//------------------------------// // Ch 15 - The Ascension - Fate In The Hands Of A Goddess // Story: Phoenix-born Rising - The Ascension of Sunset Shimmer // by The Voice in the Water //------------------------------// If Sunset could get her mind to calm down, she might have been able to enjoy the almost unreal comfort of the bed she lay on. But, as it was, she barely registered the luxury of the cloud-like mattress or pillows.  Or the sheer opulence of the room itself.  Instead, she was trying to process everything that had just happened: the phoenix-rite, her unexpected ascension, her bonding with Philomena, or how afterwards Lady Inkwell had spirited her away to one of her personal and private suites within the cathedral and left her alone with Philomena under heavy guard. Lady Inkwell had mentioned something about needing to “interrogate a few people before they got a chance to slip away,” but that mattered little to Sunset.  All that mattered was that she was stuck in a room with four prominence knights and at least four more outside in the hallway. She’d been told to wait here and that she wasn’t to leave the room until Lady Inkwell returned. Something that Sunset doubted she could have done even if she’d wanted to. Even if she tried sneaking past the prominence knights, she knew she would get caught. Especially with having to worry about Philomena’s safety the entire time. Lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling, Sunset let out a tired sigh. She hadn’t even had a chance to change out of her sun-touched robes back into something more comfortable. So there she lay on top of Lady Inkwell’s presumably very expensive blankets, mind racing and eyes unfocused, with a small, warm bundle of feathers resting in the crook of her neck. Yet, her circumstances weren’t the only thing weighing on her mind. There were other, more immediate things. Such as the changes the ascension had wrought on her body. The most obvious was her now literally fiery hair. Her oath-sisters had always gently teased her about being a fire-mane. She would have laughed at how appropriate a description it now was if she had the presence of mind to appreciate the irony.  It was nothing compared to the loss of her soul-gem. She’d realized it was gone after collapsing on the bed with Philomena and had nearly broken down on the spot. Its absence was like a giant, gaping wound in the very heart of her being, like she’d lost a vital part of who she was. Unconsciously, she reached up and rubbed the spot where the gem had once been, letting out a pained whimper at no longer being able to feel the smooth, familiar crystalline protrusion that had once adorned her forehead. Her fiery hair and the loss of her soul-gem were just the most outward signs. Her body just felt… wrong in so many ways. Almost like it wasn’t hers anymore. The most immediate and obvious difference was that she somehow felt more alive, as if she’d been living in a constant state of fatigue. One that she’d always had but never noticed until it was gone.  Her senses were also changed, as though the world had just been brought into greater focus. Objects seemed sharper, colors more vibrant, and sounds clearer, while her spatial and kinesthetic awareness were on overdrive, as was her sense of equilibrium.  And there was something new on the edge of her awareness. Something she felt pulsing and moving through the world around her, like the beating of a great heart. She could feel a little of it in the room with her, but deeper down, there was a massive pool of the strange, alien presence whose slow, steady rhythm was both comforting and frightening all at once. But all of that paled in comparison to the most disturbing change she felt; a change in the flame deep inside her. It felt different in some inexplicable way. Unfamiliar. Like the very nature of her inner fire had been altered in some fundamental way. Fighting back a sob, Sunset wrapped her arms around herself, pinching her eyes shut as tears began to flow from the corners of her eyes.  ‘What’s happening to me? How did this happen?’ she thought. How did what happen? Philomena sent. Scooting away a little and rolling onto her side, Sunset met Philomena’s eyes and let out another tired sob as she realized that she’d been unintentionally projecting her thoughts to her bond-mate. Lifting her right hand, she gently stroked Philomena’s head, receiving a sending of the pleasant sensation from the little phoenix. All of this? Sunset continued to pet her bond partner. You. Me. Everything that’s happened in the last month. What’s happening to my body. I… I feel like a stranger in my own skin. I… don’t know how to handle all of this. Time seemed to slow for a moment as Philomena rubbed up against Sunset’s neck, her worry almost palpable.  Are… are you sad? Am… I making you sad? The question was like a javelin of ice punching right into Sunset’s heart, and she could feel tears welling up in the corner of her eyes again. Shaking her head as best she could, Sunset leaned over and kissed the top of Philomena’s head. Sunset pulled back and looked Philomena in the eyes, instinctively opening their bond and allowing her love to flow to the hatchling.  No. Never. Never think that, Philomena. You… are a wonderful blessing that I’m not sure I deserve, so don’t you ever think that you’re making me sad. No words could ever tell you how happy I am that you chose me to be your phoenix-born. Sunset could feel the joy being sent to her by Philomena and smiled down at her partner as Philomena rubbed her head against Sunset’s cheek. Thank you. And I’m happy you’re my other half too. That brought Sunset back to the original reason for her brooding: the phoenix-rite. She remembered something about the tests being tampered with, but she couldn’t recall the details. All of it was a blur of anxiety, shock, fear, and joy. Rolling until she was looking at the ceiling again, Sunset felt Philomena cuddle back into her spot on her neck, laying her beak across Sunset’s throat and trilling contentedly. ‘At least one of us is enjoying the bed,’ Sunset thought as she reached up and gently petted Philomena, making her snuggle a little more into Sunset’s neck. They stayed like that for she didn’t know how long, until she heard a door opening and closing, followed by the clack of two pairs of shoes on the marble floor. She suspected who was coming but couldn’t find the energy to move, even as the door to the bedroom opened. Hearing the rattle of prominence knights’ armor as they stood at attention, she felt Philomena lift her head off and shuffle back, giving Sunset the space she needed to sit up. Her suspicions proved correct when she beheld the two, no… four individuals who’d entered the room. Standing at the foot of the bed were Lady Inkwell and Dylis along with Roseluck and Amara. Both elder phoenix-born had changed out of their ceremonial robes; Lady Inkwell was dressed in a white, lace-necked blouse and brown silk slacks, while the archduchess