SAPR

by Scipio Smith

I Was Upset (New)

I Was Upset

Aspen Emerald, First Councillor of Vale, did not particularly feel like the First Councillor of Vale as he drove along the deserted street towards Novo's home.

He could have been driven, but he preferred to drive himself, partly for discretion, partly because he didn't want to subject his driver to sitting outside Novo's house all night — what remained of the night — with quite possibly the worst elements of the gutter press for company, and partly because he welcomed the drive as a distraction from his thoughts.

As a distraction, it was only partly working.

Aspen's car was specially modified, a custom job with which he had indulged himself when he became Councillor for the Interior. After years of having to hunch his shoulders and bend his back and generally contort himself into uncomfortable and unhealthy postures because cars were not built to accommodate his antlers — yes, convertibles existed, but driving around with the roof down in the middle of a Valish fall or winter was not exactly ideal either — he had treated himself to a car with a specially raised roof so that he could actually sit up straight and barely feel his antlers touching the ceiling.

There was still the issue that the car wasn't quite wide enough for someone to comfortably sit in the passenger seat next to him, but the lanes of the road constrained how wide a car could be.

Besides, he hadn't had anyone to sit in the front with him since Birch died.

Although there were times…

Aspen flicked the switch to indicate as he turned left, although there was no one to see it or, indeed, to notice if he didn't. Since her abrupt departure from office, Novo had, despite talking about returning to her family home in Mount Aris, lived in her brownstone townhouse in the affluent central suburb of Carabas, a district of wide, well-manicured lawns, garden gnomes performing a variety of whimsical activities, and neatly trimmed privet hedges. It was the sort of place where everyone was asleep in bed at this hour, the sort of place one did not find people loitering in the streets or driving around late at night.

It was not the sort of place one expected to see a flock of black-clad figures upon black motorcycles, with white helmets so that they looked like grimm, or members of the White Fang.

But they were worse than the White Fang; they were journalists, and they were gathered outside of Novo's house. Flashes erupted from their cameras, illuminating the stonework and the natural, unpainted wooden door, reflecting off the brass door-knocker.

The curtains, as far as he could see, were drawn, there was no indication of life inside the house — unless you counted the blue sedan parked on the drive — but the press remained outside regardless, staying just off the property so that they could not be charged with trespass, flashes blazing away.

Aspen supposed he should be grateful there wasn't an airship hovering overhead, but nevertheless, as he pulled up on the other side of the road, unseen and unnoticed for the moment, his prevailing emotion was one of anger.

It was enough to make him wish that they had followed through on the recommendations of the Lachlan Commission and imposed tough regulations on press behaviour — under threat of legal liabilities if they didn't. Novo had argued that it wasn't necessary, and they could open up a dividing line with the other side — not to mention guarantee themselves an easy ride with the press — by opposing it.

That seemed like a mistake now.

And no, the fact that they happened to be right in this case in no way mitigated the fact that they had hacked a young woman's emails — Aspen was in doubt that this whole anonymous tip business was just a smokescreen; the Valish press had form when it came to illegal intrusions into people's privacy — to obtain information she had never intended to be made public.

It was absolutely despicable, the ugliness compounded by the fact that these same people, without a shred of self-awareness, would no doubt spout all manner of pious nostrums about freedom of speech, holding the powerful to account, and all the other crap these parasites came out with to cloak their wickedness in the mask of rectitude.

They still hadn't noticed Aspen's presence, although they soon would. At least they would when he got out of his car and walked across the road to try and get through them into Novo's house.

In the meantime, for just a little while longer, Aspen turned away from watching the watchers, laid both his hands upon the steering wheel, and rested his forehead on his hands.

His antlers tapped the windscreen as he wondered how it had come to this.

He did not know exactly how Vale would react to this, but he could already imagine Leo's smug, smirking face on television trying to make capital out of all this.

Perhaps he should have blamed himself, regretted the decisions he had taken that had led to this, but he did not.

When Aspen had first found out what Sunset Shimmer had done, he had been, to put it mildly, angry. Angry at what she had done, and angry, too, over the unfair defenestration of Novo that had followed on from it.

The two had been conflated in his mind. He had wanted Sunset Shimmer to pay for what she'd done; he had wanted to destroy her for it. That was why, while recognising that it was necessary to keep the whole thing hushed up, he had sent her away on that mission to Arcadia Lake, hoping that she wouldn't come back.

He still thought it was necessary to keep the whole thing hushed up; he still thought his reasons for doing so were, if anything, even better than they had been when Novo had persuaded him of the import. Hatred of the faunus had already risen so much, there was so much more prejudice than there had been against their people … bad enough that the White Fang were involved; at least you could condemn them and their actions, but a Beacon student, a huntress? It would be music to the ears of those who said that the faunus could not be trusted, that they had no place in civilised, human society.

Aspen, not only as a responsible leader, but as a faunus, who hoped to leave his son a Vale where he could grow up without stigma or discrimination, could not give them that satisfaction.

And that was without considering the effects on Vale as a whole, the blow to morale, the likely panic. It was all too much, much too much.

There were some things it was better for the people not to know.

Aspen's belief in Novo's reasoning had only strengthened since then, and as for his feelings towards Sunset Shimmer…

His anger had cooled, helped, it had to be admitted, by that visit from Ozpin. His anger had cooled, and he could now see a little better what Ozpin had seen: a frightened girl who had gotten in over her head and made a mistake, and who would have to live with that mistake for the rest of her life.

And, it had to be said, who had made up for it since, at Arcadia Lake, and more recently by helping to capture Cinder Fall.

