Chapters Light footsteps broke the snow over the old Cosmodrome. The footsteps of a Guardian of Light, a Champion of the Traveler. White armored robes fluttered in the light wind. Gold and crimson highlights slashed across the mastercrafted robes, and segmented armor. A voice, a voice he had lived with, fought with, and died alongside sounded in his head. “Eyes up Guardian!” He lifted his eyes to meet the single one of his eternal companion. His Ghost, his Little Light. Clad in a gold and fiery red shell, he spoke, “I am detecting Fallen signatures in the area, nothing to be worried about, but still, be cautious.”
I materialized my Revolver and held it at the ready. We kept walking onward towards our destination, steadily working my way back. Back where? To the place I had died, the place where I had been awakened, the place where I had picked up the fight against the darkness. The place where I had lost all memory of my life before. I was almost there when Little Light appeared. “Guardian, Little Sun is calling in for reinforcements.”
I had to smile at that, “How far out, and why is her Guardian not making the call?” Little Light shook his chassis and gave a short laugh.
“You know Sunset would never call in for help, plus it’s only about a klick out.” I smiled lightly at a memory of a young Fireteam Sunbrand setting out for the House of Wolves, a Sunset leader at the helm. “I’ll message them now…”
“No,” My response was so quick, Little Light almost got whiplash from the recoil. “Let’s surprise them, for once.” If Little Light had a mouth, it would be grinning.
We set out, not even needing my Firebird for the short run. I ran up a tall hill, which cut down into a small canyon with a single exit, and closed in was a single Guardian. Another Warlock, like him, but she was much more brash, and aggressive, a veritable titan compared to him, a more hunter like presence.
I readied my Radiance and jumped. Mid-air I appeared to slow, and as I did, I lined up shot after shot, putting a single bullet into jackal after jackal. Seconds before I reached the ground, I gathered his Solar Light around me, and used it to disperse my kinetic force into a ground-pound. Killing more Fallen cannon-fodder.
Activating my Radiance I ran on the wall whilst lobbing Solar Grenades at the Fallen. A couple managing to shatter the Captain’s shield. I wall-ran towards Sunset, who had jumped up and had taken advantage of the Captain’s vulnerability by pinging his skull with a burst from her pulse rifle. Another Sunsinger like him, Sunset focused more on defense and light, while he was more attune to speed and light.
I leaped behind the log Sunset was using as cover, and nestled into a spot next to her. “Praise the Sun! Your not dead!”
She glared at me with the fury of a thousand suns. “Praise the Sun… I told Little Sun that I didn’t need help!”
I lifted his head above the log, only to drop it back down after nearly having to taken off. I looked at Sunset, and in an inquisitive tone asked, “Really?” She, predictably, just got pissed.
Then, unpredictably she pulled out her Dragon’s Breath and fired a trio of rockets towards the fallen, eliminating the lot of the in a wave of Napalm. “Easy G.I! We DON’T want to burn down these jungles!” I shouted. Sunset put away her sophisticated napalm launcher, crossed her arms, and glared.
“I told you I had that under contro…” And as she said that, we heard a rumble in the distance, “Of course I had to jinx it…” We both grew silent as the rumbling grew stronger. Glancing at each other we lept into action. Running, jumping, and gliding to the top of the canyon. Pulling out her Scout Rifle, Sunset aimed in the general direction of the noise and cursed. “Of course its some of those fuckers!”
“What is it? Cabal? Vex? Rouge Warmind?” I joked, (hopefully).
Sunset frowned, “No, something much more annoying. A pack of ogres.”
I face palmed and looked up, “How many, how far out, our chances of not dying repeatedly, and why us?”
Sunset grinned, “To answer all of those in order, not enough, twenty klicks, zero, and why not!”
I shook my head while smiling, and stretched my arms out, “Well, we shouldn’t be late for the party, how many heavies do you have left?”
“None.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
After plenty of bullets, magic, explosives, and only a couple of revivals later, the last ogre had finally been toppled. I took off my silver chrome dome and wiped the sweat from my head. Sunset sat down next to me, helmet of, and started cleaning her rifle. “So,” I asked, “how come your so far from your usual routes? You usually stick to those school ruins in Old America.”
“I found something, something about my old life…” Now that had been surprising, few Guardians remember their old lives, I knew of 3, Sunset, an old Shipwright, and good ol’ Ikora, “I found a piece of Vex tech connecting two shards of mirrors in two different places, one in Old Canterlot, the other in Old Russia, I just thought if I found it, I might be able to find some evidence of… well, it doesn't matter anymore.”
I scooted closer to Sunset and put my arm around her shoulders, “You don’t have to tell me what your looking for, just tell me how to help.” She looked shocked.
“Come on Sunny, I’m your friend, and the Traveler will be damned before I refuse to help my only friend.” She hugged me back and had Little Sun relay the coordinated to Little Light. We set out for the ruins the signal came from. “By the way, how did you end up in that canyon?”
Sunset mumbled something unintelligible, “Come on Sunset, you can tell me.”
She looked at me and was about to speak when her Little Sun appeared, “She tripped,”
I had to choke back a laugh, “You… what?”
Sunset had the decency to look away, “I tripped, I was looking down the canyon and I slipped on some ice.” We laughed and kept walking, passing snow mounds and ice covered ruins. Old Russia was truly beautiful this time of year.
