Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer spent most of that autumn morning as well as a good portion of the afternoon hanging out, shopping and just having a good time in general. Sunset got excited when she saw a poster advertising a bike race later that afternoon with a prize money for the winner and immediately signed up. They rushed to the beach, getting there just in time – not that it did her any good, she had never ridden a bike before and didn’t even manage to cross the starting line before falling on the sand. Fluttershy promised to teach her how to ride a bike one day.
The skateboard she had gotten from Twilight Sparkle (which she had customized by drawing the blazing red and yellow sun that used to be her cutie mark on the underside) was much easier to master and it had become her preferred method of transportation – especially when she managed to grab onto the rear bumper of a moving car and skitch a ride. She couldn’t perform tricks like she’d seen some skateboarders in town doing, but it didn’t bother her; she wasn’t planning on impressing anybody, all she needed was a decent way of getting around without turning into a sweaty mess too quickly.
With popsicles in hand to combat the afternoon heat, the pair was on their way back to Canterlot Academy when they passed by the local movie theater, where a girl paced back and forth; she had pale-white skin, sapphire-blue eyes, a lot of makeup and well-combed curly purple hair – kept from covering her face by a hairclip shaped like three diamonds. She was a Canterlot Academy student who had ditched the white shirt, opting to wear only the light and dark blue argyle vest and the tartan skirt that identified her as one of the preppies.
“Oh my…” Fluttershy muttered.
“You know the spoiled bitch?” Sunset asked, pointed her half-eaten strawberry popsicle at her.
Fluttershy nodded while looking down at her lemon-flavored popsicle. “That’s Rarity. One of the most popular girls in school, if not the most popular.” She looked back at her companion. “She seems upset. Maybe we should see what’s bothering her?”
Sunset rubber her chin while looking at the prep, deep in thought. “Hm… The most popular girl, you say? She must have connections like crazy. If we get on her good side we could get some info on what Adagio is up to. Not a bad plan, Shy!”
“That’s not what I--” Sunset was already walking towards the damsel in distress. “Oh well…”
“You seem like someone who cares a lot about their looks.” Sunset Shimmer called out, getting Rarity’s attention. “If you keep frowning like that then your forehead will be marked forever.”
“What kind of gullible fool do you take me for? I know that’s a myth.” Rarity replied, not sounding too amused.
“Well, aren’t you a little miss sunshine.” The unicorn crossed her arms. “That’s how you greet everyone or am I just that special?”
Rarity took a deep breath. “Forgive me, darling, for my… Outburst of emotion, but at the present moment I’m not at the best of moods.”
Sunset Shimmer finished her popsicle and threw the stick at a nearby trash can – she missed by a few inches, but Fluttershy picked it up and threw it in the trash properly, alongside her own popsicle stick. “Well, if it’s something a third party can take care of, I’m sure you’ll find my prices agreeable.”
“Oh, I’ve heard about you. You’re the new girl that will do anything for money, right? What’s your name again? Sunny--”
“Don’t you dare call me Sunny!” She interrupted. “My name is Sunset Shimmer. And no, I don’t do ‘anything for money’, I get paid to make problems disappear. It’s different!”
“If you say so, darling.”
“So, what’s bothering you?”
Rarity sighed and pointed at the long line in front of the box office. “Tonight is the premiere of Made In Manehattan. It’s the first time the greatest actress of our generation, Chestnut Magnifico, and the greatest director of the last three generations, Canter Zoom, work together in a major motion picture. Watching this film has been the priority of my to-do list for months but my fiancé, who was supposed to be here with me to buy the tickets, simply forgot. And I did a headcount: the people waiting in line far surpass the amount of seats available in this theater. As soon as that window opens twenty minutes from now, my dream will be ruined. Ruined, I say!”
“Can’t you, like, watch it tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” Rarity grabbed her by the collar and pulled her so close that their foreheads were touching. “TOMORROW? By tomorrow EVERYONE will have already watched it and will be talking about it. What do you expect me to do in order to avoid spoilers? Wear earmuffs all day? No no no, this has to happen today. I can’t miss this, darling!”
Sunset pushed the girl away. “Fine, I get it! You want me to get rid of those people before they start selling the tickets, right? I can do that. In the meantime, think about how you’re gonna pay me back. I don’t accept checks. Let’s go, Shy, I need your help.”
“Did she say ‘fiancé’?” Fluttershy asked as she followed Sunset Shimmer.
