The Sunrise Sonata Pt11
Sonata Dusk
The two weeks elapsed, and Sonata and her friends found themselves coming to the night of the concert with excitement piquing.
Sonata spent a great deal of her time with Rarity, instructing her how to construct the masterpiece she had been painting. Rarity was eager and willing, but became hopelessly lost as she tried to figure out the complex labelling system Sonata had employed on the backs of her paintings.
“It’s easy,” Sonata explained. “I used simple shapes to mark the order.”
“Sorry, dear,” Rarity gasped, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she worked the sewing machines. “I’m used to numerical sequencing. You know, 1A, 1B, 1C.”
“That sound confusing,” Sonata admitted, scratching her head as she handed Rarity the next strip of canvas. “I prefer circle, square, cookie.”
“How does that make any sense?” Rarity asked desperately.
“You can get round or square cookies,” Sonata explained.
“Huh!?”
Applejack’s spring work was beginning to wind down, and the summer work winding up, and so she had a little extra time, as it were, between shifts, to help set up Vinyl’s sound equipment atop the apartment complex and around the plaza, all done with the help of the herculean Maud, and under the watchful eye of Filthy Rich. He stalked after them with sharp eyes, watching for any damage done to his property, although all the while smiling and praising the project whenever anyone walked by. His daughter, a mobile phone-addicted girl who habitually wore a jewel-encrusted crown, followed after them, making snarky comments and adding her own suggestions as to how to make the set-up better. This might have led to an altercation of some sort, had Sonata not had the original notion of pointing out someone parked illegally on the plaza. Filthy Rich stormed away to call a towing company, and his daughter swaggered away when she found that no one was listening to her.
Rainbow Dash waited on tenterhooks for the results of her exams, and three days prior to the concert, received her reply.
“I got in!” she shrieked, racing into Sugarcube Corner. “I got in! I’m gonna be a Wonderbolt!”
“I don’t think just getting into the academy means you’re going to be a Wonderbolt, dear,” Rarity said, gently.
Rainbow likely didn’t hear her. As she sat down, her other friends around the table began to chant:
SHE GOT IN!
SHE GOT IN!
SHE GOT IN!
And after looking around the table for a few hopeless seconds, Rarity smiled, and added her own gentile touch to the cacophony of cheering. At least until Mrs. Cake shuffled over to ask them to tone it down a little.
Rainbow was the life and soul of the preparations as the day drew closer. Dashing around at top speed, she even helped Maud and Applejack haul the massive roll of canvas to the edge of the apartment roof and affixing it with large, strong rope.
“So what is this thing?” Rainbow shouted over the wind.
Sonata flushed a little. “You’ll see,” she called back.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy’s contribution, other than participation, included poster duty. Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding with the printing firm, Sunset and Sonata suddenly found themselves with several boxes full of posters that they would have to put up themselves. Pinkie Pie volunteered immediately, and within a single day had half of the town plastered in posters. Fluttershy helped out as best she could, having had experience handing out fliers and putting up posters for her animal events. But her real help came, to everyone’s surprise, when she assisted Rarity with the new band costumes.
“No offense, Fluttershy,” Rarity said in cultured yet startled tones. “But since when can you sew?”
Fluttershy turned very red and muttered something that no one could hear. Rarity read the danger signs and decided not to inquire further.
To both Sunset and Sonata’s surprise, within just a few days of the posters going up, several of the bands and musicians from their school volunteered to extend the concert with performances of their own. Whilst the number wasn’t unreasonable, it did necessitate an extension of the time the concert would run, and therefore extended talks with Vinyl and Filthy Rich.
“I never want to talk to Filthy Rich, ever again,” Sunset groaned, her head on the coffee table.
Sonata looked over from her work. She’d recently developed a bad habit of using the end of her ponytail as a makeshift brush as she complained that the one she was using was wearing out. A splodge of red paint coated the end that sent streaks of crimson flying whenever she turned her head sharply. She shrugged at Sunset’s dilemma whilst smiling fondly at her.
“If I get a better job,” Sonata declared, stoically, “I’ll buy us a house.”
