Fluttershy shifted nervously in her seat. It was not that it was uncomfortable in any way but having an entire race of beings- and one of your teachers- stare you down and offer you food was rather intimidating.
"Don't you want some more water or something. Probably not cream though. I don't know how that would react with your biology but it is something of an alcohol to one of our kind." Cadance gently spoke; her voice echoing through the hall.
Fleur just had stayed completely silent since Cadance had talked to her so Fluttershy had to speak for the both of them.
"Oh no. I think we're fine and I don't want to really be a rude houseguest or whatever this is but I really have to get back. It seems like my phone isn't working. Must be bad service or something but I bet my family is totally worried that I am missing."
"But you haven't even touched your food. You know how much work it is to prepare for an unexpected visitor. And anyway, I always think that polite conversation is better with food. I mean you wouldn't want to cause a scene."
Fluttershy really hated that tone of voice she was hearing, and she always liked being at least a little courteous in these types of situations but it seemed too risky to even touch that food.
"Oh I almost forgot that Fleur and I had food right before we fought and got sent here so yeah. Can we leave? I mean you have a really nice place and I'd love to see all the strange animals you probably have here but I really have to go home. It's Sunday. I think? I have to get up early in the morning for like school."
Cadance smiled. "Well aren't you a punctual student you little saint. But no. You broke the Accords of 1692 those that totally are about no supernatural business in the town. And anyway since your friend Moondancer is dead and you two are here right now," Cadance glanced over at Fleur as well, "I bet your cute little coven with a man who only saw the Renaissance can bargain with one who saw the beginnings of the cute species you call humanity."
"So we aren't leaving at all. This really messes up my tutoring sessions with Rainbow about her English paper."
"Can't you let her go then? My daughter isn't completely the greatest with papers, milady."
"That's the price she pays for your insolence, Windy, you know the rules I set about intermarrying with the dust of the earth. Now be silent because this is my court and while I think little miss vampire here is noble. . .it doesn't mean I excuse her friend's actions for weakening the power of my court and too bad this Moondancer is dead and gone because i have a special place for those that turn Seelie into Unseelie."
"I have no idea what you are even talking about cause I got this mission from Sombra and I don't really think vampires can turn fairies into. . .anti-fairies? Is that even a thing. And anyway I don't really want to even be here."
Cadance flicked her wrist and Fluttershy's chair slowly began to rise into the air. "Do you know how hard it is to be listened to when all I hear from every coven of little creatures how unfair it is to be in the shadows and be hunted down by my students in Crystal Prep? Every day I get some voicemail from some werewolf or ghoul or whatever you like and its all so trivial. I'm the one the everyone complains to. I know how bad it is to be imposed upon by all these supplicants. But we have rules. And your little dead friend upset the natural order."
Fluttershy quietly started praying that maybe just maybe the weird situation of being stuck in a hellish wonderland of horribleness would maybe stop.
"But no. I have a war against the Unseelie myself and your friend upset the apple cart."
"But Cady I don't think playing games with a dumb vampire will make you fill the hole where your empathy should be." Fluttershy heard the faint clicking of boots upon stone as she tried to see who it was who talked back. But before she could, Cadance dropped the chair she was in hard and Fluttershy really wasn't having it.
"You."
Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw that her savior was Sunset. Currently holding a plate full of food and almost grinning with how much she tended to steal the show.
"Sorry for ruining your villain speech there good Queen of mine. Or at least maybe least stabby evil. Though I heard Chryssy has gone some good real estate. Better than the worst time of night forever and ever."
Fluttershy stood up and ran as fast as she could towards Sunset. "Sunset what are you even doing here?"
"Well let's see first I heard that a city block kind of exploded in the city- good job getting on the news by the way- and then you didn't show up for school for like two days. Oh and then Rainbow begged me to find you cause female bond or something. And also I put a tracking spell on you after you left my house. You've not been yourself since you got your vampire powers and that makes you a complete hyperfocused idiot in how amazingly overpowered you think you are. But no you'll just go traipsing around being reckless after I told you to be careful." Sunset sighed.
