Chapter Thirteen
Baggage
Hermione wasn't exactly surprised to see her sister fading into the living room with a slight wavering of the air. The melancholy expression she wore was less expected. "Sunset! Are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm okay. I just remembered some things, learned some others." She looked Hermione dead in the eye and her expression changed into one of determination. "We'll have to be good friends to Harry." She sighed. "He doesn't have anyone else."
"But, his relatives -"
"Are treating him like a parasite!" Sunset sighed again and collapsed on the couch. "He barely gets anything to eat, they told him that his parents, who, by the way, were murdered by the darkest wizard in recorded history, died in a car crash." She snorted. "As if you could get that kind of scar from a car crash. They kept his magic a secret from him all his life, blamed anything that went wrong on him."
Seeing how distraught Sunset was, Hermione wrapped her into a gentle hug. "Why didn't he tell us?"
"He didn't want to. He has, admittedly, good reason to distrust people in general. He only told me when I asked him directly. I saw the signs. I've seen them before. Did you see how small he was, how thin?"
"Malnourishment, of course! How did I not see that?"
"Don't blame yourself, a normal person doesn't consider that. I only recognized it because I've seen this kinda thing before. Child abuse, well, foal abuse isn't a common thing in Equestria. Less than half a case a year, in fact, but every few years it happens, and when it does, it goes straight to Princess Celestia. She's the highest judicial authority. And in cases like that, it falls to her to lay down the law, and to do that she has to look at the evidence. And her student is right there with her. It's one of the hidden downsides of the position."
"Oh Sunset, I didn't know."
"Don't worry about it. If it lets me recognize that kinda thing and put a stop to it ... Well, then I guess it's worth it, isn't it?" She sighed again. "Well, at least we can stay in contact. She reached into her bag and pulled out something Hermione recognized as one of the journals she bought.
"What do you mean?"
"Harry has the other one. I enchanted them on the train ride over. If you write something in one, it appears in the other as well. I have another like it to communicate with Princess Celestia. I'm actually gonna write her later. But we should probably unpack our new stuff first, shouldn't we? I guess you want to check out Flourish and Blot’s tomorrow. And I at least don't want to lug all that stuff around. At least not until I can figure out that featherweight charm. Equestria has nothing like it."
The basic undetectable expansion charm on their student trunks, it seemed, manifested in the form of the trunk having three buckles on the locking plate in the center. Each opened a different compartment, each of which was in turn as wide and tall as the trunk itself, but twice as deep. Not to mention that they shared the same space.
Sunset found this make up mildly confusing as the Equestrian variant of the same charms, provided much less space with the same power but would never need this level of compartmentalization. One could simply reach in and think of what ever they wanted to retrieve and the next moment they would have it in their hand. Or hoof, as it were.
Hermione, used to the same utility from the bag Sunset had enchanted for her, was only slightly less confused. The shrinking and featherweight charms were intriguing to say the least, but difficult to reverse engineer from seeing the enchantments alone. Once the trunks were back to their original size, they began packaging the things they wouldn't need until school directly into them. Their school robes, their potions equipment, and their telescopes were quickly stored in the trunks. The books on Herbology, Potions and magical creatures provisionally followed. Philomena watched from her perch.
Once they had finished, Sunset decided to check in on Harry. Sunset levitated her journal over along with a pen.
Hi Harry.
It only took a few seconds for Harry to answer.
Hey Sunset.
How are you?
I'm fine. Hermione's here too.
How are you doing? Did your relatives treat
you alright?
Oh, I don't know yet, they're a little preoccupied
with Dudley's newest addition right now.
Addition?
Yeah funny that.
Apparently it's a bad idea to insult out Headmaster
where Hagrid can hear. After Uncle Vernon did that,
he gave him a pig tail. He said he wanted to turn him
into a pig, but that didn't quite work. I think they're
kinda freaking out about it. I can hear them up here.
Hermione and Sunset shared a laugh over the mental image.
Funny thing is I could probably fix it in
a few seconds, but they probably wouldn't let me.
Oh they absolutely wouldn't. Hi Hermione by the way.
They just sent me up here once they came home.
I think they're scared of me now. Oh the irony.
Hi Harry, quite the reversal of roles that.
Sunset told me what happened with your family.
I'm so sorry I didn't notice.
It's okay. Nobody does. Ever. I'm still surprised
Sunset did to be honest.
She explained it to me. She'll probably explain it to you too,
but I'll let her decide that. Anyway we really just kinda wanted
to check in on you.
Good night, Harry.
Yes, good night.
Good night to the two of you as well.
See you around.
After looking at the page for a moment longer, Sunset packed the journal back into her bag.
While Hermione went downstairs to check on dinner, Sunset pulled a second journal out of her bag, the symbol on its cover matching that on the flap of the bag. Blowing a bit of dust off the larger, silk bound tome, Sunset flapped it open, turning to the last written page. A bit of guilt stung at her heart when she saw several unanswered messages in a fine, flowing script, some slightly run apart from tears dripping onto them.