Sunset snorted into laughter. “Thanks Sonata,” she said, grinning. “I needed that.”
“No, I’m serious,” Sonata said, dreamily, starting to paint again. “I just need to get the money, and then bam.”
“A lot of dreams start with ‘if I only had the money’, Sonata,” Sunset pointed out, still giggling.
Sonata looked Sunset in the eye, still smiling her dreamy, ditzy grin. She was sure, now, of her own feelings. And Sunset had been kind enough to declare hers. She, Sonata, just had to build up the courage to say the words herself. The previous months since the winter had been some of the best of her life. She liked living with Sunset, she liked being with her. And she liked sleeping with her.
Next to her.
In the same bed.
Not naked.
...
Sonata coughed a little and dipped the tip of her ponytail into the cup of paint water.
“What’s up with you?” Sunset asked.
“What?” Sonata said guiltily. “Nothing’s wrong.”
“I didn’t say anything was,” Sunset observed.
“Does this look right, to you?” Sonata asked, turning the easel around.
A city skyline stretched far into the distance, with tall mountains stretching from the perspective of the viewer out around the city’s rim. Sonata hadn’t painted much of this yet, so most of it was pencil sketches. Sunset gave it a moment of serious consideration.
“It looks fine to me,” she said considerately. “A bit of a departure from your usual paintings though. Usually you like to draw trees and things from Applejack’s farm.”
“Yeah,” Sonata admitted. “I thought I’d delve a little into something new. Step outside my comfort zone, you know?”
Sunset nodded, impressed. “It’s good. Expanding horizons and all that stuff.”
“Yeah,” Sonata said again. She hesitated, feeling a heat rise in her cheeks. “Anyhow. So um... are you doing anything after the concert tomorrow?”
“I was going to go to bed,” Sunset said, shrugging. “It’ll be pretty late when it’s over.”
“Oh,” Sonata said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. “You didn’t want to go out or anything?”
“Did you want to?”
“Well,” Sonata cleared her throat. “It’s just, I got the feeling that we didn’t really finish our date the other week.”
It took Sunset a few moments to apparently understand what Sonata had just said. Even when she seemed to grasp what had been said, she looked unsure of exactly how to proceed.
“Well,” she began, slowly. “We never said it was a date or anything...”
“It was though, wasn’t it?” Sonata grinned.
Sunset pulled at a strand of her hair, flushing a little. “Yeah,” she mumbled out of the corner of her mouth. “I know I haven’t said sorry to Aria yet. But I will, I promise.”
Sonata didn’t exactly reply to this. She was looking into Sunset’s bright blue eyes, a strange sort of intrigue coming into her head. Looking into Sunset’s face, she was suddenly taken by all of the different Sunset Shimmer’s she’d ever envisioned. The saviour on the roof stopping Sonata making a terrible mistake, the vulnerable girl crying in her bed, the golden pony bowing to her fate, the person thrust into making a terrible decision. The roommate in her pyjamas giving her help freely. All of these images of Sunset lay upon her like picture frames upon each other, super-imposing onto the actual, living, flesh-and-blood girl standing before her.
“I’ve been thinking,” Sonata said. “I want to finish our date.”
“Oh,” Sunset replied, very much wrong-footed. “Um... now?”
“Yeah.” Sonata idled the end of her ponytail between her fingers, leaving them coated in red paint. “Did you have something you wanted to do?”
“Not really,” Sunset said, side-glancing at her laptop. “You want to maybe... get something to eat?”
“I think I do.”
“So, what does this mean?” Sunset asked as they both strolled through the late afternoon streets. “I mean, I kinda think I might have come across a little strong back then.”
“It was sweet though,” Sonata said consolingly. “Panicking like that.”
Sunset gave a nervous laugh. “That’s not what I’d have called it.”
Sonata smiled to see the colour rising in Sunset’s cheeks. “All the same, I’m... well, I’m sorry I reacted like that.”
Sunset turned to look at her, apparently surprised. “Sorry? Why?”
“You were put in a position you shouldn’t have been put in,” Sonata replied, remembering Adagio’s words. “After thinking about it a while, it’s not fair that I blame you for something you couldn’t really have helped. It wasn’t your responsibility to tell Aria she was wrong, but you did anyway.”
