Across the Shimmerverse

by DapperLilArts

Daring Do, and the Tomb of the Last Valkyrie

Daring Do, and the Tomb of the Last Valkyrie

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Day one ~

I did it! After searching high and low, through so many corners of Equestria, I think I finally managed to properly complete an inscription in some incredibly old tomes– And through painful, long hours of difficult translation with some Canterlot museum officials, I think I finally have the location of an incredibly ancient temple!!

I won’t be hasty. This temple is at the edges of Equestria. Deep, in one of the furthest reaches of the undiscovered west! Now, it’s fairly known why few of us thread there– It's dangerous, uncharted, and desolate. I’ll need supplies… I’ll need a team.

The old me wouldn’t even have considered it. She would have just gone at it alone.

…Thanks, Rainbow Dash.

This temple… We couldn't fully decipher all it was about, but one thing for sure: Alicorns. Little is known about any Alicorns that might have come before or after Celestia– If there were any! But I have my hunches. No presumptions yet, though! It’s more exciting that way!

I’m deeply invested in what we might find– Whatever this is, it may be something that is a thousand years old! We’re talking ANCIENT Equestria!! All the artifacts, all the history!! I can’t imagine how happy the ponies at Canterlot museum would be, to be able to add more to its ancient wing, and just think of how incredible my next book would be, if I could add bits and pieces of our ancient history on it! Well, despite my audience mostly going for the action stuff…

But honestly? I’m mostly excited about the prospect, the mystery, of uncovering more about Alicorns. I wonder what Princess Celestia would think of my discovery?

Well, only one way to find out, I’ll have to… Actually make the discovery.

Daring Do, signing off!

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Day Twelve ~

Well, it wasn’t that hard to put together a crew.

Okay. It was. I’m already at the farthest reaches of Equestria. Rallying ponies that would be interested in braving the unknown for the sake of adventure, knowledge and history is a bit difficult, after all, most ponies here are locals, they’re not exactly interested in adventure, since they’ve lived in these places all they’re lives. Who would know better how dangerous it might be than somepony that lives here?

But I did manage to put together a small crew! Mostly from ponies that are already used to living in these high altitudes. I’m ashamed to say it but a few of them only have expertise on traveling through these mountains because their job is to guide tourists more than anything.

No matter! The locals have lived here, so they know how to survive here. That much is the best I could ask for.

…I did get an unexpected addition to our crew– A unicorn. They aren’t very common around these parts. She seemed to be particularly curious about Alicorn history and on this expedition, and she seemed cunning, so I let her join. The more the merrier– But I’ll keep an eye on her. She stood out, and she wasn’t a local– The others told me she had only lived around these parts for a few years.

Nonetheless, there are now ten of us! We are well supplied, and we set out tomorrow, into the unknown! For discovery!

I have to say. I’m more excited than on my usual adventures. Traveling to uncharted places, where no ponies have threaded for a thousand years… It gives you a sense of wonder! Of curiosity!!

…I hope my readers feel the same, instead of hoping for more fight scenes. Though I can’t blame them, they don’t know it's me, a real pony, getting punched, stabbed, poisoned, smacked, crushed, thrown, etc, etc, etc…

But I have a good feeling about this adventure. We set out tomorrow!

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Day Fourteen ~

So far so good! Conditions are a bit difficult, but we are holding on. Following the directions is hard, but I anticipated difficulty. The mountains and their jungles are incredibly vertical, sometimes moving our supplies is the most difficult part.

We are mostly in good spirits, though…! Well, mostly.

One of our team already went back to his village– he realized pretty quickly that if there was a chance we’d spend a week out here, and that conditions would get worse– That it wasn’t worth it to keep going. Quitting while you’re ahead is definitely the best choice here, if you’re not motivated by the adventure itself– And besides, there will be storms soon. rainstorms, Snowstorms, I do not know.

…It is beautiful out here, however. The mountains go almost… perfectly upwards, at times, and yet, the jungle is spread out everywhere. Some of us climb trees and their very vines to keep moving forward! And setting camp is always… Calm. We find comfortable ledges, and have wonderful views.

It is incredible. The jungles seem tropical– The trees are thick, and their roots spread everywhere on the dirt and rock we walk on, and the vines are everywhere in the air, sometimes making flight difficult– And yet the weather is akin to that of the frozen north. Such a peculiar place, and yet, so beautiful…

We are holding onto our supplies carefully, and occasionally run into edible flora! Not as many fruits as we could have hoped, but still a comfortable amount.

…I kept an eye on that outsider unicorn. She mostly keeps to herself, but is decently reliable. She seems invested to find our objective, and that, I can very much appreciate. Steely eyed; A mare after my own heart.

Whenever we tell stories by the fire at night, she only ever listens. She never tells her own.

Either way, we are getting closer… Though being able to decrypt these coordinates is a bit more dizzying, once you realize it's not just cardinal directions, it’s up and down! This place really must have been related to ancient Alicorns… But heh. As a Pegasus, won’t faze me.

I’m in this ‘till the end! Daring Do doesn’t quit!

---

Day Nineteen ~

What a strange, yet beautiful place. We are much higher now.

The Jungle is tropical, and yet, the mountains above us have snow– and in fact, I feel we may see blizzards soon. The cold hasn’t been that bad so far, but we are prepared for it if it does. The mountains are so steep, and yet the trees help us in our treks.

We haven't had to deal with any dangerous fauna. It seems a lot of the animals that live around here are birds, or small rodents, nothing threatening to us. Not many predators, if any…! It has made this journey quite relaxing.

It snows on occasion, but we’re properly bundled up. I often find that unicorn with her hood down, feeling the snowflakes land on her face. I can’t help but wonder what’s going through her mind, but sometimes things are best left to mysteries.

At nights, the skies are almost– Perforated by the mountains, they scrape the night sky and its stars in a beautiful manner. I am just…

…Even if we don’t find anything, I’ll still write about this. I won’t publish it, but I'll write it. I need to remember this place.

…More of the men left today. There’s only five of us now. They choose to leave as a unit, and I let them take as many supplies as they thought they needed. After all, who knows if it’ll be easier down than it’ll be up.

I don’t blame them for quitting. Traversing the mountains is one thing, but decoding our directions is another challenge entirely.

We wished them safe passage, and kept going.

I think we’re getting closer. I’m… Almost certain we are.

But it doesn’t matter. Even if I had to continue alone, I would.

---

Day Twenty One ~

We saw our first evidence of ancient Civilization today!!

It was gorgeous, deep, immensely high up in a forest mountain! We saw a glade, and it was the perfect place to set camp– and wow, right there, what we thought was a tree, was instead an ancient column!!

The column was thick, and it kept going up all the way till it reached the roof of a crevice above us. Was it built to support the structure of the mountain? Or another structure above us entirely?

Scouting the area showcased a couple more examples of ancient structures, corroded by time and weather. It was beautiful to see even a single column managed to stand! Incredible, even!

Upon further analysis, it definitely predates many eras in Equestria, if I would guess, it was a part of a larger structure, maybe even larger than we could possibly know!

And other good news, we have had no other pony leave the group since those few days ago. The five of us continue going strong. If nothing else, we have a good rhythm going! Sharing stories, joking about home, talking about our past… And that Unicorn is here, too. She never talks about herself.

…I often catch her staring into the distance quietly. She’s quiet often, actually. Despite the brooding, she seems happy to be here, almost… At peace.

I think she and I can agree that sometimes solitude isn’t loneliness. That sometimes being very far from civilization feels… gentle. It feels comfortable.

Looking at the night sky, even after a blizzard has passed, and knowing that there is not another living pony for miles upon miles– There's a comfort to it.

Uncharted lands, distant lands… That is what I call home.

And I can tell she feels the same.

…What a strange mare, that Sunset Shimmer.

---

Day Twenty Two ~

YES! WE FOUND IT!

It’s unmistakable! We are now officially camped out at the edge of an incredibly high mountain slope– Guarded by tall, ancient trees, and with the occasional snow here and there (not to mention the hail we’ve been getting often. It’s been COLD.)

And of course, the most important part, the door.

There is an immense, sturdy set of stone doors– Insanely ancient, guarding something that is deeper in. This place must have been excavated into the rock itself! It is so incredibly hidden, and yet, to those that know it and can fly, it would be a sitch to come and go– But mostly, I imagine, for Alicorns!

There was a bundle of vines covering it when we first saw it– And what's more, there is the beautiful engraving of an alicorn in it– Spreading her wings wide!

We are camped out in front of the door, attempting to figure a way to open it.

…This is where the difficult part comes in… I have no idea. The inscriptions I have don’t have even one mention of it being locked, on the contrary.

Okay. I usually don’t say this, but I’ve got a bad feeling. I’m not an expert in magic– Duh, I’m a pegasus– And I'm fairly certain this is a magic lock.

It’d be heartbreaking to turn back now… Head back to Canterlot, talk to the museum staff, see if I can arrange something? A new expedition crew more equipped to handle something like this?

Honestly, I might as well tell Celestia about this if I can– But I imagine that the Princess of the Sun has better things to do than to come to the middle of nowhere to look at a closed door. Hopefully what’s inside there will concern her, though!

…Maybe that Rainbow Dash could convince her Princess friend to come here. Though the same logic applies, I imagine they’d be rather busy. Maybe if I appeal to her sense of adoration for history and discovery…?

One thing we can definitely tell. This is related to Alicorns. The engravings are unmistakable.

---

Day Twenty Four ~

The three men decided to go back. We haven’t found anything or any way to open this door, so I don’t blame them. I gave them most of our supplies, something Sunset didn’t seem happy with– But she was adamant on staying, so I at least have company.

This door… It's a problem. No booby traps, no keys, no handles, no nothing. It isn’t about strength, it’s definitely about magic– But neither of us have figured it out.

We took a few expeditions attempting to go around or over the door, and found nothing. Barely any indication of structure, much less a hidden entrance.

We’ll keep looking on the following days. I’m still determined to figure this out– And I hope the men make it back okay… it’d be quite the fall.

But it’s beautiful. If nothing else, it’s beautiful.

I feel like we’re at the top of the world– Not emotionally, but literally. The tall jungle trees, juxtaposed with the cold– it has a strange beauty to it. Sometimes the clouds are below us, sometimes they’re above us– It has been snowing nearly every day now, but we’ve been careful. And Sunset seems incredibly adept with fire magic, that’s been truly helpful!

