Even with all the strange things Sunset had done so far, sitting down for dinner with her dimensional counterpart still ranked high on her list.
While Shimmer still preferred to keep to herself and stay locked in the guest bedroom, now that she had Jörmungandr, she popped out far more frequently and had a… slightly better attitude. Today seemed to be another step forward for her. While she had made herself scarce throughout most of the day, Shimmer appeared in the kitchen around dinnertime, dressed in sweatpants and a clean tank top.
Sunset had just set plates for herself and Selena and was pulling the lasagna out of the oven. “Need something?”
Hands in her pockets, Shimmer shrugged. “Not really? I was just kinda wondering if… you know, I could eat with you guys?”
Sunset deferred to Selena, who kept her eyes on the salad she was tossing. “None of your vulgarity or smart attitude at the dinner table.”
Shimmer rolled her eyes. “Sounds just like my mom,” she muttered.
“What did I just say?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Shimmer took a seat and Sunset set an extra plate and utensils in front of her.
“Why the sudden change?” Sunset asked. “Usually, you just eat in your room.”
Shimmer twirled her fork. “Boredom, I guess. And, you know… it’s been a while since I actually sat down and had a meal with other people. A real long while. Thought it might be nice.”
Selena set the food on the table and took a seat. “Perhaps if you weren’t an international thief with a toxic attitude, you’d have more opportunities to have a family meal.”
“Sorry, I stopped listening after ‘international thief with a toxic attitude’. Sounds like the opening to a sick cartoon about me, and I’m all for it.”
Sunset released a suffering sigh and cut herself a slice of lasagna. Without Artemis and Trixie, dinners were quiet affairs. Sunset and Selena made small talk or bounced ideas around for Selena’s books, but their conversations lacked the energy their absent family members brought. She counted the seconds until Shimmer bemoaned how boring dinner was because of it.
They sat in silence, enjoying the meal. Sunset thought she had done a very good job this time seasoning her lasagna. It was vegetarian of course; spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, and olives with an extra layer of cheese. Selena gave her a nod of approval after eating a forkful.
Sunset shifted her eyes to Shimmer. She had gotten used to seeing a near mirror image of herself walking around the house, yet seeing her sitting at the dinner table gave Sunset an odd, almost out-of-body experience. Like she herself wasn’t really here, she was just a spectator watching a version of herself with a pixie-cut eat lasagna. She could see the disappointment on Shimmer’s face as she cut through her meal.
“I get it, you used to be a horse. Doesn’t mean you have to deprive the rest of us of meat,” Shimmer said sourly before biting into her piece of lasagna.
“Vegetarianism is a very healthy lifestyle choice,” Selena said stiffly, keeping her eyes on her plate. “If it really bothers you so much, there’s some chicken breasts in the freezer. You can cook them yourself.”
“Meh. Too much work.” Shimmer stabbed at an olive. “So, do you still crave hay and stuff?”
“No,” Sunset lied, desperately craving a hay burger. “And I doubt my stomach would process it the same way I did as a pony.”
Spot made himself known by pressing a paw against Sunset’s chair and pushing his nose into her lap. She appeased him by giving a tiny piece of the lasagna noodle. He lapped it up, wagging his tail and eyeing for more.
“No, silly puppy, you have food in your bowl.” She gently pushed him down, then watched as he moved on and tried the same ploy with Selena.
“How’s making friends with the Dazzlings going?” Shimmer asked.
Sunset pulled her eyes away from Spot. “It’s, uh…”
Yesterday evening, she had gotten a text from Applejack telling her Adagio’s experience at the farm. Applejack seemed reasonably calm about the whole thing, leaving Sunset to worry more about Adagio, and just how far this had set her back. On the other hand, Rarity and Pinkie seemed to have had a good time with Aria and Sonata respectively. Sonata had erred a little, but Pinkie managed to set her straight.
“We’re making progress with two out of three, so that’s good. Right?” She looked at Selena.
“If you think what you’re doing is right, then yes, so far so good,” she said. It was the closest thing Sunset would get to validation for the night.
“Guess you’ve got a knack for turning enemies into friends,” Shimmer said before finishing her plate.
“Maybe. My friends are doing most of the heavy lifting here. I’m kinda just the mediator between them and the Dazzlings.”
