Crimson Sunset

by Nebula Star


Chapter 1: Jealousy

Crimson Sunset
By Nebula Star

Chapter 1: Jealousy
***

PRINCESSES SAVED BY FAITHFUL STUDENT

The world was shocked early this morning when the sun failed to rise. Even more shocked were the ponies present at the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville, where, at the height of the celebration, instead of Princess Celestia, a dark figure appeared as if from legend. Nightmare Moon had returned.
According to witnesses, when Princess Celestia was supposed to appear to raise the sun, the princess of day was found to have vanished. Instead the legendary alicorn spoken of in Nightmare Night stories appeared before the stunned celebrants, and declared that the night would last forever. Members of the royal guard tried to apprehend the Alicorn but were struck down and the villain then escaped into the Everfree Forest.
It was then that Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's most faithful student, led a small group of ponies into the forest to the ruins of an ancient castle in search of the artifacts needed to defeat the dark alicorn. Details are vague as to what happened on their way to the ruins, but what is known is that upon reaching the castle, the group found the artifacts, known as the Elements of Harmony, and then used them to defeat Nightmare Moon, allowing the sun to rise.
They then emerged from the forest victorious, with not only Princess Celestia, freed from the prison Nightmare Moon had locked her away in, but another alicorn as well that Princess Celestia identified as none other than Princess Luna, Princess Celestia's younger sister. The younger princess had been saved from the darkness that had consumed her by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, using the Elements of Harmony.
Princess Celestia then decreed that her faithful student would remain in Ponyville to undertake a new mission for Equestria: studying the magic of friendship. Upon hearing this, Twilight Sparkle declared that she would study harder than ever before.

The newspaper burst into flames under the hateful glare of a fiery maned golden coated unicorn; her horn glowing an acid green with an excessive amount of magic that she used to incinerate the article into a fine ash.

“Twilight Sparkle...” She growled. “'Most faithful student'!? She's just a naïve little brat!” Sunset Shimmer batted away the remains of the paper, and stomped over to her work-desk. “I was Celestia's first student in two hundred years! Celestia herself said I was the most powerful unicorn she'd ever met! I surpassed every one of the arch-mages by my fourth year! Then that little purple pest showed up and just like that, they all forgot about me!”

She slammed her hoof down on the desk in frustration. “Twilight Sparkle, the most powerful unicorn ever!” Sunset growled, remembering when the newspaper had run an article with such a title. “Just like that I was yesterday's news; forgotten and ignored...”

She glared at the seemingly empty desk a few moments more before finally taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh, calming her racing heart. The most infuriating part was, try as she might, she couldn't really bring herself to blame Twilight, to stay angry with her. She'd only met the young mare a couple times in passing, but she had made a point of finding out what she could about her rival. One thing was clear; Twilight was oblivious to the attention, to her standing in Canterlot. She hadn't tried to take Sunset's place in the spotlight, in fact she'd probably be terrified and horribly embarrassed if she ever found out how much attention she'd garnered over the years.

No, Sunset didn't hate Twilight Sparkle; in fact, she wished the mare well in her endeavors in her new home. It was probably the best thing Sunset could have hoped for; because with Twilight out of the castle, perhaps once the excitement calmed down from the Nightmare Moon incident, ponies would start paying attention to her again. The fickle ponies of Canterlot and the rest of Equestria; they were the ones she was really angry with. Sure Twilight was amazing, but Sunset was still the second most powerful unicorn to date, she was still Celestia's student. Sure she didn't have lessons as often as she used to, but she still had private lessons with the princess. She still had accomplished more at twenty years old than most unicorns did in their entire lives. And yet they'd all but forgotten her.

Even Celestia seemed to forget about her at times.

That really was what hurt Sunset the most. She'd looked up to the princess since she was just a tiny filly. When the princess had taken her on as her student, it had been like a dream come true, and for the first few years, everything had been perfect. Even when Princess Celestia had taken on Twilight Sparkle as her second student, Sunset hadn't really cared at first. Sure she wasn't getting as much attention anymore, but she was still the princess's student, and the princess had always made sure to have time for both her students.

