The Evening Sonata

Chapters

The Evening Sonata. Part 2
The Morning Sonata, Part 1
The Morning Sonata, Part 2
The Morning Sonata, Part 3
The Morning Sonata, Part 4
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 1
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 2
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 3
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 4
The Drunken Night Sonata *NOT CANON*
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 5
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 6
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 8
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 9
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 10
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 11
The Sunset Sonata, Pt1
The Sunset Sonata, Pt2
The Sunset Sonata, Pt3
The Sunset Sonata, Pt4
The Sunset Sonata, Pt6
The Sunset Sonata, Pt7
The Sunset Sonata, Pt8
The Sunset Sonata, Pt9
The Sunset Sonata, Pt10
The Sunset Sonata, Pt11
The Sunset Sonata, Pt12
Preview of the Sequel
The Evening Sonata. Part 1
The Sunrise Sonata, Part 7
The Sunset Sonata, Pt5

The Evening Sonata. Part 2

The Evening Sonata Pt2

Much like coaxing her down from the roof, convincing Sonata Dusk to take her couch proved to be a lengthy process. Sonata wished very much to be allowed back to her shed, for what reason Sunset could not understand, and literally almost cried at the suggestion that she sleep in Sunset’s bed whilst Sunset slept on the couch for the night. Eventually, Sonata agreed to sleep on the couch.

Her time in the shower made such a difference to her appearance it was almost startling. Her hair had bounced back to its bright blue and purple, her face was paler, and thank Celestia she no longer stank. Sunset privately hoped that she never became homeless if living for a few weeks in a shed made someone smell like that.

“You look nice.” Sunset smiled as Sonata pulled on one of her old shirts and trousers. The orange and red clashed terribly with her natural blue and purple colouration, but somehow she seemed to pull it off. Sonata played with a sleeve absently.

“Thanks for the clothes,” she said, quietly. Sunset’s inside squirmed faintly to see her like this. Empty headed though she had been, she had also been outgoing and unafraid to speak her opinion, despite being evil for all intents and purposes. Now she was diffident, quiet, and hesitant. In many ways, she’d become more like Fluttershy. Except that she wasn’t afraid of her own shadow.

As Sunset closed the door to her bedroom, watching Sonata lay down underneath her blankets, she dared to hope that her plan would work.

The next day, Sunset awoke to a cacophony of noise. Before she properly awoke, her bleary and sleepy mind thought that Sonata was singing again. But then her sleep dissipated, and she realised that Sonata was snoring. Loudly.

Sunset looked down at Sonata with a little smile. Her mouth wide open, spittle running down her chin, Sonata’s snores filled the apartment. She looked so relaxed and at peace that she almost looked like her old self. Sunset wasted no time. It was 7:30, and so she proceeded to make breakfast.

When Sonata snorted herself awake a few minutes later, she was met by a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. “Thanks,” she said, sitting up in her pink pyjamas.

They sat munching Power Pony Puffs for a few moments, Sonata looking happier than she had done since Sunset had seen her again in the cafe.

“Hey, do you have any plans for today?” Sunset asked.

“Saturday morning?” Sonata said, sipping her coffee. “Usually I beg for money over by the shopping mall. That is if that big security guy doesn’t chase me off.”

A sharp pang stabbed Sunset in the chest like a scalding dagger. Dear Celestia, how could she have ever been evil?

“Well then,” Sunset said, brightly. “How about instead we go to Sugarcube corner? I’m in the mood for cake today, you know?”

Sonata’s face twisted a little. “I don’t have any money. It wouldn’t be fair to let you buy me everything.”

“Oh come on. That’s something friends do.” Sonata looked at her in surprise.

“Are you saying we’re friends?”

“Oh, well,” Sunset said, suddenly feeling as though maybe she’d crossed a line or something. “If it’s okay with you.”

“It’s okay,” Sonata said hastily. “It’s just that, well... I didn’t know we were.”

After a short pause, Sunset suddenly burst out laughing. It was so in Sonata’s air-headed nature to say something like that, and for some reason it was really funny to Sunset Shimmer. Sonata seemed mystified by Sunset’s sudden outburst, and looked at her with the familiar look of uncomprehending vagueness. After a few moments however, she cracked a smile, and began to chuckle a little as well.

Sunset didn’t plan to go to Sugarcube Corner until 10:00, and so for the next two hours dragged Sonata to the mall to shop for new clothes. Sonata thought at first that Sunset was going to let her beg for money like she said. Sunset squinted her eyes at her like a schoolteacher might to a child who’d just espoused a plan to climb a high tree. She shook her head, jabbing a thumb at the enormous security guard on duty. The man glared at the two of them, and then made an I’m watching you gesture.

“Oh look, he remembers me,” Sonata mumbled as they walked passed him.

As Sunset had anticipated, Sonata protested volubly against having clothes bought for her. Quite exactly why Sunset was not sure of, since as Sonata had told her last night, the Dazzlings had been used to making people give and get them whatever they had wanted for years. But then she remembered how the Dazzlings had done that, and Sonata’s tearful declaration of her own uselessness the previous night.

“I don’t care how much you don’t want to impose, if you don’t get in that changing room, I’m going to start imposing. And I’m not going to be nice about it either!” she hissed, shoving Sonata into a changing room.

Reluctantly, Sonata tried on several combinations of shirts, skirts, trousers, tailcoats, jackets, and jerseys. Some of the combinations were just horrible, and Sunset glanced around surreptitiously just in case Rarity’ uncanny ability to detect threats to fabulocity was speeding her their way. Sunset knew what it was; Sonata was trying to spend as little as possible, but she wasn’t getting away with that.

“Now that’s more you,” she beamed, as Sonata opened the curtain. In many ways it was similar to her original attire. A dark magenta jacket over a bright, bubblegum pink shirt and pink trousers, she wore bright blue boots rather like her old ones. She seemed genuinely uneasy, and opened her mouth to say something. “If you say one word about not wanting me to pay for those clothes, I swear to Celestia...” Sunset let the threat hang, but eyed her balefully.

Despite herself, Sonata smiled. An honest, happy smile.

“Well,” Sunset said as they left the shop. “Come on then. I hate clothes shopping.”

“What?” Sonata gaped. “Then why did we-?” she stopped herself. “Oh yeah. I was wearing your clothes, wasn’t I?” she gave a self-conscious laugh.

The journey to Sugarcube Corner allowed for Sunset Shimmer to consider her plans. As they trundled along on the bus, Sonata looking out of the window, she hoped that all of her friends had made it to the cafe by now. It was almost ten, and the bus would be arriving soon.

As her friends didn’t know about Sonata, she had asked them to meet her at Sugarcube Corner at 10:00am to meet a friend she wanted them to get to know. And to be honest, she had mixed feelings about her plan. Considering how her friends had treated her when she’d been transformed back from being a demon, yaddah-yaddah, she thought her chances of getting them to accept Sonata reasonably good. But she didn’t have the clout with them that Twilight had, and frankly Applejack and Rainbow Dash nagged at her in her mind. Of the five of them, those two struck Sunset as being the least likely to accept her right off the bat. Rainbow too tactless, and Applejack reasonably suspicious.

Whatever the case may be, it was too late to turn back now. As they stepped off the bus and up to the shop door, she looked at Sonata, who looked back with a grateful look in her face.

“Hey, um... thanks, you know?” she said, stumbling over her words.

“Yeah,” Sunset said, opening the door.

As hoped for and expected, her friends were sitting at their usual table, noisily goofing around. Fluttershy and Rarity were leaning back from the action at the centre of the table, where Pinkie Pie was sucking on three smoothies all at once, her face turning bright red with the effort, egged on by Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“Go! Go! Go! Go!” they chanted, shaking their fists.

“Really,” Rarity grumbled. “Do have some self control, girls. Oh, Sunset,” she said, noticing Sunset Shimmer for the first time. “Over he- Oh!”

Pinkie Pie noticed Sunset too, and upon seeing who was with her, spat out all three straws along with a good amount of smoothie. Applejack and Rainbow Dash leapt back in alarm, whilst Fluttershy looked around curiously to see what Rarity saw.

“O-Oh,” Fluttershy stuttered. “I mean, uh, hello there.” She grinned, but it had too many teeth and came off awkwardly. The rest of the table just stared.

Sunset glanced sideways to see colour rising in Sonata’s cheeks.

“I’m suddenly not so hungry,” she said, turning to leave.

“No wait!” Pinkie cried before Sunset could. Having been perched precariously on the seating, throwing out an arm overbalanced her. She toppled onto the table, executed a perfect forward roll off the end of it, and landed with her arms raised like an Olympic athlete. Rarity clapped.

“Well done, darling.”

“You don’t have to leave. Come sit with us!” Pinkie announced, gesturing to the table. Sonata hesitated some more, but if Sunset Shimmer was insistent, then Pinkie Pie was absolute. She grabbed Sonata’s arm in a good-natured sort of way, and steered her to the table before plonking herself down opposite her, leaning forward with an expectant smile. Sonata seemed almost speechless, as though she wasn’t quite sure what had just happened. Pinkie smiled widely. Sunset rather thought it was too wide for a normal human being. Then she registered that she had just used a sentence with the word ‘normal’ in it in relation to Pinkie Pie, and thought no more of it.

“So,” Applejack said with a small laugh. “Um, whatcha been up to? Sonata Dusk wasn’t it?”

Applejack’s eye was caught by Sunset, who had sat herself next to Sonata. She made frantic slicing motions at her own neck to indicate that was not a good question.

“I mean, where’ve you been?” More slicing motions.

“Where’re those friends of yours? They around still?” Even more slicing motions, Sunset grimacing her disapprobation. Applejack pursed her lips and tried not to sigh.

“Err... have a nice day?” She glanced briefly at Sunset, who smiled and nodded.

“That was a lot of questions,” Sonata mumbled.

“You can just answer the last one.” Applejack waved a hand breezily.

“I’ve got a question,” Rainbow Dash put in. Sunset’s insides sank, bracing herself for an insensitive bombshell. “Did you get new clothes?”

Sunset’s heart skipped a beat. Sonata herself looked down at her clothes, and then smiled a little. “Yeah, I did. Just today actually.”

“They’re totally rad on you,” Rainbow assured her. “Not usually one for fashion and stuff but I’m totally digging the new look.”

“For once I quite agree with Rainbow Dash,” Rarity put in, leaning across the table and lifting the sleeve of Sonata’s shirt. “Although if I had my way I’d have put a stronger hemming here.”

The meeting was going just the way that Sunset had hoped that it would. Her friends, far from being suspicious and dwelling on histrionics, seemed eager to get to know Sonata. Everything was going so well that she could hardly believe it. Sonata herself seemed to be opening up as well.

Sunset was just congratulating herself for her plan, slurping happily on the mango smoothie Fluttershy had gotten for her, when Rainbow suddenly addressed her.

“Hey Sunset, I wanted to put something by you.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Okay listen, I had this totally awesome vibe that we should do a live stage performance from a rooftop. Your apartment has that big open plaza in front of it. Do you think your landlord would say yes if we asked him?”

Sunset was just about to stomp all over that idea with the steel-tipped boots of common sense, when Sonata stood up suddenly. Sunset looked up at her in surprise, and so did a few of her friends. Sonata smiled widely, as though she were trying to copy Pinkie, but she had a teary look in her eyes that ruined the effect.

“Sorry, bathroom,” she gabbled, almost running from the table. Sunset watched her go, startled, as she vanished into the women’s toilets. She looked back at her friends, who all looked equally stunned.

“Was it something I did?” Fluttershy asked breathily, looking guiltily concerned.

“I doubt it, Fluttershy,” Applejack said thoughtfully, frowning at the door.

“Maybe she’s just got the cramps,” Rainbow shrugged, blithely. “That’s usually how I react too.” Applejack glared at her.

“Do you know the meaning of the word decency?, Rainbow?” She and Rainbow began to argue, whilst Pinkie bobbed between the two of them, adding her own nonsensical rambling. Flutterhsy and Rarity on the other hand gave Sunset sympathetic looks.

“Go to her, darling,” Rarity pressed.

“Don’t you think I should leave her for a moment?” Sunset asked, uncomfortably.

“I think she needs you,” Fluttershy whispered. “She needs a friend.”

“Fluttershy is right, dear,” Rarity said firmly, waving for her to go. “We’ll be right here with these urchins when you get back,” she sighed, jabbing a thumb towards the argument. Sunset nodded and stood up.

The door to the bathroom squeaked. It always had done, but that was the only really bad thing about this room. The Cakes maintained their shop well, and didn’t allow their bathrooms to fall into the substandard conditions that were par for the course in most public restrooms. Spotlessly clean, the only off-putting thing was the candy-scented air-freshener, which Sunset had always found rather distracting.

As the door creaked open, Sunset looked furtively inside. Sonata didn’t seem to be in there, but once the door closed behind her, she heard the distinctive sounds of someone sobbing in one of the cubicles. Great heartfelt sobs as though someone were trying desperately not to cry.

“Sonata?” Sunset asked quietly, grateful that no one else was in the bathroom. No answer came. “Are you alright? We’re all sorry if we did anything to-“

“No,” she interrupted thickly. She choked once or twice.

“Sonata, if you need to cry just let it out, you’re going to make yourself-“ she paused as she heard an unpleasant retching noise from inside the cubicle. “-sick.”

“I’m sorry,” she moaned, her voice a couple of octaves higher than usual.

“It’s okay,” Sunset soothed, taking a few paper towels from the dispenser. “Here you go.” She held the towels under the door.

“T-Thank you.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sunset asked, leaning on the stall wall.

“P-Please stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Being nice to me!” Sunset frowned as Sonata’s voice rose hysterically. She suddenly wished that one of the other girls had come with her, but at the same time she knew that it was best for her to do this alone.

“Why wouldn’t we be nice to you?” Sunset asked, reasonably. “I know we’ve only really known each other for a day, and before that... well, let’s not dwell on the past, eh?” she gave a nervous chuckle before muttering flatly “Oh I am so terrible at this.”

Bad as she thought she was, something seemed to work, for Sonata spoke again. However, what she said chilled Sunset Shimmer to the bone.

“I... I wanted to jump.”

“What did you say?” Sunset tried to make her voice light and casual, but a deep pit of dread had opened in her stomach.

“Yesterday, on the roof,” Sonata’s voice echoed in the small bathroom. “If you hadn’t come yesterday-“

“Why would you do that?” Sunset snapped. Her heart and blood seemed to be acting weirdly inside her as she pressed against the door. She felt cold sweat bead all over. “Why would you ever do something like that?”

“Because... because it was all my fault...”

Several weeks ago, Canterlot High park

Sonata tumbled over the gate, the other Dazzlings in hot pursuit. As soon as they were beyond a line of trees, they stopped in the shadows. All of three of them stood breathing hard, covered in the debris of thrown food, only able to look at each other, until Aria’s trademark temper broke into speech.

“What just happened!?” she shrieked, slamming a fist into a tree. Sonata was too stunned and out of breath to say anything, and uncharacteristically Adagio had nothing to say. Shocked though they all were, she seemed paler than the other two, her eyes wandering this way and that as though she were looking at an incomplete jigsaw only she could see. “What was that!?”

“I don’t know,” Sonata said breathlessly, wiping a splattered tomato off her dress. “It looked like a giant rainbow horse to me.”

Aria stared at her, her eyes wobbling slightly in her head. Then she step forward and smacked Sonata hard across the face.

“Hey!” Sonata cried, clutching her face. “What was that for?”

“Shut up!” Aria bellowed. “Just shut up! I’ve had it up to here with your ditzy, empty headed comments! For once in your life, just shut. The hell. Up!” Sonata reeled. She and Aria had frequently been at odds before, but this... this was scary. Aria turned away from her. “Adagio. What do we do now?”

Adagio didn’t respond at first. When Aria asked again, she looked up. “Nothing,” she said.

“Nothing?” What do you mean, nothing?”

“There’s nothing we can do,” she muttered, fingering the place on her necklace where her pedant had been. “It’s over.”

Aria seemed to have something stuck in her throat.

“Our pendants broke,” Sonata put in, sadly.

“I know that, you ditz!” Aria snapped.

“Stop having a go at me!” Sonata shouted back, feeling indignation come to her aid. “It’s not my fault we lost.”

Aria turned on her with a truly evil look in her eye. Sonata’s angry expression cracked a little beneath it as Aria advanced on her.

“Just one more word out of you,” she breathed. “Just one more. It’s always been your fault. Every single time anything important happens, you always find some way to mess it up. The time when you accidentally summoned Windigoes away from that earth pony village, the time we tried to charm the Pegasus tribe-“

“Okay, I grant that one was my fault, but-“ Aria smacked her again, if anything harder than before.

“Starswirl the Bearded,” Aria hissed, prodding Sonata’s chest hard with her finger, their noses almost touching. “If you hadn’t let him know where we were in the Badlands, we would never have been sent to this wretched world to start with! You are the most useless, brainless, talentless waste of space that I have ever had the misfortune to know. And if adding your voice to ours hadn’t made us more powerful all of these years, I’d have personally kicked you to the curb the first second that you opened your irritating, Celestia forsaken mouth. You’d be nothing without us carrying your dead weight all this time.”

“I-I’m not talentless,” Sonata whined thickly, holding back a sniff. Aria let out a bark of bitter laughter.

“Oh no? Then what can you do? Go on, amaze us.” She flung her arms out wildly, glaring down at Sonata, who felt as though she had shrunk. Sonata stared back into her eyes, at a complete loss as for anything to say as the realisation came upon her that Aria was right.

“A-Adagio?” she squeaked. “You don’t think this... do you?”

Adagio glanced up, apparently deep in thought.

“I can’t say I disagree with her,” she said, tonelessly. Sonata’s eyes filled with tears.

The situation worsened over the next two weeks.

Adagio sank into total indifference, rarely speaking unless spoken to. Sonata’s usually high spirits and ditzy good humour faded under silence and a fear of speaking. Aria meanwhile, whilst passionate, was directionless. Her own leadership qualities were lacking, and she could not rouse the group to do anything, nor come up with any ideas herself.

Adagio had been the group’s de facto leader for as long as the three of them had been together. Her malicious charisma and indomitable will had managed to harness the other two’s conflicting personalities into a lethal team. With her descent into listlessness, Aria’s passions only served to drive them apart, as she tried fruitlessly to get Adagio to think of something, whilst subsequently taking out her frustrations of failure on Sonata.

Sonata rarely spoke at all as she watched her fellow sirens collapse under the weight of their defeat and the loss of their pendants. Aria’s verbal and physical abusiveness only increased as time passed. Used to a certain level of luxury courtesy of their manipulative habits, their sudden poverty hit them hard. Aria’s temper rarely ever abated, and eventually it erupted into disaster.

Having finally been stirred to indignation by Aria’s constant insults, Adagio argued back properly for the first time in two weeks after their defeat. Sonata watched helplessly on the side, nursing her latest black eye. The fight lasted an hour, and ended with Aria leaving the group, declaring her disgust for the pair of them, and the hope that they never meet again.

Not too long afterwards, Adagio stirred herself to tell Sonata that she was leaving as well. Sonata was left alone.

As Sonata finished telling her of these events, Sunset Shimmer found to her slight surprise that her face was wet, and hastily dried her eyes.

“She was right,” Sonata sobbed thickly. “I can’t survive without them. I was nothing but dead weight.”

“Sonata?” she cleared her throat to clear out the brittleness in her voice. “Do you mind if I come in?”

There was a few seconds pause, and then the click of the lock on the door. Sunset pushed it open gently, and sighed sadly to see Sonata huddled in the corner. Clean though the bathroom was, Sunset still didn’t think it advisable to be sitting on the floor. The siren didn’t look at her, but wiped her eyes with her palm, sniffling. Without preamble, Sunset knelt down and wiped her face of the traces of sick.

“You’re not a waste of space,” she said, firmly. Sonata didn’t respond. “And no one is talentless. You just haven’t found yours yet.”

Sunset began to despair a little. Sonata seemed inconsolable. Outside the bathroom, Sunset heard the voice of some person who was apparently trying to enter, and then she heard Applejack whispering.

“We got kind of a situation going on in here, ma’am” she said in hushed, delicate tones.

An idea came to Sunset then. It didn’t seem very good to be honest, but it was all she could think of, so she thought it was at least worth a shot. She pulled Sonata up by the arm, and wiped her tear stained face.

“Come on. I’ll prove that you’re not a waste of space.” So saying, she dragged Sonata to the door, despite her feeble protestations, and shoved the door open. As she had expected, several of her friends leapt back from the door, pretending to be suddenly interested in the ceiling fan, or whistling innocent tunes to themselves.

Sunset pointed at Applejack. “Which element of harmony are you?”

Applejack seemed slightly bemused by the question. “Err, honesty.”

“So you don’t lie?”

“It puts a right awful taste in my mouth, yeah,” Applejack admitted, her mouth screwing up slightly as though recounting said taste..

“Like wasabi sauce on candy canes,” Pinkie Pie nodded, sagely. Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Right then,” Sunset said, gesturing at Sonata, who looked as confused as Applejack felt. “Is she a waste of space?”

Applejack frowned. “No. Why on Earth would you say something like that?”

“Pinkie, if you threw a party, would you stop it if Sonata came along?”

Pinkie Pie eyed Sunset Shimmer like she was crazy, and then said in the most frighteningly serious tone Sunset had ever heard her speak in “I don’t stop a party for anything. Anything,” she hissed in a sinister whisper.

“Alright,” Sunset turned to Rarity.

“Anything!” Pinkie announced to the entire cafe.

“Yes, thank you. Anyway.” Sunset turned back to Rarity.

“I mean seriously,” Pinkie went on, as the cafe patrons all turned to look at her. “A tornado could come by, and I’d be all like Hey, I didn’t invite you. You’re gate-crashing! But that’s okay; come on in!”

“I think we all get the point, darling,” Rarity toned in. “You were saying, Sunset?”

Sunset had half glanced at Sonata to see her despondent face crack slightly as the corners of her mouth twitched. Against all odds this was actually working. She was better at this friendship stuff than she thought.

“Yeah, what do you think of Sonata’s fashion sense? Succinctly, please.” Rarity spared Sunset a brief irritated look, but then proceeded to earnestly commend Sonata’s attire.

And so it went. From friend to friend, Sunset pointed out that none of them considered Sonata a waste of space.

“But,” Sonata said, after a pause. Sunset’s insides dipped a little. “But I was horrible to you all. I tried to-“

“Dear,” Rarity interrupted her politely, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We all know what Sunset Shimmer here did, and we forgave her too. No-“

“I know, I know. No offense,” Sunset grinned. “None taken. Seriously."

“Yeah, I mean she tried to blow us up,” Rainbow Dash put in. “What did you do except sing at us? In comparison that really isn’t so bad.”

“That’s what I said,” Sunset muttered for her own benefit.

“You really shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, you know,” Fluttershy put in. “It’ll mess with your health.”

Sonata looked around at them all, tearfully looking each one of them in the eye, as though trying to find lies in them. When she couldn’t, she looked at Sunset Shimmer.

“But-“ she said.

“No more buts,” Rainbow Dash said firmly. “You’re our friend now. You want to cry about it and overcomplicate everything, you do it off hours. But when you’re on the clock, I don’t want to see a single tear, you got me?”

“Whatever problems you have, we’ll work ‘em out,” Applejack added.

“With frosting if at all possible. You’ll be surprised how many problems frosting can solve. Right, Fluttershy?” Pinkie smacked Fluttershy on the back. Fluttershy gave a nervous giggle.

“We’ll be there for you,” she said, earnestly.

“Absolutely darling,” Rarity assured. “They don’t call me generosity for nothing, you know.”

“Come on. We’re going for an outing. All day, no questions.” Rainbow declared.

Sonata looked around desperately, her eyes resting on Sunset. Sunset nodded, smiling.

“Alright,” Sonata said, smiling too, but got no further as the group cheered, and pulled her speedily out the door.

Sunset Shimmer followed after them, arms folded and watching the scene with a feeling of contentment burgeoning in her chest as she saw Sonata laughing at Pinkie’s jokes and trying in vain to hear what Fluttershy was saying over Rainbow’s raucous singing. She was still quieter than before, still awkward. She knew that Sonata’s demons weren’t going to be quelled immediately, or maybe not ever. But it was a start.

As the group walked on, Applejack fell a bit behind into step with Sunset.

“Y'all did a good thing with her,” she said. “Do you think they’re in the market for two Friendship Princess’ back in Equestria?”

“I don’t think so,” Sunset laughed, flushing at the compliment.

“Bein’ serious for a minute though,” Applejack went on more soberly. “I think ya’ll really did a good thing there. That girl was hurtin’ in ways I don’t think none of us know. And I think you were the only one who could have gotten through to her.”

Sunset looked at Applejack, searching her bright green eyes. She got the feeling that, somehow, Applejack knew or suspected more about what Sonata had gone through than Sunset had realised.

As Sunset and Sonata reached the door of Sunset’s apartment, Sonata surprised her friend by giving her a sudden hug.

“Oh,” Sunset yelped, surprised. “What was that for?”

Sonata smiled a little roguishly. “I’ve always liked hugs, to be honest. It’s just that when you’re part of a trio of evil magical beings trying to conquer the world, opportunities are kinda thin on the ground.” She giggled. “And also, it was for all you’ve done for me.” She paused, as though the thing she was trying to say were a little hard to articulate. “You saved me.”

They broke apart, both feeling the same contentment, the same hopefulness for the future. Sunset unlocked the door and allowed Sonata to step in before her.

“You do realise that when the landlord finds you here, he’s going to make you pay rent, right?”

“What!?” Sonata yelped, as the door closed behind them.

- to be Continued

The Morning Sonata, Part 1

The Morning Sonata Pt1

Come on kids, come have some fun!

If you don’t just kick my bum!

Sunset Shimmer covered her mouth to hide her snort of laughter.

This rather uncouth rhyme came from a speaker wedged into the mouth of a large horse costume depicting a white stallion with a long blonde mane, wearing a blue bow tie and a jauntily perched crown. This costume bobbed back and forth as the incongruously thin legs holding it up, blue legs with bright blue boots, danced energetically beneath it.

One child going passed Prince Blueblood’s Playhouse took the rhyme to heart.

“Flower Spark!” the mother chided. “I’m so sorry!” she called to the person in the costume. The arms of the costume waved vaguely.

“It’s alright, madam,” called a muffled voice from within.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect when you said that you got a job at the playhouse,” Sunset grinned, standing behind the figure. “But I can honestly say that it wasn’t this.”

The horse pulled its own head off with a grunt, revealing a smaller, female head beneath. This head grinned, shaking back its ponytail of blue and purple hair.

“Hey Sunset. It’s great isn’t it?”

“Getting kicked by children all day?”

“No. Although that is kind of fun too,” she said vaguely. “They’re good kids really. Most of them.” Sunset said that she was sure of it. “Well it was the best job I could get on such short notice anyway, since the landlord found out I was mooching your couch.”

“I’m pretty sure he can smell it when he’s losing money,” Sunset nodded.

“Thanks for letting me-“

“Will you stop thanking me for that? Please? You’ve said it a hundred times.” Sunset gave Sonata a wry look. Sonata blushed.

“Whoa!” Sonata cried out as she toppled forward. Sunset leapt back but not fast enough. Owing to the breadth of the costume, it knocked her down and pinned her to the floor. Fortunately the costume was soft as opposed to solid, and so Sonata’s wobbling on top of her like a capsized turtle was relatively painless.

“Light Print!” said a furious voice above, drowning out the hysterical giggling of yet another child. “Say you’re sorry right now! I’m so sorry about that,” the mother said, helping Sonata up.

“It’s alright,” Sonata beamed. "It’s part of the job.” She turned and held out her hand to Sunset Shimmer as the parent and child left. “Are you okay?” she asked, earnestly. Sunset waved the concern off good-naturedly, although she imagined the fall must have affected her more profoundly than she thought. She had an unaccountable warmth in her face that she put down to blunt-force trauma.

Sunset had never been to the Playhouse before, having been too old when she arrived from Equestria, and so consented to the tour whilst Sonata was on break. Mercifully taking the suit off for a bit, Sonata bought Sunset a blue raspberry slushie and showed her around.

“Here’s the adult area. It’s where the adults go,” she added.

“Yeah, I guessed-“

“Here’s the food court. They make slushies.”

“I know,” Sunset said, trying not to smile.

“And tacos,” Sonata said, reminiscently. Sunset coughed to cover her snickering as Sonata’s face seemed to illuminate at the thought of tacos. “Anyway,” she said, coming abruptly back to Earth. “And finally, this is the play area.”

She gestured, like a Ringmaster showing their star act, to an enormous three-dimensional maze of pipes, cushions, climbing walls, toys, trampolines, and ball pits. Even as a fully grown Equestrian, Sunset had to be somewhat awed by the complexity and size. As she watched, several kids came whizzing out of a tunnel and landed with loud shouts of laughter into a ball pit.

“You never went on one of these?” Sonata asked, leaning on a cushioned red wall.

“No,” Sunset said with a small smile. “Too old when I got here.”

“So was I,” Sonata replied, shrugging. “Didn’t stop me. It’s fun.”

“Did the other two go on with you?” Sunset asked, trying to imagine the three Dazzlings having fun in one of these blindingly colourful funhouses. Sonata’s expression darkened a little.

“Nah,” she said, in a brave attempt at her previous cheerfulness. “They thought it was for kids too.” She laughed, but it sounded a little forced to Sunset, who was feeling uncomfortable about her blunder. She knew that Sonata’s mood changed whenever she mentioned Aria or Adagio. “It was probably for the best, you know?” Sonata went on. “Knowing Aria, she’d probably have been pushing kids into the pit or scaring them away from her favourite rides.”

Luckily for Sunset Shimmer, who could find nothing to say in reply to any of this, a distraction appeared in the shape of Pinkie Pie. Both Sunset and Sonata perked up their ears as they heard the distinctive laughter of Pinkie echoing all around them, before she zoomed suddenly out of a tube and into the ball pit.

“Pinkie!?” Sunset gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“You know that ride is only for people this high, right?” Sonata pointed out, missing the point as always. Sunset resisted the urge to make a joke about Pinkie being high. It was a bit overused by now.

Pinkie rose eerily from the ball pit as though she were standing on a rising floor with a powerful motor, holding two kids in her arms. “Duh! I’m watching Pound and Pumpkin of course!”

“Who?” Sunset asked. Pinkie thrust the children at her.

“Mr. and Mrs. Cakes kiddies of course!” Pinkie squeed. “Say hi you two!”

“Hi ya!” burbled the first child, a boy with tufted brown hair.

“Hair!” squealed the girl, and grabbed a fistful of Sonata’s ponytail.

“Oh! Heyooouch!” she howled as Pumpkin started to pull.

“No! Bad Pumpkin! Bad Pumpkin!” Pinkie admonished, trying to pull her back. Sonata grabbed the wall to stop herself toppling over as she hooted and yelped with each fresh yank. Sunset meanwhile tried to help, but was effectively sabotaged as Pound leapt out of Pinkie’s arms and onto Sunset’s back.

“Hey! What the-?” Sunset blurted as Pound grabbed onto her head, covering her eyes. “Pinkie! Get this kid off me!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” Pinkie yelled. “That’s kinda why I brought them here. I thought they could burn off some steam!”

“I don’t think – yeowch! – kids run on steam, do they?” Sonata asked in between gasps of pain.

“No, I think they run on candy,” Pinkie said, thoughtfully, trying to undo Pumpkin’s fingers.

Before Sunset could articulate another plea for Pinkie to remove Pound Cake from her shoulders, she bumped into something solid and immovable. Bouncing back, Sunset suddenly found her vision returned as Pound was pulled off her shoulders by Maud.

“Oh,” Sunset said in surprise. “Hey Maud. Sorry for bumping into you.”

“It’s no problem,” Maud droned monotonously. “Come Pinkie Pie, we need to go.” So saying, she pried Pumpkin from Sonata’s hair, holding both kids in her arms. Pinkie leapt out of the ball pit and stood to attention.

“Yes ma’am!” she barked with a crisp salute. Maud made no response.

“It was nice bumping into you,” she said to Sunset without a hint of humour in her voice. She turned to leave, Pinkie hopping along on her heels.

“Yeah, nice to see you again too,” Sunset called after her, wondering whether Maud was joking. Somehow the idea was a little frightening.

“Who was that?” Sonata asked, straightening her ponytail.

“Pinkie’s sister, Maud,” Sunset replied, dusting off her jacket. Sonata raised an eyebrow.

“Wow,” she said flatly. “Like, for realz?”

“For realz,” Sunset nodded solemnly. “I know, I don’t get it either.”

“She’s not, like, adopted or something?” Sonata asked as Sunset unlocked the door to their apartment.

“I don’t think so,” Sunset frowned, letting Sonata walk ahead of her with the groceries. “Actually Applejack told me that Pinkie’s family is more like Maud.”

“Well, is Pinkie adopted then?” Sunset shrugged.

“Can you put the TV on please?” Sunset asked as she rolled up her sleeves. “I’m pretty sure there’s a Harry Trotter marathon on today.”

“Sweet!” Sonata squealed, leaping over the back of the sofa and seizing the remote. “What’s for dinner by the way?”

“Burritos,” Sunset replied, mixing spices into the frying pan. “Chicken burritos.”

“Life can get no better,” Sonata sighed, slouching in her seat.

“Well I’d hate to disturb your relaxation,” Sunset said fondly. “But would you mind making the guacamole?”

“Hey,” Sonata said, “Do you think I could be a baby sitter?”

Sunset decided to dodge that particular bullet as effectively as she could. “Did you know that Mr. and Mrs. Cake had kids? I didn’t know.”

“Oh yeah,” Sonata said cheerfully. “I saw them at the mall a few times when I lived on the streets. This one time, Pumpkin gave me a cookie.”

As usual, Sunset felt a pang at the thought of Sonata on the street. “Oh. That was nice of her.”

“Yeah,” Sonata said, oblivious of Sunset’s discomfort as she mashed the avocadoes. “Had some drool on it, but I just gave those bits to the pigeons.” She made cooing sounds like a pigeon, imitating birds pecking up crumbs with her hand. Sunset felt fondness leaking through her like someone had poured warm water into her blood.

“You know Applejack invited us over for band practise tomorrow. Do you think you’ve figured out something you’d like to play?”

“Well my voice still sucks majorly,” Sonata sighed. “But check this out!” She grabbed a pair of spoons from the draw and began a complicated series of rhythmic taps across her arm that sounded suspiciously like the Power Pony theme song. “The spoons!”

Sunset fought hard to keep a straight face. “I think Fluttershy has the percussion bit down,” she said kindly.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Sonata smiled faintly, returning to mixing the guacamole. “Maybe I don’t need to be in the band, there’s already six of you guys. I can do something else, like... um...” she stared into space for a moment, her finger tracing her lower lip in a thoughtful way.

“Sonata,” Sunset said gently. “That’s paprika.”

Sonata looked down at the jar she’d about to use to sprinkle the mashed avocadoes with. “Oh,” she grinned. “My bad.”

As they both sat watching The Order of the Pegasus, Sonata finished her burritos first and picked up a book from the coffee table. Sunset paid it no attention at first until she started hearing scribbling noises coming from beside her. Glancing sideways, she found that Sonata had her sock-clad feet up on the couch, and scribbling in the book balanced on her knees.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Hm?” Sonata looked up. “Oh this? I drew some Harry Trotter stuff.” She leaned the book sideways so that Sunset could see. Sunset’s eyebrows shot up. Taking the book she flipped through a few pages.

“Sonata, why didn’t you tell me you could draw?”

“Huh,” Sonata frowned, as though seriously considering the question.

“These are amazing,” Sunset laughed as she found a sketch of Pinkie Pie leaping into what looked like a hill-sized mound of whipped cream. “When did Pinkie do that?”

“She didn’t, Silly Shimmy,” Sonata snorted. “It’s just something I could totally see her doing.” Somehow Sunset thought that Sonata didn’t know how right she was.

“So you drew this from your imagination?”

“Yeah,” Sonata stared at Sunset. Sunset stared back, at a loss for what to say. “So... can I have it back?”

“Huh? Oh, sure. Here.”

“Thanks! I so ship Draco and Harry,” she giggled.

The following day saw a period of tension when everyone except Pinkie Pie showed up for that morning’s band practise. Rainbow Dash was all for starting without her, but Fluttershy and Applejack were both uneasy about the idea.

“It would be rude,” Fluttershy said breathily, turning her tambourine round and round in her hands.

“And besides,” Applejack added. “How do ya expect us to play with no drums?”

Rainbow seemed ready to concede the point there, until the happy notion occurred to her that Sonata could play them instead.

“Are you talking to me?” Sonata asked, looking behind her.

“Not too many other Sonata’s around her,” Rainbow huffed impatiently.

“But I don’t play drums.”

“Well, could you give it a try?” Rainbow asked, rolling her eyes.

“Give it a try, dear,” Rarity said more kindly.

“Nobody will judge you,” Fluttershy tried to be reassuring, but she rather spoiled it by adding, “but it’ll still be kind of scary.”

With such encouragement as this, it was no surprise to Sunset that Sonata approached the drum set as though walking to the gallows.

“She doesn’t have to play if she doesn’t want to,” she said as non-antagonistically as she could. Nonetheless her grip on her guitar tightened slightly.

“Of course she doesn’t, darling,” Rarity agreed, airily. “But she can try if she likes.” She looked pleasantly expectant at Sonata, who’d seated herself at the drums and picked up the sticks, but now looked utterly lost.

“You just hit the drums with ‘em,” Rainbow said, evidently trying not to laugh. “Ready?”

Sonata gave Sunset a last pleading look, but just as Rainbow sounded off for them to begin, they were saved, once again, by the impromptu arrival of Pinkie Pie.

“Land sakes!” Applejack cried.

“Hey guys!” Pinkie bellowed from outside. “I’ve got something to tell you!”

The entire band set down their instruments hastily, Sonata wiping a little perspiration from her forehead, and raced outside. Squinting through the rough winds that sent leaves swirling everywhere, the group looked all around, all except for Applejack, who was looking up.

“Did you hear-?” Rarity began to ask, but then gasped as Pinkie’s distorted voice shimmered through the howling wind.

“Look out below!” they all leapt for cover as Pinkie’s blue-booted feet came to rest where they’d all been standing. Like a green beret she bent at the knees, undid the constraints around her chest, did a forward roll for the sake of momentum, and stopped with one knee on the ground, looking around as though expecting enemy forces to swoop down on her at any moment. As she only saw her friends, she straightened up and beamed at them.

“Err...” Rainbow said, raising a finger and pointing to the large sheet of canvas blowing away in the wind. “Was that important?”

“Nah, one time use only,” Pinkie assured them. Her friends all looked at each other, utterly bemused. “They’re easy to make. But that’s not important!” she squealed, appearing next to Sonata and picking her up in a crushing hug. “I’ve got something to tell yo-o-o-u!!”

“Does it possibly involve corrective bone surgery?” Sunset grimaced as Sonata turned purple.

“Fun though that sounds, nope!” Pinkie giggled, putting Sonata down. Sunset caught her as she stumbled dizzily. “Guess what it is?”

“That you’re sorry for being late?” Rainbow asked, glaring dourly. Pinkie’s grin burst.

“Don’t listen to her,” Applejack said, giving Rainbow a warning look. “What’s up, Pinkie?”

“Guess who I met in Whitetail yesterday?” she looked around eagerly. “Go on, guess! Oh come on!” she waved her hands excitedly.

“You went to Whitetail?” Applejack wondered aloud.

“Sure did!” Pinkie nodded. “Maud needed some material to make Boulder a new coat, and I needed more parachute materials.”

Recovering first and ignoring the very tempting question of why Maud’s pet rock needed a coat, Sunset asked who Pinkie had met.

“Guess!” Pinkie repeated.

“Um... one of the Apples?” Rarity put out. “I think you told me you have relatives out there, Applejack.”

“Well sure, Whitetail’s just a mile away from the city limits.”

“Nope!” Pinkie chirped, bouncing around.

“A cute furry animal?” Fluttershy whispered, hopefully.

“Nope!”

“One of the Wonderbolts?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“That would have been awesome, but no,” Pinkie admitted, swinging off of Rainbow’s shoulders.

“Well, can ya give us a hint?” Applejack asked, one eyebrow raised. Pinkie was happy to oblige. Skipping over to Sonata, she raised a dramatic finger, and levelled it at her nose.

“It’s someone she knows,” she said in a sing-song voice, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“One of the other Dazzlings?” Sunset asked, interested.

“Bingo!” Pinkie shouted, shoving a lollipop in Sunset’s mouth. “Prize goes to Sunset Shimmer! Second prize goes to the one who guesses it was the one with the poofy orange hair.”

“Adagio!?” Sonata blurted.

“Second prize!” Pinkie cried gleefully, picking Sonata back up. “Another hug!”

- To be Continued

Author's Note

The second arc in what I hope will be a 4-arc series.

Arc Two: The Morning Sonata

The Morning Sonata, Part 2

The Morning Sonata Pt2

The trip to Whitetail was a short one. The bus going to Cloudy Dale in the north west passed through the cosy little town, which looked to Sunset Shimmer like an old farming village from the 17th century. As the group all stepped off onto the dusty road, the bus grinding away behind them, Sunset had to admit that she had a really difficult time imagining Adagio Dazzle in a place like this. It was just so... low-key. So humble.

“Hey, there’s my great uncle, Apple Strudel,” Applejack pointed out cheerily, indicating an elderly man in Bavarian clothes manning a road-side stand.

Rarity was looking around with that critical eye that they all knew so well. It couldn’t have been clearer that she was getting ideas from the homely-looking country attire of the townspeople. Sunset fervently hoped they didn’t come within half a mile of a sewing machine or they might be having a rather extended visit.

“Pinkie, where did you say you saw Adagio?” Sunset inquired. Pinkie, who’d been balancing on some wooden stumps in the ground, looked up with both arms stretched out and one leg horizontal like a ballerina.

“Who?”

“Adagio,” Sunset said. She waited, but Pinkie seemed unenlightened. “The one with the poofy orange hair,” she added, exasperated.

“Oooh!” Pinkie said, comprehendingly, leaping over Fluttershy’s head and landing between Sunset and Sonata. She wrapped her arms around their necks and pointed to a small complex of wooden buildings. “Over there!”

It had been at least five weeks since Sonata had seen Adagio, perhaps longer, and Sunset could tell by the slightly forced felicity in her friend’s mannerisms that she was feeling rather anxious.

The place that Pinkie showed them was a low, log-constructed building with a large wooden sign over the main door. Mrs. Needle’s Fabric Emporium.

“There’s another relative of mine,” Applejack said, shaking her head and smiling.

“Who aren’t you related to, AJ?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh hah, hah,” Applejack snapped, folding her arms.

The interior smelled like fresh pressed linen, and the shop was warm despite the cold outside. A single long aisle ran between two rows of shelves stuffed full of rolls of fabric, knitting tools, and even in one corner, a fully functional, old-fashioned spinning wheel. A young man at the till smiled over at the group.

“Howdy there!” he said in a faux-country accent, pushing the half-moon spectacles up his shapely nose. “If I can help any of you, don’t be afraid to ask!” he flashed his nametag, which read Hello! My name is Trenderhoof.

Rarity stared at the man for a moment or two, and then let out a scream of shock that sent her friends scurrying for cover. The young man’s smile vanished as Rarity pushed herself across the counter to stare at him. She read the tag several times over.

“Trenderhoof?” she gasped. “The Trenderhoof!?”

The man straightened his blonde hair, his face turning pink. “Um... yes?” he said, awkwardly.

“Um, why is Rarity assaulting the cashier?” Applejack asked, dispassionately. Sunset frowned thoughtfully.

“Trenderhoof... why does that sound familiar?”

“He’s a famous journalist and critical writer,” Sonata explained. “Although he’s gone into talent scouting recently too.”

Everyone stared at her as she smiled vaguely at them.

“How in the world do you know that?” Sunset asked, breathlessly.

“It was in a magazine on your coffee table,” Sonata said, sounding amused. She put her head to one side and smiled innocently.

“You can read?” Rainbow Dash thought out loud. Applejack elbowed her.

As Rainbow and Applejack glared at each other and the others watched Rarity ogling Trenderhoof, Sunset heard a voice coming from the back of the shop.

“Could you bring more velvet #072 please, Ballad?”

“Coming, Mrs. Needle.”

Someone emerged from a backroom, the top of their head visible. The head was utterly unfamiliar, but Sunset was sure that she’d recognised the voice. Watching where the head was going, she jogged down the main aisle and peered around the corner. At first she couldn’t be sure if this were the person they were looking for. Her hair was long, straight and held back in a loose ponytail. Her formerly thin frame was bulkier than before, her skin tanned. Her clothes were worn, but spotlessly clean. All in all she looked like a self-respecting farmhand. Kind of like Applejack if Sunset were honest with herself.

As this person deposited a hefty roll of red velvet onto a shelf, she seemed to notice Sunset’s head and looked round. There could be no mistaking those eyes.

“Adagio?” Sunset whispered, disbelievingly. The girl’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked momentarily slightly shocked, but then her expression lapsed into a steady unconcern.

“Hello,” she said. There was no mistaking it.

“It is you!” Sunset said, walking up to her. “Dear Celestia, what-... I mean, you look different.” She flushed a little, but Adagio didn’t look offended. Or respond at all, really. “So, um... how are you doing?”

“Good,” Adagio said, tonelessly. Sunset felt like she was talking to Maud.

“So, you work here?”

“Yeah.”

“You like it?”

“It’s okay.”

“Do you live around here too?”

“Yes.”

Sunset was out of questions. Adagio stocked the shelf as she spoke, her expression unchanging. It was hard to tell exactly whether Adagio was being cold or just unresponsive. This behaviour, like her appearance, was just so far removed from the Adagio she’d known.

“Hey um, Adagio. Are you-“

“If it’s all the same, could you not call me that, please?” Adagio asked, quietly. “It’s Ballad now.”

“O-Oh,” Sunset mumbled. “Sure, no problem.”

“Hey, who you talkin’ to?” Pinkie asked, popping her head over the shelf between them. She looked at Adagio, then at Sunset. Then she looked at Adagio again. Then at Sunset again. “You guys know each other?” she asked brightly.

“Um...” Sunset stalled, looking to Adagio for some indication of how to respond.

“Oh, are you all here?” Adagio asked, looking up unconcerned.

“Err, yeah,” Sunset said, awkwardly. “Actually there’s someone else with-“

“Hey Sunny,” Pinkie called in a stage whisper. “Who’s your friend?”

Adagio sighed quietly. “It’s me. Adagio,” she mumbled, as though eager not to be heard. Pinkie stared at her, frowning slightly. She turned her head this way and that as Adagio stared back at her, the faintest of crease lines between her brows.

“No way,” Pinkie chuckled. “You’re- pfft! Hey, guys!”

“What?” Rainbow called, trying to coax Rarity away from a practically fleeing Trenderhoof. “What are you guys doing over there? We need the jaws of life over here!”

“This girl says she’s Ada-“ Sunset leapt forward and slapped a hand over Pinkie’s mouth. “Mm-mmph-uhm!”

“Pinkie, not so loud!” Sunset hissed.

“Nmph Sho Lwd?” Pinkie repeated.

“Yes!” she glared at her meaningfully. Pinkie gave the A-okay sign and winked conspiratorially. Sunset exhaled and took her hand from Pinkie’s mouth.

“Hey guys!” Pinkie hissed in her stage whisper again. “This girl says that she’s Adagio!”

Sunset wanted to strangle her, and may have seized her neck if her head hadn’t popped down behind the shelf. A sound like a herd of antelope thundered to Sunset’s left as she felt herself buffeted out of the way by a crowd of eager teenagers. Gotta love good friends.

Adagio looked at them all one by one as they all stared back, all trying to see features they recognised. “No Twilight Sparkle?” Adagio asked, although her tone suggested that she was not much interested.

“Adagio...?” Sonata pushed her way gently to the front. For the first time, true emotion broke over Adagio’s face, and even beyond all of the physical differences, it was easy to see the girl the siren had once been.

“Sonata,” she breathed. “You’re...” she hesitated. To the surprise of all present, she took several quickened steps forward and embraced Sonata. Everyone stepped back a little awkwardly. Rainbow and Fluttershy suddenly developed an interest in a roll of foul yellow cotton, whilst Pinkie blushed and slid out of sight. Sunset was the only one who didn’t look away, but found herself staring at the display of affection with a faint feeling of disapprobation. Quite why she couldn’t explain

This affecting scene may have gone on for some time, but the universe has an aversion to tenderness of any kind, and cannot suffer it to continue for extended periods of time. That which had the honour of shattering this particular moment of nauseating public affection was a shrill cry emanating from the back room.

“Ballad!” Adagio and Sonata jumped apart.

“Ballad?” Sonata frowned. “Is she talking to-?” she fell silent at the look Adagio gave her.

“Yes, Mrs. Needle?” she called back.

“Are you done with those rolls yet? I need help with these boxes!”

“Be right there, Mrs. Needle.” She looked back at the group, her indifferent expression and tone back on. “It was nice seeing you again, Sonata,” she said, giving the faintest of smiles.

“You need some help back there?” Applejack offered, apparently on an impulse. “I know old auntie Needle can be a little... well, sharp.” She chuckled nervously.

“Really?” Rainbow Dash snorted.

“No, thanks,” Adagio said, gratefully. “Really, I’m fine. It was nice meeting you all again.”

So saying, she turned away, and disappeared into the back room.

Needless to say, Sonata was somewhat distressed by this turn of events. Sunset had lived with her now long enough to know that her fellow sirens were the root cause of all of her current insecurities. Aria’s rage and resentment at having failed bore a side of her that Sonata had never seen, and Adagio’s shattered confidence had caused her to leave Sonata alone to fend for herself. A few times Sonata had espoused a wish to find them, but never as much more than a side-thought, and Sunset imagined that given time she would move passed them. Now however, she wasn’t so sure.

Sunset sat next to Sonata on a bench by the bus stop, Fluttershy on her other side, trying to cheer her up.

“She might just have been busy,” Fluttershy said kindly. “Applejack did say that her great auntie Needle is a stickler for working hard.”

“I’m sure if we meet her when she’s off work she’d want to talk to you.” Sunset rubbed Sonata’s back. “Look, there she is now.”

Adagio exited the emporium with a bag in hand. Treading a path she’d clearly trodden many times before, she made her way to the stand where Applejack’s great uncle Apple Strudel stood and began a conversation over his counter.

With a little support, Sunset and Fluttershy convinced Sonata to go over and talk.

“Oh,” Adagio said at their approach. “You’re still in town?”

“Friends of yours?” Apple Strudel asked, good-naturedly.

“You could say that,” Adagio said, her eyes darting sideways. “Is there anything else that you needed, sir?”

“Deary, I told you to stop calling me sir,” Apple Strudel said sternly, jabbing a finger onto his stand top. “This’ll be alright. We’ll be having fish for dinner tonight, okay?”

“Sounds great,” Adagio waved the man off as he hobbled away on his cane. Then she noticed Sunset and co still standing there. “Was there something you wanted?” she asked eventually. Sunset and Fluttershy glanced at each other nervously.

“Um, Sonata wanted to talk with you.”

“Oh? What about?” Adagio looked politely inquiring. Sunset simply stared. The utter change in Adagio’s personality just kept taking her entirely by surprise.

“What are you doing here?” Sonata burst out. Adagio looked faintly puzzled.

“What do you mean?” Sonata seemed at a loss for words.

“I think what she means is, how did you get here?” Fluttershy added. “That’s what you meant, right?”

“I walked here,” Adagio replied.

“Look,” Sunset put in, holding up both hands. “How about we sit down and talk? Do you have somewhere you need to be?”

“Not particularly,” Adagio said. “I’m not expected back until six.”

They seated themselves in front of a cafe. Fluttershy timidly bought the drinks from an incongruously French waiter. Sunset and Sonata sat one side, opposite Adagio and Fluttershy. As per usual, Flutters looked rather as though she were trying to sink under the table, and kept looking edgily at Adagio, who sat twiddling her thumbs and staring into space.

After several moments of rather painful silence, Sunset broke the silence.

“So, heh, um... why exactly are you here?” she asked, forcing her mouth to form a smile.

“No particular reason I suppose,” Adagio said, shrugging. Sunset looked at Fluttershy for help, but Fluttershy seemed determined to remain out of the conversation if at all possible. She was rather ostentatiously sipping her drink and avoiding Sunset’s eye. Sunset spared her a scowl before turning to Sonata, and felt her insides turn cold.

Teeth gritted, her eyes over bright, Sonata stood up suddenly, knocking her chair flying. “Say something!” she screamed. People all around turned to stare, but Adagio kept her eyes fixed on the table. “Please, just say something!” she slammed both hands onto the table and leaned over, trying to look up into Adagio’s eyes. “Tell me I’m stupid, order me around, think of some plan for world domination! Anything!”

Sunset suddenly felt sympathetic towards Fluttershy, and would have given any amount of bits to slip down under the table and hide. As Adagio continued to sit where she was, saying nothing however, she felt it would be wrong to do so, and fortunately so did Fluttershy.

“Is there something wrong, um, Ballad? Fluttershy asked Adagio. “Is there a reason why you can’t-?” Adagio stood as well, effectively cutting Fluttershy off.

“I have to go. I have farm work to do.”

“Well that explains the tan and the muscles,” Sunset muttered to herself, still noting how Adagio looked startlingly like Applejack. In her mind’s eye, she pictured a cowboy hat on her head, but then Sonata rushed out from behind the table. Leaping forward she grabbed Adagio’s wrist and held her back.

“Please. Why won’t you talk to me?” Adagio was silent for a few moments, her head bowed.

“Leave, Sonata. You have friends. You don’t need me anymore.”

“Is that what this is about?” Sonata cried, anger mixing with the grief. “Are you angry with me because I’m friends with them?”

“No!” Adagio snapped, her voice rising. A trace of the old passion entered her face, and was then quickly overshadowed again. “I’m not angry, Sonata. Like I said, you don’t need me anymore.” Without undue force, she pulled her arm from Sonata’s slackened grip and walked away, not looking back.

Sonata stared after her, her breathing shallow, her eyes brimming. Sunset stepped forward and took hold of her arm as she swayed a little. Fluttershy mumbled incoherent words of worry to herself.

“Hey!” called Rainbow Dash. She, Aj, and Pinkie all sprinted over, looking alarmed. “What’s up, we heard shouting and-“ she stopped at the sight of Sonata. “Um, what did we miss?”

“Nothing!” Sonata snapped, yanking her arm away from Sunset and pushing between Rainbow and Pinkie. Sunset didn’t try to stop her. Somehow she got the feeling Sonata wanted to be alone for a little while.

“Whoa!” Rainbow scowled. “What’s her problem?” Sunset put a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder, shaking her head.

“What happened?” Applejack asked, looking serious. “Did, uh, Ballad revert back to type or something?”

“No,” Sunset said, ponderously. “Something else is going on. Where’s Rarity?”

Applejack tutted irritably. “With her new boyfriend, that’s where. Doe-eyed like a love-sick puppy, and scarin’ that guy half to death.”

“O-kay,” Sunset said. “Rarity’s love-life aside.” As she said it though, a strange and frankly startling idea came to her. But it was surely impossible.

The others continued to talk amongst each other, but Sunset was only dimly aware of it all. Again, it was surely impossible. Adagio and Sonata were sisters after all. Weren’t they?

Applejack, Pinkie and she all sat back down at the cafe table whilst Fluttershy promised to try to extricate Rarity from Trenderhoof’s personal bubble.

“Hey guys?” Sunset looked up.

To be perfectly honest, she was only half surprised to find Rainbow Dash asleep on the table, and even less surprised to find Pinkie Pie taking advantage of the opportunity to decorate Rainbow Dash’s face with straws and sachets of salt.

“What is it, sugar cube?” Applejack asked, routinely ignoring her friend’s antics.

“Do you... could I roll something by you? About Sonata, I mean.”

“Sure,” Applejack said slowly, evidently both intrigued and puzzled by Sunset’s diffidence.

“Well,” Sunset mumbled, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. “Do you think that, maybe, Sonata... well, likes Adagio?” It was an incredibly embarrassing thing for Sunset to say, but thankfully she saw that Applejack understood immediately. Her eyebrows shot up so far they disappeared under her hairline.

“You mean like, like her, like her?” she asked. Sunset nodded, almost imperceptibly. “It’s a thought I suppose.” Applejack scratched her cheek absently. “But I thought that the sirens were all sisters, or related or something.”

“But don’t they all have different last names?” Pinkie asked seriously as she put the finishing touches on a pair of straw glasses perched on Rainbow’s nose.

“I don’t think that counts for very much,” Applejack pointed out. “Most of mah family and yours have different last names, even though we’re all related.”

“Oh yeah,” Pinkie hm’d for a moment. “That is weird isn’t it. Is there any particular reason that your face is red?”

Sunset looked up and felt her face. “Um.”

“Oooh,” Applejack sat back in her chair narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “That would explain it.”

“Explain what?” Sunset asked. She didn’t like the looks Pinkie and Applejack were giving her.

“It’d explain why you’re interested in Sonata liking Adagio.”

“What would?” Sunset asked, frowning. Then it hit her, and her face burned even brighter. “Oh, you can’t be serious.”

“Well, you guys do live together,” Pinkie chimed in, twirling a plastic fork between her fingers.

“Yeah, as roommates!” Sunset protested. “You act like we’re married or something.”

“And you’re awful eager to help her out a lot of the time,” Applejack said with a shrug.

“She’s my friend,” Sunset spread her arms out, as though asking nearby people to bear witness to how ridiculous this was. “I mean I- You know what, we’re not talking about this.” She glared at them as both Pinkie and Applejack smirked and winked at each other. “We’re not talking about this. I don’t like Sonata that way. End of discussion. Now back to the topic at hand, please.”

“I think the topic at hand was trying to guess who Sonata likes,” Pinkie Pie said blithely.

“Holy Celestia, will you drop it!”

Sonata came back an hour later, rubbing her neck and looking apologetic.

“Sorry,” she said to them all. Sunset was pretty sure she didn’t know it, but Sonata’s large magenta eyes had a default puppy-dog-stare quality to them whenever she got overly emotional. Even Rainbow Dash, lips pursed, found the urge to accept her apology irresistible. Sunset thought it a good thing that Sonata wasn’t a naturally manipulative person, or they might all be in real trouble.

“You’ve had a rough day,” Rarity said generously, apparently unconsciously patting her hair back into its flowing curls.

“Will ya leave your hair alone, for lands sakes!” Applejack snapped, smacking Rarity’s hand away. “You haven’t left it alone all day.”

“We can go home if you like,” Sunset offered. Sonata’s expression tightened. She gave no answer.

“Actually, I was rather hoping to stay and buy some more fabrics, you know. They have such a selection here.” Rarity smiled.

No one was fooled by the hollow attempt at aloofness, nor were any of them deceived to the true nature of the suggestion.

“For Pete’s sake, you’re scarin’ the poor fella’,” Applejack frowned. Rarity glared at her, cheeks puffed out indignantly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hissed in a dignified whisper. Applejack rolled her eyes.

Sonata’s spirits were dented, but she still managed to smile.

“I appreciate you all coming out here with me,” she said. “Even if it all turned out to be pointless.”

“I wouldn’t say it was pointless,” Applejack said. “I got to meet a bunch of my relatives that I don’t usually see outside of the reunion.”

“And I got to meet a celebrity!” Rarity squeed.

“I hate to drop a bag of expired candy apples on this tender moment,” Pinkie Pie said, examining a sign next to the bus stop. “But I think we might have just the teensiest, weensiest, itty-bitty little problem here.”

“Which is?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The last bus back left about two hours ago,” Pinkie said, matter-of-factly. They all stared at her, utterly silent except for the wind. They all looked around at the dark of twilight. It’d be full dark in a matter of minutes. They certainly couldn’t walk back.

“She’s right,” Sunset said, her eyes widening. “The last one left at five o’clock.”

“Well,” Rarity puffed out her cheeks. “That’s awkward.”

Adagio exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head. Not much beat a bath at the end of the day in her opinion. Newly clothed in jeans and a shirt, she hurried downstairs as she heard Apple Strudel call her for dinner. As she turned the corner, she heard a knock on the front door. That was odd. No one usually called at this late hour.

Opening the door, her insides fell as she saw seven figures crowding the door. The leader leaned forward and removed her hat.

“Hi,” said Applejack, nervously. “Ya’ll mind if I talk to uncle Apple Strudel for a sec?”

- To be Continued

The Morning Sonata, Part 3

Author's Note

Listen to this during Adagio's explanation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQZI2QbOtNU

The Morning Sonata, Part 3

The Morning Sonata Pt3

Sunset didn’t know about anyone else, except Fluttershy naturally, but she felt distinctly awkward with the direction things were going.

She and her friends were seated at the dinner table, which had to be added to in order to accommodate all nine of the individuals seated. Uncle Apple Strudel, declaring the more the merrier, sat at the head of the table dishing out fish soup to everyone. Ignoring Rainbow Dash sniffing the concoction suspiciously, he turned to give Adagio her portion.

“I didn’t know that you were friends with my great niece, Ballad” he said creakily to her. “Share a lot of interests by the looks of it.” He chuckled with a sound like an old vacuum cleaner. Adagio smiled tightly.

“Sure looks that way,” she said between gritted teeth.

“We’re really sorry to bother you on such short notice,” Applejack said.

“We really are,” Fluttershy added. “I know I’d be just so frustrated if it were me.”

“But Fluttershy, you let animals into your house every hour of the day and night,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“Well, yes, but who can say no to animals?”

“You invited a bear into your parent’s kitchen,” Rainbow Dash reminded her. Fluttershy blushed.

“Mom and dad were very understanding about that,” she mumbled, pulling at her fingers.

“We’re really grateful to ya for puttin’ us up,” Applejack continued. “It’ll just be till tomorrow when we can catch the bus back.”

“Nonsense,” Apple Strudel puffed through his thick beard and curved moustache. “You should stay the week. Don’t your winter holidays start on Monday?”

“Well, yes but-“

“Their parents all expect them back soon,” Adagio interrupted, eying them all balefully. Apple Strudel conceded the point, and informed them of where they’d be staying. His house was a large affair, formally an inn remade over the years into a farmhouse to accommodate the cotton trade, which itself had given way in more recent generations to the rise of the Apple family in the area. Consequently the place had many guest bedrooms usually used by visiting family members or farm hands working the seasons, and there were just enough rooms for two per room. Rainbow and Fluttershy agreed to pair one room, Rarity and Applejack reluctantly agreed to share another, whilst Pinkie grinned widely at Adagio to share a third. Adagio didn’t complain exactly, but certainly couldn’t have said to have been happy in the arrangements.

“It makes sense since we’re already roommates,” Sonata said cheerfully, checking out the bounciness of her bed.

“They don’t have to be so aggravating about it though,” Sunset grumbled. Pinkie and Applejack’s faces could not have been any smugger at the moment of their all parting.

“What’s wrong?” Sonata asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just Pinkie being Pinkie and AJ being... well.” Sunset didn’t finish her thought.

“I like Pinkie,” Sonata giggled as she pulled on a pair of pyjamas. They were perhaps a size or two too small for her, and faded purple with little blue chick patterns. The shirt was too short to cover her stomach, and the trousers looked more like three quarter lengths. Sitting on her bed with her sketch pad in hand, she looked so at home Sunset almost asked her to turn the TV on.

“I feel kinda bad leaving Ada-... I mean, Ballad with Pinkie Pie though. She can be a little hyper.”

“Silly Shimmy,” Sonata snickered. “Hyper is Pinkie. And Pinkie is hyper. One cannot be separated from the other.”

“It’s too late in the day for movie quotes,” Sunset grinned.

“It’s never too late for my antics. Antics are what make the day worthwhile.”

“True.” Sunset sat on her own bed, pulling at her slightly too large striped pyjamas. “She did seem annoyed though,” Sunset added, returning to the subject.

“I don’t care,” Sonata said. Her voice was not well adjusted to being cold or disdainful, and so it came across as being petulant, but warning bells went off in Sunset’s mind. “If she wants to be left alone, we’ll just go tomorrow and that’s that, right?”

“Right,” Sunset answered uneasily. She daren’t press the subject further.

Sunset didn’t sleep easily. She never had been able to sleep in unfamiliar places. After rolling around in her bed for a while, listening to Sonata’s loud snoring, she got up to see if she could get some water or something down stairs. It was frightfully cold, since apparently the builders of the house didn’t seem to understand the principle of insulation, forcing Sunset to put her coat and shoes on.

Upon entering the kitchen, she heard a strange sound. Looking quietly around for the source of it, she came to the window and understood that it was coming from outside. She wouldn’t have gone out in the cold for most anything – it was really cold – but to her bewilderment, the sound was almost definitely somebody singing. She looked at the kitchen clock.

“One o’clock,” Sunset frowned. “Who would be...?”

As cold as the outside was, the wind had mercifully died away to nothing for the night, meaning that the trees were utterly silent, and the voice rang out distinctly on the air. Sunset felt herself drawn to it. It was beautiful singing, a sad sounding song, and it sounded faintly familiar, but strangely she also knew that she’d never heard anything like it before.

Walking briskly down a path between trees, she came to see a small hill under the moon, where a figure was standing, arms outstretched, emitting the strangely enticing music. Even from this distance, even with her appearance so radically altered, Sunset somehow knew instinctively that it was Adagio. Indeed, as she walked up behind her, standing a respectful few feet away and let her finish her song, Adagio herself didn’t seem too surprised by Sunset’s appearance either.

“You’re a bit of a snoop, aren’t you,” she said after a short pause.

“That was beautiful.”

“Thanks I guess.” Adagio looked around at her and sighed. “How did you know I was out here?”

“I heard you from the house.” Sunset jerked a thumb back.

“You don’t have to worry,” Adagio said, looking back up at the moon. “I can’t get my magic back, so there’s no danger.” Sunset didn’t respond at first, but then a question occurred to her.

“I thought your singing voices were all tied up in your pendants,” she said, coming to stand next to her. “Sonata couldn’t sing at all when I found her again.”

Adagio smiled a little fondly. “No. Well if I’m honest, Sunset Shimmer, it’s taken a while for me to actually have a singing voice at all. We didn’t actually sing back then, you know. The sound was just a consequence of the spells we were casting.”

“I’m sorry?” Sunset asked, puzzled. Adagio regarded her for a moment.

“You were a unicorn in Equestria, right?” Sunset nodded. “Well, imagine you cast a spell there. Magic words and everything. By reciting the spell, you channel magic through your horn and create a desired consequence, usually with some kind of visual side-effect.”

“Okay,” Sunset said, following so far.

“It was the same with our magic. Singing was our magic words. It channelled our magic, and the beauty of our voices was a side-effect of the spell’s hypnotic power, like the flash from a teleportation. It wasn’t actually what our voices sounded like.”

“But your voice now,” Sunset said, slowly. “It’s, well... it’s beautiful.”

“You know what they say. One percent talent, ninety nine percent hard work,” Adagio shrugged. “I just like to sing. I enjoyed it even then. Even now when I can’t use my magic, I still think the songs are beautiful.”

“I suppose,” Sunset conceded, thinking of the one’s she’d heard during the battle of the bands affair.

“We know more songs than just the mind enslaving ones,” Adagio chuckled, apparently reading Sunset’s mind. In the laughter was a little of her old sneering arrogance, but it was a great deal less cold than it once was. “Star Swirl once told us, Even if I couldn’t use the spells themselves, they still make wonderful poetry.” She stared up at the moon as though lost in thought.

“Didn’t he banish you?” Sunset asked before she could stop herself. Her curiosity really could get the better of her sometimes.

“Yeah. But in earlier years, as a young unicorn in training, before Equestria was founded, well... the world was a wider place back then. Easier to create havoc too,” she added, reminiscently.

As before, Sunset was startled by how much Adagio had changed. She seemed older, more world weary, but also – there was no other way to say it – nice. She seemed nice. It was a little frightening to think of the old Adagio, and think how easy it would be to get to like the Adagio she had become.

“Hey err, Adagio? I mean, Ballad?”

“Hm?”

“Could I ask about... well, I understand if you don’t, but-“

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you privately about it anyway,” Adagio said, cutting across her babble.

“About what?” Sunset asked, confused.

“Sonata,” Adagio clarified. “How much did she tell you about what happened after that night?”

“After? Oh, you mean... yeah.”

Adagio was silent throughout the entire explanation, but after Sunset had finished, she sniffed and rubbed at her eyes a little, as though clearing sleep from them.

“Trust her to be completely oblivious,” she whispered, smiling fondly. To Sunset’s eye, it was a motherly sort of look.

“I don’t want to be rude, but,” she hesitated, and then plunged on. “Are you three sisters?”

“In a way,” Adagio said. “We’re not blood relatives if that’s what you mean. But we grew up together, loved each other, played together... grew into what we were together,” she finished, sadly. “Well, in fairness to them, they followed me into it all. I sometimes wonder what Sonata might have done if she hadn’t followed me.”

“What do you mean about her being oblivious?” Sunset asked.

“You found her homeless, you said?” Sunset nodded. “It shouldn’t have been that way. Without us, Aria and me, I’m positive that Sonata would have survived on her own.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you beat us, something happened to Aria and me. I couldn’t have explained it then, it was...” she seemed to search for the words. “I realised that it was pointless. In that moment when we ran off stage, or even when that blast hit us, I knew, somehow, that even if we had won, if we’d taken over the school, or even the world, it would have all ended up the same.”

“How so?” Sunset asked, intrigued.

“Do you think it would have ended there?” Adagio shrugged. “If not you and your friends, then someone else. We tried to control people, and that can’t last forever. And it dawned on me that I had wasted their lives. Theirs and mine. Sure, at first I thought only about myself, about how I had lost, about how I would be affected. But over those two weeks, I saw what I had done, and what I failed to do.”

Adagio took a deep breath, as though what she was saying was a little painful, and she wanted to say it all before she lost her nerve. “She was the least afraid. Sonata, I mean. I was afraid to try, and Aria was afraid to change. Sonata tried to get a job, and encouraged me to do the same. Aria bullied her out of it, and I couldn’t bring myself to act on Sonata’s advice. Aria was so afraid of the consequences of our magic being gone that she wouldn’t listen to Sonata, and took out her frustrations on her.”

She looked Sunset full in the face, looking into her eyes with a tortured look. “I did nothing to stop any of it. I couldn’t bring myself to act until it was far too late. Sonata begged on the street when Aria was off trying and failing to do the same old thing. I honestly believe that we would have starved without Sonata. Long after it had gone too far, I confronted Aria about her behaviour, tried to pull her in line... but it was too late, as I say. Sonata was too afraid to speak, and Aria was too angry and scared to listen to me.”

“But why did you leave?” Sunset asked, her throat dry. Adagio took a little time to answer that question.

“Whether I was right or not, I believed it to be for the best. Aria was gone. The only thing holding Sonata back was me.”

Sunset could think of nothing to say. It was such a startling conclusion, and had had such profound consequences. She thought of Sonata now, lying in a strange bed in her too-small pyjamas. Peaceful and undisturbed. Then came an image of her on the roof, her magenta eyes full of despair. A broken body. A lonely tombstone. She shivered at what could have been.

At that moment it would have been easy for Sunset to be angry with Adagio, to resent her for her choices, to hate her for what she and Aria had driven Sonata almost to do. But she couldn’t. She knew in some part of herself that Adagio genuinely believed that she had acted for the best, and that she could not have foreseen the consequences she had had, and although that did not make her any less responsible, she knew that hating her would not make anything any better.

“She just wants to talk to you,” she said, earnestly. Adagio was silent for a moment, and then began to walk back, gesturing for Sunset to follow her. “She wants to know you still.”

“I’d like that too,” Adagio said quietly. “In these weeks away from the two of them, I’ve realised how much I miss them. But...”

“But what?”

“I can’t.”

Sunset waited for an explanation, but none came. “So that’s it?” she asked, feeling angry for the first time. “You just can’t? What kind of excuse it that?”

“It’s better for her.”

“Who are you to decide that?”

“I’m the one that failed her!” Adagio bellowed, spinning round. Sunset took an involuntary step back, recoiling slightly at the furious tears in Adagio’s eyes. “That’s who I am! You think you know what’s best for her? I led her for years down a spiralling path to nothing, and then when she needed me most, when both of them needed me to lead them somewhere, I... I couldn’t.” The fury ebbed as the rant came to an end, finishing in a resigned sort of sorrow.

“Adagio... I... I didn’t mean to-“

“Don’t get me wrong, Sunset Shimmer,” Adagio sniffed. “I do want to see her again, and Aria if I can find her. But I... I can’t face her, either of them. Not yet.”

She hesitated a moment, and then went on. “In a way, I should thank you and your friends. If it weren’t for you, I would never have figured any of this out. When I face Sonata again, I want to be as fortunate as she is. A few friends, maybe, somewhere to live. A boyfriend.”

“Sonata has a boyfriend?” Sunset asked, startled. Adagio blinked.

“Um, not that I know of...” she eyed Sunset for a brief moment. “I thought that you two were...” Sunset went bright red, the cold air stinging her face.

“Why do people keep thinking that?” she asked of no one in particular, shuffling around in her clothes. She was so distracted she didn’t notice Adagio’s penetrating look.

“Sorry,” she said, cutting across Sunset’s discomfort. “I suppose I shouldn’t have assumed. Anyway, I’d just really appreciate it if you could convince Sonata to stop asking after me. Let her live her life until I get mine sorted out. She doesn’t deserve to carry my burden anymore.”

Sunset declined to go back to the house with her, and so watched Adagio walk away between the apple groves. Sunset was conflicted to say the least, and stood on the hill with her thoughts heavy in her head.

Her ideas on the matter eventually gave way to an understanding. Perhaps not an acceptance, for she still did not agree with Adagio’s decisions, and resented the damage she’d done either intentionally or unintentionally to Sonata, but she could at least understand the why. At least for the moment, Adagio was spurred on by remorse, and Sunset Shimmer perhaps of all people could understand where she was coming from. She felt unworthy, felt that she had to make amends. The only thing that Sunset disagreed with was how she intended to do it, because she knew how Sonata felt right now. But was it her place to tell Adagio how to go about her own path of redemption? She had not the least idea.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a distinct rustling from just behind her. One of the groves of trees beyond was lined intermittently by a series of hedges, boundaries between different fields, and perhaps in Apple Strudel’s old age had grown a little too large and overbearing. One of these hedges was rustling and shaking, rather as though a large creature was trying energetically to rip its way through. Sunset felt an instinctive need to turn and run, but found herself simply staring in trepidation, and when the urge to flee finally kicked in properly, the fearsome beast had already torn its way through the darkness.

“Oh!” said a familiar voice. “Um, hello?”

Sunset blinked, stared, and then blinked again, hard. “T-Trenderhoof?”

It was him. Blonde hair liberally strewn with twigs and winter leaves and his coat dishevelled, he patted himself down and straightened his glasses.

“Hi, um... good evening!”

“It’s two o’clock in the morning,” Sunset said suspiciously, quickly overcoming her shock.

“Yes,” Trenderhoof said confidently after a rather pregnant pause. “Yes it is.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Just out for a stroll,” he said with a feeble assumption of airiness. Sunset narrowed her eyes.

“At two in the morning?” she said, her tone heavy with disbelief.

“Yes.”

“In Apple Strudel’s fields?”

“Y-y-yes,” he said, less certainly. Sunset glared at him, and he seemed to know he was rumbled. It hadn’t really been that difficult. He sighed.

“Okay,” he said, his tone changing. “Were you the one singing a little while ago?” Sunset’s eyebrows shot up.

“No,” she said, honestly. He exhaled.

“Okay. Thanks anyway.” He turned to leave.

“No, hang on,” Sunset jogged over to him. “You were looking for someone singing?”

“Yes. It’s actually why I’m staying in Whitetail. I like the outdoors you know, so I came out for my holidays, and the first night I arrived I heard this beautiful singing out in the fields.” He smiled reminiscently, apparently seeing something Sunset could not. She looked shrewdly at him.

“Why are you interested in who the singer is?” she asked.

“Oh, well,” he said, coming over somewhat bashful. “I’ve gone into talent scouting recently, and I just thought, maybe whoever it was might like to, you know...”

Sunset wasn’t quite satisfied with this answer. His responses and the way he was acting didn’t seem to be adding up. He was embarrassed about something.

“So you’ve never met the person singing?” she asked

“No,” he said. “Well, not met, exactly. I saw them once out in the woods. I followed the music and found someone singing out in the centre of a pond. They were illuminated by moonlight and-“ Sunset pursed her lips as he began a long and adoring commentary of the performance. “But as I made my way down to the pond, they stopped singing and were gone before I could find out who it was,” he finished eventually. Geez he talked a lot.

“So you’ve been looking out for whoever it is when you hear singing,” Sunset guessed.

“Yes,” he said, throwing an arm to his forehead. “I despair of finding them. Tis almost like some phantom tempts me with beautiful music, only to steal away my hopes and dreams.” He sighed dramatically.

“Well, she’s not a phantom,” Sunset muttered too quietly for him to hear. Sunset might under other circumstances have been put off by the theatricality of his mannerisms. It couldn’t be clearer that the more his bashfulness ebbed away, the more exuberant he became.

But an idea was coming to Sunset Shimmer. A familiar feeling of unease crept into her mind, but elicited something quite different in her heart. If her time with Sonata had taught her anything, it was that these sorts of ideas were things that she should explore.

Trenderhoof was sighing, his arms folded. Sunset fixed him with a twinkling eye.

“What if I told you I could take you to the singer?” she asked. His reaction was immediate and satisfactory. He turned to her as though she were the most beautiful object he’d ever beheld, his cheeks flushing in the moonlight.

“You could!” he cried, his hands shaking. “You know who it is?”

“Yes, but,” she said, raising a warning finger as he gave a whoop of triumph. “We have to talk first.”

- To be Continued

The Morning Sonata, Part 4

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 1

The Sunrise Sonata Pt1

Sunset Shimmer

Spring time was an auspicious time for Sunset Shimmer and her friends. For Applejack especially it was a time of increased farm work before and after school, and for Fluttershy who had additional hours at the animal shelter. Pinkie Pie’s work load at Sugarcube Corner increased as a flurry of birthday party requests threatened to overflow the Cake’s online timetable, and Rarity’s family’s shop braced itself for the influx of spring fashion attire. Even Rainbow Dash found an excuse to stop napping throughout the day as an application slot for the Wonderbolt Academy reared itself for attendance in the summer.

Sunset Shimmer found herself in the unenviable position of being pulled in multiple directions to help with any or all of these activities, with Sonata liberally throwing in her support when she wasn’t gluing herself to an easel. Literally in one case. Luckily old Mr. Ferry from across the hall had a spare can of adhesive solvent, but Sonata’s ponytail took weeks to grow back.

“Oh look,” Sunset said, stepping around the third painting with some mail in hand. “There’s going to be an art exhibition at the city gallery in the summer. They want local artists to apply.”

“Mm,” Sonata mumbled vaguely, plainly not listening. Sucking the end of a paint brush, she contemplated the canvas in front of her whilst splashing spots of paint over her ‘work clothes’ and newspaper coating the floor. “It’s lacking something,” she muttered through bristles.

“A little pink maybe?” Sunset offered, pointing out the clouds. “It is a sunrise after all. Anyway,” Sunset sat down, going through the rest of the mail. “Do you have any plans for today?”

“Gotta go to work at ten,” Sonata said, now with a splodge of pink on her cheek. “Why? Did you want to do something?”

“Nothing in particular. I promised Rainbow Dash that I’d help her with her Wonderbolts admissions.” She frowned at the small pile of mail she was rifling through. “I think the postman forgot some of our mail again.”

“I was expecting a letter from Adagio soon,” Sonata said, rubbing her chin and splattering a stream of navy blue up her neck. “I sent her a reply a few weeks ago.”

“She’s probably really busy,” Sunset said consolingly. “From all I’ve read, Applewood is a bit of a cutthroat city with all those pop idols vying for popularity.”

“I hope she’s okay,” Sonata said quietly.

“Oh come on,” Sunset scoffed. “It’s Adagio. If anything you should be worrying about everyone else being okay.” This seemed to cheer Sonata up. She grinned and waved an unintentional arc of orange across her overalls. “You know that it’s a quarter passed nine already, and I don’t think they’ll let you wear the suit if you’ve covered in paint.”

Sonata looked down at herself and grinned sheepishly. “Ah heh, yeah. Sometimes I don’t always notice what goes on around me.”

