The Huntress

by The Quiet Party

V: And That Whence the Sun Rises, and Whither it Goes to Set, There All the Devas are Contained, and No One Goes Beyond

Author's Note:

If you wish to know what happened to Luna all those years, please check out the side story, The Golden Age.

In her new bedroom, Sunset didn’t sleep. She really didn’t need it, now that she was an alicorn, but it was something that came naturally to her and something, as Luna said, kept them anchored to the living world. So she sat there on her new bed, in her new floor of the Speaker’s Estate, looking down at the parts of the City that existed in this district. In the distance, lit like a sentinel at hand with lantern, was the Tower.

From here she could see some people walking around in the early hours of the morning, tending to whatever business they had in this strange new world Sunset had awoken to. And it was a world she was still adjusting to, a world she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a part of, but had no choice in the matter..

It had only felt like scant hours ago that she had been with her friends, graduating high school and getting ready for the future. Sunset’s future in particular involved the guy whose heart she’d lost and rewon, Flash Sentry, as they were going to spend a year together in her native Equestria. That turned out to not happen, as there had been a horrifically sudden attack on Canterlot – and eventually all of humanity – that had been orchestrated by Sunset’s own mother.

Her friends had died.
Her lover had died.

Sunset herself had died.

And now here she was, seven hundred years later, in a world devastated by her mother’s forces, protected from above by a giant diamond with a horrific secret and with armies of savage, scavenging diamond dogs and who knew what else at The City’s metaphorical doors. Despite their happiness, there was an edge of wariness on the faces of the citizenry, as if they knew “the last safe city” was anything but. About two million humans, ponies, Awoken and other races, trying to survive the path of the monster bullet that was the inevitable third coming of the Taken Queen.

Nightmare Star.

Sunset’s, mother, Celestia, the former queen of Equestria – now a nation and a world that no longer existed, murdered by Nightmare Star’s treachery.

Sunset wanted to cry. She desperately did. But she couldn’t. Whether it was because she was in too much shock, too much disbelief or anger that her mother had done this, she wasn’t sure. She wanted to cry as freely and painfully as her aunt Luna did … but Luna had centuries to have adjusted to her lost husband and family, her lost life and her lost worlds. Sunset had only a relative handful of waking hours to adjust to this waking nightmare.

So she sat in the sleeping attire Luna had purchased for her with glimmer – not even credits, like something out of a sci-fi film, but “glimmer”, like something out of the dumbest parts of the Equestrian dictionary – looking at the string of lights that were the other buildings draped in night and then occasionally to her hunter’s uniform, and the significance of her new life: no longer a budding student looking towards the future, but a soldier on the front lines of a war she hadn’t known existed until a few hours ago. A soldier who, if Luna was to be believed, had the fate of the world in her hands.

Sunset reached over for the ancient, worn copy of Star Swirl’s journals, flipping through the pages to the back of the book … then past the false backing, towards the ancient unicorn’s last prophecy:

“It is said that when the sun goes mad and turns against all she loves, the moon will call forth a bright blue star to aid her. The blue star will call to six, that will call to seven that will call beyond a baker’s ply, and a fort’s host against the one will bring forth infinity.”

Sunset read the passage once more, and she couldn’t understand any of it. The only things she could glean from it was that the sun went mad and turned against all she loved.

My own mother murdered me. She didn’t really do it, but she didn’t realize who I was until I touched her, and that was just after her lieutenant ran his horn through my heart. She pulled off her top to look for a massive wound, but other than her exposed front, her skin was unblemished and perfect. A bittersweet smile finally came to her as she could practically feel Flash’s caress.

They’d made love the night before graduation. He’d already been spending a lot of time at her apartment, and his parents knew they would be a permanent item. It didn’t matter that as someone supposedly the same age as he she was living on her own already, or that they’d never met her family. Back when she’d been rotten to the core, she’d fooled them into believing she was a sweetheart. Then during the time they’d broken up, whenever she’d run into Flash’s mother at the supermarket or somewhere, the older woman had considered their breakup just a growing phase between the two. When they finally got back together, Flash’s parents said they knew this was coming, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Had they known the girl I always would be even when I wasn’t? Sunset asked, feeling a sting in her eyes. Flash, did they know from the beginning that if none of this would happen that we would have been together forever?

