//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: A Dazzling Sunset // by Fuzzyfurvert //------------------------------// A Dazzling Sunset Chapter 5 The rumble of the engine in Sunset’s car dropped an octave when it slowed and entered a more pastoral area just outside of town. The homes here—while not really farms—were older, spaced farther apart to allow for wide, partially wooded lots and small fields of produce and grains. The streets changed to simple two lane backroads, made from coarser asphalt, that wound through the gentle rolling hills. Dom’s Bar & Grill, back in the downtown district, was a half-hour behind them. The drive quiet as town turned to country and the contested radio remained off limits to both parties. Adagio scowled—more out of habit than anything else—her arms folded across her chest, keeping her thoughts to herself. She became increasingly concerned about accepting Sunset’s offer with every mile they traveled. The road tuned between two rises, dropping into a wide valley that was dotted with more fields and pastureland than buildings. She sat forward when Sunset started to brake and looked around. “Why are we all the way out here? You live out in the middle of nowhere?” Sunset smirked, turning into an opening in a wooden fence that ran alongside the road. A dirt track lead away from the road, toward a distant house set back were the fields met the treeline. “We’re less than a mile from city limits, Adagio. We just passed a shopping center not five minutes ago! This is not ‘the middle of nowhere.’” She shook her head. “And yes, I do live out here. I’ve lived here for most of the time I’ve been in this world.” The siren gave Sunset a sidelong glance. “How? Nothing in this world is free. How do you have a house like this, out here? How do you have a car for that matter, or how could you pay for dinner? That volunteer position at the horsepark can’t pay that well!” “It pays well enough, thank you.” The car bounced gently through the ruts in the dirt driveway, the house growing even larger as they neared it. Behind it, several smaller buildings stood, nestled among the pine trees. “But, yeah, it doesn’t pay that good. Thankfully, I have a nice little nest egg of funds that keep me going. When I came here, I brought a few things with me. Books, scrolls...that kind of stuff. But I also brought some gems I swiped from the royal coffers in Canterlot. Gems are a lot rarer here, so every now and then I go trade one in for cash.” Sunset turned the car when they reached a fork in the driveway, curving away from the house. “It’s still not enough for all of this. I needed a place to stay, some place safe where I could lay low, in case somepony ever came looking for me. So I rented a place out here on the outskirts of town.” She nodded her chin forward towards one of the smaller out buildings. “The people who own the house and the land had this converted garage available, and it was the perfect fit for me. They never bother me, so long as I pay rent. I have privacy and plenty of access to the outdoors. Admittedly, it’s not the best for having friends over, but I can deal with that.” Adagio grumbled under her breath, her eyes jumping around the yard and the fields around them. “Hmph. So you’re a thief on top of everything else? You are an unusual pony, you know that?” She tensed when the building in front of them lit exterior lights and the big door on the garage started to open up. “It’s too bad that idiot Starswirl didn’t give us the opportunity to snag a few of those before we got banished here.” “It’s made some things easier, but believe me, it won’t last me forever.” Sunset pulled her car into the garage, the shocks bouncing one final time before settling on smooth and even concrete. “So was Starswirl as tall as they say he was? I always thought the legends about him exaggerated a bit.” Adagio snorted and unbuckled herself. The garage area looked big enough to fit two cars easily enough, but most of the space not filled with Sunset’s little blue utility vehicle, was stacked with battered old cardboard boxes and a rusty clothes washer and dryer set. “I hope there is more to this place than just this. My camp back in the woods would be more comfortable than this.” “Follow me.” Sunset climbed out of the car, thumbing the fob on her keyring to lock it after Adagio sullenly joined her. She lead the way to a simple door in the back of the garage between a stack of boxes filled with Christmas decorations and the rusting washing machine. Sunset flipped a switch on the wall, the garage door rattling as it started to close, and then opened the door into her home. She lead the siren into a small apartment, the door depositing them into her main living room. There was a tiny kitchen nook off to the left, while the main room itself was split by a folding partition. The living room was lined with shelves that were covered in books, DVD and CD