Tails of Innocence

by CommanderX5

Chapter 8 - Rise of Sunset...

Princess Celestia made sure to triple check the reports that were in front of her. It was rare that she was ever surprised so many times after centuries of experience, but these past few years had been quite different. Most of her surprises had come from her apprentice who could be the missing key she needed to save her sister from her darkness. Even now, despite having been her student for so many years, she was still impressing her with feats no average pony could do. An exorcism of elemental spirits is not something you hear about on an average daily basis. She sighed. To think such injustice has been happening under my muzzle. If not for Kyuubi, many more minds would be enslaved for the centuries to come.

It was only further proof that Celestia had made the right choice in training Kyuubi and preparing her for Nightmare Moon’s return. Granted, such a dark power was far greater in strength than an elemental spirit or two, but there were still years to go before the destined day and years to train in preparation. However, that incident also alerted her to a filly’s magical abilities that far exceeded that of normal unicorns at her age or even older.

Princess Celestia knew of Sunset Shimmer before due to her exam scores and the recommendations of her. A few teachers even recommended she be permitted to skip a grade. It wasn’t just her raw magical ability, she had a clever mind as well. While not exactly book smart, she was very creative with her magic and her ability to mold it into what she needed. It was a level of control most foals would kill for. 

To hear from Kyuubi that Sunset had managed to overcome possession through sheer willpower and raw magic was what made Celestia think. She began to focus more on Sunset whenever she came to visit Kyuubi with the rest of her friends. In some respects, she reminded Celestia of herself as a filly: bold, daring, ambitious, and a thirst for a challenge. In some respects, Kyuubi was what Luna was during their fillyhood: quiet, focused, gentle, and yet holding a determination that was stronger than steel. It also helped that the two got along quite well, even if Sunset was always determined to prove herself better. Nothing wrong with competition. Luna and I did it all the time growing up.

So when she asked for the test results on Sunset’s magical abilities and magical core, she wasn’t expecting something of this magnitude. “Are you sure these are accurate?” Princess Celestia asked the headmaster who nodded.

“Indeed, she’s quite a talented little filly, isn’t she? Some classmates believe she’s got the potential to become one of the greatest students this academy has seen,” Headmaster Lightstar pointed out.

Or one of the best Equestria has ever seen, Princess Celestia thought as she looked at the numbers again. 

Nevertheless, alicorns had always been seen as guiding lights for equines everywhere and were often made in preparation for a greater destiny. It wasn’t a surprise that they were worshiped as deities for a time. 

There were signs to tell if one could become an alicorn, according to the notes of her old mentor Starswirl the Bearded. Sunset seemed to be such a pony. She had tried twice to do so with apprentices long gone now. One had tragically died of illness before she could complete her training. The other decided to leave her service to adventure the world before returning to complete his training. Sadly, he never returned. Perhaps, Sunset might be the one I’ve been looking for all this time.

“What can you tell me about her family?” Princess Celestia asked, curious to see if she was from one of the many bloodlines that held power in their veins.

“Well, sadly it's a tragic tale. Mother died giving birth to her, leaving Father to care for her alone. By talking with her father, I got the impression that he and Sunset don't get along, as if he cared more about his job than his daughter, or maybe even resented her for his wife's death,” Headmaster Lightstar answered, sighing. 

“If her father was neglectful, who cared for her?“ Princess Celestia asked, feeling nothing but disappointment. There was nothing fair in blaming a child for something she had no control over.

”Sunset created a strong connection with her grandmother who took care of her whenever her dad was working, but with old age came memory issues. Because of that Sunset grew more independent, receiving little to no parental care and living by her own rules,” Headmaster Lightstar explained. ”She is quite resourceful and can care for herself, but lacks discipline. Having so much power and so little parental guidance led to some school accidents and damage to school property. If not for that, I would have moved her up a few more classes a long time ago.”

“I see,” Princess Celestia muttered, sighing at the tragic tale of one so young. “I see she is talented in many areas. High recommendations. Is there anything bad to say about her… besides the issues with discipline and school accidents?”