“Are you sure about this?” Fluttershy asked as she climbed the ladder leading to the roof of the building. “I mean, what if someone gets hurt? Or what if we get caught?”
“Life is not worth living if you’re not living dangerously.” Sunset, who was crouching near the edge of the roof, said while scouting the crowd below. “Now light this bitch!”
While still looking down below, she passed a bunch of firecrackers to her partner in crime, who hesitantly pulled the lighter she had been handled moments before out of her pocket and lit the fuse. She passed the firecrackers back to Sunset, who had found the perfect spot to throw them in order to startle the largest amount of people possible. The moment she threw them into the crowd she got up, turned around and ran. She quickly slid down the ladder and looked up.
“Jump down, if they catch us we’re screwed!”
Fluttershy was looking down at her, hesitantly. She was about to slowly climb back down when the crackers went off; the noise scared her and she involuntarily jumped. Sunset Shimmer managed to catch her bridal style and ran off while still carrying her to a back alley. She put Fluttershy down, took a deep breath and started laughing.
“That was great! Did you hear those screams? I wish I could have seen them running around like headless chickens.”
Fluttershy let out a giggle; it wasn’t the situation that amused her, she wasn’t very fond of pranks herself, but her friend’s laughter sure was contagious.
“Ok, I think the coast is clear. Let’s go see Charity about our payment.”
“Rarity.”
“Yeah, that one.”
After a walk around the block just to be sure they wouldn’t be the prime suspects of the prank, the duo returned the front of the movie theater, which had become mostly empty after the firecracker incident, and Rarity was now the very first person standing in line, which had become considerably smaller, with a big smile on her face – she must have slipped in during the confusion. Not long after that the attendant opened the box office and Rarity gleefully made a purchase. She walked up to the girls, who were sitting on a nearby bench.
“Well, a little less discreet than what I expected, but a job done is a job done, I suppose.” Rarity commented as she did a hair flip.
“Right, now about the payment…”
“I have that covered, darling!” Rarity then presented the three tickets she had just purchased. “I cordially invite you both to join me in the premiere of Made In Manehattan, starring Chestnut Magnifico and directed by Canter Zoom!”
“Movie tickets, huh?” She grabbed one and inspected it closely. “Well, it could be worse. At least you didn’t try to pay me in trading cards like that Naomi girl.”
“Those were pretty rare…” Fluttershy muttered.
“You know what? I’m game!” Sunset Shimmer got up from the bench and stretched her arms. “I haven’t seen one of those motion pictures since I came to this world, may as well see what all the fuss is about.”
“You mean to tell me you’ve never been to a movie theater before, darling?”
“’This world’?” Fluttershy inquired.
“Town!” Sunset quickly corrected herself. “I’m from a… Rural area. Like, VERY rural. We don’t have a movie theater back home.”
Rarity chuckled. “Oh, I see what’s going on. Fret not, darling, your secret is safe with me.”
“S-Secret?” She tried not to sound alarmed, but a subtle stutter escaped her lips.
“I know a thing or two about humble beginnings and not being too fond of rumors being spread.” The preppy winked. “The subject of your hometown dies here, I promise you.”
“S-Sure…” Externally she simply raised an eyebrow, but internally she sighed in relief – her actual secret hadn’t been exposed.
“Now, Fluttershy, can you be a dear and stand in line for the popcorn?” Rarity asked. “Now that tickets are being sold the place is starting to crowd, we can’t afford to wait an hour in line.”
Fluttershy eeped and flinched when Rarity extended a hand towards her, but relaxed when saw the dollar bills the alabaster woman was holding. She quickly grabbed them and rushed inside the movie theater.
“She’s jumpier than I remember.” She commented.
Sunset Shimmer shrugged. “You get used to it.”
Not too long afterwards, with popcorn and drinks in hand, the trio went inside the movie theater auditorium, deciding then to chat a little while waiting for Made In Manehattan to begin.
“So, about what you said earlier; do you really have a fiancé?” The fiery-haired girl asked. “A teenager interested in settling down instead of enjoying life and partying her face off is a… Well, rarity.”
Rarity tried to mask a huff, but Sunset noticed it. “It’s a… Complicated subject.”
“Well, those are my specialty. Have you seen my algebra tests?”
Rarity sighed. “Listen, darling, please don’t be offended, but this is just a show of my appreciation for what you did. I don’t know you well enough and I certainly don’t trust you enough to share sensitive information regarding my personal life. Understand?”
