• Published 7th Oct 2014
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Sunset Shimmer: Element Bearer - ConningOfficer



A heroine instead of a villain, Sunset Shimmer becomes a leader to her friends at Canterlot High. She begins by helping Sonata Dusk after the Battle of the Bands...

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Chapter Five

As Sunset Shimmer finished issuing orders, the four girls sprang into action. Rarity sprinted ahead upstairs as fast as her evening gown would allow to prepare her bedroom and bathroom. Fluttershy took money from Sunset’s outstretched hand and flung open the door to go buy some food for Aria. In her haste, she accidentally knocked over her classmate Post Haste as she left in a rush.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there. Are you okay?” Fluttershy kneeled and cupped the boy’s face in her hands in concern.

Still dazed, Post Haste mumbled something along the lines of, “It’s all right. I didn’t drop the pizza.”

Fluttershy wasn’t stopping, though. “Here, take this for the pizza and I don’t need any change, thank you. I hope to see you at school tomorrow,” she said, giving him an enormous tip from Sunset Shimmer’s stack of bills. Without even setting a foot back inside the Carousel Boutique, Fluttershy slid the large pizza box on the carpet in the general direction of the dressing rooms and set about her task.

“Good bye!” she added, looking back with the building evening wind blowing her pink hair.

Post Haste gathered himself, put his hat back on, brushed off some dirt, counted the generous tip and returned to his car with a smile on his face.

Inside, Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer didn’t notice Fluttershy’s inventive delivery technique. They had more weighty concerns to manage.

“I’ll take her head and shoulders and go backwards up the stairs. You take her legs,” Rainbow Dash declared, “especially since you’re wearing that fancy thing!”

Sunset Shimmer smirked at the beautiful dress she was wearing, “Got it,” she replied.

“Okay up on one, two, three!” Rainbow Dash counted as the two girls struggled with Aria Blaze’s unconscious body.
It was unspoken, but all four girls knew that it was a risk bringing Aria here, and was a bigger risk to continue jostling the purple-skinned girl in her fragile state of health. Step by step, lift by lift, the two girls carefully delivered their cargo to Rarity’s large bed. Steam was already escaping from the master bathroom as Rarity frantically positioned towels and other objects to make sure that Aria’s head remained above water.

“Rarity, don’t make it hot. We don’t want to burn her. We just have to warm her up, and the water will be a big help itself. You’ll see,” instructed Sunset Shimmer as Rainbow Dash began removing Aria’s clothing.

Sunset Shimmer’s heart was pounding from more than exertion. The surprise of having a second member of the Dazzlings dumped in her lap was more than enough, but the mix of adrenaline and terror for having to go immediately into a lifesaving situation threatened to throw her off balance.

“Steady, Shimmer. Steady,” she told herself under her breath, practicing some of the breathing exercises she had learned at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. At least the parts of her anatomy concerned with breathing seemed to work about the same irrespective of whether she had four legs or two. As her heart rate slowed, her focus increased and Sunset Shimmer became acutely aware that all of the others’ eyes were on her. Rarity’s blue eyes gazed at her with concern, gown askew and arms soaked to the elbows. Rainbow Dash’s purple eyes peeked out from underneath a multi-hued forelock, looking for instructions from Sunset and hoping to translate her worry into tangible action. Sweetie Belle’s light green eyes appeared in the door frame. The younger girl’s expression shouted surprise, fear, and uncertainty. All of the eyes in the room deferred to Sunset Shimmer.

Six months ago, she would have reveled in that power and abused the situation to steal from them, blackmail them, or control them. A week ago, she would have let Rarity or Rainbow Dash take the lead out of uncertainty about her place in the group. After joining with the others and wielding the immense power of Harmony at the climax of the Battle of the Bands, Sunset Shimmer now chose to lead the others in saving Aria Blaze’s life.

She has to live, Sunset thought. I have to show Sonata and Aria that there’s another way.

Aloud, she added, “Okay, Rainbow, let’s get her into the tub!”

They lifted the unconscious girl and immersed her in the warm water. Aria gasped as she was enveloped, but was otherwise unresponsive.

Rarity kept Aria’s head above the surface and placed two fingers along the patient’s throat. She addressed Sunset Shimmer with building concern. “I can already feel her warming up, but her pulse is still very fast and weak.”

“Should we call an ambulance?” asked Rainbow Dash, “This is getting pretty far out of our league.”

Sweetie Belle sniffed, “After what you did at the Battle of the Bands, I don’t think there’s too much that’s out of your league. Sunset Shimmer, what can I do?”