She could practically feel the taste of his lips again, feel the press of his body against hers. Flower petals opened in anticipation, and she yearned to feel his touch. But it was a phantom pain, and as two parts of her body felt wetness, Sunset cried in great pain at what she’d lost and what had been done to her. What her mother had stolen from her and the world. What she wanted back and could never have. She’d long given up on being an alicorn. Even now, she couldn’t give up on being the girl Flash would have married.

⟪Sunset?⟫ The girl forced herself to look up and she could feel something being rubbed against her cheeks. She soon identified it as a tissue, being moved around by a very tiny tractor beam of blue, coming from an AI floating at face height. ⟪I know I can’t really ever understand what you’re going through, but I’ve talked to other Ghosts, and they all say the same thing: how heartbroken their Guardians are when they realize they’ve lost something. But it’s worse for you, because you remember everything and the Speaker does, too.⟫

But then the little AI seemed, as much as it could, to move in what seemed to be the best approximation of a smile that it could. ⟪But I want you to know that I’m always going to be here to support you. I’m your Ghost and you’re my Guardian, and we’re always going to be together, because that’s how it is. But even more than that, because I want to be. So no more crying, okay?⟫

Sunset smiled. “Okay. But keep in mind that I’m going to need you from time to time.”

⟪That’s what I’m here for!⟫ the Ghost said cheerfully.

Sunset looked out the windows, to see the first edges of sunlight creep over the walls of the city, bathing the Himalayas in a wash of golden warm light that somehow reminded Sunset of better times and of a white alicorn that Sunset loved immensely.

I have to believe there’s something still there within Mom, Sunset thought to herself. If this book is right, there has to be a way to bring Mom back from the brink. And it starts somewhere out there. Sunset looked at her Ghost. And I have her to thank in part. She’s been like a ray of light all this time.

The girl grinned. She finally knew what to call the AI.

~*~

“I’m sorry,” Luna said as Sunset came down for breakfast. She was dressed in normal clothing for the era: a russet-colored tunic, dark gray cargo pants and suede boots. Luna herself wore the robes of her station, and around the table, robots set plates of fruits, meats and eggs.

“Why?” Sunset asked as she sat down, reaching for a croissant and what looked like honey butter.

“Because I know what you were going through last night. I went through the same when Alex died, and then when my children passed and one day, I just cut ties with my descendants. It wasn’t until I got here to the City that I found some still lived and I renewed those ties. But you went through it last night, and I wasn’t there to help you when I should have been.”

“No, it’s okay. Dawn was there for me,” Sunset said, gesturing to the AI floating above her right shoulder.

⟪Of course! That’s what Ghosts are fo–-⟫ Suddenly there was that eerie pause, akin to that of a living being, where words seem to have gone into terminal failure. ⟪What did you just call me?⟫

“Dawn,” Sunset said with a soft smile. “That is your name, right?”

The AI was silent for a second. Two. Three. Then with an exuberance usually associated with hyperactive children, the Ghost zipped around the room at high speeds, slaloming around the frames, who seemed to take the whole thing in stride. ⟪I GOT A NAME!⟫ she sang at the top of her audio emitters. ⟪I GOT A NAME!⟫

Tiberius, however, seemed to take a more contrarian approach. ⟪You should behave yourself! You are a Ghost and your demeanor reflects that of your Guardian!⟫ If there was a way for a Ghost to float with irritation, Tiberius had mastered it.

“Let her have this moment,” Luna scolded him. “Each Ghost is as different as people are. You shouldn’t expect Dawn to act like you.”

⟪As you wish,⟫ Tiberius acknowledged with what sounded like a tone of resignation.

“So what’s next for you?” Luna asked while Sunset chewed on a piece of bacon.

Sunset finished and looked thoughtfully. “Somewhere out there, there’s a way to bring Mom back from the brink. I’m going to find it.”

“Don’t make the mistake of assuming just because you and I were saved from the Nightmare Force, that everyone can be. Nightmare Star is far more vicious than you can imagine and there might not be anything left of Celestia in there. I want my sister back, too, but I don’t want you to fight a Quixotic war that will only leave you heartbroken.”

“I know,” Sunset said, “but I recall an old human text I read once, and the line that has always meant a lot to me. It was, ‘Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?’” Sunset took a bite of an unfamiliar fruit and added, “I’ll save Mom, no matter what it takes, Aunt Luna. With or without Starswirl’s prophecy – I’m going to save her.”

