//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Just Gold 
// Story: Dazzle's Poor Career Choice 
// by Eyeswirl the Weirded 
//------------------------------//

"And that's when she noticed the bumblebee."

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

Sunset Shimmer rolled around on her bed, nearly dropping her phone as she laughed at the end of Rarity's story. "Y-you'd think she'd have heard it buzzing!"

Rarity chuckled on the other end. "Indeed. Speaking of a buzz, have you heard what our three favorite sirens have been up to?"

Sunset's giggles subsided. "No, not really."

"They got jobs, though I don't know how long they'll work out."

"Why's that?"

"You know that fast-food place with the outer-space decor? The one Pinkie will take any chance to say is-" Rarity shrieked as another voice came over the line. "OUT OF THIS WORLD!!"

"PINKIE PIE!! What have I told you about sneaking up on me in the middle of the night?! And how did you get in my house?"

"It's not the middle of the night, Rari-bear, it's only like 11:47. Also, your window was open again. Ah, hey!"

"I'll deal with you later." Rarity cleared her throat. "My apologies, Sunset, there was a bit of-... Are you laughing?"

She tried to keep it out of her voice as much as possible. "N-no. Why would you say that?" She had to put a hand over her mouth to muffle her snickering.

"No stranger to schadenfreude, are you?" Rarity giggled a little herself. "Well, in that case, you should be pleased to hear that Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, the two back-up singers that argue a lot, are both working at the eatery I mentioned. Sonata is working the tables, because her demeanor evidently brightens peoples' day enough that the management decided it was worth a shot, though she does mix things up rather frequently."

Sunset nodded a little, even if Rarity couldn't see it. Sure sounds like Sonata. "So what's Aria up to?"

Rarity's face-splitting grin was audible. "Brace yourself. You know the mascot that place uses?"

Sunset started to smile. "The big, yellow, cartoon star?"

"That's the one. They needed someone to stand out front wearing the costume."

"No."

"Yes!"

Both girls howled with laughter as they pictured the surliest siren wearing the bright, bulbous, can-only-move-by-waddling star outfit, Rarity stopping first. "Actually, I hear she's rather fearsome in it."

This made Sunset laugh harder, speaking through gasps for breath. "W-what?"

"No, really," she said in an even tone, "rumor has it some kids from school came by to harass her on-duty and all of them wound up in the hospital. I don't entirely trust that one, but that's the word."

Sunset stopped laughing. "That's insane. What would she do in that thing, fall on them?"

"I don't know, but the kids involved are said to have muttered 'shooting star' several times in their sleep afterward."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. "R-right," Sunset picked up, "so what's the last one been doing?"

"Adagio Dazzle? Hers is perhaps the least interesting, just working night-time security at some old pizza place at the far side of town."

"Huh. Any idea where?"

"Oh, it's a dreary old building, probably should have been condemned years ago. Flippy Fatbear's, I think it was?"

Sunset scratched her head. She'd heard of the place, but couldn't rememb-Oh no.

THAT Flippy Fatbear's?! 

"R-Rarity?"

"Yes, Sunset?"

"Are you sure it's that place? Flippy Fatbear's?"

"That's what all my sources are telling me, yes. I think she starts working there tonight. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," Sunset said as casually as possible, "just wanted to be sure. You're right, that is a boring place to work."

"Too true. Well, I'll talk to you if anything juicy springs up, you're the only one that seems to appreciate a little gossip!"

Sunset smiled a little. "Thanks, Rarity. Talk to you later."

"Ta-ta!"

Slamming her phone on the bed, Sunset jumped up, slipping on her boots and coat as quickly as she could. 

This is bad, that place is cursed! And it really should have been closed down by now. 

The place was probably a front for organized crime, which would explain the rumors of killer singing mascots.

No, really.

No-one deserved to be ripped to shreds by creepy, singing, robot animals, not even Adagio.

Who herself was once a creepy, singing-

Sunset slapped herself, she needed to hurry! She opened the bottom drawer of her bedside table and pushed two little boxes aside to reveal something she'd been holding onto (and actually kinda forgot about a few times) since before she stole the Element of Magic. "I don't know if it'll help, but it's better than nothing..." Fatbear's was on the other side of town, but if she moved fast she might make it in time.

