//------------------------------//
// Sunset Shimmer 
// Story: Legion of Shadows 
// by Strythio 
//------------------------------//

	The Canterlot Caves had seen many uses over the years. It once imprisoned a certain pink alicorn, housed the base of operations for Blueblood's wine operation during the dry seasons of Equestrian policy, and actually had once been an active mining site for gems. 

But now, in the seemingly endless crystal tunnels, a single mare bound by shackles and chains called this place home. Thin, as if having been starved for days on end, the weak unicorn pawed at the dusty floor, the gentle clank of her restraints ever reminding her of her predicament. 

Her once brilliant mane of crimson and yellow was now filthy and matted with knots, the coloration resembling a dirty blonde and black combination. Her coat had long lost its sheen as well, and the markings of healing bruises and scratches almost making her resemble some undead thing. On her back were a few scars as well, though individually they were far too small to be noticed from a distance.

Sunset Shimmer, no doubt, had seen better days. She crept open her eyes at the sound of clopping hooves, though did not bother rising from her slumped position. Unless they were bringing food and water, there was no point in getting excited. 

Entering her cavern was none other than Princess Celestia, her face stern and her posture tense. Her gaze softened for a brief moment before hardening at the sight of the fallen unicorn. 

"Sunset Shimmer, are you ready for your sentencing?" She asked with that serene tone of her, despite the message that echoed through the halls, "For your crimes against Equestria? Against your fellow ponies? Against me." 

Sunset did not bother looking up; already she was physically weak. No need to melt even further under her mentor's burning glare. 

"This is your last chance. Tell us everything about the Legion, and the sentence will be reduced to banishment." 

Sunset spat at her own hooves at the proposal, what little spittle remaining hardly forming a drop worthy of the action's symbolism. 

Celestia, unfazed sighed. "Death it shall be then. I hope your ambition was worth it..." 

"Celestia, what did I do wrong?" 

Though wretched and dry sounding, the sudden change of heart regarding speech only mildly surprised Celestia. The question, however, seemed very out of place. 

"You attempted to overthrow not just me, but the entire Equestrian government by force; insurrection is one thing, but good ponies died because of your actions." 

Sunset cackled, rising weakly to her hooves, still unable to look Celestia in the eye. "I never once lost sight of my ambition, my goal, to become an alicorn and rule Equestria; and yet, when I had the chance to finally destroy you, I choked." 

Celestia seemed slightly amused, though maintained her composure. "Perhaps you are willing to talk?"

Sunset finally garnered the strength to look into her mentor's eyes. And for the first time since she had arrived in her stoney prison, she could feel two emotions that she thought had long since departed from her. Fear and hope swelled, her ears flattening against her head. 

"I will not tell you where they are. But I will tell you our story." 

Celestia, rather than telling her off or dismissing the notion, actually levitated a bottle of water to her former adversary. Sunset, wary at first, uncapped the bottle and sniffed it, lapping at it before downing half of it in one fell swoop. It was a pitiful sight, but the unicorn was not in the caring mood for appearances.  

"Upon your execution, you will become a martyr to your cause, and no doubt the rest will have to be dealt with before this spreads any further," Celestia lectured, never taking her gaze from Sunset, " They will tell a story no doubt different from what really happened. I have my doubts that you will tell me the truth." 

Sunset wiped her mouth with a dirty limb, a few bits of dirty clinging to her chin and face. Having regained some level of dignity, she daintily licked at the still moist portion of her right arm, hardly paying Celestia any mind. 

That was fine. Celestia was not here for an argument anyways. 

"However, I am willing to hear you out. For despite my grievances, I cannot deny that you have done things that, under different circumstances, would be worthy of praise rather than scorn." 

At this, Sunset looked up in shock. Celestia's smiling face, amiable and friendly, unnerved the unicorn in ways that horror stories foreshadowed their gruesome conclusion. It was a deep foreboding, this seemingly unwarranted gesture, one that put Sunset on guard. 