As time passed however; Sunset began notice that her lessons with the princess were becoming less and less frequent. She'd ignored it at first, but then she'd realized that while her times studying with the princess were becoming less common; Twilight's lessons seemed to be increasing. In hind-sight; now it was clear that the princess had been preparing the younger mare for her role as the chosen bearer of the element of magic. But at the time, it had hurt. Especially when the rest of Equestria seemed to have forgotten about her as well.

With a groan Sunset tried to push the depressing thoughts out of her mind. She knew it wouldn't solve anything to dwell on it. She'd just have to show them; show them all that she was a mare to be remembered. She’d show them that she didn't have to be the most powerful unicorn alive to change the world.

Her horn lit up and across her work-desk, the documents and sketches she'd had hidden under a subtle invisibility spell became revealed. In the center, was a single large sheet, held down with weights at the corners, that depicted what she was confident was one of the most complex rune circles ever devised in the history of magic. It was her masterpiece, and what was more, it would work; she was sure of it. There was just one problem: She needed more power.

The spell required more power than even the princess's held and try as she might, she couldn't reduce the power required. Neither would the spell work with multiple unicorns powering it. The magic had to come from one source, one single pool, and had to all be wielded by the one the spell was targeting. It couldn't be cast on anypony else, not without exponentially increasing the power required. She'd looked into ways of temporarily increasing her power, but so far she hadn't found anything that could give her the kind of boost she'd need to cast the spell and she was running out of avenues to research.

With a sigh, she levitated over a large tome and got to work once more. The tome was the last she'd checked out from the library and if it didn't hold the answers she needed, then she'd have to ask permission to access the restricted section in order to search for the answer. Something she was trying to avoid since she really didn't want to tell anypony about this project just yet.

As the evening wore on though, she began to realize she wouldn't have any other choice.

~~~

“She forgot again...” Sunset grumbled under her breath as she made her way to Princess Celestia's chambers. It had been a couple of weeks since the princess's little sister had returned and things had been hectic around the castle, so she'd understood when the princess had canceled one of her lessons and completely forgotten about a second. But it still hurt. And now it seemed she'd been forgotten again.

She knew the castle by heart now, and so it wasn't long before she reached the princess's chambers. The guards let her pass into the entry room without question and Sunset didn't hesitate to knock on the door to the inner chambers.

“Enter.” Sunset heard the princess call from within and lit up her horn, opening the door with her magic.

“Princess?” Sunset asked looking in.

Princess Celestia wasn't alone. There was another younger alicorn with her, with a dark blue coat and lighter blue mane that bore a cutie mark of a crescent moon on a black splotch that covered her flank. Sunset recognized her of course, from all the photos that had been in the papers over the past couple weeks, but this was the first time she'd seen the younger princess in person.

“Oh, Sunset, come on in.” Celestia said cheerfully, clearly in a good mood. “I don't believe I've had a chance to introduce you to my sister. Luna, this is my other student: Sunset Shimmer.”

'Other student'!? Is that what everypony thinks of me now. I'm just the other student? Seething inside, Sunset had to fight not to grimace at the thought as she bowed respectfully to the princesses. Luckily Celestia didn't seem to notice.

“Sunset, this is my younger sister: Princess Luna.”

Composing herself, Sunset gave a second respectful bow to the smaller alicorn. “I'm pleased to meet you, Princess Luna.”

“We are pleased to meet thee as well, Sunset Shimmer. Our sister hath spoken much of thee. We must admit, we are curious how our sister didst come to find two students both named for the transition of night and day,” Luna told her smiling pleasantly and Sunset couldn't help smiling as well.

“I wondered that myself, actually, when Princess Celestia first took Twilight Sparkle on as a student as well.” She glanced at her mentor, giving her a questioning look.

Celestia shrugged. “How am I to know why fate chose to give the two most powerful unicorns of modern times such similar names?”

“Then what hath you been up to all these years, sister, that you hath not found time to decipher the mysteries of fate and destiny?” Luna asked, a little playfulness in her tone.

“Indeed, I've been quite lazy in your absence, sister.” Celestia said with a slight roll of her eyes. “Anyway, what brings you to my chambers this evening, Sunset?...” Realization crossed her face even as she asked. “I forgot your lesson again didn't I?”

Sunset just nodded trying not to look too upset.

“I'm so sorry, Sunset. With everything that's happened in the past few weeks, there's just been so much to do.”

“It's alright, Princess,” Sunset assured her automatically. She gave her best understanding smile despite how she felt. “You have been restructuring the whole government after all...”

“Even so, I should have remembered.” She sighed. “I'm afraid I don't have a lesson prepared. Will you be alright studying on your own this evening?”

“Of course. That's fine,” Sunset told her pleasantly, though on the inside she wanted to kick something.

Celestia gave her an apologetic smile. “I promise I won't forget your next lesson.”

“It's alright princess. I have a personal project I wanted to work on anyway.” Sunset said, forcing herself to not sound upset. “I'll just work on that for tonight.”

“Alright, I am sorry, Sunset.” Celestia said in a gentle dismissal.

“It's alright, princess. I'll see you in a few days,” Sunset said turning to go, then hesitated, realizing that this was probably the best time to request access to the restricted section of the library. “Actually, princess, as part of my project, I've been looking into methods of either reducing the power required in casting a spell or temporarily boosting the caster's power. But I've searched almost the entire library and I haven't found anything that will work. I was wondering if I could have permission to search in the restricted sections of the library for any techniques that might work.”

Celestia frowned in thought. “Well I can't think of any techniques that would be safe to use off-hoof, but you're welcome to search for yourself. I'll send word that you're to be allowed access.”

Sunset smiled. “Thank you, Princess Celestia,” she said then gave a quick bow to her and Princess Luna as well. “Princess Luna, I wish you both a good evening.”

“And you as well,” Celestia responded, smiling.