was in a simple red, floor-length, sleeveless dress with sash belt, both wearing leather shoulder pads for their bond partners. “Hello, Sunset,” Lady Inkwell said. “How are you holding up?” Curling in on herself a little, Sunset tried to find the words she needed. “Scared. Frustrated. A little angry.” Sunset felt Philomena send a small feeling of encouragement. “And mostly confused. What in the name of Celestia’s sacred Sun just happened?” “That’s not a simple question, Sunset. But–” The way that Lady Inkwell had responded to her so flippantly after her world had been turned upside down caused something to snap in Sunset’s mind, and her anger managed to break free of its carefully crafted cell. “Really? Really! Yea, that’s really glowing obvious!” Sunset snarled before Lady Inkwell could continue. “I’m sorry, but that’s not enough! How did I ascend?! I get told that I’m not eligible, and yet, somehow, I get chosen? And then I learn that for some reason, me, Daisy and Lily all have stronger, purer flames than the actual candidates? I suffered through a month of torment, and that’s all you have to say?!” Sunset was breathing heavily now, her voice becoming increasingly frantic. She could feel Philomena trying to calm her down by sending sensations of peace and calm, but she was already starting to blaze out of control.  “Not to mention that I feel like I’m living in someone else’s body! I can’t think because everything’s so overwhelming. Nothing feels like it should, and I don’t know what’s going on!” Sunset wailed angrily, barely aware that her hair was beginning to flare up and lash about in the air violently or that the temperature around her was starting to spike dangerously. “I want a glowing answer! Not riddles! What’s happening to me?! Tell me what’s going on instead of playing games!” Before her tirade could continue, Sunset found herself in Archduchess Roseluck’s arms, the elder phoenix-born holding her firmly while gently stroking her hair. Sunset tried to struggle but couldn't escape the grasp of the older, stronger woman.  “Shhh, it’s alright, Sunset. I know everything’s confusing right now, but you’re okay. You’re safe,” Archduchess Roseluck cooed as she hugged the distraught girl to herself. “Please, calm down. I promise you, there’s an explanation, and you’ll get it. But you have to calm down. You’re not used to your new body, and if you keep going like that, you might hurt yourself. Or Philomena.” ‘Philomena?’ Sunset thought as she realized that she couldn’t feel Philomena’s presence in her mind, like she’d withdrawn and shut herself off from Sunset. Instinctively, Sunset opened her bond with the hatchling, and was hit by an almost overwhelming feeling of terror. Philomena was scared. And, to her horror, she realized that the fear was directed at her. In a flash, the rage inside her was quenched and replaced with remorse and concern. As Sunset calmed down, she felt Archduchess Roseluck’s grip relax. As soon as she was free, she turned back to Philomena. The sight that greeted her almost broke her heart; Philomena had shrunk down on the pillow and was shaking with fear behind Amara, the older phoenix glaring at Sunset as she tucked Philomena protectively against her body under a wing. I’m sorry. Sunset crawled across the bed towards her partner, fully opening her bond with Philomena to send feelings of safety and love to the little phoenix. Reaching them, Sunset hesitated as Amara glared at her warily before withdrawing her wing and stepping back. Approaching Philomena, Sunset gently cupped her hands under the hatchling and tenderly cradled her against her chest. I’m so sorry, Philomena. Please, I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe, I promise. As she felt Philomena calming down, she held her away so she could look her in the eyes. Tears started to form in Sunset’s eyes. I’m sorry. I… it’s okay… Philomena sent back, still shaking slightly. I… I don’t get what’s going on. Why did you get so mad? I could feel your flame starting to burn out of control. Clamping her eyes shut, Sunset whimpered a little before taking a deep breath in through her nose and out her mouth. It’s… complicated. A lot happened before you hatched that I’m trying to understand. And they, Sunset indicated Lady Inkwell and Archduchess Roseluck with a slight nod of her head, they have to know something about it. Okay. Just, please don’t scare me like that. Okay? Shame filled Sunset’s heart at the pleading tone in Philomena’s sending. Nuzzling Philomena again, Sunset felt her partner's fear recede and be replaced by relief. I’ll try. Still cradling Philomena against her chest, Sunset turned back to Lady Inkwell and Archduchess Roseluck. “I’m… sorry blowing up like that, Your Grace,” Sunset said as she cuddled Philomena closer. “But, I still want to know what’s been going on. I feel like I’m wandering around after dark.” “Well, I can’t tell you much about what’s been going on with the ascension, but I can guess what’s going on with you,” Roseluck offered as she rubbed Sunset’s back. “Let me guess, one of the things that you’re feeling is a presence all around you, but especially down below your feet? Something that you’ve never felt before?” “Yes, that’s right. And the world just feels so much brighter. My flame feels like it's not mine anymore. My soul-gem’s gone! My soul-gem! I… I…” Roseluck continued to rub Sunset’s back. “Sunset, this is something that all phoenix-born experience when they first ascend. What you’re experiencing is what the world is like for both earth-weavers and sky-runners. You’ll get used to it, in time.” “What?”  “As an ascendant, you’re experiencing the world through the eyes of all three tribes. That feeling from below? That’s the life-energy of Nitor. All earth-weavers are born with the ability to sense the life of the world. The sensation’s strange to you because you didn’t grow up feeling it at all times.” “And the sensory overload?” “That’s how sky-runners experience things. And your flame feels different because not only do you now have the flame of all three tribes combined, but Philomena’s has intertwined with yours. I know it's scary. Night, I went through the same thing when I first ascended, but I want you to know that there’s nothing to be scared of. It’s just a sign that you’re one of us now.” “I… thank you, Archduchess Roseluck,” Sunset hiccuped. “But, that still doesn’t explain how I even ascended in the first place.” As Lady Inkwell stepped forward to speak, she was cut off by a familiar voice. “I’m more than happy to help you with that, kiddo.” Turning, Sunset yelped with surprise. Leaning against the far wall of the bedroom was her mysterious guide, dressed in a simple yet expensive-looking crimson blouse, black slacks and grey belt-sash, her usual cocky smile adorning her face. Out of the corner of her eye, Sunset saw Lady Inkwell and Dylis glare at the newcomer. With a sigh, Lady Inkwell lifted her hand and flicked her index and middle fingers back towards the door. As one, the prominence knights stood at attention then marched and slithered out of the room, the last one out closing the door behind them. Now it was just the seven of them. An irritated, put-upon groan escaped from Lady Inkwell’s throat. “Sunset, I want you to formally introduce you to spymistress Dawn Wings, leader of the Eyes of the Sun.”  