What happens when a Mortal tries to reach the level of a god?
In a game of divine chess, how much does the life and well-being of one pawn matter? In an age of war, magic, and Divine Lords, can even the lowest of Orphans rise to divinity and seize of place in history for themselves? Or, like Icarus, will the Elven Mage Sunset Shimmer plummet into the endless abyss, her wings burnt away by the fires of her ambition?
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.
“Daring ideas are like chessmen moving forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
10 Hours Later:
The Sun had long since committed itself to a long slumber as Sunset was up in the dead of night, watching a documentary created by principal Sunburst himself on the various applications of fire magic. " The most important thing to note of fire magic..." the professor said through muffled and broken audio due to the poor quality of the headphones. "Despite popular conception due to the lack of fire mages with great magical ability, magical fire is not a solely offensive power. The user, not the magical affinity, determines how different types operate. The most prominent example of this is majestic...... ". continued the professor, only to be interrupted by the train comms.
" We will arrive in the capital city of Canterlot in approximately ten minutes. Please get all your supplies and children with you when we stop, and thank you for riding on Monseuir Express."
"That was much quicker than I thought.", Sunset thought as she quickly shoved the phone into her large pockets and began walking toward the fourth Carth of the train. It was not hard to find Thorn. He was the only dragon in a section filled with high-class elves and changelings disguised as elves. It seems many passengers get repulsed by his presence as no elf or changing was seen anywhere near him, leaving him alone to look at his newspaper. The blatant display of racism makes Sunset's blood boil and causes an angry frown to appear on her face.
" Sorry, Miss Sunset, for not paying attention to the broadcast. I was too engrossed in the breaking news. I am so very ashamed of my poor conduct." Thorn apologizes and bows profusely as he notices Sunset Shimmers' angered expression. " It's all right.", Sunset said, her face softening at the dragon's visible distress. She was unnerved by how apologetic Thorn was about a simple mistake. " By the way, what is the cover story about? I haven't had much time to look at the news." " It was about a terrorist attack by the so-called Popular Front at a factory that produced count-class Gundam. ", Thorn replied as he jabbed his claw at a picture of a burning factory in the newspaper.
" Were any innocents harmed? ", Sunset asked with an unusual amount of trepidation.
"No innocents got harmed. However, the attack cost millions of dollars of property damage, and it forced Canlertot to send the royal guard into the Republic of Novgorod to reestablish order in the province.", Thorn explained glumly, as he failed to notice Sunset's small sigh of relief as the train screeched to a sudden halt.
" Have you ever been to the great capital city of your glorious empire? " Inquired Thorn as the doors to the train slowly began to open.
" I never had the time nor money to leave my home city before this point, so my answer would have to be a no.", replied Sunset with a completely neutral and unreadable expression.
" Well then..." began Thorn with a smile and level of mirth that had been absent for the entire time that he had been in Sunset's company. "I am honored to introduce you to the most magnificent city in all five empires, Canterlot. ", he exclaimed as he pointed his claws toward the now-open door.
Sunset thought she knew what a large city would look like; a mesh of large, tall, and short buildings interwoven with sporadic islands of green. Canterlot quickly proved that assumption wrong. The entire area was a cylindrical forest of steel and concrete. The shortest skyscrapers were still 400 feet tall, and the longest was well over 700. In the dark of the night, the city glowed bright blues and purple like many of those deep sea monsters she had heard of online. The metropolitan area smelled as if the very concept of greed got sprayed onto it like a fresh coat of paint. Sunset had always known that Canterlot was the biggest city on this planet, but she had utterly failed to understand its sheer magnitude until now.
" Do you like what you see?" asked Thorn as they and a large flock of upper-class elves exited the train station.
" It is very .... Big ". Sunset eventually let out, still overwhelmed by the sheer size of the mega city.
" Most newcomers say that.", replied Thorn. " The royal palace and university would be deeper into the city and at its highest point. We could walk, but it would be easier to take a teleporting gateway.", Thorn stated as he pointed toward a set of twelve golden phone booths-looking contraptions that were a few meters away from the train. The left side was full of elves, while the right was empty.
"I never used one before, but I saw how to operate them from an online tutorial.", Sunset informed Thorn, having gotten over her shock. "Could I have your card? I can go the rest of the way on my own.", asked Sunset, holding out her hand.
"If you insist.", Thorn replied before giving Sunset a large golden card with lavender stripes. " My master already ordered me to return to her service after escorting you, so I have no more need for the card. I wish you luck on your mission to win and hope you win second place. " Thorn replied before getting back on the train without another word.
Electing to ignore being underestimated, in her mind, yet again, Sunset went into the most leftward booth and swiped the golden and lavender card. Immediately she could feel powerful magic swirl around her as her view of the outside world became a blurry modern art piece, and the sounds of the city got drowned out by a roar as loud as a full-grown dragon. Then there was nothing; no sound, no sight, no thought. For a few brief seconds, Sunset Shimmers' body was no more. Suddenly, the world and Sunset existed again as her body materialized from the aether in a flash of golden light from a teleportation booth inside the royal palace/ university. Most would have been disorientated by having their consciousness suddenly phased back into reality. Sunset was not most people, and she was thus able to materialize into real space without any discomfort.
Opening her eyes, all Sunset could see was gold.
There were great, towering golden pillars, as large as her school's dorms, at each edge of the golden palace. Giant, golden statues of past heroes of the empire, most of whom are from House Burgundy based on their engravings, were placed in two rows on each side of the room, under golden arches and domes. In the center of the golden room, there hung a singular, massive, golden chandelier that had enough diamonds to buy the entire city from which she came. There were only two parts of the building that weren't golden. The first was the royal purple rug that spanned from one end of the golden room to the other. The second was a large dirt brown desk, behind which stood two massive golden doors with a dragon on one side and a phoenix on the other, where a tall brown-skinned woman sat.
As Sunset walked to what she assumed was the receptionist, she got a better look at the woman. She had long pink hair, blue eyes, and pearly white teeth, shown off by a smile permanently plastered onto her face. Her dress was a long, white tunic that went to her knees, with gold trimmings. While she technically had dark skin, like Sunset Shimmer herself, her skin was light enough to pass for a tanned white elf. She also had a similar body to Sunset; they were both around 6 feet tall and had well-defined curves and muscles. As Sunset went to and placed her hands on the warm desk, she could see that the two even had the same bright golden eyes.
" Are you the receptionist?" Sunset asked without hostility after finally reaching the mystery women's desk.
An extended awkward silence ensued as the smiling desk elf stared intently at Sunset with her glowing golden eyes. For an entire minute, the desk elf thoroughly analyzed every portion of Sunset's body and soul as if she were some newly discovered species, as the seconds passed away with Sunset's patience.
