A Matter of Pride, Part Two (New)
A Matter of Pride, Part Two
Sunset sat on her bed, with everyone else having departed for breakfast.
Today was the day. Today she battled for her honour and the honour of the House of Nikos.
A part of her didn’t really know why she was so worried about this; she had fought the White Fang, she had helped capture Roman Torchwick, she had come face to face with Adam Taurus, the Sword of the Faunus, and survived having his blade through her gut. Why should some Haven punk hold any terrors for her?
He didn’t. He held fears for her; there was an important distinction.
He held fears for her because there would be consequences if she lost this fight. Yes, nobody was going to die, but all the same, there would be consequences. There would be consequences because Soteria, her sword, the sword that had been given to her, would fall into the hands of one of Pyrrha’s rivals, and the most unworthy rival at that.
Speaking of unworthiness, Sunset would prove herself unworthy of Lady Nikos’ trust. That was her fear. That was why she feared Bolin Hori: because he would make a fool of a great lady, and the foolishness would be that she had believed in Sunset Shimmer.
There had been too much of that already. She had made a fool of Princess Celestia’s faith in her through her malice; she would not do the same to Lady Nikos through her incompetence.
She hoped not, anyway.
Sunset had not gone down to breakfast with the others because it was now morning, which meant that it was noon or early afternoon in Mistral, and it was time for her to call Lady Nikos.
The scroll trembled in her hands a little bit. Not only because she would have to admit the possibility that she might lose Soteria, but also because… because, as much as she hated to admit it, the words of Phoebe Kommenos had struck home with her a little bit.
What had Lady Nikos said about her? How was she representing their arrangement? What was it that was allowing Phoebe to think of Sunset as Lady Nikos’ hireling, her paid creature?
She was not Pyrrha’s bodyguard. She was not a retainer of the House of Nikos; Sunset had made that fact perfectly clear. So where was it coming from?
What was Lady Nikos saying?
Sunset would have to ask her.
The answers weren’t going to find themselves, after all.
Sunset got up off her bed. She was calling upon a lady, after all; the least that she could do was stand up straight.
She held the scroll up, before her face, so that she didn’t have to look down; she would maintain proper posture for this.
The name of Lady Nikos was white; a green button glowed slightly underneath.
Sunset hit the button.
A line of dots ran briefly across the transparent screen of the scroll; the dial tone sounded as her device sought for a connection, and then the face of Lady Nikos appeared before her, sitting – judging by the background – in her study, where she had interviewed Sunset shortly after her arrival.
“Miss Shimmer,” she said. “Good morning to you.”
“Good afternoon, my lady,” Sunset replied. “I hope I am not disturbing you.”
“You are giving me an excuse to take a break from the accounts; that is not a thing to be sneered at,” Lady Nikos replied calmly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I fear that you will find little pleasure in what I have to say once I have said it, my lady.”
Lady Nikos’ eyes narrowed. “Is something amiss, Miss Shimmer? Is Pyrrha-?”
“Safe and sound and happy, my lady,” Sunset assured her. “I regret that I am yet unable to persuade her to tell you so herself, but rest assured that my news does not touch upon her life or health, her happiness or her honour. All are intact and, in the case of happiness, blossoming here… with Mister Arc.”
Lady Nikos harrumphed. “Mister Arc,” she muttered. She looked away. “What is his parentage?”
“I fear, my lady, that I know not, save that he comes from a huntsman.”
“That is not enough,” Lady Nikos declared, “I must know more before I can,” – her lips twisted in distemper – “before I can bear to accommodate myself to their relationship.”
“My lady, I think that if you do not accommodate yourself to it, then you will lose your daughter,” Sunset informed her bluntly. “Pyrrha… Pyrrha is resolved to pursue her own happiness, without reference to you or any other person wholly unconnected with her. She will have Jaune though all of Mistral frown upon it.”
“Nevertheless, I charge you to find out more about him, where he comes and from what stock,” Lady Nikos commanded.
Sunset felt her brow furrow just a little. “You charge me, my lady?”
“Does my choice of words offend you, Miss Shimmer?”
