Sunset Among Shadows

by RedPegasus

The Sunset Among Shadows

The clouds had taken a rest, leaving the moon to glimmer in the sky among a sea of stars.

In the streets, young people take advantage of the clear Friday night to go out and have fun. And a lot of that fun is happening at Moonlight Buzz, one of the few nightclubs in Canterlot that admit minors, where a quartet of young women stand near the entrance with musical instruments, watching the many people entering the club.

"Are you girls ready to rock?" exclaims the girl with the greenish hair.

"Yeah!" the blue-haired girl yells.

"Um... yes?" the purple-haired girl replies nervously.

"I guess so," finishes the redhead.

An awkward silence washes over the band, known as Sunset Among Shadows, as they stand, waiting.

"Lemon, what are we doing here?" Sunset finally asks. “Why aren’t we inside?”

"Duh! We gotta make a kickass entrance!” answered Lemon. “We’ll wait for my friend’s signal, then we’ll kick open the door and blow the place sky high!”

"Yes! I love blowing things up!" Sonata yells.

"I trust that that’s just an expression here," Twilight comments.

The conversation is interrupted when a voice calls, “Hey, Sunset!” The band turns to find Indigo approaching. "Good luck,” she says. “Give us a good show!" With a smile and a wink, Indigo walks inside.

"Hehe, you're amazing, Sun-Shim! You got us such a big audience!"

"It's just the soccer team, and they just came to celebrate the game. I doubt they really care about us playing."

"Uh, it's not just them!" announces the siren. "They told some of the school, and those students told other students, and now, the place is packed with people from Crystal Prep!"

"Not to mention that Indigo shouted at the top of her lungs in the hallway. That sure got people’s attention. Now, let's show the school what good music is!"

At that moment, Lemon's cell phone rings. She takes it out and checks it, before beaming. "There’s the signal, Sunset Among Shadows. follow me!"

"Yay!"

As they start walking, Sunset mumbles, "I’m still not so sure about that name..."

Twilight lets out a giggle at the comment as the four girls go down the illuminated alley next to the club and walk to a nondescript, metal door.

Lemon knocks rhythmically, and seconds later, the door opens to reveal a young man of around twenty years with red skin, yellow-brown eyes, and black hair with a yellow streak in it.

"Girls, this is my friend Red Pegasus!"

The young man greets everyone, smiling. "Hey, nice to finally meet you girls." He talks to the girls, and then look at your screen "Like I weasel myself in the fic? Nice" He says and the look at the girls again. "Come on in."

He steps aside to let them in. Sunset is the last to enter, but she pauses, staring at him. "Have we met?” she finally asks.

"Not until now, but just so you know, I don’t have a girlfriend because I don’t want one, not because I can’t get one."

"… What?"

A few minutes later, the four girls wait backstage, different emotions dominating each girl’s features. Sonata is perhaps the most excited. "This is so exciting! I haven’t sung in public like this since the Battle of the Bands!” She pauses. “Um... a group of magical girls won’t come to blast us and stop us from singing again this time, right?"

Her three bandmates look curiously to their blue-haired friend.

Lemon responds with simplicity. "Nah, that won’t happen!"

"Probably not, no," seconds Sunset.

Twilight just gives Sonata a strange look. "Sonata, by any chance, do you suffer from some psychological disorder?"

"Um, well, in the twelfth century, they said I was a witch possessed by the Devil."

"… I thought so…"

Red pokes his head out from the common room and smiles. "Girls, you have visitors."

He stands aside, letting three familiar faces pass.

"Arie! Adie!" the blue girl exclaims, running to and hugging her sisters, although Aria tries to pull away. "You came!"

"Well, we wanted to see you back on track," the eldest sister said.

"Just don't make a fool of yourself," Aria demands. "You'll be alone out there, but you're still our sister. If you do something dumb, we’ll still look like idiots."

Sonata breaks eye contact, looking away nervously. "Honestly... I feel weird. This’ll be the first time I sing without you two." She looks down sadly. "It won’t be the same…"

Adagio places her hand softly on Sonata’s head. "Now, now, no tears. Tonight should be a night of excitement, not sorrow."

