//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Lessons In Darkness // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// With a lackadaisical, hurried urgency, Sunburst searched his cluttered desk, trying to find the lesson notes that he had left buried somewhere among the heaps and piles. He was distracted for a moment by a photo of Starlight Glimmer, and he allowed his eyes to linger. ‘Twas reasons just like this one that his desk and his study were never cleaned, never organised. Moments became seconds, seconds progressed into a good minute, and then, Sunburst sighed. Soon, he thought to himself. But first, other things… The late autumn sun shone at a low angle, flooding through his narrow study window and filling the room with brilliant, golden orange light that illuminated the many dust motes that had taken flight since disturbing his desk. Standing in the sunlight directly, bathing in its wholesome glow, Sunburst could feel the minute influx of power, the direct effect upon his magic. He was sun-touched, enjoying a tiny boost of power from Princess Celestia’s sun, and once again the Court Wizard of the Crystal Empire was distracted as he paid attention to his well-attuned senses, his thoughts of Starlight Glimmer already lost, forgotten. “Looking for these?” a snide, sardonic voice asked. Grinning and a bit startled, Sunburst turned about, only to bang his rump against his desk. The resulting thump caused the tall paper Canterhorn to collapse, and even more dust motes rose up to play in the remains of the day that streamed through the window. Standing in the doorway stood Dim, Sunburst’s fellow Court Wizard—but of the recently established Night Court of the Crystal Empire. “You gave me these to go over,” Dim said, his reedy voice both nasal and somehow commanding. “Your lesson plan is sound. I have cleaned up the places where you rambled about Starlight Glimmer in the margins. The little loopy hearts nauseated me and are disgusting.” He held up a thick folder crammed with ink-stained parchment. “Oh, why, thank you…” Blushing, Sunburst tried to say more, but words failed him. The Starlight Glimmer issue was complicated and Sunburst was now thoroughly convinced that he was cursed. Every single time, without fail, when he tried to make the magic moment happen, something dreadful interrupted. Princess Celestia had even issued a playful decree (in jest, of course) that further proclamations of love and affection were strictly forbidden. His last attempt to woo Starlight into something permanent had ended with ice orcs invading. Before his frogs could get too sweaty, Sunburst changed the subject. “I feel like I am losing Flurry, Dim. She’s growing up… changing. Sometimes, it feels like I can’t talk to her—” “Just like you can’t seem to talk to Starlight?” Sighing, Sunburst bore Dim’s antagonism with good grace and patience. “Yeah.” “Funny… I see it quite differently. Flurry has grown willful, insolent, and rebellious. She openly challenges her father now, and fearlessly argues with her mother. She raises her voice to those in authority often and frequently. The only pony she treats with any sort of civility… is you.” “Oh?” Sunburst pulled off his glasses and began to polish them with the corner of his cloak. It was a useless gesture, he had magic to clean his lenses, but the act helped to clear his mind. Somehow, he hadn’t noticed, but his distractions were many. Squinting, Sunburst gave careful consideration to Dim’s words, but couldn’t reach a conclusion. “Poor Shining Armor can’t even get a word in edgewise before Flurry trumps him with the words, ‘alicorn instincts.’ She dismisses everything he has to say after that, much to his frustration. Flurry has become haughty… arrogant, even. You might be the only pony that can level her out.” “Do you really think so, Dim?” “I wouldn’t say it otherwise, you should know that by now.” Still polishing his glasses, Sunburst nodded. Dim—a pony known for his lack of tact—was not given to base flattery and useless words. Hearing his friend state the facts—hearing Dim come right out and state the obvious—inspired a little much needed confidence, and Sunburst found himself smiling even with his doubts. Dim was a difficult friend to have, but he was also a good friend to have—at least, Sunburst felt so. “You are a greater teacher than Star Swirl the Bearded—” “Okay, Dim, now you’re being sarcastic.” “I offer no jest. Star Swirl offered tutelage to two alicorns while you have tutored three. These are facts, the medium which you and I deal in.” Putting his glasses back on, Sunburst squinted even more, trying to read his friend’s face, but Dim’s eyes were hidden behind his mirrored smoked glass