Part 1 - Sunset Beyond Twilight
The clouds finally broke just as Flash was walking up the street. He made the short race to the house turning his collar up and hunching his shoulders. He only had to press the bell once before the front door opened and he was pulled inside.
“Look out, Flash,” the girl laughed, brushing her hand over his spiky blue hair, scattering raindrops. “Weather’s coming down out there.”
“Thanks Chou, I noticed.” He reached over and closed the front door.
“Well come on,” she said, moving away. “We’re all down in the basement. You’re late.”
Flash wiped his shoes on the hallway mat and followed after her.
Chou Cherry-Feather was a recently new friend but very enthusiastic. No sooner had they started at Canterlot High than she already squeezed in with Flash and his group of rocker friends to lavish them with her house parties.
But usually they were louder than this.
Flash knew there was drum set in the basement but she hadn’t asked him or anyone else to bring their instruments. Where was the blasting stereo then?
“Come on,” Chou beckoned, opening the basement door and heading inside. “And shut it behind you. Mind your step.”
Mind your step indeed. The basement was way more gloomy than usual. If not for the upstairs lights Flash would have suspected a blackout. He shut the door and tried to fix on Chou’s punky lime-green haircut to follow her down the stairs.
There were others down there already chatting.
“Is that Flash, my man?” called Lightning Scout. “Took your time.”
“Almost left him out in the rain,” Chou said, hopping the last step and going to join the circle of friends on the floor.
Flash blinked to try and see better. “Hey Scout, you’re not mister punctuality either.”
“I am when there’s a get-together at Chou’s,” Scout said, raising a can of drink.
He was a long-time friend of Flash with his own messy blue haircut, slightly lighter. Flash caught the glint of candle light off the boy’s yellow eyes and the can in his hand, and just in time.
“Catch.” Lightning Scout tossed the can his way.
Flash caught it impressively enough and settled down between Scout and a purple-haired girl named Star Wisp. She was a bit shy so he gave her some space.
“Well?” Chou beamed at him, sitting between Star Wisp and Pick.
A murmur of laughter went through the circle.
“Alright,” Flash conceded. “What’s with the candles? Where’s the music? This doesn’t look like any Chou Cherry-Feather party I’ve ever been to.”
Chou’s smile broadened. “That’s because this isn’t a party…it’s a séance.”
Flash’s drink can tab snapped and so did he train of thought. “Come again? You mean like…witches and stuff?”
“Witches?” Star Wisp piped in, turning to Chou. “You said séances were harmless communication with the dearly departed.”
Chou tossed her head and her large earrings bounced. “Chill out, Star, we’ll totally let you talk to your old granny.”
“It’s just I don’t want to do anything dangerous,” Star said. “Magic is for demons, not—”
“You don’t really believe in this stuff, girl?” Scout cut her off. “Am I right, Flash?” He elbowed the boy.
“Well yeah,” Flash said. “Sounds fun and all, but I’m not going to start believing in ghosts and demons, Chou.”
Chou folded her arms and pouted a little. She turned her yellow eyes to the boy next to her. “Pick, you believe me right?”
The boy with black and white hair had evidently been napping behind his blue sunglasses. He snorted awake, lifting his chin off his hand. “Huh. Oh, uh. Yeah. Rock on.”
That earned a laugh.
Chou lightly slapped Star on the back. “Lighten up. Now everyone hold hands.”
Flash looked awkwardly at Scout and then at Pick. “Umm…do we have to?”
“Yes,” Chou said firmly.
The teenagers awkwardly joined hands with the boys trying to maintain mostly hand-to-wrist contact.
Chou bowed her head for a moment and then murmured in a theatrical voice. “Oh spirits of the beyond. Harken to our magic circle. Hear our summons and appear before us. Oh wise and powerful creatures of the realms beyond.”
“Creatures?” Star broke in. “No, no, no, no...you said—”
“Shh, you’re wrecking it,” Chou shot back.
“I just don’t think magic should be abused,” Star said.
“I just don’t think magic is real,” Scout laughed.
“We just don’t understand it,” Star said. “And that’s exactly why we shouldn’t be messing around with it.”
“Oh demons of the abyssal realms!” Chou started up.
Star half shrieked as she broke the circle, clutching her hands to her chest like they’d been inches away from a snapping dog.
Everyone laughed, except Pick who’d probably fallen asleep again.
