The Phoenix and the Dark Prince

Sunset was extremely nervous, more so than when she had gone to the mall with Skipting. To her, going to the mall was one thing.

But bringing the son of a goddess and a shapeshifter, who was also a trained and ruthless assassin, into a place filled with people who strongly hated her? She was certain that at least one person would end up injured, traumatized or dead by the day's end.

The first thing they had to do was introduce Skipting to Principal Calm Judgement, the third principal and secondary disciplinary. It was a necessity she was not looking forward to, since the man also believed that she was behind Anon-A-Miss.

Celestia placed a gentle hand on her adopted daughter's shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Sunset. Everything will be fine," she assured.

Skipting wore the same coat and outfit he had acquired at the mall on Friday. The difference was that his cloak was at its full length and draped over both of his shoulders, he wore his Gryphonian clawed gauntlets, and the Terror Praetor was on his right wrist in the form of a watch. He still had the Twilight Blade and the Kingusureiyā in their hidden forms, with the Night's Embrace strapped to his right thigh as usual.

As the three walked down the halls, students glared at Sunset as they passed. She did her best to ignore them, putting her earbuds in and playing some music on her phone. Skipting stood protectively next to her, studying everyone they passed and immediately memorizing their positions relative to them as a precaution.

They entered the office, and after a few minutes of waiting, they walked into the principal's office. Principal Judgement greeted Celestia warmly, but she looked at Sunset with a subtle, cold stare.

"Good morning to you as well, Principal Judgement. I am here to introduce you to your newest student. I came in last week to give you his paperwork," Celestia said, sitting down.

Principal Judgement looked over at Skipting, immediately feeling a sense of dread wash over him as he looked into the assassin’s calculating eyes, which stared at him with a cold expression, seeming to study him.

The Prince finally stepped forwards and removed his hood. "Principal Calm Judgement, I am Prince Skipting Lunam, son of Princess Nightmare Moon, Diarch of the Night, and Queen Chrysalis, Sacred Mother of the Changeling Swarm. I have been sent here by Mother Suaviter to protect Miss Sunset Shimmer, and to discover the identity of and bring down Anon-A-Miss,” he introduced.

"Miss Shimmer has already informed me of your misguided belief that she is Anon-A-Miss. As such, I would advise you to not put forth your blind accusations in my presence," he said.

He pulled his hood back up and went back to standing near the door, and watched as Celestia and the man spoke, while Sunset sat in a chair next to him, listening to her music. When he looked down at her, he noticed faint tears streaming down her face as she silently cried.

He bent down and embraced the fiery-haired girl in a soft hug, softly whispering words of comfort in her ear. Skipting was already disgusted by this place. This was what Canterlot High School was like? A place full of people who would turn on an innocent girl based solely on the weakest of so-called "evidence" and her past actions? A principal who believed the lies, rather than working to prove the poor girl's innocence? It filled him with anger.

To his relief, Sunset had calmed down by the time they were finished with their business with Principal Judgement. He looked over his schedule with his charge, who was glad to see that they had all seven classes with each other, thanks to Celestia’s request to have the pair together for Sunset's protection.

The school's guidance counselor, a woman by the name of Joyous Pride, was thrilled to see Skipting again. The young Prince was also pleased to see the former Royal Guard again. Although he didn't show it, he was at least slightly flustered by the woman's cheerful attitude towards him, the woman having been one of his caretakers when he was a child.

The pair now found themselves in the commons area, where countless students sat, stood, and walked around, many of them conversing with one another.

Sunset shook in fear, but she was soothed by Skipting when he placed a gauntlet-covered hand on her shoulder. She noticed her friends—Octavia and the girls—coming towards them, and quickly began to calm down as they got closer.

"Good morning, Sunset? How are you, dear?" Octavia greeted warmly with a smile.

"I'm okay, Octavia," Sunset said.

"And how are you, Skipting?" she asked, turning to the Prince.

"I am well, Octavia," he said.

The group went and sat down at an empty table, the girls forming a protective circle around Sunset as they walked, and Skipting scanning the area to watch for any threats.

"I'm guessing you met Principal Judgement?" Lyra asked.

Skipting nodded.

"I must be honest, it was quite a surprise to learn that the counterpart of my dear godfather and trainer is a mere high school principal. However, despite his similarity to my godfather in terms of basic appearance and voice, I noted two key differences between them," he said.

