Finding Friends Around The World
Chapter 2: Chapter 0: The Beginning Of The Road
Previous Chapter Next Chapter“This is actually kind of nostalgic,” Luna thought as she looked at the creatures at the table.
On her left sat Twilight, followed by the rest of the Bearers. At her Right was Celestia, followed by Moon Dancer, Gilda, Spike, Shining Armor, and Cadence. “It’s like war preparations. But with half of the counsel having me as the enemy.” She turned her head, looking at Twilight’s friends, most of them scowling angrily in her direction.
Twilight herself was looking at Moon Dancer with sad eyes, and the bespectacled unicorn was avoiding her gaze, but one could tell she was feeling conflicted about something.
Luna then looked at Celestia, who was doing scratching motions with her hoof while smiling happily. “Sister, are you okay?” the blue alicorn asked.
Celestia looked up, and the illusion of Sunset giggling between her hooves disappeared. “Y-yes. Sorry,” she responded clearly agitated and nervous.
“What’s wrong with her?” Gilda asked, and everyone at the table looked at the monarch with worry.
“She’s under the influence of a curse placed by Sunset,” Luna explained.
Celestia nodded, almost ashamed of being exposed. “I see illusions of Sunset every now and then. Sometimes she’s an adult, but usually she’s just a happy filly.”
“We also believe she’s the one that placed the curse on Spoiled Rich that almost killed her,” Luna continued. “That, her resurrections, her outbursts of anger, are all responsible of one creature:”
“Sunshine,” Celestia said before continuing, her eyes downcast. “Sunset’s original name. When she was a filly, I broke her soul in two pieces to seal her solar magic. One of those halves developed sentience and transformed into a being similar to Nightmare Moon.”
“That’s the true enemy,” Luna said, taking the attention from everypony. “We can all hope that Sunset is innocent, and everything has been Sunshine’s doing, but the matter is that beings like her are essentially parasites that live off their host’s magic and channel a strong desire in them, taking control and forcing them to do their will.”
“She wants to kill me,” Celestia said, finally lifting her head. “To destroy everything that I’ve made.”
“That’s the reason I went to such an extent to stop Sunset. A being like Sunshine, with access to Sunset’s solar magic augmenting its power exponentially, could easily cause an incalculable amount of destruction. If a scenario like the one in Ponyville were to happen again, but stronger and in a more populated area like Manehattan, casualties would reach the thousands in a single day.” Almost everyone at the table looked at Luna with clear shock, never having imagined just how much was at risk.
Noticing the distraught look on her friends and family, Twilight spoke up. “But there’s a way to save Sunset. Princess Luna said that Nightmare Moon could move out of her body, so if we manage to force her out, Sunset will be safe.”
“We still would need to take care of Sunshine, but she will be weakened, and hopefully Celestia will be cured of the curse by then so she can counter her fire.” Luna said before giving a disapproving glance to the white alicorn. “You’re taking your sweet time solving that problem.”
“I don’t know much about the logistics of magic, but I don’t think separating Sunset’s soul even more will do her any good,” Applejack said, and her friends nodded in agreement.
“Sadly, it’s a risk we must take. However, Miss Dancer here might have another solution.” Luna pointed to the unicorn, who adjusted her glasses before speaking.
“While doing some research, I found a way we could fix the Elements of Harmony.” Moon Dancer suddenly had the complete attention of everyone at the table, making her uncomfortable, but she put her anxiety aside for now. “I hope this doesn’t come as insulting, but as much sacred the Elements are, their function is actually just to channel the magic of Harmony. So, as any tool, by just repairing the gems we can have their powers back. However, they can’t be just glued back together.”
Rainbow huffed. “It’s never that easy.”
“How can we fix them then?” Rarity asked.
“They need crystal magic,” Moon Dancer responded.
“Still too easy, what’s the catch?” Rainbow questioned, earning a few annoyed glances from her friends.
“Crystal magic was taught in the Crystal Empire, which is currently banished in another dimension,” Luna explained. “And all the mages that could use that kind of magic were executed during King Sombra’s reign.”
“So… he’s the only one that can do it,” Moon Dancer finished, and the entire table went silent.
“Who’s King Sombra?” Rainbow asked.
“The previous ruler of the Crystal Empire,” Cadence answered. “He was banished along with the city, but he’s due to return soon.”
