//------------------------------//
// The Sunset Sonata, Pt9 
// Story: The Evening Sonata 
// by Daniel-Gleebits 
//------------------------------//

The Sunset Sonata: Pt 9


Sunset Shimmer

Sunset had to admit that once she reached the roof, Fleur had been right. Wherever outside she’d been, people had been ferreting around, excitable crowds and individuals interested in the kerfuffle in the gallery made privacy inside or outside the gallery almost impossible. The roof was the one, single nearby place that was guaranteed to be free of people. The only problem had been getting there. From the outside there was a narrow, metal fire-escape around the back that Sunset had managed to climb. The experience had not been easy; her dress kept getting caught, or prevented her from moving her legs easily. It was all she could do not to rip or tear it, and her high-heels were murder on the metal steps. Not to mention the people passing in the alley behind the gate; she was almost certain that someone would look up and see up her dress.
Reaching the top slightly out of breath, she skimmed down the menu on her phone and found Rainbow’s number. Pressing the call button savagely, she paced the roof agitatedly as the dial tone rang complacently on.
“Pick up,” she breathed. “Come on... Rainbow?”
“Nope!” said a high voice on the other side of the line.
Sunset’s words caught in her throat. “P-Pinkie?” 
“Shhh!” Pinkie hissed from the other side. “Not so loud or they’ll hear you.”
“Hear me? What—“ she stopped herself. “Pinkie, what are you doing with Rainbow’s phone?” 
“I’m in her changing room. It was in her shorts.”
“Well can you pass the phone to her?” She frowned. “Wait, what are you doing in her changing rooms? Everyone else is at the gallery.”
“I’ll be there soon,” Pinkie assured her. “What did you need Rainbow for? She can’t really come to the phone right now. She’s being yelled at by some instructor guy.”
Not wanting to get on a tangent, Sunset quickly explained the situation, hoping against hope that Pinkie’s retention would hold out. Pinkie didn’t speak all the way through, which Sunset took to be a good sign. At the end however, Pinkie said something that drove Sunset’s blood pressure right up.
“I don’t know if that’s going to work, Sunny,” Pinkie said, bluntly. “Have you seen the traffic around here?”
“Obviously not, Pinkie,” Sunset groaned. “Is it that bad?”
“I don’t see Rainbow’s dad getting there any time soon. But don’t worry, I’ll get Sonata’s paintings to you guys.”
“You’ll— wait, how?” Sunset asked, suspiciously.
“See you soon!” Pinkie said cheerfully, before the line went dead. 
Sunset stood there, her mouth hanging open. Then her mind ground back into action and she began fumbling for the menu option again. What was Pinkie playing at? This was serious!
“So, all sorted out, are we?”
Sunset spun around, almost tripping over her dress. She really needed to have a word with Rarity about how restrictive on the legs this thing was. Behind her, a politely inquiring look on her face, stood Fleur, in all her radiant beauty. In front of a maintenance service door.
“There was a way up here from inside,” Sunset surmised, dully.
“Hm?” Fleur looked behind her. “Oh, yes. Didn’t I mention?” She gave a little chuckle.
Sunset stared at her, and Fleur stared back. Sunset became all too aware of just how alone the two of them were, with the only significant numbers of people being below, and with their attentions all firmly set upon things other than what might be happening on the roof. 
“You planned this, didn’t you?”
Fleur’s expression didn’t change. “I may be guilty of a little manipulation, yes,” she answered, airily. “Don’t look so stricken. I just wanted to ask if you’d made a decision about my invitation.”
“Invitation?” Sunset said, bewildered. “You mean to the Capital?” Fleur nodded. Sunset had to stop herself rolling her eyes. “Fleur, this is hardly the time.”
“No,” Fleur began, stepping forward. “I think now is as good a time as any. So, what do you think?”
Sunset was so annoyed at that moment that she let her demeanour slip. “No!” she said angrily. Then in a slightly calmer tone, “No, thank you.”
“The invitation does apply to both of you,” Fleur reminded her. “You shouldn’t take it as more of my trying to—“
“But it is, isn’t it?” Sunset interrupted, her annoyance flaring again. “You just don’t get it, do you?” She held a hand up to her heart, trying to sound as earnest as she could. “I love Sonata. I am not going to leave her. You need to stop this.”