Sunset’s eyes went wide. The only time she’d heard that name was in conjunction with a terrifying being of nearly blinding white radiance, not the unremarkable-looking woman she’d encountered so many times before. “You… you’re Dawn Wings?” Sunset stammered. “Yup. Dawn Wings is my name, leading the Eyes is my game,” Dawn Wings said with a flourish of her hand as she bowed at the waist. “Looks like the boss lady was going to finally uncover the embers for you, so I figured I’d swing by ta’ keep her honest.” “Dawn Wings…” Lady Inkwell warned. Dawn Wings gave Lady Inkwell a sharp look.  “Relax, Raven, I’m not going to step on your toes. But, the kid deserves to know what’s been going on. What’s really been going on.” The two women stared at each other for an eternity of seconds. As she watched them, Sunset could swear that some sort of silent conversation was happening between the two as the air felt like it was getting thicker. Slowly, she scooted towards Archduchess Roseluck, instinctively seeking protection from the other phoenix-born in the room. Eventually Lady Inkwell and Dawn Wings broke their staring contest, with Dawn Wings huffing and looking away. “I can’t tell you everything, because even I don’t know all the details yet,” Lady Inkwell said as she turned her attention back to Sunset. “But I can tell you the parts that relate to you.” Sunset wanted to protest, but before she could, she felt an arm pull her into a side hug. Looking over, she found herself in a one-armed hug from Archduchess Roseluck, who had sat on the edge of the bed. “Sunset, if she’s not telling you something, she’s not doing it to hurt you,” Archduchess Roseluck said softly. “She’s doing it to protect you. Please, trust in that.” “I…,” Sunset said, before looking at the stoic faces of Lady Inkwell and Dylis. “Fine, Lady Inkwell.” “Thank you, Sunset. And, please, when we’re not in public, you can call me Raven. You’re one of us now, so you don’t need to be formal,” Raven said, her face shifting out of its normal stoic expression and becoming a relaxed neutral. “As for what’s going on, we’re still tracking down all of the details. What we do know is that there were several parties in Heliopolis that worked together to subvert the vetting process for selecting the next phoenix-born candidate.” “I gathered that much, but how?” Sunset said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. “And why didn’t you do something about it when you found out?” “To address your first question, it's complicated,” Raven sat on the edge of the bed near the foot, looking at Sunset. “Before the Splintering, there was a far more efficient and foolproof method for detecting the nine candidates. Now, we’re dependent on a far cruder process. Back when Solaria and Heliopolis were one and the same, it was simple enough for me to directly participate and keep everything honest. Now, with how large Solaria has grown in the last thousand years, we’ve had to delegate the task in order to reach every corner of our nation. And that delegation has led to the potential for corruption to sink in.” Sunset slowly nodded. “From what Dawn Wings has gathered, in the last twenty years, several very powerful people have been slowly and carefully positioning key individuals into the administration that runs the vetting process. And through blackmail, bribery, appeal to Heliopolan pride, or familial loyalty, they sought to rig the results to ensure that a candidate of their choosing ascended.” Sunset’s brows furrowed with anger. Anger that someone would dare to try such a thing with such a sacred rite, and anger that Raven hadn’t immediately stepped in to stop it. “If you knew the results were rigged, why didn’t you do something about it?” Sunset snapped.  “You’re right, I could have. But, this wasn’t just about this phoenix-rite, or this conspiracy. How I handled this situation will have long lasting repercussions, and I had to be sure I wouldn’t do more damage in the long-term for a satisfying short-term payoff.” “What are you talking about?” “Consider this,” Dawn Wings cut in, her face unusually serious, “had Raven called the tests into question, it might have driven the conspirators into hiding, or given them the time they’d need to cover their tracks. Or… go after the true potentials to permanently remove them from the picture. After all, they had information on your identities. We didn’t.” Sunset’s eyes went wide at the implications of what Dawn Wings had just said. “And we weren’t sure just how far up it went,” Raven continued. “We suspected people as high as dukes or duchesses were involved, but we needed proof before we could bring them in for questioning. We couldn’t risk destabilizing the entirety of Heliopolis and undermining the crown’s authority by just rounding up everyone we thought might be involved. And, we needed to be sure we could bring in the proper candidates to the rite in such a way that the conspirators wouldn’t suspect that we knew what they were doing.” “Problem was, they were really cagey about all of it,” Dawn Wings added.  “We had some suspicions, but never any proof. I had been gathering evidence for a while, but when they presented candidates that were obviously fixed, we knew that we needed to act quickly. It’s taken me and the Eyes this long to nail down most of the people involved. And, of the true potentials, we only managed to track down three before we ran out of time: you, Flower Wishes, and Lily Valley.” “Then why didn’t you just bring us in?” Sunset demanded as she glared at Lady Inkwell. “Why make me go through all of this heartache?” “Because, it kept the three of you safe,” Raven said as she placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and gently squeezed. “If I had brought you in directly, it could have tipped them off that we were on to them, putting you, Lily and Daisy in danger, and driving them to cover their tracks. So, I used other means to bring you in, ones that wouldn’t draw direct attention to you or your friends. And, it gave us the time we needed to gather evidence and track down the threads in the web. We needed them to think that they were getting away with what they were doing, and that they had us fooled, so that we could catch as many of them as possible.” “And what about me? What about everything that I had to go through? You could have told me!” “No, I couldn’t,” Raven said firmly. “Any little slip could have tipped them off. And, to be honest, everything you went through wasn’t for nothing. It proved to me that you were truly worthy of the ascension. You’ve shown the four core tenants of Celestia’s code, an almost indomitable will to overcome anything in your way, as well as a mind sharper than the claws of an obsidian strider. What you went through only proves that you were the most deserving and ensured that you lived long enough to reach it.” Looking Raven in the eyes, she could sense that there was more to it than that. But, she also got the feeling that Raven had told her as much as she was going to. “I don’t like it,” Sunset said solemnly as she hugged Philomena to her chest. “But, I think I understand.” Raven smiled warmly. “Thank you, Sunset.”  “So, what now?”  “Well, I say you take some time to recover and relax. Roseluck, would you mind taking her to one of Mt. Liakeed’s hot springs and pampering her for a bit?” Raven rose from the bed and began to walk to the door. “After that, can you help her choose some appropriate clothes? I want her to look nice before we head up to the castle.” “Of course, Raven,” Roseluck giggled as she rose to her feet and shot Sunset a giddy grin. “I have just the thing in mind. Oh, she’s going to look absolutely precious!” “Wait, what’s going on? What do you mean ‘head up to the castle’?” Sunset asked as she glanced at Raven, a shiver running up her spine at the look Roseluck was giving her. “What’re you going to put me through now?” “Ain’t it obvious, kid?” Dawn Wings chimed in with a laugh. “Once Roseluck’s got you all scrubbed and tarted up, you’re going to meet the queen.” ***** Three hours, one relaxing soak in a hot spring on the slopes of Mt. Liakeed, scrubbing and massage by a team of sun-touched, a very confusing session of dress-up with Roseluck, and a terrifying ride in a wyvern-carried carriage from the roof of the cathedral up the slopes of Mt. Liakeed later, Sunset found herself standing on a landing platform leading into the most sacred place in all of Solaria: Queen Celestia’s castle. With her and Philomena were Raven, Dylis, Roseluck and Amara. The platform itself was large enough to accommodate the entirety of the cathedral’s sky-rail landing, and have space to spare. And, like the roof of the Cathedral, it was guarded by both prominence knights and brass wyverns.  Having shakily exited the carriage, Sunset looked down at herself and shuddered. Instead of the simple shirt and pants she preferred, the uncomfortable uniform she’d worn during her training, or the sun-touched robes she’d been wrapped in for the last few days, she was dolled up in a frilly monstrosity consisting of an amber, puffed-sleeve blouse with a cowl-style collar, and a red, calf-length trumpet skirt decorated with white lace at the bottom, tied at the waist with a red sash. The one saving grace of the whole nightmarish thing was a red, gold and orange sling that Philomena was securely nestled and sleeping soundly in. “Did you really need to dress me up like this?” Sunset asked Roseluck. “I look ridiculous.” “Yes I did, and no you don’t,” Roseluck chirped with a happy grin. “You look adorable and just too precious for words.” “Ugh.” “Oh don’t be like that. Just give it some time. I’m sure you’ll come to love getting dressed up.” Sunset tried to imagine herself standing in front of an endless rack of dresses, each one frillier and more gaudy than the last. Her oath sisters were there too, helping her pick out just the right one to make her look pretty for some high-class social event.  She gagged and shuddered at the thought. ‘Nope! Never!’ she thought to her dismay. ‘Not going to happen!’ “Sunset, come along,” Raven said, drawing Sunset out of the horrible vision. Huffing, Sunset followed Raven and Roseluck through an enormous pair of stone double doors and into Queen Celestia’s castle.  Inside, Sunset was greeted with a large landing area likewise guarded by prominence knights. Other than the presence of the knights, it resembled a sky-rail terminal, with what appeared to be an elaborate sky-car made of carved wood with golden moulding and decorations that resembled a noble’s carriage more than the usual sleek bullet shape of the other sky-cars she’d seen. And, on either side of the carriage’s doors were golden robed and masked sun-touched standing at attention. As Raven stepped forward and approached the sky-car, the sun-touched opened the doors and allowed her entry. Following closely behind, Roseluck and Sunset entered the vehicle. Sunset found the inside of the car was just as luxurious as the outside, with red velvet-covered benches and golden perches clearly meant for the phoenixes. Raven had seated herself on one side, with Dylis already resting on his perch, while Roseluck had taken a seat on the other side, Amara still resting on her forearm as she extended it towards her perch. Not knowing where she should sit, Sunset wandered over to Roseluck and sat by her. As soon as Sunset was settled, the sun-touched closed the doors and stepped away. As the doors closed, she heard a loud click as the locking clamps holding the carriage to the platform disengaged. Once freed, Sunset saw a pair of gates open on the interior wall of the station, and the sky-car smoothly began to move down the rail and into the castle. If Sunset had thought that the wonders of the Core were amazing, the inside of Celestia’s home was almost beyond comprehension. The first thing that struck Sunset about the inside of the castle was its sheer scale. From the window of the sky-car, she could tell that they were riding along the wall of an enormous corridor. From a crude estimate, Sunset suspected that the corridor itself was about forty meters wide and tall, with the rail they were riding on attached just over half way up the side of one of the walls. The walls and floors themselves were made of solid white marble and decorated with enormous tapestries depicting imagery of the sun, fire, water, air, plants, earth and metal. At intervals along the corridor were large planters on the floor and on the walls, each one filled with what would amount to a small copse of trees elsewhere, but were the scale of simple houseplants here. Flocks of colorful birds and butterflies flew through the corridor from one “flowerbed” to another, while between the planters were “fields” of flowers of all different colors. Occasionally, a fountain would break up the rows of planters, though they might as well have been waterfalls given their size and appearance. Looking up, Sunset saw the ceiling was decorated with massive chandeliers of glowing, golden crystal that generated warm, soothing light like that of the sun. Floating in the air around the chandeliers were spheres of glowing, colored light, gently drifting about on an unseen wind. “Is this place even possible…?” Sunset found herself airily saying as she stared out the carriage’s windows. “I assure you, it is,” Raven said with a warm smile. “I just can’t believe it,” Sunset said as she tore her attention away from the window. “So, what happens now?” Raven and Roseluck shared a quick look. “As far as the immediate future, we’re heading to meet with Queen Celestia and the Solar council. I need to properly introduce you to all of the members of the alliance and to the queen,” Raven said before crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. “When we arrive, I’ll make the introductions. After Queen Celestia has recognized you, you will have the chance to speak for yourself.” Sunset gulped at the thought of meeting the queen. Subconsciously Sunset hugged Philomena to her chest and accidentally woke her up. “And after that?” “After that, things are still solidifying. But, most likely, arrangements will be made for your belongings to be brought to the castle from Golden Tree. Then, you’ll begin to train with the queen.” Sunset felt all of the blood drain from her face, and her eyes went wide in terror. “I… I don’t think I heard that right. I’m going to be training with the queen?” “Yes.”  “But, why?” Sunset asked fearfully. “Couldn’t one of you do it?” “Sunset,” Roseluck chimed in, “neither of us can properly teach you to harness your flame now.”  “Why not? You’re both like me. Can’t you just teach me the same way you learned?” “It’s not that simple. Tell me, since you ascended, have you tried to call on your flame?” Raven asked. “No, but what does that have to do with anything?” Sunset asked. Raven sighed and looked out the carriage’s window. “Do you remember what Roseluck told you earlier? About how your body and flame has changed? After ascending, every phoenix-born must relearn how to harness their flame and gain control of their new powers. But the training has to be tailored to you specifically. What worked for Roseluck, Steel Sentry, Spitfire or even myself would not work for you. The only one who can know how to train you is the queen.” Raven paused for a moment to let her words sink in. “But… but she’s the queen!” Sunset protested. “Doesn’t she rule Solaria? She can’t have time like that for me, can she?” Raven smiled a small, sad smile as she reached up and scratched the back of Dylis’s head. Raven turned her attention back to Sunset. “It’s true that she rules Solaria, but the queen is not heavily involved in the day-to-day governance of our nation. That role mostly falls on us phoenix-born. While she dictates the route she wishes Solaria to take, her main duties are to maintain the proper functioning of the heavens and the vitality of the world. It falls on us to enact her will for the nation.” “But… why?” Sunset asked nervously. “Because, as much as she loves the people of Solaria, she can’t truly understand her mortal subjects. Mortal lives and motives are lost on her.” “What? But… but she’s the queen. She knows everything.” “Sunset, she knows a great many things, and has vision far beyond anything that even someone as ancient as I am could ever hope to understand.” Raven’s voice was solemn. “But she isn’t omniscient. She may have a plan for Solaria, but the smaller, mortal parts to implementing that plan elude her. That’s where we come in.” “But…” Sunset began, before Raven raised a hand and silenced her. “Sunset, does your oath-sister Applejack keep bee and wasp colonies for her farm?”  “Well, yes, of course. They need them to pollinate the trees, and the wasps keep away the bad insects that would eat her apples,” Sunset replied with confusion. “But what does that have to do with anything?” “Does Applejack understand her bees and wasps? And I don’t mean understand how to take care of them. I mean understand them the same way they would understand another of their own kind?” “I… well no,” Sunset said, her face scrunching in confusion at the odd question. “But why would she? They’re insects.” “Well, from the queen’s perspective, mortals are like bees and wasps are to your oath-sister. An individual bee lives less than a year, and from our perspective, there are far too many of them and they die too quickly to ever really know. Your sister may care for and love her colonies, but at the end of the day, she’s never going to really know them as they know each other.” “But we’re not bees, we’re sun-gazers!” “Sunset,” Raven said firmly. “I know it’s hard to understand, but please trust that after spending just over two millenia with the queen, and close to seven hundred years as her sole agent and interpreter after the Splintering, I understand how she works. This just is how it is. It will make sense, in time. But right now, all you need to know is that she’s going to teach you how to be a phoenix-born. End of story.” Sunset shrank back a little at Raven’s tone. It reminded her a little of her first night at the academy when she and Sapphire had gotten into their first fight. Thankfully, Roseluck broke the tension by putting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Raven and I will be here to help you learn your other responsibilities, like governance,” Roseluck said. “But, the fundamental process of learning how to be a phoenix-born? That’s going to be the queen.” Sunset found herself clenching the hand that wasn’t holding Philomena, realizing that she missed the comfortable feeling of her smithing hammer and tongs. The thought nestled itself into her mind and filled her with longing: she wanted to be back at her anvil and forge. Everything that Raven and Roseluck had told her was so far beyond her ken it was scaring the life out of her. She needed something stable. Something familiar to grasp onto like a lifeline. But would it be proper for someone of her station to even consider continuing with such a profession? Sunset… just ask them, Philomena sent. Looking down at her bond-mate, Sunset’s mouth twisted into a sad smile. I… can’t.  Why not?  What if they say no? Sunset hugged Philomena to her chest. I… don’t think I could take it.  Philomena opened their bond and sent feelings of hope and encouragement flowing into Sunset. But what if they say yes?  Sunset sighed. Philomena was right. If she didn’t ask, she’d never know. “Raven, what kind of magical training will the queen be giving me?” Sunset asked, giving Raven a worried look. “It all depends on what she sees in you. Why?” “I… is there any way that I can keep learning to be an artificer?” Sunset whispered.  