…18 months prior…
Aria screamed as a stinging current lanced through her finger and into her arm. She drew back, shaking her limb with a hiss.
“She wasn’t lying about not sharing either,” Adagio observed, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
Sonata had gotten up to examine Aria’s arm, marveling at the slightly red tint to her usual purple. “That’s two for two now.”
Aria held it closer to her body, away from Sonata’s scrutiny. “Doesn’t mean we can trust her.”
Adagio’s free hand drifted to the slip in her pocket, holding it as she thought through her options. “So are you suggesting we don’t pursue her offer?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
Adagio waved her hand.
“I don’t believe for a second she’s doing this out of the kindness of her heart,” Aria spat. “There’s a catch somewhere.”
“Obviously, she wants us to go magic hunting with her.” The two elder sirens looked at Sonata. “That’s what she said, right?”
“Bullshit.”
“That’s what you thought about the gems, A-ri-a.” Pointedly, she sang her sister’s name in a beatific trill, akin to a blue jay’s call.
She raised a threatening fist prompting Sonata to dive behind Adagio’s huge mass of orange curls.
Adagio took a moment to shake her head before looking at Aria. “Any other rebuttals?”
“What are you thinking?”
The eldest shrugged. “We have nothing else to lose.” She drew out the paper, wrinkled from being tousled by Adagio’s nervous fingers.
With a deep breath, she punched in the numbers, pressing the loudspeaker as she did so.
The three held their breaths at the dial tone, exactly three rings pause, before a familiar husky voice replied.
“Thank Celestia you guys are quick.”
Adagio’s eyebrow rose in curiosity. “Are you running?”
“Yep.” Her belabored breaths assaulted the phone’s mic with clear definition, each pant crackling with the jostle of her movements.
A loud thud, followed by a skidding noise caused the three to jump.
“What in black waters is going on?”
“M-magic. Help.” She wheezed. A crunch of something breaking and being thrown caused the conversation to pause. A long silence went by, to which Sonata wondered if she’d died, before Sunset spoke again, whispering into her device. “I’ll send you the location.”
The call ended followed by a beep as Sunset’s text came through.
The three sisters stared, taking in the events that they hadn’t fully processed with the recent calls being their only indication they hadn’t imagined the extremely brief exchange.
Adagio and Sonata turned to look at Aria, who lifted her head to look at them.
She clicked her tongue. “So, I guess she’s three for three.”
Sunburst felt like an old man with the way his knees cracked at the shift of his weight. His knee-pads’ effectiveness had slowly worn away with the hours of being crouched into the same position under the old Chevy Cavalier model. One ill place bolt having him and his sister in extreme frustration, a simple fix became more of an undertaking than what they’d expected, mostly due to the arrangement of parts inside the engine bay.
He subtly flexed his leg, elongating his already tall legs, and delighting at the stretch they had on his muscles. After being under a car for almost 3 hours, it was a heavenly sensation
“You have got to be kidding me.” A dark skinned woman with strands of greasy green hair glared at him. Her posture was tense, and positively radiated with irritation. The balling of her fist caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand with a sudden rush of adrenalin.
Recollecting himself, he attempted to school his face back into a less terrified expression.
“$300?” She clarified, as if giving him a moment to change what he’d said.
Sunburst frowned. “Ma’am, it’s well within the average repair cost for this kind of problem,” he explained.
She wasn’t pleased, stalking over to him and getting right into his personal space. “I asked for a simple oil pan gasket change! I refuse to pay out my nose for such a simplistic repair.” She growled at him, exposing her particularly sharp canines and leveling green, piercing eyes into his.
Though she came 3 inches too short, it made him stumble, dipping his foot into one of the motor-oil pans full of greasy black liquid. He slipped backwards into a toolbox with a clatter as he fell.
Now his knees and his butt were in pain. Not to mention, he now had a large dark oil stain that managed to coat the arm and torso of his dark blue jumpsuit.
The woman reeled back when she’d seen how his trip would play out and observed him with a cruelly pleased smirk. With a saunter, she grabbed hold of the dryer side of his jumpsuit and hauled him back into facing her, an impressive feat he wasn’t in a position to admire. “I’d like my car keys, please,” she asked sweetly.
