Ch 10 - The Trials - Silence Comes Before the Storm
“Sunset, I’m coming in!”
Sunset attention was torn away from her rune manual and notebook as the door of her guest room began to open. The sun had risen not long ago, yet Sunset was still in bed, having not bothered to get up to join the rest of the phoenix-born and kirintal for breakfast. Instead, she’d chosen to take the morning to catch up on some studying and rune theory. To her right, Philomena was nestled into one of the pillows, the sound of her steady breathing providing calming white noise while she read.
It’d been relaxing.
Until she’d heard Roseluck’s warm, cheery voice.
As the door opened, the archduchess made her way into the room, wearing the rose-themed dress she’d been in the day Sunset had first met her at the ascension, Amara perched on her usual spot.
“You could have waited,” Sunset said as she flipped the bookmark onto her page and closed the tome, looking away from Roseluck. “I might not have been dressed.”
“You’d have spoken up if you weren't,” Roseluck said, her tone far more pleasant than Sunset had been expecting, before clapping her hands twice. “Now, come come, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us, so I’m afraid you can’t stay in bed reading.”
Timidly looking at Roseluck’s cheerful smile, Sunset found herself torn. As much as she would have liked to protest or dig her heels in, she couldn’t. She might have, had it been Raven or General Sentry.
But Roseluck?
Hey, Mena, I’m afraid it’s time to get up, Sunset sent with a gentle push as she threw off the covers and started to get up.
Wha? Philomena sent groggily as she slowly cracked her eyes open and looked around. Breakfast time?
No. Roseluck’s here to help me get ready.
Then why’d you wake me up?
Moral support.
Sunset tried not to smile as a particularly caustic sensation came from Philomena, who was glaring at her irritably.
“Alright, I’m up,” Sunset said.
“I can see that,” Roseluck tittered as she began to make her way towards the bath. “Come along, let’s get you washed, dressed and made up. We’re on a schedule.”
“Ugh,” Sunset groaned as she rolled her eyes and followed behind Roseluck.
*****
Sunset soon found herself back in her room, washed, dried and with her skin touched up with cedar scented oil. Compared to the rough handling the previous night, Roseluck’s gentle doting was like a bright, sunny day after a long period of overcast skies. Still, all good things eventually came to an end, and she now found herself wrapped in a towel and sitting on her bed with Philomena by her side. In front of her was Roseluck, holding up four of her dresses in her hair-tendrils.
“Which do you prefer?” the archduchess asked as she held a knuckle to her lips in thought, looking over each one up in turn. “I think this one would complement your eyes nicely, but this one would be more practical if you’re going to be out and about in the festival. Then again, this one would be the most eye-catching with all the embroidery. And this one would probably be the one everyone talks about, because it’s got the strongest Western Territory aesthetic.”
Sunset’s eyes shifted between each of the dresses, her normal loathing of the garments dulled by tired apathy. She didn’t want to wear any of them. In fact, she didn’t want to leave the mesa.
“It doesn’t matter, and I don’t care, so you can pick,” Sunset said as she reached down to scratch Philomena’s head.
The air was filled with an uncomfortable silence. One that was broken by Roseluck sighing.
“Sunset…”
Sunset refused to look up at Roseluck, who’s tone had shifted from her normal cheer to a tired one. A tone that reminded Sunset far too much of Tender Heart when she was reaching her limit with Sunset’s behavior.
“Sunset, please look at me,” Roseluck said. Unlike when Raven made such requests, Sunset didn’t feel any sort of authoritative presence coming from the older phoenix-born.
Reluctantly, Sunset looked up at Roseluck. Seeing the look on Roseluck’s face made her wince.
“What’s wrong, Sunset?” Roseluck asked as she set the dresses back down, walked over to the bed and sat down next to Sunset. Once settled, she pulled her into a side hug as Amara fluttered down next to her sister. “When I saw Lily and Daisy this morning, they were worried about you. Something about you breaking down crying yesterday when you got to the mesa.”
Sunset frowned.
“Traitors,” she said grumpily.
“They’re just worried about you, Sunset. And so am I.”
Roseluck paused as she pulled Sunset in a little tighter, filling Sunset with conflicting feelings of warmth and guilt. The latter growing when Roseluck said, “Especially after what happened last night…”
*****
Sunset had to take another drink of her tsujira as she continued her story, her throat getting tired from how much talking she’d been doing. And to calm herself as she relived quite a few unpleasant memories.
Though, she knew she’d be experiencing far more now that her story had reached her first evening in Chromos. The first time she’d laid eyes on the capital city. Her encounter with Dawn Wings and the sun-blades. Seeing Mt. Liakeed, and the awe she’d felt. And her first altercation with Sapphire Prism and her friends.
“…that was when they tore apart my book,” Sunset growled as hot, angry tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as she remembered watching as Sapphire had mocked her while destroying her treasured tome. She was only peripherally aware of the doe next to her shifting her body slightly away from her, her face darkening with discomfort.
“That is quite deplorable on their part, Lady Shimmer,” Magistrate Blaze said, her own features shifting in a way that Sunset couldn’t quite read. “You have mentioned this book before. A gift from your chat-lecti, was it not?”
“It was,” Sunset said tersely as she scrubbed her eyes clean and downed another mug of tsujira. She considered correcting the Magistrate that her oath-sisters were more than just ‘chat-lecti’ to her, but decided against it. She didn’t want to get into what their oath truly meant. “Of course, I broke Sapphire’s nose for it and… would have smashed the teeth out of her face if Orange Spice and Rosy Mist didn’t stop me.”
There was an awkward silence as the does glanced at one another. Sunset dimly recalled Raven saying something about how kirintal viewed acts of violence against others outside combat, particularly passionate violence. She just couldn’t be bothered to care.
“You… physically accosted and injured her?” the doe sitting next to her asked, her body becoming subtly tense.
“Yes. And I would have done worse if I could have,” Sunset said, her voice dripping with molten lead. “Of course, that was when Raven and Dylis showed up to break up the fight.”
“Is that so?” Magistrate Blaze asked as she turned her attention to Raven.
“It is,” Raven replied. “I knew there would be conflicts with how many students from different areas of Heliopolis, and beyond, were being put together. However, it was one of the only times these altercations escalated into physical violence.”
Something in what Raven said caused Sunset to pause and consider the circumstances that day. Her being placed in the same room as Sapphire. That Raven was doing her rounds just as the fight broke out. Yet the new revelation that Raven wasn’t just in the right place at the right time, but actually was expecting what happened to happen made her temper rise.
“You knew that there might be fights.”
“There inevitably are whenever the volunteers for the rite first arrive. My decree of treating each other respectfully has curbed most of them in the past, but I knew it was likely that there would be some that ignored me. Something that has become increasingly problematic in the last few centuries, despite my efforts.”
Unpleasant thoughts began to worm its way into Sunset’s mind as pieces she hadn’t considered at the time began to fall into place. And as they did, a poisonous, angry thought began to form. She’d seen firsthand just how manipulative Raven could be, and how deep the royal seneschal's ability to plan ahead was.
Sunset, I don’t like where you’re going with this, Philomena sent with alarm. Please don’t do anything that’ll get you in trouble.
Sunset ignored the sending, her attention focused entirely on Raven.
“Did you put me and Sapphire together to make sure I got into a fight with her? Is that it?” Sunset asked, her voice growing increasingly hostile with every word. “You knew I was a potential phoenix-born, and you wanted me to like you. So you made sure I would be put with someone who would hate me. And that way you could come in and play the hero.”
