• Published 8th Jul 2019
  • 2,281 Views, 484 Comments

Teahouses of Saddle Arabia - Amber Spark



Twilight and Sunset learn a very important lesson: never underestimate the eccentricities of used bookstores on a cold Canterlot night.

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Transit: Hurricane Lane

A large mass of leaves slapped her in the face and she let out a hiss of frustration. Less than a minute later, a root sent her crashing to the ground, tearing a good sized hole in the jacket she’d picked up from Carousel Boutique. Those two mares would kill her for what she'd done to the jacket… if they ever saw her again.

If Sunset had her way, they wouldn’t.

She didn’t know why she had come here. She just knew she had to get away. Get away from the memories. Of what she’d done. Of what Twilight had done. Of what Moon Dancer had done.

They might be looking for her right now. They didn’t understand. They were better off without her. Without her invariably screwing things up. After everything they’d been through, it was time for them to thrive on their own.

She still felt a pang whenever she thought of Princess Celestia. And maybe another, far smaller one for that little of that brat of a bird, Philomena. They wouldn’t understand. Why she had to do it. Why she had to get away.

The scene played over and over again in her mind. It never stopped. Every time she blinked she saw it.

Her betraying everypony she cared about. Betraying everypony she loved.

She pushed it aside as she shoved herself deeper into the half-forest, half-jungle.

She didn’t know why she’d come here. It was almost as if something had pulled her. Maybe curiosity about the mysterious leyline connection in the Everfree. Maybe it’s because she felt the pulse of some sort of magic from deep within the forest. Maybe… it was just somewhere to go. Maybe because she was just fleeing. Did she need a reason?

Another root. Another crash. She lay there for a time, just hurting, inside and out. Enjoying the pain, in a way. Because she deserved nothing less.

She eventually pulled back her twig- and dirt-filled mane and blinked. But there was no denying what she was seeing.

A small stone structure. Built almost like a tower, but not rising any higher than the trees themselves. It looked ancient. More ancient than any ruin she had ever seen. Curiosity overwhelmed the self-hatred and she pulled herself to her hooves.

She walked forward, ignoring the cuts and wounds from the forest, ignoring the weight in her chest and wondered if she might have just found a place she could rest.

Even if only for a little while.

Even if she knew she didn’t deserve it.

Sunset groaned as some evil force slowly pushed her toward dreaded consciousness.

I don’t want to wake up. Haven’t I done enough? When is this going to end and I can stop waking up in straight places after freaky dreams about my past or… were the rest of those the future?

“Amber? You there?” Sunset mumbled, her voice thick as she sat up and looked around. Yet again, she found herself in a dark room, though the ground beneath her felt… odd. “Doc? Twi? I swear I’m going to tell everypony to never shop at your booksto—”

Then she heard the crying.

“Please… no…” Twilight whispered somewhere in the darkness.

Sunset shoved away her own exhaustion and confusion. Her horn flared and a small sun appeared in the room, illuminating the curled-up form of Twilight only a few feet away.

“Twilight?”

“No, please no… don’t leave… it was just a mistake…” Twilight murmured.

Sunset dragged herself across the odd floor to Twilight. She put a hoof on her friends shoulder, but she didn’t wake up. Instead, she let out a desperate cry of protest.

“Why won’t you come back… please… We’ve can make it work! I can’t… why would you abandon us, Sunset?”

Sunset froze, a piece of her unsure if she actually wanted to wake Twilight the dream… assuming it was a dream.

“You’re my best friend, Sunset… but… just because of what we did… what you did and what I did…

Those words felt like being dunked in a pool of arctic water. Part of her desperately wanted to know what it was they had done. The rest of her knew no good would come of this.

“I know Moon Dancer and I are having—”

That was a completely different type of water. The type that made you want to get out as fast as possible.

Sunset shook Twilight violently. “Wake up, Twilight!”

Twilight thrashed as she woke up, almost ripping her winter coat. She twisted around to meet Sunset’s gaze. She looked terrified.

“I… I think I’m losing my mind, Sunset…” Twilight whispered. Her eyes were huge, her glasses askew as she looked past Sunset, to something Sunset couldn’t see. “I keep… I keep seeing these things. These horrible things. You… you abandoned us. You left everypony behind. Just vanished… without us… without me…

Sunset shushed her gently, but when Twilight’s tears came, Sunset really didn’t have much of a choice. She scooted over a bit more and wrapped Twilight in a hug, allowing her friend to sob into her mane. “It’s okay… that hasn’t happened.”

“But it will…” Twilight mumbled into Sunset’s mane. “I don’t know how I know… but I know… Sunset… you’re going to run away from everything you love. And somehow… I know it’s because of me.”

Sunset pulled back and stared Twilight in the eye. “I would never…” She trailed off at the look on Twilight’s face.

Whatever Twilight had seen had completely convinced her that she would singlehoofedly be responsible for driving Sunset Shimmer away.

“I don’t want you to leave, Sunny.”

That’s when Sunset realized just how close they were. She could feel the warmth of Twilight’s body in the chilly room—wherever that was. She could smell her coat and mane conditioner—lavender and strawberries, still present despite everything they’d been through tonight. She could see how horrified Twilight was at the thought of Sunset leaving.

A strange tightness filled Sunset’s chest. She licked her lips.

Then, without entirely meaning to, she leaned forward.