Sunset resisted the urge to jump on that one as Sonata skipped merrily to the bathroom. Deciding that she would get a head start on Rainbow Dash’s application herself, she hobbled around the paintings and over to the shelf with her laptop, intending to do some research beforehand. As she turned around to set it on the coffee table, she saw the painting that Sonata had been drawing, and found herself staring at it.

To be sure, there was rather a bit of exaggeration in the painting. The colours were perhaps a bit more primary, a little too bright for the winter day it was supposed to be showing, but otherwise it was an almost exact reconstruction of the scene they’d witnessed on Apple Strudel’s farm during that early morning. But in Sonata’s whimsical way, it seemed to have been given an additional brightness not associated with the colour, as though she’d somehow managed to breathe hope into the paint.

Her contemplation of the painting was rudely interrupted by the sound of Sonata singing in the shower. As always her singing sounded like a sick parrot trying to shriek out the lyrics to a heavy metal song. Sticking her earbuds in and turning on a favourite playlist, she proceeded to enact the ritual that would gain her access to the font of all human knowledge.

“Thank you Google,” Sunset hummed to herself. “Wonderbolt... Academy...”

As she sat reading, she moved her mouse to scroll down the page, when the mouse hit something on the coffee table. Sonata’s sketch pad. Sunset paused, looking at the sketch pad with a burgeoning feeling of mild curiosity. She picked up the pad, which was held within a plastic folder, and looked at it furtively. Peering at the bathroom door to make sure Sonata wasn’t coming, she opened up the pad quickly. The inside of the plastic folder had a zip pocket on the left, and then an elastic strap holding the pad itself in place across its spine. She flipped through a few pages, smiling at the imaginative little comics and sketches. One of Rarity and Applejack in giant robots, mid-battle. Another one of Pinkie with super powers. Another one of Twilight singing an open air concert. Sunset raised her eyebrows at this one, impressed that Sonata remembered so well what Twilight looked like.

Once she got to the end however, she realised that someone was missing: Herself. Not a single sketch, drawing, painting, or comic had her anywhere in it. Sunset frowned slightly, feeling a little hurt if she were honest with herself. Then the shower switched off, and she closed the folder hurriedly. When Sonata exited the bathroom, drying her hair with a pink towel, she found Sunset staring at her laptop. She sat next to her and leaned over her shoulder.

“Watcha doing?”

“Reading the news,” Sunset answered.

“Well that’s boring,” Sonata pouted.

“Maybe to you,” Sunset smirked. Sonata giggled, crossing her legs and rocking back and forth like a caged animal.

“I don’t want to go to work today,” she said, running her hands through her hair. Sunset looked at her askance.

“Feeling sick?” she asked.

“No, I just don’t want to go today.”

“Well don’t say that when you call in,” Sunset snickered. “They’ll see right through that.”

Sonata looked at her, her face glowing. “You don’t mind if I stay home?”

“Sonata, I’m not your mom,” she laughed, patting her cobalt hair. “If you want to take the day off work, do it. It’s not like you’ve ever had a sick day before now.”

“You’re right,” Sonata muttered, looking worried. “You don’t think I’m overdue for one, do you?”

“Way overdue,” Sunset grinned, passing her the phone. “Go on, but if you go out try not to let your boss see you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the urge to paint in me! On a side note though, do we still have those frozen taquitos?”

“We should have plenty,” Sunset said, giving her a narrow look. “And it’s going to stay that way, you got me?”

Sonata scrunched up her mouth as though she’d tasted something sour. “I thought you said you weren’t my mom.”

“I’m your roommate. So leave me some.” She picked up her laptop and shoved it into a backpack. “Have fun at home today, okay?”

Rainbow Dash’s house was a tallish building on the east side of the city. Through the alchemical-like transformation of the metropolis’ infrastructure, the east side had been built on the side of a series of mountains where the city had first been founded, grown old, been demolished, rebuilt, and was beginning to decay again. Nonetheless, it held some of the former grandeur of its builder’s original intent whilst remaining cheap in the current economy. Today the mountains were wreathed in clouds, as though they were the base of a castle in the sky.

Taking the bus to the base of the mountains, Sunset climbed the winding little road that led up to Rainbow’s house, hugging herself close against the biting spring wind.

“Oh, hey there!” came a voice from above. Looking up a steep ledge of grass, Sunset gained an uncomfortable view of the underside of Rainbow Dash’s sport shorts. Averting her eyes, she proceeded up the driveway.

“Hi Rainbow,” she called back. “Aren’t you cold?”

“Meh, you get used to it,” Rainbow replied, balancing a football on her foot. “Fancy a quick game?”

“Not now, thanks,” Sunset said politely. Her actual feelings were a little more condescending. Something along the lines of As much as I’d love to give you the chance to show off for a bit, we have actually important work to do. “We should get started on your application.”

“That’s what dad says,” Rainbow said, kicking the football into her hands and looking crestfallen. “Well, let’s get it over with.”

The inside of Rainbow’s house was, to be blunt, unsurprising. Like his daughter, Rainbow’s father seemed to be a huge sports fanatic. The living room was plastered with sports memorabilia, mostly featuring the Cloudy Dale Wanderers. Rainbow’s room on the third floor was similarly decorated, but featured a great deal more posters and artefacts of the Wonderbolts, an aerial daredevil team Rainbow was quite infatuated with, and one of the premier stunt teams in the air force. On one wall, enclosed in a glass case, was a pair of goggles with a squiggly signature in black ink on the strap.

The room wasn’t unclean, but heavily disorganised and overflowing with exercise equipment. Sunset blinked in surprise when in and amongst all of this, she saw a small row of books on a shelf, but then she recognised the name on the spines, and smiled.

“You excited about the art exhibition?” Sunset asked, trying not to smile.

“Art exhibition?” Rainbow repeated, not sounding interested. “Why would I care about that?” she asked as though wondering why Sunset would ask.

“Well, it’s not just an art exhibition, to be fair. It’s a cultural fair. A lot of people are going to be there.” Then she went in for the clincher. The concentration killer. She waited until Rainbow was in a compromised position, throwing her football into a basketball hoop on the back of her door, and said “A.K. Yearling is going to be there.”

Rainbow twitched, throwing the ball off target so that it struck the wall, bounced off, and sailed over Sunset’s head into a laundry basket.

“Seriously!?” Rainbow demanded, grabbing Sunset by the shoulders. “You’re not jerking me around here? A. K. Yearling, the Great Yearling, author of the Daring Do books and owner of all related franchises?”

“Yeah, that A.K. Yearling,” Sunset said, smirking. “The fair invited a number of famous people born in the city, and A.K. Yearling lived here when she was a girl. Although I think she lives somewhere tropical at the moment.”

Sunset’s plan here was to get Rainbow so worked up that she’d eventually burn out. Hopefully then she could avoid all the fidgeting, whining, and complaining that always happened when Rainbow was called upon to sit still for two seconds. She waited patiently as Rainbow leapt onto her computer and started looking up articles, barely having time to read one before skipping to the next. Admittedly Sunset’s plan took a little longer than she thought to work. Rainbow kept up a constant stream of fangirling well into the afternoon. As they sat eating sandwiches that Rainbow’s father brought them however, Sunset raised the issue of the application.

“Right,” Rainbow said. She scarfed the last of her sandwich, cracked her knuckles loudly, and raised her fingers like a composer directing an orchestra, over her keyboard. Then she paused. “So... what do we do?”

Sunset patiently directed her to the Wonderbolt Academy homepage, and to the application page. From there Rainbow seemed capable enough to finish it herself, occasionally directing an odd question that Sunset was able to answer. The only problem came near to the end.

“What’s this mean?” Rainbow asked, leaning close to the screen. Sunset leaned in close too.

“Well,” she began, running a finger down the list. “You have to write a prospectus. A short description of why it is you want to join and why you think that you’re qualified for it.” Patiently waiting for Rainbow to finish boasting, she went on. “You also have to take a written and a practical exam.”

Rainbow frowned. “A written exam?” she asked, uncertainly.

“Yeah,” Sunset said slowly. “You did know that, didn’t you? It was in the leaflet you were given at school.”

“Oh, yeah!” she said, breezily. “Yeah, written test. Practical exam. Got it.” Sunset gave her a sharp stare.

“You have studied for it, right?” she asked, guessing the answer. Rainbow’s mouth performed a complex series of movements, shifting the lips this way and that, opening, then closing, biting her lower lip.

“Not exactly,” she admitted, giving Sunset a winning smile. Sunset’s mouth tightened, and she tried to stop from sighing.

“Right,” she said in a rallying tone. “Well let’s just see when the next test date is- oh dear...” she said in one breath. Running the mouse over a small box, it expanded into a timetable. “According to this, the next one is tomorrow.”

“In Baltimore!?” Rainbow shrieked. “That’s so far away!”

“Just a train ride away really, but that’d hardly the point.”

“When’s the next one?” Rainbow asked feverishly.

“Two months from now, apparently.”

“Argh!” Rainbow cried. “That’s no good! The deadline is over by then!”

It took a little time to calm Rainbow down. Eventually, after reminding her that she basically had the practical exam down, all she had to do was learn a little history. Primarily the test was about military history.

“I suck at history,” Rainbow said in a muffled voice, her face planted firmly on her desk.

“Mmm,” Sunset hummed. “It’s just a bit of reading. And I know you can read.”

Rainbow turned her head around on her desk to bestow an evil eye upon Sunset Shimmer. She rose from the desk like Frankenstein’s monster, and glared at Sunset as though she had just uttered the single most repulsively disgusting thing that anyone had ever dared to utter.

“Did you just compare Daring Do to history?” she asked, in a tone that suggested Sunset had best consider her answer with great care before speaking it. Sunset gulped, leaning back away from the stare.

“Um, well...” she cleared her throat. “What I mean to say is, you can find a history book on the Wonderbolts that relates their history in a story-like form. That’d make it a format you’re more comfortable with.”

“I guess,” Rainbow said in a considering tone. “But it’s still going to be nothing like Daring Do,” she said, petulantly.

“No,” Sunset agreed. “But it’ll be exciting in its own way. Don’t you have a book on the subject?” She looked around at the Wonderbolt memorabilia, from the giant wall sticker of Soarin to the collectible figurines arranged randomly on a shelf.

“Well, err... no actually,” Rainbow mumbled, blushing a little. “I have this sticker collection though,” she said more spiritedly, holding up a paperback filled with collectible stickers. Sunset gave it a narrow look and then flipped through it.

“All modern stuff. You’ll never learn what you need from it,” she said. That had been obvious of course, but she didn’t think brutal honesty was the best policy right now.

“I’m doomed,” Rainbow intoned, slamming her forehead back onto the desk.

“Oh come on, all we have to do is get to the library. I know for a fact they have a child’s history of the Wonderbolts in the sports section.”

“A child’s history?” Rainbow Dash asked, offended.

“Oh come on, it has pictures and everything. It’ll tell you essentially what you need to know.”

With Rainbow Dash in tow, Sunset walked the half mile to the library from Rainbow’s house, Dash herself with a permanent scowl of annoyance plastered across her face the entire time, offending the librarian who tried to wish her a good day.

“So,” Rainbow said moodily. “I just read this thing, right?” She held up the brightly colourful book as though it were something diseased. It had a flashy picture of the Wonderbolt’s emblem on the front, surrounded by little cartoon figures of some of the most famous members from across the generations.

“Study it,” Sunset corrected. “You have to take in what it says. I flipped through it. It should tell you what you need to know. The test isn’t meant to be too hard.”

Rainbow’s face darkened further. Sunset guessed that she caught the implication that she had to study for something that was apparently common knowledge, and which had to be put in a kid’s history book to read about. Sunset honestly hadn’t meant to convey that, but all the same...

As they stood at the bus stop, Rainbow Dash sitting on the bench and frowning at the book, Sunset’s mind floated home to her apartment. She rather wondered if she still wanted taquitos for dinner tonight. Then she thought of Sonata, standing in her artist’s overalls, her face splattered with paint, and found herself grinning. The ideal Sonata in her head looked at her and gave her a cheeky smile, then went back to painting. Turning the dream room around in her head, she saw the painting itself; two figures standing on a rooftop, arm in arm, staring into the sunset.

A hiss of brakes made Sunset jump, and her daydream broke.

“Hey, thanks for all the help,” Rainbow said, earnestly. “I really appreciate it, you know?”

“Yeah,” Sunset smiled, her face flushed guiltily. “If you’d like, I can come to Baltimore with you tomorrow.”

“You would?” Rainbow beamed. “Dude, you are the best!”

Sunset wasn’t sure about being called a dude, but she let the comment pass. Waving to Rainbow, she mounted the steps of the bus, watching the multicoloured hair out of sight around a corner.

Sitting down close to the front, she leaned her head against the window, feeling the vibrations of the bus. Her mind drifted back to the painting, a happy Sonata greeting her to look at it. Two figures in the sunlight, intertwined by their arms. A mane of red and yellow hair intermingling with a long blue ponytail as they blew about in a frozen wind.

“This your stop?”

Sunset jumped awake. She looked out of the window and saw the daylight fading fast. Looking forward, she saw the familiar face of the bus driver looking back at her inquiringly.

“Your stop, I think,” he said, smiling.

“Yes!” Sunset yelped, jumping up. “Thanks,” she chuckled nervously as she exited the bus. Hefting her laptop bag more securely onto her shoulder, she marched briskly forward across the plaza to her apartment. When she made it to her door, she knocked, expecting to hear the sound of light feet from within coming to open it for her as usual. Happily anticipating Sonata’s smiling face upon the door opening, she became a little disconcerted when she didn’t hear anything. She knocked again, but still no reply came. She frowned.

“Maybe she went out,” she muttered, reaching for her own key.

Inside she found the apartment dark in the dim twilight filtering through the small windows. Flicking the light on, the first strange thing occurred to her. All three easels were still standing, all with their paintings still at the ready.

Maybe she was letting them dry, Sunset thought to herself. But then she noticed something even stranger as she went to put down her laptop bag.

The paint palette was still out, along with her water pot and brushes. The paint on the palette along with the brush bristles had dried and hardened. Strange. Airheaded though Sonata could be, she didn’t leave her paints and brushes out like this. It just wasn’t her.

“Where is she?” Sunset wondered, starting to feel a little afraid now. She peered into the kitchen. Nothing. She knocked on the bathroom door and looked inside there too. Nothing. Then she looked in the bedroom.

“Sonata!” she gasped in relief. “For goodness sake, why didn’t you open the door when I... Sonata?”

Sunset hesitated. Sonata was standing in the dark of the bedroom, gilded faintly by the last light of day filtering between the bedroom curtains. Her back was to the door, and she wasn’t moving. A faint humming sound came from her, which Sunset realised a second later was coming from the phone Sonata was holding loosely to her ear.

“Sonata?” Sunset asked, quietly. She stepped into the room. Still no response. The phone was on but the line was dead. Carefully, Sunset moved around Sonata to face her, and felt her insides curl up.

Sonata’s eyes were blank and staring, gazing off into nothingness. Her face was pale and drawn, shining flecks on her cheeks where tears had fallen and dried. She didn’t seem to register Sunset at all.

“Sonata?” Sunset asked, gazing with concern into her face. She touched her arm to rouse her, and Sonata gave a little jump. Her eyes wobbled a little in their sockets, as though trying to focus on her.

“S-S-Sun...” she stammered in barely more than a whisper. The phone slipped from her loose grip and bounced across the floor. Then she flung her arms around Sunset’s middle and began crying unrestrainedly into Sunset’s chest. Taken off guard and unable to hold both their weights, Sunset lowered in a controlled sort of collapse to her knees, Sonata still bawling into her jacket.

“What happened?” Sunset gasped, taken entirely by surprise. As Sonata tried to control her crying enough to speak, Sunset held onto her reassuringly and made placatory noises to calm her down. “Who was on the phone?” she asked, trying to help Sonata get her bearings.

“A-Ad... Adagio,” she sobbed thickly. Shakily, she let go of Sunset, and sat sniffing and sobbing whilst Sunset passed her a box of tissues from the dresser. Blowing her nose, she looked at Sunset through streaming eyes.

“Adagio,” Sunset said, trying to smile. “So she called today, then.” She tried to make it sound like this was a good thing, but Sonata only began sobbing harder again.

“S-She called, because... because...”

Sunset waited for her to go on, patiently allowing her to get the words out.

“S-She called because... because of Aria.”

“Oh,” Sunset said, surprised. “Did she find her?”

Sonata shook her head, blowing her nose again. “She’s in... in Baltimore.”

Sunset nodded understandingly. She tried to figure out why this was a bad thing, why it was reducing Sonata to a state she hadn’t seen her in since... well, since she’d found her on the roof.

“So she’s in Baltimore,” Sunset said, kindly. “Well I can understand if Adagio didn’t see her, being in Applewood. Baltimore is the other side of the-“

“S-She’s in hospital!” Sonata wailed, breaking down into tears again.

Sunset’s insides went cold.

“Hospital?” she said, hollowly. Sonata nodded tremulously.

“S-S-She’s been s-stabbed!”

- To be Continued

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 2

The Sunrise Sonata Pt2

Sonata Dusk

The train left the station at 7:00am. The morning was crisp, cool, but bright and bearing a sky devoid of clouds. It promised a warm day, a sunny day, a day where people not so taken up with their little lives as to look up would likely smile and feel their hearts lift to see such a glorious morning.

The day seemed like an insult to her. It mocked her feelings and the situation of her sister.

“We’ll be there in a few hours,” said a tender voice. Sonata dragged her eyes away from the landscape moving rapidly across the skyline, and fixed onto the girl sitting next to her. Her eyebrows were puckered into a slight frown, her bright blue eyes fixed on her own with affection. Or perhaps, that was just what Sonata saw there. “I’m sure everything will be alright.”

“Geez,” Rainbow said, across from them. “I’m still having trouble thinking about it.”

“Shouldn’t you be studying?” Sunset asked, eyeing her beadily.

“I guess,” Rainbow said peevishly. “I’m just kinda... surprised, I guess,” she finished. She did look it.

Sunset had told Rainbow the fine points of what had happened as they sat down, when Rainbow had finally asked why Sonata was coming too. Sonata was glad that Sunset didn’t go into any particularly fine points on the matter.

The details about Aria remained hazy to say the least. As far as Sonata knew, Adagio had been contacted by the hospital in Baltimore where Aria was being treated, and informed of what had happened in accordance with details on the police reports. She’d been found in the street just over a week ago bleeding and unconscious, apparently having been stabbed in the gut. Subsequently rushed to the hospital, she’d been in a coma until yesterday when the hospital management had successfully discovered Adagio’s place of residence in Applewood and contacted her.

This information had been passed to Sonata the previous evening by a clearly shocked Adagio over the phone. Sonata found that she had little memory of what had happened between the phone call and Sunset’s appearance.

“I didn’t think that I’d cry for her so much,” Sonata said, tonelessly. Sunset squeezed her hand.

“Oh come on, you guys are friends,” Rainbow said, waving an airy hand. “Of course you’re going to cry about it. You’d be the worst kind of scum if you didn’t,” she concluded. Sunset hissed something to her about being tactless.

“It’s okay,” Sonata said, still in her shell-shocked voice. “She’s right. S-She’s my sister. Whatever happened in the past between us, it hardly matters now.” She tried to give what she hoped was a cheerfully confident smile, but she wasn’t sure it came across that way. Sunset’s expression was just a little too understanding.

Sonata’s opinion of herself had improved under the ministrations of Sunset Shimmer and her new friends. She laughed out loud to herself when she thought of her and her sister’s attempts to conquer the world. They seemed like memories of another person, somehow unconnected to her and her current life. Pretentious, nonsense plans concocted by three silly girls whose opinion of themselves far exceeded their capabilities.

Sunset Shimmer had saved her, she was sure of it, saved her from committing the worst mistake that she could have made in her life: ending it. She sometimes dreamed, stretched out on her futon in the dark hours of the night, of herself on that roof. Nightmares of the fall, the broken body, the lonely grave that no one visited or thought about. How lonely she felt during those sleepless nights.

But these night time horrors never managed to pervade her daytime activities. She enjoyed her job, her hobbies, and her friends; and as their closeness to her grew ever stronger, her old quirky naiveté reasserted itself. She had people to love, and people to love her, and slowly but surely the scars healed over.

But if this had been a journey of single steps taken towards happiness, the phone call yesterday had been a trap door leading back to step one. Thoughts of her sisters had long since stopped giving her that churning feeling in her stomach that reminded her of her dark memories, but the thought of Aria hurt or even dead had reawakened the fears she associated with that blackest period of her life. Self-doubt, tentativeness, and suspicion.

As the train drew her closer and closer to where she knew Aria to be, these fears closed in on her, dampening down her rekindled whimsical cheeriness, and bringing instead cold silences and concealed worry.

The train trundled across the vast fields of Philadelphia, the wide open tracts of farmland that served as the bread basket of the cities all around stretching seemingly endlessly. The train on its long, narrow tracks seemed like a single, out of place piece of city life stretching out like a giant clockwork artery, carrying life-giving blood from city to city. Again, Sonata was struck by the normality of the day, of the utter indifference the world had as a whole to her and her suffering. At least this time, she reflected with no little feeling of solace, she had friends to help her through it.

The train pulled into a city much different from the one that she knew and had lived in for months now. The station was loaded with people walking this way and that, apparently unaware or unconcerned with the other people going about their own business. In several places Sonata saw beggars sitting against walls, cardboard signs with illegible scrawl pleading for food and money. Sonata felt her insides begin to tighten at the sight of them, but tried to push away the memories that they arose.

“So where’s the hospital?” Rainbow asked, trying not to get buffeted by passing pedestrians.

“I think we should check over there,” Sunset said, pointing to a tall sign bearing a detailed city map. Ignoring a man in a fedora huffing and tutting at them from behind, they traced a line through the city’s streets to the general hospital where Aria was allegedly being treated.

“It’s not too far away,” Rainbow said, frowning. “But I don’t like the looks of these streets here,” she pointed at some of the route they’d chosen. “I think we should avoid those.”

“Agreed,” Sunset said. “I think we should stick to the main roads. Oh, and here’s the testing centre,” she pointed to a small square bearing a symbol of an open book.

“Sweet!” Rainbow enthused. “That’s only five streets over.”

They soon found, much less to Sonata’s surprise than their own, that Baltimore was a strangely organised city. Most roads were one-way roads, which meant that in order to get to one’s destination, one had to drive three quarters around a single road and double back in order to get on the road that you needed to be on. This presumably helped with the traffic congestion in some mysterious way, but Sonata could tell all of the people unfamiliar with the city by their taught and irritable expressions as they drove by. She had travelled a lot in those days when she and her sister’s magic was weak, trying to find something to do, somewhere to go. Trying to make a plan.

Even on the main roads beggars sat or walked the streets, asking for change or trying to explain their circumstances to passersby. Sonata didn’t need Rainbow’s warning to know not to talk back to them, but it still made her uncomfortable.

“When is your test time, Rainbow?” Sunset asked.

“Um... eleven o’clock it says here,” she said, pulling out her admissions ticket.

“You should probably get over to the testing centre first then. It’s about ten now.”

Rainbow looked at both of them with concern. “You two sure? I could come visit with you for a few minutes first.” She was looking at Sonata more. Sonata tried to smile.

“No, it’s fine. Go do your test.”

With obvious reservations about leaving them, Rainbow marched off down the street, looking back once or twice through the crowd.

Sonata stood in front of the hospital, looking up at its tall and imposing girth. The building was modern, rounded, and a creamy colour with the words Baltimore General Hospital in large black letters over the entrance. It stood a little inland from the coast, the faint smell of salt and sea rolling over them with every gust of spring breeze. Something inside her was holding her back, stopping her take that step across the little road to the hospital doors.

She felt a hand intertwine with her own, and she looked down.

“You ready?” Sunset asked, gently. A little numbly, Sonata nodded.

Sonata didn’t believe that she would have been able to go into the hospital if Sunset wasn’t with her. One hand clasped gently in the warm grip of the girl next to her, the other clutching her art folder to her side, they crossed the threshold of the hospital, and were immediately met by the smell of antiseptic soap and old people. A fresh wave of uncertainty rolled over her. No she thought. I’ve come this far. It’s Aria after all; I have to see her.

Taking a more decisive step forward, she led the way to the reception desk, where a family were standing. The mother, who was talking, had a child over her shoulder, who stared at Sonata as though with great interest. It stretched out pudgy little hands as though trying to grasp her face.

“Hi little guy,” Sonata smiled, letting the baby grasp her finger. The baby drooled questioningly at her, then let out a little baby cackle and shook her finger happily.

“Next,” said the man at the reception desk. The woman moved away, imperiously ushering her other children ahead. Sonata and Sunset stepped forward.

“How may I help you?” the man asked distractedly, scribbling something into a clip-file.

“We’re here to see Aria Blaze,” Sonata said, her heart tightening in her chest. The man glanced up, then pulled forward a small keyboard. Tapping on it for a second, he inhaled suddenly and muttered an audible “Oh,” as though he were looking at something painful.

“Is she alright?” Sonata asked, feeling cold.

“Third floor, ward twenty three,” he said, jabbing with a ballpoint pen in the direction of a floor guide. “ER recovery centre.”

Sonata’s heart twisted at the sound of ‘ER’. “Is she okay?” Sonata demanded, grasping hold of the desk.

“I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you,” the receptionist said, reading his clip-file again and sounding quite disinterested. Sonata felt a lick of anger wash against her chest. She opened her mouth to say something, but Sunset forestalled her.

“Thanks,” she said, gently pushing Sonata ahead of her and moving away. “I know you’re worried Sonata—“

“He didn’t even care!” Sonata snapped.

“I’m sure he just has a lot of work to do,” Sunset soothed, making motions for Sonata to lower her voice. “I think his job just desensitises him a little. They must have lots of patients here.”

“But he didn’t even know if she was okay,” Sonata said, angrily blinking back tears.

“We’ll see in a minute, won’t we? After all, she’s in the recovery centre. That must mean she’s recovering, obviously.”

Sonata knew that Sunset was trying to be kind and uplifting, but it just wasn’t working. She just felt sick, images in her head of Aria lying comatose in a bed, connected to all sorts of machines and readouts. The journey up to the third floor didn’t help either. Signs either side of the lift doors spelt out an ominous message of antiseptic doom:

3rd Floor

Operating Rooms B - C

Decontamination Chamber

Intensive Care Unit

ER Recovery Wards

Operating rooms? Intensive Care? Decontamination? Horrible images sloshed around in her mind of Aria on an operating table, men and women in blue hospital attire holding up sharp implements over her immobile, fragile form.

Sonata swallowed down her imaginary fears. They would do her no good.

They stepped around a corner into mild human traffic, dodged out of the way of a bed being pushed speedily down a wide corridor, and finally found themselves in another corridor filled with sliding glass doors.

“Nineteen... twenty one...” Sunset mumbled into the relative silence. They stopped in front of the window to ward twenty three, the blinds of which obscured the inside. Sunset looked at Sonata solicitously. “Are you okay? Do you need a minute?”

“No, I’m fine,” Sonata said briskly. She coughed once or twice, and then forced a smile. “I’m fine, really. Let’s go.” So saying, she knocked gently on the door herself.

In the silence the gentle taps were enough to sound through the corridor, but no answer came. Sonata peered around the side of the blinds, Sunset appearing above her to look in as well. The interior of the room was dark, the blinds covering the windows having been turned to block the light. Nonetheless they could still see a figure lying on the bed.

“On second thought,” Sonata said. “If she’s sleeping, maybe we shouldn’t—“

“Come on,” Sunset interrupted, taking hold of Sonata’s forearm as she tried to turn away. With her other hand she slid the door open.

Aria did not stir at first when Sunset pulled Sonata firmly into the room. Sonata stood with her insides writhing and her brain seemingly trying to roll around in her skull. She pulled absently on her ponytail, unable to look away from the figure on the bed.

After several moments of high quality dithering, Sunset tried to make the first move. Doing so made Sonata jump; her sketch pad tumbled from her hand and crashed to the floor, sounding a great deal louder than usual in the near total silence of the room. The figure in the bed stirred.

Sonata’s writhing insides disappeared, as though a hole had dropped them clean out of her, leaving her hollow. Aria sat up slowly in her bed, and rubbing her eyes, flipped the lights on. Sonata stared at her.

Her face was sunken, almost emaciated with dark shadows under her eyes, and paler skin than Sonata ever remembered her having. Her hair, down out of its usual pigtails, was equally discoloured, as though somehow bleached of its former bright vitality. The arm and hand she raised to rub at her eyes with were thin, the skin covered in a patina of half-healed cuts and bruises.

She blinked at them blearily for a moment or two, and then seemed to find Sonata. Then she looked at Sunset.

“Huh,” she said, her voice groggy. “Thought it was worth waking up for a moment there.”

“Aria?” Sonata asked, cautiously.

“Yeah?” Aria looked at her, as though expecting her to say more.

“Err... how are you?”

Aria gave her a slightly annoyed look. “How do I look?” she asked, spreading her arms. She looked at Sunset again.

“What’re you doing here?”

“I’m here with Sonata,” Sunset said, frowning slightly with her arms folded. Aria gave a small chuckle.

“You friends now?” she asked. Sonata thought she heard a tone of derisive humour in the question, but she ignored it.

“We’re roommates,” she said, trying to inject a little of her usual cheeriness into her voice. Aria laughed a little harder at that, though it seemed to cost her. She bent forward suddenly and coughed a little.

“Can you pass me that?” Aria asked, pointing to a glass of water on the side table. Sonata hastily passed it to her. Sipping the water she looked between them “Roommates, huh?” she shook her head and grinned as though the idea was just too funny. “That’s just... just wow.”

Sonata frowned uncertainly, glancing sideways at Sunset Shimmer.

“We came to see how you are,” Sunset said. Sonata heard coldness in her voice that she didn’t quite understand. “Adagio called us from Applewood.”

Aria’s jaw tightened. “She’s doing well for herself,” she sneered. “What happened to you?” she asked Sonata suddenly. “Adagio dump you off with her before she went?” she jerked her head at Sunset.

Sonata couldn’t think of a reply to this. She felt a vaguely familiar fear creeping over her, inside her. She could only stare at Aria with her mouth slightly open. Sunset on the other hand was in complete control of herself. Face flushed with colour, she was glaring at Aria as though she wanted to slap her.

“So what happened to you, anyway?” she asked, her tone colder than ever. Aria’s look of unconcern cracked, and she directed a warning eye at Sunset Shimmer.

“Don’t see what that’s got to do with you,” she replied, her tone calm, but if anything even icier than Sunset’s.

“Adagio said that you’d been stabbed,” Sonata intoned, clutching at the subject like a drowning person at a flotation ring.

“Yeah,” Aria made a sharp sound of disgust between her teeth. “Three times,” she said, pushing her covers down and exposing a ring of bandages around her abdomen. “And the doctor’s say they broke my legs too.”

“You don’t remember your legs getting broken?” Sunset asked, dispassionately.

“Your powers of recollection kinda dim a little when you’ve lost a few pints of blood,” Aria replied, scathingly. “So I guess the boss was too busy to come see me then, if she sent you two to come instead,” she went on, her voice positively drenched in sarcasm. “Prissy, know-it-all, good-for-nothing...“ she growled under her breath.

“She’s only been there for a few months,” Sonata said, feeling she should defend Adagio. “Applewood’s the other side of the country, so I don’t think she could make it with—“

“Yeah, I know where Applewood is, okay?” Aria snapped. Sonata shut her mouth.

“She’s just explaining why Adagio didn’t come,” Sunset snapped back, her arms unfolding.

“Shut up,” Aria growled. “What kind of gall do you have, of all people in this miserable little world, to come here and see me like this?”

“To be frank, if I’d known how much of an ungrateful child you’d be, I wouldn’t have bothered. I only came here to support Sonata.”

Aria’s lip curled into an unpleasant grimace. “You her nanny or something? Moron though she definitely is, I don’t think she needs you to hold her hand to buy a train ticket.”

Sonata felt utterly helpless at this point. At Aria calling Sonata a moron, Sunset’s eyes flashed with fiery rage. She took a step forward, raising her right hand, Sonata putting out her own hand to stop her, when the door behind her slid open again.

Through the door stepped a tall, wiry man in a long white coat, a wide smile plastered on his face, and a short sprig of curly hair on his head.

“Oh, what’s this?” he said cheerily. “I didn’t know you had visitors coming.” His smile remained, but Sonata could tell somehow that he wasn’t expecting them, and that for some reason their being there was a small problem. He held a tray of food in his hands.

“Oh sweet, lunch!” Aria said enthusiastically. The doctor moved passed the two girls and set the tray on a sliding table next to the bed, which Aria eagerly jumped on.

“Well your appetite’s a good sign,” the doctor smiled, giving off that typical doctor-ish optimism. “Very good; you’ll have your strength back in no time. So, are you two family?” he asked politely, turning to Sonata and Sunset.

“Sort of,” Sonata said, awkwardly. “I’m her sister. This is my roommate.”

“Oh good,” the doctor said. Pulling a folded piece of paper from his front pocket, he turned to Aria. “Now that you’re awake, we have a few things to run over, and I didn’t know if you wanted to...” he looked inquiringly between Aria and the other two, letting his sentence hang.

“Just say what you have to say, doc,” Aria said between frenzied mouthfuls. Sonata’s gaze lingered uncomfortably on Aria’s pale skin and slightly sunken cheeks, and she guessed that she hadn’t been eating well since she’d last seen her.

“Right-o then,” he said. “Well, we think that your stab wounds will make a full recovery with time. The stitches will dissolve after a while, so there’s no worry there, but that means they’re a bit fragile so, no strenuous exercise for a few weeks.” He cleared his throat. “Second thing; do you have any insurance or means of paying for your treatment?”

“I’m homeless,” Aria said, baldly. The doctor’s eyes flicked to her and back.

“I see,” he said, his voice becoming rather less chipper than before. “Well, of course your life-threatening injuries have been attended to, so...” he paused, as though he had something unfortunate to communicate. Aria seemed to sense this, and narrowed her eyes.

“So what?” she asked.

The doctor hesitated a moment or two more. Sonata felt her heart being squeezed in her chest as the ominous miasma of impending bad news filled the room. Even Sunset looked a little troubled by the suddenly dimming atmosphere.

“The issue,” the doctor continued. “The issue is that the law requires us to treat you in life-threatening situations,” he said uncomfortably. “We can’t very well let you die, heh heh. Unfortunately, without insurance or any known means of payment, the hospital isn’t required to offer you any further assistance.”

“Are you kicking me out?” Aria asked, her voice angry and trembling.

“No, no,” the doctor said quickly. “You’ll remain until we deem you sufficiently healed to leave. The only problem is, well...” he stepped to the end of her bed and pulled out three X-rays, and set them on a wall-placed light screen. Clearing his throat again he switched it on and indicated the first X-ray.

“As you can see,” he indicated the two main bones of the lower leg, which had clearly been severed in one or two places. “The basic procedure for repairing broken bones is of course to realign them and allow them to heal on their own. The problem however is, ah, here,” he moved his finger to the worst of the breaks. “This area I’m afraid has been damaged to a point where we don’t believe it will be able to heal naturally.”

“What does that mean?” Sonata demanded before Aria could speak, feeling cold inside. The doctor bit his lip.

“Under usual circumstances, a simple surgery would be performed to aid in the healing process and maintain the bone’s realignment, but as matters stand... allowing the bones to heal naturally would very likely cause an irregularity in the leg.”

“Like, I’ll have a limp or something?” Aria asked, her throat sounding very dry.

“At the least, yes,” the doctor confirmed. “The level of damage was so intense that there’s also a good chance the bone may become permanently brittle. You may never be able to walk on it again.”

Aria sat unmoving, apparently unable to speak.

“Like, ever?” Sonata asked, terrified. The doctor looked quite uncomfortable.

“I’m afraid so. It may be that without the surgery and accompanying rehabilitation, you will find it very difficult to walk. Perhaps, even impossible.”

After a few moments, he turned off the screen. Biting his lip, he asked if Aria had any questions. She didn’t answer him, but continued to stare into space.

“Can’t you give her the surgery?” Sonata asked. The doctor scratched his chin.

“The hospital won’t allow it if she can’t pay for it,” the doctor said, quietly, not meeting her eye. “The issue is not classified as a life-threatening condition.”

“But she won’t be able to walk!” Sonata cried. “You can’t do that to her!” she said grasping his sleeve. He tried to pull back.

“Miss, please let go of me,” he said firmly, trying to pry off her clutching hand.

“You can’t!” Sonata wailed. “It’s not fair!”

“Sonata, stop!” Sunset took hold of her shoulders and tried to pull her away.

“No!”

“Please, miss, calm down.”

“Sonata...” Aria muttered.

Sonata looked around at her, freezing in mid pull. “A-Aria?”

“Could you...” she swallowed, and it looked difficult. “Could you please leave?”

Sonata stared at her for a moment. The doctor managed to tug his sleeve from her slackened grip.

“But...” Sonata began, but found she couldn’t think of anything to say.

Sighing a little, Sunset whispered in her ear “Come on, let’s go meet up with Rainbow, see if she’s finished with her test.”

“No!” Sonata cried. “We can’t leave her like this!” She turned to the doctor. “How much is the surgery?”

The doctor hesitated, his mouth open slightly. “Well,” he said, looking to the side, then scratching his chin again. “There’s a number of factors to be considered.”

“Please get out,” Aria said, a little louder than before.

“Sunset, we could get the money, couldn’t we?” Sonata asked desperately.

Sunset looked pale. “Well, I don’t—“

The situation in the room became somewhat frantic. The doctor was trying to outline the reasons why he couldn’t give a definite figure, whilst Sonata tried fiercely to get Sunset to agree to help. All conversation ended however as Aria erupted into fury.

“GET OUT!” she screamed, furious tears in her dark-rimmed eyes. “Get out or I’ll—“ her threat was cut off mid-shriek as Aria’s back seemed to seize up. Suddenly thrust forward by the force of the spasm, she vomited a great deal of blood over the side of her bed, a growing dark stain appearing rapidly on the bandages around her middle.

The doctor shunted Sonata and Sunset aside as he leapt towards the bed.

“I need help in here!” he shouted as the monitor next to Aria’s bed began to beep loudly.

“Aria!” Sonata howled, trying to leap forward as well, but as three or four nurses bolted into the room and surrounded the bed, Sunset grabbed her around the middle and held her back. “Aria! Aria!” Sonata wailed.

“Get them out!” the doctor ordered the fifth nurse, who shepherded them out and closed the blinds. Sonata threw herself at the door, ignoring Sunset’s attempts to hold her back.

“You can’t do anything now,” Sunset said, shakily.

Pressed against the glass, her breathing shallow and ragged, Sonata’s world seemed to spin. She remained like that for she didn’t know how long, listening to the discordant sounds from inside. The frantic beeping of the machines, the muffled voices of the doctor and nurses, the horrible gargling sounds of Aria choking on her own blood.

As all of this washed over her, thoughts of the conversation they’d just had, and all of her dredged up feelings festering since the previous night, an odd sense of coolness and sharpness overcame her mind. She suddenly felt an unaccountable need for some kind of action.

“No,” she whispered. “No. I’m going to do something about this.”

Sunset blinked, surprised. “Um... you have an idea?”

“No,” Sonata pushed herself off the door, trying to get the floor to stop warping beneath her feet. “No I don’t, but” she paused, looking at Sunset, who was giving her a look of some concern. “Rainbow,” she said, pointing at Sunset as though she’d just said something that might help.

“She’s probably in the testing centre still,” Sunset said, as though wondering why Sonata would bring that up.

“No, we need Rainbow,” Sonata breathed, an idea so huge, so overpowering, it seemed to press against the inside of her weary brain. “We need our friends. I know what to do. We need to...” she trailed off, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Then she turned, and ran up the corridor. Sunset jumped at the sudden movement and called after her. Picking up Sonata’s art folder from in front of the sliding door, she pelted off in pursuit.

“Sonata? Sonata, where are you going?”

- To be Continued

Author's Note

Originally the entire story was supposed to be from the perspective of Sunset Shimmer, but several readers espoused a wish that Sonata be given a perspective as well during arc 2. Intrigued, I incorporated it into arc 3.

Enjoy some fanart by Umbres Argentum Laugh! http://umbre5laugh.deviantart.com/art/Aria-Blaze-in-hospital-494520541
(For some reason the image function won't work)

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 3

The Sunrise Sonata Pt3

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset lost track of her just before the lifts. Almost crashing into a crowd of med-students crowding outside of a ward, it wasn’t until she got to the lift doors themselves that she found Sonata again. Throwing herself into the lift after her as the doors began to close, she leaned against the wall and panted as the angry barking of a security guard telling them not to run was cut off by the closing door.

“Sonata, I get that you’re upset, but please don’t run off like that.”

Sonata didn’t respond. She seemed to be staring into space, her legs twitching as though urging her to run more. Sunset had never seen her so agitated. The moment the door of the lift opened, she flew against it, squeezing through the crack and nearly bowling over an old lady and her husband.

“Sorry,” Sunset hastily apologised as the woman screeched in surprise. “Sonata, come back!” Yep, definitely not listening to a word I’m saying, she thought, as she dodged around a support pillar and spotted Sonata fleeing out of the main entrance.

She caught up to her again outside as Sonata puzzled over which way to go. Catching her arm, Sunset pulled her around and held her firmly in place. Even like this she turned her head this way and that, muttering incoherently and looking frankly deranged. Pulling her aside in case any hospital staff saw them, she told her firmly to calm down.

“We need t-t-to find Rainbow,” Sonata stuttered.

“Okay,” Sunset said, trying to sound understanding. “But you need to calm down first. You can’t go running off on your own like this. You’re going to get hurt.” She held up the sketch pad to her. “You’re so panicky right now that you forgot this.”

Sonata took the folder, colour returning to her cheeks. She appeared to concede that Sunset might have a point; either way, her breathing slowed to a more natural state, and she was shaking a great deal less.

“Sorry,” she said shakily, holding a tremulous hand to her head. “I-I just—“

“I know,” Sunset promised. “I know. To be honest, I don’t know what you’re going through. I’ve never had a friend hurt before, let alone a sister. But I could imagine sort of how I might act if something happened to...” she cleared her throat, hoping Sonata didn’t notice the slight flush of colour suffusing her face. She seemed far too distracted to notice anything at the moment. “But what’s with the running?” she asked in a rallying tone. “Do you have an idea?”

Sonata rubbed at her eyes a little before answering. “Actually, it was Rainbow who gave me the idea.”

With numerous pauses, Sonata explained her idea to Sunset Shimmer.

If Sunset were honest with herself, she was astonished that Sonata could come up with such an idea as she was proposing. It wasn’t that Sunset was of the opinion that Sonata couldn’t come up with ideas; she certainly could. But this idea was so... nuanced. It had a level of complexity to it that frankly astonished her.

“Do you know how much work that’s going to take?” Sunset asked, cautiously. “There’s a lot of preparation, a lot of organisation. I kind of wonder about the cost to set it all up, too.”

“I know. It’s just...” she pressed her lips together for a moment. “I can’t leave her like that.”

If she were honest with herself, Sunset had little love for Aria Blaze. Considering what she knew that Aria had done to Sonata, and how she had acted in the hospital just now, she had to admit that her sympathy was rather limited. But on the other hand, Sunset couldn’t think of her plight without compassion. Aria Blaze might never walk again. Nonetheless, only her friendship with Sonata could propel her to say these next words.

“Fine. Let’s do it.”

Sonata looked up with fresh hope in her face. “You mean it?” she asked, the colour in her face rising.

“Yeah. We can at least give it a try. And I think I have some ideas on how we can—“

“Thank you!”

Sunset’s pondering on logistics was cut short as Sonata seized her around the middle. Knowing by now Sonata’s usual propensity for hugs, Sunset wasn’t surprised by it, but she was surprised when her feet left the ground and her ribs began to concave.

“You... welcome... but lungs... puncturing...!” she gasped. Sonata put her down, looking slightly sheepish.

“Well, well, well,” said a familiar voice. Rainbow Dash, arms folded and with a grin wider than the hospital welcome sign, stood watching them with heavily lidded eyes. “To be honest I didn’t believe it until I saw it.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Sonata cried excitedly. “We need to talk to-“

“Oh no, don’t mind me,” Rainbow Dash said, holding up both hands and beginning to walk away from their secluded little corner. “Please, carry on.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Sunset said, gritting her teeth. “Shut up and get over here.”

Snickering, she swaggered over. “Oh I owe AJ and Pinkie for telling me this one. I genuinely thought they were messing with me.”

Enduring Rainbow’s teasing merriment for a moment or two, Sunset slapped her across the face with the wet fish of serious news. As Rainbow listened to the situation, and to Sonata’s plan, her expression underwent a startling transformation. Multiple expressions vied for control of her face, until it coalesced into a steely look of eagerness, the kind of look Sunset had observed in her face before delivering the winning goal in a football game.

“I knew it was a good idea,” Rainbow boasted happily, arms behind her head as they sat on a park bench drinking pop from a hospital vending machine. “But seriously, that totally sucks for her.”

“Whatever she’s done, whatever she is, I don’t think she deserves never to walk again,” Sunset Shimmer agreed.

“She’s just scared,” Sonata chimed in. “She always gotten like that when she was scared. She ignores things and then just explodes after a while. It’s not her fault.” Sunset said nothing to this, but she didn’t like hearing Sonata defending Aria’s behaviour.

“Hey, I can hardly say anything about temper tantrums,” Rainbow Dash said, shrugging her shoulders a little awkwardly. “You ask Fluttershy how I was when we grew up in the Cloudy Dales together. I was a right little snot rag.”

“So, you’re up for it then?” Sunset asked, deciding to hide her misgivings.

“Sure am. Like I’d give up a chance to rock.”

“Oh,” Sonata said suddenly. “How’d your test go?”

Rainbow paused. She seemed to be considering the question. “Okay, I guess. I knew a lot of the answers I think.”

Whilst Rainbow went to get them all food from a Japanese takeout across from the park, Sunset accompanied Sonata back to the hospital to say goodbye to Aria.

Unfortunately, the receptionist informed them that ward twenty three was currently off-limits.

“Broke her stitches apparently,” the same man said, looking uninterestedly at the computer screen. “Good news though. She’s being transferred to the hospital in your city.”

“Transferred?” Sunset asked, suspiciously. Aria couldn’t pay for that, nor could she see why this hospital would want to do it. And if she was in as critical condition as this guy was making out, surely it wasn’t safe.

“Once her condition has stabilised,” the man confirmed. “She’s registered as a student in a Canterlot High School there, and someone has donated funds to have her transported and cared for.”

“Donated?” Sonata asked. “As in, someone paid for her?”

“Mm,” the man sighed. “Do you know a Mr... Trenderhoof?” he said, as though he found the name absurd. Sonata and Sunset glanced at each other.

“I wish that she hadn’t done that,” Sunset said, nervously.

“Adagio must have sent that money,” Sonata surmised. “I guess Trenderhoof is her manager or something.”

“Yeah, so that’s one part of the plan down the toilet.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Sunset said uneasily. “To be honest, I had some slim hope that Adagio might forward us some money to get started. But I don’t think she’ll have another wad of cash like that one floating around somehow, or she’d just have offered to pay for the surgery.”

“We’ll find a starter,” Sonata said, confidently. Sunset had to be impressed by how quickly Sonata had recovered. Her plan seemed to have galvanised something inside her, and Sunset could honestly relate to that feeling. “First we have to get back and tell our friends about this. Rainbow Dash said yes, but if the others don’t go along with it, then it won’t work.”

“I’m sure they will. If Rainbow agreed, I can’t see anyone else saying no.”

“True,” Sonata said, thoughtfully. “And I think I’ll need Pinkie’s help most of all. And possibly Rarity for the last bit.”

The idea that Sonata needed Pinkie for something kind of scared Sunset when she thought about it. Sonata was whimsical and airheaded at the best of times, but when she and Pinkie got together, things tended to veer straight into a cavalcade of arbitrary disaster, usually involving party string and tartly worded warnings from city hall. But Sonata waylaid these concerns slightly.

“How much of that canvas she bought at Whitetail do you think she still has left?”

“Um,” Sunset pondered. “I don’t know. A lot I suppose. I haven’t seen her parachuting any more than usual.”

“Good,” Sonata said, rubbing her hands together and smiling like an evil genius. She tried out a half-baked maniacal laugh, making several people in the parking lot stare at her.

“Do I want to know why you’re trying to scare octogenarians to death?” Sunset asked with a grimace.

“Don’t you fret about that,” Sonata patted her head condescendingly. Sunset folded her arms and tried to look stern, but it was hard when Sonata was up to her antics. She always just ended up smiling in amusement. “Hey look, Rainbow’s here with the food!”

It had never been worth arguing with Sonata when she set her mind to something. She never heard anything above the first few words. Nevertheless, Sunset had reservations about her idea, and about the way she seemed to want to go about it. The entire thing was a financial issue, so her dismissing the immediate financial obstacle did not bode well. What was more, the entire thing required funding, advertising, participation, the consent of their neighbours and landlord, and most likely a permit from the city. In short, a great deal of paper work. Sunset was just glad spring break was upon them, for between her job and school work she would never have time.

“Applejack will definitely go for it,” Rainbow said on the train journey back. “I got her number already.”

“Well yeah, you’re friends,” Sonata said, puzzled. “Why wouldn’t you have her number?”

Rainbow squinted at Sonata as Sunset explained what a figure of speech was. “You know it’s scary how much like Pinkie Pie you are.”

Sonata seemed to take that as a compliment. “This whole thing will essentially be a giant party, so she’ll pitch in.”

“Rarity will be easy to persuade,” Sunset smirked. “We just have to get her to design us some new clothes for it. She’ll be begging to join in.”

“One can never have too many costumes,” Rainbow Dash gasped in an uncanny impersonation of Rarity. “I never took her for a Daft Punk fan.” They all laughed.

“But seriously, Sonata,” Sunset said, lowering her voice again. “What do you need Pinkie’s canvas for?”

“Well it depends really,” Sonata said, frowning slightly as a sign of deep thinking. “How long do you think until we can do it?”

Sunset thought about this. “It’s a lot of preparation, I don’t really know how long it’ll all take.”

“Ball park estimate?” Rainbow asked.

“Err... I don’t know. Three weeks? If we start today?”

Sonata grinned wickedly again. “Plenty of time.”

“You’ve really gotta stop doing that,” Rainbow said conversationally, as Sonata rubbed her palms together sinisterly.

The moment they returned to the city, Sonata insisted on setting out immediately to their friends’ individual houses to ask them for their participation. Sunset knew better than to stop her, but determined herself to go home and work on some of the logistical issues of Sonata’s idea.

“Oh, okay,” Sonata said, looking slightly disconcerted.

“Did you want me to come with you?” Sunset asked. Sonata paused, then shook her head.

“No, it’s okay. Thanks for going to look up those problems for me. I wouldn’t know where to start.” She laughed.

“I could come with ya,” Rainbow Dash said. “I think they’d be more willing to listen if both of us go.”

“Don’t you have to go home?” Sonata asked. Rainbow waved an airy hand.

“Nah. My dad’ll be at work until seven. I’ve got all day.”

Sunset turned to leave, raising her hand to wave goodbye, when Sonata suddenly spoke again.

“Wait, Sunset,” she hastened over, and held out her art folder. “Could you take that back with you please?”

“Oh. Yeah, no problem,” Sunset assured, taking the folder. Sonata gave her a radiant smile and turned back to join Rainbow Dash.

Sunset Shimmer wondered as she ascended the lift to her room’s floor whether she should ask her neighbours if they minded her and her friends enacting Sonata’s plan. When the lift dinged to a stop, she decided against it for the moment. The first thing to do was to get official authorisation before she asked anyone else’s permission. It was no good asking Mr. Sweet or Mrs. Balm if they minded, if the police were going to swoop in and shut them down anyway.

Back in her apartment, Sunset sat down at her coffee table, marvelling at how easy it was to move without three easels to dodge around. They hadn’t been down in two months. Setting the sketch pad down on the seat next to her, she opened up her laptop and checked a few things before doing a search for her particular issue.

As she scrolled through the city’s official page, she sighed at how ominously long it all looked to be, and so decided to brew some tea to keep her awake. As she brought the steaming mug back to her seat with a half-full packet of biscuits, she accidentally knocked the sketch pad off the chair, and it crashed to the floor. Cursing, she set down her tea and picked it up, praying it wasn’t broken.

The sketch pad had shaken itself half loose, and the zip pocket on the left side had fallen out, but it otherwise looked okay. Straightening the pad back into place, she picked up the pocket, which she found to her surprise was transparent on the back. Looking at it, she found that the pocket contained a small number of papers inside. Intrigued, she went to open the zip to see what they were, but was then struck by a doubt.

I shouldn’t be snooping at these, she thought to herself. If she put them in here, she probably doesn’t want anyone to see them.

But then, she reasoned, what could Sonata possibly be hiding in an art folder? It was hardly the safest or most secure location, so couldn’t, Sunset thought, be anything valuable or overtly personal. Surely. Curiosity finally overcoming her misgivings, she opened the zip, and pulled out the papers inside. Her heart thumped upwards into her throat.

For a moment or two, she could only stare at what she was seeing in bemused amazement. Saying to someone “Sonata can draw,” is frankly a display of how ill-adapted the English language can be to expressing thoughts and feelings. Sonata’s ability to draw was exceeded perhaps only by other surprising talents, like Rainbow Dash’s propensity for sports, or Fluttershy’s curiously empathic connection with animals. But these were beyond anything Sunset believed Sonata capable of, and... and they were all of her...

Holding up the first picture, she somehow instinctively knew what it was. It showed herself on a roof with a stairwell behind her. The her in the picture was standing in an uncertain posture and with a look of mingled fear and concern on her face. And perhaps too, a little shock. The picture was coloured in, so that the picture-Sunset’s hair shimmered gold in the fading light of twilight. She looked as though she were glowing with a faint, personal radiance.

Forgetting her misgivings on the instant, she rifled through all of the pictures in a daze. A sketch of her at school, casually brushing her mane of red and yellow hair from her face. A crosshatch drawing of her working on her laptop and drinking tea. A colour drawing of her singing during the battle of the bands, with her pony ears and tail on prominent display. They went on and on, from the barest sketch to a fairly detailed comic.

Sunset sat kneeling on the floor with the pictures spread around her, her own smiling face looking back at her from multiple directions. Then she jumped as her mobile rang.

“U-Um... y-yes?” she asked, hearing guilt in her own voice.

“Slight change of plan,” Rainbow said from the other end. “We’re all meeting at Sugarcube Corner in two hours. Pinkie has to finish up a birthday party first, so we all said we’d meet there when she’s done.”

“Ah, um... okay.”

“You okay, Sunny?” Rainbow asked, sounding concerned.

“Yeah, fine,” Sunset lied. “Just reading over some of this city regulation stuff. It’s kinda complicated.” She gave a forced laugh, but Rainbow didn’t question it.

“Okay, see you then.”

The phone went dead.

Sunset looked around at all the pictures. What did this mean? Why would Sonata try to hide them like this? Even though Sunset Shimmer honestly didn’t know the answer to these questions, some part of her must have at least suspected the truth. As she gathered them back up into the right order and placed them carefully back into the pocket, she felt uncomfortably warm for it being such a cool spring day, and her face as she sat down to read the page of city regulations didn’t stop glowing pink until she again left the apartment.

- To be Continued

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 4

The Sunrise Sonata Pt4

Sonata Dusk

When Rainbow Dash expressed her opinion of how similar Sonata Dusk and Pinkie Pie really were, she had no lasting conception of how true this statement was. If Pinkie, Sonata, and Pinkie’s sister Maud were all sitting at a bar, a stranger might be forgiven for thinking that Sonata and Pinkie were the sisters, and Maud the hanger on.

Pinkie Pie’s birthday party was in full swing by the time Sonata and Rainbow got there, and whilst Rainbow Dash excused herself to make some quick phone calls, Sonata dived head first into the fun as Pinkie enthusiastically called her to join in. Sonata was happy for the moments she was allowed to make kids laugh with her ditzy one-liners, play the fall-puppet in Pinkie’s Punch and Judy Theatre, and out-eating Pinkie Pie when it came to the birthday cake.

“I’ve already had five cakes today!” Pinkie Pie called out defiantly, as Sonata proclaimed victory and the kids all around cheered like a conquering army.

“Losers weepers!” Sonata laughed.

“Two out of Three!” Pinkie announced, stamping one foot onto the table and leaning on it like an action movie hero. Sonata stood up too, her expression confident.

“Challenge accepted!” she declared, pointing a victorious finger at Pinkie.

They both turned to the counter, where Mr. and Mrs. Cake were looking pale, as though they knew what was coming.

“Bring on the cake!” both competitors cried, to an accompanying cheer from the crowd of children. Mr. And Mrs. Cake gulped, audibly.

By the time everyone else arrived at Sugarcube Corner, and the excitable children had been led away by tired parents, Sonata and Pinkie were both essentially too full to move, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake were looking wan. Sunset arrived last, Sonata noticed looking rather distracted, to find Rainbow Dash and Applejack laughing and poking at the two cake monsters whilst Rarity and Fluttershy sat back taking no notice.

“Hey Sunset,” Sonata wheezed, rubbing her stomach. “You look tired.”

“Huh?” Sunset said, sitting down. “Oh, um, yeah. It’s been kind of a long day, hasn’t it?”

Sonata nodded in agreement. “Want some chocolate cake?”

“Hey,” Pinkie burped. “That’s cheating. You have to eat it all yourself.”

“No, I’m good,” Sonata groaned. “You win.”

“Woo~” Pinkie breathed, raising trembling arms and slipping sideways onto the floor. “Still... cake... queen...”

“Unless you can’t keep it down,” Rainbow grinned, poking her distended stomach.

“Don’t tell her that!” Pinkie moaned, belching and looking distinctly green.

“Anyway,” Applejack said, pulling Rainbow upright to stop her making a mess out of Pinkie Pie. “So what’s going on? Rainbow said it was urgent we all talk.”

With a little help, Sonata eased herself up in her seat, and proceeded between gentle sips of water to explain what had happened to Aria, their trip there that day, and how things stood at present.

“Oh, the poor dear,” Fluttershy sniffed, dabbing at her cheeks with a napkin.

“What a dreadful position to be in,” Rarity said, shakily. “I can’t imagine not being able to walk again, and with no home to go to or friends to take care of her.”

“So I suppose we have a plan of some sort to help out, then?” Applejack asked, frowning seriously. Pinkie mumbled something in the affirmative from under the table, but no one heard what it was.

“Oh yeah,” Rainbow grinned. “Wait until you hear this.” She looked pointedly at Sonata.

Everyone looked around at her, Pinkie for good measure sliding beneath the table and easing herself with all the verve of a wounded snail to lean onto the bench. Sonata took a deep breath.

“My idea is...” she looked around at the faces of her friends, all eagerness and polite expectation. Not a single hint of doubt. “My idea is to hold a fundraising concert.” The entire group other than Rainbow and Sunset looked appropriately surprised. “On top of our apartment building.”

Several moments of silence went by, after which Rainbow broke the tension. “Awesome, huh?” she said with satisfaction, for all the world that it was her that suggested it.

“A concert?” Rarity asked, looking uncertain. “What do you mean, darling?”

“I mean, you guys play songs to a crowd of people who then give us money.”

“Yes,” Rarity said with a little laugh. “Yes, I got that part.”

“What else do you need to know?” Rainbow asked.

“Well fer one,” Applejack put in. “We’ll need a permit from the city for that. Not to mention from Sunset and Sonata’s landlord. That Filthy Rich ain’t exactly known for his generosity.”

“Doesn’t your family do business with him?” Rainbow asked.

“Exactly,” Applejack said, darkly. “We know how he is better than most. So what do we know about getting a permit at least?”

Sonata felt uncomfortable to be the centre of attention when she had no answer. She glanced at Sunset, who seemed to still be distracted by something.

“Sunset?” she said. “Are you okay?” Sunset looked up as though coming out of a reverie.

“What?”

“You were looking up that stuff, weren’t you?” Rainbow asked, leaning across the table. “About the permit and stuff.”

“Oh!” Sunset cleared her throat slightly. “Yeah. Erm, we can get one I should think. If I put in a request now it says we could do it in two weeks since we’d be operating on private property. We’d only need a permit to overcome the noise ordinance.”

“Well that’s that then,” Rainbow said. “And all of you guys are up for it, aren’t you?”

They all nodded and answered in the affirmative. Pinkie raised a hand slowly over the table top and gave a shaky thumbs-up.

“Then what’s left to sort out?” Rainbow asked, confidently.

“Money,” Applejack said, baldly. “We’ll need money to get equipment and stuff. Also Filthy Rich is gonna want payment to use his property.”

“You really don’t like him, do you?” Rarity observed.

“T’ain’t a matter of liking him,” Applejack said. “He’s a businessman, and a good one. That means he ain’t always entirely straight with you.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Sunset said, confidently. “I’ll deal with Filthy.”

“He prefers Rich,” Applejack pointed out, her lip curling.

“I know he does,” Sunset smiled too. “But you’re right. The money for setting everything up is going to be the biggest problem. Vinyl might be able to help us out with some cheaper equipment to rent.”

Sonata didn’t like doing it, but she knew that Sunset was the best qualified person to deal with this sort of administrative thing. She wanted with all her heart to help her, but understood from long experience that intentions to help were all well and good, but that her inability to do so would more likely than not simply mean that she got in the way.

“Well, can’t we pool some resources?” Rarity asked. “Surely we all have something to put towards this?”

Everyone looked awkward. None of them really did. Applejack’s allowance was pitifully small. Rainbow Dash’s father managed her money, and Fluttershy donated the vast majority of hers to her animal centre. Pinkie Pie was a little less frugal than the rest of them, and so honestly couldn’t say she had a penny to put forward.

“Well, I’ll have a think about it,” Sunset said. She frowned thoughtfully for a few moments, and raised her eyebrows as though something were coming to her.

“You got somethin’, sugar cube?” Applejack asked.

“Maybe. I’ll get back to you on it. It might be worth following up on.”

“Okay,” Rainbow said, decisively. “So that aside for the moment, what about songs?”

“One moment, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity put in. “What about advertisement? It’s no good holding a concert if no one knows that we’re playing.”

“I have the advertising part covered,” Sonata said to general surprise.

“You do?” Rarity asked, her astonishment audible in her tone. “I mean, err... that’s good! What did you have in mind?” She giggled nervously.

“Well, I don’t know if it’ll work yet. I’ll need Pinkie’s help, and I need her to do me a huge favour. And if it works, I’ll need your help too, Rarity.”

“W... whatever you... need...” Pinkie writhed.

“Other than that, I can design posters.”

“And the distribution access comes with the permit, so we’re clear there.” Sunset added.

“Now can we discuss songs?” Rainbow asked, plaintively.

“What about costumes?” Rarity asked, enthusiastically. One or two people gave an audible groan, although one of them might just have been Pinkie repressing a burp. “What?” Rarity asked indignantly. “We can’t possibly wear the same ones as last time.”

“Why don’t y’all have a think about it and get back to us,” Applejack said in a tired voice. It seemed to be taking a great deal of her patience to maintain her cool.

“Songs?” Rainbow asked blithely, after a short pause of Rarity fuming and Applejack sighing.

“I have a few we could try,” Fluttershy put in tentatively. “I mean, if you want to, you understand.”

“Flutters and me will come up with something,” Rainbow Dash assured. “Well, that’s everything, right?” she smiled around at everyone, all of whom seemed to agree. “Right. Now did someone mention cake?”

“Hurph!” Pinkie gagged under the table.

Sonata arrived back home much later than Sunset did. Her roommate jumped right off her seat as the door to the apartment flew open and hit the wall, followed by a pink and blue boot.

“Right in here!” came Pinkie’s high-pitched squeals.

A veritable wall of neatly folded canvas pressed against the door frame. With a PFFFFT!, it squeezed through the doorway and roved across the ground towards her. Sonata appeared behind the floating pile, along with Pinkie Pie, and they beamed innocently at Sunset’s look of shock.

“Sonata. What is that?” she asked.

“That’s Pinkie’s sister,” she answered. A wall-shaking crash boomed through the room as the pile of canvas was dropped flatly onto the floor. A grey face with parmaviolet-coloured hair and Pinkie’s bright blue eyes slid sideways from behind the canvas, casting an aura of tense gloom upon the room.

“Thanks Maud!” Pinkie sang, evidently not troubled in the least. “You’re the best sister ever!”

“Thanks,” Maud said, monotonously. “See you later,” she added in the same dull tone, exiting the room.

“She’s so helpful,” Pinkie squeed.

“And freaky strong too,” Sonata added. “That canvas weighs a ton.”

“You should see her throw rocks,” Pinkie said, seriously. “I’ll be by later with the paint, okay?”

“Thanks Pinkie. You da best!”

“No, you da best!”

They launched their fists together in an epic bro-fist. Which missed by miles. Sunset tried to hold in a snort, but it shot out of her nose.

Once Pinkie had left, Sonata bounced onto the sofa, crossed her legs and smiled at Sunset.

“Where’d you put my sketchpad?” she asked.

“Here,” Sunset said quickly, handing it to her. Before Sonata could say a word she returned instantly to her laptop. Sonata frowned slightly as she thought she saw Sunset blushing, but shrugged it off as she opened her pad.

“I’ve got some designs to do,” she said cosily, edging up to Sunset and peering at her screen. “What you up to?”

“Trying to see if I can get my employers to fund us.”

“Your employers?” Sonata asked. Then she started. “Wait, you work?”

“Of course I work,” Sunset laughed. She looked at Sonata incredulously. “How do you think I pay my half of the rent?”

Sonata had to admit that she had a point there. “So, what do you do?”

“I’m the web master and accountant for The Flim Flam Brothers' Everything-Under-The-Sun Emporium.”

“Huh!?” Sonata exclaimed.

“Believe it or not, I am an adult by Equestrian terms. I was an accountant besides Princess Celestia’s student. The website making thing I learned at school and online.”

“Huh...” Sonata said again, though more subdued. “But you’re still a teenager here.”

“Yeee-ah,” Sunset said, slowly. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone this was my job,” she smiled knowingly.

“Wait a second,” Sonata said, holding up both hands. “You work for those two guys who own the pawn shop?”

“Well it’s not exactly a pawn shop. They’re not registered—“

“Those guys swindled me out of my favourite jacket!”

Sonata went on for a little while about “those two jerks!”, and Sunset let her do it whilst she tended to the paperwork for the scheme. Within an hour, Sonata had settled down, rifled out three or four poster designs, and had begun work on her master plan. The coup de grâce of this whole enterprise. She was so enamoured in her own little world that she didn’t notice the side glances Sunset kept giving her every few minutes.

“What do you think of these?” she asked finally, as Sunset surfed the news.

“I like this one,” Sunset said thoughtfully, after considering the four designs. It featured a vertical slope of their band, with Rainbow and Sunset at the front singing and playing, and Pinkie at the back on the drums, their other friends in between. The legend The Rainbooms was decked out over the top.

“Okay,” Sonata replied.

“Although I’d change the font of the writing to something that goes more with the clothing and background. Thinking on the clothing actually, you might want to check with Rarity and draw the clothes she makes us.”

Sonata scribbled some notes about Sunset’s advice on the back of the page and tucked them all away. She went to get up, but Sunset began to speak again.

“Hey, Sonata. Can I ask you something?”

“That kinda counted as asking me something,” Sonata grinned.

“Oh, I deserved that one, didn’t I?” Sunset smiled, looking less tense. “Well, I just wanted to ask, erm... do you have... anyone you like?”

“I like lots of people,” Sonata said, puzzled.

“No, I mean...” she paused and said something under her breath. Perhaps should have seen that coming. “I mean, someone you fancy. Someone, you know, you like-like.”

Sonata blinked. The term was not familiar to her, to be honest. “Do you mean, is there someone I’m in love with?”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, sheepishly.

“Lots of people used to love me,” Sonata said, a little sadly. “I made them do it, so I suppose it doesn’t really count. But I’ve never been in love with someone, I don’t think.”

“Oh,” Sunset said. Her eyes were fixed on her computer screen, but they didn’t move.

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason, really. I just wondered.”

Sonata raised an eyebrow. “What made you wonder?” When no answer came, she asked “Is there someone you like-like?”

Sunset didn’t answer immediately. She seemed to mull the question over seriously, opening her mouth with great deliberation. “I... don’t know.”

“You don’t know if there’s someone that you like?” Sonata asked. This made no sense to her. Surely you either liked someone or you didn’t. Right?

“Well, I’m not sure how they feel, so I’m not sure how I feel,” Sunset elaborated, dully. She sat back on the sofa and folded her arms, looking deep in thought. “How do you know if someone likes you?” she asked finally, looking at Sonata for the first time. Sonata looked into her eyes, and despite her naive disposition, she saw that the question was one that Sunset very much wanted answering. As though it were something monumentally important to her. As such, she gave it due consideration.

“You ask them,” she said finally. “I guess,” she added lamely.

Sunset’s eyes widened. She looked faintly taken aback. “Ask them?” she muttered in a wondering tone, as though the notion were something startlingly imaginative. Sonata watched her ponder this for a few moments, and then snickered.

“Shimmy, you so silly,” she bumped her shoulder into Sunset companionably. “Why are you getting so serious about this?”

Sunset’s thoughtful expression melted into a small smile. “You’re right,” she said, as though amused at her own foolishness. “Guess I’m just tired or something. All this red tape wears you out, you know?”

“How about I get us some coffee from the Zebrabucks down on 12th?” Sonata said, giving Sunset’s shoulder a rousing shake. “I can get one of those asiago pretzel things you like.”

Sunset’s face brightened. “Yeah, I’d like that.” She reached for her bag.

“Don’t worry, I got this one,” Sonata said firmly, standing up. “I owe you for everything. I know all this red tape stuff has to be hard, and you’re doing it because I asked you to.” She paused, feeling suddenly warm. “I at least owe you a coffee,” she concluded with a small and heartfelt smile.

Outside the apartment door, Sonata paused and looked back at the door, wondering. Her thoughts trailed after her as she made her way out of the complex and down the street to the coffee shop. Although she didn’t know it, both she and Sunset Shimmer were having the same internal reflection, and both having equally bad luck in coming to any sort of conclusion.

- To be Continued

The Drunken Night Sonata NOT CANON

The Drunken Night Sonata

Sunset’s e-mail inbox was bulging. It seemed to her that both FlimFlam Brothers were bombarding her with responses at the same time from separate accounts. She slammed down her laptop in annoyance just before Sonata returned from the coffee shop. Looking up hopefully for what she expected to be a tray of coffee and a bag of pretzels, she saw instead that Sonata was holding a brown paper bag with what sounded like several full bottles.

“What’s that?” Sunset frowned. Sonata pulled a bottle out.

“I met AJ on the corner, selling apple cider. She gave me some for free.”

“Free?” Sunset said. “Did you offer to pay her?”

“Yeah,” Sonata said, awkwardly. “She said they were on the house, on account of... you know, Aria.”

“Ahh,” Sunset nodded. “That’s just like Applejack. You know, I chewed her out once over this stuff before the Fall Formal,” she said as Sonata handed her a bottle. She contemplated the orangey liquid in it for a moment. Something seemed off about it. “There’s no label on here,” she observed.

“Not on this one either,” Sonata added, looking at another bottle.

“And it doesn’t look carbonated,” Sunset looked closely. “Oh well, maybe it’s just apple juice or something.”

Sonata sat down on the sofa, her characteristic posture of legs folded and leaning on Sunset’s shoulder. “It is home-made,” she said, as though that explained everything. “How’s the paper work coming?”

“Badly,” Sunset sighed. “If I could still use magic, I’d use any amount of it to get those brothers just a single generous bone somewhere in their bodies.”

“Silly Shimmy,” Sonata poked her playfully in the shoulder. “Bones can’t be generous.”

“Expression,” Sunset said, giving a tired smile.

“I knew that,” Sonata said, unconvincingly.

For lack of anything better to do, she unstoppered the cork to the bottle she held, and took a large swig. Sunset leapt away from her as she choked on it, spraying a large quantity of orange drink and spit across the coffee table.

“What did you do that for!?” Sunset cried, balancing off the sofa arm. Sonata coughed and wheezed, massaging her throat.

“It’s... it’s hot?” she gasped, uncertainly. “It’s like... sharp or something.”

Frowning, Sunset uncorked her own, and took a careful sip. She recoiled slightly.

“You’re right, it is.” She rubbed her chin. “Maybe the carbonation wasn’t brewed in correctly or something.”

“The carbonation?”

“These are supposed to be fizzy I think. Maybe they made them wrong and that’s why they taste funny.”

Sonata was cautiously trying her again. “It’s not so bad when you’re expecting it.” She took a larger swig. “Yeah, I could like this.”

Sunset watched her guzzle about half the bottle. She wasn’t so sure, but took a large gulp as though hoping doing so might make the hit impact less. She was wrong. The burning sensation intensified in her mouth and throat as she tried to swallow. Gasping for air, she hiccupped, feeling a hot bubble shoot up from her. Sonata gave a snort of laughter as Sunset covered her mouth, her face burning with embarrassment.

“S-shut up!” she complained. Wait, what? Why do I sound so... whiny? Sonata laughed harder and pointed at her.

“You’re so red, it’s just so cute!” she pinched Sunset’s cheek.

“Whoa,” Sunset said, suddenly, holding up her hand for Sonata to stop. “What’s going on here?”

Now, it may be considerate of us to think that we be understanding of our heroine’s ignorance on the subject of alcohol. Equestria was not a major producer or imbiber of alcohol on the whole. Alcohol had been introduced by the Griffon Kingdoms centuries ago in the form of a cooking component, used widely in meals and more especially, famed Griffon desserts. Sunset Shimmer had had no concept of what alcohol was or what it did upon entering the human world, and what she knew of it since came from school. Which meant that whilst she knew a great deal about it, she had never actually been introduced to it, nor shaken its hand, and so did not recognise it when she saw it.

Sonata’s excuse was perhaps rather more lamentable. The simple truth was that neither Adagio nor Aria found it the least bit advisable to introduce it to Sonata. Adagio considered herself above its consumption, and Aria saw it mostly as a means of manipulating others, but both had witnessed and understood its effects, and so made a personal pact to never let Sonata within five rooms of it.

“You know, I’ve been wondering that,” Sonata said, absently finishing off her bottle and setting it down a little shakily. “Have you seen these things over here?”

Without really meaning to, Sunset also took another large swig of her own bottle. “W-What things?” she asked, forgetting her previous thought. She stood up, but found it a little hard.

“These things over here,” Sonata said, seriously. “I’ve only just noticed them today. They’re all over the wall.”

Sunset moved to stand beside her, annoyed by how the easel and the coffee table seemed to lean in to cut her off. She looked at the wall curiously for a moment.

“What?” she asked, draining the last of her own bottle. The taste wasn’t pleasant exactly, but it grew on you.

“These things,” Sonata said, tugging on a painted canvas square. It fell off the wall as the pin suspending it pinged away. Sonata snickered as though she found this very funny. And then Sunset giggled too. It was funny, she realised. She reached up and tugged one too, and both of them erupted into barely stifled chuckles as the pin spun across the room.

“No, wait,” Sunset said, conspiratorially. “Whoever put them there will be mad if we keep doing that.”

“Ooooh,” Sonata whispered back, the word unnecessarily long. “Right, so... um... was there any more of that drink? I’m thirsty again.”

Sunset checked the bag.

“One,” she pouted. “Well that wasn’t very nice of her. Why give us... err...”

“Three?” Sonata suggested.

“Yeah, three.”

“I got it,” Sonata said, as though a wonderful idea were occurring to her. “We can share,” she finished in hushed, impressive tones.

“Oh yeah,” Sunset frowned, her eyes a little watery. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Once the third bottle had been drained, both of them had found it agreeable for some reason to look up some internet videos that for some equally unknown reason they suddenly remembered were hilarious. Slurring heavily over her explanation of why monkeys were typically the best for animal comedy videos, Sunset spotted Sonata’s sketchpad.

“You know,” she said thickly. “You’re a mean girl.”

Sonata gave a somewhat uncontrollable giggle and poked Sunset playfully with her finger.

“No, no, I’m serious,” Sunset said, slamming her hand onto the coffee table perhaps a little harder than she intended. She picked up the sketchpad. “Why did you hide away the pictures of *hic* me?”

Sonata slowly but surely stopped her snickering as a look of puzzlement edged its way across her face. This took a few moments.

“How do you know about those pictures?” she asked, the pitch of her voice rising and lowering at apparently random intervals.

“Well, because I found them,” Sunset said, as though explaining something very simple to someone very stupid. Sonata seemed to think about this.

“Oh,” she said, succinctly. “Did you like them?”

“Son... Sona...” Sunset sighed a heartfelt sigh. “Your name is hard to say.”

“Sonny?” Sonata suggested. “Sonny and Sunny,” she said, erupting into fresh giggles.

“Sonny,” Sunset began again, leaning drunkenly towards her. “I have something I need to say,” she slurred, sternly.

“You like me!” Sonata laughed, triumphantly. Sunset paused for a long while, thinking hard.

“W-Whaaaat?” she said in a feeble attempt to sound as though the suggestion were absurd. Why was the room changing size?

“Don’t you lie to me, young missy,” Sonata chuckled, poking Sunset’s nose. “You said it before, you asked me who I like, because you like me.” She looked directly into Sunset’s eyes. “I’m not stupid you know, even though I’m not smart.”

“Hey, wuh-nuh,” Sunset admonished, pushing Sonata’s face away. “Nuh, you are smart.”

“No I’m not,” Sonata shook her head hard from side to side like a small child might.

“Yes you are!” Sunset slurred more insistently. “And I’s prove it to you!”

She stood up, pulling Sonata with her by the wrist. She led her into the bedroom, narrowly missing the door frame, and looked blearily around for something. Sonata, who seemed to have trouble standing, sat on the bed, still giggling copiously. Sunset mulched around the sparse furnishings and affects in her room, before finally looking in the last place she would ever think to look for it. Her bedside table.

“Ah ha!” she said, sitting down next to Sonata and holding up a thick, brown book. “See here,” she flipped through several pages of the journal, and jabbed a finger onto the page.

“Intelligence isn’t just knowing facts and figures. It’s about knowing how to apply what you know as well. Princess Celestia said that,” Sunset finished, proudly.

Sonata frowned at the page. After a few moments of silence, she said “Are you sure that’s what it says?”

“Actually no,” Sunset admitted. “Actually I’m having trouble *hic* reading at the moment. But she did say that,” she added, folding her arms.

Sonata stared at her for a long while, her expression hard to read. Despite being basically wasted, her stare was a steady one, and Sunset found herself staring back, feeling the heat in her face return.

“So, you like me,” she said slowly, as though just laying that out there again. “And I know I like you. I should probably tell you that.” She began to say it, but Sunset cut her off with a ninja kiss. Unlike a ninja kiss however, she missed completely. They both recoiled, Sonata holding her nose, Sunset’s hand at her mouth.

“S-Sorry,” Sunset blurted, sucking at her lip a little. Sonata prodded her nose gingerly, seeing if it would bleed.

“No,” she slurred. “No I get it. It was a good try.” Sunset glared at her. “Okay, no, it sucked. But hey,” she shrugged, giving a winning smile. “Practise makes perfect.”

The second kiss was more-or-less successful. Their lips met, probing each other, the never-ceasing motion of the world making it hard for Sunset to focus entirely on the job. She held Sonata’s cheeks with both of her hands, and Sonata’s fluttered to Sunset’s middle. It was a few moments before she realised what Sonata was trying to do. Pulling her tongue from between Sonata’s teeth, she gazed blearily at Sonata, whose already red face turned redder still.

“I suppose I should have asked first,” she mumbled. Clueless as always.

Some part of Sunset, the currently unheard, sober part of her, told her that what she was doing was a very bad idea. But the free-flowing world whispered to her of how much she wanted this, and somehow what she knew would usually be her concern and her hesitation just didn’t appear. She reached up, and pulled the black ring around her neck over her head, allowing the pink fabric to fall away. As though trying to be fair, Sonata removed her shirt as well, slipping it from her slender shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. Her white bra stood out startlingly in the semi-dark of the room, contrasting sharply with Sunset’s black one.

As Sunset gazed, finding it difficult to look away, she was suddenly aware of a primal sort of clawing in her vitals, a predatory instinct that surged up inside her and urged a seed of longing to burst into full bloom. Without a thought of hesitating, she pushed Sonata backwards onto the bed by the shoulders, pinning her. Sonata was either too dazed to cry out, or simply was too surprised to. She looked up at Sunset with shocked eyes, giving Sunset the agreeable feeling of being a fox upon a rabbit. She raised a hand to reach out for what she wanted, as the darkness gathered about them.

