Chapters Chapter 0:
Sunset sighed a bit softly, as she looked around the Auditorium of Canterlot High. She smiled softly as she did, looking around for her friends from when she went there. It had been roughly ten years since she first went there, after having stolen Twilight's crown, which at the time she didn't realize was the physical manifestation of her element, magic.
Sunset sighed a bit again, as she soon saw Rainbow Dash, waving a bit to her as she walked over to her, a few younger people around her, as she clearly had been gloating of something. "Hey Dash, been awhile." She said, as she approached her old friend. "You and AJ still doing that band stuff?"
"Yup!" Rainbow Dash said a bit happily, as she posed slightly, causing giggles to come from the young students around her. "I just got here a bit ago, after signing on with AJ at our agent for a couple of more years." She said, smiling proudly.
"Right, and I take it these girls are fans?" Sunset asked a bit softly, as Rainbow slowly nodded. "Right... you know we're here for the reunion, right?"
"Yeah, but hey... with the CD AJ, Rarity, and I released a couple of months selling like gold, people are going to recognize me..." Rainbow said, almost as if she was complaining to Sunset. "Besides, all they wanted was to ask me to sign their copies of the CD..." She added quickly, after Sunset's slightly disapproving stare, as he held the CDs up.
"Well, fine, but the ceremony will be starting soon, and remember..." Sunset began, waving slowly as Pinkie Pie bounced happily into the room, with her trademark streamers flying all over the place as she did. "Principal Celestia asked us to perform to start the festivities off. The six of us that is..."
"Yeah, I know..." Rainbow sighed, her eyes rolling slightly. "The full Rainbooms band will be performing for the concert that'll be held at the start of the three day Homecoming celebration. Speaking of, why did you say Six? Isn't Twilight coming?"
"No, she's too busy with something for... Princess Celestia back in Equestria." Sunset said, shaking her head. "Something about managing a new colony according to the last letter I got from her."
As this conversation happened between Sunset and Rainbow, a similar one was taking place else where, in Equestria. "And did the shipment come through?" Rainbow Dash asked, as she glanced over at the clipper ship that was being used by Umbra to transport larger goods down the river that ran near their castle. "Did you get the artifacts from Canterlot and the Celestial Empire?"
The unicorn guard pony slowly nodded at Rainbow Dash, as the other guard ponies slowly moved a familiar mirror from the Crystal Empire off the ship. "Yes Ma'am... err... Sir... err... Ma'am?" The guard said, stumbling over his words a bit, unsure as to what he should call her.
"Ma'am is good enough." Rainbow said, eyeing the mirror, a twitch on her mouth hinting at a smile. "I'm not a guard, nor am I in the military, so no need for a 'Sir' " she added, sighing softly. "Let's just hope this time, it works." She continued, mumbling the words softly, as she dismissed the guard pony.
"It should work Rainbow." Heaven Star said, as she slowly walked over towards Rainbow, looking over at the mirror as well. "As Lord Rourke said, the mirror... it isn't something you used the previous time. If you use it this time, the plan to stop The Teacher should work perfectly."
"I know..." She said, before looking at Heaven, interest in her eyes. "Say... didn't Midnight say you were her cousin?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, she's half changeling... so..." Rainbow said, before sighing a bit slightly. "Well, I was wondering if you and your brother were part changeling as well..."
"We are not." Heaven said, shaking her head a bit softly. "Though, yes Midnight and her brother Seventh, are half Changeling, it was their father who was a Changeling. I... We are related on her mother's side, and... our father."
"I see..." Rainbow said, nodding in understanding, as she looked at the Mirror again.
Back in Canterlot High, Rainbow was slowly nodding, as the six of them sat around a table. "So Twilight, and the us over there are off forming a colony for Equestria then?" Applejack asked, looking over at Sunset as she spoke. "That seems to be a big thing to be dealing with..."
