Interactions of Opposites
The snow slowly passed out of sight as the five teens entered the mall, giggling happily
as the warmth of the heaters washed over them. The bus ride had been short thankfully, none of the teens relishing the idea of walking through all this chilly weather to the mall after school. Slowly they unzipped coats and deposited mittens and toques into vacant pockets.
“So where exactly are we going to pick up this thing?” Sunset inquired, hoping to learn what store they were going to visit, so as to start planing on what the cheapest phone she could get was.
“Silly Sun-Shim!” Sonata’s natural singsong voice commented, “We can go to whichever deal you want to!”
Sunset slumped, “I don’t really know much about phones… My old one was a second hand flip phone that CHS got me with a pay as you go plan.”
“Oh! I know just the place for you then!” Twilight spoke up, hand shooting up into the air, “I know the shop owner pretty well and helped her get situated in the mall here!”
Sunset’s eyebrows raised in doubt even as she followed the girl’s lead, deciding to instead focus on talking with the other three Equestrian’s in the group.
“So…” Sunset wrung her hands together, “I know you guys said you wanted to thank me and all, but are you sure this is right?” Sunset looked to the three with worry. “I mean, you three lived off of negative emotions for the longest time right? Won’t you starve?”
Adagio grinned slyly at Sunset’s questions, even reformed she could make you feel like an insect in a spider’s web. “Aw, you do worry!” She chided, the teen paling at the response, “But seriously Sunset, in order to answer your question, let me ask one of my one.” Her voice trailed the last few words enticingly, “When did you get it back?”
Sunset’s jumped back a half step, before jumping back into line with Adagio, the other two Sirens distracting Twilight. “When did I get what back?”
Adagio wore a knowing grin, which soon faded with a roll of her eyes. “How can you be so smart, yet so slow on the uptake,” She chortled at Sunset’s annoyance, “Sorry, no harm meant! But in all seriousness, I’m talking about your magic, silly.” Sunset recoiled as the Siren booped her nose, face furrowing in response.
“W-what are you talking about?” Sunset stuttered, baffled by Adagio’s question, “Adagio, you know first hand what it takes for magic to be in this world!”
“I do, which is why I’m asking you when you got yours back.”
Sunset sighed and thought back, “It was around… Christmas I think? Twilight and her family had taken me in about a week prior-”
“After you were saved from your suicide attempt.”
“Yes, that.” Sunset was not amused that the Siren was interrupting, yet she trucked on regardless, “I finally noticed and accepted everything that the family had done for me, how they showed me kindness, generosity, friend...ship…”
Sunset paused as she looked at Adagio, the stone face of the orange haired woman unmoving.
“Are you trying to tell me that what I have is the magic of friendship?”
Adagio burst out in laughter, doubling over as she did so. Sunset had to make sure the laughing woman didn’t bump into anything while the paired followed after Twilight and the other Sirens.
“No dear, as cliche as that is, the answer is no.” Adagio eventually calmed down, wiping a tear from her eye, “No, you came in contact with a great source of vast magical energy before that, didn’t you?”
Sunset nodded, yes she was visited by Princess Twilight, but what did she have to do with this, and how could Adagio tell? Before Sunset got the chance to ask, Adagio continued,
“Plus you have been making constant use of a device that links this world,a world with a deficiency of magic, with Equestria, a world pretty saturated with it.”
Sunset stared at Adagio, reminiscent of a deer in headlights. Adagio sighed and level a straight look at the teen.
“Magic has slowly been entering this world, and while the normal denizens are unable to notice or use it, you are. But because one, you had been cut off for so long, and two, these human bodies have a hard time metabolizing magic, you are but a fraction of what you would be back in Equestria.
Sunset was sure she heard crickets. How had Adagio been unable to take over the world, yet alone the school?
“And to answer your original question, while you and your… Them… beat us and destroyed out amulets, that doesn’t remove the fact that we are also magical beings from Equestria. Probably as ancient as your solar goddess, though none of us can remember that far back. We are just like you, three Equestrians in a brave new world, struggling to regain use of our native magic.” Adagio pushed the teens jaw up, “But this time, we don’t plan to do evil. Well, mostly at least.” Adagio winked as she rushed up ahead to the other three, who were motioning to Adagio and Sunset to hurry to the elevator.