Sunset nodded. “Can I at least get the name of the stud?”
Rarity sighed. “Well, I suppose it’s ok. Our relationship is not exactly a secret. His name is Blueblood. Blueblood Trueblood.”
Sunset Shimmer smirked. “Listen, darling, please don’t be offended, but your boyfriend has the most ridiculous name I’ve ever heard.”
Rarity covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. “Can’t argue with that.”
Sunset switched her attention to the big screen, the trailers were starting to play, meaning that the actual movie was not far behind. Since none of the trailers caught her attention, she instead focused on her thoughts: what kind of person would laugh at someone openly insulting their beloved? Maybe their relationship wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. She would definitely look into it later, but for now, she had a movie to watch – Sunset Shimmer was not a fan of romance, but she would never admit to anyone that she actually enjoyed Made In Manehattan. Besides, the chemistry between the two leading actresses was relevant to her interests.
A number of days had passed since the premiere of Made In Manehattan and Sunset was back into the weekly school schedule. Classes were done for the day and she made a beeline towards her locker so she could store her English textbook; a slip of paper fell down when she opened it, and she picked it up after closing the locker. The note read:
“It’s been a while since we last met outside of school. Would you like to spend some time together at the carnival? See you there are 4:30, don’t be late! - R”
The entire message was written in very fancy cursive in purple ink but that last R, which took 25% of the paper, looked very carefully crafted with lots of unnecessary curves and spirals; it didn’t take a forensic handwriting analysis to figure out who the sender was.
Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow, but eventually smiled. Instead of going to the library as she usually did after class, this time she went straight to her dorm room – after all, she had a date to get ready for. Her sudden appearance surprised her sole roommate.
“Gosh, did something happen?” Fluttershy asked, turning her head to look at her while taking off the half-moon glasses she usually wore when reading.
“What makes you say that?” She asked while rummaging through her side of the dresser, browsing the clothes she bought during a shopping spree with Fluttershy.
“Well, you never come back here this early.” Fluttershy’s face turned red when her roommate started undressing, so she turned around and focused back on her homework. “I-I just thought that s-something may have happened, l-like a fire or something.”
“Nothing serious, something just came up and I have to go out for a bit. How do I look?”
Fluttershy turned around once again; Sunset Shimmer, now fully clothed once again, wore a teal shirt with her trademark open leather jacket over it, jeans and black high heel boots with an upwards arrow-shaped orange stripe on the tongue.
“You look… Ravishing! But something doesn’t quite fit, hang on.” Fluttershy rushed to the dresser and pulled out a different leather jacket; this one had a zipper instead of buttons and only went down to her midriff, but it exposed more of her teal shirt, giving her a very pleasing color scheme – it also had the same stripes as her boots did, but on the sleeves. She helped her friend take off the older leather jacket and wear this one instead. “There, this one works much better with this outfit. Anyway, what’s the occasion?”
“Thanks for the help, Shy! Don’t wait up for me.” She picked up her skateboard and with that she was gone, slamming the door shut as she left the room. Once outside she took off her high heel boots in order to ride her skateboard with ease. By the time she got to the front gate of the carnival, it was already 4:15. Using her skateboard as a makeshift bench, the Equestrian girl sat down to wait, and wait she did. For longer than she expected, to the point where she regretted not bringing a book. She resorted to reading discarded flyers to stave off boredom. By the time Rarity arrived around 4:50, Sunset knew about several sales and events that would happen in the incoming week, as well as the grand reopening of a local night club her human body was too young to visit.
“I used to be an adult back in Equestria…” She muttered under her breath as she let the wind carry the flyer away.
“Yoo-hoo!” Sunset looked around and finally spotted Rarity walking towards her, waving. She, too, had ditched the school uniform, wearing a very simplistic outfit instead; a knee-length purple skirt with three diamonds not unlike the ones on her hairclip, golden bracelets on both wrists, a low-cut light blue top that revealed a fair amount of her décolletage, a dark purple belt and matching dark purple boots.
“I admire your punctuality.” Sunset spoke as she up, her voice full of sarcasm.
“Oh, hush! I’m fashionably late at best. By the way, you look fabulous, darling! You have very good taste.”
“Yeah, yeah, well, you invited me here, and here I am.”
