//------------------------------// // Trust // Story: As the Raven Flies // by Amber Spark //------------------------------// “I’m fine, Raven!” Sunset snapped as she shoved open her front door hard enough to make it crash against the entry wall. “I’m just pissed I didn’t get another shot at her.” “Your last ‘shot’ destroyed an entire practice ring,” Raven pointed out behind her, levitating a few bags in her magic. “It shattered the magical defense field that can normally withstand the focused arcane beams of five Sorcerer-level unicorns.” Sunset groaned, rubbed her face with a hoof, then trotted up the stairs. Her tail flicked in annoyance. “It’s done! It’s over! I’ve got my punishment! I get to run laps for Harmony-knows how many hours every day for the next two weeks! Why don’t you leave me alone? In fact…” She paused on the stairs. Without looking back, she yanked the bags out of Raven’s magic and floated them over to her. “Thanks for the help, but I’m fine. Have a nice day.” Raven tried to contain the sigh, but couldn’t quite manage it. Still, she closed the door behind her and followed Sunset up the stairs. The sight alone was enough to give Raven pause. For the normally fastidious Sunset Shimmer, the place was a disaster. Piles of books in enormous heaps on most of the couches and sofas, the arcane forge hissing away on what Raven hoped was a self-regulating spell and even a few jackets laying here and there. The bags Sunset had carried home lay in a heap next to a sofa, part of the blackened spellarmor suit visible. None of it did anything to detract from the view of Canterlot beyond Sunset’s window or the magnificent hourglass that dominated the room, but it said much for Sunset’s state of mind. It said even more about how well Sunset’s friends were handling the situation. “I told Princess Celestia I would check in with you,” Raven said evenly, watching as Sunset reemerged from the kitchen with a glass of water. She immediately sighed on seeing Raven. “And that’s what I’m doing.” Sunset crossed the room and tossed herself into a couch, all signs of her cracked rib erased through the medic’s spellwork and a couple of potions. She glowered at Raven before throwing a hoof over her face. “I don’t need checking on,” she muttered. “I’m fine.” Raven took another deep breath, but they seemed to have less and less effect with each repetition. She needed to try a different avenue of approach. This wasn’t her area of expertise, after all. Being a confidante to Princess Celestia was nothing like being a confidante to… well, anypony else. Still, there were similarities that warranted exploration. “I reviewed your training file while you were being seen by the healers,” Raven said idly as she wandered around the hourglass. “Uh-huh.” Sunset didn’t bother to even look up. “In the last three months, you’ve tripled the length of time spent in combat training, both martial and magical. You’ve apparently learned how to conjure magical weapons, a technique rarely used by anypony other than Magical Special Forces.” “Sounds about right.” “You’ve also studied and practiced nearly every combat spell available to every division of the Guard,” she continued as she adjusted course toward the sofa. “With a focus on those employed by MSF. You were reported to be using MSF-classified spellcraft two weeks ago in the ring.” “MSF doesn’t like to share,” Sunset waved a hoof, sounding bored, but keeping her face covered. “Somepony should tell Captain Trace I’m one of the good guys.” “Why?” “Because I am one of the—” Raven came to a stop standing over Sunset and glowered down at her, even though Sunset couldn’t see her. “Why are you putting yourself through this, Sunset?” “I don’t need to tell you,” Sunset replied. “No, you don’t,” Raven admitted. “But I would appreciate knowing anyway. Not because of the Princess. Am I not your friend, Sunset? We’ve known one another for years. I was the one who escorted you to Princess Celestia when you first came to study under her. It doesn’t seem so long ago when I escorted a young blank-flanked unicorn filly to her favorite duck pond on a daily basis.” Sunset’s hoof finally came down. “That’s a low blow, Raven.” “It’s the truth.” Sunset hesitated for a moment before shrugging. “You probably already know.” “Then remind me.” Sunset blew air through her teeth, then grimaced. “You know about the bookstore incident?” Raven did, indeed. She’d been the one to contact their Ambassador in Saddle Arabia to help smooth things over. That alone had taken nearly three weeks' worth of paperwork. She’d also performed a quiet investigation on several of the locations mentioned in the report Celestia had provided her with after prying the story out of Sunset and Twilight. However, none of that was information Sunset needed to hear right now. “I know of it,” Raven replied. Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “You just want me to just spill it all out for you, don’t you?” Raven sighed yet again. “Sunset, it would help both of us greatly if you stopped hedging.” “Is that right?” Sunset sat straight up, fire in her eyes. “Okay then, Raven. Do you have any idea what we saw that night? What we had to endure to get that book for Princess Celestia? What we had to fight?” While Raven matched the younger mare’s glare with a cool expression, she couldn’t help but hesitate. After all, the Princess had discussed the creatures encountered within the magical leylines with Raven while working on the report. She hadn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep for nearly a week after that conversation. “I have… some idea.” “‘Some idea’ isn’t good enough,” Sunset spat. “Not even remotely good enough. And neither am I.” “I’m sorry?” Raven frowned. She didn’t like where this was going. “I’m not good enough, Raven. Not yet.” Sunset shivered and tightened her jaw as if she were fighting back tears. “You didn’t hear it. You didn’t hear her screams. Her begging for help, thrashing on the ground, right freaking next to me!” “Twilight,” Raven said quietly. “Twilight,” Sunset nodded with a sniffle. “That image is burned into my head, Raven. Forever. After we got out, I swore I’d never let that happen again. Not to her, not to any of my friends. Worst of all, I have a nagging feeling that no matter what I swear, it won’t matter at all.” “Why’s that?” Raven found herself somewhat nervous. “Did you know that Twilight has a theory about Princess Celestia?” Sunset smiled, but her eyes were hard as diamonds. “About how she’s using me? Preparing me for some special purpose. That she’s actually using all of my friends—including Twilight—for that purpose. I don’t suppose you’d like to comment on that?” “I think it would be better if you asked that question to Princess Celestia, Sunset,” Raven replied, years of training allowing her to say those words without inflection. “She would be best.” “I thought you’d say something like that,” Sunset sighed before flopping back down on the couch. “There. You have your answer. I’m training hard to fight monsters. That’s it. No other reason. Go away now!” Raven knew better than to fully accept that explanation, but no good would come out of continuing that approach. Yet another tactic was needed. “Sunset, I thought you considered me a friend.” “You already said that and I do!” Sunset snapped, throwing her hooves into the air, her water floating over her head in her magic. “And usually, friends respect other friends’ privacy! And they know when to take a hint!” “Is that so?” To this, Raven could only chuckle faintly. “And what would happen if you said that to Minuette? Or Moon Dancer? Or Cheerilee?” Sunset lowered her hoof and glowered at Raven once more. “Cheap trick.” “Not cheap. Effective.” Raven glanced behind her at the book-covered plush chair. A flare of magic floated the books into a neat stack near the closest bookcase. “I didn’t offer you a seat, Raven,” Sunset said, her eyes narrowing. “I didn’t ask, Sunset,” Raven replied as she sat down. She adjusted her cravat with her hooves and her glasses with her magic. “Why do you hate Sunny Day?” “I don’t hate her,” Sunset replied instantly. Raven raised an eyebrow, forcing herself not to draw her own conclusions. Through the years, Celestia had taught her the importance of a pony coming to their own conclusions with a minimum of outside interference. While Raven believed Celestia occasionally took that philosophy too far, it still held merit. As such, she kept her own counsel and her silence, leaving only her eyebrow to speak her opinion on Sunset’s response. “You’re going to keep doing that until I confess something, aren’t you?” Sunset growled, shaking her head and running a hoof through her still-singed mane. “You’re just like her. Well, so am I. I’m her personal student, remember?” “You have not stood by her as I have, Sunset,” Raven said quietly. She found herself looking off into the distance and shivering. “I’ve seen far more than you can imagine. Seen more than I ever would have wished.” “Then surprise me,” Sunset snapped. “If you’re so perfect, tell me something I don’t know!” “If not for the intervention of one Professor Inkwell, some years ago, Princess Celestia may have fallen in battle, as well as most of Canterlot.” Complete silence filled the space between them. Raven refocused her stare onto Sunset, keeping her eyes steady. “What?” Sunset whispered. She slowly put her glass on a nearby coffee table and sat up fully. “That’s impossible.” “I’m sure you’ve read the accounts of the Shadow Incursion of 918,” Raven said calmly. Sunset frowned, shrugging. “Of course. It’s part of The Complete History of Canterlot. There’s a small fountain in the Castle Gardens commemorating it. Princess Celestia fought on the front lines, accompanied by the Sun House Guard while the entire Royal Guard shored up defenses around the city. Celestia and her team were backed up by an emergency militia and defeated a still-unknown