//------------------------------// // Revelations // Story: Leap of Faith // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// After dark, Keila had shown the girls to some spare rooms where they could rest for the night. To Sunset, it seemed like more than half the building was no longer in use. She wondered exactly why so few people would choose to use such a huge space, especially since most of the dormitory areas seemed to be deserted. The girls had split up in twos, taking a total of three rooms. Each room was a simple rectangle with a single bed in the middle against the wall, a small bedside table, a wooden cupboard, and a seating area by the corner, consisting of a round table and two chairs. There was also a door at the other end of the room that led to a bathroom; ones that looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in ages. After washing up to the best of their ability and changing back into their clothes, the girls retired to bed, with Pinkie and Fluttershy sharing a room, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, and Rarity and Sunset. Velvet had headed back to her own room after showing them where they would be sleeping. “Goodnight, Sunset,” Rarity said before easing into a sleeping mask she happened to be carrying in her coat pocket. “Get some rest, darling. You look like you need it.” “You too, Rarity,” Sunset lay on the other side of the bed and tucked the blanket up to her neck. Sunset Shimmer had closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness, but about an hour in, she found out the darkness didn’t want her. No matter how hard she tried, she just didn’t seem to be able to fall asleep. Come on, Sunset. You can do it. Just… Count sheep. Yeah. That’ll work… After she hit five hundred, the fiery haired girl gave up, deciding it was getting her nowhere. Grumbling to herself, she inched out from under the blanket and sat up, rubbing at her face. She didn’t even feel remotely tired with this much on her mind; this was almost as bad as their exam week. Maybe worse. Seeing as there was no chance in the next hour or so that she was going to sleep, Sunset shuffled off the bed, careful not to wake Rarity who was peacefully snoring away, probably dreaming of some kind of fashion or something. Feeling a little adventurous, Sunset opened the door and headed out into the dark hallways of the Assassin bureau, deciding not to take her jacket and winter gear. Perhaps a little exploration would ease her mind and allow her to rest. Sunset silently crept along the left wall, careful not to accidentally wake someone up. The air around her was slightly cool, but not not too cold for her to need a jacket or scarf; it was almost enjoyable. She soon came to a staircase and decided to take it down, back toward the atrium. The lobby was much cooler from the chill wind rushing in from the open front doors. Two Assassins sat by the front, their eyes focused on the outside. Sunset held her breath and walked as slowly and quietly as she could, not wanting to disturb them, but also not wanting to have to answer questions as to what she was doing. The faint sound of crashing waves caught Sunset’s attention, and she decided to head towards it. Perhaps watching the ocean would calm her mind. Locating a door against left side of the lobby, Sunset gently turned the knob, every second sending spikes through her heart. She flinched every time she expected the door to squeak, but thankfully, it never happened, allowing her to open the door wide enough to slip out, though at the same time, allowing the cold winter air to waft in, instantly making her wish she had brought her jacket. Well, no turning back now… Deciding it too much time and effort to go back and grab her jacket and scarf, Sunset gathered her nerves and took a step out into the cold air. The icy air bit at her exposed skin, but Sunset persevered, leaving the warmer bureau behind and ending up in a wide, snow covered courtyard. It was enclosed on three sides by the wings of the building, with the fourth side in front of her stretching out into the night. Small yellow lanterns hung sparsely on the pillars that ringed the courtyard, lending the entire scene an almost mystical, dreamlike quality with flurries of dancing snow. The waves below the courtyard could be heard smashing themselves against the cliffs below, almost rhythmically. Sunset rubbed her arms and blew on her palms, trying to stay warm. Step by step, she trod through the thick snow and out toward the open edge of the courtyard, listening to the crashing of the waves growing louder as she did. Eventually she reached the low wall at the end of the courtyard. Resting her arms on the stone, Sunset looked down and out, taking in the sheer drop that the cliff cut off into. Far, far below, she could barely make out the sight of the ocean’s waves breaking on the rocks. White foam mixed with the falling snow, dissipating as the next wave rolled in, forming more before being washed out by the next wave. The process continued and repeated as Sunset watched, trying to distract herself from the cold. It had been cold even with her jacket and scarf on. It might’ve been a really bad idea for her to walk out without any protection, but Sunset told herself that if it wasn’t for too long, it was fine. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” a voice came from Sunset’s left. Sunset jumped; she hadn’t heard anyone approach. Turning her head, Sunset beheld the shining hair of the Assassin Mentor, her armor gleaming in the faint light of the lanterns. “Oh, uh, M-Mentor!” the girl quickly greeted, her teeth shaking from the cold. “Ummm… I’m s-sorry. I c-couldn’t sleep.” “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” the Mentor said soothingly. “I often come out here myself when I have trouble sleeping, though, it’s a touch chilly tonight for your attire.” Without further ceremony, the Mentor took off her red cloak and draped it across Sunset’s shoulders. “T-Thanks,” Sunset chattered. The cloak was very warm, if a bit threadbare and worn with age. She wondered just how old it was. “And, y-yeah… I-I didn’t think I’d n-need my jacket.” The Mentor smiled. “Come on back inside, Sunset Shimmer. You’ll catch a cold at this rate.” “S-sure,” she nodded and followed the armored woman back indoors. The Assassins on duty caught sight of Sunset, but the Mentor simply waved a hand and they got back to watching the doors. Beckoning for the girl to follow, Sunset went with the spectral haired woman up to her office. Sunset peeled off the worn cloak and handed it back to the Mentor once she closed the office door behind her. “Thanks for the coat, Mentor…” Sunset breathed, feeling the snow in her hair begin the melt. “Steel Shine,” the Mentor said. “My name,” she explained. “And I should also be thanking you. You’ve given Velvet Breeze friends, and it’s good to see her happy. I never wanted this life for her.” “You didn’t?” Sunset decided to ask. “No, I didn’t. She begged me to let her join. True, we had lost of a lot Assassins when she asked. In the end, I allowed it.” She sighed, a surprisingly gentle sound. “Sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision.” “Oh, that’s interesting,” Sunset smiled as her temperature adjusted itself. “So… Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?” “Yes, but not here.” The Mentor made sure the door was locked, then glided across the room to a bookshelf, reaching for a leather bound volume with gold lettering. Pulling it, there was a faint click and the whole bookshelf slid aside, exposing a set of stone steps leading down into the depths of the earth. She beckoned to Sunset. “Follow me.” The girl followed the Assassin down, her footsteps echoing in the passage. The further down they went, the colder it became, once again making Sunset wish she’d brought her jacket along. The passage seemed to stretch on and on, continually descending into the ground. Sunset was sure that they had passed ground level by now and still they kept going down, the steps spiralling into the dark. Then abruptly, the passage widened and leveled out, followed by a sudden fwoosh of fire. Sunset covered her eyes as a series of torches were lit, illuminating a wide, expansive room laden with memorabilia. There were piles of scrolls and books, banners on the walls embroidered with the Assassin emblem, and various tall glass cases propped up against a wall, each one containing a set of Assassin robes. A wooden door at the far end of the room stood shut, and the entire room smelled of dust and age, with a faint afterodor of coffee and smoke. Steel Shine pulled an ornate silver battleaxe off a chair and dusted the seat. “Sit down, Sunset. I’m sure we have much to speak about.” Sunset eyed the battleaxe and took a big gulp. “Umm… Yeah, I guess we do… So, where do we start?” “First, let me apologize for the poor welcome I gave you girls earlier,” Steel Shine drew her sword and pointed it at the fireplace, a bolt of golden light shooting out of the tip and setting the logs alight, much to Sunset’s surprise. “I just didn’t expect it to happen in my lifetime.” “Poor welcome?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. The only poor welcome she registered was the lieutenant, Frigid Night, though that magic sword had taken up most of her thoughts. “Oh, your lieutenant? It’s alright. I understand his worry. But wait… Lifetime?” “The arrival of the Crystal Empire’s chosen emissary,” Steel Shine said enthusiastically. “Just like it was foretold in the Assassin’s Book of Mentors.” Sunset had to make sure she heard that right, but excited curiosity shone in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mentor Steel Shine. You know of the Crystal Empire? Are-Are you from Equestria?” Steel Shine pursed her lips and put a kettle on the fire, after filling it with water from a nearby faucet. “Perhaps I’d best start at the beginning. “When the Templars started targeting you, I had a suspicion that there was more to you than meets the eye.” “Wait, how did you even know about me to start with?” Sunset asked. Mentor Steel Shine reached into a pile of papers and drew out a handful of photographs, each one of Sunset and sometimes with her friends. “We intercepted these photos from a Templar messenger a couple of weeks ago in Trottingham. That’s how we learnt of the Templars’ plans concerning you.” “A few weeks ago…” Sunset remembered the incident in the