In an ideal world, that would have been the end of it. Cinder Fall would have been tried, executed, her body cremated, and with her, all the turmoil of last year would have been turned to ashes and blown away.

Instead … who could say how long this would run for, like a sore that refused to heal?

At least there wasn't … he very much hoped that there wasn't any proof. With nothing but this email, they could deny everything, and there would be no way of contradicting them. Of course, some explanation as to why Skystar had written that email would certainly help, and that was one of the things he was here to discuss with her, and with her mother.

Aspen raised his head and once more glowered at the press beyond. He wanted to scream at them, to tell them they should be reporting on Cinder Fall's arrest, not this! He wanted to summon a police van and bundle the whole pack of them up inside it, but he had given the police enough to do tonight when he had ordered them to set up security around power stations, relay towers, train stations, and water works.

A job for the Defence Force, some would argue, and they might even be right … if one trusted the head of the Defence Force. That discussion over the grimm tonight was making Aspen wonder if he might not have done better to have promoted Sky Beak to the vacant generalship. Yes, there would have been accusations of cronyism, but what had he got by avoiding those accusations? A general who seemingly had no plan as the grimm gathered at the door but to hope they went away by themselves.

Aspen could only hope that, now that he had been given his marching orders, Blackthorn might at least show some competence in executing them.

Speaking of executions…

Aspen got out of his car; if the soft thump of the door shutting after him hadn't given away, then the beeping as locked the car certainly would have.

The press rounded on him like a many-headed monster, turning as though guided by a single will and intellect. Flashes burst in Aspen's face, but he tried to ignore them as he walked forward.

"First Councillor! First Councillor!"

"Are you here in connection with the Skystar Aris email?"

"I'm here visiting a friend," Aspen said.

"Is it true that—?"

"I categorically deny everything that that illicitly — possibly illegally — obtained email accuses me of," Aspen declared as he started to push through the press pack, feeling them pressed against his sides even as he pushed them out his way to his front. "I did not cover up a crime against Vale, nor was one committed. All the people named in that email are entirely blameless."

"Then why are they named?"

"I don't know; why don't you ask whoever obtained this document?" demanded Aspen. "And ask them how they came by it, for that matter."

Aspen had escaped the press of the press like a ship breaking through the ice into open water, and now, he rounded on them, turning to face them as the flashes went off in his face.

"It has now been seven years since the Lachlan Commission's inquiry uncovered disturbing accounts of hacking, bugging, harassment, and illegal surveillance in pursuit of stories, and since then, despite many mea culpas and promises of change, we continue to see the same corrupt and immoral practices in which innocent people have their lives and reputations ruined by an industry that aims at nothing less than power, power derived from the fear that it inspires in others, power without responsibility. Well, I, for one, will not stand for it any longer. You have exhausted the patience of the public, and now, you have exhausted mine too. Watch this space, and remember, you have only yourselves to blame."

The flashes still went off, but there were no more questions shouted at him as he turned his back upon the whole lot of them and walked towards Novo's door.

The door opened a second before he reached it. It was dark inside, too dark to really see, but Aspen plunged inside regardless, slamming the door shut after him.

Novo switched on the lamp that sat on the hall table, illuminating a wood-panelled hallway with a clock on the wall just above the lamp.

Novo stood beside the varnished walnut table. She folded her arms. "'Power without responsibility'?"

"How did you—?"

"You were live on television," Novo explained, with one hand gesturing through the doorway into the living room.

Aspen peeked inside, leaning sideways a little to stick his head through the open doorway. Skystar was sat on the sofa, back hunched, a blanket or a poncho — with the lights off in the living room, it was hard to say for sure — wrapped around her, the lights of the television illuminating her face in constantly changing colours.

Aspen turned his attention to the TV itself, which was showing, in one corner of the screen, an image of Novo's house.

"The First Councillor there, having just entered the building after a tirade against—"

"I don't regret what I said," Aspen declared, ducking back out of the room. "It needed saying."

Novo smiled. "Perhaps it did, but in this circumstance? Not that I don't admire your brass neck." She smiled. "Do you remember when I used to send you out to do the media round? Go out and get grilled on the morning radio?"

Aspen nodded. "I remember."

The smile lingered on Novo's face. "A lot of people would waffle, or flail, or lapse into rote recitation of soundbites. But you would go on the attack; it was almost as if you were trying to hold the public to account on behalf of the party."

"Not the public," Aspen insisted. "Just the media." He paused. "How's Skystar?"

"You just saw, didn't you?" asked Novo.

"Yes, but … that bad, eh?"

Novo nodded. "She hasn't spoken to me. I think she's afraid of my reaction, and I … I don't want her to speak to me if she doesn't want to." She frowned. "What she has told me is that she's asked Sunset Shimmer to come round."

"She's afraid to face you, but she wants to talk to Sunset Shimmer?"

"Apparently. Or feels she ought to, at least," Novo said. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No," Aspen assured. "My feelings towards Sunset Shimmer have … I don't hate her the way I did. In fact…" He put his hands in his pockets. "God help me, I feel sorry for her. Ozpin has clearly got her involved in something too big for her, and Mountain Glenn is the result. I think he'd say the same. He knows."

"Since when?"

"I don't know," Aspen admitted. "But he came to me defending her. He warned me off her, like I was the dangerous one. I suppose I should give him credit for not throwing her under the bus to protect himself." He paused. "And how are you doing?"

Novo sighed. "I'd feel a lot better if Skystar weren't involved in this at all, but on the whole, I'd rather discuss our strategy than my feelings. What are we going to do?"

