//------------------------------// // A Delayed Start to an Important Mission // Story: Rainbow Rocks: Unfinished Business // by Gadman85 //------------------------------// Sunset woke up feeling as if she had been through a rough night, but she didn’t remember anything apart from finally falling asleep after staying up late. She gave a stretch and a yawn. She was thinking about falling back asleep, but then she looked to her left side. Sunset’s light blue eyes widened as she almost shouted in surprise before covering her mouth. She almost fell out of her own bed and would have if she wasn’t being held on to by a beautiful purple skinned girl who seemed to have been using her as a body pillow. Sunset’s mind started racing as it kicked into gear and she remembered what happened last night. ---- Flashback starts ---- Sunset was excited about being able to spend a lot of time helping Twilight out. In her excitement, she forgot about something that she didn’t really remember until she opened the door to her apartment. “Ummm… I forgot I only have one bed, Twilight. I’ll take the couch, no worries. You can have the bed while you’re here. Sound good?” Twilight gave her a thoughtful look and asked, “How big is it?” “It probably isn’t as big as the bed you have in Equestria, but it’s a Queen sized bed, which is a good size here. I hope that won’t be a problem,” Sunset said half seriously. She didn’t think Twilight would complain about the size of her bed, but she was a little scared she might for some reason. “That makes things easier. We’ll just share your bed while I’m here,” Twilight said with an air of common sense. Sunset blushed at unbidden thoughts in her mind and was thankful Twilight didn’t seem to notice her state. “Are you sure about that?” she asked cautiously. Twilight easily answered the question, “Well, yeah. I don’t see why not. You said it was big and I would hate for you to sleep on an uncomfortable couch during any part of my stay here, especially since I don’t know how long it might take.” Twilight gave a shrug as she said, “Besides, we’re both girls and it isn’t that big of a deal really. I mean Rarity and Applejack shared my guest bed in Equestria when we had a sleep over one time. Once they got over their differences in how to properly sleep in a bed and everything else, they were fine with it. Of course, that wasn't until our second sleepover that they finally got over those things.” Twilight's eyes went oddly vacant as she added, "We don't talk about the first sleepover anymore..." “Ummm… okay...,” Sunset said blandly as they entered the bedroom. She decided not to really go into how things were different in the human world at the moment. She didn’t want to have to sleep on her couch and if Twilight thought of it as natural for friends to share a bed then who was she to complain. Twilight was the Princess of Friendship after all, plus Sunset really didn’t want to make things awkward between them by mentioning human norms. There was a part of her that looked forward to this and thought maybe it really wasn’t a big deal after all. She had been to a couple of sleepovers with the others here, but it was with all six or seven of them. You can’t share a bed with that many people so it was more of a Rock/Paper/Scissors kind of thing. Maybe it was kind of common with humans as well as far as she knew. While thinking on proper sleepover behavior, Sunset looked in her chest of drawers for a set of pajamas. When she heard the sound of a blouse and bow quietly fall to the floor behind her followed by a sigh of relief, her mind filled with other thoughts. She wasn’t sure where they came from either. Sunset blinked a few times and looked behind her. She blushed when she saw Twilight’s backside as the girl seemed to be fiddling with her skirt. Sunset should have said something right away, but she was too busy staring in half disbelief and half something else. “Hot…” Sunset thought as she continued looking not sure where the thought came from again. When Twilight’s skirt fell to the ground and the girl stood back up tossing her hair to the side, Sunset’s brain stopped working as she just looked and her body seemed to react to the earlier thoughts. She saw Twilight’s hand reach back and start to unclasp her bra, the red and yellow haired girl finally spoke. “Ummm… Twilight…” she started. Twilight with one hand on her bra’s clasp turned to the side and responded, “Hmmm?” “What are you doing?” Sunset asked as she looked and blushed. “Getting ready for bed. Why?” Twilight replied. “Ummmm… where are your pajamas? People usually wear sleeping clothes,” Sunset replied as she tried to look away thinking her blush might lessen. Oddly enough that other part of Sunset wished she hadn’t said anything on the matter and let Twilight continue undressing. “Huh?” Twilight asked as she turned around to face Sunset properly. The purple haired girl looked a little nervous at the fact she might have forgotten something important, but she couldn’t think what. “You know... clothes to sleep in at night,” clarified Sunset. Twilight looked a little bewildered as she asked, “You mean to tell me humans usually wear clothes when they sleep as well?” “They kind of do. Sleeping clothes are usually more comfortable though.” Sunset gave a frown and felt a little bad as she saw Twilight frowning. