Contrast

by ColdGoldLazarus

Rating: teen
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Princess Luna, Drama, Mystery, Princess Cadance
Length: 1016

Twilight Sparkle is the faithful student of Queen Celestia. Sunset Shimmer is the protege of Queen Luna. Neither have met, but their lives are intertwined in unexpected ways...

In a strange other-world, the land of Equestria is split in two. Twilight Sparkle, brilliant and antisocial, is the prized pupil of the distant yet gentle Queen Celestia in the east; while Sunset Shimmer, cunning and ambitious, is the protege of the strict yet caring Queen Luna, who rules the west. And indeed, despite the divide, the land has seen peace for centuries.

Yet, all is not well; nonsensical rumors of a third alicorn spreading a message of unity have been making the rounds, and a string of sabotage incidents and mysterious disappearances have been plaguing both nations, with all clues pointing to the opposing side.

Against the backdrop of an Equestria slowly falling apart at the seams, these two must overcome their personal flaws, find friendship in unexpected places, and root out a strange conspiracy if they are to have any hope of stopping their mentors from making a terrible mistake...

Published 2016-08-09 16:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-08-09 16:00:01 UTC

Prologue: The Traveler

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.

But the elder sister was not oblivious to this tension, and so one fateful day, she confronted and tried to reason with her sibling. The bitterness in the young one's heart had grown strong, but the two were able to peacefully resolve the issue, splitting the nation down the middle and each ruling one half - they could still co-exist in harmony, but would not have to be constantly reminded of their lingering grievances with the other. Both continue to control the movements of the sun and moon, and harmony has been maintained for generations since.

"And harmony has been maintained for generations since." A book was held aloft in the rain, water rolling off its magically waterproofed pages. The book snapped shut and floated within the traveler's black cloak. They smiled at the reminder of their purpose here, and resumed walking.

Rain poured down in sheets, drenching the small town's roads and covering the traveler's hooves in mud that weighed down the fringe of their cloak. The skies above swirled with darkened clouds, the moon hidden from view, and wind lashed at trees and the odd lawn ornament; the local weather team must have truly outdone themselves to whip up such a storm. The streets were empty, for even without the stranger's intimidating hooded presence, no sane pony would be out in this weather.

The traveler paused midstep, wondering what that said for their own state of mind, before resuming with a feminine chuckle. After the... unusual... life they'd led, sanity didn't seem to be quite applicable anymore.

The stranger continued to trudge through the rain-drenched street. Had anypony cared to look out their windows, they would have seen nothing more than a ragged black cloak draped over an unusually tall figure, concealing them from head to hoof. If they watched long enough, perhaps, just perhaps, they might notice a flash of copper from within the robe's folds, but nothing more than that.

The figure's pace gradually quickened as they approached their destination, a two-story building right by the town's square, with three doors along the bottom, and staircases leading to two other entrances on the second floor. The stranger made a beeline for the middle door, only stopping once they'd set hoof on the dry, covered wooden deck. A storm lantern hung near the door, shining brightly enough that the stranger could see even through the heavy material of their hood. A flash of luminescent teal emanated from within, and the mud that practically coated their limbs and attire disappeared instantly, landing in a small oozing pile back out in the already-muddy street. After a quick check to ensure their cleanliness, the figure opened the door.

The environment inside could not have been more different from that outside. A little bell jingled as the door closed behind the garbed stranger, but as nopony appeared to be present yet, they took the time to soak in the friendly atmosphere. The room was long and narrow, with the entrance at one end and a staircase to the second floor at the other. A desk sat in the exact center of the room, with a bell to ring for service and some various knick-knacks all lined up neatly along the front edge - the rest was covered in a messy layer of papers and folders, a perfect example of the organized chaos that signaled a professional who was truly worth their salt. The walls, meanwhile, were lined with neatly organized bookshelves, to the point that the somewhat cracked but spotless plaster behind was almost completely concealed. Two magical light strips lay along the ceiling, the nearer one lit and the further one not, so that the back end of the room fell into deep shadow.

After another moment, a stallion finally trotted down the stairs, suppressing a yawn as he went. The earth pony sat down behind the desk, trying and failing to smooth down his disheveled mane as he began to dig for a ledger. The traveler couldn't tell if he was unaware of the looming presence before him or simply didn't care, but either way his indifferent attitude toward the hooded figure was a truly refreshing change of pace. "Are you here for a room, or do you already have a reservation?" He half-asked, half-mumbled as he pulled the proper sheet out.

"I have a reservation, thank you." The stranger replied, and with another glow of teal, they finally let their hood down. The stallion squinted at the newcomer, checking against the description on the sheet. She was a tall unicorn with a pink coat, somewhat bedraggled from traveling, and light lavender eyes. And of course, the most telling feature of all was her mane, a long and sleek cut that curled at the ends, a rich and glossy purple with stripes of pink and cream. She seemed to match so far, but one could never be too careful.

"Very well, then. I will need to see some form of identification." The mare nodded, withdrawing a small stack of papers from her cloak. He looked them over, once, twice, before giving them back and making a note in the register. "You have the second-floor suite to the right. I hope you enjoy your stay in Ponyville, Miss Cadenza."

Author's Note

Section with Narration begun and finished Oct 10th, 2014
Other section begun Oct 8th, 2014 and finished Oct 9th, 2014, added to July 22, 2016

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