enemy.” Raven nodded slowly and stared through the hourglass to the castle beyond. “Details are lost in history books, as well you know. For all its claims, The Complete History of Canterlot is far from complete. Many details were left out.” “Details like Princess Celestia falling?” Sunset demanded. “If this is a joke, Raven, it’s not funny.” “I never claimed it was.” Raven sighed. “Princess Celestia did indeed fight on the front lines during the siege. As the enemy had struck just after dark, she conjured a shield of pure solar light to save the city from bombardment. Yet the shield wasn’t perfect. The things in the shadows managed to get through or around the shield. They threw themselves at her, only to be rebuffed by the Sun House Guard. Several Sun House Guards nearly died that day. If not for the skills of our medics, they would have, though the injuries they sustained ensured they would never serve in battle again. We were lucky to have those medics with us that night. The battle raged all night, until a few hours before dawn.” “You’re not telling me anything I don’t know,” Sunset insisted. “That’s when the emergency militia was called up.” “Yes and no.” Raven waved a hoof in the air slightly. “You see, that’s also when Celestia’s shield nearly failed. Too many attacks against her had found their marks. Too many blasts had crashed against her shield. She had nothing left. Even her power is not infinite, Sunset.” Raven paused to let that sink in. From the way Sunset leaned forward, it was clear the young mare was engrossed in the tale. She allowed herself a tiny internal smile at the fact that she could still tell a story as she once had so very long ago. “As such,” Raven continued, “monsters surged forward. Shadows leapt for her, trying to consume her. She told me after what she sensed of their hunger, and those words I will not repeat. The key is that Princess Celestia is an intensely powerful being, but even she can’t wage a defensive war forever, especially during the night.” “That’s… not in the histories.” “My words exactly,” Raven replied with a shrug. She leaned forward to peer at Sunset over the rim of her glasses. “While the Royal Guard were engaged across half of Canterlot and the Sun House Guard were being overwhelmed, Professor Inkwell herself led the charge of the citizens, throwing her magic into Celestia’s shield and sharing the burden of protecting the city. In so doing, she gave the Princess enough power to maintain the shield and eventually lead a counterattack, routing the invaders, who disappeared into the shadows before dawn broke.” Silence descended for a short time around the two ponies. “The… the same Inkwell at GU?” Sunset said. Her eyes were pointing forward now, a sure sign she had been fascinated by the story. “The one who’s in her nineties, and teaches first-level magical defense?” “The very same. Several militia groups did fight that night, but none were at Celestia’s side until the last moment. Inkwell had no squad or team. If I recall, she was seeking her brother in the chaos. Still, she was a single pony willing to stand beside another to drive back the darkness.” Raven smiled faintly as a hint of memory played through her mind. “Her act encouraged dozens of other citizens to join the fight. Her bravery inspired both Celestia and her fellow ponies to rise up. If not for her, Celestia likely would have been struck down by the next bombardment. Canterlot would have surely followed.” Sunset took a few deep breaths, her eyes wandering to the massive hourglass in the living room, almost as if she were seeing the past in those slowly-flowing grains of sand. Raven regarded the young mare, curious as to how she would react to the truth behind a minor classified historical event. Most of the truth. There was far more to the story than what she described, but Sunset wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. “I know what you’re doing,” Sunset said, not looking at Raven. “Don’t think I didn’t catch your little line about ‘shouldering the burden.’” Raven shook her head. “You asked for proof that I knew Celestia better than you. That story is the proof I chose to provide. Of course I would pick an example that links to your current situation, Sunset. To pretend I did otherwise is an insult to both of us.” Sunset’s head snapped around and she fixed Raven with a stare so intense, Raven couldn’t help but jerk back a little. “Why? Why are you so insistent? I don’t believe for a second that you’re here just because Princess Celestia ordered you to check in on me. She sees me four days a week for my graduate studies. She had plenty of time to say something. Why you?” Raven hesitated, but only briefly. In these matters, the truth was her ally. “Because you frightened me today. And I am not alone in my fear.” Sunset looked incredulous. “You’re joking. Come on. Things got intense. But that shouldn’t scare anypony. And that’s not even a tenth of the answer to my question.” “You