magicamicitia

[magicamicitia]

important notice

hey everyone! so as you may know i haven't been able to post any new chapters because my cat has been sick and i've been helping my family take care of her. originally, i started this fanfic because i was bedridden and wanted something to work on, but with the start of my senior school year, my recovery process in physical therapy, and me no longer talking to the people who originally helped me with this story, i've decided to just step down from it altogether. i still love it but sadly i just don't have time to update it consistently, i want to focus on my health for now. i'll keep the blog and my tiktok up just an archive. thank you! 🩷

[magicamicitia]

Volume 4, Epilogue

Twilight was the only one to show up to school. She tried her best to act as if nothing had happened at all, because she couldn’t worry her teachers. And especially not principal Celestia. She already had far too much on her plate.

Besides, it’s not like anyone would be able to help her now. No matter how much she cried or begged to be saved, there was no changing the past. Her friends were gone, and none of them could be saved from their cruel destinies.

She tried calling Sunset, but she wasn’t answering. She noticed she had been acting strange lately, and that’s another thing Twilight was worried about. She had given up far too much to save Sunset. She would not let her sacrifice herself again.

“Kyubey…” She glanced at the ring in between her hands. “What are you plotting?”

Once class was dismissed, Twilight realized just how lost she was. All this time, she’d been wandering around with no particular goal, fighting witches blindly for the sake of making friends. Now that things had ended like this, what should she do?

“I have to protect Sunset.”

Protect…

A horrible chill crawled down her spine. The memories of that day came back like a truck, and it was like she had woken up from a nice dream back into cold, harsh reality.

It’s true, Twilight knew about witches, and magical girls and soul gems before anyone else. That day, when she was still quite new to Canterlot High, Sunset offered to drive her to Crystal Prep and help her get her materials sorted out.

“I’ve got some business there myself.” She said.

Then, it was dark. And it was cold, and there was blood and ashes everywhere, and the clocked striked at five.

Above her, a conglomeration of the blackest clouds that felt like they were laughing at her. She heard trumpets, and screaming.

Below her feet laid Sunset Shimmer. Weak, injured and smaller than she’d ever seen her. She cried, but didn’t answer when Twilight tried to ask her what was wrong.

And then, like an angel, Kyubey appeared.

Twilight wanted to forget that day. She tried to forget. Sunset had forgotten, Kyubey had forgotten. Twilight clearly remembers using her own magic to make sure of that. So why didn’t it work on her? Why should she remember all those horrible things?

Perhaps it was a curse. She had interfered with someone else’s life and death, and now she was doing it again. She had to make this right somehow.

Twilight swore she would never use her erasing ability again. It didn’t fix anything, and she learned that the hard way. Now, it was her job to clean up this mess, and she knew exactly where to start.

The place where it all began, or perhaps where it all ended.

Crystal Prep.

[magicamicitia]

Volume 4, Chapter Three

“Proserpina”, Part II

Sunset had long lost count of the time that had passed since they began looking for the lost soul gem. It probably hadn’t been that long, but the stress of the situation made it difficult to be sure.

Furthermore, the confusing and repetitive patterns covering the labyrinth made the girls wonder where they had already checked.

“We’re walking in circles, dammit!” Rainbow Dash snarled. “This place is huge! Even with my speed, it’s gonna take forever!”

“If we take down the witch, would the soul gem disappear along with the labyrinth?” Sunset questioned. “It might be easier to find it if we don’t have to worry about fighting.”

“I can’t risk it.” Rainbow crouched down to keep searching.

At that moment, a thought crossed Sunset Shimmer’s mind.

A thought..?

“No, this is… A memory? Instinct?”

Her head hurt terribly, causing her to lose her balance. Rainbow caught her before she hit the ground.

“Hey, you okay?”

“There’s no soul gem.”

“Huh?”

Her usually tanned face was colorless.

“There is no soul gem.”

“Wha…” Rainbow Dash stuttered. “What are you talking about..?”

“We need to go back to the others. Quickly. I’ll explain there.”

Sunset could feel her friend’s arms shaking. She gripped them as firmly as she could, hoping to reassure her. Deep down, she knew Rainbow had already figured it out as well.

When they reached the others, Rarity was the first one to speak up, holding back the monster with her whip.

“Did you find it?!”

Sunset shook her head, and from the distance, she yelled as loud as she possibly could;

“The witch IS Fluttershy!!!”

In a moment of mixed shock and confusion, Rarity’s grip on the witch loosened, releasing it almost immediately. Now, it was its turn to counterattack.

The witch’s noodle-like limbs wrapped tightly around her waist, causing her to spit out the blood from her crushed organs.

“Rarity!!” Applejack got ready to shoot, but Pinkie stopped her.

“Wait!!” Her face was unusually terrified, a gutting expression no one never seen from her before. “Didn’t you hear her?! That’s Fluttershy! We can’t kill her!!”

“That’s a loada bull!” Applejack shrieked. “That doesn’t even make sense! If we don’t do something, Rarity’s gonna-“

“She’s right.” Twilight whispered.

All heads turned to face her.

“Back then…” Her words struggled to come out. “When we first fought… You were deciding on who should keep the grief seed. Why do you think that’s so important?”

“Huh?” Applejack lowered her weapon. “Cuz without ‘em, we can’t use magic! Our gems get all musty and it gets hard to transform.”

Twilight stood up, still looking at the floor.

“What do you think happens… If your soul gem were to turn completely dark?”

The other girl didn’t respond.

“You knew?” Rainbow Dash groaned.

“Somewhat.” She answered. “But I… had no idea Fluttershy would…”

She finally lifted her face back up.

“I mean, you gave her the grief seed, right? Why wouldn’t she use it?”

“Forget that!” Rainbow yelled. “Why didn’t YOU say anything?!”

“I was GOING to!” She rebutted. “But how was I supposed to do that after…” she stopped, unable to finish her sentence.

“After you tricked us?”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Oh right.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You didn’t know. But somehow you knew about this? Who… no, what are you, Twilight?”

The heavy silence was abruptly broken by the Witch’s screams.

“Crap.” Applejack had her gun in hand, but now, she wasn’t sure if she should shoot.

“Rarity!” Pinkie stepped in. “Can you try to talk to her?! Try to make her remember who she is!”

Rarity coughed. It was hard to breathe. She knew if she moved too much, she would die. But as long as her soul gem stayed intact, that was just fine.

She was doing this for Fluttershy.

Reaching out her hand, she managed to barely touch the witch’s face.

“Fluttershy…” she coughed up a little more blood. “Please, it’s me…”

The witch’s grip loosened ever so slightly. Or maybe her bones had broken.

“Do you remember… me..? I’m your… Best friend…”

The surface of the skull was cold. In that moment, she realized her friend was long gone.

Attempting to negotiate with a witch was like negotiating with a corpse.

Rarity was not allowed much time to think, as the witch raised her limbs up high before smashing them back onto the ground with a loud thud.

“RARITY!!!!!”

They all rushed to her, as the witch flew up to the limits of the labyrinth.

Applejack turned Rarity’s body over. the soul gem in her neck was completely shattered.

“You’re joking…” Sunset trembled.

With a wail, the monster prepared for another dive, its mouth wide open.

Applejack swallowed her tears, and raised her rifle once more. Right then, it didn’t matter if that was her friend or just a brainless monster.

