Ch 12 - The Trials - Lies and Truths Can Both Bear Thorns
Noon had arrived not long ago to find Sunset back in the royal box with the other phoenix-born, kirintal dignitaries and councilors. To Sunset’s displeasure, it also marked the end of the fun part of the day, and the beginning of her obligation to be “Lady Shimmer” again. Glancing to her side, she ruefully noted that she couldn’t even count on Roseluck’s company to make it tolerable. Instead, the archduchess and Amara were flying out into the center of the stadium’s field to oversee the first event of the afternoon.
Landing delicately on the grass, the archduchess raised her head and took a deep breath, her countenance warm and a broad smile on her face. Amara, instead of landing on the Archduchess’s shoulder, opted to circle in the air above her bondmate.
“Bright day and verdant growth to all of you, my dear people,” Roseluck said with a grandiose flourish, twirling around to look across all of the stadium’s stands. “It pleases me to see all of you. I know that this is a busy time of year, and you’ve sacrificed much to attend, so, thank you, from the heart of my flame, for making this Festival one to remember. For myself. For my fellow ascendants. For our honored guests from Himavanta. And for the newest members of our august circle, Ladies Philomena and Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset found herself applauding along with the rest of the audience, getting swept up in Roseluck’s enthusiasm and pomp, even as she ignored Roseluck shining a light on her and Philomena.
“Now that our beloved Queen’s Sun has reached its zenith,” Roseluck continued, “it is time to begin the first day of the Fall Harvest Festival youth games!”
Another round of applause erupted from the stands, one that Roseluck quieted after a minute by raising her hand.
“Every year, we celebrate the growth of the best and brightest among each tribe by allowing them to demonstrate the gifts of their flame through a week of contests. Contests that will push their ingenuity, cooperation, and skills to their limits. So, without further delay, we will begin this year’s competition with the Contest of the Earth-Weavers! Teams, please come forward.”
Sunset watched as a at the north end of the stadium opened, and four teams of sixteen earth-weavers, each of them about her age, emerged. Each team was dressed in matching tunic and pants dyed either red, blue, yellow or white. Sunset found herself smiling as she spotted Lily among the white team, and Daisy among the yellow.
“Wooo! Go Daisy! Go Lily!” Sunset shouted over the cheering of the crowd.
You’re cheering for both of them? Philimena sent from her perch on the right side of Sunset’s throne.
Why not?
They’re not on the same team, right?
Doesn’t mean I can’t encourage them.
“The first challenge of the day,” Roseluck announced as she began to perform a slow spelldance, “will test their endurance, strength, cooperation and creative thinking.”
As she completed her spell, four piles of twenty stone disks emerged from the ground next to each team, while at the outer edge of the arena four patches of flowers the same colors as the team’s clothes burst into bloom.
“The objective is to move the entire pile of ten-pound stones to your team’s flower bed, and use them to create a display ring around each patch. Teams will be judged on speed, precision of the placement of the stones, aesthetics and cooperation. Be careful not to crush any of the blooms, as that will count against your team’s final score,” Roseluck said as she lifted her hand to the sky. “Now, are the teams ready?”
A chorus of cheers came from the assembled earth-weaver kids.
“You will have five minutes to plan your strategy with your teammates, after which you may begin. Your time will begin in three… two… one… go!” Roseluck shouted as she swept her arm downward. As she did, each of the teams headed toward their stones.
*****
Sunset found herself with mixed feelings as she watched the display in the field below.
On one side of the coin, she was enraptured by the spectacle, both from the excitement of the competition, and from her inner arcanist marveling at the earth-weaver’s display of magic. Back in Golden Tree, she’d seen Applejack and Pinkie’s families using their magic for practical applications such as plant and rock farming, or Tender Heart helping Sunset or any of the other kids when they got sick. But those had been everyday, mundane uses. No different from her working the forge with Bronze. Or Windstorm’s rangers helping to deflect dangerous weather away from Golden Tree.
Never for something like this.
Each of the teams was in the process of moving the stones as Roseluck had instructed, yet each opted for vastly different tactics.
The yellow team had ten of their members form a line that was passing the stones from one to the next, while Daisy and another earth-weaver boy were dancing up and down the line, presumably using renewal magic to ease their teammate’s fatigue.
By comparison, the white team had a single member bring the stones, but when they reached the flower bed, they would sit while another was already heading back to get another. Meanwhile, four of their fellows were doing renewal dances to help the one who just arrived to recover.
The red team has two members carrying each stone at a time, before passing it off to another team halfway between the starting and ending point, with one earth-weaver at each end performing renewal spell dances to keep their teammates freshened.
And finally, the green team had opted for an almost purely magic based approach, all twelve of them performing a cooperative spell dance to slowly slide the entire pile of stones across the field to their destination.
Yet as much as she was enjoying the spectacle, the sight had left her with a flurry of niggling thoughts. The most painful one was how much she wished AJ and Pinkie were here, competing in this event. Even if this wasn’t the kind of thing that they used their magic for back home, she wished her oath-sisters could show the Easterners just what someone from the Western territory could do.
Fire and light, she’d have just taken all of her oath-sisters being here at all. As much as she cared for Lily and Daisy, and as much fun as she’d had with them, it just wasn’t the same. She’d never had to go to a Fall Harvest Festival without Rainbow, AJ and Pinkie before, and their absence was burning her up inside, thoughts of what ifs and what could have bens winding through her mind.
AJ would have won the arm wrestling contest.
Pinkie easily beating every festival game she tried.
Rainbow trouncing the sky-runner games she’d seen as she’d toured the grounds with Lily and Daisy.
All of them getting into trouble as they executed some elborate prank that Pinkie and Rainbow came up with.
She did her best to push those thoughts away with how much they threatened to cause her to break down again. She couldn’t afford to do that.
Not now.