The generic jingle played over the five as they rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, where all the electronic stores were.
“So I will warn you four that the owner can be a bit…” Twilight hesitated as she searched for the right word, “Unique?” Twilight shook her head, “Look, just don’t treat her any different then you would anyone else, alright?”
The other four agreed as they all departed from the elevator, slowly making their way around the lifts and the surge of people fighting to get in and out of the tiny metal boxes, the cowards. Surely five flights of stairs weren’t that bad? Sunset peered over the railing, observing each lower row of shoppers passing through the mall in the search for deals, or wasting time.
It wasn’t long before the quintet stood before a rather garish looking storefront, native masked made of different colours of lights pulsed in the windows, the doorway covered by beads.
“Everfree Electronics. Points for alliteration.” Sunset muttered as she stood watching as Twilight made her way in, pushing the beads from her way. The four others looked at each other and shrugged, following after their apparent leader.
“Ah, welcome dear Twilight! It is odd to see you at this time of night.”
Sunset’s eyes took a minute to adjust to the different colours of light that flooded the room, washing it in an ethereal glow.
“And I see you bring guests! What are you needing to complete your quests?”
Sunset finally made out a dark brown figure with a large black and white mohawk, obviously the owner Twilight had informed them about.
“Hey!” Sonata whispered, “How much you wanna bet she’s a Zebra back in Equestria?”
“Zecora! Sorry I haven’t been around of late,” Twilight walked up and gave the tall woman a hug, “School had a bunch of studying to get done over the winter break.”
“You do not have to worry about such things, but I am guessing you are here for something that rings?”
“How did she know that!?” Sonata gasped out loud, “Is she a mind reader?”
The tall woman chortled gaily, obviously enjoying the comments from Sonata.
“I would be lying if I said yes, but we have other things that we must address.” She turned to look at Sunset, “Now seeing as your pocket is not bulging, are you the one i should be indulging?”
Sunset stepped forward, nodding. “Yup, I need a new phone, as I have been sans one since before christmas.”
“Ah, my apology! I cannot fathom living without such a handy piece of technology. Now if you would follow me, I shall assist you in finding a device that will fill you with glee.” She started towards one of the back walls. She grabbed a phone off the stand and handed it to the following Sunset. “This one has a sturdy case, it is unlikely to break even if tossed through a vase.”
Sunset looked it over, subtly glancing at the the price tag. “Hm, I think I will pass, thank you though. Would it be find if I asked Twilight and my friends their opinions as well?”
“Worry not, it is best that they are not forgot.” Zecora replied as Sunset beckoned to the other teens.
“What ones catch your eyes girls?” Sunset asked, though she immediately regretted doing so.
“How about this one?” Sonata squee'd, holding up a bright pink flip-phone that looked like a butterfly when it was open.
“A little childish for me Sonata, sorry.” Sonata chuckled as the Siren shrugged, before she proceeded to walk through the store pretending to fly with the phone.
“That girl will never grow up.” Aria said with a chuckle, before showing Sunset her recommendation. “Maybe a smartphone is more your style?”
Sunset remembered this one had a high price tag, and thankfully she was able to let Aria down softly by saying something about it being too large for her hands. Aria shrugged and put it back, but not before showing that it was the right size for her.
“Whatever you pick I can probably modify, so I don’t really have a suggestion.” Twilight said, rather distracted by some of the other gadgets Zecora had on display. That left Adagio, who stood before Sunset, arms crossed under her chest.
“I know you want cheap, but that isn’t going to cut it.” She turned to Zecora, motioning her over. “We will be taking that one.” She said, pointing to the most expensive one, Sunset’s eyes bulging out of her skull at the price tag.
“I see you intend to not twaddle, you have chosen the newest model.” Zecora unlocked the display, before reaching in and pulling out a box, “The only colour that I have is red, unless you would like something else instead?”
“It will be fine, right, Sunny?” Sunset shivered at the absolutely devious grin she received, Adagio was not to be messed with.
