Sunsets Shattering

by 719276

The Dye is Cast (Arc 0)

Experience declares that man i the only animal which devours his kind; for I can apply no milder term to the governments of Europe, and the general prey of the rich on the poor", by Thomas Jefferson.

It was a bland day at Villes High School; the students were getting ready for summer break, the seniors were talking about what they wanted to do next, and an unnoticed fight had taken place in the magic dueling ring. “Let's cripple them with one blow," thought a bacon-haired Elven girl named Sunset Shimmer as she shaped the Quelle stored inside her soul to emit blinding blue flames on both her hands and feet. Before her ten assailants could even begin to ponder their first move, she launched herself into the air using a massive blast from her leather boots before using the fireball emitted from her hands to blast the three fellow Emitters class Mages onto the wall before the Abjuration class mages could react. Using the force from her attack, she expertly shifted her fall towards the illuminated walls of the arena, allowing herself to parkour off of them using her Quelle-enhanced muscular legs to leap over the enhancer-class magic light blade, and decked her in the face with a Quelle enchanted punches as blue flames emerged from her hands and set her opponent on fire. "If my opponents in the tournament are even ten times as gifted as these jobbers, I should sweep the tournament.", thought Sunset, grinning wildly with bloodlust.

Before she could continue her train of thought, three Emitter class mages quickly came from behind their Abjuration class brethren. Each of them extends their arms toward Sunset, and solid white ice erupts from their hands. Sunset fiercely counters by launching an enormous plume of blue fire from her fists; the two elemental forces collide near the center of the area, causing a magical backlash that causes the ground beneath them to shake like the voice of an angry god. A cloud of magic-infused bellowed out from the epicenter, covering the entire area and obscuring the vision of all inside. "Rule 20, stir up smoke to catch an Elf. ", Sunset recalled with a predatory grin before using her Quelle-enchanted, toned legs to leap far to the left of her opponent, and she slammed her fist into the ground with great force. With a burst of transmutation magic from her arms, a great stone wall rises from the ground and cuts the dazed Emitters off from the support of the Abjurators. The startled Emitters disband in fear and panic, allowing Sunset to begin her assault on the Abjurators with impunity. With surgical position, she jumps toward the wall to parkour off of it and allow her to score a Quelle-Enhanced kick to the back of the middle Abujartor, breaking his back and throwing him into his girlfriend on the right. To her credit, the Abjurator on Sunset's left had a better fight then flight response and attempted to smash Sunset in the face with a fist full of conjured Magma, only for Sunset to catch the attack with one arm and punch her in the gut with the other.

" Well, let us mop this up quickly now!" proclaims Sunset boisterously as the fog clears. Her eyes darted across the bloody arena to find her prey; she took stock of the broken bodies of her opponents sprayed all across the area, like a brutish tapestry, the air sizzling with fresh magical excess, and the burnet marks covered the areas like an intricate tattoo, yet, she could not find her opponents with her sight or sensory magic. Much to her dismay, she quickly surmised that her three friends had bolted out the front door as soon as they saw the chance.

" If I knew there would be a spectacle in the magic dueling ring, I would have gotten popcorn.", commented an all too familiar voice to Sunset Shimmer.

" Principal Sunburst! ", Sunset exclaimed as she whirled around to see a middle-aged Elven man with fiery red hair and goatee, sun-tanned skin, and an aquatic blue gown. As Sunset gazed into the principal's face, she saw a smile as warm as the summer sun, yet eyes told of the sorrow of a stormy sea. Sunburst's demeanor was as still as a statue yet as soft as a pillow when he began to speak.

" Your performance was quite impressive indeed.", continued Principal Sunburst, taking no heed to Sunset's surprise as she looked at the broken bodies of her proteges' opponents struggling to get off the bloodied floor.
" I had notified the school hospital before the joust began, made sure not to cripple any vital organs, and..." Sunset hurriedly explained before getting cut off by the principal.

" I am well aware of your safety precautions.", the principal says understandingly but firmly as he watches as nurses from the school hospital take away Sunset's foes to get medical attention. " I merely wish to talk."

" May I inquire what you want us to talk about so suddenly?" Sunset questioned.

" Do you think you even have a one percent chance at winning the tournament to become Princess Celestia's student.", Sunburst questioned with the bluntness of a bag of bricks.

" If my opponents in the tournament are even ten times as gifted as these jobbers, I should sweep the tournament with ease.”, replied Sunset jokingly, with a line that seemed as rehearsed as actors as she went to take a shot of whiskey that she had placed off to the side of the room.

