In the old days, I might've been able to ignore the sight of a fifteen year-old girl—even if I knew she wasn't really fifteen—alone and crying as she asked me for help. I might've turned the other way, or even made fun of her for it. But without the self-obsessed, power-hungry darkness there to block it out, I couldn't ignore the overwhelming sense of empathy. It's disturbing how much of a bitch I used to be, and more so that I was actually proud of it.
We sat down at an empty corner table in the school cafeteria, and I pushed her a tray of food, along with a handful of tissues. I frowned as Sonata wiped her eyes and blew her nose. It echoed around the big room.
There were dozens of plain tables and chairs in neat lines down the length of the tiled floor, but since lunch didn't officially start for another half-hour, there were only six or seven other students dotted about, plus the cook behind the food counter. It meant we had a little peace and quiet, for now at least.
“Thanks,” Sonata said with a sniffle.
“No problem,” I said, giving her an awkward half-smile. It was surreal to see her like this, after what I'd seen her do just a few months ago.
Sonata was a Siren. One of three creatures banished here from Equestria, the other world. If you've heard the folklore, you know the gist of it. Their voices are imbued with magic in such a way that their songs can influence or outright control people's emotions, turning people against one another, making them fall in love, and generally spreading chaos. That chaos makes the Sirens' magic stronger, which they then use to create more conflict, and so the cycle continues.
We broke that cycle—my friends and I—when Sonata and her two friends... sisters, whatever... came to Canterlot High to try and suck the Equestrian magic out of us. Twilight led us in a counterspell that destroyed the amulets they used to amplify their power, and without them, the Sirens lost their hold over the students. They ran, and we hadn't seen them since. 'Until now.'
“So, can you tell me what exactly is going on?” I asked, once she'd finished blowing her nose.
She put the tissue on the table, stared at it for a moment, then met my eyes. “Adagio and Aria are missing.”
“Missing,” I repeated. “As in...?”
“I'm not sure,” Sonata said. “Aria said she was going out with friends on Friday night, but she never came back. Adagio told me not to worry about it, but then she left yesterday to go and meet someone, and she didn't come back either.” Sonata's frown deepened. “I've tried calling them, but Adagio's phone is off and Aria isn't picking up. I don't know where they are, or if they're okay, and I'm-- I'm--” She started tearing up again.
“Hey, it's alright,” I said, reaching out to touch her hand. Might as well surrender to the surreality, I figured. Centuries-old or not, she looked like a girl and was acting like a girl—I didn't want to see her crying again. “I'm sure they wouldn't leave you alone on purpose. We'll figure this out, okay?”
'Wow, Sunset, don't make any promises you can't keep...'
She sniffled and nodded, managing to hold back the tears. She asked, “What do you think happened to them?”
I curled my lip and thought about it. It wasn't unheard of for someone to go out on Friday night and turn up in the middle of the next week. I knew I'd gone on a couple of benders in my time. And I could think of at least one likely reason for staying overnight after 'going to meet someone'. For neither of them to be answering their phones was a little weird though.
“Have they done this before?” I asked, taking my hand back.
“No,” she said. “I mean, sometimes Aria goes out and doesn't come back 'til the next morning, but she's never been gone this long. Adagio's never done that though—she always says when she's coming back, and she always does.”
“But not this time.”
Sonata shook her head. Her eyes drooped, and she looked down at the table again.“It's not like her at all. But I guess she's changed a lot since we lost our magic. They both have.”
I twigged on that. “What do you mean?”
“Well, singing was basically our life,” said Sonata, with a shrug. “We've always done it, since we were born. It's how we got people to do what we wanted. Now we can't do that anymore, and it's... well, it's weird. None of us know what we're supposed to do now.”
I found myself nodding along. I'd had to learn to live without my magic when I first came to this world. Losing something I'd had for my entire life, it was like losing a limb—I suddenly had to figure out how to operate my body all over again. I was young though, so 'my entire life' wasn't all that long, and I adapted quickly enough. I guess the Sirens didn't have that luxury. Immortals didn't tend to be all that flexible, especially when something that'd been constant for hundreds of years suddenly changed.
