Far Beyond the Stars
Sunset blinked as she looked down at the peach orb nestled comfortably in her borrowed chest. Well, she has to say that, in her life as both a unicorn and a human, she didn't see this one coming. Of course, she didn't know about the Windigos, or at least ones that acted on their lonesome. But how did this lone girl connect with Equestrian magic through a Windigo of all things? She stroked her chin as the questions streamed through her mind but she didn't come up with a concrete answer which frustrated her to no end. She slammed her fist on the desk, to which the peach orb squeaked frightfully.
"Oops," Sunset smiled sheepishly as she waved her fist as to reduce the light pain. "Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you at all when I did that." She then frowned at her hand, hoping no bruise formed. "Nor do I want to take your body for granted. And I didn't mean to steal your body like this, but it wasn't as if I had much of a choice."
"Oh, no, no," Soleil's voice came out in a soft whisper with nary reproach or even annoyance. "It's fine. It's fine. It's no big deal." The peach orb nestled into the left side of her chest. "But are you okay?"
"Yes," Sunset smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm a strong fighter and tougher than I look! It's just that I want to keep you safe and unharmed from all of this, uh, situation." Her mouth dipped into a frown. "I'm sorry. I wish that I could've stopped an innocent from getting involved in these magical situations." She frowned as she tried to remembered how there was a possible connection between Soleil and the Windigo. "Apologies, Soleil. But speaking of bruises and cuts, I have to ask you a question. As much as you can remember, do you recall any sort of magical wound on your person?"
"Um...I..."
But before the peach orb could answer, there was a knock on the door. The peach orb, squeaking in fright, disappeared into her body and vanished. Sunset felt a warm intense rush before it subsided. This time, it felt awful. Real awful. It was as if her whole being was exhausted both physically and emotionally. She gnawed at her lip, regretting her question immediately. Of course Soleil would be extremely hesitant to answer that given her background. But was her question the whole lock, stock, and barrel or merely the trigger? Of course, the knock on the door didn't really help matters.
"Soleil, honey," Misty's voice called. "I just wanted to let you know that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes." There was an eerily short pause. "I, I don't want you to rush or anything, honey. I just wanted to let you know in case you were hungry." At Sunset's lack of reply, there was a soft sigh. "I'm glad you're back here, honey. Even if it's for a short while, everyone's happy to see you here. At home. We'll be downstairs if you need us."
At the sound of retreating footsteps, Sunset sighed and waited for Soleil to come back. A few minutes later but there was no sign of the peach orb anywhere. She wanted to panic but knew that it would be of no use to do so. For one thing, it wouldn't be good to raise suspicion among the family members, even Bianca. As far as they knew, their daughter was home and brief lucidity took place. Why shatter their hopes of becoming a normal family? Besides, she had to maintain the body so that her host could return with no complications whatsoever.
Changing into comfortably warm pajamas, she descended down the carpeted stairs and entered the dining room timidly. At her appearance in the doorway, her parents were smiling warmly while Bianca visibly averted her eyes. The smell of freshly, piping hot bread mixed with the delicious smell of carbonara pasta made her mouth water and stomach rumble. Sitting at a seat across from Bianca, she decide to help herself to a large portion.
"Oh, um," Bianca piped up in a sugary-sweet voice. "Be careful, Soleil. You don't want to burn your tongue on the sauce. The bread's also really hot, too." She flashed a half-smile, half-smirk. "Also, Mom and Dad have told me that if you eat too much, you might have a bad stomachache."
"That's apt advice, Bianca," Sunset smiled sweetly. "I will keep that in mind. However, you must forgive me. I haven't tasted a dinner that was homemade in a long time. Not to put down the food back there, but there's something nice eating at home. But thank you for the advice. I will keep that in mind moving forward."
She didn't mean to launch into a speech that was so corny that an outsider watching it would be put off by its corniness. But she wasn't going to be intimidated by amateur mean girl, at least not when she was here. However, Soleil was different. And whether or not she was going to survive under the control of Bianca was a worrying matter indeed. But maybe she would've been more hesitant to go with the Sands had she understood the family dynamic sooner. Guilt piled up in her chest.
"Soleil," Apollo spoke for the first time. "Are you okay? Don't feel bad about eating a lot. It's Christmas after all."
"Oh, yeah," Sunset smiled forcefully. "I'm fine. Honest." Taking a deep breath, she took a bite out of the pasta. "Mmm!"
Dinner was a relatively quiet affair, with Bianca going on and on about what was going on in this particular school. The topic ranged from the cheerleading squad to the prom that was coming in the spring. All the while, she was making glances at the girl sitting across from her. Sunset, for her part, rolled her eyes. It was watching a cracked mirror being distorted before her. As she thought before, Bianca was nothing but an amateur who was taking cues from someone else. Maybe the people who had done something terrible to Soleil.
"By the way," Bianca's voice cut through her thoughts. "Aspen told me that he was going to be taking me to the prom. We've even got a limo service that will be taking us to the after-party afterwards." She said this as she looked directly at Sunset. "At the prom, Soleil, there'll be some cake and cookies. Maybe I'll give you some when I can." She finished with a fake smile.