"Yeah, I know..." Sunset said, sighing a bit as she shook her head. "I was just explaining that to Rainbow when you guys came over." She added, smiling a bit softly. "Though, it has been a couple of years since I last got a letter from them." She continued, a worried look on her face. "I hope everything is fine over there..."
"Hey, this is Twilight we're talking about here." Rainbow said, patting Sunset on the back slightly. "I'm sure they're fine over there, Twilight's got it handled."
"I hope you're right..." Sunset said, after sighing once again.
Sunset sighed a bit softly, as she stretched. The Rainbooms had just finished with starting off the Home-coming celebration event, and the people who watched the performance had asked for Rainbow and Applejack to do an encore, so she and the others were relaxing and enjoying the event. It was then that she saw the familiar shape that came with the Headmistress of the Academy that she had joined. "Arch-Duchess?" She said, blinking a bit as she slowly approached her.
"Ah," The older woman said, glancing over at Sunset, her piercing golden eyes seemingly unblinking. "Hello there Mademoiselle Shimmer, how nice to see you after that... interesting, speech you gave at the start of term last year."
"Ah, yeah... yes..." Sunset said, blushing softly as she chuckled nervously.
"May I ask, then, what it is that you needed from me?" The Headmistress asked Sunset, her finger slightly tapping the cane she always carrying with her as she asked.
"Well, as you know..." Sunset said, sighing a bit. "Right now would be the homecoming celebration or Canterlot High, and... well I was just wondering if that's why you were here. Did you go to Canterlot High too, when you were younger?"
Author's Note
Don't forget to check out my patreon page for exclusive previews of future chapters, as well as being able to read them a day early.
Chapter 1:
Five years prior.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." The Arch-duchess said, standing upon the podium after the speeches were giving by two of the new students, one of which being Sunset Shimmer. "As many of you are well aware already, I am the Arch-Duchess of the surrounding lands, as well, I am the Headmaster and founder of this Academy." She continued, which caused a few murmurs to go around from the new students. "This, exclusive Academy has a special curriculum, one that is tailored to each, individual soul that enters it's halls.
"In this school, you are free to study what ever you wish, when ever you wish, how ever you wish, for as long as you wish." The Arch-Duchess continued, her cold golden eyes slowly moving across the students. "I founded this Academy all those years ago, for the pursuit of knowledge, and it has forever been a cornerstone for advancement ever since then. Because of this, in your endeavors, you will have full access to the vast library, which contains copies of more then one million books gathered over the years, including books written by alumni. As well, you will have access to a staff of experts in any field you wish to study, as well as the Alumni of the school."
Sunset Shimmer sighed softly, as she sat near the back, watching the Headmistress give her speach. "Hey, calm down Fluttershy." She then said, patting her friend on the back a bit, smiling as she did. "We got in didn't we? That should be enough to earn you the right to study nature like you wanted."
"I know..." Fluttershy said nervously. "But... But, I'm still nervous."
Sunset laughed a bit softly, nodding slowly as she hugged her friend. "I know, I am too." She said, smiling a bit softly, her hand resting on Fluttershy's shoulder. "But still, remember one thing. Going here, to Ravenwood, is a guarantee for the rest of your life, you don't have to worry about that. Pinkie has her catering business, and the others are going to turn the Rainbooms into an actual band, not just a school one." Sunset continued, smiling still. "We have this," She said, waving a hand out towards the school. "This... this is our thing."
"Indeed you do Miss Shimmer." A voice said from behind them.
"He-Headmistress?" Fluttershy said, nervously hiding behind Sunset.
"What can we do for you?" Sunset asked, nervously looking at the Headmistress. "Did... Did I say something wrong on my speech? Did I..."
"Please come with me." The Headmistress said, turning to head out of the Auditorium, and away from the festivities. "The both of you."
"So..." Sunset said, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the Headmistress' desk. "Why exactly did you ask for us to see you here? Is it about classes? Is it because I hadn't picked a..."
"You both are here because of your test scores." The Headmistress answered, not looking up from the computer she was looking at. "You see, we have a... special dormitory here at the Academy. It is only for a select students, hand picked by me."