Raven simply gave her a sympathetic look. “I didn’t quite hear that, Sunset. You’ll need to speak up.” Go on. You can do it, Philomena sent. “I… I want to keep learning to be an artificer,” Sunset said with more determination, this time managing to look Raven in the eyes. For some reason, Raven gave her a warm, pleased smile. “If she feels that would suit you, I’m sure she’d be happy to. Why were you worried about that?” “I… I really like smithing and forging. I like working with my hands, making things, carving runes, working my spell dances and everything that goes into being an artificer. It’s what I wanted to be before all this happened. And… I miss it.” Raven and Roseluck shared a look. “There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Roseluck said, placing a comforting hand on Sunset’s shoulder. Sighing, Sunset looked down at Philomena, who in turn looked up at her and sent feelings of encouragement. You’re right, Sunset sent. No stopping now. Taking a deep breath, Sunset steeled herself. “I’m worried that it’d be… inappropriate,” Sunset admitted as she regarded Raven and Roseluck. “Artificing doesn’t seem like something that someone who’s supposed to be a ruler should be doing.” “And flower gardening is?” Roseluck asked warmly. All of the fire in Sunset’s kiln was suddenly blown out, and all she could do was stare dumbly at Roseluck. “Sunset, sweetie, I may rule the Eastern Territory, but I’ve never given up my love of my garden or my flowers. I know some of the Heliopolan nobles don’t get it, or might think something like this is beneath me. But they don’t decide how I live my life. I do. And I know my life would be much emptier without getting my hands into the soil every day and taking care of my babies.” “And… the Eastern nobles are okay with that?” Sunset asked nervously. “As long as I do my job, they don’t have any problems with what I do with my free time,” Roseluck said with a smile, before touching a finger to her cheek and rolling her eyes in thought. “Though, I did get a few protests when I started domesticating phlume.” Sunset’s mind stopped for a moment in disbelief. She was sure she hadn’t heard that right. “You… domesticated… phlume?” Sunset said as she gave Roseluck a wary look.  “Yes, I did,” Roseluck replied cheerfully. “Phlume? As in the violent, flesh-eating, monstrous plants whose lethally toxic sap Hydea and the Blight Hags used as catalysts for their chaos alchemy back in the Gloom War? That phlume?” “Heh heh, that’s the same look the clan heads gave me when they found out what I was doing,” Roseluck tittered. “Honestly, I don’t get why people are so scared of them. They’re really sweet if you raise them from seeds, and they’re only toxic if they grow in an area full of chaos energy. Raise them in a clean environment, and they lose their poisonous properties. Besides, they’re marvelous at keeping vermin out of the rest of my garden.” Sunset was utterly dumbfounded. Blinking several times, she slowly turned to look at Raven. To her surprise, Raven was massaging her temples in frustration. Dylis, in turn, was giving his partner a sympathetic look, and most likely sending her words of encouragement.  “Roseluck’s horticultural eccentricities aside,” Raven groaned without looking up, “the point is that as long as your people are taken care of, they’re not going to care how you spend your personal time. “And,” Raven continued as she lowered her hand and looked Sunset in the eyes, “the queen’s probably one of the last beings that’d have a problem with someone learning artificing, since she invented the art.” “She did?” Sunset asked in awe. None of the legends she’d read about the queen ever mentioned something like that. A satisfied smile worked its way onto Raven’s face. “Indeed she did. In fact, she’s also the one who invented the arts of metallurgy, smithing and alchemy. She’s the best teacher of the craft you could ask for.” Despite the daunting premise of meeting the queen, Sunset felt her spirits lifting. ***** Sunset felt a slow shudder pass through the carriage as it came to a stop, followed by the sound of the locking clamps engaging to secure it in place. Sunset looked at Raven and Roseluck, who had offered their arms to their bond-mates, and transferred them to their shoulders after Dylis and Amara had stepped onto the offered limbs. Standing, both elder phoenix-born stepped towards the doors. Getting to her feet, Sunset quickly followed. Exiting the sky-car Sunset saw they were standing on a platform halfway up the wall of a massive room that eclipsed even the auditorium where the phoenix-rite had taken place. It was circular, with the opposite end dominated by a giant pair of double doors. The walls were adorned with eight marble columns, which transitioned into a high, cross-arched dome ceiling. The apex of the dome was adorned with a glowing, spherical golden crystal that shone with what felt like true sunlight, while the spaces between the arches were decorated with frescos of light and fire that moved and shifted as though flame burned along their surfaces. The floor of the room was decorated by a fresco of Queen Celestia’s personal sunburst, with each tip touching the base of one of the columns. The floor to the sides of the double doors were covered by a mass of enormous pillows, some of which were enormous enough that Sunset suspected that she could easily fit the entirety of Golden Tree Orphanage on top of one without it being completely covered. Each was embroidered with motifs that looked almost like they could have been windows into real landscapes. Hovering in the air around the perimeter of the room were five, shallowly conical, marble platforms. The bottom of the cones were dominated by polished red crystals that emitted a soft red glow that Sunset assumed was holding them aloft.  As Sunset looked out at the platforms, she noticed that each was occupied by a different royal that had attended the rite. The one nearest her was the least elaborately decorated, only having a half-circle table with floor pillows and golden perches interspersed along its rounded edge. At one end of the table, Sunset saw Spitfire, Akari, Steel Sentry and Vestian already seated and enjoying food and drinks. The one to the right of the phoenix-born’s was covered in a small meadow of grass and wildflowers, with a grand weeping willow tree on the edge farthest away from the center of the room. Below the tree was a low, wooden table and a pair of pillows. Seated on their knees on the pillows were Rain Shine and Autumn Blaze, both sipping some sort of steaming beverage out of what looked like hollowed-out gourds. To the right of the kirintal, the platform was decorated with obsidian boulders, and a gnarled log resting on the bed of volcanic glass. On the log were the distinctive forms of Queen Lamrima and King Eupatorus, who appeared to have been feeding on the log, as there were jagged grooves cut into its surface. The one to the right of the colaurata and nearest the giant doors was dominated by a crystalline tree that looked like it was made of solid ruby. Several of the branches were decorated with gold bands. Next to each band was a golden bowl on the tip of a small sub-branch. These golden bands served as perches for the half-dozen phoenixes, with Queen Lumina perched on the highest branch. To the left of the phoenix-born’s platform was a baffling sight. Instead of open air, there was a huge sphere of crystal clear water, with a grand formation of bright coral dominating the side farthest away from the center of the room. Within the watery sphere, Sunset could see Queen Novo and Princess Skystar lounging on a large, open clamshell filled with a red pillow. Sunset barely recognized the two, as both no longer resembled sky-runners, and had transformed so that their bodies from the legs down were those of seals. Looking to where she expected a platform for the plumed serpents, Sunset was surprised at what she saw. The object itself wasn’t that strange, consisting of a rocky outcrop. No, what was odd was that she could only see Tlatuani Tezcacoatl resting on its surface, while Huey Tlatoani Quetzalcoatl was conspicuously absent. For a moment, she thought that he might not be attending for some reason, until she noticed an iridescent shimmer down on the bed of pillows to the left of the doors. Looking down, she had to stifle a gasp at what she saw. Resting coiled on one of the mounds of pillows was Huey Tlatoani Quetzalcoatl. However, he was now, at Sunset’s best estimate, well over forty meters long, and probably close to two and a half meters in diameter. ‘Holy light and fire,’ Sunset thought. ‘How’d he get so huge?’ “Sunset, come along,” Raven said, snapping her out of her trance. Sunset scurried to catch up with Raven and Roseluck.  “Sorry.”  As they neared the edge of the sky-rail landing, Sunset began to wonder what was going to happen next. She knew phoenix-born could fly. She’d seen enough evidence of it at the academy and the Cathedral of the Sun. There was just one, tiny problem. She didn’t know how to fly. So how was she going to reach it? Were Raven and Roseluck going to carry her? That didn’t make sense. She was drawn out of her pondering when Raven reached the edge of the landing and tapped her foot twice in quick succession. As she did, the floating platform with the other two phoenix-born began to drift towards them until it was flush with a small crescent indentation in the edge of the landing.  “Ah, Raven, Roseluck. You made it,” Steel said as he took a pliete from a bowl on the table and offered it to Vestian, who plucked the odd-looking fruit from Steel’s fingers. “And, of course, the newest addition of our blessed circle. Sunset Shimmer, right?” Sunset simply nodded nervously, earning a nod in return from Steel Sentry. “Hello to you too, Steel,” Raven said levelly. “Spitfire.” “Raven, Roseluck,” Spitfire said, before she looked Sunset in the eyes with a slight scowl. “Girl.” Stepping through the line of pillows, they took their seats. Raven sat in the spot next to Steel, guiding Sunset to sit to her left, while Roseluck took the spot on Sunset’s other side. As they took their seats, Raven and Roseluck offered their forearms to Dylis and Amara then brought them to their respective perches. “Greetings, Steel, Spitfire,” Roseluck said with little of her usual warmth before it returned as she addressed Sunset. “Sunset, would Philomena like to join us? There’s a pillow for her on the table.” Sunset looked to where Roseluck was indicating, and noticed a soft, cushy-looking pillow. She regarded it for a moment before opening her link with Philomena. Well, do you want to? Sunset asked. I’m okay where I am, Philomena sent as she wriggled into her little nest in the sling. It's warm and comfy here. Sure, make me deal with all this while you sleep, Sunset sent playfully.  Yup, Philomena sent with an equally playful tone. “Philomena wants to stay where she is.” Before anyone could say anything else, Sunset heard a distant sound roughly like the hooffalls of a horse, only much deeper. “Sunset,” Raven said as all of the phoenix-born got to their feet, “the queen will be here in a few moments.” Unsure what was going on, Sunset got up as all of the phoenix-born walked around to the flat side of the table and stood in a row, hands clasped behind their backs as they faced the double doors on the far side of the room. Standing at the end of the row next to Roseluck, Sunset mimicked their posture as best she could. Chancing a glance at the other platforms, she noticed that the other royals had similarly risen and were facing the great double doors.  Sunset’s nerves began to fray and she felt herself once again on the verge of panic. What’s happening? Philomena sent. You're scared out of your mind. The queen’s coming, Sunset sent. Oh. Well… don’t mess up? Thanks, Philomena, Sunset deadpanned. Now I’m really nervous.  The sound grew louder. Sorry… Philomena sent, a sad tone in the sending. It’s okay. I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snapped. It’s alright. Guess nerves really mess with us, right? Right. Sunset’s thoughts were interrupted when the massive double doors began to silently swing open, nearly blinding light flooding out from the space beyond. Before long, a massive silhouette appeared amidst the light, moving with a grace that defied all mortal possibility. As the sound of the hooffalls drew even closer, they entered the room, and the doors slowly swung shut, sealing off the blinding radiance that they’d unleashed. And Sunset nearly fainted at the sight of a being that she had only ever imagined. There, in all of her glory, was Queen Celestia, the Centaur of the Sun. The queen’s sun-gazeresque upper torso had utterly perfect porcelain white skin, while her equine half had similarly white fur and feathers on the great wings that were folded to her barrel. Her hair and tail resembled a living aurora of rainbow-colored light that constantly wavered in an unseen breeze, while her whole body subtly glowed with divine energy.  As Sunset looked at her face, she was struck by the impossible beauty, peace and wisdom in the queen’s features, particularly her heliotrope eyes, as if somehow they were the very definitions of the adjectives used to describe the concepts. Just above her eyes were five soul-gems, the largest of which was in the center of her forehead, with the four smaller gems surrounding the central one. On top of Queen Celestia’s head was a three-pointed golden crown, which was adorned with enormous jewels that shimmered with all of the colors of the rainbow. Her sun-gazer’s torso was dressed in a platinum-white blouse with puffed shoulders and bell sleeves that transitioned from solid fabric to lace at a line of jewels just above the queen’s forearms. The collar of the blouse consisted of a doubled lace pierrot adorned by more of the rainbow-colored jewels. Three lines of pink ruffled lace ran down the front of the blouse, one directly down her sternum, and two on opposite sides of her breasts, just inside where her arms would rest when relaxed. Attached to the ruffles were long, golden chains, which ran between the lace, four on the right side and three on the left, while every other link of the chain starting from the third one down had an egg-shaped jewel attached on a single golden chain-link. And on her waist was a belt made of braided, golden silk. Each of her fingers were adorned with golden rings, and her wrists each had a golden bracelet, the former connected to the latter with golden chains. In her right hand, she held a long, spiraling scepter, the bottom of which was a striated, diamond shaped point, while the apex was adorned with a large sphere that inexplicably had seven rays of solidified light floating in the air around it, giving it the shape of the queen’s personal sunburst. In her left hand, she was cradling an enormous sphere that