Sunset: Through a Mirror Darkly

Sunset - Through a Mirror Darkly

by

Ariel Schnee

Prologue

She was Sunset Shimmer. Proud pupil, and protege, of Princess Celestia. Once a lonely orphan, but then picked by the Princess Herself. Taken to the palace, and made Her student.

She had been given the opportunity for the education she had so desperately wanted. An education that had been unavailable to a lowly orphan. And she seized it with both hooves. And she had studied hard, for years. She proved herself the better of many of the nobly born fillies and colts.

Decades had passed, and she had grown from a little filly to an adolescent of around thirty-three. Just starting to enter her adolescent years.

She was glad she was a pony. Most species only lived close to a hundred before they died of old age. Ponies lived to slightly over five-hundred before they died of old age.

She was the pony equivalent of one of the those species' teenagers. One with great knowledge... and power. And with what, she had thought, was a family.

Princess Celestia was like a mother to her. And had confided to her that She thought of Sunset as a daughter. She had even called her Her 'Little Sun'.

There were others Sunset was close to as well. Like...

Twinkleshine. Her marefriend. Who told her that she loved her. And would always be there for her.

Sunburst. A good friend. Also a member of the same... "club" she was a member of. Who told her that he would always have her back in dangerous situations.

Starlight Glimmer. Another good friend. Also a member of the aforementioned "club". Who was like a sister to her.

Cadence. Who she thought of like an older sister. Cadence had told her that she thought of her like a little sister. And that she'd be there for her.

Shining Armor, a rising star in the royal guard. She thought of him like a big brother. He thought of her like a little sister.

Twilight Sparkle. She thought of her like a little sister. Twilight thought of her like a big sister. And adored her.

Celestia had looked at her with pride, and told her how proud she was of her.

Was...

Was being the operative word. All that was in the past now. They would never look at her that way again.

They had learned the truth. The truth she had tried so hard to keep from them. The truth of... what she really was.

When Princess Celestia had somehow stumbled across her in her secret labs conducting her "experiments"... It had been..... bad. When She discovered that Sunset had been doing this for years, it had gone really bad. When She discovered that Sunset was hiding her real cutie mark under an illusion... And had been for years. And that Sunset's familiar wasn't really an eagle, but a... ... ... Yeah. ... Even more bad. ... And when they learned of her beliefs. That she worshiped a Dark Goddess. Of what ceremonies she performed. Of just what exactly she did with that sacrificial altar... It had gone straight to Tartarus then. ... Then when they had learned she was an undead soulless vampony. ... It had gone right into Tirac's cage.

Princes Celestia had put her on trial, and forced her to tell the Truth with truth-telling magic spellcraft. So, she had told the Truth. She would never forget the looks of disbelief, horror, disgust, disdain, loathing, revulsion, and etc.. that She had looked at her with then.

She was questioned by others, tried, and convicted. Now here she was, in this cell... somewhere in the Canterlot dungeons. Her magic nullified by the magic-nullifier on her horn, chained to the wall, and waiting for it. Waiting until the dawn came. And with it, a fate worse than death.

Now here she was. Locked in this cell. Most of those she considered family having turned on her. The rest... The ones who weren't at her trial. She could come to only one conclusion. They were either in hiding... or they were perma-dead. Perma-death... You just didn't come back from that state. Ever. If they were...

Sunset sniffled, and let a tear fall down her muzzle. And then the dam broke. And she cried, and cried, and cried into the uncaring night.

In Her Royal Chambers, a snow-white alicorn was laying on Her bed... Sobbing... Powerful, heart-rending, grief-filled sobs of despair... and mourning.

"Oh My Little Sun." She mumbled to Herself. "Why? Why did you do it? Why? Why?"

She stiffened when She felt a hoof touch Her. Then she heard the voice of one She cared about.

"Auntie?" asked Cadence. "Are you alright?"

Celestia whirled Her head around at the stupid question and snarled "NO Cadence! I AM NOT alright! I just learned that My daughter, My precious Little Sun, is a MONSTER! A THING! An ABERRATION! You know WHAT we do to undead vamponies! You know WHY! To let someTHING like THAT free to roam! To let IT continue unopposed, to do who knows WHAT to My little ponies! I had no CHOICE! I HAD to sentence her to exile to Tartarus!"

