//------------------------------// // Scrutiny // Story: Perspective // by Orpheon //------------------------------// “So, y'all are on your way to Fluttershy's place, and you're just hopin' you run into Dash at some point or another?” “That's the plan, yeah.” Sunset replied, a bit out of breath. Her stomach hurt and she was reasonably sure she didn't want to eat any apple-based foods. Ever again. The Apple family did serious physical labor running a farm, and their diets tended to reflect that, with even young Applebloom putting away a great deal more than her small size would imply (or actually have the space for in her body). They were equally generous with guest portions, and Sunset hadn't the heart to decline as the elderly Granny Smith had continued to offer her shares of pies, tarts, muffins...and now she was paying for it. A curious and uncomfortable gravity hung on Sunset, and she was determined to verify her theory that she had in fact increased in weight by as much as half. “On that note, thank you for letting us sit down to lunch with you.” Twilight for her part wasn't doing much better, and Sunset noted with a sort of schadenfreude that her host seemed as breathless and overfull as she was. Misery loved company, after all. A tiny measure of shame trailed in the wake of the thought, but she dismissed it as not worth fretting over. “It weren't nothin', Twi. Say hi to 'Shy for me, ya hear?” Applejack tipped her hat to the pair as they trudged through the gate and back onto the main path. “I imagine she won't be expectin' guests so make sure you announce yourselves as you approach. Just talk to each other loudly or somethin'.” The farmer seemed to direct this at Sunset, who frowned. “If you think that's excessive, she's gotten a lot less timid than she used to be, sugarcube. Anyway, you'll see when ya meet her. Happy trails!” As she went back to her work, the pair set out at a sedate pace, gingerly walking off their meal. “She's not wrong, though. Fluttershy's really come a long way since we became friends. Did you know she used to jump at her own shadow? Literally did. I spent a lot of time worrying about her.” Twilight spoke, her tone reminiscent. “Then I watched her stare down a dragon. She scolded it to tears! It was surreal. How could this mare who could barely speak to other ponies have that kind of will in her? But she does. I've seen it time and time again.” Sunset blinked. That didn't sound like her Fluttershy at all. Twilight glanced at her, smiling. “Well, you'll see when you meet her. She's still a bit skittish, but I think you'll get along.” “Sounds good...uh, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about some other stuff while we walk?” Sunset asked. She hadn't yet had a chance to brush up on recent Equestrian history, and she figured she would need a proper briefing if she was to keep the fact that she was for all intents and purposes very foreign at this juncture to herself. “Alright then. Shoot.” “Since it seems like things only started getting weird in Equestria around the time you arrived here, we'll start near there. How did the nation change in the time since I left? I'm not sure about how much time has passed and the discrepancy between this world and the other's temporal flow throws me off. I was hoping since you could guesstimate when our graduation ceremony was you'd have a better timeframe to work with than me.” Sunset asked, inquisitive. “Hm...well, if I have the numbers right, that would've been give or take ten years ago here. I'm not sure what the actual conversion rate is but—ah, getting off-topic. If I'm being honest, not a great deal changed during those years. No groundbreaking new achievements in magic or technology...there was a treaty with the Griffon Kingdoms when I was sixteen, but I'm reasonably sure that was it. You have to understand, I spent almost all of my time studying or practicing my magic, so current affairs wasn't really my cup of tea.” Sunset nodded, having half-expected that. “Anyway, the Summer Sun celebration a few years back was coming up, but I'd happened upon a particular book...” ---------- “...and then the castle just kind of...grew out of the ground. Tirek was beaten, magic was restored to everypony, and I...” Twilight paused, an unreadable expression on her face. Sunset furrowed her brow, worried. “Twilight?” “...Another time, alright Sunset? There's Fluttershy's cottage. I'll tell you sometime later.” The cottage for its part was an interesting thing; far larger than would strictly be necessary for one pony, it was mostly bedecked in foliage and grasses, which Sunset could only assume grew on soil piled atop the roof. A small bridge spanning a creek had an even smaller dock in the water beneath it, and birdhouses dotted the the trees all around it. Sunset was reasonably sure she could see a pen of some description behind the house and a henhouse within. It seemed Fluttershy's affinity for animals was a commonality. Contrasting with all else was the red stable-door that hung open, a small train of ducklings following their parent to the brook and occasionally falling over themselves as ducklings were wont to do. “Okay, Mrs. Quacks! Do be careful going home, and if you need help again, come see me!” A soft voice helpfully followed the train as the pastel-yellow pegasus came