//------------------------------//
// The Sunset Sonata, Pt7 
// Story: The Evening Sonata 
// by Daniel-Gleebits 
//------------------------------//

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 7


Sunset Shimmer

At last: the day.
Sunset at least was glad that it had finally arrived. A great many things would, hopefully, be resolved on this day. But first, rather like her former mentor, she had to issue the day in. And all the magic in this world or Equestria would not make this task easy.
“Wake up,” she said, nudging Sonata. 
“Mmmzzz...” Sonata mumbled in reply.
Sunset gave her shoulder a shake. “The house is burning down.”
“Throw some frosting on it,” Sonata mumbled.
Sunset could only imagine that she was confusing frosting with frost. Or perhaps having a dream where cake puts out fires. It was hard to tell. “Speaking of frosting,” Sunset said conversationally. “I think I ate the last of that marble cake.”
Sonata sat bolt upright. “There’s no more marble cake?” she shrieked.
“Good morning to you too,” Sunset said, kissing her on the cheek. “Yes, we have cake left. But that’s not really the priority now, is it? Today is the day.”
“Oh snap,” Sonata whispered in horror. “Going back to bed now.”
“Oh no you don’t,” Sunset scolded, holding onto her arm. “Come on, the sooner you get it over with and all that.”
“Nooo...” Sonata whined.
With great reluctance, Sonata rose from the bed, grumbling and groaning, even in the bathroom. She sat down at the kitchen table with an expression like an old man being called on to get out of his favourite chair. Sunset knew this look. It was Sonata’s I-feel-nervous-but-I’m-covering-it-up face. Sunset knew better than to try and talk her out of it, and so instead tried to cheer her up indirectly. 
“Four eggs?” Sonata asked, surprised. “Is it splurge day?”
“You need your strength today,” Sunset replied as she buttered toast. “And so do I, come to think of it.”





The last few days leading up the exhibition had been some of the most emotionally taxing in terms of preparations since Aria’s fundraiser concert, and arguably much more laborious. Whereas before Sunset merely had Flim and Flam and Filthy Rich to really contend with, now she had Hoity breathing down her neck, the curator of the gallery to daily liaise with, and Fleur’s attentions to daily shrug off. Fleur was never at all pushy, but she was just present wherever Sunset went.
Case in point, when Sunset and Sonata were called to Rarity’s boutique to sample the clothes they were to wear for the occasion.
“I tell you it’s the latest fashion, darling,” Rarity reassured Sonata as she took the measurement of her forearm.
“I like the hat,” Sonata admitted, using her free arm to prop up the floppy beret on her head. “But what’s with the jumper? It’s summer.”
Sweetie Belle, who was holding a stack of implements and clothes to try on, managed to speak around the side of the paraphernalia. “It’s no good if she sweats in it. She’ll look awful.”
“Fair point...” Rarity murmured. “How about a stripy shirt and loose fitting tie?”
“You don’t think that’s kind of informal?”
Rarity gave Sonata a heavy-lidded look of supreme authority. She snapped the tape measure together in a way that rather sounded like cracking a whip. Sonata flinched. “I’m sorry, dear. Would you mind running that by me again?”
Sunset felt an overwhelming need to back away at this point, but thought she really should show a little more grit and give Sonata some support as she tried to climb out of this pit she had walked blithely into. Emotional support that is. Sunset had no intentions at all in coming between Rarity and any perceived threats to fabulocity. It wasn’t worth the bodily harm.
“I just meant that it doesn’t sound very... like, formal dress. Like a suit or—“
“Sonata, dear,” Rarity interrupted, adopting a tone of strained cheeriness. “I flatter myself that I understand a little more about what counts as formal wear in the fashionable world than you do.”
Sunset was in the middle of holding her breath, hoping against hope that Sonata would just agree with Rarity and allow the fashionista to dominate the situation as usual, when the doorbell tinkled, indicating someone entering the shop. Sunset grasped at this minor distraction as a means to legitimately distance herself from the situation a little, but immediately wished that she hadn’t. Poking her head around the screen of the changing area, she saw the flowing pink locks and sparkling purple eyes of Fleur appraising the little shop. Fast as lightning Sunset pulled her head back around the screen, but too late. Her fiery mane of red and yellow hair had long since given her away.
“How does she keep finding us?”
“Now if I told you that,” Fleur said from behind the screen, “you’d be able to evade me.”