Twilight blinked once or twice. Then, she leaned forward, too.

It’s about time.

Sunset’s eyes went wide. She threw herself backward, her heart hammering in her chest, her body cold and aching. She almost threw up right there when she realized what she had been about to do.

All the while, her angry little pony laughed.

I hate you more than anything in the world, Sunset screamed in her own head. You are a Harmony-forsaken monster!

And you’re the most pathetic excuse for a pony I’ve ever seen. You could have had her. Right here! Right now! But I knew you wouldn’t let yourself do it. You’d stop yourself a second before it happened… and I needed to get my kicks somehow.

Sunset wondered if she would have stopped. She couldn’t dare look Twilight in the eye. Not after that. Not after—

“Sunset?” Twilight asked in a very small voice. “I-I’m sorry…”

Sunset shook her head, staring at the ground—and staring at nothing at all. “N-Not your fault. Mine. I… I just…”

“Did you see something?” Twilight whispered. “Like… like me?”

Sunset nodded. “I’ve… I’ve seen something every time. Jeddahoof, leyspace, Out of Circulation and now. I don’t know why. Some were… confusing. Some were wonderful. Some were… horrifying.”

She thought about the crossbow bolt buried in her chest. It was a more pleasant thought than the memory of what she had almost done a moment ago.

“I… didn’t know,” Twilight mumbled. “Do… do you want to… talk about them? Any of them?”

There was no way she could tell her about what she had just seen. It… aligned too close to what Twilight had.

“They’re all a bit of a blur, but for one... the perspective was yours,” Sunset mumbled, rocking herself back and forth. “I… I got shot.”

“Shot?” Twilight sounded bewildered. “Shot by what?”

“A crossbow bolt. Took it… took it in the chest.”

Twilight let out a gasp, but Sunset still didn’t turn in her direction.

“I… no, we were on an airship. The… Dawnbringer? Something like that. And… and I… watched as I…”

It was only by sheer force of will that Sunset kept herself from breaking down completely right there.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder. A hoof she didn’t deserve. A hoof she couldn’t hope with.

Sunset jerked away from Twilight’s touch, scampering to the other side of the room. She shoved her back against a wall and buried her head in her hooves.

“I’m sorry!” Sunset cried as tears began streaming down her face. “I’m… I’m sorry, Twilight! I didn’t mean for that to happen…”

“Nothing happened!” A second later, Twilight knelt before her.

“But… you… I… I almost… I would never…”

“Sunset!” Twilight grabbed both of her shoulders. “Calm down! Nothing happened! All I saw was one of my best friends trying to comfort me.”

“I tried to take advantage of you…” Sunset mumbled as tears fell from her cheeks. They made little puffs when they hit the floor. “Moon Dancer is my best friend… and I just tried to… tried to…”

Twilight’s hooves shifted from Sunset’s shoulders to her face. With a surprising show of strength, she forced Sunset to look her in the eye. “I forgive you.”

“You shouldn’t,” Sunset insisted. “You shouldn’t, Twilight…”

“I do anyway.” With a calm that was completely at odds with everything Sunset had seen of Twilight tonight, the other mare smiled, her starry eyes glittering in the light of Sunset’s light spell. “I forgive you for what just happened… and if you need to hear it again… everything that happened when we were back in school. Especially since you never actually did anything.”

“I tried to—”

Twilight pressed a hoof gently against Sunset’s muzzle, silencing her. Sunset’s heart raced. Visions of the life she’d seen in that split second beneath the Royal Canterlot Archives rushed through her head. A single magic spell… and months later, the effects lingered. She didn’t know if the current effects were magical or something else, but…

She’d seen inside this mare’s heart. How could she not feel the way she did? To do otherwise would be to ignore everything she’d seen, the memories now stuck in her head.

All those memories showed her one critical thing. An inescapable fact.

Twilight Sparkle deserved better. That’s why she deserved Moon Dancer and not Sunset Shimmer.

“Amber… said a few other things while you were talking with Book Light. Strange, but… easy to talk to.” Twilight removed her hoof. “How is it that we keep doing this?”

“Doing… what?” Sunset asked, wiping away the tears from her face. “What are you talking about?”

“This.” She smiled shyly—in that same obnoxious, adorable way she had. “How many times tonight have you stopped me from a panic attack? I think it’s past time for me to help you with one.”

“I… I don’t… they don’t happen…”

“Sunset,” Twilight admonished gently. “Moon Dancer’s told me about them. The few I’ve seen, well, I know they’re not isolated incidents. I know you don’t have it quite as bad as me, but still.”

“How can you so calm?”

“Oh, there’s still a lot of me still screaming right now,” Twilight said with a sheepish smile. “Like I have no idea where we are—again—or that I’ve got this vision of you vanishing into the depths of the Everfree Forest… but when I realized you felt so terrible… it just sort of went away? Because… you needed me.”

“Wait… they just… went away?” Sunset asked, studiously ignoring Twilight’s last sentence.

“Okay, maybe got repressed. That better?” Twilight snorted.

“A little,” Sunset replied with a small grin.

“It’s… I’ve read accounts that for some ponies, it’s easier to help others than help themselves. It’s something like that, I think.” Twilight shrugged, looking sheepish.

“I… I guess I can accept that.” Sunset knew she could. She knew the sensation well. “And… for the record, I can’t think of any reason why I would ever abandon my friends and go wandering into the Everfree Forest of all places. That sounds like suicide to me.”

