//------------------------------// // COMBS: Champagne's Old Memories Become Stifling // Story: Be Human: the All-American Girl Sidestories // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// December 29, 2046 Haymarket The mare walked through the snow towards the small town. She’d do this alone, she said, and insisted on doing so by leaving her guards behind. Stopping in the city of Oatmaha, she then convinced her escorts via a sizable amount of bits and told them to enjoy their New Year’s Eve holiday on her. Based on the hotel’s bar – and in particular the copious amounts of cider and other alcohol they had there – the guards did so with little issue; any concerns of impropriety were squelched when she insisted she wouldn’t tell her husband and it’d be kept in confidentiality. With that in mind, the guards went to celebrate the holidays, leaving her to her own devices. Knowing the guards that she’d hoofpicked for this mission, they’d drink themselves into a stupor and be that way for at least a couple of days. And now here she was, in the town of Haymarket, forty miles south of Oatmaha, almost in the exact center of the country. As she walked through the winter air, a few ponies turned their head and wondered if she really was who she appeared to be; a few thought to ask, but thought better of it. After all, Haymarket was a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and there would be no reason for somepony of her pedigree and import to come here. Even still, she was present: Princess Champagne Dreams, wife of Prince Blueblood, spouse of the pony fourth in line to the Solar Throne. And she was dressed in winter finery, and unmistakably the alabaster unicorn with the wheat-hued hair. Walking past and nodding to a few more ponies that gave her double-takes as she moved on, she passed the majority of the town behind as she walked towards a somewhat-dilapidated log cabin just south of the town. None stopped her as she continued on, though that night a few of the townsponies would talk about their brush with royalty, or at least a mare who looked the part. In any case, Champagne came to a stop just as the cabin became visible, but not so much that she could see the ponies who lived in it – the rustic, antiquated individuals that she was so inexorably tied to. Time to do this, she told herself. She hated this part; she swore several times each year that she’d never come back – and yet she always did. She just as much swore that she’d reconcile her past and present, but…that would never happen, could never occur. Far easier to pretend to continue the lie that was her life than to even try. Yet every year she did, and every year she failed at this bucephalean task. And yet here I go again, she thought. I wonder if this year will be any different? With a flicker of red, Champagne’s horn powered with magic, and her body began to glow… …and a second later, the white unicorn was replaced by a very different mare, one of orange coat and red-and-yellow mane and tail, with teal eyes instead of beige and a solar flare cutie mark instead of a champagne flute. Champagne Dreams was now gone – correction; she was now her true self, the pony she’d been born as: Sunset Shimmer. Still wearing her regal finery, Sunset headed towards her family home, ready for another year of estrangement and disappointment. She didn’t get far: as she approached the cabin, there was the sound of chopping. A few more feet revealed a stallion, deep yellow in color with a red-and-orange mane and a solar corona for a cutie mark. It was her younger brother, Shining Sunrise, and as expected he was chopping wood for the fireplace. She hadn’t taken so much as taken a further step when the stallion stopped chopping and without looking at her, said in a rough voice, “Get out of here. You don’t belong here anymore.” “Sunrise,” she spoke, her voice soft. He turned on her and the look in his eyes would kill if it could. “Didn’t you hear me? Go away! Or haven’t you done enough damage, being the dark horse of the family? Nobody wants you here!” “Sunrise…I didn’t mean t—” “Didn’t mean to what, you liar? You ruined my life!” he snarled. “Everything I worked for was ruined because of you! But of course, you don’t care!” That was enough for her. “I do care!” she cried back. “Why do you think I’m here?” Using her magic, she produced a huge bag of bits. “Here – I even brought mo—” “Take your dirty money, and leave!” Sunrise yelled. “We don’t want it!” “It’s not dirty – it came from my financial assets,” Sunset answered tersely, though with a tinge of sadness. “You probably mean your latest con scheme, you tail-lifting harridelle!” “Sunrise!” an aged voice called out, “that’s no way to talk to your sister.” Standing at the door was an aged mare, sagging coat of light yellow and a mane that had once been bright white but now had faded into gray. Sunshine Day, their mother and the matriarch of the household, probably one of the most forgiving ponies Sunset had ever known. “Sunset, honey, c’mon in. It’s good to see you again!” “Thanks, Mom,” Sunset gushed. The mare walked past her brother, who muttered under his breath, “Nice cloak and saddle. Wonder where you stole them from.” “I’m not going to justify that with an answer,” she told her brother. “Why can’t you just let bygones be bygones?” “So says the mare who got