into view, carnation pink mane hanging over one eye and nearly dipping to the ground. Large teal eyes finally took note of the unicorn and alicorn loitering beyond her small bridge, and Sunset was fairly sure she jumped in place a bit. Just a little bit, though. “Oh my! Twilight, I didn't know you were coming over. Who's your friend?” “She's a friend from out of town, Fluttershy. May we come in and sit down for a bit? We ate with Applejack's family and my stomach hurts a bit from all the walking and talking we did on the way here.” Twilight answered, rubbing her stomach with a hoof for emphasis. Fluttershy nodded, as though this made perfect sense (and maybe it did, Sunset mused). “Certainly! Come inside, but be careful where you walk. Angel gets very upset when anypony touches his things.” Sunset tilted her head. Who was Angel? The inside of the cottage was cozy, though Sunset immediately noted a strange smell in the air. Not necessarily a bad smell, but definitely different. She wrinkled her nose instinctively but managed to school it into neutrality as Fluttershy turned to face them. “Just take a seat wherever you like! Discord's...somewhere, but he might turn up at any point so try not to be too surprised when he does. I need to go check on a parakeet, and I'll be right back with tea!” And with that, the pegasus trotted off, her gait steady. Sunset climbed up on a sofa alongside Twilight, peering about the room as she did. “...So, Discord.” “Yes, Discord.” Twilight said, her voice a tad annoyed. “Spirit of chaos and disharmony. Lives here with Fluttershy.” “Yes. Yes he does.” “Okay. Just wanted to make sure.” Sunset blinked owlishly. “And this was a good idea to whom, again?” “It wasn't MINE.” Twilight ground out. “Well alright then.”Sunset made a mental note not to talk about Discord around Twilight. Seemed to be a hot-button thing for her. It was at this point that Sunset felt a prickle in her fur, as though she were being watched. She turned her head, seeing nothing. Deciding it was probably her imagination (or hoping it was) she turned back to Twilight, screwing up her courage for what she had to say next. Sunset had a feeling if she didn't do it while the whim struck her she wouldn't at all. “So, uh...about the Princess...” This seemed to catch Twilight's interest immediately. “Yes? What about her?” “I...uh, I was thinking that we should send that letter. Maybe tonight when we get back? I figured...if I waited any longer then it wouldn't really be fair to her. I owe her. A lot.” Sunset's tone was somber and her face fell even as she considered what would come of this. Twilight, on the other hoof seemed to be overflowing with pride (or unseemly glee, could've been either). This only made Sunset scowl. “Don't look at me like that, come on. I just wanna get this over with sooner rather than later. I learned my lesson on that already.” “That's something to be proud of, Sunset. Never doubt it.” Twilight responded sagely, her grin changing into a knowing smile. Despite herself Sunset couldn't help but smile, too. This mare was an infectious agent, she KNEW it. No one else had that sort of power over ponies. Well, no one except Celestia. Which, again, made perfect sense. Damn it. Her thoughts were interrupted when the sofa they sat on writhed. The two mares hopped off with a yelp apiece, Twilight pointing her horn reflexively at the offending furniture. “Oh come now, girls. Don't stop on my account, I was just getting comfortable! Please, continue!” The sofa spoke. Sunset backed up a step, only to bump into a chair that she was certain hadn't been behind her before. It scooped her into the seat despite her cry of surprise and protestation as the voice continued, “Now now, don't get up! Please, have a seat and let's talk.” If she had to describe it, Sunset would've said it was the voice of an old stallion who was trying too hard to sound kindly and coming off as incredibly creepy for the effort. “DISCORD!” Twilight roared at the top of her lungs, scattering a few birds outside. Unfortunately for Sunset, her host's Royal Canterlot Voice was really coming along and she had a front row seat to being deafened. “Oh, Twilight. It's so rude to yell in somepony's face like that. Look at the poor girl, you've stunned her!” A bizarre serpentine creature seemed to pop out of the air next to Twilight, indicating Sunset with what looked to be an eagle's claw. Some kind of amalgamation of parts with jaundiced eyes stared at her, with an only distantly equine head with an antler and a spiraling wicked horn, one large mismatched tooth, a lion's paw, a donkey's hoof, a lizard's foot, some manner of reptile's tail, and a wing each from a bat and a bird. Truly, it was an abomination, an affront to biology and sense. A distant and academic part of Sunset's mind that was faster to recover from the auditory trauma noted that of all the strange creatures in Equestria, this was certainly not the worst, but there was horrible sense of...wrongness to it. Like some fundamental rule was being broken just because it was there. This then, was the avatar of pandemonium. “Urgh...Discord, I take it?” “In the flesh, strange fireball colored pony! Lord of Chaos, Master of Nonsense and Eater of a few good cheeses in my day. But as important as I am, I have a more important question!” The