We were finally here, a snow bound shipwreck. Golden age tech it looks like. We were about to head in when a Fallen dropship approached. We both ducked down behind some scattered ship parts, now acting as cover.
Sunset peaked out, looking back at me she listed what she saw. “I see a Walker, a pair of Servitors, about twenty bigger shanks, a dozen vandals, and a captain. Not to mention the fifty plus dregs with them.”
“Damn, can’t we every catch a break?” Little Light spoke to me in my head, following my thoughts, “As if we ever can catch a break.”
I tapped Sunset on the shoulder, “Well, we shouldn’t keep the party waiting. Firebird or Phoenix?” Firebird was a simple plan, first we attack the cannon fodder, utilizing our Radiance to eliminate bigger groups, then working together to attack the big guys.
“Phoenix,” Phoenix was a little more complicated, one member attacks the fodder while the other tackles the boss alone, head on. Either they kill the boss (unlikely but it does happen) or they die, and then utilize their Fireborn Radiance to weaken the boss and then aid the other in slaughtering the rest of the cannon fodder. After that, both parties use their Radiance to kill the big boss. “I’ll hit the Servitors and the Walker, take care of that Captain.”
I smiled, you could always count on Sunset biting off more than she should. “Alright, see you on the other side Firebird.” I jumped off the log, and threw a Solar grenade into the biggest group of dregs. I pulled out my Revolver and while hovering in the air, shot three vandals through their heads. I dropped down as soon as enemy fire hit where I had been.
Looking at Sunset she was doing… better than I thought she would be. She was ducking behind cover to throw off the Captain's tracking shots, and once in a while, threw grenades at the Servitor. Often using the Walker itself as cover.
Going back to my fight, I ducked under a swing by a dreg. Then pulled out my blade, The Young Wolf’s Howl. I took off the dregs arm, then head. I pulled out my Auto Rifle and mowed down the hoard of dregs.
I turned towards Sunset as I heard a loud screech. Turns out that came from a Walker with two shattered knees. Curtsy of Sunset’s shotgun, now being used to lay suppressing fire on a Servitor. But it wasn’t working. The Servitor charged up it’s attack and shot a beam right through Sunset, dissipating her into dust. I grinned under my helmet, the fight was just beginning.
Sunset rose from her ashes with fiery wings, blasting the remaining shanks and vandals. I activated my own Radiance and started blasting the Servitor with Solar Light. Sunset and I swapped out, now I was dodging the Fallen's shots, while she was putting hundreds of bullets into it’s back with her Pulse rifle. I threw a final Fusion grenade at the Walker and watched it take the Captain with it.
But finally it was over, and we collected ammo and engrams from the bodies around us and proceeded inside.
Inside we found, nothing really. Just a couple of chests, a few broken computer screens, and an unopened golden-age storage area… We both got into a mad rush, sending Little Light, and Little Sun into the hardware to try and break down the door. “Is this, what you were looking for?” I asked Sunset, Golden-age tech, let alone unscavenged Golden-age tech was extremely rare. This was probably the greatest find in a hundred years!
“I hope it is,” Sunset was about to say something else after that, but then the doors opened, and we were shocked. Inside was a ship. A Golden-age ship, similar in design to most Guardian ships, but this one was armed, armored, and looked big enough for two people to live in. Not just enough space for a cockpit and digital storage area.
The hatch was open, so we walked in. Inside their was a small hanger, enough for two little Guardian ships. Further in was incredible, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a duel-pilot cockpit, and a digital storage port. Sunset and I dissolved our helmets and looked at each other, “This thing is incredible.”
“Mhm…”
“But it isn’t what you were looking for.”
“Right.”
I looked a Sunset, “It’s ok, we’ll find what your looking for, and if we can’t, we’ll sell the ship and use the glimmer to look for more info, ok?”
Sunset turned and hugged me, “Your a good friend. Even if your my only one.”
“What about that Shopkeeper in the City?”
“He overcharges Guardians,”
“The Gal from the bar?”
“Rude,”
“Zavala?”
“Mean as hell to me, and a sarcastic know it all.” I had to laugh at that, Zavala is pretty rude to Sunset.
We got up and were making towards the cockpit to fly it back to the tower, when Little Sun appeared. “Eye’s up Guardian, I found something in the digital storage port,” said the female voice of Sunset’s Little Sun. “You’ll want to see it.”
A black box with hydraulic seals formed out of compressed glimmer appeared in Sunset’s lap. She took it and opened the seals. Inside was a velvet bag, about the size of a business card. Sunset, with shaky hands pulled the drawstring and took out a piece of glass. A piece of glass infused with Light. I could feel the Light coming off of it. “Wow.”
“I found it… the last one, the last piece. The last shard of the Mirror.” Sunset was crying, tears of joy.” She hasn’t cried in years.
“You’ve found it, what now?” I was a bit confused, what mirror, what could a Light infused Mirror have anything?
“I’m going back to Old Canterlot, and I want you to come with me. I want someone there. So I can prove to myself that I really can go back.”
“Sunset, I don’t know whats going on, but this is related to your past, i’ll help. Not like we haven't earned a break from this never ending war.” We got up and headed toward the cockpit. Setting new course, Old Canterlot, High School ruins.