Sunset pursed her lips together. Now they were come to it, or close enough. “My lady,” she said, “I think that we come to the true subject on which I called you. Today, I fight a duel, for possession of the sword Soteria which you bestowed on me in-”
“I am aware of Soteria and when I gave it to you,” Lady Nikos said sharply. Her words grew claws as she said, “I very much hope, Miss Shimmer, that you have not wagered an heirloom of my line upon the outcome of a fight.”
“The challenge was offered to me, my lady,” Sunset replied, her own words a little sharp, if not so much as those that were offered to her. “And offered specifically for the sword.”
“Who gave you this challenge?”
“Bolin Hori.”
“Who?”
“Indeed, my lady,” Sunset murmured. “A student of Haven Academy, here for the Vytal Festival; he is a member of Team Auburn, under Arslan Altan.”
“Arslan Altan!” Lady Nikos exclaimed. “I fear you must explain further, Miss Shimmer; I have never heard of this Bolin Hori nor know of any reason he should have claim upon Soteria, and if Miss Altan wished it, I hope she would have the courage to challenge you herself.”
“Miss Altan gave me warning of the challenge before it reached me,” Sunset replied. “In this matter, Bolin Hori serves another of Pyrrha’s rivals: Phoebe Kommenos.”
Lady Nikos sighed. “Of course,” she growled. “Phoebe Kommenos, who else would do such a thing? She lacks the courage to challenge you herself, so she suborns this Mister Hori into her service.”
“I have heard she is paying him, my lady.”
“Disgraceful,” Lady Nikos muttered. “Is she a Kommenos or a Schnee?”
“I think that you do at least one Schnee a wrong to ask such a question, my lady.”
“I do not much care if I malign twenty Schnees,” Lady Nikos declared. “I would say that Atlas has been the ruin of Phoebe Kommenos, but she was never… it matters not. I did not think that she would be so bold.”
“It was not her first choice, my lady,” Sunset said. “Earlier this week, she sought to buy the sword from me.” She hesitated, because now they were come to the crux, or one of the cruces, at any rate. “My Lady, I am afraid that I must ask you… what have you said of me?”
“What has Phoebe Kommenos told you that I have said of you?”
Sunset hesitated.
“Out with it, Miss Shimmer,” Lady Nikos demanded. “If I am to be accused, let me at least know what I am said to have done.”
“I am told that I am an accusing anecdote at parties, my lady,” Sunset said softly.
Lady Nikos was silent for a moment. “The fact that Phoebe has gone to these lengths to obtain Soteria shows that it is reasonably widely known that you have it,” she said. “Have any other Mistralian students given you trouble because of it?”
“No, my lady, but I am told that it is the cause of some resentment towards me… and towards Pyrrha.”
“Pyrrha?” Lady Nikos asked. “How so?”
Sunset scowled. “They call her… between going to Beacon and dating Jaune, there are some who feel that she has forsaken Mistral. They call her traitor.”
“And yet she still holds fast to Mister Arc?” Lady Nikos asked, sounding a little surprised to hear it.
“As I told my lady, it will take more than disapproval to make her break with her heart in this,” Sunset said.
“Indeed you did,” Lady Nikos agreed. “And yet…” It seemed to Sunset that, in spite of everything, Lady Nikos almost smiled. “I am impressed. I did not think she had such courage.”
“Pyrrha is the bravest person I know,” Sunset said; Ruby, who might have contested for the position, was in Sunset’s view too heedless to be brave. You couldn’t be brave if you didn’t seem to care one way or another if you lived or died, and Ruby’s protestations to the contrary were not entirely convincing – or Sunset did not find them so.
“I am glad to hear it, but that is courage on the battlefield,” Lady Nikos explained. “Since coming to Beacon, she has shown more and more other kinds of courage. Courage I had not suspected in her. Forgive me, Miss Shimmer, say on.”
“There is not much more to say, my lady,” Sunset said, her voice taking on a hurt quality. “Save that I am a fool who has mistaken… who has mistaken a mere business transaction for acceptance.”
Lady Nikos’ green eyes softened, and in the softening, they reminded Sunset much more of her daughter than they had before. She took a little time to, Sunset supposed, gather her thoughts before she spoke in reply, “It is true that I described my gifts of lien and of Soteria to you as an investment,” she allowed, “but it is also true that I have not been invited to one of Lady Ming’s soirees since I rebuked her for mocking you in my presence.”
