//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 - Stepping Through Light Years - Part 1/2 
// Story: Sunset of Star Strider 
// by ScopeEva 
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For the first time in what might have been millennia that dark artificial cavern beneath the centre of the Crystal Empire felt alive.  Perhaps not with ponies, or even life precisely, but with magic.  Mingling tendrils of cyan and crimson energy sprouted through the air, each caressing the crystalline block in which Princess Cadance and those closest to her lay entombed and slumbering.  Some strands that formed were useful and remained while every so often others were deemed not and were discarded, fading from existence.  At the centre of it all - like some sea creature reaching out with its many tentacles - lay Sunset Shimmer, lying still between two magically fuelled crimson tinted fires.  Her horn alight as the bright centre point for the surrounding strands of magic and eyes clenched shut, deep in concentration as she metaphorically picked the magical lock that lay before her.  It was a challenge she happily lost herself in the simple pleasure of, something new and unique compared to the rarely updated protective spells plastered across Canterlot palace she had long since puzzled apart over her many visits. 

“I really do not see why you insist on this pointless exercise,” the deep, droll voice of Sombra spoke out from the darkness behind her, expressing his boredom with long rolling words.  “You are simply wasting time.  Time we do not have according to you.” 

Of course, she was not used to having an audience – specifically a peanut gallery - either.  Sunset could not help but groan out in mental pain at the latest interrupting commentary from the King, the manifested strands of her magic twitching irritably along with her. 

“And yet again, if we used your brute force method we would be wasting far more time helping them recover from this sorry excuse for a stasis spell you threw together,” she rebuked him in a poisonously condescending tone.  “Besides, after I’ve figured out how to dismantle your cage safely once, I can do it again.  Far.  More.  Quickly.” 

“Bah!  I had taken you for a far more sensible mage,” the former king continued to criticise as he began to pace back and forth behind Sunset, expressing his own irritation with her.  “Instead here you are, like every other, putting comfort before utility.  A task I have told you, you will fail at anyway.” 

Beyond his field of view Sunset rolled her eyes and turned a deaf ear to his tirade, immeasurably more interested in actually performing her own work then discussing the methods.  Besides, many components of this spell were unknown to her and simply breaking it open like an egg destined for the cake mixer wouldn’t allow her to learn the secrets of how it all worked.  The thought made her smirk a little; it was after all a happy coincidence of making sure the shock of waking up more violently didn’t leave anypony having a heart attack, or worse.  One she would happily deny intending with all the pretend innocence she could conjure if ever called out on it. 

Tuning out the despot to concentrate on her work, it was not much longer before Sunset had indeed puzzled it all out.  Dozens of luminous streams of magic locked onto points around the crystal block, causing a previously invisible network of fractal lines and shifting runes to glow in a cascade of light sweeping across them, before vanishing once more.  But a second later, hairline cracks rapidly spread and multiplied across the crystalline prison, so many eventually covering it so completely it appeared opaque.  Then - instead of shattering - each and every fragment simultaneously dissolved, leaving a fine mist that fell, spreading out across the floor before vanishing entirely.  It was quick, quiet and smooth; exactly as Sunset had intended. 

With a satisfied smirk Sunset sprung to her hooves to survey the fruits of her meticulous horn work.  As expected, lying sprawled out in a rough heap before her was Princess Cadance and her cohort.  With a gentle magical shove she brought the princess closer to the twin bonfires before retreating back, prancing up on top of another crystal block where she could look down on them and lie in wait for the fun to begin. 





Cadance’s world was abruptly filled with throbbing pain.  Everything was a blur and she felt weaker then she had in some time, so it would have been no surprise why she had collapsed into the hard floor, had she been conscious enough at the time to register that.  At least it wasn’t too cold, the nearby crackling fire she could feel blazing against her coat and steadily warming her bones saw to that.  The cold was all she could remember for what felt like an eternity, a sort of mellow but endless nightmare she could not escape from.  The question though, was why?  What happened?  She knew something had, something terrible…

“Yet more tedious waiting.  The meagre results of your methods are truly pitiful.”

“Gah!  Are you still harping on about that?  I told you they would need a little more warmth to wake up properly.  Would probably need it regardless of how we got them out.  I get you’re a cold hearted, pragmatic tyrant and all that but it doesn’t give you the excuse to ignore simple equine biology.” 

Voices, two of them somehow reached her through her fogy, cotton stuffed brain.  One was familiar somehow, if a struggle to recall.  The first… an instinctive repulsion told her she didn’t want to remember that cold but strong and masculine voice.  All it brought forth were images of thick billowing smoke, disgusted sneering stares and hungry fang filled grins, memories that made her reflexively curl in on herself. 

“Humf, your poorly masked concern is just as pitiful. They would have recovered sooner or later regardless.”

“Again with the pointless complaining!  I swear, you’re worse than Blueblood when he was in a mood.  Now quiet, she’s waking up and I wana make my dramatic reveal.”

Again, that old familiar voice - with that similarly familiar snobbish demeanour behind it - beckoned her more buried memories.  It was certainly not an easy task in her current condition but Cadance knew she had been through far worse before.  Wrestling up what strength she had, she drew in a deep breath of harsh and frigid air that left her throat feeling raw all so she could simply muster the energy to pry open her eyes. 

Her reward for her efforts was the blurry image of a pair of steadily burning crimson tinted flames - or rather bonfires given their size – flanking her and a crystalline mound.  Surrounding it and her, a forebodingly dark cavern scattered with both erratically flickering light and deep shadows that greedily drank in the light.  Above that, the source of at least one of the voices sat.  What initially appeared as a fuzzy teal blob topped in a mass of red and yellow, resolved itself into that of a pony.  Specifically a unicorn pony, one as distantly familiar to Cadance as the voice that belonged to it.  Cadance knew her, the disjointed thoughts of her barely roused mind just couldn’t place from where. 

“Wakey wakey Mi-Moe~  Or do I need to give you a kiss and start calling you sleeping beauty?” the pony, lounging atop the lump of crystal as if it were some sort of shezlong asked with a sickening dose of faux niceness backed by smug superiority.  “I mean, I’m sure you’d enjoy it.  I am pretty sure I’ve caught you staring at my flank a few times.” 

That old, almost forgotten nickname was the jolt to her memory she so desperately needed, sending her stumbling up onto her hooves even as the smirking muzzle of Sunset Shimmer resolved itself in her eyesight. 

“S-sunset?!” she gasped out the name in shock, jaw loosely working as confusion muddled her mind. 

Cadance was still trying to place where she was and why, but regardless of that she knew the mare before her – wrapped tightly in winter proof clothing - was the last thing she should expect to see, especially after so very long.  Too long. 

“Awwww, what’s the matter Mi-Moe?  I thought you’d be happy to see me.  It’s been, oh what?  Twenty odd years now?” Sunset continued on with the same supercilious attitude she loved to tease her victims with. 

“What’s going on?!” she blurted out, her head whipping back and forth as she desperately tried to gain her bearings.  “Where… how?” 

The frantic questions had a noticeable effect on Sunset that might have surprised Cadance a little had she the presence of mind to notice. 

“Wow… you really are out of it aren’t you,” she said in surprise, sickly sweet voice dropping off and concern starting to seep into her expression as she frowned down at the frazzled princess. 

With a single bound Sunset leapt from her improvised podium, landing not far from Cadance and closing the gap, looking up and down the taller pink mare with a focused, searching gaze. 

“Come on Princess, focus here.  You’re safe and sound for now.  Do your little breathing thing and get your head in the game,” Sunset addressed her firmly but sympathetically, one hoof reaching up to rest firmly on Cadance’s shoulder to help steady the pink mare. 

The gesture only fed Cadance’s confusion, but she none the less took the life line of a rational voice.  After a couple more deep breaths of the bitingly cold air she finally centred herself and found herself under the searching eyes of Sunset Shimmer.  Again, looking around herself she began to recognize the rough cavernous room… and with it her desperate situation. 

“The attack…” Cadance spoke under her breath, eyes widening in panic once more and desperately blurting out more half formed thoughts.  “Sombra, the deal…  Shining, Flurry!”

In the blink of an eye Cadance had spun around on the spot before franticly stumbling the short distance between her and the unconscious form of her beloved husband and child’s crib.  From there her arms were wrapped around both, the reappearance of an old acquaintance – who was left in the dust muttering irritated and explicit comments - momentarily forgotten. 

“Shining!  Please wake up, please,” she begged in naked desperation, looking between him and the crib even as her hooves reached to check his pulse.  “I need you two to be okay…” 

The heart wrenching worry gripping Cadance was fortunately not left to fester long.  However the response was far from matching her desperate pleas in tone. 

“Nugh, come on Caddy.  Five… mmm, ten more minutes.  Just… just keeping the troops on their hoof tips, honest.  Un-unpredictable uh… drills.  Yeah, surprise late drills.”

The complete lack of worry carried by his voice discordantly broke the tension, as did Flurry Heart’s tired babbling, seemingly in perfect agreement with her father’s sentiments as she pulled her blankets tighter around herself.  Sunset bursting into boisterous, uncontrolled laughter a moment later demolished what was left of that tension entirely. 

Unfortunately that laughter was also enough to violently shock Shining into the waking world.  He pulled his eyes open to the sight of his wife’s face shooting a glare off somewhere. 

“Cadance…?” he murmured questioningly, pulling her relieved eyes back to him. 

Immediately his instincts kicked in and the trained eyes of a captain of the guard began searching the surrounding cavern, even as he continued to regain his hoofing and wrap one leg around his wife protectively. 

