Sanctuary Under a Paleblood Sky

Chapters

Called by a Child's Cry
Protect the Child, as is Thy Nature
Glory be to Celestia
Sifdóttir

Called by a Child's Cry

Author's Note

This marks the start of a larger AU, which I'll hopefully show as I go. But in essence, Equestria is one world, one realm connected to many others. While this story is self contained, it acts as a starting point, and I hope that what I write here will be interesting enough to stand on its own merit as well as add to the larger narrative yet to come.

Welcome to the beginning of the Wish Fulfilment AU.

Called by a Child's Cry

The night was long.

That’s what it felt like to the young filly with golden fur and a fiery mane as she trudged through the densely packed forest that surrounded the bustling capital she left behind.

Teal eyes rimmed red from crying as she picked her way through the foliage, mind adrift in a sea of emotions and memories.

“Sunset… What blasphemy is this?”

“W-what? But I just wanted to help! See? Ponies can use their happiest memories to—”

“That is not how We teach magic, this path leads only to darkness. Magic is cast through the mind, not with the volatility of the mortal heart.”

“Ponies aren’t going to turn into evil monsters if they use good emotions though! I’ve tested it, it works!”

“Thoust—What? How?”

“I came up with the spell myself, and there’s an entire branch of magic that can build off it. Here, look Princess, I’ve been testing it for months! It’s safe!”

“…”

“Princess Celestia?”

“…All it takes is one pony Sunset, one soul to fall and then a new era of chaos will be born. We have guided this Realm in the absence of both Chaos and Order, taught Our little ponies the safest way to harness magic. We stood firm even against Our dear sister when she rallied against Our vision… If thou will not discard thine treacherous creation, We will have no choice but to banish thee to protect what is Ours.”

Her fur was quickly becoming mattered, her hooves ached, and without the mercy of being given supplies the young unicorn had no choice but to press on. Away from the carefully tended paths and roads, the forest almost had a will of its own with the way the thick grass and twisting roots made it a gargantuan task to navigate. A canopy too thick to allow even a sliver of moonlight only added to her hardship, her horn alight with mage fire and draining her dwindling reserves of power.

Had it been minutes? Hours? She had no clue, it felt as if dawn would never come, that the sun had forsaken her. There was nary a sounds save for her own hooves and shaky breathing.

Even now, she didn’t see the harm in what she had done. Emotions were a powerful thing, yet since the sealing of The God of Chaos and the subsequent death of The Goddess of Order, magics pertaining to emotions and memories had been deemed too dangerous to use.

Ever since she had been taken in by Princess Celestia, Sunset had only known magic as an expression of one’s talent, carefully expressed through years of study and control of one’s will. To cast on impulse was dangerous, too many mages had fallen to dark magics driven by their own spite, jealousy, or sorrow.

But there were tales, stories of spells that embodied the joys of life, the strength of one’s bonds with others, the passions of mortals and gods alike. She had wanted to bring back those old teachings and integrate with the current methods.

She had thought a balance could be achieved. And what else could she do? She was a student of The Unconquered Sun, she had grown up on tales of mighty heroes like Starswirl the Bearded, she was expected to be as great as those legends.

Favoured by the sun, the weight of her predecessors on her shoulders, and the entire realm watching her Sunset had to show she was worthy of the favour of the gods.

She knew she was destined for great things.

Yet this offered little comfort to the cold, tired, and scared filly that had no idea what to do now that everything had been taken from her, That bright future now gone, and with fresh tears threatening to spill out once more, she stumbled through the dark night.

Her hoof slipped off the edge of an incline she couldn’t see until it was too late. The light of her horn winked out as she crashed down the slope, the world tumbling around her.

She landed in a heap on the forest floor.

Everything stung, aches and pains, scrapes and cuts marred her small form as she pulled herself to lie on her stomach and tucked her legs beneath her.

Why? She thought as she sniffled. Her throat felt tight, and her eyes burned. Mom, why?

I thought you loved me.

The darkness of the forest offered its own strange sense of calm, the clearing she found herself in was open to the heavens and the full moon shone down. It was almost peaceful.

Almost. Danger still lurked in these woods, monsters were especially active at night. Free from the baleful sunlight that kept them away from the capital and main roads.

Too overwhelmed, too tired, too spent to continue, Sunset Shimmer remained where she was, lying on a soft bed of grass under the moonlit night, and wept.

Grieving for the home and life she had left behind.

The Dream was long.

A field of white flowers, ringed with gravestones and surrounded by a wrought iron fence stood as a expression of power, in memory of a bargain made so very long ago.

Beyond this fence lied a hill, and a flagstone path that led to the building atop it. More graves rested at either side of the path and at the edges of the small courtyard like space the hill occupied.

The sky above was one of a clear, calm summer night, the moon far brighter and far larger than one would expect.

And within this melancholy place, peace reigned, welcoming even as a giant orange beast slumbered in the middle of the field, a human resting against it.

The human was dressed in the appropriate number of layers typical of the era, several layers of shirts beneath a buttoned up, dark coloured long coat and similarly dark slacks. The legs of said pants were tucked into the sturdy pair of boots.

Gloved hands rested on her stomach as the fair skinned human napped alongside the feathery fox-like beast, a tricorn hat adorned with a large white feather was pulled down to cover her eyes, and curly orange ponytail was draped over one shoulder.

A sound pierced the stillness of the Dream.

The beast awoke, the creature’s lone blue eye glowed like moonlight, and yet the human merely slumped over, hat dropping onto the grass, like a doll that had become unbalanced.

The silence of the dream was broken, the crying of a little girl grew louder and louder, a symphony of heart wrenching suffering and grief that spilled past the boundary between realms.

Oh, you poor thing, who hurt you so?

The beast, the god, let out a rattling sigh and settled down for a long night.

The human snapped awake, her lone functioning eye as grey as storm clouds.

A long night indeed she mused as she got to her feet and made her way over to new, gem encrusted gravestone that had risen from the soil. The red and yellow jewels depicted a bird and a sun intertwined together.

“And where are you off to then?”

She blinked and turned back around to find her former mentor looking down at her with a frown. An elderly man in similar, yet tattered garb with red lining, and a simple black hat atop a head of grey hair. He moved with a prominent limp and came to stop just in front of her.

“Gehrman,” she greeted warmly. “Did you need something before I left?”

The old man scoffed, resting his weight on the simple wooden cane in his hands. “Just be careful out there. You may be… more than just a hunter now, but you still care too much for your own good.”

“I’ll be fine,” she replied casually and smiled, showing off a mouth of sharp, canine-like teeth. When that didn’t appease him, she shrugged helplessly. “Caring is all I have left.”

“I know… But don’t you think you’ve done enough?” he asked tiredly. “Good Hunter, you have your friends, your home, and you’re just going to go running off?”

The crying still rang around them as the two stared each other down.

“Listen to that,” she said. “Can you in good conscience leave a child alone when they’re that distraught?”

Seconds passed, the two stared each other down, and as the crying rang out around them, Gehrman relented with a sigh.

“No.”

