Dazzling Sunset: Past Scars

Chapters

Changing Norm [Added 31/12/2022]
Worth [Edited 31/12/2022]
Healing Touch
Explanations
Sub-Elements

Changing Norm [Added 31/12/2022]

Canterlot High was finally beginning to settle down. The Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands were behind them. The student body had returned to themselves once more, and companionship throughout the school was more solid than it had ever been.

Thanks to her contribution during the Battle of the Bands, Sunset Shimmer had been mostly accepted among the other students. There were still plenty that regarded her warily, and a few still occasionally spoke of her past, but those were small incidents. Most of the students welcomed her with open arms now that she had proven she was on a better path.

The trio of Sirens had returned to the school a few days after the Battle of the Bands, taking care to hide their new gems from the rest of the student body. The last thing they needed was for the students to attempt returning them to their previous state of starvation before they even figured out how to use these new jewels. Sunset had given them a second chance. They weren’t going to let it go to waste.

Initially, the students treated them the way they had Sunset Shimmer, but the reception rolled right off the three women. They had spent their entire lives creating and feeding from negative energy, so the attitude of the rest of the school was nothing new for them. If the other students wanted to intimidate them, they would have to find a different way to do it, much to the aggravation of the student body. The tactic had worked on Sunset Shimmer, so for it not to work on the Sirens frustrated those who held a grudge for the Battle of the Bands.

Since the negative reception wasn’t doing any good, the other students simply settled for glaring at the sirens in disgruntled silence whenever the women passed by. Adagio led the trio through the halls as usual, relishing in the looks being thrown their way. Sonata bounced along without a care and Aria met the heated gazes with icy stares of her own.

“Do you think they’re practicing again?” Aria grumbled at Adagio.

“Likely,” Adagio replied. “It’s the only way they can access their magic, so it makes sense.”

Sonata hummed in thought. “Do you think we should play instruments?” she asked curiously. “It might be fun.”

“Sirens don’t need instruments when we have our song,” Aria pointed out.

“But we don’t have our song anymore,” Sonata reminded her. “Which means we should try to find other ways to eat.”

Aria rolled her eyes. Sonata had her there. Without the ability to sing, they were left to simply absorb whatever energy was in the air around them. That wouldn’t help them if they were hungry unless they were in a crowded place. Instruments would allow them to evoke emotions without having to sing.

Hurried footsteps caught their attention and they all turned to find Sunset Shimmer racing closer. She skidded to a halt when she caught sight of them and grinned. “Oh! Hey you three!”

“Hey, yourself,” Aria snorted. “What’s the rush?”

Sunset ran a hand through her hair sheepishly. “I’m running a little late for practice,” she chuckled. “I overslept this morning and had to run all the way here.”

The sisters looked from the guitar on her back down to her legs and Sonata said, “That explains why you have nice legs.” Sunset’s cheeks darkened.

“You ponies always were fond of running everywhere,” Adagio snickered.

“You three didn’t?” Sunset asked in confusion. “How did you get around if not with hooves?”

“Didn’t you see our forms?” Aria raised an eyebrow at her. “We only had front hooves. We flew everywhere else. It would be practically impossible to get anywhere outside the water otherwise.”

Sunset hadn’t thought about that. But flying through the air made sense. In a way, it was just like swimming. “Huh, that’s really cool.” She checked the time on one of the hall clocks and winced. “Uh, I still gotta go, but do you three wanna join us for practice? You don’t have to sing, but since you like music, I just thought…”

“That’s sweet of you,” Adagio said. “Sure, we’ve got time before classes start.” She glanced at her sisters. Both gave nods of agreement and Adagio gestured to Sunset. “Lead the way, Shimmy.”

Sunset rolled her eyes at the nickname and headed in the direction of the music room. Students waved at her in greeting, but it didn’t escape Sunset’s notice that their friendly smiles fell the second they turned their attention on the sirens. A chill swept down her spine even though she knew none of the students really treated her like that anymore.

Melodies could already be heard in the music room as the quartet arrived and Sunset lifted her hand in a quick wave. “Hey, sorry I’m late! Woke up late today.”

Rarity stopped playing her keytar and gave her a wave in return. “If you needed a ride, darling, you could have simply said as much. I would have swung by to get you on my way here.”

“Thanks for the offer, Rarity, but I’m fine,” Sunset chuckled. She moved off to the side to unpack her guitar as she added, “I like getting the exercise. It reminds me of my roots a little.”

“You mean as a unicorn?” Applejack asked.

“Yup.” Sunset strummed a few quick notes on her guitar. She looked around when there wasn’t a snide remark and noticed the sirens were no longer in sight. That was weird, where did they go?

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Alright, now that Sunset’s here, we can start going over the new arrangements Fluttershy wrote for the songs.” Fluttershy smiled proudly and handed copies of the new music to the rest of the group.

Sunset accepted her sheets and let the sirens’ sudden disappearance fall to the back of her mind for the time being. She would have to find them later to figure out what happened, though.

Slightly down the hall from the music room, the trio leaned against the wall. They could hear the conversation inside just fine without having to be too close. They all remembered what the Rainbooms’ music had done to them before. With Sunset now among them, the sisters didn’t want to take any chances. Listening from outside would do just as well.

“She likes taking a run,” Aria snickered. “Wonder if she’d be down to go on morning jogs with Sonata.”

“She probably would,” Adagio said as she looked over a poster advertising the robotics club. “It would give them the opportunity to bond.”

Both glanced at their youngest and found Sonata bopping along to the music. “No thoughts, just music,” Aria chuckled, flicking Sonata’s ponytail. “At least their arrangements have gotten better.”

Adagio listened as Sunset’s guitar joined Rainbow Dash’s and she smiled. “Yes. Yes, they have.”

Author's Note

I thought the original beginning was a little too fast, so I added this to help. I'll be honest, I don't know if it worked but I'm happier having it.