We don’t talk much. And I don’t mind that. We need to conserve oxygen, and what’s more, I’ve never been up for that friendship stuff Rainbow babbled on about the last few times we met.

But a partner sounds nice. This kind of situation definitely calls for one. I would have asked that fan of mine, but she’s often busy in central Equestria with those crazy globe trotting friends of hers. Last I heard they were doing some sort of nonsense celebration regarding Princess Twilight Sparkle having found a ‘romantic’ partner or something– Which almost blew up a city, if I heard right? Something about the partner was secretly evil and tried killing her. This is why I don’t bother with that romance nonsense. I’m more of an action gal.

Don’t even get me started on that time Dash told me a friend of hers became a vampire. And people think my adventures are nonsense and unrealistic. Sheesh.

Whatever. I’ll ask Rainbow about it at the next fan meeting she comes to.

…Though considering where I am right now, it might be a while…

---

Day Twenty Seven ~

Supplies are running low. We’ve had to huddle for warmth every night. It's getting colder… But damnit, I’m not quitting yet.

Still, this fucking door. It’s just impassable.

Sunset convinced me to try using a battering ram, so we constructed one– If nothing else, to at least test out how resilient the door is, and to see how profound the magic protection in this temple is. It pained me to potentially damage history like this, but I figured it’d be worth a shot.

…Unfortunately, or fortunately, the ram blew up into splinters. The magic protecting this place is incredibly strong. Sunset identified it as an ancient Alicorn protection spell– And worst of all, it might not need a key, nor a blast to open, but a pony.

Maybe we really do need to get Princess Twilight or Celestia to come all the way here…

…An idea Sunset seemed to hate.

Can’t blame her. Imagine climbing a valley, just to be stopped by a door, and having to go back down all the way to Canterlot, get a pony that can open it, and then climb all the way back up… It sounds idiotic.

Besides, this really isn’t about pride but… I really wanted to be the one to discover this. It’d feel a bit disappointing to have to rely on others, especially a Princess, to open this.

We’re staying. I’m not sure how long we can thin out these supplies– Especially considering how the way back might be incredibly difficult.

Well… Then comes the irony. Not difficult for me. Despite the strong and cold winds, I could just fly down here. I would lose a few feathers, certainly catch some cold related diseases, but I’d live.

…But Sunset is just an Unicorn. She can’t. She’d have to make her way back walking.

I said I wouldn’t leave her behind, but she didn’t seem to mind the idea of me going–

–How could anypony be okay with that? She would die up here. I wouldn’t find her body until I returned better equipped to open this, maybe months from now– Maybe a YEAR from now. It’d be gruesome, and… Sad.

And she just seemed okay with it.

…I’m staying.

---

Day Thirty ~

We can’t stay. There’s no way past this door, I hate to admit it, but whatever way to open it, we don’t have it. I have to go back to Canterlot, and see if I can relay all I’ve seen to unicorns that would be equipped to discover how to open it– Though I doubt some pointdexters would be capable of climbing all the way up here, to be honest.

The weather is getting worse, but Sunset has diligently managed to keep fires lit for us. It’s a bit difficult, but we managed. And yet, it doesn’t matter– Staying here is suicide.

I do feel a bit sad. I feel like there is something incredible just beyond this point and yet, we can’t cross it! It’s a brick wall! Who knows what I'm leaving behind…?

So much potential history, so much to uncover… And I’m walking away.

But I refuse to give up. I will return someday, and I will find a way past this door… I hope.

…Now here comes the hard part.

I have to convince Sunset to come with me.

---

“...If you stay here, you WILL die! Do you see those storm clouds? Those are endless weeks of blizzards coming our way, Sunset! Let’s just climb down together!” Daring Do was as valiant as ever, trying her best to reason. The weather was indeed getting worse. The tall trees around them, all the vines and otherwise did not cover the snow that was beginning to pile up.

And in the open sky, barred only by the many mountains on this endless valley, could be seen a massive cluster of storm clouds, on its way, maybe arriving in a day.

…But Sunset didn’t care. She sat in front of the great door quietly, looking at it blankly. One of the few signs of life was her condensed breath, which both mares puffed out as they talked. “You’ve got wings, Dare. Climbing down is pointless to you, so just fly down. You’ll be back in the village in two days, at the most.” She spoke coldly, inattentive, as if she was thinking of something else.

That attitude only served to unnerve the adventurer, who wasn’t one to leave others behind. “I’m not just gonna leave you here to rot!” She tried shaking her wings emphatically, but keeping them closer to her body helped with the heat.

Only a scoff came from Sunset, who still did not look at her. “I’m climbing down at my own pace, don’t worry…”

“You’re lying.”

Silence.

The cold wind rustling through the trees was all they heard, as Sunset continued to be completely relaxed at the thought of her own demise. The same wind passed by their winter coats, that poorly protected them.

Grunting in frustration, the explorer tried being by her side, trying to get eye contact. “Why are you lying about this? It’s okay to let go– We found something special, yes, but it isn't worth our lives! We can go back to Canterlot together if you want– We can put a team together that could open this, maybe! Hell, maybe Princess Twilight herself would be interested in being here–”

“--I’m staying. I’ve made my decision.” She spoke coldly, and with a sense of finality that shocked the other.

“Why in the world would you–”

She turned to Daring Do, only for a moment. “Look– We’re not friends. We were just on this expedition together. Let’s not discuss this. You can’t carry me on your back. I’m staying.”

For a moment, the quiet was all that they shared.

Daring Do sat down, looking at the floor. And she felt guilty. Guilty that a life would be lost because of her, or because of her inability– A life would be lost because she wanted to come here.

And it was a pretty reliable life, at that. “Is this… Really what you want? Seriously?”

“What I want has never mattered. Not a single day of my life.” The words were almost sputtered out of her without energy, breathless. She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “But if it means anything, I want to stay.”

Being put that way, it almost seemed poetic. Almost heroic.

She turned away again. “Look, again, we’re not friends. I won’t even be a footnote in your adventures. With any luck, you’ll forget me easily. So please don’t make it a big deal about the fact that I want to die here. “

Daring Do clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes. “You’re making it really hard for me to believe that this is out of a sense of nobility, you know?”

“Oh really? Why am I doing this?” She asked that, almost like a dare. Like defiance.

“Self destruction.”

Finally, in this new moment of silence, Sunset smiled. It was the first time that the explorer had even seen her smile, it made her take a mental step back. Reevaluate.

It seemed she was right on the money.

“You’re an interesting mare, Daring Do.” Sunset shrugged, and still, she didn’t move. “But this conversation is going in circles, isn’t it?”

Sitting down, the adventurer agreed completely, even if she didn’t like it.

Shaking her head slowly, Sunset exhaled. “I’m not wasting any more of my breath with it. If you want me to go, you’ll have to drag me out of here. If not, good luck on your way down. Goodbye.”

That was definitive. The conversation was over.

And Daring Do hated it. Every aspect of this– She wanted to, even if remembering this as a failed adventure, to be capable of remembering it as a beautiful failure.

But not when a life was lost on her watch.

More silence. Neither of the mares moved, as the snowflakes slowly fell around them. And Sunset kept her gaze on that door, ever still, ever shut.

Grimacing, attempting to heat up her muzzle by scratching her wings together on it, the explorer considered her options… And decided to just stall. “Since you’re going to die anyway… Do you mind telling me your story?”

A light, weary chuckle erupted from the Unicorn– Amused, no matter how tired. She opened her mouth, as if about to speak, then shut it, shaking her head, still smiling. “You know what…? …You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” That was a no.

Frustrated silence. Sunset scratched her chin. Not out of nervousness, but… Something else. Too much.

“You know… I think my hunch is right. you might need an Alicorn to open this door. So if you ever come up here again with Celestia, or… Twilight, well…” her voice trailed off. She shook her head again. “Nevermind. Just be sure to bury me, if you find my remains. You can bury me right here, too. That’s all I ask, really.”

“...That’s it…?” her voice was almost pleading. It was filled with pity. The adventurer blew raspberries, looking at the horizon. “Never before have I seen a mare so comfortable with her own demise…” There was no way to keep this light, but she tried either way. “...You’re an interesting mare, Sunset Shimmer.”

“There are worse ways to die, you know….” The unicorn almost smiled, as she turned her gaze to the endless mountain horizon, with its jungles and fallen snow. “...At least I have a pretty good view…!” She seemed genuinely happy. If not, then at the very least pleased.

This was, to her, one of the best ways her life could have ended. She knew herself well, and knew that this demise was mercy.

Besides… It was almost poetry that her body might one day be found here… By her old mentor.

Would she be recognizable?

Or would she be too decayed, and simply a nondescript pile of unicorn bones, scraped clean?

The irony was not lost on her. She almost, for a brief moment, desired to be alive, if only just to see the reaction of her old mentor, on finding her corpse here.

At the furthest most edges of Equestria. The edge of everything.

The irony almost made her burst out laughing, then and there. Sunset Shimmer. The mare who thought she would one day inherit the sun– The mare who failed in becoming a Princess, who fell from grace so stupendously… Found dead, in front of a door that only opened for Alicorns.

Her life was a big joke at her own expense. But she was laughing with it.

She shook her head, exhaling. “Stop stalling and get going, already. You’re burning daylight.”

The casualness of her demeanor shook the explorer, who was genuinely taken back by this suicidal stranger.

She stalled more.

For a handful of minutes, she considered her options once more, trying to think of absolutely anything.

She watched Sunset slowly make her way back to the door quietly.

…But not for long.

With a flash, the Princess of Hope collapsed into the snow between them, immediately shaking herself off and noting the temperatures, gazing at her surroundings. The cold nearly evaporating off of her warm body, producing little bouts of steam that seeped off of her. Before she could notice Daring Do, her other self exclaimed in surprise, as many Sunsets did.

“What the fuck are you?!” Her calm demeanor all gone, as her mind raced with the hypothesis of what this might be. Anything blaming the alicorn temple near them, the mountain, the snow madness, anything at all.

“Where in the wide world of Equestria are we?” The Valkyrie looked around, completely unfamiliar with her surroundings. “Where have you run off to now…?”