“Aria started drinking,” Sonata went on. “Like, a lot. She says she goes out with friends, but she always comes home real late, drunk. Or hungover, the next day. I've asked her to stop—'cause it's scary, and I never know what she's doing—but she's just getting more and more angry about it. I'm kinda scared to talk to her anymore.”
I licked my lips, not sure I wanted to hear the answer to what I was about to ask. It wasn't obvious, but then, it never was. “She hasn't... done anything, has she?”
Sonata stared at me. “What do you mean?”
I tried to read her. I couldn't. “Nothing. What about Adagio?”
“She hasn't been herself either. Normally, when Aria did stuff like that, Adagio would be the one to tell her off. I mean, that's her job, she's our big sister. But since we lost our magic—” She broke off and bit her lip, hesitating.
I wanted to press, but held off. This wasn't easy for her. I hadn't even begun to think how difficult it was gonna be for me to try and talk her through it. 'One thing at a time, Sunset.' I waited 'til she was ready.
“—she's been... acting weird,” she finished, lamely.
“Weird how?” I asked.
Sonata shook her head. “Like, at first, she seemed okay. She was telling us it'd all be fine, that she'd get our magic back somehow. She started trying everything she could to put her amulet back together.”
I furrowed a brow. “I thought we had all the pieces locked up.”
Sonata flushed. “A-Adagio kinda got a handful of them before we ran off. Like I said, she thought she could fix it.”
I rolled my jaw. That was bad news. If Adagio got her magic back, I had a feeling she wasn't going to live and let live. She had to be pissed. And since, in her eyes, the whole ordeal was my fault, it wasn't hard to guess who she'd be coming after.
“Did she?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. “Fix it, I mean.”
“No,” said Sonata. I let out a breath of relief. “She tried for ages. She got all kinds of books and websites on human magic, and spent forever locked in her room, trying to figure out how she could use it to get ours back.”
I grunted. I'd tried that. The only solution I could figure out was to go back to Equestria and steal an artefact that had magic of its own. That worked, but it didn't end well.
“I could understand why she was doing it,” said Sonata. “I really want my magic back too. But she hasn't stopped. She spends every day reading, and all night. I don't think she sleeps. And she doesn't talk about anything else. It's like she doesn't care about anything anymore—she didn't even really care when Aria didn't come back.”
“Sounds obsessed,” I muttered.
Sonata shrugged.
“And what about you?”
She tilted her head at me. “Huh?”
I waved a hand. “You've had your magic for as long as either as them. You have to feel something, right?”
She looked down at the table, and took her time. “I guess, maybe. I'm tired all the time. And hungry. And I cry too much. Aria said so. I wanna talk to them, but they're too busy with their stuff.” She sighed. “Now that you mention it, I feel like poop.”
I let out a long breath through my nose. Denial, obsession, depression. What a mix. I guess everyone deals with loss in their own way. Or fails to deal with it, as was obviously the case. It didn't sound like any of them were coping particularly well. And who was responsible for taking away their magic in the first place? 'Yes, I'd like a side order of guilt with my day, please.'
“I'm sorry, Sonata,” I found myself saying. “I know what it's like to lose something. But it won't be like this forever—it gets better, in time.” My smile flickered as I said it. 'God, that sounds so cliché when I say it out loud.'
She shook her head. “I don't see how. Like I said, singing is our life. Without our magic—”
“Look,” I interrupted. “Not to be blunt, but if you've come here to ask me to give your magic back, I really can't help you. Even if I knew how to do it—which I don't, I barely understand how magic even works in this world—I couldn't just return the power you used to try to take over the world a few months ago.”
Her frown deepened. Her eyes said she understood. They also said she was going to start crying again.
I huffed. “Don't cry. Maybe there's... something else I can do for you.”