Worth [Edited 31/12/2022]

“Do you think we can cause enough emotion without music?” Aria suggested as she followed Adagio into the school.

“How would we do that?” Sonata asked.

“I was thinking if we wanted a specific emotion, we could just… do things to make it happen,” Aria shrugged. “Like, I don’t know, scaring people for fear or being nice for happiness, or whatever.”

Adagio pressed her hand against her chin. “I don’t know how we would be able to do that without using even more energy than when we were singing,” she muttered.

As they walked, the students sent scowls in their direction. Several of the students pointedly looked away as they passed while others glared at them the entire way down the hall. The sisters ignored them as usual and continued their conversation.

“Would it be better for us to get energy separately?” Aria tried. “If we don’t need to sing, and we don’t need negative energy, we can get our food from a wider range without harmonizing.”

Her sisters shared a quick glance. “That’s… actually a great idea,” Adagio said quietly. “It would ensure all of us got the necessary amount of food without needing to split it amongst ourselves.”

Aria puffed her chest proudly. She had been trying to think of some way for them all to feed properly with these new pendants since the night they received them. For Adagio to acknowledge one of her ideas and praise her was a huge achievement in her book.

Before anything further could be said on the matter, the student body decided to remind them where they were. A few of the braver students were frustrated at their tactics failing and had gotten fed up with the sirens’ attitudes. It wasn’t right for these girls to walk around with the same confidence they had before their defeat, without a care in the world. Trixie cleared her throat, breaking into their discussion. She was going to make them realize their foolishness and force them to retreat with their tails between their legs.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t see how you three can act so high and mighty after your defeat,” she stated, crossing her arms. “No one here will ever accept you after what you did to all of us.”

“We don’t need them to,” Adagio said simply, cocking her hip. “Their opinions don’t matter now and won’t matter after they graduate.”

“How can you be so sure of that?” Trixie huffed. How dare this otherworldly monster act as if they don’t matter!

Aria sneered at her as she moved closer to Adagio. “What are they gonna do to us after we’re no longer confined to the school? Find out where we’re going and follow us? Are you all a buncha stalkers?”

Trixie gritted her teeth. “We could always ruin your reputation!” she snapped angrily.

“How?” Sonata asked in genuine confusion. “It’s not like you can tell anyone about our true nature. Won’t they just think you’re making things up?”

“Poneidon forbid you actually mention magic to anyone who doesn’t attend this school,” Adagio added with a malicious grin.

“Cause, you know, that won’t make you seem like a complete lunatic or anything,” Aria snickered, crossing her arms.

The students around shifted in a mixture of anxiousness and irritation. The sirens had a point. They didn’t dare tell anyone outside the school about the intimate details of the Fall Formal or the Battle of the Bands. No one would believe them, and most of them couldn’t quite believe it themselves.

Trixie’s bravado faded slightly and she stared at the sirens in befuddlement. “I don’t understand,” she said quietly. “Sunset Shimmer was a wreck after the Fall Formal. Why aren’t you acting like she did?”

Aria rolled her eyes and grumbled, “High schoolers are so stupid…”

“We are thousands of years old,” Adagio stated, drawing herself up to her full height and using her imposing presence to practically tower over the stage magician. “We have lived countless lifetimes and will live countless more. Your weak attempts to intimidate us mean nothing to beings who were in existence before your ancestors could walk.”

“Plus, you all intimidated Sunset Shimmer by ignoring her, isolating her, and making her feel alone since she doubted basically everything about herself.” Sonata’s summary was a bit on the nose, but Aria easily picked it up.

“The thing is, we’re not alone,” she scoffed. She and Sonata stepped forward so that they were right beside Adagio. “It’s been the three of us for thousands of years. We don’t care if some stupid school kids from an alternate world glare and whisper about us. We’re stuck here for eternity, but you’re all going to grow old, die, and turn to dust. Compared to that, your little fits mean nothing.”

Trixie shrank before the three women and the other students gaped at the trio. They had forgotten that, even though the sirens no longer had their pendants, they were still from an alternate world. They still had inherent magic from Equestria. Their lifespans eclipsed those of the people currently trying to change them. It made all of the students feel considerably smaller in comparison.

Adagio’s lips spread into her signature smirk as she grinned down at the subtly trembling Trixie. “I suggest you have a smoke bomb on you the next time you decide to confront a magical being, sweetheart. It would be just terrible for them to be less cordial than us.”

The sirens sent the students around smirks as they sauntered passed the stumped magician and continued on their way. Before they got too far, Adagio turned slightly and called, “Oh, and that extended lifespan? That applies to ponies, too. Remember that the next time you have something to say about Sunset Shimmer’s past. She has the capability to make your futures miserable.”

“As if she would,” one of the other students shot back. “She’s hanging with the Rainbooms now. She’s terrified of being an outcast again, we made sure of it.”

“We’ll see,” Adagio responded in a sing-song voice as she flipped her hair. She knew it was most likely true, but she wasn’t going to give these children the satisfaction of a confirmation.

Once they were further away from the other students, the trio lifted their hands to the new violet gems at their throats. They had taken great care to hide the gems from the rest of the school, and tended to avoid their rival band during practice. The conversation before they had been so rudely interrupted was just another part of their investigation into the magic in the gems. They had yielded little in the way of results, but thanks to being able to absorb the energy without singing, they could take their time.

“Do you think their morning practice is done yet?” Sonata asked her sisters.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Aria shrugged. “Let’s check.”

They started in the direction of the music room as Adagio mused on a few different details. “Spending time around her without her friends is difficult at the moment. Perhaps if we utilize the classes we have with her as well as lunchtime, we might be able to get closer to her.”

“Sunny gets a little distant with her friends sometimes,” Sonata piped in. “Maybe we can hang out with her a little when she gets like that?”

“That might work,” Aria muttered. “If there are times she’s not with them, we can move in.”