“And he was evil, right?” Gilda questioned. “Judging by the executions.”
“He also enslaved everypony in the empire and tried to take over Equestria,” was Celestia’s answer.
“So… how do we convince him to help?” Spike asked.
“Sadly, him accepting any kind of diplomacy is unlikely. We will have to force him.” Luna declared. “It’ll most likely involve methods questionable for this era, but Sombra is an evil of old. Less powerful than Discord, but much crueler.”
“But then…” Fluttershy said, getting the attention of Cadence. “We would be forcing one pony to make a weapon to kill another.”
“I can understand that it sounds unethical for you, the champions of friendship, but this is a case that needs the lesser of evils. Both Sombra and Sunshine are too powerful and dangerous to be left loose.”
“Can we really compare the two?” Rarity asked. “As much damage Sunshine caused, it seems a bit much comparing it to what sombra apparently did.”
Luna sighed with a bit of annoyance. “As I said to my sister multiple times. Beings like Sunshine and Nightmare are of unquestionable evil. They follow one purpose at birth until completion, and they will destroy or lie their way to accomplish it.”
“How do you know that?” Rainbow asked.
“I was possessed by one,” Luna responded simply.
“I mean how’re you so sure Nightmare and Sunshine are the same? They don’t have the same issues as you.” Everyone looked at Rainbow in shock at her words.
Luna lifted an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate on such a bold statement?”
Rainbow put her hooves on the table. “Sunshine is not only an evil side of Sunset, she’s half of Sunset’s soul like Celestia said, and you talk like these creatures have a will of their own, so am I wrong in assuming Sunshine is to an extent also a pony?”
“She’s not a pony, she’s a construct of emotions, and regardless of her origin, her nature is the same as Nightmare’s,” Luna answered as calmly as she could.
“I disagree,” Rainbow countered. “I not only think she’s not the same, but I think she’s actually helping Sunset.” Celestia’s eyes widened, and Luna’s narrowed. “Back in Ponyville, when the sun went out of control, Sunset stopped it, did a protection spell, and when I went to her, I looked her in the eyes.” Rainbow did a small dramatic pause. “They were black, save for her irises, slitted like Nightmare’s. So, she wasn’t doing it alone.”
“You sure you’re not confusing things? How do you know it wasn’t Sunshine causing the sun?” Luna questioned.
“We were there, we saw her eyes, they were normal when she lost control,” Twilight answered.
“Also, Sunset’s motives were about how she suddenly seemed to remember the truth about her past, triggered by the CMC questioning about her cutie mark,” Rarity added.
“I sealed her memories to automatically forget and think of something else,” Celestia explained, earning angry looks from almost everycreature. “She couldn’t have broken the seal without something affecting her mind.”
“Could that same thing have helped her find friendship?” Fluttershy asked, curious.
“It’s a theory of mine,” Celestia responded.
“So, Sunshine got Sunset’s memories back, resurrected her multiple times, made her attack her friends, helped her stop the burning of Ponyville, maybe allowed her to make friends, and promised to kill Celestia,” Luna recapped. “So, at best, her moral compass points at three different directions.”
“Well…” Pinkie said, scratching her chin. “She was trapped in Sunset’s mind for years, seeing her achieve great things instead of her, only to then watch the cause of her creation disregard Sunset and get another student who became a legend overnight while all her efforts ended in nothing.”
Luna, Rainbow, Applejack and Rarity glared disapprovingly at her, Gilda, Fluttershy and Cadence looked neutral, Shining and Spike looked worried at Twilight who felt conflicted. Celestia was almost in tears.
“I think this reunion has run out of usefulness,” Luna said, still frowning. “Twilight and Moon Dancer will research how to separate Sunset and Sunshine, Shining Armor will keep preparing the guards to confront either of them if things get worse. Tia, get that curse out of you. Meanwhile, the rest of us will look for Sunset to keep an eye on her. Any objections?” There were none, so Luna was about to leave when Fluttershy asked a question.
“Why did you kill Sunset?” Everyone turned to look at her, Cadence smiling slightly. “You say you want to capture her. You’re looking for options to save her. But your first action was to kill her. Why?”