“Right, we’re still down here,” Shining said disgruntledly, searching the many crystals containing their still sleeping subjects and the slowly rousing forms of their closer friends.  The unknown unicorn standing a short distance away with an amused smile, staring them down smugly didn’t escape him, not to mention how suspicious her presence was under the circumstances. 

Still, he deferred to his already waking wife before jumping to conclusions.  “Are you alright?  What’s going on?” 

“I… I don’t know,” Cadance admitted, looking back and forth between her husband and Sunset with a confused but searching frown. 

“You’re being rescued, obviously,” Sunset called out with an offended huff, clearly hearing them in spite of the distance between them and their low voices.  “You’re welcome by the way!  I only travelled a few hundred light years to be here.” 

Uneasily and somewhat reluctantly, Cadance parted from her husband, glancing around at their still mostly unconscious friends and guards.  “Let’s get everyone closer to the fires and then work out what’s going on,” she murmured to him. 

“Allow me!  After all, such menial labour is hardly befitting of a Princess now,” Sunset called out cheerily, offering the royal couple a mocking bow as she spoke. 

Before either could say a word the seven guards who were with them and their two friends were sent tumbling through the air, clutched in the glow of Sunset’s magic before being unceremoniously placed down.  The seven guards around one of the clearly magical fires, while Sunburst and Thorax landed next to the other.  The journey left them all far more awake from the adrenalin now pumping through their systems, scrambling up and looking about to get their bearings. 

“Sunset!” Cadance called out in shock, aghast at the casual magical manhandling.  The display probably shouldn’t have surprised her as much as it did, having known the mare as well as she did, but after so long the simple fact of seeing Sunset again still had Cadance’s mind spinning. 

“What’s the matter?” Sunset asked nonchalantly, looking back over her shoulder with an all too innocent smile, having already turned about and started sauntering back towards the fires.  “I’m just being helpful.  You know you had better get that baby over here.  This cold can’t be good for a child that young.  You really should know better if you want to call yourself a responsible mother.” 

Cadance was left staring incredulously at Sunset as she swung her hips, making a show of strutting off towards the highly confused Sunburst and Thorax.  She had to deliberately slow her breathing in a more private version of her little exercise once more to force her anger down at the callous accusation. 

“I… take it you know this mare?” Shining questioned, distastefully considering the amber unicorn before looking to his wife with concern. 

“Yeah.  I do.  Or did?” she replied with uncertainty, hesitating further as a slew of old memories, both good and bad played back through Cadance’s mind.  Pulling herself together a bit more she gave him a sheepish look.  “It’s kind of a long story, and it was a long time ago too, almost before we met.  But she’s right, let’s make sure Flurry is safe and warm first.” 

Reluctantly he joined her in levitating the crib and trotted closer to the magical bonfire.  They arrived only to find Sunset Shimmer already engrossed in something – or rather someone – else. 

“I mean, what even are you?  You got wings and a horn… are you the result of some sort of ill-advised experiment to become an alicorn?” she asked unabashedly.  Leaning over a now distressed and skittish Thorax, examining him far too closely for comfort and making it clear any pretence of personal space had been forgotten.  “If so, I want your research notes!  I mean, I am rescuing you so you owe me right?  It’s only fair.  Maybe a medical exam or two as well.” 

“Back off and leave Thorax alone, Sunset!” Cadance instructed firmly, staring her down with a glare that barred any messing about. 

Sunset simply looked back at her, briefly perturbed by the rebuke before shrugging and backtracking to sit down on the other side of the fire.  “No need to get so touchy Mi-Moe, was just being curious.” 

“Mi-Moe?” Shining murmured, looking to his wife questioningly at the odd never before heard nickname. 

Cadance’s eyes were sharp enough to pick up on the private amusement behind his own eyes as she felt herself blush at his mention of the old, annoying nickname.  She didn’t give him the dignity of a response and while he would clearly remember it, Shining was thankfully more than mature enough to set the subject aside.  There were far more important things to concentrate on in the here and now. 

“Sunset Shimmer,” Cadance finally said, addressing her properly as she sat herself down on her hunches on the opposite side of the fire.  She hoped her tone was as appropriately regal and serious as she intended, anything to get the rouge unicorn to behave herself a little more.  “It has been a long time.” 

“Yeah, some would say not long enough,” she said dismissively tossing her mane back as she examined the fluffy rim of one boot clad hoof in a blatant display of disregard.  “But to be honest it’s been cruel of me to keep my charm and brilliance from Equestria all this time.  Neigh sayers be damned.” 

Cadance sighed and let her head collapse into one hoof, quickly remembering an authoritative tone was likely the last thing to gain Sunset’s cooperation. 

Shining meanwhile was far from impressed with her attitude, and had no issue making it known.  “Oh, great, our so-called rescuer is one of those kinds of ponies,” he griped to himself. 

His comment seemed to succeed in breaking her disinterested attitude, only for Sunset to turn her gleefully predatory teasing on him.

“Awww, you’re only saying that because you haven’t got to know me yet, stud,” she spoke with low husky words, sending him a seductive smile and a wink. 

The words had Cadance bristling and sending the unicorn a death glare.  “Shining Armor is my husband, Sunset.”

“Oh, I kinda guessed that,” she replied playfully, utterly unabashed and not lifting her eyes from him.  “You don’t mind sharing, do you?  I know you said something about that being nice and what good friends are supposed to do and I know you were always trying to get me into that sort of thing.” 

“Ugh!”  Cadance buried her head in her hooves and quietly screamed to herself before rearing back up to all fours to pace off her irritability.  “You’re just trying to drive me up the wall aren’t you?  Like you always do.  You haven’t changed a bit.” 

Sunset appeared to do a double take at that, so much so as to take a stand, one hoof over her heart as if hurt by the accusation. 

“I have changed to!  I’m harder, better, faster, stronger!” she proclaimed in mock hurt, before entirely dropping the façade and putting on a sharkish grin.  “Still a bitch though.” 

For a moment Cadance was left staring on at Sunset in silent disbelief.  At least until her husband spoke up. 

“Okay, I think I’ve figured it out.  She’s one of your crazy evil exes, isn’t she Caddy?  And at some point I’m going to have to fight her to save your soul from some convoluted deal to keep her from dragging you to Tartarus with her when this little punk finally bites the dust,” he concluded, hooves steepled and holding a seemingly natural straight face, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.  He subsequently left that world in shocked silence.  “There might even be an epic guitar battle,” Shining added thoughtfully before letting the quiet continue.

The silence was broken by a snorting sound shortly followed by Sunset breaking out into a full blown laughing fit that had her struggling to stand. 

Snapping around to her husband, Cadance did her best to stare him down with wide, horrified eyes.  “Shining!  She is not my ex!” she blurted out angrily, aghast at the suggestion.  

“Well then who in Tartarus is she?!” he cried out in frustration, returning the anger as the cracks in his patience began to make themselves known.  “Because no pony has ever talked to you like that before Cadance.  I want to know where this little chaos spawn came from so I can send her back there.” 

“S-s-s-sunset Shimmer!”

Cadance blinked in surprise at the unexpected and heavily stuttered proclamation.  Slowly she turned her head to look at Sunburst where he and Thorax stood looking almost comically bemused, beyond them their squad of guards not looking much better.  Though they at least seemed to be trying to get their bearings and assess the situation, much to Shining’s satisfaction. 

Flash Sentry however… he was discreetly looking over Sunset when he could and with a particularly cold glare.  He clearly recognised her as well, but it seemed he was keeping his mouth shut for now.  Cadance made a mental note to ask about that later, it was a long shot but if Harmony had any mercy he might know something to help Sunset shed her bad attitude. 

“She’s S-sunset Shimmer your highness, Princess Celestia’s personal student,” Sunburst reiterated, his need to explain starting to take over from shocked realisation.  “Uh, that is to say she was, before your sister, Twilight Sparkle,” he continued, seeing Shining’s confusion. 

“Wait-wait-wait-wait, you’re Princess Twilight Sparkle’s brother?!” Sunset exclaimed in wide eyed horror, having only just recovered from her giggle fit.  “Damn, that just killed any and all interest I had.  Too bad, you’re a hilarious dork as well as fit.  Oh, but I do play guitar!  So we’re still on for that rock battle!” she remarked eagerly back, rebounding quickly.   

That vague insinuation didn’t do anything to alleviate Shining’s concern over the abrasive mare, rather it left him hunching forward and aggressively staring Sunset down.  “Wait, what is that supposed to mean?  What’s my sister got to do with this?!” 

Cadance let out a deep sigh and placed a hoof firmly on Shining’s shoulder, locking eyes with him as he looked her way.  It worked to calm him somewhat.  “Please Shining, let me handle this,” she whispered to him, leaning in close for a moment.  “Trust me when I say Twilight represents some bitter issues for Sunset, for understandable reasons even.” 

Turning to Sunset, Cadance began to trot around the fire to better address the unruly old acquaintance. 

“Sunset, please, I’m not sure if you know why we were sealed away but dire circumstances conspired to trap us down here.  I’m… not sure how long it has been but danger might still linger outside,” Cadance explained in a pleading tone as she sat before her.  “I ask that we put any old grievances aside at least for the moment while we work out what’s going on.” 

The amber unicorn shifted uncomfortably under her teal coat for a moment before grumbling out her response, “Fiiiiine.”  Her more hostile demeanour quickly melted away into something much calmer and more professional.  “I’ll cut the theatrics.  We are working against the clock right now anyway.  And it’s not like I haven’t learnt half of what’s going on already, but I am short on a lot of details.  The last pony I talked to – if you could even call him that any more – made for even less pleasant conversation then I do.” 

