//------------------------------//
// 1. Trial by Fire: Hearths and Pyres; Oaths, Spoken and Implied. 
// Story: No One For the Gallows But Me 
// by Coyote de La Mancha 
//------------------------------//

From her purse across the room, the cell phone gave a gentle buzz.
Twilight Sparkle glanced up from her book with a frown. It was tempting to just ignore the damn thing. It had been a nice, lazy kind of Sunday. She’d let Sunset sleep in for a while before waking her up in the best way possible, and then bathed while her lover had dozed. Now Sunny was in the shower, and later they had a brunch date with the rest of the girls. Then, a large swath of time had been scheduled for unscheduled activities (at Sunset’s insistence), before they all re-assembled for rehearsal that night. A few local places had shown interest at having the Rainbooms perform there, and besides, it was one more thing they could all enjoy together.
The cell phone buzzed again. None of the ring tones associated with friends or family, just the phone’s vibration going off; a quiet threat against her plans for a day of gentle contentment with the people she loved.
Her eyes narrowed, glaring over her glasses. Not allowed, she thought. 
Still, it might be important. Reluctantly, Twilight reached out with her mind, her telekinesis opening her bag and bringing the dastardly device to her hand. Glancing at the caller ID, her frown turned to bewilderment. What on Gaea…?
Quickly, she answered. “Hello? Yes, this is she. Yes, hello, Detective. I wasn’t expecting… What?” 
Her mouth went dry as, upstairs, the water stopped. 
“No. No, that’s great.” She shifted position, grabbing a note pad. “Where is she? I can be there to identify… Oh… Oh, I see… Um, listen, is there a way I can talk to her…? No, it’s not… Well, can you at least give me a name…?” A long pause, then, “Right. Well, of course you have to protect her privacy and safety. Sure. I understand.” 
Upstairs, the hair dryer turned on. 
Twilight’s voice and hands were shaking slightly as she said, “No, not at all. I’m glad you called. Right. I’m sure it will.” 
Even to herself, Twilight’s voice was faint as she said a final “Thank you, Detective.” 
The call ended with a gentle beep and she stared at the screen for a few seconds. Then, she gestured to the bookshelf. A tome with Sunset’s symbol on its cover floated to her right hand, even as she speed-dialed frantically with her left.


	