"Can we go somewhere else?" asked Aspen. "I feel like an unwanted guest standing here in the hall."

"Well, I beg your pardon for any hurt feelings," Novo said dryly. "Come into the kitchen." She turned around and led the way into a galley kitchen that always surprised Aspen with how narrow it was, so narrow that he had to turn sideways to fit his antlers in. Cupboards loomed out of the walls on either side at about face height, while work surfaces, more cupboards, and an oven hemmed them in below.

Novo opened one of the top cupboards and pulled out a couple of glasses and a bottle of rich, brown liquor.

"Kaledonian whiskey," she said. "Oh, but you're driving, aren't you?"

"What if I weren't?" Aspen asked. "What if I spent the night here instead?"

Novo's eyebrows rose. "Now?"

"I meant sleeping on the couch, obviously," Aspen said.

"Even so, now?"

"Why not now?" asked Aspen. "Alright, maybe not this very night, but … we're both single. We haven't even got divorced. You're not my boss anymore. What is there to object to?"

"The fact that I'm sleeping my way back to high office, perhaps?" Novo suggested. "And the children—"

"Skystar is old enough to understand, surely?"

"Is Bramble?" Novo asked.

Aspen didn't reply, except to say, "I'd like to give happiness another try, while I'm still young enough to enjoy it. I've always liked you, Novo, ever since we were at university."

"I know," Novo replied. "And I've wondered, if we'd given it a try then … of course, if you'd been my husband, you would have had to give up your career."

"Which I would have," Aspen said. "And would have pleased my father no end; he wanted me to go into business. But I wanted to change the world, not just make money in it. But I'd have given that up for … the right reasons."

Novo smiled. "What would we tell the press outside, if you stayed the night?"

"That we were discussing our legal options in response to these libellous accusations and outrageous intrusion into your daughter's privacy?" Aspen suggested. "That I was telling you my brilliant plan to bring our errant press to heel?"

Novo poured him a glass of whiskey.

"The couch," she said, handing him a glass, "is yours."

"Much obliged," Aspen said as he knocked back the sharp-tasting whiskey.

Novo sipped from her glass. "So what's our plan?"

"I've already started it," Aspen said. "We need to change the question, change the narrative. Not 'what did we do?' or 'what did we know?' or 'what was Sunset Shimmer doing visiting your official residence?' but 'who do you trust?'"

"You think people will trust us?" Novo asked sceptically.

"I think huntsmen regularly poll as the most trusted people in society," Aspen said. "I think if we ask the people who they trust: a hero who fought for Vale all through this year and who just tonight captured the real architect of this year's miseries; or the press, who always have an agenda of their own, who frequently report on what they want not on what is and who have been implicated in all manner of scandals over the years… who do you think people will believe, even if it does mean trusting politicians?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds promising," Novo admitted. "But it might be simpler to argue that the whole thing is without a shred of proof."

"Wouldn't we rather nobody went looking for any proof?" asked Aspen. "If it becomes about fact, someone might eventually be able to stand the story up."

Novo nodded slowly. "Odd that they didn't, don't you think? Once they got the email, wouldn't you expect them to try and substantiate it before they blurted the whole thing out and laid themselves open to having it dismissed as baseless speculation?"

"They've spent so long hacking scrolls and computers, they've forgotten what real journalism looks like," muttered Aspen. "Or incompetence is in the water."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Blackthorn has been acting strangely lately too," explained Aspen. "There are grimm gathering outside the city, and he wasn't prepared or preparing to do anything about them."

"Grimm gathering?" Novo repeated. "You buried the lede there, didn't you?"

"They aren't attacking," Aspen assured her. They're just … massing."

"Even so," Novo said, "if Blackthorn won't act, and I agree that does sound odd, then perhaps you should allow General Ironwood—"

"No, I've got a better idea," Aspen said. "As the threat to the outlying villages recedes, we can recall the huntsmen there and use them to spearhead our assault against the grimm."

"In a Valish operation," Novo pronounced approvingly.

"Precisely," Aspen replied. "This whole business with Sunset Shimmer is a wrench, but … it doesn't have to throw everything off course or into disarray. We can see this through without damage. Your reputation will not come to any more harm, I guarantee it."

"My reputation," Novo murmured. "What about Skystar?"

"The victim of hacking—"

"It still needs to be explained why she wrote the email in the first place," Novo said.

"She deleted it," Aspen pointed out.

"After writing it."

"If you cannot write a nonsense email and then delete it unsent, then what's the world coming too?" asked Aspen.

"I fear that argument might leave a few people unmoved," said Novo. "We need to say something, or Skystar does."

Aspen rotated his empty glass. "Then you need to talk to her."

Novo sighed. "Yes," she admitted. "Yes, I suppose I—"

She was interrupted by the sound of Sunset Shimmer, standing in the back garden with a motorcycle helmet tucked under one arm, tapping on the kitchen window with her free hand.

---

Sunset had cast the inverted 'want it, need it' spell on herself, the one that didn't have a name — the don't see it spell? The look away spell? — but which she had used in Mistral when they'd been out and about to get people to stop staring at Pyrrha when she just wanted to relax and hang out with her friends. Sunset had used it then to make Pyrrha feel more comfortable. Now, she was using it for a more serious purpose.

Okay, technically, she was still just using it to make herself feel more comfortable, but it felt more serious to Sunset.

She didn't know exactly how many people yet knew about the accusations that had been made against her, she didn't know how many people had made up their minds about her guilt, but what she did know — what she knew for certain — was that she didn't want to be stopped tonight.

