Their world hadn’t turned cold just yet. Fall refused to loosen its grip and let the temperatures finally plummet even as the leaves had long since disappeared; the bare trees and grey skies were braced for cold that was supposed to have come already. But the constant drops in temperature had only been a strange tempo of back-and-forth, one end of the spectrum inevitably leading back to the other. It had been rather bitter last week, but today was not so at all.

And judging by the letter she'd received in the mail that afternoon, things might be beginning to heat up even further.

Sunset had asked for them to meet at her place for the evening, darkened skies and cozy lights perfect for a Christmas break reunion. With collegiate duties calling them all across the country, it was only a small spurt of time that allowed them to all be in one place like older days. And with graduation creeping ever closer, who knew how much longer such meetups would last? They’d done so well at staying connected for these past few years; it would be a pity if they ever really did go their separate ways once and for all. So once all of them had come back home, of course did she invite her friends over. She just hadn’t expected this sort of subject matter.

“OK, so,” Sunset said, sitting in the midst of the living room with each of her friends having taken comfortable residency on the nearby furniture. “I… got this in the mail yesterday and, uh, I want you to see it.”

“You want to show us your mail,” Rainbow said, a cock-eyed expression upon her face. “Umm… I don’t think it’s a super momentous event or anything.”

“Then perhaps the content of her mail might be important, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity’s voice was almost as dry as her longtime friend’s, rolling her eyes at this open display of slow thinking. “Goodness, let Sunset take the time she needs, I don’t think any of us are in a hurry.”

“Says you! I’ve got a bottle of Jim Beam with my name on it and I wanna see it empty.”

Another roll of the eyes, this time accompanied by a shake of her head. “Ignore her, darling, please continue.”

Sunset had actually appreciated the slight delay, even if it did make her lose her train of thought. She wasn’t at all sure what to say, or at least how to put it all into words. “So I got this, and… well, just look,” she said. Out from beneath her seat came a gilded envelope bearing a small red letter within, the contents quickly unfolded and held aloft so its owner might read the words within. “To Whom It May Concern, you are cordially invited to the First Annual Dazzling Christmas Party,” Sunset announced to her audience, “hosted at the luxurious Waterfront Mansion in the Angel Springs Community. Music, food, and entertainment will be provided, and the lovely Dazzlings will also sing their latest hit single for all attendees. Signed, Adagio, Sonata, and Aria- The Dazzlings.”

The crimson-haired girl of the sun let the gold-trimmed missive drop onto the floor as she regarded her friends, a concoction of emotions evident on her features. She’d been tense from the moment everyone had arrived, intent on revealing this unusual invitation before her inner workings ate her alive. Now said aloud, she might just be able to vent and find some peace. “Well?” She asked, words already hot as they escaped her lips. “I can’t be the only one with thoughts on this.” Ever an empath, she could see each of them struggling to find something to say even though what reactions they bore were not what she’d expected at all. Shock at Adagio and her sisters still living in town would have been one; confusion that they were inviting Sunset to their mansion was another. Even anger had its place, and not one of them was present.

But then Applejack opened her lips and said, “So you got one, too?”

It seemed that the week would be ripe with surprises, Sunset gawking at her freckle-faced friend. “You got an invitation already?”

“Came a few days ago, Granny had it sitting on my bed for me when I got back,” the farmgirl explained. “I thought it was a joke, but the thing came with instructions for dress code and everything. It’s a little weird.”

Sunset had wondered why Adagio and company had reached out to her in the first place; their last reunion hadn’t ended on the best of terms, the cold Siren perfectly content to gloat on her rise to fame. The money, the fame, the adoration… it wasn’t to the same degree of potency as the draining of magic, but it had certainly seemed enough to allow the once-villainous woman to become something quite contented- though perhaps eager for more of the same.

But Sunset had thought her invitation had been a singular thing, a one-time event to her name and hers alone. If Applejack had received one as well, then there was a possible connection; she just had to make sure. “So if you got one…”

Rarity ceased in the biting of her lip to clear her throat. “I… also received an invitation to their party. It arrived only this afternoon,” she said.

News from Applejack had been unexpected, but the synapses were firing in the red-haired woman’s brain fast enough to see this information coming. “I thought you might say that,” Sunset remarked. “I’m guessing everyone else got one, too? Except, Twilight, maybe?”

