Dazzle's Poor Career Choice

Chapters

Chapter 1: Just Gold
Chapter 2: Surviving The Night
Chapter 3: The Show Must Go On

Chapter 1: Just Gold

"And that's when she noticed the bumblebee."

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

Sunset Shimmer rolled around on her bed, nearly dropping her phone as she laughed at the end of Rarity's story. "Y-you'd think she'd have heard it buzzing!"

Rarity chuckled on the other end. "Indeed. Speaking of a buzz, have you heard what our three favorite sirens have been up to?"

Sunset's giggles subsided. "No, not really."

"They got jobs, though I don't know how long they'll work out."

"Why's that?"

"You know that fast-food place with the outer-space decor? The one Pinkie will take any chance to say is-" Rarity shrieked as another voice came over the line. "OUT OF THIS WORLD!!"

"PINKIE PIE!! What have I told you about sneaking up on me in the middle of the night?! And how did you get in my house?"

"It's not the middle of the night, Rari-bear, it's only like 11:47. Also, your window was open again. Ah, hey!"

"I'll deal with you later." Rarity cleared her throat. "My apologies, Sunset, there was a bit of-... Are you laughing?"

She tried to keep it out of her voice as much as possible. "N-no. Why would you say that?" She had to put a hand over her mouth to muffle her snickering.

"No stranger to schadenfreude, are you?" Rarity giggled a little herself. "Well, in that case, you should be pleased to hear that Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, the two back-up singers that argue a lot, are both working at the eatery I mentioned. Sonata is working the tables, because her demeanor evidently brightens peoples' day enough that the management decided it was worth a shot, though she does mix things up rather frequently."

Sunset nodded a little, even if Rarity couldn't see it. Sure sounds like Sonata. "So what's Aria up to?"

Rarity's face-splitting grin was audible. "Brace yourself. You know the mascot that place uses?"

Sunset started to smile. "The big, yellow, cartoon star?"

"That's the one. They needed someone to stand out front wearing the costume."

"No."

"Yes!"

Both girls howled with laughter as they pictured the surliest siren wearing the bright, bulbous, can-only-move-by-waddling star outfit, Rarity stopping first. "Actually, I hear she's rather fearsome in it."

This made Sunset laugh harder, speaking through gasps for breath. "W-what?"

"No, really," she said in an even tone, "rumor has it some kids from school came by to harass her on-duty and all of them wound up in the hospital. I don't entirely trust that one, but that's the word."

Sunset stopped laughing. "That's insane. What would she do in that thing, fall on them?"

"I don't know, but the kids involved are said to have muttered 'shooting star' several times in their sleep afterward."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. "R-right," Sunset picked up, "so what's the last one been doing?"

"Adagio Dazzle? Hers is perhaps the least interesting, just working night-time security at some old pizza place at the far side of town."

"Huh. Any idea where?"

"Oh, it's a dreary old building, probably should have been condemned years ago. Flippy Fatbear's, I think it was?"

Sunset scratched her head. She'd heard of the place, but couldn't rememb-Oh no.

THAT Flippy Fatbear's?!

"R-Rarity?"

"Yes, Sunset?"

"Are you sure it's that place? Flippy Fatbear's?"

"That's what all my sources are telling me, yes. I think she starts working there tonight. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," Sunset said as casually as possible, "just wanted to be sure. You're right, that is a boring place to work."

"Too true. Well, I'll talk to you if anything juicy springs up, you're the only one that seems to appreciate a little gossip!"

Sunset smiled a little. "Thanks, Rarity. Talk to you later."

"Ta-ta!"

Slamming her phone on the bed, Sunset jumped up, slipping on her boots and coat as quickly as she could.

This is bad, that place is cursed! And it really should have been closed down by now.

The place was probably a front for organized crime, which would explain the rumors of killer singing mascots.

No, really.

No-one deserved to be ripped to shreds by creepy, singing, robot animals, not even Adagio.

Who herself was once a creepy, singing-

Sunset slapped herself, she needed to hurry! She opened the bottom drawer of her bedside table and pushed two little boxes aside to reveal something she'd been holding onto (and actually kinda forgot about a few times) since before she stole the Element of Magic. "I don't know if it'll help, but it's better than nothing..." Fatbear's was on the other side of town, but if she moved fast she might make it in time.

Sunset raced down the street, her jaw clenched.

I can't call the others, either, that place is too dangerous! Besides, if I go now, all I should have to do is grab her and get out. Hold on, Dazzle, I'm coming!

Adagio Dazzle sat in the chair of the security room at Flippy Fatbear's, tired. Not 'fatigued' tired, just fed up with her life up to this point. Being powerless on top of their banishment was bad enough, but now they had to work for these stupid, slavering bipeds if they didn't want to die slowly and painfully. She almost wished she'd signed on with King Sombra when she had the chance, he was probably running a solid dark energy racket right about now. Then again, if 'Princess' Twilight Sparkle came from Equestria...?

She sighed, it didn't matter now. As the phone she refused to answer started ringing again, she let out a groan of frustration. "It's past midnight, you idiot, we're closed!" She didn't pick up the phone to shout that, but wanted to shout about something anyway. There was nothing particularly interesting going on with the security screens, either, just some animal things shifting around every time she changed the screen. While odd, it didn't look like they were ransacking the place at least.

Whatever, I'll see if I can snag a bite to eat. This is a place that serves food, after all.

She got up, walking out of the room to see what might have been lying around for hungry night guards.

"Damn!" Sunset swore repeatedly under her breath, trying to open the front door and finding it firmly locked. She ran around the building, trying every possible entrance before locating an open vent.

Cliche, but right now I'll take it!

First, she drew the weapon she'd brought along from her coat pocket; a loaded handgun. How many shots were in it, exactly, she wasn't sure, but it was the only thing she had to use on the monsters inside as she started crawling through the vent. When she got to the first opening, (in that she was able to kick the duct open) Sunset looked in and saw the security room. Empty.

"Oh no. Oh nononono, I'm too late!"

She dropped down into the room, switched the gun's safety off, and quickly looked around. Nothing. She checked the cameras, her skin crawling every time one of the rumored killer robots appeared onscreen, usually looking directly at the camera, but her heart leapt to her throat when she saw Adagio, alive! And, drinking some soda? She was sitting so casually, Sunset could hardly believe it wasn't just some kind of sick joke by the building itself.

'No really, she's fine, not being turned inside out as we speak, you definitely won't hear her screaming any second...'

Throwing her jacket off, Sunset decided she wouldn't let that happen, and charged out to- Where was Adagio now? She leaned over to check the screen, finding the walking cream-puff to be sitting in the Dining Area, exactly where she'd been a second ago. Taking a deep breath, Sunset charged out the door.

It wasn't long before she reached the mass of orange fluff connected to her old enemy, who looked considerably surprised to see her.

"What the hell are you doing h-oh, wait," she deflated, speaking in a dull monotone, "Pardon me, sir or madame, Flippy Fatbear's pizza is currently closed, I would ask you to exit the facility in a calm and ord-"

Sunset grabbed her by the arm. "We HAVE to get out of here, now!!"

Adagio rolled her eyes. "You know, this figures, it really does."

"What?!"

"You. I know you don't live nearby, you must have come from at least halfway across town to get here, barge in, and start making a mess of things. And of course it would be you that has to ruin my efforts at honest work too," she glanced around, the look on her face one of tired acceptance, "not that I really mind in this case, but-"

Ignoring the creepy implication that the Dazzlings knew where she lived, Sunset yanked her arm, eliciting a startled cry, and started dragging her to the exit. "We can talk later, let's GO!!"

