//------------------------------// // Flashback // Story: Blamed // by Madox //------------------------------// It was a quiet and peaceful morning in the woods. Even though the edge of the Everfree Forest wasn't too far away, the little forest critters went about their business in peace. That is, until a dog’s barking sounded in the distance, growing louder with each moment. The louder it got, the more critters decided to retreat into safety, and soon, there was barely any movement left besides the wind. Finally, the source of the barking made itself clear as a dog crested a small hill. It stopped and turned to bark down the way it came, only to turn and run ahead once more. Not far behind, two earth pony stallions came trotting up the path in pursuit of the dog. "I wonder what got Suzy so excited," the younger one said. He was of a light brown coat with a blond mane. "No idea, but I tell you it has something to do with the noises I heard from the forest last night," the other replied. His coat was of a darker shade than his brother, but they shared the same mane color. "I'm sure those were timberwolves roaming through the forest." "Might be. In that case, we need to be careful in case they’re still around." They both continued on their way until Suzy stopped near a turn of the path and kept barking into the unknown. They both shared a look and quickened their trot until they reached the turn, where they stopped. "Sweet Celestia..." the younger whispered while his brother took in the scene. Down the path stood a wooden trailer, big enough for two ponies to live in. In front of the trailer were the remains of a campfire likely set up the previous night, but what shocked the two brothers was the state of the camp. The door to the trailer was open, swinging in the wind on a single hinge. Several broken crates were lying around, their contents scattered all over the place. It was also utterly silent save for the wind and the sound of some critters from the woods. "What happened here?" the younger asked while they slowly stepped closer. Looking around, the older furrowed his brows in thought. "I have an idea, but I hope that I'm wrong." He arrived at the scene near the campfire and bent down to take a look at some traces left in the mud. "Timberwolves, just as I thought. And two ponies. I guess they set up their camp for the night not knowing how close the edge of the Everfree Forest is. Let’s look around. Maybe they managed to drive them away and are hiding." His brother nodded, and they both, along with Suzy, looked around the camp. As they noted before, the contents of the broken crates were all over the place, and the rain from the early morning had ruined everything, from the clothes to the papers and photos. The older brother looked more at the tracks in the mud, while the younger followed Suzy into the trailer. The older examined the traces in confusion. 'They ran away from the trailer, each in a different direction,’ he thought. ‘Why would they do that? Trying to escape from a timberwolf alone and in the forest may not be unheard of, but it’s too dangerous. Together, they would have had better chances.' "Brother, come quick!" Without any delay, the older turned and ran up to the door that led inside the trailer. Maybe one of the two had managed to escape the timberwolves and had returned. The inside of the trailer was a mess like the rest of the camp. Everything was thrown helter-skelter around the place from either the attack, the heavy wind, or forest critters scavenging in the early morning hours. His brother was at the other side of the trailer with Suzy, standing in front of a bed big enough for two ponies, but he could not see why his brother called out for him. "What's wrong? Did you find anything?" he asked while he stepped closer. His brother only nodded and motioned to the bed. Upon reaching him, the older saw the reason why he has been called. Wrapped in a blanket was a small unicorn foal, her mane a mix of red and yellow and her coat an amber color. She was sleeping peacefully. "She was hidden under the other blankets, and no matter what I do, she won't wake up." "So that’s why they ran into the forest," the older whispered. Upon seeing his brother’s questioning look, he explained what he learned from the traces outside. "I wondered why they ran away in different directions into the forest. They were trying to protect their daughter, so they lured the timberwolves away from the camp before they could smell her, intending to come back once they managed to throw them off. Sadly, it seems they failed partly." "You might be right," the younger said. He stroked the filly’s cheek with his hoof. "Poor thing. But why won't she wake up?" The older looked over the sleeping filly. She was a unicorn, so it was easy to assume that at least one of her parents was one as well. "Maybe some kind of sleep spell to prevent her from crying and alerting the timberwolves." He grabbed the filly with his hooves and pulled her from the bed. "We’re taking her with us to the next doctor to make sure she’s alright. Find a way to leave a message in case her parents do manage to return so they know where she is." The younger nodded and looked around for something to write on while the older slowly trotted out of the trailer, the filly, still wrapped in her blanket, held in one of his forelegs. Near the exit, he noticed a single picture on the floor. Looking it over, he saw a bluish-grey earth pony stallion with a yellow mane standing beside a light-yellow unicorn mare with a red mane. The mare was lying in what looked like a hospital bed with the same filly they found held in her hooves. In the bottom left corner, he saw a signature. Our