever encountered. So deserving of joy and happiness, and she usually got it.

But today, of all days, I am watching her break down. The Angel of Hope incarnate is breaking down in despair before my very eyes.

“You're never going to bring me down!” I recall Sunny had once sang to the Sirens as she pointed at them boldly with a pointing finger while grasping a microphone with her other hand. “You're never going to break this part of me.”

I wasn't there to personally witness that glorious moment, but I've been told about it, and I also saw some video footage of it when someone recorded it with a cellphone and zoomed up to Sunny in that heroic moment. Doing so made the footage blurry for a moment until the camera auto-adjusted.

I actually believed her! I thought that nothing could break Sunny's indomitable spirit, so seeing it now felt inherently wrong. It felt silly and stupid to me that it would happen over “Bullet Hell”, of all things.

Still . . . this shouldn't be the case at all.

I may be a villain, and the world could use a few of those too in order to give the world a rude wake-up call, but Sunny is my counterpart. She isn't just a hero, she's a superhero.

Moreover, she's one of my personal heroes. She's the pillar of strength that I've come to rely on. She's the reminder to me that women can be strong too and make a big difference in the world.

Nothing should be able to break that down because she is far more than just a person. She's a symbol of hope to others, and a symbol needs to be held to higher standards. I know those standards are higher than what is humane, but a few people in this world really are strong enough to endure it.

Until now. Watching Sunny break down like this, it feels like a part of my soul is breaking down too. This is a sharp reminder that we are all fallible, but I am still upset.

These guys have hurt Sunny, one of the people I most dearly love and respect! My fury at this moment knows no bounds. I am a scorned woman!

But then I look at my desk at the black flash drive Ghost gave me. Within it spells the doom of Sunset Shimmer. Her life is about to get so much worse because of it.

I reach to grasp the flash drive. I squeeze it in my left fist while also drawing near my lips, almost as if I'm about to kiss my own fist. I realize that I am already beset with powerful regret. I wish so much that this resort isn't necessary.

To add insult to injury, just before this device and I will cause the worst day in Sunny's life, she has to lose something else precious to her on top of that. Her life will go from horrible to even worse. If something like this can break her spirit, next time she really might kill herself out of sheer despair.

The fist that clenches the flash drive hovers a mere two inches from my lips and shakes with intense emotion. During that time, I close my eyes and think back to all the reasons why Sunset Shimmer means so much to me.

“Hey, everyone! I got a surprise for you!” Sunset Shimmer announced with her typical exuberance as she entered the classroom. On one of her hands, she was holding some kind of large box-shaped thing which was covered in cloth. She holds the box thing from a handle above it.

“What's in the cloth, Professor?” excitedly asks one of the other girls in the classroom.

“You're about to find out!” Sunny promised excitedly. “Everyone, behold!” Having set the box thing on her desk, Sunny grabs the cloth draped over it and whips it away. Doing so reveals some kind of pet carrier box. “It's a chinchilla! Take a look!”

Several ooo's and ahhh's sweep through the classroom, especially by the other girls, but one teal skinned male student raised his hand. When Sunny nodded at him, he lowered his hand and asked in a tone of concern, “But, ah . . . Professor, are you even allowed to bring pets to school?”

Sunny grinned as she said, “Are you kidding me? Your own principal used to sneak her dog onto campus in her backpack, plus Crystal Prep before this.

“Don't worry! I signed all the necessary paperwork on this. I'm only bringing this little guy for educational purposes, and that is my job! I didn't become a professor in this school to hide knowledge from my students, I've come to expose you all to it.

“So what are you all waiting for? Come!” She gestured for us all to approach. “Get out of your seats and come see this little guy! Don't be shy!”

Some students in the class did hesitate, but they were the minority. Most of the students rushed to the front of the classroom as quickly as their legs could carry them. I was tempted to do so too, but thick crowds bothered me. I decided to wait a while for the crowd to thin out. I just hoped I’d get my chance to do it later on.

“Come on, Cozy! Don't be shy!” Professor Sunny called out to me with a great big smile beaming on her face like the actual sun.

For a moment I wondered why she singled me out until I looked around and noticed that I'm the only one still sitting at her desk.

“There's plenty of room!” Sunny encouraged me. “Come stand next to me. I've made sure to save space for you.”

I smile warmly at her as my heart melts with pleasure. This was just another reminder of what kind of person Sunset Shimmer was and is. She always goes the extra mile to support the knowledge and emotions of her students.

I couldn’t let her down, so I didn't.

I got off my seat and approached her gratefully. Giddy excitement also built up within me as I approached.