“It’s not real, Star,” Chou said, winking.
“Can we play something different?” Star pleaded.
“Yeah, come on,” said Flash. “Pick’s bored out of his mind. Let’s get some music going.”
“Fine.” Chou heaved a sigh. “Honestly, I try to do something a little different for once but no one ever appreciates me.”
Lightning Scout jumped free of the circle and headed off to the stereo. “Girl, when you learn real magic, then maybe I’ll be interested.”
The bell rang for the end of school. Flash sorted out his books for the next day and puts his homework into his backpack before shutting the locker door.
“Hey Flash,” Chou said.
He twitched. “How long were you hiding there?”
“Psssst,” she said, making an exaggeration of looking around. Then she waved a piece of paper at him.
“What’s this?” He took it.
“Party tonight. You in? Scout and Pick are in. You’re in, dude. Come on.”
“Wait, wait.” Flash studied the paper. “Meet back here? At the school?”
“Shh-sh-sh.” Chou looked over her shoulder again. “It’s a secret. Just us, okay?”
“I’m not breaking into the school,” Flash said.
“Whao.” Chou raised her half-gloved hands. “No, no. Just out front. Come on, no rain tonight. All clear. Bring your most magical, non-sceptical intentions. I’ve got good feeling about then and there for having another go at the séance.”
“This again?” Flash said. “The flare’s already worn off.”
“Meet us there or you’ll miss out. I mean it.” Chou pressed her fingers to her cherry-hue lips and blew him a kiss. Then she turned about and jogged off, her green-tartan skirt flapping about her legs.
Flash stared after her. “…what?”
Flash met up with Pick and Lightning Scout out the front of the school. The sun was just going down now and the cool spring night would soon set in.
“You got any idea what she’s planning?” Flash asked, hands in pockets.
Scout shrugged in his grey jacket. “More witch-demon-magic nonsense. But I really had to be out of the house tonight. Man, you do not want to be around when my little sis is having one of her girly sleepover things. Best course of action is to lockup my room and hit the road.”
Flash nodded.
Pick looked up at the sky and rocked on his heels.
“Sooo…” Flash began. “Any sign of—”
“Got you again,” Chou said.
Flash grit his teeth and turned around in time to see her stepping out from behind the school’s horse statue. “You just wait around for opportunities like that, don’t you?”
“Just good timing,” Chou said. She was holding a large black book is her arms.
“What’s that?” Pick pointed.
“Ohh, this is gonna be great,” she said. “I found this in the library. Up in the upper levels where they have sheets over most of the boxes.”
“I didn’t know you could check those—wait, you stole that didn’t you?” Scout said. “Who steals a book, Chou? Really.”
“I’ll give it back,” she groaned. “Just don’t freak out when I tell you what I found in this baby.”
The boys all folded their arms and waited.
Chou leaned in and whispered over the breeze. “Magic.”
Scout barked out a laugh. “Yeah, okay. Let’s get this on already.” He seated himself on the ground near the statue. “Hey where’s Star? I was hoping not to be holding hands with either of these sweaty guys again.”
“Star’s skipping this one,” Chou said, twirling one of the longer pieces of her punky haircut. “And I’m pretty convinced you won’t be bored this time. You wanted me to prove something? Fine. I’m proving something. Everybody sit. Circle. Now.”
Flash and Pick exchanged looks and just sat down.
Chou seated herself opposite Flash with her back to the statue. She laid the book out on the ground in the middle of the circle and flipped through a few pages.
“See,” she began, “for a proper séance you need the right time and the right place. And guess what I just learned? This is the time and place. Right here.”
“At school?” Scout said, unimpressed.
“Near the statue, I think.” Chou pointed at a rough map in the book. “And this would be the time. For maybe a week now stars and, um, I guess the moon and the heavens and stuff are all, um, in alignment.”
“Uh-huh…” Flash and Scout both said.
Chou glared at them and then pointed at Lightning Scout. “You asked for this, so don’t be a smart-mouth. Now everyone hold hands and damn it Scout I will show you some real magic. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
The boys groaned and complained as Chou grabbed hands and glared until they did the same.
“Oh spirits of beyond,” Chou began, bowing her head like before.
The wind picked up slightly, causing Flash to shrug his shoulders up around his neck.