She sniffled. “Like what?”
'Yeah, Sunset. Like what?'
“I'm thinking,” I said. I racked my brain, trying to come up with something other than 'comforting words'—Twilight might've been able to pull that off, but I didn't think there was anything I could say that would make it all better. Returning her magic wasn't an option. I couldn't very well just run off and hunt down her sisters. Or rather, I could try, but I wasn't likely to find them. What else could I do?
“Alright, hold on a sec,” I said, getting to my feet. “I'm gonna make a phone call.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
I stepped back from the table and pulled my phone from my jeans' pocket, stopping to look back at her before I dialled. “You should eat something. You look pale.”
She glanced down at the tray of food I'd brought for her and poked at the salad bowl. “I don't really feel like eating.”
“I thought you just said you were hungry all the time?”
She gave it a sluggish thought, then shook her head without saying anything.
“Suit yourself.”
I turned around and took a few steps away, so she wouldn't be able to eavesdrop, then checked the numbers on my speed dial. My friends, a couple of boys I used to date—not sure why I kept their numbers—and the guy who ran the guitar shop in town. I was pretty sure Shred Solo wasn't gonna be much help here. Rarity might've been able to help, but she was in class right now.
I puffed out my cheeks, shrugged, and pressed '4'. The phone on the other side rang once, and I pulled mine back from my ear just in time.
“Hi Sunset how ya doin'?!” the voice yelled, without punctuation.
“Hey, Pinkie,” I said. “You know, you don't have to shout when your mouth is right over the receiver.”
“Yup-a-rooney.”
I rolled my eyes, but smiled. “Have you got a minute to talk? You're not in class, are you?”
“Nope. I'm on a break so I ran home for lunch.”
“But... you live on the other side of—” I shook my head. “Never mind. I've got kind of a problem.”
“Those are the worst kinds,” she said, sagely. “What's up?”
I glanced back over my shoulder. Sonata was poking at her bowl of salad with a plastic fork. “You remember the Sirens?”
“The ones who invaded the school during the musical showcase earlier this year and turned it into a Battle Of The Bands so everyone would fight each other so they could get more power for their magic and take over the world?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, vaguely. Why?”
“Well, the little one showed up at school this morning...”
I summed up what Sonata had told me. I wasn't as good at it as Pinkie, but it didn't take long.
“Aw, bummer,” she understated. “What are you gonna do?”
I sighed. “I have no idea. Suggestions?”
“Party?”
“I really don't think that's gonna help this time.”
“...Mega-party?”
My hand went to my forehead on its own. I'm not sure what I expected.
“Or maybe you could help her find her sisters,” she said, in a more subdued voice. “I mean, if parties are out, then I'm pooped for ideas. There's probably nothing we could say or do that'll help her. Aria and Adagio've gotta know her better than anyone though—they might be able do something, if you can bring them to long enough to show them that she needs their help.”
The growing headache dulled to a low hum, and I nodded along. “Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that.”
I didn't have the energy to be running all over town looking for a pair of girls who probably didn't even want to be found. Not to mention that they'd probably try to rip my head if I did find them. And it was really none of my business to be getting involved in a glorified domestic in the first place.
Besides, did they even deserve my help? They'd tried to drive a wedge between my friends and I last time we met, and they'd almost succeeded. They'd never done anything for me except cause me hassle. Ninety-percent of the students here went through the same thing with me, and I clearly wasn't worthy of a second chance. Why should the Sirens be any different?
The short-lived glower died on my face. I didn't like that train of thought. Sonata wasn't asking for a second chance—she was asking for my help, because she was lost and confused. If I could ignore that in good conscience, I wouldn't really have changed at all, would I?
I heard the scraping of a chair against the floor, and looked over my shoulder. Sonata had stood up suddenly, with a dazed look on her face. She stumbled and put a hand on the table to steady herself.
“Um, I'll... call you back,” I muttered into the receiver.
