He flashed his most dazzling smile, elated by the increased volume of the already thunderous crowd. His muscular chest was puffed with pride. His violet eyes were glimmering. He spread his wings like a swan eager to take flight on the winds of this victorious night.
But, he couldn’t take off yet. Not quite yet. He needed to wait.
His heart fluttered in anticipation. Seconds ticked by in slow motion. Sounds and sensations turned into nothing but a buzz in his ear, and the sweat that plastered the silvery strands of his carefully manicured hair dropped on the glossy wooden floorboards. The height of the crowds crescendo was fast approaching. All he had to do was…
Wait.
For.
It.
There!
He bowed low, gracious performer that he was, an act to thank the crowd for their generous accolades. With a smaller, affectionate smirk, he reached behind him, calling on his glossy black wand. It appeared in his hand, sprung quite literally from thin air.
There was no trick this time. It was magic, genuine and his. He was the chosen one, just like he dreamed all those years ago. On this night, his crowning night, he couldn’t fathom how he’d given up on such dreams, to be a real magician instead of the knock-off, discount bag-of-tricks he’d learned to become. He had discovered it some weeks ago during one of his practice runs with Big Bucks.
…Big Bucks.
A knot loosened in his mind for an instant, an air bubble in an ocean before it broke the surface and he was cast out of his daze, back on the stage with his loving fans.
He shook his head. There was no time to be thinking about such things. He supposed some people just didn’t understand. This was his power. He needed it and it needed him. Tonight was the night everyone was going to gaze upon him and his wondrous ability, the stage magician turned sorcerer! Destiny had deigned him the vessel to hold such power and he would fulfill his call.
He pointed a white tip to his audience and wove his will into a command. The roar of the crowd turned to shocked gasps, and, finally, groans of panic. One by one, each fell to their knees as the energy left them, draining away, until blurred vision and ringing ears were the extent of their focus. Bodies dropped like flies in a gas chamber.
The man’s charming smile broadened into something menacing. The power funneled into him and it flowed as freely and naturally as his own life blood. He released a sigh of contentment, unbeknownst to the gargles of agony that had replaced, what a few moments ago, were glee and wonder.
A click of what could have been a makeup compact, and a whirring of something mechanical, turned the contented sigh into a snarl. He turned to meet the eyes of a young woman.
Strands of yellow and red swirled around her, tussled by the winds of magic that drew itself closer. Her amber face was scrunched in concentration, and her body braced against the emotional force of an entire auditorium. She directed it into a circular device, tightly pressed in her hands.
“What are you doing?!” He bellowed. “That’s mine!”
Sparing a glance at him, she simply stated, “but it’s really not.”
A feral scream tore itself from his throat, and he sprinted across the stage in--what he probably assumed was--a lightning fast pace.
In reality, he had taken a single step forward and collapsed.
The tempest around the woman calmed, and any stray magic in the atmosphere collected itself into a bright purple orb that nestled itself in her device. With another tiny click, it was over.
Sunset Shimmer took a moment to pan her eyes around the auditorium. The majority of the people were down for the count, and the few who still had the strength for consciousness looked dazed and unfocused. Over 5,000 people were gathered. Over 5,000 were added to her list of victims of stray equestrian magic, and the man most victimized of all...
She looked at him, face planted before her, no scowl pressed against his features, no lust for power. He looked calm, his youthfully handsome face shinning with a thin veil of sweat.
She knelt by him. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Jack Pot. Trixie wanted me to tell you, she misses you.”
It fell on quietly slumbering ears.
Aria’s voice cut into the silence with urgency. “Shimmer! You better get your ass out of there. Looks like someone tipped off the police.”
“Fuck,” she cursed. “Where’s Adagio?”
“Waiting.” The eldest siren’s bored tone was a stark contrast, but what drew Sunset attention was the low hum of the silver Prius in the background. “Hurry up.”
“Back door’s still clear,” Sonata added, “and we really need to talk about your one liners.”
