Chapter 4. Acquiescence
Mrs. Cake, the proud co-owner of Sugarcube Corner, knew her business was successful. There were always enough people on a daily basis to comfortably sustain all expenses and leave very good profits. And she loved it when big groups of people arrived to the arguably small space, as it meant more sales. Not only that, but the group that occupied her biggest table today was a recurrent one, and among them was her very best part-timer.
That’s why, with a bright and cheerful smile on her face, she added some extra ounces in the smoothies of the eight girls there, and sneaked some extra cookies or cupcakes in the orders.
“Thank you, Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie said as the older woman placed the cupcake orders on the center of the table. She winked at her boss, knowing full well of the extra pastries and why they were there.
Mrs. Cake smiled at Pinkie and returned to attend more clients. When she was out of earshot, the girls continued to talk.
“So,” Rainbow started, looking at Rarity with a raised eyebrow. “How did you know the ones in the radio were the sirens?”
Rarity places her hands on her knees, straightening her back. “Because they weren’t exactly subtle. Words like ‘spell’ and ‘controlled’ were the first things they said, and then I started…” She bit her lower lip. “... I started singing along, even if it was the first time I was listening to that song. When I noticed, the first thing I did was call Sunset.”
“Ah dunno,” Applejack said, her arms crossed. “That don’t exactly sound like magic.”
“But it does,” Sunset said. She was taking notes about whatever Rarity said. “Music is a form of magic. At least in Equestria, when you sing from the bottom of your heart, depending on the circumstances, the whole town can join in.”
There was a moment of silence before Fluttershy spoke up. “That sounds scary.”
Sunset nodded. “When used for evil purposes, it is scary. Since ponies are a peaceful race, town-wide sing-a-longs are normally fun, or mildly annoying if you have a headache. But from time to time, there’ll be a not-so-peaceful pony that will sing against harmony… Records of Ancient Equestria speak of evil ponies that started singing while having breakfast and ended up conquering entire kingdoms by the end of their musical number.”
The girls looked at each other for a moment.
“So…” Rainbow raised her hand. “In Equestria you can start singing at the drop of a hat and everyone can join in just because?”
“That’s how the magic of music works,” Sunset answered, having stopped writing and just looking at her pen in a thoughtful expression.
Rainbow tilted her head. “So… did you use to sing?”
Sunset tensed visibly and looked up at Rainbow with a frown. “I was a pony, yes.”
A grin slipped through Rainbow’s mouth. “And were they evil songs?”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Sunset rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I don’t want to have this conversation right now, Rainbow Dash. I’m more concerned about the matter at hand.”
Before Rainbow could reply, Twilight chimed in.“You said evil ponies could enslave kingdoms with one song… Are you saying the sirens are trying to do the same?,” she asked, scratching her chin.
“Yes, but their magic is taking longer that it would’ve in Equestria,” Sunset answered tiredly. “But I’m still worried. We just learned about them yesterday, and they’re already on the radio…”
“Not only the radio,” an extra voice said. The girls turned around to look at Shimmer, who was already beside them. She was wearing the same winter clothes as the day prior, concealing everything but her face. Sunset noticed she had deemed appropriate to put on a little bit of makeup to brighten up her skin to a more vivid tone, but the eyebags were still visible.
“What are you doing here?” Rainbow asked, glaring daggers at Shimmer.
“I called her,” Sunset said, and everyone but Trixie looked at her with widened eyes. “I know you don’t like her. I don’t like her. But the more people willing to fight the sirens, the better.” She looked at Rainbow, frowning. “This isn’t a school rivalry or some crap like that. This is a serious matter of life and death.”
The girls fell silent, especially Twilight, who wouldn’t take her eyes off Shimmer, analyzing her every movement and facial expressions.
“Nice speech,” Shimmer said, amused. “I would’ve used the word “apocalyptic” at some point, but that’s just me.” She grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down in the only place available: between Sunset and Twilight, much to the latter’s vexation, who quite visibly recoiled away.
Rarity cleared her throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen upon the table. “So, Shimmer. What do you mean by ‘not only the radio’?”