“So you are, darling! So you are!” She sighed and slumped her shoulders. “You see, my fiancé was supposed to take me out on a date here today, and he ditched me for God knows what reason – again! But since all of my friends had already planned their Friday nights with me out of the equation, I have no one else to spend time with. That’s when it dawned on me: we had such a gay old time at the movie theater last Sunday, I thought we could do a follow-up!”
“Well, your tardiness aside, that sounds… Ok, I guess!” She was very good at masquerading her excitement.
Rarity chuckled and waggled her finger. “Fashionably late, darling. Now let’s us go, those rides aren’t going to ride themselves!”
If anyone asked her she would definitely deny it, but Sunset Shimmer actually had a really good time that afternoon/evening; she favored rides that would make her feel the wind on her face, such as the swing ride and the roller coaster – since she was a filly, Sunset envied the freedom of the pegasi. She wanted to take off and soar through the skies, free as a bird just like them. For an entire year she obsessed over levitation spells, but she could never get more than a few inches off the ground and she could never gain enough momentum either. Those rides were the closest thing to the excitement of flying she knew she would ever get.
When the sun had already set, the duo decided to take it slow and go for a ride on the ferris wheel, Rarity hugging the stuffed animal Sunset got as a prize on the shooting gallery and gave to her – it was an orange horse with yellow mane and tail.
The two chuckled lightly as they watched the town after dark from above.
Rarity looked down at her horse and sighed. “Well, I hate to admit it, darling, but I think I had much more fun with you today than I did with my fiancé since the day we were introduced.”
“What’s up with you and Blood Clot? The mood always seems to sour when you bring him up.”
“It’s Blueblood.” She corrected her. “And, well…” She took a deep breath. “Promise me that what I’ll tell you now won’t leave this cabin.” Sunset zipped her mouth shut then threw away the key. Rarity chuckled again before her expression turned back to serious.
“You see, my mother used to work at Trueblood Mansion as their maid a few years back. She learned that they planned on marrying him to the most charming, polite, smart and skilled young woman they could find to show off at parties and gatherings, so my parents concocted a very ambitious plan: they invested every penny they could spare into my education; dancing, etiquette, fencing, the full experience.
“Once I graduated middle school they called in a few favors, so once I was accepted into Canterlot Academy they secured me a room in the private dormitory reserved for the families who make generous donations to the school. The rest was up to me, and I jest you not, they were holding auditions to find the perfect trophy wife for their perfect little boy. Obviously I was the best choice and now here I stand, a frighteningly short amount of time away from becoming a prize just so that my parents can live the good life.”
“Yeah, but so what? You’re going to live the good life as well, aren’t you?” Sunset Shimmer inquired. “Most pon-- people have to work their asses off 9 to 5. All you have to do is smile and wave while being pretty.”
“I know, it’s just… Blueblood Trueblood is not exactly my first choice for a husband. I mean, once my parents shared their plans with me I was thrilled, I felt like a fairy tale princess about to meet her own prince charming, but he’s… Not what I expected.”
“So he follows the snob rich prick stereotype to a T, I gather?”
Rarity groaned. “I expected that, but he’s not only that but much, MUCH worse! One time he used me as a shield when a car drove past us and I got splashed with mud, can you believe that?!”
“A royal douchebag.”
Rarity took a deep breath, but this time she smiled. “Thank you for that, darling. I needed to get that off my chest, but most of the people I associate with were my competition during the ‘auditions’, so if they ever became aware that my relationship with the number 1 most desired single in town is on a rocky path, they would do their damnest to tear us apart take him for themselves.
“I can’t stand him and I don’t think I ever will, but this is for my family; I have a little sister back home, the cutest little marshmallow you’ll ever meet in your life. If I fail, my parents will have her go through the same grooming I had to endure, then use her to seduce another heir. I love my dear Sweetie Belle and I want her to live her own life, not become an empty shell carrying my parents’ hopes and dreams like I was forced to.”
Sunset Shimmer nodded as she listened to her date’s story. “I understand. I promise you, this conversation dies the moment we step out of this cabin.”
With a smile on her face, Rarity hugged her companion. The ferris wheel came to a halt and they stepped out of the cabin. Together they took the bus back to Canterlot Academy and went their separate ways. Once back in her dorm room Sunset simply tossed her skateboard aside and fell on the bed with a big, goofy smile on her face.
Fluttershy was lying in bed but not yet asleep. When her roommate arrived, she stated:
“You look like you just came back from a successful date.”
“In a sense.” Sunset Shimmer was too tired from an afternoon filled with activities, so instead of changing into her pajamas she simply kicked off her boots, removed her jeans and jacked and curled up under her blanket.
