"Raven! Raven!"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"How has your research been going?"
"Excellent. I contacted one of the captains in Cloudsdale and he recognized the name."
The secretary rushed over to the princess, carrying a folder on her back. She took the folder in her mouth and was about to give it to Celestia, but the princess took hold of it with her magic and lifted it. Raven was taken by surprise and held onto the folder with her mouth, which meant she too was floating in the air. The princess then gave it a good shake that knocked her off before opening it.
The folder contained some documents and a picture of a gruff blue stallion with piercing green eyes and matching green hair. It was the sort of stare that would haunt a pony. Beside the picture were some details about the stallion.
"Sergeant Wing Beat," Celestia read aloud. "8th Cloudsdale Regiment. Pegasus. Born in Cloudsdale. Hm, he served for twelve years and retired at the age of thirty-six."
"He was also a part of a Cloudsdale special forces unit in the later part of his service," Raven told her with enthusiasm. "He was deployed on several missions.
Celestia raised a brow. "There has hardly been any conflict between the nations these years, what missions would be deployed on?"
"Well, do you remember the Black Claws?"
Celestia put a hood to her chin. "That was a small group of radical griffons. They were a bit before your time, Raven. Are you suggesting he was deployed to face these griffons?"
She nervously nodded. "Yes."
"Hm, then he did a good job, because that group never took off. They were just some young griffons with a pipe dream and a victim complex."
"Well...I'm not sure his missions did go well. You see, he is the only survivor of his special forces units. The others...were killed in battle with these griffons."
"Are there documents on this?"
"Yes, one paper at the bottom has it."
Celestia shuffled through the stack to find a bunch of notes written in fine print. "It says he was captured by them and held for three months," she gasped. "Raven, are there any more pictures of this stallion, like one of him after this mission? The picture I have, he seems too young."
She reached into another folder and withdrew a small picture. It was almost identical as the previous one. The stare was the same, the angle, and the distant frown. The only difference were the large scar across his face, his now blind left eye, and his ear had most of it torn off. His thick neck also had scares on it and his mane was nothing but patches on his head. Half his muzzle was gone and almost completely deformed. If it wasn't for that stare and the colors, they would be different ponies entirely.
"I see..." Celestia nodded.
This stallion is the one who trained Sunset to be a thief? He had to have integrity at one point to be enlisted in the Royal Guard. It seems that integrity has been lost in his older age. He went through much more than any Royal Guard I know at the moment. This mission had to have changed his life and his viewpoints. He must also be the reason Sunset has been trying to steal the Alicorn Amulet. Royal Guards are told that such artifacts exist during their training. I reasoned she had read about it in a book, but this was much more plausible. She knows what she is stealing, which means she plans to use it. Why? Well, it's obvious, she wants to be an alicorn. Why get wings when you can take a shortcut? Hm, but would she know of the effects of the amulet? Would she know that it corrupts the user the more she uses it? Perhaps. Good thing that she has only been stealing the gem and not the rest, but that may not last. I need to take the amulet and secure it myself. The vault is growing weak and the guards are useless.
"Raven, please continue digging up as much as you can on him," Celestia uttered absently.
"Right away! Do you need anything else, You Highness?"
"Yes, about ten gallons of coffee. I'll need it...
"Good day, my student," Celestia said to Sunset upon entering the study.
Sunset was sitting at her desk and nonchalantly waved at the princess. "Hey."
She seems pleasant today. Celestia sat down in the middle of the room with a wide smile on her bright face. Sunset simply looked at her with disinterest, but neither looked away. Celestia's hoof slid along the ground in front of her and finally spoke.
"So, how has your week been? It's been six months since you first came here. I've been so proud of your progress. Wasn't it just last week you finally made a flame not hurt you?"
"Yeah," was the dry answer.
"And you've been getting better about not stealing, am I correct?" Celestia kept her bright smile.
"Heh," Sunset chuckled. "I actually took some gum from Shining Armor, does that count?"
"He chews too much of that, so no," Celestia giggled in return. "Did you know that Cadance is actually interested in him?"
"Wow, she doesn't shoot too high then," Sunset remarked.
"I know," Celestia agreed with a nod. "That reminds me, what are you shooting for?"
She's going to pause and then back off. However, Celestia's prediction was flawed, as Sunset rolled her eyes and shrugged. With a yawn, the student hopped off her chair and walked over to the railing.
"Not sure. I mean, I used to be the striving to be the best thief ever, but now, that seems lame to me. After these weeks, I'm kinda in the routine of just doing the studies and all."
Celestia, surprised, ruffled her wings a little. "Well then, you have been doing well in your studies and you still surprise me with you magical capabilities. I think it's time to move onto something else."