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I should have told you. I thought you knew already. I mean you did go to Pinkie’s sleepover after all. You do have some right?” Sunset asked in concern. Twilight gave a sigh and shook her head. “I thought that was just the theme of the party. I don’t have any.” Her frown seemed to deepen. Sunset felt a little sad seeing Twilight like this. The purple haired girl looked to Sunset and noticed the concern on her face. Twilight took in a deep breath and let it out before smiling. “Don’t worry about it, Sunset. It wasn’t your fault. I should have looked into the matter more before I crossed over.” After a few seconds of silence, Twilight asked, “So what do we do now, then? Do I have to wear my clothes from earlier the whole night?” Sunset looked over Twilight's body again. She gave a nod and turned back to her chest of drawers. “I’ll lend you a set of mine. I think they’ll fit you well enough.” Twilight gave Sunset a smile and thanked her. After the friendship princess tried on a set of Sunset’s pajamas, she spoke as she held the waist out a little with a puzzled face. “They seem fairly loose around the waist.” She looked up and asked, “Is that normal?” Sunset gave a cough as she took a sip from a glass of water she just retrieved. She looked away and blushed a little bit and answered with a nervous laugh, “Well... usually pajamas are loose to be more comfortable.” The truth was Sunset actually liked her pajamas fitting very snug and not loose at all. She wasn’t about to admit it to Twilight though. “How the hell does she have a smaller waist than me?!” she thought to herself with only a small hint of jealousy. “That makes sense in a way I guess. I do remember the pjs I borrowed from Pinkie last time were tighter in the waist than these, but she said they were from when she was younger,” Twilight said with a thoughtful nod. Sunset just gave a smile and nod in return. When they finally had their pajamas sorted out, the two crawled into bed and Sunset felt a little uncomfortable with how close Twilight decided to lay next to her. She might have said something about the matter, but soon they started talking about other things and Sunset quickly got used to Twilight’s close proximity and decided it probably wasn’t really a big deal. ---- End Flashback---- Even though she thought that at the time, actually being there with Twilight lying next to her in the bed was a lot more intense. The purple haired girl being completely comfortable and cute almost as soon as she hit the bed didn’t help matters either. Sunset knew she had certain feelings regarding Twilight, but she hadn't really figured them out. This made things unclear. It was also very nice having another warm body in the bed, even if it was a little… hot… for her. She even thought it nice hearing another person’s even breathing and heart beating next to her. It made Sunset’s usual feelings of loneliness in her apartment and other fears drift away. Things might not have been a big deal even with Twilight sharing the bed. However, the purple skinned girl fell asleep first and soon decided Sunset was the perfect body pillow and cuddled up to her. Obviously this caused Sunset’s heart to beat faster, especially when Twilight pressed up against her like she did. Somehow Sunset did manage to finally fall asleep, she figured it was the exhaustion from the last few days catching up to her finally. Now though, things were complicated again. Sunset needed to get up and take care of her morning routine, but she didn’t want to disturb the sleeping beautiful princess next to her. She wouldn’t mind just staying there and waiting for Twilight to wake up, but she didn’t know when that would be. Plus it did feel kind of awkward to just lie there with Twilight cuddled up next to her, almost as if she was taking advantage of her visitor’s innocence. It didn’t help that the loose pjs had managed to slip down some and so Sunset got a view of Twilight’s upper thigh and panty lace. That just added to her already confused feelings further. Sunset finally managed to find a way to get out of the bed and so she got ready for the morning. As she entered her bedroom again, she heard a soft yawn followed by a sleepy “Morning, Sunset.” Twilight was sitting up in the bed now. The girl’s hair was wonderfully disheveled and she had a sleepy face. Sunset was wondering if there was ever really a moment Twilight wasn’t cute. As the two girls had breakfast, Sunset decided it was time to mention business a little. “So, do you have any idea where you want to start this search?” Twilight gave her a nod, “Yes. It’s kind of vague, but I was thinking me might ask around at some of the hotels and such near the school. They had to stay somewhere while they were here. And I don’t see them staying in the school library.” Twilight gave a little blush here as she added, “I’m probably the only one who thought that was a good idea. I have to admit it wasn’t as nice as I thought it would be. I was really glad Pinkie let me stay with her last time instead.” Sunset gave a little giggle to this. It was kind of funny and staying in a library with a bed of books seemed like the Twilight thing to do. “There are several nice hotels in the area within driving distance to CHS. I think we can stay away from any motels until we have a trail of some kind. I doubt they would stay in just any old place.” Twilight was fiddling with her spoon as