“More than.” She replied, putting her best fake smile on.
“Then if you will follow me to the till, I shall ring you up your bill.” She made her way to the front end of the shop, sliding up easily behind the register and scanned the device.
“Now I know likely of Twilight’s different plans, and you shall be glad to know it will result in no bans.”
That number was too high! No way she could make Adagio and her sisters pay for it!
“Is cash okay?” Adagio asked, reaching into her purse and pulling out a large stack of bills.
“Should you wish to pay with cash, there shall be no kind of clash.”
Sunset was being ignored by this point, she slowly slipped down to her knees, before laying on her side and poking at the floor.
“You’ll at least listen to me, won’t you mister tile?”
**********************************************************
Sunset held the device in her hands, or at least she thought she did. As soon as it was out of the box Twilight had grabbed it and ran back into the shop.
“I’ll only be a moment!” She called out, as Sunset reached out in dismay.
“I suggest you just let that girl do whatever she needs with your phone.” Aria slapped Sunset playfully across her back, “When she sets her mind to something, I don’t think anybody can slow her down.”
True to her word, Twilight was out barely three minutes later, and handed the phone back.
“I just wanted to install my custom OS, so that way you don’t have to have any security worries, as well I installed my own personalized SiM card for you, so now you will have full bars no matter where you are!”
Sunset stared at the teen, the frenzied look upon her face making her look more crazed than Sunset had ever seen before. She nodded slowly before looking down at the device held gingerly in her hands.
“Thank you…” She muttered, closing her eyes as tears started to drip down cheeks. She felt three separate hands on her own, and looked up to see the three Sirens beaming joyfully at her.
“It’s the least we could do to start paying you back.” Adagio said, her two sisters nodding in affirmation.
“So what’s your number, Sunset?” Twilight asked, her phone out and ready to have another contact added.
“I don’t know, I mean, this is a new phone right? How do I find out?”
Sonata grabbed the device right out of Sunset’s hands. “Simple! She said, rapidly pressing all over the screen, “All you gotta do is go into your options and…” she died off as she peered over at Twilight, who was suddenly grinning. “Maybe she should help you, cause I don’t know what it is she has on here.”
Twilight chuckled as she received the device, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with Sunset, their backs to the walkway. “Press this, then this, open this tab and voila!” She swept her hand over top of the screen in a dramatic fashion, “You new number is-”
“How did you get my number?” Sunset stared at Twilight, eyes wide.
“I just spelt your last name…” Twilight said dejectedly, wishing she could have made a bigger spectacle of it all.
“Oh she is just so adorable when she gets all pouty!” Adagio called out, the other two Sirens laughing at the reaction from the bespectacled girl.
“Thanks Twilight, it’s a nice gesture, and I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”
The teen pushed her glasses back up her nose as she smiled. “No worries Sunset! Anything to help you move fully past what happened at CHS!”
“S-Sunset…?”
A meek voice called out, barely audible to the group.
“Is that really… you…?”
Sunset turned slowly, blood freezing as she adjusted her position.
“Flutter...Shy…?”
Sunset couldn’t believe her luck.
“Why are you here?” Came an angry voice from behind Sunset, Adagio pushing through Sunset and Twilight and coming to pause between the amber teen and buttercream skinned girl that stood in shock. “Haven’t you and your “friends” done enough?”
Fluttershy started shaking, obviously terrified of seeing the head Siren again, only to be petrified in fear when the other two Sirens joined their leader.
“Fluttershy! We got your message! Did you…”
The other four members appeared, Rainbow Dash was way in the lead waving her phone in the air with one hand while she called out to her friend.
“You!” She cried out, “What are you three doing here!?”
The other Rainbooms finally showed up, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Sunset Shimmer, standing in a Crystal Prep uniform, beside Twilight Sparkle and the Sirens all dressed up the same.
“Didn’t we whoop your silly butts at the Battle of the Bands?” Rainbow sneered, arms crossed before her. “Why don’t you leave Sunset be and crawl back into your filthy little hole you crawled out from!”
“Oh that’s just rich!” Sonata countered, “Weren’t you the girls who used her only to throw her away when it was convenient to you?”