newspaper Rainbow Dash was reading. “That principal right here in Trottingham. The murder. That was you?” The Mentor nodded. “That’s right. Lieutenant Frigid Night and Morning Blade saw to his assassination and recovered these from him. These Templars, Sunset Shimmer, they make up most of the Board of Education. They’re not to be trusted.” “Do you know why they want me?” Sunset rubbed her hands and moved closer to the fireplace. “At first, no. All the plans that were with the photos are heavily encrypted. I had another Assassin, Dewdrop, go and try to recover the key, but she has yet to return to the bureau. But now that we’ve met, I believe I have an inkling as to why.” “It’s because I’m Equestrian, isn’t it?” Sunset put the pieces together. “But you didn’t answer my previous question, Mentor Steel Shine. Are you from Equestria too? You kind of do remind me of a crystal pony.” The Mentor chuckled. “You’re half right. I am not from Equestria, no, but my ancestor, the first Assassin, was a crystal pony.” She held up a thick, leather bound volume with a green crystalline emblem on the front. “It’s all written in here, Sunset Shimmer. All the details about her flight from Equestria up until the day she died and handed it down to her daughter, like my mother to me. It’s part of my inheritance, just like my armor, and my hair and eyes.” Steel Shine leaned close to Sunset, holding open one dark pink eye to show her the crystal pattern within. “But-but… This must have been ages ago!” Sunset eyed the ancient book. “Meaning the only time your ancestor could’ve come over to this world was… before the empire’s disappearance. Before King Sombra.” “That is correct,” Mentor Steel Shine nodded. She seemed to be well informed on the Crystal Empire’s dark history. Perhaps that book was more detailed than Sunset had thought. “From studying her journal entries, my ancestor arrived in this world through a prototype portal from yours. From there on, she established a group of people who would eventually become the first Assassins.” “But why did she come here in the first place?” Sunset asked. The Mentor stood back up as the kettle began to boil, and she poured the water into an antique looking teapot, throwing in a handful of tea leaves. As she put the teapot down to let the tea steep, the armored woman drew her mighty sword from its scabbard once more, laying it flat across on the table between them. “It’s all to do with this,” the Mentor tapped the sword’s golden blade with a finger. “This weapon?” Sunset examined the length of the weapon, noticing every inch of it was gold and silver. Odd for a weapon. “What did your ancestor want, Mentor?” “This is no ordinary sword,” Mentor Steel Shine said seriously. “According to the book, this sword came from Equestria, alongside three other artifacts. They were purportedly created by a great wizard called Star Swirl the Bearded in Equestria, and when he deemed them too dangerous to be used in wrong hands, he sent them here. That’s why my ancestor came to this world, because she needed the artifacts to defeat King Sombra back in Equestria.” “She tried to save the empire…” Sunset came to realization. “Before it was banished.” “The sword reacts in the presence of Equestrians,” the Mentor continued. “That’s how I knew you were one. But… forgive my surprise; I thought that an emissary from the Crystal Empire would be… older.” “Ummm… Emissary, Mentor?” “Yes. That’s why you’re here, right? To take up my sword and lead us to victory?” “I think you’re mistaken, Mentor Steel Shine,” Sunset slowly shook her head. “I… Well, I wasn’t always a good person. The reason I first came to this world was to seek power. I realized my mistake and that’s all in the past now, but I’m not from the Crystal Empire.” Sunset watched as the expectant smile slowly slid off the Mentor’s face, feeling terrible about being the one to dash her hopes.  “I’m sorry, Mentor. I didn’t know you were expecting someone else.” The Mentor took a sip of her tea. “But… but you’re an Equestrian. Everything’s just as the prediction said…” “I apologize again, Mentor Steel Shine. Yes, I am Equestrian. But I’m not from the Crystal Empire. I was from Equestria’s version of Canterlot. I’m no crystal pony. Umm… What exactly does the prediction say, Mentor? I might be able to help.” Sunset put on the best smile she could muster. Mentor Steel Shine kept her current expression, but nodded. She opened the old book and traced a finger down a page, stopping somewhere in the middle of it. “One day, perhaps far from my time,” the Assassin Mentor read out aloud. “Somepony would step up and finish what I started. For my descendants, look for them. One day, an Equestrian shall arrive and bring this power back to my home and vanquish the dark king, once and for all. This, I know…” She closed the book shortly after. “The prophecy doesn’t specifically say an emissary from the Crystal Empire, Mentor,” Sunset said, hoping this one bit was enough to cheer her up again. “But I have a question. King Sombra has already been defeated. A friend of mine made sure of that when the Crystal Empire returned. The dark king is no more, so does the prophecy still, um, count?” “Sombra is defeated?” The Mentor’s face