she thought about what to do. “Do you have a map of the city, Sunset?” “I actually do have such a map. Most people don’t really have one any more. They just use a GPS unit or their phone if they don’t have the area memorized.” Sunset stood from her table and looked for her map nearby. She blushed a little bit as she had to bend over and other such positions. She oddly felt a little embarrassed getting in them with Twilight watching her. “I used one when I first came to this world because Equestria doesn’t have anywhere near the technology this world has, so I was a little lost in that regard. We really rely on magic for most of everything.” Twilight had a thoughtful look on her face as she asked, “What’s a GPS?” Sunset did a double take. She forgot that Twilight didn’t actually know that much about this world. It seemed weird to her. She knew Twilight was really smart; she wouldn’t be Celestia’s personal student otherwise. Still, being in such a place knowing nothing about it seemed a strange concept to wrap your head around. It didn't matter she was in such a state herself not that many years ago when she first came through the mirror. It’s amazing how quickly she adapted to this world. “GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It’s pretty much this world’s version of a navigation spell except more advanced. It actually displays a map and plots out your travel route using parameters the user sets. It can even reroute based on deviations you make from the route and give you a travel time estimate. It really is amazing, but it's so common here people take it for granted,” Sunset explained. “Wow… I wonder why they first made something like that,” Twilight said not at all hiding her wonderment at the idea of GPS. “I never really looked into why it was made really. I’d bet it was first designed for the military. Most technology in this world comes from the military or other government needs before later being made for civilians.” Sunset found the map and wondered how it managed to get so far in the back of this cabinet. “That’s too bad. Is the civilian version poorly made in comparison?” Twilight asked. She was really enjoying this discussion with Sunset. It wasn’t anything too exciting, but it felt nice and was something friends did when they weren’t busy fighting ancient enemies wishing to destroy everything. Twilight wished she had more moments like this in Equestria, but things always happened there. “Maybe a little at first, but then the civilian companies end up taking it to new heights and improving on it greatly. I found the map. Not really sure how it ended up so far in the back, but it’s still good.” Sunset found an empty space on the table and spread it out. It took her a little while to find where they were, but when she did she circled it and did the same for CHS. “This city looks huge! I’ve never seen anything like this except maybe a couple of places such as Manehatten and Fillydelphia,” Twilight said as she watched Sunset work. The fiery haired girl gave a chuckle. “The human counterparts of those cities make Canterlot look like a small town.” Twilight was amazed as she looked over the map, even though she knew the scale of the map and took that into consideration, the city was still very large. “Wow…” was all she could say. “It’s impressive, but it’s mostly because humans build out instead of up. Also, they don’t have roughly a third of the population capable of living on clouds,” Sunset said. She was hoping this would better put things into perspective for Twilight. Twilight gave a nod but still seemed to wonder at the massive city map. The two then planned their mission and were finally about to get ready to start. {-} {-} {-} Adagio was smiling more than when she woke up that morning. The memories of their recent past were still very much on her mind, but she was more at ease. Things were much better for them now. Also she didn’t want to let her bad memories ruin the day for Sonata. Sonata was happy as they all got into Aria’s BMW and were headed towards the mall. She wasn’t sure why it was shopping made her feel so much happier, especially after her uneasy sleep last night. She figured it had something to do with getting out of their apartment and not having to go to work today. She also figured it was due to her spending the day with both Aria and Adagio. Both of them were in better moods and not as tired as they were last night so the air felt more cheerful. Sonata thought about where they were going. She really hoped the mall store still had that pedant she wanted. One day, when they were taking some time to actually see the area around them, the trio found themselves at the mall they were currently heading towards. At first, they were a little scared to enter the place. They feared they might run into some of the students from CHS. They were far away from that place, but this was a mall. It was a place students might make the longer trip to visit. They could at least feel a little relieved it was a week night and only a couple of hours before the place closed. On that first trip, they were pretty sure most of the CHS students were back home by then or on the way. ----- Flashback starts ----- Once the girls entered the mall, they heard some rather nice music softly playing over the speakers of a nearby store. The trio looked around a little panicked at first and felt relieved when they