cases, decorative jars and even more books. A small TV sat in the corner next to an even older stereo system and a disorganized pile of even more CDs. The couch was small, but plush and clean looking, set against the ‘wall’ created by the partition. Adagio snorted again, her eyes roving over the contents of the room until they landed on a spot near the small table that must be where Sunset ate most of her meals. She smirked, pointing at the little white and rainbow colored unicorn figurine on the shelf. “Homesick much?” “What I may or may not have needed to keep from going crazy in this world is no business of yours.” Sunset sniffed, pointing her nose upward. “Oh please.” Adagio rolled her eyes, sneering. Remember why you are here, Adagio. Figure out what powers the Equestrian magic and take it if you can. I still need to put Aria back in her place. Her sneer faded slowly, thoughts of her fellow sirens turning over in her mind. I hope Sonata is doing ok without me. “Didn’t you say something about a shower being available?” She put her fists on her hips, eyeing Sunset. “I distinctly remember you saying something about that.” “Back here.” Sunset gestured for Adagio to follow her, walking to the back of the room where the folding partition divided the living space. The siren’s mouth curled into a frown, but followed along. Behind the folding wall, there was a modest twin size bed covered with a thin rumpled sheet and several comfortable looking pillows. A set of end tables flanked the bed and a lone dresser topped with a lamp and a pile of loose clothing completed the sleeping area. Sunset grabbed the knob on a recessed door, opening it to reveal the promised bathroom with shower. Adagio’s sour expression vanished when the light came on, her face going slack at the sight of the biggest—and whitest—bathroom she’d seen in a very long time. It was easily half the size of the entire flat, with a tile floor, a huge counter with a double sink and ceiling high mirror. In the corner there was a full standing shower that looked like it could accommodate three adults. If it weren’t for the small basket of hygiene products between the sinks and the slightly overflowing clothes hamper opposite of the shower, she could had assumed it to be the bathroom in some high-end hotel or resort. “Wh-what?” She blinked, her eyes wide as she took in the hair care items, even the industrial hair dryer Sunset had teased her with back at the restaurant. “Why the hell is your bathroom so huge?” “The owners have an adult child. Apparently, they let him live here and fix the place up in his spare time.” Sunset shrugged. “I hear he works in interior design these days. Excuse the mess.” Adagio stepped into the bathroom, lifting her hand to feel the textured wallpaper. “I’ve cleaned up in worse places.” She rubbed her fingers together. That’s it. I’m trapped. Kiss freedom goodbye, Adagio, you’ve been taken by the porcelain and marble. And by the shower...oh goddess, does it have three showerheads? She sighed. Her cultivated sense of dread at accepting Sunset’s kindness evaporating under the bright lights of the bathroom vanity. Maybe she should be feeling shallow, but a part of her mind could not stop squeeing in happiness at the thought of a proper shower for the first time in weeks. Perhaps even months. The last splurge she’d allowed Aria and Sonata had netted them a few thralls with nice houses, but this put those mini-mansion bathrooms to shame. “Uh...I guess it’ll do.” “Hey,” Sunset stood in the doorway, facing the siren. “If you get wet, you don’t turn into that giant hippocampus form you showed off at the Battle, do you? I’d rather not have to explain that to the owners or get my bathroom walls repaired.” “What do I look like, some sort of cartoon character?” Adagio’s sneer snapped back into place for a moment. She looked down at herself and gestured with her hands. “Even if I still had my gem, I’m stuck in this pathetic biped form. I haven’t had my luxurious scales in so long I can barely remember what it felt like to have the cool ocean waters flow over them.” Adagio plucked at her hoodie, her brows narrowing as she glared at the dark lavender colored cloth. “Sometimes I hate this world just for that. Denying me my fins, my hooves, my scales, and tail. Forcing me to live by its rules. Sealing away my power…” Her eyes moved to focus on the redhead, staring through her eyebrows. “At least I still had my gem. A shadow of my former abilities. Then I had even that taken away from me.” “I know that feeling, remember?” Sunset shifted her weight, her arms dropping to her sides, hands opening slightly. “I was the strongest unicorn in Equestria. I had more skill with magic than anyone other than Princess Celestia. I could level buildings with a thought, Adagio. So don’t go all woe-is-me about losing your magic. You got to keep some of it. I didn’t.” Sunset widened her stance. “You did this to