“W-what is this??! A temple illusion? Perhaps a messenger from the magic from the door?! A-and it looks just like you!!” Daring Do ran forward, inspecting the newcomer Alicorn, wondering just what in the world was happening.

“What the hell is another me doing next to Daring Do?” Sunset raised an eyebrow, in utter surprise and confusion, looking at the adventurer. “Are you…”

“Excuse me, miss alicorn! Are you real? Connected to that temple, maybe? Why do you look like Sunset? We’ve been trying to go inside it for days, perhaps you could give us some insight at what we’re dealing with?”

Sunset, however, didn’t deal with it that easily, as she patted herself and looked at the Alicorn. “W-why do you look like me?! What the fuck is going on?! Am I dead?!”

Blinking a couple times, the Valkyrie exchanged glances between the two. “...Wait, you’re her partner on this… Adventure?”

“Expedition!” Daring Do corrected, automatically, likely having done so before, dozens of times.

A moment of silence passed, as the Valkyrie inspected her other self thoroughly, having had ample experience with herself in the past week, and her look hardened, until she let out an exhale. “...You’re just here to steal treasure, aren’t you.”

“U-uh?! W-what?! …No?” That was entirely unconvincing. She was caught entirely flabbergasted, so lying was difficult. The Valkyrie reached down and read her memories with ease.

I am Sunset Shimmer. And I came here to steal treasure.

I failed as a pupil of Celestia. And I failed to get revenge– I couldn’t bear to stay there. I had to run as far as possible. There's no place in Equestria for Sunset Shimmer.

Here I was, living another day of my nonexistence, as far as I could from the people I hurt… Then this explorer offered a job that could lead to ancient treasure.

Being on the furthest reaches of Equestria isn’t enough. I need to leave. I have to go.

So I’m taking what I need, and I’m buying a boat and enough supplies, and I’m sailing away, anywhere but here. Anywhere but this country.

None of them will ever have to deal with me anymore– And neither will I.

And if I die, I die. No one would miss me– Not even I would miss me.

And I was ready to die here, too…

Grunting with anger, the Princess of Hope shook her head in disappointment. “Ugh, another runaway, another thief, self appointed exile, it never ends. It never fucking ends…!”

And Daring Do caught on, her eyes widening in shock and confusion. “W-what?! Wait, were you going to stab me in the back?!”

And the other Sunset bit back, frustrated at this entire situation. “Hey! There’s probably dozens upon dozens of historical artifacts in there! My plan was to just take a bit, just enough, and then bail! …I’d only stab you in the back if there was little treasure.” Sunset shrugged, having given this plenty of thought before.

The Alicorn just shuddered in anger, with an inhale.

And of course, the explorer felt betrayed. “Were you lying about anything and everything you’ve said to me about your interest in this expedition?! What’s your real name?!”

“Hey I NEED this money!” Sunset got defensive, emphatic. “If I could get myself a ship and enough supplies I could finally leave this fucking country– It’s just means to an end, okay?! You wouldn’t miss a couple of golden chalices!”

Shocked to the core, Daring Do could make no sense of the Unicorn before her. “Why in the world would you want to use stolen treasure to leave Equestria?! Who are you, really!?”

“She’s another runaway.” The Valkyrie stated, coldly, exhausted.

“What does THAT mean?!” The two others questioned in complete confusion.

A long, prolonged, exhausted exhale came from the Valkyrie. “I’m Sunset Shimmer from another universe. I came here by accident, and I'll leave in an hour. What I mean is– This is another universe in which she– In which I decided to run away from everything, my mistakes, and my future. She just found an eccentric way to do it. Plundering from ancient temples… I almost respect how far you managed to get. I don’t even know where we are right now…”

Scoffing in anger, the explorer turned to her ‘partner’, flaring her wings in anger. “These artifacts are ancient Equestrian history! They belong in a museum, and they deserve to be appraised by the Princesses themselves! I’m not letting you take even a single trinket!!”

“Newsflash, Dare!” She spoke that name mockingly. “I don’t know if you noticed, but that door is closed, so I failed! We both failed! Now, you have your wings, so why don’t you fly on out of here and fuck off, and leave me to die already?!” She then turned to her other self, with just as much anger. “And you! Don’t even get me started– Whatever the FUCK you are, whatever messed up mocking illusion made to torture me, or Celestia’s perfect little pupil– why don’t you shove that–”

“SHUT. UP.” Sunset barked at her other self, flaring her wings, and forcing her to collapse on the snow merely by taking a step.

“You’re a fucking runaway. Self appointed exile. You don’t get to pretend you have the high ground– Or even any sort of aspect of your life put together. You might as well have killed yourself those years ago when you stole Twilight’s crown– It’s just. How, WHY, WHY ARE SO MANY OF MY OTHER SELVES LIKE YOU?!”

Quiet fell on the mountains once more. Matched only by the haggard of the Valkyrie.

“Being in Starlight’s cult, being in prison on Griffonstone, being a hermit on the frozen wastes of the crystal empire, being a drunken grifter all over Equestria, being the very same on the dragon lands– IT NEVER ENDS!! YOU’RE ALWAYS RUNNING!!”

More uneasy silence.

“You could have had everything. You could have been me. But instead you choose to run away. Congratulations, me.” She shook her head dismissively, scoffing at her other self. “Go ahead, keep running from the people you loved. Keep running from yourself. Can you even call this living?”

The silence persisted, as they glared at each other.

The Princess of Hope let out a long, prolonged exhale. “Fuck it. I’m not wasting my breath with you. I’m too tired for this.” Sunset turned around, folding her wings close and letting out a sigh. “Enjoy your life, runaway. I’m not fixing this one for you.”

The two mares regarded her with confusion and hesitation.

But the other Sunset wasn’t one to take things lying down. She got up and bit back. “Yeah, it's pretty easy to judge from your ivory tower, with your wings and all your power!! Go ahead and brag, asshole!! You have no idea what it’s like to be ME!”

Through one single motion, the Princess of Hope teleported in front of her, flaring her wings, and her horn alight, feeling intense anger. “You don’t even have an INKLING–”

And then, a tremor.

The doors to the temple opened.

Slowly, with dust and a draft, the passage was clear, and the three of them looked upon it.

Silence.

“It’s… Open!! Amazing!! The door must have reacted to your magic…!” The explorer looked between the alicorn and the passage, wondering just what was going on.

The unicorn, however, remained glaring at her other self, saying nothing. Clenching her jaw. Internalizing anger, as she always did.

“I-It’s finally open…!” The Adventurer explained, with short breaths, looking at the dark passage. “We should check–”

“Shut up. Both of you.” The Valkyrie stood perfectly still. Her ears twitched, and her gaze was drawn to the door. “Something… Something’s calling me.”

The other two only regarded with confusion, as the Valkyrie began moving immediately towards the door. Without hesitation, compelled to do so.

“W-wait! There might be traps! There might be–” But she stopped, looking down at Sunset, who was sitting down, glaring at the snow.

This entire situation was mistifying to the both of them. But obviously Sunset was taking it worse.

“C’mon, the doors are open. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.” Daring Do extended a hoof down at her.

Sunset’s glare turned back to her. It looked like she wanted to shout a thousand profanities. But she swallowed her anger.

Her objective was clear. And the doors were open.

“Fuck off, Dare.” She sputtered, ignoring the hoof, and standing on her own, turning immediately, she followed her Alicorn self.

Those were all the words they exchanged before entering the temple.

The Valkyrie led the way, her horn’s light bathing their surroundings.

It looked like a dining hall. Wooden tables, chairs and cups were left behind, some tidy, some overturned. Barrels lined some of the walls, and a couple of details caught their attention. A dartboard hung , full of darts all over it, missing or otherwise, some scrawlings adorned the walls, made by horns scraping them, seemingly comedic messages, such as ‘Saberwing was here’ or ‘Faith is a prude. And she is maidenless’ or even ‘Mist’s ass is too nice to be one of us.’

Daring Do was shocked, as she analyzed the environment. If it wasn’t for the dust, it would have seemed like ponies were just here. “Incredible, this temple, it's…!”

“It’s not a temple.” The Princess of Hope stated robotically, as she continued moving forward, her every step premeditated. “It’s a mess hall.”

“Mess is right.” Sunset grumbled, she observed many tables full of clutter, and reaching the barrels, turning a faucet. A liquid trickled down into the floor. “Who wants centuries-old booze?”

No response from the others, but the question was rhetorical. She reached down and licked the stream, and regretted it immediately, spitting it up and turning the faucet closed once more. Centuries old booze did not taste very good.

The Valkyrie ignored both of them. Her pace quickened.

She stopped, looking at a wall with a tapestry upon it. In it, dozens depicted of Alicorns, all adorned with armor, flying by and lounging together.

Her eyes widened as she analyzed it intently.

The Explorer reached her, ane gasped at the sight, looking at it intently. “I-Incredible!! This must be nearly a millennium old– Those, aren’t they…?”

“...Valkyries…!” The Alicorn stated quietly, observing it. “I… I’ve never seen anything like this, in my universe…!”

Her other self did not approach, or show interest. She looked at every other corner, searching for trinkets that might be of value, taking advantage of the others being distracted.

Squinting, following an inscription, Sunset came closer. “Sisterhood… Warriors… Helios and Selene united us… Safety of the lands.” She muttered.

“You can READ the long lost language of the Alicorns?!” The adventurer’s jaw dropped.

“Sort of. My mo– Ahem, Celestia has been teaching me and my wife as part of our training. It’s very much a lost language, though.” She shrugged, trying not to think of home.

The explorer narrowed her eyes, gazing at the beautiful tapestry. “Who are these ‘Helios’ and ‘Selene’, I wonder? What a mystery…!”

“Not a mystery at all.” The Alicorn shrugged, with a small smile. “It’s the alicorn translation of Celestia and Luna’s names. They must have used them, back in the day.”

Hastingly, the alicorn moved forward, looking upon any object of interest. “There’s something here. I can feel it– Me and my wife only ever researched Valkyries, we never found anything substantial–”

She stopped– In a new room, there were mannequins, stone statues that stood, brandishing their wings and horns. She stopped because one of them still displayed armor. They were in an armory…

Weapons lined the walls, dozens of objects of interest, but she focussed on only one.

The statue that still adorned armor.

Beholding it, she mimicked its pose, and with a flash, adorned her own armor.