goggles and his mouth was obscured by his diabolical goatee. Dim’s stunning point thumped around inside of Sunburst’s head for a moment, and it was then that the slow-thinking-but-still-quite-wily unicorn realised that Dim was also praising himself. Sunburst laughed, suffering an explosive burst, and when he tried to contain himself it came out in piggy-snorts. He opened his mouth to take a deep breath, but sucked in his own goatee, which caused him to cough and sputter like a cat with hairballs. Meanwhile, Dim’s stoic face never changed expressions, which somehow made this even funnier for Sunburst, and funny wasn’t what he needed right now. No, he needed air and perhaps a trim to his goatee. “Flurry will fail tonight’s lesson.” The flinty, harsh words spoken by Dim caused Sunburst’s laughter to die in his throat. Still no expression could be read on Dim’s face, and Sunburst wondered what Dim might be thinking. In silence, he waited, knowing that his fellow wizard would continue when he felt like it—maybe. “Flurry is too haughty, too arrogant. She trusts only what she sees. She claims to be fine tuning her alicorn instincts, but the truth of the matter is she ignores her own supernatural senses and trusts her eyes far too much. Flurry is all eyes, and once blinded, she will be as helpless as a newborn.” “Ugh… do you really think so?” Sunburst spat out a few stray goatee hairs and thought about Dim’s words. “Yes.” Dim’s expression became one of shrewd cunning. “When she is scared and weak, she might listen to you. If you are attentive and remain focused, an opportunity to reach out to her might present itself. I certainly can’t, but I am confident that you might succeed where I will fail. You must try to focus this evening, and put aside distracting thoughts about Starlight.” “Easier said than done.” “I know.” There was no judgment in Dim’s words, no malice, no hidden, snide undertone. Not knowing what else to say, Sunburst changed the subject. “How is Sinister? Any change?” Dim sighed, a heavy sound, and Sunburst felt keen regret for asking his questions. He had done it without thinking, it was just something he had blurted out, and Sunburst was now aware that the mood had changed, though not for the better. Dim was clearly in pain, and Sunburst had inadvertently caused it. “She has spent the past few hundred years in Tartarus, suffering in a way that no mortal should. Sinister is quite mad and Luna’s coma-spell continues to hold.” For a moment, Dim shuffled on his hooves, and the sound of them scraping against the stone floor caused Sunburst’s ears to perk. “Luna has an idea, but she and I are in disagreement.” “And that is?” Sunburst’s question was almost breathless. “Luna wishes to draw Blackbird into the nightmarish dreamscape that is Sinister’s mind. For some reason, Luna is convinced that Blackbird has a knack for restoring sanity in troubled Darks. It is… quite dangerous to Blackbird, but Blackbird doesn’t seem to care that she too, might go mad. She is willing to go. We’ve been fighting about it.” “Dim… I’m sorry.” “I’ve been in there, trying to reach Sinister, and it is dangerous. Sinister’s madness is such that her nightmares can wreck you in mind, body, and spirit. I am… surprisingly resilient to things that damage one’s sanity. Perhaps it is because of my mental illness.” “Dim, if it’s any consolation… when I first met you, you weren’t well. While Cadance did much to restore you, it was Blackbird that saved you.” “I know.” Again, Sunburst wanted to change the subject, because this was just too intense, too much to bear, and if this continued he would be distracted all night with thoughts of it. “Come, Dim… let’s go have tea and go over that lesson plan. I want to hear what you have to say about it.” “Very well, let us go have tea and discuss our lesson plan.” The sun fled over the horizon, retreating from the velvet shroud of night that settled over the Crystal Empire. In the air, the chill of winter was alive and well, so much so that Sunburst was convinced that the snows would come early this year. Much of the Crystal Empire was still being rebuilt after the invasion of the ice orcs, and this winter would be an uncomfortable one for many. Cadance would no doubt treat many for chionophobia when the snows of winter finally came, because the ice orcs had been brutal. Outside of his window, the lights of the city began to blink on, creating islands of blessed light to hold back the coming darkness. Much of the Crystal Empire was about to go to bed, and truth be told, Sunburst wanted to go to bed as well. It had been a long day, but this lesson required darkness. Flurry had chosen the night, and so she would have it, Sunburst would