" You have never faced the best that imperial nobility can offer, Sunset. There is a reason why they and not the common folk rule this realm. The most powerful nobles of the empire will stop at nothing to prevent a person of common birth from rising to the rank of the Princesses prized pupil; I should know Twilight Velvet saw fit to give me a “permanent reminder to know my place”, spat Sunburst in uncharacteristic bitterness before unbuttoning the bottom half of his shirt. There was a massive cut across the middle of his body akin to that of a broken porcelain plate. “I survived the fight, but barely, and only because Velvet did not put any effort into her attack.”, he finished before buttoning up his shirt.

" Look, I understand the Nobles of this nation would seethe in hatred and rage at the idea of a low-born such as me becoming Celestia's student. I am looking forward to their opposition; it would make my victory all the sweeter when I drink their tears and end their corrupt rule. ", Sunset retorted. In her eyes, there was fire hotter than even her flame magic. Albus could see it. Her demon was as rock hard as her muscles gained from years in harsh conditions of poverty. Her grin was fierce, portraying more a hungry predator than a civilized high elf. Even her magic radiated more conviction, will, and sincerity than anyone Sunburst had seen in his life; “Well, nearly anyone.” Sunburst corrected himself.

" Excuse me, my lady.", interrupts an enormous elderly dragon with a white tuxedo. The draconic creature had broad shoulders, dark gray scales, and dull yellow eyes. Despite his massive size, he had a slightly hunched and frail posture.

" It seems that your train to the capital is ready, Sunset.", Sunburst quickly ascertained.

" About time. ", Sunset remarked, half excited and half anxious for the journey, as she walked toward the butler sent to escort her to the train.

" One last thing. ", Sunburst says, causing Sunset to whirl her head back. "Be careful of Twilight; I heard she was even stronger than her bitch of a mother was at her age.".

" She sounds like the type of elf that could finally give me a good challenge. ", Sunset replied in a half-serious, half-joking manner as she exited the door with her escort, much to the chagrin of Sunburst.
_______________________________________________________________________

"Madam, would you like my help to load any supplies, books, or games onto the train for you?", inquired the Dragon.

" No thanks.", Sunset briskly replied. " Any training materials that I have would be far inferior to those Celestia's college for gifted mages itself would provide. Video games or books would only be distractions to my training."

After a long period of tranversing the blood-stone red hallways of Villas Academy, the duo comes across a massive black door. It was old and rusted with pieces that had fallen off with time and age. Two carvings of magic beasts were fighting on separate sides. On the right side was a graceful, armored, serpentine dragon with angel-like wings and obsidian claws. On the left side was a large and beautiful phoenix with detailed feathers and what appeared to be blazing flames surrounding its body. Paying little heed to the detailed doorway, Sunset threw open the door on the left side with monstrous strength.

The smell of industrial fumes and urban decay assaulted Sunset immediately after exiting the high school with her guide. The school was located at the top of the city's tallest hill at the epicenter of the municipality, allowing everyone to see their home in all its decrepit shame. Towering plumes of smog, akin to that of an active volcano, rose from the shoddy and half-working factories as the rings of clashing steel and industrial accidents filled the air. The schools' bright reds, blues, and greens were replaced with a sea of charred black and rusted orange.

"The train should be there.", Sunset's Draconic companion informed her as he pointed toward a small glowing red dome next to the police station and red-light district. From where Sunset stood, it looked like a tiny red ruby in a pile of ash and trash.

With a growing sense of anticipation and excitement, Sunset and her helper descended the cracked marble stairs of the school and toward the burning pit of misery Sunset called home.

As Sunset moved down the city, she could testify that an up-close look at the streets she grew up and survived in did not make them look any better. The streets were filled with the blood of the poor and pollution from the factories they worked in. Attempting to distract herself from the utterly tragic state her city was in her mind wandered to other, more trivial matters.

“I never got your name, or who you are a servant to.”, Sunset stated suddenly.

“My name is Thorn, and I am a servant of House Burgundy that was gifted to help with this tournament.”, replied Thorn with an air of boredom. “I have, in essence, been lent out by the good lady Velvet to help escort the lucky 1,000 that have the opportunity to train in the best school in all five empires and participate in this new tournament.”

“House Burgundy?”, Sunset Shimmer said as her interest peaked. “Do you know anything about Twilight Sparkle and her capabilities as a warrior?”

To that question, Thorn suddenly stopped near a nightclub, and his body became as rigid as someone who got shot. "I ... have not been able to interact... much with lady Twilight the younger due to my low station", spoke the Thorn slowly and softly as if not to awaken the dangerous beats of the void. "However, ... as my son was given to Twilight to act as her assistant, I did see her once when trying to reconnect with him."

" What was she like?", Sunset asked inquisitively: looking for information she could use in the battle against the lavender prodigy.

"God-like..." Thorn muttered: his voice barely above a whisper. " Evey adept mage has a distinct feel to their aura. Yours, for example, feels like a bonfire, half in control and half raging, while the Elder Twilights aura feels like a deep, dark ocean. Twilight Sparkles' feels like peering into a black hole itself; It is void of all warmth, emotions, dreams, and life that none can escape. Such is the might of her time magic that I doubt even Celestia herself could stop her once she reaches her full potential. "

"Surely you jest!", proclaimed Sunset, who found the idea of anyone surpassing Celestia laughable.