Maybe later she’d write to them, and lay everything bare about just how much she missed them.
She might even beg Raven to let her visit Golden Tree again. Or bring her sisters to Heliopolis.
Something.
Anything.
The thought of Raven reminded her of the other, more pressing frustration she was facing. Glancing at the empty throne to her left, Sunset let out a slight growl. She’d wanted to tell Roseluck about the lies the sky-strikers had been spreading about her and Spitfire, or what had happened with Duchess Rich strong-arming Vitric. She just hadn’t had an opportunity to speak to Roseluck with the whirlwind of preparations for the afternoon’s events.
Sunset found herself repeatedly shooting surreptitious glances at Roselucks’ empty throne, and at Raven, who was seated in her own throne, watching the events with the same cold, clinical eye she almost always did. As much as it irked her, she was starting to consider telling Raven about what happened, but kept vasiclating at the last moment. She had her doubts about whether Raven would actually do anything, and she was afraid that if Raven learned about her outbursts, she’d ignore Spoiled and the sky-strikers in favor of “correcting” Sunset’s lapse in decorum.
This stinks like pig poop, Sunset groused to Philomena as she leaned back in the throne.
I know.
Stupid sky-strikers. Stupid Spoiled Rich. Stupid Spitfire. Stupid festival. Argh!
“You obviously have something on your mind, Sunset,” Raven said without taking her eyes off the field, causing Sunset to flinch with surprise. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, nothing’s on my mind. What makes you say that?” Sunset replied quickly as she nervously averted her eyes. I hate it when she does that.
“Then why do you keep staring at Roseluck’s throne, or me, like something is?”
“I wasn’t staring,” Sunset replied defensively. “What makes you think I was staring.”
“Dylis,” Raven said matter of factly.
I should have known, Sunset sent as she looked up at Dylis, who returned her look with his own mildly smug one. Privately, she admonished herself for forgetting to account for Raven’s bondmate, and his penchant for acting as her eyes and ears.
My big brother’s a tattletale, isn’t he? Philomena sent as she also glared at the older phoenix.
A bit.
“If you’re worried about me learning about what happened out in the festival, I’ve already got the report from the prominence knights,” Raven continued. “So, given that, is there anything you want to ask me? Or do you want to keep brooding?”
“You heard what happened?” Sunset asked, her heart rate spiking. She had been so annoyed at their presence that she hadn’t considered that the prominence knights, the soldiers that had been sent to protect her, answered to Raven. And could easily tell her everything.
“Yes.”
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
Fire and light! Sunset sent as she felt her face twist into a frown. “So, if you know what happened… are you going to do anything about Duchess Rich?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Sunset growled.
“Sunset, remember where we are,” Raven said sharply, subtly indicating the Council of Light sitting in the stands below with a finger, and the kirintal dignitaries to her right. Without another word, Raven’s right hand began to move rapidly yet smoothly in a spell-dance of some sort. As she completed the spell, the sound of the outside world began to fade away, until completely vanishing.
“Now that we have some privacy,” Raven said, before finally turning her head slightly and meeting Sunset’s eyes. “Before we have this discussion, I’m going to remind you to keep your temper in check. The kirintal may not be able to hear us right now, but they can see us. As can everyone in the stadium.”
Taking a deep breath and focusing on her meditation techniques, Sunset forced herself to not retort at Raven’s implication.
“Yes, Raven,” Sunset begrudgingly muttered.
“Good. Now, you asked me why I won’t be doing anything about Duchess Rich, correct?” Raven asked, waiting for Sunset to nod in affirmation. “Let me ask you a question then: what would you have me do?”
“I don’t know, arrest her? Throw her in the stocks for theft? Fine her?” Sunset asked incredulously. “You’ve got the power to help the glassmaker she extorted. So why won’t you?”
“That is a very Western approach to things, Sunset,” Raven replied. “There are any number of reasons I can’t do what you’re suggesting. To begin, Duchess Rich didn’t break any laws.”
“Are you serious? What does that matter? She threatened Vitric and strong-armed him!”
“It matters greatly, Sunset. Have you learned nothing about the power I wield? That we as phoenix-born wield? After Queen Celestia, we are the highest authority in Solaria, so we are the most accountable to the laws of the land. If I were to arrest or fine Duchess Rich when she legally did nothing wrong, I would be seen as the one at fault. Not her. Which is something she could and would use not only against me, but you.”
Raven paused briefly, before her brow furrowed slightly.
“But I need you to consider something far more important. Do you think that there was anything odd about the whole situation, Sunset?”
Sunset found her river of thoughts roughly diverted, leaving her momentarily speechless.
“You mean beside that goat-licker coercing Vitric?”
“Mind your language, Sunset. That aside, a woman like Duchess Rich doesn’t do anything without a purpose.” Raven’s tone was still relatively flat, but now carried a slight edge to it. “Given what you know of her, does she seem like the kind of person to willingly attend a glass-maker’s show?”
Sunset found herself completely thrown off by Raven’s question. She’d been so caught up in the whole situation, that she hadn’t considered why the duchess was there. At the time, she just assumed that Spoiled was there to watch Vitric, just like she and her friend were. But, now that she stopped to consider the whole situation, she realized that no, it didn’t seem like the kind of thing Spoiled would be interested in.
Mena?
She has a point, Sunset.
“Well, no. It’d be beneath her,” Sunset replied cautiously.
“And yet, there she was, at the show, at the exact same time that you were, with her daughter in tow, and causing a scene right as you were leaving. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
I don’t like what she’s implying, Sunset, Philomena sent, a touch of anger starting to flow through their bond as she glared down towards Duchess Rich.
Me either, Sunset sent, a horrid idea began to set roots into her thoughts.
“Are you saying she was there because I was?”