She aimed right for the throat.

“G’night, Flutters.”

A shot echoed through the labyrinth, right before it crumbled.

After a few minutes in silence, she spoke again.

“Everyone alright?”

Now in her everyday clothes, Applejack looked like just a normal girl. But she knew she wasn’t. none of them were.

Twilight held Rarity close to her, while Raimbow Dash carried Fluttershy.

“How…” Pinkie sobbed, tears streaming down into every orifice of her face. “How did we lose two people in one day…? In one fight..? We were… We were supposed to throw a party together…!”

No one said another word. Pinkie’s pained cries were the only noise they could hear in that cold, dark night.

[magicamicitia]

Where is s1? Im new here

here you go!

[magicamicitia]

Volume 4, Chapter Two

“Proserpina”, Part I.

The girls had not even arrived at the park yet when their soul gems started picking up on traces of witch magic.

“That ain’t good.” Whispered Applejack.

“We’re almost there.” Twilight reassured her. “Once we’re all together, no witch will stand a chance, no matter how strong it is.”

Although she was just as worried as anyone else, Sunset’s words of encouragement did get through to her. With her friends by her side, Twilight knew she had no reason to be afraid anymore.

There was no sign of Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash anywhere at the park. However, the magic trail was stronger than ever.

“They’re probably already inside!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, and with a swing of her ring, the door to the labyrinth appeared before them.

Twilight took a deep breath, then turned to Sunset Shimmer.

“Sunset, it’s probably better if you stay here. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The other girl protested.

“Who says I’m going to get hurt? I’m not a magical girl, but I still know how to fight!”

“But-“

“She’s right, Twilight.” A high-pitched voice emerged from the bushes, revealing itself to be none other than Kyubey. “Besides, Sunset Shimmer has not made a wish. If things go south, she could be a valuable trump card.”

“Oh, please.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “I think six fighters are more than enough, darling. With all due respect, stay in your lane, would you?”

Kyubey shook its head.

“You’re all underestimating the manpower you really have to fight this witch.”

Before any of them could ask any questions, the incubator vanished just as suddenly as it appeared. Sunset firmly gripped Twilight’s hand.

“I’m going with you.”

Twilight wanted to complain, but she knew Sunset better than anyone, and once she’d made up her mind about something, there was really no talking her out of it, no matter how stupid an idea it was.

“Fine,” She sighed. “Do any of you have something Sunset could use as a weapon?”

Pinkie Pie quickly transformed and took out a candy-shaped grenade, gently throwing it towards Sunset Shimmer, who confidently caught it in her hands.

“That’s the only one I got,” She warned. “So make sure you use it wisely! Oh, it’ll be a surprise for sure!”

The girls exchanged glances, and once they were all equipped with their magical girl gear, they stepped inside the labyrinth.

What was once one door became thousands as they fell through the fabric of reality into the madness of the witch’s distortion. Once the spinning had stopped and they managed to stabilize themselves, they looked around to find that the labyrinth was somewhat similar to something like a garden or a forest.

“Makes sense why’d it appear in a park.” Sunset grumbled.

“Still,” Twilight pondered. “Isn’t this a bit of an… isolated place for a witch?”

“What do you mean?”

“Witches usually show up somewhere with lotsa’ people.” Applejack covered her face with her hat, gritting her teeth. “They feed on human souls, after all. It’s almost like this one doesn’t wanna be bothered.”

“Well, that’s too bad!” Pinkie cheered. “If you mess with our friends, we’re not gonna let you off that easy!”

They walked deeper into the labyrinth, and a few familiars appeared to block their way. But the team’s united efforts took care of the situation easily.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack shouted. “Can ya hear us?”

“Over here!!!” Rainbow screamed at the top of her lungs from a little farther away.

The girls sprinted towards the noise, finding Rainbow Dash holding an unconscious Fluttershy in her arms.

“Thank goodness!” She exhaled in relief. “I need your help, like, right now. Flutters isn’t breathing, and I can’t find her soul gem. It’s gotta be in here somewhere, but I can’t keep running with her while looking for it.”

“Running?” Rarity felt the cold pulse of Fluttershy’s body, trying not to worry too much as she remembered the last time this happened. “Running from what?”

A loud roar answered her question quite clearly.

“Dammit! It’s that thing again!”

Rainbow Dash pointed towards a large blur in the distance. As it got closer and closer, Its figure became clear as an enormous tentacled moth. Instead of a face, it bore a skull that wailed with its mouth wide open, dashing towards the group at lightning speed.

They all managed to barely avoid the witch’s dive, who quickly recovered and turned to wail again.

Twilight couldn’t help but notice that unlike other witches, who seemed to scream out of anger, this one screamed almost as if it was in terrible pain.

Her thoughts were almost immediately drowned out by the sound of Applejack’s rifles.

“Rarity!” She yelled. “Hold it down for me!”

“Copy that!” The fashionista launched at the damaged witch with her trusty whip, trapping it like a dog with a collar.

Applejack reloaded her rifle.

“Rainbow! Sunset! You two go look for the soul gem! Twilight! Take care of Fluttershy wit yer shield! Pinkie, ya stay here in case I need backup! This one’s feisty!”

“Aye aye, captain!” Pinkie pie aimed her hand cannon at the witch, who flailed around in agony.

Once the creature realized it could not rid itself of the whip tying down its neck, it let out another roar and soared flight, taking Rarity up with it, who barely had time to react.

“Ya bastard!” Applejack tried to lock her gun onto the witch, but it’s quick movements made it hard to land a precise shot. “I’ll shot ya down!”

“Don’t shoot me along with it!!” Rarity yelped, holding tight onto the monster’s back.

The witch, however, seemed completely uninterested in attacking either of the girls pointing their weapons at it. It kept screaming in the sky, as if it were calling out to someone. Once the witch’s gaze met Twilight holding Fluttershy’s body, The witch opened its mouth wide and prepared to dive once more.

Twilight took note of this change in behavior, and parried the witch’s teeth with her shield.

“It’s after Fluttershy!” She screamed. “I don’t know why, but it wants to swallow her!”

Although the body was lifeless, it was still far from decomposing or letting out any kind of smell. Twilight wondered what else could be attracting the witch if not the scent of rotting flesh, but couldn’t come up with an answer.

“Rainbow… Sunset…” She grunted quietly. “Please, find that soul gem quickly…”

[magicamicitia]

Volume 4, Chapter Two: Prologue

“I’m such a coward.”

The sound of the rain was almost as deafening as the thoughts brimming inside Fluttershy’s mind, as she sat down on a park bench and reminisced about the talk she had with her friend at the school gates.

Rainbow Dash has feelings for Applejack, and she wants to confess.

“Even though…” she stared at the cold hard ground as the tears became camouflaged with the rainwater streaming down her face. “…I became a magical girl for your sake…”

Fluttershy suddenly felt her body go cold, realizing it had stopped pouring down on her. Looking up, an old man held a scarlet umbrella above her.

“You’re going to catch a cold like that, dear.”

Unable to say anything, she simply stared dumbfounded and slowly came to the realization that she should at least nod.

The man sat down next to her, still holding out the umbrella.

“Is everything alright?”

Fluttershy caressed the ring in her hand.

“I’m such a coward…”

The man didn’t say anything. After a while, she added,

“I should have… told her how I felt… back then, shouldn’t I?”