" I do not.", Thorn replied solemnly.

While the two were standing by the nightclub, discussing the powers of Twilight Sparkle, a dangerous delinquent was lurking in the shadows, waiting for his opportunity to strike.

" Time magic would make Twilight Sparkle very hard to hit, but she should not be able to avoid the large AOE attacks I can output. My fire magic should be able to output enough energy to overwhelm her; I need ...", Sunset argued before sensing a small, fast creature attempting to grab her wallet. A less vigilant elf would have gotten robbed right there, never noticing their wallet was missing until it was too late, and the thief had melted back into the crowd of people around them. However, Sunset was born and raised in these dangerous streets and thus was careful enough to keep her sensory magic active at all times despite the magic drain, which allowed her to catch the attempted thief by their hoodie. Unfortunately, the elf was whom she had expected, a child. The little boy was 3 feet tall, half her height, and looked as if he had been stuck in a coal mine all his life, with soot and dirt smeared all over his face. Sunset was reminded of her childhood, often having to steal money and take food from dumpsters to survive before she got a job at twelve, which made her older than most of her fellow workers.

" Do you have parents", Sunset asked the boy, her voice dripping with sympathy as he tried fruitlessly to pry off Sunset's very toned arms. After an awkward silence for all involved, the child became too tired to continue his struggle and slowly nodded his head. "I see...", Sunset said with understanding as she reached out from her wallet and put 600 dollars' worth of money into the boy's hand. "Do you see that big castle up in the sky?", Sunset asked as she pointed to her school atop a hill in the city's center. The boy quickly nodded his head as he looked toward the same school. " In the school, there is a kind principal named Sunburst. He will take you in as he took me in if you come to him. All you have to do is tell him I sent you and that you have nowhere else to go. " After fully releasing her grip on the boy hoodie, the child quickly ran towards the haven that Sunset had pointed towards.

“Are you sure you should have let that delinquent roam free.” inquired Thorn. “He did just try to rob you.”

“He is just a hungry kid. I know what it is like to be forced to steal and scavenge to survive. The conditions for people like him are probably even worse than what I had to endure given the welfare cuts to pay for all this.”, stated Sunset as she waved to the Mech parts being produced in a nearby factory.

"We can agree to disagree.", replied Thorn, trying to get them to the train on time.

They finally arrived at the red shield bubble that housed the train station. Behind the shield, there were a dozen imperial soldiers. They had bronze and black armor with a helmet covering their face, silver rifles in hand, and decorated laser blades in their tactical belts. Thorn approached the red shield and flashed a golden card at the guards. Seeing the card, one of the guards used their shield magic to deactivate a small portion of the magic shield. Flushed with excitement, Sunset quickly dashes into the terminal.

The train is sleek and modern; it has a smooth metallic surface, magnetically propelled tracts, and a bullet-like design. The locomotive stood in stark contrast to the city around it, which was rusted and falling apart at the seams.

" Your seat is F-20 which should be in cart six; it will be at the end of the train. If you need me, I shall be in cart four.", remarked Thorn as the two stepped inside, and both went to their rooms. The interior was as modern as the outside, with crimson carpets, large dragon wood tables, and three chandelier lights in every compartment. Going to her seat, alone and without the mental distraction that was talking to Thorn, Sunset Shimmer began to think. Her mind was now preoccupied with that little orphan boy she saw on her way to the train. He was poor, dirty, and starving. In nearly every way that mattered, besides gender, he was a replica of herself when she was a kid. Except, she reminded herself, the boy would likely not gain the magical power she had cultivated to rise out of her poverty. While she knew that the good principal Sunburst would take care of the boy, there were thousands more creatures like her and that boy, and the good Samaritans of the world wouldn't be able to save all of them from starvation or worse. Suddenly, she felt a burning fire, a thousand times hotter than her own, erupt in her chest as she sat on her seat. However, instead of burning her to a crisp as fires tend to do, it reinvigorated her and granted her newfound determination.

" Mark my words Twilight.", Sunset spoke in a hushed tone too low for the other passengers to hear her. " Despite holding no ill will to you personally, I will defeat you in this tournament and take the first step in my journey to helping this decaying empire.

Comments

[Ratmandango]

Interesting concept you got here, liking the set up you are doing for Twilight and the idea of her using Time Magic. Looking forward to more.

[Brony9216]

Reading the description, the idea sounds interesting. However, it sounds dangerously grand for a first story. Do you have prior writing experience?

[DesertDragon79]

Die = dice singular, dye is a pigment used to color things.

[Khampostel]

wow, if that denotes being a story that seeks to be serious