Shimmer rolled her eyes and picked her plate up. “You’re annoyingly humble sometimes. Thanks for dinner, I guess.” She stood up and dropped her plate in the sink, then skulled back upstairs, hands in her pockets.
“Fascinating how you two are the same person but so radically different,” Selena said, standing up as well.
“We weren't that different too long ago,” Sunset said, her mind drifting back to older days again. “If I can change, then she can, too.”
“If she wants to.” Selena gave Sunset a loving pat on the head. “Dinner was excellent, by the way.”
Sunset blushed. “Thanks.”
Knock knock knock.
“I’ll get it,” Sunset said, pushing herself away from the table. She couldn’t think of who would be calling on them so late in the evening. She had one foot across the threshold to the living room when Selena grabbed her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the kitchen window. “What?”
Her nose twitched. “I feel something. I don’t know if it’s bad or good, just be careful opening the door.”
Sunset nodded and proceeded to the entryway, Selena’s eyes on her back. She looked through the peephole, surprised to see all three Sirens crowded on the porch. Still, she took Selena’s advice and opened the door slowly, poking her head from the gap. She felt an odd pressure on her ears, like someone was pressing earmuffs against them.
“What’s up, guys?” Sunset asked. Her voice sounded normal, yet she couldn’t shake the earmuff feeling. She also couldn’t recall telling the Sirens where she lived.
All three of them looked dour, Sonata in particular. It was hard to tell in the dark, but her eyes looked red and puffy. Adagio said in a grim tone, “Can we talk? It’s really important.”
“Uhh…” Sunset looked over her shoulder to Selena, watching with sharp interest.
“We ran into Tempest Shadow.”
Sunset snapped her head back. “What?”
“Well, more like, she found us,” Aria said.
“Crap. Yeah, come inside.” Sunset stepped aside and allowed them entry, gesturing them toward the couch. How had Tempest found the Sirens? Maybe Selena was right and they were being tracked. Were her friends in danger of being attacked at any moment?
She and Selena stood on the other side of the coffee table separating them from the Sirens. Sonata fidgeted, keeping her eyes on her hands.
“What did Tempest want with you?” Sunset asked. “Did she hurt you?”
Aria tensed and sucked in a short breath as Adagio spoke. “No, she didn’t. She… she said…” Her eyes slid toward Sonata.
Sunset watched Sonata lift her face toward her sisters, something passing between them. She swallowed a lump in her throat and looked forward again. From the corner of Sunset’s eye, she saw Selena shift like she was about to lunge.
She never got the chance.
All three Sirens opened their mouths, and a piercing wail rocked the house, three times worse than what Sunset heard in the chateau when Adagio had performed solo. The glass in the table shattered, spraying shards everywhere. Sunset’s eardrums burst, filling her canals with warm liquid. She didn’t have time to lift her hands to block out the wild cacophony. A splitting headache threatened to tear her brain in half. Her vision spiraled into darkness, and she crashed to the floor, feeling flecks of glass bite into her skin as she blacked out.
*******
Shimmer bobbed her head to the music blasting from her headphones. Back pressed against the headboard of her bed, laptop balanced on her knees, she clacked away at the keyboard, smiling as she mouthed the lyrics to herself. She occasionally took a break to stroke Jörmungandr on his head. The snake was curled around her shoulders as usual, head resting in his mistress’s lap.
“Oooh, triple encryption. They think that’s going to keep us out. Isn’t that cute, Jorgey?”
Jörmungandr flicked his tongue.
With her partner in crime back, Shimmer felt inspired to steal again. She couldn’t go rob any banks or museums without drawing attention to herself and possibly incurring Tempest’s wrath. And she had to admit, it was nice having a roof over her head and people to bother when she got bored. So instead, she flexed her hacking skills, stealing information from people or corporations and selling it to the highest bidder. It was slow, tedious work, but it kept her entertained and would fill her account up eventually.
She thought about giving some of her earnings to the Lulamoons as thanks for letting her squat in their house. But Selena would ask where she had gotten it from and then have a cow if Shimmer told her.
Maybe I’ll just buy them something expensive. If they really feel bad, they can just return it.
Concerns for another day. Right now, she had firewalls to tear down.