creatured wheeled around Twilight and stared Sunset in the eyes. His yellowed gaze was unsettling; she felt as though she were being sized up for something. She wondered briefly if he ever had need to use those teeth in his head. “You know who I am, but I don't remember the details of you.” “Details?” Sunset repeated, confused. She was quite sure she'd never encountered this creature prior. “Oh yes, dear girl. I have the vaguest recollection of you; an arrogant child who's greed for power far outstripped the entitlement you had to it. Seething with resentment and disdain for others, hohoho...if you'd been there a scant decade later you'dve broken the seal on me on your own. Celestia's personal pet before she found a lavender replacement goldfish...Sunset Shimmer, was it? Yes, that sounds right.” He chuckled ominously. "Enchanted and delighted, little fireball." “Discord! Don't talk about me or Sunset that way!” Twilight squawked in indignation. The fiery maned mare released a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. She'd been shrinking away, quailing under this creature's uncompromising stare. Sweat beaded on her coat as she swallowed, trying to regain her composure. All at once, she was on her stomach as Discord seemed to take up a seat on the sofa the oppressive atmosphere of the room dispelled with alarming speed. Likely not coincidentally, Fluttershy chose this point to reappear, a tea tray balanced on her back. She glanced at the amalgamation with what seemed to be a chastising expression before looking to Sunset with pity. Sunset grimaced. She hated pity. Pity didn't do anypony any good. “Discord! What have I told you about being polite to guests?” “Oh, Fluttershy! I was only introducing myself to an old acquaintance, that's all! No harm, no foul. Why, I can't help it if Miss Cranky Crown over there has no sense of fun.” Discord's tone had changed entirely, to Sunset's shock. It was like he was...afraid? No, trying to curry favor with Fluttershy. “If by introduce yourself you mean corner and insult Sunset!” Twilight retorted, irritation clear in her voice. “Fluttershy, he was--” “I'm fine, Twilight.” Sunset interrupted, finding her hooves again. She admired the alicorn's fury for her sake but it was a little embarrassing to be fretted over like this. “He was a bit rude, yeah, but no real harm, no foul.” She glared at Discord, having got acquainted with her own indignation. He raised a bushy eyebrow, a smug smile on his face. “See? You can practically tell how close we are already!” Sunset yelped as the space to her left was suddenly filled with abomination putting an arm around her shoulder. He seemed to squeeze her tightly to him, a sense of obnoxious inevitability in his movements. Inwardly, Sunset groaned. He was exactly like any other pushy 'friend' she'd ever encountered. Fluttershy didn't seem convinced. She cleared her throat and stated in a gentle but still authoritative tone, “Discord, you'll have to sit this tea party out. You and I can have one later but for now just think about what you've done.” The creature frowned and glanced at Sunset from the sofa (she was now aware that he was no longer next to her, to her mild surprise) with an expression that clearly said 'this is your fault'. And just like that, he was gone with a pop, probably off to terrorize some other ponies. Sunset blinked slowly and then climbed up on the sofa that had been recently vacated, taking up a spot next to Twilight, who seemed considerably more relaxed now that the chaos spirit wasn't (perceptibly) in the room. “So then, I suppose you're Sunset Shimmer.” Fluttershy stated simply, offering the mentioned mare a cup of tea. At a nodded confirmation, she continued, “What brings you to Ponyville, if you don't mind me asking?” “Uh, soul-searching.” Twilight gave Sunset an incredulous expression. The pegasus smiled. “That sounds lovely. Where do you plan to stay?” “She's staying in the castle and doing some archival work to earn her keep, since she won't let me put her up for free.” Twilight quipped with mock annoyance, earning a sardonic smile from Sunset. “I see. It's nice to know that you're going be working with Twilight; sometimes I worry about her, cooped up in her castle all the time with only Spike to keep her company. O-oh, not that that's bad or anything! It's just that I feel like you don't get enough fresh air sometimes and I oh dear...” Fluttershy trailed off, a sheepish expression on her face. Sunset grinned. “I'll try to make sure she gets out and about a little more, if that's what you're asking.” “Hey! I get out plenty!” The lavender alicorn interrupted, indignant. “Of course you do, Twilight! I never meant to imply you didn't. I just think that maybe you could do with just a little more sun and--” “Oh, Twilight, I never knew you cared! Maybe we could have a nice dinner first though?” The amber mare chimed in, chuckling. Twilight giggled despite herself as Fluttershy flushed pink, hurriedly looking anywhere but at the mares on her sofa. They each fell short. Sunset spoke first, “Relax, Fluttershy. It was just a joke.” She seemed to recover almost instantly, all smiles as she softly responded. “Oh! A joke, haha. Please excuse me, I sometimes read a little too deep into things ponies say and...” The alicorn and unicorn glanced at each