Phoenix-born Rising - The Ascension of Sunset Shimmer

by The Voice in the Water

Rating: teen
Tags: Drama, Equestria Girls, Philomena, Raven Inkwell, Profanity, Adventure, Violence, Princess Celestia, Human, Sunset Shimmer, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 374684

The day of ascension has come. After 300 years, a new phoenix shall hatch, and with that, one child with great potential shall be chosen to be reborn in its flames. But, when a young orphan is chosen, it throws everything into chaos.

The rite of the phoenix is one of the most celebrated moments among the sun-gazers of Solaria. For with the hatching of a new phoenix, comes the ascension of a new phoenix-born: a mortal chosen by the phoenix to be its new life partner and guardian. Only those with both strength and purity of their inner fire can draw the attention of a hatchling phoenix, so only the best of the best can ever hope to be chosen.

To one young orphan girl named Sunset Shimmer, she could only dream of witnessing the ascent of one of Celestia's chosen. As the day approaches, she learns that she will be able to, as she has been selected by the crown as one of the girls to serve at the event.

Little did she know that this would be the seminal event of her life, and change her fate forever.

Book One - The Choosing
Book Two - The Trials

Original abridged version was my entry into FanOfMostEverything's Imposing Sovereigns II contest. This is the expanded, full version.

Cover art by me.

Grammar and editing provided by ArgonMatrix (Up to Ch 7 of the Trials) and Incandesca (The Trials Ch 16 and on)

Published 2019-12-29 23:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-11-26 15:03:48 UTC

Ch 2 - The Choosing - Burn Bright Like A Flame

Tap tap tap.

Sunset was pulled out of the void of slumber by a strange tapping on the soul-gem embedded in her forehead. Whining and scrunching her face at the unpleasant sensation, she pulled her blankets tighter around her body and curled up, trying to ignore the irritation in favor of savoring the cozy warmth of the quilt. With a happy sigh, she settled back into her bed, not to go back to sleep, but simply enjoy the warm, wool cocoon she’d wrapped herself in.

Tap tap tap.

There it was again. That same unpleasant tapping. With an angry groan, Sunset slowly cracked open her eyes, intent on figuring out whatever was poking her. And, if possible, give it an introduction to the wall. At high speed.

Slowly, the world came into focus as she dragged her eyelids open at glacial speed, only to come face to face with the source of the irritation. Of all the things she could have expected, a pair of bright, gamboge eyes staring out of a light aquamarine face with a noon bright smile only centimeters away from her own hadn’t registered as a possibility. With a startled yelp of alarm, Sunset threw herself backwards, desperate to put some distance between herself and whoever or whatever was staring at her. Yet, in her rush to escape, she managed to tangle herself in her blankets, and went tumbling off the bed and onto the floor.

Sunset’s mind slowly began to fully awaken, process her current situation, and determine what her next few courses of action should be.

“Lyra…” Sunset hissed through her teeth. At the sound of her name, her fellow fire-caller peeked over the edge of the bed, staring down at Sunset with a giant, happy smile plastered on her face, which was partially obscured by a shock of her spiky, two-toned opal and light grey hair.

“Yes?” Lyra asked innocently.

“…tell me…” Sunset growled slowly as she lay on the ground snarled in a knot of blankets, “…have you ever heard the story of ‘the minstrel, the forgemaster’s apprentice, and the sledgehammer’?”

“Hmmm.” Lyra hummed thoughtfully as she tapped her finger on her chin, looking up at the ceiling. “I think you might have mentioned it three weeks ago when I was practicing the bassoon in the dining room. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering how badly you want a dramatic reenactment.” Sunset grumbled as she finally managed to detangle herself, before flopping back down to the floor. “Because I’m sure Bronze would let me borrow one of his three pound sledges for a few hours if I told him it was for a good cause.”

Laying down on her stomach and resting her chin in her palms, Lyra regarded her fellow orphan, the cheerful smile plastered on her face unwavering at the implied threat, her legs kicking back and forth like a pair of metronomes.

“What do you want Lyra?” Sunset said, her patience beginning to run out. “You didn’t wake me up and nearly scare me to death for nothing.”

“Do you remember what today is, Sunny?” Lyra chirped merrily.

“The day you realize that being happy and cute isn’t going to save you from me when I finally decide I want to get up and start moving again?” Sunset replied calmly as she glared at Lyra through narrowed eyes, “Because that’s what today’s starting to look like.”

“Close, but… no, I don’t think so.” Lyra said with a playful wink. “It's the day that you almost miss your chance to be tested for the phoenix rite because you’re laying on the floor instead of getting ready.”

“What!” Sunset shouted as a surge of adrenaline exploded in her veins, her irritation at Lyra vanishing in an instant. Scrambling wildly, she fought against her blankets in a desperate bid to get to her feet. After a few moments of flailing, Sunset managed to free herself and stand. “Why didn’t you say that earlier! Sacred light, how long until they start?!”

“Four hours, give or take.” Lyra replied.

“Four hours?!” Sunset snarled through clenched teeth as her panic died down. “You made it sound like they were just about to finish or something! Why would you do that?!”

“Eh, seemed like the best way to get you up.” Lyra tittered.

“That doesn’t mean you had to give me a panic attack!” Sunset said, her temper starting to cool off.

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it?” Lyra said as she rolled over onto her back and regarded Sunset “I heard you were up pretty late last night. So, I figured it was this, or I break out the trumpet.”

Sunset glared down at Lyra and her irritatingly cheerful smile. Slowly, her scowl faded away and she chuckled.

“Okay, fine, I’m glad you didn’t go with the trumpet. Mostly because I don’t want to explain to Tender Heart why you mysteriously went missing, and why there was a new, unexplained mound of dirt in the backyard.” Sunset sighed.

“You wouldn’t actually do that, silly. You’d miss me.” Lyra said as she stood up and folded her arms behind her back.

“Debatable.” Sunset said. “Well, I’m up. Did I miss breakfast?”

“Nope.” Lyra replied as she walked past Sunset and headed to the door of the bunk. “Tender Heart should be finished making it right about now.”

“That’s a relief. Alright, I’ll be down in a minute.” Sunset said as she walked up to Lyra. “Oh, and Lyra?”

“Yes?”

Swift as a diving falcon, Sunset brought her right hand up and flicked Lyra’s soul-gem, earning a startled yelp as the other girl brought a hand up to cover the golden crystal.

“Owie. What was that for?” Lyra asked with a pout.

“Don’t you ever wake me up like that again, or I swear to Celestia, I’ll tell Bon Bon about the notebook of mushy poems you wrote about her.” Sunset said with an angry glare as she pointed at Lyra’s face. “Do I make myself clear?”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Lyra gasped with mock horror as she dramatically put her hand on her chest.

“Try me.” Sunset said, her glower still in place.

Neither of them could maintain the charade for long, and soon broke down into a fit of giggles.

*****

With one final tug, Sunset pulled on her boot and stood up from her bed. Breakfast had come and gone, as had her morning chores. After washing up, she’d headed back to her room and gotten dressed in a plain yet functional shirt and trousers, then spent a few minutes brushing the knots out of her long, firey hair. Looking into the mirror attached to the back of the bunk-room’s door, Sunset nodded happily at the girl looking back at her: her long crimson and gold hair was neat and tied back behind her head, her light amber skin was smooth and clean from the scrubbing she’d just given herself, and the elliptical, teal soul-gem embedded in her forehead just above her eyebrows glimmered with the thin layer of oil she’d used to polish its surface. Though she normally didn’t care about appearances, she was surprised how nice she looked when she made the effort.

On any other day, she wouldn't have bothered to spend this much effort making herself look nice. Instead, she’d already have been out the door and heading either to school with the other residents of the orphanage, or making her way to her master Bronze Hammer’s forge to begin her lessons for the day. Or just help him fill orders.

But not today. There was somewhere else she needed to be.

Leaving the bunk, Sunset headed downstairs to find Tender Heart. A few minutes of searching later, she found the matron in the orphanage’s large common room helping a few of the younger children get ready, aided by Lyra and an older sky-runner girl named Flitter.

“Matron?” Sunset said as she approached Tender Heart.

“Oh, hello Sunset. Are you ready to go?” Tender Heart said over her shoulder as she helped one of the younger boys get his shirt on.

“Yea.” Sunset said as the matron finished and turned to look at her.

“You’re going to meet up with your oath-sisters first then?” Tender Heart said with a smile.

“Yup!” Sunset replied with a happy smile.

“Well, alright.” Tender Heart said, a hint of apprehension in her voice as she approached Sunset and patted her on the head. “Be careful, and I’ll see you tonight.”

“Thank you matron. See you tonight!” Sunset said brightly as she turned and scampered out the door, unaware of the look of concern on the matron’s face.

Stepping into the warm morning air, Sunset made her way across the yard in front of the Golden Tree orphanage, and out the gate. Normally, she’d head towards the west end of town where Bronze Hammer’s forge was located. Instead, she turned north and broke into a casual jog, her destination the massive orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, where she’d agreed to meet up with her oath-sister Applejack, before going to collect the other two members of their little sisterhood: Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

Sunset found herself almost giddy with anticipation as she quickly made her way through town, her heart pumping not just with her exertion, but with raw excitement as she considered what had led to the day’s unusual break from her schedule.

It had begun almost three years ago when the phoenix queen Lumina had laid her latest egg. In and of itself, it was a momentous occasion, as Lumina’s last egg was laid over 300 years ago. But the birth of a new phoenix meant so much more to the Solarian people, and marked the beginning of a massive undertaking by Queen Celestia, beginning with a multi-year search across the length and breadth of Solaria. The point of the search was simple: find children with the strongest and purest inner fire among all the populace, and determine nine among them, three from each tribe, who best represents the highest ideals of Solaria. Of the nine chosen, one would earn the privilege of being bonded by the newest phoenix when it hatched, and ascend to become an immortal phoenix-born.

Naturally, the search had begun in the capital city-state of Heliopolis, before moving to the towns and cities of the Eastern Territories. Now, after nearly two years of surveying, the search had finally reached the scattered towns of the Western Territories, including Sunset’s hometown of Golden Tree. With the arrival of the examiners, every child between the ages of eight and twelve was to be tested for the strength and purity of their inner fire, the very source of their magic, to see if any have the potential to join with the newest phoenix.

As she neared her destination, Sunset’s jog slowed to a saunter, then a brisk walk as she arrived at the gates of Sweet Apple Acres. All across the hills to the north and down into the valley below were acres and acres of beautiful, blooming apple trees. The sight made her smile as she pushed the gate open, and made her way towards the main house, the scent of blooming apple blossoms wafting through the air on the occasional breeze, carrying not only the smell of the flowers, but the occasional flurry of petals.

It was a sight that she was sure she’d never get tired of.

After a few minutes of walking, Sunset spotted her destination; the large main house of Sweet Apple Acres, and the home of one of her closest friends and oath-sisters. Approaching the front entrance, she rose up on her tiptoes and used the door knocker to announce her presence. Clasping her hands behind her back, Sunset rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet as she heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door. Soon enough, the door opened, revealing the girl she’d come to collect: Applejack, who, unlike Sunset, was dressed in a simple skirt, blouse, and leather boots, her late father’s signature stetson planted firmly on her head.

Sunset, in a moment of mischief, fixed the half-head taller, blond-haired, light gamboge-skinned earth-weaver girl with a steel-hard stare, and, puffing out her chest like she imagined some official from Heliopolis, addressed the young farmer.

“Ma’am, I’m here to inform you that apples have now been declared illegal in Solaria.” Sunset said gravely, “I’m afraid we’re going to have to confiscate all of your trees.”

“Mornin’ to yah too Sunset.” Applejack said with a laugh as she grabbed the shorter girl in a headlock. “Ah’m afraid yah’re goin’ to need more than just one scrawny fire-caller if yah want to take mah trees.”

“Scrawny?” Sunset said indignantly as she extracted herself from Applejack’s headlock. “Please! Just because I’m no earth-weaver doesn’t mean you get to call me scrawny.”

“Ah’ll believe it when yah work the orchard like ah do every day, furnace face.” Applejack laughed as she put her fists on her hips, giving the shorter girl a scrutinizing look.

“Whatever. I’d like to see you work an anvil, fruit freckles.” Sunset shot back, also placing her fists on her hips and leaning forward.

The two of them glared at one another for a moment, before laughing, gripping hands, and pulling each other into a hug.

“You ready to do this thing?” Sunset said after they let go.

“As ready as ah’ll ever be.” Applejack said as she looked over her shoulder and shouted. “Mac! Granny! Ah’m headin’ out with Sunset! Ah’ll be back soon!”

*****

“Sunset! Applejack!”

Both girls recognized the voice that had just shouted their names, and braced themselves. Moments later, they felt the impact as they were tackled to the ground by a blur of brilliant rose and light ceriseish gray. Before either of them could respond, they found themselves pulled into an enthusiastic hug.

“Good…morning…Pinkie…” Sunset wheezed out as she attempted to breath through the crushing force of Pinkie Pie’s greeting, noticing that the earth-weaver girl’s simple dress somehow had avoided getting any dirt on it even after she’d tackled them to the ground.

“Heya Pinkie.” Applejack said, “Yah seen Rainbow?”

“Up here.”

Both pinned girls looked up into the sky, and spotted the fourth member of their little group hovering above them. Hair as polychromatic as her name, skin just a couple shades of cerulean lighter than the sky above her, the young sky-runner was smiling the smile of someone who wasn’t currently being constricted in an enthusiastic earth-weaver hug.

“Hey Dash.” Sunset wheezed.

“G’mornin’ Dash.”

“Hey!” Rainbow called before descending and folding her wings against her back like a cape, the tips of her primaries reaching the top of her calves, her smile still in place as she watched Pinkie continue to glomp her oath-sisters.

A wicked thought entered Sunset’s mind as she glared at the smug sky-runner. Turning her head slightly, teal eyes met emerald green ones as she and Applejack made eye contact, a moment of understanding passing between them.

“Say, Pinkie… have you given Rainbow a hug yet this morning?” Sunset asked, causing Rainbow’s cersei colored eyes to shrink to pinpricks.

“Oh my gosh, I haven’t! Thanks for reminding me Sunny!” Pinkie squealed, her light cerulean eyes lighting up with joy.

Before Rainbow could react, in a single smooth motion, Pinkie released Sunset and Applejack, stood, and launched herself at Rainbow, tackling her to the ground. Sunset and Applejack got to their feet and brushed the dirt off their clothes before turning to Pinkie and Rainbow as the former was helping the latter to her feet.

“I’m going to get you for that Shimmer.” Rainbow said with a glare as she brushed the dirt off her now dirty shirt and pants.

“Consider it payback for the thing with the alligator lizards three weeks ago.” Sunset sniped back with an amused smirk.

“Alright alright, enough ah that. We don’t want to be late.” Applejack interrupted, before looking around and noticing a few people missing. “Say, where are yer folks?

“Daddy’s waiting for us with Limestone and Marble at the testing site.” Pinkie said, gesturing towards the center of town, “And I think Dashie came by herself.”

“I did. I don’t need my parents embarrassing me in front of the whole town… again.” Rainbow said as she spread her wings and lifted off the ground to hover above her friends.

“They mean well Rainbow.” Sunset said evenly. “Be thankful you have them.”

“Sorry Sunset. I am grateful.” Rainbow said, nodding apologetically, “I just wish they’d stop being so… enthusiastic about everything I do. Like, seriously, they don’t need to cheer for me flying out of the house in the morning.”

“I suppose I can understand that.” Sunset said as they turned to walk towards the testing site, before trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. “So, we going to hit up the Sweet Shoppe after the test? I got paid yesterday and I’m in the mood to waste a few sparks.”

Soon, the conversation turned towards afternoon plans and other mundane topics as they made their way towards the center of town.

*****

“Whoa.” Sunset said as she and the girls arrived at Golden Tree’s central plaza.

“I don’t think that’s a strong enough word Sunny.” Pinkie said as she looked out over the massive crowd before them. “This’s more like criminy or jeepers than whoa.”

There were hundreds of sun-gazers of all three tribes gathered in the square, most of whom were children, but with a sizable number of adults, many of them clearly parents there to escort their kids. But there were others. Dozens of men and women were scattered throughout the crowd, stationed along the edges of the plaza, or, in the case of the sky-runners, hovering in the air above. Each one was wearing a snow white military uniform with a sword superimposed over Queen Celestia’s personal sunburst emblazoned on their chests. Each one bore an ornate, bayoneted carbine, flanged mace and buckler, all of which had a distinctive sun motif.

“Girls.” Sunset said, a touch of nervousness and awe as she looked the soldiers over, recalling the legends about the sun-gazers that bore the uniforms and armaments she was seeing. “I think those are Sunblades.”

“I think you’re right.” Rainbow said as she stared at the Queen’s elite soldiers. “What are they doing here?”

“I don’t know. Keeping things orderly?” Sunset gulped.

“Gonna be ah tough job with this many folks around. Sun’s light, ah don’t recognize mosta these people.” Applejack said as she surveyed the massive crowd of people gathered around the testing site.

“Me either.” Pinkie said as she looked over the crowd. “Daddy told me that the inspectors didn’t want to go to every town in the region, so they just sent word to everyone to come here instead.”

“That’s kinda lame.” Rainbow said as watched the crowd milling about.

“It’s probably easier than having to go to every single town in the region.” Sunset said as she looked out at the crowd, trying to hide her nerves. “Golden Tree’s the biggest settlement around here.”

“I guess, but still…” Rainbow said. “Anyway, how’s this supposed to go. We just wait until we get called or something?”

“I don’t think so. There’s too many people for that to work.” Sunset said as she continued to survey the crowd. Spotting something sticking out above the horde of bodies, she elbowed Applejack and pointed. “Hey, look at those.”

All three of the others followed the line from Sunset’s finger to a set of twelve polls, each one with a tall, rectangular sign capping it. The signs were divided into three groups, each one bearing either the symbol for “earth-weaver”, “sky-runner” or “fire-caller”. Below the tribal symbols were letters from the Solarian alphabet.

“Ah think we’re supposed to split up by tribe and name or somethin’.” Applejack said.

“Makes sense.” Rainbow said as she hovered up higher to look out over the crowd. Sure enough, everyone did appear to be sorted by tribe.

“So… I guess we’re splitting up then?” Pinkie said as she looked over the crowd, trying to spot her father and sisters.

“Looks like it.” Sunset said. “Light, I’ve got no idea how long this’ll take, so how about we meet at the Sweet Shoppe after we get done.”

“Ah’ll have to pass. Ah got chores tah take care of.” Applejack said.

“No problem AJ, we get it. I’m in.” Rainbow said.

“Me too!” Pinkie chirped happily.

“Alright. See you there.” Sunset said as she gathered her oath-sisters in a group hug. “Good luck.”

*****

Sunset rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet as she stood in line for her turn. At her best guess, she’d been waiting well over two hours as she moved ever closer to the front of the line.

‘Wish I’d brought a book.’ She thought as she took another few steps forward as the next child was taken into one of the tents for testing.

At her best guess, it took another half hour for her to reach the head of the line.

“Next!” A mint-green skinned and blue haired earth-weaver man called from the entrance to one of the tents. Jogging forward, Sunset approached him, looking up expectantly.

“Name and town of residence.” He said with detached efficiency.

“Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree.” Sunset replied.

“Lets see. Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree…” The man said as he flipped through the papers on his clipboard, before his brow furrowed, and his voice became laced with disgust. “…you’re an orphan?”

“Um, yes sir…” Sunset said quietly, taken aback by his sudden change in attitude.

“Hmph. Get inside and we’ll get this over with.” He barked, pushing the flap of the tent open and ushering Sunset inside with apparent reluctance. Sunset did as she was told, puzzled by his sudden shift in attitude.

Inside the tent, Sunset saw two other sun-gazers seated near the back of the tent; one was a dour looking sky-runner with silver hair, and blue skin / wings, while the other was a waspish fire-caller with yellow hair / soul-gem and green skin. On the ground before them was a large, brassy disk covered in elaborate runes and bearing a motif of a phoenix, wings spread emblazoned within the Queen’s Sunburst.

The earth-weaver pushed past her made his way over to the others, where upon he sat down next to them and began to whisper something. Sunset’s stomach sank as their features also twisted from indifferent to barely contained disgust.

“Alright girl…” The sky-runner said.

“My name’s Sunset.” Sunset replied defiantly.

“Be quiet girl!” The sky-runner replied, her features turning hard. “Step onto the disk and we’ll get this over with.”

“Okay.” Sunset said as she curled in on herself a little and stepped onto the disk.

‘What did I do wrong?’ She thought as she saw the fire-caller stand up and step forward.

“Now, stand still.” She growled.

Sunset nodded and held as still as possible. The woman slowly began to move her arms and upper body, weaving her magic in a simple spell dance as her soul-gem came to life, generating a soft, ochre light as she called on her flame. Sunset could feel the runes on the disk below her feet beginning to respond as the woman poured her flame into them, activating the enchantments engraved on the surface. Looking down, Sunset marveled at the item she was standing on, and the runes on its surface. They were… some of the most complicated runes she’d ever seen, and looked nothing like any of the ones she’d studied with Bronze. Whatever it was that they were meant to do, she couldn’t even begin to fathom their function, much less how they’d been engraved with such detail.

As she was puzzling over the runes, Sunset began to feel a strange sensation within her. It was bright, warm and pleasant, and left a feeling of elation filling her heart. Slowly, as the woman completed the spell, the runes on the disk flared to life. As the runes activated, Sunset’s body began to glow. It was soft at first, but soon grew in intensity until it was a bright, brilliant white that flooded the entire tent with its radiance, forcing the examiners to averted their eyes to avoid being blinded.

‘Is this my flame? Did the disk make my flame visible?’ Sunset thought as she savored the euphoric feeling wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

In less than a minute, the light faded away, and Sunset let out a sad sigh as the warm sensation left her body. However, her disappointment was replaced with terror when she looked at the three examiners, who were now glaring at her with utter disbelief. Moments later, the disbelief turned to rage.

“That will be all. Get out.” The earth-weaver said angrily as he stood and took a step towards her.

“I…” Sunset began, but was cut off.

“You heard him. Get out! Now!” The fire-caller snarled as she pointed violently towards the flap of the tent, her soul-gem flaring up dangerously.

Fear blossomed in Sunset’s chest, and she did the only thing she could think of.

She turned and ran out of the tent and through the crowd outside, her feet carrying her away as fast as they could.

*****

Sunset’s flight from the testing area was a blur of fear and tears as she ran through town. She wasn’t sure where she was going, only that she needed to get away from the inspectors. After she didn’t know how long, her legs gave out, and she slowed to an exhausted stumble. Lifting her head, she saw she was three blocks from The Sweet Shoppe. Three blocks from her friends. Her sisters. But, she couldn’t muster the energy to reach them. Instead, she stumbled towards one of the maple trees growing along the roadside. With the last of her energy, she slumped against the tree’s trunk, slid down to the ground, curled up into a ball and began to cry.

She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, bawling her eyes out as she worked her way through her fright, her young mind trying to comprehend exactly what had just happened.

“Sunset?”

Lifting her head from her knees, Sunset’s eyes fell on Mrs. Cake, the owner of the Sweet Shoppe, and the woman Pinkie Pie was apprenticing under. The older, cerulian skinned, two-toned crimson haired, rose eyed earth-weaver had a small cart of fruits with her and several bags of flour, likely freshly ground at the mill.

“Sunset, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Mrs. Cake said as she rested her cart on the ground and knelt down by the young girl, lifting her chin to look her in the eyes. “Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?”

Sunset shook her head.

“Did something happen?”

Sunset nodded and buried her face back into her knees.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Sunset shook her head without lifting it from its hiding place. She could feel Mrs. Cake’s eyes on her, the concern all but radiating off the woman like light from the sun.

“Well, alright. I understand if you don’t want to talk about it sweetie, but I’m not going to leave you out here like this. Can you stand?” Mrs. Cake asked as she rose back up to her feet.

Sunset merely nodded.

“Okay. Why don’t you come with me. I think I saw your friends heading towards the store a little while ago.” She said as she stood and she extended her hand towards Sunset. “C’mon, I’ll take you to them.”

Slowly, Sunset looked up to the offered hand. Somehow, she managed to muster enough energy to reach out and take it, letting the older woman help her to her feet. Sunset followed Mrs. Cake down the street, clinging to her arm as Mrs. Cake pulled her cart behind her.

As they approached the Sweet Shoppe, the scents of puddings, pies and pastries pierced the numbness around her, giving her a little more life. Deep down, she knew this place. This place was safe. This place wouldn’t hurt her. Clinging a little tighter to Mrs. Cake’s arm, Sunset entered the shop.

“Pinkie! Rainbow!” Mrs. Cake called.

“Yes Mrs. Cake, what’s… oh my gosh! Sunset!” Sunset was vaguely aware she heard Pinkie say. “What’s wrong?”

Sunset felt a warm hug wrap itself around her body as a curtain of less poofy than usual rose colored hair flooded her vision. With a choked sob, she leaned into Pinkie’s embrace, her fear subsiding in the safety of her oath-sister’s arms.

“Easy Pinkamena, let thine friend sit before thou accosteth her with questions.” Another distant voice said, this one belonging to Pinkie’s father Igneous Rock. It was another anchor in the storm. Igneous had always been kind to her, in his own morose way.

Sunset felt herself being led to a table by Pinkie, and felt herself sit down. There was the sound of a chair scraping across the wooden floor, and the return of Pinkie’s hug. Mustering the energy to lift her head, Sunset saw not only Igneous and Pinkie, but Limestone, Marble and Rainbow Dash, each looking at her with worry in their eyes. With a hiccup and a sigh, Sunset leaned into Pinkie’s side, letting her oath-sister cradle her.

“What happened?” Rainbow asked as she walked around the table and joined Pinkie in holding their distraught friend.

“I…I don’t know.” Sunset managed to mutter. “I think I might have messed up or did something to make the examiners angry.”

“What dost thou mean?” Igneous said in his calm, nearly monotone voice. Only years of knowing the man let Sunset know how concerned he was at that moment.

And so Sunset explained what had happened at the test as best she could. The weird way the examiners started treating her, the bright white light that came from her during the test. The way they had all but chased her out of the tent once the test was done. Throughout the whole thing, Pinkie and Rainbow both sat next to Sunset for moral support, while Igneous and Pinkie’s sisters listened. At some point, Mrs. Cake had come by and put a slice of peach and gooseberry cobbler in front of her, but Sunset barely noticed it as she told her tale.

Once Sunset finished, Igneous’s brow furrowed slightly. It was a subtle thing, but to those who knew him, could tell that he was livid.

“Moon-loving monsters.” Igneous muttered under his breath. “How dare they treat an innocent little girl like that.”

All of the girls stared wide-eyed at Igneous. They rarely heard him use bad language, especially something like that.

“I just don’t get what I did wrong.” Sunset said as she poked at the dessert Mrs. Cake had brought with her fork, her appetite completely dead.

“Thou didst nothing wrong Sunset.”

“Then why did they act like such big, mean jerks?” Pinkie asked as she rubbed Sunset’s back.

“It has nothing to do with thine friend doing anything wrong, Pinkamena, and everything to do with the backwards way the people of Heliopolis view people like thine friend.” Igneous said as he folded his hands together and rested them on the table. “I had hoped thou wouldst not have to hear until thou wert older, but the people that live in Heliopolis… they put far too much weight on their pedigree.”

“But what’s that got to do with being such meanies to Sunset?” Pinkie asked.

“Tis a sad truth,” Igneous said with a sigh, “but among all but the most enlightened members of the city, the prevailing attitude is that if one doesn't have a family, they are of no value..”

“But, Sunset does have a family. Us, and everyone else in Golden Tree.” Rainbow protested.

Igneous shook his head and sighed.

“The city folk are not so generous with their views of family.” Igneous continued, the subtlest hints of contempt seeping into his voice. “To them, the only family that matters is one's blood family. All else might as well be dust in the wind.”

“But that’s stupid!” Rainbow said with a frown. “The Queen can’t be okay with that.”

“She is not.” Igneous replied solemnly, “But, even as she publicly decries those who act in such a way, the attitude still persists. 'Tis a truly sad state of affairs. I’m just saddened thou hadst to experience such a thing, Sunset.”

“Yea…” Sunset said with a sad sigh, finally mustering the strength to lift her fork and take a bite of her cobbler. As the sweet and sour flavors of the cooked fruit and flake pastry filled her mouth, she started to feel a little more like herself. Glancing to the side, she saw Pinkie and Rainbow staying close, offering comfort and safety.

‘Thank you girls.’ Sunset thought as she continued to slowly eat the dessert before her.

Author's Note

And so, the spark has been struck, and the fire prepares to burn.

Lyra being an orphan in the same orphanage as Sunset, and her ability to play any musical instrument was inspired by the inordinately awesome Must Love Frogs and her Junior Gala universe.

Edited 19-Jan-2020 to add descriptions of the character's color schemes.
Edited 27-Jan-2020 to correct Igneous's grammar when speaking. Thanks to Skunktrain for their help.
Edited 24-Nov-2020 to bring the time since the last ascension in line with the revised timeline.

Ch 3 - The Choosing - Forging the Path Forward

The slow, rhythmic clang of metal on metal filled the air of the forge, the cacophonous sound reduced to safe levels by a set of enchanted runes carved into the wood and stone of the building. On one side of the main workshop was Sunset, her long hair tied back in a braid and wearing her smithing apron, while her mentor Bronze Hammer, similarly protected, worked another avil on the opposite side of the forge.

Lifting her hammer, she brought it down onto a thin, red-hot tip of the metal bar in her other hand, smashing it against the anvi’s surface. After every strike, she turned the rod 90°, drawing the steel out into a long, tapered point. Once she was satisfied she’d drawn the metal out enough, she set her hammer down and slotted the rod through a header, checking the size. Seeing it was just right, brought the rod back to the forge and reheated the metal. Once the steel at just above the point’s taper was red hot, she brought it back to her anvil, and, using her hammer, sliced most of the way through the rod using an axe-like blade set on the top of the anvil. After short reheating to bring it back to red hot, she slotted it into the header, and snapped off the sharpened point. Quickly fitting the sharpened tip into a small hole on her anvil, she struck the top with her hammer until it mushroomed out. Lifting the header, she dropped the newly finished nail into a bucket next to her work station.

Without missing a beat, she returned to the forge to reheat the rod and make another nail. It was simple, mindless work. Mindless enough for her to stew in her anger and bitter disappointment.

Two months had gone by since the test. Two months since she’d been sent running through town in tears by the phoenix-rite’s examiners for the “crime” of being an orphan.

Taking the heated glowing metal bar out of the forge and back to her anvil, she began to work the steel again.

She’d been barely functional for days after the incident, and it was only through the gentle care of her oath-sisters and friends at the orphanage that she’d recovered from her depression. Bronze had been as understanding as he could under the circumstances, but had still docked her pay for the days she missed. She had considered protesting, but decided against it. Better to lose a few radiants than have him kick her out.

Even after she’d recovered enough to get back to her regular routine, she’d been stewing over the whole situation. When she told Lyra and the others about what had happened, they were horrified; their tests weren’t anything like what Sunset had gone through. The examiners that had administered theirs had been condescending and mean when they learned they were orphans, but didn’t become outright hostile to the level Sunset got. They hadn’t been yelled at and thrown out.

What was even stranger was how different they described their flames’ appearance. Most of them described their manifested inner fire as yellow, red or orange, with only a few having white flame. And while some of them produced either very bright or dim flames, nobody Sunset talked to had the same combination of color and intensity.

Even her oath-sisters.

Sunset dropped another finished nail into her bucket and began the next one.

At first, she’d held out hope that maybe it was a sign that she might be chosen for the rite.

But then word had finally reached Golden Tree that the nine candidates had been selected.

Sunset’s hands gripped her hammer a little tighter and she struck the bar with a little more force than necessary, flattening the metal incorrectly. Cursing inwardly, she went to work fixing her mistake, still seething inside.

As she learned about the chosen candidates, her heart sunk lower and lower and she had nearly broken down again; All but one candidate were from Heliopolis, with the outlier coming from the Eastern Territories. What was worse, all of them were from very prestigious, affluent, powerful noble families.

Another nail was added to the bucket.

After she’d learned who the candidates were, Sunset had gone to Tender Heart, and asked her if there was any way for her to attend the rite itself. As badly as she’d wanted to be chosen, and as painfully, almost furiously disappointed as she was that she hadn’t been, she still wanted to see it. Part of her reason was that she wanted to see the once in a lifetime moment when a new immortal joined the ranks of the solarian elite. But, she also wanted to know what sort of people deserved to become joined to a phoenix.

Wanted to know why she hadn’t been chosen…

Much to her disappointment, Tender Heart told her that it was impossible. The free tickets for the event had been given out over a month ago. And even if she’d put in an application on time and won the lottery to get one, there was the matter of getting to the rite in the first place. It was a week long trip from Golden Tree to Heliopolis on a dedicated caravan. From the few people Tender Heart knew who’d made such a journey, it would cost Sunset all the radiants she made in a month just to get there, to say nothing of paying for a hotel, food, and a way to get around. Heliopolis was no place for a child out on her own, especially one without someone there to support and protect her.

Sunset had needed to spend a day with her oath-sisters after that, the four of them playing games or exploring Sweet Apple Acres to help her deal with her funk.

One more nail dropped into the pile.

Now, the phoenix-rite was just over five months away, and Sunset had resigned herself to not attending. It didn’t make the disappointment hurt any less though.

Looking down at the metal rod she was working, Sunset noticed that she’d used up most of it. With a sigh, she dropped the used portion into the scrap pile to be melted back down, grabbed another, and got back to work.

*****

It was a little over two hours before noon when Bronze Hammer came to check on Sunset’s progress. Even after working for the forgemaster for close to a year, Sunset found the tall, massively muscled, steel-grey skinned, copper haired fire-caller a little intimidating.

Kneeling down and examining the nails she’d been making, he grunted with irritation and rose back to his feet with a slight frown, his yellow soul-gem glinting in the light of the forge’s fire.

“Some of these are pretty shoddy Sunset.” He said as he held up one of the nails.

“I’m sorry sir.” Sunset said.

“Don’t be sorry. Do better.” He said as he held up the overly thin nail. “Yes, we can melt this back down, but that means we can’t sell as many as we could have.”

“Yes sir.” Sunset replied, looking away.

WIth a sigh, Bronze ran his fingers through his short-cropped hair and regarded his apprentice.

“Sunset, I get that you’ve had a hard couple of months.” He said sternly, holding up the shoddy nail. “Sometimes you’re going to have them. But, regardless of how you feel, you have a job to do. And people are counting on you to do it right. What happens if we sell this to someone, and it fails. Best case, something falls off their wall. Worst case, the wall falls down. Then your ability as a smith is in question, and people stop buying from you. And then what?”

Sunset didn’t respond, only looked at the nails in the bucket, considering what Bronze had said.

“Let’s take a break from the anvil for a little while.” Bronze said as he picked up the bucket. “Most of these are good, so let’s get them tempered.”

Turning away from his apprentice Bronze headed out of the smithy, Sunset following close behind. Walking a short distance from the blacksmith workshop, the two entered a second, domed building also made of stone. Unlike the main smithy, this building consisted of a single room, and was devoid of tools, benches or a forge. Instead, it had a large dias in the center. Along the edge of the dias were dozens of engraved runes, each one meant to help focus the power of the forgemaster’s spell dances into the objects he placed on them.

“Sunset. Help me sort these.” Bronze said as he poured the nails out on the dias, pulling out the usable ones, while dropping the problematic nails into the bucket to be melted back down. Sunset joined him, quickly pulling out the flawed nails. Soon, there was a good sized pile of usable nails resting on the dias, with about a dozen flawed ones in the bucket.

Walking to the door and setting the bucket down, Bronze began to remove his smithy clothes, hanging them on a set of hooks. Sunset did the same, stripping down to her underwear before both donned a set of bleached wool robes composed of a simple tunic with sleeves and a skirt of elbow and knee-length ribbons covered in fire-caller runes.

“Okay Sunset, let’s go over this. I’m about to do a resilience tempering. What does this type do, and how does one fuel their flame to produce the effect?” Bronze asked as he looked at Sunset.

Sunset closed her eyes and crossed her arms, thinking back to his lessons on the different types of magical tempering they could do to items they made.

“Resilience tempering provides the object tempered with greater durability and resistance to wear.” Sunset said. “To do this sort of tempering, the smith needs to feed their inner flame with feelings of determination, objection, or rejection.”

“Good,” Bronze said neutrally, “and which is the best one to use, and why?”

“Determination. Objection and rejection are easier to manifest, but harder to control or apply, because the flame will resist being bound to the object you’re trying to temper. Determination, while not as easy to gather and feed to the flame, it’s better because it can be applied to the object more easily, and can be bonded to it with less resistance.”

“Yes, that’s exactly right. Well done Sunset.” Bronze said as he got into position near the dias. “Now, once I temper the good ones, I’m going to pull out a couple of the unusable ones, and you’re going to try tempering them. Understand?”

“Yes sir.” Sunset said as she took a step back, watching her master intently.

Nodding once, Bronze closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he began his spell dance. It started with slow steps around the dias, before his arms began to move in deliberate, precise swoops. Soon, his entire body was caught up in the dance, the ribbons of his forging robes swishing and twirling as he moved. Soon, his inner flame began to manifest, and his soul-gem produced a warm, bronzy glow. Sunset kept her eyes glued to him, doing her best to memorize his movements. She’d seen him do this particular dance dozens of times, and practiced it with him a dozen more, but she felt it could never hurt to watch her master perform the spell. After all, there was a difference between practicing without calling on her inner flame, and actually performing the tempering herself.

Slowly, the runes on the dias came to life, glowing the same warm bronze color as Bronze’s gem. As the runes’ glow began to grow in intensity, the flame spread to the nails, coating them in soft, steely light. Slowing his dance, Bronze did one final flourish with his arms before coming to a stop, sealing the magic. Gradually, the glow of his flame faded from the nails, runes and his soul-gem. Standing tall, he took a deep breath and nodded to Sunset.

Scurrying forward, Sunset collected the nails, and took them outside, depositing them in a separate bucket. By the time she returned, Bronze had set three of her defective nails on the dias.

“Alright Sunset. Your turn. Take it slowly.” Bronze said as he stepped back, allowing Sunset to take her place by the dias.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Sunset visualized the dance in her head one last time, before beginning to move. Unlike her master, Sunset’s dance was less refined, almost clumsy. But, she kept at it, listening for Bronze’s corrections. After a minute, and a few minor corrections from Bronze, she began the next part of the spell: feeding her inner flame and shaping it through the dance.

Tapping into her emotions, she summoned her feelings of determination, her desire to not give up and stand strong against the things that wanted to push her down. Letting the feelings suffuse her mind, she poured them into her flame. Her flame hungrily ate up the emotional energy she gave it, flaring up as she wove it through her body. Focusing her mind, she grasped the flame, and began to channel it through her soul-gem, causing it to emit soft, teal light.

Round and round the dias she twirled, holding her flame in check as she poured it into the focusing runes on the dias, infused the nails with the tempering.

As she danced, her eyes traced across the runes on the dias, and her mind began to wander. Back to the strange runes on the disk she’d stood on when she’d been tested. Back to the fear she felt that day. Back to the anger and humiliation that followed.

Sunset’s body lurched as her flame latched onto the unexpected emotions and devour them, causing it to flare violently and slip from her control. She could feel it the flame take control of the dance, threatening to consume her and burn her alive from the inside. She was dancing out of control now, the flame dictating her motions as it sought a way outside its vessel.

“Sunset!”

Bronze’s cry of alarm gave her an anchor, which she latched onto, desperate to bring her flame under control. Clamping down her will, she pressed the flame upward and forced the energy out her soul-gem, venting the power as raw magical energy. Her world was engulfed in a brilliant flash of teal light and a deafening roar as the spell she’d been casting backfired on her, throwing her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her.

Sunset lay on the ground, her body aching from the backlash of the interrupted spell-dance. But, as much as it hurt, she was grateful for Bronze’s intervention. Had he not given her an anchor, the flame would have continued growing, until it would have erupted from her in an uncontrollable conflagration of raw magical energy.

Sunset could hear Bronze rush to her side and kneel down. Strong, rough hands grasped her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake.

“Sunset? Sunset! Can you hear me?” Bronze asked, concern lacing his voice.

Coughing once, Sunset cracked open her eyes. She could see the worry in her master’s eyes as he looked down at her.

“Yea. I’m alive.” Sunset wheezed out.

Bronze let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s good. Let’s get you out of here.” He said as he gently lifted the young girl and carried her out of the spell forge, doing his best to ignore the red-hot pool of slag on the dias.

*****

Sunset was sitting in the main smithy, back in her regular work clothes, head bowed and hands clasped in her lap. Peaking up, she saw Bronze pacing back and forth, also back in his regular clothes, his face twisted with anger.

Eventually, he came to a stop, and glared at his apprentice.

“Sunset… what in the chaos was that?” He said tersely.

“I… lost my focus sir.” Sunset replied.

“That wasn’t losing your focus. Losing your focus means the spell fails.” Bronze said, his glower growing deeper as he spoke. “That was you losing control of your flame. And from the look of it, you lost control because you fueled it with the wrong emotions. So, I ask you again, and I want an honest answer. What? Happened?”

Sunset sighed and looked down at her hands, wringing them, before replying.

“I… I remembered the phoenix test. About how scared I was when they chased me away. How angry I was at the way they treated me. And… the flame latched onto it. And I lost control…” Sunset said morosely. “I’m sorry Bronze.”

Looking up, Sunset saw Bronze pinching his forehead between his eyebrows, just below his soul-gem.

“Sunset… what am I going to do with you?” Bronze said.

“I’m sorry Bronze.” Sunset repeated as she curled up on herself a little.

Sunset heard her master take a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, but dared not raise her head to look at him. After a minute, she heard him approach her and kneel down.

“Sunset… look at me.” Bronze said. Slowly, Sunset raised her head and looked Bronze in the eyes. Eyes that were no longer angry, but still firm. Sunset whimpered a little as he stared her in the eyes, steel grey boring into teal.

“You’re still hurting. I get it. But, regardless of what’s going on up here…” Bronze lifted a hand and gently touched Sunset’s temple with his index and middle fingers, “…you need control here…” he moved his hand from her temple to her chest, pressing his fingers over her heart “…or the flame will consume you when you’re forging. You’ll get it eventually. But… you have to learn control first.”

“I’m trying Bronze.” Sunset said with a hint of defiance. “But it just happens so easily. One little slip, and I lose control.”

Bronze sighed as he regarded his apprentice.

“Sunset, that’s why you need focus.” Bronze sighed as he regarded her, “When Tender Heart sent you to me, I had no idea just how much raw power you would have, or how easily you could call on it. Your potential is immense Sunset, but unless you learn to control your flame, it’s not just a danger to others, it’s a danger to you.”

Standing back up, Bronze shook his head.

“Look, you’re clearly not in the right headspace to practice spell dances as long and complicated as forging dances.” He said before pointing his thumb towards his office. “I want you to practice your rune engraving. If anything, it’ll take your mind off things. After that, you can help me get started on a few orders, and we can call it a day.”

Sunset wanted to protest, to say that she could do it. She just needed another chance. But, the stern look from Bronze killed any defiance she had.

“Yes sir.” Sunset said as she rose to her feet.

*****

The rest of the day at the smithy passed quietly for Sunset. After changing out of her forging robes, she had retreated to one of the workbenches in Bronze’s office, and grabbed a tome on runic engraving. After settling down, she pulled out a set of steel practice tablets, her etching tools, and got to work. The hours passed slowly as she engraved the runes, had Bronze inspect them, and return to the bench to try again when he found flaws in her execution.

After two hours, Bronze decided that she’d practiced enough. After cleaning up her bench, she joined Bronze back in the smithy, helping him get started on an order of replacement farming tools for Sweet Apple Acres. It was around 3 hours before sundown that they finished up the initial work, at which point Bronze dismissed Sunset, saying they could pick things up again tomorrow.

Putting their street clothes back on and getting cleaned up, Bronze brought Sunset to his office and pulled out a sack of coins, handing her two radiants. It was slightly less than she usually got, but given the day’s events, Sunset understood. Thanking Bronze, she turned to leave, only to be stopped by the master smith.

“Sunset, after what happened today, we’re going to hold off on spell forging for a while.” Bronze said levely.

“But, sir, I…” Sunset began, but Bronze raised a hand.

“I understand that it’s disappointing, but I’m not going to have you hurt yourself.” He said as he approached his apprentice. “Instead, we’re going to work on some meditation techniques. It’ll help you get your emotions under control.”

“I… okay. Thank you sir.” Sunset said with a pout.

“You’ll get there Sunset. It’s just going to take some time.” Bronze said as he patted her shoulder. “Now, off with you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Of course. I’ll see you then.” Sunset said as she slowly walked out of the smithy and onto the street. Taking a deep breath, Sunset thrust her hands into the pockets of her pants and began to walk back towards the orphanage. She briefly entertained the idea of visiting Pinkie at the Sweet Shoppe, but decided against it. Pinkie was wonderful at bringing a smile to her face, but right then, she didn’t feel like smiling. She felt like being left alone to stew.

She’d messed up. She knew that. Bronze had taken her off her spell dance training. Part of her understood why. But another just couldn’t accept it. She knew she could do the dances right. She’d done them before. Admittedly, they weren’t perfect, but they’d never blown up in her face like this.

Kicking a rock, she growled angrily.

It just wasn’t fair.

Not what Bronze had done. That she understood. Even if she didn’t like it.

It all came back to those jerks from Heliopolis. They were the cause of all of her problems for the last two months. Them and their stupid, stuck-up attitudes.

If only she could go to the phoenix-rite. That’d prove to them that she wasn’t just some worthless, parentless child.

But she didn’t have any way of going. Not without a ticket. And not without any money.

Slouching down, she listlessly kicked another rock.

It was hopeless.

As she trudged along, she found herself walking past town hall, and the announcement board. Stopping, she decided to look it over. Maybe there was something happening that could help her take her mind off things. A theater troupe passing through. A musical event. Something.

Scanning over the board, there wasn’t much that caught her eye. Announcements of new births. Some senior citizens dying. A few adds for items for sale. Announcements for when the next town council would be meeting to discuss policy. The public hanging of a horse thief that had been caught trying to make off with Bramble Thorn’s prize stallion. Nothing too interesting.

As she scanned the board, her eyes eventually reached the section for royal announcements. Normally, she ignored these, as they had little to do with her. But, as she looked the oft ignored section over, something caught her eye. It was a large flier that bore the royal seal, but Sunset was less interested in the proof that it had come from the Queen, and more interested in what it said:

Announcement of the Lottery for Servers at the Phoenix-Rite

As per tradition, set down by Queen Celestia at the inception of our great nation, it is hereby announced that there shall be a lottery to provide 100 lucky children from across Solaria the opportunity to attend the Phoenix-Rite as servers for the event. Those who wish to enter must submit an application through Raven Inkwell, Seneschal to the Queen, via the application forms provided with the posting of this flier. Of the applicants, 100 will be chosen, at random, to serve at the event.

The winners of this lottery will be expected to undergo an intense, one month training session under Lady Inkwell’s tutelage in Heliopolis to prepare them for the event. Housing and food expenses will be covered by the crown, but those selected must make their own way to Heliopolis. Arrangements for transport to the site of the training must be made with the crown before arrival.

Winners of the lottery will be announced during the month of Praecipio.

Sunset was dumbstruck as she read and reread the announcement.

That was it.

That was the answer!

If she couldn’t attend as a guest, she could enter the lottery to serve at the event. Sure, it was still a longshot, but it was her chance. And it solved the problem of money, because the crown would be paying for her to stay as a server. All she needed to do was figure out a way to get to Heliopolis, and she’d be set. If she saved every radiant that Bronze paid her for the next two months, maybe she’d have enough. Sure, she’d have to skip out on going to the Sweet Shoppe with her oath-sisters, but they’d understand.

Looking below the announcement, Sunset saw a folder of applications forms. Reaching up, she grabbed one and folded it up, stuffed it in her shirt, then took off down the road, running back home as quickly as she could. She still had a chance. She still had a chance!

*****

“Tender Heart!” Sunset yelled as she burst through the front door. “Tender Heart, where are you?!”

Sunset’s heart was racing as she came to a skidding halt. She was out of breath from running all the way back from town hall, but she barely noticed her exhaustion. She needed to find Tender Heart.

“Sunset? What’s going on?” A familiar, cheery voice called from her right.

Turning, Sunset spotted Lyra staring at her from the doorway leading to the common room. A moment later, Lyra found herself snatched by the front of her shirt, with Sunset pressing her nose right up against her’s, staring into her eyes with the most serious expression that she’d ever seen on the other girl.

“Lyra… where is Tender Heart.” Sunset said slowly, “No games. No jokes. No silliness. I need to find her right now. Where is she? Where?”

Lyra felt herself trembling a little in Sunset’s grasp.

“I think she’s in the back with Flitter doing the laundry.” Lyra said with a gulp. “What’s this all about?”

“No time. I’ll explain later.” Sunset said as she released Lyra and rushed deeper into the house.

“Okay… that was odd. Even for Sunset.” Lyra mused, then shrugged, her smile coming back in full force. “Glad to see she’s feeling a bit better at least.”

Shrugging, she went back to the common room and picked up her langeleik. Checking the instrument’s tuning, she resumed playing for the younger kids.

Sunset rushed through the hallways, taking corners at almost reckless speed, until she burst into the laundry room. As she stood panting in the doorway, she spotted Tender Heart and Flitter frozen midway through scrubbing bedsheets. Flitter’s face was twisted with shock at Sunset’s sudden and uncharacteristic entry, while Tender Heart’s face, while shocked, also bore a look of concern.

Before either of them could recover, Sunset had regained herself and marched up to Tender Heart.

“Matron!” Sunset almost shouted, her breathing shallow “I need your help. I’ve got one last chance! I can’t miss it!”

Dropping the bedsheet she was washing back into the basin, Tender Heart rose to her feet and looked at Sunset with great concern.

“Calm down Sunset. What’s going on? What do you mean ‘last chance’?” Tender Heart said.

“This! Look at this! The crown is looking for volunteers to work at the phoenix-rite.” Sunset said, waving the form around with almost manic urgency. “I still have a chance to go. But, I need your help filling this out. Please, matron.”

Wiping her hands dry, Tender Heart took the application form from Sunset, and read it over. As she read, Sunset folded her arms behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels, waiting for Tender Heart’s response.

“…Sunset.” Tender Heart said as she lowered the paper and regarded her young charge, distress in her eyes. “I know you’ve been obsessing about going to the phoenix-rite. I get it. But, please, stop and really consider what you’re asking me to do here. Are you absolutely certain that this is what you want?”

“I know matron. I know. But, this is the only way left. Please.” Sunset all but begged.

Setting the application form aside, Tender Heart kneeled down and put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Sweetie. Please. Stop and think about this. Really think about it.” Tender Heart said, her features now warped by genuine fear. Fear for her, Sunset realized. “There’s no guarantee that you’ll even get chosen in the first place. I don’t want to see you almost break again. And even if you did end up selected, you’d have to go to Heliopolis. What happened at the test was only a taste of the way that the people there treat orphans. You’d be putting yourself right in the middle of very real danger. Do you understand that?”

“I…” Sunset began, but was interrupted by Tender Heart pulling her into a hug.

“And you wouldn’t just be going to see the rite, you’d be serving at it. I can only imagine what the crown demands of those serving at their events, especially something as important as the phoenix-rite. Raven Inkwell may have the reputation for being kind, but she’s also a phoenix-born, one who’s been serving the Queen since before anyone can remember. Who knows what she’s really like? Sunset… I need to know… do you really understand what you’re going to get yourself into if you do this?”

“Matron, please… can’t you just help me…” Sunset began to plea as Tender Heart hugged her a little tighter. It was then that she felt Tender Heart trembling a little. “Matron, are you okay?”

“Sunset… you silly, wonderful little girl. I’m scared for you.” Tender Heart said as she held Sunset close. “I’m scared of what could happen to you if you go to that city. I don’t want to lose you. Not like that.”

“Matr… Tender Heart. You’re not going to lose me.” Sunset said as she returned Tender Heart’s hug. “I’ll be back.”

“Oh Sunset. That’s not what I mean. Not what I mean at all…”

“Tender Heart, please. I can do this. I know I can.”

“Please, just… think about it. Really think about what this would mean.” Tender Heart said as she leaned back and held Sunset’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes. Sunset began to answer, but Tender Heart put a finger on her lips. “You don’t need to answer now. Let’s make a deal. Think about it tonight. Really think about it, and we’ll talk in the morning. Can you do that for me?”

“I… yes, matron. I’ll think about it.” Sunset said, lowering her head.

“Thank you Sunset.” Tender Heart said as she rose to her feet and ushered Sunset out of the room.

*****

Sunset lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling of her room. All around her, she could hear the gentle breathing of her bunkmates. But she couldn’t sleep. Her mind was racing around and around too much for the darkness to claim her.

As much as she hated to admit it, Tender Heart had a point. Now that she stopped to think about it, the idea of going to Heliopolis was terrifying. Not just because of the idea of going to the city itself, but because she had a feeling she knew what it would be like if she went there and they found out she was an orphan. She didn’t want to think what a whole city of people like those examiners would be like.

And… there was the matter of figuring out how to get there in the first place. She’d never left Golden Tree before, let alone gone somewhere as distant and impossible to imagine as Heliopolis. It was the City of the Sun, the place where Queen Celestia lived. It was like something out of her book of legends. Tender Heart told her that the trip would take a week to make, which was something that she couldn’t really fathom. The other towns around Golden Tree were, at most, half a day’s journey on horseback, maybe a couple hours for a sky-runner.

But a whole week of travel? That was something else entirely.

And really, what was the point of going? She wasn’t going to become a phoenix-born. And she’d have to work the entire time. Sure, she’d get to see the ascension, something that few people got to witness. But, it’d cost her months of her life, and put her training with Bronze on hold. All just to see some noble’s dumb kid get to be an immortal.

Sunset rolled over onto her side, and curled up.

Was it really worth it?

Sighing, Sunset sat up and, as quietly as she could, got out of bed, then made her way to her trunk. Quietly opening it, she got out her tome, before crawling back into bed, and pulled her quilt over herself. Once she was completely covered, she called on her flame and feed it with a small amount of joy, weaving her right hand through the air. As she channeled her fire into the spell, a small sphere of soft, white light barely brighter than a rushlight appeared between her thumb, index and middle fingers. Grasping the will-o-whisp, she brought it over her book and stuck it to the underside of the blanket, providing her with enough light to read.

Flipping the tome open, she looked for something to read. Something to help settle her mind, or give her some insight. As she sifted through the pages, her eyes caught a title. Turning the page back to the story in question, her heart skipped a beat.

Mage Meadowbrook and the Phoenix

Sunset knew this story. It was one of Solaria’s oldest legends, and one of her favorites. One that predated the division between their blessed Queen and the traitorous Luna and her degenerate night-loving followers. From the days before the Prince of Shadows betrayed his sisters and turned on them. From the days after the Avatars of Chaos threatened the Empress’s creation and forced her to leave to hold them at bay.

Of how a simple peasant girl, Mage Meadowbrook, had found an abandoned egg. Realizing that it was a phoenix egg, she thought of selling it. But, knowing that the phoenix queen would want her child back, she instead set out to return the egg. How she traveled long and far, trying to reach the aerie of the phoenixes. How, before she could reach Lumina, the egg hatched, and her inner-fire had somehow entwined with the hatchling phoenix. And she’d been transformed into the first phoenix-born. How the newly crowned Queen Celestia found Meadowbrook, and brought her to the phoenix queen, and asked what would be her fate. And Lumina told the Queen of the Sun that she had chosen to bless one of her friend’s children with a bond between one of hers. That the rite of the phoenix was to be a celebration of all that followed the path of fire and the sun. And that greatness could come from anywhere, if given the chance to shine.

Putting her hand on the page, Sunset slowly ran her fingers down the parchment. Meadowbrook was someone that Sunset had always admired. How she came from almost nothing, but overcame the odds. How she went on to become one of Queen Celestia’s greatest heros. How she had eventually fallen, giving her life saving countless sun-gazers from the deprivations of The King of Monster’s army.

Sunset looked at the familiar tale on the pages of her tome. Meadowbrook faced greater obstacles than she did, and she overcame them with determination, cunning, and perseverance. Slowly closing the book, Sunset hugged it to her chest. The challenge she faced now was nothing compared to what the first phoenix-born had faced.

Would she let her fear keep her from trying, or would she be strong, and fight for what she wanted?

Before, she was uncertain. Now, she knew her answer.

Setting the book on the nightstand next to her bed, she lay down and drifted off into the black oblivion of sleep.

*****

Sunset quietly crept out of the bunk room, careful not to wake the others. Tiptoeing down the hallway, she descended the staircase to the first floor. As she walked, the smell of cooking porridge, eggs and tea tickled her nose as she neared the kitchen. Knowing Tender Heart, she’d have risen early to get started on breakfast for the children. Some days, some of the older kids, including Sunset, would help her. But, from the sounds coming from the kitchen, Tender Heart was on her own this time.

‘Good’ Sunset thought. That meant she’d have Tender Heart’s full attention.

Pulling the door open and peaking in, Sunset saw Tender Heart hard at work stirring the porridge cooking over a set of fire-rune inscribed stones, and periodically checking on a large tray of scrambled eggs she had in the large, cast-iron oven.

“Matron, do you need some help?” Sunset said when Tender Heart stepped away from the stove. No point in potentially startling her while she was near an open flame or had something hot in her hands.

“Oh, good morning Sunset.” Tender Heart replied, surprised to see the girl. “Yes, that would be lovely sweetie. Can you cut up some apples?”

“Of course, matron.” Sunset said as she fully entered the kitchen. Closing the door, she went to a wall mounted rack and pulled off an apron. Tying her hair back and washing her hands, Sunset grabbed an armful of apples from the pantry, then climbed a stepstool and set the fruits down on the countertop. Once Tender Heart saw that Sunset was ready, she passed her a short knife and went back to preparing the rest of breakfast.

The two worked in silence for a while, Sunset cutting up apples and putting them into a large bowl, Tender Heart preparing the pan of scrambled eggs and the pot of porridge. Sunset was wracking her mind, trying to figure out a way to bring up the subject of the rite to Tender Heart.

“Sunset…” Tender Heart said as the girl in question finished up the apples she was currently cutting, and was going to get more. Sunset paused, then turned to look at Tender Heart.

The two of them just stared at one another for a moment. Tender Heart’s warm pink eyes looking into Sunset’s cool teal. Sunset could almost feel the weight of the earth-weaver’s stare boring down on her. Assessing her.

With a slow, sad shake of her head, Tender Heart lowered her head and sighed.

“You still want to go, don’t you?” She said.

“How did you…?” Sunset began, but was silenced by Tender Heart’s sad smile.

“Dear girl, I know you. When you come here to help me without being asked, you either want to talk without the others around, or you’re feeling guilty about something and want to make it up to me.” Tender Heart said as she regarded Sunset. “And unless you did something, you want to talk, right?”

Sunset looked away. Tender Heart knew her too well.

“So, I take it you thought about it.”

Sunset nodded.

“And you still want to apply?”

“Yes, matron. I do.” Sunset replied.

“Why? Why is this so important to you? Why do you want to put yourself through all of that?” Tender Heart said, the concern for her young charge practically saturating her voice.

“Because…” Sunset began, before taking a deep breath, “Because… I deserve the chance. And because I need to prove to myself that I can.”

Whatever response Tender Heart was expecting, it wasn’t that.

“What?” She said as she looked at Sunset.

Sunset clenched her fists and looked at the ground, gathering her courage. When she looked back at Tender Heart, her eyes were full of fiery determination.

“Matron, do you remember what the phoenix-rite stands for?” Sunset began.

“Of course. It’s when the most worthy members of Solaria join with a phoenix to become one of her majesty's chosen.”

“That’s not what I mean. That’s what happens at the ritual. But that’s not what it stands for.” Sunset said softy. “When Meadowbrook became the first phoenix-born, Lumina declared that the phoenix-rite was a celebration of all those that followed Queen Celestia, and that great things can come from humble beginnings. The rite is meant to show that all sun-gazers are Celestia’s children, and that they are all worthy.”

“Sunset…”

“Please, matron, may I finish?” Sunset asked respectfully. Tender Heart seemed taken aback for a moment, but closed her eyes and simply nodded. “Thank you, matron. When Meadowbrook journeyed to return Lumina’s egg to her, she faced so many obstacles. So many hardships. But, she never gave up. She never turned back and quit. She overcame. She persevered. And she defeated the things that stood in her way.”

Sunset wrung her hands together, feeling her courage begining to wane. But, she fortified herself with a deep breath and pressed on.

“I’m no Meadowbrook. I’m just some girl from Golden Tree. But, I am a sun-gazer. I’m one of Queen Celestia’s children. And… I won’t turn away from hardship. I want to face it like Meadowbrook did. I know it’s a longshot that I’ll get chosen. I know that I’ll have to scrape and save to afford getting to Heliopolis. I know that I’ll be in danger because of what I am. But, I want to… I have to face it. I have to try. And if I fail, then I fail knowing that I gave it everything I had. That I stood tall, and fought for what I wanted.”

Tender Heart just stared at Sunset, unsure how to respond.

“Matron, I have to try.” Sunset continued. “I want to go to the rite, because I want to be strong. Like Meadowbrook. And I want to prove to myself and to those jerks in Heliopolis that I won’t be beaten. They look down on me like I’m some worthless piece of garbage. Well, I’m not. I’m Sunset Shimmer. I’m a sun-gazer, just like them. And I won’t be told that I can’t go to a celebration of what it means to be Solarian just because they think that I need their definition of family to be worth anything. Because I do have a family. You. Lyra. Flitter. Applejack. Pinkie. Rainbow. Bronze. And everyone else here in Golden Tree. We’re family. A family not of blood, but of heart and flame. Isn’t that a good enough?”

Sunset looked at Tender Heart, noticing the worry on the matron’s face.

“You… you’re really set on trying, aren’t you? You really want to risk yourself like that?” Tender Heart asked slowly.

Sunset simply nodded.

“Oh Sunset.” Tender Heart said as she knelt down to look Sunset directly in the eyes, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You stupid, headstrong, couragious little girl. Even with the odds of getting picked, even with how hard it will be, even with all the danger that going to Heliopolis will mean, you’re still set on trying?”

“I am.” Sunset said, looking into Tender Heart’s eyes with determination.

Bowing her head slightly, Tender Heart sighed.

“Okay…I’ll help you send in the application…”

Sunset’s eyes lit up and her face split into a giant smile. Lunging forward, she wrapped her arms around Tender Hear’s neck, hugging the matron.

“Thank you.” Sunset said, “Thank you, thank you thank you…”

“Easy now.” Tender Heart said as she returned the hug. “Just sending in the application doesn’t mean you’re going. There’s going to be a lot of work ahead of you if you do this.”

“I understand.” Sunset said.

“I’m not sure you really do.” Tender Heart said with a weak chuckle as she hugged Sunset a little tighter. “But, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You’re too stubborn not to.”

Sunset smiled as she held onto Tender Heart. Come chaos, moonlight or shadows, she was determined to find a way to make it happen.

Author's Note

If you're wondering what the process of making a nail looks like, here's a short video on how blacksmiths make nails.

Ch 4 - The Choosing - Stepping Onto the Road

Sunset grunted with effort as she pulled her cart towards Sweet Apple Acres, the sound of wooden wheels crunching on the dirt road mixed with the rattle of the cart created a cacophony in her ears. It was early-afternoon, and she was making the last of her deliveries for Bronze.

A month had gone by since the disastrous episode in the spell forge. A month after she’d discovered the way she could attend the phoenix-rite.

Tender Heart had been true to her word, and had helped Sunset fill out the application, then had gone with her to submit the form at the post office. Sunset had been on pins and needles the entire time, but had relaxed once she’d handed the form over to the postmistress. Much to her relief, the crown was covering the cost of postage for the applications, meaning she got to save the radiants it normally would have cost her to mail something to the capital.

Now was the hard part: waiting.

Sunset had been anxious for the first few days after sending the application in, hovering near the door waiting for the mail to be delivered. But, as the days went on, she slowly realized that she was being silly: it was still Almitas. The candidates wouldn’t be chosen until Praecipio, which was still a couple weeks off. So, she’d slipped back into her daily routine, but with renewed focus and determination.

She’d spent the time since sending in the application redoubling her focus on Bronze’s lessons: metallurgy, meditation exercises, rune-craft and dance practice. Bronze had been elated to see Sunset back to her old, focused self, while Sunset was glad to be back. But, beyond her restored good mood and desire to learn under Bronze, she had an ulterior motive for her renewed focus. She knew that she’d potentially need every radiant that Bronze paid her if she was picked for the phoenix-rite, so she’d done everything she could to not give the forgemaster any reason to dock her pay.

So she’d knuckled down hard, and made sure to not screw up.

She’d been attentive and focused when at the anvil, making sure to pay extra attention when working any orders Bronze gave her.

She’d been studious and careful when carving her practice runes, even going so far as to borrow the books with Bronze’s permission. With her now obsidian sharp focus, she found herself rapidly advancing in her inscriptions, moving from first to second tier runes, and had begun pushing into the third tier. She still had trouble with the latter.

She’d diligently followed Bronze’s instructions when he was teaching her the meditation techniques to help her keep her emotions in check when spell dancing. She’d impressed him enough with her efforts that he’d begun to intersperse actual spell dance practice back into her lessons. They began with simple, basic dances, Bronze watching for any signs of emotional flare ups and loss of focus. Thankfully for Sunset, both the meditation, and her newfound determination helped keep her from having a major flare up like she’d had before. Aside from a few minor hiccups in the beginning, Bronze had been impressed by her progress, and was gearing up to start having her practice the longer tempering dances once she could cast shorter spells without issue. He’d even had her do temporary empowerments of some of her rune carvings.

Of course, he knew the source of her determination, and, much like Tender Heart, had fretted over his apprentice’s decision to try attending the phoenix-rite. Sunset had accepted that they were just worried about her with some grumbling, but was resolute. And, she had sworn to him that if she wasn’t chosen, she’d let it go and move on. She wasn’t expecting it to be easy, but she was determined to keep her word.

And so, nearing the end of another day, she found herself walking through town, bringing a wagon of new tools to Sweet Apple Acres. She was about half way there when she’d run into Rainbow Dash. Once Rainbow had spotted her, she’d decided to accompany Sunset on her delivery. Sunset was grateful for the company, especially since she’d been so focused on work she hadn’t really been spending much time with her oath-sisters.

“So, how are things going with Bronze?” Rainbow said as she hovered above Sunset.

“They’re going alright.” Sunset said, “Bronze’s starting to ease me back into forging dances again after my little… incident.”

“I still can’t believe you almost blew yourself up.” Rainbow said with a snicker, though not a mean-spirited one. All three of her oath-sisters had freaked when they learned about the incident, but it had shifted to gentle ribbing over the last month. Sunset took it with some grumbling, but knew it was just good natured teasing, and that they would knock it off if she told them to. That didn’t mean she’d let them off the hook if they screwed up and gave her some ammunition to return the favor.

“Yea, yea, yea. Laugh it up, hover-girl.” Sunset retorted with a smirk.

“I’m just glad you’re back to Sunset, and not being ‘Mopey McMopePants’ anymore.” Rainbow said as she flew around to Sunset’s front, hovering above her and looking down with a smug grin.

“Dash, are you trying to muscle in on Pinkie’s gig? Because that was a pretty Pinkie thing to say.” Sunset said as she regarded her oath-sister.

Off in the distance, both girls could have sworn they heard a shout of “Yes, it was!”

“Whatever. So, are we going to get a chance to see you anytime. You’ve kinda been absent for the last few weeks.” Rainbow said as she floated back behind Sunset and began to follow her again.

“C’mon Rainbow, you know why.” Sunset retorted with a pout. “I’ve gotta save up in case I get picked for the rite. I’ve asked about caravans to the capital, and they’re not cheap. At all. So, I’ve gotta make as much as I can. And the harder I work, the more I make. It's simple.”

“Ugh. That sounds like such a drag.” Rainbow groused. “Not to mention the last three times I came by your place, you had your face in a book. You turning into an egghead on me?”

“Hey, I like learning,” Sunset retorted, “andI like working the anvil and making stuff. Sure, it’s tough, but I like the challenge. Especially spell dancing. I didn’t get the last one Bronze had me doing right, but it didn’t blow up in my face this time.” Before muttering. “Just… caused the shovel blade I was practicing on to shatter.”

“Sorry, what was that last part?” Rainbow said with a smirk.

“Nothing…” Sunset said hastily, “Nothing at all… Point is, me having my face in a book means that I get to do cool stuff at the forge. Heh, maybe one day I’ll even be good enough to make amps.”

“Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves here Sunset.” Rainbow said with a laugh, “You have to have a royal’s permission to own one of those things, let alone learn to make one. Let’s settle for not blowing yourself up first.”

“Killjoy.” Sunset said as she stuck her tongue out at Rainbow.

“Just keeping your expectations real Sun-butt.” Rainbow teased.

“This from the girl who thinks she’s going to join the Prominence Knights some day.” Sunset retorted with a smirk.

“Oh ha ha Shimmer. Really funny.” Rainbow said, before she descended from the air and landed by Sunset. Walking alongside the redhead, she leaned over slightly and brought her right hand up to her chin, rubbing it while inspecting her oath-sister, before poking her arm, feeling the muscles below Sunset’s sleeve.

“Well, if anything, you’re getting buff like Bronze.” Rainbow snickered, “I mean, sure, you’ll never match AJ or Pinkie’s strength, but you might eventually get to half their level if you really try.”

Sunset gave Rainbow a sidelong glare.

“Do you want a hug Dash?” Sunset deadpanned. “Because I’d be happy to give you one so you can properly compare.”

Rainbow laughed as she spread her wings and took back to the air, putting herself outside of Sunset’s grasp.

“Nah, I’m good.” Rainbow said from the safety of the sky.

“That’s what I thought.” Sunset replied with a sly smirk. “Anyway, how’ve you been? Things going well with Windstorm’s crew?”

“Oh girl, you have no idea.” Rainbow said with a sigh. “I thought ranger work would be fun and exciting, but the training is just so darn boring. All I’m doing these days is reading manuals on how to set up camps, read and make maps, do field medicine. Ugh, it’s dull. I wanted to be out there fighting monsters and exploring ruins like Daring Do, not listening to Windstorm go on and on about the five different ways you set someone’s arm with an improvised splint.”

“So, what you’re saying is that you’ve been sitting around, reading books, and learning?” Sunset said with a giant smirk. “Is that what I heard?”

To Sunset’s satisfaction, a horrified look of realization spread across Rainbow’s face, and she fixed her oath-sister with an irritated glare.

“Smartalec.” Rainbow deadpanned.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about… egghead.” Sunset teased with a snicker.

“You’re a real pain in the butt, you know that?” Rainbow retorted.

“If you say so… nerd.” Sunset said with a victorious smile.

“Whatever…” Rainbow grunted with a chuckle. “Takes one to know one.”

Soon, the two of them arrived at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. Pushing the gate open, Sunset made her way onto the property, with Rainbow landing to walk with her the rest of the way. By now, many of the early blooming trees were done, and had begun to leaf out, while the mid-season varieties were getting started, creating a mosaic of green and white across the orchard as the two walked along the dirt road to the main house.

As they approached, they spotted both Applejack and her older brother Big Macintosh out in the yard. Mac was moving hay bales to the barn, his blond hair, red skin and heavy work clothes damp with sweat, while AJ, also in her work clothes, was occupied in the vegetable garden, hoeing weeds.

“Yo! AJ! Mac!” Sunset called, causing the siblings to look up from their work. “Got a delivery from Bronze for ya!”

“Hey Sunset! Rainbow!” Applejack called, setting the hoe down and walking over to her friends. Mac simply glanced at the two arrivals, gave a short, simple nod, and went back to his task. Sunset didn’t mind. For Mac, that was as good as a welcome as she could expect from the quiet, older boy.

Reaching her friends, Applejack pulled each into a quick hug, before looking at the cart Sunset was pulling.

“So, what’cha got fer us?” Applejack asked.

“Couple of shovel heads, pair of branch loppers, two bags of nails, three hammer heads, one scythe blade, and a rake.” Sunset listed off, pulling a pair of receipts from the cart. “Just need Granny Smith to sign that you got them, and we’re good to go.”

“Ah think she’s in tha kitchen workin’ on some hand pies for tomorrow’s market. Why don’t yah come in an’ we can get everythin’ squared.” Applejack said as she turned to head to the main house. “Ah’ll bet she’s got ah few that she’d be willin’ tah part with.”

“Hey, I won’t say no to that.” Rainbow said cheerfully.

“Of course you wouldn’t Dash.” Sunset snickered. “You’re a bottomless pit.”

“Hey, flying works up an appetite.” Rainbow said, elbowing Sunset’s arm. “Like you have any place to talk, Ms. ‘I can eat as much as Rainbow Dash.’”

Sunset simply responded by sticking her tongue out at Rainbow, who smirked back at her red-headed friend.

“So, Sunset, have yah heard back from tha capital about tha phoenix-rite yet?” Applejack asked, trying to head off the scrap between the other two girls.

“No, not yet.” Sunset said evenly. “But… they said that they’d let us know before Praecipio was over. And there’s still two weeks left before that, so I’m not worried.”

“Are yah sure about that Sunset?” Applejack asked as they neared the house. “Ah don’t want tah see yah bein’ disappointed an’ sad like yah were after what happened at tha test.”

Sunset sighed as she regarded Applejack. AJ wasn’t exactly wrong.

“…this and that are different AJ.” Sunset finally said. “I know this is a gamble, and I’ve accepted that I might not go.”

“But how’s that any different from the test?” Rainbow asked. “Seems like it’s the same thing.”

“This time I’m not going to be run out in tears.” Sunset said with a growl. “This is Raven Inkwell we’re talking about. She’s Celestia’s right hand woman, and I’m pretty sure that anyone who’s worked for the Queen as long as she has wouldn’t get away with being a jerk.”

“If yah say so Sunset.” Applejack said as they walked up the front steps of the house. Leaving the cart behind, Sunset and Rainbow climbed the stairs and followed Applejack inside, the delightful smell of cooking apples assaulting their senses as they pulled the door closed.

“Appajac! Appajac!” The three girls heard come from the living room. Moments later, a young girl with deep red hair and yellow skin ran out and hugged Applejacks’ legs, followed closely by a small, brown border collie pup clumsily scampering up to the girls. Smiling, Applejack reached down and hoisted the younger girl into her arms, while Rainbow did the same for the puppy, which squirmed happily in her grasp, trying to reach her face with her tongue.

“Hey Bloom. Yah been a good girl fer’ Granny?” Applejack said as she held her sister.

“Yah! Ah’ was good for gwanny.” She said with a giant, gap-toothed smile.

“Glad tah hear it.”

“Hey Applebloom.” “Sup Bloom’?”

“Hai Swunset. Hai Wainbow.” Applebloom said to the other girls with a clumsy wave.

“Say, Bloom. Where’s Granny? Ah’ need her fer a minute.” Applejack said as she set her sister on the ground.

“Stiwl in tha kitchwen.” Applebloom said as she clumsily pointed to the door leading to the room in question.

“Well, alright. Thank yah Bloom.” Applejack said as she took her sister’s hand. “Yah want tah get them papers signed and see if yah can get yerselves some grub?”

Both of her guests’ faces lit up as they nodded. After Rainbow put the puppy back down, both her and Sunset followed AJ into the kitchen.

*****

An hour later, Sunset was walking back towards home, pulling the now empty cart. She’d gotten Granny’s signature after AJ confirmed everything had been delivered, and, as a bonus, got stuffed with Granny Smith’s amazing apple pie. Rainbow had flown off not long after she finished with her share, saying that she had chores back home. Sunset, on the other hand, had lingered a little while longer to help Applejack with the rest of her chores, and spend some time playing with her and her new puppy, Winona, once they were done.

But, eventually, Sunset knew that she had to head home. With a warm hug for Applejack and a wave to the rest of the family, Sunset collected the cart and left.

Now on her own, she began to prepare herself for arriving home, and being faced yet again with disappointment. Because as brave of a face as she’d put on for her oath-sisters, she was anxious. She’d started putting together a plan for how she would cover the cost of her trip to Heliopolis if she got one of the slots. But that was only half of it. There were other costs that she’d need to account for besides paying for transport to the capital. The biggest was getting some new, less worn clothes, since even her best were not very good quality, and she suspected that she’d need to look nice.

And that would cost money. Money that she was desperately scraping and saving to have ready in case things went her way. She still gave Tender Heart a portion of her earnings to help keep the orphanage running, but all of her extra spending money? Money that she’d normally use to have fun with her oath-sisters and other friends? Going into a sack she’d locked in her personal trunk.

It was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

No matter how lonely it left her.

*****

Sunset soon arrived at the front gate of the Golden Tree orphanage. Pulling it open, she brought the cart into the yard and closed the gate, wheeling it off the path and to the side of the grand old house, leaving it under an overhang. She’d return it to Bronze in the morning.

Making her way around the back, she pulled open the rear entrance and made her way through the kitchen. It was still early enough in the afternoon that Tender Heart wouldn’t be preparing dinner yet, so Sunset made her way deeper into the house to find her.

After a few minutes of searching and asking the other kids if they’d seen Tender Heart, she found the matron in the living room, reading to some of the younger children. Sunset sauntered up and took a seat near the others as Tender Heart read them the story of the sky-runner twins Lady Steel Heart and Lord Steel Will, and their final battle with the fjaeldmark linnorm of Black Crag Pass.

Sunset smiled a little as she watched the youngsters’ eyes light up as Tender Heart finished the story, telling them how the twins had bested the beast, freeing the people in the valley below from its terror. Of course, she knew that Tender Heart was telling the children was a softened version of the story. Her own book of legends told the full, original version, and in that one, the Steel twins had succumbed to the wounds they suffered in the fight, given their lives to defeat the beast. The act had ended the linnorm’s threat, and the twins had died heros, their sacrifice saving the people of Black Crag Pass and ensuring that their names would live forever in Solarian legend.

As Tender Heart finished the story, the youngsters broke into clumsy applause as she closed the book and rose to her feet. Seeing Sunset sitting nearby, Tender Heart’s smile ticked down just a little.

“Alright everyone.” The matron said, “I’m afraid storytime is over.”

A chorus of “aww”s filled the air as the youngsters groaned in disappointment.

“I know. I know. Why don’t you find Flitter and Lilac Dust and see if they want to play outside?” Tender Heart said, gesturing to the door. A minute later, a dozen little bodies made their way out of the room to find the older girls, leaving Sunset and Tender Heart alone.

“Anything?” Sunset said as she approached the matron, a hopeful look on her face.

Tender Heart sadly closed her eyes and shook her head. Sunset deflated, her shoulders slumping and her head lolling forward, a few loose strands of her hair falling in front of her face.

“I’m sorry Sunset.” Tender Heart said as she put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.

“It’s okay.” Sunset muttered. “Maybe I should just stop getting my hopes up.”

“Don’t say that Sunset.” Tender Heart said, trying to sound encouraging “There’s still time.”

“I really wonder about that.” Sunset said with a sigh. “Anyhow, do you have enough helpers for making dinner tonight? I can lend a hand if you want.”

“Thank you, dear, but Lyra and Lilac are helping tonight, so I’ve got all the hands I need.” Tender Heart said, “Why don’t you take the afternoon off and relax. You’ve been working yourself to the bone lately, and you need to rest.”

“I…Okay.” Sunset said morosely as she trudged out of the room.

*****

The rest of the afternoon moved along at a snail’s pace. After her conversation with Tender Heart, she’d needed to do something physical to get her mind off things. As luck would have it, she ran into Lyra heading to the common bathroom to give it a cleaning. Jumping on the opportunity, Sunset joined her bunkmate in her task: scrubbing out the washbasins and mopping the floors. Once they’d finished, Sunset claimed one of the tubs and filled it with water, heating it with a simple warming charm. Compared to the dances she’d been doing with Bronze in the last few weeks, the spell she just cast was almost embarrassingly easy.

One warm bath later, and Sunset was much more relaxed. Drying herself off, she wrapped her hair and her body in towels, and headed to the bunk. Slipping into her pajamas, Sunset grabbed one of her spell-dancing manuals and headed to the second floor study room to read.

Upon entering the room, Sunset walked past the half dozen small desks and wall mounted bookshelves to reach her favorite reading spot: a cushion covered bench inset into the large picture window overlooking the front yard. Setting down her book and hopping up onto the cushion, Sunset reclined against a large pillow and opened the book to where she’d left off the evening before: the section on casting spell-dances fueled by cold emotions. Finding the section she’d been studying, she picked up where she’d left off.

“Spell dances using cold emotions and feelings, such as sorrow, fear, apathy, calm or peace, require slow, precise movements to properly channel one’s inner flame. Unlike spells that call on hot emotions, cold emotion based spells are much more meticulous, and emphasize deliberate, sharp starts and stops, particularly of the hands, arms and legs. Furthermore…

Sunset soon found herself lost in her reading as she considered what she was learning. Most forging dances she’d been practicing fed on hot or balanced emotions, not cold ones. It seemed like a waste to omit an entire aspect of the emotional spectrum, and she wondered about the application of cold emotions in forging and tempering. She made a mental note to ask Bronze about that later.

After some time, she heard the rythmic thumping of someone skipping across the study room floor towards her. Sunset didn’t bother to look up when the footfalls stopped next to her reading nook, and the floorboards started creaking as if someone were excitedly bouncing on their heels. Chancing a look out of the window, she realized that she’d probably been reading for about an hour, since she could see the sun closing in on the horizon.

“Yes Lyra?” Sunset said, finally looking at the other fire-caller.

“Are you busy right now?” Lyra asked, her cheery grin making Sunset quirk an eyebrow.

“Is that a trick question?” Sunset shot back.

“I don’t know. Is it?” Lyra chirped back.

“I suppose it depends on what you want.” Sunset deadpanned.

“Well then, I guess you’d better ask me what I want so I can tell you!” Lyra replied cheerily.

Closing her book, Sunset sighed as she pinched her brow just below her soul-gem.

“Lyra, what do you want?” Sunset replied as she turned to face the other girl.

“Well… me, Flitter, Lilac and a few of the kids were thinking of playing ‘spiral dance’, and wanted to invite you too.” Lyra said as she threw her hands wide. “C’mon Sunset, all you do lately is work or study. Come play with us. It’ll be fun.”

“Lyra, I…” Sunset began to decline the offer, but paused as she looked Lyra in the eyes. There was something there that made her reconsider. Under the chipper, energetic grin, there was worry. Worry clearly directed at her. That alone gave Sunset pause. Lyra rarely ever worried about stuff.

But, here Lyra was, worrying about her.

And, truth be told, she was right. Sunset hadn’t been letting herself have fun lately.

Looking down at the book in her hands, Sunset smiled and set it aside.

“Okay Lyra, I’ll come.” Sunset said as she rose to her feet. “Who’s playing the music?”

“Me of course!” Lyra said as she put her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and threw out her chest with pride.

“You’re not going to use the cooking pots again, right?” Sunset asked sarcastically.

“Oh Celestia no!” Lyra almost screamed, “Not after what happened the last time.”

“Tender Heart was pretty mad, wasn’t she.”

“Yea, she was.” Lyra said with a wary smile. “My knees still ache from how long she had me scrubbing the floors.”

“Well, you did dent them pretty badly…” Sunset said as she swung her legs down off the bench and rose to her feet. “Alright, give me a minute to get changed, and I’ll meet you out by the firepit.”

Before she managed to take a step away from the window, she spotted movement out of the corner of her eyes. Turning back and looking out into the front yard, she saw someone opening the front gate.

“Hey, Lyra, look…” Sunset said as she pointed to the visitor.

Lyra ambled up to the window and looked out, following the line of Sunset’s finger.

“Never seen her around here before.” Lyra said, “Wonder what she wants?”

The woman making her way to the front gate was a sky-runner with onyx-black hair and eyes, with brick red skin and feathers. What the two girls found unusual was that aside from her slightly odd color-scheme, was that it was hard to really find anything all that distinctive about her. It was almost as if her features were so generic that she didn’t stick in their minds. Even her clothes were generic and non-descript to the point of being unmemorable.

“Think she’s here looking to adopt?” Lyra said with a little excitement.

“At this time of day?” Sunset said, “Not likely. Maybe she’s an old friend of Tender Heart’s from out of town?”

“Maybe.” Lyra said as the woman reached the front door and used the knocker to announce herself.

“Well whatever she wants, I’m sure we’ll hear about it if it’s important.” Sunset said as she got up from the window started to walk out, Lyra catching up and joining her.

*****

Sunset moved gracefully to the strumming of Lyra’s guitar, dancing in tempo with the music along with Lilac Dust and two of the younger boys. The five of them, along with Flitter and four more of the youngsters were all gathered on a large, circular, flagstone patio in the backyard of the orphanage. At the center of the patio was a large fire pit, which held a modest sized blaze.

The four dancers were currently circling around the fire pit, the girls wearing simple, slightly loose fitting white blouses and blue, calf-length, pleated skirts. Lilac was adding to the instrumental with a tambourine, while Sunset played a pair of castanets. By contrast, the younger boys were dressed in black shirts and pants, and were aiding the melody with a pair of claves each.

Lyra’s music picked up in speed, and the dancers sped up to match.

Arms moving, castanets clicking, tamborine thumping and jingling, claves clacking, skirts swirling, the dancers circled the fire, their forms highlighted by the flame in the early evening gloaming.

A warm smile was plastered across Sunset’s face as she lost herself in the music and her dance. It had been too long since she just danced without needing to call on her fire. To let her body move for no other reason than to have fun. Her smile turned wistful as she thought about her oath-sisters, and how much she wished they were here right now. The last time she’d danced with them like this was the Harvest Festival at Sweet Apple Acres.

All of their families had been there. There’d been food, music, games, and dancing round the ceremonial bonfire. Pinkie kept getting out of step with everyone in her enthusiasm. Rainbow had chafed under the slower parts of the dance. Mac playing the fiddle as AJ danced around the flame with her oath-sisters, all of them laughing with joy as they celebrated the gift of life given by the earth and Celestia’s sun.

Those were good times.

The tempo of the music began to slow, with the dancers slowing down to match, until Lyra stopped playing altogether, ending the dance.

Taking a few deep breaths, Sunset and the others bowed as their small audience broke into eager applause.

Walking to the edge of the patio, Sunset sat down on the warm stone next to Lilac Dust, the light violet skinned, sea-green eyed, purple haired earth-weaver girl smiling the easy smile of someone who was thoroughly enjoying herself.

“Alright. My turn.” Flitter said as she rose, her pale persian blue skin and wings, raspberry eyes and pale opal hair highlighted by the glow of the fire. “Who’s going to dance with me?”

Two of the younger boys, a sky-runner and earth-weaver, and one of the girls, also a earth-weaver, raised their hands and stood up.

The four new dancers approached the previous dancers, who wordlessly handed their instruments to the new quartet, who took them and headed towards the fire pit. Once they were in position, Flitter nodded to Lyra, who began to strum her guitar in a slow melody. As she began to play, the dancers began to move around the fire, playing their instruments in tune with her.

Sunset brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, leaning forward to watch the others as they danced. Looking at the horizon, Sunset saw the sun starting to reach the edge of the sky. With a sigh, she realized this was probably the last round before Tender Heart came to collect Lilac and Lyra to help make dinner. Disappointing, but she wasn’t going to let it ruin her fun.

Her mind lost in the music and the dances of her fellow orphans, Sunset barely registered the sound of the house’s back door opening, then closing, followed by the sound of two sets of feet approaching the patio.

“Sunset, could I have a minute?” Sunset heard Tender Heart say from behind, causing the young girl to jump a little.

Rising off the ground and turning to face the matron, Sunset saw the mysterious sky-runner from earlier standing next to Tender Heart.

“Um… sure.” Sunset said, eyeing the stranger warily. “What’s going on?”

Stepping forward, the mysterious woman looked down at Sunset, crossing her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head slightly to the side, her onyx black eyes boring into the young girl. There was something strange about the way the woman looked at her that made her feel exposed, almost like she was naked.

“Are you Sunset Shimmer?” The woman said after a few seconds, her voice detached and business-like.

“Yes, that’s me.” Sunset replied, looking at Tender Heart, and noticed that the matron looked almost distressed by the whole situation. “Can I help you?”

An easy, relaxed half-smile spread across the woman’s face, which for some odd reason defused a little bit of the tension Sunset was feeling.

“Not as such, young one. I just have something for you.” The woman said casually. By this point, the others had taken notice of what was going on, the music and dancing coming to a nervous halt.

With little fanfare, the woman uncrossed her arms and pulled a small envelope from a pouch on her belt, then handed it to Sunset. Tentatively taking the offered paper sleeve, Sunset inspected the front, before turning it over and gasping. There, on the back, in sun-yellow wax, was Raven Inkwell’s royal seal.

“Is this…?” Sunset began, too shocked to finish her question.

“Open it.” The woman said easily.

Nodding dumbly, Sunset cracked the wax seal, and opened the flap. Inside was a folded piece of parchment, one of better quality than any she’d ever seen in her life. Pulling the letter out, Sunset opened the paper and began to read.

To Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree, The Western Territories,

As seneschal to the Queen, it is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected for the honor of serving at the upcoming phoenix-rite. If you are able and still wish to perform this service to the Queen, and our nation, please inform the courier who delivered this letter that you accept this position.

As part of your duties, you will be required to undergo an intensive training session in Heliopolis during the month of Medeis to prepare you for serving at the rite. After I have received confirmation of your intent to attend, I will work with you and your caretaker to arrange your safe passage from Golden Tree to the training location in the corona of Heliopolis.

May the light of the sun shine upon you always.

Raven Inkwell
Senechal to Queen Celestia (forever may she reign)

Sunset was too stunned to respond immediately, instead staring dumbly at the letter, unsure if she was really seeing what she was seeing. She could vaguely sense the others gathering around her, probably wondering if she was alright, or what the letter said. Slowly, Sunset pulled the letter to her chest and looked at the woman who delivered it.

“Is this real?” Sunset whispered. “Am I dreaming? Was I actually chosen?”

There was a chorus of surprised and excited exclamations behind her, but Sunset barely registered them. Her whole world at that moment was just her, the letter she was holding, and the courier.

“If that’s what Lady Inkwell wrote, then yes, you have.” The woman said plainly as she stared at Sunset with those calm, black eyes.

“I’m going to be able to attend the rite?” Sunset asked, the sound of her heartbeat thundering in her ears.

“If you’ve been given an offer, and you accept it, then yes.” The woman replied. “I can come back tomorrow if you need time to think about your answer.”

“NO!” Sunset almost shouted, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest with fright. Fright that if this stranger left, she’d never see her again, and she’d miss her chance. “No…no… you don’t need to leave. I know my answer.”

“Oh?”

“My answer is yes. I accept. Without a doubt, I accept.” Sunset said as she held the letter a little closer to her chest.

As she looked at the woman’s face, she saw that odd, lopsided smile form on her lips again.

“Well, it seems you’ve made up your mind. Good. Good good.” Sunset watched as the woman turned to face Tender Heart and nodded to her. “Now that that’s settled, I believe I have some news to deliver to Lady Inkwell. Her grace will be in touch with you shortly to work out the details.”

And with that, she turned to leave, her wings spreading as she prepared to take off.

“Wait!” Sunset called. At the sound, the woman stopped and turned to look over her shoulder at Sunset. “Thank you. Please, what’s your name.”

“My name doesn’t matter kiddo.” The woman said with a twinkle in her eyes and a smirk. “I’m just the messenger.”

And with that, she turned away and lept into the air, flying eastward towards Heliopolis.

Looking down at the letter in her arms, Sunset squeezed it to her chest, a few tears of joy forming in the corner of her eyes.

“I got in.” She whispered to herself as she felt the others gather around her. “I got in…”

*****

The next two months were a blur of letters to Raven Inkwell, working out all of the logistics for the trip, all while keeping up with work and her chores at the orphanage.

As she was figuring out the details for the trip, she’s hit a snag: calculating the costs for her passage to and from Heliopolis, and her new clothes, she realized that she’d never be able to afford both. If she wanted to get to the capital, and return to Golden Tree after the rite, she wouldn’t be able to afford the clothes she needed. If she got the clothes, she’d only be able to afford a one way ticket.

And there was no way she was going to strand herself in Heliopolis.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t ask Tender Heart for the money. The house already ran on a tight budget as it was. Similarly, she couldn’t withhold her usual contribution, because without it, she’d be making life harder for the others, and she couldn’t do that. Not in good conscience.

She’d approached Bronze on the matter, asking if he’d be able to give her extra work to make up the difference. But, like with Tender Heart, he couldn’t. Not without putting the forge into the red. Sunset was starting to consider asking her oath-sisters, when Bronze came up with a possible solution. It turned out that he was friends with a caravan leader, a earth-weaver named Open Trails, that made regular trips between the capital and Golden Tree. Upon learning this, Sunset had asked Bronze if he could arrange a meeting between herself and the earth-weaver.

It took some doing, but they’d managed to make the meeting happen.

Much to her disappointment, he told her that there was no way he could give her a price cut on her passage, even for Bronze. But, unwilling to give up, she had asked if there was another way to possibly save on her ticket. Reluctantly, he said because she was Bronze’s apprentice, he’d be willing to make a deal with her. If she was willing to work part-time on the caravan crew, helping with meal preparation, gathering wood when they camped, helped take care of the horses, and other miscellaneous tasks, he would be willing to cut the price of her round-trip ticket by half.

Sunset had needed to take a day to consider her options. On the one hand, she’d be able to afford the trip and get the clothes she’d need. But, on the other, she’d be working along the way.

In the end, she knew what she had to do, and she informed Open Trails that she’d take his offer. A few letters between Raven Inkwell and herself, and her arrival date in Heliopolis was set.

Now all she needed to do was wait for the day she left Golden Tree on the biggest adventure of her life.

*****

The weeks flew by, yet seemed to crawl along at a snail’s pace until the day of Sunset’s departure arrived, her nerves screaming in panic as she walked with Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack to the caravan staging area, a worn duffel bag slung over her shoulder. Inside were her new clothes, her tome of legends, a couple of smaller books on rune engraving, and a few other basic necessities.

The day before, Pinkie had arranged a giant ‘going away’ party for Sunset at the orphanage. Unlike her normally energetic events, this one was more subdued, but still fun. Music, dancing, a few treats supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Cake for the occasion. They’d ended the festivities earlier than normal; Sunset was departing early, and she couldn’t afford to be late. Tender Heart had let Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack stay the night, with their parent’s permission. The four girls, not wanting to sleep apart, had set up a nest of bedrolls on the common room floor and slept cuddled in each other's arms. It was the last time they were going to see each other for a month, and they wanted to be as close as possible, even through the darkness of sleep.

The morning had come abruptly, finding the four of them huddled in each other’s arms, Rainbow’s wings spread out on top of their shared quilt, covering them protectively. Sunset was the first to wake up, her eyes opening to the sight of blond hair and her nostrils filled with the smell of apples, roses and chicory blossoms. Peaking at the grandfather clock near on the wall, she saw that she had two hours until she left. And that meant she’d have to get up soon. Gently nudging Applejack to rouse her, then Pinkie and Rainbow, the four girls slowly and groggily woke up.

“Mornin’ everyone.” Sunset said, gently scooting back and shifting Rainbow’s wing so she could sit up.

“Mornin’ / Good morning Sunny / Hey”

Regarding the window, Sunset sighed.

“Sorry to be that person more than usual, but we should get up. I leave in a couple hours.” Sunset said as she passed her eyes over her oath-sisters.

“Aww, don’t remind me.” Pinkie whined.

“Can’t we just stay here for a little longer?” Rainbow asked as she pulled her wing in and sat up. “I mean, we’ve still got time.”

“I wish we could.” Sunset said, “But, I need to finish getting everything together.”

“Didn’t yah do that last night?” Applejack said as she propped herself up on her elbows.

“I’m mostly packed, but I kinda put finishing up off because of the party.” Sunset said sheepishly. “I wanted as much time with everyone as possible before I went.”

“Well, how about Dash helps yah finish, while Pinkie and Ah whip up some grub.” Applejack said as she pushed herself up and sat on her knees.

“That’s a super aweserific idea AJ!” Pinkie squealed with delight. “I know just what we’re going to make for Sunny’s ‘you’re going away for a while, but you’ll be back soon’ breakfast. Do you think Tender Heart will mind us using the kitchen?”

“You two?” Sunset said, the thought of Pinkie and Applejack’s cooking making her smile happily. “I’m sure she’ll be fine with it. Just not Dash.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow said testily.

“Dashie, you’re so bad at cooking, I’ve seen you burn water.” Pinkie giggled. “You’re super awesome at a lot of things, but making anything other than charcoal in the kitchen isn’t one of them.”

“You’re a riot Pinkie.” Rainbow deadpanned.

“Ah’right you two, let it go.” Applejack interjected, “We don’ want tah make ah scene. We’re here fer Sunset, remember?”

Both Rainbow and Pinkie’s mouths snapped shut at that, and they looked at Sunset apologetically.

“It’s fine.” Sunset said, “C’mon, let’s get going. The sooner we get up, the sooner we get to hang out.”

The others nodded in agreement, and began to rise.

Ten minutes later, Rainbow and Sunset had her bag packed, and put at the landing near the door. The two of them headed into the dining room. A few minutes after their arrival, Pinkie and Applejack came out of the kitchen, Pinkie carrying a giant plate of apple stuffed crepes, while AJ brought both a bowl of hash browns and a big pitcher of hot tea. The four of them tucked in, trying to stay as quiet as possible while still chatting, doing their best to avoid the looming linnorm of Sunset’s imminent departure.

Once they’d finished up, they worked together to get their dishes and the kitchen cleaned up and ready for Tender Heart.

Soon, the four of them were getting ready to head out, when they heard the sound of slow footfalls behind them. Turning, they saw Tender Heart descending the stairs. Sunset tried not to look at the pained, worried expression on the matron’s face, but she couldn’t bring herself not to look at her.

“So, this is it?” Tender Heart said, fighting to hold back her tears. “You’re really going through with this?”

Sunset didn’t reply with words. Instead, she walked up to the matron and threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

“I am.” Sunset sniffled.

Tender Heart slowly returned the hug, barely holding back her own tears.

“Please be careful Sunset.” She said solemnly.

“I will be. I promise.” Sunset said.

“Do you want to say goodbye to everyone else?” The matron asked.

“If they’re awake.”

“I don’t think they’ll mind if we wake them up for this. They’ll want to say goodbye too.”

Sunset released Tender Heart, and nodded.

“Okay. Wait here.” Tender Heart said as she turned and went back up the stairs.

A few minutes later, she returned, the other children in tow. Sunset was soon enveloped in a large group hug as everyone tearfully said their goodbyes, wished her luck, and told her to come home safely. Sunset put on a brave face as she said her goodbyes.

Eventually, Sunset extracted herself from the crowd of her fellow orphans, and made her way to the door. With one last goodbye, the four oath-sisters headed out. Exiting the orphanage’s grounds, the four of them walked in silence towards the north-eastern section of Golden Tree where Sunset would join up with the caravan heading to Heliopolis.

As they walked, Sunset would occasionally steal glances at the other girls. Her oath-sisters were trying to be stoic, but Sunset knew that they were just as nervous as she was. Perhaps even moreso. As they arrived at the caravan staging area, the pressure became too much for Pinkie, and she rushed forward, grabbing Sunset in a tight hug.

“I don’t want you to go Sunny!” Pinkie wailed, clearly on the verge of tears as she hugged the other girl. “Please don’t go. Who’s going to help me plan pranks on Rainbow when she does something dumb? Who’s going to taste my newest creations? Who’s going to groan at my puns? Who’s going to keep me out of Applejack’s special cider?”

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “Wait ah second, yer the one who keeps tryin’ to get inta the hard zap apple cider?”

Sunset ignored Applejack’s question, instead returning Pinkie’s hug.

“I’m sure you’ll manage, Pinkie. You’ve still got Rainbow and AJ to keep you out of trouble. Or maybe help you get into it.” Sunset said as she rubbed the pink earth-weaver’s back. “It's only for a month. I’ll be back after the rite is over.”

“Still, I wish we could’ve gone with you.” Rainbow said solemnly, “I don’t like the idea of you being all alone in that city.”

“I wish you could come too.” Sunset said as she regarded Rainbow, fighting to hold back her tears. “But… this is just how it is. I promise to write as often as I can.”

“Yah better.” Applejack said, her voice nearly cracking. “I want to know yah ‘re doin’ okay, yah hear me? Ah don’t care if yah’re busy, yah’d better write tah us every week till the rite’s over.”

“I will. I promise.” Sunset said. “Infact, I Pinkie Promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“You better not break that promise.” Pinkie sobbed, squeezing Sunset tight against her chest, “Or I’ll find you.”

“Have I ever broken a Pinkie Promise?” Sunset asked.

“First time for everything, Sun-butt.” Rainbow said as she wiped her eyes.

Sunset looked at the sad faces of her oath-sisters. Her best friends. Her family. She hated the idea of being away from them for as long as she was going to be, but this was the choice she made. And it was one she’d see through.

No matter how much it hurt.

“Oh, come here. Both of you.” Sunset said, shifting to give Applejack and Rainbow space to get in on the hug.

Soon, all four were embracing, holding Sunset tight as they savored the warm feeling of their sisterly love for one another. The dam finally broke, and the four of them began sobbing at the pain of their separation.

“I’m going to miss you all so much.” Sunset said through her tears. “You’re the best sisters a girl could hope for. So… stay strong, and I’ll be back before you know it. Then, we can get into all sorts of trouble again.”

“We’ll miss you too Sunny / Yah too sugar / You better be back.”

“Alright.” Sunset said as she released her grip on the others. “I need to go before I chicken out.”

Slowly, the others released her. Adjusting her duffel bag, she did her best to smile at her oath-sisters, who returned the effort with minimal success.

“I’ll see you all soon.” Sunset said as she started to walk past her friend. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw the three of them waiving, watery smiles on their faces. Waving back, she smiled as well.

She’d see them again in a month.

As she approached the caravan, Sunset spotted Open Trails talking with a few other people she recognized from around town, including Bronze Hammer. She was surprised to see her teacher there, but was glad nonetheless. Taking a deep breath, she approached the caravan leader. Waiting until he was done talking, she cleared her throat to get his attention.

“Ah, hello Sunset.” The stocky, brown skinned, sandy-tan haired earth-weaver said as he turned away from Bronze.

“Good morning, Sunset.” Bronze said as he stepped towards his apprentice and ruffled her hair affectionately.

“Good morning.” Sunset said as she ran her fingers through her hair, getting it back in order. “What’re you doing here Bronze?”

“What, can’t I see my apprentice off on her big day?” Bronze laughed as he regarded the young girl.

“Of course not.” Sunset said, “I’m just surprised is all. I just thought you’d be getting the forge ready for the day.”

“I can get a little bit of a late start, kiddo. This is more important.” Bronze said as he kneeled down and pulled Sunset into a hug. Sunset stood there in shock for a minute. Bronze was rarely, if ever, openly affectionate with her. Slowly, she returned the hug.

“You’re growing up so fast, kid.” Bronze said wistfully as he pulled away from the hug and put his hands on Sunset’s shoulders. “Look, I’m not one for sentimentality, and I’m sure you’ve heard this a thousand times already, but be careful, okay. You’re going to be in the middle of a den of vipers, so watch your step.”

“I will.” Sunset said.

“Good.” Bronze said as he rose back up to his feet. “I’ve got to go, so I’ll see you when you get back. I expect to see you at the smithy when you get home. Don’t want you getting too soft on me.”

Sunset chuckled at that, before nodding.

“Alright, I’m off.” Bronze said before turning back to Open Trails. “Keep her safe, you hear me.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” Open Trails said as he clapped his hand on Bronze’s shoulder.

And with that, Bronze walked off towards town.

Sunset watched him go until he was out of sight, then turned to Open Trails. The earth-weaver nodded at her and crossed his arms across his chest.

“Do you have the radiants for the trip.” He asked.

“Right here.” Sunset said, pulling a pouch of coins out of her bag and handing it to Open Trails. Opening the pouch, he did a quick count and nodded.

“Good.” He said as he put the bag in a small box on the table he was standing next to, before turning his attention back to Sunset. “Now, put your bag over with the others. Once you do, help the others get the supplies put into the cold chests. I want to get underway as soon as possible.”

“Yes, sir.” Sunset said nervously. This was it. This was really about to happen. Turning, she started to walk off.

“Sunset, one second.” Open Trails called.

Sunset stopped and looked back at him.

“Sunset, you’re scared. I can see it in your eyes.” He said, his face warming up a bit. “This is a big, scary new experience for you. But, don’t worry. I’ll get you to Heliopolis in one piece. Bronze would have my head if I let anything happen to you. Understand?”

Sunset looked at him dumbly for a moment before smiling and nodding.

“Good girl. Now, you’ve got work to do, so get going.” He said, lifting his hand and casually flicking his finger in the direction of the baggage pile.

Nodding, Sunset adjusted her bag and started to make her way to the baggage pile.

‘No turning back now.’ She thought, ‘All that’s left is to move forward.’

Author's Note

And Sunset is on her way.

Mythological entity note: Linnorms are a type of dragon (think same family, different genus). They're serpentine creatures that lack hind legs and wings. They also tend to be far more aggressive and territorial than regular dragons.

Ch 5 - The Choosing - In Over her Head

The light of the late afternoon sun shone down on Sunset as she headed back to camp. It had been a short hike to a small river nearby, where she’d been sent to gather water for the evening. Grunting, she adjusted the carrying pole balanced on her shoulder, the buckets of water attached to each end swaying slightly.

The caravan had stopped for the day, and they had set up camp along the main highway to Heliopolis. Over the last four days, there had been a gradual transition of the highway from dirt, to gravel, and from gravel to cobblestone.

The wagons were currently parked in a circle just off the highway in a small clearing in the oak savanna they were traveling through. Entering the circle, Sunset walked past the other members of the caravan, and up to a cauldron suspended above the ground on a metal tripod. Setting the buckets on the ground, she hoisted one up and poured its contents into the cauldron. Once that task was done, she brought the other bucket to the cook’s table, and filled a wash basin, the sound drawing the attention of the other crew member at the table.

“Ah, good, you’re back.” The cook, a silver haired, purple skinned fire caller with cobalt eyes and soul gem named Field Prep said. “Go put those up, then add a bag of lentils to the cooking pot. Once you’re done with that, come back and we’ll wash the vegetables.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sunset said as she went to collect return the empty buckets to their proper storage space at the back of the cargo wagon. Climbing down from the wagon, Sunset walked over to the dry-goods box, and pulled out a large bag of lentils. Hoisting it onto her shoulder, she made her way to the cauldron, opened the drawstring and poured the lentils into the pot, then returned to Field Prep and, using a ladle to scoop out some water, washed her hands.

“Okay girl,” Field Prep said without looking at Sunset, her attention focused on retrieving a large sack of root vegetables, and emptying their contents onto the table, “You can start by washing the turnips and potatoes while I take care of cleaning the hares we caught. After that, wash and cut up some cabbages like I showed you last night. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am.” Sunset replied evenly as she began her task. Unlike when she worked with Tender Heart in the kitchen back home, there was little in the way of warmth or comradery here. Instead, it was all business, with Field Prep issuing orders, with the expectation that Sunset would immediately obey.

Scooping out a few ladles full of water, she filled a smaller vessel and grabbed a washcloth. Dipping each root vegetables into the water, she vigorously rubbed the dirt off its surface, before setting it down and repeating the process with the next. After she’d cleaned all of them, she grabbed a knife from the supply box and began to cut them into medium sized chunks.

After twenty or so minutes of work, she finished her current task, and pulled a couple of cabbages from the cold box and cut them into eighths vertically, so that the stem held most of the leaves together.

“Done!” Sunset called out to Field Prep, who had finished cleaning the hares, and had cut the meat off the bones.

“Alright. While I get the stew started, get a loaf of bread out and slice it up.” Field Prep said as she gathered the cut vegetables in a large bowl and headed to the cauldron.

Sunset did as she was told, pulling a loaf of dense, dark bread from the supply box, and began slicing it into thick pieces. Once she was done, she wrapped them in a cotton cloth to keep them from drying out, and put them into a basket. Leaving the basket on the prep-table, she headed to the center of camp to find Field Prep had finished adding the ingredients to the cauldron.

“Do you need anything else ma’am?” Sunset asked.

“Grab me the spices, then see if Open Trails has anything else of you to do before we serve everyone.” Field Prep said as she stirred the contents of the pot with a long ladle. Nodding to herself, she stepped back and, performing a short spell dance with her upper body, ignited the wood below the cauldron.

Sunset didn’t reply. Instead, she simply went and grabbed the spice pouches and brought them to Field Prep. Passing them to the cook, who acknowledged and dismissed Sunset with a simple nod, she turned and walked away, fighting down a desire to make a rude gesture as she went to find Open Trails.

Once she was out of earshot, Sunset growled to herself and clenched her fists. Six days of this.

They’d been on the road for six days now, and the other members of the crew barely treated her with any respect. Only Open Trails ever referred to her by name, while the others simply called her “girl” or “kid”. Open Trails had assured her that was just how the crew was, particularly since Sunset was only a member temporarily.

She supposed she understood.

But it still chafed.

And it was a constant, cold, stark reminder that none of these people were her friends. They were her employers. Even her relationship with Bronze was warmer, despite them technically being master and apprentice. The difference was that Bronze was actually invested in her well being, since she was the one he was passing on his knowledge to. That wasn’t the case here. So, as much as she wanted to tell them off, she had to hold her tongue. Lest she get left somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

As Sunset exited the circle of wagons, she spotted Open Trails setting up the temporary corral to hold the horses for the night. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she approached the caravan leader, then cleared her throat once she reached him, announcing her presence.

“Ah, Sunset.” Open Trails said as she approached, “Can you hold these upright while I drive them in?”

“Yes sir.” Sunset said as she did as she was asked, thankful that at least he called her by name.

Holding the metal arch in place, Sunset winced as Open Trails banged on the top, driving the spikes at the base into the ground, the sharp clang of metal on metal ringing in her ears. Once they were sufficiently driven in, they set about putting up the rest of the corral. The process took around half an hour, but at the end, they’d set up a temporary pen large enough for the twenty horses in the caravan. One quick inspection for anything awry with the frame, and the two of them went to collect the horses.

“How many more days till we get to Heliopolis?” Sunset asked as they reached the animals.

“We should be arriving mid-day tomorrow.” Open Trails said, grabbing hold of the reins of the first few horses, which he passed to Sunset. “Why, getting tired of the open road?”

“A little.” Sunset said without thinking. “Oh, sorry.”

“It’s fine Sunset. It takes some getting used to.” Open Trails said with a laugh as he grabbed the reins of a few more horses. “Right, let’s get these boys to the corral for the night. Bet they’re looking forward to a nice rest.”

*****

After bringing the horses to the corral and setting them loose inside to graze, Sunset and Open Trails headed back into camp. By the time they arrived, they could smell the delightful odor of spiced stew wafting through the air. Field Prep was still at the cauldron, stirring the now bubbling brew, while a dozen other sun-gazers, both passengers and crew, were seated on stools around the fire, each clearly anticipating the evening meal.

Hearing Sunset and Open Trails approaching, Field Prep looked over her shoulder to see the newcomers.

“Ah, good, you’re back.” She said, “Girl, get the bowls, spoons and the bread so we can get started.”

Sunset bristled a little, but did as she was told, watching as Open Trails went to his spot in the circle and sat down. Making a quick trip to the prep-table, she grabbed enough bowls and spoons for the camp, stuffed them in a basket, grabbed the bread basket, and headed back to Field Prep.

“Alright, line up everyone.” Field Prep said once Sunset arrived. Soon, each member of the camp was lined up by the cauldron, passengers first, followed by crew. Sunset passed the first person in line a chunk of bread, a spoon, and a bowl, which Field Prep filled with a ladle full of steaming hot stew. Once all of the passengers had their share, Open Trails and the rest of the crew took their turns. After everyone else was fed, Field Prep served herself and Sunset, and they joined the others.

Sunset gravitated towards Open Trails as she found a place to sit. By now, everyone else from Golden Tree had left the caravan, and had picked up new passengers at the towns they’d passed through. Passengers that Sunset had learned to avoid. There were two in particular, a pair of fire-callers named Fractyl Cut and Silver Frame, who had been particularly awful. It began when they joined the caravan two days prior in the town of Valleywind.

From what Sunset could glean from Open Trails, the two of them worked for a minor noble from Heliopolis's north-east ray of Ardor, and had been sent to the west on a prospecting trip. Sunset hadn’t cared about that. She only cared that the two of them treated most of the crew, and her in particular, with unveiled contempt.

At first, they just seemed like they were stuck up and rude, but not that bad. But, it got worse as time went on. More than once, she heard the two of them call Open Trails, the rest of the crew, and herself “dirt-eaters” when they thought nobody was listening.

Sunset had never heard anyone called a dirt-eater before, and not knowing what that meant, she’d asked Open Trails. As soon as she asked him, his expression darkened considerably. When she asked what was wrong, he demanded to know where she’d heard someone say that. One quick explanation later, and his anger subsided, only to be replaced with bitter resignation.

“I don’t understand.” Sunset had said.

“It’s an insult.” Open Fields had said, “Something that the people in Heliopolis call anyone not from the city. ”

“Oh…” Sunset had said, looking back at the two fire-callers. “What does it mean?”

“That they don’t think you’re a person.” Open Trails said with a sigh. “That you’re some sort of animal, and only deserve to eat dirt, because only ‘true’ sun-gazers are worthy of eating actual food.”

“But… we are sun-gazers!” Sunset had protested.

“But not ‘true’ sun-gazers. Not in their eyes.” Open Trails said with a sigh. “Because we aren’t blessed enough to live in Celestia’s city, we can’t be her true people.”

Sunset dipped her bread into her stew, soaking up some of the warm, spicy broth, before taking a savage bite. Chewing the dense, starchy loaf, she glared daggers at the two fire-callers, who were sitting on the far end of the semi-circle, subtly away from the others.

It was yet another reason to dislike the Heliopolans.

She’d asked Open Trails why they didn’t just leave them out in the wilderness if they were going to be jerks like that. The older earth-weaver has only sighed. As much as he’d love to do just that, he couldn’t. They were retainers of a noble, and if they went missing, it would be his head. His reputation would be shot, and he’d probably have the authorities on him for murder. So, as much as he loathed it, they had to put up with their attitude.

It wasn’t fair, but it was just the way of things.

Sunset didn’t like it. She didn’t like it one bit.

After everyone had finished their meals, Sunset and Field Prep gathered the dishes, and, after a quick cleaning spell dance, put everything away. Sundown was rapidly approaching, so everyone began to head to their tents, with Sunset joining Open Trails and the rest of the crew in the crew tent.

Unfurling her bedroll, Sunset crawled under the simple, wool blanket and lay on her back, staring up at the roof of the tent.

One more day.

And she’d be in Heliopolis. For all the good and ill that entailed.

*****

“Wow.”

“I know.” Open Trails said from beside Sunset.

Sunset was riding in the lead wagon with Open Trails, and they had just emerged from a light woodland, when she’d spotted something in the distance. At first, she thought it was an immense, white mesa among the rolling hills. But, as they drew closer, she realized her mistake. It was no mesa. She was looking upon Heliopolis, city of the Sun, capital of Solaria, and home to Queen Celestia.

What Sunset had originally mistaken for the vertical walls of a massive flat topped mountain, she realized were in fact the white marble wall that formed the main wall of Heliopolis. According to legends, Celestia had raised the walls from very earth itself, and had shaped the city in the form of her personal symbol: an eight rayed sunburst. Within the main ring, known as the corona, was the Queen’s castle and private sanctum. Even from the distance they were at, Sunset could tell that the corona was enormous. She’d heard Open Trails say that the corona was close to 40 kilometers in diameter, and at least 3 kilometers high. Sunset hadn’t believed him at first, but seeing the city in the distance, she was starting to believe it.

As they drew closer, more details came into focus, and she began to make out the wedge shaped arms of the rays. Like the corona, the walls were built with white marble, and reached halfway up the corona.

Even closer now, and Sunset could see the walls of each ray were capped with golden stone, forming a palisaded crown. Tearing her eyes off the wall, she also saw that the landscape they were traveling through had changed from open grassland and woodland topped hills to massive fields and orchards. Sunset marveled at the amount of food being grown all around her, but seeing the scale of the city, it made sense. That many sun-gazers meant lots of mouths to feed.

This close to the city, the number of sun-gazers on the road began to steadily increase. Where the caravan had the road to themselves for most of their journey, only occasionally running into another lone traveler or caravan, the number of other travelers had grown almost exponentially, and now they were regularly seeing dozens of others on the road, many of which were driving carts to and from the vast farms surrounding the city.

*****

It was nearly noon when they reached the outer edge of the city proper. Open Trails informed her that they were going to be entering the north west ray city of Candesis. Sunset nodded, recalling that was where she’d arranged her arrival with Lady Inkwell. Hopefully whoever the Queen’s senechal sent to retrieve her was there. She didn’t like the idea of waiting in the loading area without knowing where to go.

Sunset was drawn out of her thoughts as they reached the main gate to the city, and her marvel increased yet again. Now that she was face to face with the walls, she could see that they were composed of solid marble, just like the legends said. Even if Sunset knew that Celestia was powerful on an intellectual level, to see the manifestation of that power staring her straight in the face like this was mind blowing. It would take thousands of fire-callers and earth-weavers weeks of continuous spell dancing to raise a wall even a fifth of the size of one ray in scope. Legend said Celestia did it on her own in days.

The road turned towards the city, and they began to move towards the main gate of Candesis, situated on the inside curve of the ray that held the city. Since it was the middle of the day, the gates were open, with carts, wagons, as well as various sun-gazers on foot and horseback passing in and out. As they approached the gate, Sunset spotted dozens of heavily armed Sunblade earth-weavers, sky-runners and fire-callers near, inside and patrolling the road leading to the gate.

Sunset swallowed nervously. Even if these were Celestia’s personal soldiers, they were still scary.

Minutes later, they’d passed through the gate, and into the wall. The corridor itself was square in shape, something Sunset thought was odd, until she started noticing strange indentations in walls. These indents lined up with the faint lines in the ceiling of the tunnel. Her curiosity piqued, she pointed one out to Open Trails, and asked what they were.

“Siege defenses.” He said simply.

“What?” Sunset replied as they passed under another square cut into the ceiling.

“If a ground based attacker were to try to enter the city, those blocks can be dropped to seal off the gate. And potentially crush dozens of the invaders.”

Looking up, Sunset’s eyes went wide, and she hoped that whatever mechanism was holding those blocks in place was sturdy.

Several nerve wracking minutes later, and they emerged from the tunnel and into Candesis proper. If she’d been awed by the outside of the city, she was dumbstruck by the interior. Buildings as far as the eye could see, some of them constructed of wood, others of brick, while some of the tallest looked to be sculpted out of marbel, like the walls. But they were larger and there were more of them than Sunset had ever seen.

The caravan turned to the north-west, and began to travel along the inner edge of the wall. Sunset was still shellshock at the scope and splendor of the city she was now traveling through. As she passed her eyes across the rooftops, she spotted something odd above the buildings: a series of long, thin, metal lines crisscrossing the sky, held up by giant marble pylons.

“Hey, Open Trails, what are those things?” Sunset said, tugging on the driver’s sleeves with one hand, and pointing at the strange metal lines with the other.

“Those?” He asked following the line of Sunset’s fingers, a smile spreading across his face at her excited curiosity. “Those are sky-rails. They let non-sky-runners move around the city quickly in a device called a sky-car. It's like a coach, but it travels along that metal rail instead of on a road.”

“That’s… whoa. How fast are they?” Sunset said in awe.

“If you tried to walk from one end of just Candesis to the base of the corona, it’d take you most of the day.” Open Trails chuckled, “Take a sky-rail, and you’re there in less than half an hour.”

“Wow.” Sunset said, staring up at the rail in awe. “How do they work?”

“Couldn’t tell ya kiddo.” Open Trails chuckled. “Probably something made by one of you fire-callers. There’re a lot of your tribe in the city.”

“That’s… I didn’t know things like that existed.” Sunset said breathlessly.

“With how big this place is, someone was bound to come up with something to help folks get around faster.” Open Trails said with a chuckle. “I’m sure you’ll get to ride one soon enough. We’re almost at the end of the line.”

Sunset nodded as she continued to watch the sky-rails, hoping to see one of these supposed sky-cars go by.

Before she knew it, they’d pulled into a large, depot near the tip of the ray. All around her, there were dozens of large buildings, with sun-gazers loading and unloading carts, wagons and carriages into massive warehouses. As they pulled up to the edge of the depot, a yellow skinned, blue haired earth-weaver man in an official looking uniform approached them, a clipboard in hand.

“Name?” He said.

“Open Trails.”

“Papers and business in Candesis.”

“Passenger and goods caravan.” Open Trails said as he handed over several sheets of paper from a box behind the driver’s bench.

Taking the documents, the man read them over, writing on his clipboard as he did.

“Okay. Everything looks in order. Depot fee is 30 radiants.” The man said as he handed the paperwork back to Open Trails, who pulled out a sack of coins and handed three, ten-radiant pieces to the man. Nodding, the man made a few notes on his clipboard and waved them through. “Head to station 35.”

“Can do.” Open Trails said as he gently whipped the horses forward.

*****

Twenty minutes later, Sunset finally finished helping unload the other passanger’s luggage, and had retrieved her own bag. Pulling out her letter from Lady Inkwell, she reread it again, seeing that she was supposed to meet her contact at the ‘passenger skyway station’ at the Candesis depot. Nervously gripping the paper, she looked around, the chilling realization that she had no idea where the ‘skyway station’ was, or how to find it. After her experiences with Heliopolans so far, she wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about asking one for help.

Then she saw Open Trails unloading some of their cargo with several other depot workers. If she couldn’t ask the depot workers, she could ask Open Trails. She knew he was trustworthy.

Hefting her bag onto her shoulder, she approached the wagon he was unloading, and waited until he handed off the crate he was holding.

“Open Trails?” Sunset said, drawing his attention.

“Yes Sunset?” He said as he wiped his forehead with a sleeve, then lifted another crate.

“I… don’t know where I'm supposed to go.” Sunset said nervously, “I’m supposed to meet someone at the… ‘passenger skyway station’… but I don't know where to find it.”

“Ah, I see. Give me a second.” Setting down the crate, he cupped his hand to his mouth, and shouted, “Hey, Field Prep. Got a minute?”

Upon hearing her name, the woman in question turned away from the conversation she was having, and looked at Open Trails. Turning back to the others she had been talking to, she politely extracted herself from the conversation, and walked over.

“What’s up, boss?” She asked.

“Sunset’s supposed to meet someone at the skyway station. Can you take her? I need to finish unloading the cargo.” Open Trails said, pointing his chin at Sunset.

Field Prep looked down at Sunset with what Sunset could only interpret as mild irritation, only to roll her eyes.

“Yea. Sure. C’mon kid.” Field Prep said as she turned away and gestured for Sunset to follow her.

“Thank you.” Sunset said with a smile, “I’ll see you in a month.”

Then, re-adjusting her bag on her shoulder, she turned and scampered after Field Prep.

“Of course Sunset. See you soon.” Open Trails said with a smile as he went back to his work.

Catching up to Field Prep, Sunset fell in line with the older fire-caller.

“So… where are we going?” Sunset asked after a minute of walking in silence.

“Other side of the depot.” Field Prep said evenly. “Skyway stations are where you pick up the sky-cars to get around the city. Did Open Trails explain them to you?”

“Yea, he did.” Sunset said, some of her enthusiasm dying down.

“Good. Glad I don’t have to.” Field Prep said.

Sunset was stunned by Field Prep’s continued bluntness. Finally, her frustration reached a peak, and she couldn’t hold her tongue anymore.

“Why are you treating me like this? What did I do to you to make you hate me?” Sunset asked Field Prep.

Stopping, Field Prep looked over her shoulder at Sunset, her expression unreadable. Sunset stopped too, but continued to glare at the older woman.

“I don’t hate you, kid. I’m just not interested in being friends.” Field Prep said without any change in her tone of voice. “You’re a passenger, and a temp. In our line of work, it doesn’t pay to get too attached to either. Job’s to get you to where you’re going safe and sound. That’s it.”

And with that, she resumed her walk. Sunset watched her, too stunned to respond, before rushing to catch up.

The rest of the walk was made in total silence, neither fire-caller looking at the other. Eventually, they reached a large building on the south-east side of the depot. Sunset could see several sky-rails coming from within and stretching off into the distance towards the corona. As they approached, Sunset saw a long, metal carriage emerge from within the building and speed off into the distance, gliding smoothly along the rail.

“Whoa. That’s incredible.” Sunset whispered to herself as she stopped to watch the vehicle speed off into the distance.

“You get used to it kid. C’mon.” Field Prep said, pulling Sunset out of her reverie. Grumbling, Sunset resumed her walk.

Walking up the stairs to the platform, Field Prep went up to the main entrance of the building and, pulling the door open, ushered Sunset inside, following close behind after she entered. Looking around at the other sun-gazers milling about, Sunset tried to spot anyone that could help her find whoever it was she was supposed to meet.

“Well well well, looks like you made it. Glad to see you arrived safe and sound kiddo.” A jovial and hauntingly familiar voice said from behind. “Hope your trip was fun.”

Turning around, Sunset spotted a sky-runner woman with brick red skin, and black hair and eyes approaching her and Field Prep. She was wearing nice, if plain clothes, and gave off an air of unremarkableness. Yet, there was definitely something familiar about the woman, but Sunset couldn’t quite place it, though it was almost like dejavu.

“Um, can I help you?” Field Prep said, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously.

“Nah. I’m just here to pick her up.” The woman said, a cocky half-smile on her face. “Kid’s got a date with the Queen’s senechal. I’m just here to make sure she gets there.”

“Really?” Field Prep said. “Pardon me for being suspicious, but how do I know that you work for Lady Inkwell.”

“Well, there’s this.” The woman said as she pulled out a letter and a golden badge, the former of which she handed to Field Prep, both of which bore Celestia’s sunburst, and Raven’s dip pen and inkwell symbols. “And, I know the kid. Isn’t that right Sunset?”

“Um… you do?” Sunset asked nervously.

“Wow. That hurts kid.” She said with a teasing tone of voice. “It was about two and a half months ago. You and your little friends were spiral dancing in the backyard of your home. I think that mint-green musician friend of yours was playing guitar at the time.”

Susnet’s mind wandered back to the last time she’d done a spiral dance with the others. The night that she’d gotten her invitation to the right. And the woman who’d delivered the letter was…

“You!” Sunset shouted as she pointed at the woman, drawing a few odd looks from the other people in the station. “I remember you! You’re the one who brought my letter!”

The woman smiled a little more fully at that as she softly applauded. “Good job kiddo. You remembered me. Heh, you’re sharper than I thought.”

Turning to Field Prep, the woman’s smile turned smug as she reclaimed the letter she had handed the fire-caller.

“Well, I take it that’s enough proof for you?” She said with a smug smile.

“Hmph. Yea, it is.” Field Prep said as she looked down at Sunset. “Well, good luck kid. If I’m on the same crew on your return trip, I’ll see you around.”

And with that, she turned and walked out.

“Charming woman.” The sky-runner said sarcastically as she watched Field Prep exit the building, before turning to Sunset and chuckling. “Well, enough of that. You ready to go kiddo?”

“Yes.” Sunset said with enthusiasm, and a little nervousness. “Um… are we riding a sky-car? Is it safe?”

“Oh yea, pretty safe.” The woman said with a chuckle, before turning and walking towards the ticket booth. “Or as safe as a metal box being flung along a thin piece of metal over a hundred meters in the air can be.”

“Um…” Sunset said, now even more nervous.

“Don’t worry kiddo.” The woman said with a chuckle. “There’re fewer than ten sky-car accidents a year in all the cities. You’ll be fine.”

“That’s not really all that reassuring.” Sunset said as she ran to catch up with the woman.

“Well, if it's any consolation, more people die from food poisoning or getting sick, so from that perspective, they’re pretty darn safe. Sure, they’re not as convenient or fun as these,” She said cheerfully as she brought her arm over her shoulder and pointed to her back with a thumb, flexing her wings a little, “but with how heavily enchanted the cars are, they’re as safe as they can be. Now, c’mon, you’ve got a date with Raven, and it's best not to keep her waiting.”

*****

Sunset watched in awe through the window as the sky-car sped over the city below. Buildings flew past at such speed, they looked like a blur. Was this how Rainbow felt when she was flying? If so, she was kinda jealous of her sky-runner friend, if she got to experience the world from this perspective all the time.

Meanwhile, her guide was sitting next to her, smiling at the sheer joy on the young girl’s face.

“Hey, kid, try to blink every once in a while. Your eyes are going to dry out at this rate.” Sunset heard her guide say. Pulling back from the window, Sunset narrowed her eyes at the woman, who was currently giving her a good natured, if a little smug, grin.

“So I’ve never ridden one of these things.” Sunset retorted with a pout. “This is all new to me.”

“No kidding? I couldn’t tell.” Her guide replied. “Well, if you think this is amazing, wait until we get to the corona.”

“We’re going to the corona?” Sunset said as she sat back down in her seat. All around her, there were a dozen other sun-gazers on the sky-car, some having got on at the station where she’s met her guide, while others had gotten on or exited at later stations. Most of them were ignoring her and her guide, but a few were giving her odd looks. She even swore she heard one of them ask “what’s that dirt-eating brat doing in the city?”, but she couldn’t tell where the whisper had come from.

“Yup. But not just to the corona, we’re going to go up it, and into Chromos.” Her guide said. “But, that’s where we’re going to part ways. I’ve got other things to take care once I hand you off to Raven.”

Sunset studied the woman to her left. There were so many things about her that the young girl found odd. To start, she still hadn’t given her name. Not once. Even when Sunset asked, she’d said her name didn’t matter, only that she was here to get Sunset to Raven.

That was another odd thing. She spoke of the queen’s senechal with such casualness. Sunset wasn’t sure about all royal protocols, but she had to imagine that if she wasn’t referring to the queen’s senechal as Lady Inkwell, she must be close to the eldest phoenix-born. Or just impossibly rude. Given their interactions, she wasn’t sure she could rule either out.

With a sigh, Sunset turned to look back out the window, noticing that they were rapidly approaching the outer edge of the corona. Instead of wondering about it further, she decided she’d just watch the scenery go by. The whole situation was overwhelming and confusing as it was. She didn’t need to waste precious mental energy on trying to figure this weird woman out.

*****

Minutes passed quietly as the sky-car moved from station to station, until finally reaching the corona, coming to a stop with a slight jolt. Looking up, Sunset noticed most of the others in the car had departed, leaving only her and her guide.

They were now at some sort of platform, but there were no other passengers preparing to get on, like at the other stations. Instead, there was only a small building.

Slowly, the doors opened, and, much to Sunset’s surprise, two Sunblades entered the car, armed with shotguns and batons. The one at the front was an older sky-runner with dark grey skin and wings, aquamarine eyes and powder blue hair. The other was a younger fire-caller with forest green skin, fuschia hair, and red eyes and soul gem.

“What’s going on?” Sunset whispered to her guide.

“Security check. Getting into Chromos requires special clearance.” The woman whispered back. Seeing the panic starting to form on Sunset’s face, she chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’re with me. And, that letter from Raven will get you through, no problem.”

Sunset tried to take her guide’s assurances to heart, but her stomach was still churning as the Sunblades approached and stopped next to the bench they were sitting on.

“Pass.” The sky-runner, said.

“Right here.” Her guide said, pulling out the same badge she’d shown Field Prep. The sky-runner nodded, then turned to Sunset.

“Pass.” He demanded.

“Um…” Sunset said nervously, watching as the Sunblade’s scowl deepened.

“Don’t worry about it, she’s got the clearance.” Her guide said casually, resting her arms on the seatback, “Sunset, show him your letter from Raven.”

Her nerves fraying, Sunset opened the drawstring of her bag and quickly pulled out her letter, which she shakily handed to the Sunblade.

The man gently took the letter from her. Yet, as he read, his scowl deepened in a way that made Sunset want to hide under the seat of the bench. But, she was too paralyzed to flee.

“Hmmm, so you’re from someplace called Golden Tree.” He said, looking at Sunset suspiciously, causing her to shrink down into her seat. “Where is that?”

“Um… in the Western Territories.” Sunset squeaked.

“I see. How do I know this is legitimate?” He said with a growl, waving the letter back and forth in the air. “This could be a forgery, you little dirt-eater.”

“Oh, is that so?” Her guide said, narrowing her eyes. “So, you don’t trust in Raven’s personal seal on the letter? You think that a child could forge such a document?”

“I’m just saying that it's possible. Better safe than sorry.” He growled. “Beside, her kind aren’t welcome in Chromos.”

Sunset scooted away from the Sunblade as he continued to glare daggers at her. Would he try to throw her off the sky-car? Would her guide let him?

“Really?” Her guide said, now rising to her feet. Sunset could have sworn that the air in the car suddenly became much thicker. “You’re walking a very dangerous line right now. You know that the Queen doesn't approve of that sort of talk, particularly among her soldiers.”

“Bah.” The man said, now scowling at Sunset’s guide. “And what makes you such an authority on what the Queen believes?”

“Aside from the fact that she’s publicly and repeatedly decried the very thing you’re doing right now?” Sunset’s guide said as she stared directly into the Sunblade’s eyes.

“Oh, and what is it that I’m doing?” The Sunblade sneered, “Because if you’re referring to my job of keeping the city safe and keeping undesirables out of Chromos, I’ve never heard any such thing.”

“Wow. You’re an idiot if you think that’s what I’m talking about.” The woman said as she took a step closer, “I’m talking about that whole ‘little dirt-eater’ bit. You’re a Sunblade, and yet you don’t seem to remember that Celestia has personally put a bunch of anti-discrimination laws on the books. Do you think that those are just there for show?”

At that, the Sunblade threw back his head and laughed. His partner, still standing a little way back, smirked and chuckled too, clearly amused.

“Those old things? Bah, they are just for show.” The Sunblade said, his smirk becoming even more smug. “And even on the off chance that they aren’t, what makes you think that the Queen would take your word over mine. One of her own soldiers?”

Sunset watched her guide’s smile become almost malicious at that, her eyes becoming flinty as she pulled out her badge again, holding it up in her right hand for the Sunblade to see.

“Let’s just say that the Queens’s eyes see wide and far, and those who fly too close to the sun have their feathers burnt black.” The woman replied calmly, tapping her right temple three times with the ring and middle finger of her left hand.

Before she could wonder what was going on, there was a change in the Sunblade’s demeanor. In seconds, Sunset saw every gram of bravado drain out of him, only to be replaced with horror as he took a step back, his eyes going wide and his face going pale, beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead.

“You… you’re…a…” He stammered.

Sunset watched as her guide only smiled more broadly.

“I…I’m sorry ma’am.” He stammered, nearly dropping the letter in his hand. “I didn’t realize…”

“I’m afraid it’s a little too late for that.” Sunset’s guide said coldly, holding out her hand. “I want her letter, and your badge… now.”

With shaking hands, the Sunblade reached to his belt and pulled off a small, golden disk. Handing it and the letter to the woman, Sunset watched her examine the badge for a second. Nodding, she turned her attention back to the sweating man.

“Rest assured,” She said with thinly veiled venom, causing the Sunblade to gulp, “you’re lucky that I need to be elsewhere, or I’d personally drag you to Raven. I don’t care how high and mighty you think yourself. Beyond you just spitting in the face of the very laws and ideals you’re supposed to uphold, this girl was personally invited by her grace to work at the phoenix-rite, and I will not have her treated with any less respect than any Solarian is due, particularly one chosen to aid in this celebration.”

The guard was sweating beads now, and had taken another step back, trying to put some distance between himself and the mysterious woman.

“You…” The woman said as she pointed to the other Sunblade, who had been trying to make a surreptitious exit from the car. At her guide’s call, he froze, and slowly turned back to face her, his face just as ashen as his partner. “Under Heliopolan code 17-A-64-Gold, I want this man put in custody, and brought to the fifth precinct of Chromos. He is not to be released except by explicit and personal order of the Queen or her senechal, am I clear?”

“Y…yes ma’am.” The other guard stammered as he approached his fellow Sunblade, pulling out a set of manacles and cuffing the first guard’s hands behind his back. As the fire-caller began to lead the first guard away, Sunset watched her guide’s eyes narrow.

“I want him at the fifth precinct by sundown.” Sunset’s guide said, prompting the second guard to stop, gulp and nod fearfully. “If he’s not there when Raven arrives, I’ll be issuing warrants for both of you with the Prominence Knights. Am I understood?”

Another fearful nod was the only response she got.

“Good.” She said, before turning back to the first guard, scowling at him. “I find it very disappointing that this… unfortunate attitude has begun to seep into the Sunblades. Rest assured, you will be subjected to disciplinary action. Pray that Raven is feeling merciful. Now, get him out of my sight.”

And with that, the disgraced Sunblade was dragged off the car.

Sunset watched, wide eyed, as her guide let out a deep, angry sigh, before rubbing her temples and muttering under her breath. Sunset was too stunned to move, let alone speak. Just who was this woman, that she could do something like that to a Sunblade? Forget that, how could she scare one like that?

Sunset shrunk back into her seat as her guide turned back to her and handed her the letter she’d reclaimed from the guard.

“I’m sorry you had to see that Sunset.” The woman said sadly.

Sunset gingerly reached up and took the letter back, staring fearfully at her guide.

“Who… are you?” She squeaked.

“The less you know, the better off you are, kiddo.” The woman said as she put her hand on Sunset’s shoulder, causing the young girl to flinch away in fear. At that, her guide let out a sad sigh, closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not going to hurt you Sunset. I want you to trust in that. You’re here because Raven invited you. That means you’re under her protection for as long as you’re in Heliopolis. Which means as long as you’re not breaking the law, you’re under my protection too.”

Just then, the car lurched and Sunset’s stomach started to churn as she felt herself being subtly pressed down into her seat. Pulling her hand off Sunset’s shoulder, her guide sat back down next to her.

“Looks like we’re on our way.” She said with a wan smile, as if trying to defuse the tension that was now thick in the air. “Try to enjoy the view kiddo, it’s something special.”

*****

After their unpleasant encounter with the Sunblade, the two of them had traveled in silence, Sunset retreating into herself as she tried to process exactly what had just happened. Her guide, on the other hand, was all but unreadable, outside a subtle sadness in her eyes. Sunset did her best to follow her guide’s advice, and tried to enjoy the view.

Despite how upset she was, Sunset had to admit that the view was quite something. If she looked down, she could see not just Candesis, but the adjacent rays as well.

Eventually, the car came to a stop just below the top of the corona, and moved into a narrow tunnel that led into its interior. The moment they passed into the tunnel, a light rune ignited, filling the sky-car’s compartment with soft, artificial sunlight. Normally, Sunset would have been fascinated by the effect, but her mind was still elsewhere. After a few minutes of travel through the tunnel, they emerged back into the natural light of the sun.

Listlessly glancing out the window, Sunset’s eyes slowly went wide as the pain and sadness she’d been feeling was burnt away with an overwhelming sense of pure wonder.

Half way down the inside of the corona, the wall formed a series of terraces. On each of these terraces were kilometers of majestic buildings, with a web of sky-rails connecting all of it. Unlike Candesis, these buildings were interspersed within vast landscaped gardens, some of which looked like they might as well be actual forests with enormous mansions within their boundaries. Other areas were more densely packed with buildings, but even these areas were vibrant with green life.

Yet, all of that paled in comparison to what was inside the corona’s ring.

Sunset gazed out across the massive, enchanted landscape that made up the Queen’s home. Nearest the edge of the corona, the land was dominated by rolling hills, many of which were colored by the blossoms of thousands of wild flowers. Interspersed with the hills were vast stretches of woodland, breaking up the sea of vibrant color with patches of different shades of green. Every so often, a river would break up the green with clear, brilliant blue.

Dotting the landscape were both massive, crystalline spires, and enormous gold and marble statues in the shape of various mythical creatures. Feathered serpents, phoenixes, kirins, wyrms, and others that Sunset didn’t recognize created the feeling of being in a vast statue garden.

Trailing her eyes to the south, she saw the countless rivers began to flow into one another and give way to a vast network of wetlands and marshes, which eventually transformed into a massive, kilometers wide lake.

Tearing her eyes away from the lake, she took in more of the landscape, as it slowly rose towards the center to become a small mountain covered in a vast forest of conifers. At the base of the mountain were several buildings, including what appeared to be a giant amphitheatre. No roads cut across the unspoiled landscape to reach these buildings. Instead, Sunset could see there was a lone sky-rail leading to them from the lowest terrace of Chromos. But, Sunset’s eyes didn’t linger on these other wonders, for there was one more that eclipsed all of them in its splendor, and stole her breath away.

Resting on the slope halfway up the mountain, there was a castle. The castle itself was the same white marble that made up the walls of Heliopolis, but somehow, gave off the impression of being purer, more perfect… more… divine. The walls of the castle and tops of the towers were gilded in gold, causing the structure to shine brightly in the light of the sun. The castle itself was flawlessly constructed, and appeared to be less for defense, and more to express pure artistry in its creation.

But what really threw Sunset was its size; the castle was enormous. But, it wasn’t simply larger by virtue of having a more complex structure. No, it was as though someone had taken the entire building, and upscaled it. Even with the great distance between their current position and the castle, at Sunset’s best estimate, each of the four walls that made up its perimeter were at least four kilometers long each, and the building itself easily rose high enough that the top of the highest tower was just in line with the top of the corona.

The majesty and splendor of all of it were almost too much for Sunset. She could do nothing but stare out the window of the sky-car, paralysed with awe at what she was seeing. A strangled choking sound escaped from her throat at the sight, as tears of joy began to trace down her cheeks. In all of her life, she had never beheld something so beautiful, and would likely never again once she had completed her duty at the phoenix-rite.

“Sunset, are you okay?” She heard a voice say somewhere far away. She was vaguely aware that she knew the voice, but it barely registered with her.

“I…” Sunset began, before almost being overwhelmed again, her tears of joy flowing freely now as she stared out at the landscape below, “I…”

She was vaguely aware of a hand gently wrapping itself on her shoulder, and giving it a soft squeeze.

“I know the feeling kiddo. Even after all these years, it can still bring a tear to my eyes.”

Tearing her eyes away from the window, Sunset looked up at her guide, who was also looking out at the valley below, a warm, wistful look on her face, before looking down at the young girl with a smile.

“We’ll be arriving soon. Why don’t you enjoy the view for a little while longer? Once we get to the end of the line, it's a short walk to our destination. After that, you’re going to be too busy to really enjoy it.”

“Okay.” Sunset said dumbly as she looked back out the window, trying to savor the pure exaltation she felt at the sight of her goddess’s home.

*****

With a lurch, the sky-car came to a halt, before the doors slid open. A few moments later, Sunset and her guide emerged from the car and walked onto the station platform. Sunset had more or less recovered from her awe, but there was still a lingering flutter of euphoria whenever her mind wandered back to the memory of seeing the heart of Heliopolis. Shaking herself free of her stupor, she turned to follow her guide as she made her way off the platform and into the sky-rail station.

Unlike the station in Candesis, this one was sparsely populated, with only a few very affluent looking sun-gazers making their way towards the various sky-car loading zones. As she looked around, her initial joy was rapidly being supplanted by panic. Even with her new clothes, she knew she stuck out like a fractured bone poking out through the skin. Thankfully, most of them did not appear to notice her, or care in the least that she was even there.

“So… where are we going now?” Sunset asked her guide.

“To the Academy of the Sun.” Her guide said, pointing over her shoulder with a thumb. “You’ll be meeting both Raven and the rest of the kids chosen to work the event there. C’mon, don’t want to burn any more daylight than we need to.”

And with that, she turned and began to walk down the marble paved road, with Sunset falling into line behind her.

It was twenty or so minutes of walking before they finally reached the Academy of the Sun, as her guide had called it. Much like the rest of the buildings in Chromos, the academy was surrounded by a tall, wrought-iron fence, and situated at the center of a large, open area filled with an immaculately maintained garden filled with plants of all different types, many of which Sunset didn’t recognize. The academy building itself was three stories tall, and, like the rest of the buildings in Chromos, seemed to be formed from the very marble of the corona itself, with dozens of large windows decorating its sides. The gate leading to the academy was flanked by two statues of Queen Celestia facing one another, the great centaur’s arms forming an arch as they reached towards their twin, their palms meeting in the middle.

Stepping through the archway and onto the academy grounds, Sunset took a moment to admire the landscape around her. Beds of flowers of all kinds. Fountains spilling water over statues of famous Solarians long dead, including both heroes and scholars that had made life better for those around them through their actions. Sunset also spotted a few other children out and about on the grounds, some playing on the lawns, some reading under the shade of lovingly manicured trees, others sitting on benches talking with one another.

Soon enough, they’d reached the front doors, and with little fanfare, pushed them open and entered the building. Once inside, they found themselves in an elegant entrance hall, decorated with paintings of important Solarians, past and present, half a dozen velvet covered couches, and a large reception desk with a red and pink haired, orange skinned fire-caller woman with emerald green eyes and soul-gem.

“Welcome.” The fire-caller said, then smiled warmly as she noticed the two that had entered the building. “Ah… welcome back ma’am. I take it that this is Sunset Shimmer?”

“Hello Sparkler.” Sunset’s guide said warmly, before gesturing to Sunset with an open hand. “Yes, this is Sunset. Could you help her get set up in her room? And, do you know where Raven is? I need to speak with her.”

“She’s in the main hall, getting set up for the first assembly.” Sparkler said, her voice dropping a little and her expression turning serious. “What happened?”

“A Sunblade tried to stop Sunset from entering the corona despite her being with me and presenting her invitation.”

“Any reason?” Sparkler said with a frown, her eyes going steely.

“Three guesses, and the first two don’t count.” Sunset’s guide said with an equally serious frown.

“Unbelievable. Actually, no, it's not. I just don't want to believe it.” Sparkler said, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Walking around the front of her desk, she knelt down in front of Sunset to bring herself to eye level with the young girl, her smile coming back. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that sweetie. But, in any case, welcome to the Academy of the Sun. My name’s Sparkling Fire, but you can call me Sparkler. Everyone does.”

“I’m… Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset said, before laughing nervously. “Oh, wait, you already knew that.”

Sparkler gigled, the sound of which was like the soft tinkling of a wind chime.

“It's alright sweetie.” She said, “It's a pleasure to meet you. Now, I bet you’re tired, so how about we figure out where you’re staying. Once we get you settled, I can show you to the cafeteria. I’m sure you could use something to eat after such a long day.”

Sunset nodded enthusiastically, her nervousness starting to evaporate.

“Wonderful.” Sparkler said as she rose to her feet and clapped her hands together, then tilted them to her right, along with her head. “Well, now that that’s out of the way, let's get going. Orientation is in a few hours, and I’m sure you want to freshen up first.”

Turning away, Sparkler held out her hand to Sunset. Taking the offered appendage, Sunset began to follow the other fire-caller deeper into the building.

“Good luck kiddo.” Sunset heard her guide say from behind.

“Thank you.” Sunset said over her shoulder. “For everything.”

“Don’t mention it kiddo.” The woman said with a smile and a wink, before she turned and walked in the opposite direction.

*****

One meal and bath later, Sunset headed back to her room and changed into some of her new clothes. They were simple and functional, consisting of a pair of black-dyed cotton pants, and a white, cotton blouse. After getting dressed, Sunset spent some extra time brushing her hair, allowing the natural cascade of her flame like locks to show through. One satisfied, she flopped down on the bed she’d claimed to kill some time by reading one of her smithing books on rune carving.

After some time, there was a knock on the door. Rising and opening it, she found Sparkler outside, looking to inform her that the first assembly was starting soon, before giving Sunset directions to the assembly hall. After a quick thanks from Sunset, Sparkler went on her way to find any of the other children. Going back to her bed and stowing her book in her duffel bag, Sunset made her way to the assembly.

A few minutes, and a couple of wrong turns later, she found herself sitting in a large classroom among the other children chosen to serve at the phoenix-rite. Looking around, she started to feel even more out of place than she already did. Even with all her attempts to make herself look presentable, she was self-conscious of just how much she stuck out among the others, many of whom were wearing exceptionally fancy and expensive looking clothes. Even those who weren’t as well dressed still looked like their outfits would have cost at least a four months of her wages to buy.

The looks she was getting from some of the others also were making her nervous.

Before her nerves could get the better of her, she heard the doors at the head of the classroom open. All chatter died down as a lone figure entered and began to make her way towards the podium. Head held high, the woman moved with an ease and grace that struck everyone dumb. She was dressed in a simple, yet elegant white blouse and sleeveless, black silk vest, with a red ascot wrapped under her collar, a simple, knee length black silk pencil skirt, and black high heels. On her right shoulder was a leather pauldron, upon which rested a majestic, flame colored bird that glared out at the assembled children, as though assessing them. The woman herself had light grey, almost white skin, and wore a pair of red glasses over her off-orange eyes. But most striking of all was her hair. Rather than the simple strands of a mortal creature, her head was crowned with a cascade of deep brown flame, shaped into a high bun.

Sunset held her breath as she watched her walk to the center of the stage before them.

This was Raven Inkwell, seneschal to the Queen, and her bond partner Dylis. Even knowing that she was going to be training under her, Sunset was still struck speechless by the sheer weight of the phoenix-born’s presence. Standing before her was the Queen’s right hand woman, a sun-gazer that had lived for over a millennium, the oldest living phoenix-born, and one of the most powerful and influential Solarians in existence.

Reaching the center of the stage and crossing her arms behind her back, Raven looked over the assembled children, her ancient eyes regarding them with a strange mixture of maternal warmth, and the crushing weight of her authority.

“Welcome, to all of you.” She began, her voice carrying with the weight only one with over ten lifetimes of experience could manage. “It is my great pleasure to see so many of you volunteer to aid us in conducting this, one of the most sacred ceremonies in our great nation of Solaria. In one month’s time, the newest phoenix will hatch, and with that birth, the most worthy among our nation shall join the ranks of Queen Celestia and Lumina’s chosen.”

Pausing, Raven regarded the youngsters staring down at her from the auditorium seats.

“In these scant few weeks before the event, it falls upon me to not only train you to perform your duties, but to assess where each of you will be placed. Perform well, and you will be placed at the front of the theatre. Perform poorly, and you will be placed further away. Consider this your motivation to push yourselves to learn. Not many get to see the hatching of a phoenix up close, outside the most elite of the elite. Will you be in their company when the time comes?”

Another pause as she surveyed the room.

“For now, you are free to go. Enjoy your dusk before the light fades. But, bright and early tomorrow, you will begin your training. I expect nothing less than your best efforts, and to treat each other with respect. Here, in this academy, we are all Solarians. It doesn’t matter where we come from, or who we are. Within these walls, the only thing that matters is that we are the children of Celestia. Remember that.”

“Dismissed.”

And with that, they began to disperse.

*****

Sunset made her way back to her room, intent on spending the evening with some quiet reading and relaxation. When Sparkler had brought her to her room earlier, she saw that she’d be sharing it with at least three others. The thought didn’t bother her too much, since she normally bunked with at least ten roommates back at the orphanage. With any luck, her roommates wouldn’t be from Heliopolis. Or if they were, they wouldn’t be jerks.

As she approached the door, she heard a trio of cheerful voices coming from inside. Well, they sounded friendly, so that was a good start.

Pulling out the key Sparkler had given her, she unlocked the door and entered.

Upon her entry, the three girls stopped talking and turned to look at her. All three were fire-callers, like herself, and couldn’t have been much older than she was.

Of the three, the girl Sunset immediately took notice of was the only one standing. The first thing Sunset observed about her was how pretty she was. She was slightly taller than the others, and was wearing a very expensive looking golden yellow silk dress and blouse, her long, dandelion-yellow, sapphire streaked hair done up in ringlets. Her skin was light, sky blue, and both her eyes and soul-gem were a shimmering turquoise.

The next one Sunset looked at, who was sitting on the edge of the bed to her right, was a fairly average looking girl wearing slightly less opulent clothes, comprised of a simple blouse and skirt made of fine, blue-dyed linen. Unlike her companion, her curly hair was bobbed short, and was a tri-colored rose, tangerine and amber, while her skin was deep ochre, and her soul gem and eyes were emerald green.

The final girl was seated on the bed to Sunset’s left, and was short, stocky and baby faced, giving off the impression of youthful innocence. LIke the first girl, she wore a similarly expensive looking full length black dress, that highlighted her pearly pink skin, shoulder length white hair, and deep, yellow eyes. Unlike the other two, her soul gem didn’t match her eyes, and was instead a soft, lilac purple.

Sunset suddenly felt very self conscious. These three very clearly came from wealthy families. That meant they were probably Heliopolans.

“Oh, hello. You must be our final roommate.” The tallest of the three said as she approached, her eyes appraising Sunset like she was some sort of animal. Still, the girl didn’t immediately comment on Sunset’s obviously less expensive appearance, instead choosing to stop before her and clasp her hands behind her back. “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. My name is Sapphire Prism. These are my friends…

“…Orange Spice,” Sapphire indicated the girl on Sunset’s right with a casual bob of her head.

“…and Rosy Mist.” She said, indicating the other girl with a similar bob of her head.

“Hello / Hi” Both of them said as they continued to stare at Sunset.

Forcing down her trepidation, Sunset smiled and extended her hand to Sapphire. “Pleased to meet you. My name’s Sunset Shimmer.”

Sapphire took Sunset’s offered hand and shook it lightly, giving her a slight smile.

“It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Sunset.” Sapphire said, “Tell me, which ray of our great city are you from? My friends and I are from the upper district of Aurorias.”

Sunset froze, unsure how to respond. She didn’t know where Aurorias was, or even which ray it occupied. The only ray she knew was Candesis. In her moment of hesitation, she could see the gears turning behind Sapphire’s eyes, and her brow knitted down into a slight scowl.

“You’re not from Heliopolis, are you?” She said as she pulled her hand out of Sunset’s and wiped it against Rosy Mist’s bedsheets as though she’d touched dung.

Growling internally, Sunset met the other girl’s eyes. She was beyond done with this bull. She might have put up with it when she was on the road, because it was her job. And she might have held her tongue with the Sunblade, because he might have killed her.

But this was the last straw. She wasn’t going to be treated like this by someone her own age. Not after Lady Inkwell had just finished all but telling them that she wouldn’t put up with this sort of thing not ten minutes ago.

“Not that it's any of your business, but no, I’m not.” Sunset said defiantly, “I’m from Golden Tree, in the Western Territory.”

Sapphire’s eyes narrowed dangerously as both Orange Spice and Rosy Mist rose to their feet and flanked the taller girl.

“Well, this simply won’t do.” Sapphire said with a ugly sneer. “I will not share space with some dirt-eater. Please, leave my room this instant. You can sleep in the hallway until we can sort this out with Lady Inkwell.”

“No.” Sunset said, her fists clenching.

“I’m sorry, do you have something to say, dirt-eater.” Sapphire growled.

Sunset could see Rosy Mist and Orange Spice starting to move out to flank her. Sunset didn’t like these odds, but she wasn’t going to back down. Not after everything else she’d had to put up with today.

“In case you weren’t listening, Lady Inkwell told us that it didn’t matter where we came from. We are all equals here.” Sunset growled as she watched the girls start to surround her. “So, if you don’t like it, you can leave. But I’m not going to be tossed out of my room because you’re too stuck up Luna’s ass to get that.”

Sapphire tossed her head back and started to laugh, as did Rosy Mist and Orange Spice.

“Oh, that’s rich!” Sapphire cackled. “You think Lady Inkwell actually meant what she said? That she honestly believes that? Please. The Queen’s seneschal wouldn’t lift a finger for some dirt-eating waste of light. She just says that to keep you creatures in line. Now…”

Before she could react, Sunset found herself grabbed from behind, her arms pulled behind her back painfully by Orange Spice .

“…I’m going to tell you one last time, dirt-eater, leave my room, right now, or I will throw you out.” Sapphire said as she drew closer. “Do I make myself clear.”

“Kiss the moon, night-lover.” Sunset hissed back.

Whatever response the three of them expected, it certainly wasn’t that. Her face twisting into an angry scowl, Sapphire brought her right hand up and slapped Sunset across the face. Sunset’s head turned with the force of the impact, but she refused to cry out in pain, instead turning back to glare at Sapphire.

“Wrong answer.” Sapphire snarled as she spat in Sunset’s face. “Rosy, grab her bag. Lets see if this dirt-eater has anything worthwhile before we toss her out.”

“With pleasure.” Rosy said, as she pulled Sunset’s bag out. Ripping the draw string open, she dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed. All of Sunset’s new clothes, her bag of pens, paper and ink stones, letters from Raven, and her books, including her tome of legends came tumbling out unceremoniously onto the floor.

“My my my, what have we here.” Rosy said as she picked up the tome, casually inspecting it before passing it to Sapphire.

“Well, would you look at this.” Sapphire said as she leafed through the book. “An unabridged, first edition of Solarian Legends. How did such a rare and valuable book end up in the hands of some dirt-eater.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide with horror, and she started to struggle against Orange Spice’s grip.

“Put that down!” Sunset growled as she nearly tore herself free, Orange Spice desperately straining to hold her.

“Oh, so this is important to you, eh?” Sapphire casually lilted. Then, grabbing one of the pages in her fingers, she tore it out of the book and tossed it over her shoulder.

“NO!” Sunset screamed.

“What was that? Do it again?” Sapphire said, grabbing more pages and ripping them out. “Well, if you insist, dirt-eater, I’m more than happy to oblige.”

“STOP IT!” Sunset screamed, nearly tearing herself out of Orange Spice ’s grip.

“Ha ha ha ha ha. You can’t tell me what to do, dirt-eater. You have no say in the matter.” Sapphire said as she tore more pages out. “This is the price of your defiance, so you have nobody to blame but yourself.”

As Sapphire tossed the now torn and ruined tome to the ground at her feet, the fight left Sunset and she slumped forward, head bowed.

“Glad to see you understand.” Sapphire said as she approached. “Spice, toss her out on her…”

Sapphire didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence as Sunset, sensing Orange Spice’s grip slacken once she stopped struggling, capitalized on the opportunity and wrenched her arms free. Lunching forward, she swung her fist in a rising uppercut, slamming it into Sapphire’s stomach right on her diaphragm, knocking the wind out of the taller girl. Without missing a beat, Sunset grabbed Sapphire’s head, and wrenched it down as she brought her knee up. There was a sickening crunch as Sapphire collided with Sunset’s knee, blood erupting as her nose bent at an unnatural angle. Sapphire wheezed in pain, the blow to her stomach keeping her from properly screaming.

Before she could follow up, Sunset felt a savage blow to her back as Orange Spice shoulder checked her. Releasing Sapphire, Sunset tumbled forward. Before she could recover, a second blow struck her in the stomach as Rosy Mist rushed in, kicking her in the gut.

Falling to the ground, Sunset curled up into a ball, trying to protect her head as Rosy Mist and Orange Spice stood over her, kicking and stomping on her relentlessly.

“You…*wheeze*… you… miserable… filthy… animal…” Sapphire wheezed as she got back to her feet and began to stumble towards Sunset’s prone form. “You’re going… to pay… for that!”

“What is going on in here?” A cold, calm, and terrifying voice said from the doorway.

All four girls froze. Slowly, they turned their eyes towards the voice, each one dreading who they suspected it belonged to.

There, standing in the doorway, arms crossed in front of her, face impassive, was none other than Raven Inkwell. With her was her bond partner Dylis, perched on her shoulder, eyeing them hawkishly.

“Lady…Inkwell… what are you…” Sapphire wheezed, only for Raven to silence her by raising her right index finger.

“I was heading to my room when I heard someone screaming, so I decided to investigate.” Raven said levely as she took in the state of the room. “And apparently it was a good thing that I did. I think the four of you have some explaining to do.”

“My Lady, this isn’t what it…” Rosy Mist started, only to be cut off with a look from Raven.

“I’m sure it’s not, because if it is, I’m going to be very displeased in all of you.” Raven said, her features and voice calm and impassive, but the subtle fury in her words was more terrifying than facing down a seethe of linnorms. “My office. Now.”

Author's Note

And so, Sunset arrives in Heliopolis. Unfortunately, the city isn't nearly as perfect as the stories would have you believe. Especially for outsiders.

Also, Raven is displeased. And that rarely ends well.

Finished this one up a little ahead of schedule, so figured I'd put it out.

Ch 6 - The Choosing - Consequences of Choices Made

“Well, get moving.” Raven said.

“My lady, that’s not fair. She started it.” Rosy Mist said as she pointed to Sunset.

“It's true!” Orange Spice declared. “She attacked us first! Look what she did to Sapphire’s nose!”

Turning to Lady Inkwell, Sapphire lowered her hand, revealing the bent and bleeding ruin that was her nose.

“Let me see.” Raven said, stepping into the room. Once inside, she gently grasped Sapphire’s chin, and tilted her head back to examine the damage, her expression never changing from casual indifference.

Sunset began to rise, her anger boiling. Were they really trying to shift the blame to her? Getting to a knee, Sunset glared daggers at the other girls.

“That’s bull.” Sunset growled. “You three…”

“Quiet.” Raven said, her voice still calm, but carrying such authority that Sunset immediately stopped talking. “None of you are to speak until we reach my office, is that clear?”

“But…” Sapphire began.

“I said, you are not to speak.” Raven said levelly as she fixed Sapphire with a stare, instantly silencing the girl. “Understood?”

All four girls immediately nodded, the pressure of Lady Inkwell’s command slamming down on them like the talons of a roc.

“Good.” Raven said, before stepping back and pointing pointing to the hallway. “Out of the room. Now. Do not touch anything. Do not speak.”

The girls obediently filed out, Raven’s inescapable stare boring into them as they walked. None of them made a peep as they marched into the hallway, Sapphire still gently cradling her nose. Sunset exited last, trying not to smirk at her handywork. She had a feeling that it wouldn’t earn her any favors with Lady Inkwell to be satisfied with breaking someone’s face, no matter how justified. And, it gave her something to focus on… other than her impending expulsion from the rite.

Once all four had exited, Lady Inkwell stepped out of the room, closed the door and locked it. Without saying a word, she lifted her hand and pointed down the corridor. Gulping, the four girls immediately began to walk in the direction Lady Inkwell had indicated, heads lowered, with Sunset falling in behind the others. All four heard the sharp staccato clack of the seneschal's high heels on the marble floor behind them. To Sunset, it sounded like a judge’s gavel, letting them know that Raven was looming over them like a garuda.

Sunset’s mind was racing as she walked. What was she going to say to Lady Inkwell to justify herself. Could she justify herself? From what her guide had told her, the Queen’s senechal wasn’t like the other Heliopolans she’d met. But, it was a small comfort given her situation. She was one. Her attackers were three. They could corroborate each other’s stories. She was on her own.

Lifting her head slightly, Sunset glanced over her shoulder at Lady Inkwell, hoping to figure out her mood. But, there was nothing. Lady Inkwell’s face was stoic and controlled, betraying none of her inner thoughts. It was a stark reminder of just who and what Lady Inkwell was. This woman was ancient beyond imagining, and had been embroiled in Solarian politics for ages. Just as Sunset was about to turn her eyes back to the floor, she noticed there was something awry.

The spot on Raven’s shoulder where her bond partner had been perched was vacant. At some point between them exiting the room and now, Dylis had disappeared.

‘Where did he go?’ Sunset wondered.

At that moment, Lady Inkwell looked down at Sunset. Seeing the phoenix-born meet her eyes, Sunset turned away and resumed her march. Now she was in for it for sure. Lady Inkwell had caught her staring. Maybe she should try to do a courage based forging dance and feed the flame with her despair. The contradictory dance and flame type might create enough backlash to blow herself up. All she needed was enough time to perform the spell improperly.

Before she could finish formulating her plan to escape through self inflicted spell conflagration, they arrived at a large, elaborately decorated wooden door. Looking up, Sunset saw a golden placard with the words ‘Lady Raven Inkwell, Headmistress’ engraved on it.

Gulping, Sunset watched Lady Inkwell open the door and usher them in.

Under normal circumstances, Sunset would have been awed by the grandeur and opulence of the royal seneschal's office. Soft blue carpet covered the floor from wall to wall. On one end was a massive bookshelf filled with tomes and a few marble busts. On the other wall was a line of seats, along with a small, knee high table. Near the wall furthest from the door was a large, rosewood desk situated before a massive picture window that gave a direct view of Celestia’s castle. The desk itself was covered with various bins and piles of papers, with a tall, plush chair resting on the opposite side from them. And finally, there was a tall, willow-branch shaped perch made of gold crusted with topaz and ruby, which Sunset realized must be for Dylis when he wasn’t perched on Lady Inkwell’s shoulder.

Walking past the girls, Raven strode to her desk and leaned back against it, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Alright. Let's get to the bottom of this.” Without uncrossing her arms, she pointed to the chairs. “Sit.”

Nervously, Sunset obeyed, following the others. She could feel Raven’s eyes on them the entire time, the weight of her glare pressing down on her like a ton of boulders. Taking the chair closest to the window, Sunset sat, trying to get comfortable, the others sitting closer to the door, ensuring that there were at least three chairs between them and Sunset.

Once she was seated, her eyes were drawn to a sudden motion as Raven began casting a spell with her arms and upper body. Before she could wonder what was happening, she felt a strange, numbing sensation shoot through her. Trying to move, she found that she couldn’t. Flicking her eyes back and forth, she realized that while she could still look around, and breath normally, everything else was frozen. Somehow, whatever magic Raven had cast completely paralyzed her body.

Glancing out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that the other three were also frozen in place.

“Now that I can be sure none of you are not going to do anything foolish, we can address this unfortunate situation.” Lady Inkwell said as she walked up to the four frozen girls. “But first, we need to deal with your nose, Sapphire.”

Standing by the girl in question, Lady Inkwell began to cast another spell, this one a slower, full body dance. As she gracefully moved, a golden glow like pure sunlight began to form over her body. As she finished her dance, the light flowed up her arm until it gathered at the tip of her index finger. Bringing her fingertip to Sapphire’s broken nose, she gently tapped it, the light flowing off and wrapping itself around the damaged area. Sunset watched in awe as Sapphire’s nose straightened itself out and returned to its original shape, the bruises and dried blood vanishing into thin air.

“There, that’s better.” Lady Inkwell said as she inspected Sapphire.

Sunset’s heart and mind were torn in two directions as she watched Lady Inkwell.

Her heart was furious. As far as she was concerned, Sapphire deserved to have her nose broken for destroying the book that her oath-sisters had given her.

That book meant more to her than anything else she owned, because it was something that Pinkie, Rainbow and AJ knew that she’d wanted for years. They’d saved up to buy it for her as a birthday present, all while managing to keep it a secret that they were doing it. It was more than a book. It symbolized their friendship and proof that they had welcomed her into their sisterhood.

It was a symbol of her being part of their family.

And that stupid, stuck-up, night-loving jerk tore it appart because she wanted to hurt Sunset. To prove that she could get away with it. And then Lady Inkwell just goes and heals her. But what about her? What about the gift that her sisters gave her? The sign of their mutual sororal bond? Could Lady Inkwell fix that? Could she give Sunset such a treasured keepsake back? Could she make it right?

Could she heal the wound in her heart?

Yet, as angry as she was, the arcanist in her was fascinated by what Lady Inkwell had just done. From what she’d learned from her books, such healing magic was exceptionally difficult to cast. And what Lady Inkwell had done went against most of what she knew about healing spells. Healing magic only sped the healing process, not outright reversed the damage. Furthermore, such magic was the purview of earth-weavers, and even the best of them would take minutes of spell-dancing to produce a discernible effect. Yet Lady Inkwell had not only cast it in seconds, but done so with such incredible ease that it bordered on unimaginable.

If she could have, Sunset would have peppered Lady Inkwell with questions.

Or berated her for showing someone who had desecrated a gift from the most important people in her life so cruelly a kindness they didn’t deserve.

But, frozen as she was, she couldn’t do either. She could only fume in quiet impotence.

Yet, as she seethed, she was interrupted by Lady Inkwell rising and looking down at them.

“Now that that’s out of the way, we can get on to business.” Lady Inkwell said as she surveyed the four of them. “I’m going to release you, one at a time, and we’re going to go into the room behind me. Once inside, you’re going to tell me what happened. After I hear everyone’s story, I’ll mete out my judgement.”

Lifting her right hand and snapping the fingers, Sunset watched as Rosy Mist all but tumbled out of her chair, her eyes wide and fearful.

“Please follow me Rosy Mist. We’ll start with you.”

*****

Sunset’s guts were writhing in terror by the time it was her turn. Much to her horror, Lady Inkwell chose to interrogate her last. After Rosy Mist was led away, Sunset had closed her eyes and tried to use the meditation techniques Bronze had taught her to keep her emotions under control. It was barely working, but it helped.

A few minutes later, Lady Inkwell emerged with Rosy in tow, the young fire-caller walking tall and confident behind the Queen’s seneschal. Sitting her back down, Raven reapplied the paralysis charm, then freed Orange Spice. The process repeated itself with Sapphire Prism a few minutes later. Now, Sapphire had been led away, and Sunset started to stew again.

What she could tell Lady Inkwell to get her out of this mess. That they were lying? Even if she knew that they were going to tell lies, she didn’t know what kind of lies.

How was she supposed to prove that she was telling the truth?

As hard as she thought about it. As much as she wanted to have a convincing story to weave to Lady Inkwell. As much as it pained her, she had a feeling that this would be her last night at the rite.

It wasn’t fair… it just wasn’t fair.

After everything she’d worked for. After all the sacrifices she’d made to get here. The weeks of working herself to the bone. Of having to ignore her oath-sisters. Journeying from Golden Tree to Queen Celestia’s home. Was it all for naught even before she got a chance? Just because the others she got roomed with hated her for not being from Heliopolis?

If she could have, she would have broken down in tears at the injustice of it all.

But, with the spell she was under, she could do nothing until Lady Inkwell came and sealed her fate.

After several dread filled minutes, Lady Inkwell emerged from the room, leading a smug looking Sapphire behind her, who fixed Sunset with a look that said she was sure that she’d won. If she could have, Sunset would have broken her nose again. Or gored her eyes out with a pair of red-hot nails.

Sitting Sapphire down, Lady Inkwell reapplied the binding charm, freezing the young girl in place. Then, approaching Sunset, she raised her right hand and snapped her fingers, releasing the young fire-caller from the paralysis charm. Having watched the other three as they came out of the spell, Sunset leaned back the moment the enchantment was broken, avoiding a tumble to the floor.

“Come along Sunset Shimmer.” Lady Inkwell said with a touch of amusement, “Let’s hear your side of things.”

Slowly rising from the chair, Sunset stretched her muscles to regain some of the feeling after having been unable to move them for so long.

“My Lady…” Sunset began, but Raven silenced her by raising a finger and giving her a sharp look.

“You’ll get your chance in a minute. Until then, please hold your tongue.” Lady Inkwell said, her tone devoid of anything other than her command.

Sunset’s jaw snapped shut, and she took a step back. Once she was sure Lady Inkwell wasn’t going to smite her where she stood, she followed the phoenix-born into the room she was certain she would meet her end.

The room was remarkably unintimidating, its windowless marble walls bare save for several landscape paintings. Aside from the art, there was only a pair of plush chairs with a small table between them. On the table, Sunset saw a crystal pitcher filled with what she hoped was water, a pair of glasses, and, most unusually, a large ruby cut and polished to resemble an apple at one end of the table.

This… seemed far too pleasant. It reminded her far too much of the sitting room where Tender Heart would bring them when they needed to discuss their behavior, not somewhere that all of her hopes and dreams were going to die. Was Raven trying to lure her into a false sense of security before bringing the sword down on her neck? Was this where Raven was going to tell her that thanks to the testimony of the three girls, she was going to be tossed out and left to fend for herself on the streets of Heliopolis for a month until Open Trails could take her back to Golden Tree in disgrace? No doubt Sapphire and her cronies had been weaving a tale of how she’d been the one to start the fight. And no doubt, Lady Inkwell would take their side. Maybe she could make a break for it. Run and hide somewhere in the city…

“Sunset Shimmer, please take a seat.” Lady Inkwell’s voice cut through Sunset’s thoughts like dawn’s light cuts through the darkness of night. Swallowing hard, Sunset complied, sitting at the far end of the table.

“Good.” Lady Inkwell said, her voice surprisingly pleasant. “Now, before we get started…”

And at that, Lady Inkwell sat down across from her. Pouring water in the two glasses, she passed one to Sunset.

“Tell me, Sunset, are you thirsty?” Raven asked.

Looking at the offered water, Sunset realized that she was. The entire situation left her feeling like she’d been chewing sand for days, but she was too unsure of the whole situation to take the glass. And, she wasn’t sure if she could trust Lady Inkwell at this point. Even with everything her guide had said, Sapphire had been so sure that Lady Inkwell would side with her.

Was this a trap?

“No, your Ladyship.” Sunset said reflexively.

“Really?” Raven said, her tone still casually conversational, but now with a subtle edge to it.

Sunset was stunned at the sudden yet subtle shift in Raven’s tone. Flicking her eyes down towards the glass of water, she was unsure if she’d just offended the seneschal by refusing the drink. As she pondered, her eyes traced across Raven’s side of the table. To Raven’s own glass, and the crystalline apple she was now resting her index finger on. The crystalline apple that now had a swirl of black smoke inside it, while dozens of small runes glowed a slightly different shade of red on its surface.

Runes that were easily of 7th or 8th tier in complexity, and were linked in a…

In an instant, Sunset’s heart jumped into her throat.

She knew what that apple was. She’d read about this sort of thing in her books on forging. About how such complex runic linkages could be used to create a very special kind of enchanted item.

That was no simple piece of precious gemstone art.

It was an amp; an enchanted item that could be programmed to act as a shortcut for spell dancing.

Unlike common enchanted items, which merely had minor effects that they could generate, amps were far rarer, and far more powerful. Each amp had to be custom made and attuned to an individual, but once they were tuned, it allowed the sun-gazer bonded with the item to cast a number of pre-programed spells without the need for a spell dance. All that was needed to power the amp was to channel flame fed with the appropriate emotion into the device, and the spell would manifest.

If she wasn’t paralyzed in terror, she might have been amazed at the sight of such a masterful example of the artificer’s craft.

But that raised the question: what did this amp do? When she first came into the room, the amp was clear. There was no touch of blackness inside it. But now there was. What had changed? Raven had sat her down, poured her some water, and she’d refused…

Sunset froze.

She’d lied…

Was the spell in that amp detecting lies? Was that the source of Raven’s sudden change in demeanor? She knew Sunset had lied?

Swallowing, she looked at Lady Inkwell. There was only one way to find out.

“Actually…” Sunset began, watching the apple with her peripheral vision, “I am thirsty.”

And as she spoke, the black wisp inside the apple vanished.

‘So, telling the truth clears out the smoke.’ Sunset thought.

“Oh, you are now, are you?” Lady Inkwell said, “Did you change your mind?”

“No.” Sunset said, keeping her attention on Lady Inkwell, but watching the apple in her peripheral vision. “I was nervous, and wasn’t sure I could trust you, so I lied about not being thirsty.”

“I see…” Raven said evenly, but with a hint of amusement, “Well, are you going to drink?”

“I want to, but I don’t know if it's safe.” Sunset said carefully. She needed to be honest, but she also wanted to avoid angering Lady Inkwell with incautious words.

“You’re unsure if it’s safe?” Lady Inkwell asked, a slight touch of amusement entering her voice.

“Yes.” Sunset said.

“That’s wise, because the water is poisoned.” Lady Inkwell said, before smiling mischievously and asking. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

From the corner of her eye, Sunset saw a small wisp of black smoke manifest in the apple. So, the apple detected all lies, not just her’s. So she knew if Lady Inkwell was being honest too. That changed everything.

“No, it’s not what I wanted to hear. But, I don’t believe the water is poisoned either.” Sunset said as she glanced quickly at the now smokeless apple, grabbed the glass of water, and took a long drink. As she put the glass down, she saw the barest hint of a smile on Lady Inkwell’s face, and the slightest of nods as their eyes met.

“Well then, young one, now that we have that out of the way, I have questions, and you will answer them truthfully.” Lady Inkwell said as she regarded Sunset. “Understand?”

“Yes, your grace.” Sunset responded nervously.

She knew that her position was precarious, because no matter what she said, Lady Inkwell would know if she lied. So, she had to be honest. Even knowing that the same was true of Lady Inkwell so long as she held onto her amp gave Sunset little comfort. She could tell the truth, and face punishment, or lie, and face Lady Inkwell’s ire.

Her face must have betrayed her inner thoughts, because Lady Inkwell gave her a look that told her that she knew that she had figured it out. There was a small bit of respect in that look, as well as a painful amount of confidence, almost as if she were telling Sunset that she knew she was trapped, and was just daring her to lie.

“Good.” Lady Inkwell said, “Now, tell me what happened. Do not leave out any details.”

“Yes, your grace.” Sunset said nervously. “It began when I got back to my room…”

And with that, Sunset launchd into her account of the events of the prior half hour, explaining what happened in minute detail to Lady Inkwell. How she’d arrived after the assembly, found the other three in the room already, and how they’d been friendly enough at first, until they learned she wasn’t from Heliopolis. How they tried to force her out of the room after calling her “dirt-eater”. How Sunset, fed up with what she’d been subjected to for the last few days, refused. How she called Sapphire a night-lover, and the escalation that happened afterwards. The destruction of her book, and her breaking Sapphire’s nose in retaliation, the beating she received afterwards, culminating in Lady Inkwell’s arrival.

As she finished, she looked at Lady Inkwell, hoping to see something in the ancient phoenix-born that would let her know that she wasn’t in trouble. But, Lady Inkwell’s face only bore the same subtle smile that it had earlier.

“Why didn’t you come to get me, or Sparkler?” Lady Inkwell asked after a few seconds digesting what Sunset had told her.

“I didn’t think you’d believe me.” Sunset said sadly, “I thought you would automatically side with them.”

“And why is that?” Lady Inkwell asked, an almost imperceptible sadness entering the very edge of her eyes. One so slight that Sunset was sure she was imagining it.

“I’m not from Heliopolis.” Sunset replied, looking at Lady Inkwell. “After everything I’ve gone through and everything I’ve heard, I didn’t think that you’d even hear me out. That you’d just take their side and ignore what I had to say.”

“I see.” Lady Inkwell said. There it was again. That tiny, almost invisible flash of sadness in Lady Inkwell’s eyes. “Well, I want you to know that I wouldn’t have taken any side, had you come to me. I would have given each of you a fair chance, just like I’m doing now. And I would have hoped that you could have trusted in my ability to be impartial in the matter. ”

From the corner of her eye, Sunset looked at the apple. There was no sign of smoke.

Shame filled her heart. Lady Inkwell was telling the truth. She wouldn’t have automatically sided with the Heliopolans. And if she’d brought the amp she was currently powering into the equation, she’d have known Sunset was telling the truth.

Now that she was thinking clearly, Sunset should have known Lady Inkwell wouldn’t have sided with Sapphire. Hadn’t her guide arrested a Sunblade for bigotry, and told her that Lady Inkwell would deal with him? Hadn’t Sparkler been upset on her behalf too?

Had she gotten so used to being surrounded by threats, that she couldn’t see a possible ally standing next to her.

The realization stung, and she shrunk inward at the thought.

“One more question.” Lady Inkwell asked, drawing Sunset out of her self-rapprochement. “Why did you attack Sapphire so violently?”

“I… The book she destroyed was a gift from my sisters.” Sunset said, knowing that there was no way out of telling Lady Inkwell the truth. But, perhaps, she didn’t need to tell the whole truth. There was no need to bring her orphan status into it. Lady Inkwell might accept her as an outsider, but she wasn’t sure about her lack of a “true” family. “It’s one of the most important things in my life, because it’s a symbol of their love for me, and my love for them. I could almost tolerate her insulting me, slapping me, or spitting in my face, but I wasn’t going to let her get away with destroying something given to me by the most important people in my life.”

Sunset wrung her hands and lowered her head in shame, unable to continue looking at Lady Inkwell.

“I… wanted to get back at her for that. Make her hurt…”

Silence filled the room as Sunset curled in on herself even more.

“I see.” Lady Inkwell said, her voice betraying nothing.

Moments later, Lady Inkwell removed her hand from the apple, causing it to power down.

So this was it. She’d said her piece, and now, Lady Inkwell knew the truth. Looking at the ancient phoenix-born, Sunset wondered what would happen next. There was only one outcome that she could think of for assaulting a noble.

“Please, Lady Inkwell. If you’re going to execute me, make it quick.” Sunset said as she clutched her stomach, tears starting to form in her eyes.

To Sunset’s surprise, a hurt look passed over the very edges of Lady Inkwell’s face. Sunset was so stunned by the look that her tears came to a halt and she could only gaze on the elder phoenix-born in wonder.

“Dear child, I’m not going to execute you.” She said, offering Sunset a hand.

Tentatively, Sunset took Raven’s hand. Somehow, she’d expected it to feel different somehow. More powerful. More… grand. But, all she felt were warm, soft, gentle fingers squeezing her own calmingly.

“You’re not?” Sunset sniffled, her eyes filled with fearful hope.

“No. I’m not.” Lady Inkwell said. “Make no mistake, there are things you did that you will be punished for, but given the circumstances, none of them are so severe that I’d take your life.”

Sunset was too stunned to respond. She could only stare numbly as Lady Inkwell released her hand and stood. Tilting her head to the side towards the door, she indicated to Sunset that they were done, and began to make her way out of the room.

*****

After the interrogation session, Raven had brought Sunset back to her office. Ushering Sunset to sit in one of the unoccupied chairs, she waited patiently for the young girl to get situated, before raising her right hand and snapping her fingers. Instantly, the paralysis spell ended, and the other girls slumped forward.

“Well, now that I know exactly what happened, I’m going to start by saying that I’m disappointed in all four of you.” Lady Inkwell began as she clasped her hands behind her back, before locking her eyes on Sapphire, Rosy and Orange, “But especially you three.”

“What? Why?” Sapphire protested.

“Where to begin?” Lady Inkwell said as she raised her right hand in a fist.

“First, you tried to force Sunset out of your shared room on the grounds that you thought yourselves better than her because you’re from Heliopolis, and therefore she didn’t deserve to stay in the same room, let alone any room in MY Academy.” Lady Inkwell said, raising her index finger.

“You physically attacked her, not once, but twice.” Raven raised her middle finger.

“You destroyed a rare and valuable book in an attempt to hurt and humiliate her.” Up came her thumb.

“You attempted to pass off the blame to her for starting the fight in the first place.” Up came the ring finger.

“And you three lied to me when I asked you for the truth.” Up came the pinkie.

Rosy Mist and Orange Spice paled, looking as though they were facing a starved roc. Even Sapphire was looking nervous, but she held firm. Clearly, she thought she could turn the situation around somehow.

“And why do you think we’re lying? You said that you believed me when I told you what happened.” Sapphire protested, “That my story matched Rosy and Orange’s.”

“No, I told you that your version was enlightening, and was useful in getting to the truth.” Lady Inkwell said. “But, did I ever say that I believed you?”

Sapphire stared at Lady Inkwell for a moment, stunned dumb by the seneschal’s question.

“I… but…” Sapphire stammered.

“You were so sure that I would take your side, that you never considered that possibility, did you? That I would spot the lies and use them to piece together what really happened?” Lady Inkwell said, her voice becoming neutral again. “Child, the three of you all told me different versions of what happened. Do you take me for a fool?”

The three girls in question shrank back. Sunset would have taken some pleasure in their fear if she wasn’t also currently gripped with dread.

“Words cannot express how disappointed I am in all of you right now. That the three of you would think that I wouldn’t care if you tried to bully and belittle someone that I personally invited here to aid in this ceremony is beyond foolish.” Lady Inkwell continued, her voice becoming cold and frightening. “You thought that I wouldn’t lift a finger to aid her because she’s not from Heliopolis? That I endorse this imbecilic idea that Heliopolans are more worthy than those from outside? That someone, who has stood at the Queen’s side for over a millennium, and has been playing the game of Solarian politics just as long wouldn’t be able to spot an obvious lie? How dare you presume you would be able to deceive me, you ignorant children.”

Stepping up to the girls, Lady Inkwell glared down at all of them, including Sunset.

“And that you would dare to taint the very principles of the rite you are here to serve at? The ceremony is a celebration of the solidarity of all Solarians. Of our nation as one people, united. Yet this is how you chose to act? Bigotry? Vandalism? Violence? I am very disappointed in all of you. Know that you four are walking on a pane of glass, as of now.” Lady Inkwell said. “If any of you pull something like this again, I will revoke your invitation to serve at the rite, and send you home, am I clear?”

Each one of them hesitantly nodded.

“Good. Sapphire Prism, as the one who instigated this whole thing, you will be on grease trap cleaning duty in the kitchen for the next three weeks.” Lady Inkwell said, “And as for you two, you’re on garbage duty for the same period. If I hear that you’re shirking your punishments, you’ll be expelled from the rite. Understood?”

The three in question nodded.

“Good. Tonight, you three will be sleeping in the foyer. I’ll be assigning you a new room once I decide where to put you. Consider this part of your punishment.” Lady Inkwell said coldly, before turning to Sunset. “Now, as for you Sunset.”

Walking over, Lady Inkwell loomed over Sunset, her expression still stern.

“While you were mostly the victim here, I can’t ignore the fact that you struck Sapphire and broke her nose.” Lady Inkwell said as she regarded Sunset. “I don’t care how justified you felt at the time. I do not condone such things under my watch. You attacked and injured one of your peers, and that is not acceptable. You are on bathroom cleaning duty for the next week.”

“What? She broke my nose and that’s all she gets?!” Sapphire cried out in protest, her fear temporarily forgotten.

“Is that a problem?” Lady Inkwell said as she turned her attention back to Sapphire, her icy glare now focused entirely on the other girl. “She only retaliated after you attacked her and destroyed something of hers that she valued. Not only that, but out of all of you, she was the only one with the perception to be honest with me. Had you told me the truth, I might have been merciful. But, you weren’t, now were you?”

“But…!” Sapphire protested.

“Please be silent before you dig yourself any deeper.” Raven said, her voice telling Sapphire that the discussion was over. “I don’t want to hear another word from you. Am I clear?”

Sapphire looked like she was going to continue protesting, but a glare from Lady Inkwell caused her to reconsider. Instead, she slowly closed her mouth and nodded.

“Good.” Lady Inkwell said with a nod. Hearing a knock on the door, she turned to face the closed entryway. “Come in Sparkler.”

Without any fanfare, Sparkler opened the door and entered the room. Seconds later, Dylis flew in after her. With a single, smooth, choreographed motion, Raven extended her left arm for her partner to land on, which he did just as the limb had finished rising. A warm smile spread across her face, and she reached up with her other hand, scratching the phoenix under his chin, earning a happy trill as he tilted his head into Raven’s fingers. After a few moments of affection, she transferred him to his perch on her shoulder, before turning to address Sparkler.

“How can I be of service, your grace?” Sparkler said, clasping her hands and bowing slightly.

“These three are going to be sleeping in the foyer tonight.” Lady Inkwell said, the smile slipping from her face as she pointed to the three girls in question. “They’ll need some blankets, pillows and sleeping pads from the storage closet.”

“Of course, your grace.” Sparkler said, before looking at the girls in question with curiosity. “Should I get their things from their room?”

“No.” Lady Inkwell said bluntly. “They can retrieve them in the morning, under supervision.”

“I understand.” Sparkler said as she approached the three girls, “Alright you three, come along.”

With that, the three girls rose and walked towards the door. Before she left, Sapphire looked back at Sunset, their eyes meeting. Sunset swallowed nervously at the cold hate burning in Sapphire’s glare. The look told Sunset that as far as Sapphire was concerned, this wasn’t over. After a moment, Sunset returned her glare, refusing to back down.

Once the others were out of the room, Sunset deflated. She hadn’t missed that Lady Inkwell hadn’t sent her out too. And that meant that she still wasn’t done with her.

A sigh escaped Sunset’s throat. Looking up, she saw Lady Inkwell rubbing the back of Dylis’s head with her fingers, smiling at the happy trills coming out of his throat as he rubbed his forehead against hers. A few moments later, she stopped, and turned her attention back to Sunset.

“Now, Sunset, about your book.” Raven said as she regarded Sunset. “I’m sorry that it was damaged. If you want, I can provide you with a duplicate copy of the same volume from my own collection. Would you like that?”

Sunset’s heart leapt into her throat. Lady Raven Inkwell was offering her a first edition copy of Solarian Legends from her own, personal collection. Such a gift was unprecedented and utterly priceless. Having such a book would be one of the greatest possible treasures she could have.

But, at the same time…

“Your grace, may I speak freely?” Sunset asked, bowing her head.

“Of course.” Raven said with a flourish of her right hand.

“I… I appreciate the offer. I really do. Believe me.” Sunset began, before swallowing and gathering her courage, “But… I…I can’t. It just wouldn’t be the same.”

“Oh, in what way? It would be the same book, would it not?” Lady Inkwell said crossing her arms across her chest and tilting her head slightly to the left as she regarded Sunset.

“It… wouldn’t be the same book.” Sunset said, wringing her hands. “Even if it’s the same volume and edition, it’s not the same one my sisters gave me.”

“So it's not just that it's a first edition, but it's that specific book, because it was a gift from your family? Is that right?” Lady Inkwell asked, a small smile gracing her lips.

“Yes, your grace.” Sunset said quietly. “I’m sorry…”

“You really care about them, don’t you?” Lady Inkwell said, a touch of warmth entering her voice.

“Yes. I do.” Sunset said with a sigh.

“Well, in that case, I guess we’d better fix your book then.” Lady Inkwell said as she approached Sunset.

Sunset was dumbfounded. She couldn’t have heard that right. Sapphire had torn the book to pieces, so how could it be fixed.

“What?” Was all Sunset managed to say.

“I said, let’s fix your book.” Lady Inkwell said as she offered Sunset her hand.

Sunset looked up at Lady Inkwell, not quite comprehending what she was saying.

“How? Sapphire tore it apart.” Sunset said in disbelief.

“Well, I’m sure that as a millenium old phoenix-born, I know more than a few tricks to take care of things like this.” Lady Inkwell said.

“But, why?” Sunset asked as she stared up at Lady Inkwell.

“Because, family is important.” Lady Inkwell said, her expression becoming a little sad. “As are the gifts they give us. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you understand how important your family really is. So, I’m happy to give that back to you, because nobody should have something that valuable taken from them so cruelly.”

Kneeling down, Raven placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, as both her and Dylis looked the young girl firmly in the eyes.

“But don’t think that me doing this for you means you’re off the hook.” Raven said sternly, “Because you’re not. No matter how justified you might have felt at the time, I will not tolerate violence like that again. If I find out that you’ve laid a hand on another student here, or you injure them in any way, I will be forced to remove you from the rite. Do you understand?”

“Yes, your grace.” Sunset said.

“Good. Now, lets get your book fixed up, and get you to bed.” Lady Inkwell said as she rose to her feet. “You’ve got a busy day ahead of you tomorrow.”

*****

Sunset awoke at the crack of dawn. Rising, she looked around her room, and had to suppress a shudder. She’d slept in a room alone. And, if she was honest with herself, she hadn’t liked it.

Back home, there were the other orphans. Or her friends.

On the road, she slept in the same tent at Open Trails and the other crew members.

But after last night, Sapphire and her cronies had been kept out of the room, and she’d had to sleep by herself. She was glad they were gone, but it also meant that she’d been alone all night. Reaching over to her night stand, she picked up her book, and held it to her chest. The tome was once again whole, thanks to Lady Inkwell’s generous intervention.

She’d watched the phoenix-born weave her magic to repair her prized possession, restoring it to its original state, discolored, worn pages and all. She’d almost hugged Lady Inkwell when she’d handed the restored book back to her, but restrained herself. She was already in hot water with the Queen’s seneschal. She didn’t need to potentially cross another line and get herself thrown out.

A knock on the door pulled her out of her musings, before she heard the door unlock, and Sparkler peaked her head in.

“Good morning Sunset.” She said, “Did you sleep well?”

“Um… I guess.” Sunset said, unsure how honest she should be with Sparkler. Sparkler had been so nice to her up to this point.

“Well, Lady Inkwell wanted me to get everyone up for the morning assembly.” Sparkler chirped happily, her sunshine bright smile putting Sunset at ease. “After that, we’ll have breakfast, and then you’ll get started with your training.”

“I… okay. How long till the assembly?” Sunset said as she set her book down and threw the covers off.

“Twenty minutes or so.” Sparkler said, “I think she wants to address what happened last night.”

At Sunset’s horrified expression, Sparkler smiled reassuringly as she raised her hands in a placating gesture.

“Don’t worry. She’s not going to use your name.” Sparkler said. “She’s just going to remind everyone that she’s not going to put up with any bad behavior. Nothing more.”

“Okay.” Sunset said, her face relieved.

*****

The morning assembly came and went. It had been a tense affair for Sunset when she entered the main assembly room, and had felt the angry glares of dozens of eyes on her. She was sure that Sapphire and her friends had been spreading word about what happened, and that she was from outside Heliopolis.

Making her way to the back of the room, Sunset made sure to sit at the end of the back row, nearest one of the exits. While she was sure that Lady Inkwell’s presence would ensure that nobody would do anything overt to her, instinct told her to be as close to the exit as possible without giving any attackers a chance to flank her.

After Lady Inkwell and Dylis arrived, she began by addressing everyone on the nature of their training: each one was going to be given an etiquette manual. Mornings would be lessons on proper behavior at the rite. Afternoons would be formal etiquette and service training. Evenings would be optional training to reinforce the lessons for the day. All in all, it sounded intense, but manageable.

Once she’d finished with her basic announcements, her expression turned serious.

“Last night,” She began, her glare freezing the blood of most of the children in the room, “there was an altercation in one of the rooms. The details do not matter, only that it happened. When I welcomed all of you, I told you that in this Academy, we’re all children of Celestia, and that I expected you to treat each other with respect. Clearly, some of you felt that didn’t apply to you. So, let me re-emphasise, while you are here, you are to treat each other with respect, regardless of where you come from, how wealthy you are, or what tribe you belong to. We are all Solarians here. Do not forget that.”

Her announcement finished, her expression returned to neutral.

“Dismissed.”

*****

Sunset slowly chewed her oatmeal as she read. After the assembly, she’d decided to get started on her reading early, so she’d picked up one of the training manuals from Lady Inkwell.

Getting breakfast had been a harrowing affair. Upon entering the cafeteria, she felt the same cold stares on her that she’d felt in the assembly room, a few ugly murmurs passing through the air. As she scanned the room, she saw Sapphire, Rosy and Orange sitting at one of the middle tables with a few others, all of them giving her a deathglare.

Sunset did her best not to look at them any longer than she had to. Clearly, Sapphire was out for blood. But, unless she was an idiot, she wouldn’t be overt about it, meaning Sunset had to watch her back. She also knew that she was already under scrutiny by Lady Inkwell, so she needed to be smarter than Sapphire if she was going to make it to the rite.

Getting in line for her breakfast, she quickly grabbed a bowl of oatmeal, an apple, and a mug of tea. Making her way away from the other students, she took a wide route around the edge of the room and sat in the back at one of the empty tables.

Once she was settled, she opened the book to the first chapter, “introduction to etiquette”, and began to read as she ate.

After a few minutes of relative silence as she ate her oatmeal and painfully bland apple, she heard a pair of footsteps approaching. Steeling herself, Sunset did her best to ignore the newcomers.

“Excuse me, are these seats taken?” A girl’s voice asked. Whoever had spoken, she had a slight accent that Sunset couldn’t quite place.

“Nope.” Sunset said, not bothering to look up from her book.

“Do you mind if we join you?” A second girl’s voice asked, also with the same unknown accent.

“I can’t stop you.” Sunset said, still not looking up.

Sunset heard a pair of chairs scrape against the floor, followed by a pair of trays being lightly set on the table.

“Um…” The first one said, “My name’s Flower Wishes, but everyone calls me Daisy.”

“That’s nice.” Sunset said.

“I’m Lily Valley.” The second one said.

“Good for you.” Sunset replied.

“Uh… what’s your name?” Daisy asked, her voice a little hurt and nervous.

With a sigh, Sunset slowly closed her book, and looked up at the two girls sitting at her table. Both of them were dressed in modest clothing, which Sunset recognized as a common style in the Eastern Territory that she’d seen in a couple of her books back home. To her left was the one that had identified herself as Daisy, a magenta skinned, lime green haired, emerald eyed earth-weaver. To her right was the other one, Lily Valley, who had light raspberry colored skin, amber hair, and golden eyes, as well as Lily shaped hair clips made from mother of pearl above her ears.

“Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset said, her voice guarded. “Not to be rude or anything, but why are you talking to me? Did Sapphire put you up to this?”

“Sapphire?” Daisy asked as she looked from Sunset to Lily.

“Nobody put us up to this.” Lily said, “We just saw you eating alone, and thought you might want some company.”

Sunset studied Lily’s face carefully. Her eyes felt honest, but Sunset wasn’t willing to drop her guard just yet.

“Really?” Sunset asked, her voice skeptical, “Pardon me for being a little suspicious, but I find it a little odd that you’d be willing to talk to me.”

Both girls looked at each other again.

“Why?” Daisy asked.

“Don’t act like you don’t know.” Sunset said, her fingers strumming on the tabletop. “I’m not from Heliopolis, so why would you willingly talk to me unless you’re trying to pull something.”

Lily looked down at her plate and sighed, while Daisy fidgeted uncomfortably.

“That’s what I thought.” Sunset hissed, “So, take whatever little game you’re playing and…”

“You’re wrong!” Daisy said, interrupting Sunset’s rant. “Yes, we came over because we know you aren’t from the city. But not to make fun of you.”

“We came over because we’re in the same boat.” Lily continued. “And we thought you looked lonely.”

Sunset’s river of thoughts diverted hard and crashed into a boulder.

“What?” She said, her face relaxing in surprise.

“Well, we’re not from Heliopolis either.” Daisy said cheerfully, “We’re from the Eastern Territory.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide.

“You are?” Sunset gasped.

“Yup!” Daisy chirped happily now that Sunset wasn’t glaring at her. “I’m from the town of Larkspur Cove.”

“And I’m from Lemon Blossom Valley near the southeastern border of Solaria.” Lily said.

Sunset could only stare, utterly dumbfounded. In all her life, she never expected to meet an Easterner, let alone two. The Eastern Territories were further away than Heliopolis from Golden Tree, and were the domain of Archduchess Roseluck, the third oldest of the living phoenix-born.

“You’re really from the East?” Sunset said, finally regaining her voice. Both girls nodded. “You’re not here to give me a hard time?” Both the girls nodded again. At that, Sunset lowered her head and sighed. “I… I guess I owe you an apology. After the last couple of days, I’m a little on edge.”

“It’s okay.” Daisy said, patting Sunset’s hand. “We’re not mad, right Lily?”

“Yea. We get it. Let me guess, you’ve had some run-ins with ‘proper, pure and perfect’ Heliopolan pride.” Lily said with a hint of disgust.

“You too, eh?” Sunset asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

“Oh by the spring’s blossoms, you have no idea.” Daisy groaned, before looking at Sunset apologetically, “Well, actually, maybe you do.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Sunset said, a little of the tension leaving her as she relaxed and allowed a smile to start to spread across her face, which in turn, spread to the other two. “Still, I’m starting to understand why most people back home were worried about me coming here. Most of the Heliopolans are jerks.”

“It’s not that bad, but yea, there’s a lot of rotten flowers here.” Daisy said grumpily, before switching her tone, “So, where are you from? I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess you’re not from the East.”

Sunset laughed a little at that.

“No, I’m from Golden Tree.” Sunset said easily, “It's a town in the Western Territory.“

“Whoa.” Daisy said, “How far is it from Heliopolis?”

“About a week by caravan.” Sunset said. “How about you?”

“Two weeks by coach to Larkspur Cove for me.” Daisy said.

“Three on horseback to reach Lemon Blossom Valley.” Lily said, before resting her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands, looking at Sunset with intense interest, a huge smile on her face. “What’s it like living out West? I’ve heard stories, but I’m not sure if I believe them.”

“Well, I’m not sure what sort of rumors you’ve heard…” Sunset began.

Soon, the three of them were lost in easy conversation. Sunset told them about her apprenticeship with Bronze, and the general pace of life in Golden Tree. From what Daisy told her, she was learning to be a healer and herbalist, while Lily was from a family of horticulturists that designed gardens for a living.

As their conversation went on, Sunset found herself relaxing for the first time in the last couple of days. While she was still wary of Daisy and Lily, she found that they were good company, and, like her, were glad to have found someone from outside the city to hang out with.

Soon, breakfast was wrapping up, and the three of them took their dishes back to the kitchen, and headed off towards their first class of the day. Glancing at her companions, Sunset wondered if maybe they’d like to room together. It’d be nice to have people she could be reasonably sure weren’t going to turn on her as roommates.

She’d ask them after class, and if they said yes, she’d bring it up to Lady Inkwell in the afternoon.

And so, for the first time since she arrived, Sunset felt a genuine smile on her face. Maybe this whole experience wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Author's Note

Hmm, an item that is shaped like an apple that represents a force of honesty? Chicanery, I say…

A little info on the amp Raven was using. So long as Raven is touching it and feeds it with flame powered by honesty, it allows her to detect any lies told within earshot. The smoke manifestation is a secondary effect that she can voluntarily activate by pouring trust fed flames into the device. When she's doing these sorts of interrogations, she uses the secondary effect to not only judge the truth in a situation, but also test the perception and character of the person she's interviewing. It allows those perceptive enough to notice the effect to know that they can trust her to be honest too, because they'd be able to see that she was lying if she did. The thing is, Raven doesn't need the amp to figure out someone's lying, given how long she's been in the game, but she's not above using it when she wants to get to the heart of a matter unequivically.

Ch 7 - The Choosing - Finding A Different Way to Win

Dear Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie,

How are you girls doing? I hope that you’re doing well, and that you’ve managed to keep Pinkie out of the “special” cider. Celestia knows how loopy she got the last time she got into it.

I wish I could tell you just how amazing Heliopolis is. I’m staying in Chromos, the city inside the corona’s ring, and it's the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen. There are so many wonders here, I can’t even begin to describe it all.

Sadly, it's not all sunlight and joy. Let’s just say that I’m learning really fast that there are a lot of really nasty people here. The girls that I was supposed to share a room with wanted to make me sleep in the hallway because I’m not from Heliopolis, and tried to throw me out when I told them no. Thankfully, Lady Inkwell put a stop to it, but I got in trouble too for hurting one of the girls that attacked me.

I did make a couple of new friends. Their names are Flower Wishes, but she goes by Daisy, and Lily Valley. Turns out that of all the servers that were chosen, only three of us were from outside Heliopolis. I’m not sure what to think of that.

Anyway, I have to go. Classes start in a little while. I’ll write again soon. I miss you all so much right now.

With love.

Your sister, Sunset Shimmer.

*****

Sunset’s mind was focused, her body still and her breathing slow. She was currently standing in one of the classrooms of the Academy, surrounded by the other children. They were spread out in a neat, organized grid across the open floor, each holding as still as possible, and balancing a book on the crown of their heads.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

They had been standing in place for, at Sunset’s best guess, ten minutes now, and she was starting to feel the ache in her muscles, made worse by the slight itch from the server’s uniform she was wearing. They’d been wearing the uniforms, which consisted of a sky blue, knee length, pleated skirt, white blouse with lace cascade on the neck and circular cap sleeves, and simple, black doll shoes with calf length socks topped with ribbons, for the last few days when they did their training, and Sunset still hadn’t gotten used to the things. Aside from not feeling right, the thing was itchy and uncomfortable. She’d have much prefered her regular clothes, smithing apron or forging robes. Those felt good. This, this felt like she had biting ants crawling across her skin.

Resisting the urge to squirm, Sunset kept herself focused on keeping the book balanced on her head.

The only sound in the room was the slow, staccato clack of Lady Inkwell’s high-heeled shoes as she walked between her students, inspecting them and occasionally making corrections to their posture. Currently, Lady Inkwell was to her right, walking the rows. Just knowing the royal seneschal was there drove Sunset to keep her focus.

Ever since the incident with Sapphire, Sunset had become even more determined to rise to the top of her class, partially to put Sapphire in her place, but mostly to impress Lady Inkwell. Even if she never saw the phoenix-born again after the ceremony, she wanted to make an impression on her. Show her that she was good enough to warrant being allowed to attend the rite. To pay her back for the kindness she showed when she repaired the book her oath-sisters gave her.

She wouldn’t disappoint the queen’s senechal with anything less than her best.

Looking to the head of the room, Sunset spotted Dylis, resting on one of his elaborate golden perches, glaring out over the students like a hawk inspecting a warren of hares. It was disconcerting to say the least to have the firebird watching them like that. In fact, Sunset was sure that when his eyes passed over her, his glare would intensify just a little, giving her the impression that the phoenix had it out for her somehow.

Seeing Dylis begin to look in her direction, she averted her eyes, and adjusted her posture, keeping the book balanced on her head.

It had been a week since she’d arrived, and the training had been brutal. Morning lessons consisted of readings from the manual Lady Inkwell supplied to them, and intense quizzing on the materials therein. Knowing that as an outsider to Royal Solarian decorum she was at a severe disadvantage, Sunset had knuckled down hard, and spent most of her free time studying the manual.

Sunset could feel the book on her head beginning to unbalance, and she corrected her posture, and felt it settle back in place

Afternoon lessons were just as brutal. Posture training. Applications of their morning etiquette lessons. How to properly carry a serving tray with drinks. Each setting for each stage of different meals. The difference between salad, pasta, desert and fruit forks, and where they were placed with each setting. Which type of glass was used with each type of drink, and how much was added when served.

All of it made Sunset’s head spin.

Feeling the balance of the book shifting again, she made a subtle correction to her posture, stopping it from tumbling from her head.

Now certain the book wouldn’t fall, she glanced to her right without turning her head, and spotted Daisy and Lily a couple of rows away, both balancing their own books. Sunset felt herself smiling a little on the inside at the sight of the two girls. The day after they’d introduced themselves, she’d asked if they’d be interested in bunking with her. When asked why, she’d told them about Sapphire’s little “dirt-eater” stunt, and that she was hoping that they would be willing to move in with her so she didn’t have to worry about getting stuck with another set of “pleasant” Heliopolans.

Both girls said that they’d think about it, which left Sunset worried that they might say no. But, much to her relief, they approached her at dinner to say that they’d be happy to bunk with her. They’d spoken with Lady Inkwell before Sunset began her punishment cleaning shift that night, and had been moved in the next day.

It was a great relief for Sunset, not only because she’d been worried about who Lady Inkwell might put in the room with her, but having others in the room with her helped her sleep. She never realized just how much she needed others around her when sleeping to feel safe.

And, it gave her some safety against the other students.

After word of what happened between her and Sapphire spread among the other children, several of them had flocked to her in solidarity against the “unworthy dirt-eaters”. So far, all they’d done was glare, make snide remarks, and occasionally try to mess with them when they were alone. Unlike the first time, they always made sure to avoid doing it in a way that would actually get them in trouble with one of the adults, particularly Lady Inkwell.

Though it hadn’t escalated beyond simple verbal bullying, bumping into them ‘accidentally’ or attempts at tripping them as they walked, it was persistent enough to make the non-Heliopolan girls wary. So much so that they had taken to always moving around in a group when they were between classes. Even knowing how hard Lady Inkwell would crack down on anyone who actually tried anything, the three girls weren’t willing to give them the opportunity.

Her thoughts were broken at the sharp sound of Lady Inkwell clapping her hands loudly. A sound quickly followed by the thud of several books falling. Thankfully, Sunset managed to avoid jumping at the sudden loud report, and kept her book balanced and in place.

“Disappointing.” Lady Inkwell said as she surveyed the room, “That’s enough for now everyone. Remove your books, and we’ll begin the next part of the lesson: maintaining proper posture while walking. All of you, gather on the east side of the classroom, and you will take turns walking laps with your books balanced on your head.”

Sunset reached up and grabbed the book from the top of her head, then alternated hopping up and down on her right and left legs to regain some of the feeling in the limbs. She heard a couple of venomous snickers behind her, but ignored them. All that mattered was getting her blood flowing again.

Circulation restarted, Sunset moved with the rest of the students to the east side of the room, forming into lines as directed by Lady Inkwell. Fortunately, she’d avoided ending up near Sapphire and her known goons. Unfortunately, she hadn’t managed to end up with either Daisy or Lily. It left her feeling naked and exposed, but there wasn’t anything to be done about it.

“Alright, ten lines, medium pace, far end of the room and back.” Raven said sharply, looking over her students.. “Keep those books balanced and your heads high. Anyone that dosn’t keep their book in place can look forward to an extra ten laps after class. Understood?”

“Yes Lady Inkwell!” Everyone replied in chorus.

“Good.” Lady Inkwell said with a nod. “First line, ready? Begin.”

With that, the first row of students began to walk across the length of the room. Half way across, one of the sky-runner boys lost his focus and dropped his book.

“Open Skies, you’re staying after.” Lady Inkwell said calmly. “Please go to the end of your row.”

“Yes ma’am.” The boy in question said, reluctantly picking up his book and making his way back to the far end of the room.

Once the other students in the first row made it to the far wall and back, they went around to the end of the line.

“Next in line, begin.”

The process repeated itself several times: Students walking to one end of the room and back. By the time it was Sunset’s turn, four other students had failed, and were going to be staying after for extra practice.

Finally, Sunset’s row was up. Taking a deep breath, Sunset brought her book up and balanced it on her head, before stepping into position.

“Next in line, begin.”

With careful, deliberate steps, Sunset began to make her way across the room. Unlike her first attempts at this, she found it far easier to manage. She kept her posture straight, her steps even, making subtle corrections to her posture as she strode to the other end of the hallway. She could do this. She…

Sunset’s world tilted to the side as she set her right foot down but found she suddenly had no traction on the floor and her foot slid out from under her. With painful suddenness and a startled yelp, she came crashing to the ground, barely stopping herself from face planting into the cold marble by throwing her hands out and bracing herself. The impact still sent a shock through her, and she cried out in pain at her arms, chest and forehead slammed into the ground.

For an eternity of seconds, Sunset did her best to figure out exactly what happened, but the shock of the impact left her dazed. Disoriented as she was, she could hear the riotous laughter of the other children behind her, as well as three voices call her name. She was sure she heard a few mocking words mixed into the laughter, including “klutz”, “clumsy”, and “dirt-eater”, but she was unsure if it was real.

“Quit!” She heard someone somewhere far off yell, instantly silencing the laughter.

Moments later, she felt someone land on the ground next to her, a gentle hand resting on her back. A few seconds later, two more arrived, the sound of their shoes hitting the marble echoing through her head like bass drums.

“Oh my gosh. Sunset!” A voice called out to her.

“Oh no oh no oh no!” Sunset heard another voice say.

“Be quiet, you two, and give her some space.” A familiar voice said nearby. She knew that voice. It was a safe one. “Sunset, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

“Yes.” Sunset managed to say as she pushed herself up. Fighting through the ache in her shoulders, got to her hands and knees, before turning over and sitting on the ground while propping herself up with her arms. As her eyes came back into focus, she saw Lady Inkwell kneeling above her, concern written on her face. Behind her were Daisy and Lily, both wearing fearful looks.

“That’s good.” Lady Inkwell said, before lifting her hand and holding up her ring, middle and index fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three.” Sunset said as she looked at Lady Inkwell’s hand.

“Good. Good.” The phoenix-born said, “What happened.”

“I slipped.” Sunset said, her head clear enough to look away in embarrassment.

“You slipped?” Lady Inkwell asked as she regarded Sunset.

“Yes, your grace. I’m sorry.” Sunset said, still unable to look at Lady Inkwell.

“Hmmm.” Was the only sound that escaped Lady Inkwell’s throat as she ran her finger across the floor where Sunset had slipped and fallen. Lifting the appendage to get a look at it, she stared at a thin, glossy film of liquid coating the tip, before rubbing her thumb and index fingers together, her brows knitting together even tighter.

Sunset was about to ask what she was looking at when her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the classroom doors opening. Moments later, Dylis flew in and landed on Lady Inwell’s shoulder, followed by a white skinned, forest green haired, ruby eyed earth weaver woman, who rushed up to Lady Inkwell.

“What’s happened?” The woman asked as she knelt down by Sunset.

“She slipped, fell and hit her head.” Lady Inkwell said, “Can you check to make sure she didn’t hurt herself too badly? Especially her head.”

“Of course, your grace.” The woman said as she scooted closer to Sunset. “Sunset, can you stand?”

Pushing herself up, Sunset got to her knees, then slowly, unsteadily got to her feet, having to brace herself by holding onto the earth-weaver’s shoulder.

“I… think so.” Sunset said as she managed to keep her balance, though she still found it hard to find traction with her right foot.

“Okay. Steady now. Take my hand, and we’ll get you checked out.” The earth-weaver said as Sunset took her hand. “Do you want me to look for anything else, your grace?”

“No, Dr. Arnica. Just make sure she’s okay and clear up any injuries she’s got.” Lady Inkwell said as she rose to her feet, and looked over her left shoulder at the assembled children, a few of whom shrunk down at her and Dylis’s glare. “I have something else to deal with at the moment…”

*****

Half an hour later, Sunset was making her way down the hallway towards Lady Inkwell’s office, the aches and pains from her fall cleared away by Dr. Arnica’s treatment. Once said doctor was sure Sunset was okay, she had told her Lady Inkwell wanted to see her. She’d added that she wasn’t in trouble when Sunset started to look like she was going to panic.

The assurance that she wasn’t in danger of losing her spot calmed Sunset enough that she could make her way to Lady Inkwell’s office.

But it did nothing to assuage her concern about what had happened? Or her embarrassment about tripping over her own feet, as it were.

Reaching the beautifully carved yet simultaneously ominous door, she took a deep breath, and knocked.

“Enter.” She heard Lady Inkwell reply from within.

Reaching up and grabbing the doorknob, she twisted it and pulled the door open. Lady Inkwell’s office was much as she remembered it from her last visit. Except this time, Lady Inkwell was at her desk, examining papers critically, with Dylis perched on his stand to her right.

“You wanted to see me, your grace?” Sunset said.

“Ah, yes, Sunset.” Lady Inkwell said as she set down her papers and regarded the young girl, before gesturing to the chairs. “Please, have a seat.”

Sunset hesitated for a moment, remembering what happened the last time she sat in one of those chairs. But, she knew that this time, she wasn’t in trouble, and wasn’t likely to be put under a binding charm.

Slowly making her way over to the chair, Sunset hoisted herself up and sat down.

“To start with, are you okay Sunset?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“Yes.” Sunset said, “I’m sorry I messed up.”

Rising from her chair, Lady Inkwell walked around her desk and leaned against the side closest to Sunset, regarding the young girl.

“You don’t need to apologize, Sunset.” Lady Inkwell said. “You didn’t mess up.”

“But I tripped and fell!” Sunset protested, before slapping her hands over her mouth, her eyes going wide with terror. Slowly lowering her hands, Sunset bowed her head towards the Queen’s seneschal. “I’m sorry Lady Inkwell. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Lady Inkwell’s face remained unreadable.

“You didn’t trip.” She finally said, “Someone threw oil on the floor for you to slip on.”

“What?” Sunset said, her embarrassment abating and her anger rising. “Was it Sapphire!?”

“No, it wasn’t.” Lady Inkwell said, “I caught five of the other students with empty vials of oil on them. They admitted that they threw it along the lane you’d be walking, but since I can’t figure out which one put which oil patch where, we can’t identify who actually caused you to slip.”

Seeing the enraged look on Sunset’s face, Lady Inkwell raised a hand, forestalling Sunset’s rant.

“They’re being punished, make no mistake about it.” Lady Inkwell began, “But… I have to ask you a far more pressing question: do you want to stay? If they’re brazen enough to try pulling this sort of thing right under my nose, then they’re probably going to try doing something like this again, regardless of my threats of reprisal. So, I can understand if you want to leave. If you don’t want to stay, I can arrange for transport for you back to Golden Tree.”

Sunset was stunned. Both that some of the students had done what they did, and at what Lady Inkwell was saying. That she was concerned enough for her safety that she’d offer to send her back home. The thought honestly scared her.

Looking up at Lady Inkwell, Sunset wondered what the right choice was. If she was being honest with herself, the thought of four more weeks of having to look over her shoulder constantly wasn’t a pleasant one. If she left, she could go back to Golden Tree, and put all of this behind her. Foget about the Heliopolans and their dumb prejudices. Go back to Tender Heart, Bronze Hammer, her home, her job, her friends, and her oath-sisters. Pinkie. Rainbow Dash. Applejack. They were safe. They wouldn’t hurt her.

It was so tempting. More tempting than she cared to admit.

But… then that would mean that the Heliopolans would win.

That they’d forced her to run away like a scared puppy with her tail between her legs.

If she left, she’d have let them beat her. Prove that they were “better” than her.

She could just imagine Sapphire and her friends laughing at her as she left, saying that they knew that she was a coward. That they’d won and driven the “dirt-eater” out of the rite.

No.

No!

She wouldn’t give them that satisfaction. She was Sunset Shimmer, and she was not a quitter. And she wasn’t someone who would be bullied by people who had their heads so far up their own butts that they couldn’t smell anything but poop.

Steeling herself, she looked up at Lady Inkwell.

“Thank you, your grace, but I want to stay.” Sunset said with conviction. “I’m not going to give up. They don’t want me here? Tough. I am here, and I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of making me run away.”

“Are you sure?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“Positive.” Sunset said.

A ghost of a smile touched the edge of Lady Inkwell’s lips.

“You are one stuborn little girl.” She said as she stood up, a small chuckle escaping her throat as she regarded Sunset, “You remind me of Roseluck when she first ascended. Determined and headstrong. Well, okay, if you want to stay, I’ll do what I can to keep you safe.”

Sunset went to thank her, but Lady Inkwell raised a finger, silencing the young girl.

“But… there’s only so much I can do. And, remember, that you’re also on your last chance.” Lady Inkwell said gravely. “I don’t want to hear that you’ve hurt anyone.”

“Your grace!” Sunset exclaimed, “But how am I supposed to protect myself if they try something and you aren’t around?”

Lady Inkwell’s expression stayed firm, but Sunset could see a small bit of sympathy behind the phoenix-born’s eyes.

“That’s the risk you’ll have to take if you chose to remain.” Lady Inkwell said evenly as she stared down at Sunset. “That being said, you’re a clever girl. There are other ways to protect yourself besides throwing a punch. And there are other ways to solve problems besides violence. You just need to use your head.”

Sunset frowned at that, but didn’t protest. Instead, she simply nodded.

“I…understand.” She said, trying her best to avoid speaking tersely.

“I’m sure you do.” Lady Inkwell said with her own nod. “Now, run along. Dinner’s starting soon, and I’m sure your friends are worried about you.”

“Yes, your grace.” Sunset said as she rose from the chair and made her way towards the door.

*****

Sunset’s arrival at the dining room was not a pleasant one. The moment she entered, she could hear venomous giggles from around the room, as well as whispers of things like “Sunslip Stumble”, “looks like she does eat dirt”, and a couple lecherous “did you see her underwear when she fell?” or the like. Balling her fists, she made her way to the food line. Grabbing a tray and a plate, she found the pickings pretty slim, most of the other students having already taken their share.

Grumbling, she managed to gather enough for herself, and headed towards her table, holding her head high and ignoring the giggles and barbs from the other students as she walked by. Reaching the table and finding Daisy and Lily waiting for her, she set down her tray and deflated a little, letting out a tired sigh.

Seeing her arrival, both of the Easterners perked up.

“Sunset, you’re alright!” Daisy said with a giant smile.

“Yup, it’ll take more than an oil slick to get rid of me.” Sunset said with a cheeky grin.

“Well, just as long as you’re okay. It was horrible watching you go down like that.” Lily said with tiny notes of panic in her voice. Taking a deep breath, then a bite of her sage and rosemary bread, she continued. “After you left, Lady Inkwell had everyone empty out their pockets until she figured out who was responsible. Turns out it was some boys and girls from Radia and Lioht that did it. You should have seen them when Lady Inkwell caught them and made them confess.”

“Radia and Lioht?” Sunset asked.

“The south-eastern and eastern arms of Heliopolis.” Daisy said.

Sunset’s grip on her mug tightened dangerously. Focusing her mind on her meditation techniques, she forced herself to be calm.

“And, what happened to them?” Sunset growled, “Did Lady Inkwell punish them?”

“From what I heard, she’s got them scrubbing the kitchen floors for the next two weeks.” Lily said with a nod, before a vengeful smile turned up the corner of her lips. “With toothbrushes.”

That got a smile out of Sunset, and she let out a loud guffaw as she slapped the table with her right hand.

“Well, it's not as bad as I’d want, but I hope they like being on their hands and knees.” Sunset smirked viciously, “Take it from me, scrubbing a kitchen’s not a fun job. Even with full sized brushes.”

“Oh, what’d you do to end up doing that?” Daisy said with a mischievous smile. “Put hot pepper in your mom’s underwear?”

The soup Sunset was currently eating almost went down the wrong pipe, causing her to explode into a fit of coughing. Lily quickly rose from her chair and rushed over, slapping Sunset’s back until she stopped hacking.

“You okay Sunset?” Lily asked as she handed Sunset a glass of water, which she took gratefully. Once she was sure Sunset wasn’t going to choke, Lily shot Daisy an angry glare, before walking over and flicking her ear. “Daisy, that’s not appropriate.”

“Sorry.” Daisy said, clapping her hands in front of herself, closing her eyes and bowling her head slightly to Sunset.

“It’s fine.” Sunset said, taking a drink of water to clear her throat. Fortunately, neither girl knew the reason she’d choked, and wasn’t just from the outlandish idea of her spiking Tender Heart’s underpants with hot pepper. No, it was the sudden and intense fear she’d felt when her familial situation had been brought up.

Because neither Daisy or Lily knew that she was an orphan.

She hadn’t told them, and if she had anything to say about it, that’s how things would stay.

She already had a noose around her neck for being an outsider. She didn’t need to give the Heliopolans more reason to hang her. Let alone not knowing how Daisy or Lily would react.

She wanted to trust them. To be honest with them. But after everything, she wasn’t sure if she could.

“So, do you want to review what we went over today?” Sunset said, trying to change the subject. “I’d like to go over the section on how to address nobles of differing ranks again.”

Thankfully, both Daisy and Lily were all for the idea, and soon, the three began to quiz each other on the day’s lessons. Sunset knew that after today, she was going to need to be even more on guard than ever. But, she hoped that Daisy and Lily would make it bearable.

*****

Dinner ended, and the three girls headed back to their room. Normally, Sunset would have gone to the supplemental, after diner lessons with Lady Inkwell, but tonight, she just wanted to go to her room, relax and do some non-rite based reading. Maybe pull out her forging manual and pick up on her runes again. She had a feeling that she was getting a little rusty.

Reaching their room, Sunset pulled her key from a pocket in her skirt, and went to unlock the door. Yet, as she turned the key, she didn’t feel the bolt retract.

Sunset’s heart jumped into her throat.

That could only mean one thing. The door was already unlocked.

“Lily? Daisy? Have either of you been in the room since this morning?” Sunset asked slowly.

“No.” Lily replied. “We’ve been at lessons all day. Why?”

“And I locked the door when we left this morning, right?” Sunset asked.

“Yea, we saw you do it.” Daisy said as she approached Sunset, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“The door’s unlocked.” Sunset said as she turned to look over her shoulder at her roommates “Someone went into the room.”

All three shared a look.

“Could the cleaners just have forgotten to lock up?” Lily asked as she approached the door.

“I…don’t think so.” Daisy said, nervously, “They’re professionals. They wouldn’t leave it open like that.”

Turning back to the door, Sunset steeled herself, and pushed it open. Seeing the inside of the room, she didn’t immediately spot anything out of the ordinary. There was the mild mess they’d left of their old clothes, the neat and professionally made beds that told them the cleaners had been through.