Sunset’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened just a little more than was warranted, and for a moment more. One of her own? A lady of her own class? She has been cut - or snubbed, at the very least - and for my sake? She did not know this Lady Ming, but Canterlot – old Canterlot – had taught her well enough to know what it meant to be pointedly removed from the invitation list, an unperson amongst the beau monde of the elite and the influential. If what Lady Nikos said was true, then she had suffered much more than her words might suggest. And all for my sake? “You… you defended me, my lady?”
“What the young Lady Kommenos says is, regrettably, the common opinion,” Lady Nikos informed her, her tone brisk as if she wished to move rapidly on before Sunset’s gratitude could prove embarrassing. Certainly, there was neither sorrow nor melancholy in her expression, as if she valued not what she had lost – or wished to cultivate the impression in Sunset. “Perhaps I should have told you of this; certainly, I should have foreseen it; in Mistral, the business of one great family is the business of all great families, entangled as we are in webs of shared history and – oftentimes – shared genealogy also. Has Pyrrha explained to you the Kommenos claim upon Soteria?”
“She has, my lady,” Sunset declared. “It seems to me that a claim of blood opposes a claim of honour.”
“Very elegantly put, Miss Shimmer,” Lady Nikos said. “Clearly, the sword was recognised at Beacon, and from there, word returned to Mistral. I hope it does not offend you that I have been honest about our arrangement.”
“It is not my place to forbid my lady to speak.”
“Good, for I have spoken of it,” Lady Nikos continued. “There are some who have seen it in a most mercenary way; there are some who have made sport of you, as they believe that I have made sport of you; but if there was any doubt in your mind, Miss Shimmer, let me be quite clear: I have chosen to sponsor you because I believe that you are a young huntress of the greatest promise, worthy to stand as battle companion alongside Pyrrha Nikos, the pride of Mistral. And I gave you Soteria because…” She trailed off, glancing down at her desk, seeming lost for words.
And yet, Sunset felt as though she understood her. “Because the road that Pyrrha has chosen is a long and dangerous one,” she said, “and you fear that she may have need of an Achates along the way.”
“An Achates?” Lady Nikos repeated. “No, Miss Shimmer, you are more than a bodyguard. A Camilla, perhaps.”
Sunset made a noise that was almost a chuckle. “I would say that my lady did me great honour, save that Camilla died.”
“Camilla did not have Soteria,” Lady Nikos pointed out. “I give you the sword so that you may live… and so may Pyrrha.”
Now, Sunset did chuckle. “Pyrrha… I must confess to you, my lady, that Pyrrha fears you care more for me than for your child. I wager she would not think so if she heard us speaking now.”
“Pyrrha is my heir,” Lady Nikos said. “My blood, and that of my late husband. The latest flowering of the line of Nikos and its greatest bloom in many a generation. However many of her choices I may disagree with, and however vehemently I disagree with some of them, she will always command first place in my affections, though the rest of Mistral should forsake her.”
“If it helps, my lady, I think she is still loved by all save a few foolish malcontents,” Sunset assured her. She paused. “My lady… my lady, if… it was never my intent… I do not wish to cause undue trouble for you; if it will help you, I will return Soteria to Mistral-”
“No, Miss Shimmer, you will not,” Lady Nikos said. “I chose to bestow that sword upon you, and I will not be bullied into changing my mind by the disapproval of Lady Ming and those like her. The sword is yours, and so it shall remain… I hope.”
“I hope so too, my lady,” Sunset said, her voice suddenly a little hoarse at the declaration of faith that she had just received, a declaration that made her fears, sprung as they were out of nought by Phoebe’s words, seem childishly groundless. “I think that I owe my lady more than two apologies, once for misjudging your intent and once for putting Soteria at risk.”
“You apologise for that?” Lady Nikos asked. “What else could you have done?”
“Pyrrha suggested that I might refuse the challenge, there being no grounds for quarrel between me and Bolin.”
“But you and I both know that was not an option, don’t we, Miss Shimmer?”