“Actually, I got one on Monday,” Twilight piped up, the young woman pausing in the cleaning of her glasses to add her voice to the mix. “I was like Applejack, I thought it was a joke. Why would they invite me?”

A strange bit of news that didn’t quite make sense to her reasoning. “That’s weird, they never knew you,” Sunset said. “I wonder if they think you’re Princess Twilight or something, that’s- that doesn’t make much sense.”

“So everyone here got an invitation to their party,” Rainbow realized. “You know, from the otherworldly monsters that tried to kill us and drink us dry when we were in high school. Because that’s normal, right? That’s what people do.”

“Maybe they want to make amends,” Fluttershy said, the quietest of their lot finally deciding she had something worthwhile to voice. Unsurprising to them all, her first words were to be said in defense of the wicked, even if they had once tried to do her harm. “I’m sure they must be very happy thanks to their music careers. It might have given them a chance to think about what they did wrong.”

Considering how her last encounter had gone with the wily Sirens, Sunset wasn’t willing to believe they were extending an olive branch just yet. “I mean, maybe,” she offered, “But I don’t think that’s exactly their M.O. that often. You remember what they were like, and change doesn’t seem like their strong suit.”

“So… what, you think this is some sort of trap? Or something?” Twilight asked.

“But they lost their powers, didn’t they?” Pinkie asked. “When those necklaces of theirs shattered, I thought that’s what they needed to steal from us.”

Sunset, the only one of their number who had actually ever known the world that dwelled just the other side of the mirror, was the sole voice that could offer any sense of authority on the subject. So when her luxurious locks moved with a shake of her head, her companions all quietly gave a small sigh of relief; college was a tranquil thing in comparison to their wild high school years.

“I don’t think so,” Sunset said, “Pinkie remembers right, there’s no way they can drain magic anymore. And kidnapping or anything like that- well, that’d be hard to get away with when it’s a group as big as we are. And I bet they’ve invited other people they know from the music industry or God knows where else.”

“OK, but- still. Why invite us?”

It would again be her words that would bring the answer to light. Her own memories of younger days, when she had been a far fouler creature, were not quite so dim just yet. Sunset knew what it was like to hate someone and her hate had been plentiful. If she had become something powerful, what would she have wanted her old rivals to know? “I’ve got an idea,” she began, “But I really don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

Rarity, out of their number, knew Sunset best. The two had remained close even with the distance adult academia had tried to wedge in between; guessing what her crimson companion was thinking was not a difficult feat. “Oh for heaven’s sake, you don’t think-”

“What, that they invited us just so they can rub it in?” Sunset said drily. “Oh, I’d bet my whole scholarship on it.”

“Rub it in? The hell for?” Rainbow asked, her prideful nature demanding she be left galled by the assumption. “Damn, so they’ve got a lot of money and are super famous. Do they really think we don’t know that? Who cares?”

“It ain’t about that,” Applejack said. “It’s because we beat them- well, sorta. They want us to know that we didn’t really win.”

“Yeah we did. I don’t see them sucking people like they’re a milkshake.”

“They expected you all to keep the boots to their neck, I’m guessing,” Twilight said. “Since you didn’t keep hounding them and now they’re superstars, I guess they think they… well, beat you.”

The prismatic athlete scowled; never one to admit defeat, the fact that the Dazzlings were no longer something she could fight against was just as infuriating at the fact that this whole affair might have been done to mock her. “Bitches,” she muttered. “So, I mean, we’re definitely not going. Right?”

The thought was laughable. Go to a massive soiree just so she could be poked and prodded by the trio of hostesses for her ‘lower’ station in comparison to their riches? “Why even would I?” Sunset asked aloud. “Yeah, I’m sure I’d have a great time being told how poor and small I am compared to them. A great time.”

“What? No way!” Pinkie’s flabbergasted exclamation should have been something expected by them all rather than met with a company of angry frowns. The frizzy partygirl remained defiant as her friends tried to stare her down. “Of course I’m going to go! Have you even seen that mansion? It’s huge! And every party they’ve ever hosted has apparently been super-duper awesome! I can’t miss out on that, I bet it’ll be a blast!”

“Even if they try to make sure your whole time there is just plain miserable?” Sunset inquired.

“Then I definitely have to go. I don’t want anyone to go to a party and be unhappy, what’s the point in that?”