We were cruising on the atmosphere of the world, getting a little time to take a shower. Sunset went first, coming out while brushing her red and gold flaming hair. Her skin was pale, but with a faded natural tan. She was like a Phoenix. Even her Solar Light was more red than my golden Solar Light.
I myself had white skin. With choppy brown hair and eyes. But it never felt natural, like living in someone else’s body. Other Guardians sometimes had the same problem, but most of us just had to live with it, a constant presence, always feeling like a squatter in an abandoned house.
I got out and had reappeared my armor on my body, just as we set down. We stepped out of the ship, and Little Sun broke down the ship into memory, just like we had both done to our other ships. “Just insurance, wouldn’t want another Guardian to lay his claim on our ship.”
“Hmm, smart.”
We walked to the old school. Looking around I saw plenty of wreaked statues and old murals depicting horses, unicorns, and pegasusai. Odd but not the weirdest thing I've ever seen in a ruin. We walked towards the ruined main building, where in the front was a large statue of a horse on it’s hind legs. Sunset walked to the front of statue, and put a hand on the stone.
Then she pressed down a little while infusing her hand with Light, and her hand fell in. Looking a little closer shows that the stone had turned transparent, revealing a mirror with a chunk of glass missing. She took out the shard of glass from the velvet bag, and place it in.
Nothing happened for a solid two seconds, then all the cracks in the mirror started glowing with Light, and fused together, into a single mirror. Sunset stepped back and looked at me smiling. “I guess this is goodbye…”
“Goodbye? Where are you going?”
“Home, I’ve been gone for far too long, and I just can’t wait. So this is goodbye, I’ll miss you.” A tear fell from her eyes. “I’ll always rememb…” Whatever she was about to say was interrupted when the Main building of Canterlot High School blew up. A massive armored scorpion rose out of the crater. This thing was bigger than the Riven. We stood no chance, “Little Sun, call the Tower, and tell them to scramble everyone out here, and I mean EVERYONE!”
As Little Sun called them, I looked at Sunset. “How about one more fight before we say our goodbyes?”
“Sounds good, how about we pull a Dragon this time?” Dragon was their big boss strategy. One Warlock is on the offensive, dealing massive damage and keeping their attention, while the other targets weakspot and joints. Interrupting otherwise lethal attacks. “I’ll pull his aggro, hit it’s legs.”
I nodded and pulled out my Revolver, running under it’s legs and right behind it. Sunset lobbed a Fusion grenade at it’s face while back peddling. I threw another one at one of it’s legs and had a crazy idea. I looked around and saw a water tower nearby. I sent Sunset a message with my plan, and after getting her to agree with it, we put the plan in motion.
I shot the Scorpion’s knee joints with my Solar infused gun. Attempting to cut down it’s mobility. Then after getting Sunset’s signal, I started running to the water tower. And after reaching it, started the long climb up.
Meanwhile Sunset was dodging a very large stinger, multiple blasts of dark colored lasers, and a very angry pair of mandibles. It probably had something to do with the Fusion grenade she threw in it’s mouth. Dodging it’s attacks, she repeatedly shot the eyes of the scorpion, doing little to no damage compared to the vast well of health it had, curtsy of her Ghost’s inbuilt hud. Blasting it with her Dragon’s Breath she noticed that it at least did a little damage.
Dodging another hit from the stinger, she looked at the water tower where her fellow Guardian was. Just then he sent out a wave of Solar Light, signaling that he was ready. Sunset smiled, the plan was ready.
I stood balanced on the top of the water tower. Solar grenades were at the feet of the tower, ready to blow them off. I watched as Sunset ran to my position, when she got the Scorpion close enough I blew up the grenades. Causing the tower to start falling. The Scorpion hardly noticed as it chased it food in flame colored armor. Then she summoned her Sparrow and hopped on, flying away from the blast zone.
The tower fell on the Scorpion, dealing a healthy amount of damage and partially immobilizing it. And as it hit the scorpion I jumped and boosted my Glide to make it to it’s head. I ran to it’s eyes and started stabbing with my The Young Wolf’s Howl. Then I started firing my biggest guns there too. At some point Sunset had managed to join me and we whitled down it’s health. But as it reached the midway point. A scorpion about three times the size of this one broke down the mega shopping mall it was hiding under. We looked at the big one, then the little one, then the big one again. “How many Scorpions are born in a clutch?” I asked,
“About two hundred give or take.”
“Fuck.”
We ran towards the Mirror. I wanted to run and materialize the ship, but Sunset made a good point. We would be long dead a hundred times before we would have the opportunity to do that. So she had us run to the Mirror. I don’t know what it does, but I sure hope it works. The scorpion was gaining on us, and we didn’t have the chance to summon our Sparrows. So we ran, ran as fast as we could. Sunset ran ahead with a burst of speed out of nowhere and dove through he mirror. I had no chance to question it, I dove through right after her. After I was through, I barely caught a glimpse of the giant smashing both the statue and the mirror. I sighed and sat down. I started laughing and looked at Sunset, then immediately stopped. Sunset wasn’t there anymore. Instead was what looked like a horse in Sunshrine Warlock Robes. With a horn sticking out of it’s head. “Sunset? What happened to yo…” I looked at the arm I was pointing at her with and screamed, it wasn’t an arm anymore, it was a Traveler damned horse leg! “What in the Light happened to me!”