“You should have.”

“…But I didn’t.”

“Do you know why?”

“I…” The storm grew louder and louder, even though the rain had stayed the same. “Thought it would be selfish… I couldn’t…”

“When you made your wish,” the old man interrupted. “You failed to consider the consequences. When you use magic to get people to like each other, it’s only natural that those feelings would grow disproportionately until they became love. Because they’re not real feelings, in the end.”

“I…” her voice trembled.

“If you just wanted that girl to love you, you could have asked for it. Instead, you were reckless.”

“I was… wasn’t I…?” She sobbed. “I’m such garbage…”

The scarlet umbrella had become an eyesore as the environment around them slowly turned monochrome. Fluttershy could no longer tell if that deafening noise was the sound of rain or screams. She opened her hands and stared at her muddy soul gem. It almost felt like it was pulsating.

“Hey…” She turned to look at the old man. His face had gone completely dark, and nothing but his silhouette remained. “What’s going to happen to me now…?”

“You’re going to become a witch.”

“…What..?” The panic set in as Fluttershy suddenly processed their conversation about her wish, which she had never told anyone about. She blinked a few times, and the man’s eyes turned redder and rounder each time.

As she desperately tried to make out a human’s face, the only thing that stared back at her was Kyubey.

The noise became louder, and now, it was clear. That horrifying, tortuous sound was of laughter. They were all laughing at her. For being so weak, so helpless, so stupid.

“No!!” She reached out to grab the old man’s arm, falling over and meeting with the headfirst with the floor.

A loud ‘crack’ came from her right hand, and as she opened it once more, the shards that were once a soul gem pierced her skin and covered her palms with blood.

[magicamicitia]

Volume 4, Chapter One

“I’ll always be here to protect you.”

It was already past midnight, and after making sure the witch’s hostages were safe, the girls bid their farewells as they prepared for the celebration awaiting them once the sun had risen.

Almost everyone had gone home, but Sunset Shimmer still sat on the living room couch, her head low and her hands shaking ever so slightly.

Twilight was quite tired from the events that just unfolded, but she still managed to make out a warm smile for her friend.

“Is everything okay?”

Startled, the redhead quickly sat up straight to answer the question.

“Yeah, yeah! I’m fine, it’s just..”

I can’t stop thinking about the portal, she murmured inside her own mind. What could have possibly happened to it? It’s not like she planned to go back anytime soon but… Maybe not having that choice - or rather, that backup - anymore scared her.

It’s not like it was a natural occurrence either - this was definetly the work of some kind of magic. Malicious magic. Was someone coming after her? Trapping her in this world, where all she has are two legs to run away, catching her in her weakest moment when she wouldn’t be able to fight back?

She looked into Twilight’s eyes, piercing right back at her own. Sunset could see the worry in them. Even if she tried to explain her situation, and if Twilight somehow understood, it would only cause her more trouble.

“…I guess I’m just worried about you. You know, all this magical girl stuff…”

Her gaze wandered as she spoke, trying not to give away that she was still hiding something. But to her surprise, Twilight caught her in a sudden yet affectionate embrace.

“I’m worried too.” Was all she could whisper through her shaky voice.

Sunset returned the hug as Twilight broke down crying in her arms.

“I was so scared… my own mom…” she could barely articulate sentences through her sobs. Sunset tried her best to comfort her friend.

“I know… It’s okay now… I’ll always be here to protect you, Twi, I promise.”

In a heartbeat, Twilight went completely silent. Her grip around Sunset’s arms tightened, and she grumbled in a voice so quiet you could barely hear it;

“You always were.”

“Sorry, what was tha-“

Twilight’s cellphone rang. The number on the screen startled her, but she picked the call up regardless.

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Twilight, you gotta get over here now!”

“What’s wrong?” She stood up from the couch, heading towards the door without a second thought. “Where are you?”

“I went to Fluttershy’s house to try and talk to her, but no one answered, so I decided to go back and-“ A terrifying roar could be heard from the other side of the line. “There’s a witch! A REALLY big one! Call everyone to the garden near Flutter’s house right now! She might be in some real danger!!”

Sunset Shimmer could hear Rainbow’s shouting through the phone. Honestly, anyone probably could. She could also see Twilight’s entire body trembling to the core.

Twilight Sparkle was not the kind of person to ever abandon a friend. But she was completely exhausted and out of magic. Rainbow Dash and the others would try their best, blinded by their motivation to save Fluttershy, but Twilight was smart. She knew they were in no condition to fight another witch. They couldn’t win. They would die if they tried. Paralyzed by this decision, she couldn’t even bring herself to end the call.

Sunset got up and firmly held Twilight’s shoulders.

“It’s going to be okay.” She lied. It wasn’t going to be okay. “…I’ll go with you.”

“Wha-“ Twilight was so anxious she could barely breathe correctly. “You ca- Magical gi-“

“I’ll be out trump card. If everything goes wrong, then… I’ll make a wish.”

Her friend’s face sank in horror.

“I won’t let you!”

“Too bad!” Sunset replied. “I said I was going to protect you, and I will.”

Twilight covered her head with her hands, distressed. She was silent for a few minutes, trying to think of a rebuttal. But they all really were out of options. She hated having to rely on Sunset like this again, but…

“…Alright.”

She raised herself once again, determined.

“Let’s do this.”

[magicamicitia]

Volume 3, Chapter 4 - PART TWO

“I guess I’ll find out.”

The overwhelming roar of thousands of legs skittering through the walls raged behind her, but Sunset didn’t dare look back. It’s not like she could afford to - if she stopped for even a second, she knew it would have been over. Still, there really wasn’t anywhere to go. Twilight and her brother were trapped inside the cocoons, and Sunset didn’t know how to exit a labyrinth by herself.

“If only that stupid cat was here…”

Lo and behold, Kyubey appeared as soon as the thought popped into her mind.

“You know, going into a witch’s labyrinth all by yourself is practically suicide. Sometimes you need to recognize the difference between bravery and stupidity, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Buzz off, Kyubey! I don’t need your help!”

She really did, though.

“Oh? And how do you plan to defeat a witch like that all on your own? Even Twilight, a magical girl, couldn’t do it. But if you wished for it, I’m sure I-“

“Thank you, dearest, but we’ve got it under control.”

A familiar voice suddenly emerged from the rooftops of the chapel. Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie stood ready for combat.

“Remember the plan, y’all. We only got one shot at this!” The country girl shouted.

With a framing motion of her fingers, Rarity stared at the familiars intensely for a second, before adding. “Hmph. I can’t figure out the witch’s nature from just these creatures. Pinkie, You’re on. The two of us will try to get a closer look.”

Pinkie Pie jumped down and swiftly picked up Sunset in her arms.

“Roger that!”

“Whoa, Where are we goi- NOT DOWN THEEEEERE!!”

Shimmer’s protests were futile as the pink-haired girl happily jumped down to the lower floor, where a horde of angry bug-guests awaited. She closed her eyes, preparing for impact, until she felt herself arrive safely to the ground.

“Huh…?”

The familiars stood in place, shaking their wings violently as a buzzing sound echoed through the halls, but none even attempted an attack against them.

“Wait, what’s happening?”

“Sunset, look over there!”