Shimmer looked at Rarity, then at Sunset, then at Rarity again. “Ohhh, I get it. She’s Sunset and I’m Shimmer. Clever.” She said the last word with as much sarcasm as she could muster. She produced a small notebook from her coat and put it on the table, opening it on the first page. “They’re on YouTale, too. At six in the morning of today, exactly twenty four hours since published, the video already has five million views, and it’s increasing exponentially.”
“So what?” Rainbow asked, faking a bored expression. “Cat videos have more views.”
“Yes, but,” Twilight began, raising a finger. “You have to think in the future. Five million views means several thousand subscriptions, probably, which means even more views and shares in future videos.”
“Smart as ever, aren’t you?” Shimmer said as she reached for Twilight.
Twilight slapped her hand away and recoiled back. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
Slowly, Shimmer retrieved her hand, her expression stoic as she returned to her notebook. “Anyway,” she said, and her mouth was a little tense, but it was so faint that only Sunset seemed to notice. “I also found out a few other things. First, they call themselves “the Dazzlings”.”
“The Dazzlings?” Rarity asked. “Well, they really aren’t subtle.”
“Second,” Shimmer continued, blatantly ignoring Rarity. “They managed to get their songs into not one, but several radio stations.” That got her more than a couple surprised stares. “They’re trying to cover as much ground as possible. And with the aid of the video, people will start asking the radio broadcasters for their songs. It’s only a matter of time…”
Applejack leaned back and closed her eyes, letting out an angry sigh. Rainbow cursed under her breath, and Fluttershy tried to hide behind her.
Pinkie was the first to speak up. “What are we gonna do? I don’t wanna lose my mind!”
Shimmer shot her a glare, but since Pinkie was oblivious to it, she only shook her head and turned the page of her notebook. “I did some experimenting, and I found out a way to minimize their hypnosis.”
At that, Sunset leaned over the notebook to read. “By muffling?”
“Yes,” Shimmer said, sliding the notebook away from Sunset. “I played their video a couple of times, and found that that was the best-.”
“Wait,” Trixie interrupted her. “A couple of times? How are you not their number one fan by now?”
Shimmer snorted. “Because I’m not an idiot. I wrote down whatever I was feeling, going from “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard”, to “This is actually not crap”, and ending with “I wish there were more videos”.” She shuddered at her own words. “Then, I had set up a very loud and annoying alarm that snapped me out of it, and I wrote down how I felt until I thought their music was crap again.”
The girls looked at each other for a moment.
“So,” Sunset said. “How exactly do you muffle their music?”
“Oh, come on, like you don’t know the answer,” Shimmer said. When Sunset didn’t reply, she huffed annoyingly. “Earplugs, damn it! They reduce sound and distort noise to some degree!” She reached for the right pocket in her hood and produced a pack of musician’s earplugs. “In normal circumstances, one song is enough to make you drool over the sirens’ music. But with these you can maintain your sanity for up to three songs. But even then, this is only with recorded music. I don’t know how well they can work if you hear them live.”
Sunset grabbed the earplugs and carefully put them on before Shimmer could protest. “Well, this feels weird.”
“You’re paying for those,” Shimmer said.
The sound had indeed decreased quite a lot. Sunset could still hear what Shimmer said, but it was so faint that if she hummed, she’d be unable to hear anything else. “Alright,” she took the earplugs off and put them on a napkin. “From now on, we all should carry these, just in case. If anyone asks, just say you suffer from headaches or something.”
“Then what?” Rainbow asked. “We gotta strike at some point, right?”
“Not everything is solved with violence, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity reprimanded her. “I believe this situation calls for some finesse.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and was about to reply, but Shimmer beat her to it. “I agree with Sweetcheeks,” she said, ignoring the subsequent death glare. “I know that the sirens aren’t staying at my friends’ house, but at an apartment complex around Manhattan’s uptown.” She looked at each girl slowly right in the eyes before speaking up again. “I’m sure they have some documents there that could tell us their next moves. We can be a step ahead.”
The girls looked at each other for a moment.
“Whaddaya mean?” Applejack asked.
Shimmer huffed. “I mean sneaking in their apartment when they’re not there, search for whatever that can be useful, take photos, and leave.”