"I see..." Sunset said, looking nervously at Fluttershy.
"Are you saying that..."
"Indeed I am Miss Fluttershy." The Headmistress said, nodding slowly, as she finally moved to look at them, her hands crossing just a bit below her face. "Now here is the thing, as you are aware. I informed the student body, just now, that they are free to study what eer they wish, here at the school."
"Yeah," Sunset said, smiling softly. "That's partially why we signed up. You see, Fluttershy here, she... she want's to..."
"Study in natural Biology, yes I know. It says so on her application." The Headmistress said, nodding slowly, as she turned the computer screen to show it to them, showing that it had both of their applications up. "I brought you both here, as I said, because of your test scores. But mostly, because of these here. Your applications."
"I... I don't understand?" Sunset said, a confused look on her face.
"I don't either..."
"Are you... Are you saying that because of our applications, we... we've been accepted into, that dormitory as well?"
"Indeed I am Miss Shimmer," The Headmistress said, nodding again as she stood up. "The difference between the main body of the school, and of this Dormitory is, as you know, the Dormitory is prestigious, even with in the school. Using my influence, these select few, are receiving the latest books, the latest technology, and the latest reports in all fields of science. But, it comes at a price."
"A price, you mean like a tuition?"
"Are you ready to devote the rest of your lives to progress, for the sake of progress?"
Sunset sighed, as she sat her bag down onto her bed. Both she and Fluttershy had agreed to the terms that the Headmistress had set forward in there little meeting. Afterwards, they were brought to the dorm by a rather hyper-active blonde, and assigned rooms. She reminded Sunset of Pinkie Pie, in her way of never stopping to breath when talking. This made her chuckle, and a bit glad that she was at least able to get assigned to the same hallway as Fluttershy. "It looks like the rooms are single bed..." She mumbled to herself, as she slowly looked around the room. "Each one comes with a small kitchen too... probably in case people need special diets..." She sighed, opening the small fridge, a surprised look on her face, upon finding it almost filled with bottles of soda. "Who... ah, oh well." She said, taking one of the bottles.
Sunset was just about ready to relax on the bed, drinking the soda she opened, when a rather large explosion near them woke her from her thoughts. "What the?" She said, rushing out of her room. Confused as to why no one else seemed worried, she began to look for the source of the sound. "Hello?" She said, entering one o the many labs. She had a sinking feeling she found the location, due to the room being filled with smoke.
"Ah hell..." Someone said from deeper into the room, a male student by the sounds of it. "Not again... Nurse!" He said, walking a bit out of the smoke, revealing himself to Sunset, and that his left hand had been burnt to the bone. "Oh, hello there, you new?" he then said, noticing Sunset just before running into her. "Ah, don't bother..." He said, waving his still flesh hand at her, before she could answer. "That boom, made me deaf for a bit. Just wait till Nurse get's here. Then we'll talk."
Author's Note
A bit late, but here it is.Patreon Page for chapter previews, and early chapter releases. As well, starting mid-next month, there will also be a Patreon exclusive work. (For one series per week.)
2: Meet the Crew (part 1)
Author's Note
Other then Sunset and Fluttershy, there are five people in the exclusive dorm. Their names are as such; Pyro, Nurse, Tech Wizard, Chaser, and Silent. Oh, there's also Beauford, the goat.
Don't forget to check out my Patreon Page for chapter previews, and early chapter releases.
2: Meet the Crew (part 1)
Chapter 2
Sunset was just about ready to relax on the bed, drinking the soda she opened, when a rather large explosion near them woke her from her thoughts. "What the?" She said, rushing out of her room. Confused as to why no one else seemed worried, she began to look for the source of the sound. "Hello?" She said, entering one o the many labs. She had a sinking feeling she found the location, due to the room being filled with smoke.
