//------------------------------//
// Act I – Slaves – Chapter 11 
// Story: Sunset in the gods 
// by red-sun 
//------------------------------//

Outside the mines, Chrysalis could see the entrance covered with rocks. She just stares until Cadance approaches.

"I see you're okay." Chrysalis tells his goddaughter.

"Yes, although my head still hurts a little"

"Has Filthy Rich calmed down yet?"

"Yes, I told him where her daughter was and he ran to look for her."

"How do you know where the little girl is?" Chrysalis asks curiously.

The princess shows a piece of paper to the goddess. “When I woke up she had this in her hand, she says the place where the girl was hidden. I think it was Sunset... that it was the slave who left me the note... I actually think she manipulated us all." Cadence says with frustration.

"You do know her, right."

"I think it's Sunset Shimmer... but she should be dead."

Just at that moment, Filthy Rich arrives.

"If you're here I guess you found your daughter." Says the goddess.

"Yes, right now she is sleeping in her room." Filthy Rich bows to Chrysalis. "Goddess Chrysalis...I beg your pardon for the sin I committed in attacking her...I will accept whatever punishment I see fit."

"While you were unconscious the entrance to the mine collapsed with all the slaves inside." Filthy Rich was surprised by the news. “How long would it take to clear the entrance?”

"I couldn't tell you, the mine entrance was designed as a bottleneck in the event of a revolt and thus it would be easier to prevent them from escaping, the collapse could have covered the entire entrance corridor, it could take weeks or even months" . Filthy Rich answers.

"This whole situation, the beast, the disappearance of your daughter, the fact that you sent all your guards to look for the girl, even our fight... ha ha ha ha ha!" Filthy Rich was bewildered by the goddess's laughter. "It seems that they fooled us all."

"What's going to happen now?" asked Filthy Rich.

The goddess walks away from the collapsed entrance to the mines and as she passes Filthy Rich she tells him. "It is a pity that the mines have collapsed killing all the slaves." Filthy Rich didn't know what to say. But he had realized what the goddess meant. “Fortunately his contributions to the gods were great. I will speak to the council of the gods so that they forgive you... You owe me one. Make sure you teach my goddaughter well. If you do, I'll forget everything that happened today."

"Thank you goddess Chrysalis." Again he bows.

"One last question. Were you always this strong in aura techniques?” asks the goddess.

"I really don't know... I just assumed that this level of power was due to my anger but... it was like there was some kind of blessing in the aura."

After hearing the answer, Chrysalis leaves.

Then the princess speaks. "Mr. Filthy Rich... I need you to tell me everything you know about the slave named Sun."





Creature from another world, you are just what I am looking for and I am just what you need, at some point hundreds of years ago I had a body but that body was destroyed, but my soul never disappeared. I found a container and that container was used by a human who achieved great things thanks to me. I slept for hundreds of years until a human worthy of carrying me appeared again, she fought against my greatest enemy... and she was defeated... a large part of the vessel was destroyed but my immortal soul still survives in the remains. You creature from another world, come find me, you will find me where your journey began, find me and I will give you the power to fight your enemies.





Sunset woke up suddenly, the dream she had bothered her a bit but even so, more than a dream, her instinct told her it was real.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Twilight enters the room where Sunset was sleeping.

"I'm fine... it was just a bad dream... how is the situation now". Says Sunset to change the subject.

It had been three days since Sunset and all the slaves had escaped from the mines and they were all preparing to leave. When the first escape tunnel was finished, it was planned that a group of slaves would go up to the surface and take charge of preparing everything for when the other slaves escaped. It was lucky that they located a gigantic forest on the other side of the mountain. They built storehouses to store food, they built wagons, they hunted caribou to tame them and use them for transportation. They prepared for the long journey so they could all be on their way for when they were free... and now they are.

“Everything is going well, although some do not know what to do. Many of the freed slaves were left homeless after the fall of Equestria."

Sunset knew that rebuilding a country would be difficult, during her stay in the Velvet mines she had told him the state of everything. Devastated towns, Destroyed Cities... Sunset had a long way to go, Velvet knew of armies that were far from Canterlot during the siege, and also of possible loyal supporters who could help, but what really worried her were the gods. After seeing the power of Chrysalis she understood that the gods were the real threat, but she also remembered when Filthy Rich talked about the power of the materialization aura, Sunset still felt that she had magic but she didn't know how to use it in the human body, but if she could learn to use that power of the aura of materialization she would have a chance.

Sunset knew that Twilight was some kind of walking library, bragging about having read almost all of Canterlo's royal library, then she asked. "Twilight. what do you know about the masters of the aura of materialization?"