me kicked out of the Guard,” he hissed. “Mom might have forgiven you, but I haven’t…and Dad never will.” She flinched at his words; after all these years, the wounds had yet to heal and she knew that. It was part of a past she constantly thought she’d gotten over, but always seemed to be just one step short of freedom. Or maybe just when I’m Champagne I’m free of all this, she thought to herself. As she entered the ramshackle home, it wrenched her heart to see how much things had changed. Their family had always lived a modest lifestyle, but it looked as though things had taken a turn for the worse: furniture was now broken from age, rugs were worn and the happy house of her bygone years was as far lost to her as her youth. “Mom, what…?” Sunset began. Sunshine shook her head. “After your father’s accident, we couldn’t keep up. Since his…return…from the Guard, Sunrise has tried to keep the family business going, but I’m just an old mare now and can’t work like I used to. That, and with competition from human companies, we just can’t keep up anymore. Business is all about washed up now, and foreign firms like Georgia-Pacific and CMKC Group are buying up all the forest land we can’t afford. “Mom, here.” Sunset immediately willed the bag of bits back into existence, giving it to her mother. “There’s more where that came from – just let me know what you need.” “Oh, honey, I can’t accept this,” the older mare said, even as she looked at the bag as if it were a Celestiasend. “You know that we—” “It’s legal,” Sunset said. “Why can’t any of you understand that?” “Sweetie, it’s just….” Sunshine then stopped speaking as if something was meant to be unspoken. Sunshine then took the satchel in her telekinesis, merely saying, “Thank you, Sunset. Go see your father now. He’s missed you very much.” Sunset nodded, “Will do.” She then went down the hall, towards her parents’ bedroom. As she did, she walked past her old bedroom, a place she slept in once a year whenever she came to visit her family. A part of her mind wondered how her husband and foals would react, but just as quickly, she knew the answer to that: Blueblood would be disgusted, but would say nothing as part of the agreement that went with their marriage. Her son, Silver Platter, would be completely stunned that his shining, sterling example of a mother came from such common stock; if anything, it would give him justification to continue his misogynistic and classist actions. Perhaps the only one who might have accepted was her daughter, Gilded Lily. Lily was closer in nature to Blueblood’s cousin Cadance than anypony would care to admit; unfortunately, as a princess the younger mare wasn’t going to be allowed to have her own life, and Champagne would have to arrange an advantageous marriage sooner or later. At least she’ll have that much for her, Sunset thought of her daughter. At least her life is true. Sunset knocked on the door and then went in, whispering “Dad, I’m home.” The pony lying on the bed was stock still and barely breathing, hooked up to a number of magical devices. He looked thin and frail, the result of a decades-long coma that dozens of doctors had attempted to coax him out of, with no success whatsoever. Several of those same medical professionals had told Sunset and her family that if he ever managed to wake up, he would never be the same: likely heavily brain-damaged from both the lengthy coma and the initial injuries to begin with. The deep-green stallion had a soft-brown mane which covered up what Sunset knew was there: a unicorn’s horn that had been broken almost completely off, the tragic result of a timber accident that happened while both Sunset and Sunrise had been away in Canterlot seeking their futures. Heartwood was her father, the stallion that had encouraged her to move beyond the life of a lumberjack’s daughter – to follow her dreams and grow her proficiency with magic. He’d also convinced Sunrise to follow his dreams as well, that the life of a guardspony was far better than that of living amongst lumberyards and tree farms. And so when they were old enough, they went, and by the time everything had fallen apart, so had their father, a victim of a tree that had broken the wrong way after his axe had cut through it. The fact that he’d survived was a miracle…if the state he’d been in for decades now could be called survival. Walking up to him, she patted his mane, then kissed him on the forehead. “I’m back, Dad,” she whispered, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. “Back for my yearly visit. I’m…doing well, and I wish you could see what I’m doing now. I’m hoping that someday I’ll be able to bring you back, so that you and Mom can retire in peace. And I don’t care what I have to do and who I have to trample to do it. I’ll pay any price to save you, Dad – any price.” Sunset would have said more if it wasn’t for the sudden shouting in the kitchen. Leaving her father’s room, she went into the kitchen to find her mother and brother arguing with a minotaur. “What’s going on?” she asked. “This minotaur’s here to foreclose on the business and our home!” Sunshine wailed. “Oh buck no he’s not!” Sunrise said. “Get out of our house!” The minotaur stood there, a sober look on his face as he held out a business card. “Total Supremacy, attorney for my client, Bank of America. About seventy