The table went silent. Sunset could feel everyone’s eyes on her as she attempted to stare down Raven.
“Sunset, please remember where we are,” Raven said, her tone controlled.
“Do you think I care?” Sunset replied with more force and heat. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Spitfire desperately trying to stop herself from laughing, while Magistrate Blaze’s facial expression changed in an odd way that she wasn’t quite sure how to interpret. To her right, she could hear the subtle shuffling of the other magistrates, but she was too focused on Raven to be more than peripherally aware of it. “I went through a month of being tormented by that goat-licking night-lover, all so that you could make a good impression on me? Make me think that you were my friend and that you cared about me?”
“I don’t appreciate that accusation, Sunset. Especially at a formal dinner and in front of our guests. Guests that have come a very long way to be here.”
“Why? Are you afraid that now that you’ve been exposed they won’t listen to your lies anymore?” Sunset spat angrily.
Much to Sunset’s annoyance, Raven didn’t respond to her barb. Instead she simply looked her in the eyes, her face as inscrutable as ever. Normally, Sunset wouldn’t meet her stare like this. But at the moment, she was too angry at the thought of Raven purposefully putting her into a room with Sapphire in the hopes of playing the hero and “saving her” from the Aurorians. Even if she’d ultimately forgiven Sapphire after she’d learned the error of her ways.
“So, who’s ready for the next course? I know I’m looking forward to it!” Roseluck said with a clap of her hands, her cheer muted compared to normal. “My head chef has tried to blend our two cuisine styles to make a soup that represents our two people and their friendship.”
“That sounds quite intriguing, Roseluck. It is curious how you have managed such, considering what I know of soup means that it is to be cooked as it is prepared,” Magistrate Blaze said, appearing eager to change the subject, “and the vast differences in our paletes.”
“Never underestimate a fire-caller’s creativity. Master Spicy Flourish is one of the greatest chefs the Eastern Territory has produced in over a century, so I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“Hey, don’t ig…” Sunset began to protest, both at the indignity of being interrupted, and at the idea that they were just going to fly over what Raven did. However, her protests died in her throat and she froze mid sentence as Raven and Magistrate Blaze both shot her withering looks, Raven’s accompanied by a wave of her authoritative presence slamming into her like a blast of muddy water. Looks that conveyed a message louder than the roar of a linnorm.
‘Be quiet. You’re already in trouble. Don’t make it worse.’
At the same moment, she received a sending from Philomena of Dylis and Vestian glaring at her, while both Akari and Amara were giving her deeply disapproving looks. She could feel Philomena’s discomfort as the four older phoenixes stared her down, causing her to shrink in on herself. Sunset tried to send feelings of support to her partner, but it did little to alleviate the crushing weight of the other phoenix’s ire.
As her eyes swept across the table and took in the rest of the occupants, she found that Spitfire was giving her a look of smug superiority. One that gave her the impression that the Commander was both amused by Sunset’s outburst, and relishing the fact she was in trouble. Roseluck, by contrast, had her features schooled, though there was a subtle look of disappointment and hurt in her eyes.
Then, there were the does.
When they’d first arrived, they had seemed curious and friendly, in their own odd, reserved way. Now, they felt distant and closed off. No, it went beyond that. It felt like they’d stopped acknowledging her presence, going so far as to stop looking at her entirely.
The conversation gradually drifted back to other subjects, like trade, the reaction to Sunset’s ascension among the clans of the Eastern Territory, and in the different sub-factions of the Kiritnal’s central bureaucracy. At first, she had tried to re-insert herself into the conversation, only to be ignored or shut down by Raven or Magistrate Blaze’s disapproving looks. Eventually, she gave up trying, stewing in her frustration as she ate her meal in silence, keeping her bond with Philomena open so they could provide each other with moral support.
After a long, painful hour, the meal finally ended and they’d made their way out of the dining hall, their bondmates returning to their shoulders as they left. As soon as they were outside and the doors shut, Steel and Spitfire approached Raven.
“Spitfire and I will be heading out,” Steel said. “If you need us, we’ll be down in the city at the barracks.”
“Very good. Please report anything out of the ordinary.”
“Of course. By your leave, Raven.”
As the General and Commander strode off, Raven turned her attention back to Sunset and Roseluck.
“Archduchess Roseluck, will you and miss Shimmer come with me? We have some things to discuss,” Raven said, her tone carrying more force than she usually used when addressing the archduchess.
“Yes, Lady Inkwell,” Roseluck replied somberly.
Sunset tried to hold onto the last smoldering remnants of her anger as she followed the two older women, only to find them quickly being quenched by a cold pit of dread that wormed its way into her guts and wrapped itself lovingly around her stomach. Raven was in full seneschal mode if she was addressing Roseluck as “archduchess,” and Roseluck was addressing her as “Lady Inkwell.” Which meant that Raven was preparing to bring the full weight of her station to bear. And likely down right on top of Sunset’s head.
As they made their way through the corridors, Sunset reached out and touched Roseluck’s hand, hoping that the archduchess could give her some support. Yet, when her hand met Roseluck’s, she pulled away slightly, looked down at Sunset and shook her head, while Amarashot her an angry glare.
I’m quenched, Sunset sent as she withdrew her hand, Philomena snuggling up to the side of her head and trilling softly.
Maybe she’s not too mad, Philomena sent hopefully.
I doubt it, Sunset replied. You saw how angry everyone was. Guess she hates being called out.
I don’t think that’s the problem, Sunset.
I know. But lying to myself makes it a little easier to handle.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, they reached their destination. Without a word, Raven pushed the door open, which led into a small reading room, before heading inside, followed by Roseluck and Sunset. The room was furnished with a low table, several sofas, and a wall of bookshelves filled with hundreds of books. As soon as they were all inside, Roseluck made her way to one of the couches and took a seat.
“Sit down, Sunset,” Raven said to Sunset, indicating one of the sofas.
“I’ll stand,” Sunset replied softly.
“That wasn’t a request.”
Sunset crossed her arms and looked away from Raven, refusing to budge despite the worried sendings coming from Philomena and her own racing heart.
Just as Sunset thought Raven might not push the issue, she lifted her arms and began to perform a spell dance. Sunset’s stomach dropped in horror as she recognized the spell Raven was casting and what it would do. Then, all at once, her body seized up and went completely numb, refusing to respond to her commands to move. Through her bond, she could feel Philomena panic as she also found herself completely paralyzed.
Mena, calm down. You’re okay, Sunset sent, fully opening their bond as she sent feelings of reassurance.
What did she do to us!?
You’re okay. I promise. It’s a paralysis spell. It just stops us from moving.
To Sunset’s relief, she could feel Philomena start to calm down, though she could still feel traces of her panic.
Sunset’s attention was drawn away from Philomena as Raven gently lifted the now imobile pair and placed them on the sofa, carefully positioning their limbs so that they would be sitting comfortably. Sunset’s anger came back in full force at the thought of Raven treating her like some sort of doll. She fumed impotently until Raven finished, whereupon she stepped back, snapped her fingers and broke the paralysis. As soon as Sunset regained control of her body, she considered trying to get up again, but stopped at Raven’s glare.
“You were completely out of line, Sunset,” Raven said firmly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Not only did you offend our guests by being so openly emotional in their presence, you accused me of dishonesty and duplicity in front of the Himavantan dignitaries.”