“I could have been a bit nicer about it,” Sunset mumbled.
“Oh stop worrying,” Sonata gave her a playful shove. “Where are we going to eat?”
“I was thinking the place on 3rd Street opposite the cinema.”
Sonata gave Sunset a startled look. “You don’t mean the Changeling Queen do you?”
“Well, yeah,” Sunset said, a little abashed. “That was where I was planning on originally, during our date.”
“But,” Sonata began after a brief pause. “I mean, that place is kind of expensive isn’t it?”
Sunset blushed a little more. “I saved up for it a bit,” she admitted. “I just wanted it to be a special occasion.”
Sonata stared at the other girl, whom didn’t seem able to meet her eyes. A now familiar warmth grew in the pit of her stomach, spreading upwards through her chest. Without really thinking about it, she interlaced her fingers into Sunset’s. Sunset looked even more flustered, but this was how Sonata liked it.
“Silly Shimmy,” she teased, nudging her shoulder into Sunset’s upper arm. Sunset smiled, a real, feeling smile, and her embarrassment seemed to simply ebb away. Gripping Sonata’s hand back, they proceeded down the street, happily bathing in each other’s vicinity, and equally happily unaware of the stares they were receiving from several passers-by.
The day arrived. The preparations were made. Vinyl woke them up at the crack of dawn, despite the fact that the concert wouldn’t start until early evening. Sunset spent much of the morning helping Vinyl set up the equipment, whilst all the time thinking of the previous night, sometimes being startled back to reality whenever the DJ tested her speakers. Sonata watched all of this with a semi-amused, semi-fond smile as she and Rarity set about making sure everything went right for the unfurling of Sonata’s project. Several times Rarity called her back to the task at hand, wondering aloud what was distracting her so.
The set-up expanded across the roof and plaza, and took until 3 o’clock in the afternoon to finish, by which time a number of the volunteer bands began showing up, along with Flim and Flam in a small truck.
“Well hello there!” said one brother in a winning tone, stepping nimbly from the vehicle as Sunset and Sonata met them at the plaza’s west side.
“Greetings!” said the other in an equally upbeat voice, appearing next to his kin with the rapidity of a dream.
“You are members of the Rainbooms, correct?”
“She is,” Sonata said, indicating Sunset.
“That’s wonderful!” said the second brother.
“We look forward to seeing you perform,” assured the first.
“Meanwhile can we interest you in some Rainboom merchandise?” inquired the second. With a quick kick at the side of the truck, it gave a sort of jump, and the entire side fell forward into a ready-made miniature shop that made Sunset and Sonata leap back in shock. A stunning array of shirts, dolls, plushies, collectible pencils, and other memorabilia hit the eye like a rainbow explosion.
“Could we perhaps interest you in an authentic, patented Rainboom T-shirt?”
“Or perhaps a set of Rainboom collectible stickers or cards?”
“Purchase now and get a Rainboom member action figure at regular price!”
“Product of Hasbro,” Sonata said, reading the tag on the doll she had been passed. One of the brothers snatched it away again and discreetly tore the label off.
“Why, dear brother, I thought you removed all of those,” the first brother hissed out of the side of his mouth.
“So did I, dearest brother of mine,” the other chuckled, tugging nervously at his collar.
“Well, thanks anyway,” Sonata said, holding up both hands. “I’ve got the original here.”
Fortunately for Sunset and Sonata, before the brothers could get into their full entrepreneurial flow, Filthy Rich strode over and began a loud discourse with them over the positioning of their van. Using the distraction as a cover, Sunset led Sonata away towards the gathering bands assembling around Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
“Okay! Okay, settle down!” Rainbow Dash called over the clamour. “Line up! We need to get you guys organised. Now who is going to play after us?”
A period of shouting and calling ensued, with hands stretching forward and bodies pressing in, threatening to overwhelm.
“Whoa, Nellie!” Applejack cried, louder than all of them. “Keep it orderly, people! Keep it orderly!”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie will not be denied!”
