//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: All That Glitters // by FoolAmongTheStars //------------------------------// The sun was starting to set, but it was still far from when anyone could say night had truly fallen. Sunset Shimmer returned home to find her brother working on Sugar Belle’s order, and when he asked how her day had been, she skipped over the part where she told Sonata an outlandish lie. The two began to set up dinner, with Sunset loudly grumbling how much hungrier they'd be the next few days because someone felt a complete stranger deserved to eat more than their big sister. Sunburst apologized but in the end he wasn't entirely sorry, for he was happy that he had helped someone less fortunate than him. Sunset huffed, but all she could do was grumble. Asking Sunburst to change his kind nature was like asking him to change his horn for antlers, both an impossibility. It was a wonderful, and at times aggravating, part of him. And if it weren't for the lack of eggs, Sunburst would have forgotten the incident altogether. He could recall the rest of the day perfectly, but those few minutes with Sugar Belle were getting dimmer by the hour. He couldn't recall the color of the old mare's cloak, nor the sound of her voice; nor even if she'd said more than two words to him. It was rather frightening the more he thought about it, or at least the more he tried to think about it. He was about to ask Sunset's thoughts on this, when a knock sounded at the front door. Sunburst turned to the door, surprised. It wasn't entirely too late to have a magic situation that required his expertise, but customers had been so few and far in between that it was still a shock. “Oh, do you think its Sugar Belle picking up her spell already?” Sunset lightly gave her brother a shove on the shoulders. “Maybe it's the old lady and she wants our bread, our milk, and your hoof in marriage.” Sunburst gave her an annoyed look, but Sunset grinned, mentally promising this would be the last of the teasing. Sunburst headed for the door, and Sunset decided to follow in case it really was Sugar Belle – maybe she could finagle more eggs from her. But when Sunburst opened the door, Sugar Belle wasn't on the other side. Instead, there stood Sonata in all of her air headed, metal glory, looking slightly dumbfounded at the siblings. Sunset squinted. “What, are you door-to-door bullying now?” “Sunset, please,” Sunburst lightly chastised, before properly bowing. “Good evening, Captain Sonata. It's an honor to have you here. What can I do for you?” He smiled politely and without a hint of ill intent. Having someone give her real respect made Sonata hesitate before she spoke. “You might wanna ask your big sister about that,” she said before jabbing a hoof behind her. “I'm here to announce the Queen, and to get you started on your task.” Sunset instantly broke out in a cold sweat while Sunburst blinked rapidly. As Sonata went on to announce Chrysalis, which involved a short speech about her lineage and the power she had, Sunburst slowly looked at Sunset, his incredulous expression turning to one of suspicion, then anger. Sunset refused to meet his eyes. With her blond fur, it was difficult to tell she was palling, but she was. Surely this was about something else. Surely Sonata hadn't believed that stupid story. Surely life didn't hate her that much. When Sonata finished, she clapped once. “Okay, I'll be right back, don't move a muscle!” She then shuffled off to the carriage that both siblings could see now, lavishly adorned with jewels and gold, and half a dozen guards surrounding it. As Sonata began to pull something out of the carriage, Sunburst took a deep breath. “Sunset.” “Yes, Sunburst?” “You lied, didn't you?” “...Yes, Sunburst.” To add to Sunset's horror and Sunburst's confusion, Sonata was carrying back a large bale of straw, and walking behind her was the grand Queen herself. She was smiling brightly, arching her neck to give off an air of superiority that only served to give the impression that she had a neck injury. The guardsmen began to surround the house, thick armor hiding reluctant faces. Sonata roughly shoved her way into the house, splitting up the duo. “Comin' through!” She only stopped once she was in what she assumed was Sunburst's room, dropping the hay in front of the bed. Sunburst scrambled to Sunset's side, yanking her by her withers. “What. Did. You. Do?” “I can explain!” Sunset flailed, but now the Queen was entering the house, and on some odd instinct, she drew Sunburst close and behind her, protecting him. She swallowed hard. “Uh, Your Highness! This is an honor! A very, very weird honor.” Chrysalis looked down upon her subjects, one hoof stroking her chin in contemplation. Her father had constantly done the same action whenever she was about to give an order, but the previous king had a beard, and Chrysalis didn't, which made this action look less intimidating and more silly. The gardener she barely recognized, having only a passing notion of what each servant looked like. But the stallion she knew, she absolutely knew him, though she couldn't say why