Shining Dash

by Ianpiersonjdavis

Reconciliation

The look Celestia had given Sunset during breakfast was one she had become all too familiar with during the time of her studies; it was the ‘see me after class’ look most teacher’s gave their students, but in Sunset’s case-she only got it from Celestia when she went over the line, which was far more common for her than any other student at the time.

Sunset and Celestia were the only two remaining seated at the table as members of the castle kitchen staff returned to clear it. The absence of dialogue in contrast to the chatty table earlier lead to an uncomfortable silence, only broken by the sound of hooves and the subsequent clattering from those cleaning. While Sunset’s gaze did not waver, Celestia looked towards a mare with a tan coat and a brown mane tied back in a bun wearing an apron with the Cutie Mark of a spatula as she began clearing her plate, glass, and silverware.

“Thank you, Copper.”

Instead of replying, Copper Spatula merely nodded. Out of everyone that worked in the castle, she was by far the most bashful and Celestia went out of her way to be extra kind to her in the hope that she might come out of her shell one of these days. This had been going for over two and a half years now, but she hadn’t given up yet. Her interaction with Copper this morning however, also served a dual purpose as she hoped to set an example for Sunset to follow when speaking with others as every conversation she had witnessed her participate in was full of hostility.

Once everyone else had exited the dining hall, Celestia stood up from the table as Sunset approached her. Instead of being furious or hurt as Sunset had hoped for, she appeared to be mildly irritated at the most. Still, she had to give the Princess credit for the level of restraint she was showing.

“Sunset…what has provoked you into such malicious behavior thing morning?”

“I saw Twilight’s Cutie Mark.” She replied simply.

“And? How does the design of one’s Cutie Mark provoke hostility?” Celestia pressed.

That always got on Sunset’s nerves-even when she did something Celestia perceived to be ‘wrong’, instead of yelling, she always asked what caused her behavior-but, she was always so calm about it.

“Before I left, I saw a sketch in a book-The Tree of Harmony-and before you try playing coy, I went on a little trip to the Everfree near your old castle and a saw the eyesore jutting out from the ground with the exact same indent as the Element of Magic; a six-point star.”

“I see.”

“Taking into account how quickly you went to work replacing me and the fact that sent this replacement to Ponyville to make friends little over a day before Nightmare Moon’s return leads me to believe that not only were you aware that she would escape from her imprisonment-but, you had planned for it and Twilight and I were nothing more than puppets for you to achieve the goal of stopping her and getting Luna back” Sunset elaborated.

“Twilight may be blinded by her adoration of you-but, I’ve been dealing with those who claimed to love me manipulate me since the day I was born. And unlike her, I’m not afraid to call you out on it. I left because I knew you were just jerking me around until I could be useful to you-the only problem was the fact that I wasn’t the pawn you needed to achieve your goal.”

“Yes…” Celestia admitted, shamefully. “I did use the two to get Luna back and I am not proud of what I’ve done-but, she is my sister.”

“You say that like it’s supposed to mean something to me.” Sunset scoffed. “My family threw me out like garbage when I was no longer useful to them, remember?”

“Yes, I do.” Celestia replied softly. “And perhaps if I kept that in mind while teaching you, perhaps I would have been more understanding…and I do regret deceiving you, but after one thousand years of waiting for a chance to see my sister again-to rectify a mistake I’ve made in the past-I was growing desperate.”

“You still didn’t need to go about it in such a roundabout way.” Sunset retorted before her expression softened. “If you were just honest with me and just asked me for my help, I would have given it to you.”

Celestia was taken aback by this, as a filly Sunset seemingly had no interest in anyone’s problems, but her own.

“When I was your student, you were always so unnecessarily cryptic-no matter how far I advanced in my studies-you never stopped treating me like a child. And if you keep manipulating others like this, then what are they supposed to think? Because here’s what I thought dealing with all this; ‘maybe this whole benevolent ruling thing is just a façade and Celestia’s really just a manipulative sociopath, like Discord?’”

Despite being floored by these accusations, Celestia still recognized that Sunset was making a few valid points.

“Very well,” Celestia agreed, regaining her composure. “Centuries of keeping forbidden knowledge from the public may have developed into some bad habits…even in Equestria’s more peaceful periods, but I’m afraid the only consolation I can offer is that I will try to be more honest with you from now on. Is there anything in particular you wish to know?”