“Keep Sonata out of trouble and when Fluttershy gets back, send her here to your sister’s room.”

“It’s a suite, darling,” Rarity insisted.

Ignoring the comment, Sunset Shimmer added, “Sweetie Belle, are you going to be OK? We need you.”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for letting me handle this!” replied the younger girl.

…we need you… Sunset Shimmer’s own words echoed in her head, and inspiration struck her as she recalled those same words as spoken by Twilight Sparkle just a few days ago.

“I know how we can help her! Listen to me,” she implored, “Applejack and I learned that water helped Sonata’s injuries heal, which is why I brought her into the bath, but Sweetie Belle is the one that gave me this idea,”

Rarity, still cradling Aria’s head, questioned, “What are you talking about?”

“Sing with me. The last song I sang at the Battle will help, I just know it.” Sunset Shimmer’s aqua eyes blazed with determination and confidence. Scribbling quickly, she handed pieces of notebook paper to the others. “I’ll change some of the lyrics, just follow along with me. The bath and the music will work together. I can’t really explain why, I just feel that it’s right.”

She began almost tenderly, and more softly than when the song was used to conjure the power of Harmony, but with no less passion:

You're never going to bring me down
You're never going to break this part of me
My friends are here to bring you 'round
Not singing just for popularity

Rainbow Dash nodded and joined in with soft enthusiasm at the same moment Fluttershy entered the large, ornately tiled bathroom. Gazing at one another and Aria, they continued:

We're here to let you know
That we won't let it go

Our music is a shield and it's about to heal
Please don’t try to fight
‘Cause we have got the light of friendship on our side!

Amazingly, improbably, their hair doubled in length, Sunset Shimmer sprouted pony ears and Rainbow Dash’s ears and wings appeared even in the absence of their instruments. Rarity and Fluttershy gasped at the sight, and then added their voices to the song. They kept hold of their patient/audience, with Sunset Shimmer leading the quartet:

Got the music in our hearts
We're here to stand on guard
And together, we will never
Be afraid of the dark

The magic emerged from the other two girls, as the song reached its finale:

Here to sing our song of light
To give you the strength of right
As the music of our friendship
Survives! Survives! Survives!

As the quartet united their voices during the final stanza, a blue-green nimbus of magic crackled around Sunset Shimmer’s forehead. It burst forth in a benevolent surge of energy, bringing with it a warm sensation of being embraced by a feathery blanket. The wave and its teal-tinted light winked out, taking four sets of Equestrian ears and two sets of pegasus wings with it.

Rarity looked up at Sunset Shimmer in admiration and awe, “What did you just do?”

“I don’t know how I pulled it off,” she replied, gasping, trying hard not to reveal the eldritch aftershocks surging through her body. “But I just cast an Equestrian healing spell.”

“That was about 50 percent more awesome than anything you’ve ever done!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Did it work?”

Fluttershy quickly examined Aria. “I think she’s just sleeping now. Her heartbeat has slowed down and she’s still chilly but a lot warmer than she was.”

Still trying to recover from the magical bliss, Sunset Shimmer focused on more mundane details, “Let’s give her a few more minutes and then get her out of the bathtub. Sorry, Rarity, it looks like you lose your room for the night.”

She smiled back weakly, looking at her now-soaked evening gown. “I think I can endure the inconvenience under these circumstances, but I fear our couture will never recover.”

Sunset’s dress had fared even poorer, because the tight-fitting black gown wasn’t suited for intense bursts of physical activity. She sheepishly replied, “I’m sorry, Rarity. I know how much work you put into this.”

“Things can be mended fairly quickly, my dear. People, even Sirens, are a little harder to repair and impossible to replace,” replied Rarity with a gesture to the tub.

“So, what happened?” Sunset Shimmer asked, looking at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

“Well,” Fluttershy began softly, “I was walking in the woods between Sweet Apple Acres and the outskirts of town, when I realized I hadn’t seen very many animals. Those I did see were very skittish and scared.”

“I don’t know anyone like that,” Rainbow Dash added with a roll of her eyes.

“Shush! Don’t interrupt,” Rarity admonished her friend.

“It’s all right, Rarity. Anyway, I thought that Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle must have been making too much noise for the animals, so I started along the trail to their clubhouse to ask them to quiet down. I saw bootprints on the path and got worried for the girls. When I got to the clubhouse, it looked empty, but I saw Aria’s feet sticking out of a hollow log,” Fluttershy said, still hugging Aria’s head and wet hair.