other with only mildly awkward smiles; just a joke, after all. --------------- “I gotta say, Twilight, your Fluttershy seems so much more...uh, certain? Assured?” Sunset remarked as the pair made their way from the cottage back toward town. Now that they'd had a chance to sit down and relax away some of their meal the going was far less onerous, and aside from that they'd had a fairly nice time chatting with the demure pegasus. Sunset had been a bit worried after the inscrutable reception from Pinkie and (initially) Applejack, but Fluttershy hadn't seen fit to judge her for things she hadn't seen her do. It was nice to be taken at face value, for a change. First impressions were powerful, she mused. “Yes! We've all learned a lot about ourselves and friendship as the years have passed in Ponyville. It was one thing I noticed about the other versions of my friends in the human world; they were all almost exactly as I'd met them for the first time. The similarities were unnerving, but the differences stood out more to me.” Twilight spoke, her tone thoughtful. “If I'm honest, I didn't expect Applejack to change course so easily after her initial reaction to you, but I'm glad she did. She can be very stubborn, but she's got a big heart.” “My Applejack would've continued to be leery of me for weeks. She was, come to think of it.” Sunset said with a wry grin. She was suddenly struck by how dark it had become as they walked. She glanced up, noting a rolling wall of looming gray clouds. “Twilight, is there a storm scheduled for today?” Twilight tilted her head, frowning. “No, not that I'm aware of. I suppose they could've changed the schedule, but...that doesn't look like the orderly fronts our weather team usually puts together. Dash takes her weather work seriously, even if she doesn't take many other things seriously. We better get back to the castle. We don't want to be caught in that.” “Right. Guess we see if any of my P.E. Grades pay off here!” Sunset quipped as she took off at a healthy clip, Twilight not far behind. A fair time later, they arrived at the library. Sunset was actually feeling pretty good; it was good to know that her efforts at physical fitness had translated cleanly over to Equestria. Twilight seemed to be winded; the amber mare guessed that even being an alicorn didn't obviate the need to exercise once in awhile to stay in shape. Still, it wouldn't do to point it out so she let it go. The stormfront had seemed to intensify as they'd approached the castle, cloaking the world in a veil of darkness that was entirely out of place in the early afternoon. Sunset noted how low-slung the clouds seemed to be; she could see pegasi darting in an out of the clouds, apparently struggling to direct their paths or dissipate the stubborn masses. The wind had picked up and taken on a wet edge; many townsponies were hurriedly rushing indoors and closing windows. She frowned as she noted the tense, almost frantic speed that ponies moved with. This was taking the town by surprise. Had no one anticipated this? She brought a hoof to her chin in thought. That meant that this was almost certainly some kind of accident. She wracked her brain, trying to remember where the weather stations were situated. “Sunset! Come inside, the rain's starting!” Twilight snapped her out of her reverie and she scrambled through the double doors just as the first raindrops started pelting the ground, heavy and insistent. Spike was there to greet them, a lantern in his hand as he jogged to the door. “Twilight! There wasn't supposed to be a full-blown storm today. What's going on?” “I'm not sure, Spike. Did Dash or anypony else say anything?” The little dragon shook his head, confusion clear on his face. “Nopony's said anything to me. I've had my claws full trying to make sure all of our windows were shut! Almost forgot Sunset's room, but I got 'em all.” Sunset felt a twist of irritation at the idea of someone in her space without her permission, but she mentally kicked herself; it wasn't her space to start with and he was only trying to make sure her room stayed dry. “Great job, Spike. It looks like we might be inside for the rest of the day, so let's--” The trio jumped as a thunderclap rattled the foundations of the castle, windows shaking in their frames as the echoes followed. “Yeah, that probably would've killed the power on the other side.” Sunset chuckled uneasily. “Good thing we don't rely on something as tenuous as electricity! Let's get some more lanterns lit so we can see properly inside.” The lavender alicorn took charge readily as Spike nodded and went about his task. Sunset frowned. Twilight was arguably the most naturally talented magician in the world, and Sunset had been her equal in her day. “Why not just use magelight cantrips?” She demonstrated by producing a small mote of cyan light at the tip of her horn, pleasantly surprised at how quickly the formula came back to her. Magic really was like riding a bicycle, as the human phrase went. She willed the little light to stick to a nearby pillar, bathing the hall in stark shadows. “They're very efficient and we can save Spike the effort of having to go find and set up all the lanterns we might need.” Spike grinned at the prospect, glancing at Twilight, who was regarding Sunset with a mixture of surprise and