Sunset in the gods

by red-sun

Act II – Fallen Gods – Chapter 11

"Again!". A little unicorn with a red mane shouts.

“I'm really trying.” Says a pink alicorn.

"Are you sure? The only thing I'm asking you is to drink water from the glass while you walk, it's simple."

“But I can't, it's difficult when I walk.”

Sunset levitates a glass of water and drinks while she levitates another glass which she fills with more water. “What is difficult? ”

“Sorry, I wish I was as talented as you.” Cadance notices Sunset's angry look. “Sorry, I forgot I wasn't supposed to say that... can't you think of anything that could help me?”

Sunset does a breathing exercise that Cadance had taught her to calm down. Sunset might never admit it but those breathing exercises had helped her a lot with her temper problem. “I made sure you didn't drink any liquids all day to help you.”

Confused, the alicorn asked. “How does making me thirsty help?”

Sunset sighs knowing that she will have to explain herself. "One of the methods to control magic is desire, you must incorporate your desire into magic by controlling it, that way the magic will come to life." Sunset levitates the glasses and sets them down neatly on a table. "But managing to control magic through desire is difficult to achieve at first."

“But I have seen foals use levitation without problem.”

“It's because they started with an early education that is practically natural, you and I weren't raised by unicorns, and you were a pegasus raised by earth ponies that's why we couldn't understand the magic at first anyway... It is as if an adult fish grew legs and had to learn to walk.” Sunset uses her magic to take out a jar of water and pour it into the glasses. "For that reason I told you not to drink water all day, to reinforce your desire to quench your thirst and the magic can flow more naturally."

“So when I wish for something I subconsciously direct desire to my magic?”

“In essence, if you manage to learn to control a simple unconscious desire, you will be able to handle more complicated things.”

“Complicated things? Like what?".

Sunset thinks for a while. “Like taking notes while having a tea party with the princess.”

"Are you taking notes while we have our tea parties?" Asked Princess Celestia, who had just arrived.

"...maybe?" The filly answers nervously.

“You know we have these tea parties so you can relax from your studies?”

“It's not my fault the talks are about magic.”

“Actually, it is your fault.” Celestia responded while Cadance couldn't stop laughing when she saw Sunset blushing with embarrassment.

---

PRESENT

Aria and Velvet were looking at Sunset who was sitting while she tried to absorb energy from the mass of aura from the place where she pointed out Applejack.

“So she does the same routine every day?” Aria asked.

"Yes". Velvet responded. “Your Majesty, she always tries hard but…”

“When you say it that way it's because there is a problem.”

“I still feel my magic inside me and I try to assimilate the energy of this world so I can use my magic.” Sunset sighs. “It would be easier if I still had my horn.”

“And have you made any progress?”

“A little, look at this.” Sunset points her hand towards a rock and the rock begins to levitate and squeeze until it turns into dust, which surprises Aria a little but then Sunset's fingers start to bleed.

“You better stop, it seems that using magic will hurt you.”

“Let me help you, Your Majesty.” Velvet reaches out to clean the blood from Sunset's fingers.

“Thank you Velvet.”

“Does that happen very often? Aria asked.

"At first nothing was happening to me, but the more powerful the magic I try to use, the more it seems to put pressure on my body and sometimes I faint, that's why Velvet accompanies me."

“I am only doing my duty to help, Your Majesty.” Velvet says as she finishes cleaning the blood off of him.

“Does she also know where you are from?”

“Velvet knew from the beginning and then some people ended up finding out.” She says as she remembers the little encounter in the mines. "You told me that you and your sisters kept a little of their magic."

“Somehow our gems separated from our bodies when we came into this world, which allowed me and my sisters to sing to cause chaos.”

“Can I see the gem?”

"No... and even if I wanted to show it to you it would be difficult, many times we almost lost our gems so we had to take drastic measures."

“What kind of drastic measures?” Sunset asked with a bit of curiosity.

“Maybe one day I'll tell you... or maybe I won't.” Aira responds as if it were an unpleasant memory. "But about your method of gathering energy, I haven't seen that type of training in centuries, the griffons used it a lot."