She continued in a soft, clear voice, “Her breathing was very hard, like she was running from something and she was very cold. I couldn’t really wake her up even though she was kicking and tossing around. With the sun going down, I knew Rainbow Dash could get out into the woods very quickly, so I gave her a call on my cell phone. I’m just glad I had a little bit of signal.”

“What was she doing out there?” wondered Sunset Shimmer, “The clubhouse isn’t far from the farm. Oh, no! Where’s my phone?”

“Take mine,” said Rainbow Dash, pressing the device into her palm.

Red-and-gold hair falling into her face, she quickly dialed a number and a familiar voice answered through the speaker, “Hey, Rainbow, I was waitin' for you to call!”

“Applejack, it’s Sunset Shimmer. I’m using Rainbow Dash’s phone. I’ll explain in a second. Is everyone there safe?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. I’m the last one awake.”

“Could you just humor me and check?”

“Sure thing. Give me a moment,” Applejack replied as the line went silent for a minute or so. “Yep, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny are all here and are snug as bugs in rugs.”

Sunset Shimmer sighed with relief. “That’s great to hear. I’ll give you the full story later, but Fluttershy found Aria Blaze suffering from exposure near the Crusader clubhouse. She and Rainbow Dash brought her over to Rarity’s and we’re taking care of her.”

“Um, you have two of them over there?” Sunset Shimmer could almost see Applejack’s eyebrow arch in with concern and suspicion

“Sonata doesn’t know yet, but I can’t keep this secret from her for long. The point is that if Aria was out in the woods near the farm, I’m worried that Adagio is lurking somewhere nearby. Be very careful, and I don’t think any of you should be working by yourself,” cautioned Sunset.

“I’ll talk to everyone at breakfast. Do you need anything?”

“I think we have it under control for the night, Applejack. Thanks.” Sunset Shimmer hung up the phone and handed it back to Rainbow Dash.

“Not that I’m scared or anything, but I’m glad you gave AJ a call. I’ll help you get Miss Ton of Bricks out of the tub and then I have a call to make, too,” said Rainbow Dash, nervously running her fingers through the full spectrum of her hairstyle.

After they dried off a still-sleeping Aria, Rarity made sure to dress her unexpected guest in the most flowery and frilly nightgown she had to spare and carefully folded her normal clothes, and piled them on one of the bedroom’s chairs.

“She’ll thank me for it later,” Rarity intoned.

“Um, for which part? She seems to like spikes more than flowers,” mentioned Fluttershy.

Sunset Shimmer interrupted, saying, “I’ll watch her tonight. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep for a while.”

“I don’t have any tests tomorrow. I could take over for you after I hand out my Wednesday flyers to help the animal shelter. I’ll tell Vice Principal Luna that an emergency has come up, and ask her to e-mail our homework assignments to us,” offered Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash yawned. “I can live with that. Hey, you got anything to eat around here? I’m starving!”

“Oh, the pizza arrived just as I was leaving,” Fluttershy added, fidgeting. “I sort of knocked over the delivery guy on my way to the store.”

“What are we waiting for? Sunset Shimmer has this all under control!” Rainbow Dash smiled crookedly and bounded out of Rarity’s bedroom. Fluttershy went into the bathroom to clean up the small flood that threatened to ruin the bedroom carpet.

“I’ll bring you a slice, darling, and your original clothes,” said Rarity, her hand lingering on Sunset Shimmer’s shoulder, “and put on a pot of coffee for good measure.”

“Thanks, Rarity,” Sunset replied, “I’m sorry this ruined your evening.”

“Au contraire, Sunset Shimmer. This multiplied my adoration for you, but alas, the mood is broken. We will speak again in due course,” she replied, brushing a red lock of hair out of the way and lightly cupping a yellow-tinted cheek.

As Rarity exited with a last look over her shoulder, Sunset Shimmer poured herself into one of the easy chairs at the foot of the bed. Massaging her temples, she wondered, “Oh, Twilight, did you ever have to deal with anything like this in Equestria?”

-----

Post Haste cheerfully walked back to his still running car.

“A twenty-dollar tip and I get run over by that gorgeous girl from school who loves animals so much. Not a bad night at all,” he said to himself, smiling as he jumped back into the driver’s seat.

He felt a painful, sharp poke of cold metal through his T-shirt and heard a sinister voice in the back seat. “Just drive. I’ll tell you where.”

“The money’s on the front seat! Take it!” Post Haste pleaded, feeling the point of the knife against his skin.

“Oh, I will,” Adagio Dazzle venomously added from the depths of her gray hoodie. “But you’re going to do exactly as I say, first.”

