//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Incarnate // by Revel Montaro //------------------------------// According to the Ponyville Gazette, The Castle of Friendship was a shining beacon of hope and understanding. A symbol of what could be accomplished when not just ponies, but every creature worked together in harmony. The crystal structure was grown from the magic and blessing of the Tree of Harmony itself and was quickly becoming a tourist attraction and site of pilgrimage. It was also arguably an eyesore. The tower itself stood at least two stories higher than the previous tallest building in Ponyville, Town Hall, which called into question sometimes who actually held the political authority in the small town. Some elderly ponies also claimed when the light hit the outside walls just right it would blind them. There had been lawsuits… several of them. Still, no one was going to complain too harshly. After all, it was Princess Twilight’s castle and she was well loved by most ponies and even many beyond the borders of Equestria. This popularity and desire by the population at large to visit the castle led to a small conflict among the two ponies and dragon who called the castle home. Twilight Sparkle wanted basic defenses, but nothing too big or elaborate that might scare visitors away thus making the Castle of Friendship less... friendly. This desire for more subtle defenses was in opposition to the suggested electrocution wards, gravity well prisons, and teleportation catapults that would launch an intruder, theoretically all the way to the frozen north. Those robust and decisively malicious defenses had been suggested by Starlight Glimmer who, from personal experience, found the castle’s magical defenses lacking top to bottom. Having broken in to abuse the power of the Cutie Map table, Starlight felt it was too easy for some rabid fan to sneak in and hold the princess hostage for a bag of cherries and all the gold in Canterlot. To Starlight’s dismay, she had been outvoted. Star Swirl the Bearded was able to carefully disable or bypass the castle’s wards and defenses within moments of his arrival. He quietly slipped in and used a silence spell to muffle the sound of his own hoofsteps on the crystalline floor. It took the stallion less than half an hour to search the library and surrounding storage rooms to find what he sought. It was just as he feared. His surprise leading to a disappointed head shake as he found the mirror sitting currently inactive, but still surrounded by pumps and arcane contraptions that were used to force the mirror open. He sighed. “Fools, the lot of them. Like foals playing with fire spells for the first time.” The mage scholar in him wanted to study the device Princess Twilight had created that managed to bypass the lunar cycle safeties he had installed, but duty came first and Equestria would only be safe after his crowning achievement and failure was removed permanently. It was his sworn duty to protect the realm even if it meant destruction of his masterpiece. Star Swirl’s horn began to glow and hum with power and a basic energy power blast lashed forth. However, instead of striking the mirror the blast ricocheted off a shield, then the floor, and finally through a book shelf. Several books fell to the floor with a perfectly burned hole through the middle of them. Star Swirls eyes returned to the mirror as a pony came around from behind the apparatus, clicking her teeth. “Ohhh. Twilight is not going to be happy with you once she sees what you did to her books. Not to mention the whole breaking into her castle in the middle of the night, and, oh yeah. Trying to destroy the mirror you told us to conduct research on.” Star Swirl scowled at Sunset Shimmer. “I was hoping I was wrong. I tried to tell Twilight something was wrong, but she was face deep in one of your journals she just couldn’t put down and work the pieces together even after you ditched us. “Did you know history always portrayed you as a genius with a penchant for silliness? Too bad your eyes gave you away. I know what it’s like to put a character for show, to fool the general audience. I did it for years to the Canterlot nobility and then later to faculty and students at both schools I attended. I was damn good at it too. In my hay day, no one could see past the character I put on. I know the eyes of a liar. I told Twilight I could see it in your eyes and I learned a long time ago from the best how to read all the physical tells. Still, Twilight had faith. She’s a good pony like that.” Sunset strode closer, her teal eyes not blinking for a second, her horn covered in a faint red aura with a spell ready to activate. “The last straw however, was Celestia. You see, we met with her briefly before dinner and I could tell something had bothered her. It was only for a second or two when she looked at me, but it was there, the crack in her mask. A façade she had perfected for over a millennium and she looked pained, scared. That just does NOT happen.” “Yes, I suppose I should have expected no less from Celestia’s Perfect Flaming Sword.” Sunset gave the stallion a quizzical look. “Okay, I have been called a lot of things over the years, most of them inappropriate to repeat out loud, but that’s a new one.” Star Swirl let out a small laugh that lacked any hint of humor. Sunset imagined if Pinkie had heard it, she would have screamed at how fake it sounded. “Your mother has kept much from you. Many truths, many secrets. I imagine she has