“Well that’s creepy,” Sweetie Belle said conversationally.
You have no idea, Sunset thought, privately.
“Oh, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” Fleur said, pinching Sweetie’s cheek. “I might just try this hairstyle,” she said speculatively, lifting a few of Sweetie’s curls so they bounced rhythmically. 
“You’re going to have to ask Rarity about that,” Sweetie replied cautiously. Sunset could just hear the mental SOS going off in Sweetie’s head. I need an adult!
“Err...” Rarity intoned. “This is a changing area. Could I ask you to please—“
“Oh my!” Fleur exclaimed suddenly. “What a stunning ensemble.”
Rarity blinked, colour filling her face. “You think so?”
“Oh certainly,” Fleur said eagerly, taking a turn around Sonata. “I see what you’re going for. The French beret might need revising, but perhaps instead of the striped shirt, perhaps something over the shoulder?”
“Are you thinking a dress, or...?” Rarity asked, rubbing her chin.
“Mm, no,” Fleur said thoughtfully. “The important thing is to make it fitting to her. There are far too many artistic types in the Capital who simply go for the striking, rather than putting something of themselves into how they look.”
“Oh I know,” Rarity agreed. “I’ve been thinking that for the past few years actually.”
Sunset watched with bated breath. She couldn’t escape whilst Sonata was trapped, but she knew that this talk about fashion wouldn’t last forever. By the end of it all, Sonata was dressed in the most eccentric get-up Sunset had seen thus far. Eschewing the beret, she instead had chopstick things somehow holding her ponytail in place instead of a bobble, an over-the-shoulder semi-dress of pastel pink and purple stripes, and almost black dark purple three-quarter length trousers. A loose-fitting black tie hung from her neck, and purple trainers adorned her feet. 
Sonata was doing her best to look disapproving, but even Sunset could see that it was basically a shout-out to her old styles when she was singing with her sisters. Under the encouraging smiles of both Fleur and Rarity, she was powerless to say anything.
“I get where you’re coming from,” Sunset whispered to Sonata as Fleur and Rarity laughed over some gossip or other. “It doesn’t look very formal. But it does remind me of you on stage. Maybe that’s the point.”
Sonata’s scowl melted away at this; perhaps because of what Sunset had said, or because Sunset had said it. 





Few things could Sunset and Sonata do without Fleur being present. Sonata had actually taken to scouting places they were going just to make sure Fleur was not there first, ignoring Sunset when she pointed out that Fleur almost always arrived after them.
“She must honestly have nothing to do,” Sunset sighed. “I just wish I knew how she keeps finding out where we are.”
Not until two days before the fair did they find out.
As they delivered the finished paintings to the gallery, Sonata having only finished them the day before, Sonata did her usual routine of scouting out the gallery’s interior to make sure Fleur was not present, whilst Sunset remained behind to help bring the paintings in. This turned out to be fruitless for both girls, as Sonata came back shaking her head, and Sunset found that the gallery director would only allow his staff to manage any prospective artwork. It was whilst Sunset was turning around to see Sonata coming back that she finally saw how Fleur knew where they were all of the time.
“Wha—Eek!” Sonata squeaked as Sunset stood on her foot. “Sunset, what are you—“
Sunset cleared her throat and made directional motions with her eyes. Sonata looked around just in time to catch the edge of a black and white dress disappearing from view behind a bus stop.
“Don’t look at her,” Sunset said out of the corner of her mouth.
“What’s Photo Finish doing here?”
“Following us,” Sunset muttered, the truth dawning upon her. “That’s how Fleur’s been following us. Photo Finish had been following us around and calling Fleur on the phone about it.”
“Why?” Sonata asked, frowning.
“Probably part of that deal they made,” Sunset speculated, remembering when Fleur had taken Photo Finish off to have a private word with her. “It would explain why Fleur let her tag around with her all the time. That excuse about the rest of the paparazzi finding out seemed weak to me.”
“Well how do we stop her?” Sonata asked.
“I don’t know,” Sunset admitted. “She probably wouldn’t stop if we confronted her. Maybe it’d be best just to leave it. Fleur will be gone after the fair,” she added as Sonata looked outraged. 
Sonata didn’t look that well placated, but gave her huffy assent. 
Sure enough, within ten minutes Fleur magically appeared, lending her sudden arrival to good fortune as usual. 