“I call to the inhabitants of worlds beyond,” Chou continued, shivering only slightly and probably wishing she hadn’t worn a skirt. “Now when the veils are thin, as the stars and the moon align…”
Flash looked up. He couldn’t help it. He saw three bright stars near the mostly-full moon; one star above and one star left, one right. “Huh,” he thought.
“…here and now in this sacred site,” Chou continued.
Pick and Scout cracked up a little.
“Sacred site?” Scout managed to say.
“By the sacred horse’s butt.” Pick nodded to the statue, which faced away from them, and did give them a terrible rear-view.
Chou growled. “Guys, stop it.”
The wind picked up a little more.
“Can we break the circle to try and warm up?” Scout pleaded. “My arms are freezing.”
“Well don’t wear tight jackets,” Flash told him.
Chou gripped their hands more forcefully. “I call upon the creatures of other worlds. Hear my voice and be drawn to me and to our circle. Bring forth the ways to other realms and—”
Pick let go of Flash’s wrist and scratched his nose. “Oh. Uh. Sorry.”
“Great,” Chou said, half shouting over the wind. “Now I have to start over.”
As Flash watched the star and the moon he thought he saw…perhaps the most subtle of twinkles. A strange coordinated shimmer through that particular piece of sky.
The wind blew the pages of the book, ripping a few free.
Chou leaped to her feet and went after them, grabbing them down mid air and looking around for any more.
Scout jumped up, hugged his jacket real close and started rubbing his arms. “Right. Can we go to a club now or something?”
The wind tore another page away and sent it flying towards the statue.
“Catch that!” Chou called, heading back to the group.
Flash leapt after it. His fingers came within reach of the lost page, ready to catch it against the stone side of the statue when… the page and his finger tips vanished through the solid surface. Like…well…magic.
Flash pulled his hand back quickly and checked his fingers in amazement. He looked around and everyone was sharing his expression.
Chou rushed forward and knelt beside him. “What was…what did…do that again.”
Flash reached out and touched the smooth surface. It rippled and shimmered like quicksilver. Chou touched a tentative finger to the portal and then drew back to check her hand.
“That felt so weird,” she said.
Flash put his hand in up to the wrist. It felt warmer past the threshold. Room temperature with still, quiet air. None of this chilly autumn wind.
“I don’t believe it,” Scout said, crouching down near Flash. “What’s it like?”
Flash tried to wiggle his fingers and found he…couldn’t. “Difficult to say.”
Chou started fumbling with the book pages. “Maybe there’s something in here about—”
Suddenly Flash lurched forward as something grabbed his wrist.
Scout quickly grabbed Flash’s arm and added counterweight, pulling him back.
It didn’t take much of a struggle. Whatever had hold of him was holding tight but it wasn’t resisting. Scout and Flash pulled back from the portal and something else was pulled across.
The boys fell backwards on the concrete.
Flash rubbed his wrist, now free of the strange statue, and sat up to see what had been holding him.
There it was. There she was. Long hair, red and yellow, blowing in the spring wind and over her pale orange shoulders. She crouched on all fours, her hands in clutched fists on the ground. Then she slowly lifted her head and terrified, angry, wild green-blue eyes looked out through the strands of her hair.
She was also completely naked.
“Uhh…” was all Pick could manage to say.
The girl’s head turned to the side. She glared at Pick like some wild animal.
Papers rustled free of Chou’s grip.
The stranger’s gaze snapped to the green-haired girl.
“T-take it easy,” Flash managed, still sprawled in front of her.
That seemed to startle her and she flinched back, mouth open and staring.
“What does it want?” Scout whispered. “Chou, what did you do?”
“I don’t…” Chou gaped.
The girl snorted and settled her fists back on the ground. She tilted her head and looked at Flash. Then she looked down at her hands. She straightened up on her knees to better study her own body, making everyone else feel rather uncomfortable.
“Doesn’t she know she’s naked?” Pick whispered.
“She’s probably a demon,” Chou whispered back. “They don’t care.”
“Demon?” said the stranger.
Everyone twitched in alarm.
“Demon?” she said again. Then snorted. She leant forward and dragged her fists across the concrete. “You call me demon? Look at yourselves. Where is this place?”
No one spoke at first.
“Uhh…” Pick coughed. “Uh, Canterlot High.”
She frowned at him. “Canterlot? Impossible. I just left Canterlot.” Then she seemed to remember something alarming and on all fours she tried to put some distance between her and the statue.