Morning came very abruptly to Sunset Shimmer. As the first rays of morning sunshine leaked into the bedroom through the slit in the curtains, Sunset twitched away from it. She raised her head from her pillow and received an indignant stab of pain that seemed to throb across her entire head. She groaned and lay back down, but now that she was aware of the throbbing she couldn’t ignore it. Groaning again, she rolled over to the side of the bed and tried to plant her feet on the floor.

This herculean feat practically delivered the death blow to her complaining brain. Vertical, she covered her forehead with her hand, trying to remember what had happened. It was hard. Really, really hard.

She looked at the bed through bloodshot and blurry eyes. As her vision stabilised, she saw that the sheets were a tangled mess. What had she done last night? The room had an unfamiliar smell to it as well. Or maybe the unfamiliar smell came from her, for it followed her out of the room

Dragging herself to the kitchen, she made herself some coffee, and sat down on the sofa, trying to clear her head. It was a few minutes before she realised something was wrong. Then another minute more before she realised what it was.

“Sonata?” she said feebly. Even this small utterance was enough to give her pounding head a sharp shock. A sudden banging on the door made her wince and hold her hands to her ears. “Come in,” she said faintly.

The door opened tentatively, and in stepped Applejack, looking uncomfortable. Then she saw Sunset and looked even more uncomfortable.

“Oh,” she said. “Um...” she looked away pointedly, blushing slightly. Sunset looked down at herself, and was slightly surprised to see that she was in nothing but her underwear. That was most unlike her.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, wrapping a blanket hanging on the sofa’s back around herself. “Don’t know what’s come over me this morning.”

Applejack looked between her and three empty bottles on the table. “I think I have some idea,” she sighed. “That’s actually what ah came to talk to y’all about.”

Sunset listened patiently through the short and quiet explanation, sipping her coffee and swallowing the maximum safe amount of headache pills.

“I thought it was weird they didn’t have labels,” Sunset groaned. “What were you even doing with Granny Smith’s moonshine anyway?”

Applejack mumbled something about loading the truck up wrong, and something about Applebloom not following instructions correctly.

“So basically what you’re saying is that Sonata and I got whammed last night?”

“Your hangover suggests yep.” Applejack grinned, guiltily. “You didn’t do anything crazy did you?”

Sunset considered this question. Now that Applejack mentioned it, she was having a difficult time remembering what had happened. She remembered Sonata coming back. She remembered trying the drinks. She even remembered watching the internet videos. It got a little blurry after that though. Something about trying to prove something or other to Sonata had led them to her bedroom to look at her magic journal...

Sunset’s heart missed a beat. Applejack gave her a funny look.

“You alright, sugar cube?” she asked, leaning forward. “Y’all have gone awful pale.”

Sunset didn’t answer her, but at that exact moment, a groan came from the bedroom door, and Sonata squinted painfully away from the sunlight. Leaning on the door, wearing nothing but her underwear as well, she leaned on the door frame and gave a wan smile at Applejack.

“Hey AJ...” she said delicately. “Those drinks were killer.”

Applejack frowned at her slightly, then looked at Sunset. Sunset’s face had gone bright red, her suddenly wide eyes full of secret meaning.

“Ah think ah need to leave you two to work this out,” she said hurriedly, blushing herself.

“W-What were you doing in my room?” Sunset asked, aghast.

“Duh,” Sonata groaned. “Don’t you remember last night?”

“See y’all!” Applejack sped up, opened the door, and zoomed out. Sonata and Sunset both winced and moaned harmonically as the door slammed.

After an hour or so, once the headache tablets kicked in and the coffee began to work its miracle on them both, Sunset dared to raise the question again, her face still bright red.

“So... I have to admit, I don’t remember everything from last night.”

“No, I didn’t think that you would.” Sonata smirked over her half drunk coffee.

“Why?” Sunset asked, curious. To her consternation, Sonata gave a little chuckle, although it seemed to cost her.

“What was the last thing that you remember?” she asked, giving Sunset a knowing smile. Something in that smile made Sunset feel she was going to regret answering.

“Well,” Sunset said, her face burning worse than ever. “We kinda... said a few things. Things we might not have-“

“Things that needed saying,” Sonata clarified. “Yeah, and then.”

“Then we... well, I kind of... fell on—“

“You leapt on me and pinned me down,” Sonata said, firmly, although still not above a loud whisper. “You leapt on me and held me down. It was so awesome.”

“Okay, yeah,” Sunset said whilst biting her lip and turning her mug around in her hands. “Yes, I... I held you down and... um...” that was where her memory ended.

“You blacked out,” Sonata finished, nodding wisely.

Sunset stared at her, the colour that had threatened to overflow her face draining rapidly from it.

“I... I blacked...”

Sonata grinned at her. “You were staring at me liked you wanted to bite me, and honestly I would have let you,” she said reminiscently. “I don’t know what all that was. But then your eyes kinda went out of focus and you fell on top of me.”

Sunset stared at her in disbelief. Her mug fell out of her hand and dropped a few remaining drops of coffee across the floor. Putting her head into her shaking hands, she tried to ignore the mingled look of compassion and merriment.

“Celestia kill me now...” she pleaded.

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad,” Sonata said soothingly, sitting next to her in her usual cross-legged posture and patting her consolingly on the shoulder. “I mean yeah, the first kiss was pretty bad, but the second one was magical,” she sighed as though remembering it fondly. “And the pouncing was very exciting. And you’re not really heavy, so it was kind of romantic you lying on top of me. I think you must have pushed me out of the bed whilst we were sleeping or something though, because I woke up on the floor. Carpets hurt to sleep on” she added, as though committing that information to memory.

“Please stop talking,” Sunset groaned through her fingers.

“No, no, it was okay for a first time,” Sonata insisted. “We were never going to do a perfect run the first time, were we?”

Sunset allowed these words to wash over her for a few, long moments before she managed to digest their meaning. She looked up at Sonata, red impressions of her fingers imprinted on her cheeks like war paint.

“First time?”

Sonata shrugged in that adorably oblivious way that she had. “Like I said: Practise makes perfect,” she smiled. “Do you think we could get Granny Smith to make us more of that stuff?”

Author's Note

PSYCHE!!!! Trolololo...

Not canon, dear readers. You who made me do this, you know who you are, behold what you have wrought!

Down vote counter: 3

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 5

The Sunrise Sonata Pt5

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset was on the phone when Sonata returned from the coffee shop. As Sonata set the tray of coffee down, the smell of warm pastries filled the room. Sonata bit into her own and munched it loudly with her legs crossed on the sofa, whilst Sunset set the phone back on the table.

“Aria is going to be transferred tomorrow. Apparently the situation wasn’t as bad as it appeared so they reckon she’s going to be alright.”

Sonata’s munching slowed. “Oh,” was all she seemed able to muster. Once she finished her pretzel, she grabbed her coffee and stood up. Sunset watched her with an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach that was sort of like fear or trepidation. Sonata was naturally oblivious, slipping her art shirt on and tucking her ponytail into the back. Then came the first curious part of the business: She strode over to the pile of canvas with a pair of scissors and a metre stick.

“Um, what are you doing?” Sunset asked, breaking off a piece of her own pretzel.

“Working,” Sonata said with standard vagueness.

“On what?”

“The advertising of course,” she gave Sunset an amused look. Sunset was suddenly more alert.

“You don’t need all that canvas to make posters,” she said quickly. “We’ll just get a printing agency to do it.”

“I’m not making the posters,” she laughed. “Silly Shimmy.”

“I must be getting really silly lately,” Sunset gave Sonata a wry look. “You’ve been calling me that a lot.”

“I’m making something else, something I think everyone will like.” She paused a second with her pencil half way to the canvas. “Well I hope they do anyway, because it’s going to be hard for them not to see it.”

Sunset didn’t say anything to this. Again, feelings of uncertainty about the whole enterprise bubbled up within her. She watched Sonata at work for a little while, her expression set into the determined look of concentration that only came over her during her painting sessions. It was so alien an expression to Sonata’s usual personality that Sunset understood the level of devotion she felt. It dimmed her doubt, and gave her confidence that perhaps the whole thing might go well.

The daylight faded quickly, and Sunset found herself yawning over her keyboard. She went to bed shortly after, wishing Sonata a goodnight, but received no reply. She wasn’t particularly surprised by this, as Sonata frequently became mysteriously deaf whilst painting, and so paid it no mind. When she got up the next morning however, and found Sonata still painting, she was given momentary pause.

“When did you get up?” she asked, looking at the clock. “Um, where’s the clock?” Almost the entire wall where the clock used to be was smothered by a layer of canvas squares. “Did you stay up all night?” she asked, aghast.

Sonata didn’t reply. Paintbrush raised, she had the usual splashes and smearings of paint on her face and in the fringe of her hair, but she looked drawn and pale, and frankly a little ill. Only her magenta eyes looked the same, burning with intent and determined light. Sunset looked at her for a few moments, awaiting a reply.

“Sonata?” she said again, shaking her shoulder. Sonata looked round.

“Huh?” she said, uncomprehendingly.

“Did you go to bed last night?”

Sonata frowned at her for a moment, and then looked at the window. Beams of morning sunlight cut through the gaps in the curtains and cast odd shapes onto the wall. Sonata seemed faintly surprised.

“I haven’t been to bed yet,” she said.

“Don’t you have to go to work today?” Sunset asked solicitously.

“I told my boss about Aria. He told me to take off what I needed until she’s okay,” she smiled at Sunset. “It’s not like my job is all that important to them after all. I have enough saved to pay my part of the rent though.”

“You have to get some sleep,” Sunset said, firmly, looking at the couch and scowling. “How do you expect to fold out your bed with all this stuff on it?” she admonished, going to move some of the canvas there. Sonata jumped in alarm.

“No!” she cried. “Please don’t move those. They need to dry.”

“Fine,” Sunset said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Go sleep in my bed then.”

Sonata protested that she didn’t need sleep, but Sunset was having none of it. Sunset pulled Sonata’s art shirt off, confirming in her own mind at least that Sonata was too sleepy to resist much, and pushed her grimly towards the bathroom.

“You’re having a shower, and going to bed. When you wake up, I’ll make you some breakfast. Or lunch by that point I suspect.”

Sonata resisted to the last. Emerging from the shower, she tried to plead to go back to painting, but Sunset was firm. The bags under Sonata’s eyes spoke louder to her than Sonata’s words, and no amount of pleading or puppy-dog eyes could budge her. She ordered the starving artist to bed and shut the door behind her with a snap.

Returning to the wall with the canvas squares, she tried to make out what they were supposed to be. Each square had a highly detailed something or other on it, but the detail was so good, so complex that Sunset couldn’t for the life of her tell what they were supposed to be. Staring at one, she thought perhaps she distinguished what might have been an eye. Or maybe it was a complicated piece of sea landscape. She shrugged and went to go make herself breakfast.

The day passed slowly for Sunset Shimmer. The dulcet sounds of Sonata’s sonorous snoring resounded from her bedroom, and the slow progress persuading the Flimflam Brothers to show some actual human sympathy was taxing. The day went so unutterably slowly that Sunset found herself daydreaming, sometimes picking up Sonata’s sketch pad and looking at the hidden pictures, wondering to herself their meaning. The one glimmer of satisfaction came from the city approving the permit, and Sunset being able to go around to her neighbours and ask for their permission to go ahead with their plan.

Slightly to her surprise, almost everyone was quite enthusiastic about the idea, and only one or two seemed had some initial misgivings until Sunset explained why it was happening. When they heard that a girl’s ability to walk, perhaps even to live was on the line, they raised no more objections, but happily gave their assent.

As Sunset and Applejack had anticipated however, the landlord proved to be the one main obstacle to the plan going forth. Sunset’s e-mail to Filthy Rich elicited a tartly worded phone-call from him about her forming plans without consulting him first. It was his property after all. With the phone on speaker, Sunset argued for an hour and a half, which unfortunately for Filthy Rich, old Mr. Ferry next door happened to hear as he left to go to his weekly chess games. Within thirty minutes of Sunset slamming the phone down, she heard back from him with a more sober offer that she go ahead with her plan. It was only later that Sunset understood from something she overheard in the lobby downstairs that Filthy Rich had received calls from almost every other tenant complaining about his refusal to allow the event to go ahead.

At about lunch time, Sunset received a phone call from the city hospital informing her that Aria had arrived and was doing well. But when the caller told Sunset that Aria had asked for her to come visit her, Sunset had to ask the woman to repeat herself.

“She asked for Sonata Dusk,” the woman’s voice said, sounding like she was reading off something. “Are you Sonata, miss?”

“No, I’m her roommate. I’ll tell her though,” she assured the woman.

Sunset’s attempts to wake Sonata were unsuccessful. Not that she tried very hard. Standing beside the bed, gazing down at her, she had to admit she didn’t feel terribly compelled to wake her from such a peaceful looking slumber. True, Sonata had a tendency to splay herself with arms and legs at odd angles, the covers tangled at odd places, but her face looked serene and peaceful, and that was enough to make Sunset very reluctant to wake her.

She shook her shoulder a little, but Sonata only drooled onto her pillow, mumbling incoherently.

And so Sunset determined that she should go to the hospital alone. If Sonata wanted to go later, they would go. But for now, Sunset felt that perhaps it would be best if she went alone to see Aria. Their first meeting had not gone well to say the least, and Sunset suspected that part of the reason might have been her own attitude. She had to admit to herself that she couldn’t think of Aria without some amount of resentment and loathing, considering what she’d done to Sonata. But on the other hand, what they were doing now was trying to help her, and it was important to Sonata that they do so, and so she supposed it would be the right thing to do to try and make amends.

With this aim in mind, she set off to the hospital.

The city hospital was not terribly different from the one in Baltimore, but it was taller and not so wide, and surrounded by an urban zone as opposed to the tall, imposing walls of shops that Baltimore seemed to possess in abundance.

Somewhat to her surprise, she didn’t have to enter the hospital at all. To the side of the entrance next to a patch of grass and some ornamental trees was Aria seated in a wheelchair, an attendant standing nearby smoking a cigarette. At Sunset’s approach, Aria looked up. She looked even worse than before in Sunset’s opinion. Her pale complexion had waxed into a bloodless greyish tinge to her skin, and the black rings around her eyes looked deeper, more defined.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” she said, weakly.

“Sonata had work,” Sunset lied. “She said she’d come by afterwards.”

Aria nodded. “We’re good out here,” she said to the attendant. He looked questioningly at Sunset.

“I’ll watch her,” Sunset assured. The man nodded.

“Be back in thirty minutes,” he said, walking back towards the hospital entrance.

“Let’s go over here,” Aria said, rolling herself over towards the side of the hospital.

“Let me do that,” Sunset said, going to push the chair herself.

“I’ve got it,” Aria said sharply. Sunset paused, tightening her lips, but followed her around the side of the building.

The wind was blocked by the building’s immense height, and their voices carried better in the stillness. Aria’s voice was low and raspy, as though she had a bad case of the flu. Before continuing, she took out a rather large pill and a bottle of water. She swallowed with difficulty.

“Have to take these,” she explained. “They force feed them to me otherwise.” She made a disgusted noise. “Fascists.”

Sunset didn’t inquire. “Listen, I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that when you were sick.”

Aria snorted. “Don’t sell yourself short there. You said what was on your mind. I got no problem with that. After all, I’m kind of a bitch. You might be a loser and an idiot, but I think that trumps bitch.”

Sunset digested that. She suspected there might have been a compliment in there somewhere. “Still, I shouldn’t have let my feelings about Sonata influence how I treated you.”

“Do me a favour,” Aria said in a lower voice. “Keep her away from me.”

“W-What?” Sunset asked after a short, shocked pause.

“You heard me,” Aria went on. “Keep her away from me. I called her over today to tell her to stay the hell away.”

Sunset just stared at her. Anger licked up inside her but she fought it down. “I get you’re scared about not being able to walk again, but listen.” And she explained about the concert Sonata had planned, and all the work she and their friends had already done. To her bewilderment, the more that she spoke the angrier Aria seemed to become. A dull red flush suffused her face, and her brow darkened moment by moment.

“Please just stop.”

“But we’re trying to help you.” Sunset was completely taken aback.

“Well stop it. I don’t need your help,” she grumbled, turning her chair around. Sunset was too shocked to speak for a moment or two, but as Aria began to wheel around, she grabbed the handle of the chair.

“I beg to differ,” Sunset said with a bitter laugh. “Adagio paid for you to come here, and without us you might never walk again. And what do you think you’re going to do after this? What part of any of that makes you think that you don’t need help?”

“Excuse me,” Aria snapped, coldly. “I should have said that I don’t want your help.” Sunset’s jaw tightened.

“What is your problem?” she demanded, standing in front of her. “Sonata’s done nothing but be nice to you and try to help you out as much as she can, and you have nothing to say to that but leave me alone? Just what the hell is wrong in your head?”

“Shut your mouth!” Aria barked. “Sonata is a useless, talentless waste of space! I hate her, I’ve always hated her! If it had ever been my choice I’d have thrown her off the tallest building I could find and watch her hit the road below! You think you can come here and tell me how I should run my life, what help I choose to receive? You go back to your sad little apartment and you tell that little bitch from me, you tell her she can go—“

Sunset had heard enough. Rage seethed through her mind, obliterating her sense of restraint. She pulled back her hand and punched Aria in the mouth. As she raised it to hit her again, she stopped, fist trembling.

Aria hadn’t cried out, nor did she look remotely surprised. She stared back at Sunset, her expression stony as a trickle of blood seeped down her chin. And in that moment, Sunset realised something. She lowered her fist, feeling coldness leech through her system.

“What’s the matter?” Aria sneered. “Lost your nerve?”

“You... you tried to kill yourself.”

The realisation was so enormous that both of them were momentarily unable to speak. Aria’s expression didn’t change exactly, nor could she turn any paler than her already bloodless complexion would allow, but her eyes gave away her true feelings. Sunset meanwhile was stricken by the lingering scars of Sonata’s own near fatal mistake.

Aria recovered first.

“What are you talking about?” she said, trying to sound scathing, but was no longer able to meet Sunset’s eye.

“Your wounds,” Sunset said, still in the same breathless, astonished tone. “The people who did it. You provoked them to do it. You wanted them to kill you.”

“I didn’t!” Aria snapped. “I mean, I didn’t do that. I didn’t want that. That didn’t happen!” She fidgeted with her water bottle, sweat beading across her forehead. She muttered something Sunset couldn’t hear, but Sunset had had enough. She felt quite sick. “Wait. Where are you going?” Aria looked up quickly, alarm on her face. Sunset didn’t answer her; she just kept walking. “Stop!”

Only the sudden fear in Aria’s voice stopped Sunset Shimmer from walking away. She stood with her back to the girl in the wheel chair, her insides tingling unpleasantly. She didn’t say anything, but waited for Aria to go on.

“I... yes, I did,” Aria whispered. “I-I was alone. I was starving. I’d been living on the streets for so long, I just... I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was going to this... this place where I was told I could earn some money, but...” she swallowed. “I knew that if I went into a place like that, I’d probably never leave. These guys came out and... and it just came over me to...to... to end it.” Sunset heard her repress a sob. “Please. Please don’t tell Sonata.”

“Is that the real reason you don’t want her to come see you?” Sunset asked quietly. Aria seemed to sense the anger in her voice.

“Yes,” she muttered. “I just can’t bear her to see me like this.”

“You’re right,” Sunset whispered, her voice trembling with rage. “You are a bitch. A selfish, jealous, cowardly bitch.”

She turned around rather more soberly than she felt. She wasn’t conscious of making a particular face; her entire body felt oddly numb. The fleeting look of terror on Aria’s face made Sunset suspect something in her face reflected her feelings adequately.

“Sonata cried for you. She worked a sleepless night, travelled to an unfamiliar city, endured your childish attitude, witnessed her own sister coughing up blood, and organised a massive effort to raise money for an operation, all so that she can help you. And you want to drive her away just because you can’t bear the shame of your own self-created misery? You resented the fact that she had friends, that she lived somewhere with someone. You were jealous of the fact that she’d made something of herself and you haven’t.” She glared at Aria, feeling as though she had invisible fists erupting from her eyes. Aria stared back, stricken and unable to look away. “You disgust me,” Sunset breathed, turning away again.

“No, please!” Aria cried, her voice thick. “Please. What am I supposed to do?”

Sunset stopped again. The numbness that had taken over her had absorbed her rage, coalesced everything into a single, tingling heat inside of her. If it was an emotion of some sort, it was an unfamiliar one, something so intense and alien to her, that she could barely register it, let alone understand its nature.

“Whatever you want, Aria,” Sunset said, calmly. “I’m going to go back to my sad little apartment. I’m going to help Sonata organise the concert, and raise the money for your operation. After that, you can do whatever you want. Drown yourself in misery, runaway to whatever corner of the world you want to in order to escape your problems. Kill yourself for all I care. But don’t worry,” she said, turning her head to smile pleasantly at Aria. “Don’t worry. Sonata will never hear anything about it. I’ll personally make sure that she never hears a single thing. Because I care too much about her to let her go through that sort of pain. Just for you.”

Without another word, she strode away. The numbness in her body and mind made everything faintly surreal. As she passed in front of the hospital entrance, she paused, feeling something drop onto her leg. Something wet. Raising a hand to her face, she wiped away wetness from her cheeks. She regarded the wetness with a vague but temporary interest, and then kept walking.

The way home was a blur to Sunset Shimmer. She didn’t go by bus, but walked the distance back, so that by the time she reached the apartment complex the sunlight was beginning to disappear over the horizon. She let herself into her room with her key instead of knocking, not saying anything to her neighbours, nor acknowledging their stares or questions.

As she walked into her rooms, she became faintly aware of an oddity. Sonata hadn’t said anything to her, despite her standing at an easel with her paintbrush out, looking right at her. The canvas squares now covered the entire side of one wall and was encroaching onto another, but Sunset noticed none of it. She sat down on the sofa, and after a few moments, looked up at Sonata.

“Are you alright?” Sonata asked, sounding scared. Sunset didn’t quite understand the look Sonata was giving her. A concerned look mixed with fright; the kind of look one might give a burn victim or a severely ill person. “Why are you crying?”

“Am I?” Sunset asked, not much interested. “I didn’t notice.”

Sonata wiped her paint-smeared face with a cloth, and took off her painting shirt. Whilst Sunset switched on her laptop, Sonata came and sat next to her, looking at her with the same look of deep concern. Slowly and deliberately, she reached out both hands to Sunset’s shoulders, and pulled her over into a gentle embrace, one hand on her head, and the other around her shoulders. Sunset’s apathy was so complete that she didn’t try in the least to resist, but she was vaguely interested.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice quiet and tremulous.

“You’re sad about something,” Sonata whispered. “You’re sad and you won’t tell me why. And I don’t want you to be sad. So I’m going to hold you until you let it all out.”

“I’m not sad,” Sunset said.

She lay against Sonata’s chest, feeling her warmth seep over her and hearing her steady heartbeat. To her horror, a ball of misery rose up into her throat, and her eyes stung with fresh tears. She gave a small sniff.

“That’s right,” Sonata said quietly. “It’s okay to cry if you need to.”

“I don’t need to,” Sunset sobbed. “I’m not sad. I’m not sorry. I wasn’t wrong.” She gasped and took hold of Sonata’s forearm. “So why am I crying?”

“Maybe it’s just time for it,” Sonata said kindly, stroking her hair and holding her closer. Sunset closed her eyes, letting the numbness ebb away into sorrow. As the sunlight faded from the small apartment, colour leeched away, and the shadows gathered about them.

- To be Continued

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 6

The Sunrise Sonata Pt6

Sonata Dusk

Sonata didn’t ask Sunset what the matter was that night. She never intended to ask her; Sunset would tell her in time if she wanted to. It took a while to calm Sunset down, although she denied to the end that anything was wrong. Sonata was patient. She held her friend, stroked her hair, spoke soothing words, kissed her forehead, and made her tea. Nothing but time seemed to help, and maybe Sonata hoped, just her presence was enough to comfort her friend’s pain.

She had never seen Sunset break down like this. Sunset had always seemed beyond breaking down. Even when she and her sisters had pointed out the uncomfortable half-truths during the battle of the bands incident, Sunset hadn’t allowed the taunts to visibly affect her, no matter how much internally they might have hurt.

Eventually, blowing her nose and with a tremulous smile, Sunset sat back up and took a deep breath.

“Sorry about that,” she said, wiping her face with another tissue. “Just a build up I guess.”

“It’s okay,” Sonata smiled, tilting her head to one side. “We all cry sometimes.” She thought for a moment or two, and then stood up. “How about I go get us something from that sandwich shop on the corner? Thai chicken flatbreads always cheer you up.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Sunset conceded. “Sure. Here,” she said, passing her a twenty. “I know you have no cash on you at the moment,” she said, knowingly. Sonata grinned guiltily.

Sonata couldn’t honestly say that she was a particularly thoughtful individual. That is to say, she didn’t habitually think a great deal about things, and preferred to simply do or say things that came to her and wonder about the consequences later. As she strolled down the street to the intersection, tracing the familiar pattern of red and gold bricks of the plaza, she was thinking very, very hard.

Sunset’s behaviour had shocked her. There was no other word for it. When Sunset had stepped into the apartment, Sonata had looked over with the full intent of running over and covering her in a paint-splattered hug. The thought of Sunset with splatters of paint on her face had just been so funny in her head. But Sonata froze when she actually saw Sunset’s face. Tears had stained her cheeks and she was white as a sheet. The image had startled Sonata too much to remember her little trick, let alone say anything to her. Her actions had been instinctive, dredged up from some primordial part of herself that seemed to know what to do, or at least what to try. She was thankful that, for now at least, it seemed to have worked.

Sonata reached for the door to the shop, but her hand hit someone else’s and she pulled away.

“Oh,” she said in slight surprise. “Hi Rarity.”

“Darling!” Rarity said pleasantly. “I’ve been meaning to chat with you. Are you eating in?”

“No, I was getting something for Sunset,” Sonata said, her face falling slightly. “She’s not feeling well.”

“Oh my,” Rarity said, low and serious. “Come on in. It’s a bit chilly to be standing around talking.”

The inside of the shop was small but cosy. It was warm, smelled of fresh bread and coffee, and had a charming retro tea-house style to it, with wooden slat walls and pictures of grand national newspapers in glass cases. It wasn’t exactly Sonata’s scene, but their sandwiches were good. Damn good.

Sonata and Rarity sat down as they waited for their sandwiches, Rarity promising she wouldn’t keep Sonata any longer than she needed to.

“What I wanted to discuss was the dress ideas, since you want to feature them in your posters. I know I gave you some ideas already, and I do think that one set in particular is my personal favourite still, but I think it would be wholly wrong of me not to show you some more ideas.”

Sonata looked over a number of pictures on Rarity’s phone, but something in her face must have shown that her mind wasn’t on target.

“What’s the matter, dear?” Rarity asked solicitously. “You really don’t seem like yourself.”

“I guess I’m just worried about Sunset still. I’ve never seen her like this before.”

This had the effect of grabbing Rarity’s attention entirely. “Like what, Sonata? If she’s really that seriously ill, she might want to see a doctor.”

“She’s not sick,” Sonata said, staring at the table top. “At least, I don’t think that she is. She’s... sad about something. She won’t tell me why, but—“

Rarity listened with a growing look of astonishment as Sonata told her everything that had happened since Sunset came home. By the time Sonata had finished, Rarity’s eyes were wide and her mouth hanging open. Sonata squirmed in her chair, unsure why Rarity was gaping at her.

“Um... Rarity?” she said.

“They weren’t kidding,” Rarity breathed, as though she hadn’t heard Sonata speak. “I thought they were just... they were serious...”

“Hello?” Sonata said, waving her hand in Rarity’s face. “Earth to Rarity.”

Rarity looked up. “Sorry?”

Sonata smiled. “You were spacing out on me there.”

“Oh...” Rarity said, still looking dazed. Then she blinked and looked altogether more serious. “Sonata, are you two, um... uhh...” she hesitated so long that Sonata frowned, confused.

“Are we what?” she asked, oblivious.

“Well it would explain why she had no real interest in Flash,” Rarity said, talking to herself again. “Are you and Sunset... together?” she said delicately.

“We live together,” Sonata said, raising an eyebrow.

“No, no, dear,” Rarity said, leaning forward. “I mean, are you an item? A couple? Two parts of the same whole?” She meshed her fingers together.

“A couple,” Sonata blinked. “Like, boyfriend and girlfriend?” she asked, looking more confused than ever.

“I suppose that’s my answer,” Rarity sighed, shaking her head.

“Why would you think that?” Sonata said, starting to laugh. “I mean, we’re both girls.”

“Well yes, it would never occur to me, of course,” Rarity said as though making a concession. “But come on, darling. This is the 21st century. Two people who love each other no matter who they are isn’t so surprising anymore.”

Sonata considered this. “But I don’t love Sunset—“ She didn’t know what made her stop her sentence. It was as though she had had a sudden thought, or something had just dawned upon her. But nothing did. Subsequent attempts to continue the sentence utterly failed her. “I mean, I like her, sure. She’s great. We live together and she’s patient, kind, generous, understanding...” she trailed adjectives for a little while. Rarity gave her a beady look.

“Sonata, I know that ‘depth’ really isn’t your thing. You’re a charmingly straight forward sort of person. You have no veneer or masks to strip away. But I think you need to have a long, hard think about what it is you feel.”

“But,” Sonata began. “But does Sunset know this? Does she know that a girl can like another girl?”

“By what Applejack and Pinkie told me, she’s known a while,” Rarity muttered.

“What?”

“I’m sure she does, dear,” Rarity said, reassuringly. “Most people do these days, as I say. Now don’t get me wrong,” she said in an even more serious tone and putting a hand on Sonata’s across the table. “I’m not telling you what to feel, or to decide right now. These are matters of the heart. Just feel your way through it, and then decide at the end what you think would be the best thing to do. The only people whom love truly touches are those who feel it.”

A few seconds after this little speech, the sandwiches arrived, Rarity’s on a plate, and Sonata’s in a bag.

“Ugh!” Rarity cried. “I asked you not to give me a pickle!”

As the drama from this little mistake unfolded, Sonata contemplated Rarity’s words. Rarity was right to say that Sonata was not a deep person in the sense that she didn’t affect a personality that wasn’t her real self. She had never considered the subject of love seriously before, and it certainly hadn’t occurred to her with her roommate. The prospect even now was just so... strange. Even as she felt this however, doubts appeared in her mind. Some of Sunset’s behaviour floated to the forefront of her mind and lingered like unanswered questions. And then even some of her own actions, things that she, Sonata, had done that in the open forum of her thoughts didn’t quite make sense. Hiding away her drawings of Sunset. The fact that she liked to be physically close to her whenever she could. The nickname she teased her with. Somehow she had always explained these things away as Sunset just being her friend, but now...

Sonata stood up. “Thanks for showing me the pictures Rarity. See you later,” she said, leaving the table.

“Sonata?” Rarity said, bewildered. “Sonata where are you going?” her sentence trailed off at the end as the door closed with a tinkling of the doorbell. Rarity contemplated the door for a few moments, wondering if perhaps she had gone too far.

Despite her actions at the sandwich shop, Sonata wasn’t as impacted by the information as one might expect. It hit her more as something to think about, not something to worry about, perhaps because she was already too worried about other things. Or perhaps, although this didn’t occur to her, she already knew the answer in the deepest, unknowable parts of herself.

Whatever the case, it didn’t seem to Sonata at least to be the priority now. Aria was in hospital, perhaps never able to walk again, and Sunset was miserable about something. In the face of those sorts of problems, her own issues seemed insignificant.

When she got back to the apartment, she found Sunset apparently much recovered, and even more like her usual self when Sonata passed her sandwich and her change to her.

“Where’s yours?” Sunset asked.

“My what?”

“Sandwich.”

“Oh,” Sonata shrugged. “I didn’t want one.”

Sunset frowned. “I’m not letting you stop eating any more than I’m letting you stop sleeping,” she said, severely. “If I don’t see you eat before I go to bed tonight, I’ll force feed you. Don’t think I won’t.”

“Okay, okay!” Sonata raised her hands in surrender before pulling on her paint shirt. “Got it. Message received. Sí, mi capitán”

She went to continue painting the latest square of canvas, but then paused, and looked back at Sunset on her laptop. Her face was no longer pale. The haunted look had gone from her eyes. She seemed so like her usual self right then, it was as though she had never been sad at all. Sonata genuinely hoped that whatever it was no longer hurt her.

“Something wrong?” Sunset asked, catching Sonata’s eye.

“Huh?” Sonata gave her head a shake. “No, I’m fine. Just daydreaming.” She gave a winning smile and went back to painting. Then she stopped again, paint brush in mid-stroke. She pondered something for a moment, and then asked “When were you thinking of going to bed?”

“In an hour, I guess,” Sunset said, checking the time on her laptop. “Why?”

“No reason. Just don’t want to keep you awake.”

“Good news on the funding front, by the way,” Sunset said with satisfaction. “Flim and Flam are on board, although I had to bargain hard for it. And Vinyl is perfectly happy to set us up with some rental equipment so long as she gets to DJ for us again.”

“What did you end up bargaining Flim and Flam for?” Sonata asked, darkly.

“They get to sell merchandise on our behalf and keep a share of the profits,” Sunset sighed. “They had to be able to make money here or they would never have gone for it. Advertising alone and the appearance of being actual caring human beings apparently isn’t enough for them.” She shook her head in vague disgust. “I honestly wonder how they get along in business at all.”

“By tricking people,” Sonata huffed, splashing an angry stroke of red across her painting.

“Also the printing company is ready and waiting for your poster ideas.”

“They’re ready,” Sonata waved her palette at the small pile on the coffee table.

She finished the square she was working on and set it to dry on the wall. She had two walls full now. She would take down the dried ones tomorrow morning and continue over. Taking another sheet of canvas, she went to sketch the lines to another piece of the project when she halted. An image came into her mind. She looked quickly at Sunset from behind her easel, thinking of her zip pocket of hidden pictures. She sketched out something, modified it a little, stood back and looked at the whole thing. It was a quick picture, a simple sketch, a simple paint job, but there was a restlessness in her that made it overtake her mind. The picture made her happy. Suddenly the prospect of continuing to paint her other project was daunting.

“You know,” she said quite out of the blue. “I think I’ll turn in early tonight. Get a fresh start on it all tomorrow.”

“Well that’s good,” Sunset said. “You’re still eating something though.”

“Of course,” Sonata rolled her eyes. She took the canvas off the easel and waved it through the air a bit, hoping it’d dry a bit quicker, and then making sure Sunset wasn’t watching her, rolled it up and set it aside. Yawning most convincingly, she went to pick something out of the fridge whilst Sunset took a shower.

“Hey, you think I could sleep in your bed?” Sonata asked as Sunset exited the bathroom. She repressed a smirk as she continued “It was really comfy this morning.”

She waited for Sunset to react, to yelp in surprise, or even to give her a stern look. Sonata liked those little reactions, and frequently tried out small things that came to her mind that would evoke them. To her consternation however, Sunset did none of these things. Standing in a long towel and with a smaller one wrapped around her hair, she was looking speculatively at the canvas on the walls, as though debating something within herself. Sonata had the sense that Sunset hadn’t heard her, and was about to repeat her joke, when Sunset spoke up.

“If you like,” she said.

“If I like what?”

Sunset looked at her. “You can sleep in my bed if you like,” she clarified.

“No, no, I was kidding. It was a joke,” Sonata chuckled, hands raised. Sunset didn’t seem to be listening to her again. “I mean, where would you sleep?”

“The bed’s meant for two,” Sunset went on, still contemplating the stretch of canvas squares.

Sonata understood far too late that she’d really landed herself in it now. Rarity’s face drifted irresistibly into her brain, reminding her of their conversation.

She just had to say no. She didn’t want to sleep in Sunset’s bed, it had just been a joke. But she found this simple explanation curiously difficult to give as she looked into Sunset’s face. She suddenly realised that maybe whatever had been on Sunset’s mind earlier was still there, no matter how diminished, weighing on her. She couldn’t say no to her now.

“Oh come on,” Sunset said, possibly guessing some of Sonata’s thoughts from her expression, or from her silence. “We’re both grown up enough not to overreact to something like this. There’s room enough for two. It’s not like I haven’t slept in a room with six other girls before after all.”

“But that’s a slumber party,” Sonata said meekly from behind her easel.

“Think of this as a slumber party then,” Sunset said, turning to her room. “I’m going to sleep. You do what you like. Just try not to make too much noise if you decide to sleep in my room.” She gave Sonata a brief smile and then left to change.

Sonata stood next to her easel until Sunset’s door closed, and then marvelled how effectively she had just screwed herself over. Little though she liked to think about it, she thought that maybe Aria did have something of a point when she said that she, Sonata, had a subconscious penchant for screwing things up.

But, she thought, she could hardly say no now. As uncomfortable as the prospect was, the thought of doing otherwise filled her with something akin to guilt. Quite why, she couldn’t say. So, resigned to her fate, she brushed her teeth as slowly as she could, put her pyjamas on in as much of a prolonged way as possible, took her hair out of its ponytail with a the sort of care one usually employed during bomb-disposal, checked herself in the mirror for any peculiarities she might hitherto not have noticed, and began the short but doom-laden march to bed.

The lights were off inside the bedroom. It was a small room in Sonata’s opinion, but neat and orderly. A small chest of drawers next to the bed held a lamp and the magic journal Sunset kept in order to contact Princess Twilight. Other than a wardrobe and a laundry basket, nothing much else stood in the room. A few photos plastered a corkboard, but the room was very functional. Practical. It didn’t hold much of the personal touches that the living room did.

Having taken in all of these details as though she were bidden to memorise them, Sonata turned her attention at last to the bed, and the person in it. As Sunset had said, it was indeed made for two people, and Sunset lay on the side of it closest to the door, facing away from the other side. Sunset wasn’t asleep Sonata knew, so she quietly made her way around the bed and gently lifted the sheet. Gingerly she sat down, wincing as the springs groaned beneath her. Then she lifted one leg in, and then the other, trying hard to stay to the margins. The process was taking an extraordinarily long time to perform, given how simple the action itself should have been.

“Will you just lie down!” Sunset erupted. Sonata jumped, yanking the covers over herself and holding still. She was in. She lay stiff as a board, feeling the cold precipice of the bed’s end under her right side, and watching Sunset for any signs of continuing admonishment. Nothing further came.

There was a good two or three feet between them, so Sonata felt over the next few moments that it might be safe to edge a little closer in; get comfortable. Nonetheless, her fingers fidgeted with each other underneath the covers, and she could not have felt more ill-at-ease.

Just as she was beginning to debate with herself whether she should wait until Sunset was properly asleep, and then slip out back to her futon, she felt a slight trembling running through the bed. A slow, rhythmic, shaking that could only faintly be felt as Sonata lay still. Sonata looked quizzically around, wondering if maybe someone’s television or radio was on loudly somewhere. But she didn’t hear any loud noises. No, wait. That wasn’t true. She could hear a noise.

Very carefully so as not to disturb the bed too much, Sonata pushed herself up, and looked over Sunset’s shoulder. Her fist was gripping her pillow, her bright blue eyes half closed and brimming with tears. She breathed through her mouth so that Sonata would not hear her sobs and sniffles, but she couldn’t quite mask the little gasps and winces. And Sonata understood in that instant why Sunset let her sleep in the same bed as her. A long-forgotten feeling of loneliness and misery crept up from within her, a sensation of terrible cold and hopelessness. She felt her own eyes stinging, and it suddenly didn’t matter to Sonata what her own feelings towards Sunset were. All of the awkwardness, her doubt, her smothered but heartfelt desire to know just what it was she felt towards her friend fell away to a more natural need to comfort her.

Without really thinking about it, she closed the distance between them, and put an arm around her middle. Sunset twitched slightly, obviously not expecting the touch, but she didn’t push Sonata away. Her own trembling hand covered Sonata’s, and she began to cry in earnest.

“It’s okay,” Sonata whispered, holding Sunset close. “I’m here. You’re not alone.”

- To be Continued

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 8

The Sunrise Sonata Pt8

Sunset Shimmer

Much like after her meeting with Aria, Sunset walked home rather than taking the bus. The wind picked up, clouds gathered, rain fell. She paid it little attention. In her small apartment, she sat down feeling the abrupt downwards spiral of events, not caring about the wet stain she was making on the sofa.

Alone in the little room in the dreadful silence, she remembered how lonely she had been back when she had striven for power and prestige, how empty and even slightly frightening being alone in her own apartment had been. It had only been her drive, her lust for power, that had allowed her to manage it. Having a purpose that drowned out everything else had made it all bearable. But that was no longer the case.

She wanted to cry, but knew that she didn’t deserve to. She’d cried all the previous day, and Sonata had comforted her. Out of selfless concern for her, Sonata had comforted her for feeling the guilt she ought to have felt, for feeling the pain that a deep, instinctual part of her knew she should feel. Unwilling to let herself descend into tears, her feelings escaped in other forms. Standing up she kicked the coffee table, shoved an easel furiously out of the way and sent canvas and papers flying. It didn’t make her feel the least bit better. Her phone vibrated on the table but she ignored it. She had vague thoughts of taking a shower, about going to bed, but after her fit of anger left her, she had no energy to do much of anything, and simply sat alone in the growing darkness.

Sunset barely registered the time between this and the first knock on her door. As the silence was broken by the sharp rap of knuckles on wood, her brain suddenly registered several details. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, and there was a distinctive smell in the room, like rank water. She also realised she was hungry.

“We know y’all’re in there, Sunset,” came a familiar voice as the knocking resumed.

“We just want to talk to you,” said another.

Listlessly, Sunset stood up and walked to the door. Opening it, she found Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all standing in the hallway, all looking quite shocked.

“Darling!” Rarity shrieked, clutching her face. Applejack elbowed her. “I mean, uh... my, my, you’ve seen better days.” She gave a nervous laugh.

“May we come in?” Applejack asked, gently. Sunset nodded and stood aside for them.

The three of them looked around with slightly pained expressions. Sunset registered the tipped over easel, the crooked table, the wet spot on the sofa, and knew they were making something of it all in their minds.

“We, err... heard about yesterday,” Rainbow Dash said, scratching the back of her head absently.

Sunset’s mouth twisted slightly, but she fought down the feeling. Applejack took her gently by the forearm and led her back to the couch. Sitting in between Applejack and Rarity, Sunset offered them all drinks, but Applejack waved her down.

“We came to see how you are,” Applejack said. “Our sisters all told us about what happened.”

“Quite,” Rarity said daintily. “Sweetie Belle was all of a dither about it, poor thing.”

“Scootaloo wasn’t her usual awesome self either,” Rainbow Dash muttered, looking troubled. She blushed slightly as Sunset looked at her. “She’s as good as my sister,” she declared robustly.

“We understand if you don’t think it’s our business,” Applejack said. “But we wanted to hear your side of things.”

Sunset explained, perhaps not in so fine detail as she had with her outpouring to Sonata, instead keeping to the finer points. She gave them the gist however, and it was obvious by their reactions that the crusaders had for the most part given a faithful retelling.

“I know I was wrong,” Sunset added after a short silence.

“Did you apologise?” Rarity asked.

“It doesn’t matter. She didn’t accept it.”

“She means Aria,” Rainbow Dash corrected.

Sunset felt her insides clench. “No.”

“Are you going to?” Applejack asked, beadily. Sunset said nothing. “I really think you should.”

“After what she—“ Sunset erupted, but Applejack held up a hand.

“Look, I don’t pretend to know everything that went on between you two, I only have what you’ve said happened. But by all that I’ve heard, I think Aria needed to hear what you said to her.”

Sunset opened her mouth to protest, but then stopped. “Wait... you agree with me?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Applejack said, frowning slightly in disapproval. “Aria made some bad decisions. Yes, she had it rough, but she brought a lot of her misery upon herself, and I think she needed to hear someone tell her that outright.”

“The fist in the face probably didn’t hurt either,” Rainbow Dash said, winking at Sunset. “Well, not emotionally anyway.”

“But on the other hand,” Applejack said, giving Rainbow a quelling look. “I think that you might have gone a bit too far.”

Sunset’s shoulders, tight as they were, slumped a little to hear what she had already suspected. Her misery of two days previously, she now knew, was her own guilt at how she had unfairly treated Aria, at least at the end. It was just such an unfamiliar sort of guilt, disconnected from what she usually associated with it, that she hadn’t recognised it. Yet at the same time...

“I don’t think I did,” Sunset said in a low voice. Her friends all looked at each other.

“You don’t think maybe a little...?” Rarity asked, weakly.

“Or are you just letting your feelings get in the way?” Applejack noted.

“Well,” Sunset began uncomfortably. “How am I supposed to feel? I... I love Sonata. Aria was horrible to her. Did nothing but call her names, abuse her, blamed her for every failure. Sonata could forgive her, and I tried, I honestly did, but then I went to see her alone and... and she said those awful things...” she couldn’t go on. The mere memory of Aria’s furious diatribe against Sonata sent her insides into emotional freefall. She bit her lip and shifted in her clothes.

“I get that you’re hurtin’, sugarcube,” Applejack whispered, patting her gently on the shoulder. “Believe me, ah do. But you can’t hold onto feelings like that; they don’t do you nothin’ but grief.”

“We know it’s hard, dear,” Rarity soothed, nodding sagely. “Forgiving can be hard.” She gave Rainbow a cool look that Rainbow noticed.

“Tch,” Rainbow scoffed. “I knock over one poncy rack of dresses...”

“So what do you say, Sunset?” Applejack asked, bracingly. “Forgive and forget?”

In total honesty, Sunset wanted to say yes. The benefits were crystal clear in her mind: Sonata would be happy again, and best case scenario might even return Sunset’s feelings. She didn’t know what Aria had done yesterday, leaving the hospital, but if apologising made her feel any better, that could only be a plus she supposed. Then there was this leaden guilt festering inside like an acid-splattered boulder in her gut. If apologising would get rid of it, then the sooner the better. But there was a problem.

“I... can’t,” she breathed, clutching her middle.

“Why?” Rarity asked after a short and astonished pause.

The answer Sunset wanted to give was “she doesn’t deserve it,” but she knew how that would sound, and so she said nothing. She just stared at the floor, at the paper and canvas strewn across it.

Her friends seemed to realise the cause was lost for the time being. They promised to check on her again soon, and reluctantly departed. Sunset answered their goodbyes but wasn’t really paying attention. Long after the door closed, she remained staring at the floor, absorbed in her thoughts.

Should she go and see Sonata, try to make things right with her?

Probably not the best idea. The situation was what needed to be rectified, and Sunset just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Some part of her was simply appalled by the idea.

It was whilst thinking such melancholy thoughts that she noticed a slight oddity. Unlike the other papers and canvas strewn across the floor, one of them was rolled up like a scroll, and tucked underneath the coffee table. Feeling a trace of curiosity pierce her unhappiness, she plucked it from under the table, and unfurled it.

Then came the test. Her determination not to cry shaken to its core.

The canvas showed a relatively simple picture, but Sonata was so good at what she did that the entire thing was crystal clear and perfect. Two people on a white background, holding hands. The Sonata in the picture smiled her ditzy, whimsical smile, radiant and beautiful. The Sunset in the picture smiled back at her, a trace of colour in her cheeks, her fiery hair lifting as though in a light breeze. The scene was so simple, yet it hit Sunset like a spear through the chest. Drops of water splashed down onto the canvas. Sunset touched her face, and with a thrill of anguish felt the tears there. Hurling the picture away, she pressed herself into the sofa, teeth clenched and eyes pressed shut in the desperate effort not to cry. The image in her mind of herself and Sonata holding hands seemed to burn inside her skull.

It wasn’t the picture itself, nor was it really the thought of Sonata, nor the weighty guilt still bubbling inside her that had elicited this instinctive reaction. It was a single, pure idea that the subtle, cosmic inevitability of cause and effect had concluded in Sunset Shimmer’s head. It was the feeling of loss, and a longing for what could have been. Of what almost might have been.

Ten minutes ago, you don’t know how happy that would have made me.

Sonata returned to the apartment late in the morning. Sunset had been making tea at the time, finally succumbing to her thirst, and found to her disgust that she was pressing herself against the unit in an effort to avoid Sonata’s gaze.

“Hello,” she said tensely, pushing herself off the unit.

“Hi,” Sonata said.

Sunset watched her out of the corner of her eye. Sonata wasn’t looking at her, but around at the mess on the floor. Sunset thought quickly.

“Sorry,” she said. “Tripped just now and haven’t got around to...” she trailed off when it became apparent that Sonata wasn’t really listening. She set up the easel, gathered the papers, picked up a paintbrush from under the sofa, and set back to work.

Sunset watched her covertly for a few minutes. She didn’t look angry, or sad, or anything really. There was just a blandness in her face that Sunset had never seen there before, an emptiness of expression that was far removed from cheer, or even the nonplussed look Sonata sometimes got mid-conversation.

“Did you find Aria?” Sunset ventured.

“She was looking for me,” Sonata said, tonelessly. “She told me she was sorry. She said that she never meant any of it; that she wasn’t in her right mind and didn’t know what to do. She said that she’d try harder.”

Sunset’s unease only grew at these words. She imagined that Aria had said rather more than just those succinct points. Cupping her tea in her hand, she asked if Sonata wanted any. Five minutes later, leaving the fresh mug on the counter, Sunset retreated to her bedroom and shut the door. Sitting on her bed, she cursed her own cowardice, her head in her hands.

“Just apologise,” she whispered to the dark. “That’s all you have to do.” She stared at a dark patch of wall for a moment, and then dropped her head back into her hands. Why is it so hard? she groaned in her head.

No, she thought internally. No. No more moping. This is ridiculous. I can’t just avoid her forever. We live together. I need something, something to do, something to say, someone to ask about this. Someone who might know why I can’t just make this right. It should be so easy!

She thought a long while, considering each and every person that might be able to help. None of her immediate friends would be much help. Applejack and Rarity, the two who would have been at the top of the list, had not been able to suggest anything other than apologising. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, whilst experts in some things, did not strike Sunset as experts on relationships. And Fluttershy would probably just blush and mutter, and Sunset would never get a word out of her.

Then it struck her. And she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t thought of it before. Who better to ask about relationships than the Princess of Friendship? Surely this qualified as a form of friendship in some way, just with a few extra hormones tossed in. Twilight was a science-y person, wasn’t she? Surely a little biology was no obstacle.

Taking the journal from her bedside drawer, she opened it to a fresh page and began to write.

Dear Princess Twilight,

I’m writing to you to seek your advice on

She paused, then scribbled it out. Far too formal. They were friends after all; she should write informally, or Twilight might think something was up. There was something up of course, but an unbiased opinion was preferable here. Or maybe she should write formally. She was a princess after all...

Sunset shook her head, scowling at her own foolishness. She began to write again.

Dear Princess Twilight,

Hi there. How’s Equestria these days? I hope the princess duties aren’t keeping you too busy or anything, because I was hoping that you could help me with a little problem I’m having.

- Sunset Shimmer

She pursed her lips a little at the downplay in her words, but waited all the same. The journal vibrated suddenly in her lap, glowing with a faint purple shimmer. Turning the page, the following words appeared on the paper as though an invisible hand were scratching them out.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

The Princess duties are going well, thank you. It’s mostly just sorting out the castle for now, so nothing too taxing yet. What did you want to talk about?

- Twilight

Sunset had already described Sonata’s becoming their friend months before, and had even reported on Adagio’s redemption upon their return from Whitetail. She hadn’t spoken much to Twilight since then however, and certainly hadn’t spoken of her feelings towards Sonata. She did now, going into the details of what had happened up until the disastrous events of yesterday.

I don’t know what to do. Please help me.

Sunset waited with bated breath, watching the next page with a desperate intensity. But the following reply was shortness itself.

Do you mind if I ask somepony else about this? Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence might be able to help.

Sunset hesitated. Her old tutor...

She had not spoken to, nor thought much about her old tutor for so many years. Principal Celestia was so unlike her in action and manner, mostly because of the difference in their positions, that Sunset didn’t really consider her too terribly like her old teacher. And who was Princess Cadence? Sunset had not heard of her before now.

But she, Sunset, was different now. And she no longer resented Celestia. It was with a certain trepidation however that she wrote back in the assent.

It was at least an hour before Twilight replied, and Sunset, who’d been dozing on the bed, leapt up and lunged for the book. It fell off the bed and hit the floor, where it opened. Sunset leaned over the bed and flipped the pages, looking eagerly for the new inscription. The message was fairly long.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

After a lengthy discussion with Princess’ Celestia and Cadence, we think we might have an idea of why you’re having trouble. I’m sorry if this causes you any harm; you’re my friend and I don’t want to occasion you any more hurt than I have to, but Princess Celestia believed it best for me to be honest with you on this matter, since it’s so important to you.

My dear friend, it is our belief that you may harbour feelings of guilt, not just from your confrontation with Aria, but from a disappointment in yourself you may feel from your past actions. Please, before you feel any offense, just let me say that neither I, nor any of our friends feel resentment towards you. I feel I can at least vouch for their feelings when it comes to that. I don’t think that you should feel any shame from actions you have acquitted yourself of; your present actions and your determination to make amends commends you far beyond whatever you did in the past. But Cadence and Celestia both believe as I do that you may be seeing your own past disappointments in Aria’s mistakes. Perhaps that is why you find it hard to forgive her, because you can’t even forgive yourself.

Sunset stopped reading here. Her first instinct was to protest. For a second or two she fully intended to write back, wondering aloud where Twilight could have gotten such an idea from. But then as sometimes happens when an uncomfortable truth is pointed out to a person, Sunset began to develop something inside her that was a little like fear. She paused with the pen hovering over the page. Twilight’s message continued on a little ways more. Maybe there was good news at the end.

As your friend, I urge you, if you feel the same way, to forgive yourself.

Well so much for that...

Sighing, she read on.

Also, although I don’t think it my place to be the one to write it to you, I am the one most conveniently placed to do so. Princess Celestia wishes me to let you know that she never gave up hope that you would discover the magic of friendship. She is proud of how far you’ve come, and if you’ll forgive me for saying so, so am I. You saved two people from a life without friendship, maybe even a third. If you can forgive her.

If you feel any of this to be true, even a hint of it, please at least consider it. The thought of any of my friends in as much pain as you are is unbearable to me.

- Twilight Sparkle

Sunset sat a long while contemplating these words.

Princess Celestia was proud of her? It stung a little to realise how much that actually touched her. Under other circumstances she might have been happy about it.

But was their point valid? Sunset had a sinking feeling that it was. At one point she might have denied it, no matter how glaringly obvious it was. But she wasn’t that person anymore, and seated on her bed with nothing but the journal for company, she was forced to admit to herself that it was probably true.

But how did one overcome a shame of one’s self?

- To be Continued

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 9

The Sunrise Sonata Pt9

Sonata Dusk

At the same time as Sunset Shimmer’s emotional turmoil was taking place, Sonata was going through an upheaval of her own. She wondered openly to herself, whether she had been right in her evaluation of what Sunset had done.

She’d found Aria close to the school, rolling by in her wheelchair.

“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of Aria’s mouth.

Sonata was reminded irresistibly of Sunset not a few minutes ago. “For what?” Sonata asked.

Aria seemed puzzled by the question. “For... for everything!” she looked at Sonata as though unable to believe she could ask such a question. “I mean, I... I tried to drive you away. I hurt you, I yelled at you, blamed you for everything, and...” she tapered off, looking with growing concern at Sonata. “What’s happened?”

Sonata wouldn’t say. Aria seemed to realise that pursuing the subject wasn’t going to yield anything, and so pressed on with her former topic.

“You shouldn’t have left the hospital,” Sonata interrupted suddenly.

“I wanted to talk to you,” Aria said quietly. “Alone. I heard about what you’re trying to do for me.” She flushed a little.

“You don’t think that I’d let you get away with giving up like that, do you?” Sonata asked. “You tried to kill yourself, and so did I. It’s hardly fair that I get off so well and you don’t.”

Aria had been looking pretty ashamed of herself. Her eyes downcast, she had a dull colour in her cheeks that vanished almost instantly as Sonata spoke.

“What?” she exclaimed.

“Don’t be so surprised,” Sonata said listlessly. “What chance did I have if you couldn’t take being alone?”

“Stop it!” Aria snapped. “Just stop it! What are you even talking about?” Aria scowled at her, wanting to stand up and shake her. Being unable to, she pushed herself forward a little and took a hold of her hand. “Listen to me. Anything I said to you... then, just forget about it. I wasn’t thinking clearly, you know I wasn’t thinking clearly. How many times had you tried to tell me? Look,” she said, sitting back in her chair, “did Sunny-britches tell you about...” she gleamed the truth from Sonata’s reaction. “Right. Well let me tell you something then. I deserved every bit of it. And I don’t mean that like I feel I deserve that I got what was coming to me. I mean, she was right. I thought about it a lot after she left, and I realised that I wasn’t just trying to help myself. I genuinely didn’t see that what I was doing was hurting other people. It wasn’t like we looked out for each other back when Adagio was around, was it?”

She tried for a smile, which Sonata attempted to return. Neither quite managed. “The point is though, what she said about not letting you hear about my... decisions, it made me realise that what happens to me isn’t just my business. You... care about me?”

Sonata heard the question mark, but knew what it really was. It wasn’t a question to her, it was more of a question Aria was putting to herself, as though the disbelieving part of her were genuinely confused by the concept. She knew all-too-well what that felt like.

“I do,” Sonata said, smiling more successfully.

Aria managed a pursed-lipped smile of her own, looking at the floor. “Well,” she said, in a more upbeat tone. “I still don’t like Prissy much, but don’t be too hard on her, huh? As much as it hurt, I kinda needed that kick, you know? A lot more than I needed these ones.” She indicated her legs.

They waited on the street side under a bus shelter out of the rain, Sonata having called the hospital.

“Hey,” Aria said, as the ambulance pulled up. “Do you reckon I could come see the show?”

“You don’t have to ask,” Sonata said, laughing for the first time. Aria’s cheeks flushed a little.

Pinkie Pie discovered Sonata walking by the Book Farm car park, and immediately invited her back to her house, perceiving her unhappiness. It should be mentioned that whilst Sonata and Pinkie Pie are similar in many ways: taste in music, taste in extracurricular activities, and taste in... well, food, they differed on several key points. One of which was their methodology for cheering someone up.

Sonata, who valued a sober level of closeness and intimacy when comforting her friends, generally listened to their problems or comforted them with her vicinity and warmth, often in the form of a hug. Pinkie Pie on the other hand tended to have a more hands-on, eccentric approach that, in general, tends to distract the person from their sorrows by bombarding them with cheer and gaudy celebration.

“Oh come on!” Pinkie complained, trying not to inhale the white cloud as it enveloped the two of them. “This always works on the Cake twins.”

“Thanks Pinkie,” Sonata muttered, taking her hand away from her eyes. “I’m just not in the mood for antics right now.”

She hadn’t said it harshly, but Pinkie looked somewhat hurt. She threw away the empty sack of flour and sat on her bed, legs crossed and leaning her head on her hand. Sonata sat on the floor, legs pulled up to her chest, staring into space.

“So you’re not even going to tell me what happened?” Pinkie asked, sounding disappointed.

“Sunset and I had a... an argument, I guess,” Sonata replied.

“What about?”

“I’d rather not say,” Sonata mumbled into her knees.

There was a pause, and then Pinkie said in one breath “Did Sunset go and visit Aria, say some really mean things that needed to be said but went overboard and now you’re disappointed in her because you didn’t think she would do something like that?”

Sonata frowned at her, but then her face gave over to bland assurance as she realised who it was she was talking to. “Do you think I’m wrong?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what happened.” Pinkie shrugged.

“But you just...” Sonata sighed. Without enormous detail, she gave Pinkie the gist of what had happened, and her opinion that Sunset had gone too far. At the end of it, Pinkie’s face was alternating between a wide, eager smile, and a downcast frown that literally cast a sombre gloom across her room, not unlike the one her sister Maud was able to bring about. Sonata might have been affected if she hadn’t been insulated within her own cloud of unhappy miasma.

“So she loves you!” Pinkie squealed, waving jazz hands and grinning widely. “But on the other hand. She was kind of a jerk to your sister,” she ended, sadly, dropping her hands. After a few moments, she seemed to rally slightly. “I knew me and Applejack were onto something.”

“Should I be so mad at her?” Sonata asked.

“Are you mad at her?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head to one side, puzzled.

Sonata considered that question. “I think I have to be.”

“You don’t look mad,” Pinkie observed.

“I don’t feel mad either,” Sonata admitted.

“Well, then you’re not mad.”

“But shouldn’t I be?”

Pinkie shrugged. “What does Aria think?”

Sonata scrunched her lips up. “Well... she said it was okay, but—“

“Then what’s the problem?” Pinkie cried, throwing out both arms. Confetti exploded across the room, raining down onto the flour coating the floor. From somewhere the sound of a party horn blared. Sonata didn’t answer, and after a few moments, Pinkie lowered her arms. “Well come on,” she said uncertainly, “if Aria’s okay with it...”

“I guess you’re right,” Sonata sighed. “Maybe I’m overreacting.”

Pinkie gave her an unusually shrewd look. “Sunset said that she loves you,” she began, “but do you love her?”

Sonata sat a long moment contemplating this question, and Pinkie gazed at her narrowly the whole time. “At first, I thought I did. I had a talk with Rarity and I thought, maybe I did. I liked all of the things that Sunset was, but then... what she did wasn’t like any of those things.”

“Those things?” Pinkie narrowed one eye.

“She’s kind, thoughtful. She listens to me... I mean, people. She does everything she can to help people and is always there. I’ve never heard her say a nasty thing to anyone, but then she said those things to Aria, and... and I just didn’t think she was capable of that.”

Pinkie opened her mouth, but then closed it again. In all honesty she was about to say something of all those years Sunset Shimmer had been Queen Bee at Canterlot High, how she’d ruled the school through fear and bullying. But since Applejack wasn’t around to stop her, something internal kicked in to cut her off before she could drop that particular dollop of reality onto Sonata’s uncertain mood.

The next morning, having slept over at Pinkie’s house at her insistence, Sonata made her way home, less sure than ever whether or not she was in the right. It came to her that it might be preferable, if not right, to simply apologise for her reaction, and go on with their friendship as it had been before. But one thing interfered with this happy conclusion.

“She loves me,” Sonata sighed, plucking a daisy of its petals. “She loves me, she loves me, she loves me...”

“I don’t think that’s how you play that game,” said a familiar voice. Sonata stopped in her solitary walk, and realised that without meaning to, she had nearly walked straight into Fluttershy. She blinked.

“Huh?” she asked, confused.

“You’re picking the petals off,” Fluttershy pointed out with her free hand, her other clutching a rabbit. “I think you’re supposed to say she loves me not too.”

Sonata looked at Fluttershy blankly, noticing the pet shop behind her, whilst Fluttershy herself turned pink as her hair, clearly under the impression that she’d said something wrong. Then Sonata laughed. She wasn’t sure why, but she found whatever was going on between them simply hilarious. Fluttershy, clearly very much wrong-footed, gave a few nervous chuckles as Sonata’s laughter wound down.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked when she thought it safe to do so.

“I’m fine, thanks for that.” Sonata grinned to herself. “I kind of needed that.”

“I’m glad,” Fluttershy said breathily. “Because you didn’t look okay, and just going by what you were saying to yourself, I guessed maybe something had gone wrong with Sunset Shimmer. But if it’s none of my business, that’s okay too,” she added in a hasty breath.

Sonata was unsure how to respond while Fluttershy was gabbling. Instead, she asked a question.

“Have you ever been in love?”

Fluttershy nearly dropped her bunny, which skittered down her shirt before she managed to pull it back into her arms. Pinker than ever, she stared at Sonata, mouthing wordlessly.

“N-No,” she stammered. “W-Why w-would you ask s-something like that?”

“No reason I guess,” Sonata muttered, losing her nerve. “Well, see you later.”

“No wait!” Fluttershy squeaked as Sonata turned away. “If you really want to know, I think I might... I don’t know if it counts, but... it was just a crush I think, but...” she continued to dither for a while, ending a lot of second thoughts in ‘but’ for several seconds.

“So you have?” Sonata asked, cutting across her embarrassment.

“I’ve had a crush,” Fluttershy clarified. “But why did you ask?”

“I wondered,” Sonata said, pulling absently at her fingers, “what did you do when you found out you had a... what was it? A smash?”

“A crush,” Fluttershy corrected. “You’ve never had a crush?”

“I swear, words change far too quickly,” Sonata mumbled to herself, enigmatically. “So what did you do?”

“Um, well, I, err...” Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Well, I followed him around for a while.”

“Yes?” Sonata prompted after a short pause. “Go on.”

“That was it.” Fluttershy shrugged.

Sonata’s shoulders slumped. “You... followed him?” She gave Fluttershy a pitying look. “That’s all?”

“Yes,” Fluttershy answered, not meeting Sonata’s eye. “Is there someone you have a crush on?”

“I don’t know,” Sonata said. “I thought I did.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said knowingly. “Did something happen between you?”

“I just need to get some advice from someone. Someone who knows about this stuff.” Sonata said, kicking petulantly at a pebbled.

“Have you talked to Rarity? She knows a lot about having crushes.”

“She said to listen to my lungs or something,” Sonata mumbled, trying to remember.

“Your heart?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, that,” Sonata said, snapping her fingers. “Did you know that in medieval times the liver was thought to be the love organ?”

“I did not,” Fluttershy admitted, looking puzzled as to why she would say that. “So Rarity couldn’t help?”

“I think I might have been kind of vague about it,” Sonata chuckled nervously. “So it’s not really her fault I guess.”

“Well, I’d ask someone you repose a lot of confidence in,” Fluttershy said, sounding more confident herself. “Couldn’t you ask Sunset for some adv—“ she stopped when Sonata’s face went suddenly red. “Um, I mean, someone you’ve known for a long time,” she altered, changing direction at top speed.

“Someone I’ve known for a long time,” Sonata repeated, nibbling her thumbnail. An idea came to her, and the brightness must have shown on her face, for Fluttershy smiled at her. “That’s a good idea.”

Her good mood lasted until she got back home. When she opened the door, she found Sunset in the kitchen, looking flustered. The sight of her acting so frightened and nervous put Sonata’s mood right back down to sullenness. She noticed that the living room was in a semi-state of destruction. She noticed Sunset watching her as she entered, and returned her hurried greeting.

“Sorry,” Sunset said in a voice too merry to be real. “Tripped just now and haven’t got around to...” Sonata wasn’t really listening. She’d been half hoping to find the apartment empty so she could make a call. With that plan currently on hold, she set an easel to rights and began working again. She noticed Sunset avoiding her gaze, and so didn’t look at her.

“Did you find Aria?” Sunset asked, tentatively.

“She was looking for me,” Sonata answered, her brain feeling sluggish. “She told me she was sorry. She said that she never meant any of it; that she wasn’t in her right mind and didn’t know what to do. She said that she’d try harder.”

Sunset said nothing to this, but after a few moments, she asked if Sonata wanted some tea. Knowing Sunset was trying to cover herself from the awkward moment, answered in the affirmative and let Sunset slip into her bedroom without remark.

Once Sunset had disappeared, Sonata picked up the tea and sipped some. Sunset could always make good tea. Setting it down and continuing her work, she wondered again if she should just try to apologise. They could deal with Sunset’s feelings as they went, couldn’t they? But no, that’s not how feelings work. She, Sonata, had been devoid of the true feeling of emotions in other people for so long thanks to her magic that in the few months since being free of it, gradual empathy had come upon her, but it was all quite new to her. She had no idea if Sunset could ‘deal’ with her feelings or not. Perhaps the person she wanted to call could help. Maybe not. But it was the last hope she had right now. She had no one else she could turn to.

Sunset left her room two hours later in the early afternoon, a satchel over her shoulder. Sonata looked up, absently splashing a splodge of pink across her forehead as she brushed the hair from her eyes. Sunset had a determined look to her that caught Sonata slightly off guard.

“I’m going out,” Sunset announced, heading for the door.

Sonata hesitated, but as Sunset touched the door handle, she spoke up. “Can I borrow your phone?”

Sunset looked around, frowning. But then her expression settled into acquiescence. “Sure,” she said, taking her phone out and handing it to Sonata. “I won’t be needing it I guess. I’ll be gone for a little while.”

This set off an alarm bell in Sonata’s head. “You’ll be gone?” she asked, feeling a sudden cold.

“Yeah, maybe a few days at most.” Sunset gave a forced smile.

“Where are you going?” Sonata asked, feeling panic boiling up in her. “What are you doing? Why will you be gone that long?”

Sunset blinked. “It’s no big deal, really,” she said, smiling more naturally. “I just... I need to see someone. Someone I should have gone to see before now.”

“Aria doesn’t hold anything against you,” Sonata said, trying to read Sunset’ expression. “She told me.”

“Oh it’s not Aria I’m going to see. Not yet anyway.” Sunset looked rather touched that Sonata seemed worried about her. She reached out a hand, flinching only once, and gripped Sonata’s shoulder. “Seriously, it’s nothing. It’s just something I think I have to do. I’ll be back, I promise.”

Sonata was silent as Sunset exited, but called after her down the hall. “Thanks for the tea!” she called.

Sunset looked back, evidently surprised. Sonata saw her chuckling as she waved, and turned the corner to the stairs.

“Thanks for the tea?” Sonata asked of herself, pressed against the door’s interior. “Seriously? Thanks for the tea?” She smacked her own forehead, leaving a streak of pink across her palm when she removed it.

Now was as good a time as ever, and so taking only enough time to wash her hands, she picked up Sunset’s phone and placed the call. The dial tone hummed in her ear for a few moments, until someone on the other end spoke in a pleasant male voice.

“Hello?” Sonata spoke into the phone. “Can you put Adagio on please, Trenderhoof? I kind of need to talk to her.”

- To be Continued

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 10

The Sunrise Sonata Pt10

Sonata Dusk

“Hey Sonata. Don’t often get calls from you.”

“Oh, heh, yeah. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it. Honestly I get so many calls a day. These Applewood stars are so needy and shallow. Oh if we only had our magic still; why did we never come here?”

“I think you didn’t like the crime.”

Adagio laughed. “True. I swear I never get used to how dangerous humans are compared to ponies. I mean seriously; what were we supposed to do against guns?”

Sonata didn’t want to get too far off topic here, and so attempted to bring the subject around. “Yeah. Well, I wondered if I could ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” Adagio sighed. Sonata pictured Adagio in her mind, lying on a couch with the phone held idly to her ear. The thought made her smile.

She explained the general story to Adagio for what seemed like the umpteenth time since it’d all happened. Adagio didn’t interrupt, but Sonata thought she heard her hum and tut at certain intervals. When she had finished, Adagio questioned her on a few particulars.

“So what do you think I should do?” Sonata asked.

“I’m not really sure what you want me to say,” Adagio admitted, sounding a little puzzled.

“Tell me what I should do,” Sonata replied, a little desperately. She clutched the phone hard, feeling the plastic bending a little under her fingers. Then she heard something from the other end of the phone that made her frown. Adagio started to laugh. It started out as barely a chuckle, but then erupted into sincere, amused laughter. If it had been anyone else but Sonata, they might have been offended, since Adagio’s tone of voice was naturally haughty and faintly disdainful, but Sonata could tell her laughs apart from long experience.

“Sonata, I have to say I’m honestly shocked at you,” Adagio giggled, her laugh winding down.

“What?” Sonata asked, unnerved. “You always had the answer in the old days.”

“I’m not going to tell you what to do, Sonata,” Adagio said, sounding stern. “I haven’t told you what to do for a long time, and you don’t need me to now.”

“But...” Sonata’s objection refused to form.

On the other side of the phone, Adagio sighed. “Okay, so I’m guessing you tried to get advice from your other friends first?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sonata coughed, but Adagio didn’t seem to take offence. “Mostly they told me they don’t see it as a problem.”

“I can see why you do,” Adagio said quietly. “You and I are a lot closer to Aria than they are. Well intentioned though they might be, they probably don’t see anything wrong with Sunset telling Aria what she needed to hear.”

“So you understand, then?” Sonata asked hopefully. She felt all along that she had not properly conveyed her feelings on the matter clearly enough to her friends, but if Adagio knew how she felt already, perhaps some real advice awaited her at this juncture.

“I do,” Adagio stated, sounding serious. “And I have to agree with your friends.”

Sonata’s heart sank. “W-What?”

Adagio gave a longer, heart-felt sigh on the other side of the line. For a few moments she didn’t speak, and then she began again in a slow, deliberate voice, as though she were measuring her words.

“In a way, I think all of this was kind of my fault.” Sonata began to interrupt, but Adagio cut her off. “You’re mad at Sunset for having a go at Aria, but—“

“I’m not mad at her,” Sonata interrupted defensively.

“Disappointed then,” Adagio amended patiently. “You’re disappointed in Sunset for what she said and did, but in all honesty... if I’d said those things to Aria when I should have, maybe Aria wouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place.” Again she spoke over Sonata as the latter tried to interrupt. “Look. After we lost, I didn’t... I mean, I had no drive any more. I realised that what we were doing was just never going to work. I guess that’s what the real curse was. I suddenly understood that trying to take over the world would never have worked, and me dragging you two along for it was just me dragging you both deeper and deeper into a hole.”

“But we agreed with you,” Sonata said desperately. “We went along with all of it.”

“Did you have any other choice?” Adagio asked, sounding tired. “The point is, Aria and I, we weren’t the same. Aria had the most difficulty, but I could have changed her mind. I could have made it easier for her and you if I’d tried, but...”

Sonata waited for Adagio to go on, but she did not. What she heard made Sonata feel queasy, as though it were something she’d guessed at but never acknowledged, yet at the same time knew that she’d never even contemplated anything like it. Never had she thought of Adagio and thought that she hadn’t done her utmost, not acted when she needed to. But Adagio obviously thought that she hadn’t.

“All of this could have been avoided if I’d said something to her,” Adagio went on eventually. “Don’t blame Sunset for what she did. It needed to be done. It was unfair to her as well as you and Aria that she had to be the one because I didn’t do it when I should have.”

“But...” Sonata began again, but once more couldn’t think of any actual retort. Seated on the sofa, she felt her muscles deflate as though air were being let out of them. If what Adagio said was right, then had Sunset had any choice in the matter? And if she had no choice, was any of it really her fault?

“But what?” Adagio asked.

“But... she still went overboard. Didn’t she?”

Adagio’s tone was patient. “Look, Sonata. We’ve lived a pretty long time, caused quite a bit of trouble for people. If I’ve learned anything from all of that, it’s that it’s really, really easy for people to fight. And sometimes it’s hard for them to stop fighting, but when they do, they almost always laugh about it later.”

“Or you do,” Sonata pointed out.

Adagio laughed. “Well yeah. I mean come on, some of things that we got people to argue about, it was just so pathetic sometimes, wasn’t it? Remember that time we got those Oxford students to disagree about the date the university closed in the Tudor era?”

“I didn’t even know what they were talking about,” Sonata choked, remembering the whole ordeal fondly. “Still don’t, actually.”

“Exactly. But we found them the next day all fine didn’t we?”

“I guess,” Sonata admitted.

“The question is: If she fancies you, do you fancy her?” Yet again she forestalled Sonata’s interruption. “You’ve already told me that you thought you did before all this happened. Just try to imagine if she hadn’t spoken to Aria, how would you feel about her now?”

Sonata considered. It was hard to force her brain to acquiesce with all of the doubt build-up. The pent up feelings of uncertainty and what might be called betrayal formed a kind of dam that was blocking Sonata’s ability to picture the scene.

“Picture the last time you felt that way towards her,” Adagio prompted after a considerable silence. Sonata frowned in thought, and then closed her eyes.

There was Sunset sat on the couch next to her, pink pyjamas on, a plate of breakfast in her hands. The imaginary Sunset turned to her and gave her mind’s eye a tender smile. The wall of doubt and hurt in her mind seemed to diminish a little, or at least not be so impactful as it had been. Without Sonata’s meaning to, the image in her head deviated somewhat from reality. She blushed and tucked that thought away until she went to bed that night.

Perhaps taking her silence for confirmation, Adagio hummed in a satisfied sort of way. “See?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Sonata gabbled hastily.

“Exactly,” Adagio replied. Sonata could practically picture the sneer on her face. “Come on Sonata, we’ve been manipulating people’s emotions for how many years? Our own must be as transparent as all the rest.”

Sonata wanted to say something, but as had always been the case, Adagio cut straight through any pretension and stabbed at the honest core. Then she went in for the kill, again, as she always had done.

“Fine. Then tell me that you don’t love her.”

“Huh?” Sonata squeaked, the heat leaping into her cheeks.

“Say the words,” Adagio commanded. “Say I don’t love Sunset Shimmer. Say them to me right now.”

Again, Sonata stayed silent. It was as though her insides had all seized up, like everything was tensing for an explosion or disaster. Adagio laughed, actually laughed an uncontrollable level of mirth that Sonata hadn’t heard come from her mouth in years.

“In many ways, Sonata,” Adagio gasped, recovering. “It’s wonderful how little you’ve actually changed. You never were as affected as either me or Aria were.” She sighed over the phone again and spoke in the most approximately friendly tone as her voice could make. “Just go to her, Sonata. If she’s as great as you thought she was, you’ll work it all out.”

Sonata didn’t have time to reply. She heard a button being pressed, and the line went dead.

“Well that was kind of rude,” she mumbled, feeling nettled by the conversation.

The abrupt end to the call had thrust Sonata out of the theoretical contemplative realm of discussion, slap-bam into the practical, linear-time world of immediate action. No sooner had the phone cut off then she stood up, immediately aware that if she was going to go to Sunset and settle anything at all, she first had to get to her. Which, given that she had Sunset’s phone and didn’t know where she was going, made the situation difficult to say the least. She thought desperately for a few moments, wandering aimlessly around the room and chewing her thumb, trying to imagine where Sunset might go.

“What had she said?” she muttered to herself. “Someone I should have gone to see long before now.”

She passed the window, and her heart leapt in her chest. A streak of gold and red made her press her nose to the glass. There she was! Heading for the school.

Leaping into her boots, Sonata dashed for the door, swung on the handle and closed it again all in one fluid movement that would probably have ripped the door off its hinges if she hadn’t been so light.

It took exactly three minutes and seven seconds to burst out onto the main road beyond the plaza and begin sprinting towards the school. The crowd was thin in the hours before the five o’clock rush, and Sonata could still see Sunset’s mane of fiery hair between the people giving her shocked looks and lurching out of her way.

When she came to the road across which the school statue stood, Sunset had stepped behind the statue’s base, hiding her from view. Hopping with impatience as the traffic light ground the traffic slowly to a halt, Sonata crossed the distance in three seconds and made for the statue. She’d kept her eye on the spot, barely allowing herself to blink. So when she turned the corner and found no Sunset, she gaped in surprise.

She turned left towards the massive horseshoe school sign. She turned right in the direction of the quaint little houses that bordered that side of the school. She walked a full circle around the statue, unable to comprehend what was going on. Where did she go?

“Excuse me,” Sonata said to a passing student evidently emerging from a holiday class. The girl gave her a slightly wary look.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Did you see Sunset Shimmer go by here?”

The girl blinked and looked instinctively left and right. “Um... no?”

Sonata sighed. “She was just here. I saw her by the statue and then she seemed to just disappear.”

The girl frowned slightly. “The school horse statue?” she asked.

“Yeah, this one here,” Sonata jabbed a thumb at it. It was right behind her after all; which other statue could they be talking about?

“You do know that the back of the base here is, like, a portal or something, right?”

Sonata looked at the girl for a long moment. Then she raised a hand and pressed her palm hard against one ear. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“This bit of the statue’s base,” the girl gestured at the smooth marble surface. “It’s a doorway or something to some other world. Sometimes anyway.”

“A portal to Equestria?” Sonata said, as though to herself.

“Yeah I think that’s what it’s called. Doesn’t work all the time though I think, because I know a whole bunch of people tried to get in after that Twilight girl left the first time but it didn’t work.”

“But it works now?” Sonata asked. The girl just shrugged. “Did she go to Equestria?” Sonata breathed.

Experimentally, she pressed a hand to a corner of the base. It seemed solid enough, but as she moved her hand to the side towards the centre, she felt a familiar tingle. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Magic!” she cried excitedly. The girl behind her jumped slightly.