“Okie, dokie, lokie!”
I hung up and faced Sonata properly. “Are you alright?” I asked. She looked like she'd been drinking, but she'd been fine a second ago.
She looked at me, swooned, and fainted.
“Holy crap!” I said, bounding forward to try and catch her. I missed.
She knocked over a couple of chairs as she fell, which broke her fall, but she still collapsed to the ground before I could get there.
My whole body switched into full-on panic mode as I knelt down beside her. She lay on her side, with her eyes closed, not moving. There was no blood, thank God, but she was down for the count.
I quickly realised I had no idea what to do, and stopped short of touching her. “H-help?” I tried. “Somebody—”
“What happened?”
A boy knelt down next to me. I glanced at him, and did a double-take. I recognised him—Flash Sentry, my ex-boyfriend. Blue, spiked hair, tan skin, biker's jacket and jeans, a little scrawny but good-looking. He gave me a severe look. I raised my eyebrows and shook off my surprise.
“Sh-she just fell,” I said. “She was fine one minute, and I took a phone call and—” I stopped and forced myself to take a breath, a second to order my thoughts. When I opened my eyes, I took charge. “She fainted. Help me get her to the nurse's office.”
He nodded and didn't question it, moving in to grab her. I made to help, but he put a hand on my arm to stop me. He lifted her front to his, put her arm around his neck, then knelt down and lifted her into a fireman's carry in one motion. I was surprised, and a little impressed.
A few of the other students in the cafeteria half got up as if they wanted to offer help, but I led the way out into the hall without stopping. The nurse's office was literally just around the corner, and since class was in session, we didn't run into anyone in the hall. I pushed the door inwards and held it open for Flash.
It was a big office, just in case, though it wasn't used all that much. Four small, blue-topped beds ran down the right hand side of the room, each with a bedside table and railed curtains. The office was lit by sunlight coming in from the large window opposite, beneath which was a seating area with a couch, plastic chairs and a coffee machine. The nurse's desk was just to the left of the door, with a phone and computer on an uncluttered wooden surface, and an office chair behind it.
The nurse rose from her seat as soon as we entered.
“Set her down on that bed,” she said, straight to business. She may have looked kindly and quiet, but Nurse Redheart took her work very seriously.
Flash lay her out on the nearest bed. Again, with surprising smoothness, like he'd done it before and practised. The nurse flicked a pen-light from her pinny and held open Sonata's eyes, one at a time. “She fainted?”
“Yes,” I said. “Just a minute ago. I-I'm not sure what happened. Is she—”
The nurse smiled at me as she ran a hand behind Sonata's head, presumably checking for wounds. “She'll be alright, dear, she isn't hurt. Well done for bringing her to me.” She turned her smile on Flash, then made a gentle gesture towards the waiting area by the window. “Why don't the two of you sit down? Get yourselves a cup of tea.”
I hesitated. Flash clapped a hand on my shoulder, didn't say anything, and made his way over to the coffee machine. I bit my lip, then followed him.
He got a Styrofoam cup each of tea and coffee from the machine, and passed the tea to me as we sat down on the couch. He remembered how I liked it. Creepy or sweet?
We didn't say anything for a while. I kind of just stared at my cup, waiting for it to cool down. The panic had passed, and I felt myself begin to settle down as I sat there. It was strangely disconcerting to see someone pass out like that, even if it was someone I didn't really know.
'What the heck was that about?' I wondered. It wasn't normal for people to just drop all of a sudden. She had said that she'd been feeling like crap. Maybe that went deeper than just lethargy, it could've been a virus or something. I guessed that Nurse Redheart would know, once she'd had a chance to check her over.
Flash made a sound and leant back against the couch pillows, but didn't say anything. It made me feel awkward though, so I decided to break the silence. “Where'd you learn that?” I asked, looking over at him.
He looked back. “Learn what?”
“That carry,” I said, “and laying her down. You sure looked like you knew what you were doing.”