“I’m not leaving,” she said and gestured to the fox once more curled up asleep behind them. “I’ll still be here.”

“Leaving the feather duster behind isn’t the point,” Gehrman argued, and the woman let out an annoyed “Oi!” in protest. “I just want to make sure you’re coming back…”

She took in the sight of the worn-down old hunter, a man who had spent years trapped in the Hunter’s Dream to guide new hunters through another night. Blind to the comforts the place offered, lost in his own sorrow and torment, and unwilling to seek out the truth.

She often wondered how long he had spent here, hoping for someone to free him.

To abandon him now would be cruel and she was far too soft hearted for such an act. More to the point, she was far too much a creature of habit to simply abandon those she had come to care for.

“Of course,” she answered sincerely. “I didn’t cling to my friendships to just go wandering off.”

“I swear I won’t be long.” She added. “Honest! I’ll just pop on over, grab the poor babe, and be back by daybreak.”

She took off her hat, swapping it out for a plainer tricorn and pulled a leather covering over the bottom half of her face. “If I need to be gone longer, I will send you a note.”

Gehrman stepped back and nodded. “Alright Raine, you’ve made your point. Go save another lost soul.”

A faint purple light broke through the darkness and a strange scent wafted through the air.

Sunset sniffled as she tried to stifle the storm of grief and fear that still gripped her. She looked ahead to see a small metal post had appeared out of thin air. A set of small bells were set atop it and the post ended in a curled hook upon which a strange lantern hung. It emanated purple light and coils of smoke from the incense it burned wafted up and into the night air.

She could only stare, bewildered, as someone appeared beside the lamp in a brief swirl of grey, wispy smoke.

The filly had seen humans before, even before becoming Celestia’s student a human from one of the other realms often wandered in from one of the unstable gates that opened across the kingdom. But this human was dressed in manner she had never seen before, long, dark garb, and a face covering.

A trace of the human’s orange hair could be seen poking out from beneath the hat, her fringe covering her left eye as the newcomer looked to be observing her surroundings.

“Who are you?” Sunset squeaked out.

Was she a Hero sent by Celestia? Was the lamp yet another of form of gate that pulled this unsuspecting soul into?

There was something unmistakeably different about this human, she didn’t smell right, a scent Sunset couldn’t place.

Still, it wasn’t a bad smell, and Sunset remained wary as the human pulled out a torch from the confines of her coat and held it up to get a look at her.

“Well now, what have we here?” she mumbled and looked down at her with brows furrowed in confusion. “Was it you that was crying?”

With dawning horror, Sunset remembered one of the key cornerstones of her research in to emotive magics, that magic often had a will of its own when the caster was overcome with intense emotion.

“Y-you heard that?” Sunset asked, hooves scrabbling against the damp grass as she struggled to get up.

The human took a step back, her free hand raised in gesture of surrender. “Easy little one, I mean you no harm…”

As if to emphasize her point, the woman put her torch away, and walked over to the lantern to sit behind it. With her legs crossed and gloved hands resting in her lap, a tense silence filled the air as Sunset froze.

When the woman spoke again, her voice was gentle. “Peace child, you are safe here. No harm shall before you under this lanterns light.”

Unprompted, the woman continued. “My name is Raine, I am… new to this world. Your suffering resonated with me, and I am not callous enough to ignore such sorrow.”

From the storm of Sunset’s misery, a spark of hope blazed to life at Raine’s words.

“You want to help me?”

“Well,” Raine replied, fiddling with her gloves. “Within reason… should you need a home, or somewhere to stay until you’re back on your feet, I can provide it… Should someone be out to harm you, I will stop them.”

“Tell me little one, who hurt you?” Raine asked softly.

“W-what?”

The Princess hadn’t hurt her, Sunset knew full well what she had been dabbling in was forbidden… but she had hoped that her mot-mentor would understand how much of a difference Sunset’s research could make.

She had put her faith in the princess, she forgot that Equestria’s kind and guiding ruler was also a god. Sunset had ignored this and foolishly so.

She pondered this in the quiet of the lamp light.

Celestia had hurt her, a wound on the filly’s soul that would leave a scar. One that would stay with her, haunt her.

But here in the solace of the strange human and the pale light of the lamp, Sunset moved on weak legs to sit down across from Raine, took a deep, if slightly shaky breath, and steeled herself.

“My name is Sunset Shimmer, I was the personal student of Princess Celestia, The Unconquered Sun... She—”

It felt like the words were stuck in her throat. She knew what to say, but the words never came. Raine nodded understandingly.

“We have a long night ahead of us, take your time.”

She nodded and decided to try a different approach.

“Does your world have magic?” Sunset asked.

Raine hummed in thought. “There are the arcane arts, tapping into the power of the Great Ones, and handling arcane tools or weapons. I suppose that could be defined as magic, from a certain point of view.”

That was as good a starting point as any.

“When I was taught magic, everypony always stressed that casting without a clear mind is bad… But that’s not the whole truth!” Sunset said, passion returning to her as the topic shifted to her research. “Before, when it wasn’t just the goddess of the sun ruling the land, magic using emotion was everywhere! It was a source of healing, of inspiration! But something changed…”

“And now it’s outlawed?” Raine asked and Sunset nodded.

“It’s-it’s like nopony can see past the worst abusers of that kind of power, like all the good it could do just doesn’t exist,” Sunset said. “Something caused a big shift in how ponies use magic… and I was looking into the old emotive magics to try and bring it back. If I could show that you can cast with a clear mind and while drawing upon happy memories, then it could revolutionize magic as we know it!”

“How so?” Raine asked, leaning forward slightly.

“W-well, there’s old healing magics that draw power from the faith and wonder of old tales and heroes of legend. Magic that can help plants grow faster and healthier as long as the caster is compassionate… It’s not much…” Sunset admitted. “I tried showing Princess Celestia what I had come up with and she… was not happy about it.”

“And that is the reason she cast out a child?”

Sunset was taken aback by the disdain that came from the human.

“She’s The Unconquered Sun…” Sunset said meekly. “If I stayed, I would have had to give up everything I’ve worked for! I would have been watched like a hawk until I finally snapped…”

Sunset stared at the ground, bright beams of opposing magics clashing in her mind’s eye. “… I left because I wasn’t the first.”

Once she started talking, Sunset couldn’t, wouldn’t stop. She had spent many months keeping silent under Celestia’s watchful eye as the goddess scrubbed all knowledge of her fellow god from the public record.

“Lady Luna of the New Moon was the goddess of the night and justice… and Celestia’s younger sister They argued a lot, what Prin- C-celestia thought was best for Equestria sometimes went against Lady Luna’s divine duties as a goddess,” It felt like a lifetime ago since she had last seen the proud and kind goddess of the night. “…Now Lady Luna’s locked away and branded a monster…”

Sunset turned her gaze skyward, the moon tarnished with the seal keeping its goddess trapped within.

“I still don’t understand why I was exiled in the first place… I only wanted to help...” she admitted. “But I won’t go back…”

“What of your family?” Raine asked.

“What family?” Sunset bitterly replied as she gazed at the star filled sky.