“And you aren’t duplicitous and dishonest?” Sunset asked, staring defiantly at Raven.
Raven regarded Sunset flatly.
“You want the truth then, do you?”
“Yes. Not that you’ll tell it to me.”
“Are you so sure about that?” Raven said, reaching into one of the folds of her dress and retrieving a small, red marble. Holding it between her thumb, index and middle fingers, she curled her hand towards herself then gave it a single, firm shake. As she did, the marble grew rapidly into a familiar, fist sized, rune covered ruby carved in the shape of an apple.
‘Her amp,’ Sunset thought.
Once the amp had returned its normal size, the runes on the surface began glowing with her raspberry-grey colored magic. Sunset could feel the air become suffused with an aura of magic, one that she recognized from her first meeting at the Council of Light.
“Tell me a lie, Sunset.”
“Why should I?”
“Do it.” Raven hadn’t raised her voice, but the weight of the order hit Sunset like a fist, even without the elder phoenix-born using her authoritative presence.
Sunset narrowed her eyes at Raven as she fought off her trepidation with a combination of her meditations and anger. Opening her mouth, she tried to say “I love the lessons you give me,” only to find that when she spoke, no sound came from her mouth.
“What? What was that?!” Sunset exclaimed as she brought her hand up to her throat and her eyes went wide with fright. Everything had felt right when she tried to speak, yet somehow her voice didn’t produce any sound.
“Try again.”
Once again she tried to tell Raven she loved her lessons, only for her voice to fail a second time.
“Speak the truth.”
Lowering her hand and furrowing her brows, Sunset said, “I hate your lessons.”
Sunset’s relief at hearing her voice work again was tempered by her annoyance that Raven didn’t respond to the barb.
“Archduchess, please tell a lie,” Raven said without taking her eyes off Sunset.
“Is this necessary, Raven?” Roseluck asked solemnly as she clasped her hands in her lap, while Amara glared at Sunset angrily.
“Yes, it is. Now, tell a lie.”
With a sigh, Roseluck opened her mouth and tried to speak, only for no sound emerged.
“Now tell the truth.”
“I wish that we weren’t having to do this.”
Turning to Sunset, Raven’s brow furrowed slightly as she said, “Sunset, your altercation with Sapphire kept you safe.”
“What?” Sunset said, her anger slowly bleeding away and replaced by confusion.
“Your altercation with Sapphire was to keep you safe. At the time of your arrival, we were still trying to figure out the depth of the corruption of the phoenix-rite. Had I exempted you from the first test, it could have tipped off General Sentry that there was something special about you.”
“What test?” Sunset asked.
“Have you forgotten that the entire training process was one prolonged test of your character and where you would serve at the rite? The first step of the test was placing those who wouldn’t get along in the same rooms, and see which of them will obey my edicts to show each other kindness, generosity, or even friendship.”
“So you did want us to fight.”
“No. I wanted to see if you would obey my decree. Just like I did with every other student that volunteered to serve at the rite. A test you failed, I might add.”
“They destroyed my book!” Sunset shrieked.
“I could have known you would bring such a valuable item with you?” Raven asked, then held up a hand before Sunset could reply. “The answer is no, Sunset. I may be an expert at reading others, but I’m not omniscient. And even if I had known, I would have still done what I did.”
“You put me through all of that as a test?”
“Yes, just like I put everyone through that test. Would you rather I take the chance that you would be killed?”
The question caused Sunset’s thoughts to freeze in her head.
“Killed?”
“Like I said: we didn’t know if Steel was involved in the conspiracy at that time. We suspected him, but had no definitive proof that he was. But at the same time, we had no proof that he wasn’t. Something you’ll learn when it comes to dealing with other immortals: we can be subtle in ways that mortals cannot because we know we have the time to do so. So, given the nature of the conspiracy, and the people we knew were involved, there was a very high likelihood that he was, in some form.
“Thus I had to act under that assumption. And if it turned out to be true, and he learned that I was not putting you through the normal training and testing process or giving you special treatment not warranted by your situation, he would have questioned why, which would have led him to your test results… your real test results, which would have led him to learning that you were a potential, which could have led to your death or kidnapping.
“Is that what you would have wanted, Sunset? For me to risk you being killed in your sleep? Or taken from Chromos and abandoned in the Bright Desert to die of heat exhaustion and dehydration, if you weren’t found by a tatzlwyrm or a flame linnorm first? I couldn’t take that risk with your life, so you had to be treated like every other student so that you lived to see the ascension.”
Sunset stared dumbstruck at Raven, a quiet sense of dread beginning to creep into her chest.
“I…”
“But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is how your outburst has complicated things with the kirintal. Did you consider the effects of what you just did would have in the long-term to our relationship with the kirintal? Or that the amount of offense you’ve just given could give the elements in their central bureaucracy that wants them to withdraw from the Solar Alliance cause to push for such a withdrawal? Or that such a thing could hurt a lot of people in the Eastern Territory who’ve come to depend on our relationship with Himavanta? Is that what you wanted, Sunset? To hurt Roseluck’s people? Hurt Duchess DeLis’s family? Hurt Solaria by depriving us of the support of an ally? Hurt Roseluck? Did you even consider the consequences of your actions? Would you have done the same thing if you knew it would hurt the Western Territory and Golden Tree?”
Sunset found herself looking down at her hands, the weight of what Raven was saying pressing down on her. She could still feel the amp’s magic in the air, so she couldn’t use the excuse that Raven was lying to her. She dimly recalled that Raven had explained how important this first evening was, but she’d given only minimal effort to the lessons.
“I thought not. Go to bed, Sunset. We have a long day tomorrow,” Raven said as the magic flowing into the amp died down, the complete lack of emotion in her voice was almost worse than if she’d been yelling. Once the spell had faded, she performed a short spell dance with her free hand, causing the amp to shrink back down to marble size. Stowing it in the folds of her dress, she walked out of the room without giving Sunset a second glance, though Dylis took the opportunity to glare venomously at her and let out a low, odium-filled hiss and lower his head threateningly as they passed.
“Roseluck…?” Sunset began to ask as she turned to look at the archduchess, only for her stomach to clench up at what she saw. Roseluck was hunched forward in her seat, elbows resting on her knees and propping up her head with her hands. Amara had cuddled up to the side of her head, and was softly trilling to her while rubbing her cheek against Roseluck’s living-flame.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Sunset. Go get some sleep,” Roseluck said, her voice worn out and tired.
*****
Sunset found herself clinging to Roseluck, snuggling into the older woman’s side.
“Sunset, talk to me, sweetie,” Roseluck said as she hugged Sunset a little tighter. “What’s going on? And don’t tell me ‘nothing.’.”
Sunset didn’t reply at first, instead simply taking comfort in Roseluck’s embrace.
“I…” Sunset started to speak, only to stop and really consider her words. There was a good chance that the whole thing could blow up in her face. “I wanted to go home for the Festival, Roseluck. But instead, I have to be here.”
“Is that so bad?” Roseluck asked, her tone concerned.
