The sun had just started to sink below the ocean's surface, scattering golden reds and pinks in all directions. These moments were the hardest. The sunlight was always her anchor, her way home. She tracked its progress through the sky until it reached the sea’s horizon where it went beyond her reach.

She needed the sun.

      Waves fought up onto the beach sand, getting more violent and frequent every passing second. She knew everything she loved would be soon gone. The last bird sang their last song just as the light fully descended into the oceanic abyss. 

      Her hope faded along with the remnants of that light. What was she to do now? Where was she to look? Loneliness and betrayal were all she could feel. She sat wondering why she had to embrace the darkness alone. When she realized she was not alone. A pair of deep yellow eyes peered at her from around the corner of a nearby rock. The clouds covering the moon broke, permitting a brief glimpse at the creature that was no larger than a small bush. It was a sharp-toothed animal, its hair matted around the small frame. The creature stalked forward with a limp. A scar cascaded along its chest, reaching to the right side, most likely the culprit of the walking difficulty. Its eyes clouded, but she could see it was staring—not at her, but past her—at something out of her view. 

      She was petrified and worked to brace herself for what may be lurking behind her.

She struggled to turn her head, to see what could be coming, but her body would not move. She tried to flex, to stretched, but she had lost control over her being. Every fiber in her pled silently for an inch of movement, anything to glimpse whatever beast may be behind. All effort in vain. Without the sun to guide her or the breeze to bend her, she was immovable.

      A soft, yet threatening growl came from the sharp-toothed creature in front of her. It continued to glare defiantly just past her, to whatever threat may be on the other side. The animal made a final stand, limping towards the unknown threat. It moved toward her as if it didn’t even see her. As the animal was about to pass from view, the sound of metal sliding against the fabric of the night echoed in the air. She saw the glint of a curved steel object protrude from the side of her vision, but the sound of the weapon hitting fur never came. Though she hadn’t heard the strike against the creature, she felt it shiver through her. Again, she tried to turn.

Unsuccessful.

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She heard the suffering creature whimper and collapse.

      A few seconds passed, and the clouds broke again, sending more light through, revealing the body of the slender four-legged animal. Dirty fur covered the small, bony frame. Painfully, it got up on its front paws and stared into her eyes. The animal was in pain, so much pain, but something in her told her the pain wasn't from the phantom slice through the night. This pain was there long before she knew the animal. Its grey fur and old scars were now obvious. The strike it had received had been an offering of peace. A Shadow crept over the still-moving body. The shadow created a void; even in the darkness, ate light. The formless shadow had penetrating red eyes, and a short sickle hovering in place in front of it. The disembodied void floated above the animal, the piercing red eyes looking down at the animal.

      The void did not change positions, but its eyes circled until they fell on her. Her breath caught. She was now the target of the shadow and the wounded animal. Both stared at her, making no motion. She sensed pleading from the creature and expectation from the void. Inside, all she felt was panic. Everything she knew, everything she loved, had gone away, set into the sea. She was alone, and based on these two in front of her, something was expected of her.

      Fear was starting to take her over again, every fiber trembling with intimidation. The animal and the void both boring into her soul. She wished her mother sun was there to guide her when she felt a memory, a spark from deep within herself. She remembered a gift from her mother. From within, a soft light of that gift emanated from her.  She braced herself to show the path.

      Everything needs to walk towards the light in the end. For when the mother sun has set, the work is not complete. The daughters must take over.

      The void, which was digging into her with deep, fiery eyes, softened its intensity. The animal stood; its pleading replaced by determination. Every step closer, the animal changed. Grey fur transformed to a chestnut brown; the scrawny frame became stronger as muscle grew every inch it moved.

      She straightened, still rooted in place, and pulled all of the sun and the light that she had saved that day. Her job was not only to follow the sun during the day, but now, in the moment of this creature's need, she remembered it was to be the sun. Light flowed from her, each petal shining a guiding path for the small animal to follow. The shadow sheathed its sickle and nodded at her in acknowledgment of the job she’d done. Then it dissolved into the sky and stars. The light from within faded from her. The animal having passed to the other side, she no longer needed to show the path back to the mother. Once the light faded from every petal and leaf, she slumped, her memories of what had just occurred fading.

      Her fibers creaked into place, freezing her solid, unable to so much as shiver in the cold darkness. Her mother would be coming back soon, freeing her from the night. She hated when the mother sun would leave, she craved for something to follow.