//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: Alternative Origins // by TalkingToMyself //------------------------------// Sunset groaned when the door to her room slammed shut behind her intruder. The palace staff knew better than to approach her when she was in a mood like this, so it could only be either Kibitz or Princess Celestia, if she was lucky. And she was, as a mug was placed into her hooves, surrounded by a golden magic field. Judging from the scent it had to be tea, but it seemed just as appetizing as paint right now. “Drink. It will help with the headache.” Sunset Shimmer groaned again but she had no fight in her at the moment, so she just downed the concoction in one long draw “Happy now?” “Do I look happy?” That made Sunset look up and almost flinch back. Princess Celestia always smiled in public, so nopony even knew she could get angry. Sunset however knew, and still she had barely ever seen her like this. Princess Celestia took a deep breath and sat down in front of Sunset’s bed, which left them both eye to eye. She fixed Sunset with a glare, but Sunset could also see something else simmering behind it “Whatever were you thinking, Sunset? I know you can be a little reckless, but this?” Sunset rolled her eyes and blew out her breath through her nose “For the last time, it was a slumber spell, that’s all. Nothing dangerous could have happened from…” “THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEAN!” Sunset’s mouth clamped shut as the loudest voice she had ever heard hit her from a close distance “First, you head out into a blizzard all by yourself. Then you completely burn yourself out on magic when you try to break the dark curse of the Crystal Empire. You barely made it out alive, and now you do this? Sunset, are you even aware how dangerous mind magic can be?” Sunset’s confused expression hardened into a deep frown “I know all there is to learn about it. I knew what I was doing.” “You clearly did not!” Princess Celestia jumped back on her hooves, uncharacteristically agitated “Sunset, looking into the mind of a sane person is very dangerous. But trying to do so with a broken mind… you could have been lost, Sunset!” “None of the books said…” “FORGET THE BOOKS!” This time, the sheer volume of Celetia’s voice blew her mane back and behind her, she heard something fall to the floor with a crash. Sunset Shimmer didn’t dare to say anything and Princess Celestia took a deep, forced breath “Sunset, there is a reason this knowledge is kept under lock. It’s too dangerous to be used.” Sunset Shimmer reached her own boiling point when she all she got was cryptic phrases all over again “Then maybe instead of just giving me those books, you should have told me that! Maybe, instead of just hinting you could have been clear for once. Maybe you should let me finish my studies instead of sending me on missions or changing my curriculum every time I get to something important!” “I’m only trying to do what is best for you.” “Well, congratulations Princess! Because apparently, what’s best for me is only learning half the truth and putting myself in dangers I didn’t even know about, because you kept that knowledge from me!” Princess Celestia slumped back on the ground. She sighed, defeated. Sunset didn’t think she had won that argument, she just reached the point where the Princess usually gave up and either changed topics or left. With Celestia sitting on the floor and Sunset standing on her bed, she suddenly had the high ground on the princess and used it for one of her famous glares. That glare vanished instantly when Celestia looked up at her with a pained expression “Sunset, the reason I didn’t tell you more about mind magic is because I’m scared of it.” Sunset didn’t let her surprise reach her face, but she also shoved away her anger. Princess Celestia seemed honest and her rage had bled out of her voice. Sunset Shimmer sat down again, once more putting the two ponies on even grounds “Go on. I’m listening.” Another deep sigh, but the princess complied “Mind magic is very tricky because not only does it affect the mind of the subject, but the caster as well. Whenever you affect somepony’s mind, you inflict the same to your own. It’s not life-threateningly dangerous because, as the caster, you are aware of what you are doing, and you have a set goal on your mind, which helps lessen the influence on you versus your subject.” Sunset Shimmer soaked up all the information as Princess Celestia went on. She didn’t notice the slight smile on her face. This reminded her of the sessions she used to have with her mentor, when they met for daily lessons and explored new fields of magic together “However, if you are not aware of what is happening, the risks grow exponentially. You might not even notice how the spell you are supposed to control gains an influence on you. You risk losing control not only of the spell, but of your mind as well. The greatest risk however, is to cast mind magic under unclear circumstances. Diving into another pony’s mind and memories is one of those.” Princess Celestia locked her eyes with Sunset and tried to convey her worries to her student “No two ponies’ minds are alike, Sunset. Not even twins have the same thoughts, and even if they experience the same events, ponies will have different memories of it. So even when both ponies, caster and subject, are aware and willing to let somepony into their mind, there is a risk of getting lost, even with the most thorough of preparations. ” Sunset Shimmer felt a shiver run down her back “My spell wasn’t like that at all.” “No, Sunset. Neither