“Yeah, it’s about Starswirl.”

“What do you wish to know about him?”

“Today, just about everyone who knows about him believes that he created over two hundred spells. But, after doing some extensive research while you were entertaining guests at the Gala-I realized he was a fraud. He developed fifty spells himself, at the most-but, his legends all seem to conveniently leave out the dark magic he used to create the rest.”

“…And you wish to know why I kept this detail from the public.” Celestia finished “There are a few reasons for this.”

“I’m listening.”

“At the time, the spell from the book he used inspired him-but, it also caused him to lose reason as he became more creative with his spells.” She explained. “It wasn’t until Luna and I confronted Starswirl and opened his eyes to the damage he was causing that the spell’s manifestation lost its hold over him. Guilt quickly overcame him and the knowledge that Equestria’s greatest wizard was not only using dark magic, but controlled by it would lead to others becoming distrustful of one who had merely made a mistake.”

“Mistake?” Sunset repeated.

“Yes,” Celestia continued. “He originally sought the book out in the hope of increasing our knowledge in the art of restorative magic-an end to disease, physical handicap, and mental illness. However, sensing his vast magical prowess; the book had taken control of him. This is the other reason I have kept this secret and hidden the book for the past few centuries, to avoid the potential for other Unicorn’s being tempted by the power it holds and trying to seek it out.”

“Do you have it now?” Sunset pressed, taking an anxious step forward.

“I know of its location, but I do not have it with me.” Celestia replied calmly, despite knowing fully well Sunset’s intention. “There is no doubt in my mind that you are planning will work, however that is only until you factor in the spell’s influence on its caster.”

“But, if we had the book then why could easily push back the Changelings when negotiations fall through-and they will fail.” Sunset retorted. “I’ve heard Shining Armor more than lives up to his name with shield spells that put even the highest level of Unicorns to shame, just imagine the power and versatility of his technique when aided with a little inspiration, evacuation may not even be necessary!”

Celestia sighed deeply, she knew that Sunset meant well and that she was probably well aware of the consequences. She wasn’t unintelligent, after all. But, in her mind the end justified the means.

“Starswirl was able to quadruple his magical potential after using it!”

“Yes,” Celestia agreed. “And he paid dearly for it-many did. It was something he regretted for the rest of his life and he made me promise to keep it safe so no one else would fall victim to its influence.”

She didn’t like saying this, but Sunset was just so stubborn. Celestia hoped that as someone who had also lost a dear friend-rather recently-that she would understand and respect her decision.

“Sunset,” she continued, her voice and expression softening as she stepped forward. “I know that your heart is in the right place this time, but no matter how powerful you are-you cannot prevent yourself from becoming a thrall once the spell has been cast-in manifests itself into the deepest crevices of your mind, controlling your every action whether you’re aware of it or not.”

‘Please, Sunset…I’ve already lost precious time with Starswirl and Luna due to dark influences-I can’t lose you again, too…’

Instead of trying to push her side of the disagreement any further, Sunset surprised Celestia by backing down.

“Alright,” she replied, defeated. “I don’t like it, but I can see where you’re coming from-but, there is one last thing I’d like to know; the book-is it safe?”

“Yes, it has remained in the same place it has always been for over a thousand years. Only Luna and I know of its location.”

“Well, as long as the Changelings don’t have it-I guess I’m satisfied.” Sunset then turned around and began to leave the kitchen.

“Sunset?” Celestia called out to her softly, causing her to stop. “You do know that I never meant to hurt you or Twilight, don’t you?”

The apologetic nature of her tone did seem sincere and it was still odd to Sunset being around Celestia in such a vulnerable emotional state.

“…Of course,” she replied after a moment of hesitation. “I understand you thought your actions were necessary and your reasons for believing such.”

Celestia actually felt a wave of relief wash over her, after this morning she wasn’t sure if Sunset’s anger would cause her to relapse back into the more extreme patterns of her anti-social behavior.

“With that being said,” Sunset continued, without turning around. “I would appreciate it, if in the future you treat Twilight and I with more respect-we are your students, not a couple of pawns in a convoluted chess game. We are supposed to be able to look to you for guidance, but we can’t do that if we are constantly guessing whether or not we can trust you. If in the future there is some threat to Equestria and you need our help, be honest with us and we will gladly help you. Otherwise…I’m not sure this relationship of ours can actually work.”