“That’s breaking and entering,” Trixie said sternly. “I’m sure you know it’s a crime.”
“Are you asking us to commit a crime?” Rarity asked, placing a hand over her chest, looking flabbergasted.
“Hey, it’s for a good cause,” Shimmer replied with an annoyed voice. “Besides, it’s not a crime if you do it to a criminal.”
A single laugh was the only response, and everyone looked at the source: Twilight.
“You really believe what you say, don’t you?” Twilight asked, not really looking at Shimmer, not waiting for an answer.
But she got an answer anyway. “Yes,” Shimmer said. “You heard goodie-goodie me over there: If the sirens get too powerful, they transform into Wendigos.”
“Windigos,” Sunset corrected, and Shimmer looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “They’re different.”
“Whatever,” Shimmer said. “I don’t know about you,” she continued, facing everyone again. “but I’d rather deal with the police again than with magical world-destroying monsters.”
There was silence as the girls looked down, considering Shimmer’s words. Fluttershy was the one that seemed more against the idea of being a criminal, but if she wanted to voice her thoughts, or if she had already done so, no one noticed.
It was Sunset who broke the silence. “I’m in.”
“What?” Applejack was the first to react. “Y’all agree with ‘er?”
“Unless you can think of a better way to fight the sirens without magic, we have to resort to these kind of things.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I… I won’t ask you to risk yourselves, so, if you don’t want to get involved, you can leave now. I won’t think less of you if you do.”
“I don’t think that’s what Applejack meant,” Rarity said. “I understand that it’s important to fight the sirens-”
“It’s not only important,” Sunset interrupted her, her voice cracking a little bit. “The sirens are deadly! Don’t you get it? If we let them do as they please, the whole world will be plunged into a barren land of snow and ice!” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry…”
Trixie placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She looked at the rest of the girls. “I’m with Sunset,” she said with a stern frown, inciting the girls to give a straight answer.
“I don’t… want to commit crimes,” Twilight said, crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair. “But there are certain holes in the law I can work my way around to help you…”
“I suppose…” Rarity said, placing a finger on her lips. “As long as it’s not directly a crime, I can help you too.”
“I never thought I’d join a gang!” Pinkie said cheerily. “This can be fun!”
Rainbow rolled her eyes at her. “Fun or not, this is to save the world, right? And if my friends are going to risk themselves, then I’m not gonna abandon them!”
Applejack huffed out her frustration. “Ah can help too, as long as y’all don’t tell me what yer up to. Y’all can tell me to do things, but not what they’re for, ya hear?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s fair,” Trixie said. “You can easily be found innocent that way… Maybe...”
“Well, it’s decided then,” Shimmer said, earning everyone’s attention again. “I’ll be surveilling the sirens until I find a window of time we can work with.” She turned her head to Sunset. “I’ll call you then.” And without waiting for a response, she grabbed her notebook, stood up, and left.
Twilight leaned back and crossed her arms. “I know I said I’d help you, but I don’t think we should trust her this much.”
“Me neither,” Rainbow said. “But do we really have a choice? I mean, let’s play the devil’s avocado and consider that-”
“Advocate,” Rarity interrupted her. “The devil’s advocate.”
“That’s what I said, don’t interrupt me!” Rainbow huffed. “Anyway, she’s willing to do the dirty work, right? And if she gets arrested again, if she tries to take us down with her, we can just say she was blackmailing us or something. With her criminal record, no one will believe her.”
Rarity let out a sigh. “I hate to say this, but… Rainbow’s right.”
“Thank you girls,” Sunset said with an honest smile. “I know it must be hard for you having to deal with her, specially you, Twilight.”
Twilight stared at her for a moment. “I know what you’re trying to do.” Sunset blinked surprised, but didn’t reply. “You want her to see the light like you did and become a better person, right?” She shook her head and stood up. “I sincerely hope she does, if only just so she never hurts anyone again. But the biggest part of me knows she won’t.” She looked at the girls with gloomy eyes. “No matter how “good” you think she gets, never forget what she did to me and to Trixie. She could’ve killed both of us, and she isn’t even a little bit guilty.” When she stopped talking, she noticed that her jaw was stiff and her hands were tight fists. She took a deep breath and sat down again. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” Sunset said. “You have every right to feel the way you do. And don’t worry, even if I do want her to change, I won’t let her hurt Trixie, or any of you, for that matter.”