He smiled, and there was definitely a hint of pride in it. “I joined up with army cadets. They teach you all kinds of stuff. I kinda wish I'd gotten in on it when I was younger.”
I gave him a questioning smile. “The army?”
“Yeah,” he said, looking down at his cup again. “I'm... thinking of joining up with the military once I leave school.”
My eyebrows went up. He'd never even mentioned it before. “Really? I always thought you'd end up following your music.”
He shrugged. “Guess you never really know someone.”
I shut up. I couldn't tell whether he'd meant anything by that, and I tried to pretend that I didn't feel it, but I had to look down at my shoes.
I'd had a lot of boyfriends, both here and back in Equestria. Blackmail and coercion weren't the only things I did—sometimes a little flirting got you just as far, if not further. I mostly used boys until I got what I wanted—connections, popularity, new tech for birthday and Christmas presents—and then hung them out to dry. Same as I treated everyone else. Flash had been no exception.
But he had been... different. It's hard to explain, but it wasn't just a game with him. I didn't get the chance to figure out what that meant, or whether it would've gone anywhere. He dumped me as soon as he realised who I really was. Said it broke his heart. Maybe I believed him. Maybe it hurt me too, and that's why I didn't do anything to get back at him...
It was in the past now. I swallowed on nothing, and decided I didn't want to think about it anymore.
“So, you just happened to be walking by, huh?” I said, after a while.
“Not exactly.” He scratched his neck. “I know it's weird, but I was actually coming over to talk to you about the prom.”
I tried not to scoff. “What about it?”
“I was just wondering whether you knew if Twilight was coming,” he said.
“Oh,” I said. “Right.”
“It's just that I haven't seen her since the Battle of the Bands,” he went on, “and I was kind of a dick to her then. I only got to see her for a second afterwards... I've been hoping for a chance to apologise. Properly, I mean.”
I felt a pang of guilt. Flash had been pretty terrible back then, but it wasn't his fault. The Sirens' magic drove everyone a little crazy. They'd been impressively subtle about it, but once we explained what they were—well, my friends did. Funnily enough, no-one was willing to believe me—everyone accepted that there was mind magic going on, and that it'd made them treat their friends badly.
That didn't mean the tension and guilt it caused just disappeared though.
I could've reminded Flash that he'd been under the influence, so to speak, but telling him something he already knew wouldn't be much comfort. Maybe a spiteful part of me also wanted him to feel a little guilty. Seriously, who talks to their ex about their new crush?
“No, I don't think she's gonna be here,” I said. “She's really busy back in Equestria, with everything that's happened back there. Princess duties and all that.” I flashed him a sympathetic smile. “Sorry.”
He sighed and nodded. “Nah, it's fine. I figured that'd be the case.” He took a sip of coffee and let the subject drop, looking only a little disappointed. After a minute, he said, “My turn.”
“Hmm?”
He gestured towards Sonata. “What's with her? I recognise her. She's one of the, uh, 'Sirens' who sang against you in the finals, right?”—Yes, our battle was a music battle. No, it wasn't a rap battle—“I thought she and her friends had left town. They haven't been in school since.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said. “But apparently not.”
“They can't cause any more trouble though, right?” he said. “I mean, not since Twilight and the girls took away their magic.”
I grit my teeth. 'Since everyone but me took away their magic and saved the world.' It was a totally unfair assumption that I'd just been tagging along to clear my name, when I actually played an instrumental—ha—part in defeating the Sirens. Sure, I'd only jumped in at the last minute, and sure, I'd made it look like I was trying to screw the rest of the girls over during the competition, but still...
Yeah, okay. I could kind of see where they coming from. It would've been nice to get some recognition for saving them all from becoming mindless zombie-groupies though. Figures.
“No, they can't,” I told him. “Not in a magical sense, anyway.”
“But there's something else going on?” he guessed.
I said, “Maybe. I'm not sure yet.”