Passing a reflective locker on their way, Adagio paused and scrutinized her appearance. She was flawless, as always, except for one hair that didn’t want to curl properly like the others. “I need to stop in the bathroom,” she grumbled as she stalked toward the nearest lavatory. “Stupid hair. Can never sit just right.”

“Bet you wish your hair was straight, huh?” Aria chuckled, flipping one of her twin-tails.

Adagio scoffed as she pushed the bathroom door open and replied, “Aria, I prefer there be nothing straight about me. I just need to tame this naughty hair back in place and then we can-.” She stopped at the sight of the very person they wanted to see standing on the far side of the room.

Sunset Shimmer tensed up the second the door opened. She had removed her jacket and was clutching it against her torso, but she hurried to turn away when they entered. Her efforts did not stop Adagio’s eyes from flicking to the mirror beside her. The lead siren could just make out something odd on the unicorn’s skin. Walking closer to get a better look, a small gasp tore from her throat.

Adagio motioned Aria forward and pointed at what she’d spotted. The other two sirens strode over and took a look as well. Sonata’s hands flew up to cover her mouth in horror. Aria stomped over and grabbed Sunset’s shoulder, turning her around and seeing the evidence directly.

Eyes of varying degrees of violet took in the expanse of skin on both of Sunset’s arms. Small pink lines, clearly visible and barely faded, covered the skin. Most of them were on her upper arms, but the number near her wrists and elbows still made the sirens’ chest tighten. The only reassurance was that they got shorter the closer they got to her wrists.

Adagio stared at the lines in nothing short of horror. Behind her, Sonata stared at Sunset with sadness and Aria clenched her fists to avoid breaking something. “S-Sunset…” Adagio breathed, eyes lifting to meet Sunset’s.

“Th-they’re old!” Sunset told them, rubbing her arm self-consciously the way the trio had seen her doing during the Battle of the Bands. “I was only covering them with makeup. The rehearsal made me sweat it out, so I wanted to reapply, that’s all. I-I haven’t gone back to that-.”

“How long?” the lead siren demanded softly, rose-colored eyes flicking down to the lines again.

“N-not since the Battle two weeks ago,” Sunset stated proudly.

Violet eyes traced her arms and Aria asked, “And how long were you doing it before that?”

Now Sunset looked guilty, and her rubbing grew worse. Without thinking, both Adagio and Sonata reached out to stop her; rubbing too hard could cause problems for the scars. “I… Well, the Fall Formal had been before that, so… every day, about every few hours each night…”

“For weeks…” Tears welled in Adagio’s eyes. She wanted to cause havoc, chaos, hatred… but had the sirens even needed to? The student body already had hatred within them, it was just concentrated toward one person. All the sirens really did was spread that hatred so it was directed at everyone. Even then, they would never dream of driving others to force someone into a corner like… like this.

Blinking quickly to stop the tears from falling, Adagio took a deep breath. It was unacceptable. They wanted to cause negativity, but they didn’t want to see people get hurt. Injuries made it difficult for people to worship them, after all. They would never want something like this to happen.

“Come with us,” she ordered. She tightened her grip on Sunset’s arm and led the group out of the bathroom.

“W-what?” Sunset found herself being tugged toward the school exit. “Why?”

“Duh!” Sonata said. “We’re going to patch you up, dummy!”

As expected, they were met with glares upon their reappearance, but those quickly fell when the crowd looked closer at the quartet. Students whispered in shock as they passed and some stared in horror when they got a good look at Sunset. A few moved closer as if to help, but hesitated. None of them had known what they were doing to Sunset Shimmer. They wanted her to change and be better, but they… they hadn’t meant to push her that far.

Sunset felt the eyes on her and her heart hammered in her chest. They were all staring. They could all see. They would all judge her again. She dug her heels in to slow Adagio down and Aria and Sonata paused with her.

Adagio glanced back in confusion, letting go of Sunset’s arm. As soon as she did, Sunset shrank in on herself and Adagio recognized that stance. Sunset only looked like that when she was under an unwanted spotlight. Aria glared at everyone with bared teeth, growling softly at the few who still looked like they wanted to come closer. Sonata shielded Sunset from view as Adagio stepped closer to her.

“What is it?” she asked gently, placing a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“C-can I at least put my jacket back on?” Sunset pleaded in a quiet tone.

The students had largely forgiven her for what she had done at the Fall Formal, but she knew they would never let her live down the years she kept them in an iron hold. There were a lot of them who probably thought she deserved these scars. She just… couldn’t take the staring, not while everyone could see everything.

Adagio snapped and Sonata handed the leather to her quickly. She helped Sunset slip into her jacket and the more observant students realized that the sleeves easily covered the scars on her arms without a trace. Trixie and several others looked close to breaking down when they noticed that small detail.

With Sunset’s jacket on, Adagio took a gentler hold on Sunset’s hand and continued her stride toward the school’s exit. Before they could get there, Security Alarm, the officer on duty to watch for any trouble, spotted them leaving and intercepted their path. “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded, crossing his arms. “School’s about to start. You need a pass from Principal Celestia or Vice-.”

Adagio glanced at Aria and her sister nodded. Lifting the officer by the back of his pants, she slid him to the side and out of their way. The trio headed for their car with Sunset Shimmer still protectively nestled between them. The other students watched them go as the front doors shut.

Author's Note

I've finally decided to continue with the next part of Dazzling Sunset! This one sets up a few plot points in the following installments, so I hope you enjoy this one.

Edit 12/31/2022 cleaned this chapter up a bit to help it match up with the new previous one

Healing Touch

“That was great!” Rainbow Dash pumped a fist in the air as the band finished their rehearsal.

Rarity nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, I quite enjoy playing a variety of songs. It feels so wonderful being a happy band together again.”

“Odd how Sunset disappeared near the end, though,” Applejack murmured, rubbing her chin. “I wonder where she got off to.”