Fluttershy smiled – it was so rare for her friend to look this genuinely happy, and that happiness was contagious.
The next afternoon, while checking her locker after classes were done for the day, Sunset Shimmer didn't see a group approaching her from behind. She quickly turned around with fists clenched when an unfamiliar hand slammed her locker shut, missing her face by a single inch. Behind her were standing three girls she knew attended Canterlot Academy but never had the displeasure of talking to them; judging by their attire, they were most certainly Rarity's acquaintances.
The girl on the front had pink skin, purple curly hair held in place by a white headband and light brown eyes. The girl standing to her right had pale yellow skin with equally pale purple hair with white streaks, violet eyes, pink ball earrings hanging from her lobules and heavy makeup that stood out, especially the long eyelashes and cyan eyeshadow. The final member of the trio, standing to the left of the girl Sunset assumed was the leader, had cyan skin and hot pink eyes, and the color of her short hair alternated between pink and purple with a sun-shaped hairpin on her temple – she didn't seem as invested in her as the other two, too busy staring at some kind of device strapped to her wrist.
“You Sunset Shimmer?” The leader asked, her upper-class accent gave Sunset the distinct impression that she would not enjoy talking to her for extended periods of time.
“It's the polite thing to introduce yourself before asking someone else's name.” Sunset Shimmer said as she crossed her arms, relaxing her fists but still not lowering her guard.
“A fair point. My name is Suri Polomare, these are Upper Crust and Sunny Flare.” The pony girl scowled, the name Sunny bringing up memories of the person she was after. “We are here on Rarity's behalf, so allow me to ask one more time: you Sunset Shimmer?”
“The very same. Now what do you want?”
Suri reached into her bag, pulled out the stuffed horse Sunset Shimmer gave Rarity the previous night and shoved it into her chest.
“Rarity is not fond of what you did, and we don't take kindly to people who spread nasty rumors about one of our own. She politely asked that you never contact her again, otherwise you will regret it.”
The three preppies walked away as a confused Sunset Shimmer looked down at the stuffed animal she was holding: some of its stitching was coming loose, causing the stuffing to show, and the word "bitch" had been scrawled on its side with crimson red lipstick.
Despite the warning, the Equestrian walked straight to the private dormitory where the preppies resided with the horse still in hand. She knocked on the door, ready to demand some answers. The person who answered was a baby blue-skinned girl with magenta eyes and a long light blue ponytail with two dark blue streaks.
“Can I help you?” She asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“I'm here to talk to Rarity.”
“Well, she's busy.”
“I didn’t ask.” Sunset Shimmer then pushed the girl aside and walked in uninvited.
The inside of the building was just as fancy as one would expect the dormitory of the rich girls to look like: the walls were lined with fine art, the floors were carpeted, suits of armor stood on each side of the front door, a trophy case filled with awards and medals, and stairs that lead to the second floor, undoubtedly just as fancy as the first floor. On the other end of the wall of the front door was a fireplace with a coffee table and two armchairs facing towards it. One of the armchairs was occupied, and Sunset could see a pair of crossed marble white legs and a hint of purple hair.
“Who was it, Sonata, dear?” Rarity asked while drinking what appeared to be wine from a wine glass, but the bottle of grape juice on the table gave away its true nature.
“Me.”
After a few seconds of silence, Rarity placed the glass on a coaster on the table and got up, without turning to face her.
“You, indeed.”
“I want answers.”
“So you do, darling. So you do.”
“What's the meaning of this? Sending your cronies to threaten me, returning the gift I gave you, even now you won't even look me in the eye. What's going on?”
“They warned me, you know. From the day we first met, my friends – my true friends – warned me about you. They told me you were a manipulator, a liar, someone who only got close to people in order to find out their secrets and use it against them for personal gains. But I was stupid, I didn't listen. You helped me in a time of need and you were nothing but pleasant during our escapade last night. You made me feel... You made me feel comfortable. I thought I could trust you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS--” Rarity took a deep breath to calm herself down. “What I'm talking about is, everyone in school is talking about me and Blueblood, saying our relationship is unstable and hanging by a threat.” She turned her head and raised her voice a little, to make sure people on the second floor could hear her. “Which is nothing but a nasty rumor, I assure that we couldn't be happier with the current state of things!”