He held up one finger.

"Principal Judgement clearly lacks the wisdom and the calm and understanding personality of my dear godfather. Instead, he chooses to believe the lies that say Sunset is Anon-A-Miss, and he was quick to change his demeanor from warm and friendly to cold and foolish," he listed.

He held up a second finger. "Principal Judgement is quite lacking in terms of subtlety. As I spoke with him, and later as Celestia spoke with him regarding my enrollment here, he frequently gave Sunset cold glares that practically screamed his desire to bring forth his poisoned words. And while I am able to easily read the expressions and body language of others, it is in part due to my work as an assassin, making it almost impossible for others to evade my notice. As such, I cannot say for myself that he lacks subtlety, since it is so easy for me to read him. Sunset and Celestia, however, easily noticed Principal Judgement’s glaring, and as such, I can say that he lacks subtlety, given that they do not have the extensive training I have."

He pulled his attention away from the girls to look over at the Rainbooms, who were glaring at Sunset. To his interest and slight confusion, he saw that two of them, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, weren't glaring, but instead looking at Sunset with sadness. Perhaps they were too afraid to speak up if they believed Sunset’s innocence. It made sense, given the former’s personality, but it made no sense given Pinkie’s personality.

He stood up from the table, but his hand was grabbed by Sunset, who looked up at him with pleading eyes, begging him to stay.

He obliged and sat back down, idly clicking the clawed fingers of his Gryphonian gauntlets against the hard wooden surface of the table, the clicks repeating in a steady rhythm. His fingers danced with a majestic grace, tapping and moving alongside and over and around each other as he tapped the soothing melody.

After almost a minute of this, Ditzy spoke up.

"What's that rhythm you're tapping, Skipting?" she asked.
"It is a ballad that is sung by many back home. It is commonly sung by travellers or storytellers," he replied. "It tells the tale of Skuggastál, the original Midnight Assassin, and my grandfather. It explains his origins, his life, his beginnings and life as the Midnight Assassin, his romance with my grandmother and his raising of Mother Chrysalis and her sisters, and his death. Mother Chrysalis frequently sang it to me as a lullaby when I was young, as a way to help me remember my dear grandfather, who passed away just last year."

"What are you going to do about… them?" Bon Bon asked, nodding her head towards the Rainbooms after a few moments.

"I shall learn whatever I can about them in whatever way I am able to. I shall accomplish this with the use of my skills in stealth, my ability to communicate with animals, and my skills in espionage and observation," he said.

The Language Arts teacher, Miss Carrie Harshwhinny, was a rather stern woman with a professional attitude and zero-tolerance for troublemakers and slackers. Skipting was somewhat impressed with the woman upon meeting her, and the woman herself was seemingly impressed by his manners and polite, formal attitude and manner of speech.

"I must say, it is a pleasure to meet a student who acts the age of a man more than twice his age. What is your name?" she asked.

"I am Prince Skipting Lunam, madam. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Skipting said with a small bow.

Miss Harshwhinny went to stand at the front of the classroom as the bell for the 1st Period rang.

"Good morning, students. We have a new student joining us today, and he is just in time for today’s assignment," she announced, her tone and voice authoritative and stern.

Skipting stepped up to the front of the room and gave a very brief introduction of himself, explaining his heritage, where he came from, and brief details about his life. After his introduction, he sat down in a seat between Sunset and a girl whose name he learned was Trixie Lulamoon. Trixie informed him that she was "The Great and Powerful Trixie", the greatest magician in Canterlot High School, a claim that greatly amused him. The girl was good friends with Sunset, so he knew that he and Trixie could get along quite well, especially given that he had a great friendship with the magician’s Equestrian counterpart. Perhaps he could ask the girl to demonstrate some of her skill to him. He was an avid fan of Miss Lulamoon’s magic shows, as was dear Gwenivere.

Miss Harshwhinny cleared her throat and began to speak again.

"For today's task, you are to write a poem that means something to you, whether it has symbolic, sentimental, personal, or other meaning. Your task begins now."

The students got to work, pulling out blank sheets of paper and pencils, then starting to think. Skipting pulled a small leather-bound notebook out of his satchel, as well as a quill and an inkwell.