“None?” the disbelief in Raine’s was palpable. “This princess of yours was your caretaker?”

“…Yes? No?” Sunset replied. There was a host of memories and feelings about the sentiment that she wasn’t prepared to face. “I became her student the day I got my Destined Mark as a talent in magic.”

She could still recall the fateful day she had finally been noticed, wanted by somepony.

“Thine talent in spellcraft is truly impressive. We see a bright and noble future ahead of thee, under the proper tutelage of course.”

“R-really? Princess Celestia, can I learn magic to help other ponies like me?”

“Likest thou, little pony?”

“Unwanted, because of my otherness…”

“Sunset Shimmer, from this day onward thou art a student of Our divine self. Magics worthy of celebration and grandeur await thee as a Favoured Soul of The Sun.”

“Under Our guidance, thou shalt follow in the hoofsteps of heroes of ages past. A pony Our subjects will admire as We are admired.”

She was pulled from her reminiscing as Raine stood up and brushed bits of grass off her coat.

“I take it you had no time to recover your belongings?” the human asked, and Sunset shook her head.

Raine made a noise in disapproval.

“Not even a travel bag with supplies…” she muttered and from the confines of her coat, she pulled out a simple saw blade, the serrated, spear like saw attached to a wooden handle. “Point me in the right direction and I will go collect your things.”

She held the saw in her right hand with familiar ease while she lit their surroundings with the torch in her left.

Sunset knew repurposed tools when she saw them, but she knew weapons just as well. These tools, no matter how plain they looked, were made to slay monsters.

In the pale light of the lamp, Raine looked like something out the old tales. The visage of this woman in strange garb and equally strange weapons called to mind stories of deadly tricksters and vengeful spirits.

Something otherworldly.

Sunset was too used to heroes in extravagant outfits, mighty warriors and brave souls that performed extraordinary feats that would be told and retold across generations. In contrast, Raine was a mystery, a stranger.

And yet this stranger was the kindest soul Sunset had the good fortune to meet. And after the ordeal she had faced hours prior, she was more than willing to put her trust in this stranger.

“My research notes, they are the only things I care about,” Sunset replied. “If… If Celestia kept them intact, we should find them in my room in the palace.”

“Ah, what makes you think she has yet to destroy them?”

Sunset stood up to walk beside the human as she picked her way through the forest with laguid ease. “Well, she gave me a choice…I think she was expecting me to follow her will and abandon my research.”

“And the fact that she gave you a choice, with no discussion nor middle ground is what makes this so detestable,” Raine commented. “She had a duty of care, regardless of her status, and you are not yet fully grown. To treat you like this without considering your safety is a terrible abuse of power.”

“What if I was dangerous though?” Sunset asked. “What if emotive magic did corrupt me?”

She looked up at Raine, the human tutting at the question.

“Then the fault lies with her for not only failing to prevent you access to dangerous material, but not providing proper care and attention to your mental and emotional development,” Raine explained. “In my pursuit of the arcane, a dangerous school of study even on a good day, I kept my wits about me when those who were several years my senior were driven mad or obsessed to the point of appearing as such.”

Sunset watched her, curious, as she continued. “Power does not drive one to madness, it is the failings of one’s own will that invites a loss of the senses,” The two of them stepped out of the maze of trees and onto a narrow path that wound its way across the forest floor. “People are fallible, and most often forget this fact when they have great power in their grasp. Whether it be political, monetary, religious, or arcane power at their disposal, most forget the inherent weakness and strength they have.”

Sunset’s confusion must have shown on her face, and Raine snorted in wry amusement.

“Not physical strength, the intangible sort. Strength of character, grit, empathy, joy, hope. Knowledge is meaningless if you lose sight of what makes life worth living.”

Protect the Child, as is Thy Nature

The only sounds that broke the quiet of the night was the sound of their steps and the crackling of the torch Raine held aloft to help the young filly see.

Their conversation had fallen to the wayside when they were out of sight of the lamp, Raine ready to answer any threats to their safety with the jagged edge of her saw spear, and the weight of the weapon, the feel of arcane energies nestled in the blade came as a relief to the hunter.

They had been travelling for some time now, long enough for the hunter to get a feel for the place and stretch her senses outward.

The energies, magic Sunset had said, that were present in this world were disjointed. The disharmonic powers of the forest grated on Raine’s senses, on the parts of her being that were more than human.

The world cried out for unity, even as the wilderness ran unchecked and unbound in a symphony of chaotic life. It was something she could see in the dense forest, the way vines and shrubs grew large enough to tangle underfoot if she wasn’t careful, the way the trees blotted out almost all light, and the brief flickers of movement and the green glow of eyes she saw from the corner of her eye.

She could see the threads of cosmic power, thin, weak strings of blue-green light. How they tried to bring harmony to the disjointed forces of this world, how something was trying to fix the damage to no avail.

She could grant this world stability if she wished. She had done much more for much less. But that was not her business and her responsibility lied with her own world.

As for that moment, her top priority was helping this brave child, and giving her a proper home. She could see Sunset begin to flag, her hooves starting to drag, and how the filly tried to keep her eyes open.

“Hold a moment, I have an idea.” Raine said and put her torch away.

Sunset merely blinked up at her.

“I may be able to continue forth all night, but you need rest,” Raine said. “I’ll carry you so you can get some shut-eye.”

“No, I’m alright, I’m used to staying up late,” Sunset replied.

“That may well be true, but you’ve been through much already, take the time to rest,” Raine replied and gestured to her weapon of choice. “I am more than qualified to protect you from any monsters that dare attack.”

Sunset looked like she wanted to argue, but Raine held her free hand on her hip and stared her down.

“Wake me up when we get to Everleaf?” the child asked.

“Of course,” Raine replied. “I’ve never had a head for directions, so you will need to show me the way once we reach the city. Otherwise, I will surely get us hopelessly lost.”

Raine knelt down and Sunset reached up with her forehooves to wrap them around the hutner’s shoulders while Raine scooped up the filly to hold her to her chest.

“You can’t be that bad…” Sunset muttered into her shoulder.

“Oh I assure you, were it not for a dear friend of mine, I would have been running around in circles trying to find my way out of Yharnam,” she replied. “I spent three hours as it was just making my way to the main bridge.”

She heard Sunset chuckle and companionable silence fell around them once more.

Raine held Sunset securely against her and resumed the trek through the monster infested forest.

She saw more green eyes move through the treeline and follow her as she walked. She tightened her grip on her weapon and watched for any sign of movement as she walked.

These beasts, monsters, followed her through the dense forest, every second passed only heightened the hunter’s senses as things moved under the cover of darkness, and the sound of cracking wood met her ears.

It wasn’t until Sunset was fast asleep against her shoulder, after Raine had walked far into the woods and saw lights in the distance, that something burst out of the bushes and barred her path. The creature, a moving, breathing wooden canine covered in moss and limbs made of twisting roots, lunged.

Raine’s first thought was to dart back, she reacted on instinct as more wooden wolves emerged from the trees. She paid no mind to the startled filly in her arms, focused entirely on the threat before her.