years ago, your father took out a long-term business loan for your company and placed that and the house as collateral.” “But isn’t that a human company?” Sunset asked. “It shouldn’t hold any part of the loan – human companies have only been operating in Equestria for fifteen years!” Sunset knew that quite well; as Champagne, part of Blueblood’s extensive assets included stock in foreign companies such as the American bank. “Yes, ma’am,” the minotaur answered. “But Bank of Oatmaha was bought by First Bank of Canterlot, which was in turn bought by Hoofbankcorp, which was in turn purchased by National Assets of Manehattan, which was in turn purchased by Flim-Flam Bros. Financial. About four years ago, Bank of America bought the real estate dealings of Flim-Flam Bros. which included the business loans and mortgages, which this property falls under. Now, under the terms of agreement, the moment the loan defaulted, the principals were given ninety days from which to catch up, or else the bank would have to take possession. At the moment, we have approached the ninety-day mark, under which my client expects for the loan to be paid in full, or you will have to vacate the premises immediately.” “But we never received any notification about the loan being in default!” Sunrise shouted. “We’ve sent several notices, both by express mail and by overnight courier,” Total Supremacy said, producing receipts. Sunrise looked at the documents and then suddenly went stock-still. While Sunset didn’t know what was going on, she knew that somehow something had just gone terribly wrong, and that the blame wasn’t necessarily that of the business or the minotaur. “Mr. Supremacy,” she asked, “how much is owed on the loan?” “Approximately Ƀ15.7 million, not counting legal fees, taxes and the like,” he answered. “If you’d like, I can get you an exact figure.” Both Sunrise and Sunshine gasped in shock, unable to comprehend how such a huge amount of money had been racked up. “Yes, please do,” she said, looking briefly at her family. “I’ll ensure the total is paid tomorrow.” Behind her, she heard another round of gasps as she just completely agreed to take care of the amount. “And you can do this?” the lawyer asked. “Without fail,” Sunset answered. “Then I will be by tomorrow with the appropriate documents,” he replied. “Please have everything ready to go, because…well, truthfully, I don’t care to remove anypony from their homes, but business is business.” And with that, he then departed, leaving Sunset in the same house as two completely flabbergasted ponies. “Sixteen million bits?” Sunshine said, absolutely astonished. “Sunset, where are you going to g—” “NO!” Sunrise shouted. “I REFUSE! TAKE YOUR DIRTY MONEY AND GET OUT OF HERE AND DON’T COME BACK!” “Son, your sister is trying to help, though I must confess even I’m curious as to where you’ll get that much money from.” “I keep telling you,” Sunset replied. “It’s money I earned from…my, um, job. I’m….” “Oh, this lie’s going to be a whopper, I can tell,” Sunrise accused. She sighed. “Look: I’m…the private secretary for her highness Princess Champagne Dreams,” she lied. “She pays me very well to do my job, so I’ve saved up quite some bits over the years.” “That’s wonderful!” Sunshine chirped. “I always knew you’d make something of yourself someday, Sunset.” “Thanks, Mom,” the younger mare said, wondering how she was going to explain this one. Sure, about Ƀ16M was a drop in the bucket in the family assets, but even Blueblood was going to be curious as to where that money went. “Tell you what: you go get dressed up. We’re going out to eat tonight, on me, okay?” The look on Sunshine’s face was touching. “Oh, I’m so proud of you, Sunset. Your father is too, I’m sure. Now, let me go find my best dress.” With that, the aged mare went off to her bedroom, looking for something to wear for that evening. “You know, you may have fooled Mom, but I’m not buying it,” Sunrise seethed. “‘Private secretary for the princess.’ Heh, why don’t you just tell a bigger lie – like you’re the princess in secret or something?” Because then I wouldn’t be lying, you idiot, she thought, though she held her tongue. Instead, she said, “My private life is none of your business, Sunrise. Just let me help Mom, and then I’ll be out of your mane again for another year. Besides, you should be a little bit appreciative, since it’s basically your job that I’m saving.” “Yeah, I’ll look up gratitude for that right after I get over the fact that you got me kicked out of the guard for your stupidity,” he spat. “And since that takes precedence, in the meanwhile you’ll just have to live with that!” Dinner that night had been nothing but pure fabrication. Sunset spun lies out of whole cloth, leaving her mother absolutely stupefied – and her brother more suspicious by the minute. During a quick run to the “fillies’ room”, Sunset had called her actual secretary and informed her that it was a royal edict that should anypony inquire as to if a mare named Sunset Shimmer worked for her that she’d done so for a number of years and in a bunch of special duties that nopony was at liberty to discuss. Once that was done, she went back to dinner, only to have her brother decide suddenly that he had to attend to something of a “stallionly nature”. Sunset had little doubt as to what he was doing and who