This happens the day after the last chapter, and there are parts of "Princess Twilight Sparkle" but mostly "Power Ponies" in this chapter.
**Equestria, outskirts of Canterlot**
Demo walks onto the top of a hill and with his magic, levitates up a ring and with it set, waves down to the others down below.
Seeing the sign, Rainbow Dash turns to Twilight, "Alright, now do what we have practiced!"
Twilight Sparkle nods, way more confident than she was yesterday, she takes off and flies, although not too fast towards the ring and… misses. "Aw shoot!" Twilight grumbles, she thought she got it this time.
"You almost got it there lassie!" Demo calls encouraging for their princess friend, and thinking that it might prove that she is getting there. He turns to where Medic is, currently cuddling with his new flock of doves. "Ey doc! Try fly through the hoop!"
Medic turns away from his birds, scowling at what that drunkard is saying, "I'll leave that to Twilight" he replies and is sort of glad he can practice his flying at his own pace. Medic would've returned to getting his new doves used to be handfed, but that is all ruined when Soldier charges over, shouting: "Get a move on maggot!" and before Medic can freeze him with magic, the olive green pegasus throws him into the air. Medic tries to get his wings under controls but that only ends with flailing and hitting the ground hard. Archimedes lands right before him with a 'coo' and Medic does not need to have Fluttershy's animal speaking ability to understand what his bird words are. "Oh you be quiet." He grumbles at his pet.
"Maybe the doc should be going through flying practicing too." Derpy suggests in a helpful tone, and with a titled head. "For that was really awful." She blinks and turns to Rainbow Dash, who has collapsed onto the ground from sheer laugher.
Also very amused by that display, "This is why you weren't transformed into a pegasus." Spy snickers, and steps to the side, dodging the rock Medic threw at him with magic. "Oooh, did I hurt your feelings?" He mocks the doctor smugly.
"Don't tempt me to decapitate and use your head again!" and much to Medic's satisfaction, made Spy shut up.
Getting back onto the ground and wobbly lands beside her partner, "You're not going to kill one another?" Twilight asks, sure they did that in the past but now, well, it's more a joke among the mercenaries.
Medic huffs and with head high. "Bah, there's no fun practicing medicine if the person is dead. But I am curious about a changeling's autonomy."
"Get that saw of yours anywhere near me and I will drain you dry of magic!" Spy snaps back, but he does not look very intimidating in his pegasus form.
"Don't worry, herr Spy, I promise I won't kill you. And who knows, I might make some improvements." Medic smirks sinisterly at the now freaked out shapeshifter.
Twilight merely smiles and turns back to Rainbow Dash. "Okay, any advice before I try again?" Leaving the two in their small spat for old time's sake.
**Meanwhile, in the comic book world**
Thanks to Sunny, the team got more or less an idea of moving around in their new shapes. It's not perfect, but they honestly cannot waste more time. According to Francis, this manic mare will use that orb she stole for some sort of doomsday device, something they just cannot risk her using. So they head to Mane-iac's hideout and unlike team Fortress that would storm the place with gun's blazing, this team is more into taking their enemy off guard. They are careful to approach the shampoo facotoary Francis said was Mane-iac's hideout, and by Jack's sign, they take their spots to the soon to be fight.
Garry and Chio sneak around on the catwalk, utterly ignoring the monologing the insane mare is doing towards her lackeys, only keeping an eye on the large group to make sure they are not spotted.
Rune and Marcos are carefully moving around as well, although that's on the ground and much closer to their enemy. Fortunately, the many thug ponies do not see them, all their focus is on their boss, who is busy gloating in how she will defeat them with her many doom devices. Still oblivious to the intruders, Marcos hands Wei the edges of a large cloth in which the dark-grey minotaur attaches to a hook for their trap.
The Mane-iac only realizes she got company when Wei pushes down a huge crate attached to the other side of the hook, causing the cloth Rune and Marcos prepared to trap most of the henchponies.
That was the sign the others waited for, they charge inside the building, with Jack in front and he jumps at the nearby ponies, using his body to throw them onto the ground and make it easier for Francis and Sunset to restrain them with rope.