she knew him more than she knew the sister. By all logic, she would have seen him less than she saw Sunset. He was even better looking close up, with big blue eyes and a strong chin and golden fur she wanted to run her hoofs over. Sunburst stayed close to Sunset, his ears lowered in fear, trying to think positively about the situation. His smile was shaky, but genuine, hoping to reach a peaceful resolution. He was the very image of sweetness – and the sight of him made Chrysalis furious. She didn't know why. She didn't much care. “So, this is the great wizard of the Crystal Kingdom!” Chrysalis exclaimed loudly, making the siblings jump. “I had no idea we had some pony so amazingly talented in our land! Why, I would think someone with your abilities would be shouting it from the rooftops!” Sunburst’s smile became stronger—maybe this was just a strange way to ask for an enchantment. “Oh, why, thanks, Your Highness,” he said. “I just do my best, that’s all.” “And humble to boot!” Chrysalis laughed, but it was a dry sound. “What a sweetheart, which makes me wonder, why would you keep such a secret from your ruler?” “Secret?” Sunburst looked at Sunset for assistance. Sunset had the look of a pony who wished to be put to death. “I…I don’t understand. Captain Sonata said it had something to do with my sister?” “He calls me Captain,” Sonata pointed out, now standing behind Chrysalis meekly. “And I call you dimwit, now zip it!” The Queen snap and Sonata hung her head. “Whatever, Sunset Shimmer, was it? Well, she couldn’t help but boast about her baby brother, a great and powerful wizard, who could turn straw into gold!” The enormous lie that was spoken threw him off. Again, he looked at his sister for some explanation, and she looked away, muttering apologies under her breath. He inhaled deeply through his nose, stepping in front of his sister. “Please, let me apologize for my sister.” He began, a hoof to his chest. “She has a bad habit of telling tiny lies to make herself feel better. I’ve told her to knock it off a thousand times-“ Sunset winced, “-but maybe this embarrassment will finally get her to stop.” Sunburst understood the purpose of this visit, it was just public humiliation, nothing more. He then lowered his head and Sunset followed suit. “We apologize for taking time out of your busy schedule for this nonsense.” “Oh, I see,” Chrysalis said in a far to composed manner. “That’s disappointing, I would hate to send you two to the dungeons.” The siblings stood up so fast that Sonata could have sworn she heard their necks popping, but she definitely heard them yelling. “WHAT!?” “You see, the thing is,” Chrysalis began, drawing a hoof over Sonata’s withers and yanking her into the conversation. “Your sister told this interesting fact to Captain nuts-for-brains here.” “Aw, c’mon,” she groaned, and now even Sunset felt sorry for her. It certainly explained a thing or two. “Now, Sonata Dusk here is my direct line to the Kingdom,” Chrysalis continued, ignoring the Captains wounded expression. “You could say she is my stand in! And if you lie to her is the same as lying to me! And lying to your Queen is considered treason, and treason is punishable by incarceration. You got that?” Sunburst opened his mouth, but all that came out was a stunned, “But…But…” The sight of his body trembling with fear gave Chrysalis a great sense of pleasure. “Now just hold up one second!” Sunset Shimmer snapped, teeth grinding and planting herself directly in front of Chrysalis. “I tell one stupid story that anyone with half a brain cell can tell isn’t true, and you want to throw us behind bars? That crown must be on too tight!” Maybe, just maybe, if he angered her enough, her brother could be spared, Sunburst didn’t deserved to be punished by her own foolishness, not if Sunset had anything to say about it. Chrysalis waved her hoof. “Now, now, no need to get your tail in a twist! No pony has to go to the dungeon…if your lie is the truth. Why do you think I brought all this straw?” “I brought it,” Sonata mumbled. Sunburst turned around to look at the square straw that sat in his room. “You…want me to turn that…into gold?” His voice grew meeker with each word. A part of him wanted to be mad with Sunset, but he was far to overwhelmed with terror. There was no way his sister could have foreseen this madness. “But that’s…how can I…?” “Hey, you’re the wizard, you figure it out.” Chrysalis shoved Sonata away, satisfied. “You’ve got till sunrise. If I come back and don’t see gold, it’s the dungeons for the both of you.” Then her eyes turn dark, her face lustful, and tongue licking her lips in a predatory manner as her narrow eyes rested on Sunburst trembling figure. “But maybe you and I could figure out a…much more satisfying arrangement.” Sunset exploded, racing forward with her horn ablaze. “YOU LAY ONE HOOF ON MY BROTHER AND I-“ But for all of Chrysalis put-downs, Sonata was still a loyal soldier, and she push Sunset towards the nearest wall, hoof on her throat and pinning the unicorn in place, causing Sunset to gag. Sunburst yelled, and Sunset tried to kick Sonata off her. Sonata closed her