he was calling. A few minutes later, sure enough, he returned, a confused but still suspicious look on his face. Satisfied that the lie had worked, Sunset Shimmer spent the rest of the time continuing her fictions while making mental notes that she might have to back them up someday – and hoped that she never would. And as they returned to the family home, spent but happy, it was the first time in years that Sunset had seen her mother smile; something that was well overdue. But as she went to her bed, she heard her brother’s voice behind her as he headed to his room: “I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to pull a fast one, faker. Just do what you have to do to make Mom happy and save Dad’s business, then you can leave and never come back.” “You know,” she replied as she stifled a yawn, “I’m not used to being addressed in that tone. And you’re lucky I’m not the princess, because she would have you garotted or worse for that.” He suddenly blanched, expecting a wicked smile to come from her. But instead, she turned away, walking into her old bedroom and stifling a moment of panic. Because she knew, as Champagne, she likely would have – and had already done much, much worse. That night, sleeping fitfully on a gingham bed, Sunset Shimmer dreamed. Sunset found herself standing in the center of the Royal Parade Grounds in Canterlot. She was in her guise as Champagne, and yet somehow she knew that something about her life as Sunset had been exposed, though she wasn’t sure why. As she stood there, she looked into the distance. The parade grounds looked anything but healthy. The sky was a sooty black while the sun, normally bright and yellow, was a choked, anemic ball of white hanging in the background, giving off ashen rays of light that gave everything a gray, dank pallor. Eventually the faded light settled on a slab of quartz-like crystal, blacker than the night and radiating waves of acid-green and ghostly-purple. The crystal almost felt alive, a sinuous, bestial thing. And as the geode seemed to grow slowly but surely, taking over the whole of the parade ground, Sunset finally realized what she was staring at. How many ponies did you kill with that spell? a voice asked. How many senior mages did it take to bring under control and how many did it take for them to convene the administrative board that kicked you out of the Guild Academy? Sunset turned around and found herself staring at a huge, black alicorn, the look of which was fearsome and daunting. Part of her instinctively told herself to run, but at the last moment she thought better of it. Smart mare – if you’d run, you would have vexed me dearly…and not many ponies ever wake up from that again. But we are not here to discuss that. Instead, we’re here to discuss a critical part of your life, Sunset Shimmer…or should I say, your highness, Champagne Dreams? Nightmare Moon smiled, but it was a sad, lonely smile. I’m sure you didn’t mean to do it. “No, I didn’t,” Champagne said sadly. “When Dad had his accident, and the doctors told us that there was no hope, I begged an audience with Archmagus Glittering Prize and begged him to have either Princess Celestia or Cadance intervene. But he told me that as academy students, we were all ‘Celestia’s prize pupils’ and for her to play favorites wouldn’t be fair.” But you didn’t know about Twilight Sparkle, did you? the Nightmare asked. “No, and to be honest, it wouldn’t have mattered if I did,” Sunset spoke. When I found out they couldn’t – or wouldn’t – intervene, I went to the library to cry. I could have went anywhere, but few students bothered going to the library, as their masters were hoofs-on teachers. My mentor, Fruit Splash, however, was very much into book learning. ‘Nothing can’t be learned at the hoof that wasn’t memorized in the book first,’ she always told me. So I was very used to being in the library, even when it was the last place on the planet I wanted to be. “But while looking for a place where I could be desolate, that’s when I got lost, and that’s when I found one of the forbidden wings of the library.” And that’s when you found my son’s studies, the alicorn said. Champagne laughed. “Oh, please – Sombra was your son? Nightmare, I’m used to lies. I’m living a lie! So believe me when I say that I can tell when somepony’s lying, and that has to be the worst one I’ve heard!” Is it? the dark alicorn asked in turn. Or are you so used to your own lies that you’ve forgotten what truth sounds like? In any case, let me remind you of the truth of your actions, Sunset Shimmer. After finding my son’s books, you began studying them more and more, studying how he was able to take a mystical artifact of power and bend it to his will; how he took his followers – mere earth ponies fleeing the fractured remains of Queen Faust’s once-great nation – and gave them everlasting life as the so-called “crystal ponies”. But you didn’t figure out how he was able to make crystal ponies permanent, did you? He took that secret to his grave when he was murdered by Celestia and Luna. Champagne looked at the Nightmare with confusion. “How would you know that?” How would I know that Celestia, using the arts of war to bring all of ponydom back under the restored realm that was once her mother’s, forced the ponies of Pegasopolis, Unicornia and Earth to bow to her or face the