She lowered her voice once again. “I never discussed my relationship with anyone but you, and as soon as I open up, people are spreading rumors about us. And before you even dare to play the ‘eavesdropper’ card, may I remind you that we were alone in a ferris wheel cabin, dozens of feet above ground. All the evidence accuses you of being the culprit, Sunset Shimmer!”
“Rarity, listen to me!”
“I don't want to hear it! I don't care what excuses you came up with or what grand speech you prepared. I just want you to get out of my house and never speak to me again, or I will hurt you as badly as you hurt me.”
“Rar--”
“NOW!”
Sunset Shimmer scowled and squeezed the stuffed horse she was holding. When the girl named Sonata grabbed her shoulders to escort her outside she just slapped her hands away and walked herself out. “This isn't over.”
“Yes it is.” Sonata said as she blew her a raspberry before closing the door.
“Early again?” Fluttershy asked, then she cowered when her roommate threw the stuffed horse against the wall with all her strength before jumping in bed with her face buried in her pillow. “D-Did something happen?”
“I got too comfortable.” She said, lifting her head from her pillow so her friend could understand. “I got too comfortable in this place, forgot what truly matters and now I paid the price for my mistake. But not anymore. I came here with a goal in mind, and I will fulfill that goal. No more sidetracking.” She sat up, took a deep breath and cracked her knuckles. “Well, back to work! What can you tell me about the spoiled bitches?”
“Well, the preppies value two things above all else: money and skill. If you want to get their attention you'll need one or the other, and unless you have a plan to get rich overnight then you must beat them in their own game.”
“And what game are we talking about here?”
“Fencing has been popular amongst the high society of Canterlot Town for decades. If you challenge and beat their best, they will definitely listen to what you have to say.”
Sunset Shimmer rubbed her chin. “I read a book about fencing in the library, I get the gist of the thing. With enough practice, I think I can give them a run for their money.” She smiled at her friend. “What do you say, want to help me practice?”
Fluttershy smiled and clapped her hands together.
A knock on the door echoed throughout the silent first floor of the private dormitory. Rarity put down the book she was reading but not the teacup she was drinking from; she didn’t bother getting up from her armchair, already guessing who was at the door. When no answer came after the third time she knocked, Sunset Shimmer simply opened the door and walked in, Fluttershy in tow.
“And what gives you the right to come into my house uninvited?” Rarity asked, taking a sip of tea. “For the second time.”
“Unfinished business!” She explained. “But I can tell you’re not going to hear me out, that is why I come with a challenge.”
Rarity gave her a side-glance. “Is that so? What kind of challenge?”
“Something all the rich pricks in town love: fencing. If I win, you are going to listen to what I have to say.”
Rarity finished drinking her tea and put down the teacup, finally getting up and turning around to face her.
“And what if I win? What are you willing to offer?”
“I’m willing to do anything you want me to do.”
Rarity grinned. “Oh, darling, never in my life have I met someone who uttered those words and didn’t come to regret ever saying them. But fine, then. How about this: if I win, I will make you my pet for the rest of the year. I will order the most beautiful custom-made collar that you must wear all day, every day, and when you’re inside this building you won’t be allowed to talk or stand on two legs. You will crawl like a dog, bark like one, worship the ground I walk on, and any misbehavior will be punished. Severely!”
Sunset flinched. She expected something humiliating when she decided to offer her a blank check, but that was more than what she expected. “I, uh…”
“What? Don’t tell me you’re backing down after waltzing in here so full of swagger, darling.”
Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “No, I’m not. Now bring out your weapons, let’s do this.”
“Not so fast darling. You were the one who challenged me, that means you must abide by the rules of the house.” Rarity clapped her hands twice and four girls walked down the stairs – she recognized them as the girls from the other day: Suri Polomare, Upper Crust, Sunny Flare and Sonata, who carried with her a pair of sabers. “In order to fight me, the champion of the house, you must first defeat three fencers of my choosing.”
Sunset huffed. “If that’s what it takes, then fine. Bring it on!”
Sonata threw one of the sabers at Sunset Shimmer, who grabbed in in midair by the blade with her left hand, but since they weren’t sharp she wasn’t injured. The blue girl then offered the second saber to Upper Crust, who stood in the middle of the room, ready to fight. Fluttershy took several steps back, nearly pressing her back against the front door.
Rarity sat back down on the armchair, which Sonata had turned around so she could watch the match. Sonata then turned the other armchair around and sat down as well.