A shrill, echoing scream overrode Shimmer’s music, drowning out the soft hip-hop and filling her ears with an agonizing high-note in stereo. Jörmungandr thrashed around her neck, and Shimmer in turn writhed and knocked her laptop away. She pressed her headphones harder against her ears to make the caterwaul stop.
Eventually, it did, leaving Shimmer with a drum pounding on the front of her skull, and her music faded, like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. She took off her headphones and snapped her fingers next to her ears. A dull thump rather than the sharp click she was used to.
She climbed off the bed and got to her feet, lurching as a wave of vertigo hit her. She slumped against the wall and breathed deeply while she waited for the room to stop spinning.
What the hell happened? Shimmer pushed herself upright and braced a hand against the door as the floor settled into place. Her headache dulled to a slow tapping, and she tried to process a few more coherent thoughts. That wasn’t normal. And it didn’t come from my headphones. Crap, are we under attack?
She glanced at her bed. Jorgey was tightly curled on himself, head whipping back and forth. Shimmer knew it was best to leave him alone in case he struck at her in panic.
Tightening her center of balance, Shimmer pulled her door open and poked her head outside. The hall was dark and her hearing remained muffled. She crept forward, using the shaft of light her bedroom cast across the floor as a guide. She poked her head around the corner and saw someone come out of the study. The intruder turned her head and locked eyes with Shimmer.
With her headache dwindling, Shimmer remembered the girl’s name as Aria, one of those damn Dazzlings. In her hand was an odd staff with a white crystal at the top. Shimmer narrowed her eyes. She didn’t care too much about the Lulamoons beyond them giving her bed and breakfast, but she’d be damned if she let the Dazzlings steal from them!
Aria’s eyes widened and she shouted something that sounded like, “There’s two of them?”
Shimmer charged at her. With two fingers, she jabbed at Aria’s shoulder, missing by a hair when Aria twisted her body to the side. She then swung the staff into Shimmer’s waist, but the thief wrapped a hand around the base and gave a sharp tug to wrench it from Aria’s grasp.
Aria held fast. She pulled back while trying to kick Shimmer’s shins. Shimmer got her other hand around the staff and jumped back, trying to pull Aria off balance. Like Shimmer, Aria held her ground. Instead of fruitlessly pulling, Shimmer shoved the staff forward toward Aria’s throat.
The Dazzlings fell back, but turned the momentum into a backwards roll and jumped up to her feet. She turned and vaulted over the banister, dropping down to the first floor. Shimmer ran and looked over the railing, gasping at the sight of Sunset, Selena, and Spot all laying on the ground, unmoving. The other two Dazzlings loomed over them.
Shimmer felt her vocal cords vibrate as she shouted, “You’re dead!” Her own voice still sounded distant. Like Aira, she vaulted over the stairs and landed in a crouch before striking at the closest target with a closed fist.
Sonata blocked Shimmer’s punch with the side of her arm and retaliated with a strike of her own. Shimmer grabbed her arm, stepped and turned her back in toward Sonata, then lifted with all her might and flung the girl over her shoulder and onto the ground.
A hard kick to the head sent Shimmer stumbling backwards into the hallway next to the stairs. She got to her knees in time to see Adagio aiming another kick for her face. Shimmer arched her back, becoming almost parallel to the floor to avoid getting hit. She then rolled onto her side and struck her legs out, catching Adagio in the back of the shins and sending her to the ground while Shimmer spun and jumped back to her feet.
Adagio rolled back and hopped up from the ground, blocking Shimmer’s fist with a surprisingly fast reaction time. She then threw a series of quick jabs, Shimmer blocking all of them before she found an opening and returned fire. Again, Adagio proved faster than she looked. She struck back, and their fists connected; the impact sent jolts of pain across Shimmer’s knuckles. She disengaged as Adagio aimed a high kick for her jaw, and delivered her own roundhouse kick to Adagio’s shoulder, knocking her into the wall.
Aria was right there to take her sister’s place. She tossed the staff back to Sonata and swung her fist for Shimmer’s face. Shimmer shoved it away but got cut across the cheek by the opposite fist. Aria followed up with a fast jab to Shimmer’s nose.
Crick!