Fleur remained quiet throughout this little declaration, her expression unfathomable. She twirled a little strand of her sparkling pink hair between her finger and thumb in what Sunset took to be a thoughtful way.
“And this is, I take it, how you truly feel on the subject?” she asked, quietly.
“Yes,” Sunset said firmly, but as kindly as she could. “I’ve tried to tell you all along.”
“And there’s nothing I can offer or say that’ll make you reconsider? Nothing that’ll make you even think of considering me to be worthy of your affections?”
These words had an effect on Sunset’s irritation. She suddenly felt a mixture of guilt for the pain she thought that she was causing Fleur, and another, less definable feeling. A feeling that Fleur actually had a point.
“You are worth my affection,” Sunset began, and then blushed. “I mean,” she started again hastily, “otherwise, if I wasn’t with Sonata, I think, you know, we might have...” she tailed off awkwardly. Fleur still looked impassive. Her purple eyes never left Sunset’s face. “It’s not that I don’t like you. You’re nice, you’re funny, and not to put too fine a point on it, you’re a supermodel.” She gestured vaguely at Fleur’s perfect body. “The only problem is that I’d have to give up Sonata for you, and... and I can’t do that.” She shrugged helplessly, her gaze fixed anywhere but on Fleur’s face. “I’m sorry.”
There was a long silence. At the end of it, Fleur took in a deep breath, and then exhaled, as though the weight of the world were suddenly heavy on her shoulders.
“Well,” she began, her voice a little hoarse. Sunset’s insides squirmed to hear it shaking. “I can’t say that I didn’t try.”
“I’m sorry,” Sunset repeated.
“I love the Capital, you know,” Fleur said with a sigh. “It’s a wonderful mixture of old and new. Towering skyscrapers mingling with minarets and spires of gold and purple; there’s really no other place like it.” 
Sunset said nothing. She wasn’t sure where Fleur was going with this. Was she trying to get her to go on the trip still?
“The one thing that I really quite dislike about it though,” Fleur went on, “is the effect it has on people. I don’t know if it’s the grandiosity, the flamboyancy, or just the fact that anyone who’s anyone knows that they’re rich, powerful, invincible to anything except each other. But it works on everyone.” She looked up at Sunset. “Including me.”
Sunset met her gaze, and noticed a slight shift in the look of her eye. Sunset didn’t know what it was, but a tingle of cold was running up her spine. Sunset tried to think of something to say, but Fleur continued.
“It won’t surprise you to know that Fancy Pants holds my opinion in high regard.”
“He’s your friend, isn’t he?” Sunset pointed out.
“Indeed,” Fleur agreed. “He’s one of the most charming and honest men you’ll ever meet. The one man in the world to, somehow, avoid the miasma of the Capital’s avarice. He can no sooner recognise evil than he could learn to fly. And he knows it. He is therefore very reliant on those in whom he reposes his trust. Like me.”
Sunset felt the ominous chill overcoming her intensify a little. She didn’t know where Fleur was going with this.
“So...” she said, feeling the need to speak grow in the pause that followed.
Fleur gave a small chuckle. “Come now, Sunset; you’re smarter than that. So of course it is quite within my power to influence what it is Fancy will decide. You’ll find that a few words from me are quite enough to set his mind irrevocably.”
Sunset looked into her eyes. The moment that Fleur had finished speaking, Sunset thought she knew what she was doing. But she wouldn’t. Fleur wouldn’t say something like that, she wouldn’t do that... would she?
“Are... are you blackmailing me?”
Fleur didn’t reply, but her cold, deadpan stare was answer enough. Sunset felt as though she’d been punched in the gut. 
“You’d really jeopardise Sonata’s chances just to get to me?”
“I told you, Sunset Shimmer,” Fleur said quietly, stepping closer. “I am determined to have you.” She raised a hand and cupped Sunset’s cheek in her hand as she had done all those weeks ago, when they’d met for the first time. Sunset flinched away, feeling as though she didn’t have enough air in her lungs. She moved quickly around Fleur, heading for the door.
“I can make it so that Sonata never gets another commission,” Fleur called hastily after her. “She’ll never be known, never regarded. She’ll be nothing.”
Sunset stopped half-way to the door. Disgusted though she was, Fleur still had her by a chain around her throat. Sunset knew that she couldn’t just let Fleur ruin Sonata’s career like that. But she couldn’t betray Sonata either...