-----

Aria Blaze shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. The last thing she truly remembered was eavesdropping on the conversation between the two girls at the place where their parents were buried. There was a reason she was supposed to follow them, but it was just out of reach in her mind.

“Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Yes, that was their names. Why was it so hard to concentrate? Where am I?” she said aloud.

Aria stood on a wide dirt path, surrounded by a meadow that was filled with wildflowers that she could barely make out in the twilight. The chill of the spring morning was the most acute thing she felt. She could smell salt in the air and the stirrings of a sea breeze upon the wind.

Her heart, more than her mind, remembered the vivid memories of her last moments as a mermare and He Who Swims in Darkness. What had brought that back after so many hundreds of years? Teeth chattering she called out, “Mother? Sonata? Adagio?”

A deep laugh from her right startled Aria. She looked down the path and saw the source of the brackish smell. A dank, salty swamp, framed by enormous cypress trees lay in that direction.

Come back to me, Aria. I will make it so you never need to fear the cold or death again,” intoned He Who Swims in Darkness. “Obey me and you will be rewarded as I have always rewarded you.”

The pit of Aria’s stomach sank with fear and despair.

A threatening, commanding tone crept into the menacing voice. “For a thousand years, I have given you youth, beauty, and music. Even a short absence is too long for us. Come to me. Now.”

Inky tentacles made of midnight snaked from the swamp, making their way over an impossible distance toward Aria Blaze. Resisting the urge to return to Leviathan’s dark embrace, Aria closed her eyes and again saw Apple Bloom holding Scootaloo in front of her parents’ gravestone. She recalled Scootaloo’s prayer to a higher power, but the fear of He Who Swims in Darkness’ approach drove the words from her mind.

With a blue-and-green flash, the dusk gave way to dawn and the chill turned mild. The advance of the black tendrils halted and Aria looked to her left. A small village along a rocky fjord was illuminated by the glow of the sun still beneath the horizon. Even at this distance, she saw people beginning to go about their day’s work and noticed the large building along the waterfront that looked like a simpler version of the house of worship that she had tracked the two girls to earlier.

A cloaked figure standing next to a white stone that marked an obvious boundary to the village called to Aria, “You must choose or else the choice will be made for you!”

Aria turned to her left and took a step. The being behind her raged, promising torment and enslavement. Ahead of her, with each step, she saw, truly for the first time, the individual dramas of lives being played out. She saw marriages at the temple, and sensed the exhausted joy of mothers carrying newborns. Aria felt the sadness when loved ones were put to rest for the last time. She watched buildings laboriously constructed and then destroyed by flood and storm. She witnessed the heights of compassion and the depths of depravity brought about by freewill, but on balance, friendship and love triumphed over dominance and hate.

As she neared the figure and the boundary stone, the first rays of the sun peeked over the waters of the fjord. The scarlet sky portended a violent storm, but it twined with the upper half of the golden sun, offering hope. Where had she seen those colors before?

The sun illuminated thousands, millions of choices in the village ahead. With growing clarity, Aria realized that it wasn’t the length of the thread in the tapestry of life that was important, but the impacts of choices that shaped lives and formed destinies. After centuries of deceit, compulsion, and immersion in the culture of enslavement in Aquastria, Aria wanted those choices to be her own, not Adagio Dazzle’s, and certainly not He Who Swims in Darkness.

With unbridled fury, the voice at the tentacles howled, “You choose your death! I will have your soul, Aria Blaze, and the souls of the others!

She said some of Scootaloo’s prayer aloud, finally remembering. “…lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”

The three black leather bands around each of Aria’s forearms disintegrated into dust, as did the thick collar that used to hold her Siren pendant.

Aria lowered her violet eyes deferentially as she reached the white marble. “I want to live a life worthy of remembering. I don’t want to make people fight any more. I don’t want to be afraid.”

The cloaked figure enfolded Aria’s light purple hand in two bluish-gray ones, “Welcome, Aria Blaze. We have waited for you for a long time.”

Removing her cloak and setting it on the stone, the stranger revealed unearthly beauty. She possessed sea-green eyes with the merest hint of blue along with two-toned hair alternating between midnight and evening. An understated ebony tiara reflected the dawn’s rays. Above a flowing, deep purple gown, a platinum crescent moon was at the enigmatic figure’s throat and feathery wings the same dusky color as her skin spread behind her. In stark contrast with the beatific visage, the long hilt of a two handed-sword poked above her right shoulder, held in place with an ornate scabbard.

Tears streaming down her face, Aria received an embrace that erased uncertainty and dispelled the fear conjured by He Who Swims in Darkness.