“It’s not suicide!” Twilight snapped. “The Everfree Forest is a fascinating place and can be safely explored as long as the proper precautions are taken! You just have to be careful!”

“Well, you must be feeling better if you’re already lecturing me.”

“And you must be feeling better if you’re already making fun of me for it.”

Sunset laughed. Twilight joined in a few seconds later.

“We should probably figure out where we are, huh?”

“Well, we are in Cloudsdale,” Twilight said with a shrug. “Beyond that, I don’t know.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I know that was our target, but after that… door, how can you be sure?”

“The floor is made of clouds,” Twilight replied smugly. “Something I’m trying not to think about too much because I happen to know the consistency of clouds and how easily nonpegasi can fall through them.”

“Nonpegasi without cloudwalking spells, you mean. Still, it’s not a bad idea. Keep doing that.”

“What?”

Not thinking about it.”

Twilight licked her lips. “I’ll do my best.”

With that, Sunset pushed herself to her hooves, though she didn’t take Twilight’s outstretched hoof to help her up. That felt… risky right now. Once she’d regained her stance, she adjusted her sunlight spell and took a look around for the first time.

They were in a medium-sized library, something fairly typical of wealthy pegasi manors. Bookcases lined the room. Most of them had glass covers and more than a few had magical grounding rods attached to them.

A magical library? This must be a private collection then...

There were a pair of sofas facing one another over a coffee table on one side. The other side held a small table beside a large cloud-stuffed rocking chair. On the walls were tasteful paintings of—if she wasn’t mistaken—libraries. Or at least bookshelves. Lots and lots of bookshelves. A single half-open door stood on the opposite side of the room.

The paintings of libraries sparked something in her memory, but she couldn’t quite place them.

“Well, I’m pretty sure this isn’t where we’re supposed to be,” Twilight said. “This is definitely not a bookstore. I think we’re in somepony’s house.”

“No kidding,” Sunset muttered. “Seems familiar though…”

“Well… we should probably get out of here, Sunset. If we’re trespassing… well, getting arrested by the Cloudsdale Constables wouldn’t surprise me after tonight.” She blew a bang out of her face with a sigh then looked toward the door.

“I wonder what’s behind this one.” Sunset eyed the door warily. “For all we know, we could be in Stratopolis.”

“Stratopolis is a myth,” Twilight replied instantly.

“You seem awfully sure about that. Any reason why?”

“Well, it is.” Twilight shrugged. “Everypony knows that. It’s just as much a myth as Nightmare Moon, Rockhoof or the Sphinx. I know. I’ve read several books on the subjects.”

“So have I,” Sunset replied. “Enough to know that every myth comes from somewhere.”

“So, wait…” Twilight frowned. “Are you telling me you think this isn’t Cloudsdale, but actually Stratopolis?”

“No,” Sunset chuckled. “I don’t.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, we can either sit here all night discussing it or we could—”

Tell me what in the Northern Winds you are doing in my home!” snapped an icy voice from the doorway. “And you have ten seconds to do so before I scream and every constable in Cloudsdale descends upon your thieving heads!”

Sunset and Twilight both looked to the now-open door, where an elderly pegasus mare with a snowy coat, long white feathers and a frosty blue mane glared down at them imperiously. In her hooves, she held an umbrella, wielding it as if it were a spear. Despite her words, Sunset didn’t see any fear in her posture. She saw annoyance.

Sunset also saw a familiarity she desperately didn’t want to deal with tonight.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me…” Sunset whispered to herself.

“I do so loathe unicorns who believe they can just teleport wherever they please!” the old mare muttered. “Celestia, there was once law and order in this country and I’d dearly like to know where it has run away to!”

“What do we do?” Twilight hissed.

Sunset just shook her head, knowing full well there wasn’t a single thing they could do.

“Well? Speak!” the mare barked, making them both jump. “Or are you too stunned by the fact that an old mare captured you? You aren’t the first unicorns thinking yourself clever and trying to pull one of your South Winds heists in a Cloudsdale manor house, but I will not let ruffians such as you get a single bit from the estate of Madame Bruschetta!”

Sunset closed her eyes as her worst fears were confirmed.

“Sunset!” Twilight hissed, louder this time. “Would you please say something!”

“Sunset?” the mare muttered. “Sunset, you say?”

Sunset slowly opened her eyes. Sadly, the view hadn’t changed, save for the fact that the old mare had lowered the umbrella and now looked very confused.

She knew better than to trust that expression… or the act.

“It can’t be.” The old mare said. “No, similar name, but no. You cannot be…”

Sunset let out an enormous sigh and plopped down onto the floor. She should have recognized the library paintings immediately. But she’d been distracted by the whole… Twilight thing. Plus the general insanity of this evening.

“Hello… Aunt Brush,” Sunset said through gritted teeth. “Sorry to drop in unannounced.”

The umbrella fell out of the mare’s hooves and a dozen expressions flashed across her face. Joy, confusion, anger were the only ones Sunset were sure of before the most familiar of all locked into place: cool calculation.

She wondered if any of them had been legitimate.

“Your parents are not here, Sunset Shimmer,” Bruschetta informed her, her voice now perfectly calm and collected. “And as far as I can recall, I did not place a visit from my niece on my schedule. I’m quite sure as I’m not in the habit of conducting social activities long past midnight in my personal library!”

