Second Labor: The Shapeshifter
For your next step to redemption, you’ll need you to face a changeling,” Wallflower tells me as we walk away from her temple.
“A changeling? Aren’t those extinct?” I question.
“You know who they are?” she asks me, apparently surprised by my knowledge. That’s good.
I nod. “They were killed under Star Swirl’s orders.”
Wallflower turns to face me. “Killed? Not ‘cleansed’?”
I know that kind of question. She’s testing me. “It doesn’t matter what fancy words the gods use, it’s still genocide.”
“I see.” By her expression, I can tell that my answer was roughly correct to her wishes. “What else do you know of them?”
I start counting with my fingers as we walk. “They were a race of shapeshifting creatures that fed themselves by extracting the love of others, leaving them with nothing but hatred. They lived inside large tunnel systems that could shape themselves by the will of their queen. They hunted mostly in secret until Star Swirl helped discover their ploys and the location of their hive. Celestia was the one that dealt the finishing blow to the last queen of the changelings.”
“Did she tell you her name?” Wallflower asks me.
“Uh...” I scratch my head, trying to remember. “I don’t think she mentioned it.”
I hear a little sigh come out of her mouth. “It’s Chrysalis Hiveblood. Please remember it.”
“I will.” That’s a bit weird. Did they have a history together? “What should I do with the changeling? Kill it?”
“Or get them to leave. As long as the cave is abandoned by the end, the rest is up to you.”
“Understood.” Fighting a changeling. It won’t be easy.
We arrive at a dirt road that curves around the base of the mountain, and looking behind us, I realize that there’s nothing to indicate that Wallflower’s temple resides here. No one would know its location unless they were told where it is.
Wallflower knew this when she tasked me to look for her temple. She knew she was sending me on a fool's quest unless Luna intervened. Luna said it was because of her that she talked with me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Wallflower asked her to meet me.
The green goddess stops in front of the road and points to the west. “Follow this road and you’ll eventually arrive at Nemarea. The cave of the changeling is in the hills around that city. Search for a trail of blue flowers – they will guide you to its location.”
“Nemarea… wait, that’s too far away from here! I’ll never reach it on foot, notwith what little food I have.” I was already stretching it with the travel from Mycemare to Ceryneigh, but this would be at least twice as long.
“How did you get to my temple?” Wallflower asks me.
“One of the daughters of Luna brought me in her cart.”
“Oh, Trixie. Did she tell you how to call her?”
I scratch the back of my head, looking away. “No...”
The goddess frowns, apparently surprised by my answer. “Why not?”
“I… you know what happened!” I exclaim, crossing my arms.
Wallflower gives me a confused look. “Gods aren’t omniscient.”
My eyes widen. “They aren't?”
She shakes her head.
That lying boot.
“So, what happened?” Wallflower insists.
I let out a sigh. “I guess I insulted her mither. She told me to ‘Have fun in Tartarus’.”
“There’s no fun in Tartarus,” she tells me before pointing eastward. “Cleomare is the nearest town to my temple. You can get a horse and some provisions there.”
“And how would I afford all of that?” I say, hoping to get some coins from the goddess.
She looks at me directly in the eyes. “Ask nicely.” Then she turns into petals and vanishes.
I’m left alone and stunned. “Okay... I don’t have much of a choice, then.”
Cleomare turns out to be a simple farming village of timber-framed houses with distinct thatched roofs and overhanging upper floors. There’s no immediate indication of to which god they pray, so they may be a mixed community with individual shrines in their houses, or they’re just too poor to afford a proper temple.
As I walk towards the center of the village, I look around in search of a general store where I could buy ─or, more likely, beg─ for some rations. It's the only thing I could get without money, since I don’t think any rational human being would give a horse to some wanderer they don’t know. It would be easier if I had some proof that I’m on a mission from the gods.
Maybe I should’ve asked for that instead of money.
My nose picks up a scent that immediately stops me in my tracks. It’s sweet, and makes my mouth water, so my legs move towards its origin without my permission, but I’m not complaining.
I arrive at a small stand full of something I’ve only seen in lavish banquets.
Apples.
Apples of various shapes and colors. Made into pies and other pastries. Covered with honey.
How can a small town afford what in Ceryneigh would be a delicacy?
“Interested in our apples, little girl?” the vendor asks me.
She’s an old woman with lime green skin and gray hair, wearing farming attire and an orange neckerchief dotted with red apples. Despite being old enough to be my grandmother, her body still retains some of the strength gained from hard labor.
“You grow them yourself?” I ask, pointing at the apples. That would be an explanation for how they can afford them.
“With the help of my family.” She says with pride. “Or at least those who haven’t moved away.”
I give her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t worry. They need to leave the nest someday,” she says, more to herself than me. “What can I offer you?”
I tap my fingers against the counter of the stall. “Actually… I don’t have any money to pay for any of this.”
The old woman takes a closer look at me. “You don’t look like a vagabond. Did you get mugged on your way here?”
“Something like that.” I was the one trying to steal, but didn’t get anything out of it, so I guess it doesn’t count.
The granny rubs her chin. “Well, I can’t just give them for free, but you seem to be an able woman. Tell you what, if you help my granddaughter with her chores at the farm, I can give you all that you can carry, plus some bits.”
I scrunch up my nose. Might as well try. “I wouldn’t mind working, but I’m on a mission from the gods right now. I need to get to Nemarea soon.”
“Are you a follower of Meadowbrook?” the granny asks me.
“No,” I answer, and I immediately regret it. Should’ve lied.
“Well, we’re going to send a shipment to Molorcolts later today. You can ride on it and get half of your travel done.”
Not the best option, but I’ll take what I can. “That would be perfect.”
The old woman points southward. “Just walk down the road till you see a big red barn. Can’t miss it. If you see a girl with a red ribbon on her head, call her over and tell her that I sent you to help out.”
“Okay. What’s your name? In case she asks.”
“Oh. I’m Granny Smith. Yours?”
Should I go around saying my real name? If word goes out about what I did in Mycemare…
“I’m Starlight Glimmer.”
“Alright, Glimmer,” the most buffed teen I’ve ever met says. “The job is simple. Grab a basket, pick the apples that are good to sell from the trees, fill the basket, load it in the cart, repeat. Got it?”
I nod. “Sounds simple enough.”
“Good. And don’t stuff your face or pockets with our apples while you work. I will know,” she threatens, pointing a finger at me and flexing her biceps.
I raise my hands defensively. “I wasn’t planning on it,” I lie.
“I sure hope not. Also, handle the apples with care. Don’t throw them in the basket or try kicking the tree to make them fall. They don’t have to get bruised.”
“Understood.”
“Good. You can start with the west side. You get a break in four hours.”
“Wait, four hours?!” I exclaim, but the girl’s already walking away.
I sigh and grab a basket. At least I’m not feeding pigs or shoveling shit.
As I approach the trees, I notice that almost all of them have a makeshift ladder set against them. That girl must be trying to make the job easier on herself. I start working, ignoring my rumbling stomach as I pick the sweet, juicy, apples from the trees, remembering that I can have many more if I do this right.
To my surprise, even though it’s hard work, I find some sort of peacefulness in this task. It’s as repetitively boring as cleaning Celestia’s temple, but being outdoors in the middle of an orchard makes it far from annoying. I guess it’s because I can hear birds chirping and leaves rustling. I can breathe fresh air, and even the sun on my skin feels different. It isn’t a watchful gaze, checking that I’m being a good girl. It’s just there, keeping me warm.
After a few dozen baskets, I cross paths with another farmhand, a red-haired woman with a dreadlock hairstyle and a light-orange kerchief dotted with white flowers.
“Heeeey, you’re the new hire, right?” the woman asks me with a very mellow voice.
“Just for today,” I answer as I climb the ladder to pick more apples.
The farmhand jumps straight up and grabs one of the branches to keep up with my climb. “Nice to meet you. I'm Tree Hugger. Blessings.”