"Well those are good points."
"Don't worry Shy. All my friends seem to be some kind of moron with their ideals. Now can you please go be hiding somewhere so Fairly Awful and I can have some kind of discussion. But yeah later you and I? Need to have some kind of talk about this. I don't like being the angel on your shoulder. Not really my type of gig."
Fluttershy nodded weakly and looked around quickly to find some kind of hiding spot. Quickly seeing a waving Roseluck she tilted her head a little at the confusing detail. Roseluck shook her head and cupped her hands to start yelling at the girl.
"Fluttershy do I have to grade you more harshly to get you over here. I actually kind of like you as a student okay? And anyway I'd much rather be as far away from a war of words between those two. Way too far above my pay grade."
***
Sunset hated even trying to reason with some of these supernatural leaders. They were always so full of themselves. Or maybe she was just so new to this whole thing that maybe, just maybe, they weren't that bad. She just was the new kind on the block. Closing her eyes for just a moment she reached deep within herself to pull out her "formal attire" as Rarity termed it. Though Sunset always hated the first part of it. Horns were kind of hard to regrow every time you had to make a statement. Those hurt.
She flicked a hand over herself and began quietly chanting Enochian to herself to make her normal clothing at least more presentable than just her jacket, skirt, and boots combo that she tended to prefer thanks to Celestia being rather bad at shopping for anyone beyond a biker chick. Must have been Celestia expecting a rebellious phase out of her. How useful. Though she did like some dresses sometimes. So thinking up one off the top of her head was pretty simple. Just a yellow dress that at least tried to match some of the styles of the cowering fairies in the place. Too bad they all looked like something out of Medieval Times.
The dress formed around her and too make a point that she wasn't quaking in her boots now she looked over her clothing change and smiled at the nice set of shoes she got out of the deal, she sat down and waited for Cadance to make the first move.
Cause that lady just loved to hear herself talk.
"Are you done admiring yourself?"
"Oh sorry about that. Rarely get to wear a dress. Plus if I always showed off my demon side I'd probably stand out like a burning torch or something. So unlike you I know some kind of restraint. But my devil on my shoulder tells me you always liked to lord over people and all that. Though I guess being an observer really has some advantages."
"Well why are you even here? Cause I really was enjoying myself a little bit and you came in and ruined my moment."
"Well I tend to dislike having a friend of mine- and that school nurse of yours I guess," Fleur winced and began to scoot as far back as possible from the two staring directly at her. "be unable to defend themselves in this kangaroo court scam you have going. I mean those "Accords" you keep lording over as proof that its an open and shut case- those have been amended like five times in like the last four decades. Come on."
"I don't recognize those as legitimate laws."
Sunset rubbed her temple. "That's amazing. A fairy queen not wanting to face reality. You can't just say laws don't apply to you and yet lord over some broken idea of the past. First of all, you totally have technology right? That makes everyone a blurry mess in videos. Seriously, if you wanted to hide like the old days- no pictures or video for you and that doesn't include all the cameras and things that are everywhere. People know you exist. Just nobody cares."
"Well Moondancer ruined the balance of the whole fairy war that's been going on since we got stuck in this plane of earth."
"Where's the proof? Seriously. Could have been anyone since we have people chasing each windmill they see. Could have been anybody. Could have been humans for all I know. I don't know how science works on magical fairies. And anyway you already ruined my friend's week. Let her go. Or else."
"Or else what. demon?"
"I call tithe on you. I mean I checked the records I keep in my own personal space in Hell and looks like you've been skimming a bit off the top. For like the last five hundred years." Sunset made an ornate book appear and quickly flipped through it. "I think ten percent of all that sounds about right in trade for my friend here."