Fleur closed the distance, the dark expression melting into one of sorrow and slight desperation. She took Sunset’s hand. “You’re beautiful,” she said. “You’re an intelligent, enchanting young woman. I’ve done everything I can to make myself endearing to you short of openly treading on Sonata’s feet, and I’ve only come to know how much more special you are.” Her hand tensed slightly. “What would it take for you to see me the same way?”
“I’ve already told you I can’t!”
Fleur’s mouth thinned and the grip on Sunset’s hand tightened. “But why?” she demanded. “What can she give you that I can’t? I will crush her! She’ll be nothing but a pathetic little girl; what could she possibly do to stand against me? Must I destroy her for you to want me instead?”
“You can’t!” 
“You think so?” Fleur asked, sinisterly. “It seems to me that being nice wasn’t working. What other choice do I have than this?”
“Give up!” Sunset snapped. “You can’t have everything you want.”
“Don’t lecture me on wants and desires!” Fleur snapped. Sunset stopped struggling, startled. Fleur paused, looking slightly embarrassed by her outburst. Her cheeks flushing a little, she let go of Sunset’s hand. After a deeply awkward pause, she took a slightly tremulous breath.
“Is this how things are done in the Capital?” Sunset asked, hearing the slight tremble in her own voice too. “Blackmail and threats?”
Fleur turned her head away. “I flatter myself that I’m usually quite good at the pathetic dance the Capital embroils itself in. But I find my steps confused by the more open and honest way in which you choose to tread.” 
She looked so unhappy, almost ashamed at that moment, that Sunset felt the beginnings of sympathy rise within her. It wasn’t permitted to grow too much under the threat Fleur had laid upon her, but it was still there, however smothered. Sunset imagined how cold and friendless life in the Capital must be. How much like her old self the people who engaged in this so-called dance must be. Had she, Sunset Shimmer, been equally tempted into malice and subversion in order to get what she wanted? How pitiful it looked from the outside; how lonely and desperate.
It wasn’t a sound exactly that led both women to look towards the door. They both turned, and Sunset’s heart iced over in an instant.
Her face didn’t look angry, which was all the more startling given her usually expressive face. Her expression looked as though it were set in stone; only her eyes showed there was life there, and they blazed with a fury Sunset had not seen there before.
“S-Sonata,” Sunset stammered. Sonata seemed to ignore her. She stepped towards them, and every step seemed to resound like a war drum in Sunset’s ears.
Fleur didn’t look troubled by Sonata’s appearance, but she did still look faintly distraught at their conversation. When Sonata stopped in front of them, she gazed steadily back into Sonata’s eyes.
“You think trying to hurt me will get her to love you instead of me?” a nasty smile played about her face. “I’m an idiot, and even I can see the fault in that.”
“You... you were listening?” Sunset asked quietly. 
“Not just me,” Sonata said coldly, still locking eyes with Fleur.
From the door stepped another person. A tall person in a black suit and white coat, with the largest and smuggest expression Sunset could imagine anyone possessing. 
Fleur’s face went chalk white at the sight of Photo Shop, but she retained enough self control to not let her expression slip. Photo Shop didn’t seem to care, but waved a small device in her left hand.
“My, my,” Photo Shop said with undisguised glee. “Blackmail. An attempted love affair. Vat von’t da newspapers in da Capital make of dis von?” She stared maliciously into Fleur’s face. “I told you dat you vud regret opposing me, darling.” 
As soon as Photo Shop had departed, sneering, Sunset looked back at Sonata and Fleur. Sonata was still glaring coldly at Fleur, but Fleur was staring off into space. Her expression still impassive, her eyes seemed slightly over-bright. Was she trying not to cry?
“Not so big and bad now, are you,” Sonata said dispassionately. Fleur didn’t respond. “Oh yes, she’ll definitely publish that one, won’t she? Blackmail’s a crime, isn’t it? You’ll probably go to jail. Or be forced to use a ton of money to avoid it.”
“Sonata!” Sunset exclaimed, shocked at this behaviour. 
Sonata ignored her. “Striking out at me seems kind of pointless now, doesn’t it?”
Fleur looked around at her when Sonata had paused. “What do you want me to say?” she asked. “That I give up? That I’m sorry?” She let out a bitter little laugh and brushed discreetly at her eyes. “Sorry, dear. I may be beaten, but I do have a modicum of dignity left to myself.”