“Probably just needed a bit of time to herself,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “She’s still getting used to our practice schedule, ya know? I mean, she’s nearly got it down, but it’s only been two weeks. We practiced for weeks before she joined.”

Her friends nodded and looked ahead as they exited the music hallway. They paused when they found students and staff lingering morosely around the halls. Many were reaching out to others in comfort while some simply stared down at the ground with mixed expressions of horror, disbelief, or sorrow. The Rainbooms stared around in utter confusion, wondering what had happened.

“What’s going on with everyone?” Rainbow Dash wondered in puzzlement.

Applejack shrugged her own confusion. “They all look like someone died.” The students closest to her flinched at the word choice and sank further in on themselves.

Pinkie ducked her head slightly. “Someone probably found out what Sunset had been doing to herself after the Fall Formal.”

“I beg your pardon, Pinkie?” Rarity asked slowly.

“Sunset felt terrible for what she did after the Fall Formal,” Fluttershy said quietly. “She had nightmares about the darkness and… and she took all of her guilt out on herself. She... just wanted everyone's pain to go away, including her own. Even worse, with everyone acting so hostile to her, she was only further reminded that she didn’t belong in this world. That only made it worse…” A few students burst into sobs at this information.

“Maybe she did kinda sorta deserve skepticism,” Pinkie murmured. “She did a bad thing, she deserved for people to be mad and not trust her. But to the level the student body took it to? She just… wanted some way to make it better.”

Their friends stared at them in utter shock. “H-how… how do you know this?” Rarity whispered, her voice tight.

Pinkie and Fluttershy shrugged. “We… we saw the marks one day. She tried to hide it; she probably thought it went unnoticed, but we saw. We were trying to make her feel welcome, so that she didn't have to feel so bad about it. I kept trying to make her smile and laugh and... show her there was another way to make the pain go away, but… ‘no offense’ doesn’t really mean sorry, not when it hurts that much to remember.” This caused the other three to flinch.

“Wait, that doesn’t sound like Sunset at all,” Dash stated pointed out. “She’s always been strong and sure of herself. Yeah, she was a bit down whenever anyone mentioned the Fall Formal, but she wouldn’t resort to cutting. Besides, wouldn’t we have noticed if she had?”

Applejack shook her head sadly at her friend. “Not with that jacket she’s always wearin’ we wouldn’t. But you’re right, that don’t sound the least bit like Sunset.”

“You didn’t see them,” Flash mumbled as he was comforted by his friends. “They were so bright and pink… and there were so many. Geez, and I just kept rubbing salt in the wounds, acting like she didn’t exist sometimes. She’s always been strong, but what we did to her… if not for you girls, she would’ve… she wouldn’t even be here probably.”

The group glanced to one another uneasily. Had they really not noticed the pain their friend was in? Sunset Shimmer always wore an air of confidence about her, for as long as they’d known her. While it had been absent during the weeks after the Fall Formal, they all figured it had to do with her reforming herself. Now that they thought about it, however, they had rarely seen her without any of them nearby. Had Sunset been… afraid of being alone in the school?

“Where is Sunset now?” Rarity asked Flash desperately. The thought of burning that leather jacket so that Sunset couldn’t hide from them again rang through her mind so loudly, the violette nearly didn’t hear the response.

“Those siren girls took her out of the building,” Bulk Biceps said nearby. His head, like everyone else’s, was bent in shame. “Tossed Security Alarm off like it was nothing and just left with her.”

The group looked to each other in panic and Rainbow Dash demanded, “And you just let them? They could be planning to hurt her-.”

“They weren’t,” Treehugger piped in. “They had no intention of hurtin' Sunset, dude, like, at all. Sonata said somethin' about gettin' her help or care or somethin'.”

“And that Adagio chick was really gentle with her wrist,” Captain Planet added. “She didn’t hold her tight or anything.”

“It was so weird seeing them go from being all confident and haughty to being gentle and caring like that,” Trixie muttered, holding herself tight and trying to forget the images in her head. “One minute, they’re swaying down the hall like they always do and the next, they’re practically running for the door with Sunset Shimmer between them. That girl, Aria, looked ready to punch anyone who got too close.”

The group looked to one another uneasily and Rainbow Dash set off for the door. “Come on, we’ve gotta make sure she’s okay.” The group followed suit. Security Alarm made to stop them before remembering who they were. He couldn’t take on a group that big on a regular day, let alone when they have magic. Sighing, he stepped aside and let them go.

“Does anyone know where the Sirens live?” Rarity inquired as they all hopped into Applejack’s truck.

“Ooh! I do!” Pinkie piped up.

Applejack slapped the pinkette a high five and revved the engine. “Lead the way, Pinkie!”

Several blocks from Canterlot High, near the outskirts of town, the Sirens arrived at their moderately-sized manor and guided Sunset Shimmer from the car. Aria unlocked the door as Adagio kept a firm but gentle hold on their guest. Sonata made her way toward the living room while Aria followed Adagio. The leader of the trio led Sunset up the stairs and into her bedroom.

Sunset was surprised to find that the room was much softer than she expected. The room was a dark orange with yellow accents and the bedspread was deep purple, a color the Sirens seemed particularly fond of. A mahogany dresser sat against one wall with a large vanity mirror and different makeup kits and hair care products lining the top. An entire shelf of stuffed foxes sat nestled near the bed, right over a desk holding a neatly stacked pile of blank line paper. The floor was covered in a plush red carpet that instantly made Sunset feel ashamed of walking on it with her boots.

Adagio didn’t care about the carpet as she sat Sunset Shimmer down on the bed. Aria retrieved the first aid kit from the en suite bathroom and began setting out the different supplies necessary.

“Th-the scars aren’t bleeding anymore,” Sunset pointed out hesitantly. “They aren’t even scabbing now.”

“But if not properly cared for they won’t heal very well,” Adagio told her, picking up a large tube of cream. “Just try not to fidget while I apply this. It will help them fade faster.”

