In. Out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Sunset Shimmer steadily took in slow and deep breaths to calm herself, mentally preparing for the hot water she was about to dive into. The hallway around her, whether from actual temperature or the tension of the situation, felt considerably colder than it would've been on any other occasion. The wall she was leaning against might as well have been biting into her back with its touch, even with the protection of her jacket. But she kept herself there, knowing that she wouldn't have to sit there for long. The Dazzlings were approaching, and if they read the atmosphere, they would stop and face her down. She would only have a select amount of time if she wasn't right on the money concerning their abilities. But if everything went well, this wouldn't take long.
She was thankful her friends weren't around to see this. If they knew what she was about to do, they certainly wouldn't have taken it lightly. They might have even denounced her as going back to her old ways. She herself wasn't exactly prideful for the goal she had in mind. But against such ruthless creatures, any and all stops had to be pulled. It was already made clear as to how far they would go for the sake of themselves. They had manipulated the entire school to go against itself, leeching off of the resulting negative energy in order to enhance their power. But the worst of it was that they showed no remorse for their actions, and would even laugh at the pain of others. Such had been demonstrated when they mocked the sight of Twilight Sparkle crying under Flash Sentry's hostile behavior. The very thought of it boiled her blood, keeping the doubts she had in check. She might've not been in a position to do anything to stop them. But she could rattle their foundations, attempt to stir the very same emotions they had stirred up within Canterlot High.
It wouldn't be easy. Unlike Twilight, who had served as little more than cornered prey, these were fully-fledged sharks. Any sign of weakness would be meet with teeth sharp enough to rip her to shreds. It was something she had picked up particularly from the leader in contrast to her two underlings, who seemed to be more willing to slink back behind her and let her do most of the work. It saved Sunset a lot of trouble; while she was originally going to aim for all three of them, she could easily target the head and do just as much damage. But even so, following through would still be difficult. Adagio Dazzle was just as malicious as Sunset had been before Twilight came into the picture, if not worse. It was a matter of playing her cards right and hoping that luck was on her side.
Just as she made sure she was completely composed, she opened her eyes back up - just in time to see them approach.
They strode confidently, as per their usual motif. Aria Blaze had her arms folded across her chest and looking somewhere else in what appeared to be a disinterested huff. Sonata Dusk's gait was more carefree, composed and yet holding a bit of bounce to it. She too was, for whatever reason, keeping her gaze off to the wall closest to her with a somewhat goofy grin on her face. Adagio was the only one looking forward, exuding her indomitable nature within each and every step that she took as well as the smug smile on her face. After everything that happened, seeing that grin brought about the strong desire to punch the girl in the face. But she kept it in, waiting ever so patiently until the leader met her gaze.
This is for you, girls.
Sunset hardened her stare as she watched Adagio stop her lackeys. Stern green eyes met inquiring magenta, and her voice spoke with tinges of ice clinging to her tone. "You're not going to get away with this."
Adagio's grin momentarily grew wider, briefly alerting Sunset. "Why?" She questioned, having clearly anticipated this. "Because you didn't?"
Sunset's heart skipped a beat, the firmness in her expression quickly giving way to surprise. She hadn't expected her opponent to go on the offensive so quickly, and the taunting words struck at her heart like an armor-piercing smirk. She fought back her apprehension when Adagio began to circle her, giving a scowl and a narrowing of the eyes as a show of defiance. Adagio didn't seem too phased by it, continuing to speak those nasty words to her. "Oh, we know all about you, Sunset Shimmer. You've got quite the reputation here at Canterlot High."
Stay calm. Don't let her get to you.
"Yeah?" Sunset commented, pointedly ignoring Aria as she too followed Adagio's circling path. The shark comparisons were becoming too clear now. "And just what exactly would you newbies know about me?"
"Only that you were the terror of Canterlot High." Aria answered, giving her own smug grin as she passed Sunset's back. "Ruling the school with blackmail, turning one student against another if you needed to, making everyone's lives so miserable in the process. Just an all-natural bad girl, weren't you?" It was clear that this wasn't flattery from one baddie to another. It was an attempt to get under Sunset's skin, to undermine all of her efforts at being a good person as to opposed to what she was before. It was only seconds in, and already they were gaining too much ground on her.