"It is rude to gawk at someone and not answer a question." snapped Sunset after getting fed up with being looked at like a lab rat. The harsh tone of Sunset's voice seems to take the mysterious woman aback as her eyes snap shut, and she jumps back into her chair. After a few more seconds to collect herself, the woman opens her mouth for the first time.
"Sorry for my rudeness.", the lady apologized with a rich, regal voice. " My name is Sunny Skies; I am the organizer of this tournament in the absence of Empress Celestia Terras and the three Heavenly Queens." Before Sunset could open her mouth, Sunny Skies began speaking again. "You must be Sunset Shimmer. I have heard many things about you, though I have to say you are far more impressive in person than I had originally thought."
"If you are the leader of this Tournament, then could you tell me where I need to go now? The tournament's website gave very few details.", Sunset asked in a brusque but non-hostile way.
"Of course, follow me to where all the other contestants are waiting." Sunny Skies replied; her tone conveyed a sense of regret and embarrassment over being rude to Sunset Shimmer. The two of them began to walk through the golden, labyrinthine, and empty university halls. It took around 6 minutes for the pair to reach their destination.
It was a large, golden auditorium that, according to Sunset Shimmer estimates, currently housed 2,350 elves and had 2,500 crimson-red seats. Her eyes darted across the entire room in search of her greatest rival, the supposed invincible Abyssal Angle Twilight Sparkle; however, the sheer number of students as well as her unfamiliarity with her opponent's appearance, made it nearly impossible to find the tournament frontrunner in the crowd.
"You will meet the famed Twilight Sparkle soon enough; you just relax and enjoy the presentation. You need to enjoy events outside of training and start to socialize more often.", spoke Sunny Skies in her usual cheerful but regal and commanding voice.
"How did you....", Sunset began before getting cut off by Sunny Skies.
"You don't serve the Empire of Equestria for as long as I have without picking up on how to read people like a book." Sunny Skies explained as if it were common knowledge. " Now, why don't you sit back/relax while I begin my presentation? I promise it will answer any questions you have. If you still need more info, you can ask me directly after the presentation." her voice was simultaneously gentle and compassionate, yet it left no room for discussion. Realizing there would be nothing to gain from pressing organizer Sunny Skies, she went to find a seat in the auditorium while Sunny Skies teleported onto the stage in a flash of golden light.
"Before I begin, I must congratulate all of you here today; thanks to your hard work, determination, and natural talent, those among this crowd have the great honor of attending the most prestigious magic school in all 5 Empires and have the opportunity to compete in the first-ever Tournament for young prodigies for the prize of becoming Celestia's apprentice. This class is truly the most talented and hardworking the empire has seen since its founding. The only batch of students that comes close in quality to the one here today was the very first group that won the Equestrian civil war, and even still, they are a distant second. This group is also the most diverse in social classes and racial makeup, with some of you coming from the lower rungs of the peasantry and others with Creole blood like myself. This incredible diversity is a testament to the fact that, when it comes to magical prowess, it does not matter who you come from but who you are." There was a noticeable mummer of disagreement in the predominantly pureblooded and noble student body to Sunny Skies extolling of diversity, much to Sunsets Shimmers' disgust though she did expect such a reaction.
Noticing the crowd's disagreement with her words of wisdom, Sunny Skies decided to move on to other topics and save the lecture on the necessity for tolerance for later. "On the issue of magical prowess, I believe it would be prudent for us to go over this institution guiding philosophy of magic. As we all know, our souls produce and store Quelle. Quelle is the fuel that allows mages to use magical spells. When a creature runs out of the Quelle that the soul stores, they are defenseless until it gets refilled. The time it takes to regain power is determined by how much Quelle the body produces and how much Quelle got spent. Here at Canterlot High, we believe that there are four main factors to judge a mage's Combat Effectiveness or CE. They are Power, Magical Affinity, Spell Mastery, and Battle IQ. A creature's power is defined as how much Quelle its soul can store and produce. The more power an individual has, the more powerful spells they can cast and the more often they can use them in a fight. A Magical Affinity is what types of magic are most Quelle efficient for an individual to use. For example, I have an affinity for Light magic; I can cast much more powerful Light spells than an individual without an Affinity for Light Magic. Not all magic Affinities are created equal. Common Affinites like Fire magic or Ice magic are far less versatile and powerful than, let's say, House Burgundies Time magic. Similar Magic Affinities get grouped into classes; the previously mentioned Fire and Ice magic are part of the Evoker class, but others, such as Time Magic, are unique and thus labeled as Exotic. Spells Mastery is how many spells a magic user knows and how advanced they are. Having unlimited power is useless unless wielded properly and effectively. I have seen more knowledgeable and well-learned mages defeat more powerful mages due to their versatility and Hax. The final pillar of CE is Battle IQ. Knowing when or when not to use certain Spells is often as important as knowing the Spells."
Sunny Skies stopped talking for a good minute to get the audience's mood. The crowd was as quiet as a graveyard, but there was a sense of rising impatience from all students, including Sunset herself, for Sunny Skies to move on to what they were all here for; the Tournament. With an exasperated sigh, Sunny Skies decided to give in to what her people wanted and started to talk again but with newfound steel in her voice.
"The rules of the Tournament are simple. There will be several one versus-one matchups over the course of 4 months, and whoever wins the final fight of the Tournament will become Celesia's apprentice. Before you ask, I know we cannot have everyone in this room fight each other; the Tournament would become excessively bloated if we did. Instead, there will be a test that each of you would have to pass to enter the Tournament. I made it suitably challenging so the number of contestants would be much more manageable. Know now that there is no shame in failing this test. Those who do not pass should be proud that they managed to get into the world's best university and are magically superior to 99 percent of sentient creatures on this planet. Do any of you have any questions?"
Predictably it was Sunset Shimmer, all the way at the back, whose hands shot out first before any of her noble compatriots in the front rows. "What will the test be?" asked Sunset as she stood out of her seat and leaned closer to the speaker. The raw fire of ambition and determination in Sunset's eyes that burned hotter than the Sun impressed Sunny Skies, causing her to flash a smile greater than any Sunset had ever seen before responding.
"The test is simple.", Sunny skies said softly. "All that you have to do is fight me."
The arena that Sunset Shimmer and Sunny Skies had found themselves in was enormous and empty. Its floor and ceiling were a football field in size and shape, and the walls of the building were well over forty feet tall on all sides. The only two objects in the gargantuan structure were the two women squaring up to fight each other on opposite ends of the arena. The only detail that prevents the room from being utterly dreary is the vibrant purple and gold pictures on the walls, floor, and ceiling that tell the story of a long-forgotten war between angels and demons.