Cadance gripped the side of her ornate throne and stared off into space. Her mid swimming with the possibility that she, the greatest and most important ruler of Canterlot's movers and shakers, could even be wrong made her livid. The upstart demon that had messed with the nice old ways that nobody ever questioned made her look like a fool. And while comedy was well known to fairies for centuries- she was nobody's fool.
"Come on take the deal. It'd be much easier than giving me all that nice money." Sunset's eyes glowed a deep red in anticipation.
Cadance broke. "Fine. What else do you want?"
Sunset yelled at Fluttershy. "Hey, Shy got anything else you want cause I'm fine with this trade. But its so tempting to really get my claws in for the trouble I went through."
Fluttershy thought about her mission and why she even got to Fleur in the first place. It wouldn't hurt to get into Crystal Prep at some point. "Can I get into Crystal Prep and look around and see Moondancer's things?"
"You heard the mild mannered, highly unreasonable chick."
Cadance nodded and pointed to her door. "Get out. I agree to your demands. Take your friend and leave. Just go before I change my mind."
Sunset knew a good deal when she saw one. Beckoning to Fluttershy, she quickly looked for the weakest place in this twilight realm of fairies and aimed some quick words to open up a portal. Bleeding red pierced the veil between Avalon and Earth. "Fluttershy, I think we overstayed our welcome. So let's get up and leave."
Fluttershy didn't have to get told twice. Running as fast as she could, she jumped into the portal and disappeared.
Sunset turned and bowed to Cadance. "Thanks for having me. We should catch up again. Maybe in some better times, Cadance. See you around."
She quickly stepped into the portal and it disappeared with a faint pop and faint smell of brimstone in the air.
"Well I liked them. Seems like my daughter's totally got some neat friends."
Cadance rubbed her head. "Yes she does Windy. Though I'd rather call them annoying."
"I mean at least somebody seems to care about her compared to some people here."
"Can we talk about this later?"
"Sure, milady."
***
Sunset stared at Fluttershy.
"I told you. You had to be careful to not stand out too much. Sure Cadance is haughty and all that but seriously you are not acting like yourself anymore. Why are you even doing this Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy looked up at the starry sky and shivered. "I mean its kind of my duty to deal with this."
"Well yeah but that's not enough. You have been acting weird all week. More than usual and so not like yourself."
"It's just I was close to Moondancer. And now she's gone. Is that enough?"
"Sure. I mean for now. This isn't done but I have a busy week not having our little friend group run around and be in danger. Things aren't doing well here. And I actually don't know why."
Before Fluttershy could ask what that meant, her phone rang and after a quick mix of surprise and joy that her phone was working again, she put it up to her ear and heard Moondancer's voice. Which should be completely impossible. But somehow it felt tinny and distant as well. Wrong and chopped up between reality and some mixed facsimile of her voice.
"I hope that was fun. It really does surprise me that there's this whole other world out there. Though I guess I should know about that now. Cameras are so useful for that kind of proof. Sorry for messing with your day. I just love seeing what's out there. And I think you are one of the more interesting things I've seen."
"Who is this?" Fluttershy looked around quickly to see if there was any cameras that she could see or if she could hear any nearby footsteps. Silence and Sunset's confused face greeted her for her troubles.
"Just call me a curious observer. See you around."
Then the line completely went dead.
Fluttershy put down her phone and looked at Sunset. "I think I just got a hint in the worst way possible."
"Well that's better than running around like a crazy person."
"Thanks for the confidence there Sunset."
"No problem. Seriously though let's deal with that tomorrow. I think even I have had too much excitement for one day."
Fluttershy nodded and quickly noted exactly what the call exactly said in a note to herself. Better to be prepared for a later review than forgetting what was said. Looking at her phone again to check any messages she missed, Fluttershy saw that there was none from her family.
How unsurprising. At least there were a few people that cared. Quickly writing a text to Rainbow to say she was okay- she nodded at Sunset and walked off into the darkness. At least she now had some idea that there might be somebody out there that might know what happened to Moondancer. And had the time to find using her voice to talk with her as a fun time. Fluttershy shivered at the thought.