“Uh...” she ventured, but before she could think of anything else to say, Sonata pressed hard into the centre of the marble block and slipped straight through with a “Whoa!” of surprise.

The girl contemplated whether or not she should go and get help or something. But then her phone rang and her mind was taken up with altogether more pleasant distractions as she walked away.

Sonata tumbled through lights and wind. There wasn’t very much time to think about her surroundings before she toppled out again, but as she lay on the hard floor with her eyes closed tight, the lights reminded her a little of passing scenery when she’d been on the train to Baltimore, except with far more colour. Also a curious feeling had come over her as she fell, as though her entire body had dispersed in many directions at once before zooming back together again.

She pushed herself up, but her arms felt strange. She tried to flex her fingers. Then came the first moment of panic. Her eyes shot open, and she saw that her fingers were gone. Instead, a shiny black hoof surrounded by short, dusky blue hair stood in place of where her hand had been. She tried to stand up, but instantly found herself uneasy on her feet and toppled onto her back. From this undignified position she saw that her feet too had turned into hooves. She also became aware that she was naked. She waited for a feeling of insecurity and instinctual need to hide herself to overcome her, but after several moments of high-quality pausing, concluded that the feeling just wasn’t there.

Experimentally, she rolled over and raised herself on her arms and legs, or hooves she supposed, and instantly felt a rightness to the position. Which disappeared when she tried to step forward and somehow managed to collide one of her back legs with her front ones, causing her to topple face-first into the cold, crystal floor.

“Ow...” she squeaked. Even so small a sound echoed faintly around the empty chamber. Looking up, she took in her surroundings for the first time.

She was in a wide, circular room with many doorways leading off to innumerable long hallways. Hangings dangled from the ceiling emblazoned with Twilight’s cutie mark, and seven thrones made from a more reflective crystal than the walls and floor stood in a circle at the chamber’s centre around a golden platform. Sonata stepped carefully towards the nearest chair, which was emblazoned at its peak by three blue diamonds, and gazed at her reflection. Her eyes widened at the sight of herself. She turned her pony-body this way and that, her mouth falling open.

“I’m adorable!” she cried. “Ears! Mane! *gasp* Cutie mark!” she turned her backside to move it closer to the shining crystal. The mark took the shape of a heart covered over by – to Sonata’s astonishment – a jagged-handled paintbrush. “Wasn’t it a music note before?” she wondered aloud.

With a little difficulty, she trotted over to the largest of the doors, and pushed it open. A land of fantasy spread out before her. No familiar gleam of steel, glass, and concrete, but rolling fields of green, high mountains, and a quaint looking village with fairytale houses. The sky seemed bluer, the clouds shapely and even, and everything just seemed to burst with more colour.

“Equestria...” she breathed in awe. She’d dreamed about the place for years, imagined like her sisters coming back here to rule, to spread discord and chaos and feed from its terrible energies. Whilst that desire, that dream, had long since diminished to nothing, the thrill of being back was still almost overwhelming. That was until she heard a voice.

Over the cusp of a nearby hill rose several ponies. Sonata was so taken by their utterly adorable appearances that she at first didn’t notice exactly who they were. Before she got a good look however, she pulled her head back in through the door. She had an idea that her appearance might not be welcome, especially if they knew who she was. At best her presence was questionable, at worst, criminal.

She headed back inside, dithered in the throne room for a few moments, and then spotted the way that she’d gotten her as the only thing in the room that could give any true cover. A tall mirror surrounded by a medley of oddly assorted machinery stood apparently in pride of place against one wall, an old journal perched atop the frame. Not stopping to contemplate this odd sculpture, she dashed behind the mirror and tried to be inconspicuous as the doors to the chamber swung open.

“-wonder what would happen if two Rarity’s tried working on the same dress,” said a familiar, twangy voice.

“I’m sure we would get on fabulously,” retorted a more refined speech.

Sonata risked poking her head out ever so slightly from the more shadowy side of the mirror, and gazed into the chamber. As they all talked, Sonata recognised her friends; or at least, their Equestrian counterparts. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow, and...

“Wow...” Sonata sighed as her magenta eyes slid over a golden-coated pony with a fiery red and yellow mane. Sunset trotted between the others in the group, her expression uncertain.

“Thanks for the tour everyone.” Sunset was a little flushed, as though she hadn’t expected the kindness the ponies around her were giving. “It’s a little strange seeing Equestria again after a few years.”

“The way you talk about the other world,” Rainbow Dash commented, hovering idly over all of their heads. “It kind of sounds like Baltimare or Las Pegasus.”

“It sort of is,” Sunset conceded. She bit her lip, and Sonata had to shove her hoof into her mouth to stop herself making a sound at the expression. “Is um... is Princess Celestia coming soon?”

“You don’t have to worry,” Twilight assured her, perhaps sensing the anxiety in Sunset’s voice. “The Princess cancelled her trip to Roam in order to see you. She’s very happy you’ve come to see her.”

Sunset still seemed ill at ease. Sonata wanted to hug her, or at least hold her hand.

Hoof.

“You’ve come a long way from that night you stole Twilight’s crown,” Pinkie Pie said, patting Sunset’s back in a comradely sort of way.

“Thanks Pinkie,” Sunset said.

“And tried to use it to create an army of zombies to conquer Equestria,” Pinkie went on. “And tried to blow up Twilight and our alternate selves with a fireball, and—Mmph!”

“Yes, thank you Pinkie,” Twilight said pointedly, as the magical aura around the cushion now plugging Pinkie’s mouth dissipated.

“Honestly, I’m used to it,” Sunset admitted with a little smile.

“It’s awful big of you to come back and make right,” Applejack said to cover the awkwardness.

“I should have done it a long time ago,” Sunset said sadly. “To be blunt, I should never have left her tutelage. She did everything she could to help me, but I was too selfish, proud, and afraid to appreciate it.”

“The important thing is that you learned from it all,” Rarity put in.

“I’m sure the Princess will be glad to see you,” Fluttershy added.

“You’ve come so far since then,” Twilight said earnestly. “The Princess was so happy when I told her how you helped us.”

“Indeed I was.”

This was when Sonata got really scared. The room suddenly filled with a bright, white light, every nook and cranny, even the recesses of her trusty mirror was illuminated with celestial radiance. From the depths of the light appeared a tall, elegant figure, white coat shining, and golden accoutrements agleam. The tall alicorn bestowed a benevolent eye upon the scene, her flowing pastel mane dancing around her as though in a faint breeze.

Every figure in the room dropped to their knees, except for Twilight, who bowed her head. Sonata felt an overwhelming sense of fear rising up within her. She couldn’t have spoken the reason why; the alicorn was tall and imposing to be sure, but nothing about her spoke cruelty, malice, or vengeance. Yet Sonata felt herself cringing in the shadows, terrified of attracting the attention of the powerful being of light gracing the other ponies with her presence.

“It is good to see you again, my former student,” the alicorn said. She beamed down upon Sunset Shimmer, lowering her regal head and nudging at Sunset’s bowing form. Sunset raised her own head slightly, looking almost as frightened as Sonata felt, but the alicorn’s expression was encouraging. Sunset rose a little nervously, not quite able to meet the alicorn’s eye.

“It’s wonderful to see you as well, Princess Celestia,” Sunset stammered. Celestia directed a concerned gaze upon her former student, and then to Sonata’s surprise, lowered herself down to sit, and intertwined her long neck with Sunset’s own. Sonata knew instinctively that this was basically a hug in human terms, and despite her fear, felt a knot of jealousy develop in her stomach.

When the hug was over, Sunset looked marginally less nervous and took a deep breath, looking altogether more businesslike.

“I’ve come back to apologise to you, Princess,” she said, more confidently.

Celestia looked faintly surprised. “Do you feel this is something you need to do?” she asked, frowning slightly.

“I do,” Sunset stated without hesitation.

Celestia considered her for a moment or two. “Very well.”

Sunset took another steadying breath, and continued. “I’m sorry for my actions, for spurning your advice and guidance. I realise too late that I should have listened to you, understood that you wouldn’t have placed restrictions upon me if you didn’t believe there was sufficient reason to do so. I made stupid mistakes, bullied people, made them miserable. I stole Twilight’s crown and attempted to use it to invade Equestria, and tried to hurt Twilight and her friends in the process.”

Sonata and everpony else in the room listened in shocked silence to the speech. Celestia’s expression did not change from its slight frown.

“But—“ Twilight said, apparently understanding something, but Sunset cut her off.

“It is for these reasons that I’ve come back to apologise. To make amends for my crimes.” She lowered her gaze to the floor. “To accept the punishment that is due me.”

A long silence followed these words. The loudest silence Sonata had ever experienced, as though the air itself were tensing against her eardrums. Punishment...? she thought, feeling a chill.

“The punishment that is due you?” Celestia asked, as though just checking whether she had heard properly.

“Yes, Princess,” Sunset said, stoically. “I will accept whatever you deem fair.”

“Whatever I decide?”

“Anything.”

Princess Celestia gazed down at Sunset for a long while. Her expression was unfathomable. Sonata thought she detected a trace of disapproval in her eye, but it was hard to tell. The ponies around them all looked on with bated breath, eyes flicking between Sunset and Celestia.

“Very well then,” Celestia said, standing up. She rose to her full height, and lifted her head to peer down with great austerity upon her former student. “I shall bestow the punishment fitting your crimes.”

“P-P-Princess!” Twilight stammered. “You c-can’t be seri—“

“Please calm yourself, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said, her voice low and commanding absolute attention. “As a ruler in Equestria, it is your duty and my own to carry out justice to the full extent of the law. We fail in our duties if we allow familiarity and fondness to distract us from what is right.”

Twilight looked as though she wanted to protest, and Sonata egged her silently on.

Please! she urged in her mind. Please! You can’t let this happen!

Sunset waited with head bowed, her eyes closed, awaiting her sentence.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia began in resounding tones. “For your crimes against the nation of Equestria, I hereby sentence you.” She looked around at the assembled group, allowing the pause to wash over them like icy water. “To a fine of fifty bits.”

An almost comical silence fell over the chamber. Sunset looked up into her former teacher’s face directly for the first time, looking bewildered. Twilight’s mouth fell open in shock. Everypony else blinked, muttered, whispered, and fidgeted, all wondering whether or not they had heard correctly. Sonata tried to dig a finger into her auditory canal, sure she’d heard wrong, but her hoof wouldn’t fit into her adorable pony ears.

“I’m sorry?” Sunset stuttered. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

“I have made myself perfectly clear,” Celestia intoned, ominously. “You must pay a fine of fifty bits.” She waved a regal hoof. “My decision has been made. The total shall be subtracted from the account you left in Canterlot First National.”

“But...” Sunset halted, evidently at a loss for what to say.

“Princess,” Twilight began, recovering first. “Might I ask... how do you come to that punishment?”

“Princess Twilight,” Celestia declared, “Equestrian law is clear. The penalty for petty thievery is fifty bits.”

“Petty thievery?” Twilight asked, more puzzled than ever. “Hm, I suppose the crown didn’t actually have an established value.”

“But everything else,” Sunset began in a tone like complaining. “Everything I did—“

“Was done outside of the realm of Equestria,” Celestia overrode her. “I have no jurisdiction to punish you for things you might or might not have done beyond the borders of Equestria. Especially not potential things for which you have already received due punishment for.”

“But...” Sunset said again, so faintly no one seemed to hear her.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said patiently. “The purpose of punishment is not to even out disputes. Some mistakes are too large ever to be repaid by mere punishment. The point of punishment is to dissuade ponies from repeating their mistakes. To help them learn that what they did was wrong, and hopefully why it was wrong. You have learned the error of your past mistakes, as evidenced by Twilight’s commendation of your reform, and the fact that you’ve come here, willingly, to apologise to me.” She smiled warmly down at Sunset. “You’ve punished yourself far more than I ever could, or would want to. And it is my wish that you no longer hold yourself to the pony you once were.”

Sonata wiped her eyes and stifled a sniffle. The other ponies were all smiling at Sunset encouragingly, all tension gone.

“I... I’ll try,” Sunset said quietly. She looked marginally happier than before.

Celestia gave her a motherly smile, and waved her hoof again. “I hope that you have some time to spend with Twilight and her friends.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie cried. “There definitely needs to be a party of some sort. It might be a little cobbled together on such short notice, but hey, Gummy will be there.” She plucked a live crocodile seemingly from nowhere.

The other ponies declared their eagerness for the idea as well, and despite Sunset’s amiable protestations, she was whisked away in a flurry of pressing hooves and beating wings. Only Princess Celestia remained behind, smiling affectionately after them.

“I think she’s going to be just fine,” she said, apparently to herself. “She seems to be in good company.” With that, she walked sedately out of the chamber, leaving an echoing silence behind her.

Sonata wasn’t the smartest of people, or ponies, but even she could read a situation like that one. Stepping out from behind the mirror, she supposed that since she wasn’t a pile of ashes, or imprisoned in some ghastly place far from company, or a decent restaurant, she should consider herself lucky. If it had been Discord, or that Sombra guy, she didn’t like to think what might have happened now that she was without her magic.

She peeped her head out of the main door again, and could see far away the little group of ponies with Sunset at their centre. It filled Sonata with a pleasant warmth, and it was with renewed spirits and a return of her characteristic smile that she turned away. Forgetting how awkward her four-legged walk felt, she skipped back to the mirror, and back to the human world.

Sunset returned late in the day when the evening light was beginning to fade. Sonata, splattered in paint as usual, stood at her easel.

“Finished!” she announced as Sunset set down her bag.

“Huh?” Sunset asked, caught off guard.

“I’m finally done,” Sonata raised both arms to chest height, cackling a mad laugh. “My finest creation is finally completed!”

Sunset stared, eyebrows raised, as Sonata came to the end of her maniacal laughter.

“Oh,” she said, the corners of her mouth quivering. “That’s great.” She looked at all of the drying canvas on the wall, and the hefty pile of already dried ones stacked in the corner. “So what do we do now?”

“Don’t worry about that.” Sonata waved an airy hand. “Maud’s going to come over tomorrow to give this all to Rarity. As soon as she’s done, it’ll be ready to show. We did get all of our neighbours permission, right?”

“Yeah, they all agreed days ago.” Sunset stood around for a moment or two, simply watching her. “Um, Sonata.” She cleared her throat. “About err...”

“Hey Sunset?” Sonata interrupted, plainly not listening to her. “The Power Pony Movie is on at eight.” She picked up a large bowl from the coffee table. “I got the popcorn already.”

Sunset blinked, her expression frozen in that awkward transition between one emotion to another. Sonata grinned back, her face covered in red and gold paint. Then Sunset smiled, and began to laugh.

“Wow,” she chuckled. “That is so corny.”

“Hey now,” Sonata gave her a playful shove. “No bad jokes during the movie. Power Ponies is a serious business.”

- To be Continued

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 11

The Sunrise Sonata Pt11

Sonata Dusk

The two weeks elapsed, and Sonata and her friends found themselves coming to the night of the concert with excitement piquing.

Sonata spent a great deal of her time with Rarity, instructing her how to construct the masterpiece she had been painting. Rarity was eager and willing, but became hopelessly lost as she tried to figure out the complex labelling system Sonata had employed on the backs of her paintings.

“It’s easy,” Sonata explained. “I used simple shapes to mark the order.”

“Sorry, dear,” Rarity gasped, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she worked the sewing machines. “I’m used to numerical sequencing. You know, 1A, 1B, 1C.”

“That sound confusing,” Sonata admitted, scratching her head as she handed Rarity the next strip of canvas. “I prefer circle, square, cookie.”

“How does that make any sense?” Rarity asked desperately.

“You can get round or square cookies,” Sonata explained.

“Huh!?”

Applejack’s spring work was beginning to wind down, and the summer work winding up, and so she had a little extra time, as it were, between shifts, to help set up Vinyl’s sound equipment atop the apartment complex and around the plaza, all done with the help of the herculean Maud, and under the watchful eye of Filthy Rich. He stalked after them with sharp eyes, watching for any damage done to his property, although all the while smiling and praising the project whenever anyone walked by. His daughter, a mobile phone-addicted girl who habitually wore a jewel-encrusted crown, followed after them, making snarky comments and adding her own suggestions as to how to make the set-up better. This might have led to an altercation of some sort, had Sonata not had the original notion of pointing out someone parked illegally on the plaza. Filthy Rich stormed away to call a towing company, and his daughter swaggered away when she found that no one was listening to her.

Rainbow Dash waited on tenterhooks for the results of her exams, and three days prior to the concert, received her reply.

“I got in!” she shrieked, racing into Sugarcube Corner. “I got in! I’m gonna be a Wonderbolt!”

“I don’t think just getting into the academy means you’re going to be a Wonderbolt, dear,” Rarity said, gently.

Rainbow likely didn’t hear her. As she sat down, her other friends around the table began to chant:

SHE GOT IN!

And after looking around the table for a few hopeless seconds, Rarity smiled, and added her own gentile touch to the cacophony of cheering. At least until Mrs. Cake shuffled over to ask them to tone it down a little.

Rainbow was the life and soul of the preparations as the day drew closer. Dashing around at top speed, she even helped Maud and Applejack haul the massive roll of canvas to the edge of the apartment roof and affixing it with large, strong rope.

“So what is this thing?” Rainbow shouted over the wind.

Sonata flushed a little. “You’ll see,” she called back.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy’s contribution, other than participation, included poster duty. Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding with the printing firm, Sunset and Sonata suddenly found themselves with several boxes full of posters that they would have to put up themselves. Pinkie Pie volunteered immediately, and within a single day had half of the town plastered in posters. Fluttershy helped out as best she could, having had experience handing out fliers and putting up posters for her animal events. But her real help came, to everyone’s surprise, when she assisted Rarity with the new band costumes.

“No offense, Fluttershy,” Rarity said in cultured yet startled tones. “But since when can you sew?”

Fluttershy turned very red and muttered something that no one could hear. Rarity read the danger signs and decided not to inquire further.

To both Sunset and Sonata’s surprise, within just a few days of the posters going up, several of the bands and musicians from their school volunteered to extend the concert with performances of their own. Whilst the number wasn’t unreasonable, it did necessitate an extension of the time the concert would run, and therefore extended talks with Vinyl and Filthy Rich.

“I never want to talk to Filthy Rich, ever again,” Sunset groaned, her head on the coffee table.

Sonata looked over from her work. She’d recently developed a bad habit of using the end of her ponytail as a makeshift brush as she complained that the one she was using was wearing out. A splodge of red paint coated the end that sent streaks of crimson flying whenever she turned her head sharply. She shrugged at Sunset’s dilemma whilst smiling fondly at her.

“If I get a better job,” Sonata declared, stoically, “I’ll buy us a house.”

Sunset snorted into laughter. “Thanks Sonata,” she said, grinning. “I needed that.”

“No, I’m serious,” Sonata said, dreamily, starting to paint again. “I just need to get the money, and then bam.”

“A lot of dreams start with ‘if I only had the money’, Sonata,” Sunset pointed out, still giggling.

Sonata looked Sunset in the eye, still smiling her dreamy, ditzy grin. She was sure, now, of her own feelings. And Sunset had been kind enough to declare hers. She, Sonata, just had to build up the courage to say the words herself. The previous months since the winter had been some of the best of her life. She liked living with Sunset, she liked being with her. And she liked sleeping with her.

Next to her.

In the same bed.

Not naked.

...

Sonata coughed a little and dipped the tip of her ponytail into the cup of paint water.

“What’s up with you?” Sunset asked.

“What?” Sonata said guiltily. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“I didn’t say anything was,” Sunset observed.

“Does this look right, to you?” Sonata asked, turning the easel around.

A city skyline stretched far into the distance, with tall mountains stretching from the perspective of the viewer out around the city’s rim. Sonata hadn’t painted much of this yet, so most of it was pencil sketches. Sunset gave it a moment of serious consideration.

“It looks fine to me,” she said considerately. “A bit of a departure from your usual paintings though. Usually you like to draw trees and things from Applejack’s farm.”

“Yeah,” Sonata admitted. “I thought I’d delve a little into something new. Step outside my comfort zone, you know?”

Sunset nodded, impressed. “It’s good. Expanding horizons and all that stuff.”

“Yeah,” Sonata said again. She hesitated, feeling a heat rise in her cheeks. “Anyhow. So um... are you doing anything after the concert tomorrow?”

“I was going to go to bed,” Sunset said, shrugging. “It’ll be pretty late when it’s over.”

“Oh,” Sonata said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. “You didn’t want to go out or anything?”

“Did you want to?”

“Well,” Sonata cleared her throat. “It’s just, I got the feeling that we didn’t really finish our date the other week.”

It took Sunset a few moments to apparently understand what Sonata had just said. Even when she seemed to grasp what had been said, she looked unsure of exactly how to proceed.

“Well,” she began, slowly. “We never said it was a date or anything...”

“It was though, wasn’t it?” Sonata grinned.

Sunset pulled at a strand of her hair, flushing a little. “Yeah,” she mumbled out of the corner of her mouth. “I know I haven’t said sorry to Aria yet. But I will, I promise.”

Sonata didn’t exactly reply to this. She was looking into Sunset’s bright blue eyes, a strange sort of intrigue coming into her head. Looking into Sunset’s face, she was suddenly taken by all of the different Sunset Shimmer’s she’d ever envisioned. The saviour on the roof stopping Sonata making a terrible mistake, the vulnerable girl crying in her bed, the golden pony bowing to her fate, the person thrust into making a terrible decision. The roommate in her pyjamas giving her help freely. All of these images of Sunset lay upon her like picture frames upon each other, super-imposing onto the actual, living, flesh-and-blood girl standing before her.

“I’ve been thinking,” Sonata said. “I want to finish our date.”

“Oh,” Sunset replied, very much wrong-footed. “Um... now?”

“Yeah.” Sonata idled the end of her ponytail between her fingers, leaving them coated in red paint. “Did you have something you wanted to do?”

“Not really,” Sunset said, side-glancing at her laptop. “You want to maybe... get something to eat?”

“I think I do.”

“So, what does this mean?” Sunset asked as they both strolled through the late afternoon streets. “I mean, I kinda think I might have come across a little strong back then.”

“It was sweet though,” Sonata said consolingly. “Panicking like that.”

Sunset gave a nervous laugh. “That’s not what I’d have called it.”

Sonata smiled to see the colour rising in Sunset’s cheeks. “All the same, I’m... well, I’m sorry I reacted like that.”

Sunset turned to look at her, apparently surprised. “Sorry? Why?”

“You were put in a position you shouldn’t have been put in,” Sonata replied, remembering Adagio’s words. “After thinking about it a while, it’s not fair that I blame you for something you couldn’t really have helped. It wasn’t your responsibility to tell Aria she was wrong, but you did anyway.”

“I could have been a bit nicer about it,” Sunset mumbled.

“Oh stop worrying,” Sonata gave her a playful shove. “Where are we going to eat?”

“I was thinking the place on 3rd Street opposite the cinema.”

Sonata gave Sunset a startled look. “You don’t mean the Changeling Queen do you?”

“Well, yeah,” Sunset said, a little abashed. “That was where I was planning on originally, during our date.”

“But,” Sonata began after a brief pause. “I mean, that place is kind of expensive isn’t it?”

Sunset blushed a little more. “I saved up for it a bit,” she admitted. “I just wanted it to be a special occasion.”

Sonata stared at the other girl, whom didn’t seem able to meet her eyes. A now familiar warmth grew in the pit of her stomach, spreading upwards through her chest. Without really thinking about it, she interlaced her fingers into Sunset’s. Sunset looked even more flustered, but this was how Sonata liked it.

“Silly Shimmy,” she teased, nudging her shoulder into Sunset’s upper arm. Sunset smiled, a real, feeling smile, and her embarrassment seemed to simply ebb away. Gripping Sonata’s hand back, they proceeded down the street, happily bathing in each other’s vicinity, and equally happily unaware of the stares they were receiving from several passers-by.

The day arrived. The preparations were made. Vinyl woke them up at the crack of dawn, despite the fact that the concert wouldn’t start until early evening. Sunset spent much of the morning helping Vinyl set up the equipment, whilst all the time thinking of the previous night, sometimes being startled back to reality whenever the DJ tested her speakers. Sonata watched all of this with a semi-amused, semi-fond smile as she and Rarity set about making sure everything went right for the unfurling of Sonata’s project. Several times Rarity called her back to the task at hand, wondering aloud what was distracting her so.

The set-up expanded across the roof and plaza, and took until 3 o’clock in the afternoon to finish, by which time a number of the volunteer bands began showing up, along with Flim and Flam in a small truck.

“Well hello there!” said one brother in a winning tone, stepping nimbly from the vehicle as Sunset and Sonata met them at the plaza’s west side.

“Greetings!” said the other in an equally upbeat voice, appearing next to his kin with the rapidity of a dream.

“You are members of the Rainbooms, correct?”

“She is,” Sonata said, indicating Sunset.

“That’s wonderful!” said the second brother.

“We look forward to seeing you perform,” assured the first.

“Meanwhile can we interest you in some Rainboom merchandise?” inquired the second. With a quick kick at the side of the truck, it gave a sort of jump, and the entire side fell forward into a ready-made miniature shop that made Sunset and Sonata leap back in shock. A stunning array of shirts, dolls, plushies, collectible pencils, and other memorabilia hit the eye like a rainbow explosion.

“Could we perhaps interest you in an authentic, patented Rainboom T-shirt?”

“Or perhaps a set of Rainboom collectible stickers or cards?”

“Purchase now and get a Rainboom member action figure at regular price!”

“Product of Hasbro,” Sonata said, reading the tag on the doll she had been passed. One of the brothers snatched it away again and discreetly tore the label off.

“Why, dear brother, I thought you removed all of those,” the first brother hissed out of the side of his mouth.

“So did I, dearest brother of mine,” the other chuckled, tugging nervously at his collar.

“Well, thanks anyway,” Sonata said, holding up both hands. “I’ve got the original here.”

Fortunately for Sunset and Sonata, before the brothers could get into their full entrepreneurial flow, Filthy Rich strode over and began a loud discourse with them over the positioning of their van. Using the distraction as a cover, Sunset led Sonata away towards the gathering bands assembling around Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

“Okay! Okay, settle down!” Rainbow Dash called over the clamour. “Line up! We need to get you guys organised. Now who is going to play after us?”

A period of shouting and calling ensued, with hands stretching forward and bodies pressing in, threatening to overwhelm.

“Whoa, Nellie!” Applejack cried, louder than all of them. “Keep it orderly, people! Keep it orderly!”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie will not be denied!”

“No one’s denying you, Trixie,” Rainbow Dash snarled, turning her around smartly and giving her a sharp shove between the shoulder blades. “Just get into line!”

“If Twilight were here, all this organisation would go so much easier,” Applejack sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead.

“Don’t worry, I looked over the submissions and set up a timetable,” Sunset said, pulling out a folded up sheet of printer paper. Applejack took it and looked it over, nodding in agreement.

“She’s so thoughtful,” Sonata cooed, bumping Sunset’s shoulder. Applejack made no reply to this, but gave Sunset a raised eyebrow. Sunset cleared her throat.

“Well,” Applejack began with a small smile. “What you two love birds got to do now?”

“Not much except prepare,” Sunset said. “Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie have gone to the hospital to fetch Aria for the show, and Sonata’s going to watch over the other bands.”

“I wanted to go and fetch Aria,” Sonata admitted, before Applejack could ask. “But Rarity insisted I stay in case my project went wrong. She still doesn’t think my placement system makes any sense.”

“No offense, but no one else does either, sugarcube.” Sunset gave a little giggle at this

In all honesty, when Sonata had been told she had to stick around, she had volunteered to look after the other bands. Whilst none of them any longer regarded her with fear, or mistrust, Sonata felt that Sunset was taking on too much responsibility with Filthy Rich and the Flim Flams crowding around her every few moments. She didn’t need another bother on her.

“I demand that the Great and Powerful Trixie be allowed to go first!” announced the Great and Powerful Trixie.

“Sunset made timetables,” Sonata said uncertainly, handing out a small stack.

Trixie seized her own and looked down it with a scowl. “Trixie does not belong in the middle!” she cried, crunching the paper in her hand as though this were a matter of the utmost revulsion to her. Sonata hesitated as the clamour began to climb again. “Trixie demands that she be placed at the beginning! Why should she not be the opening act?”

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash bellowed from across the plaza. “What is your problem!?”

“Trixie demands her day!”

“This is not about you, Trixie!” Sonata shrieked. Moving passed the Eco Team and Derpy’s Cow Bell group, she pressed a finger hard into Trixie’s chest. “This is a fundraiser! If you want a spotlight, go to karaoke night or something. But understand this: this night is about Aria! If I hear you complain one more time. You. Are. OUT!”

She punctuated the last three words with more sharp jabs of her finger. Trixie had leaned so far away from her that she was practically horizontal with the floor. A few seconds of painful silence ended when Trixie took a step back and cleared her throat. She looked away and tried to continue to use her superior tone, but it was punctuated by a tremor of doubt.

“Trixie was only concerned that maybe the timetable wasn’t organised to its full potential.”

“The time table stands as it is,” Rainbow Dash stated firmly, taking Sonata by the arm.

“Not organised—“ Sonata growled, glaring at Trixie. Rainbow held her back a little, but Sonata was already beginning to regret her outburst, even with the implied sleight against Sunset. “Sorry about that,” she said to Rainbow as the latter led her away a few steps.

“Oh no, please, don’t be sorry,” Rainbow snorted, holding up her phone. “I got the whole thing. This is going viral tomorrow.”

“I shouldn’t have lost my temper with her,” Sonata said, glancing back.

“Sonata,” Rainbow said flatly, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Everyone and their pets has lost their temper with Trixie. She’s obnoxious. But I get the feeling she won’t be making any more trouble until the next majorish event.” Rainbow ruffled Sonata’s hair. “Keep up the good work.”

And so Sonata did. The crowd were much quieter than before, but didn’t look fearful or abashed. Although Sonata didn’t know it, her outburst had reminded them of why they were there, and so a general contentment of working for a greater purpose washed over the group, laying individual desire temporarily at bay. Even Trixie looked as though she regretted her outburst a little, and directed her own band to practise with loud remonstrations for any signs, real or imagined, of showboating.

As the evening set in, and everyone geared up for playing, the crowds began to swell in. Rarity stood next to a large transparent box bolted down to a heavy-looking machine that had a metre running up it, not unlike a test-your-strength machine at a fair. A man in dark glasses stood nearby, arms folded and looking severe.

“Hi,” Sonata said meekly to the guy. “Remember me?”

The former mall security guard looked down at her through his shades. Slightly to her surprise, he gave a small smile and a thumbs up.

“Come on everyone!” Rarity called, looking a little like those people on game shows who show off the prizes. “Help us reach our goal! A girl’s ability to walk rests upon you!”

Sonata felt a little off, guilting people like that, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Watched by Rarity and the former mall cop, the crowd pressed forward and began casting green slips into the slot. Sonata watched, clip-board in hand as proceedings carried on, until the sight of a yellow taxi caught her attention.

The vehicle ground to a halt besides the plaza behind Flim and Flam’s truck, and disgorged Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Sonata hurried over as Aria rolled herself down the ramp the cabbie pulled from under the carriage.

“Aria! You’re here!” Sonata yelled. Aria looked a little self-conscious, but managed a strained smile. “Did you have any trouble getting here?”

“No trouble at all!” Pinkie announced.

“The hospital staff recommend she come back before eleven,” Fluttershy informed her, holding out a folded form of some sort. “Here’s the consent and liability form.”

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Sonata said, pocketing it. “I hope you enjoy the show,” she said to Aria. “Everyone’s worked really hard on it.”

“Yeah,” Aria said, still sounding somewhat embarrassed. “Actually, I kind of wanted to thank everyone for—“

“And there she is!” Rarity announced into her microphone. “The girl we’ve all come to help, herself. Let’s give her a hand, everyone!”

Aria seemed to shrink in her wheelchair as the entire crowd turned to her. Many faces looked sympathetic, others looked frankly curious. Others looked a little squeamish at her injuries and pale complexion. Filthy Rich emerged from the crowd and stood next to her chair, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“It’s a joy to help out those in need,” he called, what he evidently believed to be a fatherly smile stretching his mouth. “It’s my honour to host this philanthropic event, and my earnest wish that you make a full and lasting recovery.” He patted her shoulder, and Aria winced. Pinkie Pie managed to shove him away after Fluttershy’s meek protestations had no effect.

“Indeed!” cried another voice. “And it is an equally, distinguished honour,” began Flim, appearing on Aria’s left.

“Nay, a privilege!” amended Flam, popping up on her right.

“Quite, a privilege,” Flim agreed. “For Flim and Flam’s Everything Under the Sun Emporium to fund this noble cause. That’s right, Flim and Flam’s Everything Under the Sun Emporium” he repeated, just in case someone hadn’t heard.

“With complimentary memorabilia for our unfortunate patient,” Flam went on, pressing an action figure into her unresisting arms. The crowd cheered a little as Flim also dangled a T-shirt onto Aria’s lap so that everyone could see. When Flim and Flam had moved away back to their make-shift shop to begin selling their merchandise, Aria discreetly passed both doll and shirt to a little girl who was passing. Sonata’s insides warmed as the little girl beamed and giggled with delight before moving on, and even more so when she saw Aria smile after her.

“Hey, Aria.”

“Oh... hey.”

Sonata looked around to see Sunset pushing gently through the crowd. She noticed Aria’s face turn a little pink and her eyes dart momentarily away.

“How’re you doing?” Sunset asked in a more upbeat tone.

“Oh, you know,” Aria gave her legs a pat. “Hope to be better soon, eh.” She gave a nervous little laugh.

“Look,” Sunset said after a short and awkward silence. Sonata, who without her notice had been joined by all of their friends, looked on at the engagement with nervous gazes. “I’m sorry about what I said to you.”

“You don’t have to be,” Aria put in. “I needed to hear that. It made me consider that I was only acting in my own interests, rather than other people’s.”

“I don’t regret telling you the truth,” Sunset clarified, which made Aria look faintly surprised. Sonata looked between them like there was a tennis match going on, flicking her eyes from one to the other. “But I do regret what I said to you, and why.”

“I don’t understand,” Aria said after frowning for a moment.

“I didn’t say those things to you just because of Sonata, even though that’s what I said I did it for.” Sunset took a deep breath. “I said those things because... well because, you made some of the same mistakes I did, and even though I didn’t acknowledge it at the time, I was angry with myself as much as I was with you.” She swallowed, all of their friends watching with their own degrees of sympathy or unease. “You didn’t deserve me taking out my feelings on you like that. For that, I’m sorry.”

Aria sat looking at her for a while, as though Sunset had hit her with information she had never even guessed at. After a good few moments of looking into each other’s eyes, Aria sat up straighter in her chair.

“I’m not hugging you,” she declared. She reached out her hand. “But friends shake hands, right?”

Sunset blinked rapidly at her, but then smiled a little and took her hand. “Yeah, or so I’ve heard.” Both girls laughed the same self-conscious laugh, and all of their friends smiled or laughed with them.

“Honestly, I’m not that much of a hugger, even without a couple of hundred stitches,” Aria chuckled. “That’s more Sonata’s thing.”

“Yeah, well, you always manage to find a way to dodge my hugs anyway,” Sonata said feigning annoyance. “Poor excuse this time, having stitches.”

“Yes, that was my plan the entire time,” Aria commented in flat sarcasm, shaking her head.

Everyone laughed.

The crowd grew as the hour wore on, filling the plaza and spilling into the street. Several police officers in bright orange vests redirected traffic away from the crowd and patrolled around the perimeter. Flim and Flam’s merchandise was either very appealing, or their sales pitches were very convincing, for before the show had even started their initial stock was almost gone.

“Not to worry!” Flim declared to the eager crowd. “There’s more where that came from folks!” He pointed with a white cane towards another truck rolling up behind theirs, driven by two red-headed women who looked like they could be sisters.

“Relatives of yours?” Sonata asked, noting the similarities between the two pairs. The new arrivals had the same gleaming white teeth, the same red hair, the same dramatic energy in their movements.

“Cousins actually,” Flam informed her conspiratorially. “Might I present the incomparable, the charming, the slippery Shim Sham Sisters!”

“Is that really a compliment?” Sonata wondered aloud, as the side of the new van collapsed outwards like the first.

“We don’t mind it,” said the first sister, giving Sonata winning smile.

“For now anyway,” continued the second. “We kind of owe them for getting us in on this deal.”

“And we owe you, dearest cousins,” replied Flim.

“For retrieving— I mean, commissioning all of this merchandise for us.”

Sonata looked between the cousins, feeling a palpable hardness filling the space between them. Both sides were smiling most convincingly, but Sonata got the idea that neither side was happy to see the other. Remembering what little she wanted to about Flim and Flam, she imagined the cousins had tried to scam each other.

“I think they’re starting,” Aria said, ignoring the masked glaring going on behind her.

Indeed, up above the crowd, lights flashed into life, shredding the darkened air with a shower of rainbow colours. At the edge of the roof, one foot raised onto the short wall, Rainbow played an experimental riff on her guitar. It blared over the speakers, and the crowd gave an appreciative cheer.

“Can I get a whoop-whoop?”

WHOOP-WHOOP

“Yeah!” Rainbow cried. “Louder!”

Sonata cheered along with the crowd until Sunset stepped forward as well and took the microphone.

“Thanks for coming out everyone!”

More enthusiastic cheering from the crowd.

“Thank you. Before we get started here, I’d like to thank all of my friends for helping to set all of this up.” She gestured around at her band mates. Vinyl at the DJ station raised both hands in peace signs and made an explosive concussion sound blast from the speakers all around.

“I’d also like to thank Filthy Rich,” Sunset continued, “for allowing us the use of this building and plaza, and Flim and Flam of Flim and Flam’s Everything Under the Sun Emporium for funding tonight’s event.”

More cheers as Flim, Flam, Shim, Sham, and Filthy Rich bowed, or waved amicably in recognition of the praise. Filthy’s daughter smirked next to her father, waving around at the crowd too. Sonata shook her head, slightly amused.

“Tonight is an occasion to remember,” Sunset spoke into the microphone in a less exuberant voice, “that people deserve second chances. Through events beyond her control, Aria may lose her ability to walk. This night was born of a sister’s selfless desire to make sure that doesn’t happen. As her friends, it is our pleasure to make sure that devotion is rewarded. Let’s hear it for the mastermind of this event, Sonata Dusk!”

Sonata felt her face turn red as everyone around her began applauding her. Snips riding on Snail’s shoulders was punching the air, and even Maud was clapping and giving her a small, sedate smile. Sonata looked down to her side, and saw Aria smiling up at her with the first real smile she’d seen on her sister’s face in months, applauding along with the crowd.

“Now without any further ado,” Sunset went on.

“Let’s get this party started!” Rainbow finished.

“Let’s make some noise!” Pinkie screamed.

As one, Sunset and Rainbow kicked at a pair of hooks suspending Sonata’s massive project. The enormous roll began to unfurl, rolling down the front of the building, and the crowd gasped and whispered as the picture on it came into view. Sonata held her breath, hoping it was alright. She’d had complete confidence in Rarity’s abilities, but she’d been terrified of making a mistake herself. When the canvas unfolded completely, there was a moment of near silence.

“Wow...” Aria whispered next to her.

The sketch that Sonata had shown Sunset weeks ago, the image of the band members all playing in a ring, laid out on a sheet of canvas as large as the entire side of the building. It was somewhat different this time though, Sonata thought, smiling in satisfaction. In and around the band members in miniature, but clear enough to see, was everyone she and her friends knew, all painted in startlingly colourful detail. All of their classmates, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, Adagio with her new look, the Apple family, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, even Filthy Rich and the Flim Flam Brothers stood among the painted people, characteristic grins on the entrepreneur’s face. Sonata couldn’t help giving them both somewhat dastardly expressions, but the real life brothers didn’t seem to mind it.

“I’d say she caught your likeness quite well, brother,” Flim commented approvingly.

“I’ve seen that very expression on your stunning features more than I can count, sibling of mine.”

“She caught your old-man white streaks quite well too,” the Shim Sham Sisters added together, their voices sly.

“Oh if only she had had time to draw you two,” Flim retorted in a forced cheery voice.

“She might have worked in your wrinkles with that level of detail,” Flam added.

“Sonata...” Aria breathed in awe, ignoring the implied loathing behind her again. “You... made that?”

“Yep.” She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. “Look, I even put us up there behind Adagio.” She pointed up at the canvas, where indeed Adagio stood depicted, arms folded in a characteristic I’ll-crush-you posture, but with a much kinder smirk on her face than her old self would have worn. Behind her, next to the enormous painted boot of Rarity, was Aria, being hugged by a two-dimensional Sonata. The Aria in the picture looked as though she were trying to be miffed, but was secretly enjoying the frozen embrace.

“Do you like it?” Sonata asked, still looking up at it.

Aria didn’t respond, but Sonata thought she heard a sniffle and a stifled sob. She didn’t look around at Aria, wishing to spare her feelings. Fortunately, the band started up at that moment, and Sonata fell into simply watching Sunset singing. In all honesty, that was all she needed. She felt that she could have stood there for any amount of time simply staring up at her, feeling as though Sunset were singing just for her.

“You’ve got a good one there,” Aria said eventually, tapping Sonata’s forearm. Sonata looked down and noticed Aria watching her. “I thought, maybe her, with the way she acted. But I wasn’t sure about you.” She smiled a little knowingly. “I’m pretty sure now though.”

Sonata laughed. “So am I,” she replied honestly.

They both turned back to the concert, the band accepting cheers from the crowd. Sonata couldn’t remember which song they were on, but was distracted from the thought by the sound of a car roaring up to the side of the plaza behind them.

A sleek, black car so shiny it might have been made out of cohesive oil, skidded to a sudden halt on the road, causing two of the policemen at attention to utter loud remonstrations and storm over. Completely ignoring them, a person emerged from the car, lowering his purple-tinted glasses as he stared up in astonishment at the apartment building. Silvery ponytail whipping behind him, dapper suit slightly creased, Hoity Toity hurried forward, his mouth agape.

“Is that... that can’t possibly be...!”

“Who’s the suit?” Aria asked, mildly intrigued.

“Sir!” Hoity cried, spinning around Filthy Rich. “Who is responsible for this?”

“Excuse me, sir,” Filthy said, coldly. “This is a charity event.”

“Not that!” Hoity waved impatiently and pointed at the building. At the canvas painting. “That. Who did that? I simply must know who they are!”

Filthy seemed put-off by how enthusiastic Hoity was being, and so simply pointed rather than replying. Hoity followed his finger to Sonata, who was looking in their direction. Sonata was barely aware of a new band starting up above, as Hoity dashed forward, gliding like a phantom between the crowds towards her.

“You are the mind behind this piece?” he inquired in still cultured, but excitable tones, staring down his shapely nose at her. He took her hand with both his own.

“Um, I painted it, yeah,” Sonata said uncertainly, looking down at her captive hand.

“Simply magnificent,” he said quietly, staring up at it again. “You simply must have art displayed somewhere?”

“No, I don’t,” Sonata said, giving him a funny look. “Don’t you remember me from the art gallery?”

Hoity gave a small chuckle. “My dear, you must excuse me, I have such a bad memory for faces unless I concentrate. Allow me to renew our acquaintance. If I have my way, and I usually do, you’re going to be in on the next big thing.”

“Sonata?” Sunset asked. She appeared from around the other side of the crowd, the other Rainbooms in tow. “What’s going on?”

“Friends of yours?” Hoity asked, letting go of Sonata’s hand and pulling her close to him. “Excellent. Witness the birth of an artiste!” he announced, raising a pedantic finger into the air.

Sunset looked to Sonata, apparently for answers, but Sonata, held close to Hoity’s bosom, simply shrugged as best she could.

Early in the morning, about four o’clock, Sonata and Sunset sat down on their sofa, exhausted by the night’s activities, although strangely neither seemed particularly tired.

The concert had ended with something of a fright. Once counted up, Rarity announced in a troubled tone that their target amount of money had not been met. The crowd and bands alike had been dismayed, until Hoity Toity, with a dramatic flair that the Flim Flam Brothers would envy, stepped forward, jauntily waving a check in Rarity’s direction. Rarity had stared at the check blankly for a moment, pulled out a pair of reading glasses, and then goggled as she read the check anew.

“It’s too bad Aria wasn’t around to see Hoity do that. I get the feeling she didn’t like him much.” Sonata brought the tea over and set them on the coffee table.

“Serves him right,” Sunset grumbled. “Slimy git. He only did that to get you to call him.”

“For a commission,” Sonata clarified.

“Or ten,” Sunset added, still a little irritated.

Sonata sat down and huddled up next to her, resting her head on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Silly Shimmy,” she tittered. “Come on. He’s way too old for me, and frankly nowhere near my type.” This seemed to make Sunset happier. “Weird that he happened to be in the area,” Sonata observed. This seemed to make Sunset unhappy again. Nervous, if Sonata wasn’t mistaken. “What did you do?” she asked in a playfully accusatory tone, knowing Sunset too well by this point.

Sunset cleared her throat a little. “Nothing,” she lied smoothly. Sonata gave her an arch look. “I might have sent him a tip that there might have been something to strike his fancy if he just so happened to come by.”

“You told him what I’d done?” Sonata asked, sitting up properly and giving her a half disbelieving, half impressed grin.

“Maybe.” Sunset said, evasively.

Sonata sat back down and re-rested her head back onto Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset picked up the remote from the coffee table.

“You want to watch a movie or something?” she asked.

“Sure,” Sonata said, snuggling up to her. As they tuned into the beginning of Pretty Woman, something occurred to Sonata. She suddenly realised that she’d forgotten something.

“Sunset?” she said, watching Julia Roberts receive advice from Hector Elizondo

“Hm?” Sunset replied lazily.

“I love you,” Sonata said comfortably.

She didn’t hear Sunset reply, but leaning into her, she felt and heard the slow, satisfied exhalation of breath. Sunset put an arm around her shoulders and leaned her head into Sonata’s hair. There wasn’t any need for Sunset to say anything. Sitting there, basking in her presence, Sonata felt as though she could have stayed like that forever, and that would have been enough.

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt1

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 1

Sunset Shimmer

The morning dawned crisp and cool. Sunset knew that it wouldn’t last. Summer was upon them, and the days heated quickly.

She stood up and opened the curtains, stretching her arms above her head. The scene outside was still a little strange to her, but had so far always given her a thrill of intrigue. Looking back into the bedroom, she noted the girl lying in the still shaded part of the bed. Sunset always kept the curtains partially closed so as not to wake her. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she moved around the bed in the direction of the kitchen.

Several important changes had occurred in the running of Sunset and Sonata’s lives. Following the fundraising concert, Aria’s operation had gone ahead as planned, and been declared a complete success. During her recovery time, still enrolled at school, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had been busy doing their part for Aria, recommending her to a physical rehabilitation clinic that provided temporary housing and a skill workshop.

To everyone’s utter surprise, Sunset’s small revenge on Hoity Toity for his sleight against Sonata in the art gallery had become an opportunity beyond anything anyone had imagined. Thanks to the secretive nature by which Sonata had concealed the nature of her project, even Sunset had not guessed at its full and glorious extent. Since then, Hoity Toity had been commissioning pieces for both his personal collection, and for the city gallery, which now had a portion of wall devoted entirely to Sonata’s work. The boon from this patronage was neither small, nor difficult to understand.

“The coming event is more than meets the eye,” Hoity had explained. He was seated in their small apartment room as though he expected the place to bite him. “The ‘fair’ as the locals have termed it, has attracted the eye of the Capital, and many an important person will be arriving to view everything within. I am not exaggerating when I say this,” he said in low, serious rumbles, “that the very future of the fashion world may be decided on that night. And you will be a part of that. Your paintings will inspire, be a part of the latest designs, and talk of the Capital.” He gazed fiercely at Sonata over his glasses, making her incredibly nervous.

“So some big shots are coming to see the fair,” Sunset said, shrugging. She was trying to put Sonata a little at ease. Hoity Toity spluttered.

“Big shots?” he exclaimed. He put a hand to his head as though what she had said had pained him. “The term does not do them close to a third of the justice these people deserve!”

In all honesty, Sunset still found Hoity rather tiresome, but she had to admit that at the very least he probably knew what he was talking about. Hoity was a rich man, and an influential one. Through his patronage alone, Sonata had risen to a kind of local fame. Paintings done by her hung in Hoity’s own residence in the city, in the city art gallery, in Sunset and Sonata’s place of residence, and even in Canterlot High, where Sonata had donated one of her early works.

Sunset strode about the kitchen, still appreciating the wide space and full sized cooker as she made fried eggs and bacon. With the sun beginning to filter in through the window, the first signs of life outside of her home sounded outside.

“Hey Rainbow!” Sunset called out of her window.

“Sup, Sunset?” Rainbow waved as she jogged by. Both girls knew the routine by now. Sunset took careful aim, and at the opportune moment she knew all-too-well from several weeks practise, threw the toast with unerring aim. Rainbow leapt forward down the hill, catching the toast expertly between her teeth.

“Mmph!” she grunted, giving a thumbs up as she darted down the slope passed Sunset’s house.

“Was that Rainbow?” came a voice from behind Sunset’s back.

“Her dad won’t buy whole-grain bread,” Sunset explained. “Eggs and toast good for you? I made bacon too.”

“If you made it, it could be soggy bread on burnt cereal and I’d still eat it,” Sonata giggled, kissing Sunset on the cheek.

“You wound me, dear,” Sunset smirked, setting a plate in front of her and sitting down opposite her. “And here I thought you liked my cooking.”

“See, that’s the thing,” Sonata said seriously, waving a bit of egg on her fork. “I both love you, and your cooking.” She stretched out both arms as though unable to comprehend the whole thing. “It’s like I’m getting my cake and eating it too! And you know how much I love cake.”

Sunset did. She, Sunset, enjoyed cake too, but nowhere near as much as Sonata or Pinkie. They were cake lovers in a realm beyond normal love of cake. And in another twist of cosmic black humour, neither of them gained much weight, which Sunset intuitively knew wouldn’t be the case with herself if she ever tried it.

“So, what do you want to do when we’re out today?” Sunset asked, sipping her coffee.

“I don’t know,” Sonata sighed, kicking her feet under the table. “I’m supposed to be doing those paintings for the fair.”

“Oh yeah? How’re they coming?”

Sonata’s lip curled a little. “Alright I guess. I’m just not used to taking suggestions, you know?”

Sunset knew what she meant. As part of Hoity Toity’s panic, there was no other word for it, about the crème de la crème of the Capital coming to survey the work at the art fair, he had urged her to paint things that, to be perfectly honest, Sunset had never seen Sonata paint before.

“I mean, it look really good,” Sunset said, fairly.

“No, it doesn’t,” Sonata corrected her sadly.

As part of their increased income, Sonata had followed through on her promise to buy a house. Not wanting to exceed themselves, Sonata and Sunset had bought a house on the mountainside near to Rainbow’s humble abode. Like Rainbow’s house, the building had an air of former grandness, and a generous size. Its rooms were all unusually high ceilinged, especially for the two girls who had lived in Filthy Rich’s apartment complex. Owing to its relatively large size, and the presence of only two residents, they had space for Sunset Shimmer’s office, and Sonata’s workshop, which was actually a spacious attic fitted with large, angled windows.

Standing in the morning sunlight, observing several of Sonata’s latest creations, Sunset tried to think of something to say that might cheer Sonata up. The poor girl was looking most morose.

“Why don’t you just do the pictures you want to do? Hoity might not even be right about what the big wigs want to see.”

“Maybe,” Sonata said despondently. “But this is his area of expertise. He wouldn’t be where he is if he wasn’t good at it, surely.”

“I suppose you have a point there,” Sunset conceded. She gazed at the crease between Sonata’s eyebrows for a moment or two more, and then gave her shoulder a little shake. “Cheer up. Aria’s visiting today. You’ll get some inspiration later.”

This did seem to make Sonata happier. She smiled. “Remember, she likes iced tea, not hot.”

“The one thing I can never forgive her for,” Sunset sighed, as she followed Sonata downstairs. “Ice tea indeed.” She shivered in disgust.

Nevertheless, the meeting was quite cordial. Sonata met Aria at the bus stop just down the road, and helped her to the house.

“Hey Aria. Still sorry about the incline,” Sunset laughed nervously.

“Yeah, well,” Aria replied, grinning. “It’s easier with crutches than that damn chair.”

“She was faster than me up that hill,” Sonata complained, breathing heavily. “This place is going to be the death of me.”

“That’s because you don’t ever get out of the house,” Sunset snickered.

“You are getting a little podgy there,” Aria teased, prodding Sonata’s middle.

“That’s not funny,” Sonata said in a deadpan voice.

“I’m just remembering how much you like cake,” Sunset said, innocently.

“You watch yourself, missy,” Sonata warned, poking Sunset in the chest. “You’ll be sleeping in your office tonight.”

Sunset raised both hands in defeat, smirking as Aria stifled a laugh with her hand. “Speaking of cake,” Sunset began, “want some, Aria? Got some gingerloaf in the kitchen.”

Aria gave a casual affirmation, but Sunset could see the eagerness in a few of her mannerisms. Her rehabilitation program, she knew, was heavy on healthy foods and hard carbs, rather than sweets. Whilst not exactly forbidden to have them, Aria had no job whilst in rehab, and so couldn’t be expected to be able to go out and buy her own.

“They say I’ll be able to lose the crutches soon,” Aria said excitedly. “I only have to keep ‘em now because they don’t want me overexerting myself.” She rolled her eyes and huffed, a typical Aria reaction.

Sunset set down a large slice of gingerloaf and fork before her, and a significantly smaller pair in front of herself and Sonata. Aria bit into the cake as though she were eating nectar of the gods. Her entire face lit up into a disturbingly angelic expression so far removed from anything either Sonata or Sunset imagined could appear on Aria. The other girls stared.

“I’ll have what she’s having,” Sonata said, taking a bite of her own cake.

“I never knew how much I missed sweets,” Aria sighed dreamily.

“I’d die without cake,” Sonata said idly, casually sneaking a chunk of Aria’s from her plate.

“Hey!” Aria cried, making a snatch for it, but Sonata ate the chunk in one gulp and stuck out her tongue. Aria flushed. “Ugh! That was mine!”

“Don’t worry, we have more,” Sunset said, repressing an urge to laugh as Aria leaned over and pulled Sonata’s ponytail. “So are you okay for coming out with us today?”

Aria made a dismissive gesture as Sunset set another slice of cake in front of her. “Please, I’ll be limping circles around both of you,” she bragged.

The sad thing was that she was right.

Aria’s crutches didn’t seem to impede her in the least, and she was able to ascend or descend stairs with a nonchalance that quite astonished Sunset. She agreed whole-heartedly with Sunset as well that Sonata should simply paint what she wanted to paint if she was in a slump.

“That’s what they tell us to do in rehab,” she explained. “If we get frustrated with something, you take a break and do something you want to do until you feel up to it again.”

“What do you do?” Sunset asked, curiously.

Leaning on her left crutch, Aria reached into the satchel she had, and pulled out a notebook. “I write mostly. For some reason I’d forgotten how much I used to like it.”

Sunset took the notebook and flipped through it, her eyebrows shooting up into her fringe. The book was full of neat, orderly script. Never ending black lines of writing, with red and green-inked corrections Aria had evidently made herself on almost every page.

“Wow,” Sunset said openly. “You write stories?”

“Yeah,” Aria said, looking a little proud of herself.

“When did you first figure that out?” Sunset asked, genuinely interested.

Aria’s smile faded. She frowned as though the question were perplexing. “Huh...” she said, sounding faintly troubled. “I don’t remember.”

Sunset stared at her, faintly surprised by this reaction.

“Yeah,” Sonata said suddenly, sounding troubled as well. “It was the same with me and painting.” Sonata too was frowning as though struggling to remember something. “It’s like I liked painting a long time ago, but... I just can’t remember it.”

Sunset looked between the two girls, feeling as though she were missing something. “Like, back in Equestria?” she asked, helpfully.

“Maybe,” Aria said, rubbing her chin. “It seems so long ago.”

The mystery of their hidden talents was eventually given up on, and the three of them made their way into the city via taxi.

“I’ll be glad when I can get rid of these things,” Aria complained, tapping alongside Sunset and Sonata. “People stare at me.”

“I never took you for being afraid of crowds,” Sunset commented.

“I never used to be, before,” Aria said. “Maybe it was just being with Sonata and Adagio. I used to love having a crowd watching me, but now it’s like they’re all individuals together rather than a single big thing with many voices.”

Sunset thought she understood what Aria meant. A performer herself, she knew the odd tips and tricks for overcoming stage fright, and one way of doing it was to remove the human aspect of the crowd from your mind. Imagining it as something that wasn’t human, and therefore couldn’t judge you, could help overcome the butterflies, or make them ten time worse. It kind of depended.

Despite having lived in the city for quite some time before and after travelling to Baltimore, Aria had never seen much of the city itself, and so Sunset and Sonata took her on a general tour of the city’s primary sights.

“It looks so weird,” Aria commented, frowning up at city hall, the rounded, oldy-worldy appearance of which had long been a subject of curiosity for the city when compared to many of the more classical public service buildings.

“I like it,” Sonata declared. “It has oomph.”

“What is ‘oomph’?” Aria asked, confused.

“You know,” Sonata explained. “Oomph. Razzmatazz. It. City Hall has It.”

Aria looked to Sunset for help. “I think she means it has character. Individuality,” Sunset interpreted.

“Yeah,” Sonata agreed.

“Why didn’t you just say that?” Aria shook her head. “I still think it’s weird.”

“My dear!” called a voice from across the street.

“Oh no...” Sunset groaned. She turned around with Sonata and Aria, praying she misheard, begging for it not to be... but it was.

Hoity Toity, silver hair agleam, red cravat delivering an explosion of colour across his grey and blue chest, strode across the road, apparently leaving two people he was walking with on the other side of the road.

“Dear, my dear, my burgeoning young prodigy,” he said in his usual, cultured tones.

“This guy again?” Aria whispered to Sunset.

“He’s Sonata’s patron,” Sunset said, glaring at Hoity, who was busily taking no notice of them.

His silver ponytail flying elegantly behind him and his purple glasses sparkling in the sunlight, he wrapped an arm around Sonata’s shoulders and began dragging her away. “I simply must allow you to meet two dear friends of mine. I assure you,” he said in a more serious tone, “they are simply dying to meet you. Yes, yes,” he said, seeming to notice Sunset and Aria for the first time. “Yes, my best talent scout and whomever she calls a friend are welcome too. Come, come!”

Sunset and Aria looked at each other, and then a little reluctantly followed him across the road.

The two people he had left standing were talking to each other amiably, but stopped to smile benignly at the new arrivals. One was a tall, white skinned man with elegant blue hair, a blue tweaked moustache, and a monocle. He wore a simple but spotlessly clean black suit with a blue bow tie, and had a look of effortless suave and sophistication. The woman to his left was an equally tall, slender woman with curves in all the right places. She had long, pale pink hair that looked as though it could have been fashioned from porcelain, a long white dress equally as simple and as well fitting as her companion’s suit was to him, and purple eyes that seemed to be able to speak a hundred different things at once. If Sunset wasn’t mistaken, she thought that the lady’s eyes slid onto her a little longer then on everyone else’s.

“I say, Hoity old boy, who do we have here?” the man asked good-naturedly, scrutinising them all through his monocle.

“Might I have the honour of introducing,” Hoity began, stretching out a dramatic arm, “Sir Fancy Pants, and his companion, Lady Fleur Dis Lis. This is the next great artiste of the present age, the talented Sonata Dusk.”

Fancy Pants smiled and held out a hand. “A pleasure to meet you,” he said earnestly, shaking her hand with celerity. “Hoity here has told me some wonderful things about you.”

“He does go on,” the lady said with the faintest suggestion of a laugh in her voice, stretching out her hand as well.

“He’s mentioned you a few times as well,” Sonata said, a faint colour in her cheeks.

Fancy Pants chuckled. “So modest,” he commented to the lady. “Well, I look forward to seeing some of your work. I’ve actually come by today to see what all of the fuss Hoity’s being making is all about. I expect to be mightily impressed.”

“Oh you will,” Hoity assured him.

Sunset was not a cruel person – anymore – but she had to admit to herself that she liked the sight of Hoity being all nervous and eager to please. These two people were clearly important in some way to his work. She was tempted to do something to make his life just that little bit more difficult, but a developed habit of being nice to people, and a thought that she might harm Sonata’s prospects by doing so, stayed her hand.

Hoity led both Fancy Pants and Sonata into the gallery, leaving the lady, Sunset and Aria behind. They followed on, the lady, Sunset noticed, looking faintly amused.

Standing opposite the city hall, Sunset supposed she should not have been surprised at Hoity having spotted them. He and Fancy Pants had moved into the first room, where an entire wall had been devoted to Sonata’s landscapes. Sunset watched nervously as Hoity pointed out particular pieces, and Fancy Pants nodded in apparent approval. Sonata managed to slip away during this time, and sidled back to where her friends and the lady were standing.

“Hey look, it’s Rarity,” she said, pointing to their right.

Looking over, Sunset saw that Rarity was indeed there, standing alongside an eccentric looking girl with a camera, whom Sunset recognised as Photo Finish. Sunset snorted to see Rarity’s outfit: a modern French beret with a black, overly large sweater and matching skirt. Photo Finish next to her had her usual attire of black and white dress, and pink-tinged glasses, through which she stared imperiously at people as though imagining what they might look like in print.

“Oh let’s hope she doesn’t fall for Fancy Pants too,” Sunset whispered, rolling her eyes.

As the other two laughed at the inside joke, the lady gave a little chuckle of her own. Sunset looked up at her, faintly surprised that she would join in with their humour. She seemed to notice.

“It would be a great misfortune for her if she did,” the lady said, smiling warmly. “I’m sorry, I don’t think that we’ve been properly introduced,” she said, proffering her hand. Sunset went to take it, but at the last moment the lady moved her own hand and grasped a hold of Sunset’s fingers as though she intended to kiss them. “Fleur Dis Lis.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset replied, feeling a little hot under the collar. “Um, is Fancy Pants your, um...” She imagined that the two must be married, or at least seeing each other, and that would be why Rarity must be unfortunate if she developed feeling for the man.

Fleur laughed daintily at this. It was not uncontrolled, but it was certainly an open laugh. “Oh my dear,” she said, her voice still trembling a little with mirth. She lowered her voice. “Fancy Pants is a blatant homosexual.”

“Oh!” Sunset said, understanding. The other lady raised Sunset’s hand a little higher, her elegant smile widening a little.

“As am I,” she continued.

Sunset felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She wasn’t sure she wanted to try and interpret the meaning in the older lady’s tone. At that moment however, another hand reached up and plucked Sunset’s from Fleur’s.

“Taken,” Sonata said firmly, directing a cold look at Fleur.

Sunset avoided Sonata’s eye, afraid of the colour still in her face. Fleur on the other hand simply laughed again, that same, open yet controlled laugh, a hand to her mouth, looking unabashed.

“Such honesty!” she said, her glittering purple eyes meeting Sonata’s burning magenta one’s unflinchingly. If Sonata were looking at her that way, Sunset would have dropped the subject and made her excuses to leave. “How refreshing.” She lowered her voice again. “This is an open relationship?”

“I’ve got no problem telling anyone,” Sonata said, defiantly.

Fleur reached down and seized their clasped hands between her own. “You two are just precious. And you, the little artist; so passionate. I hope that you never lose that fieriness.” She let go of their hands, but then put a hand to Sunset’s burning cheek. “You’ll forgive my fun, I hope,” she said in a more serious tone. “Capital life can be so rigid. No offense my dear, but I think you’re a little too young for me. It’s unfortunate really.” She slid her hand from Sunset’s face, her index finger tracing Sunset’s jawbone to the chin. With one last warm look at the three of them, she moved away to rejoin Fancy Pants.

“Wow.” Was Aria’s only comment.

As soon as Fancy Pants, Hoity Toity, and Fleur had moved away to see more of the gallery, Sunset and company made a speedy exit.

Sonata was still fuming, which only served to make Sunset feel even more awkward. The whole experience had just been a blur of confusion and what she imagined to be hints and innuendo that she just didn’t understand. The place on her face where Fleur had touched still tingled faintly. Aria, partly amused, partly confused, chose to regard the thing as something to be puzzled over, like a joke that didn’t make sense.

“Come on, you’re not angry are you?” Sunset asked Sonata. She clearly was angry. Sunset took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “There’s nothing to be angry about, it’s not like she was serious or anything,” she went on. To her own mortification, she felt that she was sort of trying to convince herself as much as Sonata. Luckily, Aria came to the rescue.

“She did say it was a joke,” she reminded them. “And I can sort of see how it was. Twisted sense of humour though.”

“Very,” Sonata grunted. All the same, she looked slightly mollified.

“All in all, it’s over now. Where were we going next?”

“Don’t know about you, but I’m hungry,” Aria said. “Want to get something to eat?”

The rest of the afternoon went by more amicably, with Sonata apparently forgetting about the encounter with Fleur for the most part. Sunset didn’t think about it much either, especially with Aria’s continuing descriptions of life in rehab.

“I can’t do anything,” she groaned, as she elaborated on her many failed attempts to find a skill in the rehab workshop.

“Why don’t you write?” Sunset suggested, remembering her notebook.

“What kind of career can I have doing that?” Aria asked. “It’s not exactly a safety net.”

“Neither is painting,” Sonata said, shrugging. She bit into a sandwich wrap and went on with her mouth full of food. “But we get by, don’t we?”

“I suppose,” Aria said, looking faintly ill as Sonata sprayed lettuce and flour wrap everywhere.

“You can always stay with us until you get on your feet, you know,” Sunset offered. “We have a guest bedroom.”

Aria refused to accept the offer outright. Sunset knew that she appreciated it, but was reluctant to accept more help. She probably still felt guilty and regretful for her past actions. Sunset could understand that, and knew it wasn’t worth it to push the subject.

“Why don’t you ask Adagio if there’s anything you can do in Applewood?” Sonata asked. “They need writers, don’t they? For shows and things?”

“I think you’re aiming kind of high there,” Aria said.

“If you don’t aim high, you’re only going to hit the ground,” Sonata said, sagely.

Aria raised an eyebrow. “That strangely made sense,” she admitted.

“I’m usually terrible at those,” Sonata said, unnerved. “What’s going on? Where am I?”

“The human universe. The sandwich shop on 23rd street. We’re eating lunch,” Sunset rattled off. Sonata settled down.

“Oh, good,” she smiled, slurping loudly on her fizzy drink.

“I don’t know how you can stand living with her,” Aria said shaking her head. This seemed an odd thing for Aria to say in Sunset’s opinion. Aria seemed to notice this as well. “We stayed out of each other’s way when we could, when we were sirens,” she explained. “It’s not like we slept in the same bed or something.”

“I do admit that her snoring used to be a little distracting,” Sunset said thoughtfully.

“Hey!”

“But she hasn’t snored once since we started sleeping in the same bed.”

Aria spluttered, sending a gulp full of diet coke right up her nose.

“Not like that!” Sunset hissed, covering her face and looking around to see if anyone was staring at them. Sonata laughed as Aria held a napkin to her nose, grimacing as the drink burnt her sinuses.

“So, all is right with the world,” Aria said thickly, once she’d recovered.

“Are you coming to the fair, by the way?” Sunset asked. “We’ve got extra invites.”

“Oh you bet I’ll be there,” Aria assured confidently. “I’ll be walking in too, instead of hobbling. I’m looking forward to seeing those finished paintings,” she said to Sonata.

Sonata’s good humour vanished almost instantly. “Yeah,” she said uncertainly.

Aria, too intent on drinking her coke without it shooting up her nose again, didn’t notice the doubt in Sonata’s voice, but Sunset did.

“Don’t worry,” she said with a smile. “It’ll be fine.”

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt2

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 2

Sonata Dusk

The problem was that Sonata wasn’t sure it would be fine. She knew that Sunset meant well, and she knew that under most usual circumstances, things would be alright. But now she wasn’t sure.

The work room had a smell to it that always calmed Sonata, a mixture of mountain air, fresh cut wood, and industrial strength insulation. Okay, that was an acquired taste in scents, but hey, it worked. But not this time. As she stood in front of her easels, sucking the end of her ponytail for comfort, Sonata had to admit that she had not encountered a problem like this before. She’s been stymied in the past, oh to be sure, many times. Many, many times. But most of those problems were ones that she could share with her sisters, or in recent times, with Sunset and her friends. Even the issue of realising her feelings for Sunset had not been so high an obstacle as this one, since Sunset had taken the first running jump.

But not this time. As much as a non-problem as it seemed, Sonata was forced to admit to herself that she was labouring under the worst problem a painter could possibly have. A problem so all-encompassing, so vile and cruel, that artists and other creative types almost never dare to speak its name.

“Artist’s block?” Sunset asked.

Sonata made a muffled, affirmative noise, her face planted onto the table.

Sunset didn’t say anything for a little while. She seemed to realise that this was an issue Sonata couldn’t just get over. Sonata remained with her head resting on the polished wood, still sucking the end of her ponytail anxiously.

“Don’t do that,” Sunset said gently, tugging the ponytail from her Sonata’s mouth. “You still paint with that.” She sighed a sad little sigh. “Well, I can see that this is eating you up. I still don’t get why you don’t just go back to drawing what you want to draw.”

“Because Hoity told me that the Capital people expect better,” Sonata slurred through the table surface.

“Dear, I get that you’re down and everything, but it’s hard for me to understand you with your head on the table,” Sunset informed her with a little smile.

“What’s it going to take for you to give me a nickname, Silly Shimmy?”

“As soon as I come up with a good one, I’ll be sure to tell you.”

Sonata raised her head, resisting the urge to start sucking her ponytail again. “It’s just that... well, Hoity sponsoring me has given us so many good things,” she explained morosely.

“True,” Sunset agreed.

“And I just don’t want to lose that. For either of us. I like living here.”

“And so do I,” Sunset said, putting her hand over Sonata’s. “But you don’t have to push yourself so hard that you’re not happy. Your particular job kind of depends on you being in a good mood.”

Sonata hit her head into the table again. “I know...”

Sunset entreated her again not to face plant the table. “Okay, why don’t you try explaining to me why you’re having difficulty. What actually is the problem you’re having with these paintings? Maybe I can suggest something.”

“Well,” Sonata began slowly. She screwed up her face as a sign of deep thinking. “It’s kind of... you know it’s like... it’s sort of...”

“Yes?” Sunset prompted gently.

“I just can’t get them to have any... oomph.”

“Character?”

“No, no, the other thing.”

“Um... colour? Shape? Detail?” Sunset thought for a moment, as Sonata shook her head, gesturing impatiently with her hand as though trying to egg her brain into gear. “Life?” Sunset suggested.

Sonata snapped her fingers. “Yeah, that!”

“They don’t look right to you?”

“No, they look... well, lifeless. Like they’re just paintings.”

Although Sonata didn’t guess it, Sunset decided not to point out that in actual fact they were just paintings. Sunset was not an artsy type, but she was a student of magic, which had its own brand of joie de vivre. She thought that she knew then what the problem was, and thought back to what Princess Celestia had always attempted to tell her was a good way to overcome it. Sonata simply balanced her head on one hand, staring into the grains of wood of the table.

“How about we go and try to get you some inspiration?”

Sonata looked up with a frown. The phrasing threw her off. “Go and get some?” she asked.

Sunset seemed to realise her blunder. “I mean, we can go out somewhere and try to inspire you to draw something. You were inspired when we went to Whitetail, and you used to get awesome ideas at Applejack’s farm.”

“True,” Sonata conceded. “But Hoity wants me to draw things that’ll appeal to the Capital. Portraits and cityscapes.”

“Well then, let’s go to a big city for a day.” Sunset said cheerfully. “You’ve drawn a city before,” she said, gesturing to the hallway.

Personally, Sonata was against framing and putting up her own paintings in their house. At first she had blushed every time she went passed the first one Sunset had insisted they put up in the lounge, a sunny winter day at Applejack’s farm. Over time, as her misgivings left her, Sunset had encouraged her to put up more of her paintings. The only one Sonata actually liked up was the one in their bedroom, which had come from her private collection of stalker-ish doodles and paintings of Sunset that she had done before they got together. It still made her cringe to think how dim she had been about the whole thing, when it seemed so obvious to her now. Even after they got together officially, Sonata had intended to keep those drawings personal, but on the day of the move, the damn folder had dropped and sent her private stash flying all over the floor. She hadn’t time to pick them up before Sunset was upon them.

“Sonata?” Sunset said. “Earth to Sonata.”

Sonata looked up. “Huh?”

“You were spacing out on me there.” Sunset grinned at her. “So what do you think? Day trip? We could invite Rainbow. I don’t think she’s doing anything today.”

Sonata thought about it. “Maybe tomorrow,” she said, standing up.

Sunset looked faintly surprised at her standing. “Where are you going?” she asked. “Not back to work?”

“No,” Sonata said. “Just going to get some air. I think I’ll take a walk, clear my head.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll be here when you get—“ The front door closed. Sunset remained sitting at the kitchen table, hands clasped and looking troubled.

Sonata had not exited the house without a purpose in mind. None of her friends had so far been able to help with her block. Rarity and Sunset had perhaps given the best advice, with talks of seeking inspiration. But this was not about getting inspiration, about finding something new to paint. This was about painting something she really didn’t want to paint.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash had both suggested ploughing through, about facing the issue head on and, to use Rainbow’s specific choice of vocabulary, making it work for you. Even to this day Sonata had no inkling of what that meant.

Fluttershy’s solution had been to suggest drawing other things, maybe a bunny or a kitty cat, and hope that the newly developed feelings of fuzz-wuzzy sweetness gave her the confidence to go on. Sonata had tried valiantly, but had quickly found that she had an allergy to cats, and that bunny rabbits just creeped her out. How she had not realised her cat allergy until now was still beyond her.

Pinkie Pie perhaps had the least helpful, if not the most enthusiastic help. Her idea had been to distract her from the problem by inviting her to the Cake’s latest birthday bash, and hope that the sights and sounds of laughing children, intermingled with fun games and sweets would buoy her up so much that she could get on with her paintings. The reason for this being the least helpful was because she actually did get all pepped up and excited, only for this good mood to puncture like an old tire the moment she got back from the party, stuffed full of cake, to her workroom.

She took the bus into town, feeling nostalgic. Hoping Hoity wasn’t there for once, she went to the art gallery again, not to see her own pictures, but this one painting that she’d seen a long time ago with Sunset when they had gone on their first date. A massive white piece of canvas as big as a wall, with a seemingly arbitrary splattering of lines and squiggles. To the ordinary observer it seemed like nothing special. Just a bit of new-age art that people liked to try and interpret to mean anything and everything, whilst it might have meant nothing at all. Couldn’t art just be beautiful? Why did it have to have some deep, philosophical or political meaning behind it? Sonata always shook her head when she heard people discussing that sort of thing.

She sighed, looking up at the monstrously large painting. Anyone who figured out what the picture actually did would probably think that it depicted some great and complex scenery, but actually the resulting image was simplicity itself.

Sonata set herself to the centre so as to see the picture again. As the lines coalesced and she saw the true picture within, she smiled at it contentedly. A man and woman, both rather plain looking but with the warmest, happiest looks on their faces, stared out of the picture, their hands clasped. Around them, in a thousand places, in a thousand different sizes, fonts, and languages, were the words

Be Happy

It didn’t matter how depressed Sonata felt, this painting always made her cheer up a little. She wished that she had a copy of it at home. It couldn’t solve her current problem of course, but she felt that she needed pepping up a little, and she had nurtured a hope that it would give her the confidence to go on. It didn’t but it was worth it anyway.

She stood there for a few moments, wondering whether she should take a full tour or just leave. As she had exhibitions in the gallery, she was free to come and go as she pleased, but she still liked to see a lot of the paintings and sculptures. The floor upstairs had an entire case devoted to sculptures made of wax: pink wax roses, and a white wax Swiss-army knife, a—

“Ahh! My number one artist.”

Oh no... Sonata thought, not turning around.

An arm insinuated itself around her shoulders. “Coming to scope the competition?” he said with knowing amusement. “The exhibition isn’t for another few weeks. The more exquisite pieces have not yet arrived. They’re gearing up, much like you, for their moment.” He stretched an arm before them, as though surveying a bold new landscape. His cuffs had golden links, and his fingernails were manicured to perfection. Sonata covertly inspected her own nails. Whilst neat and even, they were nowhere near as resplendent as his own.

“You think there will be a lot of them?”

“A lot of them?” he laughed, holding her closer. Why was he always so clingy? “My dear, every person in this city with any pretensions to the name artiste is going to have work here. The entire entrance hall is being refitted to accommodate them all. Well, those of sufficient talent, anyway,” he amended with a chuckle.

“Oh,” Sonata said, unable to think of anything else to say.

“Oh yes. By the way,” he began, as though a thought had just occurred to him. “Fancy and Fleur were most impressed by what they saw of you. Oh yes, yes, very impressed. Although,” he gave her a pat on the back. “I think we could wow them a little more, eh?” he said with a wink. “I think with the right attire, the right air, you could be very well presentable. Very well presentable indeed.”

“Presentable?” Sonata asked nervously.

“But of course!” he cried exuberantly, flourishing a hand in the air. “Presentation is key, my dear. Talent is one thing, but you yourself must impress them with your grace and eloquence! In the Capital this is all completely expected. Tantamount to an insult to show them anything less.”

If Sonata hadn’t been quite so nervous before, she was now. Grace and eloquence? For realzies?

There you go, you see...

“Uh...” she ventured.

“You’ll be a natural,” Hoity said confidently, his cultured tone always sounding slightly mocking even when he didn’t mean to be. “You have that friend of yours. You know the one whose parents own that quaint little clothes shop.”

“Rarity?”

“Yes, that’s the one,” he agreed. “Have her do you up an outfit for the evening.” He pulled out a shiny black wallet, and slipped several bills out and into her hand. “Make it a nice one, will you? Believe me when I say that no expense is too great for a night like this one.”

He ruffled her hair in a rather condescending way, and made to walk away. Sonata was now feeling hot and cold all over. It was like having a boiling kettle poured in one ear and ice water tipped through the other. Sweat was forming in uncomfortable areas and she suddenly became aware of tiny sounds all around, small details of things she wouldn’t usually pay any attention to. She wondered if she was going to be sick.

“Hoity?” she croaked.

“Hm?” he inquired, looking back. He blinked a few times as he saw how green she was going.

“I... I-I don’t think I can...” She really thought she was going to vomit right then and there. Hoity seemed to notice the danger signs. He plucked out a handkerchief, and using it like a napkin, guided her by the shoulder to the bathrooms. Paying no heed to the male-female signs, he led her into the woman’s, being careful to avoid being directly in front of her. Leading her to the sink, he backed up a little and began inspecting himself in the mirror for any creases or lint on his suit.

“S-Sorry,” Sonata groaned. “I don’t... think I can do this.”

“Nonsense,” Hoity said. He was trying to sound confident, but Sonata could hear the slight tremor of trepidation in his voice. He patted her shoulder delicately. “You’re fine, you’ve just got a little of the jitters. That’s a good thing. Embrace the jitters,” he said manfully, holding up two clenched fists.

A lady walked into the bathroom at that moment and uttered a “Oh!” of surprise.

“Get out!” Hoity barked. “Can’t you see we’re having a crisis here?”

The lady exited swiftly.

“I can’t do the paintings,” Sonata managed to say between deep breaths.

“What are you talking about?” Hoity said in a falsely upbeat voice. “Your work has always been wonderful. I hope you know I don’t just scout anyone.”

“The ones you asked me to paint. They just won’t come out right.”

Hoity bit his lip. “Oh, I see. Artist block.” He sounded more worried now. Despite how finally manicured they were, he chewed on a thumbnail for comfort, apparently thinking hard. “Well,” he began, “I’m sure that you’ll come around. We have three weeks to go, you know? That’s plenty of time!”

Sonata’s reply to this was hardly encouraging. Pushing herself off the sink top with a ominous gurgling sound, she rushed into the nearest stall. Hoity winced as the sound of vomit hitting a bowl of water echoed through the lavatory.

“Eugh, so undignified,” Hoity murmured to himself. “I say, are you alright?”

“Actually yes, I feel much better.” Hoity grimaced again at the cheery sarcasm.

Sonata emerged, still looking pale and wan. Hoity stared at her, slightly repulsed.

“Look,” he started in a sobering tone. “All the greats throughout history have suffered nervousness and stage fright. You have to overcome it in order to be the best that you can be.”