appraisal. “...Alright! We can do that instead, on the condition that YOU cast the lights and maintain them yourself.” “What.” Sunset furrowed her brow. It wasn't like she couldn't do it, but... “Your idea, your effort. Think of it like an exercise in magical manipulation.” The lavender mare spoke in a dictatorial tone, reminiscent of an instructor. Sunset bristled. Twilight might be a Princess but that didn't mean that she could—no, wait. It did. She could totally order other ponies around if she was so inclined. A wave of...something washed over her, the light faltering slightly. How could she have forgotten that? “...Sunset?” Twilight's voice was halting, worried. The unicorn straightened up, her mote returning to full power...and maybe more. The light seemed harsher somehow; the softness was gone. “I'm fine. I'll get it done.” Sunset spoke confidently, producing several more little spheres and sticking them to various spots in the hall. There were maybe more than was strictly necessary, but she didn't want to leave anything half-done, she told herself. “Just leave this to me.” ------- An hour later, and the storm showed no signs of slowing down as it raged outside. Sunset idly wondered how much power was bound up in a bolt of lightning; she was reasonably sure she'd studied it at some point or another in class and that the actual voltage was astronomical, which explained why villains seemed to prefer using lightning to punctuate their appearances (however inefficient that would be as a strategy in combat). She was keeping herself entertained by reading a text on practical transmutation, but alteration had never been her preferred school of magic, even if she grasped it as instinctively as any other. Sunset had always preferred spells that were explosive and obvious. Subtlety wasn't a good way to demonstrate your mastery to peons who lacked the intellectual ability to grasp complex operations, after all...and she'd been quite the showoff. She wondered if she would find low-key magics more interesting now that she'd largely shed her need to express dominance over lesser minds. It was worth looking into, at least. She was interrupted in her musings by Spike, who snapped his claws at her in some bizarre ability to mimic the finger snapping that humans were capable of. How did he do it? She just didn't know. “Equus to Sunset! Twilight needs you for something. You okay there?” “H-huh? Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. Sorry. Twilight needs me? What for?” The unicorn stumbled through her sentences. “Not sure, but I imagine it's something magic related. Or personal, I guess. Anyway message delivered, so let's go!” He turned to leave glancing at her expectantly as he did. Sunset shrugged, leaving her book where it lay and following along. Twilight sat at the round table in the main lobby of her library, seemingly categorizing books (though by what metric Sunset couldn't tell). She smiled when she noticed the pair, setting aside an egregiously large tome emblazoned with what looked like a stylized anvil and standing. “Hello, Sunset. How are you feeling, holding all these lights active?” The amber pony donned a triumphant expression as she responded, “Just fine. I was pretty good at magic in my day, Sparkle. Don't you forget it!” “You aren't that much older than me, Sunset! Don't talk like an old lady...in fact, I think we might even be roughly equivalent in age thanks to your extended stint on the other side of the mirror. I'd have to do some tests to be sure--” Twilight mused, hoof to her chin as she considered the battery of research that could be pursued. Sunset opted to interrupt, instead. “Uh, how about you tell me what you called me over for first before dissecting me on a table?” Twilight blanched at the prospect, shaking her head and returning to the two. “Ah, I wanted to know if it was alright with you if I sent this letter to the Princess. I penned it since I didn't really have anything better to do. It basically states that you're here for awhile and will be staying with me while you study whatever you feel like.” Sunset frowned. Was she really alright with that? She'd said back in Fluttershy's cottage that she was, but the more she thought about it, the more queasy the prospect made her. She wasn't one-hundred percent sure why, if she was honest with herself. What was the worst Celestia would do? Banish her back across the mirror? Back to a life with friends she cared about, even if it wasn't a world she felt truly at home in? ...No, there was something else at play here. But she wouldn't know until she faced it. “...Yeah. I guess it's as good a time as any to let her know.” Twilight nodded, apparently satisfied with that answer. “Spike, would you--” She was interrupted by a loud, insistent banging on the castle's main doors, echoing through the halls and somehow managing to be heard above the wailing of the storm. The trio glanced at one another and hurried downstairs, Twilight blinking the last few meters to the handle. As she pulled the latch, the door swung inward with violent force, throwing her tumbling into Sunset as she ran up behind the alicorn. A pony stood in the doorway, wings folded tightly to her sides as she spoke in a scratchy, mildly masculine voice that was entirely too familiar to Sunset. “Twilight! We have a problem!”