Luna looked at her niece, and in those turquoise eyes, the older alicorn could see her sister’s determination. You should be proud of the mare you raised, sister, Luna said to herself. And you should fear that she’s coming and I don’t think there’s going to be anything to stop her.

~*~

The transport craft passed by the northern edge of the Tower, and two figures transmatted in, leaping to the ground easily. “And here’s where we part for a while, Little Light,” Luna told her niece. “I have a government to run and you have a long task ahead of you.” She then hugged her and said, “I believe you’ll be up to the task.”

“I am, I’m sure of it,” Sunset said confidently.

Luna hugged her niece once more. “Then I will see you when you get back from your first mission. But until then, I will miss you. Now go; I’m sure Cayde is waiting for you at the Hall.” A thought then came over Luna. “But before you go….” She reached into a pocket and produced a small wafer of plastic. “Give this to the Gunsmith when you get a chance. It will be of use to you.”

“Will do,” Sunset replied, and shoved the wafer in the pocket. As she walked off, Luna couldn’t help but worry. Stars keep you safe, Sunset, she mused, and that they bring you back home.

As Sunset walked along, looking at the painted hallways and waving to the few civilians that worked in the Tower, she said to Dawn, “So, wonder what we have in store?”

⟪Not a clue,⟫ Dawn replied, ⟪but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a starter run somewhere on Earth where the dogs are causing problems. Maybe the European Resttlement Zone, or the archeological operations at the Russian Cosmodrome. Or maybe we’ll get lucky and get assigned a run at one of the other archeological spots.⟫

“Archeology?” Sunset asked as they walked past a kiosk where an Awoken woman with a wide smile and a need to call out like a carnival barker was clearly selling wares. Sunset waved at her, but continued walking down the tiled path towards the Hall of the Guardians.

⟪It’s seven centuries after you last lived, Sunset. Everything you ever knew is archeology now.⟫ The pair went down the stairs, past the man in the armor that seemed to be glaring at her and the robot – “Frames”, Sunset reminded herself. Gotta remember the bipedals are called “frames” – that appeared to be going out of its way to be unassuming while it sold a variety of weapons and armor. Sunset paid neither heed as she entered the Hall of the Guardians outright.

Cayde noticed her in a heartbeat. “Well, well, well – our newest Guardian, completely out of uniform!” He turned to his counterparts and said, “And you say I have no respect for protocol. Girl here’s taking after my own heart.”

Zavala’s eyes narrowed. “Do you seriously think you’re going out in that?”

Ikora, though just as disapproving, was a little gentler in her admonishment. “Sunset, generally Guardians are usually in armor unless they’re specifically off-duty. Please don’t let your relation to the Speaker color your judgement.”

Sunset had the good grace to blush in embarrassment and snapped her fingers. Less than a second later, she was attired in her hunter armor, though helmetless and with her hood down. “Sorry,” she blurted.

Cayde waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. KinderGuardian mistake – you’ll grow out of it. Anyway, I have your first mission for you. We have a group of Guardians missing in the European Dead Zone, just west of the Widow’s Court Crucible area. It’s out of the Crucible boundaries, and there are no reasons for civilians to be there, so I want you to investigate it and eliminate any potential problems.”

Ikora spoke up. “The Consensus is considering expanding the European Resettlement Zone into that area, so it is imperative to know if there’s anything there that could either impede those plans or cause us to abandon them entirely.”

“You mean like a place next door where gunfire is going all over the place?” Cayde cracked.

“Cayde, now is not the time for your humor,” Zavala snapped, then turned to Sunset. “We’re uploading the information to your Ghost. Once there you are to report to Safford. He’s a titan and already on the scene. He will evaluate your progress and report back to us.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “Great. A babysitter.”

Cayde spoke up. “Listen, Sunset, it’s not like tha—“

“It is very much like that,” Zavala interrupted. Turning back to Sunset, the Awoken man added, “We trust the Speaker implicitly after everything she’s given up and done for humanity. But you are an unknown and for all we know, a plant specifically designed to throw her and us off – and I will not risk the City for that. So until we can trust you, you will have to live with a ‘babysitter’, understood?”

“Not really, but you guys don’t care about my opinions in the matter, do you?”

The look on Ikora’s face was sympathetic. “I understand how you feel, but look at it from our point of view: we have to protect the City and its peoples, and we have to make sure any unknown becomes a known, whether friendly or not. Right now? You’re an unknown element, Sunset. And while I’m looking forward to having you eventually be a known quantity, we cannot discount the possibility that you mean harm to all of us. I’m sure the idea of a sleeper agent existed in the warfare of your time, didn’t it?”