Then Celestia's rage fell away, leaving only the countenance of a devastated mare. Then she laid her head back down, and let out a heart-rending wail. "MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER! MY LITTLE FILLY! MY LITTLE SUN!"

Cadence glomped onto Celestia, offering what comfort she could. Trying to comfort the grieving, devastated mare. Trying to do what little she could to ease her emotional suffering, and pain, now.

After a while, Celestia's sobs had quieted down.

"Yes, this is a terrible situation." said Cadence. "But... Remember that's she's not really Your daughter. You took her from the orphanage, and made her Your student. You never really adopted her."

Celestia just cried. "..." She muttered.

"What?" asked Cadence.

"..." Celestia said in an inaudible tone.

"I couldn't hear that." said Cadence.

"YES SHE IS!" screamed Celestia, causing Cadence to rear back in sudden shock. "SHE IS MY DAUGHTER! SHE'S MY BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER!"

Cadence just sat there... stunned. "W...W... What?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"It was the only way." said Celestia in a quite voice. "She was born a unicorn. Not an alicorn. She was weak, and helpless. And there was the Zebrican assassin's order. The Order of the Red Hoof Blades. They have wanted Me dead a long, long, long time. But lack the power, ability, or items to kill an Alicorn. But if they had known she existed... They would have struck at her. Just to hurt Me emotionally. I had to hide her. I had to. ... My pregnancy, and her birth, were secrets. Only a select, and trusted, few knew anything. And so I gave birth to her, and her brother. Then cast powerful magics to hide their real auras. So that the Red Hoof could not trace them. Then I had them sent to an orphanage. So that they would be safe from them there. I... I... I only got to hold them for a few minutes. Before I lost them by sending them away to keep them safe. Then... Then I got her back. I.GOT.HER.BACK. I was soooooo happy. I had My little filly back again. True, as a student. But... It was... something. ... ... ... ... And then today... This horrible horrible day... I have lost her again! ... ... And tomorrow... Tomorrow I... I... I have to... have to... have to DO WORSE THAN TO KILL MY OWN DAUGHTER!" Celestia wailed out Her despair, and grief. And then She fell limp.

"Brother?!" asked Cadence in shock.

Celestia tearfully said "Yes... Her twin brother... Sunburst."

"Sunburst!" exclaimed Cadence. "Starlight Glimmer's coltfriend! That Sunburst?!"

"Yes." said Celestia.

... ... ... "Wow." said Cadence. "Just... wow. That's..."

Celestia just sniffled.

Moments passed... ... ... ... ... And then Cadence softly asked "Do they know?"

Sniffling, Celestia looked at her and asked "What?"

"Do they know?" asked Cadence once again.

"Yes, and no." Celestia said, a single tear falling lonelyly down Her muzzle. "I told Sunset the truth about being My daughter. About what happened, why I did it, and how I felt. I didn't tell her about Sunburst. ... ... Sunburst doesn't know any of it either. ... ... She... She... She... FORGAVE ME!" wailed Celestia. After a while, She calmed down again. "She said she understood why I did it. And that she wanted us to be mother, and daughter. Even if it had to remain a secret. She told Me that she knew I loved her. And then she told Me that she loved Me. That everything's fine now, and we could be together."

...

...

...

...

"Why didn't you tell her about her brother?" asked Cadence. "Why didn't you tell Sunburst, or Starlight, anything?"

Celestia sniffled and said "Sunburst was adopted, and has a happy family that he loves deeply. I... I..... didn't want to mess that up. His adopted parents don't know anything about it either. It's best not to break up that happy family. As for Starlight... There was no reason for her to know anything."

"She's going to marry Sunburst one day." stated Cadence. "You do realize that, don't you?"

Celestia shrugged.

"Those two love each other." Cadence said. "Believe me, I know."