“Starlight Glimmer,” I say, looking at her nonchalant grip on the tree. “You should use both hands if you want to climb the tree.”
“Oh, I can do one better.” The woman twisted her body backwards and hooked one foot on a branch before letting go. Now that she had both hands free, she bent her spine till they reached the apples, plucking a few before setting them in a big pouch she had at her side.
I just stare at her during all of it, my mouth slightly open. “That’s… very impressive.”
“You can do it too. You just need to trust in the arms of Mother Nature,” Tree Hugger says with a relaxed smile.
“I’ll trust the ladders for now,” I say nervously, and suddenly my stomach lets out a loud rumble.
“Wow, you got a tiger in that belly,” Tree Hugger says, looking at my midsection like if it were about to whisper a secret.
“Shut up. I just skipped breakfast,” I say with embarrassment, but then I realize I hadn’t eaten dinner either. In fact, I missed the entire night yesterday! It had barely started when I got on Trixie’s cart, and when she left me in Wallflower’s temple it was already noon.
My thoughts are interrupted when a red apple enters my field of view.
“Here, tame that tiger,” the farmhand offers me, suddenly closer and still hanging from the tree with just one appendage.
I shake my head. “No thanks, Apple Bloom already warned me about eating them.”
“Chill Sun-sun. I’ll tell her it was me.”
“My name’s Starlight.”
“I know, but you look more like a sunset made human. Are you a daughter of Celestia?”
“Never,” I say through clenched teeth. My stomach rumbles once more and Tree Hugger waves the apple again. “Fine!” I snatch the fruit from her hand and give it a large bite, letting out a small moan at the taste of juicy sweetness.
“STARLIGHT!” booms Apple Bloom’s voice from somewhere nearby, and I almost choke on the piece of apple.
“Chill Bloomy. It’s just so she doesn’t pass out from malnutrition,” Tree Hugger says, not even raising her voice, but it seems like the farmer can hear her anyway.
“If she’s so tired, she can take her break! Keep an eye on her!”
“Sure thing, Bloomy.”
“How did she know? Is she looking at us?” I ask as I quickly finish the apple.
"Nah, her chakra is just really connected with the orchard. The Apples have lived here for so long tending to the apples that they've developed a sixth sense for this place. Isn't that magical?"
"Sure…" I grumble. The gods just go around throwing blessings apparently.
I climb down from the tree and Tree Hugger just lets herself fall, landing like a cat. "Hey, I know a spot full of good vibes for your chakras. You should take a break with me."
"Sure, why not?" I say, carrying the basket full of apples and following the mellow farmhand through the orchard.
Her "spot," once we reach it, doesn't look really special, just a stump near the fence that separated the orchard from the farm animals, with Tree Hugger’s cart filled with apples sitting nearby. Twice as full as mine.
“This is the perfect spot to meditate and connect with nature,” Tree Hugger says as she sits on the stump and crosses her legs. “Do you want to join me? It’s an extracorporeal experience.”
“No, thanks. I just want to eat,” I say, sitting down and taking another apple from my basket.
“That’s okay. Take your time.” With that, she presses her palms together and closes her eyes, quickly disconnecting from the world around her.
I watch her for a few minutes until I get bored and just continue eating the apples.
Looking around, I notice that this part of the orchard isn’t far from the main entrance to the farm. It seems like the owners had spaced and located everything so they could quickly form a caravan to sell their apples. The door to the stables was just a few meters away, near the carts filled with the apples Tree Hugger and I picked.
An idea starts forming in my mind.
I walk up to the wood fence that keeps the animals locked in the farm and clap my hands to get their attention. They were mostly cows and sheep, but I counted four stallions walking around aimlessly. I just need one.
One of the horses finally looks at me and I signal him to come over, offering him one of the apples. The stallion immediately trots to me, showing that he was very familiar with humans, which was excellent.
Just one horse and all the apples I can carry, that’s all I need. Even if that teen could crush me with brute force, she won’t be able to catch me if I’m on horseback. I’ll lose my other stuff that I left at the house, but I consider it a fair exchange.
The stallion bites the apple I offered him, chewing on it while I look back at Tree Hugger. She’s still unaware of the world around her.
“He thanks you for the apple,” she suddenly says, but her lips don’t move, and the voice came from…
I look back at the horse, and I notice a soft glow around his eyes. “Tree Hugger?”
“Yes, Sun-sun?” the horse asks.
I look back at her body, and then at the stallion again. “Why are you inside a horse?”
“What better way to be one with nature than to be one with nature?” she uselessly non-explains.
“Does Bloom know you’re possessing her horses?”
“Don’t worry, it’s all consensual. He can kick me out if he wants, but he likes the company.” The stallion moves closer to me and nuzzles my shoulder. “He likes you.”
I slowly brush my hand against the side of his neck, returning his affection. Even if it’s a horse, it felt nice. “Tell him the feeling’s mutual,” I say with a smile.
The stallion moves back and turns to the side. “Do you want to ride him?”
“Uh… I don’t know how,” I admit, a bit embarrassed now that I realize my plan could’ve ended badly from the start.
“Don’t worry, we’ll guide you,” she assures me, and the horse lowers himself until he’s resting on the ground for me to climb on.
I spend a few seconds trying to decide, but I finally jump the fence and get on the back of the stallion.
“Grab his mane and press your legs against his barrel to keep yourself in place,” Tree Hugger instructs me as the horse stands up and starts trotting along the fence.
I’m nervous at first, but, after a few minutes, I relax and start to enjoy it, though it’s a bit uncomfortable having my legs forcefully spread apart this way.
“Ready to up the speed?” Tree Hugger asks me.
I grab the stallion’s mane a bit more tightly. “Ready!”
With a happy neigh, the stallion goes from trotting to galloping quickly, moving fast enough that my hair begins flowing in the air. It’s a bit scary at first, but, once a bit of adrenaline starts pumping, I’m grinning. Now I want to go faster.
As if they can read my mind, ─and one probably is─ the stallion starts picking up the pace again quickly approaching the corner of the barnyard.
“Pull his mane in the direction you want to go to make him turn,” Tree Hugger shouts over the stomping of hooves.
“What if I don’t want to turn?”
“You want to crash against the fence?”
“More like jump over it.”
Tree Hugger laughs, “I like your spirit, Sun-sun.”
I kick with my legs to get the horse ready, lowering myself against his back as we approach the wood fence. I have to be precise. Jumping too soon or too late will end up with a lot of hurt, especially if he lands on top of me, but risk-taking is already second nature to me.
The stallion shakes his head and moves with even more drive behind his hooves, and I hold his mane tighter as we approach the fence. Just as we’re about half a meter away, I pull from his hair and the horse lifts his forelegs, tucking them against his body as he jumps.
Time slows down for a bit for me as the several-times-my-weight stallion travels through the air, clearing the fence and landing a bit roughly against the grass at the other side.
I let out a shout of excitement and the stallion does a horse-equivalent of it. “How was that for a first-timer?”
The horse turns his head to me, but I don’t get an answer from Tree Hugger. “Are you there?” Still no response. “Let’s go see if she’s okay.”
I swear the horse gives me a nod before starting to trot back towards the orchard. Is everything magical in this place? In fact, why is there magic here? I don’t remember any of the gods being fond of nature specifically. Maybe it’s due to Wallflower’s temple being nearby?
I find Tree Hugger halfway through the orchard, already harvesting more apples. “Sun-sun! I see you managed to jump the fence,” she shouts from the branches.
“Did you miss it? I couldn’t hear you anymore.” I ask as I get closer.
“Yeah, you kind of got out of range. Sorry if it scared you.”
I frown, confused. “Out of range?”
“Yeah. That spot is where the good vibes are at. Connection with Mother Nature is really easy there.”
“Wait, you mean you aren’t the daughter of some god? You just… meditate?”
“I just accept what Mother Nature wants to give me.”
“So, you’re a non-follower?”
“I prefer to be considered a free spirit. Non-followers aren’t very accepted by most people.”