Despite herself, Celestia couldn’t help but smile a little. She had feared what Sunset would become when she failed to reach her-and while she was certainly right to after hearing about her various illegal activities, it was comforting to see that she wasn’t wrong about Sunset having the capacity to change. The interactions she had with Peachy Gleam and Flash Sentry seemed to have a much more positive influence on her behavior compared to the Sunset Shimmer of the past.

“Of course,” Celestia replied, humbly. “And…in a sense, we were both wrong when you left.”

This got Sunset to turn around.

“What did you say?”

“I said that we were both wrong…to an extent; you believed that you deserved power and leadership for you intelligence and magical prowess, while I believed you were simply being stubborn and impatient-I failed to take into account the effects your parents’ callous behavior could have on you and your world views.” Celestia admitted. “In that regard, I’ve failed you as a teacher and it was not until you left that I properly reflected on that mistake-”

She was cut off as Copper Spatula returned.

“Copper, I’m afraid that my student and I are in the middle of a private conversation right now...” She stopped. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to clear the table, you majesty.” She replied, cheerfully.

Sunset eyed her suspiciously.

“But, you’ve already helped clear the table-less than forty-five minutes ago…”

“Whoops!” she exclaimed, with the same level of cheer. “Guess it must’ve slipped my mind!”

Celestia shot a glance at Sunset, conveying she knew that was something was wrong.

Taking this as a cue to take action, Sunset slowly used her magic to close the doors leading to the dining hall behind her and used a spell to seal them shut.

Change in demeanor aside; in all of the years Celestia had known her, Copper almost never made a mistake when it came to her duties-despite, or possibly because of her intense anxiety-she was always a very conscientious worker. Copper took her job very seriously-to the point where she could give Twilight a run for her money. It was one of the reasons Celestia had decided to hire her in the first place.

“Is something wrong, princess?” Copper asked, innocently.

Her body was thinly outlined by Sunset’s magical aura before being lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall with just enough force to get her point across, but not enough to do any internal damage.

“Cut the crap.” Sunset replied, annoyed.

“What have you done with Copper?” Celestia demanded, glaring at the imposter.

“W-what are you talking about?” she stammered.

Sunset’s horn began to glow with more intensity as she exerted more pressure against her body.

“I may not be able to kill you, but I have enough magical knowledge and studied enough torture methods to make this a very unpleasant experience for you-insect.”

Copper’s icy blue eyes turned a deep emerald green as she hissed at Sunset, revealing her fangs.

“Oh, scary…” Sunset deadpanned. “Now, are you going to tell us where you’re keeping the nice lady or do I get to have some fun?”

“…Closet” she snarled, hatefully.

“Which closet?” Celestia pressed.

“Janitorial closet…”

“What?” Sunset laughed, “Seriously!?”

“I just got here this morning!” the Changeling protested. “It was my job to infiltrate the castle staff and get close to Celestia! It wouldn’t have been so difficult if security hadn’t been tightened after those idiots failed to abduct Cadenza! So, I was working under short notice!”

“Celestia, if you want-I’ll hold this clown here for now while you go check up on your friend.”

“Thank you, Sunset-I will also notify the guard and they can take over for you.”

The Changeling watched longingly Celestia left the dining hall, taking all of that love and compassion with her, leaving her alone with…this.

Sunset was regarding the Changeling with a large grin, being tortured was one thing, but being humiliated at the expense of the Princess of the Sun and the one who burned down their old hive was something else entirely.

A pair of guards entered the room followed by Celestia with her wing draped around Copper, who still had some green resin in her mane and coat.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

She nodded weakly.

Sunset released the Changeling, causing it to drop to the ground as the guards galloped towards it.

She then shook her head, chuckling.

“Janitor’s closet…”

Author's Note:

Sunset and Celestia's after-breakfast experience.

Next up is Flash and Shining Armor with their Changeling interrogation.

Comments

[Rainbow87dash]

Damn changelings

[Clarity the Unicorn]

The.....

Oh god why!!!! The janitor's closet!

But really, I smell a trap. A big trap. Watch out Tia.