The proximity fogged Sunburst’s glasses and he could smell cigarettes on her breath. “I—I don’t…” He stuttered.
“I’ll be glad to give it to you, Chrysy. Now, I suggest you let go of my brother.”
Sunburst noticed his sister standing in the open garage door, a less than amused frown on her face. The majority of a cigarette was still held in her fingers even as she made her way over to them. It was a rule she made for herself to never smoke around him, as it always concerned him, but he was decidedly glad she’d chosen to break that rule just for today.
She strutted up next to the owner of the troublesome black Chevy, and placed a hand on her shoulder, smoothly angling herself between her and her much taller, younger brother.
Who was trying very hard not to cower.
She glanced back at him with a warm smirk. “Get me a water, Burst,” she said, just enough force to let him know that it wasn’t a request.
He looked behind her thick rimmed glasses, then back to the green of the “guest” and hesitated. He wanted to protest.
But with a nod, he walked into the house for his errand, catching Chrysy scoff at his departure.
The door of the garage swung back with a heavy thud and he couldn’t help the sudden bout of self-loathing that welled up in his stomach.
Coward, he chided himself. You should walk back in there. Who knows what that character will do… He thought. They were absent thoughts. Common thoughts. Probably thoughts that would crop up again when the encounter undoubtedly repeated themselves.
Chrysy—as only his sister was allowed to call her—was a common customer to them, entrusting them with routine oil changes and the annual replacement of brake pads, despite the fact she could do it herself, not to mention the volume of car wrecks she got into. Aside from the occasional elderly couple, not a lot of unfamiliar faces found themselves in the small hamlet that was Sire’s Hollow. It was important that they kept her business despite the sadistic pleasure she had with tormenting Sunburst. He was quite resigned to it, and hadn’t protested when his sister insisted she handle most of the face to face interactions. At least, until moments like this cropped up.
He sighed, looking at the plain white hallway that led to the kitchen.
Spotless framed photographs smiled back at him. The first one was his sister, holding him as a baby, swaddled in a bright yellow blanket. His eyes moved to the second one, the two of them playing happily in the town’s park. She pushed him gleefully on a swing. Sunburst chuckled at his white knuckled hold on the swing chains. The third photograph was them again, she was holding a 1st place science fair trophy in one hand and draped her arm around him with the other. Two photographs over was a depiction of the same photograph, only this time, he was the one with the 1st place trophy. And another photograph over, them again. The next one, them again, older and older, even up to the last photograph. It was always them together and always them alone.
Glancing away, Sunburst walked into the plain kitchen with it’s ugly, dull yellow cabinets and outdated appliances. The most recent purchase was a cream white—more because of age then it’s original coloring— microwave from the thrift store two towns over. He grabbed two tall glasses from the drying rack next to the sink, filling it up at the tap and taking a deep swig.
Their story wasn’t anything special. Two siblings with negligent parents too preoccupied with chasing the dollar bill and fighting to pay attention to kids. Swept up in a whirlwind romance, his sister was conceived when their mother was only 15. Thankfully, they decided to keep her, and even married. At 18, they had Sunburst. For a few years, they tried their hardest to act like parents, in clumsy fumbles and awkward strides. At least, that’s what his sister always told him, but he hadn’t been old enough to remember such times.
What his memory held, his father had been an indifferent man in the best of times, and cruel at the worst. True, he’d never raised a hand at anyone under his household, but there were plenty of times the barbed remarks had been worse. However, those were only the moments he had been home. Most of the time, they hadn’t seen him. One day, he left altogether.
With a steadying sigh, he began filling another cup.
His mother made a relatively more solid attempt. She worked three different jobs to make sure that they had enough funds to take care of themselves. Tough as nails and a smile that knocked guys off of their feet, his sister inherited a lot from her, but that was only when she was sober. The majority of the time, she was not. Even when she’d tried to quit, it ultimately meant nothing. She didn’t change, not for herself and certainly not for them, up until she had died two years ago, a month after Sunburst’s 18th birthday. He was still guilty that he was more relieved than sad.
He walked back to the garage to find the car and it’s owner gone. His sister sat on the floor with a tired expression. It quickly changed when she heard him approach and he offered one of the waters in his hands. “Thanks,” she said. The signature crooked smile was on her face.
He had a hard time returning it. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t more of a help.” He stated.