“Honestly, she’s very prideful with a hint of arrogance,” Headmaster Lightstar pointed out. “But she is young. In time, I feel this can be tempered.” He then leaned forward and asked, “Princess, I’ve known you for a long time. You only ever have that look when you’re thinking of taking a student under your wing, but you already have one do you not?”

Princess Celestia gave a small smile. “I see nothing wrong with having two.”

“I’m going to be what?!” 

Kyuubi winced upon hearing Sunset scream, but she couldn’t blame her. Even she was surprised to know that Princess Celestia was going to take Sunset Shimmer as a second apprentice. The multi-tailed fox glanced at her shocked friend who looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her skull while staring at the amused alicorn princess. 

“You are to be my apprentice along with Kyuubi. Should you agree to it of course,” Princess Celestia reaffirmed with a nod. “Having heard of what you had done during your foalnapping, I looked deeper into your studies and magical potential. You have quite a future ahead of you. One that I think I can facilitate by making you a personal student of mine.”

“But... But isn’t Kyuubi your student?” Sunset asked, pointing to her friend.

“While Kyuubi is indeed my student, I sadly cannot teach her everything I normally do with my apprentices,” Princess Celestia replied with some regret in her tone. “There are certain unicorn abilities that Kyuubi cannot learn, but you, however, can.”

Sunset opened her mouth a bit before closing it and turning to Kyuubi. “Are you okay with this?”

Of course! Kyuubi replied with a smile. You’re a very powerful unicorn. Plus, I get to have one of my friends as a study buddy! She gently poked the unicorn’s shoulder with her giant paw while looking down at her friend. Of course, if you’re not interested, she gave the little pony a smug smile, I can always suggest Rosey for this spot. She did resist the possession as well after all, and while nowhere as powerful, I love the enthusiasm she showed over the years. Upon receiving a frown in response and an ‘it is on’ glare, she added, So are you in, or are you in?

“I have never taken two students together before, so this will be a new experience for me,” Princess Celestia said, getting everyone’s attention. “I will need to spend a few weeks focused on you first, Sunset Shimmer. Mostly to test you and get a better understanding of what you know and what you need to learn.”

“So, if I do become your apprentice, what will I be learning?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

A lot, let me tell you, Kyuubi smiled, shaking her head by how much she had to learn in her starting months. History. Magical theory. Spellcraft knowledge. Science. Mathematics. Logic. A little of everything. Then there are special electives you can choose.

“Special electives?” Sunset asked.

“Most of my apprentices typically often go out to do greater things for Equestria. Some become involved in politics, trade negotiations, and more. You can learn things like economics, political science, bargaining, psychology. Whatever suits your career goals. This will be when you’re older though. Kyuubi has been learning medicine, resource management, and diplomacy.” 

You’ll also sometimes be asked to represent the princess when you’re older. Taking part in events mostly. Kyuubi pointed out.

“Over time you may choose to take part in more serious events as my representative. You’ll also be allowed to order some of the Royal Guards, within reason of course.”

Sunset looked down for a while in deep concentration before looking up at the Princess with her begging eyes. “C-can I live in the castle?”

“Of course you can,” Princess Celestia said, nuzzling her. “It will be your new home.”

“Then I accept!” Sunset Shimmer said with a blazing smile. “I can’t believe this is happening. I knew I was good but I guess I’m just better than I expected.”

My, how humble of you, Kyuubi teased before nuzzling her friend, accidentally picking her above the floor a few centimeters. But I’m glad you’ll be learning with me. 

“Thank you! Both of you! I will be moving in right away,” Sunset shouted before rushing out of the spare room that the headmaster had given them.

She seems very excited. Was I like that when you asked me? Kyuubi asked, tilting her head.

“You were a lot shyer about it,” Princess Celestia replied with a wink.

Kyuubi giggled before a thought came to her and her face was replaced with curiosity. Is she... going to be informed about Nightmare Moon? About your plan?