"Yeah, don’t cry. You’ll make us look bad."

"We won’t be on stage, but we’ll be watching from the audience. I want to see what you can do."

Sonata looks at Adagio with glistening eyes, her lips forming a wobbly smile.

Aria says, "You're a Dazzling. Singing and performance are what we do. Quit doubting yourself. You’re gonna knock them dead out there."

Despite Aria’s flat affect, her words hit home for Sonata, and she grabs them both in an even stronger embrace. "I love you two!"

This time, both sirens try to get away from the strong hug, without much success.

"Well, that's cute," says Sunny Flare as she approaches the band with a shopping bag in her hands. She turns to the rest of the band. "How are you doing? Ready to play?"

"Well, we’ve practiced all week, and we’re ready to bring the roof down!" Lemon exclaims.

Twilight becomes pensive for a moment. "Um... someone tell me again... How many people are out there...?"

Red takes a moment to think before responding. "I would say about three hundred, counting the audience that you brought in. We have the place full."

"… I thought so." Suddenly, Twilight dashes under a table, huddling into a fetal position and trembling with pure fear.

"And here we go again..." Sunset mumbles as she bends down meet Twilight’s eyes. "Come on, Twily, everything's fine."

"Too many people…"

"Hey, look at me." Sunset takes Twilight’s chin and gently brings Twilight’s head to face her own. Sunset smiles. "You'll be fine. You've been rehearsing all week, and you've become excellent with the keys. You'll make it, and if not... Well, we'll all be there, so if we make a fool of ourselves, we'll do it together."

Twilight seems still insecure, although she soon smiles slightly.

Red stands a little apart from the others, hand on his chin. "I feel like I'm forgetting something..." He thinks for a few seconds. "I got it!" Red pulls out a small laptop and types something on it.

There is a light tap on the door, and Flash pokes his head in. "Hi. Um, am I late?"

Red gives Flash a knowing smile. “Nope. You’re right on time."

"Flash! It's great to see you," Sunset says happily, walking over and hugging Flash in greeting. Flash is surprised, but he doesn’t hesitate to return the embrace. "I wasn’t expecting you to come," Sunset comments as she pulls away.

"Well, they told me they’d be playing tonight, and... I thought it would be fun to watch."

"Flashiiiiiiiiiine!" Sonata yells, leaping over and wrapping her arms tightly around Flash, who stumbles and almost loses his balance from the impact.

"Wah... Uh, hi, uh... Serenade...?"

"Sonata."

"Yeah,” Flash chuckles nervously. “I knew it was something about music."

The smiling siren increases the strength of her embrace, and Flash grunts from the pressure, bringing a giggle from Sunset as she looks on.

Sunny, meanwhile, comes over and looks closely at the boy, which makes him curious at first but uncomfortable as the unblinking gaze continues. Sunny does not seem to notice his discomfort as she turns to Sunset. "Sunset, honey, are you going to introduce us?"

"Heh, sure. Sunny, this is Flash Sentry, a former classmate from Canterlot. Flash, this is Sunny Flare, my... um, friend from Crystal Prep."

"Nice to meet you, dear."

Flash finally manages to free herself from the singer's embrace and shakes Sunny's hand. "A pleasure, Sunny Flare."

Lemon, who had been silent, suddenly leans onto Sunset, putting her wait on Sunset’s back, forcing Sunset to brace her knees to keep herself from falling. "Hey, Sun-Shim, is that your boyfriend?"

Sunset was not sure if the question was serious or poking fun but answered anyway. "Well, actually, we were dating once, but things happened, and... Well, we're friends. Good friends."

Flash kept silent as he pondered Sunset’s answer.

Sunny takes a closer look at the boy and smiles. "Well, I can see that you have good taste. Good-looking, tall, well-built."

"Uh, I—"

"He also plays guitar and has a nice car," Sunset adds, smirking.

Lemon puts more of her weight on Sunset’s back. "Sweet! Why’d you let him go?"

"It's… something I’d rather not talk about. And can you get off me?"

The green-haired girl heeds the request and stands up, allowing the former Equestrian to breathe.

Red clears his throat. "Alright, ladies, get ready. It’s almost showtime!"

