Chapter I - As Above, So Below
When her eyes had opened, not even the greatest of wizards could have comprehended what realm she stepped into. A place of immensely concentrated magic, known only as the Warp. Energy moves like water and air, whirling about in spectral mists of dark blue. The gravity felt greater, the oxygen much thicker and the environment ever so dangerous and foreign, simply alien. Sunset was not a native to this land - she was an invader or perhaps even a guest, as she was invited in by the mysterious watchers. She brought her hands up in front of her face, to properly examine them and confirm that they were indeed her's. A single finger poked her cheek to confirm that her spiritual avatar was tangible. That meant she could feel any pain inflicted here, as she would if her physical body was walking around this mystical, otherworldly swamp.
The trees winded upward - to the sky that was a mist and raging river of power sources, coursing through the world like blood in one's veins. The clouds were dark, brooding but produced no rain or thunder, lightening was also strangely absent. Shimmer had no choice but to continue forward into the unknown, as it carried her curiosity greater than the need for any explanation. There was nothing else she needed to know, somehow - there was already an embedded, implied knowledge and understanding in the back of her head. As unlikely as it seemed, she knew of this place and where she had first encountered it. Mere text, words scribbled by maddened scribes and deranged, aging sorcerer monks in her very first books on magical theory.
So it was here, that a great universe changing incident took place. She was excited and eager to just confirm it. Throughout the planes of existence were realms known as Spheres. By sure chance, the varying forces of magic in the Warp somehow crossed paths and created this catalyst. A platform, a walkway to many existences and realities. The Great Convergence also had a major mishap, as there is always a downside to every miracle. It had given the creatures of Tartarus a forbidden knowledge, that being - the fact they were physically encased underneath the crust of Equestria. Merely buried at the feet of mortal beings. From there, monsters would enter the world of the surface above, to hunt, to reproduce and would rarely be forced back into their original prison.
Two destroyed moons floated in the artificial sky, once being the architects of time and reality itself, their gravitational pull keeping the order of the tides of other dimensions - far from being just rotting debris. Some creatures, perhaps invaders like Sunset Shimmer herself, had come here and destroyed the great order of these two moons. This would allow them to reach into other realms effortlessly and with little caution - not carrying what abominations followed them in or out. She did not know how she knew this, yet it was cradled in her knowledge like a common fact. "This cannot be real, the Warp is only a fairy tale... A sorcerer's mindless fantasy to tell the first year students..." Sunset found the truth hard to handle, this spiritual experience was easy to deny from an ignorant place in her heart. This place somehow fed off her energies, specifically the brooding negativity that brewed within her. "Is this where the Sirens came from? Before they were banished? Or was this where they were originally banished to?"
Speaking aloud, as her mind itself was already too foggy from all the things she needed to process - it alerted something nearby. The girl turned around at the sound of a foreign animal, belching within its mouth, possibly dying. Their unnatural breath wheezing in and out of collapsing, stressed lungs. From the hidden shadows of the forest, spectral riders stared into her very soul. Seeing her through the foliage and ghost-fog with vision intoxicated by strange, mutagens and potions to enhance their hunting capabilities. The glow of tamed and enslaved Sirens beneath them - their owners, Spectral Elven deer and reindeer were wraiths known as the Siren Riders. Creatures who only existed to dominate and destroy. Said to be the original Elven race, their counterparts in modern day Equestria merely being those who were left behind during a failed conquest. Fearsome fighters, only featured back in Equine lore as tall tales from drunken, washed up heroes and the myths featuring the monster hunters known as Hexers.
As for the one leading them, there was something so strange about them - they were at home here. Not an Elf from the Everfree Forest, nor a suffered guerrilla fighter whose land was taken, a deer that has seen no reservation and was, in fact, native to the Warp. Surely, it was a "Drevnii Sin" - an "Original Son" of this world. Sunset felt that familiar fear of inadequacy sneak up behind her along with the threat of her own life being at stake. She looked down to see her feet have returned to the form of hooves. Their eyes scaled up again to the Siren Riders, now eerily floating to her. "Run little Sun, it is about time for you to Set..." Their leader remarked, one who Sunset could only think to call The Native. The unicorn's horn lit up to try and combat the antlered Riders, only to find that her magic was useless here - like trying to light a flame underwater.
