//------------------------------// // 20 - Constant Reminders of What Got Me Here // Story: Hell & High Water // by Uria the Sacred Beast //------------------------------// As soon as they sat down at the corner booth, Sour immediately put her feet up right in the middle of the table. Sunset gave her a flat stare in return. “Really?” Sunset sighed. “What else did you expect?!” Sour’s laughter was guttural and mocking. “I’m not going to pay for any of this, by the way. So don’t ask me.”  Sunny Flare glared at Sour from across the table while Night Glider wrapped one of Sunny’s hands with bandages. “You should be paying for my meal after this.”  Sour pointed the toe of her boot in Sunny’s direction. “Hey, it’s not my fault that you’re the daughter of the iciest bitch of a principal that ‘Prep has ever seen. Guess you’re just weak to fire. And don’t be such a pussy about it; you’ll be getting a whole hell of a lot worse when we’re out there fighting those assholes. At the end of this whole shindig, you’ll be begging to only have a second degree burn.”   “You say that like it wasn’t on purpose!” Sunny bit back. “Well, I thought that the instructions were clear. I told you to dodge. You were shitty at dodging. Not my fault.” Sour spun the laminated menu under her finger like a spinning top. “But I can’t deny that I enjoyed watching you roll around in the snow. It’s a good look for you.” “All right, that’s enough.” Aria sliced into the conversation with a growl pointed specifically at Sour. “Need I remind you why you’re here, Sour Sweet?” Sour bit back, “It sure as hell isn’t because you people are my friends or anything. So I don’t know why you’re expecting me to play nice and roll over to this posh little princess.” She flailed her arms in the air. “That’s no excuse to act like a toddler,” Sunset added, crossing her arms, “You’re throwing a temper tantrum because we won’t let you bail after attacking us, and that’s ridiculous.” “Because I get what you’re doing!” Sour sat up properly now, glaring at the gathered group around the table. “You’re trying to get me to feeeeel for all of these losers because we all have to work together! It’s humiliating to be seen in public with them!”  “No!” Sunny slammed her unbandaged hand down onto the table, “What we’re doing is trying to get your useless ass to work with us so we can deal with the much more pressing matter at hand! I bet that Stanza and Marred here would be more than happy to rip you apart and try and fix the trouble you caused for them with your dumb rock, but they recognize the cult’s the bigger issue. You, though, you just wanna sit here, mock us, and complain despite the fact that we’re all on the same side!”  She hissed venomously, “We don’t give a shit if you feel for us or wanna be your friend, we just want to deal with this! No one cares about you, Sour! No one ever has! The only reason the cult even took you was because you were mistaken for someone that MATTERED!” She screamed, chest heaving as she finally blew her top at her peer. The others stared in surprise. While the other Shadowbolts knew she had a temper buried under the polite venere, they had never seen an explosion like that.  Sour Sweet stared for a moment, glaring rather demonically as Sunny picked her apart. As soon as the other was done ranting, Sour pulled her bag onto her back and stood. “Well I think this was a great session today!” She said in her incredibly fake chipper tone before switching to a low growl, “I’ll just be leaving then!” She turned on a heel, heading out the door again. “She’s… going to be difficult to win over.” Twilight flinched as the door to the diner was slammed shut.  “That’s an understatement,” Sunset deadpanned with an aside glance, “I doubt we could get her to like any of us with all the time in the world. Though I’d be lying if I said I wanted her as a friend.” She sighed, “Though we do still need her help.” Sunset glanced across the table at her partner in crime. Dash stood up, sighing in preparation. “I’ll go talk to her. Maybe I’ll get lucky.” She jogged out of the diner in an attempt to catch up with Sour.  Sunset sighed as Dash jogged out, turning over her attention as she massaged her temple with her fingers. “Starry… I’m sorry about this.”  “I’m not. It was a long time coming, and it felt good to say,” Sunny replied. She was still trying to steady her breathing, but satisfaction was plastered all over her face.  “Yep. The bitch deserved it,” Sugar Coat said. “She’s always been like this, and from what we’ve learned about you, even a crater couldn’t turn her around.” Sunset coughed awkwardly, nodding, figuring that it was best she not mention it took more than a slam dunk into the concrete to turn her around either. “Right, I suppose it was a little overdue for you then. Do you feel any better, having said that?” She looked at Sunny again. “Yeah, I do. I hope it finally gets past her thick head that shit like that comes back to bite you,” Sunny replied, “I was a particularly favorite punching bag of hers thanks to my relation to Mother.”   “You seem to have a lot of bad history.” Twilight said.  “Only years of aired dirty laundry, a few manipulated friendships, and a backstab or two. No big deal, really.” Sunny rolled her eyes. “Not to mention the fact that she’s apparently been wiping our memories on the regular. What kind of person does that?”  “The kind that’d be in a cult.” Sugar Coat replied. Lemon Zest yelped and dove behind Indigo Zap, glancing around, “D-Do you really think that she is?!” “No.” Sugar Coat said. “Given what happened to her and just how angry she is?” Aria cocked an eyebrow, “Yeah, I think it's safe to say she hates those guys more than any of you.” “How can you tell how angry she is?” Zap questioned, “I always figured it was always just on and off with her.” “Sirens can sense the emotional state of a person as well as their output.” Aria shrugged, “If we were still feeding on negative emotions, we probably could use that girl as a portable battery for a few years with no issue. She’s the most unstable person I’ve met in the last few centuries.” “A battery?” Zap blinked. “Feeding on negative emotions? Wait, what’s your power again?” She looked at Aria with heavy confusion.  Aria stretched, leaning back on one of the counters around the table as she started to harmonize, looking at Zap with dimly glowing eyes. She figured a short, harmless demonstration would be easier than any long-winded explanation. Zap’s eyes glowed green as she was lulled with Aria’s song, swaying softly.  The other Shadowbolts around the table flinched as if Aria had just hit her. “Wh-what’re you doing?!” Sunny Flare’s body leaned as far from Indigo Zap as she could without getting up from her chair. As quickly as it started, it stopped, Aria finished the short solo and Zap shook her head, eyes returning to normal just like that.  “The Siren Song.” Aria shrugged. “Figured an example would be easier than giving a short speech about it. It's sorta like hypnosis just with a few differences steeped in the desires of the target.” “And you can just use it on anyone?” Sunny asked, frantically looking Zap over. Zap seemed more confused than harmed. “Even us?!” Lemon Zest exclaimed. “That’s screwed up.” Sugar Coat said. “It's part of our species. I don’t judge you humans for walking on two legs and eating cows.” Aria rolled her eyes. “Besides, it's not like we can just hum a tune and make you do anything we want. The song only amplifies desires. For example, all of you want this problem to go away, so I was able to make Zap space out for a second. Not thinking about the issue is a way that can be construed after all.” She explained with a shrug, figuring some things were going to have to be talked out either way. “Beyond that, they have no intention of just using it because they’re bored. Right, Aria?” Sunset glanced over, nodding. Aria nodded, giving her a lazy thumbs up again. “We don’t need to charm folks as much as we used to with our music, so yeah, basically.” “And we can just trust your word that you won’t use it?” Sugar Coat pressed, “Not even to save your own hides? Why do you three even care about fighting the cult, anyway?” Her question was pointed directly at the Dazzlings. Aria tilted her head before nodding to Sunset, “She saved our asses from dying. We’re with her. If she wants to help you, we’ll follow. As for trust, well, that’s your call. You’ve seen what the song can do now though. If we wanted to manipulate or mind control you or whatever, we’d have done it by now.”  “So. You’re just doing this to pay Sunset back.” Sunny repeated slowly. “Yeppers!” Sonata nodded, reflecting the question back onto the Shadowbolts cheerily. “Why’re you fighting the cult?”  Sunny paused for a moment, as if debating that herself.  “Because I think we’re the only ones who can.” She replied, her voice firm. “I don’t think the regular police can handle the cult. They won’t admit it, but without magic they’re completely outclassed. With training, I think the girls and I have a better chance to handle them. That’s why I reached out to Sunset as soon as I could.” “I just want to kick their asses for messing up my hair.” Sugar Coat cut in. “Misty seems to like it.” Zap gave her a sideways grin, never missing a chance to bring up Sugar’s girlfriend. “Shut up, Zap.” Aria chuckled at the group. “A range of heroics and revenge. Well, there are worse reasons for wanting to take someone down.” “Especially when it's an evil forest dwelling demon cult…” Adagio added with a mutter, rolling her eyes. “Right, well. I think there’s only one question for right now: Are we going to get out of paying?” Indigo Zap grinned knowingly at the Dazzlings. Sunny bopped her on the head with one of the menus on the table, “No! We are not doing that!” Zap rubbed her head, “Aw come on, it wouldn’t hurt anything.” “But it’s wrong!” Sunny insisted.  “Look, I don’t think any of us want to get into a deep conversation about the morality of our natural powers.” Adagio sighed, breaking back into the conversation, “So for all of our sakes how about we simply agree that the three of us will only use it when necessary?” “Besides, we can’t exactly make people do stuff they don’t want to anyway.” Sonata added. “So no free meal?” Zap pouted.  “You’re going to pay for it if you don’t stop talking, Zap.” Sugar Coat responded. “Fiiine.”  Twilight hadn’t been listening to the conversation, staring out the window into the light snowfall of the afternoon. “You look lost in thought.” Sunset drew her attention from the squabbling to her friend, nudging Twilight gently, “Need a map back down to Terra?” “Huh? Oh, no. I’m just hoping that Marred can get through to Sour Sweet.” Twilight said, “I can’t see them out there.”  Sunset frowned, glancing out with her, “Let’s hope that means more than Marred finding a good place to kick her shit in again. Lightspeed doesn't need to clean that up.” She’d be lying if she said she was in a rather forgiving mood given the actions and general disposition of her human double. By the time that Dash had pushed her way out of the diner, she could see Sour Sweet’s tracks leading out into the distance. She could tell that they were Sour’s because of the way the footprints had melted through the thin blanket of snowfall, leaving a small, rapidly freezing puddle in the outline of a shoe.   Dash huffed, sending a cloud of warm air dispearsing ahead of her, ‘Someone’s feeling pissy.’ She noted, following the tracks at a brisk jog, wanting to catch up right away but still not wanting to fall on her ass. ‘Don’t have time for this crap, where are you?’ Sour was walking at an even pace, slower than Dash was expecting. She had her hands tucked into her pockets and a scowl plastered on her face. When she saw Dash coming, she only walked a little faster, avoiding eye contact.  “You got out of there pretty quickly.” Dash commented, not exactly intent on letting her get away, “Suppose the atmosphere wasn’t exactly cheery, but-” “-Well excuse me for not wanting to sit there and let you all shit on me.” Sour snapped, “I didn’t ask for this bullshit.”  “Well to be fair you’ve kinda been screwing with us for awhile now.” Dash fired back, “I’m not gonna stand here and say what Suns-my Sunset did to you was fair, but come on. Like you’ve been the nicest person in turn. With all you’ve dished out in the last four years, can you honestly say some of that wasn’t deserved? Everyone’s stressed to hell and pissed off.” “And you say that like she didn’t do exactly the same things. The only difference between us is that she’s the bodysnatcher, and I was snatched up by a cult, tested on, and given… Given this!” Demon wings formed on her back, and fire raged between her fingertips.  Dash didn’t flinch, holding her ground against her, “Yeah, you didn’t deserve this, no one does. But here’s the thing; Sunset made strides to try and change. To make up for the crap she put me and everyone else through. What have you ever done except tear people down and probably steal Twilight’s lunch money?” She challenged. “Oh! That one was a definitely, not a probably.” She replied sweetly. “And why would I try to change?! I’ve stayed alive like this, and the one time I did try to rely on someone else - someone who’d definitely understand me - she shit all over that attempt. So, why bother?” Her voice had swapped between the growl and the sweeter tone several times now, fluctuating so heavily that it almost seemed distorted.  “Because maybe that little scene back in the diner wouldn’t have happened.” She snapped, “We have the same enemy, remember? But if you keep shitting on them, they’ll keep doing it to you!” Dash gestured, “I can understand your beef with Sunset at least, by why the rest of them?!” “Well for some of them, our first meeting was being screamed at in the face. The others are idiots I’ve known for years. They’ll probably get themselves killed trying to fight this cult. Not that I care,” She spat. “I don’t know if us going in there would do anything. I’d rather not be a part of it at all. It’s a suicide mission, and I value my own skin.”  “So what, you’re backing out all of a sudden? You just want to leave the cult to do whatever they want?” She sputtered, “What happened to revenge?!” “What good is revenge if I’m dead in the process?!” Sour replied, “You saw those idiots today! They’re not going to be ready in two weeks, they might not even be ready in two months!”  “They could be fast learners! It was the first day!” Dash growled, “I never took a Sunset to be such a coward!” Sour lifted up her lip in a snarl, “I’m logical, not a coward! And I should beat your face into the ground for that!” Her hair started to stand up on end and wave as if being carried by the heat she was putting off.  “Is that what happened the last time?” She scoffed, crossing her arms, her own anger peaking as Sour taunted her. “Only because those idiots were there to get between us!” Sour’s skin became a more maroon color as she grew angrier. “Face it, I’ve had this form longer. You would’ve been trounced without Staaanza getting in the way!”   “Tch, whatever you say, Sweetie.” She crossed her arms, “We’ll take them down on our own and we’ll fix the other girls while we’re at it!” Sour quirked an eyebrow, her hair dropping back down to her shoulders, “Fix?”  “Yeah? Uh, duh. All of you got screwed up and your brains got blended by the cult. What, did you just think we weren’t gonna try and fix that?” She blinked, “Well, them now I guess. You clearly wanna be on your own.” She held up her hands, starting to turn away. “You think they can fix this?” Sour asked again, her voice the most level Dash had ever heard. “And if I help your stupid friends, and somehow we survive from this… I could be me again?”  “Dunno. Guess you’ll never know though.” Dash shrugged with a very insincere sigh of remorse. “Oh well. Farewell, Sour, I hardly know ye.” Her acting was atrocious, but it got a very clear point across to the other girl. Sour let out a very loud and very forced sigh. “ALRIGHT! I’ll try to voice my opinions less. And I’ll help your stupid friends.” She crossed her arms with a huff, “But only because it undoes what Stanza took from me.”  Dash grinned victoriously, forcing it down and turning back to her, “That right? Well, I suppose we could still use your help.” She nodded, offering her a hand. Sour scowled down at Dash’s hand, “Is that necessary?”   “It's a handshake, I’m not asking you to be my BFF, asshole.” Dash gestured with the outstretched hand, “It's us making a deal. You help us til the cult’s dealt with and then we split and you’re free to do whatever. Besides, you don’t seem like the kinda girl to give me a high five.” She deadpanned. “Deal.” Sour shook Dash’s hand with an impish grin.  Dash smirked right back, squeezing her hand, testing her resolve as the two demons stared each other down. Not losing her grin, Sour tightened her grip on Dash’s hand. As Dash tightened back, Sour did as well. Eventually their hands were turning white from the pressure of the handshake. When they finally pulled away, Sour’s hand was tingling with numbness and Dash had indents of nails sinking into her skin.   Dash tried not to laugh. This wasn’t a friend after all. “Not bad.” She nodded, “Great to have you on the team then, Sour.” “Yeah, yeah.” Sour responded, shaking her hand awake, “You losers couldn’t do it without me anyways. Maybe I’ll actually tolerate it this time.”  Dash chuckled. In a bizarre way, the cutting back sass of a much darker, meaner Sunset was almost reassuring. It trivialized things. Made them seem so much simpler. “Either way, can’t imagine you’re ready to run back there, huh?” “Not if I’m going to uphold any ounce of my dignity, no.” Sour shook her head. “I think I’ll take a walk.”  “Where to? It's not exactly a great idea for any of us to be alone right now, and unless I mistook Cinch’s words, she kinda kicked you out.” Dash pointed out, hoping that wasn’t coming off as concern. “Curmudgeon bitch.” Sour grumbled. “Well, I guess snagging my shit and finding a place to camp out is the next plan. ...Not that you care about that.”  “I care more about making sure you don’t get yoinked by the cult again or point attention towards us.” She shrugged, “If that’s where you’re headed, I’ll go with. Don’t care how tough of a demon you are or whatever, none of us should be heading anywhere alone.” “Works for me, you can carry some of my shit. Just don’t get your… sweaty jock-ness on it.” She scowled, leading the way back towards Crystal Prep. “That the best you got?” She scoffed with a smirk, chasing after her with a snort. She’d send a text to Stanza once they’d walked to the school, but for now... “Come on, I expect better from you!” “Oh, you want worse? I can do worse, you cu-” Two hours later, the group had dispersed for the night.  “I’ll be staying here?!” Sour gaped at the fancy gated apartment complex Dash had led her to. “Yeah, well. Aria said she wanted you under lockdown and this is where she and her sisters are staying, so…” Dash seemed kind of annoyed that Sour moved up in the world because of this arrangement, which only made Sour giddier.  “Aria or whatever can have me on lockdown for however long she wants!” Sour beamed, “This sure beats the streets!”   “Never seen someone so eager to be under ‘house arrest’, though given where you’re coming from, I guess I can kinda understand.” Dash hummed with a small frown. “At least I’m assured a bed, food, and warmth. And I don’t have to pay for any of it!” She laughed out, “I guess working with the losers does have a perk or two.”  “Guess so.” Dash nodded, waving down the pigtailed siren as she saw her approach from inside, “Evening, Aria.” She nodded, regarding the siren with an even glance. It wasn’t hard in a group, but Aria had been her enemy just a month or two ago. Meeting one on one was a little more unnerving. Aria nodded back, “Good evening. I see you’ve got the jailbug, and that she’s chirping quite the happy tune.” Aria chuckled as Sour’s cheery disposition sunk back into a scowl as she was mocked.   “Well given where you guys have bunked up, I can’t really blame her. These are some pretty nice digs. I bet you rented a room totally legally - without using any magical means whatsoever - right?” Dash gave Aria a rather amused look. Unlike Sunny and some of the other Shadowbolts, a few minor uses of the song, just to get a few minor things of course, didn’t bother her all that much. A nice room in a fancy apartment after weeks upon weeks of fading away in some random hole in the ground was almost a need rather than a want. “Oh yeah, completely legally with a receipt and paperwork to go with it.” Aria crossed her arms. “Anyway, Stanza’s been waiting on you. She felt it’d be weird to head to your place without you, so she’s chilling with us.”  Dash nodded, “Makes sense. That’s what she texted me anyway. Adagio didn’t absorb her into the giant orange blob on her head, did she?” She chuckled slightly, at least trying to keep up the friend;y atmosphere. “Sorry we took so long, “Sour had a lot of shit for us to grab.” She pointed to the bags they’d dragged in. “Well drag them in a little further. We have a guest room she can’t wiggle herself out of without me knowing.” Aria said, picking up two herself rather effortlessly. “And no, Adagio’s not even here. She’s grabbing supplies for tonight.”  As the group came in, Dash locked eyes with Sunset, who was sitting on the Dazzlings’ couch.   Sonata giggled as they stepped in, clearly just missing the punchline to a joke, “Wow! She really said that?” “In front of everyone. I really don’t know what goes through Trixie’s head most days. Outside of her own ego getting circulated around.” Sunset snickered, standing when she saw them enter, “Oh, Dash, hey!” She smiled, souring slightly when she saw who was at the back of the group, “Sour Sweet.” She nodded a little more neutrally. “Bodysnatcher. Always pleasant to be in the room with you.” She replied, fluttering her eyelashes, “Just a treat.”  “Alright you two, cut that out.” Aria grumbled, “I’m not going to sit here and be the mom. Sour, just get in your room.” “What was that about not being a mom?” Sonata giggled. “Sonata, I swear to Crescendo.”  Sour smirked, “Shouldn’t you swear to your bodysnatcher overlord now? Freaks.”  