“W-woah!! YOU are a Valkyrie too?!” Daring Do exclaimed, coming closer, inspecting her. “What’s your connection to this temple, Valkyrie?!”

“None. I’m only an imitation.” Sunset tilted her head, looking closer at the statue. “In my universe, I studied them because I wanted to be unbeatable in a fight, so I could protect my wife from anything. It seemed like a good mantle to adorn– But I’m the only one. By all intents and purposes, all Valkyries have been long extinct, and I'm just… A Cosplayer.” She grimaced the words, shrugging. It was a fact to her, no matter how much she had proven herself in battle, or how much her loved ones believed in her, there was no way to quantify that she was the real deal, after all, the real deal was dead.

Sunset, from the corner, ignored them. She ignored the idea that there was a world where she was successful, an alicorn, strong, and married. And through their distraction, looted a couple of objects that seemed valuable in the room. Small pieces of armor, and small daggers, anything that looked of worth, stuffing them on her travel bag.

“Well, your armor is of a similar model, but it sure seems damaged… What happened?” The explorer raised an eyebrow, beholding the bends and cuts and burns on her plating, and some pieces dangerously close to breaking.

“Too much.” The Princess of Hope chuckled, shaking her head. “...You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Blowing raspberries, Daring Do looked behind her, at the other Sunset, who acted nonchalant and innocent. “Yeah, you really are Sunset. Both insist on being mysterious.”

Ignoring the statement, the Alicorn kept moving, adorning her armor still. “This isn’t a temple– It was a communal home. I think maybe a hideout…?”

They moved through more corridors, passing by rooms. It was as if she could hear the echoes of laughter and conversation still echoing in those halls, after a thousand years.

“...What happened, for all of them to vanish…?” The explorer pondered, looking at every corner.

Quick inspections showed they all resembled dorm rooms, and were decorated with some individual tastes, even by old memorabilias. Small statues, paintings, vases of flowers long dead, Tapestries, thrown aside articles of clothing, picture frames that had drawings of what could be family, even the occasional doll.

And strangely, every window was sealed with stone and dirt from the mountain. As if the entire structure had been cocooned within the mountain itself.

“I started training to fight long before I studied how Valkyries did it.” Sunset stated, walking by the rooms, absentmindedly, drawn forward. “Only long after I became an Alicorn that I began studying their way of fighting– It seemed befitting, after all, having both wings and horns gives you an unique perspective on battle. Unlike any other… Not that I needed many lessons, considering I was also training with Celestia…”

“T-this is dizzying!!” The Explorer kept after her, even if she wanted to stop to look at everything. “I have never seen so much evidence of the existence of Valkyries before– There are barely any records whatsoever! There’s only one piece of armor that was ever found, and it’s situated in–”

“The Manehattan museum. I know.” The Alicorn nodded along, looking around. “After I began finding more information on the Valkyries, when I was still figuring out what kind of Alicorn I wanted to be… It seemed like a good path. I certainly don’t regret it, but there was never really a way for me to prove I was worthy… And Celestia never told me much about them.”

“Hohoho… Maybe we’ll discover what happened to them here!! To think, there’s a universe in which Sunset would become an Alicorn… A-and to imagine that there are parallel universes out there, too…!” There was too much information being processed at once.

“In an hour, you won’t have to worry about it, so don’t worry about it.” The Princess of Hope shrugged. “Bit of advice. The multiverse only brings disappointment. Focus on the joys your world brings. Focus on what you can provide for it.” She finished saying that by eyeing her other self with a scowl, who rolled her eyes in response.

“Very wise!! I’m taking note of that!” The explorer took out a little notepad, and quickly scrambled some notes– This was indeed incredible, and would make for an amazing book, if all continued going this well. “This is going to make for an incredible tale, I just know it.”

The walk continued quietly. The alicorn’s ears twitched with anticipation.

Daring Do shot a glance behind them, looking at the other Sunset Shimmer, who kept completely to herself, silently looking around the hallways searching for anything of value.

The Valkyrie felt a shiver.

She stopped by a set of big great doors. Beholding them with uncertainty. “There's something here…!”

She swung the doors open with her magic, and entered the room.

It resembled an astronomy tower, an observatory, supported by columns, having multiple floors, and with a beautifully painted ceiling that depicted many alicorns flying around Celestia and Luna. The same kind of clutter littered the room, but with it, came dozens upon dozens of trinkets and artworks from an ancient era– Vases, cutlery, statues, made of all sorts of metals and engravings, and the walls were lined with books and paintings.

And in a corner, lining the walls, there were a dozen empty Valkyrie helmets.

And despite it all, this observatory was in itself sealed in stone, none of the windows led outside.

Daring Do beheld her surroundings with wonder. There was so much history in this room, she was utterly joyful to have a chance to dig into it, discover its purpose. The light that bathed the room was one of the torches she and Sunset had been lighting up, as they moved through the temple.

Behind her, Sunset Shimmer appraised how much of this she could and should carry.

But the Alicorn was focussed directly in front of her.

With that same shiver, her eyes widened.

In the middle of the room, there was a Valkyrie. Her wings were folded onto herself, her armor providing perfect protection, almost akin to a cocoon.

But with the presence of the newcomers… She moved.

Spreading her wings wide, it was as if she had awakened from a deep sleep.

Her hide was a celestial blue, and her mane was a long sapphire color. She had many scars, and her armor was silver.

The moment she spotted the three mares, Her eyes widened, then narrowed, flaring her wings, and entering a battle stance. “TRESPASSERS! HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE FOUND OUR HOME?! SPEAK!!”

The Princess of Hope’s grin went wide. Her adrenaline spiked, and she said nothing, smiling.

Daring Do, however, was quick to apologize. “W-woah woah sorry! We didn’t know there was somepony living here– Are you a real Valkyrie?! How is it that you’re alive, by the way? And who–”

“YOU!” The Valkyrie shouted, beholding the Princess of Hope. “HOW DARE YOU ADORN OUR MANTLE, YOU IMPOSTOR?” She stomped a hoof on the floor, snarling. “THAT MANTLE MUST BE EARNED!! REMOVE IT AT ONCE, PEGASUS!!”

Sunset’s grin went even wider. It showed teeth. The Valkyrie thought she was a fake. And that meant…

“Nonono! You have it all wrong! We are just explorers, you see!!” Daring Do attempted to diffuse the situation. “And besides, she’s an Alico–”

Sunset shoved her aside, shutting her up, grinning, and then flared her wings too. “Yep! I’m an impostor, and I'm wearing your armor. What are you going to do about it?” She tilted her head, teasingly, raising an eyebrow, smirking wildly, ready for a fight.

“You will regret asking that, interloper.” The Valkyrie snarled, brandished her wings, and took flight gloriously. “FOR CELESTIA!!”

“FOR TWILIGHT!!” Sunset bellowed, leaping into the air, where they clashed. The sparks of their impacts lit the room, and the shockwave sent objects tumbling.

Daring Do looked up in a panic, then looked back at the other Sunset. “W-we have to protect the artifacts!! We have to stop them from fighting– Sunset, help me!!”

The Unicorn ignored her completely. She opened a chest on the corner of the room, and started rifling through it. “They can kill each other, for all I care. My money’s on that weirdo Valkyrie. I know what I'm here for.”

“H-how could you say that!! That’s you up there!!” The adventurer stood, coming closer at a hasty pace.

Scoffing, smirking, Sunset shrugged. “No it isn’t.”

Noticing that she was grabbing hold of several ancient looking coins, the explorer charged at her. “Hey! Drop those!”

“Make me, ‘Dare’.” Sunset smirked, and with one single magical motion, she knocked a vase off a pedestal– A likely priceless, stupendously ancient and rare vase.

And Daring Do leaped forward desperately to hold it before it broke into a hundred pieces; Which gave Sunset the time she needed to teleport to the other end of the room to loot something else.

Meanwhile, The battle of Valkyries was fierce. They clashed wing on wing, horn on horn, sending sparks flying everywhere, even punching each other on occasion, with fierce clanging sounds.

The Valkyrie spun elegantly, while Sunset spun fiercely, their razor sharp wings slicing at each other’s armored flanks unleashing sparks in every direction, lighting the room, reflecting off of the steel plates they wore..

“VALHALLA!!” Their battle screams filled the room, echoing in its walls.

With a dodge, and a fierce buck, Sunset sent her flying, cracking a column, shaking the foundations of the room, which sent Daring Do into further desperation.

“Looks like the sham is winning!!” Flaring her wings, nearly prancing, the Princess of Hope laughed out loud. “C’mon, let’s stop dancing and start FIGHTING!!! SHOW ME HOW A VALKYRIE MOVES!!”

With a swift and agile recovery, the valkyrie landed on all fours, and gave very little time for words. “As you wish. Your lesson shall be in pain, impostor.”

She teleported forward, and through extreme speeds, began slicing at Sunset with her horn alight, who purposefully played defensive, having her armor damaged bit by bit.

Despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, Sunset was euphoric. This was everything she could have possibly hoped upon meeting a Valkyrie. This was the real deal. Her moves were elegant, and yet, they packed immense power behind them. The magic she used was merely an addition to an arsenal of bladed wings and ruthless aggression. This was the true might of an Alicorn, one that would never be a Princess, but rather, a weapon.

And Sunset wanted to be the best of both worlds.

Through her own choice, Sunset was not using magic– A choice that led to her getting hit even more.

On a floor above, her other self was filling her backpack with trinkets, all while Daring Do tried stopping her, a chase of teleportation versus flight. “Will you STOP IT!! NONE OF THIS IS YOURS!!”

“Nopony would miss it!” Sunset scoffed and dodged a flyby of the explorer. “Don’t you have better things to worry about?!”

Grunting in annoyance, the adventurer circled back intent on tackling her again. “Get your fix of treasure elsewhere!! I’m not letting you keep one dime out of this– You’re no explorer, you snake!!”

“You’re not going to stop me by hurting my feelings, you know.” Sunset smirked, and picked up a painting with her magic. A gorgeous depiction of a young Celestia and another Alicorn bowing towards each other.

With a grin, she kept the painting in front of her, forcing Daring Do to stop mid flight, so as to not crash into it.