Sunset was already behind the curtains when Aria chuckled. “But, it’s really not.” She imitated, her voice affecting someone who’d smoked 20 packs of cigarettes everyday for 10 years.
“I don’t sound like that.”
The protest preceded a trio of laugher through her ear piece causing Sunset to roll her eyes. The back door was propped open by a casual blue siren, unflappable smile on her face. They ran into the cool air of the evening, the heat from the auditorium bleeding away as the door closed behind them. Sunset’s signature leather jacket flapped as they broke into a run.
“Sometimes I wish I never asked you guys for help.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Sunset could almost imagine Adagio’s hand waving in the air dismissively.
Sonata motioned for Sunset to follow her. “Short cut,” she stated, before she dove into a bush.
Sunset dove after, emerging on the other side and hitting herself with a thunk.
“What was that?” Aria asked.
Adagio sighed. “Sunset ran into the car.”
The aforementioned girl groaned. “Why is your car so close to the bushes?”
“Just hurry up!” Aria finally snapped. “5 minutes ’til the cops get there.”
Adagio didn’t need any more prompting before she slammed on the gas, sliding the car into a sharp turn and out of the parking lot.
Sonata raised her hands in the air as she cheered. “Weeeeeeeee!”
“Sonata, put your seatbelt on!” Sunset screamed.
Adagio cackled as she raced down back alleys and darkened roads.
Aria sighed with relief, her screen pinging the rapidly departing dot as they drove away from the Las Pegasus Colosseum. “Do we get to go home now?” She asked.
Sunset’s equally relieved voice spoke up from her speakers. “Yeah, finally.”
Aria leaned back with a stretch, her body cramped from vigilantly staring at security cams and listening to police scanners. She was about to turn off her gear when a thought struck her. “Before that, can you guys pick up some pizza?”
…18 months prior...
The sisters exchanged a series of incredulous glances before looking at the leather clad woman with the rakishly lopsided smirk.
“Come again?” Adagio asked, raising a brow.
“Help me with the stray equestrian magic,” she replied simply, her voice just as demanding and self assured as the first time.
Aria sneered with disgust. “Why the hell would we do that?”
Sunset made a shrugging motion as she leaned back, her body relaxing into the comfortable white couch in the siren’s spacious living room. “Because I can give you three magic again.”
Adagio and Aria’s eyes widened for a moment, surprised by the prospect before they broke into uproarious laughter.
Aria smacked her knee. “Good one, bacon head.”
“That was quite unexpected from you.” Adagio’s eyes were watering at the edges as she brought an elegant finger to wipe a stray tear that was threatening to fall. She smiled at Sunset’s unchanging face before her expression melted back into blank irritation. “Now, if you’re quite done, get out.”
Sonata stayed silent, for once grounded in the moment. “You can really bring our magic back?”
Sunset drew her eyes towards Sonata’s expectant face, shadowed by the late morning sun that peaked behind the large window. “I can.”
Aria’s face flushed with anger, her neck twisting to glare at the youngest siren. “Oh, use your brain for once. She’s just getting your hopes up. Even if she could bring our magic back, why would—?”
Her tirade was halted as three soft clicks resonated through the room like a gong. The last remaining rays of light reflected on the sharp surface of three gems, teaming with the faint thrum of energy. It was unmistakable. The sisters leaned close with anticipation. There was no mistaking that feeling. This close, it called to them and pulled, with the familiarity of a childhood friend.
One detail caused the three pause.
“They’re different.” Adagio remarked, veiling her interest with careful trepidation. “What did you do to them?”
Sunset took a moment to answer, pondering on the right selection of words. “We fixed them,” she decided. “After they were shattered, there wasn’t enough magic to keep them together, so we suffused them with the magic that we had.”
“They’re white.” Aria deadpanned accusingly.
Sunset nodded, her self-assured demeanor cracking for the first time since she’d stepped into the Siren’s den. “They are different, but trust me, you’ll like these better.”