Sunset bit her lip uncertainly before asking, “Why are you doing this? I thought you hated me and my friends for what we did to you. I mean, we endangered you for a while…”

“We couldn't care less about your stupid friends,” Aria huffed, leaning against the doorframe and watching her sister set to work. “But you’re the only person who bothered worrying about us, and, as idiotic and sappy as it sounds, that was an alright enough thing for us to be not as pissed at you.”

“But that doesn’t explain… this,” the redheaded woman pointed out, gesturing to the first aid.

Adagio chuckled softly, keeping her touch light. “We are petulant, arrogant beings, Sunset,” she sighed. “We think mainly of ourselves and often argue with one another over petty things. Sometimes, we even split up, though we can’t separate for very long. Even despite our penchant for chaos and spreading hatred, this is not something even we can overlook.”

“And we kinda owe you for saving our asses,” Aria muttered. She and Adagio paused to touch their new jewels before going back to what they were doing.

Sunset wasn’t sure how to respond to that and instead remained quiet. For a while, it was silent aside from the sounds of Adagio applying the cream and Sonata moving around downstairs. However, the peaceful atmosphere did not remain for long.

A crash sounded downstairs and Aria groaned in irritation. “If it’s Sonata in the kitchen breaking something again, I swear to Star Swirl.”

“Come out, Sirens!” Rainbow Dash’s voice echoed from below. “We know you’re here!”

Adagio rolled her eyes and sighed as she continued applying the cream to the scars. “Aria, be a dear and make them shut up?”

“With pleasure,” the purple siren grinned, cracking her knuckles. She turned and strode from the room as Sunset looked to her arm nervously.

“M-maybe I should go down to them,” she suggested. “Someone must have told them what happened by now or else they wouldn’t be here. It’s best if we all avoid a fight-.” Another crash reverberated below.

“Too late to avoid a fight,” Adagio stated nonchalantly. “Best thing to do now is to allow Aria to release her pent-up feelings and then see what’s going on. Besides, I’m nearly done with these, I promise.”

Downstairs, Sunset’s friends stared as Aria locked heads with Rainbow Dash on an equal level. None of them had ever seen anyone match their friend’s strength. There had been plenty who had outdone it, of course, but for this girl to be able to fight Rainbow Dash so easily when no other girl in their school could was highly impressive.

“What gives?” Rainbow Dash growled, rubbing her head. Aria had practically barreled down the stairs and slammed a fist into the side of her skull. “We’re here for our friend!”

“As if you can call her that!” Aria snarled. She missed Applejack and Pinkie Pie sneaking behind her and stealing up the stairs as her violet eyes focused on Rainbow Dash. “You don’t have a right to claim you’re her friend!”

Dash’s eyes narrowed in rage at the insinuation and she charged the purple-haired siren furiously. The two locked in a furious boxing match, trading punches and kicks as they tried to gain the upper hand. Sonata popped up beside Fluttershy and led the timid woman into the kitchen.

“U-um…” Fluttershy glanced around nervously. “You don’t plan to attack me?”

“Of course not!” the blunette chirped, removing fruits from the refrigerator and tossing them into the blender. “That wouldn’t be very nice at all. You just came to check up on your friend. I know you don’t really like conflict, so I decided to bring you in here so you weren’t scared off by Aria kicking your friend’s butt.” Throwing some ice into the machine, Sonata placed the top over it and held it in place as she pressed the Start button.

“You did that for me?” The pink-haired woman couldn’t believe this person who had been her enemy at one point and whom she’d never reconciled with was looking out for her well-being.

“Yup!” Sonata hummed. Fluttershy stared with wide eyes as wings, a pair of pony ears and a ponytail magically appeared on Sonata. “We’re evil, but we’re not heartless, you know. It would bite for you to panic in a situation like that. Do ya want a smoothie while we wait for them to finish?”

With a small smile, Fluttershy nodded. While she waited for the blender to finish, Sonata told her shy guest about how they had acquired the house. Fluttershy listened attentively, intrigued by the continued presence of the magic.

Meanwhile, Aria had finally thrown Rainbow Dash into the wall, glowering down at her contemptuously. “You call yourself her friend?” she snarled, hands curling into fists as she scowled at the breathless athlete. “You couldn’t even tell how much pain she was in! She’s been hurting for ages, but you were so consumed with your precious band and magic that you didn’t notice. None of you did. Is that what friendship is? Being so conceited you don’t even realize your friend needs you?”

“Like it’s any of your business!” Rainbow Dash growled. She wiped her cheek and shakily stood, leaning on the wall for support. Rarity rushed to her side and helped support her.

Aria’s eyes narrowed on her blue opponent. “I shouldn’t have had to make it my business,” she snapped. Rarity and Dash gaped in horrified shock as wings spread from her back and pony ears sprouted on her head, a third ponytail signifying her transformation. “If you’re her friends, you morons should have noticed something long before Adagio and I found her trying to cover the scars in the bathroom. Even an idiot like Sonata knew that something was wrong with her before we found out.” Aria crossed her arms and glared at them. “If that’s the friendship you’re preaching about, it’s probably better that we didn’t get in on it.”

Rainbow Dash and Rarity stared at her before glancing to one another worriedly, wondering how they were going to deal with the situation now.

Author's Note

I don't think the Sirens wanted to cause the kind of trouble that would push someone to suicide. Competitive animosity is fine, but the stuff Canterlot High was putting Sunset through wouldn't be on their to-do list. I'm of the sound mind that the school took the animosity toward Sunset too far. Being skeptical of her is one thing, but ostracising her is just another form of bullying.