“Why are you doing this?! Just help me stop them from fighting, at least–”

“I need these more than a museum does.” Sunset spoke coldly. “Oops.” She tossed the painting aside, towards the lower floor, and Daring Do leapt after it, intent on keeping the art preserved.

“UNWORTHY!!” The Valkyrie bellowed, with her horn alight, as her entire body was covered in sparks, slicing viciously at the Alicorn.

Sunset was enduring a lot of hits, and dodging plenty more. Blocking and parrying with her horn was something she did easily, but every time she did, she felt electricity coursing through her, jolting her with pain, and endured it.

Being thrown aside with a fierce magic blast, she was smashed against a column, and the room shook again. But she did not wait. With the same momentum, she threw herself at the Valkyrie with ferocity, as they clashed mid air, then crashed on the floor together.

Both quick to recover, They locked horns, on a fierce standoff, pressing foreheads against each other in ferocity, the ground cracking beneath their displays of strength.

…And much to the Valkyrie’s shock, her opponent stood her ground, with a manic, blood-covered smile on her face. She endured the electrical current and even slowly but surely pushed the Valkyrie back.

“I-Impossible!! How is a pegasus this strong?! Who are you?!” Her eyes were locked onto each other.

“You tell me.” Sunset snarled back with a smile, having the time of her life.

With their horns locked together, she spun her head on a circle twice; Forcing the Valkyrie to look to the side, knocking her off, and then with the same furious momentum, she spun herself and bucked her opponent's side, sending her flying and crashing against another column. “Boom.”

Daring Do narrowly failed to prevent a gorgeous vase that depicted an epic battle against a mythical sea monster from crashing against the floor. “STOP DOING THAT!!”

“Then stop chasing me!” Sunset scoffed from above, moving on to the next treasure.

With a leap and a teleport, she landed on the ground floor, quickly snatching a gorgeous necklace from a statue of what resembled a younger Celestia. “...Should be enough.” She muttered, with a nod, then began making her way to the doors hastingly.

“Oh no you don’t!!” From above, Daring Do tackled her into the floor. “NONE OF THIS BELONGS TO YOU!!”

Sunset was pinned down, where they wrestled with each other. “Let GO, ASSHOLE!! You were going to leave me to die only an hour ago– Why can’t you just do that now?!”

“DO THE RIGHT THING, SUNSET!!” The Explorer pleaded at her. “This is the find of the century– Don’t just be a common thief!! HELP ME SAVE IT!!!”

“You overestimate me.” Sunset snarled, and with her magic, shot the explorer off of her, tossing her aside.

The pegasus was about to recover, but the Valkyrie was sent crashing against a column right next to her, one she was too slow to dodge.

A large piece of the column came falling down on her, ceasing her movements and locking her in place, and for a moment, daring Do could do only that, squirm against the weight of the stone.

The foundations of the room were shaking. It was unsure if it would survive much more fighting. The ceiling would crumble, likely crushing all of its inhabitants.

Sunset, breathing haggardly, stood, looking at the explorer struggle. “...That’s that.” She stated simply, trying her best not to process it.

Her gaze turned back to the door, intent on leaving, and stopped. She was face to face with that same statue of Celestia, that seemed to look through her.

For a single, bitter moment, she gritted her teeth, realizing just where she was, and what she was doing.

Here she was, plundering, leaving others to die, or even accepting her own demise, all for the sake of running away.

Running away like she had for years now.

From herself. From Celestia. From everything.

Even now, she was running from that strange pegasus that despite everything, relied on her for the last weeks.

“...Stop looking at me like that…"

Even now, she was running from another version of herself– An Alicorn, no less. Her desire to run ran so deeply, that she did not even once demonstrate curiosity on if she could reach that greatness, or how she did, in another world.

And would she, too, if there was no chance she could ever become that.

After all, there was no chance, right?

Sunset Shimmer was dead– She died the day she stole Twilight’s crown.

Wasn’t she?

There was no hope for her of ever going back.

Or…?

Her expression softened. She turned her head to watch the vicious battle that unfolded in the room, and beyond it, the explorer was being crushed by stone, struggling to breathe.

She had hated herself every single day for the last few years– Maybe all her life.

…What was one more?

“...FUCK!!” She yelled out, and ran back to help the explorer.

With a straining magical motion, she teleported next to her, and lifted the column just enough so that she could crawl out.

They both breathed haggardly, not fighting anymore.

Sunset, exhaling, began using her magic to repair the column thoroughly.

Meanwhile, the two Valkyries had clashed in the air, around the room, and landed on the floor once more. Their hearts pounding furiously, they were ready for anything and everything.

“It is time to end this.” The Valkyrie snarled coldly, and with the light of her horn, she summoned dozens of arcane blades that all pointed at Sunset.

With those same, quick, sharp breaths, Sunset gave out a manic smile, and with her horn alight, she summoned a couple dozen blades herself. “Let’s GO!”

And the Valkyrie stopped immediately. “W-wait! You have magic! You are one of us–” The light from her horn dimmed, and all of her swords vanished as she gave a bow. “--Forgive me sister, for I did not recognize you…!”

Sunset stopped on her tracks, blinking, realizing what she had just done. “What? Ah shit.” With a wave of her horn, all of her blades faded as well. “Don’t you uhh… Don’t you want to keep fighting…?” She gave out an awkward smile.

Daring Do ran to her, and removed her helmet swiftly, and pointed at her horn. “She’s an alicorn like you, see!?! Not an impostor!! No more fighting!!” The adventurer begged them both, emphatically flapping her wings. Even a short glance around the room could be noted that several ancient pieces of art had been thrown around carelessly in the battle– And that the foundations of the room were weakened.

In the corners of the room, Sunset repaired the broken columns diligently with her magic, so the room wouldn’t cave in on itself.

Sitting down, the Princess of Hope exhaled, stretching. More scars to the pile, more wounds that she’d have to tend to…

The Valkyrie walked forward fiercely and hugged her. A tear streamed down her cheek, as she exhaled. “I… I thought I was the only one left… The pain was too much to bear, sister…!”

“...Yeah… Me too. It’s good to know I’m not the only one…!” Sunset gave out an ironic chuckle, weak from the previous battle– But that laugh was filled with joy. A Valkyrie had, even if accidentally, recognized her as one of her own.

And that felt good.

Undoing from the hug, the Valkyrie waved a wing towards a corner of the room, one which was decorated with a dozen helmets “This is all I could salvage of us… I do not know of the fate of the others…” her voice was somber, full of loss. “I… I was the only one that escaped. I am a coward.”

There was much to ask, much to wonder, but Sunset started simple. “...What’s your name?”

“I am Faith. Faith Stem– The Valkyrie Hydra.” She gave a rehearsed nod and bow. “I thought I knew all of my sisters by name and face– But I do not recognize you, however… Who are you?”

“Sunset. Sunset Shimmer. Valkyrie Phoenix.” With a wide, tired smile, she extended a hoof, of which the Valkyrie confusedly shook, unsure of what customs they were.

“You have slain a legendary phoenix?!” Faith gasped, eyes full of wonder. “Was she not immortal?!”

“And you’ve killed a hydra?! How in the world did you do it?!” They were both incredibly excited, like a foal at a candy store.

“It is a challenging tale, but one I shall never forget.” Faith waved her wings, demonstrating the motions, and with her horn alight, particles in the air demonstrated her battle. “Severing its heads served to nothing more than make it stronger. So in a demonstration of agility and perseverance, I lured the mighty beast into a canyon, where using our combined might, I tricked it into helping me bury it alive in stone, causing a landslide.” She grinned, nodding with joy. “I emerged from the flames of battle that day– A Valkyrie Hydra.”

The Princess of Hope had to contain herself not to squeal then and there.

And from the sidelines, the two exhausted mares looked at each other. “Great, now there’s two of them.” Sunset rolled her eyes.

All while Daring Do furiously scribbled on her notepad. She interrupted the conversation for an important question.

“Excuse me, miss Faith– I’m Daring Do, incredibly pleased to meet you!!!” It was the first time that she was meeting actual history, personified. “Do you mind telling me how you’ve survived here for a thousand years? Were you sealed away, or perhaps you kept yourself hidden–”

“What?!” Faith blinked a few times. “I do not understand the words you are speaking, pegasi. But Sister, I must ask–” She turned to Sunset, emphatically. “Did any other of us get away? Did Celestia and Luna manage to slay Discord? Did they unite the elements and– Is the world safe?”

Silence filled the room, as the other three processed her statements in confusion, and somber understanding.

The other Sunset was the first to speak, the first to connect the dots. “She… She doesn’t know time has passed. She doesn’t know Celestia beat Discord a thousand years ago.”

“W-what?!” Faith stuttered, shaking her head. “You lie, little Sunset! I was just–” She exhaled, looking to the floor. “...It was from that very battle of which I just ran from…!”

“What battle?”

“Discord would destroy everything. His madness was spreading… Me and all of my sisters… Our task was simply to buy time. Our mission was to keep him at bay, for as long as Celestia and Luna needed to weaponize the elements– To end him for good.”

The silence remained. None dared speak. “That reality shifter, that Draconequus… We could not beat him with our weapons, with our strength, with our magic… He did not bleed. He did not play by natural rules… He made it a game to slaughter us. A mockery. I saw them be twisted and bent– it was a jest, to him. Merely play… He ended all of them… I only survived because I ran away…! That disgusting, that filthy…!”

Scribbling on her notepad, Daring Do pondered, making sense of it. “I see– No wonder the valkyries were extinct, and there was little to no knowledge of them…”

With an angry exhale, the Princess of Hope shuddered. “Discord wasn’t one to leave things untouched. I doubt that much would be left of the Valkyries that fought him… No wonder they had no known legacy.”

Blowing raspberries, her other self shook her head. “Of course Celestia wouldn’t try reforming the Valkyries. Not after this abysmal failure. So much for mighty warriors–”

“--Bite your tongue, little Sunset.” Faith approached her menacingly, angrily, containing her rage. “Me and my sisters devoted our lives to protecting Equestria– And we would have done so for eternity if we had to!!”

“Faith. I’m sorry, but… You’ve been here for a thousand years.” The Princess of Hope gave her an empathetic look of pity. “Discord was defeated by the Princesses a thousand years ago… The Equestria out there isn’t the one you know.”

“That is impossible!! I have just gotten here, I had just gone to sleep—” She waved at the room, and came to a stark realization. Dust coated everything, and the entire structure was sealed in stone.