“We’ll also keep an eye on you, Twilight!” Rainbow said, raising a fist.
Twilight didn’t reply, she just stared at her half empty smoothie in silence and with a deep frown.
~~~~~~~~
Sunset lifted her leg and quickly pushed the kick starter. There was a groan and a rumble, but the dirt bike didn’t come to life. She tried a few more times, but it just didn’t work. The need to scream and throw the damned thing away boiled in her, but instead, she took a deep, long breath, sucking up all that unnecessary rage and letting out with a long sigh.
She was calmer, but still very angry. She had been a mechanic for a month now, she had repaired at least thirty bikes, from small to big fixes, she had even ridden one! And yet, she was utterly unable to even start the engine of this specific one.
With another heavy sigh, she leaned over the handle. She’d have to disassemble it. Again.
“Hey, Sunset!” Lightning Dust called from the workshop’s entrance. She walked in and gave Sunset a look. “Still haven’t given up, eh?”
Sunset huffed as she got off the bike. “Not my style,” she replied before walking to a work table and sat down on the old and screeching swivel chair. “What’s up?”
“Not much,” Lightning replied, crossing her arms in front of her. “The racers are having a party tomorrow night. Wanna come?”
Sunset considered the offer. She was worried about the sirens, and that she hadn’t heard from Shimmer. She wasn’t one to listen to the radio, but according to Trixie, the students at CHS were starting to talk about “The Dazzlings” and how they wanted them to release official records. What if Shimmer had been discovered and abducted, too?
She pondered, and she realized that, maybe, she was just being paranoid. Sure, the sirens were a threat, but she supposed one day of forgetting her worries wouldn’t hurt anyone. Besides, she could take Trixie with her, and they could have lots of fun.
But just as she was about to answer, her phone started ringing. She shot an apologetic glance at Lightning and picked up her phone. The screen flashed the word “Shrew”. Sunset sighed and answered.
“Tomorrow,” Shimmer’s voice spoke up with haste. “Canterlot Library. Seven in the morning. Bring up to three people. Don’t be late.” The sound was cut off as she hung up.
Sunset placed her phone on the desk and massaged her temples as she huffed.
“Bad news?” Lightning asked.
“No, it’s just…” She looked up at Lightning. “Where’s the party?”
“At Stinger’s. He wants to celebrate his upcoming wedding,” Lightning replied with a shrug.
Sunset sighed again, feeling a little sick. “I might get there late, if at all.”
“Why? Is your bf the jealous kind?” Lightning joked. “He can come, too.”
That made Sunset snort amusedly. “First of all, my girlfriend would love to go. Second, the call I just got is about something else. A “job”, so to speak.”
Lightning made a face and tilted her head. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were gay. Ehm, of course she’s invited, too.” She laughed nervously. “Just don’t be too late, or everyone will already have drunk all the beer.”
Sunset smirked. “Don’t sweat it. And yeah, we’ll try to be there.”
~~~~~~~~
Rainbow Dash was leaning against a street lamp, with her arms crossed in such a way that, she hoped, would make anyone passing by think that she was totally oblivious to the cold, especially with her very thin jacket and sideways cap, when, in reality, it was the exact opposite, and she was using every ounce of willpower she had to keep herself from shivering uncontrollably and rubbing the cold away.
Rarity, on her part, was very comfortably sitting at one side of the stairs leading to the library, wearing a beige coat that covered almost her entire body, making her long black boots stand out more.
The morning sun, while illuminating the sky with a vibrant blue, did nothing to increase the temperature, and even Rarity in her thick garment felt chills every now and then. She couldn’t understand how Rainbow could endure it, or better said, how she could not complain.