“Sombra!” Shining spoke out in shocked realisation a moment later, legs dropping into a tense battle stance as he scanned the thick darkness of the cavern wearily, circling around the crib of his baby daughter.  “Where is he?!” 

“Cool your jets,” Sunset replied, entirely unconcerned as she dismissively waved off their worries with one hoof.  “He’s just sulking in the corner because he lost a bet with me.  As if I couldn’t pull apart his crystal fuckery safely enough.  Did a better job than he would have bothered with.  You can thank me any time for that, you know.” 

“If he’s here he should show himself,” Shining said firmly, eyes still darting around the ominous darkness, as it ebbed and flowed with the flickering of Sunset’s bonfires.  In that moment it seemed all the more foreboding to the ponies present, now they knew what was waiting in the inky blackness obscuring the distant walls of the cavern. 

Their fears were realised when a deep rumbling laugh rang out through the chamber, immediately pushing everyone besides Sunset into a far more tense state of alert.  It did not help that the way it echoed gave no clear indication on what direction it came from. 

“You must have lost a great deal of your vision since we last talked young colt,” Sombra claimed as he strode tall and proud out of the thick shadows that seemed to cling to his charcoal grey coat for a moment before falling away, “if you cannot see the shadows all around you.  For I am wherever they are, and the shadows… are everywhere.” 

Immediately - as soon as Sombras first hoofstep landed with a deafening clack on the crystal floor - the cluster of guards jumped around to face him and started edging back.  They fell into a combat stance, one meant to ready a pony to charge but they looked anything but ready, involuntarily shaking in their armoured boots as they backed away from the confident and now quite solid form of their dreaded former tyrant. 

Sunset meanwhile was looking on at the poor display of discipline in disbelief. Naturally a critical barb came to her tongue, “Wow, who trained those jittery foals?  I would say they need to grow a backbone but that would be insulting to all the molluscs I’ve met.” 

Her comment was pointedly ignored by the royal couple beyond an errant ear flick from Shining, much to Sunset’s chagrin.  Instead, the royal couple were laser focused on the dark furred stallion. 

“Sombra,” Shining Armor spoke, practically spitting out the name once more.  He had dropped into a well braced combat stance himself and his horn was flickering dangerously, Cadance standing strong and similarly grim beside him.  Unlike his comrades Shining Armor let no sign of fear taint his features.  “You said you wouldn’t be able to reconstitute your body.  What changed?” 

Sombra raised a single incredulous brow at the Captain and his accusatory tone, regarding him with a detached contempt.  “Matters of sorcery well beyond your meagre purview, boy.  I have had much time to divine the deeper secrets of magic while you have been sleeping, and have fortified my skill all the more for my efforts.  You would do well to address me more carefully.” 

The statement left the group looking him over with apprehension… until Sunset loudly scoffed.  The scornful look Sunset shot at Sombra left no illusions as to the equal measure of contempt she held for the stallion playing himself up in such a fashion, no matter how hypocritical it might have been for her to criticise.

“What the old bastard isn’t telling you is he blackmailed me into bailing him out, otherwise he’s just blowing hot air up our asses.  Fortunately for us, I managed to turn the tables on him, so unless he wants to know what flying through a supercharged thunder cloud feels like – for the second time – he, is going to behave,” she indirectly instructed him, with a tone that promised no hesitation on delivering her threats.  “And if you so much as think of exploiting the other ponies trapped down here, know that I could have every one of them free in a moment!  It won’t be painless, but I can do it.”

The stallion levelled an equally scornful death glare back at the mare, bristling in anger so much so a purple smoke began to gently waft from his eyes.  He faltered at making his displeasure known, unable to contradict her claim, not to mention how her reassurance for their fellow ponies’ safety seemed to galvanise all else present.  However that hardly meant he had nothing to say.

“You had best be most careful when threatening me mare!” he snapped at her, a growl underscoring his words.  “Your victory was a fluke that was only made possible because you had the element of surprise!  Now however you are alone, and cut off from all but one of your mechanical thralls.  Do NOT, try my patience, else you might meet a very sticky end.”

“Except she isn’t alone!” Shining Armor spoke out loudly and firmly, equally perturbed by the former Kings’ threats and showing his displeasure by readying his horn.  “I might not know her but by Harmony I trust her far more than you.  If you turn this little spat into a fight, you had better believe it’s not your side we are taking!  Stand ready, Guards,” he ordered more softly but with no less resolve. 

Much to his satisfaction – and to a lesser extent Sunset’s for that matter – the six Crystal Guard formed up around him, eyes hardening into focused glares as they aptly swallowed their fear, their sense of duty reaffirmed by the words of their Prince and Captain.  Meanwhile Flash Sentry was no different, taking to the air and hovering just behind Shining, wings and hooves gently crackling with small sparks of lightning in a subtle show of force. 

Again Sombra was left quite literally fuming in anger at this apparent betrayal.  Fortunately someone else decided to intervene before more fuel could be added to the fire. Cadance – while certainly equally weary of Sombra - had had more than enough of the verbal sparring, an opinion she decided to make known loudly and firmly. 

“Can we please cease all this pointless bickering!  This childish posturing is getting us nowhere.  Sombra, we had a deal and I have every intention of honouring it; you shall have amnesty from your past crimes until and even after we have dealt with these invaders.  Sunset’s assistance makes no difference to that.  In turn we expect you to uphold your end of the bargain and keep your temper in check,” she both conceded and warned firmly.  To back up her words she shot a silent pleading look at her husband. 

Reluctantly he nodded back at her before raising his horn and letting it dim once more.  His troop followed his lead, relaxing and backing away to once more take advantage of the warmth from Sunset’s bonfire, though they still remained weary and far more ready to act then they had been before. 

In return – with one last irritable growl – Sombra closed his eyes and forced down his anger, eyes returning to normal before he once again looked to the Princess expectantly.

With a relieved sigh Cadance relaxed a little more now she once again had control over the situation.  Looking back to her old acquaintance she decided to seek answers to their current situation. 

“Sunset… I can only dare to hope, but can you please tell us if the crisis is over?  Has Equestria managed to defeat the invaders?” Cadance asked gently, eyes beseeching Sunset with unspoken pleas for good news. 

Sunset - switching demeanour once more - shuffled uncomfortably on the spot for a moment, frowning and looking down and away from Cadance in a fashion that was unusually remorseful for the mare.  Cadance, Shining and their eagerly listening retinue didn’t need to hear her answer to know what it would be at that point. 

“I’m afraid not.  I only just got here a short while ago and the city is still abandoned and feeling very spooky,” she explained somewhat nervously, recalling all too easily the desolate sights and lack of sounds surrounding the many abandoned homes and businesses.

“Yes, I myself have not seen any intelligent creature in months,” Sombra added in confirmation, far more stoic but still betraying a hint of discomfort with the fact.

“P-p-pardon me ma’am,” the strange insectoid creature Cadance had named Thorax spoke, addressing Sunset with what scraps of courage he could scrape together, “but, I thought you said you were here to rescue us?”

“That I am,” Sunset said seriously as she looked over the group, doing her best to put on a show of stead-fast confidence.  “I know I haven’t come here with the best of news, but I do have a way out of what’s right now looking like a hopeless situation.” 

“The mirror,” Cadance murmured in realisation, quickly connecting the dots and widening her eyes in surprise as she ran the idea through her head.  “You mean… it’s open?  It’s safe?” 

Sunset snorted and rolled her eyes at the tepid question.  “Of course it’s open, I’m here aren’t I?  And you think Celestia would leave the thing practically on open display if it weren’t safe?  Of course it’s safe.  More importantly it leads somewhere a very long way from Equestria, so it’s safe from these invaders to.” 

“Look,” Shining butted in, brow furrowed as he glanced between Sunset and his wife in suspicion, before settling more firmly on Sunset.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about but it doesn’t sound like a lot.  Besides, I would be lying if I said I trusted you enough to follow one of your plans right now, not without a good explanation.” 

“Really.  You trust me less than the literal tyrant?” Sunset replied sarcastically, not missing a beat as she levelled a pointed look at him that questioned the integrity of his intelligence.  “I get you didn’t have a choice before but you do now.  Stay here maybe for centuries locked in a crystal controlled by a damned slaver king or come with me where we will have the freedom, resources and maybe even allies necessary to take back Equestria from a technologically and likely numerically superior foe.  Again; wait around for the slim possibility of rescue, or take action.” 

“Unfortunately that’s not quite true,” Sombra spoke up as he chuckled with dark amusement.  “As irksome as she is to converse with, I fully intend to take the young sorcerer’s offer.  As little as I trust her – like you – and as sparse on details as she has been, she makes an excellent point.  Action is always preferable when the alternative is to merely sit and hope fate deals you a kind card.  So in effect, without myself to guard your sleeping forms, your alternative choices become gambling on the mercy of the invaders or a slow cold death huddled down here.”

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.  Most of the ponies present were naturally disturbed by this sudden removal of any real choice.  Shining and a number of the guards however were now visibly angered by the prospect of being forced to follow this mare. 

Sunset meanwhile stared disbelievingly at the former king, only to break the silence with a pained groan that quickly turned into a scream of frustration before ploughing her fore hoof into her own face even as it contorted with outrage. 