She shrugged, patting the spot next to her. Taking the hint, he sat on the spot and she quickly wrapped an arm around him, heedless of the oil that transferred onto her. “Don’t worry about it. It’s Chris. She’ll push as far as she can, but as long as you don’t let her, she’s pretty harmless.”
“I guess,” he replied, glancing down at the triangle his boots made.
She unhooked her arm from around his neck and tried for a playful elbow nudge. “Don’t worry so much.” She tried again.
Forcing a smile that couldn’t have convinced a blind man, he tried to push the feelings out of his mind. “I guess.” He replied again.
His sister just grimaced. “Right…So…” She paused to furrow her brows and Sunburst knew that she was fumbling for a subject change. It took a while, mostly because not a lot when on in Sunburst’s life, but the brightening of her eyes signaled that she had latched onto something. “Do you have a date with Starlight tonight?” She finally asked.
It was Sunburst’s turn to grimace. “I do actually.” He tried to hide behind a brittle smile, knowing that it wouldn’t work. It was worth a try anyway.
His sister raised a curious brow.
Or maybe not.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
He shrugged. “Of course. Starlight’s smart and cute.”
The eyebrow stayed high. “But…?”
His smile proved it’s brittleness as it crumbled under the one word and he huffed. “I don’t know.” He said. His sister just waited as he rolled the words around in his mouth, trying to get a taste for them. “I just really don’t know. She’s pretty and smart. She’s caring. I’m really lucky.”
A droplet of condensation rolled down from the lip of his glass and he watched it leave a tiny trail of water.
“I’m really, really lucky.”
It left a dark spot on the concrete, no bigger than a fly.
“I don’t know if I’m enough for her…” His nose scrunched at the thought.
He felt a pressure on his shoulder and turned his head, noticing a few smudges on his sister’s eyeglasses. “Of course, you are. You’re just as smart and caring as her. Not to mention handsome. You’re my brother after all.” She winked, drawing out the first real smile he’d had that entire day.
It evaporated with the small drop of condensation and he looked at her pensively. “Maybe, but there’s still this feeling.” Pressing a hand to his chest, he searched around for the words. “I don’t know if I want to be the one for her.”
They were both quiet for a moment and his sister slowly nodded, taking a moment to weigh out what she wanted to say next.
“I know what you mean, Burst. I really do,” she started. “You’ve been friends with Starlight since elementary. I know you love her, but if it’s not the way you’re leading her on to believe, well, don’t you both deserve more than that?”
Sunburst pressed his mouth into a thin line and gripped at his jumpsuit. She was right. They did deserve more than that.
Starlight was a very long time friend, and his only one, actually. They’d already been dating for 14 months, but, if he was truly honest with himself, he’d accepted because there was no reason not to. He kept dating her much for the same reason, or more accurately, lack-thereof. When he was with her, he felt like she was the perfect girl for him and truly meant it when he said she was cute, smart and caring. Other men would have gladly given up their left leg for the opportunity to call Starlight their own. He was acutely aware of that, but when he was away from her, there was none of the desires that were so copiously detailed in romance novels and love songs. He never felt butterflies at her angelic smile, no ache of desire when they were apart, and certainly no gushy romantic urges. He had biological urges that the two had explored many times during the year, but he recognized them for what they were. Biological. Nothing more, nothing less, no matter how much he wished different. It likely steamed from his deep fear of intimacy and reluctance to trust. Either way, what he had to do next cleared to him like the ugly light of an oncoming train.
He steeled himself for the night ahead of him. It was already 6:30, meaning he only had an hour to get ready for his date.
He nodded to himself. “You’re right. I need to do right by her.”
“Good.” She approved before shoving him. “Now get the heck out of here. You need to shower before my nose falls off.”
Sunburst allowed himself a chuckle and picked himself up. He did feel really gross. Girlfriend or not, he didn’t want to see anyone while smelling like a chemical wasteland.
Before returning into the house proper, he looked back at the woman that meant the absolute world to him. “Hey, Sunset, thanks. You’re the best sister anyone could ask for.”
Her placid smirk melted into a warm grin. “Only for the best little brother ever.”
He smiled at her once again before disappearing behind the door.