“It might not have been, if Raven hadn’t stuffed me into a crucible for the last two months,” Sunset said, her voice becoming angrier and more frantic as she spoke. “So I messed up at the museum! She’s making a bonfire out of it. So what if I insulted Blueblood and his pig sniffing family. They deserve it. But, no, I’m the one who gets punished. But I don’t care about any of that stuff. I want to learn magic. I want to learn artificing. I want to make art. I don’t care about any of this ‘make the goat lickers in Heliopolis happy or like me’ crap. I don’t care about some dumb promise to the kirintal that I have to be here for some reason. I don’t care about anything Raven has to say, because I’m just a pawn to her! She doesn’t care about me, so I don’t care about what she wants either! She wants me to be a good, obedient little doll? Well, too bad, because I’m not going to do that anymore!”
Sunset took a few deep, ragged breaths as she held onto Roseluck.
“That’s no excuse, Sunset,” Roseluck eventually said, her voice soft yet authoritative.
Sunset’s grip on Roseluck’s dress tightened as she clenched her fists in the fabric.
“Of course you’re taking her side,” Sunset growled. “Of course you are. Why would you take mine?”
To Sunset’s surprise, Roseluck reached up and began to run her fingers through her living flame soothingly. Sunset forced herself not to whimper as Roseluck’s soothing gesture reminded her of Tender Heart doing the same thing when she was trying to calm her down.
“It’s not about taking sides, Sunset. It’s about what happened last night, and how it could affect my territory, my people, our alliance with the kirintal… rest assured, I’m not happy with you about any of that… but I’m also worried about the little girl that I had hoped would have been happy to see my home and all of the hard work I put into this festival,” Roseluck said as she continued to caress Sunset’s living flame.
“Why?” Sunset asked.
“Because I care about you, Sunset. I know you know that there’s more going on here than this just being a festival,” Roseluck said sympathetically. “More to it than you’re ready to listen to right now. But, even if you had to be here, I hoped that at least you’d be as happy to see me and your chat-lecti as we were to see you.”
Sunset began to speak, only for Roseluck to place a finger on her lips, silencing her.
“Sunset, you don't need to say anything. I get that you’re not happy about being away from Golden Tree. And that you miss your sisters. But, you being here is important to a lot of people, including me. And not just because of the political reasons. I’ve seen how hard things have been for you. The festival’s my way of trying to make you smile. So, if not for Raven, or Solaria, or even yourself, can you at least try to behave and have fun for me?”
Sunset found herself looking into Roseluck’s gentle green eyes. She couldn’t remain looking at her for long, turning away and leaning her head back into Roseluck’s side.
“That’s not fair,” Sunset sighed.
“Maybe, but it comes from the spark of my flame. Please, Sunset. The festival means a lot to me for a lot of reasons, and it’d mean a lot to me if you gave it a chance.”
“Fine,” Sunset huffed. “I’ll behave… for your sake.”
“That’s all I ask, Sunset. And try to have fun when we get to the main event. It’s not Golden Tree, but I know you’re going to love it here,” Roseluck said as she got to her feet. “So, are you ready to pick which dress you’re going to wear today?”
“No. But, I’ll make the most of it.”
*****
When Sunset, Philomena, Roseluck, Amara, Lily and Daisy had eventually arrived at the base of Roseluck’s mesa to head to the festival grounds, Sunset found herself feeling a little better. True, she was in one of her loathed dresses, one that consisted of an ankle length red and gold draped skirt, white, jewel collared blouse with butterfly cuff sleeves and a black leather vest with an integrated shoulder pad for Philomena. With the hem of both the blouse and vest covered in elaborate beaded embroidery that looked like roaring flames. And true, Roseluck had forced her to wear her “armor” underneath her outfit, but aside from those minor irritants, her mood had steadily improved. She’d happily chatted with both Lily and Daisy the entire way from Roseluck’s manor to the lift, and down the mesa’s face.
At least until they reached the carriage house.
Waiting for them were Raven and Dylis, along with the full contingent of prominence knights, the non-flying members all mounted on horses. Like Roseluck, Raven was in one of her fancy black, white and gray dresses, though hers was more subdued than the archduchess’s.
Raven had greeted them pleasantly, before ushering them into two carriages: one for the phoenix-born, and one for her friends and the sun-touched. Sunset had wanted to ride with Lily and Daisy, but her promise to Roseluck not to cause a scene kept her from protesting. So, she’d gotten into her assigned carriage and settled in.
The ride through Rose’s Blossom was made with relative silence. Or, at least, relative silence for Sunset and Philomena, who chose to simply watch the city go by through the window. Raven and Roseluck, on the other hand, filled the air with a constant stream of chatter about logistics, the itinerary for the day, the state of the different guests, and other such pointless things. Which left Sunset wishing that she could have ridden with her friends all the more.
At least that way she could have an actual conversation.
As they made their way down the road towards the inner wall’s gate, Sunset became painfully aware of something else. Lining the road were hundreds of sun-gazers, from young children to the elderly. The throng of bodies was being held back by a line of sun-blades and uniformed sun-gazers that Sunset assumed were Roseluck’s personal forces. All of these civilians were cheering as the carriage passed, many throwing cut flowers and leaves towards the vehicle.
I don’t like this, Sunset sent.
You mean all those people out there?
Yea. It feels… strange. Wrong.
They don’t seem too bothered by it, Philomena sent as she shared her vision of Raven and Roseluck, both of whom had apparently finished their conversation and were now looking out the windows as well. Just another thing we need to get used to, right?
Right.
Before long, they’d passed through a gate leading through the inner wall, and into the outer district of the city. Much like the inner district, the road was lined with citizens, though there were far more of them. And, much like in the inner district, the line between the road and the civilians was partitioned by sun-blades and eastern soldiers.
Eventually, the carriage reached the outer walls, and exited through a set of gates into what looked like a massive tent city. Bright banners in fall colors decorated each of the tents, along with dozens of different kinds of squashes, gourds, grain bundles and colorful bundles of leaves, many of which Sunset didn’t recognize.
Sunset couldn’t see the extent of the Festival grounds, but she guessed they were enormous. From outside, she could hear the white noise of the festival goers, as well as the sound of music being played. Something else she noticed as they rode on was the wonderful mix of smells seeping into the carriage. It was a heady perfume of roasting meats, savory fall vegetables, pies and pastries, and what she could only imagine were spiced beverages.
A low grumble came from her stomach, causing her face to heat up. At the sight, Roseluck let out a good natured laugh, before reassuring her that she’d get a chance to try some of the Festival fare once they got done with the opening ceremony.
*****
With a gentle lurch, the carriage came to a halt in a large clearing amid the tents. Exiting, Sunset looked around. The clearing they were now in was cordoned off from the rest of the Festival and heavily guarded by soldiers, both on the ground and in the air. Nearby, Sunset saw a tall, wooden and stone structure. One that she suspected had been erected for the festival by earth-weaver and fire-caller magic.
Near the edge of the staging area, Sunset saw Spitfire with a group of eleven sky-runners. All of them were wearing form fitting, sky-blue body stockings like the one she was wearing under her dress, only theirs covered everything other than their heads, though it looked like they had some sort of fabric hanging down the front of their chests. Fabric that Sunset figured would cover their heads if pulled up and over their faces. Even the leading edges of their wings were covered in the suits, with some sort of binding slipped between the feathers to hold them in place.
In contrast to the rest of the sky-runners, Spitfire was dressed in one of her formal dress uniforms. However, Akari was conspicuously absent from Spitfire’s shoulder. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen.
Sunset realized that these must be the sky-strikers, Spitfire’s hand picked, elite unit. And considered to be some of the most dangerous aerial combatants in the solar alliance.