“Who are you?” Aria asked in wonder.

“It is not for us to say, as we have bent enough Rules by assisting you here,” she said regally, “but answers are closer than you may believe.”

Spreading her wings and holding both arms high as the sun crested the horizon, the mysterious woman caused the sun to briefly transform into a circle of red and gold, split by a sinuous line.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Aria whispered.

----

Earlier that evening in the Carousel Boutique...

Sonata Dusk hummed to herself as she began a long, luxurious bath. The mermaid gown, suspended from a hanger, continued to catch her eye from its place back of the door. She couldn’t remember a time when she felt so beautiful and important. With one last glance at the mirror, Sonata regretfully scrubbed the makeup from her face and cleaned the rest of her body. Taking a deep breath, she submerged herself in the warm water, closed her eyes for a moment and took an involuntary step back in time.

*****

“Mama, I’m afraid. What’s happening?” the mermare filly asked as she bobbed up and down in the tiny dwelling.

Coral Symphony tried to keep her voice steady, “Today, you’re going to meet the Queen and the Princess. It’s a very special day.”

With a twirl of her blue-streaked fins, Sonata pouted, “I wanna be a princess. Then all our problems would go away and Daddy would come back to us.”

“Shhh, dearest. We must always keep Daddy a secret. You and I will never be royalty but we can’t be sad about it. But, I don’t want you to be afraid, because it’s your singing that is giving you this very special chance to meet the Queen,” the mother replied, brushing a fin against the filly’s muzzle.

Coral Symphony’s catastrophic mistake was to fall deeply in love with Dusky Defense. In the female-dominated mermare society, equality between the genders was forbidden. The stallions were useful only as front-line warriors, in hazardous occupations, and for fathering merfoals. When the twins were born, the couple doted upon Sonata Dusk and her brother Coral Aegis and developed a secret enduring relationship outlawed in Imperial Aquastria. Incredibly, their close bond had remained hidden for years. But, it had all fallen apart in the end, as Coral Symphony feared it would.

When the Queen learned of Sonata’s singing talent and decreed that she be given to He Who Swims in Darkness, Dusky Defense snapped while on duty in the throne room. The low-ranking guard stallion objected to his daughter’s impending sacrifice and was immediately executed for his insolence. The Queen’s heralds returned to the hovel and demanded that Coral Symphony prepare Sonata for the procession to the Trench Gate or else they would kill her, Coral Aegis, and her entire bloodline for Dusky Defense’s disobedience. Even now, a half-dozen guards encircled their home.

Fortunately for Sonata, Coral Symphony had been able to conceal her father’s death from her. The filly thought that he had only been called away for other duties, which was common enough. Coral Aegis was not so fortunate since he was home when the heralds arrived, but agreed to keep his mother’s secret to save the lives of the others. With sapphire blue scales and silver accents, he would be a strong, handsome merstallion, and had already shown skill in metalworking. He swam to his sister, fastening a homemade brass bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet was fashioned in the shape of a heart with a jagged musical note made of turquoise. It was a simple keepsake. But, he made the choice to take the risks to craft it and present it to Sonata as a gift.

Coral Aegis, in a breach of Aquastrian protocol, quickly folded his sister affectionately into his fins. Transfixing her with stormy gray eyes, he kept his voice even. “Be brave, my sister.”

Still unaware, Sonata breezily replied, “I will. Maybe Princess Adagio and I will become friends when I meet the Queen! We’ll have seaponies fetch us kelp tea and go to parties. We could be princesses together just like in the old stories!”

Coral Symphony smiled sadly at her daughter’s relentless optimism. Coral Aegis could no longer hide his emotions and swam behind a small partition. The mother could only guess at the horrors Sonata Dusk would be subjected to at the tentacles of He Who Swims in Darkness. She leaned down, telling her daughter, “Just don’t forget about us, Sonata, and don’t be afraid. You are my daughter and I will always love you and be proud of you.”

*****

In Rarity’s guest bathroom, Sonata opened her eyes and surfaced, taking a deep breath of air. She flipped her blue hair out of her eyes, splattering water onto the tile. Suddenly, she heard singing outside of the door. The song was oddly familiar to her but she couldn’t quite make out the tune. Just as she was about to get out of the tub to investigate, she was rocked by magical light and energy. A wave of blue-green force swept over Sonata, washing away her fatigue. Placing a hand against her side, she could feel her broken ribs knit together underneath her fingers and watched the bruise disappear.

“Sonata!” came Sweetie Belle’s muffled voice, “are you still in there?”

Composing her awestruck features, she replied, “Yes, I am! Could you please bring me the robe your sister put out for me?”