hell that was Discord? Or that shortly afterwards she annexed Saddle Arabia, giving them only the slightest veneer of independence? Or that my son, watching it all, couldn’t bear to see his followers be crushed under ivory and navy hooves and waged a war to protect their own freedom? The look in the Nightmare’s face was one of near-heartbreak, and it made her look more approachable, more natural. “But Sombra was said to torture his subjects! That he abused them in vile, unnatural ways, and when he lost, on his death he banished them to a netherrealm for over a thousand years!” Or maybe those are the lies you were told, the Nightmare answered. Sombra was a scientist and a master of magic, full of life and wanting to protect his subjects. That is why he created the spell that gave those earth ponies magic almost on par with unicorns such as himself. And knowing that Celestia would abuse that power, he reluctantly sealed away the Crystal Empire – that wasn’t his name for it, by the way, it was an epithet used by Celestia – until the day they could be protected once more. But my part in it you mostly know: filled with grief, I did what I could to avenge my son, turning Luna against her own sister. We were both banished for that time until Luna was freed by Twilight Sparkle and I was banished again. The dark alicorn, looking more like a slightly larger version of Luna now, shook her head sadly. I don’t blame Twilight for what she did; she did what she was brainwashed into thinking was correct. Just as I don’t blame you for using my son’s books to try to save your father, even though the consequences didn’t quite work out as you intended. Champagne turned her head away at that, but considering where they were in her nightmare, it was hard to avoid. She’d tested the crystallization spell on a mouse nearly dead from old age, hoping that if it worked, she’d be able to transform her father and save him. And it worked, for a few minutes; the transformed crystal mouse seemed as though its youth had been restored. But then it turned black as night, and then with painful, shrill screams obsidian spars erupted from its body, making it look more like a crystal porcupine. Then it exploded, and as blood flew everywhere, where it spattered more spars of crystal formed. Within seconds, her room at the academy was completely covered in obsidian and as she ran from the room, she barely made it out as her roommate came in. The screams behind her told her enough of what had just occurred – and that her roommate was going to no longer be amongst the living, soon. By the time she’d found the mage on-duty, four rooms had been enveloped, and seven colts and fillies, young students with promising futures, had been subsumed by the black obsidian. Hours later, the damage had been done. Fifty-three students killed. Seventeen mages had also fallen to the mess, as did thirty guards attempting to evacuate the remaining students. It had taken Princess Celestia to quite literally vaporize that wing of the academy with her power to stop the bloodshed. Horrified and angry at the use of black magic by somepony at the academy, the Princess demanded action be taken to punish the wrongdoer. It didn’t take long for Sunset to be outed. Nopony suspected a student at first, but her guilty attitude and inability to suddenly concentrate on her studies finally let the teachers put two and two together. It was funny, she mused; nowadays, with the introduction of human psychology and in particular the concept of “survivor’s guilt”, she could have potentially gotten away with it. But this was long before that time, and in any case, they were correct about the wrongdoer. The administrative board was quickly convened. Since she was too young to be convicted of a crime, the Archmagus executed the sternest ruling he could: expulsion from the guild with prejudice – she could never appeal or return. But what she hadn’t expected was what had happened to her brother, Sunshine: due to her actions, the guard did not feel he could be trusted either, and he was forced out of the guard bootcamp as well, leaving both rejected. When Sunshine found out what had happened, she’d been horrified. Sunrise, disgusted at his sister, immediately went home to Haymarket to work at their father’s business, literally the only thing he had left for him; it was a slap in the face for somepony whose cutie mark hinted at the potential of being part of Celestia’s main guard. Sunset, feeling that she had nopony left to turn to and no place to go, effectively vanished. It was years later when a young noblemare named Champagne Dreams appeared, the horrors of the past long forgotten. While nopony knew what Champagne’s lineage was, none investigated, assuming that anypony of such sterling and noble demeanor was undeniably one of the nobles living on the west coast of Equestria. And when she’d nursed the heart of the somewhat irascible young prince Blueblood after a rumored disaster of an attempt to woo the future Knight Elemental named Rarity, it wasn’t long before Blueblood and Champagne were announced to be engaged, and eventually married. Over the years, marriage had dulled the prince’s sharp edges, it seemed, and in public the royal couple was a shining example of what royalty was meant to be. Eventually, Champagne gave birth to a son, Silver Platter, that