She didn't want to be stopped, she didn't want to be questioned, she didn't want hostility or support, she just wanted to get to Skystar and … and hear what she had to say.

Sunset wasn't angry. She didn't have the right to be angry; she had brought this on herself. She couldn't be angry at Skystar for revealing things that Sunset had actually done. That would have been a bit much, all things considered.

She was upset, to be sure, and considering what had happened to her tonight, she felt a little upset was perfectly understandable in the circumstances, but all the same, this was Sunset's fault.

She had brought this on herself, both through her actions and through her treatment of Ruby.

Of course, the two were bound up together: the sort of person to look with more indulgence upon Ruby's attitudes would have thrown away the trigger when they reached the front of the train.

In other words, that person would not have been Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset bore Skystar no malice for her part in Sunset's downfall, but nevertheless, she was curious that Skystar had named her own mother alongside Councillor Emerald. Had her conscience really been so strong, her sense of morality so ironclad, that she had been willing to condemn her own mother for her part in all this?

Obviously not, since she hadn't sent the email, but nevertheless … nevertheless, that took a certain kind of strength, albeit not a sort of strength that Sunset wished she had.

But what did Skystar want with her now? Why did she want Sunset to come and see her?

That question, Sunset supposed, she would only answer by actually going to see Skystar, as she was on her way to.

Once Sunset reached the Carabas district where Skystar lived, she became especially glad of the spell. This looked like the kind of place where they called the cops on faunus, especially faunus in black leather jackets riding motorbikes.

So Sunset thought, at least, until she got to Skystar's house and found it besieged by a horde of black-clad bikers and not a police officer in sight.

Seeing them, in their black jackets and white helmets, Sunset's first — in hindsight, rather absurd — thought was that this was some sort of biker chapter of the White Fang. In fact, Sunset had gone so far as to draw her sword and prepare to descend upon them like a knight of old — albeit one without armour, shining or otherwise, and on a ramshackle bike instead of a noble steed — when she realised that the only thing they were shooting was photographs.

At that point, a few thoughts occurred to Sunset, the first being that she would have to drop the spell in order to be let into Skystar's house.

The second being that if she did so, all those photographers would spot her, and she wasn't really very keen on that idea.

The third point was that she didn't really want to lie to Skystar about magic. She would just much rather that it didn't come up at all. Which meant she needed to find an avenue of approach that would explain it otherwise.

So, still obscured from notice by her spell, Sunset retreated around the corner and left her bike parked somewhere discreet, out of sight of the reporters — after all, once Sunset got off it, everyone would be able to see her bike. She just hoped nobody stole it or had it confiscated or something.

Still, she didn't have much choice; she couldn't take it with her as she vaulted the wooden fence and landed in the back garden of the house at the end of Skystar's road.

There was a family of four in the house, sitting and watching TV, all facing the windows overlooking the back garden, but none of them paid Sunset any mind as she jumped the next fence into the neighbour's garden. And so on, leaping fence after fence like a steeplechase until, dropping the spell as she did so, she jumped into Skystar's back garden.

The lights were on inside the house, and Sunset could see Councillor Emerald and former Councillor Aris standing in what was a really astonishingly small kitchen.

Deep in conversation, neither of them noticed Sunset until, hoping that Skystar had told her mother she was coming, Sunset tapped on the kitchen window to get their attention.

They both looked a little surprised to see her, which Sunset supposed was understandable in the circumstances, but once they had stared at her for a couple of seconds, Former Councillor Aris — she possibly should have been known as Mrs. Aris, but that sounded a little odd in Sunset's mind, and verging upon disrespectful — gestured to her left.

Sunset moved right, sidling like a crab until she was no longer looking into the overly-small kitchen but into the overly large dining room.

No doubt, as a politician, Former Councillor Aris did a lot of hosting. Though what she cooked for them in that cubbyhole of a kitchen, Sunset could hardly imagine. The kitchenettes in the Beacon dormitories were bigger than that.

Another thing the dining room possessed, besides size, was a pair of large glass doors opening up into the garden, and as soon as Councillor Emerald and former Councillor Aris had made their way into the dining room — they took a little longer about it than Sunset, but not too long — former Councillor Aris unlocked the doors and slid one of them open.

"Good evening Councillor," Sunset said, with a bow of her head. "Ma'am."

"Miss Shimmer," Councillor Emerald murmured. "You arrive from an unexpected quarter."

"I didn't really want to be photographed coming into the house," said Sunset.

"Understandable," murmured former Councillor Aris. "So instead you—"

"Jumped the fence, ma'am," Sunset said. "And all the other fences from the corner of the street."

"Did the neighbours see you?" asked the former First Councillor.

"I am sure not, ma'am," Sunset said. "As a huntress, I've been taught to move stealthily when I wish to."

That was not a lie; she had had a class in stealth, and she had been taught in that class. The fact that no member of Team SAPR was getting good grades in that class — good thing it was the one class you didn't need to pass to graduate — was neither here nor there.

"I hope you're right," said Former Councillor Aris. "Come inside, Miss Shimmer."

"Thank you, ma'am," Sunset replied softly as she stepped into the dining room.

The floor was tiled, and the tiles were spotless. Sunset felt as though she ought to have taken off her boots before she came in, but the Former Councillor slid the door shut behind Sunset before she could do more than regret that she had not.

She had come here at Skystar's invitation, to speak to Skystar, but finding herself with the present and former First Councillors, Sunset did not immediately ask where Skystar was. Instead, her ears drooping, she said, "I have caused you both more trouble than I ever intended."