“I apologize.” Sunset had managed to get her jaw unclenched even as Twilight glanced back and forth between them, her mouth hanging open. She’d also made sure to sit with the correct poise expected from anypony who had once been a filly under Bruschetta’s iron-hoofed care. Doing otherwise would invite questions and worse, corrections. “We were conducting research on behalf of Princess Celestia and had a rather severe spell misfire, Aunt Brush.”

“Childhood monikers will do you no good in this matter, Sunset Shimmer.” Her frown deepened. “However, despite the hour, protocol is—as always—paramount. You and your… guest will accompany me to my sitting room. I shall have White Curtain prepare windleaf tea while you tell me about the circumstances that led you to being in my home.”

“That’s not necessary. We’re more than happy to just leave, Aunt Bru—”

“You have invaded my home unannounced, Sunset Shimmer!” Bruschetta barked as she cracked a hoof against the doorframe. “You will not deny me this. If you do, I will ensure that not only do your parents hear of this, but the constabulary and other… concerned individuals. I do not need to tell you what sort of damage that could do, not only to you, but those close to you.”

Sunset barely held back the snarl trying to claw out of her. She forced herself to look at Twilight so she didn’t completely lose it. Twilight wasn’t much help. She was just sitting there, looking as if someone had just smacked her on the head with a thundersteel wrench. It wasn’t surprising. Twilight had once told her that her duties at the RCA included escorting members of high society. Sunset very much doubted the Cloudsdale Elite usually deigned to wander into the Royal Canterlot Archives.

They were a completely different breed of beast.

“Very well, Aunt Bruschetta,” Sunset replied stiffly. “Will you have a member of the staff escort us, or should we find our own way?”

“My staff has far better things to do than lead you around by your nose, Sunset Shimmer. You outgrew that need decades ago. Still, it is part of the tradition. Curtain will be along shortly. I am going to freshen up. When I am done, you will be in the South Sitting Room.”

With that, Bruschetta turned and marched out the door, her nose in the air.

Sunset slumped to the ground and covered her head with her hooves. “Words cannot express how much I hate this night.”

“Sunset, who was that?” Twilight whispered. “Is that really your aunt?”

“Not by blood,” Sunset moaned. “Bruschetta is a long-time business ally of the family. One of the ‘right kind of ponies.’ Demanded I call her ‘Aunt Bruschetta’ when I was a filly. That being said… she did help raise me. Sort of.”

“Can’t we just leave?” Twilight asked though they both knew it wasn’t a question.

“If we leave, Bruschetta will raise as much trouble as she can. She’s ruthless when she feels she’s been slighted. Twilight, these ponies can be worse than the Canterlot Elite. She can cause trouble not just for me, but for you, for our friends and even harass the Princess indirectly! I’d rather this be a passing comment to the family instead of a matter of affronted etiquette.” Sunset shook her head and sat up. “Let’s just have the tea, make it as short as possible and get out of here before it gets worse.”

“Maybe she can help us get to—”

“No!” Sunset cried, waving her hooves as she jumped in front of Twilight in panic. “Whatever you do, do not accept her help. Or favors. Or anything. Bruschetta never forgets a favor. You’ll never get away from it. Ever.”

“I think I’m too tired to play games of political intrigue right now, Sunset,” Twilight as she fought a yawn and lost terribly. “Unconsciousness does not offer the same restorative properties of proper sleep. We’ve been around around the world, though leyspace and… everything else. You’re sure we can’t just—”

“No.” Sunset glared at the door. “Let’s just do this and get it over with. I’ll come up with a reason how to get us out of here fast.”

“If you say so,” Twilight said. “I still think we should—”

Twilight fell silent when Sunset lifted a hoof as she caught the sound of beating wings. A few moments later, a small middle-aged white mare with a bright red mane and a black Junior Servant uniform flew into the room and offered a heartfelt smile beneath tired blue eyes.

“Curtain,” Sunset sighed. “Thank Celestia. Somepony friendly.”

“Sunset?” White Curtain rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. “What are you doing here so late?”

“Teleport misfire. Basically,” Sunset replied sheepishly. It was close enough to the truth.

“It’s been years since you had one that brought you to Cloudsdale, even at this time of year.”

“I know. It’s the curse of working for royalty.” She shrugged. Curtain was a good pony, but she still worked for her aunt. “Sometimes the assignments seem to go on forever.”

“I can understand that,” Curtain replied sympathetically. “I’ve been asked to escort you to the South Sitting Room. If you would?”

Sunset nodded again and gestured for Curtain to lead the way. Sunset brought up the rear. A pony could never be too careful in the home of ‘Aunt Brush.’

The hallway outside was carved in the ancient pegasi fashion from before the Unification. Bruschetta had once told Sunset that the style tended to cycle through the Cloudsdale Elite once every thirty years or so. Despite that, the ancestral home of Bruschetta’s line had never changed it. The design had been present all the way back to the founding of Cloudsdale and as her great-something grandmother had built the first manor there, it had become yet another tradition.

It was those traditions—and Bruschetta’s contacts—that had made her into such a ‘valuable’ ally to her accursed family.

Heavy gray cloud columns lined the wall, while the floor remained a delicate mosaic of suspended hailstones. Only the ceiling remained in its natural state, shifting back and forth as living clouds.