She attempted to desperately deny it. “B-but you! Are you not one of us? How is it that you found me?! Surely you–”

“--I’m sorry, but by complete happenstance. I’m from another univer–” But she was interrupted by the other Sunset, gently waving a hoof. “How about we don’t give her any more world shattering revelations, everypony? We should take this slower.”

Faith took a seat, removing her helmet, showing her bruised, bloodied, exhausted face. “So… My darling Helios, she… Celestia has forgotten me…?”

More quiet. More silence.

Through much hesitation, Daring Do was the first to speak up. “Most of Equestria does not even know of the legend of the Valkyries– In fact, you were presumed to be myth…”

“M-myth…!” Faith glanced to the wall, where the helmets of her fallen compatriots lied. “We are naught but memories…? Faded by time…?”

She held her own helmet in front of her, and shed one more, exhausted tear, that led to a frail chuckle. “H-how ironic… Our goal was to safeguard Equestria… And our deaths were the ones that led to such an achievement… And once we were done… The world did not need us, nor remember us.”

More silence. The Princess of Hope felt her pain as her own.

“I would have been better off dying that day.” She placed her helmet on the floor, dismissively, coldly, pitifully. “I see that now. My cowardice led to my punishment. No better fitting end for me.”

“Faith… It’s not over.” Sunset stepped forward, picking up her helmet for her. “You’re here now. You can help this world. You may have run away, but your journey is not over.”

Both the Valkyrie and the other Sunset listened to her intently. “Just because the world might not need you, it doesn't mean you can't improve it. That much... That much I've become an expert of, in the past few days. I’m better than I’ve ever been, and I've improved my world.” She took a glance at her other self. “...Even as I see clear evidence that my world never needed me…” She looked back to the Valkyrie. “I know that it’s better off with me in it. And the same applies to you.”

She pulled her other self closer. “Both of you.”

“But… It is too late, is it not?” Faith let out a weary exhale, shaking her head. “We have no legacy… We are forgotten. There is nothing left of us.”

“Here.” Sunset offered her hoof. “All three of you, over here. I want to show you something.”

“Show us?” The Explorer questioned. “Show us what?”

“The day I became a Valkyrie.”

---

I was on the dragonlands. My friends were dealing with a crisis of rogue changelings uprising in the Crystal empire, something revolving around Chrysalis wanting revenge– While I was summoned to deal with this crisis instead.

A changeling civil war was a problem indeed, but I knew my wife could handle it. The issue happening on the dragon lands was perfectly suited for me.

And I choose to go alone. My wife would need all the help she could get, and if I couldn’t be there for her, I’d want as many others as possible to be.

“Ah, shucks, is Twilight not with you?” Spike was sweating, as he struggled to keep up on flight with the other two. The Princess of the Sun, and the Dragon Lord.

“My girlfriend is very flammable, Spike.” Sunset chuckled, making light of the situation. “I’m not. Ember, what’s the situation?”

I had visited the dragonlands before, and quite liked it– Every dragon was abrasive in a way I could get behind. Once you speak their language, they warm up to you very quickly.

But today, I was here for another personal reason.

“In one word? Bad.” The Dragon lord seemed like she had had better nights of sleep– And had spent the last few dozens of hours stressed. “We have never seen anything like this, Sunset– It was prophesied in dragon legend, but…”

The sky was nearly tearing itself asunder. Shades of red and orange were common for the dragonlands, and clouds were constantly breaking, being torn apart by fire that rained from the skies.

Below them, dozens upon dozens of volcanoes were erupting as one. Sending sputters of superheated rock into the atmosphere, that rained down like shooting stars.

The lava that flowed out of them like rivers seemed endless, and it was accumulating rapidly, dangerously.

“It’s like TARTARUS up in here!!” Spike bellowed, like he was at a comedy club.

Ember snickered, but quickly dismissed it. “That’s not as funny the fifth time you say it, Spike!”

Sunset narrowed her eyes– And in the distance, like a beacon, the mightiest of mountains was shooting an unending stream of yellow lava into the skies. It shined like the sun.

“That’s Mount Bedrock– Adequately named for being a dormant volcano that was speculated to reach all the way to the center of our planet!” The Dragon lord explained, while they dodged the fire that rained from the skies skillfully.

What was happening here was a spectacular kind of destruction. It was indeed much like tartarus– Hell, but in our beautiful world.

Earth and skies becoming one, in a dance of flames.

And I was going to stop it, by any means necessary.

“Not so dormant anymore, as you can see!” Spike laughed nervously, mimicking the flying motions Ember did, to remain safe.

“That eruption chained every single volcano in the valley– And it won't stop! There’s an ocean coming up– One whose tide was never this high!” She directed them across a stream of fallen stones, and they emerged past a mountaintop.

It was indeed an ocean– An ocean of lava. Surrounded by blazing mountains and volcanoes that spit fire into the air endlessly by all sides. And at the end of it, Mount Bedrock, like a beacon.

They dodged flames akin to solar flares as they flew immensely fast by the sea of fire. “We’ve had to evacuate the entire valley, and even FURTHER! The lava has been destroying all our homes, and I fear it won’t stop there. Every dragon tribe is now having to huddle at the coast while I look for a solution, but we don’t have much time, this is spreading fast!”

What was happening here would become global– It would spread.

Ironic– For an Alicorn of fire like me, and even for dragons, we would survive.

But this wasn’t living.

“It's not just the ground, Sunset!!” Spike pointed at the clouds above them, shrouding dark clouds, cut only by the massive streams of flames flowing through the air. “If those clouds spread all through Equestria, we’re in big trouble!! It’d be an environmental disaster, crops wouldn’t grow, the air might become poisonous for non-dragons, the entire climate of our world–”

“He learned a lot from that brainiac girlfriend of yours, didn't he?” Ember couldn’t help but chuckle, addressing Sunset. “Don’t worry, little guy. You’re my favorite brainiac!” She gave him a noogie mid flight, one which left him embarrassed, like having a relative be over-mushy in public.

“He sure is! And he’s right, too!” Sunset began descending, and the others followed. “If this keeps up, a changeling uprising will be the least of our worries… So, the source. Tell me about it.”

“The Legendary Phoenix.” Ember narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth. “Ancient dragon legend. A fire hoarder– She is fire incarnate. She burns so hot even our strongest warriors were being roasted– And we’re DRAGONS.” She turned to the Alicorn, with a look of profound worry. “She came from inside Mount Bedrock; Most of us can’t even approach her, we don’t know what to do– I was kind of hoping you’d bring that mom of yours too?”

“Celestia isn’t my mom…!” Sunset spoke, perfectly masquerading her embarrassment. “And I preferred to let her help Twilight right now. They’ll need all the help they can get.”

With a nervous chuckle, Ember dodged a stream of fire, while being apologetic. “Sorry! All you ponies resemble each other at times. I figured the sun Queen and the sun Princess would be related?!”

All Sunset could do is chuckle at the thought, trying not to put much focus into it.

“S-so, u-um, Sunset…” Spike looked at her with extreme worry. “Y-you didn’t bring Celestia– Did you at least bring a couple hundred thousand warriors with you?”

“Nope. Just me.” Sunset did not feel fear. With a flash, she adorned her armor– It covered her head to toe, and was made to fit her frame perfectly, even its wings.

It wasn’t the first time I was taking that armor for a test drive. I had become quite acquainted with it. But it was the first time I was fighting such an opponent with it.

And I was ready.

“You two might want to keep your distance. I can’t promise this is going to be gentle.” She snarled, and she began picking up speed. “And I can’t promise I’ll win.”

“W-wait!! Are you sure you want to do this alone?! I mean, maybe we could–”

“Don’t put yourself in any more danger, kiddo! Either of you! Besides–” She turned her gaze to her objective, with single minded determination. “There’s no point in wearing this if I can’t do it alone.”

“Okay, for the record– you do know we call her the Immortal Phoenix, right?” Ember tilted her head, raising an eyebrow in extreme concern– Verifying the Sanity of her friend. “She’s unkillable! It’s literally her whole thing!”

“Yep.” Was all that She responded, continuing to be steely eyed, watching the horizon, alight.

“B-but– Sunset, I REALLY don’t wanna tell Twilight that I watched her girlfriend–” But Ember stopped him thoroughly. “C’mon, little guy. Let the Princess do her thing!”

She stayed behind, holding her little friend, but gave the Princess her best wishes. “GOOD LUCK! I’LL MAKE YOU AN HONORARY DRAGON IF YOU PULL THIS OFF, SUNSET!!”

She did not respond, simply turned and grinned.

Now it was just me and my objective.

Just me and my opponent.

Just me, and the weight of the world.

Just how I liked it.

Sunset cut through the air like an arrow. Fire danced all around her. The lights would be blinding to anyone else– But not her.

She landed on a plateau, right next to where Mount Bedrock was erupting.

All around her, flames rained from the sky. Ashes, sparks, outright pieces of volcanic rock.

But she did not budge.

All that was needed was for her to shoot a single flare into the sky, to get the attention of her enemy.

She felt a shiver– One of anticipation– She smiled, but only slightly.

From the mighty yellow flames of mount bedrock, emerged a building sized bird– One covered in flames.

This enormous flaming bird with prismatic feathers landed right in front of her, releasing flaming shockwaves in every direction, and yet, she did not move an inch.

“Can you understand me?” She spoke plainly, glaring at the mythical beast.

THE AGE OF FLAME IS HERE, LITTLE ALICORN. BOW.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Sunset flared her wings, unintimidated, taking a battle stance. “I’m here to tell you to crawl on back to your volcano and take your age of flame with you. Now.”

YOUR LIFE WAS FORFEIT THE MOMENT YOU PLACED YOURSELF IN MY PRESENCE.

Sunset did not even flinch. Tilting her head, she puffed steam from her nostrils. “Are you going, or will I have to make you?”

The Phoenix responded by attempting to swallow the warrior whole, an action she swiftly dodged, and responded by slicing at her eye with her wings.

The screams of the Phoenix echoed through the valley, and the battle commenced.

The flames that surrounded us were the hottest I had ever felt. The temperatures were scalding, they would incinerate any pony on the spot.

I was not any pony.

Sunset purposefully kept close to the ground, even as she flew. The Phoenix was bigger, but Sunset was faster, and she had magic on her side.

