The Summer Sun sacrifice
It had been a drawn out and restless night for Sunshine Smiles, and the morning's light frost did little to comfort him as he awoke from a semi-conscious slumber atop a derelict guard tower that lay just outside Canterlot's main aristocratic district. It was unusual for the Celestial guards of the area to just abandon a once perfectly functional guard barracks, but after a horrific accident with a grey and yellow mail-mare, the tower had fallen into disrepair and had since been left to rot as there was no funding to be spared for anything except the princess’s unquenchable thirst for the absolute and undeniable control of the human internet (she had become displeased at her ape like subjects bestowing upon a shy, yellow and pink mare who resided in ponyville, the title of “Best pony”)
Sunshine slicked back a few loose strands of his thick, chestnut-brown mane with a light brush of his forehoof. He took a few deep breaths, it had taken months of preparation to gather the resources for this operation.
“I never thought it would come to this, I only ever used to see this kind of stuff on TV, but now I’m a part of it.” He shook his head and growled throatily.
“I need to stop talking to myself, I’m in a bad enough situation as it is without going crazy.” Sunshine sighed deeply, he had been keeping a delusion that what he did in the next few hours leading up his 'ascension'.
Old memories flashed through his mind.
“!JOIN THE NEW LUNAR REPUBLIC!”
“!FREE EQUESTRIA FROM CELESTIA'S TYRANICAL REIGN!”
Back then it all seemed so... enticing... to be one of the famed lunar republic freedom fighters. To have the fame. The money. The mares.
It was an opportunity to make something of himself, to go down in history fighting for a better world.
It was an opportunity that he couldn't let slip past him.
Though even through his delusions of grandeur, he knew in his heart that he had to make a difference. When all over the non-aristocratic parts of Equestria poverty and crime are rife, and even if his actions made the smallest bit of difference, then he was willing to die to make it so.
The large bell near the centre of Canterlot rung out for the ninth hour of the day, Sunshine get up off his hind legs and trotted over to the dusty pane of his temporary residence. Peering out at the courtyard where preparations for this years Summer Sun Celebration had just finished and the courtyard was a parade of colourful streamers, glitter, balloons, fireworks laid along the edges of the courtyard surrounded with protective tape. Along rooftops and scattered around the general vicinity were Celestial guards, pegasi, earth and unicorn alike. Every single preparation had been taken to make sure that no-pony is harmed during the festival.
Shame it's all for nothing
Because even though there were innocents, they are all just collateral damage. The main target was royalty. With Celestia dead the tyrannical Solar Empire will crumble, paving a way for freedom, unity, and a better world for everypony.
~
Three hours later as the vast courtyard was about half full of excited visitors from all over Equestria, he wouldn't know this if there weren't various flags and signs stating so. At the front of the crowd stood one particularly ecstatic young filly. She was purple with a dark purple mane with a few pink stripes running through it.
Her cutie mark, a six point star. Sunshine wondered what her name was, where she was from, what her cutie mark meant. But he quickly shook off these questions. He couldn't let himself get too attached to the civilians, his job was hard enough as it is without having to think about them.
He began to make his way down from the tower and into the crowd, slowly moving his way to the front, he needed to be close to Celestia to make this work. After ten to fifthteen minutes of navigating he made it to just behind the very front row, coincidentally just behind that little purple filly who was almost bouncing up and down, obviously she had a thing (not that kind of 'thing' she is a FILLY for Luna's sake) for Celestia.
~
After about 2-4 more hours, the courtyard was full and there was a loud announcement that Celestia would be appearing shortly. Sunshine gave his saddle bags a nervous glance, questioning whether or not he was ready for this.
~
Finally a majestic golden-tipped hoof descended upon the crest of the stairs that marked the top of the courtyard with a almost dainty 'clop' (Not that kind.)
This was surprising to Sunshine seeing as the princess is two-three times the size of him.
“This is it. Now is my chance!”
His thoughts were silenced for a brief moment as he was interrupted by an old, wrinkled mare beside him.
“You betcha', seeing the princess for the first time is a right daunting thing for you young ones!” She declared.
Sunshine was about to reply, stating that he himself was getting quite old, but decided against it and let her be. Figuring that it would just be easier to keep quite than explain it to the poor old dear.
Right then a thought raced through his mind.
She's innocent, they're all innocent. They don't deserve this.
Sunshine struggled against his emotions.
Sacrifice a few for the good of many...
He tried to push the thought out of his mind while Celestia began greeting her subjects.
She looks so fair, so innocent. She couldn't possibly be the demonic tyrant that Luna and her supporters had made out so vividly, Could she?
He pushed all of this to the back of his mind, and tried to focus on the task at hoof, but that was becoming ever-so increasingly difficult to do.
He was beginning to calm his mind when something crossed his mind that he just couldn't ignore.
Her.
That cheery little purple filly that he had seen bobbing up and down in front of Celestia.
And everything fell out of existence as his mind flooded with that little filly.
Who is she?
Who are her family?
What will she be when she's older?
Will she be happy?
All of this was suddenly too much to bear, the strength drained from his legs and his mind whirled. He collapsed to the ground in an internally sobbing heap. He tried to stand, failing, he at least managed to open his eyes and blinked away small, glistening tears that were welling in his eyes, and noticed that the crowd had parted and a massive white alicorn leering above him.
Sunshine began to move, but realised that his saddle-bags had somehow falling off as he had collapsed, revealing the large, rectangular Thrace bomb that had been concealed inside. The crowd gazed at Sunshine in horror and disgust, guards had come running over to arrest him but the princess held them back with a warning gaze.
She spoke to him,
“You don't need to do this, young one.”
Her powerful, voice resonated in his head.
“Stand, please.”
He did as he was told, despite his legs being preposterously weak.
“What is your name?” She inquired, softly.
Sunshine stammered,
“A-Sunshine, your highness.”
He would have normally scolded himself for referring to her as 'Highness.'
But right now, he couldn't control his speech somewhat.
“Well, Sunshine. I think you have some explaining to do.”
Sunshine still couldn't stand.
“Guards” Celestia uttered gently.
A life of cold imprisonment ran through Sunshine's mind.
“no.”
Slipping the cyanide pill down his throat, he faded into darkness.
~
Author's note:
This is the first piece of MLP fan-fiction,
I hope you had just as much fun reading it as
I did writing it.
(Yes, I know that it is a massive cliché, deal with it.)