"True," observed Councillor Emerald. "But I must admit that you've also done us good you did intend: at Arcadia Lake, and tonight's business with Cinder Fall."

"And yet…" Sunset hesitated. "While the truth might not have saved your career, ma'am, it would have alleviated the risk to yours, sir."

"Yes," Councillor Emerald said. "But all the same … let's not rehash the past, Miss Shimmer. I have … forgiven you. Let's leave it at that."

Sunset's eyes widened. He, too? Even he, even the First Councillor, who had seemed at one point her most bitter foe, even he?

Was Ruby the only one who could not forgive? Was she so blessed?

No, not blessed, not quite, for … for though Ruby be the only one who could not forgive her, that lack of forgiveness was enough to cast her out of paradise and into darkness.

Nevertheless, the forgiveness of the First Councillor was … Sunset bowed her head and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Thank you, Councillor." She paused a moment. "How is—?"

"Sunset?" Skystar asked.

Sunset stared at her. Skystar had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, falling down behind her back to the floor. She was holding onto it with both pale hands as she stood in the doorway between the dining room and the room beyond — what looked like a living room, with the TV still on, although didn't care to listen to what it was saying.

"Skystar," Sunset said gently. "Hey." Deeply inadequate, she knew, but … it was hard to think of the words.

At least, not until she knew what Skystar wanted of her and why she had asked Sunset here in the first place.

Skystar frowned. "Sunset, I—"

"Don't," Sunset said quickly. "Don't apologise, you don't have to do that, it … you don't have to."

"But it's my fault," Skystar said.

"I did it," Sunset muttered.

"But no one would have known if it wasn't for me and that stupid email," Skystar said. She dropped the blanket, letting it fall down behind her just as her hands fell down to her sides. "I wish I'd never written it."

"Then…" Former Councillor Aris began. "Then why did you, dear?"

"Because … because I was upset," Skystar admitted. "I was upset with Sunset, with you, with all of you." She looked at Sunset. "I couldn't believe what you'd done. What you'd been willing to do."

Sunset didn't reply. There really wasn't very much to say upon the matter.

At least, very little that would help.

It had never been her intent to hurt Skystar by her actions, or Silverstream or Terramar or anyone else, but she had put them in danger nonetheless.

Skystar went on, "And I couldn't believe that you were all just going to keep this a secret as though … I couldn't understand why, even if it wouldn't be enough to save Mom; I thought the truth should come out. Even the truth that the two of you had known and chosen to say nothing."

"And so you wrote the email," Councillor Emerald said. "Who were you going to send it to?"

"I hadn't worked that out yet," Skystar admitted. "General Blackthorn, Lisa Lavender, Professor Ozpin, somebody."

"But you didn't," Sunset said.

Skystar nodded. "I thought … I thought some more, and I thought that maybe … if Mom and Aspen — sorry, Coun—"

"'Aspen' is fine, here in private," he assured her.

"I thought that if you and Mom thought that keeping this secret was the right thing to do, then I should consider that you might be right, and I didn't necessarily know best," Skystar said. "And I thought about it, and I thought about how frightened everyone was, how on edge, and I thought that … yeah, the people of Vale had had enough shocks; they didn't need any more. And I thought about what you described, about what happened down on Mountain Glenn, and I asked myself … can I be sure that I would have done the right thing in your place? No. No, I couldn't. So I deleted the email. I didn't realise it could still be accessed."

"It shouldn't be, by any legitimate means," Councillor Emerald said.

"Does that matter?" Skystar said. "What I said … how much trouble are we in?"

"Not that much, I hope," said Councillor Emerald. "As I was just telling your mother, I intend to fight this battle on the credibility of the press. When asked if they believe the press over a huntress, the public will choose the huntress."

"One problem with that, First Councillor," Sunset murmured. "I … am not a huntress anymore."

"What?!" Skystar cried.

"You've picked a fine time to switch careers, Miss Shimmer; what's going on?" Councillor Emerald demanded.

"My teammates, one of my teammates in particular…" Sunset looked down, as her tail drooped beneath her legs. "She wasn't very happy when she found out what I'd done. She … cast me out."

"'Cast you—' we're talking about a school, not the court of King Edward," Councillor Emerald snapped. "What did Ozpin have to say about all this?"

"I haven't spoken to him," Sunset said softly.

"You mean you just left?" asked Former Councillor Aris. "This other girl told you to go, and you went?"

"She could not abide my presence another minute," Sunset murmured.

Councillor Emerald frowned. "Which of your teammates?"

"Ruby," Sunset whispered. "It was Ruby."

"Then Miss Rose must be made to see reason," Councillor Emerald declared. "I will tell her so myself, if I must. For the sake of the stability of Vale and of the present Council, you must remain a Beacon student and retain the credibility of that status. On no account must you make yourself look guilty by running away."

"I cannot go back," Sunset said. "Ruby will not have it. She will keep your secret, Councillor, and mine; thus far will she go for the sake of stability and the present Council, but no further. If I go back … if I go back, then she will leave, and Ruby does not deserve that. Not for my sake. And that is without considering Jaune; he wasn't very happy with me either."

"But if you go, you seem guilty," Councillor Emerald said. "And we all seem guilty along with you."

Sunset frowned. He had a point, and yet, at the same time, his proposed remedy was unworkable and would be cruel to Ruby even if attempted. She didn't deserve to have the First Councillor badger her about changing her mind, even if he could succeed in doing so, which he couldn't. In this, Sunset was sure, Ruby’s will would be as adamant.