Chinchilla's, I know, are super cute! I can't wait to see it! This time it isn't some stuffed doll on my bed either. This was a real, living, and breathing creature. My feminine fawning nature wanted to screech out in excitement!

“There you go!” Sunny said with approval as I stood beside her.

She kept her word. The space beside her was relatively clear. I didn't feel as agoraphobic next to her.

In fact, while standing next to Sunny, I actually felt additionally safe and warm.

As if sensing just a hint of my discomfort, Sunny pats me on the shoulder once to help reassure me, but then she turned her attention to the rest of her students.

“Okay now, who here can tell me what chinchillas like to eat or what their native habitat is?”

My mind now shifts to another awesome moment with Sunset Shimmer, this time in one of her science classes.

“Okay,” Sunset Shimmer said as she put on plastic goggles to protect her eyes while she stood in front of us behind a laboratory table. “Show of hands. Who here has ever seen a levitating, floating flame before?”

After she asked the question, I glanced back at the rest of my fellow students. They met her question with blank, livid stares that seemed to ask the question, “Is she serious? That sounds like magic.”

Nobody raised their hands, not even me.

Personally, I had a theory how the proposition Sunny made could be done, but I waited in order to gather more evidence.

I, too, looked back at her and gave an unknowing shrug.

Sunny smiled. “Well then, you're all in for a treat today. Watch this.”

Sunny ignited one of the butane burners on the lavatory table. As expected, a flame lit up at the tip. After that, Sunny reached under the table and adjusted something we could not see. Most of my class gasped in astonishment as they saw the flame lift off from the tube below it.

“Incredible, Professor!” one of the male students in my science class gasps.

“Isn't that cool?” Sunny asked with a great big grin. “Or hot, I should say, in this case.

“Now then . . . who here can tell me how this is happening? Anyone?”

Again I paused for a moment to look around at the other students. Because of that, I noticed that a bunch of the other students were doing the same thing. Each of them were wondering who would be the first to be able to answer that question.

Nobody responded, but several of them looked at me as the most likely student to be able to answer that question.

“How about I give you all a hint?” Sunny offered. “Watch this.”

I looked back to her at the front of the class. Before my eyes, she waved her hand back and forth below the floating flame. Each time she did it, the flame above seemed to leap down to the top of her hand for a split second until the path was clear again. She did this four times and the same results repeated.

After that, she took a small paper towel and passed it under the floating flame a bit more slowly. When it passed under, the flame floated down to meet the paper towel. It only took a second for the paper towel to burst into flames, but when the paper towel passed away from the flame, the flame floated back up. The paper towel was still on fire until Sunny put it out with a bottle which sprayed water on the thing.

I then swept another gaze at the rest of my fellow students. They were no less awed or mystified. It seemed up to me to bail them out again.

I returned my attention to Sunny and raised my hand.

Sunny's knowing grin increased as she watched me raise my hand. She looked around one more time at the rest of her students to see if anyone else raised their hands before looking back and nodding to me, knowing I would be the most likely student to supply the correct answer.

When she nodded at me, I lowered my hand back to my desk and said, “You narrowed the tube inside the lighter, therefore increasing the pressure of the butane gas flow. With the gas flow accelerated, it sort of blows the flame further up the nozzle.”

Sunset clapped in approval. “Very good, Cozy! Fifty points added to House Gryffindor!”

I raised an eyebrow at Sunny.

Gryffindor? If Hogwarts was real, then there is an eighty-nine percent chance that I'd probably be sorted into House Slytherin instead, but eh! Details! Whatever! I'll let that slide for now.

I also grinned at the nerdy reference from Sunny.

God, I love her so much!

I placed my head between my hands and rested my elbows on my desk.

I sighed pleasantly at the thought. I really would love to learn how to be a wizard like that. I could so easily imagine Sunny being one of their instructors, too. She's one of very few in our world who openly admitted that she has access to magic, and the phenomenon fascinates me to no end ever since I learned that it was real.

Sunny was always like this. She showed us all how wonderful and exciting life could be. Even when she taught science class, she presented it with a sort of magical charm.

And she did not stop there.

Like this one other time she helped one of her classes to raise funds to see one of her favorite rock and roll bands live. She inspired them to get excited about the work necessary to accomplish their goals, and Sunny followed them every step of the way.

Later on I also found out that she secretly funded over forty percent of the classes budget goal from her own pocket.

So, in other words, the very paycheck she gained from teaching her students went right back to invest in her students because she believes and cares for us. To her, we are worth it!

So, when we made it to that rock concert, my eyes teared up a bit as I saw Sunny screaming with excitement right alongside us while pumping her fists into the air one after another.

I open my eyes to look at Sunny's virtual screen. My vision is a bit blurred from tears in my eyes. I see her looking down, so lost and defeated.