The two prodigal evokers stood in a tense silence on opposite sides of the arena, their entire bodies stiffening in anticipation for the fight of their lives. "It is reasonable to assume that light magic would make Sunny Skies far faster than me and give her massive attack power," thought Sunset Shimmer. "However, her magic spells would likely not have a large area of effect compared to my offensive fire spells and would lack troublesome HAX. My best bet for victory is to attempt to use my fire magic to help me avoid her while boxing her in with my shape transmutation spells to help me land a hit on her. This fight would also be a good time to use my newest and most complex spell yet."
In a massive flash of golden light, Sunny skies blitz across the enormous stadium at the speed of light and manifests an ornate, golden light sword in her left hand. With barely a nanosecond to react, Sunset ignites a bloom of blue flame from beneath her booths, causing hers to backflip away from the thrust of Sunnie's blade and enveloping the entirety of her opponent's body in the fire.
Sunset then lands on the velvet walls, cracking them beneath the force of her impact before using them to jump to the other side of the battlefield. Mid-lunge Sunset concentrated an immense amount of Qulle into her balled-up fists as a crimson glow engulfed her hands. As she lands on the edge of the arena to the leftward of her opponent, the crimson light on her appendages grows even brighter before consolidating and crystallizing into two ruby-red gems embedded in the center of each of Sunset's hands.
Not letting Sunset get a moment to breathe, the now smiling Sunny launches a massive beam of golden light at Sunset, which she narrowly dodges and carves a large hole in the wall. The attack gets followed up by another dash and thrust attack aimed at Sunset with her light blade.
Right before the sword can slice through her, Sunset catches the arm holding the blade as a bloom of fire erupts from every part of her body, scorching Sunny Skies even further. The gems on Sunset's hands begin to glow a faint red as the excess magic from the flame attack seeps into them like an orange mist. Injured but not beaten, Sunny transmutes into the light again and beams to Sunset's right.
"Now I need to start to box her in," thought Sunset as she punched the ground, injecting shape-changing transmuting magic into the floor and causing the creation of a massive purple stone wall that divided the arena in two.
"Going into melee with that beast of a woman seems to be a bad tactical move." thought Sunny Skies. " I should best be using my ranged attacks and speed."
Without warning, a flurry of golden light slashes is emitted from Sunny's sword, forcing Sunset to leap onto and parkour off of the ceiling with bursts of blue flames to dodge the attacks. As Sunset was landing back down, she launched a flurry of dozens of large, blue balls of fire at the area around Sunny Skies while the ruby-red gems absorbed even more fire magic and glowed even redder.
For her part, Sunny Skies attempted to flee the AOE attacks by turning into light and dashing into the air as Sunset had, only to get knocked back into a wall as a stray fireball from Sunset sent her careening back onto the floor, causing it and the wall to crack.
It was Sunset's turn to attack as she lunged toward the downed Sunny Skies, manifesting her flame magic to propper herself toward her opposition and then shooting said flames at her opponents when the distance got negated between the two as her rubies red glow grew brighter. Damaged but not defeated, Sunny transmuted into light before expertly but barely evading over a dozen fireballs sent by Sunset and manifesting behind her opponent.
Using the time, it took for Sunny to dodge her attacks to her advantage, Sunset pummeled the group hard with her right fist, causing it to crack and infusing it with transmutation magic. " Not this time," Sunny Skies thought as she stabbed the ground with her golden light sword, infusing it with transmutation magic to cancel Sunsets out with her own. The two differing magic spells collided through the purple stone ground floor, causing the marble to twist and contort in unnatural and disturbing ways, unsure of whose spell to comply with as red bots of pure Quelle crackle like reverse lightning from the ground. The clash of the two mages would likely get interpreted as a battle of two gods by the common rabble of the empire.
Determined to win this clash of transmutation magic, Sunny Skies fails to look at the sly smile on Sunset's lips and the gathering blue fire around her free arm. Suddenly, the clash of magic halts as Sunny anti-shape changing transmutation spell abruptly washes over Sunset's petering out shape-changing transmutation spell. Sunny feels a sense of relief wash over her after the small victory, but said relief turns to cruel understanding and immense pain as she immediately gets rocketed back into the wall by a massive pillar of blue flame coming from Sunsets left hand, causing another wall to also crack under the force of Sunnies body slamming into the purple stone near the speed of light.
Bloodied but not nearly done with the fight, Sunny Skies wipes the blood from her broken nose and attacks the rapidly approaching Sunset with a dozen powerful light blasts that emanate around her body. Sunset, in turn, counters with a dozen of her fireballs, increasing the red hue of her gems with every flame spell cast.
Golden light and blue flames clash against each other at the center of the arena is a brilliant light show that would put any firework to shame as the excess magical energy produced by the clash of the two attacks causes red and gold sparks of Quelle to crackle throughout the entire arena.
While the two attacks cancel each other out in a brilliant display of power, Sunset rushes undeterred at Sunny with a raging fire and will to win in her eyes. Attempting to increase the distance between herself and Sunset, Sunny transforms into a beam of light again and tries to reach the other side of the arena. Unfortunately for Sunny, the determined Sunset Shimmer is much faster than she expected; Sunset grabs Sunny's light, forces her back into her physical form, and punches Sunny in the face with enough strength to shatter city blocks before emitting the strongest blue fireball that Sunset had created in his entire fight at point black range. The force of the combined attack sent Sunny skies flying through the air at nearly the speed of light, into Sunset's transmuted divider, which shattered into thousands of tiny pieces and threw a newly formed hole in the arena wall that Sunnies body got forced into creating.
" Looks like I win!" Sunset proclaimed triumphantly at the hole in the wall she formed before attempting to walk out the arena door and call the medical team to help stitch Sunny back up.
"Not so fast!" proclaimed a bloodied but not beaten Suny that had crawled out of the hole in the wall and back into the arena. Her hair was singed, with large tuffs on fire; her right eye was black and swollen, and her mouth was dripping blood. Sunny's expensive and high-class Tunic was utterly burnt to ash by magic flames, leaving her with only a very form-fitting white leotard to cover her body.
"Calamity spell: Swords of Judgment." proclaimed Sunny as she shattered her light sword on the ground. As her sword dissipated into the aether like dust in the wind, at the same time, an enormous mass of 12,000 lights swords, all the same size and power as the original, manifested above the head of one Sunset Shimmer.
"Shit" was all Sunset could say as 12,000 two-meter-long light swords broke threw the strong, but not strong enough, magical shield that Sunset conjured in the few nanoseconds she had before she got skewered by over a dozen swords.
After what felt like an eternity in an empty black void of nonexistence, Sunsets Shimmers' consciousness finally started to stir from its damage-induced coma. She felt the pain from the battle with Sunny rushing back to her body, acting as a crowbar on the door to her consciousness, forcing it to wake.