didn’t recognize anyone in the crowd of people. The three let out a collective sigh they didn’t realize they were holding. They started walking around the mall looking at the different stores. They were happy to see this mall actually had a variety of stores and not all of them clothing stores. The mall had a surprisingly relaxing atmosphere to it for the trio. In the past, they usually loved to stand out, but this time they were content to just mind their own business and not bring attention to themselves. As their trip went on, Adagio was the first to speak as they looked in a window of a shop. “You know, I’ve never really noticed just how much there is to see in a mall before.” “I know what you mean, Dagio. Usually we were all about having everyone’s attention in places like these and you know... making them get all angry with a little push here and there to feed. But we never really did look around such places,” Sonata said with a smile as she moved on to look at a store with stuffed animals. Unheard by the others, Aria said quietly to herself, “I’m glad that’s over.” She didn’t miss the need to constantly feed at all. Their trip ended up going without much fuss. They noticed a surprising amount of teens considering the time, but none of them were from CHS. They felt more at ease and realized this mall was close to the opposing High School in the area, so it seemed most Wondercolts avoided the place because of rivalries. This was fine as far as they were concerned. ---- End Flashback ---- After that first trip to the mall, they made a couple of trips when they had free time and wanted to get out of the apartment. They mostly just looked at items and maybe bought something not too expensive here and there, but that was all. Each trip they felt more relaxed with going to this mall and unknowingly their current situation as well. On one of these trips, the three were looking around a department store when Adagio decided to look at one of the jewelry cases. The pendants inside caught her eye and she showed the others as well. Each of them had felt a little off without their pedants, but not because of the power they held. They loved how the pieces of jewelry looked and it was odd not having something you were used to wearing for as many years as they have lived on this planet. The items were pricey, but not too much and they really wanted them. Now, after having worked for a while, the three of them had the money needed to buy them thanks to budgeting their expenses properly. It also helped no one else seemed to have “suddenly remembered” the girls owed them a lot of money for something. {-} {-} {-} Sonata gave a stretch as she got out of the car in the parking garage. “Ahhh… It feels so good to be out again!” She gave a cheerful smile as she looked around and took in a deep breath. “My car isn’t that bad…" Aria said with a small frown. Her face then returned to its usual expression as she added, "We aren’t really outside even. We’re in a parking garage.” “Besides, you had the sunroof open and your window rolled down the whole way, Sonata. I don’t see too much of a difference here,” Adagio said as she climbed out. “It isn’t that, girls,” Sonata said with a playful roll of her eyes. “I’m just glad we’re out of the house for something other than work for a change.” Her smile grew as she grabbed both of the other girls and led the way. Both Adagio and Aria gave gasps of surprise, but couldn’t help but feel a little happier as Sonata led them to the mall entrance. As they walked through the mall, they passed the food court. Adagio stopped the other two to speak, “If we somehow get split up let’s meet here, okay?” Aria gave a frown as she spoke, “We can take care of ourselves you know, Adagio.” She hated it when the curly haired girl started to act like their mom or older sister or something. She didn’t want Adagio to feel she had to hold their group together on her own. Aria appreciated she did that sometimes, but they were equals and in this together. “Besides. We like, have cell phones, Dagio. Don’t be so like that you know,” Sonata said. She noticed Adagio give a frown and look down to the ground. Sonata gave a warm smile and added, “But I guess it’s a good idea just in case something happens to our phones or something.” She didn’t think it would, but it seemed Adagio felt a little better hearing her agree with the idea. “It seems like Adagio will always try to look out for us no matter what,” Sonata thought as she looked over to the orange haired girl. She also noticed Aria give a barely hidden concerned look to Adagio. Sonata gave a wider smile. It warmed her heart a little when Aria let it show she cared for them, even in small ways. “What are you smiling about?” Aria asked her with her usual neutral look again. “Nothing really! Just really happy to be out and about is all,” she replied and even gave a little bit of an excited cheer to herself. Aria looked her over and shook her head with the faintest hint of a smile. Sonata’s mood was always a bit infectious even after all of the years they had spent with her. “Look, we’re here,” Adagio called to get the others’ attention. They were right in front of the department store where they saw the pendants. This time they weren’t just going to look though. It didn’t take them long to get to the jewelry counter. The clerk behind the desk was the usual lady they saw working it