“You’re going down, newbie!” Sonata taunted. “Just don’t cry when you lose, the carpet alone is worth more than your organs.”
“Let’s keep things simple.” Rarity explained as she crossed her legs and intertwined her fingers above her thigh. “Touchés are scored with the tip only and the torso is the only valid target area. There is no time limit and the first to score is declared the winner.”
Upper Crust chuckled. “Fine by me. She’s just a rookie, this will be over in a second.”
“Ready? En garde!”
Upper Crust thrust her saber, but Sunset Shimmer deflected it using her own saber and quickly poked her on the sternum.
“Touché!” She said with a cocky smirk.
“B-But I… You… She…” She groaned and passed the weapon to Suri Polomare before walking upstairs. “Whatever, I’ll be in my room.” Suri Polomare took her place, more aware of her opponent after witnessing her speed firsthand.
She was more challenging than the previous fencer, but Sunset came out on top. Sunny Flare, once she started paying attention on her surroundings instead of whatever device she had on her wrist, grabbed the saber and joined the challenger in the center of the room. Suri followed Upper Crust’s example and left the room.
Sunny Flare didn’t look like it, but she was very skilled with a sword. There were more close calls than the Equestrian was comfortable with, but she eventually found an opening and poked the girl on the abdomen.
“Tou… Touché…” She said before wiping the thin layer of sweat that had appeared on her forehead. Sunny Flare simply shrugged, tossed the saber to Sonata and walked back upstairs, once again caring more about her wrist device than the world around her.
“Well done, darling, well done.” Rarity said, sarcastically clapping as she got up from her seat.
“There, I did what you asked, now--”
“I am the champion of the house, darling, I am well aware of the rules.” The leader of the preppies interrupted, before eyeing the saber being held in front of her by the ponytail girl. “You know what, why don’t we up the ante?”
Rarity turned around and reached for two sabers mounted above the fireplace. She kept one and tossed the other to the challenger, who grabbed it in midair by blade with her left hand once again. This time she hissed in pain and dropped the sword on the ground. She looked down at her freshly cut hand – it wasn’t deep, but it was still bleeding.
“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy said, pulling a green handkerchief out of her backpack and pressing it against the wound.
“What the hell, those swords are real!” Sunset stated, glaring at Rarity.
“Of course they are, darling. That’s what I meant by ‘up the ante’.” She did a few swings to test the blade she hadn’t wielded in a long time. “I told you I would hurt you as badly as you hurt me, but I doubt someone as unscrupulous as you would even be fazed by mean gossips. I bet everyone is already doing that as we speak!
“As much as I hate lowering myself to your level and resorting to such uncouth methods, you’re the type of person whose first and second language is violence. Now let’s see, how do you feel about a scar across the eye? Those seem popular among ruffians like yourself. Or maybe an ‘X’ across the cheek? What about fixing that frown with a Glasgow smile? Oh, why am even asking? It’s not like you have a say in the matter!”
“The horrifyingly sadistic things you just said aside, I thought we were doing ‘torso only’.”
“Oh, but we are! That doesn’t mean we can’t hit each other in other places, it just means we won’t score a win if we do.”
“Ready?” Sonata called. Squeezing the cloth on her left hand and picking up the slightly bloodied sword with her right hand, Sunset Shimmer assumed her fighting stance. “En garde!”
Sunset Shimmer didn’t even see her opponent moving; Rarity was so fast that all she managed to do was raise her own saber to block the attack. She hadn’t even recovered from the blow and Rarity was already preparing to strike again. Once again, all she had time to do was move her blade to block. Rarity was relentless, barely giving the pony any time to react. So far Sunset was managing to hang in there, but just barely, but not unscathed – she already had a couple of cuts on both arms of her shirt, the hint of red around them suggesting that it had pierced her skin, and another cut on her left cheekbone. Fluttershy stood in place, covering her mouth with both hands, looking horrified.
The Equestrian saw an opening and tried to strike, but it was a trap; the preppy dodged with ease and prepared to counterattack, but Sunset dropped and rolled on the carpet, losing only a few hair strands in the process. She got back up a few feet away from Rarity, panting heavily and holding the saber with both hands.
“Tired already, darling?”
“It’s almost like I fought three people before you. Crazy, huh?”
“You can still give up, you know. It will cost you your dignity, but at least I won’t ruin your beautiful face. A fair trade, non?”
