Chapter 0:
Prologue
Sunset sighed a bit softly, as she looked around the Auditorium of Canterlot High. She smiled softly as she did, looking around for her friends from when she went there. It had been roughly ten years since she first went there, after having stolen Twilight's crown, which at the time she didn't realize was the physical manifestation of her element, magic.
Sunset sighed a bit again, as she soon saw Rainbow Dash, waving a bit to her as she walked over to her, a few younger people around her, as she clearly had been gloating of something. "Hey Dash, been awhile." She said, as she approached her old friend. "You and AJ still doing that band stuff?"
"Yup!" Rainbow Dash said a bit happily, as she posed slightly, causing giggles to come from the young students around her. "I just got here a bit ago, after signing on with AJ at our agent for a couple of more years." She said, smiling proudly.
"Right, and I take it these girls are fans?" Sunset asked a bit softly, as Rainbow slowly nodded. "Right... you know we're here for the reunion, right?"
"Yeah, but hey... with the CD AJ, Rarity, and I released a couple of months selling like gold, people are going to recognize me..." Rainbow said, almost as if she was complaining to Sunset. "Besides, all they wanted was to ask me to sign their copies of the CD..." She added quickly, after Sunset's slightly disapproving stare, as he held the CDs up.
"Well, fine, but the ceremony will be starting soon, and remember..." Sunset began, waving slowly as Pinkie Pie bounced happily into the room, with her trademark streamers flying all over the place as she did. "Principal Celestia asked us to perform to start the festivities off. The six of us that is..."
"Yeah, I know..." Rainbow sighed, her eyes rolling slightly. "The full Rainbooms band will be performing for the concert that'll be held at the start of the three day Homecoming celebration. Speaking of, why did you say Six? Isn't Twilight coming?"
"No, she's too busy with something for... Princess Celestia back in Equestria." Sunset said, shaking her head. "Something about managing a new colony according to the last letter I got from her."
As this conversation happened between Sunset and Rainbow, a similar one was taking place else where, in Equestria. "And did the shipment come through?" Rainbow Dash asked, as she glanced over at the clipper ship that was being used by Umbra to transport larger goods down the river that ran near their castle. "Did you get the artifacts from Canterlot and the Celestial Empire?"
The unicorn guard pony slowly nodded at Rainbow Dash, as the other guard ponies slowly moved a familiar mirror from the Crystal Empire off the ship. "Yes Ma'am... err... Sir... err... Ma'am?" The guard said, stumbling over his words a bit, unsure as to what he should call her.
"Ma'am is good enough." Rainbow said, eyeing the mirror, a twitch on her mouth hinting at a smile. "I'm not a guard, nor am I in the military, so no need for a 'Sir' " she added, sighing softly. "Let's just hope this time, it works." She continued, mumbling the words softly, as she dismissed the guard pony.
"It should work Rainbow." Heaven Star said, as she slowly walked over towards Rainbow, looking over at the mirror as well. "As Lord Rourke said, the mirror... it isn't something you used the previous time. If you use it this time, the plan to stop The Teacher should work perfectly."
"I know..." She said, before looking at Heaven, interest in her eyes. "Say... didn't Midnight say you were her cousin?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, she's half changeling... so..." Rainbow said, before sighing a bit slightly. "Well, I was wondering if you and your brother were part changeling as well..."
"We are not." Heaven said, shaking her head a bit softly. "Though, yes Midnight and her brother Seventh, are half Changeling, it was their father who was a Changeling. I... We are related on her mother's side, and... our father."
"I see..." Rainbow said, nodding in understanding, as she looked at the Mirror again.
Back in Canterlot High, Rainbow was slowly nodding, as the six of them sat around a table. "So Twilight, and the us over there are off forming a colony for Equestria then?" Applejack asked, looking over at Sunset as she spoke. "That seems to be a big thing to be dealing with..."
"Yeah, I know..." Sunset said, sighing a bit as she shook her head. "I was just explaining that to Rainbow when you guys came over." She added, smiling a bit softly. "Though, it has been a couple of years since I last got a letter from them." She continued, a worried look on her face. "I hope everything is fine over there..."
"Hey, this is Twilight we're talking about here." Rainbow said, patting Sunset on the back slightly. "I'm sure they're fine over there, Twilight's got it handled."
"I hope you're right..." Sunset said, after sighing once again.
Sunset sighed a bit softly, as she stretched. The Rainbooms had just finished with starting off the Home-coming celebration event, and the people who watched the performance had asked for Rainbow and Applejack to do an encore, so she and the others were relaxing and enjoying the event. It was then that she saw the familiar shape that came with the Headmistress of the Academy that she had joined. "Arch-Duchess?" She said, blinking a bit as she slowly approached her.
"Ah," The older woman said, glancing over at Sunset, her piercing golden eyes seemingly unblinking. "Hello there Mademoiselle Shimmer, how nice to see you after that... interesting, speech you gave at the start of term last year."
"Ah, yeah... yes..." Sunset said, blushing softly as she chuckled nervously.
"May I ask, then, what it is that you needed from me?" The Headmistress asked Sunset, her finger slightly tapping the cane she always carrying with her as she asked.
"Well, as you know..." Sunset said, sighing a bit. "Right now would be the homecoming celebration or Canterlot High, and... well I was just wondering if that's why you were here. Did you go to Canterlot High too, when you were younger?"