She sucked in her cheeks and pushed her ponytail so that it rested on her back instead of her shoulder. Thanking Sunset for the microwaved pasta, she dug in quietly as her new friend and confidante joined her on the couch with her own pasta.
Her first hot meal in two weeks or so. Sonata tried her best to match the speed at which Sunset ate, not wanting the girl to comment on how starved she was if she ate as fast as her body told her to.
The hot pasta, slathered in thick sauce burned her tongue, she quietly gasped to try and cool the food in her mouth, then silently swallowed the bite.
"Sooo..." Sunset broke the silence. "Is there anything you want to ummm.. Share?" She raised her eyebrows, her bright, alert cyan eyes emanating concerned curiosity.
Sonata awkwardly shifted in her seat before hesitantly meeting Sunset's gaze.
"It's really confusing," She began amidst mouthfuls of pasta. "I know what's happened this past month or so. I'm really angry with Dagi and Aria right now, but since things are pretty much over, there's little I can do."
She started to wring her hands. "It's the fact that I know what's going on, that makes everything come down so suddenly, you know that kind of feeling?"
Sunset slowly nodded.
"To put it simply, I don't even know where to start picking up the pieces. I know I have to follow some order of actions to turn it not so poopy, but right now, I just don't know what to do." Her delivery was quiet and narrow. She shook her head before letting her gaze fall again.
A knowing smile stretching her lips, Sunset Shimmer placed her hand upon Sonata's.
"With all this pain and anger, you can't see a way out." She chuckled, finding it relieving that she had put things far enough behind to make light of her past mistakes. "I've been there too. But thankfully my friends were there to help stick everything back together, just like I'll be here to do that for you as well," She assured, giving the Siren's hand a firm squeeze.
"I'm not too sure about your available course of action. But there's something I know for sure, Sonata. First things first, you're going back to school."
"I can't go back!" Sonata began to protest, pulling her hand out of Sunset's grasp.
"I know the school's gonna be brimming with people holding grudges and whatnot, but I want you to give this a chance," the ex-demon pleaded. "Canterlot High's the only school around here for miles, there's another school called Crystal Prep in the neighbouring town, but their entrance exams would send most prospective students looking to enroll off in disappointment, it's a prep school for a good reason." She took a moment to run her hand through her red and yellow hair.
Sonata made a hint of a pout before puffing out her cheeks. Sunset had come to find Sonata's cheeks to be adorable. The Siren before her eviction had a little baby fat on her face, her jawline and chin were visible, but her cheeks slightly rounded out in a way that resembled a chipmunk or baby giraffe. Sunset resolved to tease Sonata about storing seeds in her chubby cheeks someday, but for now she still seemed malnourished and sunken, albeit her relatively intact voluptuosity.
"Besiiiides," She continued, "The girls and I would be close by, so you can look for us if something's amiss or blue!"
Sonata crossed a leg over the other and traced her jaw with her thumb as she contemplated, her eyes narrowing.
Sunset tutted. "It'll be fine, Sonata, I'll go to and fro school with you."
"But then everyone's gonna be really mad at me and stuff..."
"If you give it a try Sonata..." Sunset stopped mid-sentence, letting the suspense build up. "I'll take you to Sugarcube Corner tomorrow."
The effect was, as expected, instant.
"For realsies?!" Sonata jumped at the statement, then leant forward, grinning widely for the first time today.
"Mhm!" Sunset brightly confirmed, her fiery curls shaking as she nodded. "I'll re-introduce you to the girls as well!"
"Oh." Sonata again grasped an elbow. "I-I'm uhh.. Not too ready to er... Meet them yet," She stuttered. "C-can't you just make it the.." A sheepish pleading smile started to show on her lips as her hand sought the back of her head.
"...Can't you just make it the two of us..?" A pink blush fell over her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze to hide behind her fringe.
"Sure thing, tell me when you're feeling up to it and I'll take you to them," Sunset agreed. "So for tomorrow, it'll just be the two of us."
Sonata broke into a small, pleasant smile, one of contentment. Sunset returned the smile and ruffled the Siren's hair. "Finish up, finish up." She urged. "All that venting must've been exhausting. Finish up and you can use my shower before you go to bed, don't spend the night on that lumpy couch again!"
"Yeeeessss moooooommmm," Sonata sarcastically rolled her eyes.
"Can you not," Sunset broke into laughter, only to be joined soon by Sonata.
"Soooooo, I'm taking that you're attending school tomorrow?" Asked Sunset once the laughing subsided.
"Yep!"
"Great, now don't make me have to drag you out of bed again..."
"You didn't even manage to!" Sonata blew a raspberry.
Sunset's eyes narrowed at the challenge. "Oh, I have other ways to get you out of bed, Sonata..."
A quizzical raised eyebrow.
"Hmmm? What ways?"
The ex-demon's lips cracked into a devious grin.
"IN WAYS LIKE THIS!" Sunset Shimmer began to ferociously tickle Sonata in her sides and armpits, maintaining the grin as the helpless Siren let out an adorable series of yelping squeals and began to squirm under her assault.
Closing her homework binder, Sunset Shimmer stretched in her chair, covering her mouth as it grew to produce a long, tired yawn. Flicking off the small desk lamp sent her bedroom into pitch black darkness. Checking to see if her hair was dry, she wrung it out a few more times just to make sure before walking over to the bed.
She felt around for the covers, then started to slip into bed when a pair of warm blue arms received her sleepy form, pulling her close. Further inspection told Sunset that Sonata was asleep, so she allowed herself into the Siren's soft warm embrace, taking in the smell of her shampoo as she wriggled into a comfortable position.
Turning over to face the sleeping Sonata, Sunset opted to wrap her own arms around her as well, the sleeping Siren seemed to take notice, as Sunset felt herself being hugged tighter and closer, and returned the gesture. That elicited a faint sighing mmmmm, barely audible, but Sunset swore the sound was there.
Even before her eyes had adjusted to the dark of the room, Sunset could already feel Sonata's contented, silly smile, and took small pride in knowing that she had afforded the Siren such feelings, when just a few hours ago, the angry, pained atmosphere had dominated the apartment.
She was too sleepy to make any more inference of all of this, and neither did she honestly mind the extra person in her bed. Draping an orange-skinned leg over Sonata's hip, Sunset shut her eyes as her housemate, for the second time this evening, snuggled her face into Sunset's shoulder, both former villains enjoying the smooth warmth of each other's embrace.