“You said it yourself that something like that would be ‘beneath her.’ Now, consider that the duchess and her husband have extensive business dealings in the Western and Eastern Territory. Part of doing so requires being versed in the differences in your respective values. This includes what to do in order to make a good impression, or avoid making a bad one.”
And just like that, everything clicked into place. Sunset found her jaw clenching with rage and her hair beginning to seethe as she fought to bottle her emotions down.
“So she went after Vitric because she was trying to provoke me…” Sunset growled.
“That would be my guess,” Raven said, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Why?”
“You’re a potential threat. Both to her ray’s free access to the Western Territory’s resources and to her allies’ power in Heliopolis, so they have plenty of motive to discredit you as a ruler and weaken your power in the future. The fact that you’re from the Western Territory and a foundling have also done nothing to endear you to them. And, fair or not, they also blame you in part for HIghblood’s execution, so she may be looking for an excuse… any excuse… to begin a feud with you before you’re able to properly fight back.”
The sinking feeling of horror slowly crept up Sunset’s back, only to be quickly replaced with burning anger.
“I swear, I’m going to…”
“Do nothing. You will do nothing, Sunset,” Raven said firmly, turning to look Sunset directly in the eyes. “You are in no position to fight this battle and hope to win. Not yet. If you try, you’ll be playing right into her trap.”
“So she just gets to get away with it?”
“For now? Yes.”
“And what about Vitric?”
“Sunset, have you learned nothing about the Easterners?” Raven asked. “She got him to call the statue a gift. Why is that important?”
“It isn’t.”
“Yes, it is. Again, don’t think like a Westerner. Think like an Easterner.”
Back to the riddles, again. I’m not sure I know what I hate more, being lectured or having to answer her damn riddles, Sunset sent.
I know I prefer the riddles.
Only because you don’t have to answer them.
Sunset was quiet for a few minutes as she sat back in her throne, trying to remember Raven’s lessons on the Eastern Territory. Or at least the lesson as to why it would matter if Vitric had conceded to giving Duchess Rich the statue as a “gift.”
“He called it a gift, so he cannot receive any form of compensation. If he did, it would stop being a gift, and it would be seen as going back on the generosity that entails,” Sunset said stiffly. “And that would do considerable damage to his reputation because Easterners view gift giving as something sacred.”
“Good. Also consider that since he was put into a position where Duchess Rich effectively compelled him to provide the statue as a gift, and there were witnesses, word will get back to his house and clan. While they may not have the ability to retaliate against the Duchess, they will have the power to seek compensation. But the decision about what will be done must come from his clan… his family. Not you. Or me. To do otherwise could irreparably shame him.”
“So, that’s it? That’s all? She gets to do that and get away with it because she technically didn’t break the law? That’s not right. It’s not fair. Especially to Vitric.”
“Life is rarely fair, Sunset,” Raven said, the slightest of edges in her voice. “Again, you’re thinking like a Westerner. How would the Easterners react? How did Roseluck and her citizens respond to General Sentry’s efforts to enforce security at the festival? Enforcement that he is legally within his rights to do because of your condition.”
Sunset clenched her fists in frustration, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out.
“They would reject any offer for aid, wouldn’t they?” Sunset finally said with a frustrated huff.
“And why would that be?”
“Because you’re not Roseluck. It would look like you’re trying to supersede her authority if you got involved without her, rather than respecting her position. Even if you speak for the nation, it’s still Roseluck who rules here.”
“Correct.”
“So get Roseluck involved!” Sunset exclaimed.
“You’re assuming I haven’t,” Raven said as she gave Sunset a pointed look. “But we’re handling it in a way that won’t give Duchess Rich or her allies an excuse to target you or your territory. There are ways to play a counter move to show her that she cannot get away with trying to pick a fight with you. Trust me when I say Roseluck will turn this on her. But she will do it the right way. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
“Yes, Raven,” Sunset grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned away with a pout. “So Spitfire was trying the same thing, right? Having the sky-strikers start something.”
There was a pause as Raven seemed to consider her question.
“No,” Raven finally said bluntly.
“But they were slandering Roseluck!”
“Why are you so sure it was slander?”
Once again, Sunset found her river of thought slamming directly into a boulder as she gawked incredulously at Raven.
“What? Of course it was,” she finally said.
“Why?”
“Because the sky-strikers were just trying to make Spitfire look good instead of incompetent. Why else would they say that it was Spitfire who saved Roseluck?”
“Why do you think Spitfire is incompetent? Do you know her success rate, Sunset? And not just her success rate, but the success rate of her sky-strikers?”
“I don’t know… one in three or something.”
“I’m afraid you are entirely wrong, Sunset,” Raven said, a slight hint of recrimination in her voice. “In her three centuries of service, Spitfire has failed to complete her objectives only fifteen percent of the time. For any military leader, that is an exceptional success rate. So, I ask again, why do you think she’s incompetent?”
Sunset didn’t immediately reply. She couldn’t believe that Raven was actually defending Spitfire. Try as she might, the only reason she could imagine Raven actually standing up for Spitfire was that she was testing her.
“Because she was young and inexperienced during the War of Storms, and it was the battle of Stellaria Pass that made her realize she had to stop being so reckless! She may be competent now, but she wasn’t at the time!” Sunset exclaimed, only to wilt slightly when Raven didn’t immediately respond. “…right?”
Sunset grew even more nervous when Raven steepled her fingers and closed her eyes, filling the air with an even heavier silence than the effect of the privacy spell.
“I think this is something that you should hear from Roseluck herself, Sunset,” Raven finally said without opening her eyes. “Once the next competition begins, you’ll have the opportunity.”
With a flick of her fingers, Raven slowly released the sound-dampening spell. As the sound of the outside world gradually rose back to full volume, she once again turned to stare directly at Sunset.
“Be patient. You’ll get your answers soon enough.”