"What happened," Sunset grumbled as she opened her weary eyes. She instantly regretted her decision as the peace of the black void got replaced by the violent light of the real world. Some facts became immediately known to Sunset as soon as she looked around. First of all, it was clear that she was in the medical bay as she was on a hospital bed and covered in a white cloth. Secondly, her wounds seem to have been fully healed as, while her entire body did feel like it was on fire when she touched the places where she got stabbed, she felt undamaged flesh. Thirdly, it was clear that she wasn't alone, as in the corner of the room stood Sunny Skies, the destroyer of Sunset's dream.
"It's good to see you finally awake again. I am sorry for going a bit overboard with that final attack. How are you feeling now?" Sunny Skies asked in her typical compassionate and cheery voice.
" I....." the words get caught in Sunset's voice as memories of the duel and feeling of worthlessness wash over her like a massive tsunami against a small village below sea level. Her breathing becomes faster and more erratic as the weight of her failure begins breaking her mind. She had failed not just the test but all those little orphans like herself that would now die alone on the streets or worse because the one person that could help them was a worthless failure.
"I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING SO WEAK," Sunset finally bellows out as she struggles to keep herself from tearing up. "HOW PATHETIC CAN I BE, TO PROCLAIM TO EVERYONE THAT I WOULD WIN THE TOURNAMENT ONLY TO FAIL IN THE FUCKING ENTRANCE EXAM” Sunset shouts her words laced with self-loathing more venomous than any snake or spider, as the tears that she had kept from showing suddenly start to leak out of her eyes as her composure continues to crack and shatter like glass.
So immersed in her self-loathing and breakdown was Sunset that she did not notice Sunny Skies rushing to hug her until she had finished her rant. "Who said anything about failing the test?" Sunny Skies asked as she held up Sunsets crying face to her own. "Honey, You passed with flying colors."
"I ........ what," Sunset Shimmer said, flabbergasted to the point of getting mentally thrown out of her spiral of self-loathing as she wiped away her tears to regain some of her lost dignity.
"I never said you had to be me to pass the test," Sunny Skies explains to Sunset. "All one had to do in order to pass was to force me to use a Calamity spell to win, which you managed to do quite effectively if I do say so myself. In fact, you are one of only eight others that passed the test out of the 200 that took it ."
" Are ... you serious," Sunset stammered out in disbelief.
"I have never been more serious in my life, and if you don't believe me, you can believe them." With a snap of her Sunny finger, a group of 6 people enters the white room from the blue door in the middle and lines up in a straight single-row line behind Sunny. "These are most of your fellow contestants you will clash with within the tournament. Their names are, from left to right,
"I have never been more serious in my life, and if you don't believe me, you can believe them." With a snap of her Sunny finger, a group of 6 people enters the white room from the blue door in the middle and lines up in a straight single-row line behind Sunny. "These are most of your fellow contestants you will clash with within the tournament. Their names are, from left to right, Fluttershy Francisca, Rarity Marigold, Tempest Shadow, Sour Sweet, Sunny Flare, and Trixie Lunamoon.
Sunset Shimmer could feel the power and skill of her opponents just by looking at them.
Fluttershy was short, five foot tall, and slightly chubby with a meek and shy posture. She had long light pink hair, similar to Sunny, and a yellowish skin complexion that indicated she was from the western/Oriental provinces. She lacks any noticeable curves making her seem more innocent and younger than her age. Fluttershy wore a bright Saffron robe that covered most of her body and which is worn by high-level priests of the Sun God Amon. Fluttershy looked more like a priest than a warrior, but Sunset knew better than to judge a book by its cover.
Rarity was a bit taller than usual, five feet and six inches tall, and very thin with an elegant and dignified posture. Rarity's hair was a deep purple, long, and luscious. The hair nicely contrasted with her porcelain white skin, which indicated she came from a long and pure bloodline. Her hair was not the only beautiful thing about her, as she had by far the most defined and pronounced curves out of anyone in the room currently. She looked like she had experience using her looks to get what she wanted. Rarity had ruby red lipstick and wore a sleek black dress that displayed her arms and a large part of her upper chest but went down to her feet and covered them. Rarity struck Sunset as a girl that would be more interested in dresses than destroying a city, but she could tell that there was some steel under the mountain of silk.
Tempest Shadow was around the same height as Sunset at six feet tall and was just as muscular as her with a militant, straight posture. Tempest Shadow had short and spiked blood-red hair, a small scar across her left eye, and an obsidian black complexion that indicated that she, like Sunset, was not of noble blood. Her curves were also similar to Sunsets; they weren't as well defined as Rarity's but were still very noticeable and combed with her musculature to give her the body of an Amazonian. She wore an advanced purple combat suit that covered her body with Starsteel and Kevlar mesh. For Sunset, looking at Tempest was like looking at a dark mirror of herself, and she could tell that Tempest and her would clash in the Tournament one way or another.
" I see," responded Sunset after looking at the contests before her for a good minute and finally understanding that the entire situation was not one giant cruel prank on Sunny's end.
"So I take it that none of you beat Sunny either," Sunset stated. In response, Fluttyshy meekly nodded, Rarity gave a curt but polite "No," and Tempest gave Sunset a death glare.
"Actually, one of the contestants did defeat me in battle," responded Sunny sheepily, causing all eyes in the room to fall on the beleaguered organizer.
"Who," Sunset asked, but before she had even finished speaking, she realized the only person it could be and the one mage missing from the room.
"I am sorry to be late; I was finishing up an unusually long chapter of my book," spoke the angelic creature that had just teleported into a room. All eyes turned from Sunny to the newcomer, and a tense silence followed. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, the incredibly powerful mage that had defeated Sunny spoke again. "I believe I have only met a few of you yet; in that case, greetings; my name is Twilight Sparkle."
"Looking back, it becomes clear that Twilight Sparkle was the culmination of centuries of House Burgundy seeking to create the perfect creature via eugenics and soul modification. For their efforts, they were successful beyond their wildest dreams.”
― Sapphire Snowflake ( Famed Historian and U.C alumni.)
Twilight Sparkle was a seven-foot-tall angelic giantess that towered over everyone in height and magical might. Her posture was as stiff and strong as diamonds, with her hands folded behind her back and legs spread out as if to dare and egg on any fool dumb enough to attack the prodigal daughter of the highest Heavenly Queen. She wore a form-fitting Void-Purple suit with gold accents as bright as the sun, making her look like the personification of the cosmos. Her face was as white as the bones of Death himself, and her glowing purple eyes radiated divine power purrer than that of Celestia herself. Her hair was the same royal purple as her eyes, except for a single strip of blood-red hair, and it was short but sharp, like a dagger.
It was, however, her aura, not her appearance, that was her most intimidating attribute. All living creatures exuded a varying level of rejuvenating natural energy dependent on their POWER outward like a lighthouse in a dark-starless Sea; all living creatures except Twilight Sparkle.