Walking in, Sunset began to look around. Nothing was obviously wrong with the room. Lily and Daisy soon followed, immediately heading to their bunks to check if anything was awry. Sunset didn’t join them, and instead headed directly to the chest at the foot of her bed. Nervously, Sunset grabbed the lid, and with a fortifying breath, opened it and looked inside. She was hoping, praying to Celestia, that what she suspected would be missing wasn’t.

Her heart sank as her blood boiled, her fingers clenching the lid to her trunk so hard the wood began to creak. Clenching her jaw with rage, she screamed at the top of her lungs and slammed the lid down, causing both of the other girls in the room to jump in fright.

“Sunset? What’s wrong?” Daisy said, approaching Sunset with concern.

As Sunset turned to face them, both girls took a nervous step back. Sunset’s face was twisted into a grimace of pure rage, one that looked ready to explode at a moment’s notice.

“My book…” Sunset growled in a harsh whisper. “My Solarian Legends book is missing.”

“Are… are you sure?” Lily asked, worry replacing fear as she saw Sunset trying to calm herself enough to think.

“Positive.” Sunset said, her posture still tight with anger, but her voice much calmer. “I always put it back in my trunk after I’m done with it.”

Both Lily and Daisy took a step back from Sunset.

“That… that’s horrible. Oh Celestia, that’s horrible!” Lily gasped in dismay.

“But who would…?” Daisy began, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.

All three girls’ heads snapped towards the sound, Daisy and Lily looking nervous, while Sunset’s glare grew even hotter. That someone had just shown up at the door right as she discovered her book missing, it was too much of a coincidence for Sunset’s taste. Stomping past her roommates, she yanked the door open.

Of all the faces she wanted to see on the other side of the door, the person she found was close to the bottom.

There, standing in the hallway, was Sapphire Prism, an insufferably smug look on her face as she crossed her arms across her chest and stared at Sunset.

“Sapphire…” Sunset hissed.

“Oh, good evening Sunslip Stumble. Did you enjoy your dirt snack this afternoon?” Sapphire said with smug condescension. “With how easily you fell over, I bet you were starving.”

“Where’s my book you moon-loving bitch?!” Sunset snarled as she stomped up to Sapphire, readying herself to acquaint the other fire-caller’s face with her fists. “Where?!”

“What makes you think I know where your book is you dirt-eating rat?” Sapphire sneered.

Sunset’s blood all but ignited with rage as she slowly stormed out of the room towards Sapphire. She was going to finish what she started last week and pound Sapphire’s skull into the wall until it looked like tenderized meat.

Coming within arms length of Sapphire, Sunset lifted her arm, ready to pummel the pompous Heliopolan into the ground, but stopped when Sapphire didn’t react. If anything, her grin grew even larger as she eyed Sunset’s raised fist.

…remember, that you’re also on your last chance. I don’t want to hear that you’ve hurt anyone.

Sunset froze. This was what Sapphire wanted!

She knew that if Sunset laid a hand on her, she’d be thrown out of the rite. She couldn’t touch Sapphire, and the night-lover knew it. Closing her eyes and lowering her fist, Sunset forced herself to calm down with her meditation techniques. As her emotions settled, Sunset met Sapphire’s eyes, which were still shining with smug superiority, and just a subtle hint of disappointment.

“You didn’t answer my question. Where’s my book?” Sunset growled as she took a step back.

“What makes you think that I have it?” Sapphire said, placing a hand on her chest with completely mock indignation. “I haven’t laid a hand on that filthy thing. Not after Lady Inkwell unjustly put me on cleaning duty for riding the world of such dirt-eater tainted literature.”

“Somehow, I don’t buy that.” Sunset said as she clenched her fists, fighting to keep her emotions under control.

“Such accusations.” Sapphire mocked, “You have no proof that I had anything to do with it going missing.”

“And yet, here you are, right as I learn it’s missing.” Sunset retorted, “Too much of a coincidence if you ask me.”

“Well, I didn’t, and I resent the implications.” Sapphire said with a smirk. “…but, I think I remember seeing something like it earlier.”

Sunset held her ground. She couldn’t let Sapphire goad her into making a mistake.

“Oh, and where is that?” Sunset replied as calmly as she could.

“I think it was out by the gazebo in the southern side yard, by the pond.” Sapphire said as she tilted her head and brought up her right hand, placing her index finger on her cheek and rolling her eyes in “thought”. “Yes, I think I remember seeing it there in about an hour.”

“You…” Sunset hissed.

“Hmm, yea, that’s right. It was at the gazebo in one hour.” Sapphire said, “You should probably go get it. But it’s weird. It was like it wanted you to come alone, or it would throw itself into the pond. And I think it was on fire if Lady Inkwell found out. Odd.”

Sunset fumed silently, glaring at Sapphire as she uncrossed her arms and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Well, would you look at the time. It's ‘not be near a dirt-eating mongrel’ o’clock. So, I think I should go.” Sapphire lilted as she brought her right hand up and wiggled her fingers at Sunset. “Tah tah Sunslip Stumble. I hope you find your book, and that it doesn’t get set on fire because Lady Inkwell learned it was missing.”

And with that, Sapphire turned and began to walk down the hallway, leaving Sunset to fume impotently.

Once the other fire-caller was out of sight, Sunset stormed back into the room and slammed the door. Immediately, both Daisy and Lily rushed up to her.

“Sunset, you can’t seriously be thinking about going, can you?” Daisy asked, her concern clearly showing on her face.

“I have to. If I don’t, they’re going to destroy my book.” Sunset hissed, her fists clenching and her head bowing as she pinched her eyes shut in frustration.

“But it’s a trap. You have to know it is.” Lily protested.

Sunset walked past her and slammed her fists on her bed.

“I know.” She growled, “But I have to go. I have to get my book back. But they know I can’t fight back, or I’ll get kicked out. And I can’t go to Lady Inkwell, or they’ll burn it.”

Both Daisy and Lily looked at Sunset, concern painted on their faces.

“So, what are you going to do?” Daisy asked tentatively.

“I don’t know!” Sunset spat as tears began to form in her eyes. “Damn it!”

Slamming her face into the bed, Sunset screamed into the wool blanket.

It was obviously a trap. There was no way around it. But it was one she had to walk into. She couldn’t just ignore it, or she’d lose her book. But that left her with the same problem. How was she supposed to get it back?

If she showed up alone, who knows what whoever took it would do.

If she went to tell Lady Inkwell, they’d burn her prized possession.

But, there were no other options.

‘Why? Why do they keep going after Solarian Legends?’ Sunset screamed in her head, ‘Why not go after my other books, like my forging manual, or my… rune… guide…’

Slowly, Sunset lifted her head from the mattress.

‘Runes…’ Sunset thought.

There are other ways to protect yourself besides throwing a punch. And there are other ways to solve problems besides violence. You just need to use your head.

“Daisy…Lily…have you told anyone else that I’m an apprentice smith?” Sunset said slowly as she turned to look at her friends. “This is important.”

Both girls looked at each other, then back to Sunset.

“No, we haven’t. We don’t talk to the others. You know that.” Lily said. “Why? What’s going on?”

‘They don’t know that I know how to carve and power runes.’ Sunset thought. Slowly, an idea began to form in her mind. Lady Inkwell was right. There were other ways. She just hadn’t let herself realize that. And that meant she’d been playing right into the Heliopolan’s hands. She’d been letting her tormentors dictate the rules.

She’d let them decide how the dance was to be done.

But… she didn’t have to dance to their tune.

She could dance to her own.

“Daisy, can you go get me a couple of medium sized pebbles from outside?” Sunset said as she slowly made her way to her trunk and pulled out her rune guide.

“Um, sure, but why?” Daisy said nervously.

“I don’t have time to explain. Please, I need them. Quickly.’ Sunset said as she set her manual on the bed and flipped it open, her fingers scanning the pages. Finding what she was looking for, she grabbed a sheet of parchment, her dip pen, and her ink stone. Wasting no time, she ground up a small amount of ink and, dropping it into one of the bottles she kept in her pen kit, swirled the liquid until the pigment dissolved. Dipping her pen, she set the page on her nightstand, and began to write furiously, consulting her guide every couple of seconds.

Daisy looked at Lily, who returned the look. An unspoken understanding passed between them, and they nodded to the other.

“I’ll come with you.” Lily said as she grasped her friend’s shoulder, a smile forming on her face as she watched Sunset scribble furiously. “I think Sunset’s got a plan.”

Without another word, the two turned and jogged out the door, closing and locking it behind them. Sunset was aware that they’d left, but she was too lost in her arcana to give it any mind. She knew what she wanted to do. She just needed to figure out how to do it. It didn’t need to be fancy. Or permanent. All that it needed to do was hold together long enough for her to get her book back.

She wasn’t sure if she could make it work.

No.

She would make it work.

She wasn’t going to be beaten.

Not by Sapphire. Not by Helioplolis. And not by Lady Inkwell’s ultimatum.

She was Sunset Shimmer. She was a Solarian. A sun-gazer. A fire-caller. And she would have her due.

If the Heliopolans weren’t going to play fair, then neither was she.

*****

An hour later, the sun had dipped below the horizon, ending the blessed day and bringing forth the cursed night, with the traitor Luna’s silvery moon high in the sky. At this time of day, most decent sun-gazers were indoors and lost to the black void that was their nightly slumber.

It was into the unhallowed gloom of the early evening that Sunset exited from the back door of the Academy. Using a small piece of wood, she slipped it in between the frame and the door, ensuring that she wouldn’t lock herself out. Nodding at her work and keeping as low to the ground as possible, she made her way towards the eastern yard. She had to avoid being seen by any of the adults, or by the other children. If the former spotted her, she’d get in trouble with Lady Inkwell for being out so late. If the other children saw her, they’d either tattle or warn whoever took her tome that she was coming.

Neither of these were good outcomes.

Looking up at the sky, she had to suppress a shudder. With Celestia’s sun gone from the sky, this was the traitor’s time. The time when the dark ruled, and all the debased, evil things that slithered around at Luna’s behest came forth to devour and destroy. Even as safe as she was, nestled in the very heart of Celestia’s sanctum, the night still held a special dread for her. It was a cursed time, and she didn’t want to be out in it any longer than she needed.

But, as awful as the night was, she had to get her book back. And to do that, she needed the element of surprise if her plan was going to work.

In the palm of her right hand were two pebbles, each with a series of crude runes rent into their surface. Sunset hadn’t had the proper tools or the time she’d needed to carve them as cleanly as she’d have liked, meaning that the runes wouldn’t hold her flame for long.

But that didn’t matter. She just needed them to hold it for a few more minutes.

She’d done the calculations.

She’d carved the runes.

She’d performed the infusion dances, set the triggers, and had thankfully avoided any spell backlash as she fed the runes with her flame. Too much flame if she was being honest with herself, but the second-tier binding and stability runes she’d integrated into the enchantment were holding, albeit barely.

After she’d infused the runes, she’d prepared to leave, only for her friends to stop her. Both Daisy and Lily had begged her not to go through with her plan. It was too risky. And if she got caught…

Sunset reassured them that she’d be careful. And that she wouldn’t get caught. With the number of times she’d snuck out with her oath-sisters to get up to mischief, she was certain of her ability to avoid the eyes of the adults.

But, that was back in Golden Tree, where she knew her way around. And it was during the day.

Here, she didn’t know her way around, and that put her at a disadvantage.

Yet, as much as she hated to admit it, she was a little grateful for the light from the traitor's moon. Even though it was weak and barely enough to keep her from stumbling every so often over some unseen branch or root as she wove her way through the trees that lined the path to the pond and gazebo, it still provided her with enough light to stumble her way towards her goal.

She felt unclean for such thoughts, but in the moment, she wasn’t concerned with that. She’d take a hot bath later to wash the feeling away. But for now, she had to force aside her feelings and move forward.

After nearly stumbling again, she considered summoning a will-o-wisp to light her way. But, after a moment’s thought, she decided against it. The light would give her away, so she had to do without.

A few more minutes of flailing around in the darkness, and she spotted her destination. Surrounded by a low hedge, the gazebo was painted in a soft white that glowed vilely in the light of the moon. Beside it was the yard’s pond, the water gently riffling as a soft breeze blew across its surface, the reeds along its edge gently swaying. And, gathered at the base of the gazebo, were three of the other children standing in the light of a will-o-wisp: two sky-runners, and one fire-caller. She didn’t know who they were, and it was too dark to really make out their faces, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that the fire-caller had her book in her hands.

Sunset’s grip tightened on the stones she was carrying. She needed to get closer before she could use them.

Crouching low and moving as silently as she could, Sunset made her way to the hedge, working her way along until she was close enough to hear the three of them talking.

“Are you sure she’s coming?” One of the sky-runners asked with a bored groan.

“Positive. Rosy said that dirt-eater loves this book.” The fire-caller said as she studied the book. “Heh, shame really. It's such a nice book, wasted on such a worthless piece of trash as her.”

“I’m surprised the dirt-eater can even read.” The other sky-runner said with a chuckle, one that was soon echoed by his companions.

“Hey, every dog can be trained to do tricks with enough time.” The fire-caller said with a smirk.

Sunset’s blood boiled, but she forced herself to stay low and not rush in. Instead, she edged closer. She was almost in range.

“Well, I’m tired of waiting. I say we chuck the thing into the pond and be done with it.” The first sky-runner said.

Sunset nearly panicked at that, her grip tightening on the pebbles dangerously. Moment’s later, she forced herself to calm down and relax her grip. Too much force might set them off.

“Hmm, no. Let’s not.” The fire-caller said as she admired the book in her hands. “It’d be a waste to ruin something so rare. Let’s just hide it, and once she shows up, I’ll tell her we threw it in the pond for being late. The moment she lays a hand on us, she’s gone, we’ve removed an unworthy stain on the rite, and I get to keep a beautiful, rare book. Win-win-win.”

‘You are not keeping that book, you singer.’ Sunset thought as she edged even closer. She had to stay calm. She had to stay collected. She couldn't rush things. She had to wait until she was sure she had her opportunity.

“Whatever. Just hurry up in case she shows.” the second sky-runner said.

With a nod, the fire-caller ran up to the gazebo and, looking left and right to check if anyone other than her friends were watching, slipped the book under the stairs leading into it, before climbing the staircase and taking a seat on the top step.

Sunset’s heart skipped a beat. Her book was right there.

But now the fire-caller was too far away from the other two. She had to get them closer together, or her plan wouldn’t work.

Looking down at her feet, she desperately searched for something she could use to get their attention. Seeing several small rocks, she grabbed one, transfering the rune covered stones to her left hand. Peaking around the corner of the hedge, Sunset wound her arm back and threw the stone. Seconds later, it landed in the pond, creating a loud splash.

Instantly, all three turned towards the pond, the fire-caller rising to her feet and starting to descend the stairs.

“You hear that?” One of the sky-runners asked.

“No, I didn’t hear a loud splash just now.” the other said, “Of course I heard that dingus.”

“Well, go check it out.” The first sky-runner said.

“No, you.”

“Both of you be quiet and get over here.” the fire-caller hissed at her companions. “I bet it’s that dirt-eater. Probably skulking around here somewhere. Heh, animal’s more clever than we gave her credit for.”

The two of them started to walk towards the fire-caller. Good. Just a little closer.

“Should we split up and go looking for her?” The first sky-runner asked as he and his companion reached the fire-caller.

This was it. They were close enough.

“No. One of you stay here, one of you fly up and see if you can spot her…”

It was now or never. Transfering one of the stones to her right hand, Sunset grasped them in her fingers and violently slammed them together, setting off a chain reaction in the impact trigger she’d put into the enchantment. Transfering the one in her left hand to her right, she could feel her flame beginning to overload the runes, meaning she only had a couple of seconds before they went off.

“Hey, over here!” Sunset shouted, as she shot up from her hiding place. Instantly, all three turned towards her, just like she’d hoped. Before they could respond, she threw the glowing, rune-covered stones. The stones arced through the air, and landed at the other children’s feet, just as Sunset slammed her eyelids shut and buried her face in the crook of her elbow.

In fraction of a second later, the runes overloaded, and discharged. A bright, dazzling burst of light erupted from the first stone, flooding the area around the gazebo with blinding radiance. At the same instant, the noise dampening rune on the other stone went off, devouring all sound within a five meter radius, including the startled, pained screams of the three Heliopolan children, who were now flailing around, temporarily blinded by the bright light hitting their dark adjusted eyes.

Lowering her arms, Sunset wasted no time in rushing forward, past the three blinded and flailing children whose cries were still being devoured by the overloaded rune, and to the stairs of the gazebo. Reaching under, she retrieved her book, and, without looking back, burst into a full sprint back towards the Academy. Moments later, the sound dampening rune burnt itself out, and the disoriented cries of the three thieves came back in full force.

As she approached the Academy, she saw lights starting to come on in the main building. No doubt some of the staff had been alerted by the bright flash of light that her rune’s detonation had created. Thinking fast, she veered off to the south, and headed towards the side entrance she’d come from.

Moments later, she heard the back door slam open. Ducking behind a bush, she saw Sparkler and two other staff members rush out and make their way towards the gazebo.

Getting back to her feet, Sunset broke into a sprint, not stopping until she reached the south-side door. Yanking it open, she kicked the wooden shard away and pulled it shut behind her, hearing the latch click as she did.

Collapsing against the wall, Sunset let out a huge sigh of relief. Looking down at the book in her arms, she hugged the tome against her chest, the urge to break down in tears starting to overwhelm her. She couldn’t keep doing this. She couldn’t keep almost losing her sister’s gift.

Taking a deep breath, her brow furrowed, and she pushed herself off the wall. Lady Inkwell was right.

She needed to use her head.

*****

The next morning, Sunset, Daisy and Lily were heading towards the breakfast hall, chatting about the day’s planned lessons. Of the three, Sunset looked like she hadn’t slept well, but didn’t look too much worse for wear outside that.

As they neared the dining room, they spotted three unpleasant and angry looking fire-callers. Standing by the doors, Sapphire, Rosy and Orange were glaring daggers at the three non-Heliopolans as they approached.

“Good morning Sapphire.” Sunset said cheerily. “How’re you doing?”

Sapphire’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Sunset.

“Oh, by the way, I found my book.” Sunset said sweetly, “So, thanks for the tip.”

Sapphire’s glare grew in intensity.

“You know, after misplacing it, I was so worried that I’d never get to read it again, that I just had to spend some time going through my favorite stories. Found one I haven’t read in a while.” Sunset said as she matched Sapphire’s venomous glare with one of her own.

“Really…” Sapphire growled.

“Oh, yes. It’s called ‘the dogs and the winterchilla’.” Sunset said, still smiling sweetly. “Have you ever heard of it?”

“No.” Sapphire said.

“It’s a fascinating tale.” Sunset continued, “It’s about a bunch of foolish and stupid dogs that like to pick on smaller creatures for fun, thinking that because they’re so much bigger, they’re clearly better than their prey, and can do whatever they want. One day, they come across a small, defenseless looking little creature, and decide they want to chase it. And they do.”

Rosy and Orange were fuming at this point, but Sapphire raised a hand, keeping them from advancing on Sunset.

“And they have a grand old time, running after the poor little thing, biting at it, and basically scaring it nearly half to death.” Sunset said, before a smug smile worked itself onto her face, “But, they’re so caught up in their game, that they don’t notice it starting to get dark.”

“Is there a point to all this Sunslip Stumble?” Sapphire growled.

“Before they know it, the sun has gone down, and the little creature stops running.” Sunset said, ignoring Sapphire’s barb. “At first, the dogs think they’ve won, and move in to finish the creature off. But then, it turns to face them, and something happens. It starts to grow. Soon, it's taller than the trees. Before they know what’s happening, the not so little creature starts chasing them, catching them one by one, and smashing their heads open on the rocks. Soon, all the dogs are dead, and the monstrous creature turns back into its little form and scampers off. It would almost be a sad ending for the dogs, if they hadn’t brought their fate on themselves.”

All three Heliopolans glared daggers at Sunset, Orange balling her hands into fists.

“I’m surprised you never heard that story Sapphire.” Sunset said cheerily, before her voice dropped and became dark and condescending. “I mean, it’s not like you’d be able to relate to those dogs, now would you?”

“This isn’t over, dirt-eater.” Sapphire hissed before turning on her heels and walking into the dining room, quickly followed by Rosy and Orange.

“I don’t like this.” Daisy said nervously. “She’s really got it out for you now.”

“I know.” Sunset said, glaring at the door Sapphire and her cronies had just passed through.

“Just… be careful.” Lily said, “She’s not going to forgive you for that.”

“I’m not looking for her forgiveness.” Sunset said gravely. “She backs off, so do I. But I’m not going to let her step on me anymore. She wants to play rough. Fine. I’ll play rough. But I’m playing by my rules. Not hers.”

And at that, Sunset stepped forward and pushed open the door to the dining hall, holding it for her friends before following them inside.

Author's Note

Winterchillas are cute, fluffy, fast, and oh so cuddly. They can also smash you into paste if you piss them off when they go winterzilla.

If you're wondering what exactly Sunset did with those runes, I'll address it next chapter.

Ch 8 - The Choosing - Standing Her Ground

Heya Sunny!

How’re things going since your last letter? I hope you’ve found a way to deal with those meanies. Oh, I wish I could be there to help cheer you up or just make sure that nobody’s giving you a hard time.

Things are super busy right now. Rainbow's helping Windstorm get ready for the Summer Solstice celebration, so she’s being all “argh, I’m having to work! I want to go goof off and fly around!” But I can tell she’s having fun.

AJ’s being… AJ. All work work work, no time for fun except in the afternoon. The trees are starting to make the first apples, and her entire family’s been busy. Says the Dorsett Golds are just starting to come in. And that means cider soon. And speaking of soon, right now it's almost noon. Which means that Lyra’s going to be in the market with the other minstrels playing her bassoon. And if Bon Bon’s there, she might start to swoon. They do seem to like spending time around each other. But it doesn’t feel like it does when we’re gettin together to have fun with AJ and Rainbow. It's almost like when Maud and Mudbriar are hanging out. I wonder if Bon Bon likes Lyra. But, that’d be weird, because they’re both girls. Can girls like girls? I du’know, I thought we were supposed to like boys. That’s what daddy and all the grownups say.

Anyway, we miss you. Write soon. I want to know how you got back at those meaniepants that tried to mess up the book we gave you. You should have seen AJ when we read your letter. She looked like she was about to rip a tree out of the ground, she was so mad. And Rainbow was ready to fly straight to you and beat them up. We stopped her, but wowie, she was ticked.

Oh, and tell your new friends that they’re always welcome to come visit Golden Tree. I’ll be sure to throw them a “welcome to the West” party.

Missing you. Lots of hugs and love coming your way.

Your bestie and sister, Pinkie Pie

Sunset lowered the letter to her lap and smiled warmly as she let out a happy sigh.

‘Glad to know that Pinkie’s still Pinkie, even when writing letters.’ She thought as she folded the paper. Swinging her feet off her bed, she made her way over to her footlocker. Pulling out a small key, she popped open the lock Lady Inkwell had given her, and slipped the letter into a folder with the others she’d gotten from home, right next to her books and her clothes.

“Sunset, you almost ready?” Daisy said from behind. “It’s almost time for breakfast.”

“Just a minute.” Sunset said as she closed the chest’s lid and snapped the lock shut. “Okay, have you got everything?”

“Yup!” Daisy chirped.

“Ready to go.” Lily said.

“Okay.” Sunset said as she closed the footlocker and returned the lock to its place.

Taking a step back, Sunset took a deep breath and began a basic infusion spell dance. Both Lily and Daisy watched her as she called on her flame, feeding it with the desire to protect. Soon, strands of teal flame flowed from her soul-gem, and into the runes inscribed on her chest, the lock, a set of identical runes engraved on Daisy and Lily’s storage chests, and several larger rune circle inscribed on pieces of wood she’d tacked to the inside of the door and below the window frames.

With one final flourish, she cut off the flow of her flame into her runes, all of which flashed to life with a burst of teal light, which faded away moments later. Taking a second to catch her breath, she felt the flame settle into the inscriptions, bringing the enchantments to life. Now, anyone who tried to open the object with the runes other than the ones that were keyed to them would find them completely sealed and locked, and trigger a loud audio alarm.

“Alright. Let’s go.” Sunset said as she turned to her roommates.

Exiting the room, Sunset closed and locked the door, feeling the enchantment engage. Without another word, the three of them took their manuals, and placed them on the crowns of their heads. Once in place and balanced, they began to walk towards the dining room.

It had been a week since the theft of her book.

The three thieves, though Sunset was sure they weren’t the only ones involved, had been interrogated by Lady Inkwell about why they were outside after dark. Under the phoenix-born’s questioning, the three had admitted to stealing Sunset’s book, and their plan to provoke her into breaking her probation and get her kicked out. Needless to say, Lady Inkwell was not happy, and made an example of them by putting them on garbage bin cleaning duty for the remainder of the training course.

It came as no surprise to Sunset that she’d been called into Lady Inkwell’s office the next morning. Sparkler had arrived during breakfast, and told Sunset that Lady Inkwell wanted to see her. Reluctantly, Sunset followed, doing her best to ignore the smug look on Sapphire’s face.

Sensing Sunset’s distress, Sparkler told her that she wasn’t in trouble. Rather, Lady Inkwell wanted to check to make sure she was okay, since she’d heard her book had been stolen, but that it was no longer in the thieves’ possession. Sunset was sure that was true, but she also suspected the phoenix-born had worked out that she’d been involved in the mysterious flash of light and anti-sound that temporarily blinded and muted the thieves.

And so, Sunset found herself for a third time in Lady Inkwell’s office, sitting in what was starting to become her regular seat, looking down at her hands and wondering if she was going to get in trouble.

“So, Sunset, how did you get your book back?” Lady Inkwell asked, her left hand resting on her amp, the subtle glow of runes letting Sunset know it was powered. Behind her, Dylis was on his perch, eyeing Sunset critically.

“Um…” Sunset began, but couldn’t muster the energy to continue with the lie that had been bubbling up in her throat. She knew better than to try lying while Lady Inkwell was powering her amp.

“Sunset, I know you’ve got it. The three students I was forced to discipline this morning admitted to taking it, yet it wasn’t where they said they hid it after Sparkler caught them.” Lady Inkwell said as she regarded the young girl, “If you didn’t get it back, you wouldn’t be nearly this calm. I'd dare to say you'd probably be on the warpath. So, how did you get it back?”

They were really going to do this, weren’t they?

‘Well, no point in dragging this out.’ Sunset thought as she steeled herself.

“There’s not much to say. I took your advice and used my head.” Sunset said, keeping her tone as respectful as possible. “Without, I might add, laying a hand on them.”

“And how exactly did you do that?” Lady Inkwell asked, her eyebrow quirking a little, while behind her, Dylis narrowed his eyes and glared.

Gulping, Sunset regarded Lady Inkwell.

“I… I jerry-rigged a couple of rune integrations.” She said.

“Oh, you did, did you? That’s honestly quite impressive. What sort of integrations?” Lady Inkwell asked as she steepled her fingers and leaned forward, giving Sunset an appraising look.

“Um… well. When you told me that I couldn’t hurt them, I knew I had to find a non-violent way to get my book back. But, I… don’t know any spell-dances for something like that. But, I thought I could maybe use what Bronze Hammer, my master, taught me about runes.” Sunset said, before taking a deep breath and continuing. “So I… did some modifications to a pair of tier two runes, one light and one sound dampening, inscribed them on a couple of stones, and set them to overload when I struck them hard enough. I hoped that when they overloaded, it would make a sound deadzone and a flash of light bright enough to blind whoever stole my book long enough for me to get it back and get away.”

“Really now?” Lady Inkwell said, lacing her fingers together with interest. “How did you overload them without burning them out, let alone carve runes stable enough to hold that amount of power?”

“I didn’t power them directly. I created a runic chain.” Sunset said with increased ease, as she slipped into artificer mode. Usually, she would be talking with Bronze about these sorts of things, so she focused on that, using the feeling of discussing magical theory to ground herself. “I used a tier one security rune to create an impact sensor, and integrated it as a trigger for a tier two power storage rune. I created the chain so that when I slammed the stones together, the power rune would pour all of the stored flame into the light and sound dampening runes at just the right rate to create a controlled overload.”

Looking at Lady Inkwell, Sunset was surprised to see a half-smile on her face.

“That’s very impressive, Sunset.” She said, as she leaned back in her chair. “Especially so considering that such runic assemblies are notoriously volatile if the runes aren’t inscribed carefully.”

“Thank you, your grace.” Sunset said, smiling a little with pride. “I’ve… always had a knack for this sort of thing. Bronze says that I’m a natural at magic… when I’m not letting my emotions get the better of me.”

“I can see that. For someone your age, it’s a remarkable feat.” Lady Inkwell said, before her eyes turned serious. “Had you not managed the inscriptions right, you could have detonated the runes and hurt yourself. What possessed you to take such a risk instead of coming to me?”

Sunset’s earlier elation drained away, and a cold pit of shame settled into her stomach.

“They… threatened to burn my book if I went to you.” Sunset admitted. “I couldn’t risk it, so I… came up with my other plan.”

“And if it didn’t work?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“I… didn’t think that far ahead.” Sunset said with a small amount of shame.

Lady Inkwell huffed through her nose.

“Sunset, you have no idea how lucky you are that it worked out. But, this is getting out of hand. I think it might be a good idea if I held onto your book until the rite is over.” She said evenly. “It’s obvious that they’re going to keep going after it.”

Lady Inkwell’s expression softened at the look of horror on Sunsets face, but continued nonetheless. “I understand that it means a lot to you, but clearly, keeping it in your room is just asking for trouble.”

Sunset’s throat constricted and her stomach sank.

“May I speak freely, your grace?” Sunset asked with a trembling voice.

“You may.” Lady Inkwell said with a flourish of her hand.

“I… I don’t want to do that.” Sunset said nervously.

“Sunset.” Lady Inkwell said softly, “I understand. Believe me, I do. But… if you keep it with you, it’s going to continue to be in danger. Do you trust me?”

Every one of Sunset’s nerves sang at that question, and the sight of the still glowing runes on the amp.

“I want to.” She replied.

“But you don’t?” Lady Inkwell said.

“Not enough to give you my book.” Sunset admitted with shame. “I don’t trust anyone but my sisters with it.”

“I see.” Lady Inkwell said, her features taking a slightly saddened tint. Behind her, Dylis released a low hiss as his glare became even more disapproving, causing Sunset to shrink down. Sparing her partner a glance, making the phoenix to look away and trill with irritation, Lady Inkwell rose from her desk and walked around towards Sunset, carrying her amp with her.

“Sunset…” Lady Inkwell said as she kneeled down by the young girl, her voice gentle and soft. “Look.”

Holding up the amp for Sunset to see, she continued.

“I understand that you have a hard time trusting me, or anyone, with your book, but trust that I’m telling you the truth. I won’t force you to give it to me, and I won’t punish you if you refuse. But, I swear, that if you’re willing to trust me with it, I will keep it safe. I will not let anything happen to it. And, when this is all over, I will return it to you.”

Sunset watched the apple as Lady Inkwell spoke. Not a wisp of black fog had formed within.

“So, can you trust me? Can I help you keep it safe?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“I… do you swear to keep it safe? Can you promise me that it’ll be okay?” Sunset said, her trepidation still obvious.

“I swear, on all my years as Queen Celestia’s senechal, that if you can trust me with it, I will protect it, and that I will return it to you when this is all over.” Lady Inkwell said.

“I…” Sunset began, but found that her voice died in her throat. She didn’t like it. She didn’t want to do it. Giving up her book would mean that her sisters… her family… they wouldn’t be with her. But, she wasn’t sure she could keep them safe if they stayed with her. Hadn’t that fact already been proven.

“… you can think about it if you want to Sunset.” Lady Inkwell said reassuringly. “I don't need an answer right away.”

Sunset’s mind was reeling. Could she give up her book, even for a few weeks, knowing that Lady Inkwell would keep it safe? The thought was tempting. More tempting than she cared to admit. If it wasn’t for Lady Inkwell fixing it in the first place, it would be gone. But, it would mean giving up…

…her sisters…

“No… I… I can’t.” Sunset said, her voice quavering, but building in determination. “I can’t. I know it’d be safer with you, but I can’t. I need it. I need them.”

“Them?”

“My sisters.” Sunset said. “I… need them. Having that book means that they’re with me. That their love is with me. And… I need that now… I need them. If I give you the book, then I’m letting them go. Saying that I couldn’t protect what’s mine. I can’t keep them safe. I know it’d be safe with you, but I’d admit that I’m not strong enough to protect my sisters. My family. I have to be the one to do it. I need to be the one to do it.” Sunset lowered her head, and hugged her arms to her chest, “I’m sorry.”

Sunset flinched a little as Lady Inkwell regarded her with that detached, unreadable expression she wore when she was thinking.

“I see.” Lady Inkwell said with a thoughtful hum. “In that case… might I make a suggestion?”

“Of course, your grace.” Sunset replied. Not that she had much choice, but she was at least grateful that Lady Inkwell asked.

“Keep your things locked up.” Lady Inkwell said.

“Your grace?” Sunset said.

“You heard me.” Lady Inkwell said calmly, “I’ll give you a padlock to put on your chest. Make sure to use it. It won’t be as secure as me holding onto it, but it’ll be something. Just know that if it stays with you, it’ll be at risk.”

Sunset stared at Lady Inkwell. She hadn’t thought of that. She’d never needed to lock her footlocker before, but it made sense under her current circumstances. But locks could be picked, or forced open…

'Wait.’ Sunset thought, her mind going back to her book on runes, and the revelation she’d had the night before. She had skills that she could use. Skills that meant she didn’t have to play by the Heliopolan’s rules. She could play by her’s. ‘Locks can be broken, but there’s more that I can do.’

Sunset’s eyes went wide.

“Your grace, might I make a request?” Sunset said, as she raised her head to look at Lady Inkwell.

“What sort of request?”

“With your permission, I’d like to inscribe some security runes around my room.” Sunset said.

“Really? What kind?”

“Locking ones. Alarm ones. I think… no, I know I can key them to me and my roommates.” Sunset said. “I can’t make them permanent, but they’d last most of the day if I powered them in the morning.”

Lady Inkwell once again regarded Sunset, before a slight smile graced her lips and she nodded.

“Normally, I wouldn’t allow such things, but given your circumstances, I think I can make an exception.” Lady Inkwell said, before her eyes turned hard as she pointed her index finger at Sunset. “But just security runes. Nothing more. I don’t want you putting anything that can hurt anyone in my school, understood? You’ve been making incredible progress… despite everything that you’ve been going through. I wouldn’t want to see you waste it on some petty scheme for revenge, am I clear?”

“Of course, your grace.” Sunset said.

“Good. Now, I believe it's time for the first lesson of the day.” Lady Inkwell said as she turned towards her desk, lifting her arm for Dylis. Before she could complete the motion, Dylis had flown from his perch, landing on her arm at the moment she finished raising it. Running a finger across the bridge of his beak then scratching him behind the ear, Lady Inkwell smiled at him before bringing her arm to her right shoulder, which Dylis climbed onto. Looking back at Sunset, Lady Inkwell gestured to the door. “Shall we?”

That evening, Sunset skipped the supplemental lessons for a second time. Instead, she spent the evening hours properly and painstakingly inscribing the runes on the inside of her, Lily, and Daisy’s footlockers, as well as on a couple planks of wood she’d gotten from Sparkler. Unlike her rush-job runes from the night before, she took her time with them, making sure that she made the runes as clean and precise as possible. It was tedious, but in the end, she’d stood up and inspected her work with pride.

‘I bet Bronze would be impressed.’ She thought as she did one final check, then began the first of many empowerment dances she would do to provide the runes with her flame.

*****

That had been days ago, and since that time, things had settled down a bit. Lady Inkwell had made a general announcement the day after the theft, once again condemning the actions of the thieves, and once providing a stern warning that anyone who tried something like that would face harsh repercussions. It still irked her that Lady Inkwell wasn’t tossing them out. She just couldn’t understand why the Queen’s seneschal wasn’t cracking down harder.

Still, Sunset and her friends had enjoyed a couple of days harassment free after Lady Inkwell’s announcement, and had taken advantage of them to double down on their studies, even going so far as to start walking to class with their books balanced on their heads. At first, there had been some not-so-gentle teasing from the other students, but after a few days, and a couple of compliments from Lady Inkwell about their diligence, many of the other students, particularly those few Heliopolans that had just seen fit to ignore them rather than join in on the changeling hunt, began to follow suit.

“Hey dirt-eaters, still trying to prove to Lady Inkwell that you can act like proper Heliopolans?” A condescending voice said from near the classroom entrance.

‘I don’t need to deal with this at this hour.’ Sunset thought, sparing a glance in the direction the irritating bleating had come from. To her intense displeasure, she saw Sapphire, Rosy and Orange standing by the door, looking smug.

“Who’re you talking to, Sapphire?” Sunset said, feigning confusion.

“I’m talking to you, Sunslip Stumble!” Sapphire hissed.

“I have no idea who that is. Daisy, have you ever met someone named Sunslip Stumble?” Sunset replied as she looked at Daisy, her book remaining balanced on her head.

“Um…no, I don’t know anyone named that.” Daisy said nervously.

Unperturbed, Sunset turned to Lily.

“How about you Lily, you know anyone named Sunslip Stumble?” Sunset asked.

“No, I don’t think so.” Lily said, looking as nervous as Daisy.

“Well, clearly Sapphire’s got an imaginary friend now or something, because she’s talking to someone that’s named Sunslip Stumble that likes to eat dirt.” Sunset replied as she turned back to a fuming Sapphire. “I mean, it can’t be any of us, because none of us are named that, and none of us eat dirt.”

“Watch your mouth dirt-eater.” Rosy said as she balled her fists and took a step towards Sunset.

“Wow, you too Rosy?” Sunset replied. “You’ve got an imaginary friend that eats dirt? Did you come up with that all on your own, or did you steal that idea from Sapphire because you’re so mentally deficient that you can’t come up with your own ideas?”

“Why you…” Rosy said as she took another step towards Sunset.

“Ah ah ah.” Sunset tisked as she wagged her finger back and forth. “Do I have to remind you that if you touch me, you’ll get kicked out. Do you want that? To mar your family’s reputation by having the Queen’s seneschal personally expel you from the phoenix rite? I’ll bet that the shame would last for generations.”

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Orange hissed.

“No, I don’t think I’m clever.” Sunset said with a smirk. “I know I’m clever. At least, more clever than you dullards. Tell me, how did you score on the last quiz again?”

“I don’t see what that…” Orange began.

“Because last I checked, we managed to score in the top ten on the last one.” Sunset said, interrupting Orange as she put an index finger on her cheek, before looking up at the ceiling as though in thought. “I’m pretty sure I remember you three all scoring in the bottom fifty.”

The three girls glared daggers at Sunset.

“Oh, but clearly you’re the more clever ones.” Sunset continued as she reached up and retrieved the book she’d been balancing on her crown. “After all, you’re from Heliopolis. You know everything already, and don’t need to study, or put any effort into things. Like, how someone who’s not just barking orders has to conduct themselves, or what’s the proper way to set a table. No, you can just coast along and not have to try, because you’re so high and mighty. I hope that works out for you when it comes time for the placement exams.

“So, while this has been very entertaining, a great insight into your vibrant imaginations and how sad you are that you need to make imaginary friends so that you can have someone who can stand you to talk with you, my friends and I need to get to class so we can be ready for the next exam. I’d wish you good luck, but I know you don’t need it, since you’ve already got this in the bag.”

And with that, Sunset walked past Sapphire and her friends, Daisy and Lily following quickly behind. Chancing a look back, Sunset had to suppress a chuckle as she grinned with satisfaction at the sight of Sapphire turning red with anger.

“I really wish you wouldn’t do that Sunset.” Daisy said, her nerves showing as she glanced back over her shoulder at Sapphire.

“Sorry Daisy.” Sunset said as they approached their desks. “I just want to let her know I’m… we’re not going to put up with her crap anymore.”

“You could do that without making them mad by just ignoring them.” Lily said as she settled in.

“I tried that before, and look where I ended up.” Sunset said.

“Still…” Daisy said.

“I get that it's scary. But, if we don’t make a stand, they’ll keep making our lives miserable.” Sunset said, “How many times did the alarm runes I put on the door go off before those jerks stopped trying?”

“Fair point.” Daisy said.

“And how many times did they try to sabotage our practical lessons until we started working to always have each other’s backs?” Sunset continued. “Sure, they’ve started to back off now, but that doesn’t mean we can drop our guard. Or show weakness.”

“I knew that the Helopolans were mean, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.” Lily sighed.

“I know.” Sunset also sighed. “But, we’re almost done. All that’s left is a couple more weeks, then the rite will be over, and we can head home and never worry about this place again.”

“Yea.” “Seriously.”

Soon, the other students began to filter in, followed by Lady Inkwell, who headed directly to the back of the lecture stage, and, lifting her right arm for Dylis to climb onto, transferred her partner to his golden perch. Taking a moment to reach up and scratch the phoenix on the back of the head affectionately, she turned, and headed up to the front of the stage. Pulling out her own manual, she flipped the book open and cleared her throat.

“Alright everyone, today we’re going to review chapter 12 on the proper settings for a five course meal for the different tiers of nobility.” Lady Inkwell said as she watched the students pull their own manuals out. “This afternoon, we’ll be doing a practical execution of what you’ve learned. I expect you to put in your best efforts. Bear in mind, you will not be permitted to use your notes on this practical. Anyone who does not get a passing mark will be required to attend evening supplemental lessons. Am I clear?”

There was a soft murmur of agreement among the students.

“Good.” Lady Inkwell said as she walked to a table and lifted a short, flared snifter made of glass with ribbons of red and blue. “Now, who can tell me which drink this glass is used to serve to which rank of noble, and which course you would bring such a drink out for?”

*****

Morning lessons dragged out as Lady Inkwell reviewed the table settings and mercilessly quizzed them on the utensils, flatware and glasses that they would be using. By the time mid-day came around, Sunset, Daisy and Lily trudged to the lunch room, their heads spinning with all the information that Lady Inkwell had covered. Even if it was mostly review, it was still a lot to take in.

“So, what do you think? Grab the back table and review before the practical?” Lily asked as they pushed the doors to the lunch room open.

“I’m game.” Daisy said.

“Me too. Do you have the practice cards?” Sunset asked.

“Right here.” Lily replied as she patted her school bag.

“Good. I think I need to review which plates you serve a baron vs. a count on.” Sunset said as they got into line for their food.

A few minutes, and a couple of trays of lunch later, the three girls made their way to their usual table. Yet, as they arrived, much to their annoyance, there were already two occupants. Two occupants that Sunset recognized as the sky-runners involved in the theft of her book.

“What are they doing?” Lily said with irritation. “That’s our table.”

“I think that’s the point. Look.” Sunset said as she bobbed her head to the side to indicate other tables, noticing that most of them had at least one occupant already. Only a few didn’t have an occupant. All of which was right next to Sapphire’s table. “I see their game. Keep us from sitting anywhere but by the night-queen. Then, we have to deal with her all break long.”

“Crap. You’re right.” Lily said. “So, what, head back to the room and study there.”

“We could do that.” Daisy said. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Or, I could go over there and get them to move.”

Both girls turned to Sunset, and balked at the look on her face: a deep, angry glare that said she was plotting something potentially unpleasant.

“Sunset, please, don’t.” Daisy said, gently tugging on Sunset’s sleeve “It's not worth it.”

“I beg to differ.” Sunset hissed.

“She’s right, Sunset. We can study in the room.” Lily said, her voice nervous, but trying to sound convincing. “You know that if you make a scene, Lady Inkwell will get mad at you. ”

Sunset’s brow furrowed angirly. Her friends were right. And, as much as it irritated her, once she stopped and thought about it, this wasn’t a battle she was in a position to win. Right now, doing well on the practical was more important than asserting herself. No matter how much she wanted to put those arrogant jerks in their place..

“Fine. You’re right.” Sunset said, turning away from the table and heading towards the door. “Let’s go.”

Sunset could hear their tormentors giggling as she and her friends left the room.

‘Yea yea yea, laugh it up you pig offal sucking jerks.’ Sunset thought as she trudged down the hall with Daisy and Lily. ‘Hope you actually know this stuff, because we’ll have the last laugh when you get stuck in supplemental lessons again.’

Soon, the trio arrived at their room. Unlocking the door, they passed through the alarm wards, and locked the door behind them. Once Lily and Daisy were inside, Sunset placed a hand on the wood panel she’d engraved with security runes, and felt how much flame was left. From the amount she could sense, there was at least six more hours worth of power left.

She’d take the opportunity to top them off before they went to the practical.

“Okay.” Lily said, pulling a giant stack of wooden cards with pictures of different types of tableware drawn on them. “I’ve got the cards if you’re both ready.”

“Ready when you are.” Sunset said as she sat on the floor, her lunchtray to her left.

“Bring it on.” Daisy chirped, her face determined.

“Okay.” Lily said as she laid out the cards on the ground. Taking a bite of her bread, she pointed to Sunset, “Third course, fish, baron… go!”

*****

Sunset adjusted the collar of her uniform with a finger as she, Daisy and Lily took their desks at the back left corner of the exam hall. At the head of the classroom were Lady Inkwell and Dylis, the former regarding them impassively, her arms folded behind her back, the latter glaring out over the students with his usual hawkish scowl. To Lady Inkwell’s side, there was a large, ceramic urn set on a table.

“Good afternoon everyone. I hope that you’re been studying, because from this day forward, we are in the final stretch of preparation for the rite, and therefore I expect you to work even harder. Starting now. During this practical, you will be working in randomized teams of two. Through the door behind me is a mockup of a banquet hall.” Lady Inkwell continued, pointing to a set of double doors leading to the adjacent lecture room. “You will be given three tables, each of which has a card on it, describing the course, type of meal, and rank of the individuals that you will be setting for.”

Taking a breath, Lady Inkwell continued.

“You will be graded on your ability to work as a team, how accurate your settings are, and the speed at which you complete them.” Lady Inkwell said as she paced before the students, before turning and fixing them with a hard stare. “Understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” The students relied in unison.

“Good.” Lady Inkwell said, before indicating the urn at her feet with a glance. “In this container are a hundred coins, each one marked with a number and a color. Each card on your assigned table has a color code on it matching your assignment coin, denoting who is the ‘head’ setter, and who is to be their support when it comes to setting the table.”

Taking a moment to look out over the students, Lady Inkwell continued.

“Now, I’m going to dispense your team assignments. Each of you is to hold your arms straight up above your heads, palm open and up. Once everyone is iready, I’ll send a random coin to you, which will denote who you will be working with. When I call your number, you will head into the next room, and find your tables. Once everyone is paired off, you’ll have ten minutes to confer with your partner, then we will begin the exam under Sparkler and my observation. Understood?”

“Yes. ma’am!”

“Alright. Hands up.” Lady Inkwell said, followed by the sound of fabric rustling filled the air as a hundred hands rose. Nodding, Lady Inkwell lifted her arm up to Dylis, who climbed onto the appendage. Once her partner had hopped on, she extended her arm, allowing the phoenix to take to the air and fly towards the doors leading to the other room. As he approached, the doors automatically opened, allowing him to fly through before closing.

While Dylis was flying away, Lady Inkwell began to move her arms in a spell-dance. As she wove her flame, the coins in the urn began to glow. All at once, they shot up into the air in one giant mass, then streaked down towards each of the students. Moments later, each coin landed in one upturned hand.

Closing her hand around the coin, Sunset lowered her arm and looked at the number, seeing the numerals for ‘twelve’ painted on the coin with blue paint.

“What’d you get?” Daisy asked.

Turning to her friends, Sunset held out her coin, a gesture soon imitated by the other girls.

“Darn it.” Lily said with dismay as she looked at the coins her friends were holding: Daisy’s was a red 43, Lily had blue 20. Combined with Sunset’s blue 12, that meant that all of them would be working with one of the Heliopolans.

‘Not good.’ Sunset thought as she looked out over the other students, her apprehension rising. ‘Still, most of them just ignore us or give us annoyed looks. Not great odds, but not a catastrophe… yet.’

“Pair one, please rise and head to the exam room.” Lady Inkwell’s voice cut through Sunset’s thoughts. Turning her attention to the front of the room, Sunset watched as two of the students rose from their seats and made their way to the double doors behind Lady Inkwell. Once the pair was through the door, Lady Inkwell turned her attention back to the students. “Pair two, please rise and head to the exam room.”

The process repeated itself several times, each one increasing Sunset’s nerves. A couple of the students that had been actively giving her a hard time had already been called, but she could see, to her horror, that Sapphire was still sitting near the front of the room.

‘Please, Celestia, if you have any mercy in your heart, don’t pair me with her.’ Sunset prayed in her head.

“Pair twelve, please rise and head to the exam room.”

Slowly, watching Sapphire for any hint of movement, Sunset rose to her feet. Much to her great relief, Sapphire remained seated.

‘Thank you.’ Sunset thought.

Her relief was dashed a moment later, because she saw who had risen instead.

Standing next to Sapphire, emerald eyes glaring, face twisted into a scowl of disgust, hands balled into fists, was Orange Spice.

“You can’t be serious!” The Heliopolan snarled, “You want me to work with her?! I’m not pairing up with that dirt-eater!”

Much to Sunset’s irritation, there were a few murmurs of agreement among the other students.

‘Trust me, the feeling’s mutual, night-lover.’ Sunset thought as she glared daggers at Orange Spice. Despite her loathing, she held her tongue. Better to not anger Lady Inkwell, no matter how much she didn’t like this turn of events.

“If that’s how the numbers fell, then yes, you are.”

The words were spoken with a voice little different from her usual one, but there was something about the way Lady Inkwell said it that froze the blood of everyone in the room. Turning to face the royal seneschal, Sunset found herself unable to move from fright. A sentiment she could tell was shared by the other students.

“Let me re-emphasize something for all of you, since it’s clear that many of you still don’t understand.” Lady Inkwell said, her voice remaining the same calm tone as usual, yet somehow becoming more threatening than the roar of a linnorm. Clasping her arms behind her back, she walked off the edge of the stage, and floated down before landing at the front of the first row of desks, her eyes ever so slightly narrowing as she swept them across the room. “Some of you seem to think that you have a choice in the matter. Let me dissuade you of that notion. I do not care who you think you are. I do not care where you are from. I am in charge here. I make the rules. And I do not care for this foolishness that’s been going on in my school. And, I don’t care who you wound up getting paired with. You will work with them, you will perform your assigned duties to the best of your ability, and you will treat each other with respect. Am. I. Clear?”

Slowly, painfully, every student in the room fearfully nodded.

“I’m glad we have that out of the way.” Lady Inkwell said, her posture and countenance remaining nearly the same, yet her demeanor somehow returning to her normal levels of threatening as she floated into the air and landed back to the stage, as though nothing had happened. “Now, please head into the practical room, and find your tables.”

Breaking out of her terrified trance, Sunset all but sprinted into the next room. She was vaguely aware of Orange Spice running alongside her, but she barely registered the other girl’s presence. All that she knew was that every one of her instincts were telling her to get as far away from Lady Inkwell and her potential wrath as possible.

Pushing the doors open, Sunset burst into the mockup of the dining room. Across the floor, a hundred fifty tables were arranged in clusters of three. The tables themselves were typical of the type used at formal dining events, each one only tall enough to reach knee height on an adult sun-gazer. Each was covered with elaborate table cloths, and surrounded by plush floor pillows. Near each cluster was another, equally low table, set out with dozens of different types of plates, glasses and utensils.

Sunset’s mind barely registered all of the items in the room. Instead, her focus instantly snapped to Sparkler, who was currently walking towards the newest arrivals, a warm smile on her face.

Fear still driving her actions, Sunset took off running towards the older fire-caller, the only thing registering in her young mind being that Sparkler was safe. Sparkler had been kind to her. Sparkler wouldn’t hurt her.

“Ah, Sunset, what… Sunset, are you alright. You look scared out of your mind.” Sparkler said as she knelt down and caught the younger girl as she rushed into her, wrapping her arms around the younger fire-caller. “Shh shh shh, it's okay sweetie. What’s wrong?”

Looking over Sunset’s shoulder, Sparkler spotted the other girl that had entered at the same time as Sunset. At the sight of Orange Spice and her similarly distraught appearance, Sparkler’s eyes narrowed and she huffed through her nose.

“Hmm, I take it she’s your partner for the practical?” Sparkler said cooly. Feeling Sunset nod, Sparkler huffed. “Let me guess, she said something foolish in front of Lady Inkwell?”

Another nod.

“It’s okay Sunset.” Sparkler said as she gently held the trembling girl and patted Sunset’s back.

“It’s really not.” Sunset whimpered.

“Sunset… do you trust me?” Sparkler said as she pulled back from the hug and looked Sunset in the eyes, getting a small nod in return. “Does Lady Inkwell know what’s been going on with that girl and her friends?” Another nod, “Okay, then believe me when I tell you it will be okay.”

Sunset let out a small whimper in response, prompting Sparkler to sigh.

“Sunset, let me give you a little advice, from me to you. Okay?” Sparkler said, earning a small nod from Sunset. “Did you say anything dumb around Lady Inkwell?”

Sunset shook her head.

“Did she admonish you?”

Another shake.

“Then you don’t have to worry. Lady Inkwell’s not mad at you.”

“But…” Sunset whimpered as she clung to Sparkler. “I… can’t work with Orange. She’ll try to get me while my back is turned. She hates me.”

“If she does, she’ll be the one in trouble. Not you.” Sparkler said.

“How can you be so sure?” Sunset asked, her voice still quaking.

“Look up, in the rafters.” Sparkler said with a small grin.

Slowly, Sunset tilted her head back, not sure what she was looking for. Slowly, her eyes scanned the rafters, until she spotted what she suspected was what Sparkler wanted her to see. There, perched high above them in the cross-beams, was Dylis, the phoenix’s eyes scanning the room critically.

“Is that… Dylis?” Sunset asked.

“Yup. That’s why you don’t have anything to worry about.” Sparkler said with a smile. “As long as he’s up there, if anyone tries anything, Lady Inkwell will know.”

“But…how?” Sunset asked, her curiosity piqued.

“No idea.” Sparkler said with a chuckle. “I just know that if something goes wrong and he sees it, so does Lady Inkwell.”

“But, I don’t know if I can work with Orange Spice.” Sunset whimpered, “She hates me… and I can’t say that the feeling isn’t mutual.”

Sparkler sighed, but patted Sunset’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Sunset, here’s a little free advice from someone who’s been around longer than you. Sometimes, you’ll need to work with someone you don’t like. They may be your worst enemy. They may want you gone, or dead.” Sparkler said seriously, “But, when you have a common goal, and everything’s on the line, you have to find a way to make it work. It’ll be hard. But you can do it. Alright?”

“Yes ma’am.” Sunset said, still shrunken in on herself.

“I told you, silly, call me Sparkler.” Sparkler said as she booped Sunset’s nose, earning a giggle from the young girl. “Now, what number table are you?”

“Twelve…” Sunset said, her voice still a little shakey.

“Okay. If you go to the fourth row from the right, and head towards the north side of the room, you’ll find your tables. I’m going to go see how Orange Spice is doing. While I do that, you take a couple of deep breaths, and we’ll meet you there, okay?” Sparkler said as she rose and patted Sunset on the head. “After all, you still have a practical to do.”

As Sparkler left, Sunset closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths, focusing her mind on one of Bronze’s meditation techniques. It took a few moments, but she managed to calm herself enough to get her head back on straight.

‘Thanks Bronze.’ Sunset thought to herself, her emotions now under control. Looking over towards Sparkler and seeing her kneeling down by Orange Spice, Sunset turned away and started walking towards her table.

“Aww, did widdle Sunslip Stumble need to cwy into Sparkler’s showlder?” Sunset heard one of the other students say, but she paid him, and the other students giggling at the jab, no mind as she focused on her meditations.

A few more verbal jabs and venomous giggling later, and Sunset reached her tables. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw Sparkler and Orange Spice making their way over. She’d be dealing with the arrogant Heliopolan all too soon, so she took a quick look at the first card to get a sense of what she’d be in for. The first table was to be set for a baron and baroness in the dessert course, with blue leading. That was pretty easy.

The next table was a little harder, calling for a main course setting for a duke and duchess, with red leading. Tougher, but not insurmountable. It meant Orange would be in charge of this one, but Sunset knew she could make corrections if needed.

Just as Sparkler delivered Orange Spice, Sunset reached the last table, and picked up the card. In an instant, all of the panic she’d been feeling threatened to come flooding back in. Taking a step back, she closed her eyes and focused on the most advanced of her meditation techniques.

“What’s wrong Sunslip Stumble?” Orange asked, ignoring the irritated look on Sparkler’s face. “You don't know what those funny little lines on the white thing are?”

“Orange Spice…” Sparkler said in a warning tone.

“Right… fine… sorry, Sunset.” Orange Spice said as though she’d swallowed something bitter and slimy.

Sparkler looked down at Orange Spice, before huffing and turning her attention to Sunset, who was now glaring fire at the Heliopolan girl.

“Sunset, are you going to be alright?” Sparkler asked.

“I’ll manage.” Sunset said without taking her eyes off Orange Spice.

“Well, okay. Remember, if anything important comes up, just call one of us over.” Sparkler said.

“I will.” Sunset said.

“The same goes for you Orange Spice. If something important comes up, you can call someone over.” Sparkler said, giving Orange Spice one last warning look, before she walked off, leaving only the two young girls glaring at one another.

“Well, Sunslip Stumble, what’s got your mud-caked butt in a twist.” Orange said with a sneer.

Sunset didn’t respond with words. Instead, she simply walked up to Orange Spice, and held out the card.

Narrowing her eyes with irritation, Orange Spice and snatched the card out of Sunset’s hand. Reading the words printed on the velum sheet, her pupils shrank to pinpricks and her breathing became shallow.

“No… no way…” Orange whimpered, most of the color draining from her face, causing her skin to go from ochre to mustard. “You’re trying to trick me… you switched the cards. You did something.”

“I’m not.” Sunset said as calmly as she could. “Celestia’s sun, I wish I was. But, I’m not.”

There, on the card, were six words. Six simple words. Two of which were conjoined by a hyphen. Seven syllables.

Phoenix-born, main course, blue leads.

“We need to set a place for a phoenix-born.” Sunset said, her meditation techniques the only thing keeping her from having a full blown freakout.

“She can’t be serious?” Orange Spice said as she looked up at Sunset. “She expects me to set a place for a phoenix-born, with you as lead? I’m screwed! I’m completely and utterly screwed. There’s no way you’re going to pull that off! Hell, I’m not even sure I could pull it off!”

“You think I feel any better about it?” Sunset said incredulously. She didn’t like it, and she didn’t like who she had to work with. But, at the same time, Sparkler’s words stuck out in her mind. “But, this is what we got, and this is what we’re going to have to do.”

“Like you have any chance of getting it right!” Orange Spice hissed. “I’ve been at dinners with Commander Spitfire, and do you know who she lets set her places? The most senior staff members! Phoenix-born settings are the most difficult to do because everything has to be exactly right, down to the angle you set the forks at. And they expect some dirt-eating gutter rat to be able to pull that off?!”

“Y’know, it’s not good to talk about yourself like that.” Sunset said defiantly.

“Why you…!” Orange Spice snarled.

“I’m sorry, did I offend you, your highness?” Sunset shot back, “Need I remind you where I’ve been placing in the exam rankings up until now? Do you remember where I’m sitting?”

Orange Spice glared at Sunset, her mouth narrowing into a thin, angry line.

“Well. Do you?” Sunset said as she crossed her arms across her chest. “What’s my rank?”

“I don’t see what that has to do with this.” Orange Spice growled.

“It has everything to do with this.” Sunset said, her glare unwavering. “Because you’re questioning my ability. So, what’s my rank?”

“…first.” Orange hissed, her face twisting in disgust as though she’d been forced to lick moorgaunt droppings.

“And where are you ranked?” Sunset replied.

“That’s none of your business dirt-eater.” Orange Spice countered.

“From what I remember, it's somewhere down in the fifties. And that’s higher than your so-called ‘leader’ Sapphire.” Sunset said, “So, by all accounts, I should be worried about you dragging me down, not the other way around. Or is there some strange, exotic Heliopolan logic that says that the person who’s at the top of the class is doing worse than someone that’s at the low end of the average?”

“Watch your tone with me, dirt-eater.” Orange Spice growled, “You’re nothing compared to us.”

“And yet, I’m still the one ranked higher than you when it comes to doing the thing we’re here to do.” Sunset replied with a scoff. “Look, you don’t like me…”

“That’s an understatement.” Orange Spice interrupted.

“…and at this point, I hate you enough that given the chance, I’d merrily feed you to a nest of vethris.” Sunset said, savoring the horrified look on Orange Spice’s face, “But, like it or not, we’re partnered up for this. What do you think will happen if Lady Inkwell finds out that you’re refusing to work with me, right after she went off on everyone just now?”

The other girl could only glare in response.

“That’s what I thought.” Sunset said, “So, either we work together, get through this thing, and can go back to hating each other in peace, or you can snub me, you refuse to let me help you, and we both fail.”

“Hey, if it takes you down a peg, I’m fine with that.” Orange Spice said with a devilish smirk. “Maybe if I do bad enough, you’ll get put on garbage duty at the rite.”

“So you’re fine with me still being at the top of the class?” Sunset said evenly, “Because, chances are, if Lady Inkwell sees me trying to work with you, and you refuse, who do you think she’s going to fail in a teamwork exercise? The person putting in the effort, or the person refusing to even try? My radiants are on the one that’s refusing to work as a team.”

“And what makes you think Lady Inkwell would notice that?” Orange Spice replied.

“You kinda drew a target on yourself with that little outburst.” Sunset said, extending her hand to Orange Spice. “So, the way I see it, you can either refuse to work with me and fail, while I get a free pass because you’ve been giving me such a hard time, or work with me, and we both benefit. Either way, I come out ahead, while only one scenario gives you a chance to improve your standing, particularly with Lady Inkwell. So, what do you say? Truce?”

Orange glared down at Sunset’s hand.

“Truce.” She said, refusing to take Sunset’s hand. "For now…"

‘Well, I’ll take what I can get.’ Sunset thought as Orange Spice turned away and walked towards the table of supplies. Glancing behind her into the rafters, she spotted Dylis looking at her, a touch of amusement in his eyes.

*****

Sunset adjusted the angle of the fish fork on the left side of the smallest, bronze, oval plate as Orange placed the gold-plated goblet up and to the right of the main, bronze plated dish. Looking at the arrangement, Sunset’s mind went back to the diagrams she’d been studying with Daisy and Lily for the last three weeks.

“You’re off center.” Orange said, adjusting one of the forks from where Sunset had placed it. “The oyster fork needs to be two milimeters to the right.”

“Only if we were serving an archduke.” Sunset said, as she moved the fork back into place. “This setting is for a duke. That means we’re supposed to have less perfect symmetry. And that means a slightly larger gap between the oyster fork and the fish fork, while the cheese fork is placed closer to the fish fork.”

Looking at the arrangement, Orange grunted irritably, before growling “Whatever.”

‘Looks like she just remembered that little tidbit.’ Sunset thought, forcing herself not to smile at Orange’s mistake.

The test had been going like this for nearly an hour, and Sunset could tell that Orange Spice was nearing the end of her rope. As much as she’d love to have been able to relish correcting the arrogant Heliopolan, she could tell by the frustrated growling and irritable looks that Orange didn’t like being reminded that Sunset knew more than she did about anything.

“How’re things going over here, girls?” A voice from behind them said. Looking up, they spotted Sparkler, looking at them sternly.

“We’re pretty much done, right Orange?” Sunset said.

“If you say so Miss Know-it-all.” Orange Spice said as she finished placing a second bronze goblet down next to the first and adjusting its placement to the proper position.

“Well, I have to say, whatever you’re doing, keep it up.” Sparkler said as she turned away and headed to the next set of tables. “The settings look almost professional.”

Sunset smiled a little as she watched Sparkler leave, only to hear Orange click her tongue in irritation.

“Don’t let it go to your head dirt-eater.” Orange muttered.

Glancing at the Heliopolan, Sunset chose to stay silent. She could let Orange have her tiny acts of defiance, so long as she deferred to Sunset when it came to getting things right. Because by this point, Sunset had made it abundantly clear that she knew what she was doing, and the Heliopolan didn’t. It was a wonderful feeling to show up Orange. She wasn’t Sapphire, but it was the next best thing.

“Alright, I think this one’s done.” Sunset said, before she looked at Orange Spice. “You see anything out of place?”

“No.” Orange grumbled. “Can we just get on with the last one? The sooner we get done with this, the sooner I have to stop looking at you.”

“Whatever you say.” Sunset said.

If Sunset was being honest with herself, this was going far better than she was expecting it to, though she wasn’t ready to drop her guard just yet. There were still far too many ways that this could go wrong. Surreptitiously glancing up, she spotted Dylis scanning the room, his eyes periodically coming to rest on them.

There was something comforting about knowing that he was up there, and that anything he saw would make its way to Lady Inkwell.

But now, came the hardest part. This was going to be the make or break part of the whole exercise. Slowly turning to the final table, Sunset took a deep breath, her apprehension rising dramatically as she regarded their final challenge. Setting the places for a phoenix-born.

“Alright.” Sunset said to Orange as the two of them approached the table, “We need three pure gold plates: one 16 centimeter soft vegetables plate with 15° spill lip, one 14 centimeter salad plate with a 30° parabolic curve, and one 25 cm dinner plate with three utensil notches to start. While I grab those, do you know which serving vessels you need for the drinks?”

“Um…” Orange said, fidgeting slightly.

“Why don’t you come with me and we’ll see if anything on the table jogs your memory.” Sunset said, keeping her voice as pleasant as possible. She suspected that Orange Spice didn’t know, or couldn’t remember. At this point, she wasn’t sure which, nor did she care. Even she wasn’t entirely sure she had everything right, but given the precision needed for this particular setting, she wasn’t expecting to get full marks. She would settle for good enough to pass.

As both girls reached the table, Sunset began to scan its contents for the plates, utensils and other materials she’d need for the task ahead of her. Yet, as her eyes passed over the available resources, Sunset’s heart sank and her panic began to rise again. Inspecting everything a second time, she took a step back.

“They’re not here…” Sunset whispered.

“What?” Orange said, her voice irritated.

“They aren’t here. The plates, utensils, drink vessels. All of the things we’d need for a phoenix-born setting. They’re not here!” Sunset said with horror.

“What do you mean they aren’t here!” Orange all but yelled. “They have to be!”

“Look. No gold plates, none of the right bowls, no carved opal drinking chalices, half the utensils we’d need are missing, so are the spider-silk napkins.” Sunset said as she rattled off all of the things they’d need. “There’s no way for us to do the settings like this.”

“Well, what are we going to do?! If you’re right, and the pieces we need are missing…” Orange Spice said, letting the end of the sentence hang.

Sunset considered their options. To her dismay, there was only one viable course they could take.

“We… need to tell Lady Inkwell.” Sunset said.

“Are you nuts!?” Orange replied. “If we tell her that, she’ll flunk us!”

“It’s possible.” Sunset admitted, “But, it's the best option we’ve got.”

“No it isn’t. There’s another one. We can go to one of the other supply tables, and take the supplies we need from them!” Orange said as she started looking around, “There, that one! They’re too busy working to notice. We go over, grab what we need, and get back here and to the setting.”

“Orange, we can’t do that.” Sunset protested. “It’d mean the other groups might not be able to do their settings properly.”

“So?” Orange Spice growled. “All that matters is that we pass. Who cares about the other groups?”

“Lady Inkwell will.” Sunset said as she spread her arms out to the side, palms up, “And so will I. I’m not going to ruin someone else’s chances like that.”

“This is bull!” Orange said, throwing her hand to the side to indicate the direction that Lady Inkwell was sitting and observing the exam. “Lady Inkwell wouldn’t care about that. All she’s going to care about is that we get the place set right. We’re just taking initiative and getting what we need without bothering her.”

“No.” Sunset said, putting her fists on her hips and glaring at Orange Spice, “We’d be cheating. And I won’t be part of that. And I know Lady Inkwell wouldn’t approve at all.”

“And how would you know that, dirt-eater.” Orange said as she pointed at Sunset with an index finger.

“Trying to insult me doesn’t make you right.” Sunset said levely. “And I know because, unlike you, I’ve actually had positive interactions with her. And I know she values honesty and integrity enough that she’d be forgiving of something like this, but not forgiving of us ruining another group’s chances.”

“And what makes you so sure?” Orange Spice asked, folding her hands across her chest.

“Well, let’s look at this logically. The pieces we need to do the phoenix-born settings are missing. The less likely scenario is that they weren’t put out, and that means she knows they’re not here. But that means if we suddenly have the things we need, and another group that did have them suddenly doesn’t, what do you think she’ll think? My guess, that we stole them from another group. And how well do you think that would go over?” Sunset said, before looking around at the other tables nearby, “The other more likely possibility is that someone’s trying to make us, and by us, I mean me, fail. It’s not like you butt sniffers haven’t done that to me already. And in that case, Lady Inkwell needs to know so that she can take care of the problem.”

“If the second one is true, why would she believe us.” Orange said, now starting to look unsure.

“Didn’t you learn that she’s good at figuring out if someone’s lying yet?” Sunset said with a cocky smirk. “I do believe that she’s more than proven she’s good at spotting lies. And, thanks to you hamster brained jerks pulling this on me for the past two three weeks, I’m pretty sure she’d be inclined to believe me if I told her what was going on.”

Orange glared at Sunset, who returned the favor, each testing the other’s resolve. After a minute, Orange looked away.

“Urgh, fine!” Orange hissed, “You go get her and tell her what’s going on. I’ll stay here and make sure nobody messes with the settings.”

Alarm runes immediately went off in Sunset’s head.

‘This could be a trick.’ She thought as she glared at Orange Spice.

She knew she shouldn’t trust Orange to be left alone with the settings, because if she was somehow in on whatever was going on, she’d probably try to mess them up and pass the blame onto Sunset. But, if she did, and Dylis saw, then she’d be in the clear. And, it wasn’t like Orange could lie her way out of a torn linen bag.

But, even knowing all of that, she wasn’t willing to take the chance.

“I could do that. Or… I could do this.” Sunset said as she raised her arm up as high as she could, and turned to face where Lady Inkwell was sitting. Taking a deep breath, she shouted. “Lady Inkwell! I think we have a problem!”

At her cry, Sunset saw not only Lady Inkwell turn in their direction, but Sparkler and the other proctors, as well as many of the other students,.

“What are you doing?” Orange Spice shrieked.

“Changing the game.” Sunset said as she turned to watch their supply table. As she waited for Lady Inkwell to arrive, she kept her eyes glued to the materials, but watched the other students with her peripheral vision. Most of them were curious, but one of them, an earth-weaver boy with long, apricot hair, dusky yellow skin and silvery eyes named Golden Topaz, began to look slightly nervous.

Sunset knew she’d need to keep an eye on him.

“Yes, Sunset, what’s wrong?” Sunset heard Lady Inkwell say from behind.

Without taking her eyes off the supply table, Sunset walked around to the other side, putting herself between Golden Topaz and Lady Inkwell. Now, he’d be directly in Lady Inkwell’s line of sight as she explained the situation.

“We… seem to be missing some plates to do our final setting.” Sunset said as she tried to project an air of confidence, despite her nerves.

“I see. One moment, Sunset.” Lady Inkwell said, before looking around the room, “All of you, get back to work! I didn’t tell you that the practical had stopped, now did I?! You’re still on the clock!”

At that, the other students hastily turned away and resumed their exams.

‘Good.’ Sunset thought as Lady Inkwell returned her attention to the young fire-caller. ‘Now they can’t try sneaking the items back.’

“Now, Sunset, are you sure that the items you need for your final setting are missing?” Lady Inkwell asked as she crossed her arms across her chest and gave Sunset a scrutinizing look.

“Positive.” Sunset said with more certainty in her voice.

“And you, Orange?” Lady Inkwell asked, turning to Orange Spice. “Do you agree that the items you need aren’t here?”

“I… I don’t know.” Orange admitted nervously, “I don’t remember what goes into this setting. I’m sorry, your grace.”

“I see. Well, thank you for being honest about that. So, tell me, Sunset: which setting is it, and what’s missing?” Lady Inkwell asked as she walked to the table to inspect its contents.

Sunset suddenly realized Lady Inkwell had just thrown a giant wrench into what she thought was a perfect plan: the phoenix-born wanted her to list off the items that were missing. If she was claiming that she was missing the components needed for the setting, and they were in the middle of a practical, Lady Inkwell asking her for what she thought was missing was entirely reasonable.

After all, part of the test was to see if she knew what she needed.

She’d been so set on catching whoever took their supplies that she didn’t consider the possibility of Lady Inkwell asking for a list. Well, she’d decided to change the game. Now, she needed to throw the knucklebones.

Straightening her blouse and standing tall, Sunset looked Lady Inkwell in the eyes.

“Aren’t you going to try to find whoever took them?” Sunset asked.

“What makes you think they were taken?” Lady Inkwell asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s the most logical explanation.” Sunset said.

“But not the only one.” Lady Inkwell said.

“Well, no, but after everything that’s been happening to me, it's the one that makes the most sense.” Sunset replied, “Especially considering that nobody else has their materials missing.”

“Are you sure of that?” Lady Inkwell asked. “Could it be that they just haven’t thought to bring it to my attention?”

“Well… I suppose it's possible.” Sunset said. “But…”

“Sunset, I understand that you’re suspicious of wrongdoing, and rightly so.” Lady Inkwell said, “But, without proof, you can’t just start throwing baseless accusations around. And regardless of the situation, you are in the middle of an exam.”

“But…” Sunset tried to protest, but stopped as Lady Inkwell shook her head.

“I will deal with it Sunset.” Lady Inkwell said with finality, “Now, getting back to your exam, what setting are you supposed to be doing.”

“It's a phoenix-born setting, your grace.” Sunset said.

“Well, that’s a tricky one, now isn’t it?” Lady Inkwell asked as she looked at Sunset expectantly. “So, what’s missing?”

Sunset was about to start listing off what she remembered, but froze before she started.

They were in the middle of a test. And yes, while there was a general murmuring of students discussing their settings, Sunset was about to openly list off possible answers to what needed to be done for a phoenix-born setting. And, if she was right, that might tip off anyone listening in.

“Your grace, do you want me to say it aloud, during a test? Someone might hear.” Sunset asked.

“Well, that’s true, isn’t it. I’m glad you remembered.” Lady Inkwell said with a touch of warmth. “How about you come over to the table, and we’ll figure it out. You too Orange Spice.”

Sunset was about to protest as she looked over her shoulder at Golden Topaz, who had gone back to his own exam, and was no longer paying her any attention. She didn’t want him out of Lady Inkwell’s sight. Yet, after a moment, decided against it. Even if she suspected him, Lady Inkwell was right: she didn’t have any proof, other than he’d been one of the Heliopolans giving her a hard time. And even if that was all the proof she needed to know that he was up to something, she couldn’t exactly refuse Lady Inkwell’s request. Grumbling internally, she made her way over to the Queen’s seneschal along with Orange Spice.

Once the two of them arrived at the table, they saw Lady Inkwell begin to move her right in a spell-dance, which she ended with a sharp flick of her wrist. Before either girl knew what was happening, a spark of light, raspberry colored flame appeared on the floor on the other side of the table from Lady Inkwell, and rapidly traced a circle along the ground, which included all three of their set tables, their supply table, and all three of them. Once the spark completed its circuit, a translucent, light raspberry colored shell of refined flame instantly materialized. As the shell snapped into place, Sunset noticed that she couldn’t hear anything outside the hemisphere. Somehow, the dome was cutting off all sound from entering, or, she presumed, leaving.

Sunset’s inner arcanist suddenly wanted very much to ask about whatever spell Lady Inkwell had just cast.

“There. Now, you can speak freely.” Lady Inwell asked as she folded her arms behind her back and clasped her wrists. “So, please, tell me what’s missing.”

Sunset’s attention snapped back to Lady Inkwell.

“Oh… r-right.” Sunset stammered. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself. “For the plates, we needed three pure gold plates: one 16 centimeter soft vegetables plate with 15° spill lip, one 14 centimeter salad plate with a 30° parabolic curve, and one 25 cm dinner plate with three utensil notches. For bowls, we’d have needed four: one carved sapphire finger dipping bowl, one 12 centimeter diameter, solid gold snail bowl with a 3-to-1 width to height ratio, one nine centimeter diameter tungsten waste bowl with a 5-to-2 width to height ratio with a incurved lip, and one, 12 centimeter, platinum dipping sauce bowl with five partitions and a 10 to 3 width to height ratio.”

Having run out of air in her lungs from the extensive list she’d just rattled off, Sunset took a couple of breaths, and looked at Lady Inkwell.

“Go on.” Lady Inkwell prompted with a small twirl of her wrist.

‘So she’s not going to tell me if I got them right… great.’ Sunset thought as she prepared to continue.

“For the drinking vessels, we needed one carved opal brandy snifter, one gold stemmed, carved ruby narrow necked wine glass, and one carved topaz tumbler, and one fine porcelain tea cup with gold embossing.” Sunset said. Now, came the hard part, the utensils. Taking a deep breath, Sunset steeled herself, and continued. “For the utensils, we need four forks: a two tined snail fork, a four tined dinner fork, one four tined fish fork, and one four tined fruit fork. We’d need three spoons, one place spoon, one sauce spoon, and one citrus spoon. Finally, there are four knives: one fruit knife, one fish knife, one continental dinner knife, and one meat carving knife. All of these utensils must be made of cast tungsten, with gold embossing and topaz, ruby and jacinth insets.”

“Anything else?” Lady Inkwell asked, giving Sunset a scrutinizing look.

“Um… yes!” Sunset said, “Yes, we’d need two, woven spider silk napkins, one 12 cm square, and one 30 cm square. The former should be light cream yellow, while the latter needs to be deep crimson with phoenix feather embroidery.”

“Is that it?” Lady Inkwell asked.

Sunset wracked her brain, but couldn’t come up with anything else.

“Yes, your grace. That’s everything I remember.” Sunset said, now unsure of herself.

“Well, that was impressive.” Lady Inkwell said, “Though, for the setting, you’d need five sauce spoons, one for each of the partitions in the condiment bowl. The citrus spoon, fruit fork and knife, and tea cup are for the dessert course. And, you forgot one significant element of the setting: the seven tungsten skewers and carved ruby drinking bowl used to serve the phoenix their share of the meal.”

Most of the color drained from Sunset’s face, and she quickly folded her hand across her stomach and bowed to Lady Inkwell.

“I’m sorry, your grace. Please, I apologize for neglecting to remember the need to provide for your bond partner.” Sunset said.

Behind Lady Inkwell, Sunset heard Orange Spice snort condescendingly.

“Mind yourself Orange Spice.” Lady Inkwell said without looking back at the other girl. “Her efforts eclipse yours by a sizable margin. You are in no position to deride her omissions.”

Sunset, her head still bowed, took great pleasure in imagining the look of horror on Orange Spice’s face.

“Regardless of your errors, that was well done Sunset.” Lady Inkwell said. “Now, since you do not have the items you need, please come over and select the closest approximation that you can find, and do the setting as though you had the correct pieces.”

Sunset looked at Lady Inkwell in shock. Was she asking her to improvise using things that were not the proper size, dimension and the like. But, using the size was how she knew how things were supposed to go.

“Um… yes, your grace.” Sunset said as she approached the table. “I’ll do my best.”

“No, you two will do your best. The exam is for you and Orange Spice to work as a team. So, you’ll work as a team.” Lady Inkwell said as she looked at Orange Spice. “Who's the leader for this setting?”

“She is.” Orange Spice said, pointing to Sunset.

“I see. Well, in that case,” Lady Inkwell said as she lifted her right hand and snapped her fingers, causing the sound buffering dome to vanish, and the murmurs of the exam room to come flooding back in. “Sunset. Orange. Please proceed.”

*****

Twenty nerve wracking minutes later, Sunset and Orange were putting the finishing touches on their mock phoenix-born setting. Without the proper items to gauge the positioning, they had to eyeball and guess at where the pieces went. It was bad enough as is, there was an additional wrinkle that added to the pressure: the entire time, Lady Inkwell had stayed close by, seated on one of the floor cushions.

Knowing that the time was slipping away, and that Lady Inkwell was right there, Sunset and Orange kept making small adjustments: tweak the salad fork standing in for the snail fork 0.1 degrees counter clockwise, adjust the distance between the wine glass and snifter by half a millimeter, readjust the spoons on the edge of the bowl standing in for the partitioned sauce bowl. For the most part, Sunset gave the direction, while Orange, despite making a sour face the entire time, did as she was asked.

Just as they stood to give their setting one final inspection, both girls nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard Lady Inkwell stand and shout, “Alright, time’s up. Everyone, go to your supply tables, and take a seat on the floor. You are to remain seated until we grade your work. If we see anyone trying to make last minute adjustments, you will automatically fail and will be in supplemental lessons for the next week.”

Sunset and Orange quickly scurried to their supply table and sat on opposite ends from one another, hands on their knees and backs resting against the edge.

“Alright. We’re going to begin grading now. Once you’ve been graded, you’re free to go.” Lady Inkwell said, before turning to Sunset and Orange, her expression softening. “Well, since I’m already here, I might as well take care of you two first.”

Neither girl looked at the other. Instead, they simply nodded to Lady Inkwell. Smiling a little, Lady Inkwell went to their first setting. Flicking her right wrist in the air, a clipboard and quill materialized in her hands, which she used to begin jotting down notes.

After inspecting the setting for what felt like a distressingly short yet far too long time from Sunset’s perspective, Lady Inkwell moved to the second setting, and, flipping to a new page, began taking notes. Sunset watched, her stomach filling with spiders as Lady Inkwell’s brow furrowed a little. If she had to guess, from the position of Lady Inkwell’s head, she’d been inspecting the placement of the forks in relation to the salad plate and wine-glass. She’d tried to tell Orange tha they were too close, but, as the one leading, Orange had the final say.

Several nerve wracking and agonizing minutes later, Lady Inkwell finished her inspection and moved to the final table. Flipping to a fresh sheet of paper, she began to make her assessment.

‘I’m done.’ Sunset thought, her arms wrapped around her legs as she buried her face in her knees. ‘There’s no way that we got the setting right. Darn it. If I find out who stole our supplies, I’m going to find a way to put alarm runes all over their room to wake them up to the sound of screaming every twenty minutes!’

She stayed like that for how long she didn’t know, but eventually, she heard the staccato click of Lady Inkwell’s high-heeled shoes approaching. Unwilling to look up at the obviously disappointed face of the Queen’s seneschal, Sunset simply hugged her legs tighter.

“Sunset, please look at me.” Lady Inkwell said, her voice with only a hint of warmth to it. “You too Orange.”

Though framed as a request, Lady Inkwell’s words hit Sunset like the thagomizer of a crag linnorm, and she snapped her head up. Much to her surprise, Lady Inkwell’s expression wasn’t disappointment. Rather, there was something that she wasn’t expecting: pride. Though it was subtle, Sunset could see that Lady Inkwell was impressed.

“I’m not afraid to say that the two of you did very well, especially considering the circumstances you found yourselves in.” Lady Inkwell began. “Now, for your grades. Table one was almost perfect, aside from a slight misfold of the napkin and the diner fork was a millimeter too close to the knife. But, otherwise, very well done.”

Sunset beamed internally, but remained respectfully silent.

“Now, for the next setting. This one could have used a little more work. To begin, the settings were 5° too far apart. Second, the main plate for the duchess was 3 millimeters too close to the edge of the table, as was the waste bowl for the duke. The forks were not spaced properly for the duchess, and the wine glasses were too close to one another. At this stage, it is acceptable, but there will need to be significant improvement in the future.”

Sunset shrunk down a little. She thought she had the plates set at the appropriate distances from the table edge. She made a mental note to spend more time practicing when she got the chance.

“And now,” Lady Inkwell said as she flipped to the final page, “we come to the wyvern in the room: the phoenix-born setting.”

Sunset shrunk down a bit, noticing Orange doing the same out of the corner of her eyes.

“I want to say that under the circumstances, and considering the degree of precision needed for this particular setting, you both did as well as you could.” Lady Inkwell began, “Because you didn’t have the right pieces, I won’t be grading you on this one. However, I will give you my assessment of your efforts. Overall, I’m very pleased. While the setting wouldn’t pass inspection for an actual event, you’ve done commendable considering that it’s your first time attempting it. You both pass with glowing sunlight.”

Sunset let out the breath she didn’t even know she was holding and slumped forward onto her knees, gently sobbing in relief. She could hear Orange giggling in relief, probably to avoid breaking down too.

“You both did well. Please, feel free to enjoy the rest of your afternoon.” Lady Inkwell said with a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And with that, Lady Inkwell walked off to grade the next table.

Sunset couldn’t find the energy to move, instead choosing to simply stay on the floor and remain curled up. She did it. She managed to pass, and ‘with glowing sunlight’. She was so happy that she could barely think.

“We did it.” Orange Spice said, relief all but oozing from her voice. “We actually did it.”

“Yea.” Sunset chuckled. “We did.”

“I’m just… hahaha, I can’t believe it.” Orange chuckled as she slapped her knees with her hands. “Y’know, for a dirt-eater, you’re not so bad.”

Sunset’s elation quickly began to dry up, and was rapidly replaced with smouldering rage. Did the stupid little twit really just say that to her? Really? Was that supposed to be a compliment?

Lifting her head from her knees, Sunset glared venomously at Orange Spice without bothering to hide her anger. Whatever response the Heliopolan was expecting, it wasn’t that.

“Is that so?” Sunset hissed as she stood up and glared at the shocked Heliopolan. “Well, I hope you enjoy the boost to your ranking that all my efforts got you. And let me tell you something, you stuck-on piece of cowpie.

“First, stop calling me dirt-eater, you small minded butt tick. I have never eaten dirt, and I never plan to so long as I live.

“Second, I’m not so bad? Really? Gee, thanks! Maybe if you’d, I don’t know, given me a chance when we first met, you’d have found that out sooner. When I first showed up here, I was willing to be your friend. But noooo, you threw that all away because I’m not from Heliopolis.

“Third, you’ve got some gall saying that to me. In case you didn’t notice, I’m the one who managed to get us that glowing review. I’m the one who brought Lady Inkwell over and got us off the hook for the missing supplies. And even after saving you from probably flunking because your solution was to go and steal from another table, you still don’t think of me as anything other than some lower animal? Really? Well, I hope you have dreams tonight, you arrogant sack of worms. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my room. So, if you’d kindly drop dead, moon-kisser, that’d be great!”

And with that, Sunset turned and stormed out of the hall, ignoring the shocked look on Orange Spice, and several other children’s faces, as she went. Unseen and unheard by any of the students was the almost imperceptible look of frustration on Lady Inkwell’s face, while high in the rafters, an irritated hiss escaped from Dylis's throat.

Author's Note

The Voice's nature corner: Wildlife and Monsters of Nitor

Moorgaunt - a chaos creature created when a sentient traveler becomes lost in a swamp or moor, and are on the verge of starving to death. If their pain is strong enough, the remnants of Grogar's power that infect Nitor can inhabit their body, creating a moorgaunt. Moorgaunts resemble an emaciated corpse covered in dirt and mud, with long, cracked talons, jagged fangs, and ghostly fire burning in their eye sockets.

Moorgaunts, despite their ghastly appearance, are cunning predators, and develop a taste for the flesh of sentients. While their natural weaponry makes them dangerous, their most dangerous ability is their power to hypnotize victims that look them directly in the eye. Once entranced, the moorgaunt will lead their victim deeper into the swamp, where they will slowly devour them over the course of several days. Particularly sadistic moorgaunts will drag the process out over the course of weeks.

Moorgaunts cannot stand the smell of fresh fenugreek leaves, and will not approach anyone carrying the herb. Should a moorgaunt be forced to ingest fenugreek seeds, they are slain.

Vethris - also known as flesh stripper wasps, these are 7cm long, venomous, flying, predatory insects live in heavily forested areas to the north of Solaria, where they make colonies in the crowns of large patra trees or caverns. While average sized nests will prey on small animals, larger colonies will take medium sized prey, including sun-gazers. When a scout discovers prey, they will make an initial attack, rushing in and stinging their target. The attack serves two purposes: establish if the prey is vulnerable to attack, and mark them, as the venom in the wasp's sting contains a pheremone that draws in other members of the wasp's nest like a beacon.

Once marked, the colony descends on the prey, swarming them while viciously stinging and tearing at the prey with their serrated mandibles. Vethris wasp venom consists of a potent cocktail of neurotoxins that both disrupt nervous system function and heighten the prey's sensitivity to pain, doubling to tripling the victim's sensitivity to the pain of the wounds. The wasps will continue to swarm their prey until it succumbs to envenomation and shock. They then proceed to strip all of the meat off of the body to take it back to the colony, leaving only a bloody skeleton in its wake.

Ch 9 - The Choosing - Honey or Dagger

Dear Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow,

Hi girls. Sorry for the late response, but things have been… difficult lately.

We had our first practical today, and I got paired up with Orange Spice. It went about as well as you could imagine, with some added complications. We had to do table settings for the rite, and let me tell you, it was tough. I thought runic inscriptions needed precision, but this is a whole other level.

But, that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst part came when we had to do the last setting and most of what we needed was missing. I thought that the Heliopolans were trying to sabotage me again. When I spoke to Lily and Daisy later, both of them told me they’d had something similar happen to them, though not as bad. And from what we overheard in the dining hall at dinner, all of the tables had things missing.

Though Lady Inkwell didn’t say anything about it, I’m certain that it was part of the test. But to what end?

I just don’t get her.

But, it’s not my place to question. She’s a phoenix-born. That’s all I need to know.

Unfortunately, it seems that she wants to have a word with me about what happened after the test. Orange Spice told me that “I wasn’t so bad for a dirt-eater,” and I lost it at her. As in, full blown lost it. Sparkler came by at dinner and told me that I’m supposed to go see Lady Inkwell before class tomorrow morning. From the worried look on her face, I think Raven might actually be mad at me this time.

What have I gotten myself into?

Anyhow, I miss you all. I’ll be seeing you soon. Possibly sooner than expected if Lady Inkwell is mad enough.

With love,

Your sister Sunset Shimmer

P.S. Dash, a little hard work never hurt anyone. Except you, because I know you’re allergic to it.

*****

Sunset trudged towards Lady Inkwell’s office yet again, her gait stiff, her face scrunched up into a scowl, and her stomach churning both with nerves and her hastily eaten breakfast. Despite how she felt, she was still fuming from yesterday’s events, and the gall of what Orange Spice had said.

“Wasn’t that bad, for a dirt-eater.”

The words echoed in her head like the sound of glass grinding on bone.

‘Is that supposed to be a compliment?’ She thought as she walked. ‘If I told her that she wasn’t that bad for a goat-licker, I’d still be calling her a goat-licker. Argh!’

And, of course, there was the headsman’s axe hanging over her neck. A headsman’s axe named Lady Raven Inkwell. How she was going to react was a whole other level. Kicking the floor as she walked, Sunset mulled it over. While she was certain that Lady Inkwell wasn’t going to throw her out at this point, she was certain that she was about to get an earful from the Queen’s seneschal.

Sunset found herself slowly clenching her fists reflexively, the phantom feeling of a hammer and tongs giving her some small measure of comfort, and at the same time, painful feelings of nostalgia.

A pained sigh escaped her throat as the phantom sensation faded.

It’d been three weeks since she’d last been at an anvil, and she was starting to long for the calming feeling of working a forge. Even with only a few weeks away, she could feel her muscles getting weaker from a lack of use. When she went home, she’d have to get herself back into shape. And, she knew Bronze was going to give her a hard time about letting herself go soft.

Friend or no, he was still her master.

‘Maybe I should try finding some weights to lift or something.’ She thought as her destination came into view.

Now before her was Lady Inkwell’s office. Staring at the door, Sunset took a deep breath and did a quick focusing meditation. Her nerves calmed, she extended her fist and knocked on the door. The sound of her knock echoed in the room beyond as she waited for Lady Inkwell’s response.

“Enter.”

Steeling herself, Sunset straightened her blouse, brushed off her skirt, reached up and turned the knob, before pushing the door open.

Walking in, she spotted Lady Inkwell seated at her desk. Unlike the previous time’s Sunset had been in her office, she wasn’t examining paperwork or signing forms. Instead, her attention was focused on Dylis, who was not on his perch as usual. Instead, he was standing on the desktop, facing Lady Inkwell. In her left hand was a small mound of bright red berries that seemed to shimmer with some sort of inner glow. Lady Inkwell plucked one of the berries from her palm with her free hand, and holding out for Dylis between the index and thumb of her right hand, offered him the fruit. As she held it out for him, Dylis reached up and daintily took the berry from Lady Inkwell with his beak, before working it in his tomia for a moment and swallowing it.

There was a coziness to the scene that took Sunset by surprise. While she’d seen Lady Inkwell show Dylis brief moments of affection, a gentle stroke on his culmen, an affectionate scratch behind his ears or on the back of his head, this was something else entirely. Even in those other times, Lady Inkwell was still in her authoritative role as her instructor and her superior. She was the Queen’s hand. The one who enacted the will of their goddess. Her very existence was so far beyond her own that Sunset could barely fathom it.

Yet, in this moment, she looked for all the world like just another sun-gazer. Take away the living flame on Lady Inkwell’s head, and that she was feeding a phoenix, and she could have been just another Solarian. But what really cemented it to Sunset was the look on Lady Inkwell’s face. Her usually stern countenance was gone, and in its place was a warm and genuine smile. Sunset had never seen that look on Lady Inkwell before, and the sight of it in contrast to her normally stoic glare was almost jarring.

As Dylis finished his berry, Lady Inkwell looked at Sunset. In an instant, her expression shifted back to its normal state, and, gently pouring the berries from her hand into a small bowl, offered her arm to Dylis. Dylis looked over his shoulder at Sunset, and gave her an irritated look before climbing onto the offered limb. Once her partner was situated, Lady Inkwell raised her arm away from her body, giving the phoenix the space he needed to spread his wings and take to the air, flying over to his perch and settling down. As he folded his wings, he looked over his shoulder one last time to give Sunset one last irritated glare before turning away to look out the window.

“Ah, Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said as she lowered her arm. “Good. Take a seat. We have something to discuss.”

Trying not to sigh with frustration, Sunset made her way into the office. Without a word, she walked to “her” chair and hoisted herself up. Settling herself, she did her best not to look dejected as she wrung her hands, her head bowed as she stared down at them.

“Sunset, look at me,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice carrying a touch of disappointment.

Lifting her head, Sunset’s eyes met Lady Inkwell’s. Eyes that bore no malice, but held no warmth either.

“You lost your temper yesterday,” Lady Inkwell began as she rose from her desk and walked around it to stand over Sunset. “After you stormed out, I had a word with Orange Spice. She told me her half of what happened, so now that you’ve had a chance to cool off, please tell me yours. What happened to make you lose your temper like that.”

Huffing with frustration, Sunset began to explain. How Orange had basically been insulting her the entire time they had been forced to work together. How she had suggested that they steal the pieces they needed from another table, and how Sunset had convinced her not to by calling out to Lady Inkwell. And how, when it finally looked like she might have developed a tiny ounce of respect for Sunset, and how she threw that out the window by calling her dirt-eater.

And all the while, Lady Inkwell simply regarded her with that emotionless, impassive look that made it impossible for Sunset to know what she was thinking.

When she finished, she mentally prepared herself for whatever Lady Inkwell would say.

“Well, Sunset,” Lady Inkwell began as she crossed her arms and leaned back on her desk, “given your age, I’m not surprised that you reacted the way you did. And, from what you’ve told me, I’m impressed that you managed to keep your temper in check as well as you did.”

Looking up, Sunset felt a moment of hope, only for it to be dashed by the stern look on Lady Inkwell’s face.

“That’s not to say that it was acceptable for you to speak to Orange Spice like that,” Lady Inkwell continued, her voice stern. “While she may have be in the wrong for calling you ‘dirt-eater’ constantly, that doesn’t absolve you of your own breach in etiquette.”

Sunset’s face contorted with anger, and she opened her mouth to speak. But, before anything came out, Lady Inkwell raised a finger and narrowed her eyes.

“Sunset, be mindful of whatever you’re about to say to me,” Lady Inkwell said evenly. “I may be willing to give you a small degree of leniency given your circumstances, but that leniency is not infinite, and you have been dangerously brazen of late when you address me. Choose your words carefully.”

Snapping her mouth shut, Sunset shrunk back a bit. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself as best she could.

“What was I supposed to do then, your grace” Sunset asked, trying to keep the anger out of her tone. “Am I supposed to just let it slide and let her walk all over me? She gets to call me dirt-eater all day long, but I just have to put up with it? How is that fair?”

“Sunset, there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with a situation,” Layd Inkwell said, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses. “I understand that in the west, you do not have many titled nobles, so you’re not used to dealing with them and their rights. That is not the case here, and you would do well to remember that.”

“But, you’ve been saying that doesn’t matter,” Sunset protested, before slapping her hands over her mouth and bowing her head. “I’m sorry, your grace.”

“Apology accepted Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said levely. “And yes, I have. But, this discussion is not about what happened yesterday between two peers, or between a noble and commoner. It's about your temper, and your breach in decorum yesterday. Consider what you’re going to be doing in two weeks time. Do you think that it will be better at the rite? Do you think that a baron, or an earl, is going to treat you with much respect if they learn of your origin?”

Sunset froze; that wasn’t something she’d considered.

“You’ve already seen how things are in Heliopolis for outsiders. Now, consider, what if this had been at the rite, and it had been a ranking noble that had set you off?” Lady Inkwell continued, “Had you yelled at one of them in such a way, what do you think would have happened?”

A lump formed in Sunset’s throat, and she hung her head. A commoner having the gall to yell at a noble, especially something as important as the phoenix-rite. She couldn’t even fathom the trouble she’d get in.

“It seems you understand,” Lady Inkwell said, her tone shifting from stern to slightly warmer. “I know it’s difficult. Painful even. But, remember why you’re here. You are going to be serving at one of the most important events in all of Solaria. I can’t have my servers losing their temper at people, no matter how justified it might feel at the time.”

“But…” Sunset began, only for Lady Inkwell to shake her head.

“Sunset, this is not a debate. You need to keep your temper in check, particularly once the rite begins. While I and my staff will do what we can to shield you, there is a very real likelihood that the nobility will learn you’re not from the city. And if that happens, you will have to potentially put up with much worse than what Sapphire Prism has been subjecting you too of late,” Lady Inkwell said, before leaning back against her desk and propping herself up on the palms of her hands. “But, let us consider the other ramifications to how you acted yesterday: you may have ruined an opportunity to make your life easier. Consider, Orange Spice might have begun to warm up to you. She was beginning to see past her bias, and had started to see you as a person, not as a thing to despise. A more measured response could have allowed that seed to grow. But what about now? Do you think that’s still the case?”

“I… no, probably not…” Sunset said, “But why should I care. She hates me.”

“Yes, she does. But, only because she doesn’t see you, only her prejudice. Given time, and an open hand, she might have stopped hating you, and learned to see you as someone worthy of respect. Perhaps, in time, even friendship,” Lady Inkwell said, raising a finger as Sunset looked to argue. “I won’t lie and say she would have, but I’m saying that she could have. Consider the possible benefits of such a thing. If you’d managed to earn her respect, she might’ve started to stem Sapphire’s worst abuses, or, barring that, actively distracted her from you. Wouldn’t that have been worth the effort?”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Sunset protested.

“But it does. Foes can become friends, under the right circumstances,” Lady Inkwell began, as she swirled the fingers of her right hand in a small circle. “Just as a friend can become a foe. Enemies, allies, lovers, family, all of it can change, depending on the actions you take. Just as a drop of honey at the right time can turn an enemy into a friend, a slap across the face can turn even the closest of friends to foes. Look at what happened between Celestia and her siblings if you doubt me.”

“And what does that have to do with all of this?” Sunset asked as she tried to comprehend what Lady Inkwell was going on about.

“Sunset, you’re young,” Lady Inkwell said matter of factly. “And so is Orange Spice. You both have your lives ahead of you, and what happens here can change the course of that. After the rite, which would be more beneficial? An enemy, or an ally, particularly one in such a high place? Orange Spice’s mother is a baroness, and while not exceptionally wealthy by Aurorias’s standards, she does have influence. Influence that can help, or harm, depending on what path its heiress takes. And if you think that a grudge can’t follow you home, you’re mistaken, because it can, particularly if the one holding the grudge has power.”

Sunset’s mind was racing at this. It was dumb. Orange Spice was a jerk. And Lady Inkwell wanted her to play nice with her? Make friends?

“So, I’m just supposed to make nice with her and beg her for forgiveness?” Sunset said incredulously.

“Of course not,” Lady Inkwell replied. “Diplomacy is never so straight forward. But, offering the first drop of honey can make getting one in turn much easier, if the drop is handed out sincerely, and at the right moment.”

Sunset was about to respond, but stopped, and asked herself why? Why was Lady Inkwell talking to her like this? She’d been doing this for so long, and yet, here she was, offering someone as small and insignificant as Sunset advice. Was Lady Inkwell actually concerned about her well being? But why?

“Your grace, why are you telling me this?” Sunset asked.

The ghost of a smile touched the edges of Lady Inkwell’s eyes.

“Because, I can see you more clearly now,” Lady Inkwell replied. “And I can see that you are someone special. Someone who is worth helping.”

“Why?” Sunset asked, her heart racing at Lady Inkwell’s compliment. “Why me? What makes me so special?”

“Perhaps, some day, you’ll understand,” Lady Inkwell replied cryptically. “And, that’s all I will say on the matter.”

Sunset’s face fell a little. Of course Lady Inkwell wasn’t going to tell her everything. Or anything at all, really.

“So what happens now, your grace?” Sunset asked, trying to mask her frustration.

“Well, now, we see if that seed can be saved,” Lady Inkwell said.

“I don’t underst…” Sunset began, only to be interrupted by a knock on the office door.

“Remember Sunset, the seed can still be saved. Control your temper,” Lady Inkwell said softly, before turning her face towards the door and calling out. “Enter.”

Sunset’s mind raced. What did Lady Inkwell mean by ‘the seed can still be saved’?

Then she saw who had walked in, and her vision went red and her blood boiled.

There, standing in the doorway, was Orange Spice, her face contorted into a scowl. One that Sunset was all too happy to return.

“Orange Spice…” Sunset hissed under her breath as she clenched her hands into fists.

“You!” Orange Spice snarled.

“Ah, good, Orange Spice, you’re just in time,” Lady Inkwell said evenly, before gesturing to the chairs. “Please, take a seat.”

Orange Spice broke her glaring contest with Sunset and looked at Lady Inkwell. Moments later, she stomped over to the chair furthest from the other girl. Climbing into it, sat down while crossing her arms and looking away from both Sunset and Lady Inkwell.

“Now that you’re both here, we’re going to address what happened yesterday,” Lady Inkwell said, her tone commanding. “Or rather, you two are.”

“What’s there to address?” Orange Spice hissed, still refusing to look at Sunset. “That dirt-eating commoner yelled at me, and now, you’re going to take her side again, even though by all rights she doesn’t belong here in the first place.”

Sunset’s hands gripped the arms of the chair as her anger began to ignite, but a small shake of Lady Inkwell’s head and a knowing look forestalled her. But, there was something else in that look. A silent order, as if she were saying ‘watch, and learn.’ Relaxing her hands, she focused on her meditation techniques to calm her mind.

“If that’s so, then why did I invite her?” Lady Inkwell asked plainly.

“What?” Orange Spice asked, as she slowly turned to look at Lady Inkwell, her face confused and angry.

“I’m asking you, if I didn’t want her here, why did I invite her?” Lady Inkwell repeated. “I invited each and every one of you. Personally. So, why would I bring in someone who I didn’t want present.”

“Because!” Orange shrieked, before her face suddenly fell, as a look of confusion worked its way across her face. “Because…um…I…because…?”

“Well, if I didn’t want her here, or didn’t think she was worthy of participating in the rite, why would I have an invitation delivered directly to her at her home?”

“You… wanted to…” Orange Spice began, before her eyes lit up. “Because she’s here to placate the dirt-eaters. If one of them serves at the rite, then they won’t think that you’re lying when you say you don’t think they're unworthy.”

“I see. And why are they unworthy?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“They weren’t born in Heliopolis,” Orange Spice said swiftly. “Those born in Celestia’s blessed light are the most deserving and greatest of her people, so obviously anyone not from Heliopolis is either a degenerate or a lesser creature than those from the city.”

“And where did you learn that?”

“My mommy, daddy, grampy and grammy, my teachers and my friends all say it,” Orange Spice said, “So it has to be true.”

“Orange Spice, please look at me,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice cold.

Watching Orange Spice lift her eyes to meet Lady Inkwell’s, Sunset found herself smirking internally with satisfaction when the Heliopolan met the royal seneschal’s eyes, and shrank back.

“I do not believe that is true, and neither does Queen Celestia,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice never rising, but somehow bearing a crushing weight of finality.

“But you just say that to keep the dirt-eaters in line. That’s what mommy always says.” Orange Spice feebly protested as she began to shrink back on herself.

“And she speaks for me?” Lady Inkwell said, crossing her arms across her chest. “She knows my thoughts better than I do?”

Orange Spice shrunk down further.

“Orange Spice, I don’t blame you for falling into this foolish idea that I support or condone such views, given what you just told me,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice surprisingly gentle, yet firm. “But, know that the Queen does not see any sun-gazer as more worthy or less worthy of her love and light, as you are all her children. Her family. Which is something that I agree with.”

“But, then why doesn’t everyone live in Heliopolis?” Orange Spice asked, her face looking like her world was starting to crumble around her.

“Because, not everyone is born here, nor does everyone want to, need to, or get to because living in Heliopolis isn’t the only way to live,” Lady Inkwell said plainly. “And, not being born in the city doesn’t mean that you are less worthy. Just as being born in Heliopolis does not mean you are more worthy.”

“But…” Orange Spice muttered. “Why does everyone say that then?”

“Because they mistake privilege and status for worthiness,” Lady Inkwell said, “While it is true that as a noble, you have more rights than a commoner does…”

Orange Spice began to mull the idea over, but Lady Inkwell continued.

“… that doesn’t make you more worthy of Celestia’s love or of being a part of Solaria.”

There was a pause as Lady Inkwell adjusted her glasses, then continued.

“Orange Spice, it is the quality of one’s actions and your loyalty to the Queen that makes one worthy.” Lady Inkwell continued, “As I said at the beginning, the rite is a celebration of what it means to be Solarian, be they commoner or noble. Can you honestly say that you and your fellow nobles have been proving your worthiness in that regard?”

“I don’t understand…” Orange Spice muttered.

“How have you been treating Sunset, Lily and Daisy, three sun-gazers who, despite knowing the risk of coming, chose to fight tooth and nail to overcome adversity and attend?” Lady Inkwell continued. “Three Solarians who have shown great courage and loyalty to the Queen, given up so much to come and show their devotion to their nation by serving at the rite, and who, when they first arrived, were treated with such deplorable contempt, yet still chose to hold out because they desired to serve their nation.”

For the first time since she’d begun to speak, Lady Inkwell took a step towards Orange Spice.

“Do those sound like the actions of someone who is truly worthy? Or someone who has mistaken worthiness for the privilege they enjoy because of their station? When you came here, you came here to serve at the rite. To ensure that it went smoothly. To offer your service to Solaria to celebrate the ascension of a new phoenix-born,” Lady Inkwell continued, “Not to get a free ride to attend the ascension. You came here to serve alongside your fellow Solarians. Tell me, have you done anything to prove yourself worthy of that honor? Well, have you?”

As Lady Inkwell spoke, Sunset's mind reeled. Not just at what the Queen’s seneschal had been saying, but the effect it was having on Orange Spice. Slowly, she could see the gears turning in the other girl’s head, Lady Inkwell’s words tearing chunks out of the pillars that held up Orange Spice’s deepest held beliefs. Telling her that something she had believed to be a fundamental truth of the world was in no uncertain terms a lie.

And that her actions had shown she was less worthy than the person she had so strongly believed was worth less than an herself.

“No, I haven’t,” Orange said miserably, her voice catching as though she were about to cry.

At that moment, Orange Spice’s words cut through Sunset’s thoughts like a charged blade. Looking up, she saw Orange Spice, her head bowed and her expression miserable. There was realization in those words. Pained, horrid realization.

And it left the other girl shaken and frightened looking.

At that moment, something clicked for Sunset.

The Orange Spice before her now wasn’t the monster that had been tormenting her for the last two weeks. She wasn’t some evil night-weaver.

She’d had all of her perceptions thrown at her and torn down. All the bravado had been ripped off like a scab, exposing the raw, bloody flesh below. She had been told by the second most important person in all of Solaria that she was wrong. That she was unworthy.

Lady Inkwell had reached down and burnt the monster with cleansing fire.

And what was left in its ashen wake was just another little girl.

Like Sunset.

A little girl that looked for all the world like she might break at any moment.

Looking up at Lady Inkwell, she saw the older woman glance at her from the corner of her eyes, as if to ask ‘what will you do now?’

In that brief look, Sunset understood. Understood what Lady Inkwell was trying to show her. Understood the difference between her status, and her worthiness.

‘It's not one’s status that makes them worthy, it was their actions,’ Sunset’s inner voice declared.

Looking at Orange Spice once more, she saw a multitude of possibilities. But, it all came back to that brief look from Lady Inkwell, and the question in her eyes.

‘What am I going to do?’ Sunset thought. ‘I’m going to offer her a drop of honey.’

Rising to her feet, Sunset slowly approached Orange Spice. Chancing another quick look at Lady Inkwell, she saw the slightest of nods from the older woman.

Approaching Orange Spice, Sunset clasped her hands together and bowed her head slightly.

“Orange Spice,” Sunset said slowly, waiting for the other girl to look at her. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“What?” Orange Spice said as she stared at Sunset, her expression saying she didn’t understand what was happening.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Sunset said a little more clearly. “I shouldn’t have done that. So, I’m sorry.”

“What… why? Why are you apologizing to me?” Orange Spice asked incredulously, before narrowing her eyes. “What are you up to?”

“I’m not up to anything.” Sunset said, “I made a mistake. And I’m doing what I can to make it right.”

“And why should I believe you?” Orange Spice asked.

“You can believe me or not, but that doesn’t change that I want to apologize.” Sunset said, letting a warm smile spread across her face. “I lost my temper, and said a bunch of things to you that weren’t okay.”

“So, what, you suddenly don’t hate me?” Orange Spice snapped. “You don’t want to feed me to a bunch of vethris? Sorry, but I’m not about to buy a kettle of stewed wakerobins.”

“I shouldn’t have said that either, Orange Spice,” Sunset admitted, bowing her head again. “I won’t lie to you and say that I didn’t mean it, because at the time, I did.”

“So you admit you hate me.” Orange said with a sneer. “That this is just some ruse to earn Lady Inkwell’s favor.”

“No, it's not,” Sunset said. “Do you think Lady Inkwell couldn’t tell if I was acting. C’mon, I doubt either of us could trick her if we wanted to. And as for still hating you, well, that all depends.”

“Depends on what?” Orange growled.

“On whether I still have a reason to,” Sunset said matter of factly.

“What?” Orange replied, “What do you mean?”

“Well, when I got here, I didn’t have a reason to hate you.” Sunset said, “I only started hating you when I had a reason to. And, as long as I have reason to, I will. But, if I don’t, then I won’t.”

“What reason could you have for…” Orange Spice began, before her eyes went wide, and she shrunk back a bit.”…oh.”

“Like I said, I didn’t have a reason before,” Sunset continued. “So, do I still have a reason now?”

Orange Spice’s head slowly rose, and she glared at Sunset, as if trying to see into the depths of her inner fire. Yet, as she stared at Sunset, the expression on her face told her that something had shifted in the other girl’s mind. It was as though, for the first time, she was seeing Sunset too. Not as an outsider and an unworthy intruder into a place where she didn’t belong.

She was seeing Sunset as another sun-gazer. Another Solarian.

Another person.

And, through the tattered remains of her once flawed perception, saw that this other person… was worthy.

“No, you don’t,” Orange said softly.

“Thank you,” Sunset said softly as a slight smile worked itself onto her face.

“So… what happens now?” Orange said softly.

“I don’t know.” Sunset said with a shrug, her smile unfaltering, “You’ve been really mean to me, and even if I don’t have reason to hate you, I’m not sure I can forget that. But, maybe in time. So, how about we just call a truce for now. We stop being mean to each other, and just do our best to make this ascension one to remember? After all, isn’t that why we’re here? To help the ascension be as grand as it can be?”

With that, Sunset held out her hand to Orange Spice. Looking at her for a moment, Orange Spice slowly extended her own hand and took Sunset’s.

“Alright d… alright… Sunset.” Orange Spice said as she gently shook Sunset’s hand, “Apology accepted. And… I’m sorry too. For picking on you like that. You… are worthy. Far more worthy than I’ve been. So, yea, truce. I won’t promise anything for Sapphire, or the rest of them, but I’ll leave you and your friends in peace.”

“Thank you.” Sunset said.

Unseen by either girl, the slightest hint of a smile formed on Lady Inkwell’s face.

*****

“Ugh!” Daisy groaned as she leaned back in her chair, her arms dangling down by her side as her head lolled back. “Can I take my mind out of my body? I think it's full.”

A loud thud echoed through the nearly empty study room as Lily’s forehead slammed down onto the book she was reading. “Sunset, how do you do this? You’re not a sun-gazer, you’re some sort of golem.”

“Hey, I’m pretty much at my limit too,” Sunset said, her voice lacking energy, showing that even her fire was smouldering on twigs and grass at this point. “But you heard Lady Inkwell. The next exam’s coming up in a couple days, and we need to get these protocols down.”

“Can we at least take a break?” Daisy moaned.

“Please?” Lily added with a pained whine.

Looking her friends over, Sunset sighed.

“Yea, sure. Let’s take a break.” Sunset conceded, earning an exhausted and half-hearted ‘yay’ from the other two.

Leaning back in her chair, Sunset surveyed the study room. It was just after lunch, and she and her friends had decided to take the brief break between the meal and their afternoon lessons to get in some more studying. While Daisy and Lily let their minds cool off, Sunset looked around the room, spotting a few others also having had the idea to spend their break reviewing. Much to her relief, none of her current tormentors were present.

“So, what happened this morning with Orange Spice and Lady Inkwell?” Daisy asked, lifting her head to look at Sunset.

Sunset’s attention snapped to Daisy in an instant.

“We… worked some things out,” Sunset said before leaning forward and gesturing for Daisy and Lily to do the same. Once both other girls were huddled in, she whispered, “Look, Lady Inkwell made me promise that I wouldn’t say too much about it for some reason, but the upshot of all of it was that Orange Spice and I worked out a truce.”

“What! / No way!” Both other girls exclaimed.

“Shush,” Sunset ‘whispered’, gesturing for them to come closer as she glanced around at the other students, a few of whom were now looking their direction curiously. “Look, I get that the idea’s crazy, but it’s true. She’s going to leave us alone, and try to keep Sapphire off our case a bit.”

“You’re selling me a glass of centipede juice Sunset,” Lily whispered. “There’s no way she agreed to that.”

“Thanks to Lady Inkwell, she has,” Sunset continued, a slight smirk forming on her face. “Hopefully it’ll give us some breathing room, and, maybe, she can keep Sapphire distracted. Probably with a couple of feathers on a string, but if it means she’s off our back, I don’t care how.”

Both Easterners looked at Sunset, then at each other, then back to Sunset.

“Okay, Sunset,” Daisy said, leaning back and rubbing her temples. “I’m too tired to try figuring out how you pulled this off, but if it's true, then I’m not going to ask why the linnorm slithered by.”

“Hey, have I let you two down yet?” Sunset asked.

Both Easterners looked at each other again, before looking back to Sunset and shaking their heads.

“Thanks,” Sunset said, before picking her book back up. “Now, I’m going to get back to reviewing. Let me know when you want to start up again.”

Daisy and Lily looked at each other again, before smirking and simultaneously saying “Golem” before bursting into a fit of giggles, ignoring the irritated roll of Sunset’s eyes.

*****

Afternoon lessons came and went. After exiting the lecture hall, and a brief visit to the supply room to grab more parchment and ink, Sunset, Daisy and Lily headed to the dining hall. Of the three, Sunset looked tired but alert, while the latter two were hollow and exhausted. Glancing back over her shoulder, Sunset hat to suppress a shudder. They had just finished another grueling lesson from Lady Inkwell on how to serve drinks after the ascension ceremony had concluded. As usual, Lady Inkwell’s almost obsidian sharp attention to detail left them all fatigued.

“You two look like Grogar just gave you a hug,” Sunset said with concern. “Do you want my dessert tonight? You probably need it more than I do.”

“She shows mercy at last!” Daisy cried sarcastically, throwing up her hands in mock jubilation. “Praise Celestia, the golem does have a heart!”

“It’s a miracle!” Lily got in on the friendly ribbing, dropping to her knees dramatically and tossing her head back and throwing her arms out wide.

“You two are hilarious. Maybe if you get tired of working with flowers, you could start a routine with a traveling theatre troupe,” Sunset quipped, before a smirk spread across her face. “Still, if you’ve got enough energy to snark, maybe you don’t need an extra helping of cloudberry cobbler.”

“Nooo! The horror! The horror!” Lily wailed dramatically as she grasped the sides of her head and rocked back in forth in mock terror, “The golem’s heart! It’s turned to stone! Please, oh great stone hearted golem, show pity on us poor, unfortunate mortals!”

“Whatever shall we do? Just when we thought she could show mercy, she so cruelly withdraws it!” Daisy said, throwing an arm across her forehead dramatically. “We should have known that it was naught but a trick to give us false hope!”

Sunset guffawed at the two of them.

“Keep it up, and I really won’t share.” Sunset said with a smirk. “I thought my sister Pinkie was crazy, but you two are starting to almost reach her level.”

“Spoil sport,” Daisy said with a pout.

“Killjoy,” Lily said as Daisy helped her to her feet.

“Just doing my job. Every comedy act needs a straight-woman,” Sunset said as she rolled her eyes at them and shook her head.

Her friend's brief moment of madness passed, the three resumed their walk towards the dining room. As they walked, the three of them tried to take their minds off their lessons for the day by deciding what they were going to do when they got back to their room after eating. After a couple of suggestions, Sunset offered to read them one of the legends from her book: Megan the Brave and the Witches of the Volcano of Gloom.

At the suggestion, both Lily and Daisy perked up and offered their support for the idea. Megan the Brave was one of the greatest heroes of the harmonious-ones, the ancient ancestors of the sun-gazers.

“Aww, do the widdle babies want a bedtime story?” An irritating and condescending voice said from behind. “How about The Little Dirt-eaters Roll in the Garbage?”

Suppressing a desire to scream, Sunset chose to ignore the voice, knowing it belonged to Sapphire Prism, and continued to walk towards the dining hall. She could hear Daisy and Lily following behind her, doing their best to also ignore the arrogant Heliopolan.

“Hey, don’t you walk away from me, dirt-eaters!” Sapphire snarled as she started to jog after Sunset and her friends.

“Sapphire, please don’t.” Another voice pleaded, this one belonging to Orange Spice. Sunset kept her pace steady, but listened intently.

“And why not? They don’t just get to walk away from me,” Sapphire snapped.

“Because it's not worth it,” Orange said. “You know Lady Inkwell’s just going to take their side, so what’s the point? Let’s just go and get dinner and try not to think about them for the rest of the night.”

“Are you serious?” A third voice, this one belonging to Rosy Mist said.

“Yes, I am,” Orange said, her voice firm. “For some strange reason, Lady Inkwell’s not getting rid of them, and they’re clearly too stubborn to leave on their own, so why bother?”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Sapphire said. “You’re just going to let those dirt-eaters walk away?”

“I’m not letting them walk away. They’re beneath us, so why should we give them attention that they don’t deserve,” Orange Spice retorted. “Look, after this morning, Lady Inkwell’s made it pretty clear that I’m on my last chance with her, so I’d really rather not get tossed out over them. They’re not worth it.”

The sound of Sapphire’s shoes slowed, and there was a protracted pause as Sunset assumed she was thinking about it.

“Rrrgh, fine,” Sapphire growled. “I’ll let it go. This time.”

“Thank you.” Orange said, relief in her voice.

‘Looks like she’s keeping her word,’ Sunset thought as the three Heliopolans were left further and further behind.

Soon, Sunset and her friends reached the dining hall. With a little more certainty in her step, Sunset smiled a little as she pushed the doors open and ushered Daisy and Lily in. Once in the room, the three of them immediately headed to their table to ensure that it wasn’t claimed before they got to it.

Setting their bags down, Sunset took a seat while Daisy and Lily headed to the food line. After the whole thing with their table last night, they’d decided to have one of them sit while the others went and got their meal. Once they had their trays, they’d return to the table and she’d go to get her share. Even with her stomach grumbling unhappily over being denied sustenance, she was fine with waiting to ensure they had their table to themselves. And that nobody messed with their bags.

Sighing, Sunset opened up her bag and pulled out one of her rune books, and flipped to the section she’d left off on. Even if she was slacking on her anvil work, she could still do her best to keep up with her forging studies.

Before she engrossed herself in her reading, her eyes wandered over the top of the book, and spotted Sapphire, Rosy and Orange heading back to their table, trays of dinner in their hands. Sapphire was looking irritable, as was Rosy. Orange, by contrast, looked tired.

‘Getting Sapphire to back down looks like it took a lot out of her,’ Sunset thought.

To Sunset’s surprise, Orange’s eyes turned towards her for the briefest of moments. In that instant, Sunset and Orange’s eyes met. Smiling slightly, Sunset held her eyes and silently mouthed the words “thank you” to Orange, who gave her a subtle smile and nod in return, before taking a seat next to her friends.

Feeling a weight lift from her shoulders, Sunset turned her attention to her book as she waited for her own friends to return, grateful that the drop of honey she’d offered was being returned.

Author's Note

Warning: Speechifying seneschal. Be prepared to get a taste of what's in Lady Inkwell's mind.

Ch 10 - The Choosing - Braving the Gauntlet

Dear Sunset,

How’re you doing sugarcube? After your last couple of letters, we’ve been worried. We’re just glad that things have settled down for you.

For one, I’m glad you and that Orange Spice girl buried the hatchet, though from what you’ve told us, I’d say you owe Lady Inkwell a big heap of thanks. Still, she sounds like she’s turned over a new leaf, if her running interference for you says anything.

I can’t believe the rite is in a couple days. I know you’re probably looking forward to it, but, really, we just want you back. It’s not the same without you here Sunset.

Sun splinters, I’m getting all choked up. Look, you just take care of yourself, and come back to us in one piece. Pinkie’s been getting all twitchy, saying stuff about a “doozy” about to happen to you. No idea what she’s on about, but you know how she is. And how she’s usually right about that kind of thing.

Anyhow, I’ve got to wrap this thing up. Mac and Granny need my help getting everything together for the Summer Solstice Celebration.

With love,

Your sister, Applejack

P.S. - Rainbow says that she owes you a headlock for the crack you made about her being allergic to work. I’ve got five radiants on you getting the drop on her when she tries, so don’t let me down.

*****

The sound of soft scratching stone filled the quiet, early afternoon air as Sunset slowly drew the hardened ceramic tip of her etching pen across the surface of a small slate disk. Gently sweeping the stone dust away with a small, horse-hair brush, she lifted the stone to inspect the fine details of the newly carved rune. Satisfied, she consulted her diagram again, before setting the slate back on the surface of her bench and resuming her etching.

“Sunset,” Daisy said from behind Sunset, “you’ve been at that for almost an hour now. Can you give it a rest? We’re trying to study.”

Setting down her etching pen, Sunset twisted in her chair to look at her friends. Both girls were perched on their beds, surrounded by a pile of notes, their training manuals firmly held in their hands. Both looked utterly exhausted, almost to the point where Sunset was afraid they’d collapse.

“Sorry,” Sunset said as she rose from her desk. “Just trying to settle my nerves a bit.”

“It’s fine,” Lily said, her tone a little more snappish than usual. “Just… Can you find something else to do? We’re smouldering on grass right now.”

“Sure,” Sunset said, before an idea came to her. “Tell you what. How about I go to the dining hall and see if there’s any tsujara left? It’ll help you focus.”

Both Daisy and Lily perked up and looked at Sunset, their eyes pleading.

“Yes, please!” Twined tired yet grateful voices intoned, the prospect of steaming mugs of the spicy, sweet beverage bringing them back to life.

Sunset found herself chuckling at the expectant, pleading looks on her friend’s faces.

“Okay. I’ll be back in a bit. Try to stay out of trouble,” Sunset said as she rose from her desk and made her way to the door. Stepping out into the hall and feeling the locking runes engage, she turned and started down the corridor.

As she walked, a tired sigh escaped her throat.

Lessons had officially ended two days ago. That meant no morning lectures or afternoon practicals. Indeed, Lady Inkwell had told them to take the time to study and relax before the exam. In Lady Inkwell’s own words, she would be “making her final assessment of who was the most worthy of being placed closest to the hatching when the time came.”

Worthy…

Those words still echoed in her mind like the howl of a storm.

When she’d first arrived, she’d only wanted to attend the rite. To show that she could stand tall on her own, like Meadowbrook. That she was more than just some girl from the country.

But now?

Now she was aiming for the top. She wasn’t just hoping to attend the rite. No. She wanted to be front and center when the egg hatched. She wanted the top place, not just to see the newest phoenix hatch, but to show that she had proven herself the most worthy of Lady Inkwell’s, and by extension, Queen Celestia’s approval.

And she had the Heliopolans to thank.

Almost four weeks of abuse, name calling, and bullying on not just herself, but her family, had hardened Sunset’s resolve. She was going to stand at the top, but to put the Heliopolans in their place. To show them that they were beneath her. Not the other way around.

Then, things were turned on their head. She thought that her worthiness was her performance. But, her encounter with Orange Spice in the first exam, and Lady Inkwell’s subsequent admonition, brought things into focus.

Worthiness wasn’t just about how well she did on her exams. How well she performed her duties.

No, it was also how she conducted herself. How she treated those around her. Which included not just her friends and family, but her enemies.

A soft chuckle escaped Sunset’s throat as she neared the dining room.

She still couldn’t believe that Orange Spice had been willing to accept the truce, or that she’d managed to uphold it as well as she did. Sunset knew that Sapphire still had it out for her, but at least Orange was doing what she could to deflect it.

And she was grateful for that to no end. Sapphire and the other Heliopolans were still giving her a hard time, but it wasn’t the constant barrage that she’d been dealing with. And that brief reprieve gave her enough breathing room to make it through the day.

The goal was still there to prove her worth, but now it was tempered with understanding. She was still looking forward to showing Sapphire her place though. Even if she couldn’t rub it in her face like she wanted to.

And she really wanted to rub it in Sapphire’s face.

Sunset’s thoughts were interrupted by the delightful scent of cooking food. Looking up, she saw that she’d arrived at her destination. Chuckling at getting so lost in thought, she reached up and opened the door to the dining hall. If she was spacing out this badly, maybe she could use some tsujara too.

*****

A few minutes later, and Sunset was treading the same path back towards her bunk, a small tray balanced on her upturned fingers, with three large, steaming mugs of tsujara on top. Sunset kept a steady pace as she walked, the tray barely swaying or bobbing as she made her way down the hall.

With every step, the spicy scent of the hot beverages wafted through the air and tantalized Sunset’s nose, but she kept her focus. She could be patient. It’d make the eventual payoff of savoring the drink back in her room all that much sweeter.

Rounding the corner of the main hall, she made her way towards the dorm rooms.

“Sunset.” A familiar voice whispered off to the left said. “Sunset. Stop.”

Slowly coming to a halt, Sunset looked over in the direction of the voice. To her surprise, she spotted Orange Spice, her head poking out of the door to a water closet.

“Wha…” Sunset began, but stopped when she saw Orange Spice lift a finger and put it to her lips, signaling that she should be quiet.

“Shh, don’t say anything,” Orange Spice whispered as she gestured for Sunset to come closer. “Just… come here real quick.”

Lowering her arm and transferring the tray to two hands, Sunset walked up to the other girl, her brow furrowing with confusion.

“What’s going on?” Sunset asked.

“It might be nothing, but… I think Sapphire’s up to something, I just don’t know what,” Orange said as she glanced down the hallway towards her own room.

“What?” Sunset growled, her voice dropping dangerously. “What’s she planning?”

“I don’t know. Look, all I know is that she got a letter yesterday, and suddenly got excited. When I asked her about it, she said that I shouldn’t worry, only that she had the solution to ‘the dirt-eating vermin problem’,” Orange said, her brow furrowing.

Sunset’s knuckles went white as she gripped the tray, her rage seething.

“And that’s all you know?” Sunset growled.

“Sorry, but yes, that’s all she’s told me,” Orange said, her eyes hard yet sympathetic. “I’m taking a big risk telling you this Sunset. If Sapphire finds out, I’m screwed.”

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Sunset’s expression softened.

“Okay. Sorry,” Sunset said, giving Orange a grateful smile. “Thank you. I’ll watch my back.”

“You’re welcome,” Orange said, her expression softening.

“I better get going, before someone spots us talking,” Sunset said as she backed off and re-balanced the tray on her fingertips. “And, thanks again.”

“Of course,” Orange said as Sunset turned away and resumed her trek to her room.

*****

“I’m back,” Sunset called as she re-entered the room, closing the door behind her. Hearing a pair of grunts of acknowledgement, she walked over to the room’s common table and set the tray down, grabbing one of the mugs for herself. Taking a fortifying sip of the spicy drink, she took in a deep breath, exhaled slowly and plopped down on the edge of her bed to think, her brow furrowing.

“Thank you,” Sunset heard Daisy say, her tired voice now laced with relief as she rose from her bed and grabbed a mug. “Lily, you want me to bring yours over?”

“Please?” Lily said, not having moved from her spot.

“Can do,” Daisy replied, grabbing the remaining mug and starting to head back to her bed. She was about half way back when she stopped. Sunset could almost feel Daisy’s eyes on her, but her mind was too far off to care. “Sunset, what’s wrong? You look… ticked.”

“What?” Sunset said, her head snapping up to look at Daisy. “Oh, um…”

As she looked at her friend, and the concern in her eyes, Sunset found she couldn’t muster the energy to lie. There was a time and place for deception and half truths. But, this wasn’t one of them.

Not to her friends.

Not after they’d helped her make it this far.

Hanging her head again, she sighed and, holding her mug in both hands, took a long, bracing drink. Mind clearer, she forced herself to speak.

“I ran into Orange Spice…” Sunset began to say.

“And what did she want?” Lily asked, interrupting Sunset, her voice suspicious. “If it’s upset you like this, it’s bad.”

“Maybe…” Sunset said as she tried to keep her irritation in check. “She didn’t have any details, but she think’s Sapphire might be planning something for tomorrow. Something that will solve the ‘dirt-eating vermin problem.’ Which if I’ve learned anything about that butt-sniffing cow, that means us. Or… just me.”

Looking up, she saw the worried looks on Daisy and Lily’s faces.

“Have you told Lady Inkwell?” Lily asked, having set down her book.

“No,” Sunset said, gripping her mug angrily. “What could I tell her? That I think Sapphire’s going to try something based on some vague thing that she told Orange Spice?”

A humorless chuckle escaped Sunset’s throat before she took another sip of her tsujira.

“Lady Inkwell wouldn’t do anything about something like that,” Sunset continued as she shook her head. “No, she’d want evidence. Which I don’t have.”

Sunset paused

“And,” Sunset said, lowering her head and sighing, “if I told her anything, I’d be throwing Orange Spice to raptorians to be turned to glass.”

“So?” Daisy asked. “She’s been helping Sapphire make your life miserable. Just because she’s playing nice now doesn’t mean that she’s made up for that.”

Sunset laughed humorlessly at that.

“It’s true, she hasn’t,” Sunset admitted. “But, she’s trying. She didn’t need to tell me Sapphire’s planning something… but she did. Look, even if I don’t tell Lady Inkwell, I know she’s got something up her sleeve, so I’ll just have to be ready.”

“But you don’t even know what she’s planning,” Lily protested.

“I know,” Sunset said evenly. “But, knowing there’s a snake waiting for you is better than not knowing. If Sapphire tries something, I’ll be ready.”

Both Daisy and Lily shared a skeptical look.

“Are you sure about this Sunset?” Lily finally asked. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell Lady Inkwell? She’d probably believe you. It’s not like Sapphire’s given her a reason to trust her over you.”

Sunset simply shook her head.

“I know what I’m doing Lily,” Sunset said confidently. “Just, trust me.”

Both Daisy and Lily shared one last look, but simply nodded and went back to their studies. Despite her air of confidence, Sunset was worried. But, she wouldn’t let that worry stop her. She was close. And, no matter what Sapphire tried, she would find a way to come out ahead.

*****

The next morning found Sunset, Lily and Daisy at their usual table, each working through their breakfast. The chaos of the dining hall was at an all time high, the pre-exam nervous energy so palpable that Sunset was sure that all it would take for it to ignite was just one tiny spark.

In only an hour, the final exam would begin.

And an hour until she suspected Sapphire would make her move.

Despite her earlier show of confidence, Sunset was nervous. She’d spent most of the night racking her brain, trying to figure out what Sapphire was up to. But, in the end she had to admit she couldn’t. Her only option was to just go on with her day, and keep an eye out for whatever Sapphire was planning.

“Okay,” Daisy said, taking a bite of toasted bread and honey before suddenly pointing at Sunset. “When serving a baron his after-dinner tea for a type five main course, which style of tea-cup do you use?”

“Grey porcelain with brass-filled hawk shaped filigree, served on a white porcelain saucer,” Sunset replied reflexively. “The cup should be 5 cm across, 4.5 cm tall, and be placed 10 cm to the NNW of the dessert plate before the dessert is served.”

“Good. And how much error is allowed for such placements?” Daisy followed up, this time pointing at Lily.

“For a baron, up to 1cm of error is permitted,” Lily said after only a moment’s hesitation.

“Yes!” Daisy cheered. “Right. Sunset, your turn.”

Taking a deep breath, Sunset wracked her brain.

“From baron to phoenix born, what metals are used for their utensils?” Sunset said, pointing at Lily.

“Baron and viscount… steel; Earl and marquess… brass; Duke… bronze; Archduke… gold with hardened bronze for the tines of the forks, and blade of the knives; Phoenix-born… um, tungsten?” Lily said.

“Good,” Sunset cheered, then turned to Daisy. “Same question, but for baroness through phoenix-born.”

“Baroness and viscountess… steel with brass filigree; countesses and marchionesses get brass with pearl insets; duchesses have… um… bronze with sunsetone insets? Archduchesses get gold with hardened bronze for the tines of the forks, and blade of the knives and ruby insets; and phoenix-born… phoenix-born… they have… they have?… tungsten with ruby and jacinth insets!” Daisy said proudly.

“Almost perfect. The phoenix-born utensils are made of cast tungsten, with gold embossing and topaz, ruby and jacinth insets” Sunset said, before giving Daisy an encouraging smile. “Still, that’s pretty much all of them right, so good job.

“Thanks.” Daisy said, smiling at Sunset. “Those last three always trip me up.”

“It’s okay,” Sunset said reassuringly. “Alright, you’re up Lily.”

“Okay,” Lily said, her attention drawn to something behind Sunset, and her expression darkening. “What has gold and blue hair, blue skin, needs to be paddled until she can’t sit every day for the rest of her life, and is walking this direction?”

Sunset suppressed a groan as she lifted her hand to rub her brows in an attempt to stave off an approaching headache.

‘Are we really going to do this now? At breakfast?’ Sunset moaned internally.

“Sapphire Prism…,” Sunset growled under her breath.

“Fraid so,” Lily whispered.

‘Well, here it comes…’ She thought as she mentally braced herself.

“Good morning Sunslip Stumble,” Sapphire’s arrogant voice lilted merrily. “How are you?”

Sunset didn’t respond.

“I wouldn’t ignore me if I were you Sunslip,” Sapphire said with the same merry tone. “In fact, you should be so grateful that I’m even deigning to talk to you instead of going straight to Lady Inkwell, you should get down on your hands and knees and lick my shoes like the dirt-eating mongrel dog you are.”

Focusing her mind on her meditation techniques, Sunset did her best to stay calm. She wasn’t going to rise to Sapphire’s bait, instead choosing to continue pretending Sapphire wasn’t there.

“So that’s how it's going to be, eh?” Sapphire tittered. “Really now, Sunslip, didn’t Tender Heart teach you any manners?”

All around Sunset, the world came to a screeching halt and the bottom dropped out of her stomach, as raw, boiling, white-hot rage flooded her mind. Barely able to breath and her ears ringing, she bolted upright from her chair, and whipped round to face Sapphire, whose face was plastered with a smug, superior grin.

“You…” Sunset growled.

“No. Bad dog,” Sapphire said as she pointed a finger at Sunset as though disciplining a pet. “Dogs that bark their masters get punished. Touch me, and I’ll make sure that Tender Heart will curse the day you were born. Well, more than she probably already does, you worthless sack of pig guts.”

Sunset balled her fists and glared at Sapphire, her anger on the verge of erupting like a volcano.

“Who’s Tender Heart?” Daisy asked, her voice filled with concern at Sunset’s obvious distress.

“Oh, Sunslip Stumble didn’t tell you?” Sapphire said with an arrogant smirk. “Well, let me…”

“No!” Sunset shouted, her eyes going wide as she lurched towards Sapphire, drawing the attention of the nearby tables. Consequences be damned, she couldn’t let her finish the sentence she was about to say.

“…she runs the orphanage where Sunslip lives.” Sapphire said loud enough to be heard not just at Sunset’s table, but at the others nearby.

The silence that fell on their side of the dining room was both immediate and deafening.

“What are you talking about?” Lily said as she placed her hands on the tabletop and got to her feet, her brow furrowing as she looked between Sunset and Sapphire. Sunset’s heart sank when she saw the look on Lily’s face; she couldn’t be sure if Lily was glaring at Sapphire… or her.

“So what’s the big deal if Sunset’s mom runs an orphanage?” Daisy chimed in, her face twisted with confusion.

“Oh, nothing so benign,” Sapphire continued, taking advantage of Sunset’s stunned silence to continue her assault. “Sunslip doesn’t have a mother. She’s an orphan. And not just an orphan, a foundling.”

“What!?” Both Lily and Daisy shouted, drawing more eyes to their table.

The tables around Sunset and Sapphire got quiet as all eyes turned to glare in their direction. Through the ringing in her ears and the fog of lightheadedness that had settled on her brain, Sunset could hear whispers of “Orphan?” “The dirt-eater’s an orphan?” “Did I hear that right? She’s a foundling?” “She doesn’t have a family!?”

Sunset took a step back, her rage extinguished and completely replaced by raw, primal fear as she felt the ambient hostility in the room skyrocket. Of all the scenarios she had imagined, none of them were this; Sapphire knew she was an orphan, and where she lived.

“Yup. No parents. No family. Just an unwanted, parentless dog, left on at the door of a house for mutts,” Sapphire sneered with obvious relish. “Isn’t that right, Sunslip Stumble?”

Swallowing hard, Sunset looked to Lily and Daisy for support. To her horror, both of them closed their eyes and looked away.

“What do you want?” Sunset managed to ask in a trembling voice.

“Oh, not much…” Sapphire said as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, a vicious smirk spreading across her face as she stared triumphantly at Sunset, who took another step back. “You are going to fail the final exam Sunslip Stumble, and you’re going to fail it so spectacularly that Lady Inkwell will have no choice but to put you on garbage duty, if not toss you out completely. Refuse, and I’ll have my daddy have that dirty orphanage you’re from demolished. Or, I could just tell every noble at the phoenix-rite that you’re some familyless mongrel.”

Taking a step forward, Sapphire folded her hands behind her back and leaned into Sunset’s face, her vile smirk getting even wider.

“Did you know, Sunslip, that in Heliopolis, mongrels like you have no rights? I mean, you’re not even a person here! Just garbage masquerading as a person,” Sapphire continued, the smugness in her voice nearly drowning Sunset. “Why, if I wanted to, I could have my servants beat you to death, and nobody would lift a finger to help. Well, help you. They might join in to help me though. So, I suggest you do exactly as I say.”

Glancing at Daisy and Lily, Sunset could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes, but did her best to fight them back. Neither of them were looking at her. In fact, both of them had scooted their seats away.

“Nobody’s going to help you, mongrel. Not even Lady Inkwell. And even if she, by some miraculous chance, would actually help you, if you go to her, I’ll have everyone at that orphanage you call home publicly executed,” Sapphire said with false pleasantness, before reaching up to pat Sunset’s cheek. Sunset flinched back at the touch, but otherwise was too stunned to respond. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go wash my hands before I get myself something to eat. So, you have a wonderful morning, you miserable mutt, and remember, you’re going to fail your exam, or you and everyone you care about will regret it.”

And with that, Sapphire turned on her heels and walked away, her mocking laughter echoing in Sunset’s ears. Chancing a look at her friends, Sunset’s heart sank even further; even after Sapphire’s departure, neither were looking in her direction.

With a pained sob, Sunset fled the dining hall, running as fast as she could as the tears she’d been fighting back finally broke free.

*****

The front doors of the school burst open as Sunset slammed into them, her feet carrying her outside and across the lawn in front of the academy. She didn’t know where she was going. And she didn’t care.

All of it was coming crashing down around her. And it was all because of one person. No. Not a person. A monster.

Sapphire Prism… that miserable, Discord touched, pig offal eating donkey’s butthole!

As she ran across the academy’s front lawn, she slipped on the grass, still wet from the early morning dew, and fell, barely managing to catch herself before impact. After a second to collect herself, Sunset slowly rose to her hands and knees, her fists grabbing at the green carpet. With a pitiful wail, she tore at it, her tears streaming down her face.

“Moon loving, shadow worshiping, chaos spawn! Damn her! Damn her to the chaos!” Sunset swore as she ripped up more and more of the carefully manicured lawn. “Aaaargh!”

Sniffling, she curled up on herself, resting on her forearms and knees.

It was one thing to make her miserable. Sunset could deal with that. But threatening her family, that was going too far. And, making it worse, there was nothing she could do about it. Sapphire held all the bones in this game. She was nobility. She could make good on her threat, and nobody would stop her. And, Sunset realized, if she knew about the orphanage, she probably knew about Bronze, and her oath sisters, meaning there was nothing to stop her from going after the rest of her family too.

“Pinkie, AJ, Rainbow… I’m sorry. Please,” Sunset whimpered, another choked sob escaping her throat, “help me…I need you.”

As she continued to sob into the grass, Sunset was only peripherally aware of the sound of soft footfalls approaching.

‘With my luck, it’ll be Lady Inkwell,’ Sunset moaned in her head, ‘and she’s coming to exile me.’

The footsteps drew closer, until they stopped about an arm’s length from her head, the stranger’s shadow blocking the sun. Sunset couldn’t find the strength to look up, only curl up a little tighter. After what felt like an eternity of whoever it was looming over her, there was a slow hissing of fabric as whoever had just approached squatted down to bring themselves closer to her level.

“Well, kid, you look like crap,” A familiar, jovial yet condescending voice said. “I’d ask if something was wrong, but since you’re on the ground, crying like a baby, that’d be rhetorical.”

Sorrow began to rapidly boil off, only to be replaced with anger. Snapping her head up, Sunset caught sight of the mysterious sky-runner that had brought her to the academy. The woman in question had her hands resting on her bent knees as she balanced on the balls of her feet, while her expression was that same smug smirk she’d worn when Sunset had arrived in Heliopolis.

“There, that’s better,” She said with an amused chuckle as Sunset glared at her. “There’s the fire that I was hoping to see.”

“What are you doing here?” Sunset growled, her anger settling down to a low smoulder. “Did word already get to Lady Inkwell and now she’s sent you to get rid of me?”

“Raven didn’t send me. I just happened to be in the area, and saw you having your little meltdown. But why would Raven do something like that?” The woman asked as she tilted her head to the side, her expression never losing its amusement. “Did you set anything on fire? Or maybe let a bunch of rats loose in the baths? Heh, her face the last time that happened was priceless.”

“What?” Sunset said, her anger subsiding, only to be replaced by confusion.

“Long story that involves way too much sparkberry cognac, several bags of very hungry rats, an uptight earl, and a ruined party. That was a good night,” The woman said with a grin that made Sunset feel like she was a mouse staring up at a hungry falcon. “So, why are you out here tearing up the school’s lawn instead of getting ready for your exam? Unless this is some western study strategy that I’m not aware of.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sunset muttered as the gravity of her situation came back to her in full force, her head dropping back down. “I might as well not show up. I have to fail either way, so not showing will at least let me save some of my dignity.”

“Oh come on, kid. I doubt you’d fail this thing,” The woman chortled. “From what little I’ve seen of you, you’re way too smart if you’ve been putting your mind to it.”

“I don’t have a choice. I have to fail,” Sunset said, her fists grabbing handfuls of grass as she curled in on herself and hunched her back.

“Somehow, I doubt that kid. Why would you need to fail?”

Sunset whimpered, and crawled away a little.

‘I can’t tell her,’ Sunset thought. ‘If I do, she’ll tell Lady Inkwell. And if she tells Lady Inkwell, and Sapphire finds out…’

“I just… can’t do it,” Sunset said shakily. “I’m too scared to attend. So… I have to fail so Lady Inkwell won’t make the mistake of letting me take part in the rite.”

Sunset looked up at the woman, hoping that she bought the lie. One look at her face and Sunset’s heart sank.

“Kid, cut the crap,” The woman said, her eyes flinty, while her voice uncharacteristically serious. “I may not be as good as Raven is at picking up a tall tale, but don’t think that you can bullshit me. I know nerves, and I know despair, and this isn’t nerves. So, I’m going to ask again, and this time, you’re going to tell me the truth: why do you think you need to fail the exam?”

Sunset looked the woman in the eyes, and saw nothing. No compassion. No humor. No mercy. Just a cold, dead desire for the truth. A truth that her glare was threatening to all but tear out of her.

‘I’m screwed. I’m so screwed.’ Sunset thought as she swallowed hard, her mind desperately trying to figure a way out of the situation.

There were none.

She could tell the woman before her what happened, and face the consequences when Sapphire found out. Or, she could try lying again, and risk being dragged to Lady Inkwell. Either way, she was caught.

With a pained sigh and sob, Sunset lowered her head and stared at the ground.

‘Beter the umbrum you know…’ Sunset thought as she made her decision.

“There’s a girl. Her name’s Sapphire Prism… She threatened to have my home destroyed if I didn't fail.” Sunset said as she curled up again, before relaxing a bit. “She… found out where I live. Told me that if I didn’t throw the exam, she’d have her father destroy my home.”

“Did she now?” The woman said, her tone turning cold and frightening. “Well, I’m pretty sure that Raven wouldn’t allow something like that. Why didn’t you go to her when this girl threatened you?”

“Sapphire told me she’d have my family executed if I did,” Sunset whimpered. “And, Lady Inkwell wouldn’t take my side. Nobody will. No after what Sapphire said in the dining room.”

“Again, unless it involved bags of rats or something worse, I doubt that,” The woman said in an unusually serious tone. “Why wouldn’t she help you?”

“I’m an orphan…” Sunset whimpered.

“Sorry, couldn’t hear you in the back of the room,” The woman said. “What did you say?”

“She won’t help me because I’m an orphan!” Sunset shouted as she lifted her head to glare at the woman, before deflating again. “Sapphire told me in the dining hall. As soon as word gets to her, I’m doomed. Orphans don’t have rights in Heliopolis…”

Sunset could swear she heard a short, angry growl escape the woman’s throat.

“Kid, look at me,” the woman said firmly.

Slowly, Sunset lifted her head back up for the third time, and met the woman’s eyes.

“That doesn’t matter,” The woman said plainly, but firmly. “Raven knew you were an orphan before you even showed up.”

“What?” Sunset said, her tone confused. “She already knew? But… how?”

The woman gave Sunset a half-lidded glare that practically screamed ‘are you stupid?’

“Kid, she vetted every one of the applicants personally. And, in case you’ve forgotten, I delivered your invitation to you, by hand,” The woman said, a slight smirk returning to her face. “The invitation that Raven personally signed and had me deliver directly to you at your address. How could she not know?”

“But… if she knew, why am I here? I’m not a person,” Sunset whimpered as her eyes stayed locked on the ground. “I’m garbage. I have no rights.”

To Sunset’s surprise, the woman reached down and grabbed her face in a one-handed cheek pinch. Sunset was too stunned to respond, and could do nothing as the woman lifted her face, her eyes burning with a cold fire that all but paralyzed her with fear.

“First off, that’s not even the slightest bit true, kid, so don’t I ever hear you say that again, you understand?” The woman said as she held Sunset’s face. “You are not garbage. You are a sun-gazer, and a Solarian. And unless you break some very serious laws, nothing’s going to change that. Clear?”

“Yes ma’am,” Sunset muttered through her pinched cheeks.

“Good. Now, on to the other bit of misinformation you’ve got rattling in that little fire-caller brain of yours: you do have rights,” the woman continued, letting go of Sunset’s face. “And if Raven finds out someone’s trying to take them from you, they’re in for a world of trouble.”

“But Sapphire said…” Sunset began as she got off her forearms and sat back on the grass.

“She doesn’t make the rules here. Raven does,” The woman said, cutting Sunset off. “Let me guess, this Sapphire girl’s from one of the rays, yes?”

“Yes, she is,” Sunset nodded dumbly.

“Which one?”

“I think she said she’s from Aurorias,” Sunset said.

“Aurorias…Aurorias. I thought that name sounded familiar. That certainly explains a lot,” The woman said tersely. “Okay, kid, here’s the deal. Out there in the rays, those piss drinking ass ticks might get away with anything they want, but we’re not in Aurorias. We’re in Chromos. And here, Raven’s word is law. If she didn’t want you here, you wouldn’t be here. Simple as that.”

Sunset opened her mouth to reply, but the woman continued.

“Second, Raven doesn't have much patience for those who openly abuse their authority, or so blatantly flout the law,” the woman said cooly, “especially those she’s trusted with noble titles. If what you’ve said is true, this Sapphire Prism girl has just put not just herself, but her family in a very bad position. Especially since she was dumb enough to do it publicly.”

“Are… are you sure,” Sunset asked, a little hope returning to her voice.

“Sure as Raven’s hair’s done an impression of a torch for almost two thousand years,” The woman said as she got to her feet and offered Sunset her hand. Slowly, Sunset took it and was gently pulled up. “So, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened, and I’ll pass the details on to Raven. Honestly, if that little tart threatened you in the dining room, Raven’s probably already caught wind of what’s going on. So, I suggest you go in there, clean up, ace your exam, and enjoy the show when Raven gives her a wakeup call.”

Sunset was dumbfounded.

“Why are you doing this?” Sunset asked quietly.

“Doing what?”

“Helping me? Why are you sticking your neck out for me like this?” Sunset asked as she stared up at the sky-runner.

“That’s something you’re just going to have to wonder about kiddo,” she said, her signature cocky smirk returning as she ruffled Sunset’s hair, earning an angry glare from the younger girl. “After all, you have an exam in a bit, and you don’t want to be late.”

*****

The low creak of the exam room’s doors filled the air as Sunset pushed the heavy oak slabs open and slipped in. Unlike prior, the room lacked desks, leaving the other students free to mill about in groups doing some last minute cramming. Yet, as she closed the doors, there was a palpable change in the atmosphere similar to that of the dining room at breakfast as dozens of hostile eyes locked onto her, venomous whispering of “dirt-eating orphan,” “mongrel” and “familyless filth” soon drifting through the air.

It was her phoenix-rite test and early days in Heliopolis all rolled into one miserable package.

‘Looks like word spread quickly. Just get through this Sunset.’ Sunset thought as she spotted Lady Inkwell on the stage, talking with Sparkler. Sunset noted that Dylis was conspicuously absent from Lady Inkwell’s shoulder, meaning he was probably lurking about somewhere. ‘You dealt with this when you first got here, so you can deal with it now.’

Trying not to appear nervous, Sunset scanned the hall for signs of her roommates. It took a few painful seconds, but she eventually spotted a pair of distinct patches of lime green and amber hair off near the edge of the crowd.

On the other side of the hall.

If she wanted to reach them, she’d have to make her through the other students. And with the atmosphere in the room, she was quite sure she wouldn’t make it without at least a few bruises.

If she was lucky.

Of course, Sunset wasn’t sure if they even were her friends anymore. They’d made it clear that they were just like the Heliopolans when they wouldn’t look at her after Sapphire told them she was an orphan. That told her everything she needed to know.

‘Guess they’re fairweather afterall,’ Sunset thought sadly as she leaned against the back wall of the room away from the other students to brood. ‘I’m really on my own now…’

“Attention everyone!” Lady Inkwell’s voice called, drawing Sunset out of her melancholy. Soon, the room quieted down, and all eyes turned towards the royal seneschal, who was now standing alone on the elevated lecturing platform at the head of the classroom, her hands clasped behind her back as she stared down at the students imperiously. “Today marks the final leg of your training. This exam will have two parts. The first part will test your raw knowledge of all of the materials covered so far. The second part will be a practical where you will be performing a mock dinner for a selection of different ranks of nobility, and will be judged on how well you manage the settings, how well you conduct yourselves, and your speed in completing your tasks.”

“Your performance today, combined with that of the last month, will determine where I place you for the phoenix-rite,” Lady Inkwell continued as she walked to the far end of the stage. “This is your last chance to impress or disappoint me. Do your best, and show me how much you’ve learned.”

Rising into the air, Lady Inkwell floated off the stage and landed next to the large set of double doors that led to the exam room.

“In the next room, you will find desks for the written portion of the exam. You will be entering in groups of ten,” Lady Inkwell said as the doors opened. “On the other side of the door, there is a large urn of ceramic tokens, each with a number which corresponds to a desk. As you enter the exam room, take a token. At the front of the room, you’ll find a seating chart. Please find your seats as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once everyone is seated, we will begin.”

“Are there any questions?” Lady Inkwell said as she gazed across the mass of students.

A blue hand shot into the air.

“Yes Sapphire?” Lady Inkwell said.

“Is it possible to fail so badly that you’ll get kicked out of the rite?” Sapphire asked, her tone smug.

Sunset’s eyes narrowed as a wave of venomous giggles passed through the hall, with a few of the students glancing back at her and smiling cruelly. It was obvious Sapphire was talking about her ultimatum, and was trying to twist the knife deeper.

An image of Sapphire being swarmed and dismembered by hundreds of vethris briefly flickering through Sunset’s mind as she glared at the other girl. She brushed the thought away as soon as it came. As satisfying as Sapphire getting eaten alive by ravenous, flesh-eating hornets would be, the chances of it actually happening were infinitesimal, so there was no reason to dwell on it. No matter how pleasant the image was.

“It is possible,” Lady Inkwell replied evenly. “Though, you would have to completely fail at comprehending several key concepts for it to happen. At this stage, unless you have been performing particularly poorly, at worst you will be placed somewhere that you would not be able to view the rite.”

“Thank you, Lady Inkwell,” Sapphire said with a bow, “that was just what I needed to know.”

Sunset watched Lady Inkwell, but saw no indication that she knew what Sapphire was implying.

‘Not that we’d know unless she wanted us to.’ Sunset thought.

“Are there any more questions?” Lady Inkwell asked. “No? Very well. The ten nearest the door can enter now.”

*****

Sunset made her way towards the doors to the exam room. The other students had entered and had found their seats, leaving her the last one to approach Lady Inkwell.

“Well, Sunset, this is unusual,” Sunset heard Lady Inkwell say as she approached the urn. “Last minute nerves?”

“Something like that…” Sunset said noncommittally.

“Well, whatever is bothering you, I don’t want you to worry about it. All you need to focus on is your exam, so I expect you to give this your all,” Lady Inkwell said as she stared down at Sunset, before a knowing smirk touched on the edge of her lips. “Am I clear?”

“Yes ma’am,” Sunset said.

“Good girl. Now, find your seat,” Lady Inkwell said as she ushered Sunset into the room.

As she scanned the floor, Sunset spotted one last open desk near the middle of the floor.

‘Great…’ Sunset thought as she saw who would be sitting behind her for the exam. There, right behind her desk, was Sapphire Prism. ‘Is this part of the test? Have cow-pie-for-brains behind me the whole time?’

With a sigh, Sunset began to make her way to her desk. As she passed the rows of other students, she heard a few whispered insults hurled her way. Clenching her fists, she ignored them as best she could. They didn’t matter.

It took a painful minute of walking and dodging a few attempts to trip her, but Sunset reached her desk. Before she could take a seat, she felt a hand grab her wrist and twist it slightly. Stopping and looking at her arm, Sunset saw Sapphire holding her wrist, glaring balefully at her with a cruel smile as she dug her fingernails painfully into her flesh.

“Remember, you better fail, or I swear to Celestia, I will make you regret it,” Sapphire trilled. “Do you understand, mutt?”

“I do,” Sunset said, not bothering to keep the hate out of her eyes or expression, before wrenching her wrist free of Sapphire’s grip.

“Such an obedient mongrel,” Sapphire cooed as her sneer grew. “I would hate for anything to happen to that doghouse you come from.”

With one last hate filled glare, Sunset walked past Sapphire and took her seat, resting an elbow on her desk. With a sigh of frustration, her eyes drifted to the ceiling, only to stop when she spotted something in the rafters of the room: a splash of fiery red and yellow.

‘Dylis,’ Sunset thought as she stared at the phoenix, a small smile starting to work its way onto her face. ‘Well, that explains why he wasn’t with Lady Inkwell.’

Looking at the phoenix, a thought occurred to Sunset, one that drastically improved her mood. If Dylis was up there, chances are he saw Sapphire grab her wrist. And if he saw it, then so did Lady Inkwell. And that meant that Sapphire might have just been caught breaking Lady Inkwell’s command not to lay a hand on anyone. True, it wasn’t a sure thing, but the thought of Lady Inkwell coming down on Sapphire chased off some of the gloom surrounding her current situation.

“Attention everyone!” Lady Inkwell’s voice cut through the air. Sunset’s attention snapped away from Dylis, and to Lady Inkwell, who was now standing at the head of the examination hall.

“Now that we’re all here, I would like to inform you all that this exam will be a little different from what you’ve come to expect. In your desks are a packet of papers, an inkwell, and a set of quills. Do not take these out until you are told to!” Lady Inkwell said, emphasising the second part as she saw a few students move to pull out the items in question.

Many of the students froze and withdrew their hands from the cuby with guilty expressions on their faces. Once she was sure she had everyone’s attention again, Lady Inkwell resumed.

“Now, as I was saying, this exam will be conducted differently than prior ones. To start…” Raven said, before beginning to short spell-dance, which she ended by stomping her right foot and sweeping her right hand upward into the air. As she did, a line of light-grey raspberry colored light shot out along the ground from her foot towards the students. As it neared the first row of desks, it split into a perfect 10 x 10 grid, each cell containing a desk at the center. The moment the grid was complete, four perfectly smooth, two meter tall walls made of the same marble as the floor erupted from below, isolating each student in an individual, open top cell.

Sunset could hear cries of surprise all around her. Sunset, on the other hand, was too fascinated by what she was seeing to panic. What Lady Inkwell had done was very high level transmutational magic. Even master spell dancers would have a hard time performing such spells on the scale Lady Inkwell did, let alone with the precision she’d displayed.

‘I wonder if she used a spell derived from the one Queen Celestia used to create Heliopolis,’ Sunset thought as she continued to marvel at the summoned walls. Hmm, I think the space of this box is smaller than the base grid. Does that mean…’

“Everyone, be quiet!” Lady Inkwell shouted from above, cutting through and silencing everyone’s panic. Nearly jumping out of her skin, Sunset looked up and saw Lady Inkwell floating above the cells, reclining as though she were sitting in a chair, her hands resting on her lap. “On the wall in front of your desk, you will be given a question on an aspect of the phoenix-rite. Write your answers on the paper provided. Once you’re satisfied with your answer, circle it, and you will receive the next question. The exam ends either when you’ve answered fifty questions, or when noon arrives.

“Be aware, this exam is adaptive,” Lady Inkwell continued. “Answer correctly, and the next question will be more challenging. Answer wrong, and the next will be simpler. Your final score will be determined not just on the number of correct answers you give, but on the difficulty. Once you’ve answered fifty questions or your time for the exam is up, the wall will stop showing questions, and you will have a break before the next part of the exam. Those who finish sooner will be able to begin the second stage before the others.”

Lady Inkwell paused briefly, before lifting her right hand above her head. Snapping her fingers, a pulse of Lady Inkwell’s magic erupted in a ring from her hand and washed over the walls of her cell. As the light passed, black runic text formed on the wall, forming the question: What is the proper honorific used when addressing an earl?

“Begin!” Lady Inkwell commanded.

Dutifully, Sunset pulled out the paper, quills and ink from her desk, and set to work.

*****

How many grains of short grain teterrelii go into the main course of a phoenix-born’s dinner if they are being served a type three meal (poultry, rockfish and conch)?

Sunset’s brow furrowed as she wracked her brain, trying to remember that particular detail.

‘Let’s see,’ Sunset thought as she stared at the question on the wall, and at her paper. ‘Type three meals are served with a mixed long and short grain teterrelii risotto. The total grain count is somewhere in the 950-970 range, the ratio is 5:4 of long to short, and does not have any fractions of a grain. Meaning that the number of grains must be evenly divisible by nine. That means either 954 or 963. Ugh, I don’t remember which one…’

Sunset propped her head on her palm and rested her elbow on the desktop, staring at the paper before her as she drummed her fingers.

‘Wait. All of the digits in 963 are multiples of three…’ Sunset thought. ‘That’s it. The risotto has 428 short grains.’

Writing her answer on the parchment and circling it, Sunset let out a deep breath, dropped her quill back in the inkwell and rubbed her eyes. She was spent. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been at it, but she knew she was smouldering on grass, so she hoped the exam was nearing its end. Her exhaustion wasn’t helped by how hard the last few questions were. The only consolation she had was that with the difficulty ramping up like it had been, she was probably doing well. But, the level of detail she was being asked to recall was seriously kicking her butt.

Chancing a look at the wall for her next question, she almost shouted in glee at the sight of the two words on it: Exam Complete.

‘Thank Celestia!’ Sunset thought, leaning back in her chair, her head dangling over the headrest, her eyes closing and a groan of relief escaping her throat. ‘Now I can take a break.’

Her relief was short lived as the wall began to scintillate with different shades of red, yellow and orange. When she turned her attention back to the surface, a new set of words appeared.

Put your papers into the box on the side of the desk and stand. You will be allowed to go to the break room momentarily.

Doing as instructed, Sunset slipped the papers into the box and stood. As she did, the wall to her left began to ripple, then pulled open like a curtain.

‘That’s… wow,’ Sunset thought as she watched in awe as the stone of the wall flowed like water. ‘The level of transmutational magic needed to pull that off… I really should stop being surprised by what Lady Inkwell is capable of.’

Please exit immediately, and head to the exit adjacent to the south wall. You will have a 30 minute break before the next stage of the exam.

Coming back to her senses, Sunset shook her head and walked through the opening. Once outside, Sunset found herself in a small pathway between the walls of the cells.
‘Well, this explains the differences in the grid vs. cell size,’ Sunset thought as she exited the cell. As soon as she fully stepped clear of the cell and onto the pathway, the wall sealed behind her. Looking back at the now solid marble surface, she shrugged, turned to the left, and headed towards the south exit.

As she walked down the path, Sunset briefly heard a frustrated groan from within the cell directly behind to her own. From the sound of it, Sapphire was having a hard time with the exam.

‘I hope you’re enjoying yourself, jerk,’ Sunset thought bitterly as she resumed her walk. ‘Actually, I hope you’re suffering and that you want to carve your own eyes out with your quill.’

Resuming her walk and picking up the pace, Sunset exited the forest of marble cubes, and headed straight for the exit.

‘One down,’ she thought as she pushed the doors open, finding herself in a large room. Scattered around the room were assorted sofas, chairs, and tables. On the wall to her right, there was a large bookshelf, while the other had a table next to it covered in bowls of fruit, plates of breads, meats and cheeses, as well as several pitchers of what she was sure were beverages. Smiling to herself, she walked to the table, grabbed a plate, and began to collect refreshments.

‘One to go.’

*****

Taking a long sip of her tsujara, Sunset let out a deep sigh as the hot drink warmed up her insides and calmed her nerves. Setting her mug down, she picked up the book she’d been reading; a collection of recent short stories written by some Heliopolan author named Heart Pain Lovesmith. When she first saw the book, she had planned to pass it over for sounding like it might be some sort of trashy romance. Yet, some strange curiosity prompted her to pick the book up, and she found herself intrigued by the cover art depicting some sort of Grogaran abomination rising out of the ground surrounded by other, strange creatures.

It was odd enough to get her attention that she’d decided to check it out. After finding a sofa to read on, she refilled her mug of tsujara, and settled in. Yet, after the first few stories, she found herself developing mixed feelings about the author and his creations. While she couldn’t deny the man had a strange, vivid and colorful imagination, he was clearly as blatantly classist as the other Heliopolans, if not more so, and it showed in his stories.

Still, it was something to pass the time until the next part of her exam. And, most of his protagonists met pretty awful ends, so there was at least something to be enjoyed watching them get eaten by monsters or driven mad.

Squirming a little to get comfortable, she picked up where she left off on a story about a degenerate town of inbred, Grogar worshipers from the western territory and the chaos-born abomination they were attempting to summon into the world. Yet, as she got comfortable and started becoming immersed in the story, her focus was broken as she heard the doors to the break room open and two new students come in, chatting in hushed voices.

It wasn’t the first time the doors had interrupted her reading. By this time, several other students had finished, come in, and after spotting her, gave her a wide breadth, sans some unpleasant whispering and occasional insult. Sunset was grateful for that at least. She didn’t feel like dealing with anyone right now.

But this time, the voices immediately drew her attention. Because they were very familiar voices. Voices she didn’t want to hear right now. Pinching her eyes shut, she had to fight down a scream.

It was Lily Valley and Flower Wishes.

Of all the people she didn’t want to deal with, her former friends were high on the list. Right up there with Sapphire Prism, Luna or Sombra. Hunkering down, Sunset brought her book back up to her face and tried to get back into the story. She’d take Lovesmith’s blatant classism and horrific abominations over dealing with Lily or Daisy’s hypocrisy.

Yet, the sound of approaching footsteps told her that the other girls had different ideas.

‘And so, we get to deal with another headache,’ Sunset thought as the footsteps got closer. ‘Can’t I have a moment’s peace?’

“Sunset?” Sunset heard Daisy say, her voice unsure and sad.

Sunset ignored her and hunched further into her book.

“Sunset, please, we just want to talk,” This time, it was Lily that spoke, her voice firmer, but still remorseful.

Taking a deep breath and huffing out through her nose, Sunset flipped the bookmark ribbon attached to the spine of the book between the pages she was reading and closed the book. Setting it down on the table, she rose to her feet and turned to face Lily and Daisy.

“So you want to talk? Okay, talk,” Sunset said tersely.

Both Lily and Daisy looked uncomfortable, fidgeting in place as though unsure of what to say. Sunset glared at them for a minute in silence, before plopping back down on the couch and reaching for her book.

“Good talk. Please leave me alone,” Sunset growled. “Oh, and don’t worry, I won’t change the locking runes on the door. I may be garbage, but I at least have enough honor not to do something that deplorable.”

“We’re sorry, okay?!” Daisy desperately shouted.

Sunset paused and put her book back down.

“Sorry for what?” Sunset asked in a sarcastic tone as she swiveled on the sofa to look at them. “I’m familyless garbage, right, so why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Sunset, please don’t talk to us like that.” Lily said firmly. “I know we could have handled it better, but can you blame us? You live in an orphanage.”

“So you’re uncomfortable being friends with trash, huh?” Sunset continued.

“Sunset, you’re not trash,” Daisy said, a sad expression on her face and in her voice. “We were just… shocked to learn that you aren’t part of a family, okay, and we didn’t know what to do.”

“Cut the bull,” Sunset said, tears starting to form in her eyes. “I thought you were my friends, but it looks like I was wrong.”

“No, Sunset, we are your friends, we swear,” Lily protested. “We just… don’t understand. Why are you still living in an orphanage? Why hasn’t someone taken you in yet? Why aren’t you part of a family?”

“What are you talking about?” Sunset said as she wiped her eyes. “What’s wrong with living in an orphanage?”

“What do you mean? The only kids that don’t get adopted into a family from an orphanage have dishonored their families or are the children of the dishonored,” Daisy said, looking at Sunset. “But, you’re not a bad girl Sunset. A little sarcastic and temperamental, sure, but you’re not bad.”

“Wait, are you serious?” Sunset asked incredulously.

Both Lily and Daisy nodded.

“But that’s crazy!” Sunset shouted. “Orphans don’t get adopted by just one family. Your town is your family.”

“What do you mean?” Lily asked, a look of confusion spreading across her face. “That’s not how things work.”

“Yes it is,” Sunset replied, her tone still irritated but much calmer. “Orphans don’t get adopted into one family or another. Instead, your town is your family. I have my oath sisters, so I’m closer to them and their families than I am to most of the others, but as far as Golden Tree is concerned, me and all of the others living in the Golden Tree orphanage are just as much a part of the town’s family as any other child. If not family in blood, then in spirit.”

Both Lily and Daisy continued to stare at her, as though expecting her to suddenly say she was secretly a shadow-stalker.

“But… that’s not how family works,” Daisy protested. “Family is your house, your clan and your bloodline. How can your town be a family?”

“Because… that’s just how things are. Back home, you depend on the rest of your town to stay alive. We need each other. And since we need each other, we’re family,” Sunset said, the gears slowly turning in her head. “So, the reason you didn’t say anything to Sapphire was because you thought that I was in an orphanage because I’d been thrown out of my family.”

“Well, yea,” Daisy said guiltily. “Even foundlings get taken in, unless they do something to dishonor their new clan, and they are exiled to an orphanage. But… when we stopped to think about it, that didn’t sound like you.”

“So, we tried to find you, but couldn’t,” Lily continued. “We’d hoped to find you and apologize for falling for Sapphire’s trick, but then the exam started, and you were nowhere to be seen.”

As Sunset watched the two Easterners, her heart was filled with conflicting emotions. Anger, sorrow, regret, shame, and, almost strong enough to blot out all of the others, relief. And a horrid realization that she’d nearly ruined her friendship, not because Lily and Daisy agreed with Sapphire, but because what being an orphan meant was different in the East.

“Oh Celestia, I feel like an idiot,” Sunset said as she hung her head. “So, we almost ruined our friendship, because things work differently in the East and West?”

“I guess so,” Daisy said with a small, humorless chuckle. “It’s just… your town is your family? No clans? No houses? And nobody thinks that’s strange?”

“Yes, no, no and no,” Sunset said with her own humorless chuckle. “There are different levels of family. There’s your town, your blood, and your spirit families. I mean, sure, I’m part of my oath-sisters’ families, but I’d never be brought into a single one like that. Our sisterhood oath is enough to be considered family to all three of them. Being formally brought into just one… I can’t even imagine.”

“You’re telling us,” Lily said. “This is just… I don’t know… it’s a lot to take in.”

All three girls simply nodded as they regarded each other.

“So, now what?” Daisy asked. “What happens now?”

“I don’t know,” Lily said. “But, I do know that Sunset’s our friend. That much is true.”

Smiling, Sunset felt lighter than she had all day.

“And, I’d like to think you two are still my friends too,” Sunset said as she approached her friends and pulled them into a hug, which, after a few seconds, they returned. “I won’t say that it didn’t hurt. Because it did. But, I can put it behind me. It’s what family does.”

“Family?” Daisy asked. “You think we’re… family?”

“Of course,” Sunset said, hugging them a little tighter. “Family is not just blood. Family’s the people you care about. The people you love. And, I would be happy to call you family, if you’re willing.”

There was an awkward pause as Daisy and Lily mulled it over.

“I… I don’t know. Family is clan, house and blood. That’s the way it is, and the way it should be,” Lily finally said, her voice unsure. Yet, as she felt Sunset shrinking away, she tightened her hug, preventing her from escaping. “But…”

“But…” Sunset echoed, her voice cracking a little.

“But, even if I can’t call you family, I’d be happy to call you chat-lecti,” Lily said.

“Me too,” Daisy said, hugging Sunset tighter. “I’d be honored to call you chat-lecti Sunset, if you’re willing.”

“Chat-lecti? I don’t know that word,” Sunset said, relaxing her hug and taking a step back, but still holding onto Daisy and Lily’s hands.

“It’s a kirintal word that we use back home for someone that’s not family, but is more than just a friend,” Lily said as she looked at Sunset, a wan yet hopeful smile on her face. “Does that sound alright, Sunset?”

“And not just you Sunset, but you too Lily,” Daisy said, a watery smile on her face as a few tears of joy began to form in the corner of her eyes. “I’d say we’re all chat-lecti. Right?”

“Right,” Sunset said with a tearful laugh as she pulled them back into the hug, her own tears of joy breaking free as she held her Eastern friends. “Chat-lecti, eh? I like the sound of that.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay. End of semester things happened, and I had to devote my full attention to school. Hope this was worth the wait.

Tsujara - a spiced drink popular in Solaria. Culinary, its an herbal tea, made from ginger, cinnamon, honey and several other spices. The drink is quite potent, and helps wake up the senses.

Teterrelii - a grain used in gormet Solarian cooking. Difficult to grow, it is similar to rice or barley in grain size.

Kirintal - a race of reclusive, semi-reptilian, antlered humanoids that live to the north-east of Solaria. While not officially allied with Celestia's nation, the kirintal have a long-standing relationship with the Eastern territory, and regularly engage in trade with Roseluck's people, leading to the adoption of some kirintal words into the Eastern vernacular. Like sun-gazers, the kirintal use spell-dancing as a means to focus their magic.

Ch 11 - The Choosing - Those Who Are Worthy

Sunset fidgeted in her seat, her persistently itchy uniform not helping her restlessness. She was in yet another exam room, this one was done up with a dozen low tables each surrounded by luxurious floor pillows, and covered with elaborate table cloths with ornate candelabras at their center.

The scene was familiar from all of the other practicals she’d taken. But this time, there was something new and unexpected: At each table seated on the cushions were sun-gazer sized, ball-jointed porcelain dolls. Each doll was dressed in the “typical” clothing of a different ranks of nobility, and were exquisitely crafted to the point of being nearly lifelike in appearance. Even their hands were articulated.

Sunset found herself not liking the whole scene before her. Aside from the almost lifelike quality of the dolls, she could have sworn they were watching her. A morbid thought passed through her head when she remembered that Lady Inkwell was involved: it was entirely possible that they were watching her. Only Celestia knew what sort of enchanting that she was capable of.

It wasn’t like magically animated puppets were unknown in Solaria. If anything, magical marionettes was a well respected form of entertainment out West. Sunset had many happy memories of going to shows with her oath-sisters whenever a troup came through town. But the puppets they used weren’t ever this big.

Or numerous.

Or lifelike.

Taking another deep breath, Sunset focused her mind on her meditations, letting the mental exercises bring her thoughts under control. This was it. This was the final stage of her exam.

It was the moment of truth.

Only ten minutes ago, she’d been in the break room with Daisy and Lily. Yet, the joyous reunion had been interrupted with Sparkler’s arrival to inform Sunset that it was time for her exam.

That information had hit her like an avalanche, because she’d completely forgotten about the exam. As much as she wished she could stay with her friends a few minutes longer, she knew she shouldn’t keep Lady Inkwell waiting. Before leaving, Sunset had pulled Daisy and Lily into one last goodbye hug, before turning to follow Sparkler. As she exited the room, she’d looked back to her friends, and received an encouraging smile and nod from them.

The sight warmed her heart, yet it did nothing to alleviate her nerves for what she was about to do.

Lady Inkwell had said that they would be doing a mock dinner, but hadn’t told them exactly what that would entail. Looking out at the room gave Sunset a pretty good idea what she was in for.

“Hello Sunset,” A familiar voice said. Lifting her head, Sunset saw Lady Inkwell approaching, Dylis conspicuously absent from her shoulder. “Are you ready?”

“If I said no, would it change anything?” Sunset asked plainly.

“No, it wouldn’t,” Lady Inkwell replied, a touch of amusement in her eyes.

“Then sure, I’m ready,” Sunset said as she rose to her feet and curtsied to Lady Inkwell. “So, I take it that I’m going to be playing with the dolls?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Lady Inkwell said with an amused smirk. “For the first part of the exam, you’ll be preparing the tables and serving food and drinks like you would at the rite.”

“Okay, I can do that,” Sunset said, taking a deep breath to brace herself.

“That’s not all,” Lady Inkwell said, before casually snapping her fingers, the action producing the loud clang of a bell. As the sound faded, the doors opened and an older, white and pink haired, orange skinned earth-weaver woman wearing an identical uniform to Sunset’s entered the room. Approaching Lady Inkwell, the woman bowed before turning to Sunset and smiling warmly.

“Please, allow me to introduce Will-O-Dawn,” Lady Inwell said, before gesturing to Sunset with an upturned palm. “Will-O, this is Sunset Shimmer.”

“Greetings young one,” Will-O said, smiling as she knelt down to look Sunset in the eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Um…thank you,” Sunset said, unsure of what was going on. “So, is she going to be giving me my exam.”

“In a manner of speaking.” Lady Inkwell said as Will-O rose back to her feet and stepped next to Sunset. “For the first part of the exam, you will be working with Will-O-Dawn to serve a mockup of the pre-ascension meal, just as you would at the rite.”

“Wait, what?” Sunset exclaimed, before slapping her hands over her mouth. “I’m sorry, your grace.”

“Apology accepted Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said. Sunset could have sworn she heard Will-O snicker. “Is there a problem?”

Sunset bit her lip in an effort to focus her thoughts.

“May I speak freely?” Sunset asked after a few seconds.

“You may,” Lady Inkwell said.

“I thought that we were going to be doing this on our own,” Sunset said, fighting to keep the incredulity out of her voice. “There were others being trained to do this?”

Looking at Lady Inkwell, she could almost feel the amusement coming off her, even if the phoenix-born’s countenance didn’t change.

“Sunset, did you think that you were the only ones who would be serving at this rite?” Lady Inkwell asked as she looked Sunset in the eyes.

“Um…” Sunset said as she shrunk back a little. “Yes?”

Lady Inkwell merely smiled.

“Sunset, there are whole villages in Chromos dedicated to preparing for the day Lumina lays an egg and a new phoenix hatches,” Lady Inkwell said with a hint of amusement.

Sunset opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when Lady Inkwell raised a finger to silence her.

“Sunset, you are on the clock, so unless you want to cut your time in your exam short, we should get started,” Lady Inkwell said as she folded her arms behind her back and turned to walk towards the tables. Both Will-O-Dawn and Sunset fell in behind her, as she continued to give instructions to Sunset. “There are two parts: in the first, you will be working with Will-O to serve the tables as though you were at the rite. At first, you will be serving drinks. How well you perform in the first stage will determine which meal setting you will be doing in the later stage. My puppets will respond to your actions, and record your performance, as will Will-O. Understood?”

“Yes, your grace,” Sunset said.

“In the second part, you and Will-O will perform one full setting and serving as before,” Lady Inkwell said as she stopped and turned to face Sunset. “However, in this run, Will-O will introduce errors into the settings and servings, while the puppets will stop responding to mistakes that either of you make, but will record them. It will fall on you to not only avoid making mistakes, but identify any mistakes that Will-O might include, and report them to her at the end. Do you understand?”

“Yes, your grace,” Sunset said with a small bow.

“Good. In that case,” Lady Inkwell said before moving her arms and upper body in a sweeping spell-dance, culminating in her clapping her hands above her head. The moment her hands met, there was a flash of light, raspberry colored light that formed into dozens of small motes and flew into the puppets. As the motes of flame were absorbed into the porcelain, the puppets began to move. “I will take my leave. I know you have it in you to ace this Sunset, so show me what you’re really capable of.”

And with that, Lady Inkwell turned and walked out of the room, leaving Sunset with Will-O-Dawn and the puppets.

*****

“Girl!” One of the puppets shouted irritably. “Where is my drink?!”

Sunset continued on her way without replying, instead following behind Will-O-Dawn, both walking with perfect poise and genial smiles on their faces. Will-O had a large tray balanced on her upturned left palm, while Sunset had a medium sized one on hers. On its surface were several drinking vessels, including a brass goblet with a blown glass vessel filled with twestriblossom wine, a carved coral snifter filled with Veritas Brandey, and two carved diamond glasses with sparkberry cognac.

Sunset did not approach the “irritated” puppet first, instead following behind Will-O as she made her way to the other tables. As she passed a table, she paused to place the coral snifter before a puppet dressed up as a duke, delivering the vessel on his left side, and positioning it 5 cm from the upper left side of its salad plate.

“Thank you,” the puppet said levely.

Bowing her head, Sunset made her way to the next table, depositing the diamond glasses before two puppets dressed as a marquess and marchioness, the latter getting the beverage first, followed by the former, each glass placed 5.5 cm from the upper left side of their salad plates.

Sunset only received a nod from the puppets, but bowed.

“Girl! I’m waiting!” The puppet that had yelled at her earlier called out again, earning a reproachful glare from the other puppet at the table.

Keeping a smile on her face, Sunset approached the table.

“I’m sorry for the delay, your lordship,” Sunset said as she placed the goblet in its proper position 6 cm from the upper left corner of the ‘earl’s’ salad plate.

“Hmph, took you long enough, dirt-eater,” it said, before lifting the vestle and taking a sip, before spitting it back into the glass. “Too warm. Take it back and get me a new one, right now.”

“Of course, your lordship,” Sunset said warmly, maintaining her smile as she took the vessel and headed back to the “kitchen” to get a new goblet as images of rats devouring the ‘earl’ flashing through her mind as she walked.

*****

Sunset’s smile was starting to falter, but not just from the fatigue of having to keep her lips curled up for as long as she had, or the length of time she’d been walking around the exam room. No, it was that not seven minutes ago, they’d finished with the drinks run, and taken a short break. At the end of their break, Will-O-Dawn had decided that Sunset had shown enough promise to take on quite possibly the most difficult setting and serving that she could have; a setting that involved the four most intimidating puppets in the entire room.

Puppets made up to resemble General Steel Sentry, Commander Spitfire, and their bond partners Vestian and Akari.

This was it, they were doing a “proper” phoenix-born serving. Not a drill. Not a written exam.

No, they were doing the actual thing.

With enchanted automata that would act and react like the phoenix-born and their bond partners.

She’d first encountered these particular puppets near the end of the drinks stage of the exam, when Will-O had brought her to their table. Unlike the common Dukes and other nobility, the phoenix-born were to be served exclusively by a specific set of servers, meaning that if Sunset managed to be assigned to them at the rite, she wouldn’t be splitting her attention between the immortals and the rest of the nobility. She would be serving them and them alone.

While it meant that she wouldn’t have to remember or juggle orders, it also meant that she would be staring the linnorm directly in the eye.

Sunset was still on edge from serving the four puppets their drinks. When she had delivered Steel Sentry’s carved jacinth tumbler of Golden Sunfire gin, she’d almost placed it one millimeter too close to his fruit plate. Thankfully all of the time she’d spent studying the images of the placement meant she’d corrected herself at the last moment, but her heart had been beating a kilometer an minute as the keen eyed puppet had regarded her before it dismissed her with a swift flick of its fingers.

From his reputation alone as the leader of Solaria’s military, as well as being the second oldest living phoenix-born, Sunset had a feeling that the real Steel Sentry would easily be a thousand times more intimidating.

If anything positive came from the experience, it was that the shock ensured she didn’t almost make the same mistake when serving Spitfire or the phoenixes.

In hindsight, she almost wished she had placed it incorrectly, because the pressure of doing the actual serving was weighing down on her like a ton of boulders. Then she reminded herself that she was doing this not just to earn a coveted position in the rite, but to stick it to Sapphire. At the thought of the arrogant Heliopolan, Sunset felt her drive return, and her focus was renewed.

Thankfully, the puppets had “backed off” to allow the two of them to do the base settings. Tungsten and gold utensils and spider silk napkins were meticulously arranged and placed on the table, Sunset making minor adjustments to her arrangement to perfectly match the mental image that had been grilled into her mind's-eye.

Once the base settings were done, the puppets had returned, and from the cold, disinterested looks on their faces, she inferred that she’d got everything right.

After completing the first stage, Sunset followed behind Will-O to retrieve the first course of the meal, the soup. Reaching the “kitchen” area, Sunset grabbed the serving cart bearing the carefully made plates meant for the puppets. On the cart were two large gold bowls studded with rubies and jacinth filled with rich, thick rummalis chowder, along with two smaller carved pearl bowls filled with toasted obsidian scarab beetles for the phoenixes. From the conspicuous lack of scent coming from the bowls, she knew that the contents were not true food, but rather alchemically created facsimiles: they’d have all of the physical properties such as weight and texture of the real meal without wasting any of the rare ingredients that would go into the one served at the rite.

Stopping the cart at the designated spot exactly 1.01 meters away from the table, Sunset took a step back and stood at attention, going over the instructions that Will-O had given her: Will-O would handle Spitfire and Akari, while Sunset would serve Steel Sentry and Vestian.

‘This is just part of the test,’ Sunset thought to herself as she nodded to Will-O-Dawn. ‘If you want to show them your worthiness, to show your determination.’

Taking the bowls meant for Steel Sentry and Vestian off the cart, Sunset balanced them on her left arm and approached the puppets. First she placed the pearl bowl onto the special platform integrated into the gold perch the Vestian puppet was resting on, making sure that the top most beetle on the pile had its head pointed directly at the “phoenix”. Receiving a disinterested glare from the puppet, Sunset bowed to it and moved on to Steel Sentry, placing the bowl before him, ensuring that the sprig of five navtel leaves and one flower floating on the soup’s surface were pointed exactly towards the center of the table, and the bowl was precisely 6 cm from the edge.

“Would you like any spice for your soup, your eminence?” Sunset asked as she bowed towards the puppet.

The puppet looked at her for a moment, his brows narrowing slightly. Sunset kept her calm as the puppet glared at her. After a few agonizing seconds, it spoke.

“Five eighths of a grind, into the exact center of the bowl,” the puppet said.

“As you wish, your eminence,” Sunset replied as she retrieved the grinder from her belt.

Lifting the grinder over the bowl, she made sure she was positioned exactly over the center, and gave the top a sharp, steady twist, using the feel of the number of clicks to judge when she’d reached exactly the requested amount.

The puppet regarded her cooly.

“Is there anything else, your eminence,” Sunset asked as she returned the grinder to her belt and bowed.

“I don’t recognize your accent. Where are you from, welp?” The puppet asked.

Swallowing, Sunset pinched her eyes shut, a motion that was thankfully obscured by her bangs.

“I hail from Golden Tree, in the Western Territory, your eminence,” Sunset said, using all of her willpower to keep her voice even and controlled.

The puppet regarded her for a moment, before huffing in irritation.

“Of course Raven assigns a worthless, dirt-eating mongrel to me,” the puppet said as it inspected her like an animal up for sale at a market, before making a shooing motion with its hand. “That is all. Leave now.”

“As you wish, your eminence,” Sunset said as she bowed and stepped away, refusing to allow herself to show any frustration.

*****

Sunset set down the heavy gold plate before the puppet of Steel Sentry, trying to ignore the disapproving glare he, Vestian, Spitfire and Akari were giving her. Much to her chagrin, Sunset found that the almost impossible level of detail paid to every part of the meal was actually working to her advantage. As difficult as placing all of the parts in just the right spot was, it also meant that she could use the ones that were already in place to accurately gauge the position that the plate should rest on the table.

Bowing to the puppet, Sunset turned to walk back to the cart to collect the next part of the meal: a large, baked, rainbow-shelled conch meant to be shared between both the phoenix-born and their partner. Placing both hands under the 18 cm long, kaleidoscopically scintillating rainbow colored shell and carefully lacing her fingers through the long, razor sharp spines, Sunset lifted it and walked back to the table.

Approaching the puppet from the left, she gently set the massive oceanic snail down before the phoenix-puppet’s perch. Unlike the plate, there was no way to have a ‘perfect’ positioning of the snail, as the shells were never the same between individuals. Instead, the key was positioning the inner lip of the shell exactly 15 cm from the side of the perch with the platform used to place bowls for the phoenix to eat from.

“Can I get you anything else, your eminence?” Sunset asked as she bowed to the puppet.

“Bring me another Golden Sunfire, whelp,” the puppet replied. “And be quick about it.”

“Yes, your eminence,” Sunset said as she rose from the bow and went to get the requested drink.

*****

Sunset slumped down into one of the chairs set up along the edge of the room, letting out a deep, exhausted sigh as her head rolled back to rest against the wall. Minutes ago, she and Will-O-Dawn had finished the first half of the test.

“I must say, young one, I’m very impressed,” Will-O said as she approached Sunset and sat next to her, craning and rolling her neck after she’d settled down into the chair. Once settled, she passed a steaming mug of eincjara to Sunset, who took the mug in both hands.

Sunset took a slow, grateful sip of the thick, sweet, rich-tasting beverage, before letting out a happy sigh. She rarely got to drink eincjara back home except during festivals, so she was going to enjoy the rare treat while she could.

“Hey, hard work pays off. And I’ve been putting in a lot of it,” Sunset said as she stared at the rusty-red liquid in her mug, the sensation of her muscle fatigue starting to abate. “How long till I start the next part?”

“We can start now if you want,” Will-O said with a titter.

“Would it be alright if I took a few minutes to stop feeling like a bunch of petroquines played kickball with my head?” Sunset said as evenly as she could.

“Sure. Think five minutes is enough?” Will-O said with a grin.

“Yea, that’ll do. Thanks,” Sunset said as she took another sip of her eincjara. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you worked for Lady Inkwell?”

A warm chuckle escaped Will-O-Dawn’s lips as she leaned back a bit in her chair.

“All my life,” she said with a wistful smile.

“Really? As in, since you were old enough to work?” Sunset asked as she looked at the older woman.

“In a manner of speaking,” Will-O said, before looking at Sunset and smiling. “Tell me, young one, have you ever heard of the sun-touched?”

Sunset thought for a moment. The phrase was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Then, it struck her as she remembered.

“Wait, aren’t the sun-touched the Queen’s personal attendants?” Sunset said, her voice cracking with awe. “You’re telling me that you’re from the village at the base of Celestia’s castle? You’re one of the sun-gazers who’s village has lived in Celestia’s light since the founding of Heliopolis?”

“Indeed,” Will-O said blissfully.

“I’ve heard stories about your village. Is it true that you’re trained from the moment you can walk to serve the Queen?” Sunset asked with wide curious eyes. “That your senses are so finely honed that you can tell when a grain of sand is out of place in one of Queen Celestia’s rock gardens?”

“Yes, on both accounts,” Will-O said.

“I… I can’t even imagine what that must be like,” Sunset said with reverence, “living in Celestia’s light like that. It must be amazing.”

“To be fair, young one, you haven’t been born and raised on this path, so that’s not surprising,” Will-O said warmly. “Just as I can scarcely imagine a life not lived by the Queen’s side. It’s all about where your path begins, and where it leads. Mine is to serve the Queen. Yours… well, yours is yours to find, and follow.”

“I suppose,” Sunset said as she stared down into the mug. “Celestia willing if it were really that simple.”

“No life is simple, young one,” Will-O said as she patted Sunset on the shoulder. “And not all paths are as clear as mine. Give it time.”

“I… okay. Thanks,” Sunset said, before downing the last bit of her drink and getting to her feet. “So, shall we finish this thing up.”

“Whenever you’re ready,” Will-O said as she stood and stretched her back, a satisfied groan escaping her throat as her back audibly popped.

*****

For the second time during the exam, Sunset found herself by the phoenix-born puppets, setting the table, delivering food, and clearing off plates, bowls and drinking vessels as they were cleaned. But this time, there was an additional level of stress, as she had to not only perform her part flawlessly, but keep an eye out for any deliberate errors that Will-O-Dawn might add.

Walking purposefully towards Steel Sentry, Sunset looked at the position of all the components of the table, gauging where she was supposed to place the salad plate.

As she looked, there was something almost imperceptibly wrong on the table. She could sense it, but couldn’t quite place it. All she knew was that with how hard she’d drilled the precision of the placements into her mind, she could tell that something was wrong.

But what?

Maintaining her pace, she approached Steel Sentry from the left hand side, and began to place the golden plate down before him. Yes, just as she was about to set it down, she made a slight, last minute correction in the placement.

There, to the right of the salad plate, was the error: the angle of the inscriptions on the teacup’s saucer that she’d been using to gauge the position of the salad plate were 2° off from where they should have been in relation to the knives. Had she used it to position the salad plate, she’d have placed it wrong.

Making a mental note of the error, Sunset addressed the puppet.

“Do you want any liitais for your salad, your eminence?” Sunset said.

“Yes. Two and three-tenths strokes of fine grated,” Steel Sentry said curtly.

Bowing again, Sunset returned to the cart and retrieved the small block of hard cheese and the ceramic-tungsten grater. Returning to Steel Sentry, Sunset was about to begin grating, but froze yet again. Doing a quick count, she realized that there were only 18 rows of grating slots on the grater, not 20.

Doing a quick bit of mental math, that meant that if she wanted to get the right volume of liitais onto Steel Sentry’s salad, she’d need to do two full strokes, plus just over half a full stroke.

Staring ruefully at the grater, Sunset brought both over Steel Sentry’s salad, and began to grate.

*****

“… and for the desert course, I noticed that there were 36 plietes in Vestian’s bowl, rather than the appropriate 35,” Sunset said to Will-O-Dawn as she gave her end of exam debriefing. “In all, that brings the number of errors that I observed to seven: one in the drinks stage, one in the soup stage, one in the appetizer stage, two in the salad stage, none in the main course, and two in the desert.”

As Sunset finished and took a deep breath, Will-O-Dawn steepled her fingers and gave Sunset a scrutinizing look, before nodding, a slight smile forming on her face.

“Thank you, Sunset, you’ve done well. I’ll pass along my assessment to Lady Inkwell,” Will-O said before gesturing to the door. “You’re free to go. Do not discuss anything that has happened in this room with any of the other students who have not completed the exam. The results and your placement will be announced after dinner.”

“So, that’s it?” Sunset asked, “I don’t get to know how I did until later tonight?”

“That’s right,” Will-O said, before patting Sunset’s shoulder. “Don’t fret about it Sunset. You did what you did, you can’t change it now, so why worry. I’d suggest you take the rest of the afternoon to relax, alright?”

“I… fine. Alright. I’ll try,” Sunset grumbled. “So you won’t even give me a hint?”

The only response she got from Will-O was a light chuckle, a lopsided smile and a hand gently turning her around and pushing on her back.

“Enjoy your afternoon Sunset,” Will-O said kindly but firmly as she began to walk Sunset to the door. “You’ll know how you did when everyone else does.”

“Thanks. Like I can relax with that looming over my head,” Sunset grumbled as she allowed herself to be led.

“I’m sure you’ll find a way,” Will-O said as she opened the door and ushered Sunset into the hallway, following after her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an evaluation to write. Sun’s radiance upon you, young one.”

“Sun’s radiance upon you too,” Sunset said as she began to walk towards her room.

“Just about every day, young one,” She heard Will-O call back over her shoulder.

*****

“Ugh, that was brutal!” Daisy whined as she fell face first onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. “Wake me up after the rite’s over.”

“Oh come on Daisy, it had to be worse than that,” Sunset said with a tired smile as she lowered her book to her lap from her spot leaning against the headboard of her bed.

After returning to her room, Sunset had felt like she’d been run over by not one, but a whole herd of petroquines. Staggering into the bathroom, she’d taken an almost painfully hot bath to work the exhaustion out of her muscles. After soaking for what felt like a blissful eternity, she’d dressed in her more comfortable casual clothing, and gone right to her trunk to retrieve her book of legends. Treasured tome in hand, she’d settled on her bed and allowed herself to get lost some pleasure reading. Until moments ago, when both Daisy and Lily had stumbled into the room, bleary eyed and exhausted just as she’d been when she had returned.

“You’re not helping, you know that right?” Lily groaned as she splayed herself out on her own bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“Yup. That’s me; utterly unhelpful, existing only to take up space and make everyone around me miserable,” Sunset said, badly imitating an upper-class Heliopolan accent. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and powder my butt and pretend that I’ve got more than one fiftieth of a mind.”

Both Daisy and Lily stared at Sunset for a couple of seconds, before bursting out laughing.

“Oh Celestia, Sunset! You’re awful,” Daisy said as she snorted with mirth.

“No I’m not. I’m perfect and flawless and have no idea that sticking a twig in my eye would hurt because I’ve never had to go outside in my life,” Sunset retorted, barely able to keep her smirk off her face. “Now, bring me a peeled blueberry. I’m going to eat it without straining my jaw this time.”

“You better be careful, you might forget how to breathe and blink at the same time,” Lily said, getting in on the action.

“Or fail at standing up because you never walk, only get carried around on a pillow,” Daisy said as she kicked her legs with mirth.

“Walking? But only peasants do that. Why, I don’t even wipe my own bottom. I have someone use silk sheets to clean me after I poop,” Sunset said, putting a hand on her chest and sticking her nose into the air. “Manual labor is beneath me because my daddy said so.”

Soon, all three of them burst out laughing.

“O… o… okay,” Daisy said as she tried to get her breathing under control. “Stop. Please. I’m going to run out of air.”

“I never have that problem,” Sunset said, maintaining her mocking “Heliopolan” accent. “My brain needs so little air that I can’t be drowned.”

“Please… Sunset… stop,” Lily said between gasps. “I can’t take it anymore.”

“Oh, fine. Be that way,” Sunset said with an unapologetic lilt and grin as her laughter died down, allowing her friends to catch their breaths.

‘I missed this,’ Sunset thought as she leaned back against the headrest of her bed. ‘No constant studying. No exams. No pressure. Just laughing with my friends.’

A soft, wistful sigh escaped Sunset’s throat at the thought of her friends back in Golden Tree. To her oath-sisters. And how much she missed seeing them.

“You okay Sunset?” Daisy asked, noticing Sunset’s mood taking a sharp downturn.

“Huh? Oh, yea,” Sunset said, a sad smile forming on her face. “Just… thinking about my sisters. Sorry to be a downer like that.”

Daisy propped herself up on her elbows and rested her chin on her palms, a sympathetic smile on her face.

“Hey, we get it. You’re homesick,” Daisy said wistfully. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t too.”

“You know, you’ve never told us about your home town,” Lily said, looking at Sunset while still laying on her back. “Would you… like to? We’d love to know what it’s like living in the West.”

“I…,” Sunset said, her voice catching a little.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Lily said, turning over onto her stomach and scooching to sit on the edge of her bed.

“No… it's okay. I’d be happy to tell you about it,” Sunset said as she closed her book and looked down at it, as she ran her fingers across the cover. “Who do you want to hear about first?”

“Well, what’s Golden Tree like?” Daisy asked as she kicked her legs back and forth.

“Heh,” Sunset chuckled, thinking of ways to describe Golden Tree. “Well, I guess the best way to describe it is that it's home…”

*****

The sounds of the dining hall were especially raucous that evening, with discussions of the exam being the main topic among the students. Sitting at their table in the back, Sunset, Lily and Daisy found themselves apart from the conversation. Instead of fretting over their performance on the final exam, Sunset’s stories of home had led them to share stories about their own hometowns.

One thing led to another, which brought them to where they were now: eating an unusually opulent celebratory dinner and swapping embarrassing stories about their misadventures.

Misadventures that currently had both Sunset and Daisy laughing hard enough that they could barely breathe.

Taking a few bracing gulps of air, Sunset met the eyes of a slightly darker shade of raspberry then usual Lily Valley.

“So, wait, you’re telling us that after the minstrels finally lured the moth swarm out of town, they decided that they’d give everyone a free performance for the trouble, and that just started everything all over again when it drew them back in?” Sunset said, a giant grin on her face.

“In our defense,” Lily said, an uncomfortable grin on her face. “We didn’t know that the honeysuckle we imported from the north would draw in that many moths, or that the music would agitate them the way it did. Needless to say, the town’s clan representatives weren't happy with how the festival went that year.”

“At least it wasn’t as bad as when… I’m sorry Sunset, which of your sisters got into the hard zap apple cider again?” Daisy asked as she managed to get her giggles under control.

“That would be Pinkie Pie,” Sunset said with a good natured groan. “I still don’t know how she managed to get every duck in Golden Tree into town square without anyone noticing, or where she found all the little hats she stuck on them. I’m just glad I managed to catch her and keep her occupied while the cider wore off. There were a lot of people that were pretty mad about having to figure out which birds belonged to them.”

“Celestia’s sun, that doesn’t make any sense,” Lily said with a laugh. “Why would she even do that? How could she do that? I could have sworn you told us she’s an earth-weaver, not a fire-caller.”

Crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back in her chair, Sunset regarded Lily with a smile.

“If I’ve learned anything about Pinkie,” Sunset said with a chuckle, “it’s that you just don’t question how she does what she does. Pinkie… is Pinkie. That’s really all there is to it. Looking any deeper would probably lead to madness. Or taffy. Or both at the same time.”

“At least there’s never a dull moment with her around, right?” Daisy asked.

“Pretty much,” Sunset said, as she noticed that the room was getting quiet. Taking a quick glance towards the front of the room, she saw why. “Lily, Daisy, looks like it’s time.”

Lady Inkwell and Dylis had just entered the dining hall, and were looking out over the assembled students with a calm, imperious expression. Once all conversation in the room had died down, she made her way to the far wall of the room, and, folding her arms behind her back, turned to address the students.

“Thank you all for your efforts over the last four weeks. Some of you have shown yourselves to be worthy of the duty you’ve volunteered for, some of you have shown far exceed all of my expectations, while others have shown a distinct lack of worthiness,” Lady Inkwell said.

Sunset had a feeling she knew who Lady Inkwell was talking about, and had to suppress a smirk.

“In one hour in the main auditorium I will give you your assignments for the rite,” Lady Inkwell continued. “So, please, enjoy your meals, and I will see you all in a little while.”

And with that, Lady Inkwell turned and walked out of the room.

Sunset turned back to her friends, who shared a look with her. This was it. The moment of truth.

Both to see if her work had paid off.

And if her mysterious guide was right about Lady Inkwell being ready to shield her from whatever Sapphire was going to try.

*****

An hour later, all of the students were crammed into the main auditorium. While dinner had been full of nervous energy, now the air was filled with dread and anticipation. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.

Standing at the head of the room were Lady Inkwell and Dylis, the former’s countenance serious as she regarded the students, while the latter was giving them a curmudgeonly glare from his golden perch to Lady Inkwell’s side. In addition to Lady Inkwell, Sparkler, Will-O-Dawn, Dr. Arnica and the other instructors were seated on the stage behind the royal seneschal.

“Now that everyone is here, and has had a chance to unwind, I’m pleased to say that all of you have completed this trial. And now, you shall receive the fruits of your efforts and devotion,” Lady Inkwell said, before gesturing to a stack of scrolls to her left. “Next to me are your assignments for the rite. Each of these is based off of your performance in the classrooms, your aptitude in the practicals, and my observations on both your conduct and attitude.”

Sunset could have sworn that the air got a little thicker as Lady Inkwell said those last few words.

“After you’ve received your assignments, know that if you do not wish for the responsibility required by your assignment, you may request to be put on any lower difficulty position,” Lady Inkwell continued. “Are there any questions?”

Silence.

“Well, then I suppose we can move on,” Lady Inkwell said as she began to perform a simple spell dance. Soon, glowing raspberry light engulfed the scrolls, and they drifted into the air, each one floating out over the room and depositing themselves in the waiting lap of one of the students.

Her heart racing a mile a minute, Sunset grabbed the scroll in her lap and closed her eyes. Breaking the wax seal, unrolling the parchment, and cracking her eyes open, Sunset read her assignment. A second later, she almost dropped the parchment. Because what she saw was something utterly unimaginable and unexpected:

Sunset Shimmer: Aide to Royal Seneschal Raven Inkwell.

Sunset could scarcely breathe in her suddenly far too tight tunic. She was peripherally aware of several unhappy groans and muttered curses of disappointment, but none of those mattered. Only those eight words on the page. Lady Inkwell wanted her to serve as her personal aide durring the ceremony.

The thought was terrifying.

It was wonderful.

Her mind couldn’t even comprehend the idea, and she was starting to feel lightheaded before she realized she’d stopped breathing.

“Daisy, Lily, am I seeing this right?” Sunset said as she turned to her friends. Looking at the other girls, Sunset realized they were similarly stunned. “Girls, are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” Lily said quietly. “I think I might need to sit down.”

“You are sitting down,” Daisy said, her voice also soft and weak.

“Oh, yea,” Lily replied softly. “I need to sit down more.”

“Yea, me too,” Daisy said.

“What’s wrong? Where were you assigned?” Sunset said, her concern for her friends beginning to override her own trepidation.

Both Lily and Daisy slowly turned their scrolls to face Sunset, holding them open so the words were plainly visible to the other girl.

Flower Wishes / Lily Valley: attendant to Archduchess Roseluck of the Eastern Territory

“Oh… oh wow. You girls too?” Sunset said as she held her scroll up for her friends to see.

“Oh my / Sweet sunlight…” The Easterners said almost breathlessly.

“I know…” Sunset managed to stammer. “I don’t even know…”

“WHAT!?”

Sunset was jolted out of her stunned trance at the sound of an angry, indignant yell echoing across the auditorium. Head snapping around towards the source of the cry, she saw Sapphire Prism standing in front of her chair, gripping the parchment of her scroll so tight it would probably tear any moment.

“Is there a problem, Sapphire Prism?” Lady Inkwell said as she calmly regarded the young fire-caller and crossed her arms across her chest.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Sapphire shrieked, shaking the parchment angrily. “This has to be some sort of mistake!”

“I assure you, it’s not,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice steady.

“This is an outrage! You expect me to clean the lavatories?!” Sapphire snarled. “I’m the daughter of Marchioness Ruby Prism and Marquess Amethyst Mirage, niece of Duke Highblood, and you have the audacity to suggest that I should degrade myself by cleaning up piss!? My father is friends with General Steel Sentry, and when he finds out about…”

Before Sapphire could finish, there was a sharp crack like that of a gavel as Lady Inkwell lifted her foot slightly and brought it down in a sharp stomp. Sunset wasn’t sure what Lady Inkwell was doing, but an instant later, it didn’t matter.

Nothing did.

Somehow, the entire atmosphere of the room suddenly felt like it was composed of one thing, and one thing only: the massive, crushing, paralyzing weight of Lady Raven Inkwell’s displeasure. Though Lady Inkwell’s expression hadn’t changed, Sunset could literally feel the anger coming off the phoenix-born, making it impossible to move. Indeed, everything had been subsumed by the overwhelming sensation that she was a tiny, baby mouse staring up at an enraged elder flame linnorm who’s maw was open and prepared to incinerate her with a searing tide of white hot fire.

Had Sunset the presence of mind to appreciate it, she would have taken some joy in watching Sapphire’s eyes go wide with pure, unadulterated terror as Lady Inkwell stared her down. But, she was not. She could only stare in mute, paralyzing dread as Lady Inkwell slowly walked forward and, folding her arms behind her back, stepped off the edge of the stage and floated down to the floor.

“Child, you clearly do not understand your place in this, or how much say you have in the matter,” Lady Inkwell said, the tone of her voice no different than her usual even calm, but each word sent crushing waves of presence out into the room, causing many of the students to gasp for breath or even pass out. “When you applied to serve at the rite, you put yourself under my judgement and my rule. Who you are, who your family is, or who you know does not matter one jot to me. The only thing that matters is that you’ve worked to prove your worthiness to serve at the birth of Celestia’s newest phoenix-born.”

“You, little girl, have failed at this.”

“I have watched your efforts, and they are barely adequate. You have put almost no effort into your studies, performed poorly on your exams, both written and practical, and barely made any attempts outside of class to make up for this deficiency. Had that been the end of it, you might have eked out a place in the balconies far from the stage serving at the buffetes for the commoners attending the rite.”

Pausing, Lady Inkwell unwove her arms from behind her back and slowly brought them around the front of her body, her left hand cradling her right elbow while holding her right hand palm up with her fingers curled into a fist.

“But, the weight of your folly goes far beyond a simple lack of performance on your part,” Lady Inkwell continued, the pressure somehow growing stronger.

“To start, you have shown complete and utter disrespect for what this rite stands for: the unity and solidarity of all Solarians,” Lady Inkwell said as she extended her thumb. “Not only did you act deplorably towards one of your peers after I expressly stated that social status and place of origin do not matter here, you attacked her in an attempt to force her out of your shared room because you considered her beneath you.”

“On top of that,” Lady Inkwell’s index finger extended, “you had the audacity to lie to me. That is something that I do not have any tolerance for.”

“You have repeatedly provoked and used slurs in an attempt to degenerate sun-gazers that I personally invited to this rite, under some deluded idea that you decide who is worthy of attending or serving,” Her middle finger uncurled as she cast her gaze around the room, “as well as encouraged others to do the same. It is not your place to decide who is worthy. It’s mine.”

“The way you spoke to me just now, and your insolent attitude for the past four weeks has shown me that you do not understand your place,” The ring finger uncurled. “I am not one of your servants to be ordered around. I am Raven Inkwell, and I have borne witness to not only the raising of Heliopolis, but the very founding of Solaria after the splintering. I am the hand of Celestia, and her voice. You do not tell me what to do, child.”

“And finally,” her pinky uncurled, and for the first time, her brows furrowed, and the pressure in the room grew to almost unbearable levels, making them feel like they were drowning in mud. “I learn that you not only used your family’s resources to track down where the Solarian you’ve been tormenting lives, but you threatened her family in an effort to make her give up her chance to witness the rite. Including a threat to have several members of said family unlawfully executed should she bring this to my attention.”

Slowly bringing her right forearm down, she rested it across the top of her left arm.

“You have shown me no reason to consider your efforts worthy of the privilege of viewing the phoenix-rite. If I’m being honest, you should consider it fortunate that I am even willing to give you the opportunity to clean the toilets,” Lady Inkwell continued, before turning back towards the stage and floating up to its surface.

“In fact, I must say that I am very displeased with a great many of you,” Lady Inkwell said as she turned to face them. “And I am sorely disappointed by the sorry state of the people of the Queen’s holy city. I do not care where you come from. I do not care if you are noble or peasant. It is the quality of your conduct and devotion to Celestia and our nation that determines your worthiness, not your place of birth, or your status. I hope that has been made abundantly clear.”

And with that, the pressure abated, leaving everyone in the room stunned, terrified and gasping for breath.

“You are all free to go now,” Lady Inkwell said as though nothing had just happened. “Tomorrow morning, we will be heading to the Cathedral of the Sun to prepare for the rite. In two days time, the ceremony will commence. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Nobody moved.

“I said, you are dismissed,” Lady Inkwell said in a bored tone as she uncrossed her arms and gestured to the door. “Please leave in an orderly fashion.”

As if waking from a stupor, the students all began to slowly file out of the room.

“Sapphire,” Lady Inkwell said as the girl in question began to leave. “Please go to my office and wait for me. There are a few more things I wish to discuss with you… privately. Sparkler, go with her to make sure she doesn’t try anything foolish.”

A small, terrified squeak was the only acknowledgement Sapphire gave before slowly trudging out of the room, followed by a very cross looking Sparkler. As the crowd thinned, Sunset and her friends rose to their feet and began to make their way out.

“Sunset. Lily. Flower. Would the three of you wait a moment,” Lady Inkwell said gently just as they reached the door. Sunset could feel herself flinch back in terror, but Lady Inkwell raised her hand placatingly. “Don’t worry. You’re not in trouble. I just need to discuss your assignments with you. Please, take a seat.”

“Yes, your grace,” all three girls said as they shuffled over to the front row desks and sat down.

A few minutes later, all of the other students had filed out of the room, leaving only the three friends sitting by themselves, still shaken by Lady Inkwell’s earlier display.

Stepping off the stage and floating down to the floor, Lady Inkwell wove her hands through the air in a short spell dance, summoning a chair to sit on. Taking a seat before the three, she regarded the girls for a moment.

“Girls, please look at me,” Lady Inkwell said evenly, the barest hint of warmth in her voice.

All three girls looked up at Lady Inkwell. As they did, they felt a massive weight lift from their shoulders. Lady Inkwell was smiling warmly at them, her expression almost maternal. That look of warm, motherly concern drove the dread away like morning fog being burnt off by the sun’s light.

“I’m going to assume that the three of you have seen your assignments,” Lady Inkwell said levely.

“Yes, your grace,” all three replied in perfect unison.

“Well, then tell me, do you wish to accept them?” Lady Inkwell said.

“Um… / Well… / I…” the girls stammered, unsure how to respond.

“Please, speak freely,” Lady Inkwell said, her right hand making a small, palm up sweep at the youngsters.

“I…,” Sunset began, before taking a deep breath and focusing her mind through a quick meditation. Looking at her friends, she saw them give her a subtle nod, as if saying they were behind her. “Are you sure that you want me as your aide? I’m not sure I’m qualified after only four weeks of training. Shouldn’t someone from Chromos take the spot?”

Lady Inkwell simply bobbed her head as Sunset finished.

“Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said, “one of the reasons for this whole month-long ordeal was to see if someone was worthy of this position. The denizens of Chromos are devoted and know how the rite is conducted to an obsidian sharp degree, but, there’s more to it than that.

“You have earned this because you’re not from Heliopolis. Of all the students here, you have suffered the greatest adversity, sacrificed the most to attend, yet you fought through it to stand at the top of the mountain. You learned to execute all tasks I’ve set before you like you had been training most of your life to do them. When faced with adversity, you used ingenuity to overcome barriers put in your way. You forgave and extended a hand to someone who had hurt you, and you trusted in others when you were at your lowest. You were willing to sacrifice your place for your family, and were able to protect what matters to you when you needed to.”

Sunset found her face heating up.

“Thank you, your grace. I don’t deserve such praise,” Sunset stammered with a blush.

“I disagree Sunset. You do deserve it, because as far as I’m concerned, you’ve more than earned it,” Lady Inkwell said, before turning her attention to Lily and Daisy. “Flower, Lily, the same goes for you. You’ve both shown effort above and beyond what was expected, and have shown true resilience. When you arrived, you were the ones to reach out a hand to Sunset and show her friendship. You have both worked hard to perfect your skills, shown loyalty to not only each other, but to Sunset as well. Your efforts to hone your skills are no less admirable or worthy than Sunset’s and I cannot think of a better way to show my dear friend Roseluck just how devoted her citizens are than to let them show her their efforts personally.”

Both Daisy and Lily stammered and blushed, offering soft “thank you”s to Lady Inkwell.

“All three of you have proven yourselves the most worthy of all those who’ve sought to serve at the rite, and I can think of no better reward than to be given the highest honors available to you,” Lady Inkwell said as she rose to her feet and folded her hands behind her back. “So, do you accept your positions?”

“Yes! / Of course! / Absolutely!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Lady Inkwell said with a warm smile. “Now, off with you and get some rest. The next two days are going to be intense.”

Needing no further prompting, Sunset and her friends rose and scampered out of the room, floating high on a sea of clouds.

Author's Note

eincjara - effectively the culinary equivalent of hot-chocolate. Unlike hot-chocolate, eincjara comes from the root tubers of a woodland vine.

petroquines - large, horse-like rock creatures found to the north-west of Solaria. Notoriously territorial, these creatures will trample anything they consider a threat, and are known for their immense strength.

liitais - a hard cheese made from the milk of a rare breed of sheep found in the Eastern Territory.

Flame linnorm - Rare, beautiful and devious, these linnorms are found in areas of high geothermal activity. Breath is either a bomb of explosive plasma or a stream of super heated flame.

Interlude - Through Raven's Eyes

Lady Inkwell slowly lifted a carved opal teacup to her lips, taking a sip of her favorite herbal tea. Savoring the subtly sweet floral taste of the aromatic liquid, she opened her bond with Dylis, allowing him to vicariously enjoy the beverage through her. A small feeling of gratitude drifted back through their bond as he settled in on his perch near their desk. Placing the cup down on its saucer, Lady Inkwell leaned back in her chair, and, lacing her fingers together, rested them on the surface of the table, her attention entirely on the one other person in the room.

Across from her was Sapphire Prism, her face downcast and her hands clenched in her lap, her body trembling in barely contained terror. Like Lady Inkwell, there was a cup of tea before the young marchioness, but unlike the phoenix-born, she hadn’t touched it. In fact, she’d barely moved since Lady Inkwell brought her to the table.

Lady Inkwell regarded the girl before her. Gone was the brashness, self-assurance and swagger. Instead, in its place, there was a frightened little girl that for all the world looked like she might die of fear at any moment. Raven knew that had she unleashed her full presence on the child, she very well might have.

“Sapphire,” Lady Inkwell said evenly, her voice commanding yet non-threatening. No need to spook the girl any more than she already was.

At the sound of Lady Inkwell’s voice, Sapphire jumped in her seat and scooted back in her chair, before frantically looking at the royal seneschal with wide, terror filled eyes.

“Y-y-yes, yo-your g-g-g-grace?” Sapphire stammered.

“Young one, I’m not going to hurt you,” Lady Inkwell said with a calming tone. “We’re just here to talk. You and I. One on one.”

“A-a-a-about what, your grace?” Sapphire stammered, her trembling body still looking fragile and terrified.

“There are a great many things we could discuss,” Lady Inkwell said. “But, I think that first and foremost, I’m curious what you think of your tea?”

“M-m-my tea?” Sapphire said as she flinched back a little.

“Yes, your tea. It’s one of my special blends, and I’m curious what you think,” Lady Inkwell said as she gestured to the cup before Sapphire. “Please, drink.”

Looking down at the teacup before her, Sapphire stared at it for several seconds, as if not sure what to do. Then, with slow, trembling fingers, she reached forward and lifted the cup. Shakily, she lifted the vessel to her lips, and, after bringing up a second hand to steady it, took a small sip. The instant the hot liquid passed her lips, her eyes went wide as she slowly brought the cup away and looked at the emerald green drink, her expression shifting away from terror to shocked awe.

“Well?” Raven said, taking another sip of her own tea.

“I-i-i-it’s delicious, your grace,” Sapphire said as she stared at the tea with wonder. “It’s the most delicious tea I’ve ever tasted.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Lady Inkwell said, setting her cup down and folding her hands again. “The leaves and blossoms come from my private garden.”

“Th-thank you for sharing such a thing with me, your grace,” Sapphire said as she took another sip, her tremors starting to settle down as she focused her attention on her tea. “I know I don’t deserve such a gift.”

“You are quite welcome, young one,” Lady Inkwell said evenly.

A few moments of silence passed as the two sun-gazers sat at the table drinking their tea. Watching Sapphire closely, Lady Inkwell saw the girl’s tremors slow and her breathing become more relaxed.

“Well, now that we’ve had our tea, I think it’s time that we have a little discussion,” Lady Inkwell said evenly as she regarded Sapphire.

All at once, Sapphire froze up and looked at Lady Inkwell, the terror coming back full force.

“About?” Sapphire asked slowly, the fear starting to seep back into her eyes.

“Well, to begin, I want to ask you a question: what does it mean to be worthy?” Lady Inkwell asked as her eyes met Sapphire’s.

Sapphire could only stare into Lady Inkwell’s eyes, as if she were trying to comprehend what the words she’d been asked meant. For what felt like an eternity, youthful turquoise staring into ancient, ageless orange-brown.

“What?” Was the only answer Sapphire could muster.

“I’m asking you, what does it mean to be worthy?” Lady Inkwell repeated without any recrimination. “What, in your eyes, makes a person worthy?”

“I… I’m not sure,” Sapphire said as she continued to stare at Lady Inkwell. “I guess being born to a noble family in Heliopolis, and having a title.”

“That’s not quite what I meant, young one,” Lady Inkwell said evenly. “That’s, in a sense, what it means to be a noble. But that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking what makes one a worthy person, not what makes a person a noble.”

Sapphire could only stare mutely at Lady Inkwell, a dumbfounded look on her face.

“Come now Sapphire, you must have some idea,” Lady Inkwell said warmly.

“I… guess someone who is worthy is someone who is just. Somebody who is honorable and righteous,” Sapphire said uncertainly, looking to Lady Inkwell for confirmation.

“Go on,” Lady Inkwell said encouragingly.

“Well, someone worthy is both moral in mind and deed, and strives to live up to the highest ideals of Solaria by living by the values Queen Celestia has laid down for us at the birth of the nation. They strive for excellence, and to prove their devotion to their nation through their actions,” Sapphire said with a little more confidence.

Lady Inkwell nodded once as Sapphire finished, folding her arms over her breast.

“That is an acceptable answer,” she said, before looking back at Sapphire. “And, what are the four core ideals that Celestia asked us to live by?”

“Um?” Sapphire said, unsure of herself, before bowing her head in thought. “Obey your betters? Family is the most important thing in one’s life… I think. I’m sorry, your grace, I don’t know the others.”

“I see,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice carrying no judgment. “Then allow me to enlighten you. The four principles that Celestia asked all Solarians to live by are: Honor and cherish one’s family and friends, no matter the form they take. Show kindness to those around you, even when it may not benefit you. Be generous to those you meet, especially those who are in need. And, know your place in the order of things by following those who have earned the right to lead.”

“Oh,” Sapphire said softly. “I’m sorry, your grace.”

“Apology accepted, young one,” Lady Inkwell said. “So, we’ve defined how someone who is worthy acts. Now, perhaps we can address another question: is anyone inherently worthy?”

“Well, yes, the nobility is inherently worthy,” Sapphire said almost mechanically.

“So one automatically is worthy without deed or virtue?” Lady Inkwell asked, before picking up her cup and taking a sip of tea.

“Um… yes… the nobility are by definition more worthy than others. Right?” Sapphire said, her voice now unsure.

“I see. So, one can be worthy by nature,” Lady Inkwell said as she crossed her leg, before lacing her fingers together and resting them on her calf. “But, if we’ve said that someone is worthy by the quality of their actions, and by living up to the Queen’s ideals, does that mean that someone lives up to those ideals simply by being born? Or does one need to act in a way that is worthy?”

Sapphire opened her mouth to speak, only to close it and re-open it several times, before bowing her head in defeat.

“Well… I… uh… I don’t know…” Sapphire admitted under her breath.

“I’m glad you were willing to admit that, young one,” Lady Inkwell said. “Let’s try something else. Tell me, are you familiar with the term noblesse oblige?”

“I’ve… heard it, but I’m afraid I don’t know what it means. I’m sorry, your grace,” Sapphire said.

“It’s a phrase that signifies what it means to be a noble,” Lady Inkwell said, before taking another sip of her tea. “Noblesse oblige is the principle that if one is a noble, they must be held to a higher standard of conduct. And that those of higher rank in the nobility are held to a higher standard of nobility than those of lower rank. It also means that as a noble, one is responsible for those under their care. It means that if one is a noble, they must be sure to live up to the ideals of Solaria. In other words, they are expected to maintain a level of worthiness that acts as an example to others because of the position of power they occupy.”

Lady Inkwell carefully watched Sapphire’s expression. After a few moments, there appeared to be a click of understanding.

“I… think I understand, your grace. To be a noble means that you are not inherently worthy, but rather, that you are held to a higher standard of behavior, because your position means you must show you are worthy of holding it.” Sapphire said, her expression brightening. “Is that right?”

“Good. Well done,” Lady Inkwell said with a slight smile, before her expression returned to its unreadable resting neutral. “Now, have you lived up to that?”

Sapphire’s face suddenly fell as her elation was replaced by confusion.

“I… I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Sapphire said.

“For the last month, have you acted in a way that was worthy?” Lady Inkwell repeated levely and calmly, as if she were asking about what the weather was like outside. “Have you lived up to the ideals of kindness, generosity, friendship and deference that Celestia asks of her children? Have you proven your worthiness?”

Sapphire could only stair dumbly at Lady Inkwell, the question slamming into her like the corrosive, hurricane force breath of a crag linnorm.

“Um…” Sapphire said, before closing her mouth and curling up.

“Because from where I’m sitting, you did not. Do I need to explain why?” Lady Inkwell asked in the same level way as before.

“I… have some idea, your grace,” Sapphire mumbled.

“Go on,” Lady Inkwell said with a wave of her hand.

“It was made very clear to me when you gave me my assignment. I disobeyed you, and took for granted that I should have been given a high-ranking assignment,” Sapphire said. “But, there’s something I don’t understand, your grace.”