“You just had to turn this into a life and death decision!” she shouted scathingly at him as she snapped her head up to look at him once more, fuming.  “Here I am, at least trying to inspire some sense of confidence and hope, and you go and knock it all to pieces!” 

“Your sympathies are once again getting in the way of performing the task at hoof,” Sombra said dismissively, looking away from the mare with a tired expression.  “I once again suggest you do your best to prune away such weaknesses from your mind.” 

“Ugh!  You utterly moronic bastard!” Sunset screeched at him.  “I have had it up to here with your brutish sociopathic shit!  You never heard of morale?  Ponies tend to work harder towards something when they have something to look forward to!  No wonder your stupid empire of pain, misery and fear collapsed in on itself at the first sign of serious opposition!  Who the hell would willingly stand up for the likes of you?!”

The room was left stunned and captivated by the budding shouting match, with the exceptions of Cadance - who had quickly put a soundproof bubble around her daughter - and Shining Armor who’s patience had already worn thin. 

“Enough!” the stallion bellowed at them, his patience well and truly worn through.  He looked towards Sombra with a hateful glare and accusatory hoof pointed right at him.  “You can keep your damned muzzle shut even if you think you have something useful to say.”  He then turned his fiery gaze on Sunset.  “And you can give us an actual explanation!  None of this vague, manipulative promising what you think we want road apples, especially if you actually want any of our trust.  What is going on and where in Tartarus did you come from and are planning on taking us?  Without any of the bad attitude.  I am in charge of these ponies’ safety and I won’t compromise that safety on the word of some arrogant little filly I only just met.” 

“I-I… I am not being-” Sunset sputtered before she cut herself off, looking off into space as she came to a realisation.  She groaned to herself and her face fell into her hooves.  “Sunset you stupid mare… falling into Celestia’s bad habits… swore I would never… ugh, fucking riddles,” she muttered almost incoherently to herself as she massaged her own temples. 

Shining was about to press her for answers when Cadance’s hoof came to rest on his shoulder once more.  He looked to her and she looked back with a face that begged for a moment of patience.  Fortunately that moment was what Sunset needed to pull herself together.  She took a deep breath and sat tall upon her hunches once more, her teal eyes meeting the glaring stallion’s angry deep blue eyes with a firm but calm gaze. 

“I take issue with being called arrogant and especially a child, but you’re right,” Sunset admitted with a straight and serious expression.  “I was indeed being vague and I apologise.” 

“Thank you, Sunset,” Cadance said calmly, stepping closer to reassert herself as a part of the conversation in her attempt to cool tempers.  “However I can’t help but share my husband’s curiosity.  Just what is there on the other side of that mirror that managed to convince Sombra of all ponies to follow you through it?” 

Sunset smirked and shared a venomous chuckle at the question that had been asked in good humour.  “Oh, old king Smogra over there knows nothing.  He’s assuming he could survive fine over there just because I can.” 

“Again with the inflammatory tangents,” Shining interrupted once more, glaring lightly at Sunset who had the good sense to appear at least a touch bashful this time.  “And what is this mirror you two keep going on about?” 

Cadance sighed tiredly, feeling all too overwhelmed by everything, especially knowing how Shining would react to this piece of information. 

“The one Celestia sent to me – well, to us – to protect.  She found out that Sunset shimmer had been visiting the castle through it, somehow avoiding tripping any of the alarms and… and suspected of stealing things from the castle.  Mostly books as I understand,” the mare admitted reluctantly, but added with a slightly amused murmur a moment later; “Though the royal cake repository was notably raided around the same time to.”

As expected, Shining was left scowling and struggling to hold back harsh words over the news but nodded in understanding anyway as he recalled it, choosing to focus on gathering information to abate his growing grievances with Sunset.  “That old thing.  Why wasn’t I told about this?  I knew it was important, anything belonging to Starswirl would be but this was a serious security hazard to the palace.” 

“Glad to see the boy has some sense,” Sombra muttered to himself with an amused huff. 

His comment was naturally ignored by the Prince, getting Sombra little more than a disdainful glance from Shining.  “That mirror should have been under much tighter guard if some thief and traitor could come waltzing through it at any moment.” 

Sunset snorted derisively, face warped in a bitter grimace as her anger rose in response to his ignorance.  “Celestia was the one who betrayed me I’ll have you know.  Practically promised me the world growing up and not only failed to deliver but ruined my life, publicly humiliated me, tossed me out of my home and on to the street with nowhere to go, all over a trivial but impossible task she couldn’t even fulfil herself, the hypocrite!  I was just collecting on a mere fraction of what that contrary lying manipulative hag owes me!” 

The irate rant garnered no sympathy from Shining Armor, a loyal soldier of Celestia’s Royal Guard to the end, no matter his current position in life.  However Cadance did her best to project an apologetic look to Sunset after a sympathetic wince that fortunately seemed to calm the unicorn a little. 

The Princess stepped up before Shining could launch a rebuke that would no doubt have only stoked Sunset’s anger further.  Gently she placed a hoof to her husband’s chest as she did her best to explain. 

“I won’t excuse Sunset’s wrong-doings but Celestia did make a mistake in how she dealt with her afterwards.  One of many mistakes she made in how she treated Sunset, truthfully.  Because of her harsh punishment Sunset eventually broke back into the palace to travel through the mirror, though I don’t exactly know why,” Cadance admitted as she shot Sunset a questioning glance that briefly interrupted her soft spoken explanation.  “When we realised she had been returning, we agreed a more passive or welcoming approach was needed to reconcile.  The hope was that if Sunset was uncomfortable revealing herself in Canterlot with Princess Celestia and the threat of punishment bearing down on her, she might instead be comfortable coming to me.” 

“Really now?” Sunset asked rhetorically, knowing her bitter feelings were plain to see upon her face.  “And just how exactly did you two plan on luring me back into Celestia’s web?  Because she made it perfectly clear to me she had nothing left she was willing to offer me, in spite of everything she promised.” 

“We weren’t trying to lure you anywhere!” Cadance stated firmly but without anger, carefully raining in any frustration, though a groan did escape her.  “If… you really wanted to stay where ever you found on the other side of that mirror then, well I convinced her we should let you.  All three of us made mistakes back then.  We - Celestia and myself - we just wanted a chance to see you again, to talk things out, maybe mend what went wrong.  And if all you wanted in exchange for a chance to do that was a few books and materials we were both more than happy to provide that.  I already left a few for you as a gesture of good will!  Information on the Crystal Empire, material I know you have never seen before…  but I take it you never saw the letter I left with them.” 

As Cadance beseeched her, Sunset refused to seem even remotely convinced, her critical expression holding fast even as her eyes wondered in thought.  Cadance couldn’t help but despair at the sight, that even after all this time she was still weary of Celestia’s and her own intentions.  Though maybe that was to be expected considering those books were essentially a bribe, or even bait from Sunset’s point of view.  Her dour mood however, was quickly derailed when Sunset’s expression abruptly changed to one of both realisation and confusion. 

“Wait, what?  When?  I mean, where? Where were these books?” she asked rapidly in surprise, an ever so subtle greedy glint reaching her eyes at the mention of previously long lost magics. 

“In the room with the mirror, you can’t have missed them,” Cadance explained with an eager smile, more than happy to have the mare’s attention and maybe even a mutually interesting topic of conversation, given the magic was a part of her heritage.  However in the next moment she quickly realised how strange it was Sunset would have missed something so obvious, feeling her own face fall as her thoughts shifted to that of concern.  “I left a whole bookshelf full of books and scrolls, even a fresh linked diary too.  The letter was on a lectern in front of it, addressed to you.”

“Yeah, there was a bookcase,” she murmured in remembrance.  Cadance could almost see the gears turning in Sunset’s head as she put together what had happened, a sour expression clouding her face as she did.  “I guess that makes sense, they took them too.  I’ll admit I had a wonder around the city after fetching Sombra’s horn.  I stopped by the library but… it was empty.  These invaders, they didn’t just take ponies but emptied the library and even a book store I visited.  I guess they looted the castle for them as well, but there were still books around in other shops, out of obvious line of sight, so they can’t have been too thorough.” 

Sombra took this moment to add his own confirmation, concerned by the invaders’ actions for his own reasons.  “That is true.  After they abducted every member of the population they could lay their greedy eyes upon, they did loot the city of any obvious literature.”

“But why?”  Cadance asked, perplexed by the notion.  “I don’t understand… I thought maybe they might want our ponies as slaves but… why take our books and then nothing else?” 

“If I were to make an educated guess, magic,” Sombra supplied simply.  “They used many strange mechanical weapons not unlike the young Sorcerer here levelled against me, but their methods were entirely devoid of any manner of magic I could sense.” 

Shining discreetly eyed over the amber unicorn at the mention of her possessing weapons and Cadance couldn’t help but do the same with a less trained eye.  She didn’t know what they were looking for given the vague and somewhat strange description of mechanical weapons.  Following conventional thinking she obviously did not have any kind of cannon on her person and absolutely was not dragging around any kind of siege engine - not that it stopped Pinkie Pie from conjuring those out of thin air.  However the invaders and what little they had seen of them had changed their notions of how small and compact non-magical weapons could be made to be.  It made Sunset’s spacious winter wear an unsettling option for concealing nasty surprises. 

“Seems likely, I guess,” Sunset admitted with a dismissive shrug, though not before Cadance caught a brief look of serious consideration pass over her features.  “Magic opens the way to much that might otherwise be considered impossible and they wouldn’t be the first to covet our abilities.  But we can’t know their motives for sure.  Not with how little information we seem to have.  Could maybe lure some of these invaders into an ambush to catch and interrogate but I doubt any of you want to take that risk right now.  You have more pressing issues; the royal concubine here was right, you need to know where you’re going before you follow me there.” 