Dog her battled honed instincts supplied as jaws filled with sharp stone teeth snapped shut on where she had just been. In response she rushed forward and swung her saw spear towards the creature.

Its head was severed from its neck like a hot knife through butter, the green glow of its eyes fading as its form hit the ground.

“I-I can’t use my magic!” Sunset said, panicked.

“What are these things?”

“Timberwolves, t-they’re Timberwolves!” the filly replied, yelping when a wolf got a little too close.

Tension, urgency coiled in Raine’s body, a deep-seated worry as she spun around and cut down the beast that had scared the child in her care. This wasn’t a hunt, though she poised to strike, and her blade flashed through the night with arcane laced strikes slaying each and every foe in her view, this was the dance of the desperate.

She had the luxury of returning from death, Sunset did not. This acute sense of her ward’s mortality filled every fibre of her being even as a wolf got the jump on her and tore into her back with its claws.

She stumbled, grunted as one collided with her head on, and adjusted her stance and hold on Sunset. Though these monsters fell quickly, nary a threat to the experienced hunter, Sunset’s terror was a palpable thing.

For Raine, the urge to protect was almost overwhelming. It fuelled her attacks as she became an instrument of death, cutting down all that stood before her.

Protect the girl.

Save her.

H e l p H e r

And when the corpses of her foes littered the forest floor, the silence of the forest became deafening.

Raine set the filly onto a nearby rock and crouched down to get a closer look at her. Sunset was staring up at her in shock, stunned into silence by fear and the danger that had now passed.

“You alright?” Raine asked.

She didn’t know where to begin nor what to do should Sunset be hurt. But she was relieved when the unicorn shakily nodded.

“Good…” Raine sighed, and a new worry made itself present as she hesitantly asked. “And are you willing to continue on with me?”

Sunset blinked, shock giving way to confusion as she calmed down. “What? Why?”

Raine wasn’t sure how to go about explaining that a literal child had bore witness to a massacre. Raine’s fighting was as brutal as it was swift, even more so with the added stress of keeping someone else alive.

It was why she chose to hide the lower half of her face upon leaving The Dream, a mouth full of a fox’s teeth wasn’t exactly normal for humans to have. So, she hid the parts of herself that even hinted she was more than a simple hunter.

“I am a hunter,” she finally settled on. “I slay beasts and what I do is not a pretty sight to see, nor is it fit for the likes of a babe like yourself.”

“I’m not a foal…” Sunset huffed at looked her in the indignant way only a child could. “I’m fine.”

“I merely worry is all, wouldn’t be the first time some poor soul has seen what I do and run off screaming bloody murder,” Raine replied earnestly. “I just want to be sure you feel safe with me.”

Raine was pleasantly surprised when Sunset tilted her head to one side in pure confusion.

“How are ponies scared of this?” she asked, gesturing at the dismembered bodies of Timberwolves scattered around them.

Raine shrugged. “There’s normally a lot more blood involved.”

“Oh, yeah that might look a little scary,” Sunset admitted and looked around her. “Over there!”

She pointed a hoof at the lights nearby. “That’s a main road! We’re close to the city!”

And before Raine could get a word in, the young pony galloped off towards the lights, the hunter having no choice but to run after her.

“Sunset!” she barked out and skidded to a stop as she ran put onto the road and her sense were assaulted.

Light, flicking like small stars, burning painfully to her sensitive vision. A dull ache ran down her spine and a headache began to thrum away above her right eye. The world was uncomfortably bright as she raised a hand to shield herself from the onslaught.

“What’s wrong?” she heard Sunset ask as she stored her weapon way and rummaged around in her coat.

Need to dim the light. Blindfold, where is it?

In mere moments she pulled out a plain strip of cotton cloth and quickly placed it over her eyes and tied it securely at the back of her head.

As the cloth blindfold settled into place, she could feel it, but it did not hinder her sight in any way. The world was unobscured and merely dimmed before her.

Despite her sight being cleared, the discomfort and mild pain remained.

“Everything was a bit too bright for me.’ Raine replied and looked around at the simple dirt road.

Hanging from the trees were small metal lanterns that glowed with golden light.

“Too bright?” Sunset replied and Raine looked down to see the filly beside her. She watched as understanding dawned on the child’s face. “These lanterns hold small balls of sunlight, that keeps the monsters away.”

Sunset didn’t appear distressed or fazed by this newfound realisation as she trotted down the road. “If we hurry, we can get my research and hide somewhere before sunrise.”

“And? Are you not concerned that I am affected?” Raine replied, amused at how well Sunset was taking the situation. “I am not human after all.”

Sunset looked back her. “Then what are you?”

Raine couldn’t help it, she barked out a laugh. “The nerve of you girl! Terrified of wooden beasts but not of the one beside you?”

“…But, you haven’t done anything that would make me afraid of you,” Sunset replied as if it were obvious. “You want to help me.”

The hunter was greatly amused by the reasonings of a child. “You should still be wary, Little One, those with ill intent oft hide it behind a smile and kind words.”

“Not you though.” Sunset retorted.

“You know that for a fact, eh?”

Sunset grinned, a toothy, bright smile that eased Raine’s lingering doubt about the filly seeing her as a monster. “You’re different.”

Raine supposed that was as good an explanation as any.

“I suppose I am.”

Sunset found herself reenergized as she stopped just shy of the main gate, hidden from sight by the trees and bushes around her. They were far enough away that the road leading up to the gate could be seen but the pair of armour clad human guards had no idea that the princesses former student was hiding by the side of the road.

Everleaf City was surrounded by a thick wall of pale gold tree roots, and the heavy wooden gate was always guarded in case the monsters of the forest tried to attack. The city stood as the capital of Equestria, the bastion of society, and the might of the gods.

She heard Raine come to a stop behind her. Now that they were away from the main road and once more shrouded in darkness, the hunter had elected to remove her blindfold.

“Is there another entrance?” the hunter asked.

Sunset nodded absentmindedly, already making plans as she drew upon her mental map of the city. She knew of several back entrances once used by the now disbanded New Moon Knights.

Her train of thought was broken as Raine spoke up.

“Can we not simply walk in through the front gate?”

She turned around, her head snapping up to look at the woman, and then glanced down at the weapon still held firmly in one hand. The idea was sound, she had no doubts about Celestia expecting her to return and plead forgiveness, and the idea of walking in under the pretense of repentance to then steal back her research notes was very appealing.

“If we do, you’ll have to put that away.” she said.

“That would not be wise,” Raine said gently. “We could very well be ambushed in there.”

She was serious?

Sunset was equally stunned and confused at that. While she knew of the dangers that lurked outside the city walls, nopony would dare harm another.

Not physically at least.

“Nopony is going to hurt us when we get inside.” The filly stated and watched as, despite the lower half of her face been concealed, Raine looked lost at the mere idea of the city being truly harmless.

The hesitance, the worry in Raine’s voice spoke volumes. “Are you certain?”

Any number of explanations jumped to mind, her unicorn’s imagination running wild as she was filled with sympathy and curiosity towards the strangest not-human she’d ever met.