“I haven’t decided yet,” Princess Celestia replied, shrugging. “I need to first decide if I can trust her or not. Remember, most assume my sister died at Nightmare Moon’s hooves. They don’t know that they are the same. I need to be sure that Sunset can be trusted with such a secret and help us win before I tell her anything.”

I think she’ll be a great help, but I’ll trust your wisdom, Kyuubi answered before another thought occurred to her. How are you going to deal with the political outcome of this? You know some of the noble families won’t like it that you took a second apprentice. 

“They didn't cause a riot after learning that I took in a kitsune. I am almost certain they will not mind Sunset.”

Kyuubi approached, sitting next to the princess as a few of her tails accidentally rubbed against her side. Even when sitting, her height seemed to slightly surpass that of an alicorn. I still remember the exchange between the knight and my caretakers from the church, which makes me wonder about politics in war-ravaged nations with kings, nobility and peasants, and their tension with nations with non-human races. I bet a king or a queen adopting an orphan or taking one under their tutelage would make quite an uproar where I come from. Maybe even an assassination attempt. She closed her eyes and shook her head. S-sorry, my imagination went wild for a moment.

Celestia leaned to the right, sinking her side a little in Kyuubi’s rich fluffy fur. “I can assure you, my dear student, Equestria is far more peaceful and understanding. At worst we will get a few frowns or letters from the disappointed ponies.” She smiled. “Equestria hasn’t seen open war for centuries, and ponies are too kind-hearted to assassinate each other.”

And what about dealing with all the monsters and dangers? Equestria seems to have quite a high quantity of monsters, dangerous animals, and all kinds of threats outside and even inside its borders. They were mentioned quite a lot in the history books.

Celestia chuckled. “True, but their activity has been decreasing in the past centuries, and Canterlot is certainly out of their range. To put it simply, I do not think my Royal Guard has had to deal with anything but a thief or troublemaker for decades past.”

Kyuubi rubbed her chin, now deep in thought. While she loved peace, it felt odd for it to last this long with so many threats noted in history books. It felt as if the problems bottled up, ready to be unleashed at the worst possible time. Would ponies even be prepared to face all those threats now? Even the Royal Guard didn’t seem to be anywhere near how it was described in the books. 

One thing was certain, should those threats arise, she and Sunset would be there to stop them, which meant they needed to work extra hard to be in top shape. I hope my fears are wrong and Nightmare Moon will be the only real threat we have to deal with. Her ears dropped. I think I know what I will pray for tonight. 

Sunset trotted cheerfully, bags levitating by her side as she headed for the bed-chamber of her new mentor. While she wasn’t yet sure where she would settle, given the choice between sleeping with the princess or using the nearby guest quarters, she was certainly looking forward to the advanced and important lessons. She felt as if she’d been given the chance of a lifetime and she wasn’t going to waste it. I need to thank Kyuubi when I meet her. She may be a bit of a weirdo, but I sure owe her a lot.

She stopped before two Royal Guards, their spears held before the entrance into the princess’ bedchamber. 

“Name and business?” one guard asked, though sounding a little feminine. With the enhancements making all guards look alike, it wasn’t easy for Sunset to tell their genders apart.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset Shimmer held a forehoof on her chest and lowered her head politely. She needed to act professional and noble after all as the student of the princess herself. “My name is Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia’s new protege. I would like to move in and take some lessons from our mighty ruler.” She raised her head and smiled proudly. She practiced a few scenarios this morning for these kinds of meetings.

“Her Highness is currently in the throne room, her day court should last a few hours, but you’re welcome to settle in,” one guard said, this one certainly a stallion. 

“Lady Kyuubi is awaiting you inside. Please make yourself at home,” the female guard said, adding a welcoming smile.

Sunset looked at both guards, not seeing any difference between them. I wonder if the size is a requirement for the Royal Guard? It is quite rare to find a mare as tall as a grown stallion. I wonder if I could become a Lieutenant or Captain once I graduate. Oh, so many possibilities!

With glee, she entered the bedchamber, throwing her bags into the corner of the room with a loud thudding noise. Her action startled the massive fox, who yelped from her kneeling position.