There was an angry huff from Shining and Cadance felt an equally irked feeling – not to mention a deep blush - overtake her at the joke, and the guards bristled with irritation likewise at the insult to their commander but no one interrupted her. 

An uneasy look passing over Sunset’s face told Cadance the unicorn almost wished they had.  Especially so given the next few moments were spent waiting for the amber unicorn to continue, as she sat there, eyes darting about as she silently thought and struggled to put words together.  Cadance couldn’t help but feel concerned, it was most unlike Sunset to be caught without one response or another.  It only spoke to the enormity of what she had to reveal to them. 

“Well?” Shining eventually prompted, drawing Sunset’s attention back to the waiting crowd. 

Sunset fought back both a blush and a scowl at having been caught lost in thought and called out on it.  She cleared her throat and straightened herself up, quickly doing her best to scrabble together an explanation. 

“Sorry.  It’s just… it’s hard to explain.  The truth of it is just so… immense. Our history and culture has very little that quite compares to it!” she exclaimed, gesturing wildly, not able to clearly articulate her thoughts on the matter.

With an irritated sigh Sunset actually began to pace back and forth, much to Cadance’s surprise.  It was a nervous tick Sunset rarely showed in her experience.  Sunset even began to mutter incomplete thoughts under her breath much to everyone’s concern.  Things Cadance had only ever seen her do behind closed doors and never with such an audience. 

Then – quite suddenly - she stopped, abruptly turning to face them all with a scrutinising look. 

“Are you familiar with Light Reader’s distant suns hypothesis?” she blurted out, seemingly out of nowhere.  In truth it was something of a rhetorical question; one Sunset clearly did not actually expect anyone to know. 

As expected, Sunset was met with looks of confusion and gentle shakes of the head… with two exceptions.  Shining had a distinct glint of recognition in his eye but said nothing.  The other was none other than Sunburst. He had hummed to himself thoughtfully and was now staring down through the floor ponderously, before his eyes went wide with shock. 

“I-I’m sorry if I’m reading this wrong but… do you mean to say he was right?” Sunburst asked hesitantly, nervously darting eyes looking over her making it clear he was still apprehensive of Sunset.  

That said, behind that apprehension was a burning curiosity that won out over any fear.  It was a rare something that Sunset showed respect for. 

She rewarded him with a pleased smirk and a nod of approval.  “That he was.  A whole lot more than even he knew.” 

“Uh, sorry but would you mind explaining it?” Cadance spoke up, voicing the rest of their group’s curiosity.  “For those of us who don’t know,” she mentioned as she glanced at Shining, having caught the look of familiarity in his eyes herself.  

“You know I don’t think I caught your name.  You want to do the honours on this one?” Sunset asked the stallion with a sudden interest.  “Kinda rare I run across a stallion smart enough to be so well versed in such obscure topics.”

“Oh!  Uh, sure, if you really don’t mind… and my name’s Sunburst,” he stuttered out, introducing himself with a friendly – if shaky – smile.

“My pleasure,” Sunset purred with a mildly flirtatious smile and half lidded eyes.  “Love the goatee by the way.  Real cute.” 

In the distance - as Sunburst stuttered and spluttered at the sudden and unexpected advances - Cadance gave a tired sigh.  She knew Sunset was likely just teasing the poor colt, maybe because he had done something to upset her and was setting him up for a fall, or because she was just curious.  Much to her chagrin Cadance had seen Sunset do both before.  Too much like a cat, playing with its prey.  

Meanwhile her husband was less amused, as evident by the irritable grunt and sigh he let slip. 

“Tangents.  If you would Sunburst, please ignore her and explain,” Shining ground out with displeasure.  “I would rather listen to her as little as possible.” 

“Oh, how charming,” Sunset sarcastically muttered back with a scoff, giving Shining the stink eye. 

Sunburst looked back and forth between the two for a moment before daring to continue.  He did not want to get caught between the two and whatever grudge was building between them.  So instead, he cleared his throat and did his best to dive into the subject matter; hopefully distracting them both in the process. 

“Ah… well, Light Reader’s hypothesis suggests that some or even many of the stars in the night sky are in fact other suns, much like Celestia’s, simply very far away.  Ah, very far being something of an understatement here,” he mentioned with an uncertain chuckle that surprisingly earned him a sympathetic laugh and a knowing nod from Sunset before he continued. 

“He wasn’t the first pony to suggest this; the idea had been around for a very long time.  He did however do a great deal of research into the possibility, more so than any other pony before; travelling the known world to collect records and performing experiments just to prove his theory.  Unfortunately he never quite managed to get solid enough data, from what I remember at least,” Sunburst continued to explain, quickly slipping into the comfortable role of reciting knowledge. 

“And he was laughed at and ridiculed for it,” Shining declared quietly, with venom in his voice.  He glanced between the gathered ponies, noticing their questioning looks before answering with a reluctant sigh.  “Light Reader was my great grandfather; he left quite the impression on Dad who followed in his hoof steps, studying astronomy.  He used to love telling stories about his expedition.  Though I think he might have exaggerated and made up a few things to make it more exciting for a young colt.  He made himself sound like a real life Daring Do at times, though this was before those books even came out,” Shining recalled with a nostalgic chuckle. 

However his head fell low with melancholy as he recalled more, a bitter frown twisting his features.  “I decided to do an essay on him for some family history assignment or something; I forget what exactly, wasn’t even ten at the time.  That’s how I found out the truth about how it ended.  The expedition wasn’t supposed to be a huge deal but he got a hefty commission from the crown to do his research.  Railways weren’t so well developed back then and airships weren’t common, so he had to hire a lot of ponies to help him haul equipment across the country and even beyond it.  When he came back without solid proof, his peers – or rather rivals – went to the press with it and he got smeared by them something nasty for his so-called ‘flights of fantasy’ and wasting so much public money on them.  He was laughed out of his job, forced to leave the Royal Astronomical Society to protect their reputation and universities refused to talk about his work for years.” 

The miserable admission left the room in awkward silence as all the formally frozen ponies sympathised for their friend’s distant relative and his woes.  As for those who had not been entombed in crystal, Sombra was unsurprisingly unbothered by the tale and only silently wished they would decease with the pointless moping.  Sunset on the other hoof was - much to everyone’s surprise – looking far more remorseful.  Feelings she soon put into cautiously spoken words. 

“He’s… not around anymore, is he?” Sunset asked tentatively, gaze flickering over the stallion with a far more compassionate light behind them. 

Shining levelled a sour but searching look at her for a moment, before softly shaking his head. 

“I’m… sorry to hear that.  I wish he could have been here, to see his work vindicated,” Sunset admitted softly with a sad smile. 

“Why do you care?” Shining muttered at her, again scrutinising the mare with a critical glare.  

“Because I know what it’s like to have to fight jealous foals with money and influence just to prove your worth.  And I’m not talking about Celestia.”  For once, Sunset’s defiant words were spoken plain and calmly.  There was the usual angry fire deeper behind her eyes but it was seemingly tempered by her sympathies. 

Shining’s glare lightened and turned into a more searching look.  It seemed - much to his disbelief – that the petulant punk of a unicorn who had been sitting there moments before, was making an honest attempt at empathy. 

“Hay, uh, Sunburst,” the distinctly not-quite-equine voice of Thorax whispered quietly, “I… I don’t get it, how are you supposed to prove something like that without going there?  Was he looking for a special scrying spell or some… thing?”

Thorax quickly huddled in on himself when all eyes turned to him, realising that as quiet as he tried to be, he had just drawn all attention to himself. 

“Uh, good question!”  Sunburst spoke up far more loudly, apparently trying to distract from his friend who was visibly uncomfortable in the spotlight.  He slipped quite easily back into lecture mode.  “To put it simply, triangulation.  Light Reader’s plan was to determine the distance to a number of stars by measuring the difference in their observed angle from different points and combined with the distance between those two points, calculate their distance.  The distance was expected to be substantial so to increase accuracy he had to measure those angles from as far apart as possible.  Once he had a distance he could then compare the brightness of those stars to the sun.  If - after accurately compensating for distance – their brightness matched, we would have strong evidence that they are in fact the same or at least very similar objects!”

“Except,” Sunset continued with less enthusiasm now knowing the reception his results received, “he could never create precise enough equipment to measure those angles accurately enough, or get enough distance between measurement points to compensate for that.  Turns out there’s more that might have tripped him up later.  Like I said, I’ve learnt that our star system – if we can even technically call it that – is pretty anomalous.  However this is all background information.  The important part is the larger implications of Light Reader’s work.” 

Sunset couldn’t help but turn up the theatrics a bit, quieting her voice and looking about, catching the gathered ponies eye to eye to help communicate the excitement behind the more profound epiphanies gained from her travels. 

“If the stars were simply distant suns, then those suns might orbit - that is to say, rise and set over their own worlds.  Worlds with their own forms of life.  Turns out it’s supposed to work the other way around, planets like ours normally orbit their much larger suns but again, the point is he was right.  There are other worlds out there, with other peoples living on them.  Alien creatures with alien societies and alien values.  Ones that have perhaps been around far longer than we have, and might have even advanced further than we have… that might already be exploring the stars for other life to befriend, or to conquer,” she explained, finishing on a more ominous note.  

“…so the invaders truly are aliens from beyond the void,” murmured one of the crystal pony guards in dumbstruck realisation.  “That’s just so… insane!  It sounds like something out of one of those Equestrian comic books.” 

