//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 - Sun's Turbulent Sky 
// Story: Twin-Sun Shimmer 
// by Kydopony 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 3 - Sun's Turbulent Sky


One moment you were watching Celestia running toward you, the next you feel your own magic envelop you before hearing a pop sound and finding yourself above a trash can, knocking it over as you fall in face first.
"Hey!" A masculine voice berates you as you turn around to see a unicorn stallion with a silver coat, his mane and tail a mix of silver and black. His anger turns to sympathy as he watches a banana peel drop from atop the muzzle of a pony he recognizes. "Sunset Shimmer? not even a day and your already stooping to eating garbage?"

After searching your mind for information on the pony in front of you and finding nothing, you decide to expand said knowledge with a question. "Who are you?"

With that one question, his expression changes once again, this time to one of sadness. "I realize you hardly interact with others, but to hear you don't even remember my face hurts a little." He sighs and recomposes himself before continuing. "My name is Silver Smith. Your father is one of my investors. I also consider him to be a friend."

"Sunset has a father?" You think to yourself. "Why don't I have that information? Seems like something that should be  important."

Silver Smith walks in back of you and pushes you forward. "Alright now filly, let's get you home."

As you begin walking on your own, another question enters your thoughts. "Did you know Su-, I mean I got kicked out of the castle?"

"You were the princess's personal student. News this big tends to get around fast when ponies social lives live and die on social relevance." Your ears droop as you process this new information.





You find yourself walking, alongside Silver Smith, up to a large home surrounded by other large homes, all with their own gates and decently sized lawns. The door opens a few moments after Silver Smith knocks to reveal a stallion with an amber coat and a mane and tail a mix of yellow and light blue. "Good afternoon Silver Smith." The stallion of the house welcomes.

"Good afternoon Sunlight Mirror." Silver Smith greets back as he waves you forward. "I caught your daughter eating out of my trash and decided to bring her home."

Sunlight Mirror gives you a hug before moving back to meet your gaze, his hooves still on your shoulders. "You were eating garbage? have your mother and I not taught you manners?"

With no information to draw a conclusion from, all you feel you can do is shrug your shoulders. "I honestly don't remember."

His lips droop into a frown before he answers. "Sunset Shimmer." He gives a thoughtful look before he begins anew with a sigh. "I suppose your mother and I haven't given you much attention have we? And it only got worse since Celestia took you on as her personal student. Come in we'll talk more inside."

As you and Silver Smith head inside a unicorn mare with a light blue coat her mane and tail a mix of red and yellow and a cutie mark of a gold coin being painted walks down stares to meet Sunlight Mirror. "I want a divorce."

"What?" Sunlight asks in surprise.

"You heard me. I want a divorce. I know the ponies you do business with no longer want anything to do with you anymore. You and I both know what that means, and I need a pony who can take care of me and my filly."

"Your leaving me because of money?" He exclaims.

"Mom always told me I was a fool for marrying a stallion who doesn't live by their cutie mark. You had money so I figured she didn't know what she was talking about, but it looks like I was the one who didn't know after all." At her words you look to Sunlight's flank to see a mirror with light shining off of it. She then turns to you. "As for you young lady. We need to work to get you back into Celestia's good graces."

Your eyes go wide at the idea of confronting the alicorn in question. "No thank you. I have other plans."

"Other plans?" She questions. "Do you not know the position you were in as her student?"

Sunlight moves between you and the mare. "Painted Coin, if she doesn't want to go back to being Celestia's student we shouldn't try to force her."

Painted Coin gives her soon to be ex a sneer and a huff. "Well it's not like you'll have much say in the matter when I take custody anyway."

"I don't want to talk about this in front of our child, can you just save this conversation for later?"

"Fine." Painted Coin Huffs while heading out the door. "But while you sit on your flank, I'm going to start looking for a lawyer."

After holding his head in his hoof for a moment he looks back to Silver Smith. "Smith, your heading down to ponyville soon, right?"

"Yes." Silver Smith responds. "Tomorrow in fact."

"Do you think you could take Sunset with you. I really don't want her around all this drama and I still need to make plans for the future."

"I suppose I could do that if Sunset is okay with it."

"Sure, why not?" You answer.





As you walk down the street Silver Smith gives you a question. "Do you have any business in ponyville or would you like me to give you some work while we're down there?"

"Actually." You begin. "Do you know how to get to the Everfree Forest?"

He turns his head in your direction with surprise on his muzzle. "What would a filly your age need to go into the Everfree Forest for?"

Your ears droop at his words. "Well. I need ingredients for a potion."

"And exactly how important is this potion?"

You give a sigh. "I've been given a fresh start and I want to make the most of it."

Silver Smith gives your words some thought before giving an answer. "I suppose I can understand that."

You ask your next question with hopeful eyes. "So you'll help me."

"Now look here. The everfree is no place for a filly your age. If you absolutely must have those ingredients, I'll hire somepony to gather them for you."

"I can take care of my-"

Before you continue, Silver Smith cuts your words off with a hoof. "I don't want to hear it little missy. Your father put me in charge of you while we're at ponyville and I am not going to just allow you to go into a monster infested forest. Besides, my policy would never allow me to forgive myself if something happened to you while you were in my care."

You look back to him with a questioning look. "What's a policy?"

He looks at you with a smile. "That little filly is something I'd love to explain." His eyes gleam with pride. "A policy is basically just a list of morals for somepony to live by. Something to believe in to keep them on the right path."

You look at him with surprise. "Like a cutie mark on paper?"

Silver Smith gives a small chuckle at your comparison. "I believe a pony should live by more than just what their cutie mark tells them to. A policy they can believe in and live by. My policy is simple. Tell the truth as often as possible and give help to those who need it. Oh and remain loyal to those you love. I added that last one the day I married my wife."

As you recall the information your brain has on file about cutie marks, you look back to your own blank flank to contemplate what your own will be before taking a look at Silver Smith's cutie mark, a silver ring inside of a ring cast. "I don't have a cutie mark to tell me how to live." You think to yourself. "Maybe that just means I need a policy more than other ponies."