"Okay," Sunset shrugged with a smile. "Thanks for thinking about me."
Bianca's smile slipped and the parents looked at each other with unreadable expressions. As she continued to eat, Sunset's ears pricked up to something outside of the window. An eerie chill ran down her body and she dared herself to turn herself to the window. Her breath hitched as she saw a horrible sight. It was the Windigo, though not as she remembered it before. Its fingers now had a thin slice of blood curling at the nails and its teeth were gleaming in the moonlight. The lips were taut, cracked, and dry at the edges.
It was smiling.
At her.
It was smiling at her.
No, no, no. Sunset's eyes widened in fear as she continued to stare out the window before blinking to will the apparition out of her vision. When she reopened her eyes, it was gone and she breathed a sigh of relief. Looking down at her plate, Sunset, stomach turning knots, decided to put the rest of her food in the fridge and excused herself weakly before heading upstairs. Closing the door behind her, she curled up with her knees to her chin, shaking like a leaf. Her mind was swirling into a mess.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe-
Breathe-
Breathe-
Sunset gritted her teeth as she stood up on shaky legs and buried her face into her pillow, too tired to pace around and very paranoid to go to sleep. Her nerves were frazzled, on edge. She felt her heartrate beat at a rapid pace and shivered as every nook and cranny crept on her like ivy. She narrowed her eyes as she looked out the window, at the opposite house. She was taking comfort in its soft glow when she saw that the snow was flurrying rapidly. Grimacing, she closed her curtains. No. No. No. None of that right now. A tap was at her window. She puckered her lips as she turned away and closed her eyes.
Sunset opened her eyes to the scent of lavender and a lethargy weighing her down. The tickle of soft hair prickled her cheek and she smiled softly as she looked towards Twilight sleeping right on her like a cat. For five minutes, she just laid there as a gradual wakefulness roused her from the vestiges of sleep. Then, an abrupt buzz jolted the both of them. Sunset frowned, a confusion washing over her. Who, except from Flash, would be calling her at all? As Twilight rubbed the sleep out of her eye, she picked it up.
"Pinkie," Sunset mumbled in wonder. "Why does Pinkie want to come over here for a visit?"
"Probably because she wants to help out," Twilight responded from behind her. "The last time we talked to her, she was real torn up about your condition as well as how she messed up with the other students of Canterlot High School." She frowned.
"Good that she's coming here," Sunset looked down. "It'll give me an opportunity to apologize to her." She looked outside. "I know that she was part of the crowd who turned on me, but she's still human. She can change, just like me."
Twilight said nothing, to which Sunset decided to make some breakfast for the three of them. As she worked on the eggs as well as the toast, she glanced back at the Princess and frowned. Twilight looked at her in a way that made her feel guilty. An odd frown crossed her mouth and her eyes were a mixture of anger and sympathy. Sunset turned away and focused on not burning the eggs. But she always felt the piercing stare cut right into her soul. Finally, she sighed as she set the food down.
"Twilight, is everything okay?"
"I...I heard you talk in your sleep," Twilight replied, looking away. "I didn't know what to do but to listen. I...I heard everything about that other world, Sunset. I also heard from Flash that you wanted to...wanted to..." She couldn't speak. "I...I..." Twilight then flung herself onto Sunset. "I'm so, so, so, so, sorry. I promised you that I'd be there for you. But then, I didn't and you'd, you'd been going through a rough time and I...I..."
"..."
Sunset frowned as she rubbed the other girl's back. Twilight was inconsolable and she knew that it was her fault. She bit her lip. At first, she was so angry and confused at the world when this whole thing hit, even as she put on a mask of indifference and stoicism. She wanted vengeance, revenge, to see the whole of Canterlot High School off their high horse for once. And a good portion of her wanted to scream at the Rainbooms for their inconsiderate hypocrisy.
And yet.
And yet.
The aftermath of pouring out whatever she poured out was not pretty. Three people were traumatized because of what she had said, a fourth counting poor Nurse Redheart. Flash's horror, the nurse's shock, Twilight's tears, and Pinkie's guilt. It's not as sweet as she hoped, revenge. Painting someone as the villain was all too easy and its consequences and she almost went down that path. She bit her lip. She thought that she was smarter than this, but of course, thinking that was also hubris.
"Easy, Twilight, easy," Sunset soothed. "Here, have some breakfast. You need something to eat, you know?"
Twilight reluctantly obeyed and sat down at the small table. Just then, a soft knock was at the door. Sunset opened it and an expected Pinkie was there, except disheveled. Her hair was straight and dulled pink, her eyes were puffy and reddened with tears, her cheeks were dry-stained with those tears, and her clothes were wrinkled. Her fists were clenched and shaking. It's a honest-to-god miracle that she looked so stoic as she did. Sunset blinked only once before ushering the girl in.