The attention went back to Luna, and the alicorn took a deep breath. “When I cornered her in the mountain, I offered her anything she wanted. Freedom, family, a better future, taking her magic away. She could’ve asked for anything and I would’ve given it to her.” Luna took a moment to look at all of Sunset’s friends. “She asked me to kill her. To make sure she didn’t come back.” She looked straight at Applejack. “Am I lying?”
“N-no…” the mare answered, her hooves shaking a little.
“You’re all dismissed, please notify the rest if you discover anything.” With that, everyone left the room one by one, but Luna stopped one of them. “Moon Dancer.” The mare turned to look at her. “I want to speak with you.”
Moon Dancer turned around and walked closer, looking nervous. “Yes, Princess Luna?”
“The knowledge you possess, where did you acquire it?”
“The forbidden section of the library in Canterlot,” She quickly answered. Too quickly.
Luna’s magic grabbed Moon Dancer’s leg and took off her boot, allowing her to see the scars in her skin. “Interesting.”
“I-I…” Moon Dancer tried to defend herself, but she was surprised by Luna’s grin.
“Tell me, how’s that old crow doing?”
“Old crow?” Moon Dancer questioned, but with more curiosity this time.
Luna scratched her chin in thought. “I believe his name is Suok.”
Moon Dancer broke free of Luna’s grip, but didn’t run away. “You know about him?”
“All those who cheat death have a chance to know him,” Luna explained with a smile. “But I’m guessing you didn’t die to do that, did you?”
“No, I used an old spell from a forbidden book,” Moon Dancer explained, her fear of the monarch now forgotten. “He has been teaching me some things.”
“Really now?” Luna asked with a smirk. “Does he talk with you?”
Moon Dancer cringed a little. “I wouldn’t really call it ‘talking’, more like ‘trying to survive a brain aneurysm’. I barely manage to understand what he says most of the time.”
Luna’s eyes widened in surprise. “You actually understand him?”
“Again, understanding is a bit of a stretch, but yeah, we communicate.”
“Interesting.” Moon Dancer didn’t like Luna’s grin. “I may ask you to deliver a message to him for me.”
“Wait a second,” the mare requested. “Can you tell me more about him? What exactly is he?”
Luna took a few seconds to recall her memories. “Well, most creatures consider him death itself, but he’s more like a manager of the process of death, reincarnation and the like. I’m not sure if he set the rules or just enforces them, but he’s not very fond of creatures that go against them.”
Moon Dancer raised a curious eyebrow. “Is that why he hates necromancers?”
Luna sighed. “Necromancy was a more accepted practice back in the day, but creatures started to abuse it for their own goals, and it was later considered too dangerous to be taught. That’s why he despises any creature that seeks its power.”
Moon Dancer took a moment to process the new information before asking. “What’s an Oynon?”
“Oynon?” Luna asked, confused.
“That’s what he’s teaching me to be. At least that’s what I’m understanding from his ‘words’.”
“Hm.” Luna scratched the side of her head. “I don’t have memories of something, or someone, called Oynon. Maybe you will discover it with time.”
“Does that mean that I’m not in trouble for… you know,” Moon Dancer asked, trying to be vague about her actions.
“I know that Suok would be the first to punish you if you used that magic with ill intentions, so I won’t stop you. However, it will be better that this is kept between us. This kind of magic could put some ponies against you due to paranoia and fear.”
“I would also prefer to keep it a secret for now,” Moon Dancer let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Luna smiled and nodded. “Go on with your day, we will need your help in the future.”
Moon Dancer bowed before leaving the room, and Luna was left to wonder one thing as her wound ached. “Is Tia hiding something from me?”
Sunset looked at the stars, laying on the roof of Trixie’s wagon. “All those lights up there are stars from far away. Could I make my own constellation one day?” she wondered.
“You would probably heat the planet till it’s inhospitable, so I would put a no on that one.”
“So, you know how this solar magic works?”
“Just a basic understanding, I didn’t have many ways to practice.”
Sunset kept looking for a while before asking. “So, are you going to tell me what you want?”
“You’re confused about my actions.”
“Yeah, so if you can please be honest, I would appreciate it.”
“I’m not sure. I’m trapped in your mind, so I can’t go anywhere or make plans for the future. Just, help you move forward.”
Sunset took some time to think. “So… everything you made me do. It was because of your anger?”
Dawn took some time to respond. “Yes. But I don’t want to keep doing that. It has only hurt you.”
“I need to ask; why the sudden change of heart?”