Sunset blinked in confusion, staring at a startled Kyuubi who just a moment ago seemed to be on her knees and lowered respectfully in front of a wall. Was she showing respect to a bookshelf? I knew she was a bit weird, but this… She approached, giving Kyuubi a confused glance. “What are you doing, kneeling to the wall like that? Also, you look a bit awkward while doing so.”

Kyuubi smiled sheepishly, blushing. She pushed herself to a sitting position, now towering over the filly. 

S-sorry. I was doing my morning prayers. I also wanted to thank God for all gifts He bestowed upon me and you in these past weeks.

“Praying, oh right… I almost forgot.”

It’s alright. How about we pray together. I would love to show you how to show God the respect He deserves, Kyuubi said, gesturing encouragingly with her forepaw.

“I’ll pass,” Sunset responded before approaching her bags and suitcase, unpacking her belongings. She already heard a few times about Kyuubi’s faith and was even amazed by her holy magic, but it was the first time she had witnessed her praying. Unlike Rosey and Nightbright, she was still new in this friendship circle.

Need any help? Kyuubi asked.

“No need, I’ve got this,” Sunset said as her magic did the work, levitating winter clothing, an orange scarf, sunglasses, a few books and a stack of papers, a few pens, and other stuff she had acquired over the years. She noticed two empty and open cupboards, most likely prepared in advance for her as she levitated her belongings, placing them inside in a somewhat disorganized matter… which was a nice way of saying she dumped all her stuff into a pile and closed the cupboard with a bit of force.

“Alright, I’m settled. Sooo… when will the princess give me my first lesson?” Sunset asked, turning to Kyuubi as her tail flapped in excitement.

The large fox lowered herself to meet Sunset eye to eye, their muzzles centimeters away from each other. Sorry to disappoint you, but Princess Celestia is very busy almost every day. There’s an hour opening in the morning after she raises the sun and an hour after she raises the moon. Sometimes she tries to make an opening in her schedule in the middle of the day, but it’s quite rare. I usually practice what she taught me or train at the barracks or with a scholar from the school for Gifted Unicorns. She rubbed the back of her neck. Though I admit, I have been neglecting exercises in the barracks ever since I started attending school.

Sunset narrowed her eyes and stomped, her mood quickly shifting to one of anger and disappointment. “Are you kidding? I didn’t agree to become her student only for two hours of tutoring a day. I could as well have stayed in the school dorm.” She groaned in annoyance, causing the ears on Kyuubi’s head to drop.

It’s not that bad, Kyuubi said before gently raising Sunset’s chin with her large paw. Besides, we can always practice and learn together. You know, like sharing knowledge and team-studying.

Sunset rubbed her chin before smiling. “You know what, this may actually work. So, where do we start?”

Kyuubi raised herself to her full height as she approached the fireplace, summoning the warmth of a holy fire with the help of her magic. The bright flames danced upon the wood.

I was hoping we could bond a little before any real studying.

“Bond, sure… I suppose it’s a good idea since we’ll be living together and stuff.” Sunset approached, staring up at the large creature. She already spent enough time with Kyuubi not to get bothered by their size-difference. In the end, it’s knowledge about magic and raw power that mattered, and she was planning to surpass this kitsune, showing Celestia that she’s the superior student. “So, what do you have in mind?”

Think of it as a little initiation to welcome you as the princess's new student. Kyuubi giggled before slowly curling herself into a ball around confused Sunset, using levitation to gently raise the unicorn and placed Sunset comfortably upon her fur.

Sunset didn’t resist, though she blushed a little once her back and the back of her head now nested against the soft fluffy fur, almost sinking in it. She spotted a few books levitating over, forming a pile as one levitated towards her face. Curious, she took the book with her levitation, which was titled ’Advanced Teleportation.’

Comfortable? Kyuubi asked as she placed her muzzle against her rear legs, keeping one eye on the pony while another on levitated book of her choosing. She levitated over a cup of hot tea, one prepared in advance before Sunset’s arrival.