“I guess,” Sonata said, wiping her mouth on some paper towels. “You just made it sound so... brutal.”

“It is brutal, my dear,” he said solemnly. “The issue seems to be your inability to do the paintings I requested. I assure you, the Capital has certain expectations, and we must meet them, as leaders of the fashionable world.”

“How do you do it?” Sonata asked, a little desperation in her voice. “I’m not a leader. I’m not famous or one of the greats, or anything. How do I do it?”

Hoity looked at her long and hard through his purple tinted glasses. He seemed to be debating something within himself. He exhaled long and slowly, as though what he were about to say were something he really would rather not say, and whatever he was about to do was something he’d really rather not do.

“Well,” he said. Sonata blinked in surprise. She’d never heard him sound so uncertain before. His cultured accent disappeared almost entirely. “There have been ways that some of the greats have um, well... given themselves a little help.”

“Help?” Sonata asked. “Like, inspiration or something?” She felt a sense of let down at the thought.

“You could say that,” Hoity said, still sounding like he was measuring every word. He gave her another long, hard stare. Then he looked back at the entrance to the room, as though checking whether someone was coming in. Sonata’s gaze instinctively glanced in the same direction, as she did so, he suddenly pushed Sonata into another stall, avoiding the one filled with sick. Sonata squeaked, but Hoity pressed a hand to her mouth and held her there for a few moments in silence. Sonata felt her heart racing, felt her fluttery stomach fill with leaden dread. What was going on? What was he doing? In the tight confines of the stall, the two of them were intimately close, his silvery hair hanging not an inch from her own blue fringe.

“I need your word,” Hoity whispered to her, looking over his glasses into her eyes, “that if I help you now, you will never breathe a word of it to anyone. Anyone at all, ever. Do you understand me?”

Sonata felt quite terrified with his hand over her mouth and his body uncomfortably close to her own. More out of fear for what was happening than anything else, she gave a jerky nod. After another second or two, Hoity let go of her mouth.

“Your word,” he said sharply.

“I-I promise...” Sonata squeaked. “B-But what are you—“

Whilst she stammered out her question, Hoity had reached into his pocket. Her eyes followed the hand, her heart chilling at the thought of what it might be he was reaching for. But it was nothing more terrifying than a small, silver case, rather like a cigar case. But Hoity didn’t smoke, did he?

“I know how you feel,” Hoity said, again without the overtly cultured accent he usually put on. “Glamorous though it is, my job has its, err... down periods. Sometimes I need a little something to get me up and going again.”

Sonata watched as he opened the silver case. Inside was a little stash of white pills, looking to Sonata like aspirin or any kind of regular tablets.

“What are they?” Sonata asked, suspiciously.

Hoity hesitated a split second. “Concentration boosters,” he said. “At least, that’s what I call them.” He sounded a little furtive.

“What are they for?”

“They help you relax. Take some of the tension away. You’d be surprised at the kind of work you can do after a few hours of extreme relaxation,” he explained, a little of his usual attitude coming back.

Sonata scrutinised the pills for a moment. “Are these—“

Hoity cut her off. “Concentration boosters,” he said, slowly and deliberately. “You don’t speak of this to anyone.” He pressed a pair of them into her hand. She held them for a moment or two, and then tried to hand them back.

“I don’t want them.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to have them,” Hoity said hastily. “They’re just in case. Sometimes it’s comforting to know that you have something to fall back on.”

Sonata hesitated as he pressed her fingers over the pills. She really didn’t want them. She had no idea what they were. Were they legal? Given the way Hoity was acting, she guessed that they probably weren’t.

“Listen to me,” Hoity began, placing both hands on her shoulders. “As your patron, it is my job, and my wish for you to be successful. Because that will reflect well on me. As a person however, I’ll tell you that this doesn’t mean I have any particular regard for you. If you fail, I cannot go down with you. Our relationship, such as it is, rests entirely on your ability to produce. That’s the way it is. If that happens, I’d rather spare you the additional pain of thinking that I was your friend. We’re not friends, you understand me?”

Sonata didn’t respond at first. She felt as though she’d frozen. As much as she wasn’t particularly fond of Hoity, she understood this to be an act of kindness. They were business partners, but telling her that after the fact would, she realised, have been a blow. Cold though it seemed, he was trying to prepare her for a possible and unpleasant outcome.

“Thanks,” she said, sadly.

“Just keep the pills,” Hoity said quietly. “You don’t have to take them. Just remember if you’re ever in a bad place, they can help.”

With that, he exited the stall. Sonata remained inside, leaning against the divider.

“What’s your problem?” she heard Hoity ask indignantly, his upper-class accent back in place. “Have you never seen a transsexual before?”

Sonata made her way home with her mind occupied by the terrifying prospect of whatever it was that Hoity had given her.

In her mind, she knew that she ought to just throw them away. She didn’t know what they were, Hoity had not explained what they did with any degree of clarity, and they were more than likely illicit. With all of this in mind, she wanted no part in them. She knew all too well what an addiction could do to a person. She and her sisters had been addicted for years.

On the other hand, she didn’t throw the pills away, but stashed them away in her pocket before leaving the bathroom. Despite her misgivings, something of what Hoity had said stuck in her mind.

Sometimes it’s comforting to know that you have something to fall back on.

She couldn’t deny the justice of these words, not with how her insides were still churning. She couldn’t ever remember feeling this nervous in her life. Terrified yes. Depressed, sure. Suicidally so. But never nervous. It wasn’t a fear of what had been, or what was happening, but a fear of the future, and she could not remember having so much to lose.

She was walking up hill towards her house, distractedly fingering the pills in her pocket, when a sound pervaded her distractedness just a little too late. Looking up, she had a brief sight of a wild rainbow mane of hair appearing suddenly over the hill in front of her, and then felt suddenly as though she’d been hit by a stampeding horse. Sonata’s hands flew out of her pockets, too late to prevent her fall. The next thing she knew she was flat on her back, Rainbow Dash having performed a sort of fancy-foot spin to keep on her feet.

“Oh my gosh,” she said anxiously, still jogging on the spot. “Are you okay? Sunset didn’t see that did she? She is going to kill me.”

“You’d know if she saw that,” Sonata groaned darkly, sitting up.

“Yeah, you’re right there,” Rainbow murmured nervously, looking around furtively for any sign of the alpha lioness. “Oh hey, you dropped something.”

Sonata was rubbing her chest, trying to overcome her winded feeling, when Rainbow reached down and plucked the pills off the ground. She scrutinised the pills for moment, and then went pale.

“What the hell are you doing with these?” she hissed. Sonata jumped, uncomprehending.

“With what?” she asked, her hand automatically reaching for her pocket. Her heart missed a beat. “Oh...”

“Oh indeed,” Rainbow said seriously, her deep magenta eyes, so like Sonata’s, boring into Sonata’s own. “You want to try explaining?” she asked, holding them out.

Sonata’s brain worked furiously. Without a hint of warning, her hand shot out and seized the pills back. She considered herself lucky, as Rainbow’s reaction time was practically legendary.

“Hey!” Rainbow snapped, evidently caught off guard.

“Please don’t tell Sunset!” Sonata blurted. “I-I’m not taking them, seriously!“

Rainbow scowled at her for a moment or two, and then seized her by the scruff of the neck. Against her protestations, Rainbow hauled Sonata over to a divide between two houses without cars, their occupants absent, and let go of her. Standing in the way of the road, she pointed at the hand containing the pills.

“Spill. Now!” she whispered as quietly, but as forcefully as she could. “And don’t try any of that ‘I was just holding it for someone’ nonsense.”

“I’m not holding it for anyone,” Sonata said miserably. “I just...” She bit her lip, trying to hold back her leaden guilt.

She explained briefly about what had transpired at the gallery, neglecting to mention who it was she had received the pills from as best she could. Rainbow scowled through the entire explanation, and when Sonata was done, she sighed long and hard.

“I swear I wasn’t going to use them,” Sonata pleaded, hands clasped together. “I don’t even know what they are.”

“Well I do,” Rainbow growled. She snapped her fingers and gestured to see them again. Sonata held them out, and Rainbow peered down to look at them closely. “Yep, I thought that was what they were.”

“What?”

“It’s part of the Wonderbolt Academy Entrance Course to be able to recognise a whole bunch of stuff like this so that people don’t try to sell us illegal substances. Which, heh, I don’t need of course because I’m awesome as it is,” she said casually. “Oh these’ll get you relaxing alright. If they were made properly, they’re relatively harmless, but that’s the thing about drugs being illegal. The people who make ‘em don’t exactly care much what happens to you so long as they get paid.”

“You think they’re dangerous?”

Rainbow seemed to consider this, her scowl melting into a stern sort of frown. “Sonata, it’s not my place to tell you how to live your life,” she began, “but as your friend, I think you should throw these away. Now. If you knew that these were legit I wouldn’t really have a problem, but if you don’t know... it’s not worth the risk in my opinion.”

Sunset was out when Sonata returned home. Up in her work room, Sonata stared at the paintings before her, all in states of semi-completion. The one she hated most, and yes, hate was the right word to use, was the largest; a five by three portrait of some guy from some place that Sonata had only the vaguest recollection of from her time in school. Some national hero famous for doing something a long time ago. He had possibly the most boring military uniform ever devised; a grey and green one that made it look like he was coated in river sludge, and a face that was oddly square, with ridiculously large side burns. The background was set with a bronze cannon, and topped with hangings appropriate for the era. It was apparently the sort of thing that the Capital was very fond of. Sonata hated the sight of it. It was so far removed from anything she’d done before. Anything she painted usually filled her with a sense of intrigue and excitement, an idea that when she was finished, something beautiful might be the outcome. She couldn’t feel that now. She knew that even if she finished it, the picture would be dull, the man in it equally so, the background cold, the aura emanating from it dusty and bygone. There was no life in it, and scrounge though she would through her imagination to find some way to make it the least bit interesting, she could think of nothing.

Her hand drifted to her pocket, feeling the pills through the fabric. She took them out and put them in a little tin that housed her clean paintbrushes. No one would find them there. Only she used her brushes for anything.

Hearing the door downstairs, she remained where she was. The situation seemed hopeless from every angle. She thought of Sunset downstairs, and was filled with a sense of deep appreciation for her being there. Sunset was her only comfort now. Sonata needed her, and perhaps in more ways than one.

If there was anything that Sunset Shimmer was good at, aside from knowing about magic, cooking, having good grades at school, her freaky knowledge of accounting, and her seemingly psychic ability to know when Sonata was trying to sneak the last bit of cake from the kitchen, it was giving advice. And Sonata needed some advice right now. And perhaps some comforting. She needed to know that Sunset was there for her.

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt3

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 3

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset hadn’t been out long. She found upon beginning to make dinner that she hadn’t got any milk for the mashed potatoes, and so with a huff of impatience, had walked to the little corner shop at the base of the mountain. The journey would have been unremarkable if it hadn’t been for her encounter with Rainbow Dash.

In retrospect it hadn’t been anything extraordinary. As part of her personal training regimen for the Academy, Rainbow devoted two portions of every day to building her stamina. As such, it was not unusual to see her jogging up and down the mountain whenever one set foot outside one’s front door. What was unusual was to see her looking troubled, even distracted. She had almost ploughed straight into Sunset, who had had to lurch into someone’s garden to avoid her.

“Sorry!” Rainbow blurted, coming to herself. “I’ve really got to stop doing that.”

“Running into people?” Sunset asked, half laughing.

“Yeah, that,” Rainbow confirmed, still jogging on the spot. Sunset noted that Rainbow was not looking directly at her, but at the floor. Unremarkable as this may seem, it sent up a warning flag to Sunset, since Rainbow was one of those confident sorts of people who almost always looked a person directly in the eye at all times. Sunset secretly thought that if Rainbow ever had a boyfriend with a hint of sharpness, there would never be a secret between them.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Rainbow looked up quickly. “Huh? Oh, nah. Just wondering if I’ll be ready for when the Wonderbolts visit during the fair.” She grinned. Sunset narrowed one eye knowingly. “See ya later!” Rainbow announced with affected cheer, and resumed her jog.

“What was that all about?” Sunset wondered aloud to herself. Shrugging, she proceeded home.

Getting home, she instantly knew that Sonata was home. Her bag was tossed casually on the sofa, which Sunset had told her expressly not to do countless times, and she could hear her walking around upstairs.

As she boiled the potatoes, she heard Sonata’s light step on the stairs, and the girl herself entered the kitchen looking oddly diffident.

“Hey there,” Sunset said cheerfully. “Clear your head any?”

“Huh?” Sonata asked, evidently confused. “Oh! Oh, yeah. Yeah I got some thinking done.”

“Good.” Sunset turned to pick up the milk, and found Sonata standing practically right next to her. “Oh!” Sunset only had a split second to be surprised. Before she could quite comprehend what was happening, Sonata placed both hands on her face, and kissed her full on the mouth. Sunset’s eyes widened, whilst Sonata’s were closed. It wasn’t their first kiss to be sure; they had kissed several times before, and each had felt special in their ways as kisses will, but Sunset thought she sensed something more in the slightly prolonged length of this one. When Sonata let go, Sunset cleared her throat, blinking once or twice.

“What was that for?” she asked, her face glowing.

Sonata smiled, looking coy. “Do I need a reason? That’s going to make this complicated.”

Sunset gave a nervous laugh. Why nervous? Why am I nervous? “No, I suppose you don’t. It’s good to see you’ve cheered up a bit.”

“Actually,” Sonata said, sitting at the table. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Okay,” Sunset said, tipping milk onto the potatoes. “What about?”

Sonata didn’t speak at once. She seemed to be contemplating her question. “What do you think about... um, drugs?”

Sunset frowned. On a list of subjects Sunset wouldn’t expect Sonata to raise, drugs was pretty high up the roster.

“What do I think about them?” she asked, mashing the potatoes. “Like, in what capacity? Medicinal? Recreational?”

“Recreational,” Sonata decided after a moment or two of thought.

Sunset had to think about this one. In all honesty she’d never thought too much about it, except when the subject appeared on the news, and one time when she’d applied to be on the student council. Having been placed in charge of apportioning funds to the various clubs of the school, she’d soon come into contact with the eco kids. Somehow, during their open petition to be allowed to pass out leaflets outside the school, they had explained to her the brief recent history of marijuana legalisation, and the war on drugs initiated in the sixties.

The talk had not been entirely coherent, given that the entire group insisted on speaking over each other, but Sunset had been left with the personal opinion that marijuana, and other drugs to their degrees, should be treated like alcohol, or cigarettes: that informed, consenting adults should be left to make their own choices.

“I don’t really have much of an opinion on it to be honest.” She sat down at the table, still feeling a little flushed. “Why do you ask?”

“Read a comment string on youtube about it,” Sonata said, looking at the table. She seemed flushed too. Sunset still wondered what had gotten into Sonata to make her passionate all of a sudden. Not that she was complaining. Good lord, no, not at all.

“Well then,” Sunset began, trying to think how to phrase her answer properly. “I suppose I think that if you’re informed about it, and you want to do it, it’s not really anyone else’s business to tell you what to do.” Yeah, that sounded good.

Sonata looked up at her. “I guess that makes sense.”

Sunset believed the matter to be over. Until the next morning however. The next morning, she found Sonata on the computer in her work room, and peering over her shoulder, saw that she was linked to several sites all with contemporary information on recreational drugs.

“Are you still on that?” Sunset asked, smiling. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“It’s just interesting,” Sonata said, evasively.

“We don’t have a pot farm in the basement or something, do we?” Sunset asked in a faux serious tone.

Sonata snickered. “Well, I needed to put those ultraviolet lights to some use,” she said, playfully.

“Don’t be a smarty pants,” Sunset laughed, giving Sonata’s shoulder a shake. “Anyway, we got a call from Hoity. Apparently Fancy Pants wants to meet you again today.”

“Meet me?” Sonata asked, frowning. “He’s already met me.”

“I don’t know, it’s just what Hoity says,” Sunset sighed, waving an impatient hand. “I guess he wants to get to know you more or something. Maybe buy something,” Sunset said, the thought just coming to her. “Hmm, that’d be something, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Sonata replied, not sounding terribly enthusiastic. “Or ask me to paint something for him.”

“Maybe,” Sunset murmured thoughtfully. “You want to go and get ready then? We have to be there by five.”

They didn’t meet Fancy Pants in the gallery again. Instead, he invited them to the Changeling Queen, commonly assumed to be the most expensive restaurant in town. Sunset and Sonata had gone only once before, and Sunset had had to save up quite a bit to do so.

They met Fancy Pants, Hoity Toity, and -- slightly to Sunset’s consternation – Fleur Dis Lis in front of the restaurant chatting together. Fancy Pants spread his arms at their arrival, smiling graciously. Hoity tweaked his collar and straightened his cravat, smiling widely, whilst Fleur simply smiled her warm, mysterious smile.

“That’s who she reminds me of,” Sonata whispered before they were in hearing range. “She looks like the psycho mom from Kill la Kill.”

Sunset thought this was going a bit far in the insult department, but she forced a little chuckle, conscious of Sonata’s evident dislike for Fleur.

“Sonata! How good it is to see you again.” Fancy Pants extended a gloved hand which Sonata and Sunset shook. “And you as well Ms. Shimmer. We have reservations for us all. Shall we?”

He led the way inside. Hoity waited for Fleur to pass before him, whilst Fleur seemed to be waiting for Sunset and Sonata. She held out an arm and stood aside.

“Please, after you,” she sang cheerily.

Sonata moved first. Holding Sunset’s hand, she strode ahead between Sunset and Fleur, as though shielding Sunset from Fleur’s gaze. The older woman didn’t seem offended, merely amused.

“You both look just darling,” she went on behind them, setting slender, delicate fingers onto both of their shoulders. Sunset thought this a little condescending, but then she was older than them. Sunset’s attire was that of a lavender dress, one or two appropriately placed frills and lace accentuating it, with silver earrings and her hair in a long red and yellow plait. Sonata wore a shorter dress the same colour as her eyes that came down over one shoulder, a silver-chain net flowing from the ribbon tied around her waist. A pink ribbon was tied around her neck, and her hair was down out of its usual ponytail.

Sonata didn’t reply to the compliment, but Sunset offered a slightly nervous thanks.

“It’s so nice to get out without the media around, isn’t it?” Fleur commented to Fancy Pants.

“Oh I quite agree,” Hoity remarked eagerly, holding Fleur’s chair back for her, whilst Fancy Pants held Sunset’s out for her, and then Sonata’s.

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that, actually,” Sunset said. “How don’t the media know that you’re here? It’s not like you hide yourselves or anything.”

“Two things, my dear,” Fancy Pants explained. “First, we announced our arrival for three weeks from now. At the beginning of the Exhibition.”

“And secondly,” Fleur went on, giving Sunset a flash of her violet eyes, “we’re accustomed to the practises of the media. It does help that this city’s press doesn’t seem as virulent as that in the Capital.”

“Quite so,” Fancy Pants agreed, shaking his head in faint disgust. “One can’t pick up a vol-au-vent without someone trying to take a picture of it.”

“The press can be such a trial,” Hoity chimed in sycophantically.

It was almost worth having to sit there enduring Sonata’s frostiness and Fleur’s roving glances just for this. To see Hoity sweating in his ridiculously over-pressed shirt. She had to repress a smirk as she imagined all the ways in which, unseen by her, he might have creeped and grovelled to get on Fancy Pant’s good side. She saw no particular harm in Fancy Pants himself until she remembered what Fleur had said about his preferences. It was all she could do at that point to stop herself snorting with laughter at what lengths Hoity might go with that knowledge in mind.

“What’s funny?” Sonata asked, as a small squeak escaped Sunset’s throat.

“Nothing,” she said, trying to scrunch her face back to seriousness. “Just something I remembered. What’re you getting?”

Sonata picked up the menu again. “Um... maybe this,” she said, pointing to something written in French. “I don’t know what it is, but it has chicken in it.”

Sunset tried to pay attention to what Sonata was saying, but couldn’t quite help noticing Fleur glancing across the table at her. She tried not to look back, since every time she did, Fleur simply smiled pleasantly at her, like they were two old friends meeting up after some time apart. Fortunately, there came a sudden and startling surprise from Sunset’s right which caught the entire table’s attention.

“Ha-ha!” said a triumphant voice. “I haff it!”

Sunset’s eyebrows rose right up her forehead as she saw the flash of a camera, and the distinctive pink tint of Photo Finish’s iconic glasses. Sonata peered around Sunset’s back, whilst Fancy Pants and Fleur looked inquiringly at the girl in mild surprise. Hoity meanwhile turned red with indignation.

“What do you think you are doing?” he demanded, half standing.

Photo Finish pushed her glasses more firmly up her nose, smiling wickedly. “Zis vill make for an excellent piece I should think,” she said, in the comical tone of a monologuing villainess. Sunset had to stop herself from laughing.

“I thought you were a fashion artist,” Sonata said, looking confused.

“Yeah,” Sunset put in. “Are you doing news now?”

“Hah!” Photo Finish announced dramatically. A good proportion of the restaurant was looking towards their table now, and the red curtain behind which Photo Finish had been concealed. “My mozzer is za journalist. Alvays she is going on Photo Finish, you must give up zis silly dream of fashion und design! Vell I say no! If I can do her job better, zan I vill prove I have...” she paused dramatically. “Da magicks!”

Sunset couldn’t think of anything to say. What was with the speech? Was this even real? Then a thought came to her.

“You’re recording this, aren’t you?” she said, shrewdly. Photo Finish blushed and fumbled with something in her pocket.

“Eh, no,” she muttered.

Fancy Pants, who’d been watching all of this with a bemused air, looked as though he was suddenly understanding a little. He leaned forward on the table and interlaced his fingers.

“Photo Finish?” he asked. “You wouldn’t happen to be the daughter of Photo Shop, would you?”

Photo Finish cleared her throat and thrust her chest out a little. “Jawohl. My mozzer she is.”

Fancy pants and Fleur gave identical chuckles, evidently sharing a private joke. Fleur turned her radiant smile upon Photo.

“So in order to outdo your mother, you decided to find out a, what do they call them...?”

“A ‘scoop’ I believe,” Hoity interjected, helpfully.

“Yes, a scoop,” Fleur agreed, “that your mother hadn’t caught onto yet?”

“Precisely!” Photo Finish announced, raising a pedantic finger. Before she could delve once more into another monologue however, Fleur turned to Fancy Pants.

“Are you thinking what I think that you’re thinking?” Fancy Pants asked, his tone rising with mirth.

“I do believe that I am,” Fleur answered playfully. “Would you all excuse me for a brief moment?” she asked politely, rising from the table. They all gave their assent readily, and she moved away, using a gentle hand to guide Photo Finish before her.

She returned not five minutes later, looking a little self satisfied. Sunset barely had time to register her return, when Photo Finish dashed passed as quickly as the confines of the restaurant would allow, looking positively ebullient.

“You didn’t,” Fancy Pants said, smiling knowingly.

“I did indeed,” Fleur replied in the same playful tone.

“Oh, she is going to be so angry at you,” Fancy Pants pretended to chide her.

“I think you mean us,” Fleur replied. They both gave that same, controlled, cultured laugh. Sunset noticed that Hoity seemed as perplexed as she and Sonata were. Seeing this, Fancy Pants toned down his laughter and began to explain.

“We have a bit of a history with Photo Shop,” he said in a close approximation to a mischievous tone. “Nothing harmful as such, but she certainly likes to be the who-is-who of the Capital media.”

“Let’s just say that we owe her one,” Fleur summarised.

“Or twenty,” Fancy Pants chuckled.

“So how have you gotten back at her?” Sonata asked.

“Photo Shop doesn’t like to be out done,” Fleur said, smiling a little wider than she had done at any previous point, her eyes taking on a look Sunset would normally expect to see on that of a prowling tiger. “I genuinely wonder what her reaction will be when her daughter manages to outdo her in her own business.”

“So you’re going to help her?” Hoity surmised.

“I promised her access to all of our public appearances,” Fleur said, taking a sip of wine. Hoity didn’t seem to think much of this idea, but Fancy Pants simply smiled pleasantly to himself. It appeared to Sunset that he was enjoying the whole thing immensely. It was hard to imagine him with any kind of malice. Fleur on the other hand... well, Sunset didn’t like reading much into her expressions, but there had been no mistaking that predatory gleam as she described getting one over on Photo Finish’s mother.

The group talked a great deal during dinner, although Fleur and Sunset kept mostly to themselves. Hoity spoke mostly, about anything and everything, trying to get Fancy Pants to agree with him about whatever he was referring to. Being a companionable man, Fancy usually did, but directed most of his energy towards making inquiries to Sonata. How long had she been painting? Did she enjoy it? How long did it take to make a piece in general? In short, innocuous questions of general interest.

After the dinner however, Fancy Pants made what Sunset thought was an unusual suggestion. Hoity had already departed, using a phone call as his excuse to make his exit, when Fancy turned to his remaining companions.

“I rather feel in the mood for a stroll in the park,” he said amicably. “Might I ask you all to join me?”

Sunset and Sonata looked at each other, somewhat surprised. The Changeling Queen was only a few blocks away from the school, and thus the city park as well. From here they could see the clamshell-like stage where the battle of the bands had taken place.

“I think we should take a little air,” Fleur agreed. “The restaurant was a little stuffy.”

Sunset couldn’t think of any objections, and so they proceeded.

The early evening air being warm, Sunset didn’t much mind walking around in the dress she had one. It was a little airy around the knees. She did have a vague worry of being mugged, but crimes like that were uncommon in the city. She glanced sideways at Sonata, who looked as equally ill-at-ease as Sunset was herself.

They wound around hills and trees, following the lit trail as lampposts began to ignite around them, when they came to a sudden divide in the trails. Fancy Pants spoke up again.

“My, my, what a conundrum,” he said, twiddling his moustache.

“Well,” Fleur began, “why don’t you two take that route, and we take this one?” She gestured down the routes, indicating Sonata go with Fancy, and Sunset with her.

Before Sunset or Sonata could set up any sort of protest, Fancy pants had insinuated an arm around Sonata’s shoulders and given her a companionable shake.

“Splendid idea!” he said felicitously. “We’ll meet back up around the other side I expect. Come now, Ms. Dusk, we can have a little conversation all to ourselves.”

“O-Oh, but I—“ Sonata protested, trying to look back.

“We’ll see you soon!” Fancy called, as the two of them disappeared around the side of the hill dividing the path.

Sunset stared after them, dumbfounded at how swiftly and easily they’d been separated. Despite how banal the tact had been, it had nevertheless been entirely effective. She all of a sudden became aware that she was alone, in a darkening park, with a self-confessed lesbian who, if her vanity wasn’t getting the better of her, had shown a keen interest in her only too recently.

“So,” Fleur said, sending an electric shock up Sunset’s spine. “Shall we go on? We wouldn’t want to keep them waiting if they should reach our destination first.”

All the same, Sunset’s fears were not immediately aroused as they walked along the darkened path. She attempted once or twice belatedly to get Fleur to agree to rejoin Fancy Pants and Sonata.

“I have heard that there have been muggings here at night,” Sunset lied.

“One must expect such things,” Fleur said calmly. “But not to worry. One doesn’t get to my position in life without learning a thing or two about self defence.” She smiled reassuringly at Sunset. “Although I can certainly see why a deviant might set their sights on the pair of us. We are quite the stunning pair, aren’t we?”

“I suppose,” Sunset said, tugging a little at her plait.

“I have to say,” Fleur said with a little laugh, “it’s so good to see open and honest emotions. One does not meet with it in the Capital.”

“I’d think it unsafe to wear your heart on your sleeve with so many people watching you,” Sunset commented, thinking she should give some input for politeness sake.

“Indeed,” Fleur sighed. “Not that I don’t enjoy it. I do immensely. But high society can be so friendless.”

“Is that why you hang around with Fancy Pants?” Sunset asked.

“Hang around,” Fleur chuckled. “So colloquial. But in short, yes. We’re childhood friends, you know. We grew up together; him rich and talented, myself poor as a church mouse.”

“You were poor?” Sunset blurted, realising too late how rude that was.

“Oh my, yes,” Fleur said conversationally. “I was quite a different person as a child. I think that’s what drew Fancy Pants to me. Every other child our age was fawning and sycophantic around him.”

“And you weren’t?” Sunset guessed.

“I beat him up in front of the school because he said my dress was dirty.”

“Oh,” Sunset blinked.

Fleur tittered. “You looked surprised.”

“Well,” Sunset said, trying to speak through her surprise.

“One wouldn’t expect someone like me to have such a rambunctious side, I suppose,” Fleur said for her. Sunset didn’t challenge the term. “I think he liked having a friend who considered herself his equal. And he has proven to be the most enduring and sincere of my friends, perhaps the only one. I certainly wouldn’t have gotten to be where I am without him. As they say, a pretty face can only take you so far.” She smiled at Sunset. “But enough about us,” she said with a wave of her hand, ”tell me about you and your girlfriend.”

Sunset, who had started to feel more comfortable, now felt her mental defences rising again. “Like, what kind of thing?”

“Oh, you know, how did you meet, for instance?”

Sunset explained the brief details of how they had met. Instead of dark-magic devouring sirens, she tried to reword the story slightly to make it seem as though Sonata and the other Dazzlings had simply been manipulative troublemakers. Fleur listened to the story in silence as they walked along.

“A girl after my own heart,” Fleur commented eventually. “So how was it that you two got together? I’m having a difficult time imagining the scenario.”

Sunset wasn’t eager to describe Sonata’s troubled time after the battle of the bands incident. Instead, she simply said that the sisters had gone their separate ways, and that she, Sunset, had invited Sonata to be her roommate because she had felt some sympathy towards her for having been in a similar situation before.

“Oh,” Fleur said with interest. “Am I to assume that you were a bad girl as well?” Sunset blushed, only able to give an embarrassed nod. Fleur laughed lightly. “My, my, you are quite full of interesting things.”

They stopped walking under the canopy of a group of overbearing trees hanging across the path. Sunset wondered why they had stopped, but Fleur seemed to be interested in a fountain standing opposite the trees. It was a simple thing, just a decorative platform and pool with a spray of water shooting up and out. Sunset stood next to Fleur, feeling the awkwardness of the silence growing. She wondered if she should say something.

“I’m sorry to say,” Fleur began,” that I must confess to a little duplicity.”

“Duplicity?” Sunset asked.

“Indeed.” Fleur exhaled quietly. “It would have been most impolitic of me to express my true feelings in front of your significant other, especially when it’s evident that she at least feels strongly for you.”

Sunset’s brain seemed to have jammed a little. Express her true feelings? To Sunset’s mind, Fleur had been quite open with her flirting. But she’d dismissed it as a joke, a little upper class fun that Sunset and her friends simply didn’t understand. But now she was saying that that had been a lie?

“Um... perhaps we should keep going?” Sunset tried, faintly.

“Why so eager to leave?” Fleur asked.

“Look,” Sunset said after a short and awkward pause. “I’m... flattered, really. But I thought you said that I was too young for you.”

Fleur seemed to consider this. “You’re... what, sixteen? Seventeen?”

“Seventeen,” Sunset said slowly.

Fleur smiled. “How old do you think I am?”

“Uh...” Sunset didn’t know. Fleur had that unnerving sense of maturity about her combined with an appearance of agelessness leant to her by her startlingly good looks. Sunset had assumed that she was in her early thirties by the way that she carried herself, but simply going by looks, she could be twenty years old, or forty for all she knew.

Fleur smiled sympathetically. “I’m twenty two last March.”

“Oh!” Sunset said, unsure of how to respond.

Fleur on the other hand was in complete command of herself. “You see? What’s five years to mutual attraction? In the Capital it would hardly be blinked at.”

“Hey, wait a second,” Sunset argued, trying to assert herself a little. “Mutual attraction? Where have you gotten—“

“Are you saying that you’re not attracted to me?” Fleur asked, a faint note of disbelief in her voice. Sunset paused. Fleur’s blunt self assurance and undaunted confidence were making it difficult to find an opening. It was clear that she wasn’t the sort of woman who usually gets denied anything. Fleur smiled when Sunset said nothing. “Let us at least be honest for this moment,” she said coaxingly. “I feel that you and I could have a wonderful relationship if we were both agreeable. By all that I’ve heard of you, and what I’ve seen of you, I can honestly say that I for one feel a certain connection.”

Something in that last sentence cut through Sunset’s distractedness. “What have you heard of me?” Sunset asked sharply.

This seemed to give Fleur momentary pause, but she hitched her usual manner back into place just as quickly as it had slipped.

“Nothing to worry about,” she said. “I simply made some inquiries about you. About your time in school, that battle of the bands event you mentioned. The fundraiser you held.”

Sunset was giving her a scrutinising look as the older woman spoke. Perhaps Fleur realised that she’d done something wrong, for she stopped talking and looked uncertain again.

“I don’t know how things are done in the Capital,” Sunset said coldly, “but I’ll be honest; that makes me kind of uncomfortable.” When Fleur seemed stumped, she began to move away back along the path.

“Wait,” Fleur called after her. “I wasn’t trying to offend you. Perhaps I did go too far.” Sunset consented to pause. “I’ll admit,” Fleur began again, a little of her good humour returning, “that I’m not really used to being in this position. I’m usually the one being sought after, not the seeker.”

However slightly, this amused Sunset. She could just imagine it. Lines of suitors all awaiting their chance at the supermodel who would never have them. Or at least, never love them. Perhaps Fleur sensed the lightening in Sunset’s mood. She stepped slowly forward until she was behind Sunset and a little to her side, able to peer over her shoulder.

“I apologise if I came on a little strong,” she said quietly. “I’m sure you can imagine. I’ve become accustomed to getting what I want. But I can see that if I’m to get you, I’ll have to work for it.”

“And saying things like that,” Sunset said flatly, “isn’t going to help you.” She turned to face Fleur, looking directly into her eyes. Her admittedly beautiful, shapely, and alluring eyes. “I’m sorry, but I love Sonata. I’m not going to abandon her for you. Our relationship developed over a time when I didn’t even know what love was meant to feel like. You and I; we barely even know each other.”

Fleur nodded as though agreeing with her. “True. We don’t know each other very much at all. But I’m hopeful that that will change.”

“Don’t you understand the words I’m saying to you?” Sunset asked, impatient now. “I love Sonata. I’m not leaving her for you.”

There was a short silence. Fleur’s expression was unreadable. Just when Sunset thought she should just continue on, Fleur held out her hand.

“May I?” she said, gesturing. Sunset offered her own hand and Fleur took it in both of her own. Sunset frowned slightly, wondering what was going on. “Would you say that you’re attracted to your girlfriend?” she asked. Sunset blinked, confused. “Sexually, I mean,” Fleur clarified.

Sunset’s face turned redder quicker than a thermometer dunked in boiling water. Fleur smirked as she spluttered for a moment or two. “I, uh, well—“ Sunset stammered. She thought of Sonata; a typical scene in her art smock, splattered with paint, the end of her ponytail bright red. Without Sunset consciously causing it, the scene shifted. Suddenly Sonata was wearing only her art smock. The ideal Sonata in her head smiled alluringly, her eyes sparkling rather like Fleur’s did.

Sunset put that image away in a box deep inside herself. Deep, dee-e-e-p inside herself... for later...

“Well, yes, I suppose... yes, in short.”

Still holding Sunset’s hand, Fleur’s expression shifted a little. She looked as though she had heard exactly what she wanted to hear. “And what about me?”

“You?” Sunset croaked, weakly.

Fleur pulled the hand closer. Keeping hold of it with her left hand, she stretched the right hand out to the base of Sunset’s neck. Sunset felt tingles run up and down her body at the touch of Fleur’s slender fingers.

“Do you happen to find me attractive?” Fleur asked. Sunset was utterly bewildered. How could she ask a question like that so casually? In the same kind of nonchalant tone one might inquire about the weather with. Surely that wasn’t normal behaviour. The warm hand on her neck was very distracting. She didn’t know how, but something in the way Fleur’s fingers slowly moved over her skin was sending tiny impulses all the way down the muscles of her left side.

“I-I...” Sunset’s mind was sluggish. She found it suddenly hard to form words properly as her tongue and lips struggled to catch hold of them.

That was all the answer Fleur needed. She let go of Sunset’s hand, and moved her own up Sunset’s neck to her hair. Taking hold of the long plait of red and gold, she let it slip silkily through her fingers. Sunset said nothing.

“I flatter myself,” Fleur said pleasantly, “that I stand as much chance as Sonata, once you get to know me better. You’ll forgive the lack of modesty, but I think in one aspect least, I have the advantage of her.”

Fleur moved passed Sunset, continuing their walk. As much as she’d prefer not to add any unjustified meaning to Fleur’s subtle expressions, Sunset could not deceive herself as to the openly seductive look in the older woman’s eye as she sauntered passed.

Sunset followed after her, feeling distinctly rattled. She was uncomfortable and confused, and this made her angry. She glared resentfully at Fleur’s back, but at the same time, found herself tracing Fleur’s outline with her eyes. Her curvy, shapely outline.

It’s okay Sunset thought, trying to ignore the sweat forming on her brow. Just think... think, think, think...! Try um... imagining her in her underwear! she thought triumphantly, remembering something she’d seen on television.

Fleur looked over her shoulder just in time to catch Sunset blush violently.

Not my best idea... Sunset realised too late.

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt4

Author's Note

A Merry Christmas to you all! May the season find you happy and with friends and family in abundance. And then may you find the alcohol before it all gets too much :pinkiehappy:

Until around the New Year, or perhaps a little before, there will be no more updates to this story. Usually I bring out a chapter every 3 days, but Christmas is upon us and I don't want to make any promises I can't keep.

The Sunset Sonata, Pt4

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 4

Sonata Dusk

Sonata wished that she could focus more on the television. There had been a certain amount of companionable disharmony between Sunset and Sonata regarding the new series Power Ponies: Ultimate Fate. Sonata was all for giving the new series a chance, whilst Sunset insisted on being a total hipster and declaring the series a cheap knock-off when the adverts had aired. She’d agreed to watch the series with Sonata, since both girls enjoyed the time together, but she’d developed an annoying habit of pointing out those things that she disliked about the show: the typical and uninteresting storyline, the revamped character personalities, the new animation style, etc.

Usually, she could and certainly would argue with Sunset about it in a half-hearted, semi-serious way, but she couldn’t now. Two things had combined to distract Sonata completely.

First and foremost was Fancy Pants. Once alone with her, he had lost no time at all in declaring that he was absolutely enthralled by her work. Never had he seen a style so rich, so fresh. So unfettered by modern designs, yet with a flair of style that he had seen in some of his most favourite works. It was as though her style were one well established, a master art that was no longer used but must certainly have vindicated its self during its time.

This speech, whilst flattering, added to the already weighty ball of trepidation and pressure she was feeling. This feeling only increased as he went on about the other artists that would be appearing at the fair.

“Not to worry,” Fancy Pants had declared, patting her on the back. “I’m sure that you’ll do spectacularly.”

If this had not been enough, Fancy Pants had told her something that set her right on edge.

They had come in sight of the path’s end. A gate leading to a car park and another of the park’s entrances stood ahead, with the end of the second path also in view.

“Before we rejoin our friends,” Fancy Pants had said, for the first time sounding a little tentative. “I feel it only right to give you a little warning.”

Sonata looked up at him, trying to seem attentive. He adjusted his monocle a little, looking as though he were trying to phrase what he wanted to say properly. “About what?” Sonata prompted.

“Well,” Fancy Pants said slowly. “I don’t know whether or not you’re aware, but my companion, Fleur, she’s... well, she has a certain taste in...” he sighed impatiently at his hesitation and said “she’s a homosexual.”

“Yeah, she told us,” Sonata said.

Fancy Pants nodded. “I thought she would,” he said gravely. “She’s not the sort of person to say or do anything that doesn’t serve some purpose. I don’t want to set you against her, for I don’t believe that she’s acting out of malice, but it’d be unfair of me not to give you my suspicions.”

Sonata’s spine tingled with a sudden coldness. She hoped, she prayed he wasn’t about to say what she thought he was about to. Please, don’t say it.

“I believe that Fleur may have taken a fancy to Ms. Shimmer,” Fancy Pants murmured, leaning close. Sonata’s world broke. Split with great jagged cracks down its centre, splintering and fragmenting into ineffectual and meaningless shards. She already disliked and distrusted Fleur, but she hadn’t had any trouble reposing her confidence in Sunset simply ignoring or rebuffing Fleur’s advances if any were made. That changed however, when Sonata and Fancy Pants had rendezvoused with their companions further along the path. One look at Sunset’s face was all it had taken for Sonata to realise that Fleur was wasting no time.

It had taken some will power not to deck Fleur in her smug, resplendent face. Sonata had never hated anyone before; that is to say, she’s never held a degree of loathing towards another person that could rank as beyond simple dislike. In truth, she didn’t have a very hateful personality, nor had she possessed something before now that she could hold and treasure, that she could stir up such powerful emotions if stolen or threatened. She certainly had that now. Sunset was a central part of her life, and at present perhaps the only thing stopping her sinking into listlessness and hopelessness for the state of her career.

“What’s up?” Sunset asked.

“Huh?”

“You have that look on your face,” Sunset said. Raising one hand, she traced a finger along Sonata’s brow. “That scrunchy, thinking face.”

Sonata sat up off Sunset’s shoulder. “So if I’m thinking, that means something’s wrong?” she asked.

“When you’re thinking so hard that you’re not trying to defend Ultimate Fate, I am inclined to think that there’s something wrong, yes.”

“Maybe I’m just thinking,” Sonata grumbled.

Sunset turned slightly on the couch. “Okay, now I’m sure there’s something wrong,” she said more seriously.

“Oh?” Sonata replied, trying to sound uninterested. Despite this she folded her arms; a defensive gesture.

“Yes,” Sunset said, frowning. “If something wasn’t wrong you wouldn’t be acting like this.”

“Well maybe there is something wrong and it’s none of your business,” Sonata snapped, feeling more and more nettled.

Sunset stared at her for a moment. Then she picked up the remote and switched the television off. Sonata folded her arms a little more tightly, feeling the imminent talking-to she was about to receive speeding towards her. Sunset leaned back against the shoulder rest of the couch, folding her own arms. Sonata found it hard to look at her.

“Let’s get one thing clear,” Sunset began, “if either of us have a problem, can we just agree that we talk about it instead of this passive-aggressive nonsense?”

“I don’t have a problem,” Sonata retorted, still not looking at her.

“You just said that you do.”

“I said maybe I do.”

Sunset stared at Sonata long and hard, and then gave an exasperated sigh. “Sonata, are you going to talk, or not?”

Sonata remained sitting there, feeling like a child that had done wrong, being told off by its mother. There was no escaping the situation, there was only capitulation. But like any pouting child, Sonata wasn’t going to roll over for it. She was angry, and she wasn’t going to go down without a little petulance.

“Fine, we’ll talk,” she snapped. “What were you and Fleur talking about earlier?”

This seemed to catch Sunset off guard. Sonata saw with a twinge of irritation Sunset’s cheeks turn pink.

“Not much,” she said, now unable to look Sonata in the eye. “Just stuff, you know.”

“Uh huh,” Sonata replied sardonically. “Right. Just stuff. What’s that on your face, Sunset?” Sonata asked, reaching a hand forward. “Hm, now what could this heat be all about?”

“We didn’t talk about anything!” Sunset snarled, slapping Sonata’s hand away. “Are you still jealous of her?”

“I’m not jealous!” Sonata retorted, turning pink herself.

“Oh yeah?” Sunset sneered. “Judging by that blush, I’d say you’re not being honest.”

“I’m not jealous of that flirting skank!” Sonata screamed, throwing herself off the couch and storming from the room. “Why don’t you two just hook up or something like you obviously want to!”

She ignored Sunset’s calling after her, stomping upstairs to her work room. There she remained, alternately raging and settling into aggrieved silences. After about an hour or so, she heard Sunset knock the door, but she ignored her.

“Sonata?” Sunset called gently through the door. “Sonata, please come out. I’m... I’m sorry I yelled.” Sonata hesitated for a few moments. He anger wasn’t quite gone, but it had diminished sufficiently to allow a modicum of reason to pervade her thinking. “Can I come in?” Sunset called.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice a little hoarse.

The door opened slowly. Sunset stepped in looking as though she expected Sonata to start shouting again, but managed to make her way in and sit down next to her. The bench they both occupied usually held paint supplies, but Sonata had thrown these aside during one of her rages. Several tubes of paint lay scattered amongst a mess of papers and spare brushes.

“You made quite a mess up here,” Sunset observed, trying for a small smile.

“Sorry,” Sonata said in a brittle voice. “I really hate that woman. It’s just... something Fancy Pants said made me think that she was... you know, interested in you.” She glanced sideways at Sunset, who was not saying anything in reply. Sunset’s face contorted into a look of troubled thought, as though she were trying to find a way to phrase something unpleasant. “Oh god, she is, isn’t she?”

Sunset bit her lip. Then she took a deep breath, gestured awkwardly with her hands for a moment, opened her mouth, closed it again—

“Oh my goood...” Sonata groaned, her face in her hands.

“N-No, wait!” Sunset exclaimed defensively. “Okay, yeah, she is, but come on,” she said in a rallying tone. “I don’t feel the same way, and I told her so! I told her that I don’t love her, and that I love you.”

“And how did she take it?” Sonata asked hopefully.

“Ah, well...” Sunset cleared her throat.

“Oh my gooooood...”

“Now come on, Sonata,” Sunset said, smiling a little. “You can’t honestly think that I’d fall for someone like her. I mean she’s so overbearing, and self confident.”

“So she hit on you.” Sonata mumbled through her fingers.

“Well, yeah,” Sunset admitted. “It was kind of like a salesman who wouldn’t take no for an answer. I said no, she said I’ll be back tomorrow. It’s annoying more than anything.”

“She is pretty though,” Sonata said, glancing sideways to see Sunset’s reaction.

Sunset put a hand on Sonata’s shoulder. “She’s a supermodel,” she said, in the patient tone of a teacher trying to explain the complicated procedure of adding one to one to make two to an over-emotional child. Sonata supposed that she had a point there. Sunset gently turned Sonata around on the bench and looked her in the eye. “I’m not interested in her, okay. If you want to know the truth, yeah, she’s pretty. So what? There’s a lot of beautiful people in the world, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to leave you for any of them.”

This had the effect of cheering Sonata up quite a bit.

“Are you saying I’m not beautiful people?” Sonata asked in mock indignation. Sunset cuffed her on the shoulder. “Ow! Hey! Abuse!”

“Oh, you want to see abuse? I remember where all your tickle spots are,” Sunset laughed.

“Don’t you dare,” Sonata warned.

“Oh I think I have some itchy fingers here,” Sunset said warningly.

“Not in my work room!”

“Oh, now why did you have to go say something reasonable like that?” Sunset asked in false disappointment, pulling back her wiggling fingers. “Oh well. Maybe later. When you’re not expecting it.”

Sonata gazed at Sunset a while, feeling reassured. She took a hold of Sunset’s plat and gave it a playful little tug.

“I like that dress,” she said.

“Thanks,” Sunset said, her gold-skinned face reddening. “I like yours t—“

With a more forceful tug of the plait, Sonata pulled Sunset forward. When the kiss was over, she let the plait slip through her fingers, giving Sunset a cheeky smile.

“Could you please stop disillusioning me of the idea that I’m the dominant partner, please?” Sunset complained, managing a small smile of her own.

“Oh come on, Silly Shimmy,” Sonata teased. “We both know I’m the man of the house.”

The talk had had the desired effect for both girls. Sunset had allayed Sonata’s fears about Fleur, at least for the moment, and Sonata’s reaction to the talk had made Sunset believe that the problem was resolved for now. Alas, such comfort was short lived.

With a little under three weeks to go, the pressure mounting on Sonata was building again to finish the paintings. Of course, the paintings were being far from obliging in this respect. They seemed to mock Sonata as she stood there in her art smock, the square-headed man jeering at her from inside his canvas square. No matter what she did, the effect was just all wrong. The man was simply boring, and there seemed no way to instil a little of Sonata’s trademark glow into his intrinsic dullness. The other paintings, which were all of city landscapes, also escaped her ability to inspire hope and intrigue. Sonata believed that it had something to do with the fact that the pictures she’d seen of these paintings simply didn’t fill her with any particular interest, or inspiration. There was nothing to them but interesting shapes and dark colours. It just wasn’t... her.

If this hadn’t been such a problem, then what follows certainly did put a damper on Sonata’s mood.

Despite Sunset’s insistence of indifference to Fleur’s advances, the woman still managed to insinuate herself into their lives more often than Sonata liked. Fleur was very clever about it all, and for whatever reason, always seemed to make sure that both she and Sunset were together when she showed up. She appeared to them whilst they did their weekly shopping, disguising herself in less flamboyant dress and leaving her gorgeous pink hair long and straight to avoid being recognised, and tried to make out that she had been there to shop for wine. Sonata was having none of it. She placed herself firmly between Fleur and Sunset whenever she could, and talked almost continually to Fleur so that she had no opportunity to speak to Sunset.

Fleur was not to be outdone in such little stratagems however. Realising what Sonata was doing, she perceptively asked Sonata questions that she must have been of the opinion Sonata couldn’t answer. When Sonata was effectively stumped, Sunset chimed in somewhat reluctantly to avoid being rude. Just as Fleur wanted.

Not since the days that she and her sisters had roamed the school, drinking up the delicious negativity spewing forth from the arguing students had Sonata so dearly wished that she had her magic. She’d have that harpy on her knees, begging for a mercy that Sonata would not give her.

Such were the dark thoughts that pervaded Sonata’s mind the more she had to look at Fleur’s stupid, beautiful face. The most infuriating thing that was as angry as she was getting, Fleur never slipped. She never betrayed a hint of annoyance or desperation.

“I still don’t understand why they allowed this girl to follow us around.”

“Well, it was better than her going off and telling the rest of the press, I guess.”

Once more, Fancy, Fleur, Hoity, Sunset, and Sonata could be found seated in a restaurant, dining together. An alternate, more pedestrian private restaurant called The Lunar Republic lay on the edge of town farthest from the mountains, a newer establishment in the expanded area of the city that Hoity had pointed out and suggested to shake the monotony.

Hoity sat on Sonata’s other side, glaring at Photo Finish, who was seated on Fleur’s right and conducting an interview with a pen and notepad in hand. Hoity was looking disapproving as usual to see Photo Finish accompanying them, but this time he seemed to be trying to stop himself from sighing too much, as it was clear that Fleur and Fancy enjoyed her company. He forced a smile and turned to Sonata.

“I’ve been meaning to say, actually,” he said in a low voice so that no one else would hear. “I’ve not felt right in my mind giving you... um, that help. I thought it the lesser of evils at the time but—“

“Oh,” Sonata said quickly. “It’s okay. Sorry, but I got rid of them already.”

Hoity raised his eyebrows. “Ah. Well then,” he smiled. “That’s a weight off my shoulders.”

“They weren’t dangerous or something were they?” Sonata asked on a sudden impulse.

“Oh no,” Hoity began. “Well, at least, they’ve not had any adverse effects on me so far as I know.” He seemed to ponder the point for a moment.

“What were they?” Sonata inquired.

“I’d rather not say,” Hoity mumbled, looking around furtively. “Suffice it to say they aren’t considered ‘acceptable’. As far as I know there’s no overt adverse side-effects to them, but I just didn’t think it right suggesting you resort to drug use to solve your problems.” He flushed a little here, as though realising this instance of self-effacement.

He left it at that, but Sonata was left with a burning feeling in her stomach, as though the ball of leaden weight there had suddenly become hot.

“Und how do you feel about zis?” said a voice to her left. Sonata jumped guiltily and stared at the pink glasses barely a foot from her face.

“U-Uh what?” she asked, leaning back.

Photo Finish said something low in German. “How do you feel about za upcoming event?” she asked. “Excited? Nervous? Eager? Mortified? I needz za details!”

“Um...” Sonata hesitated.

“Now now,” Fancy Pants said rousingly. “There’s no need to be nervous. I’m sure that you’ll do splendidly.”

Sonata swallowed, standing up. Feeling a faint sense of nostalgia, she forced a smile onto her face and gabbled something even she didn’t quite catch before making her way speedily to the bathroom.

Bursting through the door and ignoring the man stationed outside, she breathed a sigh of relief that the place appeared to be empty. Shutting the stall door behind her, she stood breathing heavily, trying not to throw up. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t eaten yet, or perhaps she had just gotten used to the feeling by now, but she managed not to vomit.

The door to the bathroom opened, and she heard hesitant steps tap across the tiled floor.

“Sonata?” came Sunset’s voice. Sonata cringed to hear it. She didn’t want Sunset seeing her like this. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sonata said back with as much airiness as possible. “Just using the facilities.” She gave a nervous laugh. That sunk her, she knew. She mentally kicked herself.

“Are you sure?” Sunset didn’t seem to want to push her too much. “If you need to talk or something...”

“No, I’m fine,” Sonata assured her. “I’ll be right out. If we’re gone too long they’ll think something’s wrong.”

Sonata waited, listening hard. She imagined the sound of Sunset letting out a sad little sigh, and then heard the very real sound of her footsteps moving slowly to the door. When the door had closed, Sonata exhaled, and took several steadying breaths.

It’s getting worse, she thought. And it was. As much as she was getting better at coping, there was no denying the increase in pressure as the day of reckoning drew ever closer.

Sonata tried not to remain in the bathroom for too long, and once she had judged herself enough composed to return, she exited the bathroom, even returning the attendant’s polite nod.

She returned to the table to find Photo Finish gone. Hoity and Fancy Pants were laughing amiably together about something or other, and Fleur was engaged in telling Sunset a story. As Sonata sat down, she eyed the two of them out of the corner of her eye. To Sonata’s disappointment, Sunset didn’t look recalcitrant or reluctant, but was listening to the story with a slight smile on her face. When Fleur reached the end of her tale, Sunset gave a small but genuine laugh.

“You can’t be serious,” she chuckled.

“Oh!” Fleur exclaimed. “Believe me, that was the least of her follies. Fancy has this just unbelievable account of her at the Capital’s annual Lawn Royalties Gala. You should ask him about it some time.”

“You’re back,” Sunset said, noticing Sonata seated again . “Are you feeling alright?”

Sonata worked her mouth into a smile. Through her pain she saw with some solace the look of genuine concern Sunset’s eyes showed. “Yeah. Just that time of the month I guess.”

Sunset didn’t look fully convinced, but Fleur had called Fancy’s attention, and the man himself was eagerly gesturing across the table as he told the story Fleur had recommended, punctuated by Hoity’s sycophantic chuckles. Sonata sat with her inner world turning grey and dismal, unable to partake in any of it. She watched Sunset for most of the evening, unable to rouse herself to talk to her much. Sunset occasionally turned to try to talk to her instead, but more often than not Fleur was absorbing her attention with her varied conversation. Sonata was glad when the party rose to leave.

“You’ve been so quiet tonight,” Sunset murmured solicitously.

“Really,” Sonata said reassuringly, “it’s just the cramps. I’ll take some tablets when I get in.”

Sunset still didn’t seem to want to leave it, but something in Sonata’s face seemed to decide her against pursuing the subject. She opened the door and let Sonata walk in ahead of her.

“Well, if you feel you want to—“ Sunset paused unsurely as Sonata strode towards the staircase leading to her attic workroom. “Are you going to paint?”

“Yeah, I’m going to try anyway,” Sonata affirmed with a strained little laugh. “I’ve got to try anyway.”

“Well, okay then,” Sunset said slowly. “If you need anything, you will tell me, right?”

“I’ll be fine.”

The two girls looked at each other from opposite ends of the room. As Sonata looked into Sunset’s concerned, slightly sad face, she suddenly felt tears beginning to well in her eyes and turned away. She didn’t understand. What was making her feel so utterly miserable?

She could see that Sunset would most likely not leave it alone unless she was able to do something, and so because Sonata desperately wanted some time to herself, suggested that she might like some tea. Sunset eagerly made her way to the kitchen, promising to bring it up for her.

Sonata took off the dress she was wearing. They always had to dress up when they went out with Fancy and company. Taking the overalls and smock she worked in, she strolled in front of her easels with leaden despair crushing her characteristic buoyant mood to nothing.

“Knock knock,” Sunset said with tentative optimism. She pushed the door open with her shoulder and brought in two cups of tea. Sonata cursed inwardly. “I made that orange flavoured one you like.”

“Thanks,” Sonata said. “Hey err, not to be rude or anything, but do you think I could get the room alone for a bit?”

Sunset seemed a little caught off-guard. “O-Oh...” she glanced sideways before going on. “I kind of wondered if maybe you just wanted to spend some time together.” She paused, looking furtive. “Or something.”

In all honesty, Sonata dearly wanted to. She really, honestly did. But she didn’t know how long her veneer would last, and she didn’t want to break down in front of Sunset. She didn’t want to put any worry on her. She’d already tried explaining her problem, and Sunset could think of no solution. There was no point adding worry on top of that, worry that Sunset didn’t deserve to bear. Worry that was Sonata’s alone to struggle with.

“Thank you,” Sonata said , her throat a little dry, and she meant it. “But I really have to get some work done or it won’t be ready in time.” When Sunset looked unhappy at this, she continued quickly. “Maybe tomorrow. I just really want to try and get some of this done. Thanks a lot for the tea though.”

Sunset still looked unhappy, but managed to give a little smile before exiting the room.

Sonata couldn’t watch her leave, but listened as she had done in the bathroom for the sounds of it. The door clicked shut, and Sunset’s footsteps moved slowly down the stairs. Despite how much she had wanted to be alone, Sonata felt her insides shrivel up at the sound of every footstep. She bit her lip and tried to hold back the flood of tears behind her eyes, but she had no strength to hold them back anymore. She let them fall, stifling as best she could any sound that Sunset might hear of her. In a sudden fit of wanting to do something, she seized the tea and drank it down all at once. She couldn’t enjoy the mandarin flavouring; the tea scalded her throat as it went down. It did nothing to sear away her unhappiness.

She didn’t want to feel like this anymore. She was utterly miserable, alone when she wasn’t alone, confused when everything should be so easy. Alone in her workroom, she remembered the only other time that she felt so lonely and lost. Then, Sunset had found her. She had pulled her out of that misery. But she couldn’t do it now. Every time Sonata thought of her, Fleur was there, that infuriatingly innocent smile on her face. Sonata suddenly tasted blood, and stopped biting her lip. She touched her smarting lip and blood ran down her finger.

Almost without conscious thought, she moved over to her paint box. A plastic cup of water sat there for her to dip her brushes in. The water was clear and new. She seized the box and clumsily prized it apart. There they were. The two little pills Hoity had given her. Even now she had reservations about them. But no matter what they did to her, they couldn’t be worse than how she felt now. Or if they were, it would be a change at least. She just knew that she couldn’t go on feeling like this.

They help you relax. Take some of the tension away.

She could certainly use some of that.

Oh these’ll get you relaxing alright. If they were made properly.

That was the question, wasn’t it...

Well, at least, they’ve not had any adverse effects on me so far as I know.

Sonata paused, considering the two pills. She plucked one out, regarding it curiously. It was so small. Just a little white thing. It was hard to imagine that it could do anything to her at all.

Still full of doubts, she cupped the pill in her hand uncertainly for a while. With a sigh, she dropped the tin down and moved away. She moved in front of her the foremost easel, her great nemesis in all of this messy affair standing before her upon it. She glared at the man with the square head and stupid sideburns as though it were high noon in the old west.

“You forced me to this, old man,” she muttered resentfully. The man in the painting looked unapologetic as she held the single pill between forefinger and thumb. She took one sip of water, popped the pill into her mouth, and then glugged the last of the water down.

She waited for something to happen. Something extraordinary. She half expected the ceiling to turn purple, or the outside of her windows to warp and distort into an alienesque landscape. Nothing of the sort happened. She didn’t even feel that different. Except that a faint lightness, as if she had lost weight, came over her. Her insides descended with the thought that perhaps they had been made wrong. That maybe they would do nothing. Duds, after all this worry and fuss. She wanted to kick something.

“I don’t feel anything,” she said disappointedly.

“You don’t look different either,” said the man. “I really thought something would happen.”

“Me too,” Sonata sighed. The man in the painting rubbed his bristly chin. “Oh, sorry, let me fill that in a little for you,” Sonata apologised, taking up her paintbrush and dabbing a little reddish brown on the man’s chin.

“Thank you very much, dear lady,” the man replied with a bow.

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt6

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 6

Sonata Dusk

The next morning saw something of a return of Sonata’s usual dizzy joy. Whilst she couldn’t be said to be entirely easy, the fact that Sunset had found out about the pills, and not abandoned her, or even seemed able to be mad at her, bred in Sonata a deep appreciation for what she had. To be sure, the problem of the paintings even now seemed insurmountable, but at least they had a plan. And Sonata found herself both hopeful and happy that Aria had decided to help them.

“Okay, I didn’t want to have to say it,” Sunset snickered as Sonata offered her the tray of breakfast, “but I think we might be taking this romance thing a little too far.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Sonata said blithely, walking around the bed and sitting down.

“Breakfast in bed?” Sunset asked, giving Sonata a meaningful look. “Really?”

“You’re welcome!” Sonata trilled, giving Sunset a peck on the cheek. Sunset sighed in a tired sort of way, but looked amused. “It’s just a thank you.”

“For what? If you mean about the paintings, you know I wouldn’t just let you deal with everything yourself.”

“Well that, yeah,” Sonata admitted. “But also about the... you know, the pills...” She swallowed, her toes rubbing together uncomfortably.

“You want to thank me for... the pills?” Sunset asked, confused.

“No, I meant not getting angry about them.” Sonata waited for Sunset to reply, but she didn’t do so immediately.

“To be honest,” Sunset began, picking up her toast, “I was angry. I was scared, angry, and I really thought that I’d be so for a long time.” She took a bite of toast and looked at Sonata as she chewed. Sonata felt a chill. “Some part of me still is mad at you. That part of me doesn’t understand why you wouldn’t just talk to me instead of taking drugs to escape your problems.” Her expression softened a little. “But I guess the rest of me just loves you too much to stay mad. Besides,” she said, giving Sonata a playful shove, “you messing up does have some perks.” She waved the toast and took another bite. “Although, how it is you managed to burn the cereal I still don’t quite get,” Sunset observed, lifting some charred rice crispies out of the bowl with her spoon. Sonata gave a self conscious laugh.

“Yeah, I misread the instructions,” she said evasively. She ignored the sceptical raised eyebrow Sunset was giving her. “Anyway, lets go and bug Aria for her story.”

“It’s only a quarter to seven in the morning,” Sunset protested before a thought seemed to strike her. “And you’re up. Who are you and what have you done with Sonata?”

“Ha ha,” Sonata said flatly. She leaned over quickly and bit Sunset’s toast from her hand. “I’ll have this back, thanks. I hope I put enough sugar in your coffee.”

Sunset was just taking a sip of said beverage when Sonata said this. It was perhaps fortunate that Sonata chose that moment to look out of the window, because as soon as Sunset’s lips touched the drink, she very nearly gagged.

“How much sugar did you put in this, exactly?” Sunset asked, conversationally.

“Seven spoons,” Sonata said cheerfully.

“Is that how much you have in yours?” Sunset asked, aghast.

“Yeah. I heard somewhere that’s how many you’re supposed to have. At least I think it was,” she mumbled thoughtfully. “I know it was something to do with seven spoons of sugar. Oh well.”

It was with some little persuasion that Sunset convinced Sonata to visit Aria later in the day, but Sonata would not be confined to the house. Seeing as how Sonata had overlooked her own breakfast, and most of Sunset’s had been inadvertently inedible, Sunset suggested that they go out to breakfast instead.

“What was wrong with the one I made you?” Sonata asked defensively.

“Nothing, dear,” Sunset said soothingly. “I’m still hungry though. And did you have anything?”

“I had some of your toast.”

“Exactly. Let’s go.”

They decided to show their patronage to a cafe that sat in between two large old shops near to their former apartment; a cafe they had both quite enjoyed. Sonata had still felt the trepidation of the days before, and was just beginning to feel better that morning, when something had to come along and bludgeon her mood right back into disgruntlement.

Against all odds, as though some cruel spirit of vengeance were stalking them, the one thing that could put a pin in Sonata’s growing good mood was sitting in the cafe. Fleur, the prospective girlfriend-thief herself, was sitting at the back of the cafe nearest to the counter, absently reading a magazine. And unfortunately, Sunset hadn’t noticed.

Sunset sat down before Sonata could begin to point it out. “What’s up?” she asked.

Sonata sat down as well and tried to lower herself in her seat, sure that Fleur would see her bright blue hair. Sunset followed her gaze.

“Oh, wow,” she said. “That is so creepy.”

“How does she keep following us like that?” Sonata hissed, hiding behind the menu.

“Just going on a hunch,” Sunset muttered. “I don’t think she followed us. This time.”

They both watched as Fleur sat reading her magazine. Fleur had tried the going-out-in-less-ostentatious-attire thing before multiple times to avoid recognition, but she had still appeared stunning in her own way. Now, she seemed to be trying to cover up her beauty, which was a difficult thing to do, Sonata had to admit to herself. Her silky pink hair was tied back into a bun, which gave her the severe look of a school teacher. She wore a pair of reading glasses that Sonata was sure she didn’t need, an ugly ornamental summer scarf around her throat, and an old and ragged coat. She had also refrained from putting on some details of her make-up: her eyeliner, lipstick, and earrings were all absent.

“Keep down!” Sonata whispered urgently.

“Sonata, if she looks up, she’s going to notice us,” Sunset said baldly, pulling at a lock of her own hair. “It’s not like either of us are exactly low key.”

“Nyeh nyeh nyeh,” Sonata mocked, making mouth-movements with her hand. Sunset rolled her eyes. “Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Sonata, I’m not going to run away every time I see her,” Sunset said severely. “I’m not interested in her, and if she can’t see that, then she’s just going to be disappointed, isn’t she? Stop being so worried about it.”

Sonata fumed for a few moments before throwing herself back in her chair.

Despite what Sunset said, she couldn’t help glaring at Fleur the entire time they were there. Fleur drank coffee and ate some waffles, but she was so engrossed in her magazine that she took a long time to finish her meal. Before she was done, Sunset and Sonata both finished their own, and were at the front desk to pay.

“Oh for goodness sake,” Sonata grumbled as Fleur stood up and stuffed her magazine into her bag. Predictably, she looked up at that moment and saw the two of them. Sunset was busy paying and didn’t notice, but Sonata stood glaring at her, hoping that Fleur would take this as a hint to go away. Fleur looked disconcerted, and took a step back, as though afraid. Sonata blinked, wondering just how ferocious her glare could possibly be, when Fleur suddenly turned on her heel and made her way to the bathroom.

Sonata said nothing in regards to this, but was somewhat surprised by it. For a second she marvelled at her own fear-factor.

“Are you coming?” Sunset asked, holding the door open.

“Huh?” Sonata asked, turning around. “Oh, um, I’m just going to the bathroom first.”

“Okay,” Sunset replied. “I’ll be in Quills and Sofas across the road. I need a new stylus for my tablet.”

With much waving and smiling, Sonata waited for Sunset to leave the cafe before she moved cautiously towards the bathroom. A distinct shift in atmosphere came over Sonata as she approached the suddenly forbidding bathroom door. She didn’t know exactly why she was approaching Fleur on her own, but she felt like she should make her views and stance perfectly clear to Fleur. Preferably, she’d like to do it without Sunset around.

Pushing the door open, she hesitated as she saw Fleur at the bathroom mirror. She was fishing for something in her bag. When she looked up, she saw Sonata in the reflection, and gave a little sigh.

“Hello there,” she said cheerfully. “The stalls are all free.”

“Thanks,” Sonata muttered distractedly. “Err,” she began.

“You want to talk about something?” Fleur guessed. “Your charming girlfriend, I imagine.”

This sobered Sonata’s mood up a little. She closed the door and fixed Fleur with a more determined stare. “Yes.”

Fleur sighed again. “If you wish to dissuade me from continuing my advances on her, then I’m afraid this is going to be a rather fruitless discussion.” She gave Sonata a rueful smile.

Sonata scowled. “Well you’d better stop it,” she snapped. “Sunset is with me. She’s mine. Go back to where you live and find someone there.”

“I do, darling,” Fleur replied, returning to the mirror for a moment. “I do. All of the time. I’m afraid that the Capital has an effect upon people, and it intrigues me to be interested in someone who is not tainted with that mindset.”

Sonata didn’t know what Fleur was talking about, but she wouldn’t let herself be distracted. “But why Sunset?” she growled.

“I find her attractive,” Fleur said simply, and shrugged, straightening her hair a little. “She is an attractive young woman. And you are as well,” she added kindly. “But she’s... what is the phrase? My type, you might say.”

Sonata was stumped. The lack of aggression from Fleur, in fact the frankly pleasant way in which she spoke was utterly disarming. Sonata felt no frictional confrontation coming from her, no implied challenge, nor any kind of negative feelings at all. It was as though they were both friendly competitors in some kind of sports event.

“What is this to you?” Sonata asked. “Do you want to keep her? Make her happy?”

Fleur looked around in surprise. “My my, what an adult thing to contemplate. If you’re serious.”

“I am serious!” Sonata barked. Her voice echoed around the bathroom.

Fleur stared at her for a long while, her eyebrows slightly creased. “My word, you two are an unusual pair.” She snapped her bag shut. “You two are so young, I honestly have a hard time believing that anyone so caught up in their youth could be so serious about their relationship. Oh, don’t misunderstand me,” she said quickly, as Sonata colour rose. “Most people in relationships can be serious, if at first. But our first relationships in general aren’t the lasting ones.”

“Are you saying we won’t stay a couple?”

“To be honest, dear,” Fleur began with a somewhat sad smile, “it’s a lovely story when it happens, and when those involved are truly happy. But in reality, a lot of relationships are simply not made to last. We are human, and human beings’ feelings have a tendency to change as we grow.”

“I won’t stop loving Sunset,” Sonata said stubbornly.

“I think that you might be missing my point, dear,” Fleur said, giving Sonata a somewhat pitying smile. She lifted her bag and moved towards the door, stopping in front of Sonata and giving her a kindly look. “What we feel may be different in a month, a year, or ten years time. Or may not change very much at all. We can only work in the here and now.” She put a hand on Sonata’s shoulder in a surprisingly comradely way. Sonata was so startled that she didn’t shrug her off. “I envy you, my beautiful nemesis, for knowing the love of Sunset Shimmer.” She paused here. “My my, that was rather overdramatic wasn’t it. The theatre never leaves you, I suppose.” She chuckled a little at this and moved towards the door.

Sonata hesitated a moment, and then turned quickly before Fleur left.

“Fleur?”

“Hm?” Fleur asked, looking back.

“How many...” Sonata paused, and then pressed on. “How many girlfriends have you had?”

Fleur blinked. She seemed to not have expected the question. “Three,” she said. “I’m not with any of them at the moment though, if that’s your concern.”

“Three?” Sonata asked, unable to hide a note of incredulity.

“Yes.” Fleur said, serenely.

“And do you... did you love them?”

“Certainly,” Fleur said sombrely. “And to some degree I still do. I’m on fairly good terms with all three of them.”

“Oh.” Sonata said, flatly.

“Yes, I never was one for resenting my exes,” she tittered a little. “We’re on very cordial terms, and one or two of them still like to spend time with me once in a while.”

When it seemed that Sonata had nothing more to say, Fleur exited, leaving Sonata to contemplate her words.

It was clear that she and Fleur had had a different view of what relationships were. Once again, Sonata felt the almost overwhelming sense of maturity and awareness of the world that Fleur possessed; the flexible, adaptable personality that seemed so unorthodox to Sonata. Ex-girlfriends on good terms, who still spent time with her, whatever that meant. Sonata blushed a little to herself as she thought just what that might mean.

The most frightening thing, however, was Sonata’s awareness of how easy it would be to like Fleur. Had she not been trying to take her girlfriend, of course. She was just so pleasant and affable. She had an infectious kind of friendly charisma that just made it hard for Sonata to regard her in an adversarial light.

“Maybe that’s what she wants,” she muttered to herself, frowning.

“Huh?” Sunset asked. “Did you say something?”

“What? Oh, no, nothing,” Sonata said with a grin. “Just mumbling to myself.”

“Well okay then.” Sunset raised her eyebrow curiously, but said nothing more about it. “Anyway, it’s about nine now. We can go see Aria if you want to.”

Sonata gave her ready assent to the idea, wanting to go back to her thoughts. Despite the fairly lengthy walk from the cafe and Quills and Sofas to the rehabilitation clinic, Sonata came to no further conclusion on the subject. Fleur seemed utterly transparent and clear in what she wanted, and drive her mind though she might, Sonata couldn’t find any ulterior motive, no secret meaning or desire. The problem with this was that this meant that their conflict really would just come down to the two of them fighting over Sunset’s affections, and whilst Sonata was perfectly confident in Sunset’s affection towards her, she still felt the deep discomfort of having someone hitting on her girlfriend. Friendly though Fleur might be about the whole thing, the fact was that they were rivals, and such niceties between them were utterly meaningless in the pursuit of their respective goals.

Sonata didn’t like this conclusion much. She looked at Sunset sideways for a little while as they walked together along the gate dividing the park from the street. On an impulse, she interlaced her fingers into Sunset’s own, taking gentle hold of her hand. Sunset seemed momentarily surprised, but smiled and gripped Sonata’s hand back. Sonata needed that pressure at that moment.

“Geez, guys,” Aria yawned. “Give a girl a morning to herself, why can’t you?”

Sonata snorted. She hadn’t lived with Aria for so long that she had forgotten how unkempt she was in the mornings. She herself was not prone to instantly getting up and doing all the thousand and one things women do to make themselves ready for the day until she had had breakfast, but she did at least tie her hair back and wipe the drool from her face. Aria’s rat’s nest threw her bi-coloured hair into a tangle of green and purple that looked like crossed wires, and the silvery streak across her face suggested that she hadn’t looked in a mirror yet. Sonata wondered idly if whether she tried to brush Aria’s hair, it might explode if she accidentally untangled the wrong colour.

“Sonata wanted to come and see you as soon as she got up,” Sunset said, trying to repress a smile. Evidently she found Aria’s untidy appearance funny too.

Aria set down her half-finished bowl of cereal on her bed, and patted down her pyjamas. “Well, I suppose you’re here about the story.”

“Partly,” Sonata said eagerly. “Is it done?”

Aria grinned, and held up a small pile of double-sided typed paper, flashing it at them. “Is it done?” she mimicked. “Who do you think I am?”

Sonata wanted to see it first, but Aria offered it to Sunset, who flipped through the pages. Sonata watched her face eagerly, but Sunset’s expression gave no inkling of her thoughts. After a few moments, she looked up at Aria. She didn’t say anything initially, but Aria just nodded.

“I knew it wouldn’t be your kind of thing,” she said airily.

Sonata took it and began to read.

“I’ve seen some of your other stories,” Sunset began. “I wasn’t expecting something like... um... well, that.”

Aria nodded again, smirking a little. “Oh how little you understand,” she said, patting Sunset’s head. Sunset narrowed her eyes disapprovingly whilst Aria just laughed at her. “When writing, it’s important to know who your audience is going to be. Whilst one should never cater to a demographic if you’re going to maintain your self-respect, you should always be mindful of them. They are your judges.”

“Who said that?” Sunset asked.

Aria seemed puzzled by the question. “I did.”

“No, I mean, who are you quoting?”

Aria frowned. “No one.”

“Oh.”

Sonata peered surreptitiously over the top of the paper she was reading, trying to hide her smile. She watched as Sunset’s face flushed uncomfortably, and Aria’s eyes grew cold.

“What?” Aria demanded.

“It’s just... that was rather profound, I thought.” Sunset tugged at a lock of her hair, not meeting Aria’s eyes.

“Last time I do anyone a favour,” Aria huffed. “If you think I’m stupid.”

“I don’t!” Sunset said hastily. “It was just a misunderstanding!”

“Hmph!”

“Don’t be so sensitive, Aria,” Sonata interjected, feeling she should come to her girlfriend’s defence at last.

“I’m not sensitive!” Aria snapped without thinking. She flushed as well as she realised how contradictory that statement and action was. “Give that back!” she lunged for the papers, but Sonata pulled it back out of reach.

“Ah-ah!” Sonata warned, wagging a finger. “Not done.”

“You don’t get to read it now!” Aria sneered, reaching passed Sonata’s restraining arm.

“It’s too late,” Sonata laughed, holding the papers up. “I’m already reading it!”

“Rrr!” Aria cried, but even she was grinning now. She made a show of giving up her attempt and held up her hands as though she no longer cared. “Fine, whatever.”

“And so Whiskers stood a top the glass peak of the doomed skyscraper,” Sonata read aloud. “And he knew that he had only one hope for survival. And he must survive. He must return. For his home, his country, his children, were lost should he perish here. You mis-spelled atop there.”

“Yoink!”

Sonata, expecting a renewed attack from the front, was caught entirely off-guard when Aria feinted that way before diving around the back, where Sonata’s retreating arm practically gave her the papers. Aria danced backwards as Sonata made a lunge for them.

“I wasn’t finished!” Sonata complained.

“Too bad,” Aria cackled. “I wrote it, it’s mine, and you ain’t havin’ it now!”

“Yoink,” Sunset said matter-of-factly, tugging the papers out of Aria’s hand.

Aria blinked. “Hey now,” she said feebly, “double-teaming is against the rules.”

“Oh my,” Sunset said, grinning.

“Fine, take them,” Aria cried, flailing her arms in the air. “I don’t care.”

“Thanks, sis,” Sonata said earnestly, catching Aria in a hug from behind. Aria rolled her eyes and gave a loud sigh, but didn’t throw her off. She did seem a little surprised when Sunset caught both of them in a larger hug though.

“Err... can we stop... whatever this is?” she mumbled through two pairs of limbs.

“No, you like it,” Sonata giggled, beaming.

“And I just like making things awkward,” Sunset added mischievously.

Aria sighed. “Okay, okay, hugs and loves for everyone,” she groaned as they both let go. “Now get out of my room. I’ve got some blood and gore films to watch. All this lovey-dovey is giving me diabetes.”

Sunset and Sonata returned home with renewed humour each. Sonata had entirely forgotten how much she enjoyed having her sisters around to mess around with. True, sometimes there had been a little more implied violence than she would have preferred, but Adagio at least had always stepped in to stop things before they got too serious. And it wasn’t like either of them could have done any real harm to each other whilst they were sirens anyway.

“I’m going to watch Doctor Whooves,” Sunset said, sitting heavily on the sofa. “Want to join?”

“Maybe later,” Sonata said, still holding the papers. “I want to finish this first.”

Sunset looked at the story askance. “No offense, but I didn’t think it looked too good.”

“I know the kinds of stories you like,” Sonata said sagely. “This wouldn’t appeal to you. But it’s adventure enough for me. She wrote it with me in mind after all.”

Sunset nodded, a little impressed. “That’s clever. Well as long as it works for you. I’m going to work a little then and we can watch the new episode later.”

“Are you still doing Flim and Flam’s accounting?” Sonata asked, suddenly realising she didn’t know.

“Yeah. And their website too.” She repressed a grin. “What colours should their background be this week?”

“They let you make that decision?”

“No.” Sunset smiled pleasantly.

Sonata grinned.

Sunset’s work couldn’t have been terribly extensive, as she arrived upstairs in Sonata’s work room when Sonata had only just finished the first preliminary sketch.

“Err... what is that he’s riding?” Sunset asked, carefully.

“An oviraptor,” Sonata explained.

Sunset stood for a moment, her hand to her mouth. She narrowed her eyes, then opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Then she made a half-hearted gesture with her hand and opened her mouth again. She paused.

“Do you...” she made a considering sort of sound in her throat. “Do you think he... should be riding an oviraptor? Isn’t he supposed to be a historical figure?”

Sonata considered that for a moment. “Yes,” she admitted slowly.

“I only mention it,” Sunset said in an off-hand voice, “because I don’t think oviraptors were around at the same time this guy was.”

Sonata considered this as well. “I suppose,” she mumbled. “I think maybe Aria was going for some artistic licence in that scene.”

“I think so too,” Sunset said kindly. “He probably did ride a horse though.”

“Less exciting, but doable,” Sonata conceded. “How’s that?” she asked, after erasing a few features and adding the likeness of a horse.

Sunset kissed her on the cheek. “Wonderful, dear,” she said a little patronisingly. Sonata gave her a shove. “What exactly is going on, anyway?” Sunset asked, surveying the scene.