Sunset smiled briefly. “I think that Pyrrha knows it too, my lady; she told me herself that she would not turn away from a fight, that no hero born of Mistral could. I am not born of Mistral, I know, but-”
“But I would not have bothered with you if I did not see something Mistralian in your soul,” Lady Nikos informed her. “You have a sense of honour, a pride in yourself, that is reminiscent of the elder kingdom. I do not seek to flatter you when I tell you that you belong here in the east.”
“And yet I am flattered nonetheless, my lady,” Sunset told her.
“Why be flattered by the truth?” Lady Nikos asked. “You were challenged, and you knew, in spite of having every incentive to refuse it, that your only true choice was to accept and face the consequences.”
“You seem remarkably sanguine about those consequences, my lady.”
“That is because I expect you to win, Miss Shimmer,” Lady Nikos declared. “Is this Mister Hori so skilled that you fear him?”
“He… has a great deal of aura, my lady, and I am not yet a master of the blade.”
“Yet you have an exceedingly powerful semblance; counts that for nothing?”
“It would count for a great deal, my lady, but I feel I ought to battle with the sword.”
“Pride is admirable, Miss Shimmer, but do not let it destroy you as it has so many heroes of our Mistralian past,” Lady Nikos urged. “In battle, one ought to use every weapon at your disposal.”
“If I do not trust the sword, do I not prove myself unworthy of it?”
“And yet you will have the sword still,” Lady Nikos said.
“Mmm,” Sunset murmured. “I am not sure, my lady.” She paused. “My lady, if… if I should-”
“You will not lose, Miss Shimmer,” Lady Nikos said peremptorily, as though that was the end of it. “I have faith in you.”
Sunset felt her chin rise a little higher. “Then I shall not let you down, my lady.”
Lady Nikos nodded. “Good day, Miss Shimmer,” she said. “And good luck.”
“Thank you, my lady, and good day to you.” Sunset replied.
“And uncover Mister Arc’s degree!” Lady Nikos reminded her.
“I shall, my lady, with all convenient haste,” Sunset vowed, before she hung up the call.
Well, she could not lose now, that was certain. She could hardly have lost before, but now, she definitely could not lose.
And yet… and yet she didn’t yet know how. Pyrrha, Lady Nikos, everyone told her that using the sword was a bad idea, and it was undeniable that she was better with her magic than with the…
Now hang on.
A smile began to spread across Sunset’s face as she started to have an idea.
Professor Goodwitch had not been so kind as to volunteer to give up her free time to referee another of Sunset’s duels; instead, it was Doctor Oobleck who had been kind enough to take the duty on. He stood in front of the stage, sipping out of a mug which he held in one hand – a vacuum flask was in the other, presumably for when the mug was drained – watching from out of his opaque spectacles.
He said nothing as Sunset strode out of the locker room and onto the stage.
She had her weapons with her this time, not only Soteria but Sol Invictus as well; the sword was in her hand and the rifle was slung across her shoulder.
She glanced past Doctor Oobleck to the students watching on the bleachers; it was a smaller crowd than last time. Apparently, Sunset Shimmer versus Bolin Hori just didn’t command the same levels of interest as Sunset Shimmer versus Pyrrha Nikos; Sunset chose to interpret that as saying more about Bolin than it did about her.
Still, the amphitheatre was not completely empty: her teammates were there, sitting on one of the benches closest to the stage, close enough that Sunset could make them out even though the lights were dim and would soon get dimmer still; Blake was sitting next to Pyrrha, although she was the only member of Team YRBN to have shown up; Twilight and Rainbow Dash represented Team RSPT, while Cardin flew the flag for Team WWSR.
Flash wasn’t there. That… hurt, just a little bit, even though there was no rational reason why he should be here. But it still hurt that Cardin had shown up while Flash had not.
Of course, Cardin was probably there just in the hope of seeing her get her butt kicked.
Like I’d give him the satisfaction.
Sunset frowned at that thought; she was supposed to be making amends with Cardin, not continuing to hold a grudge against him; maybe he’d feel differently about her once she helped him get his girlfriend.
I’ll need to come up with a plan for that once this fight is over.