Adagio crossed her arms. “How presumptuous of you.”
The two elder sisters pressed Sunset further, the three unaware of Sonata, reaching a timid hand forward, shaking as her fingers grazed the edge of a gem. She felt a tug on her chest as a small current zapped through her finger. The inside of the gem began to fog with tiny wisps of blue. She shot up from her seat, pulling her hand away. A sharp gasp left her throat, her eyes trained on the once white gem, looking fragile and pure as glass, now shining like a brilliant blue sapphire. It’s vibrant hue tantalized her the longer she stared. A tingle rose from the base of her throat, itching like a cough but when she opened her mouth, she found herself skillfully navigating up a scale of notes, producing them with crisp intonation.
Her breath quivered when she stopped, heart racing with excitement. “It…feels full.”
Adagio and Aria were left slack jawed.
Aria pointed a shaky finger at the empty spot on Sonata’s neck. “But-but…you weren’t even wearing it.”
Sunset smirked. “I’ll give you time to decide.” She stood, simultaneously grabbing the colorless gems in her hand, exchanging them for a slip of paper. “Give me a call. You can keep the blue one.” Sunset made for the door, opening it and stepping out before she poked her head back in. “Oh, and by the way, you guys can’t share.”
“Yeah Trix, he’s fine,” Turning, Sunset flinched as she caught a flying duffle bag that sailed towards her in a neat little arc, curtesy of Sonata’s surprisingly strong arms. She slung the strap across her shoulder while heading up towards the steps of the condo she shared with the other three in her group. “Twi’s not wrong. It did take a lot longer this time. Not surprised you saw it on the news—hey!”
Adagio deftly grabbed it from Sunset’s hand, leveling her with a stare. “Don’t think you can skirt helping unload because you’re on the phone.”
Irritated, Sunset lifted the duffle in her hand. “What do you think I’m doing?”
Adagio rolled her eyes and dropped the device, making Sunset lunge to catch it. She grumbled a swear as she placed the phone back on her ear. “Sorry about that.”
The familiar squeak of the powder blue magician denoted an air of irritation. “I see you’re still laying with the morally bankrupt.”
A husky chuckle broke from Sunset’s throat at the irony of the statement. “What can I say? I attract their company.”
Sunset heard a huff, Trixie’s tone becoming forcibly casual. “I’m just pointing out that your exploits have been getting televised a lot more frequently in the last year. The only thing that you’ve been doing differently is hanging around with the same people that tried to hypnotize us in high school.”
“That’s not a fair judgement and you know it,” Sunset countered. “I was doing just as much with the Rainbooms.
Trixie mulled this over in her mind. “Point taken, but at least the Rainbooms are goody-goodys by nature. These three are…unpredictable.”
“You know, a lot of the things you’ve used to describe them fit pretty neatly with me,” Sunset countered. “From an outside perspective, after we took their magic, they were just antisocial rich kids, while I was running around with a motorbike, looking for the next magical disaster. Maybe I was the one that corrupted them.”
“We aren’t worried about them. We’re worried about you.” Trixie’s voice shifted ever so subtly, the air of agitation giving way to unveiled concern. “They’re always asking about you, you know?”
A hard knot of guilt twisted uncomfortably in Sunset’s stomach. “Yeah, well, it’s complicated. It’s been busy.”
Trixie’s voice flattened. “I can see that,” she stated, the previous agitation doubling as it came back. “I can see that you’re not going to be reasonable about this. If you’re so insistent, then just try to make your phone calls more often than six months apart. No one wants Sparkle to play messenger.”
“Trix—.” Sunset sighed as the line was cut. The guilt in her gut loosened, only to clamp around her body, weighing her down with fatigue.
“They’re not gonna stop bugging you.”
“Your timing is always spot on, Aria.” Sunset leveled her weary eyes to the other woman with computers and electronics pinned under her arms, cords wrapping around her like a cyberfied mummy.