yourself, Adagio. Accepting that fault is the first step toward forgiving yourself. It’s a bitter pill, I know. I had to swallow my own, lots of times. When you accept that your powerlessness is your own fault is when you’ll realize you aren’t as powerless as you think.” “I’m not...I didn’t mean...it’s not like…” The blond girl clenched her fists, gritting her teeth hard. “When you are ready, I’ll wash your clothes.” “What?” Adagio blinked, deflating at the sudden change of topic. “When’s the last time that hoodie of yours was washed? It doesn’t smell fresh and it’s pretty wrinkled.” Sunset’s tone softened. “No reason for you to take a shower only to put dirty clothes back on. Throw them into the hamper with mine and I’ll start a load.” The former pony smiled, grabbing the doorknob and closing it a moment later. Adagio stared at the back of the closed door, sorting—or failing at sorting—her thoughts. Great. There went all my good mood! She turned around and caught sight of the three showerheads. Ok, most of my good mood. Still, what’s with that girl? Why is she so hard to read? Why does she care how I feel or what I’m going through? “Typical pony ‘compassion.’” Not that Sunset was the typical pony. Level a building with a thought huh? Maybe we do have some things in common. She’s a thief—or so she says. She turned her back on her whole world and came here to enslave humanity...and now she’s like this? Adagio looked into the mirror, humming to herself while she tried to piece Sunset Shimmer together in her head. No way she looked at it though, looked like the sort of carefree equines she remembered. Adagio shook her head. Feeling off balance and out of control was uncomfortable and she wanted the sensation gone and done with. Her reflection in the giant mirror frowned back at her. She looked tired. The bruise around her eye looked even more yellow but it didn’t hide the bags she had there. A shower will help, right? She didn’t know. There were so many things she didn’t know anymore. A small voice in the back of her mind told her hot water and soap would help. Heat and time alone with her thoughts. Time where she could feel alive and let go of everything. Where she didn’t have to face the possibility that Sunset had a point. It’s not my fault. She stepped over to the counter, bracing her handing on the edge while she examined her face in the mirror. I’m not that broken. Starswirl did this to me. The spot on around her throat where the source of her meager magic had sat for uncounted years itched. I didn’t do this to myself...did I? If Aria and Sonata hadn’t been so weak at the Battle of the Bands, we would have won. If I had just taken care of those Rainbooms more permanently...the faculty were already under my spell. “If’s and maybes.” Adagio snarled, bunching her fists tight enough to make her knuckles pop. “I could have won! It’s not my fault we lost! It…” tears welled up in her eyes, “...can’t be all my fault, right?” *** Sunset stood there, her hand holding the handle of the closed bathroom door. What am I doing? I have Adagio freaking Dazzle in my house! This seemed like a good idea back in town...but now? This being a good friend thing is tough. She dropped her hand, tuning slowly to survey her living space. “I need to talk to Twilight about this.” She reached for the top drawer of her dresser, where she kept the magical journal most the time, safely hidden under her socks and underwear. She was just about to pull it out when the state of her bed registered in her mind. “But first...I think I should make the bed...pick up some. I wasn’t planning on having a houseguest…” She’d just straightened the sheets when the sounds of the shower starting up reached her ears. Sunset sighed, her shoulders sagging in relief. Somehow, hearing Adagio actually use the promised shower set her mind at ease. Maybe I am doing the right thing. With the bed suitably made, she opened the journal’s hiding place and pulled it and a pen out. Flipping to a blank page, Sunset eyed the previous messages she’d shared with Princess Twilight concerning the sirens. She clicked the pen’s button, placing the ball-point against the enchanted paper. Hey Twilight, I decided to follow your advice and open up to Adagio. I was right, she’s going though a lot of the same stuff I did after you came here the first time. She seems confused...her whole world has changed - again, I suppose - and she is really in need of a friend. I hope I’m going about it right. You and the girls here have been a big help, but this is really going to be a test of what I’ve learned about friendship. Wish me luck. -Sunset P.S.: Can confirm Sirens are NOT fish! You can check that one off the list now. She put the book and pen back, closing the drawer softly. That task done, she now just needed to get some laundry going. Looking at her own loose pile of clothing strewn about, it was high time to get that done anyway, guest