Cinder was there, sitting near the back, a slight smirk upon her face, her eyes smouldering. They hadn’t spoken since Jaune had accused Cinder of being behind Sunset’s recent moral tremble; Sunset would apologise on his behalf if he’d said anything to her.
Bolin hadn’t yet walked onto the stage, but his teammates were there, although Arslan looked less than enthusiastic about it and sat with a distance between herself and the other two. Sun was there too, sat behind Blake, and there were various other Haven and Atlas students that Sunset didn’t recognise.
And there was Phoebe Kommenos, also sat near the back at the other side of the room from Cinder, a scowl upon her face as she waited for the dance to start.
There was even more blonde visible at the roots of her hair now; she must have decided to stop dyeing and go back to her natural colour.
A mistake, in Sunset’s opinion; going back to blonde just made her look like even more of a spoiled little princess.
Sunset caught her eye and smirked at her. Phoebe’s scowl deepened.
A cheer from some of the Haven students – led by the non-Arslan members of Team ARBN – drew Sunset’s attention back to the stage as Bolin Hori emerged, twirling his staff in one hand. He leapt nimbly up onto the stage but didn’t acknowledge his supporters down below. Despite the confidence of his posture, Sunset thought that she detected wariness in his face.
Or perhaps she simply hoped to see it there, to show her that she was respected as an opponent.
“Go Sunset!” Ruby cried out, to counteract some of the cheering from the Haven side.
Sunset turned and offered her a bow by way of thanks.
Doctor Oobleck took a sip of his coffee. “Miss Shimmer, Mister Hori, are you both ready?”
Bolin slammed the butt of his staff upon the floor of the stage. “I’m ready, Professor.”
“Doctor, if you please, Mister Hori,” Doctor Oobleck reproached him. “Miss Shimmer?”
“One moment, Doctor, if you please,” Sunset said, as she knelt down and placed Sol Invictus and Soteria upon the floor of the stage. With her arms thus free, she shrugged off her leather jacket and dropped it down by her feet so that she stood in her T-shirt and cuirass, with her arms bare save for the lightning-dust infused vambraces upon her forearms.
It was at a time like this that she wished that she had a little more meat on her bones; if she had arms like Pyrrha, then it would have looked impressive; as it was, she just looked a little scrawny, especially by comparison with the absolute beefcake standing in front of her. Nevertheless, she slung Sol Invictus across her shoulder once again and picked up Soteria. She settled into a high guard, the black sword raised above her head.
Her tail twitched behind her. Bolin’s eyes narrowed.
“I’m ready now, Doctor.”
“Thank you, Miss Shimmer,” Doctor Oobleck said. He took another sip. “Begin!”
Bolin hesitated for a moment, waiting, watching; watching to see what Sunset meant to do, she thought. He evidently suspected that she hadn’t taken her jacket off because she was too warm.
“You don’t deserve that sword,” he spat at her. “That sword belongs to Mistral!”
Whether he actually believed it or he was just trying to rile her up, Sunset didn’t know and didn’t particularly care. She just smiled at him and, with a pulse of her aura, ignited the fire dust she had infused into the blade; the flames of crimson and yellow, like her hair, rippled up the metal, consuming the black until it could no longer be seen.
“Then come and get it,” she purred.
Again, Bolin hesitated for a moment; yet by now, there were those in the stands who were calling for him to get on with it, to kick Sunset’s ass, to show her who was boss. He had challenged Sunset, not the other way around; he had sought out this fight, he had taken money to fight this fight; having done so, he couldn’t just stand around and do nothing because he was uncertain about what Sunset was up to.
And so he charged, his staff gripped tightly in both hands and held before him.
Sunset didn’t move, except to let go of Soteria with her hands.
And seize it with her telekinesis.
The ebon hilt was surrounded by the green glow of her magic as the blade shot forwards, moved by Sunset’s mind, directed her will, flying like an arrow straight as Bolin.
