Part two of the final confrontation!

Sub-Volume 2 - Heroes and Villains

Chapter 12 - I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier (Lennon, 1971)

Written by Zack Wanzer, James Riddle, and Rachel/TobyandMavisforever

Meanwhile, Solar Crystal and Sunset had already rushed over to the Sentry household. Page Turner, Flash and Fictionary were already awoken by the smoke and had rushed outside.

"You saw the smoke too?" asked Sunset.

Page nodded. "I rang the fire department already."

"Mom did too," said Solar Crystal, "but now she's stuck in the house."

"Stay here, kids," said Page. "I'll go back and help her." As Page headed towards the McCracken household, Flash and the girls went inside the Sentry household.

"Wait!" cried Fictionary. "Where's Vincent and Sombra?"

"They're back at our house," said Sunset, "and Vincent went inside to try and save mom."

"Vincent did what?!" cried Flash. "We have to go and help him."

"But didn't dad say to stay here?" asked Fictionary.

"I know that, but what if Vincent is knocked unconscious or something?"

"I don't want to think about that," said Sunset. She was already feeling upset following the close call with the fire, so the quartet decided to stay inside the house for now.

Back outside, Starlight witnessed the terror going down with the fire.

"What have I partook in?" she whispered to herself. Nothing was worth it. She barely got to speak to her dad, found out Icy Heart was Sunset's abusive mother and worst of all, Sunset's family may have been condemned to death.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Icy Heart grinned. "I enjoy my revenge well done."

Starlight didn't know how to reply to this. Her world was in a blur.

"I had to do this," Icy Heart went on. "Noble Shield betrayed me with another woman, and she had their child. Sunset would always be with her precious daddy, and never spend time with me!"

"Wh-who was that woman," asked Starlight, "and what was her child's name?"

"The woman was Stellar Flare," growled Icy Heart. "As for the child... I have no idea."

"That was Sunburst!" Starlight cried, subconsciously putting it to the back of her mind that Sunburst and Sunset were half-siblings. "But who was the driver that killed him?"

"I had no choice," Icy Heart spat. "He was a constant mark of Noble Shield's betrayal."

Starlight recoiled as if she was stung by a bee, her face suddenly twisted by shock and grief. She felt herself frozen to the spot and looked straight at Icy Heart.

"You killed Sunburst?" Starlight wailed, her eyes wide with disbelief. She almost thought she'd cry, but her shock slowly twisted away into rage.

"How could you?!" she snapped. "Sunburst was my best friend growing up, and he was keeping me from trending a dark path."

"And yet here you are," Icy Heart remarked, "helping to get revenge on Sunset, her family and loved ones."

"I want no part in this any longer!" snapped Starlight. "I will not become a murderer!"

"We had a deal!" Icy Heart retorted.

"If I knew it involved killing innocent people," argued Starlight, "then I would've refused!"

"And how was Sunset innocent to you?" Icy Heart shot back. "You obviously hated her for something."

"Because..." Starlight glanced away. She had let herself become blind to her aunt's words.

"Whatever," snorted Icy Heart. "I don't care for your reasons. The last thing I need is a guilt-ridden dead-weight holding me back." Suddenly, without any further warning, she knocked Starlight out with her gas can.

Meanwhile, the fire department had succeeded in putting out the fire. While no serious damage had been done to the house, it was still quite a mess. Page had come by as well to see if any more help was needed.

"Do you need more water for the fire?" he asked one of the firefighters.

"No, we got this under control, Mr. Turner," said the chief firefighter.

"And my friend's daughters have said their mom was inside the building, as well as my son," Page went on.

"Well, they're fine right now," said the chief. "They're being treated to be on the safe side."

"Can I see them?" Page asked. The chief agreed to lead Page to where Vincent and Celestia were with other firefighters.

"Dad," Vincent called, glancing over. "I'm so glad to see you."

"How are you feeling, Vincent?"

"A bit choked, but otherwise alright," his stepson replied. Page also saw Celestia with Sombra.

"Did you really go in there to save her?" Page asked Vincent.

"He did," replied Sombra on Vincent's behalf. "Was rather stupid of him to do so, but I'm also glad he did. I can't think of life without her again."

"Oh, Vincent," Page affectionately rubbed his stepson's head. "Next time, leave rescuing people in burning buildings to the professionals."