*****
It was over an hour later that the Contest of the Earth-Weavers ended with the Red team taking the victory. In that time, Sunset had stewed on the question of what to ask Roseluck when she returned. And whether she was really ready for the answer that would come. She’d been sure that the sky-strikers were just spouting off Heliopolan propaganda to make themselves and Spitfire look better. Yet, Raven’s response left Sunset unsure and questioning herself.
It had to be propaganda though. All of the Easterners were so sure that the story was true. They didn’t have any reason to lie about what happened, unlike Spitfire and the Heliopolans.
So then why was she questioning herself.
This has to be just another one of Raven’s lessons, Sunset sent to Philomena. She wants me to doubt myself so that when Roseluck tells me what happened, it’ll prove to me that my instincts are right.
A wave of uncertainty came through her bond with Philomena, a soft trill coming from her throat.
That seems pretty convoluted, Sunset.
But the kind of thing Raven would do, right?
Well, yea, kinda.
So that has to be it.
I guess, Philomena sent, though her feelings were even more unsure.
You’ll see. Once Roseluck gets back, she’ll tell us that the sky-strikers are full of moorgaunt crap. And then we can rub it in their faces.
There was another pause as Philomena’s doubt came through their bond, only for Sunset to send feelings of reassurance. She was sure Philomena would see she was right.
Settling back into her throne, Sunset waited impatiently as the teams exited the arena. Once clear, Roseluck used a short spell-dance to return the stones to the ground, before flying back to the royal box and taking her seat next to Sunset, Amara joining them on the top of the throne a few moments later.
As soon as Roseluck had settled in her throne, Spitfire and Akari took to the air and flew into the sky above the stadium. As she left, Sunset saw that she was now wearing a pair of oddly ornate, fingerless gauntlets, each with three vicious looking punching spikes coming from the back of the hands.
Even as she wondered why Spitfire was wearing such an obvious pair of weapons, Sunset felt a great deal of satisfaction at the relative silence that followed her arrival. Most of the spectors refused to give the Heliopolan phoenix-born more than a short round of unenthusiastic applause. Though her satisfaction was tainted by how little Spitfire seemed to care.
“Bright day and clear skies,” Spitfire said as she hovered in the air above the stadium, forcing everyone to look up at her. “Now that the Contest of the Earth-Weavers has come to its conclusion, we will now begin the next leg of the competition. I am pleased to have the privilege of overseeing the Contest of the Sky-Runners.”
As with the earth-weavers, four teams of sky-runners, each in the same four colors, flew in from above the stadium and landed in the field below Spitfire, with one member carrying a long pole topped with a triangular flag matching their team’s color. To Sunset’s chagrin, the blue team was made up entirely of the kids she’d seen with the sky-strikers at the puppet show, including Soarin and Fleetfoot.
“For this competition,” Spitfire said as she began to perform an aerial spell-dance, “the participants will be partaking in the ancient sky-runner game of cloud-blitz, which will test their cunning, speed, maneuverability, teamwork and tactical sense, all qualities that true sky-runners have and seek to refine.”
From all around Spitfire, dozens of vertical, ring shaped clouds formed in the sky, some large enough for three sky-runners to fly through wingtip to wingtip, some barely wide enough for one of the youths below to pass through by tucking in their wings completely. She also summoned a single, sphere-shaped cloud several meters directly above herself and Akari.
Sunset found herself feeling unexpectedly nostalgic at the sight, memories of watching Rainbow Dash playing this very game along with the other sky-runner kids of Golden Tree. Even Windstorm and her rangers would partake every so often, much to the delight of the rest of the town. The intensity between the ever competitive sky-runners was always a spectacle to see.
She wasn’t sure about that spherical cloud though, since she’d never seen anything like that when watching cloud-blitz.
“For the non-sky-runners in the crowd who are unfamiliar with this proud tradition, this is a very simple explanation of how it’s played,” Spitfire said as she gestured to the rings. “All four teams have two objectives. The first is to protect their flag from the other teams. The second is to get the highest score. Scoring is done by taking another team’s flag from one of the other team’s carriers. Potential points are then earned points by flying through one or more rings, then planting the flag in the center of the field, where the original team then reclaims it. The narrower the rings, the higher the points earned. The team with the highest score at the end of the allotted time will be declared the winners.”
“Teams, get on your marks,” Spitfire declared, prompting all of the sky-runners in the field below to take to the air. As they did, she raised her right arm and raised it to point her closed fist at the spherical cloud. “Ready? Three…two…one…”
All of a sudden, a brilliant bolt of blue energy erupted from Spitfire’s raised fist with a burning crack, striking the spherical cloud and causing the bolt and cloud to detonate with a resounding boom.
“GO!”
*****
This isn’t fair, is it? Philomena sent as she watched the young sky-runners zipping through the air above.
No, it really isn’t, Sunset sent as she watched the competition, if one could call it that, unfold, her chest tight with repressed anger.
While the red, yellow and green teams were all fairly evenly matched with one another, all three of them were completely outclassed by the blue team. In terms of speed and skill in the air, the Radia-born sky-runners were easily flying circles around the Easterners, who had barely managed to claim the blue team’s flag a few times to score, only for that score to be wiped away when they reclaimed the flag and flew back through the rings. Conversely, the blue team’s score was easily triple that of the other teams combined as they expertly maneuvered through the rings and around the other sky-runners.
But in addition to the prodigious speed and skill advantage of the blue team, there was also a clear difference in their level of coordination. While the other teams worked well enough together, the blue team moved with razor sharp precision, using hand and wing signals to coordinate their attacks and defense to a level that Sunset had never seen in any game of cloud-blitz before.
This wasn’t a game. Or a competition. It was a massacre.
Looking over to Roseluck, Sunset could see the older woman glaring up at Spitfire, her mouth turned into a tight frown, and her eyes narrowed angrily. By contrast, Raven’s face was unreadable, though that meant very little when it came to the eldest phoenix-born.