Flash hurriedly took off his jacket and draped it over her.
“Don’t touch me!” she yelled, swatting at his hands.
The jacket slipped and she shivered, pulling it back around herself. She seemed surprised at his behaviour. Or maybe she was still trying to understand her situation.
She looked back at the portal. “Does the princess know I came this way?”
Everyone exchanged looks. “Princess?”
“The Princess Celestia,” the girl said. “She rules over all. If she catches me…” She hugged the jacket closer, evidently getting the use of her hands at last.
Chou stood to her full height. “We have to get her inside. It’s freezing out here and she’s naked.”
“What?” said Scout. “I don’t want some celestial princess chasing after us. How do we know this creature isn’t a convicted criminal or something?”
“She’s not a creature,” Flash said, standing. He offered his hand. “She’s a girl. And she needs help.”
The stranger looked quite surprised. Slowly she took his hand, extending her fingers as if she’d never used them before. Flash helped her to her feet and looked over at Chou.
“Can we take her to your house?” Flash asked.
“What? No way,” said Chou.
“You summoned her,” Scout said. “You deal with her.”
“Thought you didn’t believe in demons,” said Pick.
“I’m not a demon,” the girl hissed. “And no one summoned me. My name is Sunset Shimmer. Apprentice to the Princess Celestia. I am fleeing Canterlot for my freedom.” She took a step back, a bit wobbly. “You will help me or I will reduce you to ashes.” She grit her teeth and glared at them. Then she touched a hand to her forehead, confused.
“No,” said Flash, taking her hand back to steady her. “We’ll help you because you need it. Come on.”
Behind those angry eyes Sunset Shimmer was utterly terrified, and almost helpless in this strange new world and body.
“But she can’t stay in my house,” Chou protested. “My older brother’s coming back for a month and he’ll be staying in the basement. I’ve got nowhere to hide her.”
“Well don’t look at me,” Scout said.
“No one was looking at you,” Pick said. “Also…uh…not it.”
Flash looked at each of them. “I…I suppose I could explain to my parents about—”
“Wait!” Chou got out her phone. “Star’s got room. Lots of room. Her aunt even let me stay over for a whole week that time I tried to run away from—er…I’ll just call her.”
Sunset Shimmer snatched her hand back from Flash and hugged the jacket close. He smiled at her. She scowled and looked away, but she did risk a tiny glance back over her shoulder to check if he was still watching.
“Oh hey,” Chou said into the phone. “No, I don’t need Star. I was um…can you come pick me up? And uh…a few friends?”
Star’s Aunt Glimmer had to be given a lot of credit. She was a godsent to teens in need. She was probably not the best parent/mentor/authority figure, however, and Chou knew for a fact that her own parents wanted to have words with Aunt Glimmer. Not all of them nice words, either.
Everyone piled into the car and Aunt Glimmer didn’t even ask about the girl wearing Flash’s jacket and nothing else. Or maybe she just hadn’t noticed. She was blasting the radio and wearing sunglasses, which was probably not a good idea while driving at night.
“Come on kids,” Aunt Glimmer said when they finally arrived and the car and radio went silent.
Chou, Pick and Lightning Scout clambered out quickly enough. Sunset Shimmer fidgeted with her door until Flash hopped out and opened it for her. And she made him feel bad for doing it too. He offered his hand but she just wiggled out on her own, turning her nose up at him. Here was a girl who did not want to depend on anyone. He could only imagine how awful this must be for her.
“Are you all staying over?” Aunt Glimmer asked on the way to the house.
“Not us,” said Chou. “Thanks, really. But um, I should get home. This is the first place my parents check now if I’m gone too long after dark.”
“You want me to give you a lift home, dear?” Aunt Glimmer opened the front door.
“Uh…no, I’d better walk. It’s not too far.”
Flash followed Aunt Glimmer inside and beckoned to Sunset Shimmer that it was okay. The warm light and heated air oozed temptingly over the doorstep. She set foot over the threshold and then moved with purpose into the foyer.
“I’ll take a lift home,” Lightning Scout said.
Flash frowned. “I thought your sister was having a sleepover girly thing.”
“I’ve decided I’ll risk it,” he said.
Flash stepped over to him. “Dude, come on. We’ve got to see this through.”
“Then you stay. I’ve had enough of this weirdness.” Scout remained outside, shrugged against the wind.