“I dunno, Pinkie,” Twilight hesitated, “I think Sunset might be right. You wouldn’t be going there so they can make sure you’d have a good time. Even if all they do is gloat, they’d just be trying to make you unhappy.”

“But think of all the food there! Gingerbread cookies, red velvet cakes, all the candy and drinks and fun and- and-” The bright bakery girl was on the verge of going into overdrive as her imagination ran wild, practically salivating at the thought of what joys might occur at such a prestigious bash. If the Dazzlings’ cash flow was as juicy as it was rumored to be, the party would be too good for her to resist.

“You’re a nutcase, Pinkie,” Rainbow stated.

“You shouldn’t go, sugarcube,” Applejack added. “It ain’t safe for you to. What if something goes wrong? You’d be all alone in the house of those girls.”

Pinkie’s hair began to sag. Despite her extreme desire to answer the summons for celebration, her friends were not someone she would easily disregard. Their advice was sensible even if she didn’t wish for it; perhaps it was the better option that she not attend after all.

“I’ll go with you,” Fluttershy piped up, to Pinkie’s delight and the exasperation of the others. “I think they deserve a chance to be nice, if that’s what they really want. You know how bad it feels to be judged for your mistakes, Sunset. Would you want others to feel the same?”

“I actually changed, Fluttershy,” Sunset countered. “I don’t think Adagio and her sisters will care all that much about turning a new leaf.”

“Wouldn’t people have said that about you, too?” The soft girl replied mildly. More often possessing the strength of a wilting flower, the quiet woman seemed determined to speak on behalf of her one-time enemies and see them in a better light. “I’m going to go with Pinkie, even if the rest of you won’t. They- I really hope they’re nicer girls now, and I want to see for myself.”

The most fragile and the most naïve of their group seemed perfectly keen on walking straight into a possible lion’s den. Despite all the misgivings and explanations she might be capable of offering, Sunset wasn’t at all sure that any of them would be worth much if Fluttershy of all people had put her foot down. And if she was genuinely concerned about her friend’s safety, there might only be one choice still afforded to her. It was so natural a reaction that she wondered if this had been the plan on baiting them all to come. “Well- well hell, I guess. I’m going to have to go just so I can keep an eye on you two, aren’t you?” She said.

“Maybe it would be better if all of us went, then,” Rarity offered. “I agree with Sunset, I doubt they’ll try anything too malevolent. But it would be better for all of us to be there and looking after one another just in case.”

“This is really stupid,” Rainbow groaned, the least eager to comply and most willing to believe the worst of her former foes. “Pinkie, if I die at this stupid Christmas party, I promise I am going to kill you in the afterlife.”

“I don’t think we can die in heaven, Rainbow. Isn’t that the point of heaven, anyway?”

“Says here we’re gonna need some kinda formal dress,” Applejack said, reading Sunset’s invitation more thoroughly for proper preparation. “Guess I’ll dig something up out of my closet, don’t know what I’ve got that fits.”

“What? Nonsense, I’ll see us all wearing something fabulous,” Rarity protested, the allure of formal attire too much for her fashionable senses to resist. “They might out-earn us, but they absolutely will not out-dress us. And maybe they know a fashion mogul, or two!”

“Well, you girls have fun storming the castle, I guess,” Twilight remarked, watching her friends and wondering if this was to be some sort of strange last goodbye. “I can’t go, Mom and Dad want to visit with Shining for Christmas this year. He and Cadance just got settled being stationed overseas.”

“Hopefully news of our deaths will be greatly exaggerated,” Sunset said. “Have fun, OK? And be safe.”

Twilight gave her longtime friend a confused stare. “I’ll be fine. I think you should worry more about you.”

“People are here!”

Never having been one for subtlety in emotions, the sound of Sonata’s delighted cry was loud enough to echo across the room and probably the whole of the mansion. Her pealing notes always seemed capable of rising so high that her happiness would be little more than a squeak that befitted her mousy stature, even if the sound of them was not something that always left her sisters delighted.

“So they are,” Aria remarked tersely, the news not enough to move her from the comfortable position she held upon the couch. By far the most stoic of their trio, the celebrity life was not something she had entirely found suitable for her nature. Yes, she liked the fame and money, but more for the ability to acquire whatever piqued her interest rather than any cult of personality. The paparazzi had done wonders in annihilating whatever desires she had for publicity in a heartbeat; better to profit from her work than mingle with the gawking masses.