“Which is?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“Why did you bring that di… that outsider here. She’s an orphan, and she’s not from Heliopolis,” Sapphire said desperately. “Why would you want someone like that here? She has no family, which is an affront to the very idea of one of the core tenants you told me about. And she’s not from Heliopolis. There’s no way that someone not born in Celestia’s light can be worthy, right?”

“Sapphire,” Lady Inkwell said in a gentle voice, “I brought her because I wanted her here. Just as I wanted all of you here.”

“But then why did you keep her around after she struck me,” Sapphire protested. “She’s a commoner. I’m a marchioness. She should have been exiled or imprisoned for laying a hand on me.”

“Do you remember what I said the first day?” Lady Inkwell asked. “I said that while you were here, everyone was an equal. It did not matter your title, or where you came from. When you were here, you were Solarians, and nothing more.”

Sapphire could only stare numbly at Lady Inkwell.

“Furthermore, you started it when you attacked her. You did not follow my decree of treating her as an equal. And, you destroyed a gift from her family,” Lady Inkwell continued. “And encouraged others to try to do the same.”

“But… she has no family. She’s a foundling.” Sapphire meekly protested.

“Sapphire, have you heard of the sister or brotherhood oath?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“I… no, I haven’t.” Sapphire said, looking confused.

“I suppose that’s not surprising. Then allow me to enlighten you. It’s a practice in the Western territory. When you're close to someone who is not of your blood, and you love them like a sister or brother, there is a ceremony where you swear an oath of family with one another,” Lady Inkwell said, before adjusting her glasses. “To a Westerner, that oath is as strong and binding as blood. And Sunset has three such oath-sisters. Oath-sisters that gave her the very book you destroyed out of petty spite.”

A look of shock settled onto Sapphire’s face.

“But… family doesn’t work like that. Family is blood and lineage,” Sapphire protested.

“In Heliopolis,” Lady Inkwell corrected. “But in the West, things work differently.”

Taking another sip of her tea, Lady Inkwell reached out and picked up the teapot and refilled her cup.

“So, you see, she does have a family. And one she’s very close to,” Lady Inkwell continued. “Do you understand why she attacked you so violently when you destroyed her book? She did it because it was a gift from her oath-sisters. A gift from her family. If she had vindictively destroyed something your parents gave to you out of love, how would you respond?”

Sapphire sighed and looked down at her hands in shame.

“I would probably have done the same thing…” Sapphire said. “But she’s still an outsider. Outsiders aren’t welcome in Heliopolis. Only Celestia’s chosen are.”

“Sapphire, the Queen does not believe that,” Lady Inkwell said.

“But, my parents, uncle and General Steel Sentry say that it's true,” Sapphire meekly protested.

“Sapphire, please look at me,” Lady Inkwell said. Slowly, Sapphire lifted her head and met Lady Inkwell’s eyes once more. “Steel Sentry does not speak for the queen. I do. And I’m telling you that Queen Celestia loves all of her sun-gazers, both that live within her city, and those who do not.”

“I…” Sapphire stammered.

“And if I personally invited her, then how can she not be welcome?” Lady Inkwell asked.

Once again, Sapphire could provide no response.

“It seems like you’re finally starting to understand why your behavior has been unacceptable, if not downright deplorable,” Lady Inkwell said.

“I… I think so, your grace,” Sapphire said. “Am I going to be exiled for this.”

Lady Inkwell shook her head.

“No. The consequences of your actions are your assignment for the rite,” Lady Inkwell said. “But, consider it motivation to be better.”

“Be better?” Sapphire asked.

“Yes. Be better,” Lady Inkwell said. “When the rite has ended, remember what I’ve told you. Use the consequences of your actions as a motivator to live up to the Queen’s expectations for you as a member of the nobility.”

“I… I’ll try, your grace.” Sapphire said.

“Then there’s hope that you will be the kind of noble that Celestia and I wish that you could be,” Lady Inkwell said warmly. “Now, finish your tea, and then you’re free to go.”

*****

Early evening had finally fully settled in as Raven sat at her desk, Dylis resting on her shoulder as she finished her paperwork for the day. Logistics needed to be finalized for the rite, from security, to ensuring that all of the food was prepared properly, to a million other things that had to be done. There was always so much to do, and always so little time to do it.

Unlike most sun-gazers, who saw the dusk as a fading of the Queen’s light and the rise of the Traitor’s darkness, neither Raven or Dylis dreaded the fading of the sun. Instead, it brought a sort of melancholy combined with a sense of longing older than the nation they administered.

Truthfully, in an age long ago, this time of day was one of their favorites. Though not because it marked the end of their duties to the sisters. No, she once loved it because it had been one of the rare opportunities they had to see their former friends among the Traitor’s star-singers. Including, in the century leading up to the Splintering, someone that Raven had loved like a little sister.

A wistful sigh escaped Raven’s throat as she stamped the last form for the day, and leaned forward in her chair. Placing her elbows on the edge of the desk, she laced her fingers together and rested her forehead on their back, her thumbs pressed into the bridge of her nose.

Most days, she could keep the memories from surfacing. But in the days leading up to a new ascension, they always found a way to force themselves to the surface. Sometimes, they were welcome. Most times, they were not. But, they always found a way to float up from the deepest part of her mind and make themselves known.

Closing her eyes, if she allowed herself to drift to an age long gone. Into a shining city of marble and onyx. To a grand amphitheater meant for only two beings: the Sisters. The memories continued, and she found herself lost in the beautiful, otherworldly sound of the star-singers’ voices joining together into the Chorus of Stars as she and the other Flame Weaver’s danced together in the dusk. She could still remember the feeling of the Chorus’s songs flowing through her, kindling her flame as she wove it into the spells she would cast for the entertainment and glory of her Queen and the Traitor.

With a tired sigh, she forced the memory out of her mind. That wasn’t her world anymore. It had been gone and dead for over fifteen hundred years. After the Splintering.

After the Traitor turned on the Queen, and their people went to war.

Fifteen hundred years since she’d been forced to fight, and kill, night-weavers she’d once considered family in the name of ending the Traitor’s rebellion. In the name of her Queen. And forced to watch as her fellow sun-gazers were likewise slaughtered by the Traitor’s followers.

Watch as her fellow phoenix-born were slain.

Before the Splintering, there had been eight others among her kind. Yet, by the time that the Empress returned to end the fighting, and exiled the Queen and the Traitor to the far ends of Impracordia, she was the last.

All of the other phoenix-born had fallen in the war.

Yet she remained.

Alone except for Dylis and the Queen.

Now, even after all these years, even the good memories the early evening brought were tainted by the bitter taste of loss and lingering sorrow. Those happy times were like a faded dream, long lost in an age that only existed in memory.

Even her dreams had faded and vanished with the Splintering and the sun-gazers’ exile from the dreamscape, leaving only a dark, empty oblivion when sleep claimed her.

A warm body pressed itself against the right side of her head as Dylis cuddled up to her. Closing her eyes, she reached up and placed a hand on his right wing, leaning her head against his breast as he rubbed his head gently against hers and wrapped his free wing around the back of her head.

Thank you, Raven sent to Dylis.

Of course, Dylis sent back.

Raven could feel Dylis’s concern through their bond, and she held him a little closer.

You’re remembering them again, Dylis sent through their bond. Sapphire Shores and Isis.

Yes. It’s hard not to when someone with such a similar name’s around, Raven sent back before sighing wistfully.

I know. I miss them too, Dylis sent back.

Some days, I wonder if she survived the war, Raven sent as she petted Dylis’s wing, savoring the warmth and softness of his feathers against her hand. Did she make it, and is still out there, somewhere, still serving the Traitor?

It's a question that I doubt we’ll ever know the answer to, Dylis sent and he rubbed the side of his face on Raven’s forehead, slow, soft trills escaping his throat. No matter how much we wish we could.

I know, Raven sent. Thank you.

Always, Dylis sent with a feeling of deep and warm affection.

As Dylis withdrew his wing, Raven removed her hand and opened her eyes. The moment passed, and Raven set about collecting the final stack of papers on her desk. Once gathered, she tapped their edges on the surface of her desk, forming them into a neat bundle, before wrapping them with a thin ribbon and storing them in one of the drawers.

As she finished her final task for the day, her eyes wandered over to her tea-table, the teapot and two empty teacups on its surface.

The setting for her meeting with the girl she’d been forced to nearly break earlier.

After Raven had dismissed Sapphire, she’d watched as the girl slowly made her way out of the room, her posture drooped and tired. Were Raven weaker, she might have felt a pang of remorse; much of the young woman’s spirit had been snuffed by being directly in the line of her displeasure.

But, it had to be done.

The child could not be allowed to get away with such open insubordination. And, there was too much at stake to risk everything being derailed by her misguided attempts at subverting her authority in favor of Steel’s twisted ideology.

Raven hoped that Sapphire truly understood and internalized why her actions were unacceptable and became the kind of Solarian that Raven wished she would be. But there was always the possibility that this whole thing would strengthen Steel’s hold on her once she got back home and was near his influence again. No doubt Amethyst Mirage would complain to Steel over the whole event, and how Raven had ‘broken’ or ‘tainted’ his daughter.

She’d have to start watching the girl and her family a little more closely from now on.

But, such was the game she was playing against the General for the heart of the nation.

Lifting her arm to her shoulder, Raven offered it to Dylis. As soon as the limb was close enough, he climbed onto her forearm, then turned to face her as she rose and walked to the window. In the early evening light, the heart of Heliopolis was still breathtaking, the fading sun adding contrast to the vast, divine landscape and the blessed edifice at its heart.

I know that look, Dylis sent to Raven as she stared out the window. Need I remind you that the child earned what she got, and gave us what we need to undercut Steel and Highblood.

I know, Raven sent back as she brought her left hand up to scratch the back of Dylis’s head, savoring the pleasurable sensation that her partner was sending to her. I just can’t stand to see the state that things have reached.

That is not your fault, Dylis sent back as he rubbed his head affectionately on Raven’s hand. You help the Queen administer the entire nation. You can’t do that, and babysit Heliopolis too. We just need to put our hope into the girl.

It’s going to be a delicate game, no doubt about it, Raven sent, before her brows furrowed with frustration. The girl has so much potential. I just worry what Steel and his allies will attempt once they realize that their plans have been thwarted.

That is assuming that they are thwarted, Dylis sent in a serious tone. I would not put it past Steel to have caught wind of what’s going on, and moved to stop it.

True, Raven sent with a tired sigh. But, it’s not as though we haven’t been playing this game with him for centuries now, is it, my other soul?

Don't remind me, Dylis sent back, before his feathers bristled slightly as he sensed a new presence in the room. A familiar presence that would inevitably twist his feathers in a knot. Speaking of painful annoyances, we have a guest.

Taking in the sensation that Dylis shared with her, Raven’s mouth turned up into a slight smirk as she recognized the source of her partner’s irritation.

“I know you’re there,” Raven said without turning around, addressing the air of her otherwise unoccupied office. “You can come out now.”

In response to Raven’s call, there was a slight ripple in the air near the door, and a form materialized as though revealed through the heat shimmer of a mirage.

“Evening boss,” The brick-red skinned, black haired sky-runner said as she leaned against the wall adjacent to the door, her arms crossed over her chest and a relaxed, cocky smirk on her face. Unlike her usual unassuming and banal attire, she was now wearing a smart, dark red pair of slacks, wide blue, red and violet striped scarf-belt and white blouse with a golden bolo tie. “One of these days, I swear I’m going to finally get the drop on you.”

Not while I’m here, you wacko, Dylis thought as he fluffed up his feathers irritably, narrowed his eyes and hissed loudly at the woman.

Be nice, Raven gently chided.

“Nice to see you too, Mr. Grumpus,” the woman said to Dylis as her cocky smile shifted into an irritating smirk, before pushing herself off the wall and approaching the window. Upon reaching Raven and Dylis, she bowed slightly and took up a position next to the royal seneschal.

“You know the bow’s unnecessary, old friend,” Raven said with a chuckle as she brought Dylis up to her right shoulder, which he climbed onto. “We’ve known each other far too long.”

“Oh, let me have my fun, Raven,” the woman said cockily.

Raven chuckled warmly and rolled her eyes.

“Dawn Wings, your idea of fun is giving other people splitting headaches or driving them to drink, so you’ll understand if I don’t want to indulge you in your hobbies,” Raven said as she gave her friend a sidelong glance.

I just wish she’d stop doing it to us, Dylis sent with an irritated huff.

At least she’s not boring to have around,, Raven sent as she looked at Dawn Wings. “Now, I take it that this isn’t a social visit. What do you have to report, spymaster?”

“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” Dawn Wings said as she crossed her arms, her brows furrowing in irritation. “You were right. The results were tampered with. It’s taken my Eyes this long to track everything down, and even then, nothing has led directly back to you-know-who.”

“That’s not surprising,” Raven said with a huff. “He’s a cagey bastard. But since his great-grandson is part of the ‘chosen few’, he’s obviously involved. Even if the boy does have a powerful flame.”

“But not compared to the kid?” Dawn Wings asked.

“No. But, the girl’s flame is one of the purest and strongest we’ve seen in centuries. I doubt we’ll get another like her for generations,” Raven admitted, before her expression turned serious. “What about the others?”

“Nothing too incriminating, but here’s what I’ve got,” Dawn Wings said as she passed a medium sized envelope to Raven, who took it and, weaving her free hand through the air, shrunk the folder and stuck it in the pocket of her vest.

“Thank you,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice losing a bit of its warmth. “Dawn Wings, I know it’s only recently come to our attention, but have you got anything on the threats made to the girl’s home in Golden Tree?”

“Oh, sun’s light, that’s a giant bucket of fang worms, let me tell you,” Dawn Wings said with an annoyed groan. “From what little I could gather on such short notice, Ruby and Amethyst were making inquiries into purchasing the land the orphanage is on. From what the Eyes found, they were planning to push the town hard if Sapphire gave them the word.”

“That is very disappointing to hear,” Raven said, her brows furrowing. “Do you know who currently owns the land?”

“It belongs to the town of Golden Tree,” Dawn Wings reported. “The land and building have been rented by Tender Heart’s family for at least three generations, so the town was not inclined to sell, especially to Heliopolans. That said, I don’t think either of those shade-lovers are going to let this go.”

“Keep me apprised of the situation, and move to intervene if need be,” Raven said coldly. “I’ll personally contact the town clerk if I have to. If everything goes right, we don’t want the girl actively seeking retribution against Heliopolis.”

“So, I take it that she’s what you’re looking for?” Dawn Wings asked as she turned to face Raven more fully.

“She’s rough, but I think that we can use that to our advantage,” Raven said, narrowing her eyes. “And, she’s got the kind of fire that’s going to let her hold her own against them when the time comes.”

“I still don’t like what she’s had to go through,” Dawn Wings said, her tone losing most of its geniality. “Was all this really necessary? I mean, prodigy or not, she's still a little girl.”

“Dawn Wings…” Raven began.

“I know, I know! But, it still doesn’t feel right,” Dawn Wings said quickly. “You’re always telling me I can speak my mind, so I’m speaking my mind.”

Raven closed her eyes and allowed herself to sigh. Dawn Wings was one of her only true friends she had aside from Dylis, Roseluck, Amara and the Queen. And that friendship meant the spymaster was annoyingly comfortable with questioning her. Something Raven had to admit, she both honestly enjoyed and found very irritating.

“Right now, the girl’s like a rough cut fire ruby,” Raven said as she opened her eyes and turned to face her friend. “Had your investigations not made me suspect that something was awry with the tests, we would probably have never found her. Yet, if she’s going to be the beautiful gem that both the Western Territory and Solaria needs, she has to be cut in just the right ways. I know it has not been easy on her, and that the days ahead will be as painful, if not more so, but it needed to happen this way. We can’t afford another Spitfire.”

Dawn Wings’ face darkened at the sound of the youngest phoenix-born's name.

“True. Steel doesn't need another puppet dancing on his strings,” Dawn Wings said tersely. “So, do you think the kid’s got what it takes?”

“She has to,” Raven said as she reached up with her right hand and stroked Dylis’s head, earning a happy trill from the phoenix, before transferring him to her shoulder. “I can count on you to do your part, right?”

“Of course,” Dawn Wings said with a smile. “You know I’d follow you into the Chaos and back.”

“Thank you Dawn W…” Raven began, only to be cut off by Dawn Wings.

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to follow you. Have you seen your butt?” Dawn Wings said as she leaned to the side to admire Raven’s backside, earning another angry hiss from Dylis. “I mean just over two thousand years old, and doesn’t look a day over twenty five. My dear hubby’s got a nice ass, but it doesn't hold a candle to yours Raven. Chaos, I’m not even into women like that, and I think it's impressive.”

Can I please set her on fire now? Dylis sent to Raven as he glared at Dawn Wings.

No, Raven sent back as she brought her left hand up to her forehead, closed her eyes and began to rub her temples with her thumb and index finger. As she did, a thin tendril of living flame unwound itself from her bun and lashed out at Dawn Wings, who ducked it effortlessly with a laugh. I’m reserving that pleasure for myself.

“Dawn Wings, you’re lucky you’re too useful to banish,” Raven said with an exasperated groan, one that all three of the room’s occupants knew was mostly for show.

“Darn right I’m lucky. If I wasn’t useful, I wouldn’t get to look at the nicest buns in all of Solaria whenever I came to make a report,” Dawn Wings said as she evaded another lash of Raven’s hair.

Seriously, just the primaries on her left wing. She can survive without flying for a couple weeks! Dylis protested with an irritated mental laugh.

Not going to happen. Raven sent back.

“Please leave before I decide to have you exiled from Heliopolis,” Raven said with a laugh as she looked at her friend with an irritated smile.

“At least the last memory I’ll have is of the finest bread loaves in the city,” Dawn Wings laughed as she twisted away from another swipe.

Just one bite then. I’m sure if we worked together, I could get the tip of one of her ears, Dylis sent with a mental smirk as he watched Dawn Wings duck and weave around Raven’s halfhearted attempts to smack her.

Nope, Raven sent.

“You are a degenerate, you know that, right?” Raven said with a groan as she crossed her arms and shook her head with a laugh, the tendril of flame retracting back into the fiery corona on her head.

“I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t,” Dawn Wings said with a smile. “So, since you’re done for the evening, how about the three of us go and get a drink. I’ve got a bottle of fifty-year old sparkberry cognac that’s been looking for some company, and it’d be such a shame to disappoint it.”

As long as it doesn't involve rats this time, Dylis sent with a grumble.

“Amber Leaf’s label?” Raven said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

“Vineyard 12. Nothing but the best for you and Dylis,” Dawn Wings said with a matching smile.

“Well, okay, you’ve convinced me not to have you exiled,” Raven said with a smirk, before gesturing to the door. “Shall we?”

“After you,” Dawn Wings said as she walked to the door and opened it for Raven and Dylis.

“Thank you. Oh, and Dawn Wings?” Raven said as she walked to the door. Right as she passed Dawn Wings, her hair tendril suddenly emerged again and, swift as a striking snake, cuffed Dawn Wings across the forehead, earning a pained yelp from her friend. Stopping in her tracks, Raven gave her a sidelong glance. “That was for the comment about my butt, you pervert.”

“Worth it,” Dawn Wings said with a laugh as she rubbed her forehead where Raven had smacked her. "Besides, you know you love me."

“Yet I have no idea why,” Raven said with a smirk.

Because you enjoy the irritation? Dylis sent sarcastically.

Probably, Raven sent back.

“One of the greatest mysteries of all time,” Dawn Wings said as the three of them headed towards the south exit.

Author's Note

Hey! An update after a week!

If you were wondering how a crag linnorm's breath works, it was inspired by Mazinger Z's 'Rust Hurricane' attack:

Just a little break from Sunset's perspective, and a peak behind the curtain for three of our other protagonists. Also, a somewhat familiar face gets brought into focus, and has her role in the story expanded a bit.

While I will try to get the next chapter out asap, I've reached the end of my outline, so there might be a bit of downtime. Thank you for your patience.

Ch 13 - The Ascension - The Day Before Dawn

With a low groan and sigh, Sunset pulled herself from the dark abyss of sleep and stretched her neck to drive the last bits of unconsciousness from her body. Looking to the other beds in the room, she spotted both Daisy and Lily still slumbering in their beds, the former curled up and smiling blissfully, while the latter was splayed out on her back, mouth open with a slight trail of drool trickling down the corner of her mouth.

She’d give them a few more minutes of sleep before she woke them up.

Leaning her back against the headboard, she took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for the day ahead. After their visit with Queen Lumina, Raven had brought Sunset back to her office, and laid out their itinerary for the next day. They’d begin bright and early making the morning rounds to check in with the staff, before they went to welcome the first wave of guests.

Which included the potential ascendants.

The nine sun-gazers in Solaria with the strongest, purest flames, one of whom would be chosen by the new phoenix to be their immortal bonded partner.

Sunset bunched her blankets in her hands when she remembered that all but one were from Heliopolis.

Before, the idea just bothered her. It was an abstract. Something that would happen a world away.

But now, after experiencing the Heliopolans first hand?

The thought of another one of them rising up and joining the sacred numbers of the phoenix-born made her skin crawl.

Still, it was out of her hands.

Her only hope was that they’d be assigned to one of the Rays of Heliopolis, and not to the Western Territory. The mere thought of having one of those arrogant goat-lickers ruling over her hometown, and the way that they’d force it to be like their conch-shell up the butt city left her gripping the blankets so tight her knuckles ached.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on her meditations, and brought her emotions under control.

‘Well, I’m up now,’ She thought as she threw off the covers and swung her legs out of bed as she walked to the food dispenser and pressed the panel, causing it to light up and list her food options.

“Tsujara,” She said.

A few moments later, she was rewarded with a ceramic, handleless mug of the spicy beverage. Taking the mug, she took a light sip of the steaming tea, the heat and spices waking her senses up.

‘Might as well get the two of them up too,’ Sunset thought as she walked back towards the beds. ‘We still need to shower and get all wrapped up in our nice, claustrophobic robes.’

Walking up to Daisy, Sunset gently poked her shoulder, causing the other girl to grumble and curl deeper into her blankets.

“Hey, Daisy, time to get up,” Sunset said as she poked her again.

“Five more minutes grandma. I don’t want to boil the scrabii fruits. It makes the kitchen smell like butt,” Daisy grumbled as she rolled away.

Sunset furrowed her brow, then shook her head. Walking to Lily’s bunk, she tried to rouse the other girl with a gentle shake.

“Lily, time to get up,” Sunset said gently.

“No it isn’t. I still have twelve minutes,” Lily said as she smacked her lips and rolled onto her stomach and hid her head under her pillow.

Sunset closed her eyes and sighed. She didn’t have time for this. Walking back to the common table, she set her tsujara on its surface, and out of range of any potential retaliation, before walking back to the foot of their beds..

“Daisy, Lily, Archduchess Roseluck is here. She wants you up and ready in three minutes,” Sunset said in a serious tone of voice.

“WHAT!” Daisy shouted as she bolted awake and looked around frantically.

“SHE IS!?” Lily shouted as she flailed around under the covers and almost tumbled off her mattress.

‘Okay, now I can understand why Lyra likes waking me up like that,’ Sunset thought to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her friends, who were frantically looking around the room. After a minute, they both were awake enough to glare at Sunset.

“Sunset, don’t do that! You almost scared me to death!” Lily growled, before grabbing her pillow and tossing it at Sunset, smacking her in the face with the feather filled cushion.

“Seriously!” Daisy snarled as she glared obsidian blades at Sunset.

“It got you up, didn’t it?” Sunset said with a cheeky grin as she bent down and picked up Lily’s pillow and tossed it back to her.

“Just for that,” Lily grumbled as she got out of bed, “you get to use the shower last.”

“Sorry for doing you a favor,” Sunset snarked. “Next time, I’ll be sure to let you sleep in until the Archduchess actually shows up.”

Both girls kept glaring at Sunset, before looking away and sighing.

“I’m still taking the shower first,” Lily mumbled as she trudged towards the bathroom.

*****

Some time, three showers, and a breakfast later, Sunset found herself getting her robes on, while Lily and Daisy did the same.

“So, what’s the Archduchess got planned for you today?” Sunset asked as she worked on getting her sashes properly knotted.

Both of her friends perked up in a way that was eerily like the phoenix-born in question.

“We’re designing the centerpiece arrangements for the second and first tier tables,” Daisy said with a sparkle in her eyes.

“I see…” Sunset said, unsure of how to interpret Daisy’s sudden, almost euphoric upturn in mood.

“And then, later this afternoon, we’re going to be finishing up the centerpieces for the royal tables,” Lily chimed in.

“Archduchess Roseluck even gave us permission to help with the stage arrangements,” Daisy chimed in.

“Can you imagine!” Lily cheered as she grabbed Daisy’s hands and bounced up and down with her fellow Easterner. “We’re actually making the displays for the phoenix-rite! The phoenix-rite! Ah, I just can’t believe it!”

“Are you channeling the Archduchess right now, because you sound just like her,” Sunset said with a smirk.

Lily and Daisy both looked at Sunset and playfully stuck their tongues out, earning a hearty laugh from Sunset.

“Well, at least you’re having fun,” Sunset said with a smile.

“So what’re you doing today?” Lily asked.

“Well, let’s see…” Sunset said as she curled her left hand into a fist, and pressed her index finger out with her right index finger. “Assist Lady Inkwell with staff check-ins and ritual preparations.”

Next came her thumb. “Then, meet the potentials and nobles at the sky-rail platform.”

Middle finger. “Noon is a mixer with the nobles.”

Ring finger. “After that, practice for the rite.”

Pinkie. “After practice, Lady Inkwell is heading to Queen Celestia’s castle to meet with the Queen and the other royals who are visiting from our allied nations, so I’ll have the evening off.”

“That… doesn’t sound so bad?” Lily said in the form of a question.

“I’m helping Lady Inkwell greet the nobles… most of whom are from Heliopolis. Then there’s a mixer… where I’ll be serving Lady Inkwell,” Sunset said slowly. “Then helping do practice runs or the phoenix-rite… on the stage…”

Both Daisy and Lily gave her a look.

“Okay, that sounds a lot less fun than what we’re doing,” Daisy said solemnly.

“Well, I’m the idiot that decided she had to be at the top of the class, so I don’t have anyone to blame but myself,” Sunset said with a sigh.

“Yup, you’re the idiot that impressed the Queen’s Voice and Hand,” Daisy chirped merrily.

“Total nincompoop, managing to get picked by the highest ranking phoenix-born in all of Solaria. What were you thinking?” Lily chimed in.

Sunset gave her friends a half-hearted deadpan glare.

“Okay, fine, you made your point,” She said as she finished tying her sash, then reached for her mask. “I totally brought this on myself by being a brilliant overachiever. Completely my fault.”

*****

Sunset found herself fighting an intense desire to fidget as she stood on the receiving platform before the Cathedral. Standing before her was Lady Inkwell and Dylis, while to her left and right were a line of sun-touched.

It was only about an hour after sunrise, and she was already feeling tired. In the time since she’d been collected by Lady Inkwell, she’d been struggling to keep up with the royal seneschal as she dealt with no fewer than five different minor crises among the staff as they began stoking the fires for the rite.

And Sunset had been there with her the entire time, watching, recording, and marveling as she watched Lady Inkwell somehow manage to get the rogue blazes under control and get the flames burning properly. If she’d been in awe of Lady Inkwell before, she was in reverence now. The ease with which Lady Inkwell handled everything the rite was throwing at her was almost unreal.

And now?

Now they were waiting for the sky-car of high ranking nobles and the potentials to arrive from Chromos.

That in and of itself wasn’t enough to make her nervous. It was the presence of nearly one hundred prominence knights standing guard on the platform.

As she stared at the lines of white armord soldiers, she noticed something odd. Despite the almost crystalline precision of the lines, there were conspicuous gaps in the rows of armored sun-gazers: every two knights, there was exactly enough space for a third to go, yet there was no sign of the armored protectors. And like when she’d arrived, the plumed serpents were conspicuously absent from the lines.

‘I bet they’re on top of the Cathedral again,’ Sunset thought as she stood behind Lady Inkwell, waiting for the newest arrivals.

“Ah, bright morning Raven. So good to see you,” Sunset heard from above and behind.

Sunset didn’t move her head at the sound of the voice. Instead, she clenched her fists within her robes and pinched her eyes closed as two forms silently descended from the sky to land on Lady Inkwell’s right.

It was both General Sentry and Commander Spitfire, Vestian and Akari landing on their shoulders moments later.

“Bright morning to the two of you as well,” Lady Inkwell said pleasantly. “What brings you here General Sentry?”

“Come now Raven,” General Sentry said with a chuckle. “As if I wouldn’t be here to greet our esteemed guests. And, beside, my great-grandson is arriving in this car. What sort of grandparent would I be if I wasn’t here to greet him?”

“And what about you, Commander?” Lady Inkwell said as she gave Commander Spitfire her attention.

“Added security for the VIPs,” Commander Spitfire said tersely as she and Akari looked out over the formation of prominence knights.

“I see,” Lady Inkwell said, before giving General Sentry a sidelong look. “And I assume the need for added security has nothing to do with young Flash being present?”

A chuckle escaped from General Sentry’s throat at that.

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t play some small part in it,” General Sentry said.

“Of course General,” Lady Inkwell replied, allowing the conversation to die.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Sunset as she stood there, waiting for the sky-car to arrive. She’d heard rumors that one of General Sentry’s relatives was a potential, but this confirmed it.

‘So, Flash Sentry is the General’s great-grandson? I thought he was just some distant relative, not that closely related,’ Sunset thought bitterly, the idea of another Sentry ascending making her stomach turn. ‘Great. Just great. I wonder if he’s as big a goat-licker as his great-grandsire.’

Sunset’s smouldering was interrupted as she heard the telltale sound of a sky-car coming down the rail. Turning her eyes towards the sound without moving her head, she almost did a double take, but schooled herself before she could react to what she was seeing: the air all around the sky-car was filled with the brightly colored forms of plumed serpents, as well as a small number of winged prominence knights.

Sunset’s eyes went wide from within her mask as she did a rough headcount of the now clearly sky-runner prominence knights arriving.

There were just enough to fill in the gaps in the line of knights.

‘So that’s where they were!’ Sunset thought as the sky-car began to pull into the station. As it did, the plumed serpents and winged prominence knights scattered as one, the latter landing in the gaps in the line, while the former flew directly to an armored sun-gazer and coiling up in the spaces between the now symmetric line of armored forms.

The arriving sky-car came to a stop at the precise moment the flying members of the knights had landed, and with a hiss, the doors on the first car slid open, allowing the occupants to exit.

The first passenger off was a white skinned, blond haired, sky-blue eyed fire-caller boy not much older than Sunset, his soul gem the same color as his eyes. He wore an expensive white suit, and had a look of casual disinterest as he walked with purpose off the sky-car and onto the landing area.

‘That must be Vladamir Blueblood,’ Sunset thought as she recalled the list of potentials. ‘He’s the son of Duke Alexander Highblood, the ruler of Aurorias.’

The ray city where that night-loving dreamer Sapphire Prism was from.

Sunset felt her pulse spike as she glared daggers at the young man.

‘I already don’t like him,’ Sunset thought to herself.

Next to exit off was a duo of sky-runners, a boy and a girl. The boy had cornflower blue skin and feathers, dark blue hair, and emerald green eyes, while the girl had arctic blue skin and feathers, white hair and brilliant fuschia eyes. Both were dressed in light-weight, dark-blue shirts and pants with black boots, and carried themselves with the same casual grace and ease that most of sky-runners had, though there was a touch of military discipline in their steps.

‘They must be Soarin and Fleetfoot,’ She thought. ‘They’re from Spitfire’s Ray, Radia. Really hope they’re not with her.’

After the sky-runners came a pair of earth-weaver girls who were chatting amiably with one another. One had sea-green skin, two toned cerise and pale cerise hair, and light grey rose eyes, while the other had pale goldenrod skin, carrot orange hair, and dark olive green eyes. Both were dressed in expensive sun-dresses, and appeared to have forgone footwear, instead walking barefoot, with silver-bracelets adorned with small bells around their ankles.

‘That’s got to be Minty and Golden Harvest. If I remember right, they’re from Duchess Redheart’s Ray of Lioht.’

Following the earth-weavers came a pair of fire-caller girls. One was at least half a head taller than her companion, and had pale amber skin, raspberry, orange and gold hair done up in spikes, and light orange eyes and soul gem, her outfit consisting of a white blouse with pink and blue highlights, and a black skirt. Her companion had lemon yellow skin, aqua hair with a darker aqua streak, and cerulean eyes and soul gem, her outfit a elegant, long blue dress and grey blouse.

‘Fire Flare and Lemony Gems. Fire Flare’s from Photon, which is Fancy Pants’s ray, while Lemony Gems is from Ardor, and that ray’s ruled by Chancellor Neighsay.’

And, exiting last, were a sky-runner boy and earth-weaver girl. The boy had brilliant gamboge skin and feathers, with two toned sapphire blue hair and cornflower blue eyes. Like Blueblood, he was wearing a well-tailored suit, though unlike the other boy, his was dark, gunmetal grey. The earth-weaver girl had pale yellow skin, her two-toned crimson hair done up in a high bun and wrapped with a yellow ribbon decorated with cherries, and light pistachio eyes with a noticeable beauty mark just below her left eye. Unlike the others, she wore a pink, eastern-style blouse and red, full length dress, with a pink ascot tie around her neck. The two of them were engaged in energetic conversation, the girl holding a hand up to her mouth as she giggled daintily at whatever the boy had just said.

‘And that must be Flash Sentry, the Generals great-grandson’ Sunset thought as she glared at the young sky-runner, her skin blistering at the thought of his great-grandsire. ‘But… wait, if that’s Cherry Jubilee, why’s he talking to her? She’s from the Eastern Territory…’

The moment all nine of the potentials had exited the sky-car and gathered on the landing, the sun-gazer prominence knights lifted their halberds and brought the butts down onto the marble surface, while the plumed serpents shook their rattles in tandem.

“Welcome, chosen of the Ascension, to the Cathedral of the Sun!” they called out in unison.

The nine potentials were stunned for a moment at the greeting. But only a moment.

“Well, that is certainly an appropriate welcome,” Blueblood said with a smile as he looked back at his companions. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

A small chorus of affirmations followed.

Spotting Lady Inkwell start to walk forward, Sunset fell in line with the other sun-touched as they followed behind her to greet the new arrivals. To her surprise, General Sentry and Commander Spitfire began to walk beside Lady Inkwell as well.

“On behalf of the Queen, and all of Solaria, I wish to welcome all of you,” Lady Inkwell said to the nine potentials.

“Thank you, Lady Inkwell,” Blueblood said as he approached Lady Inkwell and bowed. “On behalf of our Queen’s great city and nation, we hope to live up to the honor bestowed upon us.”

“Yes.” “Absolutely.” “Truely.”

“It stokes my inner fire to hear that,” Lady Inkwell said. “Now, if you’ll please follow the sun-touched, they will take you to your rooms. Take some time to freshen up, and then we will begin practice for the ceremony.”

“One minute Raven,” General Sentry said as he stepped past Lady Inkwell. “Hello Flash, it’s been too long.”

Unnoticed by Flash, Cherry shied away as the General approached, her eyes growing nervous.

“Hello General Sentry,” Flash said with a bow.

“Oh, come now my boy, no need for formality,” General Sentry said as he kneeled down and opened his arms, Vestian taking to the air as he did. “Come here and give your great-grandpa a hug.”

Sunset watched as the boy eagerly ran to General Sentry and threw his arms around his great-grandpa. As soon as the boy was in his grasp, General Sentry rose to his feet and hoisted the boy up, hugging him tight.

“I missed you, sir,” Flash said happily as he hugged his great-grandsire.

“As did I. Let me get a look at you,” General Sentry said as Flash let go of the hug and leaned back, a warm smile spreading on the elder Sentry’s face as he looked the younger over. “You’ve gotten so big, my boy.”

“Mama says I’ll be as tall as you some day,” Flash said with a goofy smile.

“We’ll see,” General Sentry said as he ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately.

“Ahem,” Lady Inkwell cleared her throat.

“Raven, Flash and I are going to catch up for a little while. I’ll be sure to bring him to the ceremonial theater when practice begins,” General Sentry said.

Without waiting for Lady Inkwell to reply, General Sentry set Flash down and, turning away, took to the air. Moments later, Flash spread his wings and quickly followed as Vestian joined them in flying towards the cathedral, with Commander Spitfire and Akari following wordlessly behind.

Sunset watched as the five of them flew off, before noticing a slight narrowing of Lady Inkwell’s eyes. Yet, no sooner than it happened than the look vanished, and Lady Inkwell’s expression returned to normal.

“All of you, please follow the sun-touched to your rooms,” Lady Inkwell said as she gestured to the line of masked figures behind her. “Once you’ve had time to relax, the sun-touched will come and bring you to the main hall, where you will be served lunch, and then, we will begin practicing for the rite. Are there any questions?”

None of the potentials said anything.

“Then I will not hold you up any longer,” Lady Inkwell said as she stepped aside, allowing the sun-touched to lead the potentials off.

As they began to depart, Sunset watched them go out of the corner of her eyes. As she did, she saw something subtle: unlike when the Sentry boy was present, Cherry Jubilee was hovering near Fire Flare and Golden Harvest. Yet, even as they included her to a degree, Flash’s departure had somehow shifted the dynamic in the group, and now she was subtly being excluded by everyone other than the two nearest to her.

‘Looks like those two are the only ones willing to associate with her,’ Sunset thought. ‘So why was the Sentry talking to her? If he’s anything like the general, he’d have nothing to do with her…’

Sunset’s simmering was interrupted by the sound of the prominence knights performing their greeting ceremony again.

“Welcome, noble rulers and scions of Solaria, to the Cathedral of the Sun.”

Chastising herself for drifting off, Sunset saw that the doors of the second through fourth cars had opened. On the platform by the second car were six very overdressed looking individuals, while dozens of others had emerged from the third and fourth cars, most of whom were also well dressed, but not as well dressed as the first group.

Once the cars had been emptied of their passengers, the doors slid shut and the sky-car began to retreat down the rail back towards Chromos.

Unlike with the potentials, Lady Inkwell did not approach the new arrivals. Instead, she remained standing where she was, hands folded behind her back, waiting. She didn’t wait long, as the six individuals that had exited the second car began to walk up to her and Dylis.

At the front of the precision was a white skinned, bronze haired fire-caller man with emerald green eyes and soul-gem, his white suit accented by a long, blue cape with white fur trim, and an elaborately decorated dress cane that clacked on the marble as he approached, it’s rounded golden head gripped firmly in his right hand.

As he and the others reached Lady Inkwell, they bowed. Some, deeply with respect. Others, including the one that had led the precision, bowed just enough to not offer insult.

“Lady Inkwell, on behalf of the ruling Dukes and Duchesses of the Council of Light, we present ourselves to you,” The man said, his voice refined yet containing only just enough respect to Lady Inkwell to be proper.

“Welcome, Duke Highblood,” Lady Inkwell said. “I take it your trip was pleasant.”

“Always,” Duke Highblood said with an easy smile. “It's such a pleasure to get to see our beloved Queen’s demesne. Truly, fantastic.”

“It’s a pleasure to hear that,” Lady Inkwell said evenly. “Now, if you would please follow the sun-touched behind me, they will take you to your accommodations.”

“Thank you,” Duke Highblood said, before lifting his arm to signal to his fellow nobles to wait. “Though, perchance, might I request a moment of your time during the noon mixer? Several members of Aurorias’s nobility have conveyed some distressing rumors to me concerning the attendants serving at the rite that I would hope to clear up, when it is convenient for you.”

“I fear that is very unlikely to happen before the rite has been completed, as there are several other members of the Heliopolan, Western and Eastern nobility that have made appointments with me beforehand, and therefore take priority.” Lady Inkwell said. “However, if you wish to make an appointment, I might be able to find a slot for you in the next four or so months. Chances are I’ll be busy assisting the Queen train the newest phoenix-born, and will therefore have very limited time to address whatever has come to your attention.”

“That is unfortunate, but understandable,” Duke Highblood said, before bowing slightly to Lady Inkwell. “Though, perhaps we might be seeing more of each other than expected, should my son be the one chosen.”

Lady Inkwell’s visage remained completely impassive and unreadable.

“If such an event occurs, perhaps. Now, unless there is anything else, please follow the sun-touched to your rooms. The midday mixer will begin twenty minutes before noon, and I’m sure you all wish to be refreshed and proper for it,” Lady Inkwell said.

“Of course,” Duke Highblood replied. “By your leave.”

And with that, he walked past Lady Inkwell and towards the line of sun-touched, followed closely by his fellow Light Councilors.

“Duchess Redheart, a moment please,” Lady Inkwell said as an elegant, white skinned, pink haired, blue eyed earth-weaver woman in a white long-coat bearing the elaborately carved oak staff of a master renewer began to walk past.

Stopping, the duchess turned towards Lady Inkwell and bowed deeply. “Yes, your grace, how may I be of aid.”

“Several of our gathering teams ran into trouble while collecting the required supplies for the rite,” Lady Inkwell said solemnly. “Perhaps you might see to their wounded and sick, should the opportunity present itself.”

Duchess Redheart smiled warmly.

“Of course, your grace,” She said with a bow. “Tell me, where are they located?”

“The Cathedral’s infirmary. I’ve had my staff examine them, but they lack your skill with renewal,” Lady Inkwell said. “And, unfortunately, I’ve not been able to make enough time to tend to them myself.”

“It’s no trouble at all, your grace,” Duchess Redheart said with a smile. “I’ll see to them now, if that’s alright.”

“I’m sure they and their team leaders would be grateful,” Lady Inkwell said. “Additionally, several of the sites where the injuries occurred will need earth-weavers deployed to remove the threats. I will have a report sent to your office after the rite has been completed.”

“I will see to it as soon as possible,” Duchess Redheart said.

“Thank you,” Lady Inkwell said. Turning towards the sun-touched, Lady Inkwell gestured for one to come over. “Please guide Duchess Redheart to the Cathedral’s infirmary.”

The sun-touched bowed, then turned away and began to leave, Duchess Redheart following not far behind.

Sunset watched the Duchess walking away, as she tried to make sense of what she’d just seen.

‘Wait, are Lady Inkwell and Duchess Redheart on the same side?’ She thought as she watched the Duchess walk off from the corner of her eyes. But, before Sunset could further ponder this newest mystery, the next group of nobles began to approach.

‘Doesn’t matter anyway. This isn’t my life or my world,’ Sunset thought. ‘I just have to stay in Lady Inkwell’s good graces for a little while longer, then I can go home and get back to my life.’

*****

Sunset tried not to be irritated. It was an almost impossibly difficult task, given her circumstances, but she tried. She found that the best way to stave off her annoyance was to review her runic inscriptions in her head, or try figuring out new and exciting circuits she could create. Imagining lots of horrible things she could do with them helped too.

Possibly ones that would convert the sounds of select individuals into the bleating of goats or sheep. Then she could at least get some form of entertainment out of her situation.

Or maybe draw in biting flies to people who were too full of themselves. That’d be nice.

The noon mixer had begun not long ago, and was taking place in a large dining hall. Tables were set up all around the room, and were stacked to the brim with extravagant plates of delicacies, from sliced meat, to rare fruit, and aromatic cheeses. On one end of the room was a large bar, staffed by three sun-touched, while others, including some that looked about Sunset’s age, given their size, wandered the crowds taking drink orders or removing used plates.

And standing by the three entrances to the room were pairs of fully armored sun-gazer prominence knights, each holding their halberds at attention. Their plumed serpent partners were, conversely, stationed along the walls between the doors, each one coiled and ready to leap into action, while the colaurata hung in groups of two from chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Sunset’s role so far had been to occasionally bring Lady Inkwell a fresh drink or plate of hors-d'oeuvres. She was doing the latter at the moment, balancing a tray with a single, carved and polished ruby snifter filled with sparkberry cognac on her fingers, the light-red liquid glowing slightly with inner light.

But, her current task wasn’t her source of irritation.

No, it was the bleating of the various nobles scattered around the room, or occasionally trying to approach Lady Inkwell.

And because she was always nearby, she was forced to listen to them and their empty headed frivolity. As she passed along the edge of the crowd, the inane yammering almost made Sunset want to take her smithing hammer to her skull. It was all vineyards this, serfs that. What school they were going to send their precious brats too. How they’d gouged a bunch of farmers in the Eastern Territory on the price of grain. Which designer they should buy a new ten-thousand radiant dress from. Or in the case of the group she was approaching, how ghastly it was to discover that one of their servants was caught stealing fruits from their garden.

“I can’t believe it. How dare she touch my precious apricot tree like that,” A particularly haughty and over-dressed earth-weaver woman with pale pink skin, magenta and heliotrope hair and opal eyes whined to a group of other women, eliciting scandalized gasps from all of them.

‘She was probably hungry because you’re not paying her enough,’ Sunset thought as she listened to the noble woman that had been identified as Duchess Spoiled Rich by Lady Inkwell. She, alongside her husband Duke Filthy Rich, were the rulers of Candesis, and had their hands in almost all of the technological research and development organizations in the ray. As well as many other businesses.

“Indeed. Still, it won’t be a problem anymore,” Her husband Duke Filthy Rich, another earth-weaver with greyish amber skin, dark-grey hair and light azure eyes, said. “I had her branded a thief and removed from Heliopolis the very day. Pfft, thinking she could steal from us.”

“And the gall of her, claiming that she didn’t take the fruit. Our dear, sweet Diamond Tiara told us she saw her take it,” Duchess Spoiled Rich said with a harumph. “Such a shame that she had to witness something like that at such a tender age.”

A chorus of gasps and affirmations of just how terrible it was floated through the air.

“Ugh, I need a drink,” Duchess Rich said just as Sunset began to walk passed. “You, sun-touched! Bring me that snifter. I demand it this instant.”

Sunset had a feeling that Duchess Rich was speaking to her, but she paid her no mind, and continued walking towards her destination. Her only responsibility was to Lady Inkwell. Nobody else. And, considering that the snifter she was carrying was one reserved only for phoenix-born, the Duchess could get a drink elsewhere.

“Insolent little… how dare you walk away from me like that,” Duchess Rich snarled.

“Spoiled, hold on,” another female voice said. It was one that Sunset didn’t recognize, but she didn’t look back to identify her savior as she continued on. “Look at the snifter. That drink’s for Lady Inkwell. Unless you want trouble with her, I’d suggest you leave it alone.”

A grumble of annoyance worked their way out of Duchess Rich’s throat.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that? You are to address me as Duchess Rich,” She snarled back.

“I’ll return the courtesy when you start using my title when speaking to me,” The mysterious woman said.

“I’ll use your title when you apologize for turning Luna on me and my husband, Frost!” Duchess Rich retorted.

‘Frost… Frost… wait, could that be Duchess Snowfall Frost?’ Sunset thought as the voices began to fade as she put more distance between their sources and herself.

“If you call not letting you exploit my ray’s research to line your pockets ‘turning Luna,’ then I’ll happily do it again, you miserable shrew,” Duchess Frost said.

“Oh, so we’re going to start this ag…” Duchess Riche’s voice faded into the background chatter as Sunset reached where Lady Inkwell was standing with an immaculately dressed fire-caller with white-grey skin, azure hair, light azure eyes, and a golden soul-gem that Sunset had heard Lady Inkwell introduce as Duke Fancy Pants, the ruler of Illumin.

Approaching Lady Inkwell, Sunset held the tray up and offered the snifter to her.

“Ah, thank you,” Lady Inkwell said as she took the snifter. Once the vessel was in Lady Inkwell’s hands, Sunset bowed and took her spot behind and to the right of the phoenix-born.

“Now, Duke Fancy, you were saying?” Lady Inkwell said after she took a sip of her cognac.

“Yes, yes, as I was saying, the plans for the summer harvest festival are proceeding as normal,” Duke Fancy Pants said. “Our newest storm-dancer troupes are in excellent form this year, as are the flare-shapers, and the earth-spirals. I’d say that the festival will be one to remember, especially since we’ll have a new ascendant to further add to the celebration. Of course, that’s supposing that we don’t have problems from the usual suspects.”

“I don’t foresee too many issues,” Lady Inkwell said as she took another sip of her cognac. “Usually they just complain about having to leave the city for the festival. But they always complain about that, so it won’t be anything new.”

“Indeed. Now, regarding the grants to the Heliopolan Art Museum,” Duke Fancy said.

At this point, Sunset began to drift off again as Duke Fancy began to talk business with Lady Inkwell.

‘How much longer are we going to be doing this?’ Sunset whined in her head, even as she kept her body as still as possible. ‘I’d take making steel ingots over this crap. At least that’s fun.’

Sunset tuned Duke Fancy out after a few minutes of him droning on, instead using the opportunity to watch the crowds of nobles, between drifting off into brief periods of more theoretical runecraft. Most of them were gathered into tight, impenetrable cliques. Every so often, she’d spot the telltale living flame of one of the phoenix-born among the crowd, usually General Sentry or Commander Spitfire. Periodically, she’d spot Archduchess Roseluck’s distinctive fire off with a group of men and women in Eastern style clothing, along with a small number of them in Western style clothing. Despite Archduchess Roseluck’s presence, Sunset didn’t see either of her friends with the Eastern phoenix-born.

‘I guess she’s got them off somewhere else working on the flower arrangements,’ Sunset thought. Forcing down a sigh, she was at least happy to see that Roseluck was welcoming to people from her home region.

“Lady Raven Inkwell!” An angry female voice shouted, pulling Sunset out of her smouldering.

Turning her attention towards the direction of the shout, Sunset saw a group of five individuals, three that she knew, and two that were unfamiliar, approaching Lady Inkwell. The three she recognized were General Sentry and Vestian, along with Duke Highblood, the former looking disinterested and annoyed, respectively, while the latter still had the same smug arrogance on his face that he’d been wearing when she first saw him at the station platform.

The two unknowns were a woman and man, both fire-callers. The woman was wearing a full length red gown that accented her short, dandelion-yellow, red streaked hair. Her skin was light, sky blue, and both her eyes and soul-gem were ruby red. The man was dressed in an expensive dark purple suit, that blended into his similarly dark amethyst colored skin. His hair, by contrast, was two toned lilacs and azure, and while his violet eyes and soul-gem burned with barely contained rage.

As they approached, Sunset saw Dylis fluff up his feathers and narrow his eyes, while Lady Inkwell looked at them with a look of bored, disinterest.

“Pardon the interruption Duke Fancy, it seems that someone has forgotten their manners,” Lady Inkwell said softly as she took another sip of her cognac and eyed the approaching party.

“Lady Inkwell,” General Sentry said, his voice level, “I believe I have yet to introduce you to my dear friends. This is Marchioness Ruby Prism and Marquess Amethyst Mirage. Duke Highblood informed them that you were indisposed at the moment, but they insisted that they speak with you.”

Sunset’s stomach twisted into a knot, dropped out of her body and crawled away to hide in a dark corner. Ruby Prism and Amethyst Mirage were Sapphire’s parents.

“Greetings,” Lady Inkwell said, before taking another sip of her drink, “What is so important that you felt you had the right to interrupt my meeting with Duke Fancy Pants?”

“You know very well what this is about,” Marchioness Prism snarled. “When we arrived, we learned from General Sentry that you had the gall to put our daughter, a Marchioness, on latrine cleaning duty! HOW DARE YOU?!”

Lady Inkwell regarded the irate woman for a moment, before finishing the contents of her snifter in a single gulp, and holding it off to her side. Instantly, Sunset was there, holding her tray for Lady Inkwell to place the drinking vessel on its surface.

“Please bring me another sparkberry cognac,” Lady Inkwell said to Sunset without taking her eyes off the noblewoman.

Bowing her head, Sunset turned and walked off to fulfill Lady Inkwell’s request.

“First of all, I will give you the same warning I gave your daughter the first time she spoke to me in such a way…” Sunset heard Lady Inkwell say as she began to steadily put distance between herself and the Queen’s senechal.

Under her mask, she let out a quiet sigh of relief .

She didn’t need to be witness to whatever was about to go down between that night-lover’s arrogant, offal eating parents and Lady Inkwell. If she was honest with herself, she probably wouldn’t have been able to keep herself from reacting.

‘Was that why she sent me away?’ Sunset thought as she approached the bar, her heart filling with gratitude towards Lady Inkwell for her forethought. ‘Thank you, your grace.’

Reaching her destination, she climbed the stairs to a special elevated platform for the younger servers, and placed her tray on the bar’s top, drawing the attention of one of the sun-touched bartenders. As they approached Sunset, they handed her a small notepad and pen, which she used to write Lady Inkwell’s order. Passing the pad back to the bartender, Sunset leaned up against the platform’s banister as she waited for the bartender to return.

When the bartender returned a few minutes later with a fresh snifter, Sunset placed it on her tray without fanfare, before descending the few steps off the platform and headed back to Lady Inkwell. Unfortunately, she spotted Duchess Rich near one of the tables along her route, forcing Sunset to take an extended detour to avoid the Duchess. She didn’t feel like dealing with her. Not now.

Especially since she had a reputation for being vengeful and vindictive towards anyone she felt had slighted her. Which went double for anyone who was “beneath” her.

Even taking the long route, it didn’t take long enough for her to return to where Lady Inkwell was standing. Unsurprisingly, but much to her disappointment, she saw that she was still trapped in conversation with Sapphire Prism’s parents, Duke Highblood and General Sentry. Unlike when she’d left, both the Marchioness and Marquess looked distinctly distressed. Duke Highblood’s face was creased with a mix of anger and fear, and he kept glancing at the two nobles. Only General Sentry looked barely more than concerned, and that concern appeared to be mostly directed at his friends.

As Sunset approached and held up the snifter, Lady Inkwell stopped speaking and glanced down at the vessel, and Sunset.

“Thank you,” She said warmly as she gently took the snifter from the tray, and after swirling the beverage, took a sip. “Now, as I was saying, the number of mortal and ethical lines you crossed supporting Sapphire in her vendetta against that other girl are beyond revolting, not to mention the utter disrespect she showed me. Now, since you did not go so far as to actually break any laws, and your daughter has already been punished for her actions, I’m not going to press the issue.”

“Um, that is…” Marquess Mirage began.

“However,” Lady Inkwell said levely as she casually swirled her drink in its snifter, “understand that should either of you cross any legal lines, I will be coming down on you with the full power of the crown.”

“Are you threatening my friends Raven?” General Sentry asked with a slight glare.

“Not threatening. Promising,” Lady Inkwell said as she looked at General Sentry. “It is my duty to uphold the law, particularly when someone violates it so flagrantly in my presence.”

“And what of Sapphire Prism’s rights?” General Sentry said as he crossed his arms. “She’s Heliopolan nobility, and you let that other girl get away with striking her. It seems you’re disregarding the laws yourself, Lady Inkwell.”

“Had the girl initiated the conflict and struck Sapphire, then yes, she would have faced the appropriate consequences,” Lady Inkwell said as she met General Sentry’s eyes.

“She’s still a commoner,” General Sentry countered. “Legally, her life is worth less than that of Sapphire Prism’s. At best, she should have been branded for such an act, if not forced to serve her family until such a time as her debt to them was paid off.”

“If the incident took place in Auroras, and if it were under normal circumstances, that would be true,” Lady Inkwell said, “However, by submitting themselves to serve at the rite, all of the children forfeited all status, noble or otherwise, and became temporary sun-touched. And, in case you’ve forgotten, this incident took place in Chromos. My domain. Which means they fall under the legal jurisdiction of my city’s laws. And, as sun-touched, they are held exclusively to the authority of the Queen, and her Hand.”

“It seems odd that you’d go so far for some random orphan girl,” Duke Highblood said, emphasizing words orphan girl with disgust. “Perhaps you have some additional interest in her for some reason?”

“Perhaps you’ve misunderstood what I’ve said, Duke Highblood,” Lady Inkwell said as both she and Dylis turned as one to stare him in the eyes. While the Duke didn’t flinch, there was a moment of fear on the edges of his eyes. “So, I will explain it again. Slowly. So that you can understand it. Had the girl been the one to initiate any of the altercations, or escalate them, I would have come down just as hard on her as I did on Sapphire Prism. But, since she was the victim in all of this, she received the appropriate punishments for her actions, and nothing more.”

Taking another sip of her drink, Lady Inkwell regarded the Marchioness and Marquess.

“Normally, as the Hand and Voice of Queen Celestia, I do not involve myself with such matters because they do not warrant or come to my attention,” Lady Inkwell said, before adjusting her glasses slightly. “However, should such things be brought to me, I am inclined to deal with them. Sapphire’s disgraceful behavior, as well as yours, forced me to notice. You are all walking through a field of obsidian splinters right now. Be sure to step carefully. Have I made myself abundantly clear?”

“Yes, your grace,” Marquess Mirage said as he held his trembling wife.

“Good. Now, I believe our… business is concluded,” Lady Inkwell said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Be on your way.”

At that, the three mortals turned and walked away, Duke Highblood’s cane tapping angrily as he went, while Marquess Mirage held onto his trembling wife with an arm as he helped her walk towards a row of sofas at the far end of the room.

Leaving only Duke Fancy Pants, Lady Inkwell, and General Sentry standing near Sunset.

“Duke Fancy, would you leave us for a moment. I need a word with the General,” Lady Inkwell said as she and Dylis turned to face General Sentry and Vestian.

“Of course, your grace. General Sentry,” Duke Fancy said as he bowed to both of them and took his leave.

Once he was out of earshot, Lady Inkwell fixed her fellow phoenix-born with a flat stare and a slight frown.

“And what was the point of all that, Steel?” Lady Inkwell asked. “Surely you didn’t think that you’d actually accomplish anything, did you?”

“I’ll admit, it was a long shot,” General Sentry said with a shrug and a slight smile. “But, there was always a chance. An admittedly small chance, but a chance nonetheless. And, to be honest, it’s always good to test a foe to see how they react. If they react.”

“Really now, Steel?” Lady Inkwell said as she took another sip of her cognac. “Throwing your friends to me to be eaten. Have you no sympathy?”

“You said it yourself. As long as they obey the law, they’ll be fine. Perhaps I merely wished to remind them of that, without having to be the one to do so.” General Sentry said with a slight smile. “Of course, the people of Auroras are quite loyal to one another. What would happen if they knew that a beloved and well respected family was being persecuted by the Queen’s Hand over such a petty thing as a lone orphan from outside blessed Heliopolis? And how would the other rays react? Especially if they learn that there might have been ulterior motives on the part of the persecutor. Truly, the waves would be impressive.”

“I hope neither of us has to find out, since those waves wouldn’t just be confined to Heliopolis,” Lady Inkwell said as she tilted her glass at the General. “After all, Solaria doesn’t end at the edge of the walls anymore, Steel. Hasn’t for seven hundred years.”

“Nobody is more painfully aware of that than I am, Raven,” General Sentry said as he crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow. “And who is it thanks to that those who chose to forsake our blessed Queen’s light and crawl around in the dirt and mud can do so without fear of death?”

“I would never deny that you’ve proven capable of protecting us, General,” Lady Inkwell said, “But, the dagger is only one way. An essential way, when used correctly, but not the only way.”

“And offering honey to the untrustworthy and unscrupulous only invites them to come and steal from your hives,” General Sentry countered with a tilt of his head. “Better to be sure your hives are strong, your bees can sting, and the keepers can defend them, than leave them vulnerable.”

“Then I suppose it falls on those of us who can see the difference to know when the dagger is needed, and when a drop of honey should be offered, or who are the best beekeepers to be brought in to keep the hives healthy,” Lady Inkwell said. “Only hold a dagger for too long, and it looks like the only choice.”

“Set the dagger down, and you won’t have it when you need to fight,” General Sentry replied. “Or be ready if your foe tries to sneak up behind you to strike from behind.”

Sunset could have sworn that for a brief second, Vestian’s eyes shifted to her.

“Perhaps. But, when the one holding the dagger decides they know best, rather than the one tasked with the care of the whole apiary, where does that leave us?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“I would say in a place where the hives are protected and safe,” General Sentry said as he stroked Vestian’s head, earning a trill from his partner.

“At the cost of their health and prosperity, no doubt,” Lady Inkwell said. “But, I digress. We can continue this later Steel. I’m needed at the theatre for the rehearsal of the rite.”

“Of course, Raven,” General Sentry said before turning and walking away, hands clasped behind his back. “I can’t wait to see your next move.”

*****

Sunset flopped face down onto her bed with an exhausted groan, her hair falling around her head like an sheet of red and gold, her discarded mask and hood clattering to the ground. The mattress may not have been the highest quality around, but for the moment, it felt like she was laying in a bed of clouds made of pure joy, on top of a sea of relaxation.

“Long day?” Sunset heard a voice that she knew was one of her friends say from somewhere far, far away. She thought it might have been someone she was sure was called Daisy, but she wasn’t completely sure.

Voice didn’t matter. Mattress too soft and cozy. So a low moan was the only response she could muster.

“Long day,” The voice, plus a second one that she thought might belong to someone named Lily, said in unison.

There were soft thuds coming from down below where the mattress was. They started from far away, but were getting closer, until they were right next to her bed.

The smell of something sweet and spicy began to tantalize her nostrils, cutting through the haze of her exhaustion. Cracking an eye open, she spotted a white, ceramic cylinder held in a light, greyish raspberry colored hand. The cylinder itself wasn’t solid, but instead hollowed out, and appeared to be filled with a very nice smelling red-brown liquid. Something about the liquid was familiar, and pleasant. She knew this liquid, and she liked it.

Groggily lifting her hand, she took the cylinder, finding it warm, almost hot to the touch. On some strange, forgein instinct, she brought the cylinder to her face, and, tilting it back, poured some of the delicious liquid into her mouth, savoring the taste before she swallowed it.

As the warmth of the wonderful brew began to spread through her, she began to feel less like she’d just been trampled by an avalanche of petroquines.

“Thanks,” she said to whoever it was that had handed her the cylinder.

“No problem,” The voice that probably belonged to someone named Lily, said. “Maybe when you’re not about to die, you might want to come over and get something to eat. You probably need it.”

“No move. Bed nice. Food later,” Sunset groaned.

“Okay. Let us know if you need anything,” The voice that was probably called Lily said, before the rhythmic thumping started up again and moved away.

Sunset didn’t respond. Instead, she took another drink of her tsujara and replayed the last five hours in her mind.

It began with the final, shocking revelation that Lady Inkwell had dropped on her as they’d approached the central theatre of the Cathedral. And what her role in the rite was. She’d had thought that she would simply be standing on the sidelines during the rite. Maybe be one of the sun-touched that would stand along the back edge of the stage. As it turned out, that was not the case.

Apparently, as part of her reward for her performance, she was going to be the one to bear Lumina’s egg onto the dais during the rite.

After that particular revelation had followed close to four hours of practice with Lady Inkwell and the potentials to get their timing just right.

Time and time again, the potentials would come in from all sides of the stage, take their seats on the pillows surrounding the dais. As one, they would sit, and the moment they were settled, Sunset would come in, carrying the pillow, and set it on top of the dais. Then, she would move back and take up a spot next to Lady Inkwell and a sun-touched that was standing in for Archduchess Roseluck.

And every time, Lady Inkwell would wait a moment, tell one of the potentials that they’d been chosen, and they would rise and approach the dais to touch the “hatchling”. Then all of the non-ascendants would exit the stage along the same paths as they’d arrived, while the “ascendant” would pick up the “hatchling” and walk towards the back of the stage and out the double doors that Sunset had brought the egg through.

And afterwards, Lady Inkwell would inform them of some mistake in the timing that they’d made, and they’d reset and do it again. By the end, Sunset’s legs and arms felt like they were on fire from how many times she’d walked from the back of the stage to the dais, carrying the mockup of the egg on its pillow. Though, from the tired looks on the potentials’ faces, she suspected they were in worse shape. She supposed it was one of the advantages of having a job that involved actual physical labor.

But, she wouldn’t give it less than her all. The timing needed to be perfect for the rite.

A sigh escaped her throat as she took another sip of her tsujara. Her exhaustion wasn’t just from the hours of practice she’d gone through with Lady Inkwell.

It was from what happened after practice had concluded.

Once Lady Inkwell was satisfied with their timing, she’d called the potentials together to give them one last bit of encouragement, then summoned a group of sun-touched to escort them back to their suites. After that, she’d informed Sunset that they were done for the day, and, after assigning one of the sun-touched to bring Sunset back to the dormitory level, left to prepare for her dinner with the Queen and the visiting royals.

Yet, before she left, Lady Inkwell left Sunset with one final instruction regarding her role: she was not to tell anyone, even Lily and Daisy, that she was the one who would be carrying the egg. After receiving a nod of affirmation from Sunset, she’d sent Sunset on her way.

It had only taken a few minutes to reach the familiar territory of the dorm halls, at which point her guide left to resume their other duties. Which left Sunset with plenty of free time, and nothing to do. So, she decided to head back to her room, and take the time to enjoy a hot bath to get the knots out of her muscles.

But as she’d been walking back towards the dormitories, her thoughts were swirling around and around. Why had Lady Inkwell not told her before that she was going to be bearing the egg? And why had she stressed so hard that she couldn’t tell anyone, even her friends, that she’d be the one to bear it?

As she was making her way down one of the main corridors, her thoughts running round and round in circles, she spotted movement out of the corner of her eyes. Ahead of her, there was someone pushing a small cart of cleaning supplies towards a doorway marked as a latrine.

At first, Sunset thought there was something familiar about them, but didn’t think it mattered. But when she took a second look, she was shocked when she realized who she was looking at.

It was Sapphire Prism.

But, Sunset barely recognized her.

Gone was the haughty pride in her bearing and her extravagant clothes. Instead, she was slumped forward with defeated resignation and misery, her face one of deep contemplation. Her clothing was the uniform they’d worn back at the academy, but one that was obviously well worn from use. And her hair, once so immaculately styled, was now sweat matted and sticking to her face.

Sunset could only stare as Sapphire wordlessly pulled the latrine’s door open, and shuffled in, pulling her cart in behind her.

At first, Sunset’s heart was filled with rage at the sight of her former tormentor, coupled with a small dose of satisfaction that she’d been brought so low as to have to clean up other people’s piss after so blatantly threatening her family and home.

But, in the midst of that rage, there was a kernel of something else. Pity. The Sapphire Prism she’d just seen wasn’t the Sapphire Prism that had tormented her for so long. This was a Sapphire Prism that had been on the receiving end of Lady Inkwell’s wrath. A Sapphire Prism that looked broken.

Miserable.

And alone.

Sunset’s heart was conflicted.

Sapphire had hurt her so badly. Had threatened to have her home destroyed and her family murdered. Repeatedly tormented and abused her because she was nobility, and from Heliopolis. It would be so easy for her to walk by and ignore Sapphire. She’d earned this. It was her punishment for everything she’d done.

But still…

The situation reminded Sunset far too much of one she’d been in not half a month ago while in Lady Inkwell’s office. Of seeing another girl, like Sapphire, torn off her pedestal and forced to face the ugliness of her own actions, and had been left shaken and hurting.

Just like Sapphire was right now.

Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, Sunset gathered her determination and marched up to the latrine’s door. Pulling it open, she spotted Sapphire on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor listlessly.

Looking at Sapphire again, she felt her anger return. She could go over to her and rub her fall in her face. Kick over her wash bucket and run. To do any number of things to plunge a dagger into her soul and twist the blade.

But, Lady Inkwell’s words from the day after her first practical continued to echo in her mind.
Sunset stepped up to the supply cart and grabbed a spare brush, and, walking up to Sapphire, dipped the brush in the wash bucket and began to help her scrub the floors.

“What… who… what are you doing?” Sapphire said, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

Sunset simply looked at Sapphire, and went back to scrubbing. After a moment, a look of gratitude spread across the other girl’s face.

“Thank you,” Sapphire said as she resumed her work.

Sunset spent the rest of the afternoon helping Sapphire clean the latrines: scrubbing the floors, washing out the basins, refilling the wash cans. It was late afternoon by the time they finished, and both girls were exhausted. But, they’d finished the section Sapphire’d been assigned to earlier than she’d have if she’d been on her own.

As they put the supplies back in the janitorial closet, Sunset turned to leave.

“Wait, please,” Sunset heard Sapphire say. Turning back to the other girl, Sunset saw her holding her hands nervously over her chest, and an uncertain look in her teary, turquoise eyes.

Sunset waited for Sapphire to say whatever it was she needed to say.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” Sapphire said nervously. “I don’t know why you helped me, but thank you.”

Walking up to Sapphire, Sunset lifted a hand and placed it on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze and a short nod of her head. There was a moment where Sapphire looked confused, before realization began to mix in, which finally transitioned to shock.

“Sunset?” Sapphire whispered, her eyes going wide.

Sunset simply gave her shoulder another squeeze, before letting go and walking off.

“Wait, Sunset, please,” Sapphire called, her voice desperate.

Pausing and turning to look back at Sapphire, she saw something new on the other girl’s face: gratitude. And regret.

“I… I just wanted to say that… I’m sorry,” Sapphire pleaded, her face pained and her eyes welling with tears. “I know it might not mean anything coming from me now, but… I’m sorry for what I did to you. I know I can’t take it back, or ever really make up for it, but I hope that maybe someday, you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

Sunset stood there for a few seconds, processing what Sapphire had just said. Then, lifting her right hand, she placed it over her heart and nodded her head at Sapphire, causing tears to start welling up in the other girl’s eyes again. But unlike her earlier tears, they weren’t sorrowful tears. They were tears of joy.

“Thank you, Sunset,” Sapphire said as she wiped a tear away with the back of her hand. “I mean it. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.”

Giving Sapphire one last nod, Sunset turned away and made her way back to her room, her exhaustion finally starting to catch up with her.

Ch 14 - The Ascension - The Road of Ascendant Flame

The sun had risen not long ago, bathing the east face of Mt. Liakeed in golden light. There was something truly divine about the heavenly source of light rising over the distant wall of the Corona, and bathing the landscape of the Core in Celestia’s radiance.

Standing on the roof of the Cathedral of the Sun, Sunset was in her usual spot behind Lady Inkwell on the southern side of the roof. Through her mask, she beheld the sun’s light touch not only the holy mountain, but an edifice further up its slopes: Queen Celestia’s palace.

Before, she’d been impressed by the size of it, but up close, she would have been rendered speechless if she’d been permitted to speak. The towering white marble walls, the golden parapets and steeples. But more than that, the entire structure radiated divinity like a lamp, as if proclaiming that this was the abode of the Goddess of the Sun, and all who stood before it should take note.

But observing the sun’s light striking the home of its master was not why they were there on the Cathedral’s roof. No, they were waiting for the arrival of the last group of guests for the rite. And though they were the last to arrive, they were arguably some of the most important.

And frightening.

For this morning, the rulers from Solaria’s allied nations were arriving to view the rite.

Despite how tired she was from the previous day, Sunset stood at attention, keeping her posture as perfect as possible, even as she stood among the line of sun-touched. She would be exiled to the Chaos before she allowed herself to damage Solaria’s or Lady Inkwell’s reputation by being anything other than absolutely perfect when the dignitaries came.

As with all prior arrivals, the platform was guarded by scores of prominence knights, their sky-runner and plumed serpent compatriots absent. Most likely they were escorting the royals. But there were new additions to the guardians that made her already frayed nerves a thousand times worse.

Wyverns.

Perched on the edge of the Cathedral’s roof were at least twenty wyverns, their brassy scales glinting and shimmering in the light of the early morning sun. The massive draconic creatures had large, bat-like wings in place of forelegs, which were folded up onto their sides like those of a bird, and thick, muscular hind legs with enormous claws that they used to grip the marble cornices. Their long, swan-like necks were topped with regal-looking reptilian heads crowned with a pair of long, spiraled horns, while their tails were armed with deadly-looking sword-like blades. From what she’d read, Sunset knew those blades could deliver a powerful poison in addition to gutting anything on their business end.

The wyverns’ heads were in constant motion, scanning the sky around the Cathedral for any sign of a threat. The whole scene threw Sunset for a loop. These creatures were nothing like the feral wyverns she'd read about, which were little more than animalistic predators. Perhaps they were a special breed that lived in the Core?

“Eyes forward,” Lady Inkwell gently chided.

Realizing that she’d let her attention slip, she brought herself back into line.

“Good. Here they come,” Lady Inkwell said softly.

Sure enough, she spotted the cloud of plumed serpents and armored sky-runners as they emerged from a high balcony on the north side of Celestia’s castle and began to descend towards the Cathedral. Rising into the sky after its escort was a large, elaborately decorated rosewood and gold box, carried by four of the brassy wyverns gripping a set of long, metal bars coming from the roof of the box.

Sunset could only stare in wonder as the “carriage” containing the visiting royals and their entourage began their descent.

As the carriage and its escort grew closer, Sunset began to fully appreciate the scale of the thing, as it was, at her best guess, easily fifteen meters square. She had to suppress a shudder at the implications of just how strong the wyverns had to be to lift and carry something that size.

As the wyverns neared the landing platform, the prominence knights scattered and landed in their positions among their lines. As they did, the wyverns expertly set the carriage into a recession in the platform, a sharp click filling the air as some sort of locking mechanism engaged and held it in place.

Once secured, a set of double doors on the box’s front slowly creaked open, permitting the passengers to exit.

First to emerge were a pair of plumed serpents who slithered out of the royal box with their fronts raised into the air and their wings folded, making them resemble massive cobras with their hoods partially extended.

The one in the lead was the smaller of the two, though he was still easily seven meters long and forty-five centimeters in diameter, making him almost one and a half times the size of the plumed serpents among the prominence knights. Unlike his fellows, his scales and plumage were patterned in bright repeating bands of red-yellow-black-yellow-red, while his feathered mane was red, orange and yellow, and resembled flames. But it was the look on the snake’s face that made him stand out from the others; he bore a glare of subtle challenge as he put himself in front of the second, as though daring anyone to try and reach his companion.

But as large as the first serpent was, he paled in comparison to the second. Easily ten meters long and sixty centimeters in diameter, his scales were pitch black, save for those on its throat, which were vibrant crimson. His feathers were bright, shimmering iridescent green, with patches of red and blue forming chevrons on his back, while the primary feathers of his wings were a dazzling rainbow of constantly shifting iridescent colors. His mane was composed of snow white feathers accented by longer feathers with naked rachises tipped with bright blue half circles. Most striking of all was his face which, unlike his companion’s, carried with it an impression of peace and ancient wisdom.

“All hail his royal majesty Huey Tlatoani Quetzalcoatl and the honorable Tlatuani Tezcacoatl,” the prominence knights cried. “Welcome to the Cathedral of the Sun.”

Stepping forward, Lady Inkwell bowed to the two plumed serpents.

“Sun’s light upon you Huey Tlatoani Quetzalcoatl, Tlatuani Tezcacoatl,” Lady Inkwell said as she bowed, Dylis following suit from her shoulder by carefully spreading as she bowed.

“Sun’s light upon you Lady Inkwell,” the larger of the two said, his mouth hanging open as he spoke. Unnervingly, as Quetzalcoatl spoke, his mouth didn’t move. Instead, the words seemed to emanate from deep in his throat, giving Sunset and everyone present a very clear view of forty centimeter long fangs hidden in a pair of fleshy sheaths folding up into the roof of his mouth. “Two hundred years is far too long. You really should try to visit more often.”

“You are too kind, your majesty,” Lady Inkwell said as she rose from her bow. “Sadly, my duties rarely permit me such personal time.”

“Hmm,” Quetzalcoatl hummed as he slowly tilted his head to the side. “Perhaps we should request a diplomatic visit. I think we need to re-examine some trade agreements. Over a few bowls of dollotlii, of course.”

“I would be honored, your majesty,” Lady Inkwell said with a warm smile. “Perhaps we can discuss it with the Queen after the rite has concluded.”

“Of course, of course,” Quetzalcoatl said with a jolly laugh and rattle of his tail before he and Tezcacoatl slithered towards the line of sun-touched, eight of whom peeled off from the line to escort them to the banquet hall. As they departed, Lady Inkwell returned to her original spot.

Next to emerge from the box were a pair of meter-long golden beetles, their shimmering wings carrying them through the air with a deep, resonant buzz. One had a pair of long, scimitar-like mandibles on its front, while the other had a set of three large horn-like spines, one on its head which curved upward between the other two, which were borne on the carapace plate of its thorax, and curved forward, almost forming a closed loop. Both had delicate and elaborate filigree on their elytra, and piercing, black, compound eyes.

“All hail Queen Lamrima and King Eupatorus,” the prominence knights announced. “Welcome to the Cathedral of the Sun.”

As before, Lady Inkwell stepped forward to greet the royals.

“By sky and fire, sun and wood, I see you, Queen Lamrima and King Eupatorus. On behalf of our immortal queen, I welcome you to this ascendant’s rising,” Lady Inkwell said, bowing deeply to the two hovering beetles.

The beetle with the scimitar-mandibles cocked its head to its right and twitched its antennae.

“By rain and stone, magma and metal, I see you, Lady Raven Inkwell. On behalf of me and my husband, we accept your hospitality,” Queen Lamrima said in a voice that reminded Sunset of the sound of a stick being run across the ridges of a washboard.

King Eupatorus nodded his head and twitched his antennae.

“I am grateful for your acceptance, your highnesses,” Lady Inkwell said, rising from her bow. “May the light shine within you for years to come.”

“And you as well, child of the lost age,” King Eupatorus said, his wife flexing her mandibles like a pair of shears.

And with that, the two of them flew towards the Cathedral’s entrance, followed by another group of eight sun-touched.

Next to emerge were a pair of women, one of whom looked to be about the size of a teenager, while the other towered over the assembled prominence knights by at least fifty centimeters. Both resembled sky-runners in the most generous sense, but had much more angular, almost avian features, while their fingers ended in long, curved talons.

The shorter of the two had bright gamboge skin and feathers, light, arctic blue hair decorated with a seashell crown, and brilliant cyan eyes that sparkled with youthful wonder and mischief. She wore a simple, silk toga and tunic dyed light magenta, and a pair of ruby-red sandals.

By contrast, the taller of the two had light, fuschia-grey skin and feathers, and deep magenta eyes that were filled with reserved wisdom and patience. Her hair began as a brilliant fuschia near her scalp, but gradually transitioned to deep mulberry at the tips. On her forehead was a tiara that resembled three inverted teardrops, topped with a set of long, light blue plumes. Like the younger, she wore a toga and tunic, though hers were dyed in varying shades of purple, and she held a long scepter cradled in her arms that bore both avian and seal motifs topped with an apple-sized pearl that shone with inner magic.

“All hail Queen Novo and Princess Skystar of the selkies,” the prominence knights announced. “Welcome to the Cathedral of the Sun.”

Stepping forward, Lady Inkwell was about to greet the two royals. However, before she could get the chance, the younger, Princess Skystar, spotted her.

“Auntie Raven!” Princess Skystar squealed with delight. With a mighty flap of her wings, she launched herself forward and dove into Lady Inkwell’s chest, Dylis barely managing to leap into the air before the princess wrapped the royal seneschal in an enthusiastic hug.

“No, no, proper decorum isn’t something I told you was necessary, is it?” Queen Novo said with a sigh as she approached, pinching her forehead with her thumb, index and middle fingers. “Greetings Raven. I’m sorry about my daughter’s… lack of sense.”

“Oh come on, Mom, it’s been, like, forever since I saw Auntie Raven,” Princess Skystar said with a whine.

“You saw her last night, silly girl,” Queen Novo said before lowering her hand and looking at Lady Inkwell, who had managed to peel Princess Skystar off her chest and set her back on the ground.

“Oh, like, don’t be so stuffy, Mom,” Princess Skystar said with an adorable pout. “I’m sure Auntie Raven doesn’t mind.”

Lady Inkwell’s face turned up into a warm smile as Dylis landed back on her shoulder and glared at Princess Skystar, who stuck her tongue out playfully at the phoenix.

“Welcome, Queen Novo. Princess Skystar, still as energetic as ever I see,” Lady Inkwell said as she patted Princess Skystar on the head, earning a giggle from the younger girl.

“Don’t encourage her, Raven. She’s bad enough at home,” Queen Novo said with a sigh.

“By the sea, Mom! You’re awful. Right, Auntie Raven?” Princess Skystar said, shooting Lady Inkwell an impressive pair of doe eyes.

“Princess, I’m not getting in the middle of this,” Lady Inkwell said as she patted Skystar’s head.

“Traitor,” Princess Skystar said.

“Not traitor. Diplomat,” Lady Inkwell said with a laugh. “My job’s to keep the peace, not spark a civil war. Now, why don’t you head down to the theatre with your mom. I’m sure there are plenty of new snacks for you to try.”

“You’re the best, Auntie!” Skystar squealed as she flew to the door, bouncing on her heels with excitement as she waited for her mother.

“I told the staff not to let her have anything caffeinated,” Lady Inkwell said to Queen Novo.

“Thank you,” Queen Novo said with a grateful smile. “I swear, I have no idea what I’m going to do with her.”

“Sorry, I can’t help you there, Novo,” Lady Inkwell said with a smile.

“Somehow, I doubt that. I suppose I’ll just have to deal with her myself. Such a burden placed upon me,” Queen Novo said with a playful roll of her eyes and overly dramatic sigh before she took her leave, joining her daughter as they headed inside.

As Lady Inkwell took her waiting spot, the final pair emerged. Unlike the selkies, they resembled sun-gazers in only the broadest sense. Lithe, and vaguely reptilian, their upper bodies were almost like earth-weavers in shape, but had scales covering their backs, running down the length of their arms and up their necks, and formed a stripe of scales down the bridge of their noses. Their hands had tufts of fur around their wrists like some sort of silk-tasseled bracelet, and their hands ended in sharp, golden talons. Their ears were long and pointed, and in the middle of their forehead was a single, thick, two-pronged antler the color of dried blood. Their hair was large and bushy, forming an impressive mane around their heads. And below the waist, each had a leonine tail, unguligrade legs covered in silky fur the color of their skin, and split, cloven hooves in place of feet.

The shorter of the two was about as tall as Lady Inkwell and looked quite cheerful. She had light grey skin and washed out apple-green scales, moderate tangelo hair and faded golden eyes. She wore a simple twisted cloth wrap to cover her chest, and a knee-length loincloth, both dyed deep emerald green.

The taller of the two was nearly a meter taller than her companion, and had a far more reserved countenance. Her skin was a light, amber grey, while her scales were a faded grey gold. Her hair was predominantly a moderate opal, but had streaks of grayish turquoise within, and her eye were a deep, contemplative amaranth. Like her companion, she wore a simple cloth wrap to cover her chest and a knee-length loincloth dyed light sky blue. Unlike her companion, she wore a golden tiara that wrapped under her antler and bore a long twisting wooden staff tipped with a large bell.

“All hail Arbiter Rain Shine and Magistrate Autumn Blaze of the kirintal,” the prominence knights announced. “Welcome to the Cathedral of the Sun.”

Stepping forward, Lady Inkwell approached the two kirintal, crossing her arms by placing her hands on the shoulder opposite their side of her body, left arm over her right, and bowed deeply to them, her left leg slightly extended behind her as she bowed her right leg.

“Altaena lin’taalca, Arbiter,” Lady Inkwell said as she bowed. “Altaene lan’taalca, Magistrate.”

“Altaena chal’ceata, Seneschal,” the two said as they bowed to Lady Inkwell in an identical manner.

Rising, the three regarded each other for a moment.

“I trust your accommodations have been pleasant, Arbiter Rain Shine and Magistrate Autumn Blaze,” Lady Inkwell said.

“They have been sufficient,” Arbiter Rain Shine said, her voice smooth like flowing water, before looking around the platform. “Where is Archduchess Roseluck? I had hoped she would be present.”

“I’m afraid that the archduchess is completing the decorations for the rite, and wasn’t able to join us,” Lady Inkwell said with a small bow. “However, if you wish, I’ll have the sun-touched guide you to her. I’m sure she’d be happy to have your company as she finishes up.”

“I would like that,” Arbiter Rain Shine said with a slight smile.

“Lady Inkwell,” Magistrate Autumn Blaze said. “Might I impose to be taken to where Princess Skystar is? She and I spoke on the ride from your Queen’s castle, and I would like to continue our conversation.”

Lady Inkwell’s eyes briefly shot to Rain Shine, who gave a subtle nod.

“I don’t see why not. I’m sure the Princess would enjoy the company,” Lady Inkwell said.

“Thank you, Lady Inkwell,” Magistrate Autumn Blaze said, a wide, happy smile forming on her face.

Signalling the final eight sun-touched, Lady Inkwell instructed them where to bring the two kirintal. Crossing their arms across their chests one last time, the three bowed to one another, before the kirintal walked off with their sun-touched guides, leaving Sunset and Lady Inkwell alone on the platform with the prominence knights.

Turning to look at Sunset, Lady Inkwell merely nodded, then began to walk towards the Cathedral’s entrance, Sunset falling in behind her.

*****

Sunset peeked out from behind the curtain near the back of the stage of the Theatre of the Ascension. Unlike yesterday, it was now fully decorated and populated by guests. What appeared to be over a thousand sun-gazers were spread through the theatre across its three-tiered balcony system.

The top balconies were filled with the largest number of sun-gazers, most of whom were wearing nice but inexpensive clothing. Sunset knew that the uppermost balconies were reserved for commoners. Between the areas where she could see large groups of people milling about and socializing were arena-style benches for viewing the rite.

The middle tier had fewer people, and unlike the top balconies, their occupants were well dressed in somewhat expensive-looking clothes. Low- to mid-tier nobles if Sunset recalled correctly. Like the top tier, there were seating areas intermixed with the standing areas, though on this tier, there were cushioned chairs set behind long tables decorated with garlands of flowers. Roseluck, Daisy and Lily’s handiwork no doubt.

Then there was the floor level. Unlike the upper levels, the floor level was filled with dozens of short-legged circular tables large enough in diameter to seat two to three sun-gazers, each one surrounded by sitting pillows on the side opposite the stage, with elaborate flower arrangements as centerpieces. There were few sun-gazers on this level, and all of them were dressed in elaborate and very expensive-looking clothing. As she looked around, she spotted several that she recognized, including Duchesses Redheart and Spoiled Rich, as well as Dukes Highblood, Fancy Pants and Filthy Rich. And in line with the center of the stage was a set of large tables, each one seating a pair of the visiting royals or phoenix-born.

As her eyes rose above the stage, they came to rest on hundreds of phoenixes sitting in a set of special golden rings suspended in a circle around the stage, comprising the entirety of Queen Lumina’s court.

And on the stage itself were a troupe of fifteen sun-gazers each dressed in elaborate dancer’s costumes that made their movements look like they were surrounded by swirling wisps of flame. There were five from each tribe, and they were in the midst of performing an elegant, cooperative spell dance, one that was generating a mesmerizing aurora of color and bursts of elemental energy to the music of a small string orchestra. These were the legendary Jubilants of Flame, and their performance was the opening act of the rite, known as the Ceremony of Living Light. Once their dance was done, Lady Inkwell would begin her address.

Ducking back, Sunset took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. As she lifted her head, she looked at the room before her. It was enormous, easily providing the twenty-one prominence knights within enough space to fight if need be. The knights were on high alert, each standing, coiled or hanging from the ceiling at the ready.

At the center of the room was its only other occupant. Or rather, occupants. Resting on a short marble plinth was a beautiful red silk pillow. And on top of the pillow was Queen Lumina, brooding the precious treasure entrusted to Sunset’s care: her newest egg.

Yet, there was something new.

Something strange that, while not unpleasant, was more than a little frightening.

Unlike the last time Sunset was in the queen’s presence, there was a new, warm feeling filling her heart. She couldn’t quite describe it, but it felt like a mixture of love and sadness, like there was someone calling out to her. Trying to reach out and find her, but couldn’t.

Were she prone to dramatic prose, she might have said that it was like a piece of her that she never knew was missing was trying to find its way back to her.

Sunset took another deep breath, closed her eyes again, and let it out. Whatever strange effect Queen Lumina’s presence was causing, Sunset couldn’t focus on it.

She had a duty to perform.

As Sunset heard the music begin to die down, she knew that it was time. Taking another deep breath and approaching Queen Lumina, Sunset knelt before her, waiting for the Queen to give her leave to rise.

After what felt like an eternity, she heard Queen Lumina’s melodious voice speak to her.

“It is time, child of the sun,” Queen Lumina said. “I bid you rise. I now entrust my child to your care.”

Standing up, she saw Queen Lumina had also risen, exposing the red and gold egg she’d been sitting on. With a gentle flap of her wings, she lifted into the air, circled around, and came to rest on a carved ruby perch nearby. Once she was settled, the queen gave Sunset a single nod, signalling her to pick up the pillow.

As Sunset did, she felt the strange sensation intensify, despite the queen being further away. Focusing her mind with her meditation techniques, she walked to the edge of the curtain. Through the gap in the fabric, she could see Lady Inkwell and Dylis now standing on the right side of the stage, while Archduchess Roseluck and Amara had taken the left. Both phoenix-born were no longer in their typical clothing, but were instead dressed in full length white robes covered in gold embroidery with sun, fire, plant and phoenix motifs, and both had the living flame of their hair free and flowing down their back like a burning waterfall. Behind each were a short line of sun-touched, a small conspicuous gap in their formation directly behind Lady Inkwell, while next to Archduchess Roseluck were two uniquely masked and robed figures that she knew were Lily and Daisy.

Soon, all chatter in the room died down as all eyes turned to Lady Inkwell.

“Bright day to all of Solaria. May the light of Celestia’s sun shine forever in her glory.” Lady Inkwell said, her voice carrying throughout the theatre as she cast her arms wide. “Welcome, esteemed guests, one and all, to this, the most joyous celebration in our great nation. Today, we are gathered to witness the birth of a new phoenix-born.”

Lady Inkwell paused to allow the applause to die down. Once the room was silent again, Archduchess Roseluck picked up.

“In moments, the sun will reach its zenith, and its light will give the newest phoenix the strength to emerge from their egg,” The archduchess declared with a smile and flourish of her hand. “And from the emergence shall rise not only a new royal phoenix, but one who shall be their bonded companion. Today, the child with the strongest, purest inner flame shall be joined with the hatchling, and be transformed.”

Lifting her hand with a dramatic flourish, Archduchess Roseluck said, “So, without further ado, let the nine chosen come forth.”

No sooner did the words leave the archduchess’s mouth than the nine potentials entered the theatre from three doors in the far wall. In one group were Flash Sentry, Soarin and Fleetfoot, each dressed in long robes dyed sky blue. Another contained Blueblood, Fire Flare and Lemony Gems, now dressed in ash grey robes. The final group was composed of Minty, Golden Harvest, and Cherry Jubilee, the three adorned in deep forest green robes.

As they slowly approached with perfect synchronization, Lady Inkwell continued.

“Of all the children in our great nation, these nine were put forth as those who shine with the greatest inner fire,” Lady Inkwell said as she gestured to the nine approaching her. “And soon, the one whose inner fire burns brightest and purest will ascend.”

Soon, they reached the stage, and split apart. They began to walk in a circle around the dais, until they stopped. Blueblood stood before the cushion closest to the front of the stage, then clockwise from there: Minty, Soarin, Fire Flare, Cherry Jubilee, Fleetfoot, Lemony Gems, Golden Harvest and Flash Sentry.

As soon as the nine were in position, they sat on the cushions around the dais. As they were dropping down to their knees, a curtain closed behind Sunset, and the one before her opened. That was it. Stepping forward with purpose, she kept her eyes on the dais, her mind focused solely on keeping her pace steady, and desperately using her mental meditations to drown out the strange sensation that was growing stronger by the moment.

Sunset could feel the room hold its collective breath as she placed the egg on the dais, then stepped backwards until she was out of the circle of potentials and took her place in the line of sun-touched behind Lady Inkwell.

“Now…” both Lady Inkwell and Archduchess Roseluck said simultaneously with gravitas as they raised their right hands into the air, pointing to the sky, “let the light of the sun shine through and give birth to the future!”

As the phoenix-born made their declaration, the sun hit its peak, and its light was focused through an array of lenses set into the roof of the cathedral, sending its life-giving energy down into the theater as a brilliant shaft of radiance that shone down onto the dais. As the egg was bathed in the light, it began to glow as it absorbed the power of the sun to ignite the inner flame of the chick inside.

This was the moment.

All of her training. All of her sacrifice. All of her heartache.

For this once in a lifetime moment.

In seconds, the sun moved from its position above the lenses, and the light died down, the egg’s glow with it.

There was a tense silence in the room as they all waited for any sign of life from the egg. For a painful few seconds, there was nothing. Then, with a small shake, the first cracks began to form on its surface.

As Sunset watched the egg begin to hatch, the strange sensation began to grow in intensity, until it suffused her entire being. As the shell continued to crack, the sense of longing began to fade, and she was flooded with an overwhelming sensation of relief and joy, almost as if the piece of herself she felt was missing had found its way back to her.

‘Is it like this for everyone else here?’ Sunset thought, her attention so enraptured by the hatching that she was only peripherally aware of a strange light beginning to fill the folds of her hood.

More cracks formed on the surface of the egg, and with one final push, the young phoenix’s beak broke through the shell, tasting the air for the first time. Flexing her wings, she pushed more of the shell off herself, until she was partially hanging out of her hardened womb.

A murmur of confusion spreads through the room. Something was wrong. The chick had hatched, yet none of the potentials had been chosen. It was impossible. The moment the phoenix hatchling emerged, the bond would be formed.

The silence was broken by a sudden, loud gasp, drawing everyone’s attention to one of the tables nearest where Lady Inkwell was standing. Everyone’s eyes turned to the woman, a countess if the table settings were any indication, who was pointing at something behind Lady Inkwell.

All eyes followed her shaking finger.

“Look! Look there!” she shouted. “That one! Her hood! It's glowing!”

Sunset remained perfectly still, unsure where the countess was pointing, but soon, the room began to erupt into murmuring as she became aware of the strange glow coming from within her hood. And in that moment she realized that the countess was pointing… at her!

‘What’s going on?’ Sunset thought.

“Lady Inkwell,” a fire-caller wearing master arcanist robes snarled as he stood and pointed directly at Sunset, “what in the name of the sun’s blessed light is going on?”

Lady Inkwell turned to face Sunset. As she did, Sunset saw her face turn up into a smile so slight that nobody except someone standing right beside her could have seen it.

“Raven!” an angry voice belonging to Commander Spitfire yelled. “What is this? I demand you unmask that sun-touched this instant!”

Sunset’s pulse spiked as a murmur of agreement shot through the room.

“I agree!” Duke Highblood said as he also rose to his feet. “Lady Inkwell, we demand an explanation! How is it possible that someone other than the chosen nine has ascended?!”

‘Ascended?!’ Sunset thought, her mind suddenly gripped with dread. ‘What does he mean ascended?!’

“Spitfire, Highblood, Neighsay, sit down,” General Sentry said as he took a sip of his drink, his eyes closed and his face calm.

“But, sir!” Commander Spitfire protested.

“General, you can’t be serious!” Duke Highblood snarled.

“I agree!” Chancellor Neighsay said.

General Sentry shot them a stern look, causing all three to go pale.

“I said, sit down.” General Sentry said again.

Slowly, the three of them sat back down on their pillows. As they did, General Sentry rose to his feet, still holding his tumbler.

“Lady Inkwell, it seems that something has somehow gone amiss here,” he said, his mouth turning up into a slight half-smile as he folded his arms over his chest before tilting his tumbler towards Sunset. “Perhaps you would care to enlighten us?”

“Yes, please,” Archduchess Roseluck said, a giant, giddy grin on her face.

There was a chorus of affirmations, particularly from the visiting royals.

Before Lady Inkwell could reply, a piercing yet melodious shriek filled the air. As it did, every phoenix in the room, including the phoenix-born’s bonded partners, cried out in unison as if in reply.

As the cry faded, a small teardrop of white and gold flame appeared in the air above the dais. The flame rapidly expanded then receded, revealing the resplendent form of Queen Lumina, who flew in a circle around the dais before landing in a low-hanging ring among her court. As she landed, her eyes swept across the room.

“Welcome, Queen Lumina,” Lady Inkwell said, bowing to the phoenix queen. As she bowed, so did Archduchess Roseluck, General Steel Sentry and Commander Spitfire.

“Greetings, my friend,” Queen Lumina said, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Lady Inkwell. “Something quite odd is going on, is it not? Perhaps, you might be willing to indulge me in something?”

“What is it you wish, your highness?” Lady Inkwell said, her head still bowed.

“Please, dance with me,” Queen Lumina said as she spread her wings. “I wish to see the flames of all of the sun-gazers on the stage.”

Another wave of murmurs filled the air.

“Is that really necessary, your highness?” Duke Highblood said, sweat beginning to form on his brow. “We know that they were all tested before…”

“Be silent, mortal,” Queen Lumina hissed at the duke, her voice echoing with power and causing him to shrink down and somehow go paler than he naturally was.

Rising from her bow, Lady Inkwell looked up at Queen Lumina.

“Your highness, I would be honored,” Lady Inkwell said as Dylis took to the air and landed among the rings with the other phoenixes. As he left her shoulder, Lady Inkwell undid her sash, allowing her bulky, outer robes to fall away, leaving her clothed in a simple grey tunic, black pants and calf-length boots. “But first…”

Lifting her right hand into the air, Lady Inkwell snapped her fingers. At the sound, hundreds of sparks of light appeared in the air. After hovering for a moment, they sliced downward leaving a trail of fire in their wake. As the trails reached the ground, they flashed brightly. Standing in place of the lines of fire were five full platoons of prominence knights, all scattered around the room, including surrounding the dais between the hatchling and the potentials, among the nobility, blockading the doors, and, to Sunset’s surprise, standing guard around her.

“Now that nobody will try anything foolish,” Lady Inkwell said before rising into the air. As she came to eye level with Queen Lumina, she bowed to the phoenix queen, then began to move her whole body in a complex aerial spell-dance. Queen Lumina simultaneously swooped, climbed and dove around her, their flames beginning to intermingle as the spell took shape.

Were Sunset not in shock, she might have appreciated the impossible beauty of the dance being performed by the two immortals.

The spell reached a crescendo, with Lady Inkwell’s hands flying upward and clapping together over her head. Meanwhile, Queen Lumina climbed high into the air from behind, and, as she reached her zenith just above Lady Inkwell’s hands, did a sharp downward stroke with her wings. As the dance finished, a sphere of white light formed between the two before expanding rapidly across the stage, engulfing it in blinding radiance.

In moments, the light receded, and a series of gasps erupted throughout the room as Lady Inkwell came to rest on the stage, now surrounded by an intense, almost blinding white glow representing her flame made visible by her spell.

On the other side of the stage, Archduchess Roseluck was similarly surrounded by a brilliant white glow, though one slightly dimmer than her fellow phoenix-born, while the two sun-touched Sunset knew were Daisy and Lily had flames almost as brilliant as the archduchess’s, though theirs had the slightest of blue tints to them.

Among the true sun-touched on stage, each one was producing an identical orange glow of moderate intensity, as were the prominence knights, though their glows were significantly stronger and brilliant yellow in color.

Within the potentials, Blueblood’s glow was the brightest but was red in color and barely brighter than the brightest glow among the prominence knights. Flash Sentry’s inner flame had a golden yellow glow, but it was slightly weaker than Blueblood’s. Fleetfoot and Soarin glowed just slightly dimmer than Flash, their flames more yellow-orange. Among the others, they all had glows of varying shades of yellow and orange, and weaker than the previous four.

Sunset was at a loss as she looked at the manifested flames. None of the candidates had flames that were at all like that of Lady Inkwell or Archduchess Roseluck. In fact, the only ones that did were Daisy and Lily. Yet, as Sunset looked down at herself, she saw that there was one more exception.

Her body was emitting a glow as pure white as Lady Inkwell’s. In fact, her glow was ever so slightly more intense.

‘Just like at the test back in Golden Tree…’ she thought.

The room was silent for a long time, nobody daring to move or make a sound as they bore witness to this unexpected and unprecedented turn of events.

Then, the silence was broken by a deep, bellowing explosion of laughter. All eyes turned to the source. Huey Tlatoani Quetzalcoatl had his head thrown back in riotous laughter, the crystalline rattle on his tail shaking and producing a deep, melodious chiming.

“Oh, this is rich!” he said as his laughter died down, his tail still rattling with mirth. Looking at Lady Inkwell, a smile spread across his face as he opened his mouth to speak. “Well, Lady Inkwell, I think there might have been something amusing going on with the ascension. I would love to hear any of your theories.”

“I agree,” Queen Novo said as she put down the lulli wine she had been drinking. “I would say that this situation is entirely without precedent. Perhaps you’d care to enlighten the rest of us?”

“Ohh, this is gonna be good!” Princess Skystar squealed as she bounced in her seat.

“Shush, child,” Queen Novo said.

“Well,” Lady Inkwell said, “from what we just saw, it appears that while all of the potentials that were chosen for the rite had fairly strong flames, they were not exceptionally strong, or pure. Which is quite strange, considering that from the test results sent to me, they were all identified as having exceptionally strong and pure flames. Clearly, that is not the case.”

There was a general murmur that spread out through the theatre at that. Taking advantage of the lull, Lady Inkwell extended a tendril of flame from her head, picked up her robes and put them back on.

“And yet, somehow, three of the volunteers that decided to work at the rite had flames that were far more pure and powerful than any of the chosen candidates,” Lady Inkwell said as she looked out over the theatre as Dylis landed back on her shoulder. As she did, Sunset saw several of the nobles on the floor level and in the second tier begin to look uncomfortable. “Something that I find odd, because when the test results from their hometowns were delivered to me, none of the children there were recorded as having anything more than moderately powerful or pure flames. There was no indication that anyone had a flame that was anything on the level we witnessed.”

Sunset’s mind was reeling, and she was starting to feel lightheaded.

“That doesn’t matter!”

All eyes turned towards the voice.

There, standing before the dais, was Blueblood, his face red and livid. Soarin, Fleetfoot, Minty and Lemony Gems were also standing in solidarity with the young duke.

“Whoever that brat is, they weren’t chosen to represent the nation in the rite! We were!” he snarled as he gestured towards the other potentials. “The phoenix is to bond with one of the chosen! Not some random dirt-eater girl that was rejected by the search committee. If anything, she’s guilty of theft of royalty, and should be executed!”

A gasp went up from the top- and second-tier balconies, as well as from several of the ground floor tables.

“Blueblood, shut up, you’re going to get in trouble!” Flash said as he desperately tried to pull Blueblood back.

“No! This was to be our time. There must have been a reason she was rejected, even with her flame!” Blueblood continued, his face livid. Sunset’s eyes shot to Duke Highblood, whose face had gone pale at his son’s ranting. “And she’s not even from Heliopolis! She clearly doesn't deserve the honor of being bonded to the newest phoenix!”

“So, I’m not worthy of my position?” Archduchess Roseluck’s voice cut through the air, lacking its usual pleasantness. “Is that what you’re saying, child?”

Blueblood turned to the archduchess, the blood draining from his face as he took a step back.

“Of course not, your grace,” Blueblood stammered.

“And Heliopolis didn’t even exist when I was chosen,” Lady Inkwell said. “Does that make me unworthy of my ascension?”

“Um… that is… I mean…” Blueblood stammered before Flash pulled him down to the cushion before he could embarrass himself further. One by one, the other former potentials sat back down.

“Clearly, there’s a disgraceful lack of understanding regarding what this rite stands for, and just who is deserving,” Lady Inkwell said as she turned and bowed to Queen Lumina. “Your highness, might I make an imposition upon you?”

“I will hear your request,” Queen Lumina said as she nodded to Lady Inkwell.

“Thank you, your highness,” Lady Inkwell said. “I realize this is odd coming from me, but could you explain to everyone what the criteria are for those you wish bonded with your children?”

“Of course, Lady Inkwell, it’s no trouble at all,” Queen Lumina said, before turning to address the rest of the theater, her voice beginning to reverberate with power as she spoke. “When Mage Meadowbrook became the first phoenix-born, and I made my compact with Queen Celestia, we set down the following criteria for those who would be chosen as sacred law: First and foremost, the three children of each tribe with the purest and most powerful flame of all of Celestia’s chosen people were eligible to bond. Of those with such flames, they should have qualities that are worth preserving for the betterment of all of her people. And, the candidates could come from anywhere, be they commoner, or royal, regardless of tribe, or origin, so long as they are loyal to Celestia.”

Glaring down at the audience that had come to observe the rite, Queen Lumina narrowed her eyes as wisps of golden flame began to emanate from her body.

“Those are the only criteria that matter in the choosing of a potential phoenix-born. Not place of origin. Not tribe. Not creed. Not lineage. And not some mortal vetting process that has so clearly been subverted in an attempt to control the outcome,” Queen Lumina hissed angrily. “It sickens me to see the pact that I made with Queen Celestia so long ago was defiled in such a way. Thankfully, it seems that Lady Inkwell’s devotion to her duties allowed her to uphold this sacred pact and bring forth at least three candidates that were truly deserving of the honor of bonding with my child.”

“Indeed,” Lady Inkwell said as she turned to look back over the audience. “I’ve let those among you that thought you could subvert the will of Queen Celestia and Queen Lumina continue with this charade long enough. Now that people from all corners of Solaria and beyond have seen the disgraceful farce you tried to turn this sacred ceremony into, I don’t need to pretend anymore. I believe it’s time to put an end to this.”

Snapping her fingers again, Lady Inkwell shouted two words that sent chills down the spine of almost every Heliopolan in the room.

“Dawn Wings!”

There was a shimmer like that of hot air in a desert by the back of the stage as a lone form appeared. Reclining against the wall with their arms crossed over their chest was a sky-runner. Their body was covered in a white, form-fitting bodysuit that made it impossible to tell if they were a man or woman, and they wore a golden mask and white hood not unlike those of the sun-touched, save for a single blazing eye etched onto its surface. Their wings were possibly the oddest thing about them, as they did not appear to be made of flesh, bone and feathers, but solidified light almost too bright to look at.

“How may I be of service, Hand of Celestia?” the mysterious sky-runner said, their voice distorted and constantly changing as they spoke, yet somehow carrying through the entire room.

“I have witnessed evidence of there being heretical manipulation of the choosing process for the phoenix-rite,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice stern. “You and the Eyes are to begin an investigation into it immediately. You are to scour the entire vetting process, and bring me the names of every single sun-gazer involved in manipulating the results.”

“Your will be done, your grace,” Dawn Wings said before the air shimmered around them and they vanished, leaving an atmosphere of dread anticipation in their wake.

“Now then,” Lady Inkwell said, her voice softening as she turned towards Sunset, “I believe there is something else that needs to be done.”

As Lady Inkwell approached, Sunset shied back, hiding behind the armored sun-gazers and plumed serpents.

“It’s okay, Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said as she knelt down to Sunset’s level. “Please, remove your mask and hood. You don’t need them anymore.”

With shaking hands and a slow nod, Sunset reached under her hood. For a moment, she froze. She couldn’t feel her hair. Only a strange patch of moving warmth where it should be. Closing her eyes and breathing slowly, she forced herself to find and release the buckles holding her mask and hood in place.

As she slowly pulled the mask and hood free, a sharp gasp and murmur erupted from the audience. Sunset suspected why, but she had to be sure. Slowly reaching back, she ran her fingers through the stream of warmth that was coming from her head before somehow grasping it and pulling it around.

As her hand came into view, she fought down a whimper. There, in her fingers, was a cascade of red- and gold-colored living flame.

The living flame of a phoenix-born.

‘I… I really was chosen?’ she thought as tears began to fill her eyes. ‘Me? I was chosen?’

Looking at Lady Inkwell, she saw a warm, happy smile on the elder phoenix-born’s face.

“I’m so proud of you, Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said before rising and turning to address the audience.

“I present to you your newest phoenix-born: Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree in the Western Territory!” Lady Inkwell declared. “Praise be to the Sun and Flame!”

“Praise be to the Sun and Flame!” came the return cry, the most enthusiastic from the topmost balcony. The middle tier, by contrast, was mixed, with some of the cries enthusiastic and some less than. And on the floor level, those nobles from the Western and Eastern territory cheered the loudest along with about a third the Heliopolan nobility, while the rest gave an unenthusiastic response.

Much to Sunset’s surprise, General Steel Sentry was one of the former. Her surprise grew even further as her eyes met his for the first time without her mask, only to see his normal scowl dissolve as his mouth turned up into an easy half-smile as he closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

‘What… was that?’ Sunset thought as she stared dumbfounded at the general.

“Now, Sunset, I believe that there is someone who has been waiting patiently for you,” Lady Inkwell said as she put her hand on Sunset’s back and began to lead her towards the dais. “Please, go welcome her and tell us her name.”

As Lady Inkwell and Sunset approached, the former potentials rose to their feet. Of them, Blueblood, Soarin, Fleetfoot, Minty and Lemony Gems looked like they were ready to continue arguing with Lady Inkwell.

Until Flash Sentry stepped up behind Blueblood and put his hand on the other boy’s shoulder.

“Vlad,” Flash said as he shook his head. “Let it go. It wasn’t meant to be.”

Blueblood looked at Flash, his face twisted in incredulous rage before clenching his fists, bowing his head, and backing off, the rest of the children following suit. As soon as they had left, the prominence knights stepped away from the dais, moving towards the front of the stage to form a defensive line around its edge.

For the first time since everything happened, Sunset had a clear view of the hatchling phoenix. As she locked eyes with the newborn, the overwhelming sense of love and longing that had been filling her crashed down on her like an avalanche. Slowly, Sunset stepped forward, as if drawn in by the desire to touch the young phoenix. By an instinctual need to become complete.

As she reached the dais, her hands moved of their own accord and, with the greatest of care, began to clean away the remnants of the egg. As soon as Sunset had freed the hatchling from her shell, she cupped her hands under the little firebird and lifted her off the cushion.

Holding the chick in her hands, she felt her inner flame flow from within and intertwine with that of the hatchling. As it did, the longing vanished, and all at once her mind was filled with new sensations, and a new voice. There was curiosity. A touch of fear. But also love and warmth. And above all else, the feeling of safety in the hands of the strange giant that now held her so gently in her grasp.

Who are you? Sunset heard the new voice in her mind say. Looking down to the hatchling, their eyes locked, teal staring into vibrant yellow. In that moment, she realized that the voice belonged to the little phoenix.

Unsure what to do, Sunset concentrated her heart on the connection she felt with the hatchling, and willed her voice to reach her.

My name is Sunset Shimmer, Sunset sent. What’s yours?

I don’t know yet, the hatchling sent back. I… don't have a name.

Do you want me to give you a name, or do you want to choose one for yourself, my beloved friend? Sunset sent as she brought the hatchling closer to her face.

I’m your beloved friend? the hatchling replied.

Yes. You are. You are my beloved friend. You are the half of my soul that I didn't know I was missing. You are the flame and light that I can feel giving me strength, Sunset sent with a smile and a tear in her eyes.

Beloved friend. Your strength. Missing half of your soul, the hatchling mused before perking up and chirping happily. I… know what my name will be!

Please, tell me, Sunset sent as her tears of joy began to slowly run down her face.

My name will be Philomena. It means “friend that gives you strength", Philomena sent as she proudly puffed out her tiny chest.

“Philomena,” Sunset managed to choke out with a happy sob. “Your name is Philomena.”

Bringing Philomena up to her face, she gently rubbed her cheek against the little phoenix, who pressed back, nuzzling Sunset back as they shared the wonderful sensations they were feeling with each other. Welcome to the world, my beloved Philomena. I’m so happy to finally meet you.

Author's Note

And so, Lady Inkwell springs her trap, and brings the one who should have been chosen from the start to the one that she was waiting to meet.

Now, some may be wondering "did Lady Inkwell break the law by doing what she did?" No. The only law that matters to the rite is that of the compact between Celestia and Lumina. By bringing Sunset, Lily and Daisy in, she was upholding the law, not breaking it.

"But voice," you might ask, "why did she do it the way she did."

That's very complicated, but I will address it in the next chapter.

Ch 15 - The Ascension - Fate In The Hands Of A Goddess

If Sunset could get her mind to calm down, she might have been able to enjoy the almost unreal comfort of the bed she lay on. But, as it was, she barely registered the luxury of the cloud-like mattress or pillows.

Or the sheer opulence of the room itself.

Instead, she was trying to process everything that had just happened: the phoenix-rite, her unexpected ascension, her bonding with Philomena, or how afterwards Lady Inkwell had spirited her away to one of her personal and private suites within the cathedral and left her alone with Philomena under heavy guard.

Lady Inkwell had mentioned something about needing to “interrogate a few people before they got a chance to slip away,” but that mattered little to Sunset.

All that mattered was that she was stuck in a room with four prominence knights and at least four more outside in the hallway. She’d been told to wait here and that she wasn’t to leave the room until Lady Inkwell returned. Something that Sunset doubted she could have done even if she’d wanted to.

Even if she tried sneaking past the prominence knights, she knew she would get caught. Especially with having to worry about Philomena’s safety the entire time.

Lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling, Sunset let out a tired sigh. She hadn’t even had a chance to change out of her sun-touched robes back into something more comfortable. So there she lay on top of Lady Inkwell’s presumably very expensive blankets, mind racing and eyes unfocused, with a small, warm bundle of feathers resting in the crook of her neck.

Yet, her circumstances weren’t the only thing weighing on her mind. There were other, more immediate things. Such as the changes the ascension had wrought on her body. The most obvious was her now literally fiery hair. Her oath-sisters had always gently teased her about being a fire-mane. She would have laughed at how appropriate a description it now was if she had the presence of mind to appreciate the irony.

It was nothing compared to the loss of her soul-gem. She’d realized it was gone after collapsing on the bed with Philomena and had nearly broken down on the spot. Its absence was like a giant, gaping wound in the very heart of her being, like she’d lost a vital part of who she was. Unconsciously, she reached up and rubbed the spot where the gem had once been, letting out a pained whimper at no longer being able to feel the smooth, familiar crystalline protrusion that had once adorned her forehead.

Her fiery hair and the loss of her soul-gem were just the most outward signs. Her body just felt… wrong in so many ways. Almost like it wasn’t hers anymore. The most immediate and obvious difference was that she somehow felt more alive, as if she’d been living in a constant state of fatigue. One that she’d always had but never noticed until it was gone.

Her senses were also changed, as though the world had just been brought into greater focus. Objects seemed sharper, colors more vibrant, and sounds clearer, while her spatial and kinesthetic awareness were on overdrive, as was her sense of equilibrium.

And there was something new on the edge of her awareness. Something she felt pulsing and moving through the world around her, like the beating of a great heart. She could feel a little of it in the room with her, but deeper down, there was a massive pool of the strange, alien presence whose slow, steady rhythm was both comforting and frightening all at once.

But all of that paled in comparison to the most disturbing change she felt; a change in the flame deep inside her. It felt different in some inexplicable way. Unfamiliar. Like the very nature of her inner fire had been altered in some fundamental way.

Fighting back a sob, Sunset wrapped her arms around herself, pinching her eyes shut as tears began to flow from the corners of her eyes.

‘What’s happening to me? How did this happen?’ she thought.

How did what happen? Philomena sent.

Scooting away a little and rolling onto her side, Sunset met Philomena’s eyes and let out another tired sob as she realized that she’d been unintentionally projecting her thoughts to her bond-mate. Lifting her right hand, she gently stroked Philomena’s head, receiving a sending of the pleasant sensation from the little phoenix.

All of this? Sunset continued to pet her bond partner. You. Me. Everything that’s happened in the last month. What’s happening to my body. I… I feel like a stranger in my own skin. I… don’t know how to handle all of this.

Time seemed to slow for a moment as Philomena rubbed up against Sunset’s neck, her worry almost palpable.

Are… are you sad? Am… I making you sad?

The question was like a javelin of ice punching right into Sunset’s heart, and she could feel tears welling up in the corner of her eyes again. Shaking her head as best she could, Sunset leaned over and kissed the top of Philomena’s head.

Sunset pulled back and looked Philomena in the eyes, instinctively opening their bond and allowing her love to flow to the hatchling.

No. Never. Never think that, Philomena. You… are a wonderful blessing that I’m not sure I deserve, so don’t you ever think that you’re making me sad. No words could ever tell you how happy I am that you chose me to be your phoenix-born.

Sunset could feel the joy being sent to her by Philomena and smiled down at her partner as Philomena rubbed her head against Sunset’s cheek.

Thank you. And I’m happy you’re my other half too.

That brought Sunset back to the original reason for her brooding: the phoenix-rite.

She remembered something about the tests being tampered with, but she couldn’t recall the details. All of it was a blur of anxiety, shock, fear, and joy. Rolling until she was looking at the ceiling again, Sunset felt Philomena cuddle back into her spot on her neck, laying her beak across Sunset’s throat and trilling contentedly.

‘At least one of us is enjoying the bed,’ Sunset thought as she reached up and gently petted Philomena, making her snuggle a little more into Sunset’s neck.

They stayed like that for she didn’t know how long, until she heard a door opening and closing, followed by the clack of two pairs of shoes on the marble floor. She suspected who was coming but couldn’t find the energy to move, even as the door to the bedroom opened. Hearing the rattle of prominence knights’ armor as they stood at attention, she felt Philomena lift her head off and shuffle back, giving Sunset the space she needed to sit up.

Her suspicions proved correct when she beheld the two, no… four individuals who’d entered the room. Standing at the foot of the bed were Lady Inkwell and Dylis along with Roseluck and Amara. Both elder phoenix-born had changed out of their ceremonial robes; Lady Inkwell was dressed in a white, lace-necked blouse and brown silk slacks, while the archduchess was in a simple red, floor-length, sleeveless dress with sash belt, both wearing leather shoulder pads for their bond partners.

“Hello, Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said. “How are you holding up?”

Curling in on herself a little, Sunset tried to find the words she needed.

“Scared. Frustrated. A little angry.” Sunset felt Philomena send a small feeling of encouragement. “And mostly confused. What in the name of Celestia’s sacred Sun just happened?”

“That’s not a simple question, Sunset. But–”

The way that Lady Inkwell had responded to her so flippantly after her world had been turned upside down caused something to snap in Sunset’s mind, and her anger managed to break free of its carefully crafted cell.

“Really? Really! Yea, that’s really glowing obvious!” Sunset snarled before Lady Inkwell could continue. “I’m sorry, but that’s not enough! How did I ascend?! I get told that I’m not eligible, and yet, somehow, I get chosen? And then I learn that for some reason, me, Daisy and Lily all have stronger, purer flames than the actual candidates? I suffered through a month of torment, and that’s all you have to say?!”

Sunset was breathing heavily now, her voice becoming increasingly frantic. She could feel Philomena trying to calm her down by sending sensations of peace and calm, but she was already starting to blaze out of control.

“Not to mention that I feel like I’m living in someone else’s body! I can’t think because everything’s so overwhelming. Nothing feels like it should, and I don’t know what’s going on!” Sunset wailed angrily, barely aware that her hair was beginning to flare up and lash about in the air violently or that the temperature around her was starting to spike dangerously. “I want a glowing answer! Not riddles! What’s happening to me?! Tell me what’s going on instead of playing games!”

Before her tirade could continue, Sunset found herself in Archduchess Roseluck’s arms, the elder phoenix-born holding her firmly while gently stroking her hair. Sunset tried to struggle but couldn't escape the grasp of the older, stronger woman.

“Shhh, it’s alright, Sunset. I know everything’s confusing right now, but you’re okay. You’re safe,” Archduchess Roseluck cooed as she hugged the distraught girl to herself. “Please, calm down. I promise you, there’s an explanation, and you’ll get it. But you have to calm down. You’re not used to your new body, and if you keep going like that, you might hurt yourself. Or Philomena.”

‘Philomena?’ Sunset thought as she realized that she couldn’t feel Philomena’s presence in her mind, like she’d withdrawn and shut herself off from Sunset. Instinctively, Sunset opened her bond with the hatchling, and was hit by an almost overwhelming feeling of terror. Philomena was scared. And, to her horror, she realized that the fear was directed at her.

In a flash, the rage inside her was quenched and replaced with remorse and concern. As Sunset calmed down, she felt Archduchess Roseluck’s grip relax.

As soon as she was free, she turned back to Philomena. The sight that greeted her almost broke her heart; Philomena had shrunk down on the pillow and was shaking with fear behind Amara, the older phoenix glaring at Sunset as she tucked Philomena protectively against her body under a wing.

I’m sorry. Sunset crawled across the bed towards her partner, fully opening her bond with Philomena to send feelings of safety and love to the little phoenix. Reaching them, Sunset hesitated as Amara glared at her warily before withdrawing her wing and stepping back. Approaching Philomena, Sunset gently cupped her hands under the hatchling and tenderly cradled her against her chest. I’m so sorry, Philomena. Please, I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe, I promise.

As she felt Philomena calming down, she held her away so she could look her in the eyes.

Tears started to form in Sunset’s eyes. I’m sorry.

I… it’s okay… Philomena sent back, still shaking slightly. I… I don’t get what’s going on. Why did you get so mad? I could feel your flame starting to burn out of control.

Clamping her eyes shut, Sunset whimpered a little before taking a deep breath in through her nose and out her mouth.

It’s… complicated. A lot happened before you hatched that I’m trying to understand. And they, Sunset indicated Lady Inkwell and Archduchess Roseluck with a slight nod of her head, they have to know something about it.

Okay. Just, please don’t scare me like that. Okay?

Shame filled Sunset’s heart at the pleading tone in Philomena’s sending.

Nuzzling Philomena again, Sunset felt her partner's fear recede and be replaced by relief.

I’ll try.

Still cradling Philomena against her chest, Sunset turned back to Lady Inkwell and Archduchess Roseluck.

“I’m… sorry blowing up like that, Your Grace,” Sunset said as she cuddled Philomena closer. “But, I still want to know what’s been going on. I feel like I’m wandering around after dark.”

“Well, I can’t tell you much about what’s been going on with the ascension, but I can guess what’s going on with you,” Roseluck offered as she rubbed Sunset’s back. “Let me guess, one of the things that you’re feeling is a presence all around you, but especially down below your feet? Something that you’ve never felt before?”

“Yes, that’s right. And the world just feels so much brighter. My flame feels like it's not mine anymore. My soul-gem’s gone! My soul-gem! I… I…”

Roseluck continued to rub Sunset’s back. “Sunset, this is something that all phoenix-born experience when they first ascend. What you’re experiencing is what the world is like for both earth-weavers and sky-runners. You’ll get used to it, in time.”

“What?”

“As an ascendant, you’re experiencing the world through the eyes of all three tribes. That feeling from below? That’s the life-energy of Nitor. All earth-weavers are born with the ability to sense the life of the world. The sensation’s strange to you because you didn’t grow up feeling it at all times.”

“And the sensory overload?”

“That’s how sky-runners experience things. And your flame feels different because not only do you now have the flame of all three tribes combined, but Philomena’s has intertwined with yours. I know it's scary. Night, I went through the same thing when I first ascended, but I want you to know that there’s nothing to be scared of. It’s just a sign that you’re one of us now.”

“I… thank you, Archduchess Roseluck,” Sunset hiccuped. “But, that still doesn’t explain how I even ascended in the first place.”

As Lady Inkwell stepped forward to speak, she was cut off by a familiar voice.

“I’m more than happy to help you with that, kiddo.”

Turning, Sunset yelped with surprise. Leaning against the far wall of the bedroom was her mysterious guide, dressed in a simple yet expensive-looking crimson blouse, black slacks and grey belt-sash, her usual cocky smile adorning her face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sunset saw Lady Inkwell and Dylis glare at the newcomer. With a sigh, Lady Inkwell lifted her hand and flicked her index and middle fingers back towards the door. As one, the prominence knights stood at attention then marched and slithered out of the room, the last one out closing the door behind them. Now it was just the seven of them.

An irritated, put-upon groan escaped from Lady Inkwell’s throat.

“Sunset, I want you to formally introduce you to spymistress Dawn Wings, leader of the Eyes of the Sun.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide. The only time she’d heard that name was in conjunction with a terrifying being of nearly blinding white radiance, not the unremarkable-looking woman she’d encountered so many times before.

“You… you’re Dawn Wings?” Sunset stammered.

“Yup. Dawn Wings is my name, leading the Eyes is my game,” Dawn Wings said with a flourish of her hand as she bowed at the waist. “Looks like the boss lady was going to finally uncover the embers for you, so I figured I’d swing by ta’ keep her honest.”

“Dawn Wings…” Lady Inkwell warned.

Dawn Wings gave Lady Inkwell a sharp look.

“Relax, Raven, I’m not going to step on your toes. But, the kid deserves to know what’s been going on. What’s really been going on.”

The two women stared at each other for an eternity of seconds. As she watched them, Sunset could swear that some sort of silent conversation was happening between the two as the air felt like it was getting thicker. Slowly, she scooted towards Archduchess Roseluck, instinctively seeking protection from the other phoenix-born in the room. Eventually Lady Inkwell and Dawn Wings broke their staring contest, with Dawn Wings huffing and looking away.

“I can’t tell you everything, because even I don’t know all the details yet,” Lady Inkwell said as she turned her attention back to Sunset. “But I can tell you the parts that relate to you.”

Sunset wanted to protest, but before she could, she felt an arm pull her into a side hug. Looking over, she found herself in a one-armed hug from Archduchess Roseluck, who had sat on the edge of the bed.

“Sunset, if she’s not telling you something, she’s not doing it to hurt you,” Archduchess Roseluck said softly. “She’s doing it to protect you. Please, trust in that.”

“I…,” Sunset said, before looking at the stoic faces of Lady Inkwell and Dylis. “Fine, Lady Inkwell.”

“Thank you, Sunset. And, please, when we’re not in public, you can call me Raven. You’re one of us now, so you don’t need to be formal,” Raven said, her face shifting out of its normal stoic expression and becoming a relaxed neutral. “As for what’s going on, we’re still tracking down all of the details. What we do know is that there were several parties in Heliopolis that worked together to subvert the vetting process for selecting the next phoenix-born candidate.”

“I gathered that much, but how?” Sunset said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. “And why didn’t you do something about it when you found out?”

“To address your first question, it's complicated,” Raven sat on the edge of the bed near the foot, looking at Sunset. “Before the Splintering, there was a far more efficient and foolproof method for detecting the nine candidates. Now, we’re dependent on a far cruder process. Back when Solaria and Heliopolis were one and the same, it was simple enough for me to directly participate and keep everything honest. Now, with how large Solaria has grown in the last thousand years, we’ve had to delegate the task in order to reach every corner of our nation. And that delegation has led to the potential for corruption to sink in.”

Sunset slowly nodded.

“From what Dawn Wings has gathered, in the last twenty years, several very powerful people have been slowly and carefully positioning key individuals into the administration that runs the vetting process. And through blackmail, bribery, appeal to Heliopolan pride, or familial loyalty, they sought to rig the results to ensure that a candidate of their choosing ascended.”

Sunset’s brows furrowed with anger. Anger that someone would dare to try such a thing with such a sacred rite, and anger that Raven hadn’t immediately stepped in to stop it.

“If you knew the results were rigged, why didn’t you do something about it?” Sunset snapped.

“You’re right, I could have. But, this wasn’t just about this phoenix-rite, or this conspiracy. How I handled this situation will have long lasting repercussions, and I had to be sure I wouldn’t do more damage in the long-term for a satisfying short-term payoff.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Consider this,” Dawn Wings cut in, her face unusually serious, “had Raven called the tests into question, it might have driven the conspirators into hiding, or given them the time they’d need to cover their tracks. Or… go after the true potentials to permanently remove them from the picture. After all, they had information on your identities. We didn’t.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide at the implications of what Dawn Wings had just said.

“And we weren’t sure just how far up it went,” Raven continued. “We suspected people as high as dukes or duchesses were involved, but we needed proof before we could bring them in for questioning. We couldn’t risk destabilizing the entirety of Heliopolis and undermining the crown’s authority by just rounding up everyone we thought might be involved. And, we needed to be sure we could bring in the proper candidates to the rite in such a way that the conspirators wouldn’t suspect that we knew what they were doing.”

“Problem was, they were really cagey about all of it,” Dawn Wings added. “We had some suspicions, but never any proof. I had been gathering evidence for a while, but when they presented candidates that were obviously fixed, we knew that we needed to act quickly. It’s taken me and the Eyes this long to nail down most of the people involved. And, of the true potentials, we only managed to track down three before we ran out of time: you, Flower Wishes, and Lily Valley.”

“Then why didn’t you just bring us in?” Sunset demanded as she glared at Lady Inkwell. “Why make me go through all of this heartache?”

“Because, it kept the three of you safe,” Raven said as she placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and gently squeezed. “If I had brought you in directly, it could have tipped them off that we were on to them, putting you, Lily and Daisy in danger, and driving them to cover their tracks. So, I used other means to bring you in, ones that wouldn’t draw direct attention to you or your friends. And, it gave us the time we needed to gather evidence and track down the threads in the web. We needed them to think that they were getting away with what they were doing, and that they had us fooled, so that we could catch as many of them as possible.”

“And what about me? What about everything that I had to go through? You could have told me!”

“No, I couldn’t,” Raven said firmly. “Any little slip could have tipped them off. And, to be honest, everything you went through wasn’t for nothing. It proved to me that you were truly worthy of the ascension. You’ve shown the four core tenants of Celestia’s code, an almost indomitable will to overcome anything in your way, as well as a mind sharper than the claws of an obsidian strider. What you went through only proves that you were the most deserving and ensured that you lived long enough to reach it.”

Looking Raven in the eyes, she could sense that there was more to it than that. But, she also got the feeling that Raven had told her as much as she was going to.

“I don’t like it,” Sunset said solemnly as she hugged Philomena to her chest. “But, I think I understand.”

Raven smiled warmly. “Thank you, Sunset.”

“So, what now?”

“Well, I say you take some time to recover and relax. Roseluck, would you mind taking her to one of Mt. Liakeed’s hot springs and pampering her for a bit?” Raven rose from the bed and began to walk to the door. “After that, can you help her choose some appropriate clothes? I want her to look nice before we head up to the castle.”

“Of course, Raven,” Roseluck giggled as she rose to her feet and shot Sunset a giddy grin. “I have just the thing in mind. Oh, she’s going to look absolutely precious!”

“Wait, what’s going on? What do you mean ‘head up to the castle’?” Sunset asked as she glanced at Raven, a shiver running up her spine at the look Roseluck was giving her. “What’re you going to put me through now?”

“Ain’t it obvious, kid?” Dawn Wings chimed in with a laugh. “Once Roseluck’s got you all scrubbed and tarted up, you’re going to meet the queen.”

*****

Three hours, one relaxing soak in a hot spring on the slopes of Mt. Liakeed, scrubbing and massage by a team of sun-touched, a very confusing session of dress-up with Roseluck, and a terrifying ride in a wyvern-carried carriage from the roof of the cathedral up the slopes of Mt. Liakeed later, Sunset found herself standing on a landing platform leading into the most sacred place in all of Solaria: Queen Celestia’s castle. With her and Philomena were Raven, Dylis, Roseluck and Amara.

The platform itself was large enough to accommodate the entirety of the cathedral’s sky-rail landing, and have space to spare. And, like the roof of the Cathedral, it was guarded by both prominence knights and brass wyverns.

Having shakily exited the carriage, Sunset looked down at herself and shuddered. Instead of the simple shirt and pants she preferred, the uncomfortable uniform she’d worn during her training, or the sun-touched robes she’d been wrapped in for the last few days, she was dolled up in a frilly monstrosity consisting of an amber, puffed-sleeve blouse with a cowl-style collar, and a red, calf-length trumpet skirt decorated with white lace at the bottom, tied at the waist with a red sash. The one saving grace of the whole nightmarish thing was a red, gold and orange sling that Philomena was securely nestled and sleeping soundly in.

“Did you really need to dress me up like this?” Sunset asked Roseluck. “I look ridiculous.”

“Yes I did, and no you don’t,” Roseluck chirped with a happy grin. “You look adorable and just too precious for words.”

“Ugh.”

“Oh don’t be like that. Just give it some time. I’m sure you’ll come to love getting dressed up.”

Sunset tried to imagine herself standing in front of an endless rack of dresses, each one frillier and more gaudy than the last. Her oath sisters were there too, helping her pick out just the right one to make her look pretty for some high-class social event.

She gagged and shuddered at the thought.

‘Nope! Never!’ she thought to her dismay. ‘Not going to happen!’

“Sunset, come along,” Raven said, drawing Sunset out of the horrible vision.

Huffing, Sunset followed Raven and Roseluck through an enormous pair of stone double doors and into Queen Celestia’s castle.

Inside, Sunset was greeted with a large landing area likewise guarded by prominence knights. Other than the presence of the knights, it resembled a sky-rail terminal, with what appeared to be an elaborate sky-car made of carved wood with golden moulding and decorations that resembled a noble’s carriage more than the usual sleek bullet shape of the other sky-cars she’d seen. And, on either side of the carriage’s doors were golden robed and masked sun-touched standing at attention.

As Raven stepped forward and approached the sky-car, the sun-touched opened the doors and allowed her entry. Following closely behind, Roseluck and Sunset entered the vehicle. Sunset found the inside of the car was just as luxurious as the outside, with red velvet-covered benches and golden perches clearly meant for the phoenixes. Raven had seated herself on one side, with Dylis already resting on his perch, while Roseluck had taken a seat on the other side, Amara still resting on her forearm as she extended it towards her perch. Not knowing where she should sit, Sunset wandered over to Roseluck and sat by her.

As soon as Sunset was settled, the sun-touched closed the doors and stepped away. As the doors closed, she heard a loud click as the locking clamps holding the carriage to the platform disengaged. Once freed, Sunset saw a pair of gates open on the interior wall of the station, and the sky-car smoothly began to move down the rail and into the castle.

If Sunset had thought that the wonders of the Core were amazing, the inside of Celestia’s home was almost beyond comprehension.

The first thing that struck Sunset about the inside of the castle was its sheer scale. From the window of the sky-car, she could tell that they were riding along the wall of an enormous corridor. From a crude estimate, Sunset suspected that the corridor itself was about forty meters wide and tall, with the rail they were riding on attached just over half way up the side of one of the walls. The walls and floors themselves were made of solid white marble and decorated with enormous tapestries depicting imagery of the sun, fire, water, air, plants, earth and metal.

At intervals along the corridor were large planters on the floor and on the walls, each one filled with what would amount to a small copse of trees elsewhere, but were the scale of simple houseplants here. Flocks of colorful birds and butterflies flew through the corridor from one “flowerbed” to another, while between the planters were “fields” of flowers of all different colors. Occasionally, a fountain would break up the rows of planters, though they might as well have been waterfalls given their size and appearance.

Looking up, Sunset saw the ceiling was decorated with massive chandeliers of glowing, golden crystal that generated warm, soothing light like that of the sun. Floating in the air around the chandeliers were spheres of glowing, colored light, gently drifting about on an unseen wind.

“Is this place even possible…?” Sunset found herself airily saying as she stared out the carriage’s windows.

“I assure you, it is,” Raven said with a warm smile.

“I just can’t believe it,” Sunset said as she tore her attention away from the window. “So, what happens now?”

Raven and Roseluck shared a quick look.

“As far as the immediate future, we’re heading to meet with Queen Celestia and the Solar council. I need to properly introduce you to all of the members of the alliance and to the queen,” Raven said before crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. “When we arrive, I’ll make the introductions. After Queen Celestia has recognized you, you will have the chance to speak for yourself.”

Sunset gulped at the thought of meeting the queen.

Subconsciously Sunset hugged Philomena to her chest and accidentally woke her up. “And after that?”

“After that, things are still solidifying. But, most likely, arrangements will be made for your belongings to be brought to the castle from Golden Tree. Then, you’ll begin to train with the queen.”

Sunset felt all of the blood drain from her face, and her eyes went wide in terror.

“I… I don’t think I heard that right. I’m going to be training with the queen?”

“Yes.”

“But, why?” Sunset asked fearfully. “Couldn’t one of you do it?”

“Sunset,” Roseluck chimed in, “neither of us can properly teach you to harness your flame now.”

“Why not? You’re both like me. Can’t you just teach me the same way you learned?”

“It’s not that simple. Tell me, since you ascended, have you tried to call on your flame?” Raven asked.

“No, but what does that have to do with anything?” Sunset asked.

Raven sighed and looked out the carriage’s window.

“Do you remember what Roseluck told you earlier? About how your body and flame has changed? After ascending, every phoenix-born must relearn how to harness their flame and gain control of their new powers. But the training has to be tailored to you specifically. What worked for Roseluck, Steel Sentry, Spitfire or even myself would not work for you. The only one who can know how to train you is the queen.”

Raven paused for a moment to let her words sink in.

“But… but she’s the queen!” Sunset protested. “Doesn’t she rule Solaria? She can’t have time like that for me, can she?”

Raven smiled a small, sad smile as she reached up and scratched the back of Dylis’s head.

Raven turned her attention back to Sunset. “It’s true that she rules Solaria, but the queen is not heavily involved in the day-to-day governance of our nation. That role mostly falls on us phoenix-born. While she dictates the route she wishes Solaria to take, her main duties are to maintain the proper functioning of the heavens and the vitality of the world. It falls on us to enact her will for the nation.”

“But… why?” Sunset asked nervously.

“Because, as much as she loves the people of Solaria, she can’t truly understand her mortal subjects. Mortal lives and motives are lost on her.”

“What? But… but she’s the queen. She knows everything.”

“Sunset, she knows a great many things, and has vision far beyond anything that even someone as ancient as I am could ever hope to understand.” Raven’s voice was solemn. “But she isn’t omniscient. She may have a plan for Solaria, but the smaller, mortal parts to implementing that plan elude her. That’s where we come in.”

“But…” Sunset began, before Raven raised a hand and silenced her.

“Sunset, does your oath-sister Applejack keep bee and wasp colonies for her farm?”

“Well, yes, of course. They need them to pollinate the trees, and the wasps keep away the bad insects that would eat her apples,” Sunset replied with confusion. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Does Applejack understand her bees and wasps? And I don’t mean understand how to take care of them. I mean understand them the same way they would understand another of their own kind?”

“I… well no,” Sunset said, her face scrunching in confusion at the odd question. “But why would she? They’re insects.”

“Well, from the queen’s perspective, mortals are like bees and wasps are to your oath-sister. An individual bee lives less than a year, and from our perspective, there are far too many of them and they die too quickly to ever really know. Your sister may care for and love her colonies, but at the end of the day, she’s never going to really know them as they know each other.”

“But we’re not bees, we’re sun-gazers!”

“Sunset,” Raven said firmly. “I know it’s hard to understand, but please trust that after spending just over two millenia with the queen, and close to seven hundred years as her sole agent and interpreter after the Splintering, I understand how she works. This just is how it is. It will make sense, in time. But right now, all you need to know is that she’s going to teach you how to be a phoenix-born. End of story.”

Sunset shrank back a little at Raven’s tone. It reminded her a little of her first night at the academy when she and Sapphire had gotten into their first fight. Thankfully, Roseluck broke the tension by putting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Raven and I will be here to help you learn your other responsibilities, like governance,” Roseluck said. “But, the fundamental process of learning how to be a phoenix-born? That’s going to be the queen.”

Sunset found herself clenching the hand that wasn’t holding Philomena, realizing that she missed the comfortable feeling of her smithing hammer and tongs. The thought nestled itself into her mind and filled her with longing: she wanted to be back at her anvil and forge. Everything that Raven and Roseluck had told her was so far beyond her ken it was scaring the life out of her.

She needed something stable. Something familiar to grasp onto like a lifeline.

But would it be proper for someone of her station to even consider continuing with such a profession?

Sunset… just ask them, Philomena sent.

Looking down at her bond-mate, Sunset’s mouth twisted into a sad smile.

I… can’t.

Why not?

What if they say no? Sunset hugged Philomena to her chest. I… don’t think I could take it.

Philomena opened their bond and sent feelings of hope and encouragement flowing into Sunset. But what if they say yes?

Sunset sighed. Philomena was right. If she didn’t ask, she’d never know.

“Raven, what kind of magical training will the queen be giving me?” Sunset asked, giving Raven a worried look.

“It all depends on what she sees in you. Why?”

“I… is there any way that I can keep learning to be an artificer?” Sunset whispered.

Raven simply gave her a sympathetic look.

“I didn’t quite hear that, Sunset. You’ll need to speak up.”

Go on. You can do it, Philomena sent.

“I… I want to keep learning to be an artificer,” Sunset said with more determination, this time managing to look Raven in the eyes.

For some reason, Raven gave her a warm, pleased smile.

“If she feels that would suit you, I’m sure she’d be happy to. Why were you worried about that?”

“I… I really like smithing and forging. I like working with my hands, making things, carving runes, working my spell dances and everything that goes into being an artificer. It’s what I wanted to be before all this happened. And… I miss it.”

Raven and Roseluck shared a look.

“There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Roseluck said, placing a comforting hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

Sighing, Sunset looked down at Philomena, who in turn looked up at her and sent feelings of encouragement.

You’re right, Sunset sent. No stopping now.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset steeled herself.

“I’m worried that it’d be… inappropriate,” Sunset admitted as she regarded Raven and Roseluck. “Artificing doesn’t seem like something that someone who’s supposed to be a ruler should be doing.”

“And flower gardening is?” Roseluck asked warmly.

All of the fire in Sunset’s kiln was suddenly blown out, and all she could do was stare dumbly at Roseluck.

“Sunset, sweetie, I may rule the Eastern Territory, but I’ve never given up my love of my garden or my flowers. I know some of the Heliopolan nobles don’t get it, or might think something like this is beneath me. But they don’t decide how I live my life. I do. And I know my life would be much emptier without getting my hands into the soil every day and taking care of my babies.”

“And… the Eastern nobles are okay with that?” Sunset asked nervously.

“As long as I do my job, they don’t have any problems with what I do with my free time,” Roseluck said with a smile, before touching a finger to her cheek and rolling her eyes in thought. “Though, I did get a few protests when I started domesticating phlume.”

Sunset’s mind stopped for a moment in disbelief. She was sure she hadn’t heard that right.

“You… domesticated… phlume?” Sunset said as she gave Roseluck a wary look.

“Yes, I did,” Roseluck replied cheerfully.

“Phlume? As in the violent, flesh-eating, monstrous plants whose lethally toxic sap Hydea and the Blight Hags used as catalysts for their chaos alchemy back in the Gloom War? That phlume?”

“Heh heh, that’s the same look the clan heads gave me when they found out what I was doing,” Roseluck tittered. “Honestly, I don’t get why people are so scared of them. They’re really sweet if you raise them from seeds, and they’re only toxic if they grow in an area full of chaos energy. Raise them in a clean environment, and they lose their poisonous properties. Besides, they’re marvelous at keeping vermin out of the rest of my garden.”

Sunset was utterly dumbfounded. Blinking several times, she slowly turned to look at Raven. To her surprise, Raven was massaging her temples in frustration. Dylis, in turn, was giving his partner a sympathetic look, and most likely sending her words of encouragement.

“Roseluck’s horticultural eccentricities aside,” Raven groaned without looking up, “the point is that as long as your people are taken care of, they’re not going to care how you spend your personal time.

“And,” Raven continued as she lowered her hand and looked Sunset in the eyes, “the queen’s probably one of the last beings that’d have a problem with someone learning artificing, since she invented the art.”

“She did?” Sunset asked in awe. None of the legends she’d read about the queen ever mentioned something like that.

A satisfied smile worked its way onto Raven’s face. “Indeed she did. In fact, she’s also the one who invented the arts of metallurgy, smithing and alchemy. She’s the best teacher of the craft you could ask for.”

Despite the daunting premise of meeting the queen, Sunset felt her spirits lifting.

*****

Sunset felt a slow shudder pass through the carriage as it came to a stop, followed by the sound of the locking clamps engaging to secure it in place. Sunset looked at Raven and Roseluck, who had offered their arms to their bond-mates, and transferred them to their shoulders after Dylis and Amara had stepped onto the offered limbs. Standing, both elder phoenix-born stepped towards the doors. Getting to her feet, Sunset quickly followed.

Exiting the sky-car Sunset saw they were standing on a platform halfway up the wall of a massive room that eclipsed even the auditorium where the phoenix-rite had taken place. It was circular, with the opposite end dominated by a giant pair of double doors. The walls were adorned with eight marble columns, which transitioned into a high, cross-arched dome ceiling. The apex of the dome was adorned with a glowing, spherical golden crystal that shone with what felt like true sunlight, while the spaces between the arches were decorated with frescos of light and fire that moved and shifted as though flame burned along their surfaces.

The floor of the room was decorated by a fresco of Queen Celestia’s personal sunburst, with each tip touching the base of one of the columns. The floor to the sides of the double doors were covered by a mass of enormous pillows, some of which were enormous enough that Sunset suspected that she could easily fit the entirety of Golden Tree Orphanage on top of one without it being completely covered. Each was embroidered with motifs that looked almost like they could have been windows into real landscapes.

Hovering in the air around the perimeter of the room were five, shallowly conical, marble platforms. The bottom of the cones were dominated by polished red crystals that emitted a soft red glow that Sunset assumed was holding them aloft.

As Sunset looked out at the platforms, she noticed that each was occupied by a different royal that had attended the rite. The one nearest her was the least elaborately decorated, only having a half-circle table with floor pillows and golden perches interspersed along its rounded edge. At one end of the table, Sunset saw Spitfire, Akari, Steel Sentry and Vestian already seated and enjoying food and drinks.

The one to the right of the phoenix-born’s was covered in a small meadow of grass and wildflowers, with a grand weeping willow tree on the edge farthest away from the center of the room. Below the tree was a low, wooden table and a pair of pillows. Seated on their knees on the pillows were Rain Shine and Autumn Blaze, both sipping some sort of steaming beverage out of what looked like hollowed-out gourds.

To the right of the kirintal, the platform was decorated with obsidian boulders, and a gnarled log resting on the bed of volcanic glass. On the log were the distinctive forms of Queen Lamrima and King Eupatorus, who appeared to have been feeding on the log, as there were jagged grooves cut into its surface.

The one to the right of the colaurata and nearest the giant doors was dominated by a crystalline tree that looked like it was made of solid ruby. Several of the branches were decorated with gold bands. Next to each band was a golden bowl on the tip of a small sub-branch. These golden bands served as perches for the half-dozen phoenixes, with Queen Lumina perched on the highest branch.

To the left of the phoenix-born’s platform was a baffling sight. Instead of open air, there was a huge sphere of crystal clear water, with a grand formation of bright coral dominating the side farthest away from the center of the room. Within the watery sphere, Sunset could see Queen Novo and Princess Skystar lounging on a large, open clamshell filled with a red pillow. Sunset barely recognized the two, as both no longer resembled sky-runners, and had transformed so that their bodies from the legs down were those of seals.

Looking to where she expected a platform for the plumed serpents, Sunset was surprised at what she saw. The object itself wasn’t that strange, consisting of a rocky outcrop. No, what was odd was that she could only see Tlatuani Tezcacoatl resting on its surface, while Huey Tlatoani Quetzalcoatl was conspicuously absent. For a moment, she thought that he might not be attending for some reason, until she noticed an iridescent shimmer down on the bed of pillows to the left of the doors. Looking down, she had to stifle a gasp at what she saw. Resting coiled on one of the mounds of pillows was Huey Tlatoani Quetzalcoatl. However, he was now, at Sunset’s best estimate, well over forty meters long, and probably close to two and a half meters in diameter.

‘Holy light and fire,’ Sunset thought. ‘How’d he get so huge?’

“Sunset, come along,” Raven said, snapping her out of her trance.

Sunset scurried to catch up with Raven and Roseluck.

“Sorry.”

As they neared the edge of the sky-rail landing, Sunset began to wonder what was going to happen next. She knew phoenix-born could fly. She’d seen enough evidence of it at the academy and the Cathedral of the Sun. There was just one, tiny problem.

She didn’t know how to fly.

So how was she going to reach it?

Were Raven and Roseluck going to carry her?

That didn’t make sense.

She was drawn out of her pondering when Raven reached the edge of the landing and tapped her foot twice in quick succession. As she did, the floating platform with the other two phoenix-born began to drift towards them until it was flush with a small crescent indentation in the edge of the landing.

“Ah, Raven, Roseluck. You made it,” Steel said as he took a pliete from a bowl on the table and offered it to Vestian, who plucked the odd-looking fruit from Steel’s fingers. “And, of course, the newest addition of our blessed circle. Sunset Shimmer, right?”

Sunset simply nodded nervously, earning a nod in return from Steel Sentry.

“Hello to you too, Steel,” Raven said levelly. “Spitfire.”

“Raven, Roseluck,” Spitfire said, before she looked Sunset in the eyes with a slight scowl. “Girl.”

Stepping through the line of pillows, they took their seats. Raven sat in the spot next to Steel, guiding Sunset to sit to her left, while Roseluck took the spot on Sunset’s other side. As they took their seats, Raven and Roseluck offered their forearms to Dylis and Amara then brought them to their respective perches.

“Greetings, Steel, Spitfire,” Roseluck said with little of her usual warmth before it returned as she addressed Sunset. “Sunset, would Philomena like to join us? There’s a pillow for her on the table.”

Sunset looked to where Roseluck was indicating, and noticed a soft, cushy-looking pillow. She regarded it for a moment before opening her link with Philomena.

Well, do you want to? Sunset asked.

I’m okay where I am, Philomena sent as she wriggled into her little nest in the sling. It's warm and comfy here.

Sure, make me deal with all this while you sleep, Sunset sent playfully.

Yup, Philomena sent with an equally playful tone.

“Philomena wants to stay where she is.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Sunset heard a distant sound roughly like the hooffalls of a horse, only much deeper.

“Sunset,” Raven said as all of the phoenix-born got to their feet, “the queen will be here in a few moments.”

Unsure what was going on, Sunset got up as all of the phoenix-born walked around to the flat side of the table and stood in a row, hands clasped behind their backs as they faced the double doors on the far side of the room. Standing at the end of the row next to Roseluck, Sunset mimicked their posture as best she could. Chancing a glance at the other platforms, she noticed that the other royals had similarly risen and were facing the great double doors.

Sunset’s nerves began to fray and she felt herself once again on the verge of panic.

What’s happening? Philomena sent. You're scared out of your mind.

The queen’s coming, Sunset sent.

Oh. Well… don’t mess up?

Thanks, Philomena, Sunset deadpanned. Now I’m really nervous.

The sound grew louder.

Sorry… Philomena sent, a sad tone in the sending.

It’s okay. I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snapped.

It’s alright. Guess nerves really mess with us, right?

Right.

Sunset’s thoughts were interrupted when the massive double doors began to silently swing open, nearly blinding light flooding out from the space beyond. Before long, a massive silhouette appeared amidst the light, moving with a grace that defied all mortal possibility. As the sound of the hooffalls drew even closer, they entered the room, and the doors slowly swung shut, sealing off the blinding radiance that they’d unleashed.

And Sunset nearly fainted at the sight of a being that she had only ever imagined.

There, in all of her glory, was Queen Celestia, the Centaur of the Sun.

The queen’s sun-gazeresque upper torso had utterly perfect porcelain white skin, while her equine half had similarly white fur and feathers on the great wings that were folded to her barrel. Her hair and tail resembled a living aurora of rainbow-colored light that constantly wavered in an unseen breeze, while her whole body subtly glowed with divine energy.

As Sunset looked at her face, she was struck by the impossible beauty, peace and wisdom in the queen’s features, particularly her heliotrope eyes, as if somehow they were the very definitions of the adjectives used to describe the concepts. Just above her eyes were five soul-gems, the largest of which was in the center of her forehead, with the four smaller gems surrounding the central one.

On top of Queen Celestia’s head was a three-pointed golden crown, which was adorned with enormous jewels that shimmered with all of the colors of the rainbow. Her sun-gazer’s torso was dressed in a platinum-white blouse with puffed shoulders and bell sleeves that transitioned from solid fabric to lace at a line of jewels just above the queen’s forearms. The collar of the blouse consisted of a doubled lace pierrot adorned by more of the rainbow-colored jewels. Three lines of pink ruffled lace ran down the front of the blouse, one directly down her sternum, and two on opposite sides of her breasts, just inside where her arms would rest when relaxed. Attached to the ruffles were long, golden chains, which ran between the lace, four on the right side and three on the left, while every other link of the chain starting from the third one down had an egg-shaped jewel attached on a single golden chain-link. And on her waist was a belt made of braided, golden silk.

Each of her fingers were adorned with golden rings, and her wrists each had a golden bracelet, the former connected to the latter with golden chains. In her right hand, she held a long, spiraling scepter, the bottom of which was a striated, diamond shaped point, while the apex was adorned with a large sphere that inexplicably had seven rays of solidified light floating in the air around it, giving it the shape of the queen’s personal sunburst. In her left hand, she was cradling an enormous sphere that contained what looked like a glowing, miniature sun.

Her equine body was covered by a shawl that went down to her knees, and was divided into three sections by four vertical braids of golden silk like that of her belt, while a long line of ruffled red fabric ran along her back to just above her tail. The sheets of fabric between the braids were embroidered with plant, fire, sun, water, air and earth motifs until just above the ends of the braided silk, where they transitioned into more lace, the bottom of which had three inverted arches of the same golden chains that adorned her blouse, with four more of the chains connecting the braids at the front of the shawl. And on her hooves were golden slippers that had a similar three-point design to her crown.

But, as incredible her appearance was, it was eclipsed by her sheer, awe-inspiring size. If Sunset were to make a rough estimate, Queen Celestia was over twenty meters tall from the top of her head down to the bottom of her forehooves, while the equine portion of her body was easily thirty meters long from the front of her chest to the base of her tail.

As soon as the doors closed behind the queen, every being in the room bowed, with Sunset barely managing to bow in time as she recovered from her shock at seeing the goddess she worshiped.

“Thank you all for coming,” a beautiful voice that echoed with divine power said. “Please, rise. It has been far too long since I’ve had the chance to see you all. And, we have to be properly introduced to our newest member.”

Doing as she was bid, Sunset rose from her bow to see Queen Celestia turn and trot towards the bed of pillows, every one of her movements graceful and elegant in a way that no mortal creature could ever match. Stepping onto the pillows, she pranced in place for a moment, before laying down. Once settled, Queen Celestia turned her attention directly towards Sunset and the other phoenix-born.

Sunset didn’t have time to consider exactly what was happening before the platform began to drift towards Queen Celestia. Swallowing hard, Sunset hugged Philomena gently to her chest, seeking comfort in her bond partner’s presence.

All too soon, they were hovering at about mid-chest height to Queen Celestia.

“Welcome, my friends,” Queen Celestia said warmly to the assembled phoenix-born before focusing her attention on Sunset. As she did, a strange energy began to fill the air. “Now, Raven, please introduce this young one to the council and myself. I’m sure we’re all quite interested in learning about her.”

Sunset shied back a little at Queen Celestia’s attention, only for Roseluck put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Of course, Your Highness. Her name is Sunset Shimmer, and she hails from the Western Territory town of Golden Tree. She was born a fire-caller, and has been training to become an artificer under the town’s smith. In that regard, she has shown great aptitude in forging and runic magic, both in execution and innovation.”

Taking a brief moment, Raven continued.

“During my observations in the academy, I could tell that her skill in spellcraft is matched by a nearly unparalleled intellect and will, but one occasionally subverted by her at-times explosive temper. She has also shown strong devotion to those she considers her friends, and great capacity for forgiving those who show remorse for their actions.”

“Hmm. Thank you, Raven,” Queen Celestia hummed, before laying her scepter across her lap then placing her right hand, palm up, against the edge of the platform. “Sunset Shimmer, please come here.”

Nervously looking at the other phoenix-born, Sunset clung desperately to the sling that contained Philomena. Seeing Roseluck and Raven give her encouraging looks, she slowly turned and walked to the presented palm.

Carefully, she stepped out onto the giant upturned hand and slowly sat on her knees, easily fitting in the bowl of the queen’s palm. Desperately trying not to think about how large the queen’s hand was, and how easily she could crush Sunset like a bug if she so chose, Sunset pinched her eyes shut. There was a sudden jolt of motion as the queen withdrew her hand and brought Sunset up to her eye level.

Sunset’s fear started to get the better of her as she stared up into the massive face before her, despite the serenity of the queen’s countenance. Sensing Philomena open their bond, Sunset soon found her mind was flooded by sendings of safety and hope from her partner.

Thank you, Sunset sent to Philomena as the little phoenix’s efforts helped mitigate the worst of her fear.

Any time, Philomena sent back as she continued to calm Sunset with her sendings.

After what felt like an eternity, Queen Celestia lifted her left hand and extended her middle finger as though she were about to dip it into a cup of water, then swirled it in a circle in the air around Sunset. As she did, the air rippled as though it were water, and lines of golden runes appeared and vanished, with some drifting down to hover around Sunset and Philomena.

Soon, the runes began to orbit in three distinct circles around Sunset, before she was enveloped in a sphere of light and slowly began to drift to the center of the room. Sunset could feel the eyes of the others on her as the sphere reached its destination, suspending her in place. Faster and faster the runes swirled, until they coalesced and transformed into three distinct runes: those for fire, earth and metal.

“You are quite the interesting child, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said, her mouth turning up into a warm, affectionate smile that made the world feel brighter and more alive. “You are like fire, volatile and passionate, with the power to bring light and life, or destroy and consume. You are also steadfast like earth, prone to violent upheaval, yet immovable when you must be. And you are strong, persistent, yet able to bend like metal.”

Sunset watched the queen beckon the sphere with her right hand, causing it to drift back towards the goddess of the sun. The queen then brought her left hand up again and extended her index finger through the sphere of light. With the gentlest of touches, she placed the barest hint of its tip under Sunset’s chin, tilting her head up so that she was looking right into the queen’s eyes, before withdrawing the finger. “Fire, earth and metal make up the essence of your being, Sunset Shimmer. Raven mentioned that you have been training to become an artificer. Is that right?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Sunset said slowly as she looked Queen Celestia in the eye.

“Hmmm. I believe that your light would shine brightest should you continue on that path. You hope to be an artificer, do you?”

All Sunset could manage was a simple nod.

“Then, I would be happy to help you walk that road. Would you like that, Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree?”

Unbidden, Sunset’s eyes began to water with tears of joy. Looking up into the queen’s smiling face, Sunset managed to say, “Yes, Your Highness. Almost nothing could make me happier.”

Author's Note

And so, Queen Celestia finally enters the stage.

Since I'm not sure I did her description justice, here's what she's supposed to look like:

For context, the person next to her left forehoof is Raven.

Ch 16 - The Ascension - In The Boughs Of The Golden Tree

Sunset’s mind was filled with a mixture of giddy elation and pure, primal terror as wind roared all around her. The only thing stopping her from being blown out of the basket howdah was an envelope of calm, enchanted air holding the worst of the wind at bay.

In all of her wildest flights of fancy, this wasn’t how she’d ever expected to be heading back to Golden Tree. In a caravan? Easily. Walking all the way back after some noble decided they didn’t like the way she looked at them and had her kicked out of Heliopolis? Likely. Never seeing her home again because she was in chains in a dungeon for something she’d messed up at the rite? It’d crossed her mind once or twice.

But riding with Lady Raven Inkwell on the back of a wyvern, being escorted by a full platoon of sky-runner prominence knights after she’d ascended as the newest phoenix-born? Not even in her craziest fantasies did something like that happen.

Yet here she was just before the crack of dawn, miles in the air and riding on the back of a great, brassy, draconic beast towards her hometown.

Sunset let out a slight sigh as she enjoyed the view. Before they’d left, Sunset had asked if Lily and Daisy could accompany them to Golden Tree. Raven had shot down the idea almost immediately. This wasn’t a pleasure visit. They were heading to Golden Tree on business. But Raven had reassured her that she’d get a chance to see her eastern friends again before they headed home.

From what Raven had told her, Roseluck was quite taken with the two of them, and had been making inquiries into bringing them permanently on as part of her manor’s staff. Something the two had been quite receptive to. And that until the details were worked out with their families, the two of them would be staying at the Cathedral of the Sun with Roseluck.

Looking out over the front side of the howdah, she watched the landscape she’d spent a week crossing pass below, her view periodically obstructed by the flapping of the wyvern’s great wings.

Stepping away from the basket’s wall, Sunset took a seat opposite Raven. Glancing at the elder phoenix-born, Sunset was keenly aware that there was something missing: Dylis was nowhere to be seen. Raven had told her that Dylis preferred to fly on his own rather than ride when he got the chance and had taken off before they had when they left Mt. Liakeed. Sunset had periodically seen him flying among their prominence knight escort, but they were fleeting glimpses.

But, with how rarely she’d seen Raven without him, it was quite jarring.

Of course, his absence only served to remind Sunset that, unlike Dylis, Philomena wasn’t with them. Instead, she was still back at Mt. Liakeed with Queen Lumina.

Are you doing okay? Sunset sent.

Aside from Mom fussing over me, yea, I’m fine, Philomena replied. I wish I could have come with you though.

Sunset sighed as she felt Philomena’s absence. Only two days together, and the thought of being separated was already painful.

Me too. But, both Raven and Queen Lumina said no. “If for some reason someone came after us…

… I’d be an easy target,” Philomena huffed. Doesn’t mean that I like it.

Just think of it as spending some quality time with your mom, Sunset sent morosely. Even with as much as Tender Heart was like one, I still never even got to know mine.

A wave of warmth spread through their link as Philomena sent love and sympathy to Sunset.

I’m sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad.

It’s okay. Even if I can’t have that sort of thing, I won’t begrudge you for it. Sunset chuckled through their link. If anything, I get to vicariously experience it through you.

Oh, so I’m just a way for you to get to experience new things? Philomena sent in a sassy tone. I see how it is.

Well if that’s how you feel about sharing, I’ll just keep our link closed when I get home and visit Applejack and Pinkie, Sunset replied in an equally sassy tone. And you can get to know that I’m eating some of the best food in Solaria without getting a taste.

Philomena’s incredulous rage flooded their bond.

You. Wouldn’t. Dare! After how much you’ve been fantasizing about their cooking, you better not hold out on me!

Sunset didn’t falter at Philomena’s ultimatum.

I might.

Well, in that case, the next time I poop, I’ll just eat it and make you taste it! How do you like that?

Sunset glowered back at Philomena through their bond.

Two can play at that game, fluff-ball. You do that, and when we get to Golden Tree, I’ll head straight to AJ’s manure piles, turn them over and take a nice deep whiff. You ever smelled decomposing cow and horse poop before? It's pretty nasty.

Sunset could feel Philomena’s defiance through their bond, while she sent back equally strong feelings of defiance and stubbornness.

Before the two of them broke down into a fit of mental giggles.

Alright, enough of that, Sunset sent. Let’s stop before one of us gets hurt.

So you admit defeat?

I admit nothing!

Sure you don’t. Still, you better share when you meet up with your oath-sisters.

Don’t give me any lip, and we’ll see.

How can I give you lip if I don’t have them?

Listen to the funny fluff-ball. You can’t talk either, yet you’re sassing me.

Both of them shared a moment of mirth.

Just stay safe, okay? And, give your sisters a hug. I’m sure they missed you.

Yea…

Closing their bond, Sunset slumped down against the howdah’s wall and leaned her head back with a sigh. Unfortunately, Philomena had inadvertently brought up the biggest thing weighing on Sunset’s mind.

Her sisters.

Sunset couldn’t help but wonder how they were going to react to everything. Her last letter had been just before her final exam at the academy. That was a sparse six days ago.

Six days.

Six days, and her life had been turned upside down. And left her filled with dread at the prospect of seeing her family again.

She’d been told by Raven that word of her ascension had been sent out through Solaria after their meeting with the queen. That meant that her sisters knew. Did they even know how she had ascended? Would they hate her now? How would they react? Not just to her ascension but to her moving to Mt. Liakeed to study with Queen Celestia.

And she had no idea how long she’d be gone for. From what Roseluck had told her, it’d be years. Would they still be there when she got back? Would they drift apart? Would she even be able to keep up their correspondence?

“You’re brooding,” Raven suddenly said, causing Sunset to jump.

“I…” Sunset began, but stopped as she curled back in on herself.

“I assume you’re worried about what’s going to happen when we get to Golden Tree. Right?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“A little.” Raven smiled sympathetically, before her face returned to its resting neutral. “Honestly, I’d have preferred you stay back at Mt. Liakeed with Philomena. You’re far too tempting a target right now, and I could have taken care of this.”

Sunset felt her face fall a little as she gave Raven an incredulous look.

“How could Golden Tree not be safe? It’s my home.”

Crossing her arms, Raven stared Sunset down with a stern look.

“Considering that we still haven’t tracked down everyone involved in tampering with the phoenix-rite? Easily. If they were willing to go so far as to defile such a sacred ceremony, I doubt they’d just let things go as they stand. And, you’re a phoenix-born now. That changes everything.”

Sighing, Sunset looked at the floor of the howdah.

“I guess that makes sense,” Sunset muttered. “But, I have to go. I want to… no… I need to see everyone one last time before I disappear. You and Roseluck said it yourself; the training can take years. Years where I can’t see my friends and my oath-sisters. I can’t just vanish like that. Not without saying goodbye.”

Reaching out, Raven put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

“And it is for that reason, and that reason alone, that I’m even willing to entertain the idea of letting you come out with me for this,” Raven said, before her tone became hard and she removed her hand. “But, that doesn’t mean that you get to run off without protection. So long as we’re away from Mt. Liakeed, you will be escorted by a bare minimum of four prominence knights at all times. Am I clear?”

“Is that really necessary?” Sunset said with as much defiance as she could muster.

“If you don’t want me to have Saetha turn around and take you back to Queen Celestia’s castle, yes, it is. I will not leave you vulnerable and unprotected. And that means you are to have knights watching you at all times.”

Sunset wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“Sunset, I need you to understand, this isn’t just about you. This is about what you mean to Solaria. I would love nothing more than to let you go home and just live the rest of your days in peace. But I can’t. Solaria needs you. And that means you must be kept safe until you can protect yourself.”

Sunset shied back from Raven.

“Yes, your grace,” Sunset whimpered.

“Sunset, you’ll have your chance to visit with your oath-sisters. But I can’t leave you vulnerable. Okay?”

“Okay…”

Reclining to rest her head against the wall of the howah, Raven closed her eyes. “We should be arriving in Golden Tree in a few hours. Try to enjoy the ride until then.”

*****

Sunset had taken Raven’s advice and tried to enjoy their trip as much as possible. Most of her time was spent looking out over the landscape below her. It was a novel and rather disconcerting view of things. She knew she’d passed along some of the roads below them before when she was with Open Trails. But from as high up as they were, she couldn’t recognize anything. Even with her newly enhanced vision, things were just too small to make out.

Still, watching the world from this high up had a certain magic to it. When she was on the ground, she couldn’t really appreciate the full majesty of the Western Territory’s landscape. But from up in the sky, its grandeur was breathtaking. There were kilometers of open grasslands and scrub criss-crossed with long, ribbon-like stretches of riparian woodland or the occasional elevated patch of deeper green in the form of a valley or wooded hill.

And scattered throughout the landscape were pockets of civilization in the form of towns, some large, some small, all connected by the distinct lines of the Western Territory’s infamous dirt roads. Around the towns Sunset saw large swaths of land that were distinctive from the surrounding nature. These were farms, and they butted up against the wilderness so abruptly that it looked like someone had spliced a different landscape onto the larger one.

Sunset felt a momentary twinge of jealousy in her heart. Rainbow got to see this all the time. Maybe not at this height, but it was still a view and perspective she got to experience.

“Raven?” Sunset asked without turning away from watching the landscape.

“Yes, Sunset?”

“How long until I learn to fly?”

Raven chuckled at the question.

“That all depends on you and how you take to the queen’s training. It took me a couple of months to learn, Roseluck took almost a year, while Steel and Spitfire picked it up in hours since they’re former sky-runners.”

Sunset huffed with frustration.

“That’s not fair.”

“You’ll get it, in time. Before you know it, you’ll be able to fly anywhere you want as easily as you walk from one place to another.”

That thought got a smile from Sunset as she continued to watch the landscape pass below.

“Your grace, we’re approaching Golden Tree.” Sunset nearly jumped out of her skin at hearing a new voice from behind. Turning, she saw one of the sky-runners had flown alongside the howdah and was currently keeping pace just next to them. “We should arrive in twenty minutes.”

“Thank you, sergeant,” Raven replied as she stood to face him. “Please send half of your soldiers ahead to set up a standard landing perimeter at the designated area, and have one knight to inform Baronet Sky Stride of our estimated time of arrival. Once we land, I want half of your troops in the air above Golden Tree at all times to keep watch. Understood?”

“Yes, your grace!” the sergeant said before flapping his wings hard and peeling away from Saetha to carry out Raven’s orders.

“Get ready, Sunset. We’ll be arriving soon,” Raven said as she took her seat.

Sunset nodded, going through her mental exercises to keep herself grounded. It didn’t do much to offset the dread she was feeling, or how hard her heart was beating in her chest, but it helped.

You okay? Philomena sent.

Sunset sighed, realizing Philomena had probably sensed her distress through their bond.

I think so. Kinda. But, no, not really.

Well, I’m here if you need me.

Thanks, Sunset sent as the howdah lurched, and a slight feeling of weightlessness settled into the pit of her stomach.

“Sunset, come sit down and get into your landing harness,” Raven said as she indicated the pillows and braided ropes next to her. “I don’t want you flying out as we descend.”

At the thought, Sunset rushed over to Raven and looped the landing ropes into place. As she did, the sense of weightlessness got more intense as she felt Saetha begin to tilt downward and descend from the sky, causing Sunset to tense up. She felt Raven place a comforting hand on hers, followed by a gentle squeeze, while sensations of safety and concern came pouring in through her bond with Philomena.

Soon, she caught sight of a town in the distance, one with a veritable forest of apple trees on its north side. Even from as far away as they were, Sunset could see several familiar landmarks, including the Pie rock farm, and the main house of Sweet Apple Acres.

‘This is it,” Sunset thought.

As they drew closer, Saetha banked and began to descend towards the northeast of town and the caravan staging area where Sunset had first joined up with Open Trails. As they descended, the prominence knights that hadn’t flown ahead spread out and formed a protective cordon around the great wyvern.

Faster and faster the ground approached, until Saetha tilted her chest back and flapped her wings to stall her forward momentum, the howdah’s enchantments keeping the cloud of dust she kicked up with her landing from entering the basket.

Sunset felt a slight jolt as Saetha’s taloned feet contacted the ground and the wyvern came to a halt. Once she’d safely landed, Saetha folded her wings like a bird and lowered herself to her belly.

“It's safe now,” Raven said as she undid her own harness and stood. “Come along.”

Still a little shaken from the landing, Sunset undid the ropes and staggered after Raven. As the two phoenix-born approached the edge of the howdah, Raven unlocked a gate near the front and kicked a rope ladder out.

Stepping out into the air, Raven folded her arms behind her back and floated downward, Dylis landing on her shoulder as soon as her feet touched the ground. Sunset grumbled with just a bit of jealousy as she climbed down the rope ladder and set foot in her hometown for the first time in over a month.

As Sunset walked up to Raven, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. Her heart soared at the familiar smell of the town: a heady mixture of dust, grass, sagebrush, apple trees, old brick and wood, and fresh air. The smell was familiar. Calming. Wonderful.

It was the smell of home.

Opening her eyes, Sunset took in the view of the edge of town. Simple wooden and brick buildings with shingled roofs. Hedgerows and picket fences around small yards with abundant vegetable gardens. Compared to the grandeur of Heliopolis or the glory of the Core, it was simple. Mundane. Normal.

Sunset never knew how much she missed it.

Shaking herself free of her nostalgia, Sunset took a quick look around. As Raven had ordered, the prominence knights had formed a perimeter around the staging area. Standing just outside the line of knights were dozens of people, including the baronet of Golden Tree, an aged sky-runner with cloud-white hair, azure skin and rust-red eyes named Sky Stride.

“Stay here, Sunset,” Raven said warmly yet firmly as she patted the young girl on her shoulder. “I’m going to go talk briefly with the baronet. Once we’ve sorted things out with him, we can get started. Okay?”

“Okay,” Sunset said absently as she was still lost in the nostalgia of being home.

“This shouldn’t take too long.”

Taking her hand off Sunset’s shoulder, Raven made her way towards the line of knights. As Raven approached, all of the sun-gazers outside the cordon dropped to a knee as they bowed to her. Was that what she had to look forward to? People bowing to her wherever she went? She wasn’t sure she was comfortable with the idea. At least from the people of Golden Tree. Maybe the Heliopolans. Some of them at least.

Sighing, Sunset’s started to look out among the crowd for any familiar faces: Bronze Hammer, Tender Heart, any of the others from the orphanage, and of course, her oath-sisters. Sadly, she didn’t see any of them. It wasn’t surprising. They had no idea that she was coming.

Still, after Raven finished talking to Baronet Sky Stride, maybe they could head to Sweet Apple Acres and see if Applejack was around. Then they could go and track down–

“SUNSET!”

Sunset heard her name milliseconds before a fluffy pink missile collided with her chest and tackled her to the ground into an almost bone-crushing hug, the sounds of relieved sobbing filling her ears. It took her brain a moment to catch up to her situation: she’d been tackled to the ground by a blubbering Pinkie Pie.

Before Sunset could think of returning the hug, she caught movement by the line of prominence knights. All at once, every colaurata in the vicinity snapped open their elytra and launched themselves into the air, making a bee-line directly towards her and Pinkie. To her mounting horror, she saw that each one had their mandibles open and ready to strike and their stingers extended, both natural weapons releasing a sharp, angry hum as their cutting edges began to blur.

In an instant, Sunset realized what was about to happen: the swarm of golden death that was streaking towards her and her sobbing oath-sister with the intent of protecting one of their phoenix-born.

By ripping apart whatever had dared to touch her.

“NO! NO! STOP! STOP!” Sunset desperately screamed, struggling to free her arms from Pinkie’s grip to ward off the descending beetles. “She’s not trying to hurt me! She’s my sister! STOP!”

At Sunset’s cry, the colaurata froze in midair, the closest less than a meter from her and Pinkie. Sunset watched with fear as they gently bobbed in the air, their stingers and mandibles ready to strike, the sound of their wings filling the air with ominous buzzing. Sunset’s terror deepened as plumed serpents and sky-runners joined their colaurata companions in forming a perimeter around her and Pinkie, every one of them ready to strike.

“Pinkie! Let me go!” Sunset shrieked with panic as she struggled to get free of Pinkie’s grip. “You have to let me go! They’ll kill you if you don’t!”

“No.” Pinkie sobbed, holding onto Sunset even tighter. “I’m not letting go. If I do, you’ll go away again.”

Sunset watched as the prominence knights tensed.

“Stand down! Stand down! For the love of Celestia, stand down!” Sunset screamed at the prominence knights, before turning her attention back to Pinkie. “Pinkie, please! They’re going to kill you! I promise, I’m not going to just disappear if you let me go. I’m right here. I promise. I’m right here.”

“Prominence knights. Stand down.”

Sunset wanted to cry with relief as Raven’s voice cut through the air. Moments later, the sky-runners snapped to attention, the plumed serpents folded their wings and coiled up on the ground, and the colaurata wheeled around and returned to their resting spots on their partner’s armor.

Finally certain that Pinkie wasn’t about to be cut to ribbons, Sunset shakily returned Pinkie’s hug, holding her sobbing oath-sister close, her own tears starting to break free, both in relief and with joy as her pulse started to slow.

“Shh, Pinkie, it’s okay. I’m here. I’m home,” Sunset sobbed as she held her oath-sister in her arms. “It’s okay.”

“I missed you so much, Sunny!” Pinkie cried as she hugged Sunset even tighter.

“I missed you too. Celestia’s light, I missed you too.”

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Sunset heard footsteps approaching. Looking towards the sound, her pupils shrank to pinpricks and a chill ran up her spine. Raven was walking towards them, hands behind her back, with Dylis glaring at the two of them. Sunset couldn’t read the expression on Raven’s face but from the slight frown on her lips, Sunset had a feeling that she was not happy.

“Um, Pinkie. I think we might have a new problem,” Sunset said warily.

“Don’t care. Not letting you go.”

“No, Pinkie, this is bad. Really bad,” Sunset whimpered as Raven drew closer.

“Are we talking a ‘I got into the special cider’ bad, or ‘Rainbow just figured out we were the ones responsible for the itching powder’ bad?” Pinkie said in a remarkably serious voice as her grip relaxed.

“The second one,” Sunset said with a terrified chuckle. “Very much the second one. Except possibly a million times worse.”

“Ooookay. So… escape plan three or seven?”

“I don’t think either one of those is going to work under these circumstances,” Sunset squeaked as she began to sweat.

Taking the opportunity to sit up thanks to Pinkie’s slightly relaxed grip, Sunset held her oath-sister protectively as Raven passed through the ring of prominence knights surrounding them, looming like a fire-crowned judge. Pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, Raven looked at Sunset, then Pinkie Pie, her presence pressing down on the two of them.

“Hello, Sunset,” Raven said levelly. “I assume that this girl is your oath-sister Pinkie Pie. Is that right?”

“Um, yes, Raven, but–” Sunset said as she held Pinkie tight. She could feel Pinkie trying to turn around to look at Raven, but Sunset held firm. Pinkie was wonderful in a lot of ways, but she also had about as much propriety as a drunken water buffalo. Something Sunset doubted that Raven was willing to forgive given the look she was giving the two of them.

“Sunset, we aren’t in private right now.”

Sunset could feel Pinkie shoot her a confused look.

“I’m sorry, Lady Inkwell.”

“Raven? Lady Inkwell?” Pinkie gasped with wonder. “As in Lady Raven Inkwell? Queen Celestia’s seneschal?”

“Yes, Miss Pie, that would be me.” Raven’s voice was calm and professional, but still made Sunset shiver with dread. “Now, would you care to explain why you thought it would be acceptable to sneak through a line of prominence knights and physically accost one Solaria’s ascendant chosen? Or, for that matter, how you managed to do so?”

“Lady Inkwell, she–” Sunset began, before Lady Inkwell raised a hand.

“Sunset, I’m asking her, not you. Do not interrupt.”

Sunset’s mouth snapped shut. Glancing over at Pinkie, Sunset saw something she’d only ever seen a handful of times: Pinkie looked like she might be genuinely afraid.

“Um, well–” Pinkie began.

“Miss Pie, you are to look me in the eyes when you address me.”

With a nervous chuckle, Pinkie slowly released her grip on Sunset and, rising to her feet, turned to face Lady Inkwell. The whole scene was more than a little unnerving for Sunset, especially when Raven crossed her arms across her chest and looked Pinkie directly in the eyes, the weight of her presence still pressing down on them.

“Well, Miss Pie, I’m waiting for my explanation.”

“Um, well,” Pinkie began, before taking a deep breath, “yesterday at noon I got a twitch in my leg and an itch in my ear along with a big stitch in my side, meaning there was a doozy of a doozy happening, and that it was happening to one of my friends. Then, this morning, as I was going to work, I heard the town caller saying that Sunset Shimmer was the newest phoenix-born. So I knew that the doozy had to be Sunny ascending. But then I got a jiggle in my hair, an ache in my toe, and sneezed three times, so I knew that someone close to me was going to be coming home. And since the only one who wasn’t around was Sunset, that meant she was coming back. So I went to find Rainbow Dash and Applejack to tell them. And after I told them Sunny was coming, I saw a sky-runner in white armor and a really pretty feathered snake come flying towards town. And I remembered that Sunny told me one time that was what prominence knights looked like, and if there were prominence knights, that meant she was going to be here soon. So I watched the sky for more of them, and when I saw them, and that really neat flying lizard/swan, that meant that Sunny was back, so I ran here as fast as I could to give her the biggest welcome back hug that I could. But when I saw her, and I realized that she really was the newest phoenix-born, that meant she'd probably have to go back to Heliopolis again, and that made me super sad. So sad that I just needed to hug her even more than before, because I realized that if I kept hugging her, that would mean that she wouldn’t be able to go away again.”

Pinkie gasped for breath as she finished her explanation, patting her chest to try to get her lungs to take in enough air. Sunset’s attention shifted from Pinkie to Raven, who was still staring at her oath-sister. Raven was silent for a long moment, but to Sunset’s relief, she felt the royal seneschal’s presence beginning to recede.

“I see. And how did you get past my knights?”

“I needed to hug Sunset,” Pinkie said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“And?”

“…I needed to hug her, so I did.”

Sunset looked between Pinkie and Lady Inkwell with greater concern as the latter’s expression shifted in some inexplicable way that she wasn’t sure she liked. After a moment, Lady Inkwell closed her eyes and softly sighed.

“Miss Pie, do these ‘bodily hunches’ happen often?”

“Yes, ma’am! I call it my ‘Pinkie sense!’”

“You are to address me as your grace or Lady Inkwell, Miss Pie.”

Pinkie’s smile faltered slightly.

“Okay, your grace,” Pinkie said with a slight pout.

“Good. Now, this ‘Pinkie sense?’ For how long has it come to you?”

“Most of my life.”

“I see. My next question is: what are the five cardinal directions?” Raven asked as she opened her eyes again.

Sunset was stunned. Of all the questions that Raven could have asked, that was possibly the last one she’d have imagined.

‘Five? But there are only four,’ she thought.

“North, south, east, west and zorth,” Pinkie chirped happily, her fear completely gone.

‘Zorth?’

“And how does one identify that the zorth axis is intercepting four-dimensional space?”

“You derive infinity minus one using Star Swirl’s dimensional spatial matrix with a five degree cosine off the time vector,” Pinkie said matter-of-factly.

Sunset blinked with confusion at the gibberish that had just come from Pinkie’s mouth. ‘Star Swirl’s dimensional matrix can’t be used to derive a number that doesn’t exist, especially if you deviated in any way from the time axis. The formula stops working when you do that.’

“That’s what I thought,” Raven muttered as she rubbed her temples with her right thumb and index finger. Squatting down to rest on the balls of her feet and look Pinkie in the eyes, her expression remained stern, but became slightly more relaxed and her authoritative presence completely vanished. “Miss Pie, I understand that you missed Sunset, but she’s a phoenix-born, right?”

“That’s right! And it's super-awesomrific!” Pinkie cheered happily as she bounced up and down.

“It is,” Raven said with a slight smile. “But, there are rules of etiquette for how people have to behave around her in public, and that includes her family. One of those rules is you can’t just run up and hug her, especially if you do it without asking first.”

“But, why not? She’s my sister.”

“Because, Miss Pie, she may be your sister, but she’s a phoenix-born. And since she’s a phoenix-born, that means it’s not appropriate to hug her publicly, especially in a way that might have hurt her. Understand?”

“Not really,” Pinkie said, tilting her head with confusion. “Hugs are nice. And I’d never hurt her.”

“Intentionally. You would never hurt her intentionally. But running up and tackling her isn’t okay. Now, when you’re not in public, and if she’s okay with it, then it’s fine. But when she’s out in a place with other people, you can’t.” Lady Inkwell put a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder and looked her in the eyes. “Okay?”

Pinkie scrunched her face up, before letting out a sad sigh and hanging her head.

“Okay…”

“I’m glad you understand. However, if you promise not to knock her down again, I think we might be able to overlook the ‘no hugging in public’ rule today for you and the rest of your oath-sisters,” Raven said with a slight, warm smile. “But just for today. Understand?”

Pinkie’s face lit up like the eastern horizon in the morning as she gasped with joy. “Yes, your grace! Thank you.”

Sunset soon found herself wrapped again in Pinkie’s arms as she rubbed their cheeks together happily. Normally Sunset didn’t really like it when Pinkie invaded her personal space like this. But, after a month away from her, and how narrowly Pinkie had avoided getting mauled by colaurata, Sunset relished the affectionate nuzzling. Letting out a sigh of relief, Sunset was grateful that Lady Inkwell wasn’t slapping Pinkie in irons.

‘Wait,’ Sunset thought, ‘Pinkie said she was getting AJ and Dash, so where–’

“Pinkie! What in tarnation are yah doing?!” / “Is that Sunset?! Sweet Sky! It’s true! She’s a phoenix-born!”

Sunset’s eyes snapped in the direction of the two familiar voices. There, standing on the opposite side of the outer line of prominence knights, were Applejack and Rainbow Dash, both looking at her and Pinkie with concern.

“Lady Inkwell?” Sunset asked cautiously.

“Those two are the other members of your oath-sisterhood. And you want me to let them through too,” Raven said as she looked over her shoulder at the other two girls.

“Um, yes…” Sunset replied nervously as she gently extracted herself from Pinkie’s hug.

Raven didn’t say a word. Instead, she simply turned towards Applejack and Rainbow Dash, lifted her hand and pointed towards them with her middle and index fingers, before swinging her hand to the left and right, then made a beckoning gesture. As she did, the prominence knights by both girls stood at attention, allowing the two of them to pass.

Both AJ and Rainbow cautiously made their way past the line of knights. All caution was thrown into the fire once they were through, and they ran/flew directly to Sunset and Pinkie.

“Holy fire!” Rainbow said as she landed by Sunset, grabbing her shoulders and looking her up and down. “I didn’t believe it at first, but it's true. You’re a phoenix-born! Wait, I remember you told me that phoenix-born can fly. Is that true? Does that mean you can fly now? We can go flying together? Aw light, this is so awesome.”

“Pinkie, yah numbskull!” Applejack admonished as she gently rapped Pinkie on the forehead with her knuckles. “Yah coulda gotten yerself filleted like ah fish. Why yah gotta be so…so…”

“Me?” Pinkie asked innocently.

“Sure, we’ll go with that,” Applejack huffed before turning to Sunset and Rainbow. Looking Sunset over, AJ let out a soft chuckle. “…Ah always knew yah’d get yerself inta trouble one day, but ah never thought it’ahd be somethin’ like this. Ah… Ah don’ even know where ta’ begin. Are yah doin’ ahlright?”

“I’m okay, AJ,” Sunset replied happily. “Or as good as can be expected. Honestly, seeing all of you…makes it better. I missed you so much…”

Nodding, AJ turned to Raven and bowed deeply.

“Lady Inkwell, from what Sunset’s told us through her letters, yah’ve been the one watchin’ out for ‘er. Thank yah for keepin’ mah’ sister safe. Ah hope she hasn’t been too much trouble.”

Raven’s mouth turned up into the ever slightest of smiles.

“Of course, Miss Apple. You are quite welcome,” Raven said, before her face turned serious. “However, we do have a schedule to keep, so we need to get moving. Sunset, would you like your sisters to accompany us?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Sunset said without hesitation, a giant smile spreading across her face.

*****

The day went by at a breakneck pace. Their first stop had been the Golden Tree Orphanage to collect Sunset’s belongings and speak with Matron Tender Heart. Raven and the prominence knights had watched from the sidelines when Sunset made her tearful reunion with her fellow orphans.

Many of the little ones all but clambered over one another to see her, Raven and the prominence knights, firing off questions almost non-stop. The prominence knights handled the children with their normal stoicism, while Raven answered a few of their questions before gently but firmly telling them she needed to have a private word with Tender Heart, earning a round of disappointed “Awww”s from the little ones as she walked towards the orphanage’s matron.

The older kids were more reserved, with Lyra, Flitter and Lilac all tearfully hugging Sunset, before offering her a hand with packing up her things. Between the seven of them, it didn’t take long for them to get most of Sunset’s belongings, mostly tomes, clothes, and a few notebooks packed into a pair of wooden trunks.

After her things were stowed and hauled off by two prominence knights, Sunset, the older kids, and her oath-sisters had joined Tender Heart and Raven in the study. Raven kept back, giving Sunset the space she needed, though she did accept a cup of tea from Tender Heart.

Soon, the eight Westerners were seated around the tea table, each nursing their drinks, unsure where to begin.

“So, you’re really moving to Heliopolis?” Lyra asked, breaking the silence.

“I’m afraid so,” Sunset said sadly. “The queen’s going to be training me. Which means living in Heliopolis for a while. Which is awful, by the way.”

“Why’s it so awful? I heard that the capital’s beautiful,” Flitter asked.

“Trust me, Flits, that place is like a perathit tree,” Sunset said with a grimace, “looks really pretty from a distance, but get too close and you’re guaranteed to be covered in painful blisters for a month.”

“Ouch,” Lilac said. “Don’t hold back, Sunset. Tell us how you really feel.”

“Yah don’ want tah know how she really feels,” AJ said as she elbowed Sunset playfully. “Trus’ me. We heard ahll about it when she wrote tah us, an’ it ain’t pretty.”

“I still want to go punch that girl that was giving you such a hard time,” Rainbow said. “What was her name again?”

“Sapphire Prism,” Sunset said with less venom than she ever thought she’d be able to say that name with. “Lucky for me, Lady Inkwell seems to have set her straight. I don’t know how she did it, but Sapphire actually apologized to me before the rite.”

The three girls in the know glanced briefly at Raven serenely drinking tea with Dylis by the window.

“Sunny, how’d she do that?” Pinkie asked. “From what you told us, Sapphire was a giant meanie to the bone.”

“No idea. All I know is I got a genuine, tearful apology out of her,” Sunset said as she set her cup down and leaned onto the table, resting her right cheek in the palm of her hand. “Trust me, I’m not sure I’ve seen even a fraction of what she can do, and I don’t think that even General Sentry holds a candle to her.”

There was a round of giggles after that as the conversation drifted to what Lyra, Flitter and Lilac had been up to, how their jobs had been going, and just the happenings at the orphanage. Sunset wanted to enjoy their company as much as she could, until they inevitably needed to leave. Throughout it all, Tender Heart stayed quiet, letting the girls have their fun.

But, all too soon, it came to an end when Raven rose and told them they’d need to go in a little while. As Sunset prepared to leave, she shared a tearful group hug with Lyra, Flitter and Lilac Dust. Once the hug ended, Tender Heart approached Sunset.

“Sunset,” Tender Heart said as she knelt down and gently pulled Sunset into a hug. “Of all the ways you could have left me, I would have never guessed that this would be it.”

“I’m getting that a lot, matron,” Sunset said with a watery smile as she hugged Tender Heart back, her body shaking with sobs.

“Sunset,” Tender Heart said with a sob. “My sweet, fiery little Sunset. Light’s blessing, I remember the day you appeared on my doorstep. So beautiful yet so fragile, but too stubborn to quit. I always knew you were something special. And look at you now: the newest phoenix-born. But, to me, you’ll always be the little girl I was blessed to get to raise.”

“If anyone was blessed, Tender Heart, it was me,” Sunset said. “Thank you. For raising me. Taking care of me. Loving me like a mother would. Everything.”

“You’re welcome, Sunset.” Tender Heart let out a happy sob as she pulled back and held Sunset’s shoulders. “Please, take care of yourself. Hopefully we’ll see each other again someday.”

*****

A few tearful minutes later, they’d left the Golden Tree Orphanage and made their way to Bronze Hammer’s smithy. Hearing the sound of hammer on metal ringing in the air, Sunset could tell Bronze was hard at work filling the day’s orders.

As they approached the smithy, Lady Inkwell made a quick circling motion with her index finger. As one, half their prominence knight escort fanned out and surrounded the building.

Sighing at Raven’s paranoia, Sunset pushed the front door of the smithy open and walked into the familiar front office. Following the well-trodden route past the front desk, Sunset waited until she heard Bronze stop hammering before walking into the forge and ringing the customer bell. The chime was soon followed by the sound of Bronze’s footsteps as he made his way to them.

“Welcome to Golden Tree Smithy, what can I do… for… you?”

Bronze’s eyes went wide, as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, before immediately dropping to a knee and bowing his head.

“To what do I owe the honor of your presence, your grace?” Bronze said.

“Rise,” Raven said. “I’m merely here to escort your guest, good sir.”

“Guest, your grace?” Bronze said with confusion as he raised his head from his bow, and caught sight of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Applejack and…

“Sunset?” he said as he laid eyes on his apprentice, his voice trailing off with wonder. “Sweet Celestia’s shining light, is that you?”

“Hey, Bronze,” Sunset said with a warm yet shy smile as she walked up to him.

“You… is that really you? I can’t believe it,” Bronze said as he put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and inspected her. “All this time, I was training the next phoenix-born? Heh, this world is just full of craziness, isn’t it, kiddo?”

“You can say that again,” Sunset said as she took a step forward and hugged Bronze. After a moment, he gently returned the hug. “I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you taught me. I wouldn’t have made it through the last month without it.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, Sunset,” Bronze said as he pulled back from the hug.

“But it is,” Sunset said with a shake of her head. “Your lessons on how to control my emotions and my temper saved me more times than I care to count. And thanks to you, I’m going to keep training to be an artificer under Queen Celestia.”

Bronze’s eyes went wide at that, before his smile became a little sad yet proud as he looked his apprentice in the eyes.

“Trading up, are we?” he said playfully. “I see how it is.”

“Bronze…”

“It's okay,” Bronze said, but his voice betrayed his sorrow. “Compared to the queen, what can I teach you?”

Sunset lunged forward and pulled Bronze back into a hug, tears starting to stream from her eyes again as she held onto the man that was the closest thing to a father that she had.

“Don’t say that, Bronze. No matter what, you were my teacher first. You took me on. You taught me so much. Queen Celestia may refine me, but, Bronze, I have you to thank for taking the raw ore and making it into something worth being shaped by the queen.”

Bronze let out a soft chuckle at that as he leaned back and lifted Sunset’s chin with his right index finger.

“Always knew you were too smart for your own good, kiddo,” Bronze said proudly, before an odd smile formed on his face. “Heh, I wasn’t expecting to do this so soon, but I guess we can do it now.”

“Do what?” Sunset asked.

“Something of a tradition among the forge masters of Golden Tree,” Bronze said as he rose to his feet. “I’ll be right back.”

As he disappeared into the smithy, Rainbow, AJ and Pinkie came up to Sunset, each offering her words of encouragement. Raven hung back, content to watch from the sidelines.

A few minutes later, Bronze returned, carrying a medium-sized wooden box.

“Bronze, what is that?” Sunset asked as he knelt down so that he could look her in the eyes.

“Sunset, when you first became my apprentice, I made you this hammer,” Bronze said as he opened the box, revealing a beautifully crafted cross peen smithing hammer resting on a linen pillow. “I’d planned to give it to you when you finished your training, and became a full-fledged artificer. A sort of final gift from master to apprentice.”

“Bronze…” Sunset said as she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. “I…”

“It’s yours, Sunset, if you want it.”

Sunset was too stunned to speak, let alone act. Feeling Rainbow squeeze her shoulder, Sunset stepped forward and carefully lifted the hammer from its bed. Hefting the tool, she was amazed at how well constructed it was. Hugging the hammer to her chest, Sunset met Bronze’s eyes and smiled tearfully.

“Thank you, Bronze. You have no idea how much this means.”

“I might,” Bronze said as he reached to rustle Sunset’s hair, only to stop and pull his hand back. Sunset wasn’t sure why, until she remembered that her hair was not actual hair anymore.

“Bronze, it's okay,” Sunset said with a warm smile. “It hasn't burned anyone yet, so please, one last time?”

Bronze chuckled as he carefully reached forward with obvious trepidation before gently touching the living flame. When his hand passed unharmed into the corporeal fire, he smiled and playfully rustled it, earning a happy giggle from Sunset. “Far be it from me to disobey a phoenix-born when she makes a personal request like that.”

All of the Westerners smiled as Bronze withdrew his hand.

“You take care of yourself, kiddo,” he said as he rose back to his feet.

“You too, Bronze,” Sunset said as she held the hammer even tighter against her chest.

*****

“Sunset, slow down, yer gonna choke.” Applejack chuckled as she watched Sunset scarfing down a hand-pie.

The six of them were in Golden Tree’s market plaza within a protective ring of prominence knights, Raven sitting on one of the benches, while the four girls had occupied a small patch of grass. It was just a little after noon, and Sunset had begged Raven to let them stop at the Apple’s stand, and picked up a half-dozen hand-pies for lunch. A small crowd had gathered around the little knoll they were occupying but were kept at bay by the ever-present line of prominence knights.

Having taken her seat and pulled out the warm pastry, Sunset took one sniff of her pie before practically setting upon it like a starved badger.

“Thmf Ae dief haffy,” Sunset slurred as she continued to stuff her face, her bond with Philomena flung wide open to send the euphoric flavor of Granny and AJ’s apple-stuffed miracles to her partner.

Okay, as much as I’m enjoying this, I kinda agree with your sister, Philomena sent. Could you slow down a little before something goes down the wrong pipe?

Spoilsport, Sunset sent back as she slowed her ravenous consumption of flakey, buttery pastry and spiced fruit.

Self-preservation. You choke, I go too.

Like I said, we’d die happy.

I’ve only been here a couple days. I’d rather get at least a few decades in before I go.

Fine. Fine.

“Whoa, Sunset,” Rainbow said as she slowly ate her own hand pie. “That was almost Pinkie levels of speed-eating. Did they not feed you or something in Heliopolis?”

“They fed me,” Sunset said after swallowing the heavenly concoction, ignoring Pinkie’s giggling. “They just didn’t feed me something like this. As nice as I’m sure the Heliopolan apple growers are, they can’t hold a candle to what AJ and her family grows. You have no idea how bad it was eating apples that tasted like someone cut the flavor of a proper apple with three pounds of raw flour.”

“Ewww.” Pinkie gagged. “That sounds awful.”

“It's not surprising. The branch of the Apple family that moved out west was always particularly gifted with the art of raising and preparing them,” Raven said as she let Dylis take a bite of her pie. “I’m glad to see that Gravenstein Cider’s descendants haven’t lost their touch.”

Applejack nearly choked on her pie, with Rainbow patting her back to help her recover.

“What do yah mean, Yer Grace?” Applejack asked as she looked at Raven.

“Miss Apple, I was the one who wrote the final signature on her land grant application that became the foundation for Sweet Apple Acres after the War of Storms,” Raven said wistfully as she looked down at the pastry in her hands. “Such a shame she felt the need to move her branch of the family away from Heliopolis. The remaining growers never quite reached the heights she did, even after all these years.”

The four westerners shared a brief look as they processed what Raven had just said.

“Yer Grace, ah don’t mean to presume, but it sounds like yah knew mah kin,” Applejack said in awe.

“I did. Gravenstein was quite the remarkable woman, you know. I still remember when she showed up in Chromos with her land grant application along with a dozen pies, a basket of apple-cider fritters, and two jugs of her best hard cider to ‘sweeten the deal,’” Raven said with a ghost of a smile. “I almost threw her out for her presumption. Thankfully Roseluck was visiting at the time, and knew Gravenstein by reputation. She convinced me to try one of her pastries. Needless to say, her land grant application was successful.”

Rainbow, Applejack and Pinkie all stared at Raven as she continued to slowly eat her pastry.

“Whoa,” Rainbow said with awe.

“Yah can say that ahgain, Dash.”

“AJ, did you know that about your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandma?” Pinkie asked, before sucking in a deep breath.

“E’nope.”

Sunset let out a soft chuckle.

“Congrats, girls, you just got a taste of what I’ve been dealing with for the last month.”

“I thought you were kidding before, but Light, you weren’t,” Rainbow said.

Finishing her pie, Raven rose to her feet and wiped her mouth then hands with a small kerchief.

“Sunset, I have some business with Baronet Sky Stride,” Raven said. “Since I assume you’re not interested in hearing about land parcel distribution and surveys of the region, would you prefer to spend the rest of the day with your oath-sisters?”

Sunset shot her oath-sisters a quick look, each of them wearing the same giddy grin as she was. Just as Sunset opened her mouth to reply, Raven cut her off with a raised hand.

“The prominence knights stay. That’s not negotiable.”

Sunset’s elation dimmed a little, but a quick look at her oath-sisters’ faces brought it right back.

“Yes, your grace,” Sunset said happily.

Raven nodded at Sunset’s reply.

“Good. We’ll be leaving an hour before sundown. When it’s time, the prominence knights will escort you to Saetha.”

And without any further fanfare, Dylis spread his wings and took to the air, followed by Raven and most of the prominence knights, leaving eight to watch over Sunset.

‘Sundown. That’s not enough time,’ Sunset lamented as she watched Raven flying off. ‘Guess we better make the most of it.’

“Okay,” Sunset said with a cheerful smile as she turned back to her sisters. “So, we’ve got until sundown to have fun. How about we hit up the Sweet Shoppe? I still need to get enough good food in me before I head back to Heliopolis. Pinkie, do you know if Mr. and Mrs. Cake have anything special on the menu today?”

“I think cloudberry cobbler, gooseberry pudding, and rosehip cookies,” Pinkie chirped back merrily.

“Sounds great,” Rainbow cheered. “How about we go grab some of that, a couple of lamb turnovers, and head up to the rock farm? I still owe you for the ‘allergic to work’ crack you made, and I think kicking your butt at hawk and hares will more than make up for it.”

“Of course that’s what she wants tah play,” Applejack said with a mocking roll of her eyes. “Maybe we ought to find somethin’ that all of us can have fun with, not jus’ you.”

“Oh, like you have a better idea, AJ,” Rainbow retorted.

“We could always play camouflage with Maud and Boulder,” Pinkie said as she raised her hand and waved it around enthusiastically.

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence between the other three girls.

“Um, let’s not do that Pinkie. Boulder’s way too good, and we don’t have enough time for a full game,” Rainbow said cautiously.

Sunset watched Pinkie’s hair flatten a little, but bounced back almost immediately.

I can see why you like them, Philomena sent.

Yea.

“Girls, let's not waste the time we’ve got,” Sunset cut in before things could escalate. “How about we figure it out as we head to Sweet Shoppe, okay?”

“Yea! / Okay. / Good idea, Sunny!”

*****

“Sunny, go long!” Pinkie called as she tossed a leather ball to Sunset.

Sunset looked in Pinkie’s direction as she sprinted through one of the currently unused fields of the Pie rock farm, her feet pounding over the bare soil as she watched the sky for any signs of Rainbow Dash. Seeing none, she extended her hands and caught the ball before turning and making a break towards their makeshift goal: a large pile of rocks.

“Sunny, incoming!” Pinkie shouted.

Ducking at the last second, Sunset narrowly avoided Rainbow’s swooping attempt to grab the ball and veered off in the opposite direction.

“AJ!” Sunset called as she ran towards her teammate.

“Ah’m open!” AJ called.

Taking aim, Sunset wound up and threw the ball.

“Girls!” Pinkie cried.

Pinkie’s warning came too late. With a gust of wind and a polychromatic blur, Rainbow swooped in and snagged the ball out of the air, earning an annoyed groan from the three landbound sun-gazers.

“Ha ha! Point for me!” Rainbow chortled as she hovered in midair and tossed the ball up and down mockingly. “Score’s five to three now. Looks like I win!”

“Darn, I was sure we’d beat Dashie this time,” Pinkie said with a snap of her fingers. “I mean, we’ve got Sunny on our team.”

“Hey, Sunset may be a phoenix-born, but I’m pure awesome,” Rainbow said. “No shame in getting beat by that.”

Is she always like this? Philomena sent.

Eight out of ten times, yea, Sunset sent as she glared at the preening sky-runner.

Sharing a look with AJ, a smirk worked itself across her face, one shared by the other girl as they gave the other an imperceptible nod.

“AJ, is it me, or did her ego get even bigger in the month I was gone?” Sunset said loud enough for Rainbow to hear.

Rainbow caught the ball in both hands and glared down at Sunset.

“Ah din’ think it were possible, but yah might be right there, Sunset,” AJ said as she rubbed her chin. “She has been getting a bit big for her britches ever since yah left.”

“What was that?!” Rainbow said as she flew down and glared at Sunset and Applejack.

“Looks like she’s upset,” Sunset teased. “Guess we hit the nail on the head.”

“Oh, you’re both hilarious,” Rainbow said as she dropped the ball and crossed her arms over her chest.

“And you are so full of yourself, I’m surprised that there’s not another you hiding inside a Rainbow Dash-shaped suit,” Sunset said with a cheeky grin.

“Ooooooo,” AJ and Pinkie groaned in mock pain.

“You’re lucky you’re a phoenix-born and you’ve got those bodyguards,” Rainbow said as she pointed over her shoulder to the circle of prominence knights hovering around the field they were playing in. “Or I’d give you the biggest noogie possible.”

“Then I guess I’m lucky I’m a phoenix-born, aren’t I?” Sunset chuckled as she stuck her tongue out at Dash. “Guess I’ll have to go unpunished for my astute observations of your character, eh, Dash?”

There was a momentary pause as both Rainbow and Sunset stared each other down, both Pinkie and Applejack waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Neither Rainbow nor Sunset could keep up the facade for more than a few seconds and broke down into a fit of giggles that quickly spread to the other two. Swooping forward, Rainbow glomped onto Sunset, and was soon joined by Pinkie and Applejack.

‘I missed this. The four of us, together,’ Sunset thought, before the reality of the situation hit her. She’d be leaving soon, and wouldn’t be able to do this again for years. Wouldn’t be able to play with Dash. Laugh with Pinkie. Relax with AJ.

After today, she’d be losing her family for Celestia knows how long.

‘It's not fair. I don’t want to lose them…’

Despite savoring the warmth of her oath-sisters’ hug, Sunset’s mood soon turned melancholic as she let out a sad sigh and sniffed to fight back her tears.

“What’s wrong, Sunny?” Pinkie asked as she squeezed Sunset a little tighter, conveying her worry.

“It’s nothing,” Sunset lied.

“Bullballs,” Applejack said firmly. “One second yer happy as ah bee in ah field of ragweed, and the next yah look like someone just smashed yer favorite toy. Ah know yah, Sunset. We ahll do. An’ there’s somethin’ wrong. So, what gives?”

Sunset couldn’t say what was on her mind. Instead, she just hugged them a little tighter as a soft whimper escaped her throat.

“You’re really annoying,” Sunset said defensively.

“Uh oh, she’s deflecting,” Pinkie said with a snicker. “Looks like you’ve uncovered the embers, AJ.”

“Shut up,” Sunset said, her voice cracking.

“Yea, now we know something’s wrong,” Rainbow said. “Spill it, Shimmer. Or do we need to tickle it out of you?”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Sunset laughed tearfully.

“We might!” all three of her sisters said at once.

‘Why are they so good at seeing through me? Oh, right, they’re my family…’

“Looks like she’s starting to brood,” Rainbow said with a devious smirk. “AJ, you hold her down. Pinkie, you get her neck, I’ll take her feet.”

“Okay, okay! Fire and light, you win!” Sunset laughed nervously.

Is this a secret weak point that you haven’t told me about? Philomena sent with a mischievous tone.

Don’t even think about it, fluff-ball.

That’s not a ‘no…’

And here I thought you were on my side, Sunset sent. Taking a deep breath, Sunset looked her oath-sisters in the eyes.

“I… I just feel like I’m abandoning you,” Sunset said sadly. “Like I’m abandoning my family. I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone, and I’m afraid. Afraid of what’s going to happen to us. To me. I don’t want to lose you three. You mean too much to me.”

There was a moment of silence as Sunset’s words sank in.

“Sunny, that’s silly,” Pinkie said softly. “You may be moving away, but you’re still our sister. No matter how long you’re gone, we’ll still love you. And when you’re done learning from the queen and come home, we’ll throw you the biggest welcome back party ever.”

“She’s right,” Applejack chimed in. “Yer our sister. Yah ain’t gettin’ rid of us that easy.”

“I know. But, the fear’s still there.” Sunset sniffed.

“Hey, Sunset, I’ve got an idea,” Rainbow said proudly.

“Did it hurt?” Sunset snarked.

“Ha ha, good one,” Rainbow deadpanned. “Do you want to hear it or not?”

“Sorry. Go on.”

“Well, we’re oath-sisters, right?”

“Well, yea,” Pinkie said.

“And we’re oath-sisters because we all took the sisterhood oath, right?”

“True,” Sunset said.

“Is this goin’ somewhere, Dash?” Applejack asked.

“Well, if we’re sisters because of the oath, and Sunset’s worried about us going away, why not redo the oath before she leaves?” Rainbow said with a smirk.

Pinkie, Sunset and Applejack stared in open-eyed wonder at Rainbow.

“What?” Rainbow said.

“Rainbow Dash, that’s probably one of the best ideas you’ve ever had,” Sunset said as she hugged her sisters tighter. “Let's do it!”

*****

The late afternoon sun shone down brightly behind the Pie rock farm and over a special stone near the back of the house. It was a large, flat, perfectly circular stone made of smooth, high-quality white slate that jutted only a few centimeters above the top of the soil. This particular stone circle had been grown by Igneous Rock as a gift for Pinkie when he had realized that his second youngest daughter was far more social and outgoing than the rest of his children. So, he had grown it with the greatest of care as a place for her to host her friends when they came over for one of her parties. Or for use in a very special ceremony that Pinkie had undergone a few years ago.

A ceremony that she and her oath-sisters were about to repeat.

The surface of the slate had been painted with an elaborate circle with red, orange, blue and pink lines all intertwining with one another in a complex runic pattern. At even intervals around the edge of the circle, there were smaller circles, each with a symbol inside: an apple, a rainbow-colored lightning bolt, a balloon, and a sunburst. Before each of these smaller circles were two objects: a small bowl with a single match, and a thin, obsidian knife with a leather-wrapped handle. And, at the center of the circle was a large basalt bowl, filled with dark, viscous oil.

Sunset did her best to ignore the line of prominence knights standing guard just over four meters from the edge of the circle, with Pinkie’s elder sister Maud reclining on a large slab of shale nearby. Instead, she focused on the others standing in their respective circles along the edge of the larger circle: Pinkie on her left, Applejack on her right, and Rainbow opposite her. Each of them was barefoot and dressed in a simple, blood-red, sleeveless tunic that went to their knees. Looking around, she saw them all nod.

It was time.

As one, they each reached down and grabbed the obsidian knives and took three steps forward so that they were all standing around the bowl of oil.

Once in position, each of them lifted their left arm until they were horizontal, then bent their elbows to bring their forearms into a vertical position before them, their fingers splayed open with the back of their hands facing towards the middle of the circle. Bringing up their knives, each made a small, shallow incision midway up the back of their forearms. As one, they reached over the bowl, allowing the girl to their left to grasp their arm by the cut and squeeze, causing a small trickle of blood to fall into the oil. As the crimson liquid dropped into the bowl, they spoke in tandem.

“My name is Sunset Shimmer | Rainbow Dash | Applejack | Pinkie Pie, and I know you. You, who are here in this circle with me, we were not born of the same parents, yet we are family. You, who would call me sister, we share no lineage, yet we are more. You, who welcome me with love, we share no home, yet I open mine to you. As fire burns away the old and brings forth the new, we submit ourselves to it to be joined as one.”

Releasing each other, they stepped back and picked up their matches with their left hands. Striking them on the slate, the matches sparked to life. Rising as one, they threw the burning sticks into the oil, causing it to ignite with deep-red flame. Stepping forward again, they each dipped the tip of the obsidian blades into the now burning oil, coating them with the flaming liquid.

Once anointed with fire, they extended their arms again, grasping them as before. Then, raising their knives, they pressed the burning points into the cut on the arm of the one holding them. Ignoring the pain of the sharp, burning point touching the open cut, they spoke again.

“With this fire kindled by our blood, we forge this oath of family. My name is Sunset Shimmer | Rainbow Dash | Applejack | Pinkie Pie, and by the fire that we lit, the blood we shed, and the pain we shared, I now and forevermore call you my sisters.”

*****

The sun was nearing the horizon when Sunset and her oath-sisters reached the caravan staging area where they had parted ways just over a month ago. Only, this time, she knew that they would be separated from each other for far longer.

Standing by the great brass wyvern were Raven and Dylis, the latter perched on the edge of the howdah, while the former was floating near Saetha’s head, gently scratching the great beast behind her horns. Sunset also spotted the two trunks of her belongings tied behind the howdah on Saetha’s back.

As they arrived, the prominence knights escorting them neatly re-integrated into their lines. No sooner did it happen than Raven noticed them. Giving Saetha one last pat on the head, she floated down and approached Sunset and her oath-sisters.

“Well, Sunset, are you ready to go?” Raven asked plainly.

“Just about. I just want to say one last goodbye, then I’ll be ready.”

“Okay. Once you’re ready, come to Saetha and we’ll head out.”

And with that, Raven clasped her hands behind her back, turned and floated towards the waiting wyvern.

“Looks like this is it,” Sunset said.

“Yea. You take care of yourself, Sunny,” Pinkie said, her hair falling completely flat as she walked up to Sunset and hugged her.

“We’re going to miss you. Write when you can, okay?” Rainbow said as she joined the hug.

“Yah better, yah hear? I don’ want tah have tah come tah Heliopolis and kick yer butt because yah stopped writin’,” Applejack said. “Ah’m still holdin’ yah to yer Pinkie Promise from before yah left the firs’ time.”

“Heh, like I’m going to break that sort of promise. Even if it's only once a month, I’ll be sure to write,” Sunset said.

After a few moments in her sisters’ warm embrace, Sunset released her hold on them. Standing there for a moment, the four of them smiled at each other, tears welling up in the corners of their eyes as they held hands.

“No matter what, I love all of you,” Sunset said as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “So, until we meet again, stay strong. Hopefully I’ll be back before you know it, and we can throw the biggest Pinkie Party in the history of Golden Tree.”

That got a more genuine smile out of them.

“Bye, Sunny!” / “See yah ‘round, Sunset.” / “Give those Heliopolan jerks what for, Sunset!”

And with one final nod, Sunset let go of her oath-sisters, turned, and walked towards Saetha. Climbing into the howdah, Sunset waved at her oath-sisters as Raven pulled up the rope ladder and closed the door, before the two of them took their seats for takeoff.

Moments later, the great beast rose to her feet and, turning away from Golden Tree, began to run. After she reached the right speed, she spread her great wings and rose into the air with a powerful flap that threw up a cloud of dust and twigs beneath her.

Rising from her seat and looking out the back of the howdah, Sunset continued to wave at her oath-sisters until she lost sight of them as Saetha flew back towards Heliopolis.

Author's Note

And so we close the final chapter on "Book 1" of Phoenix-born rising. At this point, I'm going to take a break to avoid burning myself out, outline the next arc of Sunset's story, start drafting the Selenian side of things, and maybe finish up this little side project called my PhD thesis while working my regular teaching gig.

As for the game that the girls were playing, it doesn't have a name, since they made it up, but here are the rules they've come up with in the years they've been playing it:

There is one goal on one end the field.

Pinkie, Sunset and Applejack (hereafter referred to as the runners) start on the opposite side of the field from the goal, while Rainbow starts six meters up in the air between them and the goal.

The objective is for the runners to get the ball to the goal before Rainbow can get it.

Rainbow can either try to take the ball from them, or catch it out of the air, but she can only do it by diving down for it. If she misses, she has to climb back up to the same hovering height, and make a new dive for the ball.

The runners can pass the ball freely between them, but must throw it. If they miss a catch, they reset and have to start over from the start of the field.

They can only hold the ball for twenty seconds, after which they have to throw it. If they hold it too long, they have to reset and start over again.

If they reach the goal, the runners get a point. If Rainbow snatches the ball, she gets a point.

First team to 5 points wins.

Hard contact is forbidden, and result in the opposing team getting a point if one of them does it.

Use of flame-powered spell dances are also against the rules, and results the opposing team getting a point if used.

Interlude 2 - With a Sharp Steel Blade

Duke Highblood was not used to waiting, particularly when it involved something he considered important. And if he considered it important, then everyone was expected to.

Particularly when it involved something that could cost him everything if he didn’t act quickly.

His patience wearing thin, he drummed his fingers on the rosewood tabletop as the last of his allies funneled into the secret room under the central public works building of Aurorias. Unlike most of the upstairs meeting rooms, and the duke’s own office in his manor, this room was undecorated. Instead, it was furnished with a small number of filing cabinets and the large, central table where Duke Highblood was irritably rapping his fingers.

The room was inhospitable at the best of times, but was now exceptionally so, both due to the circumstances of their meeting and the presence of the duke’s private security. Even if Duke Highblood wasn’t expecting trouble, it was best to be prepared. And, it served as a reminder to everyone else present that he was the one in charge.

Still, his servants had set out goblets of wine for everyone to provide a basic level of comfort for the others involved.

Unlike their normal meetings, the atmosphere was laced with dread. The last few times they’d met, it had been filled with an air of smug delight as they had worked towards tightening their grip on Solaria and Heliopolis. The plan had been so simple, yet so elegant: subvert the phoenix-rite, and use the newest ascendant to further draw power away from that ageless bitch Raven Inkwell. They’d slowly been working to subvert the systems she’d put in place to give the citizens of Heliopolis greater autonomy from her rule for the last two decades, and this was meant to be the fatal blow.

But then it had all gone wrong.

Now he was having to scramble because Raven had proven that she could not be taken lightly. He’d underestimated her, and how he and his allies were trapped in a rapidly closing ring of fire that they’d need to cut a breakthrough out of if they were to have any hope of survival.

Or, if nothing more, Highblood would use the others as stepping stones to save himself.

But in order to do that, he had to take control of the situation. And that meant an emergency meeting with his co-conspirators.

He could feel the tension in the air as he looked around the room at his fellow nobles. Earls, countesses, a few marquises and marchionesses, and several barons and baronesses. A quick headcount told the duke that there were fourteen of them in the room.

‘Good, everyone is here.’

Tapping his cane against the marble floor, he drew the crowd’s attention, and signalled for the enchanted doors to close and lock. As they slowly swung shut, the sound dampening runes inscribed on the walls flared to life, ensuring that what was said in the room would not be overheard.

“Everyone, please be seated,” Highblood said firmly. “We have much to discuss, and little time to do it.”

Slowly, the group made their way to their seats, lowest ranking members farthest from the table’s head. Once all of them were seated, Duke Highblood took his own throne-like chair. As he did, all eyes turned to him, seeking guidance. Under normal circumstances, he relished the feeling of control and power such looks would bring. But these were not normal circumstances.

“Bright day to all of you,” Highblood said as he rested his elbows on the table and tented his fingers. “It would seem that we have a bit of a dilemma on our hands. And now, we need to go about solving it.”

Most of the others at the table looked around nervously.

“Please excuse my impropriety, sire, but I don’t think that is strong enough to adequately describe the situation,” one of the marquises said.

That prompted a small round of murmuring. Highblood could feel his control slipping as another, this time a baron, chimed in. “This isn’t some dilemma that we’re going to sweep under the rug, sire. We’ve got Dawn Wings and Raven Inkwell on our trails. I would say that we’re being dangled over the maw of a starved linnorm.”

Numerous affirmations floated into the air, the tension rising as his fellows began to panic.

‘Not good’

“Quiet!” he shouted, standing and slamming his cane against the ground, the sharp report instantly silencing everyone in the room.

All eyes fell back on him.

“I am keenly aware of the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in. Need I remind you that I was personally interrogated by Raven before I left the Cathedral of the Sun? But I managed to deflect her attention elsewhere, if only temporarily,” Highblood growled as a gasp went up around the room. “Clearly, she suspects we are involved in the attempt to ensure that a proper and true Solarian was chosen to ascend, but she hasn’t had time to actually gather any evidence. We’ve been far too careful for her to have anything on us yet.”

“How can you be so sure?” a baroness chimed in.

“If she had evidence, she’d have already come for us,” Highblood said pointedly. “In fact, if she had anything more than suspicion, I doubt anyone involved would have been allowed to leave the Cathedral of the Sun. But we did. Meaning we have time.”

An unconvinced murmur passed through the room.

“Time to do what?” a countess asked.

“Time to turn this around, fool.”

“Sire, I’m sorry, but how in the name of Light are we going to do that?”

“There were hundreds of witnesses at the rite, including quite a few high-ranking nobles that support Raven. And the nation-heads of the Solar Alliance. How can we ‘turn this around?’”

“By being smart about it,” Highblood growled as he stood again, planted his hands on the tabletop and leaned forward. “Yes, there are witnesses. Yes, many of them support Raven. But you’re forgetting one thing: the child that ascended was not one of the ‘chosen’ but rather some dirt-eating waif from out in the backwaters of the Western Territory.”

“And how does that help? You saw what happened at the rite!”

“But most of the populace didn’t,” Highblood said. “And that, right there, is the opportunity we need to turn this around.”

“What are you talking about, sire?”

“We force Raven’s hand by turning her actions against her. She subverted the ‘proper channels’ of the rite and brought in someone who wasn’t ‘chosen.’ That is our angle of attack. But we will need to be swift and decisive about it. Raven may be Celestia’s bleeding-heart dog, but she’s just given us ample proof that she’s more aware of what’s going on around her than we thought. So, we need to play our cards before she does.”

“And how do we do that?”

“We spread our own take on what happened at the rite. We tell them that Raven defied the rules of selection for the rite and subverted the proper process,” Highblood said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Most of the populace of Aurorias will eat it up, as will Candesis, Inciner, Radia and Ardor. That’s five of the nine cities that will buy our version of the story. If we create enough potential unrest, we can force her to back down. Raven is far too kindhearted to actively suppress the citizenry like that. That is the only way we’re going to come out of this in one piece.”

As he sat back down, Highblood’s features became more relaxed as a smile started to work across his face.

“After all, Raven is far too distant for most of the populace to really support. She stays in Chromos, away from the common people. They know us. And they believe that we are looking out for them. Unlike Raven, who sits in the light of the sun, trying to force them to accept that the dirt-eaters deserve to be treated with anything other than contempt. That is our opening.”

Highblood took a sip of his wine before continuing, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

“Then there’s the child. We attack not only the legitimacy of the rite, but of the girl herself. Before the rite took place, I learned from my brother that the child is a foundling.” Highblood spat the last word out as though he’d eaten something vile. “The little rat has no family. If we make that public knowledge, and really push that she’s a familyless dirt-eater, support for her in Heliopolis will turn faster than a wheel-spider chasing down a deer.”

“Won’t that turn the Westerners against us? I’ve had dealings with them before, and they’re very protective of their own.”

“That may be the case,” Highblood chuckled, “but they’re also disorganized. Scattered. The Western Territory has no central government. At best, they’re a collection of towns unified by a common geographic area. They’ll resist the idea of a central power, even one that arose from within their ranks. Do any of you have contacts in the west?”

Four of the nobles, two barons and two baronesses, raised their hands.

“Good. You four will use your contacts to sow dissent. Spread rumors that the girl will try to unify everyone under her rule. If those dirt-eating swine are anything like I’ve heard, they’ll cause enough trouble that Raven’ll have to intervene to ensure the brat even has a territory to govern in the first place.”

Highblood listened as a murmur passed through the others. He felt a shift in the air as they began to see the merit in his plan. However, one of the dukes still looked unconvinced.

“And what of Roseluck?” he said. “Surely she’ll rally the Eastern Territory to Raven’s aide.”

“Her influence will be tricky to mitigate, but it’ll be possible,” Highblood said thoughtfully. “There are several houses in the East that would love to gain access to Heliopolis’s resources and influence. Promise them the things they want, and they will aid us.”

“Are you suggesting we enlist the aid of the clans in this?”

“Only for so long as it benefits us. Make them promises of aid and power, get them to do our dirty work turning things against Roseluck. Even if they don’t discredit her, they can cause trouble in the Eastern courts. Enough to cover for us until Raven is forced to back off. Then, we give them the smallest scraps of what we promised, and hold their complicity over them.”

Again, there was a general murmur of agreement.

“And what of Steel Sentry and Spitfire? Do you think they’ll support us?” the same duke as before asked.

At that, Highblood laughed.

“Support us? Steel would probably give us commendations for this. The man’s more of a Heliopolan than any of us are, and he hates Raven and her soft-hearted ways as much as we do. And where Steel goes, Spitfire follows. No no no, Steel and Spitfire aren’t going to be an issue. And even if he were, Flash’s presence among the chosen ensures that he appears complicit. If he moves against us, we can use that to turn public opinion against him.”

“And you’re sure it will work?” one of the marchionesses asked nervously.

“I’m certain of it,” Highblood said with a haughty grin. “Give it a month’s time, and we’ll be hailed as heroes, while Raven will lose so much face that she’ll have to hide under Celestia’s wings for a century. We’ll need to act quickly, and with coordination. But if we do, we’ll be able to completely turn this thing around. Mark my words.”

Another murmur passed through the room, this one less nervous and more hopeful.

“Alright,” Highblood continued as he rapped his cane against the ground to reclaim everyone’s attention. “Now, we need to begin planning who is going to do what. Baron Silver Star, I want you to-”

A sharp crack of splintering wood suddenly filled the air as the door to the meeting room exploded inward. Milliseconds later a sphere of light rocketed into the room and detonated in a blinding flash. Duke Highblood’s vision went white and he screamed in pain as the strobe temporarily blinded him and fragments of the door violently pelted his face.

The sound of boots pounding on the ground filled the air followed by the loud report of firearms discharging. Still unable to see, Highblood instinctively ducked down and covered his head as screams of his fellow nobles fought with gunfire for dominance of the cacophony.