"And now," Adagio continued, continuing to pressure her quarry. "You're at the bottom of the pile, trying so hard and failing to get on everyone's good graces. Getting glared at, spit on and shoved around like scum. I can only imagine how miserable your existence has become thanks to your own mistakes..."
And there it was - a window of opportunity.
"Then you understand what's going to happen to you if you keep this up, don't you?" Sunset asked, straightening herself up and finding it in her to bring back a piercing glare. "You know where you three are going to end up if you don't stop this."
Both of her would-be predator's stopped in surprise, with Aria and Sonata in front while Adagio stood behind her. It was here that Sunset noted that Sonata had not made any attempt at joining in. Although she had been grinning at her partners' actions against Sunset, she had kept herself right where she was.
After regarding her with bemusement, Adagio shook her head and chuckled. "Oh?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in humor. "And what makes you think that we'll make the same mistakes that you did, hm?"
Sunset turned around to face Adagio, hands on her hips. "You're not doing much of a good job to convince me otherwise." She mentally smirked when she saw Adagio's smile fade away as quickly as it had come, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and slight annoyance. Sunset made to pace in front of Adagio, folding one hand behind her back while casually inspecting her nails with the other. "I mean, look at you. You seem to like making sure that everyone believes you're untouchable. The way you walk, speak and handle yourself... it just screams "I'm the Queen, and everyone else is just a bunch of ants running around my feet". With the work you've been doing, I can't blame you too much for it. Having people bow to you and fight each other for your amusement... it must really make you feel that there's not a person in the world who could ever come to your level."
She paused in both words and step for a moment, folding her arms across her chest and giving a small smirk. "I bet that's the exact same attitude you had when you tried going up against Star Swirl the Bearded, wasn't it?"
And just like that, the confidence in Adagio shattered. Sunset took in every detail with pleasure; the Siren's pupils dilated, her teeth clenched in a barely restrained snarl and her lax stance became stiff and rigid. Although she was turned away from them, Sunset could also feel the shock radiating from the two underlings. "...what did you say?" The lead Dazzling asked quietly, a mixture of incredulity and rage being made out from her whisper.
Sunset couldn't help but grin wider. "Yeah. Nothing but some little pony to be tossed around like all the rest, right? You came at him, thinking he'd be so easy to deal with. And then, he defeated you. He banished you here, made you crawl through a pile of garbage to recover. Even now, you're still not that much different from a rat. Stealing scraps of negative energy, hiding under everyone else's shadow," She worked up the nerve to approach Adagio, coming closer and closer until they were face to face. "And yet you still have the audacity to act like you're on top. I can't help but pity you, Dazzle, knowing just how deep in denial you are about your--"
She wouldn't get to finish that sentence.
Adagio's hands thrust forward like snakes, grasping the front of Sunset's jacket. With a burst of strength, the Siren pulled her prize and slammed it back-first into the lockers. The sound made Sunset's ears wince, and she hissed in pain at the ferocious contact. But the pain was nothing compared to the fear that gripped her heart when she saw the look on Adagio's face. The restraints had been pulled off, allowing for a look of rage that absolutely did not belong on the woman's face. The snarl made from her mouth was something she had thought too terrifying to fit on a human face, and the livid glare would've probably disintegrated Sunset ten times over if looks were capable of killing. It was enough to make the pony-turned-human flinch, especially when that voice came to play again.
"You have some nerve spitting on the likes of me, human!" Adagio seethed, the nails of her fingers digging against Sunset's chest. "Talking like you know who I am! What would someone like you know about me?! You're nothing but a spoiled brat, and the only accomplishments you've ever had was some stupid and pointless high school title! You're nothing compared to me! You know nothing about me! Nothing!"