She thought of telling Rainbow how she should’ve brought at least a jacket, but before she opened her mouth, a car pulled over right next to them. It was gray, and to Rarity, its design looked like a bullet with blades, or a massive drill used to tunnel. She had always been the kind to appreciate both fancy and humble belongings, but this car certainly seemed way too expensive; she knew that even if, hypothetically speaking, she sold her boutique and every dress she’d make from then and in ten years, she wouldn’t be able to pay for even half that car.
The engine stopped, and not much after, the pilot door opened, and out came Shimmer. Her full-body concealing winter clothes were now a snow white, painfully clashing with the car’s color, and had she not been wearing makeup, it would clash with the gray of her eye bags too.
“Ah, Gayhair and Sweetcheeks,” Shimmer said, leaning over the roof of her car and grinning at the angry stares they were shooting at her. “I suppose Sunshine and Lollipop thought bringing brute force and drama along can help in any way.”
Rainbow groaned, gritting her teeth, as she stomped closer, but before she could do or say anything, Rarity grabbed her by the shoulder. She shook her head and then looked at Shimmer. “You know, Shimmer, all that bitterness will certainly ruin your cheveux.”
Shimmer raised an eyebrow. “Cheveux?” She repeated, blinking, then grinned and spoke with an almost flawless french accent. “Alors, tu parle Francais? Es-ce que tu veux avoir un ménàge a trois avec moi et ma soeur dimensionelle?”
Rarity raised a finger, mouthing silently for a couple of seconds before looking away.
“Huh?” Shimmer faked disappointment. “Oh, you don’t actually speak French. You’re just a groupie in search of her sugar daddy, after all.”
Rarity gritted her teeth and turned her hands into fists, pressing with enough force to turn her knuckles white. She took a long, deep breath through her nose and let it out loudly. “I’m not falling for your wicked game,” she said as calm as she could.
Shimmer faked a hurt expression. “And here I thought you liked fooling around.”
But Rarity just ignored her, turning around and claiming her previous sitting spot. Rainbow wanted nothing more than to punch Shimmer in the face and erase that annoying grin from her face, but she controlled herself. Shimmer was provoking them, she thought, and they weren’t stupid enough to act like she wanted.
Realizing that she wasn’t going to get any further reactions from the girls, Shimmer closed the door of her car and sat on the hood, lighting a cigarette. She was halfway done with it when she caught the glimpse of a very familiar hair in the distance; fiery red and golden locks dancing with the morning wind and glimmering against the soft sunrays. Shimmer clicked her tongue and stood up.
Sunset and Trixie approached the girls, both wearing thick winter coats and scarves, Sunset’s being a dark shade of red, and Trixie’s her usual dark blue.
“Morning,” Sunset said, looking at Rainbow and Rarity, then at Shimmer. “So, why did you call us here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Shimmer asked, taking a deep blow to her cigarette. “Today we’re sneaking in the sirens’ apartment,” she blew out the smoke and motioned to her car. “Hop in, I’ll explain inside.” And without waiting for a response, she got in her car.
The girls followed, Sunset sitting at the co-pilot’s seat, while Trixie, Rainbow and Rarity were in the backseat. Sunset noticed Shimmer didn’t have her cigarette anymore.
“So, what is this about?” Rainbow asked.
“I do recall saying I am not doing anything directly criminal,” Rarity said, waving her hand.
Shimmer buckled her seatbelt and started the engine. “You’re not. Only Sunshine and I are doing it.” She caught the sight of Trixie’s raising eyebrow through the rearview mirror and flashed a wide grin. “Yes, exactly what you’re thinking, Lollipop.”
Sunset sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Just tell us your plan already.”
“Fine,” Shimmer said, still very proud of herself. “I’ve been taking notes on the siren’s activities the best I could. First, the most important thing to note is that the earplugs are pretty efficient if you hum softly. They can get very uncomfortable after a while, but the sirens couldn’t hypnotise me… I did have to act like the rest of the mindless crowd to avoid them suspecting anything though.”
She steered left and swiftly pulled the car to the freeway. “That helped when I followed them to their apartment complex. They just thought I was a stupid teenager and ignored me.”
“Which you are,” Trixie mumbled, eliciting a chuckle from Rainbow Dash.