"Is that so? Then would you let me and the others go?" 

Celestia laughed. Actually laughed at the suggestion that Sunset and her comrades would so easily get off. Though the laughter was musical, it had a sort of mocking after-ring to it once she finished. 

"Oh my previous student, I applaud you for your attempt, but that is not an option, and you know it. In your weakened state, you would not last five seconds outside of these walls with the crowd of griffons, ponies, and dragons that want to drag your lifeless body across Canterlot, tie you to one of my statues, and burn you alive." 

Celestia shook her head, as if the audacity and atrocity was more that they wanted to do it on her property than that they were feeling so bloodthirsty for the one she once called student. 

Sunset seemed taken aback at the bluntness of this report. She had not expected such a reception, and in the back of her mind, she questioned whether it was safer to just give in and receive a royal pardon. 

"Why not let them have me? Would save you the trouble." 

Celestia narrowed her eyes, all friendliness completely departing from her face. "Sunset Shimmer, I may have grown a little more violent in the past month, but handing a pony off to such an end is still beneath me. The griffon Gilda, on the other hand..." 

Celestia paused, trailing off as she saw Sunset quickly rise to her hooves, the chains rattling. Her eyes were wide, her breathing had been stepped up several times, and she seemed panicked. She had her now.

After dragging out the moment for a little longer to ascertain the genuine concern and fear, Celestia continued. "Gilda, though Equestrian, also has citizenship with Griffia. Her fate is not as secure as your own." 

"How?" Sunset demanded, "I told her and the others not to..." 

"Considering the report that she was among the shallowest of your group, I too was quite surprised," Celestia cut in, "She boldly declared that she would come alone if she had to in order to save you. Now, that is very out of character with what I know about her. Perhaps the diamond hole goes deeper than I figured?"

Sunset looked downcast, reigning in her intense guilt and anger. She couldn't allow Gilda to just be handed off, not like that. But why would she come alone? She had always been wary of recklessness and waste, both of which were marks of what she had done. 

What if Celestia was lying? What if she was not lying? Gilda would suffer the same fate for a lesser conspiracy crime. 

"Your capabilities of brainwashing are very impressive," Celestia continued, taking a few steps to Sunset's left, "However, to think that you could trick a griffon as distrusting of ponies as Gilda into siding with you to this extent is very impressive." 

"I did not trick her!" Sunset shot her head back up, a fiery light once again burning in her eyes, "I did not brainwash anypony!" 

Celestia did not look convinced, but returned to her original spot directly in front of Sunset. "Is that so? Care to explain then? I might can remove mass brainwashing from your list of crimes." 

A chortle, for of all the crimes that Sunset had been charged with, that one had to had been the least of them all. Especially the crime that had her on death row. 

Sunset bit her lip and closed her eyes. For a few minutes she contemplated, thought hard on what she was faced with. Finally she re-opened them with a determined glare. 

"Where do I start?"

Celestia smiled fully, pleased with the response. "I already know about you and Flash's relationship, so let us skip your family history and go straight to when you got back to Equestria, prior to re-opening of the mirror portal." 

Sunset sighed, and with her hooves, wrapped them around the water bottle and downed it. "Some food to keep up my strength would be nice." 

Celestia nodded, and with a flick of her ears, clopping much further down the hall resounded, getting further and further away. 

"It is in the making. Continue." 

Sunset sat on her haunches, hardly able to continue standing and launch into a lengthy dialogue at the same time. 

"As you are aware of, the Draconians had been working on a special kind of teleportation spell, one which would allow migration throughout Equestria. Of course, they would use it for other purposes as well, but that is the story they told Griffia. At the same time they had planned on testing it, I just happened to be working on my own spell to get back to Equestria before my appointed time. Since magic was inaccessible to me, I had to resort to using science." 

Sunset cringed upon speaking the last word, as if the very notion of science crawled up her spine like an insect. "The Draconians set off their spell, I set off my device, and the next thing I know, I am in the Crystal Barracks..."