Dear Sunset,
Are you there? I hope you're getting this. I can't find you or Philomena,
but I didn't find your journal either, so I'm hoping you took it with you,
wherever you went. Are you two alright?
I'm sorry for what I said, I know I should have worded it better. I'm sorry.
I know I can't just turn back time and undo what I said,
I just got so angry. I shouldn't have snapped like that.
I truly am sorry.
Your loving mentor,
Celestia
Dear Sunset, dear Philomena,
You've been gone a week now, I don't know where you
went, but I hope you're alright.
Sunburst came by today and asked if you were alright.
I couldn't tell him. I know he deserves the truth, but I just couldn't.
I hope I can find you soon. I was hoping it was just another
foalnapping, we're used to those by now.
Sunset couldn't help but chuckle at that. They were indeed. Over the years seventeen separate groups of foalnappers had tried to hold her for ransom. Eight of them she had handily beaten herself and left for the Royal Guard to pick up. The rest had learned that 'The Princess will come for me' was a lot more than an empty threat coming from the Princess' personal Student.
I have no idea where you might be, my student. I know there is
little in Equestria that could become a serious threat to your
safety. But I also know that you won't be found if you don't
want to be. I can only hope that you will come back one day,
my Little Sun.
Love,
Celestia
Tears dropped to the table as Sunset realized just how much pain she had caused her mentor.
Dear Sunset,
It's been nearly a month now. I have a new student. It feels
wrong. It feels like I'm replacing you. I suspect she is bound
to one of the elements. There was an explosion of magic near
Cloudsdale and when it reached Canterlot, her magic surged.
She managed to hatch a dragon egg, grow the infant dragon
to adulthood in seconds, creating a hole in the testing hall in
the process, and turn her parents into cacti before I managed
to curb the surge.
I have some of my guard researching the explosion to see
where it came from and if others were affected similarly. If we
manage a full set of six, we'll know that the elements are
reawakening. I only hope they do before Luna returns
to Equestria.
The filly is a bit older than you are, but she is quite lovely.
Her name is Twilight Sparkle, from the House of the Stars.
Her older brother is a lieutenant in the Guard.
What pains me most is that I have to train her into a weapon
to recover my sister.
I only hope she will forgive me when the time comes.
As I hope you will forgive me, my Little Sun.
Celestia
Dear Sunset,
Three months. That's how long I've been without you.
I've called off the search. I should have done so sooner.
There never was a point, really.
Twilight is coming along nicely. She is a very diligent
little filly and she has a love for books. Well more of an
unhealthy obsession, really. I might have to curb that a
little if it gets too pronounced. Thankfully she is taking
good care of the dragon hatchling. She named him Spike.
Surprisingly he only set the castle on fire twice so far.
His flame control is excellent. For an infant.
I do so wish you would return to us. Cadence misses
you too, you know? And Twilight and you could be
great friends. I only hope you will come back one day,
my Little Sun.
Celestia
Sunset was actually crying now. She hadn't realized how badly she had hurt her mentor. And she wasn't even the only one. There were others that had cared about her. They hadn't been the loving, caring family she had always wanted, but they had cared for her deeply none the less. Having heard her sobs, Hermione came rushing into the room, before she could ask what had happened, Sunset silently pointed at the book. Following her gaze, Sunset watched as she read the messages one by one, until she arrived at the last one. That one they read together.
Dear Sunset,
It's been four and a half months now. Twilight managed
to teleport today. It was short range, granted, but still she
managed from one end of the castle to the other.
The two looked at each other, both sharing the same thought, having mentally done the math and come to the same conclusion. This latest entry couldn't be more than a few days old. And this Twilight had managed to learn teleportation just as fast as Hermione had, faster even. Skilled and diligent indeed.
I don't know if you will ever read these messages. I don't
know if you will ever receive them or even if you are still alive.
But I am convinced that you are. Anything else is too painful
to consider. Given that she has taken your place at my side,
I feel it only fair that I keep you updated on her progress.
I've told Sunburst the truth now. He didn't like it at all.
He wasn't happy with me. I can't blame him. Neither am I.
If you ever read these messages, I hope you find it within
yourself to forgive me. Know that whatever you may have done,
I have forgiven long ago. I only want to see you again.
To know that you're alright.
I hope to hear from you, my Little Sun.
Whatever you may have done, I shall forgive,
If only you will forgive me in turn.
I miss you.
Celestia
"I have to write her." Tears fled as determination burned bright. Hermione simply nodded, floating over a pen in her pale green aura. Sunset took it in her own, shaky teal aura only to grab it with her hand when she couldn't keep it stable. "Here we go. Been a while since I've written these words. Far too long really."
Dear Princess Celestia,