The ruins of the Lost City of Flames were beautiful. The way the sunlight reflected of the orange walls made the city resemble a simmering fire, while magical lights softly illuminated anywhere the sunlight didn’t reach. Black Sun, long since used to the sight, was ignoring this as he sensed the few skeletal workers responsible for keeping the place livable. He’d still been maintaining his old residence, even though he’d been spending most of his time in Ponyville recently. He turned to look at the reason for his new favorite town in Equestria. Twilight was staring wide-eyed at what was once the city square. Sending a quick mental order for his minions to hide, he adjusted his hat, smiled, and began talking to Twilight. "So, Ms. Sparkle, shall we retreat to my living room? I'm sure we can look at some of my older texts and find the potential hiding places of an evil necromancer."
She turned to Black Sun with an annoyed frown. "I’ve told you to stop calling me that, Sun. Just call me Twilight." She paused, looking over the city. "But yes, that would be nice." They began slowly moving through the city, stopping frequently for Twilight to marvel at the architecture. Black Sun was overjoyed at this; it was always a delight to find ponies that shared his love of ancient ruins, even if she loved it more for the history than the challenge.
Twilight continued staring at the buildings in awe as they continued through the streets, but flinched back when she saw a massive pony skull embossed on a building. "Uh, Sun? Didn't you say these were necromantic ruins?"
Black Sun paused his quiet trot. "Well, yeah." Twilight visibly paled, but he waved his hoof. "This is a pretty calm area, though, which is why I set up a safehouse here. If you see a skeleton near here, just leave it alone; these ones aren't exactly dangerous."
That didn’t seem to reassure Twilight much, but she nodded her assent as they continued to move towards the city center. When they reached it, Twilight shook off her fear in order to properly stare in awe; the large tower dominating the central plaza was plated with brilliantly polished bronze and surrounded by magical lights positioned to give it the illusion of a raging inferno. "Is that your house?"
Black Sun let out a laugh and pointed to a two-story building positioned near the tower. "Ha, Nah. Living in the big towers was always Dad's thing. I live in there."
Twilight tilted her head quizzically at Black Sun as he began to move to his house. "Your dad lives in giant towers?"
Black Sun paused briefly, then nodded. "Yeah, Dad likes to research old ruins, and he sets up shop in the biggest tower he can find. Personally, I think he does it as a sort of long-running joke. Just don't mention that to anyone; he gets defensive about his image."
Twilight continued to stare in confusion for a few moments before Black Sun shrugged it off. "But enough about him; let's get in my nice cozy house." He walked up and opened the door while turning to look at Twilight. "It's easier to avoid stairs or a long flight whenever I want to check my private stuff. I've always disagreed with Dad on his choices of homes." He walked through the wide door with Twilight following quickly behind him. However, they both paused at the sight of a periwinkle unicorn browsing through his bookcase.
Trixie Lulamoon didn't even notice their entrance as she lazily grabbed the next book from the shelf with her magic. As she scanned through the first few pages, she began muttering to herself. "Trixie really needs to talk to Black Sun about his sorting system. While his father may like this strange number system, it vexes poor Trixie. Surely he must have that old book on the Flutterponies, or this Dream Valley nonsense."
Black Sun managed to recover his voice. "TRIXIE, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN CANTERLOT!!"
Twilight recovered right after that. "TRIXIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!"
Trixie wasn’t particularly startled by the sudden appearance of Twilight and Black Sun; she calmly returned the book to the shelf and climbed onto a slightly ratty couch with a skeleton design on it. "Yes, the concert was wonderful. Your father bemoaned the fact he was no longer capable of crying the entire trip home. But Trixie is here because he sent her on another job. Apparently, Trixie needs to find the former home of the Flutterponies in Dream Valley. He gave Trixie the necessary survival tools, but mentioned you currently had all the Dream Valley books. We didn't think you'd be here since we had heard you were taking a..." Here she paused and glanced at Twilight for a moment. "Friend somewhere."
Black Sun stared at her for a moment before sighing. "Yeah, yeah. Twilight and I were gonna look through some spots I had mapped out to try and guess where whoever summoned that old pirate ship in Ponyville came from. We were gonna use my old charts and books to narrow it down."
Trixie glanced at Twilight, who appeared to have categorized everything that had just been said and found it wanting. "Wait a second." Twilight pointed at Trixie "Are you saying that Trixie, the showmare that tried to upstage everypony in Ponyville, works for your mysterious father who you’re always super cagey about?"
Black Sun flinched at that. "Not exactly works for... She's kinda his apprentice." He turned to face Trixie. "And the Flutterpony stuff is on the second floor, in my study. It should be near the sketch of what I think Dream Valley looks like now. You have that Windigo charm, right?"