little sunshine, Sunset Shimmer ~*~ *Seven years later* The room was quiet besides the light whimpering that could be heard from the hiding spot of its only occupant. It was one of the worst weeks of little Sunset Shimmer’s life, and the competition was stiff. As far as she could remember, everything was one bad event after another, but she was sure this time was among the worst. What made it even worse was the fact that she didn't even know what had happened. Everything was a blur until she passed out, and when she awoke, she was in a strange room, and everypony was acting strange. Nopony told her what was going on in detail, but she still learned from whispers and conversations what the matter was and why all the others acted strangely around her. She could see it in their behavior and their eyes. How they looked at her when they made sure not to leave her out of sight and how they kept some distance from her didn't make it hard for her to know the truth. Fear. Everypony was afraid of her, of the little unicorn who didn't even understand what she had done. It was nothing new that they left her alone; she was the outsider, the one no one spent time with. But, this was different. Before, at least they didn’t fear her or avoid any contact with her. Sunset heard a new sound from the hall behind the door, getting ever closer. Hoofsteps, from at least two ponies, as far as she could tell, but something was different. One pair didn’t sound like usual hoofsteps on the wooden floor. It was louder with a slight clang, as if the hooves was clad in metal. They brought the guards to take her away. She was sure of it, but no matter how bad she was feeling here, she didn’t want to leave. This was everything she knew, her whole world, the only place she had that she could call home. The only way she wanted to leave was with somepony nice who might give her a new home, not taken by the guards by force to who-knew-where. She crawled further into the darkest corner of her hiding place. Maybe they wouldn’t find her if she made herself as small as possible? ~*~ Princess Celestia walked down the hallway with the caretaker of the orphanage, a mare named Sugar Song. It wasn’t every day that she visited such a small village in Equestria, but it also wasn’t every day that such a rumor came to her ears. “How is she handling everything?” Celestia asked without stopping. Sugar Song sighed. “I’m not sure, Your Highness. She wasn’t hurt during the incident, but she hasn’t been the same, either. And now, she hasn’t left her room for several days other than to visit the bathroom. At least she’s eating what we’re bringing her.” She hesitated for a moment before she spoke again. “And I think I know why she’s acting this way.” “And what is the reason?” Celestia asked, sure she already knew the answer. “It’s all of us and how we act around her. I know that what happened is not her fault and that she didn’t do it willingly. Sadly, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re afraid of her. I mean, she’s just a filly and was able to cause so much damage after losing control, and it was only luck that nothing worse happened. If it happens again, we might not be so lucky. “It didn’t help either that a few of the kids were in the same room when it happened and saw everything. They told the others, and now, they’re afraid of her, as well. Whenever she steps into a room, the others get as far away from her as possible.” “I see,” Celestia said evenly. “I hope that I can help her during our talk. Nopony should have to go through such torment, least of all a little filly her age.” They continued their trip until Sugar Song stopped beside a door. “This is her room. I hope you can help her, Your Highness. She is a wonderful little filly who doesn’t deserve this.” “I hope so, as well.” Celestia turned to open the door, before Sugar Song stopped her, pulling out a small jar from her saddlebag. “Your Highness, you might need this,” she said as she hoofed over the jar. Celestia took it in her magic as Sugar Song continued, “Those are her absolute favorite cookies: snickerdoodles. She would do anything for them. Whenever we checked on Sunset, she’s been hiding somewhere in her room, so they might help in luring her out.” “Thank you for your help,” Celestia said with a smile before she opened the door and stepped inside, the cookie jar floating beside her. The door closed behind her, and Celestia took in the room. There was a small bed on the other side of the room, a shelf with several books on it and a small cabinet across from the room. It wasn’t much, but given the situation, it was good enough. Not able to spot the filly she had come for, Celestia settled down on the floor and lowered the jar till it rested on the floor beside her. “Sunset Shimmer? Are you here?” She was greeted by silence. “I would like to talk with you. You don’t need to be afraid; I won’t harm you.” Celestia waited patiently for several minutes in the apparently empty room. Just when she thought that she really might be alone, she heard a small voice from the direction of the bed. “You promise?” Celestia smiled. “I promise. You don’t even need to come out if you don’t want to, but I would prefer it if I can see who I’m speaking to. I also have something I’m sure you would like.” Another wall of silence hit her as she watched the bed, until she heard some shuffling, and not long after, a little head with an amber coat, yellow and red mane and cyan eyes appeared from beneath the bed. Her eyes were slightly reddened, and tear strains could be seen on her coat beneath them, but they widened in surprise as her mouth fell open when she saw who her visitor was. Celestia kept a warm smile on her