Sunset raced down the street, her jaw clenched. 

I can't call the others, either, that place is too dangerous! Besides, if I go now, all I should have to do is grab her and get out. Hold on, Dazzle, I'm coming!


---


Adagio Dazzle sat in the chair of the security room at Flippy Fatbear's, tired. Not 'fatigued' tired, just fed up with her life up to this point. Being powerless on top of their banishment was bad enough, but now they had to work for these stupid, slavering bipeds if they didn't want to die slowly and painfully. She almost wished she'd signed on with King Sombra when she had the chance, he was probably running a solid dark energy racket right about now. Then again, if 'Princess' Twilight Sparkle came from Equestria...?

She sighed, it didn't matter now. As the phone she refused to answer started ringing again, she let out a groan of frustration. "It's past midnight, you idiot, we're closed!" She didn't pick up the phone to shout that, but wanted to shout about something anyway. There was nothing particularly interesting going on with the security screens, either, just some animal things shifting around every time she changed the screen. While odd, it didn't look like they were ransacking the place at least. 

Whatever, I'll see if I can snag a bite to eat. This is a place that serves food, after all.

She got up, walking out of the room to see what might have been lying around for hungry night guards.


---


"Damn!" Sunset swore repeatedly under her breath, trying to open the front door and finding it firmly locked. She ran around the building, trying every possible entrance before locating an open vent. 

Cliche, but right now I'll take it!

First, she drew the weapon she'd brought along from her coat pocket; a loaded handgun. How many shots were in it, exactly, she wasn't sure, but it was the only thing she had to use on the monsters inside as she started crawling through the vent. When she got to the first opening, (in that she was able to kick the duct open) Sunset looked in and saw the security room. Empty.

"Oh no. Oh nononono, I'm too late!"

She dropped down into the room, switched the gun's safety off, and quickly looked around. Nothing. She checked the cameras, her skin crawling every time one of the rumored killer robots appeared onscreen, usually looking directly at the camera, but her heart leapt to her throat when she saw Adagio, alive! And, drinking some soda? She was sitting so casually, Sunset could hardly believe it wasn't just some kind of sick joke by the building itself. 

'No really, she's fine, not being turned inside out as we speak, you definitely won't hear her screaming any second...'

Throwing her jacket off, Sunset decided she wouldn't let that happen, and charged out to- Where was Adagio now? She leaned over to check the screen, finding the walking cream-puff to be sitting in the Dining Area, exactly where she'd been a second ago. Taking a deep breath, Sunset charged out the door.

It wasn't long before she reached the mass of orange fluff connected to her old enemy, who looked considerably surprised to see her.

"What the hell are you doing h-oh, wait," she deflated, speaking in a dull monotone, "Pardon me, sir or madame, Flippy Fatbear's pizza is currently closed, I would ask you to exit the facility in a calm and ord-"

Sunset grabbed her by the arm. "We HAVE to get out of here, now!!"

Adagio rolled her eyes. "You know, this figures, it really does." 

"What?!"

"You. I know you don't live nearby, you must have come from at least halfway across town to get here, barge in, and start making a mess of things. And of course it would be you that has to ruin my efforts at honest work too," she glanced around, the look on her face one of tired acceptance, "not that I really mind in this case, but-"

Ignoring the creepy implication that the Dazzlings knew where she lived, Sunset yanked her arm, eliciting a startled cry, and started dragging her to the exit. "We can talk later, let's GO!!"

Adagio more or less complied, give or take grumbling to herself about being handled roughly.

Again, the handle to the front door jiggled in Sunset's grasp, but refused to turn. She glanced behind her, both to look at Adagio and to check for... a reason to use her weapon, which Adagio appeared to have just noticed, turning slightly pale. 

"S-Sunset Shimmer? W-why do you have a-"

She was cut off, Sunset's voice more than a little desperate. "It won't open! Didn't they give you a keyring or something?" She couldn't remember right then whether that was security officers, janitors, or both, but it seemed right.

Adagio tried to ignore the gun, failing miserably. "L-look, whatever you want from the place, you can have it, I wasn't planning to stick around long anyway, I-"

Sunset caught on to her line of thinking, trying to sound as reassuring as possible despite her growing fear. "I'm not here to rob the place, I'm not here to hurt you, I just want us both out of here, now do you have a key or not?!"