With a knock, Sweetie Belle delivered the garment and waited outside while Sonata got out of the tub. With the white terrycloth tied around her waist, the blue-skinned girl appraised Sweetie Belle, noticing she was terrified of something and was hiding it badly.

“What’s wrong, little one?”

“Um, Sunset and Rarity will tell you when it’s time, okay. Until then, can I help you brush your hair? You have so much of it and it’s so pretty! I’ll even teach you a few new songs while we wait.”

“That would be wonderful, Sweetie Belle,” replied Sonata, adding a sweet smile.

While the crisis played itself out down the hall, Sonata Dusk and Sweetie Belle sang and laughed like two long-separated school friends. Sonata’s voice continued to grow in volume and quality, which Sweetie Belle attributed to her newly-found skill as a teacher.

“So, Sweetie, what can you tell me about Applejack’s adorable older brother?” Sonata asked between songs.

Bobbing her curls, to which Sonata had added several ridiculous bows, she smiled, saying, “Ohhh, you like him? Big Mac is so strong and handsome. He is awfully quiet, though.”

A lilac eye closed in a conspiratorial wink, “I might not be interested in his talking. What else can you tell me?”

“He’s stubborn and honest, like all of the Apples. But you know what?” The younger girl leaned forward, “He can sing!”

“For realsies?” Sonata asked excitedly.

“Yeah, he has a big deep voice that echoes all over Sweet Apple Acres.”

Sonata’s hand went to her chest. Her heartbeat quickened and blood rushed to her face. Her instinct was perfect. Strength, good looks, and the ability to make music? There was only one piece missing. But, how to ask about it without raising suspicion?

Playing with her freshly brushed hair, Sonata coyly asked, “I saw you have a bit of trouble with some of the girls at school, Sweetie. Did Big Macintosh ever have to protect Apple Bloom?”

Eager to please her new friend, Sweetie Belle was quick to answer, “No, but there was a time a couple of years ago when one of the other teachers had done something mean to Cheerilee. Whatever it was, it was really bad. Before Shining Armor took that guy away, Big Macintosh had gotten to him first. He was pretty big, too, but still had two black eyes. I think Big Mac may have even broken his jaw.”

Growing giddier by the second, Sonata focused on something in Sweetie Belle’s response that gave her pause. She reached over and put her hand on the other girl’s arm. “He’s so brave! But, I have one more question. Who’s Cheerilee?”

“Cheerilee is the teacher that runs the library at CHS. She’s really nice and pretty, but gets angry at me and the other Crusaders for making too much noise. She’s been really close to Big Mac ever since that day.”

Sonata made a mental note to learn more about this Cheerilee the next time she was at school, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

Rarity knocked on the door and entered. She had removed her makeup and changed out of her gown into pajamas. Though not as terrified as Sweetie Belle was earlier, something was certainly wrong. The girl’s hesitant step and the way she fidgeted with her fingers was completely at odds with the way Rarity usually acted.

“Sonata, this is going to be a terrible shock, but I need you to come with me, my dear.”

Sonata grabbed both of Rarity’s outstretched hands, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s easier to just show you.”

They entered Rarity’s suite at the end of the hall, and Sonata saw Sunset Shimmer sip on a large, steaming mug of coffee. She set it on the table and rushed to her, wrapping her in a hug.

“Sonata, Aria’s here and she’s been hurt,” Sunset said, pointing to the figure sleeping in Rarity’s bed.

Sunset Shimmer felt her stiffen and saw tears welling in the other girl’s eyes. Sonata clenched her fist. “Adagio will pay for this! What did she do?”

Surprised at the reaction, Sunset stroked Sonata Dusk’s hair, trying to calm her. “We don’t know much about what happened yet, Sonata. Relax. Fluttershy found her out in the woods.”

“She must have done something! You don’t know what she’s capable of. Come on, let’s find her!” she cried, approaching hysterics.

Fluttershy emerged from the bathroom with a towel, speaking softly and calmly, “Sonata, let’s talk this over. Aria was very cold in the woods, but there’s something else wrong that we can’t figure out. She needs time to rest.”

“And we won’t gain anything from rushing out into the night unprepared.” Sunset Shimmer replied, adding, “Let’s find out more from Aria when she wakes up.”

Obviously frustrated, Sonata went to Aria’s side. “She and I never really got along very well. Aria would always tell me that I was the worst at everything and take Adagio’s side most of the time, but nobody deserves this,” touching Aria’s cheek and shifting her gaze to Rarity she added,” Promise me you’ll help me get Adagio!”