Spitfire and one of the sky-runners, a tall, lanky man with a two toned silvery mohawk, light-gold eyes and coal gray skin and feathers, were both rapidly guzzling down large steins of some sort of beverage, the others cheering them on. With a flourish, Spitfire slammed her vestal down seconds before the sky-runner, earning a boisterous cheer from their audience. From the cocky look on Spitfire’s face, Sunset had a feeling that what she’d just witnessed was some sort of competition.
As they began to refill the steins, one of the sky-runners tapped Spitfire on the shoulder, and pointed towards Sunset and the others. Spitfire’s cheerful grin slid off her face into a slight scowl as she got to her feet, causing the sky-runners to let out a loud, collective groan of disappointment. Reaching over the table, Spitfire slugged the sky-striker she’d been competing with in the shoulder, making the man smile broadly and present his right forearm to the commander. Her smile returning, she pressed her own to his in some sort of gesture of comradery. Addressing one of the others, Spitfire rose from the table and began to make her way over, another sky-striker, a woman with two-toned blue hair, sea-green eyes, and pale grayish olive skin and feathers, taking her place at the table and resuming their game.
“Bright day, Lady Inkwell,” Spitfire said as she saluted, then gave Sunset and Roseluck a sidelong glance. “Flower girl. Emberling. Bright day to you too, I suppose.”
“Bright day, Commander,” Raven said. “Where’s General Sentry?”
“In the royal tent,” Spitfire said as she indicated one of the larger tents behind her by pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. “He’s been waiting for your arrival. There’ve been a few… incidents.”
“What sort of incidents?” Roseluck cut in as she stepped forward. “Have any of your thugs caused problems?”
“General Sentry and I didn’t bring any ‘thugs,’ flower girl,” Spitfire said with a sneer at Roseluck.
“So there were security problems?” Raven asked, ignoring the brewing argument between the two women.
“Yes. Some minor. Some not so minor. I’ll let him explain.”
“I see,” Raven said as she headed to the tent Spitfire had indicated.
The rest of them fell in behind Raven, Roseluck making sure to keep herself interposed between Sunset and Spitfire.
“Gotta admit, emberling, your little outburst last night? Comedy gold! I don’t think I’ve seen those leaf-chewers so angry in decades,” Spitfire said as she clasped her hands behind her head. “Keep it up! You might actually make this whole event more entertaining.”
Sunset looked down at the ground as her face flushed with embarrassment and anger. She could feel the latter also coming from Philomena through their bond as the phoenix glared at the Commander.
“It’s not funny, Spitfire,” Roseluck said firmly, Amara letting out a soft screech of agreement.
“Maybe not for you. But I think it's hilarious. I can only imagine the groveling you’re going to need to do to get those twitchy prong-horns to forget it ever happened,” Spitfire said, her face splitting into a hostile grin.
“Will you stop calling it that. Diplomacy isn’t ‘groveling.’”
“When you have to debase yourself to do it, yea, it is,” Spitfire said, before her grin changed in a way Sunset couldn’t place. “Still, at least we get to see the stags this time. The does are cute, but by Celestia’s sun, those stags? I’d love a chance to play with a few of them. Bet they can go for hours.”
“Letch,” Roseluck said, her tone laced with disgust.
“You’re one to talk, flower girl. At least I’m honest about it.”
“What’re you two talking about? What does ‘letch’ mean?” Sunset asked. She’d never heard that word before, but from the way it was being used, it was probably something bad.
“A letch is…” Spitfire started to say as she looked down at Sunset.
“You keep your mouth shut, Spitfire!” Roseluck snarled as she reached over to cover Sunset’s ears, nearly smacking Philomena in the process. After a couple of uncomfortable seconds, she let go, and gave Sunset an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, Sunset. Philomena. I’ll tell you later.”
“Whatever, flower girl, kid’ll learn about it eventually. She is about that age after all.”
“Spitfire, drop it!”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll disqualify your young flyers team from the sky-runner competition on the grounds that their captain is showing me disrespect.”
“Go ahead, flower girl. It’ll do wonders for your reputation in Heliopolis. What little you have anyway. Especially since everyone knows the quails you have out here can’t compete with real sky-runners.”
Both Roseluck and Spitfire went quiet after that, neither one willing to look at the other as they finally reached the royal tent. As they entered, Sunset spotted Raven and General Sentry sitting on a nest of pillows at a small table, the latter dressed in the same style of officer’s dress uniform as he was the previous evening. In the center of the table, Dylis, Vestian and Akari were all resting on a set of golden perches. The three new arrivals sat, Sunset and Roseluck helping Philomena and Amara to their own perches.
“Good,” Raven said. “Now that everyone is present, General Sentry, would you please explain what Commander Spitfire meant by there having been ‘incidents.’”
“Gladly.” General Sentry said. “To start, we have had some basic security problems with civilians trying to bring weapons onto the festival grounds. Most were willing to surrender them without incident, but we were forced to arrest quite a few when they refused.”
“General Sentry, we discussed this,” Roseluck fumed as she placed her hands on the table and glared at the general. “Eastern Territory law permits our citizens to carry personal defense weapons.”
“The little miss’s safety takes priority over territorial law, archduchess,” General Sentry said as he indicated Sunset with a flick of his head. “Or need I remind you just how vulnerable she is? No magic. Can’t defend herself. Right now, her only protection is the armor Spitfire made for her, the prominence knights, and our soldiers. And I’m not going to take the chance of anyone with potentially ill intent towards her having any sort of advantage.”
Roseluck glanced over to Sunset, her eyes conflicted. Sunset hoped that she would argue with General Sentry. Tell him that he was wrong, and that she wasn’t helpless, or needed his protection. Instead, Sunset watched with horror as Roseluck closed her eyes and nodded.
“You’re still overstepping, General,” Roseluck said evenly, causing Sunset’s guts to squirm with rage and a sense of betrayal. “There are ways to handle the situation that don't involve striping my citizens of their legal rights. Or incarcerating them for attempting to enforce them.”
“I’ll be sure to remember that when someone tries to put a bullet or a dagger in her,” General Sentry replied.
“Roseluck, I’m afraid I’m going to have to side with General Sentry on this one,” Raven said as she laced her fingers together and rested her arms on the table. “Normally, I wouldn’t see a problem with your citizens retaining their weapons. But with everything that’s gone on around Sunset, I’m not willing to take that risk.”
Roseluck regarded Raven briefly, before sighing.
“Alright. I’ll make a proclamation at the end of the commencement that so long as Sunset is present, I want everyone to surrender their weapons due to security concerns. And that they will get them back once they leave the festival grounds,” Roseluck said, looking directly at General Sentry as she emphasized the final part.
“Was there anything else, General?” Raven asked.
“Yes. Several members of the Council of Light have reported altercations between their security teams and the Easterners. Nothing has escalated to violence. Yet. There was also an attempted break in at the Rich’s lodgings last night. We have the thief in custody.”
“What sparked the ‘altercations?’” Roseluck asked.
“Does it matter?” Spitfire cut in. “The Council are royalty. I wouldn’t be surprised if your citizens started it because they didn’t show the councilors proper deference.”
“My people respect those who deserve respect,” Roseluck countered as she turned to glare at Spitfire.
“Clearly, they don’t,” General Sentry said. “Or have things deteriorated in your territory so much that they would accost your own nobles?”
“Like I said, my people respect those who deserve respect,” Roseluck said calmly.