Traditionally, in unicorn magical training, it all started with the feather.
Both Sweetie Belle and Rarity had assured Sunrise that most every young unicorn learned to hate feathers from a very early age, themselves included. Even as their parents had coaxed, encouraged, and otherwise prodded them into making one of the lightest objects in all of Equestria move through will alone, it had (as it did for most unicorn foals) become a personal matter for them very quickly.
So. Frustration. Hatred of feathers. 
Perfectly normal.
And then (they had further assured her), usually around the time one started public school, that frustration would vanish. Both sisters had described how one day, they’d finally made the silly thing move, even a little... instantly replacing the frustration of fruitless effort with the elation of magical accomplishment.
After that, the hardest part was over. Everything was easier than moving the feather for the first time.
In any event, once a young unicorn managed to move the feather that had been tormenting them for so long, it was traditionally given to them to keep. Some foals kept the feather as a trophy, some played with their feather as a toy and eventually lost or broke it. There were even a few lineages, Like Rarity’s and Sweetie’s, who had kept and used the same feather for generations. In fact, both sisters had learned on the same feather, which was still kept safe in one of Sweetie’s music boxes.
Of course, Twilight hadn’t kept hers. She’d only been four or so when she’d mastered levitation, so it just hadn’t been important to her at the time. After a moment’s thought, she’d said that she was pretty sure her parents still had it though.
Sunrise had found Rarity’s and Sweetie’s childhood anecdotes infinitely more encouraging than Twilight’s. But it remained, it was only when the feather had been conquered that the foal might begin studying sorcery itself. 
Most didn’t, of course. Granted, all ponies learned at least basic magical theory in school. And some unicorns did go on to move objects with greater weight, or (as was in the case of Rarity and Sweetie Belle) to move them with greater precision. And some unicorns did learn a few minor spells during childhood (either from books or from their guardians, again, as Rarity and Sweetie had), though very few kept in practice.
But only the most unusual unicorns continued studying, either at home or with a tutor. Such foals were the minority who might ultimately become true magicians. Altering reality itself – usually through manipulation of matter and energy – through the famous Triangle of Magical Accomplishment: symbolism, intent, and will.
Or, once one began to truly understand sorcery itself: the harnessing of emotional energy, the accumulation of knowledge,  and the focus of inner strength.
Sunrise, of course, knew very well into which camp she was determined to belong. And while her dream of soaring to the rescue of the innocent, horn blazing with power and fury, sometimes seemed increasingly far away…
Well, it was her dream, damn it. And she was going to fight for it with everything she had.
At the same time, Sunrise was not a foal. And her months-long feather experience had been far from encouraging, at least to her. So, she’d been reading ahead for most of the summer. She’d figured she may as well, since every attempt she’d made at the feather had been such a dramatic failure. 
As she’d pointed out to Twilight, the change of pace was helping her feel a little less hopeless. And, as she’d also pointed out, the more she already knew when she finally broke through whatever was holding her back, the better off she’d be.
And, fortunately, Twilight had agreed. The alicorn had emphasized that she didn’t want Sunrise to get too discouraged, of course. Or to stop drilling on the basics completely. But Twilight was as patient and encouraging as a pony could ask for. Patient, kind, compassionate, brilliant, graceful…
With a contented sigh, Sunrise closed her book for a moment. She had to admit that, almost since arriving in Equestria, every morning had held its own special joy. Waking up next to Luna, she’d often stay in her lover’s feathered embrace for quite a bit longer than necessary before kissing her gently and rising to face the day.
So, okay, yeah, she had to admit to herself happily, I’m never going to completely hate feathers.
And then, first thing when she left her rooms, there would be Twilight. 
Sunrise had never been a morning pony. (Person, she corrected herself with an inner smile. I was still human then.) But if there was a better way to start the day than with a long Twilight hug, followed by listening to the alicorn’s latest discoveries and researches over breakfast, Sunrise couldn’t think of it. And really, was there anything more beautiful than a mare talking enthusiastically about something they truly loved? 
Sunrise shook her head, her smile growing. No. Absolutely not.
And as for Spike… Well, Sunrise had never really had siblings growing up. But if Sunset was her sister (and her twin, at that), then the young dragon was rapidly heading into little brother territory. Which was a little weird, come to think of it, since he was basically Twilight’s son. And Twilight was Sunrise’s…
Sunrise paused in her reflections. Wait. Twilight was her… what?
She frowned, puzzled by where her thoughts had led her. Then she gave a small shrug and shook it off. 
Screw it, she thought. Not everything needs a label.
The point was, when she’d emerged through Star Swirl’s mirror, Sunrise had basically just been given the life she’d always wanted and been denied, growing up. In the foster care system, she’d basically had no one. Later, on the streets, she could have just vanished and no one would have cared. And for all the freedom that had afforded her, it had also been a lean, lonely existence.
But now she had not just a home, but a family. Friends. Even a chance at magic, if she could quit being so damn hopeless about it. All her childhood dreams, somehow come true at last.
Whether she really deserved it or not.
Shoving that last bit down, Sunrise refocused on her studies, diving into the book she held. Nothing quite like group teleportation theory to drown out the inner shadows, she told herself.
Then, frowning at her own thoughts, she turned the page and dove deeper.
At that moment, a familiar buzzing sound came from the direction of the portal. Both ponies perked up immediately. 
“Sunset break!” Sunrise cheered.
“Ohhhh, no,” Twilight mock chided her. “You’re not getting off that easily! You get back to work on those feathers, I’ll see what’s up in Sunset’s world.”
Sunrise cheerfully stuck her tongue out at her. Then, with a sigh, the unicorn set her book aside and trotted to her customary practice table. She allowed herself a brief moment to examine the familiar charred candelabra, contemplating how much she sincerely loathed all things related to levitation practice. Then, with a sigh, she began digging a suitable feather out from the open pillow Twilight had long ago sacrificed for the cause. 
Meanwhile, Twilight had reached the table with its purple ink bottle and quill, levitating the book into the room to meet her there. As she sat down, there was the familiar Fwuph! from the other side of the room of another feather vanishing in a burst of flame.
“Dammit!” Sunrise exclaimed. Then, with a sigh, “I mean, darn it.”
Chuckling, Twilight opened the book to read the latest entry. Then, her face fell.


	