Sunset started backing away, before bumping into the wall and sliding down, arms wrapping around her knees defensively.
Sonata’s comment obviously struck the Rainbooms hard, the group all taking a simultaneous step backwards.
“Sunset?” Twilight was kneeling in front of the sitting teen, “C’mon, talk to me.” Her only response was more silent sobs from the amber teen.
“Yeah!” Aria was next up, “Maybe it should be the lot of you that goes crawling back to your cesspool of a school! What kind of people harass an obviously innocent girl so much that she thinks her only option is to kill herself!?”
Rainbow Dash stepped back forward, “Hey! We weren’t the ones who attacked her with knives y’know!” She immediately took that step back however when she heard a slow, loud clapping from behind the two Sirens.
“I’ve got to admit,” Adagio said as her sisters opened up for her, her hands still slowly clapping together as a small crowd started to form around the two groups of teens. “I thought that in all my years on this world that I had seen the worst that your species had to offer.” She stopped abruptly, hands frozen mid clap. “Obviously I was wrong. I had never met you five. See all the other horrible people in history? They usually had some kind of reason to be such horrible, disgusting scum of this planet, but you five?” She laughed darkly.
“You five took the single pony that was willing to stand up to me and my sister’s at our most powerful moment, and turn her away. I bet she begged you to listen to her, to give her a chance to prove herself. Did any of you let her?” Adagio studied the guilty looks of the teens in front of her. “None of you… Really?”
“Hey! We’re only Human ya know!” Rainbow tried to stop the Siren from saying any more.
“Really? That old excuse?” Adagio threw her hands up as she shrugged and shook her great mane, “That’s just some weak excuse to try and allow you to get away with attempted murder.” She watched as all five gasped out, “Don’t believe me? You five abandoned this girl at her most fragile point, driving her to no longer value her Celestia blessed life, and you want to say that that kind of action is natural?”
“I think you five have done enough damage already.” Aria stepped forward, hand clenching onto her sister’s shoulder. “I don’t know why you five would even bother trying to look for Sunset after the stunts you have pulled.”
It was Fluttershy’s turn to step forward, “That’s because she’s our friend!”
The air paused, everyone silent as a small cackle started from the no longer sobbing Sunset. It slowly grew in volume, increasing as the teen stood up and made her way before her former classmates.
“Friend?”
Sunset’s voice was different, almost as if she were speaking with two voices.
“You really have the gall to say that you are my friends?” Sunset continued to cackle madly, causing Adagio, Sonata, Aria and Twilight to start to worry, “You want to say that you are my friends, even after you abandoned me? After you had used me and tossed me aside once I was no longer of any value?”
Adagio noticed something, a dark energy was starting to pour off of Sunset, though judging by how no one else was noticing it Adagio was assuming it was magic. She heard Sunset start again, turning back to face the Sirens and Twilight, though her eyes still remained shut, just as they had been when she stood up.
“You see you five did teach me something, even if I was nothing more than a charity case in your mind's.” Adagio froze when she saw one of Sunset’s eyes crack open, the sclera no longer white, instead replaced by a dark black. This was wrong, very, very wrong. She watched in mounting horror as “Sunset” spun around, her arms out wide.
“Sunset…” Adagio said softly, “You need to calm down dear.” Adagio reached out a hand gently, attempting to grasp the teen by the shoulder.
“Calm down?” Sunset paused facing the Siren that had grasped her, both eye’s wide open, revealing that while one sclera had turned black, the other remained white. “After these five lead me along with false promises of the only thing I ever wanted, the promise of family, only to have them abandon me when it suited them?”
“Sunset” pulled away, still staring at Adagio, “No, I shall not calm down! No, I should show these five what happens when you screw over the wrong person!”
And with that she spun to her ex friends, affixing them with a dark, hateful gaze, causing the five to gasp out as they finally noticed her transformed eye, as she stalked slowly towards them.
“Sunset!”
“Sunset” paused, a look of serenity coming to her face as she turned around.
“Twi...Light…?”
The lavender teen slowly walked forward, hand outstretched towards her friend.