And yet, he had a point, all the same. If she were found to have fled the school, it would embolden those pronouncing her guilty. But if the First Councillor's remedy was no remedy at all, then what medicine did they have?

What to do? What to do?

And then she had it. The beginnings of it, at least, and that was the most important part right now. "You could send me away, Councillor!"

Councillor Emerald frowned. "You'd better explain further."

"On a mission, as you did before," Sunset went on. "Send me somewhere that will get me out of Vale without arousing suspicion."

"The very act of sending you out, alone, while you are but a student and your teammate is competing in the Vytal Tournament will seem suspicious to some," observed Former Councillor Aris.

"Call it a sign of the First Councillor's trust in me, demonstrated by deeds, not words," Sunset suggested.

Of course, there was a pretty notable downside to this plan — albeit not one that she could share with the present company — which was that, out of Vale, she wouldn't be able to hunt down the Siren terrorising Vale. She would just have to ensure that Professor Ozpin assigned somebody to the duty and that she gave him all the information on sirens that she could.

Staying in Vale, even for an important task … it risked leaving the wound open and sore.

Councillor Emerald folded his arms. "Not the worst idea, I suppose, in the absence of anything better, but … at some point, you will have to return to school."

"No, First Councillor, I won't," Sunset said. "Because on this mission, I will die."

Skystar gasped.

Councillor Emerald frowned. "Not so long ago, I would have welcomed the idea, but I no longer desire your death, Miss Shimmer."

"Then it's a good job I'm not actually going to die, isn't it, First Councillor?" Sunset asked. "I'll be reported dead, with no body found. That's not unusual, for huntresses." That had been the way that it had been for Ruby's mother, and for poor Sky, for that matter. "You'll say that I'm dead, died completing my mission, and then … you never have to worry about explaining why I haven't come back to Beacon."

"And everything that you were accused of will be forgotten," Skystar murmured. "And you will live forever, a hero of glorious memory."

Sunset laughed wryly. "Hardly, I … if I ever believed that, I don't anymore. I don't believe the honour of the dead will live on with the living, that … that's part of the reason why I couldn't … anyway. The point is, I'll be forgotten soon enough. The memory of the Vytal crown, the laurels of the victor, being placed on Pyrrha's brow will linger longer in the memory than my passing. And that … some would say that to be forgotten is a kinder fate than I deserve." She paused. "Cinder and I, our twin demises will draw a line under this turbulent year, just as you wished, First Councillor."

Put like that, the attraction of a passing more real … still paled in comparison to the impulse to live.

Dying, after all, would have involved abandoning her friends quite as much, or more, as returning to Equestria.

She would not do that. She would fight this battle … somehow. She would fight, though they saw her not.

Former Councillor Aris said, "If you're considering this, Aspen, I have a job she could do."

Councillor Emerald cupped his chin with one hard. "I suppose … it does put a full stop on things. Unless you're soon enough found to be alive afterwards."

"I will … disguise myself," Sunset suggested. "I'll dye my hair … and maybe cut off my tail."

It would be an awful wrench, two awful wrenches, of which she would regret the hiding of her gorgeous fiery hair even more than her tail. But, again, it would still be less than she deserved.

"No one will recognise me," she insisted.

"This is beginning to sound like something out of a stage tragedy," Skystar said. "And with just as much chance of ending badly. Fake deaths, convoluted deceptions, disguises, what's next, are you going to use your funeral to escape a prison or reveal yourself too late to stop a cavalcade of unforeseen consequences?"

Sunset snorted. "I take comfort from the fact that nobody loves me enough to take their own life on hearing that I have lost mine."

And she who would grieve Sunset most deeply would never even know that she was 'dead.'

"I'm being serious," Skystar insisted. "There must be a simpler way."

"Such as?" asked Sunset.

Skystar hesitated for a moment, then frowned. "I don't know," she admitted. "But I do know this still doesn't solve the problem of my email."

A rather dolorous silence followed that pronouncement, which, after all, was hard to deny.

It was hard to think of any reason Skystar would have written such a thing, other than that it was true, and she wanted to get the word out.

It was a bit extreme for an act of teenage rebellion — on the other hand, Sunset had run all the way to another world in her act of rebellion, so … maybe?

But probably not. Ideally, whatever explanation was offered up to the people had to seem at least somewhat plausible.

Which was an issue, plausible explanations being somewhat difficult to come by.

Sunset looked away from Skystar towards Former Councillor Aris. "What is the mission, ma'am?"

"Someone needs to go to Mount Aris," replied the Former Councillor.

Sunset cooked her head slightly. "Is that named for your family or your family for the place, ma'am?"

Former Councillor Aris chuckled lightly. "A little of both, I think. It is only a large town, not a city, but it has been my family's … you could call it our seat of power, I suppose, for some time."

"What troubles it now?" asked Sunset.

"The usual," answered the Former Councillor. "Reports of grimm in the hinterland around the town, many of the local farmers have fled inside the walls. Those walls are sturdy, and well-manned by the town guard, but it could use a huntsman or huntress to go out there and, well, deal with it."

"Search and destroy," Sunset said softly.

"Precisely," said Former Councillor Aris. "I was going to put something on the job board, but if you're looking for something to do…"

"I am, ma'am."

"Then it will show that both Aspen and I have complete confidence in you," declared Former Councillor Aris. “I could probably find you some employment after your… well, your death, if you are looking for employment in your next life.”

“That … is very generous of you to offer, ma’am, considering that my work has caused you difficulties in the past.”