Thankfully, they’d ended up—somehow—in Bruschetta’s main library on the south side of the estate, which meant they didn’t have to go far to reach the sitting room. There, windleaf tea had already been prepared for them on a cloudgem table with three small teacups, three large whites cushions and a single kettle of snowglass. The sitting room itself was replete with cushions and sofas.

However, Sunset knew important aspects of the room were the bookshelves and display cases. Almost a hundred different ‘conversation pieces’ were placed strategically through the room, from ancient manuscripts to pieces of contemporary art. Sunset knew Bruschetta had never bothered to actually read a single book on the shelves. All of it existed to spark conversations so Bruschetta ferret could out details on the ponies who were unlucky enough to become her guests.

Twilight took one of the cushions around the table, while Sunset took another. As protocol dictated, White Curtain refrained from pouring. It wouldn’t do to insult the host by drinking before her arrival, especially at this late hour.

“So, how are you parents?” Curtain asked with forced casualness. “They were here just last week, you know. Took the Shimmer out on a pleasure cruise. Apparently, they had a gift for Madame.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and gave the servant a half-smile. “You know I haven’t talked to them in years, Curtain. Is Aunt Bruschetta really so lazy to get you to fire the opening salvos?”

“I don’t know what you’re going on about,” Curtain replied, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips. “Simply making conversation, Sunset.”

“What is… going on here?” Twilight asked, looking back and forth between Sunset and the servant. “I’m totally lost.”

“Family politics,” Sunset replied through gritted teeth. “Please, Twilight. You really don’t want to get involved in this. My family’s inner workings make the Canterlot Court look like a day with Minuette.”

“Though I have only a passing knowledge of this ‘Minuette’ pony, I must say that’s a rather harsh way of putting things,” Bruschetta declared as she strode into the room.

Bruschetta had taken the time to preen her feathers, brush her mane and her coat. She’d even put two strings of black pearls around her neck. They contrasted with everything about the old white mare.

Sunset shook her head and did her best not to sigh.

So, she wants something tonight. She wasn’t expecting us, but she was ready for us. What are my parents up to? On the other hoof, it might be just her. She’d make a killing off of anything she could get out of us. It’s strange though. She hasn’t done this song and dance around me in years.

Too bad you haven’t beaten her in eight years. Before that? You were brilliant against her. Her angry little pony sighed. I remember how proud she looked on that Autumn Solstice…

“It may be a harsh comparison,” Sunset replied evenly. “But it’s also an accurate one.”

“I never said that it wasn’t,” Bruschetta said with a little smirk as she settled down upon her cushions. She gestured to White Curtain and the servant instantly swept into motion, pouring the windleaf tea for the three of them in short order before stepping back to a respectful distance.

“I recently heard you acquired something new for your collection,” Sunset said casually. Throwing a bit of extra power for a light show, Sunset levitated the teacup to her lips. It shone with the faint light of dawn as she drank.

“Did you now?” Bruschetta’s gaze didn’t move to the servant. They stayed focused on Sunset with the intensity of a hawk staring at a mouse in an empty field. “How interesting.”

“What was it this time, hm?” Sunset asked, putting a bit more magic into the spell, weaving it together with a bit of sunlight for effect. “Relic from Pegasopolis? Something from the Old Lands? Griffonstone? Maybe even a figurine from Mount Aris?”

"A souvenir of their latest trade expedition.” Bruschetta shrugged as she sipped. “Somewhere to the south. That’s all I know. A pretty enough bauble and a pretty enough magic effect. Oddly enough, I had it placed in the very library I found you sulking about.”

“What sort of magical effect?” Twilight blurted out.

Sunset threw her a glare. Twilight blushed and gave Sunset a look as if to say, ‘Sorry, couldn’t help myself.’

Bruschetta, on the other hoof, grinned like a shark. “Oh, simply an illusion projector. Apparently, it’s an artificer’s reconstruction of an ancient relic. Quite an interesting find. Collecting magical artifacts is something of a hobby of mine, you see.”

“What sort of illusi—” Twilight started to say before Sunset cut her off.

“You’re going to tell them about this visit either way, aren’t you?” Sunset dropped the empty teacup from high enough to clatter, but low enough not to break.

“Your parents were quite kind to me last time they were here,” Bruschetta replied. “They’re always eager to hear of your exploits, since they rarely hear about them from you. To think they learned of that whole business with Coloratura through the newspaper. For shame, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset didn’t rise to the bait. She just did her best to look bored.

“As I was saying, they do so love your exploits. To learn that you just magically teleported into my private magical library in the middle of the night? That’s quite the exploit.”

“What’s more interesting is that you happened to be fairly quick on the uptake.” Sunset narrowed her eyes, her ears going flat as she dropped the civility. “You waited around long enough to hear everything Twilight and I said, didn’t you? Only when we were getting ready to walk out did you burst into the room playing your ‘frightened old mare’ routine.”

“It’s not my fault if you never learned to control the volume of your own voice, Sunset. Especially in a home like mine where sound so does tend to carry.”

Twilight stiffened and looked panicky, but Sunset could help her later. She needed to fight the battle in front of her before she could do damage control.

“Whatever you heard.” Sunset shook her head in disgust. “It won’t help you. You’ll get no proof and definitely no profit.”

“We’ll see.” Bruschetta smiled.