Adagio more or less complied, give or take grumbling to herself about being handled roughly.

Again, the handle to the front door jiggled in Sunset's grasp, but refused to turn. She glanced behind her, both to look at Adagio and to check for... a reason to use her weapon, which Adagio appeared to have just noticed, turning slightly pale.

"S-Sunset Shimmer? W-why do you have a-"

She was cut off, Sunset's voice more than a little desperate. "It won't open! Didn't they give you a keyring or something?" She couldn't remember right then whether that was security officers, janitors, or both, but it seemed right.

Adagio tried to ignore the gun, failing miserably. "L-look, whatever you want from the place, you can have it, I wasn't planning to stick around long anyway, I-"

Sunset caught on to her line of thinking, trying to sound as reassuring as possible despite her growing fear. "I'm not here to rob the place, I'm not here to hurt you, I just want us both out of here, now do you have a key or not?!"

Adagio reached to try the doorknob herself, much more violently than Sunset had. "Huh."

"Huh?"

"Well. Perhaps this is why they said I wouldn't need keys. I'm not supposed to leave until my shift is over anyway, and that's at six in the morning, so-"

Sunset let out an exasperated noise, again grabbing Adagio by the arm and pulling her away. "We can't stay out in the open, the only safe place is the security room!"

Just trying to match Sunset's speed so as not to fall on her face, Adagio sounded honestly confused. "What? What are you so worried about?"

Sunset chose to ignore that question. They were in one of two halls just outside the security room. "C'mon," she urged, "we're almost there!"

The two heard a loud, metallic thud behind them, turning to see the source, Adagio with more curiosity than fear. She broke Sunset's grip to cross her arms in annoyance. "What, another intruder? They told me no one ever tried to break in here, dammit!"

According to the stories about Fatbear's, there were four robotic animal mascots in the building; The Bear, The Rabbit, The Duck, and The Fox. At night, they came to life with only one thing on their minds; murder. The one they saw now was The Fox, its head slowly, creakily turning to see them before it stretched out its arms and charged,
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Adagio's eyes widened as the danger of her new job seemed to sink in. As she screamed, Sunset shouted "Stay behind me," leveled the gun at the incoming metal monster, and opened fire.

BLAM!
BLAM!

The shots seemed to scratch or ricochet off it's outer plating, but she was pretty sure it was slowing down.

BLAM!
BLAM!

The last shot went clean through it's head, The Fox toppling over with a crash in the next instant. She looked back at Adagio, who was still shaking with terror. Adrenaline more prominent in her brain than sympathy at that moment, Sunset again took hold of her arm. "That won't be the last of them, c'mon!"

Getting back to the room, Sunset checked over the cameras while Adagio tried to get a handle on the situation by way of quietly muttering to herself. The animals were moving around apparently at random, and when Sunset checked the camera for the hallway they were just in, The Fox was gone.

Either they vanish when killed, or bullets don't work, long-term.

"Adagio," she said grimly, not taking her eyes off the flickering screens, "those things are going to keep coming. The gun didn't work, and as I didn't have much ammo to start, the only way we're going to stay alive in here is to-"

"Use the d-doors," Adagio finished for her, having managed to mostly compose herself. "they explained the function, yes." She stood by one of the door switches, her hand resting on the wall near the button. "But we can't keep them down all the time, or the power runs out." She looked Sunset in the eye, her own wide and worried. "I'm not sure what happens if it does."

Sunset gulped, forcing a smile. "Let's keep it that way." Adagio whimpered, glancing through the door into the dark hallway. A little part of Sunset couldn't help feeling it was an improvement for the Dazzling leader.

...Am I a bad person? I'm pretty sure nice people don't like watching others shake with fear.

Adagio seemed to get some of her previous venom back. "So, you carry firearms, do you? Suppose you fit your image afterall."

As she'd just been putting her jacket back on, Sunset scowled, still looking at the cameras. "Yea, hilarious. Before you get any ideas, I only have it becau-LEFT DOOR!!"

Screaming, Adagio slammed the button, the face of The Bear inches from the door as it closed.

Sunset shook her head. "How did you even last that long out there? Didn't anyone tell you about the robots wandering around at night?"

Adagio was still facing the closed door. "This is all your fault."

"Ex-cuse me?!"

"I don't just mean my magic being destroyed, but their sudden aggression as well! I noticed them wandering around on the cameras, but since they weren't breaking anything, I figured I wouldn't be fired for not doing anything about it." Now she turned to make eye contact. "Everything was fine until you showed up!"

Sunset was perhaps angrier than she was. "That's the thanks I get for saving your life?!"

Adagio's jaw clenched, Sunset almost able to hear the "I never asked for your help" or some other proud statement, but instead, Adagio looked down at the floor. Each of them were quiet for a long moment before she let out a breath. "Fine." She slowly met Sunset's gaze again, actually looking contrite. "T-thank you. Really."

A little surprised, Sunset smiled. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Adagio crossed her arms, looking away. "Is the stupid Bear gone yet? We can't just leave the doors shut."

Author's Note

First jump-scare of the story goes to Pinkie Pie!

Don't worry though, reader, you definitely won't get startled by something popping out at you over the course of this story.

Chapter titles based on a lack of creativity. A fantastic pic only inspires so much. :twilightsheepish:

Chapter 2: Surviving The Night

A little later, the two of them were sitting (on the room's one chair and a conveniently-placed box) by different doors, a hand near the button if they heard or saw something coming. They reasoned that with both of them watching the respective halls, they should see or hear the things coming before they could get past the doors. It wasn't like big, metal animatronics could just pop up in a fraction of a second, right?

They passed the time (five hours to go!) by talking.

Adagio glanced up at the open vent. "I don't suppose you brought a ladder?"

"No, and I don't see any on the screens, either. I'd suggest we look around in the cameras' blind spots, but there's no way we can even leave this room, let alone drag it back here if we found one."

The two of them looked at the roof for a moment. It was high enough that if one of them stood on the other's shoulders, they could probably reach it and pull themselves up, but neither were confident about being strong enough to pull up the other in any way.

Adagio chuckled. "Suppose I could just have you lift me up-" Sunset scowled at her, "-but, well..." Sunset's expression colored with curiosity when Adagio gave her an unreadable look. "It... it would be a little despicable of me to abandon you right after you saved my life, wouldn't it?"

Sunset smiled. "Yes. Yes it would."

Adagio shrugged. "Just as well, I suppose. If one of us had to stand on the other's shoulders..." She folded one leg over the other, pointedly displaying a spiky boot.

Despite the seriousness of their situation, Sunset started giggling, only laughing harder when Adagio covered her mouth to hide giggles of her own. Soon, the two of them were laughing madly, halted only by Adagio going wide-eyed and screaming, pointing to Sunset's door. Not missing a beat, Sunset slammed the door button, looking over the cameras to see when The Duck was gone. The two shared a quick, worried glance before chuckling again.

1:15AM

"So, why aren't you in uniform? Do they just not have security guard outfits here?"

Adagio averted her eyes. "No reason."

Unfortunately for Adagio, Sunset had little better to do than pry between checking cameras. "Ohh, come on," she urged with a hint of a smirk, "what was it? They didn't have any security heels? Not enough sharp objects to wear for your long nights of sitting still?"

Adagio folded her arms. "It's not important."

Sunset started to snicker. "Did they want you to wear a hair-net? One you could catch whole schools of fish wi-"

A purple, spiky boot stomped on the floor as Adagio's face flushed. "They didn't have anything that fit a teenage girl, alright?! Belts only close so tightly and I wasn't going to guard anything with my pants falling down every-OH SHUT UP!!"