"Get them you idiots!" Mane-iac cries and three henchponies charges at Amadi, who puts a quick stop to that by creating a shield, making them bounce backward and easy targets for the two spies. The Demoman of the team notices one is behind him but does not have to worry about that for Wei takes care of that one with a long piece of wood the heavy found, sending that pony flying.
Tristan has gotten somewhat surrounded by the thugs, or so they thought. He smirks and by some calculated hoof waving, water from the container behind him flies up and hits the ponies, knocking them out by his command. The cheerful humming Francis wraps the rope around them with his magic. "You have too much fun with this Cowboy…" Tristan remarks dryly and the other turned human replies with a cheerful: "Yup!" before going back to his task.
One of the henchponies catches Rune, who hasn't figured out how to fly yet, but several spectral arrows created by Garry saves him. The dragon gives the deer up above a thankful wave, before running over to aid the others, but that is put to a sudden halt when the Mane-iac sprays the whole area with a giant hairspray, freezing everyone on the ground in their place.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding…" Chio muses, she and Garry are quick to take the run for it, but only the turned sniper gets away from the spray. The Mane-iac laughs maniacally at this victory, but it's cut short as Garry shoots his arrows at the giant hairspray's top, making it impossible to use it again.
With that at least taken care off, Garry turns to those that remain, which are Sunny and Marcos. "Spy, sabotage that giant hairdryer!" The unicorn nods and cloaks himself. Garry eyes the sun-colored unicorn, "This is your chance to prove you were serious. I want you to distract that horse."
Sunset nods, very serious that she wants to prove she's fully on their side. By the sniper's command, she charges at the Mane-iac and shoots a beam at the comic book villain, the Mane-iac dodges thanks to that freaky hair of hers. The two keeps trying to get the other, at one point their fight happens between the frozen in place team. Here the Mane-iac asks Sunset gleefully, "Why do you surround yourself with these... heroes?" the latter said as if it was a huge insult. The Mane-iac wraps her hair around Jack, who only can glare at her. "They will never trust you. But I see you have power." The mare turns back to Sunset, giggling, "You can do whatever you want! Like me!"
"Yeah, we have nothing in common." Sunset Shimmer remarks dryly and winches when the Mane-iac suddenly gets right up her face, one-arm hugging her with that hair of hers.
"True, I might be a bit mane insane," She cackled at her own joke, still smiling deviously. "but I can see you weren't much different once."
Sunset's eyes wide in shock, how this comic book villain knew about that part of her past, she does not know. Only that it gives her horrible flashbacks on her past mistakes. "I'm not like that anymore!" Sunset argues and tries to get away from the Mane-iac, but that mare's hair won't let her.
"Oh but you are!" The Mane-iac grins widely, "Deep inside, you want power, so why not just take it?!" she forces Sunset close, beckoning her. "Embrace it little pony, you will feel so much better— like me!"
"No!" Sunset cries. She teleports away and ends up on the giant hairdryer, telling that villain. "I might have wanted power once, and I felt like nothing could stop me." She is not denying that, but even with all that power that could equal an alicorn… "But I was still alone! No amount of power can bring what I desired most!" She cries at the Mane-iac, who seems amused by her words as if she's telling a huge joke. Maybe she's just kidding herself, that no matter what she does, people that have seen her worst side will never trust her., "But I am willing to give up all of my magic if it will gain me my deepest wish: friendship!"
The Mane-iac begins to laugh loudly and still laughing. "Whoever wants to be your friend?" Noticing the frozen team is starting to gain mobility again, she grabs Sophia with the hair, "Power is so much better than any companionship." Her smile does falter when noticing that Sunset is warily backing away from her. Before she can question her, flames burn away the hair she was standing on. The Mane-iac drops her prisoner and the light blue changeling sing-songs cheerfully: "Ooh, you're in trouble."
Magenta flames seem to explode in the area, and out from it, a black creature with a turning white sharp hone, grey scaly back and surrounded by the same flames that attacked the Mane-iac. Only clue to who this is are the jacket and hat. "Let me give you a piece of simple advice." Cowboy speaks in a disturbingly calm manner, and lifting his head, the now white glowing eyes, with flames seemly coming out from them. "You do NOT touch my wife!" and before the villain pony of this world can attempt any sort of trick to save herself. Cowboy flames surround and burn all of her hair away, but he's not done with her. He runs over and kicks her straight in the face, sending the Mane-iac crashing into the nearby wall, where she starts the most pathetic laugh.