The horse across from me laughed nervously, “Heh… well I guess I better explain. Welcome to Equestria.”
“So, what your saying is that your from a world full of Magic, Rainbows, and tramp-stamped Ponies.” I looked at the unicor-Sunset’s turquoise eyes. Even while a hors-pony, she still looked like Sunset, she still even had that twitch in her eye when she tells you something she knows and you don’t believe it.
“Yes,”
“With no Darkness, no Traveler, and now, no way home.”
“Yes,”
“And when you dragged me into the portal I came out as a pony.”
“Yes. Well technically a pegasus, but still a pony.” She took a deep breath in, “Listen, I know it looks like there’s no way back but…”
“AND, I am completely fine with this.” Hah! Twice in one day, I have managed to shock Phoenix, Leader of Fireteam(Of Two) Sunbrand! Cayde-6 must be rolling in his Immortality right now!
-Somewhere on the other side of the Universe-
-Cayde-6 was having a weird dream. In his dream an odd being, cartoonishly made of mismatched animal parts was tickling him to death with a laser-sword in the shape of a giant feather. All while singing to the lyrics of “I Have The Power!”.
-And unbeknownst to him, he was subconsciously rolling in his bed while giggling furiously (which he later denied as Hunters Do NOT giggle, and much less do Exo’s sleep. Even as videos floated through the tower of the treasonous act, curtsy of his Ghost, Sundance.)
-As he was being tried before the Council of Hunters, he had the subconscious instinct to sneeze, as if someone was talking about him… Well Of COURSE someone was talking about the Greatest Hunter Vanguard in EXISTENCE! Even as Sundance informed him that they were most likely talking about his trial.
-He had the oddest instinct to blame it all on Fireteam Sunbrand, which he did. AND was granted a full pardon! SO THANK YOU AND FUCK YOU, FIRETEAM SUNBRAND!
-Back to the Present, presented by Vex time warps-
“WHAT!?” Shouted Sunset Pony, sorry, Sunset Shimmer .
“I know right? Sure I was confused as to why I was a pony, but you’ve got to admit. We do deserve a break from fighting the Darkness… and Lord ‘YOU HAVEN'T THROWN ENOUGH GRENADES!’ Shaax!” Sunset brought up a hoof to cover her laughing. I joined in and we shortly found ourselves short of breath. Running for your life is a good way to cough up a lung.
Sunset got up to leave the small room but stopped when she only heard one pair of hoofs, hers. She looked back and saw Little Light’s Guardian still sitting on the floor, looking away from her direction. She looked confused and looked around to see what was wrong, only to realize that she had taken off ALL her armor and robes. Leaving her in, as Equestrian fashionistas put it, Au Natural . She realized her fumble and materialized her red and gold Sunshrine robes, along with a set of golden grieves and vanguards.
“Umm, hey… you realize your nude right?” I didn’t dare turn around after the first time. I heard the sound of armor materializing and looked back. Sunset was back in her robes, but lighter armored than she usually was.
She gave me a smile and began to explain, “Equestrians… thats us ponies. Mostly go around naked, as our body fur usually keeps us warm enough, and protects our other areas. Same with most other species too.”
She gained a thoughtful look on her face and looked more closely at me. I was still fully armored, with my helmet on still, so I didn’t know what she was looking at. “I’m going to need you to take off your armor.”
“What? Why?” I was confused, even more than when I first realized I had turned into a pony.
“Because,” She deadpanned, “You need a new name, and I can’t tell what to name you from under that armor.”
“...What?”
She took another breath and mumbled something about ‘stupid stallions,’ as her eye twitched. “In Equestria names have special meanings, usually relating to our Cutie Marks or colors of our coats and manes. I need to see yours so I can give you a name that won’t stand out… too much.”
I gave up on logic when I was reincarnated as a magical flaming Warlock, so I dematerialized my armor, robes, helmet, and weapons. I turned and looked at the cracked mirror we came through. I wasn’t like my earth self. My coat was a prismatic white, my hooves a golden hue, with a two-tone mane of red and gold, mostly gold with red highlights. Even my eyes were now golden, and for once, I felt right like this was the body to which I belonged, not that generic fop on earth.
I flapped the two white and gold wings at my side, smiling at the responsiveness. I turned to Sunset, only to catch her staring at my ass-”Flank actually, it’s where these ‘ponies’ have their Cutie Marks, or ‘Tramp-Stamps’ as you put it Guardian” said Little Light, always reminding me just how useful he was… except at hacking doors and computers, he’s slow as shit when it comes to that.
So she was staring at my flank. And when I looked at it, I was quite surprised to see Radiance, one of the Sunsinger emblems etched in gold on my flanks, four wings of fire, two large ones and two smaller ones. Sitting below a Sun, poised like a bird taking Flight, or Singing to the sky.
“Sunsong,” I looked at Sunset as she said my new name, “Yeah, that will work. Your new Guardian name is Sunsong. Welcome to Equestria Sunsong.”
“I like it, fits my Sunsinger class too.”
“Agreed, though I think time to celebrate your new name is over Sunsong. I think someone finally noticed your… less than stealthy entrance.”