Sunset was holding her sides, laughing hysterically. She managed to speak between gasps for air. "Y-you couldn't find pants that stayed up even with those hips?"

Adagio stood up, her face indignant as she struck a sultry pose. "I'll have you know that this body hasn't failed me since I got here. I might not be able to fend off this world's deranged idea of kiddie entertainment, but none of this-" she took a stance that better emphasized her legs and rear, "-is just fat! Do you see it? Firm muscle, feel for yourself if you don't-"

Sunset turned the entirety of her attention to the cameras. "OkayokayIgetit!" Something about that offer made her extremely uncomfortable.

Adagio hmphed, nodding affirmatively as she sat back down. "Good."

Things were quiet until after the next encounter with The Rabbit, who barely made it past the window before they closed the door on him.

"So," Adagio pondered aloud, "on the topic of clothing, why do you still wear your 'bad girl' jacket?"

"Come again?"

"Don't give me that, you've been in this world how long? A few years, at least? You must know by now the connotations that attire has here, I thought that was the reason you threw it off when you stood against us."

Sunset shrugged. "I, just kind of like the look, I guess." Sighing a little, her eyes drifted to the floor. "That, and even if I let Rarity dress me from the moment I stepped out of the crater-"

"Crater?"

"I got blasted into a crater."

"Sounds painful."

"A bit. Can I go on here?"

"Yes, sorry."

"Thank you. Even if I had a whole new look, nobody would have been any more inclined to think I had changed." She took a second to look over Adagio's purple, pink, somewhat spiky outfit. "Is that the reason you guys still wear your 'bad guy' clothes, too?"

There was a shrug. "We're not trying to convince anyone of anything. We have other clothes for keeping a low profile, but it doesn't make much of a difference now." She smiled a little, admiring one of her own wristband-fingerless-glove things. "Besides, I rather like this look."

"Even the hai-"

Adagio jumped up, her face contorted with rage. "IT GROWS BACK, ALRIGHT?!"

Sunset sat wide-eyed at the outburst, the other girl looking a little surprised herself. Adagio slowly shrunk backward with more than a hint of embarrassment as she twirled an orange lock around a fingertip. "I, uh, that is to say..." Sitting back down, she cleared her throat, pretending to take interest in the dark hallway outside her door. "I've gotten used to it, yes."

Sunset smiled sheepishly, trying to focus on the cameras again. "Riiiiiight..."

1:45AM

"So, how'd you end up working at a place like this?"

Adagio again huffed, crossing her arms. "That's not what you're really asking, is it?"

Sunset was honestly confused. "What do you mean?"

"You want to know why I'm not working at the same place as Aria and Sonata."

"Oh." It was vaguely true, at least now that she pointed it out. "That too, I guess."

There was an irritated eye-roll, but she answered the question anyway. "I tried to elevate our status in that workplace by talking to the man in charge."

"And?"

"I didn't know his wife was in the next room."

"What would that have to do with-" Realization struck, Sunset's face going scarlet. "You didn't."

Adagio smirked. "I wouldn't have needed to, a few suggestive choices of words and careful use of body language and he was eating out of the palm of my hand." She scowled. "Then she walked in. One impending divorce later, I was thrown out. And don't give me that look, by the way they talked, that wasn't the first time she'd caught him with a much younger girl sitting on his desk."

Sunset hadn't even realized she was making any kind of expression, quickly shaking her head to dislodge it.

"So, yes, the three of us, most of all myself, don't exactly have much going for us."

"Maybe your face."

"What?!"

Having spoken without thinking, Sunset forced a smile. "Yep, your terrified expression is something I'll treasure forever!"

Scowling, Adagio groaned and turned red, as annoyed as she was mortified.

Sunset grinned cheekily. "Your angry face isn't bad either."

"I swear, if you hadn't saved my life already, I'd-" She shrieked, pointing to Sunset's door, which again stopped The Duck from entering a second later.

Despite not being able to see Sunset's face while she was turned toward the door, Adagio knew what her facial expression was at that moment. "Not one word, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset couldn't help her poorly-hidden snickering for the next several minutes.

"You never did tell me what you're doing with a gun, you know." Red-violet eyes traced over the weapon, lying on the nearby counter by the screens. (61% power remaining)

"Oh, yea." Sunset scratched her head. "Well, basically, the first time I tried to explore this world, I ended up in one of the... less savory neighborhoods. Someone tried to mug me."

She couldn't tell if the look on Adagio's face was one of concern or just vague interest, but it passed as she looked to the cameras. "Go on."

"At the time, I really didn't have anything the mugger wanted. While he was explaining the concept of paper money and why I should give it to him, the idiot dropped his guard, followed by his weapon with a swift kick to the gut. I didn't know how to use a gun when I picked it up, but I knew he thought he had some kind of power over me when it was in his hands, and that the tables had turned as he ran off when I pointed it back at him." Sunset shrugged. "I just kinda held onto it ever since."

Actually looking faintly intrigued, Adagio nodded. "I don't think I've ever had someone pull a gun on me, but provided they didn't shoot right away, it wouldn't have mattered." She held a hand to her throat, letting out a short note that didn't really sound all that much like a dying cat.

Sunset noticed. "H-hey, aren't your voices-"

"While our vocal cords are more or less healed," Adagio answered with a roll of her eyes, "we're still not a threat to your school. Did you know that having an enchanted stone broken while still magically attached to any part of your body rather hurts? And don't worry, we'll never be what we were ever again, thank you very much."

"Hey," Sunset said with a frown, "if it's any cons-"

Adagio held up a hand, not looking at her. "Don't. I'd really rather not risk the last conversation of my life being a pitiful exchange of-"

"DOOR!!"

Letting out a high-pitched squeak, she turned to slam the button, the sound of The Fox impacting the metal heard a fraction of a second after it fully closed. Both girls breathed a sigh of relief.

After a few minutes spent in silence, Sunset decided a lighter topic might be in order. "So, are there any movies you like?"

Adagio looked back at her in bewilderment.

"They're like big picture-books that-"

"I know what movies are, it's your bringing them up that baffles me."

Sunset resisted the urge to say something snappy, instead smiling a little at her. "Just something to kil-pass the time with, kinda like movies themselves. Most of Trixar's stuff is pretty good." It explained so much the day Sunset learned the Lulamoon family was directly involved with a major entertainment company.

Adagio crossed her arms and looked away, not weighing in.

"Have you seen them? The Improbables, An Insect's Existence, Bold, Locating Meno," she noticed Adagio tensing up just slightly at the mention of that last one, averting her gaze a little further. Sunset did her best not to smirk knowingly. "...You might like them, you know. One's about a clown fish looking for his-"

"I really don't care."

Sunset went on, her smile no weaker. "At one point they meet up with a bunch of sharks having the equivalent of an AA meeting and-"

Adagio held her hands over the puffy mass already covering her ears. "I'm not listening."

"They have a slogan; 'Fish are friends, not food.'"

"And?"

"It's funny."

"No it isn't."

"Neither is the clown fish."

"Pity." Adagio's eyes widened, looking at Sunset for a split-second before turning away again.

Sunset made no visible reaction. "Later, one of the fish is trying to remember directions to a place on land," Adagio tried harder to cover her ears, "and to memorize it, she says it over and over and over again. 'G Herman, 44 Kangaroo Way Sydney.' 'G Herman, 44 Kangaroo Way Sydney," Adagio was shaking, "G Herman, 44 Kangaroo Way Sydney, G Herman, 44 Kangaroo Way Sydney, G Herman, 44 Kangaroo Way Sy-'"

"It's P Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way Sydney, Goddammit, Mory!!" Adagio froze, her face turning crimson as she looked back at Sunset in horror. Briefly checking the cameras to make sure it wasn't for the other reason, Sunset beamed at her. Before she could say anything, Adagio slumped in her seat, covering her face with her hands. "I hate you so much."