He raised his eyebrows at me. I wasn't sure what else I could give him. I didn't even know what was really going on.
“I'll manage,” I said.
He stared for a moment longer, then cracked a smile. “Yeah. I guess you will.”
That got a smile from me, short-lived as it was. I got the impression that he believed that. If nothing else, he'd gotten to know me well enough to know that I could hold my own. It was reassuring to hear.
I knew I was probably pushing my luck, but the impulse had been nagging at the back of my mind, and I couldn't ignore it. “Hey, can I... ask you something?” I said, before I could chicken out.
“Sure.” He gave me an attentive look, but I didn't meet his eyes.
“Do you think I've changed?”
I felt him turn away again. “Do you really want me to answer that?” he said.
I frowned and shook my head. That was answer enough.
“It's a lot to forgive, Sunset.”
“Yeah,” I said, emotionless. I'd heard more evasive answers, but not by much. I got the message, either way. At least he'd been gentle about it. The conversation died there.
“Mmph,” came a moan, making both of us stand up. Sonata had woken up, and was rubbing a hand over her eyes. “What's goin' on?” she asked.
Nurse Redheart had been over at her desk, making a call, but she turned at the noise and went to her bedside. “You're alright, dear,” she said, putting a hand on Sonata's arm. “I'm Nurse Redheart, you're in my office. Can you tell me your name?”
Sonata paused to think about it, but she told her.
“Alright, Sonata. How are you feeling?”
“Woozy,” she said. “What am I doing here? Am I dying?”
“No, dear,” said the nurse, in all seriousness. “You fainted.”
Realisation played across Sonata's face, followed by embarrassment. “Oh.”
I'd set my cup down on the coffee table and started meandering over. I felt a little awkward, and didn't want to get in the way. Flash had put his hands in his pockets and walked a little behind me.
“Has this happened before?” Nurse Redheart asked.
Sonata turned her head to one side. “A couple of times.”
“Have you been eating properly, Sonata?”
Her face had turned red. I had to keep reminding myself that the schoolgirl thing was a façade. She shook her head. “Not really.”
The nurse hummed in that way that school nurses do. “At least you realise it,” she said. “Do you live alone, Sonata?”
“No, I live with my sisters. But they're, um...”
I stepped in. Don't ask me why. “They're out of town,” I said. “I've offered to take care of Sonata until they get back.”
'Wow, Sunset. Way to commit.'
Sonata gave me a quizzical look. By the time the nurse had turned around though, it'd changed into an innocent smile. She nodded sweetly, playing along.
Redheart blinked, but I think she bought it. I guess she had no reason not to. “Oh. Well, that's good of you, Sunset. In that case, may I have a moment?” She gestured towards her desk.
“Sure.” I followed her over to the desk, and Flash nudged me on the shoulder.
“Uh, so, are you good here?” he asked. “I'm here if you want, but I've got band practice in like, five minutes.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I've got it, Flash. Thanks for your help.”
“Don't sweat it.” He made for the door, looking back over his shoulder. “Glad you're alright, uh...”
“Sonata,” she supplied.
“Right, Sonata. Later.” He gave her a double-guns salute, and left. I felt my shoulders loosen up.
I followed the nurse over to her desk, facing away from Sonata. She spoke in a hushed voice. “I tried calling her emergency contact—Adagio Dazzle, is that right?—but there was no answer. Are you able to get in touch with her?”
'Uh, no.'
“I can try,” I not-lied. I was good at that.
Redheart let out a breath that said she wasn't really comfortable with that. “Alright. Can I take your number down in the meantime? I need one on the records, just in case something like this happens again.”
I gave her my number, and I found myself frowning. That she thought this might happen again was a little disconcerting. “Is Sonata gonna be okay?”
“Yes, though she's definitely malnourished,” she said. “And sleep-deprived, by the look of things. I'd like to speak with her sister when you manage to get ahold of her, but in the meantime, try to encourage her to eat. And if there's anything you can do to help her sleep...”