Sunset looked at Little Sun as she spoke, “How can you tell?”
Little Light popped into existence next to Little Sun, “Because there’s twenty tangos rushing down the hall to this door. And a big one is coming too, though it’s full of Light, almost reminds me of... a Voidwalker? Curious.”
We both jumped up and materialized our full armor. Sunset was still wearing her Sunshrine robes. Red with golden highlights and slashes like a blade made them. A golden chestplate and helmet appeared, matching her grieves and vanguards in design. Pauldrons and upper leg armor appeared as a second thought, still golden though. Her Bond was turquoise, with a red and gold sun, with a yin/yang symbol, matching her Cutie Mark on it. ‘A vow to return the balance, now a vow to return home’
My robes were white. With gold borders, and red and gold decals, like racing stripes. My armor was white and gold bordered. My armor was less in quantity than Sunset’s, only a chestplate, set of grieves and vanguards, and my helmet. But no less in quality. My own bond was an intricate pattern of flames in the shape of wings. ‘A vow to fight the Darkness, and to fly in the wonder of the Light.’
We prepped our escape strategy, usually it was a combination of bullets, explosives, and space magic. But since we didn’t know if these were beings of Darkness or not, it was now no bullets, less explosives, and non-lethal space magic. No time like the present to make new friends by punching in their noses. “Isn’t that how you met Sunset?” Shut up Little Light, thats a story to recount over whiskey, space magic, and bullets… lots of bullets.
“Nothing complicated here. Defend your allies and defeat your opponents.” - Lord Shaxx
“So, what do we do, oh Glorious Phoenix?” The sound of hooves stomping closer and closer was betrayed to our, greater than average, ears.
“These are not Fallen, or Cabal, or any of the other spawns of Darkness. These are my people, normal ponies who are responding to an unknown threat. We will not hurt them.” Sunset looked to be deep in thought, perhaps she was talking with Little Sun?
Looking around the room for escape options left me disappointed, there were no moving platforms, traps, or parcore sections, “Are we going to talk our way out? Or blast through one of these walls?”
Sunset lifted a hoof to her chin, then she shrugged and looked at the only door in the room, “Lets see how this pans out. After all, if we keep trying, diplomacy is bound to work someday .” Sunset opened the door and stepped out with a moments hesitation. Sunset and I dematerialized all of our weapons, and stood in the hall, waiting for the ponies to turn the corner. Absent mindedly I noticed the poshness of the hallway, with marble everything inlayed with gold.
I small group of ponies in golden armor, literal GOLDEN ARMOR, were running towards us. But skidded to a halt when they noticed us standing there. They gaped at us, probably the highly advanced armor, or the robes, or maybe the latent magical energies hanging off of us like a cloak. Lord Shaxx would have a field day whipping them into shape, and then hand them real weapons instead of those sticks they called ‘spears’.
Sunset walked up to the guard in different colored armor, probably an officer or high ranking NCO. She lifted her pose until she resembled Commander Zavala’s own stance, commanding and strong. A wall against which the darkness would crash upon, and falter. “My name is Sunset Shimmer, Warlock, and I request an audience with Princess Celestia.”
The Officer/Senior NCO in his red tinted armor, gulped and was about to respond when a voice from behind the Goldies cried out, “We are sorry, Warlock Shimmer, but mine sister is in court. But wouldst thou come with us to answer some inquiries? Just until mine sister is free?” The archaic speaking, dark blue Pegacorn, “Alicorn… their called Alicorns,” corrected my Little Light. The dark blue Ali corn approached the two of us. Taking in the scars on our armor, and the mends in our robes.
“Sure, I’ve waited this long, I can bear to wait a little longer.” We followed the dark coated Alicorn to a blue door marked with a crescent moon and stepped inside. The guards splitting off and returning to do Traveler knows what. I looked around the night themed room, then jumped on a blue couch and nestled into the plush, even Ikora doesn't get as good of a seat as this one!
-Somewhere in a Galaxy one dimension hop away-
Ikora felt off… and it wasn't a good off. There never is, so when she sat down on her chair, expecting to meet with the warm and supple leather that her vanguard title earned her, she didn’t expect to sit on a rock. She jumped up and looked at the chair again, feeling even more off put. She reached a hand into her boot and pulled out a knife. Channeling her inner Bladedancer (even if she is a warlock) she slashed apart the chair and wouldn't stop until she hit something hard.
She threw away the knife and reached a hand into the leather and plush guts of the mess, and pulled out… a rock. She threw the rock in her frustration, it cracked loudly against the floor and split in two. She picked up one half and read “Property of Pie family Rock Farm, if found please return to the rock farm on the edge of despair and the cataclysm of boredom.
She screamed so hard, it shattered windows across the Last City, and was even heard by patrols in the Eastern hemisphere. “SUNBRAND!!!” the name of the infamous Fireteam (of two) rung in the court room the next day.
“Ikora Ray, you are now charged with property damage, AND breaking Warlock code by breaking your grace in front of non-warlocks!” The Councilwoman of the Warlock Bond pointed her finger at the vanguard, “What say you Ikora Ray?! What say you in defense of your actions?!”
