Celestia
Sunset looked around the Tower in awe as she took in all the decorations that had been hung all about. Glittering frost covered most surfaces and hollow engrams with icy snowflake designs were hovering in the air. The pony flitted to and fro, a happy smile of wonder and curiosity on her face. Philomena wasn’t immune to her Guardian’s infectious curiosity either, though the little red Ghost had seen a Dawning or two in her life.
“Settle down, Sunset,” Saladin said with a chuckle in his voice, “When we get inside, I’ll help you with your gifts, alright?”
“Ok, Daddy!” Sunset said excitedly, “Oh, I can’t wait to see everyone… Uncle Cayde and Aunt Ikora and Uncle Shaxx and… wait, who’s that?”
Sunset had pointed at a curious figure robed in black who seemed a bit… twitchy in their movements. The figure had set themselves up near the Speaker’s Astronomy tower on the opposite side of where Executor Hideo had set up his small soap box for New Monarchy. A Guardian or two had swung by and exchanged some Strange looking coins for exotic weapons and armor, then left without a word. The figure’s face was shrouded by a hood, but some odd looking… things were poking out from under it.
“Come, my little pony,” the figure said, “The Nine have a gift for you.”
Saladin, ever prudent, kept close to Sunset as she approached the unknowable figure and asked, “What kind of gift?”
“The Nine tell me many things, but they also reveal nothing of their intent,” the figure said with a shrug, “I am but a vessel for the Will of the Nine.”
“So… what was this gift?” Sunset asked curiously.
“This,” the figure said as he produced a bow from his cloak, “It is a weapon from a time much different than our own, made by Awoken hands. May it serve you well.”
Sunset took the offered bow in her telekinesis and looked it over, curious as to what it meant to her. The energy it gave off felt like the Void that Ikora used when Blinking and also felt somehow familiar to the pony, much like an old friend.
“It was meant for your hooves,” the figure said with absolute certainty, “May it serve you well.”
“A… combat bow,” Saladin said softly as he looked the weapon over, “A good pairing for the sidearm you have already.”
“I wanna test it out!” Sunset said excitedly before turning to the figure and giving them a hug, “Thank you!”
The figure hesitated only for a moment before returning the hug and said softly, “I have never received such a gift… it is my hope that you will one day return. The Nine wish this also.”
“I don’t know what I’m gonna be running into, but I’ll be back, it’s a promise!!” Sunset said happily as she all but pulled her father towards the hallway to the courtyard.
As they left, Xur, Agent of the Nine held a hand to his chest and said to himself, “My will was my own for that one moment. A moment I will Treasure more than you will know, Sunset Shimmer.”
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
After testing out the bow in the rear courtyard of the Tower against targets Banshee had set up, the old Exo dubbed the weapon Subtle Calamity for how stealthy the bow seemed to make the goldenrod alicorn when used. Saladin liked the name, but elected to study Awoken bowcraft when he had the time so he could see if the weapon type would be useful in other ways. Sunset would likely be the better judge of the utility, however. With testing done, however, Saladin brought Sunset back to Tower West and around the corner to see someone special.
“Daddy, who’s this?” Sunset asked as they approached the area where Eva Levante had set up her shader shop.
“’Daddy’?” the jovial old woman asked with a slight laugh in her tone, “Why, Lord Saladin, she is just too precious!”
“Sunset, this is Eva Levante,” Saladin said with a smile, “She has helped Guardians outfit themselves with some interesting looks over the last few years and has decided to see if she can spread some Dawning cheer throughout the Tower this year.”
“So… what are we going to do?” the pony asked curiously, “It already looks like it’s really cheerful around here…”
Eva smiled at the Iron Lord and his daughter before motioning to a small kitchen area next to the alcove she'd set up shop, “I thought that we could all do with some treats!”
Sunset’s eyes went wide and she grinned from ear to ear before she looked up at her father and said, “Treats?! We should make some for everyone!!”
Saladin nodded, then said, “We don’t have enough ingredients for everyone, but we can at least give some treats to your Aunts and Uncles.”
“Oh…” Sunset deflated for a second before brightening up, “Alright. I guess we can let the others get gifts for themselves, but… what all are we gonna make?”
“Why don’t we start baking and find out?” Eva asks with a smile as she moved over to the kitchen. The oven was already preheated, and there was a selection of ingredients and a list of recipes with a name by them all. With everything prepared, the pony and resident grandmother of the Tower got to work.
`~`~`~`~`~`~
“There we go dear!” Eva said happily a few hours after they had finished. The treats were all lined up for their recipients, each box with a name on it for who it was intended to go to. Sunset herself looked incredibly pleased with the work that had gone into the treats, the little mare covered in flour and the odd fleck of chocolate here and there.
“Gonna need a bath…” Sunset murmured to herself before looking up at her father.
Saladin’s eyes went to pinpricks as he looked down, Sunset’s cuteness all but requiring a resurrection once more. He schooled himself however and smiled down at his daughter and said, “We’ll get you brushed off first. Flour tends to get sticky in water and doesn’t wash off all that easy.”
“Alright!” Sunset replied before looking at Eva and giving the older woman a brief hug, “Thank you Grandma Eva! I’m sure everyone will love the treats we made!”