“You were playing with your trinkets again, weren’t you?” It wasn’t really a question and they both knew it. “Working to see what other secrets you could get from that library? I know there are two entrances.”

“Maybe? What of it?”

“One of these days, Bruschetta, you’re going to get caught.”

“I’m doing nothing illegal, Sunset. You of all ponies know that.”

“Oh, I know. After all, once upon a time, you trained me to follow in your hoofsteps. You wanted me to be just like you. How’d that work out for you, Bruschetta?”

Bruschetta snorted. “And you were such a promising young student… before you got mixed up with those hooligans you are foolish enough to call friends.”

“Those ‘hooligans’ are better ponies than you will ever be!” Sunset snarled.

“What was that first one? The first one who dragged you away from who you truly are?” Bruschetta tapped a hoof on her chin as if in thought. The act didn’t fool Sunset for a second. “Oh yes. The pathetic little librarian. Moon Prancer or something like that. Pitiful tiny nopony working in the Canterlot public library. Her family used to be miners, did you know that? And you consider her one of your best friends? You were raised to have far better taste than that, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Don’t you dare talk about Moon Dancer like that.”

Bruschetta’s eyes lit up. Sunset knew why. After all, Sunset hadn’t replied to the older mare.

Twilight had. And she’d done it with barely controlled outrage in her voice.

And from the glitter in Bruschetta’s eyes, the old mare had been waiting for this very moment.

“Twi, don’t,” Sunset hissed. “She’s not worth it and it’s what she wants!”

To Sunset’s surprise, Twilight ignored her. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, the whole ‘nearly being eaten by shadows’ thing or just the general insanity of the entire night, but Twilight didn’t seem in the mood to deal with insults to her… marefriend.

“I don’t know who you are,” Twilight said, her voice low, like the rumble of thunder across an open plain. “And the moment you insulted Sunset, I stopped caring. She asked me to be quiet, so I was quiet. But the moment you insulted Moon Dancer, you crossed a line.”

“Oh?” Bruschetta laughed and set her teacup down with her hooves. “And what are you going to do about it, Miss Assistant Lead Archivist?”

Twilight jerked back as if slapped.

“Please,” Bruschetta scoffed. “You’re a fool, Twilight Sparkle. I know exactly who you are. I know your parents. Your brother. Who your brother is courting. Your father’s last performance evaluation. Your Gifted Unicorn test scores. I know more about you than your very own mother.”

Twilight went paler with every word. And as Twilight went paler, Sunset felt herself get redder.

“You’re the last of Sunset’s little cadre. The last in her collection of small ponies. You? You have promise due to your connection to Celestia and your connection to Cadenza.” Her grin became so wide she looked like a diamond dog. “Beyond that? The only pony of value in Sunset’s collection is Coloratura. Perhaps her lead designer, that… Coco Pommel. She shows some minor promise. The rest? They’re nothing. Irrelevant in the grand scheme of Equestria. Simple ponies with simple lives who will die simple deaths.”

It took every iota of self-control for Sunset to not blast her ‘Aunt’ Bruschetta out through wall and into the Cloudsdale night. However, to her credit, Twilight rallied fantastically in the face of Bruschetta’s smug grin.

“They’re not noponies!” Twilight shot back. “They’re my best friends! They’re my only friends! One of them is my marefriend!

Sunset winced.

She regretted it instantly. The moment she reacted, Bruschetta’s eyes locked onto Sunset.

Only then did she realize that Bruschetta’s target had never been Twilight.

It had been too long since she’d played this game. She was far rustier than she’d thought.

“And that? I think that more than repays your debt to me for invading my home in the dead of night.” Bruschetta chuckled softly and waved a hoof. “You may go.”

“Wait… what?” Twilight gaped at her. She looked ready for an actual brawl, only to find that the other fighter had teleported away.

“Do not let me detain you,” Bruschetta said with a roll of her eyes.

“Come on, Twilight,” Sunset said, getting to her hooves and not bothering to glance at Bruschetta. “We’re done here.”

Twilight slowly stood, looking utterly bewildered. “But… I don’t understand. You heard what she said, Sunset! She insulted your friends! Our friends!”

“And if I cared one bit about her opinion, that would bother me.” Sunset offered Curtain a warm smile as she began to march back into the hallway toward the front of the manor. “I don’t. I haven’t in a long time.”

Despite herself, Sunset did glance back at Bruschetta.

Bruschetta took a final sip of tea, smiling all the while.

Sunset shushed Twilight every time she tried to speak until they were at least a block away from Bruschetta’s estate. She hissed for her to wait five times before they finally got out of Nimbus Court and the most expensive homes in Cloudsdale.

Only when they were walking down a long avenue—designed for non-pegasi—did Sunset relax a little. If Bruschetta had them followed, they likely would have turned back by now.

Neither of them glanced at the bookstore they should have arrived inside. Sunset knew that if she turned around, she would see her aunt’s estate against the Cloudsdale night. She shook her head and sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Sunset said as they passed under one of the floating lightning clouds Cloudsdale used as lamp posts. “I’ve seen her send her servants to listen in on conversations after ponies leave her house. I wanted to be sure we weren’t being followed.”

“Sunset, why didn’t you defend yourself back there?” Twilight demanded, apparently ignoring the fact that Bruschetta actually spied on others. “You would never let anypony say those kinds of things about your friends in Canterlot!”