Shining actually chuckled at that, though the laugh was almost mirthless.  “Well, that might be because my great grandfather helped inspire a lot of those stories.  The press, nobles and academics didn’t take his work seriously but in the end many writers and artists did.” 

A proud smile tried to work its way across Shining’s muzzle for a moment, however it was quickly fought down as he turned his attention back to Sunset. 

“Anyway, how does this all relate to that mirror and where you’ve been?  I mean, I can kind of guess where this is going now, but I want details,” Shining asked her, his voice firm but no longer quite as demanding. 

Sunset nodded promptly in response, her more straightforward and professional demeanour returning.  “Right.  Mostly wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page because this is where things get a little more complicated.” 

Another guard – a rather blurley mare this time - snorted out loud, perhaps inspired to speak out because her comrade had.  “More complicated than astronomy and alien life coming to kidnap us and our books?  I find that hard to believe.” 

Sunset just rolled her eyes and ignored her, proceeding with her explanation without the slightest stumble.  “The mirror that I came though was created by – controversial opinion here – the idiot savant Starswirl the Bearded.  It… well it actually does a lot of things.  It’s frankly a frankenstinian- uh, that is to say, chimeric mess of experimental magical enchantments under that pretty frame.  Most importantly to us however, it maintains a long distance portal.  The other end is anchored to a statue that allegedly used to sit outside some school on a distant planet known to the locals as Earth.  That crazy bastard and Celestia have been sitting on proof of alien life for well over a millennia now and never bothered to tell anyone,” Sunset explained, her more composed demeanour starting to fade as she griped about the ancient unicorn and her former mentor.

“If either of them had done something with that information, well we might just have been prepared to fight off these invaders.  But no, that safe stable status quo was apparently more important to her and going by his writings Starswirl dismissed it as a mere curiosity… all because he could find no trace of magic use on the other end of that portal!” Sunset ranted out of frustration, her anger taking over as she seemingly forgot she had an audience.  “Then again, I might not have jumped through the first time if I had known that at the time.  Glad I went anyway.  What they’ve got in spite of that is just too amazing for words.” 

“So… we’re going to take refuge on this Earth?  A world without magic?” Cadance asked, feeling – and likely sounding - far more tepid about the prospect.  Looking around, she could see she wasn’t the only one concerned by this. 

“What?  No!  There’s magic there,” Sunset corrected quickly, voice a little frantic.  “Or rather it can be accessed like anywhere else.  In theory.  It’s just that no Earthlings ever evolved a means to use it.  Their technology however, that is the stuff beyond even some of our wildest science fiction.  Some of it is so advanced it might as well be magic to us anyway given how most ponies take it for granted, which brings me to the next big complication.  The statue tethering the other end of the portal is no longer on Earth.” 

Cadance found her eyes narrowing at Sunset.  She had brushed aside that little detail about magic too quickly for her liking.  Unfortunately for her concerns however, Sunset had also succeeded in changing the topic, another speaking out before she could press her for details.

“So you just put us all through a lecture about a place we’re not going to?” the same sceptical guard’s mare asked, face showing her lack of faith in Sunset’s state of mind. 

Sunset huffed as an aloof expression pulled at her features.  “It’s necessary information; context.  The anchor to the other end of the portal didn’t change or move by itself.  Earthlings mastered artificial flight and furthermore space travel a very long time ago; travelling to their moon, mining out asteroids, collecting the energy of their sun up close and beaming it back to their homes and colonising the other more barren worlds that orbited their sun alongside theirs.  Eventually, they moved on to making the journey to other stars themselves, ironically using miniature bottled up artificial stars.  However they don’t have the benefits of magic to just disappear and reappear on a new world, they had to make those long slow journeys on ships.  Fleets of massive colony ships, full of people, farms, factories, resources and technology centuries or even millennia ahead of anything non-magical we have in Equestria.  One of those ships is where the anchor to the other end of the portal ended up.  That, is where we’re going.” 

The room was left in relative quiet at that point, save for the ambient crackling and pops given off by the two magical fires.  No one could yet muster the means to put their thoughts into words.  Sunset seemed content to leave them to begin murmuring amongst themselves though Cadance kept an eye on her… and how her attention seemed to slowly drift off in thought as she discreetly scrutinised all the ponies and their reactions. 

It took Cadance a moment to realise Sunset might be reminiscing.  After all, Sunset had been through all these revelations herself once upon a time.  Only back then she had to go through it all alone. 

She was drawn from Sunset by her husband gently touching at her leg to get her attention.  Cadance cocked her head questioningly as she examined his less than usual expression; he looked rather haunted by some realisation on his mind. 

“Cady,” Shining whispered quietly but urgently to her, “I hate to be the bearer of bad ideas but, what if… the invaders and these Earthlings are the same?  She hasn’t exactly described them yet and by the sounds of it Sombra hasn’t told her much yet about the invaders.”

Cadance nodded thoughtfully, before smiling a little as her gaze travelled back to the still distracted Sunset.  “Well then, let’s ask her.  It really couldn’t hurt to do that much.” 

Shining didn’t look so convinced.  He didn’t trust Sunset, and Cadance had to admit Sunset had not given him much reason to do otherwise.  But he didn’t know Sunset like she did… or at least she hoped she did.  The Sunset Cadance remembered while belligerent had her own moral code and a well-hidden soft side, things that would never allow her to be knowingly complicit in such an atrocity, she reassured herself.  Ready enough to restart the conversation she made a show of clearing her throat to catch Sunset’s attention. 

The mare’s eye immediately came back into focus as Sunset stiffened up, ever so slightly blushing in embarrassment at being caught daydreaming.  

“While you have presented us a golden opportunity to act,” Cadance said, addressing Sunset with uneasy scepticism, “I think I can safely speak for most of us when I say we’re not entirely certain about placing ourselves or our ponies in potential danger.  There’s also… other concerns, regarding these… Earthlings you called them, yes?” 

Sunset nodded, without verbal comment, not looking entirely certain on where the Princess was going with this. 

Cadance shifted uneasily from hoof to hoof as she struggled with saying what came next.  “Right… well, is there a possibility that these Earthlings are the invaders?  That they took all our ponies?” 

Blinking rapidly in surprise Sunset baulked at the hesitant accusation, if Cadance had to guess she would have thought Sunset was about to spit out a firm and even offended, no.  However she seemed to catch herself and agonise over her answer for a moment before finally grudgingly answering with a pained groan.

“There’s a farfetched chance that a group of Earthlings I don’t know about could have done all this,” she replied, stressing the uncertainty of such a thing, before she waved one hoof in Sombra’s direction, accusingly.  “Like I said, I haven’t been given many details so far so I can’t outright deny the possibility.  However it’s unlikely in the extreme as I’m sure no other group from Earth has had the time to travel to Concordiae Cunabula.  On top of that I am absolutely certain the group I’ve been travelling with, have had nothing to do with it.  They’ve been in deep space for decades before I even joined them, nowhere near anything but empty void.  But hey!  You all think there could be a chance right?  So, why don’t we settle this for sure and one of you finally tell me what these guys looked like?” Sunset finished with the sarcastically toned questions and eyes glancing between the members of the group expectantly.  

“Well, I can’t say I personally got the best look at them,” Cadance admitted, uncertainty glancing at the others, hoping someone would contribute.  “My husband and I were trying to keep them out, helping power the city’s shield.”  

“Except some massive metal airship that had no business floating around the way it did, came gliding in and fired a volley of burning bolts of red and green energy that overloaded us in a single salvo,” Shining continued for her, sparing them none of his bitter frustration.  “That was when their smaller air ships came swooping in to… well, Like Caddy said, we weren’t in the best shape to actually see what was going on by then.  The backlash from the shield failing wasn’t pleasant.” 

Sunset nodded thoughtfully at that, then gave a sympathetic wince at the aforementioned backlash, as did Sunburst and Thorax, all knowing that particularly nasty brand of pain.  

“I got a good look, your majesties,” the buff guard’s mare piped up again before looking to Sunset sceptically, “and ma’am.  Was on the rear guard as we evacuated into these catacombs.”  

Sunset merely rolled her eyes at the disrespectfully hesitant address.  “Well then, do share uh… you got a name?  Or do I just call you guard filly number thirteen?”  

She bristled at the more overt rudeness from Sunset - amber yellow eyes narrowing dangerously - but held her composure.  “Sargent Hail Hooves of the second Royal Crystal Guard Cohort, Ma’am.  As for what happened next; like his highness said, their smaller airships started flocking in.  Stupidly nimble things for their size; three times the size of a train carriage at least and almost as nippy as a small air chariot.  Boxy things apart from these strange curvy blisters on them, all painted white with swirling black patterns on them.  Can’t say I don’t wish we had some, would make patrols and logistics so much easier,” she said almost wishfully.  

“Heh, you would think that,” Sunset murmured with amusement.  The looks she drew prompted a quick explanation.  “Vehicles like that are complicated things.  Like a train engine only hundreds of times more so.  They also tend to need fuel like a train too, so it ends up a trade off.  If you had them and could walk wherever you need to go, chances are you’ll be walking because rations are cheaper.”  

That got a humourless chuckle out of Hail Hooves.  “Figures.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Anyway… troops started jumping off them into the streets, making a lot of noise, blasting their weapons off into open air and letting loose these trilling wails like nothing I’ve ever heard before.  Naturally the civics all panicked but… that quickly started to look like it was intended.  They were hearing them.  Splitting up bigger groups, keeping them in manageable pockets and surrounding homes and businesses where others were hiding.  Shot and smacked around anyone brave enough to stand up to them but didn’t kill anypony.  I think… I hope,” she recalled uncomfortably trying to remember the details of something she would rather not.  