"Alright, girls!" Lemon exclaims. "I hope you brought flashy costumes!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sonata exclaims, raising her blue backpack. Twilight silently hefts her own backpack in response.

Adagio pipes up, "Well, we're going to wait out there.” She turns to Flash. “Hey, Prince Charming, are you coming with us?"

"Oh, uh, sure." Flash smiles nervously, whispering to Sunset, "It's safe, right?"

Sunset flashes an amused smile and nods, and Flash joins the sirens as they head out to the common area.

"Don’t screw up, Sonata," Aria says right before the door closes.

"I won’t! I love you both!"

Sunny approaches Sunset. "I’ll go out, too, but first…" Sunny extends a small bag to the former equine. "A small gift."

"Uh, for me? Wow, you shouldn’t have."

"Now, now, don’t be modest. Take it." Suddenly, to Sunset's surprise, Sunny leans over and gives her a soft kiss on her cheek. "Good luck," she whispers before turning to the others. “Break a leg out there!” she calls before leaving.

Lemon snickers after Sunny leaves. “Wow, Sun-Shim, you’re a real Casanova."

"I didn’t do anything," Sunset says, but Lemon just laughs more, and Sonata, who missed what happened, simply joins in the laughter. Sunset just rolls her eyes.

The girls take turns using the small changing room to change to their costumes.

Sonata had brought the outfit she wore during the end of the battle of the bands, happy to use it again.

Lemon Zest had put on some yellow short shorts, a sleeveless pink shirt with flower patterns, and a black vest. She also styled her hair into a wave down the side of her head.

Twilight chose boots adorned with her signature symbol, black pants, and a light-blue T-shirt with designs reminiscent of digital circuitry.

"Geez, Twi-Spark, even in a concert, you can’t avoid being nerdy."

Sonata giggles at the comment.

"Um... What's wrong? It's electronic music... They’re electronic circuits..."

Sunset giggles and rubs Twilight’s shoulder in support. "Don’t listen to them, Twi. You look adorable."

The compliment makes the scientist blush. "Adorable…? That's... Is that good?"

Sunset’s smile grows in response.

"Alright, Sun-Shim, your turn! Show us your rags."

Sunset smiles and goes to the changing room, carrying her backpack and the bag Sunny had given her.

Truth be told, Sunset had no idea what kind of clothes she should have brought for such an occasion. Back at Canterlot, Rarity would always pick her outfits. Sunset herself didn’t really have anything flashy or remarkable in her closet. So, in the end, she decided to wear the clothes she used to wear in her darker days. After all, those clothes made her look aggressive and rebellious. Perfect for a rock concert.

She looks at herself in the mirror for a moment.

It had been a while since she had worn those clothes. She feels strange, though she couldn’t deny that there was a certain… nostalgia to it.

After looking at herself for a minute, she turns and spots the bag Sunny Flare gave her. Curious, she takes it and opens it up. She is surprised, but her surprise soon melts away into a smile.

Sunset comes out of the changing room, surprising her companions with the white jacket she is now wearing.

"Looking good, Sun-Shim!"

"You look awesome, Sunsite!"

Sunset smiles at the compliments, including Twilight’s silent smile and nod. Still, Sunset adjusts the jacket and smiles doubtfully. "You think so? I'm not sure it's my style."

"It's completely your style!" asserts Lemon.

Sunset can only smile as she remembers the day at the mall with Sunny, when she saw this jacket.

"Thanks, Sunny."

The club's stage was covered by a black curtain. Behind it, Sunset Among Shadows gets ready to play. Sunset helps Lemon correctly connect her bass, Twilight adjusts her keyboard, and Sonata opens the curtains a little, peeping out and quickly spotting the large table where her sisters, Flash, Sunny Flare, and Indigo Zap are all seated. All of them are passing the time chatting excitedly, except for Aria.

The rest of the sports team are at the tables surrounding the other one.

A few minutes of silence go by, and soon, everyone’s ready to go. Each player gets into position, with Sonata in front at the microphone, Lemon a couple of meters to the left with her bass, Twilight behind the two with her keyboard, and Sunset to the right with her guitar.