He faltered in his rush, his eyes widening in surprise. As the sword thrust straight and true towards him, he lashed out with his staff, knocking the weapon aside. Sunset redirected it, the point of the burning weapon swinging in the air as she lunged the sword towards him again. Bolin turned, and once more, he deflected Soteria away with his staff, only for it to come again, driven by Sunset’s telekinesis as she lashed out with the sword at him from every angle, pinning him in place, forcing him to stand and turn, always turning, shuffling left to right and behind him as Sunset drove Soteria at him from every angle, and though he was always able to guard against it – Sunset’s telekinesis wasn’t fast enough to catch him out, unfortunately – she was able to hold him steady while being in absolutely no danger whatsoever.
And this was only the first part of her plan.
While Bolin was preoccupied by fending off Soteria, Sunset – still hammering him with the sword from every angle, still making sure he had no room to focus on anything but the sword that was aiming for him as though it had a mind of its own – knelt down and placed one hand – that hand was not wreathed in the glow of magic – upon her jacket where it lay on the ground.
A slight pulse of aura, a pulse a little larger than she strictly needed to hide the fact that her aura hadn’t been dropping at all otherwise, and the fire dust infused within the fabric began to burn like an inferno. Sunset rose to her feet, and now, her other hand began to glow as well as she magically picked the jacket up off the floor and made it hover in the air beside her.
Using telekinesis on multiple objects at one was a little trickier, but there was room in Sunset’s head for more than one thought at a time, and so it was not too hard to keep Bolin distracted by the antics of Soteria while, at the same time, moving her burning jacket towards him.
All she had to do was keep the sword attacking him from other angles so that he had his back to her and did not see his doom approaching.
Almost there… almost there…
“Bolin!” cried out one of his teammates, Sunset thought her name was Reese, “look out!”
Bolin turned, too late, his staff out of position to defend him as Sunset shoved the burning jacket forward and into his face. Bolin cried out in alarm as the flames began to consume his aura, devouring it like famished wild beasts; yes, he had a lot of aura, but that didn’t mean that it was a pleasant experience to lose it to the flames that were pressed against his skin, against his face, his eyes, his mouth.
Sunset didn’t want to suffocate him, so she pulled the jacket up above his mouth and nostrils, even as she wrapped it tight, like an oversized bandana, around his head, burning sleeves dropping down his neck and back. Bolin flailed wildly, pawing and clawing at the jacket as the flames burned him.
And, more importantly, as it blinded him.
And while he was blinded, while he was flailing around trying to pull the burning blindfold off his head, while he was helpless, Sunset struck with Soteria.
And this time, there was no staff to knock the flaming sword aside.
She slashed at him. She thrust at him. She sliced at his aura like a chef slicing up the pie for dinner, and while he was helpless, she whittled his aura down.
But slowly. So slowly.
Which was why it was a good thing that she didn’t plan on taking him down into the red.
Bolin should have asked himself why Sunset hadn’t cut his legs out from under him. It would have been so simple to do, after all: just sweep his legs; it wasn’t as though there was anything that he could have done to prevent it. She could have cut his legs out from under him and dumped him on the ground, blind, and there cut his aura apart at her leisure.
But he had too much aura for that. Too much aura for Sunset to be certain that she would be able to get him into the red before he pulled the blindfold off, as he was close to doing now. Instead, she attacked him only from certain directions, prodding him, making him shy away from her blows. Blind and disoriented as he was, he never wondered just where she was leading him.
Some of them saw it; some of the other students watching the fight saw what Sunset was doing and tried to warn him about it, but their shouts were confused, and Bolin would have had to be a master of blind mare’s buff to understand what they were trying to get across to him with their cries.
Bolin’s aura was still in the yellow when he tore Sunset’s jacket off – the fire had gone out; it was barely smouldering now – with a triumphant cry that died in his throat as he realised that he was perched upon the very edge of the stage.
With one last thrust of Soteria, Sunset pushed him off. He toppled and fell to the floor beneath with a thump.
Doctor Oobleck drained his cup of coffee. “Mister Hori, you have left the ring,” he observed. “That means that you forfeit the match, and Miss Shimmer is the winner! Congratulations, Miss Shimmer!”
“Yeah!” Ruby cried as Pyrrha began to applaud. Jaune smiled appreciatively.
Sunset allowed herself a smirk of self-satisfaction as she walked across the stage and picked up her jacket. She didn’t offer Bolin her hand or bow to him; he had taken money to try and steal something that had been given to her; as far as she was concerned, he wasn’t worth her courtesies.