“I see,” Sunset said softly, with a growing sense of sympathy, picking up on the subtle tremors behind Hail Hooves’ professional demeanour.  “And what did they look like?”  

Hail grunted in irritation before continuing, seeing the sympathy but not quite believing it.  “Was hard to tell from that kind of distance but… there were three kinds I could see.  One looked like some sort of messed up cross between a porcupine and a gorilla, except it had no head.  Its face was in the top of its torso instead.  It had four eyes and a vertical mouth filled with a bunch of large, plate-like teeth.  Coloured grey and black with a bit of orange thrown in, all wearing some dull iron looking armour with some bits of fabric hanging off in places.  There was the most of them, they seemed to be their front liners, being big and strong and scary.  Half expected them to start eating ponies on the spot, the way they salivated all over the place” she recalled with visible disgust.  

The mental image caused most shiver in revulsion, though Cadance noticed Sunset simply appeared sceptical towards the idea.  Still, that was barely a reason to interrupt Hail Hooves’ report.  

“The second was these tall leaping fellers, all upright on two legs with two arms but nothing like a minotaur.  They were jumping all over the place, clinging to walls and wouldn’t stand still so didn’t get a good look.  Could tell they were skinny though, and it didn’t look like they had any fur.  Green, grey or blue skin and not wearing a whole lot.  They were scary flexible though, the way they bent it didn’t seem like one side or the other was their back or front.  Their heads just… flipped up and over to look backwards!  They seemed to be watching mostly, except when they were chasing down the odd pegasus, grabbing them right out of the air,” she recalled with a visible shiver.  “Was downright unnatural the way they did that, can’t say I appreciated the screams either…”

With a tired sigh she shook off her discomfort once more and continued, “Then there were the officers.  Or at least the ones that acted like them.  Long lizard-like things, though they were teenaged dragons at first but none of them had wings.  Snout was the wrong shape too, long and kinda pointy.  Eight legs, or four legs and four arms given how they walked most of the time.  Not so sure on colour because they were the most dressed up, all had what looked like fancy long coats but their heads were anything from blue and green to purple, red and black in a bunch of patterns.  And like I said, they were the officers.  Some of the last on the ground and seemed to be giving all the orders.  I think a few of the first guys were a bit like that too, maybe NCOs but… well, it were hard to tell with all the chaos.”

“That’s ‘bout it,” Hail Hooves finished with a tired shrug.  “We all disappeared down here before we could see much more and I was one of the last, leading the rear guard and all that.”  

All the while she explained, Cadance discreetly watched Sunset; she sat patiently, nodding along and mentally taking notes.  Cadance watched in fear of any signs of realisation or betrayal or… something.  Thankfully however, the closest Sunset came to that were thoughtful frowns.  In the meantime though, they were all left in uncomfortable silence.  

“Larger, more clumsy airships followed the first,” Sombra spoke, interrupting the silence with his matter-of-fact tone.  “They looked much like your Sargent described, except they were entirely black.  Landing on the outskirts of the city, they organised their captives into groups, taking pains to separate out all the tribes before coaxing them onto those black ships.  After that… they merely swept the city, looking for stragglers and loot before leaving themselves.  I will admit the brutally efficient display held my attention enough so that I failed to notice the princess and her refugees sneaking into my sanctum.”  

“I see,” Sunset said with a nod after a moment, before dropping back into silent thought.  

“Well?” Shing prompted her after it became clear she wasn’t going to offer her thoughts on her own initiative.  

“Huh?  Oh, right,” Sunset blurted out as she jolted to attention.  “Well, the whole truth is a bit more complicated than a simple no but… I’ve never seen anything like what you described.  Were there any robots?  Mechanical metal golem like things walking around?  Or perhaps flying around like metal birds or insects?” she asked, probing them with clearly simplified terminology.  

The gathered ponies all looked amongst themselves, collectively shaking their heads and murmuring in the negative.  It was enough to paint a satisfied grin across Sunset’s face.  

“Definitely not any operation run by typical Earthlings,” Sunset replied with certainty.  “And it’s safe to say my hosts aren’t involved, even tangentially.  I would have heard about it.  News travels fast and freely in the fleet.  On top of that nothing there matched their descriptions and that doesn’t even remotely resemble what I know about Earthling military doctrine.  Not to mention most Earthlings’ sense of morality wouldn’t abide by something like this.”   

Her words put Cadance’s worries to rest enough to visibly relax her, and that in turn seemed to put most others at ease much to her relief. 

But not all of them.

“But you don’t know they aren’t responsible for certain?  How can you even know that much? In fact, how can we even trust anything you say?!” Flash Sentry burst out, a cold and furious glare locked on Sunset.  “For all we know you could be working with them and just want to lure us out of hiding.”

The hostility caught Cadance and everyone else off guard.  She liked to think she knew Flash reasonably well.  He was always a kind and unfailingly affable stallion, not to mention a competent and upstanding example of a career guard’s pony.  Lashing out like this was disturbingly out of character for him, however Cadance had to silently admit to herself, if anyone could get under his hide, Sunset was a likely candidate.  

Sunset growled to herself, clearly irked by the guard’s pony’s apparent paranoia and bias against her.  Cadance couldn’t help but cringe at the tell-tale signs of Sunset’s anger being set alight and braced herself for the coming rant.  

With a condescending sneer levelled at Flash she began; “Firstly – let alone that I would never stoop to serving some foreign power to undermine Equestria nor the planet - if they knew well enough where your little group was why would they bother sending a double agent to come and pick you all up?  Secondly, do you want another lecture on the nature of the universe and how incomprehensibly vast it is?  That the easiest way to measure the distance between stars is the number of years it takes light itself to travel between them?  How that even given the millenia Earthlings have been travelling the stars, even they can’t have possibly had enough time to reach as far as Concordiae Cunabula?  Or are you just looking for holes and excuses to pick apart my story for… whatever reason you have?” 

Flash’s eyes bulged in disbelief, incredulity taking hold of him as his features twisted in anger at the disparaging remark.  “Seriously?  You don’t even remember me?!  You make a big talk about how Princess Celestia ruined your life after you started practising illegal magic behind her back but completely forget about the lives you casually trampled?  Like Mine?!” 

The enraged rant didn’t seem to have the intended effect, if Flash intended to accomplish anything with his words that was.  Instead it only left Sunset looking more bemused, scrutinising the Stallion with a frown. 

However they weren’t going to be left to sort it out on their own. 

“Stand Down Lieutenant!” Shining barked out, cutting off any further comments.  “We don’t have time for petty arguing and your behaviour is unbecoming of your position.” 

Flash bulked at the order for a moment, his emotions pushing him to lash out further.  Fortunately his training was far stronger than his impulses and he reigned himself in, though not so much as to withhold his thoughts entirely. 

“Sir, I apologise for letting my anger get the better of me, however I insist I have good reasons for not trusting this mare.  Sunset Shimmer is manipulative and deceitful in the extreme,” he insisted firmly, holding back his more volatile emotions regarding the mare.  “I would be bereft in my duties if I did not warn you of as much.”

Cadance had to hold in a sigh at the developing news.  It was abundantly clear Flash was one of the ponies Sunset had wronged in the past. 

“I appreciate your caution Lieutenant, and while what you say is circumstantially true, I feel comfortable in trusting Sunset.  I know her well enough to understand she would never lie over such things.” 

Out of the corner of her eye Sunset seemed to swell somewhat under the indirect praise.  Flash Sentry however was hardly placated, an ugly grimace pulling at his muzzle. 

“With all due respect Princess, I don’t believe you do.  We cannot afford to be naive with her,” he reaffirmed with a suppressed air of desperation. 

The condescending demeanour that carried his comment however, lit a fire in Cadance’s heart in that moment, sparked by what he implied or even outright said if she assumed malice.  It was an attitude Cadance was all too painfully familiar with, one she had thought she had escaped after leaving Canterlot for the Crystal Empire.  Remembering those unkind words she unleashed a near wrathful glare upon the guard, who out of instinct shrank back a little before correcting himself and bringing himself back to attention. 

“That, will be quite enough Lieutenant,” Cadance ordered all the more firmly, an unmistakably stern and most displeased undertone.  “You will put aside whatever grudge you might hold until we actually have the luxury of addressing such personal issues.  Until then, I expect you to contribute only what is needed to secure our safety and most certainly not to poison any discourse or so publicly question my sense of judgement!” 

The cavern was left in shocked silence at Princess Cadance’s rebuke.  After all, it was not often the kindly princess of love was stirred to such firmly spoken anger.  Though it seemed, that shock didn’t extend equally to all the ponies watching. 

Sunset, blinking away her astonishment rather quickly, let out a low whistle while her muzzle broke out into a devilishly delighted grin.  “Damn Mi-Moe, you grew a backbone.  So proud of you right now.  Hope you gave that attitude to those old farts back in Canterlot.” 

Cadance locked Sunset with a firm look, silently rebuking her childish chortling.  “Sunset, the portal.  What more do we need to know?” 