come by it so naturally now that she does not spare a moment to second guess the consequences. It is, of course all done for the good of Equestria. That is what we tell ourselves to justify the sins and sacrifices we make.” “Going for the low blows now?” Sunset’s teal eyes hardened, her voice taking on an angry growl. “Would you like me to sit back so you can take a better stab at my heart? I know you probably asked around or took the time to learn about my past after you did that scan earlier. More than half the castle staff hated me. I’m sure the ones that didn't quit would gladly retell a horror story or two of Filly Shimmer from Tartarus. So yes, I know I was adopted. I never knew my parents and Celestia took me in as her ward and personal student. Officially, I was property of the monarchy. Though if you asked Kibitz or Raven they would be the first to tell you that Celestia may have raised me since before I can remember, but I’m not her daughter.” Star Swirl settled in, sitting on his haunches and removed his bell covered hat, setting it on the nearby table. His face took on an expression that was akin to pity. Sunset did not know what game the old unicorn was playing at, but she kept a shield spell around the mirror just in case. “Tell me,” he began, “do you ever feel as if you have more strength than the average unicorn, both physically and your mana well? Do you have to work hard just to fall asleep? That you have to wear yourself down completely just to ease your ever racing mind?” “It’s called hyperactive intellect as well as good physical conditioning. I don’t obsess about my body, but I still care enough to keep fit. Was there a point to that? Going to next criticize my need for coffee in the morning or ask if I drool on my pillow?” “It’s more complicated than you realize. After hearing how you stole the Element of Magic and were even able to wield it, albeit poorly, I suspected there was more to you. Not just anypony can command an element even outside of our dimension, it shouldn’t have worked at all. But as I said before, my deep scan read your very essence and yes, I spoke with Celestia to confirm my suspicions. You, Sunset Shimmer, are a weapon golem. You were to be a perfect weapon, incarnate, crafted from ancient alicorn magic that even I barely understood when I compiled my findings in a journal. The Alicornum Vita Creaturae.” Of all the things Sunset had expected Star Swirl to say that had not come anywhere close to the list. “That’s preposterous! Look at me! I’m not made of metal or clay. It… nothing you are saying makes any sense!” “It would make perfect sense if you knew the truth. She changed the ritual dynamics and then failed to complete it. Celestia bo-“ As if the calling of her name were a summoning spell, Celestia appeared in a bright flash of teleportation magic, the heat wash and concussion throwing Sunset and Star Swirl back from one another. She took a moment to take in the scene, giving Sunset a glance and Star Swirl a glare. “I thought I made it clear from our conversation earlier that you were to let Twilight and Sunset handle this.” “I created the mirrors. They are my responsibility and clearly your former students have proven as reckless as you in their use.” Star Swirl glared back at the alicorn whose magenta eyes never left him. “I warned you long ago about the dangers of repeated mirror use and you persisted. Even at the risk of all of Equestria you still continued to visit Sombra until you had no choice but to destroy the Multium Mirror to sever the coalescence flow.” “We were careful,” Celestia retorted. “We spaced out our visits to allow the two dimensions time to settle. Sometimes we did not see each other for years!” “Careful? Like you were careful in creating that?” Star Swirl pointed at Sunset. “How dare you.” Sunset had been about to offer her own retort, but the comment died in her mouth, evaporating with all her saliva as the temperature in the room suddenly spiked to a blistering blast furnace. The open pages to the book closest to Celestia actually blackened and flaked away as ash. “You will not speak of Sunset Shimmer as if she were an abomination.” Star Swirl arched an eyebrow. “But isn’t she? If you hold your weapon in such high regard and with the same compassion you claim to have for all ponies then tell her the truth. Explain it to her as you explained it to me earlier this night so that we may all have a better understanding of what you did and why.” Celestia turned her gaze to Sunset who had remained close to the mirror just in case she had to protect it again. Sunset watched as Celestia flinched, actually flinched! The stoic confidence of the goddess of the sun having eroded instantaneously. While Sunset had no doubt some of what the elder mage had said had a seed of truth to it, particularly about the secrets, but could it be? Had Celestia lied about finding her in a basket as a newborn on the doorstep of the palace? Star Swirl snorted. “Well?” Starlight Glimmer rolled out of bed when she heard the unmistakable sounds of ponies arguing. It was muted, but sound traveled easily off crystal walls. Her own room featured two large throw mats to help muffle the echoes of her hoofsteps. “Ugh, I told Twilight we needed better security wards.” Still, intruders meant she had full right to deal with them as she saw fit. It was late, she was tired, and she had school administrator duties to deal with in the morning. That spelled out swift and harsh justice in her book. Starlight followed