eyes, the sight of Sunset in such pain brought her no pleasure, and she dropped Sunset onto the floor. She landed with a hard thud, gasping and coughing, and Sunburst flew to her side, biting back tears. Chrysalis shrugged, as if there was nothing she could do. “Guess that’s your choice, I’ve got to go, Queen stuff to do and all that, you wouldn’t get it. Hope your night is golden!” With a little laugh at her own joke she headed out, but she stopped at the doorway. “Oh, almost forgot. In case you were thinking to make a run for it or asking for help, my soldiers have been ordered to make sure no one enters or leaves this house until I arrived. Goodnight!” With a wink, she walked out, and Sonata slowly followed, the door closing quietly behind her. Sunset managed to stand, her throat sore, but the sight of her brother in distress hurt far worse. It brought tears to her eyes, and she drew him into a tight hug. “Oh, Sunburst!” she moaned, resting her head on top of his. “I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean for any of this to happen! I just…just wanted Sonata to shut up, to make us sound amazing…” Sunburst started to hyperventilate into Sunset’s chest, more frightened and devastated than he had ever felt in his life. “W-What are we going to do?” he asked between breaths, and even though she couldn’t answer he asked it again, desperation making his words louder. “What are we going to do?” “I…I’ll think of something.” But despite her words, there was nothing she could do, and they both knew it. Were those really the only options? Live in the dungeons for the rest of their lives, or let her baby brother become the new plaything of a petty tyrant? She wished she could apologize to Flash for letting himself get caught up with such a worthless mare, to her parents for failing to take care of her brother, and to herself, for letting herself make up such lies. The two of them stayed like that for what seemed like eons, crying and wallowing in pity. Night had fallen when they finally stood up, quietly deciding they could at least eat their last meal together, even if it was in silence. Sunset returned to her room, wondering if she could bring any possessions with her, and then laid in bed, crying and falling into a restless sleep. Sunburst retreated to his room and sat in front of the simple block of straw, his head hanging low. His mind went to all of the spells and enchantments he could think of that could complete the task, but all of them required a great amount of power, something he hadn’t been born with, only a unicorn like Star Swirl the Bearded could pull something like that—and even then it would only be a highly detailed illusion, not actual gold. Now that he was alone he let his tears fall freely. Was he allowed to say goodbye to his friends? Would he ever cast a spell again? Could he swallow his pride and stay by the Queen’s side—but the thought made him want to gag and lose all of his dinner. It was more than just revulsion towards the monarch, it was the same mental scream that wouldn’t allow him to even consider courting another mare. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with this kingdom? Why had everything turned so awful? Surely it couldn’t stay this way forever. Would happiness and peace ever come back? Just then, he heard a faint sound from his window—a pebble hitting glass. Then it happened again. When it came a third time, Sunburst realized it wasn’t the wind or his imagination. He wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and began to stand up, curious. Was it the guards? Maybe they had taken pity of them and letting them escape! He ran to the window, and opened it. There, in the darkness, stood the old mare from the market, with the same cloak—oh! Now he remembered, it had been black—and the same staff and the same weary look about her. Two of the guards were laying on the ground, snoring loudly. Sunburst wasn’t sure what to make of the scene, and could only think of one thing to say. “Umm…Hello?” “Hello,” said the old mare, sounding far more energetic than the last time they met. “I was stopping by to see how you were doing and I bumped into these guys, so I convinced them to take a nap.” There was clear amusement in her voice, as if she had said a joke. “Oh, well.” The absurdity of the situation made Sunburst pause, though his genuine kindness shined on. “If you need something eat, we still have plenty, but right now…is really not a good time.” “I figured,” the old mare said. “Don’t worry, I’m here to repay your kindness.” “Don’t worry about that please,” Sunburst pulled back from the window. “You should get going before the guards see you!” He turned and pointed at the straw. “The Queen is making us do an…impossible…task?” Sunburst sentence trailed off when he saw the old mare standing in his room, examining the straw with interest. He blinked, took off his glasses to clean them, put them back on and blinked again. No, she was definitely there, somehow. “Hmm, I’m guessing this isn’t some midnight snack?” The old mare poked the straw with her staff. “Huh…I…no, the Queen…” Sunburst was still looking back