“Enough,” Raven said. Despite speaking no louder than normal, her inflectionless and emotionless voice silenced the others. “Have the thief sent to Candesis for prosecution. I’ll address the Council about these altercations when I have a chance. Was there anything else?”
“No,” General Sentry said. “But it's only the first day.”
*****
The enchanting sound of wind, string and drum music caressed Sunset’s ears as she watched the Jubilants of Flame performing their dance routine in the field below. Sunset and the rest of the phoenix-born were seated in a high pavilion overlooking the temporary arena set up for the Festival, each of their partners perched on the top of the tall thrones where they were seated. Below were the Council of Light and Clan Heads from across the Eastern Territory, while to her right and left were the kirintal does and stags, respectively. Filling the stands were thousands of sun-gazers, all enraptured by the performance below.
Sunset felt herself genuinely smiling for the first time that day. It was a truly breathtaking sight watching the three tribes working in harmony of not only choreography, but magic. Swirls of colored fog, lights and leaves along with the Jubilants’ long, ribbon-like sleeves accentuated their routine, creating a dazzling kaleidoscope of elegant motion, light and sound. What held Sunset’s enraptured attention beyond the Jubilants’ skill was the exoticness of the dance being performed; the motions and style of their dance was nothing like the ones she knew from the Western Territory.
All too soon, the music began to wind down as the Jubilants’ performance slowly came to an end. As the dancers and musicians bowed, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. To her surprise, the rest of the phoenix-born, including Raven and General Sentry, joined in, though in a far more subdued fashion.
As the Jubilants exited the field, Raven began to rise from her throne, offering Dylis her arm. The rest of them rose in order of seniority, then walked forward to their designated spots. Standing in line with the others, Sunset was struck by just how many sun-gazers there were in the arena’s seats. She’d never seen this many people in one place before, even during the Festivals in Golden Tree, and easily buried the number of attendants to the phoenix rite.
And she was going to have to go out and address them.
Breathe, Sunset, Philomena sent along with feelings of calm and safety.
Easy for you to say, Sunset sent back. You’re not the one having to give a speech.
True. Lucky me.
Not helping, feather butt.
Not trying to, sun butt.
Sunset and Philomena’s sendings were interrupted by the sound of the kirintal rising and stepping forward to stand next to the phoenix-born. Glancing to the does, Sunset’s stomach sank as the nearest shot her a quick, disapproving look before her face returned to its resting neutral.
Guess they’re still mad, Sunset sent, receiving a sympathetic sending in response.
“Praise be to the Sun and Flame! It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to this, the Eastern Territory’s six hundred fiftieth annual Fall Harvest Festival,” Raven said, her voice carrying out across the arena. “Today, we celebrate the turning of the year and the seasons. Though the cold of the winter will soon be upon us, let us not be sad at the shortening of our beloved Queen’s reign of the sky, but celebrate all of the gifts her light and warmth have brought us this year.”
The crowd broke into cheers, which Raven silenced by raising her hand. Once they had settled, she continued.
“This year in particular has been unusually auspicious, as it marks not only the fourth century of the kirintal offering their friendship and strength to the Solar Alliance, but the birth of the newest royal phoenix Philomena, and the ascension of her blessed bondmate Sunset Shimmer.”
Another cheer went up through the arena, which Raven silenced after a few moments.
“So, to begin the Fall Harvest Festival, the ceremonial bonfire will be lit by both Magistrate Autumn Blaze and Sunset Shimmer. May the cooperation that they show today serve as inspiration for all of us to live by the ideals of harmony and friendship.”
That was her que. With as much calm and poise as she could manage, both Sunset and Philomena flew from the royal box down into the field, the latter landing on the former’s shoulder as she landed next to a large pile of wood that would serve as the Festival’s bonfire.
As she landed, she tried not to flinch as Magistrate Blaze seemingly appeared from behind the wood pile and made her way to her own spot. Even after having been told of the magistrate’s abilities, witnessing her wood step was still a little unsettling.
“Vulan’teral’ketha,” Magistrate Blaze said as she raised her right hand and placed it on her chest, bowing deeply to Sunset.
“Vulan’teral’ketha,” Sunset said, mimicking the Magistrate’s gesture while Philomena spread her wings and bowed as well.
“For over four hundred years, our people have walked upon the stone and grass together as friends,” Magistrate Blaze said as she turned her attention to the crowd. “Our alliance was born when your esteemed Archduchess first approached us with an offer of mutual beneficial trade and comradery. Yet it was in the face of tragedy and strife that our fates were truly entwined as allies and friends.”
Taking a deep breath and focusing on her meditations, Sunset mentally prepared for her part.
“The alliance between our people has grown strong and true, like a grand oak fed by the land and the sun,” Sunset said, desperately focusing on keeping her voice steady. ‘Just ignore everyone up the stands watching you. Just ignore them.’ “And from the wood of the oak comes the fire that drives back the darkness and brings us comforting warmth. Though my flame is the newest in this alliance, I offer it as the source of the fire that will light this celebration of unity, hope and friendship.”
Reaching down, Magistrate Blaze retrieved a small bundle of sticks and leaves.
“I offer this wood as fuel for the fire,” the Magistrate said as she held the bundle out to Sunset.
“I provide my fire to light our way,” Sunset said as she focused on her hair, extending a tendril. Heating its tip, she touched the bundle, causing the twigs to ignite.
Once lit, Magistrate Blaze tossed the bundle onto the wood pile, causing the wood to ignite into a glorious blaze.
“With the lighting of this bonfire, I declare the Fall Harvest Festival to be open,” Raven called from the royal box to the thunderous roar of the crowd.
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Queue explosions...
Seriously, though, I am surprised it took Sunset this long to blow up. Raven really has forgotten so much about mortals.
Also, I might be reading into it a little much, but I noticed that Raven did NOT demonstrate that her amp prevented HER from lying...
I feel like Raven would be having a much easier time if she kept Sunset more in the loop. Kids hate being treated like kids. Like they're too dumb to understand things. 'Smart' kids in particular.
I'm sure the Stockholm Syndrome will kick in soon but until then you get grumpy Sunset. Being kidnapped and imprisoned will do that to ya.
great chapter
Nothing makes my day like a new chapter of this wonderful story.
Damn, I can't believe you actually said it. Oh well, so much for that happening.
Excellent as always. I just hope that whatever explodes, it won’t be sunset’s fault. Poor girl has had enough suffering so far. Some part of me actually hopes she is the one to save the day.
Yes, who could have predicted that the girl leaving everything she ever knew and not realizing she'd be entering a hostile environment might bring a precious keepsake given to her by her family?
I'm not saying Raven should have done anything differently. I'm just saying that's a flimsy excuse. A child bringing a comfort object or memory of home seems pretty predictable... but I am working with the advantage of knowing Sunset better than Raven did at the time, and goodness knows the latter had more on her mind. Still, as we've seen it's been a long time since she last worked with children, much less was a child herself. Expecting one to prioritize the deeper geopolitical ramifications of an outburst over her own insulted pride—especially if it's Sunset—betrays the same lack of understanding and empathy that drove Sunset to this point to begin with.
Again, I understand why Raven's done what she's done. It makes perfect sense to her. The problem is that she's been immersed in phoenix-born politics for so long that she forgets that her ward doesn't see the labyrinthine wrinkles of the situation as clearly as she does. Raven is going to need to be open. She'll need to communicate clearly, concisely, and framed in a way that makes it immediately apparent why Sunset should care. And if she doesn't—and I imagine it's very hard to overcome habits ingrained over centuries if not millennia for the sake of such a recent development—it could spell doom for both Sunset and her own long-term goals. No wonder she's frustrated.