or not. She grabbed a plastic hamper she used for that express purpose, and scooped handfuls of her used shirts and pants into it from the bed area. That left the bathroom. Sunset puffed her hair out of her eyes and took a deep breath. Just keep your head down, grab the goods and go. No need to turn this into something awkward. She grabbed the doorknob, hesitating at the threshold as her imagination tried to supply her with several different outcomes to the next thirty or so seconds of her life. Ok… more awkward than it already is. Inside, the bathroom was like a sauna. Hot mist filled the air and condensation covered the walls and mirror. Sunset wrinkled her nose at the smell of warm soap and floral shampoos. Thankfully the shower was completely misted over, and all she could make out was the aqualine and vaguely yellowish silhouette of Adagio. Sunset grabbed the clothing from the basket and added it to the hamper she’d brought with her. The siren was oddly silent the entire time she was in the bathroom, but Sunset was glad for it. Talking to a naked former enemy over the rush of the shower was the last thing she wanted at that moment. Her heart finally decided to leave her throat seconds later when she once again closed the bathroom door. The rest of her apartment felt blessedly cool after the steam and Sunset wasted no time in moving to the garage to start the wash. The old machine technically belonged to the humans she rented her apartment from, but they allowed her to use it whenever she wanted to, since they had a new one inside their house. It made a heck of a racket, but her clothes always came out clean and fresh. “Does everything this girl wears have spikes?” Sunset raised an eyebrow at the boots and belt that sat on top of Adagio’s dirty clothing. She set those aside, then turned the hamper over, dumping everything else into the waiting washer. Sunset sighed when she closed the lid and turned the washer on. She stood there, breathing in the scent of the clothing detergent and listening to the washer start to click and rattle through its process. “Is it weird...doing something normal like the laundry, when you have a former enemy at your house? What is even normal for that? How do I do this?” Sunset hung her head, dropping her chin to her chest and grabbing the corners of the washing machine when she leaned forward. “This is how you always get yourself into trouble, Sunset...leaping before you look. I never did learn that lesson, did I, Princess?” Mentally, she kicked herself. Princess Celestia taught her never to give up. Princess Twilight taught her that friendship was the way. Now she was following that advice the same way she’d tackled experiments with elemental magic in a previous life. Plowing forward, to hell with the consequences had always been her style from the lab to the field, science or world domination. “And now this too, apparently.” Sunset bit her lip and looked up. “By luck or by pluck, that’s me.” The old me. She pushed off the washer, turning back to walk into her apartment. I’m older, wiser. I can do this, I know it. Adagio is going through the same crap I did. I needed friends, so does she. So it’s time I stepped up to bat for Team Friendship for real. Sunset smirked at that thought. A younger version of herself would probably be on the floor rolling in uncontrollable laughter if told that she’d seriously think something like that. The Sunset of today though, she was a better pony. A better person. And she knew just the trick for making herself feel more at ease. She just needed to get it ready by the time Adagio finished her shower. *** Adjusting the porcelain knob with the engraved cursive ‘H’ on it raised the temperature of the water by another degree. Adagio leaned into the triple simultaneous streams of perfect droplets from the trio of showerheads, letting it rinse her clean and fog the bathroom to the point obscuring the walls. The steam soothed her, blanketing her and keeping her safe and alone with her thoughts. It let her pretend that the world wasn’t still out there, waiting to beat on her some more. Adagio hung her head, the remains of the shampoo running down her slick ringlets to pool slightly around her toes before draining away. She felt clean. She felt refreshed in a way that she hadn’t in what seemed like a very long time. It was something she’d missed. Alright...maybe there are some things in the world that are worth a damn. I’d take this back to Equestria if I could. Stupid ponies would make me queen if I gave them showers like this. She chuckled. The wet air swallowed any echos the marble tiles would have thrown back, but under the rush of the shower, she could just hear the not too distant rumble of some other human device. That’s probably that rusting old hunk of scrap out in the garage. Adagio cringed, her eyes going wide, and she reached out to twist the shower knobs. But the water’s temperature