the sounds of the voices to the library annex where the portal mirror was kept. This fact gave her a moment of pause that whoever was on the other side of that door may be a friend. Was Pinkie Pie playing portal tag with her human doppelganger again? Even if that was the case, they shouldn’t be playing with the portal at all let alone mere hours before dawn. Starlight readied a kinetic force spell and kicked the door open for extra dramatic effect. “I hope you like the taste of… oh.” Her words died. Starlight was no slouch. In fact, for a unicorn who lacked the sophisticated formal training of many of her friends she was a magical juggernaut. However, there were still some ponies who were in her weight class or higher. Three of them were sitting in the room all looking at her. “Starlight Glimmer,” Celestia said as casually and serenely as if they were meeting for afternoon tea. “Would you be so kind as to put on a pot of tea?” Starlight glanced from one face to another, each having their own varying degree of hostility. Starlight had no idea what she just walked in on, but tea seemed like the last thing anyone needed. “Of course, princess.” At least it let her back out slowly. And where was Twilight, she thought, as she made her way to the kitchen. Sunset groaned, running a hoof down her face. She was too tired to do this dance and too angry to fake civility. “Talk.” Celestia sucked in a long breath and slowly released it. “I know you will find this hard to believe after the many rifts we have suffered through over the years, but I was only trying to protect you. This is not how I wanted to have this conversation…” Sunset gestured with a hoof and Celestia continued. “Thirty years ago, I passed through the Multium Mirror to visit another Equestria so very similar to this one. I had done this many times before over the centuries, being careful to space out my visits so as to not create further paradoxes within our dimensions. In that other world there lived a good and benevolent unicorn king named Sombra. We had met long ago and had fallen in love. After I lost Luna to her madness as Nightmare Moon, Sombra was the only small comfort I had in my very long and lonely existence. Until you came along.” Celestia shifted, her eyes never meeting Sunset’s, instead looking into a dark corner lost in her reminisce. “I knew of Nightmare Moon’s eventual return and had sought ways to protect my little ponies from the inevitable conflict. While we have a decent mage defense and well trained army, they would be unable to do more than slow down an alicorn as powerful as Luna. It would have been a slaughter, the gutters and ditches choked with the blood of those willing to lay down their lives for me. That nightmare haunted me for years. “With the elements still refusing to heed my commands and no willingness to use them again on my beloved sister, I was left with few options to shore up our woefully unprepared defenses. Time was drawing near and no evidence of a renewal of harmony in sight, I became desperate. So, I researched the ancient text of past alicorns. In one book I found a spell on how to create an alicorn. You know the book, Sunset, you threw it at me once.” Sunset grimaced, remembering the night of their fight and her choice to flee through the mirror. “Okay, so centuries ago you fell in love with a king from another dimension, but what happened thirty years ago?” Celestia pawed at her hoof guards. “Sombra and I made our plans to bring you into this world.” “Wh… What?! But you said you looked at how to make an alicorn. I’m… no… you didn’t…” “Yes,” Celestia bowed her head, “because if we had followed the directions to the letter that is what you would be right now.” Sunset staggered, her eyes darting around. Starlight returned with the tea and Sunset immediately grabbed a cup and downed hers in one scalding gulp. She hardly noticed the burn. After several breaths to regain control of her voice Sunset asked, “What went wrong?” “You must understand, the spell was not meant for a living alicorn, but instead a soulless weapon with all the power and hardiness of a true alicorn. The incarnate golem would have been fearless, ruthless, and unstoppable. When the ritual preparations had been completed years later and I met with Sombra again, he offered me a second option. “According to his own research we could still apply the ritual, but instead of imbuing the power to a golem of steel or clay it may be possible to pass on the power to a living pony. One that would be born an alicorn with no soul, but still be able to think, and feel, and choose how and when to fight instead of just being a perfect obedient weapon. After much discussion, we chose to cast the ritual upon the foal growing inside me. You.” Sunset’s legs gave out and she fell to the ground. Next to her the tea kettle and cups also crashed to the crystal floor. “I’ll… go get a mop.” Starlight exited before anyone could object. Celestia made to reach for Sunset but the unicorn flinched. “I… my whole life you told me I was special, but also that I was simply your student. I, I wanted you to officially adopt me for years, to love me like a daughter because I thought I had been abandoned by my family and I wanted a mother. I wanted you to be my mother so badly I cried for you into my pillow some nights. You… you’ve been… you lied to me all this time.” “I am so very sorry, Sunset,” Celestia said sorrowful, tears threatening to spill. “It was to protect you, the convenient lie I always told