More like they pretend we don’t exist. Just like their gods. “So, you get magic from nature itself? I don’t remember there being a god of nature.”
“Everything in the world has some kind of magic. It’s a consequence of the gods doing big things to the earth and what lives off it. Mother Nature feeds itself from all this and grants it to whoever’s willing to listen.”
“What makes this place special then?”
“May I interrupt your conversation to remind you that there are still apples to be picked?!” Apple Bloom shouts from somewhere in the orchard. “And Starlight, you better put that horse back where you found it!”
Not wanting to anger the teen, Tree Hugger and I return to work.
After a few more hours of hard work, the apples were picked and loaded in a big cart, and I got my payment of a big lunch and enough rations for the road to Nemarea and back. Apparently, Tree Hugger put in a good word for me, and the Apples are considering hiring me full time at the farm, even giving me the old room of Apple Boom’s big sister.
I honestly don’t know if I should reject it or not. I don’t exactly know what Wallflower will tell me once I complete this mission, and I doubt I could just live in the temple. Regardless, it’s something I’ll need to figure out when I return from the mission, so for now, I’m just riding on the cart along with Tree Hugger, leaving the farm behind.
“So, you were telling me about what makes the farm special?” I ask.
Tree Hugger smiles. “Well, do you know what a Timberwolf is?”
“I’ve read stories. Wolves made of flesh and wood.”
“Not any wood, it was called Quebracho. Some say it was stronger than iron.”
“Wolves the size of a horse, coated in ironwood.” I chuckle. “Sounds like Mother Nature wanted someone dead.”
Tree Hugger shakes her head. “It wasn’t Mother Nature. It was a punishment from Meadowbrook.”
“Oh, really?” I knew the cow would have some skeletons in her closet. “And who did she punish?”
A small family of four, all followers of her. They were technically the first settlers of Cleomare.”
“What do you mean, technically?”
“Well, they built the first farm there, but by the time they planted their crops, food became scarce for them. They spent a lot of money on the construction, and what little they had left ran out quickly, leaving them with nothing to feed themselves. The father of the family traveled to Ceryneigh through the Everfree and begged for money or food, but the first days of winter had already arrived.”
“Yeah, not the best season to be generous with food.”
“Indeed. The father grew more and more desperate, until he finally caved in and tried to rob one of the local butchers.”
“Good idea. Meat’s easier to preserve in winter.”
Tree Hugger shakes her head. “Robbing anyone is never a good idea. He got caught by the butcher and had to fight him over the meat.” Tree Hugger lets out a sad sigh. “And accidentally killed him.” I share her sentiment, but I know the gods don’t mind small murders. “As if that wasn’t bad enough, the father was unable to unlock the door to the pantry. So, at the end, the only things he had were a starving family, a dead body, and butcher’s tools.”
Tree Hugger looks down, clearly upset about what she just said, and when I make the realization, I feel my lunch trying to escape my stomach.
“Yeah, that was my reaction when I first heard the story.”
“Did the family know?” I ask once my stomach settles.
“No. The father never mentioned the origin of the ‘meat’, so his family ate it completely unaware. Meadowbrook was as disgusted as you, so she cursed their food. Over days, tiny sprouts of ironwood grew painfully from their bones. The pain and visions of the dead butcher turned them mad until they were nothing more than beasts. The sprouts eventually covered their bodies completely, becoming the first and last Timberwolves to ever exist, and they abandoned the farm to hunt food in the Everfree Forest. Since Ceryneigh was the closest settlement, they were attracted to it, but Luna kept them at bay, so they always howled to the moon in defiance.”
“Okay, so that’s a horrifying story. But does it connect to the Apple Farm's magic? It isn’t the same farm, right?”
Tree Hugger shook her head. “When the first Apples settled in Cleomare, they heard about the family’s fate and burned what was left of the old, cursed farm, praying to Meadowbrook for her favor in their attempt to settle their own farm. Unknown to them, the smoke of the fire attracted the Timberwolves. They closed in on them at night, during a full moon. Granny Smith was the one that saw them coming, moving as a pack with murderous intention.”
“How did they survive?”
“A thunderstorm took the skies, blocking the full moon, and right in front of Granny Smith’s eyes, a huge bolt of lightning with colors of rainbow fell on the beasts, burning their hardened wood and flesh till even the bones turned to ash. Granny Smith swears on her apples that she heard a sound of relief coming from them before they perished.”
“Wait, rainbow-lightning?” I ask, my jaw hanging.
“Yeah. Pretty weird, huh?”
Yeah, no shit. That’s the signature of Harmony’s magic! No wonder the farm has leftover magical residue.
I spend the rest of the journey questioning Tree Hugger about any details of the event and whatever she could tell me about ‘Mother Nature’ and what abilities the Apples had displayed. Apparently, increased strength was one of them. Both of Apple Bloom’s siblings were strong enough to lift trees with just one arm. Another thing was that Granny Smith had a lot of weird rituals when she cooked the apples that supposedly added to their taste, freshness, and shelf life. In Tree Hugger’s case, she was able to ‘connect’ with nature through its ‘vives’ or whatever.
This all brings a lot of questions. Were the apples grown in the farm also magical, at least to some extent? Had they been spreading magic around? Are Tree Hugger’s ‘vives’ something that only exists in the Apple Farm, or is it that they’re just stronger in that place in particular?
And more importantly, why did Harmony, of all the gods, decide to intervene?
If Twilight heard about this, she would be hyperventilating by now.
I wonder how she’s doing.
“Sadly, this is where we part ways,” Tree Hugger says as she stops the cart. “Good luck in your mission.”
“Thank you,” I say with a smile before jumping down to the road.
“Are you considering going back to the farm?”
“I first need to solve this issue, but after that… I won’t say no for now.”
Tree Hugger smiles. “Either way, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Same.”
She whips the reins, and the cart starts moving away towards Molorcolts, leaving me alone on the road once again.
Somehow, it doesn’t feel as bad as the first time.
I should really get a tent if I’m going to keep traveling on foot, sleeping on the ground is going to kill my spine. Other than that, I’m starting to get used to it, and even if this road goes through the middle of nowhere instead of a beautiful forest, it’s still pleasant to travel.
“How’s everything going?”
I jump to the side, startled by the sudden appearance of someone at my side, but I see it’s just Wallflower. “You need to start wearing a bell.”
The goddess scratches her arm under the cape. “Sorry, it isn’t really voluntary.”
I stare at her.
Did a god just apologize to me?
“Did you get help in Cleomare?” she asks, walking at my side.
“Uh, yeah. I got more food and a ride that saved me half the journey.”
Wallflower smiles. “I knew you could do it.”
“Thank you?” I say, unsure of her intentions. “What were you doing?"
"I went looking for Trixie. I wanted to hear her side of the story."
I wince at the words. I didn't lie, but Trixie can surely paint everything in a worse light. "And what did she say?"
Wallflower starts counting with her fingers. "That you were rude, and bitchy, and impatient, and ungrateful, and-"
"Okay okay, I get it!" I shout, throwing my hands in the air. "I should've been kinder and all that shite."
"You've a really short temper, you know?" she says with a smile.
I'm about to insult her, but that would only prove her right. "I'm working on it."
Wallflower studies my face for a second. "Wow, you're really good at lying."
"Oh, bugger off."
To my surprise, she starts laughing. "Sorry, I rarely get to tease anyone."
Her words give me pause for a few seconds. "You're lonely?"
Wallflower scratches her arm under the cape. "I mean, technically I'm always with my followers, but it's very rare to talk with someone more personally."
"But what about the other gods? I thought you and Luna were friends or something."
"No. She was more of a mentor for me. And the other gods don't like each other a lot."
My eyes go wide. "Wait, really?"
"Well, The Pillars are close. Not as much as Luna and Celestia. Cadence is friendly, but she prefers to do her own thing in the world and almost never visits The Pantheon. The rest just… Well, Tirek alone is a lot to handle." Wallflower looks at me, studying my reaction as she asks. "Sunset, why do you hate gods so much if you know so little of us?"