The gigantic bird would struggle to catch her when there were canyons around them, large columns and pillars that shattered endlessly with the impact of their battle.

She sliced at the flank of the beast, skewered it, and slammed at it with fierce momentum, all while the Phoenix could barely fight back, she could not hit Sunset as easily.

Sunset levitated an enormous stone and shoved it on the open mouth of the Phoenix.

YOUR INSOLENCE WILL BE PUNISHED. YOURS WILL BE THE FIRST LIFE TO FUEL THE FLAMES OF MY NEW AGE.

“I don’t think so.” Sunset snarled, as she continued to fly circles around the bird at breakneck speeds, slicing her at any chance she got.

Through increasing her own gravity, and with a mighty flip, she landed directly on the Phoenix’s head, grounding her, stomping her onto the floor, cracking the stone beneath them.

And with that same momentum, she spun around, her horn alight, and through an incredibly decisive and strenuous motion, she managed to pierce the hide of the phoenix, and slice its head clean off.

She had only a moment to breathe haggardly. To inhale deeply, and exhale steam. “That’s tha–”

She was interrupted by a mighty explosion of flames that shot her in the air.

The body of the phoenix became ashes, and from those ashes, emerged the same phoenix, a smaller body, seemingly less corporeal, with prismatic feathers no longer, but just as ferocious.

Her roar once again filled the air, shook the mountains and the flames in the skies.

Sunset inhaled.

FOOLISH ALICORN. DO YOU NOT KNOW? I AM IMMORTAL. YOU HAVE PLACED YOURSELF IN A BATTLE YOU CANNOT WIN.

“We’ll see about that.” She scowled, and dove into battle once more.

Their clash spread through the valley, sometimes completely in the air. The phoenix would roar, bite, claw, and even attempt to strike her opponent with her wings. But through incredibly decisive movements, Sunset dodged nearly all of them, and kept close, ruthless.

Every strike Sunset would receive would not diminish her determination. It would not discourage her. Being crushed, tossed, struck, none of it slowed her down.

I only came to realize later– That I could only understand the Phoenix through my blooming powers of telepathy. Her flames bathed the area, and so, our minds were linked.

They both crashed on the rocky canyons of the dragonlands, now bathed nearly entirely with lava.

With a decisive motion, Sunset plunged her horn in one of the Phoenix’s eyes, and with her own momentum, dragged it with her in an arch motion, twisting the mythical beast’s neck, until she twisted too far.

A loud crack was heard. The Phoenix became immobile.

Sunset took a single moment to breathe…

…And the Phoenix emerged once more.

Another roar, another blast of flames. The previous corpse became ashes, and the Phoenix rose again.

INSOLENCE. I ONLY NEED TO KILL YOU ONCE. AND YOU CAN NEVER KILL ME.

“Shut the fuck up.” Sunset commanded, leaping into battle once more.

Flames rained from the skies. Her armor was superheated. Her breathing was sharp, quick, and decisive. Her movements were rehearsed, and yet, ferocious.

Flames bathed both of them. Their battle took them throughout the entire valley.

I remember fantasizing, when I was a foal. Wondering what it was like to fight as an Alicorn– A god, unleashing my strength on deserving opponents.

With a decisive, incredibly fierce meteoric motion, she plunged herself deep in the mouth of the phoenix, and with a corkscrew motion, came out the other side of her head, killing her instantly.

I had to fantasize no longer. This was everything I had ever hoped, and more.

With incredibly powerful magical motions, she crushed the skull of the Phoenix in between two enormous rocks.

And I wasn’t just fighting with anger. I wasn’t just fighting with rage. I was fighting with hope. I was fighting with love. Much like my battles had led me through the previous years, ever since I had met Twilight, my motivations were true.

With a meteoric motion, she increased her gravity a hundred fold, bringing the phoenix down with her, making a crater where the corpse of her opponent would be.

I knew what was at stake. I knew what could be lost if I didn’t win today.

With fierce stomps, she crushed the Phoenix’s beak into splinters, and then, with incredible strength, forced her jaw open until her skull cracked.

This was my moment. My moment to prove myself– Like many times before, like many times since. And I no longer had any doubts.

With her body engulfed in flames, they both entered the stream of a volcano– Both alight, both aflame, and enduring all of it, she used the chance to overpower her opponent, breaking through her as they both flew at each other in meteoric speeds.

I was home.

With a deceive motion, Sunset grounded her opponent.

With the strength of an Alicorn, with the strength of her rage, she tore the Phoenix’s wings clean off. Then, having grounded her, she simply calmly walked forward, and sat in front of her opponent.

The Phoenix, laying on the floor weakly, breathed quickly, as did the Alicorn.

KILL ME. LET US BEGIN THIS ANEW.

“Oh, I dunno...” Sunset smirked. Shooting a magical blast, she struck the side of the body of her enemy, making her screech in pain. “Killing you is so fun, I might as well take a moment to enjoy it.”

The Phoenix was breathing haggardly, as was Sunset. They were both already feeling exhausted, the Alicorn was just better at hiding it.

She placed a hoof on the beak of the fallen Phoenix. “You were right. You only need to kill me once. But I don’t need to kill you. I just need you to hurt.”

YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME… THE AGE OF FIRE–

Sunset glared at her, with a grin that demonstrated every ounce of her conviction. “I think I’ll kill you a couple more times… Then strip you of your wings, your legs, your eyes, and go take a break. Then I’ll come back tomorrow and kill you a couple dozen more times. And every time, I’ll make it more painful. How does that sound?”

I CANNOT BE BEATEN…

“And yet, you can feel pain.” Sunset blasted the Phoenix’s side again, and the same screech echoed throughout the valley. “All I need to do is make you feel it.”

No response from the bird, as Sunset inhaled and exhaled, beholding the sky. “Maybe I’ll drag your wounded husk into space. Force you to freeze up there. Become another Celestial body for us to look upon at night.”

...Mercy.

“I’ll consider it”

...Please.

“On one condition.”

...Anything.

She flared her wings, and continued to stare her opponent down. “Your age of fire is over. Your life is forfeit to me. Go back from whence you came, and never bother the Dragon lands, or anywhere else in Equestria ever again. Then and only then I’ll show you mercy.”

Silence.

Silence matched only by the tremors and flames dancing around them, in the earth and sky.

Grinning, Sunset shrugged, and her horn’s light overtook them, as she prepared for another kill. “Well, I guess it’s not going to work out, then. Let’s go again–”

A fearful screech came from the Phoenix, who gave in.

The ashes were different this time. The light, the soul of the Phoenix took flight, and fearfully fled to Mount Bedrock, where it dove in.

The Volcano ceased erupting, and soon enough, the ones surrounding it ceased as well.

Sunset took one long, deep breath, exhaling steam, as she spread her wings wide, bathing herself in the light of the sun, no longer covered in clouds.

And just like that, I proved myself.

I was made an honorary dragon.

I single handedly saved Equestria– And across the country, my wife did the same.

I bathed myself in eternal flames that day.

And emerged from them a Valkyrie Phoenix.

---

Sunset let them go, and the strange trio exhaled, as if they had been holding their breaths for a long while, despite it having been mere moments.

Faith was the first to speak, as she let out a frail, joyful chuckle. “An alliance between Equestria and the land of dragons… Your world is wonderful, Sunset... I am…” She shook her head, still smiling, looking upon her compatriot. “A Valkyrie traveling between universes... Now I’ve seen everything…!”

Daring Do nearly collapsed, and then quickly, hastingly continued scribbling on her notepad “This is phenomenal– A mighty battle against the legendary Phoenix– One won by attrition!! Incredible!!”

“So…” The other Sunset looked down, scratching her head in nerves, forlorn unease. “...That’s what I’m capable of, in another world…!”

“That’s what you can be. If you want.” The Princess of Hope reached out to her, for only a moment, giving her a sympathetic smile. “If you only try…”

“Humph… As if.” Her other self scoffed. Filled with doubt, looking at the ground.

Faith’s laugh was joyous. It echoed in the halls of her home, making them seem lively once more, as she beheld the Princess of Hope. “I cannot believe you picked a fight with me just because you wanted to see if you were worthy! That is simply too good– As if you needed more proof!”

Sunset let out her own laughter, as she shrugged, enjoying every moment of it. “Hey, getting to fight a Valkyrie all out is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me! I couldn’t pass it up!”

“I could have killed you! And were it not for the handicap you placed upon yourself, you could have killed me!” She was not undignified, very much the opposite; She smiled through the whole thing, as she nudged her compatriot.

Sunset let out the biggest, most confident smile. “We're valkyries. Dying in battle is kind of our thing, isn't it?”

“Heh… You really are one of us.” They shared knowing, confident, weary smiles, and a nod.

Letting out a prolonged exhale, Faith picked up her helmet once more. “Well… I suppose I can stall no longer. It is time I discover my role in this new world, isn’t it…? But first…!”

She walked up to a seemingly innocuous wall on the side of the observatory, and beckoned Sunset. “Over here, sister. Let me show you something.”

Together, they stood, and Faith placed her horn on the wall, and called upon her compatriot to do the same.

“Follow my lead– Follow my movements.” She took a deep, long breath. “We have slept for long enough. It is time for all of us to awaken.”

What proceeded was an incredible display of magic.

Lines of runes extended from their horns, and into the walls. The entire room glowed.

The windows, the doors, every area that had been sealed began moving.

The stones of the mountain began shifting, moving, and the entire structure trembled.

A bridge was extended before them, where previously there was only a wall. They were now outside, and the entire mountain was shifting.

The strange quartet all watched as the entire structure of the previously immovable rocky wall, now moved with decisive magical motions.

The entire mountain moved in a beautiful manner– Particles of magic spread throughout like veins, like fireflies, rocks and stones shifted positions, all rearranging themselves.

Beautifully, gloriously, what was previously a sheer rock wall, spread itself wide, like the wings of an alicorn, embracing the home of the Valkyries. What was previously an hidden home, was now a glorious structure and cluster of buildings, perfectly safeguarded by enormous stone wings, keeping it safe from the weather, but now open once more.

Exhaling, with an incredibly wide smile, the final touch was at hand.

A piece of the rock wall reformed itself above the structure, akin to the head of an Alicorn, and with its horn alight, the weather around them cleared, with a glorious, beautiful beacon that shot into the sky.