She caught sight of Cinder at the back of the auditorium, shaking her head as a fond smile played upon her face.
Pyrrha got up, and leapt up onto the stage to join her. “What happened to fighting with the sword?” she asked, amusement in her voice.
“I did,” Sunset replied. “In a manner of speaking.”
“You played to your strengths,” Pyrrha said. “Well done.”
“Honour is all very well,” Sunset said, “but I couldn’t disappoint your mother.” She hesitated. “I think she’s coming around to Jaune.”
Pyrrha’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”
“She wants me to find out his degree,” Sunset explained.
Pyrrha rolled her eyes.
Their attention was both drawn by the slamming of the door as Phoebe Kommenos stalked from the hall.
Phoebe stormed out of the amphitheatre. Pathetic! Absolutely useless! What a waste of lien!
If only Arslan had agreed to help her instead of standing upon her ridiculous morals! Little jumped-up gutter plebe had presumed to look down on Phoebe, just because she was wise enough to know better than to confront that faunus personally.
Damn that Sunset. She and Pyrrha, so close and chummy, it was sickening to her. Pyrrha had no respect for an elder of her own class, but she could smile and jest – at Phoebe’s expense, most like – with a faunus!
Why was it always faunus? What did everyone see in these freaks, these hideous animals? General Ironwood looked with favour upon that ridiculous rainbow-haired braggart, and now upon that White Fang girl too. Rumour said that she was going to transfer to Atlas next year, her crimes forgiven because everyone was so in awe of her dazzling skill.
Turnus had his pet fox, whom he loved so well, whom he called a part of his family as though that was something to be proud of instead of cause for shame. When she had suggested – as a dear friend and a fellow admirer of Atlesian culture – that he ought to send her away for the good of his reputation… he had frightened her in that moment; she had honestly thought he might kill her.
She only wanted what was best for him. He was so strong, so masterful, and so commanding, so what did so excellent a man see in a faunus and in that insipid Pyrrha?
Why couldn’t he see how she felt? Why did he prefer them over her?
Phoebe suspected that Camilla had some part in that; she was urging his suit towards Nikos instead of her, although Phoebe would have given him her hand gladly, while Pyrrha… well, she preferred to tart herself out to some Valish nobody.
That was what you got when you lay down with faunus, and especially faunus who dressed like that. Honestly, could those pants get any tighter? What was Lady Nikos thinking, bestowing Soteria upon someone of that race and that character?
Why had she found Sunset Shimmer more worthy to bear the Kommenos blade than the last of the Kommeni?
But she would have her revenge. On Sunset and Pyrrha and Arslan and the whole pack of them! She would have her revenge, and she would have her sword too.
And, thanks to the arrangements for the next grimm studies practical for the freshman year, she already knew how.
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Smart. Also, Sunset, haven't you "helped" people enough? Skystar isn't going to get back with Cardin and I doubt he wants your help anyway. Like Blake wanted your help.
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She at least should try... Trying isFTW
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Honestly, I feel like Sunset of all people going to Skystar after waiting a month to make sure that Cardin was actually trying to improve himself and make himself a better man and saying 'Look, I never get along with Cardin in the past but... whatever his faults were, losing you finally got him to pull his head out of his ass. I've been keeping an eye on him and... well, he's got a ways to go but he's trying to be a much better person. You don't have to give him the time of day, but he's recognized how stupid he was being and trying to fix it.' would honestly go a fairly long way towards... well, maybe not getting them back together, but letting Skystar reach the point where she would want to see for herself how far Cardin has come.
It's pretty clear than Sunset have a inferiority complex and want to be loved and seen as worthy of it, it's sad.
Really Sunset, really ? Why should you do this ? What Cardin had done who made him deserve your help ?
That duel was AWESOME! Sunset was brilliant in both tactics and style! She had complete control of the battle’s momentum from beginning to end.
Another subtle detail I love here is how Sunset’s own self-image is addressed. When she took off her jacket, she felt self-conscious and afraid that she looked too scrawny. And yet at the end of the chapter, Phoebe is mentally ranting about the curves of Sunset’s legs. In spite of how much she desires the admiration of others, Sunset doesn’t fully realize how much others do indeed see her. Brilliant character detail!