Trixie nodded. "Yes, and your father granted Trixie access to his personal store of shielding cloaks. Trixie should return in a few months, hopefully with some news."
Twilight jumped back into the conversation. "I need some answers, here. How is Trixie, the mare who was a one trick pony, the apprentice of an extremely accomplished explorer who somehow remains hidden?" She turned on Black Sun. "And how come she can just barge into your home whenever the hay she feels like?"
Black Sun paused at that. He had never thought it weird when someone just wandered into his home. Granted, that might just be due to his upbringing; you tended not to worry about the occasional friend showing up unannounced when you lived with someone that routinely had heroes invade his residence. Regardless, he did shrink under her glare. "Well, we're kinda friends, a-and in our line of work if you need a book we normally just grab it from whoever has it and leave a note. W-we can get ahold of each other easily enough if it's an issue."
Twilight stared at the flinching pony before her before huffing at him in annoyance. "Well, that still doesn't explain how Trixie got an apprenticeship to your father."
Trixie giggled at this. "Why, Trixie summoned him, of course. How else could one hope to catch the attention of such an accomplished mage?"
Twilight froze as she heard the soft clop of hoof on face from Black Sun. "Why'd you say that Trix? Now I'm gonna have to deal with it."
Trixie smiled as her horn began to softly glow. "And that doesn't sound like Trixie's problem!" with a soft pop she teleported away, leaving Black Sun to deal with the mess she had made.
He sighed and used a wing to massage his head. "Sorry about that, Twi. Trixie's calmed down since we first met her, but she still gets all great and power-"
He was cut off by Twilight, who had started thinking out loud as she paced back and forth. "How could she summon a mage? Summon spells don't work on ponies. I mean, she could have used a thaumaturgy detector, maybe a message spell?" She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn’t notice the skeletal velociraptor poke its head around the corner from the kitchen. Upon seeing Black Sun it tilted its head. Black Sun raised a hoof to his muzzle, trying to silence its inevitable greeting. It didn't work; his bird let out a chirp at its master. Black Sun dived into the kitchen, tackling his pet out of sight. He heard Twilight from outside his room. "Wait, what was that?"
Black Sun began rubbing the velociraptor on its bony spine. "Nothing, just grabbing some drinks. Soda sound good? I have some water, too, if that's more your speed."
There was a pause before a small sigh came from the other room. Then the soft clops of Twilight walking towards him. He began to panic as he pushed the velociraptor towards the pantry. It looked at him, confused, as he shoved it inside and closed the door. "Sorry, Tooth, gotta keep you hidden. I'll play with you in a bit."
With that done, he rushed to the fridge and opened it. With a relieved sigh, he saw he actually had some soda, and as a bonus there was also some leftover cider from Sweet Apple Acres. He really should thank Applejack for that. He turned to see an approaching Twilight. "Hey, I have some cider, if you’d like that instead."
Twilight nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great. So, was Trixie serious when she said she summoned your dad?"
Black Sun thought furiously as he began passing a bottle of cider over to Twilight. Easy answer; say no, and then come up with a convincing lie. Say literally anything but the truth, and things would be fine. "Yeah, Dad was impressed for days by the circle she used." With that, Black Sun's plans evaporated like dust in the wind. "Ah, crap." Black Sun collapsed in a chair while Twilight stared at him. At least today couldn't get any worse. That was true for the few seconds before Tooth broke down the pantry door and jumped on Black Sun with a happy chirp, nuzzling his face as Twilight stared at it in abject horror. After struggling to push Tooth off himself, Black Sun let out a sheepish chuckle. "Eheh, I can explain?"
*Meanwhile, In Ragar's Lair*
Ragar had just finished talking with Celestia and was happily playing in his alchemy lab. The fact he had accidentally dissolved his arm was just proof that he still had much more forbidden knowledge to obtain. He continued humming as he mixed ingredients into a beaker until a scream broke his concentration, causing him to splatter acid all over his skull. As it began melting he let out a chuckle. "So, the plan did not work. Ragar told him so."
I think you may have had a bit of an issue with the editing, what with the whole chapter repeated and such.
The chapter repeats once it ends. I'm guessing that's not intentional.
So good I read it twice, I didn't even need to scroll back up.
You repeated your self dear author
Specifically around here
Once the editors get to it, this story'll become half of what it used to be.
???
I’m confused why is the chapter repeated? Did I miss something?
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Yeah, I dumbed. Don't post while playing field doctor to an injured foot and on many drugs kids. Also painkillers are super nice.