Shimmer staggered back, blood dribbling onto her lip. She flipped back to avoid getting sucker-punched again. Aria didn’t close in after her. Instead, she sucked in a quick breath and let out a piercing wail, just like the one Shimmer heard upstairs. She dropped to her knees and clutched her ears, her headache making a resurgence.
The scream stopped, but the floor beneath Shimmer rocked like a boat on the ocean. She tried to get up, but a boot cracked against the side of her head and sent her into the wall, dropping a picture frame onto her.
“We’re done here,” a muffled Adagio said.
Shimmer cracked her eyes open to see them retreating for the door. With their backs turned, none of them noticed Selena pushing herself to her feet, blood dripping from her ears. She held a hand to her head and staggered, unfortunately catching Adagio’s attention. The sisters fanned out around Selena.
Adagio attacked from the front and Aria from the left. Selena raised her arms and bore the brunt of their blows, weaving out of the way when she could. In quick succession, she ducked under Adagio’s swing, palm struck her in the throat, and jabbed an elbow into Aria’s chest. Selena took a half-step back and delivered a roundhouse kick to Adagio’s shoulder, throwing her back toward the door. She returned her attention to Aria, but Sonata stepped up from behind and cracked the bottom of the staff against the back of Selena’s head. She stumbled hard, but still blocked Aria from socking her in the face.
Shimmer grit her teeth and stood up. Her nose and head throbbed in pain, but she dashed and jumped over Sunset’s prone body to land next to Sonata. Shimmer aimed a kick at Sonata’s hand to get her to drop the staff. Sonata danced to the side and jabbed the crystal at Shimmer’s stomach. She took the blow, feeling the crystal puncture her skin. Ignoring the pain, she hammered the side of her fist into Sonata’s cheek. Sonata tumbled back onto the couch, and Shimmer ripped the staff from her hands.
Adagio tried to rush at her, but Selena intercepted by grabbing Adagio’s arm and swinging her around into Aria. They both crashed into the wall, sending more pictures and portraits to the ground. Aria snatched one and flung it at Selena, who caught it and threw it over her shoulder, almost hitting Shimmer in the head. That brief distraction was all Aria and Adagio needed to close the distance to Selena and attack her in a joint flurry of blows.
Shimmer jumped over the ruins of the coffee table, but Sonata grabbed her ankle and pulled, forcing Shimmer to land on the metal base. The impact forced the staff from her hands, and it landed next to Sunset.
Sonata jumped over Shimmer and grabbed the staff. Shimmer grabbed her leg. With a firm hold, she pulled Sonata down and herself up. Sonata dropped to a knee and swung the staff back, whacking Shimmer on the arm. She ignored it and struck two fingers out to hit the back of Sonata’s neck; a single strike to shut down her entire nervous system.
Adagio, appearing from nowhere, snapped her hand out and grabbed Shimmer’s index and middle finger. With a violent twist, both of them snapped out of place. Lances of pain shot through her hand, amplified by the slightest twitch. Her scream was cut short by a decisive punch to the cheek, sending her to the floor, right on top of Sunset.
Selena delivered a firm kick to Aria’s abdomen, shoving her toward the front door. Before she could put her leg down, Adagio swept the other one, dropping Selena onto her back. She tried to bounce up, but all three Dazzlings kicked her back down.
“Tell Sunset it’s nothing personal,” Adagio said, opening the front door.
Shimmer punched the ground and got to her feet, gnashing her teeth at the throbbing pain in her fingers. Selena was on her feet as well, rushing out the front door. The women ran out into the front yard, an eerie silence pressing on Shimmer’s already damaged ears.
The Dazzlings were across the lawn and heading for a swirling black portal in the middle of the road. Selena slid to a stop at the edge of the grass. She reached down and wrenched up one of the little lanterns illuminating the front path. With a furious snarl, she hurled it, clocking Sonata in the back of the head just as she dove into the portal.
She looked back at Selena and Shimmer, tears in her eyes as the portal closed and vanished.
Shimmer backed up and slumped against the doorframe. With her adrenaline fading, the pain in her hand reached new heights. She pressed to her chest and used her other hand to pinch herself to try and draw some of the pain away.
Selena marched back into the house, eyes intense and brow creased. Shimmer shuddered as she passed by. Even if Selena probably couldn’t hear right now, making a crack seemed ill-advised. Shimmer looked out across the neighborhood. Everything else seemed peaceful, with half of the houses already dark for the night. Had none of them heard the racket the fighting made?