There was no other choice, she would have to take the advice of this demon to heart, which would soon begin pounding. The first few steps of her hooves nearly knocked her off balance, she never thought she would have forgotten to walk - not to long ago she had traveled back into the Equestrian realm. The muscle memory caught on quickly, as no pony forgets how to put a hoof to dirt. But this was different dirt, these hooves hardly felt like her own. She dashed through the swamps of the Warp, the fog grew rapidly around her. Dim-lit eyes of creatures and monsters watched from the safety of the shadows. It was like a bad dream where you are being pursued and you run in slow motion. Every trot felt like a crawl through high water. She would not allow herself to be trapped here, even if she was merely a spectral projection.
The tamed Sirens hounded after her, their eyes long plucked out and replaced by small balls of energy - similar to what peered out of the sockets of their masters, the Wraiths. Sunset was scared, even if she could defend herself - there was no use. It is impossible to kill or destroy a wraith in combat, it can only be banished and harvested to another dimension such as this one. They were often creatures of vengeance, hungry ghosts that would never bloat - not even with their gullet swollen from swallowed souls. The Sirens began to sing a hymn for the chase, for the hunt - it was so beautiful - but noticeably made Sunset feel more erratic and spontaneous - her own mind now eager to make a mistake. They have rehearsed it for many millennium, songs not of their own for entertainment or to produce simple negativity, but to create waves of vibrations through the Warp. Which was somehow just as brittle and hollow as it was full and hefty. Through these vibrations, the blinded dogs of war would see any hidden foe or creature - taking their riders to the hunt itself.
Back in track, Coach Spitfire always told Sunset not to look back when running. It would only slow her down. But it was impossible to fight the urge to glance back every so often. The light of the Sirens they rode illuminated the armour the Wraiths wore, made from the scales of dragons - decorated with soot and the blood of their enemies. The skulls of their former bodies worn on their face, held by string or enhanced charms. This being due to the fact that a soul, even when it has become a wraith - is comfortable only under the face mortality itself. Their antlers in a permanent state of shedding, looking as if they were coated with gore and had just plunged them into a stuffed boar. They howled alongside the singing beasts beneath them, taunting and hollering - this was the finest entertainment to them. The chilled winds of the Warp bothered the Riders not, grown insensitive to most sensations besides blood lust and eagerness for conflict, the urge to conquer and dominate prey. "Giddy-up, little pony!" One snarled, laughing heartily from ash filled lungs.
Somehow, the Native had cut around them and quickly swerved his Siren into the side of Sunset. Knocked down with great force, there was no use getting up - her back against a tree and mane clung to the sweat of her face. Reality shifted yet again, a consistent phenomenon in the ever-changing Warp. The humanoid figure looked elegant, with their bladed, metal-taloned hand - the Native wiped a strand of braided hair to his side and over an antler. They had no skull to wear, for they have no previous life. This was their mortal, true form. His face slender, wise - but handsome. His ears perked and tight, like most creatures of any forest. Their dark, snake-like lips curled into a smile upon their pale complexion. He reached down, placing his palm in the throat of the once-again human Sunset.
Kicking and punching, her boots could not even make him flinch. His grasp would tighten, bringing her down to his face level, holding her a solid half meter in the air in front of him. The Native's head tilted, the Warp's only true resident was intrigued by this invader in particular. His Siren, which resembled more an overgrown wyvern, softly whistled a strange tune. The notes sharp and abrupt in combination, but flowed into the ear just right. The Native smirked, knowing full well what the signal meant while also being amused by Sunset's ignorance and fear of the whole situation. "As Above, So Below". The Native spoke - their voice resembling twisting vines around a dagger, squeaking but also weaving about like a suicidal symphony.
---
The classroom. She was back in the school. Back in her home realm. There was such relief, but she looked visibly troubled to her parents and teachers. Not only was her first-period teacher Cheerilee there, but Principle Celestia as well. With Sunset raising her head and looking around the room like she had just heard a whale calling her name, all of them shared glance in her direction before they were brought back on subject. Sunset Shimmer was astonished of what she just witnessed, she had no memory getting here and certainly none about falling asleep at her assigned desk. With a sigh, rested a hand on her cheek and leaned toward the window. Dark clouds loomed above and from them, a soft rain had started. There was some security in that, for a second she would close her eyes and swear she would see the dead moons from the Warp looking down on Equestria.