I clench my fists. "Because I know they don't really care about us."
“And you were going to be different? With the ones who followed you?”
“If they had been loyal, yes!” I shout.
“And what about the ones who didn’t follow you? Or follow others? What about them?”
I stop and turn towards her, getting right in her face. “What about the ones who don’t follow?”
Wallflower moves away from me, her eyes wide.
Now I’ve intimidated a god. Soon, I’ll be famous.
Then the goddess’s eyes drop down, and she says nothing.
“Well?” I insist, even if I know perfectly well what the answer is.
Wallflower looks at me, her tired eyes showing a hint of a deep pit of regret hidden behind them. “I hope you find a better way to change that.”
I open my mouth to speak, but I freeze. That was not the answer I was expecting.
I turn to the road and start walking faster, trying to leave her behind. I don't care if it's petty or childish, but I’m not in the mood to talk right now.
Wallflower doesn't leave, but also doesn't catch up to me. She's following behind. Probably waiting for me to talk again.
Well, she can wait all she wants.
My trip has turned into a contest of patience, and I'm afraid I'm losing. It’s been three hours already and the goddess keeps following me, saying nothing, but I know she's just waiting for me to say something or do something or… I don't know!
My feet hurt and my legs are tired, but I can't stop to take a rest because that would inevitably lead to a conversation. I try to take my attention somewhere else, but there's nothing around us, just the sound of my footsteps and… wait.
I turn around, look at Wallflower's long cape that reaches just an inch above the ground, and open it with my hands.
Wallflower's feet are suspended in the air, not even close to the ground.
"You cheating nutter!" I exclaim. So that’s how she always sneaks on me!
"What? It's easier than walking," Wallflower excuses before covering herself again.
My eye twitches. "Easier than… you're a god! Walking shouldn't be a difficult task for you! Or are you just incredibly lazy?"
Wallflower rolls her eyes and stops floating, her feet hitting the ground, her cape shortening so it doesn't drag on the dirt. "There. Happy?"
I just look down at her.
"What is it now?!" she asks, though a bit of red in her cheeks shows that she knows what I'm about to say.
"You're short." Like, a full head shorter than me. It was the reverse with Luna, and Celestia's even taller than her. All gods are portrayed as taller and more imposing than any mortal.
Wallflower frowns at me, looking more adorable than angry. "I can make you smaller than a doll if I want to," she threatens.
I can't help but laugh. "Great! Then you can carry me in a pocket till we arrive at Nemarea."
Wallflower pulls her hand out of her cape and is about to cast a spell, but I quickly grab it with both hands. "I was being sarcastic!"
"I wasn't," she answers with a cocky smile.
I frown, not wanting this miniature of a god getting more sassy with me. "Wow, your hand is very soft," I say, hiding my smirk when the goddess pulls her hand away instantly.
"Trixie was right about you," she says with a put before sighing and calming down. "Do you have a plan for when you face the changeling?" she asks, changing the subject.
That's a good question. I was going to start planning when I arrived at Nemarea, but I could get something out of this. Like a…
"Can you give me a weapon?"
Wallflower seems surprised by my answer. "You're going to fight it?"
"I don't think it'll just go away if I ask nicely."
Wallflower tilts her head to the side. "Really? Have you tried it before?"
I look at her with genuine confusion. "Was that some sort of god joke I'm too mortal to understand? Or are you really suggesting that, the moment I see a dangerous creature from a time before I was even born that has a reasonable grudge with humanity and can easily tear me apart, I just raise my hands in surrender and convince it to leave its home by just asking politely?”
“I’m impressed by the number of assumptions you managed to cram into one sentence.”
I frown. “Can you give me a weapon or not?”
Wallflower sighs and moves her hand to her hair, digging her fingers into it before pulling out an abnormally large daisy. She hands it to me, and I accept it without saying anything.
“How do I use it?” I ask, doubting that she would just give me a flower as a joke.
“When your life is in danger, it’ll turn into a sword that you can wield,” Wallflower explains. “Do you know how to use a sword?”
“I can practice on the way there,” I assure her, securing the flower to my armor.
Wallflower slowly shakes her head. “If you really end up fighting, it’s better that you know how to.” She pulls both hands out of her cape, and places them at the sides of her mouth before whispering. “King Sombra, I have a request for you.”
Suddenly, right in front of Wallflower, a figure appears. A tall, muscular man with long luscious black hair, who had piercing red eyes that could only be described as ominous. However, the most notable feature of this man is that he seems to be… vanishing?
His body and his pants ─the only clothes he’s wearing─ are slightly translucent, and some parts become completely transparent for a few seconds, like he’s some sort of ghost.
“Forget-Me-Not,” the man says with a gravelly voice, bowing to Wallflower.
“Forget-Me-Not,” the goddess responds before pointing in my direction. “This here is Sunset Shimmer. I would appreciate it if you taught her how to keep herself alive in combat.”
The man, King Sombra, looks up and down at me with those red eyes, and I can't help but feel unnerved by his gaze. “She seems capable of being a strong warrior. I shall instruct her to be such.”
“Thank you, Sombra,” Wallflower says. “I leave her in your hands.”
“Anything for you. Forget-Me-Not,” he says, before Wallflower disappears into flowers.
Sombra looks at me again and speaks with a more commanding voice. “Have you ever been in a fight before?”
“Never,” I answer quickly as he walks around me, still studying me with his eyes. I can't help but find his glare intimidating, even if he’s not showing any anger.
“Then just a sword may not be enough.” From out of thin air, a round, convex bronze shield appears, and he throws it at me.
The shield was as phantasmal as him, but when I caught it, it seemed to become solid and heavy. I secure the straps to my left arm and pull out the flower, which instantly grows even larger in size. Its stem becomes thick enough for it to function as a handle, and a steel blade of decent size springs from the center, with the petals working as a guard.
“Let’s see if you can make a stance. Place the shield up and close to your chest, sword at the back and ready to strike.” I follow the instructions as best I can, and, after Sombra informs me to make a few adjustments, I get a good stance. “The guard of your sword doesn’t protect your fingers, so keeping your sword back is preferable than losing them. Now, your shield must be close to you when defending, protecting that half of your body from any attack. The other half of your body will need to be protected by parrying with your sword. If your opponent attacks your legs, you’ll need to retreat, so always be ready to move. Good footwork is essential.” He demonstrates this by standing in front of me, copying my stance perfectly. “When you attack, you expose your arm, so you must protect it with your shield. They need to move in unison.” He moves his arms, pretending to slash forward, and I copy the movements. “Good. You’re quick to learn.”
“Thank you,” I say with a smirk, doing the movement again and again, trying to memorize it.
“Let’s see how well you can defend.” Sombra once again summons a weapon from thin air, in this case, a massive bearded axe of darkened metal. There are various carvings along the blade that I manage to recognize from books about the Thracetral Empire, a thousand years ago, meaning this guy’s definitely a ghost of the past. Though if I recall correctly, the Thracetral Empire never had a king.
I’m so distracted with my own thoughts that I almost miss the massive axe coming for me from above, and I raise my shield to block it. The impact alone almost sends me to the ground, but my legs manage to absorb most of the blow and keep me standing.
Sombra pulls the axe back. “Against a weapon that can easily overpower your strength, a direct block or parry would be ineffective and potentially end your life. Try and deflect it, either by making it scrape off the front of your shield or pushing it away from your body with your sword. If either are impossible, move back and be ready to counter.”
He repeats the same movement as before, and this time I place my shield diagonal to my body, so when the blade impacts, the curvature of the shield redirects the blow away from me and into the ground, leaving him exposed.
I take the chance and throw a counterattack by striking with my sword in a vertical swing, but his left arm moves extremely fast, and his fist hits me right on my wrist, sending a shock of pain through my arm that makes me drop my sword. Not missing a beat, Sombra then hooks my feet with the blade of his axe and pulls, sending me to the floor.