She was akin to an artificial Supermassive blackhole, consuming all the energy of the stars and souls around her until the universe became a dark, dead graveyard. Every second that Sunset stood in the presence of this magical abomination/anomaly, she could feel a piece of her very soul whiter away into nothingness.
"I see that my mere presence is causing all of you great discomfort," Twilight Sparkle spoke in a monotone and disappointed voice as she looked at the entire group, except for Sunny and Tempest Shadow, who was kneeling at Twilight like a priest to their god, of the empire's strongest prodigies shaking in fear at her simply existing in the same room as her.
" My apologies; I shall make sure to keep my unique aura in check," Twilight spoke in a condescending tone before unleashing a massive burst of Queel that masked her eldritch aura, allowing Sunset and the rest to catch their breaths and think properly again. "You have permission to rise, my loyal bodyguard Tempest Shadow, "Twilight added after realizing that Tempest was still kneeling on the white-marble floor.
"So you are the invincible girl that I have heard so much about," stated Sunset Shimmer, trying to understand the secret to Twilight Sparkles' power as she threw off the white blanket and began to put on her booths. "Would you like to enlighten us on how you best Sunny over here while the rest of us failed?"
In response to the question, Twilight Sparkle slowly began to turn her head from facing the other contestants to stare at Sunset Shimmer with a look of curiosity. Twilight eyes narrowed and were engulfed by a bright teal flame as she bore into Sunset's soul with her heavenly eyes. Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the contestants began to feel a cool chill down their spines as they sensed Twilight's magic flare up like a neutron star, yet only guess what Twilight was planning.
Twilight's neutral expression contorted and twisted into a sly grin before saying," You . . . Intrigue me, Sunset Shimmer," as the flaming teal dissipated from her eyes and her magic faded into the aether. "To answer your question, Time Magic makes attacks that travel only at the speed of light slow and easy to dodge, and no, you may not ask more questions regarding my powers. You will learn about all my abilities during the tournament matches, "Twilight Sparkle finished in an attempt to end the conversation before it truly began.
"Ahem, regarding the tournament, I had another reason to bring all of you here besides to introduce you to each other," Sunny stated, trying to take back control of the conversation from Twilight Sparkle.
"I believe it would be prudent for us to review the relative strength of all the contestants to determine what matchups will occur," she continued before pulling out a small white tablet with a blue screen and pushing a red button, which caused a holographic numbered list of competitors to appear.
"In the first place, surprising no one is Twilight Sparkle, who had a higher CE, by my calculations, than the rest of this list combined. Second place is comfortably in the hands of Rarity Marigold, while Fluttershy Francisca is in third. Tempest Shadow is in fourth place due to having a small amount more CE than Sunset Shimmer, who is in fifth place. Miss Trixi Lunamoon, Sour Sweet, and Sunny Flare are in sixth, seventh, and eight place, respectively."
"Only fifth place, "thought Sunset grimly. "I had known I wasn't on the same level as Twilight, but I never realized that I had to surpass four other people before even having the possibility of facing Twilight herself. I need to train and study till I break myself to win this tournament, but I believe it should be feasible if I work harder than anyone else."
Amidst Sunsets' inner monologue, Sunny continued, "Now that the rankings got settled, we can get to the matchups. Firstly, does anyone want to face the frontrunner Twilight Sparkle in the first round?"
"Face Twilight in the first round," thought Sunset Shimmer incredulously."I might be a bit arrogant, but even I can ascertain that fighting Twilight at this time without any training would be suicidal. Only an insane, stupid, arrogant, ill-bread, delusional, and narcissistic moron would even entertain such an..."
"I volunteer as Tribute," screeched the light blue-haired Karen in a goofy, oversized magician outfit known as Trixie Lunamoon to the visible dumfounding of everyone in the room sans Sunny.
"It seems that we found the class clown," Sunset muttered, loud enough for everyone but Trixie herself, causing the room to descend into a howl of giggles and laughter. After a few seconds, Sunset herself joined in the laughter.
"What is everyone laughing about," whines Trixie, causing everyone in the els in the room to laugh even harder. In the chaos and confusion of the laughter Twilight Sparkle leaned over and whispered something in Tempest's ear that no one except Sunny, Tempest, and Twilight heard.
As the laughter fell to silence, Tempest Shadow raised her hand to set the instructor's attention.
"You may speak Tempest Shadow," stated Sunny.
"I wish to fight Sunset Shimmer in the first round," replied Tempest.
"What!" Sunset exclaims, completely taken aback by Tempest's Shadows' sudden comment.
"May I ask why you want to fight Sunset?" Sunny questioned, although Sunset Shimmer had a sneaking suspicion in her gut that Sunny already knew the answer and just wanted Tempest to say it out loud herself.
Tempest folded her very muscular arms in discomfort before speaking as if she were reading off a teleprompter" I merely believe that since Sunset and I were said to be very close in Combat Effective, it will be beneficial for both of us to test our abilities against each other in the first round. No one learns anything from a one-sided massacre; a battle of equals ensures that both combatants must be at peak efficiency to win and helps mistakes get identified and corrected later on." As Tempest Shadow spoke, Sunset Shimmer could see a sly, smug smile form on Twilight Sparkle's lips as she watched whatever plan she made unfold before her velvet eyes.
"What do you say, Sunset?" Sunny asked as she moved to face the bacon-haired orphan. "Do you agree with Tempest Shadows' proposal?"
" Should I accept?" thought Sunset." On the one hand, Tempest Shadow is more powerful than me, but on the other, if I disagree with Tempest's proposal, then I have a 50 percent chance of fighting someone much more deadly than Tempest. Tempest may be stronger than me, but she only is slightly more powerful, and I must get multiple times more powerful than I am now to beat Twilight anyway; the bodyguard could act as a warm-up to get me ready for the more challenging fights in the second and third rounds. Twilight did seem to force Tempest to ask for the first match with Sunset, but Twilight has shown no visible signs of hostility, so her motives can't be taken into account when deciding what choice to make, as they are still unknown."
"I will accept your challenge Tempest Shadow," proclaimed Sunset Shimmer as she extended her arm toward her opponent in the first round.
" Good," Shadow bluntly replied as she shook Sunstes's hand, and Twilight's sly grin widened into a full-fledged smile in response to the completion of step 1 of her plot.
"Now that four of our competitors have their first match, Fluttershy and Rarity, who do you want to be your first match?" Sunny asked.
It was the far more confident Rarity who answered first. "It is unbecoming for a proper lady to break a sweat or dress in the first fight, so I choose Sunny Flare, the weakest, as my first opponent."
"Do you concur, Sunny Flare?" asked Sunny Skies.
