⠀
⠀
There was a flaw in the way the sirens tracked the Equestrian magic source – they could only detect it when it flared up. Whoever was using the magic, they weren’t using it constantly.
That made the search a very long one. Every time they caught up to wherever the magic was the last time it was used, it had moved to somewhere else. Years had passed since they started their search, and all three sirens were considering giving up on it.
“Oh, hey!” Sonata said as she noticed a poster. “There’s a Bitchette concert tonight!”
“Ugh, who cares.” Aria tore down the poster and threw it over her shoulder. “Travelling with them was so annoying.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Sonata said with a frown. It had been a very long time since the three of them had toured with Bitchette, but Sonata had fond memories of that time.
“Aria’s right,” Adagio said. “We need to focus. The magic source was around here just earlier today. We need to keep our eyes open for it.”
Sonata pouted, but she didn’t say anything. There was no sense in arguing when both Adagio and Aria agreed on something.
They were in a seedy part of town, which was where the magic had flared up most recently. It had been hours, though, and there was no way to tell if whoever used it was still around. True, they kept getting slightly closer, but they hadn’t had a real lead in ages.
“Adagio, I’m tired of this,” Aria said. “I just want to go back to our bar.”
“We don’t even know if our bar is still there,” Adagio pointed out. “We haven’t been back in years, Aria. We’ve given too much for this search to give up now.”
“Yeah, but –”
“Enough, Aria.” Adagio turned to face her testily. “We’re close this time, I’m sure of it. And then everything will be worth it.”
“Hey, isn’t that…” Sonata said squinted at a woman walking by. She had her hood up on her jacket, but something about her looked familiar.
“Not now, Sonata!” Aria shot at her.
“But –”
“Enough squabbling!” Adagio shot at the two of them. “Come on, I want to check that way.”
Adagio and Aria started walking off, but Sonata stayed in place. The woman she was looking at walked past her without sparing her a glance.
“Sonata!” Adagio called.
“Wait!” Sonata said to the woman, who did not. Sonata ran after her and grabbed onto her hood, pulling it off.
“Hey, what gives!?” The woman said as she turned around. Her red and yellow hair fell past her shoulder, and she had amber-colored skin and cyan eyes.
“Well well well,” Adagio ignored Sonata’s role in unearthing her identity in favor of walking up to the woman. “This is a surprise.”
“Who the hell do you think you are? I’m warning you, I’m not the bitch you want to fuck with.”
“Do you think she has something to do with the magic?” Aria asked, walking up to the woman’s other side.
“Magic?” The other woman blinked a few times. “What do you know about magic?”
“Uhm, I don’t think this is the same person…” Sonata said. “She doesn’t know who we are.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Adagio said with a grin. “You’re not the same. But you are Sunset Shimmer, aren’t you?”
“How do you know my name?” Sunset asked. “And what was that about magic?”
Adagio laughed. “I think you might be just who we’ve been looking for.”