barely changed. “Apparently, her plumbing is just as upgraded as the rest of the this place. It can handle a shower and the laundry too? Lucky little...” Sunset was doing laundry. Her laundry. She’d stood there under the spray, when the other girl had come in and collected all the clothes, trying not to breathe or draw attention. Adagio shook her head, splattering the shower door and walls with more foam and soap. From inside, Sunset looked like nothing so much as a bouncing blob of red on top of a swaying bit of blue. She watched the former unicorn come and go without comment. I hope the glass was as cloudy from her angle. Adagio sighed, her fragile good mood once again dashed just as quickly as it came. She ran her fingers through her hair, flipping it mostly over one shoulder, and started ringing out the last of the remaining floral scented shampoo. Why am I feeling so unbalanced? I’m up one minute, and I’m down the next. She held up a hand in front of of her face, flexing the fingers one by one. Adagio felt like her safety blanket, her gentle cloud of separation, was gone and the injustices of the world were rushing back in to fill the void. Normally, anger was her way of dealing with her problems. It was her weapon, her most basic tool. The fire in her kept her boiling and kept everything else at bay. Now all she was feeling was empty and tired. The suds around her feet drained away, the water staying clear. Fully rinsed, Adagion turned the knobs and shut off the flow of water. Watching it swirl down the drain made her think of the other sirens for some reason that she couldn’t put her finger on. “I wonder what Sonata is doing?” Now that the shower was off, she could really hear the droning machine noise of the washer. Her cousin had always been the one that took care of laundry for the three of them. And the cooking. Cleaning too. Sonata had even taken care of the houseplants and pets some of their thralls had had over the years. The blue siren was hopelessly dense sometimes, but without her, simple tasks like those would likely have never been completed. Sonata was frequently Aria’s punching bag at the best of times, taking it with little to no complaint until she snapped. Then Adagio would have to step in, break them apart and put down the little upstarts with a few well placed spells or sonic blasts. Now the girl was alone with Aria without her magic—or her cousin—to protect herself. Adagio stepped out of the shower, running her fingertips along the glass and tile. The huge wall mirror was completely fogged over, so she snagged a large towel and wiped it off enough to see herself clearly. She looked so much smaller with her hair down, she looked weak, even to herself. The yellow bruise around her left eye only added to it. I have to find the source of the magic. Get my gem back. I am not weak, damnit! The old familiar fire sparked and Adagio sneered at her reflection. “I’ll show that bitch, Aria, who is boss. Remind her of my power with a good, swift, beating. I’ll even make her do the laundry next time.” She chuckled again, grinning when she looked down and hefted Sunset’s industrial strength hair dryer. “And maybe the cooking and cleaning too. That’ll show her, make me feel better, and give Sonata a break. Win-win, heh!” The hair dryer turned on with roar like a mini-jet engine. For a second time in less than an hour, Adagio found herself revising her opinion of Sunset Shimmer. Maybe the pony had taste after all. She grabbed the cleanest looking brush on the countertop and angled the dryer and its blast of hot air at her dripping wet locks. By the time she was finished, the end of the hairdryer had an angry red glow and Adagio could hear it sizzling. Her hair floated proudly around her like a golden cloud and left wonderfully soft against her skin. Adagio smiled at her reflection in the mirror, feeling much like her old self again. She looked good—great even—and she posed, hips cocked to one side and her back arched just so. “Adagio,” she purred quietly, “you look like you’re worth all the pain and turmoil this world has thrown your way.” Not even the dark ring of the bruise Aria had given her detracted from her mood. If anything, she thought it made her look tough. She twisted so she could see the curve of her back side framed by her hair in the mirror. “Perhaps it’s not all bad...these human bodies do have their perks, I suppose. If I ever do get back home, I think I might miss the hair. Maybe.” She chuckled to herself, turning around to survey the rest of the oddly opulent bathroom. It’s sometimes surprising what the proper application of hot water and soap can do for my mood. Outside, she could hear the clothes washer switch to a new cycle, its low engine noise fading. That would mean her clothing would still be soaking wet before Sunset’s equally rusted old unit could get them dry. “So what the heck am I supposed to wear until then?”