“I’ve been meaning to ask you, Sunset dear,” she said as they all walked into the gallery. “How would the pair of you like to travel to the Capital with me in a few days? Fancy Pants and I will be leaving when this exhibition is over and I’d simply love to introduce you both to all of the principle figures.”
“Err...” Sunset said. Sonata, standing on Fleur’s other side, shook her head vigorously. “We’ll think about it,” Sunset finished, for politeness sake. Sonata gave her a silent look of utter disgust and disbelief.
“Wonderful!” Fleur said exuberantly. “I look forward to seeing you at the next soiree. There’ll be no need for you to find lodgings; you can both stay with me for the length of your stay. I have guest bedrooms enough,” she laughed.
Sonata glared angrily at Sunset, who realised too late that she’d been wrangled.
“Just perfect!” Sonata stormed as soon as they left the gallery.
“We didn’t say we will go,” Sunset said awkwardly, knowing just how empty the reassurance was. Sonata didn’t respond to this, but simply threw herself into the cab and sulked all the way home.





As usual however, Sonata could maintain a bad mood about as well as the Mayor could maintain her hair colour. Within the hour she had forgotten Fleur and instead had turned her attention towards the big deal being made at Rainbow’s house. It was kind of hard not to notice it. Sonata tried to stand on tip-toe to see whilst Sunset paid the cab driver, but upon finding that she had no clear line of sight, sprinted up the road to get a better look.
As Sunset understood it, the Wonderbolts liaison from the Capital had arrived to instruct Rainbow on her exact role in the Wonderbolts air show during the exhibition. The exhibition tour would take the first floor of the gallery before being called to the luncheon, and seeing the air show, after which the second and third floors would be viewed. 
The problem with this was a certain pink individual attempting to insinuate herself informally into the proceedings.
“Pinkie, you can’t be in the air show!” Rainbow shouted exasperatedly.
“What’s going on?” Sunset asked as she and Sonata stepped into her garden. 
Rainbow rounded on her as Pinkie and the liaison glared at each other. “Sunset, please explain to Pinkie why this is even more crazy than usual!”
“Sunset, please explain to this guy that I’ve been parachuting off buildings for years!” Pinkie cried.
“Miss, please explain to your friend here that that is not the issue here!” the liaison boomed.
Sunset took a step back as all three of them bore down on her. “Well, what is the issue?” Sunset asked, tentatively.
“I don’t have time for this,” the liaison announced, throwing his arms into the air. “We expect you to be ready for pick up by the afternoon, Ms. Dash. The show will take place at precisely 2:00pm. We’ve appropriated the airport mountains landing strip for the event, so please be there at least an hour in advance.”
“Sir,” Rainbow said, saluting.
“You haven’t seen the last of me!” Pinkie cried, taking a running leap off Dash’s lawn. Owing to the position of the houses all around on the sides of the mountains, Pinkie’s leap overshot the road completely. Sunset and everyone around shrieked or cried out in horror, until they saw a large, white sheet erupt into being, and zoom down towards the city, a small pink figure suspended below it.
“That girl is nuts,” the liaison said weakly, shaking his head. Without another word, he strode off to his sleek silver car and drove away, leaving Sonata, Sunset, and Rainbow on the edge of Rainbow’s garden.
“There’s an air strip around here?” Sonata asked, confused.
Sunset and Rainbow stared at her. She blushed, which made Rainbow erupt into laughter, and Sunset give a fond chuckle.
“Sonata, honestly,” Sunset said, taking her hand. “Never change. Please.”
“So who you guys bringing to the thing?” Rainbow asked, changing the subject.
“Well, we thought we should really invite Aria,” Sunset explained. “It is arguably because of her that Sonata had any work to submit.”
“Also I want to see the look on her face when we take her to Rarity’s to get some proper clothes,” Sonata said, rubbing her hands together and grinning wickedly.
“Yeah,” Sunset admitted, grinning too. “That is going to be hilarious. How about you, Rainbow?”
“Already got mine. We have to wear our uniforms under our flight suits. There’s going to be this totally awesome bit where we rip off the flight suits and our formal uniforms are on underneath. It’s gonna be slick.”
“I meant who are you inviting?” Sunset corrected.
“Well my dad, obviously.” Rainbow scratched her head. “No one else wanted to be on the VIP list except for Rarity, and she’s a guest of that Fleur lady. I think everyone else is going to be in the crowd.