“Not until I do what I came here to--”
Rarity smirked; her plan had worked – while Sunset focused on talking she loosened the grip on her saber, so one powerful swing sent it flying, the impact causing her shaky legs to give out. When she fell on one knee the marble-skinned girl walked closer and pointed the tip of her saber to the fallen girl’s chest.
“Any last words, Sunset Shimmer?”
“I admit, when I first approached you my goal was to use you. I wanted to use your popularity to my advantage.”
“You’re not helping your case, darling.”
“Listen to me! I wanted to use your secrets to blackmail you, not hurt you for shits and giggles. What’s the point? I don’t know who spread the word or how they found out, but I’m certain Adagio has something to do with this. She’s the real enemy, not me!”
“You just confessed your plans to blackmail me and you expect me to trust you?”
“Look, all I wanted was information. You’re a popular girl, you know all the right people, I was gonna blackmail you into helping me find Adagio. She fucked with me and I want revenge, no matter the cost. After that was done, I would get out of your hair for good!”
“And the idea of asking for help never crossed your mind?”
“I think you’re forgetting that this is Canterlot Academy; nobody does anything out of the goodness of their heart. I had no reason to believe you would be any different.”
A moment of silence followed. Sunset Shimmer sighed in defeat.
“Just poke me already and be done with it. But poke hard, if I have to wear a collar for the rest of the year I’ll probably just kill myself anyway.”
Instead, Rarity lowered her saber.
“I’m either incredibly gullible or dangerously crazy, but deep down I… I want to believe you.”
“Because deep down you know the truth. I don’t do things that won’t benefit me, and getting you to distrust me is the exact opposite of that.”
It was Rarity’s turn to sigh. “Look, if… If I help you track down Adagio, promise me you’ll forget everything I told you about Blueblood and I, ok?”
“Like I said, all I needed that info for was to get you to help me. If you do that, I have no reason to hold onto that info. Join me and you can consider my memory erased!”
“Fine.” The preppie dropped her blade and extended her hand to help her up. “I yield. You win.”
Sunset Shimmer smiled and accepted the helping hand. After dusting herself, she looked back at Rarity. “Thank you. And, well, I don’t know if this means anything anymore, but… Yesterday, at the carnival, was the most fun I had since I came to Canterlot Academy. Maybe longer than that.”
She spotted a hint of a smile forming on Rarity’s mouth before the girl turned her head. “Oh, hush, you! We have more important things to discuss.” She bent down to pick up the two sabers lying on the carpet. “I personally don’t know much about Adagio, but she came by a few days ago looking for Sonata, maybe she knows something. Sonata, dear, can you--” Rarity looked around, only then realizing that they were the only three people in the room. “Sonata, where are you?”
“Um, excuse me…” Fluttershy spoke up, getting the attention of the two girls. “She, um… She snuck out the front door not long ago.” She pointed at the slightly ajar front door.
Sunset Shimmer didn’t waste any time and rushed out of the building and looked around, but the blue-skinned girl was nowhere to be found. The other two followed soon after.
“That’s not suspicious at all.” Sunset said, crossing her arms and turning her head to look at her friend. “Why didn’t you stop her, Shy? Or at least warned us?”
“I-I didn’t know she knew about Adagio, I-I’m sorry!”
She sighed. “No, you’re right. Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault.”
“You think Sonata is working with Adagio?” Fluttershy asked.
“We started talking about Adagio and she bolted. I’m thinking this pretty much confirms the connection.”
“But… But Sonata is such a sweet and innocent girl.” Rarity said. “Why would she be in cahoots with a ruffian like her?”
“That’s what I intend to find out. You’re with me, right?”
With a determined but slightly hurt look on her face, Rarity nodded. “My associates may not be the most agreeable bunch, but I’ll make sure they’ll keep an eye out for Adagio or Sonata. If they come out of hiding, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks! Now let’s go, Fluttershy. We can’t sit on our asses and let them do--”
“Now hold it right there, darling.” The girl with porcelain skin said, grabbing the Equestrian’s wrist. “Before you go, let me make something clear: this is not a vote of confidence, just a second – and final – chance. For the time being I don’t feel like I can fully trust you just yet, so I’d like you to be aware that I will keep an eye on you, to make sure you’ll stay true to your word. Are we clear?”
Sunset Shimmer nodded. “It would be weird if you didn’t.”
Rarity nodded back as she let go of the girl’s wrist; she watched as the two of them walked away before going back inside and closing the door. She then summoned all her housemates to the entrance hall for a briefing.