“Sunset, please…” Twilight begged, tears streaming down her face, “This isn’t you…”
“Sunset” paused, hand reaching for Twilight.
“Twilight…?”
The teen continued to walk forward, slowly grabbing “Sunset”’s hand with her own.
“Yes, Sunset.” She said calmly, “It’s me.”
The sclera of “Sunset”’s transformed eye slowly started to brighten, to pale back to it’s regular white colouration.
“I’m so scared… Twilight…”
Twilight pulled her friend into a soft hug.
“It’s okay, I’m here for you.” She slowly tightened the hug, “Just like my mom, my dad, Cadence and my brother.”
“I’m so alone Twilight… I don’t want to be alone anymore…”
The lavender teen continued to rock Sunset.
“You’re not alone Sunset, look around. You have me, Adagio, Sonata and Aria. You’re not alone. Not anymore, and never again.”
Sunset wrapped her arms around Twilight, openly sobbing.
“That’s exactly what they told me. Right up until they…”
“Hush, Sunset, don’t worry.” Twilight slowly pulled out of the hug, fixing a friendly smile on her face. “C’mon, we should get home.”
Sunset sniffled as she wiped away a tear, nodding slowly and following the other teen away from the Rainbooms and the Sirens.
“Sunset, wait!” Rainbow called out, starting to run towards the departing girl, before she was suddenly rushing to meet the floor with her face.
“No! You are not going to hurt my friend ever again!” Sonata cried, her hand stinging from the fist she put into Rainbow’s gut, using the athlete's moment against herself.
“Rainbow!” Fluttershy called out as she rushed forward to help her friend, the other Rainbooms close behind, “Are you alright?”
The sky blue teen coughed as she attempted to catch her breath.
“Now what did you do that for?” Applejack shouted, rolling up her sleeves.
“Security!” Came a voice from behind, “Stop right there!
******************************************
Twilight supported Sunset as the two teens walked through the door, straight into the worried face of Twilight Velvet.
“Sunset! What’s wrong?” She grabbed hold of the teen as she started to slide off of her daughter, securing Sunset in a loving hug. “Twilight, I just got off the phone with Filthy Rich, he said that there was some kind of fight involving you and your friends at his mall.” She slowly guided Sunset to the sofa, helping to lay the teen across it, before turning back to her daughter with a worried look.
“Well I don’t know what happened after we left, but things did get a little…. Heated…” Twilight began, looking at the teen on the sofa, “We ran into some students from CHS at the mall, and it seems they were looking for Sunset. They claimed they were her friends.”
Velvet’s brow furrowed at the comment. Sunset may be doing better, but if students that claimed they were her friends were searching for her…
“Adagio and her sister’s stepped forward and started to lecture the five other girls, but not before those five insulted the three of them.” Twilight continued her recollection, “I didn’t hear all that they said since I had ran over to Sunset who had collapsed against a wall and started to cry, but after one particular girl came forward commenting about being Sunset’s friend something changed with Sunset.” The lavender teen shivered as recalled the haunting cackles of her friend.
“Sunset started this hollow cackling, standing up and walking over to her friends, yet never opening her eyes. She was so strange mom!” She looked up at the concerned woman, “She was so… aggressive… it worried me so much! She snapped out of it when I called out to her, but something happened to her! Her eye!” She cried out, recalling the dark abyss, “Her sclera was black mom!”
Twilight rushed over to Sunset as she finally started to sit up. “Sunset…? Are you feeling better?”
Sunset slowly wiped the tears from her eyes, gazing up to her true friend, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry for worrying you Twilight…” She sniffled and coughed, voice cracking from barely restrained sobbing, “I’m sorry that you had to see that.
Twilight grabbed her friend in a deep embrace, squeezing tight. “Don’t you dare apologize Sunset! You do not deserve the stress of having to deal with those people!”
Sunset remained silent in her friends hug, body slowly stilling.
“Thanks, Twilight…” Sunset slowly extracted herself before standing up, “If it’s fine with you two I’d, uh… I’d like to head to bed early.”
She slowly walked up the stairs, leaving the mother and daughter to watch her slow crawl up the stairs.