near the display with their pendants. She turned and gave them a friendly saleswoman smile and greeting. “Welcome! What are you looking for to-…” her smile shrunk. “It’s you three again. Go ahead and look, but don’t get in the way of purchasing customers.” Aria gave her a frown. The woman rolled her eyes at the frown. Her teenage daughter gave her similar frowns, so they didn’t have an effect on her. Adagio gave a scoff. “Maybe we should ask another associate to help us then. This time we will buy three pendants.” The woman blinked at them owlishly in disbelief. Her smile then returned with more force and her demeanor changed as well. “Really?” Both Sonata and Adagio nodded to her. Aria’s frown disappeared as the three of them started looking over the pendants. They wanted to check which ones were still available for purchase in case the one’s they really wanted had sold. {-} {-} {-} Twilight felt a little embarrassed as she tried on some new clothes. She had the whole day planned out in her head and even their route plotted in the most travel time efficient way possible using the information Sunset gave her and the map. There was just one problem with the plan. Twilight had forgotten that she had to actually buy clothes to wear this time. “I can’t believe I forgot something so basic…” Twilight mumbled more to herself as she stepped outside the changing room with the last of her new outfits for her stay during the mission. Fortunately, there was a shopping center near Sunset's apartment, but it still took some time. Sunset told her to just get enough clothes for a few days and later she would show her how to wash clothes. Something Twilight had never really had to do before. Even with this decided, she didn’t realize how many clothes there were and how complicated the process could be. Well… complicated for a pony princess who wasn’t used to wearing clothes outside of formal occasions. “Don’t sweat it, Twilight.” Sunset said causally to try and help her friend get over her little funk. “You’re not used to having to wear clothes. I still find it a little hard to believe you only had that one outfit. What did you do on your last two trips here?” “Well…” Twilight started to answer as she blushed deeper. Sunset was torn between feeling bad for her friend and also liking the sight of a blushing Twilight. “I… kind of… didn’t really change my clothes the first trip apart from when I went to the fall formal. I was only here for three days max that time.” “At least on the second trip I knew to bathe and borrowed clean underwear from Rarity,” Twilight finished hoping to somehow make up for her oversight. Sunset blinked a couple of times and looked away as she blushed for some weird reason. It kind of explained a few things she noticed about Twilight those past times now that she thought about it. After regaining her composure, the yellow skinned girl tried to comfort her friend, “See, you’re already learning new things and making up for past mistakes.” Twilight gave a weak smile as she said, “Well a little… Still I didn’t even think to buy extra underwear at first despite knowing better this time.” “Anyways, why don’t we go to the Amphitheater and start our search there?” Sunset asked getting their heads back into the game and deciding they would have to change their original plan regardless. Twilight held a hand to her chin and gave a hum before answering, “I guess that makes sense. My earlier plan is out the window now. A change of scenery and a new approach might somehow give us a better idea on how to now proceed.” Sunset nodded eagerly. She was glad to have gotten out of the previous conversation and Twilight's mind off her “failure”. Sunset forgot how hard and personal Twilight took such things. She thought maybe the Princess of Friendship didn’t let such things get to her usually after everything she had been through in Equestria and at CHS. “Agreed,” Sunset said as she lead the way to the checkout counter and then to her car. As they walked closer to the car, Twilight gave a giggle. “What’s so funny?” “Oh nothing. I just think it’s funny you drive a Mustang is all. Imagine the reactions you would get if you told ponies back in Equestria you ride a Mustang everywhere you go?” Twilight giggled again. Sunset blinked at that. “Did Twilight just make a sex joke?” she thought before laughing as well. She was already starting to learn a little about Twilight as Twilight instead of the Princess of Friendship. Sunset liked this. It was kind of funny too. Mustang was a term used in Equestria for a wild in bed Stallion. “I’m pretty sure I would get gasps at how scandalous such a thing is and/or ponies asking for tips on how they could do the same. Especially if I talk about how long and enjoyable the ride always is or how finely tuned this one mustang is. I could even tell them how expert my handling of such a powerful specimen is.” Sunset gave a smirk as she noticed Twilight’s footsteps stop. Her smirk grew when she turned to see a gaped mouth and blushing princess behind her. There was also a certain look in those purple eyes directed at her, but Sunset wasn’t sure what it meant. She soon however found herself blushing under the gaze. She was thinking maybe she had gone too far with the joke. Twilight seemed to come back to her senses and started to laugh. “That really would be something to see. I would love to see how that ended up