The cocoon. It was left unguarded now that the familiars were docile and the witch was after the others. This was their chance. Her chance.

“Twilight!”

Before she could reach the altar, Pinkie’s hand stopped her.

“Woah, step back, silly! How’re you gonna pop that thing open without…” An enourmous hand cannon appeared seemingly out of thin air. “…A weapon?”

“How did- Wait, are you gonna explode it?!”

The Boom sound and blinding lights that came after quickly answered that question. But to Sunset’s surprise, it worked pretty well, aside from the fact that Twilight regained counsciousness in a very confusing state.

“Cough, cough.. What… Where am I?”

“Twilight! Are you alright?” Sunset hurried over to her friend’s aid. “Oh! Your brother- Pinkie, Where is…”

“He’s fine, don’t worry about it! Just a little passed out.”

“A little passed out?!”

The sound of a merciless roar shook the ground below their feet.

“Looks like Rarity and Applejack are having some trouble against that witch, Huh?” Pinkie laughed and reached a hand out to Twilight. “Should we help?”

Twilight, still confused and covered in bug sludge, quickly accepted Pinkie’s help getting up.

“Did I… get captured? I don’t remember… I was home, and then…”

“Don’t sweat the details!” The other magical girl cut her off. “Right now, we need to focus on defeating the witch and getting our friends outta here! But we need your help, Twilight!”

After a moment of confusion, she nodded hesitantly and took out her soul gem. With a ray of pink light, Twilight Sparkle had transformed and was ready for battle.

“Rarity!!!” Pinkie shouted. “Send ‘em down!!!”

“Of course, darling!”

Trapped in a web of silk, the bug bride crashed down the aisle.

“What’s the status report?!” Pinkie took out her cannon.

“There’s another human trapped near the witch’s chest area- And they’re injured! Be careful!”

“Another human…?” Sunset whispered. “Could it be…?”

Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Cadance!!!!”

“That darn thing’s using ‘er as some sorta hostage!” Applejack spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Of course it is.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “This witch has an Envious nature, it won’t fight us alone. As long as we can contain its familiars, all we have to do is steer clear of its chest!”

“Contain the familiars…” Sunset began to understand her situation a little better.

“Alrighty!” Applejack swiftly interrupted her train of thought. “Pinkie, Twilight, I need you two on the defense! I’ll weaken this bastard with some warnin’ shots! Rarity, you’re our only safe option of attack today, So I hope ya don’t mind gettin’ dirty!”

“Oh, please.” Rarity scoffed. “Nobody likes to be covered in gross insect ooze, but if it’s for a good cause, I’m willing to make a few… sacrifices.” She muttered the last words with a tone of disgust.

“Sounds good to me!” The cowgirl declared, summoning an army of muskets.

With their eyes on the witch, the three more experienced magical girls declared in sync, as Twilight clumsily ty followed their chant; “In the name of harmony, your story ends here!”

There were loud explosions of sound and light, and although it was hard to see anything clearly, Rarity’s figure danced gracefully in the shadows as she took down the bride and caught Ms. Cadance as she fell from the skies.

Not long after the witch had vanished, the familiars too were wiped out by Pinkie’s cannon, until all that was left was a normal home, seven people and a Grief Seed.

“Nice job, team! We really nailed the fight this time, even though we were missin’ some members.” Applejack wiped off a drop of sweat from her forehead, still trying to catch her breath.

“O-Oh, that’s right…” Twilight realized. “Where’s Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?”

“Fluttershy wasn’t answering our calls.” Rarity mourned. “We figured she must still be upset, and Rainbow Dash volunteered to talk her out of it. Besides, I doubt she would have wanted to join us on this mission anyway…”

The girls fell into an awkward silence. Sunset quickly decided to intervene;

“Um… I was meaning to ask, but… How did you know the witch’s weakness?”

Oh, right!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Did we never tell you this? Sometimes, magical girls get special powers depending on the wish they make. Rarity can use her Super Fashion Sense to find out how we can beat up a witch!”

“Is that how you paralyzed the familiars?”

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Well, I wouldn’t say paralyzed! You see, my power is to make people smile! But witches and familiars don’t know how to smile, so they just sit there like a bunch of confused dorks!”

“I see…” Twilight pondered. “That is quite the useful ability to have in battle. if only I had something like that…”

Applejack pat the other girl’s shoulder in consolation.

“Don’t sweat it, sugar. Not all of us get stuff like Pinkie’s. My ability, for example, is to draw in good luck. Sometimes, your magical powers can show up in the darnest of things! You’ll find out when the time is right.”

“Yeah, you’re right…” Twilight hid the pain in her eyes. “I guess I’ll find out, huh?”

“What Applejack said is true.” Kyubey finally broke its silence. “But you four really came in close today. You used up a lot of magic, too. I doubt that grief seed will be enough to go around. Fighting in groups like this will only-“

Applejack raised her hand.

“That’s enough, Kyubey. You three can have the grief seed. I’ll pass.”

“But, Applejack…” Twilight protested.

“Hey, it’s alright. Y’all did most of the work, anyway. I won’t go hungry cuz of a little magic.”

“I-If you say so…”

A feeling of gloom poisoned the air around them, until Pinkie stood up to say;

“Hey, you know what?! Now that we beat the bad guy, Let’s call Rainbow and Fluttershy for a PARTY!!!”

“That’s all y’ever think about, huh, Pinkie?” Applejack chuckled, and things were finally back to normal.

[magicamicitia]

Volume 3, Chapter 4 - PART ONE

“I guess I’ll find out.”

The inside of the house seemed as warm and natural as ever. So much so that Sunset found herself doubting Kyubey’s tip for a few seconds. However, despite that creature clearly keeping things from them, it didn’t seem to have ever outright lied.

The sound of a closing lock startled Sunset Shimmer out of her own thoughts.

“What are you-“

Twilight Velvet’s eyes were completely devoid of any life. Even though a smile was plastered onto her lips, her face seemed emotionless. She eyed down Sunset for a few quiet moments before throwing herself forward in an almost animalistic manner.

With little time to react, Sunset Shimmer barely dodged the advance, falling over against the coffee table.

“What did you do to Twi?” Was the first question she could think of.

However, the old woman didn’t seem to be in any condition to understand her words, much less reply to them. Much like a zombie, she slowly picked herself up and turned to face Sunset again.

This time, she was ready and managed to tackle down Velvet once she jumped at her once again.

She was strong. much stronger than she should be. Sunset wondered if this too could be the Witch’s power.

“Velvet, it’s me!” She huffed. “Are you in there? Can you hear me?”

Twilight Velvet screamed and struggled as she tried desperately to free herself from Sunset’s grasp. Then, she let out a sharp cry, and dissolved into a dark muddy substance right before Shimmer’s eyes.

“What in the-“

The cry echoed through the room as the walls also began to dissolve. Sunset could feel reality becoming more and more distorted as she struggled to maintain her balance. She couldn’t afford to leave an opening now.

“Twilight!” She called out, to no avail. “Are you here?!”

The Labyritnh seemed to have taken the shape of a very abstract version of an old gothic cathedral. Black ooze dripped down the walls and formed puddles on the ground, and strange cocoons hanged from the ceiling, moving like they were to hatch at any second.