Flash looked at Pick.
“Uh…if you want me to stay…” Pick said. “But I’m really tired.”
Flash sighed. “No. You go. Get some rest. We’ve got band practice tomorrow anyway.”
Aunt Glimmer waved goodbye and then her car pulled out with Scout and Pick in the back. Chou waved back and then closed the front door.
“Star!” Chou called, heading upstairs. “You won’t believe this! Wake up sleepy head!”
Flash turned back to the strange girl and suddenly her hand was in his face, holding up his jacket.
“Take it,” she said. “I don’t need it.” And she dropped the item at his feet.
Flash gawked at her. She was naked again. Then he tried to cover his eyes.
“Uhh…Sunset…could you keep it on? At least until we get some of Star’s clothes.”
“There’s no need,” Sunset said, eagre to be rid of the thing. “It’s warm enough in here. I don’t like the way it smells, anyway.”
Flash frowned behind his mask of fingers. “Are you serious? Put some clothes on.”
The stairs creaked as the girls descended.
“Oh no!” Star cried. “What did you do, Chou? What is that?”
“She’s a person,” Flash said again, still covering his face. “And she needs some clothes.”
“Why do you hide your eyes?” Sunset asked. Then she laughed. “My brilliant power is too much for you.”
“Ugh, yeah…sure,” Flash said.
Star paced back and forth on the bedroom floor. “This is bad. This is bad. Why did you bring her here? She doesn’t belong here. What were you thinking? Take her back. This isn’t right.”
“Calm down,” Chou said, sifting through outfits on hangers. She lifted a green dress and held it out in front of Sunset Shimmer. “Hmm. No. I’m thinking black.”
“She doesn’t belong in our world,” Star continued. “Oh, I warned you. You don’t mess with magic.” She put the end of her scarf between her teeth and started chewing nervously as she ranted and mumbled.
“There you go again,” Chou cut in. “Stop chewing your scarf or you’ll wreck it.”
“You did this to me,” Star growled.
Chou lifted a black shirt and blue jeans. “Hmm. Better.”
“Chou, come on,” Flash called from the other side of the door. “She just needs clothes, not fashion.”
Sunset Shimmer stepped forward and grabbed the clothes. She threw them out on the bed and stared hard at them. Then she touched her forehead with her hand.
“What’s she doing?” Star asked.
“My magic isn’t working,” Sunset said.
Star yelped. “She does magic! She’s a witch! A demon!”
“She’s not a demon!” Flash called through the door.
Sunset Shimmer looked herself up and down, twisting to see everything. “This body is strange. Where is my tail? Where’s my horn?”
Star gasped loudly. “Horns and tail! Horns and tail, she’s a demon! Why did you summon a demon, Chou? What have you done?”
Chou shook Star off her arm and when over to Sunset. “Just put the clothes on. Do you want help?”
“No!” Sunset snapped. “I’ll do it myself. Go away.”
Chou stepped back. “Uh. Come on, Star. She wants some privacy.”
“But it’s my room!” Star whined as she was dragged to the door.
The three of them hung about the kitchen downstairs. Aunt Glimmer had come back in the mean time and made hot chocolate before vanishing to her study.
“She’s got to go back,” Star said. “You’ve got to take her back to the ritual site and banish her. Exorcise her from this world. She doesn’t belong and who knows what she’ll do?”
“No way,” said Chou. “This is proof, Star. Actual proof of magic and portals and all those things I’ve been wishing were real. I can learn magic, Star. I could control the weather, or learn to fly, or—”
“Chou, no!” Star pined. “Magic shouldn’t be abused. Take her back and get rid of her.”
Flash sipped his hot chocolate and set the mug down. “No.”
The girls both looked at him.
“We’re not sending her back,” Flash said. “And we’re not going to abuse any magic powers she may or may not have.”
“But…” both girls said.
“No,” Flash said again. “She says she’s not a demon. She said she’s fleeing for her freedom from some celestial princess. We can’t send her back or who knows what will happen to her.”
“But if she stays here,” Star interrupted. “What will happen to us? I don’t want a celestial princess to come here looking for an escaped demon girl. Celestial usually means good. This girl said she had horns and a tail. I think she’s evil.”
“I think she’s powerful,” Chou said, and sipped hot chocolate.
Star’s bedroom door shut.
The teens set their mugs down and all crowded around the stairs looking up.