Sonata, however, was her usual stark contrast. Always the most eager to stay in the midst of her adoring fans, their attentions seemingly her lifeblood. Their manager had always done his damndest to keep the sisters to a schedule, but the exuberant Siren continuously found reasons to shirk her duties. There was time for another photo, another autograph, all of that and more! She knew her heart lie in the midst of a crowd.

“That means we need to get up, silly! We’ve gotta go down and say hello, come on already!” Sonata cried, bouncing over to the couch and giving her sibling a few good shoves. “You-know-who are probably already here waiting for us, don’t you want to be down there to greet them?”

“No, I don’t,” Aria replied. “I am reading The Odyssey right now and I’m almost done with this chapter. Let me enjoy it.”

“But we need to start getting ready! Come on, get up, get up, get up-”

“I’m already ready,” Aria replied, gesturing to the deep-green leather corset dress that currently adorned her figure. “It’s not my fault you always wait till the last minute.”

Sonata pouted. “You’ve done your makeup?” she asked.

“What, you can’t tell by looking at me?”

“Done your hair?”

“OK, you really need to stop,” Aria growled.

“Then all you need is a smile!” Sonata declared. “That mopey frown of yours won’t do, what have you got to be unhappy about? This is gonna be so much fun!”

“Says you,” the dark-haired Siren muttered, clearly irritated by her vibrant sibling’s undefeatable mood.

“And so do I,” said a new voice, Adagio appearing from the bedroom hallways and busy with the placement of gold-and-ruby earrings beneath her lush locks. “It’s not like you didn’t agree to this, you even said it was a good idea. What have you got to be so moody about?”

“Oh my gosh, are you- ohmygosh, Aria’s anxious!” Sonata gasped, her words striking true when they received a brilliant scowl in response. “Oh, it’s OK, Aria, everything’s gonna work out fine! You don’t need to worry!”

“I am not worried,” the pig-tailed Siren snarled. “You know why?”

“Oh, do tell,” Adagio purred, settling down in her favorite armchair and leaning in towards her sister.

“Because I’ve realized this whole thing is stupid. You damn well know it’s not gonna work. Why would they even show up in the first place?”

“Uh, because we invited them and they replied, duh!” Sonata remarked.

“It’s intuition,” Adagio explained. “They’ll suspect something’s wrong, one or two might think the offer was genuine, and thus the whole lot will come to make sure everyone stays safe. It’s easy.”

“Even if they do, why would they believe us?” Aria demanded. “They’re gonna come in here thinking that we’re still a bunch of bitches. Hell, even if we straight tell them that we think they’re hot, they’ll still think it’s some kind of con. You know that.”

“Then we persuade them to think otherwise,” Adagio murmured. “Make sure they enjoy themselves. Pour on the sugar in every way we know how, really butter them up. And if we convince one, we’ll convince all of them.”

“And after that?”

“Why, the afterparty, of course,” the eldest Siren answered, the smallest of smug smiles alight on her lips. “Where we make sure they feel oh so welcome and comfortable. A few drinks, some kind words, maybe a quick brush here and there… I’m sure we’ll have our fun.”

“That’s still a really stupid plan,” Aria surmised. “Convincing one of them will be hard enough; getting the whole damned lot of those girls to wanna hook up will be impossible.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Adagio sighed, consistently frustrated by her sister’s dour outlook on the whole matter. “But they’re good girls, aren’t they? I’m sure they’ll be willing to forgive and forget if we really mean it.”

“And you think that will be enough to convince them to sleep with us.”

“It’ll work a whole lot better than your wet bitching. Are you with us or not? Sonata and I will gladly have them all if you’re not game.”

The darkened Siren gave a muted growl. “Hmph. Like this will convince anyone-”

“You’re not convincing anyone of a thing right now. In- or out?” Adagio demanded testily, too close to zero hour for her patience to handle this consistent negativity.

“I’m in. Shit-damn… so who gets who?”

Sonata, who had taken the argument as an opportunity to people-watch from the nearby window of their spacious bedroom, found her ears pricked by this new conversation topic. “Wait, we’re picking favorites?” She asked. “That’s not fair, you didn’t tell me that! How am I supposed to make a choice like that?”

“Because we’re not choosing. We’re going to let chance decide,” Adagio answered swiftly, trying to soothe her younger sibling’s nerves before they became supercharged once more. “Now, I have a bit of bad news…”

“Oh, here we go-”

“Hush. I looked at all the RSVP’s we got; Twilight replied as a ‘No’ so we’re gonna be down one,” Adagio reported.