It was a huge oversight on their part. Though in Aria’s humble opinion, it was an oversight that could have been avoided if Sunset Shimmer sacked up and just told her friends exactly why they couldn’t partake in hero work anymore. It was difficult not to say as much, but she wasn’t as crass as everyone made her out to be. She sympathized with how difficult it could be to amputate relationships, especially good ones—you didn’t roam around the world for centuries without becoming intimately familiar with the feeling. True, she was impatient when it came to games and roundabout solutions, but she always held back, always allowed the other woman to take her time.
Aria sighed, eyes rolling back into her skull as she leaned against the cushions.
This time, she wasn’t sure if she could hold her tongue. “I’m going to murder you, Shimmer.”
A twitch that ran down Sunset’s spine caused her to freeze before she looked up from her face-in-hands crouch. “She’s just coming over for a little while. It’s not like we have a ping on the locator.”
“I don’t care if we don’t have a ping for the rest of the year,” Aria snapped, tone cutting like sharpened steal. “You’re still being a dumb-ass.”
Adagio’s eyes narrowed into slits, her voice coming out in a warning hiss. “Aria.”
Caught in her own tizzy, Aria ignored the warning signs that would have usually silenced her. “You can’t look me in the face and tell me that Shimmer is acting smart, Adagio.”
Adagio crossed her arms, giving a meaningful stare in Aria’s direction, facing off in a stare-down, before looking at Sunset, her back still hunched in misery. “No, I don’t believe she is,” Adagio finally decided, “but it seems she realizes that already.”
Another body wracking twitch. “It-it’s fine. I’ll-I’ll just…just…,” she thought for a moment. “I just won’t tell her when we have to go.” The ever present guilt welled up in her belly, wrenching it in it’s familiar grasp.
“Yeah, that’ll play out well,” Aria sarcastically mumbled.
Sonata gently brought a hand to Sunset’s back, rubbing in gentle circles.
Adagio took a seat on the other side, near enough to be comforting, but not enough to touch. She leaned forward to lean on her knees, bringing her heads closer to Sunset. “Tactless, she might be, Aria brings up a good point. What are you accomplishing by hurting yourself in this way?”
Sunset rubbed at her forehead and face, pinched into an expression of pure anguish. Her lips puckered into a tight circle as she thought. “I honestly don’t know. I just…I can’t bring myself to just…to just end it like this…with all of them…”
“You’re sort of half way there already,” Sonata stated. “I mean, you haven’t talked to the other Rainbooms in foreeeeever, but this one girl is always near the top of your message list.”
Before a fresh round of pain could grip into Sunset’s body, she looked up at Sonata curiously. “How do you know that?”
With nary a hint of shame, Sonata answered quickly. “I look.” She leaned closer to Sunset. “I look, like, all the time.”
Adagio blink while Aria scooted to the end of her seat. “Wait, you talk to her on the regular?” She asked.
Sunset shrugged. “I get blue prints for the equipment but I don’t talk about much else.”
An unnecessarily long and suffering sigh broke from Adagio and Aria.
Aria seemed to deflate. “I don’t even have words anymore.”
Adagio just shook her head.
There was a contemplative silence between the four girls before Sonata broke the pensive atmosphere.
“You know, when we had to move to a new place,” she started, bringing the eyes of her sisters and friend on her, “I usually had this one person that was hard to say bye to.” Aria gave another eye-roll while Sunset nodded patiently. “I would take them on one last date or something.”
The three waited but as Sonata sat back with her arms behind her head in satisfaction, they realized that the conclusion-less statement was at an end.
“Okay…,” Sunset said.
Aria slapped her forehead. “Poseidon’s tits…”
A thoughtful look crossed Adagio’s face. “Maybe she has a point.”
Aria reeled like she’d been yanked by an invisible cord, a motion replicated by Sunset as her head jerked up.
“Seriously?”
Adagio ignored her, keeping her attention on Sunset. “Maybe all that you really require is one last expedition with this special person of yours, a last hurrah of sorts. It may help you with closure.”
Sunset’s blush tinted with a red hue as she frowned. “It’s not like that. Circumstance just made it so that I had to keep talking to her.”
Adagio nodded. “Then it’ll be symbolic.” She placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “The last tie to your human life.”
Aria seethed as she watched, her frown deepening with tinges of irritation, but mostly, apprehension.