The unicorn kept staring at the advanced knowledge in written form before her attention focused on the cup of tea. In fact, she didn’t even want to stretch towards the teacup as her legs, back and head felt the softness of the highest caliber. All she could do was smile. Truly the most comfortable learning conditions she ever had in her life.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset spoke in a calm voice, “I must say, you sure know how to create a pleasant environment for reading. It almost feels as if you’re pretending to be a mom or something.” She giggled at the mental image.

Mom… Kyuubi spoke mentally, showing a depressed smile as ears once again were flattened against her head. She forced a smile, banishing the unpleasant thought. M-mother may be way too much. But now that you mention it, how about you call me your big-sis. That would be nice.

“Big sis… heh… no issues there,” Sunset said. While it would feel somewhat odd to call a large kitsune her big sis, it certainly felt nice to have someone she could consider a relative. Who knew? Maybe she would gain a family of sorts. Whatever the outcome, she was already happy as she gave in to the first-class comfort of the high-tier fur. "I must say, you truly love sharing the comfort of your fur with everypony. You seem to be doing it more and more."

What can I say? As I grow, ponies seem to like stroking my fur more and more. I just embraced it. If I am valued for my healing magic and for my rich fur, I will gladly make others happy with both.

Sunset beamed a smile. "Kyuubi, you may be weird, but never change."

Rosey galloped in excitement, almost tripping upon the carpet as she made her way towards the bedchamber, rounding a few guards on the way who failed to even slow her down. She quickly introduced herself as Kyuubi’s friend Rosey, stopping the pursuit of the confused pegasi. 

Pressing her hooves into the carpet, she pulled herself to a full stop in front of the bedchamber as both Royal Guards quickly recognized her, opening the door.

With wild glee, she leaped inside. “Kyuubi, I heard Sunset is now… Sunset?” She paused and blinked, her eyes now focused on a sea of white fur. A fifth of Celestia’s bedchamber was occupied by a large creature whose four tails were spread all over the room. In the middle, she noticed a familiar tail and mane standing out from the rich fur. 

“Kyuubi? Sunset?” she asked, looking at the muzzle which touched kitsune’s rear legs. Even Philomena was relaxing against the fox’s cheek while leaving her cage open. A few lucky books were also perched among the fluff. Flames from the fireplace barely found a way to light the room.

Her cheeks became puffy and her face gained a shade of red. She shot Sunset a glare filled with jealousy. “This isn’t fair!”

One of the guards spoke from outside of the room, “Life can be cruel at times, young lady. I wish I could join in if not for my duty.”

The other guard nodded in agreement.

Rosey stomped before approaching with firm steps. “I wanted to congratulate Sunset for becoming a princess’ student, but it would be a crime to wake her up. There’s only one way to resolve this.” She climbed up the rich fur, taking a comfortable napping spot between two of Kyuubi’s tails. She nuzzled the fur with a wide smile before closing her eyes.

Both guards looked at the scene with jealousy, their ears drooping as a sad whimper escaped their mouths. In the end, they could only watch but never experience, truly the cruelest of fate.

Okay, just remember to concentrate and think without any distracting thoughts, Kyuubi said as she looked over at the sweating Sunset. It had been a few weeks since her friend had officially become the second apprentice of Princess Celestia and already she was doing everything she could to catch up with her. If it wasn’t for the times Kyuubi had reminded her to eat, sleep, or take a break with their friends, Sunset would be a full-on twenty-four-hour study pony.

Closing her eyes, Sunset focused her magic and a yellow and reddish spherical shield began to surround her. Kyuubi turned to their friends, Rosey and Nightbright, who readied their horns and soon started throwing magic blasts at the barrier. The younger unicorn gritted her teeth as the blasts reflected off of the shield, but that wasn’t their goal. Sunset had wanted to see if she could absorb magic blasts and use them as a source of energy to power the shield to keep it going. While the theory was sound, Princess Celestia told them to be careful and not overdo it. 

However, after four hours, Sunset could only still reflect the magic and not absorb it. Putting the shield down, she painted for air as the kitsune levitated a water bottle that she drank dry in a minute. “Anything?” she gasped with hope in her eyes.