Sunset Shimmer grabbed Sonata by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes, “We’re not going out there tonight to look for her and that’s final. Go downstairs with Sweetie Belle and Rainbow Dash. Go see if there’s any pizza left while we finish up here.”

“Yes, Sunset Shimmer,” Sonata replied meekly and left the room.

“Not exactly sisterly love, is it?” Rarity said to the other two suspiciously.

“Something’s wrong. We have to watch her very closely, and keep an eye on Sweetie Belle for good measure. I can’t be in two places at once, though and I think that Fluttershy and I will need to stay here until it’s safe to move Aria to the cottage,” directed Sunset Shimmer.

“I’ll talk to Rainbow Dash and send a text to Pinkie Pie.” Rarity agreed. “Sonata seemed to have made a connection with her while eating all those desserts. The three of us will watch her while you two attend to her stricken, um, colleague.”

-----

The sounds of conversation, singing, and laughter filtered up from downstairs. Sunset Shimmer smiled while she kept watch. Rarity, true to her word, had provided her with dinner, caffeine, her school bag, and an Ursa Major-sized case of confusion. With plenty of time on her hands, she turned the page past the joyful picture that already seemed like it had happened ages ago and began to write:

Dear Princess Twilight,

Many things happened tonight that I need to tell you about right away. I know I’ve already written tonight, but I wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t urgent. I’ll talk about the Sirens first.

Fluttershy found Aria Blaze out in the woods near the Crusaders’ clubhouse, which is less than a mile from Sweet Apple Acres. She had been out in the woods for a long time and was dangerously cold. We warmed her up, but it didn’t seem to be enough. I had to do something. I couldn’t let Aria die, not while I could save her. So, I launched into what I sang at the Battle of the Bands after the Sirens knocked the microphone out of your hands. I changed a few of the words. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were there and joined in. At the very end, I cast a spell. No, not a rainbow, but a real, honest-to-Celestia Equestrian healing spell, complete with a burst of magic of the same color as my horn’s aura. It saved Aria, but I’m scared. The others are depending on me, so I don’t dare tell them.

What does this mean? You’re the scholar, Twilight. Why is my power increasing in a nearly magic-free world? I know that the desperation of the situation comes into play, just like when your magic shield appeared when I tried to blast you with a fireball at the Fall Formal.

Sonata worries me, too. When we brought her in to see Aria she immediately jumped to conclusions, assuming that Adagio had hurt her. She tried like crazy to get us to run right off to find Adagio and I stopped just short of angrily shutting her down. Sonata also convinced Sweetie Belle to teach her to sing children’s songs, and her voice is coming back quickly – way too quickly. There’s no magic in it that I can detect, but you saw the picture, she has other assets that she can use in this world to get her way.

Anything you can tell me about the pendant shards and building my artificer skills in this world would be really vital right now. I have no data to satisfy a scientist like you, but my intuition is telling me I need all the help I can get. Please, I am asking you to pull some Princess strings in Canterlot. Maybe Vulcan Anvil, the master of the Arcane Forge, still remembers me enough to do us a favor.

Lastly, and I’m hesitant to bring this up, has Rarity ever come on to you? You know, romantically? Have any of your other friends? I’m so glad I sent the picture, because right after it was taken, Rarity told me how much she admired me, how she wanted to get to know me “much, much better”, and leaned forward to kiss me. Twilight, I can’t shake the feeling that picking one of my friends to be more special to me than the others would end in disaster and the stakes seem so high.

Thank you for any time or advice you can spare. I really wish you had stayed a few more days.

Your faithful friend,
Sunset Shimmer

----

“Stop here.” ordered Adagio Dazzle.

“Why the aquarium?” asked Post Haste, earning a superficial jab of Sunset Shimmer’s butterfly knife.

“You don’t get to know, and if you tell anyone about this impromptu trip, I will kill you. You know how easy it was for me to get into your car. It would be even easier to get into your house. You know what I’m talking about, Post Haste, the house on Circular Street you share with your parents and little brother?”

Terrified, the young man agreed, “No one will ever know.”

“Good night, then.” Adagio, with several of Sunset’s gold bars clenched in her fist, expertly clipped Post Haste in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

Gathering her belongings, most of which originally belonged to Sunset Shimmer, and taking the delivery boy’s cash, she stepped out of the car and walked towards the Canterlot Aquarium’s loading docks. Producing a stolen key and staying out of sight of security cameras, Adagio descended into the facility’s damp maintenance and filter rooms. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, with a malevolent magenta glow that allowed her to find her way without additional illumination.