myself. I had to hide my pregnancy with robes and illusions. Only Raven and Kibitz knew the truth and both were spellbound from revealing it to any creature. Hardest of all, I had to pretend to not be more than a teacher for fear of what the nobility would say or do if they found out the truth. Never being allowed to comfort you or love you in public like so many other mothers I envied. I failed you completely for the sake of politics and I have never forgiven myself for this sin. I wanted to protect you from those that would have used you as a tool and yet even as my personal student you were still forced to play the game. My attempts changed nothing.” Sunset forced down her fury, barely choking out through her tears and sobs, “But… I wasn’t born an alicorn. What went wrong?” “I never completed the ritual. I was to cast the final spell matrix upon you following your birth, but as you say, you were meant to be born an alicorn and you were not. I don’t know why. But more so than that… I… I couldn’t do it. I held this new born foal in my forelegs, looking down upon you, a child… my child, the only true gift your father was able to give me. And after more than a thousand years of royal service and putting others needs before mine... I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to raise a normal foal and I just could not make you into a weapon.” Celestia finally lost control. Her body shook in sobs and she let the tears flow after being held at bay for nearly three decades. “You were so beautiful,” Celestia’s voice broke with a croak, “more breathtaking than any new day I have ever brought light to. I have held many foals over the years, but you were mine. You were everything my heart truly wanted and I had to deny you to myself because I had to play my part as monarch. Nothing has torn my heart apart so completely as when I first set you down and stepped away. “When I looked into your bright eyes for the first time, I saw my sister’s eyes. The same color as our mother’s. I saw the past, the present, and the future in your eyes. In spite of the magic we had placed on you in my womb, you were born with a soul. And if I had completed the ritual at that point it would have likely stolen that burning light from you. Rendering you a soulless, incarnate weapon. Even at the cost of my life and the possibility of plunging all of Equestria into eternal night at the hooves of Nightmare Moon I refused to steal your precious light.” Realization bloomed in Sunset’s mind. “The reflection I saw in the mirror… that was my destiny. I saw myself with wings and a crown, but my expression was cold, lifeless red eyes.” Celestia nodded grimly. “You were growing so fast. You were and still are extremely smart and resourceful and one of the most powerful unicorns ever born, but you were also arrogant, callous, and spoiled. I showed you the mirror so that I too could possibly see your future and I feared that perhaps the ritual had been more successful than I had originally presumed. I had hoped that after enough time that your soul would have grown strong enough that if the time had been right, I could have completed the ritual and granted you the final power of an alicorn we both desired for you. However, I hesitated because I feared your darkness was growing too strong, overpowering the light of your soul. After the mirror revealed your heart to me I knew it was not meant to be. Becoming an alicorn princess would have destroyed you.” “And Sombra? Why did I never meet him?” “I would have taken you eventually, but you were becoming dangerously self absorbed. You were only concerned with your own greatness and achieving wings no matter who you stepped on to get them. I did not feel it was time to reveal your true origins.” Sunset snarled. “Did you ever stop to consider that maybe I acted how I did to try and gain your love as a mother?! I needed a father! And a mother! You pushed me to be the best at everything I tried and I did it, but it was never enough! No matter how hard I worked I was never going to be what you wanted me to be because you had decided that I was not going to be an alicorn out of fear of what may or may not become of my soul. You didn’t know for sure and rather than explain it to me you laid down and ultimatum then kicked me out!” “The dismissal was only supposed to be temporary! I would have called you back!” Celestia cried. “You needed to be humbled, you were out of control and… no, I have no excuses on either front, as teacher or a mother. We both know I failed you completely.” “Yes, you did,” said Star Swirl, who had watched silently sipping his tea. “You did not plan for the eventuality you created and so when she could not fulfill the destiny that called to her, she rebelled. And here we are still picking up the pieces.” Sunset wiped her tears, fighting to control the whirlwind of emotions that were twisting her insides up. She had not thought about those dark days in years. The very ideas of being a princess or an alicorn were so far behind her they were collecting dust in the back of her mind. But the lies? The lies stung like salt on freshly torn wounds. After a minute of shaking she finally looked back to Celestia. “So, what now? I came here to find help with the mirror and possibly consider moving back to Equestria, but how can I come back here? How can I live here knowing that I was conceived to be a weapon and I’m nothing but a failure from the day I was born? You said I was not ready, over, and over again, but I was never