With the threat seemly over, but still greatly pissed, Francis glances over to his wife. "You all right?"
"Never been better." Sophia replies, lying with her head resting onto the hooves and looking at the whole scene as if Francis is doing something super romantic.
Shaking the rest of this paralyzing hairspray off, "And it at times like these, I appreciate your overprotective attitude around Kreel." Tristan remarks, for those flames of anger sure turned the tides in this battle of theirs. The still flaming pony does not reply, instead he's glaring at the now whimpering and bald Mane-iac.
"He's still scary as hell when it happens." Rune mutters quietly to Marcos, who nods in agreement. Right there, a portal opens, and they all get thrown back to the human world, once again back to their human shapes.
Merasmus turns around, surprised to see them back, but also glad as he had NO idea how to get them back out. The comic book dissolves and he just barely spots one of the Dark Forces flee the scene. Seeing one of them is troubling, but it seems they defeated by whatever it threw at this team.
Rhys, been worrying none-stop runs over to the getting back up team. "You're alright!" He stops before Sunset, "What happened?"
"That's a long story." Sunset replies overwhelmed but happy they got out from that place.
**Next day**
Sunset leaves the building, heading to a more secluded spot for some alone time. She is kind of embarrassed by having blurted out why she joined these mercs and it feels weird that even when she revealed her deepest desire… their attitude towards her hasn't changed one bit. It's like they never heard her. Sunset sighs and learns up against the roof's glass dome she's standing on, letting her gaze wander to the horizon. It's first there she realizes, "It's the Summer Sun celebration." the new year equivalent in Equestria, it's a strange thought to know that a new year will begin in a couple of minutes.
"It looks to be quite important for you." Kreel's voice and Sunset lets out a cry of surprise that she's not alone up here. The female spy giggles and leaves her little hiding spot, "Care to tell, or do I have to manipulate the answer out from you these next couple of hours?" She asks in such a tone that Sunset is unsure if this woman was joking or not.
Since she has no wish in Kreel snooping inside her room, "It's nothing major, just my world's form of New Year." Sunset replies, she turns to the starting to light up sky, the beginning of a new day— a new year.
Sophia walks up beside this young woman and she does not need her alpha respawn powers to know something is troubling Sunny here. She would be a horrible spy if she couldn't figure out the issue. "You're troubled with your past, with your past behavior." The red-haired woman flinches, Sophia pretends she didn't notice and continues, "So set on pleasing us that you shoot yourself in the foot by giving up the gifts you were granted," Eyeing Sunny "the power that sleeps within you."
"I'm better off without my magic…" Sunset muses, hugging herself at how exhilarated it was to have her unicorn magic again, it sorta scared her as it made her feel she hasn't learned the lesson. "That kind of power was what brought my fall in the first place."
"Oh, that's where you're wrong." Sunset blinks at what Kreel said, the woman does not look at her, seems more interested in watching the starting to wake city below them. "People keep saying that power corrupts, but by my view, it's how that person uses said power that is the problem. A huge industry manager can still be a great guy and the same counts for one having superpowers. It's not the power that defines us, Sunny." Kreel turns to her, lowering her head just enough for her eyes to be revealed behind those sunglasses. "It's how we use them."
"And I used my wrong."
"Yes, you did." Kreel says without missing the beat, Sunset feels hurt by that flat out statement but the female spy is not done. "but we can all see you're trying." That catches her attention and before Sunset can ask, Kreel answers her unsaid question. "Yet it's hard to respect someone who keeps beating herself down. Chin up Sunny," Kreel playfully jerks her chin "we all know you're a wonderful person. So don't beat yourself up and show some pride in how much you have improved compared to the entitled bitch you were the first time we met."
Sunset can't help but laugh softly at this pep talk, yet it did do the trick. "You really know what to say, huh?"
"That I do." Sophia smiles somewhat smugly. She then turns to the break of dawn, "Tell me, do your world have New Year resolutions?"
Sunset does not answer that Equestria does not have such a thing, but she thinks… she wants to make one. Sunset walks over to the edge of the roof and after a minute of thinking about her past.
"Power
Was all I desired"
she turns away from the slowly appearing sun
"But all that grew inside me
Was the darkness I acquired"
She steps over to Kreel, who is watching her curiously.