some said had picked up his father’s old ways; and a daughter, Gilded Lily, who was said to be even more of a shining star than her parents. But even still, Blueblood and Champagne continued their tireless public attempts to improve the life of all of ponydom and to ensure a better way of life for the subjects of Equestria. But behind closed doors, nopony, save for possibly Blueblood, knew what hells she’d endured working her way to form her identity as Champagne; not a single pony could even fathom the number of ponies she’d swindled, slept with, conned, or worse, all just to get that leg up in society, just to earn a few bits to send home to her family. Her entire life was one of hardship and criminality, and yet somehow she’d survived it all, eking out an existence that would have made the hardest-hearted of ponies break down in tears of anguish and sympathy. In fact, it had been one of those cruel-minded individuals, a minor viscountess with which Sunset had an ‘intimate agreement’ – short for sex for pay on demand – named Virgin Dawn that had been the inspiration for Champagne’s looks, and when Virgin and her husband mysteriously died in a chariot crash, leaving everything to a distant cousin named Champagne Dreams, nopony suspected. But through all that, she’d never forgotten where she’d come from, and the father to who she owed everything. And now as she stood, metaphorically, before the very Solar Throne she wished to ensconce her husband in, the call to save her father was just as great; the hope to tell the truth to them – well, an edited version, at any rate – and give her family the life they deserved was all-important. You know, I could help you with that, Nightmare commented. A little tit for tat, and not only would you get everything you desire, I get something out of the deal as well. “How so?” If I lent you my power, it would be enough to bring forth the true crystal spell. That was your problem – you were never powerful enough to do so. But with somepony of, say, Sombra’s or Twilight Sparkle’s skill, it would suffice. For a pony of my power? Mere foal’s play. Your father would be safe. Furthermore, the alicorn said, putting a wing gently on Champagne’s back, you could rid the world of Celestia and Luna and place your family on the throne. Then you could give your family titles of nobility and to Tartarus with anypony who would dare say otherwise. The alicorn chuckled. I see that from the look in your eyes, I have your attention. But I want you to think on it. Such a decision should never be made lightly. I will let you ponder my offer, she decided, waving a black wing over Champagne’s eyes. We will be in touch…. Sunset awoke with a start. Conjuring into existence her cellphone, she noticed that it was four in the morning. While she couldn’t get a signal – human technology had yet to make an extended appearance in this part of Equestria – she was still using it for other methods, like a clock. And right now that clock was telling her she had no time to lose. Willing to existence a pen and paper, she immediately wrote up a document, then sent it straight to her secretary. Datestamp would be on the ball and get it rolling, she was sure. She’d probably also hear about it from Blueblood, but she’d deal with that; her idea would ensure that the family’s business would be saved. An hour later, just as she heard Sunrise get up for the morning, she saw the flash of light blue fire, as the letter willed itself into existence. Letting the scroll fall to the bed, she quickly looked at it and a terse smile came onto her face. Dear, I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’ll back your play for now. I expect a full account as to why we’ve spent millions on what seems to be nothing less than a complete waste of bits. Your adoring husband, -B That’s more than enough for me, she decided, as she willed more paper and her checkbook out. She had quite a few more things to fill out and the clock was ticking. A tense breakfast followed. While Sunshine “had every faith” in her daughter, she was also looking around the house, nostalgia glasses firmly on, wondering where they would go after they lost the house. While she never voiced any of it, Sunset knew her mother well enough to realize that. As for Sunrise, he was off talking to his employees – what few of them were left – about getting to work. From the sounds that floated over the air to where she was, she wasn’t sure, but one of his best lumberjacks had just taken a better-paying supervisory position with Canadian Forest Products, which had just bought a sizable amount of acreage in the Whitetail Woods, outside of Shetland Valley. Finally, he sent his ponies out to work. As he walked back to the house, his steps were heavy and Sunset knew her brother’s heart was on the verge of defeat. Speaking to nopony in particular, he said, “Well, I let the guys know that we’re on our last legs here.” Looking at Sunset with a hard stare, he said, “You had damn well better come through, because if you don’t, you won’t be ruining just my life this time, you’ll be destroying a whole lot more.” “I’ve got it under control,” she answered as an SUV pulled up to the house. As it came to a stop, several humans stepped out of the vehicle, as well as Total Surpremacy. The look on several of the humans indicated that they