“Do you know the griffons' method of magic?”

"I wouldn't say I know it but I've seen it in action, it doesn't produce as much magic as unicorns do but those creatures knew how to use it in a more practical way... It's curious, that method of absorbing energy is similar to the method of the aura masters, did a griffo magician teach you?"

“No, unfortunately there are no griffon wizards left... I was raised in griffonstone by my grandfather Gruff.”

“That sounds like a griffon name, were you an orphan adopted by griffons?”

“Grandpa Gruff told me that his son found me when I was still a baby... although Grandpa Gruff has never told me the whole story.” The ex-unicorn responded seriously. “But returning to another topic... could you teach me how to use the aura? Discord only teaches us the little he knows, I don't even think it's the basics and from what I notice I'm the one with the least talent for that."

"Forget it, pony, I'm a demon, I have no idea how I can teach you that, believe me, I tried... or to be more precise, we tried...". Aria noticed Sunset's look which she interpreted as her wanting a better explanation. “I hate explaining complicated things. At first I and my sisters believed that we were of the same race but no, Adagio is a goddess of the water faction and Sonata is a human, when we found out that we were different species we tried to learn their respective powers, but we could not use the power of another.”

“Your sister Sonata, could you teach me?”

Suddenly Aria started laughing and after calming down a little she responded. "She is no good at teaching, she once won the right to found an aura school, when I saw her again some time later she told me that it didn't go very well and I have no idea where she is now."

"Because? Don't you have any kind of contact? They fought?"

“My sisters and I always fight, it's just complicated that we're all together... as you already know, demons don't get along very well with gods and humans. When we came to this world and encountered any race that caused... some misunderstandings and at a certain point we realized that if the three of us stayed together then sooner or later we could die."

“So they are not separated because they wanted to.”

“No, no one liked the idea but it had to be done, we took advantage of the first demonic incursion to mingle. Adagio is arrogant so she had no problem mixing with those gods and Sonata was a fool but humans were also fools so she didn't have so many problems, as for me... I am not going to deny that I somewhat enjoy living in a trival society of demons, I even formed my own clan. Furthermore, we can still communicate with our songs despite the distances, after all we are mermaids and also every time there was a demonic incursion we could meet again."

“So you participated in all the demonic raids just so you could see your sisters?”

"Yeah". Aria responded proudly.

“And you have no problem with the demons finding it strange that you live almost a thousand years?”

"Not many, a demon has a life expectancy of two hundred years but I learned that ancient demons lived for thousands of years. Adagio suggested that I spread the rumor that I had the blood of ancient demons and the problem was solved. The gods were a little easier since they can live as long as they can develop their divine powers, the stronger their powers are, the longer they live. With Sonata it was a little more complicated since a human does not live that long but they say that an aura master knows methods to maintain good health although I have no idea how".

“Finish cleaning your wound your majesty, it is not a wound you need to worry about but the amount of blood you are losing is worrying.”

“Thank you for your concern Velvet.”

Aria sighs after the interruption. “Anyway, I don't think I can really teach you anything useful…” then the conversation stops when Sunset, Aria and Velvet see the Limestone leading a Pinkie Pie carrying a stick and she was blindfolded.

“Hey Limestone, why is Pinkie Pie blindfolded?” They then notice that Limestone covers his sister's ears.

“Someone got caught in one of our animal traps, it seems like an intruder and Gloriosa asked us to deal with this problem.” Limestone responded.

"An intruder? Why didn't they inform me? Sunset asked.

“No one bothers you when you are... the truth is I don't know what you do but no one interrupts you when you do it.” Limestone said referring to when Sunset trains.

Sunset decides to accompany Limestone to see what exactly is happening and Aria follows them. “This could get interesting.” Aria commented.

"Velvet returns to camp". Then Sunset remembered. “Limestone still hasn't told me why Pinkie is blindfolded.”

---

“How long do you plan to leave her like this?” Fluttershy asked. “Don't you think she's a little cruel?”