“You can neutralize your opponent's attack by stopping its momentum,” he says as he helps me stand back up, surprising me with how solid his body feels despite how ghostly it looks. “You also shouldn’t lose track of where your opponent's weapon is and how they can use it against you.”
“Noted,” I say before grabbing my sword and taking a stance again. Combat seems more complicated than I thought, but I’ll learn it.
Sombra smirks, lifting his axe again. “I like your spirit.”
We continue practicing for about an hour, with me ending on the floor after each spar, but I’m getting the basics of it. Once I’m unable to stand back up, Sombra disappears, leaving the shield behind for me, and I’m left to rest till the next morning.
After another day of walking, and one more session of sparring with Sombra, I finally see the port city of Nemarea up in the distance, and more importantly, the start of a little trail of blue flowers.
Wallflower mentioned that they would guide me to the cave, so I strap the shield to my arm and start following it, watching my surroundings in case the changeling left some sort of trap.
As I make my way to the cave, I start forming a more solid plan of action. Changelings can take the form of your loved ones, but all my loved ones are dead, so that shouldn’t be a problem. The problem is that they can also take the form of different creatures, so I may end up fighting a wolf, or a lion. Maybe a bear. Another thing to consider is that I’m entering their lair, which means that they’ll have the home advantage, and I doubt I can trick them to come out to face me, given they’re creatures that live off lying and deceit.
After about an hour of feeling like I’m walking in circles, I see a small opening in one of the hills, right where the trail of flowers ends. I run up to it and check the entrance. It seems to be a pretty straightforward tunnel into the center of the hill, with no signs of life except for a faint green glow at the end.
I set all my stuff outside of the cave, and take out the flower, which instantly turns into the now-familiar sword. I take a deep breath, moving my arms and legs to loosen them and stretch, extending the time before I need to enter the cave and face whatever’s inside.
I shake my head and move forward. I can’t turn back now.
I make every step as silently as possible, walking with my shield up and my sword back, ready to attack whatever decides to come towards me, keeping my ears open for any sound of movement, but everything is eerily quiet. There’s no sign that something lives here other than the glowing-
Suddenly, that little light at the end of the tunnel vanishes.
I turn around, ready to bolt for the exit, but the entrance of the cave also disappears, and any source of light I had with it.
Then I hear it.
The grinding of rocks.
“No. No no no.” The cave is moving. “This can't be.” The cave of a changeling is moving. “Please no.” But a normal changeling can't shape rock at will.
Suddenly, the rock in front of me opens, and a green glow lets me see her.
Sitting on a throne of hardened slime. Twice my size. Wearing green tunics and boots that showed off her muscular body. With skin as dark as obsidian, green snake-like eyes, and long sea-blue hair that parted around the two jagged horns of the crown that Celestia supposedly kept as a trophy after defeating her.
The queen of the changelings.
Chrysalis Hiveblood.
“I’m dead,” I whisper to myself, but there’s nothing to do now other than face her, so I move forward.
The queen isn’t threatened by my presence. In fact, she’s just absentmindedly reading a book in her hands, not even looking in my direction.
“Another warrior looking for glory,” the queen says, her voice echoing around the cave. “Surrender your love to me and you may leave with your life.”
“I- I have no love for you to steal!” I shout, trying to feel brave as I take a fighting stance.
Chrysalis looks at me, and I feel her eyes piercing my mind, searching for something to take from me.
The queen smiles. “Quite the contrary. You've got a lot of love for someone in particular.”
I shake my head, trying to clear my mind. “For whom?”
Chrysalis points behind me. “Her.”
I suddenly feel two big, clawed hands grab my shoulders, and throw me against a wall with immense strength.
Instead of an impact, the wall opens into a wide, rectangular chamber that has small green pyres in each corner keeping it illuminated. I land and roll on the rocky floor, groaning in pain before standing up.
Something big steps inside the chamber before the wall closes behind it.
Not something. Someone.
Someone as tall as the queen. Armed with sharp claws and fangs. With skin red like blood. Black eyes with a sapphire ring in the center. Bat-like wings growing out of a burned copy of my leather armor and tunic. And blazing hair just like mine.
A demonic version of myself.
And on top of her head sits the Crown of Magic.
“Hi Sunset,” the demon says with a chilling grin. “What a disappointment you’ve become.”
"What? I don't get this joke," I say as I raise my shield.
"Is the idea of a magical construct too much for you?" The demon asks, tilting its head. "I thought we were smarter than that."
I shake my head. "I get what you are! But why do I look like that?"
The demon laughs. "Because unlike you, I won." It says, pointing at the crown on her head.
My eyes widen. "No. I wasn't going to-"
The demon lunges at me, and with a strike of its claws, tears my shield to pieces. "Don't lie to yourself." I try to attack it with my sword, but it catches my arm with ease, its hand holding my entire forearm. "We knew the risks of meddling with this kind of power." I try using my other hand to pry open its fingers, but its strength is many times greater than mine. "But what complaint could we have? We wanted magic, and I got it tenfold."
"But not like this. I wasn't going to become a monster!"
The demon tightens its grip on my arm, and I hear my bones crack. "Oh, please. Being human doesn't hold a candle to having this kind of power. The power to change the world to follow our rules. Wasn't that the whole point of it?"
I keep trying to free myself from her grip. I need to escape, somehow.
The demon sighs, shaking its head. "Sunset, you know how we get when people don't listen to us."
Everything becomes a blur as I'm suddenly lifted into the air until I impact painfully against the ceiling. Before I can register the pain, the demon pulls me down to the floor with even more strength, then flings me against one of the walls.
As my body bounces on the rock, the pain finally registers, and I scream louder than ever before in my life. I land on the floor, and when I try to stand up, a new shock of pain travels through my right arm. Looking at it, I notice that it's slightly bent in an unnatural way, and it's quickly starting to swell and show spots of blue under the skin.
"You… you broke my arm!"
The demon grabs me by the hair and lifts me up till we're face to face. "And?" I clench my left hand into a fist and try to hit it in one of its eyes, but I miss completely when the demon pulls me away from it. "Oh, wouldn't we enjoy having Twilight like this? Hearing all those useless apologies she always spouts before silencing them forever?"
"I would never do that!" I shout at its horrible face.
The demon gives me a wide, sharp-fanged grin. "You lie. Because I would. And I'm you."
"You're not me!" I scream. "I would never kill Twilight! Or anyone else!"
The demon lets out a short laugh. "Yes, yes. We had morals and all that shite. But the curious thing about acquiring this kind of power is that you realize a lot of things about yourself that are just… irrelevant." It lets go of my hair and grabs my head with both hands, her clawed thumbs pressing against my skin, dangerously close to my eyes. “We were such a fragile little thing. Starved for attention and affection. Maybe a hug will make you feel better.” It presses me against its torso and places one arm around my back, then the other.
I struggle against its embrace, trying to break free, even if it’s futile. The demon just laughs at my pathetic attempts and starts hugging me more tightly. I scream as I feel my bones crack and break and the air escapes my lungs.
Right before my ribcage fully collapses, the demon lets go, and I fall on the floor. I try to take a deep breath, but I’m forced to let it out when a burned boot hits me right below the ribs.
Now that I’m back on the floor, I notice that the entire bottom of the room is covered by a magical pink mist, and I realize that this chamber has been sucking out my love since the start, preparing a banquet for the queen.
The demon leans on its knee, digging its heel deeper into my guts. “Do you think she regrets it?”
“W-what?” I ask, looking at those black eyes that stare into my soul.
“Begging Meadowbrook to save you,” it answers casually.
My blood runs cold. “Shut up.”
“Do you think she would’ve preferred to save dad instead?”
“Shut up!” I shout, trying to break free of its boot.
“Or maybe just herself?”
I try covering my ears, but I can only move one arm. “Please.”
The demon leans forward till our noses touch. “Would they be proud of you?”
Tears start running down my face.
“Would they be proud of me?” She asks with a huge, toothy grin.