“I wasn’t a soldier back then, but I’ll concede your point.”

“Good,” Cayde interjected. “So we’re all on the same page. Now get going, Sunset. I saw that writ from the Speaker in your pocket, so report to Banshee for some new stuff.” Sunset nodded and departed.

As she left, Zavala looked at Cayde with anger. “She had a writ? What is the Speaker thinking?”

“Same thing any mama bird does, I guess,” Cayde answered. “Luna wants Sunset safe, and if it means an on-spot promotion, we can’t argue with that.” Zavala bristled at the pegasus’ words; despite the fact that the Guardians were a relatively rankless organization, an informal command structure came upon the color and quality of their weapons based on the engram’s color, from the lowest-ranked white-colored “common engrams” to the near-general “exotic engrams”, gold in color. The writ Luna had given Sunset was to upgrade her weapons and gear to the green uncommon ranking.

“Still, I think Luna is putting us all at an unnecessary risk for a new alicorn that might just be one of Nightmare Star’s traps,” Zavala grunted. “At least I trust Safford. He’s one of the best titans I have out there right now.”

“Yes, I just hope he doesn’t stomp all over our newest Guardian. He has a way of doing that,” Ikora cautioned.

“Well, if he does,” the titan Vanguard answered, “then she clearly deserved it.”

Meanwhile, Sunset followed Dawn to a kiosk where it looked like weapons were actually being built. An impressive array of guns of all different types were mounted on the wall in the back of the store, and in the left corner what looked like a large 3D printer was assembling a series of weapons as a laser sliced through industrial-grade steel. A couple of other Guardians were browsing new weapons to potentially be bought, and at the center of it all was an earth stallion, his blue coat standing out against the light colors of the gun shop. His golden mane was styled in a ridge of spikes that seemed to be emblematic of antennae, and in his mouth was something that looked vaguely reminiscent of a cigar.

“So, you’re the new kid,” the gunsmith growled in a raspy voice that seemed to remind Sunset of smoke-filled pool halls with hard-drinking men. “Name’s Banshee and I run this little shack,” he added, putting out a hoof to bump, which Sunset did. “So, what can I get ya?”

Sunset handed over one of the writs. “Here.”

Banshee took it and looked it over. “Well, well, well. Either ya got some pull with the Speaker, or ya bent down a few times for Cayde. And since you’re human, I’m not gonna guess the latter,” he laughed with a deep bellow. “I’ve known that asshole for years and he ain’t getting his humanity back. Anyway, all I got in the way of armor is some engrams you’ll have to have Salt Boy over there decrypt.”

“Salt Boy?” Sunset parroted.

Banshee laughed again and pointed at a man in robes by tented pavilion just a few yards form him. “Yeah. That’s Rahool, the leader of the Cryptarchs – they’re a combination of archeologists and mad scientists. Anyway, Rahool has a rep of being a swindler … or at least he did until Cayde brought him a sack of doorknobs to decode. Salt Boy got the message fast – or at least he did once he got out of the infirmary.” The stallion waved it off and said, “But guns? Guns I can get you. What’s your regular?”

Again, Sunset was confused. “Regular?”

Dawn, thankfully answered this question. ⟪He means your regular weapons loadout.⟫ The Ghost turned to Banshee and added, ⟪Sunset’s new to all this, so all she has is a pulse rifle and sniper rifle.⟫ Sunset got the message and laid her arms out on the table for Banshee to look at.

Banshee looked both weapons over. “Looks like this sniper’s gotten more use than the pulse. I’d say keep the pulse for now, but I’m upgrading you to a better sniper. Since you’re still entitled to a new primary, though, I’d recommend a scout rifle – just got a new batch of Jigoku SR3s in, and they’re pretty popular with those who want low spit but high spank.” Seeing the look of confusion once again on her face, he clarified with, “Low rate of fire but high impact.”

“Oh.” He set one down on the counter, and she picked it up. She brought it into a firing position, and she instantly liked the feel. She could practically feel herself pulling the trigger and splitting a dog’s head apart like a melon. She felt brief revulsion from that thought, followed by a mild surprise that she’d thought the whole concept made sense to begin with. “I’ll take it.”