Nose wrinkled, Shimmer turned inside and closed the door with her shoulder. Selena was lifting Sunset off the floor and resting her on the couch. Shimmer felt she should be furious with her little doppelganger. This was, ultimately, her fault. She had been dumb enough to try and help the Dazzlings. Yet, instead of anger, all Shimmer had was pity. Well, pity for Sunset. She was still flaming furious at those three bitches.
While Selena attended Sunset, Shimmer knelt beside Spot and pulled him into her lap. He was still breathing, though blood trickled from his ears as well.
Oh great. Is everyone in this house going to be deaf now? She looked over to Selena, now marching upstairs. “You can’t hear me, can you?” Shimmer shouted.
Selena kept climbing.
“Just peachy.” Shimmer scooted against the stairs. She let her crippled hand rest at her side while she stroked Spot with the other.
Selena returned a minute later with a small, plain bottle and a handful of cotton balls. She had two pieces stuffed into her ears.
She approached Sunset and tilted the girl’s head. From the bottle, she poured a few drops of clear liquid into Sunset’s ears, then stuffed a cotton ball in and turned her over to repeat the process. When Selena finished, she walked over and knelt beside Shimmer.
“Give me your hand,” she said loudly.
Shimmer raised an eyebrow but did as she was told. Selena gently took her by the wrist and poured a few drops from the bottle onto Shimmer’s two broken fingers. A warm tingle ran through her entire hand, concentrating at the knuckles currently out of place. Shimmer winced as the snapped back in, but pain evaporated instantly.
She sighed in relief. “Thanks.”
Selena pulled the cotton from her ears. “You’re welcome.”
“Wait, you can hear again? What is this stuff?”
Selena dabbed the liquid onto her finger and brushed it against Shimmer’s nose. “Water from a magic spring in the Himalayas. It can cure most injuries, including ruptured eardrums.”
Like her fingers, Shimmer’s nose popped back into place with a warm and soothing tingle. “Finally, magic has a good use.”
Selena took Spot into her lap and dabbed his ears with the medicine as well. When she finished, she sat back and let out a long and tired sigh.
Shimmer nodded in agreement. “That royally sucked.”
“That’s surprisingly mild coming from you.” Selena massaged her eyelids. “I can’t believe those damn Sirens were working for Tempest.”
“What?” Shimmer snapped her head toward the door. “So, Tempest knows where you live now?”
“I’d be surprised if she hadn’t already known.” Selena gave Shimmer a composed look. “Relax. She herself can’t get to us here. Artemis has wards to keep out most black magic.”
Shimmer gave a vague wave of her hand. “Then how did those freaks get in?”
“Probably because they themselves don’t have magic anymore. Or at least, magic that would be detected as malicious. It’s not a perfect system by any means.”
Shimmer dropped her hand. Her eyes were still on the front door. Maybe it was time for her to vanish again. But Tempest lurked out there, and Shimmer needed protection. Even if they had been compromised, what place was safer than with the Lulamoons? And was she ready to be alone again?
The soulless black sclera and twisted laughter in the back of her head told her no.
“Thank you, by the way.”
Pulling her eyes from the door, Shimmer looked at Selena. “Huh?”
“Thank you for trying to help. I honestly didn’t expect something like that from you.”
“Ye of little faith, give me some credit. I technically live here, too, might as well defend it.” She snorted. “Fat lotta good it did.”
Selena looked over to Sunset, resting on the couch. “At the very least, she was right about you being able to change.”
Shimmer let out another sigh, watching her doppelganger sleep. “Can’t win ‘em all, kid.”
*******
Sonata furiously tried to wipe away her tears as she and her sisters exited the swirling portal. Yes, the lamp had hurt, but the seething glare Selena had given them as they ran hurt way more. By tomorrow, Pinkie would know about what had happened, and she would look at Sonata with the same glare.
The portal dropped them out in a magnificent entrance hall. Polished marble floors greeted them, reflecting the enormous chandelier hanging above them. Watercolor portraits hung from the mahogany walls. In front of them rose a grand staircase with red velvet carpeting.