The inkwell was made of silver, gold, brass, and iron, with elegant designs along its body in the forms of shadows and trails of wind and leaves. The feathered quill was a feather from his pet raven, Maria.

His quill, after dipping in the ink once the well’s cap was removed, traced along the empty page, writing down a poem he had written years ago as a memoir of his last battle in the Dragovanese War of Independence. As he wrote, painful memories that he had tried his best to suppress began to resurface, and flashes of his time in the war appeared in his mind.

By the time he had finished writing, he was on the verge of tears, the memories too terrible for him to handle. He quickly wiped his face with a few fingers to wipe away any tears.

"Time is up," Miss Harshwhinny said.

The students all sighed in relief, having finished their poems.

The teacher began to pick out students to present their poems to the class, each presenting one-by-one. Soon, everyone but Skipting had gone, and the students all looked at him.

He went to stand at the front of the room again, and, taking a deep breath, began to recite.

What is combat but the final dance?
The world around you ceases to be

This duel has become a game of chance

Neither soldier may back down nor flee

For doing so shall leave the coward in disgrace

Blades clash, blood is spilled, and gunshots ring

One man seeks vengeance, the king seeks to end this race

Flesh is torn, cuts form, and metal sings

Hear the screams of the dying, and the laughter of the lost

Nightmare's Child stabs his blade into the emperor's chest

He falls to his knees, remembering those who'd paid the cost

When the Sun rises, the false ruler slain, the dead may rest

May the people for eternity remember

The Twenty-seven who were lost to the embers

Everyone applauded Skipting for his poem, to which he responded with a deep bow. Now that he had finished reciting his poem, it was time for questions.

Lyra was the first to raise her hand.

"What does that poem mean to you?" she asked.

"That was a poem I wrote as a memoir of my final battle with Batuhan, the Mongol leader who had taken control of Dragovan, during the Dragovanese War of Independence. I wrote it two months after my return home," Skipting said.

"I'm guessing the Dragovanese War of Independence was fought because the people of Dragovan were trying to free their home from the Mongols?" Bon Bon asked.

He nodded. "That is correct. The Mongols had invaded and enslaved the island of Tsushima, Dragovan in the year 1274 C.R. Dragovan was allied with Aequalitatem, my country, and when they decided they had had enough of the Mongols, they began to rebel," he informed.

"Because we were allied with them, we decided to aid them in their war, supplying them with soldiers, supplies, and weapons. The war officially began on June 3, 1863 L.R, and ended three years later on August 15, 1866 L.R. When the war was over, the Mongols' rule had finally ended, and the Emperor took his place back as ruler."

Once all questions were asked, some of which he refused to answer due to personal reasons, Skipting sat back down in his seat. Upon sitting down, he saw that there was a note on his desk. Picking it up, he unfolded it and read it.

Meet me in my office after class. I will have a student bring you to my office.

The note intrigued him. It was clearly from a staff member, but it did not make sense. If a staff member wished to see him in their office, why would they tell him in the form of a note? Why not just make an announcement over the P.A. system?

Class ended, and Skipting found himself standing alone in the hallway, waiting for whoever this person was sending to collect him.

He did not have to wait long, as a girl approached him.

She had elegantly curled grayish mulberry hair with pale, light grayish rose streaks, and pale, light grayish harlequin eyes. Her skin was pale, the color of snow. She was rather short, standing at about five-foot-four, leading the young Prince to assume she was what students called a "freshman", or perhaps a grade or two below, as the school taught grades sixth through twelfth. She looked to be about fourteen.

"Are you Skipting Lunam?" she asked, her voice high-pitched.

"Indeed I am. And you are?" he said.

"Sweetie Belle. Rarity is my older sister," she said.

She beckoned him to follow, and he obliged. They soon came to a door with windows on either side. There was a plaque next to the door.

Luna Mond

Vice Principal and Disciplinary

Sweetie Belle knocked on the door and entered upon receiving permission to enter.

"Thank you for bringing him, Miss Belle. Now would you kindly run along to your next class? I have already informed your teacher of your reason for being tardy."

The voice brought Skipting's attention to the desk at the back of the room. The room itself was rather dark, as the lights were off, so he couldn't make out the woman's appearance. But he could make out her shape in the darkness.

The door opened, then closed, signaling Sweetie Belle’s departure.

"Have a seat."