“No… They wouldn’t…” I say between sobs. “Why would they? You’re a monster.”
The demon laughs. “And I’m you.”
I feel the last remnants of love start leaving my body, but holding desperately what I still have, and with what strength I’ve left, I shake my head. “You said it yourself. You’re what I could’ve been. And I won’t make that mistake again.”
The demon frowns. “You’re right about one thing.” It lifts its boot, holding it right above my head. “You won’t make another mistake ever again.”
As the demon pulls its leg back, my brain’s survival instinct reminds me of two words that may save me.
“Chrysalis Hiveblood!”
The demon freezes, its boot mere inches from crushing my face.
I hear the rock move, and soft steps approaching me.
The changeling queen stands next to the demon, the pink mist of love seeping into her, and looks down at me. “You know my name?”
I try to answer, but my body has had enough. I’m too tired, and breathing is too painful to get enough air in my lungs.
I manage to say three words before consciousness leaves me.
“It was… genocide.”
I wake up, still in the cave, feeling weirdly sticky. I take a deep breath, and to my fortune, it doesn’t hurt as much as before. Looking down at myself, I notice that almost all my clothes have been removed, and an orange slime has been applied to my wounds and over the broken bones.
“What is this?” I ask, touching it with my finger. It feels pretty warm.
“Royal jelly,” Chrysalis answers from her throne, just a few meters in front of me. “It’ll help heal your wounds.”
“Thank you,” I say as I sit in the block of rock the queen had made so I could rest.
Chrysalis closes her book and leans back on her throne, looking at me. “Since you know my name, could I know yours?”
“I’m Sunset Shimmer.”
The queen lifts her head, thinking. “I don’t recall a name like that. How were you able to know who I was? Did Celestia confess to you?”
“No. It was another god… Wallflower Blush, The Forgotten Goddess.”
The queen takes a moment to think. “Another name I’m unaware of. Was this goddess the one that sent you here?”
“Yes. She said that I would need to face a changeling to atone for my crimes.”
The queen frowns. “How would killing me help you with that?”
“I… don’t think I was supposed to,” I admit with shame. “She never said that I should kill you. She even hinted at just asking politely that you leave the cave.”
Chrysalis chuckles. “It would have worked. If my lair is discovered, there is no point in staying. Hundreds would come to try and slay me. I would’ve even thanked you for the warning.”
I cover my face with my hands. “I feel like an idiot.”
Chrysalis shakes her head as she laughs. “You’re just inexperienced. You remind me a bit of myself during my younger years. Cunning, ambitious, thought that I could bend the world to my whims. That's why, when I became queen, I wanted to expand the hive to the rest of the continent."
“But Star Swirl stopped you,” I say with a sympathetic smile.
“He wasn’t the first,” the queen confesses. “Halfway through my expansion, two women stood against me. A warrior and a diplomat. Cadence and Luna."
I lean forward in my seat. "What were they doing there?"
"Cadence wanted to stop my shadow war and asked her adoptive aunt for help." Chrysalis smiles at the memory. “Luna was working on her ascension at the time and was a powerful warrior. She faced my army alone and fell enough of my troops that I decided to grant her niece’s wishes.”
"She was the diplomat, I assume?"
"Yes. She had heard of our need for love and considered it a curse that could be cured. She came to me and offered to help find a solution to our nature. At the time, I considered it an insult. Thought myself too smart to have failed to see another solution to our need for love. But they managed to change that."
"How?"
"When diplomacy started failing, Luna realized that my ego was my weakness and took a gamble. She challenged me to one-on-one combat. If she won, I would accept their deal. If I won, they became my prisoners." Chrysalis was grinning now. "We fought for an entire day, and despite our injuries, neither of us would go down. But while we fought, Cadence was busy spreading her ideas within the hive."
"Wow. I didn't know the goddess of love was into skullduggery," I say with a chuckle.
Chrysalis laughs. "Neither did I. But by the time Luna and I decided to call it a draw, half of the hive was convinced that we could find a new way to gather love. So, after one more night, I accepted the deal."
My eyes widen. "Wait, what?"
"I accepted," Chrysalis says with a shrug. "I canceled my plans, released prisoners, returned lands we had conquered, and worked with Cadence to find a cure for our curse."
"But then… Why did Star Swirl…"
Chrysalis sighs. "Cadence meant well, so did Luna, but the truth of the matter is that you don't invade half of a continent without doing things that many would consider horrible. Star Swirl hated us. Being the God of Knowledge, he doesn't forgive any kind of lie, and we were creatures born to deceive others. So, when we lowered our guard, he made all our crimes known and declared us enemies of humanity." Chrysalis' hands gripped the arms of the throne tightly, making cracks in the hardened slime. "Thousands of soldiers marched against our hive, with dozens of warriors seeking to ascend. Celestia was one of them."
"It’s said that she killed you."
"She was about to. But Luna stopped her." I see a tear running down Chrysalis’ cheek. "She and I had grown close since our battle."
"What?!" I exclaim in disbelief. All of Ceryneigh would lose their shit if they heard about this!
"She was the one that finished convincing me to try to change the ways of the hive. And every time Cadence came to help, Luna and I spent some time together. Many of them in my bedchambers."
I do my best to not imagine the queen fully naked. "So… Celestia let you go?"
“Yes. But by that point my hive had been destroyed. And I never saw Luna again.” Chrysalis looks at her book, sliding her fingers against the cover. “I’ve spent the rest of my life searching for any remains of my hive. Making sure they’re safe.”
“How many have you found?”
“Four. They’ve successfully adapted to human life thanks to Cadence’s efforts. But the risk of being discovered by Star Swirl still remains. So none of us can be at peace.”
I look down at the floor. “I’m sorry. I...”
“I know. And I’m sorry for your loss too. And for using it against you.” Chrysalis lifts her head to look me in the eyes. “It was really impressive, you know? Many who enter that chamber and lose so much love for themselves end up accepting death. But you managed to persevere.”
“I guess I’m too stubborn to die,” I joke, and Chrysalis smiles.
“I hope you’re not too stubborn to learn from your mistakes. And mine.” She rises from her throne, grabbing her book. “Can you walk?”
I jump down from the block of stone and carefully extend my limbs, but I don’t feel any pain. “I can.”
“Good. Get dressed and head to the exit. It seems a friend of yours has been waiting for your return.”
“Friend?” I ask, but the queen just walks away, morphing the rock around her into a tunnel to the outside of the hill. I quickly dress myself and follow her, with the by now dry orange jelly on my body breaking and falling apart as I run.
When I’m finally outside, I see a black and green crow flying away, and Wallflower standing just a few feet in front of me.
“You succeeded,” the goddess says, trying to smile. But her eyes are focused on my previously broken arm.
“You… saw all that?” I ask, pointing behind me.
Wallflower scratches her arm as she walks closer to me. “I did… and I’m sorry… you shouldn’t have to go through that.”
She looks like she’s about to cry. For me. Why? “But it was a punishment, right? You tried to warn me, and I didn’t listen. It was part of the test… wasn’t it?”
Wallflower shakes her head. “I knew it could happen. But I didn't want it to. If you failed, then I failed too.”
I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Wallflower keeps proving to be different from all the gods I know. Or maybe she isn’t. If Luna can have a relationship in secret, what other things aren’t they sharing with their followers?
Was… was Celestia also worried during her tests?
“You could stop with these labors,” Wallflower says, looking me in the eyes. “You could just go back to Cleomare and live at the farm, or wherever you want to go. You've proven yourself enough for me.”
Going back to the farm? Pick apples for a living? I don’t think I’m made for that. “No. I’ll continue. I need to make up for what I did.”
Despite how sad she looks, Wallflower smiles. “Yeah. You’re better.”
I let out a long sigh. “If I was, I would’ve realized-”
“They don’t hate you.”
I freeze completely. “W-what?”
“When that demon used your parents against you, I searched for them in the underworld. They...” Wallflower takes a deep breath, having difficulty talking. “They were sad about the path you chose, but they know you can do better. And I concur.”