“Not much, just the basics. It is supposed that over a thousand years ago during the most war-torn time in human history, demonic incursions began. Somehow they managed to open the gates of Tartarus and wanted to settle in the human lands, they massacred all the kingdoms that crossed their path, then the gods decided to intervene, the battles were cruel and brutal, the war reached a stalemate. Until one day The Pillars appeared, the original seven masters of the aura, they helped the gods defeat the demons, but every certain amount of time another demonic incursion arrived, but thanks to the blessing of the gods, the schools of the aura were founded and the humans managed to defend themselves from each attack”.

"Do you know where I can find an aura master?" Sunset asked.

"It would be difficult to find a master, I only know that the few that are left by decree of the gods can only teach one of their children." Twilight replied.

"Why?"

"By the rebellion of Stygian the heretic pillar". Velvet entered Sunset's small room and looked around. “I am always surprised by everything that has been built in all this time... I'm sorry for interrupting, Your Majesty, but the meeting is about to begin. Twilight later you can finish telling him the story.”

"Sorry, sometimes I don't realize how much I'm talking, mom." She says a little blushing.





Sunset was having one last meeting with the foremen... former foremen who were now each in charge of transporting the freed slaves to their respective homes. Although the majority are from Equestria, a minority would have to make longer trips to return to their countries. When the meeting was about to end, sunset noticed that the former foremen were nervous about something.

“Did something happen that I should know about?” Sunset asked and saw Redheart move closer to speak.

"We know who you are." Sunset remained silent. "We know that you are actually Sunset Simmer the current queen of Equestria."

Sunset could have denied it, she needed to be discreet until she was ready but she knew Redheart wasn't stupid so she just asked. "How did you find out?"

"At first I only suspected it." Redheart replied. "I was Doctor Horse's assistant, his personal doctor, although we hardly ever saw each other, and actually we never spoke, for a moment I thought you were someone else until I noticed your relationship with the Sparkle family... they only obey the royal family..." After a moment of silence. "And Ocellus has been telling what happened when you went looking for her." I finish saying Redheart.

Sunset sighed as she realized she forgot to ask Ocellus to keep the secret. "Now that they know my secret, what do they want to do?"

"Your Majesty, are you going to save the kingdom?"

Sunset had made a deal with her other self, that she would save Equestria and with that she could fulfill her own objective. She also remembered that she isn't strong enough to fight a god yet, then she thought about the strange dream she had that night.

"Do you think I'm strong?" Sunset asks.

“After what we have all experienced in the mines, no one would doubt it. And many of us want to accompany her on her journey.”

"I need to think about it." And Sunset quickly leaves the meeting.





"Incredible girl!" Discord says as he looks around the small town. "You created all this in just three years."

"It took some time to build everything, now the freed slaves will gather in groups that will travel to their respective homes... although the majority are from Equestria...". Sunset looks at her left arm and then looks at the arms of the others. "Discord, I heard from your partner that they had healing powers."

“Yes, we have comrades who specialize in healing...why? you're hurt?"

"No, I just wanted to know...". Sunset shows her arm. “can you make the scar disappear?”

"Sorry, they can heal wounds and illnesses but they can't make scars disappear."

"I guess I'll have to get used to it."

“Cheer up girl, my original plan was to get you out of the mines three years ago, but you were still too much... let's just say I wanted to see how strong you are. Leaving aside your fighting skills…”

"And how strong do you think I am?" Sunset asks.

"Remember I saw your fight with the pink princess." Sunset frowned and Discord continued to speak. “As I was saying omitting your fighting skills I am very satisfied with the level of your other qualities. But you will improve with time, we will be able to train you calmly when you join us.”

"what are you talking about?"

"Sunset shimmer, I want you to join the fallen gods."

“The fallen gods?”

Discord ignored Sunset's question and continued talking. “When you come to our camp we will be able to train you without problems. Also, I'm curious to know what you could achieve with the power you brought."

Sunset immediately understood that he was referring to magic and it didn't seem like a bad idea to try to improve her abilities, he might even find a way to gain access to his own magic again. "I understand but I need you to wait a bit, I have to finish some business here."

"Indeed, your comrades and friends who were in the mines, as soon as you finish you will have to say goodbye to them."

"Why?! They have helped me a lot in the mines, and some have already discovered my identity and want to accompany me”. Even if Sunset didn't quite consider them friends, she was beginning to understand the need for someone to turn to. I even come to appreciate them.

"Because they are ordinary humans." Fluttershy says when she appears. “And those ordinary humans should do ordinary things, get married, have children and live a completely full and normal life… but you, now you are preparing for something big and that is why you could put them all at risk, do you understand? If you insist that they accompany you, you will only cause them to die." She says with a sad look.

