Sunset in the gods

by red-sun

Act II – Fallen Gods – Chapter 12

On the shore of a calm lake, some little girls looked at the group of humans sitting on the ground with closed eyes as if they were meditating.

“How long do you think they will last?” Scootaloo asked.

“The last time it lasted about two hours.” Sweetie Belle says.

“I don't know how long they'll last but my sister isn't very patient so I think she'll be the first to complain again.” Apple Bloom commented.

“How long am I supposed to be in this position?!” Applejack yells.

“My butt hurts from lying on the ground so much!” Pinkie Pie complains.

“I can't take it anymore! Why do we have to sit on the floor?! “Can’t we sit on a chair?!” Flash Sentry yells.

"Do any of you understand the training we're doing?!" says Shining Armor. "I'd rather swing my sword and do physical training!" .

“I have no problems with training... and neither does Your Majesty.” Twilight commented.

“This is going to get too complicated.” Timber sighed as he watched the scene.

It had been two months since they moved the camp and Diamond Tiara had agreed to teach what she knew about the materialization aura. Some complained, others accepted it but the decision had already been made.

Discord had explained to Diamond Tiara how little she knew about the aura and the type of training Sunset and the others had. Diamond Tiara scolded Discord telling him how bad he was doing and Discord defended himself by saying that Pinkie Pie learned... partially. And Dianond Tiara responded. “Well, if you had taught her well, she would have learned it in half the time.”

Diamond Tiara knew that she was not yet a teacher as such but at least she could teach them what she already knew and for that she would have to make big changes in the training regimen.

---

“Can't they understand the training?” Diamond Tiara says bewilderedly.

"Yeah". Shining Armor answers. "I understand that the training is to sense and control the aura carefully. But everyone is already at their limit.”

“Tell me, how were you guys training before?”

“Discord told us that the little she knew was that she knew we had to constantly train the body. When a bone is trained it becomes harder. When a muscle is trained it becomes larger and stiffer. The heart and lungs work constantly, increasing work capacity and increasing oxygen in our body, which helps attract the aura when we do the meditation exercise.”

“I'll tell you the same thing I told Discord... they're doing it wrong. I'll explain to you, what Discord knows about aura training is half..." Diamond Tiara said frustratedly.

“So what's wrong?”

“What's wrong is that it's the second half of the training, not the first.” Shining Armor is surprised by the girl's response and she decides to explain. “Physical ability has its own limits. No matter how hard you train your bones and muscles have a limit, it could be said that when you reach a certain physical state, training the body is no longer necessary.

"But how? In any fight the most reliable thing is our physical condition.” Then Shining Armor notices a slight smile on the girl.

---

Diamond Tiara gathered everyone who was training with the aura.

“I have received some complaints that we are not comfortable with the way things are being done, that they should go back to physical training.” The girl noticed that everyone was paying attention. "You! Come here!". She orders Big mac. “I want to ask everyone... what is the difference between the two of us!”

“Besides size and muscles? I have no idea". Limestone responded sarcastically.

“Hit me.” Diamond Tiara says to Big mac.

Everyone is surprised by the girl's request.

“Nope.” Bigmac responds.

“He won't hit you, grandma taught him very well not to abuse physical force.” Applejack says.

“Don't worry, nothing will happen to me.”

Then, after thinking about it a little, Big Mac hits the girl's stomach hard, but he ends up hurting his fist. When Sunset saw that she remembered the attack Filthy Rich received when he fought with the goddess Chrysalis.

“This is a basic aura technique to strengthen the body, this technique was invented by Rockhoof after the first demonic incursion.” Diamond Tiara says.

“Actually he had already invented the technique but he started teaching it later.” Aria interrupted.

“Unless you saw him use the technique in the first demonic incursion, I would prefer that you not interrupt.”

“I saw it, I was there to see it.” Aria responded.

The girl was still not used to seeing demons. Her father had told her stories of how her grandfather fought against demons and rebel aura users during the Stygian Revelion. Some were very different from what her father told her.

Ignoring what Aria said, Diamond Tiara continues explaining. “This technique is relatively simple, you just have to accumulate aura inside yourself and that's it, the best of all is that at the same time you can improve your own aura management…” then she looks at Applejack. “You, Apple Bloom’s sister.”

“I have a name.”

“Whatever come and sit here.”

Applejack pays attention and sits on the floor then watches as Diamond Tiara places both of her hands on her back. "What are you doing?"

“Shut up and focus! I try to make you understand how to do it! All who have mental vision, observe carefully!”

Sunset gets a little angry about not having mental vision because she notices that most people can see what is happening well.

“I found out that most of you didn't know why you had to sit on the floor... the answer is that when you are sitting on the floor you can absorb more aura.”

“Do we absorb the aura through the butt?” Pinkie asked.