"Maybe not!" Sunset grunted, turning her head this way and that in order to free herself a little from Adagio's vice-grip. "But I do know that you're acting a lot like I did before I was taken down a couple of notches. You know the ones you've been turning everyone against? More specifically, do you know the one who spoke against you in the gymnasium?" At this, Adagio's fury had a bit of confusion within it. "She was my enemy too, once upon a time. No, more than that. Had things not gone the way they did, she would've been my direct successor."
"Successor?" Adagio repeated. "What are you on about?"
"You see," Sunset explained, managing another mocking grin. "I wasn't always some spoiled brat stuck on becoming a prom queen. I was the apprentice to one of the most powerful figures in Equestria - Princess Celestia. Well over a thousand years old, powerful enough to have the Sun itself under her beck and call and a key figure of Equestria's history. I learned many things from her, and had it not been for me getting a big head, I would've learned a lot more. That girl, Twilight Sparkle, was able to pick up from where I left off. She accomplished much more than I ever did, defeating foes that would make people like you cry yourself to sleep at night."
Adagio gave a sneer, causing Sunset to emit another pained hiss when her nails started to dig deeper. "She didn't seem so tough crying when her boyfriend said those nasty words to her, did she?"
For the briefest of moments, Sunset felt fury spike through her again, and she couldn't help the short look of indignation that crossed her face. It almost caused Adagio to regain that smirk of hers once again, until the words of retaliation were spoken. "You think simple words are going to take her down, just like that? It may hurt. But she'll get back up, and she'll hit you harder for it. Someone like you couldn't keep a good girl down even if you tried your hardest to. I know that personally, Adagio. I pulled out all the stops against her in order to ensure that she and her friends couldn't use anything against me. But just when I thought I had her backed into a corner, she had me down for the count. Don't you ever read your fairy tales? No matter how much the villain tries, he or she will always be overcome by the hero. And if I couldn't beat her..."
She chuckled darkly. "Well, you haven't a chance in Tartarus, little fish."
That was enough to push Adagio past the point of regaining composure. Without hesitation, she took one hand off of Sunset's jacket and balled it into a fist to meet her target's face. "I'LL SHOW YOU LITTLE!!"
But fortunately for Sunset, she was waiting for this. With her left hand, she reached up and grasped Adagio's pendant. The sudden motion caused Adagio to stop her attack, indignant eyes swinging to her object of desire clutched in her target's hand. The few seconds of distraction was enough to keep her from noticing Sunset raising her other hand, balling it up into a fist. All of the fury that had been instilled in her came back full force for this very moment. The offending hand was practically tingling with the power needed to drive the nail in, to demonstrate just how wrong Adagio was when it came to her status. She was going to prove just how "touchable" the Siren really was in this world.
She swung that fist, her knuckles crashing into the target jaw side.
Because of her position, she couldn't muster up enough power to do much damage. Although it was enough to send her off, enough to stagger her and enough to warrant looks of surprise from Sonata and Aria, it was still oh so unsatisfactory. She wanted the wench to feel pain, not only from the punch, but from the sheer humiliation from getting hurt from the one she boasted on being beneath her. So when she got into a better position, she pulled her opposite hand back, moved herself forward when Adagio swung her head back around and let that fist fly. Adagio couldn't raise her hand quick enough to intercept it, her opposite jaw side being met with the unrestrained force. This time, she was sent off of her feet, her arms barely preventing her from making a face-plant against the floor. But judging from the pained groans and a hand coming up to meet the mouth, Sunset knew that some damage had been done. She gave a satisfied smirk, even as Aria and Sonata finally broke out of whatever trances they had been pulled in to rush in front of their fallen leader.
Celestia, that felt too good to be true.
It was here that she took note of Aria and Sonata's respective expressions. They were sporting looks of anger and defiance - or at the very least, attempting to. But there were hints that gave off the impression that they weren't that loyal to their respective leader. Aria looked as if she was forcing it, and it even appeared that she was trying to hold back a grin. Sonata looked genuine in her own countenance, but mixed in with the anger was a clear sense of wariness. Sunset couldn't blame her; that short demonstration of violence probably would've been enough to warrant fear from anyone. The grin on her face certainly didn't help matters, especially when she saw Adagio scramble on her feet.