“A battle charge,” Sonata explained. “See, in Aria’s story, this guy is a heroic general who lost his position to the emperor’s son, who thought he was trying to take the throne from him, so he murders the guy’s family and exiles him, but he manages to work his way into the army again under a different name because this enemy country let him infiltrate the kingdom in order to destablisie—“

“Yes, yes,” Sunset said quellingly. “I’m sure it’s very interesting.”

Sonata pouted for a second or two over this, but then returned to her work. And her work was going surprisingly well. With the imaginative scenes she had formed in her own head from Aria’s story, she was able to create scenes as well as she was usually able to, and still fit Hoity’s criteria. Mostly.

Even their friends thought so, as they visited the house.

“It’s quite a scene,” Rarity said delicately, looking at the half-finished painting.

“Looks totally boss!” Rainbow Dash announced approvingly. “Hey Rarity, could you make me some armour like that?” she asked, pointing at a cuirassier galloping in the foreground.

“I’m a fashion designer, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity pointed out flatly. “Not a black smith.”

“I don’t see why you’re looking at me like that, Rainbow,” Applejack asked with narrowed eyes. Rainbow looked hastily away, blowing out her cheeks innocently.

“Well anyway,” Rainbow said quickly, “since all of you guys are here, I have to tell you something.”

“You’re finally going to give me back my pen you borrowed in math class?” Rarity guessed.

“You’re going to buy me that milkshake you owe me?” Applejack suggested, smirking.

“You found Tank a playmate?” Fluttershy said hopefully.

“Okay, stop.” Rainbow raised her hands, annoyed. “First, I gave you that pen back.”

“Didn’t,” Rarity whispered, folding her arms.

“Secondly, I know about the milkshake, okay?” Applejack smiled smugly. “Thirdly, yes I did get him a playmate, but that’s not the thing I have to tell you guys.”

Fluttershy made a gleeful little sound and hugged herself a little as Sunset asked the question Rainbow was longing for one of them to ask. “So what do you want to tell us?”

Rainbow smiled a little more smugly than Applejack had managed, holding her head high. “You might have all noticed that I’ve not been around as much as usual.”

“Not really,” Applejack said, shrugging. “I always assume you’re just napping when you’re not around.”

Rainbow Dash rewarded her with a dark glare. “Actually, I’ve been training in skydiving.”

This had the effect that she’d evidently been hoping for. Pinkie and Sonata made identical sounds of “Ooooh!” like Dee Dee from Dexter’s Laboratory. Rarity and Fluttershy both looked flabbergasted at the notion, whilst Applejack and Sunset looked at each other as though wondering if they’d heard correctly.

“For real?” Sunset asked, in a tone that made Sonata think she thought Rainbow was joking.

“For real,” Rainbow confirmed. “I told you already Sunset.”

“Well yeah, but you didn’t tell me that you were going to be skydiving. I thought you’d just be at the ceremony.”

“Oh I am. In a parachute. Jumping from a plane. With Soarin and Spitfire!” She gave a squeal of delight and hopped on the spot for a little bit before realising where she was. She coughed, her cheeks turning a little red. “So, yeah. That’s a thing.”

“But Dash!” Pinkie complained. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? I can parachute just fine!”

“Pinkie, this event is for Wonderbolts and Academy students,” Rainbow explained, trying to detach Pinkie’s clutching hands from her arm.

“Well...” Pinkie growled. “We’ll see about that...”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just their friends who were visiting over the following days leading up to the show. Although she had done it before now, Fleur had taken it upon herself to pay them visits to their house with greater frequency. Sonata could only suppose that since both she and Sunset were staying in a little more in recent days, Fleur didn’t have so many opportunities to talk to Sunset. This was particularly annoying because Sonata hated leaving Sunset and Fleur alone whenever the supermodel visited, but had to work almost continuously on her paintings.

And if that wasn’t annoying enough, Fleur’s little tag-on. Photo Finish, probably having used more data than the entire school’s population of mobile-phoners, was still filming and taking pictures of everything Fleur and Fancy Pants did. Sunset had often wondered aloud to Sonata how her mom, Photo Shop, could not notice what Photo Finish was doing. Even now, As Sunset and Fleur sat chatting together across the coffee table, Photo Finish was seated on the couch next to Sonata, perched forward and staring between them. Sonata found it a little disturbing how anyone could find something so mundane so enthralling. She longed to go upstairs and paint.

“Zat sounds vonderful!” Photo Finish said eagerly, when Sonata told Sunset where she was going. “A first-hand look at ze potentially new flames of ze fashion vurld.”

“She promised you could follow her around,” Sonata snapped, pointing at Fleur. “Not us.”

“Vell zat vas rude,” Photo Finish muttered indignantly, as Sonata stormed upstairs.

“She’s just feeling the pressure,” Sunset said apologetically. “It’s making her a little cranky.”

And despite the fact that this was only said to placate Photo Finish, there was a grain of truth to it.

“Sorry,” Sonata said that night as they got ready for bed.

“It’s no problem,” Sunset answered. “You’ve had a lot to deal with. And with Fleur coming to the house all the time...”

“I don’t want to give Fancy Pants a bad impression,” Sonata sighed, slipping off her shirt and tossing it in the laundry basket. “But sometimes I really do want to kick her out of the house.” She mimed booting someone’s backside.

“I know, and you bear it patiently.” Sunset touched her arm comfortingly. “You really don’t have to sit down with us every time, you know. Nothing she can say is going to make me interested in her. If anything her constant attention is starting to desensitise me to her.”

Sonata smiled to hear that. Sunset looked encouraged by this reaction and stepped forward so they were intimately close. One hand at Sonata’s back, the other interlaced into her hair, the kiss was long and full of meaning. When they broke apart, Sunset gestured to the bed.

Sonata wasn’t sure how kosher it was to have such thoughts, but she appreciated the summer months for it being too warm to exactly wear pyjamas, even with air conditioning. Underwear was the most either of them could manage. As she shuffled up next to Sunset and insinuated her arm around her middle, she could almost imagine her problems melt away against the warmth of Sunset’s bare, golden skin.

Almost.

- To be Continued

Author's Note

Happy New Year everyone! The year is a multiple of five once more. You have no idea how happy that makes me. No. Idea. At all.
So Orderly!! :pinkiecrazy:

Well, here it is, the first new chapter of the year. Continuing three-day updates.

The Sunset Sonata, Pt7

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 7

Sunset Shimmer

At last: the day.

Sunset at least was glad that it had finally arrived. A great many things would, hopefully, be resolved on this day. But first, rather like her former mentor, she had to issue the day in. And all the magic in this world or Equestria would not make this task easy.

“Wake up,” she said, nudging Sonata.

“Mmmzzz...” Sonata mumbled in reply.

Sunset gave her shoulder a shake. “The house is burning down.”

“Throw some frosting on it,” Sonata mumbled.

Sunset could only imagine that she was confusing frosting with frost. Or perhaps having a dream where cake puts out fires. It was hard to tell. “Speaking of frosting,” Sunset said conversationally. “I think I ate the last of that marble cake.”

Sonata sat bolt upright. “There’s no more marble cake?” she shrieked.

“Good morning to you too,” Sunset said, kissing her on the cheek. “Yes, we have cake left. But that’s not really the priority now, is it? Today is the day.”

“Oh snap,” Sonata whispered in horror. “Going back to bed now.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Sunset scolded, holding onto her arm. “Come on, the sooner you get it over with and all that.”

“Nooo...” Sonata whined.

With great reluctance, Sonata rose from the bed, grumbling and groaning, even in the bathroom. She sat down at the kitchen table with an expression like an old man being called on to get out of his favourite chair. Sunset knew this look. It was Sonata’s I-feel-nervous-but-I’m-covering-it-up face. Sunset knew better than to try and talk her out of it, and so instead tried to cheer her up indirectly.

“Four eggs?” Sonata asked, surprised. “Is it splurge day?”

“You need your strength today,” Sunset replied as she buttered toast. “And so do I, come to think of it.”

The last few days leading up the exhibition had been some of the most emotionally taxing in terms of preparations since Aria’s fundraiser concert, and arguably much more laborious. Whereas before Sunset merely had Flim and Flam and Filthy Rich to really contend with, now she had Hoity breathing down her neck, the curator of the gallery to daily liaise with, and Fleur’s attentions to daily shrug off. Fleur was never at all pushy, but she was just present wherever Sunset went.

Case in point, when Sunset and Sonata were called to Rarity’s boutique to sample the clothes they were to wear for the occasion.

“I tell you it’s the latest fashion, darling,” Rarity reassured Sonata as she took the measurement of her forearm.

“I like the hat,” Sonata admitted, using her free arm to prop up the floppy beret on her head. “But what’s with the jumper? It’s summer.”

Sweetie Belle, who was holding a stack of implements and clothes to try on, managed to speak around the side of the paraphernalia. “It’s no good if she sweats in it. She’ll look awful.”

“Fair point...” Rarity murmured. “How about a stripy shirt and loose fitting tie?”

“You don’t think that’s kind of informal?”

Rarity gave Sonata a heavy-lidded look of supreme authority. She snapped the tape measure together in a way that rather sounded like cracking a whip. Sonata flinched. “I’m sorry, dear. Would you mind running that by me again?”

Sunset felt an overwhelming need to back away at this point, but thought she really should show a little more grit and give Sonata some support as she tried to climb out of this pit she had walked blithely into. Emotional support that is. Sunset had no intentions at all in coming between Rarity and any perceived threats to fabulocity. It wasn’t worth the bodily harm.

“I just meant that it doesn’t sound very... like, formal dress. Like a suit or—“

“Sonata, dear,” Rarity interrupted, adopting a tone of strained cheeriness. “I flatter myself that I understand a little more about what counts as formal wear in the fashionable world than you do.”

Sunset was in the middle of holding her breath, hoping against hope that Sonata would just agree with Rarity and allow the fashionista to dominate the situation as usual, when the doorbell tinkled, indicating someone entering the shop. Sunset grasped at this minor distraction as a means to legitimately distance herself from the situation a little, but immediately wished that she hadn’t. Poking her head around the screen of the changing area, she saw the flowing pink locks and sparkling purple eyes of Fleur appraising the little shop. Fast as lightning Sunset pulled her head back around the screen, but too late. Her fiery mane of red and yellow hair had long since given her away.

“How does she keep finding us?”

“Now if I told you that,” Fleur said from behind the screen, “you’d be able to evade me.”

“Well that’s creepy,” Sweetie Belle said conversationally.

You have no idea, Sunset thought, privately.

“Oh, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” Fleur said, pinching Sweetie’s cheek. “I might just try this hairstyle,” she said speculatively, lifting a few of Sweetie’s curls so they bounced rhythmically.

“You’re going to have to ask Rarity about that,” Sweetie replied cautiously. Sunset could just hear the mental SOS going off in Sweetie’s head. I need an adult!

“Err...” Rarity intoned. “This is a changing area. Could I ask you to please—“

“Oh my!” Fleur exclaimed suddenly. “What a stunning ensemble.”

Rarity blinked, colour filling her face. “You think so?”

“Oh certainly,” Fleur said eagerly, taking a turn around Sonata. “I see what you’re going for. The French beret might need revising, but perhaps instead of the striped shirt, perhaps something over the shoulder?”

“Are you thinking a dress, or...?” Rarity asked, rubbing her chin.

“Mm, no,” Fleur said thoughtfully. “The important thing is to make it fitting to her. There are far too many artistic types in the Capital who simply go for the striking, rather than putting something of themselves into how they look.”

“Oh I know,” Rarity agreed. “I’ve been thinking that for the past few years actually.”

Sunset watched with bated breath. She couldn’t escape whilst Sonata was trapped, but she knew that this talk about fashion wouldn’t last forever. By the end of it all, Sonata was dressed in the most eccentric get-up Sunset had seen thus far. Eschewing the beret, she instead had chopstick things somehow holding her ponytail in place instead of a bobble, an over-the-shoulder semi-dress of pastel pink and purple stripes, and almost black dark purple three-quarter length trousers. A loose-fitting black tie hung from her neck, and purple trainers adorned her feet.

Sonata was doing her best to look disapproving, but even Sunset could see that it was basically a shout-out to her old styles when she was singing with her sisters. Under the encouraging smiles of both Fleur and Rarity, she was powerless to say anything.

“I get where you’re coming from,” Sunset whispered to Sonata as Fleur and Rarity laughed over some gossip or other. “It doesn’t look very formal. But it does remind me of you on stage. Maybe that’s the point.”

Sonata’s scowl melted away at this; perhaps because of what Sunset had said, or because Sunset had said it.

Few things could Sunset and Sonata do without Fleur being present. Sonata had actually taken to scouting places they were going just to make sure Fleur was not there first, ignoring Sunset when she pointed out that Fleur almost always arrived after them.

“She must honestly have nothing to do,” Sunset sighed. “I just wish I knew how she keeps finding out where we are.”

Not until two days before the fair did they find out.

As they delivered the finished paintings to the gallery, Sonata having only finished them the day before, Sonata did her usual routine of scouting out the gallery’s interior to make sure Fleur was not present, whilst Sunset remained behind to help bring the paintings in. This turned out to be fruitless for both girls, as Sonata came back shaking her head, and Sunset found that the gallery director would only allow his staff to manage any prospective artwork. It was whilst Sunset was turning around to see Sonata coming back that she finally saw how Fleur knew where they were all of the time.

“Wha—Eek!” Sonata squeaked as Sunset stood on her foot. “Sunset, what are you—“

Sunset cleared her throat and made directional motions with her eyes. Sonata looked around just in time to catch the edge of a black and white dress disappearing from view behind a bus stop.

“Don’t look at her,” Sunset said out of the corner of her mouth.

“What’s Photo Finish doing here?”

“Following us,” Sunset muttered, the truth dawning upon her. “That’s how Fleur’s been following us. Photo Finish had been following us around and calling Fleur on the phone about it.”

“Why?” Sonata asked, frowning.

“Probably part of that deal they made,” Sunset speculated, remembering when Fleur had taken Photo Finish off to have a private word with her. “It would explain why Fleur let her tag around with her all the time. That excuse about the rest of the paparazzi finding out seemed weak to me.”

“Well how do we stop her?” Sonata asked.

“I don’t know,” Sunset admitted. “She probably wouldn’t stop if we confronted her. Maybe it’d be best just to leave it. Fleur will be gone after the fair,” she added as Sonata looked outraged.

Sonata didn’t look that well placated, but gave her huffy assent.

Sure enough, within ten minutes Fleur magically appeared, lending her sudden arrival to good fortune as usual.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, Sunset dear,” she said as they all walked into the gallery. “How would the pair of you like to travel to the Capital with me in a few days? Fancy Pants and I will be leaving when this exhibition is over and I’d simply love to introduce you both to all of the principle figures.”

“Err...” Sunset said. Sonata, standing on Fleur’s other side, shook her head vigorously. “We’ll think about it,” Sunset finished, for politeness sake. Sonata gave her a silent look of utter disgust and disbelief.

“Wonderful!” Fleur said exuberantly. “I look forward to seeing you at the next soiree. There’ll be no need for you to find lodgings; you can both stay with me for the length of your stay. I have guest bedrooms enough,” she laughed.

Sonata glared angrily at Sunset, who realised too late that she’d been wrangled.

“Just perfect!” Sonata stormed as soon as they left the gallery.

“We didn’t say we will go,” Sunset said awkwardly, knowing just how empty the reassurance was. Sonata didn’t respond to this, but simply threw herself into the cab and sulked all the way home.

As usual however, Sonata could maintain a bad mood about as well as the Mayor could maintain her hair colour. Within the hour she had forgotten Fleur and instead had turned her attention towards the big deal being made at Rainbow’s house. It was kind of hard not to notice it. Sonata tried to stand on tip-toe to see whilst Sunset paid the cab driver, but upon finding that she had no clear line of sight, sprinted up the road to get a better look.

As Sunset understood it, the Wonderbolts liaison from the Capital had arrived to instruct Rainbow on her exact role in the Wonderbolts air show during the exhibition. The exhibition tour would take the first floor of the gallery before being called to the luncheon, and seeing the air show, after which the second and third floors would be viewed.

The problem with this was a certain pink individual attempting to insinuate herself informally into the proceedings.

“Pinkie, you can’t be in the air show!” Rainbow shouted exasperatedly.

“What’s going on?” Sunset asked as she and Sonata stepped into her garden.

Rainbow rounded on her as Pinkie and the liaison glared at each other. “Sunset, please explain to Pinkie why this is even more crazy than usual!”

“Sunset, please explain to this guy that I’ve been parachuting off buildings for years!” Pinkie cried.

“Miss, please explain to your friend here that that is not the issue here!” the liaison boomed.

Sunset took a step back as all three of them bore down on her. “Well, what is the issue?” Sunset asked, tentatively.

“I don’t have time for this,” the liaison announced, throwing his arms into the air. “We expect you to be ready for pick up by the afternoon, Ms. Dash. The show will take place at precisely 2:00pm. We’ve appropriated the airport mountains landing strip for the event, so please be there at least an hour in advance.”

“Sir,” Rainbow said, saluting.

“You haven’t seen the last of me!” Pinkie cried, taking a running leap off Dash’s lawn. Owing to the position of the houses all around on the sides of the mountains, Pinkie’s leap overshot the road completely. Sunset and everyone around shrieked or cried out in horror, until they saw a large, white sheet erupt into being, and zoom down towards the city, a small pink figure suspended below it.

“That girl is nuts,” the liaison said weakly, shaking his head. Without another word, he strode off to his sleek silver car and drove away, leaving Sonata, Sunset, and Rainbow on the edge of Rainbow’s garden.

“There’s an air strip around here?” Sonata asked, confused.

Sunset and Rainbow stared at her. She blushed, which made Rainbow erupt into laughter, and Sunset give a fond chuckle.

“Sonata, honestly,” Sunset said, taking her hand. “Never change. Please.”

“So who you guys bringing to the thing?” Rainbow asked, changing the subject.

“Well, we thought we should really invite Aria,” Sunset explained. “It is arguably because of her that Sonata had any work to submit.”

“Also I want to see the look on her face when we take her to Rarity’s to get some proper clothes,” Sonata said, rubbing her hands together and grinning wickedly.

“Yeah,” Sunset admitted, grinning too. “That is going to be hilarious. How about you, Rainbow?”

“Already got mine. We have to wear our uniforms under our flight suits. There’s going to be this totally awesome bit where we rip off the flight suits and our formal uniforms are on underneath. It’s gonna be slick.”

“I meant who are you inviting?” Sunset corrected.

“Well my dad, obviously.” Rainbow scratched her head. “No one else wanted to be on the VIP list except for Rarity, and she’s a guest of that Fleur lady. I think everyone else is going to be in the crowd.

And so the day had arrived. No sooner had Sunset and Sonata finished their larger than usual breakfasts, then Aria had arrived, looking thoroughly annoyed. Her formal clothes were more like Sunset’s than Sonata’s, the latter of whom had the relative luxury of independence. Aria tripped into the living room, cursing the purple dress she was wearing and the purple shoes on her feet. Evidently taking Aria’s condition into consideration, Rarity had not forced her to wear high heels. The ensemble was a beautiful thing to be sure, and it evidently fit her well, but it couldn’t have been plainer that Aria simply didn’t know how to walk in formal attire, and combined with her limp, she was managing to be about as elegant as an accident-prone elephant in spats.

“I swear she gave me the most awkward thing she could make,” Aria grumbled, referring to Rarity. “Have you seen this thing? What even is this thing?”

“It’s a sash,” Sonata pointed out.

“Oh,” Aria mumbled after a short pause. “Oh well that explains... Stop giggling!”

Sonata immediately straightened her face and became spontaneously interested in something outside the window.

“I got it,” Sunset assured, tying the sash properly. Held up correctly, the fall of silver stars on the dress that matched the ones in Aria’s hair arranged themselves more elegantly.

“Thanks,” Aria muttered, trying to hide the colour in her cheeks. “Where’s yours?”

“I’m wearing mine,” Sonata said, holding both arms out for Aria to see. “And look,” she said, tweaking the sticks in her hair. “If I need something to eat with, I can use these.”

“Don’t be disgusting, dear,” Sunset said conversationally. “My dress is upstairs. Don’t worry, it’s almost as awkward as yours is.”

And she wasn’t wrong. Rarity was entirely able to fabricate dresses that could make it as easy as wearing pyjama bottoms to move around in, but she lived by a strict code, the golden rule of which was:

Comfort takes a backseat to first impressions.

Sunset’s own dress testified to that.

Much like Aria’s dress, Sunset’s was floor-length and form fitting. Meaning it was a little restricting. Sleeveless but with silky forearm covers that were held on by an elegant attachment to her middle fingers, the ensemble was a delicate shade of pale blue, the same as Sunset’s eyes. A diagonal flow of silvery material flowed down her right side, and her high heels shoes added a good inch or so to her height.

“Eh, looks okay,” Aria said unconcernedly. Sunset smiled a little, guessing that this was Aria’s way of trying to put her, Sunset’s, mind at ease. Sonata just stood where she was, not saying anything. Sunset felt colour rise in her face a little at Sonata’s staring and tugged at her forearm silks to avoid her gaze.

“Uh-duh...” was all Sonata managed when Aria tried to get her attention.

“Quit drooling, Sonata,” Aria scolded. “Don’t we have to get going?”

“Oh quite,” Sunset sighed. “Can’t have Hoity getting an aneurism. He’ll never shut up about it.”

She hoisted her handbag a little on her shoulder, remembering what was inside it. Her purse, her keys, various bits and bobs useful to women that boggled the minds of men, and, deep in the bottom, a small plastic bag with a single white pill. She hadn’t thought about it much, but there was only one source that occurred to Sunset whenever she wondered where Sonata had gotten the pills from. Having done some research into them, she knew that they weren’t exactly street-distribution grade drugs. They were too expensive. They had to have been either given or sold to her by someone a little more... well-to-do. This implied, to Sunset at least, a certain level of familiarity. There were only a few people that she and Sonata knew that fit that description, and all of them would be at the gallery today.

If she got the chance to find out who, then she wanted the evidence with her when she did.

The taxi ride to the gallery was relatively short. Certainly shorter than traffic that afternoon would allow. Decorative metal posts and blue ropes had been set up to contain the eager crowds, and a small contingent of eccentric looking people had gathered on the steps of the gallery before the vestibule. Additionally another small crowd of individuals with cameras stood eagerly to one side near a veritable convoy of news vans. As the taxi dropped the three of them off at the entrance, a flurry of snapshots and flash photography illuminated the scene. Sunset held a hand to her eyes, but Aria and Sonata both seemed unphased. Sonata raised a hand high and beamed, whilst Aria folded her arms and gave her usual smug smile.

At the top of the stairs, emerging from the little crowd of artists, was Fancy Pants, his crisp black suit flapping behind him, his arms outstretched like a mother to a long-lost child. Behind him were, predictably, Fleur, looking stunning in a dress of glittering pale pink, and Hoity Toity, dressed in a formal coat and sporting his trademark glasses.

“Welcome! Welcome!” Fancy called, patting Sonata on the back and shaking hands with Sunset. “We’re just getting everyone acquainted, you know, whilst we wait for everyone to arrive. Yes, hello,” he said, shaking Aria’s hand too. Aria looked a little surprised to be known to him. “The inspirational sister I’ve heard about. And of course,” he began, looking over Aria’s, and with a slight edge of contempt creeping into his voice. “Photo Shop, how wonderful to see you again.”

A tall woman stood to one side, apparently having materialised from thin air, or so it seemed to Sunset. She had a slim, elegant profile, much like Fleur, but unlike Fleur, had a posture that positively screamed dominance. Her hair was short and white, her eyes covered by wrap-around shades tinged red. Her black suit was form fitting and short, showing off her figure fully, whilst the white coat buttoned over her shoulders set a permanently light background against which the suit appeared like a silhouette. All in all, Sunset felt as though she were being glared at by a Terminator crossed with Cruella de Ville. Behind this woman, looking supremely annoyed, was Photo Finish, her camera in hand, and her pink glasses flashing dangerously. Behind her was Rarity, her French artist attire of a red beret and purple jumper easily visible next to the black and white clothes of her companions.

“Fancy Pants,” Photo Shop said in the same accent as her daughter. She adopted an oily tone of false good humour. Sunset had to admit that the effect of her voice was a little mesmerising. “It has been too long.”

“Not long enough if you ask me,” Fleur remarked, giving Photo Shop a pleasant smile.

Photo Shop raised a black-gloved hand to her glasses and adjusted them, her ruby-red lips curving into a small smile. “Now, now, darling. Need we open hostilities zo early?”

“That all depends on you, dear,” Fleur replied affably. “Could you give me an estimate of how many people you’re going to try and discredit today?”

“Zo charming,” Photo Shop replied in as cheerful a way as her accent would allow. “I zink I vill enjoy today greatly.”

“Yes, well,” Fancy Pants interceded before Fleur could speak again. “Here’s someone else!”

Sunset and Sonata moved around Fancy’s party to the group of artists behind him. Many eyes looked around, but most returned to their conversations or groomed themselves discreetly with small mirrors. One older man caught Sunset’s attention immediately. He was immensely tall, perhaps about seven feet, and had the most eccentric appearance of everyone there.

He wore a long, maroon duster with grey fur around the neck, and blue shoulder pads of two differing shades. On one hand he wore a bright yellow fingerless glove, and on the other a golden-brown winter glove. On his feet were a single green wellington boot, and a shiny formal brown leather shoe. But this was nothing to his face; his cheeks were sunken and his eyes lined. His hair was bone-white and ran carelessly down his back, whilst his beard was narrow and bushy, like his eyebrows. He wore a twisted wizard’s hat on his head, perched at a jaunty angle. But his eyes were the most alarming thing about him. Red in colour, the whites of his eyes were discoloured yellow. He grinned at Sunset as he noticed her looking at him, revealing several crooked teeth. Taken altogether, these many ugly and unusual parts made a rather pleasing wholeness to his appearance, despite the perpetual look of sinister mischief.

“Well hello there,” he said in a clever voice, seizing Sunset’s hand and shaking it.

“Oh, um... hi.” Sunset tried for a smile, but she wasn’t sure it came out right.

“Quite the crowd we have here,” the man remarked, giving the crowd behind the line a mysterious glance.

“Yes, it is quite a crowd,” Sunset affirmed, not knowing what else to say.

“Oh, where are my manners?” the man said graciously. He doffed his ridiculous wizard’s hat and sank into a bow. “Discord, at your service.”

Sunset blinked, feeling a chill run down her spine. She knew of the Discord from Equestria, imprisoned in stone. His counterpart seemed a little...

“Sunset Shimmer,” she replied, inclining her head respectfully. “So, you’re an artist?”

“Among other things,” Discord said smilingly. “I’m something of a renaissance man you might say. I’m a doctor, an inventor, an artist, a musician, and I’ve been told that my stand-up comedy isn’t too bad either.” He nudged her with his elbow and winked. He reached into the hair just behind Sunset’s ear and pulled out a full glass of chocolate milk. “I also dabble in magic.”

“What kind of art do you do?” Sonata asked, chipping into the conversation whilst Sunset spluttered and stammered at having milk pulled out of her hair.

“Statuary,” Discord said with a wave of the hand.

Sunset snorted, but managed to pass it off as a sneeze.

“Oh look, I think I espy someone of a different sort arriving,” Discord declared, pulling a pair of 3D glasses from his coat and setting them on his crooked nose. Sunset and Sonata looked around instinctively to see a sleek, black car stop in front of the gallery. Sonata gave a cry of delight when she saw who stepped out of the car, and even Aria looked genuinely happy, if only for a moment.

Her hair had returned to its former grand state of enormity, and her expression had regained some of its assured superiority. Raising an arm in lazy acknowledgement of the crowd, she made her way towards the steps with Trenderhoof stepping with light tread beside her.

“Adagio!” Sonata squealed, throwing her arms around her.

“Hello, Sonata,” Adagio sighed, rolling her eyes. She smiled and returned the hug. “Sunset Shimmer, it’s been too long, you know? You never call.”

“And you never visit,” Sunset smiled, getting a hug too.

“True enough,” Adagio said with a careless laugh. Then she caught sight of Aria, and a certain silence fell over them all.

Unlike Sonata and Sunset, Aria had not rushed forward, and seemed to find it difficult to look at the affecting scene occurring before her. Adagio stepped beyond Sunset and Sonata, the latter looking between her sisters with a growing look of fearful doubt. After a few moments, Aria managed to look up. Unlike most everyone around them, Adagio’s dress was not so elaborate, but on her with her naturally commanding posture and her larger than life hair, the simple black velvet stood out all that it needed to. The two sisters looked the other in the eye, Adagio’s face expressionless.

“Well?” Adagio said.

Aria blinked. “Well...?”

Adagio turned to Sonata. “Has she been like this since she’s been here?”

“Um...” Sonata said, evidently as nonplussed as Aria.

“Where’s your grumpy face?” Adagio asked, sounding disappointed. “I was looking forward to it.”

Aria turned bright red. Spluttering incoherently for a second or two, she finally managed to scowl. “You—I, how—“

Adagio laughed and pulled her into a hug as well. “There it is.” She held Aria at arm’s length and gave her a mischievous smile. “You always were easy to wind up.”

Aria seemed dumbstruck for a moment, but then caught on to the teasing. Making a disparaging noise, she cast her eyes heavenwards. “And you always were a bossy pain in the backside.”

“Well you’ll find it comforting to hear I haven’t changed,” Adagio chuckled.

“Hello there,” Trenderhoof said smilingly, inserting himself into the discourse at last. “Aria, right? Trenderhoof.” He shook her hand warmly, smoothing back his luscious blonde hair.

“My boyfriend,” Adagio said in response to Aria’s questioning look.

Aria gave Trenderhoof an unflattering look of disbelief. “Seriously?” she asked. She cleared her throat, perhaps realising how rude this was. “Ah, congrats.”

“Thank you!” Trenderhoof said graciously. “You have a charming sister, sweetness.”

“I told you not to call me that,” Adagio said calmly, a steely look in her eye.

“Yes, dear,” Trenderhoof muttered in a subdued voice.

“I think we know who wears the trousers in that relationship,” Sunset whispered to Sonata. Sonata had a silent giggle into her hand as Fancy Pants and Hoity greeted Trenderhoof fondly.

“Ah, Trenderhoof!” Fancy Pants cried enthusiastically, patting him on the shoulder. “It has been far too long, my dear fellow. Far too long.”

“Oh quite,” Hoity chimed in. “How is Applewood treating you?”

“It’s not quite the Capital,” Trenderhoof chuckled. “But it’ll still leave you pantsless in an alleyway if you don’t keep an eye out.”

Whilst this small reunion went on unabated, Adagio explained her presence to Sunset and company, none of whom had been aware of her coming.

“I thought it’d be a surprise,” she said with a creditable affectation of modesty.

“You mean you wanted to show off,” Aria said slyly.

Adagio shrugged, not challenging the term. “Partly because of Trenderhoof. He had to come anyway so of course I came. But I also have a friend in Applewood who’s come to put up her art too. I rather thought she’d be here by now.”

“I am here.” Sunset leapt back in shock. A young woman in a bright green kimono-like dress stood behind her. Between this almost neon mode of dress, her black and purple hair, and piercing greyish-blue eyes, the woman looked like a side-character in a popular anime. “Where’ve you been, Adagio?” she asked in a lazy drawl.

“I’ve had work to do,” Adagio said unconcernedly. “I don’t have time to spend indoors twenty four seven.” The two glared at each other, before they both smiled as though amused. Sunset got the impression of a subtle rivalry underpinning their friendship, but they seemed to get on well enough. The young woman in green wrapped an arm around Adagio’s shoulder and gave her a playful poke.

“Hey, I work too. Don’t listen to this girl, here,” she said in a stage whisper to everyone around. “She has half of Applewood wrapped around her finger. She’d tell you anything she thought she could get away with.”

“Ignore her,” Adagio drawled, putting an arm around her shoulders as well. “Sonata, Aria, assorted hangers on, say hello to my friend, Jade Marble. She’s a sculptor, and does a lot of the prop work around the studios as well.”

“Hello to my friend,” Sonata giggled.

“Hey,” Aria said with a nod.

“Oh, so let me guess,” Jade began eagerly, pulling herself away from Adagio. “You’re the grumpy loner.” She pointed at Aria, who’s lip curled. “And you’re the ditzy lesbian,” she asked, looking inquiringly at Sonata. “Loving the hair.” She indicated Sonata’s chopticks.

Sunset wasn’t sure if this was meant to be offensive or not. There was nothing inherently offending in the words themselves – except maybe the part about being ditzy – but Jade had a lazy, self-important way of speaking that gave whatever she said a hint of condescension. Sonata didn’t seem to pay it any mind. She gave Adagio a gleeful look and said

“You talk about me!”

“We already hugged,” Adagio said hastily, holding Sonata at arm’s length. “Everybody gets one.”

“Sweet,” Jade commented. She looked around lazily. “Are we starting yet?”

“I’d give it seven minutes and thirteen seconds,” Discord said over his shoulder, holding up a ridiculously large pocket watch. Sunset wasn’t sure how he was supposed to tell time with it, since instead of numbers and hands, the face had several moving cartoon faces that pinged around as though in bumper cars.

“Why? Is someone else showing up?” Sunset asked.

“Oh no,” Discord said smilingly. “It’ll just take those people that long to finish their greetings.” He pointed to Fancy’s party, including Photo Shop who was now talking animatedly to Trenderhoof. Unlike his friends, Trenderhoof seemed a great deal more at ease with Photo Shop, perhaps because of his being a journalist as well. Sunset noticed a curious glare triangle going on, as Fleur stared coldly at Photo Shop, Photo Shop glanced frequently at the artists, and Sonata tried to hide her grin as she watched Fleur looking unhappy.

After about seven minutes of everyone talking amongst themselves, Fancy Pants did indeed speak to the gathered artists. Looking at a perfectly normal, though very shiny, pocket watch of his own, he then turned and addressed the crowd below.

“It is an honour,” he began, “and a privilege, for me to say these words.” He beamed around at the gathered and hushed crowd, expanding his chest and raising both hands high. “You are a most wonderful city!”

He allowed for the crowd to cheer and simmer down, which admittedly took a little while. Cameras flashed and news crews paused in their eager filming to clap along with the people all around. Fancy Pants took it all in stride, and simply smiled good-naturedly, until eventually he held up a polite hand in acknowledgement of their applause.

“Yes! A most remarkable city. A city of many attractions; a city of noble history. A city that has borne many remarkable names; produced so many remarkable people.” He paused here to make an elegant gesture towards the group of artists, who all began waving and smiling at the crowd. Sunset smiled as Sonata raised her hand high and grinned toothily.

“And it is my fondest pleasure now,” Fancy continued, “to open the door this day to some of the spectacular testaments to the continued talent this city is capable of hosting. From the bosom of the Capital, I say, let it be praised!”

Apparently on cue, two of the gallery staff opened the large double doors of the gallery entrance. Sunset for one was wise to the blatant theatricality, but she had to admit it was an impressive performance.

Accompanied attentively by his entourage, Fancy Pants turned on the spot, and walked boldly into the entrance hall, followed all the way by more enthusiastic cheering from the crowd.

Sunset simply stared at this performance, until she felt a pressure on her hand. Looking to her side, she found that Sonata had clasped it, and with excitement in her eyes, led the two of them into the entrance hall.

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt8

Author's Note

Sorry about the delay on this chapter. A coworker of mine passed away recently and it put me out of temper for a while. I had no heart for writing at the time.
*Edit* Thanks to everyone offering their condolences :pinkiesmile:

The Sunset Sonata, Pt8

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 8

Sonata Dusk

Sonata grinned as she entered the gallery. She couldn’t help herself. There was too much excitement and splendour and hype and food to—

“Hey look!” Sonata hissed to Sunset. “Food!”

“Yes,” Sunset agreed, trying not to smile. “Food.”

“Not yet, my dear artists,” Fancy called good naturedly. “We have much to do. There will be time later for the luncheon. Ah, and speaking of much to do, welcome mayor!”

After Fancy’s group and the artists had entered, the paparazzi had quickly followed on the tail of a small square of individuals. Prominent amongst them was a tall, kindly looking woman with grey hair and spectacles. She looked faintly out of breath, but raised a hand in friendly greeting.

“Do forgive my lateness,” the mayor said. “Not to bad mouth our wonderful aerial team, but the Wonderbolts do somehow always manage to keep one so busy.”

“Don’t they just,” Sonata heard Fleur comment quietly. Sonata didn’t understand why, but Fleur looked a little flushed as she said this.

“Not at all, not at all." Fancy bowed the mayor and her entourage ahead of him. “We were a little apprehensive of your not arriving. I hope you don’t mind we started without you.”

“You left it half an hour already,” the mayor waved him off amicably. “And between you and me, this speech was a little hastily written,” she whispered, flashing him a little pile of note cards. “So what’s first?”

“Well first of course, we have the first floor, so statuary and sculptures I should imagine.”

Meanwhile, Adagio’s friend, Jade Marble, was ogling Sunset and Sonata, who were holding hands as they walked.

“Real life lesbians!” she said in an excitable, carrying whisper to Adagio. Fortunately the talk going on all around partially meant that only those closest heard her. “Are you seeing this?”

“What, are you hoping they’ll invite you to a threesome?” Adagio asked, a little louder than was necessary. This had the desired effect of shutting Jade up, as her green-tinged face went scarlet. When Adagio turned to Aria and started up a conversation however, Jade absented herself from Adagio’s side and inserted herself onto Sunset’s.

“So, how’d you guys meet?”

“We met when Shimmy showed Ad, Ari, and me around school when we were planning to conquer the world,” Sonata replied, smiling.

Jade regarded her curiously for a moment or two, and then laughed. “That’s hilarious. You’re hilarious. I always hoped lesbians were like that.”

Sonata had to stop herself from laughing at this ridiculous interpretation. Sunset on the other hand looked annoyed.

“Haven’t you ever met lesbians before?” Sonata asked. She was sure that Applewood was practically notorious for a wash of celebrities coming out in a multitude of orientations.

“Well I know of them, but I’ve never actually met any before. I’m straight as a ruler, so it’s just never come up. I kind of thought one of you would be more... you know, manlier.”

“Huh?” Sonata asked, nonplussed.

“Excuse me, but could we not talk about this, please?” Sunset was directing a look of deep annoyance at Jade that made Sonata wary of saying more.

“What?” Jade asked seriously. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“That’s not what I—“ Sunset began angrily.

“Just as a matter of interest,” said a sleek voice. A bushy white beard preceded the appearance of Discord’s clever face as he leaned down into the conversation. “Is that your sculpture?” he pointed to a cobbled-looking image made of some sort of dark stone.

“Why yes, it is,” Jade said, puffing up her chest a little.

“I like it,” Discord commented, tugging his beard methodically. “I have no idea what it is. Perfect.”

Jade’s pleased expression cracked into a look of outrage. “What!?”

“Yes.” Discord raised both hands and made a square with his index fingers and thumbs, squinting at the sculpture. “See, from here it kind of looks like a woman holding a jar, but from here,” he said moving left, “it looks like a sort of tree.”

“Seriously?” Jade demanded. “How can you not tell that it’s meant to be Jeronimo Hessarian?”

“Ugh, how droll,” Discord sighed, letting his arms fall limp to his sides.

Disconcertingly, to Sonata at any rate, Fancy Pants seemed to be of Discord’s opinion. He gave the sculpture a somewhat thoughtful look, and then briefly glanced around at the other statues and figures around the room. His expression didn’t bode well. Jeronimo Hessarian was the name of the old war hero that Sonata had had such issues painting. In fact the very painting itself was on the wall just behind Fancy and his entourage. Once the party had finished looking at the statues, Fancy turned around and looked at the wall. Now that Sonata looked herself, she saw that very few weren’t of cityscapes, or portraits of Hessarian, or other similar looking people from his era. Fancy Pants frowned.

Hoity seemed to have noticed these ominous signs as well, for he leaned forward to address Fancy. “You’re not saying much.” Hoity’s tone was light and had a hint of laughter in it, but Sonata clearly saw a paleness coming over him, and an anxious look in his eye.

“It’s just,” Fancy paused here, apparently looking for the right words. “I didn’t expect to see so many familiar things,” he muttered, rubbing his chin absently. “I was rather hoping to see something of the local culture.”

“The local culture?” Hoity asked, his voice shooting up a few octaves.

Fancy, lost in his thoughts, didn’t seem to notice the faint hush that had come over the crowd of artists. “Yes. I was rather looking forward to it. I find it all charmingly rustic.” He moved on, down the paintings, leaving everyone else behind.

Hoity went chalk white, his glasses slipping down his nose. Sonata didn’t know what she herself looked like, but if it was anything people all around her, she didn’t look much better than Hoity. Even Sunset, who had also caught on to the implications of what Fancy had said, looked shocked.

“Oh shit,” Aria said succinctly. This just about summed up the situation if the sudden burst of panicked whispering was any further indication of the mood of the artists. Only a few of them looked unconcerned, amongst them, Discord. He was looking around in high approval, his grin as wide as the room.

“By the look on your face, old boy,” Trenderhoof said conspiratorially to Hoity. “It looks like you might have dropped the ball on this one.” He looked faintly amused by it, but Sonata caught Adagio looking anxiously in her direction.

“Oh, ho-ho,” Photo Shop intoned smugly, her eyes fixed upon Hoity’s quaking profile.

Hoity looked lost. It was clear that he hadn’t thought of any sort of plan to counter this situation. He didn’t even seem to have anything to say in response to the jibes or questions being put to him.

“It looks to me like he could use rescuing,” Discord whispered between Sunset and Sonata, indicating Hoity. “Why don’t you take him aside and figure things out a little?”

“What would that accomplish?” Sunset asked, evidently confused.

“Well, my dear,” Discord said, shrugging. “It’s none of my business of course. I made what I wanted to make, and that turned out to be a good thing it seems.”

Leaving them on that enigmatic note, he strode into the crowd. Sonata watched him go, a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. She got the feeling that he was hinting at something.

“He’s probably right,” Sunset said grudgingly. “We should probably save Hoity for a moment. If he gave all these guys the same advice he gave you, I’m pretty sure they’re going to turn on him any second now.”

“I agree,” Fleur put in, having apparently been standing near them. “Hoity’s done some unwise things in the past, but this could get messy.”

“What do we do?” Sonata asked, looking around. “Is that room unused, do you think?” She pointed to an unobtrusive white door.

“It’d better be,” Sunset sighed grimly. She turned to Adagio and Aria, who were both watching the proceedings with no little amusement after hurrying around the mass of people. “Could you guys possibly cover us? We need to go unseen if we can.”

“I think that weirdo over there already has you covered,” Aria observed.

Sonata peered around Sunset, and saw that Discord, through some unknown means, had done something to the sculptures in the centre of the room. Assuming they were his statues, Sonata watched as one of them, depicting a bizarre and oddly familiar looking dragon-like creature, shot its head off like a loose firework, whizzing around the room and emitting what sounded like canned laughter.

“That’ll do,” Fleur said grimly.

Extricating Hoity from the clutches of Photo Shop by yanking him away when she looked momentarily down at her tablet, Sunset and Fleur frog-marched Hoity towards the door, followed closely by Sonata, with Adagio and Aria bringing up the rear.

“In,” Adagio hissed to Sonata. “We’ll be out here.”

“We’ll keep the havoc going. Don’t you worry.” Aria smirked. Sonata gave them both brief, grateful smiles, and backed into the room.

The moment the door shut, the hissing din from outside was all but cut off. The door had led to what seemed to Sonata to be an art-work restoration room. Four large tables covered in lamps, frames, precision knives, and a variety of other small tools sat in the centre of the room, surrounded by cabinets and shelves, and hung over by two strip lights. Sequestered inside, Sunset and Fleur let go of Hoity, who began tugging at various parts of his attire in a thoroughly nervous way.

“Well way to go,” Sunset snapped. “Just what the heck was that?”

“Hoity, you knew that the fashionable world is looking for something new,” Fleur pointed out. “Why would you encourage these people to create what’s already popular?”

Hoity seemed to have no ready answer to this question. Having already realised the mistake, he could only stand there, uttering odd little sounds of confusion and embarrassment whilst plucking at every loose follicle of his suit and continuously tugging at his collar.

“Is there any chance Fancy will like the stuff we’ve done?” Sonata asked Fleur.

Fleur shrugged. “Probably. But that’s not the issue. The Capital demands new blood. It is the duty of the fashionable to supply it. Fancy can’t condone the old styles and fashions; it’d be social suicide. I’m shocked that Hoity didn’t see that.”

“I thought this was the safest route,” he said hoarsely. “I thought... a different take on what was popular already might...” He lapsed into silence again.

“We’re screwed,” Sonata said flatly. She looked at Sunset. So often in the past Sunset had been the one to pull an idea, a plan out of the air, to rescue their cause when it seemed all but lost. Sunset seemed deep in thought.

“Didn’t he say he wanted something of the local culture? Rustic, or something?”

“Oh yes,” Fleur smiled reminiscently. “He’s been quite enamoured by the countryside since coming here. One reason the news never found us out these past few weeks is because we’ve been touring the countryside most days.”

“Oh please, tell me you have an idea,” Sonata pleaded to Sunset.

“Maybe,” Sunset muttered slowly. “The only problem is...” she paused for so long that Sonata thought she must have forgotten that she was speaking. “You have a lot of paintings of country spots. Applejack’s family farm and the ones of Whitetail.”

“Yeah,” Sonata agreed. “Tons of them. So?”

“So, we need to get them here,” Sunset said quietly, staring intently into space. “Without anyone noticing of course.”

“Yes!” Hoity hissed, colour flooding back into his face. “Of course, that’s perfect!”

“You’d have to go home and get them first,” Fleur pointed out. “And bring them back, get them upstairs without anyone noticing, put them up without setting off the alarm system, all the while maintaining your presence here. You can’t just up and disappear.”

Sonata’s small, fragile little sense of hope that had inflated at Sunset’s words popped under the crushing weight of reality Fleur had just dropped on it. Hoity too looked as though someone had just killed his favourite pet.

“No, there has to be a way around this,” he said as though to himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his brow. As he did so, he accidentally dislodged a small, silver box, about the size of an Altoid tin, which fell out and crashed to the floor. For a second Sonata thought they were mints, until she remembered what they actually were. Her heart skipped a beat as Sunset bent down and picked one of them up.

“Honestly, Hoity,” Fleur said disparagingly. “I thought you’d given those up.”

“Oh, well,” Hoity mumbled, clearing his throat guiltily. “You know, I don’t take them nearly as often—“

He got no further. Sonata had watched Sunset’s face with bated breath as she picked up a pill from the floor and examined it. She had had some idea of saying something, but that idea vanished as Sunset’s face went red as her hair. Whilst Hoity mumbled and squirmed under Fleur’s cold stare, she looked slowly up from the pill to his face, a terrible look of realisation coming over her expression. Sonata braced herself for an explosion.

Without warning, Sunset’s hand balled into a quaking fist, and with a cry of rage, she punched Hoity square across the jaw. He toppled backwards into one of the tables, knocking over a row of clear bottles. He let out a somewhat feminine cry of shock, staring at Sunset. “Y-You struck me!” he cried, several octaves higher than usual.

Sunset advanced on him, shaking off Sonata’s restraining hand. “You rat-face son of a—“

“My dear, control yourself!” Fleur said, taking her by the shoulders. “What are you doing?“

“Get off!” Sunset grunted, twisting out of her grip. “This bastard gave Sonata those damn pills!”

Fleur’s eyes widened, and then narrowed as she turned to glare at Hoity. “Explain.”

“I-I...” Hoity looked between them all, a light of desperation in his eyes. “I, well, I admit that I...” he coughed a little and stood up properly. “I... may have, um, made an error of judgement, yes—“ He flinched as Sunset started forward again, her eye flashing. “Okay, yes, I gave her some!” he shrieked. “I’m sorry!”

Holding Sunset back again by the upper arm, Fleur gave Hoity a look of frosty disapproval. Sonata, still feeling guilty over the incident when she’d taken one of the pills, said nothing, but just looked at the floor. Sunset was breathing heavily, her teeth gritted in a snarl.

“Sorry!?” Sunset growled. But her anger seemed quite beyond words now, and was unable to say anything else.

“What possessed you to give her those pills?” Fleur demanded. “You know how dangerous they can be to people her age.”

“A-ah, well, I... I tried to take them back afterwards, it’s not as though I didn’t feel guilty about—“

“Shut your damn mouth!” Sunset roared, pulling against Fleur’s inflexible grip. Hoity took a step back, looking frightened. “Guilty? Do you have any idea how scared I was when I found someone had given her drugs? I thought she was going to be dead!”

There followed a period of relative silence. Sonata felt as uncomfortable as Hoity looked. Despite it being him who had given her the pills, she’d still elected to take them. It had been her choice. Fleur didn’t let go of Sunset until she had appeared enough in control of herself.

“It will harm Fancy if he can’t make something of this event,” she said quietly. “And you, Hoity.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t do anything then,” Sunset said, glaring at Hoity. Her insides squirming, Sonata tried to take her hand, but for whatever reason, Sunset folded her arms and wouldn’t look at her.

“That would harm Sonata too,” Fleur pointed out. “The primary buyers of art like this come from the Capital. It’s a point of common interest in the aristocracy to keep up with the current fashions, and to buy and sell as much as they can. If Fancy does not find a new thing for the old dogs to wet themselves about, you’ll find few people wanting to buy your work.”

Sunset said nothing for a while, but chewed on her lower lip as though undergoing some internal struggle. “Well, there’s no one we can ask,” she pointed out eventually. “No one can go and get them for us, even if we could set them up. All of our friends are in the crowd.”

“Why don’t we just ask Fancy to wait?” Sonata suggested, tentatively. “If it’s so important to him as well, surely he’ll wait. And the other Capital people will wait too if he does, right?”

“Bad idea,” Fleur said bluntly, which dulled Sonata’s glowing moment instantly. “As good a man as Fancy is, he has no talent for subterfuge. With Photo Shop around, I wouldn’t trust anyone outside this room with any plans we make.”

They all fell silent again until Sonata got yet another idea. “What about Rainbow Dash?” she asked, remembering. “She’ll still be at her house just down the road from ours.”

“She’s in the air show,” Sunset said dismissively. “She doesn’t have time to bring us the paintings.”

Sonata pursed her lips. She was right of course; Rainbow couldn’t just up and leave the air-show to bring the paintings to them.

“What about her dad? He could bring them if we call her.”

Sunset considered that one. “It might work,” Sunset murmured. “If he gets here quick. When will the tour go upstairs?” Sunset directed this question to Fleur.

Fleur shrugged. “After the luncheon. That gives you about two hours.”

“Well what do we have to lose?” Sunset sighed, pulling out her phone. “Of course,” she snorted in disgust. “No bars. I’m going to have to go outside to call.”

“We’ve already been gone for a good few minutes,” Fleur reminded them. “Photo Shop at the very least will have noticed our absence if we don’t get back soon. I’d try getting to the roof if you can. You won’t be seen up there.”

They all filed one by one out of the side-room, trying to look as unobtrusive as possible, only for two people to leap away from the door, trying to look as though they hadn’t been listening to the entire thing.

“Oh, ah, darlings!” Rarity trilled, her beret more askew than usual and a dull flush coming over her sparkling white cheeks.

“Yes,” Photo Finish said in as casual a voice as she could manage. “Zat is a very interesting door.”

Sonata looked down at her camera. The little red light switched off at that very moment, and she could have sworn that she heard the distinct electrical hum of the microphone attachment vanish too. Sonata didn’t know who the two of them thought they were fooling; certainly they didn’t fool Fleur or Hoity.

“Were you spying on us?” Hoity demanded, aghast, lunging for the camera.

“I only vant to photograph fashion,” Photo Finish lamented. “Vhy must you oppose me, mozzer?”

“Give me that camera!” Hoity hissed, power walking after her.

“Oh my...” Rarity mumbled, dithering on the spot. “What was all that about?”

“We’ve got troubles,” Sunset told her dully. “As usual.”

Sonata regarded Sunset miserably, feeling at least partially responsible for this bad mood of hers.

“I’ll say,” Rarity agreed. “That man with the odd clothes has been causing havoc. I don’t know how, but he somehow changed the mayor’s hair to bright pink. She was so mortified that she’s trying to leave.”

Sure enough, across the hall the small contingent of city hall officials were moving rapidly towards the vestibule, pushing through the eager paparazzi. Above their heads bobbed a neon pink explosion of hair moving rapidly towards the door.

“Good,” Fleur declared with a wicked smile. “Sunset, dear, you slip out with them and try to get to the roof. And make sure that you’re alone. If anyone gets wind of what we’re doing and these other artists find out, they might try to stop you. Hoity and I shall find Fancy and try to delay him. Sonata, you should rejoin your peers before they notice that you’ve been gone too long.”

No one argued. It was the best, and indeed only plan that they had. Sonata walked briskly over to the crowd of chattering artists, who seemed to be roundly abusing Discord for something involving an exploding papier-mâché pie. Sonata might have been interested in this, had she not been watching Sunset’s attempt to sneak away with the press. Holding up her phone as though eagerly taking pictures too, Sunset’s fiery hair vanished into the light of day.

Meanwhile Fancy Pants was standing at the foot of the main staircase, looking bemused. Ignoring his fellow artist’s vehement complaining, Discord had his arm around Fancy’s shoulder, and seemed to be elaborating on a lengthy story. Trenderhoof and Adagio, standing beside them, seemed unsure of what to do, whilst Aria was far in the back plainly trying not to laugh with her fist in her mouth.

“Oh, hey!”

Sonata jumped and looked around. Adagio’s friend, Jade Marble, stood next to her, covered in something that looked like slimy newspaper. Fortunately the glue had dried and was peeling off her arms and face quite easily, which in conjunction with her green dress, gave her the disturbing look of a moulting snake.

“Hello,” Sonata replied, trying not to feel repulsed by this sight of Jade peeling back a large patch of glue from her forearm.

“Where’d you go, lesbo?” Jade asked, tossing the peel of glue carelessly away. “I mean that nicely by the way,” she clarified hastily.

“Oh, um... bathroom,” Sonata lied.

Jade raised an eyebrow. “You’re not a very good liar,” she commented, slyly. “Go on, where’ve you been? You can tell me. Oh snap!” she exclaimed, suddenly looking excited. “You were totally off making out with your girlfriend, weren’t you? Bathroom.” She snickered, sketching quotation marks around the word with her fingers.

“No, really,” Sonata said with false good humour. “Bathroom. Big breakfast.” She gave a nervous laugh that did nothing to help her. She seriously didn’t get this girl and her strange fascination with her relationship.

Jade might have pressed further, but at that moment, Fancy called the room to order.

“Yes, well, thank you um... Discord. That was most entertaining.”

Discord gave a bow, which the room at large received by directing sour looks at him. Quite a few people were still covered in glue and newspaper, and the dragon-like head of the statue had crashed into a metal chandelier so that it looked as though it were wearing an absurdly large crown. Looking around, Sonata saw more evidence of chaos scattered around the room, and was torn between laughing at the utter absurdity going on, or trembling with fear over Fancy apparently beginning to trudge on.

Hoity had returned to Fancy’s side, his silver hair a little dishevelled and one of his collars hanging out from his shirt, but otherwise managed to recompose himself well. Sonata looked around for Photo Finish, but couldn’t see her. She supposed she had gotten away, given the slight look of annoyance on Hoity’s face.

“Come come, everyone,” Fancy called, clapping his hands. “Let us not get behind schedule.” He beamed and began to move on, eliciting more nervous mutterings from everyone around.

“One moment, Fancy,” Hoity said quickly. “I do believe we haven’t looked at that wall over there.” He indicated the west-facing wall.

Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow. “We’ve already viewed those paintings, Hoity old boy.” He frowned. “Where did you go off to?”

“Oh, um—“ Hoity began.

“Is that a bruise?” Fancy asked, gesturing at Hoity’s jaw line.

“I think we should go over it again,” Hoity interrupted as suavely as he could. “Don’t you think so, Trenderhoof?”

“If you like,” Trenderhoof replied with cheerful obliviousness. “This has been far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Don’t you think so, dear?”

Adagio, who’d watched Hoity’s return with a suspicious look, had glanced questioningly at Sonata during the course of the conversation. Sonata tried desperately to make nonverbal indications that Adagio go along with the idea. She knew that Adagio’s usual response would be scathing; she waited with her heart feeling like icy shards were forming inside it for Adagio to respond.

Adagio shrugged in a noncommittal sort of way and smiled. “We can do whatever you like. Dear.”

Sonata could have hugged her. Whilst the general attention of everyone turned to the paintings and designs on the wall, Sonata did indeed give herself over to a brief daydream of squeezing the figurative life out of Adagio. When she came to, she found to her consternation that Jade Marble was giving her a thoroughly suspicious look. She didn’t say anything, but her penetrating gaze distracted Sonata from what was going on around her. In trying to move around the crowd, eyes locked with Jade, she careered into Aria walking quickly in the other direction.

“Hey,” Aria whispered. Then she noticed Jade glaring in their direction. “It’s rude to stare,” she snapped aggressively.

Jade narrowed her piercing eyes, but after a few more moments she looked slowly away.

“So what’s going on?” Aria muttered in Sonata’s ear.

“Sunset’s going to try and call Rainbow Dash and get her dad to bring some of my other stuff here. Try to put it up before Fancy and the rest get upstairs.”

“Sure you don’t want to just make some new paintings after reading some stories?”

Sonata gave her an ironic look as Aria grinned mischievously. The two of them laughed.

“It’s weird,” Sonata began. “We used to fight all the time. But I sort of remember us being really good friends. Like, way back.”

Aria looked blank for a moment, and then frowned thoughtfully. “I think I know what you mean,” she said quietly. “Like a distant memory.”

“Yeah,” Sonata agreed dreamily.

They were both caught up in their thoughts for a moment, until a thought seemed to strike Aria.

“Where’d that Fleur woman go, anyway?”

Sonata blinked. Then she looked around. She didn’t see any sign of Fleur anywhere. And it wasn’t like she wouldn’t be noticed in a crowd. Whatever Sonata’s feelings towards the filthy, girlfriend stealing skank were, she had to admit that she radiated beauty and grace like an ultraviolet light in a mine shaft. There was simply no excuse for not being able to see her if she was present.

“I don’t know. I thought she was going back to Fancy Pants.”

“I don’t see her there,” Aria observed, peering over the heads of the dispersed artists and news people. Indeed, the sophisticated locks of Fancy Pants’ blue hair were plainly visible next to the elaborate blonde hair of Trenderhoof, the silver tail of Hoity Toity, and the larger-than-life orange mane of Adagio. But Fleur’s pink and white coiffure was nowhere to be seen.

Sonata felt a coldness growing in her heart that she didn’t immediately understand until Aria asked her second question. Then her insides spasmed with lightning.

“Where did you say Sunset was?”

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt9

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 9

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset had to admit that once she reached the roof, Fleur had been right. Wherever outside she’d been, people had been ferreting around, excitable crowds and individuals interested in the kerfuffle in the gallery made privacy inside or outside the gallery almost impossible. The roof was the one, single nearby place that was guaranteed to be free of people. The only problem had been getting there. From the outside there was a narrow, metal fire-escape around the back that Sunset had managed to climb. The experience had not been easy; her dress kept getting caught, or prevented her from moving her legs easily. It was all she could do not to rip or tear it, and her high-heels were murder on the metal steps. Not to mention the people passing in the alley behind the gate; she was almost certain that someone would look up and see up her dress.

Reaching the top slightly out of breath, she skimmed down the menu on her phone and found Rainbow’s number. Pressing the call button savagely, she paced the roof agitatedly as the dial tone rang complacently on.

“Pick up,” she breathed. “Come on... Rainbow?”

“Nope!” said a high voice on the other side of the line.

Sunset’s words caught in her throat. “P-Pinkie?”

“Shhh!” Pinkie hissed from the other side. “Not so loud or they’ll hear you.”

“Hear me? What—“ she stopped herself. “Pinkie, what are you doing with Rainbow’s phone?”

“I’m in her changing room. It was in her shorts.”

“Well can you pass the phone to her?” She frowned. “Wait, what are you doing in her changing rooms? Everyone else is at the gallery.”

“I’ll be there soon,” Pinkie assured her. “What did you need Rainbow for? She can’t really come to the phone right now. She’s being yelled at by some instructor guy.”

Not wanting to get on a tangent, Sunset quickly explained the situation, hoping against hope that Pinkie’s retention would hold out. Pinkie didn’t speak all the way through, which Sunset took to be a good sign. At the end however, Pinkie said something that drove Sunset’s blood pressure right up.

“I don’t know if that’s going to work, Sunny,” Pinkie said, bluntly. “Have you seen the traffic around here?”

“Obviously not, Pinkie,” Sunset groaned. “Is it that bad?”

“I don’t see Rainbow’s dad getting there any time soon. But don’t worry, I’ll get Sonata’s paintings to you guys.”

“You’ll— wait, how?” Sunset asked, suspiciously.

“See you soon!” Pinkie said cheerfully, before the line went dead.

Sunset stood there, her mouth hanging open. Then her mind ground back into action and she began fumbling for the menu option again. What was Pinkie playing at? This was serious!

“So, all sorted out, are we?”

Sunset spun around, almost tripping over her dress. She really needed to have a word with Rarity about how restrictive on the legs this thing was. Behind her, a politely inquiring look on her face, stood Fleur, in all her radiant beauty. In front of a maintenance service door.

“There was a way up here from inside,” Sunset surmised, dully.

“Hm?” Fleur looked behind her. “Oh, yes. Didn’t I mention?” She gave a little chuckle.

Sunset stared at her, and Fleur stared back. Sunset became all too aware of just how alone the two of them were, with the only significant numbers of people being below, and with their attentions all firmly set upon things other than what might be happening on the roof.

“You planned this, didn’t you?”

Fleur’s expression didn’t change. “I may be guilty of a little manipulation, yes,” she answered, airily. “Don’t look so stricken. I just wanted to ask if you’d made a decision about my invitation.”

“Invitation?” Sunset said, bewildered. “You mean to the Capital?” Fleur nodded. Sunset had to stop herself rolling her eyes. “Fleur, this is hardly the time.”

“No,” Fleur began, stepping forward. “I think now is as good a time as any. So, what do you think?”

Sunset was so annoyed at that moment that she let her demeanour slip. “No!” she said angrily. Then in a slightly calmer tone, “No, thank you.”

“The invitation does apply to both of you,” Fleur reminded her. “You shouldn’t take it as more of my trying to—“

“But it is, isn’t it?” Sunset interrupted, her annoyance flaring again. “You just don’t get it, do you?” She held a hand up to her heart, trying to sound as earnest as she could. “I love Sonata. I am not going to leave her. You need to stop this.”

Fleur remained quiet throughout this little declaration, her expression unfathomable. She twirled a little strand of her sparkling pink hair between her finger and thumb in what Sunset took to be a thoughtful way.

“And this is, I take it, how you truly feel on the subject?” she asked, quietly.

“Yes,” Sunset said firmly, but as kindly as she could. “I’ve tried to tell you all along.”

“And there’s nothing I can offer or say that’ll make you reconsider? Nothing that’ll make you even think of considering me to be worthy of your affections?”

These words had an effect on Sunset’s irritation. She suddenly felt a mixture of guilt for the pain she thought that she was causing Fleur, and another, less definable feeling. A feeling that Fleur actually had a point.

“You are worth my affection,” Sunset began, and then blushed. “I mean,” she started again hastily, “otherwise, if I wasn’t with Sonata, I think, you know, we might have...” she tailed off awkwardly. Fleur still looked impassive. Her purple eyes never left Sunset’s face. “It’s not that I don’t like you. You’re nice, you’re funny, and not to put too fine a point on it, you’re a supermodel.” She gestured vaguely at Fleur’s perfect body. “The only problem is that I’d have to give up Sonata for you, and... and I can’t do that.” She shrugged helplessly, her gaze fixed anywhere but on Fleur’s face. “I’m sorry.”

There was a long silence. At the end of it, Fleur took in a deep breath, and then exhaled, as though the weight of the world were suddenly heavy on her shoulders.

“Well,” she began, her voice a little hoarse. Sunset’s insides squirmed to hear it shaking. “I can’t say that I didn’t try.”

“I’m sorry,” Sunset repeated.

“I love the Capital, you know,” Fleur said with a sigh. “It’s a wonderful mixture of old and new. Towering skyscrapers mingling with minarets and spires of gold and purple; there’s really no other place like it.”

Sunset said nothing. She wasn’t sure where Fleur was going with this. Was she trying to get her to go on the trip still?

“The one thing that I really quite dislike about it though,” Fleur went on, “is the effect it has on people. I don’t know if it’s the grandiosity, the flamboyancy, or just the fact that anyone who’s anyone knows that they’re rich, powerful, invincible to anything except each other. But it works on everyone.” She looked up at Sunset. “Including me.”

Sunset met her gaze, and noticed a slight shift in the look of her eye. Sunset didn’t know what it was, but a tingle of cold was running up her spine. Sunset tried to think of something to say, but Fleur continued.

“It won’t surprise you to know that Fancy Pants holds my opinion in high regard.”

“He’s your friend, isn’t he?” Sunset pointed out.

“Indeed,” Fleur agreed. “He’s one of the most charming and honest men you’ll ever meet. The one man in the world to, somehow, avoid the miasma of the Capital’s avarice. He can no sooner recognise evil than he could learn to fly. And he knows it. He is therefore very reliant on those in whom he reposes his trust. Like me.”

Sunset felt the ominous chill overcoming her intensify a little. She didn’t know where Fleur was going with this.

“So...” she said, feeling the need to speak grow in the pause that followed.

Fleur gave a small chuckle. “Come now, Sunset; you’re smarter than that. So of course it is quite within my power to influence what it is Fancy will decide. You’ll find that a few words from me are quite enough to set his mind irrevocably.”

Sunset looked into her eyes. The moment that Fleur had finished speaking, Sunset thought she knew what she was doing. But she wouldn’t. Fleur wouldn’t say something like that, she wouldn’t do that... would she?

“Are... are you blackmailing me?”

Fleur didn’t reply, but her cold, deadpan stare was answer enough. Sunset felt as though she’d been punched in the gut.

“You’d really jeopardise Sonata’s chances just to get to me?”

“I told you, Sunset Shimmer,” Fleur said quietly, stepping closer. “I am determined to have you.” She raised a hand and cupped Sunset’s cheek in her hand as she had done all those weeks ago, when they’d met for the first time. Sunset flinched away, feeling as though she didn’t have enough air in her lungs. She moved quickly around Fleur, heading for the door.

“I can make it so that Sonata never gets another commission,” Fleur called hastily after her. “She’ll never be known, never regarded. She’ll be nothing.”

Sunset stopped half-way to the door. Disgusted though she was, Fleur still had her by a chain around her throat. Sunset knew that she couldn’t just let Fleur ruin Sonata’s career like that. But she couldn’t betray Sonata either...

Fleur closed the distance, the dark expression melting into one of sorrow and slight desperation. She took Sunset’s hand. “You’re beautiful,” she said. “You’re an intelligent, enchanting young woman. I’ve done everything I can to make myself endearing to you short of openly treading on Sonata’s feet, and I’ve only come to know how much more special you are.” Her hand tensed slightly. “What would it take for you to see me the same way?”

“I’ve already told you I can’t!”

Fleur’s mouth thinned and the grip on Sunset’s hand tightened. “But why?” she demanded. “What can she give you that I can’t? I will crush her! She’ll be nothing but a pathetic little girl; what could she possibly do to stand against me? Must I destroy her for you to want me instead?”

“You can’t!”

“You think so?” Fleur asked, sinisterly. “It seems to me that being nice wasn’t working. What other choice do I have than this?”

“Give up!” Sunset snapped. “You can’t have everything you want.”

“Don’t lecture me on wants and desires!” Fleur snapped. Sunset stopped struggling, startled. Fleur paused, looking slightly embarrassed by her outburst. Her cheeks flushing a little, she let go of Sunset’s hand. After a deeply awkward pause, she took a slightly tremulous breath.

“Is this how things are done in the Capital?” Sunset asked, hearing the slight tremble in her own voice too. “Blackmail and threats?”

Fleur turned her head away. “I flatter myself that I’m usually quite good at the pathetic dance the Capital embroils itself in. But I find my steps confused by the more open and honest way in which you choose to tread.”

She looked so unhappy, almost ashamed at that moment, that Sunset felt the beginnings of sympathy rise within her. It wasn’t permitted to grow too much under the threat Fleur had laid upon her, but it was still there, however smothered. Sunset imagined how cold and friendless life in the Capital must be. How much like her old self the people who engaged in this so-called dance must be. Had she, Sunset Shimmer, been equally tempted into malice and subversion in order to get what she wanted? How pitiful it looked from the outside; how lonely and desperate.

It wasn’t a sound exactly that led both women to look towards the door. They both turned, and Sunset’s heart iced over in an instant.

Her face didn’t look angry, which was all the more startling given her usually expressive face. Her expression looked as though it were set in stone; only her eyes showed there was life there, and they blazed with a fury Sunset had not seen there before.

“S-Sonata,” Sunset stammered. Sonata seemed to ignore her. She stepped towards them, and every step seemed to resound like a war drum in Sunset’s ears.

Fleur didn’t look troubled by Sonata’s appearance, but she did still look faintly distraught at their conversation. When Sonata stopped in front of them, she gazed steadily back into Sonata’s eyes.

“You think trying to hurt me will get her to love you instead of me?” a nasty smile played about her face. “I’m an idiot, and even I can see the fault in that.”

“You... you were listening?” Sunset asked quietly.

“Not just me,” Sonata said coldly, still locking eyes with Fleur.

From the door stepped another person. A tall person in a black suit and white coat, with the largest and smuggest expression Sunset could imagine anyone possessing.

Fleur’s face went chalk white at the sight of Photo Shop, but she retained enough self control to not let her expression slip. Photo Shop didn’t seem to care, but waved a small device in her left hand.

“My, my,” Photo Shop said with undisguised glee. “Blackmail. An attempted love affair. Vat von’t da newspapers in da Capital make of dis von?” She stared maliciously into Fleur’s face. “I told you dat you vud regret opposing me, darling.”

As soon as Photo Shop had departed, sneering, Sunset looked back at Sonata and Fleur. Sonata was still glaring coldly at Fleur, but Fleur was staring off into space. Her expression still impassive, her eyes seemed slightly over-bright. Was she trying not to cry?

“Not so big and bad now, are you,” Sonata said dispassionately. Fleur didn’t respond. “Oh yes, she’ll definitely publish that one, won’t she? Blackmail’s a crime, isn’t it? You’ll probably go to jail. Or be forced to use a ton of money to avoid it.”

“Sonata!” Sunset exclaimed, shocked at this behaviour.

Sonata ignored her. “Striking out at me seems kind of pointless now, doesn’t it?”

Fleur looked around at her when Sonata had paused. “What do you want me to say?” she asked. “That I give up? That I’m sorry?” She let out a bitter little laugh and brushed discreetly at her eyes. “Sorry, dear. I may be beaten, but I do have a modicum of dignity left to myself.”

“What I actually wanted to hear you say,” Sonata said, holding up something small and square by two of its edges, “is I’ll stop trying to steal your girlfriend, actually.”

Sunset stared at the thing in between Sonata’s fingers for a moment or two until she realised what it was.

“Is that a memory card?” she asked. Sonata smiled with as much smugness as Photo Shop had shown. “You took Photo Shop’s memory card?”

“Impossible,” Fleur said, looking truly shocked for the first time. “She would never let...” Her voice tailed off.

“I think she would if she was so distracted by getting one over on you,” Sonata said in a self-satisfied voice. “I was standing behind her for ages before she noticed me, and then—“ she mimed knocking into someone and handing an invisible something back to the hypothetical person.

Sunset looked at Fleur shrewdly, remembering all that Fleur had said about, and reacted to, Photo Shop. “Do you two have some kind of history or something?”

Fleur’s broken mask revealed all Sunset could hope to learn on the subject. Having not recovered yet from her shock at Sonata’s actions, her face twitched and coloured up.

“We had...” she exhaled. “We had a history of sorts, yes. So,” she said in a rallying tone. “I assume you’re going to use that to counter-blackmail me into not pursuing Sunset?”

“That was the general idea, yes.” Sonata closed her hand on the card.

Fleur forced a smile. “Then I have a counter-counter proposal.” She was rapidly regaining her poise, much to Sonata’s consternation. “There’s no guarantee that Photo Shop doesn’t have backups galore; she’s too professional for her own good. I may be done for one way or another. So your bargaining chip has a few nicks in it.”

Sonata scowled at her. “And you want to gamble that chance?”

Fleur side-glanced at Sunset. “I think it worth trying. But how about this,” she began, as Sonata’s face went scarlet. “Sunset doesn’t have to break up with you; I just want one thing.”

“And that is?” Sonata asked with a growl.

Fleur held up a single, elegant finger. “One kiss.”

Sunset felt her own colour rise at this. Looking quickly at Sonata, Sunset was seriously concerned that she might try to push Fleur off the roof with the amount of rage in her expression. She seemed to struggle for something to say for a moment, and then looked at Sunset. They stared at each other a long while. Sunset couldn’t see a way out of this situation. Fleur could still ruin Sonata, make it impossible for her to do what she loved for a living, and the only way out of it was to kiss Fleur, which might drive a wedge into their relationship. Both prospects were horrible to Sunset. She felt a lump rising in her throat and tears stinging her eyes, and she had to look away.

“Fine,” Sonata said, eventually.

Sunset looked quickly back at her, astonished. Fleur looked equally surprised.

“Fine?” Fleur repeated, inquiringly.

“It’s fine with me. If Sunset wants to kiss you, then whatever. It doesn’t matter.” She folded her arms and looked away. “She loves me, not you. It won’t make any difference.”

Both Fleur and Sunset stared at her back for a few moments, and then at each other.

“Are...” Sunset cleared her throat.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Sonata snapped, correctly guessing Sunset’s question.

Fleur seemed momentarily uncertain about this reaction, but recovered again as she looked at Sunset. “There. You won’t be harming your relationship. She’s okay with it.”

Sunset thought hard. She was at a gaping precipice, and there was a narrow beam spanning it. One misstep, and she’d fall, and hard.

“If I kiss you, then you won’t sabotage Sonata’s chances?”

“I’ll do better. I’ll encourage Fancy’s decision. It’s hardly dishonest; your work is arguably the best here.” She directed the last part to Sonata, who didn’t reply.

Sunset hesitated a moment longer. “Alright.”

Fleur closed the distance between them. With a gentle hand, Fleur lifted Sunset’s head up to look at her. Sunset didn’t immediately understand the look of sad concern Fleur was giving her, but then she imagined that she must look scared, or unhappy. That couldn’t be making the experience pleasant for either of them. Fleur’s other hand pulled Sunset closer by the waist. As their faces drew closer and closer, Sunset closed her eyes tightly. It disconcerted her how gentle Fleur was, how warm and pleasant it felt to be held by her. Never before had she been so convinced that she could have learnt to love her. But...

“I can’t,” she said at the last second. “I-I... I just...” she pulled away and walked a few quick steps from Fleur, hugging herself convulsively. A disconcerting feeling akin to nausea had surged through her as she felt the warmth of Fleur’s lips near her own, and she couldn’t stand it.

“I see,” Fleur whispered after a while. None of the three of them could stand to look at each other. “I have absolutely no chance, do I?” Fleur finished in a brittle tone.

“I’m sorry,” Sunset said, honestly.

“So am I,” Fleur replied, turning to the door back down stairs. As she passed Sonata, Sunset turned quickly around, a thrill of fear running through her.

“You’re not going to—“

Fleur stopped by the entrance to the maintenance stairway, not looking back. “Whatever you may think of me, I’m actually not a malicious woman.”

Without a backwards glance, she left. Sunset couldn’t be sure whether she was hearing things, but she though she caught the faintest sound of a sniff as Fleur turned the corner.

Sunset and Sonata both stared at where the older woman had been, both lost in their thoughts for a moment. Sunset herself suddenly became aware of the fact that the whole business with Fleur had been, with good reason, cause for Sonata to be angry with her. But she hadn’t been. Not with Sunset anyway. She had trusted Sunset, and allowed her to make the decision herself. Remembering her lingering anger about Sonata and Hoity, Sunset suddenly felt guilty at holding so petty a feeling.

Both girls looked around at each other at the same time. Sunset was genuinely surprised to see tears in Sonata’s eyes. Had she been crying? Sunset didn’t know what she, herself, looked like, but looking into Sonata’s tear-streaked face, she was overcome by an overwhelming urge to cry as well. At her own stupidity, at what nearly came of what the two of them had, it all seemed so clear that they had been dancing on thin ice for days, perhaps weeks. That there were other people in the world who would have let the problems they had had separate them forever.

She reached for Sonata’s hand, and only got the briefest touch. Then Sonata threw her arms around her shoulders. Sunset’s heart leapt in her chest and she stared at Sonata’s face pressed against her own. Then she let herself sink into the kiss, let the wash of pent up emotions Sonata let loose over her, and just held her close. Held the one truly important thing she had.

Neither had an especially accurate grasp of time at that moment. So much worry, anxiety, and hurt flowed freely away in the warmth of their reassurances that the other was there, and that they weren’t leaving, that nothing was coming between them. Something like time didn’t seem particularly important right then.

When finally they tentatively broke apart, Sonata looked entirely flustered and dishevelled, and Sunset knew that she probably looked no different. But she also looked a little longing, and a little pleading.

“Rain check,” Sunset promised. “Right now, we’ve got to save your career.”

“I suppose...” Sonata sighed. “You’re a mess, by the way.”

“You’re one to talk,” Sunset snickered, reaching up and wiping a bit of her running mascara. Sonata retaliated by thumbing a bit of Sunset’s smudged lipstick. “Come on then, there’s a bathroom on the floor below. I’ve got some spare makeup in my bag.”

Their sojourn to the third floor bathroom was not uneventful. Not only was Sonata still in something of a frisky mood, but when they finally had reapplied their make-up and exited the bathroom, they found to their consternation that there were other people traversing the hallways.

“Isn’t that one of the other artists?” Sonata whispered as they both poked their heads around the side of the bathroom door.

Something of what Fleur or maybe Discord had said to her earlier made Sunset wary of this development. She found it most suspicious that one of the artists, and possibly more, had broken off from the main tour group to come apparently searching for something, or someone, on the third floor. Had the other artists noticed that she and Sonata were gone? If so, then why come looking for them?

They watched as the young man meandered between a line of display cases and off into another room, and then both covertly stole away to the stair well.

Unfortunately, Sunset’s idea that they may be being stalked was gaining more and more traction as they went. No less than three other artists were monitoring the second floor, passing off their appearance there to the two security guards as being part of the tour. Which they were.

“Are you sure they’re looking for us?” Sonata whispered as they crouched on the stairs.

“No,” Sunset admitted. “It’s just a feeling, and... something someone said to me.”

“Come to think of it,” Sonata whispered, “Jade was giving me a funny look earlier when Aria came to ask what had happened with Hoity.”

“Well, I’d hate to think badly of Adagio’s friend,” Sunset muttered, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

With coordinated timing and a fair bit of luck, they managed to make it downstairs unseen. Fortunately the main tour group had pressed further into the gallery, allowing the two of them to descend the stairs and stalk their way back unseen. They waited for the group to be fully interested in whatever it was Fancy was doing for a moment, and then slipped as quietly and discreetly as they could into the room.

The first thing that Sunset noticed was Fleur next to Fancy and Hoity. She wasn’t sure whether it was just her own feelings making her think it, but Sunset thought that Fleur looked a little... detached? She certainly didn’t look as radiant as usual.

Sunset was so caught up in her squirming insides that she didn’t notice several pairs of unfavourable eyes on her and Sonata until Sonata pointed them out. Jade Marble and a couple of other people were all giving the two of them rather penetrating looks, and didn’t seem the least bit abashed when caught staring.

“I think they noticed we were gone,” Sonata whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

“Ignore them,” Sunset said. “It’s none of their business.”

“Oh that reminds me,” Sonata replied. “Is Rainbow’s dad coming?”

Sunset pursed her lips. “No. Pinkie... well, I don’t really know. Pinkie said she was going to bring them.”

“Oh,” Sonata said. “Okay. Uh, how?”

“I have no earthly idea.”

“About what?”

Predictably, Jade Marble had not been able to resist overhearing their conversation. Or at least, that’s what Sunset anticipated the reason behind this interruption was going to be. As it turned out, Jade didn’t seem to think she needed an excuse.