“I’m on the second floor right now…”

Sunset looked down at the altar below her feet. Guests were seated on every bench, but they were faceless. In front of them, two figures were trapped in egg cases. On the right side of the altar, Shining Armor. The left side was empty. And in the middle…

“Twilight!” Sunset cried out.

The guests all turned to face her at the same time. A rumbling sound echoed through the labyrinth as a distorted version of the Wedding March approached from the doors of the church. The gates slowly opened, but before that, a tall figure had already broken through the walls. The song was louder now, as if the creature itself had been the one singing it.

“T…The witch..!”

The demonic bride slowly advanced forward in the hall, as the guests clapped and cheered, their heads still turned towards Sunset. Realization suddenly downed upon her, noticing that the witch was walking towards the egg cases.

In a moment of desperation, she picked up a piece of rock debris and threw it at the bride.

The music stopped.

“Oh, no…”

The witch slowly turned its head in her direction, and with a ear-bleeding screech, all the faceless guests rushed to attack her, as if they’d been commanded. wings sprouted from their backs, ripping open their formal suits and dresses. The way their bodies moved resembled insects more than humans as they crawled up the walls. With no weapon, no magical powers, and no allies, and having drawn way too much attention to herself, Sunset knew her only choice now was to book it.

As dozens of bug-humans chased her down the hallways of the church, there was only one thought in her mind:

“This was a REALLY bad idea!!!!”

[magicamicitia]

Volume 3, Chapter Three

“A true friend.”

Beeep….

Beeep….

Beeep….

Click!

“…Hey, Pinkie.”

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds.

“Listen, I-“

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Sunset MEANIE! Whatever stupid rumor you called to talk to me about, let me tell you, I won’t believe it!”

Sunset cursed under her breath, embarrassed at the way she used to act before Twilight transferred in.

“It’s nothing like that…” the words felt heavy in her throat.

“Oh.” Pinkie seemed to have suddenly calmed down. “Are you calling to apologize about earlier, then? Don’tcha think you should be telling this to Fluttershy?”

“No, I mean, yes I do want to apologize about that, but listen, the reason I’m calling you is because-“

“WHAT?”

“…What?”

“Oh, sorry, you were breaking up a little, haha.”

Sunset took a deep breath.

“Listen to me, Pinkie, this is important! Twilight is in danger, there’s a witch attacking her house!”

“Huh? Are you serious?!”

“Why would I joke about something like that?!”

“Well, that’s the exact story you guys told us before!”

She slapped her face. God damn it. Who would’ve guessed single tiny lie would tangle things this badly…

“Listen, you don’t have to believe me. But Twilight is my best- my only friend, and i’m going there, with or without backup.”

“Are you crazy? You can’t fight a witch on your own!”

“Then I guess you’d better come along or I’ll die trying.”

She quickly hung up, not giving Pinkie Pie a chance to refuse her offer.

But that wasn’t an empty threat. Even if there was nothing she could do, leaving Twilight to die alone just wasn’t an option. She was her friend, and a true friend always helps a friend in need.

She felt a little embarrassed for thinking like that, wondering if her past self would be cursing her out for being so naïve. For letting her guard down like this.

Past…

Sunset was running towards Twilight’s house as fast as she could. Her human legs were much slower than that of a horse. Thinking about the past brought a horrible sense of dread, as she couldn’t help but wonder over and over again why the portal would have vanished like that.

It couldn’t have been anyone in Equestria. The crown of Magic was too important to abandon. Unless…

She thought about who could benefit from the loss of the Elements of Harmony. Candidate after candidate, all were too horrible to even entertain the thought of.

But it didn’t matter.

Sunset had left that world behind, just as it did her. Why should she care if they were all destroyed.

She thought about Celestia’s warm smile. The smile she now had to see every morning on the face of her principal. Out of all the worlds she could have traveled to, she wondered if ending up on this one was some kind of karmic curse.

But she had no more time to wonder, as she realized where she was now.

The house looked perfectly peaceful from the outside.

The windows and doors were closed, and all the lights were on. Sunset checked her phone, and it marked 9:58. Someone should surely still be awake.

The door opened before she could even knock on it, and the face of Twilight Velvet smiled at her.

“Oh, Sunset, dearie, What a pleasure to see you. Please, come in.”

Although she smiled, her eyes were devoid of any emotion, and her gaze pierced right through Sunset, as if it were fixated on something behind her instead. She was wearing a turtleneck sweater, but a strange mark on her neck could still be seen. It didn’t seem like a bruise.

“Y…Yeah. Please excuse me, Ma’am.”

P.S - Sorry for the short chapter! the next one will have a fight sequence and i didn’t want it to drag for too long.

[magicamicitia]

Volume 3, Chapter Two

“things just can’t stay the way they are now.”

Sunset Shimmer gazed outside her window as the rain had finally stopped. The sky was dark and still somewhat cloudy. She changed her focus to the clock on the wall.

8:35 PM.

With a sigh, Sunset got up from her desk.

“Well, If I want to wake up early tomorrow, I’d better start heading to bed.”

She turned to look at the clock again, and memories of her nightmare a few days ago came flooding back.

“Witches… That can’t be good.”

She reminisced about her life in the magical land of Equestria. She kept telling herself she could never go back, but… Frankly, it’s not like there was anything actually stopping her.

Was there?

She ran to the calendar strapped to the wall next to her front door. The portal should be open. She’d never seen anything like the Witches in Equestria before, but maybe, in a library somewhere… maybe she could find something. And maybe she could make herself useful to Twilight.

Twilight…

She’s have to be sneaky, though. Who knows what would happen to her if somepony back there spotted her. She’d probably be arrested, or worse. And if she didn’t come back, she’d surely worry Twi even more.

But things just couldn’t stay the way they were now.

She’d never seen anything like the Witches, but the soul gems reminded her of certain amulets from her homeland. And that cat… Felt familiar. But she couldn’t remember why.

Before leaving, she searched through her bag, for the reason she was hiding in this world in the first place.

A gold crown, majestic and shining as always. The element of magic looked just as seducingly powerful as the day she stole it.

However, something was amiss.

The bright pink gem on it had become opaque, and its once vibrant colors had faded into something gray.

“This can’t be good…”

She shoved the crown back inside her bag, put it over her shoulder, and ran to Canterlot High.

Before leaving, she looked at the clock again. It was now 9:09.

Twenty minutes later, Sunset Shimmer reached the campus of Canterlot. In front of her, the statue of a white stallion carved in marble stood tall. She crouched, reached for the passage underneath it…

But her fingers found nothing but stone.

“What the…?”

She frantically palpated the wall again. The portal was gone. But how did…

“Looking for something that doesn’t exist?”

Sunset jumped at the noise and quickly turned around, fumbling in her movements.

“…Kyubey.”

“I’d love to explain to you what happened here,” The small creature walked towards her. “But frankly, I myself don’t know either. Which is strange, isn’t it? Even now, I feel traces of magic coming from this monument.

It’s almost like something has sealed it…”

Kyubey stared intensely into Sunset’s eyes.

“Or perhaps someone.”

“What are you talking about… Wait, how do you know about the portal..?”

“There’s no time for that now, Sunset Shimmer. Twilight Sparkle is in danger.”

Sunset flinched, but couldn’t reply.

“Medea, the Shapeshifter witch. It has taken nest in the hearts of her family.” Kyubey shook its head. “A witch’s kiss is not to be taken lightly. The victims become not only suicidal, but violent as well. And if many of them gather at one place, the witch is also sure to be there.”