Eva looked a little startled by the hug and looked up at Saladin, mouthing, “Grandma…?” She did hug the little mare though and said, “All the hard work you put into these treats will make them all the more meaningful, this I know.”
“Yay!!” Sunset exclaimed as she pronked off, a little flutter of her wings making her hover a moment before she looked to her father and said, “We should get these to everyone before they get cold.”
“Right you are,” Saladin replied, “Let’s go then. I’m sure everyone is waiting.”
As they bid farewell to Eva, the old woman turned to look at her shop and smiled happily, her thoughts of the young pony and how delightful she had been while baking.
“What a wonderful gift that one has been,” she said to herself, “I’m sure Saladin feels the same way.”
~`~`~`~`~`~`
Making their way back to the main courtyard for the Tower after a quick wash, Saladin and Sunset walked into the Vanguard’s meeting area where a long table was sitting, Ikora, Zavala, Cayde, and Shaxx sitting around it. Sunset was ecstatic about her first Dawning and could barely contain her excitement as they walked in, Philomena hovering off to float with Targe, Ophiuchus, and Sundance. Saladin’s Ghost joined them and they began to talk a little amongst themselves while Shaxx’s Ghost floated over to join them.
“I have gifts!!” Sunset exclaims happily as she flutters closer to everyone, “One for Uncle Cayde and Aunt Ikora, and Uncle Shaxx and Uncle Zavala!”
She places the gifts in front of each person before fluttering over to Saladin and trembling in excitement, hoping the gifts would be enough for the Guardians and Warlord before her. Ikora looks over to Cayde, who’s already opened his gift and grinning from ear to ear at the strange green liquid in a sealed container that had been lifted from the box. Zavala looks his gift of cookies over and smiles, grateful for the gift and the thought behind them. Ikora opens hers and lets out a short laugh at how much like the Traveller her gift looks. Shaxx never removes his helmet for the blade like cookies he received, but is grateful all the same.
“Thank you,” Ikora says as she pops one of the doughnut holes into her mouth, “These are exquisite.”
“Indeed,” Zavala responds as he eats his second Gjallardoodle. The normally stoic Titan is smiling happily as he munches on his treat.
“I’ll eat these later,” Shaxx says as he sets his box aside, “I feel like a good mug of coffee would go well with them.”
“What do you call mine?” Cayde asks curiously as he sips the drink.
“Ace of Spades! Like your hand cannon!” Sunset replied happily, “Granny Eva wouldn’t let me mess with that one though… said it was alcohol and I shouldn’t have any of it til I’m older. She liked the flavor ideas I had though!”
“Well, I think I’ll be having this a little more often than she thinks,” Cayde said with a grin, “It’s really tasty!”
“This is all incredibly thoughtful,” Ikora said, dusting her fingers off on a napkin as she walks over to Saladin and Sunset, “But we-”
“Pardon me,” an Exo female says from the entryway, “The package you requested is here.”
“Package?” Zavala asks curiously as he looks over the Exo, “I wasn’t aware we had something being delivered. Unless it was you, Cayde?”
“Got me,” the Hunter shrugs as he sets his drink down, “Why not bring it here and let’s see what’s inside?”
“On the table please,” Ikora asks, motioning to the end. Saladin eyes the package and it’s holder with wary eyes and off to the side he can feel Shaxx doing the same. Of all the things to bring the two Titans together, a feeling of over-protectiveness for Sunset was not something he would have ever guessed would happen.
Sunset herself eyes the package curiously as the Exo sets it down, then moves to the side to stay out of the way.
“It… has my name on it?” Sunset asks with confusion, looking over to Saladin.
“Open it then,” the Iron Lord says, “Let’s see what’s inside.”
Nodding, Sunset opens the box carefully, setting the lid off to the side. She picks up the item inside and blinks as she lifts a sword from the interior. The blade is two-toned in gold and silver, and has a slight curve towards the point. The crossguard tapers out into an odd shape before extending into the hilt. There was also an odd starburst pattern on the guard that looked somewhat familiar to the pony.
“A… sword?” Shaxx asks, “What need do Guardians have of a melee weapon like that?”
“I could ask the same,” Zavala says as he eyes the weapon, “However, I do know of Titans who use hammers and Hunters who use knives. Perhaps an avenue to look into?”
“In time,” Ikora says as she turns to look for the Exo who delivered the sword, only to find that she had left while everyone wasn’t looking.
“Well, that’s just Prime…” Cayde huffs out as he looks around, “Craftier than my Nightstalkers, that’s for sure.”
Looking the box over, Saladin spots a note. He lifts it out and reads it aloud, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in person. Happy Dawning. Yours Truly, Twilight.”
Sunset’s head snapped up at that, looking at her father with wide eyes.
“Twilight?” she asked softly, “Banshee called me that when he gave me Traveler’s Chosen…”
“She calls the sword ‘Zephyr’,” Saladin continues, “She says it uses… Arc.”
Sunset looks the sword over once more and nods before holding it out, hilt first to Shaxx.
“Can you make a sheath for it?” the pony asks, “I think I want to use it...”