"Pinkie, what happened," Sunset asked as she directed Pinkie to the chair. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"
"I...I yelled at the Rainbooms," Pinkie could only reply. "I told them what I needed to say. And, honestly, I've never felt better. It felt good, you know. To unleash what I needed to say. And it felt good, you know." She turned to Sunset. "The Battle of the Bands. You told everyone there that your past didn't define every part of you. We should've...I should've...I'm so sorry! I...I..."
"Pinkie, it's okay," Sunset smiled at her. "If anything, I also owe you an apology regarding what I said that day. I forgot about the consequences and just whaled on you. I'm sorry. I should've been more mature than that. But I lost myself that day." At Twilight's cough, she turned and gave a sheepish grin. "And I have something that I have to tell you both. I need all the help. It's not an option to do this alone anymore."
An hour.
It had taken an hour.
By the time she was finished, Twilight and Pinkie were more than floored. Twilight was biting her fingernails and Pinkie was rubbing her hands on her skirt. They seemed to be lost in thought, processing the information. It wasn't surprising. It was a overlord of other world information. One where Equestria was nothing more than the detailed lucid dreams of a young girl. A young girl who was going through a lot, to put it bluntly. Of course, nobody knew what had caused this, not even Sunset.
"Wow," Pinkie uttered. "It's really, really...Well..."
"I know," Sunset nodded. "It's all kinds of odd and kind of disturbing. What's more is that I saw the Windigo even there. It's a true mystery and this wound on my shoulder factors into this shift." She grimaced at the dull pain of her shoulder. "She's an important connection to the Windigo. Someway, somehow, that Windigo has given me access to her point of view." Sunset's face suddenly paled as a new realization set in. "This means that she's vulnerable there with the Windigo running around."
"What do we do?" Pinkie piped up.
"I have no idea," Sunset admitted. "The most that I can do is to be her for a little while. But other than t h a t..."
A blink.
A second blink.
A third blink.
Sunset frowned as she stared at the ceiling. What, what, what was happening? Wasn't she talking to Pinkie and Twilight? She turned her head at a piece of paper fluttering in the wind. Wind? No, it was the slight opening of the door as well as a voice.
"Sunset?"
She blinked immediately at the sound of Twilight's voice. Both her and Pinkie were looking at her strangely. Oh, she spaced. That was strange. She usually had a pattern when entering these things. But now that pattern was being disrupted in a way. A negative way. Sunset frowned and she blinked again. Huh. That was strange. Why were her thoughts getting disjointed? At this point, Twilight got up and gently sat Sunset down on a spare chair.
"Easy, Sunset, easy," Twilight mumbled. "Just rest on this chair."
"What do we do, Twilight," Pinkie whimpered. "What do we do?"
"Hmm, from what I can recall," Twilight responded, stroking Sunset's hair. "It doesn't seem like any other Windigo attack the books have spoken about nor of what Princess Celestia warned me about. However..." She trailed off in thought. "It doesn't, to my knowledge, have the same...But what if..." She turned to Pinkie. "There is a creature that is rarely talked in Equestria. I only heard of this creature in hushed whispers."
"What is it?" Pinkie asked, leaning forward.
"It is called an Erinye."
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Pinkie yelled at the Rainbooms? Hmm. Interesting.
If I’m recalling Greek mythology correctly, the Furies were Erinyes. If this is going where I think it’s going, then someone at CHS royally screwed up. And I don’t just mean Anon-a-Miss.
I wonder what that means... How is it all connected? Wonderful chapter as usual!
(reads chapter's title)
I sail. Way beyond the moon
In my silver ship, I sail
A dream that ended too soon
Sorry, that came to my mind when I find the title of this chapter.
Anyways, glad to see one of these Anon-a-Miss stories where the other Libman character is the first one to see the light instead the obvious Libman character. Keep up the good work.
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Yep! In the next chapter, we'll see how that conversation went! It's not gonna be pretty.
10639129
Oh yeah, there's more trouble that's to be had with an Erinye on the loose! And there will be trouble a-brewing and retribution to be had!
10639204
Thanks for the comment! And yeah, all will be revealed in due time!
10639430
Yep! There have been a few fics where Pinkie is the first to doubt, but not as much as Fluttershy! And cool reference! It sounds like a wonderful song!
Interesting teasers here.
10639805
Ok
10639814
Thanks. The song's called "I will go sailing no more". It's from the first Toy Story movie.
10639980
Oh! I remember that movie! Man, that was a tearjerking part!
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Don't worry! I'm working on the extra chapter as we speak!
10639909
Thanks! I'm glad they've caught your attention!
10639204
It means "Fury". The Furies were goddesses in Greek (and, later, Roman) mythology who tormented the wicked with nightmares and hallucinations. There were three of particular note: Alekto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, each of whom had a particular type of wickedness they specialized in punishing.
They're notable for having no concept of justice, only vengeance. They don't care if you atone, they don't care if you reform, they just make sure that you suffer for the rest of your life, which probably won't be all that long with them on your case.
I believe this is the second Sunset Shimmer story to feature them. The other one that I know of is How the Sunset Sparkles by Scipio Smith. That's a very different story, one where Sunset returned to Equestria at the end of Equestria Girls rather than remaining in the human world.