“Smart girl. I broke down your old sniper into parts, so you’ll need those to upgrade your weapons. As for your new long dick—“

“What, is everything profane with you?” Sunset asked.

“Listen, kid, I’m a gunsmith. I ain’t paid to be nice and I wasn't much of a nice stallion to begin with. If you dislike me that much, when you get to purple class, there are two other gunsmiths in the tower that you can get guns from, as well as those assholes in the major factions. But until then, you’re stuck with me and whatever you can get Rahool to decrypt for you – assuming he doesn’t steal it from you, first.”

Sunset got the message. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

“Naah, don’t sweat it, kid. I know you’re a Guardian, which means you probably came from some time in the past where people were nice and friendly, never swore and everything was fucking sunshine and rainbows. Got it. Anyway, you might like the JLL-19. Decent impact and pretty good range. You’ll be popping skulls in no time.” Banshee set a green sniper rifle down.

“I just noticed none of these guns have camouflage,” Sunset added. “For that matter, neither does my uniform.”

“Kid, when the enemy has infrared and ultraviolet sensors and better natural vision than humans, Awoken or even us ponies, camouflage doesn’t count for jack shit. Staying alive is more important than being a corpse nobody can find, so nowadays outgunning them counts more than stealth – well, unless you’re one of those Bladedancers, but that’s a different story.”

Sunset hefted the sniper rifle briefly and liked the feel, so she accepted it. “The writ says I get a heavy, too,” Sunset asked. “What’s that?”

“Well, what’s your preference? Big fucking booms or a storm of bullets at the enemy until they’re nothing but bloody chunks of Swiss cheese?” He set a heavy machine gun on the table, followed by a rocket launcher. “Xerxes-C and a Butcher SA/3. Both for the discerning kind of killer,” he said with a laugh. “Take one; we’re low on heavies right now and I don’t get a new shipment until next week.”

“Um, I’ll take this,” Sunset said, picking up the rocket launcher. She wasn’t sure whether or not she was sold on it, but she didn’t want to wear out Banshee’s patience; he didn’t look like the sort of stallion who had loads of it, anyway.

“Good for you. Now get going; I got other customers to deal with, and you gotta go see Salty there for those engrams.” Without warning, he leapt up on the counter and shouted, “HEY, RAHOOL, YOU RIP THIS GIRL OFF AND I’M COMING OVER THERE TO KICK YOUR ASS, GOT THAT?” The Cryptarch seemed to ignore him, so Banshee grinned and said, “He got the message. Now go do your thing and let me know how you like killing with your new toys.”

~*~

Sunset didn’t spend much time with Rahool; he reminded her way too much of the landlord she had back when she was first alive and lived in Canterlot. That man had practically undressed her with his eyes and back during her less-behaved days, she used that for all it was worth until he left the job and was replaced with a no-nonsense woman. Rahool, on the other hand, seemed only to care about the engrams and the scientific data he could glean from them. Still, his face and voice reminded her too much of that man and she departed as soon as it was polite to. She did get improved armor out of the whole deal, though her knew cloak was a mid-length that only went towards her waist. She’d already seen some with full cloaks that went all the way to the ground, and she was mildly jealous for some reason.

So now, as they were headed to the hangar, she could see a ship with a fantastic design coming in for a landing; the thing pretty much looked reminiscent of that X-shaped Starfighter from that sci-fi franchise Flash had been so fond of. Plus, there was the matter of what ship she’d have. She’d been brought her in the ship of a dead Guardian, but it was configured for a pony Guardian, so it was a cramped and uncomfortable journey.

She walked through the complex, following Dawn, until she came across a woman in her early twenties, with short hair, green eyes and a laconic smile that reminded Sunset of Applejack. “Hey, you’re the new Guardian? Name’s Amanda – Amanda Holliday. I’m the Tower’s shipwright, and I have your ship all set for you. Worked on it myself.” She pointed at a purple ship down the line that was decidedly not the one she’d used earlier.

⟪That doesn’t look like anything I’m familiar with,⟫ Dawn said.

“Yeah. New design – Spindle Demon, CX-20 variant. Just recovered her from an old spacedock in the Scotland sector. I spruced her up, and now she’s yours.”

“But what about the other ship I was in?” Sunset asked.