"You must decide. Will you join us or return to your human comrades?” Discord tells him

"If I join you, will you help me gain power?" Sunset asks.

"Yeah. Although it will be a hard and intense training and I don't think you will find another way to obtain it than with us”.

"I understand...". Then Sunset decides to tell him about the dream she had. "Last night I had a dream... in that dream I felt like a voice in my cave was whispering to me." Sunset notices a change in Discord's face but decides to continue. "And that voice offered me power, but I must go where my journey began... Discord... I will not join the fallen gods, I will return to Canterlot."

"But you will put your comrades in danger." Fluttershy retorts.

“They are already in danger! They can't go back to having a normal life! Not while they have this mark!” Sunset says angrily and points to the slave scar on her arm. "They want to come with me voluntarily!" Sunset calms down a bit. "And now that I am queen I have a responsibility to all of them."

"But!" When Fluttershy was going to continue speaking, Discord stops her.

"You know girl, I already had plans on how to train you, I even expected you to accept with the temptation of power... I wanted to help you improve..." Discord says sadly then smiles again. “Well, I guess I'll have to tweak the plan a bit… this is my new offer. Two years is all I ask. You and a small entourage of yours can come with us, you will not join us, we will not force you to separate from your comrades, we will even take you to Canterlot personally... Fluttershy we will have to talk to Gloriosa to make room for more visits."

"Only two years?" Sunset meditated on Discord's proposal, she really needed to be stronger and apparently Discord knew something about the dream she had.

"I promise, it doesn't matter if we achieve anything with the training or not."

"Thank you Discord." Sunset says with a smile and for a moment Discord sees the little Sunset that he had known for a long time.





Sunset returned to the camp where Redheard was waiting for her along with the rest of the leaders and representatives. When Redheard was going to speak, Sunset interrupts her so she can speak first.

“I asked you if you thought I was strong... I asked you because when I fought against the princess I noticed that I wasn't as strong as I thought I was... I need to be stronger if I want to save Equestria. That's why I have to train more if I want to be the queen that the kingdom needs." Sunset looks at Redheard and the rest of the ex-slaves. “Some people will go with me but not all... two years... in two years I'll be ready to start, some of you will want to leave and I won't stop you, but those who want to help me I need you to do something. I need you to go to Canterlot and prepare for my arrival. I only ask that."

After Sunset finishes speaking Redheard and all the ex-slaves kneel down. "As you command your majesty."





Sunset was preparing to leave until Applejack and Pinkie Pie show up. “I knew you were going to go off with that half-rare god.”

"I thought it was fun." Pinky says.

“Yes, I need to be stronger and he told me that he would help me. Some people will also join us. Are they coming to say goodbye? Sunset asks.

"Nope." Applejack says. "We want to accompany you too."

Sunset is surprised that they want to accompany her. "I thought you and your brother would go look for his family."

“We will look for them but we don't know where to start. After three years they could be anywhere, plus I also want to be stronger so I can better protect my family.” Applejack says determinedly.

"And what is your motive?" Sunset asked Pinkie.

"I think it will be fun, my sister Maud just wants to be with me and Limestone is coming too because she says Maud and I couldn't survive without her."

"Do you remember that I am the queen of Equestria, the kingdom that opposed the gods?" Sunset asks.

Applejack crosses her arms and says. "I'm not going to kneel before you... PINKIE PIE!!" she screams as she sees Pinkie kneel down.

"What?! Isn't that what you meant by reminding us that you are a queen?” Pinkie asks

Sunset laughs. "What I mean is that it's probably very dangerous to be with me."

“More reason to be stronger”. Applejack replied. "After everything we've been through, I'd say we're friends now."

"Friends?" Sunset remembered the experience they had in the mines, then Sunset also remembered something else.

You know Sunset, you may be right when you say that friendship can be an obstacle to achieving your goals, but overcoming obstacles is what will make you stronger to achieve your true goals.

"I hate when she has a reason." Sunset whispered.

"Did you say something?"

"No nothing... I'd better finish preparing myself." Sunset says when she hears some noise outside. "What is all this scandal?"

“Our transport”. Discord said while he was standing on some kind of giant eight-legged lizard.

"And are we all going to climb on that lizard?" Applejack asks.

"Of course not". Discord said. "This poor reptile could barely handle about fifteen people and a dog." He said as he pointed at a diamond dog. "That's why I brought seven more." Appearing more lizards. "Hey, who wants to try driving one?" He says and hands Sunset a rope.”

"Why not?" Sunset says as he takes the rope.





End of act – I