Alternative Origins

by TalkingToMyself

Chapter 3

Waking up was gradual for Sunset Shimmer.

The first thing she noticed was that she felt warm all over. She welcomed this feeling and didn’t question it. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, soft and mellow. She didn’t see anything and it took her a while to figure out her eyes were closed.

She tentatively flexed her legs. They moved but then tucked back in against her as the motion brought cold. The blanket that was wrapped around her had slipped down, but was brought back. She heard somepony else breathe and she heard the rustle of wings.

She carefully opened her eyes, only to clench them shut again quickly. The light stung like needles and her head thumped from the aftereffects of a magic hangover. She squinted them back open and the white glob turned into a pegasus pony. The gold armour glinted in the flickering light of a fireplace

“Easy now. Don’t wear yourself out right away. Take it slowly.”

The voice of the guard sounded far more pleasant when he was not asking stupid questions. Of course it was the same guard she yelled at earlier.

Sunset felt the urge to groan, but the heavy warmth around her was far more compelling.

She closed her eyes again and felt herself drifting back to sleep when her drowsy mind remembered something. She couldn’t open her eyes again but she managed to mumble

“How is she?”

Luckily, the guard knew whom Sunset was talking about since she didn’t have the strength to explain right now.

“She’ll live. She didn’t wake up yet but the medic said she’s not hurt, just exhausted. You saved her, Lady Sunset.”

Sunset’s head swam for a moment at the tone of the guard’s voice.

Did he just call me Lady?

He did, and he sounded respectful when he said it. Sunset Shimmer knew respect, she had earned it from teachers and nobles through intimidation and fear, and by achieving the impossible on a daily basis. But that guard didn’t sound afraid. There was something else in his voice, something Sunset had rarely ever heard before and not for a long time at that. Admiration…

With that last thought, her body finally succumbed to sleep and the world faded into a pleasant silence.

---

The next time Sunset Shimmer woke up, she felt better and worse. Her headache had mostly faded and her legs easily lifted her weight as she sat up. She was also not freezing any more.

However, her stomach had turned into a gurgling black hole that needed to be filled right away.

“Back with us again, Sunset Shimmer?”

A new voice addressed her and when she turned her head, she was looking at an earth pony guard in armour, sans the helmet. He was older than the other guards from the train were, and his black mane already had some stripes of grey in it. The stripes on his armour ranked him as commander, so Sunset guessed he was the pony in charge at the outpost.

The commander watched her with experienced eyes

“Would you mind telling me what happened out there?”

Sunset Shimmer groaned and stood up, her nose directing her elsewhere

“All in time and nothing before dinner, Commander.”

The stallion gave a hearty laugh that even lured out a smirk from Sunset

“It’s lunch, but who cares as long as it’s filling, eh?”

Sunset already headed towards the source of scent that promised food, but she froze in place when her eyes fell on the other bed in the room.

The mare from the crystal was still asleep and wrapped thickly against the cold even though her bed was much closer to the fireplace. Sunset released her breath when she noticed the mare’s chest rising and her nostrils moving in accord.

The commander stood next to her, eyes on the mare as well

“She’s stable but medic’s worried she’s not woken up yet. That storm did a number on her, that’s for sure, but that’s not all.”

He stayed silent for a moment before he muttered out

“I’ve been through all of Equestria during my service. I’m in my tenth year at this outpost. I’ve never seen or heard of a pony like her before.”

Sunset Shimmer didn’t reply. Now, with her eyes clear and her mind focused, she noticed the small details that separated the mare from other ponies.

She saw the barely noticeable shine in her coat. She realized that her mane didn’t just shimmer in the light of the fireplace, it almost glowed. Sunset would have taken any bet that, when the mare would open her eyes, she would see some very different eyes, shaped like gemstones.

The commander watched her from the corner of his eyes

“You know something about her.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded and turned towards the door

“I do. Don’t worry, Commander. She’s definitely not a threat.”

The commander walked next to her as they left

“You’re going to tell me what that means, Sunset Shimmer?”

“No.”

He obviously didn’t like that and stomped his hoof on the floor

“Miss Shimmer, as long as you’re on my outpost, I’m in charge. You better tell me what I need to know.”

She turned around and their eyes met in a glare

“I’m not a member of the guards, so your rank means jack to me. I don’t have to tell you anything.”