Yet, as quickly as it began, the sound died down, and was replaced by the thumping of rapid footsteps as whoever had just attacked them stormed the room.

Slowly, his vision began to recover. As his sight returned to him, Highblood cautiously looked around. The sight that greeted him caused his stomach to twist in horror: the room was now occupied by a full squad of earth-weaver sun-blades, each in deep blue, full-body tactical armor, and armed with either a bayoneted carbine or a pump-action, single-barreled shotgun, all of which were aimed at the room’s occupants.

As Duke Highblood eyed the soldiers, he caught sight of the walls behind the sun-blades. They were painted with blood and large chunks of grey pulp. Instinctively, he looked at the ground, only to wish that he hadn’t a few moments later. The floor was littered with the bodies of his guards, each one dead by either a single shot to the head or heart. The sound of weeping and retching told him that the others had noticed the corpses too.

“By order of the crown,” one of the soldiers said, “you are all under arrest for heresy and sedition. Any attempt to escape will be met with lethal force.”

At the soldier’s declaration, the room erupted into confused and desperate shouting as the assembled nobles rose to their feet and began to protest, each one proclaiming that there had to be some sort of mistake, or that they had done nothing, or trying to plead for their freedom by offering others in their place.

The loud report of a carbine being fired into the ceiling silenced everyone present.

At the sound, Duke Highblood regained his wits, his shock quickly replaced by cold calculating rage as he rapidly tried to formulate a way out of the situation.

“Who do you think you are to threaten us like this?!” the duke yelled as he drew himself up and schooled his features, ignoring the sun-blades nearest him pointing their weapons at him and moving their fingers to their weapon’s trigger. “I am Duke Highblood, and you are trespassing on Aurorias government property. You have just interrupted an important planning meeting for the city works department, and vandalized city property. I want your names and badges right now! When General Sentry hears about this he’ll have your heads!”

“Be silent,” one of the sun-blades said, their voice distorted by their armor’s mask, as they trained their shotgun on Duke Highblood and chambered a round with a sharp pump of the forend slide.

“You dare to speak to me like that?!” Highblood bellowed as he took a step forward, only for the loud report of the shotgun to go off, a violent breeze whizzing by as the slug passed within centimeters of his face. Duke Highblood froze in terror as the sun-blade that fired on him swiftly pumped the forend to chamber another round.

“I won’t warn you again, heretic. Be silent,” the sun-blade commanded, “or the next one won’t miss.”

Highblood took a step back and nodded numbly.

“Sir, area secured,” another of the sun-blades said.

Duke Highblood and all of his allies turned their attention towards the sun-blade who had spoken. As they did, they saw the air in the shattered doorway ripple like a heat mirage. Almost as swiftly as the distortion appeared, it parted, revealing General Steel Sentry, who casually strode into the room, his hands clasped behind his back. On his shoulder was Vestian, who glowered at the assembled nobles with barely contained hate. Like the sun-blades, Steel was dressed in full tactical armor. However, unlike his soldiers, he wore his officer’s cap instead of a helmet.

Highblood’s stomach dropped out of his body as General Sentry calmly looked round the room at the assembled nobles as if surveying pigs at a slaughterhouse. Moments later, his eyes came to rest on the duke.

“Duke Highblood,” General Sentry said in a calm yet menacing tone.

Duke Highblood’s heart jumped into his throat, but he kept his expression schooled. There was still a chance he could turn this around.

“General Sentry,” Highblood said, his voice feigning relief. “Thank Celestia you’re here. These sun-blades have just threatened myself and my fellow nobles with bodily harm. I demand you reprimand them at once and strip them of their ranks.”

A smirk worked its way onto General Sentry’s face as a condescending chuckle escaped his throat.

“Now why would I do something like that, Highblood?” General Sentry said evenly. “They’re following orders. My orders.”

“Your orders?” Highblood retorted as a gasp went up from around the room. “And what orders are those, Steel? Accost members of the ruling class?”

The smirk on General Sentry’s face grew wider.

“Isn’t it obvious, Highblood?” General Sentry said as he brought his right arm around his front and drew Bloodhound. At the sight, Highblood and every noble in the room took a cautious step away from the general. Legends told about how dangerous Steel’s favorite amp was, and they were not willing to find out if they were true. “I’m not sorry to say that the lot of you are under arrest for sedition against the crown, and high treason for manipulation of the phoenix-rite.”

Despite his fear, Highblood did his best to not show it.

“Arrest? Hah! That’s a good one, Steel,” Highblood said as he leaned forward and rested his palms on the table, ignoring the sun-blades training their weapons on him. “Look, you can drop the act now. We both know you’re not going to arrest any of us. We’re on the same side after all.”

Whatever response he had been expecting, it hadn’t been a single, deep harrumph.

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, dirt-eater,” General Sentry said. “I am here to arrest you. And I have been authorized to use lethal force if you do not cooperate.”

Highblood was dumbfounded. Had Steel just called him a dirt-eater? Him?

“How dare you call me that, Steel! My family has lived in Heliopolis since its founding! We have served this city faithfully for longer than even you’ve lived,” Highblood snarled, his indignation overcoming his fear. “And you dare to equate me with one of those animals that wallows in the mud outside Heliopolis’s walls?”

To Highblood’s surprise, General Sentry didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he raised Bloodhound and pointed the revolver directly at the duke's face, before thumbing the hammer back and placing his finger on the trigger.

“But you are a dirt-eater,” General Sentry said with barely contained contempt. “You’ve blasphemed against Celestia and defiled one of the most sacred traditions of Solaria. As far as I’m concerned, you deserve to eat dirt and drink dust, just like all traitors, cowards and heretics.”

Highblood felt the blood drain from his face and sweat begin to form on his brow.

“And as far as being ‘on the same side,’ you’re deluding yourself if you think that, dirt-eater,” General Sentry continued as he slowly uncocked Bloodhound’s hammer and lowered his arm, glaring straight into Duke Highblood’s eyes the entire time.

“What?” Highblood stammered as General Sentry continued to glare at him.

“If you think that I’d support what you’ve done, you are sorely mistaken,” General Sentry said calmly, his complete lack of emotion making him sound even more intimidating. “Your blasphemy is cause enough for me to shoot you where you stand, but that is only the start of your crimes. You and your pathetic little circle damaged Heliopolis’s reputation both domestically and abroad, and made the queen’s city look weak, fractured, and corrupt to not only our citizens and allies, but our enemies. Do you have any comprehension of the damage you’ve done?”

An angry hiss came from Vestian as he lowered his head threateningly, flames starting to lick across his body. Reaching up, Steel gently scratched Vestian’s chin. As he did, the flames died down, though the phoenix continued to glare fiery death at the duke.

“And, Highblood? If there’s one thing I hate more than heretics, it’s those who endanger Celestia and her city,” Steel said with a growl. “Be thankful Raven wants to make a public example out of only the people involved in your little act of blasphemy. If I’d had my way, I’d have arrested you and your families, then force every one of you to watch them be fed, one per day, to wild vethris before giving you lot to Queen Lumina to do with as she saw fit.”

Despite the mounting gravity of the situation, Highblood wasn’t willing to let it all come crashing down around him like this. He had one last, desperate card to play.

“You can’t do this! We’re nobility! We’re protected by the law! There are legal channels. Warrants. Trials,” Highblood protested as his heart rate spiked. “Even you are bound by the law, Steel.”

“I am indeed,” Steel said with a slow nod.

Highblood relaxed slightly, as did every other noble in the room.

“But what makes you think I don’t have a warrant? Or that your titles mean anything anymore?”

Highblood’s eyes went wide in horror as he processed what General Sentry had said.

“What!?” Highblood bellowed in horror. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“We presented evidence of your crimes to the Council of Light earlier today. Each and every one of you has been declared an enemy of the state and stripped of your ranks. All of the other members of your little conspiracy have already been arrested. I’m merely here to take the viper’s head.”

“You… how? How could you possibly have that kind of evidence so quickly?”

“Oh, don’t you worry your empty little head about that,” a strange, distorted voice from behind said.

Turning, Highblood saw another heat mirage in the air part and reveal a white-clad form wearing a sun-touched mask with a blazing eye glyph on its surface, and radiant, glowing wings. They were leaning casually against the back wall of the room, their arms crossed and their right foot resting on the wall. None of the sun-blades flinched at their sudden appearance.

“Ah, Dawn Wings,” Steel said as Vestian hissed at the newcomer. “I trust you have everything?”

“Of course. Who do you take me for?” Dawn Wings said as they held up a milky white crystal ball. “Everything’s been recorded. Boss lady’s really gonna enjoy this.”

“You… you… how in the name of Light did you get in here?!” Highblood shouted, his voice dripping with fear. “This room is warded!”

“You call those wards? I’ve walked through doors more secure than this place. And, in case you managed to form a coherent enough thought to wonder how I got here, I’ve been following you since you left the Cathedral of the Sun,” Dawn Wings said as they pushed themselves off the wall and dusted themselves off. Highblood could almost feel the smirk of whoever was behind that mask as they looked at him. “Yes. That means I’ve been in your house recording everything you’ve done. Every correspondence. Every meeting with your aides. Going through your papers when you slept. And all of it with the blessing of the queen.”

“But… what? How could you have moved so quickly?” Highblood asked, his voice quavering.

Dawn Wings threw back their head and laughed, the constant shifting and distortion of their voice making the sound alien and unnatural.

“Lady Inkwell has known what you were up to for months, you sack of moorgaunt shit,” Dawn Wings said, their voice full of amused contempt. “If you think that you had any chance of deceiving her, you’re more full of yourself than even I could have imagined.”

“Quite true. Now, if there’s nothing else,” Steel said before he abruptly began to perform a spell dance with his left arm, which ended as he thrust the limb forward and snapped his fingers. The moment the sound emanated from between his digits, arcs of green lightning erupted from the tips of his fingers and spread out to strike every one of the former nobles present.

As the bolt struck him, every nerve in Highblood’s body exploded with burning agony as the magical lightning coursed through him. Before he had a chance to scream, his muscles seized up and he went limp, collapsing to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

“Gather up that garbage and take it back to Chromos,” he heard General Sentry say emotionlessly.

Highblood tried to get his body to respond, but he couldn’t move a muscle as the soldiers began to haul off the paralyzed nobles.

“Thank you for your assistance, Dawn Wings,” General Sentry said as he walked towards the spymaster. “Perhaps we might work together again some day.”

“I wouldn’t count on it, Sentry,” Dawn Wings said as they crossed their arms and tilted their head to the left. “I’m here because Lady Inkwell asked. But, if in some odd coincidence your interests align with hers again, I’ll be there to keep you and your goons honest. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to deliver this lovely little thing to the boss lady. Bye bye, Highblood. I’d say it was nice knowing you, but that’d be a lie.”

And with that, Dawn Wings strode towards the exit and vanished into a heat ripple.

“I don’t understand why Raven puts up with their attitude,” General Sentry said with a shake of his head. “In any case…”

Highblood watched helplessly as General Sentry walked up to him and squatted down to look him directly in the eyes. The expression on the general’s face chilled Highblood to the bone: there was no anger, no disgust. Only apathetic loathing, as if Highblood was some sort of insect. After a moment, General Sentry pointed Bloodhound casually towards the former duke’s head, swinging the barrel back and forth for a few moments, before leaning down and whispering in Highblood’s ear.

“I just want you to know that I’m going to petition to personally handle your execution, Highblood. Were this just about your heresy and treason, I’d have made it quick in memory of our friendship. But… you made the mistake of involving Flash. So now? If I get my hands on you, I’ll make sure it takes you months to die, and that every moment will make you beg for your end to come.”

*****

The dull murmur of The Heart of Fire’s officers’ lounge tickled General Sentry’s ears like the buzz of a swarm of bees, but he easily tuned it out. Most days, he would join his fellow officers for drinks in the main lounge, or more rarely, head down to share meals with the enlisted sun-gazers under his command in the mess halls. But for times when he and Vestian wanted to be alone, he’d retreat to his personal lounge, which was located on the upper floor of the main lounge.

Now was one such time.

The room itself was sparsely yet comfortably furnished, and included only a modest bookshelf, a circle of four, hydra-leather lounge chairs, each with an attached golden perch meant for a phoenix. In the center of the circle was a small table for drinks or food made of lacquered ironwood. The wall opposite the sole door leading into the lounge was completely dominated by a large, single pane of enchanted glass that looked out over the main training grounds of The Heart of Fire, as well as the barracks where the rank and file members of his sun-blades resided.

But the most striking part of the window was what flanked it: a pair of columns made of cracked and weathered grey dolomite. Growing from within the cracks were numerous kaleath shrubs, their long, trailing stems covered in fuzzy, silver-green leaves and large, cup-shaped, bone-white flowers adding a touch of life to the otherwise spartan room. Despite the plant’s beauty, everyone other than Steel gave them a wide berth; their foliage was covered in sharp stinging hairs that carried a potent venom. One that, while not lethal, could reduce anyone foolish enough to touch the plant to a weeping ball of agony for hours.

Rumors had circulated for years about why he’d wanted to have his view occupied by the enlisted men under his command, rather than something more pleasing like a garden or fountain, but Steel had never deigned to give them an answer, only saying he had his reasons. Truthfully, it was a reminder of where he’d come from and his responsibility to the men and women under his command. It was also a not-so-subtle reminder to his soldiers that he could be watching at any time, and if he saw any failure in discipline or effort, he could easily bring the weight of his authority crashing down on them at any moment.

Crossing his right leg over his knee, Steel leaned back into his plush hydra-leather chair, reaching up with his right hand to scratch Vestian at the base of his head. Hearing the happy trill and feeling the contentment through their bond, Steel went back to reading the action reports submitted by the companies he’d dispatched to arrest the traitors.

Most of the arrests had been clean, with minimal casualties among their targets. One group had managed to resist, but they had been easily dispatched like the swine they were. He’d have to put that company through some more intensive training since they’d let their targets get the drop on them. A few extra laps and drills would help cement the need to not make amateurish mistakes, even when dealing with sun-gazers as soft and weak as the nobility.

Hearing a knock at the door to the lounge, Steel didn’t look up from the report he was reading, and automatically said “Enter.”

A few moments later, he heard the door open and the sound of light footsteps approached his chair.

“Your obsidian beetles, Lord Vestian. And your berent malt whisky with cherry cider, General Sentry,” the waiter said.

“Leave them on the table.”

The sound of the glass and serving vessels being set onto the table reached his ears moments later, followed by the retreating footsteps of the server, and the door to the lounge opening and shutting.

Extending two tendrils from his hair, Steel used the first to grab a flash-fried beetle and tossed it to Vestian, the phoenix snatching the snack out of the air with practiced ease. His other tendril grabbed the tumbler and brought it to his hand. He sipped the drink slowly, retracting his tendrils as he did.

As much as I hate to give that white-clad freak any credit, it looks like their intelligence was good, Vestian sent as he finished his first beetle.

I wouldn’t expect anything less from Dawn Wings, Steel sent back. Such a shame Raven won’t let us take advantage of their skills more often.

You don’t need to tell me. I still wish you’d gone after those bastards sooner. The thought of Highblood’s asshole son bonding with my little sister? A low, angry hiss came from Vestian as the phoenix’s hate flooded through their bond. I hope your petition to be the one to handle his death comes through. I want to heat the liquid in his eyes till they pop like overcooked lulli.

Steel grabbed another beetle with a tendril and tossed it to Vestian, the phoenix effortlessly catching it.

As much as I would love to give you that chance, old friend, Steel sent as he took another sip of his drink, savoring the sweet sourness of the cherry cider mixed in with the burning spiciness of the whisky. I suspect Raven may not be willing to leave his fate in our hands. Still, we might be able to get hold of a few of the heretics.

I’ll take what I can get, Vestian sent with a huff.

As will I, Steel sent with disdain. Hopefully Raven’s figured out who falsified Flash’s test results. I want my shot at them if I can’t have Highblood.

I like the sound of that. Doesn’t make how badly those idiots screwed things up any easier to stomach.

I know, Steel sent as he took another sip of his drink. The game’s just gotten a whole lot more complicated.

And the girl? If what we’ve learned about her is true, she could be an enormous asset to Heliopolis.

Steel considered it for a moment.

I don't think she’ll ever directly side with us. Even disregarding Raven already having her claws in her, she’s far too connected to those caitiffs out west to ever consider staying in Heliopolis. At best, she’s going to be another Roseluck: just one more obstacle anyone coming for the holy city has to cross. Shame too. I can only imagine what someone as arcanically inclined as she is could do for Heliopolis’s arcane advancement.

There’s an ‘and’ to all of this, isn’t there? Vestian asked tersely.

There is. With Highblood and so many other nobles about to face consequences for their actions, there’s going to be a power vacuum. One that others are going to try exploiting, Steel sent before downing the last of his drink. That means instability in Heliopolis.

And instability can mean vulnerability, Vestian concluded.

And one thing that Heliopolis can’t be, is vulnerable, Steel sent as he reached up and scratched Vestian’s chin. If the girl were inclined to stay, she could fill the vacuum. But as it stands, we may have to gaslight the public into taking power away from the Council of Light and giving it back to us, Spitfire and Raven. This whole incident proves that Raven was wrong about the mortals governing themselves. They’re too shortsighted and too greedy to be allowed to have as much control as they’ve been given.

Before Vestian could reply, there was a knock at the door.

“What is it? I gave explicit orders that I’m not to be disturbed,” Steel barked, his voice resonating with authority.

“I’m sorry, General, but Lady Inkwell is here and she has requested to see you,” the voice of one of Steel’s colonels, a fire-caller named Blaze Artillery, said.

Think of the Moon and it rises into the sky, Vestian sent with an irritated huff.

It was going to happen sooner or later, Steel sent. Well, no point in putting this off.

“Let her through,” Steel said in the same authoritative tone.

Waiting a moment for Blaze to leave, Steel tapped a small rune engraved into the surface of the table, causing a small sphere of blue light to appear above the table’s surface.

“Bring me another berent malt whisky, and one sparkberry cognac,” Steel said into the sphere.

“Yes, General Sentry,” a voice replied through the light sphere.

What does she want now? Vestian grumbled.

Knowing her, to make sure we stay away from the girl at the very least, Steel sent as he rose from his seat and offered Vestian his arm. As the phoenix stepped onto the limb, Steel brought his partner to his right shoulder. Still, no point in turning down a chance to spar.

True, Vestian sent with a bit more excitement as he stepped onto the leather pauldron as Steel turned to face the lounge’s door and folded his hands behind his back.

Steel stood at attention for a couple of minutes before he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door. But not the soft clop of sun-blade standard issue boots or dress shoes. Rather, they were the sharp clack of high-heels moving at a steady yet clipped pace.

Moments later, the door swung open, and Raven strode in without fanfare, Dylis perched on her shoulder and giving both Steel and Vestian a wary, irritated look. Raven allowed the door to swing shut with a slight shove of her hand as she passed through, never once taking her eyes off her fellow phoenix-born. As Raven strode up to him, her expression unreadable and her gait giving no hint of vulnerability, Steel’s mind went into overdrive, trying to spot any opening or avenue of attack. But, as always, Raven presented an impenetrable barrier.

Were he not so well versed in maintaining his mask, Steel might have smiled as Raven approached.

She is magnificent, isn’t she? Steel sent as he admired Raven.

I’ve probably said it a million times over the centuries, but I question your taste, Steel.

Wouldn’t have it any other way, old friend.

A few moments later, Raven reached them and looked up to stare the general in the eyes. However, she did not speak as she glared at him.

“Bright day to you, Raven. What brings you to The Heart of Fire?” Steel said as he put a disarming smile on. It was a smile he used when he wanted to be charming. One practiced over centuries, and one he knew few people could resist.

It bounced right off Raven like a ball of wool bounces off a steel plate.

“Hello, Steel,” Raven said in a flat tone. “I’ve received Dawn Wings’ report regarding the arrest of Highblood and his conspirators.”

Steel knew the implication being left in the air: ‘Had the operation to bring in Highblood not gone off without a hitch, I would be coming for you because he and you were close.’

“I trust you’ve had time to have a few words with Highblood and the other former nobles in your care,” Steel said with a small smirk.

“I have,” Raven said levelly.

“That’s good to know,” Steel said. “Though, I doubt you’ve come all the way from Chromos to tell me that. Especially now that we have our newest ascendant in need of guidance.”

Raven’s response was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Steel said, knowing who it would be.

As the door opened, a young sky-runner boy in a server’s uniform walked in carrying a tray with a tumbler of amber liquid, and one snifter with glowing red liquid.

“Your sparkberry cognac and your berent malt whisky, General Sentry,” he said.

“Thank you. The cognac’s for Lady Inkwell,” Steel said.

Without another word, the server approached Raven and held the tray out towards her with a bow of his head. Raven looked at it for a moment, then took the drink with an emotionless and flat “thank you.”

The server approached him next. As he did, Steel unlocked his hands from behind his back and retrieved the tumbler from the offered tray with his left hand. His task complete, the boy bowed to the both of them and left without a word. Drink now in hand, Steel gestured to the chairs with his free hand.

“Please, have a seat. I suspect we have much to discuss.”

Raven’s indifferent glare didn’t change as she took her eyes off Steel and regarded the chair he was offering her.

“I suppose it would be rude to decline your hospitality,” Raven said as she walked to the chair right of the one Steel had indicated and opposite the one where he’d been sitting, before offering her arm to Dylis and transferring him to the perch.

Returning to his own chair, Steel likewise offered Vestian his arm and transferred him to the perch before taking his seat.

“I’ll get right to the point, Steel,” Raven said, her voice taking on a rare edge as she swirled her drink. “I’ve interrogated Highblood and the rest of the leadership of this little coup.”

“I take it went well then?”

“It was edifying. And disappointing, in a way,” Raven said as her eyes narrowed. “I’ll admit, I’m pleasantly surprised to find that you had no hand in this whole debacle. At least no direct hand.”

“Do you have so little faith in me, Raven?” Steel said.

Raven didn’t respond immediately, instead taking a slow sip of the cognac.

“Frankly, yes,” Raven said coolly. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how often you’ve tried things like this in the past.”

Steel closed his eyes and took a sip of his own drink.

“There are lines that I would never cross, Raven. You should know that by now. Political intrigue and campaigning for changes to the law are a far cry from dissidence,” Steel said solemnly. “I may attempt to steer things to ensure the safety and security of Heliopolis and Celestia, but I would never interfere with holy writ. It goes against everything I stand for.”

“Yet, the traitor dared to turn against Harmony’s edicts for her place in the order of things and caused the Splintering in the name of personal ambition,” Raven said coldly, the faintest edges of hate seeping into her voice.

Steel’s expression darkened. Even with as often as they’d clashed, Raven had never insulted him so openly by comparing him to the traitor.

“I am nothing like that embodiment of night and dreams,” Steel growled as he glared at Raven. “What I’ve done, I’ve done to ensure Queen Celestia’s safety. Even if you don’t agree with my methods, nothing will change that fact.”

“You say that, but anyone can fall from the path, even those who believe themselves righteous,” Raven said. “So, I will tell you this right now. You may have been innocent of any wrongdoing in this case, but as far as I’m concerned, that does not absolve you of what you’ve done in the past.”

“And what would that be, Raven? Protect Heliopolis? Ensure the city is strong?”

“Foment hate, Steel. Encourage the division of our people. And attempt to strip anyone who doesn’t live in Heliopolis of their dignity and identity as sun-gazers.”

“If they’re unwilling to stand in defense of Heliopolis or Solaria, then as far as I’m concerned, they aren’t,” Steel said as he leaned forward and gripped the arm of his chair with his free hand hard enough that the leather began to stretch and rip. “Or need I remind you what happened to all of the cowards who fled Heliopolis rather than stand and fight in the Blight War. Hydea’s monstrosities rounded them up and fed them to the Smooze, giving that abomination their memories and knowledge of how to breach our city. How many thousands died because you were willing to ‘give them the choice’ to leave?”

“And need I remind you that had we not let them leave, Heliopolis would have been consumed from within by fear and panic,” Raven countered with a pointed look. “Letting them go may have led to some of the rays being overrun, but if I hadn’t, you would have been forced to turn your attention away from holding back Hydea’s siege, and towards fighting both our own panicked populace and the Blighted. And if that had happened, all of Heliopolis would have fallen.”

“Which only proves my point. They put themselves before Queen Celestia. And anyone who can do that is no sun-gazer. Hydea. Grogar’s old general D’compose. The Storm King. All threats that we could have bested with fewer losses were it not for your willingness to show needless compassion for traitors and weaklings.”

Raven’s brow furrowed as she closed her eyes and frowned, before letting out an angry huff. “I’m not going to argue with you about this again, Steel. Right now, Solaria is about to go through a major upheaval, and we need to be unified. Can I count on you to give Sunset your support?”

“The girl was ordained by Lumina and Celestia’s edicts, Raven,” Steel said coldly. “Even if she wants to return to that mudhole she came from like Roseluck did rather than stay within the capital like she should won’t change that. So long as she doesn’t give me reason to consider her a threat to Solaria, I won’t act against or undermine her.”

“And the nobility that have been arrested?”

“They put themselves before Heliopolis and thought themselves above Queen Celestia’s law. They deserve nothing less than a traitor and heretic’s death.”

Raven took a long draw from her cognac, before fixing Steel with another glare.

“Just so long as we’re on the same page here,” Raven said, before her glare became even colder. “But, in light of that, I can’t help but wonder if you knew about this whole debacle, and didn’t see fit to inform me. One might get the idea that you wanted this little plan to succeed.”

Steel allowed himself to smile at that.

“I was indeed aware of what was going on,” Steel said as he swirled his tumbler’s contents. “But, as for not informing you… well, I had my reasons.”

“I trust they were good reasons, or I may have cause to include you as a co-conspirator.”

Steel was unphased by the threat.

“I suspected you were already aware of what was happening, so I didn’t see any need to involve myself. If anything, word might have gotten back to Highblood if I had. And anything that could have tipped that dirt-eater off was not acceptable. So I chose to stay silent, continue to maintain appearances with Highblood and his cronies, and waited for you to spring the inevitable trap.”

Raven narrowed her eyes menacingly. Steel had seen that look turn even the bravest of his soldiers into simpering cowards.

“That is a very flimsy excuse, Steel,” Raven said, her voice laced with enough ice to turn the season from summer to winter.

“And yet, you did not act immediately when you learned of it. I know how capable your pet spy is at their job, so if you were not acting openly, you clearly had your reasons. I simply decided to respect whatever your plan was and didn’t involve myself until you saw fit to involve me.”

“And if I hadn’t discovered what was going on?”

“One, Highblood was about as subtle as a crazed hydra, so that’s pretty much impossible. Second, if somehow you and the Eyes of the Sun had become so oblivious to the world around you didn’t figure that something was wrong, I would have stepped in, and used it as an opportunity to have you removed from your position for incompetence. Even if I don’t care for your policies, you’ve always been the bedrock upon which Solaria rests. If you’d become soft and weak, you’d need to be removed. Simple as that.”

Steel watched as Raven’s expression shifted into a dangerous, predatory smile.

“I see,” she said in a tone that would have sent any mortal present running for their lives. “Well, I’m glad your confidence in me has not been shaken.”

Steel returned her smile with one of his own.

“If anything, my esteem for you has only grown. Your execution of your plan was a masterstroke of cunning and deception, and proof that you are the one who still deserves to hold your position. If only you’d use that cunning more often, we could ensure that Heliopolis was the shining light of civilization and order that it could be.”

“At the cost of forever robbing our people of their agency. No, Steel, such weapons are only for use against those who cross certain lines,” Raven said as she rose to her feet and offered Dylis her arm, her glare pressing against Steel’s almost equally potent one. “I believe our business is concluded. Don’t bother getting up. I’ll see myself out.”

“As you wish, Raven,” Steel said as he downed the last of his whisky. “We must do this again sometime. It was quite enjoyable.”

Transferring Dylis to her shoulder, Raven began to walk towards the door.

Without looking back, Raven said, “We’ll see, Steel. We’ll see.”

Author's Note

Hey all. So, first off: the semester has really kicked my watery "butt". Hard. Which, sadly, has left me with little energy to write. However, I've managed to get a little interlude chapter put together. This time, we're getting to visit with everyone's favorite general: Steel Sentry. Please note that Phoenix-born isn't officially off "hiatus" yet. I just managed to scrape together enough time to get this written, so it's probably going to be a little while before I get anything else published.

Now, on to Steel. When I first conceived General Sentry, he was just a generic "pure evil military" villain. But, I quickly realized that it wasn't reasonable given that Celestia, even as detached as she is, wouldn't put up with that sort of thing. So I went back to the drawing board with him, and decided that he wouldn't be a straight up villain, and more of an antagonist. Steel's a bigoted asshole, but his bigotry, or rather, antipathy, isn't as straight forward as those who've taken his opinions and used them as carte-blanche to be truly vile.

I've got another short interlude outlined, but it may take some time to get it written.

Also, kaleath (kal-E-auth) shrubs are based on one of my favorite desert plants: Eucnide urens, commonly called desert rock nettle or desert sting bush. The real plant's sting isn't nearly as potent as kaleath, but still hurts like hell (I know. I've been tagged by them before.).

Interlude 3 - The Shadows Have Eyes

Eastern Territory, the day after Duke Highblood’s arrest

The early morning sky was grey and overcast in Hazelnut Vale, with a light drizzle wetting the ground and bringing out the scent of the cedars and pines surrounding the town. The residents, bundled up in oiled coats and wide-brimmed hats, paid the moisture little mind, since they knew by midday Celestia’s sun would burn off the clouds and bring with it the blessed warmth of their goddess’s light.

The town itself was nestled in a small wooded valley. Half of the land around town was dedicated to the production of lumber by the residents. For generations, the earth-weavers had gently shaped the trees in such a way that their bases were formed into natural hedge platforms that would generate tall, straight, high-quality trunks. This method allowed the residents to safely harvest the lumber without killing the trees. The other half was left in a semi-natural state, other than the abundant hazelnut bushes the residents planted and tended to. The quality of the nuts grown in the Vale was well known throughout the Eastern Territory and made up a sizable part of the town's income, primarily from selling them to their fellow sun-gazers, but also through trade with the kirintal to the north.

Most of the residents began their days expecting nothing to be out of the ordinary: they'd get up, have breakfast with their families, then head out to their clan’s woodland plots to check which of the trees were ready to harvest, or if the season was right, gather the latest crop of hazelnuts. Others would head out into the woods to gather wild fruits, herbs and roots for food and medicine, or set out to trap wild game to add a little meat to their diets. Others stayed in town to manage their clan’s plot in the large, central garden that grew domestic fruits and vegetables.

Yet, as the residents slowly emerged from their homes and made their way down the flagstone roads to begin their days, many of them noticed a large crowd gathered around town square. Curiosity piqued, they approached to see what had drawn in so many of their fellows.

When they arrived, they heard a loud voice with a Heliopolan accent calling out into the early morning air, which could only mean one thing: there was important news from the capital. It was common knowledge that the phoenix-rite had taken place on the solstice five days prior, and that Archduchess Roseluck had been in attendance to aid Lady Inkwell in administering the ceremony. Most of them had expected news about the outcome of the phoenix-rite a few days ago, and the lack of news had the gossip mill in town on overdrive.

More and more residents approached the emissary from the holy city. As they melded into the crowd, they could finally make out what he was saying.

“…ascension was marred with deceit, as members of a cabal of corrupt nobles sought to interfere with the ascendance and deny the proper candidates from being given their divinely ordained chance at ascendance. But, in her eternal duty as the guardian of Solaria, Lady Inkwell and her anointed agents, The Eyes of the Sun, were able to not only ensure that the children meant to be joined in the ascension were present, but arrest those responsible for this blasphemous act. Though the names of most of the conspirators have not been revealed by Lady Inkwell, it is known that Duke Highblood of Aurorias has been stripped of his titles and brought to holy Chromos for his part in heading this treasonous conspiracy.”

“At this time, Sunset Shimmer and her blessed companion Philomena are in the care of Lady Inkwell and Archduchess Roseluck as she prepares for her instruction under Queen Celestia.”

All present saw the messenger take a deep breath before beginning again.

“Hear ye, hear ye! I bear news from Heliopolis on the events surrounding the most recent ascension. On this year fifteen-hundred in Queen Celestia’s reign, the outcome of the fifth phoenix-rite has concluded. By the grace of Queen Lumina, Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree in the Western Territory was chosen by the blessed fire child, and has taken her place among the chosen ascendants.

“However, the holy ascension was marred with deceit…”

As the messenger repeated his news, murmurs of anger passed through the crowd. A noble from the holy city had sought to blaspheme against the phoenix-rite? The thought sent spikes of rage coursing through their veins. Whispers began to spread as the townsfolk who’d heard the news left and new came in to replace them. Despite their anger, many of them were also relieved to know that Archduchess Roseluck was there to aid both Lady Inkwell and the newest ascendant in this trying time. If Roseluck was with the newest ascendant, things would work out.

Yet, unnoticed by any of the townsfolk or the messenger, there was one more listener skulking in the shadows: a lone man leaning against the the wall of one of the buildings, his arms crossed over his chest and his head leaned forward as he listened intently to the crier. The man was thoroughly unremarkable in appearance, and anyone who looked his way would find it difficult to notice him, as though his presence was nothing more than a strange, irrelevant afterthought. Had they somehow pierced the haze surrounding him and taken a closer look, they would have seen that he was nothing more than an earth-weaver, his short cropped dusty silver and light blue-streaked hair complimenting his piercing, brilliant aqua eyes and grayish cyan skin. Unlike the rest of the Vale's residents, he was dressed in a simple yet durable set of traveler’s clothes and a long, grey cloak that, while both well cared for, were all worn with age and use.

The man remained still and silent as he listened, his brows creased and a sharp frown formed on his face. Once he was certain he'd heard enough, he rose from the wall in a single fluid motion and began to walk towards the western edge of town, his passage going unnoticed by any of the townsfolk.

Soon, he had made his way out of town and began to make his way down the main highway, pulling his cloak a little tighter to ward off the last remnants of the morning’s chill. Once out of sight of the town, he shifted from a casual walk to a light jog, occasionally passing by groups of earth-weavers driving lumber carts to the site of their daily harvest. As before, they paid him no mind.

As he jogged, the signs of earth-weaver silviculture gradually decreased, as did sightings of the residents of Hazelnut Vale, until they eventually disappeared altogether. Soon, the forest became wild and untamed.

After nearly twenty minutes of jogging, he reached a bend in the road. To his right was a particularly dense section of trees known as the Watcher's Woods. This region was considered a site of poor fortune for the local sun-gazers due to the forest’s unusual density, and the resulting darkness. Stories told of strange spirits and visions that came to anyone who entered the region, and of misfortune that befell anyone foolish enough to attempt to tame it. The sun-gazers had thus left it be, out of fear of possibly angering whatever entities that made the Watcher's Woods their home.

Slowing to a stop and checking the road ahead and behind, he searched for any potential witnesses. Once sure that the coast was clear, he abruptly turned and darted off the main highway and into the woods.

At first, he had to push through the thick underbrush, but soon he came upon a small, all but invisible trail within the shadows of the trees. Deeper and deeper into the woodland he went, the trail leading him farther away from civilization and into the heart of the wild. Soon, the trees became overgrown, the woodland’s floor thick with decomposing cedar and pine needles, while the branches of the trees overhead blocked most of the light from Celestia’s sun.

In the gloom, any sun-gazer would be hopelessly lost.

But to his eyes, the darkness meant nothing, as he could see the path ahead just as easily as he could his way through town.

As he made his way through the trees, he became aware that he was being observed. From all angles, he could feel the attention of the entities that made Watcher's Woods their home turn towards him. From his peripheral vision, he could see shapes moving in the canopy and between the trunks. They made no sound, but their constant motion on the periphery of his senses would have put any sun-gazer on edge. After a few moments of observation, he felt the entities turn away and disperse.

Unlike the residents of the Vale, his presence was not resented by the wood’s residents, allowing him safe passage through their realm.

After what was probably nearly an hour of travel, he reached his destination: a small, hidden camp in a clearing at the heart of the wood. The camp itself was situated in the shadow of a massive, grey stone outcrop and contained only a simple bedroll, a pair of saddlebags, a endurance riding saddle and a rugged-looking grey mare tied to one of the nearby trees.

At the sight of the man, the mare let out a happy nicker and turned to face him. Approaching her, the man held out his hand and gently patted her cheek before pressing his forehead to hers. Wordlessly, he walked around and quickly packed up his camp, saddling his horse and placing his bags on her. Untying her, he swung up into the saddle and placed his hands on her neck, giving her an affectionate rub just below her ears. Looking out into the trees, the man could faintly feel the presence of the wood's residents watching him. Bowing slightly, the man silently acknowledged them and offered his thanks to them for his safe passage. As he did, he felt an acknowledgement in return, before the entities dispersed back into the trees.

With a gentle squeeze of his legs, he urged his horse around and onto a second, slightly wider trail, heading north-west towards the Solarian border.

*****

After the first day of riding, the man and his mount exited the thickest portion of the woodlands, and rejoined the main highway. Every night, they’d leave the road and camp in some out of the way spot, never staying in any of the sun-gazer towns they passed through for more than a brief time to resupply.

The towns became scarcer and scarcer until, on the fourth day, they vanished entirely. The land itself was changing too, going from thick cedar woodland to sparse broad-leaf woods, and eventually giving way to open, rocky, oak savanna dotted with large, dark-grey, stone outcrops.

It was late afternoon on the sixth day when the man spotted his destination in the distance. With a gentle squeeze of his legs and a pat to her neck, he turned his mount off the main highway and onto a disused dirt road, one that led towards one of the largest rock outcrops in the region.

In the early days of Solaria, the sun-gazers had named this particular outcrop “The Sun’s Sentinel.” The outcrop had served as a landmark for travelers before the main road had been built, and still served as one for sky-runner border patrols.

Despite its local importance, the region around the Sentinel was not inhabited by sun-gazers. Most passed through as quickly as possible, as something about the region had always made them uneasy, despite not appearing any different than other areas within a day's ride that they’d found perfectly acceptable. Eventually, they had simply chalked it up to possible Chaos contamination in the area, and had decided that it was best left alone.

But the man knew that the reason that the sun-gazers avoided the region was something else entirely.

It took nearly two hours of riding, but eventually, they reached the base of the massive mound of tree-studded basalt boulders.

Dismounting, the man stepped off the trail and led his horse into the knee-length grass. They made their way around the base of the mound until they reached a large yet unremarkable boulder.

Stepping away from his horse, the man reached around one side of the boulder and, feeling along the edge of the stone, found a small depression in its surface. Pushing his fingers into the depression, he tapped into a well of energy deep within his body. However, this well was not filled with the flame of a sun-gazer.

It was a well of pure life energy.

As his hand pressed to the stone, he purged his mind of all emotion and entered a state of empty calm. Once his mind was emptied of all other thoughts and feelings, he began to focus on a series of mental mantras that refined the life energy into magical energy. Once transformed, he pushed the converted life energy into the enchanted shadows hiding under the stone. Fed on the life energy, the shadows came to life and began to roil and writhe.

Stepping back, the man watched the shadows carry the stone back into the mound to reveal a long, deep, lightless passage. Approaching his horse, he placed his hand on her cheek and gently guided her down into the tunnel. Once the two of them had passed through the entryway, the shadows slid the stone back into place, cutting off all light.

Like when he’d traveled through the woodland, the darkness didn’t impede the man’s sight as he guided his mount deeper into the tunnel. Despite the lack of light, the mare followed the man’s guidance with confidence, their years of trust and training allowing him to guide her without her fearing for her safety.

As they descended, the man kept a steady pace through the labyrinthine network under the Sentinel. Memories carved into his mind from years of passing through these very tunnels guided him down the correct forks when the corridor split, and through the hidden switchbacks that he would have missed had he not been familiar with their locations.

After a time, he reached his destination: a large half-domed cavern nearly fifty meters in diameter. The artificial cave had been meticulously and secretly shaped from the interior of the mound millennia ago by his people and kept hidden from the watchful eyes of the sun-gazers through powerful illusionary and fear magic infused into the very stone of the Sentinel.

The far end of the dome was occupied by a small, square house shaped from the mound itself, as well as a series of tiered pools fed by a small, natural spring. Next to the house was a large stable for his mount, which included its own water supply.

On the opposite side of the cavern were several planters for a garden large enough to feed the man and his mount with fresh fruits, vegetables and grass. The beds were outfitted with enchanted metal rods that produced artificial sunlight, and were enchanted to brighten and dim in sync with the actual movements of the sun. Beside the planters was an enormous caged area containing a second pond, numerous coops for ducks and chickens kept fed by a small mechanical hopper he’d stolen from a Heliopolan ranch years ago, and an abundant lawn of grass, also kept alive and healthy by enchanted, light-producing rods.

But most striking was what dominated the center of it all: a large, moderate-grey crystal protruding from the middle of a massive, rune-carved triangle. The crystal itself was partially shrouded by wisps of swirling shadow, and glowed with a strange inner light.

Leading his mount to the stable, the man removed the bags and saddle and, with one last affectionate rub to her cheek, left her to relax after their journey.

Depositing the bags in the house and removing his clothes, the man approached the spring and drew a bucket of water. Taking the bucket to a small cistern and collecting a small rag, he washed the dust and sweat of his journey from his body, savoring the coldness of the liquid on his tired muscles.

Once clean, he returned to the house and retrieved a small box containing incense and a light grey, crystalline ritual knife. Box in hand, he made his way out of the building, not bothering to put any clothes on as he strode purposefully towards the pen with his birds.

Reaching the pen, he unlocked the gate and entered. Looking around the coop, he surveyed the animals, his senses open to feel the life energy coursing through each of them. After a few moments, he made his choice: a duck that was slightly larger and more well fed than the others. With practiced ease, he crept forward and snatched the bird by its neck, his hand applying pressure to its windpipe to prevent it from struggling.

Bird and box in hand, he retreated from the coop and made his way towards the crystal.

Standing before the massive monolith, the man set the box down and retrieved the ritual blade. Without hesitation, he lifted the bird and, with a swift, practiced motion, severed its head. As the bird’s body dropped to the ground and its blood flowed into the carved runes, the well of life within his body hungrily drank in the fleeing life energy of the sacrificed animal, refilling it enough to fulfill his next task.

He wiped the blade clean and returned it to the box. Then, setting both the box and the decapitated duck carcass outside the circle, he drew out three small sticks of incense and a long match. Walking counterclockwise along the edge of the triangle, he placed one stick at each point, lighting them as he did, filling the air with an acrid, sweet scent.

His preparations complete, he stepped up to the crystal, placed his hand on its surface, closed his eyes, and drew forth energy from his well of life, clearing his mind of all thoughts and emotions. Once he was ready, he passed the life energy through the lens of a mental mantra, sending it down his hand into the crystal and through his feet into the runes.

The moment the life energy touched the crystal and the runes, they flared to life with writhing shadows, the crystal hungrily consuming the offering. As it did, the wisps clinging to the crystal’s surface erupted outward, as the world around the man faded into a maelstrom of swirling shadows.

Despite the manifestation, the man didn’t flinch.

Remaining in place, he focused his mind on the crystal, sending forth a beacon into the umbra. And, in the depths of the umbra, he felt a reply. Keeping his mind focused on the crystal, he strengthened his calling by pouring more life energy into it.

With one final call, the man felt the ones he’d beckoned to the crystal arrive. From the three points of the runic triangle, they began to coalesce into three silhouettes made of swirling ribbons of shadow.

The first was a slight, feminine form that was a head shorter than the man, the shape of the manifestation making her look like she was wearing long robes and carrying a staff in her right hand. Her only feature beyond her general shape was a pair of glowing, points of light where her eyes would be. Despite her petite size, an unmistakable aura of authority radiated from the manifestation, as well as a sense of peace and safety.

The second was also female, though much taller than the first, and easily towered over the man. Where the first silhouette’s shape suggested robes, the second’s gave the impression of traveler’s clothing, while in her hands was a long, two-handed glaive. Like the first, her features were indistinct outside a pair of points of light for eyes. Unlike the first, this manifestation’s aura gave a feeling of warmth and hope in addition to her authoritative presence.

The final manifestation was the sole male among them and was easily as tall as the second. He was much more massive than either of his companions, while in his right hand he carried some sort of weapon that resembled a broad, square-bladed axe. This manifestation gave off a sense of stability and strength, as well as a desire to protect.

Attend us, our watcher. We have heard your call.

The man heard no words, only the intent of the three he had called out to.

Stepping away from the crystal, he lifted his hands, and began to sign.

“My ladies and my lord, I bring tidings from the Tyrant’s domain. It appears as though there has been a major upheaval within the Tyrant's capital. The ritual to bind one of the Tyrant's people to the queen of the fire-birds’ newest child has been thrown into disarray. Members of the Tyrant's decadent and corrupt ruling body attempted to manipulate the ritual and place an undeserving member among the Tyrant's ageless slaves. However, the Tyrant's eldest servant, from before the breaking of the sky, thwarted their attempts, and ensured that the fire-bird queen's child bonded with a proper candidate: a young girl from the west. This event occurred on the longest day of the year.”

The three silhouettes seemed to contemplate this news.

You are sure of this? the taller of the female silhouettes projected into his mind. That her transformation occurred on the longest day?

"I am, my lady. The news has spread far and wide among the Tyrant's slaves. There is no doubt about the date."

Another moment passed as the three silhouettes considered this news.

This is a most inauspicious coincidence, the slight silhouette projected.

Indeed, the burly male silhouette projected. On the same day in the Deceiver's domain, the queen of the spectral wolves likewise bonded one of her pack to a night-child.

The man regarded this information for a moment.

“That is… most concerning,” he signed. “Has such a convergence ever occurred?”

No, the tall female silhouette projected. Even in the time before the sky was broken, the ascension of the Tyrant's and Deceiver's slaves has never occurred on the same day. The consequences of such a thing are unknown, even to us. It could be nothing, or it could be a portent.

I doubt such an event would happen by chance, the slight silhouette projected. The Empress, forever may she reign, has a plan for this world, and I would not be surprised if this convergence may be part of that plan.

While the man considered what the silhouettes had told him, he sensed a new presence approaching. Unlike the first three, this one was something far more powerful. Something far more ancient and grand, making the three surrounding him feel like nothing more than drops of water in a vast ocean. As the presence settled over the gathering, the three silhouettes dropped to a knee and bowed their heads, while the man fully prostrated himself on the floor.

Soon, the presence had engulfed them, drowning out everything other than itself within the gathering. Then, in the midst of its visitation, the greater presence projected its decree into the minds of the gathered four.

When light and darkness meet,
Ways once lost are found anew,
Both sides of the coin lead to disaster,
Its edge the only hope of salvation.

And as soon as the presence had come, it was gone, leaving the man exhausted and trembling.

Rising back to their full height, the silhouettes addressed the man.

It seems that there is more at stake than we thought, the burly silhouette projected. Remain within the Tyrant’s territory and learn what you can of this newest immortal.

“Your will be done, body of shadows,”

If possible, learn what you can of this newest immortal's capabilities and character. She may yet be a danger to us all, the slight silhouette projected.

“As you wish, mind of shadows.”

Should we learn more, we will contact you. Above all, remain safe, our watcher. We do not wish to see you lost to the Tyrant’s fires, the tall silhouette projected warmly.

“I will be, spirit of shadows.”

Then go, our watcher, the slight silhouette projected. May the shadow guide your path.

May the shadow guide your path, the others projected, before fading away into the maelstrom.

Slowly, the world returned to itself. Taking a few moments to recover, the man leaned down and retrieved his box and the duck’s body. Resolutely, he began to walk back to the house. He’d take a few days to formulate his plans, then head back out.

Author's Note

Ominous…

Book 2 - Ch1 - The Trials - Stoking the Fire

Dear AJ, Rainbow and Pinkie,

Hey, girls. I can’t believe it’s been about a week since I moved into The Cathedral of the Sun. I won’t lie, I’m missing all of you already. This place is really quiet compared to Golden Tree. The only other people around other than Lady Inkwell are the prominence knights and the sun-touched, and neither of them really do much talking. I heard that Roseluck was still in the core with Lily and Daisy, but I haven’t seen them at all. I wish you could have met them when I came to Golden Tree. You’d have liked them.

I’ve been given a suite on the west side of the cathedral. The thing’s bigger than some of the houses in town, and full of tons of fancy furniture and stuff. I don’t like it. It’s just me and Philomena, and it feels so empty and lifeless. Extravagant and wasteful too. Why do I need so much space?

Light, listen to me complaining about getting to live in the Core of Heliopolis. I must sound so ungrateful. But, I miss you. I miss you all so much. I wish you could have come here with me, but Raven said no. I don’t get her. Sometimes she’s so nice. And other times, she’s just so cold and ruthless. Is that what living for thousands of years does to you?

Look at me rambling. I guess I’m just nervous. I start my lessons with Queen Celestia tomorrow. I have a feeling I’m going to be really busy for the next few weeks. I’ll write again when I have the chance.

With love, your sister,

Sunset Shimmer

P.S. Pinkie, just because I’m not around doesn’t mean you’re free to cause too much trouble. I don’t want to hear from AJ about another “lizard dance party” incident just because I’m not there to tell you ‘no.’

P.P.S. Rainbow, don’t encourage her!

*****

Sunset found herself in a great, expansive white void. Regardless of the direction she looked, she saw nothing but featureless space. There was no light. No darkness. No up or down. Only white as far as she could see. She wasn't even sure if she was floating in place or somehow standing on something.

Yet, despite the impossibility of wherever she was, she wasn’t afraid. If anything, she felt safe in the void, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of some inherent property of the space, or who had created it.

“Queen Celestia,” Sunset said timidly as she spun around, staring off into the all-encompassing white. “Are you there?”

There was a moment of silence before a response came.

“Yes, my dear Sunset,” she heard Queen Celestia say. Or rather, she heard the queen’s voice come from all around her, filling the air from all directions. “I am here.”

There was something oddly calming about hearing the queen’s voice. Some strange, ineffable quality that put her at ease and made her feel as though everything were right in the world.

“Where am I?”

“You are someplace safe,” the queen said with a warm, maternal tone. “This realm is one I’ve created for you to practice and learn to harness your flame. And not just you, but Philomena as well. She is a part of you, Sunset, just as you are a part of her, so she will need to learn these lessons by your side. Please, open yourself to her, so she can be with us.”

Doing as she was told, Sunset opened her bond with Philomena.

You there, Mena? Sunset sent.

Nope. I’m just a figment of your imagination, Sunny, Philomena returned in a playful tone.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset huffed through her nose.

Well, voice in my head that isn’t an adorable, fluffy little baby phoenix who I’m going to give lots of snuggles and kisses to when I’m done, if you know where Philomena is, tell her that Queen Celestia wants her to listen in on our magic lessons.

Sunset could feel the sensation of Philomena’s annoyance through their bond.

I’ll try to pass it on, but no promises. I hear she had a lot of naps and getting fed by her mom lined up for the day.

Tell her I’m sorry to interrupt that. I’ll be sure to stub my toe every so often so she stays awake.

…Brat.

Hi, silver, I’m platinum. You’re shiny.

Philomena sent a subtle mental shove through their link before they shared a moment of mirth.

“Philomena’s with us,” Sunset said into the void.

“Very well then, we can begin,” the queen’s voice said contentedly. “But, before we do, know that what I am about to teach you will change how you view your flame. Almost everything you have learned before about it and how to channel it will not help you anymore. As you are now, you cannot call on your flame to use magic as you once did. Its return will not come swiftly, nor will it be an easy process. But, it will be something you will gain, in time. And I will be here to guide you.”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Sunset asked.

“Allow me to answer your question with a question,” Queen Celestia said with a small touch of amusement, “If I were to show you a completed sword, would you know how to duplicate it if the only skill you had was the knowledge to temper metal?”

Sunset opened her mouth to reply, but stopped herself. She’d never made a sword before. She could guess at the process, but from what Bronze had told her, and what little she’d read in the manuals kept at the smithy, it was far more complicated than making things like nails or shovels.

“Well, no,” Sunset finally replied. “But, I don’t understand what that has to do with my flame.”

“The way you have wielded your flame up until now has been like a smith who only knows how to temper metal. Before, that would have sufficed, as that was all the knowledge you needed. But now you must know all of the steps in the forging process. You must know how to refine the steel, to hammer the blade into the right shape, to properly bevel its edge, to grind a fuller if needed and temper it correctly. And not just to make a sword, but many different things. That is what I will be teaching you here. From me, you will learn the fundamentals of using the flame to power your magic, and from that, I will give you the knowledge of how to harness its full potential.”

“I think I understand,” Sunset said nervously.

“Then we can begin with your first lesson into the nature of the flame you wield: the Sun.” As Queen Celestia spoke, a small sun appeared in the air before Sunset. She could feel the heat coming from its surface: powerful, intense, beautiful and dangerous all at once.

“The Sun is a dichotomy. It is the crucible from which all of the elements spring…” As the light of the sun poured down, earth slowly formed. From the earth sprang water, flooding the land. From the water came plants, covering the land in green. Soon, wind rushed past Sunset as the plants filled the empty sky with air. As they grew and aged, some died, and from the deadwood came fire as the heat of the sun mixed with the air. While the plants burned, the earth was transformed, and patches of molten rock erupted from below the surface, forming shining metals that were devoured by the waters, which boiled into steam, rising from the surface and falling as rain and snow, which formed into sheets of ice on the highest mountains.

“…a force of life-giving light…” Queen Celestia’s voice continued as new trees and plants grew from the desolation, coating the land in new green things to replace the old.

“…and of warmth and renewal.” The snow and ice began to melt under the light of the sun, turning into clouds that dropped rain onto the land.

Sunset watched in awe at the display.

“Yet it is also a force of destruction, as its flame and heat can burn the land and dry up all that life needs to survive,” Queen Celestia’s voice rang as the sun’s light bore down on the land, drying the water, setting fire to the plants, and scorching the earth. Soon, the ground erupted into flames as the sun’s light ignited the atmosphere and melted the stone, leaving only ash and dust.

In moments, the ashes blew away on an invisible, unseen wind, and Sunset found herself shuddering as she stood before the miniature sun, its light still shining down on her. She regarded the flaming orb warily as she realized that she’d never thought of the sun in such a way. It had always been a source of life and light, a blessed sign of her goddess and queen’s power and majesty. But never had she thought of it as a destroyer.

“As children of the sun, the sun-gazers naturally draw on the power of the sun through the flame within themselves. And from that flame, they fuel the magic of their tribe,” Queen Celestia’s voice calmly cut through Sunset’s contemplation.

While Queen Celestia spoke, three androgynous figures appeared: one was tall and muscular, one was slight and bore a great pair of wings on their backs, and one was average in build and height but bore a glowing elliptical gem in the center of their forehead.

‘Earth-weaver, sky-runner and fire-caller. The three tribes,’ Sunset thought as she looked upon the three before her. As she watched, the sun broke into three smaller balls of flame and flowed into the chests of the figures, causing the three of them to glow.

“Like the power of the sun, the flame can be used as a force of creation, life and genesis…” The three figures glowed with soft, white light as plants sprouted around the earth-weaver’s feet, gentle breezes and clouds formed by the sky-runner, and the glow of magic erupted from the soul-gem on the fire-caller’s forehead.

“…or death and destruction.” Sunset took a step back as the light became harsh and painfully bright. As it did, the ground around the earth-weaver’s feet cracked and erupted into jagged spikes, lightning and violent winds whipped around the sky-runner, and the light from the fire-caller’s soul-gem became harsh and dangerous as shards of metal, spheres of fire, and burning hot light began to swirl around their outstretched hands.

“It is the sun-gazer that decides the flame’s purpose. As a tool of creation, or as a weapon of destruction,” Celestia said as the three figures disappeared like sand blown away on the wind. “Both can come from the flame, and both are correct ways to use it, just as the sun is both creator and destroyer. The choice lies within each sun-gazer, and the consequences of that choice are theirs and theirs alone. Do you both understand?”

Sunset’s head was already swimming with what Celestia had told her. Even when studying with Bronze and learning the basics of spell-dancing, they had never delved so intensely into the very nature of their flame. Only its practical applications.

Mena? Sunset sent nervously. Did you understand all of that?

I kinda get it, Philomena replied, her own confusion at what she’d heard seeping through the bond. But… not really. You?

Same. I think I followed most of that, but I’m still a little lost.

“I… we… sort of get it,” Sunset replied, her voice quavering with uncertainty.

“It will become clearer, in time. What is important now is that you begin to understand,” Queen Celestia said as her voice reverberated across the void. As it did, a new shape appeared, this one also androgynous, yet now devoid of all tribal features. Within the figure’s chest there was a glowing well of flame that flickered and pulsed as though alive. Sunset stared in wonder at the new manifestation.

“All magic is harnessed by the three aspects of the wielder: body, mind, and spirit.” Three glowing glyphs with the runes for each aspect appeared in a triangle around the figure. “But it is the nature of the magic in question that determines what role the aspects play.”

“Fundamentally, the flame is magic born of the body.” The figure began to move, and as it did, the flame responded, flowing and twisting as the figure danced. “The flame springs from the body, and it is through the motions of the body that the flame is refined and directed to become magic.”

As Sunset watched, she saw the flame begin to shrink and weaken.

“And like all fires, the flame must be fed,” Queen Celestia said as the flames within the figure continued to dim.

“To feed the flame, it must be given the power of the mind in the form of emotion.” As Celestia spoke, glittering, crystalline sparks fell into the flame, causing it to burn brighter and brighter, spreading out of control and threatening to consume the figure. “When the flame consumes the power of the mind, it is able to be shaped into raw magic, and from that raw magic, the power of the sun can be harnessed, shaped and controlled. And it is the emotions fed into the flame that determine the nature of the magic it will make.

“Yet flame is greedy, and seeks to burn beyond its boundaries.” The flame within the figure continued to burn out of control. “If left unchecked, it will grow out of control and consume everything it can.

“But, as the flame is of the body, it can be contained by the power of the spirit. It is through your will, the core of the spirit, that the flame is held in place and shaped to your desire.” As the figure continued to dance, the flame was enveloped in a glowing, emerald shell, which contained it and brought it under control. The flame fought against its prison, but the shell held firm.

Sunset watched as the figure danced, the flame beginning to burn brighter and brighter as it was fed more blue “emotional dust”, yet was held in place by the power of the figure’s will.

“My queen, may I ask a question?” Sunset asked with trepidation to the white void.

“Of course, Sunset. What do you wish to know?”

Nervously, Sunset fidgeted in place, before finding her courage.

“From what I’ve read, those of us who wield the flame have always danced to cast our magic. But why?” Sunset asked. “If motion, feelings and will is all that’s needed, why dance? Why not make spells that simply use gestures?”

Sunset felt a strange, warm sensation flood the white void and settle over her heart like a blanket. In some ways, it reminded her of how she felt when Tender Heart would smile at her for doing a good job around the house, or when Bronze would compliment her on a particularly well-made piece of metalwork.

“Not many would ask such a thing, Sunset,” the queen’s voice said warmly. “Let me answer your question with a question: is there a difference between aimlessly pounding on a piece of metal and using proper technique to form it into something?”

Sunset opened her mouth to reply, but paused before she could, and stopped to think about the question.

“Well, yes. One actually makes something, while one is just pointless flailing,” Sunset said, her voice unsure.

”And that, right there, is why you dance to summon your flame. A dance provides structure and flow, rhythm and cadence, while acting as a means to focus your thoughts and intentions. It isn’t just about the motion, it is about the intent, and the way that intent manifests.

“In a lot of ways, it is similar to how one shapes metal while smithing. There is a rhythm to the process. A pattern. There are different hammer strokes. Different tools. But the intent is the core. Without the pattern, the heating, striking, refining and tempering, the metal will not be properly shaped, or hold its form right. Without the intent of the smith, all you are doing is mindlessly pounding on metal without any idea of what you are trying to make, or why. It is the same with the flame.”

Sunset pondered that for a few moments. She wasn’t sure if she actually understood the queen’s explanation but decided to not press the issue… yet.

“Do you have any other questions, Sunset?”

“Just one: from the legends I’ve read, the tribes embody the three aspects of life. Earth-weavers are the body, sky-runners the spirit, and fire-callers the mind. Does that mean that earth-weavers are better at shaping flame, because they’re the aspect of the body?”

Sunset was again touched by the strange, proud sensation.

“No, dear Sunset, they are not. Although you are right that the earth-weavers are the bodily aspect of the sun-gazers, no tribe of sun-gazers are inherently better at harnessing flame than another. Just as an individual body can be weak, and a mind can be strong, it is the individual’s flame, the quality of their minds, bodies and spirits, and their skill at spell-dancing that determines the power they wield. A sun-gazer with a weak flame that puts in the work to learn to spell-dance may never be able to wield as much flame as one with a larger or purer one, but they could be a better spell-dancer if the one with the greater flame doesn’t put in the effort to learn.”

There was a pause as the figure divided itself back into the avatars of the three tribes.

“But, that does not mean that the flame doesn’t manifest itself in different ways among the tribes. Tell me, do you know how the three tribes wield their magic?”

Sunset considered what was being asked of her for a moment. What did she know of the magic of the three tribes? Outside that of fire-callers, she only knew what she had learned from her sisters and through watching the adults of Golden Tree.

But, the queen had asked her a question, so she had to answer.

“I… know a little,” Sunset finally admitted.

“Then, tell me.”

“For earth-weavers, they use their flames to make plants grow, coax forth and shape rock from the earth itself, and help heal others. Sky-runners can control the weather, fly, walk on and shape clouds. And fire-callers can use their power to actively generate magic to enchant things, or summon elemental energy and light, as well as power runes.”

There was another pause, during which the three figures spread out and formed a triangle around Sunset.

“In the broadest sense, you are right. But, there is more to it than that. The flame enhances all aspects of the tribe that bears it in accordance with said aspect. Spell-dances are merely the most obvious, outward sign of the magic empowered by the flame. For the earth-weavers” –the figure of the earth-weaver stepped forward– “because they represent the body, the magic generated by their flame enhances and fortifies that which is aligned with the body. At its core, it lets them harness their flame to bring forth that which comes from the earth, the body of the world, as well as enhance those things that are of the body, be that body the earth, or that of their own physical form.”

Sunset thought about what the queen had said as the earth-weaver stepped back. She’d always wondered why Applejack and Pinkie were so much stronger than her, even with the physical strength she needed to work the forge. She’d known that it had something to do with their magic, but if the flame was passively enhancing their bodies…

Sunset was jarred out of her thoughts as the sky-runner stepped forward.

“For the sky-runners, the magic generated by the flame enhances that which is aligned with the spirit. Unlike the body, which seeks to be grounded and solid, the spirit seeks open places and wants to soar. And thus, sky-runners are able to fly, use their flame to move at great speed, enhance their senses, be at one with the air and the weather, and summon them to their aid when needed. Were it not for the flame, a sky-runner wouldn’t be able to soar as easily as they do, nor would they have the affinity for the heavens.”

Once again, Sunset considered what she’d been told. The sky-runner stepped back, and the fire-caller stepped forward.

“And last but not least, as the aspect of the mind, the flame of your former tribe manifests itself through the power of creativity and thought. The flame augments the mind of the fire-callers, giving them great intellect and problem solving capacity, and opens them to perceive the magic of the world, as well as use it to use their creativity to shape the world around them. By using the flame, a fire-caller can use the power of the flame to reshape aspects of the world with their mind, call on the elements, infuse objects with magic to augment them and command light.”

“I… think I understand,” Sunset said uncertainly.

“I would say that you are starting to,” Queen Celestia said with an encouraging tone. As she spoke, the three figures began to merge into one, while a new figure, that of a phoenix, appeared.

“And now, we come to the crux of the lesson: the phoenix-born.”

Sunset watched intently as strands of light intertwined themselves between the two figures. In the back of her mind, she could feel Philomena’s interest grow.

“As a phoenix-born, you are the sum of all the aspects: mind, body and spirit. But you are also so much more than that. You are the unity of harmony and the first beings born of fire.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide at that. Through their bond, she could feel Philomena’s surprise as well. Nothing in her studies had told her anything like that.

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.

“When my mother created the world, the first beings born of fire were the phoenixes. And of the phoenixes, my beloved Lumina was the first. Through Lumina, the fire sprang. And from the bond between you and Philomena, her daughter, you are touched by that first fire.”

Sunset’s head was ringing with the weight of those revelations. Lumina was the wielder of the first fire? How could something like that have been left out of the legends?

“As the unity of the first fire and the light that is the flame,” Queen Celestia continued, “a phoenix-born is granted both the magic of the harmonious-ones, and of phoenix fire. Sunset, just as you are touched by Philomena’s fire, Philomena, you are touched by Sunset’s flame. The power of the fire and flame now exists within you, making you more than an unjoined phoenix.”

Before Sunset’s eyes, the phoenix-born and phoenix took on a distinct appearance. Sunset felt herself tremble a little as the former metamorphosed into a beautiful woman with cyan eyes, light amber skin, and crimson- and yellow-streaked flames for hair dressed in a simple yet elegant white gown, while the latter became an elegant, flame-colored bird with regal plumes on her head and glowing yellow eyes. After a moment, Sunset and Philomena realized what they were looking at: it was a vision of themselves as adults.

Is that really us? Sunset sent as she looked at the vision of her future before her.

I… I think so. You’re beautiful, Sunset.

So are you, Mena. Fire and light, so are you.

As the two of them stared, the vision glowed brightly and divided itself into four motes of light, which drifted to form a tetrahedron around Sunset, with one point floating directly above her. The motes soon expanded and took form again. The one directly above Sunset took the form of Philomena as she was now: a tiny chick. The motes surrounding her also took on new forms. Looking over her right shoulder, she saw the form of herself as a fire-caller that looked like an older teenager. To her front, the mote took the form of her as a sky-runner, though unlike her fire-caller self, she was younger, appearing as Sunset currently was, just past her first decade of life. Looking over her left shoulder, she saw the final mote take the shape of an earth-weaver version of herself, this one probably no more than two or three years old. Each was connected to the vision of Philomena and each other by a thin strand of golden light.

“What… is this?” Sunset asked as she slowly turned, looking at each of the figures in turn trying to understand what she was seeing.

“These represent how the both of you are at this moment, Sunset,” Queen Celestia said. “Or rather, they are your current potential for the magic of each tribe. As you were originally a fire-caller, you have the greatest potential for their magic, while your capacity for the others is weaker. Because you are imbalanced, you will not be able to call on the flame to actively use your magic. Only once all four aspects of your being are brought into balance will you be able to actively summon your flame through your spell-dances. This is the first stage of your training: achieving the balance needed to actively bring forth your flame. Once harmony has been restored within you, you will be able to begin using your flame to create your own spell-dances. Spell-dances that will be yours and yours alone.”

All four of the forms transformed into sculptures made of red sand which slowly disintegrated and blew away on an unseen wind, leaving Sunset alone in the white void.

“But… I know how to spell-dance,” Sunset said under her breath.

“That is true, Sunset,” Queen Celestia said warmly, shocking Sunset out of her melancholy. She hadn’t expected the queen to hear her. A few moments later, she kicked herself. How could she have forgotten that the queen had created this place? Of course she would hear her. “But, it is not a matter of your skill, it is a matter of your flame. The spell-dances you know are spell-dances meant for fire-callers. You are no longer a fire-caller. You are a phoenix-born. Just as you could not perform the spell-dances of an earth-weaver or a sky-runner before your ascension, you are no longer a fire-caller, so the magic of fire-callers will not work for you.”

“But, I thought I had the flame of a fire-caller,” Sunset protested. “Shouldn’t I still be able to use fire-caller magic?”

“There is a difference between being able to use the magic of a fire-caller and being a fire-caller. As a phoenix-born, you can create the effects of all three tribe’s magic, but it is not strictly the magic of the tribe. It is phoenix-born magic. To again go back to our metal-smithing metaphor, as a fire-caller you had access to one set of smithing tools, but could not use the tools for earth-weavers or sky-runners and therefore you could only make certain things. Now, as a phoenix-born, you have access to tools that are like the ones used by the others, plus new ones that are only available to you because of the phoenix fire you now carry. But, even if you chose to use the tools that are like the ones a fire-caller uses to make things that resemble what you would make with fire-caller tools, they are not fire-caller tools, and you must account for the presence of the other tools, and incorporate them into the process.”

Sunset, what’s she talking about? Philomena sent.

I’m not entirely sure, but that’s pretty much what Raven and Roseluck were saying: I’m going to have to learn everything all over again… from scratch. Joy…

Well… it could be worse?

Yea, we could be learning from Steel Sentry instead.

Let's not go there, okay?

“For the time being,” Queen Celestia continued, drawing Sunset out of her silent conversation, “we will focus on creating the symmetry within your flame. Once you are in harmony within yourself, I will begin your instruction into developing your spell-dances.”

Silence filled the void for a few moments as Sunset considered what the queen had said.

“I believe that will be enough for today, Sunset. After you have had a chance to refresh yourself and collect Philomena, I would like you to go to the Cathedral of the Sun’s library and ask the librarian for the first volume of my treatise on the foundations of rune-craft and enchantment. While it will be some time before you will be able to power them as you once did, it will be beneficial for you to begin to learn the true foundations of the craft.”

No sooner did the queen’s voice fade than the void began to swirl and split apart into long ribbons, revealing one of the large, marble chambers in Queen Celestia’s castle behind the featureless lines that made up their form. As the ribbons withdrew, Sunset found herself slowly floating downward as she gently landed in the upturned palm of Queen Celestia’s right hand. Looking up, Sunset stared into the gargantuan face of the queen smiling down at her pleasantly. Looking away so as not to stare, she saw Queen Celestia holding her left hand in the air above the hand Sunset was standing in, the white ribbons flowing into the massive, downturned palm.

Gently, Queen Celestia lowered her hand to the side of a raised marble platform at the center of the room. Once the edge of the queen’s hand was flush with the stone surface, Sunset slowly crawled off of the appendage. Now back on solid ground, Sunset turned to face the queen.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she curtsied deeply to the queen.

“You are welcome, Sunset,” the queen said as she rose to her full, imposing height. “I will see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she curtsied again, before turning from the queen and walking towards a waiting sky-car at the other end of the platform, where a pair of sun-touched were standing. As she approached, they opened the doors to the wooden carriage. Once she had entered and gotten seated, they followed, sitting opposite her.

You’re done? Philomena sent.

Looks like. But, don’t get excited, because after I come get you, we’re heading to the library. Sunset sent, before nervously looking at the sun-touched. “Once we’re out of the castle, can you take me to Lumina’s forest? I need to get Philomena.”

In response, the sun-touched nodded then bowed to her.

Okay. So… you said something about snuggles and kisses… you’re going to follow through on that threat, right? Philomena sent with a hopeful tone.

Chuckling to herself, Sunset found the edges of her lips curling upward into a slight smile.

Well, I did say they were for you, so I guess so. Get ready for the snuggling of your life, Mena, because I’m coming for you!

Noooo, please, not the snuggles. Anything but the snuggles, Philomena sent with obviously mock distress.

Even sitting through magic lessons with me?

…almost anything but the snuggles!

*****

Sunset exhaustedly rubbed her eyes with her hand and let out a groan as her escorts pushed open the main door of the Cathedral of the Sun’s library, the beginning of a headache starting to manifest itself behind her eyes and at the base of her skull. She was vaguely aware of a pair of sun-touched leading her to her suite, but she was too mentally spent to really notice their presence.

After a quick meal and visit to Lumina’s aerie on the slopes of Mt. Liakeed to collect Philomena, the two of them had spent most of the day in the cathedral’s vast collection of books.

When Sunset had first arrived, she’d been left speechless at the scale of the thing. Shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books as far as the eye could see, eclipsing the Golden Tree orphanage’s library by several orders of magnitude. And from what she’d been able to tell, this was only a fraction of the whole collection. From her resting spot in Sunset’s sling, Philomena had gently ribbed her over her reaction to the archive, which had earned her a gentle poke on the head.

Upon entering the library, Sunset was greeted by a single sun-touched who approached her and bowed before gesturing towards the stacks and tilting her head quizzically. Understanding that she was being asked what she was here for, Sunset told them that she was here at Queen Celestia’s request to start reading her treatise on runes. Nodding, the sun-touched gestured for her to follow as they headed into the archive.

After being led through the maze of bookshelves, Sunset and Philomena sequestered themselves in a secluded reading nook. On one side of the alcove was a large desk the appropriate size for someone her age, while on the other side there was a reading sofa of similar scale. Gesturing to the sofa, the sun-touched turned away and left, leaving Sunset and Philomena alone. Not sure what else to do, Sunset took a seat on the sofa to wait. After only a brief time, her escort returned with a large, wood-bound tome bearing Queen Celestia’s personal sunburst. Handing Sunset the book, the sun-touched gestured to the desk, before walking over and pulling a cloth-bound book, an inkwell, and a dip-pen from within the depths of their robes.

Approaching the desk, Sunset examined the cloth-bound book curiously, noting that it was full of blank pages. After asking if this was for her to take notes in, and receiving a nod from the librarian, Sunset thanked them and took her seat, before carefully extracting Philomena and her pillow from the sling and setting both of them on the table. Yawning, Philomena snuggled down into the cushion and began to doze off. Giving the baby phoenix an affectionate chin scratch as she fell asleep, Sunset quietly opened the tome and began her study session.

And so, after filling the first dozen or so pages of her notebook and feeling the onset of a study overload-induced headache, Sunset decided that she’d had enough. Blearily rising to her feet, Sunset gently moved a still-sleeping Philomena and her pillow back into their sling, grabbed her notebook and the tome, then made for the door. The moment she stepped out into the hallway, she had to suppress a startled yelp: right outside the door was the librarian, waiting with their hands clasped and arms hanging down in front.

You okay there, Sunny? Something wrong? Philomena sent as she groggily adjusted herself in the sling.

Nothing’s wrong. Just got a bit spooked by the librarian showing up out of nowhere, Sunset sent as she cursed herself for waking her partner.

Oh, okay, Philomena sent as she snuggled back into her pillow.

Sighing, Sunset felt the librarian’s presence approaching. Looking to the sun-touched, she saw them stand as though waiting for something.

“What?” Sunset asked tersely.

In response, the sun-touched simply pointed at the book in Sunset’s possession, then gestured for her to hand it over. Shifting her attention to the volume, Sunset nodded, and handed the precious volume over with a low grumble of irritation. One the librarian had the book, they snapped their fingers, summoning another pair of sun-touched, who approached Sunset and bowed. When Sunset returned her attention to where the librarian had been standing, she saw that they’d vanished, presumably to return the book to wherever it was kept.

Her frown deepening, Sunset gave one last glare in the direction she presumed the librarian had gone, before looking at her new escorts. Sighing and running her hand through her living flame, Sunset said, “Can you please take me to my room? I need to lay down.”

Bowing again, the sun-touched turned and began to walk towards what Sunset presumed was the exit. She found herself automatically following the two robed individuals, her mind drifting off as she walked.

You’re brooding, aren’t you?

Sighing, Sunset gently reached into the sling and petted Philomena’s head.

A bit. That book the queen had me reading gave me a lot to think about, Sunset sent with a tired sigh.

In a good way, I hope.

Depends on what you mean by “good.” I’ve been studying rune inscriptions for years, Mena. Years! I knew I had a lot to learn, but I thought I understood the fundamental theory well enough.

I’m going to assume that from the way you just said that, you don’t think that anymore?

No, Mena, I don’t.

How bad?

Well, to put it simply, pretty much everything that I’ve learned about runes amounts to the clumsy flailing of a half-blind baby. It's fascinating, and enlightening, and answers at least a dozen questions I’ve always had about how even the most basic tier one runes actually work, but it’s a lot to take in all at once.

Sunset could feel Philomena smugness at her through their bond.

What is it, fluff-ball?

I hear you complaining, but I can tell you’re loving this, Philomena sent with a lilt.

Sunset didn’t give Philomena the satisfaction of telling her she was right. Instead, she shifted her hand to affectionately scratch the spot just under Philomena’s chin.

You’re not denying it, Sunbutt, Philomena sent as she leaned into Sunset’s fingers. You were enjoying yourself, weren’t you?

…fine, Sunset huffed in annoyance that her distraction didn't work. I kinda was. It's nice to actually have some answers to the questions about runecraft that've always bugged me. Doesn’t change the fact that I’ve got a headache and want to pry my skull open to let off some of the pressure.

Sunset felt Philomena blanche at the mental image

Let’s not do that, okay? I don’t think exposing the inside of your head to the outside is a good idea.

No kidding? Well, so much for that idea. Guess we’ll just have to lay down and groan into a pillow.

If it makes you feel better.

It might, Sunset sent with a sigh.

“Hey, Sunset!” a familiar pair of voices called, pulling Sunset out of her brooding. Snapping out of her trance, she looked up and saw that they were only a few corridors away from the sky-rail platform that would have taken her back to her suite.

But what really caught her attention were the four figures standing near the platform’s entrance. Of them, the most obvious were Archduchess Roseluck and Amara, the former in a fairly simple red, four-tiered, flounced, ankle length dress and pink blouse with green belt-sash, with the latter perched on a leather pauldron on her partner’s right shoulder.

Yet the figures standing beside the archduchess were far more important in Sunset's eyes. There, next to the archduchess, were Daisy and Lily, both of them now in golden and white blouses and forest green, calf-length skirts. Both of the younger girls had looks of barely contained excitement in their eyes as they stared at Sunset.

Sunset was stunned. She hadn’t seen either of her friends since the ascension almost two weeks ago, and was afraid that they’d already left. Seeing them here though, she felt the fatigue of the day lift slightly as she returned their happy smiles and quickly walked towards them, barely aware of the sun-touched staying at her side as she did.

“Daisy! Lily!” Sunset cried as she approached, her heart racing with joy as both of the girls in question came towards her as quickly as decorum would allow. A few moments later, they met. Once within reach, both Lily and Daisy curtsied to her.

“Bright day to you, Archduchess Sunset Shimmer,” both Easterners said with a playful tone.

“Oh, come on, don’t do that,” Sunset said as she held out her hands, which Lily and Daisy took and squeezed affectionately. “I’m not an archduchess. Just plain, simple Sunset Shimmer.”

“Yup, plain, simple ol’ Sunset Shimmer, apprentice blacksmith and overachiever extraordinaire,” Lily said with a playful grin.

“Nope, nothing special about her at all. Although…” Daisy said as she let go of Sunset’s hand and squinted at Sunset while rubbing her chin as if in deep thought, “there’s something different about you. But I can’t quite put it to words. Are you doing something new with your hair?”

“Now that you mention it,” Lily chimed in without missing a beat, “there is something different. But I just can’t quite place it…”

Chuckling and rolling her eyes, Sunset’s smile grew wider.

“Oh, give it a rest you two,” Sunset said with a shake of her head.

“We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lily said as she affectionately grasped Sunset’s right shoulder and squeezed it warmly. “All joking aside, it’s good to see you, Sunset.”

“Yea,” Daisy chirped as she bounced on her heels, before a sheepish look worked its way onto her face. “Um, Sunset, I don’t know if this is inappropriate, but is Philomena in that sling?”

Glancing down, Sunset smiled warmly as she felt Philomena shift a little.

“Yea, she is,” Sunset said.

Both Lily and Daisy’s eyes lit up.

“Would… would it be okay with her if we saw her?” Lily asked.

“Please, Sunset,” Daisy pleaded. “Archduchess Roseluck says she’s really, really cute.”

Shaking her head, Sunset opened her bond with Philomena as she chuckled a little.

Well, Mena, you want to come out and meet my friends? Sunset sent.

Sunset felt her partner smouldering on the question for a moment.

Eh, sure, why not.

“Sure, she’s fine with it,” Sunset said as she squatted down to set her notebook on the floor, before carefully extracting Philomena from the sling, cupping her hands to provide the little phoenix with as safe a platform as possible. Then, rising to her feet, she held Philomena up for Daisy and Lily to see. Both girls stared at the chick for a few moments before squealing with delight and pressing their hands to their cheeks.

“Oh! By the sun, she’s so cute!” Daisy squeed as she bent forward to get a closer look at Philomena. “I just want to cuddle her.”

“She’s so tiny and fluffy,” Lily said enthusiastically as a huge smile spread across her face. “Look at you, you adorable little treasure. You’re just too cute for words.”

Um… Sunset, are they alright? Philomena sent as she scooted back a little in Sunset’s hands, her concern touching Sunset through their bond. I didn’t understand a word of that, and they’re kinda creeping me out.

They’re fine. They’re just gushing over the cuteness that is you, fluff-ball.

Well, I am cute, Philomena sent as she swelled with pride at Sunset’s friends gushing, puffing out her chest and raising her head imperiously, prompting both of the earth-weavers to squeal again at the adorable display.

“What, no hello for me?” Sunset heard Roseluck say. Looking away from Daisy and Lily, Sunset saw the archduchess had arrived as well and was standing just a little ways back from the four of them.

“Of course. Hello, Roseluck, Amara. It’s good to see you two,” Sunset said to the elder phoenix-born and her partner with a warm smile as she drew her arms back in to cradle Philomena against her chest, much to her friends’ disappointment.

“That’s better,” Roseluck said, though her tone was playful. “So, how was your first day of training with the queen?”

Sunset’s smile deflated a little.

“Overwhelming. And exhausting,” Sunset said with a tired sigh as she gently pet Philomena’s head.

“Well, from what these two, as well as Raven and Dylis have told me, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it,” Roseluck said warmly, to which both Lily and Daisy nodded enthusiastically.

“Thank you,” Sunset said with a shy smile as her face flushed with embarrassment, before a thought entered her head. “Um… not that I’m not happy to see you four, but what are you doing here? I thought you were heading back to Rose’s Blossom.”

A mischievous smile spread across Roseluck’s face as she tilted her head to the side, placed a finger on her cheek and looked up as though deep in thought.

“That was the plan, but I figured it would probably be a good idea to stay a little longer. I remember how lonely it was after my ascension, so I figured you could use some company until you settled in,” Roseluck said as she leaned down and put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Though, if you were wondering what we were doing here specifically, we were hoping to run into you before you got on the sky-rail.”

Sunset’s face twisted in confusion as she regarded Roseluck.

“Is that true?” Sunset asked as she looked at Daisy and Lily.

“Yup! / That’s right.”

“Why?”

“Because, I figured after whatever lessons Queen Celestia gave you, you’d need some relaxation and some friendly faces. So, I came to invite you to join us for an afternoon of pampering at my personal hot spring on Mt. Liakeed. Nothing makes your tension and worries melt away like a relaxing soak in enchanted mineral water straight from Queen Celestia’s sacred mountain.”

“Please, Sunset?” both Lily and Daisy said.

Looking at her friends, she was greeted with both of them looking at her with concerned, pleading expressions. Sunset was stunned for a moment, before sighing and looking down at Philomena.

What do you think?

You’re not putting the choice on me, Sunbutt. Do you want to go?

Well, yea.

Then say yes! Why is this even a discussion?

Sunset’s eyes briefly shot to her notebook.

Ah, right, that, Philomena sent with a huff. I’m sure it can wait. Or do you really just want to go back to our room and groan into a pillow?

Okay, fair point.

Looking back at the assembled Easterers, Sunset smiled.

“Okay, I’ll come,” she said with a nod. “I just need to drop off my notebook at my room first.”

“Wonderful,” Roseluck said with a happy clap and radiant smile, before reaching down and snatching up Sunset’s notebook before she could react. “But, no need for the latter.”

Extending her hand to one of the sun-touched by Sunset’s side, she said, “Please take this to Sunset’s suite and put it someplace safe where she can easily find it.”

Sunset was about to protest, but Roseluck silenced her by placing a finger on her lips.

“Shh. Your notebook’s fine and will be there waiting for you when we get done. Right now, you don’t need that. You need a hot, relaxing bath, good company, some delicious food, fragrant herbal tea and to not be thinking about your lessons with the queen. Sometimes, you need to relax. This is one of those times, okay?”

Sunset’s face scrunched up a little in annoyance, but from the look on Roseluck’s face, she knew it was pointless to argue.

“Fine,” she finally said.

“Good good,” Roseluck chirped happily before clapping her hands twice. “Now, come along. We have a date with relaxation, berry tarts, and tea, and it never does to keep any of those waiting.”

With a bemused chuckle, Sunset began to follow Roseluck towards the sky-car while gently putting Philomena back into her sling, both Lily and Daisy close behind. Glancing back at her friends, Sunset smiled to herself. Maybe a relaxing visit to the spring and some time with her friends was what she needed.

*****

With a gentle jolt and the sound of a locking brace engaging, Sunset rose to her feet. After a short sky-rail ride to the roof of the Cathedral of the Sun, Roseluck had ushered them into a small wooden gondola. Once seated, Sunset heard the sound of wyvern wings descend and, with a creak of the gondola’s wood that Sunset knew was from the draconic beast grabbing the bar at the top of the conveyance, lifted them into the air and up towards the slopes of Celestia’s sacred mountain.

Sunset wasn’t sure how long they were in the air or how far they’d traveled, but by the time they’d landed, she could only see a fraction of Queen Celestia’s castle jutting above the line of the mountain’s slopes. From the position of the sun in the sky and the shadows covering the landscape, she realized they had to be on the east face of Mt. Liakeed.

Exiting the gondola after Roseluck, Sunset took a moment to take in the plateau before her. Covered in lush, vibrant vegetation and trees, Sunset realized that she didn’t recognize any of the plants before her. In addition to the foreign plants, there were dozens of small will-o-wisps floating in the air throughout the landing area, bathing everything in soft, enchanted light. She didn’t have much time to consider what she was seeing as Roseluck began to briskly walk towards the edge of the landing platform and down a short flight of stairs that led to a flagstone trail leading into the woodland. Not wanting to be left behind, the three girls jogged to keep up.

After a few minutes of walking through the will-o-wisp-lit woodland, they emerged into a clearing in the trees. Stretching out before them were numerous waterfalls cascading down a series of tiered pools, all of which were crusted in white minerals and releasing hot steam into the cool mountain air. Between the pools were swaths of grass interspersed with beds of wildflowers and tall, bushy juniper and maple trees. On the edge of the clearing nearest the mountain, Sunset saw a large structure that resembled a steep-roofed house. Yet it appeared to be formed not from cut logs or brick and stone but from half a dozen trees that had been shaped into a living building, their branches spreading out above the structure to provide it shelter and shade.

And, as with almost everyplace she’d been within the Core, there were a half-dozen sun-touched waiting for them. Though, unlike the ones back at the cathedral, these sun-touched were not dressed in long robes, instead wearing light-rose-colored tunics, deep green pants, red hoods with wooden masks carved to resemble roses.

“And here we are!” Roseluck declared cheerfully as Amara took to the air and landed in a nearby cedar. “Come on, girls, we need to get changed. Once you’re in your bathing attire, we can get comfortable.”

With that, Roseluck led them towards the building. As they entered, they headed down a side corridor lined with doors. Doors that they discovered led to changing rooms as Roseluck ushered each of them into one. Once inside, Sunset found the bathing attire that Roseluck had mentioned, such as it was. The outfit consisted of a long strap of red cloth wide enough to be tied around her torso to cover her chest, a pair of short red trunks, and a small towel.

After carefully removing Philomena from her sling and setting her on the changing bench, Sunset began to get changed into the provided outfit. It took several tries and some mild ribbing from Philomena to get the top tied on right, but once it was done, and she’d slipped on the trunks, Sunset emerged from the changing room to find Roseluck and her friends waiting for her. As they exited the building, Roseluck led them to one of the larger pools, one with several smaller, shallow sub-pools next to it at the top of a small set of steps. To Sunset’s surprise, Amara was already lying in one of the pools, her eyes closed and a look of contentment on her face.

“Sunset,” Roseluck said as they approached the pool, “Amara would like Philomena to join her.”

At the request, Sunset froze and looked down at Philomena, concern working its way across her face.

“Sunset, it’s okay. Amara won’t let anything happen to her,” Roseluck said as she smiled reassuringly. “I swear.”

Still unsure, Sunset opened her bond with Philomena.

You okay with that, Mena? Sunset sent as she watched Roseluck slowly step into the pool and lower herself into the water. Want to spend some quality time with your big sis?

That sounds nice, Philomena sent enthusiastically as she looked over at her sister.

Okay.

Looking to Roseluck and nodding, Sunset slowly walked to the pool where Amara was resting, the older phoenix rising to her feet and wading to the edge. Once Sunset reached her, Amara pointed towards the shallow end with her beak.

“She wants you to put Philomena in the shallow water,” Roseluck said from behind.

“Right,” Sunset said as she walked around the edge of the pool, until she was at the spot Amara had indicated. “Here?” she asked, to which she got a nod from the older phoenix. “Please take care of her, Amara.”

Receiving another nod from Amara, Sunset gently placed Philomena into the water, the warm liquid barely coming up to the middle of her breast. Philomena looked up at her, sending gentle reassurances through their bond that she’d be okay. As she did, Amara gave Sunset an approving look and waded over to her sister. Settling back down next to Philomena, Amara lowered her head and began to gently preen her little sister, filling the air with the beautiful sound of the baby phoenix's happy trilling.

Smiling at the sight, Sunset joined Roseluck and her friends in the pool. Stepping into the water and slowly lowering herself in, Sunset let out a happy sigh as she lay back and let the heat relax her in ways she didn’t know she could relax.

“You were right,” Sunset said airily, “this is great.”

“Isn’t it just?” Rosleuck beamed happily. “We’ve got a lot of hot springs like these near Rose’s Blossom, so when I learned that there were a few on Mt. Liakeed, I asked the queen if I could have one for myself.”

“I’m glad you did. I just hope that this time doesn’t end with you tarting me up like some sort of doll.”

“Oh come on, Sunset, you looked so cute in that outfit,” Roseluck tittered, with Lily and Daisy joining in. “It’s just a shame neither of your friends got to see it.”

“No, it isn’t,” Sunset said in a grumpy tone. “Give me simple, practical clothes or something made of leather any day over frills and lace, thank you very much.”

“If you say so,” Roseluck replied with a mock pout. “I still think you should let yourself dress nicely every so often. You’re far too pretty to let it go to waste like that.”

“Yea, no, just no. Being rough and tumble suits me more than delicate and frilly,” Sunset said as she sank a bit deeper into the water. “And I’m not pretty. You three are pretty. I’m coarse, and I like it that way.”

“You’re not giving yourself enough credit, Sunset.” Roseluck said with a touch of concern.

“I’m with Roseluck,” Daisy chimed in. “Just because you like being ‘rough and tumble’ doesn’t mean you’re not pretty. You are.”

“Yea,” Lily chimed in. “You’re like a desert tilliana. Sure, you're tough and prickly, but you’re still beautiful.”

“Maybe,” Sunset said, not willing to let on how touched she was by their reassurances, “but that doesn’t mean I want to wear frills and lace.”

“Give it time,” Roseluck said conspiratorially.

After that, the four of them fell into relaxed silence as they lay back in the spring. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back onto the grassy bank, Sunset let the hot water work its magic as she felt her fatigue melting away.

Sunset wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but at some point the quiet was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching from the direction of the living building.

“Ah, thank you,” Roseluck said from somewhere off to the side. Sunset didn’t bother to open her eyes to see who it was. She was too transfixed by the blissful warmth of the spring.

A few moments later Sunset felt the water shift a little from someone moving around.

“Sunset, the tea and treats are here,” Roseluck said. “Come join us.”

Opening an eye, Sunset saw Roseluck, Daisy and Lily all gathered around a tray floating on the water’s surface. On top of it were four tall mugs of fragrant tea, a plate of small fruit tarts, several candied rose petals, and a bowl of some sort of elongate, obovate, purple-red berries that Sunset didn’t recognize.

Rising from her spot and wading over to the others, Sunset took one of the mugs of tea. Smelling it, she was greeted by a sweet, floral aroma with mild mint undertones. Taking a seat next to Roseluck, she took a sip of the tea, her senses filling with the sweet taste of the tea and the contradicting sensations of the hot liquid and cool mint. Sighing happily, Sunset closed her eyes as she took a longer, slower sip, the beverage somehow melting away even more of her stress.

“Looks like she likes it,” Daisy tittered.

“Guess she’s never had mountain blue-mint tea before,” Lily added.

“Oh, give me a break,” Sunset said in a mock-irritated tone. “Do I have to remind you that I’m from a small town in the Western Territory? And that I grew up in an orphanage? Fancy stuff like this was a little out of our price range, even during festivals.”

“Well, what did you drink most of the time?” Lily asked.

“Mostly plain water, or cider from Sweet Apple Acres. Wish I’d brought a barrel back with me. The tea’s nice, but it can’t hold a candle to my oath-sister’s best hot spiced cider,” Sunset said wistfully.

At the thought of AJ’s cider, Sunset’s mind began to wander back to last year’s Summer Solstice festival. Watching Rainbow competing with the other sky-runner kids in the relay race around town. Helping Bronze at their stand. Just barely losing to AJ in the pie-eating contest. Laughing at Pinkie’s comedy routine with her sister Maud. Playing the festival games with her oath-sisters. Participating in the Spiral Dance with everyone around the festival’s bonfire as the dusk approached, before heading home with Tender Heart and everyone from the orphanage once the sun’s light faded.

Those had been happy times.

But with the memories came an unpleasant reminder. That was the last Summer Solstice festival she’d attend in Golden Tree for years. And by the time she went home, would it be the same? Would Golden Tree be the same? Would it even still be her home?

Sunset felt a sudden wet line trace down her cheek as a low sob escaped her throat.

“Sunset?” Daisy said. “Sunset, what’s wrong?”

Inhaling deeply, Sunset reached up a hand and felt her face. As she felt the wetness, she realized that she was crying.

“Sunset, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Lily said.

The tears were flowing freely now as another sob broke free of her throat. Setting the mug on the bank, Sunset drew her legs up and hugged them to her chest before burying her face between her knees.

“It’s not anything you said, Lily,” Sunset mumbled. “I'm just… thinking about Golden Tree, my oath-sisters and everything.”

Sniffling, Sunset hugged her legs tighter as she tried to get her emotions under control. But try as she might, thoughts of her oath-sisters began to invade her mind. Of everyone back in Golden Tree.

“I miss Golden Tree. I miss my family,” Sunset said with a heavy sob. “I… I just want to go home.”

Hearing the sound of splashing and feeling a slight wave in the water, Sunset looked up to see Daisy had joined Lily by her side.

“Sunset, would you be okay with me giving you a hug?” Daisy asked as she drew closer, worry overflowing from her eyes.

Sunset didn’t reply with words. Instead, she simply nodded, and soon found herself wrapped in Daisy’s arms. The sensation of being held so gently and so lovingly was too much, and Sunset’s carefully crafted defenses crumbled into pained sobs as all of the stress and loneliness finally broke free. She was only peripherally aware of Daisy’s warm hug and the sensations of concern and love being sent to her through her bond with Philomena.

“I want to go home,” Sunset sobbed as Daisy held her. “I just want to go home to my family and my sisters.”

Another pair of arms wrapped around her.

“I’m sorry, Sunset,” she heard Lily say. “I wish I knew what to say to make it better.”

Sunset didn’t respond, just continued to cry as she was held by her friends. Then, to her surprise, a third pair of much larger arms wrapped themselves around her.

“It’s okay, Sunset. Let it out,” Roseluck said calmingly. “Don’t hold it in. Just let it out.”

Somehow, Roseluck’s words caused the dam to fully break, and she broke down into full-blown bawling as she clung to the others as the unexpected, overwhelming emotions poured out of her. After a few minutes, the tears subsided and she found herself calming down. With one final sniffle, she hiccuped a watery, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Daisy said as she gave Sunset a reassuring squeeze.

“Hey, we’re chat-lecti,” Lily said as she rubbed Sunset’s back. “You’d do it for us too.”

Sunset could only nod weakly.

“Sunset,” Roseluck said as she let go of her hug and rubbed Sunset’s back, “I know what you’re feeling, so I just want you to know that if you ever need to talk about it, you can talk to me.”

Turning her head away, Sunset muttered, “How can you know what I’m feeling right now?”

To Sunset’s surprise, a gentle finger slowly lifted her chin and turned her head to look Roseluck in the eyes. Kind, compassionate green stared into pained teal as a gentle, warm smile touched the elder phoenix-born’s lips.

“Because, Sunset, I went through the same thing,” Roseluck said. “We’re not like the others. Steel and Spitfire are from Heliopolis, and Raven… she’s lost more than either of us could ever understand. Me… I was uprooted from my home and family, just like you’ve been. So, yes, I do understand what you’re feeling, because I felt it too, six hundred years ago.”

Sunset sniffed as fresh tears threatened to break free.

“How did you make it through?” Sunset asked.

Roseluck sighed at that, and her eyes became sad.

“It just takes time, Sunset. You’ll see your home again someday. I can’t promise it’ll be the same as when you left, but it will be there. And so will your sisters,” Roseluck said as she leaned down and pulled Sunset into a hug. “Hey, if a nervous wreck, crybaby like me could make it through, I’m sure you can too.”

That got a laugh out of Sunset.

“You… a crybaby? Really?” Sunset asked incredulously.

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Roseluck said. “I’d freak out at the littlest things, screaming about how horrible they were. I can’t even count the number of times Raven or Amara had to calm me down when I got worked up. But I made it through, and so will you.”

Hugging Roseluck a little tighter, Sunset felt her spirit begin to lift a little, and her loneliness dissipate just a bit.

Author's Note

Aaaaand, we're back! Updates are going to be sporadic for the foreseeable future, since now begins the big push for my field season, meaning I'm going to be away from my computer quite a lot. But, I'll try to get stuff written between driving all over the place and collecting for the project I'm working on.

Also, Gboyd honored me with something I never expected: the first piece of phoenix-born fan art! Please check it out and give it some love on DA: https://www.deviantart.com/2ndbetareadersms/art/WIN-20210317-00-07-34-Pro-873472576

Ch2 - The Trials - Forging the Metal

Sup Sunset!

Got your last letter. Obviously. Things are pretty quiet here without you. Such a shame I’m not allowed to encourage Pinkie to cause mayhem to spice it up, but I’ll manage. Oh who am I kidding, we’re going to cause trouble whether you give us permission or not Sunset. After all, you’re not here to stop us, so you don’t get to tell us what to do.

Besides, I bet you’re going to get a laugh when AJ writes you to complain about whatever we pull. I think Pinkie’s got something brewing, but I’m not going to say anything. Don’t want to ruin the surprise.

Not really much else to say. Things are getting back to normal around here, or as normal as they can get with you missing.

Look, I’m not good at this mushy stuff, so I’ll just say that it better not be years before we see you again. That Raven lady can’t keep you away from us forever, so you better find a way to come visit every so often (or get us into the core if that doesn’t work).

Love you sis. You better be taking care of yourself.

Rainbow Dash

Sunset was sitting on the balcony of her suite, a large mug of cooling tsujara in her hands and her eyes drifting out across the landscape of the Core. And to the sun that was slowly sinking below the western edge of the Corona’s massive wall. Even after a month of living in the Cathedral of the Sun, she wasn’t used to the unnatural sight of the perfectly flat, white horizon that the massive edifice created compared to the craggy, uneven one in Golden Tree.

Still, it was a beautiful sight: the sun’s fading light touching the forests, fields and rivers of the Core, the long shadows cast by the enormous marble statues and crystal spires that dotted the landscape creating a mosaic of sharply contrasting patches of light and dark. Even as the setting of the sun represented the end of the day and the beginning of the cursed night, there was a beauty to it. It was almost as if the holy orb were saying, “Here is my last gift to you until we meet again in the morning.”

With a sigh, Sunset downed the last of her beverage and rose from her seat.

It’d been two weeks since Roseluck had departed back to Rose’s Blossom, taking both Lily and Daisy with her. Though the archduchess had promised to try visiting every so often, she also had a territory to administer and two new assistants to train, which left Sunset and Philomena effectively alone in the cathedral. Raven only rarely came by, and most of her visits were to consult with the queen on “government matters,” leaving the royal seneschal little time to speak with Sunset. She suspected that would end as soon as they began her lessons on governance and law, but until that time, Raven was all but unreachable and distant. And thankfully, neither Steel nor Spitfire ever came to Mt. Liakeed, so she didn’t have to deal with them.

Then there were Queen Celestia and Lumina. Sunset never saw Queen Celestia outside of her lessons, and once those were finished, she was sent on her way to conduct her own research into whatever topic the queen had given her. While the queen was warm and maternal when delivering her daily lessons, there was also a nearly insurmountable rift between them, one that Sunset wasn’t ever sure she’d overcome. Conversely, while Queen Lumina doted over Philomena and acted warm and pleasant towards Sunset herself, she still intimidated her on a fundamental level. Even as approachable as Lumina felt at those rare moments when they interacted, Sunset didn’t know how to reach out to the phoenix queen and found herself at a loss whenever she was around her.

That left only the sun-touched and prominence knights, neither of whom were great conversationalists. Getting a word out of one of the sun-touched was like convincing a linnorm to give up a handful of dirt from their territory. And the prominence knights, while at least willing to talk to her, had pretty much nothing to say that weren’t respectful greetings or terse, simple responses to her attempts at conversation.

If it wasn’t for Philomena, she’d probably have gone completely stir-crazy.

Reaching a pair of large, glass double doors, Sunset pushed them open and re-entered her suite’s bedroom.

The room was, as she regarded it, unnecessarily large, and could have easily accommodated ten people instead of just her. The wall to her left was dominated by a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that was only broken up by a door that led to her private study. Most of the shelves were already filled with books that had been brought to her as part of her studies: tomes on smithing, runes, spell-dancing, history, and the Solarian legal codes. She hadn’t touched many of them yet. Her lessons so far had been solely on the slow, laborious process of recovering her ability to use her flame.

The wall behind her led to her balcony and bore not only the doors outside but a set of massive windows that gave her a clear view of the Core. Below the windows was a line of dressers and shelves, which included the clothes and effects she’d brought from Golden Tree, as well as the dozen or so outfits she’d been provided by the sun-touched.

To her right, the room was dominated by her massive, four-poster bed. Hanging from the tester was an elaborate basket, from which emanated the sound of Philomena’s soft snoring. The bed was flanked by a pair of doors that led to her closet and personal bathroom, while the far wall had a large sofa and the door that led to the rest of her suite.

Setting the mug on top of the dresser nearest the doors, Sunset made her way to one of the chests of drawers and tentatively pulled it open. The drawer, despite its size, was occupied by a single object: the box containing the hammer Bronze had given her. Opening the container, she gently retrieved the tool from its resting place, holding it in her hands and running her fingers across the head. The metal was cool and the edges smooth yet still carrying a touch of roughness. Hefting it, she could feel just how well balanced it was. And engraved on the sides were Bronze’s name… and hers, signifying the passing off of his knowledge to his apprentice.

Slowly, Sunset turned the hammer over in her hands and stared at it wistfully.

Up until now, her lessons from the queen had been focused on the fundamentals of magical theory, as well as helping her “bring balance to her flame”, much of which consisted of different forms of meditation, strange physical and mental exercises…

…and dancing.

Lots of dancing.

Sometimes, they would be in the grasslands or rocky hills surrounding Mt. Liakeed. Sometimes they’d be on its slopes. Once, she’d been brought out to an island in the center of Lake Nimoklul on the southern end of the Core. Other times, she would be dancing in white space Queen Celestia would summon. But, no matter where she was asked to dance, the queen would be there, watching her and providing instruction.

At first, the dances had been simple things that she'd had little trouble with. Admittedly, they had been very different from the dances she did back home for fun or at festivals, or the spell-dances she used to use at the smithy. Instead, they had been strange, almost mathematical things, with the queen regularly directing her motions as the dances “helped build the proper pathways for her flame to burn.”

But, as the days had gone on and she'd begun to get a grip on the motions, the queen had begun to ask more of her. And as the dances had grown in complexity, so had the queen’s expectations. Often, Sunset would end up dancing for an hour at a time, followed by breaks where she’d go back to meditating.

But tomorrow, that was going to change.

Tomorrow morning, she was going to begin her artificing lessons.

It was the first day that signified Bronze was no longer her teacher.

The first day that broke the link of master and apprentice between them.

And bound it firmly to the queen.

Sunset turned the hammer in her hands again, feeling the smoothness of the polished ash handle.

It was monumental.

And almost unbearably painful.

She’d always expected to one day become Bronze’s business partner. Maybe even get informally adopted and inherit the smithy when he was too old to keep working the anvil and forge. And maybe one day, when the smithy was hers, she’d have found an apprentice of her own and continued the tradition of the Golden Tree artificers.

But that was not going to happen now. It wasn’t like Bronze could afford to not have an apprentice while she was here on Mt. Liakeed. And even if he did want to wait, would she be able to be a town blacksmith and the archduchess of an entire territory?

Gently, she returned the hammer to its box, then closed the lid with a soft snap. She didn’t want to risk it when she was training with the queen. Maybe one day, when she was proficient enough, she’d enchant it to keep it from breaking. Or maybe turn it into an amp, if she learned how to make them.

But for now, it was too precious to risk.

Closing the drawer, Sunset walked to another and pulled it open to retrieve her night clothes, before turning to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

*****

After unreasonably opulent breakfast and a short flight by wyvern-carried gondola to Queen Celestia’s Castle, Sunset found herself following the familiar routine of entering a sky-car with a pair of sun-touched escorts, which soon carried her into the depths of the castle. After a few minutes of travel, the sky-car came to a slow halt and the locking clamps engaged to secure it. Rising to her feet, Sunset turned and offered her arm to Philomena, who had stubbornly insisted on using the golden perch inside the royal car.

In the month since her hatching, Philomena had grown considerably. The chick had begun to fledge, with a multitude of new pinfeathers beginning to show through her reddish down. She’d also gone from cute and tiny to the size of a small dove. And with that increased size came increased coordination and strength. Enough that she could now hold onto a perch with some trouble. It would still be a few months before enough of her feathers came so that she could fly.

Despite some maternal misgivings from Queen Lumina, she’d finally given Philomena permission to directly accompany Sunset to her lessons. While Sunset was ecstatic to have Philomena with her, she was only allowed to accompany her on the condition that she was to be kept a safe distance from anything dangerous that the young phoenix-born might be doing, which included working the anvil.

Thanks, Philomena sent as she shakily stepped onto the offered limb. Even with her improved coordination and strength, she was still growing into her body.

No problem, Sunset sent as she brought her partner to the leather pauldron on her shoulder. Tentatively, Philomena stepped off of Sunset’s forearm and onto her new perch. Sensing Philomena’s nervousness as she gripped the leather in her talons, Sunset slowly walked to the doors of the sky-car, careful to keep her gait as steady as possible for the fledgling phoenix.

Never thought my posture training would come in handy like this, Sunset sent as the doors opened.

Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to put the etiquette training to use too, Philomena replied as she wobbled on Sunset’s shoulder.

If either of us need that, it’s you, fluff-ball, Sunset sent with a smirk as she gave Philomena a sidelong glance, having to suppress a giggle at the irritated look her bond-mate was giving her.

Stepping out of the sky-car, Sunset entered Queen Celestia’s personal workshop.

Like most of the castle, the room was enormous in size. Dominating the majority of the space was what Sunset could only presume were the queen’s personal anvil, forge, bench and tool racks, each one towering over the young girl more like the buildings in Heliopolis than anything resembling normal artificing tools. Yet in the shadow of the anvil were rows upon rows of smaller smithing alcoves, each one with a full set of supplies and their own anvil and forge.

And on a bed of pillows at the far end of the room, daintily sipping from her large teacup, the queen herself awaited Sunset patiently.

“Sunset, Philomena, welcome,” Queen Celestia said without moving from her bed of pillows.

“Bright day, Queen Celestia,” Sunset said as she curtsied to the queen, careful not to tilt her upper torso too much lest she make Philomena lose her grip.

As Sunset rose, she saw the queen smiling at her as she set her teacup down on a small ledge near the bed of pillows.

“Now that you’re here, we can begin. But, before we do…” Sunset watched as the tips of Queen Celestia’s right index and middle fingers began to glow. As they did, the queen bent forwards slightly and touched both of them to the ground. The moment they contacted the floor, the light flowed down and into the marble then racing towards Sunset as a pair of glowing lines. The lines stopped near one of the smithing stations and transformed into a pair of pools of glowing light. A few seconds later, one of the pools erupted from the ground, forming a short dais topped with a marble bowl lined with a large, red, silk pillow. The other pool similarly erupted from the ground, though this one took the shape of a marble statue that resembled the queen, only she was an earth-weaver rather than a centaur and was dressed in a simple peplos. As soon as the light faded, the irises on the marble statue’s face began glowing with soft, golden light.

“…since Lumina requested Philomena be kept away from the forge for the time being, please place her in the nest I’ve provided. Once you’ve done that, there is a set of smithing clothes and an apron in the compartment in the pedestal. After you’ve changed, we can begin your lessons,” the Queen’s said as she withdrew her arm.

Sunset regarded the statue and dais. A few weeks ago, Sunset might have been completely stunned by what she’d just seen Queen Celestia do. Now, she was simply impressed at yet more proof of the queen’s power.

Ready to watch me work while you relax, fluff-ball? Sunset sent as she approached the dais.

Sunset heard Philomena huff and send a soft mental shove through their link.

You’re not going to be calling me that much longer. My feathers are coming in.

Reaching the dais, Sunset offered her arm to Philomena, who shakily stepped onto the offered limb, which Sunset brought down to the pillow. After clumsily stepping off her arm and nearly face-planting in the process, Philomena turned to face her.

Then I better enjoy you being fluffy and cuddly while I can, Sunset sent as she gently ran a finger along the ridge of Philomena’s beak before scratching her under the chin. Trilling happily at Sunset’s touch, Philomena rubbed her head against Sunset’s hand.

Reluctantly pulling her hand away, Sunset knelt down to retrieve the smithing clothes and apron. Quickly getting changed, Sunset turned to the colossal form of Queen Celestia and bowed.

“I’m ready, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she stood and folded her arms behind her back. “What are we going to be making?”

“That is the question, now isn’t it?” Queen Celestia said from behind, causing Sunset to jump slightly with surprise. Swiftly turning towards the sound of the voice, Sunset saw that the marble statue had detached itself from the floor and was walking up to the forge.

Sunset was stunned by what she was witnessing, only for it to swiftly dawn on her: what she had seen the queen create wasn’t a just statue.

It was a galatea: a stone sculpture animated by magic to act on behalf of its creator. Such creations were some of the rarest forms of enchanting, even more so than amps, while their creation was even more tightly regulated by the government. Of the few galatea that Sunset had heard about, they had been employed in the past as guardians of very powerful artificers in the pre-Splintering era. Few had been made in the modern age, and those that had been fabricated had taken months, sometimes years, to properly carve and animate.

And Queen Celestia had just created one within seconds.

‘Okay, I want to learn that trick,’ Sunset thought as she watched the galatea take a spot by the tool rack, before shaking off her awe and remembering that she was in the middle of her lessons.

“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Sunset asked as she walked towards the galatea, understanding that if the queen was projecting herself into the construct, that it would be the one giving her the day’s lessons.

“I will answer your question with a question: what do you want to make?” the galatea said as Sunset arrived at the forge.

Sunset stared at the galatea for a few seconds, trying to understand what she’d just been asked.

“I’m sorry? What do you mean?”

“Just what I asked: what do you want to make?” the galatea asked again as it gestured to the forge and the tool rack. “Surely you must have something you want to make.”

Sunset stood in stunned silence for a minute, unsure what to think.

‘What does she mean “what do I want to make?”’ Sunset thought.

This was nothing like her lessons back in Golden Tree.

With Bronze, it had always been structured around her learning to produce certain items, like nails or farm tools, because they were items that were always in demand and served as the lifeblood of the smithy. It had never been about what she had wanted to make. It had been about what she had needed to make in order for them to keep things running.

Snapping out of her distraction, Sunset glared at the galatea for a moment. What sort of answer was the queen looking for?

She knew that she had to reply, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with anything that she specifically wanted to make.

“I… I don’t know, Your Highness,” Sunset admitted nervously. “I don’t understand why that would matter? Aren’t you going to teach me how to work the forge?”

The galatea slowly nodded as it absently picked up a rounding hammer from the rack and inspected it.

“I am indeed,” the queen said warmly yet firmly. “But, before we can begin, there are questions you need to answer for yourself. Things from your old life that you will need to move past before you will be able to truly learn the lessons I will teach.”

Sunset was slightly taken aback by the way Queen Celestia had said what she’d said, but before she could voice her questions, the queen continued.

“So, I ask you again, what do you want to make?”

Sunset focused on her mental meditations as she tried to understand what the queen was getting at. What did it matter what she wanted to make?

“I don’t know,” Sunset replied, this time with a little more force. “I don’t know what I want to make.”

Setting down the hammer, the galatea regarded Sunset for a moment.

“Then why do you want to be an artificer?”

Whatever response Sunset had been expecting, it hadn’t been that.

“What?” Sunset asked dumbly, the smouldering of her thoughts suddenly doused.

“Why do you want to learn to use the forge? If you have no intent or desire, why do you wish to become an artificer? Before, you made things for others, because it was your job. But now, you are a phoenix-born. Your purpose is something far greater than that of a simple town blacksmith.”

Sunset bristled slightly. Despite the tone of the queen’s voice still being that same strangely maternal one she’d grown accustomed to, the way the queen had said “simple town blacksmith” didn’t sit right with her.

“You are one of the chosen of Solaria. One day, you will take your place as a leading member of the ruling body of my nation and help ensure its prosperity for centuries. So I ask you again, why, in light of what I have just said, do you wish to continue down the path of the artificer?”

Sunset could have sworn her heart stopped for a moment as the weight of the queen’s questions hit her like a rockslide. She lifted her head to respond, but stopped when she saw the galatea shake its head.

“You don’t need to answer right away,” the queen said through the galatea as it raised a hand and held up its index finger. “Stop and think about it for a moment. I want you to really consider why you wish to continue to learn artificing.”

Shrinking back a little, Sunset snapped her mouth shut. Peripherally, she could feel Philomena's concern as she began sending sensations of comfort and love, before she felt their link open.

Sunset, Philomena sent, you okay?

I… no, Mena, I’m not, Sunset sent back morosely.

Anything I can do?

I don’t know. Maybe you can help me figure this whole thing out. The queen wants to know why I want to be an artificer, but I can’t think of an answer.

Sunset felt Philomena renew her sendings of warmth and comfort.

Well… why did you want to be an artificer back in Golden Tree?

Why did I want to be an artificer back home? Sunset repeated, her mind racing. I… back in Golden Tree, I became Bronze’s apprentice because Tender Heart recommended me to him. I needed a job, and artificing was one of the only ones that really would let me learn to harness my flame in a useful way. But, it was work. A way to make a living.

But… you liked doing it right?

Well, yea, obviously I did after a while. It was hard at first, and Bronze wasn’t exactly the gentlest teacher around. But, it was the only job I tried that really felt challenging. It pushed me and my flame. Making things on the anvil was rewarding, and learning runes and spell-dances was fun. Sure, it was hard work, but I liked that. And I liked the challenge.

And?

‘And’ what, Mena?

That can’t be the only reason you’re having a hard time with this, can it?

Sunset stopped and considered that for a moment.

I mean, practically, I could’ve gotten another job. Maybe as an apprentice clerk or bookkeeper. Tender Heart always said I was smart enough for it. But, they didn’t really involve me using my flame. A big part of why I love artificing is the magic. I like spell-dancing, and I like studying the flame. I bet the queen could teach me so much about both. I bet if I asked, she’d train me to be a magus or something.

But…?

Sunset grumbled in frustration at Philomena’s question.

But, I don’t think it would really be… me. I… like making things with my hands. I like learning runes and seeing what I can do with them. It just feels… good. Right.

There was a pause. Sunset could feel Philomena considering what she’d sent.

Well, can’t that be a reason? Because you love to do it, and it makes you happy?

Sunset’s thoughts froze for a moment at the sheer, blunt audacity of Philomena’s statement.

I don’t think it’s that simple, Mena.

Maybe it is?

I… I don’t know about that. That can’t be it… can it?

Sunset sighed as she balled her fists.

‘Is that it? The only reason I could come up with is I like to do it? That it makes me feel good? That it challenges me?’ Sunset thought as she hugged her arms to her chest. ‘Is that really good enough?’

Looking at the galatea, Sunset furrowed her brow and steeled her resolve.

‘If it’s the best answer I’ve got, then it’s the best answer I’ve got,’ she thought morosely, the sensations of Philomena’s encouragement flowing through their bond.

“I like it,” Sunset said with as much conviction as she could muster as she looked up at the galatea.

“You like it?” the galatea replied in a curious tone.

“Yes. I want to be an artificer because I like doing it,” Sunset said, her voice growing in confidence as she spoke. “It makes me happy to make things. To learn new spell-dances. To push myself to figure out new and creative ways to use my flame. I don’t know if that’s what you were looking for, but that’s my answer.”

Silence filled the smithy as Sunset awaited the queen’s reply.

“That’s a good reason.”

Of all the responses the queen could have given, that wasn’t one that Sunset had expected.

“Your Highness?” Sunset asked as she regarded the galatea.

The galatea simply looked at her for a moment before continuing.

“Sunset, you are new to your immortality, so you will not yet understand, but having an anchor, a focus, is vital. All phoenix-born need something to anchor them over the centuries. Something must give their lives meaning beyond their duty to Solaria,” the queen said with a wide, sweeping wave of the galatea’s hand. “Steel and Spitfire have found their calling in mastering the art of war. Roseluck in nurturing the life of the earth and delving into the mysteries of green growing things. My dear Raven? She has found her focus in mastering the power of her flame and guiding my sun-gazers towards a better tomorrow. And for you, you’re on the path towards finding yours, but I believe it will involve artificing in some form.”

Before Sunset could say anything, Queen Celestia pressed on.

“So, now that we have why you want to become an artificer out of the way, what do you want to make?”

Sunset’s stomach tightened angrily as Queen Celestia asked her that question again. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself and focusing on her meditation techniques, Sunset composed herself enough to reply.

“I don’t know yet. There’s nothing I need to make for myself, and nothing I have to make for work, so I can’t tell you what I want to make,” Sunset said, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice.

“Good,” Queen Celestia said simply.

Sunset felt her flame begin to rise, and she was vaguely aware that her hair was starting to move on its own, but she paid the sensation no mind.

“Good? How is that good?” Sunset asked through gritted teeth.

“It’s good because it means that you aren’t focused only on the end goal,” the galatea said as it strode towards Sunset, forcing her to look up to see its face. “What I intend to teach you isn’t the specific methods to make a single thing. As with your runes and your flame, what I will be teaching you are the fundamental techniques and methods behind the art of artificing itself. Once you have mastered these lessons, you will have the tools needed to combine them in ways that mortal sun-gazers can only dream of.”

Stepping away from Sunset, the galatea gestured for her to follow.

“For now, I want to see your mechanical skills with the tools of artificing. Please, begin preparing the forge for use,” the galatea said as it pointed towards the object in question. “Once you have it properly heated, we can get started with your lessons.”

*****

Setting down the hammer, Sunset wiped her brow with the back of her arm and took a moment to catch her breath. After a brief respite, she took her tongs and grasped the roughly shaped metallic disk she’d been working on. Turning, she presented it to the galatea. After a moment of inspecting her metalwork, the galatea nodded then touched the disk with its index finger, causing it to return to its original shape: that of a short slug of steel.

“Better, but your strokes are still uneven,” the galatea said. “Take a minute to rest, and we will go over where your technique can be improved.”

Sighing, Sunset slowly stretched her arms and reclined against the anvil.

Their lessons, such as they were, had begun what felt like hours ago. After she’d loaded the forge with charcoal and wood, lit it and brought it up to temperature, the queen had directed her to demonstrate her skills. Not sure what the queen was after, she had decided to go with something basic and relatively straight forward: making nails.

And so, after grabbing a hammer, header, tongs and gloves, Sunset began the process of heating up a piece of steel rod and forming it into nails. After being away from an anvil for nearly two months it took her a few tries to get back into the rhythm, but soon enough, muscle memory began to kick in.

In a short time, Sunset had a pile of reasonably well-crafted nails. They weren’t her best work, but they weren’t bad. Still, after finishing them and shaking a bit of the rust off, Sunset decided to try something a little more ambitious. Retrieving a rectangular sheet of metal, she placed it into the forge then pumping the bellows several times to bring the temperature up. Once the sheet was yellow-hot, she brought it to the anvil and began to slowly shape the metal into the basic pattern for a shovel blade.

As she worked, she kept glancing at the galatea, looking for any reaction from the queen. Unnervingly, it hadn’t moved once since she’d started, nor had the queen said anything to her. Huffing and furrowing her brows, she went back to work.

Eventually, Sunset finished the shovel blade and gave it one final quenching. Setting the completed tool down on the bench next to the pile of nails, Sunset wiped her brow with a sleeve before taking a step back and waiting for Queen Celestia to inspect her work.

Much to her chagrin, the galatea didn’t move to examine her efforts, instead turning to face Sunset herself.

“Your Highness?” Sunset said as the glowing lights of the galatea’s eyes regarded her.

“Thank you, Sunset. That was edifying,” the galatea said as it walked to another part of the forge and retrieved something from one of the drawers.

“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Sunset said, still a little put out that the queen wasn’t even looking at what she’d spent so much effort to make.

“Watching you told me what I need to know about your current skill,” the galatea said as it walked to the anvil. “To be honest, you have a long way to go. But you have a good foundation. For now, we will begin with that.”

Sunset found herself bristling again at the queen’s words, as though they were directed not only at her, but at Bronze and his training.

“We will begin to work on your form, strength and basic skill with the components of the forge,” the galatea said as it held up a small steel slug. “For now, I want you to take this steel and shape it into a perfect disk.”

Sunset blinked at the strange request.

“That’s all?” Sunset asked.

“That’s all,” the galatea replied as it set the slug onto the anvil. “However…”

The galatea fixed Sunset with a stern look.

“…the purpose of this exercise isn’t to make a perfect disk. It is to help you develop your coordination, technique and understanding of how the metal responds to your strikes. Producing the disk is the framing. What you are learning is how to use the tools and your body properly. Do you understand, Sunset?”

Sunset simply nodded.

“Good. For your first attempt, you will do it without guidance. Once you’ve finished, I will tell you where you need to improve and guide you to the correct form.” Taking a step back, the galatea gestured to the slug. “Please begin.”

Sunset let out an irritated huff as she furrowed her brow before grabbing the slug and heading over to the forge. Taking the slug and setting it into the coal bed using her forging tongs, Sunset began the process of heating the slug.

And so began the pattern of the day. Sunset would work the steel, slowly hammering it into shape. Once she was sure she was done, the galatea would come and revert the metal to its original shape. Then, after giving Sunset a few minutes to breathe, Queen Celestia would give her pointers on how to improve her technique or methods. From turning the slug to make sure it was evenly heated, to improving the mechanics of her swing, to any number of other major or minor corrections.

Then it would turn Sunset loose on the forge again.

And so the process repeated over a dozen times, until Sunset could barely lift her arms.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she tried to pick up the hammer, only to find that her body had reached its limit, “but I don’t think I can keep this up anymore.”

The galatea stared at Sunset for a moment before sinking back into the ground. Sunset was unsure of what to make of that, until she heard the queen’s voice from behind.

“You did well for your first day,” the queen said with a warm smile. “You have a long way to go before you’ve mastered the techniques, but this is a good start.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sunset said wearily.

You alright? Philomena sent with a concerned tone.

I can’t feel my arms, Mena. What do you think? Sunset sent back a little more venomously than she normally would, her body slumping against the workbench as sweat poured down her face, stinging her eyes.

Well pardon me for being concerned, Philomena sent back, her tone hurt.

A brief pang of guilt stung Sunset’s heart at Philomena’s sending.

Sorry for snapping, Mena, Sunset sent in a far more pleasant tone, but I know you can feel how spent I am. Dumb questions plus tired Sunset equals snarky, sharp responses.

Fine, I’ll forgive you this time. But I’m expecting some extra snuggles as an apology later.

Managing a weak chuckle, Sunset looked towards Philomena’s nest and smiled a little.

I’m sure I can manage that, after I can feel my arms again.

“You’re welcome, Sunset. That will be enough for the day. We will resume your lessons tomorrow. However, before you go,” Queen Celestia said as she extended her index finger and raised it. As she did, a small sphere of white energy manifested on the tip of the extended digit. Much to Sunset’s surprise and apprehension, the queen reached down towards her and, with the gentlest of touches, pressed the sphere of light into her chest.

As the light entered her body, Sunset felt a wave of energy pulse through her. In an instant, all of her fatigue vanished. Eyes going wide with shock, she flexed her arms. There was still a bit of stiffness, but her exhaustion had evaporated from her body like water splashed on white-hot metal. Looking up to the queen, she watched as she drew herself back up to her full height and retrieved her teacup and daintily taking a sip.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sunset said.

“Of course, Sunset. Now, you and Philomena enjoy your afternoon. You’ve earned it.”

*****

Sunset’s eyes drifted listlessly over the landscape of the Core as she sat on her balcony. The sun was still a few hours away from setting, but even so, the shadows were starting to grow longer. On the table before her were the last remnants of her evening meal, the few remaining bits of bread and soup having gone cold. Lifting her hand, she slowly brought it up and gently drew it down the length of Philomena’s body, petting the phoenix in her lap, who let out soft trills at her touch.

It’d been a few hours since she’d returned from the queen’s castle, and she’d had time to think about the whole experience. The thing that was weighing on her mind the most was what the queen had asked her at the beginning, and her own answers.

But there were other things that were bothering her. Things that had nothing to do with Queen Celestia’s inquiries and more to do with things she’d noticed now that she wasn’t in the middle of the forge. Things that she suspected had to do with her ascension.

You alright, Sunset?

Looking down into her lap, her eyes met Philomena’s as the phoenix stared up at her.

Just… thinking, Sunset said as she turned her attention back to the horizon and resumed her petting.

About what? Philomena said as she snuggled into Sunset’s lap and rubbed her head against her hand.

Mostly today and what the queen said, Sunset admitted as she scratched Philomena’s chin. And other things.

Like?

Well, I was working that anvil for almost five hours, Sunset sent as she closed her eyes and sighed. I shouldn’t have been able to stand after that.

Why’s that a problem? You were exhausted afterwards. I bet the only reason you’re moving’s because of the queen doing whatever she did to you.

It’s not just that, Mena. Even when I pulled all-day shifts with Bronze, I never worked for five hours straight. We’d pace ourselves. Take breaks. I’d be completely dead on my feet after two hours of what I did today, let alone five.

Oh…

Yea.

Philomena shifted a little to crawl a bit farther up into Sunset’s lap, until she was resting against her stomach, and began to gently nuzzle her.

Don’t you think that just means your earth-weaver flame might be starting to grow? You told me that your sisters could work for hours without getting tired.

I guess, Sunset sent as she resumed petting Philomena. That’s not really what’s on my mind. It's something else I’ve read about from the legends.

What?

Mena, the heat of the forge wasn’t uncomfortable.

Why’s that a problem? Philomena sent with a confused tone.

Mena, forges are really hot. And I was next to one for hours… I could feel the heat, but it didn’t bother me. The heat didn’t affect me. At all. Sunset paused as she gently hugged Philomena to her as she worked up the courage to admit the next thing. According to the legends, phoenix-born are unaffected by heat or fire.

And that’s bad?

Not bad. It’s just… confusing. Bronze always made sure I was careful around the forge, or any of the metal we were working. Made sure I respected the danger of the flames and the heat. Now, that danger’s gone. It's just another thing Bronze taught me that doesn’t matter anymore.

Oh… that’s what’s bothering you, isn’t it?

Sunset sighed as her thoughts drifted back to Golden Tree and her former teacher.

Yea, it is. Every day, it feels like more and more of my life in Golden Tree just slips further and further away, Sunset sent as she petted Philomena.

Do you… want to go to Roseluck’s hot spring? I know it’s not the same without her and your friends, but it might help you relax. Maybe you could get a massage from one of the sun-touched? You liked it the last time.

Sunset shook her head.

I don’t really think going somewhere hot is a good idea right now, Mena. And that spring’s Roseluck’s. I just don't feel right to go there without her permission.

Huffing, Philomena gently nibbled on Sunset’s hand, clearly trying to return the affectionate contact Sunset was giving her.

Well, if the hot spring’s out, can we do something else? You’re getting broody…

I am not, Sunset sent back defensively.

Yes, you are, Philomena sent smugly. Didn’t Roseluck say that you needed to relax sometimes? Well, maybe you should listen to her.

Sunset’s eyes drifted down to the fledgling in her lap and the concerned look she was giving her.

You’re lucky you’re cute… Sunset grumbled as she went back to petting Philomena and looking out over the western edge of the Core.

Flattery won’t get you off the hook, Sunbutt, Philomena sent. Look, if you don’t want to go to the hot spring, can we at least find something else to do than sit here?

Grumbling, Sunset sent an annoyed poke through their link, not wanting to give Philomena the satisfaction of getting the last word in. After sending her displeasure, she closed their link to have some private time with her thoughts. As she did, Philomena let out an irritated huff and curled up a little as Sunset continued to pet her. Sunset felt a little bad about cutting off their communication, but she needed to think.

Now alone in her head, Sunset started to consider what Philomena was suggesting. As she’d said, the hot spring was out because she wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere with heat. In fact, she didn’t really want to go do anything physical, period. Not after spending practically the entire day hammering out the same chunk of steel over and over again.

They could go and visit Queen Lumina, but Sunset discounted that idea since that meant another trip to the sky-rail. Which she really didn’t want to do. Beyond potentially bothering Lumina, it was a long way to the phoenix queen’s forest from the west side of the cathedral.

That meant doing something in her room.

Rune-carving was out, because she didn’t feel like studying anymore today.

There was nobody else around besides Philomena, so playing a game was out.

She didn’t want to practice dancing or any of the meditations that the queen had taught her.

‘This would be so much better if my sisters were here. Too bad I’m stuck here while they’re all so far away,’ Sunset thought ruefully, before the spark of an idea lit itself in her head. ‘Wait, that’s not entirely true…’

Opening her link with Philomena, Sunset gave the phoenix a gentle nudge. Feeling Philomena give her an annoyed nudge back, the fledgling looked up at her.

Are we done brooding now? Philomena sent back with an irritated huff.

I don’t know… are you? Sunset sent back with a smirk.

Funny. So, did you figure out something else for us to do, or are you just giving me false hope?

Giggling a little, Sunset gently scooped Philomena up in her arms and rose from her seat, ignoring the phoenix’s annoyance at the sudden movement.

Yea, I did, Sunset sent as she made her way to her bedroom’s doors and headed inside.

Well, don’t keep me in suspense or anything. What’re we doing? Philomena sent as Sunset placed her on their shared bed.

Sunset didn’t immediately reply. Instead, she walked over to her bookshelf and retrieved an old, well-worn book.

How about I read you a story, Mena? Sunset said as she set the tome on the bed and climbed on, gathering the pillows to give herself something soft to lean against. I haven’t opened this book in far too long, and I think you might enjoy some of these.

Okay, that doesn't sound bad. What story are you going to read? Philomena sent as she slowly waddled over to Sunset’s side.

Why don’t you pick? I’ve read the book from front to back a bunch already, Sunset sent as she helped Philomena up onto one of the pillows.

Philomena considered that for a moment.

Are there any stories in there about my mom?

There’re a bunch, Sunset said as she flipped through the book, before she landed on one of the stories involving Lumina. How about: Queen Lumina and the Curse of the Windigos?

Windigos? Philomena sent, her curiosity piqued.

Yea. It's a story from the days after Empress Harmony departed to hold the Chaos at bay. The windigos were some of Grogar’s creations from the Chaos War, and it’s the story of Lumina’s battle against them to protect the harmonious-ones from their predations.

Sunset heard an excited chirp come from Philomena as the phoenix snuggled up to her side.

That sounds exciting. I’ll have to ask mom about it the next time I see her. See how well the story matches up with her version.

Sounds fun, Sunset sent as she settled in to read.

‘A cold, mournful wind was blowing across the Mnerittis planes, rustling the long grass and filling the air with the dread rattling of dry bones and the cries of a thousand lost and weeping children…’

Author's Note

Shorter chapter. If things feel a little slow, don't worry. We're going to get back to the political intrigue soon enough.

Also, if you're not familiar with the story of Galatea, here's some sources.
Wikipedia article.
OSP's coverage of the myth:

Ch 3 - The Trials - Tempering Makes the Alloy Strong

Dear Rainbow, Pinkie and AJ

Girls, I have terrible news, especially for you Rainbow. You may want to sit down for this, because it's a tragedy of the highest order. Okay… here goes.

I can fly.

I know, it's awful. Now I’m going to turn into an egomaniac. I can feel my pride just starting to infect my brain, making me so sure of my awesomeness that I can’t think of anything else, while driving me to proclaim it constantly for all Nitor to hear.

Okay, AJ, Pinkie, how mad is Dash right now? I want an accurate description of her face as you were reading that.

All joking aside, yea, in the last few days it seems that my sky-runner flame’s grown enough to start learning to fly. I’m not so good in the air yet, but it’s a start. Maybe I’ll let Dash give me some pointers when I finish my training.

Other than that, my life’s been pretty much study, study, study. Thankfully Philomena’s here to keep me entertained. And by entertained, I mean annoy me constantly. You know how sometimes you’ve got that “voice in your head” that distracts you while you’re trying to focus? Yea, I have one of those. And it’s a cheeky phoenix. Celestia save me when her feathers finish coming in and she starts flying too.

Anyhow, I love you all. Hope to hear back from you soon.

Love,

Sunset Shimmer

AJ.

Sorry about the separate letter, but Lady Inkwell wants the embers covered on this for a little while longer. We had a chance to briefly discuss it the last time I saw her, and we think we might be able to arrange for the crown to “safely and quietly” purchase a couple of barrels of S.A.A. cider every few months. I don’t know why she wants it kept secret, but she’s said that it has to be if we’re going to go through with the arrangement. Now, don’t think that you’re going to get away with giving me any sort of discount on them. I may be family, but I’m also not going to keep you from keeping S.A.A. afloat, so you’re going to be accepting full payment for the cider.

Also, Pinkie and Dash might be planning something. Just a fair warning.

Sunset

Sunset’s feet were dangling in the air a little more than a meter above a large, square, marble platform, both of them drifting in the white void created by Queen Celestia. Unlike the previous times she’d been there, Sunset could feel the pull of gravity trying to drag her towards the marble block. Yet she remained in the air, held aloft by the sky-runner flame coursing through her body. It was a strange, almost disconcerting feeling to be floating like she was at the moment. In a few ways, it reminded her of the feeling she got when she took a sky-rail, or when she rode on Saetha to Golden Tree. Yet, it was also completely different, in that she wasn’t in a vehicle or on the back of a wyvern.

Instead, she was the one doing it through her own power.

“Good. Well done, Sunset,” Queen Celestia’s voice floated across the void. “You’ve managed to stay aloft for four times as long as last time.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sunset said with a strained, distracted voice, most of her concentration focused on staying in the air.

“Now, begin the next part of the exercise.” As the queen’s voice echoed through the void, two more platforms appeared, one to Sunset’s right, and one to her left. On her left, the platform contained nearly a dozen tumrii-melon-sized wooden blocks, while on the right, the platform floated close to a meter above the one she was hovering over. “I’m eager to see how you do.”

“Okay,” Sunset replied as she sucked a deep, bracing breath through her teeth.

As Sunset concentrated on remaining aloft, she began to split her attention slightly to focus on her hair. She could feel the living cascade of flame respond, her senses beginning to extend into it as it formed itself into a single, large tendril. The sensation was strange; not entirely like touch, but something like it. She could sense where the flame was, where it was moving, yet she didn’t feel it like it was another limb as she experimentally made the tendril snake around before her.

‘So far, so good,’ Sunset thought.

Slowly, Sunset extended the tendril to her left and towards the stack of wooden blocks. As the tendril reached the first one, she wound the tip around a small handle on its top. At first, the tendril passed through the loop like a phantom. Growling with frustration, she willed her hair to grab the block with her next attempt, this time managing to grasp it in the tendril’s coils.

Keeping her head as still as possible, she made the tendril lift the block. Though she sensed the resistance and the additional strain the block added to her flight weight, she couldn’t feel the mass like she did when she lifted something with her hands. Still, there was a strange sort of resistance as she began to bring it to the small raised platform on her right.

As she neared the halfway point, the strain of splitting her attention between controlling her hair and remaining aloft caused her concentration to slip a little, and she suddenly dropped down a few centimeters. She felt a moment of panic before she quickly re-asserted her focus, only for her control of her hair to waver in response. The block nearly slipped out of her hair’s grip as it began to lose its corporeality. However, at the last second she managed to recover and reassert her hold as she rose back up to her original floating height.

Sunset let out a sigh of relief as she regained her composure. Still, there was a moment of dread when she realized that the queen had no doubt seen her nearly fail.

Returning her full attention to the task at hand, Sunset’s hair tendril reached the platform and shakily placed the block down with a soft thunk. Taking a deep breath, Sunset turned her attention back to the remaining blocks as she extended her hair tendril and retrieved another.

The process repeated itself two more times as she painstakingly began to build a stack of blocks. As she worked, she found their placement became progressively more difficult as her concentration became harder and harder to maintain. By the time she placed the third block, she was wobbling in the air, sweat beading on her brow as she struggled to keep her concentration divided.

Then, just as she began to lift the fourth block, a drop of sweat rolled into her eye, the stinging sensation breaking her focus. In an instant, her hair reverted to its original state, the tendril withdrawing and dropping the block with a loud crash. Her concentration completely broken by the sound and the pain in her eyes, Sunset unceremoniously dropped out of the air onto the platform, landing harshly on her feet, her left ankle twisting in an unnatural way as she stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

“Aaah!” Sunset screamed as she rubbed her aching tailbone and backside, fighting back a wave of tears that threatened to burst forth from the pain. “Ow, ow, ow. Curse it to the night…”

Ow! Sunset, what happened?! Philomena sent.

I fell on my butt, Mena, what do you think happened? Sunset replied tersely as she shakily tried to get to her feet. As soon as she put pressure on her ankle, she felt a sharp, stabbing pain run up her leg, causing her to cry out again.

“Daughter of the night!” Sunset swore as she dropped to a knee and grabbed her ankle. Even through her pants and boots, she could feel it starting to swell.

Sunset! Are you okay? Philomena sent.

I twisted my ankle, Mena, Sunset sent as a hiss of pain escaped her throat. Dreaming darkness!

“Sunset,” Queen Celestia’s voice said with a calm yet firm tone, “you’ll be fine. Just stay still.”

Lifting her tear-stained eyes to look into the void, all Sunset could do was nod once as she continued to hold her throbbing ankle.

Slowly, a cloud of golden light formed in the air around Sunset’s injured leg and backside. Unclasping her hands from the limb, Sunset watched as the light flowed into her body. In an instant, she felt the swelling in her ankle disappear, while the pain in both her leg and her backside dimmed to a dull throb. They still hurt a little, but the pain was manageable.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she stood and put pressure on her formerly injured ankle, testing it out. Finding she could stand on it with only a minor ache, she returned to her original position, and prepared to try again.

“Sunset, that’s enough for today,” Queen Celestia said as her voice echoed through the void.

“You Highness, I can keep going,” Sunset said as she began to focus her sky-runner flame to return to the air. “Please, just one more try.”

Before she could leave the ground, she heard the queen say, “No, Sunset. I said that’s enough.”

“But…” Sunset began to protest, only for the words to die in her mouth as she felt the air all around become thicker and authoritative. The sensation was similar to the one she’d felt whenever Raven had gotten angry while they were at the academy, only far more profound and powerful.

“No. Knowing your limits is just as valuable as pushing them, just as learning from your mistakes is just as important as achieving success. You did well, but that’s enough for today,” the queen said, her tone not much different than usual but carrying a weight that brooked no argument. “And, lest you forget, you have other obligations to prepare for, do you not?”

‘Don’t remind me,’ Sunset thought as she let out a frustrated groan.

You sound like you’re not looking forward to tomorrow, Philomena sent with a smug lilt.

Gee, what gave it away?

“Raven will be arriving soon to help you prepare,” Queen Celestia said as the white void broke apart, leaving Sunset standing in Queen Celestia’s hand. “Please take this chance to rest and consider what you’ve been learning. We will resume your lessons when you return from Chromos.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she bowed respectfully to the queen.

With a nod, the Queen lowered her hand to the sky-rail platform, allowing Sunset to step off. Once on solid ground, she made her way towards a short marble dais topped with a perch where Philomena was resting.

Are you okay now? Philomena sent as she regarded Sunset. Most of the young phoenix’s feathers had come in, leaving her with less fluffy down and more of her fledgling plumage, though a lot of them were still itchy pinfeathers. She’d also continued to grow and was now almost the same size as her siblings. She still wasn’t strong enough to fly on her own, but she could walk and perch without worrying about losing her grip.

Yea, just sore and ticked off, Sunset replied as she held out her arm for Philomena. I can’t believe I almost broke my ankle…

Hey, at least you were with the queen when you did it. She’s pretty good at patching you up when you screw up, right? Philomena sent as she stepped onto Sunset’s arm.

Sunset narrowed her eyes at Philomena, who pointedly ignored the glare.

Your reassurance is about as helpful as being told to stop drowning while you’re crying for help in the middle of a lake, Mena, Sunset sent as she brought Philomena up to her shoulder.

I’m sure it's at least twice as useful as that, Sunset, Philomena sent with a smirk as she stepped onto the pauldron and settled in. Thanks to Philomena’s increased size, she had a hard time perching comfortably, as Sunset’s shoulder was rapidly becoming too small for her. Still she managed to hold on, even as she had to press up to the side of Sunset’s head to do so.

Doubtful, Sunset replied as she began to walk towards the sky-car waiting for her on the edge of the platform, doing her best to ignore the ache in her leg as she went.

The light of the afternoon sun was shining bright and strong over the landing platform of the Cathedral of the Sun, reflecting off the golden embossing and stained-glass windows of the cathedral itself. Standing at attention on the landing platform were two lines of prominence knights, their lacquered armor, iridescent feathers and golden carapaces glinting in the light of the cloudless sky. None of them moved as they waited for their honored guest to arrive.

Behind the line of knights, sitting on the steps of the gate to the cathedral, was Sunset with Philomena in her lap. Sunset’s hands were gently preening Philomena, giving the young phoenix blessed relief from the irritating itch of her pinfeathers.

A tired sigh escaped Sunset’s throat as she rolled one of the matured feather shafts in her fingers, breaking the waxy case off and allowing the barbs to unfold.

How long till Raven arrives? Philomena sent as Sunset began to deal with another annoying pinfeather.

Soon. The knights wouldn’t be here otherwise, Sunset replied without much energy. I still don’t know why she’s making us do this.

Looking up at Sunset, Philomena smirked a little as she rubbed her head against her bond-mate’s hand.

Why? You’re not looking forward to meeting the Council of Light? I can’t imagine why, Philomena sent in a mock-confused tone.

Mena, don’t play games with me right now. I’m not in the mood, Sunset sent back tersely.

Oh, come on, Sunset. We’re just going to meet the people that rule Heliopolis and run its government. It’s not like they hate you or anything, Philomena sent. Oh, wait, a bunch of them do.

Sunset gave her partner a half-lidded glare before huffing in frustration, then went back to preening Philomena’s feathers.

Mena, if I knew that you wouldn’t make me feel it too, I’d be plucking your head bald right now, Sunset sent as she freed another new feather from its waxy casing.

Wow, you’re really in a bad mood, Philomena sent with genuine concern as she shifted in Sunset’s lap and extended a wing to touch Sunset’s cheek with her primary feathers. Wanna talk about it?

Not really much point, Sunset sent as she let out a sigh and put her hand on Philomena’s wing, savoring the contact. I just… hate that I have to deal with them. I don’t even know why Raven wants me at this meeting in the first place.

Sorry, can’t help you there.

Don’t worry about that. It’s just… I can’t shake the feeling that this is just one more move in whatever game Raven’s playing.

There was a moment of silence between the two as Sunset continued to preen Philomena’s feathers.

Ah, that’s the problem, isn’t it?

Sunset nodded.

I… I want to trust her, but after the whole thing around the ascension, I don’t know if I really can. Sunset sighed as she leaned back against the steps and looked up at the sky. Sometimes, I feel like I can forget just who Raven is. What she is. But, then something forces me to remember that she’s been leading Solaria since its birth. And… I can’t help but I feel like I’m… just a piece in Celestia and Raven’s game…

Sunset felt a flood of sympathy and love through her bond as her partner responded not with words, but with feelings. Closing her eyes, Sunset sent a feeling of gratitude back to her partner. The two of them stayed like that for a few moments, just allowing themselves to be wrapped in the warm, comforting sensation of their shared bond. The moment ended when Sunset heard the distant rattle of a sky-car on the sky-rail track. Opening her eyes, she saw the telltale glint of the sky-car from Chromos approaching the landing platform, prompting the prominence knights to stand crisply at attention.

Thanks, Mena, Sunset sent as she offered Philomena her arm, then stood once the phoenix had climbed on. Dusting off her pants with her free hand, Sunset began to walk towards the landing platform.

Anytime. Philomena sent as Sunset brought her to her shoulder while the two of them made their way to greet Raven and Dylis.

*****

After meeting up with Raven, the four of them had made their way to her personal suite, whereupon Raven had ushered them out onto one of her balconies. Unlike the one attached to Sunset’s own suite, which was small and only had a single chair and a marble perch for Philomena, Raven’s was practically a large garden. A thin, cobblestone path led out to a raised deck with a circle of sitting pillows and a low table amidst all sorts of blooming herbs and shrubs, as well as a couple of small fruit trees. As soon as they arrived, Raven had instructed Sunset to make herself comfortable, while she gathered some herbs to make them tea.

Doing as she was told, Sunset made her way to the deck and sat at the table after transferring Philomena to one of the golden perches set on its surface, Dylis joining her a few seconds later as he flew from Raven’s shoulder. Smiling at Dylis, which got a small nod from the elder phoenix, Sunset shifted her attention to Raven as she drifted through the garden, gently pulling leaves, blossoms and a few small fruits from the plants. Once she had gathered enough, Raven flew over, and after collecting a small teapot from underneath the table, filled it with water from a pitcher and performed a quick spell-dance with her right hand, heating the water within.

Once the tea was steeping, Raven took a seat across from Sunset and rested her elbows on the table, lacing her fingers as she regarded Sunset with critical eyes. Sunset squirmed a little in her seat as Raven studied her. Yet, after a moment, Raven’s expression softened, and a warm, half-smile worked its way onto her face.

“I hear you’ve been making excellent progress on your studies, Sunset,” Raven said warmly. “I’m proud of you.”

Sunset was dumbfounded by the sudden praise from Raven, because of all the things she’d been expecting to hear from the seneschal, that wasn’t one of them. Blushing, Sunset looked down at her hands, trying to ignore the gentle nudging Philomena was giving her through their bond.

“Thank you, Raven,” Sunset said shyly. “What have you heard?”

“That the queen has been pleased with your efforts, and that you are developing your flame at a healthy rate. But, I want to know, how do you feel about everything so far? Do you feel that you’re making progress?”

“Everything’s great,” Sunset said nervously, thinking back to her earlier fumble today with her flight lessons. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Raven narrowed her eyes slightly.

“Sunset, you know I can tell when you’re not being truthful, so please, be honest with me. What you say here, stays here,” Raven said as she retrieved two teacups from below the table and poured them two cups of the steaming liquid. Placing one in front of Sunset, Raven brought it to her mouth and took sip from her own cup. “I promise, this isn’t a test, or a trick. I just want to know how you feel about your lessons, and how you think you’re doing.”

Sunset stared at Raven for a few seconds, unsure how to respond. Of course, Raven could tell that she wasn’t being honest. She was practically a living lie detector, even without her amp.

With a heavy sigh, Sunset grabbed her teacup in both hands and took a drink, her nerves singing as she tried to decide exactly what she wanted to say to Raven. What could she say? As the tea hit her tongue, the soothing flavors of the herbs, flowers and fruits helped calm her nerves slightly.

“Honestly, I’m frustrated,” Sunset finally admitted.

Raven nodded and gestured for her to continue.

“It’s just… All of this is so overwhelming. Everything the queen’s been teaching me… it’s just… I don’t know how to put it into words.”

“I’d say you did just fine. You’re feeling overwhelmed,” Raven said with a nod. “And, it’s fine to feel that way.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at Raven.

“Sunset,” Raven said, before bringing the cup to her lips again, “your life in the last few months has changed in ways you can’t have ever imagined. It's fine to be overwhelmed. Just as it’s fine to admit it. There’s no weakness in admitting you’re struggling. If anything, it shows awareness and strength of character.”

Setting down her teacup, Raven reached over to Dylis and scratched him on the back of his head.

“And why do you care? Are you just concerned because you don’t want your newest pawn falling behind?” Sunset muttered into her teacup.

Uh, Sunset… Philomena sent in a worried tone.

Looking up, Sunset froze under Raven's narrow, withering stare. Her stomach twisted in knots as she realized what she'd just said. Raven laced her fingers together again and placed her hands on the table. From the side, Sunset could feel Dylis's burning glare.

“Sunset, let me make something abundantly clear: if I wanted a pawn, you would have never said something like that, because I would have been conditioning you from the moment I met you to be absolutely loyal to me and Queen Celestia. And you would have been grateful for it, because I would have carved your mind up in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine to make you my obedient plaything,” Raven said, a strange darkness filling her voice as she rested her elbows on the table before leaning in and propping her nose on top of her hands. Sunset’s heart leapt into her throat and she had to suppress a shudder at just how dangerous Raven’s voice had become. “Are you a piece in the game? Yes, you are. We all are. Even me. But you being some mindless sycophant isn’t what I, Queen Celestia, Solaria or Nitor needs. What we need from you is for you to be you.”

Raven’s expression softened a little, breaking the terrified paralysis that had gripped Sunset’s body. Sunset mopped her brow with a sleeve, wiping off the cold sweat that had accumulated there during Raven’s rebuke.

“I’m asking about your training because I want to know how you’re feeling,” Raven continued, her voice having returned to its normal, level tone. “Not what you think I want to hear. You say you’re overwhelmed? Okay. That’s a good start. But, what is overwhelming you? I can’t help you if you don’t tell me where you’re struggling.”

Shakily taking her teacup in her hands, Sunset brought it to her mouth and took a long, slow drink. Through their bond, she could feel Philomena reassuring her with sendings of hope and love, which she returned with sendings of gratitude. As her nerves began to slowly calm down, she managed to bring her tremors under control and look Raven in the eyes.

“All of it,” Sunset said bluntly.

“All of it?” Raven echoed.

“Yes, all of it,” Sunset said as she gathered her courage. “It's like being stuck underwater, and every time I get near the surface and take a breath, something drags me back down. The queen is so… I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like she’s both pushing me past my limits, and holding me back at the same time. Like today. She had me trying to fly and control my hair at the same time. I almost broke my leg when I lost my focus, but after she healed me, she made me stop,” Sunset said, before saying much more quietly. “I could’ve kept going, but she wouldn’t let me. What’s the point of pushing me, undoing my mistake, then making me stop?”

“Did she say anything to you after she told you to stop?”

Sunset’s line of thought sputtered as Raven’s question hit her. Looking down at her teacup, she glared at the emerald-green liquid, trying to think back to what the queen had told her. In her frustration, she hadn’t really been paying much attention to Queen Celestia’s words. Only her own annoyance at being told she couldn’t keep going. She’d remembered some of it, but not much.

“She said something about how knowing my limits was important, and learning from mistakes,” Sunset said dejectedly. “I… wasn’t really listening.”

Raven took a drink of her tea and regarded Sunset sternly.

“That’s unfortunate. Chances are, she told you something like ‘knowing your limits and pushing them are both important, just like learning from your failures and victories.’”

“That’s dumb,” Sunset said tersely. “How is failing important? I failed.”

“Sunset, failure is one of the greatest teachers ever. Do you think I’ve never failed? Before you answer: yes, I have. Thousands of times in my long life,” Raven said, pouring herself another cup of tea. “Nobody’s perfect, even the queen. But failures and mistakes aren’t something to fear. They’re something to help you grow. Tell me, do you have a better feeling for your limits now?”

“I…” Sunset started to say, only for the protest to die in her throat. Thinking about it, she actually did. “Fine. Yes, I do. But what’s that matter?”

“That lesson is one of the most valuable lessons you can learn about anything,” Raven said as she took a sip of her tea. “Knowing one’s limits, learning from failure, both help you grow and become better than you were the day before. But, only if you’re willing to open your eyes to see the lessons that they can teach.”

“That's great. But it doesn’t make it any easier,” Sunset said as she reached for the teapot and also poured herself more tea.

“Nor should it. Struggle is also important to growth. You mentioned that you were overwhelmed? If you weren’t you wouldn’t be pushing yourself. Tell me, have you been improving since you started?”

Sunset just nodded.

“Would you have come as far as you have if you hadn’t been pushed? Or had a chance to stop and learn from your mistakes once you hit your limit?”

“Of course I would. Why wouldn’t I?” Sunset said defiantly.

“Are you sure? If you weren’t being made to push your boundaries, do you really believe you would have come as far as you have? Did your old master Bronze Hammer not push you when it came to your lessons?”

Sunset was about to reply, but once again, the words died in her throat. Thinking back to her time with Bronze, she tried to recall their lessons. To him giving her new tasks. How she would mess up at first, only for Bronze to help her through. But, even when he had her working on a single task for weeks, she had always eventually hit a wall, and then pushed past it.

And if she was honest with herself, truly honest, she had to admit that Raven had a point. She doubted she’d have come as far as she had if she’d just let herself smoulder. The queen always pushed her to the breaking point, but never pushed past it. She could now say she knew fundamental runic theory and application better than she ever had back in Golden Tree. The same with spell-dance fundamentals, even if she was still recovering her flame enough to use them. Her skill with metallurgy had also been steadily improving. While not anywhere near the level of someone like Bronze or the queen, she was growing in skill.

Sunset curled in on herself, not willing to admit to Raven that she was right.

“And there it is,” Raven said, though not in an unkindly tone.

“What?” Sunset asked tersely.

“The moment when you begin to understand,” Raven said proudly. “Much like the metal you work when you’re at your forge, the process of you growing into the woman, the leader, that I know you can be won’t be easy. Sometimes, it’ll feel like it’s impossible. But, that’s why we’re teaching you. So that you can be as ready as possible. Even tomorrow’s meeting is meant to help you grow. Every moment has something you can learn, if you’re only willing to allow yourself to.”

“If you say so,” Sunset grumbled.

“I know so,” Raven said. “It just takes time, and a willingness to look.”

The two of them sat there for a little while, Sunset thinking on what Raven had said, before the royal seneschal spoke up again.

“I'm afraid that we’ll have to put this conversation on hold. We need to address the main reason for this visit,” Raven said in her normal, business tone.

“Tomorrow’s council?” Sunset asked, already dreading the answer.

“Indeed,” Raven said, earning another groan from Sunset. “I understand you’re not looking forward to it, but your being there is important. Both for you, and for Solaria.”

“Why?” Sunset asked. “Am I going to be able to vote or propose things? Because I’ve got some stuff I’d like made into law.”

Like making the Heliopolan aristocrats wear cow manure on their heads all the time? Philomena sent.

Nah. Too merciful, Sunset replied as she glanced at her partner.

When she looked back to Raven, Sunset noticed the tiniest of smiles on the royal seneschal’s face at her comment.

“No, Sunset. Until you’re granted your title, you won’t be actively participating in Council sessions. Only observing.”

Sunset leaned back and crossed her arms.

“So, why do I need to be there? If I can’t participate, I might as well just stay here and bang my head against Queen Celestia’s lessons. At least that way I’d be doing something useful with my time.”

Raven’s eyes narrowed slightly at Sunset as she felt the air grow thicker all around them, while a low, annoyed warble escaped from Dylis’s throat.

“Sunset, watch your tone,” Raven said, her voice level but clearly displeased. “You’re drawing far too close to crossing a line with me that you don’t want to cross.”

“Sorry, Raven,” Sunset said in a low voice, trying not to let her reaction to Raven’s rebuke show.

“Apology accepted, Sunset,” Raven said with a nod, her presence returning to normal. “But, to answer your question, aside from you learning how the council operates, your attendance is important to establishing your legitimacy. Something that we’re going to need to lay the foundation for if we want your transition into your title to go smoothly.”

“What?” Sunset asked. “How am I going to do that if I’m just sitting around like some doll?”

“Sunset…” Raven warned.

“Sorry.”

Raven was quiet for a few moments as she finished her current cup of tea, before continuing.

“Most meetings are exclusive to members of the Council of Light. As a phoenix-born, by law you’re already considered a member and have the right to be present, even if you’re not allowed to actively participate yet. Consider, what sort of message does it send to the Council if you’re present? And what does it say to the people who were allied with Highblood?”

“Well,” Sunset began, her brow furrowing as she thought about it, “I guess it’d be pretty much a giant dream to them. But I thought you took care of everyone that blasphemed against the phoenix-rite?”

Raven nodded at that.

“We did,” she said simply. “But not everyone that supports Highblood, or those that share his and Steel’s views on Heliopolis’s ‘divine superiority’ were involved in manipulating the rite. Most of them weren’t. And many of those who do still consider you illegitimate due to where you were born, or that you weren’t one of the ‘chosen.’ You’ll have to contend with them sooner or later. Keeping you on Mt. Liakeed has kept you safe, but it also means that they aren’t being made to accept your ascension. This is the first step towards that end.”

“So this is a move in your game,” Sunset said tersely.

“Not my game, but yes. And not a move to rob you of your agency, if that’s what you’re afraid of. It’s a move to force those who might oppose you to recognize your legitimacy, and that you’re not going away.”

“Fine. I guess that makes sense,” Sunset grumbled as she crossed her arms. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s more to it, isn’t there?”

“You’re catching on. So, let me answer your question with a question: Why else might it be beneficial for you to attend, and what you might be able to learn from this?”

How the Heliopolans manage to speak when they have their heads up their butts? Sunset sent Philomena, who replied with a mental giggle.

Sighing, Sunset found herself one again contemplating Raven’s words and trying to figure out what she was getting at. The legitimacy thing made sense, in a twisted, Heliopolan sort of way, she supposed. It’s wasn’t like she had a lot of experience in how Heliopolans thought. Wracking her brain, Sunset found herself resting her forehead in her palms as she leaned forward and braced her elbows on the table.

“You… want me to get out of the cathedral for a while and take a break from my studies?” Sunset ventured.

“While not a bad throught, that’s not quite what I was getting at,” Raven said as she set her teacup down. “Let me ask another question: When you were working under Bronze Hammer, did you always begin by trying a new technique that you weren’t familiar with?”

“Well, no,” Sunset said as she lifted her head out of her hands, her brow furrowed at the question. “He’d show me a few times before he… oh. That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You want me to see how the council works, don’t you? That’s the lesson.”

“Good. Very good,” Raven said with a nod. “Council politics are cutthroat. And something I doubt you’re prepared for just yet. While we’re there, I want you to watch. Observe. Start to learn the rules of the game. See how the members of the council make their moves. And start to understand how to read past what is said to find what is meant.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sunset asked.

“Politics is in many ways like a war, Sunset,” Raven said matter-of-factly. “Not a war of spell-dances, guns and soldiers, but one of words, deals, alliances and deception. Where you must navigate a maze of lies and half-truths to see beyond what is said to find what is meant. Tomorrow, you’ll get your first taste of this war. You will be offered honey by many people, but that honey may be tainted, or be given as a distraction to hide the dagger in their other hand. The sooner you begin to learn the rules and find how to spot the traps, the better.”

“And if I don’t want to play the game?” Sunset asked, her tone frustrated. “It’s not like I have to. I could just not get involved and let things play out without me.”

“You could indeed. But, then you’ll have already conceded to your foes. Like it or not, you’re already part of the war, and if you don’t want it to consume you and those you love, you’ll need to learn to fight. And win.”

“I don’t like it,” Sunset said with a frown.

“Neither do I, Sunset, but it’s the role Harmony has given us. And it is our duty to see it through,” Raven said as she looked up to the sky. “Do you know what I was before the Splintering?”

Sunset froze in place, her jaw dropping open as she gawked at Raven. Of all the things Raven could have asked, that was one she was completely unprepared for.

“Um… well… no, I don’t,” Sunset stammered. “Nobody does… well, except you, Dylis and the queen.”

“I was a clerk in the Harmonia archives. It was one of the greatest repositories of magical knowledge to ever exist. Even after joining with Dylis and becoming a member of the Flame Weavers, it was all I ever wanted in my life,” Raven said wistfully as she reached out to Dylis, who rubbed his head against her hand, before her tone turned sad. “Then, the Traitor instigated the Splintering. I was forced to become a soldier then. I fought. I killed. I protected those who followed the rightful queen. I bled, and I made others bleed. And after the dust had settled, I was the last of the phoenix-born. Queen Celestia had been exiled to the south of Impraecordia by Empress Harmony herself. The sun-gazers were alone. Lost. They needed someone to lead them. To help them find the queen. So I had to step up, and once again become something I never wanted to be. If I hadn’t, we wouldn’t have survived.”

Raven turned to Sunset and leveled her with a look. And for the first time, Sunset could see all of Raven’s centuries of life in her eyes. The terrible weight of having to live through one of the greatest disasters since Umbra’s fall or the Chaos War. Of having to bear the burden of holding so many lives in her hands. Of regrets. And triumphs. And of a loss that Sunset could barely comprehend.

It was almost overwhelming in its sheer magnitude.

“I’ve long ago made peace with what I’ve become, Sunset. And the role that I now have to play. That all of us have to play. So, no, I don’t blame you for not wanting to be part of this. But, you are. And no amount of wishing that it wasn’t so will change that. All I can do for you is to make sure you’re prepared for what is to come. And to be there for you, if you want me to be.”

And then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone, and Raven’s mask was back on, as though nothing had happened, leaving Sunset’s mind reeling.

“For now, you should focus on learning what you can at the meeting,” Raven said in her normal, calm and controlled voice, pulling Sunset out of her dumbfounded state. “As far as the logistics are concerned, we’re going to be addressing administrative business, a session on the budget for the next season, and several other small legal proposals. However, the bulk of the meeting is going to be devoted to dealing with the fallout of Highblood’s manipulation of the phoenix-rite, and how the crown and the cities are going to move forward.

“I don’t expect you to follow everything that happens. All I ask is that you listen, and try to learn from the experience.”

“Yes, Raven,” Sunset finally said, her voice shaky. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Raven said, before draining the last of her tea from her cup. After extending her arm to Dylis and transferring him to her shoulder, Raven rose to her feet. “Now, I’m afraid we’re going to have to do something I know you dislike.”

“Look at Steel Sentry’s face?” Sunset quipped, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“Thankfully, no,” Raven said with the slightest hint of amusement. “Council meetings have a strict dress code, so I’m afraid we’re going to have to get you fitted for the appropriate attire.”

A look of horror bloomed on Sunset’s face at the thought of being stuffed into another frilly monstrosity. Looking at Raven, Sunset’s face warped into a frown as she saw Raven smiling at her dismay.

“Don’t worry, Sunset,” Raven said reassuringly. “I’m not like Roseluck. I won’t wrap you in frills and lace. I promise.”

What had followed when they returned to Sunset’s suite was a flurry of activity as a quartet of sun-touched summoned by Raven descended upon her like a swarm of bees to a flower. When they arrived, they presented her with a parade of different clothes that somehow were pre-fitted to her size. Unlike when Roseluck had “helped” with her outfit, Raven was at least willing to listen to her input… to a degree. So, in the end, they’d assembled something Sunset thought was tolerable.

At which point, Raven dismissed the sun-touched and informed Sunset and Philomena that Sunset, and only Sunset, would be joining her at the Palace of Lords the next day at Queen Lumina’s request. Sunset voiced her displeasure but relented when Raven told her that it wasn’t negotiable. Sunset asked whether she’d be going with Raven and had been told that no, she wouldn’t. Raven had to be there early to prepare everything, so Sunset would be meeting up with Roseluck at the Chromos sky-rail. With that, Raven suggested to Sunset that she review her etiquette manual in preparation, both to ensure she knew the proper rules of the council session, as well as know what was expected of the councilors when they interacted with her.

Sunset had buried herself in said manual for most of the afternoon and next morning, up until she had departed from the Cathedral for Chromos. If she had to do this thing, she was going to do it right, and not give the Heliopolans any quarter. She had to play this game? Fine. She’d play. And she’d play to win.

*****

Sunset listlessly stared out at the approaching wall of Chromos of the Core from the window of the sky-car as it neared the sky-rail station. Aside from a platoon of prominence knights, Sunset was alone. She felt Philomena’s absence to the point where it was almost painful after having been inseparable for the last month and a half. But, as with her last trip from the Core, Raven and Queen Lumina had forbidden Philomena from making the trip to Chromos until she had fully fledged and could fly under her own power.

Taking her eyes off the approaching building, Sunset glared down at the red, black, gold and teal dress she was wearing, as if her stare could make the thing disappear or burst into flame. But it stubbornly refused to cease existing. The garment wasn’t a grotesque, frilly abomination like the one Roseluck had managed to stuff her into the day of her ascension. Instead, it consisted of a simple high-collared, full-sleeve red blouse and black vest, knee-length golden skirt, red slacks, and black, calf-length boots, along with a teal sash-belt. The thing was closer to her preferred style, so it was at least tolerable. Still, it was irritating, because it represented the next two days of her life.

The sky-car shuddering as it came to a stop broke her out of her brooding. Looking out the window, she saw they’d docked in the terminal. Moments later the door slid open to let her disembark. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she rose to exit, only to be stopped by one of the prominence knights.

“Please, wait a moment, Your Grace. We need to secure the perimeter,” all three members of the knight said in perfect synchronization. As they did, the rest of the prominence knights burst into motion. First out were the feathered serpents, exiting the car and taking to the air above, while the earth-weavers and fire-callers, along with their colaurata brethren, exited and took up a semi-circular position on the landing platform.

Once in place, the lead knight turned to Sunset and bowed.

“Follow us, Your Grace. We will take you to Archduchess Roseluck,” they said, the fire-caller and plumed serpent bowing to Sunset while the colaurata buzzed their wings.

Nodding, Sunset rose and followed them off the car, out onto the platform and down into the depot, the knights maintaining a perimeter around her at all times. Upon exiting the landing platform, they passed through several long corridors and into a large lounge. Once inside, Sunset spotted the immaculate form of Archduchess Roseluck. The elder phoenix-born was dressed in one of her signature rose-blossom dresses, though one more subdued than usual. She was currently sitting in a lounge chair with a book in hand, Amara on a golden perch just behind her. Upon hearing the sound of the doors opening, the archduchess and her bond partner looked in their direction, the former’s face spliting into a happy smile.

“Ah, Sunset!” Roseluck cheered as she rose from her seat and set her book down, then made her way towards Sunset as quickly as decorum allowed.

“Bright day to you, Archduchess Roseluck,” Sunset said with a warm smile of her own as she curtsied to the archduchess.

“I see Raven’s got you ‘following proper etiquette’ already, hasn’t she?” Roseluck tittered.

“Only around people who deserve it,” Sunset said with a smirk, one that got a knowing look from Roseluck in return. Looking around, Sunset noticed the conspicuous absence of her friends. “Where are Lily and Daisy? I thought they’d be with you.”

At the mention of Sunset’s chat-lecti, a slight frown marred Roseluck’s otherwise radiant face and a sigh escaped her throat.

“Sadly, this meeting is council members only, so they had to stay back in Rose’s Blossom,” Roseluck said. “On the plus side, that means we only have to deal with a few dozen pompous twits instead of them and their slime-mold-for-brains families and sycophants.”

“What’s slime-mold?” Sunset asked, her face twisted with confusion.

“They’re these blobs that look like dog-puke that show up in forests in the spring. They’re alive, but pretty much brainless and just exist to eat,” Roseluck said with a smirk.

“Ewww, Roseluck, that’s gross,” Sunset said, before a smirk worked its way onto her face. “And you shouldn’t be insulting the poor slime-molds by comparing them to Heliopolan aristocrats.”

“You’re right. You’re right. I’m sorry. That was rude of me,” Roseluck said with a laugh, Amara’s trilling also sounding like laughter. The laughter proved to be contagious as Sunset found herself joining the archduchess. After a few seconds, they composed themselves, and Roseluck turned to the knights. “Thank you for your service, but I can escort Sunset the rest of the way. You’re free to go.”

Much to Sunset’s surprise, all three individuals that made up the lead knight shook their heads.

“Lady Inkwell asked us to escort you both to the Palace of Lords, Your Highness,” the lead knight said, their voices firm.

Sighing, Roseluck crossed her arms and shook her head.

“Look, I know Raven means well, but this is unnecessary. I’m more than capable of keeping us both safe,” Roseluck said, putting her hands on her hips and tapping a small wooden cylinder clipped to her belt-sash that resembled a hilt with two bud-like protrusions coming from either end. Sunset puzzled at the strange object as Roseluck regarded the lead knight.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but our orders come from Lady Inkwell,” the lead knight said. “If you wish, we will hold our perimeter at the greatest distance allowed, but we are not to leave the young archduchess until we’ve reached the Palace of Lords and delivered her to Lady Inkwell’s care.”

Roseluck rolled her eyes and huffed with annoyance as Amara fluffed out her feathers slightly.

“Raven, sometimes you’re too paranoid for your own good,” Roseluck muttered with a shake of her head, then returned her attention to the knights. “Very well. I’d rather not get you in trouble with Lady Inkwell, so please, lead the way.”

“By your leave, Your Highness,” the lead knight said, their feathered serpent member rising into the air and doing a few acrobatic motions while rattling their tail in a set of short pulses. “Shall we be on our way?”

“Yes, let's,” Roseluck said before turning to her younger companion. “Ready to go meet the Council, Sunset?”

“No,” Sunset said with a frown. “But it's not like I’ve got much choice, do I?”

Roseluck’s chuckle managed to prompt a slight smile from Sunset as the archduchess turned to follow the prominence knights.

“Trust me, Sunset, I know the feeling,” Roseluck said with a smile as she patted Sunset’s shoulder and gave it a quick, sororal squeeze.

*****

“So, this is it?” Sunset asked as she looked out the window of the horse-drawn carriage she and Roseluck were riding in, which was surrounded by their prominence knight escort, the plumed serpents in the air while the sun-gazers and colaurata rode in formation around the vehicle on destriers.

“Afraid so. Sunset, welcome to the Palace of Light,” Roseluck said with mocking gravitas as she made an elaborate flourish with her hand that lacked any enthusiasm.

Sunset glared at the building in question as the carriage pulled up to the front gate and came to a stop. It was a moderately sized structure not much larger than the academy she’d stayed in during her training for the rite. The Palace itself was similar in architectural style to the Cathedral of the Sun, though far smaller and lacking in the gold moulding and stained-glass frescos of it’s Core counterpart, instead opting for simple windows and bronze accents. Unlike the cathedral, which stood on its own at the base of Mt. Liakeed, the palace was situated within an enormous garden surrounded by a tall hedge of flowering bushes.

As Sunset regarded the building, she heard Roseluck stand from her seat and exit the carriage. With a sigh, she also stood and followed the archduchess. Stepping out of the vehicle and into the late morning sun, Sunset sauntered up to Roseluck and began to walk side by side with her through a wrought-iron gate and onto the grounds of the palace.

Once through the gate, they were greeted with a massive, elaborate flower garden filled with both marble statues and topiaries amidst the beds. Despite her distaste for the building they were approaching, Sunset found herself admiring the craftsmanship that had gone into forming the garden.

Or at least she was, until she saw the look on Roseluck’s face as she too surveyed the landscaping. The archduchess’s face was marred by a subtle frown, similar to the ones she’d see on Tender Heart when she or one of the other kids did something she didn’t like.

“Roseluck?” Sunset asked, touching the archduchess’s hand.

“Uh, oh, sorry, Sunset,” Roseluck said as she schooled her features and looked down towards the younger girl. “Just thinking.”

“About? You looked annoyed.”

“It’s nothing big, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Roseluck said as she gave Sunset’s shoulder a pat. “I just don’t like the way they maintain the garden. Never have.”

“Why? It looks pretty,” Sunset said.

“It does,” Roseluck admitted. “But, it also feels too… contained. Too sterile. It lacks, for a better word, naturalness.”

Looking down at Sunset, Roseluck’s usual smile returned.

“Don’t worry about it, Sunset. It’s an argument I’ve had with the Council about the grounds for years. Heliopolan and Eastern gardening sensibilities are just different. Nothing more.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Sunset said, though she was unsure if she believed Roseluck’s assurance.

All too soon, they arrived at the palace's front door, the prominence knights spreading out to form a cordon around the entrance as the double-doors slowly swung open. Climbing the short flight of stairs to the doors, Sunset and Roseluck entered the palace, four of the prominence knights, including their commander, following them immediately afterward.

Once through the doors, Sunset found herself in an elaborately decorated foyer. Unlike the cathedral’s entryway, this one was lined from wall to wall with a warm red carpet and was decorated with numerous sitting areas composed of couches and armchairs. Scattered around were also potted plants that Sunset couldn’t identify. And, at the far end of the room near a pair of double doors, stood Raven and Dylis, the former dressed in an ankle-length black dress with matching heeled boots, a white blouse, grey button-up vest and red ascot that matched her glasses, her hands clasped behind her back as she waited.

“Roseluck, Sunset, you made it,” Raven said as she met them halfway up the length of the foyer. “I take it the trip was quiet and uneventful.”

“Yes, Raven, it was boring and quiet. Nothing went wrong,” Roseluck said with a roll of her eyes.

“Good. That’s what I like to hear,” Raven said levelly before turning to the lead prominence knight. “Thank you for your service. You may return to Mt. Liakeed.”

At that, the knights bowed to Raven, turned, and marched out the palace’s entrance. Once the great doors had shut, Raven turned her attention back to her fellow phoenix-born.

“Steel and Spitfire will be arriving shortly, as will the rest of the council,” Raven said in her level, ‘seneschal’ tone. “Why don’t you two go to the council chamber and get comfortable? I’ll be along once everyone else has arrived.”

“Don’t take too long,” Roseluck said with a cheeky grin, “I don’t want to be stuck in a room with Steel and Spitfire without you there to make them behave.”

Sunset giggled at Roseluck’s snarky comment before bringing herself back under control at Raven’s subtle look of disapproval.

“Thank you, Archduchess Roseluck. I appreciate your candor in this matter. Raven said with professional detachment. “Please be on your way.”

And with that, Raven ushered Roseluck and Sunset deeper into the building. Sunset fell in step with the archduchess, whose mischievous smile hadn’t faded even as they left Raven.

Once they were out of earshot, Sunset sighed.

“I almost expected her to agree with you about Steel and Spitfire,” Sunset said. “Didn’t think she’d get mad like that.”

“Oh, trust me, she does. And she wasn’t mad. She just has to play the role of impartial mediator while we’re here,” Roseluck said as Amara trilled in agreement.

“I don’t get why she has to do that,” Sunset said as they walked down the corridor, passing dozens of closed and locked doors along the way.

“Politics, Sunset,” Roseluck said as she petted Amara’s head affectionately. “You’ll get used to it. Even if you never like it.”

“I’m going to go with never,” Sunset grumbled.

A few more minutes of walking later, the three of them arrived at another set of large, double-doors set into the wall of the corridor.

“And here we are,” Roseluck said with obvious disinterest as she pushed the doors open.

Following Roseluck in, Sunset took in the council chambers. At first glance, they resembled a massive amphitheater, with the walls plated in dark-red rosewood panels and the floor covered in the same plush red carpet as the rest of the building. Eleven rows of seats led down towards the base of the room, each one terminating in a desk with a single seat, or in one case, two. At the far end of the room, dead center, was a massive marble statue of Queen Celestia. Before the statue were six thrones, each set behind their own personal desk, the throne in the center the highest, then alternating down from left then right to the lowest. To Sunset’s surprise, the throne immediately to the left of the central one was covered in a white sheet embroidered with a wreath surrounding the image of three purple and three pink fruitdrop candies.

Her eyes tracing up the wall behind the statue, Sunset saw five portraits, each one representing one of the adult phoenix born and their partners, with Raven’s on the left end of the row, and progressing to the right in order of seniority. To the right of Spitfire, there was an empty portrait frame, which she suspected would one day hold her own image. However, between Raven and Steel, there was a portrait she didn’t recognize: a pleasant-looking woman with pale blue skin and red, purple, pink and white living flame. However, what was most distinctive about her were her eyes; rather than normal flesh and blood eyes, she had what appeared to be glittering, cut amethyst crystals in their place. Her bond partner, a similarly pleasant-looking phoenix, was perched on her shoulder.

Sunset’s confusion lasted only a moment, before she realized what, and who, she was looking at. The first Solarian phoenix-born, who had ascended on the day that Heliopolis was founded. Who had aided Raven in its defense before her demise in the Blight War at the tentacles of the Smooze.

“Is that…” Sunset began as she pointed to the woman’s portrait.

“Her name was Sweet Stuff.” Sunset nearly jumped out of her skin as a familiar yet unwelcome voice said from behind, “And she was one of the bravest Solarians I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.”

Turning around, Sunset spotted both Steel Sentry and Spitfire standing in the doorway, both of them in their military dress uniforms, Vestian and Akari resting on their shoulders.

“It's rude to sneak up on people like that, Steel,” Roseluck admonished, placing her fists on her hips and glaring at the general.

“Then you shouldn’t let yourself be snuck up on,” Steel retorted, before turning his attention to Sunset. “Hello again, little miss, glad to see you in good health. I don’t believe we’ve had the chance to be formally introduced. My name is General Steel Sentry, head of the Solarian military and ruler of the Northern Ray Inciner. And she…”

“…is Commander Spitfire, leader of the skystrikers and ruler of the South-East Ray of Radia ,” Spitfire finished, giving Sunset a hot glare, one mirrored by Akari.

Swallowing the bilious retort she had brewing in her throat, Sunset forced herself to remember that she was in the Council of Light’s chamber. As much as she wanted to spout off any number of insults or barbs at the general and commander, she held her tongue.

“Bright day to you both, General Sentry and Commander Spitfire,” Sunset said as she offered a polite curtesy, her stomach heaving in revolt as she did. “My name is Sunset Shimmer. It is a pleasure to formally be introduced to the both of you.”

“Well, at least she knows how to behave, unlike another certain non-Heliopolan in the room,” Spitfire said as she glared at Roseluck.

“If you have something to say to me, Spitfire, say it to my face,” Roseluck retorted. “Unless you’re afraid to.”

“Oh, I’m not afraid to tell you how I feel, you flower-picking–” Spitfire began as she took a step towards the archduchess.

“Roseluck, Spitfire, do not start this again. Not here,” General Sentry said firmly. As he did, Spitfire stopped her impending tirade while Roseluck shot him an angry glare. “If you insist on flinging insults like children, save it for when we aren’t in the sacred Council chambers.”

“Yes, Sir,” Spitfire said as she stood at attention, her glare still burning into Roseluck, who returned it with equal ferocity.

“So, you knew her?” Sunset asked General Sentry to distract herself from the white-hot glaring contest going on between Roseluck and Spitfire.

“Indeed,” General Sentry said as he walked past Sunset and down the stairs. The other phoenix-born soon followed, though Roseluck made sure to keep herself between the other two and Sunset.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Steel continued. “She was a true Solarian through and through. Loyal to the Queen. Unafraid to stand up for her people in the face of danger. Yet also humble and unsure if she was ever going to be good enough for her position. Such a shame she was lost to us.”

“Didn’t she die in the Blight War?” Sunset asked.

Turning his head to look at her over his shoulder, the tiniest hint of a smirk appeared on General Sentry’s face.

“I’m impressed you're so well read, little miss,” General Sentry said, his voice becoming slightly warmer. “She did indeed. She selflessly volunteered to hold off the Smooze while the sun-blades and I stormed the Volcano of Gloom to end Hydea. She accepted it was a suicide mission, but she knew that if she didn’t buy us enough time, Heliopolis would not be here today. We all owe her a debt of gratitude for what she did for us.”

Sunset regarded General Sentry for a moment, before turning to the painting.

“I guess we do, don’t we,” Sunset said, thinking about what the general had said. Could she have done something like that? Given her life to protect Solaria? Her friends? Her sisters?

“Remember her actions, little miss,” General Sentry said, his voice firm once again. “She had the courage to stand for Queen Celestia, Solaria and Heliopolis. Do you?”

At that, General Sentry walked away and headed towards the thrones. Sunset was about to follow, when she felt a hand grab her shoulder and spin her around. Looking up, she came face to face with Spitfire.

“Listen here, brat,” Spitfire said in a low hiss, causing Sunset’s eyes to go wide with fright. “I don’t know if you understand just how important these proceedings are, but you’d better be on your best behavior while you’re in these chambers. This isn’t some common meeting to discuss the price of pigs being sold at some local market. This is the Council of Light, the highest authority in all of Solaria, and when you’re here, you represent Heliopolis and the Queen. And that means you’re going to be on your best behavior, unless you want to answer to me. Do I make myself clear?”

“Spitfire, let go of her right now!” Roseluck shouted as she grabbed Spitfire’s wrist and pulled it free before using her other hand to gently guide Sunset behind herself protectively. “If you touch her again, I swear…”

“You’ll what, flower-girl? Are you going to throw a bunch of rose petals at me? Or maybe you’ll go crying to Raven and have her give me a talking to,” Spitfire said as she pulled her hand free of Roseluck’s grasp. “The brat needs to know her place. I’m just reminding her of it.”

And with that, Spitfire walked away.

“Deep stone, I want to introduce that pompous hothead to Thorn sometimes,” Roseluck growled as she watched Spitfire leave. “You okay, Sunset?”

“Yea, I think so,” Sunset said as she nodded, instinctively having opened her bond with Philomena to seek comfort.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” Roseluck said as she put a hand on Sunset’s back, ushering her towards what she presumed were their thrones. “Spitfire’s… not the easiest person to get along with. Unless you’re Steel, or one of her skystrikers.”

“Funny that she’s worried about me embarrassing the Council. Sounds to me like she’s more likely to,” Sunset growled as she rubbed her sore shoulder.

“Sadly, she hasn’t yet,” Roseluck sighed. “C’mon, let's get you seated. If those two are here, it shouldn’t be long before the rest of the council shows.”

“Okay,” Sunset grumbled as she followed Roseluck.

Reaching the throne on the lowest tier, Roseluck offered Sunset a hand as she climbed into the chair. The throne was almost comically oversized, and made Sunset feel small in comparison. She supposed that she would eventually grow into it, though that was small comfort given her current predicament.

Just as she was starting to get comfortable, the doors to the chamber swung open and Raven stepped in, followed by dozens of well dressed members of the Solarian nobility. As they filed in, each one gravitated towards a specific seat in the amphitheater rows, with six individuals taking seats at the front-most desks, leaving six of the desks at head of the rows vacant. As her eyes scanned the crowd, Sunset began to recognize many of the faces she’d seen at the phoenix-rite. Yet, she also noticed nearly a dozen or so seats in the rows were empty.

As soon as everyone was seated, Raven floated up to the topmost throne and took a seat. Lifting a rounded stone, she struck it on a sound block, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

“Bright day to all of you. By the power vested in me by Queen Celestia as her seneschal, voice and hand, I hereby declare this meeting of the Council of Light in session.”

Author's Note

Politics. Yay.

Ch 4 - The Trials - Shape the Edge With Skill and Purpose

Sunset had to fight down an urge to squirm in her throne as she stared out over the nobles assembled in the council chamber. Raven’s call to order had silenced their chatter, which gave Sunset a chance to really look at the assembly and take in a few details she hadn’t noticed when they’d first arrived. Namely, how the room was arranged: each row of seats was organized by the territory they represented, with a small placard on the front row desk identifying each one.

Just as the silence was beginning to become oppressive, Raven rose from her seat and picked up a sheet of paper.

“First order of business: today’s agenda,” Raven said in her usual, unreadable tone. “We will begin with the formal introductions of our newest phoenix-born and member of the Council of Light: Sunset Shimmer. Next will be updates on the results of the Crown’s investigation into the manipulation of the phoenix-rite by Highblood and his conspirators, as well as the sentences to be carried out as a result. Then, we will hear proposals regarding the filling of Highblood’s seat. We will break at noon for lunch in the garden, and reconvene an hour later to address the changes to the administration of the phoenix-rite’s testing process as decreed by the queen in light of Highblood’s heresy. Following that, we will move on to general business and status reports for each of the rays and territories, and conclude with proposals for new projects from each region. Does anyone wish to add any items at this time?”

The room was silent for a moment, before one of the councilors sitting in a front-row desk rose from his seat and cleared his throat. It took Sunset a moment to recognize him from the rite: Chancellor Neighsay, a stern-looking fire-caller with dark azure hair, light grey skin, turquoise eyes and light tangelo soul-gem. He was dressed in master-arcanist robes and wore his hair slicked back and his goatee waxed into a sharp point, which served to accent his already hawkish appearance.

“The Crown recognizes Chancellor Neighsay. You wish to speak?”.

“Yes, Lady Inkwell. Or rather, I have a question regarding the proceedings,” Neighsay said, his voice containing the bare minimal amount of respect necessary to not give direct offense.

“Very well. The floor is yours, Chancellor.”

“Thank you, Lady Inkwell,” Neighsay said with a nod. Sunset caught his eyes quickly snap over to her before returning to Raven. “I simply wish to know if the proper age of majority will be observed for this council or not?”

“It will be, Chancellor. Why do you ask?”

“I realize that while our newest member does have the right to be here by law,” Neighsay said with the barest hints of contempt seeping into his voice, “I very much doubt someone of her age from a town in the Western Territory has enough understanding of Heliopolan or Council matters to properly participate, much less vote on propositions that will affect the lives of Solaria in ways I doubt she’s ever had to comprehend.”

There was a murmur from the council members in the rows behind Neighsay, causing Sunset to bristle. On the far left and right sides of the room, she saw the few representatives present from the Western and Eastern Territories grow agitated, while many of the representatives from the rays seemed to agree with the chancellor. Before anyone could respond, Raven’s voice cut in.

“I understand your concerns, Chancellor. However, they are unfounded. Lady Shimmer is merely here to observe. As an academic and a teacher yourself, I’m sure you can attest to the benefit of firsthand experience when it comes to learning any system or craft, would you not?”

Sunset’s indignant rage was slightly quelled and she had to suppress a smile when Neighsay’s mouth and eyes narrowed with annoyance as another murmur came from the gallery behind him, including the sound of stifled laughter from a few.

“As you say, Lady Inkwell,” Neighsay replied tersely. “Just so long as observation doesn’t become involvement before the lessons can be properly absorbed, or the right to participate has been earned.”

“Indeed, Chancellor,” Raven said before gesturing towards Sunset. “Then again, Lady Shimmer and I already discussed this very matter at length before we arrived, and established that she would only be observing.”

Sunset’s satisfaction grew as Neighsay’s brows furrowed at the implied rebuke.

“And, as we are on the subject of participation and proper protocol, I feel that I should take this time to remind all present of something: although Lady Shimmer has not been granted her full title as she has not yet reached the age of majority, as a phoenix-born she is automatically afforded deference and respect greater than that of an duchess. Please keep this in mind when you speak to or about her in these chambers.”

Sunset took no small amount of pleasure in seeing Neighsay’s mouth tighten further as he did his best not to glare at Raven.

“Is that all, Chancellor?” Raven said.

“Yes, Lady Inkwell, that is all,” Neighsay hissed before returning to his seat.

“Then, if there are no further questions,” Raven said before pausing to let any other member of the council speak their mind. When no one else did, she continued, “we will begin with the formal introductions. Lady Shimmer, would you please?”

Sunset was caught by surprise by Raven suddenly focusing the light on her, before her mind caught up.

You got this Sunset! Go for it, Philomena sent in an encouraging tone.

Even if I don’t, looks like it won’t matter, Sunset replied as she slipped out of her throne, only to realize with irritation that her head barely reached above the desk.

Of course, she sent, trying not to groan at Philomena’s snickering. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she considered that she’d have to walk around the front to properly introduce herself, until she spotted a stepladder hidden in the alcove.

‘So much for dignity,’ Sunset thought as she pulled it out, then climbed to its top step and looked out at the council.

And nearly froze.

She had thought she was ready for this moment, but it was one thing to think about standing before so many people, all of whom had their eyes on her. It was another to actually be there. Clamping down her panic with one of her meditation techniques, she felt Philomena send soothing feelings of safety and calm in through their bond.

Thanks, Mena.

Happy to help.

“Bright day to all of you,” Sunset said as she curtsied to the council, keeping the depth of the bow at the level given to those of lower status by one of greater.

'I'm the one with higher status here, not them. Don't let them see weakness, and don't give them any more respect than they deserve,' she thought before rising and looking directly at the council chamber.

“My name is Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree. I suspect that we will be seeing each other for years to come, so I do hope that we’ll be able to work together for the benefit of Solaria and all of her people.”

Sunset did her best to keep her face neutral as she got off the stepladder and climbed back into her throne, her heart racing as the anxiety of having to stand in front of so many people and speak started to catch up to her. Thankfully, her meditation techniques and Philomena’s presence gave her an anchor, and she latched onto it, letting her partner soothe her nerves.

“Thank you, Lady Shimmer,” Raven said, before returning her attention to the council. “As Sunset has already been properly introduced to our august circle, we will begin with the ranking members of the Council of Light. We will begin with Photon. Duke Fancy, if you would?”

“Of course, Lady Inkwell,” Duke Fancy said as he rose from his seat and bowed respectfully to Sunset. “My name is Duke Fancypants, ruler of the Southwest Ray of Photon, and we pride ourselves as the center for the arts and theatre of Heliopolis. It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, young Sunset.”

As the duke returned to his seat, the fire-caller woman to his left stood, her arms folding behind her back as she did. Like Neighsay, she had a sharp, hawkish appearance, accentuated by a pair of pince-nez she wore on the bridge of her nose. She was dressed in a finely tailored, purple, two-piece suit with a ruffled jabot that complemented her white- and silver- streaked hair, pale snow-blue-grey skin, and piercing ash-grey eyes and soul gem.

“Bright day, Lady Shimmer,” the woman said with a respectful bow. “My name is Duchess Snowfall Frost, and I am the leader of the Western Ray of Illumin, Solaria’s hub for fire-caller magical research and development. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

As Frost sat, the two earth-weavers to her left stood in unison. Sunset recognized them as Duke Filthy Rich and Duchess Spoiled Rich, the former a tall, greyish amber-skinned man with dark grey hair and light azure eyes dressed in an expensive-looking, dark grey, silk three-piece suit, the latter having pale, greyish pink skin, bi-colored magenta and heliotrope hair, and piercing opal eyes dressed in an equally expensive-looking full-length dress accented by numerous pieces of gold jewelry studded with precious stones.

“Hello, Lady Shimmer, my name is Duke Filthy Rich…” the duke began in a level, business-like tone.

“And I’m his wife and co-ruler of the Northwest Ray of Candesis, Duchess Spoiled Rich,” the duchess concluded, her voice filled with barely contained condescension, before leveling Sunset with a look that could only pass for acceptable in the most generous sense. A slight, predatory smirk worked its way onto her face. “We hope that when you take over the Western Territory, you might be interested in doing business with Candesis.”

“Indeed,” Duke Rich said with an easy smile. “I believe there will be many lucrative opportunities that would be mutually beneficial to both the western lands and Heliopolis.”

Sunset had to swallow the bile rising in her throat as the two earth-weavers sat, also noticing the hostile glare coming from Duchess Frost directed at Duchess Rich. Already having caught hints of their history at the rite, Sunset turned her attention to the next member to rise: Chancellor Neighsay.

“Bright day, Lady Shimmer,” the chancellor said, his voice tight and filled with barely withheld loathing. “I am Chancellor Neighsay, head of the Northeast Ray of Ardor. We pride ourselves as the height of Heliopolan education and academics, and as the intellectual center of our great city.”

As Chancellor Neighsay sat, Sunset bristled again at his tone. Next to rise was Duchess Redheart. Unlike the last time Sunset had seen her, she wasn’t wearing her renewer’s robes and instead was dressed in a white blouse and vibrant orange, red and purple ankle-length dress, as well as a long, red silk head-scarf.

“Sun and land’s blessings upon you, Lady Shimmer,” Redheart said in a business-like tone as she bowed. “My name is Duchess Redheart, and I lead the Eastern Ray Lioht, a haven for those who wish to plumb the depths of earth-weaver magic. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

As Redheart took her seat, Sunset heard Raven’s stone strike the sounding board.

“Thank you all,” Raven said as she rose from her seat. “With introductions out of the way, we will move on to the next item on the agenda: the results of the Crown’s investigation into the tampering of the phoenix-rite. Does anyone wish to add anything before we begin?”

Duchess Frost rose from her seat.

“The Crown recognizes Duchess Frost,” Raven said.

“Thank you, Lady Inkwell. I’m curious why we’re spending time on this issue. Your preliminary investigation supposedly led to the arrest of all members of the conspiracy. If that’s the case, I doubt we need to use valuable council minutes addressing this when we should focus on the more important task of filling the seats vacated by Highblood and his co-conspirators.” Duchess Frost said as she placed her hands on her desk and eyed Raven critically.

“I will address that,” General Sentry said as he rose to his feet, Duchess Frost’s expression turning cold as she regarded the general. “While it is true that we’d already identified each of the primary conspirators, as well as most of their subordinates, we needed to determine both the extent of the corruption to the sacred rite, and the full nature of their crimes. Sadly, the heresy was only the tip of the batholith.”

“And were you involved in the investigation General Sentry?” Duchess Frost asked with narrowed eyes. “I know you and Highblood were friends for years.”

“No, General Sentry was not involved in any part of the investigation,” Commander Spitfire cut in. “Dawn Wings and her agents handled all aspects of tracking down the heretics. General Sentry and the sun-blades handled the arrests, with Eyes of the Sun present to ensure that none of the conspirators escaped.”

“And we’re sure that Dawn Wings’ evidence is good?” Duchess Rich asked. “They answer only to Raven, who lest we forget, also was involved in less than honest actions during the rite.”

“Why, concerned that she uncovered some of your double dealing, Spoiled?” Duchess Frost said as she glared at the earth-weaver. “I’d sooner trust Lady Inkwell’s integrity over yours in this regard. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had some hand in this whole thing. Having Highblood or General Sentry’s family take control of another Ray or the Western Territory would be quite beneficial for you and your husband, especially if you wanted to further line your pockets with industry contracts.”

“With that attitude, it sounds like you also have something to hide, Frost. Anything you want to confess to–” Duchess Rich replied with a sneer, before the sound of Raven’s stone gavel striking her sounding board silenced both duchesses. All eyes in the room turned towards Raven as she regarded the council impassively.

“Thank you both for your input,” Raven said evenly. “Duchess Frost, Duchess Rich, I remind you to keep things civil while we are in these sacred chambers. And, to address your concern, Duchess Rich, by sacred compact with Queen Celestia and Queen Lumina, my sole responsibility is to see the proper candidates brought before Lumina’s newest child. How I do so is not the Council’s concern nor do any of you have any say in the matter, as in that regard I only answer to the queens. If you wish to question my methods, I suggest you take it up with Queen Celestia or Queen Lumina.”

In the silence that followed Raven’s rebuke of the duchess, Sunset swore she felt a wave of magical energy suffuse the room. Glancing around at fire-callers, Sunset could see that they’d felt it too. Looking up at Raven, she wondered what the magical wave was, before she spotted Raven resting her hand on a familiar-looking apple-shaped ruby, obstructed from the rest of the council by her desk’s raised lip.

‘She’s using her amp!’ Sunset realized. ‘That means…’

Sunset’s thoughts were snuffed as a loud guffaw came from Steel.

“Really now, Lady Inkwell, you’re actually using that?” Steel chortled.

“I am indeed, General Sentry,” Raven replied. “After all, I want no doubt cast upon the results of the investigation.”

‘Using what?’ Sunset wondered. ‘What spell did she cast?’

“Of course,” Steel replied. “I would have done the same in your shoes.”

“Good. General Sentry, would you please deliver our report to the council?”

“With pleasure,” Steel said as his grin returned, before rising from his throne and pulling out a stack of papers from the desk. Clearing his throat, he began to read.

“Presented here are a list of all actions, crimes and heresies committed by the conspirators who sought to undermine the integrity of the fifth phoenix-rite of Solaria. At this time, I would ask you all to retrieve the packet marked as ‘item one.’ Within, the full list of guilty parties can be found, as well as all crimes they were determined to have committed. As a whole, these heretical and illicit actions were uncovered through the investigations of the Eyes of the Sun, and interrogation by Lady Inkwell, witnessed by either myself or Commander Spitfire: sedition, heresy, blasphemy, murder, blackmail, kidnapping, breaking and entering, torture, attempted theft of divinity, and unlawfully withholding of information from the Crown for the purposes of criminal action.”

Taking a breath, Steel regarded the council with cold indifference.

“We will now begin the report of the crimes committed, beginning with the lowest offenses and working up to the highest. The first count of criminal activity is…”

At that, Steel began to read the report, going into great detail on the Crown’s findings. Sunset followed along as he read, her blood boiling with rage as each crime committed by the conspirators was revealed, as well as naming the individuals responsible. Most of the guilty parties were civilians or bureaucrats that had been placed into the administration that conducted the phoenix-rite but with a fair number of members of the nobility being directly involved, as well as a handful of low- to mid-ranking individuals from the sun-blades and skystrikers.

The mildest crimes involved bribing or coercing individuals to lose materials related to the phoenix-rite, as well as tampering with or falsifying the reports sent to higher members in the administration of the vetting process. Others were far worse and involved blackmailing or bribing witnesses into silence, or if that didn’t work, using mercenaries or hired thugs to attack and silence them.

But that wasn’t the most revolting or horrifying of the crimes committed.

That came with the discovery that the heads of the conspiracy, upon learning the identities of the four true potentials discovered in Heliopolis, had lethal “accidents” arranged for them and their families to remove them as potential threats to their plan.

“All of these crimes were set in motion by the following conspirators for the purpose of subverting holy law and the authority of the Crown,” General Sentry said as he neared the end of the document. “Barons Silver Star and Pocketbook of Aurorias, Baroness Lilac Blossom of Lioht, Baronesses Chipperilla of Aurorias and Magnifique of Ardor, Captain Blazing Flare of Inciner, Countesses Burning Light of Ardor and Ringing Endorsement of Candesis, Earls Whispering Spring of Illumin and Gallant Pride of Photon, Viscount Paper Trail of Radia, Marchioness Gold Leaf of Candesis, Marquis Verdant Pride of Aurorias, and at the head of the conspiracy Duke Alexander Highblood of Aurorias. Each of these individuals have been found guilty of high-treason, heresy, conspiracy to commit crimes against sacred law and theft of divinity, as well as full complicity in all of the crimes committed under their orders previously described.”

Tapping the papers on the top of his desk, Steel returned them to the folder.

“This concludes the Crown’s report on the investigation into the manipulation of the phoenix-rite,” Steel said in a tone that told Sunset the general’s anger was only barely being kept in check. “Are there any questions?”

As Sunset looked out over the assembled council members, she saw most of them looked sick to their stomachs, with an equal number either in shock or barely containing their own anger. A few looked on in disbelief.

“No?” Steel said, breaking the stunned silence in the room. “Then, I return the floor to Lady Inkwell.

“Thank you, General Sentry,” Raven said as the general sat. “Now, Commander Spitfire will read the sentences that have been assigned to each individual involved. As these crimes include heresy against divine law and the Crown, the sentences have been passed by both Queen Celestia and Queen Lumina. Commander, if you would?”

“Yes, Lady Inkwell,” Commander Spitfire said in an even, professional voice, though one that contained her characteristic edge. As she rose from her seat and retrieved a folder from her desk, her eyes passed over the room, leveling a withering glare at the assembled nobles, many of whom shrank back slightly. “All of you open the folder marked ‘item two’ and follow along. We’ve got a long list to get through.”

There was a moment of papers shuffling as all of the council members retrieved the appropriate documents. Looking at her own copies of the papers, Sunset began to read.

“As before, the documents are organized by the severity of the sentences. We will begin with the mildest, and move towards the most severe. If there are no questions, we will begin…”

As with Steel’s previous delivery, Sunset followed along as Spitfire delivered the verdicts and sentences for each of the individuals involved in the conspiracy. For those that had been coerced into aiding, their sentences were fairly mild, consisting of being forced into indentured servitude to the Crown for several months or years. Those who willingly participated received more severe punishments, with the mildest offenses earning them forced labor by the Crown and seizure of assets and revocation of titles, while those who committed more severe crimes would be sentenced to branding and exile from Solaria into the Bright Desert to the north. In the case of the most severe crimes commited, including the murder of the potentials, they would be sentenced to death by gibbeting on the walls of the Corona.

During Spitfire’s delivery of the sentences, Sunset’s eyes would periodically drift over the council chamber. Much like when Steel had read his report, the reactions of the council were mixed.

“Before we get to the final sentencing of the core conspirators,” Spitfire said as she tapped the papers on the top of her desk to straighten them, “we will open the floor to questions.”

To Sunset’s surprise, it was Duke Fancypants that stood.

“The Crown recognizes Duke Fancypants,” Raven said.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Duke Fancy said with a bow. “I wish to know what sort of process will be in place for requesting mercy. I suspect that many of the family members of those found guilty will wish to forestall the punishments or seek a milder sentence.”

Raven nodded at the duke.

“Under regular circumstances, there may have been allowances for such pleas of mercy,” Raven began. “However, as the crimes committed include aiding and abetting an attempt at theft of divinity and heresy against sacred law, no such allowances will be made as the queen has the right to revoke the privilege of mercy in cases such as these. And, as the guilt of the parties involved was determined by use of truth magic cast by myself and witnessed by General Sentry or Commander Spitfire, their guilt is basalt solid.”

A low murmur filled the amphitheatre, a few of the nobles beginning to whisper to one another.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Duke Fancy said as he returned to his seat.

“Are there any further questions?” Raven asked.

Rising from his seat, Duke Rich regarded Lady Inkwell as he waited to be given the floor.

“The Crown recognizes Duke Rich.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Duke Rich said. “What will become of the families of those found guilty of these crimes? I understand that the normal precedent is that they are not considered complicit, but under these circumstances, I would like to know the Crown’s stance for the record.”

“The precedent stands,” Roseluck said as she rose to address the council. “Any and all relatives of those involved in the conspiracy that were complicit or aware of the actions of the conspirators yet did not report what they knew were included on the list of criminals already. Anyone who was wholly unaware of the actions of their family were absolved of any crime. However, any resources, titles or wealth, including land grants and property gained through accepting bribes have been confiscated by the Crown.”

“I see,” Duke Rich said. “And what of the confiscated resources? How will they be dealt with?”

“Seized property will be donated to charitable organizations in their home rays, while all resources and wealth will be used by the Crown for general improvements and maintenance to the rays, Corona, as well as the Eastern and Western territories. These seizures will not be available for requisition by the council, and will instead be dispensed at the discretion of the Crown.”

Duke Rich’s face fell a little at hearing Roseluck’s explanation, but he quickly schooled himself and bowed.

“Thank you, Lady Roseluck,” Duke Rich said as he took his seat.

“Are there any further questions?” Raven asked. Silence hung in the air for a few moments. “Then we will move on to the final sentencing. As the crimes committed are of the highest order and against the queen herself, she will be the one to deliver the verdict.”

A shocked murmur erupted from the council chamber as the weight of the declaration hit all of the mortals present. Then, there was a quick scramble as every one of them rose from their seats and dropped to a knee, bowing their heads deeply so as to look directly at the ground. As they did, every phoenix-born present also rose and turned to face the massive statue of Queen Celestia at the back of the room, Sunset rushing to do so when she realized what the others were doing.

“Your Highness,” Raven said as she looked up at the statue. “I, as your hand and voice, humbly request your presence in this, your Council of Light.”

There was a moment of silence as the words left Raven’s mouth. Then, a presence settled over the room. A warm, familiar one that Sunset had grown to know over her last two months on Mt. Liakeed.

No sooner had the presence entered the amphitheater than the eyes of the statue flashed with glowing, golden light. Then, it suddenly began to move, rising with a grace that no living thing could ever match as its hair and tail transformed into a flowing, rainbow aurora. As the statue rose to its full height, it raised the royal scepter held in its right hand imperiously over the assembly, then lowered it to its side.

Even as often as Sunset had seen the queen spontaneously turn a statue into a galatea to act as an intermediary, it was still an impressive feat.

“My queen,” Raven said as she bowed deeply to the galatea of Celestia, prompting all of the phoenix-born, including Sunset, to do the same. “We are ready to hear your sentence against the head conspirators who blasphemed against you and Queen Lumina.”

“Thank you, Raven,” Queen Celestia said, her voice echoing with power across the amphitheater. Unlike when Sunset normally heard the queen’s voice, this time it was laced with the tiniest traces of anger and disappointment. “For their crimes against myself and Queen Lumina, I sentence those who headed the conspiracy to subvert the sacred phoenix-rite to death by mourning glory.”

‘What?!’ Sunset thought as her stomach twisted in horror at what she’d just heard.

“In one week’s time, I will administer this punishment personally to each and every member of the cabal,” Queen Celestia’s voice cut through the haze of dread around Sunset’s mind, bringing her back to the present. “All sun-gazers across Solaria will be witness to this dispensation of divine justice by vision projected into the sky of Solaria at noon on the day of the execution.”

The air in the council chamber suddenly became hot as Queen Celestia’s aura began to press down on everyone present. Without her immunity to the injurious effects of heat, Sunset knew that the atmosphere would be painful.

“I am very disappointed in the citizens of my nation, if any among them believe that they had the right to decide who was worthy of ascension in place of myself and Lumina.” Queen Celestia’s voice dropped slightly with anger as the heat intensified. “Or seek to defile the ceremony meant to signify the bond between myself and one of my oldest and most beloved friends for personal gain. Or think that they could get away with such a thing. Know that should something like this ever happen again, there will be dire consequences. So I have spoken, so it shall be.”

And then, as suddenly as the room had been occupied by the queen, she was gone, and with her departure went the blistering heat and crushing divine presence. Slowly, the galatea sank back to its original position, reverting to an ordinary, inanimate statue. Sunset shakily rose from her bow and returned to her throne, her whole body trembling as she situated herself. Looking out at the council chamber, she saw the rest of the occupants slowly rising from their knees and returning to their seats. All of them looked pale and shaken, with sweat staining their clothes and dripping down their faces. Sunset could hardly blame them.

If she was honest with herself, she was shaken. Not just the anger in the queen’s voice and the fact she clearly could have incinerated all of the mortals present if she’d felt like it. No, it was the sentence the queen had laid down. It was monumental, and utterly horrific in its severity. Not that she disagreed with it, because Highblood deserved it for everything he and his allies had done. But it was still horrific to think about.

Sunset, what’s wrong? Philomena sent, clearly having sensed Sunset’s distress. It feels like you’re about to puke.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Sunset focused her mind on her meditations, before she replied.

Mena, I just heard the queen sentence over a dozen people to death by mourning glory.

So? What’s so bad about that?

That’s… Mena, death by mourning glory is one of the most horrific punishments ever, and one reserved for only the most vile traitors to Solaria, Sunset sent as she slowly began to recover from her shock. It’s something that’s only ever been used once before, and it was after the Skellweb Crisis.

Skellweb Crisis?

It was a ten year long conflict that nearly destroyed the Eastern Territory between the Cult of Endless Decay and Solaria. It began when an earth-weaver named Black Thorn discovered the sealed form of D’Compose and raised a cult to worship the creature before finding a way to release it from its prison.

D’Compose?

One of Grogar the Death Bringer’s abominations, Sunset explained, her stomach turning as she remembered the legends of the Skellweb Crisis, both from the horrors D’Compose and its followers had inflicted on Solaria and the aftermath when it had been re-sealed and its cult had been captured with the aid of the kirintal. When Black Thorn and the cult leaders were brought to Queen Celestia, she sentenced them to die by mourning glory. Mourning glories are magically created parasitic plants that are implanted in the body. The plant immobilizes its host as roots and vines burrow through their flesh before binding them to the ground. The vines keep their hosts fully awake and conscious from then on as they slowly shave away their host’s vital energy, the very source of the life in all living things. Supposedly, the agony the vines inflict during this process would kill in seconds if it weren’t for them preventing the host from dying, going mad, becoming numb to the pain, or even losing consciousness before they finish the job. Legends say Black Thorn lasted a century before he finally perished.

From the other end of the bond, Sunset could feel Philomena's alarm at what she'd just heard.

By mother’s fire…

You can say that again.

Sunset’s attention was drawn away from Philomena by the sound of a chair scraping back and someone rising. Looking up, Sunset saw that Duchess Redheart had risen, her face paler than usual and her body shaking.

“Your Grace,” Sunset heard Duchess Redheart say in a weak, trembling voice.

“Yes, Duchess Redheart?” Raven said, her counternance no different than usual. Sunset found that fact almost disturbing.

“I would like to request a thirty minute recess to process what we’ve just witnessed and heard,” the duchess said.

“Very well. Is there a second?” Raven asked.

“Second,” Chancellor Neighsay said, sounding like he was on the verge of throwing up.

“All in favor?” Raven said as she regarded the room.

A veritable forest of hands rose shakily into the air. By Sunset’s best guess, it was the entirety of the Council and all of their subordinate nobles in the seating rows behind them.

“All opposed?”

No hands rose.

“Very well,” Raven said as she struck the sounding block. “We will reconvene in a half-hour’s time. Dismissed.”

*****

The half-hour recess came and went. Sunset had spent the time with Roseluck in her office, drinking an herbal tea blend that the archduchess kept on hand when she “needed to relax.” It had helped more than Sunset wanted to admit, and by the time they returned to the council chambers, she was feeling much better. Not back to normal better, but able to handle the next bout of watching the council play out whatever battles they were planning to fight.

The first to return were the rest of the phoenix-born, who took their thrones with little fanfare. Once settled, the remainder of the Council of Light slowly filtered back in. As they did, Sunset noticed a distinct lack of energy in a fair number of the lower ranking nobles, as if they were still processing the verdict Celestia had delivered. However, the highest ranking members themselves appeared revitalized, and from the hard looks in their eyes, they were ready to fight. Sunset was surprised by that and wondered why they looked so eager to scrap.

Soon everyone had returned to their seats, and Raven called the session back to order with a sharp bang of her gavel stone.

“The Council of Light will now resume its session,” Raven said. “We will move to item three on the agenda: proposals for the filling of Duke Highblood’s seat. The Crown will now open the floor to suggestions from the council. Do any members wish to put a candidate forward?”

To Sunset’s surprise, Duchess Rich stood.

“Your Grace, I’m sorry, but I fail to see the point of all this. Aurorias already has a new duke: Highblood’s son Blueblood,” Duchess Rich said with a flip of her hand. “By all accounts, he should automatically gain the title as it is his by right of inheritance.”

A sharp, humorless laugh came from Duchess Frost, before she stood and glared at Duchess Rich.

“Are you serious, Spoiled? Are you actually serious?” Duchess Frost said as she turned to face the other woman, a cold, angry scowl creasing her features. “You mean to tell me that you think we should install the son of a man who was just convicted of crimes so severe that the queen herself is going to turn him into a mourning glory planter to the ruling position of Aurorias? Are you daft?”

“I’m dead serious, Frost,” Duchess Rich said as she returned the glare. “Legally, we have no reason to deny Blueblood his rightful inheritance, unless there was evidence that the boy was complicit in the manipulation of the rite. But, as he wasn’t listed as one of the guilty parties, I would assume that he wasn’t. Unless I missed something.”

“Duchess Rich is right,” Steel said as he laced his fingers together and rested his elbows on the surface of his desk. “Young Blueblood, while he stood to benefit from the manipulation of the rite, had no hand in manipulating it, just as my granddaughter had no hand in placing Flash among the false potentials.”

“Even if he didn’t have a hand in manipulating the rite,” Duchess Redheart said firmly, “I believe that the actions of his father have proven that his family is no longer fit to lead Aurorias. The boy’s outburst during the rite is proof enough that his father’s teachings have already been absorbed.”

“You cannot judge someone based on the actions they may take in the future, Duchess Redheart,” Chancellor Neighsay said, giving the duchess a sidelong glare.

“Really now, Chancellor? I find that odd, coming from someone who often stood with Highblood on issues of things like imigration bans on non-Heliopolans moving into the Rays, on the grounds of them ‘bringing in undesirable elements,’” Duchess Redheart countered. “Not to mention your policy of not allowing outsiders to attend your most prestigious institutes in Ardor. That sounds hypocritical to me.”

“My institutions welcome all those who’ve proven themselves worthy of the honor of attending through academic excellence, nothing more. If someone outside Heliopolis were to actually manage to pass the entrance exams, they’d be welcomed. And as to your first point, there is plenty of evidence showing that whenever we open Heliopolis to members of the outer territories, crime goes up in the ray where they move,” Chancellor Neighsay sneered at Duchess Redheart. “Contrary to your argument against the boy, I have actual data to back me up.”

“So, what sort of crime then, Chancellor?” Duke Fancypants interjected. “Crime against Heliopolans, or crime against the immigrants? Because from where I stand, those aren’t the same thing.”

“Primarily the former, if you must know, Duke Fancy,” the chancellor replied curtly.

The sound of Raven’s gavel silenced the council members. All eyes turned to Raven.

“That is enough,” Raven said sternly. “Duchess Rich has proposed a candidate. Are there any others?”

“Lady Inkwell, may I have the floor?” Duke Fancy said as he rose.

“The floor is yours.”

“Thank you. While I recognise that Duchess Rich has presented a valid option, one that is viable from a legal point of view, I also agree with Duchess Redheart and Duchess Frost regarding the former duke’s son. I’ve had interactions with the boy, and frankly I see far too much of his father in him. The child is arrogant, condescending, and considers others to be beneath him on principle,” Duke Fancy said as he rested his hands on his desk. “I believe that we have an opportunity to change the course of Aurorias’s future here today. We could continue along the line that led to a heretic that thought himself above divine law, or we could change things for the better. Put a new family in charge of Aurorias. One with greater integrity than Highblood’s line.”

“And who would you suggest, Duke Fancy?” Duke Rich asked with a skeptical tone. “Of the rays, Aurorias has always been particularly insular. I doubt they would accept a ruler from outside the ray, let alone the outer territories. Unless you want more disruption than Highblood’s removal and execution will cause.”

“What do you suggest then, Duke Rich?” Duke Fancy countered. “Even if we felt that young Blueblood was a viable candidate, which I have serious reservations about, we established not two hours ago that we are now very strictly observing the age of majority with regard to council appointments, and leaving Aurorias without a ruler for the next six years isn’t an option. Unless the chancellor’s comments regarding minors serving were only in relation to our newest phoenix-born.”

Sunset watched with satisfaction as the chancellor bristled slightly at the barb sent his way by his fellow fire-caller.

“There is another option,” Spitfire said, drawing all eyes in the room. “If we do not wish to place the duke’s son on Aurorias’s throne, we could always elevate his brother Marquis Amethyst Mirage, as he also has a claim to the seat by birthright.”

“And that would be any better?” Redheart asked.

“Marquis Amethyst isn’t Highblood,” Steel said as he stood to address the council. “I’ve known the man for years, and his loyalty to the Crown and Heliopolis has been unshakable, even in light of the events surrounding his brother’s arrest. Furthermore, since it seems that your primary objection is that Blueblood would follow in his father’s footsteps, then choosing the next legal candidate down the line would satisfy the rules of inheritance, and remove the question of…”

Sunset’s attention began to drift off as the Council of Light continued to prattle on back and forth. She had had a feeling things would be like this, but by Queen Celestia’s sun, she didn’t think it would be this boring.

Hey, Mena, Sunset sent as she watched Duchess Rich and Duchess Frost begin arguing with one another again.

Yea? Is the meeting over?

Nope, the Council’s still arguing over which goat-licker gets to take Highblood’s place, Sunset sent as she rested her elbow on the arm of her throne and propped her cheek in her hand. I’ve kinda stopped paying attention at this point. Can you get to the books I left on our bed?

Well, it’s not like I can exactly get off the bed, now can I? Philomena sent back with a playful lilt.

Missing having me around to carry you yet? Sunset sent back with a mental chuckle. She had a feeling Raven wouldn’t look too kindly on her not paying attention, so she did her best to not let it show.

Of course! How else am I supposed to get around?

I have no idea. In any case, if you’re resigned to being stuck on the bed, think you could head over to my rune guide?

I thought you said you were bored.

I am. Reading about rune theory is interesting. Listening to this pig crap isn’t.

Alright, give me a few seconds, Philomena sent. So, you want me to read to you?

You can read now?

No, but I thought it’d be funny.

Hilarious. Just let me borrow your eyes for a bit. All you need to do is turn the page whenever I’m done.

Thrilling.

Mena, I can feel how bored you are too. So, you can either help me, and we keep each other company, or I go back to sitting here listening to these pompous goat-lickers yammer and you go back to sitting in our room doing nothing. Take your pick.

Philomena was silent for a few seconds.

Fine, Philomena sent with a huff. Can we at least read something a bit more fun?

Sure, but only after some studying, Sunset sent as she shifted in the throne to rest her head in her other hand. Let’s get through a couple of runes, then I’ll read you something from Solarian Legends. Sound good?

No, but I can work with it, Philomena sent, before Sunset was suddenly looking at two places at once. One was the council chamber watching Duchess Rich and Duchess Frost arguing, with the other members of the council periodically chiming in.

The other was her bed, a set of large books laid out on the pillows. From the second perspective’s point of view, the books were enormous, coming just to under their eye level.

But the altered perspective and scale paled in comparison to the dissonance between the way the world looked through the two different perspectives. While the amphitheatre was normal, her bedroom was sharper. More detailed. She was sure she’d have been able to count the threads in the blanket on her bed if she tried. But that wasn’t all: there were the colors. Everything was saturated and vibrant, like someone had somehow made everything twice as intense and bright.

Thanks, Mena, Sunset sent. Do you think you could pry open the rune guide at the red bookmark?

Sure, just give me a moment, Philomena sent as she bent her head forward and grasped the book in question with her beak. It took some effort, but she managed to get the cover open and eventually flip pages to the right one.

Thanks, Sunset sent as she began to read.

Yea, yea. You still owe me a story from the fun book after this.

I know. We can read one about your mom again, if you want. Sunset sent as she continued to study the process for inscribing the tier-three rune on the page and the properties it carried when used as a linkage between other runes in a circuit.

Sounds fun. I liked the last one a lot.

Me too, Sunset sent as she studied the rune, while making sure she continued to feign boredom with the council proceedings. From the sound of it, the phoenix-born aside from Raven had gotten involved and were politely arguing on and on about whatever it was they were talking about.

Suppressing a sigh, Sunset went back to studying.

It was going to be another long couple of hours.

*****

The debate about Aurorias’s new ruler had lasted until the midday meal break. Much to Sunset’s intense chagrin, it hadn’t been resolved by the end of the allotted time, meaning the council would be returning to the discussion at their next session. Several proposals had been made before Raven had called an end to the debate.

Thankfully, she’d caught the tail end of it, or at least enough to get an idea where the council stood on the matter. There was currently a three way deadlock: Duchess Frost, General Sentry and Commander Spitfire supported elevating Amethyst Mirage to be the new duke, while the proposal to place Blueblood on the throne had Chancellor Neighsay and both Duke and Duchess Rich’s support. Duke Fancypants and Duchess Redheart had pushed for someone from outside Aurorias to take over, which was also supported by Roseluck, though they hadn’t offered a proper candidate yet. Only Raven had abstained from making her opinion known.

After Raven had called an end to the session, the council had all filtered out of the chamber, followed by the phoenix-born. As they walked, Sunset stuck close to Roseluck and Amara as the nine of them made their way towards the garden exit. None of them spoke as they walked, though Sunset could feel palpable tension in the air between the four elders.

It was a great relief to her when they arrived at a set of double-doors, exited the palace, and entered a large, open patio area on the north side of the building. Near the center of the patio were long tables covered in platters of food and decorated with bright, colorful floral arrangements. The air was filled with the sound of idle chatter as the nobility had already broken up into small, nearly impenetrable cliques, while servers dressed in finely tailored outfits collected used plates or delivered drinks. The outer edge of the patio was surrounded by a trimmed hedge that Sunset could tell was just slightly taller than herself, with flowering trees and shrubs peaking over the top of the green wall.

The setup was remarkably familiar to Sunset, though it was the first time she was on the outside rather than being one of the people serving.

As they stepped out onto the patio, all four phoenixes spread their wings and took to the air, flying off into the garden, while three of the elders broke away and headed towards the nobles. Raven veered off towards the north where she saw a cluster that included Duke Fancy, Duchess Redheart and, to Sunset’s surprise, Duchess Frost, while Steel and Spitfire headed towards another that included Neighsay and the Riches. To Sunset’s relief, Roseluck stayed with her, going as far as to put a hand on her shoulder before giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“How about we get something to eat, Sunset?” Roseluck asked as she pointed towards one of the tables. “Then, we can head out into the garden. There’s a nice spot where we can relax.”

Sunset looked up at Roseluck and creased her brows in disbelief.

“I’m sorry. What?” Sunset said.

“I figured you’d rather spend lunch somewhere private. I’m sure you could use it after how long you’d drifted off during the council. Of course, I trust whatever you and Philomena were talking about was more engaging,” Roseluck said as she started to lead Sunset towards one of the tables.

Sunset felt her face flush red with embarrassment.

Busted! a snarky voice in her head cheered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sunset stammered as she looked away nervously. Not a word, Mena. Not a nighted word!

“Of course not,” Roseluck said with one of her signature titters as she took a pair of plates from the table, and offered one to Sunset. “And the fact that you stopped looking bored halfway through had nothing to do with you sending with Philomena instead of paying attention.”

Yup, busted. Just be glad it’s Roseluck and not Raven, Philomena sent cheerily at Sunset’s discomfort.

You’re not helping!

“I… uh,” Sunset weakly said as she took the plate Roseluck handed her. As she looked at the table, she frowned as her embarrassment was swiftly replaced with confusion. “Roseluck, what is all this?”

“Hmm?” Roseluck said as she filled her plate. “Oh, these dishes are from the northern border of Eastern Territory. They’re inspired by kirintal cuisine… with a Solarian twist, of course.”

Sunset looked back at the table and frowned. Set out before them were plates of odd-looking flatbreads, bowls of different stewed vegetables and fruits in spicy-smelling sauces, mounds of savory-smelling grains that she didn’t recognize, all garnished with exotic-looking flowers. There were also pitchers of what Sunset assumed were fragrant beverages set around the table, though she wasn’t sure.

“Okay…” Sunset said as she eyed the food.

Hearing Roseluck tittering again, Sunset looked up to see the archduchess smiling down at her.

“Would you like some recommendations?” Roseluck said with a good-humored lilt.

“That would be nice, thank you,” Sunset said flatly as she regarded Roseluck, before making a wide, sweeping gesture to the table. “Because I clearly know what any of this is.”

Without a word, Roseluck reached over to one of the plates of flatbread. Plucking one near the middle of the stack free, she placed it on Sunset’s plate.

“Well, to start, you’ll want one of these…” Roseluck said as she began to guide Sunset through choosing the contents of her meal, as well as explaining how each dish was to be eaten. Soon enough, Sunset had a generous mound of food on her plate, including the flatbread, a scoop of one of the milder-smelling grain dishes, and two different types of sautéed vegetables in savory-smelling sauces, as well as getting a mug of floral-scented iced tea.

“Well then, shall we?” Roseluck said as she led Sunset towards a break in the hedge. Several times during their walk, some noble or other had tried to approach either of them, but Roseluck had politely turned them away, much to Sunset’s relief. She wasn’t ready to deal with any of the nobles in person. Not yet.

Eventually they managed to reach the edge of the patio and made their way out into the garden. The two of them walked in pleasant silence deeper into the grounds, Sunset taking time to look at all of the beds of flowers, shrubs and trees, her link with Philomena open to let her share in the artistic splendor she was seeing.

After a few minutes of walking, they passed through a large, arched gate in another tall hedge wall. On the other side, Sunset saw they’d entered an area that consisted of an expansive, lightly wooded area of tall, fragrant cedar trees with lots of low-growing shrubs and herbaceous flowers, none of which she could identify. Yet, unlike the rest of the garden, this area looked far less neat and orderly. In fact, if it wasn’t for all the plants she didn’t recognize, it looked more like someplace she’d encounter outside town back home in Golden Tree. Yet, when she took a moment to look closer, she could see that it was clearly cared for: the path was neatly maintained and kept clear, there was a certain pattern to the placement of each of the plants, and what leaf litter was left on the ground had somehow been arranged to accent the appearance of the plants.