Diamond Tiara paused at Pinkie's question. “To be precise, you can absorb the aura better when you are on natural terrain.” She responded to Pinkie. “Apple Bloom's sister imagine the aura gathering in your hand... can you feel it?”

Applejack reaches out and looks at her hand. “Yes... it feels so natural and...”. Then Diamond Tiara quickly takes a stick and hits Applejack's hand hard causing the stick to break. "What happens to you?! “Why did you do that?!”

"Did it hurt?"

Then Applejack noticed that he barely felt the blow of the stick. “It didn't hurt…” She says surprised.

“Remember that sensation and continue meditating.”

While everyone is back to training Diamond Tiara heads to Sunset Shimmer. "We can talk?"

---

“Who taught you that form of meditation?” Diamond Tiara asked. “Was it your mother?”

Sunset tried not to be surprised by the question because she didn't know anything about the Celestia of the human world, for Sunset she was a stranger. “What do you know about my mother?”

"I know that she was the sister of Queen Luna, I also know that during the fall of Canterlot it was learned that she was a master of the aura... which means that I know that in reality you are the legitimate queen of the fallen kingdom of Equestria" . Diamond Tiara smiles widely. “And I thought you were a simple slave.”

“And what gave me away?”

“There is a statue of you in the gardens of Princess Miamore Cadensa, it is difficult not to notice the similarities, but she insists that you are not Sunset Shimmer, she says that you are an imposter. You officially burned to death in a tower during the fall of Canterlot.”

“Let's say half of that is true, but why did you call me?”

“Do you remember Applejack? The reason for that was because I wanted to know how good she is at controlling aura.”

“And?”

“She is a prodigy, in reality she Twilight and the crazy pink girl have incredible talent.”

"How did you realize?"

"What I did with Applejack was just to confirm it but I knew because I used mental vision, of all those who meditated, the three of them could absorb aura in a better way than the others."

Sunset didn't know why Diamond Tiara was telling her that, it's like she was trying to make sense of everything. “Why are you telling me that?”

“You have no talent... when they meditate a large amount of aura is stored in their bodies, enough to materialize things of great size, but you... because of the amount you have, I would say that you could barely materialize a knife, although with some effort you could strengthen your body." Diamond Tiara expected Sunset to get angry or at least start a little scandal but...

“So I just have to put in a little more effort?”

Sunset's question surprised her a little. "I suppose so, from what my father told me there were many aura masters who had no talent, but that did not prevent them from becoming powerful warriors. I understand that of the Styjian pillars, the traitor pillar was the one with the least talent." .

“I guess I should thank you for being honest with me... but did you tell me all that to make me give up?” Diamond Tiara just stayed silent until Discord appeared.

“Sorry for interrupting this awkward moment of honesty, but I would like to talk to the bossy girl.”

“No problem, I'm going back to the others.” Then Sunset leaves.

"What do you need from me?". Diamond Tiara asked angrily at the interruption.

“Sorry about that…I heard what you were saying to Sunset.”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“I just don't think it's good to encourage others to give up.”

“So you want me to cheer her on until the end even though the road is clearly a dead end? What would happen if she works hard until the end but all that awaits her is failure and frustration? Will you take responsibility for the consequences?”

“Do you know what was the first challenge I gave Sunset? I told him to escape from the mines. And what did she achieve? She escaped with all the slaves and not alone which could have been easier. If she finds herself in a dead-end street, she does not look for another way out, she creates them.”

“I guess I'm rushing to conclusions a little... is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“I just want to ask you something... haven't you noticed something strange about Sunset when she meditates?”

“So you noticed it too.”

Discord smiles at the girl's response. "I'm not sure if we notice the same thing since the gods can't feel the aura but when the redhead meditates the energy around her changes slightly as if..."

Diamond Tiara interrupts Discord. "Meditation is for the body to absorb aura, it is assumed that by storing it inside we can control it to our liking, although there are talents that do not need that type of training, when Sunset absorbs the aura...

The aura does not stay inside her, it is as if she absorbs it and expels it from her body instantly but..."

"But?"

“The aura she expels is different, as if she were impregnated with whatever is inside her.”

"That's bad?"

"I don't know, but the aura that she expels is also reabsorbed by her companions and I don't know what kind of consequences she will have." Then Discor laughs. "what is so funny?"

"The truth is that I always imagined that that girl would bring some change to the world and she is already doing it in a way that I never imagined, she may not have realized it and I have no idea what is going to happen, aren’t you curious what kind of changes she will bring?” then Discord stops laughing. “Diamond Tiara…thank you.”

"Why do you thank me? I have barely taught them the basics and unfortunately that is how little I know.”

“Because even if you don't believe it, those small contributions can strongly influence the future.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Princess Sunset Shimmer, adopted daughter of Celestia.

If Sunset is an alicorn in this story, then what does this mean for pony Twilight Sparkle?

[red-sun]

11737998
Refers to the human Sunset.