Sunset giggled. "It's okay you know, millions of people like that movie."

"Millions of people," she grumbled back, what Sunset could see of her eyes staring daggers through her fingers, "aren't formerly-aquatic beings." She gave it a minute to sink in. "Go on, laugh!"

Sunset only smiled amicably. "I liked those movies even back when I was trying to take over two worlds. They might seem 'kiddie', but there's no reason you can't enjoy them."

It was hard to tell, but most of the venom seemed to drain from Adagio's face, if only due to confusion.

"And if people poke fun or give you a hard time about it," Sunset added with a wider grin, "Just keep swimming, just keep-"

Adagio groaned, but Sunset could definitely see a smile.

2:20AM

"Is it lonely for you, having to work away from the other two?"

Adagio scoffed. "Please, I'm not one of those socially-dependent types. Do you think I'd agree to sit alone in a relatively dark room for six hours by myself otherwise?"

"But you wouldn't mind if they were here with you, right?"

There was a second's delay in her reply. "I wouldn't mind if they could do something useful while they were with me."

"Such as?"

Adagio was starting to look annoyed again. "Such as something apart from their usual routine; bickering, complaining, and saying stupid things."

Sunset smiled. "I think you'd miss them, if they weren't around anymore, and they would miss you."

Adagio turned her attention to the screens, her response coming a little slower this time. "I'd find new partners if I really had to."

"How?"

"I can be very convincing."

"Really? I'm not convinced you'd be okay with leaving them."

"I'd manage," she growled through gritted teeth, still staring only at the screens, "East Hall is clear, Rabbit in the Party Room, nothing in the Dining Aria, the Stage is-"

Sunset smirked. "What was th-"

Adagio felt her face burn. "AREA, Dining AREA!" She turned to Sunset, who started giggling. "Well it's not like I want to get rid of them! They've been good enough partners up to now that there's no need to replace them, what's wrong with that?!"

"Nothing," Sunset answered, laughter giving way to a serene smile. "nothing at all."

Still nearly glowing, Adagio turned to face the screens again.

Easy as it might have been to tease her right then, Sunset didn't want Adagio thinking fondness for her friends was something to be ashamed of, as she apparently did, and opted to take the focus off her a little. "I hear Aria and Sonata's jobs are working out so far."

Turning just enough to look at Sunset out of the corner of her eye, Adagio raised a suspicious eyebrow. "You know this, how? If the answer involves dedicating a considerable portion of time to staying concealed and carrying a camera, I don't think I want to know."

Sunset dismissively waved a hand. "It's just what I've heard." In response to Adagio's searching look, she deadpanned. "Because I have friends that talk to me about things? And yours tend to draw some attention?"

Adagio turned away to hide a smirk. "If anyone you know is thinking of pressing charges for a band of imbeciles being mysteriously injured, I don't think 'it was the girl in the suit with next to no mobility' will hold up in court. I know a few good lawyers, and she still falls on her face every now and then."

Sunset gulped. It was true. She laughed nervously. "Yea, imagine mascots being an actual threat to any-"

She stopped dead. Neither of them wanted to talk about this anymore.

"EEEK!!"

Once more, a door prevented The Bear's entry, Sunset smiling a little at Adagio's reaction. "You scream every time they so much as get close, you're so jumpy!"

Adagio huffed. "Oh I'm sorry, perhaps you're more acquainted with being brutalized than I am? Should I smile and ask them how their night is going before they tear our faces off?"

Sunset shrugged a little. "I'm just saying, after a while I think you'd kinda get used to them showing up."

"Well excuse me for not having much taste for life-threatening situations! I'm an artist, not a gun-toting barbarian!"

The barb went ignored as Sunset pressed further. "Then why'd you take a job as security? What were you going to do if-"

"They told me nothing ever happened here, that I'd essentially be getting paid to do nothing!"

Sunset smirked. "Right up your alley, huh?"

Adagio crossed her arms. "Oh, shut up."

"Hey, maybe you could get a job screaming like a little girl?"

"Rrrrgh."

Sunset chuckled. "Don't worry, Dagi, I'll protect you from the big, bad bear!"

Adagio's face darkened with more than a blush. "For someone that's turned over a new leaf, you seem to be taking an awful lot of pleasure in my discomfort."

Sunset was grinning ear-to-ear. "Maybe, but I never said I'd be perfect."

Adagio spent the next few minutes grumbling under her breath. Sunset enjoyed every second of it.

2:51AM

"We're going to die. The power's going to run out and we're going to die."

Sunset's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at the meter, (12% power remaining) not sure how to counter Adagio's observation. "We might make it."

"There are three hours to go before the front doors open up, we won't last another hour!"

Sunset glanced around the room, her heart hammering in her chest as she looked back and forth between the few boxes and the camera screens. "M-maybe there's something we can use for more power, like another battery or something."

Adagio got right to work, tearing open boxes and scattering things about in a desperate effort to will more time they could use the doors into existence. "I-I don't see anything," she cried, nearly hyperventilating, "there's nothing we can use, the power's going to run out and we'll both-"

"Shut up," snapped Sunset, just waiting for the next killer mascot entry attempt, "panicking won't solve anything!"

"This is your fault," Adagio snarled, turning to the girl flipping through screens, "we'd have had a lot more left if you hadn't forgotten to open your door again after The Rabbit left!"

"Please," Sunset shouted back, "you shut your door like six times when there was nothing there at all!"

"I suppose you'd rather have chanced it? I guarantee it wouldn't matter how much power we had left then!"

They were only looking at each other now, standing just inches apart.

Sunset glared at the other girl. "I'm trying to help you!!"

Adagio matched it. "And failing miserably!"

"Maybe I shouldn't have come at all!"

"Maybe I should thrown you out and locked the door!"

Sunset felt tears stinging her eyes as she whispered through gritted teeth. "You bitch. I go out of my way to save your miserable life and you only care about yourself."

That seemed to get to her, but before Sunset could derive any amount of satisfaction from it, Adagio grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her to a wall. "I only care about myself?! All anyone cares about is themselves, but you'd condemn just me when I do it?! You make me sick!"

She was livid now, breathing heavily and baring her teeth for a few seconds, Sunset staring back as she remembered the day she'd talked to the Dazzlings in that dark hallway. This was much worse.

"Why did you come here, Sunset Shimmer? To 'save me'? Because you're just such a good and caring soul? No, you came because you thought that if I died when you could have prevented it, you'd feel guilty, that you just couldn't live with yourself with that possibility on your conscience, never mind the pricks who hired me to begin with while knowing the danger, or the idiot inspectors, if there've ever been any, that refused to shut this place down! People are all about themselves, Sunset Shimmer, I thought you most of all would know that."

Sunset opened her mouth, but Adagio slammed her against the wall again, her voice starting to break. "Don't interrupt me! When you came to this world, what was the only thing on your mind? You, and what you could do to your own benefit! Do you know what's changed now that you have friends? NOTHING!! You act the way you do now so you can keep being around them, because being with them is worth more to you than being by yourself! Everything people do is ultimately for their own benefit, even the 'kindest' among us, from your flighty friend that tends to animals because they make her happy, to those that help others because they'll feel guilty if they don't, like you!"