She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but it didn’t feel right to ask that of her new friend. And it broke the filly’s heart to get even a glimpse into the demons Raine harboured.

Raine looked like a wounded creature that was seeking comfort in those around it.

“Nopony is going to do anything to us,” she stressed, and tentatively reached out a hoof to grasp Raine’s coat. All she could think of to do was to offer comfort and reassurance in what few ways she knew how. “Why do you think we’ll be in danger? Everleaf City is the safest place in the whole world.”

Silence passed between them. The hunter, in the hours Sunset had known her, was someone as kind as she was strong. But in that moment, as Raine’s visible eye seemed to stare past her and her posture became rigid, she looked quite weak and frail in the pale moonlight.

“I am not welcome in most places…” Raine said quietly. “Even before I—”

She cut herself off, exhaling. The hunter returned from wherever memory lane had taken her and she looked down at Sunset with the kind of sternness the filly was quickly beginning to like.

It felt like she was wanted, that Raine cared about her enough to worry about her safety, and it was laced with the concern and worry that the regal gaze of Celestia so often lacked.

It brought to mind the watchful looks parents sent their children when she’d observe other colts and fillies her age playing at the plaza.

Sunset quickly dismissed the idea of Raine acting parental and focused on what lay ahead.

“I thought that if Celestia is expecting me to return, then we could grab my notes and sneak out using one of the hidden tunnels.” Sunset suggested.

Raine sighed, and Sunset was about to backpedal when the woman spoke.

“A fine idea, but I cannot shake this worry of mine,” she admitted. “None will lash out at us?”

“Of course not,” Sunset immediately replied. “We might get escorted by the guards, but if we play along, we’ll be fine.”

Raine hummed and turned around. Crouching low to the ground, she did something that was too fast for Sunset to catch, but the now familiar hum and smell of burning incense filled the air.

She moved to stand beside Raine. A new lantern was now sticking out of the ground. The human stood up, her weapon finally put away, and snapped her fingers.

And Sunset was startled as a strange groan came from the lamp as it lit and four strange, ghastly beings emerged from the ground to sit around the lamp.

They were small, pale things, their forms loosely humanoid and wailing faces looked up at Raine in sheer adoration as small, bony fingers gripped the lamp post in reverence.

The small, ghoulish creatures were wearing tiny top hats and bowties.

“What are they?” she asked, fascinated as she held a hoof out towards them, the one closest to her looked equally curious and grasped her hoof in its tiny hand.

The touch was ice cold, but aside from the chill of their skin, the small being was simply looking at her in fascination. She gently pulled her hoof away and watched them just as fascinated.

“These are the messengers,” Raine explained, and Sunset looked over at her. “They serve me and all who are Paleblood Hunters,” Raine noticed the filly’s curiosity. “All you need to know is that they are friends, I will tell you no more than that.”

“Why not?”

“There are some things that are best left alone,” Raine commented as both human and pony drew away from the lamp and the messengers crowded beneath its soothing light. “Some things are simply not fit to be discussed around children.”

“So… you’ll tell me when I’m older?”

Raine huffed at her.

“You are an odd child…” Raine mused. “But that is by no means a bad thing. Perhaps, I will tell you sometime in the future, and you are welcome to try and unravel the mystery yourself.”

“But for now,” Raine stated and pulled out her blindfold once more. “We must focus on the task at hand and retrieve your belongings.”

In all the excitement, Sunset had forgotten that Raine would be affected by the sunlight lamps that lit up practically every corner of the city.

“Will you be alright?” she asked. “The city has a lot of sunlight lamps and, well…”

“I think being out in the daylight would do more me more harm,” Raine said calmly. “And I have ways to alleviate the pain should the need arise.”

“Alright, just follow me, I can get us inside the palace.” Sunset said and began to walk over to the gate.

“As much as I dislike the fact that you will be talking our way in, I will follow your lead,” Rain conceded. “But should anything go wrong, return to this lamp immediately.”

The pony looked at the human behind her, curiously. “I told you, I’ll be fine.”

“On the off chance that this goes to pot, and we are separated, return here and I will be able to find you.” Raine stressed.

Sunset nodded and trotted out at an angle so that she was approaching the gate from the main road, Raine trailing behind her.

Much to her surprise, the guards didn’t give her a second glance as they signalled for the gate to open. The ancient wood creaked and groaned as it rumbled open, golden light poured out the opening, and the city lay before her.

Pale gold roots lined ever path and road, every building, every home, shop, and institution were the golden barked trees the roots were attached too. The leaves of these trees glowed faintly, there blue-green light drowned out by the sunlight lamps the hung from every branch in sight.

And lo and behold, in the heart of the city, the tallest tree of them all towered above all. An ancient monolith of magic and nature, the branches of this tree stretched out to create the entire canopy of Everleaf City. Even as she crossed the threshold into the city proper, the palace was a landmark that could be seem from anywhere in the city.

“Too damn bright…” Raine muttered from behind her.

Sunset smiled sadly as she remembered a time not too long ago where the canopy above offered more than ample light, and the lamps that lit up the night were filled with the soft, gentle glow of moonlight.

“…It used to be different when Lady Luna was still around, you would have liked it,” she said and walked down the street. “We should hurry.”

“Maybe these notes of yours will offer up a clue to free Lady Luna?” Raine suggested as they walked. “Or I could… see what I can do.”

Sunset scoffed. “I highly doubt that you can do anything to help her ladyship… I appreciate the thought though.”

Raine was not deterred, in fact, she sounded very amused. “Oh? Then there is no harm in trying.”

Author's Note

This chapter was supposed to show the "break in" to get Sunset's stuff, but as usual, conversations got away from me, but I think this fits the pacing better.

Please leave a comment if you liked this, and let me know if I missed any typos.

Glory be to Celestia

The streets were quiet, unsettlingly so for Raine as she walked at a steady pace towards the palace. She felt naked without her weapons, and there was something odd about this tree-city.

The empty streets were expected given the lateness of the hour, but not even Yharnam was this brightly, painfully lit. It was almost as if night didn’t exist here with how golden light poured from the hundreds of lamps hung on every available branch.

She could also sense a second kind of power, weak and faint, deep beneath the city and drowned out by the solar magic that covered every nook and cranny of the place. Raine made a note to investigate it once Sunset was safe.

That faint power, whatever it was… she could hear it calling out with little power it had left, and she had an idea on what it was.

A speck of white in the distance gave her pause and she looked down the road to find someone waiting for them.

A pony with a horn, a pair of feathered wings, and far taller than any equine she’d ever laid eyes on waited for them at the steps to the tree palace. They had fur as white as snow was garbed in a royal purple toga. The large, sun-shaped crown upon their head stood out along with the green, pink, and blue flowing mane and tail.

“I take it that’s your princess?” Raine drawled as Sunset stopped in front of her.

“Y-yeah, what do we do?” Sunset replied and looked back at her, very much unwilling to return to the princess’s side judging by the mix of fear and defiance in her eyes.

“Well…I’ll talk to her, and if that fails,I’ll use a bit of magic of my own…”

It would out her as being something non-human, but it was something she had been prepared for ever since she had regained a human form.