had shock and confusion written all over it. “You don’t know about it, do you?” Now it was Sunset’s turn to be confused. “What do you mean?” “The Templar’s leader, their grandmaster… I don’t think he’s from my world. He’s very likely to be from yours.” “Grandmaster?” Sunset put the pieces together. “Sombra is their leader? Equestria’s Sombra?” The Mentor nodded. “But… How is that possible?” “I don’t know how he came to this world, but… I have no knowledge on how your kind can enter our world. Perhaps he came in the same way as you did, Sunset Shimmer.” Mentor Steel Shine poured a cup of tea for the girl and handed it to her. “I came here through the mirror over at CHS.” Sunset gladly accepted the cup and drank its hot contents. It agreed very well with her stomach and throat. “From what I know, that’s the only way to this world, b-but… I don’t know how Sombra could’ve taken it here. I don’t even know how he survived the Crystal Heart’s power. Oh, uh, the Crystal Heart is the Crystal Empire’s defense against its enemies, by the way..” “I know about the Crystal Heart,” The Assassin Mentor frowned and hummed to herself. “ And I guess the only real way to know is to ask him ourselves, but that’s never going to happen, is it?” Sunset chuckled. “Well, unless you two have those things where you meet and debate. Uh… Summits. That’s right. Summits.” “No, I’m afraid that can never happen, Sunset Shimmer. Not while that ruthless grandmaster is in charge. But no matter. That is not important. What’s important is that this prophecy comes to pass. It is as you’ve said, Sunset Shimmer. I’ve been careless. The prophecy does not speak of any emissary from the Crystal Empire. It simply speaks of one from your world. You could very well still be the one we need.” Sunset nodded slowly. While she herself wasn’t sure she wanted any part of the prophecy, there was no denying that she was up to her neck in it now. She might as well see just how she fit into all this. “So let’s say that I’m the person this prophecy is talking about. What then?” “Well, you’ve already passed the first test,” Mentor Steel Shine said. She gestured to the sword on the table, its gilt finish reflecting the firelight. “First test- oh! You mean in the office-?” “Yes. Traditionally, this sword is passed down from Mentor to Mentor, from mother to daughter.” Steel Shine gave the sword a tap. “But I’m afraid that that tradition ends with me. I have no children, and I am long past the age to have them.” “You don’t look that old,” Sunset said consolingly. Steel Shine smirked. “How old do you think I am, Sunset Shimmer?” “I don’t know, late twenties?” “I shall be sixty years old this year, Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset choked on her tea, but managed to swallow it after a hard struggle. “Wow, I must say… You look incredibly youthful, Mentor.” “I think, at least in part, it’s due to the sword’s magic. Without fail, every Mentor that has died of natural causes has lived abnormally long, and remained relatively untouched by time. My mother was exactly the same… before she died.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” Sunset took more interest in her cup of tea. “Don’t be. She gave her life helping the Assassin cause, and was able to save many lives before the sword claimed her life. There was no finer way to go out.” “I’m sure she was a real hero. So this sword… It… It kills you? I don’t have to use it, do I?” Steel Shine placed her cup on the table and picked up her sword, placing it flat across her lap. “Yes and no. You see, Sunset Shimmer, the reason that every Mentor, and the Templars, have been waiting for someone like you to come along is that only a pureblood Equestrian can wield the artifacts to their full potential. My ancestor made a note of it in the book, that after herself, every successive descendant’s ability to wield these artifacts would wane with each generation. You see, the sword, and by extension, the Apple, the Templars’ artifact, drain the life force of ordinary humans to work.” “Apple?” Sunset inquired, the term new to her. The Mentor placed the sword back onto the table and opened the book, flipping the pages until she lighted onto a page with a colored sketch on it, one of a golden sphere with silver lines running across its surface. “The Apple of Equestria,” Sunset read. “Mind control… immortality, control over light and shadow… And the Templars have this?” “That’s correct. They stole it from Assassin hands during the Renaissance, and despite our best efforts, we have yet to get it back.” “But if Sombra from my world is their grandmaster… Then won’t that mean they have someone who can fully use the Apple’s power?” The Mentor nodded grimly. “That’s why the prophecy is more important now than ever before. We need your help, Sunset Shimmer. I believe it is you the prophecy is talking about. You are the Equestrian destined to rid Sombra from this world and yours.” Sunset looked pensively at the flickering flames in the fireplace. Too much of this rang of sorcery and magic, elements that she thought she had left behind in Equestria. To hear of it here, and in a manner that was so intimate and specific made her uneasy. Was she truly the one the prophecy