“What I actually wanted to hear you say,” Sonata said, holding up something small and square by two of its edges, “is I’ll stop trying to steal your girlfriend, actually.”
Sunset stared at the thing in between Sonata’s fingers for a moment or two until she realised what it was.
“Is that a memory card?” she asked. Sonata smiled with as much smugness as Photo Shop had shown. “You took Photo Shop’s memory card?”
“Impossible,” Fleur said, looking truly shocked for the first time. “She would never let...” Her voice tailed off.
“I think she would if she was so distracted by getting one over on you,” Sonata said in a self-satisfied voice. “I was standing behind her for ages before she noticed me, and then—“ she mimed knocking into someone and handing an invisible something back to the hypothetical person. 
Sunset looked at Fleur shrewdly, remembering all that Fleur had said about, and reacted to, Photo Shop. “Do you two have some kind of history or something?”
Fleur’s broken mask revealed all Sunset could hope to learn on the subject. Having not recovered yet from her shock at Sonata’s actions, her face twitched and coloured up.
“We had...” she exhaled. “We had a history of sorts, yes. So,” she said in a rallying tone. “I assume you’re going to use that to counter-blackmail me into not pursuing Sunset?”
“That was the general idea, yes.” Sonata closed her hand on the card.
Fleur forced a smile. “Then I have a counter-counter proposal.” She was rapidly regaining her poise, much to Sonata’s consternation. “There’s no guarantee that Photo Shop doesn’t have backups galore; she’s too professional for her own good. I may be done for one way or another. So your bargaining chip has a few nicks in it.”
Sonata scowled at her. “And you want to gamble that chance?”
Fleur side-glanced at Sunset. “I think it worth trying. But how about this,” she began, as Sonata’s face went scarlet. “Sunset doesn’t have to break up with you; I just want one thing.”
“And that is?” Sonata asked with a growl.
Fleur held up a single, elegant finger. “One kiss.”
Sunset felt her own colour rise at this. Looking quickly at Sonata, Sunset was seriously concerned that she might try to push Fleur off the roof with the amount of rage in her expression. She seemed to struggle for something to say for a moment, and then looked at Sunset. They stared at each other a long while. Sunset couldn’t see a way out of this situation. Fleur could still ruin Sonata, make it impossible for her to do what she loved for a living, and the only way out of it was to kiss Fleur, which might drive a wedge into their relationship. Both prospects were horrible to Sunset. She felt a lump rising in her throat and tears stinging her eyes, and she had to look away. 
“Fine,” Sonata said, eventually.
Sunset looked quickly back at her, astonished. Fleur looked equally surprised.
“Fine?” Fleur repeated, inquiringly.
“It’s fine with me. If Sunset wants to kiss you, then whatever. It doesn’t matter.” She folded her arms and looked away. “She loves me, not you. It won’t make any difference.”
Both Fleur and Sunset stared at her back for a few moments, and then at each other.
“Are...” Sunset cleared her throat.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Sonata snapped, correctly guessing Sunset’s question.
Fleur seemed momentarily uncertain about this reaction, but recovered again as she looked at Sunset. “There. You won’t be harming your relationship. She’s okay with it.”
Sunset thought hard. She was at a gaping precipice, and there was a narrow beam spanning it. One misstep, and she’d fall, and hard. 
“If I kiss you, then you won’t sabotage Sonata’s chances?”
“I’ll do better. I’ll encourage Fancy’s decision. It’s hardly dishonest; your work is arguably the best here.” She directed the last part to Sonata, who didn’t reply.
Sunset hesitated a moment longer. “Alright.”
Fleur closed the distance between them. With a gentle hand, Fleur lifted Sunset’s head up to look at her. Sunset didn’t immediately understand the look of sad concern Fleur was giving her, but then she imagined that she must look scared, or unhappy. That couldn’t be making the experience pleasant for either of them. Fleur’s other hand pulled Sunset closer by the waist. As their faces drew closer and closer, Sunset closed her eyes tightly. It disconcerted her how gentle Fleur was, how warm and pleasant it felt to be held by her. Never before had she been so convinced that she could have learnt to love her. But...