"Ah hell..." Someone said from deeper into the room, a male student by the sounds of it. "Not again... Nurse!" He said, walking a bit out of the smoke, revealing himself to Sunset, and that his left hand had been burnt to the bone. "Oh, hello there, you new?" he then said, noticing Sunset just before running into her. "Ah, don't bother..." He said, waving his still flesh hand at her, before she could answer. "That boom, made me deaf for a bit. Just wait till Nurse get's here. Then we'll talk."
"Um... Okay?" Sunset said, just as Fluttershy came running into the room.
"Is everyone alright? I heard an explosion, did anyone get hurt? Sunset? Oh... were you hurt? You weren't... He's missing the flesh off of his hand." She continued, before passing out from seeing the man who was in the explosion.
"My lord that was a lot of words in one breath." He said, before laughing a bit, as a tall woman came over, her hair a mess.
"It's late Pyro..." She mumbled softly, running her hand through said messy hair, as she looked over at Sunset and Fluttershy. "You new? I'll have to give you both a physical tomorrow, understand?"
"Yes ma'am." Sunset said, smiling softly as she pulled what looked like a phone out of a pocket. "So... You're name is Pyro?"
"No, it's not." Pyro said, laughing slightly as the Nurse ran the phone over his burnt hand. "My name is R... Eh, it's not important." he said, shaking his head slightly. "People call me Pyro because I'm a chemist, I deal in volatile chemicals for about 11 hours a day. So I blow things up a lot. And... I usually catch at least 34 things on fire in a day, myself included."
"This would be the 30th time today." The Nurse said, sighing softly as she put what looked like a phone away. "Well, that should do for now. But I'll need you in the hospital area tomorrow, to get your hand fixed in a more permanent way Pyro. And again... Don't. Blow. Up. My labs."
"I know, I know." Pyro said, laughing slightly, waving the hand that was burnt at the nurse as she left.
"What... How? Wasn't that a..."
"No, it wasn't a phone." Pyro said, shaking his head a bit. "That was one of her inventions. It accelerates cell growth, allowing rapid cellular regeneration."
"That's possible?"
"Anything is possible Red." Pyro said, laughing a bit softly as he turned to head back into the lab. "Now then, let us see where it went wrong..."
"What went wrong?" Sunset asked, after she moved the still passed out Fluttershy onto one of the benches. "And my name is Sunset, not Red."
"And my names not Pyro." Pyro said, laughing a bit, as he picked up one of the broken beakers. "And Nurse isn't actually named Nurse."
"Do you all have nick names?"
"Eeyup."
"W-what happened?" Fluttershy said, blinking slightly as she slowly woke up, rubbing her head from having laying on the bench.
"Ah, morning Fluttershy." Sunset Shimmer said, smiling a bit, wearing lab equipment over her dress. "Pyro blew up a lab, and well you passed out after seeing the aftermath."
"Oh yes... Is he alright?" Fluttershy asked, a worried look on her face.
"Oh, he's fine." Sunset replied, nodding slowly as she turned a Bunsen burner off, sighing a bit. "He said he had to get something from the greenhouse, and that he'd show us around after you woke up."
"Oh, what was it he needed?" Fluttershy asked, as she got up to look around the lab. "I could... I could probably help look for it."
"He didn't say." Sunset sighed, shaking her head slowly as she looked out of the lab. "Probably something for pain or something like that."
3: Meet the Crew (part 2)
Chapter 3
"W-what happened?" Fluttershy said, blinking slightly as she slowly woke up, rubbing her head from having laying on the bench.
"Ah, morning Fluttershy." Sunset Shimmer said, smiling a bit, wearing lab equipment over her dress. "Pyro blew up a lab, and well you passed out after seeing the aftermath."
"Oh yes... Is he alright?" Fluttershy asked, a worried look on her face.
"Oh, he's fine." Sunset replied, nodding slowly as she turned a Bunsen burner off, sighing a bit. "He said he had to get something from the greenhouse, and that he'd show us around after you woke up."