She had a duty of care, to her friends back in Yharnam, to those welcomed into The Hunter’s Dream, and now to Sunset.

Sunset spun faster than Raine thought possible to face her. The filly’s eyes were bright with excitement. “You’ll show me some of your world’s magic?”

She raised her hands in a placating gesture. “It’s just to let you get your things so we can get out of here. But I’d rather try talking first.”

Though Raine was more than ready to use her skill in the arcane arts to assist the girl, there was always a chance this could be resolved with a reasonable discussion.

A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.

“But… what if she does something?” Sunset asked, excitement fading into worry.

“It’ll be alright.” Raine said soothingly and walked over to the royal mare waiting for them.

“You must be this Princess Celestia I’ve heard about,” Raine said. “My name is Raine, I’m afraid I got a bit lost when your daughter found me out there in the forest.”

“Student,” the princess corrected, amethyst eyes giving the woman a wary look. “Sunset Shimmer is Our student, and We thank thee for returning her to Us.”

“My mistake,” Raine said and waved an arm at the filly in question. “Why don’t we let the child get some rest and talk business? We’ve been wandering the forest for hours and the poor thing is exhausted.”

The yawn Sunset tried to stifle in that moment added to her statement. Raine waited calmly as the tall mare surveyed them both.

After a moment, Celestia nodded. “We agree that the hour is late, and if thou art to stay in Our land, We shall require thee to answer some questions,” Celestia stepped aside and opened a wing to point at the palace entrance. “Return to thy quarters Sunset, thine…research shalt be seen to upon daybreak.”

Raine looked behind her and her heart clenched at the sight. Sunset looked between the monarch and the hunter with uncertainty and Raine wanted nothing more than to scoop up the child and whisk her away to the safety of The Dream.

Part of her was itching to bring retribution to the woman that had cast out a child and sent them to what would have been their death. Or at the very least, have a few stern words with her.

One step at a time, the most dangerous thing here is me. She reminded herself and gave Sunset a reassuring nod.

“Come, there is much We wish to know about thee,” Celestia said as Sunset trudged past them and into the palace. “We are certain that this marks the start of a glorious opportunity for the both of us.”

Raine made a noncommittal hum as she followed the princess inside, thankful for the blindfold over her eyes as the inside of the tree palace, with its glowing walls and root-like chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, was even more irritating to the hunter than the brightly lit streets of the city outside.

“Pray tell, where art thou from?” Celestia asked as Raine trailed behind her. The princess not even glancing back at her as she spoke. “We hath seen many a human be pulled into Our realm, but not one dressed in such charming garb.”

“I was in the city of Yharnam before I was swept into this world,” Raine replied, technically true. “You wouldn’t know of it.”

“I suppose not, then tell Us about thyself?” Celestia asked. “Take thy blindfold for instance, tis something religious in nature?”

“No, I was born with an acute sensitivity to light, as well as losing sight in my left eye when I was born,” Raine replied. Her sensitivity had only skyrocketed since her transcension. “There’s a… spell of sorts on the cloth that allows me to see while dimming the brightness of the world around me.”

“So, thy realm has magic?”

“Of a sort,” she agreed as they turned a corner and entered a large room. “Not exactly a sort you ponies can use from what I’ve heard.”

A strip of green carpet led from the entryway up to the raised dais at the back of the room. The room was adorned with artwork and tapestries depicting ponies, some with horns like Sunset, others with wings, and still, some with neither. They showed scenes of ponies living under the light of the sun, reverently worshipping the princess before her. These works of art depicted a time of peace and prosperity and Raine wondered how much of that was true in the current day.

Some tapestries looked as if half of it had been burned away, the edges blackened and frayed.

In the centre of the dais lay a large, gilded throne with an image of a stylized sun on the backrest.

The princess turned to face her, her face a mask of indifference. “And what dost thou know of Equestrian magic?”

Raine shrugged, playing dumb. “Something about logic and needing a clear mind? It all seemed to go over my head a bit.”

The princess hummed.

“Within this realm, magic is the greatest power one can wield, but it is also the most dangerous,” the princess said. “Too many hath fallen prey to their darkest wants and desires, and their magic responded in kind to turn them into wicked creatures of darkness…”

“So, We teach against such foolishness and inspire Our ponies to live in harmony with their power by careful study and controlled use of their magics,” Celestia explained, her wings opening wide as she stared the hunter down. “If thou hath concerns about how We govern, then thou canst leave.”

“After all, We art certain Sunset has informed thee of Our rebellious sibling and the reason to which Sunset herself was cast out?” Celestia asked with a raised brow. “From thy scent and magical aura alone, We see that thou art not as mortal, nor as human, as thou pretends to be.”

Raine made a noise in annoyance, she didn’t know her dormant arcane power could be detected by anything other than kin or great ones. Celestia had sharper senses than she gave her credit for.

For once, she wished she could have a civil conversation without things turning hostile. “I am not here to cause trouble, honest!”

“Then why art thou here?” Celestia demanded.

“Because your student was crying, grieving for the home and life you ripped away from her,” Raine replied just as sternly. “She had no idea what to do with herself and for Oedon’s sake, she’s a child.”

Celestia was taken aback by her outburst, her wings folding closed as the princess cleared her throat. “…We presumed that she would return to Us, we cast her out to teach her a lesson in respect… Thou must understand, the magics Sunset was enthralled with are far too dangerous to be used.”

“Then as her teacher, her caregiver, you should have acted appropriately,” Raine countered, and she pointed a finger at the princess. “You had a duty of care, and that girl would have been dead if it weren’t for me.”

“We assumed she would still remain in the city…”

“You put a child’s life in danger just so you could prove a point.” Raine growled and let her hands fall to her sides. “If you don’t want her or her research then fine, I will take the girl in and take her to my world.”

She studied the princess in the silence that followed. The calm, stoic façade of the princess was broken by the look in her eyes. And Raine met the vitriolic mix of anger and worry in the princess’s gaze with a steely look of her own.

Not that Celestia could see that when Raine still had her blindfold on.

“As I said, I have no intention to harm anyone,” Raine reiterated calmly. “I’m just here to help a kid, maybe find others who are in need of help.”

“And thou shalt leave Our subjects in peace?” Celestia asked.

“Course I will. If there are folks out there that call for help. I’ll do what I can,” Raine said. “Sides, given the state of things outside the city, you could use all the help you can get.”

“We have the situation well in hoof. While We thank thee for thy generous offer, We have no need of it.” Celestia replied somewhat stiffly and gestured for Raine to follow her.

“But… perhaps thou art correct about Our student. She will be happier in thine realm,” Celestia hesitantly added. “Sunset has always struggled with keeping her emotions in check despite her gifted talents in spellwork.”

Sunset steeped into her room to find everything just as she left it.

The curtains were drawn shut over the large window at the very back of the room, even the naturally luminescent walls had dulled their glow and were a shade of pale grey in the darkness.