Sunset Shimmer stood there wearing the black shirt and the jeans. She looked self-conscious and pensive…and stunningly beautiful.
Flash hadn’t realised, what with all the averting of eyes, how beautiful she was. Their eyes met for a moment and it seemed like she was truly seeing him for the first time too.
Then she scowled and hissed through her teeth. “Why is he still here?”
At which point the doorbell interrupted. Repeatedly.
Star went and opened it with a frown.
“Where is she?” called a voice.
“I’ll drag her back myself,” said another.
“Uh-oh,” Chou said.
“Young lady you come home this insistent!”
“Mum, Dad, I’ve got—” Chou started.
It was useless. Chou was bustled out the door and into her parents’ car before anyone had a chance to explain. Star watched the car pull away into the night. She shut the door with a sigh.
“Family?” whispered Sunset Shimmer.
Flash looked up at her. “Uh, yeah,” he said. “Chou’s parents get worried sometimes.”
Sunset blinked at him and then continued scowling. “Do you have hotels in this mad world of yours?”
“Yes!” said Star happily. “I’ll get you directions.”
“Will you get her money too?” Flash said. “Because she doesn’t have any.”
“I need no money,” Sunset said. “They will give me what I want or I will—” She touched a hand to her forehead again and seemed very frightened. “I…I don’t need help. You are both taking orders from me now. Do what I say. I need a hotel and I need money. And food. And that book the green-haired mare had.”
“Mare?” Flash asked.
“Uh. Female,” Sunset corrected quickly.
“I’m not giving her money,” Star said.
“Sunset, you’ll have to stay here tonight,” Flash said.
She blazed with fury.
“No, no, we’re taking orders, remember? You’re forcing us to do this. It’s not like we’re helping you—”
“Don’t presume to defend me!” she roared.
Star sighed and trudged to the kitchen. “I’ll get her some food.”
Sunset Shimmer was grumpy and reluctant through the whole night. Unable to accept the generosity that came with her food, her clothes, her bed prepared on the couch in the spare room, even the shelter of the house itself. Always she seemed on edge, like this was all a trick, or they expected something from her. Mostly she seemed angry that she couldn’t have looked after herself.
Star sat on the second couch. She turned away from Sunset’s glaring eyes and heaved a sigh.
Flash walked into the room then. “I can stay over.”
“Blankets over there,” Star said. “You can have the couch in the living room. Sorry I don’t have any nightclothes for you.”
“I’ll just sleep in this. I’ll swing by my place tomorrow and get changed there.” He gather up the blankets Star had left on the floor.
Sunset Shimmer looked down at him from the couch, perched like a gargoyle. “Why?”
Flash blinked. “Uh. Because if I wear the same clothes for two days in a row—”
“No,” Sunset said. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because you need help,” Flash said, standing up.
“No I don’t,” she growled.
“It’s okay to need help sometimes.”
“Well I don’t like it,” she whispered harshly.
Star got up. “See? She doesn’t like it. Tomorrow Chou can send her back to where she belongs and she’ll be happy.”
Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “I’ll just go…to a hotel.”
Flash grimaced. “Sunset…what are you running from?”
Sunset Shimmer looked from one to the other of them. “You couldn’t possibly comprehend. Magic and politics, a power play beyond anything in this pathetic world.”
“Pathetic. Thanks,” Flash said. “You’ve only been here a few hours. How do you know we won’t understand? You need to tell us what’s after you. Then we can help you.”
“Why would you?”
“I wouldn’t,” Star said, moving to the door. “If this celestial princess comes here then I’m leaving.”
“There,” Sunset nodded. “She’s smart. If you get in Celestia’s way she won’t be happy. She could destroy you.”
Star started chewing on the sleeve of her pyjamas.
“Is that why she’s after you?” Flash said. “She’s trying to destroy you?”
Sunset Shimmer barked out a laugh. “Destroy me? No…I said she could destroy. Creatures like you? She probably would. I wouldn’t blame her. But me? No. No, she’s invested too much time and effort in me.” She hugged her pillow. “They will drag me back through the portal kicking and screaming and then…they will correct me. They have spells for that, you know. For making you behave. I won’t go back there. It’s my freedom on the line. I can’t trust anyone.”
Flash and Star exchanged looks.
“Well you can trust me, anyway,” Flash said.
Sunset glared at him again. Then she pulled the blankets over her head and went still.