“In any case,” Shimmer continued. “I noticed that every day after school they get to their apartment, they get changed, and then they leave somewhere else for about one hour. I believe that’s more than enough time to sneak in and photograph anything that can be of use.”
“And what if they take less time? Or if they don’t even leave?” Rarity asked.
“If they don’t leave, then we try again tomorrow,” Shimmer answered, “but if they do, then it won’t really matter how long they take. That’s why you’re here.” She motioned Sunset to open the compartment in front of her, then take the black box inside. “I bought some short-wave radio transmitters,” she explained. “Sunshine and I will wear the headsets, and you three will tell us when the sirens return so we have time to get out.”
Sunset grabbed the two headsets, which were pretty small and could easily be concealed beneath her hair and scarf. She passed the box to Trixie, which had a very professional looking battery powered radio inside.
“You bought this only for this?” Rainbow asked, eyeing the radio with surprise.
“Yes,” Shimmer answered nonchalantly. She took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “Now, it’s important that you do warn us when the sirens return. When they reach the building’s main entrance at the latest. That’ll give us about three minutes to get away. If you do not, we’ll be done for.”
Rainbow huffed. “That’s why you’re taking Sunset with you, right? So we don’t purposely leave you there.”
“So you do have a brain!” Shimmer mocked her. “I suppose Hickbilly is the stupid one, after all.”
“Stop insulting my friends!” Sunset yelled at her. “Why are you purposely making it unbearable to be with you?!”
Shimmer shrugged, giving her an uninterested look. “I’m a bitch, that’s why.”
“So, Shimmer,” Rainbow quickly said with a small grin. “What’s being a prison bitch like?”
The instant silence that followed made Rainbow feel a little unsettled. She was obnoxious, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew her question was maybe a little too much, but she figured Shimmer deserved it, so instead of backing off, she just stared at Shimmer through the rearview mirror.
Rarity saw Shimmer’s hands tightening and loosening their grip on the steering wheel for a few moments, and her eyes frozen with a stern glare straight to the road. For a moment, she feared Shimmer would react violently; she had been there at Everton’s, and she had seen firsthand what she was capable of.
But such retaliation never occurred, and Shimmer just kept driving. No one, not even Rainbow, dared say another word for the remainder of the trip. And after a very uncomfortable hour, they finally got to their destination.
Manhattan was certainly a sight to behold, especially the uptown area, where antique buildings clashed with newer ones, towering to the sky as if trying to scratch it. The streets weren’t the cleanest, but they certainly had a unique feel of organization that Canterlot certainly hadn’t, as if every empty bottle or squeezed bag had been carefully placed to give that big city look it had.
Shimmer pulled next to an expensive looking coffee shop; it’s entrance sign read Straddlebucks with red and white colors and a very simple yet striking font.
“Going for coffee,” Shimmer announced as she turned off the engine and unlocked her seatbelt. “Wait here.” And with that, she got out, slammed the door, rounded the car, put a few coins in the parking meter, and disappeared inside the coffee shop.
The four girls still inside the car simultaneously let out a heavy and prolonged breath.
“Rainbow, I know she deserved it,” Sunset said, looking at the roof of the car. “But please save those kinds of comments for when she can’t crash the car and kill us all.”
“Noted,” was the only thing Rainbow said.
A few minutes of a silence that once sometimes interrupted by the occasional huff and sigh followed, and it was Rarity who broke it.
“So… I think we all should address the elephant in the room,” she said and shifted in her place. “We’re about to become criminals. Even if it’s ‘just breaking and entering’,” she emphasized making air quotes with her fingers. “it’s still very much illegal.”
“Sunset already said it’s for the greater good,” Trixie replied with a frown.
“I understand that,” Rarity said. “And I do believe Sunset when she says the sirens are a serious threat. I’m just saying we should consider that, given the scenario that the sirens catch us in fraganti, we won’t have many chances to survive either way.”
Sunset rubbed the bridge of her nose and looked back. “That’s why I told you; if you don’t want to participate, don’t do it. I know what I’m getting myself into, and I want you to understand that as well.”
“I do!” Rainbow said with her usual overconfidence. “Not every day we get to kick some evil magical creatures’ asses!” Sunset raised an eyebrow, and Rainbow coughed sheepishly. “Besides you- I mean-!”