“No one’s denying you, Trixie,” Rainbow Dash snarled, turning her around smartly and giving her a sharp shove between the shoulder blades. “Just get into line!”
“If Twilight were here, all this organisation would go so much easier,” Applejack sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead.
“Don’t worry, I looked over the submissions and set up a timetable,” Sunset said, pulling out a folded up sheet of printer paper. Applejack took it and looked it over, nodding in agreement.
“She’s so thoughtful,” Sonata cooed, bumping Sunset’s shoulder. Applejack made no reply to this, but gave Sunset a raised eyebrow. Sunset cleared her throat.
“Well,” Applejack began with a small smile. “What you two love birds got to do now?”
“Not much except prepare,” Sunset said. “Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie have gone to the hospital to fetch Aria for the show, and Sonata’s going to watch over the other bands.”
“I wanted to go and fetch Aria,” Sonata admitted, before Applejack could ask. “But Rarity insisted I stay in case my project went wrong. She still doesn’t think my placement system makes any sense.”
“No offense, but no one else does either, sugarcube.” Sunset gave a little giggle at this
In all honesty, when Sonata had been told she had to stick around, she had volunteered to look after the other bands. Whilst none of them any longer regarded her with fear, or mistrust, Sonata felt that Sunset was taking on too much responsibility with Filthy Rich and the Flim Flams crowding around her every few moments. She didn’t need another bother on her.
“I demand that the Great and Powerful Trixie be allowed to go first!” announced the Great and Powerful Trixie.
“Sunset made timetables,” Sonata said uncertainly, handing out a small stack.
Trixie seized her own and looked down it with a scowl. “Trixie does not belong in the middle!” she cried, crunching the paper in her hand as though this were a matter of the utmost revulsion to her. Sonata hesitated as the clamour began to climb again. “Trixie demands that she be placed at the beginning! Why should she not be the opening act?”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash bellowed from across the plaza. “What is your problem!?”
“Trixie demands her day!”
“This is not about you, Trixie!” Sonata shrieked. Moving passed the Eco Team and Derpy’s Cow Bell group, she pressed a finger hard into Trixie’s chest. “This is a fundraiser! If you want a spotlight, go to karaoke night or something. But understand this: this night is about Aria! If I hear you complain one more time. You. Are. OUT!”
She punctuated the last three words with more sharp jabs of her finger. Trixie had leaned so far away from her that she was practically horizontal with the floor. A few seconds of painful silence ended when Trixie took a step back and cleared her throat. She looked away and tried to continue to use her superior tone, but it was punctuated by a tremor of doubt.
“Trixie was only concerned that maybe the timetable wasn’t organised to its full potential.”
“The time table stands as it is,” Rainbow Dash stated firmly, taking Sonata by the arm.
“Not organised—“ Sonata growled, glaring at Trixie. Rainbow held her back a little, but Sonata was already beginning to regret her outburst, even with the implied sleight against Sunset. “Sorry about that,” she said to Rainbow as the latter led her away a few steps.
“Oh no, please, don’t be sorry,” Rainbow snorted, holding up her phone. “I got the whole thing. This is going viral tomorrow.”
“I shouldn’t have lost my temper with her,” Sonata said, glancing back.
“Sonata,” Rainbow said flatly, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Everyone and their pets has lost their temper with Trixie. She’s obnoxious. But I get the feeling she won’t be making any more trouble until the next majorish event.” Rainbow ruffled Sonata’s hair. “Keep up the good work.”
And so Sonata did. The crowd were much quieter than before, but didn’t look fearful or abashed. Although Sonata didn’t know it, her outburst had reminded them of why they were there, and so a general contentment of working for a greater purpose washed over the group, laying individual desire temporarily at bay. Even Trixie looked as though she regretted her outburst a little, and directed her own band to practise with loud remonstrations for any signs, real or imagined, of showboating.
As the evening set in, and everyone geared up for playing, the crowds began to swell in. Rarity stood next to a large transparent box bolted down to a heavy-looking machine that had a metre running up it, not unlike a test-your-strength machine at a fair. A man in dark glasses stood nearby, arms folded and looking severe.