Sunset pumped a hoof in the air. "Yes! Oh, I've been waiting. Are we gonna go fight monsters? Go around the world? Go and-"
Celestia interrupted her. "Sorry to ruin your excitement, but I have a final test before we can do anything. It's fairly simple."
Sunset gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine....What is it?"
"Have you stolen the red gem to the Alicorn Amulet?" was the question that left the princess's lips.
"Is...that the test?" Sunset hesitated.
Celestia gave an affirmative nod. "Yes, it is."
"Well, Celly, I know you looked in the vault and saw the empty amulet. There'd be no other reason why you'd ask me that question if you didn't already know the answer. You know that I lie to you. You expect me to saw 'no,' but I'm gonna say 'yes.' I stole the gem," she ended with a haughty boast.
"You've learned," Celestia shook her head. "I'm glad that you are done lying when evidence is against you, but I am disappointed. You had been doing so well and now, you still haven't given up this mad pursuit of the artifact. Sunset, this isn't something to sell for money. This isn't something you play with. The amulet is not going to satisfy whatever hunger is within you. I ask you kindly, please return the gem."
"You know, there's this great question out there," Sunset leaned on the railing with a hoof under her chin. "And that question is why should I? Why should I obey you? We are friends, equals like you say, right? I am not your slave, I refuse to give you the gem. Deal with it."
"This isn't like me telling you to put the cookie back in the cookie jar, this is much more serious," Celestia sounded flustered.
"It's not here," Sunset said finally with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.
The princess blinked in annoyance. "Then where is it?"
Sunset stifled a giggle. "Go find it."
Celestia sighed and looked at the floor. "After all this, this is how you treat me? I was actually starting to think I could help you. I don't know why you care so much about something you do not need. There's so much more in the vault that you could take, but you want to take something that will surely destroy you. I put it in there to keep it away from ponies. I wouldn't mind if you stole my gold or my jewelry, I don't need that. If you only wanted money, I could help with your greed, but it's not greed. You don't want money, do you?"
"No, not really."
"Then why do you need the Alicorn Amulet? You are highly skilled in magic already, what do you think you lack?"
"I want it because I made a promise, Celly. I've wasted so much time being under you and all that I almost forgot my promise. I want that Alicorn Amulet, I need it. Sorry, but I'll get it whether you like it or not."
Celestia snorted loudly. "Sunset, please do not threaten me."
Sunset removed her hooves from the railing and started to walk down the small flight of steps. Her horn was glowing slightly, and her eyes were glowing with the same color. From each hoofprint rose a solemn column of smoke. Her stomps were hostile and her snarl would send a twitch down a lesser pony's spine. Celestia stood up and held her place.
"Have you ever suffered?" Sunset growled.
"Yes."
"Have you ever been hopeless?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever failed?"
Celestia kept a stern look. "Too many times to count."
A devious smile formed on the student's lips. "Am I a failure?" It was a more hopeful question than the words may suggest. It was the sort of mocking question that was solely meant to get a rise from the other pony.
"You are still young. You can stop being a failure if you tried," Celestia huffed. "Right now, I think you enjoy being a failure."
"I do, because it means you lost," Sunset giggled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"What did I do to you that makes you hate me?" Celestia gestured at herself. "I gave you a palace, I helped your magic, I gave you food and friends. What did I not give you?"
Sunset's horned glowed. "Freedom!"
Sunset launched a storm of fire from her horn. Celestia lifted a magical shield to block the flames, making them dance around her and burn up anything nearby. Gout after gout of fire was thrown at the princess. The flames were so intense that she could still feel their hotness from within the bubble shield.
The sound of the flames were deafening. Now even Sunset's ferocious roar could be heard over the raging fires. Celestia hesitated before she hardened the shield and then pushed it forward. The magical shield flew deeper into the flames, knocking the source across the floor. The fires died instantly, allowing Celestia to see the study once more. Sunset was there, already back on her hooves. Smoke rising off from her fur. Half the study was up in raging flames, books upon books being roasted and their pages ruined beyond repair.
"Sunset! Stop this now! I beg you!" Celestia yelled.
"I'm not your puppet!" Sunset screamed before being engulfed in flames and disappearing when the flames were gone.
Where did she go? Celestia looked about. One bookshelf toppled over, making sparks fly into the smoke-filled air. The princess's eyes dashed about, seeing anywhere the thief could be. Finally, her ears picked up a disturbance behind her. She instantly turned around to see Sunset with dancing flames all around her, not harming her in the slightest.
"You have made me more powerful, I'll give ya that," the thief said.
"Think about what you are doing!" Celestia shouted.
"I am!" Sunset roared like the fires. "I've been thinking, I've been here way too long. You never gave me wings, so I'll get them myself! You never cared for me, no one does! To you, I am a pawn, to rest of them, I am your pawn."