'I am not a responsible adult!'
I said, “I'll do my best.”
Redheart smiled. “Good girl.”
“Out of interest,” I said, “you're not concerned about the whole Siren side of things?”
“She looks like a teenage girl to me,” Redheart said simply.
“...Fair enough,” I granted. I couldn't exactly argue with that, since I'd listened to Sonata for the same reason.
Taking the question in stride, the nurse turned around and went back over to Sonata's bedside. “Alright, Sonata, Sunset's going to take you home for the day.”
Sonata had been staring blankly off to the side, but she snapped back to reality to give me another confused look. “She is?”
'I am?' I wondered. I told my mind to drop the running commentary. It was pretty clear that I had no idea what I was doing.
“I'll let your teachers know not to expect you for any more lectures you have today,” she said. “Both of you. Go home, get some rest and make sure you eat something. Doctor's orders.”
Sonata glanced between the two of us, then nodded at the nurse. “Okay.”
“Alright, then.” With that settled, Redheart gave each of us one last look—as if she thought something might be up, but she had no idea what or why—and then made for the door. “I'll be back in a moment. Stay as long as you want, and feel free to leave whenever you're ready.”
Redheart left. The door closed behind her, and then I was alone in the room with the soul-sucking Siren that I'd just kindly volunteered to babysit. There was a general belief among the other students that I wasn't all there in the head—what, with the world-domination plans and all—and right then, I could understand where they were coming from.
I walked over to her, and she slid her legs up so that I could sit on the edge of the bed. “Well,” I sighed, “looks like I just dropped myself in the deep end.”
“Why'd you lie to her?” said Sonata.
“Haven't you heard? It's what I do,” I said, without a shred of endeavour. Apparently, she didn't get world-weary sarcasm. Whatever. “I don't know. You asked me to help you. I was trying to.”
“I don't understand,” she said.
I huffed and stared out towards the window. I wanted to say, 'Me neither', but I knew why I'd done it. “You came here to talk to me, told me your sisters have disappeared without a word, and then passed out right in front of me. You're either playing me like a violin or in serious need of help.”
“I can't play the violin,” she said. “Aria can. I just sing.”
I dragged my hand down my face. Then I turned to look her in the eye. She looked back.
I know it's a cliché to say it, but you can tell a lot about someone by looking them in the eye. Really looking at them, I mean. After a few seconds, when the look turns into a stare, and you start seeing beyond the colour of the irises and the bags under their eyes. You see the subtle movements that hint at what they're thinking, what they're feeling. It's how detectives can tell when someone's lying, and hypnotists can get inside your head. I couldn't do any of that, but I got a good look at Sonata.
Her violet eyes, wide and attentive like a child, didn't flicker or try to avoid mine. She saw my stare, and she stared back without comment or discomfort. I couldn't see any hint of malice or misintent. Where logic told me there should've been age and wisdom, I only saw innocence—I got the impression that I'd seen things a lot darker than she had.
And there was a quiet fear there. A sense of worry, the kind you imagine when you think of an abandoned puppy, worried that its owner isn't coming back.
I was under no illusions that I was immune to being duped by an age-old immortal. For all I knew, that could've been exactly what was happening. But I didn't know that. I only knew what I saw. And I saw a child in need of my help. I made my decision.
“I'll help you,” I told her.
Her eyes went wider. “Help me how?”
I still had no idea. I had one sick emotion vampire to babysit and another two to find, one of whom was probably drunk in a ditch somewhere, and the other who'd left to meet a stranger and fallen off the grid. In a city like Canterlot, that wasn't going to be easy. On the other side of things, I also had a reputation to try and live down, a pain-in-the-ass rival determined to trip me up the first chance she got, and a totally terrifying social event coming up which I really didn't want to go to. I guess that last one wasn't so bad, by comparison, but it still made for a lot to deal with.
I decided to tackle what was right in front of me, first.
“For starters, we're gonna get you a meal.”
* * *