“Hi,” Sonata said meekly to the guy. “Remember me?”
The former mall security guard looked down at her through his shades. Slightly to her surprise, he gave a small smile and a thumbs up.
“Come on everyone!” Rarity called, looking a little like those people on game shows who show off the prizes. “Help us reach our goal! A girl’s ability to walk rests upon you!”
Sonata felt a little off, guilting people like that, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Watched by Rarity and the former mall cop, the crowd pressed forward and began casting green slips into the slot. Sonata watched, clip-board in hand as proceedings carried on, until the sight of a yellow taxi caught her attention.
The vehicle ground to a halt besides the plaza behind Flim and Flam’s truck, and disgorged Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Sonata hurried over as Aria rolled herself down the ramp the cabbie pulled from under the carriage.
“Aria! You’re here!” Sonata yelled. Aria looked a little self-conscious, but managed a strained smile. “Did you have any trouble getting here?”
“No trouble at all!” Pinkie announced.
“The hospital staff recommend she come back before eleven,” Fluttershy informed her, holding out a folded form of some sort. “Here’s the consent and liability form.”
“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Sonata said, pocketing it. “I hope you enjoy the show,” she said to Aria. “Everyone’s worked really hard on it.”
“Yeah,” Aria said, still sounding somewhat embarrassed. “Actually, I kind of wanted to thank everyone for—“
“And there she is!” Rarity announced into her microphone. “The girl we’ve all come to help, herself. Let’s give her a hand, everyone!”
Aria seemed to shrink in her wheelchair as the entire crowd turned to her. Many faces looked sympathetic, others looked frankly curious. Others looked a little squeamish at her injuries and pale complexion. Filthy Rich emerged from the crowd and stood next to her chair, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“It’s a joy to help out those in need,” he called, what he evidently believed to be a fatherly smile stretching his mouth. “It’s my honour to host this philanthropic event, and my earnest wish that you make a full and lasting recovery.” He patted her shoulder, and Aria winced. Pinkie Pie managed to shove him away after Fluttershy’s meek protestations had no effect.
“Indeed!” cried another voice. “And it is an equally, distinguished honour,” began Flim, appearing on Aria’s left.
“Nay, a privilege!” amended Flam, popping up on her right.
“Quite, a privilege,” Flim agreed. “For Flim and Flam’s Everything Under the Sun Emporium to fund this noble cause. That’s right, Flim and Flam’s Everything Under the Sun Emporium” he repeated, just in case someone hadn’t heard.
“With complimentary memorabilia for our unfortunate patient,” Flam went on, pressing an action figure into her unresisting arms. The crowd cheered a little as Flim also dangled a T-shirt onto Aria’s lap so that everyone could see. When Flim and Flam had moved away back to their make-shift shop to begin selling their merchandise, Aria discreetly passed both doll and shirt to a little girl who was passing. Sonata’s insides warmed as the little girl beamed and giggled with delight before moving on, and even more so when she saw Aria smile after her.
“Hey, Aria.”
“Oh... hey.”
Sonata looked around to see Sunset pushing gently through the crowd. She noticed Aria’s face turn a little pink and her eyes dart momentarily away.
“How’re you doing?” Sunset asked in a more upbeat tone.
“Oh, you know,” Aria gave her legs a pat. “Hope to be better soon, eh.” She gave a nervous little laugh.
“Look,” Sunset said after a short and awkward silence. Sonata, who without her notice had been joined by all of their friends, looked on at the engagement with nervous gazes. “I’m sorry about what I said to you.”
“You don’t have to be,” Aria put in. “I needed to hear that. It made me consider that I was only acting in my own interests, rather than other people’s.”
“I don’t regret telling you the truth,” Sunset clarified, which made Aria look faintly surprised. Sonata looked between them like there was a tennis match going on, flicking her eyes from one to the other. “But I do regret what I said to you, and why.”
“I don’t understand,” Aria said after frowning for a moment.