and forth between the window and his room, failing to understand how such a feeble old mare could sneak into his room so quickly. It was like magic, of the highest level imaginable, which was ridiculous, why would such a powerful pony bother to help him? “My sister told a silly lie, that I could turn straw into gold. Now the Queen says either I actually do it, or she would throw us into the dungeons for treason. Or…” He couldn’t bear to finish the sentence. “Her pettiness never ceases to amaze me.” The old mare straightened up as best as she could. “As I said, I’m here to repay your kindness.” Sunburst lifted his head, skeptical but hopeful. “How?” The old mare lifted her staff, and she slammed it down with a strength he didn’t knew the old mare could possess. The second the staff touched the floor, golden light flooded the room, swirling colors wrapped around the old mare, melting the cloak, the hump, the gray fur on her hoofs, revealing a much younger mare. She was perhaps no older than Sunset, with a dark purple mane with a green mint streak running through it and sparkling blue eyes, and a smile that was sweet and alluring. As the light began to fade, Sunburst—who was so surprised he lost his footing and sat heavily on his bed—could see that she was wearing rich fabrics of purple and green, with the royal insignia stitched to her skirt, which rolled past her hoofs and trailed behind her. Even the staff had changed, now it was made out of steel and emeralds, with a large green one sitting on top. The light show ended, and the world fell silent once more, with neither pony uttering a word. The old mare—the young mare—was grinning, enjoying the shock on the stallion’s face. “I apologize, had to do a quick costume change first,” she chirped, with her new voice matching her new face, sweet and girlish with a hint of graciousness. “My power is a lot stronger when I’m not in disguise. But I can’t stay this way for long either.” Sunburst said nothing. What could he say? Where to even begin? He slapped his hoofs to his cheeks to see if he was dreaming, and he wasn’t. Shakily, he began to stand, his heart racing. The longer he stared, the more the conflict in his mind boiled up like a pressure cooker. Half of him wanted to run from the room, or for her to leave, because she didn’t belong here, she couldn’t possibly be real, something about her defied the rules of reality—the other half, however, wanted to run towards her, embraced her, and never let go, to gaze into her sparkling blue eyes and hear her voice recite every word in the written language. These opposites waring inside him made him dizzy, and he would have fallen over had she not have caught him. “Careful!” Said the mare as she caught him, using her magic to help him regain his balance. “I know, it’s a lot to take in and you’re not feeling very good right now. But I won’t be long, I promise.” Her touch was warm, soft, familiar. Sunburst felt his cheeks heating up, having never been in such close contact with a mare that wasn’t related. She was beautiful, kind and witty. If such a mare had always lived in his village, he could see himself going after her in a heartbeat. For once, his mind didn’t have that screaming shut down reaction to such a thought. Instead happier thoughts began to fill his mind, and he could see himself resting his chin on the top of her head, and—and for goodness sake, he just met the mare today! His embarrassment turned his cheeks into a lovely shade of red, and the mare giggled at his endearing face. “I, huh, what…” Sunburst stammered, even though his legs were steady enough to support him, he couldn’t bring himself to step away from her. “W-who are you?” The magic of the moment was shattered, the mare’s sweet smile fell and she turned away. Sunburst panicked, thinking he might had insulted her somehow, but how? He was so sure he hadn’t met her before. The mare stepped away from him, she faced the straw. “Hmm, let’s see, for now…I’m a good witch, wandering the land.” “A witch!” he exclaimed, still amazed even though he had seen the transformation with his own eyes. “I didn’t even know such powerful magic was possible! Have you met Star Swirl the Bearded perhaps? Where did you study? In Canterlot or are you self-thought? Oh! Wait don’t tell me! Is Star Swirl your teacher!?” He pranced in place in his excitement, since he had never had someone he could talk to about magic. “Please Miss Witch, you have to help us! The kingdom could use some pony like you, think of all the good you could do!” The pony rolled her shoulders as if shrugging off his questions. “Magic isn’t the solution to everything, in fact, it can make things worse.” She pawed at a few strands of straw on the floor. “You should never rely wholly on one thing…or on one pony, sometimes the only pony who is capable of changing anything is yourself.” She glanced at him. Sunburst thought it sounded wise, but he had no idea what she was talking about. “Then…you can’t help me?” “Oh, I never said that,” the mare pointed out. “But keep in mind this is payment. A turn for a turn, a kindness for a kindness. If you ever find yourself