“Excuse me,” Sunset said politely. “We’re trying to have a private conversation. If you’d be kind enough to let us have it, I’d be grateful.”

“And to be perfectly honest,” Jade said with suaveness to match. “My friends and I would be equally obliged if the two of you weren’t scheming behind everyone else’s backs.” She and three or four others all gave Sonata and Sunset narrow looks. Whether intentional or not, they formed a sort of human wall at the rear of the crowd, facing their perceived adversaries alone near the door.

“What are you talking about?” Sunset replied scathingly.

“Don’t think we’re stupid,” Jade snapped. “I saw your reactions, like everyone else who took that idiot’s advice. You made work like we did.”

“What’s your point?” Sunset asked, feigning disinterest.

“You two are the only ones in the city Hoity spoke to. Any of the rest of us who actually had talent before this event moved to the Capital, or Applewood, long ago.”

“Or Los Angeles,” one of them put in. Jade ignored them.

“Fact is you two live in the city. You have access to your other works, and we don’t.”

“And then the two of you disappear?” another added, a girl in a dress with a pop-art square design.

“You’re calling friends to bring your other stuff here.”

Sunset glared at them all angrily. “You’re all raving,” she said with supreme disdain. “Come on, Sonata.” She took Sonata by the hand and started to lead her away, but Jade stepped forward and blocked their path. Raising a hand she held Sunset’s shoulder until the latter shook it off.

“We’re not done,” Jade growled ominously.

“Touch me again and I’ll break your hand,” Sunset replied calmly.

“We’re not letting you win this,” Jade snarled.

“Win what?” Sonata interjected desperately, eager to stop a potential fight. “This isn’t a competition.”

“Don’t be so naive!” Jade snapped, shoving Sonata backwards.

Sunset seized Jade’s wrist and twisted it in a particular way. Jade let out a stifled squeak of pain, but seemed incapable of pulling herself free.

“Touch her again, and I’ll break your damn neck.” Sunset gave her hand a flick and sent Jade stumbling backwards.

Jade caught her balance again, giving Sunset a squinty, wary look of her piercing blue eyes. The others around her were chicken; they all looked uneasily between Jade and Sunset, unsure of what to do. Like they could do much of anything. They were just lucky that the news people seemed to have dispersed for the moment. A few of them were still in the crowd, including Photo Shop, who Sunset saw looked annoyed. Photo Finish too was nowhere near, her prim white hair visible near to the front.

“This isn’t over,” Jade said predictably. “You’re not getting one over on the rest of us.” She and the rest of them made feeble attempts to look threatening as they all merged back into the crowd. It pleased Sunset’s vanity to see how pathetic the display was; she knew that in her queen-bee days she’d done a much better job.

“Eesh,” Sonata said, giving Sunset an impressed look. “Where did you learn to do that?”

“What? The wrist grip thing?” Sunset asked. “Oh, well, when you’re the Alpha Bitch long enough, you kinda learn that sometimes words only get you so far in the intimidation department.” She licked her lips nervously.

“That was awesome,” Sonata assured her, taking hold of her arm. “You totally defended my honour. Or whatever.” She giggled. “Sir Shimmy the Silly, my knight in shining—“

“Okay, let’s not even go there,” Sunset interrupted, amused. “Seriously. ‘Silly Shimmy’ is enough for me.”

Sonata laughed behind her hand a little as they all began moving to the next area.

“So, how’d things go?” asked a voice from behind them.

They both spun around to find the thin, looming form of Discord rising like a towering tree behind them. Sunset stared, mouth agape. She was sure he’d been in the crowd not a second ago. His vast tallness was about as hard to miss as Photo Shop’s white coat.

“How did you get behind us?” Sonata asked, letting go of Sunset’s arm.

“I walked,” Discord replied, unconcerned. “So, did you arrange for your paintings to be delivered.”

“We... think so,” Sunset whispered back to him.

“You think so?” Discord asked probingly, one of his absurdly bushy eyebrows rising up his forehead like a yawning caterpillar. Sunset explained quickly and quietly about how she’d tried to call Rainbow Dash, but for some reason got Pinkie Pie. At this point Discord made a sound of satisfaction. “Then I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”

“What?” Sunset asked.

“If Pinkie Pie said that she’ll bring the paintings, then you have to trust that she will,” Discord explained, waving an airy hand. “You have to trust your friends, Sunset Shimmer.”

When he’d rejoined the crowd, Sunset and Sonata looked at each other.

“Did that seem weird to you?” Sunset asked.

“The appearing behind us bit, him knowing what we’re doing, the relying on Pinkie bit, or the trust in your friends advice?” Sonata asked. “I didn’t take him for the kind of guy to say stuff like that. I kinda got the feeling he was sort of a loner.” She frowned. “Have we ever met him before?” she asked.

“I certainly haven’t,” Sunset said. “Why?”

“Nothing, I guess,” Sonata said, looking thoughtful. She shrugged. “I keep getting feelings like that recently. Like I’ve forgotten something.”

“That’s strange,” Sunset commented, genuinely interested. Before she could inquire further, they heard a clapping from ahead; Fancy was calling the room to order.

“Yes, excellent!” he called cheerfully over the crowd. “Before we begin the touring of the second floor, I’m told that there’s food in the state room, and afterwards, a wonderful presentation by the Wonderbolts aerial team. Dig in everyone!”

Sunset and Sonata stepped back to allow the most eager or hungry individuals to pass. Sunset glared as Jade and her posse slouched by, whilst Sonata made an adorable yet relatively ineffectual attempt to look intimidating.

“Come along, girls,” Fancy chirruped. “Never pass up a free lunch.”

“Isn’t the expression ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’?” Sonata asked.

“Well whoever said that was never invited to one of my soirees,” Fancy said smoothly. “Come come, you simply must try this Spanakorizo. They let me try it in the kitchens and, oh,” he made an elegant gesture. “It is to die for.”

Sunset avoided Fleur’s eyes as she passed, hating herself for hoping that Fleur was too abashed to look at her too. Once Fancy’s entourage had passed by, Hoity bringing up the uncomfortable rear, Sunset and Sonata followed after them.

Sunset wasn’t particularly hungry; the events of the day had made her insides feel too sensitive to allow the consumption of food without something unfortunate happening. Sonata on the other hand seized three bread rolls and an odd Italian kebab before Sunset had reached the table. Pushing passed a rather obese man who seemed to be trying to ignore the table whilst he sipped a glass of water, Sonata handed Sunset a roll.

“You have to eat something,” Sonata warned. “You’ll be ill by the end of the day if you don’t.”

Sunset took the proffered roll; it was easier than arguing. Still, Sonata cleaned off her plate before Sunset finished the last bite of the roll. Looking around, she saw Jade and the rest giving them covert looks, but they seemed too wary to approach them again. It was as Jade turned to talk to one of her compatriots that Adagio and Aria showed up.

“There you guys are,” Adagio said, hand on hip. “We were looking for you.”

“We were just in the last room,” Sonata said, picking up some little fingerling-looking things. “Are these enchiladas?”

“I think it’s some Greek thing,” Aria pointed out. “It’s got olives in it.”

“Ruin a perfectly good enchilada...” Sonata grumbled, setting the plate down.

“We were out front for a bit,” Adagio said. “Waiting on your stuff. Well, Aria was outside mostly. Trenderhoof pines when I’m away from him.”

“You guys are together, right?” Sunset asked, just wanting to make sure.

“Oh yes,” Adagio said. Sunset was confused. She sounded like she was talking about the weather. But then again, it was in Adagio’s character to treat everything with a casual disinterest; perhaps it wasn’t so unusual that she’d treat her relationships the same way.

“And you like him?”

Adagio smiled a little. “Once you get passed his little eccentricities, he can be kind of sweet.” Sunset looked at her in surprise. She’d never seen that look of fond recollection on Adagio’s face before.

“Err, is that girl spying on you or something?” Aria asked, looking in Jade’s direction. “Wait, isn’t that your friend, Adagio?”

Adagio looked around. Jade’s cool look melted momentarily into a smile and she gave a little wave. Adagio waved soberly back.

“She’s trying to stop us getting Sonata’s other work,” Sunset growled, glaring at Jade’s back.

Adagio sighed. “I thought she might if she found out about it.”

“How can you be friends with her?” Sonata asked, giving Jade an uncertain look.

“Believe it or not,” Adagio said, shrugging,” she’s actually one of the nicer sorts you’ll find in Applewood. You think she’s bad as she is? Frankly you have to be like that to get by in that town. Unless you happen to have friends in high places. Or you’re really good at playing people off each other.”

“Or both,” Aria said, smirking. Adagio smiled complacently like a stroked cat.

“Yeah, but being friendless there, or at least not having you two to bug me, was getting to me. And Jade can be genuinely nice when she’s not trying to cut your throat.” She gave a careless gesture.

“Well, we’re expecting Pinkie to bring Sonata’s other paintings at some point. Hopefully soon,” Sunset explained when Adagio brought the subject back round. “She needs to hurry up to be honest.”

“I hope she’s not coming by car,” Aria laughed. “Have you seen traffic out there? She’ll never get here in time.”

“You mean the pink haired one is bringing Sonata’s stuff?” Adagio asked, looking surprised.

“Don’t ask,” Sunset groaned.

They were interrupted in their conversation by the sound of a loud horn, sounding as though it had blared through a loud-speaker. This was followed by a somewhat deafening sound of jet engines flying overhead.

“Ah!” Fancy cried over the conversation all around. “I do believe I hear the outside entertainment beginning.”

Outside, the aerial festivities were well underway. Five jets flew overhead, blue and gold they were with sleek fuselages and coloured smoke trails behind them. The crowd all around whooped and cheered as the jets performed deft feats of aerial acrobatics and formation flying. Sonata gave a particularly loud cheer as they left a giant Wonderbolt insignia in the sky using their smoke trails.

“Don’t choke, dear,” Sunset chuckled, taking the third kebab stick from Sonata’s hand as she tried to cheer and eat at the same time.

“Hey, what’s that?” Aria pointed out, indicating something in the air with her finger. Sunset and those around her looked up as more and more people began to notice the new arrival. A large, more practical yet still gaudily dressed plane was cutting a wide path towards the gallery, flying higher than the jets were, skimming the building tops as they were. As the plane streaked overhead, they saw distinctly several small objects left behind. Looking closely, there were six in total, all in a straight line, with one on the far side listing away.

“Is that supposed to be happening?” Adagio asked speculatively, pointing out this odd phenomenon.

“No idea,” Sunset said, shrugging.

It didn’t seem to matter a moment later. Like the planes above, five of the six objects had started to release trails of coloured smoke, forming behind them a five-coloured rainbow. The sixth object was effectively obscured by the smoke-screen. By the time the crowd realised that the objects were people, the smoke trails stopped, and the figures performed a forward roll mid-air before pulling their chutes. Five Wonderbolt insignias filled the sky, descending to the ground as the crowd whooped and applauded. At which point, Sunset’s phone went off.

“Hello?” Sunset called loudly into the receiver.

“Hi Sunny!”

“Pinkie?” Sunset frowned. “Pinkie, where are you? We’ve been waiting for you. Have you got the paintings? What’s that sound?”

“Yep, I got them! I’ll be there in a second! That sound would be the wind!” Pinkie bellowed down the line.

“You’ll be where?”

“On the roof! Duh.”

Sunset blinked. “On the what?”

“Look up!”

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt10

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 10

Sonata Dusk

“Oh. Wow.”

“Yeah...”

All four of them looked at the edge of the roof where Pinkie had disappeared.

“The pink one disturbs me,” Adagio said warily.

“She had a bunch of your paintings strapped to her back,” Aria pointed out, rather as though she wanted someone else to confirm it.

“We have to get upstairs and get your paintings ready,” Sunset said.

“You won’t make it in time.”

The four of them looked around to find Fleur standing close by. She was watching Fancy standing with Hoity and Trenderhoof, all of their eyes fixed on the ongoing show above.

“The air show is only a fifteen minute event. You’ll need longer to set up anything.”

“Fleur,” Sonata said uncertainly. She didn’t know exactly why she was asking Fleur of all people this question, but she knew that the older woman knew the world, and especially the world of fashion. Whatever was acceptable or not would surely be known by her. Despite whatever feelings might exist between them... “Are we cheating?”

Fleur frowned, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“What are you talking about, Sonata?” Adagio asked.

“It’s just something Jade said,” Sonata said uneasily. “I mean, it is kind of unfair that they can’t change their stuff when I can.”

“Tough luck,” Aria summed up, crossing her arms.

Sonata looked to Sunset for her input, but she looked rather uncomfortable as well. Dislike someone she may, but Sunset could at least admit when someone had a point.

“There’s more than just your own success on the line here,” Fleur put in. “Hoity screwed up more than any of you know. Fancy Pants is the premier fashion authority in the Capital; his decisions on fashion are practically law in the fashion world. But like anyone, he has enemies. Sonata,” she said, fixing Sonata with a hard stare. “Your work is the only exceptional art here that Fancy can safely uphold. He can’t take anything subpar, and he can’t promote extant styles. If you don’t want to do it for personal gain, then do it for him.”

Sonata considered this. “It can’t affect Fancy that badly. Can it?”

Fleur shrugged. “Position in the fashion world is precarious. It’s like leaning over a shark tank; if you fall, they swarm you, taking off whatever chunk they can. This could be a hiccup, or it could ruin him. As his friend, I’d much rather that didn’t happen. But I leave it to your conscience.”

“It’s your call Sonata,” Adagio said, shrugging. “This is your career we’re talking about.”

“I don’t know what those others are getting so worked up about anyway,” Aria huffed, scathingly. “They all have careers already. You’re the only one who doesn’t have one yet. You’re the only one who stands to lose out here really.”

“I... guess...” Sonata mumbled, uncertainly.

“I don’t want to push you,” Fleur said, looking over her shoulder, “but we don’t have much time here.”

“O... Okay.”

“You want to do it?” Sunset asked her.

“Yeah,” Sonata replied, still a little hesitant. “I mean, there’s no guarantee this is going to do anything for me anyway. And everyone’s gone to so much trouble. I have to try.”

“If that’s the case, then” Fleur said, suddenly leaning in and becoming more confidential. “I’ll need to speak to you two privately.” She indicated Sonata and Sunset.

At a look from Sunset, Adagio shrugged and moved away a few paces, followed by Aria, who gave Fleur one look of suspicion before leaving. Fleur waited until she had judged they couldn’t be overheard, and then said in a whisper to Sonata. “Do you still have those pills Hoity gave you?”

“W-What?” Sonata asked, alarmed.

“The pills. The Deprox. If you have any left, I need you to hand them over.”

“What for?” Sunset asked, a little defensively.

“For Fancy,” Fleur answered. “Look,” she said as both Sunset and Sonata gave her puzzled looks. “I’d rather not do it really. I don’t mess around with drugs like those. But it’s the only way I can think of biding time.”

“How will giving Fancy pills bide time?”

“Ordinarily,” Fleur explained quickly, “Deprox is harmless to adults; that’s how it got through the initial trials. But in some people, Fancy for instance, it zonks them out.”

“Zonks them out?” Sonata parroted, hit with a sudden desire to laugh at Fleur using so zany a word.

“Makes them sleepy,” Fleur clarified. “If I slip him one, he’ll become sleepy and hold up the tour, allowing you to get your paintings into place.”

Sonata frowned, looking at Sunset. She didn’t look much more comfortable. Quite apart from the practical effects of giving an unsuspecting man drugs just to stall him, the moral implications of it were... tenuous. As Sonata understood it, they couldn’t tell Fancy what was going on, since Photo Shop or the other reporters could find out what was going on. But then, if they didn’t get the paintings up, Fancy’s position in the Capital might be lethally threatened. She didn’t pretend to understand the politics of the fashion world, but...

“And you’re positive they won’t hurt him?” she asked Fleur quietly, fixing her sharply with her eyes.

Fleur stared right back. “Positive. I know you can’t think much of me, but I hope you can at least believe that I wouldn’t intentionally play with my friend’s life. He... well, we took them, years ago. It was very fashionable at the time. But Fancy would always end up so sleepy we’d have to get him to the car before he found the nearest chez lounge.”

“Can’t you just stall him some other way?” Sunset asked.

“I’ve tried. Hoity’s trying right now, but Fancy won’t budge,” she glanced over her shoulder again, looking slightly concerned. “He won’t be distracted any more. This is the only thing guaranteed to work.” When the two of them still looked uneasy, she said, “Fancy has been too good a friend to me. I can’t let him fall because of someone else’s mistake.”

Sonata searched her teenager’s heart for the answer. She’d been alive longer than most, existed in two worlds, been on both ends of the moral spectrum. Surely she of all people should have an answer to something like this.

“It’s your call, Sonata,” Sunset said. In her hand, she held something tight. One corner of a small plastic bag stuck out from her fist.

Sonata hated this. Making decisions like this. But she had to, she supposed. There was no avoiding it. On the one hand, she, Fancy Pants, and all of his group would benefit, if only she decided to give him this pill. She wanted with all of her heart to say yes. Fleur assured them it was harmless. All the benefits spoke an obvious decision. But it wasn’t. It was wrong, and she knew it.

Sunset and Fleur looked at her the entire time that she was dithering, staring at the floor, both with degrees of sympathy on their faces. Eventually, Fleur made the first move.

“Hey!” Sunset yelped in surprise as Fleur took hold of her wrist. Prising her fingers apart, Fleur took the little bag and turned away.

“I-I didn’t say—“ Sonata began.

“No, you didn’t,” Fleur cut her off. “And you shouldn’t have to.” She paused, and looked back at them. “Fancy is my friend. It’s my responsibility what happens to him, and not yours. Don’t think that I’m making your decisions for you.” She gave Sonata a very serious look. “What you do now is your choice to make. And this is mine.” She strode away through the crowd.

Sonata and Sunset looked at each other uneasily. Then they both turned to the entrance to the gallery.

“I guess there’s really no choice now,” Sonata said, trying for a smile.

“There’s always a choice,” Sunset said. Then she frowned. “Wow. That sounded really cheesy, didn’t it?”

Smiling more naturally now, Sonata assured her that it had indeed been cheesy, and taking her hand, led the way into the gallery. Looking back, Sonata saw Jade and her group watching them closely.

“I think we’re going to have company, by the way,” Sonata muttered as they passed by the front desk in the entrance hall.

“We already have company,” Sunset whispered back. She indicated the two doors leading to the first room, and up the main stairway. In both locations there were the searching artists they’d bypassed before. Sunset pulled Sonata to the side into a narrow corridor behind a curtain that led around the first room to some of the rear rooms and the fire exits.

“How do we get to the roof without them stopping us?” Sonata wondered aloud.

“You could always take the elevator.”

Sonata jumped and spun around, her dress nearly tripping her over as her legs became entangled. “Stop doing that!” she hissed through gritted teeth as she looked up at the tall, thin profile of Discord. “How did you get behind us?”

“I followed you,” Discord answered, as though this should be obvious.

“No you didn’t,” Sunset said cuttingly. “I was watching. There was no one behind us.”

“Very well, you caught me,” Discord said, raising his hands in surrender. “I was in this corridor the entire time. You know my secret now.” He gave a dramatic sigh and raised his winter-gloved paw-of-a-hand to his head as though he had been mortally wounded. He spoiled the effect a little by grinning slightly, revealing his mouth of crooked, irregular teeth.

“No, you were outside,” Sonata pointed out. “I saw you. You’re kind of noticeable.”

“I’ve been told that before,” Discord said modestly, slicking back his fly-away hair. Sonata tried to hold in a giggle, but it shot out her nose. Sunset more-or-less managed to stop herself smiling by biting her lower lip. “But back to the point; if you can’t take the stairs, why not the elevator?”

“What elevator?” but before Sonata could even finish speaking, Discord side-stepped, and gestured grandly towards a set of golden grilles a few feet behind him. Sonata blinked.

“What is that?” Sunset asked.

“An elevator,” Discord said, slowly, and clearly. “Do try to keep up.”

“This is an elevator?” Sunset asked, looking thoroughly unconvinced. She touched the golden gate, and peered into the small space within. A red carpet and dark wood panelling alleviated the eye slightly from the large, round device on a stand set against the wall. It looked like a large, white cheese wheel on its side, with a brass handle set on the edge. Around the edge were numbers.

“Didn’t you know?” Sonata asked. “They used to look like this. Maybe this is just an old one.”

“Hardly likely,” Sunset said, wiping a finger along the shiny golden bars. The surface was utterly devoid of tarnish. “So you’ve seen ones like this before?”

“Oh yeah,” Sonata said breezily. “Ages ago. Instead of buttons, you turn that lever.” She indicated the cheese wheel-like contraption.

“Weird,” Sunset commented.

“Well, in you go ladies,” Discord said graciously. He pulled the gates aside and bowed them in.

Sonata walked in, looking around approvingly. Sunset however, did not. She was looking warily at Discord, staring into his discoloured yellow eyes. He stared right back, his clever face full of amusement.

“Why are you helping us?” she asked suspiciously.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Discord inquired.

“Because it’s not in your interests.”

“Oh I assure you, it is firmly in my interests,” Discord said. It was hard to tell whether he was being serious or not. He sounded serious, certainly, but the mischievous look on his face and the superior glint in his eye betrayed a nature for deceit. “I could try to explain it to you, but we have no time. And besides, what option do you have? That pill won’t hold Fancy Pants up longer than an hour.

“Only an hour?” Sunset exclaimed. “Wait, how did you know about—“

“It takes about half an hour to kick in, which should mean it starts working around when they begin the tour again,” Discord explained as though Sunset hadn’t spoken, “The effects after that aren’t really that profound. He’ll sit down for fifteen minutes maximum, be fussed over another fifteen minutes, and then get right back to it.” He gave a careless gesture. “Give or take an interview.”

Sunset pursed her lips, but seemed to have no rebuttal. Accepting the truth of his words, she stepped into the elevator.

“Excellent!” Discord grinned, pulling a bright red bellhop’s cap from his maroon duster and setting it at a jaunty angle on his head.

“Wait!” hissed a voice from behind the curtain to the entrance hall. Looking furtively behind them, Adagio and Aria pushed their way behind the curtain and jogged over, Aria stumbling a little with her limp. “We’re coming too.”

“Have we met before?” Aria asked, looking quizzically at Discord.

“I just have one of those faces,” Discord replied, giving an ingratiating smile. Aria pursed her lips. “Well in you get then, in you get.”

They bustled in, trying not to step on each other’s dresses. Discord swept the gates shut and stood at attention beside the lever. Sonata didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but she fancied that she heard the sound of a small crowd of people all running together in one direction passed the corridor entrance. She shrugged. It was probably nothing.

“Goooing up!” he said, pulling the lever back. The elevator juddered and began to ascend. Sonata thought she heard Muzak playing overhead for a moment, until she realised that Discord was whistling the tune out of the side of his mouth. He caught her giving him a raised eyebrow and winked. “Here we are!” Discord announced, as the elevator give a satisfying ‘Ding!’ and came to a halt. He opened the grilles and allowed for them to pass him by. “Stairs to the roof are ahead. I’ll see you girls later. Oh,” he said as though as an afterthought. He looked at Adagio and Aria. “If you get into difficulties, the guard has the key.” He doffed his bellhop’s cap and shut the gates. They watched him descend, whistling more Muzak tunes as the elevator bore him out of sight.

“That guy is a total weirdo,” Aria commented, writing in her story notebook. “I am totally making a character out of him.”

“Later,” Adagio said patiently.

Pinkie Pie was waiting on the roof for them, perched cheerfully on a small, metal exhaust vent. When Sunset and company arrived from the stairwell, she beamed and waved.

“What took you guys?” she asked loudly. “I had time to fold up my parachute in the time it took you guys to get here. Here’s your stuff!” Sonata’s mouth broke open in a smile as she saw the paintings leaning against the other side of the vent. “Sorry Sonata, no time for hugs,” Pinkie informed her, holding off Sonata’s reaching arms.

“Huh?” Sonata blinked. “Why?”

Just as she said it, there came the sound of multiple heavy footfalls behind her, and a crowd of men and women in the blue and gold uniforms of the Wonderbolts, and one or two policemen, burst onto the scene. One of them who Sonata recognised as the Capital liaison who’d visited Rainbow’s house, pointed a dire finger at Pinkie and cried

“There she is!”

“Stop right there!” one of the police ordered, advancing.

“See you guys!” Pinkie cried, leaping onto the fire escape.

“Stop her!” the liaison erupted, seizing the wall on the building’s edge and staring down. Sonata heard the distinct sound of Pinkie blowing a raspberry at him. The man snarled and leapt onto the fire escape too, followed closely by two of the other Wonderbolts.

“We’ll head her off from below,” one of the policemen said to the remaining stuntmen and women as he and his partner bolted back towards the door. The remaining Wonderbolts followed quickly after them, leaving Sonata and her friends standing stock still on the roof, unsure of exactly what just happened.

“Well,” Aria said, dumbfounded. “That just happened.”

“No time for internet clichés now,” Adagio pointed out. “We have to get these paintings... which floor was it?”

“The second,” Sunset replied, picking up two or three of the paintings. “Everyone grab a few and be careful not to scratch any of them.”

They all did as they were told. Aria could only manage one, but the rest managed two or three, and together they descended the stairwell again.

“How did Pinkie manage to carry them all?” Aria complained, leaning against the banister as she shimmied down the stairs.

They reached the third floor without much fuss. Aria rejected Sonata’s offer to carry her one painting, robustly declaring that she had it before taking the lead towards the stairway to the second floor. As the others went ahead of her, Sonata was struck by an oddity. She looked at the wall beside her, frowning at the peculiarity her mind was telling her was there. Where had the elevator gone?

“Sonata, come on,” Sunset called. “We don’t have much time.”

“Huh?” Sonata said vaguely. “Oh! Coming!”

As Sunset predicted, with that super smart and sexy brain of hers, Sonata found that the third floor had a couple of Jade’s cohorts ferreting around. Convincingly feigning an interest in a number of wooden African statues in one corner, one of the people who’d first confronted them with Jade was keeping a close eye on the stairs.

“Well that’s inconvenient,” Adagio muttered. “It’s times like this I wish we could still brainwash people.”

“I could always throw something at him.” Aria said contemplatively.

Sonata saw Sunset give Aria a face. “Oh, she could do it too,” Sonata assured her. “Aria has a killer throwing arm.”

“That wasn’t really my objection,” Sunset said.

“Years of her throwing stuff at me, I guess,” Sonata thought aloud.

“You deserved it most times,” Aria whispered.

“True,” Sonata giggled.

“Task at hand, ladies,” Adagio reminded them. “How do we deal with bluebeard?”

“Wow, I didn’t notice that beard until you pointed it out,” Aria said dispassionately.

“Maybe if we keep talking about him, he’ll pick up our bad vibes and move away,” Sunset grumbled sarcastically.

“Okay, Miss Impatient,” Aria snarked back. “Give me a second.” She pushed herself up from the banister she’d been leaning on, and walked over to a tall, see-through donation box labelled Your Donations help keep this Gallery Open!. Without hesitation, she picked up a pen on a little bead chain and yanked it from the stand. Limping back, she noticed Sunset giving her a somewhat disapproving look.

“Was that really necessary?” she asked.

“I’ll let you be the judge,” Aria said in a superior tone, smirking. Tossing the pen in the air a few times, she made a few practice motions with her forearm, like a darts player. Then she drew her arm full back, and threw. The pen soared like a miniature javelin, spinning through the air right through the open door closest to the watching artist, and skittered into the other room. At once, Bluebeard’s head jerked towards the source of the sound and went to investigate.

“Go. Go!” Adagio ordered, gesturing the others ahead of her.

To their collective relief, there wasn’t any nosing artists on this floor other than that guy, although they could see a security guard in a neighbouring room. Managing the paintings quietly down the stairs, Sunset stopped them in front of the wall. There they were; Sonata’s cityscapes based on the imaginations of both her, and Aria. Sonata didn’t like to judge her own work, but even she liked these pictures. Looking at them however, she couldn’t help but notice their resemblance to a large number of other paintings and other kinds of art around them. Oh Hoity...

“Wait,” Sunset said hastily, throwing out an arm to stop Aria stepping forward. “We can’t just take the pictures down. It’ll set the alarm off.”

“Well how do we get around that?” Sonata asked.

“I’d think you could disable the security from the security room,” Sunset said, rubbing her chin.

“Hang on,” Adagio said quietly. “Didn’t that Discord guy say something about asking a guard?”

“If we got into difficulties,” Sunset remembered. “He said it to you. If we get into difficulties, the guard has the key.”

“It’s kind of vague,” Aria said. “Who knows what he was talking about?”

“Well, we’re in difficulties,” Adagio pointed out. “And there’s a guard in there,” she gestured passed the door to the other room. “But that’s weird that he’d know something like that.”

“Yeah,” Sunset muttered, still rubbing her chin, apparently deep in thought. “Very weird.”

“What are you thinking?” Sonata asked, knowing the look.

“I don’t know,” Sunset replied. “How much time have we got?”

“It’s been fifteen minutes since we left the crowd downstairs,” Aria said, checking her phone. “Fancy Shirt should still be dozing.”

“Fancy Pants,” Sunset corrected hastily. “Well, I don’t know if he was around when you guys were in Equestria, but the Discord there was an extremely powerful, near-god entity of chaos. He ruled Equestria around one thousand years ago until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna used the Elements of Harmony to imprison him in stone.” She frowned. “As far as I know, he’s still a statue. But the Discord here seems able to use magic somehow.”

“What?” Aria asked incredulously.

“That shouldn’t be possible,” Adagio said seriously. “This world has no naturally occurring magic of its own. Trust me, we know.” She inclined her head meaningfully.

“Exactly,” Sunset said, still sounding troubled. “But I’m almost positive that this Discord has been using magic.”

“Like what?”

“Well, there were the statues in the state room that went crazy.”

“They were his statues, weren’t they?” Adagio inquired. “He probably just made them that way.”

“Then there’s how he keeps popping up behind us all the time,” Sunset continued.

“So he’s creepy,” Aria said dismissively, shrugging. “I’ve known a few people who are creepers. None of them were magic.”

“What about the elevator?” Sonata asked.

“What about it?” Adagio asked.

“It wasn’t there when we came back down the stairs,” Sonata said. She looked around at her three companions. “Didn’t... didn’t you guys notice?”

“So, what?” Aria asked after a long moment of confused silence. “He’s magic? The spirit of chaos from Equestria?”

“I kind of remember Discord in Equestria,” Adagio said, frowning. “Goofy looking dragon thing. Turned us into sea dragons for a while and kept us in a fish bowl when we tried to hypnotise him.”

“I don’t remember that,” Aria grunted, folding her arms.

“I do,” Sonata said, shuddering.

“Okay, just supposing that he’s the Equestrian Discord,” Aria said, holding up both hands in a slow-down gesture. “Just saying he is, that definitely means that we can’t trust him.”

The other three all looked faintly surprised. This was a valid point. So far as Sonata knew, based on her vague and distorted memories of the Discord from Equestria, he was far from what one might call trustworthy. He was essentially a prankster god. If you asked him to make you breakfast, you’d find yourself as a plate of eggs and ham faster than you could say “That’s not funny!”

But there was one thing that none of them could escape. Despite any misgivings, they had no other options. They couldn’t set off the alarm, and they couldn’t break into the security room. Wherever that was. Checking the guard was the only real alternative.

Sonata looked at Sunset, who nodded at her. They’d both reached the same conclusion.

“We need to somehow see if that guard has a means of switching the alarms off.” Sunset said.

Quite before Sunset could continue, Adagio spoke up. “Hm,” she said with a faintly ominous smirk. “Well, leave that to Aria and me then.”

“To you?” Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow.

Adagio ran a hand through her enormous hair. “I don’t know if you look in any magazines,” she said smugly. “But I’m kind of a big deal at the moment.”

Aria gave a contemptuous little laugh. “Best of it is, she’s not lying.” She shook her head and grinned at Sunset. “We’ll get the key. Or whatever he’s got. Might even get his wallet.”

Sonata and Sunset watched them go, Sonata unable to hide a smirk of her own. “I like it when they get like this,” she explained, grinning at Sunset’s questioning look. “It’s kind of like the old days. Except without the singing. And the arguing.”

“I was going to say; I saw you guys in the old days.”

“So, do you really think that this Discord is the scary Equestria Discord?” Sonata asked, still intrigued by this notion.

“I don’t know,” Sunset sighed, frowning. “I’m fairly certain that if Discord was free, Princess Twilight would have told me using the journal. And even if he did escape imprisonment, why would have come to the human world?”

“Maybe to escape being imprisoned again?” Sonata suggested.

“Maybe,” Sunset said slowly. “But that makes no sense. Twilight made it so that the mirror is permanently open, so hiding here wouldn’t do him any good. And then there’s the fact that Discord ruled Equestria back in the day. And I’m assuming he was more powerful than you guys if he could evade your hypnosis. I just can’t imagine him being here and not trying to do something... chaotic. But he’s not.”

“So, he’s not the Equestrian Discord?” Sonata surmised.

“We have to assume that this world has doubles of everyone. Even him. The problem is that that doesn’t explain anything.”

“No, no, we got this,” they heard Aria say loudly. They both looked over to the entrance to the other room, and saw Adagio coming back with Aria in tow, and someone else besides.

“You’re quite welcome,” Adagio said lightly over her shoulder to the guard, giving the biggest false smile Sonata had seen on her face in a while. “I’m always happy to meet fans.”

Sonata and Sunset watched in bewilderment as Adagio sauntered back with Aria behind her shepherding Photo Finish.

“Stap touching me, you vile cretin!” Photo Finish snapped as Aria gave her a shove.

“Photo Finish?” Sunset said, frowning. “Don’t tell me you’re with Jade on this too.”

Photo Finish pulled her sleeve out of Aria’s grip and pedantically brushed down her clothes, looking haughty and indignant. “Certainly not,” she said primly. “I am on no vons side. I am za journalist.” She sketched quotation marks in the air with her free hand, sounding irritable. “I am zimply looking vor za stories.”

“Oh god,” Adagio groaned, rolling her eyes. “I thought you sounded familiar. You’re Photo Shop’s daughter, aren’t you?”

Photo Finish’s response to this was perhaps a little odd. She folded her arms tightly and pulled her lip back as though she were snarling, but otherwise said nothing.

“Is Photo Shop big in Applewood too?” Sonata asked. “I thought she lived in the Capital.”

“She lives here, actually,” Adagio said. “She’s an investigative journalist, so she travels a lot. Typically wherever the famous people are. Hence, the Capital and Applewood. Los Angeles too. She’s everywhere where something remotely important is going on.”

“Philistine,” Photo Finish commented in disgust.

“Excuse me?” Adagio asked dangerously.

Photo Finish paused, apparently sensing danger. “My mozzer, I mean,” she clarified. “I love her of course, but,” she cursed dramatically. “She does not understand za passions I heff!”

“She wants to be a fashion photographer,” Sunset explained quickly in answer to Adagio’s raised eyebrow. “But her mom thinks it’s a waste of time apparently.”

“I shall outdo my mozzer and prove my capability!” Photo Finish declared, striking a dramatic pose.

“But didn’t you set up some deal with Fleur to do that?” Sunset pointed out. Somewhat to everyone’s surprise, Adagio snorted at this. Everyone looked around at this uncharacteristic lack of restraint.

“Oh, didn’t you all know?” Adagio asked, unsuccessfully repressing a grin. “Fleur and Photo Shop have, um... history.”

“Yeah, we knew that,” Sunset sighed.

“You know what happened between them?” Sonata asked, feeling interest spark within her.

Adagio gave a self-satisfied smile, like a stroked cat. “They were lovers at one point,” she said. She paused a moment to behold the amazement this statement should have created. Sunset raised her eyebrows, and Aria frowned at Photo Finish. Photo Finish didn’t respond at all. Only Sonata gave Adagio the reaction that she’d wanted.

“Seriously?” she asked incredulously. “But... they seem to hate each other so much... And does that mean...” she looked at Photo Finish. “Is Fleur your mom?”

“I am going to punch you in za throat!” Photo Finish erupted.

“They do,” Adagio affirmed, ignoring Photo Finish’s outburst. “Photo Shop printed some information Fleur really didn’t want her to about her and her friends. They had a big fight about it, and, well.” She gave a careless gesture.

Sonata looked at Photo Finish, rather expecting her to react to this. To her surprise, Photo Finish showed absolutely no surprise or indeed any emotional reaction to it at all.

“I’d hate to live in the Capital,” she said, moodily. “If that kind of thing is always happening.”

“So that’s why they hate each other,” Sunset said, thoughtfully. “Well, that does explain... hmm...” She gazed speculatively at Photo Finish for a moment or two. Sonata noticed Sunset eying Photo Finish’s camera in particular. “Photo Finish?”

“Mm?” Photo Finish looked at Sunset quizzically.

“You know when we were in the room downstairs at the beginning of the tour,” Sunset began. “You did record the conversation we had in there, right?”

Photo Finish didn’t respond, but Sonata noticed the grip on her camera tightened slightly.

“What are you thinking?” Adagio asked.

“Just an idea Sonata gave me,” Sunset answered. “I think you and I could make a deal,” she said to Photo Finish.

Photo Finish’s nose rose into the air. Sonata imagined her eyes narrowing, though it was impossible to tell behind her magenta shades. “A deal?” she asked, her wary tone betraying a hint of interest.

“Yeah.” Sunset led her away a little distance, a confidential arm around her shoulders. The other three watched them go, Sonata noticing the approving smirk on Adagio’s face.

“I like your girlfriend,” Adagio said in reply as she noticed Sonata watching her. “Although if she ever goes Photo Shop on you, I’ll kill her with my own two hands.”

“Oh. Thanks, Dagi,” Sonata said with false humour. She hoped Adagio was joking, but she’d made the mistake of assuming that before.

“Well come on,” Aria said, calling their attention. She held up a small black remote. “Which of these buttons do you think turns off the security? We’ve only got like half an hour. And also,” she held up a black, leather wallet. “Can you believe that guy only had three dollars in here?”

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt11

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 11

Sunset Shimmer

Photo Finish could hardly contain her excitement. The memory chip had popped out of her camera and was being thrust under Sunset’s nose before she could raise a hand to take it.

“Just remember,” Sunset said awkwardly, as they made their way back to the others. “I can’t promise anything will happen. I can only promise to ask.”

“Zat may be true,” Photo Finish said eagerly, “but I know my mozzer, und I know Fleur enough by now to know zat zis is za best chance I heff. My amateur verk should suffice as a portfolio so long as I can get a foot in za door.”

“Well I certainly hope I can give you a foot,” Sunset said quietly. If she were honest, she didn’t dislike Photo Finish as such. She wasn’t particularly mean spirited, selfish, malicious, or sleazy. As such. It was more that she knew what she wanted, and had the personality to grab it. Grab it and hold it tight to her chest, gnashing her teeth at any who came too close. ‘Scary’ was a good word for her. And ‘stubborn’ another. ‘Selective hearing’ was probably somewhere on that list too.

But it did no good to ruminate on such things now. Sunset had what she wanted. She only hoped she didn’t have to use it. The prospect was somewhat distasteful. All she wanted to do that day was go home, sit down with a mug of tea, and watch some TV with Sonata. Or maybe just sit down with Sonata. The TV was rather unimportant in the situation building in her mind.

“What’s up with you?” Aria’s voice said, breaking into Sunset’s pleasant daydreaming.

“Huh?” Sunset looked up to see Aria giving her a raised eyebrow.

“What did you want with Photo Fangirl?” Aria asked. “You’re all red. In the face I mean.”

“Oh, um,” Sunset cleared her throat. “Just buying some security.”

“That sounds underhanded,” Aria commented, nodding with approval.

“And what did you pay with?” Adagio asked sharply, also noticing Sunset’s risen colour.

“What?” Sunset said, bemused by Adagio’s penetrating stare.

Adagio didn’t reply, but directed a remark to Sonata. “My own two hands.”

“What is she talking about?” Sunset asked Sonata.

“Ignore her,” Sonata said hastily, trying to grin. “We got all the lower ones down,” she indicated the pile of paintings leaning against the wall, “and got a few others up. But I think we need a ladder for those up there.”

“Well I don’t see any ladders around,” Aria said, giving the room a brief look-over. “And that bench is bolted to the floor.”

“Maybe there’s a storage room around here,” Sunset suggested.

“Well I don’t see one,” Adagio observed, “and we can hardly go looking for one with Jade and her goon-toon squad nosing about. And it’s probably only a matter of time until that guard stops fawning over the autograph I gave him.”

“Oh so that’s how you distracted him,” Sonata giggled. “Typical Adagio.”

“Hey, I did the actual pick-pocketing,” Aria said.

“You’re actually proud of that, aren’t you?” Sunset said, smirking.

Aria shrugged in false modesty. “Hey, when you’ve got it. You’ve got it.” She smirked too. “And when you don’t, you can always steal it. Oh don’t look at me like that; I haven’t stolen anything except this thing,” she spun the remote on the key ring it was attached to “since back in Baltimore.”

“My my,” Adagio said with a wry smile. “How the proud crumble.”

“What was that?” Aria asked. “I couldn’t hear you over the sound of Trenderhoof’s girly laugh.”

Adagio gave a careless shrug, as though she wouldn’t trouble to deny that Trenderhoof had a girlish laugh. Both girls chuckled. It struck Sunset how similar they were to before, yet also how differently they seemed to take things. She could easily imagine Adagio making a lethally scathing remark to Aria for such boldness, but now they both treated the whole thing as though they were just old friends. Maybe it wasn’t surprising really, given how long it had been since they’d seen each other. Still, it was an unusual transformation.

Sunset’s contemplations were interrupted when Adagio raised both arms in a nonchalant gesture. “Well, there’s only one thing for it, then.”

Sunset held her fist up to her mouth, trying to make it seem as though she were merely thoughtful. In truth, she was biting hard on her thumb to not laugh aloud. Next to her, Adagio did a much better job of composing herself, but the glint of merriment in her hot pink eyes gave away her enjoyment of the scene too.

“Are you sure one of you two couldn’t do this?” Sonata asked from between gritted teeth.

“Hold still,” Aria complained. “And don’t grab my leg like that, it still hurts.”

“Sorry,” Sonata wheezed.

“Oh no, no,” Adagio said silkily. “In these dresses? We certainly couldn’t.”

“Then couldn’t one of you go on top at least?” Aria demanded. “I’m wearing a dress too, you know.”

“You’re the lightest of us, Aria,” Sunset reminded her. “It’s a compliment really.”

“I’ll give you a compliment,” Aria grumbled under her breath, turning back to face the wall. “A compliment right upside the head.”

Sonata tried her best to brace her legs as Aria tried to hang the last painting. Both she and Sonata were sweating quite a lot, and more than a few times Aria had sworn with grunts of effort that her vengeance for this indignity would be painful and everlasting. Albeit in a more direct verbiage. For one horrible moment, Aria leaned backwards, and the two-people tower wobbled precariously. Both Sunset and Adagio leaned with it, willing them to stay upright, sucking in their lower lips. Sunset had been about to step forward and push them back right, when Aria leaned suddenly forward and applied the last painting to the wall with a bump. They all froze and looked towards the door, but the guard there appeared to be on one of his rounds.

“There,” Aria said, straightening the painting a little. “And now...” she pulled out the remote again and clicked the ‘On’ button. Nothing visible happened, but a low, electric hum buzzed from the wall and settled into the white noise of the room. “Alright, now get me down, we have to get back down stairs.”

“Well,” said a voice from the door. “That’s inconvenient.”

Aria managed to maintain her balance despite her surprise. Sonata on the other hand, already quaking under the prolonged exposure to Aria’s relatively light weight, lost her footing and fell backwards as her legs gave way. Both gave harmonic shrieks as Aria fell. Her backside landed squarely on Sonata’s abdomen, completely winding her and causing Aria to look at the door with an aggrieved eye.

“Ugh,” she sighed. “You.”

Sonata’s reaction to Jade’s appearance consisted of a pathetic squeak. She didn’t seem up to much more.

“Yes, me,” Jade said. She turned and gave Adagio a narrow, appraising look. “Should have guessed you’d help your sister out.”

Adagio made an airy gesture with her hand and nodded. “That’s the business for you,” she said with a faint air of superior amusement.

“Sounds like familial ties to me,” Jade replied cuttingly.

“Well what’re you going to do about it?” Aria sneered, matching Adagio’s better-than-you unconcern with a moody disinterest of her own. “Paintings are up. Fancy will be up in, what—“ she looked at her phone again. “Fifteen minutes?”

“Plenty of time,” Jade said, a malevolent smile of her own spreading across her face.

“For what?” Sunset asked. Having been helping Sonata to her feet during much of the confrontation, and helping her get her wind back, Sunset became slightly disconcerted only when Jade seemed to actually have an idea. “You can’t be thinking that you’ll be able to take them all down again.”

“Yeah,” Aria said snidely. “Not without this.” She dangled the security control on her outstretched finger, bobbing it up and down provocatively.

Jade’s smile didn’t falter, which wiped the smug look off Adagio’s face at least, replaced instead by a calculating stare. “Yes, that,” Jade said, inclining her head at the remote. “Pretty sure you didn’t ask the guard for that, did you?” Aria paused in her taunting gesture, which was all the affirmation Jade needed. “Yeah. Think I’ll just go and inform him where his lost property is,” she breathed malevolently, turning to push the door open.

“What do you want, Jade?” Adagio asked, like a parent relenting to a pouting child.

Jade turned. “I want a fair chance.”

“You already have that,” Adagio pointed out. “You already have your career. You already work in Applewood with a better job than most people on the planet have.”

“So you expect me to roll over and let her take the attention I could be getting?” Jade snapped. “Not likely. It’s everyone for themselves in this business – excuse the cliché – and I’m not about to let an opportunity like this one slip by!”

“What opportunity?” Sunset snapped angrily, trying to steady Sonata as the latter tried to stand by herself. “Fancy won’t pick anything like this,” she gestured to the wall, where the remaining paintings and other images of historical figures and cityscapes gazed down upon them. “He can’t. This is old fashioned by now.”

Jade bit her lip, the colour rising in her face. Set against her green kimono-like dress, her red face made her look a little like an angry Christmas elf. “Why should I let her have all the glory?” she cried.

“Jade, there’s no way to win this,” Adagio said impatiently. “Sonata was lucky, and you were unlucky. That’s the true nature of this business.”

“I don’t see her being that lucky,” Jade snarled. “Not when I tell the guard what you guys have done.” She turned to leave.

Adagio gave an enormous sigh. “Jade, stop,” she said in a long-suffering voice.

“You’re not stopping me, Adagio,” Jade spat, the venom in her voice palpable.

“No, that would be my job,” Aria said coldly. Stepping forward, she found her way blocked by Adagio’s outstretched arm.

“I’ll put in a word with Trenderhoof for you,” Adagio said, still in that tired, long-suffering tone. Rather to Sunset’s surprise, Jade stopped and looked back. Her frosty expression remained, but it was tinged with the faintest trace of curiosity. “Acting. I’ll ask him to set you up an acting audition. A proper one.”

Jade took her hand from the door, regarding Adagio with a wary eye. Adagio kept her speared on her sight like a fish on a steak. With a stride that was almost casual, she walked up to Adagio, squaring up to her, or though it seemed to Sunset.

“An acting audition,” Jade repeated, arms folded. Adagio nodded. “Not a recommendation for more sets?”

“An acting audition,” Adagio said firmly.

“Grade A?”

“Grade B,” Adagio corrected instantly. “You know better than that. You couldn’t get a D on your own.”

Jade shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.” She looped an arm around Sonata’s shoulders and pulled her in close. “Honestly, I like your sister. Always a good eye for a deal,” she whispered conspiratorially. “So good luck and everything. Hope the whole lesbian thing works out too.”

It was simply incredible how the more she talked, the more Sunset wanted to punch her in the face. She actually developed a sort of vacuum-like feeling on her knuckles, like of phantom loss for not having the feeling of Jade’s cheek bone splintering beneath them. She limited herself to removing Jade’s arm from around Sonata’s shoulders and glaring Jade back a foot or so.

“I’ll see you later, Jade,” Adagio said pointedly. “We can talk to Trender together.”

“I get it,” Jade said quickly, raising her hands defensively. “I get the hint. But you guys best get back downstairs before they get up here. The buzz’ll be coming back since lunch is over.”

Once she had finally gone, Aria was the first to pronounce what most still in the room were thinking.

“The whole friendship thing, Adagio? I’m no expert, but I think you might be doing it wrong.”

Adagio shrugged. “She’s wanted an acting opportunity for ages. I didn’t give it to her because she had nothing I wanted. Everyone in Applewood is a reprehensible scumbag. Myself included.” She raised a hand to forestall Sonata’s objection, and even Sunset felt somewhat compelled to give some amiable protest. “She’s right in a way. You do sort of have to subject yourself to some less savoury things in this business. It’s an unpleasant game we all play.”

“I think I’m afraid to ask,” Aria said slowly.

“Well I’m not against manipulation, as you know,” Adagio said offhandedly before adopting a more serious tone. “But some of the things Trender and I have had to do to stay ahead, well...” she stared into space for a moment before taking a deep breath as though suddenly tired. “I think even the old us would have been a little surprised to what depths people will go.”

As they descended the stairs, Adagio’s words lingered in Sunset’s mind. All of these other artists who’d already made it big; they no longer lived in the city. They moved to places like Los Angeles, Applewood, the Capital, and other places besides. It suddenly struck her that it might be a requirement. It might be that, should Sonata choose to pursue her career into this limelight attraction all of the others, and Adagio, had been drawn to, she might have to leave the city. Sunset would go with her, of course she would. Among all of the little problems this would cause, one larger one loomed out of the gloom like a shadowy obelisk in her mind.

Neither she nor Sonata were utterly free of malice; far from it, they had both been guilty of allowing their passions to drive them to dark places: Sunset on what she clearly now saw as a vain quest for power, and Sonata into a relentless march towards world domination with her sister sirens. Sunset had often feared since her realising her mistakes whether she might not relapse. That something might tempt her back into her old ways. Even worse; that she might revert in the belief that she was doing good by it.

Sunset had no delusions about her capabilities. She was strong willed, could be forceful, and had an undeniable leadership quality in her. But she knew that those qualities paled in contrast with Adagio. Her will was nigh indomitable, and her leadership abilities had stood the test of years, whereas Sunset’s were practically newborn and virgin. If Adagio could be brought low by the effects of such places, then surely she, Sunset, was just as susceptible, if not more so. And Sonata... Sunset didn’t like to think badly of Sonata, but she had proven before not to respond well to pressure. How easy would it be for either of them to break?

“Sonata?”

“Hm?” Sonata looked around. The cheerful energy in her face gave Sunset pause. “Yeah?”

“It’s...” Sunset hesitated. “I hope everything goes okay.” She forced a smile.

Sonata gave a more natural smile and took her hand. “Of course it will, Silly Shimmy,” she said rousingly. “Your plans always work.”

“Silly Shimmy?” Adagio inquired, a look of malevolent glee spreading over her face. “Isn’t that just precious.”

Sunset blushed a little and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah,” she sighed, as Aria snickered and Adagio indulged in a little silent amusement.

“What?” Sonata asked, bemused. “Don’t you like it when I call you that?”

“Of course I do,” Sunset said firmly, giving her hand a squeeze. “It doesn’t matter what other people think.”

Sonata seemed to understand the implication here, and glared at her sisters. “You leave Sunset alone, you two,” she warned, scowling at them.

Aria spluttered into full on laughter for a few seconds before recomposing herself, whilst Adagio simply said “Sonata, you can call her whatever you like, and we will say nothing against it.”

Sunset saw the barb in that one, but wasn’t sure that Sonata did. She supposed it didn’t matter, since they had reached the base of the stairs. Jade was rather ostentatiously making a show of looking bored as she wondered around the state room, whilst from the entrance hall beyond came a loud buzz of conversation.

“For the last time, I’m fine,” Fancy Pants was saying irritably. Sunset had never quite seen him irritable before, but she could well understand it with Hoity practically up his backside.

“Fancy, you really should watch your health. Who knows what you might have eaten.” Fleur said in as casual a way as possible. Then she spotted the four of them at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes flicked back to Fancy Pants. “Perhaps a little exercise will pick you up.”

“Then once we reach the second floor, I shall take a turn about the room,” Fancy said repressively. “Now really, we have wasted far too much time,” he said quietly as he reached the base of the stairs. He smiled at Sunset and company, who all gave convincing smiles back. “Come along everyone. Still one floor to go!”

“So,” Fleur breathed, ascending the stairs next to Sunset and Sonata. “What did you decide?”

“We went ahead with it,” Sonata muttered back.

Fleur exhaled and nodded. Sunset knew she probably couldn’t do much more. Photo Shop and her bright white coat was ascending the stairs not too far behind. It wouldn’t do for her to hear anything.

As the group made its way to the first room, Sunset noticed Adagio give Aria’s upper arm a small smack. Aria sighed and pushed her way to the edge of the crowd, where she could pass by the security guard from earlier, who still seemed perfectly unaware that anything untoward had happened. Aria returned, turning her pockets inside out as Adagio continued to give her an arch look.

Whilst this was happening, Rainbow Dash sidled up to the group, looking awestruck, windswept, and curiously uneasy.

“Cool uniform,” Sonata observed eagerly.

“Thanks,” Rainbow replied, incapable apparently of preventing herself from giving a semi-conscious pose. “Pretty sweet, huh? Did you see us up there? Did you see Pinkie?”

Sunset wasn’t personally invested in the concept of bodysuits, but she had to admit that Rainbow Dash wore it well. The goggles perched on her forehead had the Wonderbolt’s official monogram seal, and the back of the suit had her name etched in golden letters. Two or three other Wonderbolts, all with wild hair and confident expressions like Rainbow Dash’s, passed behind them. One of them, a tallish man still wearing his flight goggles, ruffled Rainbow’s hair as he passed and told her what a good job she’d done on her first official exhibition.

The immediate and satisfying effect this had was to stop Rainbow talking. Sunset had no problem with Rainbow enumerating each and every one of her thoughts on how utterly and awesomely radical this day was for her – she kind of deserved it – but like most people, Sunset could only stand Rainbow’s constant stream of fangirling for around about a few minutes. With Rainbow adequately star-struck, they were able to proceed in relative silence. Sunset only had to stop Sonata from trying to poke her back to reality two or three times

The first room was passed by without much comment. As Fleur had predicted, Fancy couldn’t approve of the cityscapes and portraits, although he did direct some delighted attention towards the other artwork. Sunset observed with some satisfaction that, in her own humble opinion, these were not nearly as good as Sonata’s paintings. They weren’t bad, just clearly not as good.

She had even more satisfaction in noticing Hoity’s continuing and uncontrollable perspiration as Fancy and the rest of them moved along the tour. Sunset could practically hear him praying in his mind. That wasn’t a cruel thing for her to delight in, was it? If it was, she thought that she could excuse herself just this once.

“Hey Sunset,” Sonata whispered.

“Hm?”

“These guys are still staring at us.” Sonata inclined her head backwards to indicate something behind her. Sunset didn’t look around, but guessed that the artists from before that Jade has collaborated with to thwart them were still under the impression that they could try something.

“Ignore them,” Sunset said. “What can they do?”

The answer was nothing, of course. Or so she thought. However, as they all pressed into the next room, which featured Sonata’s art, Sunset noticed something for the first time that made her heart stop.

Next to her, Sonata took a breath that sounded like a stifled gasp. They’d all been so focused on getting the paintings up that they hadn’t paid much attention to the old paintings, which were still leaning on the far side of a bench. Whilst out of sight now, as the group moved around the room, they would certainly be seen.

“Err...” Aria began, pointing discreetly at the offending pieces.

“I know,” Sunset hissed, pulling nervously at the hem of her dress. She suddenly felt a little like how Hoity looked. She shot a quick glance at Fancy Pants. He was scanning the first wall of paintings, looking as unenthusiastic as in the previous room. More cityscapes lined the wall before Sonata’s paintings in the middle.

“Can any of you get around the edge of the crowd and...?” Sunset tailed off. She knew that it wouldn’t work. They couldn’t do a thing without being spotted. The situation was utterly hopeless. The moment anyone saw the paintings, surely they’d look at them, see the signatures on them. Someone would realise what’d been done. One of the other artists who suspected them would definitely at least make some speculation about it. There was no way for Sonata to come off well should those paintings be spotted.

“What do we do?” Aria hissed at Sunset. But Sunset had no ideas. She was utterly lost. Briefly she looked to Adagio, hoping against hope that she had an idea. To her horror, Adagio’s eyes were wide and staring; she was evidently as lost as Sunset was. She even looked to Fleur, Hoity, and Trenderhoof, hoping that perhaps one of them would notice, distract the crowd somehow. But they were all as involved in looking at the paintings as Fancy was.

There was nothing they could do. They were doomed...

Then Sonata vanished from Sunset’s side. Sunset was so surprised by the sudden movement that she jumped and turned on the spot. Sonata was pushing her way through the crowd.

“Where’s she going?” Aria asked.

“Running by the looks of it,” said a voice from behind her.

Sunset’s blood turned to ice as she looked behind her to see the group that had been with Jade, although Jade herself was noticeably absent from their ranks. The one who’d spoken, Bluebeard, had his eyes fixed on the paintings.

“You look worried,” he said. “Anything to do with them?” he asked snidely, nodding towards the paintings.

Sunset swallowed and looked away in as haughty a way as she could. She didn’t need to be giving them satisfaction on top of everything else.

As she turned back to Aria and Adagio, she could only stare at the two of them, utterly bewildered. There was nothing they could do.

SNAP!

The sound pierced Sunset’s senses like a tinkling of breaking glass. It seemed to get inside of her head by some other means than through her ears.

She was still looking at the other two when it happened, and it was clear that they too had noticed something. Adagio blinked in confusion, whilst Aria turned her head suddenly like a dog that had sensed a rabbit.

“Did you hear that?” Sunset asked cautiously. No one other than they three had seemed to register the strange noise.

“I saw something... odd,” Adagio said. “Like the entire room just had its colours switched around, and...” she looked around, disconcerted. “I can’t tell whether they were the same as before.”

Aria’s nose, Sunset noticed, was flaring. “I smelled something strange,” she whispered.

“What?” Sunset asked, curiously. That was quite a strange thing for Aria to say.

“Like...” Aria hesitated. “Like chocolate and candy floss mixed together.”

“I heard a snapping sound, like someone clicking their fingers,” Sunset replied in answer to Adagio’s asking what she had sensed.

Before any of them could wonder further, Sonata reappeared at Sunset’s shoulder, looking surreptitiously passed the crowd.

“Hah!” she breathed.

Sunset followed her line of sight. And then her mouth fell open. The paintings were no longer there. She turned to Sonata, eyes wide.

“How did you—“

Sonata beamed and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. Behind her, some way off in the crowd, Discord was smiling at her, his discoloured yellow eyes glinting with merriment. He raised a glass of what looked like chocolate milk as though toasting her.

“Oh snap,” Aria said succinctly, grinning as she noticed what had happened too. That, in Sunset’s opinion, just about summed it all up.

“Ah!” This sound caught everyone’s attention, and all eyes moved to the front.

Fancy had come to Sonata’s paintings at last, and in the delightful surprise of finding that Discord had apparently somehow disposed of the offending evidence of their duplicity, Fancy’s reaction was simply the cherry on top of the proverbial ice cream.

“Ice cream?” An ice cream cone hovered next to Sunset’s head, held up by a hand wearing a yellow, fingerless glove.

“Thank you,” Sunset whispered to Discord, declining the ice cream.

Discord shrugged and ate the thing in a few bites that defied all ice-cream headache logic. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “But you’re welcome anyway.”

“Now, I quite like this one,” they heard Fancy Pants saying to his entourage, pointing out a depiction of Sweet Apple Acres during a winter sunrise. “Such colours. The modern style isn’t so set on the use of the like this. See how it sets off the background in contrast with the foreground.”

Sunset took enormous pleasure in watching Hoity nodding his empty head enthusiastically, and Fleur smiling her natural, beautiful smile. If that wasn’t enough for her, the disgruntled sounds coming from behind her, no doubt Bluebeard and his friends blustering in confusion, made it so much better.

“I think they might be a little mad,” Sonata pointed out, in her usual fashion of indicating the obvious.

“Who cares?” Aria sneered. “They’re just butthurt that you won.”

“There’s no winning, Aria,” Sonata corrected her, rolling her eyes.

“Sure, sure,” Aria said airily, still smirking.

“Oh, but I think you’re right,” said Trenderhoof, popping up on Adagio’s other side. “I know that look anywhere. Fancy’s got his fix now.” He gave Sonata a sparkling wink. “Your work, yes?”

Sunset smiled as she saw Sonata blush and nod. Trenderhoof gave her a thumbs up.

“Delightful. You’ve saved all of our bacons, I can tell you that. Such wonderful country scenes. The Capital never really has appreciated the true wonder and simple beauty of the countryside, you know. I’ve long said it; there needs to be a great deal more—“

He went on in this vein for some time as the group moved around the room. Aria and Sonata both gave Adagio wicked grins, but Adagio bore their merriment at her boyfriend’s absurdity with good grace.

The event wound down following the tour with the media cornering anyone of note. Adagio and Trenderhoof were swept away early on, and were swept around in the crowd, occasionally viewable through a slight partition in the crush..

Rainbow Dash, Sonata, Aria, and Sunset all met up with their other friends as the public was readmitted into the gallery. To Sunset’s very great surprise, Pinkie Pie was there and un-handcuffed.

“Yeah,” Pinkie giggled. “Turns out I’m too young to be arrested!”

“They can still send you to juvy,” Rainbow pointed out.

“Pfft! Nah,” Pinkie said dismissively. “They don’t let me in there anymore.”

Sunset and her friends all looked at each other, each contemplating the meaning of this curious pronouncement.

“So, what does all of this mean?” Applejack asked, giving Sonata a comradely dig in the upper arm. “Y’all famous now?”

“I don’t know,” Sonata said, looking surprised. “I didn’t really think about it. Maybe?”

“Of course she’ll be famous, darling!” Rarity squealed, giving Sonata a rib-warping hug. “Oh my gosh, I was so right about your hair,” she said distractedly, giving her hair sticks a twiddle.

“But, um...” Fluttershy put in tentatively. “Um, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but, does this mean that you’ll... well, move away?”

The group fell silent.

Sunset side-glanced at Sonata. She herself had considered this point a little bit, but hadn’t brought it up with Sonata. Most of these already famous artists moved away once their names had become well enough known. Sonata looked as though she had not considered this very much at all. She’d gone rather pale at the thought, and looked troubled.

Perhaps this sense of foreboding was contagious, for looking around at their friends, all of them had equally troubled expressions on their faces too.

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt12

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 12

Sonata Dusk

The possibility had occurred to Sonata in a vague sense over the course of the entire event, even before the gallery, before she’d begun the paintings in preparation for this day. If she was honest with herself, it’d started on that day that they’d met Fleur. Sonata had imagined whilst interceding in Fleur’s initial flirting living in a place where Fleur was constantly around, an ever-present danger to her relationship with Sunset. From there, a general fear of losing herself in the fame and the glory had nudged the back of her mind. It was too much like how it had been with her sisters, and being with them again had thrown that reality into sharp relief.

Absently, she reached for Sunset’s hand and held it.

“Well, surely it’s optional,” Aria said with a brave stab at confidence. She looked around uncertainly. “You don’t have to move away, do you? If you don’t want to, I mean?”

“I wouldn’t think it’s necessary,” Applejack said, frowning. “Ah mean, I don’t know the whole... fashion world, or anything, but ah don’t see no rules about it.”

“I think they’re, um... unwritten rules...” Fluttershy said, nervously. She looked immensely unhappy.

“That’s...” Rarity said uncomfortably, “not entirely untrue...”

“So wait,” Rainbow Dash said, holding up both hands. “Whoa, whoa. Are you saying they have to move away?” She looked between Rarity and Fluttershy. Neither seemed sure, but they both looked concerned.

“It’s probably a choice of sorts, Arr-Dee,” Applejack said thoughtfully. “I’m guessing that it’s an expectation more than a rule.”

“Yes,” Rarity said eagerly. “That’s what I was trying to say. Thank you, Applejack. So articulate.” She gave Applejack’s upper arm a playful punch, but then recoiled as she felt one of her nails flake.

“Well,” Rainbow Dash said, turning to Sunset and Sonata. “Are you...” she tailed off. Despite her usually brusque manner, some sense of propriety seemed to have intruded itself upon the usually unrelenting celerity of her thoughts. Somewhat to Sonata’s surprise, Aria came to their rescue.

“Whatever you decide,” she said. “Hey, it’s your thing, you know?” She shrugged.

“Yeah, totally,” Pinkie said, clasping her hands together. She was trying her best to smile, but for someone so learned in the art of a cheerful face, it was a rather poor attempt. It was more teeth than anything else, and the bright blue eyes above it all spoke nothing but concern that two of her friends would indeed be moving away.

“Come on, ya’ll,” Applejack said with a little more optimism. “This ain’t the old days. We got Skype.” She looked at Sunset and Sonata, but mostly at Sonata. “Whatever you decide to do, we support ya. And we’ll always be your friends.”

Sonata looked around at them all, feeling a warmth grow in her heart. She thought back, briefly, to those days on the roof of their old apartment. Cold, alone, hopeless, and miserable. Abandoned and worthless, she’d been taken in first by Sunset, and then all of her friends. They’d done it without question, without payment, they’d just opened their arms and let her in. The experience had been so alien, so confusing, so against anything that she had remembered before, that she’d literally been sick with something akin to guilt.

“Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked solicitously.

Sonata suddenly realised that she’d been zoning out. Looking up, she felt a tear run down her face. She wiped it away, a little surprised. She looked around at all her friends, at Sunset, and at Aria. Even Aria was frowning with something like concern.

“I don’t want to go.”

Everyone was quiet for a short while, eyes furtive, waiting for someone else to speak first.

“Well,” Applejack began slowly. “I don’t reckon anyone is gonna force ya.” She grinned, looking around, but then faltered slightly. “Will they?”

“I don’t think so,” Rarity said slowly, to whom this question was chiefly addressed. “I mean, I don’t see how they can. No offense, dear,” she said kindly, placing a hand on Sonata’s shoulder, “but I don’t think you two have quite the money to move to somewhere like the Capital. And what about school?”

“Hey, anyone tries to strong arm you into anything,” Rainbow put in, “I’ve not met an arm I can’t break.” She looked entirely pleased with herself for a moment or two, until a thought seemed to strike her. “Well, except Bulk’s.”

“Or mine,” Applejack put in airily.

“Or Applejack’s.” Rainbow agreed.

“Or Big McIntosh’s,” Applejack added.

“Nuh uh,” Rainbow protested, “I could totally break his arm.”

Applejack gave a superior sort of laugh, not unlike Rarity’s.

“Now is not the time,” Rarity hissed.

Sonata however, had been smiling at the little argument. It was so endearing, so what she had come to associate with her friends. All of their little conflicting character traits and oppositions that, unlike what she and her sisters had once been, blended into a harmonious amiability.

“If you don’t want to leave, then we won’t,” Sunset said, squeezing her hand. “Who could make us?”

As though in answer to this question, a figure appeared behind them, a figure that, in the late afternoon air was gilded with gold at its edges against the natural silver of its long hair. Like an allegorical figure of doom in a bad play, Hoity Toity appeared behind them, a wide smile across his face.

“Congratulations are in order!” he said eagerly, seizing Sonata’s free hand and giving it a firm shake. “Congratulations indeed. You have triumphed here, make no mistake.”

“Thanks,” Sonata said. She saw Sunset give Hoity a veiled look of dislike, but Sonata saw no reason to open hostilities now. Now that it was all over.

“Well, now is only the beginning of course,” Hoity continued, still holding her hand. “Your début has been glorious, and all the better since your work was really the only ones truly noticeable.”

“Thanks to you,” Sunset muttered.

“I very much look forward to your future works, and may you influence the fashionable world for many years to come.”

“Yeah,” Sonata said awkwardly. “Thanks again.”

“So, where shall you go?” Hoity asked.

Sonata’s heart gave a twinge. “Go?”

“The fashionable world calls to you, my dear,” Hoity said cheerfully. “You must heed it. Where shall you settle next? Great Trottenham Street and the surrounding area are the principle abodes of the great artists of the Capital, to be sure. A wonderful spot, but if you’ll take my advice—“

“Thank you,” Sunset said coldly. “But I think we’ve taken enough of your advice.”

Hoity blinked behind his purple shades. “Excuse me?”

“Sonata doesn’t want to move away.”

Hoity stayed quiet for a full seven seconds. Sonata, feeling rather awkward at being in the middle of this troubling opening to an argument, simply stayed quiet, uncertain of what to say.

“I... understand that the change can be difficult,” Hoity began. “But it’s quite necessary, I assure you. Your career—“

“My career isn’t worth becoming like them,” Sonata interrupted. Hoity looked behind him. The paparazzi still buzzing around, several of the more well known artists were happily being interviewed. Every so often, Sonata had noticed, one of them threw her a look either dirty, or superior. “I’ve already been down that road.” Sonata looked Hoity in the eye. “I didn’t like it.”

“But your career!” Hoity blurted. “You can’t pursue your work... here,” he gestured around. “Who will buy your paintings? Who will see them?”

“If my work is any good, then people will buy them.”

Hoity scoffed irritably. “Naive girl!”

“Hey,” Rainbow snapped, pushing forward. “You watch your mouth, buddy.”

Hoity ignored her. “That isn’t the way the world works, my dear,” he said coldly. “You simply have to go where you will be seen. The fashionable world doesn’t move for you, you move for it.”

“Well then it’s going to have to learn to get off its fat backside,” Sunset said coolly.

Hoity frowned. “Simple,” he said. “You’re just simple little girls. What do you know of—“

“Of the Capital?” Sunset asked. “Mostly that a lot of ‘agreements’ are come to by an exchange of information. Or,” she went on, holding up something small, blue, and square. “The promise to keep it secret.”

Hoity seemed unenlightened. “Information?”

“Like the fact that you gave Sonata an illegal substance,” Sunset said in a dark, quiet tone. “Like the fact that you yourself take said illegal substance.”

Hoity’s lip tightened. “Your word will not carry a lot of weight,” he hissed.

Sunset actually laughed. “You don’t think I’m holding this up just for fun, do you?”

“You have no recording device,” Hoity said firmly. “You’re bluffing.”

“I don’t have one, no,” Sunset agreed. “But you never did catch Photo Finish, did you?”

Hoity paled. “That... girl...” he choked. “Like her damn mother...”

“Now that we’re on the same page,” Sunset said smilingly. “Back the hell up. And if I ever hear that you’ve so much as talked to Sonata again—“

“She’ll kick you in the nads,” Rainbow put in, helpfully.

“Yes,” Sunset continued. “And then I’ll show this to some interested parties.”

Hoity’s face contorted, but it was clear he was at a loss for what to say or do. Whilst Sonata’s friends all stared him down, someone stepped up behind him.

“Give it up Hoity,” Fleur said, sounding bored. “Some fights you just can’t win.”

Hoity spluttered for a few moments, looking between Fleur and Sonata. Biting his lip, he gave a snort of impatience and moved away. Sonata rather expected him to say something threatening, and was surprised that he didn’t. She couldn’t say that she wasn’t glad of it though.

“So,” Fleur said. “You’ll stay here?”

“Yeah,” Sonata said uncertainly. She became aware that she was still holding Sunset’s hand.

Fleur gave them a little smile that didn’t quite extend to her eyes. “I know that we’ve been on the wrong side of each other,” she began a little haltingly. “But I rather hope that we don’t have to part as enemies.” She held out her hand. “Take care of her, won’t you?”

Sonata took her hand. She couldn’t hate Fleur. Not now at least. However much of a challenge she’d been, how underhanded her final desperate attempts might have been, Sonata felt only a certain pity for her. She was one woman in a sea of spite and deceit. Sonata didn’t know how similar to her own putrid years of lust for power and mistrust of her only companions Fleur’s experience might be but if it was even a tenth of what that had been...

“You’re a stronger woman than I am,” Sonata said.

Fleur blinked. “What?”

“Sonata?” Sunset asked, uncertainly.

“When I was like the people in the Capital, I was no better than them. Arguably, I was worse. If our roles had been reversed, I’d have destroyed you first before even trying to get to Sunset. And if I’d have failed, I’d have done everything I can to make you both miserable.”

Everyone stared at her. The atmosphere was palpable with shock at these words.

“Sonata,” Sunset whispered. “You’re not like that.”

“Not now,” Sonata agreed. “But I was. Once. You know that I was. And if I were in her position, I would be still.” She looked Fleur full in the face. “I don’t know if it’s fair to ask, but I’d like it if we were friends.”

Fleur simply stared at her, their hands still clasped. The astonishment on her face again cracked the usually passive look of natural cheeriness. In front of the all, at the expectant faces of Sonata’s friends, Fleur began to laugh. It started small, but soon grew to be as large as someone can without breaking into hysterics. Sonata didn’t flinch at this, but simply smiled pleasantly.

“You are without a doubt,” Fleur chuckled, coming down from her laughing fit, “the most interesting girls I know.” She took Sunset’s free hand and held both like an old friend. “I’ll be honest. I don’t much believe in happy endings, you know. But if there is such a thing in the world, then I honestly hope that it befalls the two of you.” She beamed at them. “No two could deserve it more.” She let go of them and made to walk away. “Oh,” she said, turning back. “That offer to visit still stands, by the way.” She winked and departed into the crowd.

“Wow,” Applejack said after a short pause. “That was big of you.”

“Or smart,” Rarity said shrewdly. “It doesn’t help to have someone like Fleur as your enemy.”

“I’m not smart,” Sonata replied. “But on the other hand, I don’t have to be smart to not want enemies.” She looked around. “Speaking of friends though; where’s Mr. Discord?”

Most of her friends looked puzzled.

“Who?” Applejack asked.

“I haven’t seen him anywhere, actually,” Rarity said, hitting Fluttershy accidentally with her beret as she turned her head suddenly.

“Who’s Mr. Discord?” Rainbow asked, frowning.

“One of the other artists,” Sunset explained. “Tall, kind of scary looking guy. You’d know him if you saw him?”

“I need to thank him,” Sonata said distractedly, trying to look over the crowd.

“Oh, did he help out?” Fluttershy asked, hopefully.

“He poofed away some of my paintings and gave us a ride on his magic elevator,” Sonata answered.

Rainbow, who’d been taking a swig of water from a plastic Wonderbolt’s brand bottle, choked and sprayed the contents everywhere. Pinkie Pie gave an enormous snort of laughter, although what she was snorting at was hard to say. Fluttershy and Rarity both looked undecided whether to be embarrassed or not, and so compromised by turning pink and trying to look thoughtful at the same time. Aria began to laugh but managed to cover for herself by pretending to cough. Applejack just shut her eyes tightly for a second, and then opened them again.

“He took you for a ride on... what-now?”

“His magic elevator,” Sonata repeated.

“Is that innuendo for something?” Rainbow asked, before Applejack elbowed her in the ribs.

“No,” Sunset said through gritted teeth, her arms tightly folded. “He has...” she exhaled. “We’re pretty sure he has magic. He made an old fashioned elevator actually appear in the wall. It’s how we got to the roof without being spotted.”

“Wait, you guys would have taken longer without a magic elevator?” Pinkie asked. “Sheesh!”

“Magic?” Rarity asked, frowning.

“Ya’ll mean like, Equestria magic?”

“I don’t know,” Sunset said in a troubled tone. “The Discord in Equestria is, as far as I know, sealed in stone. He has been for a thousand years. It stands to reason that this universe has a Discord of its own though.”

“There aren’t doubles of everyone, are there?” Fluttershy inquired. “I mean, I don’t think I’ve seen two Sunset Shimmers before.”

“Or two Sonatas,” Pinkie added.

“Well, you wouldn’t find two of me,” Sonata said. “I’m a little older than I look, and, well,” she shrugged. “Without magic, the me from here is probably not around anymore.”

“I wasn’t born in Canterlot back in Equestria,” Sunset said. “Likely this universe’s me is wherever the equivalent of my hometown is.”

The problem served as an interesting topic of conversation for a little while longer. Eventually, when they could come to no firm decision on Discord’s origins or powers, they moved onto other subjects. But Sonata couldn’t forget Discord. She kept an eye out for him up until the point when they all dispersed.

“Where do you think he went?” she asked Sunset as they waited for a taxi.

“Who?”

“Discord.”

“Are you still worrying about him?”

“We didn’t say thanks,” Sonata complained. “It’s hardly fair to him since he did so much.”

“True,” Sunset said, bumping Sonata’s shoulder with her own. “I’m glad I’ve got you to keep me right.”

“And I’m glad that I’ve got you here to make facetious comments.”

“Facetious am I? I didn’t think you’d—“ She stopped, giving Sonata narrow look. “You did that on purpose.”

“How can you suggest that I don’t know big words?” Sonata asked in a mock hurt voice.

“Fine, you got me,” Sunset sighed, raising her hands. “You know I have to get you back for that, right?”

Sonata was just warming up to teasing Sunset some more, when another person strolled up behind them, and a sleek black car rolled up to the curb.

“Hail, victory and honour,” said a laughing voice.

Sonata and Sunset turned to find Fancy Pants advancing towards them with the rapidity of a dream. He smiled widely and twiddled his moustache.

“To be serious though,” he said with a chuckle. “Hello again, my dears. I’m sorry to say that this might be the last we’ll be seeing of each other.”

“Well, we might be visiting Fleur at some point,” Sonata said offhandedly.

“Oh yes?” Fancy asked, intrigued. “Well well, she has room for twenty of you. If you stay in her house, follow the map.” He gave a light laugh at his little joke.

Sonata didn’t find it that funny, but laughed with Sunset for the sake of politeness.

“I was rather wondering if you and I might have a private word, Ms. Dusk. If you don’t object, there’s an issue I’d like to discuss with you.” He opened the door of the black car and gestured her in. “It won’t take a minute or so of your time.”

Sonata looked to Sunset, who shrugged, and then stepped into the car.

Fancy seated himself comfortably on the seat opposite Sonata before he began to speak. With much creaking of leather, he leaned back and surveyed Sonata with a knowing glint in his eye.

“So,” he began cheerfully. “Let’s not make this too long. It’s rude to make Ms. Shimmer stand outside on her own. You shalln’t be joining us in the Capital, little birds tell me.”

“Fleur told you?” Sonata surmised.

Fancy bowed his head. “She did tell me of your decision, yes, and the excellent reasons behind it.” He sighed, and his eyes gained a far-away quality. “In all honesty, my dear, I believe you were wise in your choice. People like Hoity will tell you that it is under the eyes of all that you are most likely to be noticed, and they would be right. But mortal men and women aren’t meant to be looked at all of the time. It makes them a little strange.”

“How do you do it?” Sonata asked. “Fleur speaks so highly of you,” she continued when it became clear that Fancy didn’t follow. “How do you stay so... well, nice, and stuff?”

“Nice and stuff.” Fancy smiled. “To answer your question...” he paused, and then shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not the best to judge my own character. I suppose that I don’t get caught up in the great game of the Capital because I don’t want for anything. I have no interest in gaining political power, or even social standing. The mere fact that I do is, to me, quite inconsequential.”

“But,” Sonata said tentatively. “Fleur said that if you didn’t pick a new fashion here, you’d be in trouble.”

Fancy smiled and shook his head a little. “That is simply Fleur worrying for me. She does play the game, you see. She doesn’t want to see me fall from it, as a friend, even though she knows that I don’t care for it.”

“If she plays,” Sonata wondered aloud, “does she have something to gain?”

Fancy Pant’s indulgent smile faded at this question. He interlaced his fingers, leaning forward on his knees. “It’s not my place to speak of Fleur’s past,” he began. After a few seconds of deliberation, he continued. “Fleur’s life has been... challenging. Far more challenging than my own. When I first met her...” his lip curled upwards, and he touched his face apparently unconsciously. “She made me realise for the first time how privileged and lucky I am. Before she and I were friends, everyone wanted to be my friend, but none of them wanted to know me. She didn’t want to be my friend; in fact that made it known to me that she hated my guts. I was genuinely surprised. So when I wanted to be her friend, she did take the trouble to get to know me. She didn’t care about who I was, or how much money I had when we were kids; she didn’t know anything about it; she just knew I was some pretty-boy that everyone seemed to like. And like any true friend, she stuck with me. And I with her.” He fixed Sonata with a firm eye. “She’ll always have me as a friend, but playing the game, she has few other real friends. That’s why it made me happy to hear that you and Ms. Shimmer don’t hold any serious grudge with her.”