“I didn’t say those things to you just because of Sonata, even though that’s what I said I did it for.” Sunset took a deep breath. “I said those things because... well because, you made some of the same mistakes I did, and even though I didn’t acknowledge it at the time, I was angry with myself as much as I was with you.” She swallowed, all of their friends watching with their own degrees of sympathy or unease. “You didn’t deserve me taking out my feelings on you like that. For that, I’m sorry.”
Aria sat looking at her for a while, as though Sunset had hit her with information she had never even guessed at. After a good few moments of looking into each other’s eyes, Aria sat up straighter in her chair.
“I’m not hugging you,” she declared. She reached out her hand. “But friends shake hands, right?”
Sunset blinked rapidly at her, but then smiled a little and took her hand. “Yeah, or so I’ve heard.” Both girls laughed the same self-conscious laugh, and all of their friends smiled or laughed with them.
“Honestly, I’m not that much of a hugger, even without a couple of hundred stitches,” Aria chuckled. “That’s more Sonata’s thing.”
“Yeah, well, you always manage to find a way to dodge my hugs anyway,” Sonata said feigning annoyance. “Poor excuse this time, having stitches.”
“Yes, that was my plan the entire time,” Aria commented in flat sarcasm, shaking her head.
Everyone laughed.
The crowd grew as the hour wore on, filling the plaza and spilling into the street. Several police officers in bright orange vests redirected traffic away from the crowd and patrolled around the perimeter. Flim and Flam’s merchandise was either very appealing, or their sales pitches were very convincing, for before the show had even started their initial stock was almost gone.
“Not to worry!” Flim declared to the eager crowd. “There’s more where that came from folks!” He pointed with a white cane towards another truck rolling up behind theirs, driven by two red-headed women who looked like they could be sisters.
“Relatives of yours?” Sonata asked, noting the similarities between the two pairs. The new arrivals had the same gleaming white teeth, the same red hair, the same dramatic energy in their movements.
“Cousins actually,” Flam informed her conspiratorially. “Might I present the incomparable, the charming, the slippery Shim Sham Sisters!”
“Is that really a compliment?” Sonata wondered aloud, as the side of the new van collapsed outwards like the first.
“We don’t mind it,” said the first sister, giving Sonata winning smile.
“For now anyway,” continued the second. “We kind of owe them for getting us in on this deal.”
“And we owe you, dearest cousins,” replied Flim.
“For retrieving— I mean, commissioning all of this merchandise for us.”
Sonata looked between the cousins, feeling a palpable hardness filling the space between them. Both sides were smiling most convincingly, but Sonata got the idea that neither side was happy to see the other. Remembering what little she wanted to about Flim and Flam, she imagined the cousins had tried to scam each other.
“I think they’re starting,” Aria said, ignoring the masked glaring going on behind her.
Indeed, up above the crowd, lights flashed into life, shredding the darkened air with a shower of rainbow colours. At the edge of the roof, one foot raised onto the short wall, Rainbow played an experimental riff on her guitar. It blared over the speakers, and the crowd gave an appreciative cheer.
“Can I get a whoop-whoop?”
WHOOP-WHOOP
“Yeah!” Rainbow cried. “Louder!”
Sonata cheered along with the crowd until Sunset stepped forward as well and took the microphone.
“Thanks for coming out everyone!”
More enthusiastic cheering from the crowd.
“Thank you. Before we get started here, I’d like to thank all of my friends for helping to set all of this up.” She gestured around at her band mates. Vinyl at the DJ station raised both hands in peace signs and made an explosive concussion sound blast from the speakers all around.
“I’d also like to thank Filthy Rich,” Sunset continued, “for allowing us the use of this building and plaza, and Flim and Flam of Flim and Flam’s Everything Under the Sun Emporium for funding tonight’s event.”
More cheers as Flim, Flam, Shim, Sham, and Filthy Rich bowed, or waved amicably in recognition of the praise. Filthy’s daughter smirked next to her father, waving around at the crowd too. Sonata shook her head, slightly amused.
“Tonight is an occasion to remember,” Sunset spoke into the microphone in a less exuberant voice, “that people deserve second chances. Through events beyond her control, Aria may lose her ability to walk. This night was born of a sister’s selfless desire to make sure that doesn’t happen. As her friends, it is our pleasure to make sure that devotion is rewarded. Let’s hear it for the mastermind of this event, Sonata Dusk!”