“Oh, that one? We had a new Guardian process in last night. He was assigned to the Cosmodrome, so we gave him your old ship, since he was a pony. It was set for a pony flight configuration anyway, so it’s not like you’re missing anything, right?” Amanda said with a wink. “Plus, I wanted you to have this Spindle Demon. Worked on it myself, because I couldn’t trust anyone else with it.”

“Why not?”

Amanda smiled slightly. “Because of Granny.” When Sunset put on that confused look she seemed to have entirely too often as of late, the blonde chuckled. “I’m a Holliday. Which means that the Speaker – that is, Princess Luna – is my great-great-great-who-knows-how-many-greats-grandmother. She prefers me to call her Luna, but I call her Granny when I want to tease her. But anyway, if you are who you say you are, then you’re her niece, which makes you and I whatever-to-the-nth-power-cousins. And if there’s anyone who cares about family, it’s a Holliday.”

Yeah, she’s just like Applejack. “Thanks. I mean that.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get mushy on me, cuz. Just go out there and take back our home and tell me about it when you get back. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to start work on taking apart a dog ketch we captured just outside of the New Delhi Sector.” Barking orders, Amanda started walking over to the far side of the hangar, leaving Sunset and Dawn alone.

“Well, let’s go check out our ship,” Sunset suggested, walking towards it, admiring the sleek black and purple paintjob, as well as its pristine outer hull; chances were, it wasn’t going to stay that way for long.

The two walked up the gangplank and into the cockpit area. ⟪Wow, state of the art,⟫ Dawn said, punctuating it with an artificial whistle.

Sunset sat down in the pilot’s seat, and before she even realized what she was doing, she was closing the gangplank and powering up the vessel, her hands moving with a muscle memory she wasn’t even aware she had.

⟪I guess piloting comes naturally to Guardians, huh?⟫ Dawn asked.

“No clue,” Sunset said, as she pressed a button. “Tower Control, we are ready for departure, please give me an outbound plan, over.”

“This is Tower Control. Catapult Two is clear, so taxi there. We will need a callsign, over.”

Sunset thought about that for a moment. “Any ideas what we should call ourselves?” Sunset asked.

Dawn replied, ⟪What about Sunset Princess? If you’re the daughter of a queen, doesn’t that make you a princess?⟫

“The Equestrian throne doesn’t exactly work that way, but you’re probably right.” Flicking on the comm channel again, she said, “Tower, callsign is Sunset Princess, over.”

A response came after a second. “That’s a negative. Sunset Princess is already registered – and before you ask, so is Princess of Sunset. Please select a new one, over.”

Sunset was about to ask Dawn for another suggestion, when a memory came to her mind.

“Honestly, Rainbow, that’s incredibly crass of you!” Rarity scolded. “You should apologize to Sunset right this instant!”

On the ground and laughing to the point where her sides hurt and tears were at the edges of her eyes, the black, rainbow-haired teenager gasped, “But she’s got bacon-colored hair, and she’s the daughter of Princess Celestia! That makes her the Bacon Princess!”

“Whatever,” Sunset groaned.

With a nostalgic gleam in her eye, she said, “Tower, callsign is Bacon Princess.”

There was an odd pause as the Tower controller said, “Oh-kay, your call. Bacon Princess is registered. You’re clear for Catapult Two. Good hunting. Tower out.”

As Sunset wheeled the Bacon Princess over to the catapults, Dawn looked at her. ⟪Are you sure about this?⟫ the AI asked.

Sunset felt a chunky, metallic sound underneath her ship – the sound of the catapults connecting – and she smiled. “Yeah. It’s a memory from a happier time, Dawn. And right now, I could use all the happy memories I can get.”

⟪Roger that! Let’s go make some new ones.⟫

With that, Sunset instinctively watched the red lights flicker to green, and as the massive catapults of the Tower thrust her ship forward, she gunned the thrusters at full, tearing them into the air. With a quick course correction they quickly blasted towards, the west and whatever future awaited them.

Comments

[MorpheustheDream]

the thing pretty much looked reminiscent of that X-shaped Starfighter from that sci-fi franchise Flash had been so fond of.

I know what it is!
Also, nice reference to it.

[diablo4000]

I do hope something left of Celestia, that way she can face the charges of her sins.
There going to be a army of beings wanting her in chains dragged to faces the charges of what she done.
Unless she hidden away and made to fake ehr death, won't matter as she have to deal with the guilt of her sins, which i look forward to.

[LeSilverPegasus]

The song, Princess of China by Coldplay, is very fitting for is fanfic.