~~~

“Are you certain giving her access to such knowledge is wise, sister?” Luna asked once Celestia's student was gone.

Celestia glanced at her curiously. “What do you mean?”

“I do not know all that is contained within the restricted sections of the library now, but I do know that there are techniques that do what she desires, most of which are forms of dark magic. Are you not afraid that she may be tempted to use such techniques if she does not find another option?”

She smiled. “I understand your concern, sister. But I've known Sunset since she was just a little filly. She has a short temper, but she's no fool. I know she'll ask permission before using any questionable techniques. I trust her.”

Luna sighed. “Yes, but you also knew me from a filly, and did you not also trust me?” She lowered her head in shame.

“Sister...” Celestia said gently, nuzzling Luna. “You know as well as I that I... that I did not know you as well as I should have back then. I neglected you, and ignored your pain. A mistake I will not make again.”

“I know. In any case, she is your student, so I will trust your judgment. I just wouldn't want another to make the same mistakes that I did.”

~~~

There were no other options. Sunset was all but certain of it now. After nearly four weeks of research in the restricted section of the library, she'd only found one possibility for powering her spell. It was a questionable technique; some would even call it dark magic. And it couldn't be done alone. The power had to come from somewhere after all.

Sunset looked up at the large double doors at the end of the hall she was waiting in; where her future may very well be decided. The doors led to council chambers of the arch-mage council that oversees Celestia's school. Celestia herself may be the finale authority at the school, but the council of seven arch-magi were the ones who ran it on a day to day basis. They were among the most powerful unicorns in Equestria. Mages that had each proven to be unrivaled masters of some field of magic. And not one of them had near the potential that Sunset had, let alone Twilight Sparkle. But while they had always seemed to adore Twilight; Sunset was certain that at least a few of the council members resented her for her talent. As a result, she'd never really gotten along with the council.

And now her entire future would rest in their hooves. Usually she would try to avoid the council all together, but that wasn't an option. If she ever wanted to cast her spell, she'd need volunteers to provide the power. Not just a few, either, by her calculations she'd need approximately one-hundred-fifty-seven ponies of average magical strength. And to organize such a large number of volunteers to be subject to a potentially dangerous technique in order to power experimental magic... well, she'd need the permission of the council at the very least.

She glanced at the clock, seeing it was time for her appointment. Any moment now one of the aides for the council would call her in.

Fidgeting, she tried to keep her nerves in check. The clock seemed to be ticking abnormally loud in the empty hallway.

Several minutes passed. She knew the council had been in a meeting beforehoof, they had likely just run a little over...

Finally, there was a loud click and with a creak of old hinges, the enormous double doors swung open.

“Sunset Shimmer? The council will hear your proposal now,” a young aid said, stepping out into the hall.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset climbed to her hooves and, trying to look more confident than she felt, entered the council chambers.