"You ready?" demands Lemon excitedly.

"This’ll be so great!" Sonata exclaims.

"I'm not sure..." says Twilight.

"Let's go!" Lemon announces.

The curtain begins to rise, and colored spotlights and the music of the club wash over them. The club is packed, every seat occupied and the dance floor full.

Next to the stage sits the DJ of the club, who lowers the music and turns on the stage lights as the curtain rises, and soon, all eyes are on the girls of the band.

Lemon hurries to the microphone and removes it from the stand to shout, "Are you ready to rock?!"

Her scream resounds through the loudspeakers of the place, and the response soon arrives by way of excited screams.

"We are Sunset Among Shadows, and we’re here to blow this club sky high!"

The roar of the applause gets louder in response, especially the cries of Indigo and her team.

Adagio and Aria don’t yell, but they do watch Sonata expectantly.

Sunny exclaims, “Sunset! Good luck, honey!"

Flash yells, "You’re gonna rock, Sunset! You, too, Twilight!"

"Alright, let’s stop wasting time and start having fun!" screams Lemon before returning the microphone to its place and hurrying back to her place. Sonata seems ready to explode with joy, and Twilight, nervous, flexes her fingers to stifle their trembling.

The three look to Sunset, who sighs. “Well, let’s get this over with…" She closes her eyes and, after a few seconds, starts playing.

The music playing makes the whole club keep silence and see with good expectations the band on stage.

Slowly, the others join Sunset in the instrumental. Sonata, with closed eyes and a calm smile, begins to sing.

Sonata's smile only grows as she opens her eyes a little, watching everyone move their heads and feet to her infectious rhythm.

Sunset approaches the microphone in front of her to give backup to the siren.

The lively rhythm moves in waves through the crowd, who start cheering the band on.

Sonata begins shaking her hips to the beat of the song as the musicians play a small interlude. Her rhythm is almost hypnotic as the crowd starts clapping to the movement of her hips.

Sonata's happiness while singing is practically tangible. Sunset takes a peek behind her, seeing a huge grin on Lemon’s face.

It is Twilight, however, who really surprises Sunset; all Twilight’s earlier apprehension had vanishing, leaving her with an excited smile on her face as her fingers dance across her keyboard.

It was strange, but for the first time in so long, Sunset felt... good. She felt happy.

Sunset had forgotten how if felt when she played with people whom she wanted and who wanted her. It felt good, playing music with friends. It was... simply magical.

Sonata’s body begins to glow. It’s slight, but it’s still impossible to miss.

Sonata rises in the air. Her ears change, and wings and a tail emerge.

Flashes of colors fill the whole place as everyone watches, flabbergasted as the effect spreads to the rest of the band. Lemon smiles widely as her own ears change. Her hair lengthens and spreads out into a tail, and a pair of wings sprout from her back, which she wastes no time in trying out. Twilight, too, goes through a similar change, and although she’s surprised, she does not stop smiling.

Seeing all this play out, Sunset’s smile grows wide, and, with a burning passion, she continues to play as she feels the familiar tingle of magic in her body. Her ears emerge, and her hair lengthens to a tail, and as the melody continues, her body becomes covered with intense flames. Despite that, no one present feels any fear. They simply watch, mesmerized by the incredible sight and basking in the soft warmth of the flames.

Sunset’s white jacket changes color, as if the fire painted itself upon it.

The four girls look at each other, full of joy, and an explosion of light and colors erupts from the girls of the band.

The girls’ playing picks up as Twilight and Lemon join the two singers for the finish.

Sonata steps back, her part done as the other members bring the song to its conclusion. As soon as the music ends, the entirety of the audience erupts with applause and cheers, many giving the band a standing ovation.

Sonata smiles, tears of pure joy in her eyes. She does not fight them, simply letting them run down her face as she smiles at her friends.

Finally, the curtains close as the applause grows even louder. Safe behind the curtain, Sunset Among Shadows breathes a sigh of relief at a performance gone off perfectly. They are tired, but their smiles never leave their faces.