My body starts to shake. I don’t know what to say or do. I never thought I would hear from them again. How long have they been looking? How much do they know? I-
Wallflower hugs me, and as I feel her caring embrace, I break down. I hug her back almost desperately. Letting myself cry out everything I’ve been holding for years into her shoulder.
I’ll do better.
I’ll make things right.
I promise you.
Next Chapter:
Third Labor: The Sirens,
Fun fact: This chapter was based on Hercules's first labor, The Nemean Lion
Fun fact2: Originally, this chapter's was going to be named The Demon
Chrysalis Hiveblood.
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Still remains most curious indeed. Backstory! A whole lot more of it is coming too, I feel.
10848308
Well, there's still seven more labors to complete
I love this story so much so far, can't wait for more
10848488
Glad to hear it. There's a lot more but it'll take a while. Chapters for this are very long
10839555
Considering this seems to be going in the direction of sunflower especially with it being in the contest , I'm thinking its gonna be her being related so celestia or someone else.
I was definitely expecting some decently bad atrocities since yknow, this is based off the Greek pantheon but holy damn a whole extermination of a species? Thats like the holocaust on steroids and coccaine god damn.
I like Wallflower here. She's a very human Goddess. A very hidden Goddess with a good head on her shoulders. Sunset's great too. Your setting her growth up well.
Is Wallflower Persephone aka Dispoina aka Kore?
10849008
I'm happy to hear it! They'll both grow a lot during this story.
Yes, she would be Persephone, but her backstory is different.
Since i hoped Wallflower was Sunset blood mother, i am really sad than she had both mortal parents.
although why didn't you said directly than she wasn't ?
This was a good chapter, the "make love not war" (literally for Luna and Chrysalis) idea made sense with MLP ideas, while having the extremely messed up parts fitting to greece mythology, also, a deity fighting a powerful foe in a duel while a other cause chaos in the camp of the ennemy is so fitting, i wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened at least once in greek mythology.
10849728
Yeah, sorry. It's always surprising what theories readers come up with, that's why I don't want to straight up deny things and just let it be known in the story.
Also thank you! I'm trying to mesh the two cultures together so hearing it worked for Chrys Cadence and Luna makes me happy.
And yes, I'm sure some Greek hero pulled something like that
10849740
it was mostly because i really wanted Sunset being a actual demigod and being Celestia daughter was too easy and Celestia killing her own daughter would be a grey area about how sure it would be.
Honestly, the timberwolves being initially a starving family who's father made them ate human flesh is really something i could see in greek mythology, thief+murder is already a big no no,but cannibalism always held a special place in the "things who will make you suffer" on the greek gods list.
Also (and please answer to my previous post as well) is there deities who had actual demigods childrens ? If the story somewhat follow canon in terms of relationship, Cadence will have her daughter Flurry Heart with Shining Armor, but except that ?
10849745
That was actually based on the Greek version of the werewolf curse. Some bastard tried to feed human meat to Zeus and got cursed.
And Sunset's fully human, but there are ways to achieve Godhood
10849773
i know this story, lycaon gave meat of a human (one of his guests if i remember, as he really had a problem of killing his guests) to Zeus because he wanted to be sure if it was Zeus, and Zeus wad offended and disgusted by it and so killed his sons and turned Lycaon into a werewolf in punishment.
all those kings giving human meat to gods really were dumbs.
And i know than there is ways to achieve godhood, it was said many times.
I still liked the idea of her being the real deal (demigod that is) rather than some wannabe like Trixie who was liked by one.
Also, i liked the idea of Sunset being the child of the forgotten goddess due to the irony.
10849762
There will be at least one, not counting Flurry. That's all I'll say.
In this world Godhood is earned more than hereditary
10849799
i actually only thought about demigods instead than directly gods.
I wanted to know if it already happened than they had actual childrens before, because while they are MLP characters, they are also inspired from greek gods, and not having actuals demigods in this world seem weird.
10849780
Oh Trixie isn't a demigod. A demigod is much more powerful than that. Not even Sunset with the crown would be, it was the first step.
And Sunset being Wallflower's daughter or even Celestia's is a good idea that i could've chose to go with were this story different.
And yeah, a lot of curses happened because people was stupid enough to try and fool the gods
10849818
I am confused, because since Trixie is a adoptive daughter of Luna but isn't considered a demigod, there's seem to be a rank of childrens of gods, what are they ? Do gods have blood childrens alongside their adoptive ones ? Since demigod is (logically) the child of a deity with a mortal , the fact than even with the crown, Sunset would had been far from being as strong as a demigod make me wonder about all of it.
Also, did Sunset lost her magic ? And did Celestia (before Sunset treason) intended to make her one of her "daughters" ?
10849811
That must be one of the biggest changes from the Greeks since the origin of the gods is very different in this story.
10849828
i know than the basic idea is than powerful mortals, through hardships and proofs of value, compassion, or any good and impressive (both) things, can become gods (like MLP with the alicorns), but still, i find weird than they would only choose persons as their childrens and not do the deed to have ones who are their flesh and blood.
10849827
It is said daughter, but isn't literal. Having an actual child of a god is pretty rare in this world because of the detachment between them and the mortals. (Just see how Sunset mentions that Wallflower appearing in her temple was basically impossible to imagine a god doing)
Trixie would be a mage so to speak.
Tree Hugger and the Apples have magical traits but don't have a direct connection.
Sunset didn't lost her magic, she never had magic to begin with, that's why she wanted the crown.
As for Celestia's intentions with Sunset, that's something for a later chapter to explain.
10849855
So what about the demigods you talked of ?
And what are Trixie and her "siblings" title as the adopted childrens of Luna if not demigods ?
I called Trixie a wannabe demigod precisely because she wasn't actually the child of Luna and before you explained it to me, i assumed the gods "childrens" were automatically named demigods.
also, i said adoptive daughter when i talked of Trixie, so reminding me than it isn't litteral wasn't necessary.
i hope than the 10 trials will merely be the introduction of a bigger story, the idea is too interesting for end after Sunset redemption.
Is peace and love going to be the only way to deal with situation ? I hope not, Sunset kicking asses is always good, ruthless Sunset (although not a cruel one) who can kick asses is better.
10849872
Demigod would be a mortal or such in the last stages of becoming a god. The only thing they would need is a large enough following, and the approval of a god.
Trixie and siblings like her are people that the gods had taken under their wing as sort of apprentice or just someone they consider worthy of welding magic related to them. They can become gods, if they want to and prove themselves.
Also, sorry if I repeat myself, I'm just trying to be clear.
10849913
so why do the gods call them their childrens ?
Also, how old was Trixie when she was taken under Luna ?
the description of the "childrens of the gods" fit Sunset and Twilight for Celestia honestly.
10849911
If things go well, I'm tempted to do more with this world. There're other characters that could be the protagonist of their own story, and maybe even do the past of the other gods or maybe Chrys and Sombra if people are interested.
10849918
Because they consider them such and don't have children themselves.
Sorry. In seriousness, that will be talked about later.
It does.
10849922
i hope it will stay focus on Sunset.
She is literally the only reason why i am here in the first place (and than i discovered many great stories with her as the protagonist and in human form).
Is there a chance of Sunset taking care/adopting (either as her sibling, child or merely pupil) a child ? I feel like Sunset taking care of young and having the person as someone she is a parental figure of would be interesting.
10849933
So, does it meant Cadence have adoptive childrens ? It will be akward once she have flurry heart.
I asked this about Trixie because i wonder if the gods also adopt their "childrens" when they are actual childrens or even toddlers, i find very sweet the idea of a baby Trixie being found by Luna and becoming her children like this, it could explain her arrogance (since she would had been raised by Luna instead of merely be taken under her and teached by her) and also why Trixie was so mad at Sunset because the title of children of a deity wouldn't be a mere title but something actually true (although not by blood).
10849957
Not all gods have adopted mortals, or consider them as such.