She walked over to the tall wardrobe in the corner by the window, tucked next to the foot og her bed, and began to rifle through it. She pushed aside the ornate, embroidered saddlebags adorned with Celestia’s golden crest of a stylised sun, and turned her attention to pair of sturdy, plainer bags hidden in the back coner of the wardrobe.

She grasped the strap in her teeth and carefully lifted it out and placed it on to her bedroom floor. Sunset had always preferred the plain old thing, it had served her well when she was just a nopony trying to find her way in life, and had in her time as Celestia’s student, the reliable saddlebag had become a home for her most prized possessions.

With her back towards the desk situated by the wall opposite the wardrobe, she took her time opening the flap on one side of the bag and peeked inside.

It’s still here!

She smiled as she carefully lifted the item out in one hoof. It was a small, silver device. A round disc with a small, smooth blue gem in the side of it.

She pressed the gem and was overjoyed as the top of the device opened to release a floating orb of pale light.

Moonlight.

The room was bathed in the comforting glow of moonlight, it brought her no small measure of comfort to know that this small keepsake had not yet been taken away from her. It contained within the last remaining shreds of power from a dear friend.

The day she was given it was one of the last she had spent with the now imprisoned goddess of the moon.

“Art thou studying the tales of the stars again, Sunset Shimmer?”

“Yes, you don’t mind, do you Lady Luna?”

“Mind? I am delighted that thou hath taken an interest in the old tales.”

“Old tales? They’re older than you?”

“Very, I may be their guardian and steward now, but that was not always so. The stars have a rich history to them that I honour as part of my duties.”

“How?”

“By committing each of their stories to heart and sharing them with curious soul like thyself. In fact, a curious soul such as thee wouldst make fine use of this…”

“Is that… moonlight?”

“Derived from an old spell of mage light, I thought it fitting that thou should have something to aid in thy research when I am away.”

“How is this going to help me learn more about empathetic magic?”

“Ah but you see little one, tis made of such magic. Filled with my wish for pleasant dreams and peaceful rest. Replicate the spell within and thou shalt surely grasp the core principles of the old magics.”

And Sunset did, but before she could show Lady Luna the results of her research, the goddess had one final falling out with her sister and was sealed away.

Sunset’s smile faded as she pressed the jewelled button to return the ball of moonlight to its casing. And stowed the trinket in her bag.

She didn’t have time to dawdle. She turned her attention to the desk, cluttered with her research. Dragging her bag with her, she began to sort through her notes and other items of interests.

The manuscripts of old tales and legends she had transcribed from old tomes and scrolls were placed in the bottom of the bag, followed by the scrolls containing everything from mock-up runes, constellations, and fragments of spell circles.

All the while she kept her ears focused towards the door as she moved with a precise sort of haste that was second nature to her.

With the desk cleared, only one item remained, an old scrap of parchment, the page yellowed with age, but the glowing reddish-pink rune engraved on it remained as a testament to the powerful magic it contained.

She stared at it for a moment, willing it to reveal its meaning.

The rune was almost indecipherable to the filly, the page itself had just appeared under her door one day with no explanation. Not even the guards knew.

But it sung of empathetic magic, and she had been determined to crack its secret.

She was drawn from her musing by the sound of movement near the door and she quickly put the rune between the pages of a manuscript and scanned her desk for anything she had missed.

At the sound of footsteps, she turned around to see Raine stepping into the room.

Sunset’s greeting died in her throat at the sight of Celestia following close behind.

“Your majesty…” Sunset said as she did her best to not let her steadily mounting dread show on her face.

“Sunset Shimmer, We hath decided that thou shall live with this…being,” The Princess said with an air of finality. “Since thou hast thy grievances with the way Equestria uses magic, then thine research shalt be taken to a realm in which it may do no harm.”

Sunset could only watch as Raine, in the middle of removing her blindfold, rounded on the mare. “No, you had no right to look after a child and I will not let her live with such neglect and disregard to her safety!” Raine was adamant as she stared up Celestia. “You have no right to make this out as some sort of divine plan or decision on your part. I was going to take her and whatever she wanted to bring with her regardless.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. She was going to stay with Raine? Celestia was just going to let them leave and with all her research intact?

A wave of emotion washed over her, she struggled to find her voice.

“I-I can stay with you?”

The harsh look Raine was giving the princess melted away as soon she turned to look at Sunset.

Raine responded with a nod and a gentle. “Of course, for as long as you want.”

“…Even when I’m an adult?”

Raine shrugged.

“I don’t see why not?”

Sunset tried to smile, but her eyes were watering, and her mouth wobbled. It felt like she had received something she had been denied her whole life and she didn’t know how to react.

She was happy, relieved, too emotional for words.

She struggled to keep her composure. It was only with the princess looming over them that Sunset managed to keep from bursting into tears of joy.

“Now then,” Raine said and knelt down to place a hand on her shoulder. “Got everything?”

Sunset, too overwhelmed to speak, grabbed the strap of her saddlebags and held it to her chest as she nodded.

Raine nodded and paid Celestia no mind as the mare watched them from the doorway. “Right, now I’m going to use a spell of mine to bring you to my world,” Raine explained, and Sunset did her best to focus at the mention of Raine’s brand of magic. “Listen- no listen, no matter what you see, you are not to copy me.”

She frowned at that. Did Raine think she couldn’t do it?

“Sunset,” Raine said sternly. “The kind of power I use has killed people.”

A stunned “What?” came from Celestia and Raine turned her head back to look at her.

“Hush you.”

Sunset let out a strained giggle as Raine turned her attention back to her.

“I’m not saying you can’t learn it. I can teach you when you’re older, and you can hold me to that,” Raine explained calmly. “But what I used is too advanced for a beginner. You could end up hurt, dead, even drive yourself mad.”

“So Sunset, please listen to me when I say that you are not to copy me, alright?” Raine gently pleaded. “I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt.”

It was strange, having someone be concerned about her. She’d been largely left to her devices outside of her lessons with Celestia, and even before that Sunset had just been one of the Other, the unwanted in a city that was content to forget she ever existed prior to becoming Celestia’s student.

Sunset could see that Raine was earnest in her worry, and she nodded.

“I won’t copy any spell you do until you say so.” she promised.

Raine nodded approvingly and scooped up Sunset and held her to her chest.

“Let’s get you somewhere more welcoming, eh?” Raine said warmly and Sunset pressed her face into the woman’s shoulder. “Hold onto your bag tightly now.”

A strange noise, a sort of whirring hum filled the air as pale blue light wrapped around them. Sunset squeezed her eyes shut as she gelt the power built, ringing oddly in her horn, and held her breath as her stomach lurched and the crackle of power filled her ears.

The surge of power that followed overwhelmed her senses, and Sunset’s overtired, magically fatigued brain couldn’t handle the strain of the foreign power around her.

She blacked out.

Author's Note

Now as usual, please let me know if I missed any typos. And let me know what you think of the story so far! Comments make my day.

Sifdóttir

Author's Note

For those familiar with Bloodborne, I've taken some liberties with larger buildings like Iosefka's Clinic.

I've had this written for several months, and just don't have the focus to finish this, so pardon the short chapter.