It's wrong. It feels so wrong to see her like that.

I look at my fist in front of my face and open my hand, once again revealing the black flash drive in the center of my sweaty palm.

The instrument of her destruction.

But . . . not today! I may be her enemy tomorrow, but tomorrow is not today! Today I am her ally, one-hundred percent!

“Bullshit!” I growl determinedly which gathers the attention of the rest of my guildmates. I even visibly see both Sunny and Button Mash look back up at their individual cameras.

“This is bullshit!” I say more determinedly. “And I'm not going to stand for it, and neither should all of you!”

“Kitty, you don't know what we're up against,” one of my guildmates tells me sadly. “We just can't-”

“BULLSHIT!” I scream back at him. “We are the Renegade Personal Gunners, and we've just been scorned! It's time to settle the score!

“Everyone, get your metaphorical thumbs out of your asses and help me settle this! We're taking out base back from those who don't deserve it, and that's final!”

“But-” one of them began.

“NO BUTS!” I cry back at them. “Look, everyone, this isn't just a game anymore! This is personal. We've just been stepped on. Are you going to continue to take it lying down? Well I say HELL NO! We get back up and we get back into the FIGHT!

“If they want a war, I'll give them one!

“Look, people.” I fold my hands in front of my lips. “What we do tonight decides how we address the rest of our lives. We either take it lying down while undeserving bullies like them keep kicking us, or we stand up and say, 'NO! I'm not going to let you keep kicking me and my friends! I am going to stand up and do what's right.’

“Awesome Lord,” I say, now talking directly to Button Mash by referring to him by his in-game character, “you have a girlfriend, right? Or you did once?”

“Ah . . .” he looks caught off guard. “Have you seen my earlier videos?”

“Wait, what?!' Sunny sounds and looks astonished. “You record these game plays too?”

“No WAY!” Button exclaims. “You record these ‘Let's Plays’ too? That's totally awesome! We should exchange handles after this and totally subscribe to each other!”

“Yeah, totally!” Sunset enthusiastically agrees. “I love to support my fellow youtubers.”

Oh boy! They are in for a surprise.

“Awesome Lord, focus on me for a second and answer the question,” I insist in order to get back on track here. “Do you have a girlfriend? Someone you deeply care about?”

I notice the reminder of this subject pains him, but he answers solemnly, “Yes, I do.”

Okay. That answers that question for me. Now I know for sure he deeply still has feelings for Sweetie Belle. Good to know.

“Then ask yourself this . . . what wouldn't you do to protect her?

“Pretend that these guys just stepped all over her and they are about to kick her again! Are you going to rest on your ass and take it?”

I visibly see intense resolve suddenly deepen in his eyes, and it is unlikely because of the game alone.

“HELL NO!” Button cries out determinedly. “If ANYONE dares to harm a hair on my precious Sweet . . . uh! My former girlfriend then I'm going to do whatever it takes to defend her!

“That's it! No more Mr. Nice Awesome Lord!” I see him raise his controller in front of him as he looks towards his screen with determination and resolve. “I'm taking this fight right up to them and shoving it down their throats! Who's with me?”

A bunch of our guildmates cheer in agreement.

“That's our motto for tonight, then,” I declare. “Tonight, we say HELL NO to injustice. HELL NO to permission to take our stuff away. HELL NO to allowing anyone or anything to harm are friends.” I look at Sunny sharply. “Because if anyone harms our friends . . . they are going to learn the hard way just how aggressively we'll fight to defend them!”

Come on, Sunny! I may not believe in friendship, but you do! Ignite the fire back in your eyes and let's kick the crap out of these assholes together!

Tonight, for once, I'm one-hundred percent on your side with this!

One last fight. One last hurrah. One last victory . . . for you, Sunny.

Tonight, for once, I'll play the role of hero with you. You more than deserve it.

My eyes gleam in victory as I start to see it. The challenging grin that spreads across her lips and the brilliant fire that ignites in her eyes. It feels as glorious as watching the sun itself rise to greet a new dawn.

“You're totally right, Kitty!” Sunset passionately agrees. “Let's all cry HELL NO to this BULLSHIT! It's time to take those jerks down a peg! Come on, everyone! Let's give them Bullet Hell!”

There you are, Sunny! Now that's the passionate hero I like to see.

I focus back on the screen of my computer. Eighteen minutes left until our next match. Eighteen minutes till we have our revenge!

I got a little, likely unexpected, bonus for you. Check out this video from "The Action Lab" which is where I discovered the concept of "the floating flame".

It turns out this is a real concept in real life. Maybe some of you already knew that. Everyone else, prepared to be wowed.