Sunset gave a contented sigh as she finally emerged from the bathroom. If there was a better way to start out a day than this, she couldn’t think of it. Clean, dry, wrapped in a fluffy towel and still feeling slightly aglow, she padded barefoot down the carpeted stairs, smiling. There was Twilight, curled up on the couch with a book on her lap, looking especially delicious and pounceable. 
Except, wait. It was the messaging book she had. And Twilight wasn’t looking anything but stricken.
“Honey?”
At Sunset’s voice, Twilight set the book aside and looked up. “I got a call from Detective Steel.”
Sunset stepped forward, uncertain. “And?”
“He says they got the girl who shot me.”
Sunset’s eyes widened. “What? But that’s… did Sunrise come back? Did she--?”
“No, I just checked with Princess Twilight. It’s someone else.”
Sunset was nodding as she walked over to the couch, running a hand through her hair. “Okay. Okay. We can handle this. Where do they have her? We can go down right now, you can look and tell them…”
But Twilight shook her head. “No, I already thought of that. They don’t want me to identify her. They’ve already got a full confession. It’s basically just a matter of sentencing now. I messaged the rest of the girls, and they’re on their way…” her voice trailed off as Sunset stared at her in horror, eyes wide. The towel had fallen on the floor, forgotten, and now Sunset spun and raced up the stairs.
“Sunny, what—”
“Call them back!” her voice came from the upstairs bedroom. “Tell them to meet us at the portal-- no, don’t! Just get the bike ready, you can call them on the way!”
Twilight was already in motion, grabbing keys and jacket as she yelled, “Why? What’s the rush?”
“If you were the princess, you’d think I had a right to know, right?”
“Sure but…” Twilight stopped for an instant, eyes wide. “Oh, shit!” 
Then she was in the garage, the door opening, getting Sunset’s motorcycle started, even as Sunny ran out in jeans, boots and a T-shirt, still struggling with her own jacket. Twilight threw Sunset her helmet as she buckled on her own, and then the two of them were tearing down the street, weaving through traffic. Sunset driving, Twilight using her magic to stay firmly seated while she texted frantically for the other Rainbooms to meet them at their old school.


	




Sunrise stared at Twilight, with a look of sheer heartbreak. Almost involuntarily, she took a step back, blinking back tears. 
“And just like that,” she managed softly, “the dream dies.”
“Sunny? What—wait!” even as Twilight had started speaking, Sunrise has spun and bolted out of the room.
Then Twilight’s eyes widened and she gasped in sudden understanding. “Oh, no! Spike! Go get—”
The dragon was already running down a different hallway. “I’m on it!”
“Sunrise, wait,” Twilight called again as she ran. “We can deal with this!” 
With a moment’s concentration, Twilight vanished in a burst of violet light, reappearing in front of her friend, blocking her way to the laboratory. The unicorn didn’t slow. Twilight braced herself for impact, head slightly lowered, planning to grab and hold her when they met. Her strength might not match her fellow alicorns yet, but she was still far stronger than she looked.
But instead, Sunrise jumped, planting a rear hoof on Twilight’s withers and shoving herself the rest of the way over, even as Twilight staggered forward. 
Determined, Twilight teleported again, materializing between Sunrise and the Mirror of Gaea. This time, she kept her head up. “Sunny, listen—”
This time, Sunrise dropped into a slide. Turning sideways, she planted her hooves under Twilight and shifted herself, simultaneously pushing herself behind Twilight while shoving her over.
But Twilight was only going to be surprised once. Even as her hooves left the ground, she simply spread her wings, hovering in place. Meanwhile, Sunrise had rolled to her hooves, gathered even more speed in her gallop, leaping towards the mirror’s surface…
…only to be denied at the last instant by a violet wall of mystical force materializing before her. The impact knocked her back, rolling on the floor. Looking behind her, she saw Twilight, still hovering in mid-air, the glow of her horn subsiding. The shield was a lasting construct, and would remain until she dispelled it.
Sunrise’s cry was one of frantic desperation. “No!” 
Hysterically, Sunrise struck it with her forehooves. Then she whirled and kicked it, first with one hoof, then with both, again and again.
“No! No! No! NO! NO!”
Finally, she stopped, panting, looking back to her friend with pleading eyes, “Twilight, you can’t do this! You can’t!”
“Sunny—”
“I can’t let somepony else take the fall for this!”
Twilight landed in front of her. “I know—”
“You said I could go back if I wanted!” she cried. “It’s not fair! You promised me!”
“You can! And you will!”
More kicking. “Then drop! Your fucking! Shield!”
“Sunny, listen! No,” Twilight grabbed her despite her struggles, arms and wings around her, their horns glowing slightly as they touched. “Listen to me! We’re not letting this happen!”
“I have to make this right! I have to—!”
“And you will,” Twilight assured her. “I promise you will! You’re just not doing it alone.”
Another set of limbs joined the embrace then, holding them both. Gently, as Sunrise’s struggles began to subside, Luna kissed her cheek. When Sunrise turned towards her, Luna gently kissed her mouth, her forehead. Then, still holding her, Luna kissed the base of her horn, just below where it still crossed against Twilight’s own.
“Only now have we found thee, beloved,” the Princess of Dreams said softly. “Thinkst we would surrender thee so easily?”
It was at that moment, tearfully returning the embrace of the two ponies she loved most, that Sunrise began to understand. When she’d crossed through the portal between worlds she had, indeed, come home. But ‘home’ has a price. And the price was that, for the first time in her life, she could no longer simply disappear.