playing out.” Sunset laughed as well, though her reaction was more out of relief than finding it funny. She would have hated it if she went too far with a joke and disappointed Twilight. {-} {-} {-} A couple of hours had passed since two of the trio bought their pendants. Both Sonata and Adagio sighed as they held their bags and waited. Adagio picked one with a deep green jewel and a silver casing with a black strap. Sonata picked an orange and yellow colored jewel, it looked like fire or Adagio’s hair, with a brass casing and a black strap. They were now waiting for Aria to pick one. “Aria, you can wait if you want, you know. We can come back another time,” Adagio said in a tired voice. She was getting a little tired of this wait. “I said I was getting one. I’m not going back on my word,” Aria said with a hint of annoyance. There were a lot of choices. There was one she really wanted, but it didn’t go with her image so it was out of the question. She was trying to find a suitable replacement. It wasn’t working too well. Aria again unknowingly drifted towards the pendant she really liked and again Sonata and Adagio noticed. The two looked to each other and soon Sonata whispered into Adagio’s ear. The curly haired girl nodded her head. Sonata stood right next to Aria and “accidentally” looked to where the twintailed girl was looking. “Oooo that one looks really pretty!” She pointed towards the pendant both she and Adagio knew Aria really wanted. The pendant Aria wanted was a pretty one with a pink heart shaped crystal in a brass casing with a black strap. Her eyes lit up when she saw it every time, but it wasn’t something a “tough girl” would wear. It was really “girly”. It was something that suited someone like Sonata better in Aria’s mind. She still really wanted it regardless and she knew it would look good on her. “I think that one would look wonderful on you, Aria! You should get it.” Sonata said with an excited grin. Aria gave her a look that didn't fool either of the others. “Really… You know I’m the tough one right?” Sonata just smiled. “I don’t think so, Sonata.” Sonata then gave her a pout and a sniff. Aria gulped slightly in guilt at the look. “Pleaseeeee, Aria. I think it would look really good on you.” Adagio came up to her and quietly said, “I think you should get it. You know how Sonata gets about these kinds of things when she really wants something. Besides, there isn’t anything wrong with a tough girl wearing something like that. It would give a sort of cool irony to your look.” Aria was determined to remain strong in not getting the pendant she really wanted because of "reasons". She might have stayed strong if it wasn’t for Sonata’s look intensifying and what Adagio said. There was also the fact deep down she really wanted it. Aria pretended to give in to Sonata and acted like she was reluctant to get the pendant as she got the clerk’s attention. The woman gave a friendly smile and took out the pendant Aria pointed to. “Good choice. It really gives your look a certain edge. Almost as if you are taking ‘girly’ and turning it on its head.” She figured out the other two's plan. She thought it kind of funny and pleasant the way these three were acting. Aria gave a smile which she quickly turned into a neutral expression and almost succeeded in hiding the blush on her cheeks that showed how happy she really was to get the pendant. She even put it on right after she paid for it before the others even thought to do the same with their own pendants. “Alright, let’s go!” she said as she led the way to the exit. Adagio and Sonata gave each other smiles and even shared a small giggle. “Let’s head to the food court. I’m hungry,” Adagio said. The other two seemed to feel the same way. {-} {-} {-} After a lunch consisting of sandwiches from Sam’s Subs, Sonata and Aria both wanted to split up and do a little shopping on their own separately. Adagio decided to stay behind alone with her thoughts and just wait at the table where they had lunch. They all cleaned the table before the other two left and she got a refill for her drink. She caressed the new pendant on her neck in thought. It wasn’t anything too fancy and it was very likely a synthetic gem stone, but she liked it never the less. The necklace was merely a pretty thing to most who looked at it, but to Adagio it was something more. It wasn’t something that could easily be described, but she tried to describe it as merely an answer to “feeling naked without a pedant on my neck”. The truth was it represented something more to her for both good and bad reasons. The jewel used in it was a fake that used it’s sparkle and clarity to hide that it wasn’t real. It mesmerized those who looked at it in some manner, but it was still fake. Most didn’t really care if it wasn’t real nor did they bother to look at it more than for it’s appearance alone. The girls had paid for something that was artificial, but still they liked it, despite the fact it wouldn’t even last as long as the real deal would most likely. The pendant made Adagio think of her and the others in a way. Without their magic jewels their seemingly beautiful music was gone. They were no more natural than the stone on her necklace when they sang. They used something else to make their song seem like it was the real deal. In their case, it was magic. It was something they were born with, but their singing was