Sorry, but nothing, Kyuubi said, shaking her head which made Sunset flop to the ground in exhaustion. If it helps, you’ve been able to produce a better shield spell than most ponies I’ve seen.

“Not as good as yours though. You can handle a boulder falling on top of you,” Sunset groaned as she got up and stretched her legs. “I think I’m too tired to try again. Let’s just call it a day.”

“Finally! This was getting so boring!” Rosey complained, rolling her eyes. “Let’s do something fun! Like a picnic!” 

“Rosey, it's raining,” Nightbright said, pointing to the windows where it was storming outside of the practice room Celestia gave them.

“Well, then we’ll have an indoor picnic! I already bought the food!” Rosey said, rushing to the basket she had brought with her. 

The growling stomachs from the others made them realize it was pointless to argue so they sat down and began to eat the sandwiches and salads that Rosey brought. After some light conversation, Nightbright decided to ask, “So, Sunset, where did you get the idea of absorbing magic with a shield spell?”

“I got the idea when I was reading about the Centaur Wars with Lord Tirek’s invasion of Equestria,” Sunset answered, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “They said he could absorb the magic of all creatures and grow stronger from it. So I got the idea from that.”

“Kinda creepy that you got the idea from a warlord,” Rosey pointed out.

I don’t think I remember Tirek in my lessons. Was he a bad guy? Kyuubi asked.

“Bad?! Kyuubi, he’s one of Equestria’s worst foes,” Sunset said with surprise on her face. “I thought you would be knowing about it having been the Princess’ student for so long.”

To be fair, the princess most likely kept the darker part of history from me for the sake of my… innocence, Kyuubi answered, blushing. The story about Nightmare Moon was the first depressing event she learned about, and she suspected there may have been more.

“Well, this was still early in the reign of the Royal Sisters. Tirek had invaded our lands for power using his army and powerful dark magic that could steal the magic of any living creature,” Sunset explained with a shiver. “Ironically, he kept alive those who he drained of their magic, which was better than dying on the battlefield against his soldiers. Some legends say he was powerful enough to take souls, but I think that’s just a myth.”

Night Bright interrupted, “Stealing souls… I doubt that. Also, I don’t think he spared ponies out of mercy. I have a theory that if those he stole from passed away, he would lose their magic.” He crossed his arms and frowned. “In other words, he wanted to turn Equestria, a land full of magic-filled ponies, into his private battery that would keep him big and powerful.”

Rosey frowned and stomped. “He was a big brute whose powers came from stolen magic. I bet he was a pushover without it.” She looked at the large fox with a curious glance. “Unlike that nine-tailed kitsune from your story. He ate mages to grow stronger, but was a powerhouse without it.”

How did Equestria defeat him? Kyuubi asked, now interested. It has been so long since she told anypony the story that she heard before her emergency banishment, but now that Rosey mentioned it, the dreaded Ninetails did eat his foes to grow stronger. Eating foes for magic or draining them dry at the range and keeping them alive. Both strategies seemed to have their pros and cons. It took a blessing from God to seal Ninetails away though, but Equestria didn’t have such luxury. 

“Well, Tirek had a brother, Scorpan, who opposed his war campaign. Since they were brothers who had gotten along in the past, Sorpan knew the source of his power and his weaknesses. He secretly allied himself with the princesses and backstabbed Tirek when he least expected it.” Sunset took a quick breath before continuing, excitement clear in her voice.

Wait… but if Tirek grew more powerful by draining others' magic, how could he have been bested this easily? And why would Scorpan betray him so willingly?

“And here is the cool part.“ Rosey took a deep breath before speaking in haste. “Why do you think no other of his species could do what he did? Because he used an artifact and magical arts from the Royal Treasury.“ She stood on her rear hooves and shook her forelegs enthusiastically. “Tirek was a Warlord so he had access to the most dangerous magical arts that would aid him at war. It would be foolish if Royalty didn't have an artifact that would seal away his power to keep him from turning it on them.“ She slammed her hooves together. “Tirek was clever though, as cunning as he was strong. He overthrew his rulers and became a dictator.“

“So you know a lot about Tirek as well, I am impressed,“ Sunset praised.