in trouble again, it won’t be for free.” Sunburst hesitated but nodded slowly. “I guess that’s fair.” It seemed quite simple really. You reap what you sow, as his mother used to say. Although he sincerely hope that something like this would never happen again. Sunset had learned her lesson, and she would never put their lives on the line for the sake of her ego again. But then he remember what his kindness had been. “You’re really doing this for a bag of eggs?” “A kindness for a kindness,” repeated the mare, smiling. Then she twirled her staff like a baton and pointed at the straw, she took a deep breath and the emerald began to glow. She twirled it one more time and the straw began to levitated from the floor, she slammed her staff down and the straw started to spin like a miniature tornado of teal. Sunburst yelped, the wind dragging him slightly towards it until he found purchase on the wooden floor, the mare never took her eyes from the straw. It spin faster and faster, the teal turning from sepia to amber to gold, and Sunburst had to close his eyes because the brilliance was too much to take, he didn’t look up again until the wind had died down. The bale was gone and in its place were stacks of gold bars neatly pile up in four rows. Four across, four in each row, four—he stopped counting, rushing over to touch and make sure it was real, even though he hadn’t seen and actual gold bar in his life. It was one of those things every pony talked about having but never actually did, like a diamond the size of your head. The bar was quite heavy and cold to the touch, and he needed both his hoofs to pick one up. “I-I can’t believe…this is actual gold! You really turned the straw into gold!” “Sure did,” said the mare, as if all she did was sweep the floor. “This is incredible!” Sunburst dropped the bar and turned to face her, in awe of being in the company of such a powerful pony. “You’re incredible, I can’t believe—you must be the most talented pony in all of Equestria!” “Nah, not really,” she said dismissively, but she could hide the proud smile on her face. Perhaps a little more please about who was praising her instead of the praising itself. “There tons of more powerful ponies out there.” But Sunburst didn’t hear the last part, or he simply didn’t care, instead he lunged at the mare, taking her in his arms like he had wanted to since the start, hugging her for all he was worth. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you!” The mare didn’t realize how appreciative Sunburst could be, she was taken by surprise by his strength, and would have stumbled hadn’t Sunburst been holding her so tightly. “Oh, ah, I’m just glad I could repay you Sunburst!” She said, blushing and feeling like the mystical persona she had built up until now crumbling to dust. “It’s fine, I was just doing my job, that’s-“ “Thaaaank youuu!” He’d even began to cry, feeling overjoyed that their lives had been saved, and even though the witch insisted she was only repaying his kindness, he felt like he owed her the world and he would gladly give it to her if he could. He didn’t even noticed that she had said his name when he never given it to her. “Thank you, Miss Good Witch! A thousand times thank you!” “Uh.” Now the mare had lost the ability for coherent speech, and now her cheeks were the ones that resembled apples. “Uhhh…” She was helpless putty in his arms, especially when he was nuzzling her cheek with his own as he continued to shower her with praises and gratitude, then the feeling in her legs left her, when he placed a sweet kiss on her cheek. The mare had two choices at this point—throw all her careful planning out the window and doom the kingdom in order to get another kiss, or find the reminder of her strength and leave like she had originally planned. It was a difficult choice, but in the end she choose the latter and wiggled out of Sunburst arms, who reluctantly let her go. “Okay,” she cleared her throat and patted her cheeks in an effort to get rid of her blush. “Aw man, I had a speech planned to say before I left, but I completely forgot it, it was super inspiring and everything!” She shook her head and breathed in deeply. “I have to leave, before Chrysalis comes back.” “Do you have to go?” Sunburst asked, and tried to step closer. But the mare took his hoof, and he felt that odd warmth again, and again his immediate reaction was to hold on tighter event though he couldn’t justify the action. She looked at him. “I have to,” she said softly. “But if you ever need me again…I’ll come back. But remember, you have to do me a kindness first, before I can repay it.” She then drew him in with a hug—and she was gone before he could return it. He gasped, and looked around the room to see if she would appear again, but he was well and truly alone. His eyes rested on the gold bars, hardly believing they were there, that anything that had happened tonight had happened at all. His heart ached and his eyes stung with unshed tears. The house felt emptier than somehow, like it was missing an important member. His eyes moved slowly, seeing that all the straw was gone, even some of the