And so the day had arrived. No sooner had Sunset and Sonata finished their larger than usual breakfasts, then Aria had arrived, looking thoroughly annoyed. Her formal clothes were more like Sunset’s than Sonata’s, the latter of whom had the relative luxury of independence. Aria tripped into the living room, cursing the purple dress she was wearing and the purple shoes on her feet. Evidently taking Aria’s condition into consideration, Rarity had not forced her to wear high heels. The ensemble was a beautiful thing to be sure, and it evidently fit her well, but it couldn’t have been plainer that Aria simply didn’t know how to walk in formal attire, and combined with her limp, she was managing to be about as elegant as an accident-prone elephant in spats. 
“I swear she gave me the most awkward thing she could make,” Aria grumbled, referring to Rarity. “Have you seen this thing? What even is this thing?”
“It’s a sash,” Sonata pointed out.
“Oh,” Aria mumbled after a short pause. “Oh well that explains... Stop giggling!”
Sonata immediately straightened her face and became spontaneously interested in something outside the window.
“I got it,” Sunset assured, tying the sash properly. Held up correctly, the fall of silver stars on the dress that matched the ones in Aria’s hair arranged themselves more elegantly. 
“Thanks,” Aria muttered, trying to hide the colour in her cheeks. “Where’s yours?”
“I’m wearing mine,” Sonata said, holding both arms out for Aria to see. “And look,” she said, tweaking the sticks in her hair. “If I need something to eat with, I can use these.”
“Don’t be disgusting, dear,” Sunset said conversationally. “My dress is upstairs. Don’t worry, it’s almost as awkward as yours is.”
And she wasn’t wrong. Rarity was entirely able to fabricate dresses that could make it as easy as wearing pyjama bottoms to move around in, but she lived by a strict code, the golden rule of which was:

Comfort takes a backseat to first impressions.

Sunset’s own dress testified to that.
Much like Aria’s dress, Sunset’s was floor-length and form fitting. Meaning it was a little restricting. Sleeveless but with silky forearm covers that were held on by an elegant attachment to her middle fingers, the ensemble was a delicate shade of pale blue, the same as Sunset’s eyes. A diagonal flow of silvery material flowed down her right side, and her high heels shoes added a good inch or so to her height.
“Eh, looks okay,” Aria said unconcernedly. Sunset smiled a little, guessing that this was Aria’s way of trying to put her, Sunset’s, mind at ease. Sonata just stood where she was, not saying anything. Sunset felt colour rise in her face a little at Sonata’s staring and tugged at her forearm silks to avoid her gaze.
“Uh-duh...” was all Sonata managed when Aria tried to get her attention.
“Quit drooling, Sonata,” Aria scolded. “Don’t we have to get going?”
“Oh quite,” Sunset sighed. “Can’t have Hoity getting an aneurism. He’ll never shut up about it.”
She hoisted her handbag a little on her shoulder, remembering what was inside it. Her purse, her keys, various bits and bobs useful to women that boggled the minds of men, and, deep in the bottom, a small plastic bag with a single white pill. She hadn’t thought about it much, but there was only one source that occurred to Sunset whenever she wondered where Sonata had gotten the pills from. Having done some research into them, she knew that they weren’t exactly street-distribution grade drugs. They were too expensive. They had to have been either given or sold to her by someone a little more... well-to-do. This implied, to Sunset at least, a certain level of familiarity. There were only a few people that she and Sonata knew that fit that description, and all of them would be at the gallery today. 
If she got the chance to find out who, then she wanted the evidence with her when she did.





The taxi ride to the gallery was relatively short. Certainly shorter than traffic that afternoon would allow. Decorative metal posts and blue ropes had been set up to contain the eager crowds, and a small contingent of eccentric looking people had gathered on the steps of the gallery before the vestibule. Additionally another small crowd of individuals with cameras stood eagerly to one side near a veritable convoy of news vans. As the taxi dropped the three of them off at the entrance, a flurry of snapshots and flash photography illuminated the scene. Sunset held a hand to her eyes, but Aria and Sonata both seemed unphased. Sonata raised a hand high and beamed, whilst Aria folded her arms and gave her usual smug smile.