"Then again, he'll do anything to protect those he cares about," said Celestia to Sombra.

"He sure does," Sombra agreed. "Though, one thing I don't know; how did this fire start?"

"I'm not sure," said Celestia. "We didn't leave anything on when we went to bed."

"The fire came from outside the house," Sombra agreed. "So it wasn't a stove or anything."

"What if," Vincent suggested, "that was Icy Heart wanting to kill us?"

"I... didn't see her out here," Celestia said slowly.

"Nor did I," said Sombra.

"A few days ago," explained Vincent, "she broke out of jail, and the house recently caught fire. This is not a coincidence."

"It does seem like the best explanation," said Celestia.

"Yes, we've heard about a criminal on the loose," said one of the firefighters. "Why would she target you lot in particular?"

"Prior to her arrest, Icy Heart was Sunset Shimmer's mother," said Vincent, and recounted everything about the insane woman's downfall from his perspective.

"Basically," he concluded, "this could be Icy wanting revenge on those who put her behind bars."

"We'll keep a lookout for her," said the firefighter.

Back at the Sentry household, Flash and the girls were trying to remain calm. Sunset was still feeling shaken.

"Oh, I hope Vincent and mom make it out okay..." she fretted.

"Me too," said Solar Crystal.

"They just gotta be," said Fictionary. "Should we go and ask the fire brigade?"

"I don't think we should," said Flash. "We'll know when they tell us."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"That's gotta be one of the firefighters," Fictionary bolted toward the door.

"Fictionary, wait!" cried Flash, bolting after her. Fictionary opened the door.

"Oh, are Vincent and Celestia..." Fictionary broke off as she saw icy blue eyes staring at her. With a scream, Fictionary frantically tried to close the door, but Icy Heart stopped it with her foot. Icy Heart then forcefully grabbed Fictionary's arm.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" she sneered. "Vincent's baby half-sister, no doubt."

"You leave her alone, you insane bitch!" Flash yelled. But Icy Heart yanked Fictionary along, and slammed the door in Flash's face. Flash opened the door again and quickly ran off after them.

"Flash, what's happening?" called Solar Crystal, she and Sunset racing to catch up with him.

"It's Fictionary!" he cried. "Icy Heart just came and kidnapped her!"

"What?!" Sunset shrieked. "Oh, which way did Icy Heart go?"

"I think she must've gone to your previous home," said Flash. "From what I understand, it hadn't been used since Icy Heart's arrest."

"I spent so much time away from there, I don't know where that is anymore," sighed Sunset. "What are we going to do now?"

"Should we call Night Light and Shining Armor?" asked Solar Crystal. "Maybe they can help track Icy Heart down."

"We should also let Vincent know," added Flash. "Knowing how much he cares for Fictionary, he won't be happy when he hears she's been kidnapped."

"Right," Sunset agreed, and watched as Flash got out his mobile phone to call.

"Hello?" yawned a sleepy voice. "Bit early in the morning to go to the book shop, Flash."

"Sorry, Twilight," said Flash, "but we're not heading to the book shop. You know my sister Fictionary?"

"Of course," said Twilight. "She's a real dear from what you guys tell me. Why?"

"She's been kidnapped by escaped prisoner Icy Heart," explained Flash, and told her everything.

"Oh, good grief!" cried Twilight.

In her bedroom, Twilight jumped out, and still hanging onto her phone, rushed to her parents' room, knocking on their door.

"Mom, dad, Fictionary's been kidnapped by Icy Heart!"

"Icy Heart's escaped and kidnapped Fictionary?!" Night Light wasted no time getting his police stuff together.

"I'll call up Shining Armor and let him know," Twilight Velvet quickly got out her own mobile phone and suited action to word.

"Dad and Shining Armor will be with you soon," Twilight reported to Flash on the phone.

"That's good to hear," said Flash. "I hope they find Fictionary before she..."

"Don't think like that, Flash," Twilight said firmly. "I believe she'll be fine."

"Alright," nodded Flash. "Thanks for your help." While Flash was speaking to Twilight on the phone, Solar Crystal and Sunset had called Vincent about it as well.

"Vincent, urgent news," said Sunset. "Fictionary's been kidnapped."