"Then who were you just having a drinking contest with?"
"The best of the best."
Yeah, praise from Spitfire underscores just how massive a blunder Sunset committed.
It's fun to imagine how the other peoples of this world view the changing seasons. I imagine spring festivals in Selenia have similar sentiments.
Always good to see more of this world, even if Sunset's in a rough patch. Hopefully the festival will help... to a degree.
At least the opening ceremonies went smoothly.
11493946
Living for over two thousand years will do that to you. She's also not particularly used to dealing with kids. She's trying, but when you're used to having to play your cards right up against your chest while managing to think twenty steps ahead of multiple oponents at once, mortal niceties tend to fall a little by the wayside.
As for the spell, it doesn't discriminate. So long as the spell Raven was powering is active, no lies can be spoken in the Apple's presence. That includes Raven.
11493990
To be fair, Sunset lacks a lot of the emotional and mental maturity to handle a lot of what goes on is precisely why Raven doesn't keep her fully in the loop. Sunset is scary smart, but she still has a lot of youthful innocence and therefor lacks the wisdom to handle a lot of what goes on behind the scenes, so to speak.
11494217
Thank you.
11494500
*Happy Water*
11494521
I mean, nothing says that things can't start out well, then go sideways in some way.
11494656
Well, Sunset did promise Roseluck that she'd try to behave, so who knows.
11494664
Yup. It'd been at least three centuries since she last had to administer one of these training sessions. With the added benefit of the Wester Territory having culturally evolved a lot since its founding after the Blight War. A lot of modern Westerners are not used to having to answer to a central authority figure like Raven, so there's not that inbuilt loyalty and deference that Raven is so accustomed to. They're also not used to having to be so guarded with information, because they're not stuck in the midst of politics all the time.
That is pretty much the crux of the issue. Raven has been through so much, and had to play politics with immortals for so long, she's learned to keep her cards all but pressed to her chest at all times.
That actually brings up an interesting conundrum: night weavers still need to grow crops to survive. So they tend to have complicated feelings about spring and summer: they're a bitter reminded that while they serve Luna and venerate her night, they are dependent on Celestia for most of their food, since without the sun, their crops would die.
Roseluck wants her little sister-in-law (since she's kinda 'married' to Philomena) to have a good time. And Sunset's going to if Roseluck has any say in the matter.
11494847
That's more or less the start of every situation.
While I feel Raven was completely genuine in her feelings and intentions of keeping Sunset safe during the rite it would be good for Sunset to keep one thing in mind. Raven had 'spares' in Lily and Daisy in case her preferred phoenix born ended up going missing or was kicked out. Like you said, Raven plays the long game.
I don't think any child ever gets over feeling like they are the spare in a situation like that and Sunset being so young and prone to fiery outbursts takes everything personally. Growing up is hard enough. Growing up feeling out of place with the future riding on your shoulders... can't even imagine.
Great read. Nervous what will happen next.
11494847
The main thing I love about your writing is that all of the important characters are highly intelligent, logical, and complex individuals which should make them excellent problem solvers. But they keep making bad decisions for perfectly logical and intelligent reasons. In no small part because they all deeply distrust if not outright hate each other. Everyone's constantly plotting to keep their agenda on track and hidden from all the others leaving little room for actual cooperation or unity. The foundations of Solaria are deeply cracked and it really won't take much for things to start fracturing. I attribute this, in part, to Celestia only holding half the Elements of Harmony.
In a lot of ways, the three main Phoenixborn can each be associated with one of those Elements and has failed it in some way:
Raven values Honesty and demands that others be honest in her presence. But she herself has no problem lying, either intentionally or by omission, and carefully edits the truth at every opportunity to manipulate people. In many ways, she's the least trustworthy if only because her emphasis on how "truthful" she's being makes it that much harder to tell when she's fibbing.
Steele believes himself to be Loyal to Solaria and Queen Celestia and demands (by force of arms/personality) that others match him in his devotion. Simultaneously, he willfully blinds himself to the faults and failings of his nation, his queen, and himself. Steele has replaced true loyalty (that of being able to recognize a thing's faults while still sticking by it) with fanaticism and blind obedience.
Roseluck understands that Laughter is a very necessary part of life. That people need art and entertainment to be their best selves. But her laughter is a hollow mask. It's strategic to keep her people in line and secure alliances. Used to curry favor or soothe tempers rather than happiness for its own sake.
11494847
The apple may prevent anyone from lying, but I bet it doesn't stop things like half-truths or careful omissions. Things Raven are surely very skilled at.
Cannot help but remember the Sidhe from Harry Dresden: cannot say a single untrue word, never trust or make a deal with them without a lawyer (or the entire firm to be sure).
11494924
That's very true. And, there was no guarantee that Philomena was going to chose Sunset either. She could have just as easily chosen Lily or Daisy, if she felt that their flames were more compatible.
11495100
That's what I'm more or less going for: things run, but the individuals involved are flawed. Though, in general, I don't think that Solarian society is as precarious as is being implied. For the most part, the people are content with their lives. Raven and the nobility (including Roseluck) generally keep things running smoothly, Steel, Spitfire and the military keep them safe, and Celestia provides them a source of unity and nationalistic pride. But as was noted, there are things missing. Things that might have been provided not just by Luna, but by Umbra. Remember, the siblings were a triad: Celesita (Friendship, Generosity, Kindness), Luna (Loyalty, Laughter, Honesty) and Umbra (Love, Honor and Forgiveness). But now the triad has been broken apart, and things are imbalanced.
When writing the phoenix-born, I always try to make sure I'm keeping their core wound, their greatest source of emotional pain, in mind. Raven's suffers from severe survivor's guilt and sense of betrayal from living through the Splintering and watching almost everyone she loved be killed by Luna's "rebellion" against Celestia. Steel watched as Heliopolis was overrun by the Smooze, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, including Sweet Stuff (someone he loved like a big sister), because so many civilians chose to put their own needs over the needs of Heliopolis as a whole. Roseluck's home and people were nearly wiped out by an abomination that stripped all the joy and life from the land and replaced it with a plague of undead monstrosities intent consuming everyone. Spitfire saw far too many of her friends killed in the War of Storms, leaving her with a "live for the moment" attitude because she knows that any day could be her last. And Sunset? Sunset's core wound stems from her sense of abandonment and fear of being betrayed by those around her, because she was left at the Golden Tree orphanage by her parents.
11495398
I mean, Raven's a politician who's been playing the game for around fifteen-hundred years. One gets very good at being truthful without complete honesty. She's had to be, since she's had to deal with the machinations of the mortal sun-gazers and her fellow immortals.
11494847
One thing that could offset a bit would be to associate water, also necessary for crops to grow, with ocean tides and the moon. So rather than praising the sun, they would focus on the water that Luna brings in. Even if Luna doesn't actually control the weather and tides don't help their crops, they'd find any excuse to focus away from the sun. They could also focus less on grown crops, and more on hunting/gathering. Sure, the wild plants still need sun, but it's a lot easier to not focus on it when you aren't tending to it yourself.