At the top of the stairs, emerging from the little crowd of artists, was Fancy Pants, his crisp black suit flapping behind him, his arms outstretched like a mother to a long-lost child. Behind him were, predictably, Fleur, looking stunning in a dress of glittering pale pink, and Hoity Toity, dressed in a formal coat and sporting his trademark glasses.
“Welcome! Welcome!” Fancy called, patting Sonata on the back and shaking hands with Sunset. “We’re just getting everyone acquainted, you know, whilst we wait for everyone to arrive. Yes, hello,” he said, shaking Aria’s hand too. Aria looked a little surprised to be known to him. “The inspirational sister I’ve heard about. And of course,” he began, looking over Aria’s, and with a slight edge of contempt creeping into his voice. “Photo Shop, how wonderful to see you again.”
A tall woman stood to one side, apparently having materialised from thin air, or so it seemed to Sunset. She had a slim, elegant profile, much like Fleur, but unlike Fleur, had a posture that positively screamed dominance. Her hair was short and white, her eyes covered by wrap-around shades tinged red. Her black suit was form fitting and short, showing off her figure fully, whilst the white coat buttoned over her shoulders set a permanently light background against which the suit appeared like a silhouette. All in all, Sunset felt as though she were being glared at by a Terminator crossed with Cruella de Ville. Behind this woman, looking supremely annoyed, was Photo Finish, her camera in hand, and her pink glasses flashing dangerously. Behind her was Rarity, her French artist attire of a red beret and purple jumper easily visible next to the black and white clothes of her companions.
“Fancy Pants,” Photo Shop said in the same accent as her daughter. She adopted an oily tone of false good humour. Sunset had to admit that the effect of her voice was a little mesmerising. “It has been too long.”
“Not long enough if you ask me,” Fleur remarked, giving Photo Shop a pleasant smile.
Photo Shop raised a black-gloved hand to her glasses and adjusted them, her ruby-red lips curving into a small smile. “Now, now, darling. Need we open hostilities zo early?”
“That all depends on you, dear,” Fleur replied affably. “Could you give me an estimate of how many people you’re going to try and discredit today?”
“Zo charming,” Photo Shop replied in as cheerful a way as her accent would allow. “I zink I vill enjoy today greatly.”
“Yes, well,” Fancy Pants interceded before Fleur could speak again. “Here’s someone else!”
Sunset and Sonata moved around Fancy’s party to the group of artists behind him. Many eyes looked around, but most returned to their conversations or groomed themselves discreetly with small mirrors. One older man caught Sunset’s attention immediately. He was immensely tall, perhaps about seven feet, and had the most eccentric appearance of everyone there.
He wore a long, maroon duster with grey fur around the neck, and blue shoulder pads of two differing shades. On one hand he wore a bright yellow fingerless glove, and on the other a golden-brown winter glove. On his feet were a single green wellington boot, and a shiny formal brown leather shoe. But this was nothing to his face; his cheeks were sunken and his eyes lined. His hair was bone-white and ran carelessly down his back, whilst his beard was narrow and bushy, like his eyebrows. He wore a twisted wizard’s hat on his head, perched at a jaunty angle. But his eyes were the most alarming thing about him. Red in colour, the whites of his eyes were discoloured yellow. He grinned at Sunset as he noticed her looking at him, revealing several crooked teeth. Taken altogether, these many ugly and unusual parts made a rather pleasing wholeness to his appearance, despite the perpetual look of sinister mischief. 
“Well hello there,” he said in a clever voice, seizing Sunset’s hand and shaking it.
“Oh, um... hi.” Sunset tried for a smile, but she wasn’t sure it came out right.
“Quite the crowd we have here,” the man remarked, giving the crowd behind the line a mysterious glance.
“Yes, it is quite a crowd,” Sunset affirmed, not knowing what else to say.
“Oh, where are my manners?” the man said graciously. He doffed his ridiculous wizard’s hat and sank into a bow. “Discord, at your service.”
Sunset blinked, feeling a chill run down her spine. She knew of the Discord from Equestria, imprisoned in stone. His counterpart seemed a little...
“Sunset Shimmer,” she replied, inclining her head respectfully. “So, you’re an artist?”
“Among other things,” Discord said smilingly. “I’m something of a renaissance man you might say. I’m a doctor, an inventor, an artist, a musician, and I’ve been told that my stand-up comedy isn’t too bad either.” He nudged her with his elbow and winked. He reached into the hair just behind Sunset’s ear and pulled out a full glass of chocolate milk. “I also dabble in magic.”