“I can’t,” she said at the last second. “I-I... I just...” she pulled away and walked a few quick steps from Fleur, hugging herself convulsively. A disconcerting feeling akin to nausea had surged through her as she felt the warmth of Fleur’s lips near her own, and she couldn’t stand it.
“I see,” Fleur whispered after a while. None of the three of them could stand to look at each other. “I have absolutely no chance, do I?” Fleur finished in a brittle tone.
“I’m sorry,” Sunset said, honestly.
“So am I,” Fleur replied, turning to the door back down stairs. As she passed Sonata, Sunset turned quickly around, a thrill of fear running through her.
“You’re not going to—“
Fleur stopped by the entrance to the maintenance stairway, not looking back. “Whatever you may think of me, I’m actually not a malicious woman.”
Without a backwards glance, she left. Sunset couldn’t be sure whether she was hearing things, but she though she caught the faintest sound of a sniff as Fleur turned the corner.
Sunset and Sonata both stared at where the older woman had been, both lost in their thoughts for a moment. Sunset herself suddenly became aware of the fact that the whole business with Fleur had been, with good reason, cause for Sonata to be angry with her. But she hadn’t been. Not with Sunset anyway. She had trusted Sunset, and allowed her to make the decision herself. Remembering her lingering anger about Sonata and Hoity, Sunset suddenly felt guilty at holding so petty a feeling.
Both girls looked around at each other at the same time. Sunset was genuinely surprised to see tears in Sonata’s eyes. Had she been crying? Sunset didn’t know what she, herself, looked like, but looking into Sonata’s tear-streaked face, she was overcome by an overwhelming urge to cry as well. At her own stupidity, at what nearly came of what the two of them had, it all seemed so clear that they had been dancing on thin ice for days, perhaps weeks. That there were other people in the world who would have let the problems they had had separate them forever.
She reached for Sonata’s hand, and only got the briefest touch. Then Sonata threw her arms around her shoulders. Sunset’s heart leapt in her chest and she stared at Sonata’s face pressed against her own. Then she let herself sink into the kiss, let the wash of pent up emotions Sonata let loose over her, and just held her close. Held the one truly important thing she had.
Neither had an especially accurate grasp of time at that moment. So much worry, anxiety, and hurt flowed freely away in the warmth of their reassurances that the other was there, and that they weren’t leaving, that nothing was coming between them. Something like time didn’t seem particularly important right then.
When finally they tentatively broke apart, Sonata looked entirely flustered and dishevelled, and Sunset knew that she probably looked no different. But she also looked a little longing, and a little pleading.
“Rain check,” Sunset promised. “Right now, we’ve got to save your career.”
“I suppose...” Sonata sighed. “You’re a mess, by the way.”
“You’re one to talk,” Sunset snickered, reaching up and wiping a bit of her running mascara. Sonata retaliated by thumbing a bit of Sunset’s smudged lipstick. “Come on then, there’s a bathroom on the floor below. I’ve got some spare makeup in my bag.”





Their sojourn to the third floor bathroom was not uneventful. Not only was Sonata still in something of a frisky mood, but when they finally had reapplied their make-up and exited the bathroom, they found to their consternation that there were other people traversing the hallways.
“Isn’t that one of the other artists?” Sonata whispered as they both poked their heads around the side of the bathroom door.
Something of what Fleur or maybe Discord had said to her earlier made Sunset wary of this development. She found it most suspicious that one of the artists, and possibly more, had broken off from the main tour group to come apparently searching for something, or someone, on the third floor. Had the other artists noticed that she and Sonata were gone? If so, then why come looking for them?
They watched as the young man meandered between a line of display cases and off into another room, and then both covertly stole away to the stair well.
Unfortunately, Sunset’s idea that they may be being stalked was gaining more and more traction as they went. No less than three other artists were monitoring the second floor, passing off their appearance there to the two security guards as being part of the tour. Which they were.
“Are you sure they’re looking for us?” Sonata whispered as they crouched on the stairs.
“No,” Sunset admitted. “It’s just a feeling, and... something someone said to me.”
“Come to think of it,” Sonata whispered, “Jade was giving me a funny look earlier when Aria came to ask what had happened with Hoity.”
“Well, I’d hate to think badly of Adagio’s friend,” Sunset muttered, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
With coordinated timing and a fair bit of luck, they managed to make it downstairs unseen. Fortunately the main tour group had pressed further into the gallery, allowing the two of them to descend the stairs and stalk their way back unseen. They waited for the group to be fully interested in whatever it was Fancy was doing for a moment, and then slipped as quietly and discreetly as they could into the room.