“Just shut up,” Trixie said, and Rainbow just facepalmed.
“And here comes the devil,” Sunset said, looking towards the entrance of the coffee shop.
Rarity looked, and she noticed that something was different with Shimmer. When she stormed out of the car, she had been mad, ready to hit the next person that so much as looked her way, but now she just had a bored expression.
She realized as well, it was the first time she actually paid attention to her gait, and she noticed that it was different from back at Everton. Whilst she had looked like a predator, with her oscillatory hip-swing, she now looked like just about any normal girl. Rarity would’ve related it to her wearing a thick winter coat if she didn’t know her like she did.
Shimmer got in, closing the door behind her, and sighed at the welcoming warmth of the car.
“That was pretty fast,” Sunset pointed out.
“There wasn’t much of a crowd.,” Shimmer replied, making a dismissive shrug with her hand, she grabbed her cup and placed it on the cup holder.
And she sounded different than a few minutes ago, too, Rarity noticed. As if Rainbow’s comment hadn’t affected her at all.
Rarity cleared her throat. “So… Where’s the sirens’ apartment?”
Shimmer pointed outside a building across the street, and everyone followed.
More than a street, they were parked at one side of a very wide avenue, the first thing Rarity noticed was a white building, easily the size of a football stadium, but square and with a huge parking lot entrance at the side. Big platinum letters read “Manhattan’s Conference Centre”.
At the side, a dark gray building, occupying about the same area as the centre, rose three times taller. Its columns, placed at the four corners, were designed to stick out into sharp points, giving them a design of blades. And at the very top, above even the satellite dishes, Rarity could barely make out the edge of what she could only guess was a penthouse.
“They live in the penthouse,” Shimmer answered the unspoken question. “They should be back in a couple of hours, so go grab something to eat…” She then looked at Rarity through the rearview mirror. “Unless you’re “on a diet”.” She added making air quotes with her fingers.
Rarity frowned.
“Wait, hours? Are they at school or what?” Rainbow asked.
“Yes.”
“Then why don’t we go now instead of waiting?”
“Simple,” Shimmer replied. “The guard right now is an old woman, and she won’t let anyone go to the elevators without showing their ID at least. And I don’t want to leave any registry of my presence there. And about ten minutes before the sirens return, they shift guards, and then it’s a young guy that can be easily persuaded by the feminine charm.”
“So that’s why you’re using makeup,” Trixie pointed out.
Shimmer raised an eyebrow. “What, did you think I’d do it for you?”
Sunset furrowed her brow for a moment, then looked back to Rarity. Rarity looked at her, blinking in confusion. Sunset quickly darted her eyes to Shimmer, then back at Rarity. Rarity slowly looked at Shimmer, then back at Sunset and slightly shook her head. Sunset frowned, then raised an eyebrow to point to Shimmer and darted her eyes a little more forcefully. Rarity bit her lower lip and swallowed a sigh, looking defeated.
“Shimmer, darling,” Rarity said, and for the first time in her life, she mildly disliked saying “darling” every three words. “I noticed your mascara is not… accentuating your natural allure. Will you, uh, allow me to help you with that?”
Shimmer raised an eyebrow at that. “Why?”
“Yeah, why would you help her?” Rainbow asked, frowning.
Rarity had to take a deep breath to stop herself from screaming. “B-Because I can’t stand by when a girl is making such a horrible mistake!” She pointed at Shimmer’s face. “You don’t just apply concealer and that’s it! There’s much more to do if you want to deal with those pronounced eye bags!”
Not expecting that, Shimmer tilted her head in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“Your face looks horribly glossy! Like you’re sweating and standing directly under a spotlight!” Rarity produced an arguably big, purple box from her purse and opened it. “I can’t let it be! You just have to let me fix it!”
“Why would you want to help me?” Shimmer asked with a hint of concern in her voice.
“Because she’s generous like that,” Sunset said simply.
Shimmer eyed warily at Sunset, then at Rarity, then at Sunset again. “Alright…” she said slowly. “Let’s go inside the coffee shop.”