“What kind of art do you do?” Sonata asked, chipping into the conversation whilst Sunset spluttered and stammered at having milk pulled out of her hair.
“Statuary,” Discord said with a wave of the hand.
Sunset snorted, but managed to pass it off as a sneeze.
“Oh look, I think I espy someone of a different sort arriving,” Discord declared, pulling a pair of 3D glasses from his coat and setting them on his crooked nose. Sunset and Sonata looked around instinctively to see a sleek, black car stop in front of the gallery. Sonata gave a cry of delight when she saw who stepped out of the car, and even Aria looked genuinely happy, if only for a moment.
Her hair had returned to its former grand state of enormity, and her expression had regained some of its assured superiority. Raising an arm in lazy acknowledgement of the crowd, she made her way towards the steps with Trenderhoof stepping with light tread beside her.
“Adagio!” Sonata squealed, throwing her arms around her.
“Hello, Sonata,” Adagio sighed, rolling her eyes. She smiled and returned the hug. “Sunset Shimmer, it’s been too long, you know? You never call.”
“And you never visit,” Sunset smiled, getting a hug too.
“True enough,” Adagio said with a careless laugh. Then she caught sight of Aria, and a certain silence fell over them all. 
Unlike Sonata and Sunset, Aria had not rushed forward, and seemed to find it difficult to look at the affecting scene occurring before her. Adagio stepped beyond Sunset and Sonata, the latter looking between her sisters with a growing look of fearful doubt. After a few moments, Aria managed to look up. Unlike most everyone around them, Adagio’s dress was not so elaborate, but on her with her naturally commanding posture and her larger than life hair, the simple black velvet stood out all that it needed to. The two sisters looked the other in the eye, Adagio’s face expressionless.
“Well?” Adagio said.
Aria blinked. “Well...?”
Adagio turned to Sonata. “Has she been like this since she’s been here?”
“Um...” Sonata said, evidently as nonplussed as Aria.
“Where’s your grumpy face?” Adagio asked, sounding disappointed. “I was looking forward to it.”
Aria turned bright red. Spluttering incoherently for a second or two, she finally managed to scowl. “You—I, how—“
Adagio laughed and pulled her into a hug as well. “There it is.” She held Aria at arm’s length and gave her a mischievous smile. “You always were easy to wind up.”
Aria seemed dumbstruck for a moment, but then caught on to the teasing. Making a disparaging noise, she cast her eyes heavenwards. “And you always were a bossy pain in the backside.”
“Well you’ll find it comforting to hear I haven’t changed,” Adagio chuckled.
“Hello there,” Trenderhoof said smilingly, inserting himself into the discourse at last. “Aria, right? Trenderhoof.” He shook her hand warmly, smoothing back his luscious blonde hair.
“My boyfriend,” Adagio said in response to Aria’s questioning look.
Aria gave Trenderhoof an unflattering look of disbelief. “Seriously?” she asked. She cleared her throat, perhaps realising how rude this was. “Ah, congrats.”
“Thank you!” Trenderhoof said graciously. “You have a charming sister, sweetness.”
“I told you not to call me that,” Adagio said calmly, a steely look in her eye.
“Yes, dear,” Trenderhoof muttered in a subdued voice.
“I think we know who wears the trousers in that relationship,” Sunset whispered to Sonata. Sonata had a silent giggle into her hand as Fancy Pants and Hoity greeted Trenderhoof fondly.
“Ah, Trenderhoof!” Fancy Pants cried enthusiastically, patting him on the shoulder. “It has been far too long, my dear fellow. Far too long.”
“Oh quite,” Hoity chimed in. “How is Applewood treating you?”
“It’s not quite the Capital,” Trenderhoof chuckled. “But it’ll still leave you pantsless in an alleyway if you don’t keep an eye out.”
Whilst this small reunion went on unabated, Adagio explained her presence to Sunset and company, none of whom had been aware of her coming.
“I thought it’d be a surprise,” she said with a creditable affectation of modesty.
“You mean you wanted to show off,” Aria said slyly.
Adagio shrugged, not challenging the term. “Partly because of Trenderhoof. He had to come anyway so of course I came. But I also have a friend in Applewood who’s come to put up her art too. I rather thought she’d be here by now.”