At the next major intersection, Sunset stopped for a moment to get her bearings before nodding and heading off down small side street lined with nice townhomes.

“This isn’t Canterlot,” she replied with a shrug. “And… Twilight, I don’t remember if you’ve ever had to live with the Canterlot Elite. Have you?”

“Not… really?” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Why?”

Sunset also pointedly didn’t ask if Twilight’s strange memories of Sunset’s life included anything about Sunset’s family. She hoped for both their sake’s that they didn’t.

“They’re brutal.” Sunset grimaced, her ears down before perking them back up as she caught a few notes of a song on the air. “But Bruschetta is even worse. A lot of Canterlot Elite play the game because it’s how they were raised and don’t know any better. Cloudsdale Elite, too.”

“But your aunt is different?”

They turned another corner and the neighborhood transitioned into a commercial district. At the far of the street were strings of lights and colorful decorations, not to mention more than a few ponies wandering back and forth. The buildings to either side of them were small touristy shops, though only one or two were actually open.

“Bruschetta does it because of two reasons. One, she loves it. Two, she’s extremely good at it. She’s an information broker, Twilight. Her livelihood is gossip, rumors, secrets and lies.”

Twilight stumbled a little on the empty cloudstreet. “She’s… what?”

“I have seen her destroy entire corporations with a few whispered words in the wrong ears,” Sunset said darkly. “Nearly bankrupt families of her business rivals. Made a single pony nearly as wealthy as the King of Minos with a piece of paper. She’s utterly ruthless and very, very good at getting results.”

“That’s… that’s horrible!” Twilight squeaked. “How could Princess Celestia allow that sort of thing?”

“Basic economics of a free market, Twilight,” Sunset replied as they neared the bright street. “Celestia herself wrote laws limiting what she could do to the economy. There are some things even she can’t stop. Not to mention that, technically, Bruschetta does nothing illegal. That’s one of the reasons my parents adore her so much.”

Twilight didn’t seem to know what to say to that. Sunset didn’t really have a problem with that.

They stepped out onto the street, both instantly glad they still had on their coats—tears or no—as the early morning Cloudsdale wind washed over them. It took only seconds for the atmosphere of the wide street to blow away the dark cloud gathering over them as they had discussed Sunset’s aunt.

“Where are we?” Twilight murmured as she looked around, her eyes wide despite the late hour.

“Where I hope our next bookstore is,” Sunset said, her breath misting in the air as she checked the nearby stalls.

Even past midnight, Hurricane Lane still had plenty of activity. A long stream of thundercloud lanterns ran on either side of the double-wide path of clouds, casting everypony still out in bright shades of blue and yellow. Various restaurants, curio shops, markets and boutiques—plus a fair number of thundersteel blacksmiths—were scattered on either side of the street. It was functionally the same as almost any other market street in any city in Equestria.

But Cloudsdale wasn’t just any other city. Cloudsdale had been the home of the pegasi since shortly after the Unification. And as such, they tended to do things the pegasi way. The non-pegasi had learned to adapt, and more often than not, thrive.

“Am I really seeing what I think I’m seeing?” Twilight asked quietly as she stared at one of the shops.

“Yup.” Sunset smirked.

While there were a few parts of the city where non-pegasi could set up shop in a cloud structure of some kind, Hurricane Lane had been built with a different mentality. Some civic organization Sunset couldn’t remember sold permits to anypony who wanted to hawk their wares on Hurricane Lane. And they had one stipulation for all merchants: they had to sell from an air yacht.

Twilight stumbled out into the street, her eyes wide and glimmering as she took it all in. “I… it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smile. Above them, the stars burned bright around the Mare in the Moon the cloudless sky. They added an almost ethereal quality to the scene. All down the slightly curving lane, air yachts were docked in special slips built specifically for this purpose.

None of them were very big, maybe only ten to fifteen feet in width, but the vendors more than made up for that with extravagant—and often gaudy—displays, just like the small sandwich shop Twilight was wandering toward. The glowing magical letters advertising ‘Late-Late-Late Night Dining!’ lost a bit of its selling power when all the L’s kept flickering on and off.

Sunset joined her at the stern of the air yacht, stepping onto the fold-out platform from the ship itself. While most shops gave customers a full gangplank, this particular place was more of a stand than anything else.

Two mares were yawning as they began to pack up, chatting quietly about their plans for Hearth’s Warming. Sunset couldn’t help but feel that was a little… out of place, considering they’d just been in a scorching hot desert city less than…

Actually, she had no idea how much time had really passed.

Sunset shook her head, forced thoughts of crazed dragon-ponies out of her head and refocused on the sandwich makers. She shivered as wind slipped through one of the holes in her jacket she’d gotten somewhere tonight.

“Hungry?” she asked Twilight, who nodded eagerly.

“You still open?” Sunset asked with a weary smile.

Both mares—pegasi—jerked upright with tired smiles of their own. They eyed both Sunset and Twilight before one of them said, “Looks like the both of you are having a rough night.”

Both Sunset and Twilight burst into laughter.

“You have no idea!” Sunset managed to get out between snickers.

A few minutes later, they walked, munching happily on the late-night snack. Cloudsdale rarely had snow, even in the deepest parts of winter. After all, they were the source of all the snow for the rest of Equestria. Still, it was chilly up here. Sunset’s breath continued to fog as the air continued to slip in every rent and tear in her black coat.