Adagio's fingers dug into Sunset's shoulders like a vice, even through the jacket, a faint shine of tears in her eyes. "You, the people who run this place, the students of CHS, your idiot friends, EVERYONE is selfish! Yes, I'm doing this because I can't stand the thought of Aria and Sonata getting by entirely without me, as I know they could, of my idiots not being around for me anymore, but I refuse to be demonized for being just like you!!"

She stopped for breath, leaving Sunset speechless and a little sad. Before Sunset could say a word, Adagio laughed bitterly, her smile a ghost of the confident smirk Sunset remembered from the day they met. "Ironic. 'You and me, me and you. One and the same'?" She laughed harder, sinking to her knees and covering her face as her laughter began to sound like sobbing.

Any fear Sunset still had of Adagio Dazzle was gone now, seeing her for what she really was deep down; a scared little girl that didn't want to be alone.

Maybe it was a little more than ego that made her want to be adored by a crowd. Was it the same for the others?

Sunset knelt down to hug her and whisper. "I'm sorry."

The two of them stayed that way for a little while, Sunset holding Adagio as she cried into her jacket. She remembered very well the feelings of doubt and the fear of abandonment by her new friends for the first several weeks after the Fall Formal, how much they hurt until she was sure they really weren't going to up and leave her one day. It wasn't hard to empathize with what Adagio was evidently going through. The sirens' magic wasn't just their weapon, it was the thing holding their group together. She wanted to tell Adagio that it couldn't have been the only thing, because they were all still working together, (figuratively speaking) but as sobbing gave way to whimpers and sniffles, she was still too upset to talk. Sunset just held her, gently patting her back until she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

The Fox.

Leaning it's head into the room. Staring right at her. The bullet hole in it's head was all the reminder needed to see what it had in mind for the two of them. Blood turning to ice-water in her veins, Sunset knew she couldn't make a move. She couldn't get to the gun on the desk by the screens before it attacked, (6% power remaining) she knew that even if they'd had a ladder, she couldn't get up to the vent and out of the building in time, especially not with Adagio the way she was; crying and defenseless.

Sunset closed her eyes.

Author's Note

No, seriously, there are no jump-scares.

For realzies.

...

How would I even do that with a story? That one Korean(?) webpage comes to mind, the one that goes "RRRRRRRKK" and rapidly scrolls down to a thing lunging at the screen, but there's nothing like that here. Or, if there is, you'd have to do it yourself. And it's not much of a scare that way, for most of us.

Anyway, I'm of the headcanon that Adagio's hair grows insanely fast, why would she put up with it otherwise? Think about it, you live your whole life as a hairless sea-equine, get stuck with a new body that has this weird, useless, removable stuff stuck to it that might get in your way all the time, (moreso if it gets wet, hope the Dazzlings didn't like swimming too much. Being aquatic and all) would you really just put up with it, or at least try to trim it a bit? Aria and Sonata's hair looks pretty long too, but at least manageable by human standards. The best reason I can think of for someone as puffy as Adagio not to at least cut it down a bit was if it came back so fast that it barely made a difference from week to week, maybe even day to day.

Why would this happen? I have nary a clue, but it makes about as much sense as anything else, I guess.

Chapter 3: The Show Must Go On

Adagio sniffled. "Alright. I'm okay. You can let go now."

Sunset opened her eyes. The Fox was gone. She stood up, looking around the room while half-expecting the thing to just pop up and get her, even though there was nowhere in the tiny room to feasibly hide an animatronic mascot. Nothing.

Adagio stood up too, her posture not unlike Fluttershy's when meeting someone for the first time, eyes directed at the floor. "Th-that, um... I-I can't remember the last time I did that." She hesitantly looked upward, her cheeks matching her puffy, red eyes. "Soul-baring moment. Feels a little awkward, actua-" Her eyes widened and she screamed, again pointing to The Duck at the window.

Sunset slammed the button, the door snapping shut. "That should-"

The power went out, the door paradoxically opening right up again. The Duck was still visible in the dim glow of moonlight through the window, stepping closer. The two hugged each other for what little security it might afford, screaming helplessly in the near-complete darkness of the room.

They continued to scream for a solid minute, having to stop to catch their breaths. Looking up, they saw The Duck was gone.

Bewildered, the two turned to each other, as if hoping the other girl would know what just happened, and noticed their close proximity. Both blushed and stepped back, hearing mechanical footsteps getting closer. The Rabbit appeared where The Duck had stood, looking through the window at them.

Again, they clung to each other, screaming, but too short of breath to do anything more than stare back at the thing as it turned and walked away.

Again, they turned red and separated.

"Just so you know," muttered Adagio, "I'm only clinging to you because there's nothing else to hide behind in here."

Sunset smiled sheepishly, feeling increasingly self-conscious. "I totally get it."

The two heard music, turning to see a glowing pair of eyes. The face of The Bear was dimly visible as it played a dissonantly cheery little tune. Sunset and Adagio shared a quick glance, knowing there was no point in running in the sealed building. Their own faces lighting up again, they didn't know what else to do but hold each other and wait, but the moment they drew close, the music stopped and the eye-lights went out.

They stared into the dark for a few minutes, Sunset breaking the security-hug and shakily taking a step forward. Another. Ano-

The eye-lights came on and the tune started over. The Bear had not left. The sheer proximity of the thing sending a jolt up her spine, Sunset quickly embraced Adagio yet again, who was starting to look less afraid, more confused as these are-we-going-to-die-or-not shenanigans wore on.

Yet again, the threat vanished, lights and music stopping. Adagio's face was contemplative. "One moment." She grabbed hold of Sunset's shoulders, but much more gently than before, and lightly pushed her away. When Sunset was barely out of arm's reach, the music and lights returned, Adagio responding by hugging the other girl close.

Sunset felt herself blush this time, but Adagio was focused solely on The Bear, her expression solumn. It was again dark and silent. "Of course."

Sunset blinked. "'Of course'? 'Of course' what?"

"It's looking at you. Just you." Adagio put a hand to her chin in thought. "Remember when I said everything was fine until you showed up? They didn't come after me then, I might have walked right by one without a care, because they don't want me, they want you."

"WHAT?! Th-that doesn't make any-" She stopped, thinking about it. Adagio worked here, maybe they just didn't go after employees? But, everything she'd ever heard about the place was related to security guards getting attacked by the animal robots, they should have been there exclusively for Adagio!

Wait.

Legend had it, the reason they attacked to begin with was because something was wonky in the programming, and they thought human beings were just incomplete versions of themselves, endoskeletons not yet stuffed into an animal suit. Sunset suddenly grew very aware of the orange, puffy mass brushing against her cheek. "It's... It's probably your hair."

Adagio facepalmed. "Of course it is." But then, she smiled. Her old, devious smile. "So, this means that, between the two of us, it's just you that's at risk here." Sunset gulped, their proximity somehow adding to her growing feeling of vulnerability. "I could just walk away, go anywhere in the building alone and be no worse for wear, but you? Well," Adagio chuckled darkly, her face inches from Sunset's as she all but leered, "who's helpless now?"

"W-wait," Sunset muttered, trying to ignore her own knees shaking, "why would they stop? It doesn't make sense that they'd leave us both alone j-just because we're-"

Still smirking, Adagio grabbed Sunset by the wrist, swinging her through the doorway opposite to where The Bear was probably still standing, but not letting go. Alone in the hallway, Sunset felt her heart-rate jump in the same instant she heard a rapidly approaching noise down the hall.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

Sunset shrieked, immediately getting pulled back into the room and into Adagio's arms. The look of sadistic glee on her face made Sunset sweat, but instead of baiting the animals by doing it again, (and again and again and again) Adagio stepped out into the hallway herself. "Wait here."