still fake for all that mattered. This was part of the reason the ex-siren didn’t really want to sing again. She was scared. Could they ever sound beautiful anymore? Could their song ever be something more than artificially created? Sonata seemed to think so. “Actually, she only hopes so…” Adagio thought to herself. She knew about all of the tools and tricks in the present world to make songs. Many songs that were popular relied on these tricks and people enjoyed them, but in the end those songs were no more real than the artificial jewel on her necklace. They were pretty and pleasant, but so much had been used to dress the songs up they weren't real anymore. Even if you loved something that was more or less fake, there was still a part that yearned for something real even when it came to music. Maybe even more so when it involved music. That part of a person wanted something that left a lasting impression. It was the reason why some of the more popular songs, who used these tools and tricks, wouldn’t be as popular nor memorable in a few years. Real music left a lasting impression. This is part of the reason why classical music was still appreciated even though it was first created many years ago. Rock music and earlier pop songs that didn’t use such tools as much were similar even if not as likely to leave an impression hundreds of years from now. “Perhaps that’s why people are still drawn to classical instruments. Attending an orchestra performing live can’t be faked. The people are using instruments that weren’t recorded separately and then mixed on a computer.” She gazed more into the jewel she now held in her hand and examined it further. In some twisted sense, she felt similar to this jewel. Her and the others had made beautiful music even if it turned out to be more artificial than she thought it was. However, like the stone in her hand, when compared to the real thing it was found lacking. Sure, the Rainbooms had used magic as well, but it wasn’t used to enhance their music and their singing. What they sang was pure and real while the magic reacted to their song. Something she felt the three of them would never be able to produce themselves. Adagio gave a sigh. “Perhaps I’m thinking too much about a simple pendant,” she said to herself as she took a sip of her drink. She needed to stop thinking these negative thoughts. There was more to the necklace than just negative musings. She wouldn’t have bought something that just reminded her of how artificial she really was and the pain those thoughts gave her. She stretched her arms and checked her phone for something to do. She knew there wouldn’t be anything on it, but it got her mind off such depressing thoughts. The truth was she liked this simple necklace. The other things shouldn’t matter. Yes, the stone was artificially made, but it was still well crafted regardless. It was also something she wanted and bought for herself. No longer did they have to keep their expenses to just necessities and nothing else. Their work could be hard, but it paid them well enough since all three of them were working and splitting living expenses together. It felt nice in a way to her she bought this with her own money. It wasn’t something given to her by a fan or something she conned from the saleswoman using her magic. She got it herself and paid for it. That was really something now that she thought about it. There was also the fact she bought it with Sonata and Aria. They didn’t get matching necklaces or anything like that. They just bought them at the same time, but that was more or less enough for Adagio. She knew some friends would buy similar necklaces together as a way to show their connection with each other. The three of them didn’t need something like that. She didn’t think they were friends or anything anyways. She didn’t know what a friend was really. What she did know was the three of them were already connected deeply with each other whether they liked it or not. She wasn’t too upset by this surprisingly. She never really hated it, despite sometimes claiming otherwise, and lately she liked their bond more and more. Yes. Adagio liked the necklace. But what was more important was she got it with Aria and Sonata. It was also a big plus that Sonata was really excited when they got the pendants together. The curly haired girl gave a smile as she thought, “Nothing else matters. We’re together with each other.” Even if the three of them weren’t friends and never would be friends, they were in this together. They had experienced good things and bad things, but they were always there with each other. In the end as far as their case was concerned, they didn’t need to be friends. They had a strong and pretty good connection together. It didn’t matter that this connection was they weren’t always human and used to be immortal. They still had a deeper connection and understanding about things that others never would have and it caused them to unknowingly grow closer to each other. Adagio took in a deep breath and let it out. She was about to use her phone, but she saw Aria and Sonata coming over to her again at last. She gave them a smile as she said, “About time you two returned. I was about to text and ask what the holdup was.” “We’re back now,” Sonata said with a huge smile holding a few bags in her hands from several different stores all across the mall. Adagio wondered how she