But turning on royalty is high treason. If Scorpan was loyal to them, it would make sense why he would turn on his brother.

Sunset nodded. “Exactly. Scorpan safeguarded the means to counter Tirek’s power and used his trust to get close enough to use them. The moment the Royal Sisters led a counteroffensive, he sealed Tirek’s ability to drain magic, which led to his defeat. Tirek was banished to Tartarus while Sorphan freed the true Kind and Queen. Equestria has been at peace with them ever since, though our cultures don't interact due to our war-filled history.“

Kyuubi rubbed her chin. I suppose it makes sense. This kind of makes me wonder though. Was it hard for Scorpan to betray his brother for the good of ponies and his imprisoned rulers, and how much such betray hurt Tirek himself? Her eyes became wide as she gasped. Wait, banished. How long...

“Millenium and two centuries. And before you ask, Tirek is still alive. Those sealed in Tartarus live longer than they normally would, at least according to books,“ Nightbright lectured.

Kyuubi’s ears dropped and a sad whimper escaped her mouth. While she was against killing, she could only wonder if death wouldn't be a mercy. Searching for a distraction from such sad thoughts, she asked, Speaking of interactions with other nations, I am starting to wonder if Equestria is the only prosperous nation. 

“Well… it depends on your definition of ‘prosperous nation’. Equestria is the biggest and richest one,” Nightbright said, entering a lecturing mode as his muzzle rose to the heavens. 

“The Dragons have many treasures and a ruler, but they don’t exactly function as a nation, and I heard that only the young ones stick together for long. The large ones possess wealth and territory, but often fight each other for it and rarely cooperate.” He took a quick breath. “The Griffin Kingdom fell after the loss of the golden idol which resulted in a civil war two hundred years ago. Now most of them are nothing more than mercenaries while their homeland lacks leadership. They do not lack wealth, but their economy is in shambles and everyone is looking only for their own benefit.” He took a quick breath. “The zebras formed tribes and our knowledge about them is very limited. Yaks rarely talk to anyone when they aren’t at war with something to smash.” 

Another long breath in. “Around two decades ago some powerful visitors came from overseas and began conquering one kingdom after another. Hippogriffs have been at war with them for years, but it is only a matter of time until they become part of the newly created Storm Kingdom, while Equestria shut its borders and maintained perfect neutrality for centuries.” He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing in embarrassment. “You could say we became a land of isolationists to prevent conflict at all cost, which means very few visitors or even refugees from other nations.”

So, Equestria is the only nation that has any sense of peace? Kyuubi asked with a bit of sorrow in her tone. That’s so sad.

“Yeah, but it fuels a few ponies into thinking it's because we’re better than the rest of them for some reason,” Rosey said before her eyes widened. “Hey, Kyuubi. Why are you the last of your kind? What happened to the rest of the foxes like you?”

Kyuubi sighed with sorrow as her friend stared at her with curious glances. Well... you remember that Ninetails I told you about? He became so powerful because, except me, he was the last member of its species. My kin was hunted quite heavily for our valuable tails, and that monster either tried to avenge us or finished what was left. After he was sealed away, I became the last member of my species.

Sunset blinked, listening with full attention and growing interest.

The others just stared at her with wide eyes. Rosey quickly wrapped her arms around Kyuubi’s foreleg and the others soon joined in. “That’s... that’s horrible! How could they do something like that?!”

Greed I suppose. It backfired horribly in the end, Kyuubi explained, shaking her head. I don’t hate them for it, but I kinda wish I could turn back time and save at least a few Kitsunes. I do rather have my kin than all this power, and Ninetales would never rain destruction if not for that overhunting.

“Still... kinda too much don’t you think?” Sunset replied, solemnly.

There was a brief moment of silence before Kyuubi quickly smiled. W-well, it doesn’t matter now, right? Let’s just focus on the present.

The others slowly nodded as they began to eat again, but with a heavy cloud now over them.