Sifdóttir

It was startling at first, feeling the young filly go limp in her arms and change before her eyes, but now in the safe hands of Iosefka, Raine was relieved that the girl wasn’t in any danger.

Sunset lay asleep on a small cot in one of the spare rooms in the clinic. The now human girl, in a faded dark green dress, was so pale that the hunter almost panicked upon seeing the change.

But thankfully, the child was only exhausted, some rest and food should be all she needed.

Raine sat in a chair by her bedside and every so often she would glance around the room, from the wooden floors to the chandelier above her head, and back to the stonework on the walls.

All the while her mind could never cease the whirlwind of thought. There was something more to all of this, from the fleeting wisps of power she sensed beneath the pony city, to the princess’s treatment of Sunset.

The way Celestia spoke, of Sunset being too emotional, it brought to mind the treatment she had received growing up. The feeling of never being good enough, of being judged no matter how well she behaved, all due to things beyond her control.

Words were long forgotten in those distant memories from her mortal childhood, but the feelings remained, the hurt, the hopelessness, the righteousness that welled up from such mistreatment echoed long after those years had passed.

I am a beast in man’s skin she wryly mused.

She was pulled from her bitter memories by the sound of someone entering the room and looked up to meet the gaze of a fellow hunter.

“Gascoigne,” she greeted quietly. “How’re the girls?”

The man, dressed in his old hunter garb that marked him a hunter of the church, was carrying a large suitcase in one hand. He smiled at the mention of his family.

“They’re eager to meet the young one in your care,” he replied and nodded at the still sleeping sunset as he handed her the case. “Jane picked these out herself, said your girl would love them.”

She was thankful for Gascoigne and his family, the man was one the few she had managed to save upon her return to the streets of Yharnam, and his family had welcomed her with open arms.

In her near panic at seeing Sunset transformed into a human girl, she had sent Gascoigne a note asking for any help he could provide, and he had replied not long after through his own messengers with the promise of some clothes.

“I’ll have to thank Jane the next time I come visit,” Raine replied as she set the suitcase of clothes beside her chair. “Sunset looks to be about her age, and I don’t have any clothes that would fit.”

Gascoigne nodded, looking at Sunset thoughtfully.

“…So, she yours then?”

The question took a second to process. It bewildered her, stunned her that he would ask such a thing. She stood, and in one swift motion grabbed the man by the arm and dragged him out into the hallway.

When she was sure she far enough away to not wake anyone, it was the early hours of the morning after all, she let him go and turned to face him, aghast.

“What?”

He shrugged. “You look old enough.”

“Do you kiss your wife with that mouth?” she shot back. Children in this age were few and far between, they were a blessing, a miracle, and she’d fight tooth and nail at the accusation Gascoigne made.

“I am not some spineless waif that would abandon a child!” she snapped, bristling at him. “No, she isn’t mine. And no man would lay with me regardless.”

Gascoigne raised his hands in surrender.

“There is no shame in it, but people will assume—”

“That instead of being a spinster, I am an unfit mother?” she retorted. “As I said, no man would have me even if I was inclined to show interest.”

At her assertion, he looked confused. “And what makes you so sure of that?”

Raine began to pace, the urge to run, to flee, to hide from the conversation grated at her. The anger at his suggestions, the bitterness at herself, it all came to a head and the words spilled out before she could take the time to think.

“Because I am a blood-child! A wolfwoman! Sifdóttir! I am a wild, beastly thing wearing a woman’s face and none will have my company, friend or foe alike, because of the circumstances of my birth!”

Gascoigne muttered a prayer at the admission, but it hardly mattered, and she almost felt like laughing. From a cursed child to a hunter, and finally to a Great One. She had done all she could to run from her past, to hide it, even as far as to embrace the stigmas associated with being a hunter.

But during that long night, the long night where she had lost friends, struggled to grasp fleeting shreds of hope, and faced a world gone mad…She had tired of running.

And upon slaying The Moon Presence Raine had been granted life anew. Of all the vast power of a great one at her command, she used the last vestiges of her mortal self to gain dominion over a single, yet vast word in the great one language.

Remembrance.

“Sunset isn’t mine by blood,” she reiterated, staring him down despite her shorter stature. “She was in the care of a noblewoman who had her head shoved so far up her arse that a lesson on obedience was wilful negligence!”

“Sunset would be dead if it weren’t for me,” she added. “The girl had thought all she had known had abandoned her, cast her out. I would not stand idle at such despair.”

Gascoigne looked sheepish as he stepped back. “Sorry, shouldn’t have assumed…”

“No, you damn well shouldn’t have.” She said and sighed. “What’s done is done. Would you still be fine with letting Sunset stay with you until I get the house ready for her?”

“Course, Viola and the girls would be happy to have her over,” Gascoigne replied. “…This spat of ours stays between us?”

She looked at the man bemused. “Scared of the missus?”

“Just don’t want to disappoint my girls, they’re looking forward to having a new playmate.”

“Ah, well you treat Sunset right, and all is forgiven.” She replied.

When she arrived back in Sunset’s room, Gascoigne trailing behind her and still cowed by her prior outburst, Sunset was already awake and staring at her own hands.

Raine immediately headed to her side.

“You alright?”

Sunset looked up at her and nodded. “I feel fine…Is something wrong? You sounded angry.”

“Must have good ears if you could hear that.” Gascoigne commented.

“This, is Father Gascoigne, a former hunter of the Healing Church,” Raine explained. “He’s a friend of mine and has offered to look after you while I get the house ready for you…”

Raine paused. “…I’ll need money…”

“How do you not have money?” Sunset asked, confused.

“Haven’t needed to use it til now, the house was just sort of there…never needed that til now either.” She replied, mentally running the numbers on how much coin she would need to stock the house with necessities.

“But, where do you live then?” Sunset asked.

She answered somewhat absentmindedly, half-focused on planning further ahead now that Sunset was out of danger. “The space between dreams and reality.”

“Huh…can I see it?”

Raine blinked. “I suppose? You would need to sign a contract, but the adoption papers should cover that once we get them.”

A quick glance at the clock she had maybe enough time to grab a few things stashed away at her hometown before people would be up and about. She glanced back at Sunset.

“I need to head out to collect a few things, once Iosefka gives you a clean bill of health, Gascoigne will take you to his place,” she explained. “Once my business is concluded, I’ll stop by before my work this evening.”

Raine tried to be encouraging. “Gascoigne has a couple of girls of his own, so you won’t be bored for long,” she leaned down to pick up the suitcase and showed it to the girl. “They even picked out some clothes for you.”

“I’ll be out in the hall.” Gascoigne announced and left the room with a respectful nod.

Sunset accepted the case and opened it. Her face lit up at its contents.

“These are all for me?”

“They are,” Raine affirmed and turned towards the door. “Will you be alright with me leaving so soon? I know it’s not ideal, but the sooner this is done, the more time I’ll have for helping you adjust.”

“I’ll be fine,” Sunset looked up from where she was starting to sort through her new clothes. “And…um, thanks…for taking care of me.”

“And it is a joy to have you, now I best be off,” Raine said. “Be good, and I’ll be back before you know it.”