They kept staring at each other, Sunset Shimmer with burning anger while the commander with a cool, levelled rage.

At the sound of her aching stomach, Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes and ceded

“Look, I’m not entirely sure. I’ll see what I can tell you, but nothing before I got a chance to talk to her. And definitely nothing before I had something to eat.”

The commander weighed her words for a moment, then nodded appeased

“Alright, Miss Shimmer. Let’s get you something to chew on. Though I should get a messenger to inform the Princess about this, don’t you think?”

Sunset Shimmer’s eyes darted to the bed she’d been sleeping on and as expected she found her saddlebags next to it, with all her books and, more importantly, her journal

“Don’t bother. I have a more efficient way to contact the Princess.”

The commander levelled her with an inquisitive stare, but this time Sunset Shimmer just ignored it and left in the direction of food.

---

The sound of the quill was comfortingly familiar as it scratched words on the page.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I arrived at the northern outpost and immediately began my research on the magic that lingered all around. I found a clear trail that led me to what I expect to be the location of the old city. The ambient magic in this place was disturbed by an imbalance of another source of magic. The dark magic from the curse was still there and I could follow its trail easily. Unlike your books told me, there was a pattern to all it and I could easily figure it out.

Sunset Shimmer allowed herself a smirk, even if she was still annoyed that it took far more concentration to move the quill. Her magic was only slowly returning and she knew it would take a few days before she would be at full strength again.

So much for the expected.

At the centre of the magic field, I found something nopony seemed to have even noticed before. There was a huge spire out of crystal, perfectly smooth and flawlessly shaped like an obelisk. It was clear that the obelisk couldn’t have formed naturally and indeed it radiated out in an unfamiliar frequency of magic.

The obelisk reacted to my magic and I found out it had been a prison. Locked inside the crystal, I found a pony, a mare to be exact.

Sunset’s eyes flicked from the pages of the journal to the still unconscious mare on the bed next to her. She had checked on her with another diagnosis spell and her vital signs were improving. Hopefully, the mare would wake up on her own soon.

As I analysed the spire and the mare I discovered something disturbing. Somehow, the mare was still alive inside the crystal. I don’t know how that was even possible, since she was completely surrounded by crystal with no cracks for air or anything. My only explanation so far is that it must have something to do with the unknown magic that was concentrated in the crystal obelisk.

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath and set down the quill for a moment. She heard the muffled voices from the soldiers in the rooms downstairs. Luckily, the two recovering mares had received a room for themselves and Sunset Shimmer had made clear that she expected some privacy so she could question the mare once awake.

First, of course, she had something else to do. She sighed and picked up the quill again and wrote something she hadn’t since her earliest years as Celestia’s student. She had to admit failure.

You probably noticed by now that I’m using past tense. Something very unexpected happened and I had to make a quick decision.
The obelisk is gone. So is most of the lingering magic field. Also, every trace of the dark magic is now lost.
My spell showed me that the vital signs of the mare were already critical and quickly decreasing. I tried to probe the crystal and find a way to free her, of course.
At first, I thought the structure itself was too sturdy, but then I realized that the remains of the dark magic had focused to fight back my spells.
In order to free the mare, I had to destroy them. That also shattered the obelisk and the magic field around it. I’m afraid there is nothing left for further investigation and any chance of retrieving the Crystal Empire and all its power is gone.

I have failed the mission you send me on, Princess.
I’m sorry.

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes. The words were on the page now, she could not take them back. Even if she crossed them out, the Princess could still read them.

Sunset Shimmer shook her head dismissively. Whatever consequences, she would have to deal with them when she faced the Princess again.

For now, she quickly wrapped out what happened until now.

It took all my magic to break the dark spell but I managed to free the mare. She was weak, but alive.
The same could be said about me, I guess. I was in the middle of a blizzard and without enough magic for even a shield spell. It could have ended badly for both of us, but fortunately a stubborn pegasus guard pony followed me and got us back to the outpost.
Which is where I am right now. I slept through most of the day since the cold took a lot more out of me than I anticipated.
But now that I’ve eaten I’m ready to get back to investigation.

Her face remained neutral when she summed up the events of her near-death. Her eyes darted to the sleeping mare and a small smile came to her face. There was, at least, one redeeming factor to her failure.

The mare from the crystal is currently still asleep, but like me, she’s recovering. I plan to talk to her as soon as she wakes up.
The other ponies at the outpost have an inkling that there might be something off about her, but of course I know already.
From the descriptions in the books you gave me, it’s very clear to me.