had time to make it to each of the stores on her own. The two hadn’t really been gone that long, but then again it was Sonata. The blue haired girl had so much energy she probably bounced from store to store in a matter of seconds. “Shall we go home now?” Aria asked. She had a few bags as well, but they were from a few stores close together in the mall. Regardless, it was rather obvious, despite her insistence going to the mall and shopping was something too girly for her, Aria had enjoyed the day. Adagio gave the other two a smile as she threw her drink away and said, “Sounds like a plan.” She led the others back to the parking garage and teased Aria a little by saying quietly, "Looks like someone had a lot fun despite pretending not to." Aria blushed in response and sped up her step a little. Adagio gave a small lighthearted laugh at the response. Sonata's smile didn't change in size or anything, but she felt warmer inside being with the others like this. She was proud of herself. She had pestered Adagio and Aria a little to go on this trip over the last few days. She was glad to see she was right to guess it was something they all needed and wanted. {-} {-} {-} Twilight and Sunset where standing in the amphitheater where this mission had really first begun. It was also where Twilight had felt she first messed up as the Princess of Friendship. A lot had actually happened that night, which felt so long ago now. She saw her human friends really fight for the first time on that trip. She admitted she was actually wrong in a way. She did at least say a counter spell wasn’t the answer. Twilight also saw how great of a friend Sunset, a former villain, could be when she wasn’t punishing herself or too afraid to speak up. Twilight looked over to where Sunset was examining the stage. The purple haired girl thought of how she actually learned a lesson on friendship herself that day. She was grateful to Sunset for this, but at the same time she felt a little embarrassed admitting it out loud. Twilight was a little conflicted on the subject of Sunset Shimmer. She knew the former pony had inadvertently put her on some sort of pedestal. The Princess of Friendship kind of liked being seen that way, but at the same time she didn’t really want to stay that way. Sure, they had a mentor and student thing just starting. The thing was Twilight didn’t want this relationship be like it was between Celestia and herself. No. Twilight wanted a different kind of relationship with Sunset. The princess wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted that relationship to be. She seemed to sense Sunset was kind of in a similar position. They needed to figured this out. She had a feeling once she and Sunset did something really wonderful would blossom. She wasn't sure what, but it was something she wanted to see. Twilight shook her head and got her mind back onto the mission. She looked back to the Siren incident as a whole. “Those three really did make it a spectacle and loved all of the attention and status their songs brought them,” she thought as she remembered the songs the trio sang. Twilight blinked her eyes as a thought started to form in her mind. “Hey, Sunset?” “Hmmm?” Sunset replied as she seemed to be really studying the ground in some vain attempt to find a clue from something that happened so long ago while also trying to avoid thinking on the awkward silence. “How would you describe the Dazzlings. As normal girls?” Twilight asked. Sunset looked over to Twilight in thought. She understood what Twilight was asking. Her friend was asking what the trio was like despite their music and Siren status. “Full of themselves. Only wanting the best of everything and still not being happy with it. They expected everyone to bow to their whims like servants. I’d say they seemed like well… Spoiled rich bitches.” The fact she was similar at first wasn't lost on Sunset. Twilight smiled and gave a laugh. “Can it be that easy…?” “What are you thinking, Twilight?” Sunset asked as she looked over with a puzzled expression. The princess just nodded to herself. “I suppose it wouldn’t be too bad of an idea…” Twilight gave another nod to herself. “What is the richest and fanciest hotel in the area? Does it have something like a Penthouse suite?” “That’d be the Grand Gala Hotel. I’m sure it has a Penthouse Suite. Why do you ask?” Sunset asked wondering where Twilight was going with this. “Well, spoiled rich brats aren’t going to settle for just fancy, especially if they’re used to getting everything they want with ease,” Twilight said as her smile grew. Sunset sighed and shook her head at how the rather obvious solution. Twilight giggled and said, “I know right? It seems so simple, but we didn’t think about it. We don’t need to look at multiple hotels for where the Dazzling’s trail starts.” “We only need to go to the fanciest of them all in the area.” Sunset sighed again before she gave a little laugh as well. “I can’t believe neither of us thought of that sooner.” Twilight came over and placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “I’m a bit out of sorts really and we’ve been preoccupied with other things. Like me having to get new clothes.” Sunset rolled her eyes and would have said something, but the Purple haired girl cut her off, “Let’s go and check out the Grand Gala Hotel.” Sunset nodded with a smile and led the way back to the car.