face. “Hello, little one. I’m glad you decided to join me.” Sunset, still with half her body beneath the bed, didn’t move, her eyes still fixed on the princess. “Want to come a bit closer?” Still, no movement. The princess looked down at the jar and opened it with her magic while she spoke. “Too bad. I have some very tasty snickerdoodles here, but you can’t eat them while you are over there. Guess I need to eat them all myself.” Once the jar was open, she set it back down on the floor and looked back at the bed, only to be confused when the filly had vanished. At first, she thought she had gone back beneath the bed, but a new sound pulled her gaze down to the jar. There, she found the little filly sitting in front of the jar, nibbling on a cookie she held in her little hoofs while a second one was already floating beside her in a light-opal magic aura. Upon noticing that she had been discovered, Sunset stared at the alicorn for a second before she continued her nibbling. The alicorn chuckled. “Nice to see you, Sunset. I’m glad that you like the snickerdoodle. Do you think I can have one as well?” Sunset stopped her nibbling to narrow her eyes, before the cookie jar got engulfed in her opal aura and moved behind the filly who shook her head. Celestia stared in surprise at the filly, before she laughed. “Alright, you can keep them.” She watched as the filly started devouring the second one. Deciding to get down to business, she asked, “Sunset, do you know who I am?” The filly looked up without stopping her nibbling and nodded. “And do you know why I’m here?” This time, Sunset stopped nibbling and looked at the floor. “Yes. It’s because I… burnt down the orphanage…” Sunset whispered. Celestia put a wing around the filly. “That’s not entirely right, Sunset. Yes, there has been an incident, but it only concerns two rooms. The caretaker managed to get the fire quickly under control. The damage looks worse than it is, and the orphanage will be repaired in no time.” A small smile appeared on Sunset’s face for a moment, before it turned into a sad frown again. “But it’s still my fault…” She looked up into the eyes of the princess, new tears forming in her eyes. “I promise, I never wanted this.” “I believe you, Sunset. On that note, do you know exactly what happened?” The filly shook her head while she took a few more bites of her cookies. “No, I don’t even remember what happened. Everything is a blur. I only remember that I woke up in here.” “I see. Can you tell me what you remember from before the incident?” Sunset was silent for a moment while she ate her current cookie before she spoke again. “I was in the playroom of the orphanage reading my book until Rocky Ore came in.” Celestia had heard about that colt. Apparently, he has attracted the attention of Sugar Song before as a troublemaker, but from how Sunset said his name, it seemed there was more to it. “He called me names again and took my book from me. He also shoved me when I tried to get it back, like he always does.” “You mean he has been bullying you for a long time?” Sunset nodded. “Not just me, but he picks on me the most. He always calls me a horned freak.” Celestia didn’t like what she was hearing. She made a mental note to inform Sugar Song of this and to have a talk with the colt. “I tried to get away from him with my saddlebags, but he snatched them from me and,” she started whimpering, “my picture fell out of my bags, and he took it from me.” Celestia frowned. Whatever that picture was, it seemed to mean a lot to her for her to react like this. She used her other wing to brush away the tears. “What was this picture, if I may ask?” Sunset sniffed. “It was my treasure, the only picture I had from my parents. He… He took it and made fun of me before he tore it up,” she said before she broke down crying. Celestia was shocked. This was cruelty on a level she did not expect from a colt or filly of that age. To take something like this from an orphan was cruel enough, but to take it from a filly who has no memories of her parents at all… She would definitely have a serious conversation with this colt. For now, she wrapped her wing even more tightly around the filly, who cried into her feathers. It took several minutes before her crying subsided to sniffles. “After that, I can’t remember much until I woke up here.” The princess nuzzled the filly. “Sunset, I’m so sorry for what you had to endure. But I can assure you that what happened at the orphanage was not in the least your fault. What happened to you is what we call a magic flare. It happens to young unicorns who lose control of their magic.” “Really?” Sunset asked while she looked up at the princess with hopeful eyes. Celestia answered with a smile and a nod, which filled the filly with a sense of relief. But there was something else on her mind she would really like to know. “But why did it happen to me?” “A good question, Sunset. You see, your magic is tied to your emotions. As an example, if you are afraid, your magic may be influenced by that fear, making it either weaker or stronger, depending on the situation.” Celestia took a small breath. “When Rocky Ore took your picture from you, it shocked you to the core. You were devastated that your treasure was destroyed, afraid of what else he might do to you, and angry at him for what he did. All of this, probably along with some other emotions, made you lose control of your magic. It was never your fault, and no one has the right to blame you for it. If there is someone to blame, it would be Rocky Ore, but he couldn’t know what might happen. Not that it excuses any of his behavior in the slightest.” Sunset stared at the princess before she wiped away the remaining tears and