Chapter 4 - Policy Of The Sun
Silver Smith makes himself known as you and he enter his home. "Honey, I'm home, and I brought a guest."
You watch as a unicorn mare walks your way from what you can tell, from the appetizing aroma, is their kitchen. Her coat a lovely white and her mane and tail a brilliant silver. Her cutie mark is a cash register floating on water with a white flag depicting a silver ring sticking out of it. "Welcome home Muffin." The mare greets before giving her apparent husband mouth to mouth. Looking your way she then asks. "So who might our guest be?"
You contemplate whether you should tell them your real name or not when Silver Smith makes the decision for you. "This is Sunset Shimmer, Sunlight Mirror's daughter. She needs a place to stay for a while for reasons I think you and I should speak privately about."
"Hello Sunset. My name is Silver Sales. Dinner will be done soon. Why don't you go freshen up while you wait." After giving you directions she then turns to her husband as you leave. "I still have a meal to prepare, do you mind talking while I cook?"
"Not at all." He answers. "Lead the way my lady."
As you stare at yourself in the bathroom mirror, you ponder your situation, how you got here, and the meaning of your existence. Looking back to your flank you recall your conversation with Silver Smith. You take a seat on the toilet and with your magic remove a paper from your satchel to study, it's contents telling of artifacts called the elements of harmony. You can't recall why you decided to copy notes on the book, all you can say is it just seemed to speak to you.
"Honesty. Kindness. Laughter. Generosity. Loyalty." As you recall these elements, you can't help but think back to the topic of policy, the elements themselves seemingly creating the blueprints for a policy all there own. Well accept for the element of magic. "Then again these are relics of great power." You reason. "Perhaps they need the user to be powerful."
You take out a new paper, a quill and ink and begin writing up a paper you title "The Policy Of Harmony".
"Honesty. Tell the truth as often as possible."
"Kindness. Be nice to others as often as possible."
"Laughter. Bring joy to those around you."
"Generosity. Give help to those who need it."
"Loyalty. Never betray a friend or leave them behind."
As you look back to the element of magic and measure it against the other elements, you begin to rethink it's purpose. With an idea of how you can fit it in with the others, you put your quill back to work.
"Magic. Use all the power at your disposal to protect those who can't protect themselves."
Before you can truly appreciate your work, you hear Silver Sales call from the door. "Dinner is ready Sunset."
"I'm coming." You call back as you put your things away before flushing the toilet.
When you open the door you see Silver Sales standing before you. "Please wash your hooves before you leave the bathroom."
At that moment your brain sends you another bit of information that you wish it would of given you before you had embarrassed yourself. "Y-Yes ma'am." You answer with said embarrassment spread across your face as you slowly shut the door.
As you enter the dining room you see the two adult ponies of the house sitting at a rather large table alongside two younger unicorn ponies, one of them a filly who looks to be your age. Her coat is silver and her mane and tail are a full pink. The other is a colt who you can tell at a glance is younger than the filly. His coat is black and his mane and tale are silver.
"Take a seat Sunset." Silver Sales commands. "Eat your fill before it gets cold."
As you take your seat you look to see the food spread around the table. Plenty of options meet your gaze. However what truly catches your eye is what could very well be the best food on the table, if not in existence. A steaming plate of baked apple slices with a heavy scent of cinnamon.
As you reach out for the apples, a wooden spoon meets your hoof with a smack. "Dinner first." Silver Sales scolds. "You can have desert when your finished."
While you take from acceptable dishes, Silver Smith decides to introduce his family to you. "Sunset, these are our foals." He says pointing his hoof at the colt. "This is our son Silver Shade." He then points to the filly. "And this is our daughter Polished Silver." After introducing his foals, he then points your way. "Kids, this is Sunset Shimmer. She'll be staying with us while we're in ponyville."
As you look toward Silver Smith you recall the conversation you had with him that led you to write up your own policy. You wonder then if you should tell these ponies the truth about yourself. They could tell Celestia about you and then you'd have to face her. On the other hoof Silver Smith values honesty, the element that also happens to be at the top of your list. Besides you are searching for a way to ascend. Alicorns aren't just powerful, they are royalty. Surely such beings need good morals to rule their kingdom. If you don't start trying to live by those morals, how long will it be before you just give up on them. And then how will anypony be able to see you as worthy to rule anything. And then Sunset will never adopt you.
With a gulp and trembling hooves you decide to take the risk and trust the ponies before you with your future. "I... I have something to confess."
The ponies at the table all turn their eyes your way only making your anxiety worse. "Is something wrong filly?" Asks Silver Smith.
"I... I..." You take a deep breath to calm yourself before Clamping your eyes shut and blurting out. "I'm not Sunset Shimmer."
...
"Well then who are you?" Asks Polished Silver, her hooves crossed with a glare that shows irritation.
"Sunset?" Asks Silver Sales. "What are you trying to say?"
"My name isn't Sunset Shimmer." You answer. "Sunset Shimmer is my mother. My name is Twin-Sun Shimmer."
Polished Silver gives a snort. "Twin-Sun Shimmer? How very original." She says with sarcasm and rolling eyes.
"Polished Silver." Silver Sales warns.
"Please mom. you don't know her like I do. Sunset Shimmer will do anything it takes to get what she wants. She doesn't care who she hurts along the way. It's because of her that my friends stopped talking to me. Do you know how long it took me to convince them that I had nothing to do with the rumors she started?" She asks pointing an accusing hoof at you. "And now she's trying to get out of everything by claiming she's not the pony who did those things."
"But it's the truth." You say. "I'm a clone that Sunset created to help her with her research." You stand your front hooves on the table and turn so the others can see your flank before lifting your cloak. "See. I don't even have my cutie mark yet."
"So you hid your cutie mark?" Polished Silver asks. "Did you paint over it or is this a spell you came up with?"
"Polished Silver." Silver Sales scolds. "Stop antagonizing her." Silver Sales then turns her angry gaze your way. "And as for you young lady. Please sit down. Guest or not, you are in our care and I will have you spending the first day in ponyville locked in the guest room if this behavior continues. Am I understood?"
"But I-"
"Am I understood?"
Your ears droop as you sense the seriousness in her voice. "Yes ma'am."
"Good. Now if you wish to continue this, we can do so later in private."
"What?" Asks Polished Silver. "So you believe her."
"Sunset is a very powerful unicorn. Princess Celesita doesn't just take in anypony as her personal student after all. And we don't know why she was banished from the castle. For all we know, this may be the very reason. Of course we'll have to see a specialist to know for certain if she's telling us the truth."
"A specialist?" You ask with eyes wide open. "Will Celestia find out?"
"Most likely. Yes." Silver Sales answers.
"Yeah." Polished Silver taunts with a grin. "And then we'll all know your a liar."
"Polished Silver." Silver Sales berates. "Go to your room."
"But mom!"
"Do as your mother says." Silver Smith Commands. "Or maybe you would like me to take you outside and have you running laps around the estate."
With pure horror in her eyes, Polished Silver bolts to her room without another word.