Explanations

Upstairs, Sunset Shimmer grew uneasy at the sounds of fighting from downstairs. Adagio paid the noise no mind, faintly hoping Aria didn’t kill anyone on the couch. She didn’t feel like paying for a new upholstery because someone bled on her furniture. Footsteps on the stairs alerted them to the others just before the door flew open and Pinkie Pie leaped in. Applejack followed at a slightly slower pace and the cowgirl’s eyes zeroed in on the pair still sitting on the bed. Sunset watched as sadness crashed around the blonde’s eyes and she instinctively made to shield her arms from view. Adagio lightly tapped her hands away and continued her task.

“You’re breaking, entering, and trespassing,” the yellow siren told them calmly, not even looking up from what she was doing. “I have a mind to call the police.”

“We heard you brought Sunset to your house and wanted to see what it was like!” Pinkie Pie chirped, staring around in wonder.

Applejack moved forward slightly and added, “We also wanted to make sure Sunset was okay. The things we heard from the rest of the school were…” Her gaze fell to the still visible pink markings and her eyes tingled with sorrow. “They were… true. Oh, Sunset…”

“I-I haven’t done it recently!” Sunset exclaimed as she bit her lip. Adagio still refused to allow her to cover herself, so the eyes on her wounds only served to heighten her nerves. “N-not since the Battle of the Bands!”

“Only two weeks?” the blonde inquired quietly, eyes still on the lines. Sunset lowered her head in shame and Adagio’s eyes narrowed at Applejack.

“Now none of that,” the yellow siren ordered, placing a finger under the fire-haired woman’s chin. “I won’t have you feeling ashamed of your past in my house. Those scars are not something to be ashamed of.”

Applejack stared at the fiery-haired siren in confusion, wondering what was going on with her. It wasn’t every day Adagio Dazzle comforted someone out of the kindness of her heart. The woman was rarely even nice. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, piped in excitedly. “Yeah! They’re just another reminder of what you did!” Adagio’s arm twitched violently as she fought a facepalm. Sunset merely sank deeper in herself.

Shooting Pinkie a glare, Adagio huffed, “In my experience, I’ve found that one’s past is not something to be ashamed of, but to grow from.” Sunset gazed at her in shock at the words. “The person you were yesterday isn’t going to be the same person you are today nor the exact same as the person you will be tomorrow.” Applejack and Pinkie stared, slack-jawed, as Adagio sprouted a pair of pony ears and her hair grew into a ponytail. “Don’t be ashamed of what you’ve done, Sunset Shimmer. Recognize that your actions weren’t productive and learn from the mistakes you’ve made. Always keep going.”

The sound of footsteps penetrated the air once more and Pinkie Pie poked her head out to find Rainbow Dash and Rarity racing for them. “Applejack, Pinkie, you’re not going to believe what just happened!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed hysterically.

“It was highly unnerving!” Rarity agreed.

“What’s wrong?” Applejack turned to them in confusion.

Rainbow Dash caught her breath and explained, “So, you know how the purple one, like, attacked me when we came in?” Applejack nodded. “Well, she threw me into the wall after you left and just started screaming at us. She was going on and on about how we were supposed to be Sunset’s friends and know what’s going on with her and stuff, totally talkin’ down on us and whatever. Real high and mighty, made me wanna punch her again-.”

“But that’s not the odd part!” Rarity broke in. “As she was yelling at Rainbow Dash, Aria ponied up!”

“Sh-she did?” Applejack shared a glance with Pinkie.

“Ears, wings, sparkles, the whole thing!” Dash nodded.

“Huh, that just happened to Adagio!” Pinkie murmured.

“Really?” Rarity gasped.

“Yup!” Pinkie affirmed.

“She ponied up while comforting Sunset,” Applejack told them. “She grew ears and a ponytail while she was talking about the past making Sunset stronger.”

“But why is it happening to them?” Rarity inquired. “We broke their pendants, so they should be regular girls!”

“Maybe they’ve got inherent magic?” Applejack suggested, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “They’re not from here, so they’ve probably got magic in them, regardless of the pendants’ power.”

“But how do theirs manifest?” Dash asked with a shrug. “We ponied up because of our instruments, but they were just talking.”

“It could be because of our new pendants, too!” a voice chirped. The group turned to see Sonata, sporting ears, ponytail and wings, leading Fluttershy up the stairs. At her words, the group glanced to her neck and spotted a new violet jewel at her throat that they hadn’t seen before.

“Y-you have your jewels back?” Rarity stammered, terrified to be in a house with three dangerous women who had magic without needing music.

“Oh yeah!” Sonata grinned. “Sunset gave them to us.”

“Sunset!” The group turned to where Adagio was just finishing patching up the red-and-yellow-haired woman’s arms. The woman in question turned to her friends in confusion. All of them glared at her accusingly, making her sink all over again. Adagio held her hands to stop her from rubbing her arms and disrupting the bandages there.

“You gave them new pendants?” Rarity demanded furiously.

“After all the trouble we went through to defeat’em?” Applejack growled. “How could you do that?”

“I didn’t give them magical pendants!” Sunset explained, her voice cracking and making both Sonata and Adagio glare at the group in the doorway. “I just gave them little jewels to make them feel better about losing their own.”

“In doing so, she unknowingly used her element of harmony to awaken the magic within us,” Adagio stated.

This caught the cluster’s attention and Rainbow Dash cocked her head in puzzlement. “What do you mean her element? Twilight said it was only the five of us.”

“Princess Twilight is still young,” Adagio told her dismissively and resisting the urge to sigh. She truly was surrounded by idiots. “She still has a lot to learn about her own magic. Sunset Shimmer is the element of forgiveness.”

“That makes sense,” Fluttershy agreed after a moment of thought.

A scoff from the stairs made Rainbow Dash’s ears twitch and she turned to see Aria come into view. “You’d know that if you paid closer attention to her,” the purple siren sniffed, wings flapping contemptuously.

“Well, how do you three know all this?” Dash shot back irritably. She was tired of this woman talking down on her just because she wasn’t attentive to one person. Sunset Shimmer wasn’t her only freaking friend!