“And here we are,” Roseluck said cheerfully. “Now, there’s a spot nearby I always make a point to visit when I’m here, so let's head there, okay?”

Sunset simply nodded as she followed Roseluck deeper into the garden, her senses being assaulted by the smell of the flowers and vegetation. This place was far too perfect to be as natural as it looked. Not to mention that they were still on the grounds for the Palace of Light.

“Roseluck?” Sunset ventured.

“Yes?”

“What is this place?”

“A piece of the garden Raven gave me for my own,” the archduchess said. “Unlike the rest of this place, I’m given free reign here.”

Looking around, Sunset considered what she was seeing. The order hidden behind the veil of wildness.

“This is an Eastern-style garden, isn’t it?” Sunset asked as they passed over a small wooden bridge spanning a softly babbling creek.

“You're a sharp one, Sunset,” Roseluck said with a smile. “It is indeed. The rest of the gardens may be tormented into shape by the Heliopolans. But here? Here, this is my kingdom.”

Her suspicions confirmed, Sunset looked around at the landscape.

“It’s incredible,” Sunset said with a slight smile.

“Thank you, Sunset.”

It took a few more minutes of walking to reach their destination. Before them in a clearing in the trees was a small field of flat-topped granite boulders covered in moss and patches of tiny yellow, white and pink flowers around small pools of water that were being fed by some hidden source of water at the top of the pile.

Yet, the most striking thing about the glen were growing between the stones: numerous small, dense shrubs, each one covered in tiny, deep green, needle-like leaves with tall stems covered in long chains of silvery, pendent, inverted teardrop-shaped flowers. Sunset wasn’t sure if it was an optical illusion or not, but she could swear that a slow, steady cascade of faintly shimmering dust was coming from the blossoms.

On the far end of the glen, there was a small boulder with a wooden bench on top: the only thing in the entire glen that didn’t look like it could have been plucked from the wild and dropped into Chromos.

Hearing the sound of flapping wings from above, Sunset looked up to see Amara flying towards the bench. Instead of landing on it though, she alighted in one of the trees behind it.

As the two phoenix-born made their way towards where Sunset figured they’d be eating, she noticed an unusual fragrance in the air. Unlike the rest of the garden, the smell here was a mixture of water, moss, petrichor, and a slight hint of decay. Yet, there was another smell, one that was mild and pleasantly sweet, and filled her with a sense of calm.

“Wow,” Sunset said in awe as the two of them arrived at the bench. “I can see why you like it here.”

“That’s only part of it,” Roseluck said as she set her plate and mug on the bench. “Why don’t you take a seat and enjoy your food? There's something I need to do first.”

“Oh, like what?” Sunset said as she climbed onto the bench and sat, facing Roseluck.

“You’ll see,” Roseluck said cryptically before turning and floating into the air above the rocky outcrop.

Taking a piece of her flatbread and using it to scoop up some of the vegetables and cooked grains, Sunset opened her link with Philomena, sending the taste and texture of her food to her bondmate. As she watched Roseluck with great interest, the archduchess called down a small cloud with a short spell-dance. Taking the cloud in her hands, she shaped it into a wide, flat disk. Sunset wasn’t sure what Roseluck was doing, until she removed her boots and landed on the white, fluffy platform. Once settled, she began a longer, more elaborate spell-dance.

Her meal forgotten, Sunset was mesmerized by the grace and ease that the archduchess moved with on top of the cloud. But, there was more. Unlike the spell-dances Sunset knew, the one Roseluck was performing involved more motion of her legs and hips, with only small flourishes of her arms, rather than the twirling, sweeping motions she was used to.

What do you think she’s doing? Philomena sent as they watched Roseluck step and shuffle along the top of the cloud, her feet almost gently kneading it with the tips of her toes.

No idea, Sunset sent as she took another bite of her food.

As the archduchess danced, Sunset could feel Roseluck's flame growing in power and flowing down into the cloud. With a flourish, Roseluck finished her dance, and the cloud began to break apart into a glowing, rainbow-colored mist that slowly descended over the glen. As it settled onto the ground, Sunset saw the plants grow just a little more vibrant, and the air began to smell just a little sweeter.

As the last of the mist had settled into the ground, Roseluck slowly flew back over to Sunset. Taking a seat on the bench, she slipped her boots back on, Amara joining them moments later, landing on the back of the bench between the two phoenix-born. Once settled, the archduchess picked up her plate and began to eat, a warm smile on her face as she looked out over the landscape.

“What did you just do?” Sunset asked as she finally recovered her voice. “I’ve never seen a spell-dance like that before.”

“I’m not surprised,” Roseluck said with a slight smile as she held up a piece of her meal for Amara. “It's something I developed to keep these plants alive and healthy. They should be good for another four months or so.”

Sunset regarded Roseluck for a moment.

“Why wouldn’t they be?” Sunset asked as she looked back over the garden.

“Those shrubs out there,” Roseluck said as she nodded her head towards the silver-flowered bushes, her voice turning a bit sad. “They’re called silver fue’litsi’l.”

“I’ve never heard of those,” Sunset said as she looked at the bushes. “Are they from the Eastern Territory?”

Roseluck closed her eyes and shook her head as a soft sigh escaped her throat.

“No, they’re not. They’re from Himavanta, the kirintal’s kingdom.”

“Wait, what?” Sunset said in shock as she snapped her attention back to Roseluck. “Really?”

“Yes. These plants were a gift from Arbiter Rain Shine as part of the alliance between the Himavanta and Solaria,” Roseluck said, an almost sad look in her eyes as she regarded the shrubs. “A third of the seedlings were planted here, while another third were planted on Mt. Liakeed. The final third were given to me, and now live in my garden back in Rose’s Blossom.”

“Wow. That’s incredible,” Sunset said as she looked back at the plants with a new sense of wonder. “But, wait, why would they need you to use that spell then?”

“Because,” Roseluck said with a sigh, “they can’t flourish in this environment. Sure, they can survive. But to be healthy and happy? They need something that they can’t get in this place. Something that’s missing from the air, soil and magic. Something that only their home can give them.”

Looking back out at the bushes, Sunset considered what she’d just heard. These plants were from somewhere far away, and now stuck somewhere that wasn’t right for them. A profound sense of melancholy settled over her heart as she set her plate aside and folded her hands in her lap, Philomena sending her subtle waves of love in an attempt to make her feel better. Sending a feeling of gratitude to Philomena, Sunset closed her eyes and sighed.

“I can relate,” she said as she regarded the flowers in this new light.

“I suppose you can, can’t you?” Roseluck said as she put a hand on Sunset’s and squeezed. “To be honest, so can I. This place? Even for as long as I’ve played the game, I’ve never really liked it. It's why Raven let me have this part of the garden. To give me something to help me feel just a little more at home.”

“It gets easier though, right?”

“Depends on what you mean by ‘easier,’” Roseluck said as she let go of Sunset’s hand and reached up to scratch Amara’s chin. “Do you get better at the game? Sure. It just takes time. But, then again, time’s something we’ve got on our side. Do you ever stop hating it and learn to enjoy it? I don’t know. That’s up to you.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever really enjoy it,” Sunset said as she poked at her cold food listlessly. “I think I’m like the fue’litsi’l. I don’t belong here.”

“Maybe,” Roseluck said sympathetically. “Maybe you won’t thrive here. Maybe it’s the wrong place for you in the end, even if you have to be here. But maybe, just maybe, you might find a way to survive too.”

Then, to Sunset’s surprise, Roseluck lifted her arm and performed a quick spell-dance with her hand. As she finished, the food on Sunset’s plate warmed back up.

“But, that’s for later. Let’s finish eating. No sense in letting good food go to waste, right?” Roseluck said with her characteristic cheery warmth. “After all, we have a long afternoon of listening to Heliopolans prattle.”

Looking up at her, Sunset found herself smiling at Roseluck.

“Right,” Sunset said before turning her attention back to her food, her eyes drifting over the peaceful section of the garden and the fue’litsi’l flowers. Looking at them once again, she found herself feeling a little better. There was still a lot of time left in the day’s session. Back among the vethris swarm of a council. But, that was then. This was now. And for now, she was going to enjoy the time she had before having to jump back into the fray.

Author's Note

Sunset gets her first taste of Council politics. And Solaria is put on notice by one very unhappy centaur.

To those not familiar with D'compose and Black Thorn, I will refer you to the Inhumanoids, another property created by Hasbro in the 80s. One that, while having a delightfully horrific premise, failed as the toy sales that it was created to generate didn't materialize due to the cost of the large inhumanoid figures.

Mourning glories are based on a combination of two members of Convolvulaceae, the morning glory family. One is Ipomoea, or morning glory. The other is Cuscuta, also known as doder, which is an obligately parasitic plant (don't worry, it feeds on other plants, not animals).

As for the fue’litsi’l, it's appearance is based on White mountain heather (Cassiope mertensiana).

Ch 5 - The Trials - See the Sword You've Helped to Mould

Heya, Sunny!

How’s it going? It was so good to hear from you before. I miss you so much and can’t wait to see you again. Also, step up your game, because Dashie had a feeling you were teasing her. Sure, she was a bit mad, but probably not as mad as you’d hoped. We did get a good laugh out of it though.

Sunset, we all saw what Queen Celestia did to those meanies from Heliopolis. By the light, it was awful. I know they deserved it for what they did, but still, I felt icky after that. But, I guess that was the point.

Other than that, things are pretty much same old, same old here. Everyone’s finishing up the harvests from the summer and getting ready to plant for the fall. A couple months, and it’ll be time for the Fall Harvest Festival! I’m excited, but it won’t be the same without you, Sunny. Maybe… do you think you could ask Lady Inkwell really, really nicely if you can come? I’m sure she’d be okay with just a couple days. Right? Right?

Lyra, Flitter and Lilac have come by a couple times to ask about how you’re doing, so we told them about what’s been going on. They’re worried about you. Maybe you could write them too? I’m sure they’d love to hear from you and know you’re doing okay.

Anyway, write when you can. Maybe send something to Tender Heart and everyone at the orphanage. And Bronze. I’ve seen him a couple times at the Sweet Shoppe, and he misses you.

Lots of love.

Pinkie Pie

Hi, Sunset,

Granny signed the documents Lady Inkwell wanted before she’d let us send the cider. I don’t know why she’s being like this about it, but if this is how it has to be, I’ll trust her. She’s the queen’s hand after all.

We should have the first order ready for you in the next couple weeks.

Please take care of yourself, sugarcube.

AJ

P.S. - Thanks for the heads up that Pinkie and Dash were planning something. It didn’t stop them, but I was at least sorta ready when they decided to paint monster faces on all the trees in the north orchard. I’m still gonna make them clean it up, but we got a laugh out of it.

The sound of Sunset and Raven’s footsteps echoed through the marble corridor as they walked into one of the deeper passages below the Cathedral of the Sun. Sunset’s sounded soft next to the sharp clack of Raven’s high-heels as the elder phoenix-born led them through the labyrinthine passages. Looking up at the royal seneschal, Sunset tried to get a sense of what was in store for her, but as ever, Raven was completely unreadable.

Sunset was nervous.

Almost painfully so.

Because today marked the beginning of her fourth month of her tutelage on Mt. Liakeed.

And the first of her lessons on how to run the Western Territory.

Neither Queen Celestia nor Raven had told her anything about what the lessons would actually be, nor had they given her anything to help her prepare. Instead, the queen had simply told Sunset that Raven would meet her an hour after dawn at her suite and that Raven's government and legal lessons would now be a regular part of her routine.

She had known this day would come. Raven herself had told her after the phoenix-rite she’d eventually be tutoring Sunset in how to be an archduchess.

She just wished she knew what she was in for.

As they passed through another bend in the corridor, Sunset reached up to Philomena and softly caressed her bondmate’s wing to calm her mind as it threatened to blaze out of control. Sensing Sunset’s distress, Philomena reached her head around and nuzzled Sunset’s fingers with the flat of her beak, their bond opening to send reassuring feelings to Sunset.

Sending back feelings of gratitude, Sunset tried to imagine what exactly she and Raven would be doing. Would she be giving her lessons on how the government worked? Sunset dismissed the idea, because she’d seen it during the council meetings she’d attended. Was she going to be teaching her about the day to day of being an archduchess? It was possible. It wasn’t like she had any idea how to actually run a territory. But it couldn’t be that hard, right? After all, if someone as arrogant, incompetent, dumb and ugly as Highblood could do it, then how hard could it be?

At the thought of Highblood, a chill went down her spine as her mind was unwillingly drawn back to the last time she’d seen him.

The queen had been true to her word: one week after declaring his sentence, she had transformed the sky above Solaria into a giant projection of the site of the execution. Unfortunately for Sunset, she hadn’t gotten to watch it from a distance.

She had had to be present.

At the execution.

With the rest of the phoenix-born.

She had had to witness as the fourteen former nobles, bound by their wrists and hung from a pole, had been carried by a pair of massive featureless, androgynous galatea onto a platform on the east side of Mt. Liakeed. Once they had arrived, the galatea had placed the two ends of the pole onto a pair of pillars at the base of an immense, vertical cliff face halfway up the mountain’s slope, suspending the prisoners five meters off the ground. To Sunset’s horror, none of them had even been given the dignity of being allowed to wear clothes.

Then, in a flash of sunlight, Queen Celestia had appeared in all of her radiant glory.

She’d watched as, one by one, the queen had lifted each of the condemned from the line with her magic and, after pressing them to the cliff faces, touched their chests with her right index finger, sending the mourning glories ripping through their flesh to pin them to the stone. Sunset had wanted to close her eyes and turn away as the vines bored in and out of each one, twining around and through them like some sort of hideous brown ropes. Or cover her ears as the sound of their pleas for mercy or horrified screams quickly devolved into shrieks of agony as the vines became flush with leaves and set to their grisly work.

But she hadn't been able to, because Raven had told her that she had needed to witness all of the executions. Because all of Solaria needed to see her stoically watching the execution to cement to them that the dream being inflicted on Highblood and his co-conspirators earned them no mercy or sympathy from any of the phoenix-born.

So she’d forced herself to watch, her mind constantly going through her meditations to keep herself composed, and flooded with love from Philomena to keep her from looking away.

Still, the worst of it had been Queen Celestia herself. Her cold, indifferent glare as she had claimed each prisoner in turn had filled Sunset with a dread unlike any she'd ever known.

The queen had saved Highblood for last, his begging for his life having quickly deteriorated into agonized shrieking as Queen Celestia had infected him with the vines and turned away with scarcely more concern than one would after stepping on a cockroach and throwing the body onto the waste pile.

And then, it had been done.

All of the heretics had been consigned to die on the cliffs of Mt. Liakeed. Sunset had followed Raven as she and the rest of the phoenix-born had walked to a wyvern-carried gondola that would return them to the Cathedral of the Sun, while Queen Celestia had returned to her castle in a flash of light.

Sunset hadn’t had any lessons for the rest of the day. Or the next two for that matter. Instead, Raven had insisted she take some time off and spent it with Roseluck at her private estate in Chromos to work through what she’d just witnessed. Sunset had been grateful for the break, and the chance to process everything.

Seeing an execution itself hadn’t been what had shaken her so badly. They weren’t anything new to her. She’d watched plenty of thieves, bandits and other criminals hanged or beheaded in Golden Tree after the rangers or the sheriff caught them. It was just a fact of life in a town on the edge of the frontier where the loss of a horse, a portion of a harvest, or a sack of radiants could mean life or death.

This had been different.

This hadn't been quick and clean.

This had been divine punishment that would take decades to be completed. And one meant to not simply end a life.

No. It was one meant to make their deaths utter, unending, unrelenting agony and suffering from which there was no respite or release save for the release of final oblivion.

But what was more, it was a message to all of Solaria. A message that said, “If you think yourselves above the queen’s sacred laws, you will be punished and you will suffer.”

The two days had come and gone quickly, and she had returned to the Cathedral of the Sun to resume her lessons like nothing had happened.

It’d been harder than she’d imagined to just go back, but she’d managed to eventually put the experience behind her by burying herself in her studies.

For the most part anyway.

“Sunset, we’re here,” Raven said, her voice yanking Sunset out of her brooding.

“Huh?” Sunset said, before feeling her face flush, the sound of Philomena’s snickering passing through their bond. “Oh, right, sorry… So, what are we going to be doing?”

Looking up, Sunset saw that Raven was standing in front of what appeared to be nothing more than a simple wooden door. In fact, it looked like all the others they’d passed on their way.

“We’re going to be playing a game, Sunset,” Raven said as she opened the door and ushered Sunset in.

“A game? We came all the way down here to play a game?” Sunset said incredulously as she stepped into the room then froze with amazement. The room was huge, easily large enough to fit her suite with space to spare. The floor appeared to be made of one enormous pane of thick glass with a small walkway along the edge. Below the glass was a pit filled with what looked like a massive amount of fine, crystalline dust. The room itself was bare save for two short, raised platforms on the edges parallel to the wall with the door into the room half way along their length, each one of which included a golden phoenix-perch.

“Yes, but not just any game,” Raven said as she followed Sunset in. As she closed the door behind them, the room lit up with a set of light glyphs, bathing it in soft, white glow. Reaching up, Raven offered her right arm to Dylis, who stepped onto the limb. As Raven extended her arm straight out ahead of her body, he took to the air and flew to one of the perches. “We’re going to play a game that will help you understand what it takes to lead a state.”

Walking along the edge of the pit, Raven led Sunset to the platform opposite the one where Dylis had landed. As they were walking, Sunset looked around the room and down at the dust, inspecting everything she could, trying to understand exactly what this place was. Now that she was looking closer, she saw hundreds of lines of runes marking the marble walls both above and below the glass, as well as etched into the edges of the glass itself.

She didn’t recognize most of them, and the ones she did know were all very high level; most were tier five at minimum. Each of the runic circuits was impossibly complex and were beyond flawlessly executed in the fine details of their craftsmanship.

Sunset froze as a thought entered her head. A terrible, incredible, profoundly mind-boggling thought that caused her to stop in her tracks and gawk in awe.

“Raven, is this whole room an amp?” Sunset gasped as she looked around with renewed wonder.

Raven stopped and looked back over her shoulder at Sunset, a slight, pleased look in her eyes.

“Very astute observation, Sunset. It is indeed. Probably one of, if not the most complex amps in existence, if you’ll allow me a small bit of pride. I should know. I built it.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped.

“You made this?” Sunset said as she spun in place, looking at as much of the room as she could, and tried to ignore the annoyed sensations coming through her bond as Philomena expressed her displeasure at being twirled while trying to grip the pauldron on Sunset’s shoulder. “How long did it take? Don’t amps take years to design and create?”

“They do, Sunset,” Raven said with a small smile. “For this particular amp, I’d say the whole process of developing all the spells, researching and devising the runes and inscribing them in just the right way took somewhere around thirty to forty years.”

“That long?” Sunset gasped. “It took that long to make?”

“Yes, it did. But, I’m sure you’ll be impressed by the result of that investment. Now, before we get started,” Raven said as she turned her attention to Philomena, “Philomena, I’m afraid I’m going to need you to wait for Sunset on your perch.”

Lame, Philomena sent as Sunset brought her arm up, allowing the phoenix to step on.

Having finished fledging in the last month, Philomena’s juvenile plumage had finally replaced all but a few small patches of her hatchling down. Now, she was covered in dull red, yellow and orange feathers that, while similar in color to her adult plumage, weren’t as bright or vibrant as her siblings.

And with her full plumage came the capacity for flight.

Yea, Sunset sent in reply as she held her arm out, giving Philomena the space she needed to spread her wings and take to the air. The young phoenix was far from graceful, but she managed to reach her perch and land with only a little unsteadiness.

Hah! Stuck the landing this time! Philomena sent as she turned around on the perch to face Sunset, a proud look on her face.

Good job, Mena. I guess there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? Sunset sent with a teasing lilt.

I’m not going to take flying criticism from you, sunbutt. Not after how long it took you to just manage hovering.

Hey, turnabout’s fair play, featherbutt. You gave me crap while I was learning. I get to give you crap. Fair’s fair.

A feeling of annoyance came through their bond as Philomena narrowed her eyes and hunched her shoulders while lowering her head at Sunset, a gesture that Sunset had learned was more or less the phoenix equivalent of blowing a raspberry.

“When the two of you are done with whatever little teasing match you’re having,” Raven’s voice cut through their glaring contest, causing both Sunset and Philomena to jump with surprise, “we can get started.”

“Yes, Raven. Sorry,” Sunset stammered as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I’m ready.”

“Good. Please, stand in the ring,” Raven said as she indicated a gold-trimmed circle set into the top of the platform.

Doing as she was told, Sunset climbed onto the platform and stood in the spot Raven indicated.

“Okay, now what?” Sunset said as she looked around the platform, trying to understand what it was for.

“Now?” Raven said as she floated into the air and drifted over to the other side of the room, landing on the sister platform. As soon as Raven was settled, Sunset felt the runes light up with flame. As they did, the dust in the pit sprang to life, shifting around like a living thing as it coalesced into what looked like a massive contoured map, complete with tiny trees, mountains, towns and savannahs. Once formed, the dust solidified and took on color, making the entire map's surface look like a tiny, shrunken world.

“Now, you’re going to play a game. One where you are in charge of a town, and your objective is to make it prosper,” Raven said as she folded her arms behind her back and regarded Sunset critically.

“What? How am I supposed to do that?” Sunset said as she looked up at Raven, then back down at the newly created miniature landscape.

“Allow me to explain,” Raven said as she gestured to the map. “The map below represents your ‘territory,’ the place that you are going to govern. Your objective is to keep both your land and people healthy, safe and prosperous. At any point, you can make a declaration, be it in response to something you see, any change you wish to make to laws or policies, how the ‘people’ use the land, or bring up proposals for things you want done. As you do, the map will take your orders, and determine the most probable outcome given the current conditions on the map, including how the people you govern feel about you and your rule, and how it will affect the land itself. Should your territory become uninhabitable, your town revolts against you, or more than 50% of them die, the game will end. Until that point is reached, we’ll keep going. But as soon as things reach a fail condition, we will reset and try again. Do you understand?”

Sunset glanced down at the map, then back to Raven.

“That’s all?” Sunset asked simply, a smile on her face as she did. “That sounds easy enough.”

“Does it now?” Raven said with a slight curl of her lips. “There is one more thing you’ll need to know. Every so often, I’ll be able to introduce ‘crises’ into the scenario. Things that will add complications and require you to make quick decisions. Things like, but not limited to, wild weather, natural disasters, bandits, or hostile species moving into an area. For the first few rounds, the game will be kept simple, and I won’t introduce any major disasters or complications. But, as you learn, I’ll begin to toss embers onto the tinder to see if you can stop it from igniting. Keep in mind that your standing with your people will be determined not just with how well you govern, but how well you handle any crisis that comes up, either as a result of my intervention, as well as your actions or inactions.

“Now, since you’re from the Western Territory, the map will be working with the cultural mindset of a typical, modern westerner when determining how the populace responds to you and your rule. That way, you’ll be working with a familiar social structure. Do you have any other questions?”

“What happens if I don’t fail on the first round?” Sunset asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and regarded Raven.

“Then we keep going until our time is up, and resume where we left off the next time. Once I feel you’re ready, we’ll move to larger regions until you’re governing an entire regional territory.”

Sunset smiled as she surveyed the map.

“I’m glad you feel ready for this, Sunset,” Raven said, pulling Sunset out of her head and back to the real world. “Well, shall we get started?”

“Ready whenever you are,” Sunset said confidently.

You sure you got this, Sunset? Philomena sent, her tone uncertain.

Come on, Mena. How hard could it be?

*****

“And that’s it for this attempt,” Raven said in her neutral, teacher’s tone. “I’m impressed. You lasted a bit longer this time. Thirty effective years on this run before the famine you caused sparked a rebellion.”

Sunset stared down at the map listlessly, her spirit sinking even further as she watched the dust break apart and collapse back into its resting state. Truthfully, her performance didn’t feel that impressive.

Not to her.

“That makes twelve runs, Sunset,” Raven continued. “Do you want to try again? Or do you want to take a break?”

“Let’s… I don’t get what I’m doing wrong,” Sunset said as she clenched her fists and glared at the pile of inert crystalline dust, her temper flaring as her frustration mounted.

Things always started off well.

She kept her people contented for the first few years of each run, either staying out of their way or giving them things that she thought would make them happy. But, slowly but surely, things would begin to fall apart, and she was always forced to scramble to keep the game going for as long as she could. But when she fixed one problem, another two would inevitably spring up.

And in the end she’d be left with either a rebellion, the populace dead, or her lands having to be abandoned because they’d been ruined by one thing or another.

“Alright, that’s the last run for now,” Raven said firmly as she held out her arm for Dylis, who flew to her. After transferring him to her shoulder, she floated into the air and over to Sunset. “We’re going to take a break, and then we’ll discuss your performance and what you can learn from it.”

Looking up at Raven, Sunset’s brows furrowed. Seeing Raven’s impassive, non-judgemental, stoic face, Sunset felt her temper flare. Something in that look told Sunset that Raven had planned this.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” Sunset said as she glared at Raven. “You knew I would fail.”

“I did,” Raven said simply, Sunset’s glare bouncing off her like it was nothing more than a gentle breeze. “Now, as we head back, I want you to think about why I would want that. And before you answer, remember that everything you’re learning is done for a reason. Even when you are meant to fail. So, I want the two of you, which means you too, Philomena, to come up with some ideas why you were meant to fail. And what you think the main mistake you made was that led you to fail.”

She wanted me to fail because she likes seeing me suffer? Sunset sent as she walked up to Philomena’s perch and floated up to allow her partner to step onto her arm. Despite being able to fly on her own now, Sunset wasn’t about to have Philomena try landing on her arm for a while. Not after the last time where she had ended up with bloody talon marks on her forearm.

I’m sure that’s not the answer she’s looking for, Philomena sent as Sunset drifted back to the floor and allowed her to step onto her shoulder.

Doesn’t make it untrue, Sunset retorted as she began to follow Raven out of the room.

Now you’re just being grumpy, Philomena teased as she bumped up against the side of Sunset’s head. If she wanted you to suffer, she could have made you sit in a room with paintings of Steel and Blueblood.

I said she wants me to suffer, not claw my eyes out in horror.

Same thing.

Not even close to the same thing.

If you insist.

Sunset gave Philomena a quick mental poke, getting an annoyed one in return, before they shared a quick, mirthful sensation with one another as they followed Raven out the door.

*****

Sunset and Philomena found themselves once again sitting with Raven and Dylis in Raven’s balcony garden. As before, Raven had prepared a pot of tea, though this time she’d also included a small, midday meal. They’d eaten in silence, Sunset stewing in her frustration as she watched the serene and unreadable royal seneschal slowly and precisely eating her meal.

There were times she admired Raven for her stoicism. And times she found it infuriating, especially when she was on the receiving end.

This was one of the latter times.

Raven slowly set down her utensils and, after wiping her mouth and moving her plate off to the side, laced her fingers together and rested them on the table. Then she fixed Sunset with one of her ‘teacher’ looks.

“So, Sunset, Philomena, I trust you’ve had time to think on and discuss my questions.”

“Yes,” Sunset said tersely.

“Then, please, I would like to hear your answers,” Raven said as she turned her palm up towards Sunset.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset braced herself.

“You wanted me to understand just how little I knew, or how unprepared I was for the task of actually ruling a place, right?” Sunset said as she fixed Raven’s eyes with her own.

Raven’s mouth slowly turned up into a slight smile as she closed her eyes and nodded. Sunset’s heart skipped a beat as her previous frustration almost instantly evaporated at Raven’s reaction.

“Good, Sunset. Very good,” Raven said proudly, before her face returned to its resting neutral. “Now, I would love to hear how you and Philomena came to that conclusion.”

Sunset’s elation died down a bit. Mostly because she knew she’d have to be completely honest with Raven about her thought process.

“Well, at first I thought you were doing it to torment me and make me mad,” Sunset admitted with a nervous chuckle. “But, Philomena and I discussed it for a while, and she convinced me that I was just being stubborn and frustrated.”

And I was right! Philomena chimed in.

Yes yes yes, you were right. Can we move on?

Let me have this, Sunset.

No.

Receiving an annoyed poke through their bond, Sunset pressed on.

“After Philomena convinced me to stop taking the whole thing personally, we started to think about it in terms of the previous lessons from the queen. At first, we decided that it was about me learning from my mistakes in the game, but that didn’t feel like it was the point. If it was, we would have probably stopped between each run and discussed things. But we didn’t. Instead, we’d just reset and start again.”

A silent nod from Raven told Sunset to keep going.

“So then I thought that maybe the failure might have been the point, since you and the queen have told me a bunch of times how important failing is, and learning from the mistakes. But, we decided that wasn’t it either, because there really wasn’t any way for me to learn from the mistakes because I didn’t know what my mistakes were.”

Raven nodded again.

“After that, we changed our line of thought, and considered maybe it was a test of how long it took for us to give up. With how quickly you’d reset the map and have us start again, we thought you were testing our determination and endurance. But, that didn’t sound right either, because the point of this was learning to govern. If you wanted to test our mental fortitude and endurance, the queen could do that. So, this had to do with learning about governing and ruling in some way.”

Another nod.

“We were stuck for a little bit. Then Philomena suggested that our original idea of the failure being the point might be correct, but thought that maybe learning from the failure wasn’t. That got me thinking that maybe, it wasn’t about what I learned, because I hadn’t actually learned anything beforehand to try out. And, that’s when the spark ignited for us. I didn’t know anything. I had no idea what I was doing. But I was certain that I did. I had just assumed that I could run a town because I thought it would be easy. And that’s when the fire sparked to life: the idea was to help me understand just how little I knew about being a ruler, and make me realize how much I still needed to learn.”

Raven’s pleased smile returned.

“Well done, both of you,” Raven said.

Sunset basked in Raven’s praise, before her face dropped a little.

“But… I don’t get something,” Sunset said as she looked down at her hands. “If you wanted me to understand that I didn’t know anything about ruling, why didn’t you just tell me?”

Raising her arms off the table, Raven leaned on her elbows and steepled her index fingers.

“I could have. And you would have probably believed me. But this way, you’ve earned that wisdom for yourself, rather than had the knowledge handed to you,” Raven said.

“There’s a difference?” Sunset asked, her brows furrowing with confusion.

“There is. Which is another piece of wisdom that you’ll earn, in time,” Raven said as she poured both of them another cup of tea. “But, enough of that. Let’s move on to the next question: do you know what your greatest mistake was when you were playing the game?”

Sunset frowned.

We… didn’t come up with anything for that, did we? Philomena sent nervously.

No, we didn’t. We spent all our time on the first question.

Should we tell her that?

Sunset sent an unamused feeling to Philomena, who sent a return poke.

Mena, you know the answer.

Tell the truth?

Tell the truth…

Letting out a sigh, Sunset composed herself and looked Raven in the eyes again.

“We didn’t come up with anything. We spent all my time on the first question. Sorry.”

“That’s disappointing, but forgivable,” Raven said. “In that case, I’d like us to work through it together: you, Philomena, and myself.”

Sunset considered that, before something popped into her head.

“So, just three of us?” Sunset asked as she looked at Dylis.

To her surprise, he narrowed his eyes at Sunset before looking at Raven and shaking his head.

“Umelerate vinte lema palasa meche enalese. Chemete tili benara falamesa.”

Time froze for a moment as Sunset gawked at Dylis. Her shock wasn’t just from hearing him speak the phoenix tongue. It was that she’d heard him speak at all.

“Wait, you can talk?!” Sunset shouted.

Sunset’s declaration prompted both Dylis and Raven to chuckle, the former looking like he was rolling his eyes, while the latter crossed her arms and leaned back as she regarded Sunset.

“Of course he can. All royal phoenixes can, once they learn their language,” Raven said with an amused smile as she reached up and affectionately scratched Dylis behind the ear, making him trill happily. “He just prefers not to, since most sun-gazers can’t speak phoenix, and he can’t speak Solarian. Wrong type of throat.”

“Oh,” Sunset muttered, feeling a little embarrassed. “I thought it was just Queen Lumina. But… wait… if Dylis can’t speak Solarian, why can Queen Lumina?”

That got an amused eye-quirk from Raven.

“Come now, Sunset. Queen Lumina may not be Queen Celestia, but is it such a stretch to imagine she has the magic needed to make herself understood?”

“I… suppose not… “ Sunset admitted. “So, what did he say?”

“He more or less said ‘I’m not the one getting or giving the lessons here, kid,’” Raven said with an amused smile. “‘But I appreciate the consideration.’”

“Um, you’re welcome, Dylis?” Sunset said, her voice uncertain.

“Lirane makecha,” Dylis replied.

“‘Don’t worry about it,’” Raven said as she translated for Dylis before returning her attention to Sunset. “But, we’re getting off topic. We’re going to try working out what was the most consistent and most damaging mistake you were making when trying to govern your territory. How about you and Philomena come up with an idea, and we’ll discuss it.”

Sunset sighed and wrung her hands.

“Can you give me a hint?” Sunset asked.

“Of course. I’d be happy to,” Raven said before taking a drink of her tea. “Why does the perspective of a mountain differ from that of a butterfly?”

Sunset blinked at Raven.

“Um…what? What does that have to do with this?” Sunset asked, her tone perplexed.

“It has everything to do with it. Take some time to consider what I’ve just said with Philomena.”

Grumbling, Sunset downed her tea in a couple of gulps, before setting her mug down with a little more force than needed. Propping her head in the palms of her hands and resting her elbows on the table, she closed her eyes and opened her link with Philomena a bit wider.

You got all that, right? Sunset sent.

I did. Didn’t seem helpful though, did it? Philomena asked. Do you have any ideas?

No. What does a mountain and a butterfly have to do with anything, especially ruling a town?

I mean, she’s probably not literally talking about a mountain and a butterfly.

I figured. This is probably a metaphor of some sort. Figuring it out is the problem.

We could try thinking of the ways they’re different. Maybe we’ll come up with something that way, right?

Worth a shot. Sunset blew a huff out of her nose. Well, the obvious difference is that one’s a big mound of inanimate rock, the other’s a tiny bug.

You can build things on a mountain, while a butterfly is too small to have anything built on it, Philomena added, giving Sunset the amusing picture of a butterfly holding up a castle built with its back.

Thanks for that image, Mena, Sunset sent dryly. But, seriously, mountains have grand, majestic beauty, while butterflies are beautiful in a delicate, colorful way. And, you can mine metal and rock from a mountain, but the only way a butterfly is useful is if you leave it alone.

Mountains cast long shadows, while butterflies barely cast a shadow at all? Philomena sent uncertainly.

Sunset considered that.

Maybe. Let’s see… Mountains don’t really change over time, while butterflies grow from caterpillars, become chrysalises, and then become butterflies. Sunset felt her mind latch onto an idea. Wait, maybe that’s it? Mountains are steady, while butterflies change over their lifetime. It’s not obvious like their size, but it is something fundamental. Steady and immobile versus mercurial and protean.

Should we ask Raven? Philomena inquired.

She did say she’d help us work through it, so I guess no harm.

Opening her eyes and meeting Raven’s, Sunset gathered her nerve.

“A mountain is different from a butterfly because a mountain is steady, unchanging and unmoving, while a butterfly goes through changes throughout all its life, and is in constant motion.”

Sunset’s heart sank as Raven didn’t immediately reply. Instead, she steepled her fingers and rested her elbows on the table.

“You’re on the right track,” Raven said with a nod. “But, mountains are not static. They do change. They change with the seasons. They change as they’re eroded by the elements. They change and grow as the land pushes them upward, or wastes away around them.”

Sunset scrunched her face in confusion. She hadn’t ever really considered that a mountain could change over time. They’d always just seemed… static. Eternal.

“But, wouldn’t most of those take forever to happen? Other than the seasons thing at least.”

“That’s right, they do take a long time. Just as mountains last a long time,” Raven replied sagely. “Now, while you’re on the right track, consider that I didn’t ask about how mountains and butterflies differed. I asked how their perception of things might differ.”

“I don’t understand.”

“We’ve established that a mountain is something that can last for thousands of years. But, how long does a butterfly last? How long do they live?”

“Uh… I don’t know? I guess they don’t live long, right?”

“No, they don’t. Most won’t live for more than a year. Two at most.”

Sunset heart felt a sudden jolt of pity at the thought of such a short lifespan.

“Only one year? That’s all they have before they return to Nitor?” Sunset asked, a bit of sorrow creeping into her voice.

“Yes, Sunset. Most butterflies only have a year or two before returning to Nitor’s Heart.”

“That’s… so sad,” Sunset said as she looked down at her mug.

“Not so, Sunset,” Raven said sympathetically. “To a butterfly, that year of life is full, because to them, that is how long they’re supposed to live. So their perception of their lives is in the context of that year. Just as the perception of how long a life should be lived is seventy to a hundred years for a sun-gazer. In that year of life, a butterfly lives just as fully as a sun-gazer does in theirs.”

“Still, that seems so short,” Sunset said morosely.

“To us,” Raven corrected with a gentle tone. “But to a butterfly, we’re probably strange. We’re huge, impossibly powerful beings that seem eternal and unchanging, for in the time they live their lives, we have scarcely changed at all. It’s all about how one perceives things.”

Sunset considered that. Then, a thought struck her.

I feel that, Philomena chimed in happily. You think you’ve figured it out.

I do. Sunset couldn’t help but smirk at the realization. To a butterfly, a sun-gazer must seem so strange and unchanging. Just as to either a mountain would seem even more unchanging. But to the mountain, both would seem so transient and fleeting. A mountain would see years and years go by like a flash in its lifetime, but to the butterfly, those years would be an eternity.

Wait, I think I get it. They all perceive time differently, because of how long they live. A mountain would see things in the frame of centuries, while a butterfly would consider them only day by day.

Exactly.

But how does that relate to the issue of governing a town?

I have an idea. Let's see what Raven thinks.

Squaring her shoulders, Sunset took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Raven, was my biggest mistake that I was thinking like a butterfly, not a mountain?” Sunset asked as she met Raven’s eyes.

“Perhaps. Why don’t you explain what you mean?”

Nodding, Sunset could feel her excitement growing.

“I was only thinking about what was happening in the short term. I was thinking like a butterfly, and treating the game like the only thing that mattered was the immediate, because that was all I thought I needed. But I didn’t think about the long-term. I had no plan, no ‘mountain-like’ perception or a goal. I was flighty, and chaotic, not steady and steadfast.”

Sunset’s face began to turn up into a smile as she saw the tiniest hints of one touch on Raven’s lips.

“That’s what I did wrong. I went in without a long-term goal, plan, or idea of what I would do beyond my immediate actions. I focused too much on the now, not enough on the future.”

The sound of soft applause filled the air as Raven gently clapped, her face filled with warm approval.

“Good. Very good. Both of you,” Raven said as she looked back and forth between Sunset and Philomena. “And why is that so important as a phoenix-born?”

“We’re like mountains, aren’t we? So we need to think like mountains.”

“Almost,” Raven said, causing Sunset’s enthusiasm to dampen just slightly. “While it’s true that we need to think in the long term like a mountain, we can’t be so static and unmoving either. Tell me, is there any value in the perception of the butterfly?”

Sunset considered that a moment.

Raven wouldn’t ask that if there wasn’t, would she? Sunset sent.

It’s Raven, so I don’t think that’s safe to assume.

True…

“Yes?” Sunset offered. Seeing Raven gesture for her to continue, she pressed on. “…because to the butterfly, each day is precious, since they have only a year to live. And the way the year plays out for them changes depending on whether they’re a caterpillar, a chrysalis, or a butterfly.”

“And do they have the same needs all year?”

“No, they don’t. A caterpillar needs leaves, while a butterfly needs flowers.”

“So their needs change over time, and can change quickly?”

“Yes, they can… wait, so what you’re saying is that I need to consider things like both a mountain and a butterfly. I need to be able to think in both the short and long term. Is that it?”

“That’s it exactly,” Raven said warmly, causing Sunset to flush with joy. “As a ruler, you need to see both the short term, and the long term, while considering the ramifications of your actions in both. Nor can you let one dominate the other. Think only like a mountain, and your subjects will be miserable, because you’ll be thinking only of the long term rather than their immediate needs. Think only like a butterfly, and you’ll only focus only on the now, not about the consequences of your actions for generations to come.”

As Raven’s words sank in, Sunset’s elation died down.

“That sounds really hard,” Sunset admitted.

“It is. But, like any skill, it’s one that you get better at with time and practice. From now on when we have our lessons on governance, every so often we’ll be using my map to test what the ideas and methods you’ve learned. Think of it as a way to figure things out without having actual lives on the line.”

Sunset’s blood ran cold at that thought.

“Oh, right… someday it won’t be practice. It’ll be real.” Sunset gulped at the thought of having so many lives in her hands, including her oath-sisters and all of Golden Tree. Nay, all of the Western Territory.

“It will. But that’s why you’re going to learn. And why we’re going to practice and find a style of governing that fits not only you, but the Western Territory. But, that’s enough of that for now,” Raven said as she offered her arm to Dylis and rose to her feet. “Why don’t you and Philomena take a break, and then we can begin with the first, basic lessons on how governments function and the law making.”

“Goody,” Sunset grumbled in an unenthusiastic tone as she also offered her arm to Philomena and got to her feet.

*****

Sunset’s quill danced across a sheet of parchment on her desk, a messy string of notes filling the page as she consulted her runic manuals. Behind her, the floor was littered with dozens of crumpled-up sheets, each one discarded with contempt.

Sitting behind her, Sunset could feel Philomena’s concerned eyes on her as she sketched out a new runic circuit, only to growl in frustration and toss it aside before grabbing a fresh leaf and starting anew.

Okay, that’s it, Philomena sent as she leapt from her perch and glided over to Sunset’s desk, landing roughly on its surface. What are you working on? Because ever since we got back from your lessons, you’ve been face deep in your books.

Her concentration broken, Sunset shot Philomena a scathing glare. It had little effect on the phoenix, who returned the look with one of her own.

Breathing out an annoyed sigh, Sunset closed the book she was examining and tossed the quill down.

Just taking Raven’s advice, and thinking long term, Sunset said as she leaned back in her chair, her arms hanging limply beside her.

Oh, and how are you doing that by giving yourself a headache and sore eyes? Because that sounds like both a short and a long term problem.

Mena…

What? You’ve been acting… weird. Even for you, Philomena sent as she looked down at the mess of half-drawn runes and copious notes in arcane script. Sunset could feel her confusion at all of it through their bond. And what is all this?

Like I said, I’m trying to plan for the long term, Sunset said as she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. Today made it pretty clear I’m not ready to rule the Western Territory. Yet. And everything around Highblood’s treason made me realize that I need to be vigilant when I do.

Philomena cocked her head as she considered what Sunset was saying.

It sounds like you’re expecting trouble.

I am. After that first council meeting, and everything that went on with the phoenix-rite, I think that not watching our back is one of the biggest mistakes that we could make.

I thought that would be letting your sisters Pinkie and Rainbow attend council meetings.

Funny, Mena, Sunet sent with a sidelong look at her partner. Honestly, that’d probably be up there, if only for the chaos they’d cause, and the headache I’d have trying to keep them from getting arrested. A bored Pinkie or Rainbow Dash is just asking Discord to look your way.

It’d be entertaining though.

For a little while, then I’d probably have to spend the rest of the evening getting whatever Heliopolan noble they decided to glue to their chair to drop the charges, Sunset sent with a shudder. Thanks, but no thanks. I like my sisters alive and free, thank you very much.

In any case then, what’s all this got to do with this desire to feed your perfectly reasonable paranoia? Philomena sent as she gestured with her beak to the mound of papers Sunset had discarded or was in the process of writing notes down on.

Just something that Raven’s little riddle got me thinking about.

The mountain and butterfly thing?

Yea, Sunset sent as she leaned forward and rested an arm on the desk. There’s another answer to her riddle that came to me after we ended our lessons: a butterfly is small enough to see things that a mountain can’t. The mountain sees things at an enormous scale, but a butterfly can see the tiny details. And can hide itself so that nobody knows it’s there.

You lost me a little there, Sunset, Philomena sent as she walked over to her bondmate and gently nudged Sunset’s hand with her beak.

Mena, I’m going to be an artificer. And that means I’m going to be able to enchant things. Raven’s made it pretty clear with that room-sized amp of hers that the power of the flame is far more versatile than I ever imagined, Sunset sent as shelifted her hand and affectionately petted Philomena’s head.

That’s nice and all, but you still haven’t explained yourself.

That’s because I haven’t really figured out what exactly I’m going to do yet, Sunset admitted as she lowered her hands and shuffled the papers on her desk. All I have is an idea: find a way to use the ability of a butterfly to hide in plain sight to my advantage. And see things that maybe certain individuals want hidden. Something I could make that could act as my eyes and ears in places where the people who want to hurt us didn’t want us to get to.

It sounds like you want to make your own personal Eyes of the Sun, Philomena sent as she walked to the edge of the desk and, spreading her wings, took to the air, landing on her perch moments later.

Something like that, Sunset sent as she rose from her chair and started gathering up the discarded papers. All I have right now is an idea. I don’t even know if it’s actually possible, but if I can make it work, well, it’d give us a huge advantage while playing the game against the Heliopolans.

Doesn’t sound like a lot to go on.

It’s why I’m getting started now, Sunset sent as she walked across the study and to the fireplace. Thing is, figuring out the runes for the kind of enchantment I want is going to take a while. And, it’s just the first part. I know some of the basic processes for enchanting, but it’s mostly just theory outside making and powering temporary runic inscriptions or basic spell tempering. To make something with a permanent enchantment is a bit beyond me at this point, even if I could use my flame like I used to.

Sounds like a waste of time to me, Philomena sent. Wasn’t there another lesson we got today about recognizing when we don’t know enough?

Sunset shot her a sidelong glance.

Hence all of this, Sunset deadpanned as she lifted the pile of crumpled papers, before she tossed them into the fireplace. After taking a deep breath and focusing her mind, she transformed her hair into a single, long tendril and extended it to the pile of papers. Once in contact with the mound, she concentrated on making her hair searing hot, causing the parchment to ignite. Relaxing her focus and gasping from the effort, her hair reverted to its natural state. I just have to face the fact that I’m not ready to even begin figuring out what I need to do.

Well, glad you’re being reasonable about it, Philomena sent with a smug lilt.

First bit of wisdom that got dumped on me today, Sunset sent as she walked back to her desk and slumped down into her chair. Still, nothing says I can’t start brainstorming ideas for later. After all, the queen also said I should have a goal when I make things. Might as well try to come up with something to do just that.

Just don’t drive yourself crazy about it.

Nah. That’s your job, Mena, Sunset sent as she looked back over her shoulder and smirked at her bondmate.

You’re hilarious, Philomena sent with a huff.

I try.

Author's Note

Seems that dear Raven's got a few tricks up her sleeve, so to speak.

As for how the map works, the spells it encodes are some of the most complex and time consuming to cast that Raven's ever devised. If she were to cast the spell dances individually, she'd actually have to dance for a good hour. As for how the spell Raven was using makes it's predictions, it's similar to Bayesian probability analysis: predict the probable outcomes of an input based on the available data it has, then use that probability to define the next state and update itself.

Ch 6 - The Trials - Wield the Blade for Queen and Country

Dear AJ, Pinkie and Rainbow,

Hey, girls. Sorry to bear bad news, but I asked Raven if I’d be able to attend the Autumn Harvest Festival, but she said no. She told me that this year the phoenix-born will be attending a similar festival in the Eastern Territory. Apparently the Kirintal and Archduchess Roseluck planned an event to commemorate the four-hundred-year anniversary of the formation of the alliance between Himavanta and Solaria.

I’d rather come see all of you, but it looks like my attendance at the event is not negotiable. I’ll try to convince Raven to let me come to the Winter Solstice Celebration, but I can’t promise anything.

Lady Inkwell and the queen have been working me to the last ember lately. Be thankful you’re not dealing with this, because half the time when I get done for the day, I want to scream. The other half, I’m too tired to even think about it.

I love you all. Please have fun at the Festival. Even if I can’t be there, I want you all to enjoy yourselves. Think of it like having extra fun for me.

Your sister,

Sunset Shimmer

*****

Hey, everyone,

I’m just writing to say hi from Heliopolis. I’m doing okay, and miss all of you. I know it’s been too long since we spoke, but I’ve been really busy. Learning to be a phoenix-born is exhausting. And, it's lonely here. But, I’m making do.

Please be good for Tender Heart, everyone (Lyra, I’m looking at you).

Love,

Sunset Shimmer

*****

Hello, Bronze,

I hope things are going well. I’ve been better, but I’m keeping busy. Queen Celestia’s got me working the anvil every couple of days, though it's pretty different from what we used to do.

I’ve been looking into ways to enchant the hammer you gave me to make sure it can hold up to the kind of thing the queen’s got me doing. Remember the legends about phoenix-born being fireproof? Well, it's not a legend. So I need to make sure it’s going to survive whatever the queen wants me to put it through.

Please take care of yourself. I miss you, and hope to see you soon.

Regards,

Sunset Shimmer

A feeling of weightlessness gripped Sunset’s body as she floated in the air. It was an odd sensation, being parallel to the ground yet not resting on it. It wasn’t like when she flew, though it was similar: unlike when she was flying under her own power, she could feel the pull of gravity but knew her flame wasn’t keeping her aloft.

All around her, the world was moving in slow motion as her mind tried to process why and how she was suddenly not standing on the earth.

Then her weight returned. Her breath ripped from her lungs as gravity reasserted itself and sent her crashing down onto her back.

“Night-loving bastard,” Sunset growled under her breath as she closed her eyes and grimaced as she fought down the urge to cry out in pain as her breathing became labored. All over her body, she could feel the aches and pains from a dozen other falls like the one she’d just taken.

Rolling over onto her stomach as quickly as she could without throwing up, she heaved for breath a few more times, then she forced herself to her hands and knees. As she started to properly take in air again, she slowly and painfully rose to her feet to glare venomously at the man who’d been humiliating her for the last half-hour.

There, standing not six feet away from her in one of the grassy meadows at the base of Mt. Liakeed was General Sentry, a long, wooden quarterstaff held in his right hand with its butt planted in the dirt.

Without a word, the general returned to his fighting stance, his face cold and ruthless, while his eyes dared her to try again.

Staggering over to her own staff as quickly as she could, Sunset retrieved it. Then, with a scream of primal rage, she charged at the general with murderous intent.

*****

Three days prior, Queen Celestia had told her that they would soon begin her combat training. Sunset's excitement cooled into dread when she learned who exactly she'd be training with: none other than General Steel Sentry. The news left her imagining all sorts of awful drills and grueling workouts at the crack of dawn until she was ready to collapse. She’d heard the stories about what the sun-blades went through at The Heart of Fire, and it scared her.

But the queen made it clear that this wasn’t negotiable.

And so, after three days of dreading the inevitable, she met up with General Sentry and Vestian in the front lobby of the Cathedral of the Sun. As she entered, she spotted him waiting for her, his expression as cold and hawkish as ever. To her surprise, he wasn’t wearing his usual officer’s uniform, but instead was dressed in what looked like a simple black shirt and pants. He also carried a pair of quarterstaffs over his left shoulder, though one was much smaller than the other. The only things that were consistent with his usual attire were the holster on his hip holding Bloodhound and the leather pauldron on his right shoulder where Vestian was perched.

“Bright day, little miss. I’m glad to see that you’re prompt,” General Sentry said, his tone stern and sharp but somehow managing to sound almost polite.

“Surprised that I’m capable of punctuality?” Sunset shot back.

To her surprise, the general let out an amused chuckle, though Sunset couldn’t be sure if it was from him finding what she said amusing, or because he was surprised she had spoken to him in the tone she had.

“Not at all. You did actually work for a living,” he said as he reached down to retrieve a small bundle off the ground and tossed it to Sunset. “Here. Get changed into these. Once you’re properly dressed, we’ll get started.”

“What is it?” Sunset asked as she looked at the package skeptically.

“Training clothes. You’re going to need them while I conduct my assessment. Now, do as you’re told. We have a schedule to keep,” the general said as he pointed towards one of the side rooms. “I’ll be waiting here.”

As Sunset turned and entered the room the general had indicated, she resisted the urge to argue. Instead, after helping Philomena onto one of the benches, she begrudgingly swapped into the uniform provided, which consisted of a pair of pants and a button-up long-sleeve shirt, both of which were the pale, dull white-grey of undyed cotton, as well as a pair of calf-length boots.

Any ideas why he wants you to wear that? Philomena sent as she inspected Sunset’s uniform.

Nope, Sunset sent with a grumble as she folded her regular clothes and stuffed them into the bag. But I bet we’re not going to like it.

With a sigh, Sunset returned Philomena to her shoulder and stepped back out into the foyer. General Sentry looked her over once before nodding with approval.

“Good. Now, come along. It’s not far to where we’re going,” the general said crisply as he turned to the front gate of the cathedral and marched towards the door.

Following close behind, Sunset found herself trying not to think about the general’s attitude, or how cold and distant he was. Instead, she reminded herself that General Sentry wasn’t Raven or Roseluck. Nor did she want him to be. She liked them. She… wasn’t sure how she felt about the general, but she knew that at the very least, she didn’t like him. He might have been treating her respectfully now, but she hadn’t forgotten the things he’d said when she had been disguised as Raven’s sun-touched aide.

Or that, according to Raven, he was the origin of Heliopolis’s attitude towards those not from the city.

Sunset’s smouldering was interrupted when she noticed they were outside the cathedral and standing on the sky-rail platform. General Sentry strode purposefully towards the east-end of the platform, with Sunset rushing to keep up. Once there, he offered his arm to Vestian, who climbed on and took to the air once General Sentry extended his arm. Shortly after, the general followed him into the air.

“We'll be flying to the site from here. Don’t fall behind,” the general said as he turned to look at Sunset, before taking off towards the east face of Mt. Liakeed.

Glaring at the general but keeping her mouth shut, Sunset gave Philomena her arm so she could safely take off before shakily rising into the air herself. She followed behind the general as quickly as she could, and although her flight was still far from graceful or steady, she barely managed to keep up with him.

They flew in silence for several minutes, the general not even acknowledging her presence the entire time. As they flew past a low hill, Sunset realized they’d arrived at their destination. There, sitting serenely in a large, open meadow was Queen Celestia. But to Sunset’s surprise, she was significantly smaller than usual. At her best guess, the great centaur was maybe around a third of her normal, immense stature. And, though the queen was dressed as elegantly as ever, she was not bearing her royal scepter or orb.

Sunset saw General Sentry begin to head towards the queen and quickly followed suit. Yet, before they arrived, Vestian suddenly flew between the two of them and the queen. Hovering in place, he looked directly at Philomena then gestured with his head, signalling for his sister to follow him.

Go on, Sunset sent as she felt Philomena’s unsent question through their bond.

Reluctantly, Philomena nodded, after which Vestian wheeled around and flew to a nearby oak. Perching in one of its branches, he directed Philomena to do the same with a flick of his beak. Feeling Philomena’s annoyance as she did as instructed, Sunset sent her feelings of encouragement as the younger phoenix landed in one of the branches near her brother.

With one final encouraging sending, Sunset landed and jogged to catch up to General Sentry as he approached Queen Celesita. Once both phoenix-born reached her, General Sentry dropped to a knee and bowed his head. Sunset quickly followed his lead, bowing to the queen.

“Bright day to you, Your Highness. May your light bless the land for all time,” General Sentry said.

“Bright day to you, General Sentry. And to you too, Sunset,” the queen said as she smiled down at the two phoenix-born. “I trust you are ready.”

“Indeed,” General Sentry said as he rose to his feet, before he turned to address Sunset. “Are you ready, little miss?”

“I might be if I knew what we were actually going to be doing,” Sunset said as she rose to her feet and shot the general an annoyed look.

“It's quite simple,” General Sentry said as he tossed the smaller of the staves he was carrying to Sunset’s feet. To her dismay, she realized that it was the appropriate size for someone her stature. “In order to see what I’ve got to work with, you’re going to do a few tests for me. First, you’re going to run to the end of the meadow and back twenty times. Then, you’re going to do a series of exercises that will help me gauge your physical fitness. After that, you and I are going to spar so I can get a sense of your aptitude in combat.”

“I’m sorry, what?!” Sunset shouted, the thought of facing off against the general filling her with terror. “You want me to fight you?”

A look of slight amused condescension touched the general’s face as he harrumphed once.

“I very much doubt you would last very long if we did ‘fight,’ little miss. So no, we aren’t going to fight. We’re going to spar. With the purpose of me getting a clear understanding of what you’re capable of. And if you’re worried about getting injured, don’t be. These staves–” the general said as he held up his own weapon casually “–are enchanted to prevent any blow dealt with them from doing lasting damage, but won’t stop them hurting or leaving a mark. Think of it as motivation to not get hit.”

“Why?” Sunset asked, her nervousness growing by the moment. “Why do I have to do this?”

To her chagrin, the cocky smile on General Sentry’s face grew.

“Why indeed?” General Sentry asked with a good humored chuckle, before his tone turned serious. “Why would I need to see what you’re capable of? Why would I want to know what kind of fighting instincts you have? Why would I want to help prepare you to act as one of the guardians of Solaria when it’s your duty as a phoenix-born to be ready to stand in defense of your nation and your queen? Pray tell, why would I want any of that, little miss?

Looking down at the staff, Sunset slowly and reluctantly reached down and picked it up.

“But, I’m going to be an artificer, not a soldier,” Sunset asked as she examined the staff. “I get knowing how to defend myself, but I don’t plan to fight in any wars or anything like that. So I don’t see the point.”

Sunset’s words hung in the air for a few moments, before she felt the air grow thick and heavy with a familiar weight of presence. She swallowed nervously, recognizing the sensation: it reminded her of the one she felt when Raven had disciplined Sapphire at the academy all those months ago. But also distinct. Whereas Raven’s presence made her feel like she was being crushed under a great tide, this one felt like thousands of angry eyes were glaring at her from all angles.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she felt something smooth touch the bottom of her chin, which then put just enough pressure to make her look up. As she did, she saw that General Sentry had used the tip of his quarterstaff to slowly force her head up to look him in the eyes. Sunset wanted to take a step back and curl in on herself, but she was too paralyzed by his overwhelming presence and piercing glare. A glare that was now full of contempt and burning disdain.

“I thought you were smart, little miss,” General Sentry said in a low, threatening growl. “But clearly you haven’t really learned what the blessing bestowed upon you means, or what your role to Queen Celestia is. You no longer have the luxury of being some dirt-eating artificer who gets to while your days away making trinkets for coin. You are a phoenix-born. And that means that you have a duty as both a ruler and as guardian of Solaria. Every phoenix-born must be ready to fight, and die, to protect queen and country from any threat that comes. To lead her soldiers in battle. It is a duty that I will see you prepared for, even if I have to break you in half to do it. Do you understand?”

Sunset shied away as the general continued to glare at her, before managing to nod.

“I’m glad to hear it,” the general said as he pointed towards the meadow. “Now, get going. You are to run to the far end and back at a bare minimum of twenty times. And if I suspect you’re not putting in an honest effort, I will make you run until you pass out. Am. I. Clear?”

Sunset nodded again quickly.

“Good. Well, get moving!”

And so began one of the most painful and humiliating mornings of Sunset’s life.

*****

“Yaaaah!” Sunset screamed as she rushed at the general and swung her staff.

Sunset felt her stomach seethe as the general casually evaded her swing, causing her to overextend and nearly lose her balance. When the general didn’t retaliate, she tried to correct herself and took another wild swing at him, which he dodged again. Over and over she lashed out, and over and over, General Sentry would remain one step ahead, always keeping her just out of measure. Her frustration mounting, Sunset raised the staff above her head and tried to strike him with a vicious overhand swing.

Once again, General Sentry effortlessly evaded the attack, only this time as he dodged, he caught the tip of her staff with his, redirecting it to the side. The sudden change in direction made Sunset stumble as she was thrown off balance. Before she could regain her footing, General Sentry swept the tip of his own staff downward, knocking her legs out from underneath her and painfully sending her to the dirt.

Shaking off the impact, Sunset lifted her face and spit out the dirt and grass that had gotten in her mouth. Pushing herself up onto her elbows, Sunset glared at him with all of the hate she could manage.

“I’ve seen enough. You’re done,” General Sentry said with a bored tone. “I’d actually hoped you’d show me something worthwhile, little miss, but I suppose I can’t always have what I want.”

“Have dreams, goat-licker,” Sunset growled at him as she slowly got to her feet again.

“Such spirit,” General Sentry said with the same amused and condescending tone. “That’s good. Hold onto that. You’re going to need it.”

Sunset felt her anger reaching its peak as she began to reach for her staff. Before she could grab it, General Sentry thrust his own staff between her hand and the weapon. As Sunset withdrew her limb on reflex, General Sentry pinned her staff with his boot.

“I said, that’s enough. You’re done,” the general barked.

Sunset’s glare intensified as the general slipped his foot under her staff and kicked it into the air, easily catching it in his free hand. Wordlessly, he turned and began to walk to the queen.

The sight of him turning his back on her made her blood boil with rage. Pushing herself to her feet, Sunset tensed as she considered trying to attack the general from behind. With his back turned, she might be able to get in at least one good hit.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, little miss,” the general said as he stopped walking, yet didn’t turn to face her. “If you try it, I will make you regret it.”

Something in the sharp, cold tone the general said that made Sunset’s blood freeze in her veins, though did little to quell her rage as it flared back to life moments later. Clenching her fists, she continued to glare at the general as he walked towards the queen.

“Arrogant night-loving dreamer,” Sunset muttered under her breath as she stumbled after him, the numerous bruises from the hits she’d taken during their sparring match, if she could even call it that, finally catching up with her.

Sighing as she staggered forward, Sunset closed her eyes and reopened her bond with Philomena. The instant she did, she was bombarded by a flood of concern for her well-being and agonized fretting.

Sunset winced as the sensations made her stomach turn with guilt.

After the first round with General Sentry, Sunset had had to close her link with Philomena, both to keep her worry from distracting her and to spare her partner the pain of the blows she was taking. Even with her bond almost entirely closed, she’d still sensed Philomena’s desire to come to her aid.

I’m okay, Mena, Sunset sent as she rubbed her sore stomach. Just tired, bruised, ticked off and more than a little humiliated.

You want me to claw his eyes out? Philomena sent, her worry replaced by seething anger as she glared hot death at the general.

No, don’t! Sunset sent, her own panic overriding her anger. I don’t want you to get hurt.

But, Sunset, he hurt you!

If you try, he’ll hurt you. And if he didn’t, Vestian would. Again.

Sunset could feel Philomena flinch at the memory.

The first time General Sentry had legitimately struck her during their sparring match, Philomena, overcome by rage and concern for her bond-mate, had attempted to intervene. She’d barely cleared the branches of the tree where she’d been perched before Vestian had intercepted her. The older phoenix had hovered in Philomena’s way, as if warning her not to interfere.

Philomena had ignored him and tried to fly around him to reach Sunset. Which had proven to be a mistake, because as soon as she had tried, Vestian had struck her with a powerful diving tackle, knocking the younger phoenix out of the air. Before she could rise, Vestian had landed on her back and pinned her neck with his talons.

Upon feeling Philomena’s distress, Sunset had taken her eyes off General Sentry and had moved to help her partner. Which had also proven to be a mistake, as General Sentry used her distraction to sweep her legs out from under her with his staff, sending her painfully to the ground before pressing the tip of the weapon into Sunset’s throat and warning her not to drop her guard.

It had been a particularly unpleasant experience for the both of them.

Still… Philomena began to protest.

Please. Don’t. It’s not worth it, Sunset sent before a fit of coughing wracked her as she took too deep a breath. Feeling Philomena’s renewed concern, Sunset tried to send feelings of reassurance to keep her calm.

After what felt like an eternity, Sunset finally caught up with General Sentry, who was standing at attention before the queen.

“Well, General, what is your evaluation?” Queen Celestia asked as she gestured towards Sunset.

“Frankly, Your Highness, she’s not even remotely competent,” General Sentry said as he folded his arms behind his back. To Sunset’s immense annoyance, he didn’t even give her the courtesy of looking at her while he spoke. “While she’s got fire, determination, drive, and is stronger and has slightly better endurance than I was expecting, her reflexes, speed, and coordination are all pathetic.”

Sunset bristled at General Sentry’s criticism.

“Further, she allows herself to be ruled by her emotions, becomes frustrated far too easily, over-telegraphs her attacks, doesn’t understand basic body mechanics for proper technique, and acts almost entirely on instinct and reflex. In fact, given the way she flails around like a drunken petroquine, I very much doubt she’s ever seen a real fight, let alone had any actual training in even the most basic forms of combat.”

“I see,” Queen Celestia said as she closed her eyes and nodded.

“I believe that with proper guidance, she has the potential to eventually become competent, but it will take considerable time and effort, Your Highness,” General Sentry said evenly. “With your permission, I will send for drill sergeant Sharp Shot. If any of my sun-blades is up to the task of making a proper fighter out of the girl, she is.”

“Thank you, General, but that will not be necessary,” Queen Celestia said as she held up her hand. “Her training will be handled by the sun-touched. From what you’ve said, the sun-blades would not give her what she needs. Instead, I want you to send Raven and myself a full evaluation of Sunset’s performance. Then, you are to work with Raven to devise a proper curriculum to give her the training she needs.”

If General Sentry was disappointed by this revelation, Sunset didn’t see it on his face.

“As you wish, Your Highness,” he said. “I will have a draft of my report and suggestions to you and Lady Inkwell within the day.”

“Thank you, General Sentry. You are dismissed,” Queen Celestia said with a nod.

“By your leave, Your Highness,” General Sentry said as he floated up into the air, then flew back towards the Cathedral of the Sun, Vestian close behind.

I can’t wait till I learn to fight, so I can punch him in the crotch, Sunset sent as she glared venomously at the departing General Sentry.

I can get behind that, Philomena replied as she also glared at the departing pair.

With a sigh, Sunset floated into the air and got ready to head back as well, only to be stopped by Queen Celestia as she held up a hand.

“Sunset, I said General Sentry could leave. You still have lessons to attend to.”

Sunset looked at the queen, her heart sinking and her face morphing into an exhausted frown.

Of course I do, Sunset sent as she slowly floated back down to the earth. Why wouldn’t there be?

Harmony showing you mercy?

Nah. I think the Empress likes to see me suffer or something, Sunset grumbled as she turned to the queen.

“My apologies, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she bowed her head.

“Do not worry yourself, Sunset,” the queen said. “Now, before we begin, how are you feeling? From the way you’re moving, I presume General Sentry’s evaluation was far from gentle.”

Sunset held in her angry retort, biting her lip and calming her mind through her meditation techniques.

“Hurting and angry, but it’s nothing I can’t deal with,” Sunset said. “I don’t think he did too much damage to anything except my self-esteem.”

“That is fortunate,” the queen said, either ignoring or oblivious to the angry expression that blossomed on Sunset’s face, “as this provides us with an opportunity to begin developing your earth-weaver gifts beyond simply kindling your flame. Before we begin, I need to know if you can feel Nitor’s pulse.”

Sunset wasn’t expecting the queen to ask her something like that. But, she chided herself, she should have. Not the exact question, but that kind of question.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset nodded.

In the months since her ascension, she’d grown accustomed to the strange feeling of the vital energy that made up Nitor’s heart beating deep below her feet. Even now, she could feel its pulse slowly and steadily rising and falling.

“Please describe what you feel.”

Sunset was taken aback by the question. She wasn’t exactly sure how to articulate what she was feeling. As she tried to put it to words, Sunset closed her eyes.

“It feels… safe. Like, a calm, comforting presence. It’s strange, in a way that I can’t really describe. But, it feels good. Right. Almost like I can feel a great heart beneath my feet, slowly beating and letting me know that the world is strong, healthy and living.”

Opening her eyes, Sunset saw the queen nod again.

“Good. That is good. One of the gifts bestowed upon the earth-weavers by my mother was the power to sense the vitality of the world, the very essence of all life on Nitor. Part of that gift is to receive strength from the heart. Just as the earth-weavers can help strengthen and heal the life of Nitor’s body, so can they ask for its aid when they need it. And, once your earth-weaver flame is properly developed, you will be able to as well.”

Pausing, Queen Celestia folded her arms over her stomach.

“One use of receiving this gift is to help recover from that which ails the body. At first, you will need to do this consciously. But, as the earth-weaver flame within you grows, as well as with time and practice, you’ll be able to do so without having to think about it, much like a natural earth-weaver does. Considering your current state, this is a good opportunity for you to begin to learn how.”

“Okay, Your Highness. What do I need to do?” Sunset asked as she rubbed her sore ribs. She hoped it didn’t involve a dance of any sort, because with how beat up she was at the moment, she doubted she’d be able to for very long.

“Don’t worry. It’s quite simple. To start, please lay on your back and spread your arms and legs out.”

Sunset blinked up at the queen as she considered the odd request. With a nod, Sunset slowly and gingerly lowered herself as Queen Celestia instructed.

“Now, close your eyes. Let your mind drift and the world fade away. Do not focus on anything other than the pulse below you.”

Taking another deep breath, Sunset tried to do as the queen said. Not knowing how to let her mind drift, Sunset began with her meditations as she tried to enter the proper state of mind for spell-dancing.

Gradually, she began to feel her mind slowing, and the world around her drifting away.

It was a pleasant, calming sensation as the energy emanating from the ground below her began to overtake everything around her, like the feeling of a warm bath after a long day at the forge, or laying in the sun with her oath-sisters after playing in the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres.

“Good,” Sunset heard a voice say somewhere off in the distance. “Now, allow yourself to welcome the vital energy of Nitor into yourself. Do not force it. Let it flow to you as it will.”

Taking another deep breath, Sunset reached out with her senses, trying to touch the heartbeat with her mind. Yet, try as she might, the sensation of Nitor’s pulse kept slipping from her like sand through an open hand. Slowly, as her frustration mounted, she began to lose touch with the pulse, which began to fade into the background once again.

“Sunset, no,” Sunset heard the queen say with a gentle, soothing voice. “You’re losing your focus. Relax, and let Nitor give itself to you. Welcome it to you, and it will come. You mustn’t try to claim it.”

‘Easy for you to say,’ Sunset thought ruefully.

Clearing her mind once more, Sunset gradually reentered her relaxed state and felt the pulse of Nitor envelop her again. Reaching out, she tried to do as Queen Celestia said and open herself to the world’s energy.

Slowly, she began to feel the warmth start to flow towards her, the sensation beginning to soak into her back as the planet’s energy gingerly touched her, the aches and pains where it was caressing her beginning to abate. The moment it did, instincts kicked in and Sunset tried to grasp onto the energy with her mind to draw in more and relieve more of her injuries.

The moment she did, the energy recoiled from her and retreated.

“Arrgh!” Sunset growled angrily. Sitting up suddenly, she winced as her bruises throbbed in protest.

“Sunset, you cannot claim Nitor’s touch. It will reject you,” Queen Celestia said. “You must let it come to you willingly.”

“I’m trying, Your Highness,” Sunset protested.

“I know you are, dear Sunset. But as a fire-caller, you are accustomed to taming and controlling the flame within you. As you must,,” Queen Celestia said as she held up her right index finger, before pointing down to the land beneath them. “Yet that is also antithetical to the way earth-weavers ask Nitor’s heart for aid. While it is true they draw from Nitor, they do not seek to control it. They let the world give to them, just as they give to the world. To unlock the gifts of their tribe, you must learn to do the same.

“Now, please, try again. Remember, Nitor will give, but it will not let you take or tame.”

Clenching her eyes shut and flopping back down, Sunset tried to empty her mind for a third time. However, try as she might, she couldn’t get herself back into its calmed state, even with her meditations. After a time, Sunset opened her eyes and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t.”

“Do not fret,” Queen Celestia said as she raised her right index finger, a tiny sphere of golden light appearing at it’s tip. Gently blowing on the ball, it drifted down to Sunset, then flowed into her chest. As it did, her pain subsided a bit, and she could feel the bruises peppering her body slowly healing.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sunset said as she got to her feet.

“You’re welcome. And do not worry about not mastering the technique on your first try. Like all of the things you’re learning, it will just take practice,” the queen said as she also rose to her hooves. As she started to turn and walk back towards the Cathedral of the Sun, she gestured for Sunset to follow her. Taking to the air, Sunset flew alongside the queen, Philomena soon joining them.

“As a former fire-caller,” the queen continued, “the ways of the earth-weavers will be the most difficult for you to learn, but you will. In time. So from now on, I want you to spend a few minutes each morning and evening in meditation to connect with Nitor’s heart. You must learn to trust it and let it in without trying to control it. Only then will you be able to draw on it for aid.

“For now, you may return to the Cathedral of the Sun, and relax for a bit. We’ll resume our lessons at one in the afternoon.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sunset said.

*****

The next five days passed without much incident. Sunset resumed her lessons with the queen, and began to meditate as instructed. Yet, it rapidly became a new source of annoyance for her. No matter what she did, she’d always slip up and drive off Nitor’s heart.

She just had to remind herself that she would eventually get it.

Even if it was infuriating to no end.

The current morning was no different. She’d risen, dressed, spent ten minutes in a vain attempt at geokinesis. She eventually gave up, and ordered breakfast for herself and Philomena as she brooded over what would be in store for her for the next week.

Because the next week was a Raven week.

Meaning government lessons.

And most likely learning whatever horrors General Sentry was recommending she be put through. If the general didn’t have it out for her before, she was sure he did now after his little tirade about her “duty as a phoenix-born” to fight for Solaria. The thought of him and his attitude soured Sunset’s mood considerably.

Trying to put the general and her impending torment at his hand out of her mind, she glared at her rune guide and took a savage bite out of the chunk of sourdough bread she’d dipped in her soup. It wasn’t a perfect strategy, but focusing on the theoretical applications for the second-tier regulator rune she was examining did at least help distract her enough that she wasn’t actively thinking about whatever he had sent to Raven.

As she chewed, a sudden and unexpected knock on her door drew her attention. Setting down the bread and swallowing the bit she’d been chewing, Sunset looked towards the entrance to her suite.

“Who is it?” Sunset called, before feeling slightly foolish when she realized that it might be one of the sun-touched.

“It’s Raven. May I come in?”

Upon hearing Raven’s voice, a jolt of panic shot up Sunset’s spine as she desperately tried to figure out why Raven was here. At her room. Her eyes snapped to the wall clock, only to relax moments later. It read seven in the morning, well over an hour before they were scheduled to meet.

Mena, we weren’t expecting Raven, were we? Sunset sent as she looked back towards the door.

Not that I remember, Philomena sent as she also turned away from her own breakfast of seasoned, roasted mice.

Rising, Sunset straightened her shirt, smoothed her knee-length skirt and walked to the entrance of her suite. Opening the door, she spotted the ever-immaculate form of Raven and Dylis waiting patiently for her.

To her surprise, Raven was dressed differently than usual. Rather than her typical blouse, vest and pencil skirt, she was wearing a black silk blouse with flared, lace cuffs, an ankle length black skirt and black boots. A golden bolo tie decorated with her personal seal adorned her neck, while the black leather pauldron on her shoulder was ringed on the bottom with golden studs.

Sunset found herself staring at Raven in awe. Raven had always been handsome, but for some reason, seeing her in her current outfit accentuated that fact, leaving Sunset speechless.

“Good morning, Sunset,” Raven said crisply. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Uh, no, Philomena and I were just finishing up breakfast,” Sunset said as she came back to herself.

“I see. May we join you?”

“Um, sure… is something wrong?” Sunset asked as she stepped back to allow Raven to enter.

Stepping over the threshold, Raven surveyed Sunset’s suite, before turning to Sunset.

“No. But, there are a couple of things I want to discuss with you,” Raven said as she walked up to Sunset’s food ordering system. “Do you mind if I order something?”

Sunset was momentarily stunned that Raven was asking her permission.

“I… of course, Raven,” Sunset stammered. Hearing Philomena snickering through their bond, Sunset sent a poke at the phoenix, who just giggled harder.

“Thank you,” Raven said as she pressed her hand to the panel. “One bowl of plietes, and a mug of tsujara, please.”

Sunset took her seat as Raven waited for her food to be delivered, her mind racing as she tried to figure out why Raven was here, in her suite, dressed up in an outfit that would look more appropriate for Roseluck. She’d said she wanted to discuss ‘a couple of things,’ but for the life of her, Sunset couldn’t imagine what.

It only took a few minutes for Raven’s food to be delivered. Order in hand, she took a seat at the table opposite Sunset and Philomena, before offering Dylis her arm. Bringing him down onto the table near Philomena, she placed the bowl of yellow-orange, spider-like plietes fruit between the two of them.

Taking a drink of her tsujara, Raven turned her attention to Sunset.

“I take it you’re wondering why I’m here,” Raven said matter-of-factly.

“It… crossed my mind. What did you want to discuss?”

“First, the queen, General Sentry and I have been reviewing his evaluation and suggestions for your combat training,” Raven said before as she set the mug down.

Sunset’s blood ran cold.

“…and?” Sunset said, unable to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

“I’m not surprised by what he found, if that’s what you’re wondering. I suspect you’ll begin your training proper in about a month or so, once we’ve finalized everything.”

Sunset could feel the blood drain from her face, causing Raven’s own expression to soften.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you go through exactly what General Sentry wanted. But, I do agree with most of it. You need to start learning how to fight, and how to control and focus your temper correctly when you're under duress.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Sunset said nervously.

“I sympathize, but it’s necessary. This isn’t a matter of if, but a matter of when you will be called on to fight for Solaria. Like it or not, we phoenix-born are charged with the defense of Queen Celestia and Solaria. Which means you need to be trained. If not, you’ll be a liability on the battlefield, and an easy target for our enemies.”

Looking down at her hands, Sunset wrung them and sighed.

“General Sentry said that too. Something about it being my duty.”

A sympathetic look worked itself across Raven’s face.

“In that, General Sentry is unfortunately right. At the very least, you can be grateful that he’s not going to handle your training.”

“Yea. So what did he recommend?”

“Nothing terribly unusual: physical and mental training, tactics and strategy, unarmed, weapon and firearm drills, military and martial arts history,” Raven said nonchalantly. “I’m not going to put you through the intensity he’d want, but the program itself is sound. You’ll start once Steel and I finalize the details.”

“Oh,” Sunset muttered, “You said you had a couple things you wanted to discuss. What’s the second?”

“Don’t worry, this will be something I think you’ll enjoy. We’re not going to be having formal lessons today. Instead, they’re going to be a little more practical,” Raven said with a slight smile. “The Photon Museum of Art is holding a private viewing for their newest wing today, and Duke Fancypants has personally invited the two of us, as well as several high-ranking members of the nobility, including the Council of Light.”

Sunset could only stare at Raven numbly. That had to be the reason Raven was dressed up as much as she was. Then it hit her: Raven had said “the two of them.”

“Raven, pardon me for a moment, but how in the name of Queen Celestia’s sun does that sound like something I’d enjoy?” Sunset asked incredulously.

Raven’s mouth turned up into one of her cryptic smirks.

“Because you’re not going to be actively studying anything. This is my way of giving you something of a break after what I’m sure was a very unpleasant experience with General Sentry,” Raven said. “And other than asking you to observe how the rest of the nobles interact and try to learn how they play the game, I’m not asking you to do anything other than enjoy the museum.”

“Why would I find a museum fun? Sounds boring to me,” Sunset huffed. “Besides, I get enough watching the council when we’re in session. How is this going to be any different?”

“You might be surprised,” Raven said with a single chuckle. “On both counts. All I ask is that you go into this with an open mind.”

“I assume I don’t have a choice in the matter, do I?” Sunset asked as politely as she could manage.

“Yes, you do. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to,” Raven said, before taking a drink of her tsujara. “…however, before you say you don’t want to go, consider that this was a personal invitation from Duke Fancypants, the ruler of Photon. Might there be benefits for accepting, or consequences for turning down his invitation?”

“Even if there are, why should I care?” Sunset replied.

“Because a single strand of chord is weak. But weave them together and they become strong.”

Sunset glared at Raven for a moment.

This is another one of those ‘cryptic lessons,’ isn’t it? Sunset sent.

No, that’s silly. Whatever gave you that idea?

Sunset gave Philomena a sidelong glance.

“Sometimes I wish you’d just tell me things rather than throw riddles at me,” Sunset sighed.

“No wisdom is worthwhile if you don’t have to work for it, Sunset,” Raven said with a half-smile.

“Yea, I’m sure. I think you just get a kick out of being mysterious.”

“Perhaps. But, you still haven’t given me an answer yet.”

Taking a deep breath in through her nose, Sunset slowly blew it out her mouth and regarded Raven.

“Fine. I’ll come. If for no other reason than that I could use a change of scenery. I assume that I’m going to be getting dolled up, right?”

“I’m glad to hear it. All I ask is that you keep your mind, and your eyes, open,” Raven said as she finished her tsujara. “And yes, you’re going to need to be ‘dolled up.’ I would have hoped you’d remembered that from your etiquette manual.”

“I do. But I can always wish,” Sunset grumbled.

“I won’t begrudge you for that,” Raven said as she rose from her seat. “Just so long as you don’t confuse what you wish things were for what they are.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Sunset said as she also rose. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

“Open mind, Sunset,” Raven gently chided as she led Sunset towards her wardrobe.

“Yea, yea,” Sunset grunted as she prepared herself for another round of gaudy monstrosities being forced on her.

She had a feeling today was going to be another long one.

Author's Note

Steel's not a gentle teacher.

Ch 7 - The Trials - Inspiration Comes in Many Forms

Ch 7 - The Trials - Inspiration Comes in Many Forms

The hiss of the sky-car braking followed by the sharp click of locking clamps engaging were like the sound of a linnorm’s roar, yanking Sunset out of her reading and back to the real world. She looked out the sky-car window, ruefully noting that they were docked at Chromos. She’d hoped that she’d at least get through another chapter or two of her etiquette manual, but she would still have time to finish reading.

This was, after all, only the first stop on their trip.

Is it always like this when you ride on this thing? That was so incredible!

Sunset’s thoughts were interrupted by the enthusiastic sending. Looking to her right, Sunset had to suppress a chuckle as she saw Philomena staring out the window with rapt attention, her head darting to and fro as she eagerly took in everything in the sky-rail station.

The entire ride from Mt. Liakeed had been full of Philomena’s wonder-filled sendings, to the point Sunset had had to almost entirely close their bond to avoid the constant distraction. Luckily, Philomena had been too absorbed by the sights to notice, and Sunset hadn’t been about to quash her bondmate’s joy. If anything, she was subtly savoring it now that she’d reopened their link. It reminded her of her own sense of awe when she’d first ridden on the sky-rail to the Cathedral of the Sun.

You get used to it, Sunset sent as she closed her book and set it down. Pretty amazing though, isn’t it?

Yea! Philomena replied excitedly as she continued to take in everything. There was just so much to see! I mean, we could see some of it from the cathedral, but it was so much better up close! Are we ever going to get to explore any of the spots we passed through?

I… never thought to ask, Sunset admitted. Maybe?

Please please please ask Raven when we get back!

Chuckling at Philomena’s enthusiasm, Sunset’s mood warmed and a slight, happy smile worked its way across her face. Not just because Philomena’s own attitude was so endearing, but because it finally had sunk in that she wouldn’t have to go to one of these awful events by herself ever again.

And put into sharp relief just how much she’d missed her when they’d been separated. Even with her there through their link, it hadn't been the same. Every time it’d been painful for Sunset, like she had been torn away from a vital part of herself. But, no more. Just knowing that Philomena would be with her made the prospect of these events so much more bearable. Even if it meant she couldn’t use their bond to study instead of listening to the council yammer.

Reaching out, she gently began to scratch the back of Philomena’s head. The sudden contact caused the phoenix to inhale sharply before she began to let out a string of beautiful trills that filled Sunset’s heart with joy.

What brought this on? Philomena sent as she leaned into Sunset’s fingers. Not that I’m complaining.

I’m just glad that you're here with me, Sunset sent. I finally don’t have to do this alone.

Not sure what you mean. I’ve been with you the whole time. Kinda hard not to be when we’re in each other's heads.

A small, amused chuckle escaped Sunset’s throat as she shifted her hands to scratch the underside of Philomena’s chin.

Mena, even if you were with me, you weren’t with me.

The two of them stared into each other's eyes for an eternity of seconds as Sunset felt the fire smouldering in Philomena’s mind. Then, she felt the tinder spark as what she’d said blazed to life.

Ah, I get it, Philomena sent as she rubbed her head against Sunset’s fingers. I know the feeling. It wasn’t much fun being away from you like that.

Yea.

The moment was suddenly interrupted as Sunset heard the rustle of silky fabric from across the aisle, reminding her that she and Philomena weren’t alone. Reluctantly looking towards the source of the sound, she saw Raven rising from her seat with Dylis perched on her forearm. To her surprise, Raven didn’t say a word. Instead, she simply gave her a look that said ‘I hate to interrupt, but we’re on a schedule.’

Her enthusiasm dying down a bit, Sunset sighed and got to her feet, smoothing the wrinkles out of her ankle-length red skirt and straightening her white blouse and ochre silk vest.

Time to go? Philomena sent as she turned to face Sunset.

Time to go, Sunset sent as she tried to maintain some level of enthusiasm.

Giving Philomena her arm and bringing her to her shoulder, Sunset followed Raven out of the sky-car and into the terminal.

As she stepped out onto the platform, she noticed something was awry. Something was missing.

At first, she’d noticed it when they’d left the cathedral, but she hadn’t paid it any mind. But now that they were away from Mt. Liakeed, the absence was obvious. And more than a little jarring given how much of a fixture to her life they’d become over the last few months.

“Raven, why aren’t there any prominence knights?” Sunset asked as she looked around the terminal, and found a distinct lack of royal protectors. “Not that I’m complaining, but I don’t remember the last time you let me leave the Cathedral of the Sun without an escort.”

Sunset’s question hung in the air as Raven stopped walking.

“Glad to see you’re paying attention,” Raven said, a touch of pride leaking into her voice. “The knights won’t be joining us for this little trip.”

“Really? So, you’re not being as paranoid about my safety anymore?” Sunset asked in a teasing tone.

“It’s not paranoia when it’s justified,” Raven said as she gave Sunset a look out of the corner of her eyes. “And you won’t be unguarded. Your protectors just won’t be obvious.”

Sunset and Philomena shared a confused look with each other.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that me and mine will have you covered, kiddo.”

Sunset let out a startled cry. Whipping around, nearly causing Philomena to lose her grip in the process, she instantly spotted the source of the ominous, distorted voice. A figure dressed in a white, form-fitting bodysuit, distinct sun-touched mask, and boasting a pair of luminous wings stood leaning against the sky-car with their arms crossed over their chest.

“Dawn Wings?!” Sunset all but shouted. “What? Where’d you come from?”

At that, Dawn Wings shrugged noncommittally.

“Blame Queen Celestia and her brother, a couple of bottles of fermented wyrm blood, seven fist-sized opals, a dozen live lionfish, and a bag of catnip,” Dawn Wings replied casually, raising a finger for each item she listed.

Sunset opened her mouth to respond, only for her thought process to be abruptly doused. Slowly closing her mouth, she scrunched her face up and stared at Dawn Wings.

“What?” Sunset muttered softly.

“Hmm,” Dawn Wings said nonchalantly as she stretched her arms above her head with a satisfied groan.

“No… I mean, what are you doing here?” Sunset asked as she eyed the spymistress skeptically.

“Oh, that,” Dawn Wings said as she pointed to Raven with her thumb. “Boss lady asked the Eyes to watch you while you’re at Fancy’s little get-together.”

“Which I was about to tell her, so there was no need for your theatrics,” Raven said tersely as she walked up next to Sunset and placed a hand on her left shoulder. “Or for you to show yourself.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Dawn Wings said with a casual flick of her wrist, her voice carrying her amusement even through the distortion of her mask.

“You are impossible, do you know that?” Raven growled as she and Dylis glared at Dawn Wings.

“Yup,” Dawn Wings’ said, the levity in her voice was even thicker now. “But it’s part of my charm.”

“That’s not the word I would use to describe it,” Raven groaned as she rubbed her temples.

During the entire exchange, Sunset could only stare in wonder as the two adults bickered, only for a stray thought to slam into her mind with the force of an angry petroquine.

“What do you mean ‘you’ll be watching me?’” Sunset said, interrupting Raven and Dawn Wings’ mounting argument.

Dawn Wings turned her attention away from Raven and onto Sunset. Were it not for the months of time she’d spent in the Cathedral of the Sun with the sun-touched, she might’ve found her inability to see the spymisteress’s face disconcerting. Instead, she simply got the feeling Dawn Wings was smirking at her.

“Just that. The Eyes will be close by keeping you and Raven safe. Sure, Fancy’s got his own private security organized to escort you once you get to Photon, but my Eyes are going to be there to make sure they don’t have to do much more than stand around and look tough.”

Sunset scoffed at the thought.

“I’m sorry, but how are you going to stay out of sight looking like that?” Sunset asked incredulously.

“Well, it’s pretty technical and complex, but sure, I can–” Dawn Wings began to say, only to suddenly stand up and point at something on the other side of the terminal. “– BY THE SUN, WHAT’S THAT?!”

Startled by Dawn Wings’ sudden outburst, Sunset reflexively turned around to look in the direction that the spymistress had pointed, once again nearly dislodging Philomena.

“What?” Sunset muttered, ignoring Philomena’s irritated push through their bond as the phoenix lightly pecked the side of her head. “There’s nothing there! Dawn Wings, what are you…”

The words died in her throat because the spymistress had vanished into thin air.

“Where’d she…?”

The sound of a dry chuckle came from Raven’s direction, as did an equally amused warble from Dylis.

“Does that answer your question, Sunset? Did you forget that you’ve seen Dawn Wings do that in the past?” Raven asked then began to walk towards the terminal exit.

Staring at the spot where Dawn Wings had been standing up until a few moments ago, Sunset took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“It does, and I did. I’m just not sure if it’s reassuring or frightening,” Sunset said, hustling to catch up with Raven.

“It can be both,” Raven said, opening the door to the main corridor.

Sunset’s brow furrowed again as she gave Raven a sidelong glance as they began to walk towards the next station.

Again with the riddles that don’t actually tell me anything, Sunset sent irritably.

You know it wouldn’t be Raven if she didn’t do that.

I know. Doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

Not the only source of annoyance from her today, is it?

Right, because knowing what she actually wants me to learn from this excursion would be too much to ask, wouldn’t it?

Nooooo, being told what to expect? That’s silly, Philomena sent, her tone filled with mock indignation and surprise.

Sunset nudged Philomena gently through their link as she gave the phoenix an amused smile.

*****

Two hours, one sky-rail ride through Chromos, the corona, a checkpoint station at the base of the wall and through Photon later, Sunset found herself riding in a horse-drawn carriage towards their final destination.

Both Sunset and Philomena had their eyes locked out the windows of the vehicle as they made their way through the city. Every so often, Sunset would explain something they were seeing to her bondmate, but for the most part, they simply chose to watch the city go by as they rode.

Periodically Sunset’s attention would shift from the city to the sun-gazers escorting them. All around the carriage, a platoon of Duke Fancy’s private guards either rode on their own horses or flew along in the sky, keeping a perimeter around the phoenix-born at all times. Unlike the sunblades or prominence knights, these sun-gazers wore blue and white uniforms, and were each armed with a baton and short carbine. Compared to the other soldiers she’d seen, their appearance was almost friendly. Whereas the sunblades were threatening, and the prominence knights majestic and intimidating, these soldiers felt approachable and trustworthy.

Just like the rest of their city.

The contrast between Photon, Chromos and Candesis had struck Sunset the moment they had entered the city proper. Photon was far less densely packed with buildings than Candesis, but more heavily populated than Chromos. Those buildings that were present were a mix of large, ornate structures or amphitheatres rather than the dull, squat yet functional buildings of the northwest ray or the marble buildings of the corona’s city. Between these grand edifices were regions of tall, residential complexes, which were mostly decorated with frescos, murals or other forms of visual art, while their roofs were topped with gardens or other green spaces. Numerous parks dotted the landscape, and in each Sunset could see sculptures or installations of some sort.

And unlike either Chromos or Candesis, there were hardly any sky-rails crisscrossing the city. Instead, it was clear that the preferred mode of transit were horse-drawn carriages, with the city’s wide cobblestone roads built to accommodate their presence.

Compared to the pragmatic and grounded Candesis, Photon was jubilant and flamboyant in a way that almost felt gaudy and had a certain liveliness to it that the northwest ray lacked. And, unlike Chromos, it felt more… free-spirited. Less orderly. Even if neither of the other cities were oppressive, they weren't as wild and expressive as Photon. The whole city just radiated a feeling of creativity.

Looking at the cityscape, Sunset couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at the sight. The last few months of her life had been so… regimented. Even with everything she was learning, it felt… empty in a way. Like it was just something she was doing because she was obliged to do it. There was no spontaneity.

No unpredictability.

No freedom.

Everything was ordered.

Predictable.

And out of her control.

Resting her cheek in her left palm, Sunset continued to stare wistfully out at the city as they rode towards their destination.

Eventually, their carriage turned off the main road and towards one of the large, ornate marble buildings that Sunset had seen while they’d descended the corona’s wall, its front decorated with elaborately carved marble columns and arches and surrounded by an expansive Heliopolan-style garden dotted with stone and metal sculptures. Compared to the grandeur of the Cathedral of the Sun or Queen Celestia’s Castle, the building was far less impressive. Yet, it also was more welcoming, as though it were inviting her to come in and explore.

A sensation that was only slightly diminished by the presence of Duke Fancy’s soldiers standing at attention at the base of the road leading to the building’s main entrance. As their carriage pulled up to the stairs, their escort dismounted or landed and formed a cordon around the vehicle before the driver dismounted himself and opened the door. First to rise was Raven, who offered her arm to Dylis and exited the carriage as she brought her hand up to let him step onto her shoulder.

Swallowing nervously, Sunset regarded the museum for a few seconds before she rose from her seat and offered her arm to Philomena.

You okay? Philomena sent.

That’s a trick question and you know it, Mena, Sunset sent with a sigh.

Doesn’t mean I’m not worried.

I… we’ll be okay. Let’s just get this over with.

Stepping out of the carriage, Sunset made her way to Raven’s side. The four of them headed up the stairs and through the large, double-doors of the museum, Sunset focusing on her meditations as she tried to keep herself calm.

“Announcing the arrival of Lady Raven Inkwell, Lord Dylis, Lady Sunset Shimmer and Lady Philomena,” a loud voice called as the four of them entered the foyer, startling Sunset and forcing her to take a deep breath. “Praise be to the sun and flame!”

As every eye in the room turned towards her and Raven, she wanted to shy away and hide behind the older phoenix-born. But, she forced herself to hold her ground.

‘Stay calm,’ she told herself as she performed one of her meditative techniques. ‘This isn’t a big deal. You spend nearly every day with Queen Celestia. This is nothing.’

Following Raven, she continued to make her way into the foyer, Sunset huffed with annoyance.

“You could have warned me Duke Fancypants would have someone announcing us,” Sunset grumbled.

“Why would I need to when it’s standard procedure for these kinds of events?” Raven replied with a slightly amused tone. “After all, that’s one of the things you’ve been studying. Surely it couldn’t have been that big a surprise.”

Sunset grumbled and looked away.

“So I forgot. There’s a lot of things I’m learning.”

“Indeed. And now you’ll probably remember this one better.”

As an irritated sigh escaped her nose, Sunset scanned the entry hall, trying to get a sense of her surroundings. The space itself was large, easily the size of the Cathedral of the Sun’s foyer, though unlike the cathedral it wasn’t decorated with stained-glass windows or gold reliefs. Instead, the walls were covered with carved, geometric marble frescos. Interspersed throughout the main hall were six marble caryatid columns shaped like two members of each tribe, one man and one woman, each facing the center of the room, where an enormous fountain took up the majority of the floor.

In the center of the fountain was something that took Sunset’s breath away: a massive statue that looked to be carved from pure sunstone depicting Queen Celestia rearing up on her hind legs, her wings spread wide, head looking skyward and right arm held aloft with her royal scepter pointing to the ceiling where a elaborate crystal chandelier in the shape of her sunburst hung. Water sprayed out of the tip of the scepter, creating a flowing, shimmering cascade of droplets that almost looked like thousands of tiny sparks of rainbow sunlight falling into the basin of water at the base of the statue.

All around the basin were tables topped with food, with servers dressed in crisp white, blue or magenta uniforms moving about. And gathered around the tables and scattered throughout the floor were small groups of nobles milling around, though for the moment each one had stopped their conversations to regard her and Raven.

The atmosphere of the event was similar to that of the other gathering she’d been to, and Sunset spotted several familiar faces from the Council of Light, while others she vaguely recalled from the phoenix-rite. Most she didn’t recognize though. And, unlike at the rite, there were children present along with the adults.

Most of the sun-gazers were regarding her and Raven with curiosity. A few stared at them reverently. Others were giving them, or her specifically, venomous looks that dangerously skirted the rules of acceptable decorum to someone of her station.

However, one particular knot instantly drew Sunset’s attention, along with feelings of dread and loathing.

Standing near one of the tables were the Riches, both of whom were giving her and Raven looks of polite revulsion. To Sunset’s surprise, they were accompanied by a little earth-weaver girl that she guessed was about the same age as Apple Bloom. The girl had pale, curly violet- and white-streaked hair, cornflower blue eyes and pale magenta skin. She was dolled up in a very expensive looking silk dress, a jewel encrusted platinum necklace and tiara.

It took Sunset a few seconds to realize that the little girl must be Diamond Tiara, the duke and duchess’s spoiled brat of a daughter.

With the Riches were several other members of the Council of Light, including Marquess Amethyst Mirage and Marchioness Ruby Prism, along with three individuals she didn’t recognize.

The one that stood out the least was an ivory-skinned fire-caller woman with long silver hair and green eyes and soul gem dressed in a fancy-looking platinum gown. Though she was quite beautiful, Sunset found her sort of fading into the background, as if she were less present than the rest of the nobles. Almost as though she were trying not to be noticed more than necessary.

The other two were a pair of well dressed sky-runners, a man and woman. The man had pale light, greyish-cyan skin and feathers, emerald-green hair and piercing steel-grey eyes, and had a hauntingly familiar hawkish look to his face, while the woman was slightly taller than the man, and had golden skin and feathers, cobalt-blue hair and ice-blue eyes. Both were dressed in far more practical but just as high quality looking ruff-necked shirts and slacks with calf-high black boots and carried themselves with a strange sort of confidence that unpleasantly reminded Sunset of General Sentry and Commander Spitfire.

What made Sunset’s heart leap into her throat wasn’t the adults, but the children with them. There, standing with what Sunset could only assume were their parents, were Vladimir Blueblood, Flash Sentry…

…and Sapphire Prism.

Even if there were a few other kids with the group, the three familiar faces held her attention.

In a fraction of a second, she saw the adults briskly turn away, while most of the kids, including Blueblood and Sapphire, shot her contemptuous looks before also snubbing her. Only Flash seemed to regard her without some degree of hostility, giving her a slight, pleasant smile, before his face returned to a resting neutral and he turned back to the group.

Despite the small show of pleasantness from the Sentry boy, Sunset’s anger flared at the sight as feelings of raw loathing and betrayal made her guts squirm.

Blueblood had rubbed her the wrong way from the instant they’d met with his arrogant attitude and self-righteousness, particularly after his father’s duplicity had been exposed at the phoenix-rite. And his insistence that Raven and Lumina were wrong about the worthiness of her ascension? It seemed that Highblood’s idiocy had been passed on to his son.

But even more galling was Sapphire’s reaction. Had the apology at the rite meant nothing? After Sunset had been willing to extend a hand of forgiveness and to let bygones be bygones and even help her with the very punishment that had been inflicted on her for her actions, had she just thrown it all away when she had gotten home and hadn't been under Raven’s scrutiny anymore?

Yeesh, what crawled in your ears and bit you? Philomena sent with revulsion, like she’d just eaten something unpleasant.

Mena, that’s Blueblood and Sapphire Prism, Sunset sent back tersely.

Sunset let her sending sink in and was rewarded by a mounting wave of indignation and odium from her bondmate. From the corner of her eyes, Sunset could see small licks of fire streak down Philomena’s body as she glared at Blueblood, a low, angry hiss coming from deep in her throat and chest.

Yea, my sentiments exactly, Sunset sent as she reached up to stroke Philomena’s wing to calm her down. The last thing she needed was Philomena setting something in the museum on fire.

“Lady Inkwell! Lady Shimmer! Welcome.”

Sunset’s attention was violently redirected as her head snapped in the direction of the unexpected voice, only for her to relax when she recognized the speaker.

Completely unaware of her inner turmoil, Duke Fancy briskly approached her and Raven, dressed in a fine black suit and wearing his signature monocle. As the duke approached, Sunset realized that he wasn’t alone; walking arm-in-arm with him was a fire-caller woman. One that Sunset didn’t recognize from any of her interactions with Duke Fancy.

The woman was just a bit shorter than he was yet was still taller than most of the other sun-gazers in the room, even the earth-weavers. Her alabaster skin reminded Sunset of fine marble, while her long, light magenta- and white-streaked hair was expertly styled to frame her features in the most flattering way possible. Her greyish violet eyes were sharp and alert, and were accented with violet eyeshadow that made them stand out against her face, and a pale heliotrope soul gem acting as the centerpiece to some sort of golden wire tiara with blooming lilies made of white mother-of-pearl adorned her forehead. She wore a simple, form-fitting, floor-length peplos that hugged her elegant figure like a second skin, full-length white gloves, and a golden necklace with a single, enormous orange jacinth.

Sunset could only stare at the woman with stunned awe as she practically glided along next to the duke. All Sunset could think was that this mysterious fire-caller was unbelievably gorgeous, almost resembling a masterwork marble statue given life. If she was going to compare her to anyone, the only sun-gazer Sunset could think of that was prettier was Archduchess Roseluck, and even then it was very close. And the way she carried herself had a sense of self assurance that said she knew just how beautiful she was and was unafraid of letting all of Solaria know it.

“Duke Fancy, Duchess de Lis, greetings,” Raven said as she approached the duke, Sunset following close behind. “Thank you both for the gracious invitation.”

“And thank you for accepting. You as well, Lady Shimmer. We’re so happy that you’ve chosen to grace us with your presence,” Duke Fancy said with a deep bow. When he rose, he held out his hand to the woman, who daintily took it with a radiant smile as he kissed it, causing Sunset to balk and scrunch up her face in revulsion at the open display of affection. “Ah, but where are my manners? Lady Shimmer, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to my muse, my reason for being, and the most beautiful flower to ever grace my world, my beloved wife Duchess Fleur de Lis.”

“Ve’chalat, Lady Shimmer,” Duchess de Lis said with a thick accent Sunset couldn’t quite place. It sounded like an eastern one, but not quite like Lily, Daisy or Roseluck’s. “It is a pleasure to meet you at last, ha'malim.”

“Um, thank you, Duchess de Lis,” Sunset said as she curtsied respectfully to the duchess, her mind racing while she tried to place the language the duchess was speaking. There was something familiar about it, one that she knew she’d heard somewhere before. As she tried to place it, a thought struck her. “If you don’t mind me asking, Your Ladyship, was that kirintal you were speaking?”

The duchess arched an eyebrow quizzically, before a smile graced her face as she brought her hand up to her mouth to cover it coyly and let out a windchime-like titter.

“Indeed it is, ha'malim. How did you know?”

“I’ve heard it before… At the ascension. And from my friends Flower Wishes and Lily Valley,” Sunset said.

“Ah, if you heard it at the ascension, I presume you have met the august Arbiter Rain Shine, have you not?” the duchess said with a pleased clap of her hands.

Sunset shrugged a little, though not too much so as to not jostle Philomena.

“I wouldn’t call it meeting her so much as watching her as she and Magistrate Autumn Blaze arrived.”

“Then you were in good company,” Duchess de Lis said with an approving nod. “The magistrate is an unusually passionate kirintal, but quite charming if you get to know her. As is the arbiter, though she is not as fiery.”

Sunset perked up.

“You know them?” she asked with awe.

“Indeed I do, ha’malim,” Duchess de Lis said, her smile turning conspiratorial. “I have known them most of my life, if you will allow me a small bit of immodesty. My clan is the one that has managed trade between Himavanta and Solaria since our shining Archduchess Roseluck penned the alliance so many years ago. In fact, I learned to speak Kirintal before Solarian.”

That really got Sunset’s attention.

“Really?” Sunset asked. “How’d that happen? I’ve read they don’t let outsiders in beyond the borders.”

“That is correct, but I grew up in Himavanta, ha'malim. True, I was not allowed to climb the slopes of Mt. Meru, but as part of our pact, they request that the firstborn of each new generation of my family spend their youth in their forests. And before you ask, ha'malim, that is all I can say. Unless they invite you to see their lands for yourself, I will not betray their trust in me by speaking of their home without their permission.”

“Nor would we ask you to, Lady de Lis,” Raven interjected. “We wouldn’t want to jeopardize our relationship with them by violating their hospitality, or the terms of our alliance.”

“Oh… uh, right…” Sunset said in a slightly uncertain tone as she looked between Raven and Duchess de Lis.

“Nor I,” Duke Fancy said, before turning to Raven, his expression serious and slightly remorseful. “Lady Inkwell, I know you’ve only just arrived, but I must regretfully beg for a few minutes of your time. Something’s come up, and I need your help to work out the logistics for a few of the upcoming festivals.”

There was a second of silence, before Sunset saw Raven turn her head slightly and look at her briefly before returning her attention back to Duke Fancy.

“Can it wait?” Raven asked as Dylis let out an annoyed warble and narrowed his eyes at the duke.

“It could,” Duke Fancy admitted. “But, the longer we delay, the harder it’ll be to address. This won’t take long, I swear.”

Narrowing her eyes, Raven leveled the duke with an irritated glare as she gestured with her right hand to indicate Sunset.

“I promised to give Sunset a tour of the museum,” Raven said tersely. “This was supposed to be her and my day off.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Duchess de Lis stepped forward and bowed to Raven.

“Pardon my presumption, Lady Inkwell, but I would be willing to give her a tour while you and my husband attend to business,” Duchess de Lis said with a bow and a charming smile. “I know the exhibits well, so I am sure I would be able to show young Lady Shimmer around and answer most any question she has.”

Raven gave the duchess a half-lidded look that Sunset couldn’t quite place as she seemed to consider the offer, then nodded.

“Very well. But Duke Fancy, you owe me for this. This visit wasn’t meant as an opportunity to deal with city business,” Raven said coolly, then turned to the duchess. “I’ll be along as soon as we conclude this matter. I’m trusting you with Sunset’s care, Duchess de Lis. She is to be kept safe. Do I make myself clear?”

The duchess closed her eyes and bowed slightly to Raven, only the barest hint of nervousness creasing the corner of her eyes.

“Vi’li’saet, Lady Inkwell. I will ensure she is cared for.”

Raven’s only response was a curt nod.

“Good. Duke Fancy, lead the way.”

And with that, the two of them walked off towards one of the side hallways leading out of the entry hall. As they walked, Sunset couldn’t help but smile as she caught Dylis glaring angrily at the duke.

“Well, ha’malim, shall we be off?” Duchess de Lis said with a nod. “Which exhibit would you like to see first?”

Sunset’s eyes went wide with panic as she floundered. Yet the duchess only smiled patiently at her.

“Perhaps you do not know which exhibit you wish to see?” the duchess tittered. “Or perhaps you have never been to a museum before?”

“O-of course I’ve been to a museum before,” Sunset stammered before she knew what she was saying. “Who hasn’t? Not me, that’s for sure. Eheh heh heh.”

Sunset smiled up at the duchess while trying to ignore the light, amused pokes from Philomena coming through her bond. The duchess didn’t say anything. Instead she simply chose to smile in return. But… there was something about that smile that made Sunset think that the duchess hadn’t believed what she’d said.

“Well, if that is the case,” Duchess de Lis said as she gestured for Sunset to follow her, “what was your favorite exhibit in the last one you visited, ha’malim? We can start there.”

Think fast, sunbutt, Philomena sent with a giggle.

Shut up, featherbutt!

Wracking her mind for something, anything that she could say, she latched onto the first thing that came to her. Something she hoped had some form of artistic value.

“Metalworking!” Sunset said with as much self-assurance as she could. “I want to see the exhibits for metalworking!”

Duchess de Lis’s smile became a little more genuine as she nodded and began to walk towards one of the doors leading out of the entryway.

“An excellent choice, ha’malim,” she said. “Follow me then.”

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Sunset followed after the duchess while trying to ignore the sensations of smug amusement coming from Philomena.

Not one word, featherbutt! Sunset sent.

I’m just sitting here, Philomena sent with a merry lilt.

Letting out an irritated groan, Sunset closed her eyes and shook her head. Now, she just hoped that whatever was in the metalworking art pieces, they were at least interesting enough to get her through the day. Or at least until Raven could escape the duke and join back up with them.

*****

“… and this piece is called ‘The Chimes of Spring.’” Duchess de Lis said. “It was made by Master sculptor Gentle Rain, a sky-runner from 558 SC as a gift to the then recently installed ruler of Lioht, Duke Highrise, to commemorate his ascent to the throne.”

The piece in question was, like most of the others in the section, locked-up tightly in a reinforced glass case. It was just slightly taller than Sunset, and consisted of a series of tiered, pearly bowls shaped like blooming magnolias set into a branch-like armature made of brass that resembled a small tree. In addition to the pearly blossoms, the branches were flush with leaves made of brass, each of which was covered in fine, dark emerald green cloisonné.

The bowls themselves were on a hinge of some sort and had two petals that were longer than the others, one of which was fluted like a spigot, the other of which was long and thin. Near each of the bowls was a small crystalline chime that looked like they were close enough to the bowls that if they were to turn downward on the hinge, the long “petal” would be able to strike it.

The tree was on top of a small “hill” in a shallow basin made of carved crystal. Covering the hill were carefully arranged, carved stones that made it look like a field of blooming flowers, their stems also made of brass and cloisonné leaves. The basin itself was filled halfway with water, which created a shimmering rainbow as the light passed through it and the vessel.

Sunset and Philomena could barely take their eyes off the piece, the beauty and level of craftsmanship in its construction leaving them both stunned.

“How long did it take for him to make it?” Sunset asked as she stared at the metalwork. Even just inspecting the way the branches were expertly patterned with a nearly realistic bark texture was enough to leave her in awe. And with how carefully each of the leaves had been constructed, if the veins of a leaf weren’t made of bronze, they could have passed for the real thing. What was more, she couldn’t find any indication of joint welding.

“According to Lady Inkwell and the historical records, it took Master Rain five years to finish the piece,” the duchess continued. “While the base armature was created using a casting, all of the fine detailing was done by the master himself. And since Master Rain was a sky-runner, everything he did had to be done by hand. No spell-dancing to speed the process along.”

Sunset could only nod numbly as she continued to stare at the piece. Five years to produce. Five years. It was mind-boggling, and yet, she could see why. The amount of work that would have gone into it was staggering. Especially if it had all been done by hand.

Yet, there was something about it that didn’t make sense. The hinged flowers. The chimes. The arrangement of the leaves. There was something more to all of them that piqued her curiosity.

And something about the name.

“Duchess de Lis, does it make music?” Sunset ventured as she tore her eyes off the sculpture to look at the duchess.

“Why do you ask?”

“Call it a hunch,” Sunset said as she turned back to the sculpture.

A smile formed on the duchess’s lips.

“Astute you are, ha’malim. Yes, it does. Watch… and listen,” she said as she pressed a hidden panel on the side of the display case. As she did, the water at the base began to ripple and swirl slightly as the level began to drop almost imperceptibly.

“Um, what’s–”

‘Ting!’

The words died in Sunset’s throat as the clear, clean sound of one of the chimes filled the air. Turning back to the statue, she watched as one of the flower-shaped bowls at the top of the statue slowly returned to its resting state.

Sunset stared as the bowl tipped down yet again, pouring out the water that had somehow been pumped into it on one of the leaves, which funneled it down into another one of the bowls, filling it as well, and causing it to tip.

‘Ting, tong!’

‘Ting, tong, ting, ting, tong!’

Soon, the air was filled with the sweet, beautiful sound of the chimes ringing in precise time to create an enchanting melody. Sunset stood transfixed as the bowls filled with water, then poured out their contents to sound their chimes while setting off other chimes further down. Some bowls took more water to fill and tip. Others took less. But, the results were nothing short of astounding.

Sunset’s wonder only continued to grow as the water reached the lowest blossoms, and poured back into the basin, adding the sound of dripping rain to the melody. But, what was more, the way the dripping water hit the liquid in the basin caused the refracted rainbows to swirl and twist hypnotically, turning the pedestal the sculpture was resting on into a kaleidoscope of prismatic light.

After a few minutes, the water stopped flowing, and the sculpture’s song ended, leaving Sunset and Philomena breathless with wonder.

“That… that was beautiful,” Sunset said airily as she stared at the statue.

“It was Master Rain’s magnum opus. After he finished this piece, he felt that he could never make another like it. While he continued to sculpt until his dying day, he never made anything of this quality again,” Duchess de Lis said wistfully.

“That’s… kinda sad,” Sunset said as she looked at the sculpture again with a new perspective. As she stared, Sunset felt Philomena rub her head against her own as the phoenix sent her comforting feelings of warmth and love.

“Perhaps, but, in a way, that piece of himself that he sacrificed lives on, through the very sculpture he gave it to,” Duchess de Lis said with a sad yet reverent tone. “If he did not put his all into this piece, maybe we would not remember him today. Maybe we would not regard him as one of the great masters, because he would have never made anything of this level. Maybe by burning out that spark of inspiration for this, his greatest achievement, he earned a sort of immortality of his own. After all, we still remember him to this day.”

“I guess,” Sunset said as she reached up and put a hand on Philomena’s wing, stroking it softly and cuddling into the phoenix’s breast.

“Do you need a minute, ha’malim?”

“Yea,” Sunset said as she regarded the sculpture again.

Truthfully, the last half-hour had been an emotional rollercoaster for Sunset and Philomena. After they’d arrived in the section of the museum that housed their metal-based art, they’d been exposed to so many astounding pieces. Some had been beautiful and elegant. Others… inspiring. A few had been horrific, depicting monstrous creatures.

Some of the pieces had been deceptively simple things.

Others had been more complex.

Some had been made by carving or etching the worked metal.

Others had been made with blacksmithing tools like the ones she and Bronze had always used.

Sculptures. Armatures. Bowls and cups. Musical instruments.

It didn’t matter the tribe. Fire-callers. Earth-weavers. Sky-runners. Joint projects between two or all three. Every one had contributed to the pieces on display.

Some that had used the power of the flame to make them possible.

Others had been done with nothing more than the eyes and hands of their artist.

And they weren’t like the splendors of Mt. Liakeed. Those felt so… divine. Like they were entirely out of reach to any mortal being. These? These had a different feel to them. What they lacked in the divine perfection of the cathedral and the queen’s castle, they more than made up for in heart and passion.

Each one was a testament to the artist that had created them. An expression of something they wanted to say or show.

It was all just so… touching.

So… inspiring.

It left her feeling alive in a way that she hadn’t felt in months.

Slowly, a thought came to her. A wonderful, terrible thought.

Mena, could this be what we’ve been missing? Sunset sent as she looked at the sculpture. Could this be what the queen meant when she told me to find what I wanted to make?

It could be, Philomena sent. Why?

I know I’m not going to be a blacksmith anymore. Not like I wanted to be. But… all of this? This… It feels so incredible. I didn’t even know that things like this could exist. The lifetimes of works that all these artists made, I can’t even describe how it makes me feel. How it makes me want to make something like it too. And this is only one section of one museum. Can you imagine what else might be out there. And not just in Heliopolis. What about Kirintal art? Or Selkie? Plumed Serpent? Colaurata? What could really be out there, waiting to be seen? And we’re going to have the kind of time that I could never dream of. Imagine… imagine the kinds of things we could make! All the sources of inspiration? We’re going to have ages to see it all. Can you imagine?

Philomena was silent for a moment as she mulled over what Sunset had sent. Slowly, a warm feeling of joy crept through their bond, one touched by a feeling of inspiration and determination.

I see what you mean, she sent.

“Would you like to move on now, ha’malim?”

Sunset blinked once as she was drawn out of her head and back to reality. Taking a deep breath, she looked towards Duchess de Lis.

“Yes,” Sunset said with a smile. “I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

“I’m surprised that she can appreciate any of this at all,” a snide voice said from the opposite side of the room near the archway leading to the main corridor. “After all, she couldn’t possibly have the kind of refined taste needed to really understand what she’s seeing. Wouldn’t you agree, dear cousin?”

All at once, Sunset’s good mood was shattered and crushed like glass under an avalanche of boulders, only to be replaced by burning rage. A sentiment that she could feel Philomena shared. Forcing herself not to immediately react, she took a slow, deep breath and focused her mind on one of her calming meditations.

Because the voice belonged to none other than Vladimir Blueblood.

With monumental effort, she did her best to avoid reacting in any way. That’s what he wanted.

“Indeed. I’m sure something like a shovel or plow would be more her style,” a familiar, haughty voice said with a cruel snicker. A voice that she’d come to hate.

Clenching her fists and gritting her teeth till her jaw creaked, Sunset pinched her eyes shut and focused on keeping calm as she reminded herself that Sapphire couldn’t hurt her. Not anymore.

“Now now, you two,” another familiar voice said, this one a woman. One that Sunset quickly recalled belonged to Marchioness Ruby Prism. “You mustn’t say things like that. No matter how true they are. It’s not appropriate to speak that way about someone of her station. Even if she doesn’t deserve that station.”

Sunset, still refusing to look in the direction of the voices, simply focused on taking deep breaths to avoid blowing up.

“I would thank you liam’pu necha’ntan to move along. This is a private tour, and does not concern you,” Duchess de Lis said, her tone filled with polite yet cold fury. “And your words are skirting dangerously close to a place that you do not want to venture.”

“That’s funny, coming from you,” another voice, this Sunset recognized as Amethyst Mirage, said. “You can put on all the airs you want, duchess, but that’s all they are. You play at being part of Solaria, but we know where your true allegiances lay.”

“It is not your place to judge my loyalty to the queen and Solaria, necha’ntan,” the duchess said with caustic sweetness. “My clan has never once given the crown any reason to doubt our sincerity. Something that I know cannot be said for you and yours, especially of late.”

“Big talk from someone who grew up in the woods among non-sun-gazers,” Blueblood said dismissively. “Besides, we weren’t talking to you. We were talking to her.”

Sunset felt the last bits of her self-control beginning to snap, and she desperately clung to them, grasping at every technique she could to hold her anger in check. From deep in Philomena’s throat, she heard an angry hiss slowly escaping, as the phoenix’s own fury threatened to explode as licks of fire briefly shimmered along the edges of her feathers.

“What, nothing to say, Lady Shimmer?” Blueblood sneered, spitting out the last two words with disgust. “Or has Raven taught you so poorly that you haven’t even learned basic manners yet?”

And just like that, the last bits of her restraint snapped like a frayed rope, and her anger broke free.

But, even as her emotions threatened to explode outward, she clamped down hard on them. She couldn’t react rashly. That’s what the little goat-licker wanted. Instead, she forced herself to keep her fury contained inside. It was still there, but she focused on holding it. Channeling it. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how furious she was.

“I’m sorry, Duchess de Lis, but did you hear something?” Sunset said with cold contempt. “I could have sworn that I heard the pathetic squeaking of a sad little rat. But, that can’t be right, because you and your husband are far too respectable to let vermin get into your museum. So, clearly, I’m just hearing things. How odd.”

“You… how dare you speak that way to my cousin!?” Sunset heard Sapphire snarl. “You’re nothing compared to him, or us, so don’t act so high and mighty.”

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Sunset slowly turned around to finally face the direction of the Heliopolans. As she did, her hands slipped behind her back as she clasped her left wrist in her right hand, mimicking the pose she’d seen Raven take so many times. She wasn’t sure if it would have the same effect when Raven did it, but she was at least going to try.

Now looking at the group, she saw Blueblood, his mother, Sapphire, Ruby and Amethyst all standing together, their faces barely containing their loathing.

“Really?” Sunset said as she fought to keep her anger from seeping into her voice. As she did, Philomena let the angry hiss that had been building out as she lowered her head and hunched her shoulders threateningly. “That’s funny, considering you’re talking about the son of a heretic. A heretic that is currently stuck to the cliffs of Mt. Liakeed, screaming like the pathetic coward he is as a patch of mourning glories slowly shred his vital force one sliver at a time.”

Sunset refused to smile with satisfaction as Blueblood and all of his family went pale with shock. It lasted for only a moment, before Blueblood’s face turned red with fury.

“How dare you speak that way about my father,” Blueblood snarled. “He’s–”

“–a sad, miserable, pathetic heretic that deserves everything that’s happening to him, if not worse,” Sunset said, interrupting Blueblood. “You talk about putting on airs, but you’re in no position to accuse anyone of such things. You weren’t there when General Steel Sentry, Commander Spitfire, and Queen Celestia herself reported the depths of his crimes and passed judgment on him. If anything, death by mourning glories is too good for him after everything he did.”

Taking a step forward, Sunset glared Blueblood in the eyes as if daring him to act, Philomena adding to the threat as flames licked across her feathers, sending wisps of fire into the air.

“Face it, rat, your father is going to go down in history with Black Thorn as one of the worst criminals in Solaria’s history. Ever!” Sunset said as a cruel smile twisted her face. “So, you can squeak and squeal all you want, but at the end of the day, you are never going to escape that fact. All of Solaria knows it. The queen made sure of that. And any time anyone looks at you, all they’re going to see is the son of man that dared to think that he had the right to decide that you were somehow worthy of ascension, rather than the sun-gazers Queen Celestia or Queen Lumina deemed were. And was willing to lie, cheat, steal, hurt and murder dozens of inocent people, including children, just to make that blasphemy a reality. So, enjoy living with that dream hanging over you, because at the end of the day, that’s the only legacy you have waiting for you.”

To Sunset’s satisfaction, she saw Blueblood begin to take a step forward, his face red and contorted with rage. But, before he could take more than two strides, Marquess Mirage grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

“Vladimir, enough. Don’t stoop to her level. You’re better than that.”

“He’s right, Vlad,” Sapphire said as she wrapped her cousin in a hug and glared at Sunset. “She’s not worth it.”

“Like you’re any better than he is, Sapphire,” Sunset spat. “Or was the fact that Lady Inkwell had you on your hands and knees cleaning up piss and shit not enough of a lesson of that?”

Sunset’s smirk grew a little wider as Sapphire flinched, her face briefly showing hurt before hardening again.

“What… is going on in here?”

All eyes turned to one of the archways leading to one of the other rooms, and to Raven, Dylis and Duke Fancy, all three of whom had displeased looks on their faces. Raven took the look one step further by crossing her arms over her chest.

“Nothing, Your Grace,” Marchioness Prism said evenly as she put her hand on Sapphire’s shoulder. “We were just leaving.”

“Is that so?” Raven said as she narrowed her eyes to glare at the marchioness.

“Yes, it is,” Marquess Mirage said as he pulled the still red-faced Blueblood back towards the hallway. “Come along everyone. I don’t think there’s anything worth seeing in this exhibit.”

Sunset watched as the five of them disappeared. Once they were out of sight, she let her composure break down as she clenched her fists and her face twisted into a feral snarl, her hair starting to glow more brightly and give off waves of searing heat.

“Dreaming, goat-licking, pig-sniffing, sanctimonious, pompous, Chaos-loving bastards!” Sunset snarled as she hunched up and all but screamed towards the hallway they’d walked down as Philomena let out a long, harsh hiss of her own.

“Sunset, Philomena, that’s enough,” Raven said coldly.

“But–!” Sunset began to protest, only to stop as Raven and Dylis gave her a stern look.

“No. I said, that’s enough.” Raven’s tone shut Sunset down instantly, as did Dylis’s disapproving glare.

Slowly, Sunset relaxed her fists and took a few deep breaths, using her meditations to help center herself and still her mind.

“I don’t blame you for being angry. But don’t let yourself be blinded by it. Or let it control you. You are the one in control. Not the anger. And certainly not people like them. Understand?”

A few more seconds of breathing, and Sunset felt her emotions subside enough that she felt she could respond. Reaching up to Philomena, she gently stroked her wing, letting the feeling of the smooth feathers further calm her heart.

“So I’m just supposed to let that little rat and his pig-sniffing, night-loving family get away with treating me like that?” Sunset said with only the barest traces of her previous fury tinting her voice.

“No,” Raven said bluntly as she put a hand on Sunset’s free shoulder, before both she and Dylis regarded her and Philomena.

“Then what’s the problem? Far as I’m concerned, I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true,” Sunset said as she glared at Raven’s hand. “Which is better than I can say for them.”

Sunset met Raven’s disapproving look with defiance. But, after a few seconds, her resistance crumbled under Raven’s withering glare, and she looked away.

“Sunset, your mistake was making your counterattacks personal,” Raven said. “That escalates things in a way that will potentially make your life difficult in the future. No matter how justified, attacking them personally, rather than attacking their position from a place of moral high ground, gives them swords to use against you.”

Raven let out a slight sigh as she shook her head, before Dylis pressed himself against her and trilled softly.

“Still, what’s done is done. All that we can do is move forward,” Raven said.

Sunset’s heart sank, even as her anger continued to smoulder.

“I’m sorry, Raven,” Sunset said morosely as she met Raven’s eyes.

“Thank you, Sunset,” Raven said as she patted Sunset’s shoulder, then gave her a soft smile. “And I'm sorry that I didn't prepare you better for having to deal with this sort of thing. Sometimes, it's good to be reminded that even I'm not above making mistakes.

“And if it’s any consolation, Duke Fancy was right that his business couldn’t wait. But, now we have the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves. Okay?”

“Yea. And… I was having fun, before they showed up,” Sunset said as she glared at the door, then turned to the duchess. “Duchess de Lis made sure of that.”

Sunset nearly choked at the sight before her. The duke and duchess were holding hands and staring into each other's eyes, both of them wearing expressions of relief and regret. After a moment, they let go and pressed their foreheads together so that their soul-gems were touching, then slid their hands up to the back of each other's heads and drew in closer until their bodies were pressed together .

The display bordered on vulgar in how openly affectionate it was, and it made Sunset want to gag. None of the adults back home would have dared to so openly and blatantly touch each other like that where other people could see. Especially in front of someone her age.

Yet, the two fire-callers didn’t seem to care that they had witnesses as they stayed locked in each other's arms, then stepped away from one another to face Sunset and Raven.

“It heartens me to hear that, Lady Shimmer,” Duke Fancy said as he held Duchess de Lis’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “And I apologize for whatever distress you may have just suffered. I shouldn’t have let it happen.”

The duke’s apology took Sunset by surprise, as she was still trying to recover from the scandal of the duke and duchess’s embrace.

“It’s… okay, Duke Fancy,” Sunset said dumbly. “It’s not your fault.”

Shaking his head, the duke gave her a sad look.

“Thank you for saying that. But you’re my guest, so this reflects poorly upon me as your host,” the duke said with a humble bow. “So, please, accept my apologies.”

“Our apologies, chat’vela,” Duchess de Lis said as she placed her free hand on the duke’s shoulder reassuringly, before withdrawing it and bowing herself. “I was the one responsible for the young archduchess. It was my failure that caused her to face such unpleasantness when she was meant to be enjoying herself. Please, accept my apologies, Lady Shimmer.”

Sunset watched the duke for a moment, searching for any insincerity in his tone or posture. Looking at the duchess, she searched her face as well. As she did, she felt a bit more of her anger bleed away.

“I understand. Apology accepted, Duke Fancy, Duchess de Lis,” Sunset said with a smile.

“Indeed,” Raven said as a slight smile worked its way onto her face too. “Let’s put this whole thing behind us.”

“Thank you, Your Graces,” the duke said as he rose.

“Yes, thank you,” the duchess said as she also rose. “Perhaps Lady Shimmer would be interested in seeing some of the other exhibits. The hall of arms and armor has some exquisite displays of the weapon and armorer’s works from across the ages. With how much you enjoyed these, I think you will find them as compelling.”

“Alright,” Sunset said enthusiastically. “Please lead the way.”

Nodding, the six of them began to make their way out of the hall and down the corridor, Sunset pushing the unpleasant encounter out of her mind.

*****

Sunset’s eyes were transfixed to the display case before her as she examined the object within: a pair of beautifully crafted maces, the heads of which resembled closed rosebuds. One was made out of pinkish silver while the other was made out of a light-gold metal, and both were covered with finely engraved filigree that ran down the length of the shafts to their wooden handles.

Even without being able to hold the weapons, Sunset could see they were exceptionally well made and balanced, even with their solid metal construction. Yet, they also lacked any sort of battle damage or wear.

“And these belonged to Lady Summer Flora?” she asked as she looked at her guides.

“Yes, Sunset. Lady Flora never cared for battle, so these were mostly for ceremonial purposes. The golden one is known as ‘bountiful joy,’ while the pink one is called ‘gentle love,’” Raven said with a chuckle. “Lady Flora was something of a hopeless romantic.”

Sounds like a couple of other people we know, Philomena sent with a gag.

Yuck, don’t bring that up. I’m trying not to think about it.

“If they weren’t meant for battle, why’d she make them? Seems kinda pointless,” Sunset said as she returned her attention to the maces.

“Most clan leaders carry ceremonial weapons when they hold office, ha’malim,” Lady de Lis said. “When they hold court in their clan’s halls, they are expected to bear their personal arms as a sign of their strength. Lady Flora felt that something beautiful would serve her purposes better than something threatening. Her clan’s history did say she favored being loved over being feared.”

Sunset nodded slowly as she continued to stare transfixed at the maces and their construction. Much like everything else she’d seen, she was entranced by their construction.

“Would you like to move to the next display?” Raven asked, getting an enthusiastic nod from Sunset.

Haven’t felt you feeling this good in a while, Philomena sent.

Haven’t had a reason to, Sunset replied cheerily. I’m so glad we didn’t turn this down.

Despite small irritations, I’m sure.

Despite small, pathetic, sanctimonious irritations, yes.

The six of them began to walk to the next case, Sunset following behind Raven and the duke and duchess. As they walked, she felt a strange, unexpected pressure on her left palm as her fingers were involuntarily curled around a small rectangular object. Inhaling sharply, she looked over her shoulder only to find there was nobody around.

Sunset?

Mena, did you see anyone just now?

A feeling of concern and confusion drifted to Sunset through their bond.

No… what’s wrong?

Lifting her hand and opening it, she saw that she was now holding a small card. One with a note written in fine black ink.

This, Sunset sent as she and Philomena regarded the note.

There's something you need to see. Tell Lady Inkwell that you need to use the lavatory, and ask for directions. There will be a lounge on the opposite side of the corridor from where you are told to go. Find it, and go inside.

When you tell her, tap your left hip three times with your left hand and blink twice. She will know what it means.

Good luck. And keep an open mind.

-D.W.

P.S. - Also, good job handling that punk, kiddo. That was funny.

Sunset stared at the note for a few seconds as she tried to comprehend what she was reading. Or how it had ended up in her hand.

Um, Philomena sent uncertainly. If D.W. means who I think it means…

Let’s not think about that, okay? Sunset sent back, her hand trembling a little.

“Is there something wrong, Sunset?” Raven asked. Sunset, balking slightly, noticed that Raven was looking at her curiously.

“No, nothing’s wrong. But, is there a lavatory nearby?” Sunset asked as she closed her hand around the card as she followed the note’s instructions, turning to Raven and tapping her hip three times with her left hand and blinking twice. “I kinda need to use one.”

Raven regarded her for a few seconds, her expression all but unreadable. Much to her surprise, Dylis rolled his eyes and let out a soft huff.

“I see. Duke Fancy, can you tell her where she can find one?” Raven said as she turned to the duke, causing both Duke Fancy and Duchess de Lis to stop and look back at their guests.

“Of course, Your Grace,” he said, before pointing to one of the arches leading out of the display hall. “Go out those doors. Take a right, then a left at the intersection. It’ll be three intersections down and have a green door. I can guide you if you wish.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Raven said with a shake of her head.

Both the duke and duchess gave her an odd, disbelieving look.

“Are you sure, Your Grace?” Duchess de Lis asked.

“Yes,” Raven said firmly. “Besides, I’m sure she would like a little privacy.”

Both nobles shared a brief look.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Duke Fancy said as he smoothed out his mustache with his knuckles.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you,” Sunset said as she slowly jogged towards the doorway leading back into the hall.

As she went, she tried to think of any reason that Dawn Wings wanted her to go where she was going. She wasn’t sure what game the spymistress was playing. But she had a feeling she’d find out soon enough.

*****

Sunset’s pace slowed as she made her way down the hallway towards her destination. As Duke Fancy described, she’d found the lavatory easily enough but hadn’t bothered to go in. Instead, her attention was on the door on the opposite side of the hallway, marked ‘lounge.’

Both she and Philomena stared at it, unsure exactly why they were there.

Pulling out the card, Sunset reread it again. Then again. And again as she tried to understand what was going on, and what Dawn Wings' game was.

‘Keep an open mind,’ she read for the fourth time.

What the night does she mean by that? Sunset sent as she continued to glare at the card.

Your guess is as good as mine. Should we just go in and find out?

With a sigh, Sunset stuffed the card back into her pocket.

Not like we’re going to figure it out just standing here.

Steeling herself, Sunset approached the lounge door. As she reached out to grab the handle and open it, she thought she heard a soft noise coming from inside. Curious, she pressed her left ear to the door to hear a little bit better.

She recognised the sound the moment she did: it was the sound of crying.

Someone in the lounge was crying.

Now slightly concerned, Sunset gently pulled the door open and peeked in the room.

The lounge itself was a simple, well-furnished room with several large couches, a table and a small counter with pitchers and cups. The floor was covered in warm red carpet, and the walls were adorned with landscape paintings of forests, lakes and mountains, giving the entire space a welcoming, relaxing feel to it.

Sunset was only peripherally aware of all this, as her attention was focused solely on the figure on one of the couches. A figure that was curled up in a fetal position, her face obscured by her curly gold and blue hair, weeping into her knees.

Anger, still fresh and raw, bubbled up from within Sunset’s and Philomena’s chests at the sight.

“Sapphire…” Sunset growled as a low, angry hiss emanated from Philomena.

Lifting her face from her knees, Sapphire looked in their direction, her face streaked with tears as comprehension of who was in the room with her slowly dawned on her. Comprehension that morphed into horror as she tried to scoot back further into the couch.

“S-s-s-s-sunset?” Sapphire whimpered. “What? Why are you here?”

Thinking quickly, Sunset crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Sapphire.

“I needed some space after you pulled that dream-touched hog crap back there, so I asked Duke Fancy if there was somewhere I could cool off,” Sunset lied as she glared at the other girl. “So much for that idea. But, hey, I’ll take the chance to work off some of my anger on you instead.”

“Sunset, wait…” Sapphire begged.

“No! You brought this on yourself. You treated me like trash for weeks, you threatened my family, and then had the gall to go back to acting like some night-spawned witch even after Lady Inkwell gave you a wakeup call,” Sunset said as she took a step forward, her tone becoming increasingly angry as her hair began to slowly thrash in the air.

“Sunset, please, you don’t under–” Sapphire pleaded.

“What don’t I understand? Huh? Because it’s pretty obvious. The minute you didn’t have to clean up piss again, you went right back to being the same self-righteous, night-loving bitch you were before. Guess your apology back at the cathedral was just for show, wasn’t it?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Sapphire said, this time with a touch of defiance despite the distress still clearly written all over her face. “I meant every word of it.”

“Bull-balls,” Sunset snarled as she took another step forward. “If that was true, why would you say the things you said to me just now? Huh?”

“Because I didn’t have a choice!” Sapphire all but yelled at Sunset, her face twisting with anguish, before wilting and muttering. “I didn’t want to, but I didn’t have a choice.”

Sunset’s frown deepened as she continued to glare at Sapphire.

“You always have a choice, and you chose to go back to being a sanctimonious night-lover,” Sunset growled.

“No, you’re wrong,” Sapphire retorted as she uncurled herself and sat on the edge of the sofa. “I didn’t have a choice. Even if I don’t want to be like that anymore, my family would never accept it. They’d never accept me.”

“That’s no excuse,” Sunset snarled.

Slowly standing, Sapphire met Sunset’s eyes, unyielding turquoise staring into teal.

“Sunset, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but shut the night up, because you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sapphire said, her voice growing angry. “I don’t know how things work for you out west, but if I don’t keep up appearances with my family, I could end up costing myself everything.”

“So?” Sunset said bluntly.

“So? So! You want me to sacrifice everything? My family? My future?” Sapphire fumed, taking a step towards Sunset. “Sunset, maybe in your world, that’s how things work. But not in mine.”

“If it means being a better person, then who cares? Or did you not learn anything from Lady Inkwell?” Sunset said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Don’t you dare accuse me of not learning from my mistakes. I learned plenty,” Sapphire shot back, before her tone turned morose. “Just because I have to play a part doesn't mean that I like it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sighing, Sapphire tilted her head back and closed her eyes, her face scrunching up unhappily.

“Do you remember the last thing that I did before Lady Inkwell opened my eyes to the sun?”

Sunset’s mood darkened as she thought back to the day of her exam, and the threat Sapphire made to her family. A threat that, at the time, Sapphire had fully intended to follow through with.

“Yes, I do,” Sunset said as she narrowed her eyes menacingly at Sapphire. “What of it?”

“Then you’ll understand what acting out of line would mean for me,” Sapphire said, before looking Sunset in the eyes again, hints of fear starting to touch them. “The way I was back then? That was how I was taught to be by my father, mother, aunts and uncles. What do you think would happen to me if I began to openly defy them, or ‘embarrass’ them in public?”

Sapphire’s question hung in the air for a few seconds. Then, in a horrible moment of clarity, Sunset grasped the implication of what Sapphire was saying. As the realization hit her, the bottom fell out of her stomach and her eyes went wide in shock.

“You mean–” she began to say.

“They wouldn’t kill or beat me, if that’s what you’re thinking. The scandal would be the end of them,” Sapphire said as she looked away and sighed. “But there are other things that they could and would do to ‘correct’ my ‘bad behavior.’ Things that they were perfectly within their legal rights as my parents to do. ‘Private boarding schools.’ ‘Tutors.’ Other, more direct methods. Nothing that would leave lasting physical harm, but could make me back into what I used to be.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide with horror at what Sapphire was implying.

“I don’t want to be that ever again, Sunset,” Sapphire said with a sniff. “But I can’t let my parents or my family know that. So I have to act the part. Play the role. No matter how much it chews me up inside. The cost of doing otherwise is one I can’t afford to pay.”

“You could always just leave,” Sunset said weakly.

“No, I can’t. They wouldn’t let me even if I tried,” Sapphire said with a shake of her head. “And where would I go? For better or worse, Heliopolis and Aurorias are my home. Where my life… my family… is. Even if my eyes are open now, I can’t turn my back on my family. I couldn’t live with myself if I did that.”

Sunset could only stare numbly at Sapphire, the true weight of what the other girl was saying finally hitting her.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me for this, Sunset, or even really understand,” Sapphire said softly. “But, I want you to know that, deep down, I’m not the person I have to pretend to be. Not anymore. But, like I said, I don’t have a choice.”

Sunset was about to speak when she heard someone approaching the door. Sapphire’s eyes went wide with fear as she looked at the entrance to the room before quickly scrubbing her face and putting on an angry scowl. One that she leveled at Sunset.

Before Sunset could respond or ask what was going on, the door opened, revealing Marchioness Ruby Prism.

“Sapphire, are you…” the marchioness began before spotting Sunset. “What is she doing here? Are you harassing my daughter, Lady Shimmer?”

“Nothing’s going on, Mother,” Sapphire growled as she glared at Sunset with an angry frown. “Lady Shimmer just happened to wander in a few minutes ago looking for someplace to sit down, and decided she had a few more things to say to me.”

“I see,” Marchioness Prism said with a frown. “Lady Shimmer, I will say this once, and only once: you stay away from my daughter. Do you understand me? She's already gone through enough heartache and hardship because of you. So, I promise you this: if I find that you’re persecuting her, I will use every ounce of influence I have to make you regret that decision. Do I make myself clear?”

Sunset found herself glaring at the marchioness.

“Like I want anything to do with her or you,” Sunset snarled back.

“Hmph, just as long as you understand,” Marchioness Prism said. “Come along, Sapphire. We’re leaving.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Sapphire said as she strode past Sunset with a huff, her head held high.

As the marchioness began to guide her daughter out, Sunset saw Sapphire turn to look back one last time. Though her face was still twisted into a haughty frown, her eyes told a different story. One that was begging Sunset to forgive her.

Then, they were gone, leaving Sunset and Philomena alone in the lounge.

What just happened? Philomena sent, her anger having subsided into confusion.

I… don’t know, Sunset sent. But, I think we should tell Raven about this. She’ll know what to do.

Sunset felt Philomena send a sensation of agreement. Taking a deep breath and walking towards the door, Sunset pushed it open and headed out into the hall to go and rejoin Raven, her head swimming with everything she’d just learned.

Author's Note

And so the secret of Dawn Wings origin is revealed! Or not. The question becomes did what she's implying actually happen, or is she messing with Sunset because she's Dawn Wings.

It seems dear Sunset has found her inspiration. And learned a few lessons about things she didn't know she had to learn.

So, yea, Fancy and Fleur are basically Splintered Sky's versions of Gomez and Morticia from The Addams Family. They're ridiculously in love with one another, and behave far more affectionately in public than most sun-gazers consider appropriate. Not that they care, because 💕💞love!💞💖

Ch 8 - The Trials - Make a Pathway Towards the Future

Dear Pinkie, Rainbow and AJ

Hi girls. Hope you’re well. I’m as busy as ever. About a week ago, Lady Inkwell took me to the Chromos Museum of Art. I know, I know, it sounds boring. Especially for you Dash, since there’d be nothing for you to break without owing thousands of radiants. I thought it would be dull, but it was actually a lot of fun. Well, the art displays were. Some of the company, not so much.

I was also introduced to Duchess Fleur de Lis, the ambassador to Himavanta. She was amazing, though she and her husband Duke Fancy Pants were way too touchy. I got the feeling that even Lady Inkwell was getting sick of it. But aside from her and her husband being gross, it was so fun to spend time with her. Did you know she grew up with the kirintal? Apparently, her clan (it’s a sort of big extended family in the east) sends their firstborns to live in Himavanta.

And, well, I’ve decided that I want to start learning to make art. I’m not giving up on blacksmithing or enchanting, but it might also be fun to learn to make sculptures and stuff.

Unfortunately, I made a mistake while there, and broke one of the esoteric rules that the “nobility” are supposed to follow. Now Lady Inkwell’s been hammering me with all of this “code of conduct” stuff. Apparently, me standing up to Blueblood and his family was “wrong,” so I need to learn how to behave “properly.” I feel like I’m having a dream.

I miss you all terribly. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit soon.

With love, your sister,

Sunset Shimmer

*****

Dear Dawn Wings,

I’m not sure if this letter will reach you, but I have a favor to ask. Can we meet sometime to discuss it in person?

Sunset Shimmer

*****

Sunset forced herself not to fidget as she sat on her knees on a large floor pillow at the end of a large half-circle table. Even with the softness of the cushion under her, she could feel her legs and back starting to protest from holding her poise, but she kept her posture tight, formal and as flawless as she could manage. To her right, Phillomena was also resting on a golden perch, holding similarly still and formal. They stayed like that for what felt like an agonizing eternity, waiting for the next step of their lesson to begin.

Eventually, one of Raven’s animated puppets approached from behind, carrying two bowls. The smaller of the two was placed in the receptacle on Philomena’s perch, then the second was placed in front of Sunset. From her peripheral vision, she could see that this one filled with a of colored broth meant to be a soup of some sort. Once the bowl was in place, Sunset turned her head slightly to acknowledge the “server” with a nod, before the puppet bowed and backed away respectfully.

Waiting for the puppet to pass out of her line of sight, Sunset reached towards the table and picked up a heavy tungsten and gold spoon from the row of three as she prepared to begin the next stage of the mock-meal.

The moment she put her hands on the spoon, the light in the room flickered a harsh red.

By the night! Sunset swore as she dropped the spoon and slumped backwards, propping herself up with her arms as she let her head loll backwards with a groan.

What’d we mess up this time! Philomena sent with an exasperated hiss as she also relaxed on her perch, her head hanging down and her eyes shut.

Probably took too many breaths before I picked up that dream-tainted spoon or some such pedantic vethris-venom.

A soft trill of amusement came from Philomena's throat accompanied by a feeling of amusement. Or you forgot to cross your eyes and burp as loudly as possible.

Or pick my nose and wipe it on the table.

A moment of mirth passed between the two of them, only to be interrupted by the sound of the sharp clack of high-heels on the marble floor approaching. Quickly drawing themselves back up into their formal sitting positions, the two of them waited as Raven and Dylis slowly approached.

Just like they had for the last three hours whenever Sunset or Philomena made a mistake.

Three hours of addressing puppets of different “statuses” under different circumstances and scenarios, all of which changed in slight to major ways depending on whether they were supposed to be from Heliopolis or the Eastern Territory.

Or, the most difficult of all, were kirintal instead of sun-gazers. Much to Sunset’s chagrin, she’d had even less time to study the protocol for engaging with the kirintal than she had with the rules for dealing with other Solarians. It was like learning a whole new language with how different all of the unspoken rules were.

She was just grateful that Raven wasn’t actually making her learn Kirintal outside a few proper greetings. She wasn’t sure if she could handle that.

“Better,” Raven said coolly as she loomed ominously over Sunset. “What was the error?”

Sunset felt her temper starting to ignite at Raven’s question. One that she’d been asking Sunset most of the day. Infact, she’d been asking it most of the last five days. Focusing on her meditation techniques, she calmed herself enough to think.

Any ideas, Sunset sent.

I’m afraid not.

Thanks, Mena.

Hey, don’t look at me. You’re the one who’s been learning this stuff.

Don’t. Remind. Me, Sunset sent with a growl. One that got a frustrated push in response.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Sunset started thinking back on the practice meal, and what she had been doing right up until the moment Raven had signaled that she’d made a mistake. Was it the spoon she chose? No, it was the soup spoon, which was always the one second to the right in the spoon row. Had she forgotten to acknowledge the server? No, she’d done that. Her posture? No, she had been sitting right the entire time.

Letting out a long sigh, Sunset looked at Raven.

“I’m sorry, Raven, I don’t remember,” Sunset said, barely holding back her frustration.

Raven stared at her for a long moment, her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed over her chest.

“You were about to eat first,” Raven finally said. “For the soup course during a formal festival meal, you are supposed to wait for Philomena to start before picking up your spoon.”

Seriously? Sunset sent.

I thought you were supposed to take the first bite with the soup! Mena protested.

No, that’s the salad and main courses. For soup and desert, you’re supposed to go first, Sunset sent, clamping down on her emotions as hard as she could to keep her frustration from slipping through her bond towards Mena. I can’t believe we messed that up!

So I forgot! Mena huffed, before glaring down at the bowl of pseudo-food, and making an irritated trill from the depths of the throat. Besides, why do we have to work with this stuff? It’s like I’m eating water. There’s no flavor at all.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was water.

“Alright, let’s try again,” Raven said as she turned and began to walk away, dragging Sunset back to Nitor. “From the top.”

“This is wood rot,” Sunset growled under her breath as she re-situated herself on the pillow, only for the sound of Raven’s footsteps to stop. A cold shiver of realization ran up Sunset’s spine. Glancing at Raven, her fire was all but extinguished as both the queen’s seneschal and Dylis shot her a subtle glare.

“Sunset,” Raven said levely as her presence began to fill the room, making Sunset shrink in on herself a little, “what are you practicing for and why?”

“I know why,” Sunset meekly protested as she looked away.

Raven’s only outward response was to turn to face her fully as her glare grew more stern and her mouth turned down into a slight frown. Sunset wanted to scoot away, but couldn’t. Not with the nearly crushing weight bearing down on her.

“I want to hear you say it. Out loud.”

Even with her tone spoken no louder than her normal voice, and without any added emotion, the weight of the words hit Sunset like a shouted command. Through their bond, Philomena kept sending her feelings of comfort and encouragement. Even with her partner’s efforts, she still shivered with dread at the force behind the words. Still, it gave her the grounding she needed to fight back enough of her fear to draw herself back up into her formal sitting pose.

“I’m practicing for the formal events at the Fall Harvest Festival in two months.”

“Good,” Raven said with a barely perceptible nod, before making a circling motion with the index finger on her right hand. “Keep going.”

“This will be my first Fall Harvest Festival as an ascendant. As such, it is important that I show my best while representing Queen Celestia, the phoenix-born, Heliopolis and Solaria. First impressions to the public are crucial to maintaining respect from the populace, as is honoring the traditions and customs of the Eastern Territory.”

Seeing the slight nod from Raven, Sunset took a moment to draw in another breath, then continued.

“The kirintal will also be in attendance. This year’s celebration marks the fourth centennial of their joining the Solar Alliance. An alliance formed in the wake of the Skellweb Crisis, and first time that the kirintal willingly made contact with any other race after the War of Shadows against King Sombra. As such, this year’s festival is significant to the relationship between our two nations, as the kirintal are an irreplaceable ally against our enemies and a valued trading partner. As a phoenix-born, I am required to attend this festival, so I must do my best to impress the delegates, and not inadvertently commit or say anything taboo, as the kirintal are both highly traditional and sensitive to what they view as inauspicious actions.”

Sunset fell silent as she waited for Raven to move on with the lesson.

“You forgot the most important one,” Raven said bluntly, her frown growing more pronounced.

In her lap, Sunset’s hands clenched into fists so hard she could feel her joints creaking and her skin pulling painfully tight as her nails pressed into her palm almost hard enough to draw blood.

Sunset, please calm down, Mena sent with feelings of peace.

Of course she remembered. Of course she did! Damned dreams, darkness and moonlight, why did I think she was going to let it slide?! Sunset sent as she struggled to keep tears of rage from emerging from the corner of her eyes.

Just… give her the answer she wants so we can move on. Please. We don’t need her making this harder on us.

I hate it when you’re right like that, Sunset sent with a huff, doing her best to keep her frustration with the situation from leaking through the sending and towards Philomena.

“I need to repair my reputation after the incident at the museum,” Sunset growled.

“And why is that?” Raven said as she performed the same circular gesture as before.

“I allowed myself to be baited by Blueblood and his family, which has sullied my standing with the rest of the Council of Light and in Heliopolis as a whole,” Sunset said, her jaw clenching as she growled out the words. “Because as a phoenix-born, I’m expected to maintain a certain standard of behavior, which I did not. And, because I directly insulted Blueblood, and brought up his father’s fate, I crossed into unacceptable behavior for someone of my station. Now, I have to make a good showing at the Fall Harvest Festival in order to regain the support I’ve lost, and prove I am capable of conducting myself in a manner fitting someone in my future status.”

Sunset’s words hung in the air for a few moments as Raven continued to stare at her. Then, with a subtle nod, Raven said, “Good.”

“I still don’t understand why I’m being punished for something he started,” Sunset grumbled.

Much to Sunset’s relief, Raven’s presence began to recede, though her scowl remained.

“I don’t have any say in Vladamir Blueblood’s behavior. But I do have a say in yours. And yours was both entirely inappropriate and damaging. To both of us.”

“So this isn’t about me, isn’t it?” Sunset grumbled. “It's about you. You’re more worried about how this affects your reputation. Nearly a week of tormenting me with this etiquette crap… That’s what you really care about…”

No sooner did the words leave Sunset’s mouth did she realize her mistake as the sudden and crushing pressure of Raven’s presence returned. Only this time, it was a hundred times stronger than before and slammed into her like she was being buried under an avalanche of mud and rock, leaving both Sunset and Philomena overwhelmed and barely able to move.

“Sunset, I’ve warned you about speaking to me like that,” Raven said, her voice dropping dangerously as her frown grew deeper and the slightest hints of anger seeped into her voice. “Don’t think that my patience with such is limitless, or that you are above being disciplined. Because if you continue to disrespect me, I will be forced to give you a reminder that neither is true. And you won’t like the consequences of that. Do I make myself clear?”

“Pure water clear,” Sunset whimpered, her voice trembling.

“Good,” Raven said as her presence slowly receded, but did not vanish entirely. “And yes, I am concerned about how it affects me. How it affects both of us. Aside from the damage you’ve done to yourself, your behavior reflects poorly on me as your teacher. I have tried to impress on you how important it is for you to conduct yourself as a member of the aristocracy, and you have continued to actively resist those lessons. Which has made it very clear that you do not feel that they have value. Or that they apply to you. Which calls my competency into question as a teacher and a leader at a time when Solaria needs to have confidence in me as both. So yes, your actions have affected more than just you.”

Slowly shaking off the effects of Raven’s admonition, Sunset swallowed hard to settle her stomach. She knew the safest choice was to just let it go, but her pride wouldn’t let her.

Sunset, no! Philomena desperately sent.

“I still say that’s dumb. We’re phoenix-born. We should be able to do what we want,” Sunset protested, though it lacked much of the force of her earlier protests.

To her surprise and relief, Raven simply closed her eyes and shook her head slowly from side to side, the pressure of her presence vanishing entirely.

“Sunset, that’s the kind of thinking that turned the last Phoenix-rite into a farce. We, as the highest echelon of Solaria, exist to serve the people and to stand as an example for them to follow. That is why you can’t just do what you want.”

“So Blueblood gets to insult me and I have to take it? He started it,” Sunset said as she tried to glare defiantly at Raven.

“It doesn’t matter who ‘started it,’ Sunset. What matters is how you acted. Tossing embers at one another is common among the nobility, particularly against political rivals. But they keep it to just that: tossing embers. You threw a lava bomb. Had you managed your temper and turned what he said on him without resorting to petty insults, it would have been his, Amethyst and Ruby’s standing that would have been wounded. But you let your anger control you, and let yourself be drawn into the trap they set.”

There was a long, pregnant pause as Sunset felt Raven looking at her, as though she were waiting for Sunset to respond in some way. Knowing that protesting would only lead to another lecture, Sunset stayed silent even as she smoldered with anger.

“And now? Now I have to ensure that there won’t be another political earthquake. And since a gentle handed approach clearly was not getting these lessons through to you, I am forced to resort to a far less kind approach if I am to be sure that you’re going to be ready for the festival,” Raven said as turned away and began to walk off. “So, once again, from the top.”

*****

Sunset floated miserably yet swiftly away from the classroom, her back, shoulders, and knees throbbing from holding her posture for over an hour. Even trying to open herself up to Nitor’s heart as she went through her practice meals over and over had done little to relieve her soreness. At best, she’d managed a few moments of full contact before she’d reflexively attempted to draw in more of the heart’s energy to ease her aches and pains, causing it to retreat.

Still, she savored the fact she’d managed even the brief contact she had and the relief she’d felt from the heart’s touch. It was small consolation, as by the time Raven had let her leave for her mid-day break, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stand, let alone walk all the way to the sky-rail that would take her back to her suite.

Instead, she’d simply levitated out of the room like a limp ragdoll, Philomena flying alongside her so as to not add her weight to Sunset’s already aching shoulders. As she’d left, Raven had told her that their afternoon lessons would begin in two hours, and that she expected her to be punctual. The only thing that kept Sunset from sinking into despair was the knowledge that the afternoon would consist of reading and note taking, not practical lessons.

A small spark of relief, but a spark nonetheless.

The two of them flew in silence until they reached the sky-rail line that would take them back to the wing of the Cathedral with their room. Slowly lowering herself into the seat, Sunset let out a slight groan of relief before she placed her hand on the direction-panel and punched in her destination. As the metal carriage began to speed towards its destination, Sunset all but melted into the seat, closing her eyes and letting out a tired sigh.

So… Do you think she’s going to show? Philomena sent, drawing Sunset out of her head and back to reality.

Cracking her eyes open and rolling her head back to look at her bondmate, Sunset thought back to the note that had arrived with her breakfast that morning.

The note said she’d ‘see us’ at ‘midday’, Sunset sent as she reached up and stroked Philomena’s wing. She’s a weirdo, but she doesn’t seem like someone to lie about something like that.

And you’re sure she’ll actually be able to help?

With what we’ve seen her do, I’m sure she can.

If you say so, Philomena sent as she hopped down from her perch and into Sunset’s lap, resting her head on Sunset’s left hand. You do know she’ll tell Raven what you’re doing, right?

Yes… Sunset admitted as she placed her right hand on Philomena’s back and gently began to pet her. But I can’t think of anything else.

I still think this is a bad idea, Philomena sent as she snuggled a bit deeper into Sunset’s lap. For so many reasons.

It is, Sunset conceded as she closed her eyes again and tried to relax, but I have to do something. She may have been a colossal Chaos-spawn to me, but… I just can’t do nothing. Nobody should have to be afraid of their family like that.

Even if we’re already treading on obsidian splinters with Raven?

… We’ll just have to be careful.

Sunset felt Philomena send a small trickle of apprehension before going quiet and closing their bond. She couldn’t blame her partner for not liking what she was trying to do. She wasn’t sure she liked it. But the pain on Sapphire’s face was all the reason Sunset needed to try to help her. After all, she was a phoenix-born, so she had the power to do something.

She just hoped that it wouldn’t spark a wildfire.

*****

Sunset gently pushed the door to her suite closed her with her foot as she and Philomena flew inside. As she drifted through the living area, she glanced towards her bedroom, the thought of a hot bath passing through her mind. After a few moments of fantasizing, she dismissed the idea, instead following Philomena into the dining room. The last thing she wanted was to start relaxing only to have Dawn Wings make a sudden appearance. Especially if she did it by joining Sunset in the tub.

Something Sunset could imagine the spy-mistress doing.

Landing roughly in her chair by her meal table, Sunset let out a groan of relief as she relaxed into the thin cushions. After a few minutes of simply resting and letting the soreness in her limbs abate, she slowly lifted her head, and began to look around the room for any sign of the Dawn Wings. Sunset wasn’t surprised that she didn’t see any hint or trace of the enigmatic sky-runner. Much to her frustration, Sunset had a feeling that she wouldn’t make her appearance until it suited her.

Or Dawn Wings thought the moment would be amusing.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Sunset dragged herself out of her chair and floated over to her ordering panel. Pulling up the menu, she and Philomena briefly discussed what they wanted. Eventually they settled on a root-vegetable and venison pie with tsujira for Sunset, and grilled pigeon with alnerinc for Philomena. Orders sent, Sunset floated to her bookshelf and retrieved the copy of Classification of Elemental Forces and Their Applications Queen Celestia had assigned her to study between her lessons with Raven. As convoluted as the book was, it was a welcome respite from her “etiquette training.”

Setting the book on the table and sinking into her chair again, Sunset waited a few blissful minutes for her food to arrive, once again trying to open herself to Nitor’s heart. She once again failed to stay in touch for more than a few moments, but it was enough to take the edge off of her tired muscles. But it was still enough that she was able to stand and walk when she heard the dumbwaiter chime that her food was ready. Returning to the table, Sunset set Philomena’s meal in the receptacle on her perch, before returning to the table and cracking open her book, setting it on a reading stand, and picking up where she’d left off the day before.

‘All nine elements can be catagorised in four states: mundane, conjured, true and blighted. Of these four states, mundane represents the bulk of the natural forms that comprise the physical state of Nitor. Despite their ubiquity, these mundane elemental forces do not represent the original elements. Instead, they are the impure forms of the true elements created in the aftermath of the infection of Nitor with Chaos at the end of the Chaos War…’

For the first time since she’d risen that morning, Sunset found herself relaxing as she immersed herself in the text. Only for her reading to be interrupted by the sound of soft scraping of wood on wood, followed by the soft rustle of feathers and the creak of something settling into one of her chairs shattered her focus and violently pulled her back to Nitor.

Mena, is that who I think it is? Sunset sent, not bothering to look up from her book.

I’m afraid so.

And you didn’t see or hear her come in, did you?

Nope, Mena sent with a touch of exasperation, though not one directed at Sunset.

Mentally bracing herself, Sunset finally looked up to find Dawn Wings sitting at the table with her wings folded over the back of her chair, drinking something from a tall, steaming mug and reading a book of her own. To Sunset’s relief, the spy-mistress was not in her ‘field uniform.’ Instead she was dressed in her normal banal attire.

Sunset stared at Dawn Wings for several moments, before finally clearing her throat to draw the sky-runner’s attention. At the sound, Dawn Wings looked up and flashed Sunset that irritating, cocky smirk of hers, before setting her book down.

“You know, you’re pretty gutsy, kiddo,” Dawn Wings said as she regarded Sunset and tilted her mug towards her. “Not surprised, mind you. Impressed though. Most sun-gazers don’t want anything to do with me and mine. Can’t imagine why.”

“Probably because you drive them crazy.” Sunset said with a slight smirk of her own.

“Nah, that can’t be it. I only do that to people I like,” Dawn Wing said as she swirled her mug and took a drink. “Heh, gotta admit, I see why you like this stuff so much. Your sister and her family’ve got a real gift.”

“What do you mean? What is that?” Sunset asked, before a terrible thought hit her as the scent of the beverage Dawn Wings was drinking wafted across the table. “Wait, is that my…?”

Smiling, Dawn Wings raised her free hand placatingly.

“Relax, kiddo. I just figured after all the trouble you went through to get this stuff, I should buy a barrel of my own to see if it was worth it. Your stash is safe,” Dawn Wings said before winking at Sunset, “for now, anyway.”

Sunset felt her temper beginning to flare at the thought of anyone touching one of the few and precious touchstones she had to her home.

“You stay away from my cider,” Sunset growled as the living flame on her head began to seethe.

Dawn Wings simply chuckled at her in response and raised her mug to her lips.

“Take a couple of deep breaths, kiddo. You don’t want to set the room on fire.”

Sunset, your hair!

What are you…? Sunset sent, only to realize that she’d inadvertently caused her living flame to start heating up. …oh, fire and light.

Focusing on her hair, Sunset forced the living flame to relax and cool off. It took a minute or so, but she eventually felt it returning to its resting state.

You okay now? Philomena sent.

Sorta.

Sunset’s attention was drawn back to the other side of the table by the sound of Dawn Wings setting her mug down, the spy-mistress’s expression shifting to a slightly mischievous one.

“But enough of that. What’s this about needing ‘a favor?’”

Sunset closed her eyes and took a calming breath. This was it. The moment of truth.

“I need you to shine a light on Amethyst Mirage and Ruby Prism and find something that I can use against them,” Sunset finally said.

Much to Sunset’s disappointment, Dawn Wings’ expression shifted from mischievous to deadpan.

“I can’t have heard that right. Care to repeat yourself?” She finally asked.

Sunset didn’t like how the spy-mistress’s voice had lost nearly all of its usual pleasantness and humor. But, she had to push on.

“I want you and the Eyes to help me get information on Sapphire’s parents that I can use against them. Something to get them off my back, and maybe help get Sapphire away from them. Or at the very least protect her,” Sunset said, this time with a little more force.

There was a long, painful silence that followed. Dawn Wings continued to stare at Sunset’s face, her expression almost as unreadable as Raven’s. They just sat there for Sunset didn’t know how long, looking each other in the eyes.

“I’m sorry, kiddo, but I can’t,” Dawn Wings finally said as she drew herself up, laced her fingers together and rested her hands on the table.

Sunset’s heart sank. She was afraid Dawn Wings would say that. But… she wasn’t going to give up. Not so easily.

“Can’t? Or won’t?” Sunset asked.

“Both, if I’m being honest.”

Sunset’s brows knitted themselves into a scowl.

“Why not?”

“Because, the Eyes can only involve themselves in matters of national security,” Dawn Wings said. “If I were to have my Eyes do what you’re asking, I’d be putting them, and myself, at risk.”

Clenching her fists, Sunset leaned forward in her chair.

Sunset, stop, please, Philomena sent. She said no.

Sunset ignored Philomena’s distressed sending and pressed on.

“So just don’t tell anyone,” Sunset said, her voice gaining some force as she leaned forward. “Nobody has to know besides us.”

“Kid, I’m going to pretend you didn’t just suggest that to me,” Dawn Wings said, her voice turning grave. “But if you had, I would tell you that with the kind of power the Eyes wield, there’s more at stake than just losing the public’s trust. I would also ask you to consider what it would be like if your average Solarian thought that the Eyes of the Sun could be spying on them at any time? Or how quickly everyone’s trust in Raven, who we answer too, would dissolve? Or whether or not there would be consequences to myself and the Eyes for violating the boundaries of our duties.”

“And if I, as a phoenix-born, were to hypothetically order you to do it, then what?” Sunset asked coldly.

Dawn Wings was once again silent for a few moments.

“Well, first I’d tell you the same thing as I just did, so it wouldn’t change anything,” Dawn Wings said as her face shifted into a scowl. One that, while far less intimidating than either Raven or General Sentry’s, was still remarkably effective. “Second, you’d seriously start a wildfire with me, and potentially ruin what I would consider a very pleasant relationship, possibly even friendship. Third, I’d laugh in your face, because there are only three beings in existence that can order me to do something: Queen Celestia, Queen Lumina, and Lady Raven Inkwell. Fourth and finally, I’d be obligated to let Lady Inkwell know that you were trying to abuse your authority and position as a phoenix-born for personal reasons, which I’m sure she’d be very happy to hear about.”

The room was silent for a few moments as Dawn Wings’ words hung in the air, her expression still grave. Then, in a moment, Dawn Wings’ face returned to its typical pleasantness. However, Sunset noticed a small touch of the previous scowl in her eyes.

“But, thankfully, we’re just talking in hypotheticals,” Dawn Wings said as her mouth shifted into a slight, friendly smile. One that still managed to make a shiver of dread run up Sunset’s spine. “Right, kiddo?”

“Right. Of course,” Sunset said, trying to mimic Dawn Wings’ smile, though she had a feeling it was coming across more like a grimace. “I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t ask for any of that, isn’t it?”

“It really is,” Dawn Wings said, her tone returning to her normal jovial one. “So, is there anything else, or do you want to get back to your book?”

Sunset tried not to feel dejected, but found it nearly impossible. She had known it was likely that Dawn Wings would deny her, but the reality of it still stung. Especially after the morning she’d just had.

C’mon, Sunset. You tried. It’s not your fault that she said no.

I know, Mena. But, maybe I still have at least one dice to play.

Are you sure it's a good idea?

No, I’m not. “Just one thing. Why did you give me that note at the museum?”

“Ah, that,” Dawn Wings said as her features softened. “Well, think of it as a bit of a favor from me to you.”

“What?” Sunset said as she raised her eyebrows.

“After that whole thing with Blueballs and his family, I knew there was something you needed to see.”

Blueballs? What’s that mean?

“That doesn’t sound like a national security issue?” No idea, Mena.

“It wasn’t. Not directly. But, as long as we were keeping you safe, I could… shall we say…bend the rules a little bit. Not much. But a little bit.”

“Why?”

“Think of it like a lesson that not everything is always as it seems, especially with the nobility,” Dawn Wings said as she leaned back and put her hands behind her head. “And hopefully stopping the seeds of something poisonous from growing.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would I need to see that? I already know they’re a bunch of deceptive night-lovers.”

“So you knew that Sapphire Prism was being forced to put on an act?”

“Uh, well, no, I didn’t. I just thought she’d gone back to being a jerk. But what does that have to do with it?”

“Think about it for a moment, kiddo.”

There was another pause as Sunset’s thought process was almost instantly snuffed at Dawn Wings’ comment. Of course she wouldn’t have known Sapphire hadn’t really gone back to being a jerk. If anything, it would’ve made her look like a liar when she apologized at the rite. But thanks to Dawn Wings sending her to…

“Oh…”

“Exactly,” Dawn Wings said with a slow nod.

Sunset looked down at her hands, considering the full implications of what Dawn Wings had just told her. Had the spy-mistress not intervened the way she did, Sunset was sure she’d have re-starting her feud with Sapphire Prism. A feud that would have been her fault. Not Sapphire’s. Not directly at least. The realization stung. And, it brought her back to why she’d decided to contact Dawn Wings.

“Well, what should I do then? I want to… no, I have to help her. She’s stuck in a dream, and I don’t know what to do. You were the only person I could think of that would’ve helped me,” Sunset said solemnly.

“I never said that I wouldn’t help you, kiddo.”

“What? But you just…”

“I told you I couldn’t shine a light on Amethyst and Ruby, or have my Eyes investigate them,” Dawn Wings said as she raised her right hand and held up her index finger. “But did I ever say I wouldn’t help?”

Sunset’s thoughts were snuffed again as she stared at Dawn Wings.

Mena, did I hear that right?

I’m pretty sure you did, Philomena reassured her.

So she says she never said she wouldn’t help, but she says that she wouldn’t help me at the same time. Why won’t anyone give me a straight answer to anything?

Maybe she did? There was a certain amount of trepidation in Philomena’s sending.

Mena, not you too, Sunset sent, trying not to let her frustration leak through the sending.

Well, she said that she never said she wouldn’t help you.

I guess. But she also said that she wouldn’t help me… to gather information on Sapphire’s parents. I never just asked her for help.

I bet that’s what she’s trying to tell you.

I hate it when they do that. Sunset sent as she glanced bitterly at Dawn Wings, before schooling her features. I guess there’s only one way to find out. “Dawn Wings, will you help me find a way to help Sapphire?”

“Sure thing, kiddo,” Dawn Wings said cheerfully. “I’d be happy to.”

“Okay, so can you…?” Sunset began to say, only for Dawn Wings to hold up her index finger again.

“I’m going to stop you right there. I still can’t use my powers or the Eyes to help you out on this thing. I can’t even really get involved directly.”

“So, what can you do then?” Sunset asked, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice.

“Best I can do kiddo is give you advice. Maybe help you make a plan.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Sunset sighed as she wilted a little.

“Sometimes, that’s all anyone can do,” Dawn Wings said with a slight shrug as she laced her fingers together and rested her hands on the back of her head.

“So, now what?” Sunset asked as she rested her right elbow on the table and rested her cheek on it.

“It’s your plan and your dance, kiddo. But I can give you some inspiration for the first few steps.”

Grumbling, Sunset gave what Dawn Wings had said some thought. Her own plan was ash at this point, so she didn’t have anything to lose from listening to what Dawn Wings had to say.

“Fine. Let’s hear it,” Sunset finally said. She had a feeling she knew how Dawn Wings was going to “help.” And she wasn’t looking forward to it.

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic,” Dawn Wings said with a slight smile. “Why don’t you start off by considering Saphire’s situation, and yours. And what you can realistically do for her.”

I knew it. Cursed night and dreams, I knew it!

Sunset…

I know. I just… argh, nevermind.

“I can’t do anything for her. That’s the problem,” Sunset said, the bitterness starting to seep into her voice. “It's why I asked you for help in the first place. But you’re just throwing riddles at me instead of helping.“

Dawn Wings gave her a half-lidded stare as her brows knitted together.

“If that’s going to be your attitude, Sunset, I really won’t help, and you’ll be back to trying to set your first stones,” Dawn Wings said sternly. “And there is something you can do for her: let her know that you care and that you want to be there for her.”

Sunset fought down the urge to laugh bitterly at what Dawn Wings just suggested. It was absurd. That wouldn’t help Sapphire. It wouldn’t do anything.

Why did I waste our time asking her for help? I must be going crazy and dumb after being cooped up in this place for so long.

You’re not going crazy or dumb, Sunset. Look, she’s not Raven. Just ask her to explain.

Fine. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” Sunset said as civilly as she could. “How’s that going to help her? She’s still going to be stuck with those pig-sniffing parents of hers.”

“Well, if that’s the case, why do you and your sisters keep writing to each other? They can’t bring you back to Golden Tree, and you can’t go to see them. So why keep doing it?”

Sunset opened her mouth to respond, only to stop as she processed exactly what Dawn Wings had just said. She hadn’t actually considered that. Sure, she had Philomena, but writing to her oath-sisters… it made things bearable.

They were her anchor.

They let her know that they loved her, and she let them know she still loved them.

That she wasn’t alone in this whole thing she’d been swept up into.

Was that the solution? Was it really that simple?

She certainly didn’t love Sapphire like she loved her sisters. She wasn’t even sure if she even really liked Sapphire. She certainly wasn’t friends with the young marchioness. But, she didn’t want to see her hurting like she clearly was.

“So, you’re saying I should try writing to Sapphire. And say what? That she’s not alone?”

“Something like that,” Dawn Wings said with an approving nod. “But, you probably don’t want to write to her. At least, not directly.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It makes perfect sense. Why are you doing this in the first place?”

“Because she’s trapped in a bad spot with…” Sunset’s voice slowly trailed off as what Dawn Wings was implying dawned on her. “…with Amethyst Mirage and Ruby Prism. They already hate me, and probably would be furious with Sapphire for daring to associate with a ‘dirt eater.’ Especially one that got their daughter into trouble with Raven, wouldn’t they…”

“Exactly,” Dawn Wings said with a slow nod. “So what do you think would happen if they found out that you and Sapphire were writing to each other behind their backs? Especially considering that Amethyst is almost certainly going to be Blueblood’s regent until he comes of age.”

“I don’t want to think about it,” Sunset said with a shudder. “Sapphire was genuinely scared of what they’d do if they found out she didn’t cut matching gems with them.”

“So with that in mind, do you think it’d be the best move to write to her directly? Especially if her family might find the letters?”

“No, I suppose not,” Sunset said dejectedly. “Cursed night.”

“Hey, don’t give up now, kiddo. You just have to think about it from a new angle,” Dawn Wings said, giving Sunset a thoughtful look. “Let's try something different. Tell me, did you ever sneak out of the house to go see your oath-sisters when you weren’t supposed to?”

“What? No! Never!” Sunset said reflexively, trying not to look guilty as Dawn Wings' question took her completely by surprise.

“Right,” Dawn Wings said with a knowing smirk. One that reminded her far too much of the ones Tender Heart would give her when she knew she was lying. “Well, if you were to hypothetically try sneaking out, would you use the front door? Or would you maybe try to do something so that Tender Heart wouldn’t notice you were gone?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go out the front door. I know I’d get caught,” Sunset said, before quickly adding, “hypothetically speaking, that is.”

“Sure, kiddo, sure,” Dawn Wings said with a knowing chuckle. “So, how would you apply this totally hypothetical situation to getting in touch with Sapphire?”

Sunset leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

Mena?

Yea?

I’m going to need to bounce some ideas off you.

Not like I can stop you, Philomena sent with a playful push.

That’s not true, and you know it, featherbutt, Sunset sent back with a playful lilt and feeling of levity. Look, I’m pretty sure Dawn Wings is right. If Amethyst or Ruby found out I was writing to Sapphire…

Yea, I get it. Bad times all around. So… how’re you going to sneak out of the house?

Sunset found herself smiling a little at Philomena’s sending.

Well, we used to just try going out one of the back windows or doors, but Tender Heart figured out all of our routes, so that didn't work most of the time, and we’d usually get caught. Eventually, Lilac, Lyra and I came up with a plan that worked pretty well: when one of us wanted to sneak out, we’d ask one of the other two to distract Tender Heart. She eventually caught on to what we were doing, but it worked for about a couple months. After taking the sisterhood oath with AJ, Dash and Pinkie, they started helping me sneak out. Especially Pinkie. I don’t even know what she did most of the time. All I know is that it worked.

So, is any of that useful?

I don’t think it’s going to be a directly equivalent solution, but I’m betting there’s something there.

I don’t think asking your oath-sisters is an option.

Probably not.

You think this is like that mountain and butterfly thing Raven asked us a while ago? Less about the obvious, and more about abstract thinking?

Yes, Sunset sent as she folded her arms across her chest. I think… Maybe we could ask for help somehow. If sneaking out the front door is just sending something to her, maybe there’s another way out.

Could we ask Dawn to deliver it to Sapphire?

No, she’s made it clear as pure water that she’s not going to get involved personally. And neither are the Eyes.

So any solution we come up with can’t involve her.

I suppose I could make up a fake name to put on the letters. But unless I can tell Sapphire that it’s me, she might just toss the letters out. Or her parents might read them to see who’s writing to their daughter.

You think they’d do that.

Dawn Wings was implying they might.

Alright, so that’s out. What about the distraction plan? Could something like that work?

Sunset considered that. The problem with the distraction plan, as Philomena called it, was that it depended on someone else being the decoy.

And she didn’t have a decoy she could use.

It wasn’t like she knew anyone in Heliopolis that was friends with Sapphire.

‘Wait, that isn’t true’

What’s not true.

Sorry, I was thinking about what you suggested. For the distraction plan to work, we’d need someone else to do the distracting. Someone that knows Sapphire, and wouldn’t immediately make her parents suspicious.

And you have an idea.

I think I might.

“Dawn Wings, I have another hypothetical for you,” Sunset said as she opened her eyes and uncrossed her arms before placing her hands on the table.

“I’m listening, kiddo.”

“Hypothetically, if I wanted to avoid letting Sapphire’s parents know that I’m writing to her, meaning I can’t do it directly, could I perhaps get in touch with someone who knows both Sapphire and I, and see if they would be willing to help me get in touch with Sapphire. And if they’re amenable to it, tell her that I’m going to start writing to Sapphire under a fake name so that she knows it's me when I start sending her letters? And if this intermediary just happens to be one of Sapphire’s friends, would it be less likely for Amethyst and Ruby to be suspicious if she vouches that my fake name is someone that met Sapphire at the phoenix-rite training?”

“I think that might work,” Dawn Wings said with a pleased smile. “Of course, you’ll need to be careful, since Ruby and Amethyst are well connected, so they’ll be able to vet the name that you’re using.”

Sunset’s face sank at that.

“Hey, it’s not a bad plan, kiddo. Just needs a little more thought,” Dawn Wings said.

“Fine,” Sunset said as she tried not to sound discouraged. “Maybe… maybe I could just send something to this prospective intermediate to pass on to Sapphire without going through the mail system proper, with instructions to Sapphire that if she wants to get in touch with me, to send it through our mutual. And not include my name, just in case a letter is intercepted. Maybe even tell Sapphire to burn the letters after she’s read them to make sure her parents can’t see them?”

“There are quite a few moving parts to that one, kiddo, but I think that sounds like it could work,” Dawn Wings said with a genuine, impressed smile. “Who were you thinking of to act as your bridge?”

Sunset smiled a bit.

“I think that I need to write a letter to Orange Spice to see how she’d been since the end of the phoenix-rite.”

Author's Note

And we're back! (sort of)

Chapters are going to be infrequent and sporadic, as I'm still trying to find work after graduating. But, I'm writing Phoenix-born to help deal with the stress of job applications.

Also, my editor hasn't signed in for well over a year at this point, so the chapters are going to be rough until I can find a new one. So please bear with me.

Ch 9 - The Trials - Stand United, Lest We Fall

Sup Sunset,

There’ve been some pretty wild stories coming out of Heliopolis. Is it true that you punched Highblood’s kid in the face and spat on him? Mom and dad say not to take rumors like that too seriously, but if it’s true, how’d you get away with it? I’m sure he deserved it if you did.

Baronet Sky Stride just had a statue of you put up in town square. It’s so weird. Apparently he asked Bronze to make it. He did a pretty good job. All we need is to have a fire-caller enchant it to make sarcastic remarks and it’ll be like you never left.

AJ and Pinke’ve been really busy getting ready for the Fall Harvest Festival. It looks like it's going to be bigger than usual this year. Word among the rangers is that a bunch of people from the Western Territory are going to be coming to participate since they think they’re going to be able to see a phoenix-born. I don’t think they’ve heard you’re going to be in the East this year. It’s such wood rot that you can’t be here. I was hoping we’d be able to race together in the games.

We miss you. Please take care of yourself.

Rainbow Dash

*****

Dear Lady Orange Spice,

Bright Day to you and Queen Celestia’s blessings upon you and your house. May her light shine upon you. I don’t know if you remember me, but my name is Flare Gleam. We met at the training course for the phoenix-rite, where we got partnered for the first table setting exam. Remember how there were plates missing, and it turned out it was part of the test by Lady Inkwell? I can’t believe how stressful that was. Or the argument we got into afterwards. I’m so glad Lady Inkwell helped us work things out.

I was wondering if you might want to be penpals? It felt like we had the kindling of possible friendship when we were at the rite, and I wanted to see if you felt the same. If not, I understand, as it has been months since we last saw eachother. Truthfully, I’ve been very busy with my studies, so I haven’t had the chance to reach out. But, if you’re receptive, I would be happy to correspond, at your discretion or course.

May your flame burn long and brightly.

Dame Flare Gleam of Chromos

*****

Dear Rainbow, AJ and Pinkie,

Please don’t tell me about the rumors. They’re ridiculous and all a bunch of moorgaunt-scat, because if I did punch that little night-lover, I’d be in even bigger trouble than I already am. I don’t want to imagine what Lady Inkwell would have done to me if I had. No matter how much I would have liked to at the time.

I’m not sure how I feel about there being a statue of me in town. I guess I’m flattered. But it’s still weird. So are a bunch of people coming to town hoping to see me. I hope they’re not too mad when I’m not there.

I’m not looking forward to the Festival. I thought getting ready for the phoenix-rite was awful, but I’d put the training for the festival in Rose’s Blossom as almost as bad. I’m just grateful that I still get to study with the Queen. As hard as what she’s got me learning is, I’ll take it over Lady Inkwell’s drills. And I just realized how surreal it was to write those last two sentences. Night, I’d almost take another sparring lesson with General Sentry. And that involved me getting pummeled into the dirt with an enchanted staff.

I’ll see if I can get you all something from the Eastern Territory. No promises though.

I love you all. Try to have fun at the Festival.

Your sister,

Sunset Shimmer

P.S. - AJ, Dash, keep Pinkie away from the booze. I want a town to come back too after I’m done training.

P.P.S. - Pinkie, I’m asking you as a favor to me, please don’t get into anything that’ll set you off. I know you love having the few inhibitions you have cut free, but it’s not good for you. Especially if you over indulge like you did the last time.

*****

Dear Dame Flare Gleam,

Bright day to you. I believe I do remember you from the rite, though it’s somewhat hazy, as the whole period in question was overshadowed by the events of the actual ascension. I think I remember you telling me about something strange about to happen the day before the test. Something to do with my dear friend Rosy Mist, if I remember right. Do you also remember that?

If you are who I think you are, do not worry about having not corresponded much. I remember you were preparing for some very intense training for your future work in Chromos, so I do not take offense.

Please write back at your soonest opportunity. I look forward to hearing from you again.

May your flame burn long and brightly.

Lady Orange Spice of Aurorias

*****

Dear Lady Orange Spice,

Bright day to you, and thank you for the prompt response. I do not presume to correct you, your ladyship, but I recall a very different set of events the day before the final exam. It was you who told me about some potential excitement, and that it had to do with your friend Lady Sapphire Prism, not Rosy Mist. There was a lot of excitement that day, wasn’t there?

Truly, that month was a trial for all of us, was it not? But, we made it through and did our best to make the phoenix-rite one to remember. Though I don’t think anyone will forget about this one anytime soon. I know I won’t.

I look forward to hearing back from you when it is convenient.

May your flame burn long and brightly,

Dame Flare Gleam of Chromos

*****

Dear Dame Flare Gleam,

Bright day to you. In regards to the events the day before the rite, I do believe you are correct. It seems as though I was misremembering what took place. Thank you for the correction. It was as you say, a truly memorable phoenix-rite. For both good and ill, depending on who you ask.

Much like yourself, I have been training for my future position, though I do not expect our trainings are particularly similar. But, such is the life we live, is it not?

May your flame burn long and brightly.

Lady Orange Spice of Aurorias

*****

Sunset took a long drink of her tsujira as she forced her mind to slow and her emotions to settle down.

Today was the day that Sunset had been dreading for the last few weeks.

The day she would finally be heading to Rose’s Blossom for the Fall Harvest Festival.

General Sentry and Commander Spitfire had already left the previous week, along with a full corps of sun-blades and Spitfire’s personal unit of sky-strikers. When General Sentry had proposed their deployment as part of the security detail for the Festival a month prior, he and Roseluck had wound up in one of the most civil fights she’d had ever witnessed. Roseluck had claimed that her forces could handle it, and that the sun-blade and sky-striker’s presence would be an unacceptable disruption to the event. General Sentry had countered that in light of the kirintal, Council of Light and, most importantly, Sunset’s presence, they needed extra security to ensure everyone’s safety. And, as head of national security, he was entirely within his legal rights to deploy his troops in the area for such a purpose. The two had argued for well over a half-hour, before Raven intervened.

Sunset had expected Raven to side with Roseluck and shut the general down. But, much to Sunset’s surprise and horror, Raven had sided with General Sentry.

Roseluck had ultimately conceded, but managed to convince Raven and General Sentry to make it a joint effort, and that the sun-blades would be prosecuted in the Eastern Territory should they violate any laws. General Sentry hadn’t been happy about it, but accepted the terms on the ground that it was Roseluck’s territory, and by legal right, she had that authority.

He still had a few snide words for the archduchess about the quality of her forces, but let it drop afterward.

Shaking her head, Sunset brought herself back to the present, and glared ruefully at the array of clothes and other supplies laid out on her bed. It had taken her far longer than she’d wanted to get everything together for her trip to the Eastern Territory. A process not helped by her resistance to the whole thing. But, after sulking about it when she first rose, she’d finally mustered the resolve to gather everything on the list that she’d been given by Raven. As well as a few additional ones for her own sanity.

The items that had taken her the longest to select were the eight formal dresses she’d be wearing, one for each day. Her eyes slowly passed over them, spiteful bile filling her stomach. Each one was custom made by the sun-touched for the occasion, and probably would have cost more than she made in an entire year back in Golden Tree. She was at least grateful the sun-touched had included her feedback in the design process, and made an effort to tone down the frills and lace as much as possible, even managing to incorporate some Western Territory aesthetics. Yet, even with the changes and the efforts of the sun-touched to make them more to her liking, they were still far too gaudy for her taste.

Next to the dresses was the other source of her ire. At first glance, the garment resembled nothing more than a light-gray, form-fitting, full body stocking that would cover everything but her head, neck and hands.

The stocking had been given to her by Raven to wear under her clothes whenever she was outside Roseluck’s estate. According to Raven, this flimsy bit of fabric and padding was the armor that the sky-strikers wore, made custom for her at great cost by Commander Spitfire. She wasn’t sure which she hated more. Raven’s excessive paranoia, or the claim that this was actually armor. At her best guess, the material wasn’t even half as thick as her little finger.

Poking the surface of the suit, she found that the outer fabric had a rough feel to it, while the inside felt soft and squishy, almost like the pastry bags Pinkie and Mrs. Cake used to fill cream-horns or tarts. Withdrawing her hand, Sunset couldn’t believe that whatever it was could stop a sharpened stick, let alone anything that could potentially hurt her. Perhaps if it was the Queen who’d made it, she’d have believed it. But a loudmouthed hot-shot like Spitfire? That claim required a level of credulity that Sunset found impossible to entertain.

Still, Raven had been adamant about its protective value.

And that she was going to wear it under her proper, formal dresses at the event.

That was the part that really got her flame flaring. It wasn’t just that Raven had told her that she was going to wear the “armor”. It was how she’d said it, as though she didn’t trust Sunset to do what she was told. Sure, she’d planned to leave it behind to spite Raven. And sure, she’d tried to argue with her about it, but that had ended when Raven made it very clear that it wasn’t up for debate, and if she continued to press the issue, there would be consequences. After that, she dropped it, since she had a feeling she was about to wake up a linnorm if she kept trying to push back.

Next to the dresses and her “body armor” were other, simpler outfits for when she was back at Roseluck’s estate, her night clothes, and a small stack of spell-dancing texts, rune guides, and notebooks for some recreational study after the day’s events ended.

And finally, the recent addition of her sketchbook and drawing supplies.

Reaching down and flipping the leaves of the folio open, she inspected the dozen or so drawings. They were crude, ugly things, if she was honest. Nothing that she was especially proud of. But, they were the first steps she needed to take if she was going to learn to be an artist. In a lot of ways, they reminded her of her first attempts at rune carving or metal working with Bronze. They’d been ugly, crude things too. But, as Bronze had told her, she needed to practice in order to shape the unworked metal into something beautiful.

And, he’d been right.

So like her runic carvings and metal working, she knew she’d just have to be patient and keep practicing.

And maybe, one day, she’d have the skills to make real art.

Letting the cover fall closed, Sunset turned to face the two sun-touched standing at the doorway of her bedroom.

“That’s everything. Would you please pack it into the trunks?”

Both sun-touched bowed, before moving swiftly to fulfill her request. Sunset had originally planned to tell them to let her pack her own bags, but decided against it. She had a sinking suspicion that if she did, Raven would have the contents of the trunks checked before they left, just to make sure she didn’t try to leave any “essential” items behind.

As Sunset stood back and let the two sun-touched swiftly and efficiently packed her things, she opened her link to Philomena.

Ah, Sunset! Are you almost ready? Philomena sent, her excitement flowing through their bond. Raven’s already here with Dylis, so we’re just waiting on everything to get loaded up.

Along with the sending, Philomena shared her sight with Sunset, allowing her to see that the phoenix was perched next to her older brother on the edge of one of the brass wyvern’s howdahs. Both of them were watching Raven directing a platoon of mixed-tribe prominence knights and sun-touched as they loaded boxes and equipment onto another four wyverns.

One thing that stood out to her was that one of the wyverns was easily twice the size of the others around it, and sported both a spiny dewlap below its chin and longer horns on its head.

After a moment examining the massive beast, she realized what she was looking at: it was the flock’s drake. She’d read about the dimorphism of wyverns, but she’d never thought it would be this extreme. She grew slightly apprehensive at the sight, as the zoological text she’d read also mentioned that unlike the drakianas, drakes were violently territorial, particularly when it came to rival drakes competing for their mates.

And considering how aggressive wild drakianas were, that was not a comforting thought.

She just hoped that domestic drakes were as tame as Saetha.

Just a few minutes, Mena, Sunset sent as she watched the sun-touched put the last few items away, before lifting the trunk, and making their way towards the door out of her bedroom. Are you ready?

To fly all the way to Rose’s Blossom? Probably not, but I’m going to try. I think Dylis wants me to practice Phoenix with him along the way.

It’ll be good for you. Raven says your pronunciation is atrocious, Sunset sent as she and the sun-touched headed towards the exit of her suit.

Like you did any better.

I didn’t, but it’s not my language. I don’t get how Raven can speak it so well.

Two thousand years of practice?

Yea, yea, Sunset sent as she closed the door to her room. Walking past the sun-touched, she made her way towards the sky-rail that would carry her to the cathedral’s roof. At least we get to spend time with Lily, Daisy and Roseluck. Probably the only thing that’ll make this tolerable.

Now you’re just being grumpy.

That I am, Mena. That I am.

*****

After a short ride along the internal sky-rail and a short climb up a flight of stairs, Sunset and her entourage emerged onto the cathedral’s roof. Taking a deep breath to brace herself, Sunset began to make her way to Raven. As they neared, Raven turned from the sun-touched she’d been addressing to face Sunset.

“Bright day, Sunset,” Raven said. “I trust you’re ready?”

“Bright day, Raven,” Sunset said. Despite the temptation, she fought back the urge to address Raven using the fully formal language she'd had hammered into her for the last two months. As satisfying as the small act of rebellion would be, her sense of self-preservation told her that starting the trip off with Raven irritated at her for being overly formal in a casual setting was a bad idea. Especially since Raven would know why she was doing it. “Yes, I made sure I had everything on the list. You can check with the sun-touched that packed my things if you want.”

“That’s not what I asked. I asked if you were ready?”

Looking off to the side, Sunset crossed her arms over her chest and let out a soft sigh.

“As ready as I’m going to be,” Sunset said, keeping as much resentment out of her voice as she could.

There was a long moment of silence as Raven stared at Sunset.

“I know you’d rather be in Golden Tree for the Festival,” Raven finally said.

“But I have a duty and obligation to attend the Festival in Rose’s Blossom,” Sunset concluded dryly, before her expression turned sour. “Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.”

“Sunset, there are a great many things that we have to do that we aren’t happy about. That doesn’t mean we don’t have to do them,” Raven said, before putting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “You’ll get through this, Sunset. Just try to have fun at the Festival.”

“I’ll try” Fun she says, Sunset sent as she nodded at Raven. How are we going to have fun when we’ve got to prance around like a pair of dolled up marionettes?

I’m sure we can find a way.

Preferably one that doesn’t end up with us getting in trouble.

Okay, that’ll be a little trickier.

“Good,” Raven said as she turned to one of the fireteams of prominence knights. “Captain, are your knights ready to depart.”

One of the prominence knights, presumably the captain in question, approached Raven and saluted. Looking them over, Sunset couldn’t really tell that they were a captain, since their armor didn’t look any different than any other knight’s. When she thought about it, she realized that she’d never once seen one of the knights out their armor. However, she guessed the sun-gazer was a fire-caller, given that they were shorter than two of the other three wingless sun-gazer in the squad. Once the knight in question reached her and Raven, both their sun-gazer and plumed serpent member bowed their heads to Lady Inkwell while the colaurata spread its elytra and wings.

“We’re nearly ready, your grace,” the three members of the knight said in unison. “Once the last of our equipment is loaded, the vanguard will be ready to depart.

“Excellent,” Raven said, before turning her attention back to Sunset, “Philomena’s over with Saetha. Please go wait with her. We should be underway soon.”

Then, without another word, Raven turned away and began to head over to a cluster of sun-touched loading luggage onto the drake.

As Sunset watched Raven stride off, she clenched her fists and turned on her heels to head towards Saetha. On one side of the coin, she knew what Raven was like when she was in full logistics mode, but on the other, she’d been feeling more and more disaffected with the eldest phoenix-born for weeks now. Putting the irritation at Raven out of her mind, Sunset made her way towards where she could sense Philomena, who was still perched on the edge of one of the wyvern’s howdahs. Upon seeing her bondmate, Sunset opened their link and sent a feeling of warmth and love to the phoenix, one that was quickly reciprocated.

Approaching Saetha, Sunset held out her hand towards the drakiana. At first, Saetha just stared at her, then lifted her head and extended her neck to sniff the outstretched limb. After a couple of inhales, a look of recognition came across her face, and the wyvern pressed the tip of her snout into Sunset’s palm, letting out a soft, pleasant rumble from deep within her chest.

“Hello again, Saetha,” Sunset said warmly as raised her other hand and rubbed the smooth, almost metallic feeling scales. In response, Saetha let out a soft huff of hot air from her nostrils, causing Sunset’s living flame to billow slightly. “It's good to see you too.”

Giving Saetha one more pat on the nose, Sunset rose into the air and floated over to the howdah.

What, no pets for me? Philomena sent.

Don’t be a brat. I’ve got some for you too. “Bright day, Dylis,” Sunset said as she landed in the basket by Philomena, offering her arm to her bondmate.

In response, Dylis slowly turned to give her a dispassionate sidelong glance, before bobbing his head slightly. Then, he went back to watching Raven as though Sunset wasn’t even there.

Well, he’s especially friendly today, Sunset sent as she turned away from Dylis, trying not to be put off by his coldness. Instead, she focused on Philomena, stroking her head with her free hand and savoring the happiness coming from her partner.

When is he ever?

Probably once every century or something.

If that.

*****

Sunset found herself wearing a giddy smile as she stood at the front wall of the howdah’s basket, watching as the land passed below, reveling in the natural splendor.

They’d departed from Mt. Liakeed some time ago, Saetha in the center of a cordon of both flying prominence knights and wyverns, the massive drake acting as the spearhead to the entire formation. The first stretch of the journey out of the Corona and over the wall of Heliopolis had been more than a little nerve-wracking. It signified that she really was heading to Rose’s Blossom, and that she was really leaving Heliopolis for the first time in months.

For all the good and ill it entailed.

From somewhere off to her left, she could feel Philomena flying among the wyverns and knights. From the periodic sending she got, Sunset could tell that she was enjoying the chance to see the world beyond Heliopolis herself for the first time. There were also small bouts of frustration that Sunset could only guess were from her language lessons with her brother.

Sunset tried not to smirk as she got a small bit of perverse pleasure from Philomena getting a drop of what she went through on a daily basis. Though she kept as much of it from seeping through their bond as she could. No need to make it worse for her at the moment.

She’d be saving that for later.

Raven had thankfully not spoken much after they’d left Heliopolis. In fact, she had barely acknowledged Sunset at all once they were in the air, instead busying herself making notes in a bound leather folio using a black, feather shaped stylus that looked as though it was made of carved bone. Sunset remembered both from the days leading up to her ascension while she was acting as Raven’s sun-touched assistant. Knowing what that folio contained, Sunset knew that Raven was checking and rechecking all of the logistics for the Festival. And wouldn’t have any desire for smalltalk.

As far as Sunset was concerned, that was just fine. She wasn’t interested in talking to Raven either. Especially after how hard she’d been drilling her in the days leading up to their departure, even going so far as to ask Queen Celestia to give her some of Sunset’s magic and smithing lesson times for preparation.

A request that had robbed her of one of the few reprieves she’d had from the relentless bombardement of proper social protocols.

So, instead of dwelling on her growing animosity towards Raven, she tried to make the most of the situation and enjoy the view as they flew east.

The grassy plains of central Solaria gradually began to give way, first to sparse, hilly woodlands which transitioned into the massive broadleaf and evergreen forests of the Eastern Territory. Unlike the rolling hills, wooded mountains and valleys, and oak savannas of the Western Territory, or the expansive, rolling grasslands of central Solaria, the landscape they were flying over consisted of vast stretches of woodland interspersed with tall, flat topped mesas. To Sunset, it looked like the land below was covered in a vast ocean of multicolored greens, reds, yellows and oranges broken up by enormous islands.

On both the mesas and lowlands, the sea of trees was periodically dotted with large meadows or marshes. From what Lily and Daisy had told her, these regions would be filled with a dazzling display of bright, colorful wildflowers in the spring. Sunset couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that she didn’t get to see that spectacle. There were also numerous lakes and rivers dotting the landscape, some of which she suspected were almost as large as Lake Nimoklul at the southern end of the Corona.

Then, there were the sun-gazer settlements.

Most of the smaller villages were barely visible among the trees, the Easterners having cleared only the bare minimum needed to build. Most had an obvious central area devoted to growing crops, as well as a handful of communal buildings.

The larger settlements, by contrast, were much more obvious, and were surrounded by impressive, crenelated, solid stone walls created through earth-weaver geomantic spell-dances. Like the smaller villages, these towns had a number of large, central gardens that were clearly used by the communities to grow food. Other towns were situated on unnaturally symmetrical islands in the middle of the lakes, which, much like the defensive walls of the larger towns, Sunset suspected, were raised by earth-weaver spell-dancing.

Sunset found herself lost in a strange sense of serenity as she watched the land pass below her. For the first time in nearly a quarter of a year, she wasn’t focused on studying, responsibilities or anything. Instead, she was able to simply enjoy the beauty of the Eastern Territory’s natural landscape.

The elation of that thought quickly turned to dread.

Chances were, this was going to be the last time she would get to have fun for a long time. Or at least fun that would include her friends.

At the thought, she let out a low, tired sigh.

If things went the way she expected them to at the Festival, she wouldn’t be feeling peaceful for very long.

*****

It was mid-afternoon when they finally reached Rose’s Blossom. Philomena had joined her in the howdah some time ago, having worn herself out keeping up with Dylis and the rest of their escort. Now, she was perched on the basket’s edge, fast asleep as her effort to make the long flight caught up with her. It was still impressive how long she held out. From what little she got through their bond, Sunset had a feeling that Philomena had been subtly trying to impress her brother by keeping up with him for as long as possible.

She had a feeling Philomena would be sore tomorrow though.

In the afternoon light, the sight of Rose’s Blossom filled Sunset with an odd mix of awe, and excitement.

The city itself was easily three times the size of the larger towns they’d flown over along the way, and probably could match one of the rays in diameter. Like the larger towns, it was surrounded by a large stone wall, with a second, smaller wall half the diameter of the outer wall dividing the city into inner and outer districts.

As with the other towns, there were large agricultural spaces within the walls, as well as numerous parks, all of which were ablaze with the Eastern Territory’s famous fall colors. Most of the buildings themselves were made of the same smooth stonework of the walls. Their shape was also quite odd, resembling large, two-story squares with one face missing a wall. On the roof of each house were extensive gardens, along with a central courtyard garden, giving the entire city a vibrant, living look. Most of the buildings in the outer ring were fairly plain, while the inner ring contained far more elaborate structures, most with tall columns in the front acting as an embellishment to the building’s design.

At the center of the city was another of the Eastern Territory’s mesas, its top ringed by a thick wall of trees. What struck Sunset as different about this mesa was that its cliff-faces were covered in lush vegetation, a far cry from the bare rock of the others. Inside the ring, Sunset could see a patchwork of different vegetation types, as well as several more of the Eastern style buildings. Sunset found herself smiling at the sight when she realized she was looking at Roseluck’s home.

“Sunset, we’ll be descending soon,” Raven said, drawing Sunset out of her head and back to reality. “Please take a seat and get into your harness. I’d also recommend holding Philomena in your lap so she doesn’t get knocked free when we land.”

Sunset didn’t have a chance to respond as a sudden lurch in her stomach told her that they were already beginning to drop down from the sky towards a large, three story building at the base of the mesa. One that, if her memory served, was both the capital building of Rose’s Blossom, and the sole means to reach the top of the mesa without flying.

Hey, Mena! Wake up! Sunset sent with a forceful shove as she scrambled for her seat.

Wha? Mena sent groggily as her eyes slowly opened.

We’re in Rose’s Blossom, Sunset sent as she got herself strapped in. Come here so I can hold you.

Why?

Because when we land, if I’m not you’re going to get knocked on your butt. So unless you’ve got the energy to fly, please come here before Saetha hits the ground.

Alright, alright! Philomena said as she frantically hopped down from the howdah’s wall and into Sunset’s arms.

Holding her bondmate to her chest, Sunset braced herself as Saetha and the rest of the vanguard neared the roof. There was a sudden lurch as Saetha leaned backwards and flapped her wings to cancel her forward momentum, before her feet touched down on the ground with a jolt. Once Saetha had landed and the howdah had returned to its normal position, Sunset slowly released her grip on Philomena, who shakily fluttered up to one of the walls.

That wasn’t so bad, Philomena sent as she preened and straightened out a few feathers that had been ruffled in the landing.

Imagine if I hadn’t been holding you, Sunset sent as she got out of her harness. Opposite her, Raven had already freed herself and risen into the air, with Sunset following suit.

Good point.

Sunset followed Raven as she floated out of the howdah and onto the roof of the building, Philomena and Dylis soon joining them. All around her, the roof was a flury of activity as the sun-touched and prominence knights, along with dozens of local sun-gazers, began to unload the wyverns.

“Raven! Sunset! Welcome!” A familiar and cheerful voice called from the far end of the roof. Sunset felt the anxious knot in her chest loosen slightly as she spotted the ever-stunning forms of Archduchess Roseluck and Amara approaching with Lily and Daisy.

At the sight of the archduchess and her friends, Sunset felt a sharp pain in her chest, accompanied by an overwhelming desire to rush up to Roseluck and hug her. But, she forced herself to remain by Raven’s side as the four of them slowly made their way across the roof. As much as she wanted to bury herself in the warmth of Roseluck’s arms, she had to control herself. She didn’t want to start the week off suffering Raven’s displeasure.

She’d just have to be patient.

Through their bond, she could feel Philomena’s concern as she cuddled up to the side of Sunset’s head and trilled softly.

I’m fine, Mena. Sunset sent, trying to reassure her partner.

No, you’re not,Philomena sent, her worry bleeding through the sending.

Sunset winced internally at Philomena’s sending. Both for making her partner worry, and because she knew Philomena was right.

I… guess I missed them more than I realized.

It’s more than that, Sunset.

Look, can we just get through with this and worry about it later. I don’t want to think about it.

A feeling of displeasure came through their bond, before Philomena let out a slight huff.

“Bright day, Archduchess Roseluck,” Raven said as she and Sunset finally reached where Roseluck was waiting for them.

“Bright day, Archduchess Roseluck,” Sunset said a second after Raven, curtsying to the archduchess.

“Formal as ever,” Roseluck said with an amused lilt. “Very well. Bright day, Lady Inkwell, Lady Shimmer. On behalf of the city of Rose’s Blossom, I bid you welcome.”

“Thank you, Roseluck,” Raven said as she pulled out her ledger and stylus. “I take it preparations have been going according to plan?”

“Yes… and no,” Roseluck said as she looked off past Raven.

Raven’s only visible response was Roseluck’s reply was an almost imperceptible narrowing of her eyes.

“Preparations have been going as expected. We had a few incidents with the security checks, but nothing too extreme. Mostly people from the border regions not wanting to give up or peace-bind their weapons while in the city. General Sentry and his sun-blades were… helpful in dealing with it.”

“What else?” Raven said as she started making notes in her folio.

“There’s also been some… friction between the Council of Light and the local clan heads.”

“How serious?” Raven’s tone was controlled, but carried a hint of annoyance.

“Nothing major. They’ve just been… disruptive.”

Sunset glanced up at Raven. While her expression didn’t change, Sunset had spent enough time around her as she had in the last few months that she could tell Raven wasn’t pleased to hear this news.

“Have the kirintal arrived yet?”

“Yes. They arrived a few days ago.”

“Were they present for the altercations?”

“Thankfully they’ve been keeping to their embassy on the mesa, and away from the… excitement.”

Raven closed her eyes and gave a slight nod.

“Lily? Daisy? Would you take Sunset up to the manor and help her get settled?” Raven asked, though from her tone Sunset knew it wasn’t a request. “Sunset, you can have the rest of the afternoon with your friends. But I expect you to be ready for our first formal dinner with the kirintal magistrates at sundown. Understood?”

“Yes, Raven,” Sunset said excitedly.

“Good. Then, I believe Roseluck and I have some business to attend to. Lily. Daisy. Take care of Sunset.”

“Yes, Lady Inkwell,” both girls said in unison as they bowed.

“Lady Shimmer, would you follow us?” Daisy said with a formal bow to Sunset as she gestured towards a set of double doors that presumably led off the roof.

“Please, lead the way,” Sunset said, her stomach churning as she followed Lily and Daisy. She just hoped that when they got to the top of the mesa, they could drop the formality and just act like they did before her ascension.

*****

With a slight jolt, the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened, letting Sunset, Philomena, Lily and Daisy exit onto the top of Roseluck’s mesa. Looking towards the edge, Sunset was disappointed to find the view obscured by a thick wall of brambles, each branch bearing bright red, pin to dagger length thorns amid their dark green leaves. Sunset realized that these brambles must be what she saw covering the entire cliff face when they arrived.

Taking a deep breath of the crisp, clean autumn air, Sunset felt her stress from earlier beginning to melt away as she marveled in the wall towering before her. The thicket was even more impressive up close than it was from the sky, the immense trees bearing strange, deep-green, feather-like leaves and rudy bark unlike any other tree she’d seen. Below the trees there were hundreds of smaller plants, many of them ferns and woody, broad-leaved shrubs.

“C’mon, Sunset,” Daisy said cheerily as she skipped ahead a little and turned back to face her companions, “I want to get you settled so we can show you around. You’re going to love the gardens!”

“Daisy, manners,” Lily said, her tone light and jovial rather than admonishing, before turning to Sunset. “I’m terribly sorry for her impropriety, Lady Shimmer. She doesn’t know how to behave because she was raised by butterflies.”

Sunset froze as Lily’s words caused a dam to break in Sunset’s chest. In the back of her mind, Sunset knew that Lily was just teasing her. But, after the last few months she’d had to endure, the idea of either of them treating her like a noble and not their friend was almost too much. Lily’s smile shifted from friendly to nervous as both of the easterners watched Sunset’s breathing grow shallow and her face twist into a pained grimace.

“Sunset…?” Lily asked cautiously.

Before she knew what she was doing, Sunset had lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Lily, Philomena barely managing to get herself into the air at her bondmate’s sudden motion. Holding Lily, Sunset could feel the first traces of tears beginning to well up in the corner of her eyes.

“Sunset, what’s…?”

“Please, no ‘Lady Shimmer.’ Not here. Not with the two of you. Just Sunset,” Sunset said as she clung to Lily, fighting to hold herself together. “I’ve had to be ‘Lady Shimmer’ for months, and I have to be ‘Perfect Lady Shimmer’ all next week. Can’t I just be Sunset for now? Please?”

There was a strange silence among the three girls as Sunset just clung to Lily, the weight of her words hanging in the air like a thick fog. Slowly, Sunset felt a pair of arms return her hug, a second pair joining them soon after.

“Has it been that bad?” Daisy asked as she squeezed a little tighter.

A pained sob escaped Sunset’s throat as she leaned into the arms of her friends.

“I hate it, Daisy. I hate it so much. I… the only one I’ve got is Philomena. All I get from Raven and the Queen are lessons. It's just so lonely. I miss my friends. My family. My sisters. Both of you. I… I haven’t even had a hug in months,” Sunset said with a sniff.

“Well, we’ve got plenty to go around,” Daisy said as she rubbed Sunset’s back, the hug feeling just a little warmer.

“Yea,” Lily said. “Just say the word, and we’ll give you all the hugs you need.”

A pained sigh rasped out of Sunset’s throat as she clung to her friends.

“Thank you,” Sunset muttered, some of the weight in her chest lifting. From nearby, Sunset could feel Philomena’s concern begging to abate and be replaced with relief. And a little bit of jealousy.

You can come and get some too, if you want, Sunset sent.

That’s alright. I’d rather not get crushed.

Okay. How about I spend some time preening you later.

Sure. I’d like that, Philomena sent as her jealous feelings slowly went away.

The three girls just stood there, holding each other for a few minutes. Eventually, they let go, though the warm sensation of the hug still lingered in Sunset’s chest.

“Feeling better?” Lily asked as she held Sunset’s hand.

“Yea. A bit,” Sunset said wistfully.

“Hey, happy to help,” Daisy said.

“I hate to be that girl, but we should probably get going,” Lily said as she looked at the trees. “It's a bit of a hike to get to the manor, and sundown’s in a few hours.”

“Okay. But, please, can we just be chat-lecti for now? No formality or anything like that?”

“I think we can manage that,” Daisy said, giving Sunset a warm smile, before grabbing her other hand and starting to pull her towards the trail leading through the trees. “And as chat-lecti, we’re going to show you around, play some games and make sure you’re smiling before you meet with the kirintal, alright?!”

“Yup!” Lily said as she began to lead Sunset.

“Alright,” Sunset said with a laugh as she was pulled along. You want to ride, or you okay to fly?

Ride, please, Philomena sent as she swooped back down to Sunset, who extended an arm for her to land on. After getting situated on Sunset’s shoulder, the four of them headed into the thicket.

*****

“Alright, Sunset, now watch. When you throw, you bring your arm around like this…” Daisy said as she wound her right arm around and under her left, a thin wooden disk held between her thumb and forefinger “…then swing out and release with a flick of the wrist.”

Sunset watched as the discus flew out of Daisy’s hands and sailed across the yard, before striking one of the target sticks in the last of the four rows, knocking it over.

“Now, your turn,” Daisy said as she picked up another disk and handed it to Sunset.

Taking the disk and stepping up to the spot where Daisy had been standing, trying to take the same stance as Daisy had.

“So, like this?” Sunset asked as she slowly mimicked Daisy’s motions.

“Almost,” Daisy said as she walked up and helped adjust Sunset’s shoulders and feet, “now you’ve got it. So, give it a try.”

Nodding, Sunset wound her arm back and, with a forward snap, flung the disk. Unfortunately, she put too much force behind the throw and didn’t manage a clean release, sending the disk sailing away into one of the hedges bordering the throwing lane.

“Well, at least you almost kept it in the throwing range,” Lily snickered.

That was impressive, Sunset. I think that disk made it halfway back to Heliopolis.

Sunset could feel her face healing up with embarrassment.

I’ll take criticism from you when you can do any better, featherbutt, she sent as she looked up into one of the trees behind her on the throwing line and shot her partner a scathing glare. One that got her a sending of smugness in return.

“Give her a break, Lily. It wasn’t that bad for her first try,” Daisy said as she handed Sunset another disk. “Here, give it another shot.”

“Right,” Sunset said as she took a deep breath and took her throwing stance again.

Once more, she let the disk fly, and once more, it went off to the right of the throwing lane, wobbling chaotically in the air.

“Fire and light,” Sunset snarled.

“It just takes practice,” Lily said as she stepped up to Sunset’s left side and picked up a disk, “When you throw, try to keep the disk level with the ground. It’ll help keep it stable.”

Sunset watched as Lily wound up and threw, the disk missing the target stick she was aiming at by centimeters.

Noticing Sunset’s smile, Lily’s blushed a darker shade of raspberry pink.

“Don’t give me that look. At least I can throw the thing correctly,” Lily protested as she crossed her arms. “And Daisy’s better at this game anyway.”

“Not my fault it's popular in Larkspur Cove,” Daisy said with a small bit of pride, tossing one of the disks into the air with a spin before catching it with her other hand. “Though, if you want to see someone who’s really good at it, you should meet my big brother. Brittlebush is one of the best disk throwers in the region.”

“So you’re cheating because you already know how to throw these things,” Sunset said with a grin as she waved one of the disks back and forth.

“Darn, you caught me,” Daisy said with a fake pout as she placed the back of her right hand against her forehead dramatically, before her face turned into a smirk. “Of course, there’s no rule that says we have to start on even ground, so looks like I’m going to get away with it.”

“So it’s not cheating if there’s no rule against it?” Sunset said with an equally mischievous smirk.

“Don’t go getting any crazy ideas, Sunset,” Lily said as she gently slugged Sunset’s shoulder. “There are universal rules that don’t need to be said.”

“Well, you’re no fun,” Sunset said as she softly elbowed Lily back.

“And you hate to lose. So, want to give it another go?” Daisy said as she held out a disk to Sunset.

Taking the disk, Sunset got into her throwing stance. As she wound up to toss it at one of the closer targets, she felt Philomena send a feeling of urgency to get her attention. Arresting her throw, she turned to see Dylis and Amara landing in the tree next to Philomena. Once Sunset was looking at him, Dylis pointed at her with the tip of his beak, before flicking his head in the direction of Roseluck’s manor.

Glancing towards the sky, she could see the telltale darkening of the eastern horizon, which meant it was nearly sundown. From the look on his face, she had a sinking feeling that both he and Raven were not happy with her for not being ready.

‘Guess it’s time to meet the kirintal,’ Sunset thought glumly.

“Looks like the fun’s over,” Sunset said to Lily and Daisy with a sigh as she walked over to disks and set the one she was holding on the top of the stack. “Guess it’s time to go be ‘Lady Shimmer’… again.”

As she got ready to take to the air and head back to the estate, Sunset felt a pair of hands rest on her shoulders. Looking at her friends, she saw the worry in their eyes.

“We’re here for you, if you need us,” Lily said.

“Chat-lecti, remember?” Daisy added.

Sunset found herself smiling warmly at her friends.

“Thanks, both of you. I mean it,” Sunset said as she wrapped her arms around Lily and Daisy’s shoulders and pulled them into a hug.

Um, Sunset, Philomena sent, a small bit of concern tainting the message. I think Dylis is getting impatient.

Along with the sending came a flash from Philomena’s perspective, which included an annoyed looking Dylis, whose head was starting to dip down while still staying locked on Sunset. Next to him, Amara was letting out soft trills as she edged towards her brother. From the look on her face, Sunset had a feeling she was attempting to placate him.

I’ll be done soon, Sunset sent as she hugged her friends a little tighter.

Through their bond, Sunset could sense Philomena’s mounting distress as she sent a vision of Dylis crouching down in preparation to take to the air, his glare still fixed on the back of Sunset’s head and his talons digging into the tree’s bark. Satisfied that her little act of defiance had not only irritated the elder phoenix, but had certainly been shared with Raven, Sunset finally let go of her friends. After stepping back, she rose into the air, turned to face the phoenixes, and nodded to Dylis.

Sunset took a small amount of satisfaction in how annoyed Dylis looked as he launched himself from the branch and headed towards Roseluck’s home, followed by Amara and Philomena.

The flight to the manor was mercifully short, made shorter by the speed that Dylis was leading them at. In its general shape, the building resembled the large, three story, open courtyard ones in the city below, though one that was easily three times the size of any of the civilian buildings. Where it differed was in its construction. Rather than being made of stone, the building looked to be shaped from living junipers by Roseluck’s lignomancy, making it less resemble a building, and more resemble a large, c-shaped tree with windows, balconies and doors built into the trunk.

Following the phoenixes, Sunset flew down towards one of the second-story balconies. There, waiting for her was Raven, now in one of her formal dresses with her arms crossed behind her back. Beside her were two of Roseluck’s earth-weaver attendants and one of the sun-touched.

“You’re cutting it too close, Sunset,” Raven said, holding out her arm for Dylis.

“Sorry,” Sunset said, her voice lacking contrition. “I lost track of time.”

Raven regarded Sunset for a moment, her eyes cold and calculating, while Sunset stared back at Raven defiantly. Knowing the elder phoenix-born, Sunset was sure she could tell that Sunset wasn’t ‘sorry’ for being late.

“Our first meeting with the kirintal is in twelve minutes. Philomena, go with Amara and Dylis and wait for Sunset in the dining room. Vestian and Akari will be joining you shortly,” Raven said flatly, before looking over her shoulder at the sun-touched. “She will be ready in seven minutes, and at the dining room in nine. Washed, dried, full formal dress and cedar scented body oils.”

Sunset felt her stomach tighten with dread at the way Raven had issued her command, even as she tried to maintain her defiant expression. It lasted only a few moments before the sun-touched swiftly approached her and effortlessly lifted her from the ground and into their arms, carrying her like Tender Heart used to when she was younger.

“What? What is this?” Sunset exclaimed indignantly as she began to struggle. “Put me down!”

Philomena moved to intervene, only to be frozen in place by a glare from Raven and Dylis.

“Now you only have six minutes to get ready, Sunset,” Raven said coldly as the sun-touched made their way swiftly out of the room, followed by the earth-weavers. “Don’t waste them.”

*****

Exactly eight minutes later, Sunset found herself being carried down the corridor. She had been stuffed into a floor length, red and gold, full sleeve silk dress embroidered with images of suns, flowers and phoenixes by the sun-touched, along with a black, tasseled vest and blue belt sash.

Sunset had given up struggling, the memory of the last eight minutes still fresh and raw in her mind. Of all the formal preparation sessions she’d been through, the one she’d just had was by far the least pleasant. So unpleasant in fact that she had to close her bond with Philomena to keep her from attempting to find Sunset and intervene. Beyond being hauled around by the sun-touched like an infant, the bath she’d been given hadn’t even been properly warmed when she was all but shoved into it after being stripped, leaving her chattering from the cold as she was not so gently washed and dried. Afterwards, they swiftly put her into her formal evening dress, touched her skin up with cedar oil, and hauled her to the formal dining room.

She suspected that the rough handling and unpleasant experience was from the attendants trying to follow Raven’s orders to the letter, though she wouldn’t have put it past Raven to tell them they were not to be gentle as they did so as a form of reprimand for her little act of defiance.

She just couldn’t prove it.

As they rounded the corner, Sunset spotted Raven standing by a large pair of double doors, along with Roseluck, General Sentry and Commander Spitfire, all four dressed in their formal attire. Oddly, of the four of them, both Raven and General Sentry had something extra with them. Raven was carrying a circlet of woven willow branches, while General Sentry had an ornate trench-sword with a spiked pommel in a wooden scabbard on his left hip.

Conspicuously absent were their bondmates. Reaching out through their bond, Sunset could feel Philomena on the other side of the door to the banquet hall. She could also feel Philomena’s irritation at the small slivers of what she’d just gone through that had seeped through their link. She only hoped Philomena wouldn’t cause an incident when they entered the room.

As the sun-touched arrived by the four elder phoenix-born, they gently deposited Sunset by Raven.

“Sunset, there you are,” Roseluck said, jogging over to Sunset and kneeling down to look her over. “You look so pretty in that dress, sweetie.”

“Thanks, Roseluck,” Sunset said as she attempted to hug the archduchess. To her surprise, Roseluck stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder and holding her back.

“Sorry, sweetie, but I can’t right now,” Roseluck whispered. “I promise I’ll give you a hug later, okay.”

“Good, you’re here. And with twenty seconds to spare,” Raven said as she glanced down at a pocket watch, then Sunset.

“You were still cutting it far too close, little miss, if you needed a sun-touched to deliver you to your appointments,” General Sentry said with a derisive harumph. “Especially in such an… undignified manner.”

“I got here, didn’t I?” Sunset said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“I wouldn’t say that, emberling. I say you were delivered here,” Spitfire said with a smirk.

Sunset’s face went red as she spun on her heels to face Spitfire, her temper flaring. Nobody’d called her emberling since she was five. And she’d be condemned to Chaos before she was about to let someone start calling her such a juvenile nickname again.

“Don’t call me that,” Sunset growled as she glared at Spitfire. “My name is Sunset Shimmer.”

“I’ll call you whatever I want until you earn the right to your name, emberling.”

Next to her, Sunset could see Roseluck getting ready to say something, only to be cut off by General Sentry.

“Spitfire, not now,” he said firmly before turning his attention to Raven. “I have to agree with Spitfire’s assessment. Perhaps adding lessons in time management and punctuality to her syllabus would benefit her, Raven.”

“I’ll consider it, Steel. However, that will have to wait; we have guests that are expecting us.”

“Indeed,” Roseluck said, a slight edge in her voice as she stepped between Steel and Raven, putting her hands on their shoulders. “Let’s not keep them waiting. After all, we don’t want a diplomatic incident because we’re late, or being too openly emotional, do we?”

Both Raven and General Sentry gave Roseluck a firm glare, before nodding at her and taking their spots by the door to the banquet hall. As Sunset got in place next to Roseluck, she tried not to think about the exchange that just took place. Or the strange hostility in her voice. Instead, she focused on her meditations to settle her nerves.

With a nod to the others, Raven pushed the double doors to the banquet hall open and strode in, followed by the rest of the phoenix-born.

The first thing Sunset noticed as she and the others entered the room was the two large floor tables, each one surrounded by a bed of sitting pillows. The tables themselves appeared to be coming directly from the floor, with the one to her left notably taller than the other one. From the far wall, there was what looked like a large juniper branch, where all five of the royal phoenixes were resting. Glowing light runes that flickered and sputtered like true candle flames dotted the ceiling, filling the room with soft, warm radiance.

Catching each other’s eyes, Sunset allowed her link to Philomena to reopen, sending her partner feelings of reassurance that she was alright. In return, Philomena sent feelings of support and comfort, which Sunset gladly took. She was still going to spend most of the evening after the dinner cuddling with her bondmate though.

As they entered the room, General Sentry split off from the group to stand by the taller of the two tables, while Sunset followed Roseluck, Raven and Commander Spitfire as they made their way to the shorter table.

Once they were in position, the attendants opened two more sets of doors, each one on the opposite walls of the room. From the door to Sunset’s right came a procession of six kirintal does, led by Magistrate Autumn Blaze. Unlike the last time she’d seen the magistrate, she and the other does were not dressed in simple fabric tops and loincloths, but instead were wearing brown and green robes interwoven with flowers and leaves made into decorative patterns, while their wrists, fingers and necks were adorned with beautifully carved wooden jewlery, Magistrate Autumn Blaze also carrying a leaf covered branch dotted with many tiny flowers.

To her left came another group of six kirintal, each wearing similar robes to the does, though their’s were shades of tan, white and black. Instead of wooden jewelry, these kirintal wore adornments made of carved stone and jade, with the one leading the procession wearing an elaborately carved wood warclub on his left hip. Unlike the does, these kirintal were easily two heads taller than any of the occupants of the room, including General Sentry, and were powerfully muscled, though it was lean, wiry muscle instead of large, bulky muscle. Their height was made even more impressive by the pair of regal antlers each had on their head, the one in the lead bearing twelve points, while the others had between eight and ten. All of them carried themselves with the same reserved confidence that Sunset saw in the prominence knights, General Sentry, or Commander Spitfire.

‘Those must be the stags,’ Sunset thought as she saw them approaching general sentry,

Sunset remembered how much emphasis Raven had put on just how significant their presence was, as stags consider it a dereliction of their duty as the protectors of Himavanta to leave their home.

When the two groups met, everyone present crossed their arms over their chests and bowed to their respective groups; General Sentry to the stags, while Raven, Roseluck, Spitfire and Sunset bowed to the does.