“Well that’s lame,” Aria sulked. “She looks like a nerd, but I bet you anything she’s a total freak.”

“However, her absence does bring a little good news,” the sultry Siren continued, “And that is the other six all said they’re coming. So that means each of us-”

“-Gets two!”

“And with that in mind…” Adagio rose from her seat to snatch up a bag from the mantle above the fireplace, giving its contents a good shake as she held it in her hand. “Stick your hand inside and see what prizes you pull.”

“Ooh- ooh! Me, me, me, me, me-” Sonata squealed, bouncing towards the open mouth of the velvet bag-

“Oh, no! Not this time, Sonata,” Adagio said, beginning to laugh as she watched her vibrant sister promptly deflate. “Because Aria is being a complete downer, we’re going to make her go first. Maybe then she’ll stop being such a wet blanket.”

Aria remained skeptical and had every right to be. Convincing an entire group of girls that their newfound fame and fortune had helped them turn a new leaf was ludicrous; the idea that they would also persuade them into their romantic fantasies was beyond even that. This whole plan was a farce, a comedy waiting to happen- but right now, she was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Before Sonata could form a protest, her fingers dove in and plucked two thin strips of paper from within and brought them to her eyes for scrutiny.

“Well?” Sonata asked eagerly, leaning in to look as though she were a young child watching others open presents.

“Sunset Shimmer-”

“Dammit, lucky-”

“And Fluttershy,” Aria reported, a newfound smugness on her features as she assessed her prizes. “Hmm… I think I won.”

“Damn, that is- that is not bad,” Adagio affirmed, clearly envious at her sister’s pick of the litter. The three of them had all been hoping for Sunset’s favor by the end of the night, the memory of her beauty the whole reason why they’d eventually formed this operation; and somehow, the miserable girl had pulled the sweet and shy one, too! “You’ll still have to tell them, you know. They’ll need to know.”

Aria remained defiant even if the grin faded from sight. “Says you. I’ll be just fine without having to say a word.”

Adagio was left unconvinced but said nothing in response. “Alright, Sonata, now you…”

“Oh, goodie! Wish me luck!” The bubbly girl said, plunging her hand in and ripping out a new pair of names for her to read. “Applejack, and- ohmygosh. Rainbow Dash! Ohmygosh, you guys, oh my- I think I’m gonna die.”

“Jeez, don’t cream yourself already-”

“But Rainbow’s abs- Applejack’s thighs!” Sonata sighed, already floating away to a sensuous dreamland. “Oh my gosh, I can’t wait- I bet they’ll be amazing! I can just imagine how in control they’ll be…”

“Which means for me…” Adagio turned the bag upside down and emptied the two remaining names into her awaiting palm, knowing full well what now awaited her magic touch for the evening. “Pinkie Pie- and Rarity. Ooh, now that will be fun indeed.”

“The prim and proper one? Really?” Aria asked, clearly skeptical at her sister’s seeming delight.

“No one puts on such a fuss about appearances like that and doesn’t end up being the dirtiest girl in bed,” Adagio said, making little more than assumptions that she was convinced were well-founded. “And Pinkie? Please, look at her. She’s a hundred-miles-an-hour.”

“Well, here’s to our idiocy, then,” the middle Siren declared, feigning a toast as she gave a wispy sigh. “May they be as horny as we are.”

“I’m counting on it,” Sonata said, leaning back against the wall as she allowed her daydreams to continue on- only to suddenly leap up as though struck by lightning. “ohmgosh I forgot to change!” The two Sirens hardly were able to keep eyes on their youngest as she darted out the door towards the fitting rooms down the hall where her seasonal garments awaited, a blue blur and a slamming door the best they could manage.

“Told you she’d be last-minute,” Aria crowed. “And here I am, all ready to go. How much you wanna bet she lost those diamond earrings?”

“Don’t get haughty just yet. Where are yours?” Adagio challenged, eyeing her sister’s lobes for the sparkling emeralds meant to hang there.

“Oh damn it all.”

Author's Note

The beginnings of my annual Christmas special. It might be a long one, not really sure. Going to see how I like the rhythm of this to determine how many chapters I post in a day.

Keep reading, I guess. Enjoy.