//------------------------------// // Thursday Dec 22 c // Story: A Past Returned // by TacoTues4Eva //------------------------------// Sunset nearly groaned as she slowly regained consciousness, but was able to refrain making any sounds or movement when she sensed the four girls sitting around her. She could feel her boots missing and a blanket draped over her and if she had to guess, she would say she was on the couch from the feeling of it. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself just yet as she was trying to get the dull throb in her head to settle down a little more and figure out what happened. The easiest explanation would be that she simply overdid it as she hasn’t used magic this much since coming to Earth. With the fact that she tapped into her abilities as a unicorn, which has been hit or miss with small things such as levitation, it possibly could have strained her more than anticipated. If that was the case though, her reserves would be a lot lower than what she felt they were. Not that she was having an easy time feeling her mana system, as it was vastly different than her unicorn’s body, but she could remember feeling them from the battle as when she absorbed the fire, it lit up the pathways like the Christmas lights on the tree. It was thanks to that battle that she now knew the basic pathways and structures of her current magic system not coming from the Heart of Kandrakar, or perhaps in addition to it. Another, possibly which may have been more a bit more likely, is the fatigue she had been feeling. She knew it could happen to people and had even seen examples from it. It could be caused by a number of factors including stress, emotions running highly wild over a short or intense period, or even just from extreme exhaustion. Magic was largely mental, but it also took some physical effort to cast even the smallest of spells. She had been going through a lot of that lately, added to the fact that she wasn’t exactly eating very much before coming here because of being isolated during Anon-A-Miss. It was all a recipe for disaster, or at least her collapsing, yet it was something Sunset didn’t really want to believe as she wasn’t feeling very strained. There was one other conclusion Sunset could come up with, she just couldn’t wrap her head around the who, where, or why of it. When she first realized she could levitate things at Fluttershy’s house it did seem easy. It was actually pretty easy to cast the magic during the battle, which was a little odd compared to how it seemed harder to do it here in her home. It was as if something was fighting the use of magic in the vicinity, which would explain the resistance Sunset felt when she was teleporting them. It may have only taken seconds to teleport them, but to Sunset it took longer. She felt something pushing against her spell’s anchor, which made her use a lot of her strength to brute force her way through the resistance. If there was something like a magic nullification field it would explain the headache and the nearly paralyzed feeling she had right before collapsing. It could have caused a feedback loop that damaged the source of the nullification field as well as cause negative effects to the caster. The questions that bothered her was who would even know how to create something like that here? How did they even know how to make something that advanced? The magic the girls seemed to use was basically training wheels for unicorns. And finally, why do something like that here in this specific building? While this was the most likely of options, it was also the most unsettling. “Do you mind if I stay too, Ms. V?” Came Irma’s voice, the girl sounding frustrated. “I guess so, Irma. Just no causing trouble when Velvet and Twilight get here.” Susan replied. Sunset could imagine the stern look from the older woman. Sunset had to admit, she was a little surprised she didn’t feel her mother in the room, but these girls were connected to her through the Heart, which could possibly explain sensing them close by. “Why would I cause trouble with Twilight?” Irma asked, “Corny was the one who flipped out about crayons.” “Don’t call me Corny!” Cornelia snapped. “First, I don’t ever want to hear you girls use a derogatory term like that again! A crayon is something you color with, not a human being! Do I make myself clear?” Susan said, her voice growing angrier. After a guilt filled acknowledgement from the girls, she continued, “Second, what is she talking about?” “Does it matter?” Cornelia asked, sounding cowed. “Yes, it matters.” Susan said. “Ms. V, Cornelia had a breakdown at the mall. She saw Matt and Sunset, then freaked out about Will. She didn’t truly mean to say those things.” Taranee explained. “I