“I will be sure to keep you away from trains, Miss Shimmer, but you seem to have some talent as regards grimm and criminals,” Former Councillor Aris replied lightly. "How soon will you leave?"

Sunset hesitated. "Not … not until at least the day after tomorrow, ma'am; there is a possibility of a grimm attack on Vale, and I would be here to do my part if it happens."

She was very, very grateful that no one present asked her on whose side or account she intended to do her part.

"And I imagine leaving would be very difficult with so many grimm around, in any case," added Councillor Emerald.

"So many grimm?" asked Skystar.

"They will be taken care of, in due course," Councillor Emerald assured her. "The plan is already in motion."

Sunset supposed she should be glad of that, since any amount of time she was stuck in Vale — yes, the air routes were open, but for how long? How long until nevermores joined the gathering hordes, and Lady Nikos and all the other guests from across the kingdoms were caged up in a city under siege? Not to mention, who really wanted to fly over a horde of grimm into whose mass any technical error might plunge you? — due to the grimm outside the walls was time she could spend looking for the siren. On the other hand, any amount of time she was stuck in Vale invited the question of why she was in Vale and not at Beacon.

She cleared her throat. "Far be it for me to counsel the First Councillor—"

"Far be it indeed, Miss Shimmer," Councillor Emerald said.

"But General Ironwood's forces are here right now and could—"

"Make us look weak and helpless and dependent on Atlesian assistance, no," Councillor Emerald declared. "Valish huntsmen will get the job done soon enough."

"As you say, First Councillor," Sunset murmured and hoped he was right.

There was a general silence.

"So, Sunset," Skystar said, breaking the silence after a moment passed. "If you aren't going back to Beacon, where are you going to stay tonight?"

Sunset's mouth opened, but no words emerged, because she hadn't thought that far ahead. "A motel, I—"

Skystar shook her head. "Come on, you can crash in my room."

"Really?" Sunset asked. "I mean, that's very generous, but really?"

"Yes, really," Skystar insisted. "Come on, I'll take you up there."

"Skystar," Former Councillor Aris said, and Sunset wondered whether she was going to object to Sunset's presence. What she actually said, however, amidst awkwardly dry-washing her hands, was, "Aspen is also going to be staying the night … on the couch."

Skystar came very close to smirking as her eyebrows rose. "'On the couch,' huh?"

Former Councillor Aris squirmed awkwardly, no longer looking so much like a Former Councillor. "Well … if Aspen were to stay elsewhere … elsewhere in the house, that is, then … how would that be okay?"

"Mom," Skystar said. "I'm not a kid anymore. Come on, Sunset; it's this way."

Sunset didn't say anything, nor even look at either the current or the former First Councillors as she followed Skystar out of the dining room, through the living room and out into the wood-panelled hall.

"That's not a yes," called out Mrs. Aris.

"Yes, Mom," Skystar called back, the smile still on her face.

"The First Councillor … and your mother?" asked Sunset as they began to climb the stairs.

"Oh, yeah, he's had the hots for her for ages," Skystar explained as she turned around to look down at Sunset. "And, you know, he's not bad-looking for an old guy."

"I can't say I've ever considered that angle," Sunset said.

Skystar snorted. "Come on."

She led Sunset up the stairs and down the upstairs hallway, to a room that was dark — with the curtains drawn and the lights off — but not completely dark because it was illuminated by lines of festive lights — some of them in the Vytal colours of green, blue, yellow and white; the overwhelming majority of them entirely red. They offered dim illumination in the room, enough to show the pair of clam shells, one pink and one blue, sitting on the nightstand, and the stuffed animals colonising the foot of the bed.

Skystar flipped the lights on, showing the sea blue carpet underfoot, the turquoise wallpaper, and the pictures of fish, whales, dolphins, orcas, sea creatures of all kinds that had been stuck on the walls, looking like they had been ripped out of something.

"Nice pictures," Sunset said. "Yours?"

Skystar laughed. "Wildlife Photographer of the Year entrants. I cut them out of the annual. Only the sea creatures, not the animals."

"Very brave," Sunset observed, "to dive into the water to get pictures like that."

"And some of the photographers are just kids too," Skystar said. "They're … kind of awe-inspiring."

"Mmm," Sunset murmured, turning away from the fish that were beautiful and weird — there was one picture of a clownfish that looked as though it had another fish growing in its mouth — to face Skystar.

"Thanks for … this," she said softly.

Skystar didn't say anything until she had sat down on the bed, the mattress sagging ever so slightly beneath her.

"I still don't get you," she admitted. "The things that you do, and won't do, the things that … what you did, and then the way you tried to help mum, and … I don't get you."

Sunset shrugged. "I … I'm not sure how much there is to get. And I'm not sure how much I could explain it either, except … I'm ruled by my heart more than my wit. I did what I did because I was scared for my friends, and I leaked that Cardin stuff because I was angry at him on behalf of Blake. I've hurt you a lot, haven't I?"

"There are things you should feel guilty for; that's not one of them," Skystar insisted. "Whether or not Cardin meant it, he still lied to me. He still lied to Silverstream and Terramar, and he pretended to be someone he wasn't. That's enough for me to be glad that I'm done with him." She paused. "How is he?"

"I thought you were done with him?"

"I am," Skystar said. "It doesn't mean that I’m not curious."

"He's … okay," Sunset replied. "We don't talk much; you'd be better off asking Weiss."

"Is she—?"

"No," Sunset said. "No, she isn't; she… she is not her father, and even her father hasn't actually done anything. I mean, he didn't do that, anyway. My friends, Blake and Rainbow Dash, they're in Weiss' corner. They wouldn't be if she were in any way involved in this."