“Because we wanna date her, duh!” Sonata giggled, gaining glares from both sisters and stares from Sunset and the rest of the band.

Adagio grabbed the first aid kit and stood from her spot quickly. “Well, Sunset, your arms should heal fine now. The scars should fade within a week. Don’t hesitate to come by and-.”

“You want to date me?” Sunset asked quietly, making Adagio stop and sigh.

“We were going to ask you out next week if someone hadn’t ruined it,” Aria huffed, glaring at her blue-haired sister.

“All three of you?” Rarity inquired, looking between the sisters.

Sonata nodded enthusiastically and Rainbow Dash pouted. “Sunset, you’re so lucky!” she whined. “I’d love to have someone chasing after me, especially if they were three smokin’ hot singers with hips for days.” Adagio and Aria smirked as Sunset’s face burned a bright red.

Applejack cleared her throat and said, “So, y’all have been watching Sunset for a while and figured out her harmony element?”

“Like it was hard,” Aria scoffed. She flapped her wings snidely and rolled her eyes at the group.

“Well, the discovery of Sunset’s element aside,” Rarity broke in, causing Adagio to scowl at the quick dismissal of the revelation. “What do you three plan to do with your magic?”

All five of them immediately turned from Adagio and Aria to Sonata. The blunette blinked at them with her usual easygoing smile in place. When she uttered no words, Rainbow Dash gave a relieved sigh.

“There’s no plan for it, then,” she breathed, wiping her brow.

“Well, of course there isn’t,” Adagio sniffed, primly seating herself back on the bed beside Sunset Shimmer. “The magic is seemingly directly connected to Sunset Shimmer’s. We have no idea how to control it.”

“Have you tried to sing?” Pinkie asked, causing the others to stare at her in horror.

Aria resisted the twitch in her arm to facepalm as she growled, “Our voices kinda suck, remember?”

“But have you tried since getting these new pendants?” Pinkie pointed out. “Maybe they restored your voices!”

“Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed frantically.

“That sounds like a great idea!” Sonata cheered, taking in a deep breath. Before anyone could stop her, she opened her mouth in a melodic note.

Author's Note

I go back and forth between two or three different things Sunset could be the Element of because friendship isn't just those five things and we all know it. So, hopefully you enjoy it so far!

Sub-Elements

The soft sound of Sonata’s voice filled the air around them. The Elements of Harmony stared at her in barely concealed fear during the first few seconds of the note. However, as the music continued, they felt an odd warmth spread through them and drew closer together, Pinkie bringing Fluttershy and Applejack into a hug. Purple mist flowed from them and into all three Sirens’ pendants. Adagio and Aria watched it curiously and gasped when it made contact with their gems.

Sunset Shimmer watched in utter puzzlement as the two of them breathed a deep sigh of bliss. Without warning, Adagio scooted closer to the redhead, snaking an arm around her back and pulling her closer. Aria flapped over, snuggling beside Sunset's other side, leaning her head on the amber-skinned teen's shoulder. Once she allowed the note to taper off, Sonata swayed over to Sunset and settled on her lap, nuzzling her head into the taller woman’s chest. Sunset stared at the Sirens in confusion, keeping perfectly still as her eyes flicked between each one nervously.

The group still near the door blinked to clear their minds before turning to the quartet on the bed. “What the heck was that?” Rainbow Dash demanded, rubbing her eyes. “And what are you doing?”

“That was certainly… new,” Adagio purred, burying her face in Sunset’s neck. “The mist has never been purple before. And it certainly never felt like that.”

“It feels like I could bench twenty of Bulk Biceps,” Aria whispered in a husky tone. She gave a slight shudder. “With one hand.”

Sonata remained where she was, head just below Sunset’s chin. “It made me feel so warm,” she mumbled cutely, eyes half closed. “And really safe. What did I even do?”

“That is what we would like to know as well,” Rarity spoke up. “It felt to me like our bond as friends strengthened considerably when Sonata was singing and then went back to normal once her note finished.”

“Maybe they can sing for friendship now?” Applejack suggested.

Adagio tapped her cheek thoughtfully and nodded slowly. “That would make sense. Our song range has probably widened to encompass the new emotions we can now ingest.”

“But now it can affect us,” Fluttershy piped up timidly. “So, if they want us to fight…” The group turned to the three Sirens apprehensively.

“I doubt it works that way,” Aria muttered, lifting her head from Sunset's shoulder self-consciously. “The magic came from an element of harmony.”

Adagio nodded and added, “More likely, it only affects you positively, as a sense of bond strengthening so that your power increases. Fortunately for you, we have no intention of returning to our former source of nourishment to test that theory.”

“Really?” Pinkie Pie gasped excitedly.

“Sunset wouldn’t approve of it,” Sonata yawned. She burrowed further against Sunset and the girls at the door cleared their throats awkwardly.

Rarity took a calming breath and queried, “We know what happened to us, but if you will excuse my frankness, what on earth are you three doing?”

“When Sonata sang, you five released a strange purple mist,” Adagio explained. “Our pendants absorbed it and… the feelings it evoked within us were… sublime.”

“It’s kinda like Sunset was calling us to her.” Aria gave a gravelly purr as her hand slid along a bandaged arm. “There was a force practically pulling us in her direction, similar to how our thralls used to respond to us.”

“That probably has to do with your magic now being connected to her,” Pinkie pointed out. “Whenever you absorb energy you directly cause, it provides a direct link or want to be with Sunset!”

Adagio blinked at her. “You’re not an idiot,” she murmured in mild surprise.

“I get that sometimes,” Pinkie grinned.

“But what does this mean?” Rarity did not like not knowing about this situation, especially since the Sirens weren’t on the same path of redemption that Sunset Shimmer had put down for herself. “Are they sub-elements or something now?”

“Is that even a thing?” Rainbow Dash muttered, scratching her head in befuddlement.