“Altaene lan’taalca, Magistrate.” Raven said as she rose and placed the crown of branches on the magistrate’s head. “Vuul’athlen teth-oleris, iler’leta vret’cla.”

“Altaena chal’ceata, Seneschal,” Magistrate Blaze said as she offered the branch she was carrying to Raven. “Vaal’athon taeth-uleris, iler’leta vret’cla.”

“Alterres val’untecha, Magistrate,” Sunset heard General Sentry say, accompanied by an odd metallic hiss. “Nur’athlen ven-tchleris, iler’leta vret’cla.”

Mena, what’s going on? Sunset sent.

Steel just drew his sword, Philomena linked their eyesight, allowing Sunset to see that the general had risen from his bow and had indeed drawn his sword, which he was now holding out towards the lead stag, offering the weapon pommel first.

“Alterres rath’almetra, General,” the stag said as he similarly drew his warclub and offered the handle to General Sentry. “Nur’ethet ven-tchleris, aelar’leta vrat’cles.”

Both General Sentry and the lead stag claimed the other’s offered weapon, both of which looked oddly disproportionate with the height differences between the two. The exchange complete, General Sentry and the stags headed to their table.

Back on her side of the room, Roseluck had stepped forward to stand before Autumn Blaze.

“Altaena lan’taalca, Magistrate,” Roseluck said. “I take it your stay in my home has been pleasant, Autumn?”

“Altaene lan’taalca, Archduchess,” Magistrate Blaze said with a warm smile as she and Roseluck held out their right hands and pressed their palms together. “Yes, very much so. I have missed visiting you and your gardens very much. It is rare that we get to see such a beautiful display of the children of wood survive so happily away from their homes.”

“La-lerenta, Autumn.” Roseluck said, before turning and gesturing for Sunset to step forward.

Swallowing nervously, Sunset did as she was beckoned to do. Beside her, she could feel Raven’s presence, the subtle pressure of her authoritative aura reminding Sunset that she was watching.

“Altaena lan’taalca, Magistrate,” Sunset said as she bowed to the magistrate, her mind running a mile a minute as she focused on remembering everything she was supposed to do in this situation. “I am Sunset Shimmer. It pleases me to introduce myself to you for the first time. May the wood’s and stone’s wisdom touch you through all the seasons.”

“Altaene lis’tillesa, Sunset Shimmer,” Magistrate Blaze said as she bowed to Sunset. “I am Magistrate Autumn Blaze. It pleases me to introduce myself to you for the first time. May the wood’s and stone’s wisdom touch you through all the seasons.”

Finally, Spitfire approached the kirintal and bowed.

“Altaena lan’taalca, Magistrate. May the wood’s and stone’s wisdom touch you through all the seasons.”

“Altaene lan’taalca, Commander,” Autumn Blaze replied, though with an odd edge to her voice that Sunset couldn’t quite place. “May the wood’s and stone’s wisdom touch you through all the seasons. It is a pleasure to see you again.”

“You as well,” Spitfire said as she rose.

Both women stared the other down, Autumn Blaze looking mildly offended and annoyed, while Spitire’s face had broken out in a cocky smile. Behind Autumn, the other does were giving Spitfire the same look as the Magistrate, one even taking a step forward.

“Perhaps we could save the conversation until we’ve sat down at the table,” Roseluck said pleasantly, drawing both Spitfire and Autumn’s attention. “Our meals should be arriving soon, and it would be disrespectful to my cooks if their efforts were not properly received, wouldn’t you both agree?”

“Of course, Roseluck,” Autumn Blaze said as she made her way sedately to the table. “Let us be seated. I am eager to learn about the newest member of your august circle as well.”

As their group began to take their seats, Philomena poked Sunset through their link, and began sending what she was hearing; Akari and Dylis speaking in phoenix in the branches above her. From the sound of Dylis’s tone, Sunset guessed he was conveying a warning from Raven to Spitfire through Akari. Sunset tried not to smile as she sat down between Roseluck and one of the does.

It was nice to see someone else getting chewed out by Raven for a change.

As everyone got comfortable, the first course of the meal was brought out. For the sun-gazers, it consisted of a small plate of flatbread with three small bowls of dipping sauces, while for the kirintal, their dishes looked like raw leaves from some sort of mint covered in pungent, spicy oil and drizzled with what looked like crushed nuts. Along with the food came two kettles of tea, one of kirintal tea for the kirintal and one of tsujira for the sun-gazers. Much like the appetizers, the kirintal’s tea smelled almost overwhelmingly pungent, the mixture of spices slamming her in the face as the doe next to her poured herself a mug of the steaming beverage.

“Now, Sunset Shimmer, I would be quite interested in hearing about you and your story,” Magistrate Blaze said from next to Raven as she poured herself a mug of the tea. “Your ascension was unusual, was it not?”

Sunset froze, racking her brain in a panic as she tried to remember how to address the Magistrate’s question.

“Be mindful when speaking to the kirintal, Sunset,” the echo of Raven’s voice sounded in her head. “When talking with them, you must not make any sort of promise. Or, if you must, make sure it is carefully worded to limit its scope as much as possible. Kirintal view promises and oaths as binding, no matter how minor. While Magistrate Autumn Blaze is familiar enough with our less stringent views on promises to give you as much leeway as possible, most of the other magistrates will not.”

“I would be pleased to share the parts of my story that I chose to with you, Magistrate Blaze, if I knew what you would like to know,” Sunset said slowly, choosing her words deliberately and cautiously.

“And I and all of my fellow magistrates would be pleased to hear what you are willing to share. I do not wish for too much or too many details, but as much as you can share the overarching events that led to your ascension would be of interest to us. We know of what occurred at the rite, but the story of the before is nothing but rumor and hearsay.”

“I am capable of providing that to you, though it will be sparse in detail, as we do not have the time for me to tell too much.” ‘I can do this. I can do this,’ Sunset told herself as she poured a steaming mug of tsujira and took a bracing drink of the near boiling hot liquid. Setting the mug down, Sunset took a deep breath.

“It began the day I was first tested for my eligibility to become an ascendant…”

Author's Note

And so begins the Fall Harvest festival.

If you want a little more on the kirintal, here's a sort of profile on them and their culture.

Ch 10 - The Trials - Silence Comes Before the Storm

“Sunset, I’m coming in!”

Sunset attention was torn away from her rune manual and notebook as the door of her guest room began to open. The sun had risen not long ago, yet Sunset was still in bed, having not bothered to get up to join the rest of the phoenix-born and kirintal for breakfast. Instead, she’d chosen to take the morning to catch up on some studying and rune theory. To her right, Philomena was nestled into one of the pillows, the sound of her steady breathing providing calming white noise while she read.

It’d been relaxing.

Until she’d heard Roseluck’s warm, cheery voice.

As the door opened, the archduchess made her way into the room, wearing the rose-themed dress she’d been in the day Sunset had first met her at the ascension, Amara perched on her usual spot.

“You could have waited,” Sunset said as she flipped the bookmark onto her page and closed the tome, looking away from Roseluck. “I might not have been dressed.”

“You’d have spoken up if you weren't,” Roseluck said, her tone far more pleasant than Sunset had been expecting, before clapping her hands twice. “Now, come come, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us, so I’m afraid you can’t stay in bed reading.”

Timidly looking at Roseluck’s cheerful smile, Sunset found herself torn. As much as she would have liked to protest or dig her heels in, she couldn’t. She might have, had it been Raven or General Sentry.

But Roseluck?

Hey, Mena, I’m afraid it’s time to get up, Sunset sent with a gentle push as she threw off the covers and started to get up.

Wha? Philomena sent groggily as she slowly cracked her eyes open and looked around. Breakfast time?

No. Roseluck’s here to help me get ready.

Then why’d you wake me up?

Moral support.

Sunset tried not to smile as a particularly caustic sensation came from Philomena, who was glaring at her irritably.

“Alright, I’m up,” Sunset said.

“I can see that,” Roseluck tittered as she began to make her way towards the bath. “Come along, let’s get you washed, dressed and made up. We’re on a schedule.”

“Ugh,” Sunset groaned as she rolled her eyes and followed behind Roseluck.

*****

Sunset soon found herself back in her room, washed, dried and with her skin touched up with cedar scented oil. Compared to the rough handling the previous night, Roseluck’s gentle doting was like a bright, sunny day after a long period of overcast skies. Still, all good things eventually came to an end, and she now found herself wrapped in a towel and sitting on her bed with Philomena by her side. In front of her was Roseluck, holding up four of her dresses in her hair-tendrils.

“Which do you prefer?” the archduchess asked as she held a knuckle to her lips in thought, looking over each one up in turn. “I think this one would complement your eyes nicely, but this one would be more practical if you’re going to be out and about in the festival. Then again, this one would be the most eye-catching with all the embroidery. And this one would probably be the one everyone talks about, because it’s got the strongest Western Territory aesthetic.”

Sunset’s eyes shifted between each of the dresses, her normal loathing of the garments dulled by tired apathy. She didn’t want to wear any of them. In fact, she didn’t want to leave the mesa.

“It doesn’t matter, and I don’t care, so you can pick,” Sunset said as she reached down to scratch Philomena’s head.

The air was filled with an uncomfortable silence. One that was broken by Roseluck sighing.

“Sunset…”

Sunset refused to look up at Roseluck, who’s tone had shifted from her normal cheer to a tired one. A tone that reminded Sunset far too much of Tender Heart when she was reaching her limit with Sunset’s behavior.

“Sunset, please look at me,” Roseluck said. Unlike when Raven made such requests, Sunset didn’t feel any sort of authoritative presence coming from the older phoenix-born.

Reluctantly, Sunset looked up at Roseluck. Seeing the look on Roseluck’s face made her wince.

“What’s wrong, Sunset?” Roseluck asked as she set the dresses back down, walked over to the bed and sat down next to Sunset. Once settled, she pulled her into a side hug as Amara fluttered down next to her sister. “When I saw Lily and Daisy this morning, they were worried about you. Something about you breaking down crying yesterday when you got to the mesa.”

Sunset frowned.

“Traitors,” she said grumpily.

“They’re just worried about you, Sunset. And so am I.”

Roseluck paused as she pulled Sunset in a little tighter, filling Sunset with conflicting feelings of warmth and guilt. The latter growing when Roseluck said, “Especially after what happened last night…”

*****

Sunset had to take another drink of her tsujira as she continued her story, her throat getting tired from how much talking she’d been doing. And to calm herself as she relived quite a few unpleasant memories.

Though, she knew she’d be experiencing far more now that her story had reached her first evening in Chromos. The first time she’d laid eyes on the capital city. Her encounter with Dawn Wings and the sun-blades. Seeing Mt. Liakeed, and the awe she’d felt. And her first altercation with Sapphire Prism and her friends.

“…that was when they tore apart my book,” Sunset growled as hot, angry tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as she remembered watching as Sapphire had mocked her while destroying her treasured tome. She was only peripherally aware of the doe next to her shifting her body slightly away from her, her face darkening with discomfort.

“That is quite deplorable on their part, Lady Shimmer,” Magistrate Blaze said, her own features shifting in a way that Sunset couldn’t quite read. “You have mentioned this book before. A gift from your chat-lecti, was it not?”

“It was,” Sunset said tersely as she scrubbed her eyes clean and downed another mug of tsujira. She considered correcting the Magistrate that her oath-sisters were more than just ‘chat-lecti’ to her, but decided against it. She didn’t want to get into what their oath truly meant. “Of course, I broke Sapphire’s nose for it and… would have smashed the teeth out of her face if Orange Spice and Rosy Mist didn’t stop me.”

There was an awkward silence as the does glanced at one another. Sunset dimly recalled Raven saying something about how kirintal viewed acts of violence against others outside combat, particularly passionate violence. She just couldn’t be bothered to care.

“You… physically accosted and injured her?” the doe sitting next to her asked, her body becoming subtly tense.

“Yes. And I would have done worse if I could have,” Sunset said, her voice dripping with molten lead. “Of course, that was when Raven and Dylis showed up to break up the fight.”

“Is that so?” Magistrate Blaze asked as she turned her attention to Raven.

“It is,” Raven replied. “I knew there would be conflicts with how many students from different areas of Heliopolis, and beyond, were being put together. However, it was one of the only times these altercations escalated into physical violence.”

Something in what Raven said caused Sunset to pause and consider the circumstances that day. Her being placed in the same room as Sapphire. That Raven was doing her rounds just as the fight broke out. Yet the new revelation that Raven wasn’t just in the right place at the right time, but actually was expecting what happened to happen made her temper rise.

“You knew that there might be fights.”

“There inevitably are whenever the volunteers for the rite first arrive. My decree of treating each other respectfully has curbed most of them in the past, but I knew it was likely that there would be some that ignored me. Something that has become increasingly problematic in the last few centuries, despite my efforts.”

Unpleasant thoughts began to worm its way into Sunset’s mind as pieces she hadn’t considered at the time began to fall into place. And as they did, a poisonous, angry thought began to form. She’d seen firsthand just how manipulative Raven could be, and how deep the royal seneschal's ability to plan ahead was.

Sunset, I don’t like where you’re going with this, Philomena sent with alarm. Please don’t do anything that’ll get you in trouble.

Sunset ignored the sending, her attention focused entirely on Raven.

“Did you put me and Sapphire together to make sure I got into a fight with her? Is that it?” Sunset asked, her voice growing increasingly hostile with every word. “You knew I was a potential phoenix-born, and you wanted me to like you. So you made sure I would be put with someone who would hate me. And that way you could come in and play the hero.”

The table went silent. Sunset could feel everyone’s eyes on her as she attempted to stare down Raven.

“Sunset, please remember where we are,” Raven said, her tone controlled.

“Do you think I care?” Sunset replied with more force and heat. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Spitfire desperately trying to stop herself from laughing, while Magistrate Blaze’s facial expression changed in an odd way that she wasn’t quite sure how to interpret. To her right, she could hear the subtle shuffling of the other magistrates, but she was too focused on Raven to be more than peripherally aware of it. “I went through a month of being tormented by that goat-licking night-lover, all so that you could make a good impression on me? Make me think that you were my friend and that you cared about me?”

“I don’t appreciate that accusation, Sunset. Especially at a formal dinner and in front of our guests. Guests that have come a very long way to be here.”

“Why? Are you afraid that now that you’ve been exposed they won’t listen to your lies anymore?” Sunset spat angrily.

Much to Sunset’s annoyance, Raven didn’t respond to her barb. Instead she simply looked her in the eyes, her face as inscrutable as ever. Normally, Sunset wouldn’t meet her stare like this. But at the moment, she was too angry at the thought of Raven purposefully putting her into a room with Sapphire in the hopes of playing the hero and “saving her” from the Aurorians. Even if she’d ultimately forgiven Sapphire after she’d learned the error of her ways.

“So, who’s ready for the next course? I know I’m looking forward to it!” Roseluck said with a clap of her hands, her cheer muted compared to normal. “My head chef has tried to blend our two cuisine styles to make a soup that represents our two people and their friendship.”

“That sounds quite intriguing, Roseluck. It is curious how you have managed such, considering what I know of soup means that it is to be cooked as it is prepared,” Magistrate Blaze said, appearing eager to change the subject, “and the vast differences in our paletes.”

“Never underestimate a fire-caller’s creativity. Master Spicy Flourish is one of the greatest chefs the Eastern Territory has produced in over a century, so I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

“Hey, don’t ig…” Sunset began to protest, both at the indignity of being interrupted, and at the idea that they were just going to fly over what Raven did. However, her protests died in her throat and she froze mid sentence as Raven and Magistrate Blaze both shot her withering looks, Raven’s accompanied by a wave of her authoritative presence slamming into her like a blast of muddy water. Looks that conveyed a message louder than the roar of a linnorm.

‘Be quiet. You’re already in trouble. Don’t make it worse.’

At the same moment, she received a sending from Philomena of Dylis and Vestian glaring at her, while both Akari and Amara were giving her deeply disapproving looks. She could feel Philomena’s discomfort as the four older phoenixes stared her down, causing her to shrink in on herself. Sunset tried to send feelings of support to her partner, but it did little to alleviate the crushing weight of the other phoenix’s ire.

As her eyes swept across the table and took in the rest of the occupants, she found that Spitfire was giving her a look of smug superiority. One that gave her the impression that the Commander was both amused by Sunset’s outburst, and relishing the fact she was in trouble. Roseluck, by contrast, had her features schooled, though there was a subtle look of disappointment and hurt in her eyes.

Then, there were the does.

When they’d first arrived, they had seemed curious and friendly, in their own odd, reserved way. Now, they felt distant and closed off. No, it went beyond that. It felt like they’d stopped acknowledging her presence, going so far as to stop looking at her entirely.

The conversation gradually drifted back to other subjects, like trade, the reaction to Sunset’s ascension among the clans of the Eastern Territory, and in the different sub-factions of the Kiritnal’s central bureaucracy. At first, she had tried to re-insert herself into the conversation, only to be ignored or shut down by Raven or Magistrate Blaze’s disapproving looks. Eventually, she gave up trying, stewing in her frustration as she ate her meal in silence, keeping her bond with Philomena open so they could provide each other with moral support.

After a long, painful hour, the meal finally ended and they’d made their way out of the dining hall, their bondmates returning to their shoulders as they left. As soon as they were outside and the doors shut, Steel and Spitfire approached Raven.

“Spitfire and I will be heading out,” Steel said. “If you need us, we’ll be down in the city at the barracks.”

“Very good. Please report anything out of the ordinary.”

“Of course. By your leave, Raven.”

As the General and Commander strode off, Raven turned her attention back to Sunset and Roseluck.

“Archduchess Roseluck, will you and miss Shimmer come with me? We have some things to discuss,” Raven said, her tone carrying more force than she usually used when addressing the archduchess.

“Yes, Lady Inkwell,” Roseluck replied somberly.

Sunset tried to hold onto the last smoldering remnants of her anger as she followed the two older women, only to find them quickly being quenched by a cold pit of dread that wormed its way into her guts and wrapped itself lovingly around her stomach. Raven was in full seneschal mode if she was addressing Roseluck as “archduchess,” and Roseluck was addressing her as “Lady Inkwell.” Which meant that Raven was preparing to bring the full weight of her station to bear. And likely down right on top of Sunset’s head.

As they made their way through the corridors, Sunset reached out and touched Roseluck’s hand, hoping that the archduchess could give her some support. Yet, when her hand met Roseluck’s, she pulled away slightly, looked down at Sunset and shook her head, while Amara shot her an angry glare.

I’m quenched, Sunset sent as she withdrew her hand, Philomena snuggling up to the side of her head and trilling softly.

Maybe she’s not too mad, Philomena sent hopefully.

I doubt it, Sunset replied. You saw how angry everyone was. Guess she hates being called out.

I don’t think that’s the problem, Sunset.

I know. But lying to myself makes it a little easier to handle.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, they reached their destination. Without a word, Raven pushed the door open, which led into a small reading room, before heading inside, followed by Roseluck and Sunset. The room was furnished with a low table, several sofas, and a wall of bookshelves filled with hundreds of books. As soon as they were all inside, Roseluck made her way to one of the couches and took a seat.

“Sit down, Sunset,” Raven said to Sunset, indicating one of the sofas.

“I’ll stand,” Sunset replied softly.

“That wasn’t a request.”

Sunset crossed her arms and looked away from Raven, refusing to budge despite the worried sendings coming from Philomena and her own racing heart.

Just as Sunset thought Raven might not push the issue, she lifted her arms and began to perform a spell dance. Sunset’s stomach dropped in horror as she recognized the spell Raven was casting and what it would do. Then, all at once, her body seized up and went completely numb, refusing to respond to her commands to move. Through her bond, she could feel Philomena panic as she also found herself completely paralyzed.

Mena, calm down. You’re okay, Sunset sent, fully opening their bond as she sent feelings of reassurance.

What did she do to us!?

You’re okay. I promise. It’s a paralysis spell. It just stops us from moving.

To Sunset’s relief, she could feel Philomena start to calm down, though she could still feel traces of her panic.

Sunset’s attention was drawn away from Philomena as Raven gently lifted the now imobile pair and placed them on the sofa, carefully positioning their limbs so that they would be sitting comfortably. Sunset’s anger came back in full force at the thought of Raven treating her like some sort of doll. She fumed impotently until Raven finished, whereupon she stepped back, snapped her fingers and broke the paralysis. As soon as Sunset regained control of her body, she considered trying to get up again, but stopped at Raven’s glare.

“You were completely out of line, Sunset,” Raven said firmly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Not only did you offend our guests by being so openly emotional in their presence, you accused me of dishonesty and duplicity in front of the Himavantan dignitaries.”

“And you aren’t duplicitous and dishonest?” Sunset asked, staring defiantly at Raven.

Raven regarded Sunset flatly.

“You want the truth then, do you?”

“Yes. Not that you’ll tell it to me.”

“Are you so sure about that?” Raven said, reaching into one of the folds of her dress and retrieving a small, red marble. Holding it between her thumb, index and middle fingers, she curled her hand towards herself then gave it a single, firm shake. As she did, the marble grew rapidly into a familiar, fist sized, rune covered ruby carved in the shape of an apple.

‘Her amp,’ Sunset thought.

Once the amp had returned its normal size, the runes on the surface began glowing with her raspberry-grey colored magic. Sunset could feel the air become suffused with an aura of magic, one that she recognized from her first meeting at the Council of Light.

“Tell me a lie, Sunset.”

“Why should I?”

“Do it.” Raven hadn’t raised her voice, but the weight of the order hit Sunset like a fist, even without the elder phoenix-born using her authoritative presence.

Sunset narrowed her eyes at Raven as she fought off her trepidation with a combination of her meditations and anger. Opening her mouth, she tried to say “I love the lessons you give me,” only to find that when she spoke, no sound came from her mouth.

“What? What was that?!” Sunset exclaimed as she brought her hand up to her throat and her eyes went wide with fright. Everything had felt right when she tried to speak, yet somehow her voice didn’t produce any sound.

“Try again.”

Once again she tried to tell Raven she loved her lessons, only for her voice to fail a second time.

“Speak the truth.”

Lowering her hand and furrowing her brows, Sunset said, “I hate your lessons.”

Sunset’s relief at hearing her voice work again was tempered by her annoyance that Raven didn’t respond to the barb.

“Archduchess, please tell a lie,” Raven said without taking her eyes off Sunset.

“Is this necessary, Raven?” Roseluck asked solemnly as she clasped her hands in her lap, while Amara glared at Sunset angrily.

“Yes, it is. Now, tell a lie.”

With a sigh, Roseluck opened her mouth and tried to speak, only for no sound emerged.

“Now tell the truth.”

“I wish that we weren’t having to do this.”

Turning to Sunset, Raven’s brow furrowed slightly as she said, “Sunset, your altercation with Sapphire kept you safe.”

“What?” Sunset said, her anger slowly bleeding away and replaced by confusion.

“Your altercation with Sapphire was to keep you safe. At the time of your arrival, we were still trying to figure out the depth of the corruption of the phoenix-rite. Had I exempted you from the first test, it could have tipped off General Sentry that there was something special about you.”

“What test?” Sunset asked.

“Have you forgotten that the entire training process was one prolonged test of your character and where you would serve at the rite? The first step of the test was placing those who wouldn’t get along in the same rooms, and see which of them will obey my edicts to show each other kindness, generosity, or even friendship.”

“So you did want us to fight.”

“No. I wanted to see if you would obey my decree. Just like I did with every other student that volunteered to serve at the rite. A test you failed, I might add.”

“They destroyed my book!” Sunset shrieked.

“I could have known you would bring such a valuable item with you?” Raven asked, then held up a hand before Sunset could reply. “The answer is no, Sunset. I may be an expert at reading others, but I’m not omniscient. And even if I had known, I would have still done what I did.”

“You put me through all of that as a test?”

“Yes, just like I put everyone through that test. Would you rather I take the chance that you would be killed?”

The question caused Sunset’s thoughts to freeze in her head.

“Killed?”

“Like I said: we didn’t know if Steel was involved in the conspiracy at that time. We suspected him, but had no definitive proof that he was. But at the same time, we had no proof that he wasn’t. Something you’ll learn when it comes to dealing with other immortals: we can be subtle in ways that mortals cannot because we know we have the time to do so. So, given the nature of the conspiracy, and the people we knew were involved, there was a very high likelihood that he was, in some form.

“Thus I had to act under that assumption. And if it turned out to be true, and he learned that I was not putting you through the normal training and testing process or giving you special treatment not warranted by your situation, he would have questioned why, which would have led him to your test results… your real test results, which would have led him to learning that you were a potential, which could have led to your death or kidnapping.

“Is that what you would have wanted, Sunset? For me to risk you being killed in your sleep? Or taken from Chromos and abandoned in the Bright Desert to die of heat exhaustion and dehydration, if you weren’t found by a tatzlwyrm or a flame linnorm first? I couldn’t take that risk with your life, so you had to be treated like every other student so that you lived to see the ascension.”

Sunset stared dumbstruck at Raven, a quiet sense of dread beginning to creep into her chest.

“I…”

“But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is how your outburst has complicated things with the kirintal. Did you consider the effects of what you just did would have in the long-term to our relationship with the kirintal? Or that the amount of offense you’ve just given could give the elements in their central bureaucracy that wants them to withdraw from the Solar Alliance cause to push for such a withdrawal? Or that such a thing could hurt a lot of people in the Eastern Territory who’ve come to depend on our relationship with Himavanta? Is that what you wanted, Sunset? To hurt Roseluck’s people? Hurt Duchess DeLis’s family? Hurt Solaria by depriving us of the support of an ally? Hurt Roseluck? Did you even consider the consequences of your actions? Would you have done the same thing if you knew it would hurt the Western Territory and Golden Tree?”

Sunset found herself looking down at her hands, the weight of what Raven was saying pressing down on her. She could still feel the amp’s magic in the air, so she couldn’t use the excuse that Raven was lying to her. She dimly recalled that Raven had explained how important this first evening was, but she’d given only minimal effort to the lessons.

“I thought not. Go to bed, Sunset. We have a long day tomorrow,” Raven said as the magic flowing into the amp died down, the complete lack of emotion in her voice was almost worse than if she’d been yelling. Once the spell had faded, she performed a short spell dance with her free hand, causing the amp to shrink back down to marble size. Stowing it in the folds of her dress, she walked out of the room without giving Sunset a second glance, though Dylis took the opportunity to glare venomously at her and let out a low, odium-filled hiss and lower his head threateningly as they passed.

“Roseluck…?” Sunset began to ask as she turned to look at the archduchess, only for her stomach to clench up at what she saw. Roseluck was hunched forward in her seat, elbows resting on her knees and propping up her head with her hands. Amara had cuddled up to the side of her head, and was softly trilling to her while rubbing her cheek against Roseluck’s living-flame.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Sunset. Go get some sleep,” Roseluck said, her voice worn out and tired.

*****

Sunset found herself clinging to Roseluck, snuggling into the older woman’s side.

“Sunset, talk to me, sweetie,” Roseluck said as she hugged Sunset a little tighter. “What’s going on? And don’t tell me ‘nothing.’.”

Sunset didn’t reply at first, instead simply taking comfort in Roseluck’s embrace.

“I…” Sunset started to speak, only to stop and really consider her words. There was a good chance that the whole thing could blow up in her face. “I wanted to go home for the Festival, Roseluck. But instead, I have to be here.”

“Is that so bad?” Roseluck asked, her tone concerned.

“It might not have been, if Raven hadn’t stuffed me into a crucible for the last two months,” Sunset said, her voice becoming angrier and more frantic as she spoke. “So I messed up at the museum! She’s making a bonfire out of it. So what if I insulted Blueblood and his pig sniffing family. They deserve it. But, no, I’m the one who gets punished. But I don’t care about any of that stuff. I want to learn magic. I want to learn artificing. I want to make art. I don’t care about any of this ‘make the goat lickers in Heliopolis happy or like me’ crap. I don’t care about some dumb promise to the kirintal that I have to be here for some reason. I don’t care about anything Raven has to say, because I’m just a pawn to her! She doesn’t care about me, so I don’t care about what she wants either! She wants me to be a good, obedient little doll? Well, too bad, because I’m not going to do that anymore!”

Sunset took a few deep, ragged breaths as she held onto Roseluck.

“That’s no excuse, Sunset,” Roseluck eventually said, her voice soft yet authoritative.

Sunset’s grip on Roseluck’s dress tightened as she clenched her fists in the fabric.

“Of course you’re taking her side,” Sunset growled. “Of course you are. Why would you take mine?”

To Sunset’s surprise, Roseluck reached up and began to run her fingers through her living flame soothingly. Sunset forced herself not to whimper as Roseluck’s soothing gesture reminded her of Tender Heart doing the same thing when she was trying to calm her down.

“It’s not about taking sides, Sunset. It’s about what happened last night, and how it could affect my territory, my people, our alliance with the kirintal… rest assured, I’m not happy with you about any of that… but I’m also worried about the little girl that I had hoped would have been happy to see my home and all of the hard work I put into this festival,” Roseluck said as she continued to caress Sunset’s living flame.

“Why?” Sunset asked.

“Because I care about you, Sunset. I know you know that there’s more going on here than this just being a festival,” Roseluck said sympathetically. “More to it than you’re ready to listen to right now. But, even if you had to be here, I hoped that at least you’d be as happy to see me and your chat-lecti as we were to see you.”

Sunset began to speak, only for Roseluck to place a finger on her lips, silencing her.

“Sunset, you don't need to say anything. I get that you’re not happy about being away from Golden Tree. And that you miss your sisters. But, you being here is important to a lot of people, including me. And not just because of the political reasons. I’ve seen how hard things have been for you. The festival’s my way of trying to make you smile. So, if not for Raven, or Solaria, or even yourself, can you at least try to behave and have fun for me?”

Sunset found herself looking into Roseluck’s gentle green eyes. She couldn’t remain looking at her for long, turning away and leaning her head back into Roseluck’s side.

“That’s not fair,” Sunset sighed.

“Maybe, but it comes from the spark of my flame. Please, Sunset. The festival means a lot to me for a lot of reasons, and it’d mean a lot to me if you gave it a chance.”

“Fine,” Sunset huffed. “I’ll behave… for your sake.”

“That’s all I ask, Sunset. And try to have fun when we get to the main event. It’s not Golden Tree, but I know you’re going to love it here,” Roseluck said as she got to her feet. “So, are you ready to pick which dress you’re going to wear today?”

“No. But, I’ll make the most of it.”

*****

When Sunset, Philomena, Roseluck, Amara, Lily and Daisy had eventually arrived at the base of Roseluck’s mesa to head to the festival grounds, Sunset found herself feeling a little better. True, she was in one of her loathed dresses, one that consisted of an ankle length red and gold draped skirt, white, jewel collared blouse with butterfly cuff sleeves and a black leather vest with an integrated shoulder pad for Philomena. With the hem of both the blouse and vest covered in elaborate beaded embroidery that looked like roaring flames. And true, Roseluck had forced her to wear her “armor” underneath her outfit, but aside from those minor irritants, her mood had steadily improved. She’d happily chatted with both Lily and Daisy the entire way from Roseluck’s manor to the lift, and down the mesa’s face.

At least until they reached the carriage house.

Waiting for them were Raven and Dylis, along with the full contingent of prominence knights, the non-flying members all mounted on horses. Like Roseluck, Raven was in one of her fancy black, white and gray dresses, though hers was more subdued than the archduchess’s.

Raven had greeted them pleasantly, before ushering them into two carriages: one for the phoenix-born, and one for her friends and the sun-touched. Sunset had wanted to ride with Lily and Daisy, but her promise to Roseluck not to cause a scene kept her from protesting. So, she’d gotten into her assigned carriage and settled in.

The ride through Rose’s Blossom was made with relative silence. Or, at least, relative silence for Sunset and Philomena, who chose to simply watch the city go by through the window. Raven and Roseluck, on the other hand, filled the air with a constant stream of chatter about logistics, the itinerary for the day, the state of the different guests, and other such pointless things. Which left Sunset wishing that she could have ridden with her friends all the more.

At least that way she could have an actual conversation.

As they made their way down the road towards the inner wall’s gate, Sunset became painfully aware of something else. Lining the road were hundreds of sun-gazers, from young children to the elderly. The throng of bodies was being held back by a line of sun-blades and uniformed sun-gazers that Sunset assumed were Roseluck’s personal forces. All of these civilians were cheering as the carriage passed, many throwing cut flowers and leaves towards the vehicle.

I don’t like this, Sunset sent.

You mean all those people out there?

Yea. It feels… strange. Wrong.

They don’t seem too bothered by it, Philomena sent as she shared her vision of Raven and Roseluck, both of whom had apparently finished their conversation and were now looking out the windows as well. Just another thing we need to get used to, right?

Right.

Before long, they’d passed through a gate leading through the inner wall, and into the outer district of the city. Much like the inner district, the road was lined with citizens, though there were far more of them. And, much like in the inner district, the line between the road and the civilians was partitioned by sun-blades and eastern soldiers.

Eventually, the carriage reached the outer walls, and exited through a set of gates into what looked like a massive tent city. Bright banners in fall colors decorated each of the tents, along with dozens of different kinds of squashes, gourds, grain bundles and colorful bundles of leaves, many of which Sunset didn’t recognize.

Sunset couldn’t see the extent of the Festival grounds, but she guessed they were enormous. From outside, she could hear the white noise of the festival goers, as well as the sound of music being played. Something else she noticed as they rode on was the wonderful mix of smells seeping into the carriage. It was a heady perfume of roasting meats, savory fall vegetables, pies and pastries, and what she could only imagine were spiced beverages.

A low grumble came from her stomach, causing her face to heat up. At the sight, Roseluck let out a good natured laugh, before reassuring her that she’d get a chance to try some of the Festival fare once they got done with the opening ceremony.

*****

With a gentle lurch, the carriage came to a halt in a large clearing amid the tents. Exiting, Sunset looked around. The clearing they were now in was cordoned off from the rest of the Festival and heavily guarded by soldiers, both on the ground and in the air. Nearby, Sunset saw a tall, wooden and stone structure. One that she suspected had been erected for the festival by earth-weaver and fire-caller magic.

Near the edge of the staging area, Sunset saw Spitfire with a group of eleven sky-runners. All of them were wearing form fitting, sky-blue body stockings like the one she was wearing under her dress, only theirs covered everything other than their heads, though it looked like they had some sort of fabric hanging down the front of their chests. Fabric that Sunset figured would cover their heads if pulled up and over their faces. Even the leading edges of their wings were covered in the suits, with some sort of binding slipped between the feathers to hold them in place.

In contrast to the rest of the sky-runners, Spitfire was dressed in one of her formal dress uniforms. However, Akari was conspicuously absent from Spitfire’s shoulder. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen.

Sunset realized that these must be the sky-strikers, Spitfire’s hand picked, elite unit. And considered to be some of the most dangerous aerial combatants in the solar alliance.

Spitfire and one of the sky-runners, a tall, lanky man with a two toned silvery mohawk, light-gold eyes and coal gray skin and feathers, were both rapidly guzzling down large steins of some sort of beverage, the others cheering them on. With a flourish, Spitfire slammed her vestal down seconds before the sky-runner, earning a boisterous cheer from their audience. From the cocky look on Spitfire’s face, Sunset had a feeling that what she’d just witnessed was some sort of competition.

As they began to refill the steins, one of the sky-runners tapped Spitfire on the shoulder, and pointed towards Sunset and the others. Spitfire’s cheerful grin slid off her face into a slight scowl as she got to her feet, causing the sky-runners to let out a loud, collective groan of disappointment. Reaching over the table, Spitfire slugged the sky-striker she’d been competing with in the shoulder, making the man smile broadly and present his right forearm to the commander. Her smile returning, she pressed her own to his in some sort of gesture of comradery. Addressing one of the others, Spitfire rose from the table and began to make her way over, another sky-striker, a woman with two-toned blue hair, sea-green eyes, and pale grayish olive skin and feathers, taking her place at the table and resuming their game.

“Bright day, Lady Inkwell,” Spitfire said as she saluted, then gave Sunset and Roseluck a sidelong glance. “Flower girl. Emberling. Bright day to you too, I suppose.”

“Bright day, Commander,” Raven said. “Where’s General Sentry?”

“In the royal tent,” Spitfire said as she indicated one of the larger tents behind her by pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. “He’s been waiting for your arrival. There’ve been a few… incidents.”

“What sort of incidents?” Roseluck cut in as she stepped forward. “Have any of your thugs caused problems?”

“General Sentry and I didn’t bring any ‘thugs,’ flower girl,” Spitfire said with a sneer at Roseluck.

“So there were security problems?” Raven asked, ignoring the brewing argument between the two women.

“Yes. Some minor. Some not so minor. I’ll let him explain.”

“I see,” Raven said as she headed to the tent Spitfire had indicated.

The rest of them fell in behind Raven, Roseluck making sure to keep herself interposed between Sunset and Spitfire.

“Gotta admit, emberling, your little outburst last night? Comedy gold! I don’t think I’ve seen those leaf-chewers so angry in decades,” Spitfire said as she clasped her hands behind her head. “Keep it up! You might actually make this whole event more entertaining.”

Sunset looked down at the ground as her face flushed with embarrassment and anger. She could feel the latter also coming from Philomena through their bond as the phoenix glared at the Commander.

“It’s not funny, Spitfire,” Roseluck said firmly, Amara letting out a soft screech of agreement.

“Maybe not for you. But I think it's hilarious. I can only imagine the groveling you’re going to need to do to get those twitchy prong-horns to forget it ever happened,” Spitfire said, her face splitting into a hostile grin.

“Will you stop calling it that. Diplomacy isn’t ‘groveling.’”

“When you have to debase yourself to do it, yea, it is,” Spitfire said, before her grin changed in a way Sunset couldn’t place. “Still, at least we get to see the stags this time. The does are cute, but by Celestia’s sun, those stags? I’d love a chance to play with a few of them. Bet they can go for hours.”

“Letch,” Roseluck said, her tone laced with disgust.

“You’re one to talk, flower girl. At least I’m honest about it.”

“What’re you two talking about? What does ‘letch’ mean?” Sunset asked. She’d never heard that word before, but from the way it was being used, it was probably something bad.

“A letch is…” Spitfire started to say as she looked down at Sunset.

“You keep your mouth shut, Spitfire!” Roseluck snarled as she reached over to cover Sunset’s ears, nearly smacking Philomena in the process. After a couple of uncomfortable seconds, she let go, and gave Sunset an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, Sunset. Philomena. I’ll tell you later.”

“Whatever, flower girl, kid’ll learn about it eventually. She is about that age after all.”

“Spitfire, drop it!”

“And if I don’t?”

“I’ll disqualify your young flyers team from the sky-runner competition on the grounds that their captain is showing me disrespect.”

“Go ahead, flower girl. It’ll do wonders for your reputation in Heliopolis. What little you have anyway. Especially since everyone knows the quails you have out here can’t compete with real sky-runners.”

Both Roseluck and Spitfire went quiet after that, neither one willing to look at the other as they finally reached the royal tent. As they entered, Sunset spotted Raven and General Sentry sitting on a nest of pillows at a small table, the latter dressed in the same style of officer’s dress uniform as he was the previous evening. In the center of the table, Dylis, Vestian and Akari were all resting on a set of golden perches. The three new arrivals sat, Sunset and Roseluck helping Philomena and Amara to their own perches.

“Good,” Raven said. “Now that everyone is present, General Sentry, would you please explain what Commander Spitfire meant by there having been ‘incidents.’”

“Gladly.” General Sentry said. “To start, we have had some basic security problems with civilians trying to bring weapons onto the festival grounds. Most were willing to surrender them without incident, but we were forced to arrest quite a few when they refused.”

“General Sentry, we discussed this,” Roseluck fumed as she placed her hands on the table and glared at the general. “Eastern Territory law permits our citizens to carry personal defense weapons.”

“The little miss’s safety takes priority over territorial law, archduchess,” General Sentry said as he indicated Sunset with a flick of his head. “Or need I remind you just how vulnerable she is? No magic. Can’t defend herself. Right now, her only protection is the armor Spitfire made for her, the prominence knights, and our soldiers. And I’m not going to take the chance of anyone with potentially ill intent towards her having any sort of advantage.”

Roseluck glanced over to Sunset, her eyes conflicted. Sunset hoped that she would argue with General Sentry. Tell him that he was wrong, and that she wasn’t helpless, or needed his protection. Instead, Sunset watched with horror as Roseluck closed her eyes and nodded.

“You’re still overstepping, General,” Roseluck said evenly, causing Sunset’s guts to squirm with rage and a sense of betrayal. “There are ways to handle the situation that don't involve striping my citizens of their legal rights. Or incarcerating them for attempting to enforce them.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that when someone tries to put a bullet or a dagger in her,” General Sentry replied.

“Roseluck, I’m afraid I’m going to have to side with General Sentry on this one,” Raven said as she laced her fingers together and rested her arms on the table. “Normally, I wouldn’t see a problem with your citizens retaining their weapons. But with everything that’s gone on around Sunset, I’m not willing to take that risk.”

Roseluck regarded Raven briefly, before sighing.

“Alright. I’ll make a proclamation at the end of the commencement that so long as Sunset is present, I want everyone to surrender their weapons due to security concerns. And that they will get them back once they leave the festival grounds,” Roseluck said, looking directly at General Sentry as she emphasized the final part.

“Was there anything else, General?” Raven asked.

“Yes. Several members of the Council of Light have reported altercations between their security teams and the Easterners. Nothing has escalated to violence. Yet. There was also an attempted break in at the Rich’s lodgings last night. We have the thief in custody.”

“What sparked the ‘altercations?’” Roseluck asked.

“Does it matter?” Spitfire cut in. “The Council are royalty. I wouldn’t be surprised if your citizens started it because they didn’t show the councilors proper deference.”

“My people respect those who deserve respect,” Roseluck countered as she turned to glare at Spitfire.

“Clearly, they don’t,” General Sentry said. “Or have things deteriorated in your territory so much that they would accost your own nobles?”

“Like I said, my people respect those who deserve respect,” Roseluck said calmly.

“Enough,” Raven said. Despite speaking no louder than normal, her inflectionless and emotionless voice silenced the others. “Have the thief sent to Candesis for prosecution. I’ll address the Council about these altercations when I have a chance. Was there anything else?”

“No,” General Sentry said. “But it's only the first day.”

*****

The enchanting sound of wind, string and drum music caressed Sunset’s ears as she watched the Jubilants of Flame performing their dance routine in the field below. Sunset and the rest of the phoenix-born were seated in a high pavilion overlooking the temporary arena set up for the Festival, each of their partners perched on the top of the tall thrones where they were seated. Below were the Council of Light and Clan Heads from across the Eastern Territory, while to her right and left were the kirintal does and stags, respectively. Filling the stands were thousands of sun-gazers, all enraptured by the performance below.

Sunset felt herself genuinely smiling for the first time that day. It was a truly breathtaking sight watching the three tribes working in harmony of not only choreography, but magic. Swirls of colored fog, lights and leaves along with the Jubilants’ long, ribbon-like sleeves accentuated their routine, creating a dazzling kaleidoscope of elegant motion, light and sound. What held Sunset’s enraptured attention beyond the Jubilants’ skill was the exoticness of the dance being performed; the motions and style of their dance was nothing like the ones she knew from the Western Territory.

All too soon, the music began to wind down as the Jubilants’ performance slowly came to an end. As the dancers and musicians bowed, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. To her surprise, the rest of the phoenix-born, including Raven and General Sentry, joined in, though in a far more subdued fashion.

As the Jubilants exited the field, Raven began to rise from her throne, offering Dylis her arm. The rest of them rose in order of seniority, then walked forward to their designated spots. Standing in line with the others, Sunset was struck by just how many sun-gazers there were in the arena’s seats. She’d never seen this many people in one place before, even during the Festivals in Golden Tree, and easily buried the number of attendants to the phoenix rite.

And she was going to have to go out and address them.

Breathe, Sunset, Philomena sent along with feelings of calm and safety.

Easy for you to say, Sunset sent back. You’re not the one having to give a speech.

True. Lucky me.

Not helping, feather butt.

Not trying to, sun butt.

Sunset and Philomena’s sendings were interrupted by the sound of the kirintal rising and stepping forward to stand next to the phoenix-born. Glancing to the does, Sunset’s stomach sank as the nearest shot her a quick, disapproving look before her face returned to its resting neutral.

Guess they’re still mad, Sunset sent, receiving a sympathetic sending in response.

“Praise be to the Sun and Flame! It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to this, the Eastern Territory’s six hundred fiftieth annual Fall Harvest Festival,” Raven said, her voice carrying out across the arena. “Today, we celebrate the turning of the year and the seasons. Though the cold of the winter will soon be upon us, let us not be sad at the shortening of our beloved Queen’s reign of the sky, but celebrate all of the gifts her light and warmth have brought us this year.”

The crowd broke into cheers, which Raven silenced by raising her hand. Once they had settled, she continued.

“This year in particular has been unusually auspicious, as it marks not only the fourth century of the kirintal offering their friendship and strength to the Solar Alliance, but the birth of the newest royal phoenix Philomena, and the ascension of her blessed bondmate Sunset Shimmer.”

Another cheer went up through the arena, which Raven silenced after a few moments.

“So, to begin the Fall Harvest Festival, the ceremonial bonfire will be lit by both Magistrate Autumn Blaze and Sunset Shimmer. May the cooperation that they show today serve as inspiration for all of us to live by the ideals of harmony and friendship.”

That was her que. With as much calm and poise as she could manage, both Sunset and Philomena flew from the royal box down into the field, the latter landing on the former’s shoulder as she landed next to a large pile of wood that would serve as the Festival’s bonfire.

As she landed, she tried not to flinch as Magistrate Blaze seemingly appeared from behind the wood pile and made her way to her own spot. Even after having been told of the magistrate’s abilities, witnessing her wood step was still a little unsettling.

“Vulan’teral’ketha,” Magistrate Blaze said as she raised her right hand and placed it on her chest, bowing deeply to Sunset.

“Vulan’teral’ketha,” Sunset said, mimicking the Magistrate’s gesture while Philomena spread her wings and bowed as well.

“For over four hundred years, our people have walked upon the stone and grass together as friends,” Magistrate Blaze said as she turned her attention to the crowd. “Our alliance was born when your esteemed Archduchess first approached us with an offer of mutual beneficial trade and comradery. Yet it was in the face of tragedy and strife that our fates were truly entwined as allies and friends.”

Taking a deep breath and focusing on her meditations, Sunset mentally prepared for her part.

“The alliance between our people has grown strong and true, like a grand oak fed by the land and the sun,” Sunset said, desperately focusing on keeping her voice steady. ‘Just ignore everyone up the stands watching you. Just ignore them.’ “And from the wood of the oak comes the fire that drives back the darkness and brings us comforting warmth. Though my flame is the newest in this alliance, I offer it as the source of the fire that will light this celebration of unity, hope and friendship.”

Reaching down, Magistrate Blaze retrieved a small bundle of sticks and leaves.

“I offer this wood as fuel for the fire,” the Magistrate said as she held the bundle out to Sunset.

“I provide my fire to light our way,” Sunset said as she focused on her hair, extending a tendril. Heating its tip, she touched the bundle, causing the twigs to ignite.

Once lit, Magistrate Blaze tossed the bundle onto the wood pile, causing the wood to ignite into a glorious blaze.

“With the lighting of this bonfire, I declare the Fall Harvest Festival to be open,” Raven called from the royal box to the thunderous roar of the crowd.

Author's Note

And so the festival begins.

Sunset's temper, while an asset in some cases, has repeatedly gotten her into trouble.

Here's hoping that when she actually gets to go out into the festival, she's going to have fun. And nothing will go wrong. Yea, if I had a face, I probably wouldn't be able to keep it straight at that.

Ch 11 - The Trials - Fun and Games Among the Flowers

Sunset trailed behind Raven as they exited the royal tent. The opening ceremony had ended not long ago. Both Roseluck and General Sentry had left with the kirintal does and stags, respectively, for “diplomatic reasons.” From the way that the General had said it, Sunset had a feeling he meant “try to smooth things over after she’d dumped tar on everything.” Commander Spitfire had also flown off to “handle security while General Sentry was busy dealing with the emberling’s night soil.” Which left her and Philomena all alone with Raven and Dylis.

Sunset’s mind was smoldering as she followed Raven. Some of it was from her part in the opening ceremony and having to speak in front of so many sun-gazers. Even with Philomena’s encouragement and calming sendings, having all those eyes on her was so much harder than she’d expected. At least she’d managed to keep from making any mistakes or stumbling over her part. It didn’t change the fact that the entire thing had left her craving the safety of Golden Tree and her family.

Some of it was from having to be in such close proximity to Magistrate Blaze after the night prior, and the clear antipathy the kirintal now had for her. An antipathy that she’d learned could have serious consequences for Roseluck and her people. She didn’t want to think about it, because the magnitude of the implications were just so overwhelming.

But most of it was the fear of what might be coming next.

She was originally supposed to spend the morning with Lily and Daisy exploring the festival. After which she was expected to be back at the royal tent for something called the Youth Magic Competition and some kirintal event that she couldn’t remember the name of for all of her and Philomena’s flame.

But, that was before last night.

Now? Now Sunset wasn’t sure what Raven was going to do. She wouldn’t put it past the royal seneschal to take away her chance to go out and have fun as punishment for her outburst. The thought made her want to scream, because she knew that ultimately, she was the one who put herself into this situation. At the same time, she hated that Raven had put her into the situation to get into trouble in the first place.

She just hoped that Roseluck had convinced Raven not to take away her time with her friends.

When they reached the field behind the royal tent, Sunset’s looked hopefully towards a line of benches where Lily and Daisy were sitting with a few sun-touched and several local sun-gazers, playing some sort of card and dice game. Spotting her, the two of them waved happily, the sight of which drove off some of her malaise.

“Captain, attend me,” Raven called, startling Sunset out of her daze. To Sunset’s dismay, a knot of six prominence knights began to approach.

“What are your orders, Lady Inkwell?” the knight at the head of the group asked as each of the sun-gazers and plumed serpents bowed to the royal seneschal, the colaurata on the former’s back spreading their elytra and wings.

“You and your fireteam are to escort Sunset, Philomena and their friends around the festival,” Raven said. “Keep her safe and out of trouble. Before you go, get a coin pouch from the quartermaster. That’ll cover whatever the four of them want to do for the morning.”

“As you wish, Lady Inkwell,” the captain said as their plumed serpent member flew off towards one of the sun-blade tents.

Sunset wasn’t sure how to respond as she stared at Raven with disbelief, her chest filling with a touch of hope. Once she gathered her wits, she finally asked, “You’re letting me go out with Lily and Daisy?”

“Yes, I am,” Raven replied plainly as she looked down at Sunset from the corner of her eyes. “Is that a problem?”

“No. No it’s not,” Sunset said hastily, refraining from shaking her head so as to not smack Philomena. “I’m just a little… surprised…”

“Sunset, I promised you that you’d have the chance to spend time with your friends, didn’t I?” Raven said. She let the words hang in the air for a moment before her face visibly darkened and her voice turned icy, sending a chill up Sunset and Philomena’s spines, “But don’t mistake this for me forgetting, or forgiving, what happened last night. You’re still climbing a glass ladder, so unless you want to shatter the rungs, you better move with care. I will be very disappointed if I hear about you causing any kind of trouble while you’re out at the festival. Do I make myself clear?”

“As pure water,” Sunset said quietly, her temper beginning to rise.

“Good. Now, go enjoy yourself,” Raven said as crisply turned and headed back towards the royal tent, her hand reaching up and petting Dylis’s wing as she walked. “I’ll see you at noon. Don’t be late.”

Sunset mutely watched as Raven vanished into the tent, her chest fluttering with conflicting feelings. Confusion. Relief. Anger. But all of them were quickly replaced with joy. Joy at being able to spend time just being Sunset with her friends. No phoenix-born responsibilities. No lessons. Just a girl having fun with three people she cared for.

Hey, Sunset! You just going to stand there, or are we going to get going? Philomena’s sending came into her mind, causing her to get violently pulled out of her own thoughts and back to the real world.

Don’t be so pushy. We’ve got time, Sunset sent as she collected herself and began walking to where her friends were sitting, trying not to pay attention to the prominence knights forming a cordon around her. Both Lily and Daisy had risen and were heading towards her and her entourage.

Sure, if by time you mean we need to be back at noon. Or are you trying to see just how much weight Raven’s glass ladder is going to bear?

A slight sigh escaped from Sunset’s nose as her irritation flowed through her link to Philomena, which got a smug feeling in return.

Stop being right, Sunset sent as she reached up scratched Philomena’s chin absentmindedly.

Where’s the fun in that? Philomena sent with a playful lilt.

Sunset felt her mouth quirk up a little into a slight smile as she leaned her head against Philomena’s side, her bondmate’s good-natured teasing lifting her spirits. But, as much as Sunset hated to admit it, Philomena was right. They had only a precious few hours before they needed to be back.

And as much as she wanted to defy Raven again, she had promised Roseluck that she wouldn't cause trouble.

She’d just have to find a different way to get back at Raven. One that wouldn’t put Roseluck or her people in danger.

Thankfully, Sunset’s irritation was put out of her mind as she found herself wrapped in a warm hug from Lily and Daisy, Philomena taking to the air as they did.

“How’d it go?” Daisy asked.

“About as well as I could hope,” Sunset said. “Nothing went wrong, but Raven’s still mad at me. Said ‘I’m on a glass ladder.’ Whatever that means.”

“I’m sorry,” Lily said. “We should have kept a better track of time last night.”

Sunset shook her head.

“It’s not your fault,” Sunset said, hugging them a little tighter. “I’m the one who wanted to make her mad. Guess I got what I wanted.”

“Let’s not think about it, okay?” Daisy finally said after a pregnant pause. “She’s not here right now.”

“Yea,” Sunset sighed.

“So, what do you want to do first?” Lily asked as she broke the hug and took a step back from Sunset.

“There’s the food stands. The games. Artists and crafters. There’s the musicians and theater section. Oh, I heard that the Drakaea puppeteers are here. We need to go to one of their shows. You’ll love it,” Daisy chirped happily.

“Drakaea puppeteers?”

“They tell stories using these really amazing puppets. Entirely mechanical too, since the style was created by earth-weavers.”

“Those all sound great,” Sunset laughed, Philomena landing back onto her shoulder as she did. “Tell you what: How about we just wander around and see where the wind takes us?”

“What, don't you want to plan everything in advance?” Daisy said mischievously.

“I agree. We need to schedule everything down to the last detail and stick to it like our lives depend on it,” Lily added, planting her hands on her hips and nodding sharply.

“Yes, let’s do that. I clearly don’t want a break from the tyranny of schedules and plans,” Sunset said with a smirk and playful narrowing of her eyes.

“So, you just want to improvise? How very Sunset of you,” Lily quipped.

“Right. How odd for me to act like me. I must be an impostor,” Sunset said dryly.

Both of her friends shared a look.

“That sounds like something an impostor would say to deflect suspicion. Only one way to be sure: Philomena, is this really Sunset, or has she been replaced by a changeling?” Daisy asked Philomena.

Hey, Mena! Are you sure I’m me? Sunset sent as she gave the phoenix a look from the corner of her eyes.

Hmm, that’s tough.

Sunset laughed as Philomena began to scrutinize her, even going so far as to narrow her eyes and poke her cheek with the top of one of her talons. Eventually, she nodded and let out an affirmative screech.

“Well, guess she’s the real Sunset,” Lily said with a laugh.

“Yup, I’m me,” Sunset said as she crossed her arms. “So, are you two finished, or do you want to waste more time when we could be out having fun?”

“I mean, wasting time does sound like fun. What do you think, Lily?”

“Yup. Wasting time sounds good. And the best way to waste time is at the festival, let's get to it.”

“Well, if you insist,” Sunset said with a smile as she took her friends by the hands and began to head towards the exit, the prominence knights forming a cordon around the four of them. “Let's go waste some time!”

*****

Sunset was growing disturbingly used to being uncomfortable. From her time at the phoenix-rite training, to living on Mt. Liakeed, spending time with the queen, all her lessons with Raven, the exhaustion and humiliation that came from her combat training, to mundane things like having to wear dresses or being surrounded by bodyguards when she was out in public.

And now she was adding a new form of discomfort to that ever growing list: having people bowing to her wherever she went.

As they left the portion reserved for the phoenix-born, they passed through the section for the rest of the Heliopolan nobility. Which, unfortunately, included members of the Council of Light, their relatives, and their retainers. While Sunset was cordial with Duke Fancy and Duchesses Fleur, Snowfall and Redheart, she had ignored the rest as best she could, giving them only token respect and nothing more. She wasn’t about to let the fact that the goat-lickers were there spoil her good mood.

Then, they were out into the festival itself, walking towards the line of tents and temporary pavilions that made up the main event. It was then that Sunset noticed the crowd that had gathered a respectful distance away, all of them milling around, their conversations creating a constant white-noise.

That all changed the moment the first one spotted her, Philomena and their prominence knight protectors. Far faster than she had expected, the murmur of their conversations died down as their attention shifted entirely to her. Then, the crowd began dropping to a knee and bowing their heads. An action made all the more uncomfortable to her by not only the adults doing it, but the children as well. Even after being prepared by Raven and Roseluck, and having been told what she was supposed to do in this situation, Sunset still found herself freezing up like she was being stared down by a moorgaunt.

The paralysis holding her was broken when she felt Philomena give her a small push through their bond and nudge the side of her head with a wing.

Thanks, Mena, Sunset sent as she took a deep breath.

Any time.

Stepping forward, but remaining within the circle of prominence knights, Sunset clasped her hands behind her back before saying, “Light’s blessing upon you all. Please, rise.”

Ugh, that felt awful, Sunset sent to Philomena, her skin crawling having to say such a thing to the Easterners before her, who were beginning to get to their feet.

Why? It’s what you’re supposed to say. Remember? Philomena sent as she watched the crowd finish rising. Most began to disperse, though several chose to linger, watching her with naked awe.

It feels wrong, Mena. They shouldn’t have to bow to me like that. Or wait for me to tell them to get up.

But you bowed to Raven when you first met her. And Roseluck. And Queen Celestia. And people have bowed to you in Heliopolis. What’s the difference?

They’re royalty. And… well, I don’t mind the Heliopolans having to bow to me. But these people? It doesn’t feel right. They’re treating me like I’m royalty.

Well, you are. Right?

I… Sunset began to send, only for her thoughts to stop in her head. …I’m just a normal girl. A normal sun-gazer, like any of them.

There was a pause in the sendings as Philomena mulled over Sunset’s assertion.

But you’re not a “normal girl.”

And just like that, Sunset felt like something shattered. Something in that simple statement that hit her harder than anything had hit her before. Something that she realized that she hadn’t been willing to admit to herself. Something that she had been desperately clinging to that had just been ripped apart.

What did you just say?

She could feel Philomena’s confusion through their bond.

That you’re not a normal girl? I may not know a lot about the world, but I have a pretty good idea of what's normal from what you’ve shared of your memories. And I can tell you normal sun-gazers don’t live on Mt. Liakeed with the Queen. Normal sun-gazers don’t have fire for hair. Normal sun-gazers won’t live for centuries. Normal sun-gazers don’t get trained to rule entire sections of a country. And normal sun-gazers don’t have super amazing phoenixes sharing their inner flame and minds. I’d say you’re pretty far from ‘normal’ sun-butt.

Philomena’s sending left Sunset stunned. From her peripheral vision, she could see Lily and Daisy approaching, both of them wearing concerned looks, but they barely registered to her. The only thing in her mind was the clash between what she had been unconsciously been denying for months, and the crushing weight of the truth that Philomena had just forced her to acknowledge. A truth that the citizens showing her the respect due to someone of phoenix-born status had just brought to the forefront.

I’m… really not a normal girl anymore, am I? Sunset sent to Philomena.

A strange feeling of confusion came through her bond, along with a feeling of sympathy.

You’re just realizing that? Philomena sent, the feelings growing stronger as she trilled softly with worry.

I… I never really thought about it. I… I think I was trying not to think about it. I don’t get it. Why is this making me so… I always wanted to be something more than just another girl. But… I… Sunset couldn’t finish her thought as it trailed off.

A gentle hand touching her arm pulled her out of her head and back to reality. Looking in the direction of the touch, she saw Daisy, a worried look on her face. Behind her was Lily, who was looking similarly distressed.

“Sunset? You’re crying.”

Reaching up to her face, Sunset touched her cheek, only to find the telltale moisture of a stream of tears. Without saying a word, she brought up her forearm and scrubbed her face with her sleeve, wiping away the wetness.

“It’s nothing,” Sunset said, trying to put on a reassuring smile, only to produce a pained grimace. “Just the last few months catching up with me again. Look, can we just go. We don’t have much time, and I’d rather have fun with you two than worry about my problems.”

Both of her friends shared an uncertain look.

“Well, if that’s what you want,” Lily said. “But, you can talk to us if you need to.”

“Thank you. I mean it. But, I don’t want to think about it right now. I just want to go play. Please?”

“Okay,” Daisy said with a slight, warm smile as they began to head towards the festival.

Sunset… Philomena sent, her worry palpable.

Mena, can we please just drop it! I just want to have fun with you and my friends! Sunset’s sent with more force than she’d ever sent, before her intensity dropped back to normal. We can talk about it later. I just… I need to just have a simple day out with you, Lily and Daisy.

Sunset felt a small pang of guilt as Philomena withdrew and closed off their bond, a distressed trill coming from her throat.

*****

Sunset hefted the last of her ten, fist sized beanbags, carefully gauging the distance to her target. To her right, Lily had just finished throwing the last of her five, while to her left, Daisy was preparing to throw the last of hers.

They’re kicking your butt. You better not miss.

Sunset glanced down to Philomena, who was standing on the table where her beanbag pile had once rested, the phoenix shooting her a smug look.

You’re free to try if you want, Sunset sent as she turned her attention back to the task at hand.

Sorry, I don’t have thumbs. And I don’t think it’d be fair if I just did a drag and drop.

Smiling at Philomena’s comment, Sunset squared her shoulders and reacquired her target. Once sure of her aim, she swung her arm in an underhand arc, launching the beanbag towards a small thicket of poles topped with baskets of different sizes and colors. Unfortunately, her throw went wide, and the bag missed her target completely, landing on the grass below. The telltale plop to her left told her that Daisy’s aim had been truer than hers.

“And, that’s the game,” a sky-runner man with red and pink hair, blue skin and feathers, and silvery eyes said cheerfully. “Looks like the final score is twenty points for player one, seven points for player two and fifty points for player three. If you’d please come up to the counter, you can collect your prizes.”

“Good try, Sunset,” Daisy said.

“If you say so. Didn’t think it’d do that bad.”

“Kinda like you thought you’d pick up disk throwing right away?” Lily said with a smug grin.

“You’re a born comedian, Lily Valley. You know that?”

After offering her arm to Philomena and transferring her to her shoulder, Sunset followed Lily and Daisy back to the front of the stand, trying to ignore the prominence knights standing in a cordon around the stall.

“Here you go,” the man said, holding out three paper cups, one of which was larger than the others. “Three cups of honey candied vulantiberries for the lovely young ladies.”

Before Sunset, Lily and Daisy could take the cups, one of the feathered serpents extended a wing to block their way.

“Just a moment, Lady Shimmer,” a prominence knight said as the sun-gazer/colaurata members approached the vendor, causing him to stop and pull back the cups. As the sky-runner member planted the butt of their halberd in the ground and extended their hand, the knight said, “We need to inspect them first.”

Slightly taken aback, the sky-runner complied, handing the cups to the sun-gazer. Once the cups were in hand, the colaurata scuttled down the sun-gazer’s arm and began to run their antennae over the cups. After a few moments, the beetle scuttled back to its resting spot and re-secured itself.

Nodding, the knight went to distribute the cups, handing the largest to Sunset first.

“Uh, actually, Lily’s the one who gets that,” Daisy said. “She’s the one who won the game.”

The plumed serpent and sky-runner turned their attention to Daisy, who shrunk back slightly.

“Is that true?” Sunset asked the vendor.

“Y-yes, your highness. The largest cup was meant for your friend,” The man said nervously. “But, I can get you a large cup too, if you want.”

“No no, that’s fine. She won them, so she should get them,” Sunset said placatingly, before turning to face the knight holding the cups. “Please give Lily her prize.”

“As you wish, your grace,” the knight said, handing Lily her cup, before giving Sunset and Daisy theirs.

“Thank you for gracing my humble stand with your business, your highness. I hope you had fun.”

“I did. Thank you,” Sunset said, flashing the man a smile as she fished out one of the sandy yellow berries with her fingers, offering the treat to Philomena. The phoenix accepted the berry enthusiastically, yet as she bit into it, a feeling of revulsion flowed through their bond and straight into Sunset.

Ugh, bitter, Philomena said as she dropped the remnant of the berry out on the ground, and began wiping her beak against Sunset’s pauldron.

Really? Sunset sent as she stole a glance at her chat-lecti, who had already started on their own. Cautiously, Sunset pulled out a berry and bit down on it, the sweet, musky flavor of the foreign fruit bursting in her mouth. Mena, these aren’t bitter. They’re delicious.

Opening their link, Sunset allowed Philomena to experience the taste of the berry, getting a confused sending in return.

That’s not the flavor I got, Philomena sent as she provided a return sending of a nauseatingly bitter aftertaste that almost made Sunset flinch.

Guess they just don’t agree with birds, Sunset sent as she regarded the cup and its contents.

“So, what do you think?” Daisy asked as their group began to make their way towards a nearby bench to enjoy their treats.

“They’re different,” Sunset said as she had another berry.

“Different how?” Lily said as she stuffed two of the berries in her mouth.

“I don’t know. Different. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like these before. I like them though,” Sunset paused for a moment and looked down at the cup, her brow furrowing in thought. “I still don’t get why we were competing for a prize.”

Both of her friends shared a look with the other.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Lily asked.

“Back home, festival games don’t have prizes like that. Games are for fun and competition, not to win something,” Sunset said, her tone confused. “You want something, you just buy it.”

“That’s kinda what we did,” Daisy said, before shrugging. “We bought the berries when we went to play. The winner just got the bigger share.”

“And that’s normal?” Sunset asked. You want another one, Mena?

Fire and light, no. I’ll just use your tongue.

“Well, yes, it is,” Daisy said. “Makes winning that much better, right?”

“Exactly,” Lily said, offering her cup to the other two, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. “Especially when the winner gets to share with the losers.”

Sunset grunted an affirmation, before taking one of the offered berries from her friend.

“So, what’s next?” She asked as she chewed.

*****

“Burn bright, Daisy! You can do it!” Sunset shouted as she pumped her fist in the air.

“Steady stone, Daisy! Steady stone!” Lily called enthusiastically, cupping her hands over her mouth to project her voice to her friend.

Daisy didn’t reply, her focus entirely on the sandy skinned, sap green haired earth-weaver boy she was currently arm wrestling. The two of them had their eyes locked on the other, muscles straining and sweat dripping down their faces, trying to gain advantage over the other. So far, the contest was nearly even, both having gained slight advantages only to lose it and return to neutral. Both of their faces bore giant, clenched toothed grins as they tried to overpower the other.

All around her, but outside the line of prominence knights, dozens of other sun-gazers near their age were also cheering, some for Daisy, and some for her opponent.

You’re really into this, Philomena said as she watched the spectacle before her.

And you’re not?

Not really. But I’m glad you’re having fun.

I’d be having more fun if they let me play too, Sunset sent as a small pang of annoyance wriggled in her guts as she irritably glared at her escort. I still think it's a load of rancid goat meat that they wouldn’t let me participate.

After the beanbag toss game, Daisy suggested they enter one of the arm wrestling competitions. When Sunset had asked what that was, Lily and Daisy had explained it to her, and that it was a popular sport among earth-weavers. Sunset had agreed that it sounded fun, and had enthusiastically gone along with her friends as they headed to where the competition was taking place.

While they’d arrived, Lily had tried to sign the three of them up, only for the prominence knight captain to intercede, informing the earth-weavers running the event that only Lily and Daisy would be participating, saying that “Lady Shimmer” would not on the grounds that she could be injured.

Sunset had protested, saying that she’d be fine. Her dismay grew when the earth-weaver in charge of signups said that she couldn’t risk Sunset’s health and safety. Naturally, Lily and Daisy had wanted to withdraw, but Sunset had insisted that they play, since there was no reason for them not to just because she couldn’t.

That left her relegated to the sideline as her chat-lecti began to work their way through the brackets. Lily got knocked out in the third of five rounds, joining her in cheering on Daisy, who’d made it to the penultimate round.

Do you think it’d be fair if you did? Philomena sent. They’re all earth-weavers.

I’ve got earth-weaver strength now too…

No, you’ve got the beginnings of earth-weaver strength, sun-butt, Philomena sent smugly. I’m sure any one of them could still snap you in half if they wanted.

Sunset’s planned retort was interrupted when she saw Daisy starting to lose ground to her opponent. Giving Philomena an irritated shove through their link, she cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Come one, Daisy!” she shouted. “Don’t give up!”

To her dismay, Daisy’s face turned into a grimace as her opponent slowly managed to bring her arm down, eventually pinning her, signaling the end of the round. Cheers and groans of disappointment went up from the crowd as the two competitors rose from their seats. After shaking hands, they walked off the stage, Daisy looking tired and slightly disappointed. As she reached the prominence knights, they parted to allow her to rejoin her friends.

“Hey, good try. You did amazing,” Lily said as she hugged Daisy.

“Yea,” Sunset added, clapping Daisy on the shoulder. “Right, Mena?”

Philomena gave an affirmative shriek and nod.

“Thanks,” Daisy added, smiling a little more genuinely as they moved to leave.

“So, what’s next?” Sunset asked as they turned to move on.

“How about the crafters section? I bet there are some fire-caller glass workers doing their thing,” Lily said.

“Sounds fun.”

“Um, excuse me,” they heard from behind just as they were about to leave the arm wrestling arena. Turning, they saw the boy that had just beat Daisy standing a few feet back from the line of prominence knights.

“Yes?” Daisy asked, her tone cautious.

“I just wanted to say that I had fun. You’re really strong,” he said, fidgeting slightly. “Um… My name's Bamboo Grove of House Arundinarae. What’s yours?”

Daisy looked unsure, glancing at Lily and Sunset.

“I’m Flower Wishes from House Leucanthemum,” Daisy finally said.

“That’s a really pretty name. Um… I’d like to give you something, if you’d accept it,” he said as he nervously looked up at the prominence knights barring him from approaching the girls.

Daisy looked back and forth between Sunset and Lily, the latter of which gave her an encouraging smirk and a light elbow.

“Sure,” Daisy said nervously as she walked towards him.

Passing through the line of knights, Daisy found herself face to face with Bamboo Grove.

“Here. For you from me,” he said, holding out a small twig with three long, lanceolate leaves attached along its length. “Maybe we’ll see eachother again tomorrow. Bye.”

Then, before Daisy could respond, he turned and ran off, waving as he retreated, leaving Daisy standing there holding the twig, her face darkening as a blush spread across her features.

Sunset watched him go, unsure of what had just happened, only for Lily to start giggling mischievously. Sunset noticed that Daisy hadn’t moved except to press the twig to her chest and stare in the direction Bamboo had retreated.

“Oh, that was bold of him,” Lily said between snickers. “Hey Daisy, are you going to just stand there all day?”

“What was bold of him? He gave her a twig,” Sunset asked as she gave Lily a confused look.

Lily glanced at her, only to roll her eyes.

“Right, Westerner,” she said playfully. “Sunset, that’s his house's personal plant.”

“So?” Sunset asked as she looked between Lily and Daisy, the latter of whom was finally making her way back to them.

“So… that’s a peace offering. When someone from another house respects you, they give you a sprig of their house’s personal plant. Though Papa and Mama say that it can also mean he likes her.”

“Likes her?”

“You know, likes her.”

Sunset stared at her friend for a few moments, before the flame ignited in her head.

“Oh…” Sunset said, a grin spreading across her face as Daisy finally reached them, the twig still held against her chest.

“Soooo, how’re you feeling?” Lily asked as she wrapped her arm around Daisy, before poking her cheek with her free hand.

“I’m not sure,” Daisy said, her blush deepening and her eyes still on the sprig.

“I mean, he was pretty cute, wasn’t he? And, clearly he thinks you’re cute too,” Lily said, her smile growing wider as Daisy squirmed uncomfortably, an embarrassed whimper escaping her throat. “I bet you want to go and ask him to join us for the rest of the day, don’t you?”

“Stop it, Lily. No need to tease her about him asking her out or whatever giving her that twig means,” Sunset giggled at Daisy’s obvious discomfort, Philomena letting out a string of laughter like trills.

“Come on you two!” Daisy cried as let out a distressed squeal and buried her face in her hands. “It’s just a peace offering. It’s not that big a deal. He’s just being nice.”

“If you say so. Maybe if you’re lucky, we’ll see him later at this evening’s formal diner. Arundinarae is a pretty important house, so there’s a good chance he’ll be there,” Lily said as she began to pull Daisy along, Sunset laughing as her friend let out another distressed whimper.

“I hate both of you,” Daisy groaned as they headed to their next destination.

*****

As a blacksmith, Sunset was intimately familiar with the process of working hot metals. Heat, shape, reheat, shape, over and over until the piece is done. Sometimes, it was point heating. Other times, it involved putting the entire piece into the furnace. Even if she hadn’t mastered the sort of advanced techniques needed yet, she’d watched Bronze making complex tools, iron works, or even sculptures during her time apprenticing under him. And it always amazed her the kind of things he could do with metal. The careful dance of the searing hot materials with the tools needed to shape it into its final form.

And now, she was seeing just what someone who was as skilled as her former master could do with glass.

She sat transfixed at the sight before her entourage and a growing crowd of spectators as a trio of fire-callers, an artisan named Vitric Volcanics and his two apprentices, were working on a piece of semi-molten glass. Unlike the measured pace of blacksmithing, there was a frantic speed to the whole process, the artists using long rods, scissors, crimpers and other tools she didn’t recognize to rapidly form the sculpture. A pinch here. A cut there. Press and twist. Another blob of glass stuck on the side to add a new feature. Then it was back into the furnace to reheat, shape another feature, over and over.

It was strangely nostalgic, watching a mortal artist perform their craft.

Her lessons under the Queen were far less about practical applications, and more about foundational knowledge and skills. It was a strange juxtaposition, because unlike when she’d worked with Bronze, there were no stakes to working with the Queen. With Bronze, everything they did mattered, because it was the difference between making ends meet or not. With the Queen, none of what she did really mattered outside sharpening her skills, because putting food on the table didn’t depend on her getting her forging right.

When they’d first arrived, everyone present supplicated themselves until she had bidden them to rise. Just like at every other place they’d gone. Once they’d risen, the glassmakers had effusively thanked Sunset for “blessing” them with her presence, before promising to show her their skills, offering her a front-row seat to watch them work. An offer she’d accepted at Daisy and Lily’s silent urging.

Every so often, the sculptors would look in her direction, before going back to their project. She wasn’t sure how she felt about what they were doing, but had decided that she’d just let it cascade where it would.

Soon, they stopped making modifications to the sculpture. At first, Sunset thought that was the end of the show, only for the sculptors to place the now finished piece onto a dias similar to the one she and Bronze used for their tempering dances. Shedding their protective outer coats, the three began a cooperative spell-dance, their soul-gems emitting soft magical light as they circled the sculpture.

Another wave of nostalgia hit Sunset as she watched the fire-callers weaving their magic. Memories of working with Bronze on her own dances. The subtle corrections he would make to her techniques to his firm but uncruel reprimands when she made a major mistake. A wistful sigh escaped her throat. She missed him and the forge terribly.

She was drawn out of her melancholy as she saw the fire-callers finishing their dance with a flourish, the sculpture glowed with a soft, red light that slowly faded in a few moments. Stepping back, the three presented their work with a flourish of their hands

There, on the dias, was a glass replica of Philomena perched on a branch, her wings spread as though she were about to take flight. The figure itself was roughly half the size of the real Philomena, but was beautifully crafted, resembling her down to the color of her plumage. It lacked a lot of the details of the real thing, but for having been built from scratch in under an hour impressed Sunset to no end, earning a smile and approving round of applause from the young phoenix-born. A sentiment echoed by the rest of the crowd who also broke into applause.

“Thank you,” Vitric said as he and his apprentices bowed to the audience.

So that’s supposed to be me? Philomena sent as Sunset rose from her seat.

Yup. Congratulations, you just got made into art.

Philomena eyed the glass statue critically.

I think they got my wings wrong. They’re too broad.

Sunset snickered and scratched the underside of Philomena’s chin with the back of her index finger.

I’d say they did a pretty amazing job, considering they did that right in front of us. Take it from me, that’s not easy to do.

Philomena gave the statue another quick glance as they walked down the stairs of the stand and towards the tent’s exit.

… I still think the wings should have been narrower.

You could have modeled for them, you know.

Sunset felt a pang of nervousness shoot through their bond.

That’s what I thought.

“So, Sunset, are you ready for that puppet show? They’re going to be starting soon,” Daisy asked.

“Yes. With how excited you’ve been, I’m expecting it to be good.”

“It should be.”

“Lady Philomena, Lady Shimmer, might I request a moment of your time, please?”

Sunset looked away from her friends towards the voice, spotting Vitric Volcanics standing on the other side of the barrier separating the show floor from the audience area. The man and his two aides were bowing to her at the waist, rather than dropping to a knee.

“Um… of course,” Sunset said, unsure of what was going on. “Please, rise.”

“Thank you, your grace,” Vitric said, rising from his bow. “First, I want to thank you again for gifting us with your presence. It was truly an honor to have the chance to show our skills off to you and your companions.”

“Please, it was my pleasure,” Sunset said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of tempering spell was that at the end? I’ve never seen one like it before.”

“It’s meant to cool the glass quickly,” Vitric said, his tone shifting from deferential to impressed. “Without it, we’d need to put the sculpture into a kiln to cool it off slowly, or the glass would shatter. I take it you’re familiar with spell-tempering?”

“Yes,” Sunset said with a smile and nod. “I’m actually an artisan too, so it was a lot of fun to see you work.”

“You are?” one of Vitric’s apprentices asked. “Of what sort?”

“Blacksmith. Or, at least an apprentice blacksmith before my ascension.”

“Then as one artisan to another, I want to thank you again for attending. You’ve honored me and my students with your patronage and allowed us to model our work upon your blessed partner,” Vitric said, his voice taking on a far warmer, yet still respectful, tone. Then, he gestured towards the dias with the glass statue. “Please, as a token of my appreciation, I would like you to have this. Consider it my humble gift to our newest phoenix-born.”

Sunset’s eyes went from Vitric’s face, to the statue, and back again. Her inner craftswoman was telling her to politely decline the offer, and request he instead sell the piece, like he would any other he made. Something like this would probably net him and his apprentices enough shines for a week’s wages, especially since she knew that he could claim that she’d been present at it’s construction.

And he was just offering it to her, free of charge?

She couldn’t accept that. Not when she knew just how much it would be worth to him otherwise.

As Sunset was about to reply, she felt a squeeze on her right arm. Glancing to her right, she saw Lily looking at her with pleading eyes, before she made a slight gesture with her head towards the stands. Sunset understood Lily’s silent request to speak to her privately.

“Um, pardon me, Master Volcanics. My friend needs a word with me,” Sunset said.

“Of course, your grace. Take as much time as you need,” Vitric said, as he bowed his head to her.

Sunset followed Lily back towards one of the stairways leading into the stands, Daisy following close behind. To her chagrin, her plumed-serpent escorts flew up and formed a defensive perimeter around where they were headed, even as the sun-gazer component of the knights spread out to form their own cordon on the floor.

“What’s going on?” Sunset asked.

“Sunset, you were about to turn down his gift, weren’t you?” Lily asked, though from the edge of her voice, Sunset could tell it was almost an accusation.

“Well… yea. He shouldn’t have to give me something so valuable like that just because I’m a phoenix-born,” Sunset said, looking Lily in the eye. She couldn’t believe that she was having to explain this to her. “I’m not going to take away a chance for him to make a living just because he feels he needs to give me a gift.”

“That doesn’t matter, Sunset,” Daisy said with a shake of her head. “He’s giving you a gift because he wants to, not because he feels he needs to. And not just any gift. It's something he made for you and Philomena. If you refuse it, it’ll be devastating to him and his reputation.”

“What? But, why?” Sunset asked.

There was a strange disbelieving look that went across her friends’ faces, before they looked at eachother, then back at Sunset.

“We take gift giving… true, honest gift giving… very seriously here, Sunset. Surely Raven or Roseluck told you that, right?”

Daisy’s question caught Sunset off guard. Crossing her arms over her chest and bowing her head, she closed her eyes and tried to think back through the overwhelming number of lessons Raven had given her on the Eastern Territory.

“Now we need to address what to do in the event that you are offered a gift while at the festival, Sunset,” Raven said. “Easterners view gifts given to others, particularly those of higher station, as a matter of great seriousness.”

Sunset had nodded, prompting Raven to continue.

“From a Westerner’s perspective, gift giving is typically done within one’s social circle and family. As a means to deepen the bonds between those that you are close to. And while that is true for Easterners, they also view giving gifts to others as a sign of respect and an expression of the generous spirit that holds their communities together. It is not something done lightly. As such, if you are offered a gift, it is important that you accept it.”

“I’m just supposed to take things from anyone who offers me something?” Sunset asked incredulously. “So if someone offers me a bag of dead rats, I just have to accept it?”

“No.”

“But you just said…”

“Sunset, there’s a difference between being offered something of obvious value, and something that is an insult. It is the context of the gift that matters. What may be of no value to you may be of great value to them, and that is where the crux of the issue lays. That bag of rats you mentioned? They could be something rare and precious because they represent an enormous amount of effort from a hunter who spent hours gathering them from the deep wilderness, or they could be vermin killed by an exterminator cleaning out an abandoned house. Understanding the intent and the genuineness of the gift is the key to whether or not you should accept it.”

“So how do I tell?”

“Trust your friends.”

Sunset had balked at that.

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re not with Roseluck, you’ll be with Lily and Daisy. Trust in their judgment on the matter. If they tell you that you should accept a gift, you should. Just as they would need to trust your judgment on the Western Territory.”

Sunset hadn’t considered that.

“So if I don’t accept a gift when I ‘should,’ then what?”

“To begin, it would reflect poorly on both you and the gift giver. For you, it would make you look arrogant and selfish, because you would be refusing something that is given with honest intent. For the gift giver, that rejection would be devastating to their reputation among their fellow Easterners, and to their personal honor. This is especially true for you, Sunset. You are a phoenix-born. You are one of Queen Celestia’s chosen. Your disapproval and approval bears enormous weight. To an Easterner, they would not offer you something unless they felt it was worthy of you. And if you rejected that, then you would be telling them that you do not think they have made a good enough offer, and that their gift is unworthy. To other Easterners, they would look like they had offered you an insult by attempting to give you something that wasn’t worthy of being a gift.”

Raven paused, beckoning Sunset to come closer. Sunset had complied, considering just how much impact something as simple as taking or refusing a gift could have.

“With that in mind, we’re going to practice how to graciously accept a gift from an Easterner. First…”

“She did…” Sunset ruefully admitted. “And she said to trust you about it.”

“So, are you…?” Lily said, letting the question trail off.

“Yes, and I know how to properly accept his gift,” Sunset said solemnly, before her voice turned rueful. “Raven taught me that too.”

The four of them made their way back down to the floor of the tent, and to the waiting Vitric, the line of prominence knights parting just enough to allow her to address the fire-caller. A fire-caller who’s expression now bore slight traces of nervousness and worry, though he hid it well enough that anyone not in his proximity would have a hard time noticing it.

“I would be happy to accept your gift, Master Volcanics,” Sunset said as she bowed her head to the artist, keeping her voice as warm and pleasant as possible. “Thank you, for your great generosity. May your house and clan prosper.”

Through Philomena’s eyes, Sunset could see the glassmaker’s expression shift with relief as he bowed in turn. As they rose from their bows, Vitric signaled to his apprentices, who scurried off to retrieve the statue, placing it in a wooden box and padding it with what looked like wool. Once packed, they handed the box off to one of the prominence knights.

“Thank you again, both for the gift, and for showing me your craft,” Sunset said. “Sun’s blessing to you, Master Volcanics.”

“Sun’s blessing to you, Lady Shimmer,” he said.

Just as Sunset, her friends and her guards were about to exit the tent, she heard a youthful voice from behind shout, “How come she got a prwesent! I want one too!”

Sunset stopped in her tracks. She didn’t recognize the child’s voice, but her Heliopolan accent was clear even through her youthful lisp.

“You heard my daughter,” a second voice said. A familiar voice that made Sunset’s flame roar and her hair to writhe angrily.

‘Spoiled Rich,’ Sunset thought as she turned around, spotting both the Duchess and her daughter Diamond Tiara standing before Vitric and his assistants, flanked by three guards.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I cannot just give away my works like that,” she heard Vitric say, his voice conciliatory yet having a trace of anger. “However, if you would like to commission a piece, I am more than happy to provide you with my prices.”

“But she got one for free!” Diamond Tiara whined, pointing in Sunset’s direction. “If she gets one, I get one!”

“True,” Spoiled said with a haughty lift of her head as she held her right arm vertically to show off the signet ring on her index finger. “In case you didn’t know, my name is Duchess Spoiled Rich, co-ruler of Candesis. So I suggest you listen to my darling daughter’s request.”

The atmosphere in the tent shifted, all of the Easterners beginning to look visibly worried.

“D-duchess Rich?” one of Vitric’s apprentices said nervously.

“Yes,” the duchess said with a sneer. “And before you waste any more of my time, I want you to consider something. My city is the largest commercial hub into Heliopolis. Including raw materials produced in the Eastern Territory. Now, if a tariff somehow ended up on Eastern Territory produced glass and glassware, what would happen? Especially if it happened right after I returned home from this trip?”

Sunset grit her teeth as she saw Vitric and his apprentices visibly deflate, her hair seething with her anger as he said, “Of course, Duchess Rich. Do you want a phoenix like her’s, young mistress?”

“No,” Diamond Tiara said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Vitric. “I wan’ a statue of me an’ my mommy.”

“And it better be nice,” Duchess Rich said as she put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Come along, Diamond. Let’s watch them make your preasant.”

Sunset watched in mute fury as Duchess Rich and her daughter made their way to the stands. Even after everything she’d learned a lot about the Duchess and her husband in the last few months, Spoiled strong arming Vitric like that made Sunset’s anger ignite like a bonfire.

Sunset, I know what you’re thinking, Philomena sent urgently. And I can tell you that it’s a very bad idea.

Language fails to describe the magnitude to which I don’t care, Mena. She can’t do something like that and get away with it!

“Lily. Daisy. Would you wait here for a minute? I’ve got something to take care of,” Sunset said as she prepared to give Duchess Rich a piece of her mind. She got exactly three steps before two things happened simultaneously. The first was the prominence knight captain stepping in front of her and barring her way. The second was the air became suffused with magic as all of the sound outside their immediate vicinity vanished.

“What are you doing? Get out of my way,” Sunset snarled as she glared up at the knight.

“We’re sorry, Lady Shimmer, but we cannot allow you to do what you are about to do,” the knight said.

“And what would that be?”

“Put yourself in danger by accosting Lady Rich, and causing a disturbance.”

Sunset’s glare intensified as she stared up into the sun-gazer’s helmeted face, then to the plumed serpent.

“Aren’t you supposed to protect me? Well, I’m going to go and make her apologize, so either get out of my way, or go arrest her for what she just did.”

“No.”

“No you won’t let me pass, or no you aren’t going to arrest her.”

“Both.”

“Damnit, she can’t get away with doing that!”

“That is not our concern. Your safety is. If you wish her to suffer consequences for her actions, we would suggest you bring this to Lady Inkwell. We’re sure she will be able to handle it.”

“My safety?! What are you supposedly protecting me from?”

“Yourself.”

“Myself? Myself!? How is this ‘protecting me from myself!?’”

“Duchess Rich is not a woman to trifle with, especially in the way we are sure you were about to do. As such, in order to keep you safe, we cannot let you do something that would put you in danger.”

Sunset, they’re right, Philomena sent placatingly.

Mena, not you too.

Sunset, please, just stop and think. We both know what Duchess Rich is like. Do you really think that you’d be able to do anything other than make her angry at you?

I’m not scared of her, Sunset sent, which only got another flood of worry in return.

And that’s the problem. I know you don’t like it, but we can’t do anything to her. Not yet at least.

So she can just get away with that?!

I don’t know. Look, maybe we should just tell Raven about it. Or Roseluck. They know how to deal with her.

“Dreaming darkness!” Sunset screamed as she clenched her fists and pinched her eyes shut. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Philomena and the knight were correct. But that didn’t mean she had to like it.

“C’mon, Sunset,” Lily said as she and Daisy walked up to her and wrapped their arms around her waist. “Let's go. We can stop by one of the sweets stands before we go to the puppet show.”

“Fine,” Sunset said sullenly, as she allowed her friends to lead her away.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Duchess Rich watching her leave. Though she couldn’t be sure, she swore that there was the slightest hint of victory on the duchess’s face.

*****

Sunset was still smoldering as she sat down in the top-row of the small theater’s stands, her friends on either side of her, while the prominence knights had arranged themselves so that she had a clear view of the stage.

Originally, she had wanted to sit in the front row to better see these supposedly amazing puppets in action. That was until the rest of the stands began to fill, and she realized that her bodyguards would make it impossible for the rest of the audience to see the show. So, she’d chosen to sit where they wouldn’t obstruct anyone else’s view.

Or at least, none of the earth-weaver and fire-callers. She wasn’t worried about the sky-runner audience, since they’d situated themselves on several small clouds they’d summoned. As she’d taken her seat, she’d seen two of Spitfire’s sky-strikers among the audience, along with a group of ten or so young sky-runners, including two faces she never expected to see again. There, among the youths being escorted by the sky strikers, were Soarin and Fleetfoot. She recalled that they had stood with Blueblood when she had ascended and the lie they’d been fed about being potential ascendants had been exposed.

And if they were with the sky strikers, it meant they and the rest of their group were also with Spitfire. Probably the ‘young fliers’ from Radia she’d heard Roseluck threaten to remove from the afternoon competition when Spitfire had given her a hard time.

Sunset decided that it wasn’t worth thinking about, instead choosing to make smalltalk with Lily and Daisy. Small talk that ended when a blue skinned earth-weaver with violet hair and eyes stepped out onto the stage, dressed in an expensive looking tunic and trousers.

“Bright day and verdant growth to all of you,” he said, bowing deeply to the audience with a flourish. “My name is Dappled Daylight of House Drakaea. I welcome you to our show. Today, we will tell tales of courage, tragedy, comedy and joy. You will laugh. You will cry. And we hope that you will come away having grown from the tales we tell.”

There was a pause as he rose from his bow.

“We are also blessed to have two very special members of the audience today. Welcome, Lady Philomena and Lady Sunset Shimmer. I hope that our show pleases you.”

Swallowing the bile building in her throat at being made the center of attention yet again, Sunset rose to her feet and nodded to Dappled Daylight as she folded her hands behind her back.

“Bright day and verdant growth to you and your troup, Master Daylight. Philomena and I have been told by my chat-lecti that your performances are quite famous throughout the Eastern Territory. We’re looking forward to seeing them for ourselves,” Sunset said, then returned to her seat.

“Then on behalf of my players, I thank you, Lady Shimmer. Now, everyone, please enjoy the show.”

*****

Sunset found herself, along with the rest of the audience, caught up in the throws of laughter at the spectacle unfolding on the stage: three puppets, one of a fire-caller, one of a earth-weaver, and one of a sky-runner, were all in the midst of a massive argument about how to get their ball out of a tree infested with silver hornets. So far, each attempt had ended in failure, and the three of them getting chased off by the angry insects.

It felt good to laugh like this again. The last time she’d really laughed so honestly was back in Golden Tree, usually by her oath-sister Pinkie Pie. She could only imagine what sort of mischief she was getting up to. And the aggravation Applejack was going through trying to reign her and Rainbow Dash in. Even through the painful pang of missing their presence, she chose to focus on enjoying the moment, rather than smoldering on how much she missed them. She’d just have to be sure to write them when she got back to Roseluck’s manor that evening.

As much fun as she was having, Sunset was equally fascinated by the way that the puppets were being operated. Back home, puppets were either worn on the hand, or operated by strings. Or, in the case of the most skilled fire-caller puppeteers, made to temporarily mimic their movements through complex runic enchantments.

These puppets, which were about as tall as Sunset and her friends, were controlled by not one, but three puppeteers, all of which wore dark and light green full body clothes that blended into the wooded backgrounds the stories took place in. Beyond the coordination that went into the choreography, what impressed Sunset the most was the mechanical complexity of the puppets, from their ability to open and close their hands, blink, or have their mouths open and close to simulate speaking.

She’d have loved to take one apart to see how it worked, if she could.

The audience broke into applause as the three characters on stage finally figured out that the solution was combining all three of their failed plans. Only to lose the ball again when they tossed it next to a large rock that turned out to be a cragodile, leaving the three to groan in frustration and begin bickering again.

As the story ended, the puppeteers cleared the stage of props. Once empty, Dappled Daylight stepped back out, earning another round of applause from the crowd.

“Thank you, thank you,” Dappled Daylight said as he pulled up his mask to reveal his face. “Now, for our final show of the day, we will be crossing onto a new woodland. From a tale of merriment and foolery, to one of danger and drama. A tale taken from the very history of this land. The tale of none other than our illustrious and beloved Archduchess Roseluck, and her perilous fight for her life against the dastardly Storm King’s forces at the battle of Stelaria Pass. Come with us once again, as we transport you into another world.”

With that, Dappled returned his mask to its place, and made his way off the stage as the troup began bringing out new props for the next play.

The story began simply enough, with puppets made to look like Roseluck and Spitfire making their way across the stage, Roseluck walking, Spitfire floating in the air above her as they led a small army of soldiers represented by three flat cutouts painted black, through what was supposed to be a canyon. All the while, the Spitfire puppet complained about everything going on, and kept telling Roseluck that she didn’t need to be there, because she could take care of the Storm King’s soldiers. Roseluck, by contrast, would serenely respond to Spitfire, and tell her that they needed to work together to win the day and save the captives taken by the Storm King.

Things soon took a turn when the two of them came upon a group of captives tied up and in a cage. Upon seeing the prisoners, Spitfire exclaimed in frustration that they finally found them, and rushed ahead to free them, Roseluck calling after her to wait. Spitfire ignored her and flew up to the cage, only for three metal arrowhead looking things dropped down, and open to reveal more cutouts that represented the Heralds of Lightning, cutting her off from Roseluck and their army.

As the cutouts descended on Spitfire, she called out to Roseluck for help, who drew a strange green whip, and flew in. The “battle” lasted for only a few seconds of real time, but in the end, Roseluck stood triumphant, while Spitfire lay face down on the ground, knocked out during the scuffle. Roseluck then went up to Spitfire, doing a “dance” to “heal” her. The story ended with Spitfire thanking Roseluck for saving her and the people they came to rescue.

Sunset smiled a little. It was nice to see Spitfire getting put in her place, even if it was only a puppet show. It was nice to know that for all her bravado, Spitfire owed Roseluck her life for being too reckless.

As before, the players cleared the props off the stage, only this time instead of just Dappled Daylight coming out onto the stage, all of the puppeteers did. And once more, the crowd burst into applause, Sunset and her friends included. Yet, from above came another sound, one in sharp contrast to the jubilant fanfare.

The sound of angry booing and jeering.

Sunset looked up towards the source of the sound, suspecting that she knew where it was coming from, an action mimicked by the audience and puppeteers. There, on their cloud-seats, were the Radians, all angrily expressing their displeasure.

“What, you don’t like seeing the truth about your precious Commander?” One of the members of the audience said, earning a round of laughter from the rest of the crowd.

“If you think that’s the truth, then you’ve been listening to a tul’kaxen,” one of the sky strikers said, standing up on the cloud and spreading her wings threateningly. “I don’t know the kind of delusions you dirt-eating hicks have been telling yourselves, but we’re not going to stand here and let you defame our commander with this moorgaunt shit.”

An angry gasp went up from the crowd, followed by booing, though quite a few of the earth-weavers instinctively began to shy away from the threat display, knowing the disadvantage they were at against a sky-runner.

“Oh, you don’t like it when you get called what you are? Well, too bad,” the sky striker said, earning an approving nod from the other Radian sky-runners. “And since we’re on the subject of truth and lies, here’s some truth: It was Roseluck who walked into the trap at Stelaria Pass. Roseluck was the one who was almost killed. Roseluck was the one who needed saving. And the only reason she was there in the first place was because she was tricked into thinking that there were Heralds of Lightning that wanted to defect. If it wasn’t for Commander Spitfire, you dirt-eaters wouldn’t have an archduchess.”

“Sounds like the sort of lies Spitfire would tell to make herself look better,” Sunset shouted as she stood, unwilling to stay silent anymore and let Spitfire’s goons badmouth Roseluck. All around her, she could see the prominence knights prepare to spring into action if needed.

To Sunset’s chagrin, the sky striker shot her a contemptuous look as a smug sneer worked itself onto his face, a look shared by the rest of the Radians.

“If you’re so sure of that, Lady Shimmer? Unlike you and the rest of these dullards, those of us from Radia who’ve gone to proper school know the history of the War of Storms. The real history, penned by the people who were there, including your precious archduchess herself,” the second sky-striker said, her voice dripping with condescension. Like the first, she spread her wings threateningly. “But if you’re so sure that these tul’kaxen ramblings are true, why don’t you ask the archduchess yourself. After all, unlike these dirt-eaters, she can tell you what really happened. I’m sure she’ll happily tell you about how she almost died because of her incompetence. Just be ready to drink bile when you learn the truth.”

Another round of angry booing went up from the crowd.

“C’mon,” the first sky striker said as he hopped into the air and began to hover with slow wing beats. “We’ve got better things to do than waste more time with these deluded dirt-eaters.”

And with that, the Radians lifted off and departed, the female sky striker making a rude gesture as she left.

“Goat lickers,” Sunset growled as she returned to her seat.

“Seriously,” Daisy added with a nod.

“Whatever that means,” Lily said.

You okay, Sunset? Philomena asked.

No, she sent, her stomach twisting up in anger. I can’t believe the gall of those jerks. This was the last thing I was going to do before we have to head back. Now I’m ticked off again.

Do you think they did it on purpose? Philomena sent as she looked in the direction the sky-runners had gone. Maybe trying to make you mess up again around the kirintal?

Sunset thought about that for a moment, before sending a feeling of disagreement.

No. As much of a donkey’s ass as Spitfire and General Sentry are, I don’t think they want things to go wrong with the festival. My guess is we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

At least we’re not trying to get a ball away from a cragodile, right?

Sunset snorted with laughter, indicating Philomena when Lily and Daisy shot her a questioning look.

Right. At least there’s that.

Author's Note

Yea, Sunset's got some issues, doesn't she?

Now, for the appendicies:

Vulantiberries - fruit grown on the southern coast of Solaria. Has a taste similar to longan. The fruit spoils quickly, so it is often preserved by rapid drying or soaking in honey.

tul'kaxen - A hideous, parasitic form of chaos warped being, tul'kaxen resembles a grotesque, corpulent terran bearing a long tail, digitigrade legs, and covered in uneven, greasy, brightly colored fur. The creature's bloated body is dotted with slavering mouths that constantly gibber and moan venomous lies and half-truths. Those who listen to this constant stream of noise become infected by the sound, eventually losing all of their own will and becoming slaves to the tul'kaxen.

Tul'kaxen prey on sun-gazer communities, first by enslaving those on the periphery of the settlement, before slowly enthralling more and more of the town until they are all under the creature's control. Once ensconced, the creature commands its slaves to wait on it constantly. Once a month, the creature will demand a sacrifice of a young girl or boy for it to eat, after it takes the opportunity to defile the innocent. Despite it's horrific appearance and monstrous nature, tul'kaxen are cowards and cannot actually defend themselves against any real threat, sacrificing their slaves to save their own lives while retreating.

Tul'kaxen reproduce by infecting others with their chaos-empowered words and deceptions, causing them to eventually transform into a new tul'kaxen. Because of the threat of new tul'kaxen emerging from their former victims, it is standard practice to kill every person in a village infiltrated by one of these creatures, lest they spread.

Ch 12 - The Trials - Lies and Truths Can Both Bear Thorns

Noon had arrived not long ago to find Sunset back in the royal box with the other phoenix-born, kirintal dignitaries and councilors. To Sunset’s displeasure, it also marked the end of the fun part of the day, and the beginning of her obligation to be “Lady Shimmer” again. Glancing to her side, she ruefully noted that she couldn’t even count on Roseluck’s company to make it tolerable. Instead, the archduchess and Amara were flying out into the center of the stadium’s field to oversee the first event of the afternoon.

Landing delicately on the grass, the archduchess raised her head and took a deep breath, her countenance warm and a broad smile on her face. Amara, instead of landing on the Archduchess’s shoulder, opted to circle in the air above her bondmate.

“Bright day and verdant growth to all of you, my dear people,” Roseluck said with a grandiose flourish, twirling around to look across all of the stadium’s stands. “It pleases me to see all of you. I know that this is a busy time of year, and you’ve sacrificed much to attend, so, thank you, from the heart of my flame, for making this Festival one to remember. For myself. For my fellow ascendants. For our honored guests from Himavanta. And for the newest members of our august circle, Ladies Philomena and Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset found herself applauding along with the rest of the audience, getting swept up in Roseluck’s enthusiasm and pomp, even as she ignored Roseluck shining a light on her and Philomena.

“Now that our beloved Queen’s Sun has reached its zenith,” Roseluck continued, “it is time to begin the first day of the Fall Harvest Festival youth games!”

Another round of applause erupted from the stands, one that Roseluck quieted after a minute by raising her hand.

“Every year, we celebrate the growth of the best and brightest among each tribe by allowing them to demonstrate the gifts of their flame through a week of contests. Contests that will push their ingenuity, cooperation, and skills to their limits. So, without further delay, we will begin this year’s competition with the Contest of the Earth-Weavers! Teams, please come forward.”

Sunset watched as a at the north end of the stadium opened, and four teams of sixteen earth-weavers, each of them about her age, emerged. Each team was dressed in matching tunic and pants dyed either red, blue, yellow or white. Sunset found herself smiling as she spotted Lily among the white team, and Daisy among the yellow.

“Wooo! Go Daisy! Go Lily!” Sunset shouted over the cheering of the crowd.

You’re cheering for both of them? Philimena sent from her perch on the right side of Sunset’s throne.

Why not?

They’re not on the same team, right?

Doesn’t mean I can’t encourage them.

“The first challenge of the day,” Roseluck announced as she began to perform a slow spelldance, “will test their endurance, strength, cooperation and creative thinking.”

As she completed her spell, four piles of twenty stone disks emerged from the ground next to each team, while at the outer edge of the arena four patches of flowers the same colors as the team’s clothes burst into bloom.

“The objective is to move the entire pile of ten-pound stones to your team’s flower bed, and use them to create a display ring around each patch. Teams will be judged on speed, precision of the placement of the stones, aesthetics and cooperation. Be careful not to crush any of the blooms, as that will count against your team’s final score,” Roseluck said as she lifted her hand to the sky. “Now, are the teams ready?”

A chorus of cheers came from the assembled earth-weaver kids.

“You will have five minutes to plan your strategy with your teammates, after which you may begin. Your time will begin in three… two… one… go!” Roseluck shouted as she swept her arm downward. As she did, each of the teams headed toward their stones.

*****

Sunset found herself with mixed feelings as she watched the display in the field below.

On one side of the coin, she was enraptured by the spectacle, both from the excitement of the competition, and from her inner arcanist marveling at the earth-weaver’s display of magic. Back in Golden Tree, she’d seen Applejack and Pinkie’s families using their magic for practical applications such as plant and rock farming, or Tender Heart helping Sunset or any of the other kids when they got sick. But those had been everyday, mundane uses. No different from her working the forge with Bronze. Or Windstorm’s rangers helping to deflect dangerous weather away from Golden Tree.

Never for something like this.

Each of the teams was in the process of moving the stones as Roseluck had instructed, yet each opted for vastly different tactics.

The yellow team had ten of their members form a line that was passing the stones from one to the next, while Daisy and another earth-weaver boy were dancing up and down the line, presumably using renewal magic to ease their teammate’s fatigue.

By comparison, the white team had a single member bring the stones, but when they reached the flower bed, they would sit while another was already heading back to get another. Meanwhile, four of their fellows were doing renewal dances to help the one who just arrived to recover.

The red team has two members carrying each stone at a time, before passing it off to another team halfway between the starting and ending point, with one earth-weaver at each end performing renewal spell dances to keep their teammates freshened.

And finally, the green team had opted for an almost purely magic based approach, all twelve of them performing a cooperative spell dance to slowly slide the entire pile of stones across the field to their destination.

Yet as much as she was enjoying the spectacle, the sight had left her with a flurry of niggling thoughts. The most painful one was how much she wished AJ and Pinkie were here, competing in this event. Even if this wasn’t the kind of thing that they used their magic for back home, she wished her oath-sisters could show the Easterners just what someone from the Western territory could do.

Fire and light, she’d have just taken all of her oath-sisters being here at all. As much as she cared for Lily and Daisy, and as much fun as she’d had with them, it just wasn’t the same. She’d never had to go to a Fall Harvest Festival without Rainbow, AJ and Pinkie before, and their absence was burning her up inside, thoughts of what ifs and what could have bens winding through her mind.

AJ would have won the arm wrestling contest.

Pinkie easily beating every festival game she tried.

Rainbow trouncing the sky-runner games she’d seen as she’d toured the grounds with Lily and Daisy.

All of them getting into trouble as they executed some elborate prank that Pinkie and Rainbow came up with.

She did her best to push those thoughts away with how much they threatened to cause her to break down again. She couldn’t afford to do that.

Not now.

Maybe later she’d write to them, and lay everything bare about just how much she missed them.

She might even beg Raven to let her visit Golden Tree again. Or bring her sisters to Heliopolis.

Something.

Anything.

The thought of Raven reminded her of the other, more pressing frustration she was facing. Glancing at the empty throne to her left, Sunset let out a slight growl. She’d wanted to tell Roseluck about the lies the sky-strikers had been spreading about her and Spitfire, or what had happened with Duchess Rich strong-arming Vitric. She just hadn’t had an opportunity to speak to Roseluck with the whirlwind of preparations for the afternoon’s events.

Sunset found herself repeatedly shooting surreptitious glances at Roselucks’ empty throne, and at Raven, who was seated in her own throne, watching the events with the same cold, clinical eye she almost always did. As much as it irked her, she was starting to consider telling Raven about what happened, but kept vasiclating at the last moment. She had her doubts about whether Raven would actually do anything, and she was afraid that if Raven learned about her outbursts, she’d ignore Spoiled and the sky-strikers in favor of “correcting” Sunset’s lapse in decorum.

This stinks like pig poop, Sunset groused to Philomena as she leaned back in the throne.

I know.

Stupid sky-strikers. Stupid Spoiled Rich. Stupid Spitfire. Stupid festival. Argh!

“You obviously have something on your mind, Sunset,” Raven said without taking her eyes off the field, causing Sunset to flinch with surprise. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, nothing’s on my mind. What makes you say that?” Sunset replied quickly as she nervously averted her eyes. I hate it when she does that.

“Then why do you keep staring at Roseluck’s throne, or me, like something is?”

“I wasn’t staring,” Sunset replied defensively. “What makes you think I was staring.”

“Dylis,” Raven said matter of factly.

I should have known, Sunset sent as she looked up at Dylis, who returned her look with his own mildly smug one. Privately, she admonished herself for forgetting to account for Raven’s bondmate, and his penchant for acting as her eyes and ears.

My big brother’s a tattletale, isn’t he? Philomena sent as she also glared at the older phoenix.

A bit.

“If you’re worried about me learning about what happened out in the festival, I’ve already got the report from the prominence knights,” Raven continued. “So, given that, is there anything you want to ask me? Or do you want to keep brooding?”

“You heard what happened?” Sunset asked, her heart rate spiking. She had been so annoyed at their presence that she hadn’t considered that the prominence knights, the soldiers that had been sent to protect her, answered to Raven. And could easily tell her everything.

“Yes.”

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

Fire and light! Sunset sent as she felt her face twist into a frown. “So, if you know what happened… are you going to do anything about Duchess Rich?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Sunset growled.

“Sunset, remember where we are,” Raven said sharply, subtly indicating the Council of Light sitting in the stands below with a finger, and the kirintal dignitaries to her right. Without another word, Raven’s right hand began to move rapidly yet smoothly in a spell-dance of some sort. As she completed the spell, the sound of the outside world began to fade away, until completely vanishing.

“Now that we have some privacy,” Raven said, before finally turning her head slightly and meeting Sunset’s eyes. “Before we have this discussion, I’m going to remind you to keep your temper in check. The kirintal may not be able to hear us right now, but they can see us. As can everyone in the stadium.”

Taking a deep breath and focusing on her meditation techniques, Sunset forced herself to not retort at Raven’s implication.

“Yes, Raven,” Sunset begrudgingly muttered.

“Good. Now, you asked me why I won’t be doing anything about Duchess Rich, correct?” Raven asked, waiting for Sunset to nod in affirmation. “Let me ask you a question then: what would you have me do?”

“I don’t know, arrest her? Throw her in the stocks for theft? Fine her?” Sunset asked incredulously. “You’ve got the power to help the glassmaker she extorted. So why won’t you?”

“That is a very Western approach to things, Sunset,” Raven replied. “There are any number of reasons I can’t do what you’re suggesting. To begin, Duchess Rich didn’t break any laws.”

“Are you serious? What does that matter? She threatened Vitric and strong-armed him!”

“It matters greatly, Sunset. Have you learned nothing about the power I wield? That we as phoenix-born wield? After Queen Celestia, we are the highest authority in Solaria, so we are the most accountable to the laws of the land. If I were to arrest or fine Duchess Rich when she legally did nothing wrong, I would be seen as the one at fault. Not her. Which is something she could and would use not only against me, but you.”

Raven paused briefly, before her brow furrowed slightly.

“But I need you to consider something far more important. Do you think that there was anything odd about the whole situation, Sunset?”

Sunset found her river of thoughts roughly diverted, leaving her momentarily speechless.

“You mean beside that goat-licker coercing Vitric?”

“Mind your language, Sunset. That aside, a woman like Duchess Rich doesn’t do anything without a purpose.” Raven’s tone was still relatively flat, but now carried a slight edge to it. “Given what you know of her, does she seem like the kind of person to willingly attend a glass-maker’s show?”

Sunset found herself completely thrown off by Raven’s question. She’d been so caught up in the whole situation, that she hadn’t considered why the duchess was there. At the time, she just assumed that Spoiled was there to watch Vitric, just like she and her friend were. But, now that she stopped to consider the whole situation, she realized that no, it didn’t seem like the kind of thing Spoiled would be interested in.

Mena?

She has a point, Sunset.

“Well, no. It’d be beneath her,” Sunset replied cautiously.

“And yet, there she was, at the show, at the exact same time that you were, with her daughter in tow, and causing a scene right as you were leaving. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

I don’t like what she’s implying, Sunset, Philomena sent, a touch of anger starting to flow through their bond as she glared down towards Duchess Rich.

Me either, Sunset sent, a horrid idea began to set roots into her thoughts.

“Are you saying she was there because I was?”

“You said it yourself that something like that would be ‘beneath her.’ Now, consider that the duchess and her husband have extensive business dealings in the Western and Eastern Territory. Part of doing so requires being versed in the differences in your respective values. This includes what to do in order to make a good impression, or avoid making a bad one.”

And just like that, everything clicked into place. Sunset found her jaw clenching with rage and her hair beginning to seethe as she fought to bottle her emotions down.

“So she went after Vitric because she was trying to provoke me…” Sunset growled.

“That would be my guess,” Raven said, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Why?”

“You’re a potential threat. Both to her ray’s free access to the Western Territory’s resources and to her allies’ power in Heliopolis, so they have plenty of motive to discredit you as a ruler and weaken your power in the future. The fact that you’re from the Western Territory and a foundling have also done nothing to endear you to them. And, fair or not, they also blame you in part for HIghblood’s execution, so she may be looking for an excuse… any excuse… to begin a feud with you before you’re able to properly fight back.”

The sinking feeling of horror slowly crept up Sunset’s back, only to be quickly replaced with burning anger.

“I swear, I’m going to…”

“Do nothing. You will do nothing, Sunset,” Raven said firmly, turning to look Sunset directly in the eyes. “You are in no position to fight this battle and hope to win. Not yet. If you try, you’ll be playing right into her trap.”

“So she just gets to get away with it?”

“For now? Yes.”

“And what about Vitric?”

“Sunset, have you learned nothing about the Easterners?” Raven asked. “She got him to call the statue a gift. Why is that important?”

“It isn’t.”

“Yes, it is. Again, don’t think like a Westerner. Think like an Easterner.”

Back to the riddles, again. I’m not sure I know what I hate more, being lectured or having to answer her damn riddles, Sunset sent.

I know I prefer the riddles.

Only because you don’t have to answer them.

Sunset was quiet for a few minutes as she sat back in her throne, trying to remember Raven’s lessons on the Eastern Territory. Or at least the lesson as to why it would matter if Vitric had conceded to giving Duchess Rich the statue as a “gift.”

“He called it a gift, so he cannot receive any form of compensation. If he did, it would stop being a gift, and it would be seen as going back on the generosity that entails,” Sunset said stiffly. “And that would do considerable damage to his reputation because Easterners view gift giving as something sacred.”

“Good. Also consider that since he was put into a position where Duchess Rich effectively compelled him to provide the statue as a gift, and there were witnesses, word will get back to his house and clan. While they may not have the ability to retaliate against the Duchess, they will have the power to seek compensation. But the decision about what will be done must come from his clan… his family. Not you. Or me. To do otherwise could irreparably shame him.”

“So, that’s it? That’s all? She gets to do that and get away with it because she technically didn’t break the law? That’s not right. It’s not fair. Especially to Vitric.”

“Life is rarely fair, Sunset,” Raven said, the slightest of edges in her voice. “Again, you’re thinking like a Westerner. How would the Easterners react? How did Roseluck and her citizens respond to General Sentry’s efforts to enforce security at the festival? Enforcement that he is legally within his rights to do because of your condition.”

Sunset clenched her fists in frustration, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out.

“They would reject any offer for aid, wouldn’t they?” Sunset finally said with a frustrated huff.

“And why would that be?”

“Because you’re not Roseluck. It would look like you’re trying to supersede her authority if you got involved without her, rather than respecting her position. Even if you speak for the nation, it’s still Roseluck who rules here.”

“Correct.”

“So get Roseluck involved!” Sunset exclaimed.

“You’re assuming I haven’t,” Raven said as she gave Sunset a pointed look. “But we’re handling it in a way that won’t give Duchess Rich or her allies an excuse to target you or your territory. There are ways to play a counter move to show her that she cannot get away with trying to pick a fight with you. Trust me when I say Roseluck will turn this on her. But she will do it the right way. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

“Yes, Raven,” Sunset grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned away with a pout. “So Spitfire was trying the same thing, right? Having the sky-strikers start something.”

There was a pause as Raven seemed to consider her question.

“No,” Raven finally said bluntly.

“But they were slandering Roseluck!”

“Why are you so sure it was slander?”

Once again, Sunset found her river of thought slamming directly into a boulder as she gawked incredulously at Raven.

“What? Of course it was,” she finally said.

“Why?”

“Because the sky-strikers were just trying to make Spitfire look good instead of incompetent. Why else would they say that it was Spitfire who saved Roseluck?”

“Why do you think Spitfire is incompetent? Do you know her success rate, Sunset? And not just her success rate, but the success rate of her sky-strikers?”

“I don’t know… one in three or something.”

“I’m afraid you are entirely wrong, Sunset,” Raven said, a slight hint of recrimination in her voice. “In her three centuries of service, Spitfire has failed to complete her objectives only fifteen percent of the time. For any military leader, that is an exceptional success rate. So, I ask again, why do you think she’s incompetent?”

Sunset didn’t immediately reply. She couldn’t believe that Raven was actually defending Spitfire. Try as she might, the only reason she could imagine Raven actually standing up for Spitfire was that she was testing her.

“Because she was young and inexperienced during the War of Storms, and it was the battle of Stellaria Pass that made her realize she had to stop being so reckless! She may be competent now, but she wasn’t at the time!” Sunset exclaimed, only to wilt slightly when Raven didn’t immediately respond. “…right?”

Sunset grew even more nervous when Raven steepled her fingers and closed her eyes, filling the air with an even heavier silence than the effect of the privacy spell.

“I think this is something that you should hear from Roseluck herself, Sunset,” Raven finally said without opening her eyes. “Once the next competition begins, you’ll have the opportunity.”

With a flick of her fingers, Raven slowly released the sound-dampening spell. As the sound of the outside world gradually rose back to full volume, she once again turned to stare directly at Sunset.

“Be patient. You’ll get your answers soon enough.”

*****

It was over an hour later that the Contest of the Earth-Weavers ended with the Red team taking the victory. In that time, Sunset had stewed on the question of what to ask Roseluck when she returned. And whether she was really ready for the answer that would come. She’d been sure that the sky-strikers were just spouting off Heliopolan propaganda to make themselves and Spitfire look better. Yet, Raven’s response left Sunset unsure and questioning herself.

It had to be propaganda though. All of the Easterners were so sure that the story was true. They didn’t have any reason to lie about what happened, unlike Spitfire and the Heliopolans.

So then why was she questioning herself.

This has to be just another one of Raven’s lessons, Sunset sent to Philomena. She wants me to doubt myself so that when Roseluck tells me what happened, it’ll prove to me that my instincts are right.

A wave of uncertainty came through her bond with Philomena, a soft trill coming from her throat.

That seems pretty convoluted, Sunset.

But the kind of thing Raven would do, right?

Well, yea, kinda.

So that has to be it.

I guess, Philomena sent, though her feelings were even more unsure.

You’ll see. Once Roseluck gets back, she’ll tell us that the sky-strikers are full of moorgaunt crap. And then we can rub it in their faces.

There was another pause as Philomena’s doubt came through their bond, only for Sunset to send feelings of reassurance. She was sure Philomena would see she was right.

Settling back into her throne, Sunset waited impatiently as the teams exited the arena. Once clear, Roseluck used a short spell-dance to return the stones to the ground, before flying back to the royal box and taking her seat next to Sunset, Amara joining them on the top of the throne a few moments later.

As soon as Roseluck had settled in her throne, Spitfire and Akari took to the air and flew into the sky above the stadium. As she left, Sunset saw that she was now wearing a pair of oddly ornate, fingerless gauntlets, each with three vicious looking punching spikes coming from the back of the hands.

Even as she wondered why Spitfire was wearing such an obvious pair of weapons, Sunset felt a great deal of satisfaction at the relative silence that followed her arrival. Most of the spectors refused to give the Heliopolan phoenix-born more than a short round of unenthusiastic applause. Though her satisfaction was tainted by how little Spitfire seemed to care.

“Bright day and clear skies,” Spitfire said as she hovered in the air above the stadium, forcing everyone to look up at her. “Now that the Contest of the Earth-Weavers has come to its conclusion, we will now begin the next leg of the competition. I am pleased to have the privilege of overseeing the Contest of the Sky-Runners.”

As with the earth-weavers, four teams of sky-runners, each in the same four colors, flew in from above the stadium and landed in the field below Spitfire, with one member carrying a long pole topped with a triangular flag matching their team’s color. To Sunset’s chagrin, the blue team was made up entirely of the kids she’d seen with the sky-strikers at the puppet show, including Soarin and Fleetfoot.

“For this competition,” Spitfire said as she began to perform an aerial spell-dance, “the participants will be partaking in the ancient sky-runner game of cloud-blitz, which will test their cunning, speed, maneuverability, teamwork and tactical sense, all qualities that true sky-runners have and seek to refine.”

From all around Spitfire, dozens of vertical, ring shaped clouds formed in the sky, some large enough for three sky-runners to fly through wingtip to wingtip, some barely wide enough for one of the youths below to pass through by tucking in their wings completely. She also summoned a single, sphere-shaped cloud several meters directly above herself and Akari.

Sunset found herself feeling unexpectedly nostalgic at the sight, memories of watching Rainbow Dash playing this very game along with the other sky-runner kids of Golden Tree. Even Windstorm and her rangers would partake every so often, much to the delight of the rest of the town. The intensity between the ever competitive sky-runners was always a spectacle to see.

She wasn’t sure about that spherical cloud though, since she’d never seen anything like that when watching cloud-blitz.

“For the non-sky-runners in the crowd who are unfamiliar with this proud tradition, this is a very simple explanation of how it’s played,” Spitfire said as she gestured to the rings. “All four teams have two objectives. The first is to protect their flag from the other teams. The second is to get the highest score. Scoring is done by taking another team’s flag from one of the other team’s carriers. Potential points are then earned points by flying through one or more rings, then planting the flag in the center of the field, where the original team then reclaims it. The narrower the rings, the higher the points earned. The team with the highest score at the end of the allotted time will be declared the winners.”

“Teams, get on your marks,” Spitfire declared, prompting all of the sky-runners in the field below to take to the air. As they did, she raised her right arm and raised it to point her closed fist at the spherical cloud. “Ready? Three…two…one…”

All of a sudden, a brilliant bolt of blue energy erupted from Spitfire’s raised fist with a burning crack, striking the spherical cloud and causing the bolt and cloud to detonate with a resounding boom.

“GO!”

*****

This isn’t fair, is it? Philomena sent as she watched the young sky-runners zipping through the air above.

No, it really isn’t, Sunset sent as she watched the competition, if one could call it that, unfold, her chest tight with repressed anger.

While the red, yellow and green teams were all fairly evenly matched with one another, all three of them were completely outclassed by the blue team. In terms of speed and skill in the air, the Radia-born sky-runners were easily flying circles around the Easterners, who had barely managed to claim the blue team’s flag a few times to score, only for that score to be wiped away when they reclaimed the flag and flew back through the rings. Conversely, the blue team’s score was easily triple that of the other teams combined as they expertly maneuvered through the rings and around the other sky-runners.

But in addition to the prodigious speed and skill advantage of the blue team, there was also a clear difference in their level of coordination. While the other teams worked well enough together, the blue team moved with razor sharp precision, using hand and wing signals to coordinate their attacks and defense to a level that Sunset had never seen in any game of cloud-blitz before.

This wasn’t a game. Or a competition. It was a massacre.

Looking over to Roseluck, Sunset could see the older woman glaring up at Spitfire, her mouth turned into a tight frown, and her eyes narrowed angrily. By contrast, Raven’s face was unreadable, though that meant very little when it came to the eldest phoenix-born.

“This is why she entered her own team, isn’t it?” Sunset asked, causing Roseluck’s expression to soften as she turned her attention to her.

“What was that, Sunset?”

“This is why she entered her own team, isn’t it? She’s trying to humiliate you and your territory.”

Roseluck let out a tired sigh and looked upward, her scowl returning, though not as intensely as before.

“Yes. Those aren’t just any sky-runner kids. They’re from Gale Academy.”

“Gale Academy?”

Roseluck took a small, bracing breath, then said, “Sunset, what do you know about the sky-strikers?”

“That they’re a bunch of arrogant thugs who are too full of themselves.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Roseluck let out a soft chuckle.

“You’re not wrong. But, they’re more than that. As much as I hate to give Spitfire any credit, they have a right to be as arrogant as they are. At least when it comes to their abilities in the air and in combat.”

“What’s that got to do with Gale Academy?”

“Gale Academy is the first step of weeding out anyone who doesn’t have what it takes to become a full sky-striker. Any sky-runner that wants to join the sky-strikers has to pass through Gale Academy by fifteen, or they can’t earn a spot to enter the full sky-striker program.”

Sunset found herself fuming as she followed Roseluck’s line of sight to Spitfire, who was shooting the archduchess a smug, superior sneer as the blue team’s score rose even higher.

“So why not break up the teams. Lily and Daisy weren’t together in the last game.”

“I’ve tried that, Sunset. It doesn’t work. It’s not about her team or players winning. It’s about making a statement. And banning the Gale Cadets goes against the spirit of the festival, so I can’t do it without enormous political consequences,” Roseluck said, her voice tight and controlled. “At this point, I’ve more or less resigned myself to this. If she feels the need for such a petty act, I can let her have it. Everyone knows the outcome is a foregone conclusion, so it’s little more than a formality at this point.”

Sunset watched Roseluck for a few seconds, trying to find the best way to bring up the topic of the puppet show and the lies that Spitfire’s sky-strikers were spreading. Knowing Roseluck, she wouldn’t be able to subtly direct the conversation in that direction without the older woman knowing exactly what she was doing. So to Sunset’s chagrin, she knew that the blunt, direct approach was the only way to go.

Tempering herself, she took a bracing breath, and asked, “Is it because of Stellaria Pass?”

To her surprise, Roseluck actually flinched slightly as she asked the question.

“Why are you asking about Stellaria Pass?” Roseluck asked, her tone guarded.

“I heard the story while I was out at the festival. There was this amazing puppet show where they told the story of how you saved Spitfire from the Heralds of Lightning when she was ambushed at Stellaria Pass,” Sunset said, the words pouring from her mouth. “But when the show was over, a bunch of the sky-strikers that had also seen it started spouting lies about how it was Spitfire that saved you, not the other way around, and that you were the one who walked into an ambush. But that’s not true, right, because she’s just trying to make herself look better by telling everyone a fake story where she’s the hero, not you.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Roseluck didn’t respond. In fact, her face had wilted slightly.

“Roseluck? They were lying, right? They had to be lying. Please tell me they were lying,” Sunset said, her voice becoming more desperate as she went on.

Why isn’t she telling me that it's a lie? Sunset sent, her stomach tightening as the silence stretched.

I have a feeling you’re not going to like the answer, Sunset.

“I’m afraid that it’s not a lie, Sunset, but it isn’t entirely true either,” Roseluck finally said, her voice resigned.

Sunset was stunned. Of the answers she could have anticipated, that was not one of them.

“What do you mean?” she finally managed to ask, shaking off her stupor.

Roseluck once again didn’t immediately reply. After a minute of silence, she said, “Raven, could you give us some privacy?”

“Gladly. Just signal me when you’re done,” Raven said, recasting the sound dampening spell around Sunset and Roseluck.

“Alright, Sunset, why don’t you tell me about this puppet show.”

“Um, sure,” Sunset said nervously. As she recounted the story, she watched Roseluck’s face, trying to gauge her reaction. Sadly, Roseluck refused to show any, instead simply listening with her eyes closed and hands folded in her lap. A strange feeling settled in the pit of Sunset’s stomach, because Roseluck had always been so warm, caring and open. Yet seeing her close herself off like this was not only concerning, but almost frightening. It was like some fundamental aspect of who Roseluck was wasn’t there anymore.

Eventually, she finished her retelling, and sat back in her throne. Roseluck’s silence was palpable as she took a deep breath, which she then slowly let out.

“I’m sorry, Sunset, but it didn’t happen that way at all,” Roseluck finally said, her voice distant and tired. From above, Amara let out a sympathetic trill and fluttered down to land on Roseluck’s lap, rubbing her cheek against her bondmate’s hand.

“It didn’t?”

“No. The one part they got right was that I was going there to rescue sun-gazers that had been taken captive by the Heralds of Lightning. Though it wasn’t that simple. To start, Spitfire and I didn’t go to Stellaria Pass together. I went by myself. It also wasn’t a rescue mission. It was a prisoner exchange. We’d captured several high-ranking blitzkobolds of the Lightning Slicers during one of their raids a few days prior, and had planned to exchange them for seventy civilians that had been taken by the Herald’s press gangs.”

Roseluck paused as she laced her fingers together and rested her forehead on their back while resting her elbows on her knees.

“As part of the exchange, I had agreed to come with only a small force, as had the Herald captain. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan. When I arrived, I found myself surrounded by over a hundred Heralds rather than the ten we’d both agreed upon. It was then that the Heralds’ captain revealed that every one of our citizens was either already dead or had been shipped to the slave yards on Muir Nan Speur. The only reason he’d agreed to the exchange was so that he could take me as a prize for the Storm King, like Queen Novo and Princess Skystar,” Roseluck said, letting out a sad sigh. “Thankfully, Spitfire had disobeyed orders and followed me with a full platoon of sun-blades.”

“Sun-blades? Not sky-strikers?”

“Spitfire didn’t form the sky-strikers until after the War of Storms,” Roseluck replied with a shake of her head. “But, that’s beside the point. She managed to save me, though not without heavy casualties among her soldiers. Over half of them died in the battle, with most of the survivors severely wounded. Spitfire herself was nearly killed while defeating the Heralds’ captain. Thankfully I managed to heal her enough for us to make a tactical retreat when the rest of the Heralds fell into disarray at their leader’s death.”

A strange, melancholy look settled over Roseluck.

“It was one of the worst military disasters of the entire war, and the last time we tried to negotiate with the Heralds for the freedom of our civilians. Spitfire and I hadn’t been on the best of terms before, but Stellaria Pass just deepened the rift further. I don’t think she’s ever forgiven me for how many died saving my life.”

“But… that wasn’t your fault!” Sunset protested. “You didn’t know they were going to lie.”

“That doesn’t matter to Spitfire. Of the four of us, she’d spent the most time fighting the Heralds. She’d opposed the exchange the entire time, and had only relented when I convinced Raven and General Sentry to let me try. At the time, I thought that if I could get our civilians back without bloodshed, it would be worth the risk. If you knew what those monsters did to captured sun-gazers, you would have done anything to rescue them too.”

“If that’s what happened, why is the story so wrong? Didn’t you tell them the truth?” Sunset asked.

“I did. For decades,” Roseluck admitted as she began to slowly pet Amara, who let out comforting trills while snuggling up against Roseluck’s belly. “But, that battle was over two hundred years ago, Sunset. And the Eastern Territory is a big place. In Heliopolis, historical texts make it easy to keep the story closer to the truth, especially with Raven around to make sure that they’re accurate. But out here, where so many things are passed along via word of mouth? Over time, as people tell the story over and over, details are lost and new ones are added. Even with books being more available these days thanks to printing wheels, legends persist. It’s also no secret that Spitfire and I don’t like one another. My people love me, so that colors their perception of events. And so as they fade into legend, the stories told inevitably change, until they no longer resemble the truth.”

A strange, far off look entered Roselucks’ eyes as she stared off into the horizon.

“It's a terrible burden that we bear, to know how things truly occurred, yet witness those truths be twisted by the passage of time and their imperfect retelling. I can only imagine what it’s like for Raven or General Sentry. Especially Raven.”

“I don’t really get it,” Sunset admitted, “I guess it’s like the differences between my first edition Solarian Myths and Legends book and the current edition.”

“In a way, yes,” Roseluck said with a solemn nod. “It’s just another thing you have to get used to in a life as long as ours can be.”

“That’s not much comfort.”

“I know. But, it’s a reality we face. We can do all we can to make sure that the truth prevails, but in the end, each of us is only a single person,” Roseluck said as she smiled affectionately at Amara and ran the back of her finger across the ridge of the phoenix’s beak. “Or, two people as one in our case, right?”

“Falena metira,” Amara said, pressing her forehead into Roseluck’s hand.

Sunset leaned back in her throne, closing her eyes and slouching down a little.

Can today just end already, Sunset sent. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.

The sound of flapping wings and a rush of air reached Sunset’s ears moments before Philomena landed on the arm of her chair, then hopped into her lap as she let out a string of worried trills.

To be fair, it’s not like the sky-strikers or Spitfire gave us much reason to trust them.

Not what I’m talking about, Mena. I’m not looking forward to a whole week of this.

The warm feeling of Philomena’s head pressed into the crook of her arm as the phoenix snuggled up to her.

Thanks Mena.

Anytime.

“Are you okay, Sunset? I know it's a lot to take in,” Roseluck asked, her tone warm and concerned.

“I’m not sure. Today’s been… hard, for a lot of reasons,” Sunset said weakly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It took me a while to adjust too, remember? It’ll just take time.”

“How long did it take you?”

Roseluck pressed the knuckle of her right index finger to her lips and rolled her eyes back in thought.

“Hmmm, probably fifty years or so.”

“Fifty years!?” Sunset exclaimed, only stopping herself from leaning forward because she knew it might toss Philomena out of her lap if she did.

“Well, maybe closer to twenty,” Roseluck said with that gentle smile of hers, then reached out and gently booped Sunset’s nose.

“That’s not much better,” Sunset grumbled as she scrunched her face up.

“I could have said a hundred you know,” Roseluck said, her smile turning mischievous.

“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” Sunset asked, her tone lightening up a bit.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Roseluck said innocently. “Guess we’ll see how long it takes, won’t we.”

“Not what I wanted to hear,” Sunset said with a light laugh as she settled back into her throne, the sound of the outside world slowly returning.

*****

The Contest of the Sky-Runners eventually and merifully came to an end with the blue team’s overwhelming victory. Once the teams had been given their prizes, Spitfire had proclaimed that the Radians had “performed like true sky-runners” who “have done their tribe proud by showing exactly what a sky-runner that trains their gifts to their full potential” could do. Sunset tried not to scowl at the obvious insult Spitfire’s comments were to the beaten Easterners. Once the commander had returned, Raven had taken to the field to oversee the Contest of the Fire-Callers, a competition of cooperative spell-dancing and magecraft. Sunset had found herself barely paying attention to the entire thing.

She couldn’t decide what to think about all of it. Of the two, she found Roseluck’s account easier to handle. As much as she disliked Spitfire and her goons, and as much as it made her flame burn angrily, she couldn’t deny that the sky-strikers had been telling the truth. Mostly. What was harder to accept was the why. It would have been so much easier if it was just Spitfire spreading propaganda.

But it wasn’t.

Raven’s insight was much harder to process, because it just didn’t make sense. What Duchess Rich had done was wrong. So why couldn’t she do anything about it? When Raven had explained it, she thought it made sense. But now? Now she wasn’t sure.

This just doesn't feel right, Sunset sent.

So you keep telling me.

Sunset rolled her eyes upward and leaned her head back to stare up at Philomena.

Still not helping.

I know.

Do you have anything to add besides your incredible wit, or should I just go back to brooding.

Well I know that’s not going to solve anything. What’s got you whirlpooling in place now? Roseluck telling you that you were wrong, or the fact that you almost walked right into a Heliopolan political trap?

You could be a little nicer about it, Mena, Sunset sent with a mental shove.

Nah. If I did that, you’d never have to face facts. So, what’s on your overactive mind, sun-butt?

I don’t know. All of it. I just… I can’t wrap my head around any of this. All these games that everyone’s playing. All these rules. Back home, it was so simple. Things made sense. But now? It feels like I could end up destroying Golden Tree or the whole Western Territory if I sneeze wrong.

I’m pretty sure it’s not that bad.

Sure as metal splinters feels like it.

Now you’re being dramatic.

Am I? You heard Raven. Duchess Rich has it out for us. Just like that goat-licker Blueblood. And a bunch of the other Heliopolans. It’s so stupid that she can just get away with treating people like that. If this were Golden Tree, she’d have been slapped in the stocks for a week at least.

I don’t think so, Sunset.

Why not?

I don’t know. I just get the feeling that someone as powerful as her wouldn’t let that happen. At most, she’d just have to pay for the statue, if they could actually make her.

Sunset didn’t reply immediately, instead choosing to glare at the back of Duchess Rich’s throne.

I hate this. I hate it so much, Mena. Phoenix-born are supposed to be in charge. So why is it that I have to play that goat-licker’s game? I should be able to just have her arrested, or something.

Sunset, that’s a terrible idea.

What? Why?

Think about it. If you had that power, that’d mean that Steel and Spitfire would have it too, Philomena sent, allowing Sunset to see through her eyes as she looked at the two phoenix-born sitting to Raven’s left. Do you really think that would be a good idea?

Sunset’s stomach turned with horror at that thought.

No. It wouldn’t. I don’t even want to think what either of them would do.

Knowing Steel, he’d probably turn the entire country into an army or something.

Fine, so just me then.

A feeling of mirth came through their bond as Philomena sent, So you’re going to take the Queen’s place?

Now you’re being silly, Sunset balked. There’s no way I could ever replace the Queen.

Just keeping you grounded, sun-butt.

Or just being a spoilsport, feather-butt.

They’re not mutually exclusive.

Neither is being right and a know-it-all, Sunset sent as she slouched back in her throne to watch as the Contest of the Fire-Callers began to come to an end.

It was going to be a long, long week. She could feel it in her flame.

Author's Note

Not much to say. New job is kicking my butt, but I'm determined to get Phoenix-born Rising to it's conclusion.

So, cloud-blitz. I don't have all of the rules built for the game, but it's essentially "capture the flag" meets an obstacle course. The game started as a form of aerial combat training focusing on maneuverability and teamwork. As sky-runners became less locked into their roles as the soldier tribe, the old tradition changed to become a game for leisure rather than preparing to fight.

Interlude 4 - The Trials - Raven's Resolve

“… and so, wi bilieve that should our proposal bi acciptid, the funding from the crown has thi potintial to vastly improve our rigion, which will in turn provide griatir access to the miniral risourcis of the Glintspire and surrounding mountains.”

There was a long pause as Raven pretended to consider Baroness Silver Vein’s proposal, giving the sharply dressed, gray skinned, silver haired, golden eyed earth-weaver woman a flat stare. She knew about the Baroness’s project, having read the documents describing her plans well over a month before their departure.

But that was information she had kept to herself. For a woman like Silver Vein, it was better to make her think she had the upper hand in the conversation and that Raven herself was ignorant of exactly what she wanted. Raven had to admit, the baroness’s plan was ambitious. Audacious even. And if the reports she’d submitted about the quality of the deposits in the region she was intending to mine were true, could indeed enrich those living in her region, and provide Solaria with a new source of tin, tungsten and tantalum.

She’d asked Roseluck about the baroness, and her assessment wasn’t a flattering one. Which had prompted Raven to dig deeper, including dispatching covert agents to investigate Silver Vein. Yet the auditors she’d sent came back with glowing reports on the baroness’s lands and operations. And, given the way that baroness was acting, she was aware of some of Raven’s, or at least the Crown’s, agents had been investigating her, and knew the sort of glowing reports they’d provided.

Which was exactly what Raven wanted, because it meant that her other, deeper cover agents had been able to dig into her with impunity, and insert themselves into her operation. And their reports were far less pleasing.

At the most basic, the baroness was clearly quite adept at maintaining the bare minimum level of acceptable standards of living for her serfs, while also hiding that was what she was doing from any pesky investigators. And all the while funneling as much money into her own coffers as possible. Her agents had even discovered that the baroness had been under-reporting her income to the crown and Roseluck, sending only 95% of the required tax on her operations to Rose’s Blossom and Heliopolis.

The woman was clever. Far too clever. She was also greedy, yet could keep it in check well enough to avoid most suspicion. Which was not a combination that Raven cared for in the least.

There was also the question of the region that the baroness wanted to develop. Raven had examined the maps, and the mines would be skirting dangerously close to a known cragadile nesting ground. If the baroness’s personality was any indication, she might easily provoke the volatile predators into attacking the operation by dumping waste sludge into the waterways they occupied without proper decontamination. Worse still, where there were a large number of cragadiles, there was a good chance there would also be a hydra or fen linnorm preying on them. Which was concerning, since no mention of the nesting ground, or any sort of survey of the region for the presence of either draconic predator, were found in the proposal.

There was also the ever present danger of digging too deeply and breaching into Skellweb. The region wasn’t known to have any entrances to the deep underground, but the undead were constantly expanding. Giving the Cult of Endless Decay easy access to hundreds of miners to serve as fresh materials for new undead, and an easy access route to the surface, was not a prospect Raven cared for.

Raven knew could easily deny the proposal with little consequence. It was a very large request, which she suspected would only partially go to improving and expanding her mines and rock-farm infrastructure like she claimed.

If the mines were operated with fire-caller purifiers to clean the waste properly and earth-weaver geomancers in place to ensure mine safety and prevent them from getting too close to any unknown branches of Skellweb, the mine could be operated safely and profitably. And the metal resources would be worth the investment from the crown, provided they were given their proper share in addition to the tax revenue.

There was also the potential for crown oversight that could come as a stipulation with the grant. The baroness could maintain the illusion of her operations being honest and well run when Raven’s attention was elsewhere, but by accepting the funding, she’d have to accept Heliopolan involvement. That would mean regular reports and accounting of where the money was spent, and regular inspections by Raven’s agents. Inspections that could ensure that the baroness wasn’t treating her citizens poorly, or making them work under unsafe conditions.

And if there were disparities found between her audits and what the baroness reported? Well, she’d learn just how poor an idea it was to defraud the crown, and abuse Queen Celestia’s generosity. Which in turn could help steer her operations into a better place, for her subjects, and for Solaria as a whole.

“I will admit, your proposal just now was an intriguing one,” Raven said with a slight nod after what would appear as a polite length of pause. She’d have to draft the counter proposal very carefully, and ensure that there were multiple layers of language to give the crown the leverage to hold the baroness accountable if she tried to embezzle the queen’s money, or skimp on the safety measures. “However, I will need to fully review your official documents when I return to Chromos and prepare the Crown’s response. The last few months have been rather busy, you understand.”

“Of course Lady Inkwill, I undirstand,” Baroness Silver Vein said with a friendly smile. Or at least, the smile of someone who had all but mastered the act of putting on the facsimile of a friendly smile when unhappy with an outcome. “If you’ll ixcuse mi, I’ll bi on my way.”

“Queen’s light upon you, baroness. I hope you enjoy the rest of the festival,” Raven said as the baroness politely bowed and took her leave.

Opportunistic blight hag, Dylis sent as he glared at the departing baroness.

Raven sent a feeling of gratitude towards her bondmate along with, I think if we do decide to fund her project, there are going to be a few extra strings attached to keep her more honest. And a more thorough report about the swamps to the north. No sense in provoking a linnorm if one’s in the area.

And put a few more agents and auditors in place.

Regretfully, I have to agree.

Raven took a slow drink of her frostcherry brandy, inspecting the assembled Eastern and Heliopolan nobles around her through Dylis’s ever watchful eyes. She could see the wheels turning in their heads whether they should take the baroness’s departure as their opportunity to approach her to make their own attempts at earning her favor or to make pleas regarding proposals they’d submitted to Chromos for funding.

A sudden spike of awareness came from Dylis as his attention turned towards something he sensed towards the other side of the plaza.

Amara’s coming, Dylis sent, sharing with Raven the feeling of his sister’s flame approaching.

Raven didn’t need to reply, instead simply held her arm up above her head. With a gust of wind and the sound of flapping wings, Amara landed on the upheld appendage.

“[What’s happened?]” Raven asked in the phoenix tongue as she lowered her arm to bring the phoenix to her and Dylis’s eye level. If Roseluck was sending Amara instead of coming herself, it was serious.

“[It’s Sunset],” Amara said frantically, turning on Raven’s forearm. “[There’s something wrong with her. She’s been acting odd all evening, and now, she can barely stand on her own. Roseluck’s going to take her ba…]”

Amara didn’t get to finish her sentence as a blood curdling shriek of terror filled the air.

One made with Sunset’s voice.

Raven, Amara and Dylis were in the air and speeding towards the sound without another word.

“[Amara, find General Sentry and have him prepare to deploy the sun-blades and lock the city down,]” Raven said, while simultaneously sending to Dylis, Find Spitfire.

Both phoenixes diverted course to find the other phoenix-born.

“NO!” she heard Sunset shout.

I’ve found Spitfire, Dylis sent, sharing with Raven the sight of the commander at the bar with a few of her sky-strikers, each of them on their feet and looking in the direction of Sunset’s terrified screams with surprise.

Tell her that we may need the sky-strikers in the air ASAP. I’ll confirm once I know what’s happening with Sunset.

“Stay back!”

The terror in Sunset’s voice spurred her on. Yet, she forced down her own fear for Sunset and her worry over why her student was screaming like she was being attacked. Instead, she focused on drawing up a memory of a peaceful evening with Dylis in her estate, the two of them enjoying tea while she read some of their favorite poetry to him, letting the feelings of relaxation and peace flow into her flame.

She could see Sunset now, the young girl’s eyes wild and her hair violently lashing out at Roseluck, who was keeping a safe distance back. Stopping in the air, Raven began to perform a full-body spell dance, letting the flame she’d fed with the feelings of peace ignite. As she danced, the flame rebelled, and rebelled hard, resisting the spell she was attempting to form it into.

Even for someone as adept at spell-craft as she was, shaping the flame into what she was attempting was difficult. More difficult than even her paralysis spell. But with how Sunset was acting, paralysis would only make things worse.

“GET AWAY!” Sunset screamed, before turning and attempting to flee.

Holding out her hand, Raven unleashed her spell, focusing it directly onto Sunset. Raven felt the spell wrap around Sunset, who briefly fought against its effect. Then, the spell burrowed through her defenses and took hold on her body, forcing her into a state of artificial slumber.

The moment Sunset collapsed to the ground, Roseluck was at her side, holding the sleeping girl to her body. Philomena landed on her bondmate’s chest, worried trills coming from her throat as she desperately nuzzled against Sunset’s face.

“What happened?” Raven asked as she approached, passing through the line of prominence knights.

“I don’t know,” Roseluck said in a pained, worried voice. “She said she was feeling lightheaded and needed to vomit, then just started screaming and attacked me.”

‘Not good,’ Raven thought.

“Philomena, did this come on suddenly?” Raven asked.

The young phoenix turned towards Raven and glared angrily, before shaking her head no.

‘That rules out most hexes and curses.’/ “Do you know why she was attacking Roseluck?”

A nod.

“Was she seeing things?”

A nod.

“Was she hearing things?”

Nod.

“Nod for seeing things first, shake for hearing things first.”

Shake.

“Did the light headedness come first?”

Another shake of her head.

‘So nausea first.’ / “Did the nausea build up over time.”

A nod.

“Did it begin when we were outside?”

A shake.

“After dinner before we got outside?’

A nod.

“Was it mild at first, then got stronger over time?”

A nod.

“And the hallucinations? Did those come on slowly?”

Philomena quirked her head.

“When she started hearing and seeing things. Did they begin to happen slowly like her nausea?”

A shake.

‘Hallucinations came on rapidly then. I was afraid of that,’ Raven thought, the said, “Roseluck, put the city under class-7 lockdown, and have Amara tell General Sentry to deploy the sun-blades. I suspect Sunset’s been poisoned.” Dylis, tell Spitfire we need the sky-strikers above the city as quickly as she can manage. I don’t want anyone getting out by air if we can help it.

Nodding, Roseluck began to get to her feet.

“Captain,” Raven said to the prominence knight leader, “take Sunset back to Roseluck’s estate. She is to be guarded at all times. Do not let anyone other than Philomena, Roseluck or myself and our bondmates near her. If her friends Lily Valley or Flower Wishes try to enter, warn them that they cannot see her, and gently remove them from the premises. Inform the staff of the estate that nobody is to approach her other than the people I’ve designated. Anyone else attempting to reach her is to be killed on sight, no questions asked.”

“Yes, Lady Inkwell,” the captain’s three members said in unison.

Roseluck gently handed Sunset over to one of the sky-runner knights, who took to the air along with every colaurata and plumed serpent, Philomena opting to remain on Sunset’s chest instead of flying under her own power. The remaining sun-gazer portions of the knights began to make their way out of the plaza and towards Roselucks’ mesa.

As soon as Sunset was safely away, Roseluck began to perform a full-body spelldance.

Spitfire’s on her way to the barracks, as is Steel, Dylis sent. Vestian, Akari and Amara are with me. We’re heading to the Hidden Grove south of Roseluck’s manor. I’ll tell you when we arrive.

Good, Raven sent.

“Roseluck, when you’re done, I want you to watch over Sunset. Inform me when she wakes up. I will send a messenger to the kirintal and inform them that there has been an incident, that we’re locking down the city, and that for their safety, they aren’t to leave the plateau until we give them the all clear.”

“Understood,” Roseluck said as she completed her spell-dance, a sphere of blue light having formed in her right hand. Lifting the sphere into the air, the flare launched itself high into the sky, then detonated in a brilliant blue flash that could be seen throughout the city. As the light poured down, three things happened simultaneously: every flower in Rose’s Blossom changed color to match the blue of the flare, the night air was filled with a strange, wooden howling sound coming from across the city, and the nobles at the gathering began to shout in confusion, demanding to know what was happening.

“Everyone!” Raven called, her authoritative presence extending outward in a wave that cowed the sun-gazers present. “The city is now under crown authority, and a strict curfew is in effect. Return to your accommodations in an orderly manner and wait for further instructions from myself or the other phoenix-born. Roselucks’ timberwolves and rangers will escort you.”

Raven could see on the faces of most of the Heliopolans and Easterners not from the city that they wanted to protest, but couldn’t muster the will to do so under the crushing pressure of her aura. The locals were far calmer, simply nodding and beginning to exit the plaza.

“I’m heading back,” Roseluck said, floating into the air and preparing to fly off. “Once Sunset is secure, I’ll go through the standard anti-toxin spells I know. Maybe one of them will help.”

“Good. If I find anything, I’ll have Dylis inform Amara,” Raven said, turning towards the banquet hall and striding off purposefully, the sound of Rosleuck’s rapid ascent coming from behind. Despite her haste, she calmly opened the doors and entered the building, closing the doors behind her and locking them.

“Eyes, attend me,” Raven said to the open air of the corridor.

As soon as the words left her throat, seven figures appeared as though passing through a heat mirage. All of them were dressed in white, form-fitting suits and sun-touched masks that hid all of their features, save for four who had glowing, radiant wings. Of the seven, the one at the forefront stood out for the glowing eye emblazoned on their mask.

“I suspect Sunset was poisoned during dinner. You are to find whoever is responsible. If you can apprehend them, do so. If not, inform either myself, General Sentry or Commander Spitfire,” Raven said in a clipped tone as she folded her arms behind her back. “Make haste. The perpetrator has a significant head start.”

“As you command, Lady Inkwell,” the lead Eye said, making a series of hand gestures. The other Eyes nodded and faded from sight. Yet, the lead eye remained, their posture tight and angry.

“Is there something you want to add, Dawn Wings?” Raven asked the last remaining Eye.

Dawn Wings was quiet for a few seconds. Even through the spy-mistress’s uniform, Raven could tell that the sky-runner was trying to control her breathing to remain calm.

“I… I’m sorry, Raven,” Dawn Wings said, her fury clear through the distortion of her mask. “I will make this up to you, I swear.”

“Dawn Wings, don’t let your anger make this personal,” Raven said, her expression softening as she approached her friend. “How many attempts did you help Steel stop in just the last day?”

Dawn Wings shook her head, then looked down at her balled fists.

“Doesn’t matter. One got past us.”

“And the ones responsible will pay. We will see to that. If you want to make it up to me, find out who they are, and which of our enemies they’re working for.”

Dawn Wings unclenched her fists and took a deep breath, before straightening up and giving Raven a curt nod, then turning away and vanishing like her Eyes.

*****

Raven found herself in two places at once. One was in her temporary office in the Rose’s Blossom inner-city barracks, reports coming in at a steady pace from the local authorities and the Eyes. The other was a small, secure cove on Roseluck’s mesa, the dozen perathet trees in its center surrounded on all sides by awoken razor-thorn vines. At the heart of the grove was a single, rune-covered lightstone pushing back the dark of the night with its radiance. And in the branches of the lethally toxic trees were Dylis, Vestian, Amara and Akari. Any other living creature would have succumbed to the tree’s lethal vapors and toxic bodies, yet the phoenixes were unaffected by the lethal poison the trees were exuding.

She could feel Dylis’s agitation coming through their bond, but didn’t close herself off the sensation. She knew that he was feeling her own frustration just as fiercely. It was one of the few true comforts she had left in her life, knowing that no matter what she was feeling, she could share it honestly and openly with her bondmate, and that he knew she would do the same for him.

“[Steel, Spitfire, report,]” Dylis said, conveying Raven’s words to the other phoenixes, and their bondmates.

“[Curfew is in full effect, Raven,]” Vestian said. “[Roselucks’ timberwolves and my sun-blades have the streets secured. We’ve made a few arrests. Mostly non-residents trying to sneak out to see what’s going on. I’ve had them detained and sent to the local jail.]”

“[Any casualties?]” Amara asked.

“[A few. Some of them resisted, but we let your wolves handle them,]” Vestian said matter of factly, before his tone of voice shifted slightly. “[None of the idiots are dead, by the way. Just a little roughed up.]”

“[Thank you, Vestian,]” Dylis said irritably, before letting Raven’s words come through again. “[Spitfire, what about on your end?]”

“[There haven’t been any attempts to escape the city from the sky,]” Akari added, “[but we’re spread pretty thin. We’re doing our best, but there’s only so much air we can cover with how few of us were allowed to attend.]”

“[Do what you can, commander,]” Dylis said. “[Roseluck, any updates on Sunset’s condition?]”

There was a pause as Amara shifted in the branches of the tree.

“[She’s awake,]” Amara said, “[at first, she was hysterical, screaming and crying constantly. But now… now she’s just sitting there. I don’t think she’s aware of what’s going on around her anymore. But from the look on her face, whatever she’s seeing is torture.]”

Raven and Dylis saw Amara look towards the manor, her expression becoming forlorn.

“[Roseluck tried every anti-toxin spell she knows, but none of them are doing a thing,]” Amara said, the cadence of her voice shifting. “[We can feel Nitor’s heart being drawn in, as if Sunset is trying to use it to fight off the poison, but it keeps withdrawing. And if her mind is under attack too, there’s nothing we can do to help unless we figure out what they gave her.]”

“[Has Philomena been able to give you any insight into what Sunset’s seeing?]”

“[Only a little,]” Amara admitted with a sad shake of her head. “[She can’t speak enough of our tongue to really explain anything. All that we’ve been able to discern is that it has something to do with Golden Tree and the people there.]”

That’s not good, Dylis sent. That means whatever’s attacking her is using her memories and feelings as a weapon.

That doesn’t narrow it down much. There are any number of poisons or drugs that could do that, especially if they’re magically augmented, Raven sent. And that’s just assuming harmony magic. If there’s chaos magic involved…

“[We might have some good news on our end,]” Dylis said. “[Three of the servers and one of the chefs have gone missing. Of them, the two servers and chef have been found. Or rather, their bodies have been found. The Eyes are tracking the final server down as we speak.]”

“[Who?]” Amara asked.

“[A young sky-runner woman by the name Windy Skies. According to her records, she’s been in your employ for at least eight years,]” Dylis said.

“[I remember her. She was the one who was attending our table,]” Amara said. “[I never interacted with her much, but from the few we’ve had, she didn’t strike me as someone who’d be capable of something like this.]”

“[Then I hope for her sake that she’s innocent,]” Dylis said, then addressed Vestian. “[Steel, once the Eyes track her down, we may need your help to apprehend her. Involved or not, her disappearance and the deaths of the other three is too much of a coincidence to ignore.]”

“[Weren’t your precious prominence knights checking everything she ate?]” Vestian asked.

Both Raven and Dylis bristled at the question, knowing that it was an accusation.

“[Yes. But if it got past them, it’s something that we’ve never encountered before,]” Dylis responded for Raven, before adding his own thoughts. “[Even you have been caught off guard by the unexpected. Of have you forgotten what happened when you first faced Reeka and Draggle?]”

There was a tense silence as Vestian narrowed his eyes angrily.

“[Point taken,]” Vestian hissed.

“[Not to interrupt, but we’re forgetting something,]” Akari cut in, drawing everyone’s attention. “[This whole thing is unfortunately very well planned out if they actually managed to get to Sunset. And if I was in their shoes, and was trying to get out, I’d have accounted for both the air and streets not being an option. Which means they may have tried to go underground. Flower girl, have there been a breach in the rootshield?]”

“[No, there haven’t,]” Amara said. “[Nor has there been any substantial contact with its life-burn field since the shield finished growing. Getting out that way is impossible.]”

“[No barrier is completely impassable, Roseluck,]” Vestian said. “[But at least it's good to know that there haven’t been any attempted breaches.]”

“[That’ve been detected at least,]” Akari added.

“[That’s enough,]” Dylis said forcefully, before addressing Vestian. “[In your assessment, who do you think is responsible out of the groups that have made attempts on Sunset so far?]”

“[It’s only been the Gold-sun Syndicate that's made any organized attempts on her. Everyone else has been freelance hired blades. Of the latter that we managed to take alive, we couldn’t determine who hired them, since they were cagey enough not to directly meet with their hired assassins. And we couldn’t interrogate the Gold-sun members. They took their own lives before we could capture them,]” Vestian said. “[But, given that they actually got past both the Eyes and my agents, there are only three groups that I can think of that have the resources and patiences to pull something like this off: the changelings, the Cult of Endless Decay and the shadow-stalkers.]”

Raven found herself frowning.

“[That was my assessment too,]” Dylis said. “[Who do you think is the most likely among those three?]”

Vestian paused to allow Steel to gather his thoughts.

“[Of the three, the changelings have the capacity, but not an obvious motive. Mad as she is, Chrysalis wouldn’t risk a war with us. The Bitch Queen is cunning though, and could easily cover her tracks if she was involved. Or implicate another group,]” Vestian said gravely. “[The problem is this doesn’t feel like her style. Aside from potentially starting a changeling hunt, it’d be a waste of an invaluable resource. She’d be more likely to try kidnapping and replacing Sunset to convert her into a changeling princess.]”

“[Thankfully, we haven’t given her any sort of opening to do something like that. And even if she could replace Sunset, Philomena would know immediately that the impostor wasn’t the real one. And if Philomena wasn’t around, we’d know something was wrong,]” Dylis siad. “[So the changelings are unlikely to be involved. At least by themselves. What about the others?]”

“[If it’s the Endless Decay, I’d say that means Nightcrawler’s risen again,]” Vestian hissed, the thought of D’compose’s creation causing licks of flame to flow over his body. “[It has been over a century since Steel and I last killed him, so he’s overdue to return. And, he not only has the skill needed to make the kinds of poison that could affect a young phoenix-born, he’s got the patience to set up such a plan. If it is him, we wouldn’t be surprised if he hired some of the assassins that’ve made attempts on Sunset to distract us from the real poisoned needle in his other hand.]”

“[And if Windy Skies is in league with him and the Cult, it means that he’s been planting members of the Cult behind our lines without our noticing for years,]” Akari added gravely.

“[Nightcrawler wouldn’t think twice about engaging in such a long term gambit, nor would his followers object to a suicide mission if it meant killing one or all of us. I’d say that makes the Cult a very likely suspect,]” Dylis said, before asking,“[And the shadow-stalkers?]”

“[Honestly, they’re the least and most likely at the same time,]” Vestian admitted. “[They have the skills and toxicological knowledge needed to execute a plan like this. But, at the same time, everyone who enters the city and serves on Roseluck’s staff is regularly given color-blotch testing, so it's unlikely a true shadow-stalker could have come in the front door.]”

“[Doesn’t mean that one couldn’t sneak in another way,]” Amara added solemnly. “[And it's not impossible that a spectre could enthrall someone and use them as a sleeper agent to do their dirty work. And it would mean they wouldn’t even have to put themselves in danger to do so.]”

“[The question would be ‘why?’]” Dylis asked. “[The Umbrum know better than to provoke us so blatantly. So unless The King of Shadows feels that she’s a threat that makes her removal worth risking our reprisal, we can’t imagine them making the attempt.]”

“[That’s the problem,]” Vestian said with a shake of his head. “[Of the Three, The Shadow King has always been the most inexplicable, even prior to his fall. Whenever I’ve spoken with Queen Celestia about her brother’s tactics, she has admitted that he was an odious mystery whose mind was an impenetrable thicket. Even to herself and the Traitor.]”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dylis and Raven saw Amara beginning to look uncomfortable, as though Roseluck were asking her to say something she didn’t like.

“[Roseluck wants me to say that there’s… another group that might have done it,]” Amara finally admitted. “[Spoiled and her allies tried to provoke Sunset into a fight earlier today. And Ruby Prism, Amethyst Mirage and Vladamir Blueblood have enough reason to want Sunset dead. Many of the nobles in Heliopolis already hate her for being an outsider and a foundling. And they have the money and resources they’d need to make it happen, including either buying off of blackmailing Windy into poisoning Sunset.]”

“[That is a serious accusation, Roseluck,]” Vestian said, his tone shifting dangerously as he glared at his sister. “[You’re suggesting that members of the nobility would be willing to attempt the murder of a phoenix-born.]”

“[We know,]” Amara said, looking Vestian in the eyes. “[But fourteen of them, including the head of the Council of Light, were willing to blaspheme to such a degree that Queen Celestia felt it appropriate to use mourning glories on them. It's not impossible to imagine that others would be capable of something like this. At the very least the attempts not made by the Gold-sun Syndicate seem like something a baron or higher could fund.]”

Dylis and Raven remained silent, their attention shifting between the other phoenixes as what Roseluck had just said sank in. Vestian was all but unreadable, though they could tell that he was displeased with the thought, though exactly why she could only venture a guess. Amara, by contrast, looked unhappy about having to voice such an accusation. And finally, there was Akari, who looked distracted in the way Amara had just moments before, likely because she and Spitfire were having their own silent conversation.

“[Spitfire wants me to add that it’s possible it was the kirintal,]” Akari said forcefully, drawing the attention of the others. “[Their isolationists have been pushing them to withdraw from the alliance and re-seal their borders with increasing frequency, according to their own diplomats. What better way to prove to the Arbiters that we’re weak and unworthy allies than having one of our newest ascendants die within the first year of her ascension under our watch. And they have the herbalistic knowledge needed to make some new poison that Raven’s knights couldn’t detect.]”

“[Spitfire, how dare you accuse the kiritnal of such treachery?]” Amara hissed as she shot a hot glare at Akari. “[You have no proof that they’d do anything like that. And lest we forget, they’ve made a promise to honor our alliance…]”

“[…so long as the Arbiters believe that it is beneficial to both of our people,]” Akari interrupted, shooting Amara an equally searing hot glare, “[or have you forgotten the terms of the treaty that Queen Celestia and the Arbiters penned?]”

“[And you think the Council of Light is more trustworthy? At least the kirintal honor their agreements. Unlike certain members of the Council, who’d sell their own children if it got them more power.]”

“[That’s enough! Both of you!]” Dylis screeched, silencing both Amara/Roseluck and Akari/Spitfire. “[As much as I hate to admit it, you both bring up a logical argument. But fighting amongst ourselves won’t help us find the culprit. Or save Sunset.

“[For now, we need to focus on capturing the assassin or at least figuring out what they used on Sunset. Roseluck, I want you to stay with her and do everything you can to keep her stable and alive. Steel, I’ll send you a list of known Gold-sun Syndicate members and sympathizers within Rose’s Blossom. Have a few of your soldiers bring them in for questioning.]”

“[Understood, Raven.]”

“[Spitfire, do what you can to keep the sky covered. We can deploy some sun-blade and ranger sky-runners to assist when you need to rotate out your sky-strikers. I’m also going to send Nefrathel and his mates assist you.]”

Akari didn’t immediately respond, but from the look in her eyes, she and Spitfire were discussing the idea.

“[Normally I don’t like working with amateurs, or wyverns, but I can make an exception under these circumstances,” Akari finally said. “[Are they going to listen to me?]”

“[You shouldn’t have any problems with our rangers,]” Amara said. “[They know how to follow orders.]”

“[I’ll hold you to that, Flower girl,]” Akari said tersely, then addressed Dylis, asking, “[And the wyverns? Are they going to obey my commands, or do I need their handlers too?]”

“[I’d suggest including their handlers. Saetha and the other drakianas are tame enough to listen to you, but Nefrathel tends to be unruly with people he doesn’t know.]”

Once again, Akari paused as if in discussion with Spitfire, before finally saying, “[We can work with that, so long as their handler understands that we’re in charge.]”

“[They’re sun-touched. That should tell you all you need to know,]” Dylis said. “[Vestian, Akari, you can go to aid your bondmates if you want. Amara and I will remain here. We’ll reconvene here in an hour, unless something comes up.]”

Both Vestian and Akari gave Dylis a quick nod, then spread their wings and took to the air, presumably to rejoin their bondmates. Leaving only Amara and Dylis in the grove.

“[She’ll make it through this, Roseluck,]” Dylis said. “[I believe in you. And her.]”

“[Roseluck says she should get back to Sunset,]” Amara said, before looking away guiltily. “[I’m… going to go too, if you don’t mind. I want to be with Philomena.]”

Dylis nodded, then simply said, “[Go.]”

Amara gave Dylis a grateful trill, then took to the air.

Leaving the two of them alone in the grove.

Reaching out, Raven felt a silent signal from Dylis that they were alone, and that it was safe. The moment he did, Raven let her mental defenses drop. A wave of white-hot anger and grief erupted in her mind, as did painful feelings of defeat and exhaustion. She could feel Dylis accepting the tide of negative emotions through their link, allowing Raven to vent her frustrations and inner turmoil while still maintaining her outer mask of calm indifference. It was something he’d done thousands of times over their millenia of life, just as she had for him.

Slowly, the feelings burnt themselves out, dimming to a low burn instead of the raging inferno that they’d been moments before. As they died down, she sent feelings of gratitude through their link. Dylis in turn opened his link to her more fully, letting his love for her flow outward and into his bondmate. The inflow of this positive emotion helped to quench the last of her inner turmoil.

We’ll find who’s responsible, Dylis sent, his own righteous indignation sparking up.

I know, Raven sent, her own anger starting to ignite again. But this shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Sunset wasn’t ready to leave Mt. Liakeed. The fact that poison even worked on her at all is proof enough of that.

We didn’t have a choice, Dylis sent sympathetically. We could never have foreseen this sort of circumstance when the treaty was penned.

That doesn’t make it any easier. Raven took a deep breath, centering herself and letting the anger smolder and die down. We’ll just need to trust Sunset and Philomena are strong enough to hold on until we can figure out what she’s been given.

I’m sure she can. Kid’s too stubborn not to.

Let’s just hope that stubbornness isn’t what’s going to end up killing her.

We’ll figure this out, Raven. And once we do, we’ll make an example out of whoever did this, Dylis sent, fraternal instincts flaring to life at the thought of incinerating whoever dared to hurt his little sister and her bondmate. Through the link, Raven sent feelings of reassurance that she shared the sentiment. The only question is what condition will Sunset be in when we do?

Author's Note

So, little break before we go back to Sunset's very calming and placid head-trip. Sorry, couldn't keep from rippling when I wrote that.

Regarding Baroness Silver Vein, yes, she's talking with a heavy accent. I haven't decided exactly where she's from, but there be a strong regional accent associated with it. Given how strong it is compared to the "standard" sun-gazer language, she's from pretty far away.

Anyhow, got this banged out pretty quickly. Now to get back to Sunset and her happy place. (Nope, still couldn't keep from rippling)

Ch 14 - The Trials - Face to Face With Fears and Despair

Sunset’s mind slowly began to return to itself, drawing her out of the black oblivion of sleep.

The last thing she’d recalled before waking up was trying to flee from some sort of monster after the world started going mad. She could still recall the horrid stench of gore, the blood-soaked buildings, the carnivorous worms and trees. Then, there was a sudden fatigue that choked her mind as everything went black.

She was still alive at least, so the monsters didn’t get her.

That was good.

But, maybe they didn’t want to eat or kill her.

Maybe they were going to do something else.

Something worse.

As the fog in her head began to clear, she knew something was still horribly wrong. The strange, persistent whispering that had assaulted her before was still there, filling her ears with a horrid white noise made of the twisted voices of her friends and loved ones.

Along with the noise came the terrible, sickly sweet effluvia of rotting meat, leaves and wood, making her stomach revolt. Sitting up, she began dry heaving as the stench overpowered her senses. Which had the unfortunate consequence of forcing her to open her eyes.

The sight that greeted her was worse than the one she’d last seen before losing consciousness.

She was in a room of some sort.

Each of the walls was made of thousands of fragments of gore covered bone, which were seething and roiling like thousands of white, jagged insects. Every so often, the wall would bulge inward as though something was trying to push in from the outside. More frequently, a piece would detach and float out into the room, giving her a glimpse into the black emptiness outside, only for the fragments to swiftly swarm back in to seal the hole. Even in those brief moments, the yawning nothingness outside her cell filled her with a primordial dread even deeper than looking into the night sky.

The floor was not made of bone shards like the walls. Instead, a layer of black, bubbling ooze formed the “ground,” looking all the world like it would swallow her into its slimy embrace if she set foot on it. Poking from its surface were at least four or five skeletal and half-skeletal bodies in different stages of decay, surrounded by clouds of buzzing flies.

Looking down, she saw that she was resting on a large, amorphous sack of jaundiced flesh, a square of rotting, flayed skin acting as a blanket. The moment she moved, the blob let out a pained, gurgling moan.

Sunset’s screams filled the air, causing the whispers tormenting her to grow louder.

MENA! Sunset desperately sent, throwing the vile square of skin across the room in disgust. The horrid thing landed on the ooze with a squelch, then began to sink into the black mire as though being drawn in. MENA, WHERE ARE YOU!?

Sunset? Sunset! Philomena’s sending came, giving Sunset something to latch onto.

Where are you?! Where am I?! Sunset sent as she pulled her knees up to her chest and slammed her eyes closed, burying her face as she began to sob.

It’s okay. You’re safe! You’re in one of Roseluck’s guest rooms. We’re right outside, Philomena sent, throwing their link wide open to share her senses with Sunset.

Normal, sane sights and sounds fought with the horrors around her as she saw the world from Philomena’s perspective. She was with Roseluck, sitting on her shoulder instead of Amara. They were standing near the wall of a hallway, opposite a door guarded by four prominence knights. From her perch on Roselucks’ shoulder, Philomena could see the subtle, distressed expression on the archduchess’s face.

No I’m not! I’m in some sort of… I don’t know where I am! But I’m not safe! Sunset sent as the whispering got louder, only to be joined by a horrifying wail from outside the room.

Sunset, listen to me. Don’t see with your eyes. Feel with our mind. Feel my mind. Am I lying to you? Philomena sent as she opened their link as full as she could.

Sunset let her consciousness seep into Philomena’s. She searched for any trace of deception in Philomena’s sending, but try as she might, she couldn’t find any. Only a sincere belief that what she was saying was true.

No… Sunset admitted reluctantly. The whispering was getting louder again, as if trying to drown out Philomena.

Focus on me, Sunset. Just… keep your eyes closed. No matter what you hear, it’s not real. Philomena sent, then gesturing towards the door with her beak and letting out a soft trill.

From Philomena’s perspective, Sunset could see Roseluck open the door and step into a small, windowless room. It was completely bare, save for a single, large mattress in the center of the floor. Sunset could see herself, curled up on its surface, her body shaking as she sobbed pitifully into her knees.

From Sunset’s own perspective, the sound of crunching bone filled the air as her body was pelted by sharp splinters as something burst through the wall in front of where she was curled. She could then hear the sound of squelching as whatever had just forced its way in from the nothingness outside her cell began to stalk towards her, the sound of too many legs stomping through the sludge that covered the floor. Sunset reflexively shied away from the sound, her terrified crying growing louder as she tried to hold herself together.

“Sunset, do you understand me?” Roseluck asked from Philomena’s perspective, while the thing she could hear looming over her unleashed a series of horrifying gurgles and wails.

“No. But Mena does,” Sunset said, keeping her face buried in her knees, the whispering getting louder again.

“Okay,” Philomena heard Roseluck say sadly. “Has she told you what happened?” / the creature gurgled angrily, stomping around the fleshy cushion.

“No,” Sunset whimpered.

To her dismay, she could feel her connection with Philomena getting harder and harder to maintain, like something was fighting to separate them. On the other side of the link, Philomena was fighting just as hard as she was to keep their link open.

“We think that you’ve been drugged with a psychoactive poison, one that’s making you hallucinate. Raven, Steel and Dawn Wings are working to figure out what you’ve been given. Once we know, I should be able to neutralize it,” Roseluck said, her voice beginning to fade as Sunset’s link to Philomena became fainter and fainter. / The creature wailed angrily, its hot, rancid breath making Sunset gag and curl in even tighter.

“And if you can’t?” Sunset focused as hard as she could on keeping her link to Philomena open. A task that was becoming harder and harder every moment.

“As long as it hasn’t been magically augmented, your body will eventually fight it off, but…”

Sunset didn’t hear the rest of whatever it was that Roseluck had said as her voice faded away completely.

Mena? Sunset tried to send, only to get no reply. She could still feel Philomena through their bond, their twinned flames still intertwined with the other. But, for the first time since their joining, she couldn’t touch Philomena’s thoughts, share their senses or hear her voice. As if a wall now separated the two of them.

Mena? Mena, please answer me! Sunset desperately sent again, only for her sending to be met with nothing. Even the persistent whispering that had tormented her up until now was gone, leaving her in crushing silence.

As the realization that she was completely alone sank in, she found herself trembling.

She’d never liked being by herself, even before her ascension. Thanks to the bustle of the orphanage, her job, or her oath-sisters, that rarely if ever happened. And with her bonding with Philomena, she was sure that she’d never have to face that particular fear ever again.

But now, with the comfort of Philomena’s voice completely gone, the crushing weight of her absence began to press down on her from all directions, she began to find it hard to breathe. It felt like a piece of who she was, a chunk of her very essence had been ripped away and lost, leaving a gaping hole in the center of her existence.

Reluctantly, she lifted her head and opened her eyes.

Gone was the nightmarish room of sludge, flesh and bone. Instead, she found herself sitting on the summit of a tall hill amid a copse of sickly oak trees, gray and black stone and brown bunchgrasses. The vegetation was ominously swaying in a persistent breeze that brought with it a strange, subtle fetor, one that reminded her of decomposing leaves and rancid milk. The sky was gray and overcast, the barest hint of light from the high noon sun forcing its way through the roiling mass of clouds. The weak light left everything in a dismal pall that accentuated the shadows of the trees in ways that left her feeling like they could be hiding something dangerous.

Slowly getting to her feet, Sunset looked around. After the strange, impossible things she’d been experiencing, it was almost a relief to find herself someplace mundane and… almost normal. Yet, there was still a profound feeling of wrongness about all of it. There was something familiar about this place. Yet it also felt foreign. Alien. The gray sky. The putrid breeze. The sickliness of the vegetation.

Yet one that was accompanied by a strange sense of familiarity. Like she knew this place. Even through all of the wrongness.

As she searched her memories, her attention came to rest on the trunks of one of the trees: a particularly ancient and stately oak tree that had been partially hollowed out due to age. There was something hauntingly familiar about the tree.

“I… know this tree,” Sunset whispered to herself as she walked up to it and got a closer look.

Then, it hit her as though Queen Celestia herself had kicked her.

The reason why all of this looked so familiar.

“I’ve been here before,” Sunset whispered to herself as she looked around again, studying the horizon, vegetation, and everything.

It had been one of the most terrifying experiences she’d had before the phoeinx-rite out shone it.

The incident happened a month after she’d taken her oath with Rainbow, Applejack and Pinkie, at their first sleepover at the Pie rock farm. That night, Rainbow had told them about her dad’s latest expedition with the rangers, and how they’d had to go to the west of town to remove a child-tailed viper that had been ambushing travelers along the road. In their youthful innocence, they’d decided that they wanted to go on an adventure too. Maybe find a monster to beat so they could be heroes like the rangers.

So the four of them gathered up some supplies, mostly snacks and a few “essentials” like “weapons to beat the monsters,” which were in reality just sticks and rock farming tools, a couple of “monster guides” in the form of story books, and headed out just as the sun was coming up.

In their naivete, they had just set off into the wild without telling any of the adults, nor paying attention to where they were going. The thrill of being brave heroes driving them on, they ended up further and further away from the safety of Golden Tree. It wasn’t until around noon, when the Queen’s sun was at its hottest, did they stop their exploring, eating their snacks under the oak at the summit of the very hill she was now standing on.

It was AJ that said she was thirsty, and asked if they’d brought something to drink. There was a tense silence, before they each admitted they didn’t. The closest they had was the fruits they’d brought, which they’d already eaten. Pinkie had suggested that they just head home to get a drink. They’d debated giving up their adventure so easily, but conceded that they probably weren’t going to find any monsters. So, they decided to turn around and head back.

Only to realize that they didn’t know which way back was.

Sunset remembered how scared they’d been at the sudden realization that they were lost. At first, they’d thought they could find their way back by just retracing their steps. A plan that was dashed when Pinkie said that she didn’t remember where they’d come from. Something the others reluctantly confirmed. AJ suggested that they stay put and wait for the adults to find them, since that’s what her pa and ma had told her to do. AJ’s confidence deflated when Sunset reminded her that they hadn’t told any of the adults where they’d gone. Rainbow had suggested she could fly back to Golden Tree and bring help, which Pinkie had dismissed, because even if she found the adults, would she be able to find them again?

It was then that an idea hit Sunset, and she asked Rainbow if she could fly up high enough to see Golden Tree? Rainbow had admitted she probably could, but was worried she would lose Sunset, AJ and Pinkie if she did. Sunset said she had a plan, and used a spell dance to summon as big of a will-o-wisp as she could, then commanded it to float above the top of the trees so Rainbow could use it as a beacon to find them. Then, she could direct them towards town.

Reluctantly, the others agreed to Sunset’s plan.

And so began the long, terrifying trip home. Sunset summoning her will-o-wisp, Rainbow flying up to see which direction led to Golden Tree, then flying back down to guide them. Eventually, they got close enough to town that the ranger search party that was out looking for them spotted Rainbow and the will-o-wisp, and came to collect them.

Sunset had never been so happy to be disciplined by Tender Heart before. A sore bottom, and a month of being grounded with extra chores was a price she was willing to accept for being back home safe and sound.

“If it's the same hill,” Sunset thought aloud, her heart pounding in her ears, “that means I’m in the Western Territory. But… how? How can I be… home…?”

It didn’t make sense. How could she have gotten all the way from the Eastern Territory to the Western? Had the bone-room been the result of some sort of spell? One that carried her away from Rose’s Blossom? No, that didn’t make sense either. Philomena had shown her that she was still in the Eastern Territory in Roseluck’s manor.

Sunset was forced to protect her face as a sudden and violent gust of wind came roaring through the trees. It did little to hamper the horrid stench the wind carried with it, leaving her stomach turning in disgust yet again as the putrescence assaulted her. And on the wind came something else. A strange sound that reminded Sunset of the hiss of flowing sand mixed with cracking and splintering wood and the tumbling of rocks down a slope.

Just as suddenly as it began, the wind was gone. Without its roar, Sunset could hear the new sound more clearly. And, she realized, it was getting closer. Looking in the direction of the sound, she took a step back, her pulse beginning to race at what she saw. Something was moving through the trees, its passage marked by the violent rustling of the branches and flocks of terrified birds scattering into the air.

She couldn’t see whatever was coming, but she could tell that whatever it was, it was massive.

And it was heading straight for her.

Sunset’s instincts kicked in, and she tried to take to the air and fly to safety. Only to find that she couldn’t. She could feel the flame within her attempting to lift her into the sky. Yet for some reason, it didn’t.

A loud crash from behind told her that she didn’t have time to think about why. Her only choice was to run.

*****

Sunset’s pulse was hammering in her chest as she sprinted around the edge of a large boulder outcrop. She didn’t dare look back, but she could hear the thing still coming. Chasing her. Her sides ached and her head was light from how hard she’d been pushing herself, but she knew she couldn’t stop. Now without whatever it was catching her.

She’d hoped she’d been running in the direction of Golden Tree, and help from the guards. But with her frenzied flight, she couldn’t tell. But it hardly mattered if whatever was chasing her actually caught up.

Unfortunately for Sunset, the ground around the boulders was loose with gravel and sand. With a startled yelp, the ground slid out from under her dress shoes, sending her tumbling. Hitting the ground, she let out a pained cry as the wind was nearly knocked completely out of her.

Clearing her head with a shake, she realized that the sound of the thing chasing her had sped up. And there was no way she was going to be able to outrun it. Not on such soft ground.

Yet, just as she was sure she was done for, there was a flicker of light in the darkness. At the base of the boulder pile, she saw a small opening. One that looked just big enough for her to crawl into.

Acting on instinct, she scrambled forward, ignoring the pain of the scrapes and jabs of the gravel and rocks as she squirmed into the hole. Inside, she found that the gap expanded into a small, asymmetrical alcove formed from the boulders coming to rest unevenly. It was cramped and uncomfortable, but large enough for her to sit in if she curled up. Moving as far away from the entrance as possible, she pulled off her blouse and threw it over her head, hoping to hide the glow of her living flame.

She could hear the thing crawling over the boulders above her, the swishing and grating sound it made echoing in the small cave. Then, the light from outside was completely eclipsed as it surged down from on top of the rocks where she fell, leaving her with only the faint glow of her living flame to see by. Slapping her hands over her mouth, she closed her eyes, focusing on keeping as quiet as possible.

Outside, she could hear it slithering and surging around. Searching.

‘Go away. Go away. Go away! Go away!! GO AWAY!!!’ Sunset screamed in her mind as she curled up even tighter, biting her lip to keep herself from sobbing in terror.

Time ceased to have meaning for Sunset. All that mattered was staying as still and silent as possible.

After what felt like an eternity of surging and cracking outside her hiding place, the sounds of the creature began to slowly grow fainter, until they faded away entirely. Sunset didn’t move. As tempting as it was to peek out and see if it was safe, she couldn’t risk whatever it was coming back because she showed herself too soon.

So she stayed in the rocky alcove, her attention focused on listening for any signs of her pursuer. Once she was sure the thing was really gone, she slowly began to edge her way out of her hiding place.

Once near the entrance, she stopped and listened again. Hearing nothing, she peaked out of the opening, careful not to stick her head out. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she slowly crawled out of her hiding place and stood.

The first thing that greeted her was how severely the ground all around the boulders had been trampled by whatever the thing was. Instead of normal footprints, the creature had left odd, alien spirals and swirls that looked like some sort of twisted filigree carved into the soil. Nervously looking out into the savannah, she saw a trail of uprooted grasses and shrubs leading off to the west.

As she stared at the trail the thing left, she saw a new detail that sent a chill up her spine. Whenever the thing’s trail would reach a tree, it didn’t veer around it. Instead, it would pass straight through the tree, leaving it standing while carving more of that strange filigree into the trunk and stripping off the smaller branches.

Whatever the thing was, she was more sure than ever that she didn’t want to ever let it find her.

Staying as quiet as she could, Sunset began to make her way in the opposite direction. The first thing she needed to do was get as far away from whatever the night that thing was as she could. Once that was done, she could get her bearings, and figure out how far she’d run. Then, if she was lucky, she’d be able to find a landmark she could use to figure out the way back to town.

And hope that whatever that thing was didn’t come back.

*****

Huffing with effort, Sunset pulled herself up the next branch of the oak tree she was scaling, only for her dress to get snagged. Growling with frustration, she grabbed the fabric and yanked as hard as she could, tearing it free. Glaring at the ripped and frayed garment, she silently cursed the stupid thing, before resuming her climb.

She’d been hiking for what felt like hours, and she was slowly running out of tinder. A situation not helped by her clothes and shoes. Her dress seemed to have an almost supernatural ability to snag on branches and brambles, or accumulate dozens of sharp, painful grass seeds. And then there were her shoes. Her stupid, fancy shoes that were completely unsuited for such a long hike over uneven, loose terrain, leaving her feet tired and sore.

But still, she pressed on.

As she’d traveled, the landscape has gradually become more familiar, yet more unsettling at the same time.

The breeze had changed. Now it not only carried that horrid smell with it, but also the barest hint of the whispering that had plagued her before. The noise wasn’t as loud or persistent, but it was always there. Fluttering about just on the edge of her perception, like an itch in her ears that she couldn’t scratch.

Worse, every so often the wind would carry the sound of the entity off in the distance, scraping and seething around. The periodic reminders of its presence kept her constantly on edge. She only hoped that it couldn’t hear her too. She wasn’t sure if she could outrun it again in her current state.

Then there were the trees.

Most of the time, there was nothing out of the ordinary about them. But, sometimes, the shadows would play tricks on her peripheral vision, creating phantom faces twisted in agony that looked like someone she knew growing from the bark, or in the arrangement of the leaves. But the moment she looked at the phantom, it would vanish.

Adding to the sheer, otherworldly wrongness of everything was that the sun hadn’t moved at all. In the entire time she’d been walking, it had stayed fixed at high noon.

Sunset didn’t know what to make of it. The very idea of the sun remaining unmoving in the sky meant that something must have happened to the Queen. Either that, or somehow Discord had managed to slip past Empress Harmony and was interfering with the Queen’s control of the sun like he did during the Chaos War.

Sunset wasn’t sure which idea she liked less.

No matter how well the latter would explain everything going on around her.

So she did her best to ignore all of these new distractions as she fell into a routine. Move from one landmark to another. When she reached the next, she’d clamber up one of the hills and scale the tallest oak she could find to look for the next. Or signs of the entity.

With one final heave, Sunset pulled herself up to the highest branche she was sure could support her. Sitting on it, she took a few seconds to catch her breath. Once she’d recomposed herself, she began to scan the horizon for the next landmark: a copse of old, dead oak trees growing along the edge of a sheer cliff that was partially obscured by more than a dozen enormous cottonwoods. At first, she couldn’t see the stand she was looking for. Then, in the distance, she spotted them. The sight of the gnarly old things almost made her want to cry with joy, since that particular copse of trees marked the site of Clear Spring.

After her and her oath-sister’s little misadventure, Sunset had made a point to spend time with Bow Hothoof to learn the local landmarks. Just in case she ever found herself lost outside Golden Tree again. Clear Spring was one of those landmarks, and a very important one at that. It was the site of a perennial, freshwater spring situated about a mile east of the north road out of Golden Tree, and was an important site for the rangers, as its lush, wetland vegetation in a sea of oak savannah made for an excellent navigation point from the sky.

If she could reach it, she’d be able to follow the trail leading from the spring to the main road. And from there, it was just a few miles to Golden Tree. Even better, she knew that there were plenty of wild spiceberry and water peach bushes growing under the cottonwoods.

Carefully climbing down from the tree, she set off again. She was getting closer now.

She just needed to reach the spring.

*****

Sunset clambered down the nearly invisible game trail on the hillside, shuffling sideways to keep her balance. The hill’s vegetation was growing denser with the increased moisture coming from the ground, making it harder to navigate the slope. She proceeded with extra caution, both because of the treacherous footing, and the ever increasing assault on her senses.

The wind had also been periodically picking up, blowing her around with short, violent gusts that died back as soon as they came. And with it came the voices. No longer content to whisper, now they wailed with the roar of the wind, forcing her to cover her ears every time the winds came.

The only gift from the Queen in this situation was that the thing still hadn’t caught her trail.

She just hoped her luck held out until she reached Golden Tree.

The trail finally reached the outer edge of the cottonwood grove. As she stepped into the gloom under their boughs, she desperately focused on her meditation techniques in an effort to keep herself from running in the opposite direction. Because the bark of the cottonwoods were covered in twisted, agonized faces. Faces that she was certain were looking at her as she passed.

There was also a new, fouler odor that had joined the one carried by the wind. Unlike the sour, spoiled scent she’d almost grown accustomed to, this one reeked of putrefaction and death. The closest thing she’d ever smelled before was the dead calf she’d found when playing hide and seek at AJ’s farm.

And it was getting stronger the closer she got to the spring.

Fighting down the urge to vomit from the stench, Sunset pressed forward. There had to be something dead and rotting up ahead. She just hoped that it wasn’t actually in the spring, lest the water become fouled and useless.

Normally, the rangers and renewers wouldn’t let something like that happen. The water from Clear Spring was too vital a resource to be left contaminated. Which meant that the corpse either hadn’t been found yet. Or the renewers couldn’t spare the time to come and clean out the spring.

Sunset had a horrible suspicion that she knew the answer to that particular question.

Covering her nose and mouth with a sleeve, she pressed forward.

*****

Pushing one last branch aside with a tendril, Sunset broke through the foliage and stepped into the glen around Clear Spring.

Reaching it had been far more arduous than it should have been. Discounting the difficulty of the hike in her entirely inappropriate for wilderness trekking clothes, the vegetation along the trail to Clear Spring had become overgrown and wild, with thorny water peach bushes and vicious stinging baliranta vines blocking her way.

In the end, she resorted to using her living flame tendrils to clear her path, bending, snapping and tearing through the tough foliage. It was slow going, both because of the nature of the task, and the constant worry of inadvertently setting everything on fire.

Even if she could still control her living flame, she wasn’t going to gamble on her fire immunity persisting with her connection to Philomena blocked.

The moment she stepped into the glen, the putrescent stench rose to overpowering levels. Turning away and doubling over, Sunset began to dry heave as her senses were completely overwhelmed by the monstrous fetor hitting her nostrils. In desperation, she held her breath and grabbed the hem of her dress, tearing loose a long, wide piece of the fabric which she wrapped around nose and mouth.

The makeshift mask didn’t completely eliminate the nauseating odor, but it made it somewhat bearable.

‘Guess this stupid thing does have some use,’ she thought as she unsteadily stood up and turned around, making sure to breathe through her mouth.

The sight that greeted her caused her to take a step back as a pained, choked gasp escaped her throat.

The vegetation around Clear Spring was sickly and dying, while the spring itself, normally crystal clear and pristine, was now brown and muddy. What had Sunset’s attention wasn’t the state of the spring, but what was around it. Scattered through the glen were over twenty little bodies, whisps and shreds of their skin and hair still clinging to their corpses. All of them looked as though they’d been chewed on by some sort of scavenger, with a few reduced to little more than piles of broken bones. The air was thick with carrion flies, their constant buzzing filling her ears with its irritating white noise.

Stepping into the glen, Sunset tentatively approached the nearest corspe, turning it over with a tendril. The moment she touched the body, hundreds of flies erupted into the air. Swiping her hands and tendrils around frantically, Sunset dispersed the revolting cloud of insects. Once the air was cleared, she knelt down to examine the body.

It was a young fire-caller boy, probably about half her age, with silvery hair and light, sea-green skin and aqua blue soul gem. As she looked at the body, she couldn’t help but feel that there was something oddly familiar about him. She couldn’t place who he was with how much damage had been done to his face by the elements and scavengers. But he felt oddly familiar. One thing that was clear was that his death hadn’t been natural: the large brown stain and three holes in his shirt were proof of that.

Standing, she slowly began to make her way through the bodies. Most of them were about the same age as the first body she examined. A few were older though, probably closer to seven. From the look of it, all of them had been killed by gunfire. Fire-caller. Earth-weaver. Sky-runner. None had been spared.

‘Why? Why would anyone… how could…why? Why?’ Sunset’s mind was racing as she tried to comprehend the horror all around her. ‘Who could do this? Why would they do this?’

As Sunset continued to stare at the charnel field, she spotted something out of place among all of the smaller bodies. There, near the edge, were three larger corpses. Two were about her age. The first was an earth-weaver girl, her purple hair and light-violet skin caked with dirt and blood. The second was a sky-runner, her pale persian blue skin and feathers and pale opal hair similarly covered in grime.

‘No…’

Then Sunset’s eyes focused on the final body, and the only adult. Sunset felt light-headed. Salmon pink skin. Long, two-toned robin-shell and sky blue hair. Unlike the others, she was turned in the opposite direction of the bodies, as though facing whoever had shot the others. And, unlike the others, she was relatively pristine, showing no signs of having been chewed on by scavengers.

“No… no, please, no…” Sunset whimpered as she slowly and unsteadily approached the corpses.

Everything fell into place in her head.

Why she felt like she knew these bodies.

Because she’d seen them… or rather the sun-gazers that had once inhabited them… nearly every day of her life up until a quarter of a year ago.

“Tender Heart. Lilac Dust. Flitter,” Sunset sobbed as she fell to her knees.

These were the bodies of everyone from Golden Tree orphanage.

For the third time since setting foot in the glen, Sunset felt the urge to vomit.

“How? Why? Why would… who could… Tender Heart… who did this?” Sunset sobbed as she slowly crawled towards the matron’s body.

“Don’t touch her!”

Sunset froze.

The voice that had just shrieked at her was strange and distorted, like it was being spoken through a throat filled with mud and twigs. But even through the distortion, she knew the speaker’s voice.

Rising to her feet, Sunset turned towards the source.

Sunset found herself barely able to comprehend what she was seeing as she took a step back in horror. There, standing near the edge of the spring’s pond, was a lone figure, glaring at her with murder in her eyes.

She was about Sunset’s age, but looked dangerously malnourished, her pale, aquamarine skin stretched tight over her body, like she was a walking skeleton wrapped in a thin, flimsy layer of flesh. Her hair was filthy with dirt and mud, but Sunset could still see traces of light opal and white amid the grime. Her eyes were a dull and empty gamboge, while the spot on her forehead where her soul-gem would have been was nothing more than a raw, empty crater filled with small shards of shattered golden crystal. Most shocking of all, her mouth was not filled with normal teeth, but dozens of jagged black fangs, while her hands ended in long, wicked black talons.

Sunset could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she broke out into a cold sweat. Of all the things that could have found her, this was one of the worst.

In all her life, she’d hoped she’d never come upon a moorgaunt.

A sun-gazer twisted into a vicious predator and driven to cannibalism by the corrupting power of Chaos. But, the true dream wasn’t what the creature was. But who it was.

“Lyra…?” Sunset muttered, her body beginning to tense as she prepared to run for her life. Even if this thing was once Lyra, that didn’t matter. A moorgaunt was a creature of Chaos. And was more than capable of killing a lone sun-gazer.

Especially if it got close enough to look her directly in the eyes.

The moorgaunt that was once Lyra Heartstrings flinched at the sound of her name. There was a moment where the emptiness in her eyes briefly faded, and Sunset could see a trace of her bunkmate and friend.

“Sunset?” the creature asked. There was shock in her twisted, guttural voice. Shock, and recognition. As though Lyra was seeing her for the first time, rather than just another piece of meat wandering into her territory to be devoured.

And then, in a flash, it was gone, only to be replaced by something darker. Something far more sinister.

Hate.

Pure, raw, unfiltered hate.

The creature began to stagger forward, the brown, muddy water sloshing around her legs as her claws flexed threateningly. Sunset reflexively retreated, her will extending into her living flame as she prepared to defend herself. She didn’t want to hurt Lyra, but the look on Lyra’s face told her that the sentiment was not mutual.

“How dare you come here? After everything that’s happened. After everything you’ve done, how dare you?!” Lyra hissed as she lurched out of the water.

“Lyra, what are you talking about?” Sunset asked, her living flame forming into a pair of tendrils. “What did I do?”

Lyra scoffed as she hunched down and brought her claws up as she prepared to lunge at Sunset, yet remained at a distance, her eyes flicking to the fiery tendrils.

“Don’t play dumb, Sunset,” Lyra hissed as she began to circle around Sunset, trying to get behind her. “You screwed up. And we paid the price.”

“Lyra, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sunset said, her mind working in overdrive as she turned to keep Lyra infront of her. Even the little bit of combat training she’d gotten on Mt. Liakeed was screaming to her that she couldn’t let Lyra flank her, or get her into a spot where she could put her at a disadvantage. “What happened to everyone? To Tender Heart? To you?”

“Look around you, you dumb goat-licker. They’re dead. All because of you.”

“What do you mean, they’re ‘dead because of me?’ You keep saying that, but I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sunset retorted. “I just found myself in the middle of the savannah with no idea how I got there. Last thing I know, I was in Rose’s Blossom on the other side of Solaria. How can any of this be my fault?!”

Lyra growled, narrowing her eyes as she advanced on Sunset, only to shy away when Sunset presented the points of her tendrils and made them grow searing hot.

“The Helopolans happened, you night lover,” Lyra snarled. “I don’t know what you did back east, but it was bad enough that Lady Inkwell didn’t notice, or care, when Blueblood and his allies razed Golden Tree.”

“What?!” Sunset asked dumbly. Blueblood had done what? How?

Sunset heard the crunch of grass only a fraction of a second too late as Lyra lunged at her, capitalizing on her distraction. Sunset reflexively dodged back as Lyra’s claws raked across her upper arm, tearing through the fabric of her dress and leaving four shallow slashes.

Sunset didn’t give Lyra the chance to press the attack. Swift as a striking snake, one of her tendrils wrapped around Lyra’s arm and snapped outward, yanking the moorgaunt off her feet and sending her tumbling across the ground. Breathing heavily, Sunset watched as Lyra rolled with the throw, righting herself by digging her claws into the ground and using them as an anchor.

Lyra didn’t stand immediately, instead remaining low to the ground on all fours, her limbs rotated in an unnatural way that made her look almost lizard or insect-like.

Sunset clutched her injured arm, putting pressure on the cuts to stop the bleeding. Her breath was shallow and ragged as she glared at Lyra.

“Not bad, Sunset,” Lyra hissed as she scuttled to her left, once again trying to get into position to pounce. “Looks like you picked up something in Heliopolis after all. Too bad it wasn’t sense enough not to pick a fight with one of the most powerful families in Solaria.”

“I didn’t pick a fight with them,” Sunset retorted, backing away as she kept Lyra in front of her. “They picked a fight with me.”

“I don’t care what excuses you make for yourself, Sunset.” Lyra stopped her scuttling. “You screwed up, and Golden Tree paid the price. When the soldiers came, they just started killing everyone in town. Didn’t matter who it was. Men. Women. Young. Old. They all were fair game.”

Lyra’s face screwed up with pain as black tears began to flow from the corners of her eyes.

“Tender Heart managed to get us out, but that didn't save us when the soldiers found us.” Black tears began to drip down her face as her features twisted in pain. “She sacrificed herself to save us, but it didn’t matter. There were too many of them. Now, everyone’s dead.”

“Except you.”

“Not for lack of trying on their part,” Lyra snarled as she tensed her limbs. “The shadow-lovers shot me in the back. Next thing I know, I wake up face down in the water. And when I dragged myself to shore, all I could think about was how hungry I was. And that there was the most delectable scent in the air I’d ever smelled.”

Sunset focused her mind on her meditations, desperate to keep her focus on Lyra. But the thought of what Lyra was implying made her stomach turn in revolt.

“So, you…”

“Yes, Sunset.”

“They were our friends! Our family! And you… you…”

“I what? ATE them?” Lyra shrieked, launching herself into the air, her claws extended and jaws open, ready to tear into Sunset’s flesh.

Sunset reacted on instinct, her tendrils blocking Lyra’s lunge. But it did little to blunt the force of the impact. Sunset felt a jolt of pain in her heel, causing her knee to buckle. Lyra capitalized on her weakened stance, pushing forward and sending them both to the ground, landing on top of Sunset. Sunset desperately wrapped the living flame around Lyra’s wrists and tried to push her off. But, from her position on the ground, she couldn’t get the leverage she needed to dislodge Lyra as she gripped Sunset’s torso with her legs.

“At first, the hunger was overwhelming. I held out for as long as I could,” Lyra hissed as she leaned forward, her hot, rancid breath stinging Sunset’s eyes. “But in the end, I couldn’t fight it. And after that first, delicious bite, I just couldn’t get enough.”

“Lyra, stop…” Sunset tried to reach up and grab Lyra’s arms, only for Lyra to snap her teeth at her, forcing Sunset to retreat. Everything Sunset had read about moorgaunts told her that she was in worse danger than ever.

“Nope!” Lyra said, her voice a twisted version of her old cheeriness as she struggled against Sunset’s living flame. As she pressed her face forward, a strange light began to shine in her eyes. “I haven’t had fresh meat in weeks, Sunset. And you smell so good. I wonder what you’ll taste like.”

Sunset felt a strange fog begin pressing in on her mind, trying to force its way in. Instinctively, she pushed back as hard as she could, but it kept coming. Smothering her mind. She could feel it telling her to just let go. That she couldn’t win.

There was no need to fight it.

Just give in.

Give in to Lyra.

Don’t think.

Just obey.

“Lyra… don’t…” Sunset strained as she fought against what Lyra was doing to her. The pressure on her mind was growing by the moment. She could feel the grip of her tendrils holding Lyra’s wrists slackening.

“Come on, Sunset. Just give it up,” Lyra smirked, the glow in her eyes growing stronger and the fog trying to crush Sunset’s will growing. “You know you want to. You’ve failed. You’re a failure of a phoenix-born. You’ve destroyed Golden Tree. You killed Tender Heart. So why not be useful for a change and just let me eat you? I promise I’ll take my time so that it’s as painful as possible.”

Sunset knew she couldn’t keep this up. It was only a matter of time before her will faltered and Lyra’s moorgaunt hypnosis won. But she knew the fate that awaited her if she did. The books all told her that moorgaunts loved to keep their hypnotized victims alive as long as possible, savoring their impotent despair as they were slowly devoured before their own eyes.

She had to find a way to break free.

But it was hopeless.

She had no magic. No weapons. And the pressure from Lyra’s eyes was growing stronger and stronger. From her peripheral vision, she could see her living flame wrapped around Lyra’s wrists.

‘I’m sorry, Lyra,’ Sunset thought as she screamed, mustering every milligram of will she could to force back Lyra’s gaze.

Then commanded her living flame to become searing hot and constrict down on Lyra’s hands as hard as they could.

Lyra’s pained screams filled the air, along with the scent of burnt flesh. Recoiling, she lept backwards, staring in horror at the stumps of her smoking wrists as she left the ashen remains of her hands in Sunset’s tendrils.

Sunset pushed down her own sorrow at seeing Lyra in pain, forcing herself to remember that moments ago, this thing… this twisted mockery of her friend had been trying to enslave her mind so she could eat her. Rolling up to her hands and knees, Sunset formed one final tendril, making it as hot as she could.

Her eyes snapped to the broken soul gem on Lyra’s forehead.

With another agonized scream, Sunset sent the tendril lancing forward.

And straight into the gap in Lyra’s forehead.

There was a hideous squelching like that of a club smashing a ripe melon followed by a wet hiss that reminded Sunset of metal being quenched as the tendril punched through the bone and flesh, and directly into Lyra’s skull.

Time felt like it had frozen as Lyra went silent, smoke trickling from her ears, nose and mouth, the stink of scorched flesh joining the miasma of rot.

Then, Lyra fell to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

Relaxing her grip on her living flame, her tendril returned to its normal state, withdrawing from Lyra’s head.

Sunset sat there on the ground, panting for breath as she came down from the adrenaline rush. As her wits began to return to her, she could only stare in mute horror, her eyes focused entirely on Lyra’s face. The slack jaw twisted into a grimace. Her cold, dead eyes staring off into the distance. And the trickle of blood that was leaking out of every orifice on her head.

Sunset scrambled forward, tripping over herself as she rushed to Lyra’s side. She ignored the painful sting of her tears as she reached down and gently touched Lyra’s shoulder.

Nothing happened.

“Lyra,” Sunset whispered, the bottom falling out of her stomach as she stared down at Lyra’s corpse.

And realized exactly what she’d just done.

“Oh, Lyra,” Sunset sobbed, burying her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please. I’m sorry. I… I didn’t want to… but I… you were going to… I’m so, so sorry.”

Lowering her hands, Sunset looked Lyra’s body in the eyes, her heart breaking at the phantom of pain left there. Had she suffered? Or had her death been too quick for her to even feel the impact. As much as she wanted to believe it otherwise, the look on Lyra’s face told her that it had been far from painless.

Reaching out, Sunset slowly ran her hand down Lyra’s face, closing her eyes for the final time.

“I’m sorry, Lyra,” Sunset said as she rolled Lyra onto her back, leaving her face exposed to Queen Celestia’s sun.

As she began to rise, a sudden jolt from her feet forced Sunset back to the ground with a grunt. Shifting her position, she hissed as she slipped off her shoes to examine her feet. She could see the beginnings of a large blister on her heel, as well as the ball of her foot. Pulling off the other shoe, she saw the same, as well as a few places that had been rubbed raw.

Sighing, Sunset considered her options. As she sat there, she happened to glance at Lilac Dust. And, more importantly, her shoes and socks. Lyra had obviously removed them in order to get at the flesh on Lilac’s legs. Sunset felt a fresh wave of self loathing as she examined Lilac’s footwear. Of the girls their age, she and Lilac had the same size shoe. And they looked like they were still in reasonably good condition.

Getting to her feet, Sunset slowly limped over to Lilac, wincing as the dried grass poked at her blisters. Dropping to her knees, she collected the discarded socks and shoes, adjusting her position to put them on. Her skin screamed in protest, but Sunset powered through the pain as she got to her feet. Even with the discomfort of her sores, she knew that they wouldn’t get much worse now that she had on proper shoes and socks for walking.

“Sorry, Lilac,” Sunset said as she stared mournfully at her deceased friend, “but I need these more than you do right now.”

Sunset swept her eyes across the charnel field, only peripherally aware that the sky had grown slightly darker, and the wind grown a little stronger. She knew she should move on. But, she couldn’t leave everyone like this.

Yet, she didn’t know what she could do. She didn’t have the tools she needed to return everyone to Nitor’s embrace. And even with all of the wood around her, she couldn’t build a pyre for so many bodies. Let alone the arduous, nigh impossible task of gathering everyone’s corpse.

As she stood there pondering, the distant sound of panicked birds reached her ears. Head snapping in the direction of the sound, she saw flocks of avians rising into the sky, squawking and chirping with fright.

“No. Not now. Not again,” Sunset whimpered as the faint sound of sliding sand and tumbling rocks began to reach her ears, growing steadily louder by the moment.

It had found her, and was heading in her direction.

Sparing one last, tearful look at the others, Sunset turned towards the trail leading out of the glen.

And started to run as fast as her injured feet would carry her.

Author's Note

And so, Sunset's head trip gets worse.

Little bit of dangerous creature lore:

Child-tailed viper: Inspired by the spider-tailed vipers of Iran, child-tailed vipers are giant, slightly-magical, non-sentient snakes that have caudal lures on their tails that they can use limited shadow-magic to make resemble a sun-gazer child or baby animal. They use these lures and an ability to mimic sounds to draw in either other animals or sun-gazers who see the lure and think it's a child / young animal in distress. Once in striking range, the viper will attack and consume the would be predator/rescuer. An adult child-tailed viper is capable of devouring a full grown sun-gazer.

If you're curious about the model, here's a video of the spider-tailed viper hunting birds.

Interlude 5 - The Trials - The Price of Salvation

Raven could feel the tension in the air as she fully opened her link with Dylis, dividing her mind between her office and the grove. She could feel his fear. His sorrow. And most powerfully, his anger. The rest of the phoenixes were also with him, and they weren’t in a much better state.

“[And you’re sure about the identity of the body?]” Dylis finally asked.

“[Yes,]” Vestian said.

“[Where?]” Amara asked.

“[The Eyes tracked her to an old servant’s dormitory in the inner ring. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, she was already dead. By her own deathshard.]”

Flames licked across every other phoenix present as they fluffed up their feathers angrily.

“[So it was Nightcrawler,]” Akari hissed. “[Have you found anything else?]”

“[When the Eyes searched the premises, they found the fireplace had been recently used, and had the ashen remains of several documents as well as some ceramic, alchemical vials. Our best guess is the latter used to have the poison they used on the little miss.]”

“[Were you able to recover anything?]” Amara asked, her tone sharp with worry.

“[Nothing but burnt residue,]” Vestian replied. “[By the look of it, she used balefire. We’ve sent the remains to the fire-callers, but I doubt they’re going to find much of anything.]”

Amara slumped down as a series of pained trills came from her throat.

“[Dreaming darkness, we needed those,]” Amara finally said, nearly trembling with rage. “[Whatever this stuff is, I’m sure it’s Chaos-alchemically enhanced. Philomena’s completely cut off from Sunset through their link, but she’s still experiencing everything Sunset is.]”

Amara paused as she fought to compose herself.

“[And whatever’s happening in her mind, it’s affecting her body. She’s got cuts and bruises just appearing out of nowhere.]”

Worse and worse, Dylis sent, his frustration mounting.

It seems that wherever Nighcrawler has been hiding, he learned more than a few new tricks, Raven sent ruefully. And planned this out too well. Just how many more of his spies and agents has he snuck into our cities?

A new feeling of distress came from Dylis through their link.

Raven, please don’t start thinking like that. It's that sort of paranoia…

…that led Steel to where he is today, Raven sent with a sad sigh and a feeling of defeat as she took off her glasses, pressed her forehead into the palms of her hands and leaned her elbows on the surface of her desk. Fire and light, we needed to take her alive. Nightcrawler really outplayed us this time.

There’s always a solution to the puzzle, Dylis sent firmly with a feeling of sympathy. You should know that better than anyone.

This one’s probably one of the hardest we’ve faced in decades though.

It hasn’t stopped us before. And it’s not going to stop us now.

True. We know Windy Skies was part of the Endless Decay, or she wouldn't be able to manifest a deathshard. And the fact that she used it to kill herself means that Nightcrawler wanted us to know that he was behind it.

If she was the one to kill the other three, then she was the one getting orders from the Cult, Dylis added.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t get us any closer to a solution. We need information. Repairing the documents is impossible. The balefire made sure of that. And without knowing what Sunset’s been given, the only ones who could cure her are Queens Celestia and Lumina.

Moving her is out of the question though, Dylis sent frustratedly. The flight to Heliopolis would take hours, even if Spitfire carried her. And it's the middle of the night. Without the sun, Nighcrawler could ambush us if we try to get her back to Mt. Liakeed.

So it all comes back to identifying the poison. Without that, we’re stuck. But we can’t get information like that out of burnt paper, alchemical cinders, or a corpse.

Raven’s head shot out of her hands as a chill of dread ran down both her and Dylis’s backs simultaneously.

We can’t get the info out of a corpse… Dylis sent as his chest tightened.

…but a master shadow-wielder could, Raven concluded.

Raven could feel Dylis’s apprehension through their bond. Apprehension that she shared.

We both know who you’re thinking of, and I’m going to tell you right now that this is a terrible idea. For more reasons than I want to count.

It is. Raven rose from her desk and began to make her way to one of the side rooms, locking the door behind her. But unless we can find another necromancer with the kind of skills she and her kind have, we don’t have any other option.

I hate that I have to suggest this, but we could always ask a linnorm.

They’d be even less likely to help than she is, Raven sent as she began to remove her formal clothing to reveal a suit of grey, skin-tight Sky-striker armor underneath.

I know, but I had to present the other option. Even if it really isn’t an option, Dylis sent, before turning his attention back to the other phoenixes, who had been sitting patiently while he and Raven had conversed.

“[Akari.. Amara. I need to speak with Vestian and Steel privately. We’re about to have an Eclipse-Blue Five level conversation,]” Dylis said gravely.

Both Akari and Amara let out startled chirps, shuffling nervously on the branches.

“[You heard Dylis,]” Vestian said, his tone just as hard as Dylis’s. “[Leave. Now.]”

Neither of them needed any more prompting as they took to the air, flying away as swiftly as their wings could carry them. Once they were away, Raven cast a sound dampening privacy spell with a one handed spell-dance, allowing the magic to manifest through Dylis.

“[I have a feeling we’re not going to like this,]” Vestian said as he fixed Dylis’s eyes with his own.

“[Probably only a little less than I do,]” Dylis said. “[First, I need to know where the bodies of the four cultists are.]”

“[Waiting to be disposed of in the barracks,]” Vestian said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “[Why?]”

“[I need you to bring me their heads as quickly as you can. Make sure they remain as undamaged as possible.]”

There was a moment of silence as Vestian stared at Dylis, though Raven could tell that he was really scrutinizing her. She could almost feel the debate going on in Vestian and Steel’s shared mind as they carved her request apart and examined each piece.

“[Raven, I can’t let you do what you’re about to do,]” Vestian finally said. “[It’s blasphemy. And, it's too dangerous, even for you.]”

“[Steel, if we’re going to save Sunset, this is the only way.]”

Vestian let out a frustrated hiss and shifted on his perch.

“[Ask the kirintal. The stags are capable of necromancy. And since it’s their fault you had to bring Sunset, they can fix the situation they created.]”

Dylis shook his head.

“[The only necromancers among the kirintal that can do what we need are Magistrates who have reached and passed the Circle of Compassion. And we can’t reach them for the same reason we can’t get Sunset back to Heliopolis.]”

“[Then we let her die. Better to lose a new phoenix-born who hasn’t come into power than to risk you.]”

Vestian was unphased by Dylis’s hiss of anger, and continued to glare daggers at his brother.

“[Do not make light of that, Steel. Sunset dying would be a national tragedy. Or have you forgotten Sweet Stuff and Lettie.]”

“[Don’t you dare bring her up against me, Raven Inkwell,]” Vestian said in a low, dangerous voice as flames licked across his body. “[Do you think I want to see any phoenix-born die? Don’t you think that I would love nothing more than to track down Nightcrawler and introduce him to osteophage gas for what he’s done? But I’m looking at this rationally. Sunset’s death will be tragic, but we’ll recover. But if you die too, it would break Solaria. Not only will we be left without the voice and hand of Celestia, we will be left without one of the founders of our nation. And even if you succeed, what will you have to give in order to get the information we need?]”

“[This isn’t a debate, General Sentry,]” Dylis said firmly. “[As Seneschal of Her Majesty, Queen Celestia, and hand and voice of the throne, I am ordering you to bring me the intact heads of the four cultists as swiftly as possible. Do I make myself clear?]”

Vestian silently seethed, matching Dylis’s glare with one of his own. Rolling the bone she’d just rolled was risky. Steel could refuse to obey, which would delay her even more. And would likely result in Steel reporting to the queen what she had planned to do. Something that would assuredly result in her being reprimanded, not Steel. And no matter what, was going to drive the wedge deeper between them. But she couldn’t waste time. Not with Sunset’s life on the line.

“[As you wish, Lady Inkwell,]” Vestian finally said with a clipped, professional tone as he stood at attention. “[However, I will be accompanying you on this excursion.]”

“[No, Steel. Only one of us can go.]”

“[Then let it be us. The sun-blades can survive under Spitfire’s command if things go wrong.]”

“[No. Aside from the animosity between you and her people, it has to be Raven,]” Dylis said firmly, shaking his head. “[She’s the only one who can invoke the Law of Royal Parlay.]”

“[The what? You’re going to try using that?]” Vestian asked incredulously. “[What makes you think that they’ll honor the Law?]”

“[The same reason I know we would honor it should the Traitor’s speaker somehow arrive on our borders. It is the Empress’s Law, and all of those who live in Harmony’s embrace are bound to it.]”

Silence filled the warm autumn night as both Dylis and Vestian glared at one another.

“[We don’t like this.]”

“[Neither do we, but we’re not going to lose another phoenix-born. Not like this.]”

Neither phoenix spoke for a long moment as a cold night wind blew through the grove, its mournful fluttering shattering the silence that hung over it like a funeral shroud.

“[Just be sure to come back,]” Vestian finally said, his tone becoming dangerously icy. “[We’ve had to avenge one phoenix-born. We don’t want to have to avenge two more.]”

*****

Far from Rose’s Blossom, the moonlight was shining down on a certain stretch of particularly thick woodland. This notorious stretch of woodland was situated in a deep ravine between two isolated spines of the Dawning Mountains. The forest’s dire reputation had, over the years, caused the local sun-gazers to abandon the roads that strayed too close to its borders. Within the wood, the shadows clung to the trees in a peculiar way, as though the understory was resentful of either the light or darkness. Briars and brambles clogged much of the understory, making travel harrowing to nigh impossible if one didn’t stick to the game trails.

But more than either of these things, very air felt sick. Any who entered the wood found a strange weakness infecting them, as though the very breath was being pulled from their throats. Those who spent too long in the wood found themselves choking on the very air. Those that survived a trip into the wood were more prone to disease for days after leaving. For all these reasons, the region earned the name Plaguewood.

There was a sudden rustling of the branches and a gust of wind, as though something unseen were passing through a gap in the canopy at high speed. The gust was followed by a light impact on the ground, followed by the rippling of a heat mirage parting to reveal Raven. Unlike her usual attire, she wore simple traveler’s clothes over her sky-striker armor along with a pair of flight goggles instead of her glasses. On her belt was a small pouch that held four, apple sized objects, while in her right hand was a tall stick bearing the ancient Harmonian banner, one of a crystalline tree with nine glowing lights on the tips of its branches.

No turning back now, Raven sent to Dylis as she removed her goggles, slipping them down around her neck and replacing them with her glasses. Are you ready?

No, Dylis sent curtly, his perspective showing a devastated Roseluck, Amara and Philomena all sitting by Sunset’s bedside, the latter perching by her bondmate’s head, resting her chin on Sunset’s throat. Sunset herself was growing pale, along with a myriad of cuts, bruises and scrapes showing marring her flesh. But, as soon as you find what we need, I’ll tell Roseluck.

Good. Now we just need to hope that she’s willing to listen.

Dylis only sent a feeling of concern and support in return.

Taking a deep, bracing breath, Raven twirled her left finger in the air, summoning a will-o-wisp, which floated up above her to light her path. Then, she headed into the Plaguewood.

Raven found her nerves beginning to twitch as she penetrated deeper and deeper into the woodland. While she’d never been to the Plaguewood before, she had been to other areas like it before. That familiarity did little to make the experience pleasant. There was an inexplicable sense of claustrophobia and disorientation, as if the trees were both closing in on her and shifting from moment to moment around her, making it impossible to get her bearings. There was also a sense of dread that permeated the trees. A primordial fear as though the light of her will-o-wisp was the only thing holding back some fel creature from lunging from the dark to kill her.

Unlike the local sun-gazers, she knew the source of the malaise that permeated the wood. She inadvertently felt her hand tightening on the pole of her banner, wishing that it was her battle amp Dusk Requiem.

But she’d left the enchanted bec-de-corbin back in Rose’s Blossom. Along with every other amp she could have brought to defend herself.

Such was the Law of Royal Parlay.

No weapons of any sort.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she walked, her ears straining to pick up the faintest sound amongst the trees. There was one in particular that she was waiting for. One that would tell her that the master of the Plaguewood was near.

From across their link, Dylis sent feelings of comfort and encouragement, while keeping otherwise silent. Both of them knew she couldn’t afford to be distracted.

And then, off in the trees, she heard it.

A faint hissing sound like the movement of a great serpent, growing louder by the moment.

Stopping, Raven turned to face the direction of the sound.

Only for it to fade away and stop.

“[You are foolish to come here, Tyrant-spawn.]”

Raven forced herself not to react to the speaker who was now somehow off in the trees behind her. More disconcerting was the sound of their voice, which reminded her of wood splintering, branches cracking in a strong wind, and the rustle of dead, dried leaves. Despite the unnerving qualities of the sound, the language itself was regal, conveying a sense of dignity and authority.

Turning around slowly, Raven faced the direction of the speaker and bowed deeply.

“[Greetings, Great Träklo, Master of Plaguewood. I am Raven Inkwell, hand and voice of Queen Celestia,]” Raven said respectfully, using the speaker’s own language. “[By the ancient Law of Empress Harmony, forever may she reign, I seek an audience with the one who speaks for the Shadow.]”

“[I know who you are, Tyrant-spawn. And I care not why you have come. You have trespassed in my domain. I should kill you where you stand for your impertinence.]”

“[And yet, you will not. By the Law, those who speak for the Trinity may seek audience with their counterparts among their master’s siblings, and shall be granted safe passage to do so. You, who serve the Shadow are bound to this Law, just as all of Nitor is.]”

A low, threatening growl came from Träklo. Moments later, Raven could feel her breathing becoming more difficult.

“[You would violate Harmony’s Law?]” Raven asked, keeping her tone as firm and strong as possible despite how hard it was to draw in life giving air. “[I come under the banner of Harmony. I am unarmed, and seek parlay with she who is speaks for the Shadow, as is my right as the hand and voice of Queen Celestia. I thought better of you and your kind, Träklo.]”

Raven suddenly found drawing breath became easier, as though whatever force had been drawing it from her ceased. She still felt weaker, but the worst of it had passed.

“[You play a dangerous game, voice and hand of the Tyrant,]” Träklo voice growled from behind her. “[And for what reason do you seek my Master’s beloved?]”

“[My reasons are not yours to question,]” Raven said, her tone respectful yet forceful as she rose from her bow and turned to face the direction of Träklo’s voice. “[The longer you delay me, the greater the chance that the agents of Grogar and D’compose will triumph in their machinations. You and your kind swear allegiance to the Empress and are tasked with guarding this world against Chaos. I call on you to fulfill that duty, and provide me with the audience I seek.]”

Another low growl like the sound of a falling tree rumbled through the air as a pair of enormous, glowing green eyes stared down at her balefully from the shadows of the trees. Moments later, a reptilian head emerged from the gloom, its snout long and narrow, and a pair of long, back-curving antlers that looked like the gnarled branches of a tree adorning it like a crown. The creature’s scales resembled the coarse bark of an ancient pine tree, while a mane of long, scraggly, lichen-like gray hair ran from between its horns down to the base of its long, serpentine neck.

Next to emerge was a pair of powerfully muscled limbs, attached to a stocky, serpentine body. Each of the limb’s four fingers ended in long, deadly looking talons that resembled polished wood, which Träklo used to aid in drawing himself out into the light of Raven’s will-o-wisp. Like his head and neck, his back was covered in the same barklike scales, while his belly resembled the scutes of a great snake made of polished wood. Patches of moss and lichen clung to his back in random spots, making his body resemble an enormous fallen tree trunk.

In total, she guessed he was close to twelve meters long, three of which consisted of his neck and head.

A head that was now staring directly at her less than a meter from her face.

“[You are wily, speaker of the Tyrant,]” the great forest linnorm growled. Raven could smell the stink of rotting wood and leaves on his breath as she got a far more intimate look at his dozens of ten centimeter long ziphodont teeth. “[You shall have your audience. But if your reasons do not satisfy my Master’s beloved, know that I will be claiming your life as recompensation for the insult. Am I understood?]”

“[Yes,]” Raven said as she unflinchingly met the linnorm’s glare.

“[Very well,]” Träklo said. Fast as a striking snake, the linnorm wrapped his right hand around Raven’s torso, lifting her from the ground and pinning her arms to her side, along with the banner she was carrying. “[You will be deprived of your senses while we make the journey. I will not have you finding your way back to where my sacred communion with the Shadows occurs, should you live.]”

Raven could feel Träklo calling on his magic. As he did, a cloud of shadows formed around her, not only cutting off all light from reaching her, but all sound as well. Then, there was a sudden feeling of inertia as the linnorm began to move.

Looks like we made it through the easy part, Dylis sent.

Now comes the real test, Raven sent, opening her link with Dylis to take comfort in his presence.

*****

The veil of shadows vanished like a puff of smoke, leaving Raven temporarily disoriented as sight and sound returned to her. Even with the shroud gone, she could barely see anything outside the dim light of her living flame’s glow, its luminance barely providing enough light for her to see more than a meter from around her.

There was one other source of light in the chamber: a massive red crystal that gave off a soft internal glow. From the dim light it was producing, Raven could see that at the base of the crystal, there was an elaborate, rune-filled triangle carved into the stone. But in such feeble light, she couldn’t see much else.

Raven’s stomach lurched as Träklo gently set her down.

“[Stay where you are,]” the linnorm growled. “[Your filthy light taints this holy place. I don’t want you polluting it any more than nescessary.]”

Raven didn’t reply, only bowed her head respectfully.

With a dismissive harrumph, Träklo slithered towards the crystal. Soon, the linnorm coiled himself around it, blocking its feeble light and leaving her standing in near total darkness.

Through their bond, she could feel Dylis’s worry as he saw the world through her eyes. She sent him a feeling of reassurance in response, though it was almost as much for her benefit as it was his.

She could feel a cold chill run through her body as the glow grew strong enough to become visible from between Träklo’s coils, then erupt into a swirling maelstrom of shadowy energy that rapidly spread outwards to engulf the entire cavern.

Instinctively, Raven raised an arm and turned her head away to protect her face as the storm of shadow energy washed over her.

Then, there was a new presence in the cavern. One hidden from her view by the linnorm, yet palpable all the same. Every one of Raven’s instincts was roaring to her that she was in grave danger. That she needed to flee whatever it was that was hidden by those coils

She fought down the feeling while opening her bond more fully, allowing Dylis’s presence to calm her nerves.

“[I am sorry for calling upon you so suddenly, my lady,]” Träklo said. Unlike when he had spoken to her, his tone was one of deep respect and deference. “[The Tyrant’s speaker has invoked the Law of Royal Parlay, and has requested an audience.]”

Silence hung in the air for a few moments.

“[She would not. Only that it was a matter for you alone, and that involves the others of her ilk.]”

Another pause.

“[As you wish. I will be nearby should you need me.]”

…

“[Of course. By your leave, my lady.]”

Slowly, Träklo unwound himself, and began to slither towards Raven.