are correct. It’s not.” Raven put her hooves together and sighed. “You are… important, Sunset. You are easily the most powerful unicorn of your age. And when the most powerful unicorn of an age starts to throw around sunfire in what should be a training duel, that is cause for concern. And that is why I asked why you hated Sunny Day.” “I don’t hate her!” Sunset shouted. Her horn flared, but the color seemed to be wrong for a moment. There was a brief spasm of magic in the air and Sunset’s glass fell over, splashing water over the empty coffee table. “She’s… just reminds me of things I’d rather not deal with! She’s the only unicorn I can properly duel with, Raven! She’s the only one! And now she has a… a…” Raven blinked, took a breath and leaned back. “She’s started to see Lieutenant Soarin, Wonderbolts Fourth Squadron. He asked her out on a date during Hearts and Hooves Day.” Sunset looked ready to explode, then she suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon. “Yes.” Part of being a confidante was knowing when to take a risk. Raven did so now. “But are you not seeing Surprise, who is also a Wonderbolt, attached to the Third Squadron?” Sunset hung her head but nodded all the same. Raven watched her for a short time, but Sunset didn’t say anything further, forcing Raven to act once again. “Sunset, I must ask… does what happened today have anything to do with Sunny Day, Soarin or Surprise?” Raven asked, her voice as gentle as she could make it. “No,” Sunset answered quietly and succinctly. “And if I were to ask further questions on this topic…” Raven began. “Then I would throw you out of my house by any means necessary.” Sunset’s voice was eerily calm. “No matter how long I’ve known you.” “Have you said the same to your friends? After all, I’ve known you longer than them, though I have trouble seeing you say those words to those closest to you.” Sunset finally looked up at her. Her mask was almost as good as Celestia’s. “Raven… I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it’s not going to happen. If I have something I need to work through, I’ll do it myself.” Raven winced despite herself, her ears going flat. “Sunset… the last time you tried to go at it alone… you almost lost everything.” “I don’t need a history lesson, Raven!” Sunset snapped, her entire body going rigid with indignation as that mask revealed itself for how brittle it really was. “I know what happened in the past. I know what kind of pony I used to be! I was just a filly, but I still destroyed the ponies who got in my way. To this day, I don’t understand why Celestia let me get away with it. She shouldn’t have. She should have thrown me out on my tail! I know what happened during that stupid alchemy final! I know! I relive it every damn day!” “And who helped you on that day?” “Raven, you’re starting to really tick me off,” Sunset warned, her ears flat against her head. “Very well,” Raven conceded. “Then why haven’t you seen her in weeks? She lives within twenty minutes of this very tower.” “She’s usually with Twilight,” Sunset muttered. “Then what of Minuette? What of contacting Cheerilee, Coco or Coloratura? You know any one of them would drop everything and come to your aid in an instant. They did it before. Why do you not talk to them about this?” “Raven, you really don’t want to do this.” “But I’m going to do it anyway,” Raven insisted. “Why?” Sunset rubbed her eyes, stood up and then stared at the older mare. “Because I don’t deserve them.” She said, her voice once again eerily devoid of emotion. “I don’t deserve them, Celestia, you, or anyone else. You don’t know the things I’ve considered doing. The things I could do with a snap of a spell. You said I’m the most powerful unicorn of my age. You’re right. I am. And I was raised by two ponies who taught me to take anything I wanted. I’m a ticking time bomb. Every single one of my friends is better off without me.” “That’s a rather bold statement,” Raven replied her own voice calm despite the chill running through her body at Sunset’s words. “Do you actually believe that?” “If I didn’t, Moon Dancer would probably not be dating Twilight Sparkle right now,” Sunset said in a shadow of a whisper. “You can’t say that,” Raven admonished her. “You cannot know what would have happened between the three of you. Life is rarely that simple. The Moon Dancer I’ve seen once defended you against the Dean of Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. And she’s done far more for you since then. Twilight Sparkle stood by your side in your… adventure the night before Hearth’s Warming Eve. Not to mention—” “Stop,” Sunset said, licking her lips. “You don’t understand, Raven. No one can. I’m dangerous. I hurt ponies. Some part of me knew what was happening in that ring today. Most of me enjoyed being blasted to the ground, over and over again. It’s nothing less than I deserve.” “You punish yourself for the acts of a filly, Sunset. This is foolishness.” “I punish myself