Sunset could hear a sigh in her mind. “You’re the only one that can understand what we went through.”
“I think Trixie can too.”
“Yeah, but even if she wasn’t here, I don’t want to ruin your life forever.”
Sunset closed her eyes, looking sad. “I’m all you have.”
“Yeah.” Dawn answered. “So, I’ll try and help you as best I can. If you want me to.”
Sunset sighed. “I don’t think we have much choice.”
“No. We don’t.”
“The food is ready!” Trixie called out, and Sunset jumped off the wagon, using her wings to glide to the ground next to the campfire they made for the night. “You need to teach Trixie how to fly.”
“They Great and Powerful Trixie is asking to be my apprentice?” Sunset asked with a smirk.
“It’ll just make it easier for me to learn this magic,” Trixie answered without missing a beat.
Sunset laughed and took a bite of her food. “So, what’s our first destination?”
“Well, the closest thing to us right now is Cloudsdale,” Trixie answered, checking her mental map of Equestria. “However, the wagon can’t stay on clouds, and we don’t have enough bits for a hotel, so we need to make it a quick visit.”
“I think I can make it stay on the clouds,” Sunset said pointing at the wagon. “Are you planning on putting up a show to earn some money?”
“Not really.” Trixie said downcast. “I haven’t made a show in quite some time.”
“I’m sure you haven’t rusted one bit. Plus.” Sunset was suddenly dressed in a cape and top hat. “You will have The Great and Talented Flanksy as your assistant!”
Trixie chuckled at her antics, looking more confident. “Trixie will need to teach you how to perform first.”
“I can teach you how to fly in exchange.”
“Deal.” Trixie said eating the last of her food. “By the way.” She threw a pouch of bits in front of Sunset.
The amber unicorn opened the pouch confused and counted exactly twenty bits. “You can’t be serious.”
Trixie shrugged with a smug smile. “You made the bet, I accepted it.”
Sunset grunted and looked at the campfire. She walked up to it, feeling a bit of doubt creep up before putting her hoof in the fire. Reassured her immunity still worked, she walked fully into the fire and looked at Trixie. “Happy now?”
Trixie’s smile only grew larger. “I will tomorrow morning.” She then put her plate down and went inside the wagon. “Good night!”
“Wait, I…” Sunset tried to object, but the magician was gone, and she did bet to sleep on fire. “I will get you back for this!” she shouted before trying to lie comfortably on the campfire.
Philomena flew over to her and snuggled into her, earning a smile and pet from Sunset. “Thank you for the company,” she said before lowering her head and going to sleep, hoping to not be too sore in the morning.
In one of the lonely houses near the winter lands where the Crystal Empire once stood, a stallion marched out of the kitchen with a plate full of warm soup. He walked past his family, who were standing in line, their eyes green just like him, before placing the food in front of their unexpected guest.
A dark crystal spoon brought a bit of soup to Sombra’s lips, and the King looked to his new loyal subjects. “Tell me, what has transpired since my banishment?”
“Nightmare Moon returned from her thousand-year banishment. She’s now addressed as Princess Luna after the Elements of Harmony purified her body.”
Sombra hummed as he ate more of the soup. “So, the sisters are ruling together again?”
“Not exactly. There has been a lot of turmoil coming from the capital. Some say that a civil war or revolution is about to start.”
The king laughed. “Perfect. Without their harmonious relationship, they won’t be able to use the Elements against me.”
“There are no Elements,” the stallion said, earning a look from his king. “They were destroyed by Celestia’s ex-pupil, Sunset Shimmer.”
Sombra put his spoon down. “Interesting. Who’s this Sunset Shimmer?”
“From what word reaches these lands, she’s a monster. Demon Child is what they call her. She poisoned princess Celestia and stole the Elements of Harmony to fight Discord, destroying them in the process.”
“This mare, I assume, was powerful enough to defeat Discord?” Sombra asked. He knew his subject would only tell him the truth, but it was still hard to believe him.
“She moved the sun, so people suppose she’s as strong as Celestia herself.”
Sombra scratched his chin. Things were more complicated than he expected. “And she’s on the run now?”
“They were looking for her last time I heard.”
After a few moments of deep thought, Sombra took the bowl of soup and downed it in a few gulps. He had preparations to make. “Where’s the nearest settlement from this farm?”