The first thing that Sunset noticed was Fleur next to Fancy and Hoity. She wasn’t sure whether it was just her own feelings making her think it, but Sunset thought that Fleur looked a little... detached? She certainly didn’t look as radiant as usual.
Sunset was so caught up in her squirming insides that she didn’t notice several pairs of unfavourable eyes on her and Sonata until Sonata pointed them out. Jade Marble and a couple of other people were all giving the two of them rather penetrating looks, and didn’t seem the least bit abashed when caught staring.
“I think they noticed we were gone,” Sonata whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
“Ignore them,” Sunset said. “It’s none of their business.”
“Oh that reminds me,” Sonata replied. “Is Rainbow’s dad coming?”
Sunset pursed her lips. “No. Pinkie... well, I don’t really know. Pinkie said she was going to bring them.”
“Oh,” Sonata said. “Okay. Uh, how?”
“I have no earthly idea.”
“About what?” 
Predictably, Jade Marble had not been able to resist overhearing their conversation. Or at least, that’s what Sunset anticipated the reason behind this interruption was going to be. As it turned out, Jade didn’t seem to think she needed an excuse.
“Excuse me,” Sunset said politely. “We’re trying to have a private conversation. If you’d be kind enough to let us have it, I’d be grateful.”
“And to be perfectly honest,” Jade said with suaveness to match. “My friends and I would be equally obliged if the two of you weren’t scheming behind everyone else’s backs.” She and three or four others all gave Sonata and Sunset narrow looks. Whether intentional or not, they formed a sort of human wall at the rear of the crowd, facing their perceived adversaries alone near the door. 
“What are you talking about?” Sunset replied scathingly.
“Don’t think we’re stupid,” Jade snapped. “I saw your reactions, like everyone else who took that idiot’s advice. You made work like we did.”
“What’s your point?” Sunset asked, feigning disinterest.
“You two are the only ones in the city Hoity spoke to. Any of the rest of us who actually had talent before this event moved to the Capital, or Applewood, long ago.”
“Or Los Angeles,” one of them put in. Jade ignored them.
“Fact is you two live in the city. You have access to your other works, and we don’t.”
“And then the two of you disappear?” another added, a girl in a dress with a pop-art square design.
“You’re calling friends to bring your other stuff here.”
Sunset glared at them all angrily. “You’re all raving,” she said with supreme disdain. “Come on, Sonata.” She took Sonata by the hand and started to lead her away, but Jade stepped forward and blocked their path. Raising a hand she held Sunset’s shoulder until the latter shook it off.
“We’re not done,” Jade growled ominously.
“Touch me again and I’ll break your hand,” Sunset replied calmly.
“We’re not letting you win this,” Jade snarled.
“Win what?” Sonata interjected desperately, eager to stop a potential fight. “This isn’t a competition.”
“Don’t be so naive!” Jade snapped, shoving Sonata backwards. 
Sunset seized Jade’s wrist and twisted it in a particular way. Jade let out a stifled squeak of pain, but seemed incapable of pulling herself free.
“Touch her again, and I’ll break your damn neck.” Sunset gave her hand a flick and sent Jade stumbling backwards. 
Jade caught her balance again, giving Sunset a squinty, wary look of her piercing blue eyes. The others around her were chicken; they all looked uneasily between Jade and Sunset, unsure of what to do. Like they could do much of anything. They were just lucky that the news people seemed to have dispersed for the moment. A few of them were still in the crowd, including Photo Shop, who Sunset saw looked annoyed. Photo Finish too was nowhere near, her prim white hair visible near to the front.
“This isn’t over,” Jade said predictably. “You’re not getting one over on the rest of us.” She and the rest of them made feeble attempts to look threatening as they all merged back into the crowd. It pleased Sunset’s vanity to see how pathetic the display was; she knew that in her queen-bee days she’d done a much better job.
“Eesh,” Sonata said, giving Sunset an impressed look. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“What? The wrist grip thing?” Sunset asked. “Oh, well, when you’re the Alpha Bitch long enough, you kinda learn that sometimes words only get you so far in the intimidation department.” She licked her lips nervously.