She stood as far from Sunset as possible while still holding her wrist, alone in the hallway just as Sunset had been, but to no audible effect. The instant she let go, Sunset was startled by the sound of The Bear playing it's music again, whipping around to see the eye-lights back on. "Adagio!!"

The puffy-haired 'mascot' turned to look at her, holding her arms out and smiling a little. "C'mere, Sunny, I'll protect you from the big, bad bear."

More terrified than embarrassed, Sunset sprinted the three steps (if one could claim to sprint three steps) to her fluffy sanctuary. Her fluffy, evil, sanctuary.

Guess I have a new reason to be afraid of her now...

Giggling as the music again stopped, Adagio patted Sunset's head and spoke in a surprisingly friendly tone. "These things are stupid, if we stay close, they can't tell one body from two. Come on, I think my soda should still be out there." She started walking down the barely-lit hall towards the dining area, Sunset following as closely as possible, never not feeling Adagio's soft, curly hair on her face.

As much as she didn't want to leave the security room, Sunset knew they really weren't any safer there than anywhere else now. It was an insecurity room. "Don't you think the soda's gone flat by now?"

Adagio shrugged. "It was flat when I started drinking it, your point? Personally, I don't really like the bubbles burning my throat anyway."

Sunset chuckled halfheartedly. "Yea, take what you can get, huh? I ate whatever I could find before I got the hang of this world, some of it was kinda... gross."

Adagio stopped, turning to look her in the eye. Her face wasn't angry, but firm. "Have you ever ingested negative energy, Sunset Shimmer?"

"Um... no?" She wanted to think the time with the Element of Magic didn't count, as she'd spent most of the transformation completely out of her mind.

"There's one thing I can tell you about it as far as sustenance goes; it always leaves you wanting even more." She turned away, again moving toward the Dining Area to reclaim her flat soda. "And despite it never coming in contact with my tongue, virtually anything tastes better." Adagio faced away from Sunset as they walked, keeping close, but walking ahead of her as she kept her voice down. "That, if anything, may be a silver lining to our predicament, actually. We'll never have to spend time gathering the stuff again."

"If you didn't like it, w-actually, never-mind."

Adagio chuckled. "You know why, don't you? That rush of power is worth any aftertaste. Won't have to worry about either anymore."

Sunset wasn't sure in the dim, moonlit darkness of Fatbear's Pizza, but it almost looked like Adagio might have been smiling.

"Ahh~!"

Sunset smiled a little, amused. "One refreshing, flat, lukewarm soda, huh?"

Adagio smiled back. "You're right, more couldn't hurt. Want to loot the kitchen?"

"Sure, sounds-I-I MEAN NO!" She would have stepped away from Adagio, if not for the risk of mascot mauling if she did. "That'd be stealing, and I don't do that anymore!"

Adagio raised an eyebrow. "Stealing? We just spent the last few hours thinking we could die at any moment, trapped with killer machines, to guard the place housing said killer machines. They don't even spend enough to power the place all night. Wouldn't you say we've earned payment?"

"Maybe, I guess, but-"

She set a hand comfortingly on Sunset's shoulder, her voice very calm. "Look, under ordinary circumstances, I'd probably be raiding the cash registers by now, taking every dime I could carry before I burned this place to the ground, then walked away to make plans regarding horrific vengeance on everyone involved with Flippy Fatbear's. However, since I know you want to be a good girl, I'll collect my wages in the form of whatever cold pizza and flat drinks we can find lying around and leave it at that. Alright?"

"Well, when you put it that way..."

Each of them having spent enough time looking at the cameras to memorize the layout of the building, the two made their way from the Dining Area to the Kitchen, holding hands to keep the mascots from noticing Sunset.

"Well," announced Adagio, sounding a little too pleased, "here you are; alone with me in a dark room and already touching hands, the dream of all your classmates!"

Sunset rolled her eyes, though it went unnoticed. "Yea, yea, very funn-" she discovered something by feeling around blindly on the counter-tops with her other hand, something cool, soft, and squishy. "Ew."

"I wasn't proposing anything distasteful."

"What? No, I found something. Something I deeply hope is pizza." Groping around the edges, it fit the dimensions of most of a pizza in an open box.

"Oh. You know something funny I've noticed about this world?"

"I'm sure there's more than one thing," remarked Sunset as she wiped the grease off on her skirt, "wanna compare lists?"

"Perhaps later. Those not gifted with mind-bending magic spend their days toiling away for money. The main reason is to spend that money on food. Surprising amounts of people just leave that food out to go bad."

Picking up the pizza box, Sunset shrugged. "I guess it just slips their minds. It's easy to take things for granted when they're around all the time, right?" She kept walking, but felt a jerk on her arm that told her Adagio was standing still. "Adagio? You okay?"

She couldn't make out any kind of expression in the near-complete darkness of the kitchen, but the reply sounded dazed. "Hm? I, yes, that's true. That thing. I think I see some bottles over there."

"How can you see anything at all?"

"Slivers of light reflecting off the sides are a hint."

"Do you spend a lot of time walking around in the dark?"

"You don't?"

"You need a hobby."

"It's not that, keeping the lights off saves on power bills."

"And costs in band-aids?"

"Not if you're familiar enough with your own living space to know where things are."

"It still sounds dangerous."

"Says the girl who charged into this place knowing the risks."

"Unnecessarily dangerous!"

"I'm not saying blundering around in the dark is a good id-" She trailed off.

"Adagio?" Sunset knew she was still there. They were holding hands. She refused to believe anything else, more-so as that grip tightened for a second.

"Err, yes, anyway, you'd be surprised how easy it can get." For some people more than others. Poor Sonata.

Once they'd gathered the bottles Adagio pointed out and found them to be not only full, but fresh, (Adagio was only mildly disappointed) they headed back to the insecurity room, where the moonlight had been strongest. The night guard (for a few more hours, at least) again took her seat on the chair, wheeling it closer to the desk they'd set the pizza on.

Sunset glanced around, not sure how she could stay close and be seated at the same time. "Uh, I don't suppose we could-"

Adagio grinned mischievously. "With pleasure!" And then she pulled the other girl onto her lap like she was waiting for Sunset to tell her what she wanted for Christmas.

Sunset blushed vibrantly. "What?! This ISN'T what I was going to-"

The grin grew more devious as she touched a finger to Sunset's lips. "Shh. I can't very well risk you getting attacked if sitting together on a bench doesn't fool them, so I'm afraid this is strictly necessary."

Feeling like a foal as she fidgeted on her lap, Sunset admittedly wasn't sure just how far from Adagio was safe, given that The Bear only took notice when they stopped touching. "Y-you seemed a lot less inclined to be this close just a little while ago."

Adagio kept smiling. "Clinging to another out of fear and weakness? Yes. Them clinging to me for the same reasons? That I don't mind at all."

As much as Sunset would have liked to argue, she could still see The Bear's feet just past the doorway. From the look on her face, Adagio was awaiting Sunset's reply with something like smug satisfaction. She blushed brighter. "This... this is payback for the jokes earlier, isn't it?"

Adagio grinned even wider. "You think I'm doing this because you spent your first few hours here snickering at my dismay and, despite the danger it turns out only you were in, enjoying yourself at my expense?" She draped an arm over her face in a manner befitting Rarity as she averted her eyes. "Sunset Shimmer, I'm hurt you think I would be so petty and vindictive. I was only ever worried about your safety, after all."

Sunset scowled, her face still red. "Yeah, right!"

Her chair/mascot-deterrent glanced at her coyly. "It's what I'm going to tell everyone if you ever mention tonight's events to anyone. I can truthfully tell them that I was never at risk," the grin became a smirk, "or that you ate pizza while sitting in my lap, if you prefer."