dirt that Sunset would drag in—Sunset! Sunset! Sunset! Sunburst had to tell her! He ran from his room, suddenly realizing how odd it was that Sunset hadn’t been woken up by all the commotion. Had it been part of the magic? Were the guards asleep due to the magic? Who cared!? He threw open his sister’s door and began to jump on her bed, something he hadn’t done since he was a little colt. “SunsetSunsetSunset!” He yelled frantically, his words smashing together and becoming an incomprehensible babble. “YouhavetoseethegoldandmagicandblueeyesandSUNSEEEEEET!” It was certainly the least gentle way Sunset had ever been woken up, and she was so stunned that she laid in bed, eyes wide while Sunburst continued to jump on her mattress. “What…?” “You—my room and—j-just come to my room!” Sunburst insisted, dragging his sister along. Sunset tried to ask what he was talking about, but she followed bewilder as Sunburst rushed them to his room. All of her questions were answered when she saw the stack of gold, and her mouth dropped opened. That was when Sunburst closed the window, knowing that more shouting was to follow. Sunset tentatively reached for a bar of gold, lifting it up and inspected it like Sunburst had done. She tapped her hoof against it, even bit it, mostly she assumed that was what one did to check for authenticity. Once she had confirmed it was the real deal, she looked at her brother. “Sunburst…did you really…?” “It wasn’t me!” He said quickly and pointed out the window, ready to tell his unbelievable tale. “It was—it was the good witch!” Now that he said it, he realized she didn’t give him her name. “It was the old mare from the market, except she wasn’t old at all, she was in disguise! And she came to my room and turn the hay in to gold, just like that!” Sunset, ever protective of her baby brother, was quick to jump on the last bit of information. “Wait, she came to your room? You let a stranger in your bedroom?” “That’s not the point!” Sunburst wisely decided not to mention the hugs and the kisses. “I think it’s a really important point! Don’t let strangers into your room!” “Hey I didn’t even let her in, she just…appeared in here.” “THAT’S EVEN WORSE!” Sunset was about to hunt down the perverted mare who dared to slid into her brother’s room but Sunburst stopped her by silencing her with his magic. “Sunset,” he said calmly. “We have the gold, we’re going to give it to the Queen, and then you’re never going to tell another lie like that again. Got it?” Sunset couldn’t reply with her muzzle magically shut, but she nodded. Sunburst released her, and then began to tell his story, this time with more details—or what details he could remember. Even though it had just happen, he was struggling to recall the jewels in her staff, the color of her dress. Sunset wanted to deny it, wanted to say that such a thing was impossible, but the gold bars were there, as solid as any truth that she couldn’t ignore. If there was a good witch, where had she been all this time? Why only show up now? Why help two unimportant siblings down on their luck? Sunburst continued to praise the stranger, eternally grateful that fate had brought her to them, but Sunset’s face remained dark. She doubted that destiny would be so kind to them. Something bigger was going on, and she was worried what it meant for their futures. She looked at her reflection on the gold bar. If a pony like that could make gold so easily, why use that power so recklessly? Why not become rich and powerful yourself or why not become Queen yourself? Why not become Queen yourself? A sharp pain stabbed Sunset behind her eyes, and she staggered, needing to lean against the wall for support. Sunburst called out, holding her arm, asking what was wrong and what could he do. Sunset held her face, unable to comprehend, but knowing that one sentence was important. “Why not…become Queen yourself?” she whispered. “Sunset?” Sunburst asked, touching her cheek. “Did I…Did I ever, say that…to someone?” Sunset felt like she had, once, long ago, but where? Who? Why? Yet it lingered on her tongue, powerful words that had change fate once upon a time. Sunburst tilted his head. “Why would you say such a thing? Chrysalis is an only child, who else could become Queen but her? Besides, it’s not like anyone here knows how to run a kingdom.” He said helplessly. “Right, of course, your right.” Sunset stood up straight. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” And soon she forgot she ever said that. But the moment frighten her more than she was willing to admit, it showed her that lots of things were beyond her control, even her own memories and her ability to trust herself. She wasn’t like her brother, who had so much faith in the world and everyone in it. She was afraid for him, afraid of what the morning would bring, and she put a protective hoof over his withers, keeping him close. He didn’t complain, leaning on her and watching the gold. Neither of them got any more sleep that night. They stayed in his room, staring at what shouldn’t be, and thinking of more impossible things. The sun rose, casting a golden glow upon the kingdom.