"We'll I fucked either way, so I guess it is less humiliating to lose to the sexy dominatrix than fatso over there," replied Sunny Flare as she pointed toward the chubby Fluttershy.
" Now that all other slots have gotten filled, Fluttershy, are you okay with fighting Sour Sweet in the first round?" asked Sunny.
Neither Fluttershy nor Sour Sweet responded.
"I will just take that as a yes," replied Sunny with a deadpan expression.
"Well, now that we have finished determining the first matches, I can finally give out the room cards," states Sunny as she conjures five sets of cards of the same color. "Twilight and her bodyguard, Tempest Shadow, will get the purple cards and go to room A444, next to the library. The dramatic duo of Trixie and Rarity will take the light blue cards and go to room C222, next to the school theater. Sunny Flare and Sour Sweet will be gifted the black cards and go to room D111, just to the side of the kitchen. Finally, Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy Francisca will take the Orange card and move into room B333, in front of the training arena."
As Sunny explained the groups and the rooms they needed to go to, the contestants quickly began to take their cards and leave to see their residences. Sunset was the last one going out the door when Sunny called her.
"Do you mind a quick word with you before you leave?" Sunny asked.
"I don't see why not," replied Sunset hesitantly as she walked away from the exit door the others had just passed through. "What do you want to talk about?"
" It is about your potential. I am..." Sunny started but got cut off by Sunset's interruption.
"Look, I know I am only one of two non-nobles competing in this tournament, but that doesn't mean I don't belong here. You said I passed your test, and my CE ranks above thousands of noble children. My competitor's advanced magic and training might be challenging to overcome, but I believe I can win this tournament," Sunset began.
"I believe you," Sunny simply stated.
"Furthermore.... you what?" Sunset began only to falter in confusion.
" I know you have more potential than any other student, bar Twilight. I only want to help you reach that potential. The more I understand your abilities and shortcomings, the more I can help you grow and overcome them. Now, may I ask what was with that red ruby spell? It glowed red, but I didn't see it do anything," continued Sunny Skies.
"You should know about it, given your magical knowledge and expertise. I used the flame Calamity spell Meltdown. The rubies suck up and store Quelle's waste from the fire spells I cast. When the Rubies are full of power, I can cast a massive flaming vortex that can disintegrate any opponent." replied Sunset.
"You created a Calamity spell?" said a very impressed Sunny. " Creating a Calamity Spell is no simple task. In the past, the ability to create a Calamity spell was the right of passage for noble heirs and royalty to become adults as they required an enormous amount of magical control, power, and intellect to cast. The main difference between the nobility and the commoners was that the nobility could cast Calamity level spells and above, while the commoners could not. My only question is, why aren't I a smoldering pile of ashes right now if you can cast a flame Calamity spell."
"As I said, the Meltdown Calamity spell requires a certain amount of stored magic to work, and I got impaled before I could gather enough excess magic to use it," said Sunset Shimmer bitterly as the taste of defeat again washed over her mouth.
" So you have a Calamity spell that requires the match to last for a relatively long time, but your fighting style is orientated to quickly beating enemies because you have a weak defense and can go down in a few hits." Sunny analyzed." Do I understand the situation correctly?"
"What could I possibly do?" Sunset snaps in agitation. "The only flame Calamity spell that is easy enough for me to cast requires me to last long, but flame magic itself is highly offensive and lacks any defensive spells. I am good at enhancing my body to be more durable with Quelle, but I can't effectively heal any wounds I get."
" You are wrong about flame magic being inherently offensive," Sunny said bluntly.
"Would you care to explain?" asked Sunset dryly.
"Gladly," began Sunny. "While many assume evoker flame magic to be solely offensive, that is only true for lower-level flame magic practiced by inexperienced Elves. The vast majority of those with flame-evoker magic don't have the hard work or talent to improve their skills beyond that of a novice, so the stereotype continues. Some of the most effective flame spells are solely expensive. There is a spell called Phoenix Fire, which replicates the healing flames of the Phoenix that allow it to survive even the most lethal injuries. If you were to learn this spell, Sunset Shimmer, you could pair it with your Calamity spell to make yourself a rival to Twilight."
"That is amazing!" proclaimed Sunset, overjoyed that she had found the spell she needed to surpass her rivals. "Where could I learn the spell? Is there a book on it in the library?"
"There is a book on the spell in the royal library, but I doubt that simply reading a book would help you master the spell in time to face your opponents." began Sunny Skies.
"What are you trying to say?" asked Sunset with a mix of wariness and excitement.
"Sunset Shimmer, I am asking if you want me to be your mentor for this tournament," stated Sunny as she held her hand out to Sunset.
There was a stunned silence for a minute before Sunset Shimmer finally responded to Sunny's offer. "HELL, YES!" she excitedly proclaimed as she vigorously shook Sunny's arm.
"A new historical theory posits that the modern equestrian pantheon and its predecessors was inspired by the legendary feats and tales of real Mages that were mythologized and exaggerated overtime. If this theory hold true, than it is guaranteed that Twilight Sparkle would be the chief god or devil of any new religious movement”
― Empress Celestia
Sunset Shimmer awoke to the sound of prayer and the scent of religious candles. With no small amount of grumbling, Sunset tossed away the rich fur blankets and got off the comfortable bed. She had never slept in such a soft and well-made bed beforehand, so having to part with the experience proved an annoyance.
The dorm Sunset lives were divided into utterly distinguishable halves by Fluttershy and Sunset's clashing tastes.
On Sunset's side, the lefthand area, the walls were used by Sunset as a canvas for an intricate and massive painting, though some would call it graffiti, of the late Queen Belladonna Brown of the Novgorod during the 3rd battle of Chardieau. In the center of the image was the Queen, clad in a regal white coat and sky-blue dress, with a golden crown and scepter. Her hair was as dark as obsidian, her eyes as green as a forest, and her skin as white as a polar bear. Around the Queen was an army of dragons of different sizes and colors, frozen in a solid sheet of white ice by the Queen's magic.
On Fluttershy's side, the right-hand area, the pictures and paintings of a dozen Septem saints and holy figures hung on the walls like earrings on an ear, while the walls themselves remained austere and unpainted. On the ground, seven large, scented candles illuminated the statues of the seven goddesses, the Divine Septem pantheon. There was a statue of Callidus: Goddess of Knowledge, Trickery, and Books; Misericordia: Goddess of Empathy, Justice, and Leadership; Probitas: Goddess of Honesty, agriculture, and strength; Liberalitas: Goddess of Generosity, Beauty, and Dreams; Risus: God of Happiness, festivals, and Alcohol; and in the center of the assorted array of statues stood one of Fidelitas: Goddess of Loyalty, Warfare, and Weather, towering over the others in size. In front of these idols was Fluttershy, prostrating herself for the goddess.