“This is why she entered her own team, isn’t it?” Sunset asked, causing Roseluck’s expression to soften as she turned her attention to her.
“What was that, Sunset?”
“This is why she entered her own team, isn’t it? She’s trying to humiliate you and your territory.”
Roseluck let out a tired sigh and looked upward, her scowl returning, though not as intensely as before.
“Yes. Those aren’t just any sky-runner kids. They’re from Gale Academy.”
“Gale Academy?”
Roseluck took a small, bracing breath, then said, “Sunset, what do you know about the sky-strikers?”
“That they’re a bunch of arrogant thugs who are too full of themselves.”
To Sunset’s surprise, Roseluck let out a soft chuckle.
“You’re not wrong. But, they’re more than that. As much as I hate to give Spitfire any credit, they have a right to be as arrogant as they are. At least when it comes to their abilities in the air and in combat.”
“What’s that got to do with Gale Academy?”
“Gale Academy is the first step of weeding out anyone who doesn’t have what it takes to become a full sky-striker. Any sky-runner that wants to join the sky-strikers has to pass through Gale Academy by fifteen, or they can’t earn a spot to enter the full sky-striker program.”
Sunset found herself fuming as she followed Roseluck’s line of sight to Spitfire, who was shooting the archduchess a smug, superior sneer as the blue team’s score rose even higher.
“So why not break up the teams. Lily and Daisy weren’t together in the last game.”
“I’ve tried that, Sunset. It doesn’t work. It’s not about her team or players winning. It’s about making a statement. And banning the Gale Cadets goes against the spirit of the festival, so I can’t do it without enormous political consequences,” Roseluck said, her voice tight and controlled. “At this point, I’ve more or less resigned myself to this. If she feels the need for such a petty act, I can let her have it. Everyone knows the outcome is a foregone conclusion, so it’s little more than a formality at this point.”
Sunset watched Roseluck for a few seconds, trying to find the best way to bring up the topic of the puppet show and the lies that Spitfire’s sky-strikers were spreading. Knowing Roseluck, she wouldn’t be able to subtly direct the conversation in that direction without the older woman knowing exactly what she was doing. So to Sunset’s chagrin, she knew that the blunt, direct approach was the only way to go.
Tempering herself, she took a bracing breath, and asked, “Is it because of Stellaria Pass?”
To her surprise, Roseluck actually flinched slightly as she asked the question.
“Why are you asking about Stellaria Pass?” Roseluck asked, her tone guarded.
“I heard the story while I was out at the festival. There was this amazing puppet show where they told the story of how you saved Spitfire from the Heralds of Lightning when she was ambushed at Stellaria Pass,” Sunset said, the words pouring from her mouth. “But when the show was over, a bunch of the sky-strikers that had also seen it started spouting lies about how it was Spitfire that saved you, not the other way around, and that you were the one who walked into an ambush. But that’s not true, right, because she’s just trying to make herself look better by telling everyone a fake story where she’s the hero, not you.”
To Sunset’s surprise, Roseluck didn’t respond. In fact, her face had wilted slightly.
“Roseluck? They were lying, right? They had to be lying. Please tell me they were lying,” Sunset said, her voice becoming more desperate as she went on.
Why isn’t she telling me that it's a lie? Sunset sent, her stomach tightening as the silence stretched.
I have a feeling you’re not going to like the answer, Sunset.
“I’m afraid that it’s not a lie, Sunset, but it isn’t entirely true either,” Roseluck finally said, her voice resigned.
Sunset was stunned. Of the answers she could have anticipated, that was not one of them.
“What do you mean?” she finally managed to ask, shaking off her stupor.
Roseluck once again didn’t immediately reply. After a minute of silence, she said, “Raven, could you give us some privacy?”
“Gladly. Just signal me when you’re done,” Raven said, recasting the sound dampening spell around Sunset and Roseluck.
“Alright, Sunset, why don’t you tell me about this puppet show.”
“Um, sure,” Sunset said nervously. As she recounted the story, she watched Roseluck’s face, trying to gauge her reaction. Sadly, Roseluck refused to show any, instead simply listening with her eyes closed and hands folded in her lap. A strange feeling settled in the pit of Sunset’s stomach, because Roseluck had always been so warm, caring and open. Yet seeing her close herself off like this was not only concerning, but almost frightening. It was like some fundamental aspect of who Roseluck was wasn’t there anymore.
Eventually, she finished her retelling, and sat back in her throne. Roseluck’s silence was palpable as she took a deep breath, which she then slowly let out.
“I’m sorry, Sunset, but it didn’t happen that way at all,” Roseluck finally said, her voice distant and tired. From above, Amara let out a sympathetic trill and fluttered down to land on Roseluck’s lap, rubbing her cheek against her bondmate’s hand.
“It didn’t?”
“No. The one part they got right was that I was going there to rescue sun-gazers that had been taken captive by the Heralds of Lightning. Though it wasn’t that simple. To start, Spitfire and I didn’t go to Stellaria Pass together. I went by myself. It also wasn’t a rescue mission. It was a prisoner exchange. We’d captured several high-ranking blitzkobolds of the Lightning Slicers during one of their raids a few days prior, and had planned to exchange them for seventy civilians that had been taken by the Herald’s press gangs.”
Roseluck paused as she laced her fingers together and rested her forehead on their back while resting her elbows on her knees.
“As part of the exchange, I had agreed to come with only a small force, as had the Herald captain. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan. When I arrived, I found myself surrounded by over a hundred Heralds rather than the ten we’d both agreed upon. It was then that the Heralds’ captain revealed that every one of our citizens was either already dead or had been shipped to the slave yards on Muir Nan Speur. The only reason he’d agreed to the exchange was so that he could take me as a prize for the Storm King, like Queen Novo and Princess Skystar,” Roseluck said, letting out a sad sigh. “Thankfully, Spitfire had disobeyed orders and followed me with a full platoon of sun-blades.”