“How long has she been like this?” Applejack asks Flash Sentry.

“I think she's been hanging for like fifteen minutes.”

Applejack remains thoughtful for a while. "Let's give her fifteen more minutes.” She said with a smile.

“This is so humbling!” shouts Diamond Tiara, who was hanging upside down after setting off an animal trap.

“Why do you enjoy seeing a poor girl tormented?”

Flash explains to Fluttershy how Diamond Tiara liked to bother the slaves in the mines. “Do you still feel sorry for her?”

“I guess I feel less sorry for her now, but it doesn't mean they should leave her that way!” Fluttershy replied.

"I guess we can't leave her like this forever." Shining Armor says. “Listen little one.” Shining Armor speaks to Diamond Tiara. “Could you tell me, how many are coming with you to capture us?”

“No one has come to capture them! Just get me down from here and I'll explain everything!” Diamond Tiara couldn't stop screaming.

At that moment Sunset, Aria, Limestone and Pinkie Pie had arrived at the place and Applejack gagged Diamond Tiara to stop her screaming.

“Isn't that Filthy Rich's daughter?” Sunset asks surprised.

“In flesh and blood.” Limestone responded. “Have you given any important information?”

When Applejack was about to answer, she noticed that Sunset was accompanying her. "Also you also came for the 'game'." Applejack said with a smile.

"The game?". Sunset asks curiously.

"You will see". Limestone also said with a smile. “Pinkie, do you remember the piñata I promised you?”

Pinkie squeals with joy while she is still blindfolded. “I knew you would remember!”

“So that's what blindfolds were for?” Sunset said without understanding what was happening.

When Pinkie Pie raises a stick to hit the 'piñata' an arrow shoots straight at Pinkie's head but Aria grabs the arrow before it hits Pinkie's face, then everyone is on alert for a possible enemy.

“I feel like death was about to hit me in the face...! Sorry, just my nose is itchy.” Pinkie Pie says.

“You saved my sister's life, thank you.” Limestone tells Aria gratefully.

“It wasn't my intention,” Aria responds with indifference. “Now let's see who the other guests are.”

“I can ask you kindly to release my Master and then we will just continue on our way please.” From behind some bushes someone appears pointing an arrow at Pinkie. “We didn't know this was her territory.”

"Maybe I would have accepted your request if it weren't for the fact that you decided to try to kill instead of explaining the situation first, but now..." Aria pulls out a knife and holds it to Diamond Tiara's neck. “I want to ask you to drop your bow and surrender.” Everyone is tense at the moment until...

“APPLEJACK!” Another girl's scream was heard.

“Apple Bloom?”

“SISTER I FOUND YOU!” Apple Bloom runs and hugs Applejack. Both sisters cry from the emotion of the reunion.

“How cute, I have no idea what's going on but it's so cute.” Pinkie said while she was still blindfolded.

---

After Apple Bloom explains the situation and how the three had met, they still had to decide what to do with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

“So you came all this way to get to know me better?” Sunset asked Diamond Tiara.

“It's a little more complicated than that but yes.”

“Wow, it looks like you have an admirer.” Discord says since he also joined the conversation.

“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked.

“I came to tell you all to prepare, in a week we are going to move the camp... but who is our guest?”

“Her name is Diamond Tiara, the daughter of the one she was in charge of the northern mines.” Twilight responded. "We were thinking about what to do with them since they brought Applejack's sister and we are grateful but since her father is someone powerful he may be looking for her, I guess we can leave them here before he moves the camp." Twilight responded.

"No!" Diamond Tiara said. “Do you know how much it cost us to find you?”

“I'm sorry but you are a risk.” Sunset says. “Your father is a very influential man, he could be looking for you now and that would put everything in danger, he could even ask the gods for help.”

“I can be useful, I can…”. She was thinking what to say. “I can help take care of the place.”

“How would you do that?”

“Look.” Then Diamond Tiara materializes her weapon. “I am an aura user.”

"SOLD!" Discord shouted.