I’m doing a great job of distracting myself from what just happened back at Bruschetta's estate.

Sunset sighed and shook her head. She could still see White Curtain’s apologetic smile. She could still see Bruschetta’s cold grin.

Felt just like home.

Sunset shivered.

“Sunset…” Twilight tried again. “I know you don’t talk about your family, but…”

“I still don’t want to talk about them,” Sunset replied evenly between bites. “After all of that back there, you can probably understand why. We shouldn’t have even been there, Twilight. I mean… what are the chances? The last place in Cloudsdale I want to go… and we pop into her library. I should have seen it coming, too, but I didn’t. I don’t know, I’m thinking Book Light was right. Maybe their store does run off of Narrative Causality.”

“You don’t actually believe that, do you?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow and a single petal dangling from her lower lip.

Part of Sunset wanted to list off everything that had happened that night. But she wasn’t about to start crying that the universe was out to get her.

“No,” Sunset admitted, wandering down Hurricane Lane and hoping they’d run across their destination. “Not really.”

They were silent for a short time before Twilight spoke again. “Your parents are… like her?”

“Not always.” Sunset frowned as she finished her sandwich and tossed the wrapper into a trash can. “But more often than not. And they’re going to get to hear all about tonight real soon.”

Namely, my Harmony-forsaken kneejerk reaction to Twilight declaring that Moon Dancer was her marefriend…

“Honestly, I’m just glad we’re in Cloudsdale proper and we didn’t end up… somewhere else.” She shivered as she thought of gray eyes in the darkness. “By Celestia, we’re probably lucky it didn’t spit us out a few thousand feet below the surface of the city!”

Sunset stomped on the clouds beneath her hooves and stood up again. She rubbed her eyes and turned to face Twilight.

Twilight was as white as a snowbank. “I… I don’t think… it could have… could they have really transported us into… nothing? No ground? No… anything?”

Sunset winced and walked up to her friend. “Twilight, I’m sorry. I got carried away.”

“But… that doesn’t answer my question…”

No.” Sunset said emphatically. “Look, I don’t understand half of the things Book Light or Amber said, but both of them seemed pretty confident we would be safe. And what matters right now is that we are safe. We’re back in Equestria. We’re in a known Equestrian city with a fantastic transit system that can get us home to Canterlot within an hour or two. And, if we’re lucky… we’re almost done.”

Sunset suddenly stopped in place and closed her eyes.

“Sunset?” Twilight asked, hesitating.

“Unless…” Sunset hesitated as she pulled Twilight over to the side of the street beneath one of the Cloudsdale lights. “Twilight, you’ve been through enough tonight. I’ve got a good lead on what to do next. All I need is some special sign from this Whispersong pony and I’ll be able to get into ‘The Store,’ whatever that is. You could go home now.”

Twilight stared at her, as if shocked by her offer.

“Look, we just got screwed over by my past and… it’s got me shaken up on top of everything else. I don’t like dealing with it. I want to focus on my future, not my past. The one with you, Moon Dancer, Minuette and everypony else. That’s what I’d rather think about. There’s enough haunting me already.”

I’m right here, Sunset, said one of the ghosts in her head.

Sunset took a deep breath and tried to give Twilight a confident smile. “I won’t mind if you walk away here. You’ve already come this far. And I know you don’t want to go to the final bookstore. Look, I probably know this city a little better than you, I’ll take you to one of the ferries or hire a chariot or heck, even a hot air balloon. Did you say you’ve always wanted to go in one of those?”

Twilight actually blushed and nibbled on one of her bangs. “I uh… well, you’ll need to go to Canterlot after getting this magical sigil, right?”

Sunset nodded slowly. “Yes, that’s… true.”

Twilight gave her a brittle smile. “In other words, we’re both heading to the same place. It would be silly of me to leave now.”

“Twilight, for all we know, we’re going to get yanked back into leyspace again!” Sunset said, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice and failing. “So—”

“And if that happens, you’ll need my magic to get back out,” Twilight interjected, a hint of smugness in her voice.

Sunset stared at her, glasses, bangs, ripped-up jacket, the whole thing and just shook her head. “You really want to go, don’t you?”

“Yes, I actually do. I’d like to see this to the end at this point.”

Sunset knew the signs of Twilight being stubborn by now. She saw pretty much all of them, so she did the only thing she could think of: she folded. “Okay, you win. But I tried. Let the record state that I tried.”

“So noted.”

“Now, do you remember anything about this pony besides her name?”

“The airship part?” Twilight mumbled.

“Yes, I remembered that, which is why I took us here.”

“Didn’t somepony at one point say something about an airship run by an earth pony?”

Sunset sighed. “A name, an airship and a species. Great. This will take forever.”

Twilight tugged on Sunset sleeve and pointed at two pegasi in Cloudsdale Constables uniforms.

“Or we could ask them,” she said with a smile.

Sunset blinked a few times. Then she let out an enormous sigh for about a half-dozen different reasons. She trotted toward the officers.

“Or we could ask them.”

Author's Note:

Isn't family grand?

And now, the first real look into the family that Sunset refuses to talk about. Looks like she has some pretty good reasons. What do you think?

Also, the concept of Hurricane Lane is probably one of the cooler bits of worldbuilding in this part of the story! I could cite half a dozen different inspirations, but I hope the picture in your head is just as awesome as mine!


If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!