“Sun-blades? Not sky-strikers?”
“Spitfire didn’t form the sky-strikers until after the War of Storms,” Roseluck replied with a shake of her head. “But, that’s beside the point. She managed to save me, though not without heavy casualties among her soldiers. Over half of them died in the battle, with most of the survivors severely wounded. Spitfire herself was nearly killed while defeating the Heralds’ captain. Thankfully I managed to heal her enough for us to make a tactical retreat when the rest of the Heralds fell into disarray at their leader’s death.”
A strange, melancholy look settled over Roseluck.
“It was one of the worst military disasters of the entire war, and the last time we tried to negotiate with the Heralds for the freedom of our civilians. Spitfire and I hadn’t been on the best of terms before, but Stellaria Pass just deepened the rift further. I don’t think she’s ever forgiven me for how many died saving my life.”
“But… that wasn’t your fault!” Sunset protested. “You didn’t know they were going to lie.”
“That doesn’t matter to Spitfire. Of the four of us, she’d spent the most time fighting the Heralds. She’d opposed the exchange the entire time, and had only relented when I convinced Raven and General Sentry to let me try. At the time, I thought that if I could get our civilians back without bloodshed, it would be worth the risk. If you knew what those monsters did to captured sun-gazers, you would have done anything to rescue them too.”
“If that’s what happened, why is the story so wrong? Didn’t you tell them the truth?” Sunset asked.
“I did. For decades,” Roseluck admitted as she began to slowly pet Amara, who let out comforting trills while snuggling up against Roseluck’s belly. “But, that battle was over two hundred years ago, Sunset. And the Eastern Territory is a big place. In Heliopolis, historical texts make it easy to keep the story closer to the truth, especially with Raven around to make sure that they’re accurate. But out here, where so many things are passed along via word of mouth? Over time, as people tell the story over and over, details are lost and new ones are added. Even with books being more available these days thanks to printing wheels, legends persist. It’s also no secret that Spitfire and I don’t like one another. My people love me, so that colors their perception of events. And so as they fade into legend, the stories told inevitably change, until they no longer resemble the truth.”
A strange, far off look entered Roselucks’ eyes as she stared off into the horizon.
“It's a terrible burden that we bear, to know how things truly occurred, yet witness those truths be twisted by the passage of time and their imperfect retelling. I can only imagine what it’s like for Raven or General Sentry. Especially Raven.”
“I don’t really get it,” Sunset admitted, “I guess it’s like the differences between my first edition Solarian Myths and Legends book and the current edition.”
“In a way, yes,” Roseluck said with a solemn nod. “It’s just another thing you have to get used to in a life as long as ours can be.”
“That’s not much comfort.”
“I know. But, it’s a reality we face. We can do all we can to make sure that the truth prevails, but in the end, each of us is only a single person,” Roseluck said as she smiled affectionately at Amara and ran the back of her finger across the ridge of the phoenix’s beak. “Or, two people as one in our case, right?”
“Falena metira,” Amara said, pressing her forehead into Roseluck’s hand.
Sunset leaned back in her throne, closing her eyes and slouching down a little.
Can today just end already, Sunset sent. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.
The sound of flapping wings and a rush of air reached Sunset’s ears moments before Philomena landed on the arm of her chair, then hopped into her lap as she let out a string of worried trills.
To be fair, it’s not like the sky-strikers or Spitfire gave us much reason to trust them.
Not what I’m talking about, Mena. I’m not looking forward to a whole week of this.
The warm feeling of Philomena’s head pressed into the crook of her arm as the phoenix snuggled up to her.
Thanks Mena.
Anytime.
“Are you okay, Sunset? I know it's a lot to take in,” Roseluck asked, her tone warm and concerned.
“I’m not sure. Today’s been… hard, for a lot of reasons,” Sunset said weakly. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It took me a while to adjust too, remember? It’ll just take time.”
“How long did it take you?”
Roseluck pressed the knuckle of her right index finger to her lips and rolled her eyes back in thought.
“Hmmm, probably fifty years or so.”
“Fifty years!?” Sunset exclaimed, only stopping herself from leaning forward because she knew it might toss Philomena out of her lap if she did.
“Well, maybe closer to twenty,” Roseluck said with that gentle smile of hers, then reached out and gently booped Sunset’s nose.
“That’s not much better,” Sunset grumbled as she scrunched her face up.
“I could have said a hundred you know,” Roseluck said, her smile turning mischievous.
“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” Sunset asked, her tone lightening up a bit.
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Roseluck said innocently. “Guess we’ll see how long it takes, won’t we.”
“Not what I wanted to hear,” Sunset said with a light laugh as she settled back into her throne, the sound of the outside world slowly returning.
*****
The Contest of the Sky-Runners eventually and merifully came to an end with the blue team’s overwhelming victory. Once the teams had been given their prizes, Spitfire had proclaimed that the Radians had “performed like true sky-runners” who “have done their tribe proud by showing exactly what a sky-runner that trains their gifts to their full potential” could do. Sunset tried not to scowl at the obvious insult Spitfire’s comments were to the beaten Easterners. Once the commander had returned, Raven had taken to the field to oversee the Contest of the Fire-Callers, a competition of cooperative spell-dancing and magecraft. Sunset had found herself barely paying attention to the entire thing.
She couldn’t decide what to think about all of it. Of the two, she found Roseluck’s account easier to handle. As much as she disliked Spitfire and her goons, and as much as it made her flame burn angrily, she couldn’t deny that the sky-strikers had been telling the truth. Mostly. What was harder to accept was the why. It would have been so much easier if it was just Spitfire spreading propaganda.
But it wasn’t.