smiled. “Thank you, Princess.” Celestia smiled back. “You’re welcome. But there is more I would like to talk with you about.” Seeing the confused expression on the filly’s face, the princess continued, “You see, under normal circumstances, the most that happens during a flare is that the unicorn’s levitation runs wild, resulting in minor damage. That was obviously not the case with your flare, and that is because of your impressive magical power. It’s been a long time since I heard of a flare like yours, Sunset.” Her smile fell slightly. “I will be honest with you, Sunset. There is the possibility that you will flare again at one point, and then, there might be much more damage involved than this time. You need proper training to learn how to keep your magic under control, and someone who can intervene if you flare again. “That’s why I want to ask you if you would like to come with me to Canterlot as my personal student.” The room fell into silence while the little filly stared with an open mouth and wide eyes at the princess. Celestia waited patiently until she finally spoke again. “Y-You want to take me in… as your student?” The princess nodded. “That is right, Sunset, but I’m not forcing you. It is your decision to make, and if you don’t want to come with me, I will respect your decision.” “No!” Sunset yelled, before she blinked. “I mean, yes. I mean…” It was too much for the filly. Her thoughts were running all over the place, but she was sure about what she wanted. It may not be what she ever imagined, but it was so much better than anything she could ever hope for. “I wanna go with you!” “I’m glad to hear that,” Celestia said with a smile before she rose from the floor, leaving the excited filly with her cookies. “I need to make some arrangements with Ms. Song so that you can come with me. I will return later to get you. You may keep the cookies; I’m sure Ms. Song won’t mind.” “Okay,” Sunset squeaked excitedly before she reached out with her magic to get another cookie. She held it in her hooves but didn’t bite into it. “Princess?” Celestia, who had already stepped up to the door and was about to open it, stopped and turned around. “Yes, Sunset?” The filly outstretched her hooves, the snickerdoodle held between them. “Here.” Celestia raised her eyebrows in surprise, before she smiled and took the cookie in her magic. “Thank you very much, Sunset. I appreciate it.” With those words, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her. “Your Highness.” Looking down the hallway, the princess saw Sugar Song walking up to her. “I just came to check up on you. How is Sunset doing?” “She is doing fine so far. I reassured her that the incident wasn’t her fault. She also accepted my offer to become my student in order to learn how to control her magic so that something like this won’t happen again.” Sugar Song sighed in relief. “I’m glad that she’s alright, but I’m gonna miss her and…” She trailed off mid-sentence when she noticed the snickerdoodle in Celestia’s magical grasp. “What’s with the snickerdoodle?” “Sunset gave it to me before I left the room. It was really sweet of her,” she said. When she noticed Sugar Song’s look of surprise, Celestia asked, “Is something wrong?” “She...shared one with you?” Sugar Song said quietly. “I have known her for nearly her entire life, and she has never willingly shared one of her precious snickerdoodles with anypony.” She looked back into Celestia’s eyes. “She must really trust you, Your Highness.” Celestia looked at the cookie in surprise. She would have never thought that something so simple would have such a huge meaning to the small filly. She had to make sure not to disappoint the trust Sunset put into her. ~*~ Looking carefully over the edge of the chariot, Sunset stared in amazement at the world below. They had just left the solid ground and ascended into the air, and Sunset couldn’t belief that she was flying. She had always dreamed of one day flying with a pegasus since the day she had met a travelling merchant that swooped into town, but it was so much better than she had ever imagined. Looking back, she saw the orphanage, her home, growing smaller with every second. Some adult ponies she had known came to bid her farewell, but none of the other children came. Sunset was saddened by that fact; they were so afraid of her that they didn’t even come to see her off. At least some of the grown-ups came, with Ms. Song at the front waving to her, which she returned. “If you want, we can come for a visit sometimes, Sunset,” Celestia said from beside her, keeping an eye on the filly so that she wouldn’t fall over the edge by accident. “Maybe one day…” the filly replied. Looking once again over her home, she saw a small form moving around the fence, a paintbrush held in his mouth, and frowned. She had heard that the princess had a talk with Rocky Ore and that the colt had tried lying about what happened. The princess has seen through it all after he made several mistakes, and afterwards, she had informed Ms. Song. Together, they discussed a punishment for the colt, and now, he had to repaint the entire fence surrounding the orphanage by himself for his bullying. Noticing the stare on himself, the colt looked around until he spotted the filly in the air and glared up at her, which Sunset also returned. Thinking back to the day that changed everything, she remembered the last words he said before she blacked out. “That’s how the world works, freak. The strong beat the weak.” ‘If that’s how it works, then I’m gonna get strong,’ Sunset thought. ‘I’m gonna be the strongest ever, and then, I’ll beat you.’ With that last thought, Sunset looked to the front of the carriage and toward her new home.