see to that. “Hiyas!” Once more, Sunburst was startled in his own study by somepony dear to him. “Heh, look at you… such a dork. Totally lost and staring out the window.” “Starlight, how are you this fine evening?” Sunburst turned about just in time to see Starlight rushing him, and he braced himself for her enthusiastic affections. She pressed against him, standing neck to neck, and Sunburst closed his eyes. When he took a deep breath, Starlight smelled rather medicinal to him, so much so that he almost sneezed, and he wondered what she had been doing. The stench of ozone also clung to her hide and the way she leaned against him suggested extreme exhaustion. “I’ve been studying ice orc samples,” she replied and her innate cheerfulness gave way to fatigue. “I don’t have Twilight’s alicorn endurance. I swear, the only other creature that can keep up with her is Spike. She’s in one of those moods… she doesn’t want to hear excuses, she only wants results. I was lucky to get a break.” Sunburst frowned, the corners of his mouth pulled down so much that it made his goatee waggle. He was the expert when it came to ice orc stuff, and he had been somewhat lax in his duties as of late, because he had students, a life, a needy Starlight Glimmer, and all of the duties of a Court Wizard. The need to find out more was strong, because another ice orc invasion could happen at any time, anywhere, at any moment. To say that Twilight was consumed was an understatement. “Twilight hates you just a little bit right now—” “Why?” Alarmed, Sunburst pulled away from Starlight and looked down into her weary eyes. “Try as she might, she can’t seem to reach any conclusions beyond what you’ve already discovered. This makes you one of the most gifted researchers of our age… you know that, right? Twilight is grumpy that she can’t progress beyond the point you’ve reached. I am secretly enjoying her distress.” “Starlight, don’t be wicked.” Sunburst’s words earned him a giggle, and he did his best to appear disapproving, but Starlight wasn’t at all impressed with his attempts to be stern. “Why is it that all of my close, best friends struggle to be good?” “I’m good!” Starlight’s lips puckered into a moue of mock-outrage. A kissable moue of mock-outrage, and Sunburst was tempted. Either he moved closer to her, or she moved closer to him, he couldn’t quite tell at the moment, and he could feel her hot little snorts rustling the hairs of his goatee. Starlight was a good pony, but he wasn’t going to tell her that, because she was one of those sorts of ponies who required constant self-vigilance to remain good. She struggled with it, a never-ending battle to do right. Meanwhile, Dim couldn’t be considered good at all, but neither was he evil. Dim was Dim and Sunburst valued his friendship for the change of perspectives it offered. “So, this year’s Winter Moon Festival?” Sunburst asked. “Barring any sudden disaster,” Starlight replied and her moue vanished. “It’s funny, Sunburst… other ponies can fall in love and be married in a month or two. Or even a week. It’s been weird for us.” “We had to clear up past hurts—” “And random disasters kept happening!” Starlight blinked a few times, distraught. “Yes. Those.” Sunburst let out a groan and then pressed against Starlight once more. “Sometimes I wonder if we’re doomed to remain forever friends—” “Don’t say that,” Starlight murmured while she rubbed her neck against Sunburst’s. “You’re my best friend… my first friend… and I’ve worked so hard to earn and gain your respect after everything I’ve done.” “That you have.” “Now, I won’t say that I deserve to be rewarded for all of my hard work, because I know how I can go off the deep end when I feel entitled, but a little recognition might be nice. I just want the same things as everypony else. Having to work for them feels weird though.” Starlight swayed from side to side and Sunburst could feel the static crackle of their pelts rubbing together. He was proud of her for being aware of her faults, her weaknesses, but said nothing, because now wasn’t the time. Actions spoke louder than words, and he planned to show her, later, when the time was right. “The Winter Moon Festival can’t come soon enough,” Starlight whispered. “It took some pleading, but I’ve found a few bridesmaids.” “Spike has agreed to be my best pony—er, dragon.” “Really?” “Yeah.” “I have to get back to work,” Starlight said and her voice cracked when she pressed even tighter against Sunburst. “And I have a lesson to teach,” Sunburst replied while he rubbed his jaw against her ear, revelling in the sheer softness of it. “The hour draws ever-nearer.” “Just a little bit longer, Sunburst… just give me a few precious moments more…”