Raven’s insight was much harder to process, because it just didn’t make sense. What Duchess Rich had done was wrong. So why couldn’t she do anything about it? When Raven had explained it, she thought it made sense. But now? Now she wasn’t sure.
This just doesn't feel right, Sunset sent.
So you keep telling me.
Sunset rolled her eyes upward and leaned her head back to stare up at Philomena.
Still not helping.
I know.
Do you have anything to add besides your incredible wit, or should I just go back to brooding.
Well I know that’s not going to solve anything. What’s got you whirlpooling in place now? Roseluck telling you that you were wrong, or the fact that you almost walked right into a Heliopolan political trap?
You could be a little nicer about it, Mena, Sunset sent with a mental shove.
Nah. If I did that, you’d never have to face facts. So, what’s on your overactive mind, sun-butt?
I don’t know. All of it. I just… I can’t wrap my head around any of this. All these games that everyone’s playing. All these rules. Back home, it was so simple. Things made sense. But now? It feels like I could end up destroying Golden Tree or the whole Western Territory if I sneeze wrong.
I’m pretty sure it’s not that bad.
Sure as metal splinters feels like it.
Now you’re being dramatic.
Am I? You heard Raven. Duchess Rich has it out for us. Just like that goat-licker Blueblood. And a bunch of the other Heliopolans. It’s so stupid that she can just get away with treating people like that. If this were Golden Tree, she’d have been slapped in the stocks for a week at least.
I don’t think so, Sunset.
Why not?
I don’t know. I just get the feeling that someone as powerful as her wouldn’t let that happen. At most, she’d just have to pay for the statue, if they could actually make her.
Sunset didn’t reply immediately, instead choosing to glare at the back of Duchess Rich’s throne.
I hate this. I hate it so much, Mena. Phoenix-born are supposed to be in charge. So why is it that I have to play that goat-licker’s game? I should be able to just have her arrested, or something.
Sunset, that’s a terrible idea.
What? Why?
Think about it. If you had that power, that’d mean that Steel and Spitfire would have it too, Philomena sent, allowing Sunset to see through her eyes as she looked at the two phoenix-born sitting to Raven’s left. Do you really think that would be a good idea?
Sunset’s stomach turned with horror at that thought.
No. It wouldn’t. I don’t even want to think what either of them would do.
Knowing Steel, he’d probably turn the entire country into an army or something.
Fine, so just me then.
A feeling of mirth came through their bond as Philomena sent, So you’re going to take the Queen’s place?
Now you’re being silly, Sunset balked. There’s no way I could ever replace the Queen.
Just keeping you grounded, sun-butt.
Or just being a spoilsport, feather-butt.
They’re not mutually exclusive.
Neither is being right and a know-it-all, Sunset sent as she slouched back in her throne to watch as the Contest of the Fire-Callers began to come to an end.
It was going to be a long, long week. She could feel it in her flame.
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Let's hope that bit of enthusiasm doesn't bode poorly for either the girls or the kirintal's opinion of Sunset. (Though I suppose she'd be hard-pressed to make them think any less of her.)
Sunset, she's literally telling you how to solve it.
She's right about one thing. This is an important lesson. Namely, that propaganda can support people and ideas you like just as much as ones you don't.
Thank goodness Philomena is able to act as a voice of reason during Sunset's grumpier moments. She really needs that outside perspective to appreciate the consequences of her actions and reactions. These games may be frustrating, but she can't just bust through them with sheer force. She's going to have to learn how to play if she's going to get anywhere. The trick is making that everyone else's problem, ideally by being better at it than they ever anticipated. Of course, that will mean listening to and trusting Raven more, and that's going to take some work from both parties.
Very good chapter. Definitely looking forward to more. Best of luck with the new job.
Fantastic work as always! The kind of story where I drop everything and read each chapter on release.
Yes, let's pit a bunch of military kids who have been training for literally their entire lives against a bunch of casual players. That sounds like a fair match-up. Honestly, this sort of thing gives less of an impression of Heliopolis' might and more their extreme pettiness. It's a bad look and considering all the negative emotions it'll generate, it's not doing any favors for the political situation.
Glad to see Roseluck set the record straight on the Pass. Do I believe her when she says she tried to tell the truth many times? I do, actually. Raven's influence is strong with her. Spitfire not so much. Though considering how vindicated she must have felt after the fact, she doesn't really have anything to lie about.
Kind of a sidenote: I have another pet theory that the kirin'tal aren't actually upset with Sunset at all. Rather they're upset for her. I mean, from a certain point of view Raven did essentially kidnap an innocent child, made her a target for extremists, and is keeping her hostage in the castle 'for her own good'. Raven is well aware of just how bad things look to people who don't have the full context and for a variety of compelling reasons she cannot give them that context.
Of course, Sunset being Sunset she sees adults getting upset and immediately assumes they are upset with her specifically. It doesn't help that Raven is (possibly unintentionally) giving her that impression.
First and foremost, congrats and best wishes with work.
Secondly, during the Earth weaver section you confused the team colors, because the yellow team comes out of nowhere.
And lastly. Politics. Bleeeeehhh. Raven has played this game so many times she's practically a machine about it. We know she is playing the long game for Sunset's benefit but damn am I right there with you, Sunny. Great chapter.
11567201
Hopefully not. With the kirintal, there is some leeway given since they know sun-gazers don't internalize their emotions as much. Sunset just really stepped over the line at the formal diner.
It's something that's often ignored. It's also a case of how the stories are communicated. These people don't have the benefit of things like the internet, phones, radio or television to communicate information. It's still mostly word of mouth and written letters. As Roseluck said, it can lead to a breakdown of what happened very quickly.
I'm sure she'll start to appreciate that as she gets older. Once Sunset finds her motivation, I'm sure she'll be a force to be reckoned with. Its just about finding that motivation.