won’t force you to apologize, it wouldn’t mean anything if I did. I do expect you to show my daughter and niece the respect they deserve as human beings.” Susan said. “Sunset will probably wake up soon and it is way past lunch time. I assume you girls are hungry and I know Sunset will be, so I’ll order pizzas and breadsticks for you until your parents pick you up after the mess at the mall is cleared up.” “You don’t have to do that, I can call home and see if I can get some take-out brought over.” Hay Lin suggested. “It’s fine dear. Despite not seeing you girls as much as I would like lately, I do still love you all. You were like family to Will, which meant you were like family to me.” Susan said, silence following a few moments before Sunset felt a soft kiss on her forehead and a whispered, “You know they’re going to realize you are awake sooner or later?” “Thanks mom.” Sunset whispered back, not realizing a certain air guardian would hear. “Are you okay, Sunset?” Hay Lin asked softly. “I’m fine.” Sunset groaned, earning a hair ruffling by her mother who was climbing to her feet from the floor in front of where Sunset was laying. “Just thinking, I guess.” “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be back.” Susan said, giving Sunset a questioning look while helping her sit up. “Unless you girls want some alone time.” “It’s ok mom, I’d love if you came back.” Sunset said as she smiled at the older woman. “Actually, girls, I’ll be right back.” “Do you need help sweetie?” Susan asked, making sure Sunset didn’t collapse as she climbed to her feet as well. “I’m okay mom, I feel great other than a headache. And a lot of nervousness I guess.” Sunset explained. Susan walked with Sunset as the two moved into the kitchen where the teen started digging through cupboards. Susan couldn’t help wonder what the teen was doing as she pulled out a bag of chocolate chip cookies and dumped them on a plate. She didn’t miss Sunset causally calling her mom, which made her smile even more. She was afraid to tease Sunset over it, or bring it up in case the girl became self conscious over it and stopped. “I bet not as good as your homemade ones, but I’m sure they will break the ice.” Sunset said with a grin. “You remembered that?” Susan asked, her eyes watering a little thinking about Will’s first day at Sheffield Institute. “I’m sorry, Mom, I read about it in Will’s diaries. It is one of the few things I read in there I can actually picture happening. Not sure if it’s de ja vu, or just how detailed some things were.” Sunset explained. “I’ll be out in a couple minutes then dear.” Susan said, giving an encouraging smile. ”Good luck, honey.” “Yeah, I think I’ll need it.” Sunset snorted as she walked back out where the girls quickly stopped what ever they were talking about and turned to look at her. She couldn’t help taking a sheepish expression as she placed the plate down on the coffee table. Not that she meant to do it, but her expression combined with how she asked, “Want a cookie?” triggered something in the blonde that was unexpected by all of them. “WILL!” Cornelia shrieked, sobbing hard as she threw herself at Sunset and wrapped her arms tightly around her. The way she threw herself at Sunset forced both girls off balance and fall back on the couch where Cornelia refused to let go while sobbing out over and over again, “I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry!” “Corny, what are you talking about?” Irma asked, “That isn’t Will.” “I’m sorry, Cornelia.” Sunset said, wrapping her own arms around the girl. “I’m not Will, not anymore.” “Not anymore?” Irma asked, hands covering her mouth as she stared at Sunset in shock. “You made it sound like Will’s dead!” “In a way she is, Irma. When she made that wish, she was sent back in time in a new body. Something happened though, it destroyed her memories or sealed them up really tight. I grew up as Sunset Shimmer, not Wilhelmina Vandom.” Sunset said, “I don’t remember you girls, and I don’t really remember mom either. All I know is that she loves me and I love her, I’d do anything to keep her safe.” “Oh sweetheart.” Susan said, leaning over the back of the couch and hugging Sunset from behind. “I’ll do anything to keep you safe too, you mean the world to me.” Sunset looked at the other three girls who had varying degrees of pain and confusion on their faces as Sunset rubbed the back of the sobbing blonde who wouldn’t stop begging for forgiveness. She wasn’t sure what possessed her to do it, but she opened her arms and signaled for the other three girls to join them. It wasn’t a second later when Sunset was part of her first group hug since the whole Anon-A-Miss mess started. She hated to admit it, but she missed them.