Aria shrugged. She hobbled her encumbered body towards the coffee table, disentangling her load on the flat surface. “They’re not the kind of group to stop for anything except a solid no.” After a moment of no response, Aria took it as a sign to continue, making sure that she could look directly into Sunset’s eyes. “You already know how this is going to play out.”
Sunset couldn’t help but frown, her voice coming out louder than she’d wanted. “Of course I do. It was my plan, and just because you shove it in my face, doesn’t mean it’ll make it easier!”
She was met with a pitying stare, Aria’s eyebrows knitting together as she frowned.
Sunset huffed like a pent up warhorse, turning to march back down to the car. She was stopped when Aria grasped her wrist to spin her around.
“Hey,” she said. “For what it’s worth, you won’t be alone for it.”
The growing heat that seemed to bubbled through every fiber of Sunset’s muscles cooled into a dull simmer. Her frustrations weren’t quelled, and the guilt still sapped at her diminishing energy, but she gripped Aria’s hand in appreciation with a faint smile.
“Thanks.”
One side of Aria’s mouth quirked up in a shark like smirk, but Sunset knew, after months of getting to know the woman, it’s true nature was genial and comfortable.
“Now let’s get down there before Adagio has a hemorrhage.”
They were about to walk down in companionable silence when the familiar melody of Sunset’s preloaded ringtone halted them in their step.
Aria crossed her arms. “Don’t answer that.”
Sunset offered a helpless shrug. “They’re probably just wanting some updates.”
With a roll of her eyes, Aria made to depart the room. “Just make it quick.”
With another sigh, Sunset lamented how heavenly she’d sleep this night and all through the morrow’s afternoon.
Reluctance still clinging to her throat, she pressed the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Sunset?”
Sunset took a long pull of air through her nostrils. “Hey, Twi. What’s up?”
“Sunset!” The room seemed to light up like a dark hole assaulted by a bonfire. “Did you just get back?”
“Yeah. Just.” Sunset twirled a lock of hair between her amber fingers. “I’m still unpacking, actually. I should get down there and help the girls.”
“Wait! I had something I wanted to ask you.” Though still with the cadence and levity of a nightingale, her words came out in a rush of mild panic.
Against her better judgement and the inkling that she already knew the question, Sunset prompted her forward. “What is it?”
Twilight paused on the other end, gathering her courage with a deep inhale. “Take me on your next adventure.”
And there it was. The jack-in-the-box that had been cranked and released many times before.
“Twi, you know I can’t.”
And there she was, shoving Jack back into his little hidey-hole until further notice.
Not perturbed in the slightest, releasing dark clouds of impending peril on the forefront of Sunset’s mind, Twilight pressed forward. “Why not this time?”
“The same reason that everyone else can’t come, obviously.” Sunset had the distinct feeling that there was something she was missing, something that gave her usually confident delivery pause, something that kept good Ol’ Jack stubbornly propped like a pillar in her thoughts.
Twilight continued on. “And what is that?”
“Ummm…college?” She replied, though a bit uncertain. “We did talk about how looking for magic can’t interfere with your lives. School is more important.” It sounded hollow in her ears, an excuse to keep them away. Perfectly valid, but obviously disguising the true reason for her reluctance about allowing her old circle of friends privy to her “adventures”.
Twilight paused. This time, it carried an air of victory like the breath before a checkmate. “It’s good that you think that, because I just graduated.”
What?
“And I’m taking a gap year.”
“What?” Her brain seemed to stall, as the gears ground against each other. “You guys have another year and a half before you graduate. Besides, why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“I did tell you,” she snapped.
Sunset’s world stopped and the only thoughts that accompanied her in the timeless pocket was the, evidently, missed conversation and Aria’s sage advice about not picking up the phone.
“You have no more excuses, Sunset Shimmer.”
Fuck.
“I’m coming on the next adventure,” Twilight stated, confident, her giddy smirk stretching across her face. Checkmate, indeed.