Skipting walked towards the desk and sat down. The woman stood up and went to the door, where she pulled the blinds down to prevent people outside from looking in. She came back to the desk and sat down in her seat, then turned on a ceiling light via a small switch on her desk.

The light was dim, giving barely enough light to see properly, but giving just enough for the young Prince to effectively see the woman before him.

Her moderate sapphire blue and pale, light grayish persian blue hair reminded him of Mother Nightmare, her star-patterned, ethereal hair so soothing to him. Her moderate opal eyes were calm and calculating, with a stern expression. They looked at him as though studying him. Her face bore a stern, calm expression.

“It’s good to see you again, Skipting. My sister informed me of your first meeting with Principal Judgement, and how you were rather cold towards him," Luna said.

"I will admit, I was cold towards him, but only because he was being rude to Sunset. He frequently glared at Miss Shimmer, and I am sure he would have expressed his misguided beliefs had I not interrupted him," he replied.

"He also informed me that you mentioned that your mother sent you here to protect Sunset, and to discover the identity of and bring down Anon-A-Miss," she added.

"That is correct, although you already know this."

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Why is it that you sent me a note requesting an audience with me, rather than simply announcing it?" he asked.

"I would like this conversation to be kept as discreet as possible. Many students do not like visiting or speaking with me, and many dislike spending detention in my office with me. If students learned that the new student had to speak with me on his first day, I believe it would lead many to believe that you are a troublemaker, or someone to be spiteful towards. Besides that, I merely wished to speak with you without disrupting your class," Luna responded.

He nodded.

“I see. What else did you wish to speak with me about?"

"There are a few students in this school who I believe will be willing to help you. A few of them are friends with the Rainbooms, and some of them have various connections and access to various resources. I also have a few friends who I will ask to help you in whatever way they can, or with whatever you may need or want."

She pulled out her wallet and removed a selection of cards, which she slid across the desk to him. They were small plastic cards, the size of those odd cards he had seen Sunset using during their trip to the mall, which she said were called "credit and debit cards".

He picked one of them up.

Discord Kaos
Old Container Port in South Canterlot (Secondary Residence)
1321 Chaos Boulevard (Primary Residence)

He looked at Luna.

"This man has a residence located at an abandoned container port?" he said quizzically.

The woman nodded.

"It's impossible to find his place if you don't already know where it is, or if you don't have any clues as to its location. No one goes there because of the protection around it. There are nonlethal turrets, barbed wire, electric fences, electronically-controlled gates, security cameras, and other forms of traps and security measures all over the area. It's practically impossible to even get inside the area if you don't know how, or if you aren't one of Discord's friends."

"This man sounds like the very paranoid type," he mused.

She chuckled.

"Not exactly. While Discord may be wary of others, he's rather fond of creating chaos and mischief. I'll make sure to let him know you're helping us if you decide to stop by the port, so you don't get shot, electrocuted, or have some other painful thing happen to you when you get there. I'll also make sure to let you know when he's at home and when he's at the port, but he'll most likely be at the latter."

He picked up the second card.

Chrysalis Dumont
The Dancing Star (Workplace)
East 2nd Street, across from Blossom Spa
(Ask for Ravenous Desire)
2219 Hive Road (Residence)

"Judging from the alternate name listed on this card, I assume this woman is some sort of dancer?" Skipting asked.

Luna nodded.

"Chrysalis is one of my best and oldest friends, as well as my wife. Her career as a pole dancer fits her personality, and her seductive appearance and attitude very well. If you choose to visit her while she's at work, just ask for her by her stage name. And do be careful while you're there. The employees there don't take kindly to strangers."

"What do you mean?"

"A lot of people go to the Dancing Star for alcohol and to watch the dancers there. The manager is at least somewhat respectful, but he has little sense of dignity or decency. He and the employees know every single person that comes to the club. They only allow normal patrons, and close friends and family of the employees to enter. So the employees there, and most likely some of the patrons, will be rather rude to you, and some may even try to start fights," she informed.

"I am perfectly capable of handling myself in a fight. I am quite used to getting involved in bar fights, as I often went to bars in Southern Canterlot back in Equestria," he said.

"Very well then. If you do not have any further questions, I believe we are finished here. You may proceed to your next class. I have already informed your teacher of your reason for being tardy, just as I did with Miss Belle."