Not wanting to get into a contest of who could be the more convincing liar and not seeing much reason to go spreading what she'd been up to tonight anyway, Sunset shakily nodded. "Fine."

Adagio's smile tinted just a little toward genuine friendliness as she lifted a slice of cold pizza toward Sunset's face. "Good, now say 'ahh'..."

"Huh," remarked Sunset when they'd finished eating, "That actually wasn't too bad. Not a first choice of meal, but not too bad." Give or take Adagio not letting Sunset feed herself until the second slice, just to humiliate her further and drive home her powerlessness in their situation.

"I don't know much about this world's cuisine, but I can tell you that pizza retains it's edibility even after it's gone cold. Usually. Certain toppings, you know?"

Luckily, Adagio seemed to think they were even now. That, or she was just holding off on the revenge-teasing at the moment. "I'm guessing pepperoni loses something when it's cold."

"Most kinds of meat, really."

"Noted. Wanna see if the doors are open yet? Maybe the power-out disabled the locking mechanism."

"Worth a try."

They got up, again holding hands for security. Sunset picked up the dubiously-useful handgun and switched the safety back on before returning it to her coat pocket. "Think the shell casings in that hallway'll be a problem later?"

Adagio chuckled. "As I don't ever intend to come back after tonight, I'm not really worried about getting fired for a few holes in their killer mascot, let alone littering."

"I was referring to like, CSI guys coming to ask questions about what I'm doing with a gun." Sunset nervously tugged at the collar of her shirt as they started toward the front door. "I'm pretty sure I fired it on camera."

It was slightly difficult to tell in the darker hallway, but Adagio might have smirked. "Ohh, I'd love to see that. By all means, let someone come look into this place, go through the security footage, and have their highest concern be the civilian trying to defend herself from the rampaging killer robots. It's more likely you'd be able to sue them if you got hurt on their property, don't you think? Reckless endangerment and all that?"

"I... hope so?" She smiled a little. "You actually sound like you know a thing or two about this."

She chuckled. "Did you know the men who run the 'Everything Under The Sun Emporium' in town have legal degrees?"

"The Flim-Flam Brothers? Are they the 'few good lawyers' you mentioned?"

"Good-effective, not good-unobjectionable."

"Right. How do you know they wouldn't take the people who own Fatbear's side over yours?"

Adagio chuckled darkly. "Not unobjectionable, I said. With a little investigative work by Aria after our case was resolved, I did some... negotiating. We don't tell anyone what Aria dug up -including you, I'm afraid- and call on them for all our legal troubles at similar rates to the first time, which was a considerable cut, they never use their legal knowledge against us."

Blackmail. Sunset was no stranger to that particular type of leverage, even if she burned all the files (for lack of better words) she had on everyone at school a little while after the Rainbooms (though they weren't called that at the time) reached out to her. That she burned it all in front of them might have helped. "You have that kind of dirt on them but still agreed to pay their rate?"

"Didn't want to push it, this all took place a month or so after we lost our magic."

"Ah."

"Besides," she grumbled, "the bastards in charge of this place won't even shell out for keeping the place powered all night. I doubt Flim and Flam would sign on with someone like that."

"Makes sense. You mentioned a case? What happened?"

"We sued a theme park for Sonata falling out of a Ferris wheel. We have a small house now."

Sunset scowled. While she couldn't say she'd never have resorted to duplicity in this world's legal system to her own ends before, she didn't approve of it now. "And why did you do that?"

Adagio's response was cold as she stared straight ahead. "Because Sonata fell out of a Ferris wheel for reasons that weren't her own fault."

Oh.

They were silent until they reached the front door, Sunset self-consciously rubbing an arm. "Um, l-look, sorry I jumped to conclu-"

Adagio held up the hand not holding Sunset's. "It's fine. I told you less than half an hour ago what kind of criminal acts I'd inflict without a second thought and that I'm blackmailing my lawyers, so it's not unreasonable to think I'd dupe a judge for my own gain." She shrugged a little. "Hell, if I thought I could reliably get away with it, I might do it repeatedly, but I suspect we were pressing our luck as it was." What Sunset could see of her face was stern. "Just don't bring it up around Sonata, alright?"

They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before Sunset got an inquisitive look. "Were you going to burn down the theme park, or...?"

The other girl chuckled. "You're a fast learner, but the Brothers Flim (as well as several people across the street, by the way they turned their heads) overheard Aria's rant about what had just happened and took it from there." She jiggled the doorknob somewhat more gently than before, still to no avail. "Damn!"

Sunset scratched her head. "Maybe the lock is stuck in place until the power comes back?" That, or the mascots aren't the only part of the 'curse' on this place.

"Figures. Should we look around for a ladder, then?"

Try as they might, not even Adagio and her 'night-vision' spotted anything they could have used to reach the vent. The chairs and tables were all bolted down and there weren't near enough pizza boxes they could stack up and stand on. They were startled a few times by one of the mascots already being in a room they were searching turning to look at them for a few seconds before returning to its busy night of wandering around at random.

"Just as well," sighed Adagio as the two stared up at the vent Sunset entered through in the insecurity room, "I don't know how we'd squeeze through huddled together like this and I'd rather not risk one of those animals waiting for us in there if we separate."

Sunset grinned cheekily. "Just as well, with those hips, I'm not sure you could squeeze through at all."

Adagio scowled at her, her face tinting red as Sunset snickered. Anger gave way to another evil smile. "Oh I'm sorry, do you mean these hips?" She shifted her lower body to bump Sunset away, The Bear's music starting again. Sunset yelped and immediately grabbed onto Adagio for safety.

Realizing what she had just done, Sunset tried not to blush as she glared at the girl that was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "That was low."

Adagio coyly averted her eyes, still smiling. "I never claimed I was perfect." She glanced at the dead screens, trying to remember if there had been a camera for checking the vents. Not that that would make any kind of sense whatsoever, but what about this place made sense to start?

Retaining as much of her dignity as possible, Sunset cleared her throat. "Maybe we can call someone. I forgot my phone when I ran over here, where's yours?"

"Nonexistent."

"Seriously? How have you been staying in touch with the others all this time?"

"I look to my left or right, depending whether I want Sonata or Aria, respectively? Sometimes they're in reverse, but we're rarely apart." She glanced at the old wire-phone near the screens, part of her wishing she'd answered it now. "I think Sonata picked one up anyway, but I couldn't even guess the number. Besides, power's out?"

"Damn." They were stuck here in the dark, but at least the mascots would leave them alone. "Do you guys seriously have a formation? Aria at the right, Sonata at the left?"

Adagio grinned wryly. "Once, they kept switching back and forth when I wasn't looking, so that when I turned to address one of them, I'd get the other."

Sunset giggled. "Why?"

"Probably just to screw with me, but it's one of very few times they collaborated on something without my telling them to." She spared one last look at the open vent. "Suppose we'll wait out my shift, then. As long as we stay together, you're not in any danger, after all." She noticed Sunset yawning, drawing an amused grin. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you prefer the risk of being torn limb from-"

"No, no it's not that," she said, shaking herself awake, "it's just that I've been up for almost a whole day now. Didn't know I'd be helping someone work the graveyard shift, y'know?"

"Oh." Adagio glanced around, looking at Sunset with an uncertain expression. "The benches by the Stage looked soft. Or, softer than the ground, if you'd like to get some rest."

Surprised, Sunset smiled at her. "That's very considerate of you, Adagio."