The Sirens looked to one another for a moment and Adagio leaned up, though she kept one arm around Sunset’s shoulder. “I think it may be a possibility,” the lead siren mused. “The Elements of Harmony are the main elements that comprise the bond. Within those, there would be subcategories grouped together. If our magic is linked to Sunset Shimmer, then it is because she displayed a form of her own element in saving us.”

Rainbow Dash held a hand to her head in pain as she grit out, “If her element is forgiveness like you said it was, then how could she have shown it to you just by giving you a pendant?”

“Probably by some of the things grouped under forgiveness, moron,” Aria grunted, glaring over at the rainbow athlete.

Before another argument could break out between the two, Adagio broke in. “Sonata is clearly compassion, similar to your friend’s ‘kindness’,” she explained, fighting to keep her voice level. “While I must be comfort or something similar.”

“What about your sister over there?” Applejack asked as she pointed to Aria.

“The closest I can come up with is… compurgation,” Adagio shrugged. The group frowned at her and the fiery-haired siren rephrased it. “Defense on behalf of another, similar to Rainbow Dash’s ‘loyalty’.” They all nodded in understanding.

Rarity stepped up beside Applejack and inquired, “So, all of you are subsets of Sunset Shimmer’s element because she gave you those neckpieces?”

“Sounds about right!” Sonata affirmed.

The room remained silent for a few moments before Rarity breathed a soft sigh. “Well, if that doesn’t prove that the three of you are on some path of reformation, I don’t know what would. Thank you for taking care of Sunset for us. I suppose we were so caught up in our bond with the five of us that we didn’t take her pain into account at all.”

“Yeah, Sunset, sorry about that,” Applejack agreed. “We’ll be better about payin’ attention from now on. And please don’t be afraid to speak up from now on. You’re our friend, so we don’t wantcha hurtin’.”

Fluttershy turned her gaze to the window. “We’ve been here long enough that school will be over by the time we return. We should probably get going if we want to get back in time to head home.”

“I should be getting home, too,” Sunset murmured, standing and scratching behind her head. “It’s a long hike…”

“Where do you stay?” Sonata asked in puzzlement. At the question, it occurred to Sunset’s friends that they had no idea where Sunset lived. Surely she couldn’t be somewhere conspicuous because her counterpart was still in this world, but it had to be close by, right? Turning to the orange woman, everyone waited for the answer.

Sunset took in the looks from her friends and chuckled nervously. “Ah, I live in an abandoned cottage in the forest just outside of town. There’s a lake nearby for me to bathe in and I know how to make a fire for cooking food, so…”

Both groups stared at her in abject shock. “You camp in the woods?” Aria exclaimed incredulously.

“No wonder you’ve got such nice legs,” Sonata murmured, making Sunset blush. “You’ve gotta hike a long way to get to school every day.”

“Not anymore,” Adagio stated, standing and brushing imaginary dust from her jumper. “You’re staying with us from now on.”

Now, the band turned to the Sirens in confusion. “What?” Rainbow Dash huffed.

“Well, she certainly can’t continue living in an abandoned building outside of town,” the yellow siren sniffed and flipped a hair from her face. “That won’t do at all. We’ve enough spare rooms in the manor for her to choose one of ours.”

“You really don’t have to do that-,” Sunset mumbled lowly, but was cut off by Aria.

“Isn’t that what ‘good’ people do?” the purple siren sister queried with a raised eyebrow. “We’re supposed to offer help to those who need it. Besides, it’ll be better driving than running all the way to school from the woods. If you wanna run every morning, just join me on my workout.”

This made Rainbow Dash perk up. “You work out?” Aria rolled her eyes and didn’t even deem to answer the question with more than a jerky nod.

Sunset made to rub her arm before remembering the bandages. “Well, if you’re sure…”

“Oh, Sunset,” Adagio teased, placing a hand under Sunset’s chin and gazing at her with a decidedly seductive smile. “We insist.”

A blush colored Sunset’s cheeks and she nodded dumbly. Rarity and Applejack shared knowing looks at the orange-skinned woman’s reluctance to argue, but said nothing. Rainbow Dash and Aria simply glared at one another while Pinkie Pie tried one of Sonata’s smoothies. Fluttershy watched the others around her with a small smile, happy they were all getting along, relatively.

“Welp,” Applejack called, grabbing Rainbow Dash. “Guess we better be headin’ out. See ya tomorrow, Sunset! If ya need help moving any of your possessions from that cottage, just lemme know.”

“I demand a rematch!” Rainbow Dash shouted to Aria. “We will arm wrestle tomorrow at three!”

“Count on it, Rainbow Head,” the purple siren smirked, waving sarcastically. “Not that you’ll win, either way.” Rainbow Dash growled back as she disappeared.

Rarity looked to the Sirens and turned to Adagio. "I suppose I must apologize for not giving you a proper chance until now," she said calmly. "Given how you have looked out for the well-being of a dear friend, I will do my best to support the three of you going forward." Her eyes narrowed just slightly. "So long as Sunset does not come into harm?

Adagio smirked at her. "Of course, we'll do our best to take care of Sunset."

Rarity smiled and nodded. "Then I look forward to seeing you all at school tomorrow. And please don't be shy. I would love to have someone new to design a wardrobe for. I'm certain we can come to an agreement."

The siren leader merely waved as the fashionista dragged Pinkie Pie away from accepting another smoothie. Fluttershy thanked Sonata for the smoothie and promised to stay in touch. Once the door finally closed, the three Sirens converged back in Adagio’s room. Aria shut the door as Sonata leaned against the dresser and Adagio moved closer to Sunset Shimmer.

“Now then, Shimmer,” Adagio purred, her hand on Sunset’s cheek. “About asking you out…”

Author's Note

Alright! I actually went through and rewrote this a little before posting it because it just didn't flow correctly when I read over it. Hopefully, that problem has been fixed a little.

Hope you enjoyed it and I'll try to get the next one ready as soon as I can!