Ikora muttered two words so quietly, even the Hunter spy situated in the rafters couldn’t hear what she said. “Speak Iko…” “IT WAS FIRETEAM SUNBRAND!” The Council gasped and flipped through notes, before shaking their heads. “Then if that is the case, you are free to go Vanguard Ikora, proud Warlock of the Bond.”
The Council bowed to the vanguard and left, leaving Ikora to fume by blasting the Hunter with Arc Light. “SUNBRAND!!!”
-Back to the actual Anti-Hero’s-
When I finally managed to pull myself out of the plushy couch, I just sat on the little patch of heaven. When I looked to the only other people, “Ponies”, fine… ponies in the room, and saw the two females laughing at me. I narrowed my eyes at Sunset, not that she could tell, and huffed a bit, which she could.
“My name is Princess Luna, Diarch of Equestia,” The blue Alicorn smiled and looked at the soon-to-be-dead Sunset, “If thou doesn't mind, thou hast not yet introduced thy companion,”
Sunset took off her helmet, materializing it, “Well, like I said earlier, my name is Sunset Shimmer,” Then she pointed at me with a hoof, “and that is Sunsong, my Brother-In-Arms and pain in my flank.”
The Alicorn smiled, “Thou mentioned being a Warlock, what didst thou mean by that?” At my… and to a certain degree, Sunset’s confusion. The Alicorn explained, “Well, most unicorns in Equestria art mages to a degree, and a few have served as Warmages. But the title of Warlock was used for practitioners of the dark arts. And I sense none of the foul magicks on thy soul.”
Sunset smiled lightly, “Well… that is a long story.” Princess Luna settled into her seat and prepared for the story, “And its one I do not want to repeated more than once, so if you don’t mind Princess. I would like to wait until Princess Celestia is done before telling you both.” The Princess nodded and lit her horn. A trio of mugs floated to her side, where she handed (Hoofed?) one to each of us. Materializing my helmet back into my storage, I took a sip from the mug. The spike of caffeine in my system died as my Light broke down the ‘poison’ , but the taste of black coffee was good enough for me.
Sunset sighed as she tasted the coffee, then knocked back the near-boiling drink. Using Solar Light quickly heightens your immunity to heat, even on the inside. “Oh thats good coffee.”
I tilted back my drink as well, even as the ‘Majestic Alicorn of the Moon’ started to giggle, which she later denied, as Alicorns do NOT giggle! “I couldn’t agree with you more. Hell, even back at the Tower, Cayde-6 has nothing on this!”
-Cayde-6 felt like he should be insulted. But then he took another sip of the coffee in his hand and agreed with the voice in his head (not Sundance’s voice, a different one,). Their Last-City Age coffee realy did suck. All of the Golden Age coffee secrets were lost alongside the rest of humanity. A true shame.-
The Princess looked at the two of us and asked, “A friend of yours?”
We shared a glance and started laughing, “Well... Cayde isn’t exactly a friend but a great mentor, and an even better Hunter. Were just picking fun at the coffee in the Tower, which compared to this Heavenly Elixir of the Gods, tastes like Vex mind-fluid.” The two Warlocks shuddered at the thought of that disgusting abomination. Comparing it to Vex mind-fluid was too kind!
“And the Tower?” A not so subtly prod at their background without getting too ‘Spanish Inquisition’ on them.
I saw no harm in telling her a little bit, “The Tower is our home. We sleep there…” “Eat there…” “Train there…” “Dance there… It’s our home, no way to really describe it without doing it justice.” Sunset finished off, catching on with my plan of ‘tell them a bit, but not too much’.
Princess Luna raised an eyebrow and questioningly asked, “You... dance?”
We both shrugged at each other, “All of us knew how to dance so it kind of seemed obvious to do dance parties. They raised spirits and provided an opportunity to relax and blow off some steam. Usually we have dozens of Guardians dancing in formation or with partners. With others on the lasers or music. Hey Sunsong, what was that one group called? They did some of the best dancing and light shows?”
“Umm… Dog Fight?... no. Husky Raid, they were called Husky Raid. I still can’t believe they found a way to use their Light like that.” I remembered the shows they always put on. They used their Guns, Grenades, and Light, tools of war, to create awesome shows of Light, Song, and Dance. There shows quickly sold out every time, so I’ve only been able to make it to a couple of shows.
Princess Luna refilled our coffee mugs and asked another question, this time not related to the past, but the present. “What art thou’s intentions here in Equestria? After all, We… I doubt that this art a ‘social call’ as mine sister puts it.”
I decided to stop being a wallflower and answer for once, “Well, me being here is actually an accident. Sunset didn’t want me coming through the portal with her.”
Sunset glared at me and then punched me in the shoulder. “Of course I didn’t want you to come with me! I didn’t know if the portal would open again after I went through!”
“So you were going to abandon me and the Tower?!”
“Of course not! I just wanted answers!” A flicker of Light appeared over Sunset’s horn for a moment before flickering out.
“Than why couldn’t we have searched for them together?! Just like before?!” A spark of Light flew through my wings for a second before dying.
“This was something I had to do myself! Can’t you see that Sunsong?!” Her eyes started glowing with Light, at first dimly, but getting brighter slowly.
“We’ve fought at each others side for a millennium! Why would I abandon you now?!” My wings were slowly wrapped in the glow of Light, looking as if they were on fire.