“No way… But… Twi’s a magical girl, isn’t she? S-She should be able to…”

“This witch is not like the others.” The creature interrupted. “You can’t defeat it alone.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do? It’s not like I have magical powers!”

“That’s…” Kyubey seemed to ponder for a moment. “…True. But you could change that.”

“Change?”

“Make a contract with me, and become a magical girl. I don’t understand why yet, but… Your karmic power is astonishing.”

Sunset felt a shiver run down her spine. Karma…

“Or… Perhaps I do understand.” It stared intensely into the now-gone portal, and back at her. “Could it be… Sunset Shimmer, what… are you?”

“None of your business.”

Sunset ran, nervously looking through the contacts on her phone. Who would be the least mad at her right now…? Rainbow Dash would surely not pick up her call, and frankly, she might not even be keen in helping Twilight right now. Fluttershy probably had her number blocked. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how bad she’d screwed up. Nobody would want to even look at her face now…

No.

There was someone.

Someone who would always listen, even if it was just to call her names and tell her off.

and someone she knew wouldn’t hesistate to help if Twilight was in danger.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for all the “big meanie”s she was about to get called, and dialed the number.

Beeep….

Beeep….

Beeep….

Click!

“…Hey, Pinkie.”

[magicamicitia]

Volume Two Masterpost

Volume Two, Chapter One

Volume Two, Chapter Two

Volume Two, Chapter Three

Volume Two, Chapter Four

[magicamicitia]

hey guys, small update! i need to get some school stuff sorted out so i’ll be putting the chapters on hiatus for a while! updates will be back on monday, july 15th, and we’ll be back to the original weekly updates instead of the current 14 day ones, along with the volume 2 and 3 covers :) thank you for understanding!

[magicamicitia]

Volume 3, Chapter One

“You can always trust yourself.”

The rain kept rentlessly pouring the entire afternoon. However, through the cramped hospital windows, it made for a somewhat relaxing scenery.

A young woman laid in her hospital bed. She had almost completely recovered, but her hair was unkept and her eyes were tired. A gentle knock on the door startled her fixated gaze away the windows.

“Who’s there?”

A slow creak opened the door revealing the face of a young student. Her glasses were slightly tilted.

“Excuse me, miss Cadance…”

The woman smiled.

“Oh, Twilight. You don’t have to call me that.”

She gestured with her hand.

“Come in.”

Twilight awkwardly stumbled across the room and sat down next to the hospital bed.

“…How are you feeling?”

The room went quiet. Cadance turned to look at the window again, her face was painted with distress. Perhaps that wasn’t the right question to ask right now.

“Y-Your arm, I mean…”

“Oh!” She held the cast close to her chest. “I’m getting better. The doctors said I’d be discharged in a few days.”

“That’s good…” the student sighed with relief. She looked up to notice a strange mark on Cadance’s neck.

“A tattoo…?” she whispered.

The woman looked at her, puzzled.

“I’m sorry?”

“Oh, it’s nothi-”

Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar shadow peeked from the outside. As their eyes met, the startled Twilight jumped from her chair.

“Are you alright, Twi?” Cadance was clearly worried about her behavior.

“Oh, I’m fine, I just…” She locked her gaze on Kyubey’s face. “I thought I saw something…”

“Can you talk? It’s important.” The animal messaged telepathically.

They locked eyes for some time. She couldn’t trust him. Kyubey was her only source of information regarding the mess she’d gotten herself into, but even then he wasn’t a reliable one. It was all up to her now. She couldn’t let her guard down, no matter what he said.

Twilight took a deep breath and turned to the woman in the bed.

“I’m going to use the bathroom, Okay? I’ll be right back.”

Outside the hospital building, Kyubey patiently waited under the portico, protecting its fur from the pouring rain.

“So…” the creature began.

“What do you want now?” Twilight inquired.

“Well, I hope you’re not still mad about what happened earlier. I did try to warn you.”

“You…”

“In any case,” Kyubey Interrupted. “I assume you noticed the Witch’s Kiss that was imprinted onto Miss Cadance?”

“…What are you talking about?”

He shook his head.

“If a magical girl’s power comes from wishes, then a witch’s power comes from curses. You know that, right? In order to accumulate those curses, witches sap energy from unsuspecting humans, enhancing feelings of grief and depression in order to turn them into suicidal zombies and in turn harvest their life force as nutrients.”

Chills ran through her body like sparks.

“N…No way…”

“I’m quite surprised you didn’t know that.”

Twilight thought back on the other witches she’d fought.

“People nearby… they did have those marks, but… I didn’t understand any of this back then.”

Kyubey snapped its head in an almost horror-like manner.

“Back then?”

Twilight quickly recomposed herself. It was clear that she wasn’t the one asking the questions here. Kyubey just wanted her to slip up.

“What exactly are you hiding from me? It’s not time magic, so what…”

“Thank you for the information, Kyubey.” She cut him off expecting to cloud his judgement. “In order to break the curse on Cadance, I just have to kill the witch, correct?”

Kyubey seemed almost annoyed at the brash interruption, but after a short pause, he warned;

“This witch is not like the others. And Cadance is not the only one under its control.”

“H-Huh…?”

“Just know that… Even when you can trust no one, you can always trust yourself. A magical girl must know how to fight alone.”

“Big talk…” She growled. “Any burden that you can take by yourself is much easier with the help of your friends. It’s not like you would understand… But I do now.”

Twilight walked away under her umbrella, as Kyubey watched immobile from a distance.

“And I didn’t even say anything about friends… Twilight Sparkle, how can you simply forget about your own family like that?”

[magicamicitia]

Volume Two, Chapter 4

“I don’t regret it at all!”

The final bell rang heavier than the others. Fluttershy had stayed until the end of the school day despite her friends urging her to go home and rest. She felt mostly fine, and if she went home, It would feel like she really was sick.

And she was, emotionally. It was kind of hard not to feel a little disgusted finding out that you’re a zombie. Thinking back, her pets had all been acting weird ever since she made her wish, but she always thought it was just because they could sense Kyubey’s presence, who started visiting her way more often since.

As the pouring rain blocked the path home, Fluttershy stared emptily into the horizon.

“What a day for rain, huh… After everything we’ve been through.” A familiar voice creeped up behind her.

“Rainbow..”

“So,” Rainbow Dash scratched her chin awkwardly. “Y’got an umbrella?”

“Not really…” Fluttershy replied.

“Me neither.” The other girl sighed. “I was kinda hoping you’d have one.”

“Sorry…” She whimpered.

“What?! D-Don’t be! It’s just a little rain, I’ll be fine!”

Rainbow quickly took off her track jacket and handed it to her friend.

“H-Here, you can use this for cover.”

“Why...?”

“Well, it’s just…” She looked away. “You’ve been through a lot today. You don’t need a cold, too.”

Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.”

She took the jacket off her friend’s hands and put it over her own head. It smelled like sweat.

“Are you not going home?”

“Nah, not yet.” Rainbow kept looking around as if she were waiting on someone. “Me and Applejack were gonna look for that witch Twi was talking about... No idea where she’s gone, though.”

Fluttershy felt herself sinking a little.

“Oh… C-Can I come, too?”

“Huh?”