Fittingly, in a concrete room beneath the shark tank, the three Sirens had established a small lair, complete with simple furniture, sleeping bags, and blankets. Adagio Dazzle’s keen ears heard another person breathing and shifting about in their room. Before turning the corner into the room, she gripped Sunset Shimmer’s knife, prepared to use it.

“Come in, Adagio. I was just catching up on my reading,” called an oddly familiar voice.

Sitting at the small table, her black hair done in a severe bun that accented her chalk-white complexion was the Canterlot High School literature teacher, Ms. Raven. The teacher closed a book and calmly set it down.

“What in Lord Kraken’s name are you doing here?” she said, brandishing the knife.

“What are either of us doing here, Princess? I haven’t seen my true home in a thousand years. Sound familiar?” Ms. Raven smiled, but it didn’t touch her dark eyes.

“How…?” started Adagio.

“Starswirl the Bearded, Celestia, and Luna. Surely you didn’t think you were the only one that hairy excuse for a wizard cast out of Equus into this mundane world?”

Totally rocked off her game, Adagio could only sputter, “Why didn’t you help us?”

“Oh, you were doing great, until the precise moment you weren’t. Could any of us have predicted in advance that Sunset Shimmer would save the day and unleash the Power of Harmony? Besides, I serve a different Master than you do, but I think that we can make an agreement. I’m not as attached to my old home as you seem to be, Princess.”

“You must tell me. Who are you?” demanded Adagio Dazzle.

“I am Shrieking Raven, the last of my kind in this world.” she stood, her features becoming more skeletal, “I am a banshee and feed off of terror and death. Like you, I could barely sustain myself until this fall, and now, I am growing powerful as more and more Equestrian magic flows here. Behold the power of my voice!”

A high-pitched magical scream issued forth from Shrieking Raven, dropping Adagio to her knees. She covered her ears, but was still overcome by the intense terror emanating from the undead creature.”

“Curious. The servants of Leviathan should be immune to my magic. No matter. Their deaths,” Raven pointed to three dead rats, “and those of the fish above will sustain my powers for a time. After all, water carries sound better than air. Now, let us discuss how you will serve He Who Swims in Darkness once again, Your Highness.”

Shrieking Raven’s features returned to their normal disguise. She pulled out a second chair and invited Adagio to sit at her own table.

Alone, frightened, and desperate to hide it, she joined the creature at the table.

-----

“Sunset Shimmer,” groaned Aria Blaze as she rolled over in Rarity's bed.

Still seated in one of the easy chairs in Rarity’s bedroom, Sunset nearly spilled her cup of coffee (her fifth) just as she was taking a sip. Outside, the sun was beginning to rise over Canterlot, illuminating the city with a crimson hue.

Sunset Shimmer rose. As she went to Aria’s side, her link to Equestria buzzed. The sunburst cutie mark on the book’s cover flared as the first rays peeked over the horizon, mimicking the color of the sky outside.

“A storm is coming.” Sunset Shimmer said to the sunrise.

Author's Note:

I'm glad that I was able to finish this chapter a little more quickly than I thought I would. I've learned the art of underpromising and overdelivering, so I'll continue in that vein. Expect a new chapter every two weeks, and if I can somehow pull it off in a single weekend, we'll all be happy? Does that sound all right?

Obviously, things are becoming serious rather quickly for our heroines from threats both known and unknown. Sunset Shimmer's moment of action was based on something from my personal past. No, I didn't break into song, but responsibility causes unusual things to happen. I'll spare you here. Just know that I am a nearly endless font of useless sea stories, not all of which are suitable for polite company. :pinkiegasp:

Redemption has many paths in many cultures, and I offer my apology if my cobbled-together theology adapted to the MLP universe leaves anyone with a negative impression.

Thank you all so much for the numerous comments on Chapter Four and I hope to learn what you think of this effort. IsabellaAmoreSirenix graciously offered assistance as an editor, sacrificing large chunks of a weekend (and time more happily spent penning other stories) to help me and for that I'm grateful. And - a shameless plug: Check out her stories. Start with Eye Shadow if you have an appetite for emotive imagery!

ColdGoldLazarus and SerenaAveline, you are wonderful in keeping me honest, whether with constructive feedback, letting me know I'm on the right track, and a flood of fan-created art. ShadeJak, I'm not worthy of your praise, but hope you keep reading the stuff I put out there.

For all of you that have chosen to comment, thank you once again. I am grateful for the time you spend to read these large chapters and humbled by the fact you add your thoughts. I hope you continue to steal a moment here or there to let me know your opinion on this latest installment.