contained what looked like a glowing, miniature sun. Her equine body was covered by a shawl that went down to her knees, and was divided into three sections by four vertical braids of golden silk like that of her belt, while a long line of ruffled red fabric ran along her back to just above her tail. The sheets of fabric between the braids were embroidered with plant, fire, sun, water, air and earth motifs until just above the ends of the braided silk, where they transitioned into more lace, the bottom of which had three inverted arches of the same golden chains that adorned her blouse, with four more of the chains connecting the braids at the front of the shawl. And on her hooves were golden slippers that had a similar three-point design to her crown. But, as incredible her appearance was, it was eclipsed by her sheer, awe-inspiring size. If Sunset were to make a rough estimate, Queen Celestia was over twenty meters tall from the top of her head down to the bottom of her forehooves, while the equine portion of her body was easily thirty meters long from the front of her chest to the base of her tail. As soon as the doors closed behind the queen, every being in the room bowed, with Sunset barely managing to bow in time as she recovered from her shock at seeing the goddess she worshiped. “Thank you all for coming,” a beautiful voice that echoed with divine power said. “Please, rise. It has been far too long since I’ve had the chance to see you all. And, we have to be properly introduced to our newest member.” Doing as she was bid, Sunset rose from her bow to see Queen Celestia turn and trot towards the bed of pillows, every one of her movements graceful and elegant in a way that no mortal creature could ever match. Stepping onto the pillows, she pranced in place for a moment, before laying down. Once settled, Queen Celestia turned her attention directly towards Sunset and the other phoenix-born. Sunset didn’t have time to consider exactly what was happening before the platform began to drift towards Queen Celestia. Swallowing hard, Sunset hugged Philomena gently to her chest, seeking comfort in her bond partner’s presence. All too soon, they were hovering at about mid-chest height to Queen Celestia. “Welcome, my friends,” Queen Celestia said warmly to the assembled phoenix-born before focusing her attention on Sunset. As she did, a strange energy began to fill the air. “Now, Raven, please introduce this young one to the council and myself. I’m sure we’re all quite interested in learning about her.” Sunset shied back a little at Queen Celestia’s attention, only for Roseluck put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Of course, Your Highness. Her name is Sunset Shimmer, and she hails from the Western Territory town of Golden Tree. She was born a fire-caller, and has been training to become an artificer under the town’s smith. In that regard, she has shown great aptitude in forging and runic magic, both in execution and innovation.” Taking a brief moment, Raven continued. “During my observations in the academy, I could tell that her skill in spellcraft is matched by a nearly unparalleled intellect and will, but one occasionally subverted by her at-times explosive temper. She has also shown strong devotion to those she considers her friends, and great capacity for forgiving those who show remorse for their actions.”    “Hmm. Thank you, Raven,” Queen Celestia hummed, before laying her scepter across her lap then placing her right hand, palm up, against the edge of the platform. “Sunset Shimmer, please come here.” Nervously looking at the other phoenix-born, Sunset clung desperately to the sling that contained Philomena. Seeing Roseluck and Raven give her encouraging looks, she slowly turned and walked to the presented palm. Carefully, she stepped out onto the giant upturned hand and slowly sat on her knees, easily fitting in the bowl of the queen’s palm. Desperately trying not to think about how large the queen’s hand was, and how easily she could crush Sunset like a bug if she so chose, Sunset pinched her eyes shut. There was a sudden jolt of motion as the queen withdrew her hand and brought Sunset up to her eye level. Sunset’s fear started to get the better of her as she stared up into the massive face before her, despite the serenity of the queen’s countenance. Sensing Philomena open their bond, Sunset soon found her mind was flooded by sendings of safety and hope from her partner. Thank you, Sunset sent to Philomena as the little phoenix’s efforts helped mitigate the worst of her fear. Any time, Philomena sent back as she continued to calm Sunset with her sendings. After what felt like an eternity, Queen Celestia lifted her left hand and extended her middle finger as though she were about to dip it into a cup of water, then swirled it in a circle in the air around Sunset. As she did, the air rippled as though it were water, and lines of golden runes appeared and vanished, with some drifting down to hover around Sunset and Philomena. Soon, the runes began to orbit in three distinct circles around Sunset, before she was enveloped in a sphere of light and slowly began to drift to the center of the room. Sunset could feel the eyes of the others on her as the sphere reached its destination, suspending her in place. Faster and faster the runes swirled, until they coalesced and transformed into three distinct runes: those for fire, earth and metal. “You are quite the interesting child, Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said, her mouth turning up into a warm, affectionate smile that made the world feel brighter and more alive. “You are like fire, volatile and passionate, with the power to bring light and life, or destroy and consume. You are also steadfast like earth, prone to violent upheaval, yet immovable when you must be. And you are strong, persistent, yet able to bend like metal.” Sunset watched the queen beckon the sphere with her right hand, causing it to drift back towards the goddess of the sun. The queen then brought her left hand up again and extended her index finger through the sphere of light. With the gentlest of touches, she placed the barest hint of its tip under Sunset’s chin, tilting her head up so that she was looking right into the queen’s eyes, before withdrawing the finger. “Fire, earth and metal make up the essence of your being, Sunset Shimmer. Raven mentioned that you have been training to become an artificer. Is that right?” “Yes, Your Highness,” Sunset said slowly as she looked Queen Celestia in the eye. “Hmmm. I believe that your light would shine brightest should you continue on that path. You hope to be an artificer, do you?” All Sunset could manage was a simple nod. “Then, I would be happy to help you walk that road. Would you like that, Sunset Shimmer of Golden Tree?” Unbidden, Sunset’s eyes began to water with tears of joy. Looking up into the queen’s smiling face, Sunset managed to say, “Yes, Your Highness. Almost nothing could make me happier.”