The clouds cleared. What was previously snow, led way to a beautiful, orange and purple sky that unveiled the setting sun.

“Behold. The home of the Valkyries.” Faith spread her wings, smiling, presenting her home, in its former glory. “This will keep it safe, until my return– I intend on ensuring that what we had here was honored… But it is time I leave it. It is over, after all.”

With an exhale, and with a flash, she put away her armor within her horn, now a simple Alicorn.

Sunset grinned wildly, the other Sunset was flabbergasted, and Daring Do had both incredible shock, and immense excitement in her gaze.

Faith walked forward with determination, to the edge of a bridge that led to an incredible vista of the valley– No doubt many Valkyries had taken flight before, here.

“I do not know what awaits me in this new world… But I know I must find my place in it. Thank you, Sunset.” She gave the other Valkyrie a confident, thankful nod. “My first stop… Canterlot. I must find Celestia…”

“Faith– Wait!” Sunset smiled widely, coming closer. “If… If you’re alive in my world too, I’ll find you. I promise.”

With a pleased exhale, the Valkyrie looked upon the horizon. “You are an interesting mare, Sunset Shimmer.” She looked behind herself, to the other Sunset, who was still gobsmacked by the sight. “But your little sister seems to lack your valor and your wisdom…!”

“She gets that a lot.” Sunset suppressed the urge to laugh loudly. “Thank you, Faith. Seriously– I’m so happy that through all this noise, all this mess… I got to meet a Valkyrie.”

“Look upon a mirror, Sunset Shimmer.” Faith gave her a smile, and a nudge, and with that, she turned to the horizon. “Farewell!”

With a glorious, joyous leap, she took flight beautifully, and moved towards the horizon with elegance.

Letting out a weary chuckle and an exhale, Sunset gave herself a moment to breathe. Feel the warm wind of the setting sun on her face, on her mane.

This had been worth it.

“I can’t believe I'm doing this.” Begrudgingly, back in the astronomy tower, Sunset was removing all of the pieces of art she had stolen, all while Daring Do watched her like a hawk.

“Believe it, buster. Besides– We just found one of the greatest archeological sites of the century– Maybe millennia!! I think that's a reward enough, don’t you think?”

With a sigh, Sunset gave a passing glance to the statue of Celestia, one that made her hesitate. “Shouldn’t we take some of this back as proof…?”

“I think the big Alicorn Valkyrie flying towards Canterlot right now is proof enough, don’t you think?” The explorer let out a big, joyful laughter. “It’s going to take some time, but now that the mountain is clear, we could get a big crew up here! Appraise everything, see if we can move this carefully back to Canterlot, too…! Oh and I bet Celestia–”

“...Celestia.” Sunset spoke plainly, sorrowfully, with a sigh. “...She’ll want to see this.”

“...And she’ll want to meet the mares that discovered it, as well.” Daring Do got closer, with a warm smile and a wink. “And to think, I had the first pupil of Celestia on my expedition, and never knew it! What a wonderful adventure!!”

“Emphasis on first.” Sunset let out another weary, defeated sigh.

They both paused, as the Alicorn Sunset walked calmly in the room, and sat in the middle of it, looking up at the beautiful paintings and engravings on the ceiling, and without even looking at them, she spoke. “Sunset Shimmer isn’t dead. And the world might not need her… But she can improve it. I’m living proof of that.”

She smiled, winked, and continued to walk forward. “Whatever you do next, is up to you. Goodbye, me.”

“W-wait, are you not leaving with us?”

“I’ll be gone in an hour, either way! I think I’ll spend the rest of the time I have here.” Her voice disappeared in the hallways of the Valkyrie home, with a calm, determined step. “Farewell!”

---

“You know… you really could just fly down.” Sunset smiled at her pegasus compatriot, as they both left the temple, walking on the jungle mountain once more.

“It’s a long way back to Canterlot, you know?” Daring Do shrugged, smiling widely. “I could use a partner, all the way there.”

“Parther… What a joke.” Sunset couldn’t help but smile, as she rolled her eyes. “You were literally fighting me over me stealing treasure like– just an hour ago.”

“I think that as a citizen of Equestria, I have a vested interest in getting one of the future rulers of my country safely to its capital, don’t you think?” She let out an ironic laugh, smirking.

“Bah! You overestimate me.” Sunset shook her head thoroughly. “I’m not her.”

“But you could be.” Daring Do raised an eyebrow. “You saw the same memories I did, didn’t you? You know your potential now, and I do too. What you could be is incredible.”

“Don’t patronize me…” Sunset stuck out her tongue. “I… Just because there might be a place for me in this world, it doesn’t mean it will be a great one.” She let out a sigh, watching the sun set behind the mountains, letting out a small smile. “But… I’m ready to try, even if a little.”

“Have Faith, Sunset Shimmer!” She flapped her wings with joy. “I, for one, can’t WAIT to write about this!! It will be an esoteric narrative, for certain, but my goodness, I’m positively BEAMING! I can already think of the titles!! ‘The Return of the Valkyries’ hmm… ‘The Reawakening of History’ hmmm… ‘Across the Ponyverse?’”

“I have a suggestion.” Sunset piped in, with a smile.

The writer’s eyes widened, with expectation.

“Daring Do, and the Tomb of the Last Valkyrie.”

Author's Note:

SUNSET SHIMMER VS THE LEGENDARY PHOENIX.

INFO: By all intents and purposes, this battle was unwinnable; And Sunset knew that much. All she needed to do was prove absolute dominance. And through unwavering determination, she unleashed hell upon her opponent, and won the fight without winning it. A well rested, eager Princess of Hope became a Valkyrie that day.

VERDICT: Sunset was more than ready to lay down her life that day-- But she did not need to. The land of Dragons is safe once more due to the efforts of the Valkyrie Phoenix.

Okay. Okay. There's a lot to talk about here. This was loaded-- just as big as the Mare Do Well chapter. I even cut content from this, believe it or not!

I will say, maybe this was a bit overindulgent to me. I don't often put oc stuff into my fics, I definitely bend the stories and characters to suit my style a lot, but this was definitely me going VERY far; Making a whoooole battalion of alicorns in ancient Equestria inspired by the myth of the Valkyries? I hope that didn't feel like much of a stretch!

I rarely put ocs on my fics but gosh I really wanted to have at least ONE Valkyrie show up-- And Faith was wonderful.

We are reaching a point where Sunset Prime is picking between the options of ignoring a fight entirely, or actively seeking it with gusto, just for the chance to die a glorious death and no longer have to keep fighting. And what better enemy to put her down than a Valkyrie? Now that would have been a worthwhile death.

...But the fight wasn't exactly fair. Not only did Sunset purposefully handicap herself, but they were both exhausted. One having been fighting and surviving for days, and the other, comatose for a thousand years. The poor artworks in the room...!!

Also here's a fun cut content thing! I was originally not going to make Faith the only Valkyrie-- but with a fun little twist. There was an armor still on a stand, in the armory-- That was going to be armor left behind by a defector.

My idea was that one of the Valkyries refused to fight Discord altogether, or simply ran away during the fight, but instead of running back to the hideout, she would live in shame. She would have purposefully sawed off her horn, and covered it with hair, and pretended to live the rest of her days as a pegasus-- One that was eternal, so had to constantly switch identities and live on different places in Equestria. Another runaway. I was going to call her 'Victoria' But I realized that no matter what happened, her story would take too much time, and be impossible to implement on this one, and the chapter is DAMN LONG as it is.

Man can you imagine the look in Celestia's face when Faith shows up. Home a thousands years late after buying the milk at the gas station.

Worth stating, on the first chapters of the fic, Celestia alludes to having had a romantic relationship with a Valkyrie in the past-- That's Faith. One of the reasons Faith even ran away, was to return to Celestia alive. That backfired...

The last Valkyrie...

Also please don't blame Celestia and Luna for not honoring the Valkyries. Not only did Discord's genocide of them stem from something completely and entirely unpresentable, but I imagine they would have much bigger concerns, regarding Nightmare Moon soon after. Celestia rose quartz moments smth

MAN I'm so happy i got to put both a snow, jungle and an VOLCANO setting on this chapter. Fuckin fantastic environmental variety heheh! I even got to write about the subliiiiime ugh

Okay. Okay. Focusing more on the exploration side-- I have to say, if there's one criticism I have to give myself, is that Daring Do is absolutely not the focus here, and I'm sorry. i like the character, I think its fun to have Indiana Jones be a writer instead of a teacher, but for the sake of the narrative, I had to focus on other things! And I apologize 😩

The Daring Do!

I'm an indiana Jones fan myself, even if not avidly. This is comical because absolutely no magical traps would fire on Sunset because she's an Alicorn lolol

And hey. There will be a Discord chapter. Just saying.

Either way, this is where I deliver the bad news. I'm takin a break! I'm slowing my role with magic by a WIDE margin. I want to edit my first YTP, and that will take some time.

Its funny, because I was writing this, I was thinking "Damn this isn't as good as my other work smh... i'm slipping" Like, as I'm getting a bit more tired, my confidence in my writing is waning, and I refuse to push it, after all, this fic is everything to me and it deserves to be done to its best capacity!!

So to ensure that I personally am as confident as possible with my writing, I will slow down big time.

We've officially passed 400 pages. Why have I done this

Next stop... Pirates.

Comments

[Junior14]

The long chapters are entertaining because of the content that there may be. I also really liked the new original character of the work, looking forward to the next chapter.

[RedHoodie21]

do you think they explored each other’s bodies

[moralmoral]

For me, the recent chapters have been a bit disappointing.
This has turned from an adventure story that showcases the differences in the multiverse and helps different Sunsets recover from failure and become better versions of themselves into a clich é: "Look at you, the loser. I, the powerful and great Princess Sunset, am completely better than you. I will easily solve your mess to prove why you are a loser and why I am the best Sunset in the entire multiverse."
I believe that empathy princess should not be like this.

[frogkimmy]

Not often do I enjoy stories with original characters in it, but this has been amazing!!!!

[frogkimmy]

11940731
I'd also get a superiority complex if all alternate universes I visit of myself all suck lmao. For me it feels like she's slowly getting towards a breaking point where she just doesn't care anymore. I surely would change if I went through all of that tbh.