Aria rubbed the bruises on her arm. “I swear, Adagio, this had better be worth it.”
Sonata looked at the staff in her hands. Their old voices back. Fans adoring them. A real house to sleep in. Was it worth throwing away her friendship with Pinkie?
Adagio roved her eyes around the hall. “Trust me, it will be.”
It had to be, right? Because Adagio always knew what was best for them. Sonata had tried to plead her case on why they should turn down Tempest’s offer. Even Aria had been highly skeptical. But Adagio won out like she always did. It would be best for all three of them. Sonata was so certain she had been full after playing with Pinkie. Yet, her sisters were starving. And she would be a bad Siren if she let the rest of her family starve.
Maybe she could convince Pinkie they could still be friends. Sonata shook her head. Pinkie had said firmly good people didn’t steal. They had stolen and hurt another friend in the process. Pinkie probably wouldn’t give a third chance to her.
Tempest walked into view at the top of the staircase. She looked down at them with a wry smile. “Very good, ladies. There wasn’t too much trouble I hope.”
“There was another Sunset there,” Aria spat. “The heck was that about?”
Tempest scowled for a moment. “From what I understand, Sunset hails from another dimension. Everyone in this world has a counterpart over there. You encountered the native Sunset.”
“Fascinating,” Adagio said dryly. “We got what you wanted, now give us our reward.”
With a wave of her hand, Tempest conjured a red gemstone from thin air. It floated down the stairs and came to hover in front of Adagio. She snatched it, eyes burning with hunger.
Aria looked longingly at it as well before addressing Tempest. “Well?”
“You’ll get the others when your whole task is complete,” Tempest said coolly. “You should know that these aren’t as powerful as your original gems.”
“It’ll do for now.” Adagio closed her hand around it and clutched it to the base of her throat. “So, all we have to do is stir up some trouble and get the Rainbooms to fight us?”
“Spectacular Seven,” Sonata whispered.
“No one cares,” Adagio snapped.
“Correct,” Tempest said. “Bring out their magic, then steal as much as you can. Try not to kill them. Lord Tirek would still like their souls when this is all over.”
Aria narrowed her eyes. “You expect us to go up against all of them at once?”
“Moondancer will be there to help break them up. And I’m sure you three can be creative. Just be sure to bring me back the staff.” Tempest turned and headed back down the hall. “Feel free to take any of the spare bedrooms on the second floor.”
As soon as Tempest was out of earshot, Aria grabbed Adagio’s arm. “I don’t like this. Are we seriously taking orders from some hag?”
“Better than starving and sleeping in a factory like peasants!” Adagio snapped. She held the gem between her fingers. “I don’t trust her either, but look! She already gave us one. We do this, we can come out on top. We can still win!”
“You mean you can still win.”
“I’m doing this for our sake!” Adagio walked over and snatched the staff from Sonata. “So both of you shut up and follow my lead.” She stomped up the stairs.
Aria shoved her hands in her pockets. “Your lead is why we’re in this mess in the first place,” she grumbled before stalking up the stairs as well.
Sonata stood alone. She hugged her elbows and looked at her reflection on the polished floor. She had followed Adagio all these years. Every time it looked like they were about to win, something happened so they always lost. What was different about this time?
She felt a rumble of hunger. Not from her stomach, but from the core of her body. Maybe she had imagined being full. Had playing with Pinkie just been a big enough distraction that Sonata could ignore the usual emptiness?
“You can still leave.”
Sonata jumped and whipped her head to the right. Coming from an adjacent hall was a young woman with half a mask on her face. The half that was visible looked really familiar. Perhaps she had been in the Battle of the Bands? She looked extremely bored.
“It’s not too late. You’re nothing but a pawn to Tempest. You can run, and she won’t care.”
Sonata looked at the massive front doors behind her. “I… I can’t. They’re my family. We’re supposed to stick together. And… I don’t have anywhere else to go. My friends probably hate me now.”
“Sometimes, it’s better to choose reason over family, though I understand wholeheartedly why you would choose the latter.” The young woman headed up the grand stairs, keeping a hand on the banister. “Though, if your friends are the same girls I’m thinking of… don’t discount them just yet. They’re surprisingly loving.”
She continued on her way, leaving Sonata alone again with her thoughts.
Friends? Or family?