"I guess I'll have to take your word for that," Skystar murmured. She hesitated, looking down at the star-pattern duvet cover beneath her.

"So," she said, "what are you going to do after you're dead?"

"I…" Sunset trailed off. "I'm not sure. I hadn't given — I hadn't had much time to give — it much thought. Before I left, Pyrrha suggested that I might serve her mother, in Mistral."

"And she wouldn't hold the whole … Breach thing against you?"

"I'm afraid that she might see it as a mark of my good character," Sunset admitted. "That I chose to save her heir over all else."

"Then you'll fit right in, I guess," Skystar observed. "Although it might be harder to get the job once you're dead."

"You make it sound like I'm actually going to die," Sunset said.

"Don't blame me; it's your stupid plan," said Skystar. "There must be a better way."

"I can't think of one, can you?" Sunset demanded.

"Well … no," Skystar admitted. "But can you think of a way to explain that email I wrote?"

"Unfortunately not," Sunset muttered. "I'm better at stirring the pot than I am at…"

Skystar frowned. "Sunset?"

"Hang on," Sunset said. "Hang on!"

"Hang on to what?"

"I don't know, anything you like," Sunset said. "Because I think I just might have an idea."

Comments

[Web of Hope]

Hope sunset's idea is a doozy, though it can't come close to how absurd everyone at beacon is acting.

[AngelicTitan]

This is a interesting chapter that covers a lot of info for the other side of this whole mess, kind of builds up on Skystar as a interesting side-character whose whole life changed because of Sunset decisions and how lost Sunset feels in her new circumstances. But it also makes me curious to what was Sunset’s idea at the end, and how it will impact the next few chapters. And I’m now more than ever excited to see how the Fall will occur with so much differences to the original.
The next day will be impactful...

[Stet709]

Sunset might not need that fake death plan when the Fall happens. After all, with Beacon shut down, who's gonna question why she's not a student or huntress anymore? but it is interesting seeing her conspire with Novo and Councilor Emerald.
I figured Sunset would crash with Skystar.

[Mastermind4892]

I suspect that Sunset also doesn't want to leave before watching Pyrrha's final match. That's one of her last bright spots in her life right now, Pyrrha her dearest friend.

You know, this entire chapter had me thinking it was raining, which only felt more fitting when we got to see Sunset again.

[Mastermind4892]

11749983
Magnificently said! I don't think anyone could put it better.

And the result is that Ruby is like Kakashi Hatake when he was a young boy. His father abandoned a mission to save the lives of his team, and was condemned for it. Kakashi forced himself to despise his father and everything to do with him. Most of all, he made it his personal edict to deliberately put the mission over anyone he cared for. This cost him and his friends dearly, and that was when he learned "Those who abandon the mission are scum, but those who abandon their friends for the mission are worse than scum."

The tragedy is that the only thing that can wake Ruby up from this mindset will not be a kind one. She will learn that lesson as Sunset did: in the worst way possible.

[Kiue Jin]

I believe that a major issue with Sunset is the fact that her misplaced guilt has resulted in her willing to accept the worst possible punishment possible rather then actually defend herself and put Ruby in her place. No one seems willing to put Ruby in her place because... well, in theory she's right. What Sunset did should not have happened... but the only two really upset about it are Jaune and Ruby... and the only reason Jaune is upset is because he personally knows one of the people who were horrifically scarred by the Breach, even if she personally wasn't physically injured by it.

I think what Ruby doesn't get is that what Sunset did was a hard decision. Because Ruby doesn't fundamentally understand what it is she was demanding that her team give up. And if Rainbow Dash wasn't so unwilling to hide the fact that she had known what Sunset had done after the fact and been okay with it, this whole mess would have been sorted. All Ruby needs is one person to, with proper conviction say "Sunset made the right call. You do not have the right to throw the lives of yourself and other huntsmen away." would have knocked the wind out of her sails.

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

11751693
The reason Rainbow Dash isn't revealing that she knew is the very same reason why she's advocating Sunset's position in the first place: covering up a crime, regardless of how the person who committed the crime is punished, is punishable by up to 10 years in a military prison.

[Mastermind4892]

Here's another question.... is Sunset going to write to Princess Celestia or Twilight anytime soon? This is perhaps the lowest and most depressing moment of her life so far. Will she not seek comfort and advice from the mentor/mother she loves dearly?

[Thisguyhere]

"I'm better at stirring the pot than I am at…"

Oh? Ohhhh...
Oh is she gonna give up the names Cinder gave her or something? That would certainly be a retaliation.
Or even if it's not that, I still like this direction. We're finally passing the moping stage and doing something about it, getting that fire of the Sunset back! If someone hits you then you don't just take it and slink away; You Hit. Them. Back.
Yes, Stir that pot Sunset, Stir

[Szalhi]

Honestly edgy Merc Sunset sounds really cool.

[Aemon Targaryen]

11752084
Honestly yeah, I love the idea.

11752027
I really hope.
I just love the idea of Tempest and Bon-Bon suffering

[Mastermind4892]

11752027
11752715
Cathartic as the thought is, I doubt Sunset will do that. She’s still not 100% sure of that info herself. More importantly, Vale currently hates Atlas and Faunus… and Tempest is both. Exposing her to the press would cause more harm than Sunset’s own reveal.

[Aleck_Ultimate]

Sunset had cast the inverted 'want it, need it' spell on herself, the one that didn't have a name — the don't see it spell? The look away spell?

Nightsclaw name it "notice-me-not" and I think it fit perfectly.