Sunset grunted unhappily and nodded, reluctantly letting go of her amusement.  “Right, right.  Honestly, there’s not much more to tell anyway.  The mirror applies a disguise as you pass through it, even providing clothing if needed so going unnoticed isn’t too much of an issue.  I’ve got a nice base of operations set up right on the other side with room to expand, so we have a safe place to stay.  I also have the money to cover food and stuff for a while, though I’ll eventually need you all to pull your own weight one way or another if we want to make progress.  I can’t say it’s going to be the most comfortable arrangement for the time being but, well, it beats this little frozen hell hole and your asthma inducing neighbour here,” she explained almost off-hoofedly, gesturing at Sombra as she mentioned him. 

“That’s not exactly a lot to go on, you know?” Shining asked rhetorically, trying to prompt her to continue.  “How much space are we talking here?  What kind of disguises?  What exactly do you plan on having our people do for you?” 

With an exasperated sigh Sunset rolled her eyes and addressed him with an irritated glare and a bored tone as she got up and started to walk away.  “In order; about one hundred and sixty square qubits of warehouse plus two or three more we can use if we shift some stuff around.  Magical obviously, what other kind of disguise would Starswirl use?  And nothing if they don’t want to, besides cooking their own meals and pooling their universal basic income for the sake of efficiency once I can get them set up with it.  There?  Are we done for now?  I’m going to have to play twenty thousand questions again when we wake this lot up anyway so why bother saying everything twice?  I’m probably going to have to explain everything I’ve said so far again anyway.  Just tell me when you’ve made your damn minds up and we can get this show on the road.” 

As Sunset talked and trotted she stopped periodically, casting a spell to bring more magical bonfires into existence.  Spacing them out so as to create a circle around the centre of the room, she continued even after she had finished her dismissive explanation, ending the conversation.  It only took Cadance and Shining a moment to figure out Sunset was preparing to give the soon to be released ponies the same warmth they themselves had woken up to. 

“I really don’t like this,” Shining muttered to his wife.  “I get the feeling she’s not telling us something.  Something important.” 

Tiredly Cadance sighed, knowing how right he likely was.  “I know… but for what it’s worth I know Sunset well enough to trust she’s not leading us into harm’s way.  Not on purpose.” 

“You did know her.  She said it herself, that was twenty years ago.  That could have changed since then,” Shining argued back grimly. 

Cadance sighed again.  She knew he was only looking out for them but the lack of trust grated on her nerves.  It didn’t help that he had a valid point; it really had been a long time since she had last seen Sunset, even if the familiarity of her attitude made it seem like yesterday. She could have gotten worse… but at the same time Sunset could have changed for the better as well, in spite of the bad attitude.

“Maybe she isn’t trying to keep secrets from us exactly…” 

The raspy, whispering voice made Cadance jolt upright as she glanced around to see who had spoken.  A little to her surprise it was Thorax standing there and looking more than a little sheepish at having startled her, a similarly bashful Sunburst not much further behind him.

“S-sorry, your majesty,” he murmured, refusing to meet her eyes out of embarrassment. 

“It’s alright.  I trust your council Thorax,” she murmured back kindly.  Thorax brightened up a little bit, her friendly smile helping shore up his confidence and letting him stand tall again. 

Shining nodded in agreement, speaking just as quietly, catching on to the changeling’s implied need for discretion.  “Yes.  Now what were you saying?  Do you think there’s something she doesn’t want some of us hearing?” 

Thorax frowned, keenly glancing around for a moment as if looking for something, relaxing a little when he seemingly found it. 

“In a manner of speaking.  I just wanted to remind you, we’re not entirely in friendly company,” Thorax said uneasily, discreetly nodding his head and glancing in the direction of where King Sombra was standing, observing Sunset’s spell casting from the edge of the quickly receding shadows.  “I know from experience it’s sometimes necessary to keep secrets or lie to allies so someone else doesn’t overhear.  I uh, I think you can guess why,”  he admitted, shying away once more.  

“Don’t worry, we all know that’s behind you now,” Cadance reassured him, giving him a beaming smile and resting a fore hoof on his shoulder.  “Right now?  I’m actually happy for the unique insight you can bring us.” 

“Well!  Now that’s finished, how about we hurry up and start getting the hell out of dodge?”  Sunset called out loudly as she approached the group from the other side, having finished creating her circle of bonfires and sounding far too excited.  “Guards first I imagine, you’ll want ponies who can keep their cool to help thaw out the others.  Oh!  Actually wait a sec, I had better introduce you to someone first…” 

Sunset turned off to face into the darkness and whistled loudly, before calling out in a chipper tone, pre-empting anyone getting a question in edgeways.  “Come on out Atlas, got new friends for you to meet!” 

Following Sunset’s gaze out into the dark depths of the cavern, none of them missed the single large, luminous, blue eye that blinked to life in the company of a couple of synthetic chirps.  All of them – with the exception of Sombra who was rolling his eyes at Sunset’s theatrics - flinched at the heavy, almost thundering footfalls as whatever that blue eye was attached to strode closer. 

Cadance found herself flinching back with the first few heavy foot-falls as the clanking metal monstrosity emerged into the light.  The metallic, bipedal figure with its eyeball shaped head was as strange as it was intimidating, especially given it might be able to look down on even the towering figure of Celestia. 

“Don’t be shy Atlas!  Why don’t you come over here and warm up with the rest?”  Sunset asked it, mischievous grin a mile wide as she gestured to the space within her circle of fires. 

With another affirmative chirp the whirring, clanking thing strode past them, long arms gently swinging with its motion as it made its way to the indicated spot and paying little notice to the stunned group of ponies.  Once there it turned about to face the ponies, standing there impassively beside a smug Sunset Shimmer. 

“Mechanical weapons,” Shining murmured wearily, the first to shake off his stunned expression for an analytical frown.  “She’s got a robot right out of a damn sci-fi comic.”  

“Indeed,” Sombra affirmed.  “Do not let its behaviour fool you, that thing is devoid of life.” 

Sunset huffed indignantly at that and shot Sombre a withering look.  “I’m offended at how shallow your definition of life is!  You’re all going to have to be a little more open minded about that sort of thing if you don’t want to end up a social pariah where we’re going,” she said, mixing mock offence into what might in fact be legitimate advice.  In the following moment she side-stepped closer to her mechanical companion and patted it on the thigh affectionately.  “Don’t listen to the mean old king of collecting tacky crystals; you’re a good boy Atlas!” 

The towering robot chirped happily in response, sparing its mistress a glance before returning to vigilantly watching over all the others once more. 

Sombra huffed irritably before stalking off once more, probably to think and plot.  Cadance did her best to ignore him as much as was safe to do so, instead carefully examining Sunset and the way she looked up at the thing.  Surprisingly enough, under the exaggeration Sunset did seem to harbour a measure of genuine affection for the machine.  Matters of the heart were her area of expertise and Sunset had never been the best at keeping her stronger feelings hidden.  Not for long or not without some sort of plan in motion that required she wear one mask or another.  

“So!  Are we going to get on with this or not?” Sunset asked, with an air of casualness unbefitting of the situation.  “I mean, it’s not like the fate of Equestria and beyond is on the line here.  Oh, wait.”

“Are you even capable of taking anything seriously?” Shining griped at her, with a shake of his head and a tiered sigh.  “Never mind.  Can you wake the others safely?” 

Sunset shot a glare at him but visibly fought down her irritation.  “Yes.  Or at least as safely as I did it for you.  They’ll be groggy and disoriented when they wake up, but otherwise alright,” she answered straightforwardly, before offering further advice.  “I was planning to wake up the other guards first, if they’ve had even half decent training they should be able to keep calm and make themselves useful the quickest.  With them helping the civies I can pick up the pace while you lot provide some familiar faces to help them stay calm and get oriented.”

Shining bristled a little at being told what to do by her, but couldn’t offer any counter to what was honestly a logical and straight forward plan.  Seeing this, Cadance quickly butted in to prevent any more hasty harsh words or bruised egos. 

“It certainly seems like a sound idea, though I wonder how easy it would be for you to teach us to free them ourselves.  Might be able to get to everyone quicker.  What do you think Shiny?” she asked him, knowing the likely answer but wanting to reinforce the fact he was actually involved in the decision making.  

Shining snorted unhappily as he relented once more, head hanging a little as he spoke.  “No, she’s right,” he admitted.  “It would take too long for no real gain.  Better to stagger the wake up process and only deal with only a few disoriented ponies at a time.  That said, I really would like to know exactly what you’ve learnt about our… equally trusted friend over there,” Shining finished more quietly, gesturing discreetly towards Sombra with one hoof.

Sunset looked back at him thoughtfully for a moment before nodding in full agreement.  “I would be more than happy to, given the sucker punches he threw at me during our first round.  That said, I'm not sure we have time right now.  Until we do however; Atlas!” she abruptly barked out, switching to an unknown alien tongue and startling Cadance a little in the process.  “Guardian protocols, if Spoopy Creep so much as twitches aggressively towards the ponies gathering in the circle don’t hesitate to lay down the hurt.” 

“What?” Cadance blurted out as the machine, Atlas shifted and chirped in affirmation. 

“Just telling Atlas to keep Sombra off your ponies.  Language barrier is something else we’re all going to have to overcome.  Ugh, not to mention all the cultural crap.  Now come on,” Sunset explained, complained and prompted them, already trotting off to the nearest crystal containing a pair of guard ponies. 

With a stern stare at the back of the mare’s head Cadance reluctantly followed Sunset’s lead into the darker recesses of the crystalline cavern.  She could only hope this plan would turn out to be one of Sunset’s better ones, it was after all very rare any idea dreamt up by the amber unicorn ended unspectacularly. 

Only ever in sensational success, or calamitous and often explosive failure.