"When I began to fall
And I lost the path ahead"
Back in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle stops her walk towards the podium and looks up to the still night sky.
"That's when your friendship found me
And it lifted me instead"
Twilight snaps out from her wondering when he friends call and with a smile, she joins Princess Luna and Celestia at the podium.
"Like a phoenix burning bright
In the sky"
Kreel joins in, much to Sunset's surprise, the woman puts her hands on her shoulders.
"You'll show there's another side you can't deny"
Kreel steps back and gestures to the raising sun, the beginning of a new day
"you may not know what the future holds
But hear me when I say"
The female spy turns back to her, offering a hand
"That our past does not define us
'Cause your past is not today!"
Sunset Shimmer smiles and takes her hand, for a moment holding it, she then lets go and looks into her reflection from the glass dome.
"Ambition
Is what I believed"
She sees herself as that she-demon, smirking darkly back at her.
"Would be the only way
To set me free"
Sunset fists her hand, but with determination shining in her teal eyes, she meets her darker side gaze.
"But when it disappeared
And I found myself alone"
Memories at how she and Rhys walked alone on the streets, never receiving any sort of help, how she couldn't connect with ponies back at the Crystal Empire.
"That's when you came and got me
And it felt like I was home"
Replaced with how Twilight Sparkle showed her the way.
In Equestria, Twilight listens to Celestia's speech on this new form of the Summer Sun Celebration.
"Like a phoenix burning bright
In the sky!"
with a new sense of self, Sunset runs back to the roof's egde and throws off her jacket.
"I'll show there's another side to me
You can't deny!"
Unaware that the others of the team have arrived at the roof. She is busier singing to the rising sun and the promise to both it and herself.
"I may not know what the future holds
But hear me when I say~"
Right that moment, Twilight performs her part of the Sun Summer celebration, and in the human world, magic sparks around Sunset as she embraces that side of herself once again.
"That my past does not define me"
Sunset jumps off the roof, much to the mercs shock, but right when some of them run over to help. She flies up to the sky with her own set of flaming wings.
"'Cause my past is not today!"
She smiles at the sun and the promise she made, only notices the team when she needs to land due to a magical drain. Sunset Shimmer smiles awkwardly to them, yet a simple fist-bump to her shoulder by Jack is enough and smiling, she follows her team back to base.
**Equastria**
Twilight and her friends return from the Sum Summer celebration at Canterlot, everyone chatting about how it went. Twilight is mostly relived that her part of the celebration went without a hitch. She had feared she would've screwed it up but fortunately, all that practice has paid off. The large group split up and since the celebration is over, the daily chores need to be attended. Twilight Sparkle returns to the Golden Oak Library and it's there she notices that the magical mailbox to the human world has the small metal flag up, meaning someone from that world has sent them some mail. Twilight opens the mailbox and finds a letter addressed to her, curiously what Sunset Shimmer writes. She opens it right away.
Dear Twilight.
Happy Summer Sun, did you enjoy the festivities? It's been long I last celebrated it, but only now I realized how important this raise of a new year might've been.
I guess I was so caught up in my ambition; I never realized such a day is meant to be enjoyed with others— team Vanguard was kind enough to throw together a small party for me. There's still a rift between us, but the team is starting to trust me and one of them did remind me that I also should start trusting in myself.
I guess she has a point; it's not really my magic that was the problem but my desire to gain more. It's still hard but I'm getting there where I can use my magic again.
Sincerely Sunset Shimmer.
P.S: I think you better check Spike's comic book collection, the one he sent to Rhys ended up throwing the team and me into an alternative dimension where we had to fight a comic book villain with some crazy hair.
Twilight blinks at that last part, but quickly recover with one annoyed thought; 'Discord…!' She will check Spike's comic book collection for unwanted spells, but first; she takes the letter and writes down the lesson this older and former student of Celestia into the journal she and her friends have.
took quite some time to get this done, but here it is and I hope you like my take on these two episodes, gave me a chance to show how my OC team would look like in Equestria and also bit of a redemption ark for Sunset.
before I sign off for a time, a question: do you want Sunset and team Vanguard to confront the Sirens Rainbow Rock style? Or should I simply leave that to your imagination?