already felt they owned the place and were making “big plans” with the land they were going to have in their grasp. It didn’t surprise her; nearly every human she’d ever met was just like ponies – kind-hearted and wonderful on the surface, but filled with lies and deception on the inside. If they had their way, they’d probably build an office park and some factories and pay ponies a few extra bits while the next generation of PCs and iPads were “proudly made in Equestria”. She knew their kind, as ruthless as sharks – just like her. Part of her considered bedding at least one of them to find out their plans and use them for her needs, but she no longer needed to do that sort of thing. She now had underlings to do that for her. “Is something the matter, my mistress?” a voice behind her said, just soft enough that neither Sunshine nor Sunrise could hear. Sunset had been notified of her special assistant’s arrival just before she stepped out of her bedroom that morning. The assistant was one of the few ponies who had Sunset’s confidence on her dual identity, and the older unicorn felt a kindred spirit with her assistant, as she’d undergone much the same kind of life as Sunset had. So Sunset took her under her hoof and confidence, and let the pony grow. That doesn’t mean I don’t have means of dealing with her should she decide to go rogue, Sunset mused to herself. Speaking just barely above a whisper, she said, “Those four humans – give them the ‘special treatment’. Make it look like an accident, of course. Leave the minotaur alone; I get the feeling he’s not too happy with his job.” “Yes, mistress,” the mare said. “And your brother?” Sunset thought about it for a second. “We’ll discuss that later.” She could feel her assistant disappear as Supremacy came up. “Ah, Mr. Supremacy, so good to see you this morning.” The look in his eyes was apologetic. “I’m sorry. A team from my client insisted on following me this morning, as they’re sure you won’t be able to make the payment.” “Well,” the orange unicorn said with a smile on her face. “Would an even twenty million bits be enough to convince you to change your mind?” “Twenty million?” Sunshine gasped. Sunrise merely looked at his sister as though she’d just gone insane. Supremacy smiled softly; somehow this had just made his life easier, even though he’d never hinted at that. But the humans that were looking at the property turned and looked at her with anger. “Listen here, young lady,” one of the men said as he came up, “I don’t know where you think you can pull this stuff off, but let’s get something straight: as soon as that check bounces, we’re going to own this land and kick your Goddamn asses off our property. So just stop stalling with theatrics, pack up and leave, got that?” Giving the man a wide, malicious grin, she said, “Sir, I am the private secretary for Her Highness Princess Champagne Dreams. Her highness was kind enough to loan me the money so that I could save my family’s business, and unless you feel that money that comes straight from the Crown is invalid, then you can certainly try. Furthermore, her highness asked me to follow up on the situation with her, as she feels that human-owned banks do not exactly have a sense of corporate responsibility, and since she and her husband – fourth in line to the Equestriani throne, I might add – own approximately three percent of your bank’s stocks, that gives her quite a bit of leverage.” The man suddenly turned ashen-faced as she said that. “You’re lying,” he said, though not with as much confidence. In response, she turned to Supremacy and said, “Sir, at the Oatmaha Hooflight Inn there’s a contingent of Equestriani Royal Guards, preparing for her highness’ New Year’s speech in two days. They can verify the check and they likely have a patent rosa to confirm it.” Supremacy’s grin was wide as he said, “I don’t think that will be necessary, Ms. Shimmer.” Turning to the humans, he said, “Show’s over, folks. Let’s get you back to Oatmaha so you can head back to New York soonest.” Displeased with their plans being thwarted, the humans got back into the SUV. “This place isn’t worth the bother, anyway,” one of the humans snarled, while several others agreed. Sunset wanted to head over there and slap the speaker – or, to be honest, have the four of them executed on the spot, but that’s what Champagne would have done…and she wasn’t Champagne at the moment. Meanwhile, just before he left, Supremacy said in a hushed tone to Sunset, “This was my last job working for my law firm – I’m turning in my two weeks. Between you and me, I’m tired of working with humans who treat AE species like we’re less than zero. So…if your father’s company’s ever looking for an attorney,” he said, giving her a new business card, one with a different phone number on it, “give me a call.” Sunset winked. “Will do, Mr. Supremacy. Have a wonderful day.” She couldn’t say more as she was suddenly surrounded in hugs by her mother and, surprisingly, her brother. “You did it!” Sunshine chirped, tears of joy and relief streaming down her face. “You saved us, Sunset!” “Wow, I am impressed,” Sunrise said, his voice actually carrying positive tones towards her for the first time in years. “I didn’t think you could pull it off.” The trio spent minutes there, excited and giddy about having saved everything. Finally, as