"Oh, what was it he needed?" Fluttershy asked, as she got up to look around the lab. "I could... I could probably help look for it."
"He didn't say." Sunset sighed, shaking her head slowly as she looked out of the lab. "Probably something for pain or something like that."
"Strange..." Fluttershy said, mumbling a bit softly.
"Yeah, he said he'd be right back..." Sunset said, shaking her head a bit slowly as she turned towards the door. "I'm going to look for him, to see if he's alright." She then said, looking back at Fluttershy after opening the door. "You'll be alright sitting here?"
"Yeah." Fluttershy said, nodding slowly. "Um..."
"Yeah?"
"Goat."
"Goat?" Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion, before jumping in shock away from the door. "What the... Why is there a goat here?"
"Oh, that's Beauford." Pyro said, laughing a bit softly as he came up from behind the goat. "He's the resident goat of our little group."
"Beauford?" Sunset and Fluttershy asked him, looking up at him. "Oh, are you alright? Your hand..." Fluttershy then asked looking at him with a worried look on her face.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Ran into Silent a bit ago, so we had a wonderful conversation on what she's been looking into." Pyro said, laughing softly.
"Silent? Is that her name?" Sunset asked, blinking at him, sitting down again on the counter.
"Ah, no... only the Arch-Duchess knows her name, we just call her Silent, because she never speaks."
Sunset nodded slowly at this, chuckling a bit softly as she looked around the lab again. "So, is everyone here as cooky as you?" She then asked, looking back at him, laughing a bit softly as Pyro shrugged.
"I honestly don't know. The rest of the school does call us The Crazies..."
"So, the rest of the dorm should be like you then?" Fluttershy asked, as she slowly petted the goat. "Are all of you willing to sacrifice even yourselves in the pursuit of science?"
"Not Science." someone said from behind Pyro. "Knowledge. Not just science, but all knowledge. Mythical, Scientific, Social, Political, any sort of knowledge. Oh, name's James, but you can call me Tech Wiz."
"Yeah, the most sciencey of our little group claiming were doing everything." Pyro said, laughing a bit, as he patted the smaller person on the back. "
Sunset as she stretched a bit softly. After the fiasco with Pyro and Tech Wizard, she had decided to head over to the large library that the Arch-Duchess spoke of that they had, to read up a bit on the history of the school. She smiled a bit to herself, as she munched on the apple as she looked over the books on the shelf. "Wait... what?" She then said, blinking a bit as she stopped and looked at one of the books, a confused look on her face. "The complete history of... Equestria?" She repeated, running her free hand over the cover of the book. "That's... That's one of the books that went missing... Back in Canterlot..."
After the discovery of the book, Sunset tossed the apple, to hold the book in her hand, as she gathered multiple books from around the section of the library she was in. "The Complete history of Equestria, A Unicorn's guide to Black Magic, A History of Pegasi Wars..." Sunset said to herself, as she looked over the 35 books on the table before her. "Why are these books here? All of them... no, most of them should be in Equestria, not here..." She said, picking up a book labeled 'Final Days, by Starswirlled the Bearded' "And... most of them went missing before anyone I know was born, except maybe Celestia and Luna... So then, how did they get here..."
"Magic is a much older thing then many of you ponies can even fathom, Sunset Shimmer." Someone said from behind Sunset.
4: The Complete History of Equestria
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 5
"Get... The Duchess called everyone?" Sunset asked, slipping a shirt on. "Why would she do that? Has Pyro returned?" She asked, looking at her jacket, which the drone had crawled out from underneath.
"I do not know, she hasn't told me anything yet."
"Alright, I'll be right there, where are we meeting?"
"The Equestria wing of the Library."
"The... Equestria wing?" Sunset asked, blinking softly at Tech Wizard's words. "Why would she want us to meet her there?"
"I do not know, but the others are already heading there." Wizard replied, a chuckle in his voice. "Me and Miss Fluttershy are already here."
"Alright, tell her I'm on my way then." Sunset replied, after slipping shorts on quickly, and heading out of her room.