"Perhaps." Celestia said. "If she does, I'll consider telling them. If she doesn't, then I might only tell Sunburst. ..... ... Perhaps you are right, and I should tell him. No reason to tell Starlight unless she actually does marry him. If she does, good for him. She's a very smart mare, she is."

"She's the most brilliant mage since Starswirl the Bearded." Cadence stated. "She took many of his spells, and improved them beyond what Starswirl could have ever envisioned. She finished many of his spells that he couldn't. She has an entire wing in the Canterlot Library dedicated to her. She unlocked the secret of true temporal manipulation."

Celestia nodded at Cadence at that one. "She outdid the Time Lords on that one." Celestia stated rather proudly.

"Yes." said Cadence. "They just showed up one day, and asked to study the spell. They said they were rather impressed by it. That 'Doctor' fellow was particularly nice about the whole thing too. So was his granddaughter. Susan, I believe her name was."

"Starlight is worthy of Sunburst..." Celestia stated. "The two of them will achieve much together. I don't suppose you can...?"

"Auntie!" cried out Cadence, shocked. "I don't meddle with ponies's emotions! ... .... Not after that last time... Eugh... I didn't know they were brother and sister..."

Celestia shuddered at that. They had managed to get the spell canceled... Only for the two siblings to decide they really did love each other, and to run off together... somewhere. Yes... Cadence had good reason not to mess with ponies's emotions ever again. ...

...

...

...

...

"Maybe it's not so hopeless..." said Cadence. "Maybe Sunset's not completely evil. Maybe there's still hope for her somehow."

Celestia shook Her head. "Cadence, she's a necromancer. And a worshiper of a Dark Goddess. She was foalnapping ponies, sacrificing them, animating their dead bodies, binding their souls to them, and making them her undead servants. She also willingly practiced Nameless Rites, and Unspeakable Rituals, to became an undead vampony. And drank the blood of other ponies. She also willing sacrificed her soul to her Dark Goddess, destroying it utterly! Just to gain True Immortality! ..... ..... Once a pony's gone that far, there's no coming back again."

Cadence sighed. "Yes, she foalnapped ponies and sacrificed them. But, all those ponies she sacrificed were guilty. They were murderers, rapists, pimps, drug dealers, and... Ugh. The worst ones of them. Ewww, they were foal molesters. Sunset actually did us all a favor. Getting rid of ponies like that."

Celestia sighed. "I know Cadence. If it had just been that... Then I could go easy on her. But, she's an undead soulless vampony. And a necromancer. One whose real cutie mark is a talent in subduing, binding, and controlling the dead. ... And that thing she bonded to. ..." Celestia shudders. "A Shadow Bird..." She whispers. ... ..... "You know I cannot let an undead vampony like that roam around free." She says in a very sad voice.

"Couldn't you just banish her instead Auntie?" asked Cadence, while stroking Celestia's mane very gently.

"No." stated Celestia. "If I did, she'd just start doing the same wherever I banished her. It would be an act of war against whatever country I sent her to. Considering what she would do to the poor souls there... Literally, the poor souls there."

"What about Stone Imprisonment?" asked Cadence.

Celestia sighed. "No. It wouldn't work. Her necromantic powers, and True Immortality, would weaken the Imprisonment in a matter of weeks. The only way is to... to... to... to... cast her body... into... Tartarus... to... to... b... BE IMPRISONED NEAR TIRAC'S CAGE! My... My... MY OWN DAUGHTER! ... MY LITTLE FILLY!..."

Celestia broke down, and wept again. Cadence held Her, and comforted Her as best she could. It was going to be a verrrrry long night.

Sunset had finally got herself under control. She didn't think things could get worse. She had lost everything, and everyone, she cared about earlier today when her mother had caught her. She had lost them all when they heard the Truth from her own lips, and they had all rejected her. She was going to be condemned to Tartarus by her own mother tomorrow! Forever. ...

'Such is the fate of an undead soulless vampony necromancer.' she thought rather sadly.

...

'No!' she thought. 'I WILL NOT let this happen! I am Sunset Shimmer. I am smart, proud, mighty, majestic, worthy, strong, and sooo many other things.'