"No one kidnaps my sister and gets away with it!" growled Vincent. "Are you still at the house?"

"Yeah," said Sunset. "We're waiting for Night Light and Shining Armor to turn up."

"I'll be right there."

"Let's go and get your sister back," Page agreed. "Sombra, will you and Celestia be all right without us until we get back?"

"Yeah, we'll be okay," said Celestia. "I'm doing better right now."

Father and son took off to regroup with Flash and the girls, but while racing back to their house, they came across a girl with purple and green hair knocked out.

"Wait, who's that?" asked Page.

"That's... Starlight Glimmer," gasped Vincent. "What's she doing here?" Cautiously, he approached the unconscious girl's body.

"What's happened to her?" asked Page worriedly.

"I don't know," said Vincent, "but somehow, we're gonna have to get answers."

"How do we do that?" Page wondered. "She's knocked out."

Vincent carefully approached Starlight and slightly shook her. The girl groaned as she felt his touch.

"Wh... where am I?" she asked, opening her eyes.

"You're outside of Sunset's house and were knocked out," Vincent explained. "But what were you doing out there?"

"Icy Heart brought me here," explained Starlight. "She said I had to help her since she helped me find my father."

"You helped Icy Heart set fire to Celestia's house?!" gasped Page.

"Of course not!" objected Starlight. "I may have been a bully, but I draw the line at murder! When I tried to back out of it, she knocked me out with a gas can, calling me dead-weight."

"Icy Heart had gone insane long before now," Page sighed. "That's why she was in jail and Celestia became Sunset's mum."

"Well, one way or another," said Vincent, "we'll find her and make her pay."

"I want to help as well," added Starlight. "She murdered my best friend Sunburst when we were kids, and I want revenge! Oh, and Sunburst and Sunset are half-siblings."

"Sunburst?" asked Vincent, confused. "Sunset's half-sibling? What are you talking about, Starlight?"

"Sunburst was my best friend as a child," explained Starlight. "From what I was told, he was also Noble Shield's son with another woman."

"I wonder why Noble Shield was with another woman..." Vincent asked to himself.

"I think he must've had an affair behind Icy's back," said Starlight.

"This night keeps getting stranger," said Vincent. "Sunset ought to know about this."

"Back to the house," said Page.

When they got back to the Sentry House, they found Flash, Sunset and Solar Crystal waiting for them. None of them were pleased when they saw Starlight with Vincent and Page.

"Why is she with you?" asked Sunset incredulously. Starlight winced, but to be fair, she couldn't blame Sunset for being angry with her.

"Don't worry, she's not here to cause trouble again," explained Vincent. "She wants to help stop Icy Heart."

"She does?" asked Solar Crystal, surprised.

Starlight then told them everything about Icy's plot, and how Sunburst was Sunset's half-brother. Sunset thought she'd faint upon hearing the bombshell that she had a half-brother no one knew about.

"How did I not know?" she cried. "I... I could have had two siblings."

"But then, you wouldn't be part of our family," Solar pointed out. "I'd have no one to talk to."

"That's true," Sunset realized. Had she known about Sunburst being her half-brother, and if he and his mother were still alive, she would have lived with them after her birth mother was put in prison.

"I knew Icy Heart was a bully," continued Sunset, "but I never knew she'd sink to this level. But she could be anywhere in Rainbow Falls."

"I think I might know where they are," said Starlight.

"Where do you think?" asked Flash. "She's got mine and Vincent's sister, Fictionary."

"In Icy Heart's old house. I've been there before."

"As in, my childhood home?" asked Sunset. "Bit of a long story; I hadn't been there since Icy Heart was arrested."

"I remember where it is," said Starlight.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Flash. "We gotta save Fictionary before Icy Heart tries to kill her too!"

"Solar Crystal," said Page, "you go back to your parents."

"Should I come with her as well?" asked Sunset. "She is my younger sister."

"I'll be okay," said Solar. "You should probably go with them and... Starlight," she added, glaring at the purple haired girl, "so you can confront Icy Heart."

"Right then."

The group split and Page and his kids were soon joined by Night Light and Shining Armor.

FOOTNOTE

Rachel: Starlight figuring out that Icy Heart killed Sunburst was based off of Yellowfang realizing that Brokenstar killed Raggedstar in the Warrior Cats book, Into The Wild.