This is very confusing but despite the chapter repeating was still fun to read.
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The edited version was one copy (I'd like to think I wouldn't miss that), but we work via Fimfiction PM prior to adding new chapters; it looks like there was an accidental double paste. It'll be fixed soon enough, I'm sure.
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Yep, just fixed it boss. Sorry. I busted myself up and went through my work shift via drugs the on site nurse passed my way. I may not have all my faculties.
Always with the cliffhangers. le sigh.
Also, a skeletal raptor is the metal-est pet i can think of.
I think you need to reboot your editor... and here I was all excited for a 3k word chapter too... phooey.
whooops wonders how Twilight is going to react once she calms down
hehe
Hahahaha! Oh, poor Sun. He is trying so hard. This is going to turn into a Lotor/Allura thing I just know it.
That scream was Twilight's brain exploding, wasn't it?
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Fixed, Thanks.
So it that the scream of Twilight's mind breaking in realization or is it Black Sun screaming in frustration!?
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Definitely Twi
This chapter is so good. I can only imagine Twilight's reaction when she know her mentor and foalsitter have known Ragar for years and didn't tell her. Not to mention Shining's reaction.
Shining: Your highness! Why didn't you tell me the son of the abomination terror live in the same town as my sister?
Celestia: Why, yes, didn't I forget to mention he is also the only known male alicorn in the kingdom? I believe they would be a cute couple.
Cadance: Auntie! That was my job! I already have plans and everything!
Wondering if Twi is going to try to exorcise Ragar immediatelyor consult Celestia first.
I love this!
HAHAHAHAHA HOHOHO ho hoooo haaaa.... it never gets old
Now he better be able to give her a good explanation, or he'll lose the mare of his dreams
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Why not both?
I would hardly call her that considering all she was able to do in Boast Busters. Seriously, she out rope tricked Applejack, used Rainbow's rainbow against her and turned Rarity's mane into something resembling seaweed.
I can't remember if it was mentioned in the previous chapters. Is Black Sun somehow disguised as a pegasus or is Twilight just politely ignoring the fact that he has both horn and wings?
Pfffft! Can['t wait to see Twilight's meltdown!
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ye, he is hiding the horn but I can't remember how
I'm kinda getting cadence vibes from Black sun
it seems like he doesn't need to be an alicorn, like how cadence could still do her love magic and...everything she does, without the wings
it seems like he is only an alicorn to prove Ragar can make alicorns, also is he hiding his horn? or does Twilight know he's an alicorn? I feel like a lot of context is missing for this to work, we've gone from comedy between Celestia and Ragar to a story about Black sun and Twilight
I liked him as a colt, he worked into the story nicely, but now? he kinda just gives me vibes of an OC insert, with the typical (twilight and OC fall in love, OC is an Alicorn, OC has a cool life, everything is awesome for OC)
Huh, being raised by someone who avoided Celestia for hundreds of years, you'd think Black Sun would be a little more... prepared to have unexpected visitors, even if he doesn't mind them.
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I'm pretty sure he just always wears a hat to cover his horn.
Yay new chapter. I'm kinda hoping that Black Sun and Twilight don't end up being a couple, because that's a bit cliche.. also I feel like it doesn't really fit the vibe of the story, but that's just my personal opinion.
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ye, thats what it was. hats OP
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I can agree with that. I just love Twi shipping. I think it comes from being engaged to a super-nerd and raised by librarians. Also, There's a reason for all except twi-shipping. So Black Sun's Alicorn-ness will be explained. Worry not my friend.
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Didn't you already explain his Alicorn-ness was due to Ragar's experiment or something similar? I mean, I'm not really that worried, because you are a great author and I trust your judgment since its your own story and you know what's best..
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Yeah,but there was another reason tucked away. More of a character insight I guess. It should be pretty clear later. Sorry if I'm not making a ton of sense. I'm still on some real groovy meds
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Wow, you are such a colossal douche! You're really going to sit there and say, what? That Celestia should have chopped off Cadence's wings? That just because she doesn't need the wings she was born with to do the love magic she got by ascending that they should be taken from her? That since she doesn't need both horn and wings to do her alicorn duty she shouldn't be allowed to have the superfluous appendage and the immortality that goes along with it?
Well fuck! Celestia and Luna don't need wings to raise the sun or moon so why should they get the wing/immortality combo? In fact there really isn't any 'domain' that would require both wings and horn so why not get rid of alicorns altogether?! Verily! Let us venture forth and criticize and condemn all authors who include the inherently pointless alicorns in their stories! Come brothers and sisters of douchery! Let us storm the stories of those cads; Vdrake77, CvBrony, Hoopy McGee, King of Beggars, JasonTheHuman, MadMaxtheBlack, Pen Stroke, Chengar Qordath, and perhaps the most vile of them all Monochromatic!!