She is a crystal pony.

As soon as I get to speak to her, I’ll see what I can find out. She might be the last one of her kind or she might be a key to retrieve the Crystal Empire. However, I’m sure any information I can get from her will prove very valuable.

I will keep you up to date with what I find out until we get a chance to meet in pony.

Your student,
Sunset Shimmer

She sighed and dropped the quill next to the journal, relieved to let go of her magic. She already felt a slight headache from using it so soon after her magic burnout.

She settled more comfortably in front of the flickering fireplace and picked out the so far neglected cup of tea. It was cold by now and she had to pick it up with her hooves, but it was still a welcome distraction.

While she sipped and stared into the flickering flames of the fireplace, she relaxed and thought of nothing. Whatever would happen next would just happen. She would have to jump that hurdle once she was back in Canterlot. This meant having to wait for another two weeks at least, when the next train would arrive with supplies for the outpost.

Right now, all she wanted to do was stay here where it was warm and maybe get some more sleep.

Sunset Shimmer sat for a while, waiting for her thoughts to untangle enough so she would be able to fall asleep, when a familiar glow caught her attention, followed by a buzzing sound.

Her eyes turned to the journal and she watched as golden letters formed on the empty page next to her own message. The words glowed briefly before they turned to ink on the paper.

She pulled the journal closer and watched. It was unusual for the Princess to answer immediately. Usually, she would write a well thought out response at the end of the day when all her royal business had been taken care of.

Apparently though, today the Princess felt the need to reply immediately. That could mean she was either very angry with Sunset Shimmer, or very concerned.

Sunset watched and read the words as they appeared

Dear Sunset Shimmer,
My most talented student,

I am very glad to hear you’re alright. The blizzards of the north are very dangerous even for a pony as skilled as you are.

You can’t imagine how relieved I am to hear from you. I don’t know what I would have done if you had

I’ll send a carriage for you to the north right away. Please take all the time you need to recover properly! And please don’t go out again during a snow storm.

We can talk about everything once you’re back safely. Until then, promise me you will take good care of yourself!

Sunset Shimmer blinked surprised. That was clearly unexpected. Of course, Celestia was the Princess and could order a carriage anytime she wanted, but that she would go out of her way like this was strange. The weather in the north was unpredictable at best, that’s why the guard used trains instead of pegasus carriages.

She stared at the crossed out words for a moment longer. It sounded like the Princess was very concerned, but not about her mission or the Crystal Empire. The Princess was worried about her.

Memories came back to her mind, of easier times when she was a filly. During her first years under Celstia’s tutelage, after the Princess had taken her out of the orphanage, they had been very close. She remembered spending the nights with the Princess when she had nightmares from the new place to sleep. She remembered how the Princess had once cancelled court so she could spend the day with her student who was in bed with a nasty cold.

As for your discoveries, they are truly unexpected but nonetheless amazing, my talented student. My guesses about the obelisk or the pony you saved are as good as yours, we will have to wait for her recovery before we decide on the next steps.

Should she awaken before the carriage arrives, my advice would be to go easy on her. We have no idea what being trapped in a crystal for a millennium can do to a pony, especially her mind. Considering that she was also exposed to dark magic for the same period of time, I dare to predict she will be a bit unstable, at best.

You might need a lot of patience before she can give you the information you like, please keep that in mind.

I hope for your quick recovery and that I will see you again very soon!

Sunset Shimmer smirked. That was more like she knew it. And even in her failure, she still managed to impress the Princess.

Satisfied and far more at ease, she closed the journal and yawned. Outside the window, it was still dark from the blizzard and gave her no idea how late it was, but the logs in the fireplace had almost burnt down. She decided it was late enough to retire.

She put on some more logs of wood to keep the room warm for the night and checked on the crystal mare once more, with no changes from earlier.

She shrugged and climbed into her own bed. The carriage wouldn’t arrive until late the next day, so she was in no hurry. Waiting for one more night wouldn’t hurt.

With the words of the Princess still on her mind, she quickly fell asleep with a soft smile.

Comments

[JMP]

Oh no wonder Sunset's ego is so big. Celestia calls her talented like she calls Twilight faithful. It's pretty much Sunset's title. Curious why she thought Celestia would be more concerned about the mission than her well-being