Sonata felt her face turn red as everyone around her began applauding her. Snips riding on Snail’s shoulders was punching the air, and even Maud was clapping and giving her a small, sedate smile. Sonata looked down to her side, and saw Aria smiling up at her with the first real smile she’d seen on her sister’s face in months, applauding along with the crowd.
“Now without any further ado,” Sunset went on.
“Let’s get this party started!” Rainbow finished.
“Let’s make some noise!” Pinkie screamed.
As one, Sunset and Rainbow kicked at a pair of hooks suspending Sonata’s massive project. The enormous roll began to unfurl, rolling down the front of the building, and the crowd gasped and whispered as the picture on it came into view. Sonata held her breath, hoping it was alright. She’d had complete confidence in Rarity’s abilities, but she’d been terrified of making a mistake herself. When the canvas unfolded completely, there was a moment of near silence.
“Wow...” Aria whispered next to her.
The sketch that Sonata had shown Sunset weeks ago, the image of the band members all playing in a ring, laid out on a sheet of canvas as large as the entire side of the building. It was somewhat different this time though, Sonata thought, smiling in satisfaction. In and around the band members in miniature, but clear enough to see, was everyone she and her friends knew, all painted in startlingly colourful detail. All of their classmates, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, Adagio with her new look, the Apple family, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, even Filthy Rich and the Flim Flam Brothers stood among the painted people, characteristic grins on the entrepreneur’s face. Sonata couldn’t help giving them both somewhat dastardly expressions, but the real life brothers didn’t seem to mind it.
“I’d say she caught your likeness quite well, brother,” Flim commented approvingly.
“I’ve seen that very expression on your stunning features more than I can count, sibling of mine.”
“She caught your old-man white streaks quite well too,” the Shim Sham Sisters added together, their voices sly.
“Oh if only she had had time to draw you two,” Flim retorted in a forced cheery voice.
“She might have worked in your wrinkles with that level of detail,” Flam added.
“Sonata...” Aria breathed in awe, ignoring the implied loathing behind her again. “You... made that?”
“Yep.” She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. “Look, I even put us up there behind Adagio.” She pointed up at the canvas, where indeed Adagio stood depicted, arms folded in a characteristic I’ll-crush-you posture, but with a much kinder smirk on her face than her old self would have worn. Behind her, next to the enormous painted boot of Rarity, was Aria, being hugged by a two-dimensional Sonata. The Aria in the picture looked as though she were trying to be miffed, but was secretly enjoying the frozen embrace.
“Do you like it?” Sonata asked, still looking up at it.
Aria didn’t respond, but Sonata thought she heard a sniffle and a stifled sob. She didn’t look around at Aria, wishing to spare her feelings. Fortunately, the band started up at that moment, and Sonata fell into simply watching Sunset singing. In all honesty, that was all she needed. She felt that she could have stood there for any amount of time simply staring up at her, feeling as though Sunset were singing just for her.
“You’ve got a good one there,” Aria said eventually, tapping Sonata’s forearm. Sonata looked down and noticed Aria watching her. “I thought, maybe her, with the way she acted. But I wasn’t sure about you.” She smiled a little knowingly. “I’m pretty sure now though.”
Sonata laughed. “So am I,” she replied honestly.
They both turned back to the concert, the band accepting cheers from the crowd. Sonata couldn’t remember which song they were on, but was distracted from the thought by the sound of a car roaring up to the side of the plaza behind them.
A sleek, black car so shiny it might have been made out of cohesive oil, skidded to a sudden halt on the road, causing two of the policemen at attention to utter loud remonstrations and storm over. Completely ignoring them, a person emerged from the car, lowering his purple-tinted glasses as he stared up in astonishment at the apartment building. Silvery ponytail whipping behind him, dapper suit slightly creased, Hoity Toity hurried forward, his mouth agape.
“Is that... that can’t possibly be...!”
“Who’s the suit?” Aria asked, mildly intrigued.
“Sir!” Hoity cried, spinning around Filthy Rich. “Who is responsible for this?”