EDIT: WHOOOOOO! 666th comment!
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I think you should proceed however you want regarding that. You've made a great story so far, don't let 'cliche' stop you from doing what feels natural to you.
This was hilarious. I take it they never told her anything about his parentage, then? :D
And also that the pesky necromancer that they have all been searching for IS in that tower, or at least within screaming distance?
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I laughed so fucking hard XD
anyway, my point is Hasbro didn't need to make Cadence an Alicorn, they could have made her a unicorn, and still do everything she does. I'm not saying they should cut her wings off, I'm saying they never had to give her wings in the first place. there are whole videos on youtube giving detailed explanation as to why they gave her wings, why she doesn't need wings, all that stuff, i just used her as an example, that tiny scene where Celestia learns Ragar made his son an alicorn is not worth all the after effects of including him as an alicorn into the story, it served no purpose other than a short laugh (or something)
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hmm, ok I'll hold off my slight discomfort about his alicorn-ness for now
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This does seem extremely out of character for Twilight. It was extremely rude and right in earshot of Trixie, making it double-rude.
XD hahahaha i love it, another great chapter!
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While I agree that just having a character be an alicorn isn't inherently bad, this strikes me as a sliiiiiiiiiiiight over reaction.
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Well then you're an fool. Because that was a very extreme reaction... "slight" my nondescript ass. How do you expect to get laughs out of rebuttals to empty complaints without extreme and bombastic delivery? I'm particularly proud of the pomposity at the end, seriously, "cads"! Nobody really still uses that word!
But frankly, I'm tired of the automatic assumption of "alicorn=shit" followed by giving authors grief over it. And an example of it that included something as insane as "the pegasus-turned-alicorn shouldn't have wings" was far too good an opportunity for a comically over-the-top delivery to pass up.
If someone isn't going to bother to put in the effort to use proper and coherent English when criticizing an author and then says really stupid shit on top that is vague and easy to misread then they deserve to have it misread. They also deserve to have their complaint mocked. The other readers, particularly the ones that really like the story, also deserve to get as much of a laugh out of it as possible.
And I mean really, I gave him a pass about complaining about an "OC insert" didn't I? I takes a certain level of crassness to read a story starring, and titled for, an OC and then complain about the existence of OCs. At least 80% of the stories on this site have "OC inserts", meaning any non canon character at all.
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I’m... pretty sure Cadance was born with wings, you know...
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It does, not for the wings and horn, but for the immortality. Otherwise Black Sun would be dead already, or he would have needed to come up with some other way to make him immortal. I think this way makes the most sense given the rest of the story and the universe it is set in.
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don't forget she can teleport, something most ponies can't do, as we have only seen a single pony ever do that, Twilight herself, that should be worth something!
You've had a chance to show us why you chose to make Black Sun an alicorn. I'm starting to guess this is only because Black Sun is the self-insert character here. Can't really see anything other than what someone else previously mentioned as Ragar just being able to make them. Very disappointed. I'm getting some Gary Stu vibes from Black Sun and I'm not a fan.
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(looks at my old comment) darn, the balance between likes and dislikes is gone...pitty
anyway again, my point is, she could have been born a unicorn, they made the story, it was their decision to make her a pegasus so she could ascend into an alicorn, she wasn't a long-running character, she was made a pegasus and in the very same comic (or episode if you don't care about the comics) turned her into an alicorn, they weren't trying to work her love magic around the fact she was a pegasus and decided she needed to be an alicorn for it to work, they decided from the very start that she would be an alicorn, and my point is, she never had to be one, she could still marry shining, she could still be royalty (or even just a pony like twilight) and when the crystal empire came back, since she is the supposed daughter of the princess of that empire before Sombra (kinda) killed her
I make things hard..sigh, ok so for this part of the argument let me start over, she is the supposed daughter of the crystal empire (even though she doesn't shine like them.....god I hate their inconsistency), Celestia knows this, and said it is Cadance's destiny to rule the empire again, so she could still be royalty without being an alicorn (and in the past ponies were also royals while still being normal ponies) so yeah, she could have started off like a normal pony like twilight, then became a royal through destiny, never had to be an alicorn for any of that
she could do everything she has done in the show without wings, aside from the few times she has flown, which can easily be done differently with little to no problem, but alas the ship has sailed, she is the newest pretty pink princess and all the girls (and some boys) want the toys
Edit: sorry about the long rant, I doubt you intend to read it...i really need to stop writing walls of text