because I see how that impacted the ponies around me. Youth doesn’t excuse me when I see a mare I forced into hiding from the world because I stole her friends. And that was me trying to change. What else happened? What else did I do? How many lives did I ruin? How many ponies have I hurt blindly? How many are still hurting because of me?” “You can’t control how others act, Sunset. Only yourself.” “Stop, Raven.” Sunset trembled slightly. Raven got to her hooves, then took a step forward. “You need help, Sunset. You need a voice outside your head willing to refute that which torments you. You are not the first pony I have helped in such a way.” “Raven… stop.” A bit of midnight blue light crackled on Sunset’s horn. “Why won’t you let anypony help you, Sunset?” “Raven… please…” Sunset whispered through gritted teeth. Her body was tense, her eyes screwed shut. Raven knew she was close to a breakthrough. Just a little more and Sunset might open up, even if it was in a torrent of enraged words. She had to push her advantage. “Sunset, why must you be alone?” Sunset Shimmer screamed, a sound coming from deep within her throat, a raw and ragged sound that seemed as if it were ripped from her very soul. She reared up on her hind legs then slammed her hooves down. As she did so, midnight blue magic flared around her horn. Then, the most powerful unicorn of her age completely lost control. A shockwave of pure magical force ripped through the apartment. The sofa Sunset had been sitting on was thrown six feet behind her to crash against a wall. The plush chair behind Raven flew through the air and cracked part of the enormous window. The coffee table simply shattered under the force of the wild magic, splinters flying in every direction. Books were sent soaring into the air like birds, only to come crashing down like rocks. Leftover clothes were sent into a maelstrom that spun around the young mare. The shockwave cracked windows, smashed plates, sent pictures falling from the walls and books falling from bookcases. And when it was done, Sunset Shimmer stood there, staring at the debris-covered ground, her chest heaving, her singed hair in disarray and her body shaking from head to tail. As if realizing what she had just done, her head slowly rose as if to survey the damage. However, her gaze stopped when it landed on Raven. Raven knew exactly what she would see. Raven hadn’t moved even a fraction of an inch. Her bun remained perfectly intact. Her red cravat remained pristine. Her glasses remained comfortably on her face. Not a single hair of her coat had been disturbed. All while everything within a six-foot radius of Sunset had been blasted backward as if a meteor had crashed into the room. Only the hourglass survived without a scuff. “How…” Sunset asked, her expression equal parts awe and terror. “I have served Princess Celestia for a long time, Sunset,” Raven said quietly. “It is wise to remember that, in Canterlot, as in many places, nopony is exactly what she appears. Not Princess Celestia, not your friends, not yourself… and not me.” “I… I didn’t mean to attack you… I…” Sunset stammered. Raven stepped forward and gave Sunset a small, sad smile. She placed a hoof on her shoulder. “If you wish someone willing to listen without judgment, I am here. I have always been here, Sunset. I know your relationships are very complicated right now, but the one we have is simple. I know you are not ready today. But look around this room and I think we both can agree you need help.” “I…” Sunset trailed off, apparently at a loss as to what to say. Raven nodded. “Do not concern yourself with the ‘attack.’ I know it was not directed at me. But you must find a better way of releasing your emotions, Sunset. Or they will consume you.” Sunset finally just dropped her head, refusing to look Raven in the eye. Raven removed her hoof from the young mare’s shoulder and sighed. “When you’re ready to talk, you know where I’ll be.” Raven forced herself to walk away. She forced herself to walk down the stairs. She forced herself to magically open the door. Only then did she pause in the entry and look up at the damage. The entry was mostly intact, but a single book had been flung clear. It caught her eye with its stark black and white back cover. Perhaps this was a cheap trick, but she picked it up in her magic as she stepped out of Sunset’s home. It would give Sunset one more reason to reach out. She hoped. She thought she heard a sob just as she closed the door. She forced herself to ignore it. “You can lead a pony to water…” Raven whispered to herself as she turned the book over in her magic. Despite what had just happened, Raven couldn’t help but chuckle. The book was named As the Raven Flies by Hatter Goldenrod. She’d read the novel before. A decent enough story about a young bird trying to find her way home. It seemed more than apt. Raven took one last look at Sunset’s tower and walked away, all the while praying her gamble might pay off.