“[She will hear you,]” he said with a dismissive snort. “[Hope that she finds your request worthwhile.]”

Raven didn’t reply to the linnorm as he exited the shadow maelstrom. Mentally bracing herself, she approached the crystal.

And the woman that was now standing near it.

She was about a head shorter than Raven, with grayish heliotrope skin, long, pale arctic blue hair worn loose and free flowing, and piercing arctic blue eyes. She was dressed in a set of silver, blue and violet arcanist robes in a style that Raven had seen in the old Harmonia archives, one that was fashionable nearly five thousand years before the Spintering, along with a blue crystalline staff of similarly archaic design.

She might have been able to pass for any other mortal being, were it not for one highly disconcerting feature.

She bore no shadows anywhere on her body. Not under her hair. On the folds of her robes. Under her chin. Even the shadow she should have cast on the ground in the light of the crystal was completely absent. There was only flat color, making her difficult to look at due to appearing to have no dimension to her. Like she was some sort of stained glass image come to life.

Despite the uncanny nature of her visage, the woman was both hauntingly beautiful and impossibly regal, carrying herself with a self-assurance that rivaled Raven’s own.

Once she was within four meters of the woman, Raven stopped and bowed deeply to her.

The other woman didn’t return the gesture, instead choosing to simply stare impassively as Raven slowly rose.

Raven ignored the slight, raising the banner she was carrying, bringing the butt down onto the floor. The harsh crack of metal on stone shattered the silence of the cavern as the spike punched into the ground, planting the banner in place.

“In Harmony’s name, I, Raven Inkwell, hand and voice of Queen Celestia, and highest of the phoenix-born, invoke the Law of Royal Parlay. I solemnly swear on the crown of the Queen to abide by the Law. For the remainder of the night, I promise no war. Only peace.”

Raising her staff slightly, the woman brought the butt down as well, the sound of the crystal piercing stone answering Raven’s own. Then, releasing her hold on the staff, the woman lifted her hands and began to sign.

“In Harmony’s name, I, Radiant Hope, herald and hand of King Sombra, and mind of the umbrum, acknowledge the Law of Royal Parlay. I swear on the blade of my King that the Law shall be observed. So long as no war is brought to this place, I will only give peace.”

No sooner did she finish signing her acquiescence to the Law, than the atmosphere in the room around Radiant Hope felt suddenly more dangerous than before.

“Now that we have dispensed with the pleasantries, what has happened to the child?” Hope signed, fixing Raven with a glare that would have wilted a lesser person to a husk on the spot.

Raven wished she was surprised by Radiant Hope’s question, but was not.

“I see you are well informed as ever, mind of the umbrum. The Cult of Endless Decay has managed to administer an alchemically empowered hallucinogen to Sunset. The agents that poisoned her have taken their own lives, and destroyed all of the evidence we need to find a cure through the use of balefire. Now, her life is burning out, and will soon be extinguished.”

Radiant Hope’s eyes flicked over Raven, briefly coming to rest on the bag on her hip. She could see the gears turning in the umbrum’s mind.

“I can provide you what you seek. But my aid comes at a price.”

“I expected no less. I will hear your request, but do not promise anything,” Raven said as evenly as possible. “Know that I can not and will not place Solaria at risk, even for the life of the one I aim to save.”

“You risk Solaria by coming here, Tyrant’s voice. You know that almost as well as the butcher does,” Radiant Hope signed, turning away and walking up to the crystal. Facing Raven again, she continued. “My price is twofold. The first is a sacrifice from you. The spells that I must cast require great amounts of life-energy. You will provide it.”

“Fear not, for you will live. I would not violate the Law by taking enough to kill you. Nor will I give the Tyrant’s butcher a reason to unleash his bloodlust upon my people.”

“And the second?”

Radiant Hope turned to the crystal, placing her hand on its surface, staring into its facets for a long moment. Returning her attention to Raven, she signed, “There are things in motion beyond the borders of your Tyrant’s cage. Things that could one day threaten the Empress’s plans, maybe even Nitor itself. The second price I demand for my aid is a promise. A promise that when the time comes, you will provide one of your kind of my choosing to aid us in preventing such a disaster.”

Raven, Dylis sent, forcing Raven to divide her attention, Sunset is getting worse. I’m not sure how much longer she’s got.

Raven found herself in two places. The cave she was actually in, and the room where Dylis, Amara and Roseluck were watching over the convalescing form of Sunset. Since the last time she saw her, Sunset had grown even paler, and now bore numerous wounds, including the remnants of a jagged cut to her jaw that Roseluck had clearly treated with magic.

“Which of us do you want?” I cannot focus on that now, Raven sent, her tone apologetic. Radiant Hope has us in a corner.

I understand, Dylis sent. But please, hurry.

“Only when the bones land will I know. It may be you. It may be the butcher. The coward. The marauder. The child. Or one of you yet to be born.”

“You know I cannot give such a promise, mind of the umbrum,” Raven said with a shake of her head. “Not without guarantees on your part.”

“You seek to bargain? Now? Perhaps I misjudged you, Tyrant’s speaker. You may actually be worthy of your role. Very well, what assurances do you seek?”

“First: that you do not use this promise as a means to increase your incursions into Solaria. I will not permit your kind to prey upon my people because of my debt to you. This promise will only be for aid against this impending threat of which you speak. Otherwise, nothing changes between us.”

Raven’s keen eyes saw the slightest phantom of a smile on Radiant Hope’s face.

“I see no reason to deny you this. This matter is between us and us alone. So long as you do not escalate, neither shall we.”

“The second guarantee is that whoever you chose will come back to Solaria alive.”

Radiant Hope stared at her for a few moments, her expression completely unreadable, even to Raven.

“You are in no position to make such a demand, for such a promise can never be given. If that is your stipulation, then you will receive nothing from me.”

“Mind of the umbrum, you honestly can’t expect me to make such a promise,” Raven said as she folded her arms behind her back. “Especially one so ill defined. You want me to give you the life of one of my fellow phoenix-born for something so nebulous as a future threat to Nitor? Chaos claws at the Empress's defenses every moment. What makes the threat you speak of so much more dire? I will not betray my duty to Solaria and Queen Celestia by giving you such a thing.”

Radiant Hope’s expression shifted to an irritated frown.

“You are as short-sighted as the Tyrant, child. Your duty, as you put it, is to Harmony and Nitor. Just as is every one of us. The bones will fall as they fall, by the hand of the one who’s fate it decides. I can no more control it than you.”

“And what assurance do I have that you aren’t simply sending one of my family to their death?”

“You have none. And you will get none. You are asking me to save a life. I am merely asking for the use of a life in return. A life for a life, to ensure that all life can thrive. That is the pact I offer. If the price is beyond what you can afford, then you need not pay it.”

This really isn’t a choice, is it? Raven sent, her chest feeling tight as she unclasped her hands and reached for the pouch on her belt.

No, I suppose not, Dylis sent, their link fully opening. The Queen won’t be happy about this.

I’ll deal with that when the time comes, Raven sent as she untied the knot holding her pouch to her hip, saying“Very well. I accept your terms, mind of the umbrum. Now, please, I need to know how they’ve done what they’ve done.”

“Then it is agreed,” Radiant Hope signed as the hem of her robes transformed into a tendril of shadows that slithered across the ground and extended itself towards Raven. “Give them here, and we’ll see what secrets they hold.”

Opening the bag, Raven formed tendrils of her own with her living flame, pulling the apple-sized, severed heads of the cultists out. With a flick of her wrist, she undid the enchantment shrinking them. Once returned to their normal size, she extended her tendrils to the one created by Radiant Hope.

No sooner did Radiant Hope take the severed heads, than a sudden wave of pain and fatigue washed over Raven. Doubling over and sucking in her breath through her teeth, she looked at the umbrum, who had her hand outstretched and wreathed in shadow as she siphoned off the life energy she needed to power her magic.

Raven nearly doubled over in pain as the fatigue grew worse, her eyes barely able to remain open. Then, the pain was gone, though the weakness remained.

Dylis…

I’m here, Dylis sent, waves of worry for her coming through their bond. I’ll get Amara to heal us.

Good. Make sure Roseluck is ready when Hope gets what we need.

Through the link, Raven knew Dylis was telling Amara to begin to cast healing magic on him. Roseluck wanted to know what was happening, only for Dylis to tell her that it was classified. And that Raven was acquiring the knowledge to save Sunset, and that she had been hurt in doing so. She could see Roseluck wanting to push, but relented under Dylis’s glare.

As the exchange between Dylis, Roseluck and Amara was taking place, Raven was simultaneously focused on what was transpiring in the cavern. Radiant Hope had suspended the severed heads by their hair with the shadow tendril. Lifting her right hand, she reached out and touched each of the heads in turn. As she did, shadows began to writhe around each.

Then, from the stumps of their necks, a stream of liquid shadows began to pour onto the cavern’s floor. The pools of shadow seethed for a few moments, before surging upward, forming into shadowy duplicates of the four dead cultists.

“[Echoes of the dead, shades of memory and remnants of life lost,]” Radiant Hope signed. “[I am Lady Radiant Hope, and you will answer my questions.]”

Author's Note

Oh, what's this? One of the figures from Interlude 3 - The Shadows Have Eyes finally makes her appearance? Yup. Meet Raven's umbrum counterpart, Radiant Hope. Hopefully (heh) I managed to convey just how terrifying Hope is, even to Raven.

In the original draft of this chapter, I hadn't intended to use Radiant Hope. Instead, Raven and Steel were going to capture Windy Skies and interrogate her. But then I realized that given how competent I've been portraying Nightcrawler, that wouldn't do because he wouldn't leave such a loose end if the plan worked. And considering that the Cultists embrace death, it only made sense that they'd destroy the evidence, then off themselves to take the knowledge with them. Nightcrawler just didn't account for Raven's willingness to contact the shadow-stalkers to get the information they needed.

And, we also meet our first linnorm. Of the different types, forests are roughly mid-tier in power. Most prefer the illusion aspect of shadow-magic, but learn some shadow-manipulation to round out their repertoire. They avoid the necromancy and mind-controling elements of shadow-magic, as they consider such things distasteful. A forest linnorm's breath is high velocity blast of razor-sharp moss spores. Being hit by the blast is similar to being caught in a high-speed dust-storm, shredding vulnerable flesh with the high-velocity grit and clogging one's breathing holes. These spores end up embedded in any exposed flesh hit by the blast, digging in and germinating. If not burnt off, they will rapidly encase the victim in a layer of moss in a matter of minutes, immobilizing and suffocating them. A forest's fangs also deliver these noisome spores with every bite.

Living in sun-gazer territory, Träklo keeps a low profile, rarely leaving the Plaguewood. Few of the locals know about is presence, since they avoid his home. Both Raven and Steel are aware of him, and keep watch on the region in case it appears he's starting to grow bold enough to attack the local towns. If Raven or Steel went after Träklo with a full battle setup geared towards fighting him, they'd have a 60-70% chance of winning, though they'd probably be pretty badly banged up afterwards. With a full linnorm hunting party, they'd assuredly win, though there would be heavy casualties on their side. Since he's more or less content to keep to himself, they're willing to tolerate his presence. For now.

Anyhow, the next month or two of work is looking to be pretty draining, so I'll work on Rising when I get the chance.

Ch 15 - The Trials - Escape the Road of Sorrow

The world around Sunset was a panic filled haze as she ran. Before her was the path leading from Clear Spring to the road to Golden Tree.

Behind her was the seething sound of the entity hunting her.

Her lungs burned from exertion. Her sides and legs ached. Her vision blurred from the terrified tears streaming down her face.

But she couldn’t stop. Not with the entity slowly catching up.

She desperately hoped that she could lose the thing again. Find another hiding place to wait it out. But she knew she couldn’t get that lucky a second time. There were no rocky outcrops along this part of the trail. Only oak savannah.

She could only keep running.

Ahead, she could see the end of the trail, and the main road. She could hear the entity getting closer and closer, the sound of its hissing growing louder as though it were almost on top of her, the cracking and snapping of the tree branches like that of breaking bone in her ears.

Bursting clear of the woodland, Sunset ran onto the road. It was at that moment that her body finally gave out, her legs cramping up and sending her tumbling to the ground. Pushing herself up, she tried to get back to her feet, only for her legs to refuse to respond. Sobbing, she began to drag herself forward with her hands as the sound of the entity came crashing down the trial.

Only for it to stop.

Sunset continued to pull herself away, not willing to look back.

Yet, she didn’t hear the entity come any closer. It was still moving around. But, it sounded like it was stalking back and forth. As if it was held back by something, and it was looking for a way to get past it.

Curiosity overcoming fear, she chanced a look behind her and finally caught a glimpse of the entity.

She immediately wished she hadn’t.

It had form, in the sense that she could see where it began and ended. Its overall shape gave her the impression of a sort of huge mound. One whose edges were constantly distorting and fluttering around its center, like a swarm of locust. But what was within that fluttering outline was… she wasn’t sure what it was. The closest allegory her mind could construct was a horrible cloud of nothing. It wasn’t darkness, because darkness would be something. Instead, it was a strange, yawning void in the world that led to… nothingness.

Sunset stopped crawling, her attention fixated on the terrifying impossibility that was looming just beyond the edge of the road. As the thing seethed back and forth along the edge, she felt as if it were… examining her. Like it was trying to figure out how to reach her on the other side of whatever unseen barrier held it at bay.

Then, it slowly began to retreat back into the woods, until the only sign of its presence was the twisted carvings it left in its wake and the distant sound of flowing sand.

Slowly, it dawned on Sunset that the entity had left.

“Ah…ah ha ha. HAHAHAHAHA!” Sunset began to laugh, her terror giving way to unbelieving relief as the reality began to sink in. It had left. The entity had left. It had her, but it left. She couldn’t imagine why it left.

But it had.

As the adrenaline of her escape wore off, she was overcome by exhaustion and pain as the bodily debt she’d built finally caught up to her. Her legs and feet felt worse than they’d ever felt before. Rolling off her stomach to sit up, she let out a pained hiss as she put pressure on her heel. Gingerly removing her shoes and socks, she winced at the sight. Her heels were rubbed raw, with several popped blisters on the soles and sides of her feet.

Examining the damage, she found herself angrily wishing she’d been able to master the whole “letting Nitor’s heart heal her” trick. Or fly. Or even just use her magic in any way. Because she was pretty sure that she wouldn’t be running again any time soon. If anything, walking might be hard.

Taking the hem of her dress in hand, she ripped a few long strips free, wrapping them around her wounds. Then, wincing in pain as she put her socks and shoes back on, she collapsed onto the dirt road. It was lumpy and unpleasant, putting uneven pressure on her back, but she was too exhausted to care.

As she lay there, the weight of what had just happened at Clear Spring began to catch up to her.

A choked sob came from her throat.

If what Lyra… no, what the moorgaunt that was once Lyra said was true, then Golden Tree had been sacked. And Lyra had blamed her for it happening. A spark of anger ignited in her chest, and she violently quashed that idea. She refused to accept that. The only one to blame was Blueblood and his night-loving family.

The route of her thoughts turned to the others in town. Bronze. The Cakes. Bon Bon.

And her oath-sisters.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset sat up and tried to rise to her feet, only for her legs to give out half way there. She had to get to Golden Tree and find everyone. But she was in no shape to walk. Not without rest.

But she couldn’t wait that long.

She needed to get home.

Clenching her fists in the gravel and dirt, she took a handful and threw it with a frustrated yell. Why couldn’t she fly? If she could, she’d be at Golden Tree in no time.

Taking another stone and tossing it, she sighed with defeat.

She needed to rest. With no other option available, she slowly lowered herself back down to the earth. Laying there, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to remain still, trying to open herself to Nitor and let its life-giving energy help her.

She just needed… to rest…

*****

Sunset awoke with a start and a sharp jab in her cheek. With a shout, she jolted awake, swatting at whatever it was that had hurt her. In her flailing, her fist struck something hard and slick. The next thing she knew, there was a wall of flapping wings all around her. In a panic, she hid her face behind her arms and began to lash out with her living flame.

As the sounds faded, she lowered her arms. Looking up, she saw numerous black forms in the trees lining the road, all of them staring back at her with beady, black eyes set in ugly bald heads with wrinkly grey skin.

Her stomach heaved in disgust as she recognized the creatures.

Vultures.

She was surrounded by vultures.

As she glared in disbelief at the scavengers, she felt a line of warm moisture trickling down her cheek at the same spot as the pain that had woken her up. Touching the spot, she examined her hand, only to find it covered in blood.

Her blood.

With dawning horror, she realized what had just happened.

“Have dreams! I’m not dead, you disgusting freaks!” Sunset yelled, picking up a stone and throwing it at the nearest bird, which fluttered out of the way, glaring at her when it landed.

Mustering every ounce of will she could, Sunset slowly got to her feet. Her legs still ached terribly, especially where her heels and balls of her feet had been injured, but she found she could at least stand with minimal wobbling.

“See! Still alive!” she shouted. To her irritation, they didn’t fly off. Only continue to stare at her. Staring back, he wished she knew any hexes that she could hurl at them. And could actually cast.

Trying to put her anger aside, Sunset looked to the south towards Golden Tree. It was still at least a few kilometers to home. But even after her unexpected nap, she was barely in any condition to make the hike. She knew she needed rest. Real and proper rest.

‘No. I don’t have time,’ Sunset thought as she looked around the edge of the road. ‘There has to be something…’

Sunset’s heart leapt with joy as she saw just what she needed: a few low hanging branches on the dead oaks lining the road. Limping over, Sunset grabbed one and wrenched it down as hard as she could. Her satisfaction when it snapped off was cut short when the faces dotting the tree’s trunk all let out a chorus of pained screams as the branch broke free.

Staggering back, Sunset stared at the tree with horror as thick, crimson sap began to seep from the spot where she’d broken the branch off. Her heart racing, she cowered in anticipation, expecting the tree to start moving to attack her. Yet, nothing more happened.

Looking down at the limb in her hands, she closed her eyes and let out a slow, trembling breath. Once she had reigned in her racing heart, she reached down and picked up a fist sized rock, hoping that she wouldn’t get a repeat performance when she was knocking the smaller branches off.

*****

Sunset slowly and painfully hobbled towards the top of the last hill to the north of Golden Tree. Leaning on her makeshift walkingstick, she found herself once again glad she’d made the gnarly thing. As arduous as the hike had been, she was sure it would have been impossible without it.

‘Just a few more meters…’ Sunset kept telling herself. ‘Just a few more meters…’

Cresting the hill, she finally beheld Golden Tree.

Or rather, what was left of it.

The south end of town had been burnt, the blackened, charred remains of the building’s frames standing like ghastly fingers reaching for the sky. While the northern portion had been spared the fire, she could see that it hadn’t been spared of violence. Every building showed signs of fighting: doors and windows broken and useless, lines of rubble where earth-weavers had summoned defensive fortifications, holes in the walls of buildings where fire-callers had no doubt used spell-dances to break in.

And the bodies.

So many bodies.

Even from a distance, she could see the streets littered with them. Most looked like they’d been picked clean by the hundreds of vultures and crows that were still circling the skies above town or perched on the remains of the buildings. The smell on the putrid wind was even worse than at Clear Spring, the already nauseating sourness mixing with the scent of rotting and burnt flesh and bone.

Sunset thought she’d been prepared for this after what Lyra told her at Clear Spring. But she wasn’t.

Her stomach churning in revolt, she doubled over, dry heaving until her throat was raw.

Shakily standing up, she kept walking.

She had to find her family.

*****

Sunset carefully leaned around the broken door leading into the Golden Tree Smithy, making as little sound as possible. As much as she wanted to rush in, everything that had happened so far made her wary. Poking her head a little deeper in, her heart sank. The inside of the smithy was completely destroyed, with pieces of ruined metalworking and raw steel strewn about the floor.

With the dread of what she would find pressing down on her, she went inside to search for Bronze.

She’d reached the edge of Golden Tree what felt like forever ago, though with the sun's impossible behavior, she couldn’t be sure exactly how long it had actually been. At first, she’d tried to head straight to Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow’s house or the Pie Rock Farm to search for her sisters. Only for her attempts to be thwarted by rubble, summoned stone barricades, and trenches created during the attack. Were her legs in better shape, she might have been able to climb over some of the obstructions. But injured as she was, they presented impassable barriers.

And she wasn’t about to leave the safety of the road and test whether the entity was waiting to ambush her.

Which meant an arduous trek through town to find a way to reach her sisters. It didn’t take long for her to be completely lost in the maze of crumbling buildings, carrion birds and flies, rotting corpses of both Golden Tree’s residents and less frequent armored forms of Blueblood’s soldiers, blood soaked ground and putrid wind. All too often, she found herself doubling back and trying to find another route when she reached a dead end.

But there was something else. Something more sinister.

At first, she thought it was just her exhaustion and horror playing tricks on her mind. But, after wandering through the maze of streets, she suspected that the path was changing as she walked. Sometimes, when she doubled back, the streets that she found herself on weren’t the same. Or she’d see remnants of familiar houses in the wrong part of town.

After the fifth time the road had apparently changed, she’d decided to test her suspicions. Using her living flame, she began to sear an arrow into the sides of the buildings she passed. Only to find them and the buildings gone when she ended up backtracking, or in entirely new places as she rounded a corner that couldn’t have led back to where she’d come from.

If she wasn’t sure before, she knew for certain that somehow Golden Tree had been infected with Chaos. It was the only explanation she could think of. And if the land around Golden Tree was Chaos-infested, she needed to find her family even faster. Lest they be consumed by Chaos too.

So, when she rounded the corner of another ruined building and saw the familiar shape of the Golden Tree Smithy, her heart jumped into her throat with joy. The building was damaged, but that barely registered to her. At that moment, the smithy was a lake in a wildfire. With a teary eyed laugh, she began to hobble towards her former workplace and, with any luck, Bronze Hammer.

Only for her hopes to be dashed as she entered the smithy to find it wrecked.

“Hello?” Sunset called as she made her way back towards the forge. “Bronze, are you here?”

Hearing no response, she found her dread returning. Gone was the familiar heat and glow of the forge. The rune-dampened clang of hammer on metal as she and Bronze worked. The smell of hot steel, copper, iron and burning wood. The comradery and comfort of working with her former mentor as he gave her the day’s lessons, the glow of earning his praise, and the sting of his disapproval.

“Bronze, where are you?”

Instead, the forge was cold, silent, and smelled of rust, dust, stale air… and death.

It was wrong.

It was all wrong.

“Bronze, it’s Sunset. Please, answer me!”

*scrapeeee*

Sunset froze.

*scrapeeee*

There it was again. The sound of metal being dragged across stone.

*scrapeeee*

Sunset’s blood turned to ice, because she could hear it getting closer. From what she could tell, it was coming from the direction of the spell forge.

*scrapeee*

Sunset hobbled behind a barrel of metal scraps and ducked down, once again pulling her shirt up and over her head to hide the glow of her living flame. If the town had fallen to Chaos, she didn’t want whatever was coming to see her first.

The source of the scraping finally entered the forge. Along with it came new sounds: rusty axles, creaking wood, and pained, heavy breathing. After a few tense moments, the sound came to a stop somewhere in the middle of the workspace.

“I can hear your breathing, thief. Come out!” A hoarse, weakened voice said as Sunset heard the sound of a gun being cocked.

A chill ran up Sunset’s spine, both from the threat of the weapon and the sound of the voice.

It was a familiar voice that she could still recognise, despite how much it had changed.

Peeking out from behind the forge, Sunset gasped in dismay.

“Bronze?”

Before her was the forgemaster of Golden Tree. Or, what was left of him.

The first thing Sunset saw was that Bronze was not walking under his own power. Instead, he was sitting on one of the carts they used to move supplies around the forge. Catching sight of his legs, she felt bile rising in her throat; both of his legs ended in twisted, malformed lumps of gangrenous flesh from the knees down. His hands weren’t much better, and looked as though they’d been crushed and broken, leaving only a couple of mangled fingers on each. His left arm had a hooked, metal rod crudely strapped to it, while under his right arm was a double-barreled shotgun.

But worse of all was his face.

Unlike when she last saw him, Bronze was haggard and gaunt, his skin sagging off of his body as though he’d been starving. His face was covered in a wiry, scraggly beard, rather than being clean shaven. The hair on his head was long, greasy and unkempt, while his soul-gem had a massive crack down its middle.

Then, there were his eyes. Eyes that had once been the same warm dark golden color of his namesake metal, now looked cloudy and bloodshot.

The sight of him in such a state was too much to bear. Cautiously stepping out from behind the forge, Sunset said, “Bronze, it’s me. Sunset.”

Bronze’s head turned towards her, but his eyes seemed unfocused. Like he wasn’t seeing her, only tracking the sound of her movement and voice.

“Sunset?” Bronze said as he lowered his weapon.

“Yes, Bronze, it’s me.”

Bronze slumped to the side, nearly toppling off the cart in the process.

“Sunset Shimmer… dreaming darkness. Of all the people to walk through that door, why you?”

“Bronze?” Sunset asked.

“Why did she have to see me like this?” Bronze asked with a pained sigh. It took a moment for Sunset to realize that he was talking to himself, not to her. “Why couldn’t she just stay away? Why…?”

Sunset wasn’t sure what to do or say. Ever since she’d started working for him, Bronze had always been so strong. So resilient. Even when times were tough and they weren’t bringing in as much business as they needed, he’d endured. And taught her to do the same.

But now, Bronze sounded so… broken. Broken in body, mind, and spirit.

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again as she came closer. As she did, she noticed a few details she hadn’t before.

Details that told her he’d been trapped the Chaos-infestation for too long.

Bronze wasn’t riding the cart, he was melding with it, his flesh fusing with the metal. The metal hook he was using to drag himself around wasn’t strapped to his arm like she thought at first. It was riveted to it, with the flesh and metal also beginning to fuse.

Sunset’s gasp of horror made Bronze flinch and turn his head away in shame.

“Sunset, don’t,” Bronze said, his voice firm. “Don’t come any closer. You shouldn’t see me like this.”

“But, Bronze… I just want to help.”

“You can’t help me, Sunset. Nobody can. Not anymore.”

The defeat in his voice made Sunset take a step back, mind racing faster than a sky-runner fleeing a wyvern. What had happened to him? Everyone else in town was dead. But Bronze was alive, but only just barely. Why would they leave him…?

A horrid thought rose in her mind. One that made her chest tighten with rage.

“Bronze, did Blueblood do this to you?”

Bronze feebly nodded, his breathing growing shallower.

“Yes, Sunset. Well, his soldiers did. But he might as well have driven in the knife.”

There was a long pause, Bronze’s words hanging in the air like a cloud of poisoned smoke.

“Why? Why would he…” Sunset began to ask, only trail off.

“They did it to punish me for knowing you. Said that a quick death was too good for me. Told me that they were going to make me regret ever showing you a grain of kindness or love.”

“They what?!” Sunset shouted, her voice full of revulsion. “They did this… to punish you for knowing me?”

“Yes, Sunset. They did. First, they took my legs. Then, my hands,” Bronze said as he held up the mangled remains of his hands. Now that she was closer, she could see that the ragged, torn wounds were infected, with puss seeping out from behind the scabs as he moved the remains of his diggets. “Then my sight. They weren’t fast about it either. Took their time. And throughout it all, they told me that if I wanted to blame someone, blame you. That if you had never crossed the Heliopolans, this would never have happened.”

Sunset had to prop herself up on a nearby anvil to keep from toppling over. Her head was spinning and she was having a hard time seeing straight as the weight of what Bronze had just told her came crashing down around her.

“I’m sorry, Bronze,” Sunset finally said.

There was something in Bronze’s face when she said that. A strange, pained look of resentment and regret. Sunset wanted to say more, only she couldn’t find the words.

“Sorry. She says she’s sorry. As if that means a nighted thing anymore,” Bronze said, his voice soft and tired. She almost wished he’d yelled it at her. Showed anything more than resignation. But somehow, those simple words, spoken without any passion hit harder than anything she could have imagined. “You should never have gone to the ascension. Should have just stayed here where you belonged. When I found out you had ascended, I just thought I’d lost my apprentice. Lost the girl I wanted one day to inherit my smithy. Lost a daughter…”

Sunset choked back a sob as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, Bronze’s last admission stabbing her through the heart. She’d known that he cared for her. But she never knew he thought of her like that. She had never said it aloud, but she’d come to think of him like a father. So to know that he’d thought of her the same way.

“But now, look at what you brought down on me. On all of us. And you have the gall to say you’re ‘sorry.’ Golden Tree is gone, Sunset. There’s nothing left here for anyone. Least of all you.”

Reaching down towards the floor with the rod embedded in his arm, Bronze clumsily used it to push the cart, turning away from Sunset and back towards the spell forge.

“Wait,” Sunset said. “Bronze, please. Don’t go. Let me help you. I… I can get Roseluck to heal you. Or maybe Raven. Or the Queen. I can fix this.”

There was a long pause as Bronze stopped pulling himself forward with the rod. Eventually, his shoulders slumped and he let out a tired sigh.

“You don’t get it, Sunset. There’s nobody left to help. And if there was, Raven and the Queen wouldn’t care. Not after the fallout in the East. If they did, they wouldn’t have let Blueblood and allies do what they did.”

“I…”

“And what would they fix? Me? I know I’m Chaos-tainted, Sunset. Even now, I can feel it. Clawing at my mind. Telling me to gut you where you stand. And if they could fix me, what’s the point? Golden Tree’s gone Sunset. Everyone’s dead. Where would I go? No town would take me. Not without risking Blueblood attacking them too”

Sunset tried to find something, anything to say. But her jaw just flapped open and closed uselessly without forming any words.

“Just… go, Sunset. And don’t ever come back. You’re not welcome here anymore.”

And with that, Bronze slowly dragged himself out the back door, shutting and locking it behind him. Sunset didn’t move as the pain in her chest grew even sharper. She thought about following. Trying to do something to make things better. But she couldn’t bring herself to.

Instead, she simply hobbled back to the barrel to retrieve her walking stick.

And slowly began to leave, the world once again growing darker.

*****

Sunset was shaking with despair as she staggered out of the smithy, barely managing to hold herself up with her walking stick. She should have been angry at Bronze. She wanted to be angry at him. At all the things he’d said to her.

But she couldn’t be.

She couldn’t blame him.

Her anger was elsewhere.

At Raven and the Queen for letting Golden Tree be destroyed.

At Blueblood and the Heliopolans for what they’d done to her home and family.

But most of all, she was angry at herself.

Bronze was right. This was her fault.

All of this started when she insisted on going to Heliopolis.

She should never have gone. Never gotten mixed up with the phoenix-born.

She should have just stayed here in Golden Tree where she belonged, with her friends. Her family. Her oath-sisters.

It's not like she was the only one who Philomena could have bonded with. Lily and Daisy would have been a better bondmate for her than Sunset ever could be. They wouldn’t have gotten their town destroyed and everyone in it killed. They wouldn’t have started a fight they had no chance of winning. They wouldn’t have been torn away from Philomena like she’d been.

Philomena…

The thought of her bondmate sent fresh waves of grief through the core of her being.

“Mena, why can’t I hear you?” Sunset muttered as she gripped her walking stick tighter. “Are you really gone? Did you leave me too?”

Closing her eyes, Sunset once again tried to reach out to Philomena through the thin smokey whisps she could feel of their bond. It was like Philomena was on the edge of her perception, just out of reach. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t touch Philomena’s mind.

Sunset’s desperate attempts to touch Philomena’s mind were interrupted by a sharp cracking and rumbling as if wood and earth were being crushed and torn apart. Lifting her head, Sunset’s heart nearly stopped at what she saw.

All around her the buildings, corpses and the very stone of the land began to break apart and lift into the air, like leaves being blown away by a sky-runner summoned wind.

Panic wrapped itself around Sunset’s heart at the Chaos corruption now openly running rampant. Turning back towards the smithy, Sunset hoped to hide in the building until the upheaval ended. Her hopes were dashed when she found the front of the building twisted and crumpled like an earth-weaver had used their power to warp it, leaving the entrance blocked by wooden beams and swirls of stone.

Slamming her eyes shut and slapping her hands over her ears, she dropped to her knees and curled in on herself, waiting for the cacophony of whatever was happening behind her to die down. When the noise eventually went quiet, Sunset reluctantly turned to face whatever new horrors it had brought. What she saw wasn’t especially disturbing in itself, but the magnitude of the change wrought to Golden Tree still left her trembling in sheer primal terror.

Before her, everything had been torn out of the ground and formed into a long pair of walls on either side of a newly formed road. The road itself looked like any other of Golden Tree’s dirt roads. If anything, its mundanity was more heavily contrasted by the towering walls on either side, composed of a melding of the buildings, trees and corpses that had been caught in the wave’s path.

Sunset could only stare in mute horror. The amount of magic needed to do something of this scale was astronomical. Queen Celestia surely could do it. But… she was the queen. Her power was second only to her mother the Empress, and the Avatars of Chaos. But for any being other than a god or abomination, something like this would require hundreds of fire-callers and earth-weavers collectively dancing for hours, if not days, to pull off similar feats.

If she needed proof that there was Chaos involved in what was happening, she had it. But the thought of the Avatars having pierced the Empress’s defenses and touched Nitor in any way was not one she liked.

As she stared down the road, she realized that it led to a stretch of boulder strewn hills. One with a lone farmhouse with an unremarkable windmill and tall gravel silo. It was a farm she knew well, because visited more times than she could remember. A farm that was the site of one of the most important events in her life.

A farm house that had always felt safe and welcoming, but now filled her with a deep sense of unease.

Sunset couldn’t imagine any reason for the road pointing directly at the Pie Rock Farm, but she was certain she wouldn’t like it.

Looking at the towering walls trapping her, she resigned herself to the fact that she didn’t have a choice.

Focusing on her meditation techniques, Sunset did the best she could to calm her mind. Then, she slowly began to walk towards the farm.

And whatever fate had befallen Pinkie and her family.

*****

Opening the gate to the Pie Rock Farm, Sunset stepped off the Chaos-born road, and onto the familiar stone path to Pinkie’s home. As she’d drawn closer to the farm, she saw more of the now familiar signs of fighting. Many of the fields were riddled with earth-weaver ramparts and trenches, as well as spent bullet casings glinting in the now weak light of the sun.

The farmhouse didn’t look much better. Even from as far away as she was, she could see that it had taken considerable damage. Worse, the front door was open. Sunset suspected that they weren’t left ajar by the Pie clan, but instead had been broken down in the attack.

Sunset’s heart sank at the sight, and the implications. The Pies were rock farmers, not trained soldiers. Even with their geomancy, they wouldn’t stand a chance against sun-gazers trained to fight. And kill.

After seeing what happened to Bronze and Tender Heart, she wasn’t sure she wanted to find them.

But, she had to know Pinkie and her family’s fate. Even if it broke her heart.

As Sunset began to pass the windmill, she spotted something. Not two meters from the windmill was a sky-runner’s body, laying in a shallow crater as though he had fallen from a great height. It… no, he… was kitted out in ranger armor, including his service carbine, which was still gripped in his hands. Both of his wings were burnt ruins, with nothing but charcoaled rachises.

But what really drew her attention was his rainbow colored hair and pale, light grayish blue skin.

Sunset felt her heart wilt.

It was Rainbow’s father, Bow Hothoof.

And if he was here, that meant that both Windy Whistles and Rainbow were too. Sunset found little comfort in that knowledge, because if Bow was dead, she was certain Windy had met the same fate. And that didn’t speak well to her oath-sisters’ chances.

No, she couldn’t think like that. They’d have found a way to escape. They had to. She refused to believe that they could be…

Shaking her head and looking back at the grisly scene, Sunset’s mind put the pieces together, and she grimaced. In all likelihood it was a fire-caller warcaster who had set fire to his wings while he was in the air.

It was a particularly cruel tactic, especially for someone as kind and loving as Bow. Her imagination was running wild now, images of Bow and Windy desperately fighting to defend Rainbow and the Pies, only to have their wings ruined and falling to their deaths.

Sunset’s heart ached as she stared at Bow. She wanted to properly bury him. Maybe look for Windy and bring her so they could be buried together properly. But another told her that there was nothing she could do.

Turning away sadly and muttering an apology to Bow under her breath, Sunset hastened her hobbling towards the house.

*****

Carefully stepping around the wreckage of the front door, Sunset entered the Pie house. The entrance was riddled with bullet holes, and bore the now familiar scent of blood and decay, along with the sulfurous smell of ignition powder.

Things only got worse when she entered the main family room. It looked like Pinkie’s family had attempted to hold off Blueblood’s soldiers by turning their stone dining table into an improvised barricade. A barricade that lay shattered on the ground, four discarded hunting rifles and scattered patches of drying blood a testament to the violence that had been brought down on the Pies. At first, Sunset was relieved that she hadn’t found any of their bodies, since it meant that the Pies could still be alive. Only for another thought to enter her head.

Bronze hadn’t been killed. Instead, Blueblood had “punished” him for knowing her.

Insidiously, that line of thinking spread its roots through her brain. If Blueblood was willing to do something like that to her former teacher, what would he do to her oath-sisters’ families? Sunset felt her chest tightening with panic, her heart racing and her breathing became shallow as her thoughts began to burn out of control. In the heart of the inferno, there was one thought that survived the blaze.

In as much haste as she could manage, Sunset began to search the house. The rational part of her mind would have argued that she wasn’t likely to find anyone. But that part of her was on the far side of a wall of terrified concern for her oath-sisters.

She needed to find Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack.

Nothing else mattered.

*****

Sunset sat on the edge of Igneous and Cloudy’s bed, her shoes and socks off as she carefully applied some of Cloudy Quartz’s herbal oils to her injured feet. She’d searched the whole house, but couldn’t find any trace of anyone. With the realization that her oath-sisters weren’t there came a cooling of her panicked rushing around. In place of the blaze came cooler, more rational thoughts.

The first of which was that she’d made her wounds worse with her crazed searching, and was barely able to stand. Knowing that Pinkie’s parents kept a stash of bandages and healing ointments in their room, Sunset had carefully made her way there. Pulling the box out, she began to treat her injuries and figure out her next move.

If there was nobody around, then Blueblood had moved them elsewhere.

The problem was she didn’t have any idea where he would’ve taken them.

“Dreaming darkness,” Sunset hissed as she applied a healthy amount of the herbal oil to the cut on her cheek. She didn’t want to imagine what sort of filth was on a vulture’s beak, but she hoped Cloudy’s medicine would help mitigate it. “What am I going to do now?”

Sunset continued to consider her options. There weren’t many. She couldn’t leave town under her own power. Even if she could find a horse to ride to the next town over, it wouldn’t work. She didn’t know how to ride.

There was also the problem of the Chaos-infestation.

And the entity.

Would she even be able to leave if she tried? She had a feeling the moment she stepped off the roads, the entity would be able to reach her. And the Chaos-infestation… that threw everything into disarray since it could just reshape the landscape at random. Sunset shuddered as another thought came to her; if the Chaos-infestation was bad enough, the Queen might be preparing to cleanse the area with a deluge of true fire. Could she even survive that? Would her phoenix-born immunity let her withstand a manifestation of the perfect form of fire? Especially when she was cut off from Philomena.

Everything felt so hopeless.

Just like when Sapphire had threatened to have the orphanage burnt to the ground and her family killed.

Sunset began to re-wrap her feet with fresh bandages, the fire of her anger beginning to burn through her despair. She grabbed onto that feeling. Let it sink into her.

No.

She wasn’t going to let that pig-sniffing son-of-blight-scum beat her like this.

Maybe there was no escape.

Maybe she was trapped in a Chaos-infestation.

Maybe the entity would eventually find her.

But she wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

She was Sunset Shimmer.

She was a phoenix-born.

She’d beaten the odds before.

She would do it again.

The first thing she needed to do was figure out where her oath-sisters were. If they weren’t in Pinkie’s house, they might have fled to the rock-fields. Pinkie knew plenty of places to hide out there. Maybe she and Rainbow got out and found somewhere to hole up until Blublood’s goons left.

The chances might be slim, but slim wasn’t zero.

Slipping her socks and shoes back on, she grabbed her walking stick. She had a lot of ground to cover.

*****

“What in Celestia’s name?” Sunset gasped as she opened the Pie’s back door.

Rather than leading out into the rock farm’s fields, she found herself staring down a long, arched corridor made of slabs of cut gray stone. Looking at the edge of the door, Sunset saw that the inexplicable passage was coming directly out of the side of the house.

Backing away and closing the door, Sunset headed for the front door.

Only to find the same passageway waiting beyond the shattered wooden remnants.

“How?” Sunset asked as she backed away.

Staggering over to one of the windows, Sunset peeked outside. There was no stone corridor, only the dismal, overcast and darkened sky with the sun stuck at high noon casting its increasingly weak light across the rock fields of the Pie family farm. Heading back to the kitchen, Sunset checked the windows, only to find the familiar view of the rock fields.

Cautiously, Sunset reached up and undid the latch on the window. When she pulled it open, she found herself staring down the stone corridor again.

Closing the window in a panic, she found she could once again see the rock farm fields.

Tentatively pulling open the window by a crack, she peeked out. Only to be greeted by the stone passage.

Nervously peeking back the glass of the window pane, the fields greeted her.

Swallowing nervously, she closed the window and backed away.

Her plan to find her oath-sisters evaporating like water on hot metal as she realized that she was trapped. The Chaos-infestation had lured her here and trapped her. Now her only choice was to either enter the passageway to Celestia knows where, or stay in the Pie house and eventually starve.

As Sunset was contemplating her situation, a familiar sound began to tickle the edge of her hearing. Freezing in place, she heard it rapidly growing louder.

The sound of flowing sand and gravel.

Staggering to the kitchen door, she looked out the front window, and felt her blood run cold.

The entity had found her.

But it was different. Bigger. Where it had towered over her before, now it filled the entire horizon with its painful, writhing nothingness.

And it was coming straight towards the house.

Sunset didn’t think. She just turned and bolted for the back door, her eyes tearing from how much it hurt to run. Just as she reached the door, there was the sound of breaking glass and splintering wood as the entity crashed into the side of the house.

Ripping the door open, Sunset lunged through. Turning around and grabbing the knob, she saw the entity closing in just as she pulled it shut.

The moment the door was closed, it vanished as though it had never been there.

Her panic subsiding, Sunset realized that she’d just trapped herself in the stone corridor. Worse, the only source of light was her living flame, its flickering light causing the shadows to dance in ways she wasn’t sure she liked.

But if it was a choice between that and letting the entity catch her… she wanted to think she’d made the right choice.

No. She had. She was still alive. Harmony knows what would have happened if the entity had caught her.

That still left her stuck… wherever she was.

In the weak light of her living flame, she couldn’t see very far. For all she knew, they went on forever. It wasn’t like being trapped in a Chaos-infestation was going to leave much in the way of logic intact.

Which left her with her current problem: what to do now?

Without knowing which direction led to where, there wasn’t any real way to know what was the right way to go.

With a sigh, she turned away from where the door had been, and began to walk.

‘Better to pick a direction and go than stand around getting nowhere,’ Sunset thought to herself ruefully as she limped off. ‘At least it doesn’t smell like corpses anymore.’

*****

Sunset wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking, but she was sure it had been a long time. And yet, the corridor just didn’t seem to end.

Which meant she had time to think.

Too much time.

Most of which concerned oath-sisters, their families, what had happened in Golden Tree…

And what Bronze had said.

Was all of this really her fault?

No. She refused to believe that.

Highblood and his goat-licking family were the ones at fault. Him and his stupid conspiracy to make his jerk son a phoenix-born. They were the ones at fault.

Not her.

They would have found any excuse to go after Golden Tree. They just needed an opportunity…

… that she provided them by causing a scandal at the Harvest Festival.

But that wasn’t her fault either.

That was Raven’s fault for putting her in that situation. It wasn’t like she had to be there.

No, she did have to be there. Raven had told her that.

But Raven shouldn’t have treated her like she was incapable of handling herself. Hadn’t she shown that she could at the ascension.

And proved she couldn’t at the museum.

But still…

Still…

Sunset let out a sigh of defeat. Maybe she was to blame for some of it. Not all of it. But some.

Yet, having it out for her was no excuse to go after her hometown. Had Blueblood been punished for what he did? She doubted General Sentry or Spitfire would allow it. And with the Riches and Neighsay on his side, she was sure they’d find a way to get him out of the fire.

Raven could have stopped it! She had Dawn Wings and Eyes. Surely they could have found out Blueblood’s plans.

Unless they didn’t care.

Had things gone so wrong with the kirintal that Raven had let him do what he did without reprisal.

Did she let him do it as a lesson to Sunset about the price of embarrassing her.

No, Raven wasn’t like that.

Was she?

Sunset’s thoughts were interrupted when she saw that something had changed in the corridor. There was a small speck of light off in the distance.

Light.

Light could mean an exit.

Or a trap.

But either was better than sitting in the corridor until she died.

Hardening her resolve, Sunset pressed forward towards the light.

As she drew closer, the light began to take form, until it resembled an arched doorway. She also noticed that there was something odd about the light. Somehow, it felt hostile. Angry. She couldn’t explain how or why.

Only that she didn’t like it.

*****

Stepping through the archway, Sunset could finally see what was beyond the strange light. The room was enormous, and reminded her of the inside of the furnace at the smithy, only much larger and built with uncemented stone rather than brick and mortar. She couldn’t tell where the light was coming from. If anything, it felt like it was coming from everywhere all at once, like it had no source.

Sunset was only peripherally aware of these other features, as what was in the center of the room commanded her full, undivided attention.

There, at the middle of the room was the oath-stone from Pinkie’s yard. And, standing around the central brazzer were Rainbow, AJ and Pinkie. All three were in their oath-ceremony tunics. Only, they weren’t the proper blood-red color. Instead, they were deep blue, and bore a white crescent on the back.

Sunset’s pulse began to race. The only reason to be wearing robes in the Traitor's colors was to dissolve an oath.

Sunset turned to flee back into the corridor, only to find that the passage had vanished, leaving her trapped in the room.

“Why yah tryin’ tah run, Sunset?” she heard AJ call. Her tone was cheerful, yet contained an undeniable inflection of hostility. As though she were putting on the airs of pleasantness while not trying to mask her hate “Yer tha guest of honor.”

“AJ’s right, Sunny,” Pinkie chirped, the same false joviality in her voice. “We’ve been waiting for you. Now we can get this party started.”

“C’mon, Shimmer, don’t be shy. We just want to undo the biggest mistake we ever made in our lives,” Rainbow added. Unlike the others, her tone was nakedly hostile. “I promise it won’t hurt. Well, it won’t hurt us.”

Turning back towards her oath-sisters, Sunset pressed against the room’s wall as the three of them slowly advanced on her.

“Girls, please, what’re you…?”

“You’re the smart one, Shimmer. You figure it out,” Rainbow said.

“It’s not that hard tah get,” AJ added.

The three of them were right next to her now, surrounding her and corralling her to the wall. Now that they were up close, Sunset could see that each one had a long, thin, vertical cut starting on their foreheads down to their cheeks, running across their left eye. All three of their left eyelids were crusted shut with dried blood..

“Please, stop. Can’t we talk about this?” Sunset begged.

“Nope!” Pinkie chirped. “We already talked about it, and there’s nothing left to say.”

“We don’t want you anymore,” Rainbow said as she grabbed the front of Sunset’s shirt and yanked her forward, getting right in her face. “You already destroyed Golden Tree, got our families killed, and ruined our lives. We want you gone. And we’re going to start by kicking you out of our sisterhood oath.”

“We ahlready got started,” AJ said, pointing to the bloody cut on her face, then grabbed Sunset’s arm. “Now we jus’ need tah finish up ahnd take yers, and its done.”

“Don’t be scared,” Pinkie said as she joined AJ in pulling Sunset towards the stone. “It only hurts for a few hours, and then, you get to see the world from a whole new perspective. Isn’t that super awesometastic?”

“Girls, please, don’t. I can’t… you can’t do this!” Sunset cried as she struggled to break free of Pinkie and AJ’s grip, but to no avail. They were just too strong. “I love you.”

“That’s nice,” Rainbow said. “The feeling’s not mutual. Not anymore.”

They’d reached the edge of the stone. With a shove from Rainbow, Sunset stepped onto its surface and was dragged to the bowl in the center.

“If yah loved us, then yah wouldn’ have stahrted ah feud with ah bunch ah nobles yah had no chance tah beat,” AJ said as she and Pinkie grabbed Sunset’s shoulders and pushed her down, forcing her to kneel by the bowl.

“You took everything from us, Sunny,” Pinkie growled, her tone now completely devoid of any cheer. “So now, we’re going to take everything from you. Starting with our place in our oath. Rainbow, do you have the knife?”

“Right here,” Rainbow said in a dangerous tone. Stepping around front, she grabbed Sunset’s cheeks, forcing her head up. In her other hand, she held one of the ritual obsidian knives used in the oath. Brandishing it in front of Sunset’s face, Rainbow’s mouth twisted into a vicious grin. “I’m going to enjoy this, Shimmer. I hope you scream as much as my parents did when they fell.”

Closing her eyes, Sunset started to cry as Rainbow placed the point of the blade on her forehead, a small trickle of blood rolling down and stinging her eye..

“Girls, I’m sorry. Please. Don’t.”

There was a sudden wave of heat, a burst of sound like a bomb going off, and an enraged shriek.

Sunset! A voice in her head shouted, her mind flooding with a wave of love and horrified worry.

Mena!? Sunset cried as Philomena’s voice suddenly came back to her in full force.

Simultaneously, Sunset heard Rainbow let out a pained cry as the sound of flapping wings and phoenix screeches filled the air. Opening her eyes, Sunset saw Philomena was mobbing Rainbow’s face, laying into the sky-runner with her claws and beak.

“What in tarnation!?” AJ exclaimed.

“How’d she get here?!” Pinkie cried.

“Who cares, get her away from me!” Rainbow shouted as she tried to swat Philomena’s furious attack away. It only served to further agitate the already enraged phoenix, who evaded one of her swipes before sinking her talons in the back of Rainbow’s hand and biting her thumb hard enough to reach bone, causing her to drop her knife.

Mena! What are you doing? Stop! You’re hurting her! Sunset sent desperately as AJ and Pinkie let her go, then ran and tried to grab Philomena, who flew up and away from them, circling around to divebomb the back of Pinkie’s head, grabbing her hair and yanking hard. Pinkie let out a pained scream as she tried to reach around and get Philomena off.

AJ rushed in, only for Philomena to let go and fly away.

“Rainbow, git after that damn bird!” AJ shouted.

“Shut up! I can’t see a damn thing! Stupid bird scratched my eye!”

Sunset, they’re not real! None of this is! Philomena sent. With the sending came a second perspective, that of Philomena looking down at an unconscious Sunset, her face pale. Next to the two of them were Roseluck and Amara, who were in the process of performing a complex spell-dance. One that had wrapped Sunset’s body in a thin layer of water. Water that was slowly becoming discolored with a noxious yellow pollutant. We’re in Rose’s Blossom at the Fall Harvest Festival.

Not real? Sunset sent back in confusion. What do you mean it’s not real?

Just what I said! Philomena sent as she quickly circled around and dove at AJ, landing on top of her head and shoving her hat down over her eyes. None of this is real!

“Argh! Git over here, yah stupid flamin’ chicken!” AJ shouted as she tried to grab Philomena, only to be rewarded with a pair of talons raking her hand and a bitten finger.

The Cult of Endless Decay did this. Used some sort of Chaos-poison. Remember, we were with Roseluck. You got sick.

“Pinkie, get Sunset! She dies, so does the bird!” Rainbow shouted, her voice now with a strange echo.

I… that’s right. I was with Roseluck when everything started to go wrong.

“Gotit, Dashie!” Pinkie said as she rushed forward to grab the obsidian knife.

Sunset! Don’t just sit there! Get up! We have to hold them off until Roseluck finishes getting the poison out of you! Philomena sent urgently as she continued to struggle with Applejack.

“Guess we’re going to get you out of the sisterhood a little more directly!” Pinkie cheered as she lunged at Sunset, the obsidian knife held in an icepick grip. “Time to meet Grogar, Sunny!”

Sunset’s instincts kicked in and she lashed out with a living flame tendril as she threw herself to the side. Pinkie recoiled in pain, gripping her side as Sunset’s strike left an angry red sear mark on her arm.

“Pinkie! I’m sorry! Let me…” Sunset began, only to have to roll away as Pinkie tried to stomp on her, causing the stone to crack with the force of the impact.

“Thanks for the consideration, Sunny!” Pinkie snarled, her voice now containing the same odd echo as Rainbow. More frightening, Sunset saw Pinkie’s eye had changed. Rather than the cheery light cerulean she’d known for years, Pinkie’s eye sockets had become filled with the same yawning nothingness as the entity. “Let me slit your throat as payback.”

“You… you’re not Pinkie,” Sunset stammered as she managed to get to her feet, her living flame forming into tendrils. “Who… what are you?”

“I am Pinkie!” The thing wearing Pinkie’s appearance snarled back. “I’m the Pinkie that you know is waiting for you back in Golden Tree. The one you abandoned. The one Blueblood will kill. The one who regrets ever having met you. Just like everyone else in your life.”

Sunset, don’t listen to her, Philomena sent as she had to fly away from Applejack, who had freed her eyes from her hat and was now tearing chunks of rock out of the oath-stone to throw at her.

Mena, below you! Sunset sent as Rainbow took to the air and made a grab for her. Sunset caught a brief glimpse of Rainbow through Philomena’s perspective, and saw that the sky-runner’s eyes had also changed into the nothingness of the entity.

“I’m going to break every bone in your wings, you stupid bird!” Rainbow snarled as she took off after Philomena.

With Philomena distracted, Applejack turned towards Sunset, pulling out her own ritual knife.

“Now that tha pest’s outa tha way, Pinkie and Ah still have somethin’ to deal with,” Applejack said jovially as she walked up next to Pinkie.

Before either of them could strike, Sunset felt the ground rumble while everything started to become translucent. All three of the land bound sun-gazers were nearly thrown off their feet by the shaking.

“What’s happening?” Pinkie shouted as she looked around.

“Ah don’ know. But we can’t let ‘er git away!” Applejack said as she made a grab for Sunset.

Sunset, just hold them off, Philomena sent. Sunset could feel the panic in Philomena’s mind as Rainbow made a grab for her. Roseluck’s almost cured you.

Another quake shook the room.

Sunset drew her living flame tendrils up in front of her, presenting them threateningly as she willed them to become searing hot.

“Stay back,” Sunset said, her voice wavering. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Good tah know,” AJ said as she and Pinkie lunged. “We cahn’t say the same!”

Sunset stepped backwards to avoid Applejack’s swing, thrusting one of her tendrils at the earth-weaver’s arm. The living flame raked across Applejack’s biceps, searing a deep gash through the skin and muscle. She was horrified when Applejack didn’t react and continued to press the attack.

With her attention on Applejack, Pinkie rushed in from the side. Sunset didn’t have time to react before Pinkie buried her knife in her right side.

Screaming in pain, Sunset turned her attention to Pinkie, wrapping her arm with a tendril and yanking it back. Pinkie let go of her blade as her arm was nearly cut off by the living flame. Yet, like Applejack, she didn’t seem to register the wound.

Sunset suddenly found it hard to breath as Applejack pressed forward, attempting to drive the point of her knife into Sunset’s neck. Before she could bring the blade down, the ground shook again, throwing off her swing, which instead struck Sunset’s shoulder.

Only for the blade to pass through her as though she wasn’t there.

Sunset was too stunned by the fact the blade had just passed through her to fight back as Applejack raised it again.

“No! Yah won’t get away!” Applejack screamed as she tried to bring the knife down.

Before the blade could strike, Applejack spontaneously evaporated into a cloud of yellow smog. As did Pinkie and Rainbow. Moments later, the entire room sublimated into the noxious yellow cloud.

*****

Sunset’s eyes flew open as she let out a blood-curdling scream of terror as her body convulsed violently.

Sunset! Philomena’s sending came.

Sunset threw their link open as wide as she could, allowing the entirety of Philomena’s presence to flow into her. It was like taking a drink of cool, fresh mountain-spring water after being trapped in the Bright Desert for days. Sunset greedily drank it in. All of Philomena’s worry. Her love. Her relief. Her joy. It was overwhelming.

But she didn’t care.

“Sunset!” A familiar voice called. One that was filled with terror and worry.

Warm, strong arms wrapped around her, holding her still as she continued to thrash around violently.

Sunset, stop! You’re awake! You’re safe now!

“Sunset, calm down. It’s me. Roseluck. You’re okay. I promise. You’re okay.”

Mena? Sunset sent as her mind started to process what was going on around her. The first thing that registered was the familiar smell of roses and the comfortable feeling of being held. Sunset instinctively wrapped her arms around the person hugging her, holding on as tightly as she could as she began to sob uncontrollably.

“It’s okay, Sunset. I’ve got you. I’m here. You’re okay now.”

“Roseluck?” Sunset asked nervously between sobs.

“Yes, Sunset. It’s me. I’m here. You’re safe. I promise.”

“Roseluck!” Sunset cried as she buried her face in Roseluck’s chest, holding onto the older woman so hard her arms hurt. Something not helped by the injuries that had followed her out of her poison induced trance.

Mena? Sunset sent, the sensory overload from her throwing open her bond to Philomena beginning to recede.

I’m right here, Sunset, Philomena sent as she lept up to Roseluck’s arm with a flap of her wings and snuggled herself against the side of Sunset’s head, a continuous stream of worried trills coming from her throat.

I’m right here.

Author's Note

And Sunset's out. Of course, while the poison's out of her system, that's not going to make what she saw while trapped in it's grip go away.

So, what exactly did the CoED give her? That's for the next chapter.

I'll be candid: this one took a lot longer to write than I anticipated. I ditched whole 3-4k word sections repeatedly when they just didn't work. So, yea, this one took a lot out of me. Hopefully it was worth the wait.

Ch 16 - The Trials - Pain and Poison, Pure and Raw

Ch 16 - The Trials - Pain and Poison, Pure and Raw

Sunset stared listlessly out the bay window overlooking Roseluck’s garden. The Queen’s sun had begun rising past the mesa and over the treetops, banishing the night and heralding the start of a new day.

Normally, the sight eased her mind. Filled her with peace seeing that the Queen’s light was watching over her. A feeling that had only grown with her time on Mt. Liakeed, and in the queen’s presence.

But at that moment, she felt little comfort.

Instead, she felt exhausted, confused, frightened…

And sick.

Whatever had happened to her had left a lingering malaise. A creeping fatigue that had sunk into her bones and muscles that even Roseluck’s magic couldn’t relieve.

She hadn’t slept the rest of the night. Whenever she closed her eyes, the phantoms of Golden Tree’s destruction and her friends casting her out kept her from the restful oblivion of slumber. Instead, she’d stayed curled up in Roseluck’s arms, Philomena nesting in her lap, listening to the archduchess read some of her favorite legends from the Eastern Territory.

Yet, with the rising of the sun, Roseluck had to excuse herself, saying she had to attend to, “some things,” but would be back with breakfast as soon as she could be. Sunset had tried to protest, but Roseluck had firmly yet gently told her that she had to go. Instead, Amara had leapt from Roseluck’s shoulder and landed on one of the golden perches above the window.

Sunset relaxed a bit. If Amara was staying to make sure she was safe, Roseluck wasn’t going to be far.

And so, she found herself sitting on the bumped-out window seat, the memories coming back in full force.

Tormenting her.

Taunting her.

Reminding her that on the other side of Solaria, the people that she loved now hated her. That they wanted her dead and gone.

And that it was all her fault.

Philomena shifted, snuggling up to her right elbow before her brooding could spiral out of control. Glancing down, their eyes met, and Sunset pulled her into a tight hug.

I’m right here, Sunset, Philomena sent, touching Sunset’s nose with the flat of her beak and letting out a soft trill, letting her love and worry flow through their wide-open link. I’m not going anywhere.

I… I know, Sunset sent, a few tears rolling down her cheeks as she savored the feeling of Philomena, both in her arms and in her mind. A feeling that she thought she’d lost.

Like her family. Like Golden Tree.

I just... I-

Another wave of love came through their bond. Warm. Gentle. Comforting. And earnest.

It’s okay. We can stay like this as long as you need.

Sunset didn’t send anything in reply, simply pulling her bondmate closer. Her fear of losing contact with her again flooded through their bond. A wave of reassurance and love like sunlight trying to burn away a bank of storm clouds came in response. It couldn’t completely drive the pain away.

But for a moment it made it more bearable.

Then, the phantoms came surging back. Even as sleep-deprived as she was, she could have closed their bond. But she didn’t want to risk being cut off from Philomena again. So she left it wide open, giving Philomena a perfect view of her failures and what they had cost her.

Philomena’s concern and a strong feeling of rejection came in response. Rejection that was directed at the memories and self-loathing that was clouding Sunset’s mind. The force of the sending was staggering.

Sunset, none of that really happened. The poison made you see that. I promise. Everyone in Golden Tree is safe.

But I saw it. I was there.

I know you saw it. I could see it too. But I swear, it wasn’t really happening.

How do you know? Chaos was involved, so... maybe I was in two places at once, o-or it was showing me the future! How can you be sure none of it happened, or that it won’t?

A fleeting twinge of frustration entered their bond.

So you’re a night-weaver now? Philomena sent, dryly.

Sunset recoiled in raw horror and outrage.

What?! Mena… did you just…HOW DARE YOU?! How dare you suggest that…

I’m not the one implying you can teleport or see the future. What kind of magic lets you do that, exactly? We’ve sat through enough lessons with Queen Celestia to know that it isn’t flame.

Sunset’s incredulity was doused as she thought about what Philomena had just sent.

Okay, fine, you’re right. But you could have gone with something less insulting, like saying I started burning villages or poisoning wells.

It got you to stop and think, didn’t it?

Sighing, Sunset went back to hugging Philomena.

That’s not a no, Philomena sent with a smug lilt.

Don’t try to distract me, Sunset sent firmly. Even if you’re right…

Which I am.

…Even if you’re right and it wasn’t real, it was real to me. You said you could see everything? Then you know exactly what I saw. What I did. Mena, I killed Lyra. I burnt off her hands and incinerated her brain. I’ve known Lyra longer than my oath-sisters. Bronze threw me away, told me that everything that happened to Golden Tree was my fault, and that he regrets taking me as his apprentice. And my oath-sisters. I… they told me they didn’t want me anymore. And that I was responsible for the deaths of their families. It hurts. It hurts so much. I thought I was going to die, Mena. And…I... I think part of me wanted to.

A maelstrom of conflicting emotions swirled from Philomena. Sympathy. Worry. Anger. What she thought might have been... disappointment?

Most of all, she sensed hurt and sorrow.

Don’t ever say that ever again, Sunset, Philomena sent softly, her own memories flowing into Sunset’s mind’s eye. Watching her get hurt by the phantoms, both within and outside Sunset’s mind. The desire to aid her bondmate. And the torment of knowing she could do nothing.

Do you even understand what it was like for me to watch you suffer and know I couldn’t do a nighted thing about it? To feel everything you were feeling? I didn’t even care about what would happen to me if you died. All I could think about was how helpless I was, how much I wanted to protect you. And how agonizing it was that I couldn’t.

Sunset felt Philomena’s rebuke like a wave of freezing cold water thrown right in her face. The sheer pain in her sending was unbearable. It was almost enough to make her forget her own hurt.

Almost.

Then you know how much it hurt me to be cut off from you. I thought you were gone, Sunset sent as she shifted her hand to pet the side of Philomena’s beak. I thought I had been abandoned… again.

Philomena didn’t respond with a sending. Only an intense wave of sympathy and fear for Sunset. Sunset knew her own feelings were flowing to Philomena just as intensely. Those of sorrow at hurting her mixed with the pain of remembering their separation.

How do I make this better, Sunset? Philomena finally sent as she nuzzled Sunset’s cheek. What do I do to help you? I don’t understand. I just don’t.

Philomena let out a soft trill as her worry and frustration hit Sunset, making the young phoenix-born hold her bondmate tighter.

How do I make it better?

*****

A soft poke to her shoulder jolted Sunset awake. Letting out a startled shout, she began looking around frantically. Philomena was likewise yanked out of slumber, her confusion coming through their bond even as she took to the air, trying to figure out what had startled them.

As the daze of sleep faded, the world came into focus around her. She was still in Roseluck’s bedroom, sitting by her bay window. Amara was still above, resting on her perch, an amused look in her eyes. And as for what roused her…

“Roseluck?” Sunset asked as Philomena landed back in her lap.

“Sorry to wake you up like that, Sunset,” Roseluck said with a warm smile, holding up the wooden tray she was carrying. On the tray was a steaming mug of what smelled like eincjira, along with a pungent bowl of some sort of light-green porridge filled with flecks of what looked like herbs, and a small pile of roasted mice. “I brought you and Philomena some breakfast. And some medicine.”

At the thought of food, Sunset’s stomach sent a sharp hunger-pang through her guts. But, her attention was fixated on something else that Roseluck had said. Something that filled her with dread.

“Medicine?” Sunset asked nervously.

Unpleasant memories of bitter herbal tinctures and foul smelling oils she’d been forced to take whenever she got sick came rushing back. Tender Heart was a skilled healer, but the things that she used were nearly as bad as what they were meant to cure. “What kind of medicine?”

“Something to finish getting the ul’muri out of your body,” Roseluck said, her tone somber.

Something about what Roseluck said made Sunset’s skin crawl. She’d never heard of whatever Roseluck had mentioned. And it was somehow still in her?

“Ulmuri? What’s Ulmuri?”

Roseluck looked away, a strange expression coming to her face as she let out a soft sigh, then set the tray on a low table set into the wall.

“You need to eat something first, then we’ll talk about it, okay?”

Roseluck’s tone and evasiveness put Sunset on edge.

“No! Roseluck, what’s Ulmuri? What was I given?” Sunset demanded with more force.

Sunset, don’t do this. Not now, Philomena sent, a feeling of concern and desire for her to calm down flowing into her bondmate.

Jaw set, Sunset ignored Philomena’s warning and continued glaring at Roseluck. To her frustration, the woman’s face remained unchanged. Sympathetic, but unchanged.

“Do you trust me?” Roseluck finally asked.

“What does that have to do with anything? I’m not moving until you tell me what Ulmuri is!”

“I will explain it, Sunset. But you need to eat before you take your medicine. Otherwise it won’t work.”

“Why?”

“Because, the ul’muri they gave you was Chaos-tainted. Unless we purge the taint, you could become Chaos-corrupted.” Roseluck said firmly. “We need to get it out of your body. To do that, we’re going to have to draw out the Chaos-taint and make you vomit it out.”

“I- What?!” Sunset balked in horror. “Chaos-corrupted? I’m Chaos-corrupted?”

“No. Not yet. But if we’re going to stop you from becoming Chaos-corrupted, you’re going to have to take your medicine and vomit the Chaos-taint out,” Roseluck repeated in that same calming, gentle tone she always used. “I promise you, Sunset, this is the only way. Now please, come over and eat.”

Sunset didn’t want to believe what Roseluck was saying, Yet the idea of being contaminated with Chaos was terrifying beyond what she experienced under the ulmuri. Being Chaos-corrupted was a death sentence. She could and would be killed on sight.

Yet Roseluck had never done anything to warrant her mistrust, so she doubted she would lie about something like that.

No, that wasn’t true.

She hadn’t lifted a finger to protect Golden Tree from Blueblood.

Sunset, Roseluck didn’t do that. Remember? That was this… ulmuri stuff.

She glared at Philomena, who glared back defiantly. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and ran through one of her meditation techniques to steady her mind.

It did little to quiet the phantoms.

You don’t need to remind me.

Clearly, I did.

…fine, Sunset sent sullenly.

“Okay…” Sunset’s voice was unsure as she pointed at the bowl. “What is that?”

“Sweet herbal nalanta. Made with fresh sumiril tubers and herbs from my garden. It should help settle your stomach and make it easier for the medicine to work.”

“And what is this medicine you keep talking about?” Sunset asked nervously. She didn’t like how evasive Roseluck was being about something that was supposedly going to make her sick. Especially after what happened right after she’d been sick last evening.

Had it really only been one night? It felt like so much longer.

“After you’ve eaten, I’ll explain everything.” Roseluck gathered three pillows, setting them near the table. Sitting on the largest, she patted the one beside her. “Now come come. Nalanta’s best eaten warm. You too, Philomena.”

Reluctantly, Sunset offered her arm to Philomena as she made her way to the table. Once the two were settled, Amara flew from her perch and landed by her little sister.

Looking down at the strange porridge… nalanta as Roseluck called it, Sunset’s stomach growled loudly. Yet she didn’t move to eat. Instead, she looked at Roseluck with a frown.

“Here,” Roseluck said, taking a spoon of the dish and eating it, chewing several times before swallowing it down. “See. It’s safe. Now please, eat.”

Tucking in, she realized just how hungry she was. While the taste wasn’t remarkable, a sort of mix between sweet and savory, she found it quite filling.

After finishing half the bowl, she turned to Roseluck, “You said you’d tell me what ulmuri is. So, what is it?”

Once again, that strange sigh escaped Roseluck’s lips as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before answering.

“Ul’muri… is a sacred, ritual medicine used by the kirintal.”

Sunset nearly choked on the spoonful of nalanta she’d just stuck in her mouth. Coughing, she grabbed the mug of eincjira and swallowed a few gulps, clearing her airway. She could feel Philomena’s surprise and concern through their bond as she looked with alarm back and forth between Sunset, Roseluck and Amara.

“I’m sorry, but what did you just say? The kirintal were involved?” Sunset snarled, her temper rising at the thought of the people she’d been forced to placate and get yanked around on puppet strings for being responsible for her poisoning. Especially if they were allied with the Cult and Nightcrawler.

“No, Sunset,” Roseluck said with a shake of her head. “It’s more likely he stole it from them. Or stole the way to grow the ingredients.”

“What makes you so sure?” Sunset asked angrily.

“The only ones that know how to grow and make ul’muri are the kirintal spiritualists. And they are among the kirintal’s most devoted to Himavanta,” Roseluck said, before her expression darkened. “Knowing how Nightcrawler works, he probably tore the knowledge from the shades of kirintal he slew during or since the Skellweb Crisis.”

“That’s not exactly proof.”

“Sunset, the kirintal have been our allies for centuries, and have suffered just as much as we have from the cult’s predations. If that isn’t enough for you, then you’re just going to have to trust me.”

Sunset glared at Roseluck. Through her bond, she felt Philomena wordlessly urging her to stop, memories of times Roseluck had helped her when she needed it. As the memories kept coming, Sunset found her temper cooling as they drowned out the false, ulmuri created memories. She sent a feeling of gratitude to Philomena in response.

“I’m trying. But you’re not giving me an nighted answer. What. Is! Ulmuri!?” Sunset demanded, emphasizing her growing frustration by slamming her fist against the table, making both Philomena and Amara hop back.

“As I said, it’s a sacred medicine used by the kirintal. It comes from two compounds: ground ul’itha leaf and dried tath’muri mushrooms,” Roseluck explained, lacing her fingers together and resting her arms on the table. “Alone, they’re inert. Combined, they become an extremely powerful hallucinogen. One that creates visions of your greatest fears.”

Amara walked over to Roseluck, trilling softly as she rubbed her beak against her bondmate’s hand, bringing a smile to the archduchess’s face.

Sunset’s head hurt as she tried to understand what Roseluck was telling her. The kirintal willingly took Ulmuri in order to face their fears? She couldn’t fathom anyone willingly going through what she did.

“And they do that to themselves willingly?” she asked incredulously. “Why would they try to kill themselves?”

“They don’t,” Roseluck said with a shake of her head. “The visions caused by ul’muri only last an hour or so. Otherwise, it’s harmless. What you were given was heavily altered by Nightcrawler and the Cult using Chaos-alchemy to make it into a lethal poison.”

“So, you know what they gave me, but you managed to neutralize it. So why do you still need to get it out?”

Roseluck looked away again, stroking Amara as the phoenix rubbed her head against her hand, trilling supportively.

“I didn’t neutralize it, Sunset. I extracted one component,” Roseluck said solemnly, giving Sunset an apologetic look and placing a hand over hers. “When Raven told us what they used on you, I tried removing both components. But I could only purge the ul’itha.”

Sunset considered what Roseluck had just said, turning it over and over in her mind until an ember ignited.

“Is there any reason why you couldn’t get rid of the other one?”

Roselucks’ face fell at Sunset’s question, as though it physically pained her to think about.

“Chaos. The tath’muri was the part that Nightcrawler corrupted, meaning that basic spells or rituals won’t work. Removing the ul’itha stopped the visions, but couldn’t get rid of the tath’muri. Or the Chaos-taint. We’re going to have to use something else to purge that from you. Something more potent,” Roseluck said as she set a small, plain looking ceramic bottle with a metal cork on the top of the table. “Which is why I had to make this. You’ll need to drink this, after which I’ll be able to use my magic to catalyze it and pull the Chaos-taint out of you.”

Looking at the bottle, something deep inside her was drawn to it, yet repulsed at the same time.

Mena, do you feel that?

No. But I can feel it from you.

…I don’t like this. “I assume that’s this medicine you keep telling me about,” Sunset said, glaring at the bottle. “So, what is it?”

Roseluck didn’t immediately reply. Instead, she looked mournfully at the bottle, as if the sight of it pained her.

“It’s a Chaos purgative Raven and I developed after the Skellweb Crisis. It’s… the main ingredients are enchanted phlume heartwood sap combined with true water,” Roseluck said, a touch of sadness creeping into her voice as she ran a hand down the bottle.

“WHAT!?” Sunset shouted in horror as she shot up from the table and backed away, startling both Philomena and Amara again and forcing Roseluck to grab the bottle to prevent it from falling over. “You want me to drink phlume?!”

“Sunset, please calm down,” Roseluck pleaded as she set the bottle back on the table and rose to her feet.

“No! Do you think I’m stupid?!” Sunset backed away from Roseluck, her breathing becoming shallow. “Phlume sap is pure poison! It’ll kill me!”

“Chaos-tainted phlume is poison. Uncorrupted phlume isn’t. I promise,” Roseluck said placatingly.

“So you’re saying it won’t kill me?”

Roseluck looked strangely guilty for a moment, causing Sunset’s hackles to rise.

“It might,” Roseluck finally admitted with a sad sigh.

“I knew it! I knew you and Raven had it out for me!” Sunset shouted, transforming her living flame into tendrils as she backed away even further. “You just want to get rid of me, don’t you? You want me dead after you made me try to impress those stupid deer! Or…or you’re secretly in league with Blueblood. Admit it. You think I’m a failure of a phoenix-born, so you’re just going to kill me and be done with it!”

The look of hurt on Roseluck’s face almost made Sunset feel guilty, as did the feeling of sadness coming from Philomena. But she wasn’t going to fall for Roseluck’s acting.

“Sunset,” Roseluck said calmly, “I don’t want to kill you. I don’t hate you, or think you’re a failure. I love you like a little sister.”

Sunset! Stop! Philomena’s sending came with a feeling of panic.

“Sure doesn’t sound like it.” Sunset glared, ignoring Philomena’s sendings. “Why should I believe you when you say you don’t want me dead?”

“Because… if any of that was true, I wouldn’t have removed the ul’itha. Raven wouldn’t have risked her life to find out what the Cult used. And General Sentry would have just cut your head off when we found out you might become Chaos-corrupted.”

Sunset recoiled at the ease with which Roseluck had just said what she said.

Sunset, listen to her, Philomena sent, her tone similarly placating. Along with the sending came feelings of calm and composure, as well as a pleading sensation for her to relax.
Who’s side are you on!?

I’m on your side. But stop and think about it. This is Roseluck. When has she ever tried to hurt you?

She…

In the real world. Not in your ulmuri induced hallucinations!

The ferocity of Philomena’s rebuke stopped Sunset dead in her tracks.

…never, Sunset reluctantly admitted. She’s never tried to hurt me.

Has she ever been anything but kind, supportive, or loving?

No.

And if she just wanted you dead, would she have saved you from the ulmuri, only to kill you by making you drink a poisoned “medicine?”

No…

And if she wanted you to drink poison, would she have told you that it might kill you?

No…

So, that means what?

Slowly, Sunset relaxed, but didn’t go any closer to Roseluck, instead staring fearfully at the bottle on the table.

“Why?” Sunset asked nervously. “Why is this the only way? Can’t you do something that won’t…”

Sunset’s voice trailed off, leaving the rest of her question unspoken.

“If there was any other way, I’d do it.” Roseluck’s tone was regretful, soft… and infuriating. Sunset wanted to trust her sincerity, but it was hard. “But Chaos-taint is resilient. And pernicious.”

Roseluck paused, her face with a look that told Sunset she was considering her next words very carefully.

“You’re a blacksmith. Have you ever worked with metal ingots that have a lot of impurities?”

“Yes?” Sunset replied cautiously.

“Is it easy to get the impurities out?”

“No,” Sunset said with a furrowed brow, thinking back to several long days with Bronze where they had to spend hours at the crucible, her maintaining the heat of the furnace and him spell-dancing to facilitate the purification process. “We have to melt the metal down and either scrape off the impurities as slag or use spell-dances if that doesn’t work.”

“That’s like what the purgative is going to do. You’re contaminated with Chaos, so we need to ‘purify’ you. It’s why we need to use phlume. It has a natural affinity for Chaos-energy,” Roseluck said, as she approached the younger phoenix-born, kneeling down and putting a hand on her shoulder. “That’s what makes it so useful as a catalyst in Chaos-alchemy. But that property also means it can be used to draw out and bind Chaos-energy, given the right spells.”

“What about Queen Celestia? Couldn’t she remove it?”

“She could. The problem is time. It’d take most of the day to get you back to Mt. Liakeed. The longer the tath’muri stays, the harder it will be to cleanse the Chaos-taint without it being a guaranteed death sentence. We need to do this now, Sunset. Before it sinks in too deep.”

Sunset gingerly brought up her hands and returned Roseluck’s hug. How much more was she going to suffer today? She’d already been clawed, bruised, beaten and stabbed. But if… no, Roseluck was telling the truth. She had to be. If she was lying, then…

“Will it hurt?”

“Regrettably, quite a lot.”

“How badly?”

“Probably the worst you’ll feel in your life.”

Sunset tensed up as terror shot through her like lightning. Before she could spiral, Roseluck tightened her hug, rubbing her back as she whispered, “I promise I’ll make this up to you, Sunset.”

“And there’s really no other way?”

Sunset felt Roseluck flinch at the question.

“I’m afraid not,” Roseluck sighed, her voice shaking like it was almost on the verge of tears. “If there was, Amale wouldn’t have had to sacrifice herself.”

The sheer hurt and grief in Roseluck’s voice caught Sunset by surprise. In a way, it reminded her of the way Granny Smith, Big Mac and AJ sounded when Bright Mac and Buttercup died.

“Who’s Amale?”

Roseluck went quiet, the only sound she made the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing.

“She was one of my oldest phlume plants. When I told them that I needed heartwood sap to save your life, she volunteered to let me harvest her’s,” Roseluck said, her voice going quiet. “Unlike harvesting normal sap, taking heartwood sap is fatal, but she gave it willingly. She was with me for over three hundred years. I don’t want her sacrifice to be in vain.”

Roseluck’s words hung in the air like a stormcloud.

“So,” Sunset sighed dejectedly, “my choices are to do nothing and have General Sentry put a bullet in my brain, or take a medicine that might still kill me.”

Roseluck didn’t say a word. Only nod.

“Right... How does the medicine taste?”

A single, soft chuckle came from Roseluck’s throat. “Revolting.”

“Of course,” Sunset groaned.

“I’m sorry, Sunset.”

“Let’s… just get this over with,” Sunset said, letting go of Roseluck and pointing to the bottle. “So I just need to drink that?”

“Not quite,” Roseluck said as she rose to her feet. “Once you’ve finished your nalanta, we’ll head to my spellforge. I’ll explain everything else there.”

*****

Roseluck pushed a large pair of double doors open before ushering Sunset inside, both of their bondmates perching on their shoulders. The four of them had left Roseluck’s room not long ago and headed deeper into the manor escorted by a pair of prominence knights.

For Sunset, it felt like she was being led to an execution. In a way, she was.

No, she had to remind herself, it wasn’t an execution.

Roseluck was trying to save her life.

With a method that could kill her.

“Are you ready for this?” Roseluck asked, pulling Sunset out of her brooding.

“No.” Sunset inhaled, longing for the feeling of her hammer and tongs. If… when she got through this, she was going to spend as much time at her anvil as she could. “But that doesn’t matter.”

The prominence knights remained outside as they entered the spellforge. The room they entered was modestly sized for a spellforge, and bare of furnishing other than a few perches jutting from the walls. All around the room were familiar lines of runes carved into the wood of the walls. Even from a glance, Sunset could tell that they were very advanced, probably tier four and five at minimum. Not as complex as the ones she’d seen Raven use, but still far beyond her own ability.

In the center, there was a short, raised platform, with a ceramic, rune-covered bucket sitting at the edge. Around the platform were four concentric circles of high-tier runes.

And standing out amongst the sparse background were a pair of familiar figures.

“Lilly? Daisy?”

“Sunset, you’re okay,” Daisy cheered and rushed up to her, with Lily not far behind. Philomena barely launched herself into the air before they wrapped her in a tight hug.

I wish they wouldn’t do that, Philomena sent irritably as she flew to, then landed on one of the perches jutting from the wall.

Sorry, Mena. “What are you two doing here?” Sunset asked as she returned the hug.

“After Roseluck told us what happened, we wanted to know if we could do anything to help,” Lily said.

“What did she tell you?” Sunset asked as a spike of panic shot through her chest.

“Most of it,” Roseluck said as she approached the three. “Namely that the Cult had poisoned you, and left a parting gift in the form of Chaos-taint.”

“And that she’d need our help saving you,” Daisy declared.

“She didn’t tell us how though,” Lily said, looking up at Roseluck.

“It’s simple,” Roseluck said as she knelt down and put a hand on both Lily and Daisy’s shoulders. “Once the purification begins, you two will be her anchors.”

“Anchors?” Lily and Daisy asked in tandem.

“What’re anchors?” Sunset added.

“Remember what I told you back in my room? How just drinking the purgative wouldn’t be enough?” Roseluck asked Sunset.

“I do,” Sunset nodded. “You also said you’d explain once we got here.”

“I did, and I will,” Roseluck said solemnly. “Once you drink the purgative, I will activate it with my magic. Once I begin, and I must emphasize this, you must hold completely still. If you don’t, the process fails.”

“W-wait. You said it would hurt. And I have to hold completely still?”

“Yes. I’m afraid so.” Roseluck closed her eyes, squeezing the girls’ shoulders. “That’s why they’re here. They’ll be your anchors, something you can focus on. It won’t lessen the pain, but it should make it more bearable.”

None of them knew what to say.

“What... what happens if she fails?” Daisy asked.

Sunset’s chest tightened as Roseluck’s brow furrowed, as though she were weighing her words carefully.

“The spell backfires, and the feedback will....”

“Will what?”

“It will kill you.”

“What?” Daisy gasped.

Sunset didn’t say anything. Instead, she just stared at Roseluck, the weight of the archduchess’s declaration constricting her heart and mind like a great snake.

“… how?” Sunset finally asked, her voice trembling. “How will it kill me? I want to know.”

“Believe me, you don’t.”

“Yes I do!” Sunset balled her fists and glared up at Roseluck. Her voice broke, and she hated herself for it. She felt weak, powerless to even control her own emotions, let alone anything else. “Please. Tell me.”

Roseluck rose and took several deep breaths. When she opened her eyes, they were cold and clinical.

“If the purification fails, the feedback will liquefy your insides, killing you instantly”

“It’ll do what to her?” Daisy shouted in horror.

Lily’s lip trembled as she wrapped herself around Sunset. “Why did you make something like that?”

Roseluck shook her head and sighed.

“Girls, I don’t think you understand just what removing Chaos-taint requires. There’s a reason why corruption is a death sentence. Before, only the Queen could cleanse the taint, and even then there was a very high fatality rate.”

Her expression grew hard as she pulled the jar from her robes, holding it for them to see. Sunset instinctively shrank back.

“Even if I was willing to carve the heartwood out of every one of my precious phlume plants, that’s not the limiting factor. The true water is. Producing a single drop of it takes months of careful refining. Making this bottle of purgative took all of the true water I’ve got, which I’ve been making for over a century.” Roseluck looked at the bottle in her hand, and sighed. “Even getting this far took decades of development between myself and Raven, with the Queen’s aid. I’m sorry, but this really is the best we can do.”

Her expression grew hard. “I understand how much this must be to take in, but our time is running out. If we don’t do this soon, your fate will be out of my hands and into General Sentry’s. And I know neither of us want that.”

Sunset and Philomena shared in their distress. The instinctual, animal fear of pain and death held her back, but she had no choice. Die by the hand of General Sentry, or gamble on what felt like impossible odds.

But... did it matter if she died?

It wasn’t like she had anything to live for. Everyone in Golden Tree hated her - or they’d learn to eventually. The Heliopolans certainly did, and the kirintal were well on their way.

She didn’t have much better luck with her fellow phoenix-born either. She’d ruined her relationship with Raven. Steel and Spitfire would never like her.

Roseluck was different, and she had Lily and Daisy, too, but how long would they last? How long until she did or said something so unforgivable she drove everyone who had ever loved her away?

Maybe... maybe they’d be better off without her.

A wave of hurt and sadness came flooding into her mind from Philomena.

Sunset, Philomena sent, I don’t think that Nitor would be better off without you. And neither does anyone else that matters.

Mena, how can you say that? Everyone hates me.

Do Lily and Daisy hate you? Do you think they’d be sad if you died?

Sunset’s eyes flicked between the two earth-weavers.

I don’t know.

Yes you do. They don’t hate you, and they would be sad. And what about Roseluck? Do you think she would have done everything she’s doing to save your life if she didn’t care? That she didn’t love you and wanted you to live?

I... guess. But my oath-sisters…

They don’t even know what’s happened here, Sunset. I promise.

But, still…

Even if they didn’t, it was only a matter of time. Only a matter of time until everyone knew how much of a-

Are you just going to give up?

I…

Because that’s not the Sunset that I know. The Sunset I know is the girl who, in spite of everything, figured out a way to Heliopolis. She got there on her own. She survived the rite training, and she beat Sapphire Prism. Or am I mistaken?

Sunset swallowed. You’re... not.

Isn’t Sunset Shimmer the girl who proved herself worthy of being a phoenix-born? Or am I wrong on that, too?

She is.

And isn’t she the one who’s going to rule the Western Territory and become one of the greatest artificers Solaria has ever known?

Sunset wanted to rebuff Philomena’s sendings, but found herself faltering.

You’re right, Sunset sent, a fire beginning to burn in her heart. One that the ulmuri had tried to extinguish. Sunset Shimmer doesn’t give up like that. She’s survived everything that Raven, Queen Celestia, and the Heliopolans threw at her. That didn’t beat me. This won’t either.

That’s the Sunset I know and love, Philomena sent, her joy shining through like pure sunlight.

That’s right. And… I love you too, Mena. I… we aren’t going to be beaten like this. Not by Nightcrawler. Not by anyone. We’re going to find a way to win this, aren’t we?

Yes, Philomena sent happily. We will.

Then let’s show everyone why they should never count us out, Sunset sent as she stood up straighter and looked Roseluck in the eyes.

“You’re right,” Sunset said firmly and surely. “We don’t have time to waste.”

“Sunset? Are you crazy?” Lily gasped.

“You heard her,” Daisy added. “You could die.”

“If I don’t do this, I’m dead anyway. I’d rather take the chance than just give up.”

“But…” Daisy began to say, only to be cut off by Sunset lunging forward and hugging her and Lily.

“I’m counting on you girls, just like in Chromos,” she said as she hugged them tighter. “We’re chat-lecti after all.”

Both easterners inhaled softly, before returning Sunset’s hug.

“You’re crazy, you know that, right?” Lily said. “Completely insane.”

“You’re only just noticing?” Sunset laughed.

“Nope,” Daisy added, fighting back her tears. “Knew it the moment we met you. But, you can count on us.”

“I know I can,” Sunset said as she gave her friends one last squeeze, before letting go and walking up to Roseluck. “I’m ready.”

“Then, let’s begin,” Roseluck said with a nod as she put a hand on Sunset’s back and led her to the platform, pointing to a small runic circle at the center of the platform. “You’ll need to stand here.”

“Can’t I sit?” Sunset asked.

“I’m afraid not,” Roseluck said, before handing Sunset the bottle. “Now, be sure to drink the whole thing. Once it settles in your stomach, I can begin.”

“Okay,” Sunset said as she stared at the bottle, an army of petroquines fighting in her guts.

Taking a deep breath, she popped the cork off the bottle. Then, closing her eyes, she began to drink.

The moment the liquid hit her tongue, she had to fight every instinct she had to avoid spitting the noxious concoction out.

It was vile, like the smell of black river mud mixed with an outhouse that hadn’t been cleaned in too long, transformed into a flavor, but also bitingly bitter like over-brewed tea. The liquid itself stuck to her teeth and gums, slimy and sticky at the same time, pricking every inch of flesh like a million biting ants.

Focusing all her willpower, she fought down the noxious brew.

“T-that... that was...” The bottle fell from her hands, bouncing and rolling harmlessly across the floor. Her stomach rebelled angrily, and she clutched it miserably. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Don’t!” Roseluck rushed over, using one hand to straighten her back and the other to rub it. “Just breathe through your nose. In. Then out. In. Then out.”

Sunset wordlessly followed Roseluck’s instructions, knowing that if she didn’t she’d waste the purgative.

“Good. Now widen your stance. Here, I’ll show you. Okay, now cross your arms, over your stomach, and grab your elbows. Like that, good, good. Hold that pose. It should help you maintain your balance.”

Once Sunset was in position, she turned to the others. “Daisy, Lily, this is where you come in. You need to stand where she can see you, but do not cross the outer ring. Am I understood?”

Both nodded in unison. “Yes, Your Grace.”

“Is there anything else we can do?” Lily asked.

“Encourage her not to give up.” She looked to Philomena. “You too, and keep your bond open. Sunset will need you now, more than ever.”

Philomena let out a short, sharp shriek as she sent feelings of reassurance to Sunset.

Roseluck placed the bucket before Sunset, moving between the outermost rings. “Are you ready?”

Sunset nodded, tightening her grip.

Then, taking a deep breath, Roseluck began to dance between the two outermost rune rings.

At first, Sunset didn’t feel anything.

Then Roseluck completed her first lap, and the archduchess’s flame ignited and spread through the runes.

And suddenly, Sunset’s world vanished.

Something new took its place. Something that wiped clean everything else, everything that had come before, and everything that existed mere seconds ago. A single, overwhelming sensation.

Pain.

Pure.

Raw.

Sharp.

Dull.

Throbbing.

Stabbing.

Piercing.

Freezing.

Burning.

Obliterating.

Pain.

Nothing before, not even in her ulmuri-induced visions, measured up to even a fraction of what was coursing through the entirety of her being. It crawled in her flesh. It gnawed at her bones. It flayed off her skin.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted it more than anything.

To fall, and crumple, and wail in agony.

But she knew the moment she moved was the moment she died.

She clenched her jaw, until it felt like her teeth were shifting in the bones. She clutched her elbows, so hard she was sure it would leave deep, ugly bruises. She searched desperately for any other sensation other than this. Even pain, so long as it was of her own making.

The second wave crashed into her.

She wanted to die.

She wanted General Sentry to burst in and shoot her. The oblivion of death was preferable to this.

From someplace far away, she heard Philomena’s agonized screech, as they shared in the pain. She could close their link. Spare her the torment.

But she couldn’t.

Philomena was one of the only things that kept her will from breaking.

If she gave in, they both died.

The third wave slammed into her, and she had to suck in a breath between her teeth to avoid doubling over.

Through blurred, darkening vision, she saw the vague shapes of her friends. Her chat-lecti.

They were there. Saying something. But what?

She tried to focus on her meditations. Clear her mind enough to hear them.

But she couldn’t.

Another wave. Her knees trembled. The muscles in her thighs shook.

She wasn’t sure how they didn’t buckle. All she knew was the pain, and that she was still, somehow, alive.

Her tears seemed paltry by comparison, yet they worsened her torture nonetheless. Blazing hot, stinging acidic. Rubbing the skin raw with salt.

She couldn’t fail.

She had to survive.

For her friends. Her family. Her chat-lecti.

For Roseluck, Raven, and the Queen.

For Golden Tree.

For her oath-sisters.

For Philomena.

Another wave hit.

She tasted blood. The stink of copper, and the taste of iron. Bit her cheek, cracked tooth, she didn’t know where it came from and it didn’t matter.

Another wave.

She couldn’t do this.

She was going to fail.

She was going to die.

It was too much.

And she was going to die.

She had to endure.

But it was too much, and she was going to die.

Another wave.

Philomena shrieked.

Something happened.

Something pulsed.

Had she died?

No. The pain. Still there. Still alive. Somehow. Don’t ask. Just be glad.

A pulse. Again.

Another wave.

A pulse again. Closer. Closer. Closer now.

It felt familiar. She thought she remembered it. Did she?

Again.

Another.

She remembered.

Nitor.

Nitor’s pulse. The world’s heart.

She didn’t reach. She called out.

It answered, drawing closer. Again, again, again, each pulse nearer than the last.

Slowly, it crept towards her, its movements shy and uncertain.

She wanted to grab it. Snatch it for herself and never, ever, ever let go.

Somehow, she didn’t.

Another wave.

Whimpers spilled down her throat.

Again. Nitor pulsed again.

And she felt it touch her.

Through her feet. Up her legs. Blooming into the veins, bringing relief and comfort.

She didn’t claim.

She didn’t control.

She let it flow into her.

“Sunset, you can do it!” “Don’t give up.” Sunset, hold it together!

Sunset could hear her friends’ voices and Philomena’s sending as the heart’s energy suffused her entire being, holding the agony of the purification in check. The pain slowly began to concentrate in her gut, spiking her nausea to a new level.

“Sunset, it’s done! You can move!” She heard Roseluck shout from somewhere far away, “You need to vomit the corruption out now!”

Sunset didn’t need any prompting.

She fell to her hands and knees and vomited into the bucket.

As bad as the purgative was going down, it was worse coming out.

One heave was followed by another as she continued to expel the noxious sludge in her stomach.

Then, it was over.

Sunset stayed in place, gasping for breath as the last of her heaving finally subsided.

Spitting out the last of the purgative from her mouth, Sunset slowly opened her eyes. The bucket below her was filled with a thick, light toxic blue sludge that smelled of rotten eggs and putrid meat. She blinked once, and swore it moved, trying to reach back towards her.

The sound of flapping wings and running feet reached her ears as she threw herself backwards and away from the noisome liquid.

“Everyone, stay back!” Roseluck shouted. “That’s active Chaos-taint!”

Sunset could feel Philomena’s panic as she stalled in mid-air at the same moment that the sound of two of the runners stopped. The next thing she knew, Roseluck placed a thick metal lid down on the bucket. Two tendrils of living flame lashed down, welding the bucket shut.

“Okay, it’s safe. For now,” Roseluck said with a sigh.

Then she took a couple steps forward, dropped down and pulled Sunset into a hug.

Philomena, Lily and Daisy took that as permission to join in, and they swarmed her, their voices and sendings mixing together into a cacophony of worried, comforting white noise.

We… we did it, Mena, Sunset sent, her thoughts and body weak and trembling after enduring the purgative.

We did, Philomena sent. Let’s not ever do that again.

Agreed, Sunset sent as she slowly melted into her friend’s embrace.

Author's Note

Y'know, sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me, considering the nightmarish things I come up with. Then I look out at the world, see all the crap going on, and think to myself "No, this is just my way of coping."

Anyhow, I've been looking forward to dropping this little bit of information on exactly what they gave Sunset. A bit of background. ul'muri was inspired by the real world physchotropic compound ayahuasca. Like ul'muri, ayahuasca is produced through a combination of two separate plants to create a potent hallucinogen. Producing ul'muri takes a long time, specifically the tath'muri component. The fungus must be grown on the corpse of a sentient being, and can take a decade to produce the fruiting bodies needed to make ul'muri. Elderly kirintal customarily allow their bodies to be used to grow the fungus after they pass, allowing their bodies to be of use to their community one last time.

Also, I want everyone to welcome our new editor Incandesca.

Ch 17 - The Trials - In the Wake of Fear

Floating in the hotspring, Sunset let out a contented breath as the searing hot liquid eased her aching body. She didn’t know how long she’d been there. Only that after the unimaginable agony of the purification, the pool’s heat was sweet, euphoric bliss.

Kicking her legs a little, Sunset drifted further out towards the center nearest the spring’s source, relishing the rapidly spiking temperature, and the knowledge that - for the moment - this place was hers and hers alone. The lethal moat of volcanic water saw to that.

Opening her eyes she looked up, the slightest of smiles began to form on her lips at the sight. Through the steam, the trees growing around the edge of the pool were a collage of autumnal reds, golds and greens, which contrasted beautifully with the light blue, cloudless sky. And above it all, the early afternoon sun shone strong and warm, as though to remind her that the Queen was watching over her.

Glancing to another, far less lethal, pool, her friends were also enjoying the water. Both Easterners were sitting near the bank, heads resting as the water did its magic.

Philomena had joined them in the shallows, her mind quiet and her breathing slow. The exhaustion of the previous night had caugh up with her. Minutes after she entered the pool, she’d fallen asleep, leaving their bond silent as the darkness claimed her

Sunset had asked her if she wanted to join her in the upper pool, but she’d declined. Something about ‘not drowning’ in a pool with no shallows for her to sit in.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees.

Sunset sighed.

At the moment, Roseluck was off disposing of the Chaos-taint with General Sentry and Raven. Or did she say they would be the ones to dispose of it?

Regardless, once it was done, that was that. Roseluck would return, and Sunset would go back to playing the part of 'good little Sunset', newest phoenix-born and the obedient doll of Raven Inkwell.

Maybe Roseluck could convince the Seneschal to let her rest a few days. After what happened, she deserved it.

Another breeze rustled the branches. A few leaves knocked loose, leaving them barren.

Like the oaks of Golden Tree.

In a spark, the memories returned. Lyra. Bronze. Her sisters. Her home. The pain.

All of the memories burnt into her thoughts with white hot intensity.

Taunting her.

Tormenting her.

“Dreaming darkness,” Sunset cursed as she pinched her eyes closed, trying to stop the tears from coming.

Why wouldn’t they just go away?

Would they ever go away?

Holding her breath, Sunset pulled her arms to her sides, allowing herself to sink. She dipped below the surface, and in her mind the water's heat clashed against the memories' darkness.

She shifted as her back touched the bottom then kicked off, rocketing up and breaching the surface with a gasp.

Philomena and Roseluck kept assuring her that they weren’t real. Something that she was still trying to accept.

But that only made how she felt worse.

She wanted her oath-sisters.

She wanted to see them so badly.

She needed them.

Applejack’s stalwart, grounding honesty.

Rainbow’s fierce, true loyalty.

Pinkie’s infectious, joyful laughter.

More than anything else, she needed to know they still loved her.

But at the same time, she didn’t want to see them.

She was scared.

Scared of the rejection that she was sure to come.

Scared that even if she needed them, they didn’t want her anymore.

Could she face them again, knowing they’d wanted to break their oath with her.

And that she deserved it.

“No!”

Sunset shouted, throwing herself back with a loud splash.

That wasn’t true.

None of it was.

None of it really happened.

Her oath-sisters hadn’t rejected her. Blueblood hadn’t destroyed Golden Tree. Her town and family hadn’t fallen to Chaos. All of that was a lie. A lie created by the ulmuri.

That’s right.

It was the poison.

A poison made by an atrocity Raven and General Sentry had failed to protect her from.

It was their fault.

For all their talk about “keeping her safe,” they didn’t actually care. They just used it as an excuse to control her.

But when the storm came, she’d still been struck by lightning.

“You okay over there, Sunset?”

Daisy’s voice pulled her out of her ruminations and back to Nitor.

“Yes, I’m okay. Just… thinking about… things.”

There was a long pause, before she heard Lily speak.

“You want to talk about it?”

“No. Not really.”

“Are you sure? We’re here for you if you want to,” Daisy added.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

There was another long pause.

“Well, if you change your mind, we’re here.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” Sunset called before laying back again.

That was it, wasn’t it. Raven. General Sentry. Commander Spitfire. They didn’t really care about her or Philomena. Just what she could do for them. If they did, they wouldn’t have let Nightcrawler get to her in the first place. They should have known he would try something. Found a way to convince the kirintal to let her stay on Mt. Liakeed instead of having to be at the festival. They should have protected her.

But they didn’t.

The only one who actually cared enough to keep her safe was Roseluck.

But… if she’d stayed on Mt. Liakeed, she wouldn’t have seen her friends. Wouldn’t have had fun with them at the festival. Wouldn’t have gotten to learn about their home. Wouldn’t have gotten to see Roseluck. She’d have been all alone with Philomena and the Queen for a week while Raven was away.

A pained lump formed in her throat at the thought.

She hated to admit it to herself, but despite how frustrated she’d been at everything she’d been required to do, she had been having fun. Even if it wasn’t as freely, or where she’d wished.

“Why?” She asked herself as she stared up through the boughs. “Why can’t this be simple?”

*****

Sunset stared at the four, rectangular tiles on her stand. Considering her options, as she flicked her eyes back and forth across the winding trail of other tiles spreading out across the table. A winding trail of more tiles spread upon it, the ends of each determining her next move.

To her left and right, both her friends were similarly scrutinizing their own tiles. Behind, Philomena was perched on the back of her chair, watching.

After a few moments, Sunset made her choice.

“Okay…” Sunset plucked a tile with the symbol for fire and water, placing it adjacent to one of the trailheads, flush with the symbol of air. “Air gives rise to fire. Your move, Lily.”

“Right…” Lily said, considering her hand, then the tiles on the board.

Roseluck still hadn’t returned by the time the four of them had exited the spring. Sunset had wanted to stay in, only for her friends had reminded her that while she was heatproof, they weren’t. So, after drying off and getting dressed, the they had decided to play a game of elementiles while they waited. They had debated over which regional rules they would use, with Sunset ultimately convincing them to try the Western one.

She was grateful for that, since she finally got to share a bit of her side of Solaria with her friends.

Lily turned to Sunset, “So, if I can’t make a move, do I pass and draw?”

“You draw until you can make a move, or you reach max hand.”

Grumbling, Lily pulled a tile from the dispenser, made a sour face, and drew again.

“What’s the largest hand I can have again?”

“Seven.”

It also didn’t hurt that for the first time since coming to Rose’s Blossom, she was at an advantage. Lily and Daisy were playing by her rules now.

“Alright," Lily said, drawing one last time. With a relieved sigh, she set a double air tile down, touching a trail tip marked with the rune for wood. "Wood gives rise to air. Your turn, Daisy.”

“Uhm." Daisy looked at the board, then the five tiles in her hand. She picked one, setting a metal and air tile against the double air's tip. "Metal defeats air.”

Internally, Sunset smirked. She just made sure to keep it off her face.

“That's an illegal move," Sunset said with a snicker. "You have to play the next element in the cycle, not what defeats the previous one. Remember?”

“Oh, right,” Daisy chuckled, moving the tile to a different part of the board. “Wood gives rise to air.”

“It's fine, you're still learning." Examining the board, Sunset weighed which tiles had been played, and which were left. With her three, she had a few options but none stuck out as the clearest path to victory.

She found herself starting to relax as she went through the familiar mental calculations. Back home, elementiles was always one of her favorite games to play with Bronze during their midday breaks. He always stressed how important it was to stop and think a few steps ahead when making a play. To not just look at the board that was, but the board that could be.

His lessons came in handy when she wanted to hustle her friends or oath-sisters out of a few sparks.

Sunset felt a pang in her chest. She did her best to not let her pain show on her face as she forced down the memories of Bronze’s mutilated and Chaos-warped body while she picked her next move.

“Metal gives rise to earth.” Just as Sunset plucked up the tile, she felt a wave of annoyance from Philomena.

What’s wrong? Sunset sent, concerned that she might be upsetting her.

We’ve got a visitor.

Sunset’s hackles rose.

Who?

See for yourself, Philomena sent as she gave Sunset use of her eyes.

There, on the other side of the grove, was a lone sky-runner. A very familiar sky-runner leaning against one of the trees, her arms crossed over her chest, watching.

Dawn Wings, Sunset sent dryly. Part of her was surprised to see the spy-mistress.

And part of her wasn’t.

Yet, there was something… off. Instead of her usual theatrics, she was just standing there. If she just appeared at the table, or tapped Sunset on the shoulder to tell her the next move she should make? That felt like something Dawn Wings would do.

But standing quietly, waiting to be noticed?

That didn’t make sense.

“Sunset, are you and Philomena scheming something?”

Sunset attention snapped to Lily. From Philomena’s perspective, she could see Dawn Wings push herself off the tree and walk over.

“No. Just… I think we may have to put the game on hold.”

“Why? Tired of winning already?” Daisy deadpanned.

“I forget, who challenged me to that disk game when I first got here?” Sunset shot a wry smile, playfully narrowing her eyes.

“Point taken,” Daisy giggled, embarrassed.

“So, what’s wrong?” Lily asked, her face growing concerned.

Sunset pointed over her shoulder.

“That," Sunset monotoned. Through Philomena's eyes, she saw Dawn had nearly reached the table.

As her friends' faces snapped from confusion to shock, Sunset tried not to snicker.

“Where’d she…?” Lily started.

“Who is…?” Daisy began.

“Sorry girls, but neither I nor Sunset can answer that.”

Sunset noted the lack of mirth in her usual tone. It served as yet more kindling to the flames of her unease.

Dawn reached the table, and stopped. "Hey kiddo. How ya holdin' up?”

“I’ve been better,” Sunset said as she turned in her chair to face the older woman, before her voice went cold. “Why are you here? Does Raven need something?”

“You know her?” Lily asked.

“Yes. She’s…” Sunset began to say, only to stop at the sharp look and slight shake of her head from Dawn Wings. “… someone who works for Raven.”

Her friends exchanged a confused glance.

“That’s not really an answer, you know?” Daisy huffed.

“That’s the kind of thing I’d expect from Raven or Roseluck,” Lily added.

To Sunset’s chagrin, Dawn Wings snickered and patted Lily’s shoulder.

“She’s just trying to keep you two safe,” Dawn Wings said as she pulled up a chair, draping her wings over the back as she sat. “Trust me, you’re better off not knowing more than that.”

“Is that right, Sunset?” Daisy asked.

“I’m afraid so,” Sunset said, glaring Dawn Wings’ way. “You didn’t answer my question though. Why are you here?”

Dawn Wings didn’t answer immediately, though her expression grew sympathetic.

“Well… I wanted to check on you. See how you were doing, and if you wanted to talk.”

Sunset's mind froze, then roared like an inferno. She knew Dawn Wings answered to Raven, just as the prominence knights. The Spy-mistress told her as much. If Sunset said something, would it get back to Raven?

Did Dawn Wings actually care?

She sounded sincere.

On the other side of the stone, she knew that Dawn Wings was a very good actress. Could she really trust her? Or was this some ploy of Raven’s to manipulate her again.

“Really? So you’re not here because Raven asked you to check on me?” Sunset said, trying Dawn Wings down.

“No, I’m not.” Dawn Wings shook her head. “No orders from Raven. No official capacity. Just one sun-gazer worried about another that went through something nobody her age should have gone through.”

Mena? What do you think?.

I… don’t know. You’ve got more experience with her than I do.

Barely.

She did help us with Sapphire, and didn’t tell Raven about you asking her to spy on her parents.

Sunset knew she had a point, but was still unsure.

… but can we really trust her? She’s Raven’s eyes and ears after all. And I don’t want to talk to her about it. It's not like she’d understand.

Sunset ignored the frustration coming through their bond as she addressed Dawn Wings.

“Well, don’t worry. I’m fine, and I don’t want to talk about it. So please go away.”

A disquieting silence fell over the table. Sunset prayed for Dawn Wings to see the light and leave. She wanted to get back to her game, and yet she didn't move, instead flashing her that same sympathetic glance.

“Sunset, nobody who’s gone through what you’ve gone through is ‘fine.’ Trust me, I know.”

Sunset felt her temper beginning to rise. She didn’t know why, but the temerity of Dawn Wings claiming she understood what she went through caused her anger to bloom into full blaze.

“You ‘know?’ How could you possibly ‘know’ what happened to me? What I went through?” Sunset growled, ignoring Philomena’s worried sendings.

“More than you realize.”

“Well maybe I’m not like everyone else. Maybe I actually can handle it. Maybe I don’t need your ‘concern.’ So, do me and my friends a favor, take your worthless ‘concern,’ and fly yourself to the moon!”

To her growing frustration, Dawn Wings refused to budge. Instead, she leant back in her chair, folding her arms behind her head.

“Dreaming night-lover,” Sunset grumbled, trying to ignore Dawn Wings and get back to the game.

Only to stop when she saw her friends.

They were giving her looks that reminded her far too much of the ones they’d given her when Sapphire had exposed her for being a foundling.

It wasn’t disgust, but something very close to it, mixed with a bit of fear and worry.

“What?” Sunset snapped at the two Easterners.

Neither replied. Instead, they turned their attention to the tiles, refusing to meet her glare. Sunset prepared to press them when Dawn Wings chimed in.

“Girls,” Dawn Wings said. There was something familiar in her tone. In a way, it reminded her of how Tender Heart would talk when she wanted obedience, “why don’t you go see if you can find Roseluck? I think Sunset and I need a few minutes. Alone.”

“I told you nothing’s wrong! I’m fine!” Sunset shouted angrily, wheeling around on the spy-mistresss. “Lily. Daisy. You stay right there!”

“Sunset, maybe…” Daisy started.

“Daisy, shut your night-touched mouth! I didn’t ask for your input or your opinion! I don’t want, or need, her Chaos-tainted help, so will you kindly stay out of it!” Sunset snarled, breathing heavily as she glared at her friends.

Another awkward silence fell across the table. Then, Lily and Daisy’s features slowly warped into deep worry, with a touch of growing anger.

Before she could say another word, both earth-weavers pushed away from the table and stood, the sound of their chairs scraping on the ground painfully in Sunset’s ears.

“We’ll see you in a little while, Sunset,” Daisy said, pushing her chair in.

“Yea,” Lily said. She did the same, before bowing to Dawn Wings. “Light’s gifts to you, ma’am.”

“What!? Lily?! Daisy?! Where are you going?”

Her friends turned, and she felt a wave of dread run up her back. Where the anger had been subtle before, it was now blatant. A pit formed in her stomach, growing deeper as it dawned on her that she may have just crossed a line.

“We’ll see you in a little while, Sunset,” Daisy repeated. Then, she and Lily turned and began to walk away.

As the two earth-weavers passed through the line of prominence knights, Sunset could feel beads of hot liquid beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes. Her breathing became shallow, her lungs tightening as the reality of what she’d done came crashing down on her.

They left me? They left me! Mena, they left me! Sunset sent desperately.

Philomena’s only response was a wave of sadness, frustration, disappointment…

And disgust.

Mena, not you too!

Sunset, they were just worried about you.

Well, they didn’t need to be! I’m fine! I’m fine!

The feelings of doubt and concern coming through the bond told her Philomena’s opinion clearer than any sending.

“You!” Sunset growled as she turned on Dawn Wings. “You did that on purpose!”

She fixed Dawn Wings with a withering glare. One that the sky-runner took, completely unphased.

“You tricked me into yelling at my friends! So they'd get mad at me, and... and... and leave me here with you!”

Dawn Wings shook her head slowly.

“No, Sunset, you did that all on your own,” Dawn Wings said in that tone that reminded Sunset far too much of Tender Heart, the memory of her rotting corpse forcing it’s way into her mind. “And the fact that you can’t see that means that you’re not okay. Sunset, please, talk to me.”

Sunset stood up, knocking her chair to the ground and sending Philomena scrambling into the air. She was too enraged to notice or care about the angry sendings coming through their bond.

“Leave me alone!" she screamed. "I don't need - or want - yours or anyone's help! I don’t want to talk about it with anyone, especially not you!”

“Okay, you don’t need to talk about it,” Dawn Wings placated. “But you can.”

“And why would I do that?” Sunset shot back, Philomena’s sendings shifting from annoyed to worried. “None of you actually care. I’m just… I’m just piece in your stupid game!”

“I understand why you think that,” Dawn Wings said with a morose shake of her head. “But that’s not true. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have come here like this.”

Something about the way that Dawn Wings kept pretending to care made her blood run hotter than magma.

Sunset, please. Stop.

Mena, stay out of this! Peripherally, Sunset was aware as Philomena flew away, tucking herself in a nearby tree. The hurt and sadness filled their bond like a well.

“No you don’t understand! And you don’t care! If you cared, you would have done your night-loving job and kept those Chaos-worshiping monsters from poisoning me! You say you and your stupid Eyes exist to protect Solaria? Well, you certainly aren’t very good at it if the Cult can get to me so easily!”

Resting her elbows on her knees, Dawn Wings laced her fingers together and rested her forehead on them.

“You’re right. Nightcrawler did beat me and the Eyes,” Dawn Wings sighed. “And that is going to haunt me the rest of my life.”

“So you don’t care! Some ‘spy-master’ you are! I bet you and your Eyes were too busy out playing during the festival to actually do your jobs! Well, drink seawater you incompetent, cloud brained, goat…”

“Twelve.”

That one simple word. The calm, dispassionate way it was spoken. Yet the force behind that single syllable slammed into Sunset’s thoughts like a blast of cold, southern air.

“Twelve!? Twelve what!?” Sunset shouted, recovering her wits.

“That’s how many assassination and kidnapping attempts we stopped while you were at the festival,” Dawn Wings said flatly.

Sunset was peripherally aware of a feeling of horror coming from Philomena, but pressed on.

“Bull-balls! If there were twelve attempts, I would have noticed them!”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Dawn Wings shook her head. “We made sure of that so you could enjoy your time with your friends.”

“Sounds like more lies. Why didn’t Roseluck or Raven tell me?”

“Would you have as much fun as you did if they had?”

“What sort of questions are those?”

“Exactly the kind of question you need to hear. If Roseluck, Raven or I told you that there were sun-gazers out in the festival that wanted to kidnap or kill you, would you have had fun with your friends?”

“Of course I would!”

“Really?” Dawn Wings replied in that infuriatingly maternal tone. “So you wouldn’t be looking over your shoulder the entire time, waiting for an attack?”

“I-”

Sunset’s retort was cut off by a powerful shove and a wave of hot anger slamming through the bond.

Mena, what the Night was that for?

Sunset, stop it! You were about to tell her it wouldn’t change anything. Well, sun-butt, that’s a cart of pig offal. It would. You know it. I know it. You just don’t want to admit it.

You don’t know that!

Yes I do! I know you as well as you know me. And she’s right: the only reason you had as much fun as you did was because you weren’t scared for your life.

Sunset didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She hated that deep down, she knew Philomena was right. But she wasn’t about to admit it. And from the look on Dawn Wings’ face, she had a feeling the sky-runner knew what was going on in her head.

“So you stopped a bunch of assassins and kidnappers. Big deal. If you were so good at your job, then how did Nightcrawler get to me?”

Dawn's face fell, and she let out a low, unhappy grunt.

“He used a very un-Nightcrawler-esque plan.”

The oddness of the statement left Sunset stunned.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Sunset,” Dawn Wings said as she leaned forward and looked Sunset in the eyes, “since the Skellweb Crisis, Nightcrawler has almost always preferred shock attacks. While that thing’s almost as tactically competent as General Sentry or Commander Spitfire, he rarely changes his strategy. Even if he can survive contact with the sun, his undead can’t. So he strikes quickly from Skellweb, then retreats back underground before dawn. He’s patient, and will wait for the best opportunity, but he rarely diverges from the same channel.”

Dawn Wings paused.

“All of the intelligence we’d gathered said he was planning to blitz the city during the festival. Kill as many sun-gazers and kirintal as possible, including you and the other phoenix born. As much as I hate to give Sentry any sort of credit, he was very well prepared to repel that sort of attack. Now we know that was a distraction to keep us from looking for the cultists in Rose’s Blossom. Cultists that spent over twenty years working their way into a position where they could target the newest phoenix-born. You.”

Sunset went silent, turning Dawn Wings’ explanation over and over in her mind, all the while trying to ignore the ever present disapproval coming from Philomena.

“You should have known,” Sunset finally said, though her fury had died back to embers.

“We got out maneuvered, Sunset,” Dawn Wings sighed. “As the saying goes, ‘nobody expects a long in the mountains, or a linnorm in the sea.’”

Sunset felt conflicted. Part of what Dawn Wings was saying made sense. But the memories from the ulmuri or what she went through when Roseluck purified her of Chaos wouldn’t let her. And the woman responsible for letting it happen was right in front of her, trying to justify her failure.

“And I almost died because you fell for his trick. Some ‘protector of Solaria’ you and your Eyes are. You and Raven. At least Sentry and Spitfire have an excuse because they’re idiots. You act all high and mighty, but when it comes down to it, you’re just a pair of failures.”

A third crushing silence settled over the table. Dawn Wings said nothing as she just looked at Sunset. Then, closing her eyes and leaning her head back, she took a slow, deep breath. Sunset braced herself mentally for more of Dawn Wings’ excuses. Maybe the spy-mistress would claim that she did her best, and it just wasn’t enough. Or that it wasn’t her fault. Anything to escape responsibility for the mistake she made. Or try to pass off why she couldn’t gather intelligence on Nightcrawler.

And she wasn’t going to buy it.

“If you need to hate me Sunset, I get it.”

And just like that, she was completely thrown from her river of thought.

Of all the things Dawn Wings could have said, she had never expected it to be that. But it wasn’t just what Dawn Wings had said. It was the resignation in her voice that caused something in Sunset to pause.

Sunset softened her next demand. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I get it. You’re hurting. You’re angry. You’re scared. You think that nobody can understand what you’re going through. And you’re looking for something, anything, to blame. I’ve been there more times than I want to remember…”

Sunset's old rage rekindled. Dawn had no idea what it was she'd gone through.

“How in the Sun’s name could you possibly have ‘been there?’ What makes you think anything you’ve gone through was like what I did?”

“I’ve watched my husband and children die, Sunset.”

Everything crashed around her.

The delusions, the fantasies, the blame.

Never, not once had she heard Dawn use such a hard, cold tone. Less ice, more unforgiving iron. It - and Dawn Wing's pained expression - doused her fire utterly.

Mena, did I hear that right?

I don’t know. Did you? I wasn’t really paying attention since you told me to stay out of it.

Sunset winced at Philomena sending, along with feelings of hurt the came through their bond.

Look, I’m sorry.

Philomena’s anger abated, only to be replaced by indignation.

It was a start, at least.

Could you send that again? I don’t think it came through right.

I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have snapped at you.

You’re right. You shouldn’t have, Philomena sent curtly, before her tone shifted to her normal, far friendlier one. But I’m pretty sure you heard her right.

Dreaming darkness…

“You had kids and a husband?” Sunset asked contritely.

“Still do,” Dawn Wings said, her voice returning to its normal tone. “Cloud Chaser and I’ve been married for twenty years. Got two kids: one girl, one boy. My son’s about your age.”

Once again, Sunset’s river of thought was diverted, making her go from concerned to confused. Dawn Wings had just said that she’d watched her family die. But they were alive?

“I thought you said they were dead,” Sunset said softly.

“Not quite, kiddo. I said I watched them die.”

Normally, Sunset would have flared up, but the contradiction in Dawn's words held her focus.

Her family was dead. But they were alive. How could they be dead and alive…

...at the same time.

Kindling smoked, then ignited.

“You were given ulmuri?” Sunset gasped.

“No ul’muri for me, kiddo. But fungus and mint cocktails aren’t the only way you can end up like that. Plain old shadow magic can do it too,” Dawn Wings said leaning back and resting her arms across her stomach. “First time I saw Chaser die was when I was a rookie, right after we got married. My team and I were tracking a specter near the northern border. I got careless and was spotted. She hit me with a hex that made me think she was my man. Almost got close enough to slit my throat when my team spotted her and put a bullet through her head.”

Dawn Wings paused in her story, clenching her fists onto her sleeves and taking a deep breath.

“I would’ve shot them if the illusion hadn’t shattered. When we got back home, I was so happy to see him I almost dragged him off to a cloud to show him just how happy I was to see him,” Dawn Wings said, blushing towards the end.

Pausing, she took a few deep breaths as she composed herself.

“Another time was when my baby boy was about two. That time I was just east of Huckleberry Valley. Over a dozen people went missing, and the locals couldn’t figure out what was doing it. We thought it might be the Endless Decay. Found out the hard way that it was an illusimiae that had developed a taste for sun-gazers. The thing started setting illusion crystals near a few popular berry collecting patches. I set one off, and just like that, I find myself back home, house on fire and my family trapped inside screaming for me to save them.”

“And did you?” Sunset asked.

“No, the illusion wasn’t so kind. Lucky me, I’d learned how to recognize them, so I broke out before the big monkey came to have fresh Dawn Wings tartare.” The older woman’s expression softened as she looked down at Sunset. “There are plenty more I could tell you about, but you get the idea. So, yes, I promise I do understand. Might not have been ul’muri, but it’s close enough.”

“I… guess you do get it, don’t you,” Sunset admitted.

“Yes, I do,” Dawn Wings said softly, reaching over and placing a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Unfortunately, fear is a very good weapon. So it's going to get used against you. Magically or otherwise.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do that? It seems… I don’t know… wrong. Cowardly.”

That odd, half smile began to creep up Dawn Wings’ face, and she nodded a couple of times before saying, “Kiddo, one person’s cowardice is another person’s survival. I get called a coward by earthlings for using these to my advantage,” Dawn Wings flexed her wings and pointed at them with a thumb, “but I’d rather be called that than be dead.”

“Does it get any easier? Seeing stuff like that?” Sunset asked reluctantly.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Oh.” Sunset wilted. “How do you deal with it then? The hurt?”

“Learning how to tell the illusion from the real world. It’ll always hurt when it happens. But after a few times, it's easier to burn off the lies,” Dawn Wings said solemnly. “It just takes time.”

Sunset curled in on herself, grabbing her elbows with a sniffle.

“But… I keep seeing it. I keep seeing them. Over and over in my mind. And it hurts. It hurts so much.”

“I know.”

“I just want it to stop. Every time it just comes back. Again and again. The memories. The pain, both of the vision, and the purification.” Sunset was on the verge of tears. “…I just want it to stop.”

The sound of ruffling feathers tickled Sunset’s ears as Dawn Wings rose from her seat and kneeled down, opening her arms invitingly. Slowly rising from her chair, Sunset let Dawn Wings wrap her in a hug with both her arms and wings.

“I just want it to stop!” Sunset cried.

“I know, kiddo. I know,” Dawn Wings said, rubbing Sunset’s back, the envelope of her feathers making Sunset feel warm and protected. Just like when Rainbow hugged her. “I can’t say it will ever go away completely. But I promise it’ll get better. It’ll just take time. And I’ll be there for you, if you’ll let me.”

“Really?”

“Of course. It’s what friends do.”

A nasty, wiggling, ball of guilt settled into Sunset’s guts.

“I wasn’t a very good friend earlier.”

“I know. But I can handle it. I’ve raised a couple of headstrong little sky-runners. You’re going to have to up your intensity if you want to make me ignite.”

“Is that a challenge?” Sunset said with a wet laugh, hugging Dawn Wings a little tighter.

“I don’t know, do you think it's a good idea to mouth off to someone who can get to your cider?”

“I told you to stay away from that,” Sunset laughed again, her chest lighter.

“Stay on my good side and maybe I’ll consider it,” Dawn Wings said, before her voice turned solemn again. “I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.”

“Mistakes?”

“After my run in with that specter I was so afraid of losing Chaser that I got paranoid. Let's just say that he gave me a wake-up call when I started turning into a raging petroquine.”

“Can’t imagine you as a raging petroquine,” Sunset chuckled. “Now a drunken one? Sure.”

“Ouch, how ever shall I recover from such a deep burn. But, I did get pretty awful. Started to do things that I’m not proud of to keep him ‘safe.’ I thought ‘if this is to protect Chaser, it’s okay.’ In the end, it nearly cost me my position, and my Cloud Chaser. That kicked the cloud away from the sun, let me tell you.”

With a sigh, Dawn Wings pulled Sunset a little closer.

“Point is, you don’t have to do this alone. Or as alone as someone with a bird in their brain can be. I’m here for you, okay? So are your friends,” Dawn Wings said, then went quiet. Sunset could almost feel the thoughts burning in the sky-runner’s mind. “Tell me, would you like to see your oath-sisters?”

Sunset flinched, as the memories of her real, happy life mixed with those of her hallucination. The despair, as they made it clear in no uncertain terms, she was cut from their oath.

“I… I don’t know,” she finally admitted. “I do. But I don’t. I want to see them. But I’m afraid that if I do, it’ll be like the visions. That they’ll want me gone.”

“I can promise you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I know… doesn’t change that I’m scared.”

“I know, kiddo. I know. But, what if they don’t want you gone? Wouldn’t that help make it better?”

“I… it might. But how? They can’t make the trip, and I don’t think Raven’s going to let me leave Mt. Liakeed again for a long time.”

“Let me worry about that,” Dawn Wings said, running her fingers through Sunset’s living flame. “I’m sure I can convince Raven to make it happen. And if I can’t, I have a few favors I can call in.”

Once again, Sunset's mind became an emotional battlefield, the joy of getting to see her oath-sisters, and the way she'd treated Dawn vying for dominance.

“You… you’d do that for me?” Sunset asked, voice nervous and hopeful.

“Yes, I will.”

“But why?”

“Because I care, you silly little girl. And I don’t want to see you go down the road that I almost did. Unlike me, you’re going to potentially have an eternity to regret your choices, and I’d rather not die knowing I created a new General Sentry. Can you do that for me?”

Pressing her face into the fabric of Dawn Wings’ blouse, Sunset mumbled.

“I’ll try.”

*****

Warm steam wafted up around Sunset like a thin, low hanging cloud, obscuring her vision and filling her nostrils with the scent of sulfur. She sat at the edge of the main hot spring pool, her feet dangling in the water as she gently preened Philomena. Dawn Wings had vanished not long ago, saying she wanted to be gone by the time Roseluck and Sunset’s friends got back. Sunset had mixed feelings about Dawn Wings leaving, but hadn’t protested. As much as she wanted to spend more time talking with the spy-mistress, she needed a little time alone with her bondmate to process everything they’d discussed.

Only to be pulled out of her musings when she heard the sound of someone approaching. The sound made Sunset’s heart sink a little when she focused on them. There was only one pair of footsteps. Someone bigger. Adult.

Glancing towards the noise, she saw Roseluck and Amara approaching.

Without her friends.

‘Fire and light,’ Sunset thought as what she saw sunk in.

Guess they’re mad at me, Sunset sent as she offered her arm to Philomena.

To be fair, Philomena sent, you were a brat.

Philomena climbed atop the offered arm, moving to Sunset's shoulder as she brought her near.

Don’t remind me, Sunset sent, floating out of the water and into the air, using a tendril of her living flame to dry her legs.

You’re going to have to apologize to them when you see them, Philomena sent as Sunset landed and slipped her shoes back on.

Don’t remind me! Sunset sent with an irritated push, only to get a wave of smugness from Philomena.

Giving Philomena an irritated, sidelong glance, Sunset began walking to meet Roseluck. To Sunset’s relief, the archduchess didn’t look angry, or disappointed, or anything that might make her think that she was in trouble. So, maybe Lily and Daisy hadn’t told her about what had happened.

Then why weren’t they with Roseluck?

“Good afternoon, Roseluck,” Sunset said as she reached the archduchess. She wanted to ask where her friends were. What they’d told her. But, she couldn’t think of how to broach the subject. Not without admitting she'd messed up. So she chose the only thing she could think to say that wasn’t an admission of some sort.

A simple, harmless greeting. That was the best bone to roll.

To her relief, Roseluck knelt down to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Hello, Sunset. How are you doing? Any residual pain? Weakness?”

“A little,” Sunset said. “The hotspring helped though.”

“I knew it would. I saw your friends a little while ago. Said you had a visitor. Something about a ‘strange sky-runner that they could have sworn they’d met somewhere before suddenly showing up out of nowhere to talk to you about what happened.’ Is that right?”

Sunset’s chest grew tight and a chill ran up her spine.

“Yes, that’s right,” Sunset said nervously. “What else did they tell you?”

“That you yelled at them.”

“And…” Sunset asked with a nervous gulp.

“And that they needed some time before they wanted to see you again.”

With a defeated sigh, Sunset’s head and shoulders slumped down.

“Dreaming darkness…”

“Sunset, mind your language.”

“Sorry, Roseluck,” Sunset whimpered, unable to meet the archduchess’s gaze. “How mad were they?”

“A little. More hurt and worried than mad. But, you should probably apologize when you see them again.”

“Fire and light…” Sunset said, looking down at her shoes, “I really messed up, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Roseluck said. “But, I talked to them after they found me.”

“And?” Sunset asked, a small glimmer of hope forming in her chest.

“And they said that they understand why you lost your temper, but they need time before they can see you without saying something they’ll regret too.”

“Well, it’s something, I guess.”

“Friends fight sometimes. You think Raven and I always agree on everything?”

I guess I never thought of it like that, Sunset sent, receiving a feeling of encouragement in return.

“No, I suppose not.”

“Then just give them some air, and apologize when you see them again.”

“Right,” Sunset sighed.

“Now, about your visitor. Was it Dawn Wings?”

Sunset nodded. “Yes, it was. How’d you know.”

“Your friends had a hard time describing anything about her other than ‘she was a sky-runner.’ Dawn Wings is remarkably hard to remember if she doesn’t want to be.”

A weak laugh managed to work its way out of Sunset’s throat as she thought back to her second encounter with the spy-mistress.

“It's almost like she’s got shadow magic or something.”

“Fire and light, no,” Roseluck laughed. “Could you imagine? She’s just very good at being forgettable if she wants to be.”

“That’s a relief. I had a hard enough time wrapping my head around the kirintal stags using shadows.”

“I don’t even want to imagine,” Roseluck laughed again, filling Sunset’s heart with warmth. “So did talking with her help?”

“It did. Not much, but it did.”

“That’s good,” Roseluck said, before her voice turned serious. “However, I’m afraid we’ve got something else to discuss.”

“Such as?” Sunset asked, her anxiety rising again. Thankfully, Philomena sent feelings of support as she rubbed up against the side of Sunset’s head.

“Nothing you have to worry about,” Roseluck reassured her. “After Dylis, Vestian and General Sentry finished disposing of the Chaos-taint, we met with the others to decide whether or not you should be sent back to Mt. Liakeed.”

“That sounds exactly like something I should worry about,” Sunset said, before adding nervously. “So… what did you decide?”

“We decided that you should be the one to choose.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes, Sunset.”

“Well, I want to…” Sunset began to say, only for Roseluck to place a finger on her lips.

“Just a moment. I said we’d let you choose, but this can’t be a flash decision. We need to discuss what your choice will mean, both for you and Solaria.”

“But you said it was my choice!” Sunset protested.

“I did,” Roseluck said warmly, giving Sunset’s shoulder a squeeze, “but, it needs to be an informed choice. Like it or not, the decision you make will have consequences.”

“Roseluck, why? Why are you doing this? I… I… why are you making me think about this?”

“Because,” Roseluck said, “after everything you went through, we need to let you do this. I’m not stopping you from making a choice. I’m helping you make a good one, rather than a rash one.”

Sunset let out a low, tired sigh through her nose. Allowing her frustration to flow towards Philomena, she felt support in return.

“Okay, fine, we’ll do it your way,” Sunset said. “Can we sit down before we do this at least.”

“Of course. Do you want to stay here, or go somewhere else?”

“How about under the trees over there,” Sunset asked, pointing to a small grove of cedars near the pools.

“That sounds nice,” Roseluck smiled.

As the two of them walked over, Sunset opened her link with Philomena even wider, sending feelings of distress and worry as the memories of her ulmuri induced hallucinations came flooding back. Memories that it was her decisions that had doomed Golden Tree and her loved ones. Philomena tried sending feelings of reassurance and comfort, but they did little to stop her thoughts from whorling out of control.

What if she messed up?

What if she made the wrong choice?

Could she even make the right one?

Was there a right one?

Was any choice she made doomed to fail?

A sharp, angry push came through the link, along with a nip to her ear. One not hard enough to break the skin or draw blood, but strong enough to snap her out of her spiraling thoughts.

“Ow!” Sunset said, while sending, Mena, what in the name of the Sun was that for?

Getting you to stop before you drove yourself crazy.

You didn’t need to bite me!

It was either that or smack you with a wing. Sunset, you were about to ignite. I had to do something to extinguish it!

You could have chosen something else!

It got you to stop, didn’t it?

“Is something wrong, Sunset?” Roseluck asked.

“Not really,” Sunset said as she glared at Philomena from the corner of her eye. “Mena just wanted to see what I tasted like.”

Both Roseluck and Amara glanced at one another, before the former looked over her shoulder at Sunset.

“I see,” Roseluck said, though she sounded more amused than convinced. “Philomena, please don’t eat your bondmate. She’s not a food.”

Philomena let out a soft, irritated trill of acknowledgement, continuing to match Sunset’s glare.

Eventually, the four of them settled down, Sunset and Roseluck sitting on a low stone slab below the boughs of the cedar tree, while Philomena and Amara decided to perch in one of the lower branches near their bondmates.

“So…” Sunset said slowly, hoping to seize the initiative in the conversation, “you said you’d help me make a ‘good decision’ about whether to stay or go back to Mt. Liakeed.”

“That’s the idea,” Roseluck said as she smoothed her dress. “What were you going to say your choice was before?”

“That I wanted to stay.”

Roseluck nodded, her expression turning serious. “Then we’ll start there. If you were to stay, it’d do a lot to improve your standing, especially with my people and Raven’s allies in Heliopolis. It would also do quite a lot to… patch up your early poor impression with the kirintal. But, you’d still be at risk of Nightcrawler making another attempt on your life. Even if the ul’muri failed, he may have other plans. So, you wouldn’t be going out to the festival as freely as before. And, you wouldn’t be allowed to eat anything that doesn’t come directly from my gardens, just in case that undead Chaos-spawn tries the same trick again.”

“Sounds like you don’t want me to stay,” Sunset muttered.

Roseluck shook her head.

“What I want doesn’t matter here, Sunset. You need to understand the risks and benefits if you’re going to make this decision. I’m helping you do that.”

“So then what about going back to Heliopolis?”

“The biggest benefit would be your safety. But, it would be a breach of our promise to the kirintal, so it would damage your reputation and strain our relationship with them even further. And, it would also give the likes of Duchess Rich and her allies more tinder to feed their attacks on your reputation. Raven and I would do what we could to mitigate both, but there’s only so much that we can do.”

Sunset allowed Roseluck’s explanations to swirl around in her mind, her own thoughts tumbling about the vortex.

“Neither of those sound like they’re very good options,” she said.

“I know. But, life rarely gives us obvious solutions to our problems. Usually, you just have to choose the one that you feel is best,” Roseluck said. “Of course, the best choice may not be the easiest one. It rarely is.”

“So how do you make those choices?”

“It’s not easy,” Roseluck said. “Just, please, think about it a bit.”

Why do I feel that ‘letting me choose’ was a way for Raven to sneak a lesson in? Sunset sent, leaning back and looking into the tree’s branches to meet Philomena’s eyes.

Could be, Philomena sent noncommittally.

Sunset sent a light, annoyed push through their bond, earning a wave of smuggness in return.

I just get the feeling that there’s only one real choice to make. If we leave, Spoiled, and her allies…

Like Blueblood and Sapphire’s parents?

Yes, like Blueblood and Sapphire’s parents, are going to go after us. And… I need to fix my mess with Lily and Daisy. And the kirintal. How can I be a good friend if I just run off without making it right. Both with them, and for Roseluck.

Sunset stopped her sendings, letting her thoughts gather.

I… I’m scared. Roseluck says Nightcrawler and his cultists could come after us again. Sunset found herself trembling a little as she thought about the attack. And how many thwarted attempts Dawn Wings claimed to have stopped in addition to the successful one. They already got to us once. They could do it again. But if I leave, I’m giving the Heliopolans the knife they need to slit my throat… and if not me, then Golden Tree and my family. I can’t let that happen.

So we’re staying?

Yes, Mena. If these are the ingots I’ve got to work with, then I’m going to make the best of them, Sunset sent as she said, “Roseluck, I'm going to stay.”

Roseluck smiled in a way that made the world seem all that much brighter, before pulling Sunset into a hug.

“I’m so happy to hear that.”

Author's Note

Elementiles is played a bit like dominoes. Only, rather than numbered pips, there are runes for the six different elements (air, earth, fire, metal, water, wood). Despite the game's ubiquity across Solaria, how it's played is very different depending on region.

Illusimiae - large, carnivorous, semi-sentient shadow-aligned creatures that resemble black bear-sized, navy-blue baboons, illusimiae are cunning predators that use their limited shadow magic to create illusion crystal traps. When prey sets off the crystal, they are subjected to an illusion that locks them in a vision of their fears. While not especially powerful, the illusions usually keep their prey transfixed long enough for the illusimiae to dispatch its prey with its life draining touch. Because the creature depends on its illusions to subdue its prey, it is not a capable fighter on its own, and will usually retreat when threatened. If it can't escape, it will fight back with its fists and long teeth.

Ch 18 - The Trials - Shield and Sword, Hand and Voice

The trail back from the hotspring was longer than it was earlier. At least, that’s what Sunset felt.

Despite the fall season, parts of the garden were still green and verdant. Roseluck explained that she’d enchanted those areas so that they mimicked the conditions where the plants came from, including their temperature. Sunset’s inner arcanist had a thousand questions.

Questions she left unasked.

Roseluck suggested they return by foot over flight. In her words, 'The walk will do you some good. It’ll give you time to get your thoughts in order before we meet the others'. Initially, Sunset agreed.

Now, she began to regret the decision.

She couldn’t shine a light on why. It could be the uncertainty, not knowing how the others might respond to her decision. It could have been the looming, eventual apology she owed her friends. It could have been the sinking realization that, with her choice, she had willingly placed not only herself, but Philomena in danger. It could have been her... 'discussion' with Dawn Wings.

It could have been any number of things.

Whatever the reason, Sunset’s thoughts threatened to erupt into a wildfire. Philomena’s presence was the only thing keeping her in check. Had she made the right choice? She was sure she had at the time. Could she change her mind?

No, she didn’t want to do that.

She'd carve a path through the darkness, just as she did when she scraped and saved to attend the Phoenix-Rite. The same way she stood up to Sapphire and the other Heliopolan brats. She earned her place aiding Lady Inkwell. And she’d been chosen by Philomena to stand amongst the phoenix-born. She’d survived Nightcrawler’s poison and Roseluck’s purification spell.

She could do this.

She had to do this.

No matter how scared she felt.

They passed through the hedge archway to Roseluck’s manor. As they reached the main entrance, the sound of a door closing snapped her back to Nitor. Looking towards the sound, she spotted both General Sentry and Commander Spitfire standing at ease just outside the front entrance, their bondmates perched on their shoulders.

Neither of them approached. Sunset had a feeling that they were waiting for her and Roseluck. While the General was wearing his usual unreadable mask of disinterest, the Commander’s strange, barely toothy smirk put Sunset on edge. Sunset wanted nothing more than to hide behind Roselucks’ skirt when she realized the Commander was directing it at her and Philomena.

A gentle hand touched her free shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“Let's go tell them your decision, Sunset,” Roseluck said warmly.

“Right.” Sunset took a deep breath, fortifying herself with Philomena’s reassuring sendings.

It took far too little and too much time for them to reach the others.

“Bright day, Archduchess. Little miss.” General Sentry said coldly. “You were away longer than I anticipated, so I trust your conversation was productive.”

“Yes, General Sentry, it was.” Roseluck’s tone was similarly frigid. “Sunset and I decided to walk back. She’s still recovering from the ul’muri and purification, after all.”

A pall of silence fell as the General glared her direction.

“If that’s so, I take it you had plenty of time to discuss the conditions, dangers and potential consequences of her choices. Is that right?”

“Yes, General Sentry, we did.”

“Good. And what have you chosen, little miss?”

Sunset's heart hammered the second he addressed her. Taking a deep breath, Sunset glared back at him.

“I’m staying.”

Sunset swore she could see the fire burning in his mind. He regarded her with a flat look eerily similar to the sort Raven would give. Chancing a glance at Vestian she saw a similar expression, suggesting the two were locked in sendings.

“I see. Very well then.”

Sunset was flabbergasted. She had expected to have to defend herself and her choice. Maybe get into an argument with him about how she should go back to Heliopolis rather than stay.

She hadn’t expected him to simply agree.

“That’s it? No interrogation? No demands for an explanation? Nothing? Just ‘very well then?’”

He looked down on her with a soft harumph, and the barest hint of a smirk.

“Little miss, do you think that Roseluck and Raven dictated to the Commander and myself that you were to be given this choice? We spent an hour debating, and eventually agreed on this course. You want to stay? Then you’re staying.”

Then, he leaned forward.

“But I do hope you understand that by staying, you will be giving them another opportunity to kill you.” Then his voice dropped dangerously. “Do you accept that risk?”

Sunset’s first instinct was to hide behind Roseluck, but she forced herself to resist the urge. She’d faced the ulmuri’s hallucinations and survived. If she could face that, she could face General Sentry.

“I do,” Sunset said with as much confidence as she could muster.

The two of them glared at the other for what felt like an eternity, harsh magenta boring into defiant cyan. This was a challenge, she could tell. A battle of wills, a test to see if she broke.

Suddenly, the stalemate ended, and the General's frown broke into the slightest of grins, and a measured chuckle followed.

"Well then." The General straightened, casually brushing down his jacket. "I suppose we'll just have to make certain you don't end up dead. Or worse.”

A chill ran down her spine.

“General Sentry.” Roseluck interposed herself between the two of them, glaring balefully. “‘You could have been more tactful.”

Standing back to his full height, General Sentry met Roseluck’s angry glare with his own.

“Dance around the issue as much as you like, Archduchess, but she needs to be aware of the stakes. It does her no good to shroud her from it.”

“Roseluck,” Sunset said, taking the Archduchess’s hand, “it’s okay.”

“Sunset?”

“It’s okay. I get it,” Sunset sighed. “At least he's being honest with me.”

“So, you’re not scared?” Spitfire chimed in, finally floating over to join them. “Not going to hide behind flower girl’s skirt the entire time?”

Wheeling around, Sunset’s temper began to burn white hot. She and Philomena glared at the Commander and Akari.

“Of course I’m scared,” Sunset admitted. “But that hasn’t stopped me before. If I go back to Mt. Liakeed, I toss Roseluck and her territory out after dark. So, I’m staying. Do you have a problem with that?”

To their chagrin, Spitfire’s smirk grew even wider.

“Well, I guess I misjudged you. You’re a lot braver than I thought… Sunset Shimmer.”

A sudden rockslide blocked the flow of her thoughts.

Mena, did... did she just call me by name?

Pretty sure she did.

“Sunset Shimmer? What happened to ‘emberling?’” Sunset finally managed to say as her mind worked around the obstruction.

“Didn’t I say I’d call you by name when you earned it?” Spitfire's cocky smirk grew wider, while Akari gave a soft affirmative screech. “You beat death twice in the last day: once at the tendrils of Nightcrawler, once when flower girl had to get that Chaos-sludge out of you. And you’re not running back to Heliopolis like a scared finch. Far as I’m concerned, you’ve proven yourself. For now at least.”

Sunset balked. It took her brain some moments to regather itself, but once it did…

“So you suddenly like me? You want to be friends?”

To her surprise and chagrin, Spitfire placed her hands on her hips and leaned back with a boisterous guffaw. Akari added a string of her own long, high-pitched trills. Their laughter died down, leaving Sunset and Philomena in stunned silence as Spitfire wiped tears away with her knuckle.

“Like you? Friends? Oh, that’s adorable. You’re a very long way from me liking you, Shimmer, let alone being my friend,” Spitfire said, her smirk growing into a full blown toothy sneer. “I said I respected you. Big difference.”

Spitfire leaned forward at the waist, and her expression turned serious. Bringing herself closer to the pair with Akari, they dominated Sunset's attention.

“I like my sky-strikers,” Spitfire said, shocking Sunset with her monotone growl. “They’re my comrades. My friends. My family. General Sentry too. I adore the queen more than life itself. Tlatuani Tezcacoatl of the plumed serpents? I call him friend, even if we don’t see each other all that often. That snake’s the only non-phoenix-born who can really challenge me in the air anymore. Same with Lady Commander Deep Strike of the selkies. That seal-bird’s the best scraper among her kind. You? You haven’t given me any reason to like you. Could that change in the future? As it stands, probably not, but I’d be happy to be surprised.”

Standing, Spitfire looked down her nose at Sunset.

“Like I said, you’ve earned my respect. Don’t squander it.”

General Sentry cleared his throat, recapturing their attention.

“Fascinating as this was, there are other matters we need to address. First, I will need to inform Lady Inkwell of her decision. While I deal with that, Archduchess, I want you to arrange a meeting with the kirintal does. I believe the little miss has a formal apology to make.”

“Very well, General,” Roseluck said flatly. “It won’t be until tomorrow at the earliest. If she’s going to make a formal apology, I need to teach her how to do so without offering further insult.”

“So long as it gets done.” General Sentry turned to the Commander. “Spitfire, dispatch Thunderlane back to Heliopolis. I want five units of sky-strikers armed with dead-breaker weaponry here as soon as possible, as well as three more cases of osteophage gas grenades. Next, inform our current forces that security is to be tripled around the little miss any time she leaves the mesa. Finally, I want all bone-crackers ready to deploy on the walls before dark, just in case Nightcrawler decides to try his usual tactics.”

Commander Spitfire enthusiastically snapped a salute.“Yes, Sir!”

“Once everything is arranged, we will convene to determine the remaining logistics. Meet at the main dining hall an hour before sundown and we'll solidify our plans.”

Sunset watched, lost in the spectacle. She tried to wrap her head around all of it. But something felt off, in a way she couldn't explain. As if something were missing.

No, she realized. Someone was missing.

“Wait,” Sunset said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Where’s Raven?”

The General and Commander considered her impassively. To Sunset's growing unease, Roseluck glanced away. It didn't take long for unpleasant connections and theories to form. She hadn't recalled seeing Raven once since her recovery.

So where was she?

Theories became poisonous ideas that seeped into her mind. Ideas that explained the lack of Raven's presence. Ideas fed and colored by her growing resentment for the Royal Seneschal.

Philomena, sensing the turbulence, touched her mind. Sunset?

Mena, I need you to think very carefully: have you seen Raven or Dylis at all since I woke up?

I… no, I haven’t. The last time I saw my brother was when he told Roseluck what you’d been given. I think he left when I was protecting you from the ulmuri’s phantoms.

And Raven?

Not since you collapsed.

The confirmation threw more tinder onto her paranoid blaze.

Sunset barely kept the heat out of her voice as she asked, “Roseluck, where’s Raven? Why hasn’t she come to see me?”

Roseluck and General Sentry shared a quick glance.

General Sentry's next, blunt words shook her.

“Little miss, please come with me.”

Sunset blinked, then narrowed her eyes.

“Why should I go with you?” Sunset demanded incredulously.

“I'm taking you to Lady Inkwell. When we're finished, I'll deliver you to your room. Once the Archduchess has arranged things with the kirintal, she can collect you for our evening meeting.”

Sunset tried to speak, only to stop when General Sentry held up an index finger. "She can’t come with us. She has other duties to attend to.”

Roseluck shifted uncomfortably. Her and Amara glanced their way, and Sunset with Philomena glanced back.

As though anticipating Roseluck's protest, he clasped his hands behind his back and spoke. "It would do Lady Inkwell good to see her up and about. Much as it would do her good to see Lady Inkwell. For more reasons than one.”

A tense silence filled the air as Sunset watched Roseluck and General Sentry stare at each other down. She hoped Roseluck would deny him. Tell him to have dreams. Because the last thing Sunset wanted was to be alone with General Sentry and Vestian for any length of time.

“Alright, General Sentry,” Roseluck sighed. “Keep her safe.”

General Sentry nodded crisply. “That goes without saying, Archduchess.”

The bottom fell out of her stomach. Roseluck didn’t seriously think that she should go with the General all by herself, did she? But she didn’t get a chance to protest.

“Sunset,” Roseluck knelt down and put a hand on her free shoulder, “go see Raven. General Sentry’s right. I think it would do her good to know you’re okay.”

“But… Roseluck…” Sunset began as she flicked her eyes between the Archduchess and the General.

“You’ll be fine. General Sentry won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Looking into those chartreuse green eyes, Sunset began to calm down. This was Roseluck.

She trusted Roseluck.

“Okay,” Sunset kept her eyes locked on Roseluck’s, a small bit of tension leaving her body at the Archduchess’s reassurance, “but only because you’re the one asking.”

“Thank you, Sunset.” Roseluck stood back up to her full height. “I’ll see you in a little bit, okay.”

“If you’re finished, we should be going,” General Sentry said as he stepped up to Sunset. “Come along, little miss.”

Then, turning on his heels, he began to walk towards the manor. With one last glance at Roseluck, Sunset jogged after.

*****
The staccato of Sunset’s footsteps was the only sound that broke the quiet as she followed General Sentry. Since entering the manor, he’d silently guided them through the labyrinth of corridors. Several times they ascended stairwells, only to descend another minutes later.

Were it not for his guidance, she'd be completely lost, something made worse by the lack of windows. It was stifling, no natural sunlight to be seen, no nature or beauty beyond the wooden walls and floors.

Looking up at the General, her body tensed. He hadn't even glanced in her direction or stopped to acknowledge her presence. Not once. And yet, every survival instinct she had told he was fully aware of exactly where she was.

That would be disconcerting on its own. His eerie silence made it worse. His footsteps barely whispered as he walked, but she couldn't tell if practice or a spell was to blame. It didn't matter either way; the General reminded her unfavorably of a large predatory cat, coiled to spring into swift, precise, and violent action at the flash of a spark.

She wasn't the only one on edge. Through their link, she sensed Philomena's unease. She tried to send her bondmate feelings of calm, safety, and encouragement, although she didn't feel those things herself.

It did nothing to distract either of them. At first she tried paying mind to the architecture, the paintings, chandeliers, carpet patterns, whatever could hold her attention. But always, it came back to the General.

She just wanted to go back to her room and smolder. Or read. Or practice her runes. Or dances. Or look for Lily and Daisy so she could apologize.

Anything but this.

After descending yet another staircase, she’d had enough.

“How long is this going to take?” Sunset demanded, violently breaking the silence. “Where are we going?”

Sunset, this is a bad idea, Philomena sent.

Maybe… but I can’t take this anymore.

Stopping, General Sentry looked over his shoulder.

“We’re going to see Lady Inkwell, little miss.”

“I know that. But why is it taking so long?” Sunset demanded. “And why didn’t Raven come to see me?”

“She couldn’t.”

“Couldn’t. Or wouldn’t?” Sunset growled in frustration at General Sentry’s response.

“Couldn’t.”

“Why not? Did she have more important things to do than visit me?”

The moment the words left her lips, she knew she'd made a mistake. The realization solidified as General Sentry turned to face her, as slow and imposing as a mountain.

“She couldn't," he repeated, scowling. His voice remained cold and detached, yet the weight of his authoritative aura erupted outward. The aura slammed into her like a thousand angry, glaring eyes pressing in on all sides, "because she is recovering from injuries she sustained saving your life.”

Sunset's eyes widened. "What?"

“Lady Inkwell was injured saving your life.”

"She- she got hurt? Saving me?" Sunset asked. Philomena's own confusion and worry bled through their bond, amplifying her own.

He’s lying. He has to be, Sunset sent. Raven’s Queen Celestia’s Seneschal. She survived the Splintering. Helped found and guided Solaria from its birth. She… she’s the most powerful sun-gazer alive. She can’t get hurt!

I… I can’t believe it either, Philomena sent. But… my brother was okay, so she couldn’t be hurt too badly, right?

“Yes, she did. And against my advice, I might add.” General Sentry’s voice pulled Sunset out of her sendings.

“How did she get hurt?”

“That’s classified.”

“But…”

“That is not for you to know.” His authoritative aura pressed in on her even harder, the phantom glares growing more intense even as his voice remained the same. “Not even the Archduchess or Commander Spitfire have clearance for that information.”

Roseluck can’t know? Philomena sent.

I… that doesn’t make sense. Sunset was incredulous. Roseluck’s an Archduchess!

“All you need to know is that she nearly died saving you, so try to show some gratitude.”

Died!? Sunset sent with dismay, while saying, “But, why would she do that?”

“Risk her life?”

“Yes.”

A deeper frown creased his face. He took a step forward. She took a step back. The menace around him grew dangerous, impenetrable, even as his authoritative aura faded away.

“How much do you know about Raven Inkwell, little miss? How much do you really know about her? Not Lady Inkwell, Seneschal of Queen Celestia, but Raven Inkwell the sun-gazer.”

An awkward moment passed as Sunset rolled General Sentry’s unexpected question around in her head. Try as she might, she couldn’t really say she knew Raven. Not like she knew her oath-sisters, friends or Roseluck.

“I… I don’t know. Not much, I suppose. She told me a bit about her life from before the Splintering, but… nothing aside from that.”

“You’ve been given a priceless gift if she confided anything about her past to you. Lady Inkwell doesn’t like to talk about herself. But, allow me to give you a glimpse of the woman under the mask. She loves you. Just like she loves all of us. We’re the only family she has left. You and Philomena. Vestian and myself. Archduchess Roseluck and Amara. Commander Spitfire and Akari. We are the most important people in her life after Dylis and the queen.”

What?! Sunset sent incredulously as she took another step back, mind reeling.

Don’t yell like that! Philomena sent with a hard push.

Kneeling down, the General leaned close, his glare matching Raven's in potency.

“After nearly seven hundred years of sparring, I probably know her better than anyone aside Dylis. And I know that she carries wounds in her heart I could never comprehend, even with everything I’ve faced in the line of duty. The few times she’s spoken of Harmonia, it was a utopia that we could never comprehend even a fleeting glimpse of. And all of it was taken away by Queen Celestia’s traitorous sister. She lost everything. Her life. Her home. Her loved ones. That pain haunts her every day. So now, she holds onto those she cares about with everything she has, because she doesn’t want to fail us like she believes she failed in the Splintering.”

After a few tense moments, General Sentry rose to his feet.

“Lady Inkwell and I disagree on a great many things. We hate each other far more often than not. We have for centuries. But I could count on her to fight to save my life if I needed it. Just as she knows I would do the same for her. We all would.”

Then, without another word, the general turned and continued to walk, leaving Sunset to scramble to catch up once she could force herself to think straight.

This is a trick. It has to be. Raven doesn’t care about me like that… does she? Sunset sent as she stared at the back of General Sentry’s head.

You’re asking me? Philomena sent with uncertainty.

I’m… just… how could she actually care? It’s just… she treats me like… I’ve been…what am I supposed to think!?

I don’t know, Sunset! I don’t know. Just… calm down.

How can I? If he’s telling the truth, Raven almost died to save me! Why would… I just can’t… that doesn’t make sense! She hates me!

“Get moving, little miss," the General barked, snapping them back to Nitor. "I don't want to keep her waiting."

*****

“We’re here to see Lady Inkwell,” General Sentry said firmly as he stared down the six prominence knights blocking the corridor. Despite her disdain for the General, Sunset found herself ducking behind him as she and Philomena stared warily at the knights.

“Passphrase," one knight ordered. The other three tensed, nakedly hostile. The firecaller gripped their halberd, the colauarata’s mandibles thrummed, and the plumed serpent's wings crackled with lightning.

General Sentry and Vestian spoke in unison, voices blending flawlessly. "Fala tena lathechama pelame fala tathradu."

Did you understand any of that, Mena? Sunset sent as she saw the knights relax slightly.

I think there was something about the rising sun, but they were talking funny, Philomena sent back.

“You, Lord Vestian, Ladies Shimmer and Philomena may pass, General Sentry,” the lead knight said sharply as they moved aside. They did not, however, return to their normal resting stance. Instead, they all kept at the ready to spring into action.

With scarcely a nod, General Sentry walked past the knights, Sunset quickly following behind. As soon as they passed, the knights closed their line, blocking the corridor once more.

Guess he wasn’t lying, Sunset sent, glancing at the back of the general’s head, looking away quickly when Vestian glared over his shoulder. Raven really must be hurt if the prominence knights are this on guard.

Philomena sent her agreements.

As they walked, they passed more prominence knights, each pair parting only enough for both phoenix-born to pass. Every time, the knot in Sunset’s stomach grew just a little tighter, and her imagination ran wilder and wilder.

What could have happened to Raven? If it was the Cult that gave her the ulmuri, did Raven attack them to get the information, and got hurt in the process? That was a possibility. General Sentry did say that she did what she did against his advice. But Raven couldn’t lose a fight, could she? No, that wasn’t possible. Nobody could beat her. Not even the likes of the Storm King or D’compose.

Did she know a spell-dance that let her use some sort of divination, but her flame reacted violently? She had seen Raven use magic that didn’t adhere strictly to the normal limits of flame before, so it was possible. Her own flame rebelled when she’d pushed too hard while working with Bronze. But that wasn’t possible either. Raven was second only to the Queen in magical aptitude. She couldn’t have gotten hurt from something like that.

So what happened?

General Sentry cleared his throat, dredging her from the depths of churning thoughts. Focusing back on Nitor, she saw that they were now standing near what looked like just another door to one of the guest suites. At least, it would if it weren’t for the four prominence knights standing guard outside.

“We’re here to see Lady Inkwell,” General Sentry said as he folded his arms behind his back.

"Passphrase," one demanded. They and their fellows drew together into a fighting stance.

"Fa[ta]ma [ma]la[che] pa[le]fa[na] ma[na]ta[le] fa[ta]lus."

Rather than speak in tandem like before, the General and Vestian alternated. First, General Sentry would speak a syllable, followed by Vestian, and back again. Together they formed a perfect, unbroken sentence, and if it weren't for their different voices Sunset would never know it was two people speaking.

That was… kinda creepy, Philomena sent as she eyed the General and Vestian warily.

It was more than kinda creepy, Mena. How in Queen Celestia’s name did they do that?

Practice?

Yes, thank you, I couldn’t figure that out myself.

You asked.

“You, Lord Vestian, and Ladies Shimmer and Philomena may pass, General Sentry,” the knight said as they and their compatriots parted, earning a nod from the General. Together, they strode onwards.

The room they entered was almost identical to Sunset’s own suite: large bed, several cabinets and a small floor table set into a depression in the corner. However, there were two stark differences between them. One was the complete lack of windows.

Second, a pair of prominence knights at the door.

And there, sitting on the pillows by the table with her back to them, was Raven.

Raven wasn't dressed in her typical clothes. Instead, she wore a simple white robe with brilliant yellow accents. Her living flame had been loosed from its bun, flowing down to the small of her back. She and Philomena found the sight uncanny, as with the elaborate wooden cane resting by Raven's side. Several long, fiery feathers peeked out from her lap, suggesting Dylis's presence.

"General Sentry," Raven said, "what do you have to report?"

Sunset's apprehension spiked, crawling from her gut to her skull. Raven always sounded firm and always in control of herself if not the situation. Now her voice wavered, reminding her too much of Granny Smith after pushing herself too hard on the orchard.

General Sentry stood at ease. "Sunset Shimmer has made her decision."

Raven didn’t immediately respond. Instead, there was the soft sound of paper on paper that Sunset recognized as a book closing and being set on the table. However, Raven didn't rise from her seat. Or even turn to face her.

“I see. And what was your decision, Sunset?”

“How did you…?” Sunset began to ask, only to stop as a soft, dry chuckled came from Raven’s direction.

“My ears work just fine. I heard you come in with the General,” Raven said. Her tone carried a hint of amusement. “So, what was your decision? Will you be returning to Mt. Liakeed?”

Sunset swallowed the lump in her throat. "No. I'm staying.”

Again, Raven went quiet, then asked, “And you understand what that will mean? Did Roseluck and General Sentry tell you the risks involved and what will be expected of you.”

“I… yes, Roseluck did.”

Her words hung in the air for a short time. Then, the rustling of fabric tickled the air. Dylis rose, hopping from Raven's lap to the table, his movements unsteady as though he'd just awoken. Once there he curled in and closed his eyes.

Raven lifted a hand, and Sunset's nerves jolted as it shook. She ran trembling, unsteady fingers under her bondmate's jaw, who offered a nuzzle and soft trill, before falling back to sleep.

Like with her voice, Sunset found the Seneschal's lethargy unnerving. That feeling doubled as Raven picked up her cane, hauling herself up with a grunt and great effort.

The whole scene was unnervingly alien. The weakness and fatigue in her every word, every movement.

This wasn’t Raven.

It couldn’t be.

And yet, it was.

“Lady Inkwell, please don’t push yourself. You’re still recovering,” General Sentry said flatly as Raven wobbled on her feet.

“I appreciate the concern, General Sentry." Raven turned to face them, and climbed the steps unsteadily. "But don't worry yourself. I'll be burning bright in another day or two.”

Sunset's unease erupted. On a surface level, Raven looked the same as she always did.

Only now, there was a sickly pallor to her skin, the nearly white light gray having gained an ashen quality. Like the vitality had been drawn out of it somehow. Her eyes, usually so strong and vibrant, looked exhausted and dull.

What happened to her? Sunset sent.

I… I don’t know, Sunset.

“Be that as it may, you’re not back to full strength yet. The more you exert yourself, the longer it will take.” General Sentry narrowed his eyes, glaring disapprovingly at Raven.

“I know, General Sentry,” Raven said. She hobbled close, balancing on her cane. “Sunset, please come here.”

With Philomena's encouragement, Sunset reluctantly walked over.

Once Sunset reached her, Raven looked down and asked, "Why do you want to stay?"

With trepidation, Sunset returned Raven's question with her own. "Is this a test?"

“No.” Raven shook her head. “We gave you the choice. I will abide by that. I just want to hear your reasons.”

Sunset felt a small bit of tension she didn’t realize she had been holding in release.

“It felt like the best choice. If I leave, I’ll be conceding to Nightcrawler and to the likes of Duchess Rich,” Sunset stood a little taller and looked Raven directly in the eyes. “If I’m going to rule the Western Territory, I have to make sure that everyone respects me. And to do that, I can’t run away.

“And… well… I just don’t want to go back yet. Not until I fix the mess I made with the kirintal. I need to make it right. If not for my sake, then Roseluck’s.”

“I see,” Raven said with a slight nod. “And how are you? After everything, I can imagine you’re still troubled.”

“I’m not great,” Sunset admitted, her chest tightening. “I… I can’t keep things straight in my head. What’s real. What was the ulmuri. Philomena and Roseluck have been helping, but it’s hard. And I’m scared about what’s going to happen next. But, I’m… not going to let it beat me.”

Sunset didn't know what might happen next. Would Raven insist she return to her room, prepare for tomorrow? Assign her reading on kirintal etiquette? Instruct her to wear her armor until they were back on Mt. Liakeed?

But she did no such thing. No demands, no lessons, not even a tepid suggestion.

Instead, she knelt down using her cane.

And pulled Sunset into a hug.

She held the back of Sunset's head, pressing their cheeks together. Sunset and Philomena both froze, bodies stiff.

It wasn't just the hug that made her freeze.

Raven felt... cold.

“Then it was worth it,” Raven said softly. Relief filled her voice as she ran her fingers gently through Sunset’s living flame. “I was afraid we…I was going to lose you. I’m glad I made it in time.”

“I…” Sunset stammered, only for her voice to fail her as she tried to comprehend what was happening, her jaw flapping open and closed uselessly.

Raven was hugging her.

Raven… was hugging her.

From her bond, she felt Philomena's confusion and disbelief. She imagined Philomena felt hers as well.

“Raven,” the words finally came, soft and meek, “what happened? How did you get hurt?”

Raven didn't respond, not immediately. She tightened the embrace, before giving her answer.

“I can’t tell you that, Sunset.”

“Why not?” Sunset asked, voice wavering. “Why can’t I know what you had to do? I… General Sentry said you could have died!”

“I very well could have, Sunset.” Raven’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“So why won’t you tell me what happened?”

“Because it’s classified. And that means that even if I wanted to tell you, I can’t. There are secrets that I have to keep for the good of Solaria.”

“General Sentry said the same thing,” Sunset pouted. “That and Roseluck doesn’t get to know either.”

“I’m afraid that’s also true. Just know that I’d do it again in a spark if it kept you safe.”

Unpleasant feelings began to swell up in Sunset’s chest as the weight of what Raven was saying began to sink in. Whatever had happened, it was something really bad. But, she couldn’t imagine what. Raven didn’t look injured, yet whatever she’d gone through left her weakened enough that she could barely walk.

Philomena pressed herself close, trilling and sending her love and support.

What’s wrong with me? Sunset sent as she finally lifted her arms and returned Raven’s hug. “I’m sorry, Raven.”

What do you mean, Sunset? Philomena's concern poured through the bond.

I thought she hated me, Sunset sent.

Raven sighed, “It’s alright, Sunset. You don’t have to apologize for anything.”

I know, Philomena sent. We both did. But, I guess we were wrong.

“But I do. I…” Sunset began to say, only to stop as Raven tightened her hug and massaged the back of her head.

“No, you really don’t. None of this was your fault, so you’re not to blame.”

“That’s not why I’m apologizing. I… I thought you hated me. I thought everything you were doing was to make me miserable,” Sunset said softly. “So, I’m sorry.”

“I told you, you don’t have anything to apologize for, Sunset,” Raven said. “But, if it makes you feel better, apology accepted.”

"Thank you," Sunset whispered.

Both phoenix-born clung tight, Sunset giving her warmth to Raven in the hope it would take the chill from her bones.

*****

Sunset walked behind the General, head bowed. She stayed silent, but inside her mind, a war raged. The four of them had left when he had insisted that Raven needed her rest, and that Sunset needed to prepare for tonight’s meeting with the others. Raven had concurred, saying that she would see Sunset again when she’d finished regaining her strength. And so, after another brief hug, Sunset and General Sentry had left.

Mena, Sunset sent nervously.

What’s wrong? The concern in Philomena’s sending helped her relax a little as she started to get her head in order.

That whole thing with Raven, it really just happened, didn’t it?

It did.

A low groan escaped from Sunset’s nose. Reaching up, she rubbed Philomena under the chin, savoring the happiness coming through their bond.

I guess… he was telling the truth then, Sunset sent, looking at the General’s back. Mena, do you think we could be wrong about him?

Confusion poured through their link. What makes you think that?

Sunset grimaced, trying to find the right ideas to explain herself.

Look, we… I was wrong about Raven. She’s been teaching me for months, but I never knew she thought of me as family. I just thought she saw me as a tool.

That’s… true, Philomena sent with a wave of uncertainty. But it’s not like she ever actually gave you any reason to think otherwise.

Glancing back the way they’d come, Sunset found herself frowning.

That’s the problem. I think she was trying to. Just in her own way.

And what’s that got to do with that pig-sniffer? Philomena sent, glaring at the back of General Sentry’s head.

Sunset stared at the man in question too, attempting to compose her thoughts.

I guess... I guess I'm starting to wonder if we were wrong about him. Vestian, too. We've been around them far less than Raven, and I was wrong about her.

Philomena ruffled her feathers, sending intense indignation back like a crashing wave.

Sunset, he beat you up! Repeatedly. And he’s friends with the Riches, Neigsay, the Prisms and the Highbloods, among who knows how many other people that want us out of the picture. I think we know what he’s like.

I know, Sunset sent. Her anger spiked as her stare swiftly morphed into a withering glare. But… this whole thing’s got me turned around. I was convinced Raven hated me, but she doesn’t. I thought nobody could understand what I went through, but Dawn Wings did. I know he’s friends with those goat-lickers, but could there be more to it? He was the one who arrested Highblood.

And admitted he was his friend. He probably did that because he had to, not because he wanted to.

Maybe.

The General's voice shocked her back to reality. “I can feel you staring, little miss. If you want to ask something, ask.”

“I…” Sunset stammered. “What makes you think I was staring?”

General Sentry stopped walking. "Old soldier's instincts." He glanced back. "You’re so unsubtle, you might as well have been screaming at the top of your lungs.”

Sunset flushed and wracked her brain for a distraction.

“I… was just wondering… um…if you’ve ever been given ulmuri?”

He fixed her with a look, just inscrutable as Raven's. Sunset wondered if he’d bought the lie she’d told, or if he was going to call her out on it.

To her surprise, he took a slow, deep breath, which he let out through his nose. Then, he turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest. For the first time since she’d been alone with him, she could feel the threat around him abate ever so slightly. It wasn’t much, but it was palpable.

"No," he eventually said. His tone changed, and he looked towards the ceiling as a strange, distant look crossed his eyes. "I've faced far worse."

“Worse than ulmuri? What could be worse?”

General Sentry went quiet again, closing his eyes and reaching up to Vestian, who let out a soft trill and rubbed his head against the back of his hand.

“What do you know about the Smooze?”

“I… what?” Sunset’s tone was confused, her face scrunching up at his question. “What’s that got to do with it?”

“It has everything to do with it. What do you know about the Smooze?”

Screwing up her face, Sunset thought back to the legends she’d read about the Blight War. About how Hydea and her coven had unleashed an army of chaos-warped monstrosities on Solaria. The valiant defense by the phoenix-born and the old Knights of the Sun. And about Hydea’s final weapon.

“It was an abomination created by Hydea in the final days of the Blight War using Chaos-alchemy.”

To her surprise, the general closed his eyes and shook his head.

“It was much more than that, little miss. As powerful as Chaos-alchemy is, even an atrocity like Hydea couldn’t create an abomination. Not without an enormous amount of magic and vital energy. More than even she could provide without opening a gate directly to Chaos. In order to get what she needed, Hydea used her Chaos-alchemy to corrupt and merge thousands of victims into the Volcano of Gloom’s lava. That is what gave rise to the Smooze.”

Sunset's guts curled in knots. The implication of his words... She couldn't stop herself from pouring over them.

After a pang of silence, she managed to voice the terrible conclusion she’d come to.

“You mean the Smooze… was made of sun-gazers?”

General Sentry’s face warped into a cold, furious glower. “Not just sun-gazers. Plumed serpents. Colaurata. Raptorians. Changelings. Shadow-stalkers. Even animals. Hydea sacrificed tens of thousands of lives in her ritual. But that was only the beginning. Do you know what happened to its victims?”

A lump formed in her throat. Reluctantly, she replied, “They were dissolved and eaten, right?”

“That’s partially true. But they didn't die after it consumed them. It assimilated them into the gestalt. The more it spread, the more it consumed, the more victims it claimed, and the more powerful it became.”

Sunset stepped back. Hands shot to her mouth, and her wide eyes filled with tears. She tried to comprehend the magnitude of what the general was telling her, but couldn’t. She knew about the devastation the Smooze had left in its wake. The centuries of work by the earth-weavers to restore the land ravaged in its passing. But she never could have imagined something like that. Philomena’s revulsion was just as strong as her’s.

“That’s… by Celestia’s sun. How could she-?”

“That wasn’t the greatest cruelty of that witch’s creation. The minds of its victims? They remained intact, trapped in unbearable, endless agony, the tormented thoughts of every other creature in the gestalt wailing all around them. What you experienced when Roseluck purified you? Imagine a pain as terrible, but without the possibility for the release of death. And all the while, Hydea’s mind touched every creature trapped in the gestalt, her will directing the collective to attack and kill.”

Sunset felt nauseous with pure, visceral horror. She thought she knew the depths of depravity Chaos could stoop to.

But even her worst imagination couldn't conjure such evil.

“How… how do you know all that?”

“Because Hydea made me experience it.”

“She what?!”

“It was her final gamble. I had her cornered, but she managed one last hex. A hex that forced me to experience Sweet Stuff and Lettie’s final moments before the Smooze devoured them. All their fear. All their regret. All their pain. Every moment as that thing dissolved their flesh and merged them into the gestalt. All of it, driven straight into my mind like a spear,” General Sentry tapped a finger on his temple to emphasize his point. “The shock should have killed me. The only reason I survived was because Vestian pulled enough of the pain away to let me focus my thoughts. And I realized that if I didn’t win, Sweet Stuff and Lettie would be trapped in that torment forever, along with every living thing it consumed. That gave me the strength to fight off the hex and break free.”

Taking a slow, deep breath, the General composed himself.

“Knowing what so many millions of living things suffered, the only comfort I can take is that I got to cut Hydea’s head off. With her dead, the gestalt couldn’t focus, giving Queen Celestia and Lumina the opening they needed to end the thing’s misery in a baptism of true fire.”

Their stomachs heaved and coiled, trying to comprehend the magnitude of General Sentry's words.

“That’s… why don’t the legends…?” Sunset stammered.

“What good would it do to tell anyone?” General Sentry shook his head. “So many of our people lost loved ones to the Smooze. What do you think would have happened if they knew the true depths of evil Hydea inflicted on them? We were in mourning, not just for the lives and homes lost, but for Sweet Stuff and Lettie. The truth would have broken Solaria.”

An ill, uncomfortable silence filled the space between them. The two sun-gazers held one another's attention - Sunset and Philomena shaken, the General and Vestian quiet, stoic, and unreadable.

General Sentry broke the silence. His voice was flat, cutting the air like a blade. “That was but one wound I’ve suffered in my duty as Queen Celestia’s Shield and Sword. I accept that. People like us? We all end up bearing thousands of such wounds in our service to the Queen. That is our burden. We take these wounds so that Solaria can live.”

General Sentry’s brows furrowed. “You have just received the first of many in what will hopefully be centuries of life. But you survived. And I’ve no doubt you’re going to be stronger for it.”

“I don’t feel stronger,” Sunset protested meekly. “I feel scared, confused and… and angry. I don’t feel strong.”

“Don’t you? Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to prove your right to rule? Weren’t you the one who said you weren’t going to run back to Mt. Liakeed? Weren’t you the one who defied certain death twice in one day by refusing to break? That sounds like strength to me.”

“I did almost break!”

“Yet you didn’t. A lesser sun-gazer would have. But you aren’t a lesser sun-gazer. You found the strength and willpower to fight and live. And that takes courage.”

“But, I’ve… I’ve been scared out of my mind. The ulmuri’s phantoms keep-”

“Sunset Shimmer!”

The General's bellow echoed through the hall, making Sunset flinch back. She hadn’t felt him exert his presence, but the sheer authority in his voice pinned her in place. Looking up, she saw his and Vestian’s faces were tight glares of disapproval. Sunset and Philomena could do nothing but stare, as if they were mice gazing directly into the open jaws of a cragodile.

When he spoke again, his voice had returned to its usual stoic tone. Though his disapproving glare remained. “Do not confuse fearlessness and recklessness with courage. Courage… true courage… is not being without fear. Courage is doing what you need to do despite your fear. You say you’re scared? That you are plagued by phantoms? That may be true. Yet you have chosen to stay, knowing the danger it places you in, in order to prove your worth as a phoenix-born. You have chosen to fix your mistakes and better yourself despite being afraid. That is not cowardice. That is courageous. That is brave. Do not think otherwise.”

Both Sunset and Philomena stared up at the general in gobsmacked disbelief. Neither of them had ever expected praise of any kind from him, let alone encouragement. Their wonder only grew as his face softened ever so slightly, returning to his resting neutral expression.

“I believe that more than answers your question. Do you have any others you wish to ask?”

Snapping out of her stupor, Sunset shook her head. “Not right now. I’m not sure how much more I could take.”

“Very well, then we should get moving.”

“Right…” Sunset muttered, falling in step behind the General.

*****

With an exhausted sigh, Sunset flopped face first onto her bed. Philomena landed a moment later, sidling up next to her. Without looking, Sunset began to rub the back of Philomena's head. Her happiness, for Sunset, made the world just a little brighter.

Can this day just be over yet? Sunset sent with a groan.

I’ll give you an answer if you scratch a little to the left.

Lifting her head, Sunset attempted a glare. She managed less than half a glower and, sighing, shifted her hand to the spot Philomena wanted. A delighted trill and blissful sendings began as Philomena closed her eyes, and leaned into the contact

Weakly, Sunset smiled at Philomena's joy.

Well, I’m waiting, feather-butt.

For what?

Your answer.

Oh, that… nope, sorry. Still a few hours and one meeting with the others left.

Sunset groaned, shifting her hand to scratch Philomena's chin.

Dreaming darkness…

A wave of concern flooded into Sunset’s mind as Philomena walked over. to her and rubbed her head against her cheek. A cozy sigh escaped Sunset’s throat at the contact, the softness of her feathers and the smoothness of her beak making her smile grow wider. Opening their bond more fully, her feelings flowed back to Philomena.

Philomena walked closer to rest her head on the side of Sunset’s neck. Once she was settled in, Sunset draped an arm over her back, cuddling her closer.

Thank you, Mena.

Anytime.

Collecting herself, Sunset sent, What do you make of all this?

I’m just about as lost as you are, Sunset. Almost makes me wish we were doing lessons with the Queen. At least then we’d know what we were supposed to be doing.

True.

They allowed their minds to go quiet, and simply savored one another's company. It seemed so rare that they got to do that anymore.

Philomena huffed through her nose. The next week’s going to be hard, isn’t it.

It is. But, we’ll get through it. Sunset shifted. Rolling onto her back, she placed Philomena on her stomach, and stared up at the ceiling. After a moment of silence, she chuckled mirthlessly. It’s funny.

What is? Philomena sent as she shifted to get comfortable, resting her head on Sunset’s sternum.

What General Sentry said. That whole thing about wounds and courage. I never thought I’d hear something like that from him. Maybe… I think I was right. He’s not what I thought he was.

In what way? He’s a jerk.

He is. And a Heliopolan supremacist. And the biggest goat-licker I’ve ever met. But, I get the feeling there’s more to him. Somehow. I hate to admit it, but I think we got to see a little bit of the true Steel Sentry. The man under the mask. Raven too. I was wrong about her. I don’t know. All of this… I guess… I don’t know. It’s all too much.

Agreement touched Sunset’s mind. Yea, it is. But, at least we know Raven’s not out to get us.

There’s that. And… I think I understand what General Sentry was saying.

About being courageous?

Yes… that. Sunset idly stroked Philomena’s head, carefully considering her next sending. I guess by his definition, we are brave, aren’t we? At least, in some ways. And in others, we… I have been a night-loving coward.

Sunset, that’s not-

Isn’t it? There’s something I’ve been running away from. Something I’ve been too afraid to admit. This is my life now. You told me yourself. I’m not a normal sun-gazer anymore. I’m not, as General Sentry would put it, “Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree.” I’m Sunset Shimmer, phoenix-born and future Archduchess of the Western Territory. A single tear rolled down Sunset’s cheek as she braced herself for what she was going to think next. I have to accept that, don’t I? That even if I go back to Golden Tree, I won’t be the same anymore. It won’t be the Golden Tree I knew, because I won’t be the Sunset Shimmer that left, will I?

Is that such a bad thing? You’re still Sunset Shimmer. That won’t change. Your oath-sisters still love you. So do your other friends. They love you Sunset, not your title or whether you’re a phoenix-born.

You’re probably right, Sunset admitted. Tilting her head down, she pressed her nose to Philomena's beak. But, I… we… are part of something bigger now. I can’t keep lying to myself about that. And it scares me.

I know, Sunset. It scares me too.

Gently hugging Philomena to her chest, Sunset rolled her head back. She formed tendrils with her flame, watching as she twirled them in the air. She reached down with one, and caressed her bondmate under the chin

So, if this is our lot… our future… then I’d rather face it.

Even if it’s scary? Philomena's tone was playful. Amused, Sunset gave a little snort.

Especially if it's scary. After all, we’re not cowards, are we?

A wave of contentment touched Sunset’s mind.

No, we’re not.

Author's Note

Not really much to say with this chapter. Sunset's learning a little more about her new family. And finally starting to accept her role.

Ch 19 - The Trials - Negotiate between light and shadow

Sunset focused with obsidian sharp intensity on the sheet of sterling silver held in her tongs, the rhythmic clang of her hammer dampened by the forge’s runes. Every minute or so, she’d bring up the sheet, looking for any imperfections or mistakes in her shaping. Then she’d extend a tendril of living flame to gently caress the metal, bringing it back up to a malleable temperature, and resume her hammering.

Forgemistress Goldfield thankfully left not long ago. The fire-caller had been practically breathing the same air as Sunset the entire time. Scrutinizing her. Unlike when Bronze watched her work, the Forgemistress had been nothing but a distraction.

The last thing Sunset needed was a distraction.

Sunset misaimed a hammer strike, slightly deforming the plate.

“Fire and light,” Sunset muttered under her breath. Turning the plate over and using a tendril to grab a ball peen hammer from the workbench, she began to correct her mistake.

Despite the time limit, she found herself smiling. This… this was what she needed. Working with her hands. Taking action. Not just drifting on the flow of the river, but cutting her own channel.

Setting the hammer down and doffing her gloves, she picked up the hot silver, along with another, nearly identical piece. Placing the welding edges against each other, she scrutinized her work.

Were they the right shape?

Were the weld lines tight enough?

Were the curves of the plates correct?

Everything looked good enough for the time being. With a satisfied nod, she set the pieces down.

Stretching her neck and arms, she looked up at the wall, and had to fight down a small spark of panic. The clock embedded above the doorway showed that it was just past noon.

And that meant she couldn’t waste any precious time.

Picking up another plate of sterling with her tongs, she formed her living flame into a single, narrow tendril. Willing the tip to become searing hot, she sliced the precious metal into shape. Then, cooling the tendril, she ran it across the surface until it was malleable, set it on the raising stake, and began to hammer away again.

She couldn’t afford to stop if her plan was going to work.

***four hours earlier, outside Roseluck’s manor***

It was just past mid morning, and Sunset was already nearing her limit. Despite that, she was resolute. She’d risen before the crack of dawn to meet Roseluck. The two ate a hasty breakfast, then headed outside to one of the grassy clearings not far from the manor. There, the Archduchess began teaching her about the process for making the formal apology to the kirintal does. Lessons interspersed with practical practice sessions.

Throughout, Sunset found herself wrapped up in a strange feeling of nostalgia. Not that long ago, she’d been in Chromos with Raven doing the same sort of thing. Though in a lot of other ways, it was much less stressful, since she didn’t have Sapphire and her friends trying to throw her outside after dark.

And in a lot of other ways, it was much, much worse. Because now it wasn’t about getting to attend the Phoenix-rite.

It was about fixing the relationship between Solaria and one of its most important allies.

A relationship that she had damaged.

At the very least, the rules of the ritual itself were relatively simple. And yet, the whole process was somehow a thousand times more terrifying for one simple reason: her success hinged on her matching wits with Magistrate Autumn Blaze. A doe that had climbed sacred Mt. Meru and occupied a spot just three ranks below that of the Arbiters.

Which meant verbally sparring with Roseluck.

Sparring that increasingly tested her ability to keep her temper in check. While simultaneously avoiding the Archduchess’s various word traps.

“Alright, I think we should take a break,” Roseluck said, standing and stretching her back.

Sunset let out a frustrated sigh, mirroring Roseluck’s action.

“Really? Do you think I’m ready?”

There was an awkward silence as Roseluck closed her eyes and shook her head.

“I’m afraid you’re going to need more practice. You’re falling into too many verbal snares.”

There was an awkward pause as Roseluck went silent. Sunset suspected the Archduchess was trying to choose her next words carefully.

“And… you’re still letting your emotions get the better of you.”

Sunset wilted like a leaf, flopping down and propping herself up with her arms.

“Fire and light,” Sunset growled.

Wishful thinking there, sun-butt. Philomena cut in playfully.

Did you suddenly become an expert on kirintal rituals, feather-butt?

Nah, just counted all the mistakes you made.

Like you’d do better.

I’m not the one who lit a forest fire.

Sunset sent a light shove towards Philomena, who responded with a feeling of smug mirth.

You’re hilarious, you know that?

“You’re getting there,” Roseluck’s voice was soft and comforting as she walked up to Sunset and, kneeling down, placed a hand on her shoulder. “But, there’s more to the apology ritual than just going through the motions. That means abiding by the rules of kirintal social decorum.”

“I know. But they can’t honestly expect me to be as emotionless and dead inside as they are after just one day!” Sunset’s snarled. Realizing what just happened, her voice and shoulders slumped. ”Dreaming darkness…”

Roseluck gave her another comforting smile.

“Language.”

“Sorry.”

“Apology accepted. And kirintal aren’t emotionless, Sunset. They’re just very good at controlling them. They have to be. Strong emotions and kirintal magic don’t mix.”

Something about Roseluck’s words brought back memories of older lessons from what felt like a lifetime ago. Of words of wisdom from Bronze on her need for control.

“Like a spell dance fueled with the wrong emotional energy.”

“In a way, yes. But very different as well.”

Sunset wanted to press Roseluck on what she meant, but knew she didn’t have the time. For now at least.

“So if I can’t keep my emotions under control, there’s no chance for this to work?”

Roseluck shook her head and closed her eyes.

“Honestly, were it anyone other than Magistrate Blaze, that would be true. But, she's been ambassador to Solaria for decades. She understands us better than most kirintal. And as the highest ranking Magistrate here, she’s the one you need to impress.”

A small spark of hope began to burn within Sunset.

“So do you think she’ll go easy on me?”

Roseluck shook her head again.

“Not quite. She may be understanding, but her duty to Himavanta comes first. You’re apologizing for losing your temper. Losing your temper again is going to undermine that. And you’re going to have to be honest with her. Magistrate Blaze may not be Raven, but she won’t fall for a perfectly executed Drakaea show. You’ll need to mean it.”

Sunset looked up at Roseluck like she’d just insulted her oath-sisters.

“But I do mean it,” Sunset protested.

“And that’s going to count for a lot. But, you’re still going to have to impress her. Your execution is the first step.” Looking over her shoulder towards her manor, Roseluck nodded to herself. “I think we both could use a break. Let’s have some tsujira, then we can get back to practice.”

The thought of the hot, spicy beverage immediately lifted Sunset’s spirits and put a smile on her face.

“I like that idea,” Sunset said with an enthusiastic nod.

Rising into the air, the two phoenix-born began to fly back towards the manor, their bondmates soon joining them. Yet, Roseluck’s words kept tumbling around in her head.

How could she improve her chances?

Keeping her emotions in check was the most obvious answer. Grimacing, she knew she hadn’t been doing that well in that regard for the last few months. She’d managed well enough during her training for the phoenix-rite. Or at least when it had counted. Mostly. But then she’d stopped caring when she started to deform under the pressure.

And now, look where it landed her.

There was the inevitable match of wits with Magistrate Blaze. Roseluck knew the Magistrate well enough. So she knew the kinds of angles of attack she’d take. At least that was the hope.

The actual motions of the ritual weren’t that hard. If anything, compared to the phoenix-rite, they were remarkably simple. There was a great deal of precision needed, but not nearly as much as during the ascension. And while it was important, she doubted she’d need to be sun-touched levels of precise.

But what else could she do?

She began to run through the ritual again, trying to find a way to improve her odds. But there was only so much she could do. As she rolled the stone in her head, something came to her. Something that she’d not considered because Roseluck hadn’t put any emphasis on it during their practice sessions.

Maybe… maybe that could be the rain to douse the wildfire.

“Roseluck?” Sunset asked. “You mentioned that we’d be giving them a peace offering at the end. What sort of peace offering?”

“That’s… complicated.” Roseluck’s tone was unusually serious, which in turn made Sunset nervous. “Since we’re apologizing on behalf of Solaria to Himavanta, the gift needs to be something emblematic of our alliance, and of significant value. I suspect the does would be willing to accept one of the rarer plants in my garden, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Sunset considered what Roseluck said.

“But, I’m the one that set the fire. Shouldn’t I be the one to make the offering?”

“You did.” Roseluck’s tone was soft and conciliatory. “But I’m the one who rules here. In a way, I’m responsible for my guests under the code of hospitality. You may have given the insult, but I’m also culpable.”

“But you love your plants. You shouldn’t have to give them away like that.”

“I do love them. But I know Magistrate Blaze would take care of whichever I gave her. And, it’s a small price to pay to keep the peace.”

Sunset went quiet, sending That doesn’t feel right.

What doesn’t feel right, Sunset.

Roseluck having to pay for my mistake.

And what do you suggest instead?, Philomena’s sending was a mix of curiosity and incredulity.

I don’t know! Sunset shot back defensively. There has to be something I could give instead.

The only thing you've got is your Solarian Legends book. And I know you’d rather die than give that up.

Sunset felt a shadow pass over her. Philomena had a point. She didn’t really have anything to give. Except her book. She tried to imagine handing the beloved tome over to Magistrate Autumn Blaze, only to be filled with a nearly crushing wave of despair. It would be worse than cutting out her eye, because it would be a betrayal of her oath-sister’s love.

She couldn’t. She couldn't give it up.

But, Roseluck shouldn’t have to pay for her mistake. Yet, she couldn’t imagine what she could offer instead. Her mind sparked and stuttered as she tried to come up with something, anything, that wouldn’t force her to betray her oath-sisters.

Recognizing that she was starting to spiral, she began going through her meditations. As she did, she found herself reflexively clenching her hand, the phantom feeling of her hammer and tongs helping to steady her thoughts.

She missed her hammer and anvil. Missed her forge. She always thought more clearly when she was doing something.

Wait, she’d sent excitedly as she looked down at her hands, that gives me an idea.

Did it hurt?

Not half as much as your so-called humor, feather-butt, Sunset sent playfully, while saying, “Roseluck: two questions. Wouldn’t it mean more if the peace offering came from me rather than you?”

Roseluck slowed down, turning to regard Sunset.

“It depends. If you gave the gift, it wouldn’t absolve my responsibilities. Honestly, it’d be more impactful if we both presented something,” Roseluck had said, her tone curious. “Why?”

I can work with that, Sunset sent, while saying. “My second question is how do the kirintal feel about objects made of metal?”

“Again, it depends. They don’t like to use metal for tools or weapons, but they can appreciate art.” A mischievous smile graced Roseluck’s face as she examined Sunset. “What are you scheming, Sunset Shimmer?”

“It depends,” Sunset replied with a smirk. “How quickly can you get me access to a forge? And how would Magistrate Blaze react to a flowerpot shaped like a silver fue’litsi’l?”

Sunset felt her confidence growing as Roseluck’s smile became wider.

“That was more than two questions, Sunset,” Roseluck teased. “But, I think she’d probably appreciate the symbolism.”

“And the forge?”

“That can easily be arranged.”

*****

The doors to the inner ring’s ranger garrison loomed before Sunset and she and Roseluck climbed the stairs before the great building. Both Philomena and Amara were perched on their shoulders, the former sending to her bondmate to help her stay calm. All around them and in the air above the garrison were their escort of prominence-knights and a units of sun-blades.

For the first time since arriving in Rose’s Blossom, she hadn’t resented the knights’ presence. If anything, she found the stalwart guardians’ strangely comforting.

Refocusing on the matter at hand, Sunset stared up at the entrance with both nervous excitement and no small amount of dread. Despite Roseluck’s assurances, she knew this whole idea was a big risk. This wasn’t going to be like when she worked with Bronze. She was the designer this time. She might not be able to finish in time, and would have nothing to show for it. Or, taking time away from practicing the apology ritual might mean she wasn’t able to execute it as well as she needed to. She might not even be able to make what she was planning, if her skills weren’t up to it.

So many things could go wrong.

Focusing on her meditation techniques, she tamed the wildfire threatening to ignite in her mind. An effort aided by reassurance flowing into her from Philomena.

She could do this.

She was going to do this.

Following their escort inside, they found themselves in a sparsely decorated, utilitarian foyer. Like the other Eastern buildings she’d been in, it was made entirely of smooth, polished wood. Near the far wall, she saw at least twenty uniformed sun-gazers from all three tribes standing at attention. At the front of the line was a rugged and weathered sky-runner man with beige skin and feathers, rusty red hair, and piercing, dusty-tan eyes.

“Bright day, Archduchess Roseluck. Lady Shimmer,” he said, bowing deeply to the phoenix-born, an action soon followed by the others.

“Bright day, Captain Sandstorm,” Roseluck replied, giving the captain a nod. “Has everything been prepared?”

“Yes, your grace. Forgemistress Goldfield is waiting for you in the main smithy.”

“And the materials?”

“Gathered, as you requested.”

“Good. Good good,” Roseluck said warmly. “Please take us there swiftly. We do not have much in the way of time.”

Captain Sandstorm nodded curtly, indicating one of the corridors with a wave of his hand.

“Of course, your grace. This way please.”

It was another few minutes of walking before the captain brought them to their destination. Stepping aside, the captain took his leave as the phoenix-born and half their entourage entered the forge, the other half taking up watch outside the door.

A wave of nostalgic joy filled Sunset’s chest at the sight before her. Unlike the rest of the building, the room was constructed of mortared stone, much of which was engraved with familiar lines of third and fourth tier runes. She noted that the line work was slightly different from the ones in Bronze’s smithy, but they were familiar enough to identify their purpose. The floor was occupied by a dizzying number of crucibles, forges and work benches. Tools of all kinds hung from the walls, while there were shelves stacked of metal bars, rods and sheets at strategic locations. Multiple anvils were positioned at key points around the workspace. And near the back, she could see a door that almost certainly led to the spellforge.

Waiting for them was a stout, muscular, fire-caller woman with brilliant yellow skin, short, tangerine orange hair tied back in a topknot, and forest green eyes and soul gem. From the well worn smithing apron bearing hundreds of small burn marks and black smears, Sunset surmised this was the forgemistress.

“Archduchess Roseluck,” the woman said, bowing slightly without unfolding her arms. Though her tone was respectful, she did little to hide the underlying irritation, “to what do I owe this unexpected… pleasure.”

Roseluck swept forward, smiling pleasantly.

“Forgemistress Goldfield, thank you for accommodating us on such short notice. We, or rather Lady Shimmer, have need of your smithy.”

“So your message said. And that it was to be cleared of every one of my smiths before your arrival.” Goldfield’s voice strained to remain acceptably polite. “It seems an odd sort of request, considering that one can’t run a smithy without smiths. Especially considering how badly this throws off everything.”

Roseluck nodded slightly, the sun-bright smile on her face unwavering.

“I do understand, but it was necessary. After the attempt on Lady Shimmer’s life, we aren’t taking chances with her safety. And that meant keeping things vague until we arrived.”

Goldfield’s brows furrowed deeper.

“Lady Shimmer is here?”

For the first time, Forgemistress Goldfield seemed to notice Sunset and Philomena amidst the thicket of prominence-knights and sun-blades. Upon meeting Sunset’s eyes, the fire-caller’s demeanor shifted in an inexplicable way. Sunset couldn’t describe exactly what it was, but she knew that she didn’t like it.

“Why is she here? A forge is no place for a child. Especially if you’re concerned about her safety.”

Did… did she just say what I think she did? Heat rose in Sunset’s chest and her brows furrowing into a glower.

I think she did.

To Sunset’s chagrin, Roseluck’s demeanor didn’t visibly shift. Yet, when she spoke, her voice was less pleasant, and more authoritative.

“Forgemistress, mind your tone.”

At the rebuke, the forgemistress forced her face to relax and unfolded her arms, her voice also losing much of its hostility. “Of course, your grace. My apologies.”

“Better,” Roseluck said firmly. “I think I’ll let Lady Shimmer herself explain.”

Movement caught Sunset’s eye as Roseluck covertly beckoned her forward with her left hand. Focusing on her meditations, Sunset stepped forward, her guards splitting to allow her to address the forgemistress, but still remained in a position to intervene if needed.

“Bright day, Forgemistress.” Sunset kept her voice firm yet polite, offering her a curtsy.

Goldfield’s attention briefly flicked back and forth between Sunset, the knights, sun-blades, and Roseluck. Then, it settled firmly on Sunset. Though she was keeping her demeanor polite, Sunset could see that the Forgemistress was struggling.

“Bright day, Lady Shimmer. I would greatly appreciate an explanation for what you are doing here. If that’s not too much to ask, of course.”

Sunset’s temper rose again at the implication and tone of the Forgemistress’s question. No. Not a question. Her demand. Philomena bristled, her head dropping and her wings starting to spread out.

She couldn’t blame Philomena.

Before she could offer the angry retort boiling up in her throat, she forced herself to stop. She couldn’t lose her temper. Not now. Not if she wanted to get herself out of the wildfire.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on her meditations. Once her temper was under control, she opened her bond with Philomena.

Mena, it’s okay. Let me handle this, Sunset sent, pouring calm through their bond.

She felt Philomena acquiesce, yet didn’t lift her head.

“I’m here, Forgemistress, because I need to make a gift for Magistrate Autumn Blaze. To do that, I need a smithy. And since this is the most secure one available, I need to use yours.”

“You… want to use… my smithy… to make a gift… for Magistrate Autumn Blaze?” Goldfield’s tone was confused and incredulous, as though Sunset had just claimed to be the Empress herself. “All on your own?”

Does she not know you’re a blacksmith or something? Philomena sent, glaring at the forgemistress.

Probably not, Sunset replied.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The forgemistress was silent for a few moments, scrutinizing her. When she spoke again, her voice was almost mocking as she chuckled, “Do you even know how to use a forge? I don’t know what sort of crazy ideas you’ve got in your head, but a smithy isn’t a playground, Lady Shimmer. We almost lost you no less than a day ago. I’m not going to be responsible for you getting injured right after you nearly died. You do, and General Sentry would rip my head off with his bare hands.”

Despite the… rather graphic image now rattling in her head, Sunset found herself fighting back a hot remark again. There was something in Goldfield’s expression that reminded her of Bronze when she tried to take on tasks that were too advanced. She’d hated it when he’d told her she wasn’t ready. It felt like he didn’t believe in her. Didn’t trust her.

It had taken her a long time to understand that it wasn’t that he didn’t trust her. It was that he was worried about her.

And more often than not, he’d been right. She hadn’t been ready.

But this time, it was different.

Once again using her meditations, she stopped herself from saying something she’d regret later.

And took the diplomatic route.

“I understand your concern, but you don’t have to worry about that. I was training to be a blacksmith before I ascended. And I’ve been learning from Queen Celestia since. I know my way around a smithy.”

The forgemistress stared down at Sunset skeptically. Sunset stood firm, meeting the older woman’s eyes without flinching. Compared to the presence of Raven or General Sentry, the forgemistress may as well have been a soft breeze trying to topple a mountain.

Walking over to a wall rack, Forgemistress Goldfield pulled off a selection of tools.

Holding one up, she tersely asked, “What kind of hammer is this and what’s it used for?”

“That’s a basic cross-peen hammer. Good for general purpose work.”

“And this?”

“Raising hammer. Used to form curved surfaces in conjunction with a raising stake.”

“What about this?”

“That’s a punch. Used to put holes in metal without using a drill.”

The Forgemistress narrowed her eyes and glared at Sunset, setting the tools back into their spots on the shelf. Walking back over, she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Show me your hands,” she finally said.

“I beg your pardon?” Sunset asked.

“I want you to show me your hands,” Forgemistress Goldfield said, her frown deepening. “You know your tools. But that’s something you can just memorize. So I want to see your hands.”

Sunset, Philomena sent, sharing her eyes with her bondmate. From Philomena’s perspective, Roseluck looked like she was ready to intervene, but was holding back. Lifting her right hand slightly, Sunset signaled to Roseluck that she didn’t need the help. Yet. Amara gave them a slight nod, while Roseluck relaxed and took a step back.

“If this will finally prove to you that I know what I’m doing, forgemistress,” Sunset said as she held her hands out, palms up, her voice terse. “But the longer you delay, the harder it’s going to be for me to get what I need to do done.”

Stepping forward, Goldfield was met by warning looks from both the sun-blades and prominence-knights. Moving cautiously passed Sunset’s protectors, she knelt down and began to examine Sunset’s hands and fingers. Sunset found herself smiling triumphantly as the forgemistress scrutinized her many calluses and the roughness of her skin.

“Well, are you satisfied?” Sunset asked as Goldfield rose to her feet.

“I think you’re not a soft-handed, little girl. And that you’ve got proper calluses in the right spots.” Goldfield turned to Roseluck. “She can use the forge, but I’m watching her until I know she can be trusted without me. And I want your word that if she gets hurt, I will not be held accountable.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smirk as Roseluck dusted off her dress, and approached her, Philomena and the forgemistress.

“I find those terms acceptable. Now, let's let her get to work.”

*****

With a deep, tired breath, Sunset relaxed her living flame and set down her hammer, slumping back in her chair. Stretching her arms above her head, she let out a contented grunt and lolled her head back to look up at the ceiling. It had taken almost six hours, but it was done.

Feeling Philomena approaching and hearing the sound of her wings, she held her arm out. Once she felt the weight of Philomena landing, Sunset brought her up to her shoulder, letting her hop off and cuddle up against the side of her head.

Hi, Mena. Sunset’s sending was tired yet happy as she leaned into her bondmate’s snuggling, savoring the sensation of smooth feathers on her skin.

Hi, Sunny. I’m glad that’s over. Your arms feel like they’re about to fall off.

Sorry if I was sending that to you.

You weren’t. I opened myself to it.

Ah. You didn’t need to do that, you know.

I know. But I wanted to.

The sound of soft applause accompanied by the clack of footsteps drew Sunset and Philomena’s attention. Sitting up and twisting around, she saw Roseluck approaching, her face a warm, satisfied smile.

“Well done, Sunset. I’m impressed.” Roseluck placed a hand on Sunset’s free shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“Thank you. I just hope Autumn Blaze likes it.”

Roseluck’s smile grew mischievous.

“I’m sure she will,” Roseluck tittered. “Now, why don’t you just rest for a bit while I take care of getting your gift tempered and enchanted.”

Sunset smirked up at Roseluck.

“So you know spell-forging?”

“You’d probably be surprised at how much I know. I am over six hundred, after all.”

A mischievous feeling passed between Sunset and Philomena, the former smirking mischieviously.

“You don’t look a day over six-thousand,” Sunset quipped playfully.

“Watch it, Sunset,” Roseluck replied in a similar tone, “another comment like that and I’ll ask Spitfire to help with the apology ritual.”

Sunset barked out a single, shocked laugh.

“Great idea. Let's start a war with the kirintal. I’m sure Queen Celestia would love that.”

“Keep the comments about my age to yourself, and I’ll consider it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sunset said with a grin, watching Roseluck walk towards the bench to collect her sculpture.

“And, Sunset? I suggest you let Nitor help you a bit. You don’t want to be tired and sore before the ritual, right?”

A jolt of annoyance ran up Sunset’s back at the thought of trying to call on Nitor again. She’d done it when she was about to succumb to the purification ritual, but that was life or death. She hadn’t tried to call on the heart since.

She hadn’t needed to.

But now, thinking about calling on the heart brought memories of the pain flooding back. Desperately, she tried to bury them under a flood of lava. Philomena did her best to calm her by sending feelings of peace and hope, but it was a losing battle.

“You could always heal me,” Sunset said hopefully, giving Roseluck her best pleading smile.

Roseluck smiled back and shook her head.

“Good try, but no.” Roseluck’s voice was gentle and placating. “After all, what better way to master the skill than using it?”

“Right… and here I was thinking you loved me or something.” Sunset groaned, slumping back down and scratching Philomena’s chin.

“I love you enough to help you help yourself. The sooner you master your geomancy, the sooner you can start spell-dancing again. Don’t you want that?”

A humorless laugh came from Sunset’s throat.

“I do. And I hate that you’re right.”

“Then why don’t you, Philomena and Nitor take some quality time while I deal with this. I’ll be back soon.” And with that, Roseluck swept out of the smithy and into the spell forge, leaving Sunset and Philomena alone with her bodyguards.

Well, sun-butt, are you just going to sit there? Philomena sent.

Looking down at Philomena, Sunset quirked a slight, half-smile, I’m getting to it.

Philomena looked unconvinced. Yet, a wave of sympathy came through their bond as she met Sunset’s eyes.

You did it before. You can do it again.

Sunset sighed and began to pet Philomena’s head.

I know I did. But, I was desperate. I thought… no, I knew we were going to die. It just… happened

Maybe that’s the answer? Just letting it happen?

I don’t know, Mena.

Could it hurt to try?

A genuine smile began to work its way onto Sunset’s face.

Probably not.

Giving Philomena one last head pet, Sunset closed her eyes, allowing her mind to float on the warm, comforting sea of Nitor’s heart. For a few moments, she simply allowed herself to exist on the currents.

Then, she sent out a call, wordlessly asking Nitor to help her. As she did, she began to feel the Heart’s energy drawing closer, gently caressing her as if it were feeling for where it was needed. Then, it slowly began to flow into body, trickling into her flesh and bones.

Her instincts demanded that she grab onto the energy. Control it. Direct it to relieve the aches in her arms and her fatigue. She fought those instincts down. Instead, she allowed the Heart’s energy to flow where it would.

Let go.

Trust.

Sunset let out a soft sigh as the Heart’s energy suffused her arms and chest. She couldn’t quite describe the feeling. In a way, it reminded her of Tender Heart’s renewal spell-dances. But at the same time, it was as different as fire and water. The sensation wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t unpleasant. It just… was.

Even as the pain in her muscles began to abate, she felt the Heart slowly begin to withdraw. Once again, her instincts told her to reach out and claim. Control.

She forced them down, allowing the Heart to leave.

Opening her eyes, she flexed her arms. She was still sore, but it was a dramatic improvement over where she was when she began.

See! You did it! Philomena cheered, rubbing her head against Sunset’s hand and trilling happily.

I did, didn’t I? I don’t know why it didn’t completely fix me though.

Probably because your earth-weaver magic is still too weak, Philomena sent smugly.

Sunset glared at Philomena and gave her a shove through their bond.

At least I got it to work.

You did, sun-butt. Now you’ve just got to keep practicing.

Sunset flopped back in her chair with a groan.

Story of my life.

*****

Sunset looked up to the sky apprehensively. The Queen’s sun was nearing the horizon, which meant that the dark of night was coming in only a few hours. Much of her unease was knowing what she knew now about the undead and the Cult, and what the loss of the sun’s light meant. Even if she was safely on Roseluck’s mesa.

She’d been sure that she was safe before, and they still reached her.

However, the main source of her worry would be arriving long before the Queen’s sun sank out of sight and Traitor’s moon took its place.

Sunset did her best to distract herself by looking around the grove where she, Philomena, Roseluck and Amara were waiting. The grove was on the north-east side of the mesa, and very close to the edge of the barrier forest on its rim. If what Sunset learned of geography was correct, it would mean this spot was the closest to Himavanta.

The grove was strange. Unlike the Western Territory and its oaks, cottonwoods, and junipers, the grove was surrounded by odd looking plants Roseluck had called camphors and magnolias, along with a few somewhat familiar trees in the form of pines. The bushes were also odd looking, many of which reminded her in a way of the silver fue’litsi’l in ways she couldn’t quite describe.

Within the grove, there was an open glen carpeted in wildflowers and short grasses, as well as at least twenty small hummocks in a circle around a central pond filled with clear, spring water. By each hummock was a drinking vessel made from a small, ornately carved gourd, with a larger gourd vessel resting on a rock by the spring. Floating in the air above were hundreds of small, will-o-wisp like motes of colored light that danced and cavorted about like living things.

Were it not for the current circumstances, Sunset might have found the sight entrancing.

But as it stood, she had a job to take care of. So she couldn’t let herself be distracted.

Looking down at herself, she found herself frowning. Despite disliking the dresses and formal clothes she’d been forced to wear, they at least gave her proper modesty. Such wasn’t the case with her current “clothes.” The kirintal style chest wrap and loincloth covered her, but just barely, leaving her feeling almost naked. It also meant that Philomena couldn’t sit on her shoulder, as her leather pauldron had to be left behind. Instead, her bondmate was sitting in a nearby tree with Amara.

Glancing over at Roseluck, Sunset found a strange jealousy rising in her chest. Like Sunset, Roseluck was “dressed” in traditional kirintal attire. Which meant that she could really see what Roseluck looked like. Sunset knew Roseluck was gorgeous. Far more so than anyone aside from the Queen. And she had seen Roseluck without her dresses before back on Mt. Liakeed. But at the time, she’d still been adjusting to her new situation as a phoenix born.

She hadn’t really looked at her.

Seen her.

But now, with her newly developed sense of artistic beauty, it solidified to Sunset of just how vast the difference between the two of them was. Compared to herself, Roseluck looked as though a master sculptor had spent decades carving her form from light, golden marble, her original earth-weaver physique only enhancing her beauty, the subtle definition of toned muscles emphasizing her figure.

Roseluck wasn’t a little girl like she was. She was a fully fledged woman. One who’s feminine perfection eclipsed anything Sunset felt she could ever achieve in her life.

You alright? Came a concerned sending.

Tearing her eyes off Roseluck, Sunset ran through another of her meditation techniques.

Just… trying to remind myself that I’m going to be almost as pretty as her… someday.

The sensation of sympathy touched her mind.

If what the Queen showed us comes true, you’ll be prettier.

Sunset found her mood lifting a little as she recalled the vision of herself the Queen had shown her. One of herself as a fully grown woman.

I don’t think I’ll ever be prettier than Roseluck, Mena. But thank you for saying that. I guess we’ve just got some growing up to do, right.

Smugness came flowing through their bond.

Well, you do. I’m already there.

Sunset smirked to herself, refusing to take Philomena’s bait.

Physically at least. But you’re still getting there in your underdeveloped bird-brain.

That earned her a wave of offense.

Oh, like you’re any better.

Never said I was. Just pointing out that you’ve still got some growing up to do too.

Sunset laughed as Philomena huffed and mostly closed their bond.

“I trust you and Philomena are having fun?” Roseluck said.

Sunset found herself flushing, unable to look at the Archduchess.

“We were, yes.”

Picking up a heavy wooden box that was at her side, Roseluck gestured with her head towards the south-west side of the grove.

“Then I hate to interrupt, but the does should be here soon, so we should get into place.”

“Okay.”

The walk to the hummocks was only a short distance, yet to Sunset it felt like it took forever. Her stomach was roiling with anticipation and dread as both of them took a seat on one of the hummocks, Roseluck setting the box between them.

Panic began to bubble up in her chest as she started to imagine all the ways it could go wrong. Closing her eyes, Sunset focused on stilling her mind. She reminded herself that her emotions got her into this situation. Or at least long enough to get out of it.

Sunset wasn’t prepared when the does, led by Magistrate Autumn Blaze, silently materialized on the other side of the grove, stepping out of the brush like it were made of nothing but air. It was more than a little eerie, if she was honest with herself.

Without acknowledging Roseluck or Sunset, the does took their seats on the hummocks, Magistrate Blaze sitting in the central spot.

‘Okay, they’re here,’ Sunset thought, waiting for them to finish settling in. ‘This is it. Nothing to do now but go forward.’

Once the does had all taken their seats, Sunset rose to her feet and walked to the spring. Retrieving the gourd, she dropped to a knee and dipped it into the water, filling it up to just inside the base of the neck.

Once filled, she stood and bowed.

“Altaena lan’taalca, Magistrates,” Sunset said.

“Altaene lis’tillesa, Sunset Shimmer” Magistrate Blaze replied without returning the bow.

‘First step done. Next step.’

Sunset held the jug in both hands, her right on the bottom and left holding the gourd’s neck. Walking around the spring, she approached Magistrate Blaze first, who held out her drinking gourd to her side. Carefully, Sunset poured enough spring water into the vessel, filling it half-way up. The Magistrate didn’t look at her as she performed her task, instead staring ahead as though she weren’t even there.

Sunset reminded herself that this was part of the ritual. Until all of the water had been served, she was invisible.

Unless she made a mistake.

Then the does would simply stand and walk away.

And she would be left with both her failure, and a potentially disastrous political situation on her back.

Stepping away, she bowed to Magistrate Blaze. Then, worked her way down the line, alternating from the magistrate’s left, then right, until she had dispensed water to all of the kirintal present.

Returning to her side of the grove, Sunset approached Roseluck, dispensing her share of the water. Like the does, Roseluck didn’t acknowledge her. Despite the pang in her chest at Roseluck’s coldness, Sunset knew it wasn’t personal. Roseluck was just playing her part.

Finally, she took her own seat, and poured out the remainder of the water into her own drinking gourd, only filling it about a third of the way.

‘Close enough,’ she thought as she took her seat.

“Umilitan yan’temat che’mathela,” Magistrate Blaze said.

“Umilitan yan’temat che’mathela,” the rest of the does, Roseluck and Sunset repeated simoltaniously. Then, lifting the gourds to their lips, they began to drink. Despite how refreshing the water was, and how much she wanted to gulp the cool liquid down, Sunset drank slowly. This was the first act in the ritual. A show of restraint and control.

And unity.

Magistrate Blaze lowered her gourd from her lips, signaling to the rest that they were to do the same. In unison, Roseluck, along with every doe other than Magistrate Blaze, set their drinking vessels down.

Then, Magistrate Blaze and Sunset rose to their feet, and walked to the center of the grove. Reaching the spring, the two stood on opposite sides of the water, staring the other directly in the eyes.

‘Now comes the hard part,’ Sunset thought as she met the Magistrate’s unyielding eyes.

“Why do you stand before me, Sunset Shimmer of Solaria?”

“I stand before you as a representative of Solaria and as a sun-gazer, to offer amends for my transgressions against you and you fellow kirintal, Magistrate Autumn Blaze of Himavanata.”

“I acknowledge your desire, and will hear you.” The Magistrate slowly lowered herself to the ground, kneeling at the edge of the spring. “I do not offer my acceptance, only a willingness to listen to your words and judge if I find them and your intent true. In what way have you transgressed?”

Sunset knelt down as well, the roiling in her stomach erupting into a full blown storm. One that threatened to overcome her.

Taking a slow breath, she ran through her meditations again, and slowly breath out, blowing the tension with it.

She was in control. Not her emotions.

She was in control.

“My transgressions were threefold. By my actions, I have disgraced our host, Archduchess Roseluck under the rules of hospitality. As a member of the Phoenix-born, my behavior reflects poorly on her, and on myself for not respecting the reputation she has cultivated within Himavanta.”

The Magistrate said nothing. In fact, she didn’t move at all other than the occasional blink. Sunset imagined that most sun-gazers would find her deadpan stare unsettling. Thankfully, she had spent enough time around Pinkie’s sister Maud that she was used to it.

And, Sunset knew this was a good sign. According to Roseluck, the Magistrate’s silence meant she did not find fault in what Sunset had said.

Encouraged, Sunset continued.

“I also improperly accused Lady Raven Inkwell of deceit and manipulation. Such accusations should have been made at the appropriate time and place. Not at a diplomatic event. By making them in the inappropriate venue, I have shown my lack of control and blatant disregard for my obligation to properly represent Solaria as a Phoenix-born.”

Once again, the Magistrate remained silent.

“Finally, by acting in such an openly emotional fashion, I have offered great offense to you and your fellow Magistrates. As a representative of Solaria, it is my duty under hospitality to respect our guests, act in a way that does not reflect poorly on my nation and its rulers, including Queen Celestia herself.”

When she had finished speaking, Sunset folded her hands on her lap, waiting for the Magistrate to respond.

“You have identified your transgressions, Sunset Shimmer of Solaria. In which way do you seek to make amends for your misdeeds?”

Sunset closed her eyes. She didn’t need to respond right away. If anything, it was better that she didn’t. A rash response would only throw more fuel on the fire. She needed to show that she had considered her position.

After a minute or so of collecting herself, Sunset opened her eyes.

“I begin by offering my sincere and humble apology for the offense I have forced upon you and your fellow Magistrates with overt emotional display,” Sunset said as she bowed down at the waist, touching her forehead to the ground.

Magistrate Blaze didn’t respond immediately.

“If you are sincere in your apology, will you promise that you will not have an emotional outburst again?” Magistrate Blaze finally asked.

Sunset’s heart began to race. This was it. This was what Roseluck had warned her about. The Magistrate was asking her to make a promise. A promise as a representative of Solaria. This was the test.

‘Don’t react. She wants to see if I will agree blindly without consideration,’ Sunset thought to herself, holding her bow. ‘Think. Cut apart her words. Consider the angles. What is she asking for?’

You want some help, Sunset? The sending came with a touch of concern.

No. Her return sending was filled with gratitude. I have to work this out on my own.

Are you sure?

I am.

But we’re a team.

We are. But… I need to figure this out myself.

But I want to help. Philomena sending was hurt and sad.

You are helping, Sunset reassured. But… this is a test for me. Not us. It goes against the spirit of the rite if we work together. The mistakes were mine, so I need to make them right.

She could feel Philomena’s uncertainty.

I’ll be fine, Mena. Please, trust me.

Okay. But if you want me, I’m here.

I know. Sunset’s sending was filled with more gratitude and love as she felt Philomena’s mind withdraw.

Refocusing on the task at hand, Sunset began to run through the Magistrate’s request. Examine the words she used, and the implications. Look for the traps.

After a minute of silent contemplation, she rose from her bow and met the Magistrate’s eyes.

“No, I will not make such a promise, for such a promise is impossible for me to make. By the words chosen, I would be binding myself to something that I can never guarantee, and would be supplicating myself to the rule of Himavanta over my own nation.”

“Why will you not make such a promise if you are sincere? Your refusal reflects poorly on you, Solaria, your teachers and your Queen.”

A spark of anger began to burn in Sunset’s chest. It was one thing to accuse her. It was another to accuse Raven and the Queen of incompetence. Before she could retort, she stopped herself. This was another trap.

Sunset focused on her meditation techniques to calm herself before responding.

“Because it would be holding me to something impossible. We, as sun-gazers, are not kirintal. Our passion and emotions are our strength. To deny that is to deny a fundamental aspect of ourselves. And by the words chosen, I would be denied any emotional outburst, not simply one of anger or passion. But of joy, sorrow… love. Such a promise would deny who I am, both as myself, and as a sun-gazer. Thus, making such a promise would require me to give up something essential, or to lie to make false amends. And if I make the promise, and lie, I would offer even greater offense to Himavanta, as I would be an oath-breaker in my role as a representative of Solaria. Neither of which is acceptable.”

Magistrate Blaze blinked.

“So you do not offer any more than empty words of contrition?”

Yet another trap.

“I have not said that. Only that I will not promise that an emotional outburst will never happen again. I will, however, offer to make an effort to learn from my mistakes and improve myself so that the chances of having an inappropriate outburst, such as the one that I had, is unlikely to happen again in the future. I am still learning, Magistrate Blaze, and adjusting to a life that I have resisted embracing. I will continue to make mistakes, as any child and student will. But I will learn from them, and use those lessons to improve myself in the future, both for my sake, and for the sake of Solaria.”

“And how can I be certain of your sincerity by your words alone?”

“You cannot. At least not in the immediate. You will have to be patient, and judge my sincerity by my actions in the future. However, I do not only offer words as a gesture of goodwill and peace.”

“And what else do you have to offer?”

“A peace offering. One made by myself and Archduchess Roseluck as a symbol of solidarity between our peoples.”

Sunset heard Roseluck approaching sedately. Despite the temptation to look back at her, Sunset kept her eyes firmly on Magistrate Blaze. To do otherwise would be seen as disrespectful.

In Sunset’s peripheral vision, Roseluck sat next to her, and held the wooden box out to Magistrate Blaze.

“Does she speak the truth?”

“She does, Magistrate Blaze,” Roseluck said. “Though she has shown undue modesty by implying that she was not its primary architect. This peace offering was conceived of and designed by Sunset herself, and made by her own hands between the dawn and dusk of this day. My contribution was advising her on the designs, performing the necessary tempering enchantments, and providing the living component.”

“We hope that you find the gift acceptable,” Sunset added, both she and Roseluck bowing at the waist slightly towards the magistrate.

For the first time since taking their seats, Magistrate Blaze moved, taking the box from Roseluck. Setting it on the ground before her, she untied the cords holding it shut, unfolding it to reveal the results of Sunset and Roseluck’s labors.

The sculpture was about the size of Sunset’s head, and resembled a silver fue’litsi’l blossom. The inverted teardrop-shaped blossom was made of five petals of sterling silver that had been welded together, their tips reflexed upward at the very bottom tip of the bell acting as a stand. Along the widest part of the bell, a line of elegant tier four and five runes had been carefully inscribed into the metal. The cap consisted of a five point star made of greened bronze half the diameter of the bell, which had a single, large opening in the center. An opening that was filled with a beautiful bunch-grass, its many stems bearing broad, fuzzy leaves. Many of the branches were tipped with panicles of clusters of small, red and gold, bead-like flowers.

The magistrate tilted her head slightly, examining the peace offering.

“If I am to understand correctly, you made this, Sunset Shimmer?” Magistrate Blaze finally said.

“I did,” Sunset affirmed, rising from her bow.

“It would please me to understand why you felt that this was a suitable peace offering,” Magistrate Blaze said, gesturing to the silver pot and plant before her.

Taking a slow, deep breath through her nose, Sunset forced down the angry retort that was boiling in her throat. Knowing what the Magistrate was doing made it easier. Not by much. But it did.

A feeling of encouragement and faith flowed into her from Philomena. Sending gratitude in return, Sunset hardened herself, looking the Magistrate Squarely in the eyes.

“When I first ascended, Archduchess Roseluck showed me the silver fue’litsi’l bushes gifted to Solaria as a sign of our alliance with Himavanta, as well as the special care she needed to provide them in order for them to grow so far from their home on sacred Mt. Meru. Thus, the blossoms of the fue’litsi’l represent the alliance between our people, and the effort we must make to ensure it stays healthy and strong.”

The magistrate blinked, but otherwise appeared unmoved.

Sunset pressed on.

“While the fue’litsi’l represents the original alliance, the sculpture itself and the grass within are meant to symbolize my home in the Western Territory, and therefore share a piece of my home and my people with Himavanta. The Western Territory is a harsh place. We have little, so we consider pragmatic gifts made by the gift giver to be the most valuable. As is hard work done by one’s own hand and ingenuity. Thus, I chose to use the skills I possess to make the sculpture before you, both through my own work and sweat, and using an emblem of our people’s friendship.”

Taking a moment to compose her thoughts and letting Philomena’s presence still her mind, she continued.

“Finally, the grass itself is known as jacinth magus-grass, and represents Archduchess Roseluck’s contribution to our peace offering. The grass itself is very rare, and can only be found in the Ghastly Gorge on the border of the Western Territory and the Bright Desert. This specific plant is one of only five that Roseluck managed to cultivate, and took well over twenty years to grow. Roseluck has also engraved and permanently enchanted the runes on the pot to ensure that the soil moisture and temperature are exactly what the plant needs to live. All you will need to do is give it light and water, and it should thrive for decades to come.

“It is for the above that I believe this gift makes a suitable peace offering. It represents the original gift between our people, symbolizing my respect for that alliance. It was made by my own hand, which is the greatest sign of generosity and comradery from my people. It was designed and built in cooperation with Archduchess Roseluck, showing the unity of Solaria with Himavanta. And contains something of great value that is given willingly and freely by both Roseluck and myself.”

Taking a deep breath, Sunset closed her eyes, holding them shut for a few moments to let the magistrate know that she was done.

When she opened her eyes once again, Magistrate Blaze had taken up her drinking gourd. An action Sunset mirrored. Leaning forward, both of them dipped the vessels into the spring, filling them half-way.

Sunset waited in tense anticipation for the magistrate’s next act, as it would determine if she accepted or rejected her offering.

Bringing the gourd up to her lips, the magistrate drank half the water in a single, slow draw. Once again, Sunset mimicked her, drinking half the water in her own vessel.

This was it.

This was the moment where her apology and offering would be accepted or rejected.

Sunset tried not to fidget as Magistrate Blaze held her gourd out over the pond. Her heart began to race as the doe began to tip the vessel, until a small stream of water began to trickle over the edge. After emptying an eighth of the water, she righted the vessel, keeping the rest of the water within.

Sunset wanted to cry in relief and joy.

Had she poured out the water entirely, it would have meant a rejection of Sunset’s apology. But such a small amount? That was the best she could hope for aside from nothing being spilled.

But, she held her emotions in check as she extended her own gourd out to Magistrate Blaze. Once both gourds were side by side, they reached out with their free hands and took the other’s. They then brought them to their lips, and drank down the rest of the water.

“Almethia trit’talechae,” Magistrate Blaze said.

“Almethia trit’talechae,” Sunset repeated, the smallest hints of relief seeping into her voice.

“I accept the sincerity of your apology, Sunset Shimmer of Solaria, and the honesty of your gift. With this sharing of water, I forgive you for your impropriety and the insult you offered me and my fellow does. I hope when next we meet, we will not need to repeat what we have just done.”