"She must be a very devout Fidelititist," mused Sunset, noting the difference in the statues' sizes. A part of her wanted to get to training with Sunny and leave Fluttershy to her own devices, but the other, more curious, part of her desired to understand the mystery of Fluttershy Francisco. Despite having a higher CE than Sunset, by Sunnys' estimation at least, Fluttershy had the backbone of a wet tissue paper and only spoke to agree with someone else.
"Hey, do you want to train with me with Sunny? My old principle always taught me that training with peers is more effective than training alone," questioned Sunset as she bent her body toward the still-praying Fluttershy and tapped her shoulders.
"Wha--Uh," asked Fluttershy, as dazed and confused as an alcoholic after a particularly hard hangover. Such was her confusion and startlement that Fluttershy tripped on her orange robes when trying to get up and tumbled onto the hard ground.
"Sorry about spooking you. Are you okay?" Sunset inquired as she extended a hand to the dazed Fluttershy, helping her back up.
"I'm ... fine," whispered Fluttershy, so soft that even a light breeze could muffle the sound, as she gently shook the dust off her religious attire." What did you ask me to do? I am so sorry; I got caught up in my prayer."
"You don't have to apologize. I just wanted to know whether you wanted to come to train with me," repeated Sunset, a bit of annoyance at having to explain herself again creeping into her voice.
" Okay, I'll go," muttered Fluttershy, seemingly content with letting others decide what she should do for her.
"Just follow me." proclaimed Sunset, slightly exasperated by Fluttershy's utter lack of a backbone, as the two teammates made their way to the training area. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Entering the training area, Sunset and her teammate found themselves in a pure white room of interlocking cubes on all sides. In the center of the cubed room stood Sunny, sitting on a chair made of the cubes, with a large, reddish-orange Phoenix perched on her right hand.
"I'm glad you decided to come to Sunset. Better yet, you managed to bring Fluttershy with you, though I doubt that was hard, given Fluttershy's meek personality. Hopefully, seeing you train would motivate Fluttershy to stand up for herself more, and in any case, Fluttershy could help aid in my lesson plans," Sunny states in a flurry of speech that nearly overwhelmed Francisa but was easy to understand for Shimmer. If Fluttershy took offense to Sunny's words about her, she did not show it, though doing so would be out of character for Fluttershy.
"Sup, teach. I assume the Phoenix is for the lesson plan," stated Sunset as she pointed to the bird standing on Sunny's bare arm, its claws digging into her hardened skin.
"You would be right, Miss Sunset, but this bird is no ordinary Phoenix. She is called Philomena, and she is Celestia's pet. I got tasked with taking care of this cutie-pie while Celestia is away, so I decided to use her for your training," replied Sunny as she gently petted and snuggled with the affectionately chirping flame bird.
"Good, then let's get started," Sunset spoke hasty, the excitement and nervousness at the prospect of training with Sunny overcoming her for a brief moment.
"Very well, before we can create Phoenix fire, we must first understand how Phoenix fireworks and what makes it distinct from normal flame," states Sunny as she poked Philomena on her forehead.
Instantly, a bright golden flame engulfed the Phoenix. With a twirl of her right index finger, Sunny striped the golden flames from Celestia's pet and condensed it into a globe of healing fire as bright as the sun. With a twirl of her left index finger, a dark-red ball of destructive fire, akin to a contained explosion, forms in the palm of her left hand. Summoning two floating cubes with telekinesis, Sunny placed the two flames next to each other said cubes so that Sunset could better analyze and compare them.
"Use your pyrokinetic abilities to sense both flames and tell me the difference between the two," instructed Sunny Skies as she pointed to the two fires.
Obliging, Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and slowly stretched her hands to nearly touch both magical bonfires. Clearing her mind of all thoughts and emotions but the magical aura of the flames before her, her face contorted in grim discomfort at the utter wrongness of the Phoenix flame. Sunset stood like that, in her meditation-like trance, for ten whole minutes before a feeling of understanding washed over her, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"So, what did you see?" inquired Sunny as she saw Sunset look at the Phoenix fire with the intensity of a predator watching its prey.
"It was ... like comparing an exothermic reaction with an endothermic reaction, and if my magical senses are right ..." Sunset began as she plunged her right hand into the Phoenix fire "... The fire from the Phoenix is cold., not hot" Sunset finished as she pulled her hand out of the fire.
" Very well observed, Sunset; as you know, in normal magical fire, the material is destroyed and consumed to fuel the fire, which then expels Quelle as heat. Phoenix fire is, in its most basic form, the inversion of normal magical fire; in Phoenix fire, Quelle gets consumed to fuel the flame, which recreates and heals any material it touches. In layman's terms, regular magical fire destroys material to produce Quelle, while Phoenix fire consumes Quelle to fix material." Sunny teaches, and Sunset listens intently while Fluttershy vibes in the background.
"To create a healing flame, I would have to find a way to reverse my Spell Matrix," Sunset stated matter-of-factly.
"You are correct yet again, my student, but before we can even begin to create a Healing flame, we must start with basics," informed Sunny as she began to manipulate the golden flame into a dozen different shapes; she turned it from a sphere to a cube, to a pyramid, and a doughnut, all while moving it around the entire room. Eventually, Sunny molded the golden flame back into a sphere and set it down on the cube. " The ability to manipulate magical flames is far less complex than the ability to create a magical fire, but fire manipulation is a building block for fire creation. Once you can easily control phoenix fire, we can begin with attempting to produce it," Sunny instructs as she dissipates the normal magical fire with her left hand.
" Then let's get started," replied Sunset as she closed her eyes and began trying to invert her pyrokinetic field.
10 hours later:
After ten hours of constant practice and the ever-helpful advice of Sunny Skies, Sunset Shimmer was nearly ready to crack the code for manipulating phoenix fire.
" I need to increase the Quelle output a bit more and reinforce the support for the twisted matrix, " Sunset muttered to herself as she put all her magical ability into manipulating the Phoenix flame in front of her. At first, the golden fire remained as stationary as it always was, but as Sunset's frustration grew, so did her focus and drive. Sunset grits her teeth and begins to pour all her remaining Quelle reserves into twisting her Fire manipulation matrix backward, like a blacksmith attempting to forge a chunk of dirty rock into a shiny dagger. With one final, massive push of Quelle into the matrix, it snapped into the desired shape, and the previously stationary Golden fire leapt from the cube and onto Sunset's hands.
Sunset marveled at the radiant fire as she contorted and shaped it to whatever shape she desired . . . for a good ten seconds as the spells matrix she had used to manipulate it snapped due to the stress, similar to a rubber band that got pulled too far and the Holy Phoenix fire splattered onto the bare floor like a bowl of chili, dissipating instantly.