"It was just so strange. She came home one day and she was just simply not herself, there were some behavioral problems before but one evening she was just..." Starlight had gone in hard, drilling down her own daughter's name as if she had forgotten she was still in the classroom with her for the conference. Her husband just stared on, not much going on in his eyes. Light imagined himself chugging down some hardcore coffee right about now, the kind that was black enough to wake you up but still had just enough creamer to taste good. Yeah, that would hit the spot well right now. "I really don't know what happened. I know we have not always been home often in recent years, but isn't that what a teenager wants? Privacy and a night to herself?" Starlight continued, her voice completely destroying the peaceful existence Light had found in his own imagination.
Cheerilee frowned, she was obviously very disapproving of virtually everything Starlight had managed to say. However, for the past few minutes, every time she would put in her opinion, she would get talked over by Starlight who was far too used to ruling the stage. As a teacher, Cheerilee had tremendous patience - but she also lead by example. Rather than intruding at any time, she preferred if her students make a comment or ask a question only after raising their hand. So naturally, there she stood, her hand half raised as Starlight spoke, only to lower discouraged every time she went onto a new subject or simply repeated herself, only this time - much louder with slightly different wording. Her kind eyes brought themselves to Celestia's, a subtle begging for help.
No one pushed around Celestia, at least in this world. It was strange, as a princess - she was kind and sometimes would let others walk on top of her. She was just that, a princess - not a warrior or an adventurer and Sunset noticed this. It was this weakness, this absolute kindness that overpowered all other emotions, that was exploited by Sunset and for the most dastardly of things. But as a principal, it was a completely different game. Nothing got past Celestia without her knowing and approving it or shutting it down. Some students speculated that she even had her own elaborate system of spies and that she secretly ruled her own kingdom in a faraway land. You know, just fairy tale stuff that teens think up.
"She has shown improvement and that is what we are here for primarily. To discuss her improvements and how we can work toward" Celestia's statement was surprising, enough to grab Sunset's attention again - who was too busy watching rain droplets race on the window pane beside her just before. The principal crossed her arms and seemed to loom over everyone in the room, it was intimidating but also strangely comforting how she could take charge of not just a situation, but also the atmosphere. For a moment, Shimmer remembered why she eagerly became her student back in Equestria.
Before she was even a candidate for such - she had one major trial to go through. It was an important day, more so than any other in her schooling. Sunset had fond memories and on occasion, would fantasize about the early days at the Clever Clover Academy of Gifted Unicorn Mares. The castle was built high upon Mount Korin, once a fertile ground for the training of Gryphon Valkyrie units, an expert of air-to-ground spear assaults. Their old training helmets were frequently the subject to object-duplication classes. Sunset was once one of the youngest students to ever attend, beaten only a few years later by a mare named Spell Luck. Conveniently, they were both roommates - their window allowed them to peer over the green fields of at the foot of Mount Korin.
Sunset found herself caught in a memory, her hooves braced against the stone window sill - eyes glued to how the field would move and dance to the great winds. Her mane was held together in two small buns at the back of her head, right beside each other. This was the sign of a senior student while having the mane in two small - tight braids to lay upon the back of the neck was traditionally for mares near graduation. This was actually a tradition that did not originate in unicorn culture, but rather from the rare non-unicorn sorceresses that populated the backwoods of middle aged villages. Spell Luck, a dark green maturing filly with eyes of a lighter shade. A four-leaf clover as a cutie-mark and a curly, ginger mane with only a single bun at the back of her head - the styling of a new student of the academy.
"I can really feel that anxiety coming off of you." Spell Luck was always the mare to state her intuitions allowed, face buried in a book to hide a sly smile. Around her neck and body was a tan cloak with a small hood, Elven markings for the border. Sunset considered it overly dramatic. "Should I be worried about the trial when I finally get to it? I've never seen you worry about anything."
Sunset bit her lip, a good talk with Spell Luck was bound to happen daily, but she was more prodding than most mares could ever be. It could be chalked up due to her age, a prodigy and already catching up to Sunset despite being a few years her junior. "Yes, maybe I am. I am not used to channeling my magic off of anything but myself, let alone other - more powerful unicorns. It would feel like cheating if it wasn't already such a difficult task." Shimmer shunned away from the image of the fields below their castle keep on the mountain. Her conscious was filled with the tension and constant anxiousness that followed her throughout the past few days. "I've trained, I've practiced and I have studied. I have fasted from extensive magic use and my reserves should be full. But why am I so worried?"