they calmed down, she said, “Mom, this calls for a celebration tonight. Would it be too much to ask for your special Daffodil Tetrazinni for dinner?” “I’ll get started right away!” Sunshine said as she headed towards the kitchen, a lightness in her steps that hadn’t seemed to be there in years, as if the aged mare was almost dancing. “Well, time to go tell my workers the good news,” Sunrise said, a grin on his face. “Sunrise, you might hate me,” Sunset said, “but it doesn’t mean that I haven’t regretted what happened to you, little brother.” The look on his face was impassive and unreadable, as if something was warring within his head. For the first time in a while, Sunset considered that the repercussions of what happened to him might have given him a subtle but long-running case of CMFIS. After all, his cutie mark wasn’t meant to have him here as a lumberjack. Finally, something seemed to pass and he said, “Maybe. You go tell Dad the news; I’ve got to get to my workers.” And with that, he left Sunset alone with her thoughts, wondering if as much as she suffered climbing back to a normal standard of life, her brother had paid a different but just as huge price for something he’d never done. “Your highness?” a voice whispered behind her and she had to keep herself from yelping. Sunset turned to face the mare in question, a black unicorn guardsmare with a bright red mane. Unlike her normal retinue of guards or the ceremonial ones at her manse, this one was outfitted in no clothing that revealed her as a guard, mainly because in truth she wasn’t one. The look on Sunset’s face grew hard as she said, “That first human….” “Done, milady. He’ll be meeting a cute and easily pliable mare at the bar tonight. A little convincing will get her up to his room, and…well, I’ve heard that older humans have heart attacks during sex,” she said nonchalantly. Sunset smiled with no humor. “I’ll have to keep that in mind. And the others?” “It might take a few weeks, and I might have to travel to Human-Earth, but I shall do as bid.” “Good. The sooner they’re dealt with for this indignity, the better.” “Yes, your highness. And, what about your brother?” the mare asked. A sudden idea came to Sunset. “Well, he’s getting up there in years, and I’m sure you don’t want to be doing this job forever, Red….” Red looked at her employer oddly, putting two and two together – or rather, one and one – in a heartbeat. “So you’re going to pay me to be your brother’s concubine?” “Think of it as a financial incentive to get a charming, older coltfriend who will treat you right. Despite his anger, Sunrise is a wonderful stallion. And believe it or not, I don’t want you to go down the same path that I did.” “What path is that, your highness?” “The path where I have to brutally murder you to keep my secret once you inevitably step out of line,” she said smoothly. “So, at least as my future sister-in-law, you’ll get paid to keep my brother happy and I might include you in some other plans, which undoubtedly will be very lucrative.” “I…see,” the mare said, as if she’d just been lured into a trap. Finally, after some consideration, she answered with, “I can’t promise that I’ll be happy about this, but at least I’ll pretend.” Tapping the younger mare on the withers, she said, “Look on the bright side: I gain more power, and as family, I’ll be sharing it. Because if there’s one thing that I’m totally ruthless at,” Sunset said with a note of pride in her voice, “it’s taking care of my family.” It was two days later when Champagne Dreams returned to her manor. The first thing she found was her husband, standing there as he waited for her limousine, a scowl on his face. As she got out, he said, “Well, this has been an interesting New Year’s holiday. I find myself out twenty million bits, one of the executives of the bank we own stock in was found dead of a heart attack after sleeping with a mare in Oatmaha, where you just happened to be giving the annual speech this year. And, saddest of all, one of the mares I…ahem…keep myself busy with seems to have left the premises for good, and I know she was last seen with you. Care to explain any of this?” Champagne approached her husband, her eyes already full of desire. “I have cornered everything I need to, my husband,” she said, “and Red Flash has new responsibilities now.” “Oh?” “Yes. She has a new stallion to entertain her,” she said, whispering huskily in his ear, “and if you meet me in our chambers in twenty minutes, I’ll tell you all about it after you show me the same…courtesy.” She curled her tail seductively around his leg just like he liked it, and as the end of her tail brushed against something she suddenly realized she had his attention. “So the twenty million is…?” “An investment,” she said, grabbing his suit collar in her teeth and pulling him towards the house. She knew several ponies were looking at them right now, but she didn’t care. Let them think that the princess was busy wanting to spend time with the husband she so very much missed while on her royal duties. It would almost be close to the truth. That night, exhausted and in a room smelling of a heady chocolate scent, Champagne Dreams slept. I see you’ve returned, Nightmare Moon said, an even look on her face. Are you re— “You can skip the formalities, Nightmare,” Champagne responded. “My answer is….”