11495889
Unfortunately, the foraging thing's not really an option. For such a large, metropolitan population, that method doesn't provide enough food. If a culture is going to have the kind of advanced civilization that Selenia and Solaria have, where individuals can specialize in things like art, academia and other non-foraging pursuits, they need agriculture. Now, the shadow-stalkers, being nomads, can rely on foraging because their local populations are small enough that they can sustain themselves.
Though, thinking about it, maybe they've developed strong mycocultural practices to grow edible fungi. That would mean that they'd have to adapt to such a diet, but its already established that they're adapted to nocturnal existence, so maybe. Hmm, ideas ideas ideas.
Oh, Sunset sweetie, I know you've been pushed to your breaking point, but that was a very bad decision you made there. Temper outbursts are not good for international relationships.
On the upside, maybe Raven will realise that she needs to modify her methods teaching Sunset going forward.
Sunset seems to be wandering down a dark path lately, or at least becoming more at odds with Raven. I’d hope that it wouldn’t get out of hand, but something tells me that’s not gonna be the case. Absolutely fantastic work as always. 👍
I wonder if anything will come of Sunset’s pet project? It’s been a while but I vaguely recall her taking an interest in “seeing the world from a butterfly’s perspective” or something like that. It sounded like she wanted to make a machine of some sort.
11496157
Especially when the people witnessing the outbursts have a serious psychological and cultural antipathy towards strong displays of emotion (positive or negative). And Raven might be reconsidering. I haven't decided yet.
11496223
She is, on both counts. And like in most good stories, things will get bad before they get better.
As for her project, she's been plugging away at it behind the scenes. At this point, she's like a elementary school student trying to design an electric car. She has ideas, but lacks the skills needed to make them reality. But, she'll get there.
11496432
Well of course she’s going to mess up, probably very badly. But that’s kind of part of her role, she’s the Element of Empathy (or Forgiveness by their world’s standards), so she has to have messed up or done some bad things in her past, so that she has perspective in the future. Sunset’s greatest strength in most stories is that she’s able to pull others back from the brink because she has been there before and knows what they’re going through. More than anyone else, even Twilight, Sunset is the redeemer, the one who guides others out of the darkness and teach them their mistakes do not define them.
So yeah, most likely, it’s going to get really bad, but only for her to eventually rise, and through gained wisdom and empathy, helps others to rise as well
Hell, Sunset might be the only one capable of this role, since the other Phoenix-Born, including Roseluck, seem to see themselves as above mortals, and as such would be terrible at Forgiveness. The real thing I’m worried about is how badly her fall will damage her relationship with the other Phoenix-Born and possibly her family
11496478
The question will be: what are the bridges she's going to mend in this world, and will they affect the splintered sky? I know the answers, but why spoil things.
11496432
It strikes me that if Raven keeps doing what she's doing something is going to break. Either Sunset is going to break away from Raven or Sunset is simply going to break down.
Deliberately placing the students in a situation that would likely lead to fights shows once again how far Raven is removed from mortal life. The setup is great for analyzing the children's characters but absolutely horrible for actually teaching and nurturing them. Raven also said she couldn't have predicted that Sunset would bring a valuable keepsake with her, but anyone who actually knows children would find it completely predictable that a child leaving her home for the first time would bring a memento or comfort item with her. She is so entwined in political machinations that she can keep ten steps ahead of the politicians, but she can't see something that would be very obvious to any parent, teacher, or caregiver.
However, no matter how far removed she is there's no excuse for the paralysis spell. That is straight-up abusive. It served no purpose other than to drive home that Raven can make Sunset obey her commands, and Sunset is powerless to do anything about it. And using the spell on Philomena, who hadn't done anything, shows that she will punish others as a means of punishing Sunset. It's simply cruel.
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Pretty much. Once again, I would like to highlight how Dawn and Raven interact with Sunset. Dawn is a mother. Raven has never had the chance to be one, and never will.
It was. Yet to Raven it was completely justified, because to her mind, she's been incredibly lenient with Sunset when it came to disciplining her for disobedience and disrespect. And as she saw it, that lenience just resulted in what could be a serious political incident that endangered Solaria and Himavanta's alliance, as well as the safety and health of thousands of her queen's citizens. So, by her mental arithmatic, a small demonstration that such open acts of defiance were not tolerable was entirely reasonable.
And, considering that corporal punishment by teachers and parents isn't considered taboo in Solaria, culturally she's not entirely out of line.
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It's not wrong !
My work here is complete.
I can understand Raven’s logic to her actions, but she seems to subscribe to the “abuse builds character” school of character. Raven isn’t helping Sunset when she puts her in these situations. She’s just making her more paranoid and miserable.
And something’s about to break.
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It's not ideal, no doubt about it. But, is it possible that Raven may not have a choice in the matter? There are forces bigger than her at play here that both of them are trying to navigate.
I'm enjoying this story quite a bit, I have to say. Really, though, the expectations these people have for a ten year old child is beyond ridiculous. Especially when, if I recall being said earlier in the story, the age of majority is eighteen. That means they essentially acknowledge that people younger than that can't be responsible for themselves.
Other than that, I'm loving the characters and world building. Looking forward to seeing the Selenian side of all this as well. I'm guessing Twilight was the wolf-chosen that mirrored Sunset. I'm half expecting Rarity and Fluttershy were two of the three shadowy figures, but also kind of hoping not.
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Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Regarding the expectations being put on Sunset, yea, it's a lot. It's an unfortunate situation, because as we've seen with kids like Blueblood, Sapphire, and even Lily and Daisy (who are from fairly well to do houses in the East) that kids that grew up in the system know how to navigate it. Sunset's in the unenviable position of having little experience with Solarian politics (being a foundling from a moderately sized town) having to basically do a crash course in Solarian politics while "building the house to code," so to speak.
Hate the stories, where it falls to pieces not because of "enemies", but because of "stupidity is the only option". Raven is a politician, and should KNOW that when dealing with a child, ANY child, a DIFFERENT APPROACH is a MUST. I mean, Sunset was wrong, but she was pushed, and pushed HARD. There literally was no other way the things could go. I hope Raven(and others) see the truth, and understand how badly THEY harm Sunset, not how Sunset harms whatever PLANS they make.
Excuse me?! Isn't this a terrible idea?
No, they're literally the opposite, Sunny.
Well this is going well. Lol.
Same, Mena.
Well... crap.
OMG. If there aren't dire consequences for this Raven is a saint.
Please just, Sunny.
The worst part of all of this is how poorly it reflects on Raven even though she's done nothing wrong.
THEN JUST FREAKING LISTEN!
Raven is the perfect seneschal, she's exactly my perception of who Celestia is. She's perfection.
No, Sunset. You've got a lot to think about and Roseluck shouldn't help you right now.
This is tragic. She couldn't be any more incorrect.
And I'm crying. I hate you sometimes, Voice.
Man, Rose is such a good character. That's not saying much though, all of your characters could have their own fully fledged fics and I'd read them.
She's not wrong though.
Don't use the word then Rose. Lol.
Sunset really has to do some growing up. Things will be a lot easier when she does. Even thinking she can take care of herself is hysterical. Sure, Sunny, I'm sure you can fight off an assassin sent SPECIFICALLY to kill a phoenix-born, you keep thinking that.
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Combine the pressure of being in national politics at the age of ten when you've lived your whole life in rural village, a healthy dose of "too headstrong for her own good," severe separation anxiety, mounting frustration with Raven, and a short temper, and you're looking at a whole powder magazine ready to go off.