“Well, it’s just… I don’t want you two to fight, and all…” She tried to avoid eye contact as she talked.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Flutters! Me and AJ have been getting along fine, recently.”

Fluttershy thought about what she wished for that day.

“Is that so…”

“Yeah! So fine it’s honestly a little scary. It’s like our minds are like, in sync or something. I guess what you said when we fought that

discord witch really got through to us, eh?”

Fluttershy wanted to accept the praise, but deep down she knew it wasn’t really her merit. Goodness knows what kind of weird magic kyubey put on her friends to achieve that result. Thinking about it too much almost made her feel guilty for ever making her wish at all…

“You two have been hanging out a lot lately... I’m glad you’re having fun.”

Was it petty of her to wish she’d been part of the fun, too?

Fluttershy had never been good with people. She struggled to make herself heard, and was easily pushed around by others. Rainbow Dash was her first friend, and she had been the one to help her meet everyone else.

But ever since she made her wish, they’d been hanging out less and less. It was nice, at first, to finally have time for her pets and hobbies, and not having to worry about solving all of Rainbow’s little fights with the others, especially Applejack. But now… She kind of missed it.

She wondered if Rainbow even needed her at all anymore.

“You know…” Rainbow Dash’s voice interrupted her inner spiral for a moment. “At first, I thought AJ was really stubborn. ‘No way I can fight alongside someone like her!’ was kinda what I felt back then. But.. we actually have a lot in common!”

Oh.

“Like, we’re into the same kind of music, the same sports… Ah-! Can you believe her family‘s sponsoring that one brand of apple juice I really like?”

“That’s nice…” Fluttershy tried her best to keep smiling.

“And… It’s all thanks to you, Flutters.”

“…Me?”

“You’re so… nice. To everyone. If it weren’t for you always helping me out, I probably would’ve stopped talking to the others a long time ago. So… Thank you. You’ve been such a good friend to me all this time…”

Her voice seemed full of guilt.

“Where’s all this coming from…?”

Rainbow bit her lip.

“I… got you into this mess. I’m sorry.”

Ah. So that’s what this was about.

“Don’t be.” She reassured. “I had my reasons for becoming a magical girl. And If I hadn’t… That day, In the labyrinth… You would’ve…”

“Fluttershy…”

“S-So anyway, that’s why…” she let go of the jacket, holding Rainbow Dash’s hand tightly. “I don’t regret it! At all! L-Let’s work together from now on, Rainbow! As equals!”

Dash was shocked for a moment, but her surprised expression quickly faded into a warm smile.

“Yeah.”

Fluttershy looked down to hide her reddened face.

“So… let me come along with you two today. Please?”

Rainbow snapped her hand away from Fluttershy’s gently.

“Actually…”

She fiddled with her hair in embarrassment.

“Can I ask ya for a favor?”

[magicamicitia]

Volume Two, Chapter 3

"We're supposed to be a team!"

Almost as if everyone had gotten altitude sickness, the air in the gymnasium felt desperately heavy. 

"What do you mean…?" Fluttershy’s voice trembled.

"It means," Kyubey enthusiastically shook its tail. "If your soul gem is shattered during a fight or lost in your daily life, I can't do much to assist you, but otherwise, no matter how deadly the injury, your physical bodies can be reconstructed eternally with magic!" 

"What in tarnation…" Applejack spoke up. "So you turned us into your personal scarecrows or somethin'?" 

"I suppose scare-witches would be more appropriate." He continued. "And speaking of them, I assume you now understand why collecting grief seeds is so important. It would be truly a shame if your bodies were damaged and you had no magic to spare. Besides, deadly situations like that rarely happen when you have enough power, so there's really no need to worry!"

"No need to worry?! You killed us! You killed us and then turned us into some kind of freakish reanimated magical corpses!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "I never agreed to any of this!"

"Well, maybe you should have asked." Kyubey rebutted.

"Why, you little…"

"No, we couldn’t." Twilight interrupted, finally speaking up. "I… can’t speak for the others, but when you offered me a contract, I was in no position to ask you about the specifics. You knew that, and you took advantage of it."

Her words sparked some kind of dreadful feeling in Sunset Shimmer.

One day, Twilight Sparkle was living her normal life… and the next, saving her from witches as a magical girl. It was so sudden, Sunset almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing now. 

What happened to Twilight that night that was so dangerous and so abrupt?

If she was at risk, why didn’t she ask her for help?

Did Twilight herself not fully trust Sunset yet?

That didn’t make sense. All this time, Sunset had been the one protecting her, so why…

Huh?

…What was she protecting her from, anyway?

Her head started to ache terribly, and she couldn’t help but let out a groan. 

"Oh, I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash said sarcastically. "Are we bothering Miss Shimmer with all our screaming? You got a headache? This must all be so hard on you."

"N-No, I…"

"Rainbow, stop it. This isn’t her fault." Twilight responded. 

"Isn’t her fault? She almost killed Fluttershy!" Rainbow screamed.

"I almost killed Fluttershy." She gestured at her own chest as she spoke. "Just like you, I didn’t know about any of this, and neither did Sunset. Nobody here had ill intentions. I just wanted you all to give her a chance.." 

"Why exactly would we give her a chance after stealing our things?" Rarity questioned.

"That’s what I said!" Sunset added. "Listen, Twi. They don’t like me, and they don’t have to. It’s not like I’ve done anything to deserve it."

"But you have!" She held Sunset’s hands within her own, and she could feel Twilight was trembling. "You’ve changed, I know that better than anyone! If you just had a chance to prove it… We’re supposed to be a team!"

Sunset let go of her friend. 

"No, Twi. You’re supposed to be a team. I’m not a magical girl." 

Twilight didn’t say anything, and didn’t move. She just stood there, staring wide-eyed at nothing.

This time, Pinkie spoke.

"Yeah. You aren’t a magical girl. So… maybe you should leave."

Sunset didn’t reply. As her footsteps faded away into the halls, Applejack turned to Twilight.

"You know, I just can’t understand why you insist so hard on defending that awful girl."

"She’s not awful." She replied quietly.

"She’s a bully, Twilight."

"She saved my life!" 

Her shout echoed throughout the room.

"I know… She doesn’t act the nicest, she pushed me away at first, too. But… She had her reasons! If you just try and…" 

"Reasons?!" Applejack scoffed. "I don’t give a darn tootin’ heck about her reasons, she hurt me and my friends! You know, If you're gonna keep this up, maybe…"

"I gave my life for her." professed Twilight. "When I made my wish, I gave up my soul. And I did it for her. Are you saying I died for someone I shouldn’t have?"

"I…" She started to say something, but her words failed her.

"You wished for something, too. If I told you that what you chose to die for was awful, how would you feel?"

The room went silent for a moment, until a frail voice stuttered,

"Twilight… We understand how you feel. But… We need time to forgive Sunset Shimmer."

"Fluttershy…" Twilight didn’t finish. She just gulped in her words and nodded.

Then, she mumbled another sentence.

"I’ll leave."

Nobody had told her to do so, but as she walked away, nobody asked her to stay. 

She headed to the nurse’s office. The school day was only halfway through, and even though a part of her felt tortured that she was essentially bailing on her studies, she just wanted to go home, because her heart felt heavy every second she spent in that place.

Like it poisoned her very soul.