spoke of? “Mentor,” she said. “I appreciate all you’ve said of me and all the questions you’ve answered, but I’ve never held a weapon in my life. The best I’ve done is wield magic, but that was just right out of my horn and my hands. I don’t know how to fight. I don’t think I can stomach the thought of taking a life as well. I don’t know if I’m able to do this at all…” “There’s only one way to find out,” the Mentor said quietly. She stood up, taking up her sword in both hands, then reversing her grip so that she was now holding the blade, the hilt facing toward Sunset. “Take up my sword, Sunset Shimmer. Unless it acknowledges you, then all this talk of prophecy is just so much dust in the wind.” Sunset looked at the hilt of the sword, then at the Mentor’s encouraging face, then back to the sword again. She gulped. A lot of options cycled through the girl’s mind, but the Mentor had been really nice to her, and she didn’t want to betray her kindness. Eventually, she decided. If she could lend a hand to Mentor Steel Shine, then it was the least she could do. After all, there was still a chance the prophecy was talking about someone else. Taking a deep breath and standing up, Sunset tentatively tried holding the sword with two hands, wrapping her fingers around the cool metal hilt. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a golden corona of light flashed out from the hilt of the sword, enveloping Sunset in a cocoon of shining radiance. Sunset felt the top of her head begin to tingle, just as if she were playing the guitar and about to pony up. Then the moment passed and she let go, stumbling backward as the golden light faded away into nothing. “Woah…” Sunset fought to keep her balance. “What was that…?” “The sword accepted you as its master,” Mentor Steel Shine said in a hushed, awed voice. “You truly are the one my ancestor was waiting for.” “Oh dear…” Sunset mumbled. “Mentor, still, my earlier statements still stand. “I can’t kill someone else. It’s just… I can’t. I’d love to help you, but I don’t think I can kill for you. I’m sorry, Mentor.” “And nobody’s asking you to kill. You’re still a child, and killing is for adults. All I ask of you is that you consider what I’ve said here tonight, and perhaps when you’ve grown up, you can join us. For now, all I can do is offer our protection from the Templars for you and your friends. Is that agreeable?” “Umm…” Sunset rubbed at her shoulders. “Okay. At least it’s a lot of time to think. But can you wait that long, Mentor? What if the Templars attack soon? You can’t possibly protect me for so long.” “We shall do what we can for the better of this world. The Templars seek to control it, Sunset Shimmer. To place one man as leader of the whole world… That is something we cannot allow. No one man should have all that power.” “That’s why you’re fighting each other?” Sunset asked. “Because they want to rule the world? Have you tried a peaceful solution?” “There cannot be one, Sunset Shimmer. Not while the Templars have the Apple. The Apple has the ability to bend others’ minds to its master’s will. Take Wolfgang for instance. He was never such a composed man. Before Sombra, he was the most vicious individual my Assassins have ever met. His brains weren’t really there, but his ferocity was. When Sombra took over his mind, he became a more… civilized human, though the enchantment doesn’t last long. But Sombra is getting stronger, Sunset Shimmer. I can feel it. It won’t be long before he decides to challenge me. At full strength, he might even be able to turn the world against us. To establish his perfect world order.” “But there must be something you can do against him,” Sunset looked at the sword again. “I won’t be of much help here.” The Mentor shrugged. “I don’t mean to ask too much of you, Sunset Shimmer, but-” At that moment, the Mentor was interrupted by a faint trilling sound, coming from her right pocket. With a raised eyebrow, she retrieved a phone and looked at its screen before placing it to her ear. “Yes?” Sunset wondered how her phone managed to get signal all the way down here, but the question was shoved out of her mind when the Mentor suddenly shot to her feet, sword already in hand. “They know she’s here. That’s… Nevermind. Focus your efforts on repelling them. I’ll get back as quickly as I can.” “Umm… Mentor?” Sunset asked, afraid of what was happening. It was clear enough that the Templars were here, likely looking for her. It was too soon. “They found you,” Mentor Steel Shine pocketed her phone and placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “The Assassins need me. Stay here.” Sunset was about to do as Mentor Steel Shine had said, but she stopped herself. “Wait, Mentor. My friends are still up there. I need to get them! I can’t stay down here.” “It’s too dangerous, Sunset Shimmer, and it’s you the Templars want.” Sunset was adamant. “I need to protect my friends. What good of a friend am I if I abandon them all? I’m coming with you, Mentor.” “Very well…” Mentor Steel Shine gestured for Sunset to tag along behind her, leading the way out and up the staircase once more. “Stay behind me. I shall keep you protected. You are our only hope, Sunset Shimmer. We cannot lose you.”