“I am here.” Sunset leapt back in shock. A young woman in a bright green kimono-like dress stood behind her. Between this almost neon mode of dress, her black and purple hair, and piercing greyish-blue eyes, the woman looked like a side-character in a popular anime. “Where’ve you been, Adagio?” she asked in a lazy drawl.
“I’ve had work to do,” Adagio said unconcernedly. “I don’t have time to spend indoors twenty four seven.” The two glared at each other, before they both smiled as though amused. Sunset got the impression of a subtle rivalry underpinning their friendship, but they seemed to get on well enough. The young woman in green wrapped an arm around Adagio’s shoulder and gave her a playful poke. 
“Hey, I work too. Don’t listen to this girl, here,” she said in a stage whisper to everyone around. “She has half of Applewood wrapped around her finger. She’d tell you anything she thought she could get away with.”
“Ignore her,” Adagio drawled, putting an arm around her shoulders as well. “Sonata, Aria, assorted hangers on, say hello to my friend, Jade Marble. She’s a sculptor, and does a lot of the prop work around the studios as well.”
“Hello to my friend,” Sonata giggled.
“Hey,” Aria said with a nod.
“Oh, so let me guess,” Jade began eagerly, pulling herself away from Adagio. “You’re the grumpy loner.” She pointed at Aria, who’s lip curled. “And you’re the ditzy lesbian,” she asked, looking inquiringly at Sonata. “Loving the hair.” She indicated Sonata’s chopticks.
Sunset wasn’t sure if this was meant to be offensive or not. There was nothing inherently offending in the words themselves – except maybe the part about being ditzy – but Jade had a lazy, self-important way of speaking that gave whatever she said a hint of condescension. Sonata didn’t seem to pay it any mind. She gave Adagio a gleeful look and said 
“You talk about me!”
“We already hugged,” Adagio said hastily, holding Sonata at arm’s length. “Everybody gets one.”
“Sweet,” Jade commented. She looked around lazily. “Are we starting yet?”
“I’d give it seven minutes and thirteen seconds,” Discord said over his shoulder, holding up a ridiculously large pocket watch. Sunset wasn’t sure how he was supposed to tell time with it, since instead of numbers and hands, the face had several moving cartoon faces that pinged around as though in bumper cars.
“Why? Is someone else showing up?” Sunset asked.
“Oh no,” Discord said smilingly. “It’ll just take those people that long to finish their greetings.” He pointed to Fancy’s party, including Photo Shop who was now talking animatedly to Trenderhoof. Unlike his friends, Trenderhoof seemed a great deal more at ease with Photo Shop, perhaps because of his being a journalist as well. Sunset noticed a curious glare triangle going on, as Fleur stared coldly at Photo Shop, Photo Shop glanced frequently at the artists, and Sonata tried to hide her grin as she watched Fleur looking unhappy.
After about seven minutes of everyone talking amongst themselves, Fancy Pants did indeed speak to the gathered artists. Looking at a perfectly normal, though very shiny, pocket watch of his own, he then turned and addressed the crowd below.
“It is an honour,” he began, “and a privilege, for me to say these words.” He beamed around at the gathered and hushed crowd, expanding his chest and raising both hands high. “You are a most wonderful city!”
He allowed for the crowd to cheer and simmer down, which admittedly took a little while. Cameras flashed and news crews paused in their eager filming to clap along with the people all around. Fancy Pants took it all in stride, and simply smiled good-naturedly, until eventually he held up a polite hand in acknowledgement of their applause. 
“Yes! A most remarkable city. A city of many attractions; a city of noble history. A city that has borne many remarkable names; produced so many remarkable people.” He paused here to make an elegant gesture towards the group of artists, who all began waving and smiling at the crowd. Sunset smiled as Sonata raised her hand high and grinned toothily. 
“And it is my fondest pleasure now,” Fancy continued, “to open the door this day to some of the spectacular testaments to the continued talent this city is capable of hosting. From the bosom of the Capital, I say, let it be praised!”
Apparently on cue, two of the gallery staff opened the large double doors of the gallery entrance. Sunset for one was wise to the blatant theatricality, but she had to admit it was an impressive performance. 
Accompanied attentively by his entourage, Fancy Pants turned on the spot, and walked boldly into the entrance hall, followed all the way by more enthusiastic cheering from the crowd. 
Sunset simply stared at this performance, until she felt a pressure on her hand. Looking to her side, she found that Sonata had clasped it, and with excitement in her eyes, led the two of them into the entrance hall.


- To be Continued