“That was awesome,” Sonata assured her, taking hold of her arm. “You totally defended my honour. Or whatever.” She giggled. “Sir Shimmy the Silly, my knight in shining—“
“Okay, let’s not even go there,” Sunset interrupted, amused. “Seriously. ‘Silly Shimmy’ is enough for me.”
Sonata laughed behind her hand a little as they all began moving to the next area. 
“So, how’d things go?” asked a voice from behind them.
They both spun around to find the thin, looming form of Discord rising like a towering tree behind them. Sunset stared, mouth agape. She was sure he’d been in the crowd not a second ago. His vast tallness was about as hard to miss as Photo Shop’s white coat.
“How did you get behind us?” Sonata asked, letting go of Sunset’s arm.
“I walked,” Discord replied, unconcerned. “So, did you arrange for your paintings to be delivered.”
“We... think so,” Sunset whispered back to him.
“You think so?” Discord asked probingly, one of his absurdly bushy eyebrows rising up his forehead like a yawning caterpillar. Sunset explained quickly and quietly about how she’d tried to call Rainbow Dash, but for some reason got Pinkie Pie. At this point Discord made a sound of satisfaction. “Then I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”
“What?” Sunset asked.
“If Pinkie Pie said that she’ll bring the paintings, then you have to trust that she will,” Discord explained, waving an airy hand. “You have to trust your friends, Sunset Shimmer.”
When he’d rejoined the crowd, Sunset and Sonata looked at each other.
“Did that seem weird to you?” Sunset asked.
“The appearing behind us bit, him knowing what we’re doing, the relying on Pinkie bit, or the trust in your friends advice?” Sonata asked. “I didn’t take him for the kind of guy to say stuff like that. I kinda got the feeling he was sort of a loner.” She frowned. “Have we ever met him before?” she asked.
“I certainly haven’t,” Sunset said. “Why?”
“Nothing, I guess,” Sonata said, looking thoughtful. She shrugged. “I keep getting feelings like that recently. Like I’ve forgotten something.”
“That’s strange,” Sunset commented, genuinely interested. Before she could inquire further, they heard a clapping from ahead; Fancy was calling the room to order. 
“Yes, excellent!” he called cheerfully over the crowd. “Before we begin the touring of the second floor, I’m told that there’s food in the state room, and afterwards, a wonderful presentation by the Wonderbolts aerial team. Dig in everyone!”
Sunset and Sonata stepped back to allow the most eager or hungry individuals to pass. Sunset glared as Jade and her posse slouched by, whilst Sonata made an adorable yet relatively ineffectual attempt to look intimidating. 
“Come along, girls,” Fancy chirruped. “Never pass up a free lunch.”
“Isn’t the expression ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’?” Sonata asked.
“Well whoever said that was never invited to one of my soirees,” Fancy said smoothly. “Come come, you simply must try this Spanakorizo. They let me try it in the kitchens and, oh,” he made an elegant gesture. “It is to die for.”
Sunset avoided Fleur’s eyes as she passed, hating herself for hoping that Fleur was too abashed to look at her too. Once Fancy’s entourage had passed by, Hoity bringing up the uncomfortable rear, Sunset and Sonata followed after them. 
Sunset wasn’t particularly hungry; the events of the day had made her insides feel too sensitive to allow the consumption of food without something unfortunate happening. Sonata on the other hand seized three bread rolls and an odd Italian kebab before Sunset had reached the table. Pushing passed a rather obese man who seemed to be trying to ignore the table whilst he sipped a glass of water, Sonata handed Sunset a roll.
“You have to eat something,” Sonata warned. “You’ll be ill by the end of the day if you don’t.”
Sunset took the proffered roll; it was easier than arguing. Still, Sonata cleaned off her plate before Sunset finished the last bite of the roll. Looking around, she saw Jade and the rest giving them covert looks, but they seemed too wary to approach them again. It was as Jade turned to talk to one of her compatriots that Adagio and Aria showed up.
“There you guys are,” Adagio said, hand on hip. “We were looking for you.”
“We were just in the last room,” Sonata said, picking up some little fingerling-looking things. “Are these enchiladas?”
“I think it’s some Greek thing,” Aria pointed out. “It’s got olives in it.”
“Ruin a perfectly good enchilada...” Sonata grumbled, setting the plate down.