11567543
Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it so much.
11567708
I'd say less Heliopolan pettiness and more Spitfire's pettiness. It wasn't mentioned in story because there was no way Sunset could have known, but there were a few kids from Redheart, Snowfall and Fancy's rays in the competitions, and they played just fine with the others. Spitfire, for her part, doesn't give a flip, because she knows that whenever something happens in the East or West that the local forces can't handle, its her and the sky-strikers that are sent in to deal with it. They can complain all they want, but at the end of the day, they can't complain too loudly because many of them owe her their lives.
There's also the issue of whether the story of the Pass was something deliberately mistold, or if it was a case of two century long "telephone." These people lack the instant communication we do, and as Rose said, book mass-printing is still relatively rare outside Heliopolis and the larger Eastern cities. So with twelfth and fiftieth hand acounts being the only way people hear about things, it's easy for things to get twisted without any malice.
Regarding the whole situation with the kirintal, Sunset's outburst was kinda akin to someone serving pulled pork, blood sausage and beer to a devout Muslim. To the kirintal, such strong outbursts are incredibly offensive. As far as the situation with Sunset outside of her outburst, sun-gazers are already very strange to them because of how vastly different their cultures are. They may find Sunset's situation strange, but they also find it strange that sun-gazer men and women live together in the same communities and even form permanent mated pairs (i.e. marriage).
11567762
Thanks. It's been fun so far (minus all of the paperwork). And thanks for the catch. It should be fixed now.
I'm sure Raven and Dylis would love it if they didn't have to play the game all the time and get to properly relax. Maybe take a vacation and visit the plumed serpents for some philisophical and mystical debates. Or spend some time with the selkies. But, she has to play the long game, especially with Sunset, because things went so wrong with her ascension, she has to make sure that things won't get worse. Taking bets on whether they will or not.
11568055
Of course things will eventually get worse. Hells bells, Sunset is not even a teenager yet! Besides, the plot demands it!
A nice break from the rising tension. At least that's what it felt like to me. Sure, Sunset learned something she wished was false, but overall she didn't further shoot herself in the foot in regards to anything. Goodness knows the poor girl deserved a break (even if she was hardly innocent).
Great chapter
11568175
And lest we forget, she still can't use magic. Once that comes back, and she starts mastering phoenix-born spells…
11568428
It's all about ebb and flow. Can't keep things running at redline all the time.
11568447
Thank you. Much appreciated.
A lot of world building but not much plot.
11569772
That's a fair assessment.
11570053
It's nice worldbuilding, but what is it building towards? We know nothing about Luna's empire despite it implicitly shaping Celestia's, and Sombra was hinted to be a lurking threat...somewhere.
Sunset learning the subtleties and influence of royal etiquette would be good foreshadowing if she has to run diplomacy into those lands or something, but if not then we're just reading several chapters of Sunset getting angry at being told she folded her napkin wrong for the sake of Sunset getting angry she was told she folded her napkin wrong.
11570116
Without going into too much detail, the next chapter is going to begin Sunset's next step on her "Hero's Journey," one that will be built on a lot of that's happened in 'The Trials' so far. Honestly, I'm a little nervous about the execution, but I hope that it'll be worth the buildup.
Nice chapter, and good continued world building. I look forward to more.
11570524
Thank you.
Oh, boy, is that deep. Good chapter.
11574753
It's a truth that Sunset needed to learn (and one that I try to internalize all the time for myself).
Is it just me but does it seem that on the surface being ascended is supposed to be an honor but instead it's an incredible burden. Honestly I can't imagine anyone thinking it would be a good idea to volunteer.
11581940
That's more or less what I was going for, though in a way its supposed to be both an honor and a burden. Thing is, "volunteer" isn't exactly the way that it works. If you're a potential, you are expected to be present because Queens Celestia and Lumina say you need to be. That's one of the big differences between our world and Nitor: if your god-queens say you do something, you do it.
Mind, it's not all bad. We're just seeing it from the perspective of a child who's ascension was not exactly normal. The phoenix-born do get to pursue their passions, but their duties have to come first, because they're the ones that every other citizen looks up to.
11530622
Plus nobody really took the time to explain everything even after the truth came out. Sunset is trying but she is child who thought her future would look very different. As for the ceremony it's a big event that everyone wants a chance to get to be a part of it. Nobody outside the saboteurs understood the whole deal with the ceremony and of course the other Phoenix born folks all who much older and more experienced at life than Sunset. She needs a counselor to help her deal with all these changes.
11603244
Its a case of everyone involved trying to make the best of a bad situation. I imagine that Raven has tried to help Sunset understand her situation to a degree, but as we saw, Sunset has been in denial. And Raven's never really dealt with someone in Sunset's situation before.
And lest we forget, Sunset didn't exactly get a positive impression of Heliopolis when she first arrived, or its citizens after spending a month being bullied by Sapphire and the other Heliopolan kids. She's slowly starting to overcome her bias through interacting with Fancy and Fleur, but wounds like that take time to heal. Time she really hasn't had because of everything going on in her life.
11603284
Yeah raven is trying to teach everything she has to know but I don't think she sat down and explain that from this point on your life is going to be different with a lot more responsibilities. For sunset this like seeing words but not getting the letters until now.
This is too funny a line not to mention. 33% Sunny? Really? Lmao. She REALLY thinks low of Spitfire.
I feel really bad for Spit. It sucks when you know you're right and people still don't listen to you. It could've been avoided. Trying has a cost sometimes. I'm sure Rose understands that now.
A bit of an odd one, this chapter. I enjoyed it a lot, but it felt... short? I guess word wise it is. Either way, great work.
11782394
Child's mentality and a generally negative impression of Spitfire. Sunset's letting her dislike of the Commander color her perception. She doesn't like Spitfire, so she has to be incompetent.