That thought caused Twilight to jolt back to reality, and she quickly took out the soul gem in her bag.

It was much more tainted than the last time she’d checked.

Which meant she would have to go witch hunting soon.

Kyubey had left out another crucial detail about soul gems. A detail that the others didn’t seem to know, but she did.

She knew it all too well. 

What happens when your soul gem turns completely dark…

Earlier, Twilight said that she died for Sunset when she made her wish. But now, thinking about it again, that day…

If she hadn’t wished, who’s to say Sunset would have spared her, or even recognized her at all?

[magicamicitia]

Volume Two, Chapter 2

“We can’t die.”

Twilight nearly lost her balance for a moment.

Staring down at the cold hardwood floor of the gym, she looked into Fluttershy’s eyes.

But they didn’t look back.

Rainbow Dash was hunched over the body, aggressively shaking Fluttershy while screaming at her to wake up. Applejack was trying to hold her back, but to no avail. Pinkie Pie was frozen in shock, covering her mouth with her hands trying to not throw up. Rarity was on her phone, probably calling an ambulance? Twilight couldn’t tell. Her ears rang, drowning out the sounds of panic around her.

For a second, a terrible thought consumed her mind.

Had the fake witch she’d summoned done this?

Then, she remembered she never even conjured the witch in the first place.

She had so many questions.

“How… What happened?” Was all she could muster out through her shaky lips.

“We don’t know,” said Applejack. “She just suddenly gave out an’ fainted.”

She looked a little more than fainted.

“Kyubey.” Twilight suddenly remembered.

The other girls looked up at her.

“Where’s… Kyubey?”

He had to fix that. He had to fix that somehow. He just had to.

Didn’t he?

“I’m right here.” A high pitched voice emerged from behind the potted plastic plants. “You know, I knew this wouldn’t end well.”

Rainbow Dash raised her head at him, there were tears streaming down her face now.

“What do you mean? What do you know?” Twilight had never seen her sobbing like this before. “What did you do to Fluttershy? Fix her!”

“I’m not the one who has Fluttershy right now.” The little creature shook his head. “Maybe you should ask Sunset Shimmer for help.”

“Sunset…?” Applejack began,but before she could finish her train of thought, Rainbow Dash was screaming again.

“That girl…! She did this?! How?!”

Something clicked in Twilight’s brain.

“Soul gem.”

���Huh?” Rainbow Dash turned to her.

Twilight placed her shaking hand on top of the gemstone hairpin, as if trying to feel for something.

“Soul… gem.”

Kyubey shook his head in disapproval.

“Looks like you figured it out, Twilight Sparkle. I tried to tell you this was a bad idea, you know?”

Rainbow’s eyes were filled with something between confusion and wrath.

“You…”

She carefully dropped Fluttershy on the ground, and stomped towards Twilight.

“You were working with her, weren’t you? You did this! You little-!”

Applejack held Rainbow Dash back from grabbing Twilight by the neck.

“Calm down, Rainbow. Twilight wouldn’t do somethin’ like this. I don’t reckon she can. Right, Twilight?”

The guilt in her face must’ve been obvious.

“Oh brother.” Was all Applejack said.

At that moment, footsteps were heard coming from the hallway.

No.

Please, no.

Had it been five minutes already?

Out of all the times…

Please, not now.

The door burst open, and Sunset Shimmer appeared, holding Fluttershy’s soul gem.

“Twilight, I’m sorry, but I can’t- GW-OCK!” She choked on her own words seeing the corpse on the floor. Her face was almost blue with disgust.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes laid on the gem on Sunset’s hand.

“Give it back…” She pushed Twilight away.

“Give it BACK!!!” Rainbow was bolting towards Sunset now.

All she could say in response was a “Hah-!” before she was being choked onto the wall.

“Did you do this to Fluttershy?! I should’ve known! Give it back to her before I mush your face so hard you start looking like a dried peach!”

“Wait… I can…. Explain…! Twilight!” She cried out.

“Twilight?” Applejack looked at her with worried eyes. “You’ve gotta explain what’s goin’ on!”

Twilight was sitting on the cold ground, breathing heavily. She could feel her heart accelerating by the second.

Sunset’s gasping for air brought her back to the harsh reality.

She stood up, wobbling, and raised a finger in Rainbow’s direction.

Bang.

A beam of magic shot out of her hands, and landed straight through Rainbow Dash’s head. The girl fell over on the floor, releasing Sunset.

“What in tarnation are you doin’?!”

“She’ll be fine.” Twilight coldly interrupted.

“Fine?! You blew her brains out!! What the heck is wrong with you?!”

Twilight walked over towards Sunset.

“Gem.” She reached out a hand.

Sunset placed the soul gem on Twilight’s palm. There was blood all over her face now.

She turned back around, this time looking at Kyubey.

She stared into his eyes for a while, and he stared back.

“Fix Rainbow.” She ordered. “Or do you need her soul gem to do that, too?”

Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked at the white creature. But he didn’t waver, his glance dead set on Twilight.

There were a few moments of silence before kyubey leaped towards Rainbow Dash’s body on the ground. He lightly pressed the ring on her finger, and suddenly, she gasped.

“What the…” Rainbow quickly got up and looked around confused, as if she had just registered the attack against her.

“How’d you know?” Kyubey asked.

“I took a gamble.” Twilight responded.

She walked over to Fluttershy, still lying on the floor, and carefully placed the muddy soul gem on her limp palm.

It started glowing again as soon as it made contact with the girl’s skin, and she inhaled quickly like she had just broken out of a trance.

“Fluttershy!” the others exclaimed.

“Wha… Where am I? Where’s the witch?”

“Yes, Twilight.” Rarity inquired. “Where is the witch?”

“And what on Earth did you two do to Fluttershy?!” Applejack added.

Twilight sighed, gathering her energy.

“I’m sorry, everyone. There really was no witch all along. I guess I was mistaken.” she eyed to her side as she said that, like looking into her friends’ eyes was unbearable at that moment. “As for Fluttershy…”

Kyubey flinched, as if he knew what Twilight would say next.

“Why don’t you explain it to us, Kyubey? I’m also a bit confused.”

“Kyubey? What’s he got to do with this?” Pinkie asked.

As the girls all stared down at him, the little white fairy simply shook his head in disappointment, and after a long sigh, began to talk.

“You know, most of the time, when it comes to this conversation, things never end well. It’s ideal if you never even have to find out about this in the first place, but now that we’re here…”

“The soul gems.” Twilight interrupted “What are they?”

“I’ll get to it, you know.” Kyubey said in a disapproving tone. “You see, humans are very fragile beings. Even with a most minor injury, they become easily incapacitated in combat. When a magical girl makes a contract, we do you the kind favor of placing your souls in this compact and handy form known by you all as ‘soul gems’.”

“You WHAT?” Rainbow yelled.

“See, that’s the reaction you usually have when we tell you this.” He continued. “I honestly don’t get it. Did you really expect to fight witches and win while carrying so many weak spots? Isn’t it much easier to only protect one spot of your body? Frankly, it’s an almost flawless system. The only downside is that you can’t separate yourselves from your bodies for a distance of 100 meters.”

“S…Separate…?” Fluttershy placed her hand over her soul gem, holding it close to her chest.

“I knew it. Just like I thought…” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “As long as our soul gems are intact, I guess we can’t die.”