Aria didn’t say a word. She simply snatched Sour up by the back of her jacket, and dragged her into the spare bedroom.   “Ack-!” Sour yelped as she was dragged away.  Sonata giggled, hopping up and dragging the supplies they brought from the school into the room after her. Dash just sighed, shaking her head and flopping down on the couch next to Sunset, “...hey.” She smiled weakly. “Hey.” Sunset smiled back, “Seems like things went pretty well for the first day. Everything considered.”  “Think they’ll stay that way? I mean, the cult could strike at us at any time, right? They could be watching…” Dash frowned, swallowing nervously, fingers digging into the couch. “I mean, they could, but there’s not really any use focusing on that right now,” Sunset said, putting her hand on Dash’s in an attempt to calm her down, “All focusing on it will do is make us all too paranoid to think clearly. We can only hope that things will run this smoothly from here on out, and plan for the worst. Right?” Despite her intention, the moment Sunset’s hand touched Dash’s she felt her heart rate spike considerably, a light sweat dust her brow. “Y-yah...I can see what you mean.” She swallowed, “There’s probably other things we could be focusing on and just...hope for the best, right?” She glanced over at her. “Dash, you’re blushing.” Sunset chuckled softly. “NO I’M NOT!” She replied calmly. Sonata poked her head back in the room, “Everything okay in here?” She asked, just in time to see Rainbow disappear into the bathroom. Sunset chuckled knowingly, rolling her eyes. “We’re fine, Sonata. Apparently Dash and I need to do some more private talking, though.”  Night fell over Canterlot as human Twilight Sparkle wandered around Crystal Prep.  “Since when has this place been shut down?” She asked herself, ducking and weaving around the police tape. As she slipped through large chunks of wall and floor that had been tossed around, she became more and more anxious. “I hope my lab didn’t get torn up!” She quickened her pace, heading into the main atrium of the school.  A man was standing there in a black suit. If he’d heard her footsteps and mumbles, he hadn’t called out to her.  “Um, officer?” Twilight assumed, seeing as he was dressed in a uniform of some kind. It was hard to see much more than his outline in the dark. “I’m sorry to barge in, but I needed some supplies for my independent study project that I left here! Can I please get them before you throw me out?”  Silence reigned for a moment as the man seemingly considered her words. Twilight shifted from foot to foot as she waited for his judgement call.     Then, he spread his arms in a shrug.  “Oh, um, thank you! I’ll just be a moment!” Twilight ducked into her lab, which was entirely not the downstairs broom closet she’d taken over. When she looked for the box of supplies that was supposed to be sitting on her desk, though, they were already gone. “Wait. I- I left these here over the break, I swear! They were right here! Right?” She looked around frantically for the supply box, only to notice that the man was now standing at the doorway to her lab.  His hands were still spread in the same way, but a honey-gold orb with a blood red outline had formed between them.  “Wh-what?” Twilight swallowed, backing away, “What’s that?!”  The man let out a dark chuckle, “Oh, so you don’t recognize me. Perfect.” The orb in his hands shot off a line of red magic, completely encasing Twilight in it. “Now then, Pri-...no, no that’s not right. You’re undoubtedly Twilight Sparkle, but certainly not the one who defeated me. Even still, this will be so very cathartic…” He stroked his white beard with a thuggish grin, as he pulled Twilight along with him in his magic. “You’ll be a fitting sacrifice for Bray’s little plan.”  “S-sacri-Help! HELP!” Twilight yelled out as she squirmed feebly against the aura holding her afloat.  Tirek chuckled as he watched her squirm defenselessly. “Now we can’t have that, can we now?” His magic rippled with a darkened effect, and Twilight’s eyes began to droop closed. “You’re definitely not the princess who took me down. Even so, human or not, if you have half the potential as your counterpart you’ll make do for the perfect magic battery.” He set off with Twilight levitating behind him in tow, savoring the moment that he’d taken her down so easily. Twilights were Twilights, crown or not. Revenge was a sweet dish, even when served to the wrong table.