“Um… Young Warlocks?” Princess Luna slowly edged herself further into her own seat. Reminded too deeply of the conflict between herself and her sister to try and pull the two apart. Even as the power surrounding the two rose above standard Alicorn levels, and slowly started matching the levels formerly only exhibited by Luna or Celestia themselves.
“Because I thought you would understand!” The Light between the two started to swirl as it interacted with equestrian magic and their emotions. It started to pulse, like a heartbeat, and objects around the room started twitching. Others were lifted off the ground or the walls and added to the swirling mass of Light.
Arc Light flowed through the clouds of Solar Light, as Void Light swallowed all surrounding light not formed by their sibling Lights.
“Understand what?! That you wanted to leave everything we’ve built together, leave me, while you went on an adventure where I might never see you again?!”
Finally, Luna had enough. “ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!” Literally… The Light around us was reabsorbed into the two of our bodies, returning to their hosts. The objects that had been picked up were suddenly dropped, but then picked up again by a dark blue light, and returned to their former place. “STOP SQUABBLING LIKE FOALS! PUT AWAY YOUR PETTY GRIEVANCES AND FOCUS ON THE PRESENT!”
I slumped down, ears folded back on my head. Sunset was much the same. We were being chastised like foals by a being that was several millennium older than us. Now at least I know how the young Guardians feel like when the Vanguard sentence them their punishments for breaking some petty law or something.
“Sister? I heard you yelling. Has a servant forgotten your nightly tea again?” I didn’t know the voice, not that it says that much, but Sunset did. If the way her ears swiveled towards the sound was any clue. “Sister?”
My body reacted to the door opening before my mind did. Sunset and I both materialized our helmets over our heads just as a giant Alicorn with a flowing rainbow mane walked in. Three things happened after that, most surprising, some not.
I had never been one to respect positions of power, just ask the Queen of the Reef. So I just kept sitting there, much to the amusement of the rainbow Alicorn. I kept my body loose and relaxed, but still ready to fight if need be.
Princess Luna looked at the newcomer and nodded at her, “Sister, I was just talking with these Young Warlocks whom art from lands far off.”
Sunset however, had jumped off of her couch and fell onto all fours with her front knees on the ground. It kind of looked like she was kneeling. She ducked her head and said with reverence, and a little fear. “Princess Celestia.”
The newest Princess in the room, Celestia. Looked towards us two, strangers in her castle, and then towards her sister. “Luna, who are they and why are they here?”
Princess Luna sat up and took another sip of coffee. “Today, at approx 12 o’clock. Guards in the North Tower reported a large flux in magical power. We took it upon ourself to investigate the surge. It turns out that a mirror had activated a portal in which these two Young Warlocks had been sprouted from. They left the room and approached the Guards. It was then that I asked them to my room for coffee and information. They claim that their story art a long one and wished that thy presence was present before regaling us with their tale.”
Princess Celestia sat down on the carpeted floor before asking Princess Luna something important. “If they requested for me to be here, then why wasn’t I informed?”
Princess Luna stopped drinking her coffee before setting it back down on a small dish. She then held up a hoof and smacked it into her head. “I art an idiot.” Hmm… it seems even royalty is fallible. I had already known that, but it was nice to get some conformation.
Princess Celestia got up off the floor while chuckling to herself, probably at the expense of her sister. She looked to the pony on the floor, “Rise warlock, there is no need to kneel in my presence behind closed doors.” Sunset got off the floor and sat beside me on my couch, leaving her old one for Celestia to use. “I am here now, so if you want, you may start your story.”
Sunset turned her head towards me and nodded, it was my turn to speak. Damn it. “I guess we better start from the beginning. Were from a world called Earth, in the Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy. Some time in the past a God-like being called the Traveler came to Earth and started our Golden Age. Rises in technology and science that would have taken centuries took days. The Traveler terraformed the other planets in our System so that they could hold life, and in Starships made from the technology the Traveler gave us, we rose to the stars and conquered the worlds around us.”
I dipped my head, in memory of what was to come. The Princesses seemed to understand what was going to happen as well. “We weren’t alone. There were others that desired what the Traveler held, others that the Traveler deemed not worthy of giving knowledge to. There were too many for our fledgling race. They held secrets and powers that we would never be able to understand, much less stand against. We were pushed back planet by planet. Cabal took Mars, the Red Planet, to add to their War Machine, their Legion. The Vex took Mercury and turned it into a Machine World, where their Infinite Forest exists only to make Guardians lose their minds. The Fallen wander the Galaxy, pillaging and stealing from all to try and regain some of their former glory. The Hive burrowed into our Moon, building up an army of their undead, death worshipers for centuries. And the Taken corrupt all they touch to the Darkness.”
“We were pushed back until only Earth remained, and not even that. All factions now fight on Earth. All wish our enslavement or death. But we fight, and the Traveler had given us the means to do that. One day the Traveler died, he had shut down, for what and why we didn’t know. But he left us a gift, a means to fight. Ghosts.” I held up a leg, and Little Light formed, Little Sun formed next to Sunset. “Ghosts were released and eventually bonded with long dead people. Human, Awoken, or Exo, it didn’t matter, if the Traveler felt that you could wield Light, then a Ghost would find you. And you would rise a Guardian. A partially Immortal warrior who protects the Traveler, The Last City, and the Light at all costs.”