“I hope for the same, Magistrate Autumn Blaze of Himavanta.”

*****

Sunset and Philomena stood before a closed door. A closed door that led to one of the personal quarters in Roseluck’s manor. It wasn’t visually different from any of the other doors. Yet to Sunset, she felt almost as small as she did when she first stood at the entrance to the Cathedral of the Sun.

She lifted her hand and went to knock on the door, only to hesitate and drop it back to her side.

Just like she had at least three times already.

Why? Why is this so difficult? She sent as she continued to stare at the door. Apologizing to the deer wasn’t this hard.

Probably because you don’t have a script? Or maybe it's personal? Pick the side of the coin you want, sun-butt.

I’m going to go with both, feather-butt. Sunset sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

I still say you’re worried about nothing. Even if they’re mad, why wouldn’t they accept your apology?

Because… I don’t know. Some sort of Easterner social convention that I’m blatantly unaware of… again. After everything that’s happened…

Sunset, they’re your friends.

You can say that, but it doesn’t change that I’m scared of them telling me to go away and have dreams.

If they do, then they weren’t really your friends. And if thats the case, then they can have dreams.

Right. Taking another deep breath, Sunset squared her shoulders. Right. Okay. I’m not letting this smolder any longer.

You’ve been saying that for the last few minutes, Philomena sent as once again Sunset lifted her hand and finally knocked on the door.

You’re truly inciteful, Mena, Sunset sent as she heard the sound of footsteps slowly approaching the door.

You mean insightful, don’t you?

Sunset found herself smirking as she glanced over at Philomena. I know what I meant.

The sound of the door opening got Sunset’s pulse racing. Snapping her eyes forward, she braced herself for what was going to come next. Because standing in the doorway was Lily Valley, dressed in her evening sleepwear. She had an uncertain look on her face as she stared at them, as if unsure what was going on.

“Sunset?”

“Bright day, Lily,” Sunset said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible in spite of her heart drumming in her chest. “Can I come in?”

Sunset fought down the urge to shuffle in place as Lily considered her request. Or at least, she hoped her friend was considering her request.

“Um… sure?” Lily stepped aside and allowed Sunset to enter.

She let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Thank you.”

So far, so good,Sunset sent.

I told you so.

Sending a playful shove through their link, Sunset entered Lily and Daisy’s shared room. The first thing that struck her was how different it was from her own suite. Unlike her’s, there was no bed in the main room. Instead, she saw a moderately sized, furnished common space. To her left, the wall had a pair of doors that Sunset suspected led to their individual bedrooms, while on the right was one that presumably led to their washroom.

But the thing that really drew her attention was the sheer quantity of cut flower arrangements around the room. Doing a quick count, there were fifteen or sixteen of them. Even if she wasn’t an aficionado of flower arrangements, Sunset could appreciate the artistry on display. Each one was distinct, and included blooms, leaves and branches from plants both familiar and strange.

Sitting at the table in the corner of the room was Daisy, working on another incomplete arrangement. Sunset’s nerves began to spark as Daisy gave her the same confused look as Lily had.

“Bright day, Daisy,” Sunset said with a nervous smile. “Can we talk?”

To Sunset’s surprise, Daisy began to look concerned as she set down the blossoms she was holding and got to her feet. Stepping out of the seating pit, she brushed her hands against her nightgown. “Okay. Is this about what happened yesterday?”

“Yes, I just-” Sunset began to say as Daisy walked up to her.

“Sunset,” Daisy interrupted, pulling her into a gentle hug, “it’s okay. I’m not mad at you.”

Of all the reactions she could have expected from Daisy, she hadn’t expected to be hugged. Yelled at? Told to leave? All things that crossed her mind.

“You’re not?” Sunset stammered, trying to wrap her head around what Daisy was doing.

“We aren’t,” Lily said as she joined in, careful to avoid Philomena, who shifted around to avoid getting pinned. “We were at first. But then Roseluck talked to us. Helped us understand why you were acting like that.”

She could barely believe what she was hearing.

“Really?”

“Yes,” Daisy said, both her and Lily letting go of Sunset and taking a step back. “We can’t imagine what you went through. But, Roseluck tried to explain it. So, it hurt when you yelled at us, but we get it. And we already forgive you.”

Sunset didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry with relief. She’d expected to have to explain herself. Try to convince them of what had happened to her. Apologize profusely to get them to give her a second chance. But if Roseluck had explained it… then…

A horrid thought came to her.

“Wait, Roseluck told you what happened? What did she tell you?”

Both Lily and Daisy shared a nervous look. Sunset couldn’t tell if it was from her sudden change in tone, or because they knew what she had seen when she was under the effects of the ulmuri.

“That the poison tried to kill you with your worst fears. And that you were hurting because of what you saw,” Lily said.

“She didn’t tell you what I saw, did she?”

“No, she didn’t,” Daisy added. “She said it wasn’t her place. Only that it would have killed you.”

“And that you were still hurting. Badly,” Lily chimed in. “I know how grumpy I get when I stub my toe or something little like that, so after what you went through… well…”

“We couldn’t exactly stay mad, especially when you need us. So, we’re not mad.”

In a moment, all of the fear, anxiety and doubt began to drain out of Sunset like water through sand. All of the thousands of disastrous scenarios she’d imagined of her friends turning their backs on her? They weren’t true. A soft sob escaped Sunset’s throat as she slowly walked towards her chat-lecti, Philomena taking off then landing on a nearby chair. Once Philomena was clear, Sunset pulled them into another hug.

“You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”

“We’d be really bad friends if we let something like one little fight ruin things,” Daisy said. “And, well, you forgave us for… not standing up for you in Chromos. You being grouchy was nothing compared to that.”

“I told you I forgive you for that,” Sunset said.

“And we forgive you,” Lily said. “We’re here for you Sunset. After all, what are friends for?

“Yea,” Sunset said as her thoughts began to drift towards her oath-sisters, Dawn Wings’ promise, and the bloodied, one-eyed phantoms that kept haunting her. "What are friends for?"

Author's Note

We're coming to the end. Only a couple more chapters (I hope) and we're going to wrap up Phoenix-Born Rising.

Regarding the sequel, I have a general outline in my head. I just need to fill in the details. Hopefully I won't keep everyone waiting. But, y'know, field season is a ass kicker, so we'll see how long it takes.

CH 20 - The Trials - Dawn Shines Atop the Mountain

Sunset,

Please write when you get the chance! I don’t know what’s going on, but Pinkie suddenly had the biggest meltdown I’ve ever seen from her ever. Started ranting about needing to get to you and that you were in trouble. I know you’re in the East right now, so I don’t know if this will even reach you, but please, write and let us know you’re okay.

Rainbow Dash

*****

Sunny! Please be okay. Please please please write us! I know somethings wrong! You have to write back! Please! I know you’re in trouble. Write back! Please! Please! Please! I’ve never felt a doozy like that before! Please! You have to be okay! You have to be okay

Pinkie

*****

Sunset,

Pinkie’s gone crazier than usual. I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but she’s been ranting about how you’re in trouble, and that we need to find you. Write back when you get the chance, just to put her mind at ease. Miss you, sis. Festival just wasn’t the same without you.

Love,

AJ

*****

Sunset,

We just heard the news. Please write back and let us know you’re okay. Everyone’s worried. Let us know you’re alright as soon as you can.

Love,

AJ

*****

Hey Kiddo,

Bad news. I’ve made the arrangements with Raven and your oath-sister’s families. You’ll be seeing them two weeks after you get back from Roseluck’s place. Don’t ask to bring them to Mt. Liakeed. We’re already pushing things with Raven as is.

Try to have fun, okay.

DW

P.S. Don’t mention my name to your oath-sisters. You know why.

*****

Dear AJ, Rainbow and Pinkie,

I was told by one of Raven’s agents that she’s letting you visit. You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to seeing all three of you. Sorry to worry you. I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I’ll explain what happened when you get to Heliopolis. I know you want details. But I’d rather tell you myself. Just know that it was thanks to Raven and Roseluck that things didn’t turn out worse. And they could have.

I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you. Philomena’s been looking forward to finally meeting all of you too. A bit of warning though: she doesn’t like anyone but me touching her. Pinkie, I’m saying this for your benefit specifically. You’re not fireproof. No, that isn’t a challenge either. I know she looks very huggable, but I’m asking you as a favor: respect her space. I don’t want to watch Raven practice renewal magic on a full-body burn wound.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Sunset

*****

Two weeks.

Two weeks had passed since her return to Mt. Liakeed. Two weeks since the end of the Fall Havest Festival. Two weeks since Queen Celestia had placed her in the White Room to ensure every trace of chaos-taint had been purged.

The memory of the Queen's expression branded itself in her mind - first a subtle, anxious worry, melting into quiet relief. It was the second time she’d seen the Queen show that much emotion. 'Surreal' was the only word she grasped to describe it.

After, she returned to her lessons with a new sense of purpose. She counted each of the fourteen days, tracked the hours, spent hours in the forge aimlessly hammering out sheets of metal to burn off the anxious energy in anticipation for today.

Because today, her oath-sisters were coming to Chromos.

No lessons.

No appointments.

No fancy clothes, or proper etiquette, or having to live up to expectations of her station.

Nothing except being herself, getting away from the Cathedral of the Sun, and spending time with the most important people in her life.

That was, at least when Raven and Dyllis arrived.

She tried being patient, but the excited mass roiling within could only be tamed so much. She'd risen at the first light of the Sun, preparing in its early, cool pale light. She ate, bathed, dressed in the same well-worn and well-loved clothes she brought with her before the Ascension, and by the hour's end was ready to go.

The only problem?

She still had two hours left before they would leave. Sitting on the couch with a book in hand, it didn't take long for her patience to completely burn off. She tapped her foot, drummed her fingers, flicked her attention between the door, the clock.

When that got boring she looked instead to her windows, the sun outside, and Philomena perched on the back of the couch.

She looked at the clock again. Less than a minute had passed.

Her leg bounced faster.

What’s taking them so long? Sunset sent as she tossed her book down, shot to her feet and paced.

I don’t know. Seneschal stuff?

Sunset stopped and glared at Philomena, who just stared back smugly. But she’s late! She’s never late!

She’s not ‘late,’ Sunset. She still has forty minutes before she’s ‘late.’

Sunset shot a look at the clock, sending an irritated shove to Philomena when she realized her bondmate was right.

Don’t act like you’re not excited about this. I can feel it.

I am. But I’m also trying to be the calm and rational one in this bond. As usual.

Sunset was about to retort, but stopped herself. As much as she was loath to admit it, she knew Philomena had a point. Crossing her arms and turning her back, Sunset pouted. I find that assertion very dubious, feather-butt.

And you’re being impatient again, sun-butt.

Sunset wheeled around, puffing out her cheeks and stomping her foot to emphasize her sending.

You’re storming right, I'm being impatient! Can you blame me?! I haven’t seen my oath-sisters – my real, honest to Celestia and Harmony oath-sisters – for a quarter of a year. I’ve missed them so much, it was killing me. Dreaming darkness, it almost did kill me. After everything we went through, I need – no, I deserve to see them! Despite not having spoken aloud, Sunset’s breathing was heavy, like she’d just run from one end of the cathedral to the other.

You’re right. You do deserve to see them, Philomena sent with a nod and a wave of sympathy. But acting like a brat isn’t going to make it happen any faster. Or encourage Raven to make it a recurring thing.

Fine, Sunset sent with a huff, walking back to the couch and flopping down. I still think we could have done it earlier.

I’m sure Raven has her reasons. Philomena looked thoughtful for a moment. Reasons that don’t amount to ‘making you miserable.’

You’re not going to let me out from under that rock, are you, feather-butt? Sunset sent and slumped back into the cushions, leaned her head back and covered her face in her hands.

Not until it stops being funny, Philomena teased.

Lowering her hands, Sunset glared at Philomena. Then, let out a soft chuckle, she cracked a smile and sent a playful shove through their bond.

Standing, Sunset walked over to her workbench and pulled out a set of practice runestones and her etching tools. Well, as long as we’re waiting, I may as well be productive.

Better that than watching you get yourself worked up at least.

Glad you’re enjoying the show, Mena, Sunset sent with a sarcastic poke, setting her rune etching guide onto its stand. Sitting down and grabbing her carving pen, she spent a few minutes reading the instructions. Once she felt she had them down, she began engraving a tier three rune she was currently mastering.

Sunset’s concentration was broken some time and one and a half practice carvings later by a knock on her door. Tossing her pen and runestone down on her workbench, she shot to her feet, sending her workstool to the ground as she flew to the door, nearly slamming into it in her haste. Without bothering to compose herself, she all but tore the door open to find Raven and Dylis on the other side.

From Raven’s quirked eyebrow, Sunset knew she’d heard her… enthusiasm.

“I trust you’re ready to go, Sunset?” Raven asked, the barest touch of a smirk on her face.

“Yes! Yes! I’ve been ready for hours!” Sunset cheered, composing herself at a combination of Raven’s deadpan stare, Dylis’s annoyed headcock, and a sharp shove from Philomena. “I mean, yes, Raven, I'm ready.”

“Good. Shall we then?”

“Yes, Raven,” Sunset said, a bright, glowing smile spreading across her face as she held out her arm for Philomena.

*****

The sky-rail ride from Mt. Liakeed was longer than usual. At least, that’s how Sunset felt. More than once, she found herself at the front of the sky-car, watching as the walls of the Corona slowly grow closer and closer. Only to head back to her seat and sit, her leg bouncing impatiently before rising again to check if they’d arrived.

“Sunset,” Raven said to her as she returned to her seat yet again, “I understand you’re excited, but we’ll arrive when we arrive.”

“Can you blame me?” Sunset asked, her fingers drumming on the seat impatiently.

“No, but you’re also building yourself up to a wildfire. Try to relax. You’ll get to spend the next couple of days with them.”

Sunset only half-paid attention to Raven, her focus on the glacially slowly approaching wall of the Corona in the distance.

“I’m just happy you’re letting me see them at all, instead of keeping me locked up in the cathedral.”

“It crossed my mind. Roseluck and Dawn Wings argued against the idea.”

Silently thanking both of the women in question, Sunset smirked mischievously. “Maybe I should ask them for lessons on persuasion.”

“That’s not going to happen, Sunset.” Raven’s voice softened as that crooked half smile of hers graced her lips. “I have enough stress headaches in my life. I don’t need any more.”

A short, nervous laugh escaped Sunset’s throat. “Well, headaches or not, I’m just glad that they convinced you.”

Raven leaned back in her seat and reached up to Dylis, who rubbed his head against her hand. “It wasn’t that hard, honestly. I said it crossed my mind. I didn’t say I ever really considered it. And after the events of the festival, I doubt keeping you ‘locked up’ in the Cathedral would have been a good idea.”

Sunset let out a soft sigh while Philomena fluttered down to the seat cushion next to her, then hopped into her lap. “I’d rather have gone to Golden Tree. But I think I finally understand why I can’t.”

“That’s very mature of you, Sunset.” The corner of Raven’s mouth twisted down slightly. “This had to happen for more reasons than you know.”

A lump formed in Sunset’s throat. There was unsettling, almost ominous what Raven had said. It got her full, undivided attention for the first time since they’d entered the sky-car.

Sunset carefully asked, “What do you mean?”

“Sunset, you nearly died from Chaos-tainted ul’muri. Right now, you’re wounded. And wounds like those, will fester and rot if we don’t treat them. Your oath-sisters are going to help the healing process.” Raven’s voice was solemn as she leaned forward, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on the resulting arch. “But understand that treating them won’t be pleasant.”

A familiar sense of ice crept its way into Sunset’s gut as she processed what Raven had just told her.

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Sunset, what you’ve gone through is not something that’s ever going to truly go away. I can treat the wounds, but there will be scars.”

Sunset shrank back a little. Philomena tried to comfort her, sending feelings of love and safety while snuggling against her belly. Wrapping her arms around Philomena, she pulled the phoenix closer, savoring the warmth of her bondmate’s presence and feathery body.

Eventually, Sunset forced out a reply. “General Sentry said something like that too. Something about the scars he carries from his fight with Hydea.”

Raven nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in through her nose and out her mouth with a sigh. “He’s right. And it is because I failed him that I’m trying not to make the same mistakes with you.”

That… didn’t sit right with Sunset. What Hydea had done to General Sentry was unfathomably cruel. As much as she didn’t like him, even he didn’t deserve what that hag had done.

“But you didn’t fail him. It was Hydea’s fault. Not yours.”

“That’s not what I meant, Sunset.” Raven closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m talking about what happened after he returned.”

All of Sunset’s thoughts came slammed into a boulder. Staring at the Royal Seneschal, she tried to make sense of what she’d just claimed. But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t.

“When he returned?”

“Yes, Sunset. When he returned with Hydea’s severed head, he was gravely wounded physically, mentally… and spiritually. I could have done something for him, but refused to. Made excuses that Solaria needed me. It did. But I could have made the time to help him. He and I, we’d already been fighting for decades, but it was never more than the bickering of siblings. The Blight War changed that.”

Raven paused and leaned her forehead against the back of her hands. Hopping off his perch, Dylis landed next to her and rubbed his head against her elbow, trilling softly. A tight knot formed in Sunset’s chest at the sight. In her lap, Philomena mirrored the gesture, while sending feelings of comfort and love. Sending back a wave of gratitude, Sunset gently petted her bondmate’s head.

“Why?”

“Far too many reasons for me to get into. But, the boulder in the sand was Sweet Stuff. When she died, I was despondent and angry, memories of the Splintering and the deaths of my fellow phoenix-born driving themselves to the surface. So I blamed General Sentry. Told him that if he’d just been quicker, Sweet Stuff would still be alive.”

Raven took and let out another slow breath.

“The two of them were close, Sunset. I have my suspicions of just how close, but neither of them ever confided in me, and I wasn’t going to pry. It wasn’t my place. By the time I learned exactly what Hydea had done to him, it was too late. Had I not let my bitterness blind me, things may have been different between us.”

Raven removed her glasses and rubbed her temples, sighing sadly.

“I won’t let that happen to you. Not if I can help it. So, we’re going to treat your wounds before they metastasize. Cleaning out the necrosis won’t be pleasant, but it's necessary. No matter how much it might hurt. Do you understand?”

Sunset swallowed down the rock in her throat, nodding at Raven.

“I guess.”

“You’re going to be fine, Sunset. I promise.”

“If you say so,” Sunset said, an uncertain quaver in her voice as she hugged Philomena tighter.

*****

Pulling into the terminal, the four of them transferred to a new sky-rail heading to west Chromos. Sunset's feet trudged along the walk. Her mood - what had been that morning the brightest shining day - fell to gloomy dusk.

She and Philomena spent much of the second branch of the trip trying to figure out exactly what it was that Raven meant by “treating her wounds.” Did it have to do with her hallucinations? They were infrequent, but Sunset still had brief flashes of the ulmuri’s visions. Could that be what Raven was referring to?

But how did that relate to her sisters? Was their visit to prove that they didn’t want her gone? Sure, the idea of their rejection terrified her, but didn’t their letters show that they still loved her? If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be so worried. If they wanted her gone, they wouldn’t be coming to Heliopolis to see her.

So how was this visit supposed to help her heal?

Try as they might, neither she and Philomena could figure it out. They were still tumbling around the idea by the time they exited the sky-rail and transferred to a carriage. Riding through the streets and neighborhoods, Sunset tried to put Raven’s words out of her mind. She had more important things to think about than some nebulous wound that she needed to recover from. It could wait until later. Her oath-sisters were more important right now.

Sunset stared out the carriage windows. In the distance, the she saw the telltale glint of sun on a band of prominence knights hovering above a high marble wall. Hovering with them were three brass wyverns, including the massive form of Vanlethar, the drake who escorted her to and from the Eastern Territory.

Her previous excitement returned in full force. All the heightened security could only mean one thing: they had almost reached their destination.

It took far too long for Sunset’s liking for the carriage to reach the park’s gate. She wanted to rush out the door the moment they came to a stop, but restrained herself. She didn’t want to leave Philomena behind. And she didn’t want to do anything that would make Raven decide this was the last time her oath-sisters could visit for the next decade.

Offering Philomena her arm, Sunset followed Raven and Dylis through the line of prominence knights at the park’s gate. The moment she stepped through, the sight before her sent a jolt of warm nostalgia and blast of icy trepidation up her spine and into the base of her skull where they battled against one for dominance.

Before her were hundreds of gnarled yet majestic oak trees growing in a sea of golden bunchgrasses across gently rolling hills. Further in, she caught sight of other trees and shrubs on the slope of a hill or along creek and river corridors. A warm breeze wafted across the landscape, ticking her nose with the familiar smell of drying leaves, dirt, dust, and the unmistakable perfume of blooming vumili and wild roses. The only thing that was out of place was the winding stone walkway leading from the gate off into the distance.

She stood dumbfounded at the sight. It… it was the Western Territory. Down to the last tiny detail. As though a slice of her home had been carved out, transported, and dropped into the heart of Chromos.

You okay there, sun-butt? Philomena’s concern laced the sending as she nuzzled up against the side of Sunset’s head, trilling softly.

I… I’m seeing this. Tell me I’m seeing this. Sunset desperately tried to reconcile with what was before her.

You are.

Philomena’s confirmation broke her out of her stupor.

“Raven?” Sunset nervously asked. “Has this always been here?”

“Yes, Sunset, it has. And before you ask, I was going to bring you here eventually as a surprise present when you regained your magic. I’d even intended to have your oath-sisters and other friends from Golden Tree in attendance.”

“I'd rather just know about it to begin with,” Sunset pouted.

Raven’s expression didn’t change, but Sunset could tell that she had slipped into teacher mode when she said, “And did you give me a reason to think you’d stay focused on your studies if I had told you about your prize beforehand?”

She’s got you there, Sunset.

Your opinion is noted, feather-butt, Sunset retorted with a shove through their bond, while sighing, “It might’ve motivated me, you know.”

“Perhaps. Or you would have obsessed about it and lost focus on your studies. Which do you think I judged was the most likely outcome given your behavior and attitude?”

Sunset looked away, face hot and chest tightening. “I guess I see your point.”

A hand touched Sunset's shoulder. She tensed and glanced up, relaxing upon seeing the sympathy in Raven’s eyes.

“You’re here now, Sunset.” Flipping open her pocket watch, Raven nodded to herself. “Your oath-sisters should be arriving soon. You don’t want to keep them waiting, right?”

Sunset had a nagging feeling that Raven was trying to distract her, but chose not to throw twigs onto that fire.

Besides, she was right. She wanted to be there when her oath-sisters arrived. After all, she owed them all several months worth of hugs and fun. And that was a debt she was more than happy to pay off.

“Right,” Sunset said, nodding enthusiastically.

Rising into the air, Raven offered her arm to Dylis, who climbed on and took to the sky moments later.

“Then, shall we be on our way.”

Following Raven’s lead and helping Philomena off her shoulder, Sunset nodded. Once above the trees, the four of them flew towards a large lake in the distance. Drawing closer, Sunset picked out new details along the lake’s shore. A small number of Western style wood and stone cabins scattered along the large, open, grassy shoreline. The entire area was dotted with the telltale glint of prominence-knight armor, feathers, scales and carapaces. And several large, circular stone slabs embedded in the earth. Sunset’s excitement kindled brighter as they drew closer; the sight reminding her of Golden Tree’s festival grounds.

Sunset, look!

Philomena’s excited sending pulled Sunset out of her fixation. Opening their bond, she accepted Philomena’s unspoken request to share her vision. There, in the sky what had to be kilometers away, they saw a small, brassy shape.

That has to be them! Excitement swirled around in Sunset’s chest. As did a small, nagging sense of dread. One she pushed aside. She was just nervous about her visit. Nothing more.

Sunset tried to ignore the amused feeling coming through the bond as Philomena sent No, really? I would never have guessed that.

Smirking to herself, Sunset turned over in the air, flying backwards to look at her bondmate. Well, I’m the brains of this operation, so that makes sense.

You keep telling yourself that, sun-butt.

I don’t need to tell myself something that’s true when I know it's true, Sunset sent with a giggle, one that grew stronger when Philomena sent a shove through their bond and let out a soft hiss of annoyance.

‘Just a few more minutes,’ Sunset thought, staring at the metallic speck in the distance, happy images of her oath-sisters swirling in her head. ‘Just a few more minutes.’

*****

The dull thud of her shoes drummed in Sunset’s ears as she paced back and forth on one of the circular stones. Behind her, Raven and both phoenixes were relaxing on the deck of one of the cabins, the former drinking tea while the latter had their attention fixated on her. Through their link, she could tell Philomena was very amused by Sunset’s impatience. Something she suspected Dylis was doing as well, given the look on his face.

She did her best to ignore them, instead looking to the sky every few minutes as the brass wyvern carrying her sisters grew ever closer. Tempted as she was to fly up to meet them, she restrained herself. She’d been patient this long.

She could wait a few more minutes.

Slower than she thought possible, the wyvern grew larger and larger, until she could see not only her, but her escort of prominence knights. Then the howdah on her back became visible, and Sunset found herself once again bouncing on the balls of her feet.

The drakiana began to descend towards the far side of the gathering area, and Sunset saw three familiar splashes of color just peaking over the edge of the howdah. Seeing them, a strange, unpleasant feeling crept its way into her throat and into the back of her mind. She pushed it aside. She was just nervous. That was all.

Unable to contain herself, Sunset leapt into the air and raced towards where the drakiana was going to land. Through their link, she felt Philomena’s mirth at her inability to control herself. But she didn’t care.

Her oath-sisters were here. That was the only thing that mattered.

She’d crossed half the distance to the landing site as the drakiana landed and lowered herself to the ground. Once settled, a sun-touched stood from within the howdah, opened the side door, kicked down a rope-ladder, and stood back to let the other passengers off.

And her world suddenly and violently slammed into a metal wall.

Rainbow Dash was the first to disembark, not even bothering with the ladder. Instead, she took to the air, hovering above the howdah to take in the facsimile of their home.

‘C’mon, Shimmer, don’t be shy. We just want to undo the biggest mistake we ever made in our lives.’

Bands of icey, primal terror constricted Sunset’s chest freezing her in mid-air, her eyes fixed on Rainbow Dash.

She couldn’t breathe.

Sunset? Sunset, what’s wrong?

Applejack descended the ladder, wobbling unsteadily once her feet touched the ground, then dropped to her hands and knees, her fists gripping the grasses.

‘If yah loved us, then yah wouldn’t have started ah feud with ah bunch ah nobles yah had no chance tah beat.’

Her breaths came in short, shallow gasps, flashes of blue-robes, obsidian blades and bloodied eyes fighting with the world before her.

Pinkie vaulted over the side of the howdah, laughing as she somehow slid down the drakiana’s tail and off the bladed tip, somersaulting in the air. Landing on her feet, Pinkie was at AJ’s side moments later, rubbing her back comfortingly.

‘You took everything from us, Sunny. So now, we’re going to take everything from you.’

The sound of her heart hammering in her chest drowned out everything else around her.

Memories of dead and dying trees, rancid winds, a destroyed Golden Tree, and the nothingness that was the entity came roaring back. Gone was the park. The gathering stones. The lake. The drakiana. All that she could see was the Chaos-corrupted landscape she’d barely escaped from with her life.

Slowly. Unconsciously. She started drifting backwards.

Sunset! Sunset, calm down!

Rainbow spotted her and waved, shouting “Hey, Sunset!”

Pinkie and AJ’s attention turned towards her.

“SUNNY!” Pinkie cheered, jumping into the air, she began running towards Sunset, arms outstretched and ready to grapple Sunset to the ground.

“Sunset!” AJ called, staggering to her feet and slowly jogging after the other two.

The dam broke.

The hammering in her ears became a roar.

All rational thought left her, and was replaced with blinding panic.

“NO! STAY AWAY!” Sunset screamed.

Sunset!

Sunset turned and sped off in the opposite direction as fast as she could. She heard the other girls’ dismayed cries. They were only a distant whisper through the haze of her flight.

*****

Soft, pain filled sobs filled the oaken grove.

Sunset didn’t know how far she flew. Or where. Only that when the haze finally lifted and her rational mind reasserted itself, she’d found herself in some distant corner of the park, hugging her legs to her chest and crying into her knees. Peripherally, she felt Philomena approaching, her worry almost as overwhelming as Sunset’s own guilt. She wanted to reach out, but Sunset kept their bond only open enough to feel Philomena. Not hear her sendings.

She knew that if she did, Philomena would try to reassure or comfort her. And she didn’t want that right now.

Because she’d burnt things to the ground with her oath-sisters.

She knew it.

Just reduced them to ash and blew them away in the wind.

Did they think she hated them now? Would they even want to talk to her? Would they ask Raven to send them home?

Scenario after disastrous scenario played out in her head. And all of them had one thing in common.

The thing she was most afraid of was coming to pass.

Her oath-sisters were going to leave her.

Philomena’s presence reached it’s zenith as the sound of wingbeats reached her, followed by a gust of air to her left. Moments later, a warm body press against her side, the sound of worried trilling filling her ears along with Philomena’s head rubbing against her hand. From the pleading sensations, Philomena wanted her to open their bond enough to share their voices.

A new sound reached her ears: the crunch of drying grass being crushed by something landing. Philomena’s nuzzling stopped, a string of worried shrieks and warbles directed at the new arrival, along with a few garbled words in phoenix-speak, and a sense of relief trickling into Sunset’s mind.

The newcomer didn't say a word as they walked over to her. Instead, they sat down to her right, the sound of crunching grass and crinkling of bark telling Sunset that they’d leaned back against the tree’s trunk.

The three of them sat under the oaks for she didn’t know how long. Part of her never wanted to leave. To just sit here and wallow in her own misery until she starved. Only to dismiss the idea as a soft, feathered body pressed back against her hand and warbled sadly. If she died, that would kill Philomena too. And no matter how much she hated herself, she couldn’t do that to her bondmate. Extending her fingers, Sunset felt Philomena rub her beak against the extended digits, a pleasant tickling sensation running up them as the phoenix began nibbling them gently and affectionately.

“How mad are they?”

Sunset braced for the answer that was going to come, a nasty, sick feeling twisting around in her guts like some sort of oily snake.

“They aren’t.” Raven’s calm, dispassionate tone might have normally annoyed her. But this time, she found it inexplicably calming. “Just confused and sad that you ran away the way you did. But mostly worried about you.”

A part of her felt relief. Another felt worse.

“Why? I wanted to see them. I’ve wanted to see them every day since I came here.” Sunset curled in tighter, trying to make herself as small as possible. “So why did I shatter like that?”

“You know why, Sunset.”

Sunset gritted her teeth and took a deep, ragged breath as Philomena sent waves of calm, trying to keep her from exploding again.

“You knew this would happen, didn't you? When you were talking about scars, this is what you meant.”

“It was one possibility, yes.”

“You could have warned me.”

“I did. I warned you that you were wounded, and we would need to treat the wounds before they scarred over.”

“By letting me ignite and run away from my oath-sisters?”

“Yes. Heartless as it may seem, it was the best way to help you.”

Red hot fire erupted in her chest as Sunset finally lifted her head and glared at Raven, snarling “Have dreams, Raven! I don’t care if it was the ‘best way’ to ‘start the healing process’! You could have told me something. Given me a warning! Anything!”

To her chagrin, Sunset’s tirade just washed over Raven like a breeze against a boulder. After a moment, Raven leaned back against the tree and looked up to the sky.

“I would love to be able to dream again, Sunset. I did, before the Splintering. I… we still would, if not for the Traitor denying us that gift.” Raven’s voice took on an icy edge, even as her demeanor remained the same. Sunset had to suppress a shudder. Not just from the tone in Raven’s voice, but from her revelation. The idea of dreaming… it was revolting. It wasn’t a gift. It was an invasion of her mind and a distortion of reality. Like the ulmuri.

And Raven claimed to miss it?

“As for telling you, if I had, you would have fought it. Tried to push it down and control it. That’s not what you needed. You needed to flush the wound out. Now that it's been cleaned, you’re ready for the next treatment.”

Sunset let go of her legs, extending them out and leaning back against the tree. The moment she was settled Philomena jumped into her lap and snuggled up against her belly.

“And what is that?”

“By going back, facing your fears, and spending time with your oath-sisters.”

A harsh, humorless laugh burst from Sunset’s throat.

“You make it sound so easy. How am I supposed to do that when I panic when I’m around them.”

“Sounding easy and being easy are two very different things, Sunset. You should know that by now. Healing is going to take time and effort. But if you don’t take the first step, you won’t heal. And if you don’t heal, you’ll lose them. Permanently.” Raven turned her head slightly to look over at Sunset. “Unlike you, they’re not immortal.”

Sunset went rigid, eyes wide as her gaze and attention snapped on Raven. A deep, oily dread welled up and boiled through her veins.

"What did you say?”

"You heard me."

It wasn't an accusation, neither angry nor demeaning. Simply a statement of fact

The dam holding back the tide in her chest broke, the dawning horror of Raven’s revelation nearly driving her to tears. Again. She stared down at Philomena, trying to focus her thoughts enough to grasp the magnitude of it. Of all the changes in her life, her immortality had been the one that felt the most distant. So much so that she hadn’t really considered exactly what it meant. She couldn’t. It was too big. Too daunting.

But as much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t.

Her oath-sisters. Her friends. Her family. Tender Heart. Lyra. Flitter. Lilac. Lily. Daisy. Bronze. Pinkie Pie. Applejack. Rainbow Dash.

The people she cared about. The people who mattered the most in her life. They were mortal. Someday, they’d grow old and return to Nitor.

Yet she would remain. Potentially for thousands of years.

Philomena tried to comfort her with warm sendings of love, hope and joy, but they did little to pierce the mounting frigid horror gripping her mind. Finally reopening their link, Sunset sent, Mena, they’re all going to die someday.

I know, Sunset. Philomena’s sending was soft and sympathetic.

I… I can’t take that. I can’t. They mean as much to me as you do.

Philomena remained quiet, continuing to send sympathetic feelings to her distraught bondmate. Sunset hugged Philoemna to her chest, fighting back more tears.

Raven squeezed her shoulder, yanking her from the despair.

“What am I supposed to do, Raven?” Sunset hiccuped. “I don’t want them to die.”

“There’s nothing you can do about that, Sunset. All you can do is cherish the time you have with them so that you don’t regret it when they’re gone.”

“That’s not fair. Why do they have to die when we live forever?”

Raven closed her eyes and shook her head solemnly.

“Those aren’t questions I can answer, Sunset. No matter how many times I’ve asked them over my life. All I can tell you is that regret is a terrible burden for an immortal.” Raven rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. “I don’t want you to have to bear that pain, especially so early.”

Lowering her head, Sunset gazed into Philomena’s eyes filled with worry.

I hate when she makes sense, Sunset sent.

She has a habit of doing that, doesn’t she?

She does. Doesn’t make it any less annoying.

So, where does that leave us?

I’m afraid it leaves us asking her what to do next, Sunset sent, while asking Raven, “So, what do I do?”

“I already told you.”

“And after they leave? What then? You said it yourself. They’re not immortal. How am I supposed to–” Sunset stopped mid-sentence, a hopeful thought entering her mind. A vain hope, perhaps, but one she was willing to grasp at. “Raven, could they stay with me on Mt. Liakeed?”

Sunset’s heart sank as Raven shook her head.

“You have your studies to attend to. If your oath-sisters stayed, they would be a distraction,” Raven paused for a moment. Sunset could see the ideas being born and dying behind her ancient off-orange eyes. “How about we make a deal, Sunset. I’m willing to arrange visits with your oath-sisters–”

Instinctively, Sunset opened her mouth. Raven raised a finger, silencing her before she could respond.

“Let me finish first. I’m willing to arrange for them to visit if you meet a study goal. Every month, both the Queen and I will give you an objective. If you meet our expectations, I’ll let you visit with your oath-sisters for a day. I might be willing to extend it to two days, if you do especially well.”

Sunset couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was almost too good to be true. Which, she realized, it probably was. There were always layers with Raven.

“What’s the catch?” Sunset asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

That hint of a smile returned to Raven’s face.

“If you don’t meet your monthly progress requirement, you don’t get a visit until you’ve caught up with the previous month’s goal and the current one.”

Tumbling things over in her head, Sunset realized what Raven was saying.

“But, that means if I fall behind, I’ll have to work even harder to catch up,” Sunset protested.

Raven nodded. “It does. Consider it motivation to not fall behind. We won’t make it impossible to complete each month. But they will be enough that you have to stay focused on progressing if you want to earn your visit.”

With a sigh, Sunset leaned back against the tree. “There’s a lesson in there too, right?”

“Very astute, Sunset.”

“And if I turn down the deal, I don’t get to see them until I finish my training?”

“Or I deem it a worthwhile reward for a particularly exceptional milestone.”

Once again tumbling the ideas around, Sunset wanted to groan. What choice did she have, really? As awful as her shattering had been, she still wanted… no, needed her oath-sisters in her life. Especially in light of Raven bringing the consequences of their mortality into the light. Taking Raven’s deal meant she’d have a way to see them. It just meant she’d have to work for it.

She almost found herself laughing at the thought.

Story of my life, Mena.

Oh? You mean having to work for everything?

Yea. I only stopped because I didn’t have a goal I cared about. Or because I was being stubborn and hot-headed.

You? Stubborn and hot-headed? No, that’s silly.

Funny, feather-butt. I just need to choose my words carefully. Raven’s not a kirintal, but I’m not going to jump in carelessly. That’s one lesson I’ve learned the hard way.

“I… would like to take that deal… but I’m only going to agree to it after we sit down and figure out the details. But I’m… open to the idea.”

The expresion Raven’s face shifted to an amused and pleased half smile. One that Sunset suspected was rarer than natural true-iron. “That’s a good response, Sunset. And, I give you my word that when we do, we can find an arrangement that we can both be happy with.”

Rising to her feet, Raven offered her a hand. One that Sunset took after letting Philomena climb onto her arm and transferring her to her shoulder. “Now, we should probably get back. Your oath-sisters need to see you just as much as you need to see them. Especially Miss Pie.”

Sunset chose to ignore the implication, hoping that Pinkie was alright.

*****

Trepidation clawed at Sunst’s chest, gnawing her guts like a thousand little insects. She and Raven approached the lake, the air feeling thick as mud as they flew.

What was meant to be a joyful reunion with her oath-sisters had soured into something else. She didn't know what it had become yet, but so far, she didn't like it. How she was meant to handle it, she knew even less.

A month ago, she wouldn't have trusted Raven when she’d said that things were salvageable. She wouldn’t have trusted Raven with much of anything, if she was honest with herself. Yet, after everything that had happened, and the lengths Raven had gone to to save her life? She was willing to believe her. She wouldn’t be using the promise of further visits from her oath-sisters if the situation was hopeless.

So she flew a few meters behind Raven, letting her lead the way to where Pinkie, AJ and Rainbow were waiting. Once they arrived, Raven would go first, talk to the girls, and bring them over. And hopefully she could avoid panicking again.

They flew over the lake’s surface, the shoreline with the cabins growing ever closer. Nearing the shore, Sunset spotted four familiar swatches of color sitting on the porch of one of the cabins: Dylis, along with her oath-sisters.

Once again, the visions returned. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t separate the girls in the distance from the nothing-eyed phantoms. Yet, the moment the visions began to form cracks in her mind, a wave of hot, righteous rejection and dismissal slammed into her, welding the cracks shut.

That’s not real! Philomena sent, along with an offer for Sunset to see things through her eyes.

Taking a deep breath and focusing on her meditations, Sunset relented, the new perspective parallel to her own. Through Philomena’s eyes, she saw the girls in greater detail than she could with even developing sky-runner sight. The sight made Sunset’s heart sink. AJ was hunched over on the porch’s steps, her hat in her hands, slowly turning it as she stared down at the ground, looking drained and morose. Next to her, Rainbow was holding Pinkie, one of her wings draped around the taller girl’s shoulder, holding her against her chest. Even from this distance, Sunset could tell that Rainbow was trying to be stoic, but barely holding it together. And then there was Pinkie. She was oddly still, her hair completely straight and flaccid as she stared off into the distance, looking as though she didn’t understand what was going on, or what to think.

This is reality, Sunset. Do they look like they want to hurt you?

No, Sunset admitted.

Taking a few more deep breaths, Sunset pushed the visions aside. As she did, Philomena’s sight faded, leaving Sunset with only her own. She was right. They weren’t real. The three girls down at the cabin, they were the real ones. Not the phantoms.

“Why don’t you wait there,” Raven said, pointing to one of the gathering stones. “Is there one of your oath-sisters you want me to bring first.”

“Actually, could you bring all three at once, please.”

Raven nodded. Without another word, she flew off towards the cabin.

I’m going to wait with my brother, if you don’t mind, Philomena sent, eyeing the banister where Dylis had perched. I don’t trust Pinkie not to get grabby.

She isn’t that bad, Sunset sent as she began to descend.

Your memories of her non-existent self-control say otherwise, sun-butt.

Landing on the stone, Sunset sent a poke to Philomena, as well as a feeling of irritation and defiance. She has self-control when she wants to.

I’ll believe it when I see it.

Sunset refused to dignify Philomena’s comment as she landed next to the gathering stone. Sweeping it off with a hand, she sat on the edge to wait. Raven landed by the cabin not long after, the girls rising to greet her.

Sunset rolled ideas around, trying to decide what to say to her oath-sisters when they arrived. What could she say? She wanted to apologize, but she couldn’t think of anything that wouldn't sound hollow. Should she let them speak first? Did she just want to hug them? Let them hug her?

This wasn’t like when they had fights, or a prank went too far. She’d run away from them like they were Chaos-spawn. No. They were her oath-sisters. Her best friends. Lily and Daisy forgave her for yelling at them. Why wouldn’t they forgive her for igniting after what she’d gone through?

‘Because they’re just waiting for an excuse,’ she thought.

Sunset shook her head, forcing away the idea.

Eyes up, sun-butt! A sharp poke from Philomena yanked her out of her brooding and back to Nitor. Swallowing hard, she ran through her meditations to center herself. Raven was coming.

Along with the girls.

Sunset felt herself cracking as they drew closer. Yet as the fear mounted in her chest, she both ran through her meditations, and opened her bond with Philomena. A steady stream of reassurances that she was safe came flowing in like soothing, mountain water, filling the cracks and sealing them up. It didn’t seal them completely, but it made them manageable.

At less than five meters away, Raven stopped and gestured for her oath-sisters to approach. Tentatively, the three of them stepped around her and walked the final stretch. Watching them approach so cautiously… It felt wrong. Unreal. Rainbow wasn’t flying, her wings instead folded tightly against her back. Pinkie’s normally wild mess of curls was completely flaccid. And AJ looked… hollow somehow, like a once proud tree that had grown sickly and diseased.

Her breathing started to grow shallower, every grain of her willpower focused on keeping the cracks sealed as her oath-sisters grew closer. It was like trying to hold a piece of broken metal together with spider’s silk and strings. Though enormous effort, she managed to do so.

Three meters now.

The girls stopped, shuffling in place. Sunset clenched her dress in her fists and shut her eyes, taking a few, shuddering breaths and letting Philomena’s sendings banish the visions surging back to the surface.

“Sunny?…” Pinkie whispered plaintively, accompanied by the sound of a step forward.

The desperation in Pinkie's voice stabbed a javelin of ice through her heart. She hated when Pinkie was upset like that. When any of them were upset. Yet she was barely keeping herself together.

“Please,” Sunset stammered, her eyes remaining pinched shut, “…just… just give me a moment.”

“Okay, sugarcube,” Applejack said softly. “Whatever yah need from us.”

“What she said,” added Rainbow.

“I understand, Sunny.”

Taking one more deep breath and running through her meditation techniques, Sunset opened her eyes. The girls were still there, their earlier sorrow replaced with worry. But the visions kept coming. Flickering in and out of her mind. With tremendous effort, Sunset rose to her feet.

Mena, I need a favor. I need you to keep me from taking control of my living-flame. No matter what, don’t let me hurt them. Can you do that for me?

A wave of sympathy came. Of course, Sunset. I promise.

Thank you, Sunset sent as she felt Philomena’s presence grow stronger through their link. It was a strange sensation. She’d never given her control like this. She’d never needed to. But under the circumstances…

Drawing another deep breath, Sunset began to approach her oath-sisters.

Two meters.

The girls kept as still as possible. Pinkie was hugging herself and looked to be on the verge of tears. Rainbow had her hands folded tightly across her chest, a pained frown on her face. Applejack seemed the most composed, her hands at her side and her hat tilted back. A face creased with concern.

One.

Tentatively, Sunset stared at her oath-sisters, Philomena’s presence in her mind keeping her grounded. Another deep breath flowed in then out of her chest. Lifting her hands, Sunset slowly approached Rainbow, reaching out to touch her. She could see the long, bloody cut on Rainbow’s face, the one bisecting her eye. She knew it couldn’t be there. But it was.

She had to be sure.

“Sunset?” Rainbow asked nervously.

Sunset flinched back.

“Dash, please, can I… can I touch your face. I… I need to know what I’m seeing isn’t real.”

Rainbow’s brows furrowed in confusion. Then she nodded. “Okay. Go ahead.”

Trembling hands reached for Rainbow. The tips of her index and middle fingers softly landed on Rainbow’s cheekbone. She could feel Dash flinch slightly at the contact, but she held her ground. Cautiously, she drew her fingers across Dash’s cheek towards the base of her nose.

“It’s not there…”

“What’s not there?” Rainbow’s voice was barely a whisper.

“The cut. It’s not there,” Sunset said with wonder.

Stepping back, she turned to Pinkie next.

“Can I?”

“Of course, Sunny. Go ahead.”

Reaching up, Sunset caressed Pinkie’s face, searching for the gash below her eye. And found none.

Sunset turned again. Applejack nodded. “Like yah gotta ask. Do what yah gotta do.”

“Thank you, AJ,” Sunset said, reaching up and touching Applejack’s face. And once more found nothing.

“It wasn’t real. It really wasn’t real.”

“What wasn’t real, sugarcube?”

Sunset didn’t respond with words. She couldn’t. Lunging forward, she wrapped her arms around the taller girl’s chest, holding her tight as she began to weep uncontrollably. In an instant, Applejack’s strong, sturdy arms were around her. Holding her. Protecting her.

“Ah’m right here, Sunset. You’re safe, sis.”

“It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real,” Sunset muttered to herself as she squeezed down harder on Applejack. Two more bodies joined the hug, along with two pairs of arms and one pair of wings.

“We’re here, Sunset,” Rainbow said.

“We love you, Sunny,” Pinkie sobbed. “We’d never want to hurt you. We swear.”

Sunset bawled even harder, the warmth of her oath-sister’s hug dousing the inferno of her fear and doubt with a deluge of love. The fear that had plagued her was still there, nagging in the back of her mind. But it was so small now. Like the distant buzzing of a tiny fly being drowned out by the roar of a linnorm.

"It wasn't real," she kept on mumbling. "It wasn't real…”

*****

The Queen’s Sun was at its zenith by the time Sunset managed to compose herself enough to walk back to the cabin. Or rather, be helped to walk there by her oath-sisters. It was a strange experience for her: the small pangs of panic warred with the warmth and safety of being surrounded by her family. Raven eventually joined them, but kept a respectful distance. Something that Sunset was grateful for.

There was no chatter as they walked. No talk of what they’d done the previous day. No planning for their next misadventure. No friendly teasing. Only uncomfortable and awkward silence. It felt wrong. Yet, after everything that’d happened in the last hour or so, none of them wanted to break it.

When they reached the cabin, Raven cleared her throat. “Would you girls like something to drink? Perhaps the cider you brought, Miss Apple?”

They all nodded, each muttering an affirmative.

“Then make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back with your drinks.” Raven paused for a moment. “Would you prefer hot or cold?”

“The cider Ah brought is best hot, yer Grace.”

“Very good.” With that, Raven walked into the cabin, quietly closing the door behind her, and leaving Sunset alone with her oath-sisters. The four of them stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. It was strange, and wrong in almost every way Sunset could think of. These were her oath-sisters. Things shouldn’t be like this.

And yet, they were.

Sunset felt Philomena in the rafters above, concern leaking through their bond. Sunset sent feelings of gratitude, then reassurance when Philomena’s concern grew stronger.

“Okay, Sunset, what happened back there?” Rainbow asked as she took a step back. There was Rainbow’s usual brashness and impatience in her voice, but also not an inconsiderable amount of worry.

“Dashie!” Pinkie gasped, attention shifting between Rainbow and Sunset.

“Rainbow!” AJ barked, “That’s…”

“Girls, this is getting us nowhere,” Rainbow retorted. “You saw what happened. For some reason, she’s scared of us. And I want to know why.”

“You could be a little nicer about it though,” Pinkie admonished.

“Sometimes the direct approach is the best approach. You know that. I know that. She knows that,” Rainbow nodded her head in Sunset’s direction. “Standing around moping isn’t going to blow the dirt off the bedrock, is it?”

“Girls,” Sunset said softly, drawing her oath-sister’s attention.

“What is it, sugarcube?” AJ asked, putting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Can we… sit down?” Sunset finally asked, indicating the steps leading up to porch with a finger.. “I… I owe you an explanation.”

“Sunset, yah don’t ‘owe us anything,” AJ said, emphasizing her point by giving Sunset’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

For the first time since she’d shattered, Sunset found herself smiling a little. That was just like AJ. Yet…

“No, Dash is right. This… this isn’t getting us anywhere.”

“Sunny, are you sure?” Pinkie muttered.

“Yes.” Sunset said meekly with a slow nod.

Her sisters shared a brief look with one another. Silently nodding, the four of them walked back to the steps and sat down, Sunset in the center, with Rainbow and Pinkie on her right, and AJ on her left.

Clasping her hands in her lap, Sunset stared down at the cabin’s wooden steps, her head a conflicting mass of feelings and thoughts. Where should she begin? How should she explain what happened? Could she explain it?

Try as she might, she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, girls,” Sunset finally said, wringing her hands and curling in on herself, “I… I’m trying to… to explain. But… I can’t. There’s just so much that happened. I just don’t know where to start.”

“Why not just start from the beginning?” Rainbow asked, putting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset flinched slightly at the contact, but Rainbow didn’t pay it any mind.

“I… I can’t, Dash. Even thinking about it nearly shatters me.”

“I don’t mean with whatever happened to you, Sunset. I mean the entire Festival. Honestly, I was kinda curious what it was like before… y’know, before everything went to Chaos. Maybe start there?”

Managing to turn her head and look at Rainbow, Sunset tumbled her words around. She was right. As painful as her poisoning was, it was just one part of her trip. And maybe telling them about the good parts would help prepare her to talk about why she’d run away from them.

“Ah think Dash’s got ah point, Sunset. An’, to be honest with yah, Ah was kinda hoping tah hear about your trip before we learned what happened. Ah know Pinkie was.”

“Is that true, Pinkie?” Sunset asked.

“I was. But… you’re more important right now, Sunny,” Pinkie said, her voice devoid of her usual exuberance. “You don’t need to talk about it for my sake. But, I know when I’m down, talking about happy things can help.”

Sunset shook her head and sighed. “The trip wasn’t exactly an entirely happy one, even before the ulmuri.”

“Ulmuri?” Rainbow asked.

“Ul’muri is the compound that the Endless Decay gave Sunset.”

With a start, the four of them turned to see Raven standing at the door, the tops of a large, steaming jug sticking up over the obstruction of the tray’s edge.

“Yah mean the poison, yer grace?”

Raven shook her head, approaching the girls and setting the tray between Rainbow and Sunset. On it were the four mugs, the ceramic pitcher filled with hot Sweet Apple Acres cider, as well as a small plate of what looked and smelled like Pinkie Pie made cookies. Standing back up, she regarded the girls.

“Ul’muri isn’t a poison. At least not in its natural state. It’s a sacred medicine used by the kirintal. Nightcrawler, the leader of the Endless Decay, turned it into a poison using Chaos-alchemy. Just another in the long line of blasphemies that monster has committed.”

Turning back towards the cabin, Raven began to walk off, leaving the four Westerners stunned in her wake.

“But you needn’t worry about that. You only need to worry about Sunset right now,” Raven said over her shoulder as she opened the door of the cabin and entered, Dylis flying in after her before she closed the door.

“What was that?” Rainbow asked as she continued to stare at the closed door.

“Don’t let it bother you, Dash. She’s always like that,” Sunset said, grabbing one of the mugs and pouring herself a tall, steaming serving of the hot cider. Without waiting for the others to serve themselves, she slowly downed the contents of the vessel in a single, long drink. The steaming hot liquid tasted like pure bliss as it flooded her mouth and danced across her tongue, happy memories of time spent with her family bubbling up to the surface. She almost broke down into tears again, but managed to keep herself composed.

With a heavy sigh, she stared at the ceramic cylinder intently. Next to her, the others had filled taken their own shares, but hadn’t drunk any yet. Instead, they watched her with renewed worry. Reaching back, she grabbed the pitcher again and refilled her mug.

“I guess the best place to start is with the trip out east,” Sunset finally said, still staring at the murky, reddish brown liquid. “We left The Cathedral of the Sun the day before the festival was set to begin…”

And with that, Sunset began to tell her oath-sisters everything that had happened. The trip on Saetha to Rose’s Blossom. Meeting up with Lily and Daisy. Her foolish act of defiance against Raven and the disaster that was her first formal meeting with the kirintal. And her dressing down by Raven.

She paused briefly to nibble on one of Pinkie’s cookies, savoring the familiar flavor of candied fruits and nuts in the sweet confection.

She continued, recounting the first day of the festival. Her near breakdown when the Easterners began bowing to her. Losing repeatedly to Lily and Daisy at the games, and the incomprehensible practices they had regarding prizes and competing. Watching Master Vitrics work his craft, and the trap Duchess Rich laid for her. The puppet show, and the revelation of the inaccuracies of the story by the sky-strikers of all people.

“When we arrived at the mixer – that’s a gathering for nobles to gossip and play their political games – I started to feel sick. At first, I thought it was just the day catching up with me. But, I was wrong…” Sunset’s voice trailed off, her hands starting to shake as the memories began to come back. It was only Philomena and her oath-sisters’ presence that kept her from shattering right then and there again. Rubbing her face with the back of her sleeve, she flew forward into the storm. “It turns out that one of the servers, I don’t remember her name, had given me the ulmuri in my meal before we’d gone out. It took a little while to take effect, but once it did, the world went mad.”

“Went mad?” Pinkie asked.

“Yes. At first, I just felt sick. Then… then I started hearing your voices calling out to me.”

“You… you heard us?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes.”

“But we weren’t…”

“I know you weren’t, Dash. It was the ulmuri. It made me… it made me start hallucinating. Experiencing things that weren’t there. That weren’t real. Trees made of bone. Biting worms growing from the ground like flowers. A blood-red sky. And monsters. Monsters that turned out to be the other sun-gazers at the mixer. Philomena tried to help, but the ulmuri… overwhelmed me. I tried to run, but Raven stopped me by putting me to sleep.”

“She did what?” AJ asked, dumbfounded. “How’d she do that? That sorta magic don’t exist…”

“Apparently, it does. I just doubt anyone but Raven could use it,” Sunset said. “When I woke up, I was somewhere else. Somewhere worse…”

Haltingly, Sunset told them about her experiences while under the effect of the ulmuri. How she found herself in the dead and twisted version of the Western Territory. The first time the entity came after her. The slow, painful trek to Clear Spring. Finding Tender Heart and everyone dead. The moorguant that was once Lyra’s attack. How she had to kill Lyra. The entity’s return. The slow, painful trek to the ruins of Golden Tree. Her encounter with the deformed and Chaos-warped Bronze Hammer. Which led to her being trapped in the Pie Rock Farm as the Entity descended upon it.

Sunset paused in her retelling, taking a long drink from the mug of spiced apple-cider in her hands. Glancing at her oath-sisters, Sunset couldn’t keep going. What happened next… it was what almost broke her. It would have if not for Philomena and Roseluck’s timely intervention.

“After walking down the corridor for I don’t know how long, I came to a domed room. That’s where I saw the three of you. There was an oath stone. You were dressed in midnight blue. And each of you had cut your faces from forehead to cheek, right through your left eye…”

Her words hung in the air for a painfully long moment. Looking out of the corner of her eyes at her oath-sisters, she saw dawning horror taking root, growing stronger by the moment.

“You mean?” Rainbow gasped.

“I do.”

“Fire an’ light,” Applejack muttered.

“Luckily, that didn’t happen. Right as you were about to take my eye, Roseluck learned what I’d been given, and started to cure me. And that let Philomena enter the hallucination to save me. We… we managed to hold you off long enough for Roseluck to finish getting one part of the ulmuri out of my body, and free me.”

“By the Empress, Sunny. And… and after that, you were okay, right?”

“No, Pinkie. Things got worse the next morning when Roseluck told me that the ulmuri had Chaos-tainted me.”

“What!?” Rainbow shouted. “Chaos-tainted? But… but how? That’s a death sentence.”

“Fortunately for Sunset, Roseluck is one of the few aside from the Queen who knows how to remove Chaos-taint. Though it’s not something she can do easily. Or painlessly.” Once again, the girls turned to face Raven, arms crossed over her chest and Dylis on her shoulder. At Sunset's confusion, Raven explained, “I was concerned, and came to check on you. I can bring out some more snacks if you need.”

“No, thank you, Raven,” Sunset said with a shake of her head. “But, I wouldn’t mind some more cider.”

“Gladly,” Raven said as she went back into the cabin.

Watching her go, Sunset almost wanted to smile a little. If she didn’t know Raven any better, she might have thought the timing of her intervention was a coincidence. But knowing Raven the way she did, there was no doubt in her mind that Raven had planned it. For once, Sunset was genuinely grateful for it.

“So… Roseluck cured you? How?” Pinkie asked.

“With something she called a Chaos-purgative. Trust me, you don’t want to know what went into it. All you need to know is that having the Chaos-taint pulled out of me was the most agonizing experience I’ve ever had. And I had to hold still for the entire process, or it would have killed me.”

“Killed?!” All three of her oath-sisters gasped.

“Yes. It would have liquified my insides if I’d moved at all. Fortunately, Philomena saved my life again by helping me endure long enough for Roseluck to get the Chaos-taint out. Once her spell was complete, I ended up puking the corruption out. Which sounds more pleasant than it actually was.”

Silence hung over the four of them like a thick blanket of choking, black smoke. Turning her mug in her hands, Sunset felt completely drained. Yet, she felt like a great weight had been taken from her back and tossed aside. Though she feared that the weight had been shifted to her oath-sisters in the process.

“By the Queen’s light, Sunset.” Rainbow Dash said, breaking the silence and wrapping a wing around her comfortingly. “I’m so sorry. We should have been there with you.”

Sunset leaned into Rainbow, even as the echoes in the back of her mind buzzed.

“It’s not your fault, Dash. We all got blinded by what happened. Even Raven.”

“But you needed us. So we should have been there. But we weren’t there! I don’t care why or how.”

“Yah can say that again, Dash. And yah mean tah tell us that this…ulmuri stuff… it made yah think we didn’t want yah as our sister anymore? And that we were gonna’ break our oath with yah?”

Running her finger along the lip of her mug, Sunset stared at the ground and sighed. “It did. Even after Roseluck cured me, the echoes still keep coming. If it wasn’t for Philomena, I’m sure I’d be in an even worse state.”

“Is that why you wanted to feel our faces?” Rainbow asked.

“When I saw you, you looked like you did in my ulmuri-induced hallucination. I needed to feel your faces just to be sure that what I was seeing wasn’t real.”

Silence settled over the four of them, the weight of Sunset’s revelation slowly sinking in. Glancing back and forth without raising her head, Sunset saw that both Rainbow and Applejack were having a hard time comprehending what she’d told them. She couldn’t blame them, honestly. She was still trying to understand, and she was the one it happened to.

More concerning was Pinkie. Of the three of them, she’d spoken the least, her expression distant and strangely lost. Like she couldn’t understand what was going on.

The sight was wrong in so many ways.

“Pinkie, please say something. What’s on your mind?” Sunset asked.

The earth-weaver didn’t immediately respond. Instead, she stared at Sunset, her face twisting into a pained, teary-eyed frown.

“Sunny… how do we fix this? What that meanie did to you… we love you. We love you so much. And… and that poison made you believe we hated you.” Pinkie’s voice cracked as the tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes. “How do we make this better? How can I fix this so that you can smile again?”

Letting out a low sigh, Sunset hung her head again. It hurt so much to see Pinkie sad. It was like a crime against Nitor itself. Pinkie was joy incarnate. A beacon of happiness and cheer that could drive away any sorrow.

She wasn’t supposed to be so sad.

“I don’t know, Pinkie. I don’t know. I… I love you too. All of you. But… it was so real. I know it wasn’t. But it was real to me.”

Once again, silence stretched between them. Philomena tried to cheer her up with sendings filled with love, but it did little to lift her spirits.

“Can… would it be alright if I hugged you, Sunny? Would that make you feel better?”

“I… don’t know, Pinkie. I think it would. I want it to. But this isn’t the sort of thing a hug can fix.”

“Can I try?”

The tiniest hint of a smile formed on the corner of Sunset’s lips. That was just like Pinkie. Always trying to make everyone around her smile. Standing up and holding out her arms, Sunset said, “Sure, Pinkie. Come here.”

Pinkie didn’t bounce to her feet and rush Sunset like she normally would. Instead she simply stood, walked over, and pulled Sunset into a soft hug. It lacked the energy of a normal Pinkie hug, yet Sunset found herself melting into the embrace. Silent tears formed in her eyes as she clung to Pinkie.

“Can we get in on that?” Rainbow asked.

“Mhm.”

Two more bodies soon joined into the embrace, surrounding Sunset with their familiar warmth.

The feeling. It was exactly how Sunset remembered it. Comfortable. Joyful.

Safe.

And yet…

And yet, something was nagging at her.

Something that kept her from enjoying the hug from three of the most important people in her life.

Something Raven had said.

One day, she’d never get to experience this again.

One day, her oath-sisters would be gone.

With only their memory left as she lived on, possibly for thousands of years.

The thought was too much, her silent tears turning into full blown sobbing as she clung to Pinkie Pie.

“It’s okay, sugarcube. We’re here,” Applejack drawled.

The words inadvertently struck a nerve, Sunset’s crying breaking down into full blown wailing. Her legs giving out, she slumped down, the others gently lowering themselves to the ground with her.

“I love you. I love you three so much. Why? Why! Why do you have to go?!”

“We’re not going anywhere, Sunset,” Rainbow reassured her.

“But you will. You’ll go away when you go back to Golden Tree. And you’ll go away when you die.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Pinkie’s voice betrayed her confusion.

“I’m… Pinkie, I’m immortal. Like Raven. And the other Phoenix-born,” Sunset managed to say, her sobs dying down. “Someday… *sniffle* someday you’re going to return to Nitor. And when that happens, I’ll lose you. Forever.”

A pained shudder ran through her oath-sisters, the magnitude of what Sunset was saying sinking in. Philomena extended her presence into Sunset’s mind, giving her what comfort she could.

“Sunset,” Applejack said, breaking the silence, her voice low and pained, “when ma and pa died, ah thought that ah’d be sad forever. Ah still ahm, in ah way,” Applejack’s voice was slow. Measured. Like she was choosing her words very carefully.

“Oh, AJ, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

A gentle squeeze stopped Sunset’s apology in her throat.

“None ah that, yah hear? Ah wasn’t bringin’ it up tah make yah feel worse, sis. Ah was bringin’ it up because when they passed, Granny told me somthin’. Somethin’ ah needed tah hear. ‘They may ah’ gone back to tah Nitor, but they’re still around’ yah hear. You. Mac. Bloom. Yah are proof they lived. Tha farm. The trees. Yer memories of em’. They're still there in all ah them. They may have gone back tah tha land, but as long as yah remember em’, they’re still here.’”

The four girls huddled in tighter, Applejack’s voice barely above a whisper as she continued.

“We may be gone someday, but if what granny says is true, we won’t be gone. You will remember us. You can be our immortality, sis. As long as yah remember us, we won’t be gone.”

Sunset felt the girls loosen their hug. She wanted to protest, only for Applejack to reach up, gently turning Sunset to face her. Sunset wasn’t sure she wanted to look AJ in the eyes, but found she couldn’t break the spell of the earth-weaver’s compassionate stare.

“We ain’t goin’ anywhere for ah long time yet? So… how about we make sure yah have lots ah good memories. Both for today, and fer tomorrow. Can we do that for yah, sis?”

Sunset nodded numbly. “I think… I think I’d like that.”

Author's Note

So, it finally happened. Sunset got to see her sisters. Now, things didn't go according to her plan, but it probably will turn out for the best.

Just one or so more main chapters and an epilogue or two, and we're going to be wrapping up Phoenix-born Rising.

Ch 21 - The Trials - Step Onto the Stage

Dear Pinkie, AJ and Rainbow,

I’m not sure how to start this, so I’ll just write and see what happens. You have no idea how much your visit meant to me. It was the most fun I’ve had in months. And I miss you already. Raven and I made a deal of sorts for you to come visit again, so if everything goes right, I’ll see you soon. As long as I can keep the fire lit with my studies, that is.

I need to be honest with all of you. Even after the visit, I’m still scared. Scared that you’ll want me gone. Scared about what’ll happen to Golden Tree because of me or my actions. And scared to see everyone again. I know I told you what happened when I was poisoned, but words can’t describe what it was really like. It left, as Lady Inkwell or General Sentry would put it, “a deep wound” on me. Me shattering when I saw you is proof enough of that. Being with all of you helped, but the fear’s still there. Maybe it’ll never completely go away. I love you all. I love you so much. And it hurts so much to have this fear tainting it.

Raven says she’s going to help me, so I hope that the next time we meet, it won’t be as bad.

I love you. And I want you in my life for as long as you’ll have me. Please believe that if nothing else.

Love,

Sunset Shimmer

*****

Sunny,

You have no idea how happy I am that we’ll get to see you again soon. I missed you too. I’m just sorry I couldn’t make you smile more. I don’t really get why you’re scared of us saying we don’t love you or that we don’t want you to be our sister. We love you. I’ll just have to show you more proof that’s true. I’ll be sure to make some extra special treats for you, just to show how much I care. You deserve to smile.

Sending lots of hugs and love your way.

Pinkie

*****

Hey Sunset,

I really don’t know what to say. I guess I understand. Sort of. I just need you to know that I’m here for you, okay. That hasn’t changed, despite what that skull-faced freak did to you. I wouldn’t have sworn a sisterhood oath with you not once, but twice if I didn’t want you as my sister. I’ve asked my dad and mom if there’s anything I can do to help. They said something like “make sure she knows you love her,” or something. So we’re going flying, okay. Just you, me and Philomena, if she can keep up. Being up in the sky? It frees you. Lets you get above it all and see it from a new perspective. I can tell you need that right now.

Stay strong sis. I’ll see you soon.

Rainbow Dash

*****

Dear Sunset,

I’m glad we got a chance to visit. With everything that happened, I only wish we could have done it sooner. Or been there with you in the first place.

Going to be honest with you, I don’t know how to fix this. I think Lady Inkwell is right. I see the same thing with Mac over Ma and Pa. You remember what he was like before, right? I’m going to talk with Granny about sending you something extra with your next cider order, okay. No. I’m not taking no for an answer. You need to know your family loves you. If I can’t be there for you myself, then maybe something made with good old Apple love will help.

I love you. And I will keep telling you that as long as I need to.

Love,

Applejack

*****

Dear AJ, Rainbow and Pinkie,

Girls, please don’t think I don’t love you. I do. I love you so much. And I know you love me too. This thing that’s happened to me? It's something deeper. I can’t really explain it. I told you the ul’muri was meant to kill me with my worst fears. The one that almost did was you throwing me away.

This wound? I don’t think it's ever going to go away. But, I’d be grateful if you all proved me wrong. I want you to prove me wrong. I’m not sure what else I can say.

I’ll write again when I get the chance. The Queen and Raven have already given me my first milestone, so I’m going to be focusing on that.

Love you all. If everything goes well, I’ll see you in a month.

Sunset

*****

Dear Lady Orange Spice,

Bright day to you. Please pass on my congratulations to Lady Sapphire Prism regarding Marquis Mirage’s elevation to Regent of Aurorias. It is good to know that someone so loyal to Heliopolis and Solaria will be acting in Lord Blueblood’s stead until he reaches the age of majority. Though I hope he will meet Lady Inkwell’s expectations and take the throne, I do also admit that a small part of me hopes that the Marquis and his family prove themselves worthy of being elevated. It was his father that instigated the conspiracy to control Phoenix-rite. But, such is out of our hands, is it not?

Listen to me ramble. I do hope you had a fine Fall Harvest Festival. I do not fear to say mine was quite eventful, though mostly because I was working the whole time.

May your flame burn long and brightly.

Dame Flare Gleam of Chromos

*****

Dear Dame Flare Gleam,

It is good to hear from you, Dame Gleam. I will certainly pass along your congratulations to Lady Sapphire Prism. I have known her father for years, and despite being somewhat taciturn, he is quite the capable politician. He certainly won over Lady Ruby Prism. And she is not easy to impress. Aurorias will be in good hands for the time being, rest assured.

Thankfully, my family stayed in Heliopolis for the Festival. Lady Sapphire Prism tells me that there was quite the commotion out in the Eastern Territory. I don’t know what’s true and what’s rumor, but if Ruby Prism is to be believed, we almost lost Lady Shimmer to the machinations of Nightcrawler. Regardless of my history with her, the loss of our newest phoenix-born would have been a tragedy. I’m grateful that the other phoenix-born were able to save her life.

May your flame burn long and brightly.

Lady Orange Spice of Aurorias

*****

A pleasant melody of string, wind and percussion instruments drifted through the White Room. It was like nothing Sunset had ever heard before; divine, flawless, and stirring, effortlessly drawing forth pure euphoria from deep within her. She wasn’t even sure if the sounds were based on real instruments, or if it was a manifestation of Queen Celestia’s own imagination, created to produce the perfect sound for the music she wanted. All she knew was that it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard.

Sunset kept her eyes closed, letting herself be completely subsumed into the music as she danced, her body moving in time to the melody. There was nothing else in her world other than the melody. No responsibilities. No studies. No impending high-council meetings to grant Saphire’s father regency of Aurorias. Nothing but the divine sound that drove off all distractions, and the blissful elation of moving her body to its rhythm.

Within her chest, she felt the familiar pulse of her flame responding to her dance. Growing. Kindling and sparking. It was such a simple sensation, one she’d had hundreds of times before. Yet this time, it threatened to bring her to tears. Having her flame respond to her call was like taking a drink of cool, clean water after walking for days in the Bright Desert. Like coming up from underwater and taking a gulp of fresh air after holding her breath until her lungs screamed in agony. Like having her arms and legs crushed and destroyed, only to wake up one day to discover that a renewer had regrown them as good as new.

And yet, her flame was different. Unfamiliar. Alien. It was still her flame. She knew that as certainly as she knew Queen Celestia raised the sun each day. But, at the same time, it wasn’t her flame. At least, not as she knew it. She couldn’t explain it to herself, but it was… more expansive. More complex. As though rather than a single string section, it was an entire orchestra.

But even with the strangeness of her flame, it was to nothing in the face of the sheer, pure, primal joy of it replying to her call.

Sunset let the music guide her. Twirling, hopping, stepping, dipping, shuffling and breaking in new directions, she gave herself to her dance. Yet even in the midst of her elation, she had a purpose. Her flame was growing, and it demanded sustenance. She obliged, letting the warm, blissful joy in her chest slowly trickle into it. The emotional energy poured into the flame, and the flame hungrily devoured it, blazing to life with renewed vigor.

It was tempting to let the flame do as it willed. To let it grow wildly. Suffuse herself with it and let her magic erupt from every part of her body in a conflagration of radiance. To bask in its light and give in to it completely.

To simply let her flame burn brighter and brighter until it eclipsed the sun with its glow.

But she didn't. Down that path lay nothing but pain and death. Grasping her flame, she wrapped it in a shell of her will, holding it in check. She was the master, not her flame. The flame rebelled in response, fighting her control. Just as it always did. It struggled and twisted against her bindings, desperate to break free and run wild. Sunset clamped down even harder to hold it back. Compared to the battles of will she’d endured for the last three-quarters of a year, the act of reigning in her flame was nothing.

Once the flame was properly contained, she began using the motions of her dance to mold it into its final form. It was a painfully slow process. Unlike her old flame, she didn’t know the steps of the dance needed to refine it into its proper state. But she knew how the shape it should take felt. So she danced, experimenting with her motions, feeling the shape of the flame all the while.

Slowly, bit by bit, she molded it. Formed it. Refined it. And shaped it again.

Then, when she was certain it was just right, she unbound it, forming a channel of her will to direct it down her arm and out her hand. Like the flame itself, the act of directing her magic through her body rather than her missing soul-gem was a strange one. Not unpleasant. But strange nonetheless.

Within moments, the magic had left her body, leaving a familiar emptiness in its wake. Her dance coming to a halt, she bent over, holding her knees as she panted for breath, her eyes still held firmly shut. From the other side of her bond, she sensed Philomena’s concern. Sending back feelings of reassurance, she continued to take deep breaths, the sweat trickling down her face and neck tickling her skin.

That… that took more out of me than I expected.

Probably because you’re out of practice, Philomena teased, relief and pride flowing through their bond. You need to dance more and listen to Raven go on and on about politics less.

Huffing, Sunset sent a light, playful poke through their bond, along with a small bit of amusement. Really, Mena? Really? You decide to snark now?

A return feeling of amusement came from Philomena. But it's so much fun to tease you.

In spite of the tiny itch of irritation brewing in her chest, Sunset found it overwhelmed by warm mirth. Laughing under her breath, she finally opened her eyes and stood up, turning to face where Philomena was “perched” nearby.

I’m glad I can provide you with so much entertainment, feather-butt.

Hi platinum, I’m silver. You’re shiny.

Sunset glared at Philomena for a few long seconds, the phoenix glaring back just as intensely. Then, soft laughter slowly began flowing from Sunset’s throat, accompanied by the sound of Philomena’s trilling.

Point taken. Just know I’m not going to get you back later.

Wouldn’t expect any less, sun-butt.

Giving Philomena another playful poke, she rose, looking at the spot where she’d cast her spell. The sight greeting her brought a tired yet happy smile to her face.

Though it was difficult to see in the White Room’s glow, she could barely make out the feeble flicker of a will-o-wisp. The sphere of light was tiny, barely bigger than a rushlight, wavering and shifting unstably like it might collapse at any moment. In almost every sense, it was thoroughly unremarkable. Any fire-caller could have instinctively created something superior with a one handed spell-dance by the time the soul gem emerged from their foreheads. Only someone with a pitifully weak and impure flame would require minutes of full-body spell dancing to make something like it. Add the fact that the light was so unstable would be considered unacceptably sloppy spellcraft under any circumstances.

But for Sunset, it was one of the most wonderful things she’d ever seen.

I – I did it, Mena. I did it! It worked! It actually worked, Sunset sent, wrapping her arms around herself as the tears of joy began to flow down her face, saying “I did, Your Majesty!”

“You did, Sunset,” Queen Celestia’s voice echoed through the White Room, the music fading as she spoke. “I am so proud of you and the progress you’ve made. Your flame has finally begun to come into balance. At the rate you’re developing, I would say your magic will fully return within the next two or so months.”

Raing her head, Sunset looked expectantly up into the white void. “Are you sure, Your Majesty?”

“If you keep progressing at the pace you are right now, I am sure of it.”

Dropping to her knees and curling in on herself, Sunset’s happy weeping grew stronger.

Mena, did you hear that?! My magic… I’ll have my magic back. I’ll have my magic back! I… I can use magic again. I…

I heard, Sunset. I heard. Philomena’s sending lacked any of her typical snark, only adoration and happiness for her bondmate. Flying over and landing in front of Sunset, she reached up and touched the tip of her beak to Sunset’s nose, gently rubbing the edge of her culm against her bondmate’s skin.

Letting go of herself and scooping Philomena up, Sunset hugged the phoenix tightly to her chest, barely registering the distressed squawk that she made. I can use magic again…

I’m happy for you, Sunset. Could you use it to make me some air? It's kinda getting hard to breathe.

Suddenly aware of the discomfort Philomena was desperately sending her, Sunset relaxed her grip. Oh! Sorry! Sorry.

Taking several relieved breaths, Philomena sent, It's fine. Though maybe practice controlling that proto earth-weaver strength of yours?

Sure thing, Sunset sent, nuzzling her cheek against the top of Philomena’s head. I’ll put it on the list of things I need to do.

Make it a high priority. I don’t want to get crushed every time you hug me.

I’ll consider it, Sunset said, hugging Philomena a little more gently this time.

“However,” Queen Celestia said, pulling Sunset and Philomena out of their sendings, “you must also remember that even after your flame returns, you will be rebuilding a mountain. Do not expect to master your phoenix-born magic immediately.”

Sunset looked up into the glowing void of the White Room and nodded, still holding Philomena in her arms.

“I understand, Your Highness. I’m just…I…” Sunset trailed off, leaving her thoughts floating in the void.

“You need not say anything, Sunset. In many ways, you are still and always will be a fire-caller at heart. You may want to rush to reclaim your magic now that it has started to return, but you must be patient. Trying to force its return will not speed the process. It will come as it comes. And I will be here to help you explore its possibilities as it does.”

Before Sunset and Philomena’s eyes, thin, horizontal lines began to form in the featureless glow of the White Room. Slowly, the fissures expanded, revealing the interior of one of Queen Celestia’s chambers. The white ribbons soon swireled and flowed back into Queen Celestia’s left hand, leaving Sunset and Philomena resting in the palm of her right.

“I fear,” Queen Celestia said as Sunset set Philomena down and got to her feet, “that our time is at an end for today. You have other obligations to attend to, do you not?”

“I do, Your Majesty,” Sunset said, rising to her feet, the jubilation of the past however many minutes fading as the cold, hard reality of her afternoon duties returned. “Is there anything you wish me to study in preparation for tomorrow?”

“No, dear Sunset. We will work on the kinesthetic aspects of spell dancing. As I have told you, the spell dances you will use will be yours and yours alone. So we will continue to focus on finding the dances that your returning flame responds to best.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Sunset said, curtsying to the Queen. “Tomorrow then.”

Rising into the air, Sunset flew towards the sky-rail platform high on the far wall of the chamber, Philomena following close behind.

“Yes,” Sunset heard Queen Celestia say. “Tomorrow, my dear Sunset.”

*****

Sunset stood on the edge of the landing platform on the north face of Celestia’s Castle, staring down towards the Cathedral of the Sun, Philomena perched on her outstretched arm. Taking to the air, Philomena began to leisurely fly down towards the grand edifice. Sunset, however, didn’t immediately follow. Leaving meant going back to reality. A reality that she wasn’t looking forward to in the least.

Looking down the ledge, she found a strange idea coming to mind. It might have been the return of her magic. It might have been a moment of whimsy. She wasn’t sure. But, she decided that she was going to have a little fun.

I know that feeling, Philomena sent, wheeling around and hovering in place. What are you scheming, sun-butt?

Just watch. Jogging back a little ways from the edge, Sunset took a deep breath. Then, steeling herself, she burst into a full sprint. Upon reaching the edge, she leapt off with a laugh, her arms spread wide and her heart racing with excitement as she allowed Nitor’s grasp to pull her down into a freefall.

Sunset! Philomena’s panicked sending only made her laugh harder as she fell.

She was half way down the castle’s wall before she focused on taking flightt. Swooping in a wide arc, Sunset slingshotted back upward, rising up to hover by her fuming bondmate. Sunset let out a jubilant guffaw as she started to come down from the adrenaline rush.

Okay, that was more fun than I was expecting.

Irritation conflicting with relief slammed into her from Philomena. Warn me next time you want to do something like that, Sunset!

But where’s the fun in that? Sunset sent, her laughter dying down as she wiped her eyes.

Philomena continued glaring at her, before letting out an exasperated huff, the sendings shifting to mild annoyance and a small amount of mirth, I’m counting that one as payback for earlier, you know.

Laughing again, Sunset sent warm feelings of love to Philomena, reaching out and petting the top of her head affectionately. Fair’s fair, feather-butt.

You’re impossible, you know that?

Hi platinum, I’m silver. You’re shiny.

Trilling with amusement, Philomena sent a shove at Sunset, Okay. Okay. Fair point.

Sharing one last moment of mirth, the two of them resumed their flight towards the western face of the cathedral. Sunset found herself reminiscing as they flew. Though it felt like ages ago, she remembered how she’d had to be ferried to the queen for the first couple of months. But now? Now she could fly to and from the queen’s home under her own power. She’d never really understood why Rainbow Dash or Flitter liked being in the air as much as they did when it was safer on the ground. But after experiencing flight for the first time, a whole world she’d never known she wanted or needed had opened up to her. So even if she still found herself more comfortable with her feet solidly on Nitor, she wouldn’t give up the sky for anything.

Reaching the cathedral, a mischievous smirk worked its way onto Sunset’s mouth.

Mena, race ya! Sunset sent, suddenly doubling her speed and shooting ahead of Philomena.

Hey! No fair! Philomena sent indignantly as she sped up to match.

Weaving through the cathedral’s spires with Philomena, Sunset found herself smiling as the two of them jockeyed for the lead. Swinging around one of the spires, they dropped down the face towards the now familiar sight of her balcony, along with the slightly less familiar sight of a pair of sun-touched waiting for her.

Sensing Philomena starting to overtake her, Sunset pushed herself, keeping her narrow lead just long enough to reach the balcony first.

I win! she sent proudly.

The sun-touched bowed to Sunset as she landed on the balcony, opening the door to her bedroom, and ushering her in. Letting Philomena fly in first, Sunset thanked them before following her into her room.

Only because you had a head start. Philomena sending was laced with good humored annoyance, flying straight to the gold perch by Sunset’s bed. Alighting on the shining metal structure, she turned to face her bondmate.

You’re just mad that you lost.

Sure, whatever makes you think you actually won, sun-butt. I could beat you while molting if you didn’t cheat.

Is that a challenge, Mena.

I don’t know. How bad do you want to lose?

I don’t know. How bad do you want to?

An amused shriek came from Philomena’s throat, one echoed by Sunset’s own laughter as the sun-touched entered her room, shutting the door behind them.

Her room.

The thought of this room being hers was still a strange one. When she’d first been brought to the cathedral, it hadn’t felt like hers. It felt sparse. Lonely. Empty. And too large for her liking. That latter opinion hadn’t changed much, but in the time since her arrival the space had at least become hers. The bookshelves that lined the wall were now filled with not only volumes upon volumes of arcane literature, art theory, history, fantasy novels, anthologies of myths and legends, political discourses provided by Raven, a small number of treatises on military tactics and logistics assigned to her by General Sentry, but copious notebooks filled with her own thoughts and ideas.

Her dresser, who’s surfaces had once been empty, were now decorated with mementos of her time in the smithy with the queen. Most of the objects were simple, crude pieces of metalwork that no normal smith would be willing to keep. But to her, they were important milestones in her training. In addition to the metallurgic memories, there were many small pots and vessels containing plants gifted by Roseluck, bringing a much needed feeling of life to the room. And not just flowers, but ferns and strange things Roseluck called clubmosses.

It wasn’t exactly what she’d have liked, but at least it didn’t feel strange anymore.

Walking over to her bed, she began examining the three outfits she’d asked the sun-touched to lay out for her while she was taking lessons with the queen. Scrutinizing the three, she considered which one she wanted to wear. Truthfully, she didn’t really want to wear any of them, if only because they were all “frilly monstrosities.” But, at least they were frilly monstrosities that she’d had designed using western sensibilities, and that she’d chosen for today.

It was just part of playing the game, she reminded herself as she made her choice. Pointing at her choice, Sunset addressed the sun-touched, saying “This one.”

The outfit in question consisted of a light gray, lacy blouse, and full length black velvet dress, along with a black leather pauldron for Philomena to perch on. Both the dress and pauldron were embroidered with swirling lines of red, yellow and orange lace and ceramic beads, creating the appearance of streams of fire. The warms of the outfit were complemented by matching deep-sea-green and aquamarine belt-sash, boots, and head scarf that would be wrapped around her forehead and tied under her living flame at the nape of her neck.

Neither of the sun-touched replied, instead simply walking past her, one retrieving the chosen clothing, while the second collected the other two and began the process of putting the component garments away. While the second worked, Sunset and the first sun-touched headed into her bathroom. And the pre-warmed tub of water waiting for her. From the pleasant aroma in the air, she knew that the sun-touched had added herbs to the water to help her relax.

Just another of the luxuries she was still getting used to.

After a quick bath to remove all the sweat she’d accumulated during her morning lessons, the sun-touched gently dried her and applied a few drops of floral-scented oil to her skin, then started the process of putting her into her formal clothes. As she let them do their job, she closed her eyes and opened her bond with Philomena.

Alright, let's review for afternoon, Sunset sent, the feeling of the sun-touched gently dressing her becoming distant as she fully immersed herself into the bond. First is the coronation of Sapphire’s dad as regent of Aurorias.

Better him than Blueblood getting it.

He still might, if he doesn’t give Raven a reason to deny him.

I’m not standing under that boulder.

He’s that Chaos-spawn Highblood’s son. I wouldn’t be surprised if he learned to lie just as well as his dad.

From the other room, she could feel Philomena fluff up her feathers in irritation. Hopefully Raven has Dawn Wings watching him.

I doubt he warrants Dawn Wings herself. Probably one of the other Eyes, if that.

An unusually vicious thought crossed Philomena’s mind. That’s too bad. Knowing Dawn Wings, she’d probably rearrange stuff in his room while he was out just to mess with him.

Sunset had to restrain herself from laughing. Mena, Dawn Wings would never do such a thing. She’d just put some ground berries under his pillow and let a bunch of rats loose in his room while he was asleep.

Ugh, Philomena gagged in revolt, I didn’t need that image. Even if it’s funny.

Hey, just keeping my fantasies true to Dawn Wings’ character.

Sure. Whatever you say, sun-butt. Can we please move on? I prefer rodents roasted and seasoned, not alive and biting.

Just had to get the last word in, didn’t you?

Yes. Yes, I did. So, you were saying.

Feeling of the sun-touched carefully tying the scarf onto her head, Sunset sent, Right. After the coronation, we’re meeting with the ranking councilors from the Western Territory. Not sure which one I’m looking forward too less. At least with the coronation, we just have to pass that goat-licker his nighted sash. Meeting with the councilors on the other hand…

Sympathy flowed into her mind from Philomena, along with a touch of defiance. At least Roseluck and my sister are going to be with us. Besides, this is just a first introduction.

Sunset sent a feeling of agreement to Philomena. Doesn’t mean we can’t let our guard down. They’re still nobles, even if they’re from the west. I doubt they’re going to be happy about having to eventually take orders from us.

Philomena sent a feeling of reassurance. You could handle the kirintal, you can handle this. Don’t stress too much about it. We’ve got time to win them over.

This time, Sunset sent a solid wave of disagreement in response. It's still going to be years before we’re going to be granted our title. If we set this alight, it’ll make things much harder when it finally happens.

Feeling the sun-touched stop dressing her, Sunset pulled herself back from within the link and opened her eyes, looking into the bathroom’s mirror.

And at the pretty young girl looking back at her.

It was strange, seeing herself in that way. She’d never really considered herself pretty. Never wanted to think of herself that way either. Even with the vision Queen Celestia showed her all those months ago. But, looking at herself now, she knew that it wasn’t just her future. It was her present too.

Philomena clearly shared the sentiment thanks to the feeling of warm wonder and adoration flowing back to Sunset.

I guess Roseluck and my chat-lecti were right, weren’t they; I am pretty.

Yes. You really are. I’m just glad you’re finally willing to admit it, sun-butt.

All it took was finding the right outfit, Sunset sent, letting her mirth flow through to Philomena while examining her reflection, turning left then right to get a good look at herself. There was something missing, but she couldn’t shine a light on what. After a short moment of consideration, an idea struck her. Focusing on her living flame, she willed it to form it into a braid. Withdrawing her control and letting it fall back into place, but still retain its shape, she gave herself another look. And nodded with satisfaction.

Maybe. Or not being too distracted and annoyed by “being paraded around like a doll.”

Huffing through her nose, Sunset sent a good humored poke through her link.

No, that makes too much sense. It must be the scarf, Sunset sent, looking up to the sun-touched and saying, “Thank you. It looks wonderful.”

The sun-touched bowed their head to her in response.

Well, guess we’re ready. How are we looking on time? Sunset sent, heading for the bathroom door, followed by the sun-touched.

Sunset found herself in two places, where she actually was, and seeing the world from Philomena’s perspective showing her the face of the wall clock. We’re on schedule. But, we’re going to have to get to the sky-rail station sooner than later if we want to get to Chromos on time.

Holding out her arm, Sunset made her towards the door to her living area, Philomena flying over and landing on the outstretched limb. In that case, we should take the cathedral’s rail system instead of flying.

Pushing the doors open, Sunset headed towards the exit to the main hall, bringing Philomena up to her shoulder.

Stepping onto the pauldron, Philomena sent, Afraid I’ll prove that you can’t take me in a real race? Or do you just not want to mess up your dress?

Giving Philomena a sidelong glance, Sunset started scratching her chin, making the phoenix trill happily at the touch. After I went through all the trouble of actually finding something I like? The latter.

*****

Sunset subtly squirmed in her overly large throne in an effort to make herself comfortable, while trying not to draw the attention of the room's other occupants. Unlike the elation of the morning’s lessons with the queen and the euphoria of her magic’s return, the atmosphere in the Council of Light’s chamber was heavy. Tense. Weighed down by a crushing weight of anticipation. Both from herself, and the room’s other occupants. To her left, the rest of the phoenix-born were seated in their own thrones with their bondmates. Before her, the rest of the Council of Light. Unlike the last time she’d been in the council chamber, the room was completely filled, every seat in the gallery occupied. And not just by the council, but by civilians from across Heliopolis that had come to witness the event.

There was at least one other significant difference between the previous meeting: Marquis Amethyst Mirage and Blueblood were sitting at the Aurorias representative’s bench. Behind the pair were both Marchionesses Ruby and Sapphire Prism, as well as Blueblood’s mother Duchess Delicate Silk. Every so often, Philomena would catch the Aurorians glaring in her direction. Something that Sunset did her best to ignore.

She hated it, but she couldn’t give in to the temptation to glare back. She had more eyes on her than the Aurorians did. They were all playing the game. They were just trying to get her to ignite, just like they had when they were at the Photon Museum of Art. Or like Duchess Rich had done during the Fall Harvest Festival. Get her to act out of turn. Damage her reputation. Humiliate herself.

Only now, she knew their moves. Or at least some of them. And this time, she swore she wouldn’t fall for them. A task made much easier by Philomena quenching Sunset’s temper with a cool, steady stream of calming sendings.

The sound of Raven’s hammer stone striking her sounding board shattered the crushing tension in the air and snapped Sunset back to Nitor. The sound was followed by Raven saying “Bright day to all of you. By the power vested in me by Queen Celestia as her Voice and Hand, I hereby declare this special meeting of the Council of Light to be in session.”

Waiting a moment to ensure she had the council’s attention, Raven continued.

“Today, we have but a single order of business: officiating the coronation of Marquis Amethyst Mirage as Regent of Aurorias. Does anyone wish to add any items to the agenda?”

There was a solemn silence that settled over the Council chamber. To Sunset’s relief, none of them asked for any alterations to the agenda. To her chagrin, none of them suggested a vote of no confidence against Sapphire’s father.

“If there are no requests for additions to the itinerary, we will move on. Roseluck, would you please read the Article of Confirmation?”

Watching Roseluck from the corner of her eyes, Sunset saw the archduchess rise. It was obvious to Sunset that she was in no hurry to perform her assigned task, the lethargic pace of her movements emphasizing her unspoken disdain.

“Yes, Raven,” Roseluck said coldly, a scroll of parchment in her hands. Unfolding the scroll, she began to read in her flat, official voice. “On this day, we, Queen Celestia’s Council of Light, hereby declare that Marquis Amethyst Mirage, of the house of Highblood, shall be elevated to the rank of Regent of the Southern Ray of Aurorias. In this capacity, Regent Mirage will be tasked with all duties, privileges and obligations of former Duke Highblood. This regency will last for a minimum of seven years, at which time the former Duke’s son Blueblood will have reached the age of majority.”

Roseluck briefly paused in her reading, taking a moment to look around the room. Sunset noticed that several councilors, most notably Duchess Redheart and Duke Fancy, did not look pleased by what they were hearing. Roseluck took a deep breath, and continued. “During Regent Mirage’s tenure, we, Queen Celestia’s Council of Light, will observe his performance as Regent, as well as the actions of his nephew Blueblood. Before the expiration of this regency, we, Queen Celestia’s Council of Light, will reconvene and determine if Regent Mirage will be permanently elevated to the status of Duke and assume permanent control of Highblood’s domain, or if the rule of Aurorias shall pass to Blueblood, who will be granted his full title of Duke.”

Another lengthy pause came, Roseluck reaching down with a hair tendril to grab a goblet from her bench and taking a swift drink.

“The course of this decree was debated and voted on by all top ranking members of the Council of Light, as well as seventy percent of the lower ranked members. The resolution passed with seventy-five percent in favor, twenty opposed, and five abstaining from all participating members of the council.”

Setting the scroll down, Roseluck clasped her hands behind her back. “I now return the floor to Lady Raven Inkwell.”

“Thank you, Archduchess Roseluck,” Raven said as Roseluck took her seat. “Before we bestow the title of Regent to Marquis Mirage, he has prepared an address. Please, Marquis Mirage, the floor is yours.”

“Thank you, Lady Inkwell,” the marquis replied, his voice cool, calm and controlled as he rose. As he did, the nervous pall in the room grew even stronger. Sunset suspected that a few of the lower ranked councilors might even be holding their breath in anticipation.

Stepping around his bench and approaching the floor, he moved with the practiced control of one who had spent their entire life in the high courts. Smooth, flawless and unflappable. While it was nothing compared to the grace of her fellow immortals, Sunset ruefully noted that for a mortal, he was all but flawless. To her, it was more than just adherence to decorum. It was a warning. This was a royal who was confident in his ability, and was not to be trifled with.

Coming to stand before the phoenix-born’s thrones, he bowed to the collective immortals, holding the pose for just the right amount of time. Then, rising and turning to face the rest of the assembled councilors, he clasped his hands behind his back, and spoke.

“Bright day to all of you, my respected colleagues and august guests. May Queen Celestia’s light grace you,” the marquis said, his voice projecting to the assembled council with authority and confidence. “I wish I could be speaking to you under better circumstances. A phoenix-rite defiled by blasphemy. The integrity of my nephew’s house and many others, besmirched by my elder brother’s heretical conspiracy. Suspicion and distrust now plague not only Aurorias, but all of shining Heliopolis. Nay, our entire nation. How close we came to losing the newest phoenix-born to the machinations of Nightcrawler when she visited the Eastern Territory. Were it not for the stalwart and grounding presence of our phoenix-born, I suspect things would be much worse.”

Bringing his right hand out from behind his back, Marquis Mirage stared at his open palm before clenching his fist and sharply returning his attention to the other councilors.

“I have spent my life in service to Aurorias, Heliopolis, Solaria and Queen Celestia. That my own brother, my family, could dare to send us down this path sickens me beyond words. We, the Council of Light, are to be the beacon to which the rest of Solaria looks to for guidance and leadership. Yet we are nothing compared to the will of Queen Celestia. We may be the mortal chosen of Queen Celestia, but we must never forget that we serve her. We are the guiding light that sees her will be done. To think otherwise is the most terrible of heresies.”

Tilting his head back, Marquis Mirage closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. Letting it out, he looked back at the assembly, and continued.

“I had never thought I would be called upon for such a regency as the one I have been tasked to fulfill. But, I do so gladly. For my daughter. For my family. For Aurorias and Heliopolis. For Solaria. And, most importantly, for Queen Celestia. If it will be my burden to rebuild the trust lost by my brother, and prepare the way for my nephew to one day take his birthright, then I do so gladly. We stand on the edge of a precipice. Yet not one created by Chaos. Or invaders. Or horrors of old. No, it is a precipice created by those who forgot their place. Forgot that while we are Queen Celestia’s chosen leaders, we are not above Her will. Just as Solaria serves us, we serve Queen Celestia. We must never forget that. If it shall be my role to drag us back from the precipice, then so be it. I know it will take time. I know I will need to earn your trust, for it was my brother who set this all into motion. But I will persevere. I will work for a better, brighter future. And I will do everything in my power to guide Aurorias and Heliopolis towards Queen Celestia’s vision.”

Throwing his hands out wide, he concluded. “Please, my fellow councilors. My fellow Heliopolans. My fellow Solarians! My fellow sun-gazers. Will we bear scars from the wounds inflicted on us by Highblood’s heresy? Yes, we will. For years to come. But those scars will be a reminder to all that there is a price for a lack of vigilance. We must never forget that when we are united under Queen Celestia, we can bear any pain. For we are sun-gazers. We wield the light that is flame. We are the radiance granted by Queen Celestia and the Empress that shines upon Impraecordia, driving back the dark, the shadows, and the poison of Chaos. We are the cleansing light of Nitor. And we will overcome and emerge stronger than before.”

Lowering his arms and clasping his hands behind his back, Marquis Mirage silently stood before his compatriots as though waiting. The Council chamber was completely silent for what felt like an eternity. Then, the silence was broken by the scraping of a chair, drawing Sunset, Philomena and every other sun-gazer’s attention. Chancellor Neighsay had risen from his seat.

And began to applaud.

Then the Richess rose, their applause joining Chancelor Neighsay’s. Then Duke Fancy. Then Duchesses Redheard and Frost. Soon, the entire chamber was on its feet, the thunderous applause drowning out everything else. The only ones to remain seated and silent were Sunset and the other phoenix-born.

The applause went on for far longer than Sunset would have liked, but eventually began to die down, the rest of the council returning to their seats. Once order had returned to the chamber, Raven cleared her throat, drawing all eyes to her, including Marquis Mirage.

“Thank you, Marquis Mirage,” Raven said, her tone indifferent and flat, yet carrying power and authority beyond anything the marquis could hold. “We, the Council of Light, bear the burden of governing Solaria in Queen Celestia’s name. To live by her virtues of Generosity, Kindness, Friendship and Deference. To live up to the obligation placed upon us to see her people protected and safe. It is a heavy burden. Do you, Marquis Amethys Mirage, swear to uphold your obligations as Regent of Aurorias? To uphold the law of the land, and protect it from all who would break it.”

“I swear, Lady Inkwell,” Marquis Mirage replied, his tone smooth and fearless.

“Do you swear to abide by the decisions of this council at the end of your regency, regardless of the outcome? To peacefully abdicate your position to your nephew should we deem him worthy?”

“I swear, Lady Inkwell.”

Lifting her hand imperiously, Raven splayed her fingers wide.

“Then, by the power granted to me by Queen Celestia, Centaur of the Sun, High Queen of Solaria and ruler of all sun-gazers, I hereby declare you Regent of the City of Aurorias. Lady Shimmer, if you would?”

All eyes in the room suddenly shifted to Sunset. From the looks on the assembled councilors, they hadn’t expected her to be the one called upon by Raven. Some were staring at her with disbelief. Others concern. Some, like the Richess and Highbloods, barely contained contempt. But, more than a few, such as Duchess Redheart and Duke Fancy, looked upon her with pleased surprise.

Swallowing as subtly as she could, Sunset let both Philomena and her meditation techniques calm the wildfire that was threatening to ignite in her chest. She knew this was coming. Raven had told her as much. While it was tradition for either Raven or General Sentry to present the sash of station to the newly elevated noble, it was entirely within Raven’s prerogative to have one of the other phoenix-born do so.

You’re okay, Sunset. Philomena’s sending came with a renewed wave of calm. I’m right here with you.

Sunset let a small amount of mirth flow back to Philomena in an effort to mask her own nervousness. Kinda hard for you not to be, considering our situation.

Using humor to conceal your nerves doesn’t work on me, sun-butt. I live in your brain after all.

And I live in yours, feather-butt. Sunset relaxed and let her gratitude flow through their bond, receiving Philomena’s appreciation and support in return.

“As you wish, Lady Inkwell,” Sunset said, projecting her voice as best she could. Even with all of the speaking lessons Raven had been giving her, she was still not as effective as her elders. But, that didn’t matter at the moment. What mattered was conducting her role in the coronation. And letting the message it would send to the council be heard loud and clear. “Regent Mirage, kneel.”

At Sunset’s command, the marquis dropped to a knee and bowed his head, though Sunset caught the briefest glint of resentment in his eyes. Once he had taken a knee, Sunset retrieved a white and gold sash from the surface of her podium. Floating into the air, she descended from her throne to the floor, landing in front of the soon to be regent.

“With this sash, we bestow upon you the title of Regent of Aurorias. Serve faithfully, regent. Queen Celestia will be watching,” Sunset said, holding the sash in both hands.

The Marquis slowly raised his head, and fixed Sunset’s eyes with his own. Sunset stood firm as she looked him in the eyes in turn. While his expression was controlled, she spent her days with the likes of Raven, General Sentry, and the Queen. And she could see the cracks in his mask. The subtle venom in his stare, the slight furrow of his brow, the ever so tiny downturn of his mouth. He was good at hiding it, but she saw a flicker of his inner thoughts as the two of them faced the other.

And what she saw was a man with a vendetta. A man who was now regent of one of the most powerful rays in all Heliopolis.

As he reached up with both hands to take the sash, Sunset heard the faintest whisper come from him, his lips barely moving as he said, “You hurt my daughter, Lady Shimmer. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that.”

A cold chill ran down Sunset’s back as the marquis took the sash from her hands. She didn’t let it show, instead holding his eyes with her own defiantly. Once relieved of the fabric loop, Sunset rose into the air and flew back to her throne, refusing to look back or acknowledge the marquis. Once she’d returned to her throne, he waited a few moments before rising and donning the accoutrement of his new office. As he turned back to the assembled council, Raven spoke once again.

“Dawn rises across Solaria, and Regent Amethyst Mirage of Aurorias. Praise be to the Sun and Flame.”

“Praise be to the Sun and Flame!” Came an enthusiastic response from the rest of the chamber, accompanied by another round of thunderous applause.

Staring at the back of Regent Mirage’s head, Sunset’s stomach was roiling with barely contained, bilous loathing. It was a struggle to keep her expression under control, but she still felt a small, nigh invisible frown tugging on the corner of her mouth.

That was a load of moorgaunt crap, Sunset sent, as she continued to force her face to stay as neutral as possible.

You don’t have to tell me, Philomena replied, sharing her sight with Sunset. From her perspective, Sunset could see that many of the people applauding the new regent, including Duke Fancy, Duchess Redheart, and most of the councilors from both the Eastern and Western Territories were giving only the minimal amount of effort to their applause.

Then Philomena’s eyes landed on Blueblood. Despite applauding his uncle, his attention was firmly fixed on Sunset, his mouth pinched into a tight, angry frown and his brows furrowed. Likewise, Neighsay, the Riches, and a large number of nobles from each of the Rays kept giving her surreptitious glares, even as they cheered for the new regent.

Looks like the board’s been set, hasn’t it, Sunset?

You got that right, feather-butt. They probably think that they’ve seen what we can do. Think that just because I’m some foundling “dirt-eater,” that they’re going to beat me. Well, they have another thing coming. I didn’t want to play before. Now I do. And we’re not just playing to win. We’re going to crush them.

Author's Note

And there we have it. The "end" of Phoenix-born rising. Before I mark this thing as complete, I need to decide if I want to do any epilogues or not. But, regardless, this is the end of the main story.

This has been a wild ride. Starting from an entry in an Imposing Sovereigns five years ago and ending up expanding into a dramatically alternate reality to Equestria Girls. This thing I've created, I'll be honest, doesn't feel like its really a MLP story anymore. Even with the familiar touchstones, it's become something entirely different. I've received plenty of comments saying that with a few tweaks, Nitor could be its own thing. With how far the Splintered Sky has deviated from MLP, I'm considering that one possibility.

I have plans for Nitor and Splintered Sky in the future. But right now, those plans are still up in the air. I want to get to Selenia, and I have a rough outline of what's going to happen, but its going to take some time to put together. In the meantime, I'd like to do something of an Anthology of myths, stories, fairytales and legends from Nitor. I'm not committing to it, but it might be a fun way to keep things going while I finish outlining and start writing Star-Singer Reborn.

Thank you everyone for sticking with me through all of this. From new readers to those who've been here since the beginning. It means a lot to me that you all think my scribbles are worth reading. Truely, thank you for helping me finish this thing. Without the comments and engagement, I probably would have quit a while ago.

Epilogue - The Day Gives Way to Dusk

There was a certain peace in sublimating into the shadows. A release from shape. From boundaries. From herself. No sight. No sound. No physical sensations at all. She’d even let her mind fade, existing as formless and timeless will and pure instinct.

The first time she’d done so all those years ago had left her shaken and scared. But her king had helped her to overcome her fear, and learn that even if she let go, she wouldn’t vanish. She knew that it had terrified her. But now, after centuries had turned to millenia, Radiant Hope could barely remember when she hadn’t felt just at home in the shadow as she did when walking on Nitor’s surface.

Even with her conscious thoughts distant and quiet, she could feel her fellow umbrum, along with her king’s crystals. Touchstones formed from his final gift to his followers before he was defeated by the Tyrant and the Deceiver. And a means to ensure his people could still fulfill their duty to the Empress even in his absence.

But for now, that duty wasn’t a concern. Things were in motion, but she herself didn’t need to be. For now, she simply was. No schemes. No plans. No duty. Only the shadow, and the quiet.

*****

A distant sensation, like a soft tug, pulled her out of her peaceful oblivion. Not unpleasant or painful. Just strong enough to draw her attention. Her consciousness slowly returning, she extended her senses into the weave, seeking out what had roused her. The summons hadn’t come from her brother or her sister. Nor had it come from any of the crystals. No, the call came from further away. Away from Impraecordia.

Yet, it wasn’t just the direction of the call that brought her mind back to full alertness. It was the feeling that came with it. There were no mortal words to describe it, even by allegory. She knew the feeling. And who it had come from.

Her mind now fully roused, she willed herself through the weave.

She flowed northward, covering distances in minutes that would have taken days had she returned to her physical state. She passed from shadow to shadow, using the king’s crystals and the distant beacon of the summons as her guide. Soon, the crystals were left behind and the shadows changed in composition. She knew this meant she’d left the land of Impraecordia and had passed into the northern sea. And still onward she surged, flowing more freely through the water’s shadows at the interface between the light of the surface, and the pitch darkness of the depths.

Soon, massive ice flows began to appear, bringing new textures to the ocean’s shadows. They were sparse at first, but they grew more abundant as she sped onward. Along with the ice came other, new shapes in the shadows. Great, powerful shapes plying the waters. Shapes that she knew were longs, the regal cousins of the linnorms and wyrms of Impreacordia. Unlike those that patrolled the oceans near her home, these dragons were charged by the Tyrant and the Deciever to stand watch over a special prison. The very prison she was now penetrating. Had she aproached in her physical state, the hundreds of dragons would have posed an impossible obstacle to overcome. But for her, these ancient guardians meant nothing. She was beyond their reach.

She left the ocean, and surged onto a new land. One whose very name had been stricken from the world by the Deceiver in the wake of the War of Shadows. Unlike fertile and vibrant Impraecordia, this nameless land was cold and dead, locked in an eternal winter. Amid the outer shores and ice flows, she could sense more longs lounging on the ice in their eternal vigil. She paid them no mind as she sped on.

Onward and onward, deeper and deeper into the frost-choked interior she sped. Coastal flats quickly gave way to hills and dales. And the remnants of the final, great battle fought in the War of Shadows. Craters carved into the land. Shattered barricades of stone and metal. And the corpses of creatures great and small, monstrous and fair, their bodies forever denied their return to the land by their choking tombs of ice.

An eternal monument to the hubris of the Tyrant and Deceiver.

Eventually, the land changed again as she began to climb the slopes of a great caldera, its faces littered with more charnel fields. Cresting the summit, she surged downward into the central crater and the city within. A city built not of brick and mortar, or wood, but crystal. Surging through the faceted buildings, she passed thousands of crystalline statues. Men. Women. Children. All facing the center of the city, their faces contorted as though their last moments were ones of pure, primal terror.

Reaching the center of the city, she approached a great pile of rubble scattered on the ground, one that looked as though a titanic force had crushed some towering edifice from above, leaving the ground fractured like a giant spider’s web. It was into one of these fractures that she flowed, descending deeper and deeper into the ground, until she found herself in a massive chamber.

Emerging from the weave and willing her body to manifest from the living shadow that made up her being, she floated down to the chamber’s floor. And landed before its sole other occupant.

He was colossal in size, his form barely fitting in the cavern. From the waist up, he resembled a muscular terran, his form chiseled and flawless yet not overly bulky, and without any indication of flabbiness or fat. Below the waist his torso connected at the point where the neck of a horse would be. The equine body was just as powerfully muscled as his terran portion, resembling a great courser with a pair of enormous wings attached just behind the equine forelegs. Both his skin, feathers and hair were a gray so dark it was almost black, while the hair of his equine tail was a continually shifting stream of pitch-black shadow.

He wore no clothes, leaving his form fully exposed to any who made it into the chamber. He was, however, not bare, as his body was bound by numerous golden chains and shackles of light. Two such chains bound his arms to the cavern’s ceiling, spread out to either side of his torso. All four of his equine legs were bound in similar shackles and chained to both the ground, and a pair wrapped around his waist and barrel. Both wings were spread wide, the chains binding them to the far walls. And finally a great shackle was also wrapped around his neck, pulling his head down towards the floor even as his arms were forced up. His head itself was shrouded in a cloud of pitch-black darkness so thick even her umbrum vision couldn’t penetrate.

The scene before filled her with burning rage and crushing despair at the humiliation inflicted on her king. Collecting herself, she let the emotions pass like water through a sieve. He had called her. That was all that mattered.

Approaching the massive form, she reached out and placed her hand, so tiny in comparison, on the wrist of his right foreleg, and willed her voice to reach him.

Sombra, my king, I am here.

Stepping back, she saw the scantest of movement in his body, and the tiniest pulse of his power. There was a shifting in the shadows, and a form rose up and coalesced before her. He was tall. Taller than her by a considerable degree, the top of her head barely reaching his mid-sternum. He was clad in gunmetal gray plate armor, a long, light gray cape with white trim draped over his shoulders that reached to just above the floor.

The only part that was unarmored was his head, giving Hope a clear view of his face. He was impossibly handsome, in a rugged, battle-worn way, his skin and hair matching the grays of the centaur behind him, the latter wavering in the air like it were mist blowing in an unseen wind. His mouth was turned up in a warm smile, giving her a clear view of his sharp, elongated eye-teeth. And his eyes were fierce and hard, yet looked upon her with undeniable affection, the pupils of his dark-gray irises vertical like a cat’s, a stream of shadowy energy emanating from their corners. On his forehead were five soul gems, one large in the center, with four smaller ones forming a cross around the larger. And on his brow was a simple, iron crown with two small sets of points just above the soul gems, and two more pairs of much larger points above his temples.

Like her, he cast no shadows anywhere on his body.

As the armored figure approached, Radiant Hope dropped to a knee and lowered her head, placing her right hand over her left breast, just above where her heart would be. Even as the clack of his armor stopped before her, she remained supplicated before him.

“She who opened my eyes; that which drives back despair; beginning of night and day; shadows grow strong,” the man said in a deep, rich baritone voice. One that bore an impossible amount of authority. She knew he could easily command her obedience from that voice alone, should he desire. Yet, his words were spoken with nothing but love and respect.

Rising to her feet, Radian Hope smiled up at the taller figure before her.

“It brings me joy to see you too, my king,” Radiant Hope said, using her own voice rather than signing. A voice that was soft, melodious and kind. A voice that no one aside from her beloved had heard in millenia. A voice that was his and his alone, just as his voice was hers and hers alone. “What do you need of me?”

A solemn expression worked its way across Sombra’s face.

“Pieces on the board; sun, moon and seasons in motion; seeds new and old in the ground; has Chaos taken root?”

“Yes, my king. I have secured a promise of aid from the Tyrant’s Hand and Voice in exchange for saving the Child of Light from the machinations of Nightcrawler. As for the Child of Darkness, Cadance has placed irresistible bait that she will eventually find.” Pausing, Radiant Hope looked back towards Impraecordia, her expression turning serious. “Even now, Rockhoof works with the dragons to hold back the seeds of Chaos, but they grow more pernicious by the day. Cadence and I will aid them where we can, but it is only a matter of time.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, a look of deep thought worked its way onto King Sombra’s face. “A coin still tumbling; broken wall against blowing sand; has the axe split the shield?”

“I do not know, my king.” Radiant Hope emphasized with a shake of her head. “But, you were right. With the Splintering, the rate has accelerated. If nothing else goes wrong, they will not emerge for at least half a century. But that is at best.”

Nodding, Sombra looked back at himself, and the bindings holding his true body. Wearily, he said, “Burdens great and small; three pillars hold up the temple; unyielding stone now cracked.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, my king. We will endure. For the Empress, forever may she reign. For Nitor. And for you.”

Watching a strange, sad, distant look form on his face, Radiant Hope wished she could offer her king more. As though sensing her distress, he stepped forward, reaching up with his right hand and gently caressing her cheek. At least, he performed the gesture. But she couldn’t feel his touch. It is a bitter reminder that what stood before her was not her king. Only a mirage conjured by what little of his power could manifest through his sisters’ prison. Still, she placed her hand over his, leaning into the gesture.

“A pain borne willingly; shield and sword in accord; she who opened my eyes; the whole more than its parts.” King Sombra says wistfully, the phantom slowly dissipating as it was drawn back into the weave.

For a long moment, Radiant Hope stood there, staring at the spot where the phantom once was, before looking up at the bound centaur towering over her. Seeing him like this hurt so much. Hurt in a way that she could never have known when she was mortal. Before she’d met him. Before she had shown him the world through mortal eyes, and he showed her wonders and secrets beyond her feeble, finite comprehension.

One day, perhaps, he would be free. One day, he would hold her in his arms again, and she hold him in turn.

But, for now, she would abide. She had to. For him. And for the world he was sworn to protect.

“And I you, my king.”

Author's Note

And with that, I mark Phoenix-born Rising as complete.

Book 1 - Ch 1 - The Choosing - Legends of Days Long Past

In the time before the world, before reality formed, there was only the shapeless Chaos of possibility writhing and roiling in the void. There is no way of knowing how long this lasted, for time meant nothing before. But, be it after a moment or an eternity, something happened in the Chaos. A pattern emerged, for what is Chaos but unfettered chance. And from chance, pattern can arise.

The pattern was small, weak and fragile at first. But, it continued to shape itself from Chaos, and it grew. Soon, the pattern began to become something new. It began to gain form.

And from form, came shape.

From shape, came a body.

And within the body, came a mind.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the mind became aware.

With awareness, came identity.

From identity, came ego.

From ego, came desire.

And from desire, came will.

From will, came self.

And with self, came birth.

Rising from her primal womb, the Empress Harmony was the first being born of the chaos. She was the first existence. The first mind. She was the first centaur.

From the primal Chaos, the great centaur goddess emerged like a butterfly from her chrysalis. And as she emerged, her pattern imposed itself on Chaos, bringing shape and form to what was once formless. Grasping the pattern in her hand, she cradled it, nurtured it, shaped it with her will.

From her imagination, she created the land, the sea, and the sky. Where she trod upon the land, new living things came to be, some beautiful, some monstrous. The Empress loved them all, and they loved her in turn. For she was their mother. The Empress set about shaping the world, spreading her pattern. She experimented with forms and ideas, giving life to them. Those that worked well were kept, while those that didn't were gently reshaped into new forms, until she found one that was right.

Soon, the tapestry of her world was teaming with the beautiful pattern of life.

And for a time, things were at peace.

But, as the ages went on, the Empress found new, alien thoughts invading her mind. The many creatures of her world had others of their kind. Others to share their lives with. Yet she, as beloved as she was, was alone. Looking to the sky, and seeing that even her own creations, the sun and the moon, had a sibling, she yearned for the same companionship. She yearned for a family of her own.

Looking upon the sun and moon, she came upon an idea.

Reaching up to the sky, she brought down the sun and moon, and plucked a shard from each before returning them to their places. Then, reaching to the earth beneath her hooves, she called forth a blade of obsidian. Drawing the edge of the blade across the tip of her finger, she shed two drops of blood, which she dripped onto the shards of the sun and moon.

From the shard of the sun grew her first daughter, a centaur with alabaster white fur, skin as fair as porcelain, and hair like a rainbow. To her first born, she gave the name Celestia, and to Celestia, the Empress bestowed the gifts of curiosity, crafts, dance, agriculture, and domain over the day.

From the shard of the moon grew her second daughter, a centaur with midnight blue fur, deep ebony skin and hair like a starry sky. To her second born, she gave the name Luna, and to Luna, she bestowed the gifts of dreaming, song, art, philosophy and domain over the night.

But, much to the empress’s surprise, as her daughters formed, a third came to be. For the obsidian blade had bathed in the shadows between day and night, and the divinity of her blood. From the shard of obsidian came her only son, a centaur with an ash grey coat, coal grey skin, and hair like cobalt streaked black fire. To her unexpected third born child, she gave the name Umbra, and to Umbra, she bestowed the gifts of guile, cunning, patience, and domain over the shadows.

The three siblings soon joined their mother in watching over the world. As the ages went by, her children grew to become wise and powerful like her. And for a time, the Empress was happy, for she had a family to call her own.

But, her joy was not to last.

For while the Empress had been building the world, the primal Chaos that bordered the world had grown angry. Angry at her audacity. Angry at the order she imposed.

And from that anger, were born the Avatars of Chaos.

From disorder, came a force of mischief. Of anarchy. Of cruelty.

And his name was Discord, and he was the first draconequus.

From hatred, came a force of destruction. Of entropy. Of death.

And his name was Grogar, and he was the first satyr.

And into the world, the two Avatars came, seeking to return the Empress’s creation to the primal Chaos from which it emerged.

Discord cavorted around, sewing madness and disharmony, forcing the Empress's carefully ordered world into disarray and tormenting its inhabitants with petty games for his own amusement, introducing randomness, conflict and unpredictability to the Empress's orderly reality.

Grogar unleashed destructive entropy upon all that dared cross him, erasing whole races from existence and draining the very life from the land. From Grogar's machinations were death, decay, entropy and destruction introduced to the Empress's world.

Thus began the first war against the Chaos.

Standing as one, the centaurs fought to defend their domain against the Avatars. With solar might, lunar speed, shadowy cunning, and radiant unity, they fought long and hard, their battles cracking the land, boiling the sea and shaking the skies. But, at long last, they forced the Avatars away, banishing them from reality and back to the Chaos that had birthed them.

Yet, the damage had been done, for Chaos had been introduced to the world. Try as she might, the Empress could not cleans its poison from the very fabric of her creation. In the wake of the war, strife, death, entropy and randomness had nestled their way into her pattern. At first, the Empress despaired at the poisoning of her beautiful creation. Yet, as she despaired, her children came to her and showed her something strange. Something wondrous.

For with the introduction of the Chaos, came new patterns that Harmony had not foreseen. Now, the land changed and life adapted, becoming stronger. Chaos had altered the pattern, yet had also made it better, for now, the pattern could adapt and grow.

And the Empress's heart was once again filled with joy, to see her creation grow and survive in the face of adversity. True, it would never be as perfect as she once wished it would be, but, perhaps, there was a beauty to this new pattern.

But Harmony knew that the Avatars were not destroyed, for they were merely aspects of Chaos, and would seek to return. If she was to protect her creation… her world… her children… she would need to stand vigilant against them. Though it pained her, she would have to leave her family and stand alone against the Chaos, holding it back.

With a heavy heart, she appeared before the world’s inhabitants, and declared that her time as ruler had come to an end. From that day forth, her children would rule in her stead, while she would stand against the return of Chaos, holding it back to protect all that she had made. Though the creatures of the world wept at the loss of their mother, they understood that what she did, she did to protect them. And thus, the Empress departed from reality, leaving its care in the hands of her children.

The Empress continued to stand watch over her creation from afar, holding back the ever hungry jaws of Chaos. Her children, seeking to live up to their mother’s example, began to live among their people, building a great city from which they ruled.

Those who venerated Celestia grew into explorers, makers, and farmers. From Celestia’s gifts of dance, came forth magic formed from the motion of the body, fueled by the fire of the dancer’s passion, but tamed through the strength of their will.

Those who venerated Luna grew into artists, great thinkers and observers. From Luna’s gifts of song, came forth magic woven by the voice, fueled by the power of the singer’s will, but given form through the lens of their emotions.

Those who venerated Umbra grew to be actors, comedians, spies and defenders. From Umbra’s gifts of cunning, came forth magic of shadows, powered by the very life of the user and focused through the calm of their minds.

And for a time, the three siblings ruled. Celestia the shining leader, Luna the wise advisor, and Umbra the cunning protector.

But the peace was not to last.

The first to fall was prince Umbra. Umbra had long defended their kingdom from within the shadows, a silent sentinel against Chaos, and the Empress's more violent children, the monsters. To protect them, he had to become ruthless and cruel. To fight monsters, he had to understand the monsters.

That understanding would lead to his fall.

One day, he vanished from the palace without a word. Neither of his sisters knew where he had gone, but they did not look for him, for when the prince did not want to be found, none could find him, for he was one with the shadows that slip ever silent between the light and the dark. The days went by and there was no sign of the missing prince. Days turned into weeks, then weeks turned into months.

And then, Umbra returned. Only, he was Umbra no more. Where once his face was handsome and kind, it was now twisted and cruel. Where once his eyes shone with compassion and love, now they burned with inky hate and darkness. Where once was a soul gem that shone with wise shadows, now was one black as the void that now filled his heart. And where once he stood as a protector of the people, he now stood as their destroyer at the head of an army of monsters.

His sisters plead with him to return to them, but he brushed them off. He was prince Umbra no longer. He was a king. The monsters he once fought showed him the truth, that his sisters were holding him back, keeping him from his destiny. They ruled while he languished in their shadow. No more. Now, the shadows would take their rightful place on the throne.

And so Umbra ceased to be, and Sombra, Prince of Shadows and King of the Monsters, was born.

And for a decade, Sombra waged war against his sisters, seeking to dethrone them and claim their crowns. But his sisters would not bow, and through their combined might, they pushed back his armies, shattering his power. Cornering their brother in his stronghold, they offered him a chance to surrender. Sombra, defiant to the end, refused, and moved to strike them down. With great reluctance, his sisters sealed him away, banishing him to the shadows from which he drew his power.

And there was great sadness in the sisters, whom had lost their only brother.

Yet, despite their heavy hearts, they returned to their people, and began to rebuild.

Time passed, and the sisters recovered from their grief, and moved forward.

And for an age, there was peace.

But, as before, it was not to last.

For many years, a rift had been developing between Celestia and Luna. Celestia had always led, as was her right as the eldest. But Luna, like her fallen brother, grew tired of forever being in her sister’s shadow. Luna’s jealousy of her sister’s exalted position grew by the day, and she heeded Celestia less and less. Her night was as important as the day, so why did she not rule as her sister did. It was not long until her jealousy turned to fights. Then from fights to war. Soon, the land was torn apart again by conflict, the people of the sun and moon battling to prove their mistress the true ruler of the land and sky.

But the war would never have a victor, for the fighting had drawn the attention of the Empress. Turning briefly from her vigil, she called for an end to the fighting, and summoned her bickering daughters to her. Celestia claimed that Luna began the war, while Luna claimed it was Celestia, then began to squabble again. The Empress, though her patience was vast, was not infinite. Calling her daughters to task, she made her decree. If they could not work together to keep the world in balance, she would separate them until they could. By her decree, the sky was to be shared equally, but the land was to be split. To the south, Celestia would rule. To the north, Luna. And until the two were able to set aside their differences, they would not be permitted to enter the other’s domain.

Her edict enacted, the Empress dismissed her wayward children from her sight. Upon their return, Celestia and Luna called for a great exodus by their people to their new domains. Those that answered Celestia’s call renamed themselves the sun-gazers, while those who chose to follow the traitorous Luna renamed themselves the night-weavers.

And to this day, the sun-gazers have lived under the watchful eyes of Queen Celestia, ever wary of the children of the night lurking to the north, plotting her fall.

*****

“Sunset?”

Sunset almost jumped out of her skin as a gentle voice from behind snapped her out of her reverie, nearly causing the young fire-caller to drop the tome she was reading. Placing a hand over her chest and taking a few deep breaths, she forced herself to calm her nerves enough to think.

“Yes, matron Tender Heart?” She replied as she closed the book and set it on the table next to the sofa where she’d been curled up to read. With one last deep breath to steady herself, she rose to face the matron of the Golden Tree orphanage, the will-o-wisp she’d conjured to provide light floating up next to her, shedding its illumination through the rest of the room.

“Dear, why are you up so late?” Tender Heart said. The middle aged earth-weaver’s kind, maternal, salmon pink face and long, two-toned robin-shell and sky blue hair lit up softly in the light of Sunset’s will-o-wisp, while her warm voice was laced with concern as she approached her young charge.

“I… I couldn’t sleep.” Sunset said, looking to the side and rubbing her arm. “So I came down here to read.”

“Couldn’t sleep?” Tender Heart asked, “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing’s wrong…” Sunset stuttered as she looked up at the matron. “I just…”

“You’re nervous about tomorrow, aren’t you?” Tender Heart said with a warm yet knowing smile.

“…Is it that obvious?” Sunset said with a sigh.

“I’m afraid so, dear.” Tender Heart chuckled as she gently patted Sunset’s head, earning a soft pout from the young girl. “But, you don’t have any reason to be. Either your fire will be bright enough, or it won’t be. There’s no point in being afraid of something you can’t change or control.”

“I know.” Sunset said as she wrapped her arms around her waist and shivered. “It’s just… I don’t know… I just… I… I know the chances are small, but I really want to be picked… And it just keeps going round and round in my head. What if I get picked? What if I don’t? Is that wrong?”

“Of course not, dear girl.” Tender Heart replied as she knelt down to look Sunset in the eyes, warm pink meeting cool teal. “I don’t think there’s anyone in Solaria that doesn’t dream of being a phoenix-born. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. And…honestly…it's fine to be nervous. But, being scared and letting it consume you doesn’t do you any good. What will happen tomorrow will happen. If you’re picked, then you’re off to Heliopolis. If not, then you’ll still be Sunset Shimmer, the brilliant, brave girl that I’ve had the pleasure of caring for since she was a baby.”

Placing a hand on Sunset’s cheek, Tender Heart smiled at her young charge.

“So, let’s get you to bed.” Tender Heart said, “You’ll need to be up bright and early tomorrow. Don’t want to be tired out for the test, do you?”

“No matron.” Sunset said, her face relaxing a bit.

“Good girl.” Tender Heart said as she rose back to her full height. “Come along now.”

Nodding, Sunset scurried over to the end-table and grabbed her tome, before following Tender Heart as she led her back to the bunk room. Hugging the tome to her chest, she sighed as the familiar scent of the leather and parchment filled her nostrils. The tome was one of the few things that was truly hers; a gift from her best friends in the world: Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, for her ninth birthday last year. But not her real birthday. She didn’t know when her real birthday was. Instead, it was the day Tender Heart had found her on the steps of the orphanage wrapped in nothing but a simple blanket and a note with her name: Sunset Shimmer.

Hugging the tome a little bit tighter, Sunset followed Tender Heart into the bunk room. Reaching her bed, she quietly opened her personal trunk so as to not disturb the other girls, and slipped the precious tome into its designated spot, before closing the chest and climbing into bed.

“Sleep well Sunset.” Tender Heart said as she tucked Sunset in. “Remember, regardless of what happens tomorrow, you are Sunset Shimmer. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t matron. Until the Sun returns.” Sunset said.

“Until the Sun returns.” Tender Heart said as she patted Sunset’s forehead one last time.

Curling up under the blankets and rolling onto her side, Sunset closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note

Here we have the first chapter of the revised/expanded Phoenix-born Rising. Decided to start things off with a legend, a book, and a young girl worried about the future. Hopefully this helps solidify the world of Nitor. Also, I've decided on a name for the story universe that this belongs to: The Splintered Sky.

This had been originally posted in the old version of the story, but as it was pointed out that I should make it its own thing, I decided to heed the advice of those more experienced with this site and give it a page of its own. Sorry for the confusion.

Edited 19-Jan-2020 - added a description of Tender Heart's color scheme.

Ch 12 - The Ascension - Into the House of the Goddess

The soft, persistent rattle of the sky-car gliding along its track filled Sunset’s ears. Normally she might have found the sound distracting, yet at the moment she barely registered it. She was too enraptured with the scenery outside the vehicle to notice. In fact, she found herself reluctant to blink as she stared out the window of the sky-car. Not for fear of being attacked or because she’d drunk too much tsujara.

No, she didn’t want to close her eyes because she was afraid of missing a moment of the wonder that was the enchanted landscape they were riding through.

Beside her, Daisy and Lily were similarly glued to the window, each staring out of the transparent crystal with unrestrained awe, their faces all but pressed up against its surface. They weren’t the only ones; every window in the sky-rail’s car was occupied by their fellow students, each one mesmerized by the sights they were seeing.

And they were still only an hour into the four hour journey to the base of Mt. Liakeed and the Cathedral of the Sun.

They’d boarded the sky-rail that would take them into the Core before sunrise. Even Sunset, as accustomed as she was to getting up early for work, had trouble getting up at such an early hour. A problem exacerbated by just how exhausting the previous day had been.

What really chafed was that when Sparkler had arived to wake them up, she'd told them the only things they were allowed to bring were their uniforms. Everything else was to be left in their rooms in the academy. Sunset had protested, but her arguments were shut down by Sparkler, leaving her with no choice but to lock her precious books in her trunk, and hope that Lady Inkwell’s runecraft would keep it safe while she was away.

“Sunset, Daisy, look there!” Lily cried as she pointed her finger to the right of the window. Looking at the spot she was pointing to, the two other girls gasped in awe.

Running across the crystal spire dotted grassland was a herd of white antelope with forked, transparent, crystalline horns and coats that shimmered like powdered diamond. Even from as high up as they were above the grassy plain, the graceful bounding of the creatures coupled with the glittering trail in their wake left the girls speechless.

“I’ve read about those,” Sunset said, her voice hitching at the sight below her. “They’re called diamond gabelbock. Supposedly, the last herds are only found here in the Core. The rest were hunted down and killed by the raptorians.”

“What? But why? How could anyone want to hunt down something so beautiful?” Daisy said as she wiped a tear from below her eye.

“I… don’t know,” Sunset said as she watched the graceful ungulates sprint away from the sky-rail line, before spotting another awe inspiring sight. Pointing, she said, “Hey, look at that! Over by that river.”

Following Sunset’s direictions, the other girls spotted a herd of dozens of large, horse-like creatures standing at the water’s edge, cautiously drinking from the clear liquid. Unlike normal horses, these animals had a high, mohawk like mane, and were patterned with dozens of stripes over a white base. The stripes themselves constantly shifted through an iridescent display of bright, hypnotic display of kaleidoscopic colors.

Standing in the water were a pair of enormous, stilt-legged birds taller than the horses, which resembled platinum colored cranes with blue-silver necks, and black heads, one of which had a set of long, red, spike-like feathers forming a crown. Both birds were wading in the water, periodically dipping their heads down to pluck at something near the surface.

“That’s a herd of hippiris and those are ruby-crowned cranes,” Sunset said in nearly speechless awe. “They’re only supposed to be found in the north near the old capital of Harmonia. I’ve seen drawings in history books, but I never thought I’d get a chance to see them in real life.”

“I know. Me either,” Lily said.

Sunset, Lily and Daisy watched the mystical wilderness of the Core pass by as the sky-car traveled along the rail, pointing out dozens of mythical creatures in the divine oasis they were riding through.

Soon, the landscape began to transition from pure grasslands into scattered woodland. At one point, as they passed through a copse of trees, hundreds of brightly colored dragonflies the size of doves erupted from the foliage, their shimmering, gem-like wings creating a scintillating cloud as they flew alongside the vehicle, a few of them peering inside and staring at the passengers with their large, aquamarine eyes, before veering away and settling back down in the trees.

Onward and onward the sky-car flew, the trees growing thicker, until they transitioned into true forest. Many of the trees were covered in red, blue, yellow, white and pink blossoms of all sorts of shapes. Brightly colored birds flew among the trees, some visiting the flowers, others plucking off fruits. Occasionally, someone would spot a troupe of stritlers leaping from tree to tree, their eight long, furry arms and legs letting them brachiate through the branches with nearly supernatural ease.

“How cute,” Daisy cooed as a troupe of them started to swing alongside the car as it passed over the treetops.

Suddenly, as one of the stritlers was leaping across a gap in the canopy, another form shot out from the trees, this one long and covered in obsidian black fur. The other animal slammed into the stritler like an arrow, before wrapping its long body around the octoped and clamping a pair of massive, fanged jaws around its neck. Before any of the others in the troupe could react, the predator and its prey fell back below the canopy and out of sight, only the faint russell of leaves marking their passage.

“What was that thing?” Lily said, her voice on the verge of tears. “That poor stritler.”

“That was a wolensyx,” a familiar voice said from behind. Turning, they saw Sparkler staring out the window as the spot where the stritler had vanished was soon left behind.

“But why’s it here?” Daisy asked, her voice quavering. “Why would the Queen want it in here eating the other animals?”

“It's all about keeping this place healthy,” Sparkler said as she walked up to the window. “If there were no predators, the stritlers and the other animals would grow out of control. But, by having those wolensyx and other predators, they keep them in check.”

“Couldn’t she just… I don’t know… make it so they wouldn’t?” Daisy asked. “That way, none of them would have to get eaten.”

“She could. But she wouldn’t, because it would be tampering with her Mother’s designs,” Sparkler said. “And while Queen Celestia may rule Solaria, nature is Emperess Harmony’s domain, and one that the Queen will not intrude on without very good reason.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Sunset said as she turned back to the window, trying to get the terrified look on the stritler’s face out of her mind’s eye. “Still, I feel bad for the stritler.”

“And that’s fine. But, what about the wolensyx? If it didn’t eat that stritler, it’d starve,” Sparkler said as she placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. “To us, it may seem cruel, but to the wolensyx, it’s just trying to stay alive and get a meal. There’s no more cruelty there than when you eat mutton or duck.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Lily said.

“Yea,” Sunset and Daisy agreed as they turned their attention back to the windows.

As the sky-rail exited the forest, they regained sight of Celestia’s castle, the mountain it rested upon now much closer as they returned to an open grassy plain. Unlike the grasslands near the edge of the corona, this one was more hilly and rugged. Tall, rocky, tree-capped hills and meandering creeks broke up the swaths of the grass and wildflowers covering the flats below.

It was Lily that spotted the next wonder: Walking on four, long, stilt-like legs were small herds of tan and green spotted raechatal, their long proboscises in constant motion as they reached down to the ground to pluck grass and leaves from the low growing brush, or snatching fruits and flowers from the trees to bring back to their mouth.

But, almost more fascinating than the raechata were the regal, flame colored birds perched on the large herbivore’s backs and in the surrounding trees.

“Those are wild phoenixes,” Sunset said with wonder.

“Wild phoenixes?” Daisy asked in an awed tone of voice.

“Yea, unlike the phoenixes that bond with a phoenix-born, those are phoenixes that came from the children that Lumina had before she began to bond them with sun-gazers,” Sunset continued. “Now, they serve as Lumina’s court.”

“Whoa,” Lily said, watching as one of the fire birds lept from a raechata’s back and swooped into one of the trees, snatching off a piece of bright red fruit and working it with its beak. “So they don’t ever form a bond?”

“No. Only chicks that hatch from Lumina’s eggs can create a new phoenix-born,” Sunset said, watching the wild phoenixes with wide eyes. “I guess it makes sense that if a new royal phoenix is going to hatch, then her court would have gathered. Just seeing all of them. I just… can’t believe how beautiful they are.”

“So, they’re going to be at the rite too?” Daisy asked, a giant smile on her face. “That’s going to be amazing!”

“I know!” Lily said with an equally bright smile as the sky-rail car continued onward towards Mt. Liakeed.

*****

The sky-car slowed and came to a smooth stop. Unlike the station platforms out in the rays or ring of Heliopolis, Sunset saw that this one was composed of gold gilded white marble. And, unlike the other stations she’d seen, there was no station building, only a large landing platform stretched out before them. But both of those details barely registered as Sunset beheld the Cathedral of the Sun, its almost blindingly white surface glinting with gold engravings and precious gems. And standing in neat, orderly rows before the grand building were hundreds of white statues of knights in ornate plate armor armed with halberds and what appeared to be firearms of some sort.

Staring back up at the Cathedral, Sunset was struck by just how massive the structure was. If she were to guess, the building could fit the land occupied by Golden Tree inside itself easily. Yet, as her eyes traced along the upper spires of the Cathedral, she could see that it paled in size when compared to the Queen’s palace further up the mountain. The sheer magnitude and scale of all of it was almost too much to comprehend.

“Sunset. C’mon. Time to go.”

Snapping out of her trance and looking to the source of the voice, Sunset saw both Lily and Daisy had already risen and were ready to head out. Blushing a little with embarrassment, she rose and followed the rest of the students off the sky-car.

Stepping out onto the platform with the others, Sunset took a moment to try and take in everything around her. A quick look back at the sky-car confirmed that the rail ended at the Cathedral, so that meant they’d probably be staying in the building itself, or in another attached to it at least.

“Welcome, to the Cathedral of the Sun, honored guests!” A chorus of voices said from behind, causing nearly every student to jump with fright. “For your service to the Queen and the birth of a new phoenix-born, you are under our care!”

Whipping around, Sunset saw what she thought were statues… begin to move. With razor-sharp precision, they began to march forward, and then, row by row, they fanned out, forming a corridor to the entrance of the cathedral. As the armored figures began to spread out, something almost as astonishing happened. From the summit of the cathedral, hundreds of long, brightly colored, winged forms appeared and began to fly downward towards the assembled armored figures and servers.

Soon, the winged figures were close enough to make out the details of their shapes, and a chorus of gasps escaped from the students. Each was easily 5 meters long, and resembled enormous rattlesnakes. Yet, unlike regular snakes, they had bright, multicolored plumage on the upper side of their bodies, including a large mane of fluffy feathers behind their heads, while their rattle was similarly brightly colored, and looked to be made of crystal.

The winged snakes flew down in a dazzling display of color and motion, before each one came to rest on the ground behind one of the white-armored knights. Folding their wings and curling up behind the armored form, their rattles came to life as they sent the sound of synchronized crystalline windchimes into the air.

“On behalf of the Queen, we welcome you,” The knights, snakes, and a third, unknown buzzing chorus of voices said in perfect unison, “to the Cathedral of the Sun!”

As Sunset watched the grand display unfold, a sudden realization passed through her as she put two and two together.

The white-armored knights.

The plumed serpents.

These were the prominence knights; the sworn protectors of Queen Celestia’s home.

Legends told that the prominence knights were drawn from the most devoted members of the sun-gazers, plumed serpents, and a third race known as the colaurata, which resembled half-meter long beetles with golden shells. Each “knight” was actually a unit composed of a sun-gazer, a plumed serpent and a colaurata that trained together to the point of effectively becoming a single being.

“Alright everyone, enough gawking,” Lady Inkwell’s voice cut through Sunset’s stunned awe like an obsidian blade. “We have work to do, so follow me.”

Shaking off her shock, Sunset fell into line behind the others as they made their way through the corridor formed by the prominence knights. As she followed Lady Inkwell into the Cathedral, she’d steal glances at the cordon of prominence knights all around the line of students. And every time she did, she got the impression that both the sun-gazer and plumed serpent were watching the students.

‘Why’re they watching us? If they’re here to protect us, shouldn’t they be…’ Sunset thought, seconds before her mind made the connection. ‘The knights aren’t here to protect us! They’re here to keep us from trying to sneak off into the Core!’

The knights’ presence suddenly felt a thousand times more intimidating. Glancing at them again, she shuddered at the thought of what they would do to anyone who tried to sneak off. She and all of the others were guests in the domain of their goddess. Chances were that if they tried to go where they weren’t supposed to, they’d be dead before they knew it.

Quickening her pace to avoid lagging behind, Sunset caught up with Lily and Daisy as they entered through the grand, rosewood double-doors of the Cathedral.

Following the others through the entrance, Sunset found herself in a large foyer with a great domed ceiling lit by sconces filled with glowing white lights. The walls were covered in intricate engravings gilded with gold leaf along side murals of seminal moments in the history of Solaria and Impracordia as a whole: from the Birth of Harmony, the creation of her children, the Chaos War, the ascension of Mage Meadowbrook, the fall of prince Umbra, the Splintering and the founding of Solaria itself, along with others that Sunset couldn’t recognize, even with her extensive knowledge of Solarian legends.

Tearing her eyes away from the murals, Sunset looked towards Lady Inkwell to see where they were going next. She spotted her standing off to the side of the main room near another set of doors, this time with dozens of what Sunset could only guess were male and female figures, each wearing long, flowing white robes that reached the floor embroidered with solar motifs and sacred runes, a white hood and smooth, featureless mask of reflective, golden metal that hid all of their facial features from view.

“Alright,” Lady Inkwell said. “First, each of you will be taken to the room by one of the sun-touched behind me, and given two hours to relax and prepare. At the end of that time, they will come and bring you to your assigned location, where you will begin practicing for the rite. Understood?”

Nods and vocal affirmations followed.

“Good,” Lady Inkwell said as she wove her hands through the air as she wove her flame, culminating the spell-dance with a sharp clap. As the sound echoed through the hall, thin beams of light connected each of the children to one of the sun-touched. “Please follow the sun-touched you are connected to to your room. Dismissed.”

*****

With one final tug, Sunset tightened the sash around her waist and looked at herself in the mirror.

“How’s it look?” She asked Lily and Daisy, who were also getting their own robes tied.

“Good. I think? I’m not used to this type of knot,” Daisy said as she fiddled with her own robes.

Sunset looked down at the sash again as she thought about the last couple hours.

After Lady Inkwell had dismissed them, Sunset had fallen in behind her sun-touched guide. Much to her delight, she saw that both of her friends were with her as well, which probably meant that they were going to be rooming together. A fact that Sunset was all too grateful for.

After traveling for what felt like an eternity through the twisting service corridors of the Cathedral, they’d arrived at a hall with dozens of simple wooden doors on either side. Every so often, a masked and robed figure would emerge or enter one of the rooms. Eerily, none of them said a word. Instead, they merely came and went in total silence, with only the soft rustle of their robes and muted footfalls to mark their passage.

Eventually, they reached one of the rooms, and were ushered in by their silent guide. Thanking their guide, who simply nodded at them, they entered the room. Unlike their old room back at the Academy, this one was sparsely decorated almost to the point of being spartan, the only furniture being four simple beds, a bookshelf, a small dresser with three drawers, and a small table with a sheet of white parchment laying on its top. Off to one side, they could see a small bathroom, while on the other was a small dining area with a short table and what looked like a small, vertically opening door in the wall with a large red button and black, glossy square next to it.

Approaching the table, Sunset snatched up the sheet. Upon identifying that the sheet was actually a letter to them, she began to read it aloud to her friends.

“To Sunset Shimmer, Flower Wishes and Lily Valley

In honor of your devotion to Queen Celestia, and on behalf of the sun-touched and Solaria, we welcome the three of you to the Cathedral of the Sun. In the dressers are the robes you will be wearing as part of your duties to Lady Inkwell and Archduchess Roseluck. Your robes will be in your assigned drawers, as well as instructions for how to properly put them on.

As honorary members of the sun-touched, you are not to leave your rooms unless you have properly donned your robes and masks, nor are you permitted to remove them until you return, and that once you don your mask, you are forbidden to speak. These rules can only be ignored if you are given explicit orders by the phoenix-born you are serving.

Your room is equipped with a full bathroom and shower system. Please be sure to wash yourselves properly before and after returning from your duties.

In addition, all food will be provided to you via the delivery system embedded in the wall opposite the bathroom. To request food or drink, simply press the button adjacent to the door, whereupon a list of available foods and beverages will be displayed on the slate panel. Simply speak your selection, and it will be delivered. You are permitted three orders apiece per day, and are expected to consume the entirety of whatever you order. Once finished, simply place the used dishes in the delivery shaft, and they will be dealt with.

Solaria thanks you for your service to her and her chosen. May your devotion be blessed by the Queen’s light.

The Sun-Touched”

Setting the letter back down, Sunset turned to her friends. Both of them had a strange, haunted look in their eyes, one that Sunset was sure she also had. This was it. It was really happening. They were actually at the Cathedral of the Sun, preparing to take part in the ascension of a new phoenix-born.

“So… who wants the shower first?” Sunset said with a shaky smile.

As it turned out, they wanted Sunset to take the first shower so that they could get a snack from the food delivery system. One quick shower and an application of sandalwood oil later, Sunset wrapped a towel around her chest and hair, and headed out to the main room.

“You’re up Lily,” she said as she made her way to the dresser and pulled out the crisp, white set of robes, along with a small pamphlet with a series of diagrams showing the proper way to put on her robes, hood and mask. Taking a seat on her bed, she repeatedly read the instructions, before removing her towels and slipping the robe’s undergarments on.

Now, nearly two hours later, the three friends had more or less figured out the complicated set of knots and wraps that went with wearing the robes properly. Looking at Lily and Daisy, Sunset couldn’t help but ponder their robes. While Sunset’s were identical to the other sun-touched that she’d seen, her friends’ robes were deep, rose pink with flower motifs, and masks that less resembled mirrors, and more resembled the flowers that were their namesakes. Sunset almost felt a twinge of jealousy, but forced it away.

They were assigned to Archduchess Roseluck. Their unique uniforms probably had something to do with that.

As they were making the finishing touches to their robes, there was a knock at the door, followed by a familiar voice.

“Girls, I hope you’re getting ready, because I’m coming in,” Lady Inkwell’s voice said loud enough to be heard through the door.

Without waiting for a response, the door opened, revealing both Lady Inkwell and Dylis, followed by a second pair of visitors: Archduchess Roseluck and her bond partner Amara.

Unlike the sharply and professionally dressed Lady Inkwell, the Archduchess’s clothing was far more extravagant. Her dress was a single piece v-neck, floor length, rose red, sheath-style garment, the lower half of the skirt made of a series of flounces tiered to resemble a pendant rose blossom. The dress only had one full sleeve on the right side, which included a light brown leather covered pauldron shaped to resemble a bark covered branch, upon which rested the Archduchess’s bondmate Amara. Around her waist was a silk scarf-belt, covered in embroidered flowers. Her wrists were adorned with dozens of thin, gold bracelets, while around her neck was a simple red choker with a rose shaped buckle holding it in place, all topped off with a large, carved ruby and emerald rose, held in the living flame that was made up the hair above her left ear.

What struck Sunset more than just the Archduchess’s clothing was the Archduchess herself. Where Lady Inkwell was a handsome woman, Archduchess Roseluck was almost ethereally beautiful. The rose and pink striped flame that made up her hair wavering hypnotically around her light yellow skinned face and vibrant green eyes, the latter highlighted by a subtle application of eyeshadow. Her red stained lips were curled up slightly in a gentle smile that filled all three girls with a sense of maternal warmth and safety.

The moment the awe of seeing the Archduchess of their home territory wore off, both Lily and Daisy immediately dropped to a knee and bowed their heads. Sunset quickly followed suit, so as not to offend the Archduchess.

“My my, aren’t they the most respectful little things ever,” The Archduchess said, presumably to Lady Inkwell.

“I wouldn’t have given them to you for the rite if they weren’t, dear friend,” Lady Inkwell responded. “Girls, please rise. I wish for you to meet Archduchess Roseluck and Amara.”

Slowly, all three girls got to their feet and looked up at the Archduchess.

“So, I take it you two are the ones who’ll be helping me out, yes?” The Archduchess said as she folded her hands together and let them hang down in front of her as she looked Lily and Daisy up and down.

Both girls nodded in affirmation.

“It’s okay, little ones. Please speak,” The Archduchess said with a smile.

“Thank you, your grace,” Both Lily and Daisy said.

“So polite,” The Archduchess said with a titter. “Hmm, from your accents, you’re from my domain, aren’t you? Tell me, what are your names and clans?”

Both Daisy and Lily fidgeted for a moment, before Lily stepped forward.

“My name is Lily Valley, of the Lemon Blossom Valley branch of House Fritillaria in Clan Lilieae, your grace,” Lily began, keeping her head respectfully bowed.

“And my name is Flower Wishes, of the Larkspur Cove branch of House Leucanthemum in Clan Astereae, your grace,” Daisy said, also keeping her head bowed as she spoke.

“My, those are both quite respectable houses,” The Archduchess said, her brow furrowing slightly and her expression turning serious. “Tell me, are either of you familiar with the art of laulataes floral arrangements?”

“Yes, your grace,” Daisy piped in.

“I am, your grace,” Lily said.

“Hmm. Alright. Lily Valley, please tell me: if you were to make an arrangement with taleris and parru, what is the most common occasion for such an arrangement, and what types of accenting flowers and greenery would you use if you were to make any changes to the basic composition of the arrangement?” The Archduchess said.

“Um…” Lily began, before swallowing hard, taking a deep breath, and looking up at the Archduchess. “If we’re talking about the most common arrangement with those two flowers, and we’re using taleris as the main flower, it’s for the celebration of the birth of a family’s first child, but only if it's a boy.

“You add parru if the child is a fire-caller to bless the birth with fortune in scholarly activities and learning. Most often, this also means adding dleimei leaves to signify a clear mind and development of a strong flame, and sanacas buds to signify self-control and a strong will.

“However, I think that the base arrangement is augmented with a few buiir pods to enhance the look of the parru and draw the eyes to the blooms, while the dleimei can be replaced by leehass fern fronds to bless the birth with both a free spirit and a kind heart. Such arrangements are best displayed in an empty unicorn chiton shell to show resilience and inner strength.”

Taking a deep breath, Lily looked at the Archduchess, who simply closed her eyes and nodded a couple of times.

“I see,” she said slowly before turning to Daisy. “Now, Flower Wishes, how would you make an arrangement to give to someone who is about to embark on a long journey to wish them safe passage and good fortune?”

Closing her eyes and crossing her arms across her chest, Daisy lowered her head and scrunched her brows in thought. After a few moments of contemplation, she lifted her head and opened her eyes.

“While the common practice would be to use hulveyab blossoms as the center of the arrangement, with citwee vines and uilia berries as the accents,” Daisy began, “I’d probably make a dual arrangement with jeila and wirriatis blooms arranged in interlocking spirals, with laitten mint foliage as the backdrop and orriale berries as the accent.

“While the standard arrangement offers wishes of a safe journey and a swift return, the blossoms I’d use would signify a pleasurable trip mixed with a slight bit of adventure, but with a subtext of a successful venture and many lessons learned along the way.”

“Hmm. Interesting,” the Archduchess said as she regarded the two girls. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Lady Inkwell. The moment she did, both Dylis and Amara simultaneously lept from their perches on their partner’s shoulders. Then, the Archduchess lunged forward and wrapped Lady Inkwell in an enthusiastic hug, lifting the other phoenix-born off the ground.

“Eeeeeee!” The Archduchess squealed as she hugged Lady Inkwell, the latter of whom looked slightly irritated by the sudden invasion of her personal space. “Oh, thank you Raven! Do you know how hard it is to find sun-gazers that can actually innovate on flower arrangements on the spot, especially when it's me who’s asking them to do it?”

“I have some idea,” Lady Inkwell said as she glared down at Archduchess Roseluck, who gently set her down a few seconds later.

Turning back to Lily and Daisy, the Archduchess clapped her hands just below her chin and tilted both her head and her hands to the left, a giant grin on her face as Amara landed on her right shoulder.

“Oh, you two girls are just perfect! Absolutely perfect! This is going to be so much fun!” The Archduchess said with a glitter in her eyes. “Come come! Let's get going. We have so much to do. Ah, I can’t wait to come up with new and innovative arrangements for the ceremony. I thought this would be boring, but oh no. With the three of us working together, I’m sure we can make it so much more interesting.”

Both Lily and Daisy shared a quick, slightly uneasy look with one another, before their attention was drawn back to the Archduchess by a pair of soft claps of her hands.

“Please, masks. Masks. Now. Right now. Put them on so we can get going,” The Archduchess said, her voice overflowing with enthusiasm. “Oh, I can tell we’re just going to have a grand old time. C’mon, c’mon. Let’s go, let’s go.”

Lily and Daisy barely managed to get their masks and hoods on before the Archduchess all but herded them out of the room, her excited chatter filling the air until she closed the door behind her. Sunset just stared at the now closed exit silently for a minute, before recovering her voice and thoughts.

“Um, your grace?” Sunset slowly asked as she turned to Lady Inkwell.

“Yes Sunset?” Lady Inkwell replied, the barest hint of a smile on her face.

“Permission to speak freely?” Sunset asked.

“Granted.”

“Are my friends going to be… okay?” Sunset asked as she looked at the door, her voice and expression laced with concern.

Lady Inkwell let out a light chuckle.

“They’ll be fine. Archduchess Roseluck’s a little eccentric and more than a little over-enthusiastic about her love of flowers and flower-arranging, but that’s all,” Lady Inkwell said with a slight smile as she also looked to the door, before looking back to Sunset, her expression returning to its stern neutral. “Besides, we need to be going as well. There’s much to do before tomorrow, and we can’t fall behind schedule. So, don your mask so we can get started.”

“Yes, your grace,” Sunset said as she began to buckle on her mask.

*****

“…and, unfortunately, the gatherers were only able to acquire six-hundred pounds of vesiat berries for the dessert course. It seems that there was a late frost that had damaged many of the plants on Mt. Nerreca,” A gruff, travel-worn sky-runner said as he read from an inventory list on a clipboard.

“That is regrettable,” Lady Inkwell said. At her side, Sunset was taking notes in a ledger, keeping track of all the information conveyed by the lead gatherer. “Were you able to get any of the secondary substitutes?”

“Yes. The serric plum trees were fruiting, so we made up the difference with them,” He said, before flipping looking up from his inventory list, his brow furrowing. “However…”

“However?” Lady Inkwell echoed.

“… a colony of spiderflies moved into the valley where the trees grow. Four of my gatherers were almost killed due to bites. We got them out, but they’re are still recovering from the venom,” He said solemnly. “Unless the colony is removed, we’ll lose access to that area for years.”

“I’ll pass word on to Duchess Redheart that they’re to receive treatment at Lioht’s central hospital. If we need access to the site, I’ll be sure to send a team of earth-weavers in to relocate the spiderflies,” Lady Inkwell said as Sunset furiously recorded the pertinent information. “What of the rainbow-shelled conches for the main dinner?”

“Fortunately, the selkies were able to provide us with ten large ones,” the head gatherer said, before his frown returned. “But, because there were longs hunting in the area where they’re found, the price was double what we usually pay.”

Lady Inkwell sighed at that, with Sunset making a note to double the cost for the final budget calculations.

“I see,” Lady Inkwell said. “Were you able to make any trades to offset the cost?”

“Yes. We brought a few extra bottles of lulli wine, so we were able to save about twenty percent on the total cost on the conches and the blue-stripe kelp,” He said with a nod. “It was still more expensive than usual, but thankfully it didn’t take us over budget by too much.”

“Good,” Lady Inkwell said as Sunset took down the last of her notes. “Have the supplies delivered to the appropriate kitchens and send your inventory and cost lists to the clerks. With how close we’re cutting it, we need to be sure everything’s in order.”

“As you wish, your grace,” He said as he bowed and took his leave.

Without another word, Lady Inkwell turned and began to walk away, Sunset turning to follow as she stowed her pencil and ledger into the folds of her robe.

The afternoon had almost entirely revolved around this sort of thing.

She’d follow Lady Inkwell from one section of the Cathedral to another. They’d meet with the various staff members overseeing the different parts of the rite. Lady Inkwell would check in to make sure that everything was preceding according to plan, and if not, determine how to compensate. And Sunset would take notes and transcribe any important information conveyed by the staff.

Sunset could hardly believe everything that was going into the execution of the rite. So far, they’d interviewed or checked in with over twenty different staff leads, gatherers, and other sun-gazers.

How Lady Inkwell kept all of this straight in her head was almost beyond comprehension, even with a written schedule.

“What’s next on our itinerary?” Lady Inkwell asked as they exited the loading bay and re-entered the Cathedral proper.

Retrieving her ledger, Sunset flipped it open to the destination schedule, and traced her finger along it, finding that there was only one item left. Yet, seeing what it was almost caused Sunset to stumble. She was beyond grateful for the month of training at the academy that kept her from showing any outward signs of her shock as she processed what she was reading.

“Meeting with Lumina,” Sunset said quickly and succinctly, being implicitly granted permission by Lady Inkwell to speak when she’d been asked a question.

Her only response was a small nod, before they began to make their way towards one of the transport cars. Sunset had quickly learned that with the size of the Cathedral, making their way around on foot would have been impossible, especially since, unlike Lady Inkwell and Dylis, she couldn’t fly. Thankfully for her feet and their time table, she’d learned that the cathedral had been outfitted with miniature sky-rails that they could use to get around in a timely fashion.

A few minutes of walking later, they’d arrived at one of the transit ports. Approaching one of the pods, Lady Inkwell pulled out a small, golden key from her vest pocket, which she used to unlock the door of the pod.

Getting in after Lady Inkwell, Sunset took her seat in the row behind the phoenix-born. As soon as they were both seated, Lady Inkwell pressed her hand to a small crystal sphere, causing the doors to slide shut and the car lurch into motion, the sudden acceleration pressing Sunset lightly into the seat.

As they rode, Sunset began to wonder why they were going to visit the phoenix-queen. Dozens of possibilities swirled through her head, from simply checking in to make sure her egg was healthy, to informing her of some sort of complication, to any number of things. Sunset desperately wanted to ask Lady Inkwell, but she couldn’t.

Not so long as she was masked and forbidden to speak.

Instead, she simply sat and tried to enjoy the novelty of the ride as they sped towards the mountain-side of the Cathedral where Lumina was resting with her newest egg.

*****

As the transport car came to a stop, Sunset took a deep breath to steel herself. Even with her mask hiding her features and with Lady Inkwell’s presence, the thought of meeting Lumina was daunting. Add to it that she had no idea why they were visiting with the phoenix’s matriarch, and it was a recipe for a serious case of nerves. Truth be told, Lady Inkwell still intimidated her, and Sunset was used to her. Being in the same space as a being that was so old that it made Lady Inkwell look like an infant, and was close, personal friends with Queen Celestia for both of their collective lives? Terrifying.

Sunset unbuckled herself and rose from her seat before she following Lady Inkwell out of the car. As they exited the car, Sunset saw that the terminal station was guarded by a full platoon of prominence knights. Spotting Lady Inkwell, they kneeled and bowed their heads towards the phoenix-born. As they did, Sunset spotted a glint of gold on the back of the armored sun-gazers’ torsos. Briefly turning her attention to one of the knights, she saw that there was a large, golden beetle clinging to the armor on their upper back.

‘So, that’s where the colauratas are,’ She thought to herself as she followed Lady Inkwell out of the landing area and into a long corridor.

“Now, Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said, snapping her attention back to reality, “when we meet with Queen Lumina, she will expect you to unmask yourself when you enter the room. However, you are still expected to uphold your temporary vow of silence, so do not speak unless she or I give you permission. Understood?”

Sunset nodded once.

“Good girl,” Lady Inkwell said as she patted Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset smiled at the affectionate gesture from the royal seneschal. Though she could just be reading into things, she hoped that it meant that Lady Inkwell was actually warming up to her. It almost felt like it at times.

But she wasn’t going to presume. No matter how much she wished it was true.

They walked in silence after that, with only the sharp click of Lady Inkwell’s heels and the soft padding of Sunset’s slippers echoing through the passage. The corridors themselves were bare of decoration, the only thing to break the monotony of the labyrinth was the occasional pair of prominence knights guarding doors or walking along on patrol. With the scale of the Cathedral, and how disorienting traveling by the rail car had been to her sense of space, Sunset wasn’t sure exactly where they were in the grand building, or even if they were still in it in the first place. All she knew was that Lady Inkwell was leading them towards Lumina’s chambers.

As they approached a bend in the corridor, Lady Inkwell slowed to a stop. Sunset stopped as well, looking at the royal seneschal with confusion, only to nearly step back at what she saw; Lady Inkwell’s brows were slightly furrowed, while Dylis let out a low hiss and narrowed his eyes.

“Sunset,” Lady Inkwell whispered, her voice carrying the slightest of edges, “remember your training. Whatever happens in the next few minutes, do not react. Keep calm and poised, and do not react. And, regardless of what is said to or about you, do not speak. Am I clear? I do not care if you are told by anyone else. Unless I give you express and explicit permission, you are to stay silent. Am I understood?”

Sunset was too stunned by Lady Inkwell’s sudden shift in mood to respond, leaving her only able to mutely stare from behind her mask.

“Am. I. Understood?” Lady Inkwell repeated with more force.

Pulling herself together, Sunset managed the slightest of nods. A low grunt was all she got as affirmation as Lady Inkwell resumed walking down the corridor, with Sunset scampering to catch up. As she did, she began to hear the faintest sound of footsteps from around the bend. As they turned the corner, they came into view of whoever it was that was approaching.

“Raven Inkwell,” A calm, refined and professional male voice said. “What an unexpected pleasure to run into you today.”

Without missing a beat, Lady Inkwell slowed to a stop, Sunset quickly moving into place behind and to the right of the sceneshal, as was her proper position. Then she saw who had addressed Lady Inkwell.

Only her training prevented her from taking a step back with shock.

Striding confidently down the corridor were General Steel Sentry and Commander Spitfire, their bond partners Vestian and Akari perched on their shoulders. Steel stood head held high, looking Lady Inkwell directly in the eyes, his hands clasped behind his back and his expression one of schooled and casual disinterest, while Spitfire stood behind and to his right, her expression of mild disdain far less controlled, and her arms crossed over her chest. Both phoenixes openly glared at her and Lady Inkwell, Akari openly agitated while Vestian’s glare was filled with barely contained condescension and subdued contempt.

Unlike the dolls that she’d encountered in her exam, the presence of the two true phoenix-born was almost suffocating. Steel’s face was sharp, angular and hawkish, yet almost impossibly handsome, his gunmetal grey skin and magenta eyes highlighted by the small hints of light blue flame that made up his short cropped hair poking out from under his black, blue and gold peaked cap. By contrast, Spitfire’s face was stern and intense, her golden skin and deep orange eyes accentuated the orange and amber flames that made up her hair, which resembled an actual open fire more than any of the other phoenix-born.

Steel was in full dress uniform, his ash black long shirt adorned with various medals and badges of rank, which was held closed by ten long golden straps that were fastened with large ruby-topped buttons, as well as a blue and gold belt. His simple black slacks were tucked into calf-high black leather boots with brassy buttons up the outside edge, and had been polished to a glossy finish. On his right shoulder was a simple leather pauldron for Vestian to rest, while his left was adorned with a simple, elbow-length blue cloak attached to the pauldron by a simple golden chain. And on his left hip was a simple, black leather holster that undoubtedly held one of his personal amps: the magnum revolver known as Bloodhound.

Like her commanding officer, Spitfire was in her own dress uniform, her deep navy blue jacket held closed over a white under blouse with four large brass buttons, her rank pins adorning her lapel and right breast. Her skirt was a loose fitting, navy blue fishtail, and her shoes were black, medium-heeled and worn over short white socks. She had a simple leather pauldron on her right shoulder for Akari to perch, and a short, bicept length light-blue cape on her left, while her right hip bore a holster for a medium-caliber semi-automatic pistol: the amp known as Storm’s Testament.

“General Sentry. Commander Spitfire,” Lady Inkwell said in a pleasant and warm tone of voice as she crossed her arms across her chest. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

General Sentry’s mouth curled up into an easy half-smile as he regarded Lady Inkwell.

“We were just coming from a visit with Queen Lumina,” General Sentry replied easily. “I decided that it might be worth while to come and inspect her accommodations and the room’s security.”

“I see,” Lady Inkwell replied evenly. “Well, that is quite compassionate of you General Sentry. I trust that everything has met your standards?”

“They are… almost adequate,” General Sentry replied. “I would have preferred that my sun-blades be the ones to perform such a duty, but I’m sure the prominence knights can manage, despite their… unfortunate composition. One can’t ever truly trust non-sun-gazers with sun-gazer responsibilities.”

“I disagree General Sentry, but now is not the time or place to debate how the Queen choses to garrison her personal guardians,” Lady Inkwell said. “If you wish to discuss the matter with Queen Celestia after the ascension has been completed, I can make the arangements. I’m sure you could convince her to forego millenia old alliances and peace treaties in favor of a purely sun-gazer based garrison if you try hard enough.”

“Perhaps,” General Sentry said as he reached up and stroked Vestian’s head. “And what brings you this far from the main preparations, Lady Inkwell? I figured you’d be ensuring that all of the non sun-touched brought in to help weren’t somehow botching their efforts. Those from outside the city really need extra guidance, do they not?”

“Actually, preparations are going quite well. Yes, there have been issues, but they’ve been addressed. As for what brings me here, I’m coming to visit Queen Lumina and ensure that she has everything she needs,” Lady Inkwell replied.

“Hmph,” General Sentry harumphed. “Her Majesty had no such complaints of inadequate accommodations when we visited her just now, so I see no need for you to bother her again. I’m sure you have more important duties to see to.”

“With all due respect, Queen Lumina is well aware of the limitations of what you can provide her, so she wouldn’t waste her breath making requests outside your capacity,” Lady Inkwell said pleasantly. “I doubt she would bother you with any requests outside your… limited range of offerings.”

If Lady Inkwell’s barb struck, Sunset saw no indication of it on General Sentry’s face. She did see that Spitfire was not nearly so composed, and glared angrily at Lady Inkwell.

“Indeed, Lady Inkwell. Indeed,” he said nonchalantly. “Regardless, I look forward to witnessing the ascension in two days' time. It's quite fortunate that only one of the potentials was from outside the city, isn’t it? It would be such a shame if another unworthy outsider were to bond with one of Lumina’s blessed children.”

“I’ll admit, it’s unprecedented that so many strong, pure flames were found exclusively in Heliopolis, but Harmony works in strange ways, does she not?” Lady Inkwell said levely. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have business with Queen Lumina. Good day to you General. Commander.”

And with that, Lady Inkwell began to walk past the General and Commander. Sunset fell in behind her at the proper distance, only looking at the two phoenix-born with her peripheral vision.

“Lady Inkwell, one last thing…” General Sentry said.

“Yes?” Lady Inkwell said, slowing to a stop, but not turning around to face the General. Sunset kept her head facing in the direction she’d been walking, desperately fighting the desire to look back.

“A friend of mine mentioned that his daughter was among your students at the academy training to serve at the rite,” General Sentry said casually. “Her name’s Sapphire Prism. Does that ring any bells?”

“It does indeed,” Lady Inkwell replied easily. “What of her?”

“Well, Amethyst Mirage mentioned that she was having trouble with another student. Something about a commoner from the Western Territory showing her disrespect,” General Sentry said. “You must be losing your touch if you were having problems keeping things in order, or allowing dirt-eating mongrels into the academy in the first place.”

Sunset closed her eyes and focused on her mental meditations, forcing herself to not react. She had to ignore it. If she reacted, she’d just get in trouble with both Steel Sentry, and Lady Inkwell.

“I assure you General, the account that Sapphire Prism provided was very unlikely to represent the actual events that occured,” Raven said levely. “I dealt with the issues as I saw fit, as is my right as the head of the academy. I do not need advice on the proper method of disciplining my students from someone who wishes to bring back public flogging as the penalty for being convicted of a crime.”

“And yet, it works marvelously as a deterrent against further criminal acts on the part of the perpetrator,” General Sentry responded. “Your soft-hearted methods aside, I trust that Sapphire Prism was given a spot near the front of the ampitheatre, as is fitting for someone of her status.”

“Had she performed well enough to earn such a spot, then yes, she would have,” Lady Inkwell said. “But, she not only failed at her performance exams, her behavior was completely unacceptable, both towards her fellow students, and towards me. Her placement as part of the janitorial staff reflects these failings.”

“That is… very unfortunate to hear,” General Sentry said with only the barest hint of an edge in his voice. “And the mongrel girl?”

Sunset could feel her shoulders tightening and her blood boiling at General Sentry’s words. She scrunched her eyes closed again and focused on keeping herself under control. It was becoming an increasingly monumental task, even with her meditations. Thankfully, Lady Inkwell came to her rescue moments later.

“There were no mongrels at my academy. And as far as the fate of any of my students, it does not concern you, General,” Lady Inkwell said with calm, even finality. “Now, if you have nothing of consequence to add, I have more important things to deal with than you. Good day.”

And with that, she resumed her walk, Sunset falling in behind her at the appropriate distance. As they walked, Sunset sent a silent prayer of thanks to Queen Celestia and Lady Inkwell that she’d gotten away from General Sentry before she lost her temper.

*****

Sunset’s pulse was still racing with anger as she and Lady Inkwell approached a large antechamber. On the opposite side from the passage they’d entered through were a massive pair of double doors decorated with phoenix motifs. Like the transit terminal, the room was guarded by two full squads of prominence knights. Yet, unlike those at the terminal, they did not bow, merely snapped to attention as Lady Inkwell approached.

When they reached the door, Lady Inkwell stopped and regarded Sunset with a side-long glance. Unsure why Lady Inkwell was looking directly at her, Sunset stood there for a few seconds, until the royal seneschal mimed lifting something from her chin off her head.

‘Oh, right, my mask,’ Sunset thought as she quickly reached under her hood and released the buckles holding the mirrored faceplate in place. Once unbuckled, she gently pulled the mask off her face, savoring the sensation of being able to breathe more freely.

‘So, do I carry it with me?’ Sunset thought as she looked at the mirrored object in her hands. Her internal question was answered when the prominence knight next to the door held out their gauntleted hand, palm up.

‘Guess they’re going to hold onto it,’ She thought as she approached the knight and handed the mask over.

Hurrying back to Lady Inkwell, Sunset had butterflies in her stomach as the royal seneschal pushed the door open, and the three of them entered Queen Lumina’s chamber.

Upon entering, Sunset realized that the word chamber wasn’t appropriate. Giant aviary would have been better.

The room was enormous, the floor easily 500 meters square and with a 30 meter tall ceiling. The floor of the room itself resembled the rocky, forested grassland she’d seen Lumina’s court occupying earlier that day from the sky-car, as if somehow a piece of the environment had been sliced free from the ground and brought into the room. And, much like the woodland within Heliopolis’s Core, Sunset could see wild phoenixes scattered through the landscape, both in the trees and in the air.

But what surprised Sunset more than the vibrant slice of nature was that the walls and ceiling were covered from top to bottom in an elaborate, moving fresco that created the illusion that the landscape continued out in all directions, including an artificial sun that cast light down onto the room’s occupants and what felt like a gentle breeze wafting through the air.

‘Wait, if this room’s as big as it is, would it fit into the Cathedral?’ Sunset thought as she took everything in. ‘Wait, I bet that we’ve traveled into Mt. Liakeed.’

As they stepped fully into the room, Sunset saw that they were standing on a smooth, stone path that led further back into the aviary, presumably to allow non-flighted individuals to traverse the landscape.

No sooner did they step inside and the doors close behind them, Dylis spread his wings and launched himself into the air, taking off towards the center of the room. In moments, Sunset lost sight of him among the trees.

“He’s going to announce us to Queen Lumina,” Lady Inkwell said before Sunset could formulate a way to ask where he was going without breaking protocol or speaking.

‘Of course she’d figure out what I want to ask,’ Sunset thought as she looked at Lady Inkwell out of the corner of her eyes. ‘And… because of their bond, I’m willing to bet that once he reaches Queen Lumina…’

Sunset’s train of thought was interrupted when Lady Inkwell began to walk down the path without a word.

‘Guess we’re good to go,’ Sunset thought as she rushed to catch up. Thankfully, Lady Inkwell didn’t admonish her for briefly falling behind, and she soon was keeping pace with the royal seneschal as they made their way through the aviary’s landscape.

Unlike traveling along the sky-rail, walking gave Sunset a chance to really admire the landscape they were passing through; the kaleidoscope of colors and scents of the wildflowers tickling her nose with their delightful perfume; the sound of the brooks and springs babbling over the rocky outcrops; the graceful splendor of the wild phoenixes that flitted through the trees, many of them following the two sun-gazers as they made their way along the stone path towards wherever they were going.

As much as she would have loved to ask Lady Inkwell about all the things she was seeing, she reminded herself that she had to stay quiet. It was frustrating beyond belief. But, she’d rather not risk Lady Inkwell’s ire by breaking the vow of silence she’d been put under.

She’d just have to satisfy herself with reveling in the splendor she was experiencing.

Soon, the landscape shifted, and Sunset found they were starting to climb one of the many rocky, boulder strewn, wooded hills, the trail gradually taking them up towards the summit.

After several minutes of climbing the hill, they reached the summit. Stretching out before her was a large glade among the trees. Unlike the lower grassland, this one was dominated by a large, crystal clear pond surrounded by a multitude of wildflowers and blossoming shrubs. The trees themselves were covered in carpets of moss and lichen, the latter of which glowed with pale, fiery light. In the bows of the trees, there were dozens of wild phoenixes, all watching Sunset and Lady Inkwell as they entered the glade.

But, the sight that took Sunset’s breath away was on the far end of the glade. For there was a tree that stood out from all the others. Unlike its neighbors, the tree’s bark was smooth like polished stone, and was a deep, warm red. The trunk was quite short, but formed a massive crown of branches that wove together into a complex network, some joining and others splitting as they reached for the sky. The leaves were large, oval, glossy, and deep emerald green, while long stalks of beautiful, lantern-like white flowers adorned the branches, and glowed with inner light, as though small flames burned within them. Near the top, the branches formed into a solid sphere with a large opening facing towards the grotto.

And resting on the branch before the opening to the sphere were Dylis, and quite possibly one of the most beautiful beings Sunset had ever laid eyes on.

From first glance, she was obviously a phoenix, but unlike the others, she was larger, towering a full phoenix’s head over Dylis. Unlike the others, her plumage was not the color of flame, but rather gold, white, black and ruby red. Long, golden, black tipped feathers formed a sort of crown on her head, while her flight feathers were similarly colored. On the wrist of her wings were a pair of concentric patches of ruby and gold, and a large ruff of downy white feathers formed a collar under her head and down her chest. And her tail, in addition to the regular long, golden feather of the other phoenixes, bore three long, chain-like feathers of overlapping, alternating black and white diamond patches that ended in golden crescents.

Dropping to a knee, Lady Inkwell lowered her head as she bowed to the regal phoenix. Sunset immediately followed, bowing her head.

“Sheere aetrata netelofalta, Ruilii Vechaetle,” Lady Inkwell said.

It took all of Sunset’s willpower not to look at the phoenix-born as she spoke. Whatever language she’d just spoken in, she’d never heard anything like it before.

“Eiliiarae, Baecaleita Seestraecha. Naetala vethama chalta uthelia,” Replied a voice that somehow reminded Sunset of a mix of the crackling of a fire, and the soft tinkle of a crystal wind chime.

‘Is that… Queen Lumina?’ Sunset thought.

“Ralla, Ruilii Vechaetle,” Lady Inkwell said.

Sensing movement from the corner of her eye, Sunset saw Lady Inkwell begin to rise. Following suit, she also rose from her bow.

“Stay close Sunset,” Lady Inkwell whispered as she began to walk the trail towards Lumina’s tree. “When we reach the end of the trail, kneel and do not rise until I tell you too.”

Sunset nodded in response.

In an all too short eternity of minutes, they arrived at the end of the trail, which was facing a large, elegantly carved marble perch before the tree. Upon reaching the end of the trail, Sunset dropped to a knee and bowed her head.

She could hear the flapping of two sets of wings descend from above, one landing where she knew Lady Inkwell was, and one further ahead near the perch. If she had to guess, the former was probably Dylis, and the latter most likely Queen Lumina.

“Vemeles uitolosan caishainta palasata?” Sunset heard Lumina say.

“Cathiata neriata vuliitas oloranta,” Lady Inkwell replied. “Saleus malaca paetean tae ahla.”

“Er’rielei barantols chuchita Baecaleita Seestraecha,” Queen Lumina said. “Paerahasha itian latheca.”

“Sunset, rise and look at Queen Lumina. She wishes to see your eyes,” Lady Inkwell said warmly yet firmly.

Doing as she was told, Sunset rose to her feet, before taking a deep breath, and looked directly at Queen Lumina.

Then her eyes met Quee Lumina’s, and she froze in place. Staring into those shimmering, pearly eyes was like staring into an ageless abyss, one filled with long lost secrets, long forgotten truths, and a mind almost as old as Nitor itself. Against the weight of the phoenix Queen’s stare, Sunset felt like nothing more than a tiny mote of dust floating before a mountain. Yet, under the gaze of the ancient Queen, there was a sense of peace, as though Queen Lumina’s very presence radiated hope and life giving warmth and light.

“Your fire burns bright, child,” Lumina said in flawless Solarian. “You may yet do great things, given time.”

Sunset wanted to beam at the compliment. She wanted to weep with joy at the Queen’s approval. To offer a thousand words of gratitude.

But, she schooled herself. She was still forbidden to speak. Instead, she briefly bowed her head and clasped her hands together over her chest respectfully, hoping to convey her gratitude to the phoenix Queen.

“Chaecalt veretitha mach paelathas vae?” Lady Inkwell asked.

“Cametaetha,” Queen Lumina replied as she turned her attention back to Lady Inkwell. “Shuga naereta lauretos venan palas falatan theiah.”

Sunset forced herself not to fidget as she bore witness to Queen Lumina and Lady Inkwell’s conversation in what she assumed was the phoenix’s language.

“Verec lialtiana tesaresan cleiampa,” Lady Inkwell said with a nod. “Anaras nethlichantal meirlae pasha pataea?”

“Charaltac tertama suichepas eisaital nalecas,” Queen Lumina said, before sparing one last look at Sunset, turning away from the two sun-gazers, spreading her wings, then taking to the air and heading back to her tree.

“Let’s go Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said, snapping Sunset out of her trance.

As Lady Inkwell turned to leave, Sunset fell in line behind her, her head spinning as she wondered what she’d just witnessed.

Author's Note

We're back!

And so, we enter the next stage of whatever it is that I'm doing here. We meet a few of the major players in this game, both friend and foe.

Creature rundown:
Diamond gabelbok - based on pronghorn antelope.

hippiris - think zebras with stripes that continuously and hypnotically change color.

ruby-crowned cranes - based on grey crowned cranes

stritler - take a gibbon, and give it two extra arms, and two extra legs. The forward pair are shorter than the rear pair, and are used for navigating tight spaces and holding food, while the rear pair are used for moving among the trees.

wolensyx - arboreal predators that resemble a cross between a long-tailed weasle, a black kingsnake and a cotton-mouth moccasin

raechatal - cross the legs and coat pattern of a giraffe with the body, tail and head of a giant anteater.

Queen Lumina's tree - inspired by the Pacific madrone. (Arbutus menziesii)

Ch 13 - The Trials - Clash of Swords, Cloaks and Daggers

Sunset’s mind was a flood of mixed emotions and thoughts as she watched General Sentry slowly and purposefully making his way to the center of the stadium’s field. She was happy that this was the last event of the day, yet also dreading that fact, since it meant that she had the evening’s formal dinner and “mixer” to look forward to. And that meant another round of “getting tarted up” with Roseluck, and then running the gauntlet with the Council. She was excited about what she was going to witness, yet confused as to why General Sentry was officiating the ceremony, rather than one of the Magistrates.

Because the participants weren’t sun-gazers.

They were kirintal.

Or, more specifically, the stags.

General Sentry’s appearance also struck her as odd. He wasn’t in his dress uniform, but instead he was adorned in a set of strange robes that looked as though they were made of woven vines, leaves and stones. The entire outfit was topped with a crown of blooming branches, which Sunset had to admit looked strange considering it was nestled in General Sentry’s living flame. Vestian was conspicuously absent from his bond-mate’s shoulder, instead having stayed behind on their throne.

Unlike with the previous events, the audience was silent as General Sentry sedately made his way to the center of the arena and sat, resting on his knees, lacing his hands together and placing them in his lap, and bowing his head.

“Vul’tethia cha’ma letach’ca,” General Sentry said, his voice barely audible yet breaking the silence with the impact of a cannon shot. “As the day ends, and the dusk begins, it is my distinct and great honor to officiate this event. This day, our allies to the north have given us the rare privilege of witnessing an unofficial version of one of their most sacred and private traditions.”

There was a pregnant pause as General Sentry allowed his words to hang in the air, before continuing. To her right, Sunset could see the does nodding with approval.

“Every fall, the stags of Himavanta gather at sacred Mt. Meru for the Imv’klech Vl'tanas. At this ceremony, these brave men compete to earn the privilege of siring the next generation of kirintal,” General Sentry continued, his head still bowed respectfully. “As a sign of their friendship to Queen Celestia and Solaria, Arbiter Black Jade has given twelve of his stags permission to perform one element of this ceremony. Though this will not officially count towards their standing in the true Imv’klech Vl'tanas, these stags wish to offer their battle as a gift to us as a gesture of solidarity.”

The silence was yet again pierced by the sound of the stadium’s doors opening to reveal the twelve stags. Like General Sentry, they were all clothed in long robes made of vines and stone. Striding forward, Sunset was struck by just how smooth and almost elegantly they flowed into the arena and formed a circle around General Sentry, before similarly sitting on their knees and bowing their heads.

“Vul’tethia im’all ith’talcha,” the stags all said in unison.

“Vul’tethia im’all ith’talcha,” General Sentry replied, before rising to his feet and drawing a pair of flint knives from within his robes. Then, with a single, swift motion, he threw both into the ground at the center of the circle. “As stone pierces, I swear to judge honorably, love those who fight with valor, and forgive those who may falter.”

“As stone pierces,” the stags said in reply, “we place our lives on the line to prove our worth to those that came before, those that are, and those who will be. We swear to battle with honor, to love our chat-velath as we fight, and forgive them for the blood they draw.”

All thirteen stood and doffed their robes, revealing their naked bodies, save for a loincloth to protect their modesty, with each stag also bearing a pair of stone gauntlets, each of which had a narrow obsidian blade running along the length of the underside of their forearms.

“Ith’techa lan-iltha,” General Sentry said as the stags paired off and took up positions in a hexagon around him.

*****

Sunset was finding it increasingly difficult to watch the spectacle occurring in the field below. Much of it was the sheer brutality of what she was witnessing. But, there was something else distracting her: before the beginning of the event, Raven had pulled her aside to speak with her.

“Sunset, when the stags are performing the Imv’klech Vl'tanas, I need you to watch, and consider how the stags’ fights are like politics. I’ve impressed on you how the game is a battle, not of blades, but of words. This is an opportunity for you to watch a real battle and see if you can draw any parallels.”

Sunset had started to reply, only to stop herself before the words had even formed in her mouth.

“The stags are going to spar? And that’s supposed to teach me about politics?”

Raven shook her head.

“The Imv’klech Vl'tanas is not ‘sparring,’ Sunset. Even if this isn’t a true Imv’klech Vl'tanas, the stags will be putting their lives on the line.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Sunset, every year some of the stags inevitably die.”

“Die?!”

“Yes. Even if the Imv’klech Vl'tanas has rules, success can mean everything to a stag. So they fight with everything they’ve got. And that can lead to casualties. Particularly among the younger generation.”

“And they’re okay with that?”

“They are. If anything, the risk makes those who triumph that much greater in the eyes of their fellows. And the does.”

Sunset stared at Raven, before regaining her composure and meeting eyes with the older woman.

“This is another one of your puzzles, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“And you’re not going to tell me what I’m supposed to be looking for, right?”

“Sunset, you should know by now there’s no point in asking you to observe and think if I just tell you the answer. You pride yourself on your intelligence. I’m giving you the opportunity to use it.”

“I thought the festival was going to be ‘time off.’”

Sunset hadn’t thought it was possible for Raven’s expression to harden any further than it normally was. Yet somehow it did as she crossed her arms and glared.

“It was… until I learned about what happened this morning. Though I suppose you could just consider this an optional lesson if you want.”

“So I don’t have to if I don’t want to?”

Raven tapped a finger on her arm, then fixed Sunset with that infuriating, emotionless look of hers.

“Like I said, it's optional. But, the insight you gain could help you beat Duchess Rich and her allies some day. The longer these lessons take you to learn, the longer it’ll be before you can stand up to her. And that means she and her allies will have more time to make their own moves unopposed, including going after the Western Territory, if they think it would serve their purposes. Perhaps you want that?”

Raven paused, then turned to look towards the arena.

“The answer will not come to you right away. But if you want to survive, you’ll need to learn it. All I ask is that you watch, and consider. And if you decide to come up with an answer, I’ll be more than happy to hear it.”

Sunset pushed her conversation with Raven to the back of her mind as the stags began to go through some sort of pre-fight ceremony. It began with the paired off stags walking opposite one another along the perimeter of a wide circle of stones that they had summoned from the ground. At every other step, they would strike their gauntlets against the other, filling the air with a synchronous clank of stone on stone. They repeated the process until completing two full rotations around the circle. Then, they squared off, crouched low, and charged.

There was the clack of a dozen pairs of antlers impacting, and the battle was joined.

Sunset realized that what was happening in the arena was nothing like the festival fights she’d had seen in Golden Tree, or her own combat training on Mt. Liakeed. The moment they’d crossed antlers, the stags began to attempt to grapple each other, bringing their forearm blades to bear.

It wasn’t long before first blood was drawn.

Sunset thought she’d be prepared. She’d seen executions, including the horrific one inflicted on the former Duke Highblood. Yet, somehow the sight of one of the stags having his bicep sliced open had shocked her to the heart of her flame.

This wasn’t the death of a criminal.

This was violence.

True, brutal violence being inflicted on one sentient being by another.

And yet, despite suffering one laceration, puncture and impact after another, the stags kept fighting.

I don’t get it, Sunset sent as one of the stags twisted slightly to deflect an attempt by his opponent to grab him, retaliating by slashing with his gauntlet’s blade, only for his opponent to bring his other arm up and catch the sharpened edge with his own blade. She half expected the fragile obsidian to shatter from the impact, yet it remained intact. How is watching this supposed to teach me about politics?

Raven was pretty adamant that you’d get something out of it, Philomena sent as a different pair of stags wound up on the ground, the larger of the two managing to pin his opponent, though not without taking a deep cut to the leg. The pinning stag powered through the wound, managing to bring his antlers to bear and place a point against the other stag’s eye. After a moment, the other stag surrendered.

I just can’t imagine what, Sunset sent as she looked at another pair, which included the twelve-point stag that she’d seen greet General Sentry the night before.

Unlike the others, where the flow of the battles would shift, one gaining the advantage over the other, Sunset had seen the twelve-pointed stag maintain a constant advantage over his opponent, a ten-pointed stag. His movements were cleaner, more precise, and his reactions more deliberate in both attack and defense, leaving his foe growing visibly frustrated. The fight came to a sudden end when the other stag over-extended on one of his grabs. The moment he did, the larger stag deftly evaded and retaliated, raking the blade of his gauntlet across his opponent’s biceps, leaving a shallow yet vicious slash that sent the other stag reeling backwards. Before he could recover, the twelve-point magistrate had closed the distance between them, knocking aside his opponent’s defenses and landing a pair of vicious diagonal strikes, slamming the blades of his gauntlets directly onto the other stag’s clavicles.

Sunset closed her eyes and turned away as blood came rushing out of the wounds, the injured stag stumbling backwards and out of the stone circle, collapsing to the ground and breathing heavily. As soon as the other stag had fallen, the magistrate that had wounded him relaxed, crossing his forearms and bowing to his fallen opponent, before approaching the other stag and helping him to his feet.

“Can he do that?” Sunset asked Roseluck, turning to face the older woman. “Isn’t that against the rules?”

“No, Sunset, it’s not,” Roseluck replied far more calmly than Sunset had expected.

“But he could have killed him.”

“Yes, he could have. But he didn’t,” Roseluck said, indicating the victorious stag with a nod of her head. “That stag? He’s a ria’liv’chena. A master. He’s been through at least twenty Imv’klech Vl'tana at this point in his life. Maybe more. So he knows how to apply enough force to win without killing if he doesn’t want to kill.”

“But… but… he’s hurt.”

“Most of them will be hurt by the end of this,” Roseluck said as she indicated the field with a nod of her head. “But, that’s just the nature of it. Earning victory in the Imv’klech Vl'tanas is one of the most important things in a stag’s life outside their duty as defenders of Himavanata.”

That’s almost the exact same thing Raven said, Sunset groused to Philomena.

So it's probably true.

It still feels like too much just to ‘sire the next generation,’ whatever that means.

Your guess is as good as mine, Sunset.

Roseluck went silent, a subtle, odd look forming on her face as she looked down on the field.

“And, they won’t stay hurt for long. General Sentry will see to that.”

Sunset stole a look at the general, before returning her attention to Roseluck, an incredulous frown forming on her face as she did.

“Call me skeptical, but he doesn’t seem like someone who’d bother to learn renewing magic.”

“You’d be surprised then,” Roseluck said with a titter. “But he’s not going to be using renewing magic, Sunset. Watch.”

Turning her attention back to the field, Sunset saw that the last of the stags had finished their fights, and had reconvened around the general. Most of them were injured, a couple so severely that they had to be aided by their fellows, with gashes, cuts, bruises and puncture wounds staining their fur and scales red with blood. Yet, looking at them, Sunset could have sworn that they were less injured than she expected. Once the stags were in place, the general bent down and pulled the two stone daggers out of the ground, sending out two tendrils of flame to wipe the blades clean of dirt.

“Val’tethia im’ell ith’teleca,” General Sentry said, his arms tensing and his grip on the daggers tightening.

“Val’tethia im’ell ith’teleca,” the stags replied in unison.

Then, General Sentry lifted the knives.

And drove them into his pectoral muscles.

Sunset was too shocked by the display to comprehend what was happening. As much as she hated General Sentry, the sight of him carving his chest open filled her with revulsion. Especially when he didn’t remove the blades, but instead began to slowly pull them diagonally, allowing the edges to carve deeper into his body.

But as awful as what he was doing was, it paled in comparison to what she saw happening with the stags. Because as General Sentry slowly dug the blades into himself, the wounds on the stags began to knit and close up.

It wasn’t the rapid regeneration they were undergoing that made her stomach turn with terror. It came from the fact that they weren’t dancing, so they couldn’t be calling on the flame. And it wasn’t any kind of inherent regeneration, since it didn’t begin until the general began cutting himself. Which meant that they were obviously using magic of some sort.

But one that didn’t use flame.

Not… flame…

No… it can’t be… Sunset sent.

Can’t be what? What’re they doing?

Sunset didn’t answer. She couldn’t.

Because there was one kind of magic she’d read about in the cathedral’s library under Queen Celestia’s guidance that could do what she was seeing. It all added up. General Sentry wounding himself. The stags beginning to recover as he bled. How mild their wounds seemed after their fights had ended, despite how many times she’d seen them injured.

But the implications of the kirintal wielding it were beyond imagination. Not just that they carried that type of magic or what it was capable of, but who it came from.

Glancing to her left, she saw Roseluck calmly the spectacle below. She’d know for sure.

“Roseluck?” Sunset asked under her breath, her stomach twisting as Roseluck looked her way. “Are they using shadow-magic?”

For what felt like an eternity, Roseluck didn’t reply, leaving the air thick with trepidation. Closing her eyes, she let out a soft sigh before opening them and looking back towards the field. From the top of her throne, Amara let out a soft trill and shifted slightly.

“They are, Sunset.”

“But that’s the magic of The King of Monsters,” Sunset said, doing her best to keep from yelling. “Why are we allied with people that serve that beast?”

“They don’t serve him, Sunset,” Roseluck said with a slow shake of her head.

“But they use shadow-magic.”

“And the flame,” Roseluck said. “Kirintal bear both kinds of magic, Sunset. I’m surprised you didn’t learn that from Raven.”

Sunset felt her face flush with embarrassment, as she shrunk back slightly, grabbing and wringing the edge of her dress.

“I… may not have been paying attention,” Sunset admitted guiltily as she glanced up towards Raven. “But still, they have shadow-magic, so they have to be allied to him.”

“If that was true, Sunset, the raptorians and the changelings would be allied with Queen Celestia and Solaria, not be our sworn enemies,” Roseluck said, giving Sunset a sidelong look. “Let me ask you something. Do you think Queen Celestia would ever let us ally with people that serve her brother?”

Sunset began to reply, but stopped before the words formed in her throat. That was something she hadn’t considered at all..

“No… I suppose not,” Sunset slowly admitted.

“Exactly,” Roseluck said, reaching down to place her hand on Sunset’s shoulder and give her an affectionate pat. “If they were allied with him, they wouldn’t have ever been allowed into the Solar Alliance. But they were. So, they can’t be his allies, right?”

“I guess,” Sunset said, her attention turning back to the field.

General Sentry had finally pulled the stone blades out of the long gashes on his chest. Once the blades were out, all of the stags bowed to him, their wounds completely gone. Closing his eyes, General Sentry took several deep breaths, his own injuries beginning to slowly mend themselves. After a few minutes, the only trace that he’d been injured was the still wet bloodstains on his chest and knives. Sheathing the knives under his robes, he began to exit the stadium with the stags.

“It’s still scary,” Sunset admitted.

“It can be. But shadow is just another part of Harmony. Just like flame and gloaming. Any magic can be used for good or ill.”

“But it’s how the wielder uses it, not the magic itself, that makes the difference” Sunset said softly, recalling what Queen Celestia had said about the nature of the flame in her first lesson. Do you think that’s what Raven wanted me to see?

Does it relate to politics in some way? Phiomena sent, along with a feeling of warmth and support.

I don’t know. Maybe? I mean, I thought shadow magic was bad, but apparently it isn’t? Maybe the lesson is that there are things that I might think are bad at first, but turn out to not be? I thought all shadow-magic users had to serve The King of Monsters, but that isn’t true. Just like I thought all Helipolans would be night-lovers after meeting them for the first time, but it turns out there are good ones too like Redheart, Fancy, Fleur and Snowfall.

That… might be part of it, but I think it’s a stretch, Sunset. That’s not really about how the fights and the whole thing are like politics. Just shadow-magic.

Well, do you have any better ideas?

No… Philomena sent sullenly.

*****

Looking out of one of the building’s windows, Sunset glared nervously up at the sky. As she did, a mild feeling of queasiness started to form in the pit of her stomach. At her best estimate, there was less than an hour left of the Queen’s light. The thought of being outside after dark wasn’t one she cared much for, even safely ensconced in the inner ring of Rose’s Blossom. But the dread of being out under the Traitor's moon was only part of her discomfort.

Because for some twisted reason, the final event of the day, and one she’d been least looking forward to, was about to commence with the impending darkness of night just on the horizon.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset fell in line with the other phoenix-born as they walked towards the large double door leading out of the banquet hall and into the open air plaza where they were going to spend the next two hours “mingling.” Or, at least, Raven and the other adults were. Sunset suspected that she wasn’t going to be doing much other than standing around and watching.

At least she hoped she wouldn’t have to participate. As boring as it would be, she’d rather that than have to talk to any of the nobles. Though neither were really all that appealing when she could be doing something more productive with her time, like working on getting her magic back, or practicing her runes. Fire and light, she’d if she was going to wish, she’d ask to be given access to a blacksmith shop so she could work an anvil for a few hours.

Anything fun instead of having to play “pretty doll” for the goat-lickers.

Well, she supposed that not all of them were goat-lickers.

The feeling of warm feathers pressing up against the side of her head jolted Sunset out of her melancholy. Leaning into Philomena’s side, she let her feelings of gratitude flow to her bondmate. In return, the phoenix let out a soft trill, rubbing her cheek against Sunset’s temple.

Sunset felt a hand gently rest on her back and begin rubbing a small circle. She found herself relaxing a little, even managing to smile a little at Roseluck, who gave her an encouraging smile in return.

“Just stay close,” Roseluck said.

“Right,” Sunset said, her voice lacking energy.

“It’ll be over before you know it. Then we can head back to the estate to relax.”

“And do it all again tomorrow,” Sunset said with a pout.

“Little miss,” General Sentry’s voice cut in, “you’ll be doing this for most of what will hopefully be a very long life. The sooner you accept that there are things you need to do for the greater good of Solaria, the better.”

Sunset’s improving mood rapidly was doused as she looked past Roseluck and Raven to glare at the general.

“Like stabbing yourself?” Sunset asked, a cruel smile gracing her lips. “I bet it hurt.”

Much to her chagrin, the only response General Sentry gave her was a slightly quirked eyebrow as he looked down at her.

“Yes, actually,” General Sentry said. Then his voice turned grave and his expression hardened. “Of course, if you think that’s the worst pain that I, that any of us besides you, have ever endured, you have no idea the depths of torment and humiliation one can survive. Face the likes of Hydea or Nightcrawler, and you’d find cutting yourself open to maintain an alliance is nothing.”

“Save your breath, sir. The emberling’s never faced real hardship or suffering before,” Spitfire said as she scratched Akari’s chin. “If she had, she wouldn’t be such a brat about all this.”

“Spitfire, Steel, enough,” Raven said flatly. “Need I remind you that you were in her place once? She just needs time.”

“As long as she doesn’t insult our allies so blatantly again,” General Sentry said, Vestian giving Sunset and Philomena a hard glare. “But you know as well as I do that the real world’s not going to let her stay ignorant forever. The last two days have been proof enough of that.”

“I’m keenly aware of what’s at stake, Steel,” Raven said as she opened the doors to the courtyard.

“Of that, I have no delusions.”

Sunset found herself staring indignantly at Raven and Steel as they exited the building.

I hate it when they talk about me like I’m not even here, she sent as she fell in with Roseluck.

Sunset, is there any part of this you don’t hate?

Spending time with Roseluck and getting to have fun with my chat-lecti, Sunset sent after a few moments of contemplation.

Well, obviously, Philomena sent, her tone light and cheeky.

Don’t be smug. That’s Raven’s job.

No, her job’s being right.

Aren’t you supposed to be on my side? Sunset sent with a hard mental shove.

I am. But how often has she been right in the end? Philomena sent, ignoring Sunset’s little bit of retaliation.

I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.

You just did.

Sunset simply gave her bondmate a sidelong glare as a slow sigh escaped her nose.

*****

“Lady Philomena, Lady Shimmer, it is my honor and privilege to meet the both of you at last,” a green skinned, brown haired and eyed fire-caller man with a white soul gem dressed in a very fine Eastern style suit said as he bowed to Sunset. He, along with Sunset, Philomena, Roseluck and Ammara were all standing within a ring of prominence knights near one of the plaza’s grassy lawns. “Permit me to introduce myself. My name is Marquis Almond Swirl of House Prunus in Clan Amygdaloideae. I believe you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my dear niece before.”

Sunset put on the best smile she could and curtsied to the Marquis, even as her guts protested angrily, sending a feeling of nausea up her throat. One she had to fight down before replying, “The pleasure is all mine, Marquis Swirl. Though, if you’ll excuse my asking, where and when might I have met your niece? The last few months have been something of a blur.”

“Ah, forgive me, your grace. Her name is Cherry Jubilee. She was one of the innocents roped into that heretic Highblood’s blasphemous scheme.”

“Oh,” Sunset said sheepishly, before nodding. “I wouldn’t exactly say we’ve properly met, no, but I do remember her. Is she well?”

“As well as can be expected after the events of the ascension,” Marquis Swirl said with a slight nod and a dismissive wave of his hand. “She’s told me that she’s actually quite relieved at the outcome. She was worried that she’d have to abandon her house and beloved cherry trees if she was chosen.”

“She sounds a bit like my oath-sister Applejack,” Sunset said, smiling nostalgically as she thought back to her time with AJ at Sweet Apple Acres. Sunset did her best to maintain a pleasant expression as she saw the marquis’s expression shift slightly, before almost immediately returning to his pleasant default.

“This Applejack you mentioned,” he said, “I take it she grows fruits of the same name?”

“Yes, she does. Something of a family tradition since they moved to the Western territory two centuries ago.”

“Two centuries? Do you happen to know their family founder’s name?”

“Gravenstein Cider.”

“My my my,” Marquis Swirl said with a strange smile. “That’s quite interesting. Gravenstein Cider’s family are distant relatives of Clan Amygdaloideae, though they are not officially members as we branched off with the founding of the Eastern Territory. And you say she’s your sister? I suppose that would make us distant cousins as well.”

There was something in the way the marquis was looking at her that made Sunset’s hackles rise a little. Like he was making calculations in his mind. Calculations that Sunset wasn’t sure she was going to like.

“We’re not related like that. Like I said, she’s my oath-sister.”

“Oath-sister?” the marquis asked, his expression shifting to a bemused one.

“Yes,” Sunset said as she pulled up the sleeve on her left arm, pointing to a narrow burn-scar on her forearm, one she’d gained from the first oath she’d taken with her sisters. Looking at the scar, she felt a small pang of sorrow. When she’d taken the second oath, it hadn’t left a scar like the first thanks to her newly acquired immunity to heat. So unlike her sisters, she didn’t have proof of their renewed oath that she could carry with her. That thought alone made her stomach-ache worse. “Back home, we have a tradition of swearing oaths of siblinghood with those we care deeply for. This is the proof of that oath.”

“So you’re not her sister then?”

“I am. Just not by blood. But as far as we and everyone else is concerned, yes, we’re family.”

“I see,” Marquis Swirl said, his tone subtly disappointed. “It’s good to know that Gravenstein’s descendants are doing well. The next time you speak with her, please let her know that her family in the East would be interested in renewing contact. I’d be quite happy to meet some of our long lost relatives.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Sunset said pleasantly.

“As much as I’m sure as you would enjoy continuing this conversation,” Roseluck said,subtly interposing herself between Marquis Swirl and Sunset, “that is all the time Lady Shimmer has for now.”

Sunset could have hugged Roseluck right then and there, if all of their precious “social protocols” weren’t preventing her from doing so.

“Of course, Archduchess Roseluck. Lady Philomena. Lady Shimmer. It’s been a pleasure. If you’ll excuse me,” Marquis Swirl said as he bowed once again, the prominence knights parting to allow him to exit.

Sunset waited until the marquis was out of earshot before slumping down onto one of the benches and groaning loudly, running her both hands through her living flame in frustration. He was the fifth noble she’d had to talk to in the last hour, and she was starting to run out of tinder with the whole thing.

“You’re doing good, Sunset,” Roseluck said, sitting down next to her and rubbing her back comfortingly. “I’m proud of you.”

“Can this just end already?” Sunset groaned, not bothering to lift her head out of her hands.

“I’m afraid not. We’ve still got at least another hour.”

“Dreaming darkness,” Sunset grumbled under her breath.

“Language, Sunset.”

“Sorry.”

“I understand you’re tired and frustrated. I do. But you can’t swear like that. It's not appropriate.”

“Yea, yea…” Sunset grumbled.

Roseluck silently continued to rub her back. After about a minute, she stopped, but didn’t remove her hand.

“How’s your stomach? Any better?” Roseluck asked quietly.

“No. I think something I ate really didn’t agree with me,” Sunset said.

“Would you like some tsujira?” Roseluck asked sympathetically. “It should help.”

“Sure,” Sunset said almost mechanically as she tried to manage a nod.

As Roseluck flagged down one of the servers and put in the request, Sunset began to regret saying yes to the tsujira. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure she wanted to put anything else in her stomach. The ache in her guts had begun just a little while after they’d gotten outside, and had only gotten worse since. The last time her stomach felt this awful was when Rainbow had tried to beat Pinkie in a baking competition.

With the results of said competition leaving both her and AJ unable to eat for a couple of days while they got over the food poisoning.

It was the last time any of them had let Rainbow anywhere near a kitchen.

She just couldn’t figure out what it was this time that could be causing it. If it was something she ate. For all she knew, it was just the stress finally catching up with her.

Sunset, maybe you should ask to go lay down or something, Philomena sent with a palpable sense of fear for her health.

Lifting her head, Sunset leaned it against Philomena’s side.

Raven’ll just think I’m faking it if I do. I just have to bear it, Sunset sent. Besides, I’m too stubborn to let some stupid indigestion get the better of me. Even if it’d be a great excuse to get out of this moorgaunt crap.

Well you’re right about being too stubborn.

Hi platinum, I’m silver, you’re shiny, Sunset sent with a sense of mirth.

Doesn’t make me wrong.

No, just worrying over nothing.

I really don’t believe that, Sunset, Philomena sent, a soft, concerned trill coming from her throat.

Sunset didn’t reply with anything more than a few feelings of encouragement, hoping that they would ease Philomena’s mind. To her annoyance, all they did was increase the intensity of her bondmate’s worries.

It wasn’t long before Roseluck returned with a small mug of the spicy beverage. Taking it, Sunset slowly downed its contents in one long drink, barely tasting the tea as it passed her mouth and into her rebelling stomach. To her relief, the writhing did seem to calm down. At least enough to go for the next round.

“Better?”

“Mildly,” Sunset said, getting to her feet. “I should be okay for now.”

“That’s good.” Roseluck said as she looked around the plaza. “Why don’t we find someplace a little more out of the way to sit. It should be just about time for the main show.”

“Main show?” Sunset asked as Roseluck led her to a tall cottonwood tree surrounded by benches.

Dusting one of the benches off, Roseluck took a seat, indicating to Sunset to join her. Once they were settled, she addressed the prominence knights. “Please inform anyone who wishes to speak to Sunset or myself that we’re taking a few minutes. If they are persistent, you have my permission to remove them. Non-lethally.”

“As you wish, Archduchess Roseluck,” the lead knight said with a bow. The fire-caller made a few quick hand gestures, and the remaining knights spread out to form a larger perimeter around the four of them.

“Roseluck, what in the Queen’s light are you going on about? What show?”

“Over there,” Roseluck said as she pointed with her chin to a cluster of tables. Sunset could see a few members of the Council of Light where Roseluck had indicated, including Duke and Duchess Rich, as well as Chancellor Neighsay and Ruby Prism. To her surprise, she didn’t see Amethyst Mirage or Sapphire among them, nor did she see Sapphire’s pig-sniffing cousin Blueblood. “In fact, I think it’s just about to start. Philomena, would you go with Amara? It’s probably best if Sunset and I aren’t anywhere nearby.”

Feeling the apprehension from her bondmate, Sunset sent a reassuring, Go on. I’ll be fine.

Reluctantly, Philomena hopped off Sunset’s shoulder and took to the air, following her sister as they circled around the plaza to avoid being seen, before quietly landing in one of the trees near the nobles.

“So, are you going to arrest that dreaming hag and her brat of a daughter?”

Roseluck shook her head.

“Language, Sunset. And no, nothing of the sort. However, I told a couple mutual acquaintances of ours about what happened earlier today. Lets just say they weren't very happy when they heard what she pulled,” Roseluck said with a smug smile. “So, they agreed to work with me to give her a little payback.”

“Who?”

“Borrow Philomena’s senses for a bit, and you’ll see.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she did as she was asked, sending Philomena a request to share her senses. Soon, she found herself in two places: one sitting with Roseluck, one looking down at the council from within the branches of a tree.

“So now what?”

“Now, we relax and enjoy,” Roseluck said perkily.

To Sunset’s chagrin, she still had no idea what was supposed to be looking for. At least until she saw a familiar pair of fire-callers approaching. There, arm in arm, were Duke Fancy Pants and Duchess Fleur de Lis, both wearing a very expensive looking Eastern style suit and dress, respectively. Their approach didn’t go unnoticed by the other Councilors. Especially Duchess Rich, who was now watching them with an almost imperceptible look of irritation.

Once Duke Fancy and Duchess de Lis reached the group, they bowed slightly.

“Ve’chalat, everyone. Do you mind if we join you?” Duchess de Lis asked sweetly.

There was a moment of silence as the Heliopolans shared several quick, furtive looks with one another. Sunset could have sworn that they were somehow having a silent conversation of some sort.

“Of course,” Duke Rich eventually said, moving to allow the two of them to enter the circle. “We were just discussing our plans for tomorrow.”

“Quite,” Chancellor Neighsay said. “Things have been rather interesting, have they not?”

“Indeed,” Duke Fancy said as he plucked a snifter and wine glass from a nearby server’s tray, handing the latter to his wife. “How long has it been since the last time we held a Fall Harvest Festival here?”

“Close to ten years, I imagine,” Marchioness Prism said with a bored tone, absently swirling the wine glass of golden liquid in her right hand. “Not that it’s really been worth the trip from Heliopolis so far. Frankly, the only redeeming part of this whole exercise so far is that the Easterners can make proper mead.”

The conversation soon began to drift into the sort of vapid, aimless ramblings Sunset had heard among the nobles when she’d been disguised as one of the sun-touched.

“Roseluck?” Sunset asked.

“Yes, Sunset?”

“Why exactly am I watching this? It’s just the Council talking.”

“Oh, Sunset,” Roseluck said with a sly smile, “it’s far more than that. Just be patient.”

I’d be more patient if I knew it was worthwhile, Sunset sent as she refocused on what Philomena was sharing with her.

At least you’re not stuck serving as a glorified pair of extra eyes and ears.

Sorry that you’re having to do that.

It’s fine. Philomena regarded her sister out of the corner of her eye. Amara doesn’t seem to mind, so I guess this is just something we do.

Sunset was about to respond, only to stop when she noticed a few new players on the field. Namely, a second knot of councilors had arrived at an adjacent table, including Duchesses Redheart and Snowfall Frost, both of whom were making idle conversation. Yet, from the elevated vantage Philomena was providing, Sunset could see that they were watching and listening to what was being said between the group that included Duke Fancy and Duchess de Lis.

There was also a shift in the rest of the Councilors, with both of the Riches and Chancellor Neighsay now acting slightly more guarded, while Marchioness Prism seemed unconcerned.

“So, Spoiled, I hear that you recently took an interest in Eastern glass sculptures,” Duchess de Lis said after retrieving a new glass of wine. “I must say, I am somewhat surprised by this.”

Duchess Rich’s eyes flicked over to both Duchesses Redheart and Frost, before returning to Duchess de Lis.

“In a way, I suppose,” Duchess Rich said, waving a hand dismissively. “My dear Diamond Tiara and I were out and about enjoying the festival, and she insisted on attending one of the shows. I didn’t see the harm, so I indulged her.”

“And what’d you think?” Duke Fancy asked. “ As I understand, you chose to purchase a custom statue for her, so you must’ve been impressed.”

“Not really,” Duchess Rich said with a shrug. “The sculptor had some skill. Nothing too impressive, if I’m being honest. But my dear little girl wanted one, so I got one for her. Nothing more.”

“Quite a generous act, ha’nilem,” Duchess de Lis said, taking a small drink from her wine. “I know such glass sculptures are not inexpensive, particularly when they are custom made.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad,” Duchess Rich said with a saccharine smile. “Truthfully, the sculptor was happy to give my daughter the statue as a gift, once he knew who she was.”

“That was quite generous of him,” Duke Fancy said, though his tone was skeptical.

“It’s true,” Duke Rich said. “The generosity shown by the people out here is always quite impressive, and refreshing. It makes business negotiations very lucrative.”

“No doubt,” Duke Fancy said with a laugh. “Still, such a gift is quite extraordinary.”

“True, chat’vela, very true,” Duchess de Lis said, goin silent for a few moments, then turning to her husband. “You know, this has all given me an idea. We have yet to decide on the theme of our next event in Photon. What do you think of inviting some Eastern glass-makers to our city?”

“Why, beloved, I think that is a marvelous idea,” Duke Fancy said, taking Duchess de Lis’s free hand in his and raising it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on its back. “And I know one artist that must be on the list of attendees, since he has proven himself worth the time of one of our own august circle. Tell me, Duchess Rich, what was the name of the sculptor that so impressed you and your daughter?”

“Hmm, that’s tricky,” Duchess Rich said, tapping her chin. “I think it was ‘something Volcanic.’ I’m sure there’s a vendor list and schedule you could get from the Archduchess’s people if you want.”

“We’ll be sure to do so,” Duke Fancy said. “And when we have this event, I insist on having you and your daughter as guests of honor. After all, if she enjoys Eastern glass sculptures so much, it would be a shame for her to not have the opportunity to see more of them. Perhaps add a few more to her collection.”

“I’ll consider it,” Duchess Rich replied. “If things line up with my and dear Diamond’s school schedule, we might be able to attend.”

“I must agree,” Duke Rich said, placing his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “We cannot commit to something like this so far out. Especially with the uncertainty of our schedules, or Diamond’s. Businesses don’t run themselves after all, and her education is so very important. Wouldn’t you agree, Chancellor.”

“I do,” Chancellor Neighsay said with a nod.

“Oh, I am sure you can make the time,” Duchess de Lis said. “One or two afternoons in Photon are not going to bankrupt you and your ventures. Especially since your company’s sky-rails have made travel so much faster than in the old days.”

“Like I said, we may attend if our schedule permits,” Duke Rich said with slightly more force. “One does not commit to something so high profile without all of the details. I’m sure you of all people can appreciate that, Fancy.”

“I can. But my wife and I can also appreciate the value of artistic enlightenment. It's what Photon is all about, after all. And it would be so cruel to deprive such a sweet little girl of a chance to learn more about a kind of art she clearly adores. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Neither of the Riches immediately replied, though with Philomena’s superior eyesight, Sunset could see subtle lines that may have been the beginning of a frown to form on the edges of Duchess Rich’s mouth.

“We will consider it,” Duchess Rich said.

“That is all we ask,” Duchess de Lis said, before offering her arm to her husband. “Now, if you will excuse us, we have some catching up to do with my family. Vu’chalet’ca.”

“Vu’chalet’ca,” Duke Fancy said as he took his wife’s arm and exited the circle.

There was a strange, almost icy look in Marchiones Prism’s eyes as she watched the two Photoners leaving. With nearly glacial slowness, she turned towards Duchess Rich, her glare growing even colder as she regarded the other woman.

“I have to say, Spoiled, I’m surprised. Who’d have thought your daughter would have taken an interest in dirt-eater art,” Marchioness Prism drawled, swirling her mead in the wineglass. “I do hope this was a mere flight of fancy and nothing more.”

“You have nothing to fear in that regard, Ruby. If you want, we can discuss it later,” Duchess Rich said tersely. “In private.”

“I think that would be a good idea,” Marchioness Prism said as she began to walk off too, leaving Duchess Rich fuming in her wake.

Sunset untangled her senses from Philomena’s, though in doing so she found her nausea was beginning to return again, accompanied by a new, creeping sense of lightheadedness. Swallowing hard, she fought down the unpleasant feeling in her gut to manageable levels.

“Roseluck,” Sunset asked, fighting to keep the queasiness out of her voice, “what was that?”

“Exactly what you were hoping for: Duchess Rich getting her comeuppance for what she pulled with you and Master Volcanics.”

“Really? Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I know it might not. But Fancy and Fleur have put her into a fantastically difficult position.”

“In what way?”

“Well, what did they say they were going to do?”

“Roseluck, not you too,” Sunset whined, leaning back against the cottonwood and lolling her head back as another spike of lightheadedness hit her. In response, the archduchess brought her hand up to her mouth to muffle her laughter.

“Sorry,” Roseluck said with a mischievous smile, “couldn’t help myself.”

“I’m sure I’ll appreciate the joke when my head stops spinning,” Sunset said queasily. At first, she tried to smile at Roseluck, but another wave of lightheadedness hit her, forcing her to close her eyes again and lean back against the tree to avoid toppling over. Through their bond, she could feel Philomena rapidly approaching, as well as the almost crushing amount of worry she was feeling.

Sunset! Sunset! Philomena sent desperately as she landed next to her bondmate, pressing her head into Sunset’s hand and screeching frantically. Enough of this! There’s something wrong with you.

I… I’m fine.

No you’re not!

While she was reassuring Philomena, Sunset could almost feel Roseluck scrutinizing the two of them. Sunset wanted to tell Roseluck she was fine, except she couldn’t find her voice through the dizziness.

“Philomena, is Sunset sick?”

Sunset heard her partner shriek frantically, jumping up onto her lap and flapping her wings. She tried to reach up and pet the phoenix to calm her down. But the next wave of dizziness prevented her from doing so.

“How bad?”

Another round of frantic shrieks came from Philomena.

“…okay,” Roseluck said, rising to her feet and holding out her arm for Amara, “I’m going to talk with Raven and tell her I’m taking you back to my estate. You’re clearly in no condition to be out here.”

“I’m… fine…” Sunset weakly protested, only for the lightheadeness and nausea to force her to stop and take several long, deep breaths. Just as the world began to stop spinning, she heard something. It was faint. But, she knew it was there. Just off in the distance.

It was the sound of laughter.

But not just any laughter.

It was Pinkie Pie’s laughter.

Mena, did you hear that? Sunset sent as she tried to stand, only to slump back down unsteadily.

Hear what?

Pinkie Pie. I just heard her laughing.

No, I didn’t. Sunset, are you saying you did?

Sunset’s response was interrupted as a fresh wave of nausea hit her with the force of an avalanche of petroquines. Slapping her hand over her mouth, Sunset swallowed hard, trying to stop herself from retching.

“Roseluck?” Sunset called out weakly. No sooner did the words leave her mouth than the archduchess was by her side, holding her gently in her arms.

“I’m right here, Sunset,” Roseluck said urgently.

“Could you take me to the washroom? I think I’m about to puke,” Sunset whimpered as the nausea grew more intense, causing her to nearly topple over.

“Can you stand?” Roseluck asked as she took Sunset’s hands, helping her to her feet.

Sunset swayed unsteadily, but managed to stay up with Roseluck’s help. She was dimly aware of the prominence knights forming up around her and Roseluck

“I think so. What about Raven?” Sunset replied, following closely behind Roseluck, her steps unsteady.

“I sent Amara. I’m not leaving you alone,” Roseluck said, gently guiding Sunset towards the building.

Sunset was only distantly aware as they walked, her head spinning out of control as she staggered forward. Desperately, she clung to Roseluck’s hand with both of her own.

“Sunset… hey, Sunset…”

“What?” Sunset muttered as she tried to turn towards the voice she’d heard, barely managing to stay on her feet as she did. That time, it was Rainbow Dash’s voice.

“Sunset, where ya goin?”

“Applejack? Where are you?” Sunset muttered, desperately looking around to find the source of her oath-sister’s voice.

Sunset, what’s going on? What are you hearing? Philomena’s sending was like the roar of a wyvern in her head, rattling her senses.

Mena, not so loud…

“Hey Sunset!” “Sunny!” “Sugar-cube!”

“Stop it.”

“Come on Sunset, we’re right here.” “Why are you teasing us, Sunny?” “Cahn’t yah find us?”

“Shut up.”

“She’s not listening.” “Why aren’t you trying?” “She’s ahs lost as ah snake in ah wash basin.”

“Shut up!”

Sunset staggered to the side, wrenching her hands free of whoever it was that had been holding them. She could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate as she began to become even more lightheaded. Lifting a hand to her face, she tried to cover her mouth again as the nausea began to grow in intensity once more.

Only to freeze in horror at the sight before her.

Rather than healthy skin, the flesh on her hand was blackened and cracked. Before her eyes, her skin began to slough off, revealing rotted, maggot filled flesh below.

“Agh!… Aaaagh!…Aaaaaaghhh!” Sunset screamed, her voice rising in horror a she desperately shook her arm, attempting to dislodge the flesh-eating grubs. Instead, her flailing only seemed to spur them on, as they began to chew through the decaying meat, leaving only gristle covered bone behind.

“sUnseTTTT! whAt’S wrONg?” a strange voice that sounded like the gurgling of a drowning man said.

Looking in the direction of the voice, Sunset let out another horrified scream as she staggered backwards. All around her, the world had deteriorated into a dream. Black, twisted trees covered in long bone white spurs and bloodshot, unblinking eyes stared out at her from fields of writhing, fang-mawed worms. The sky, once the dark black of night, had transformed into a swirling pool of bloody reds and browns, while a giant, full moon floating ominously overhead. Looming over everything were massive structures of raw, bloody flesh and bones dripping with gore, the sound of buzzing flies filling the air with their insistent, ominous droning.

And through it all, the sound of not only her oath-sisters voices coming from all around, but those of Tender Heart and the others at the orphanage, Bronze Hammer, Mr. and Ms. Cake, and everyone else she knew from Golden Tree. Sometimes they whispered. Sometimes they shouted. But it was a constant cacophony bombarding her with demands for her to find them.

But the true terror wasn’t the ghastly trees, worm covered ground, or the relentless assault of the voices of her friends and family. But the creatures.

Each one was some sort of twisted monstrosity that she could scarcely understand. She could only see one of them clearly, but that was more than enough. It resembled some sort of light yellow, hunchbacked, bipedal beetle/mantis creature, its seething, raspberry colored head tendrils and piercing, hungry chartreuse eyes pinning her in place. Sunset could smell the creature’s hot, rotten breath as its mandibles flexed menacingly, as it extended ira raptorial claws to grab and devour her.

“NO!” Sunset screamed, forming her hair into six tendrils that she commanded to become searing hot. “Get away from me!”

The creature recoiled as Sunset’s hair lashed out, nearly striking its claw. As it retreated a few steps, letting out a low, angry moan as it did.

Sunset! Sunset! What’s happening? What are you doing!

Mena! Can’t you see the monsters? We have to get out of here and find Raven and Roseluck!

The creature hunched down, raising both of its arms as though getting ready to lunge forward and tear her apart.

“Stay back!” Sunset screamed, wildly flailing her tendrils in front of herself, causing the creature to retreat again.

Sunset! Stop! That’s Roseluck!

No it’s not!

Yes it is. Look! Philomena’s sending slammed into her mind as her bondmate forced Sunset to see through her eyes. From her own perspective, she was staring down the monstrosity in the twisted landscape. But from Philomena’s perspective in the sky, she could see both herself and Roseluck in the plaza where they’d been having the mixer. Roseluck was keeping her distance from Sunset, who was currently lashing out like a madwoman with her hair tendrils.

What? What’s going on? Roseluck?

Sunset’s attention was ripped away from Philomena’s perspective as the monster let out a blood-curdling wail and began to approach again, its venom filled mandibles and claws flexing threateningly.

“GET AWAY!” Sunset screamed, backing away from the creature and lashing out with her hair, desperate to keep the creature at bay.

The moment the creature stopped advancing, Sunset’s instincts told her that this was her chance to flee. As quickly as she could, she turned and lept into the air, taking flight in the desperate hope that she’d be able to escape by taking to the sky.

She got no more than two feet off the ground before a sudden, overwhelming sense of fatigue hit her. She tried to fight against the drowsiness that was rapidly enveloping her, knowing that if she fell asleep now, she’d be easy prey for the monsters. Yet, the comforting oblivion of sleep was so inviting. So enticing.

The last thing she knew before she gently landed on the worm covered ground and the black oblivion of slumber claimed her was the feeling of Philomena’s desperate sendings of worry for her safety.

Author's Note

So, things have apparently gone awry. What's happening with Sunset? Who, if anyone, is responsible? How will the other phoenix-born react? Can I get back to posting more than one chapter a month? Find out next time on the next episode of Phoenix-born Rising.

Regarding the Imv’klech Vl’tanas, the entire thing is based off the autumn rutting season among many kinds of deer, which the kirintal take a lot of their inspiration from. Stags fight for the privilege to mate with the does and sire the next year's fawns. Because kirintal society is segregated by the sexes, does do not participate in any part of the competition other than to spectate and pick which stag they want from among the winners.

And as for why General Sentry tore himself open like that, its partially to show solidarity and commitment to the alliance, and partially to fill the role that would normally be filled by the older stags. Like with deer, eventually a stag becomes too old to effectively participate in the ritual. But, they still have a way to contribute to the Imv’klech Vl’tanas. Like shades, stags gain the life-energy they need to power their shadow magic through other living things being injured or killed (see here). At the end of each round, the elder stags will injure themselves in a similar manner to General Sentry, offering their own life energy to their younger fellows to aid their recovery, then draw on their own life-wells to heal. Some particularly elderly stags may even allow themselves to die in the process, giving one last gift to the others so that they can be as fit as possible to ensure the future of their people.

As for Sunset's little episode at the end, I can't tell you all how long I've been waiting to get to this. But, I felt it wouldn't have the proper impact if I jumped straight to it after her arrival at the festival. Hopefully I didn't miscalculate and wait too long. Eh, sound off in the comments.