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Perhaps, but using the same logic, Blake’s greatest problem has always been about admitting when she needs help.
Loved Sunset's loophole. As one of the grey commandments goes "Technically true, the best kind of true!", and it led to another great duel. Sidenote: would have loved to seen Glynda's reaction to whatever poor student had to ask her to judge another Sunset fight. Sunset wanting to balance being better, yet still being the loyal opposition is becoming my favorite subplot, in both timelines. It's a narrow road Sunnykins, and many have fallen due to not having the balance needed to pull it off. I hope you find your way, for both you and SAPR.
Honestly, telekinesis, especially with the kind of fine control someone like Sunset can manage, is an almost overwhelming advantage. She might not have the sheer telekinetic strength of someone like Glynda Goodwitch (who I think is quite possibly the strongest pure semblance user in the show so far... fighting her would be a NIGHTMARE... which is why she’s the combat professor, obviously), but even with the strength Sunset has she should be able to control and trip and throw just about anyone. Ring outs should be child’s play most of the time. Simply levitating her opponents and shooting them, reloading, and shooting them some more, would be more than possible outside of the ring.
Perhaps aura would block her directly using her semblance on a person (although I honestly doubt that... she teleports with people, hits them with energy blasts, etc..., and we only know for sure that transmutation is directly blocked) but even if she couldn’t grab someone directly with her TK (and she probably can anyway) even if she couldn’t, she could manipulate restraints and grab people that way, Kovira style.
As for “Kovira” style fighting... Pyrrha should be able to imitate that particular metal bender’s tricks to some extent. Flinging metal strips around to restrain people with her polarity semblance should be totally possible if she wasn’t always being so careful to hide her semblance from everyone.
Ok, this was great. After several chapters of build up and worry we get the duel, and it's short and sweet. A nice juxtaposition as the favorite to win was obvious. This chapter wastes no further time in getting to the point and I feel that it's some of your best work.
I didn’t intent to write another comment. But considering how harsh I criticized Sunset for being uncreative with the magic at her disposal, I now feel obligated to commend the rectification of this flaw. My satisfaction is immeasurable and my day is made.
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Aura explicitly blocks magic, but Sunset has been able to cast spells on her team with no problem.
My theory is that Aura is semi-permeable, and only blocks things that would hurt the user (if it blocked everything indiscriminately then it would bring a lot of problems), and when Sunset casts spells on her team their aura lets it past through, either because the target recognizes that is Sunset and they are ok with getting the effect or because aura can somehow read the intent behind the magic.
Considering the amount of metal that the average huntsmen has on their bodies, Pyrrha could shut down almost everyone inmediately if she was willing to go all out with her semblance.
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The only time I remember Sunset casting a spell on any member of her team was when she cast a spell on Pyrrha to distract people's attention, and I think she asked if Pyrrha's aura was down first.
I hope there aren't any other example or I might have to accept your theory for the sake of consistency.
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Nope, she took Pyrrha by surprise, didn't even ask, and Pyrrha had the explicit thought that it didn't damage her aura. There is also much later the modified cloud-walking spell during the "Tremors" homage where the team got intimately acquainted with some disgusting sewage.
More in general, while Sunset not being able to cast magic on her enemies directly makes sense from a story standpoint (really boring fights if she can just turn anyone into a newt), having the same limitation for friendlies is problematic, considering how Sunset uses magic for everything. No teleports, no grabbing with telekinesis, no any of the minor buffs Sunset can do unless they explicitly lower their auras, something really bad in the wild.
I feel that keeping it as "enemy no, ally yes" makes it easier to follow both for you and for us, and allows Sunset to interact and make some combined techniques with the rest of the team, something that we don't really see in this story now that I think about it.
Oh crap, what Grimm did she have dragged to Beacon to use on Sunset and the gang?
Then she got an idea. An awful idea. Sunset had a wonderful, awful idea.
I would tell her to shut up and not interfere, but her warning didn't work anyhow.
See Sunset? Revenge is for petty psychos and not for someone as good as you.