Still high on emotion, Sonata laughs and dances around in excitement, while Twilight examines her new ears. Lemon looks at herself in the mirror, taking a couple of turns to check out her wings, before turning to her companions. "I have no idea what happened, but I love you guys!"

Lemon flies towards Sonata, and the two hug. Then, suddenly, they each grab another bandmate and pull them into a strong group hug.

"You did well, Sonata," Adagio says approvingly.

"You didn't make a fool of yourself. That's something," Aria mutters.

The blue-haired siren looks at both of them with such joy that their eyes shine brightly, especially as Adagio pats her on the head. "Good job, Sonata," Adagio says simply.

The younger girl smiles like a little girl as tears roll down her face. "I dreamed that one day you would tell me that."

Sonata throws herself forward and hugs them both. While Aria tries to break free, Adagio just rolls her eyes.

Sunset smiles at the scene before turning to Indigo, who was excitedly assaulting Lemon with questions.

"How did you do that? The lights, and the fire, and the wings. I’ve never seen anything like it!" Indigo says.

"Honestly, I have no idea!" Lemon answers. Suddenly, she snaps her attention to Sunset. "Hey, Sun-Shim!"

"Yeah?"

"Hey, hey, we haven’t exchanged numbers yet, right?"

"Um, well—"

"Oh, yeah, we didn’t, either!" Sonata exclaims to Sunset. “Let’s do that!”

"I can’t believe we haven’t," Indigo says incredulously. “Give me your number.”

"I would like it, too," Sunny says in obviously faux nonchalance.

Sunset smiles and chuckles good-naturedly before acquiescing.

When they finish, Adagio gets everyone’s attention. "Well, as much as I love friendly get-togethers," she begins, her sarcasm more than obvious, "I have to leave. My shift started a while ago, and I don’t feel like being chewed out by my boss again. Aria, you will take Sonata home after she’s done here."

"I always have to do everything," Aria complains. "Fine, but give me money for something to eat."

The older siren takes a wad of bills out of her purse, and hands it over. "Don’t overdo it with alcohol or spicy food. You know that gives you indigestion."

"Adagio!" Aria snaps, her face lighting up. Her anger only rises as Adagio ruffles her hair in farewell before doing the same for Sonata, who smirks at Aria teasingly. Finally, she turns to the rest.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you all. Well, not really, but it was a pleasure to listen to Sonata sing again. Goodbye."

Despite her words, the girls give her a cheerful farewell. After she leaves, Indigo takes a swig of her drink. "Well, the night is still young. What do you wanna do?"

It does not take long for Adagio to get to work, and after a reprimand from her boss, she goes to the back to prepare for her shift. After donning her apron and fixing her hair, Adagio heads out to the bar, sighing at the familiar woman at the counter.

"I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re seriously starting to worry me."

The aurora-haired woman hardly raises her head in acknowledgment, her eyes staring at the counter and her fingers wrapped around an empty glass.

"It was funny to see you here the first few times, but now, it's concerning," Adagio continues.

Principal Celestia does not respond immediately. She plays a little with her cup before deigning to respond. "I need to talk to someone..."

"Geez, I hear that so much, I start to wonder if I should just be a therapist,” Adagio mutters, sighing. “I understand that you want to vent, but don't you have anyone better to talk to?"

Again, there is no immediate response. "Maybe? I... I really don't know..."

Adagio lets out a half-sigh, half-grunt and crosses her arms, giving a reproachful look to the woman. "Your students would be very shocked if they saw you here, not to mention your new adopted daughter."

The words make the woman wince in pain, and the dam breaks. Celestia pushes her glass out of the way and starts sobbing into the counter, her head in her arms. "I’m a failure! A complete failure!"

"Yes, join the club..." whispers the siren. Taking a random bottle from the shelf, she refills the woman's cup. "Look, I know what that feeling is. Believe me, I've lived it several times."

Celestia pauses her sobbing only enough to down the alcohol in one go.

"But you need a better solution than to come here and drink all this crap."

Celestia doesn’t answer, but eventually, her sobbing quiets down. She wipes her face with her arm and rests both hands on the bar, trying to stay upright.

Adagio only sighs heavily. "Alright, let's get this over with, and then, we'll see what we can do. Now, talk."