Adagio reached to try the doorknob herself, much more violently than Sunset had. "Huh."

"Huh?"

"Well. Perhaps this is why they said I wouldn't need keys. I'm not supposed to leave until my shift is over anyway, and that's at six in the morning, so-"

Sunset let out an exasperated noise, again grabbing Adagio by the arm and pulling her away. "We can't stay out in the open, the only safe place is the security room!"

Just trying to match Sunset's speed so as not to fall on her face, Adagio sounded honestly confused. "What? What are you so worried about?"

Sunset chose to ignore that question. They were in one of two halls just outside the security room. "C'mon," she urged, "we're almost there!" 

The two heard a loud, metallic thud behind them, turning to see the source, Adagio with more curiosity than fear. She broke Sunset's grip to cross her arms in annoyance. "What, another intruder? They told me no one ever tried to break in here, dammit!"

According to the stories about Fatbear's, there were four robotic animal mascots in the building; The Bear, The Rabbit, The Duck, and The Fox. At night, they came to life with only one thing on their minds; murder. The one they saw now was The Fox, its head slowly, creakily turning to see them before it stretched out its arms and charged, 
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Adagio's eyes widened as the danger of her new job seemed to sink in. As she screamed, Sunset shouted "Stay behind me," leveled the gun at the incoming metal monster, and opened fire. 

BLAM!
BLAM!

The shots seemed to scratch or ricochet off it's outer plating, but she was pretty sure it was slowing down.

BLAM!
BLAM!

The last shot went clean through it's head, The Fox toppling over with a crash in the next instant. She looked back at Adagio, who was still shaking with terror. Adrenaline more prominent in her brain than sympathy at that moment, Sunset again took hold of her arm. "That won't be the last of them, c'mon!"

Getting back to the room, Sunset checked over the cameras while Adagio tried to get a handle on the situation by way of quietly muttering to herself. The animals were moving around apparently at random, and when Sunset checked the camera for the hallway they were just in, The Fox was gone. 

Either they vanish when killed, or bullets don't work, long-term. 

"Adagio," she said grimly, not taking her eyes off the flickering screens, "those things are going to keep coming. The gun didn't work, and as I didn't have much ammo to start, the only way we're going to stay alive in here is to-"

"Use the d-doors," Adagio finished for her, having managed to mostly compose herself. "they explained the function, yes." She stood by one of the door switches, her hand resting on the wall near the button. "But we can't keep them down all the time, or the power runs out." She looked Sunset in the eye, her own wide and worried. "I'm not sure what happens if it does."

Sunset gulped, forcing a smile. "Let's keep it that way." Adagio whimpered, glancing through the door into the dark hallway. A little part of Sunset couldn't help feeling it was an improvement for the Dazzling leader. 

...Am I a bad person? I'm pretty sure nice people don't like watching others shake with fear.

Adagio seemed to get some of her previous venom back. "So, you carry firearms, do you? Suppose you fit your image afterall."

As she'd just been putting her jacket back on, Sunset scowled, still looking at the cameras. "Yea, hilarious. Before you get any ideas, I only have it becau-LEFT DOOR!!"

Screaming, Adagio slammed the button, the face of The Bear inches from the door as it closed.

Sunset shook her head. "How did you even last that long out there? Didn't anyone tell you about the robots wandering around at night?"

Adagio was still facing the closed door. "This is all your fault."

"Ex-cuse me?!"

"I don't just mean my magic being destroyed, but their sudden aggression as well! I noticed them wandering around on the cameras, but since they weren't breaking anything, I figured I wouldn't be fired for not doing anything about it." Now she turned to make eye contact. "Everything was fine until you showed up!"

Sunset was perhaps angrier than she was. "That's the thanks I get for saving your life?!"

Adagio's jaw clenched, Sunset almost able to hear the "I never asked for your help" or some other proud statement, but instead, Adagio looked down at the floor. Each of them were quiet for a long moment before she let out a breath. "Fine." She slowly met Sunset's gaze again, actually looking contrite. "T-thank you. Really."

A little surprised, Sunset smiled. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" 

Adagio crossed her arms, looking away. "Is the stupid Bear gone yet? We can't just leave the doors shut."