Celestia took a step back. "Sunset, I apologize if I ever harmed you. I thought I could bring you up from the ashes, make you into something beautiful. You are wasted talent."
"'Wasted?'" Sunset laughed hysterically. "I don't think so. I've been doing what I've always wanted. I'm putting my talent to use. It'll be my talent that lets me beat you."
Sunset sent the dancing flames at Celestia. The princess took a deep breath stopped the flames in their tracks. Like vile snakes, the flames were between their masters who were battling for control over them. The "eyes" of the dancing flames went from side to side. Slowly, however, they started to turn towards the thief. Sunset looked shocked as Celestia slowly turned her own flames against her.
"You are still no match for an alicorn," Celestia muttered.
The "heads" of the flames faced the previous owner. Sunset could now feel the heat of the fires against her fur. She scrambled backwards to avoid the flames, but they quickly followed her until she had her back against the wall with each dancing flame staring at her.
"Surrender," Celestia said simply.
"Yeah, are you really going to hurt me?" Sunset mocked. "Nah, you won't! I know. You didn't go after those griffins who tore up your own stallions! Yeah, I know about that. You've probably even forgotten the names of the guards who gave their live for your fat flank! Ponies shouldn't adore you! They should hate you! By Tartarus, I'll be a better ruler than you."
"How dare you! I greatly appreciate the stallions who fight for me. They don't only fight for me, but for Equestria as well. I know about Wing Beat. He was honorable, but I can only guess he filled your head with lies so that you will despise me."
"He didn't lie! After he was tortured, you never visited him! You never rewarded his sacrifices! So yeah, I wonder why he has a grudge," she ended sarcastically.
The doors of the study flew open. A stream of Royal Guards and Princess Cadance flooded the burning study. The unicorns instantly went to work to clear out the flames and save anything they could. The rest went straight to Celestia, who still held the thief down with the flying flames.
"I'll take her to the dungeons myself," Celestia told the guards.
"Wha...What happened?" Cadance gasped.
"I'll tell you later, right now, just...just help the guards," the princess muttered.
I wish I never had to do this. Celestia took the shackles and the anti-magic device from the guards and promptly put them on the thief. Without even giving Sunset the dignity to walk, Celestia lifted her up in her magic and carried her out of the study and to the dungeons below. Cadance and the guards stayed in the room to clean up what they could.
Outside the study's window was the phoenix perched on a branch. Her eyes a bit droopy in despair. Embers flickered off her wings as she sat there, looking at the devastation in the room. She did not feel well and she wanted to see her friend. With a low cry, she took off and flew away into the darkening sky.
Well, they're both idiots.
Wow so Celestia's pet is a reminder of Sunset in a way. It does add too the sadness that story. I so want Celestia and Sunset to reconcile either by your hand or in canon!
7177599 How are they both idiots? Celestia was very rational here, she put Sunset away where she belongs!
Of all the magics in Equestria I do belive sunset classifies as hatred/elimental(fire) in that order I would not be suprise if we soon saw her using magic like that of Sombra
7178349 Celestia's an idiot, for expecting Sunset to change just like that. She's trying to change her too fast without waiting on the information she's got coming. If she were being smart, she'd have the remainder of the amulet replaced with a fake, while waiting for the rest of the information to come in.
7178483 Well, pyromancy is not an evil magic as Celestia proved. It's just emotionally dependant magic. We don't know much about the shadow magic Sombra uses. Twilight and Celestia can do it. So maybe Sunset already knows it, but prefers burning things.
7179395 The first part makes no sense. Celestia knows that she needs to hear Sunset's backstory, but is being careful not to just rip it from her. Ever since chapter two, Celestia has been trying to get that info. Instead, Celestia has been simply being kind and affectionate towards Sunset. It made progress as Celestia even said it did.
Sunset had only been stealing half which meant she was doing nothing. It's like stealing batteries to a device. Celestia then thinks that Sunset has no idea what's she stealing.
Sunset is not an idiot either. Being an idiot is having a lack of intelligence. She's a stubborn teen with angst. She's already made up her mind and will not detour from it. You don't know her reasons yet because you, like Celestia, don't know her backstory.
7179419 Agreed. I mean come on Sunset's a teenager. We haven't fully developed mentally yet. We think we can take on the world and will continue on a singular line of thinking and or action no matter the consequences or who we hurt. Nothing will stop us until we either come to a realization om our own that what we're doing isn't necessarily the est thing to do or we're forced to come to terms with our actions via another person or seeing what our actions have cost us. Sunset form what it sounds like wants to save her sister from something, and lacks the power to do so, The Alicorn amulet could potentially give her that power and would be totally fine with paying the price for that power as long as she got what she wanted.