Spell raised an eyebrow, Sunset was likely asking herself that question - but that did not mean she didn't expect any input from somepony else. Flipping a page with her horn's magic, Spell Luck finally gave up and closed the book with gentle grace before it was tucked away into the bookshelf by the bed. The bad mojo had spoiled the studying and reading mood. "I can't say I blame you... It sounds simple enough, but there are senior students who got recycled back a few moons to try again since they did not succeed the first time." Sunset was unsure how she was supposed to be reassured by the noting of other unicorns' failures. Her roommate stood and stretched their body out, having been prone and reading for some time now - their Elven hood nearly falling over their head, stopped only by their large ears. "There is no actual shame in failure, as from failure we build success... Isn't that what Mage Friscella always says?"
Every mare at Clever Clover acknowledged the importance and respected the efforts of the many High Mages and Professors who taught there. Yet, something rubbed Sunset wrong about the new student, who was rumoured to be a brown nosing, teacher's pet - to be one of the few to actually quote the dreaded Mage Friscella. Shimmer was unable to close her eyes with that name on her tongue or slipping around her mind without the mental image of her weary, lifeless glare being visualized. A chill tapped each vertebra down her spine. "With all due respect, Mage Friscella is only enthusiastic about teaching magic so she can watch those half her age - with half her experience at that, fail to perform her high-level illusion spells." The fire-maned mare threw herself onto her bed, their own personal bookshelf of tomes and literature shook, a single novel falling out and onto her mangled sheets. "Why is she even teaching illusions in an alchemy class?" She murmured, face hidden in her pillow.
The unicorn peeked up at the book that had fallen at the foot of the bed. Her heart tinged at the photograph of her mother and father staring at her - waving, happy and proud. The caption 'See you at graduation!' sketched on the bottom. It served as her inspiration on the harder days at the academy, which became more frequent as her final trials neared. Spell Luck rolled onto her bed as well, sensing that Celestia would lower the sun soon and the chill of the high mountain would then creep into their castle room. "Alchemy and illusions have some things in common, you know. At least - the similar logic. Do you remember the Alchemist Edwin?" Luck questioned, a fan of trivia as well as a fan of the exercising of her own encyclopedic, well-read knowledge.
Sunset was too distracted for a moment, using her magic to place the photograph back into the novel. "Hmm?" came a moan, the book soon slid firmly back in place. Their head faced Spell Luck's side of the room again, but only because the tired Sunset Sparkle preferred to sleep on her right side, face firmly sideways against the pillow. "Of course... Alchemist Edwin - convicted of debauchery, unlawful sodomy, and black magic. Encased in silver and turned into a miniature figurine through artifact compression. Used as a chess piece by High Alchemist - Ela Gothar." Sunset finished her reply with a quick blow of air from her mouth, pushing a tuft from her mane out of her face.
"Exactly." Spell Luck smiled, a star-like shine gleaming back at Sunset. She was a strange mare, into strange things. But no pony could argue with her without facing a thesis in itself, delivered with accurate delivery and often more, somewhat loosely related trivia on the side. "Before being Ela Gothar's personal, prized Rook piece - Edwin realized that illusions were the purest form of magic, therefore was directly related to the same power source behind alchemy, teleportation and so on." The ginger haired mare propped her head on a hoof. "Pony is an incomplete being. Magic is incomplete without the pony that uses it. Each is a partial mirror to an incomplete cosmos. Magic is so intertwined with us as beings - that when both come together, the true potential is met. A partial cosmos becomes a full cosmos. And until then, these two mirrors... They will co-exist until they meet, like the time when magic was first introduced to us - when all the Planes came together for a brief time."
Already exhausted and being fed so much information, philosophy and thought at once - Sunset scoffed and rolled her eyes. It was probably best to just get to Spell Luck's point so she could go to bed. Finally and for good. "And so what? What does any of that mean? What is the point to any of that? Two mirrors forming to impartial reflections of the same thing? And they just... become whole or? What?"
"Well, you see... they kind of push together, just become one mirror with a single reflection. It is complete, but who knows - maybe they are not meant to be complete for so long? Not all reflections are meant to be seen."
"Not all reflections are meant to be seen...? Spell Luck - I know you are smart, but you talk a lot of gibberish sometimes. Intelligent gibberish, at least. But gibberish none-the-less."
"Well, maybe the whole reflection, the whole picture - it is something we do not want to see. A mirror can either amplify our flaws or draw attention from them. But, Edwin's idea about the two mirrors, two halves on different planes... They need to co-exist, one does not exist without the other. Maybe, calling it two mirrors is not so smart - but rather, imagine a mirror and then imagine the reflection."
