Author's Note

Hi! Hello! It is I, the author.
So, this is Broken Promises, the first work in a series. I'll be uploading most of my stuff here over the next couple days, with a few tweaks to make them FIMfiction compliant. But, I warn, my works are formatted and posted primarily to the Archive Of Our Own, AO3, and that's where you'll find all of these in their original forms. I'll put this same notice on most of the fics I post, especially the ones in this series. I don't know if im allowed to put links in? So if someone either lets me know if im allowed or asks, I'll get you that archive link. Otherwise, you're searching for wwolf_ig, and for this series, 'Where The Sun Goes.'
Anyways, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy, and goodnight! <3

One

Sunset Shimmer hated it. Hated everything about it.

After all, it should never have happened. She shouldn't be in this situation. But here she was, dressed in black, stood over an empty pit, trying her best not to break down crying, and the coffin hadn't even arrived yet. Some part of her knew it wasn't her fault, but the rest of her blamed herself for not being stronger. For being better.

She should have been able to stop this.

Her breath caught in her throat as it came into view. A delicately carved oak wood coffin, carried on the shoulders of four earth ponies. Sunset felt her heart, already broken and smashed to tiny pieces, shatter into a million miniscule parts. The quartet carried the coffin carefully, delicately, like it was a piece of fine china owned by Princess Celestia herself. Sunset appreciated it, as if they'd dropped it, she wasn't sure she would have been able to stop herself incinerating all four of them on the spot.

Wind-chimes tinkled in the warm, soft, spring breeze, and Sunset smell the cherry blossoms that surrounded them mixed in with the scent of a nearby brook that could be faintly heard in the distance. It was peaceful, it was serene. The sun shone brightly in the sky, and Sunset couldn't help but realise how much she would've liked this if she was still alive. She could picture it now, sat together under a blossom, staring out as the sun set on the horizon. Words snapped her back to reality.

The sad, cold, lonely reality.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of the Pegasus, Sunray Shimmer, lieutenant of the Celestial Guard."

Sunray swooped past Sunset's head, snatching the ball from her magic's grip.

"Wha- hey!"

"Too slow, Sunny!"

Sunset laughed at her little sisters lopsided grin as she flew past her, upside down.

"Just wait, Ray! I'll get you yet!"

The duo giggled as Sunset began chasing after Sunray, the formers magic occasionally grabbing at the ball in Sunray's hooves. Sunball was a game of their own invention, not too dissimilar to the hoofball enjoyed by Earth Ponies, but instead tailored to place Unicorns agains Pegasi. And the sisters were the best players around. Of course, they were the only players around, as none of their other friends had the magical skill or wing strength required to hold the ball or fly for long enough. Sunset and Sunray were different, gifted, stronger than their peers.

Sunset, born during the sunset of the summer sun celebration, was a magical prodigy, having already mastered basic hold and illusion spells, and was beginning to practice limited levels of fire magic. Her parents wouldn't allow anything more until she got into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, or CSGU. Nopony had any doubt she'd get there.

Sunray, born during a rare solar eclipse, was a gifted flyer, who had basic control over her wings before she could talk, and that trend had only continued, with Sunray quickly becoming the talk of her school and the fastest flyer of her age bracket. With skills like hers, there was no contesting that Sunray could easily become top of whatever flying thing she wanted to do, be it the Wonderbolts, or, Sunray's preference, the Royal Guard.

Sunset was a couple years older and loved her sister more than anything. The pair would often go missing for a day to be found in a field playing games together, or Sunset would be practicing magic while Sunray watched, or Sunray would be flying while Sunset watched. They were inseperable.

"Hah! Catch me now, slowflyer!"

Sunset had finally grabbed the ball from between Sunray's hooves, and quickly darted underneath her sister and headed for her goal, closer to the forest. She hear Sunray gasp in mock astonishment at Sunset's taunt.

"You didn't!"

Sunset giggled as she ran at full gallop towards the goal, flicking her head as the tossed the ball towards the posts set in the ground.

"She shoots! She-"

Sunset watched in astonishment as Sunray's amber body streaked past her, grabbing the ball in outstretched hooves and skidding to a halt. Sunray let out a cheer, and Sunset couldn't help but laugh. Her sister was incredible.

"I didn't even know you could go that fast!"

"Neither did I!"

They giggled together in a heap scuffling loosely over the ball.

That was when Sunset heard it. A low growling, followed by a creaking noise, and then the smell hit her. It was overpowering. It could be only one thing, but they weren't meant to come this close to town. Timberwolves were meant to stay away.

"Sunray! Run!" She gasped.

"Wha- oh!"

Sunray's eyes widened in panic, and she grabbed Sunset between her hooves and began flying away, but Sunset knew she was too heavy for Sunray to carry and outfly a fully grown timberwolf. She shook herself out of her sister's grasp.

"No! Get help! If we run straight to town, we'll be endangering anypony outside! Go to the town hall!"

"I can't leave you!"

"You have to! Sunray, quick! I'll be fine!"

Sunset could see the hesitation in her sisters eyes, so to prove her point, Sunset lit up her horn and span, shooting fire at the timberwolf. It wasn't controlled, and Sunset couldn't focus it into an efficient spell yet, but she could summon it, and that would be enough to hold it away until somepony else arrived. She hoped.
She heard an irritated grunt followed by rapid wingbeats as Sunray flew towards the town. Sunset was broken out of her thoughts as something snapped near her ear, and she realised with a start there was a second timberwolf. She couldn't deal with two.

Sunset gasped as she let flame flow from her horn, burning the nose on the closest timberwolf. It yelped before leaping at Sunset, and she scrambled under it before rolling under the second and burning it's belly. Dodging Sunray's flying grabs really did help in a pinch. Sunset fled from underneath the first timberwolf as it reared away from the flames, and noted with satisfaction that the second had yet to recover from the leap. Sunset sprinted towards the town, and in the distance she could see a party of unicorn and pegasi headed her way, Sunray in front. It would be enough - she just needed to wait for them to get to her. With a grunt, Sunset span, unleashing an arc of fire that lashed at the pursuing timberwolves.

Then, Sunset squeezed her eyes shut, muttering to herself. She felt magic building in her horn, felt power flowing through her. She could do this.

Sunset let out a yell, and opened her eyes to see a magic flaming arrow slam into the chest of the closest timberwolf, watched it pass through, and watched the timberwolf collapse into a burning heap.

I did it.
I actually did it.
I made a fire arrow, I destroyed a timberwo-

Lights exploded in Sunset's brain, and she felt herself lift off of the ground. She could feel magic swirling through her body and felt a heat on her flank. It ended as quickly as it began, and she stumbled as she hit the floor. The second timberwolf reared at her, hesitated, and then fled back to the wood.
Sunset hit the ground with a thud as she was bowled over by Sunray, who had been watching in amazement.

"OhmyCelestia, Sunset, you did it!"

Sunset did a little celebration dance as she squealed, tapping her hooves on the floor one after the other in rapid succession, like she was running in place.

"I did it! I did it!"

"And wait! You've got your cutie mark!"

Sunset froze.

"I do?"

"Yes!"

Sunset turned to look at her flank, and there sat a dual-tone sun emblem, a kind of ying yang of yellow and red.
She let out another squeal and jumped at Sunray, pulling her into a hug.