In response to Sunset's success, Sunny began clapping her hands vigorously." Contradulation Sunset, you managed to invert your spell matrix on a small scale and manipulate Phoenix fire."
"It didn't feel like a success," muttered Sunset dejectedly. "It took me ten hours and constant guidance to manipulate Healing Flames for a grand total of ten seconds. Perhaps if I practice for the rest of the tournament, I might just be able to hold the Golden Fire long enough to heal a paper cut on my arm."
"Don't sell yourself short, Sunset. It always takes a lot of time and effort to learn a new spell, but once you break past the initial barriers, your skill and mastery over the Spell will increase exponentially. In fact, out of all the people I have taught, you figured out how to manipulate golden fire in the least amount of time, which is no small feat given my old age. The previous fastest Elf took ten days to do what you managed to do in ten hours. You have a long way to go to survive even a second against Twilight but take pride in your successes," advised Sunny Skies as she summoned a glass of lemonade for the exhausted and sweating Sunset as a treat for her hard work. Sunset, visibly uplifted and motivated by Sunny's speech, took the Lemonde and drank it in one sitting before wiping the sweat from her brow with her free hand.
It was at Sunset's small moment of triumph when a storm, or more accurately, a Tempest, came to ruin the good mood.
"So this is where the oh-so-interesting Sunset Shimmer has been hiding this entire time," Tempest Shadow sneered from the entrance.
Being the first to notice Twilight's bodyguard, Fluttershy had quietly moved behind Sunset in a blur of speed that stunned the fire mage. Sunset knew Fluttershy was strong but seeing an elf as short and chubby as Fluttershy move at such speeds seemed too comical to visualize until now.
"How quaint," Tempest chuckled. "For a being of greater power, to hide behind a weaker team member is cowardly and dishonorable. It is akin to an Elephant hiding behind an elk, utterly shameful."
"What do you want, Tempest Shadow? If you're here to pick a fight with me and my teammate, you should know I would gladly accept. If you're not ready to throw down, then stop insulting my partner, or I will burn your tongue to a cinder," Sunset growled out as she instinctively spread out her arms to cover Fluttershy as marched right into Shadow's face with a few quick steps.
"Fight you, don't make me laugh. I have no need to prove myself to a weakling like you. No, I am here to give you a message," Tempest retorted with enough vitriol and venom to kill a blue whale.
"And what message is that?" Sunset asked in a low voice as she used every ounce of self-restraint in her body to prevent her from frying Tempest's face to a crisp then and there.
"Give up. You cannot beat Twilight or me, so there is no point in trying to grow stronger. All you can hope to accomplish is getting yourself maimed or murdered by following the delusional idea that a low-born could beat someone of such noble birth as Twilight."
Everyone in the room, including Tempest Shadow, expected Sunset Shimmer to lunge at Tempest due to that final insult to her pride.
That is not what happened; instead, Sunset, honest to the goddess, fell into a fit of pure, uncontrollable laughter.
"BHWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. You can't be serious. Are you serious?" After Sunset confirmed, due to Tempest Shadows' grim expression, that she meant what she said, Sunset began to laugh even louder, angering Tempest more than any attack ever could. "BHWAHAAHAHA. Let me clarify a few things with you," Sunset continued after regaining control of her laughter. "I was orphaned at a young age after my parents died due to some rich noble asshole deciding that his workers deserved to inhale toxic gas without their knowledge, and because of that, I had to spend my formative years in an industrial factory, melting iron and steel. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life working in a factory, so I m frequently starved myself in order to afford money to buy books on magic to get into the local school. Malnourished and undereducated, I managed to get in. Then, I worked my ass off to become the strongest in the entire school before studying all day and night for a month night, so that I could pass the entrance exam to get into the University of Canterlot, where I promptly got stabbed by a thousand light swords. Right now, I just managed to break a record and manipulate golden flame after spending ten consecutive hours and my entire magic reserve, with no breaks for food and water. If you still think that something as insignificant to me as maiming and death can even hope to dissuade me from climbing the path that I have already sacrificed so much to climb, then you must be a bigger Braindead imbecile than even Trixie!"
The entire room was stunned silent as Sunset took the opportunity to catch her breath after her off-the-cuff rant.
Fine then," growled Tempest, visibly affected by Sunset's rant. "Don't blame me when my master shatters the path you walk like a hammer to a glass window." With that final threat, Tempest left with a huff of annoyance as she felt a deep unease creep over her as she left the room.
"I am surprised you didn't slam Tempest into a few walls. You seemed like you really wanted to," Sunny observed with a slight bemusement.
"I am not strong enough to beat Tempest yet, and there is no point in fighting Tempest now, given my first match is against her; I'd rather save my aggression for the fight that actually matters. I might be hot headed and have anger issues, but I am not an idiot." Sunset retorted as she looked to see an utterly flabbergasted Fluttershy with her jaw, metaphorically, on the floor. "Are you okay, Fluttershy? You are looking at me like my head cut off."
"You... What... HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" Fluttershy screamed hysterically, marking the first time Fluttershy had raised her voice in Sunset's presence.
"It's called, "yelling at a bitch to make her shut up"; even toddlers can do it," Sunset replied dryly.
"She was Twilight's bodyguard, and you just told her off. What if Twilight takes your disrespect to her servant as disrespect to herself? You don't understand the level Twilight is on! She is literally Callidus in mortal form; even Celestia knows that Twilight will one day surpass her," screeched Fluttershy as tears flowed from her eyes.
"So what," Sunset replied with a nonchalant bluntness that Fluttershy had never seen before."My goal's to surpass Twilight Sparkle anyway, so we are already bound to clash."
"DON'T YOU CARE THAT TWILIGHT COULD KILL YOU!" yelled the now thoroughly exasperated Flutterly in Sunset's face.
"I don't particularly care about dying young. What matters in life is how you spend it, not how many years you have. I would much rather die young, with my dignity intact, following my dreams and helping as many people as possible, than live a long but pointless life," Sunset replied with an uneasy amount of comfort for someone talking about their possible death.
"Nothing will stop you from getting to Twilight, will it?" Fluttershy asked, having given up attempting to dissuade Sunset from her current path.
"NOPE!" Sunset replied with a loud pope in her voice.
"Well, now that all the training and drama is over, I would recommend you to take a nice long rest to get ready for the intensive training tomorrow, but before you go to bed, I would also advise you to head down to the cafeteria to eat a triple dinner as you promised quote un quote "to not eat until I manage to make the golden flame move an inch." I appreciate the dedication to training, but I am against starving yourself. One must eat and sleep plenty to be able to train effectively after all," Sunny instructed Sunset after being tactfully silent during the drama between her students.
A loud growl from her flat stomach convinced Sunset of the validity of Sunny Skies' advice, so she decided to start walking to the cafeteria as Fluttershy began her journey back to the duo's dormitory.