She contained her reaction to an eye-roll. "There are about two and a half hours to go and I happen to see the benefits taking a siesta when there's nothing better to do. I made certain to rest before coming here tonight, as it happens."

Sunset kept smiling. "Of course."

Having taken off their boots first, they sat on a bench made entirely of synthetic materials. The seats were some kind of rubbery substance that, while by no means preferable to a moderately soft mattress, was still softer than the floor. Sunset looked at Adagio, not certain how she could lie down while still holding her hand, or one of them lying on the other. "Uhm-"

Adagio took tighter hold of her arm, pulling Sunset against her while turning away, Sunset coming to rest against her poofy mass of hair. "Better?"

Sunset was lying against warm, fluffy heaven. "Yes."

From her tone of voice, Adagio apparently took some measure of pride in this. "Good. I probably don't need to remind you that The Fox is just on the other side of that curtain."

Neither of them really felt like checking to see if it was peeking out at them.

Sunset smiled contentedly. "Do you use your own hair as a pillow often? Because if so, that might be the best idea I've ever heard."

She chuckled. "It's had it's uses, here and there."

They leaned back-to-hair-to-back against one another in silence for a few minutes, Adagio muttering something Sunset didn't quite catch.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

For the second time that night, Adagio reminded her of Fluttershy, this time for the quiet, reserved way she whispered back. "I never apologized, for the things I said a little before the power went out? I'm sorry."

Sunset smiled, and it carried into her voice. "It's okay. I was thinking a little about it, and I think you're right, but-"

Adagio turned her head a little towards her. "You think I should have thrown you out and locked the door?!"

"What? No, I-oh, right, you did say..."

"Yes, that, that's what I meant to apologize for! I didn't mean it! Sorry!"

The way she said it, the little hints of sincerity and earnest regret in her tone, gave Sunset a warm, fuzzy feeling. Kind of like being nestled in Adagio's hair. "It's okay. I think we both said things we didn't mean."

She sighed in relief and they were quiet a little longer. "What were you talking about, then?"

"Hm? Oh! I meant the selfishness thing. I think you have a point." It wasn't asked, but Sunset felt like she should elaborate a little. "People might ultimately do things for themselves, but if what they're doing for themselves can make others happy too, is that so bad?"

"I... I don't follow."

"Well, you took a job at all because you wanted to support Aria and Sonata just as much as to support yourself, right? To make sure the three of you can continue living together? It's like ordering a pizza; everyone gets a slice!"

There was another long silence as Adagio seemed to contemplate this, eventually starting to giggle.

Sunset grinned wider. "See what I mean?"

She could feel Adagio shaking her head, but her smile was audible. "Go to sleep, Sunset Shimmer."

Cuddling against the orange mass of poofy warmth, Sunset noticed Adagio wasn't saying anything suggestive, despite the two of them being physically closer than they'd been all night. It was as she pondered whether or not Adagio prioritized naps over teasing that she drifted off to sleep.

The two were awakened by the morning bell, both silently relieved to see the other still there. Briefly looking around as daylight streamed in through windows, (all of which, they now noticed, they would also have needed a ladder to escape through. This place may have been a factory or a warehouse at some point) they saw The Bear, The Duck, and The Rabbit all arranged on the Stage as if they'd never left, ready to sing for some kid's birthday party. The Fox was presumably still behind the curtain.

As Adagio was putting her pointy footwear back on, she smiled a little. "We should probably get out of here, I think they open at seven or eight."

"CRAP!!"

Started at Sunset's sudden exclamation, she looked to the other girl bewildered.

"It's 6:00AM," clarified Sunset, visibly stressed as she quickly slipped her boots on, "it was a school night, I have to go home and get ready NOW!"

Adagio hopped up to join her. "A morning jog? Mind if I join in?" Sunset's surprised expression called for elaboration. "I don't have much else to do, being unemployed and all? Besides," she remarked wryly, "after a night of sitting still and a less-than-healthy late-night snack, I could do with the exercise."

Sunset grinned a little. "Still healthier than negative energy?"

Adagio let out a short laugh as they headed to the door.

Running through town, Sunset glanced to her fellow would-be conqueror of the world. "Hey, for whatever it's worth, sorry your job didn't work out."

Keeping pace, Adagio shrugged. "Like I said earlier, I wasn't planning to stick around a place like that anyway and I heard the pay was peanuts. Just in case, I might have Aria break into the necessary facilities to erase any records of me. Would you believe infiltration was a favorite task of hers even when we could just sing people into submission?"

Sunset smiled. "I would. I really would. Actually, working at that place, they might just think you, uh... 'retired' early. More-so with the power having gone out half-way through your shift. I doubt anyone'll even ask questions if they just never see you again."

"Hm. Good riddance, then."

"Maybe you could join me at school today, too? My friends might know somewhere you can get a better job."

"Hmph," she hmphed, looking away, "I don't think much of those friends of yours, without you or that purple girl to direct them, they seem less focused than Aria and Sonata."

Sunset scowled.

"Still..."

Looking at Adagio, Sunset could see she was a little red in the face. From her expression, it wasn't just due to exertion. "As I'm short on options and 'better than Fatbear's' is setting the bar about as low as possible, I suppose even they might come up with something I can use."

Taking the reluctant confidence in her friends for whatever it was worth, Sunset grinned at her. A few blocks later, she noticed Adagio didn't even seem particularly winded by all their running. "You're holding up pretty well for an 'artist', do you run across town a lot?" She would have liked more than two hours of sleep, herself.

Adagio smirked, brushing a lock of puffy hair aside. "Dancing can be more physically demanding than most would guess, and I haven't lost anything on that front."

"You still dance? Do the three of you still just-"

"Sometimes." Sunset was giving her a weird look. "What? A little karaoke passes the time."

"And the pounds, I guess!"

"Well, part of it is that I walk everywhere."

"So you do run across town a lot!"

"Of course I do, I've been all over the place trying to find work! In addition to being a source of income, it's the only way the others'll quit making fun of-" She stopped, both in speech and in motion, Sunset stopping to look back at her. "I... uh... I-I mean..."

Her face grew increasingly red, drawing an amused little smile from Sunset.

I wonder how often she just says what she feels. She doesn't even seem to notice until it's already blurted out.

Adagio gulped, still nearly glowing. "C-can you, ehm... If you ever happen to wind up talking to those two again, can you not mention anything I've said about them? Ever?"

Sunset smiled warmly. "Remember what I said earlier? About them missing you just as much as you would miss them? I won't tell them anything if you'd rather I didn't, but I think you should. You might be surprised to hear what they really think."

Adagio stared back at her, her expression unreadable before she spoke. "School."

"Crap!!"

They returned to running.

Author's Note

I told you there were no jump-scares. Silly reader.

Though you may have noticed near-lethal amounts of Sundagio ship-tease amid all the chatter. If not, try reading again with your best shipping goggles on and see how long it takes to imagine rose petals falling from the sky as they interact! :raritystarry:

Also: Adagio's special attack? Something like the Peach Bomber, I bet. (For instant giggles, picture Adagio violently hip-bumping someone, complete with "Hat-chaa~!")
Or maybe a spinning heel-kick, with those spiky boots.

Finally, my apologies if you're getting tired of one particular chat between Sunset and Adagio regarding Aria and Sonata, I know I'm getting tired of writing it. Maybe I should try to keep all my SS+Dazzling stories within the same continuity. This might be the third time I've written a scene like that. :pinkiesick:

Disclaimer: I know nothing about the workings of courts and lawyer-paying, I don't know if lawyers are even allowed to set their own prices or if there's a law out there somewhere that sets things based on certain parameters. Insert joke about lawyers lawyering their way around that law if it exists.