you nor Crystal Note were aware of the effects of such a spell. Crystal Note wasn’t even aware of it being cast on her. Crystal Note also most certainly wasn’t willing. And thanks to my failings as your teacher, you also didn’t even have the chance to prepare yourself accordingly.” Princess Celestia took a deep breath and her eyes found Sunset’s again “Hence why my initial reaction was… unfit. I can’t expect you to know things I never told you. But I hope you can see while my words were harsh, my intentions behind them are valid. I don’t want you to put yourself in danger like this, Sunset.” Sunset Shimmer listened attentively and nodded. She knew this was as much of an apology as she could expect from Princess Celestia. She could get what the princess was thinking, but it still didn’t explain her losing her temper like that “There’s more to that, isn’t it? There’s another reason why you’re afraid of mind magic in particular.” Celestia closed her eyes with yet another sigh and nodded “There is no fooling you, my talented student. You see, during all the years I lived, I’ve only met one pony who could travel through other ponies minds and dreams, who could emerge herself fully and make a positive influence in her subjects, then leave unharmed. Her mastery over mind magic was truly unrivalled. But even she fell, Sunset.” Their eyes met again and Sunset Shimmer could see fear, pain and guilt in her mentor’s gaze “There were unfortunate happenings that made her loose her inner balance. I… it is not easy for me to talk about this. However, with her own mind weakened, she became susceptible to darker influences and in the end, she succumbed. I noticed this far too late and in the end I could not help her. I couldn’t save my… her. And now I have to watch you go down a similar path than her and I… Sunset, are you even listening?” Sunset blinked surprised and nodded “Of course I am! What makes you think I’m not?” “You’re humming since I started talking. And to be honest, it is somehow distracting.” Sunset Shimmer froze and focused on herself. Her eyes opened wide when she noticed Princess Celestia was right. What the hay? I’m humming and I didn’t even notice it? But now that she listened, she clearly heard an insistent little tune in her mind. Try as she might, she couldn’t push it away. “Is this..?” Princess Celestia didn’t answer, but her horn glowed with something Sunset recognized as a spellchecker. She didn’t last long before she shook her head “I can sense no lingering traces of the spell. Hm. Maybe it’s just exhaustion from using an unfamiliar form of magic.” She fixed Sunset with a curious gaze “Or it might be something you picked up in Crystal Note’s mind.” Sunset blinked rapidly and shook her head “But why would I pick up a tune out of all things? I went in looking for dates, names, anything important, not her favourite song.” “Then perhaps, this song is very important to her. Her cutie mark is related to music, after all.” Sunset Shimmer blinked even more “Her cutie mark?” “Indeed. Sunset, you’ve spent almost three weeks with Crystal Note now, don’t tell me you didn’t notice her cutie mark during all that time.” Sunset Shimmer just shook her head, a little flustered “Did you at least talk to her? Did you learn anything about her?” Sunset Shimmer frowned “We barely talk. She just follows me around. It’s kind of pointless to talk with her when she can’t remember anything, right?” “Sunset, if she had truly forgotten everything, she would be unable to even talk properly. She would have forgotten the names of even the simplest objects. Her memory clearly is not completely gone. Besides, I asked you to take care of her.” “I do! She gets three meals a day, has her bedroom next to mine and I make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.” Princess Celestia looked very concerned all of a sudden “Sunset, she is not some kind of pet. She’s a pony like you and me, taking care of her means more than just feeding her.” “She never complained, though.” “What did she tell you, then?” Sunset frowned and shrugged “Nothing. She keeps following me and she only answers when she’s spoken to. She apologizes a lot.” Princess Celestia nodded with a deep sigh “Then maybe you should ask her why she does that. Clearly she trusts you and enjoys your presence, if she will open up to anypony, I’m sure it will be you.” Sunset Shimmer groaned and let her head sink down on her hooves “Why does that sound like another attempt of you to get me make friends?” Celestia just giggled at that reaction and got back on her hooves “That’s more like the Sunset Shimmer I know. Now I am certain that you are alright, my talented student. Try and get some sleep, your headache should be gone by tomorrow.” Sunset was about to give a snarky comeback, but Princess Celestia leaned down for a gentle nuzzle. She hadn’t done this since Sunset had been a filly, but the princess had an emotional day, so Sunset just smiled and let her have her moment. She didn’t dare admitting to herself how much she actually enjoyed this. Princess Celestia made her way to the door, dimming down the lights on her way out. Before she was out, she looked back at her student “Sunset? If there are any other subjects that you feel I have skimmed over in the past, please tell me. We will try to go into that during your personal lessons.” Sunset smiled at the prospect of private lessons with Princess Celestia again, but she couldn’t hold back a quip of her own “Now that you mention it, there is this magic mirror and…” “Goodnight, Sunset.” Sunset Shimmer just grinned “Goodnight, Princess Celestia.”