“Excuse me, sir,” Filthy said, coldly. “This is a charity event.”
“Not that!” Hoity waved impatiently and pointed at the building. At the canvas painting. “That. Who did that? I simply must know who they are!”
Filthy seemed put-off by how enthusiastic Hoity was being, and so simply pointed rather than replying. Hoity followed his finger to Sonata, who was looking in their direction. Sonata was barely aware of a new band starting up above, as Hoity dashed forward, gliding like a phantom between the crowds towards her.
“You are the mind behind this piece?” he inquired in still cultured, but excitable tones, staring down his shapely nose at her. He took her hand with both his own.
“Um, I painted it, yeah,” Sonata said uncertainly, looking down at her captive hand.
“Simply magnificent,” he said quietly, staring up at it again. “You simply must have art displayed somewhere?”
“No, I don’t,” Sonata said, giving him a funny look. “Don’t you remember me from the art gallery?”
Hoity gave a small chuckle. “My dear, you must excuse me, I have such a bad memory for faces unless I concentrate. Allow me to renew our acquaintance. If I have my way, and I usually do, you’re going to be in on the next big thing.”
“Sonata?” Sunset asked. She appeared from around the other side of the crowd, the other Rainbooms in tow. “What’s going on?”
“Friends of yours?” Hoity asked, letting go of Sonata’s hand and pulling her close to him. “Excellent. Witness the birth of an artiste!” he announced, raising a pedantic finger into the air.
Sunset looked to Sonata, apparently for answers, but Sonata, held close to Hoity’s bosom, simply shrugged as best she could.
Early in the morning, about four o’clock, Sonata and Sunset sat down on their sofa, exhausted by the night’s activities, although strangely neither seemed particularly tired.
The concert had ended with something of a fright. Once counted up, Rarity announced in a troubled tone that their target amount of money had not been met. The crowd and bands alike had been dismayed, until Hoity Toity, with a dramatic flair that the Flim Flam Brothers would envy, stepped forward, jauntily waving a check in Rarity’s direction. Rarity had stared at the check blankly for a moment, pulled out a pair of reading glasses, and then goggled as she read the check anew.
“It’s too bad Aria wasn’t around to see Hoity do that. I get the feeling she didn’t like him much.” Sonata brought the tea over and set them on the coffee table.
“Serves him right,” Sunset grumbled. “Slimy git. He only did that to get you to call him.”
“For a commission,” Sonata clarified.
“Or ten,” Sunset added, still a little irritated.
Sonata sat down and huddled up next to her, resting her head on Sunset’s shoulder.
“Silly Shimmy,” she tittered. “Come on. He’s way too old for me, and frankly nowhere near my type.” This seemed to make Sunset happier. “Weird that he happened to be in the area,” Sonata observed. This seemed to make Sunset unhappy again. Nervous, if Sonata wasn’t mistaken. “What did you do?” she asked in a playfully accusatory tone, knowing Sunset too well by this point.
Sunset cleared her throat a little. “Nothing,” she lied smoothly. Sonata gave her an arch look. “I might have sent him a tip that there might have been something to strike his fancy if he just so happened to come by.”
“You told him what I’d done?” Sonata asked, sitting up properly and giving her a half disbelieving, half impressed grin.
“Maybe.” Sunset said, evasively.
Sonata sat back down and re-rested her head back onto Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset picked up the remote from the coffee table.
“You want to watch a movie or something?” she asked.
“Sure,” Sonata said, snuggling up to her. As they tuned into the beginning of Pretty Woman, something occurred to Sonata. She suddenly realised that she’d forgotten something.
“Sunset?” she said, watching Julia Roberts receive advice from Hector Elizondo
“Hm?” Sunset replied lazily.
“I love you,” Sonata said comfortably.
She didn’t hear Sunset reply, but leaning into her, she felt and heard the slow, satisfied exhalation of breath. Sunset put an arm around her shoulders and leaned her head into Sonata’s hair. There wasn’t any need for Sunset to say anything. Sitting there, basking in her presence, Sonata felt as though she could have stayed like that forever, and that would have been enough.
- To be Continued