Sunset was about ready to bury her head and ears deeper into the pillow. "So, what? Is it like a sandwich? Two pieces of bread to put some lettuce in between?"
Spell Luck was excited at the metaphor. "Yes, a sandwich!" Her hooves clapped together before she let out a soft yawn. Their head now down on the pillow, eyes heavy like the darkness that had come upon the world from the lowering of the sun outside. "You can't have a sandwich without bread, you know. That is why Edwin said 'As Above, So Below'. Magic and pony, they cannot exist without each other."
Shimmer opened her eyes, Spell Luck's talking made her fall asleep. But when their eyes opened again - the memory was over and there was no comfortable pillow under her head. Just the warmed leather sleeve of her jacket against her face, having become sticky from the slight sweat. The sun shined directly through the classroom window into her face. She wondered, her human hand being raised to cover her eyes, how did this sunrise? How did this one lower? It was so strange being in the world where the logic of magic was significantly less present. With her head back up, Sunset herself being fully conscious after falling back into another strange, almost hypnotic sleep - Celestia stood just ahead, arms crossed - foot tapping.
"I am glad you are awake, Miss Shimmer. We have some things to discuss." The principle pulled the chair from the desk behind her up to the one that Sunset was sitting at. Her parents take seats around her. This felt like a good cop, bad cop interrogation scene suddenly - just like from that funny investigation-crime show she has been watching online lately. Which reminded her, a new episode came out a few days ago. She really needed to catch back up on that. "In the past few days, you have been falling asleep in class. I would be upset if it wasn't for your consistent good grades and the recent rise in upbeat demeanor." Celestia could find the most positive things in the worst, most negative places. The intimidation factor lowered with her soft smile, which Sunset returned with confidence.
Celestia continued, "I am not here to scold you about that. In fact, this meeting is more about your well being - than just your grades and school participation. The latter also being impressive." Sunset could not help but to shine polisher a line of her nails against her jacket, a cocky grin as she looked to her mom and dad - who listened in silently. Not nearly as impressed with Sunset as herself or Celestia was, knowing her motivation levels were fairly down at home. When was the last time she did her own laundry? - Glimmer would think to herself. And now, here she was - hearing that her daughter was probably one of the better, more active students at Equestria High. "But not just myself, but Vice Principal Luna as well - have noticed that you fall asleep during class, during P.E and we have even seen you sneak away, skipping lunch in favour of a nap on the stairwell."
The leather jacket squeaked as Sunset crossed her arms together, a brief pout on her face. She had counted on no one noticing, or at least caring - about her odd sleeping habits. "In the past few weeks, have you been having any... weird dreams? That have interrupted your sleep at night?" Celestia must have had some conversations with Luna - a licensed sleep therapist and holding a Ph.D. in advanced Psychology - to get to this conclusion. It was eerily correct, but the fire-haired girl was not going to admit it outright. At least not yet. "What about incredibly vivid dreams? Times where you had trouble discerning what was real and not real?"
"No, Principal Celestia - it is nothing like that... I just have some mild insomnia is all, I come home, a lot is on my mind..."
"How have you been feeling since the Battle of the Bands...?" Celestia crossed her fingers politely and placed her hands on the table. An innocent gesture that almost asserted her dominance and authority over her, in a subtle way. "Your behavior has improved so much - but I know you still have some problems with a few of your classmates and students."
"Well, I can name three students that probably hate me right about now..." Sunset was honest about the Sirens, truth be told - they did not have many fans themselves anymore. Even though Celestia and Luna personally regretted never having any recordings of their old performances. Sirens with ill intent or not, those girls could sing. "But really, none of that has been bothering me... I just stay up late, get online - read some books... I'm fine, really."
Celestia loomed in, a suspicious look on her face.
"What books have you been reading?" The principal questioned.
The last thing Sunset even read all the way through was an article on leather jacket care and repair. She had to say something. "'As Above, So Below' - by the Alchemist Edwin the Wise.'"
Everyone raised a brow at that, especially her mother Glimmer. Celestia brought up a fake grin and a nod of understanding. "Well, I wish I could talk more, I really do... but I think my sister, Vice Principal Luna would be of more help to you." With that, Celestia offered her hand to shake, which Sunset, of course, did. The Principal winked and her soft hand soon departed Shimmer's. "I have already talked to your third-period teacher. You can visit Luna right after Lunch in her office."
Dammit.
To Be Continued
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This is really good ,I love how even in the human world celestia is a troll