Sunset sighed softly as she slowly approached the library, a massive building which seemed to be larger then the academy itself. She didn't know why they were all being called to the Equestria Wing, which contained a copy of almost every book from the Royal Library in Canterlot, even some books that were lost to the pony world ages ago. This fact both confused, and worried Sunset more then anything. What event is it that the Arch-Duchess spoke of, why would it effect more then one world, and more importantly, how did she know of this? Those questions continued to bounce through her head, as she soon arrived at the Equestria Wing.
"Ah, how kind of you to finally join us Miss Shimmer." The Arch-Duchess said, smiling at Sunset, the others sitting on benches, or leaning against the book cases. "Now that you all are here, I want to tell you all something." She then said, looking over each of them. "As of right now, Pyro is residing in secret, in a realm much like our own. The race who lives there call the land Equestria." The Arch-Duchess continued, which caused both Sunset and Fluttershy to perk up a bit, recognizing the name. "As well, he is going by his true name, or at least the name he put down as his name when he joined the Academy."
"And what name would... Would that be Miss... Arch-Duchess?" Fluttershy asked, blinking a bit softly, looking at Sunset, who returned her look.
"That would be Rourke."
"What a strange name..." Sunset said, shrugging it off a bit. "So, why is he... Why is he in Equestria? And why does that have to do with why we're here?"
"In due time Sunset Shimmer. In due time." The Arch-Duchess said in reply, before tapping her walking cane on the floor a bit. "Now then, he is there, because I received word that one of my greatest enemies has shown up there again." The Arch-Duchess continued, sighing. "They go by The Teacher. They have no corporeal form, and have been a bane to life for several cycles now." She added, sighing once more. "This time, and the last few times as well, they've breached the wall between cycles, by infesting the mind of that worlds, that is Equestria's Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow..." Fluttershy said, blinking a bit once more, now looking at Sunset worriedly.
"What... What will happen to our Rainbow?" Sunset asked, also worried for her friend. "I mean... the worlds are connected, right?"
"They are, but not in that sense." Wizard spoke up, holding a small gadget. "The only thing connecting our worlds, that is this world, and your home world Sunset, is the mirror portal." He said, laughing a bit. "Well... that, and the magic you brought from your world."
"Yeah, sorry about that... Wait... you... do all of you know?" Sunset asked, looking at them, before looking up at the Arch-Duchess.
"I told them all of where you are from before you arrived to join us here Miss Shimmer." The Arch-duchess said. "But either way, back to the matter at hand. Rourke, is lying in wait, and secret, watching over that world for signs of The Teacher."
"And if he finds any?"
"That is when I will pull him out, and you Sunset, will go in to deal with the threat." The Arch-Duchess replied, to Sunset's inquiry. "As of now, I will be teaching you the magicks which have worked against The Teacher in the past. There's no guarantee they'll work this time around, but it is worth a try."
"And do I have a choice?" Sunset asked, blinking a bit softly, looking at everyone else. "Or is this one of those things, where I don't?"
"No, you do have a choice. Everyone always has a choice." The Arch-Duchess said softly, as the others nodded, and Fluttershy looked on in shock still. "Just know, if you choose to learn the magic I am offering, that everything has a price."
Meanwhile, in Equestria Pyro was softly sighing as he laid down in the hut he now called home. "Man, it's been awhile..." He said softly, as a small light flew around him. "Nice seeing you again too, Ner." He said, laughing a bit softly as he spoke.
"Nice to... YOU WERE GONE FOR ALMOST A THOUSAND YEARS YOU BASTARD!" The small pixie known as Ner yelled at her previous master. "That... That crazy draconequs wasn't worthy of my guidance... but..."
"Rainbow Dash? Is she?" Pyro asked Ner, smiling at his old friend.
"She might be, this one at least... Not the last one, she's a lost cause." Ner said, shaking her head as she spoke. "That blasted Teacher person got involved... and ruined everything after all."