“We were out front for a bit,” Adagio said. “Waiting on your stuff. Well, Aria was outside mostly. Trenderhoof pines when I’m away from him.”
“You guys are together, right?” Sunset asked, just wanting to make sure.
“Oh yes,” Adagio said. Sunset was confused. She sounded like she was talking about the weather. But then again, it was in Adagio’s character to treat everything with a casual disinterest; perhaps it wasn’t so unusual that she’d treat her relationships the same way.
“And you like him?”
Adagio smiled a little. “Once you get passed his little eccentricities, he can be kind of sweet.” Sunset looked at her in surprise. She’d never seen that look of fond recollection on Adagio’s face before.
“Err, is that girl spying on you or something?” Aria asked, looking in Jade’s direction. “Wait, isn’t that your friend, Adagio?”
Adagio looked around. Jade’s cool look melted momentarily into a smile and she gave a little wave. Adagio waved soberly back.
“She’s trying to stop us getting Sonata’s other work,” Sunset growled, glaring at Jade’s back.
Adagio sighed. “I thought she might if she found out about it.”
“How can you be friends with her?” Sonata asked, giving Jade an uncertain look.
“Believe it or not,” Adagio said, shrugging,” she’s actually one of the nicer sorts you’ll find in Applewood. You think she’s bad as she is? Frankly you have to be like that to get by in that town. Unless you happen to have friends in high places. Or you’re really good at playing people off each other.”
“Or both,” Aria said, smirking. Adagio smiled complacently like a stroked cat.
“Yeah, but being friendless there, or at least not having you two to bug me, was getting to me. And Jade can be genuinely nice when she’s not trying to cut your throat.” She gave a careless gesture.
“Well, we’re expecting Pinkie to bring Sonata’s other paintings at some point. Hopefully soon,” Sunset explained when Adagio brought the subject back round. “She needs to hurry up to be honest.”
“I hope she’s not coming by car,” Aria laughed. “Have you seen traffic out there? She’ll never get here in time.”
“You mean the pink haired one is bringing Sonata’s stuff?” Adagio asked, looking surprised.
“Don’t ask,” Sunset groaned. 
They were interrupted in their conversation by the sound of a loud horn, sounding as though it had blared through a loud-speaker. This was followed by a somewhat deafening sound of jet engines flying overhead.
“Ah!” Fancy cried over the conversation all around. “I do believe I hear the outside entertainment beginning.” 
Outside, the aerial festivities were well underway. Five jets flew overhead, blue and gold they were with sleek fuselages and coloured smoke trails behind them. The crowd all around whooped and cheered as the jets performed deft feats of aerial acrobatics and formation flying. Sonata gave a particularly loud cheer as they left a giant Wonderbolt insignia in the sky using their smoke trails.
“Don’t choke, dear,” Sunset chuckled, taking the third kebab stick from Sonata’s hand as she tried to cheer and eat at the same time.
“Hey, what’s that?” Aria pointed out, indicating something in the air with her finger. Sunset and those around her looked up as more and more people began to notice the new arrival. A large, more practical yet still gaudily dressed plane was cutting a wide path towards the gallery, flying higher than the jets were, skimming the building tops as they were. As the plane streaked overhead, they saw distinctly several small objects left behind. Looking closely, there were six in total, all in a straight line, with one on the far side listing away. 
“Is that supposed to be happening?” Adagio asked speculatively, pointing out this odd phenomenon.
“No idea,” Sunset said, shrugging. 
It didn’t seem to matter a moment later. Like the planes above, five of the six objects had started to release trails of coloured smoke, forming behind them a five-coloured rainbow. The sixth object was effectively obscured by the smoke-screen. By the time the crowd realised that the objects were people, the smoke trails stopped, and the figures performed a forward roll mid-air before pulling their chutes. Five Wonderbolt insignias filled the sky, descending to the ground as the crowd whooped and applauded. At which point, Sunset’s phone went off.
“Hello?” Sunset called loudly into the receiver.
“Hi Sunny!”
“Pinkie?” Sunset frowned. “Pinkie, where are you? We’ve been waiting for you. Have you got the paintings? What’s that sound?”
“Yep, I got them! I’ll be there in a second! That sound would be the wind!” Pinkie bellowed down the line.
“You’ll be where?”
“On the roof! Duh.” 
Sunset blinked. “On the what?”
“Look up!”


- To be Continued