“Did she tell you this?” Sonata asked, surprised.

“Oh no,” Fancy smiled a little knowing smile. “No. People assume that since I don’t play the game, I don’t have any skill for it. But when one of my best friends plays the game, well...” He made an airy gesture. “I know about your confrontation on the roof, about your changing your paintings. Oh yes,” he said quickly as Sonata opened her mouth. “Don’t concern yourself. There was no rule against it. And I shalln’t trouble to inquire on your exact methods. I just want you to know,” he leaned forward and took her hand, not unlike Fleur often did. “Openness and honesty are things Fleur is not often subjected to. I appreciate you being her friend.”

“It was no problem, really,” Sonata said, blushing.

“To be frank,” Fancy said, sitting back again. “I’m curious. Given what Fleur was trying to do, I’m surprised that you’re open to being her friend.”

“Well,” Sonata said, feeling a prickly heat on her skin. She wasn’t sure she wanted to discuss this with Fancy. “It’s just... it’s not that I feel sorry for her or anything,” she said quickly. “It’s just... I realised that Sunset had a lot of trust in me. She always has. I felt jealous of Fleur, and I let that get in the way of the fact that I knew Sunset loved me, and not her. Sunset deserved better than that.”

Fancy regarded her with raised eyebrows. “My word,” he said quietly. “I do believe that is one of the wisest things I’ve heard come out of a young person’s mouth.” He gave a little chuckle. “I look forward to purchasing more of your work in the future, Ms. Dusk.”

“Huh?” Sonata said, sure she’d misheard.

“Yes, I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Fancy said, steepling his fingers and looking at her over them. “Do you know who it was that decided to form this Capital event? And why it was formed here? In this city.”

“You?” Sonata asked, slowly.

“Indeed,” Fancy said, nodding. “I have always liked country settings. I share that inclination with Trenderhoof, you know. We dwell so often in the city that the sight of open fields and quite people is quite enchanting.”

“Then why don’t you move to the country?”

“Why, then every day would be Christmas, my dear,” Fancy said solemnly. “And I can think of no greater crime than subjecting Christmas to an everyday occurrence.”

“How do you think Adagio and Aria are right now?”

“I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering.”

Sunset turned her head slightly. Sonata felt the arm around her tense a little as her girlfriend sat up.

“Why? You said goodbye long enough.”

“I know,” Sonata said. “And I know that I can see Aria whenever, but...”

Sunset ran a hand through Sonata’s hair. “You’re gonna miss Adagio?”

“I guess,” Sonata murmured.

“Oh come on,” Sunset complained, giving her a little shake. “You can’t be all sad and mopey now. Not when we’re watching Notting Hill. I love this film.”

“It’s a stupid film,” Sonata said in a faux sulky voice, trying to hide her smirk.

“Now dear,” Sunset said lightly. “We can disagree on many things, but there will be no badmouthing Julia Roberts in this house.” She paused a moment. “Except for Eat Pray Love...”

“Whatever,” Sonata grumbled. “The movie sucks, and there’s not a thing that you can say that’ll—Eek!” She cut off as Sunset started to tickle her. “N-No fair!” she giggled.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Sunset said evilly. “And technically this is a little of both.”

“Not fair, because – hee – you’re not – haha! – ticklish!”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Sunset asked, catching her abdomen with a swift round of tickling fingers. Sonata shrieked with laughter, seemingly powerless under the onslaught. “Yes, bow to me, the Lord of Tickles!”

“So... *gasp* corny!”

“Nah, you love it!” She reached her other hand to Sonata’s neck, but in a sudden burst of self-control, Sonata caught it by the wrist. Before Sunset could react, Sonata pulled her down and twisted around. Sunset lay on her back, breathing heavily, clearly surprised by the sudden change in position. Sonata would have been tempted to return the favour, had it not been for the recollection that Sunset wasn’t ticklish. Kneeling over her on the couch, Sonata’s excitement changed within her.

“You know,” she began. “You still owe me that kiss.”

“Huh?” Sunset asked, clearly nonplussed.

“Your little rain check on the roof,” Sonata reminded her, booping her on the nose.

“Oh, of course,” Sunset said, grabbing hold of Sonata’s collar. “How could I forget?”

The kiss was all Sonata could have wanted after that very tiring day, and could almost think that it had been worth waiting to do it. So what if she’d endangered her chances at the exhibition? What was that to the feel of Sunset’s lips? To the warmth and softness of her skin? To the gentle caress of her eager hands?

Their tongues slid greedily over each other, their breath in each other’s mouths. One of Sunset’s hands reached blindly for the remote and switched off the television, leaving the room semi-lit by the street lamps outside. The heat building in Sonata’s stomach gave a leap inside her, and she broke the kiss to sit up. Wiping her mouth, she looked seductively down at her girlfriend trapped below her. Without a word, she lifted her hands to her collar, and pulled her shirt up and over her head.

She watched with no little enjoyment as Sunset’s face went red at the sight of her. She tossed the shirt idly onto the floor.

“It was warm in here,” she said deviously.

“I kinda noticed,” Sunset said hoarsely. She cleared her throat.

“Sounds like you’ve got a tickle in your throat,” Sonata said solicitously, leaning back down. “Let’s see if I can help you with that.”

HHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNGGGG!!!!!

Sonata leapt backwards in shock, her heart leaping up into her throat as she lost her footing and fell with a shriek off the sofa.

Sunset herself leapt up too, and hit her head on a large, hexagonal sign that had appeared over the sofa. Reeling back, she peered through streaming eyes and gasped.

“D-Discord!?”

Sonata stopped rubbing her bruised backside and looked up. Then she shrieked again and seized her discarded shirt, using it to cover her modesty. Blushing furiously, she stared in shock at the man standing behind the sofa.

“Halt! Halt!” Discord shouted through a megaphone. Sonata convulsively held her ears at the sound, but gasped as her shirt fell down again. “Let’s keep it PG-13, ladies.”

Holding a mobile ‘STOP’ sign in front of him, Discord was decked out in a reflective yellow coat and hat. Upon the hat was a flashing siren bathing the room in blinking red light, and filling the relative silence with a cacophony of sound.

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to put the shirt back on. Let’s have no heroes today, ladies.”

“Discord!” Sunset shouted.

“What?” Discord asked through the megaphone, leaning down.

“Turn off the siren!”

“What?”

“She said to turn off the siren!” Sonata cried.

“I can’t hear you,” Discord said. “Maybe if I turn off the siren.” he snapped his fingers, and the siren, megaphone, coat, and sign vanished, replaced by his usual maroon duster. The lights in the room came on.

“H-How did you get in here?” Sunset demanded.

“Through the door,” Discord said, shrugging, and indicating the door. Both girls looked towards the door, which was closed and locked. “Ah ha!” Discord erupted. “Oh, you should see your faces! I do so love confusion.” He snapped his fingers again, and Sonata’s shirt appeared on her chest. “I teleported in, obviously.”

“W-W-What are you doing here?” Sunset asked.

“Yes, I do apologise for interrupting private sexy time,” Discord said dispassionately. “But I’m afraid the time has arrived.”

This sounded ominous, Sonata thought. “Time for...?”

“You’re the Equestrian Discord, aren’t you,” Sunset said. It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

“I am indeed.”

“How did you escape imprisonment?” Sunset asked warily. “You were a statue in Canterlot Gardens. I saw you many times—“

“When you were Princess Celestia’s star pupil, yes,” Discord said impatiently. “Yes, I know. I was there. As to how I escaped, well that’s ancient history now. I’m reformed.”

Just to make this point clear, he made a halo appear over his head and angel wings sprout from his back. The kind of halo held up by wire and filled with neon-glowstick goop, and the kinds of wings employed by high school theatre productions.

Sunset and Sonata gave each other raised eyebrows. “Right.” Sunset said slowly.

“Well, he did help us out today,” Sonata reminded her.

“Which raises more questions,” Sunset declared. “Why are you here? How come you’re not turning this world upside down?”

“Hey,” Discord said, flicking the halo so that it wobbled above his head. “Reformed. I did mention I was reformed?” He gave a sigh at Sunset’s suspicious expression. “In the time that you’ve been here, I’ve escaped, been defeated, been let out, and reformed. Mostly by Fluttershy, but there was also an... well, an incident, which made me consider that perhaps friendship is something to be taken seriously.” His mouth curled a little as though remembering something unpleasant.

“But that doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Sunset retorted.

“Or why you’re interrupting private sexy time,” Sonata added.

“Well,” Discord said, beginning to pace whilst Sunset turned scarlet. “I’m afraid that something rather... unfortunate, is going to happen in Equestria. Has happened for me, will happen soon.”

“Will happen, has happened?” Sunset asked. “Did you time travel here? I’ve heard of such spells.”

“I did nudge the time-vortex a little, yes,” Discord said, airily. “When I was forced to come here. You see, I fixed something in Equestria, as well as I could anyway, and I broke a very important rule to do it.”

“You fixed something?” Sonata asked. “Aren’t you the spirit of chaos?”

“Precisely,” Discord said, nudging a painting out of alignment as he passed it. “Immortals have certain rules we have to follow – even me – and breaking them has consequences. Ever hear of Nightmare Moon?” he gave a twisted smile. “Yes, now there was a good example. And King Sombra another, although he was a self-made immortal. He broke rules simply being.”

“So you broke a rule by fixing something?” Sonata asked. “Wow. You must have to buy a lot of new things.”

“He doesn’t mean fixing broken things like that,” Sunset said.

“No. I brought order to a great chaos I hadn’t caused. As the spirit of chaos, you can imagine that’s a big no-no.” Half-way through pushing the phone from its stand, he paused and looked serious. “But I couldn’t let this one happen. It was hurting my friends.” He looked at them both then. “Huh, that explains a few things, doesn’t it?”

“You mean why you were a big meanie pants back in the day?” Sonata suggested.

“Yeah, that,” Discord commented, snapping his fingers. Sonata’s shirt suddenly had the legend ‘Freebie Friday’ emblazoned across its front, and ‘Property of Sunset Shimmer’ on the back. “In short, I fixed that chaos as best I could, which turned me to stone, which meant that my essence was banished to the Chaos Lounge.”

“The Chaos Lounge?” Sunset asked.

“My personal world. I made it,” he said, suddenly turning into a dorky looking high school kid with a lisp and thick-rimmed glasses. “And oh boy is it swell!” He poofed back to his adult form and continued “But I opted to come here instead, back before Twilight and her friends discovered the problem. I can’t return to Equestria for a few hundred years however, unless someone invokes enough chaos in my name.”

“Well, what’s the problem?” Sunset asked. “I can go back and help if it’s that serious.”

“Ah, see,” Discord said with a large grin. “I was hoping you’d say that. Twilight Sparkle speaks highly of you. You see, in about...” he pulled out the absurdly large pocket watch again “three hours, twenty eight minutes, and thirteen seconds, you’re going to get a buzz in that journal of yours from Twilight, telling you to stay out of Equestria. That there’s nothing you can do, that she hopes you stay safe, etc.” He made ‘blah blah blah’ motions with his right hand, which suddenly had a Twilight-shaped sock puppet on it.

“What’s so bad that she wouldn’t want me to come help?” Sunset asked, a note of real fear in her voice.

“In short?” Discord asked. He looked Sunset right in the eye, and raised a hand, poised to click his fingers again. “A plan by an unknown enemy, Sunset Shimmer. A plan that has turned half of Equestria into a realm of monsters.”

With a snap, he began to glow. “See you in a few centuries,” he said cheerfully, and vanished for the last time.

Sunset and Sonata looked at each other.

“I’m keeping this shirt,” Sonata said, pulling it straight to admire the legend.

“Sorry Sonata,” Sunset sighed, ignoring this comment. “I think we have to postpone private sexy time again.”

Sonata gave a huge false sigh. “I’ll get you eventually. You want to grab the book and me call our friends?”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, standing up. “We’ve got a statue to visit.”

- The End

... of this part

Author's Note

Well, my fellow bronies of all kinds, it's been a blast. But this is the end of the Evening Sonata. I honestly hope that it was everything you guys hoped it'd be. But like all good things, or bad things for that matter, it must end.

At least until I get the sequel sorted out.

Look out for Sunset and Sonata's adventures in the land of ponies in Return to Equestria: The Rise of Roam
Coming to a computer screen near you.

Preview of the Sequel

Author's Note

I don't know whether this will annoy as many people as it interests, but here's a short preview of the upcoming and long awaited sequel to the Evening Sonata. Return to Equestria: The Rise of Roam. I just want everyone to know that I haven't forgotten this I'm working on it I swear! :fluttershysad:

As I've said before, this continuation will be in a different setting than the original story, so therefore I made it into a separate story rather than continuing it on here.
Nevertheless, the focus is still on Sunset and Sonata, that aspect will not change. There'll simply be different things going on in the land of ponies.

Preview of the Sequel

Return to Equestria: The Rise of Roam

Sunset Shimmer

The message in the journal had troubled Sunset excessively.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

I know that we had planned on your excursion to Equestria in a few weeks time. However, I fear that your visit must be postponed for the time being. Whilst I look forward to your visit, and so do our friends, a most serious rumour has reached Canterlot, and the Princess’ are convening to discuss it.

I write this to you now in case the situation becomes dire enough that I am forced to take certain measures. I do not wish to cause you any alarm.

I hope to write back to you with good news on the subject. Until then,

your friend, Twilight Sparkle

“And ya’ll don’t know anything about what might be going on?” Applejack asked. “Like from when ya went back last time?”

Sunset shook her head. “Everything was fine.”

“Are we really going to have to deal with that Discord guy?” Rainbow Dash asked. “That guy was a different shade of weird.”

“He was all different kinds of shades,” Pinkie observed. “None of his clothes matched.”

“That’s not what I—“

“Um, well, I think he might be nice,” Fluttershy said tentatively. “Deep down, you know?”

“He said that he was reformed,” Sunset said uneasily. “And if the historical record is anything to go by, he would usually have turned this world inside out by now if he wasn’t. Still,” she looked around gravely at them all. “I’d feel better if you guys just kept an eye on him.”

All of their friends were there who could come. Even Aria, her story notebook under her arm, stood in front of her, a frown on her face. All of her friends were frowning actually. Only Sonata, her hand clutched in Sunset’s own, looked eager and determined.

“You’ll text us all the time, right?” Pinkie asked plaintively.

“I don’t think mobile service crosses dimensions, Pinkie,” Sunset said kindly.

“If they did, the roaming charges would be horrendous,” Rarity agreed.

“I have an idea,” Sunset said brightly. She pulled out the magical journal, and tore the page out with Twilight’s message on it. Folding this up and stuffing it into her bag, she handed the journal to Pinkie Pie. “You keep that. If you write in it, I’ll be able to read your messages in Twilight’s journal and reply to you.”

Pinkie’s eyes filled with tears. Before Sunset could read the signs properly, she leapt forward and threw her arms around Sunset’s shoulders. Then Sonata, Rarity, Fluttershy, and all of her friends jumped in too. Even Aria, looking furtively around to make sure no one was looking, put an arm into the mix and patted Sunset’s shoulder.

“Hopefully we won’t be too long,” Sunset said reassuringly, as they all let go. “If it’s a big problem, we’ll send you a message to tell you about what’s happening.”

“If it’s something big, shouldn’t we come too?” Rainbow asked.

“Ya’ll just wanna see what pony land looks like,” Applejack said, smirking.

“Nuh uh!” Rainbow snapped, colouring up. “Sounds lame.”

Applejack said nothing, but smiled to herself in victorious silence.

“Well, we’ll see you later then,” Sunset said. She took Sonata’s hand as they all waved, Pinkie clutching the journal and crying loudly over it. For a moment, Sunset gazed at her friends, feeling an unaccountable sense of longing for all of them. And then she saw, just behind them, a fluttering white handkerchief.

“Bye, Discord,” she called over their heads.

“Be well, Sunset Shimmer,” Discord said dramatically, waving the handkerchief daintily. “Our prayers go with you, from your fondest of friends.” So saying he pulled said friends into a patently too large a hug and arranged his pinched face into something approximating elegant despair.

Sunset almost laughed. She looked at Sonata for a moment, and then they both turned, and walked into the portal together, the stone warping and rippling as they passed through.

The Evening Sonata. Part 1

The Evening Sonata Pt1

Sunset Shimmer’s apartment was in a rather small, rambling building not far distant from the school. Contributing to the school’s good reputation, or perhaps as a result of it, the apartment housed none but pleasant, good natured people, all of whom usually had a kind thing to say. In bygone days, Sunset Shimmer had been the one exception, but now she too was able and willing to say Hello Mrs. Balm! and I hope that dissertation goes well today, Mr. Sweet!, to her pleased, albeit surprised, neighbours.

The apartment itself was cheap and small, and her old self had scorned it as something she would improve on when she attained the power she desired. Now, after almost three years living here, it had a homely, welcome feel. Nothing changed here, nothing interrupted her personal time or quiet serenity – except when Pinkie Pie visited – and nothing unusual ever happened.

Not until last Friday, anyway.

Sunset pushed open her door with her foot, setting the grocery bags down on the kitchen counter, and preparing to switch the TV onto her favourite show, Power Ponies: Back in Action!, when there came a discordant, muffled noise from somewhere above. She paused to listen.

It sounded rather as though a bag of cats were being drowned in thick pudding whilst someone beat them with an aluminium bat. Sunset set down the remote and moved around her apartment, trying to hear where the sound was coming from. A television blaring above or below, perhaps? She didn’t think so somehow. Nor from old Mr. Ferry who lived across the hall. He only watched old films late at night, and she couldn’t imagine this horrible sound coming from any black and white film. Not this sound at any rate.

On an impulse, she opened the window in her sitting area, and briefly heard the sound louder, until it was swiftly cut off. She waited for a few moments, looking all over the street below, but couldn’t see or hear the source of the noise.

This curious occurrence wouldn’t have interested Sunset much more than as piece of random gossip to tell her friends, if it didn’t happen again, and again. For five consecutive evenings. Each time, Sunset poked her head out of the window, listening for the source, but it was always distorted by the winds blowing passed her floor.

“Come to think of it,” Applejack said, when Sunset mentioned it to her. “I heard a sound like that too, when I was driving home from the farmer’s market last Saturday.”

“Oh yeah,” Rainbow Dash snickered, when Sunset spoke to her during team practice. Dash wiped her face with a towel and took a swig of water before continuing. “Was coming home from late practise last Friday and I heard it coming from near your apartment. I almost called Fluttershy to tell her an animal was hurt!” she laughed, offering Sunset the bottle of water, which Sunset politely declined.

Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy meanwhile, had not heard a thing, and had no gossip to give until the following Thursday, when all six of them met at Sugarcube Corner.

“It was the oddest thing, darlings,” Rarity said, waving her ice cream spoon daintily. “I swear the other day that one of those Dazzlings girls came into my parent’s establishment. You know, the one with the blue ponytail.”

“Sonata?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, that’s the one,” Rarity said absently. “Anyway, it was the most dreadful thing. Her clothes are in tatters I don’t mind telling you, and for all that she and her friends were evil, they did have fabulous style.” She shuddered. “It was a travesty to see clothes in such a state.”

“What did she do?” Dash asked. “She try to rip you a new one?”

“Not at all,” Rarity shrugged, as though she were still rather surprised by the encounter herself. “She just wandered around the markdown bins for a while, shivering and not talking to anyone. I felt so sorry for the poor dear that I gave her a coat free of charge.”

Sunset blinked. “The other Dazzlings weren’t with her?”

“Not that I saw, darling. The poor dear didn’t seem herself, you know. She positively ran away from me when I tried to talk to her more,” Rarity said, taking a bite of her coconut sundae, and then choking on it. The door to the cafe had just opened. Sunset and her friends turned one by one to see the new arrival, and each elicited surprise in their own way.

Rarity choked quietly on her ice cream, massaging her throat with her eyes streaming.

Applejack lifted her hat up a bit, frowning slightly.

Rainbow Dash sat up properly from her laid-back position across two chairs, eyebrows raised.

Fluttershy let loose a squeak of surprise which she hastily hid as a small sneeze.

Pinkie Pie gasped loudly, and let the three spoons she was holding fall dramatically with tinkles to the table.

Sunset Shimmer stared whilst patting Rarity on the back, her insides giving an unpleasant squirm at what she was seeing.

Sonata Dusk, rubbing her arms, stepped out of the winter cold of outside into the welcome warmth of the cafe, and for a moment seemed to just allow the sweet scents of pastries and tea to wash over her for a moment. As Rarity had described, her clothes were worn, dirty, and torn in places, except for the magenta coat she was wearing over them. Covertly, she put a hand in her pocket and fished out some notes and coins, counting them with an air of desperation. With a relieved little sigh, she proceeded eagerly to the counter, evidently unaware of the table full of girls silently watching her.

With an indecent look of hunger in her eyes, she ordered a pastry, handing over the somewhat dirty looking money. Mrs. Cake gave her a sympathetic look, and handed her a coffee too.

“No, no, it’s on the house,” Mrs. Cake said kindly. Sonata had been looking fretfully at the coffee, and was looking confused.

“Um, why?” she asked, quietly.

“You need fattening up, dear.” Mrs. Cake smiled at her. Sonata looked truly perplexed, and unsure whether to take the coffee or not. Perhaps unconsciously, she fingered a black strap around her neck. Mrs. Cake meanwhile turned to serve another customer. Tentatively, as though expecting the coffee to suddenly dart away, Sonata picked it up, along with the bag containing her pastry, and turned to leave.

Half way to the door, her eyes looking a little over-bright, she suddenly seemed to notice Sunset’s table. She froze, her eyes widening. She remained like that for a full seven seconds, she staring at them and them at her. Then she dropped her coffee. The hot liquid burst from the cup, splashing over her legs and over the floor. She cried out, more from surprise than pain. Now everyone in the cafe was looking at her, whispering and turning to get better looks.

Without knowing really what she was doing, Sunset stood up, and so did Fluttershy.

“Oh!” Fluttershy said with concern, as Sonata looked down at the mess on the floor as though she’d broken a priceless ornament. She bent down, evidently unsure of what to do, but picked up the cup and tried to scoop the coffee back up. This elicited some snickering from the patrons all around.

Fluttershy handed Sunset a wad of napkins, and the two of them began cleaning up the mess.

“Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked Sonata. Sonata looked at her as though she thought Fluttershy was going to bite her. “Here,” Fluttershy offered her some napkins too, as the rest of the table came over. Mrs. Cake tottered out from behind the counter, hooting and calling her husband to get the mop.

“I... I...” Sonata stammered. She looked up at the four behind Sunset and Fluttershy, and then at Mr. And Mrs. Cake rushing over.

“Do your legs hurt? Did you get burned?” Fluttershy asked.

Tears in her eyes, her breathing rapid, Sonata ran, bursting through the doors of the cafe and out into the winter wind. Sunset stared after her, unsure of what she was feeling.

“Wow,” Rainbow Dash said, flatly. “What was that all about?”

“Reading between the lines, darling,” Rarity said, sarcastically. “I get the feeling she rather fears meeting us.”

“You can be kinda scary, Rarity,” Pinkie Pie said, wisely.

“What!?” Rarity cried, indignantly.

“See? Like that,” Pinkie said, side-stepping behind Applejack, who rolled her eyes.

“I feel bad for her,” Fluttershy said to Sunset. “She looked so scared.”

“Yeah,” Sunset agreed, distractedly.

Sunset sat in her apartment that evening, fingering a pen in her hand and staring at a blank page of her journal.

Dear Princess Twilight,

She was pondering exactly what to write after this, but nothing was occurring to her. As she sat there, nibbling on some biscuits and sipping some tea, she let her mind wander to the scene in the cafe. The entire scene had shocked her, made her uncertain. She’d been convinced that the Dazzlings were bad people, independent and fierce, rather like her old self had been. Unwilling to show weakness or need.

If that is what Sunset set the bar to as counting towards being a bad person, then she could no longer hold Sonata under that name. She’d been alone, helpless, desperate, and pathetic. And the role had been unfamiliar to her, Sunset had seen that. The puzzlement at a show of kindness from Mrs. Cake had been apparent. Again it reminded Sunset of...

There it was again; that horrible sound like animals being tortured. Sunset put down the pen and journal and went quickly to the window. Poking her head out, she listened carefully, determined to discover what it was. As before however, the winds around the building made the sound impossible to trace. Then a paper bag dropped out of nowhere and hit Sunset’s hair, buffeted by the wind and sinking into the growing darkness below. Sunset looked up.

“The roof?” she muttered, confused.

The stairway to the roof was, strictly speaking, a maintenance stairway and fire exit. It wasn’t strictly speaking supposed to be for everyday use. Nonetheless, Sunset mounted the stairs two at a time, slowing down as she came to the door at the top, which was ajar.

Peering through the crack, she saw a figure standing on the roof by its edge, singing. Which explained the sounds reminiscent of a banshee at karaoke night. The sun was setting, gilding the figure in shadow, making it impossible to see who it was. As Sunset stepped out of the stairwell, she noticed an old wooden shed with its door slightly open too. At one time it must have held tools, which had been unceremoniously dumped to the side. Now however, the interior was covered in a makeshift insulation of cannibalised cardboard boxes, and contained several old, discoloured blankets. It looked rather as though someone had taken to sleeping in there.

Whilst Sunset contemplated this, the singer had stopped her ‘singing’, and was now crying quietly over by the roof’s edge, their shoulders trembling as they sniffled and sobbed.

“Um... hello?”

The figure jumped, falling back against the short wall and pressing herself against it. Sunset gaped.

“Sonata...?”

“S-Sunset Shimmer...?”

They stared at each other for a moment or two.

“Y-You live here?” Sonata asked, fearfully.

“You live here?” Sunset asked at the same time, looking incredulously at the shed.

“I-I’m sorry,” Sonata trembled, standing up shakily. “I didn’t know. I’ll go, I-I’m sorry.”

“No, wait!” Sunset reached out impulsively and seized Sonata’s wrist. “You... you don’t have to...” She felt Sonata’s arm shaking. “Do you want something to drink?”

It took a little coaxing to get Sonata to her apartment, where she made her a cup of strong hot tea with cream. Sonata sat on the edge of her seat, as though ready to jump off at any moment, looking uneasy and jumping at any time Sunset spoke.

“Have some biscuits if you want,” Sunset said, shoving the packet forward on the table. Sonata held her cup like she thought someone would steal it, glancing at the biscuits and offering a quiet thanks. “So...” Sunset said, tapping her own cup.

“Can I ask you something?” Sonata said, suddenly.

“Yeah. I mean that kinda counted as asking something, so yeah.” Sunset smiled, hoping this instant of humour might lighten the mood. Sonata’s mouth trembled for a moment, as though she were going to smile.

“Why did you invite me here?”

Sunset thought for a moment. If she was honest, she wasn’t quite sure. “I felt... bad for you,” she said, remembering what Fluttershy had said. “You shouldn’t be out in the cold.”

Sonata looked genuinely confused. “But we- I... I tried to... you know.”

“Well, yeah, you did,” Sunset conceded. “But so did I, you know? And my friends like me anyway.”

A long silence followed this, during which Sonata stared into her cup. The miserable look on her face made Sunset wonder if she might actually try to drown herself in it. She looked around the room for inspiration for something to say. Her eye alighted on her journal.

“So where are your friends?” she asked pleasantly.

“What?” Sonata asked, apparently coming out of a reverie.

“The other two, Adagio and... the other one?”

“Aria,” Sonata said, tonelessly. “They’re gone.”

“Gone, how?” Sunset asked, hesitantly.

“Gone, as in left town.” Sonata bit her lip for a moment and blinked her eyes a few times. “Adagio and she, well. They didn’t always get along anyway. But now that we can’t sing anymore, they argued and... and...” with a great sniff, she started to cry, shutting her eyes tight and trying to fight back the tears.

Sunset wasn’t really sure what she was doing. ’Comforting’ people wasn’t exactly something she had much experience in it. Nonetheless, she sat down next to Sonata on the sofa, and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. She patted it a few times, feeling incredibly awkward. Sonata looked at her suddenly, looking as surprised and uncertain as she did when Mrs. Cake had given her the coffee. Sunset found herself taking in the features of her face rather than look her in the eye like a person should: a smudge on her cheek, her wilted ponytail, her slightly open mouth, the tear shimmering under her chin.

“Why are you being nice to me?” Sonata asked. She sounded utterly bewildered. “I’m... I’m worthless. I’m stupid; I have no sense, no skills. I can’t do anything. Why are you doing this?”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that,” Sunset said reprovingly. “Surely you can do some-“ she stopped, as she thought about the preceding days. It now dawned on her as plain as day that what she had heard were Sonata’s attempts to sing without her pendant. She had tried for days in a place she evidently thought that no one would hear her. Where no one could judge her.

“Singing was the only thing I was ever good at,” Sonata gulped. “I can’t do anything now.”

Sunset felt an inkling of guilt here. She exhaled, her tentative grip on Sonata’s shoulder becoming more confident, more reassuring.

“Do you feel the same way? As when you were with the Dazzlings? Do you feel the same greed, the same lust for recognition?”

Sonata stared at her, her eyes going out of focus. “I... don’t.” The words seemed to take even herself by surprise.

“I felt the same way. I guess I’m being nice to you because... if I don’t believe that you deserve to be given a chance, then I didn’t deserve one either. I mean trying to hypnotise everyone with music to take over the world is pretty bad, but turning into a raging she-demon and trying to fry Twilight and her friends with a fireball has to be a little bit worse. I mean, if you look at it that way.”

Sunset felt a heat rise in her cheeks as she realised she was rambling. Sonata merely looked at her, her expression vague.

“Sunset?”

“Um, yeah?”

“Could I ask you to do something for me?”

Sunset blinked, slightly taken aback. “Sure, what?”

“Could you hold me, please?”

Sunset was fully taken aback. Her immediate instinct was to protest, but something in Sonata’s face made her rethink it. Tentatively, like a young bird on its maiden flight, Sunset opened her arms in what she hoped was an inviting manner. With more soberness than Sunset was expecting, Sonata leaned into her, resting her head on Sunset’s shoulder, and placing both arms around her middle.

“Well, Sonata,” Sunset said, lightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so serious.”

“I’ve not had the luxury of being an air-head recently,” Sonata whispered.

Sunset searched momentarily for some other way of lightening the mood, but every attempt was failing miserably. She rubbed Sonata’s back for a moment, before being hit by an overwhelming smell that made her nearly choke.

“Say, Sonata,” Sunset said, trying not to gag. “How about I make us some dinner? Do you need to use the bathroom or anything?”

Sonata pulled out of the hug. “Actually,” she said awkwardly. “Do you mind if I use your shower? It’s... been a while.”

Sunset internally sighed with relief and put on a cheerful smile. “Not at all, not at all! It’s all yours. I’ll get the dinner. Pasta good for you?”

Whilst the pasta bubbled and boiled and the vegetables microwaved, Sunset took a quick look at the bathroom door. She clearly heard the sounds of running water, and so thought it safe to enact her plan. Picking up her phone, she dialled a number, and hoped that everything tomorrow would work out.

- To be Continued

Author's Note

The first part of a possibly six-part story, possibly more if I run out of room. Hope you enjoy it, all :)

The Sunrise Sonata, Part 7

The Sunrise Sonata Pt7

Sunset Shimmer

As might be expected, Sunset awoke the next morning nurturing a ball of regret in her stomach. Slightly to her surprise, she found that Sonata’s arm was still around her, and for once she was breathing rhythmically rather than snoring. Her breath was warm on Sunset’s back, and Sunset honestly found her proximity so comforting that she was tempted to remain in bed, snuggled up to her. But she couldn’t. They both had work to do.

Carefully unwinding Sonata’s arm from around her middle, she sat up and pushed the hair out of her face. She paused a moment to look down at Sonata, the flood of uncertainty and doubt returning to her. But something was different about it. It no longer seemed to have teeth; it no longer gnawed at her as it had before. A natural smile spreading over her face, she leaned down and kissed Sonata’s cheek.

“Thank you,” she whispered, standing up. Stretching her arms over her head, she headed out to make breakfast.

As usual, the smell of cooking food soon drew Sonata from her slumber. She entered the kitchen area yawning, pulling at one shoulder as though it were stiff.

“I smell bacon,” she sang.

“Really?” Sunset smirked, flipping several strips over in the frying pan. “I can’t imagine why.”

“Smarty pants,” Sonata chided, poking her in the upper arm.

Sunset watched Sonata skip into the living room, and pick up two paintbrushes, one in each hand as though she were going to start painting two things at once. Then she started laughing as Sonata did indeed try to start painting two things at the same time.

“You’re good,” Sunset chuckled. “But I don’t think there are many people who are that good.”

“There aren’t many people who would try,” Sonata said, as though she were an exploring captain on her maiden voyage into unknown seas. Sunset cracked up a little more at that.

“Well you’ll need your energy first. Come get your bacon. Want some eggs?”

“Silly Shimmy,” Sonata teased. Sunset felt a tingle as she said it. “I want so many eggs that I’ll be sick.”

“You’ll get two,” Sunset told her. “You’re certainly in a good mood today.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked joyously, throwing her arms around Sunset’s shoulders. “I had the best sleep ever!”

“It couldn’t have been that good,” Sunset chuckled, sliding the bacon onto a plate.

“Naw, come on,” Sonata gave her a little shake. “Are you still sad about your thing that you won’t tell me about?”

Sunset considered. She’d not really understood why she had felt so miserable yesterday. She knew the why, but didn’t comprehend it. Nonetheless, it seemed to have diminished now. She smiled.

“No,” she said, honestly. “I probably shouldn’t have...” she shook her head. “No, I’m not sad anymore. Thanks for keeping me company, you know.”

This seemed to make Sonata much happier. She gave a squeak of delight, seized her bacon and danced into the living room where she promptly leapt onto the couch and switched the TV on.

“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling sweetly over her shoulder. “And thank you, oh breakfast goddess. Please bestow upon my thy divine circles of eggy yummy-ness!”

Sunset gave a magnanimous gesture. “I hear your worthy prayers, my child,” she said in deep, throaty tones, tossing a finished egg towards the sofa. Sonata lifted her plate to the predicted landing site and punched the air when it landed unerringly.

“Five points for Ravenclaw!”

Sunset came to sit next to Sonata, both tucking into their breakfasts. No matter how Sunset looked at it now, it was glaringly obvious. She wondered to herself vaguely just how obvious it had been. She remembered Applejack and Pinkie teasing her about it in Whitetail, Rainbow Dash in Baltimore, and the funny looks she sometimes got from her other friends and schoolmates. If it had been obvious to them, why not to her?

They never do realise it until much later, she thought, recollecting other instances known to her of lovers finally realising their feelings for one another. In examples from real life, one particular problem raised itself more often than not: One of the two knew and understood their feelings towards their prospective lover, whilst the other was either unaware, or unsure. Sunset suspected this to be the case with her. She was fairly certain of her own feelings now, but Sonata was so carefree and whimsical it was hard to gauge hers.

She looked at Sonata askance. Her roommate was fixated on the TV screen, unaware of Sunset’s internal musings. Yes, she had comforted Sunset during periods of obvious need, but that didn’t confirm the situation, at least in Sunset’s mind. But she had an idea of how she could find out. The trick was getting Sonata to go along with it.

Sonata seemed to finally notice her staring and looked around, smiling innocently. “Take a picture,” she said with a grin. “It’ll last longer.”

“So I was thinking,” Sunset began, ignoring this particular piece of facetiousness. “How do you feel about going out and doing something today? Just you and me.”

“Doing what?” Sonata asked, mouth full of egg.

“Um... I don’t know,” Sunset admitted. “What would you like to do?”

Sonata considered. “Well, I have to stay on schedule with my project,” she frowned.

“And I still have paper work and people to deal with,” Sunset waved that all away. “We’ve got two weeks. Today we have some fun. It’s spring break after all and I kinda think we could both use some.”

“Okay,” Sonata said, lightening to the idea. “Okay, I’m getting something here...” she pressed her fingers to her temples as though she were pretending to be psychic. “Um... bowling!”

“Bowling?” Sunset blinked. “Do you like bowling?”

“I have no idea,” Sonata giggled. “Never tried it before. Have you?”

“Nope,” Sunset shrugged. “Bowling it is then. And how about we go look at the art gallery afterwards? It’s nearby and I’ve been wanting to have a look in there since they announced the fair.”

It became apparent within ten minutes that neither of them was the least bit good at bowling. Sonata puzzled over and complained about having to wear the bowling shoes issued by a bespectacled attendant, and Sunset was having trouble with the children in the lane next to her. Every time she sat down for Sonata to have her turn, one of the little rascals would sneak up behind her and tug at her long hair.

“Get back here you little—“ she snarled, reaching over the back of her chair as the child cackled and ran off. Sonata laughed as well.

Each and every one of Sonata’s balls fell in the gutter. She really did have terrible aim. Sunset herself managed to get two or three balls not to go down the gutter, but two hit only a few skittles, whilst the third hit the centre and caused a split.

“Wow, you guys are terrible at this,” came a voice from behind them.

Sunset looked behind her. “Oh hey.”

Standing side-by-side, bowling balls in hand, were the Crusaders. Applejack’s younger sister, Applebloom, stood proudly in the centre, her trademark pink hair bow slightly askew. Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s sibling, smiled and waved, whilst Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash’s protégé and self-declared biggest fan, stood in cocky attitude on the left, her wind-swept mane of pink hair standing up at the back as usual.

“Are you kids going to try to play?” Sonata asked, sitting backwards on a chair and leaning on the backrest. “Wait, aren’t you those kids who always act scared of me in the lunch queue?”

“I think y’all must be thinking of some other kids,” Applebloom said, airily.

“No, I could swear it was you.”

“We’re totally awesome at this game,” Scootaloo changed the subject at top speed. “You watch, I bet at least half of our tries are strikes.”

“We’d better,” Sweetie Belle said, arms folded. “We’ve been coming here for like three years.”

It became apparent that Scootaloo’s boasting wasn’t without merit. She, Applebloom, and even Sweetie Belle bowled with a rhythm that spoke of much practise. Sonata seemed to become jealous, hanging off the edge of her seat and leaning to the side whenever a ball went off course, as though trying to psychically change its trajectory.

“Why didn’t you guys just put the guard rail up?” Sweetie Belle asked curiously.

“The what?” Sunset asked, sipping her soda.

“The guard rail,” Scootaloo said, in full I-know-better-than-you mode. “Like that kid.” She pointed to a lane several rows over, where a kid in a propeller hat was somehow managing to roll a bowling ball in one hand whilst simultaneously playing a hand-held game in the other. The ball rolled down the lane in a zigzag, bouncing off the small rails either side of it.

“He’s so talented,” Sweetie Belle said, dreamily.

“Seriously, I don’t get what you see in him,” Scootaloo sighed.

“I just said he’s talented,” Sweetie Belle snapped.

“At what? Playing that stupid game all day?”

“You take that back!” Sweetie Belle’s face turned pink, getting in Scootaloo’s face.

“Stupid game! Stupid game! Stupid game!” Scootaloo taunted.

“Girls!” Applebloom chided, shoving them apart. “Let us settle this like ladies.” She raised an arm and pointed dramatically at the lane. “By the noble sport of bowling!”

“You three have way too much energy,” Sunset smiled as the three of them continued their game.

“If you want him to be your boyfriend, Sweetie, why don’t we try matchmaking again?” Scootaloo asked. Sweetie Belle transitioned cleanly from exertion pink into embarrassed scarlet.

“No!” she cried. She covered her mouth as everyone looked around at her. “I mean, that was a disaster! Never again!”

“Oh come on,” Scootaloo waved her objection away. “He was too glued to his screen to notice that chocolate in your hair.”

“Ugh!” Sweetie Belle exploded.

“Matchmaking?” Sunset inquired.

“Yeah,” Applebloom said, sitting down next to her so that Sweetie could take her turn. Trying to ignore the crash of ball into skittles from the unnecessarily hard throw, Applebloom explained. “Sweetie likes that Button Mash kid.” She pointed down the lanes to the kid in the propeller hat. “So we all tried to see if our special talent was matchmaking, and tried to get them together.”

“Only it didn’t go quite as we planned,” Scootaloo admitted.

“Ugh!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed again.

“We tried the same thing with my big brother and Ms. Cheerilee, and that kinda worked,” Applebloom went on. Something seemed to occur to her. “Don’t you have a special someone?”

Sunset thought this a bit of a rude question. While she pondered an appropriate answer, Scootaloo sat down next to Applebloom.

“Sure she does. She likes that Flash Sentry guy.”

“Erm,” Sunset blurted. “No, I—“

“No, she used to go out with him. She doesn’t like him anymore,” Applebloom corrected.

“Guys?” Sunset said, weakly. She looked to Sonata for help, but she had disappeared to the snack bar.

“Why not?” Scootaloo asked. “He’s kinda hot for an older guy.”

“Ugh!” Sweetie Belle cried for a third time. “She didn’t like Flash, she just used him to get more popular!” She looked at her friends in dire irritation. “Rarity explained it to me.”

“Wow,” Scootaloo said, impressed. “You were a terrible person.”

“I know,” Sunset mumbled, feeling increasingly more annoyed at the trio.

“So who do you like now?” Applebloom asked.

This was where Sunset made a fatal mistake. Her eyes involuntarily glanced sideways to Sonata at the snackbar, who unfortunately was all alone. She blushed at her mistake. Neither Scootaloo nor Sweetie Belle caught it, but Applebloom, perhaps from being around her only too perceptive sister, narrowed her eyes.

“Her?” Applebloom asked, sounding incredulous.

“Her what?” Scootaloo asked.

“She likes the blue girl,” Applebloom whispered conspiratorially. Traitorously, the heat in Sunset’s face burned worse.

“Hang on, stop,” she interrupted hastily, but the three girls were paying her no attention.

“Like as in, like-like?” Sweetie Belle said, frowning. “But they’re both girls.”

“Applejack says that don’t matter,” Applebloom replied.

“Really?” Sweetie looked confused.

“Wait, wait,” Scootaloo raised both hands. “So, would they be like, girlfriend and girlfriend?”

“I guess,” Applebloom said, thoughtfully.

“Girls!” Sunset hissed at them. They all looked up at her, innocently curious. “We’re not... that is to say, we’re not girlfriend and girlfriend.”

“Are you sick or something?” Sweetie Belle asked. “You look like you’ve got a fever.”

“Sweetie Belle, you’ve got a lot to learn about love,” Applebloom sighed. “That’s honeyglow.”

“Honey-what?”

“It’s what Applejack calls it when your face gets all hot from being around the person that you love.”

“I’ve never seen that,” she said, defensively.

“That’s because it’s always on your face,” Scootaloo snickered. “Rarity gets it all the time too, how can you not have noticed it?”

“Girls, please just stop,” Sunset begged, as Sonata began to walk back over. She looked nervously over and then back, and felt her heart sink. Applebloom had yet another knowing look in her eye, and Sunset’s trepidation rose at the sight of it.

“Oooh,” she said, and then turned her two friends around and huddled them both in, whispering. Sunset eyed them with a rising fear that they were up to something, but had no time to sweat over the problem as Sonata returned, handing her a box of fries.

“Thanks,” Sunset said, perhaps a little too heartily.

“Are you okay?” Sonata asked. “You look all hot and bothered.”

“Um... it’s the game,” she invented quickly. “Not used to it.”

“Ah,” Sonata nodded. “You want to get out of here then? I think that’s the end of our game anyway.”

“Sure!” Sunset said, again perhaps too eagerly.

“Art gallery, yee!” Sonata exclaimed happily.

Sunset hurried after her as Sonata skipped out of the door, but took one look back before exiting. The three Crusaders were staring after her, all with sinisterly innocent smiles on their faces, all waving enthusiastically. Sunset waved weakly back, having the distinct feeling that she was going to regret her previous conversation.

The art gallery, a low, classical looking building with greying white walls, stood opposite the slightly eccentrically designed town hall, the tall, cylindrical appearance of which had featured the city in more than one who’s-who among modern buildings for those interested enough to look into such things. The art gallery in comparison was, ironically enough, more sober and sophisticated in appearance, but had been decked out in innumerable coloured flags and hanging banners proclaiming the coming fair that summer.

Sunset had thrown off any concerns that she’d had on the way to the gallery, soothed of her fears by Sonata’s cheerful company. As they entered the gallery and paid the fee however, the attendant at the desk looked over Sunset’s shoulder. Following his line of sight, Sunset caught the edge of a pink jacket whip out of sight. A very familiar pink jacket.

“No,” she muttered to herself. “No, they wouldn’t.”

“Who wouldn’t what?” Sonata asked. “Stop mumbling and let’s go!”

Sunset allowed herself to be pulled off, but kept looking back. Surely the Crusaders wouldn’t follow them here. Why would they? There’s no reason. Please, let there be no reason.

The first room was a large, square space with what Sunset supposed were the gallery’s most impressive pieces. A hanging skeleton of a pterosaur dangled from invisible wires on the ceiling, which Sunset thought looked rather out of place until she saw that it wasn’t bone, but wrought-iron. A classical statue with its arm held out as though in welcome, and naked to the backside, stood on a tall granite block underneath, surrounded by glass cases showcasing smaller works. But Sonata pulled Sunset to the margins, where tall paintings and other works hung on the wall. A canvas the height and width of their apartment room showed nothing in Sunset’s opinion than a collection of scribbles. All different colours, all criss-crossing, splattering, neat lines and crippled ones all mish-mashed into a veritable storm of colour on a white background.

“It’s beautiful!” Sonata said in awe, grasping her hands together. “I wish I could paint like that.”

Sunset pursed her lips. “What is it?”

Sonata giggled, and took hold of Sunset’s shoulders to pull her to the side. Sunset tried to ignore the goosebumps on her skin, and looked at the painting. “Try looking from this angle,” Sonata said eagerly. Sunset stared. “See anything?”

“No, I...” but she halted. She craned her neck a little, and finally saw what Sonata was indicating. From directly in the centre of the picture, a number of the seemingly random lines and squiggles coalesced into a recognisable form. “Wow,” she whispered.

“I know, right?” Sonata said excitedly. She began to explain what it was about the picture that allowed it to do this, and Sunset was actually surprised to hear Sonata being so knowledgeable. Then she spotted three heads peeping around the corner of the entrance door. As she had suspected, the Crusaders had followed them.

It doesn’t matter, she told herself whilst Sonata wittered on. What can they do? She regretted this thought almost at once. Scootaloo and Applebloom walked briskly off to the other end of the room, whereas Sweetie Belle, in the unconvincing attitude of an art enthusiast, meandered her way towards them.

“Oh hey,” Sonata said, smilingly. “Didn’t we just see you at the bowling alley?”

“Huh?” Sweetie said, in a voice so false it made Sunset cringe. “Oh! I didn’t expect to see you two here,” she tilted her head to one side, hands clasped behind her back.

“What are you doing here?” Sunset asked, trying to sound as cheerful and carefree as Sonata, but not quite managing it.

“Just looking at the art... stuff,” Sweetie Belle said, grinning even more widely. Sunset distinctly heard the sound of a palm striking someone’s forehead echo in the enclosed room. “What’re you guys doing here?”

“The same,” Sonata answered. “Have you seen this?”

Whilst Sonata kept Sweetie busy, Sunset hurried over to where she knew Scootaloo and Applebloom were. She found them hiding behind several glass cases. A gentleman with silver hair tied back in an elegant ponytail and wearing purple glasses gave them a reproving glare and moved away.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asked.

“Don’t worry,” Scootaloo gave her a thumbs up. “We’ve got this.”

“Got what? There’s nothing to get,” Sunset hissed.

“You’re on a date, aren’t you?” Applebloom asked, eyes full of eagerness. Sunset’s embarrassed hesitation was as good as a confession to the little Apple. “But she don’t know that, does she? Don’t worry though, the Crusaders have got this!”

“There’s nothing to get!” Sunset repeated. “Please, don’t do anything.”

“So what do you think of this one?” she heard Sweetie Belle ask loudly from across the room. Sunset and the two girls peered around the case to see Sweetie Belle pointing out an equestrian painting. A man in regimentals sat astride a horse, pointing a sword forth out of the painting. An army march behind him in the glare of a painted sunset.

“It’s nice visualisation,” Sonata said speculatively.

“I quite like the depiction of the sunset,” Sweetie Belle said in cultured tones, rather like Rarity. “See how it seems to shimmer behind them?”

“Why are you talking like that?” Sonata asked, giving Sweetie a curious look.

“Like what?”

“You keep putting emphasis into certain words,” Sonata pointed out.

Sunset, Applebloom, and Scootaloo all slapped their hands to their heads simultaneously. Sweetie paused for a moment, glancing momentarily to the side before hitching her smile back into place.

“That’s how you’re supposed to talk,” she said, confidently. “When you talk about art, I mean.”

“Oh.” Sonata blinked, looking faintly surprised. Sunset and the Crusaders all held their breaths. “So, should I speak more like this?” she asked, employing the same upper-society drawl as Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo and Applebloom snorted, but gave Sweetie identical thumbs up. She gave them a covert salute.

“I bet you could draw something like this, couldn’t you?” Sweetie Belle went on.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Sonata said, speculatively. “This looks like it would take a long time.”

“A long time?” said a pompous voice. The man with the silver ponytail had been inspecting the painting next to them, and now pushed his glasses a little further up his shapely nose. “My dears, I personally know this artist. It took the better half of a year for him to make this marvellous display.”

“You know the artist?” Sonata asked, eagerly.

“Certainly,” the man said, a self-satisfied smile stretching his mouth. He held out a regal hand. Sonata shook it automatically. “Hoity Toity. Fashion aficionado extraordinaire,” he introduced himself. “Why am I here of all places, you may ask,” he continued when no one did ask. “The coming fair is to host some of the newest fashion designs, and as is fitting to my station, I must be ahead of the crowd at all times.”

“That’s nice,” Sweetie Belle said, looking faintly annoyed.

“Indeed,” Hoity Toity said meaningfully. “It is my opinion that paintings will soon have a more prominent role in the fashion world again,” he announced, rolling each and every R.

“Really?” Sonata asked, genuinely interested. “What kind of paintings?”

“Alas,” Hoity sighed. “That has yet to be determined.”

“Would you like to see some of my paintings?” Sonata asked, hopefully, perhaps losing herself in the moment. Hoity raised one perfect eyebrow.

“You have paintings on display here?” he asked, as though he found this hard to believe.

“No,” Sonata began. “At my apartment.”

“Ah,” Hoity smirked. “An amateur artist. How quaint.”

“Hey, watch it, buddy,” Sweetie Belle snapped. “I’ve seen her stuff, and it’s just as good as anything here!”

“You tell him, Sweetie Belle,” Sunset, Scootaloo, and Applebloom all whispered at once.

“And yet, not good enough to get into a common city art gallery,” Hoity observed, superciliously. “Good day to you,” he said, still smirking. He walked away, followed by Sweetie’s baleful glare, and Sonata’s slightly downcast frown.

“Don’t listen to that guy,” Sunset said robustly, walking over whilst Sweetie Belle rejoined her comrades. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. You could totally get some of your work in here.”

Sonata gave her a questioning look, as though wondering if Sunset was just saying that to be nice. Then she seemed to get an idea. “Can I borrow your phone?”

“Um, sure,” Sunset said, handing it over. “What do you need it for?”

“Adagio,” Sonata said, eagerly. “She or Trenderhoof will know how I could get my stuff here. Or try, anyway.”

“Good idea,” Sunset nodded. “Trenderhoof might put in a good word for you, too. Do you mind if I just um, go over here for a moment?”

Sunset hastened back to the Crusaders, who were in solemn conclave.

“Guys, seriously,” she whispered. “Look, I’m grateful you’re trying to help me out here, but—“

“Are you telling us you don’t like her?” Applebloom asked, folding her arms stubbornly.

“Well... okay, yes I like her,” Sunset admitted, dropping all pretence.

“Like-like?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yes, like-like,” Sunset blushed. She heard her phone go off but paid it no attention. Sonata would get it. “I just need to do this myself, okay?”

“Oh come on,” Scootaloo argued. “You’re taking forever with this. We can help you get together a lot quicker.”

“I don’t want it to go faster!” Sunset fought to keep her voice a whisper, but it was hard not to shout. “Look, I’ve got this, okay? Please just don’t interfere?”

They continued a little back and forth, since the Crusaders either didn’t believe that Sunset ‘had it’, or were convinced of their own ability to help things along. None of them noticed meanwhile the conversation Sonata was having, nor the paleness that was coming over her.

“For the last time,” Sunset began, really quite exasperated by this point.

“Sunset?” Sonata called over. Sunset looked up.

“Um, yeah?” she said.

“Could I talk to you for a moment?” Sonata said, indicating the entrance hall.

Sunset followed her out of the room, but was somewhat surprised when Sonata didn’t stop in the vestibule. She tried ineffectually to point out that leaving would invalidate their passes, but Sonata kept walking. This made Sunset wonder what was wrong.

Outside, Sonata turned the corner and walked a little ways down a small side walkway between flower gardens. Sunset followed, aware of the Crusaders hiding behind the classical pillars of the gallery’s entrance to eavesdrop.

“I just got a call from the hospital,” Sonata said, finally speaking. “Or you did, I guess.”

“Okay,” Sunset said, reaching out for the phone. Sonata didn’t give it to her.

“Aria’s left the hospital.”

Sunset’s insides clenched. “She discharged herself?” she asked, aghast. The feeling of the previous day bubbled up from the day before, slowly feeling its way back into her system.

“No, she’s just disappeared,” Sonata said calmly. That struck Sunset as a little odd, and so did the steady stare Sonata was giving her. Her magenta eyes bored into Sunset’s own. “Did you visit Aria yesterday?”

Sunset paused. “Yes,” she said. “I meant to tell you. You were asleep when they called and—“

“What did you say to her?” Sonata cut across her. Sunset paused again. The feeling crept up further, beginning to ball in her throat.

“What do you...?” Sunset said weakly. Her voice was suddenly hoarse.

“Sunset,” Sonata said, her voice tremulous. “Please tell me the truth. What did you say to her?”

Sunset stared at her for a long moment. Her first instinct was to lie, to cover up what she’d said. She opened her mouth to spin at the very least a half truth, but then too late found herself completely outflanked. The feeling seething up inside her, and Sonata’s imploring eyes entirely cut her off. She was reminded irresistibly of her talk with Aria the day before, only now the roles were reversed. She was on the defensive, and it was from this new dynamic that she finally saw this feeling inside for what it was. She had felt guilt before, oh how she’d felt it. Those days since her defeat had heaped it upon her every time she looked into the stony faces of her classmates, whenever people shied away from her, whenever she saw the lingering fear and resentment in the eyes of her former victims. But this guilt was not like that. This was different and unfamiliar. It twisted inside her and grew spines, latching on like thorns.

She couldn’t have stopped herself if she’d tried. In full, she told Sonata exactly what she’d done and said to Aria.

Sonata did not look angry. It would have been better if she had. Instead, her face drained more and more of colour, her eyes brimming with tears. Unseen by either of them, the Crusaders all looked on in awkward silence; Sweetie Belle, tearful and stricken, whilst Scootaloo and Applebloom looked faintly sick.

When Sunset finished, Sonata looked so hurt, Sunset wanted to cry.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her throat dry. Sonata didn’t respond. She looked at Sunset as though some inner certainty had just been torn away from her. She turned and began to walk towards the street. “W-Where are you going?”

“I don’t know,” Sonata said, quietly. “I just need... I need some time to think.”

“I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have said—“

“I’m not the one you need to apologise to,” Sonata replied. There was still no anger. It was just a deep, sorrowful disappointment. “I just... I wouldn’t have believed it of you,” she looked back. “You of all people.”

Sunset could think of nothing to say. As Sonata carried on walking, she reached deep, broke down her barriers, tried one last desperate thing. One last truth that might save all of her hopes this day had occasioned her.

“Sonata, wait! Please!” she caught her by the wrist. “Please, I... I love you.”

There was a moment of absolute silence. Even the surroundings seemed to have quietened to a dull hush. A slight wind picked up, blowing Sonata’s ponytail faintly to one side. She lowered her head slightly, but did not turn around again.

“Ten minutes ago,” she began. She may have finally succumbed to tears, it was hard to tell. The pain in her voice mingled with the slight hint of a laugh made Sunset’s heart seem to contort in her chest. “You don’t know how happy that would have made me.”

Sunset didn’t go after her this time as Sonata tugged her wrist out of her grip and walked away from her. She just stood there, feeling so far removed from everything around her that she might have been in another world.

She came to herself when she felt an uncertain grip on her forearm. Looking down, she saw Sweetie Belle, her large green eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I’m sorry,” she said. Without another word, she ran over to her friends waiting by the gallery entrance.

By the looks on their faces, Sunset imagined that she must look utterly pathetic. And she had to admit, at that moment, she completely agreed with them.

- To be Continued

The Sunset Sonata, Pt5

Author's Note

I've decided to upload this because of the um... *ahem* concern some of my dear readers seemed to feel about the previous chapter. The thought of leaving them in the throws of agony over Sonata's fate over Christmas seemed a little unfair.

Consider this my Christmas gift from me to all of you. :pinkiesmile:

The Sunset Sonata, Pt5

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 5

Sonata Dusk

The first thing that Sonata realised upon waking was that she ached all over. Why this should be she didn’t quite know, but her suspicions were aroused by the fact that she was lying on a paint flecked wooden floor. She stared at the floor for a little while, wondering why it was there.

“Oh,” she said for her own benefit. “Oh yeah.”

She pushed herself gingerly up from the floor, feeling every crack of bone and every tensing of her muscles and sinews. They complained volubly at being forced to move. At first she thought that this was what was giving her the horrible, gnawing feeling in her stomach, but she soon realised that this could not be so. The feeling that was eating away at her was an all too familiar feeling: one of unrecognised guilt.

She sat up properly, almost knocking her head on a box of her older works, and looked around. Everything looked different at this level. She thought back to what she could remember last, but quickly became confused. She couldn’t remember whether what she was thinking of had been when she was awake, or whether she had simply dreamt it. All of it was so absurd it could all have been a dream.

In actuality, none of it had been a dream. Whatever she had taken last night, she remembered with a stab of the unrecognised guilt straight to the chest, had given her the most vivid impressions of frankly odd things happening. As she stood up, she winced as the first rays of morning sun hit her face. Looking quickly away, she saw the consequences of her one night of total freedom, and felt her world collapse from beneath her.

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset had been delighted, albeit surprised to find that she had a visitor in the early morning.

“No morning jog today?” she asked.

Rainbow sat on the other end of the table, looking troubled. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to tell ya – we’re not supposed to talk about it because it’s secret and everything – but I’ve not been building my stamina up just for the Academy. It’s because I’m going to be in the air show over the art fair.”

Sunset whistled, impressed. “Seriously? That’s pretty awesome.”

“Yeah, it is.” Rainbow smiled a little, but then went back to looking troubled. “That’s not why I came here though.”

“Oh?” Sunset asked, a little surprised. “Then what’s up?”

Rainbow remained silent for a little while, mulling over the glass of water Sunset had given her. “Well...” she licked her lips and ran her hand through her rainbow hair. “It’s about Sonata. I’ve been trying to think whether I should tell you or not, and after thinking it over, I think I should. It was just that I thought I owed it to her to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

“What are you talking about?” Sunset asked, frowning.

Rainbow sat for a long moment, simply staring at the wood grains of the table. She reminded Sunset a little of Sonata over the past few days, worrying over her work. Eventually Rainbow seemed to come to herself again. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a sort of braying sound came out at first.

“I met Sonata in the street the other day,” she said with painful slowness.

“O-kay,” Sunset said just as slowly. “And?”

Rainbow sighed as though impatient with her own hesitancy. “I found her with... with drugs.”

Sunset stared at Rainbow for a moment. Then she gave a confused little laugh. “I’m sorry?” she asked, smirking. “What?”

Rainbow reached into the pocket of her sport shorts and pulled out a folded leaflet, and passed it across the table. Sunset took it, and looked it over bemusedly. It was blue and gold, the recognisable colours of the Wonderbolts, and had below a bold title a little cartoon Wonderbolt striking a heroic posture. Sunset read the title.

DRUGS DON’T MAKE IT INTO THE WONDERBOLTS

Feeling distinctly unnerved now, Sunset flipped through the leaflet carefully, as though she were holding something dangerous. Each page had pictures next to a title, a short paragraph, and a short list of bullet points, usually accompanied by the little cartoon Wonderbolt to one side saying something semi-witty in a speech bubble.

“Flip to page six,” Rainbow said quietly.

Doing so, Sunset found a page with a picture of little white pills. The pills had a small ‘D’ followed by an almost illegible number, but otherwise looked for all the world like any old pills. The title next to the picture said Deprox. Sunset read the little paragraph beneath.

Originally an antidepressant created in the 1990’s, Deprox was pulled from shelves and outlawed because of its hallucinogenic qualities when taken by adolescents. Whilst practically harmless to adults, the burgeoning recreational usage amongst addicted teenagers led to strong public outcry when several deaths resulted from—

Sunset stopped reading there. She looked up at Rainbow, whose expression was downcast.

“You saw her with these?” Sunset asked in a slightly strangled voice. Rainbow nodded. A little before she had finished doing so, Sunset was on her feet. “Why didn’t you tell me!?” she cried. “Why didn’t you take them off her if you knew what they were?”

“I-I know it wasn’t cool of me,” Rainbow admitted, looking thoroughly abashed. “I just thought that Sonata would make the right choice... I mean it’s not like she’s taken them, has she?” Rainbow frowned a little here. “Hey, where is Sonata?”

Sunset’s mind was working a thousand miles an hour. It wasn’t unusual for Sonata to sleep up in her workroom. She’d done it before when she was working on a new project, and Sunset had learned to just let her be when in that state of distraction. When she had woken up that morning and not found Sonata next to her, she had thought nothing of it. But now... after last night, if she had something like that in her possession, troubled as she was...

Sunset ran for the kitchen door, startling Rainbow out of her chair.

“Hey!”

Sunset ignored her. She turned the corner to the staircase up to the attic by swinging on the wood panelling, and bolted up, followed at a run by Rainbow Dash. Sunset didn’t knock, but wrenched the door clumsily and threw it open, banging it off the wall. She stared around, her heart racing, and saw with a surge of relief Sonata sitting against a box, staring into space. Skidding to a halt she knelt down, Rainbow jogging over and hovering uneasily behind her.

“Sonata?” Sunset asked, shaking her shoulders. “Sonata, speak to me! What have you done?”

Sonata didn’t seem to register her for a moment or two. Her eyes were wide and staring, as though a meteor were slowly but surely coming to obliterate all she knew, and there was nothing she could do but meekly sit there and wait for the coming annihilation. She didn’t answer precisely, but raised her hand and pointed over Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset blinked and looked around.

“Oh man...” Rainbow gasped, following Sonata’s finger too. Sunset’s mouth fell open in horror.

The paintings on all of the erect easels had been, in some way or other, defaced. The foremost one, displaying the ugly man with the square head, had an overly bright red moustache and beard drawn ludicrously down the length of his ugly, sludge-coloured military uniform. The banners behind him were no longer dull and respectable looking, but bright and full of primary colours that really didn’t go together.

The cityscapes too had been similarly ‘added to’. One tall, glass building had been coloured over to resemble a giant decorative egg with mythical creatures rising out of it. Another had a line of buildings that had been redrawn to look as though they were the bars of a song being played on an electrical display, with erratic music notes blaring out over the city. If Sunset were honest with herself, they looked better, but she knew that they had effectively been ruined for the purpose they were needed for. They could not be shown at the fair by any stretch of the imagination.

“Forget them for now. What happened?” Sunset demanded, looking back at Sonata. “What did you do? Rainbow told me you have...” she trailed off as Sonata’s face grew pink.

“I do. I took one.”

Sunset just stared at her, uncomprehending. “Why?” she asked, wanting to cry. “Why would you... why wouldn’t you just talk to me?”

“I-I don’t know... I wanted to but, I just couldn’t...” Sonata’s lip trembled.

“You took one?” Rainbow asked suspiciously. “Where’s the other one?”

Sonata indicated her paint box, and Rainbow picked it up. Fishing around for a bit, she picked up the pill and showed it to Sunset. It was just like the one in the picture, with the little number sequence.

“You idiot!” Sunset snapped. Now that she was reasonably sure that Sonata was okay, she felt swaths of anger roll over her. “Why would you do something so stupid? Did you even know what they were? Where did you get them?”

“That’s what I asked,” Rainbow muttered.

“And you can shut up now!” Sunset barked, pointing an accusing finger at her. “If you’d told me about this earlier, this might not have happened.”

Rainbow had the grace to look ashamed of herself, sticking her thumbs in her pockets and reddening.

“I’m sorry,” Sonata sobbed. “I’m sorry. I just felt... s-so horrible. I couldn’t do it anymore.”

Sunset wanted to stay angry. She knew she was right to be angry, that she was entirely justified in feeling so at the foolishness of her friend and girlfriend. But it had been too long since Sunset could properly hold onto her anger, and she was a little out of the practise of it. As Sonata sat against her box, defeated and rubbing her eyes with her palm, and Rainbow stood behind her looking unusually small and dispirited, Sunset felt herself sigh impatiently, and offer her hand. Reluctantly, Sonata took it, and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

“We’re not done talking about this,” Sunset said, taking the pill from Rainbow. “But since you seem to be okay, the immediate problem is what to do about these.” She looked at the paintings. Even in their ruined state, the pictures themselves were good. They simply didn’t look serious anymore, as though Mr. Bean had gotten to them.

“What’s to be done?” Sonata asked croakily. “It’s over, I can’t—“

“Nope!” Sunset interrupted, taking her wrist. “Not now, you’ve moped around on the floor long enough. It’s time to do something.”

“Uh...” Rainbow uttered cautiously. “Do what, exactly?”

“Call our friends and have them meet at Sugarcube Corner,” Sunset ordered. “We need an idea.”

Sunset’s friends had come to a subconscious understanding about Sugarcube Corner. On regular days when they met there to simply eat, drink, and socialise, times were set up way in advance. An impromptu summons was, usually, a sign that there was bad news to come, and help required.

It was therefore with appropriate seriousness – other than from Pinkie Pie – that the seven friends gathered at their favourite table, and glanced curiously at each other. Sunset, Sonata, and Rainbow all had more furtive expressions than the rest of them. Sunset had agreed that telling their friends exactly what Sonata had done was not the best idea. There was nothing to be done about it now, and Sunset was worried that Sonata would start crying if she was outed for drug use in front of all of their friends like this. Instead, she focused on explaining what had happened to the paintings, attributing their defacement to Sonata experiencing a temporary nervous episode. Which was mostly true. Sonata squirmed a little in her seat at this, but otherwise kept stum. Rarity patted her hand.

“Expectations, dear,” she said consolingly. “I can entirely sympathise with you.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Applejack said, raising both hands. “You got stressed out, and doodled over your paintings?”

Sonata nodded meekly. Sunset wished she’d stop looking so overtly guilty, in case any of them suspected deeper information was being kept from them. Which it was.

“I kinda want to see Sonata loco in the coco,” Pinkie said, musingly, trying to make three straws balance on their ends. “Sounds like a good time.”

“Well the problem of course,” Sunset interjected before Pinkie could expound, “is that she now has none of her paintings to put in the exhibition.”

“None?” Applejack asked, sceptically.

“None of the ones Hoity wanted in there.”

Everyone went quiet at the sound of Sonata’s voice. Sunset couldn’t blame them. She sounded heartbroken.

“Come on all of you,” Rarity said, thumping the table. “There’s got to be something we can do. Can’t you re-paint them?”

“It was taking me forever to do them as it was,” Sonata sighed. “They’re just so dull.”

“Couldn’t you draw them in a more exciting way?” Fluttershy asked tentatively. “I mean, would that be okay? Is that an okay suggestion? If it’s not I’ll just be quiet.”

“It’s a good suggestion,” Sonata admitted. “But trust me. There was no way to make that guy looking interesting without making him funny. And funny apparently isn’t on the Capital’s fashion list.”

“The Capital has been a bit lax on proper culture recently,” Rarity mumbled.

“I like to make up stories about stuff when they bore me,” Pinkie Pie put in helpfully. “Like when I’m at school, and the class is boring, I pretend that I’m a spy trying not to be spotted so I can sneak the top secret information—“

“And cheat off my test paper,” Applejack sneered. “Yeah, ah noticed.”

Pinkie blushed and lowered herself in her seat, giving Applejack a winning smile.

“I’m not sure Sonata can pretend to be a spy whilst trying to paint something,” Sunset chuckled.

“Well, we’ve all tried giving advice on this,” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “Obviously nothing we said worked.”

“True. Given poor Sonata’s little breakdown,” Rarity added.

“She has had a lot on her mind,” Sunset muttered, blushing. She tried not to think of Fleur. It suddenly occurred to her that perhaps it hadn’t just been the paintings weighing on Sonata’s mind. She felt a pang of guilt at the thought that she, Sunset, might have had an unintentional hand in Sonata’s current unhappiness.

“Well, who else can we ask?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Who do we know?”

They all made thoughtful faces, all except for Fluttershy. “Um, I think I know someone who might be able to help,” she said. She looked around at them all. “But maybe we shouldn’t disturb her,” she continued, apparently having second thoughts.

“Who is it?” Sunset asked.

“Well, um...” she looked at Sonata. “Have you asked Aria?”

Sunset had been sitting with her head on her hand, feeling none too optimistic, but as Fluttershy said her name, Sunset wondered at why they hadn’t thought about it before.

“I really didn’t want to bother her,” Sonata said meekly.

“Wait a second,” Sunset whispered, almost speaking to herself. “Pinkie Pie. Maybe that idea isn’t such a bad one after all.”

Pinkie looked very pleased with herself. “See? Sunset agrees with me about hot sauce milkshakes,” she said smugly to Applejack.

“No, not that one,” Sunset interrupted as Applejack rolled her eyes. “The one about making a story.” She fell quiet for a moment or two as all of their friends watched her curiously. All of them knew that look of course. Sunset had an idea. “It might work,” she muttered to herself. “Sonata, do you still have time to paint the pictures?”

“I guess,” she said unenthusiastically. “If I could actually get into them, it wouldn’t be a prob—“

“Good,” Sunset said. “Call Aria and tell her we’re going to pay her a visit.”

“This sounds like the beginnings of inspiration. What’s your idea?” Rarity asked, interestedly.

“More importantly,” Applejack put in, “will it work?”

“I have no idea,” Sunset shrugged. “But it’s the only thing I can think of to do now.”

“Cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them,” Pinkie announced impressively, standing up and putting a foot on the table. “Boldly they rode and well. Into the jaws of death.”

“Pinkie, what are you doing?” Rainbow asked.

“Reciting poetry,” Pinkie whispered, her voice still low and foreboding. “Duh.”

Rainbow seemed about to ask the obvious question: Why? But then seemed to think better of it.

The rehabilitation clinic and its associated buildings lay on one side of the city park, the opposite end to the school where a section of the greenery was reserved at certain times of the day for patients there to take exercise. People in wheel chairs doing seated aerobics to stave off atrophy, or some of the younger patients racing each other with crutches. One woman, who was Sunset’s favourite person to meet whenever they happened to visit Aria, was a veteran who had lost a leg to a road-side bombing. The woman was pleasant most of the time, but had a certain roughness about her, possibly from being in the army, and had a habit of bursting into sudden snappy rages when something annoyed her. In one memorable, never to be forgotten moment, she had taken off her own prosthetic and chucked it at another patient for littering.

Aria was seated at one of the park benches, scribbling in a colourful notepad. Colourful in a pink and black way. It had a few stickers of skulls with bows on their heads, silver stars, and a little Union Jack. As Sunset and Sonata made their way towards her along the pebbly path that ringed the green, she looked up, pleasantly surprised.

“Hey,” she said. “What’s up with you guys?” She stood up a little awkwardly, and limped forward into a hug that Sonata gave her.

“Nothing too major,” Sunset said casually in that way people do even when horrible things are in fact occurring. “You’re looking good without the crutches.”

“I’ll be walking properly in no time,” Aria said, putting one hand on her hip and using the other to give an airy gesture. It had to be said that she’d regained a lot of her former swagger fairly easily, even with the obvious limp. Her hair was back in its twin tails, and her half-mocking smile more often ornamented her face than not. It was refreshing to Sunset at least to see some good being done in the world.

“Either of you want to race to the fountain?” Aria jerked a thumb at a water fountain.

Sunset looked blank for a second or two, but then decided to turn the conversation towards their reason for visiting. “Actually, we’re here to ask you a favour.”

Aria looked surprised again, but also attentive. “What do you need?” she asked, looking between them both. “What’s up with you, Sonata?”

Sonata coloured up and suddenly developed a few nervous ticks. Sunset interceded before Aria could start asking why Sonata was now sucking the end of her ponytail.

“She needs to paint a few things but she can’t get into the swing of it,” Sunset said quickly. “I thought maybe you could help.”

“You want me to help her paint?” Aria asked, frowning.

“No, no,” Sunset sighed. She’d seen that coming too late. “No, I want you to help her paint quickly. I want you to give her some inspiration.”

“She hasn’t told me her idea yet either,” Sonata commented, shrugging at Aria.

“So, what is it you think I can do?” Aria asked curiously.

“Right.” Sunset gestured to the bench. “Mind if we sit down for this?’

They all sat, Aria looking relieved but trying to hide it by sitting back with ostentatious relaxation. She spread her arms along its back and raised her eyebrows as a sign that she was listening. “Go on then.”

“What I think you could do,” Sunset began, “is to make a story about the paintings.”

There was a short pause.

“I hope there’s more to your idea than that,” Aria said, evidently not following.

“Make a story about the paintings?” Sonata asked, scratching her cheek. “You told me the history of some of those things I had to paint, and it didn’t help.”

“No indeed,” Sunset said, glaring at Sonata with heavy-lidded eyes. She was still kind of peeved that Sonata had not found the history she had looked up interesting as she did. “But it’s sort of the same thing. I want Aria to write something that’ll make the paintings seem exciting. I want her to inspire you to paint. If she can make a decent story about the things you have to paint, you can simply paint scenes from her story that you actually want to paint.”

Aria and Sonata looked at each other in a considering sort of way.

“I guess that might work,” Sonata said slowly. “Can you make exciting stories?”

Her tone had been innocently inquiring, but Aria bristled. “Yes!” she snapped. “Can you make exciting stories?” she mimicked, folding her arms defensively.

“So you’ll do it?” Sunset asked, feeling she already knew the answer.

“Oh I’ll write you a story,” she assured, in the tones of a New York mobster assuring the man in cement shoes about how peacefully he was about to be sleeping. “What’s it got to be about?”

“Oh my god, are you serious?”

Aria stared in revulsion at her computer screen. Technically speaking it wasn’t her computer, but the one that was in her room. A clean, white room with sparse furnishings, but clean and orderly. Aria had added her own touch of anarchy and individuality to it by tacking up posters on the walls, and apparently spray-canning a stencil logo of some band onto the door. Either the staff were really lenient about that sort of thing, or else they hadn’t yet noticed it.

“Yeah...” Sonata said, weakly. “That’s what I have to paint.”

All three of them stared at the Wikipedia entry. The man had seemed dull in Sonata’s colour painting, but in the old black-and-white photo shown on his wiki entry, the man looked simply too boring to be allowed. Even Sunset, who enjoyed reading about the man’s back story, felt that the guy wouldn’t be permitted into most night clubs with those shoes. Aria read a little of his biography, looking more and more ill as she went.

“Oh my god...” she said again. “Where are my pain meds? I think I’m getting a headache.”

“Can you do it?” Sunset asked tentatively.

Aria flopped back in her chair and blew out her cheeks. “I think so. But I gotta say Sonata, that guy who suggested this just has the worst ideas.”

“You have no idea,” Sonata mumbled so that neither of them would hear her.

“How long do you think it’ll take to make a story about him? Could you roll all of the paintings into a single story?”

“I think so,” Aria said thoughtfully. “Could do an alternate history, or perhaps something to do with time travel so he’s in the cities you need to draw. Have to be careful with time travel stories though. They leave a lot of loose ends and it’s difficult not to write in plot holes.”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be perfect,” Sunset put in, foreseeing a possible perfectionism problem here. “It just has to be enough to get Sonata’s creative juices flowing.”

Aria nodded, and then a thought seemed to strike her. “Speaking of juices flowing, how’re you two doing?”

Sunset coughed and spluttered as she accidentally inhaled some of her own saliva. Sonata coloured up and pulled Aria’s hair. “Why would you say something like that?” Sonata whined.

“Because it’s so easy,” Aria snickered as her head was pulled to one side. “Anyway, get back to me tomorrow I think. I got some research to do. Unless you guys want to play the Galaga game in the rec-room?”

It was some hours before Sunset and Sonata returned home. Sunset said nothing as Sonata eagerly accepted Aria’s challenge to the recreation room’s impressive collection of 80’s arcade games, and only stepped in after Sonata became so frustrated at her losing streak that she seemed about to challenge Aria to Dance Dance Revolution. She thought Sonata needed a little fun to shake off her mood of that morning, and indeed it was with a renewed spring in her step that they returned home and ordered Chinese.

“You know, it’s not like they’re even that bad,” Sunset commented with a mouth full of noodles, squinting at the defaced paintings. “I mean, no they can’t be used, but it’s not like they’re badly done.”

“No,” Sonata conceded.

“They just look kind of funny.”

“Can we stop talking about this?”

“If you like.”

Sonata waited a moment, looking at Sunset out of the corner of her eye as they watched the sun descend over the western horizon. “I’m sorry I took that pill,” she said quietly. “I really am.”

Sunset waited for an explanation or some kind of excuse to follow, but Sonata offered none. If Sunset were honest with herself, she had remained angry with her for the entire day, but her irritation with her stupidity, and her hurt over how Sonata had not felt able to confide in her had been slowly chipped away as the day wore on. Sunset remembered how it was to hold a grudge, however vaguely, and to remember the smallest of sleights for long periods. She supposed it was her regard for Sonata, her love for the girl sitting next to her, that stood in the way of her indignation from taking root and festering. Sunset was glad of it in the main. She didn’t want to be mad at Sonata, and bore the loss of her rage with philosophy.

She put her arm and Sonata’s shoulder. “I was just worried about you,” she exhaled. “When Rainbow told me what you had, I thought of... well,” she stopped. She had thought back to that time, so long ago now, on the roof of their apartment. She wondered if that dark image would ever fade from her memory, if the thought of what might have happened that day would ever leave her.

“Do I have to sleep on the couch tonight?”

Sunset looked down at Sonata, bemused. Sonata was trying to be cute. Sunset thought, as she had before, that if Sonata had still been evil, she and her friends might actually be in real danger.

“Are you kidding?” Sunset asked sternly. “After what you did today I’m not letting you out of my sight. You’ll sleep with me and I’ll keep my eye on you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sonata said with false sorrow.

Both girls gave each other furtive grins, and then both laughed. Once the fit had left them, they gazed at each other for a bit in that sappy, typical way lovers do.

“We’re terrible,” Sunset sighed.

“The worst,” Sonata agreed, pressing her lips to Sunset’s.

Sonata must have been more tired that Sunset imagined. As Sunset shut the curtains on the vanished light of day, she looked down at Sonata’s already sleeping form in their bed. It struck her, as she saw Sonata’s thin, frail body lying there, how much it would hurt for her to leave, or be taken in some way. In this susceptible state of mind, she walked over to the drawers next to the bed, and opened the top one. Next to her magical journal and a small pack of tissues, was a small, zip-lock plastic bag with a single, white pill in it. She picked it up and took a look in the dim light of the lamp.

Sunset could build no sense of loathing or revulsion for it. It was a pill, small, white, and originally created to help people. And make money. Like all tools, it could be misused. The thing that garnered the anger that refused to attach itself to Sonata, had latched eagerly to something else.

If I ever find who gave her this, she thought. She left the internal threat hanging. Clichéd though the thought was, Sunset meant every syllable, and the implied doom they signified. She and Sonata had been made to feel pain that day, and as lucky as they were that one foolish little action had had so small a lasting effect, the thought of what might have been lingered in Sunset’s mind.

She got into bed, and huddled up next to Sonata. Whether Sonata was asleep or not it was hard to tell without her snoring, but whether awake or asleep, she turned over on her side, and took hold of Sunset’s middle. Feeling a contentment she was glad she could still feel, Sunset leaned her face down into Sonata’s sweet-smelling hair and held her close, grateful for her presence.

- To be Continued