“And so we Guardians fought the Darkness, our Titans were the wall on which the Darkness would crash against, and falter. Our Hunters found their ways in the woods and far off places. Fighting the Darkness wherever it spawned. Our Warlocks studied the Magic of the Traveler, discovering the secrets of the Golden Age, and of the Traveler. And how to use it to fight the Darkness. And eventually, we pushed them back, we shattered the Hive’s hold on our Moon. We broke the Cabal’s exclusion zone on Mars and shattered their War Machine. We killed Skolas, Kell of Kells of the Fallen. And any hope they had of taking back the Traveler. We slayed Oryx, and his son Crota, gods of the Taken and the Hive. We even shattered the Heart of the Black Garden, the hivemind of the Vex.”
“After all of this, things calmed down. The Darkness was still there, it will always be there. But now we had the chance to explore the secrets of the Golden Age, not just their weapons. We could resettle lost Cities, and rebuild Humanity. Eventually, when the fight was long gone. My partner and I were on patrol, and exploring. She had found something interesting in Russia. Turns out it was the last shard of a broken Mirror.” Celestia went a bit wide eyed at that part. “We Guardians lose all memories of our past lives when we become Guardians, everyone except for a select few. I know of two, and one of them turned out to be my partner. I had never asked about her life before. But it turns out that she wasn’t even from our Universe. She had come through a portal in a Mirror from another world, only to die and become reincarnated as a Guardian.”
Celestia turned to look at the mare sitting next to me, only now noticing the familiar brand on her robes, “S...Sunset?” She nearly choked on the words.
Sunset slowly dematerialized her helmet and looked at the Princess, “Hi… Mom.” (It’s my headcanon, shut up!)
Celestia jumped up and hugged Sunset, nearly crushing her ribs with her Alicorn strength, only impeded by Sunset’s Guardian body and Light. Celestia was even crying much to the surprise of her sister.
And after much discussion and talking, we eventually settled down. Celestia watched as I took of my helmet and dematerialized it. “Your… name is Sunsong, right?”
I was confused as none of us had actually told her my name yet. “Yes it is, how did you know?”
Princess Celestia looked down at Sunset, “Sunset, how much do you remember? Everything?”
Sunset shook her head, much to my and Princess Luna’s apparent surprise, “I don’t remember everything, only most of it. I remember you, and most of my lessons. But some days, I seem to black out for most of them. It’s just… gone.”
“As I expected. Sunset, Sunsong, I am sorry to ask this, but what are you to each other?”
Sunset and I looked at each other, I spoke first. “We’re friends.”
Then Sunset spoke, “We’re each others only friend,” Celestia looked at Sunset confused, “We’ve been together through thick and thin, always having each other's back. It’s been like that since day one. When we first met at the Tower we just clicked. We both went on a Raid together and decided to form a Fireteam together, Fireteam Sunbrand.”
Celestia gave a sad smile, “Just as I thought,” why does she keep saying that? “Sunset, you don’t remember this, but some of the first spells you learned were Pyromancy spells. After you became proficient with them a young Stallion in the Solar Guard started to seek you out. He wished to watch you use fire, as it was his Special Talent, even though he was a Pegasus. After a while the two of you started to hang out more and more during your free time.”
“The two of you fell in love, even though you didn’t know it yet. But one day, you wished for more power. The power to rule, or even move the Heavenly bodies as I did. You wished to become an Alicorn.” Sunset’s eyes widened at the part where Celestia mentioned her being in love, but I still didn’t see as to how this connected to me. “When I didn’t grant you this power you fled into the Mirror portal with the goal of using the realms magic to boost your own, and prove your power to me. That young Stallion from the Guard wished to bring you back. So despite orders to not do exactly that, he snuck out of the barracks during the night and knocked the portal’s guards unconscious. Then with nothing but his spear and armor, he went after you.”
“Soon after the Mirror shattered into a thousand pieces. And my hopes of ever seeing you again went with it.”
“Princess Celestia, I don’t see how this connects to me.” I spoke up.
She looked at me, “That stallion’s name… was Sunsong.”
“What?! How?!” both Sunset and I yelled. Princess Luna had removed herself from the conversation and was making a new pot of coffee.
“Princess that’s impossible!” Sunset spoke out against her (most likely adopted) mother.
Celestia looked at me, “Your Cutie Mark, is it of a Golden sun? With four wings of golden fire, two on each side?” At my nod she continued on. “I believe that you both died when the Mirror shattered, and were brought back by your Ghosts . I believe that Sunsong lost all of his memories prior to his awakening while Sunset only lost the ones pertaining to her interactions with you Sunsong.”
That… actually made a little bit of sense. “But why would only my interactions be lost from Sunset’s memories?”
“Because Equestrian magic hates a void. So when your memories, and what made you Sunsong were lost, Sunset’s memories became lost because she shouldn’t be able to remember what never existed. At least in that world.”
“Quick question Princess,”
“What is it Sunsong?”
“Will I be charged for going AWOL still?”
“Die! Die! Di-(cough) Sorry. I’ve been watching too many Iron Banner matches. What time is it? Shaxx? Shaxx, are you there? Can you get me a water? Stop yelling, it’s just a question. I’m not old!” - Lord Saladin Forge of the Iron Banner