Also, you're right. Gods and their "children" are usually very close and protective of each other.
10849965
but did it happened than gods did it for actual childrens or even infants ?
More fascinating stuff. Tree Hugger demonstrates that the gods don't have a monopoly of power... which leads to an interesting and very dangerous question: What came before them?
Meanwhile, we see more of Wallflower's abilities in action. She truly does seem to be the goddess of the forgotten, forlorn, and unconsidered. That covers wildflowers as much as warrior-kings lost to history. And with Sunset, well, she's facing some very hard lessons about the price of the callousness she would've shown had she grasped divine power before she was ready for it. (Which leads to more dangerous questions about the gods, really...)
Also, Sunset's got her armaments from the cover! I wonder how many of her labors will actually need her to use them.
Loving every moment of this. Looking forward to more.
10850151
i think than what was before them was simply pure, wild magic.
Which make me wonder about Discord.
Also, this thing about the Wallflower as a goddess of the forgotten kinda remind me of how the ones who lost wars became bound to Ares who could in turn gave their loyalty to his childrens in percy jackson.
It is some really creepy and powerful stuff.
Also The Sleepless Beholder, is Tirek sort the god of war and dark magic ? Since he is one of the gods.
And even if there is already a deity of magic, there can be a other, Ares and Athena were both the Olympians deities of War, with Ares being the for the more brutal part, and Athena for the most subtle.
10850288
No, that would be Flash Magnus, who would be the Athena kind of god of war.
10850151
A very good question that will be answered in the future.
Happy to hear it because I want to do much more
10850307
so, that meant there isn't a god of war like Ares ? Make sense since equestria isn't as messed up as good ole earth.
Tirek is the god of what ? I asked about if he was the one of dark magic, and you didn't answered.
I've been waiting for you to update this! I'm glad that you decided to continue, I was wondering if perhaps you had decided not to. But this chapter length more than makes up for it. There's lotsa really good Wallflower-centric stories on this site, but currently, yours is the only one that's updating/ongoing, so I was alittle eager for an update.
And what a story it is!
You have mythology! You have world-building! You have intriguing plotlines and twists and character developments!
I really like your depiction of Sunset here! She starts out just as she does in the series, an overly-ambitious brat, but very cunning and deceitful. But she's slowly changing her ways (and through difficult, lengthy trials, rather than with a ten-second rainbow-laser), while slowly exposing the underlying good intentions underneath that originally led her astray, so she can find a better way of accomplishing those goals with Wallflower's help.
And I really like your depiction of Wallflower here too. She's still such a mysterious enigma, but also obviously powerful at the same time (though extremely reluctant to use those powers). She's got confidence issues, even though she's a god and has been doing this for awhile, but those issues aren't debilitating for her and she doesn't think of herself as worthless or useless, as is depicted in some fics, and wouldn't match the story setting here.
She's humble, which throws Sunsets for a lark every time she encounters it. This will probably be very meaningful for their relationship going forward. Wallflower's proven to be more "human" in character in just a few days, than all the other gods have throughout the whole of Sunset's life. Whereas other gods will never be willing to admit to mistakes or will proclaim themselves infallible, Wallflower is the exact opposite, which will be extremely appealing to Sunset, who knows that gods are, in fact, fallible, and really no different than humans, except for their power. And Sunset hates the idea that beings just as fallible as her and other humans should get to wield that power and then pretend like they earned it. Since Wallflower basically openly admits this, she sets the tone and foundation for dealing with Sunset honestly and openly, which Sunset will come to greatly appreciate as the two will eventually help to balance each other.
I'm honestly surprised that Sunset wasn't more shocked at the news that gods weren't omnipresent. And that she didn't recoil in shock upon realizing that she had literally touched Wallflower (a god), and even had removed part of her cloak! Then again, I guess it shows just how familiar they're getting so quickly, and how equal Sunset sees Wallflower (although, at this time, that may not be a good thing, since Sunset may use it to intimidate her, rather than see her as a true equal yet), since I doubt she would have dared to ever touch Celestia in such a manner.
You depictions of Tree Hugger and the Apple clan were great to read (you're one of the few to ever cast Tree Hugger in a positive, insightful, light)! Your depiction of Chrysalis was intriguing as well, and I though the shouting of her name and the use of the term genocide to get her to stop the attack was very brilliant and an excellent plot twist just at the climax!
Though, I wonder what Chrysalis's impressions/questions for Wallflower will be now that she's met her?
Your grammar is okay overall, but there are some areas that need improvement. Luckily, it's not enough to affect the readability of the story as a whole.
Wait, this was the second trial? What was the first? Reaching Wallflower's temple?
Now even more eagerly awaiting more!
10850314
There isn't "dark magic" just misused magic
10850340
so, Tirek is the god of what ? It was that my question, the ideas i gave were merely ones who i thought made sense for Tirek.
10850339
This just made my night
Yeah, it was mostly for the length of the chapter. I want that each contain one of the labors and everything that happens in between, so they'll be very long.
One of the things I had to think really hard before even starting this story was how to portray Wallflower. As you said, portraying her like in other stories wouldn't have fitted her role in this setting. I'm glad (and relieved) that it seems to be working well.
You're also right with Sunset getting familiar with Wallflower. Since she acts so human and so unlike the gods Sunset knows or have read about, she's starting to see her in a more equal ground, even if she doesn't realize.
And yeah, touching Celestia like that wouldn't be Sunset's first idea.
Happy to hear that! There will be more of them in the future, and maybe Sunset will stumble upon the two missing members of the Apple clan.
Thank you! Those were two things that Wallflower discretely pointed out as important to Sunset so she could remember them later in case things went south.
There may be a chance for that in the future.
Yeah, that's always one of my worries because I still can't fully grasp the English language,
Yes. More specifically, it was to test if Sunset would willingly try and atone for her crimes. She could've just ignore Wallflower's proposal and try some other way to achieve power.
And I hope to deliver! The third chapter should bring some more interesting topics to the story.
10850361
You could wait for the story to reveal it, but if you really want to know.
He's this world's version of Hades.
Well, to be fair, I think Sunset's original intention wasn't so much as try to atone for her crimes, as it was to use Wallflower as that "some other way" to achieve power. But Wallflower has already given Sunset an opt-out, telling Sunset that she could just live on the farm and that Wallflower considers her forgiven and is proud of her (which, by the way, I think was one of the highlights of the last chapter and really shows how different Wallflower is from the other gods), but Sunset refused. However, I think that now Sunset, while still wanting that power, will try and not directly use Wallflower through deceit and cunning, to gain that power. I think she actually respects Wallflower too much for that now.
Sunset refused not only because she wants power, but because she wants to go through the trials and earn the power.
Which, actually, is a major revelation for Sunset anyway, since she's never really respected a god before, but merely respected (or aspired for) their power. But not the gods themselves. Until now. And only Wallflower. So now she might still use Wallflower's help to achieve power, but she won't use Wallflower.
And even then, I have a feeling that by the end of the story, even though she may achieve power, it'll be a different power than what she expected, and she'll use it far differently than she ever imagined. But then again, you're the author, so only you'll know for sure. 😉
10850407
since hades is one of the most chill and fair gods, i hoped Tirek wasn't his sort of equivalent, since this would fit the more judeo-christian narrative about hell to have Tirek as Hades equivalent
I suddenly realized something. The book that Chrysalis had been holding, the one in the art at the end, is that a reference to something?
i just thought about it, but does the EQG world still exist here ?
10850709
Yes, but it's something between me and a friend. An old art i did for them.
10850731
I don't know what you mean exactly
10850792
I meant does is there a world without magic, with principal celestia, vice principal luna, etc on the other side of a magic mirror ?
10851113
Ah, no, this world has both sets of characters mixed together. (but there aren't two Trixie's, Twilights' etc)
20 points for grammar (the highest you can receive).
20 for plot (very good plot).
9 for creativity.
5 for romance.
And 7 points for writing style.
61 points out of 100