7179419 I was gonna reply back...but you did a better version than I could ever write...well done!
7179419 She says it's making progress, but that doesn't necessarily mean it actually is. If it was, why was Sunset still stealing? On the other hand, she knows the Amulet has a corrupting influence. She knows Sunset wants it. And when she thinks: She wants it, but doesn't know about it's corrupting influence, it doesn't occur to her to explain that influence to her.
As for Sunset being an idiot, she's already been shown Celestia is much more capable with fire, and she's surprised when throwing fire at her doesn't work. She wants nothing more than the amulet and the freedom to save her sister, yet she's resisting explaining that to the one pony that could help her get both?
7180498 Well, the only advice I can give ya is to keep reading. Being the writer, I know how either side is not being idiotic from their standpoints. You don't know it (yet) and can only conjecture as of right now. Some commenters have already figured out what's gonna happen and why it's happening.
No, but I as the writer, do. As the writer, my words are law. Celestia is not one to be fooled. She knows progress when she sees it. Why? Because that is her established character. Sunset tried lying to her several times and Celestia caught it each time. Celestia knows Day One Sunset would never want to train under her (that's why I added that chapter) Celestia knows that the Day One Sunset would never willingly go out to the city together and get a cup of coffee (that's why I added that chapter). You have no proof as to why Sunset has not been progressing. Yes, Sunset admitted to stealing gum. FREAKIN' GUM! Celestia found that amusing and the fact that Sunset was willing to even joke around is a sign of progress when compared to Day One Sunset who told Celestia to commit suicide.
Celestia thought that Sunset did not know what she was stealing because she was only stealing the gem. That is partially true because Sunset was purposely leaving the amulet behind because she thought it was worthless. Wing Beat's interference helped Sunset get back on track. Once Celestia knew that Sunset knew very well what she was stealing, she demanded it back. She even tried telling Sunset that the amulet is hard on the user.
So, to get freedom, what was she gonna do? Sunset is obviously battling the clock. Sunset has burned Celestia before (remember the first chapter) and pyromancy is her best magic. Sunset was using her best against Celestia, which was simply not enough. She also hates Celestia and believes she's been nothing but a toy to her. This is not true (for the most part), but that's simply what Sunset believes.
And yes, that last question is great. Why doesn't she want Celestia's help to save her sister? Don't worry, that will be answered. Some have already found it out though.
7180815 Fair enough. Take it as a sign of how much I'm enjoying it that I'm voicing my opinions on the matter.
7181292 Well thanks! I'm usually one to let people conjecture (I don't mind ya calling Tia and Sunny idiots), I was just want to make sure you're not getting something that I am not writing about. It's proabably some of my fault as the writer, but I do try to make things clear.
"Or do I?"
Oh Sunset... At least we know why there is so much bitter resentment. It's not her own opinion, she's been taught that resentment when she was younger and much more impressionable.
Well Celestia, good luck getting more info from her now. Then again, it's not like Sunset was that open anyway.
Now I'm starting to wonder just when Wing Beat started training Sunset, when Dayshine got sick, and when Wing Beat told Sunset that the Alicorn Amulet could cure her ....
Maybe it's just my own sidewinder thoughts, but I'm starting to think that Dayshine having a slow-acting disease that can only be cured by somepony with the power of an alicorn is not a coincidence ....
7180498 Well, of course she's resisting telling about her sister. From Sunset's view, she can't trust Celestia, especially with anything that Celestia could use against her.
A) Sunset is still a prisoner in illegal incarceration (Yes, it's a very comfortable incarceration, but a gilded cage is still a cage), and based on Celestia's own words, the only way Sunset will ever be free is if she turns herself into what Celestia wants her to be.
B) Between Sunset's own experiences with Celestia and Wing Beat's influence, Sunny believes that Celestia does not care about ponies except when they are currently useful and/or amusing to her. From that POV, revealing her sister would just get Dayshine taken by the Princess to be used as another threat/held over Sunset's head (i.e., "behave, or your poor sister won't get her medical treatment this week"). Yes, we know that Celestia would never do that, but to Sunset it is a very real fear.
7183256 What the heck?
Oh... Haha!
"But I LOVE Talos!"
"Yeah, I can do dragon shouts."
"No, you can't..."
"FUS RO DAH!"
"Spike! Pick up all those books you knocked over!"
"FUS RO DAH!!"
"And all those cheese rolls!"
: "Sunset, you're fired. Pun intended. Deal With it."
just imagining Raven trying her hardest to bring around 83.4 IB of coffee all at once. I wonder how the coco plantations deal with the demands from the people and then the much larger demands of the 1 princess.
To the rest of them