going to be ready because the goal was so far out of my reach it might as well had been on the moon! How can I look at you and not be absolutely furious at what you did to me!? I have no destiny, no special talent! What the hell am I supposed to do with my life?!” Celestia did not know how to answer. Instead choosing to keep her eyes shut and silently cry. Star Swirl had no such tears to shed. He cleared his throat to draw the attention of the others. “The mirror situation must be resolved now. I can likely sever the coalescence flow, but if the connection has become too strong the two dimensions may begin to collapse in on one another or possibly worse.” “How can things possibly get worse!?” Sunset shouted. “If the coalescence flow is too strong and I destroy the mirror the snap back may cause the magic to pour through out of control. The other realm could collapse in on itself. The portal corridor would shatter and become a singularity to the space between, drawing their world, their universe in and crushing it in blackness.” Sunset gasped, an image of each of the girls flashing through her mind. “No… my friends still live there. There has to be a way to seal the magic off without collapsing their entire universe. I can’t leave them to die like that!” Star swirl charged his horn. “I’m sorry, but if I have to choose between another world and Equestria I will choose Equestria every time. We can only hope it’s not too late.” “NO!” Sunset protested. “Let me go back, let me warn them. If the magic flows out of control they will need my help to save their world.” “More travel will only make it worse! This needs to end now.” Sunset raised her defenses, eyes hard, horn glowing a dangerous crimson. “They are my friends, my REAL family. Nopony is going to keep my from protecting them.” “Star Swirl…” Celestia did not get to finish her statement when the magical bolts began to fly. Sunset deflected the blasts that blew a hole through several walls and out of the castle. Sunset slammed her hoofs to the floor and a blinding flash erupted from her horn simultaneously blinding and leaving a ringing in the ears of the elder unicorn. When the spots cleared from his vision Sunset had just finished loading the journal on its platform, the mirror glowing with magenta energy. “Fool!” Sunset didn’t bother to retort and jumped through the glass. Star Swirl charged his horn again and fired. “DON’T!” Celestia screamed, raising her own shield around the mirror. However, the energy bolt had not been aimed at the mirror itself, but instead at the apparatus that had been powering it. The compressor sputtered and failed, the mirror returning to simple reflective glass. Celestia glared daggers at her old mentor. “Are you out of your mind?! She is my daughter! You could have trapped her in that dimension or worse, between dimensions!” Star Swirl glared back at his princess. “If anyone here needs their head examined it’s you, Your Majesty! It may already be too late! If the flow connection has already become unstable it will be all of our heads!” A magical pop of teleportation signaled the arrival of another pony. Twilight Sparkle quickly scanned around the room at the various levels or damage and who had gathered. She blinked several times, gasping at burnt books, gaping holes in walls, and furious ponies glaring daggers at one another. Strangely, Starlight Gimmer stood off to the side quietly sipping more tea. “What in the wide world of Equestria is going on here and why are there so many ponies in my castle in the middle of the night!?” “I told you we should have installed better traps.” “Not the time, Starlight!” Twilight took a deep breath. “Where is Sunset Shimmer? I need answers!” Celestia stepped forward, her royal court mask once again restored. “I am afraid Sunset returned through the mirror when Star Swirl threatened to destroy it.” Twilight gasped. “What?! Why would he do that?! Will somepony please explain what’s going on?!” “I am afraid there is no time to explain the events of the evening right now,” Celestia said, placing a gentle hoof on the smaller alicorn’s shoulder. “Please, Twilight, fix this and find Sunset. I fear for her personal safety in her current mental state. Be the friend and family she needs where I could not.” Twilight shook the dozens of questions from her mind to ask later. Princess Celestia had just given her a mission and that was all that mattered at the moment. She inspected the mirror, but at a glance it appeared undamaged. The power supply apparatus on the other hoof… Twilight groaned. “This is going to take me hours to fix.” Twilight looked up at a hole that passed all the way to the outside world. She noticed Spike examining the damage as well. “And why are there so many holes in my castle!?” “Starlight,” Celestia turned to the unicorn mare. “Please assist Twilight in getting her machine working again and then join me in Canterlot.” “Oh, yes, brilliant, destabilize the connection more with additional travel.” Celestia scowled darkly at Star Swirl and for the first time that night he actually gulped in concern. “Twilight is the Princess of Friendship and is far more capable than you or I in helping Sunset Shimmer see that the balance must be restored. Starlight will be assisting you and I in finding another way, a better way, to close the magic off to the mirror that does not involve destroying either dimension. Is THAT understood?” Starlight looked into her empty cup and frowned. “I’m going to need something stronger than tea.”