"Careful, Dagi," She taunted, raising up her fist threateningly. "If you mess up that pretty face of yours too much, how will your adoring fans ever look at you the same way?"
"Attention! Next up are the Dazzlings!"
That announcement prevented Adagio from making any action of retaliation against Sunset. She shoved past Sonata and Aria despite the latter's protesting grunt, keeping her head lowered and a hand to her mouth. As she moved past Sunset, those green eyes would take in a sharp and murderous glare. "This isn't over." She hissed, her free hand grasping the door handle. "By the time I'm finished with you, I'll make sure to leave nothing behind." She swung that glare over towards her two subordinates, jerking her head in a gesture to follow her before heading through the door. Seeing her figure retreat through the doors allowed Sunset to pull back from the rage she had used, and she placed a hand against her heart in an effort to calm herself down. Once again, she was thankful that her friends had not been around to see what she did. If they saw how she acted here, just what exactly would they have said to her?
"So someone finally wiped that smug look off her face?" She jerked her head back up in surprise when she saw Aria saunter past, giving her a smirk that spoke of a semblance of respect. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a more fearful Sonata dart past in order to follow right behind her leader. The purple Siren seemed to take her time, her gait as calm and deliberate as it was before as she spoke. "Congrats." She said, placing her hand on the door handle and looking back. "You're now one of two." She pushed the door open and stepped inside, leaving Sunset alone as it shut.
With the last Siren gone from her presence, the tension from the atmosphere eased and she was allowed to breathe much more easily. But now, the question remained. Had she did it? Would the words exchanged here make a difference in the long run, or would it have only a temporary effect in the long run? Only time would tell, but she prayed that the line she crossed would be worth it. She wouldn't regret raising such a violent hand against such a remorseless enemy, but she knew that she was risking the betrayal of herself. She did not want to make this commonplace, lest she truly wanted to fall back to her old ways. After regaining her thoughts and her composure, she exhaled a breath and made her way to the entrance door.
"Here's me having my fingers crossed..." She muttered, pushing her way inside.
"Adagio..." Sonata began hesitantly, looking at the hunched over Siren. "Are you--"
"I'm fine!" Adagio spat, finally managing to take her hand from her mouth to assess the damage. The sight of a tooth as well as a few droplets of blood in her palm earned her glare. She tossed the tooth away, balling up her free fist and gritting her teeth. "I'm fine..." She repeated, the line having to be forced through the gaps.
Aria cocked an eyebrow, placing her hands on her hips. "The bruises on your face say otherwise." She ignored the glare Adagio gave her, shrugging. "Look at this way. With them under our spell, I don't think they'd care either way. The Rainbutts are too busy getting reamed out by the competition to get any shots in on you."
Adagio gave a harsh sigh, carelessly wiping her blood-covered palm on an initially oblivious Aria's vest. "Thank you, Aria. That makes me feel so much better." She growled sarcastically.
"What are you--AGH!!" Aria flinched back when she saw what Adagio was doing, looking down at her now-stained vest in disgust. "Really, Adagio?! I got these clothes for a reason!! Jeez!!" She gave her own glare at the Dazzling leader, causing Sonata to giggle.
"Well, with them under our spell, I don't think they'd care either way, right?" Adagio mocked, then swiftly changed subjects. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can carry out our plans and--"
"The sooner we can get back to Equestria and take over again, right?" Aria drawled, futilely attempting to brush the blood off much to Sonata's amusement.
"No." Adagio answered, turning herself to face the curtain separating the three from the audience. Underneath a cold expression was that anger that Sunset had spurred within her, barely restrained from making its way to the surface again. However, as much as she tried, she couldn't keep a sliver of that fury from coming out to her voice. "The sooner I get the chance to put Little Miss Shimmer's lights out permanently. The takeover can wait."
Aria rolled her eyes, but moved up to step beside Adagio as Sonata herself moved to the other flank. "Whatever you say, Dazzle."