'I am a brilliant academic, a gifted spellcaster, powerful, driven, passionate, full of life... I know what I want to achieve in life! Er... Unlife? ... ... And I have the skills, and dedication, to get there!'

'I am the youngest unicorn to achieve the spells I have achieved. I am an Elite Necromancer in the Circles of Death. I am an undead vampony! I am Truly Immortal! I am a faithful worshiper of a Dark Goddess. The Dark Goddess Liananna, Goddess of Darkness and Shadows. I am well regarded amongst those who worship Her. I AM NOT giving up! I WILL find a way out of this! I WILL break free!'

She struggled against her bonds, a determined expression on her face. She pulled on the chains with all her might. She flexed her muscles, trying to weaken the chains' hold.

Then, in a flash of darkness, a bird teleported into the room.

Sunset stopped struggling, and looked at the bird. An expression of wonder, relief, happiness, joy, and other such things spread across her face.

"SNOWBANK!" she exclaimed in happiness. "YOU'RE ALIVE! THANK LIANANNA!"

She was crying tears of joy.

"Oh I'm soooooo glad to see you again my friend." she said, her voice one of intense relief. "But... how? I thought Celestia had... killed you..."

Snowbank warbled a trilling tone, that was relaxing. Well, to Sunset it was relaxing. Most beings would be covering their ears in pain now.

"HA!" she exclaimed. "I should have known not even a Sun Goddess would get the better of you! Think you can help me to escape now?" She gestured to the chains with her head.

Snowbank warbled something that might have been interpreted as something like 'Of course I can. What do you take me for? I am a being of Darkness and Shadows. It's really easy. I'll have you out of there soon.' Of course, Sunset heard it loud and clear. Thanks to their telepathic, and empathic, link with each other. A link that had now come back. A link that was no longer snapped.

"How?" she asked. "I felt the link the SNAP! I thought you had DIED!"

"Sorry to worry you Sunset." Snowbank sent. "I had to dive into the Shadow Plane to escape Sunbutt's solar laser. I'm sorry that I worried you my friend."

"You had to dive into the Shadow Plane?!" Sunset exclaimed. "That's just... Wow... You've never had to do that before."

"I was never in such danger before." he explained.

"Yeah." she said. "Mom's solar lasers do pack a punch."

He looked at her. "You still call Her that?" he asked, with just the faintest hint of disapproval there. "After She betrayed you?"

She sighed. "She might have rejected me..." she explained. "But, she's still my mother. And... I still love Her."

He shook his head. "You're free to feel as you want to feel. Still, I think your soft feelings for Her may be your undoing."

"Maybe..." she said. "Hey. How about getting me out of here now, alright?"

"Hold on." he sent. Then his right wing started to glow dark. He passed it over the chains. The chains crumbled to dust. He did the same for the horn cap. And then, it too, crumbled to dust. Sunset's body was completely unharmed.

Sunset fell down to the floor, twisting in mid-air to land on all fours. She shook her head, and body, like a dog does. Then she regained her balance.

"Let's get out of here." she said.

"Where will we go?" he asked. "You're a wanted criminal with an imprison-on-sight order just waiting to be issued on you after you escape. There aren't many lands that would accept us. Of the ones that would, very few are capable of standing up to Her. Of the ones that are, we'd be in more danger from the inhabitants there than we would from Her."

"The mirror." she explained. "I know where there's a mirror that opens a dimensional tunnel gateway between universes. If we can make it there, we have a chance."

"Isn't that the mirror that only opens for three days every thirty moons?" he asked.

"Yes, it is." she said. "And tonight's the last night it will open, until another thirty moons. We've got less than two hours to get there, and get through it."

"We're going to just go there now?" he asked.

"No." she explained. "We've got to get out of here first. Then, we'll loot the place a little. No reason to leave empty-hooved afterall. I am Celestia's daughter. That gives me a right to some of the things here."

"Sounds like a plan." he said. "Well, let's get out of here first. Then loot the place, get to the mirror room, and go through it to... wherever then."

Sunset had her ear pressed against the door. "We'll need to make a stopover in the guardroom too." she said. "There are guards in there. And I'm feeling rather..." She let her retractable fangs out. "Hungry."