Cafe Dazzling

by brzy

Chapter 18

Sunset Shimmer and the Dazzlings stared across the desk at Principal Celestia. The awkwardness was palpable as Celestia’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

“…Sunset. Really? You really expect me to believe that?”

A terrible feeling of deja vu fell over the pony girl. This was gonna be her life, wasn’t it?

“The girls are all out sick with some kind of stomach flu. Something about tacos… Luna went to go check up on them, she came back covered in sick.”

Sonata held her tongue as flames metaphorically leapt from her eyes. She watched Celestia shudder. It wasn’t the tacos fault that they weren’t prepared properly.

“Principal, please! I know this sounds weird, but something is definitely going on!” shouted Sunny.

“Miss Shimmer. Maybe we’ve been pushing you too hard with the whole magic investigation thing. I know you’ve made a lot of progress over the past few months, like the Dazzlings here.” She turned her head to the odd man out. “And Anon. I guess? But you can’t attribute every little thing to magic horse monsters.”

Yup, Sunset reflected. This was gonna be her life here. She shook her head to clear it. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, disguising her sigh.

“Maybe you’re right principal. I’ll try to take it easier from now on.”

She brushed off the incredulous stares of the Sirens as she got up from her seat. Her eyes met Adagio’s as she tilted her head, trying to convey “I guess we’re on our own.”

The Sirens and Sunny stepped outside as the metaphorically open door slammed behind them.

“So…” murmured Sunset.

“So…” grumbled Aria.

“Sooo?” singsonged Sonata.

“So we tried it your way, Sunset. Now, we do it our way. Follow my lead…” Adagio’s face broke into a wide, sinister grin.

---

Saturday morning. Cafe Dazzling. Business is booming. Thankfully, word of Sonata’s fiery destruction hasn’t affected the patronage of families commuting from the Crystal Prep side of the city. If you look to your left, there’s Adagio at the maître d position, directing customers to their tables. To your right, a surprisingly upbeat looking Aria leading what looks to be a purple and white haired woman and her dark blue husband to a corner booth. To the center, Sonata bussing a recently vacated table. Farther to the left, a buxom bacon haired girl struggling in a too tight fitting waitress outfit awkwardly takes the order of a light purple girl and a red young man.

“Uhhh, so pancakes and…” the pony girl breaks into a sweat, “umm, a plate bacon?”

“Eeeeyup,” intones Cheerilee with a giggle, as she snuggled up against Big Mac.

Sunset suppressed a shiver as she walked away to give Anon the order ticket. The breakfast shift couldn't end soon enough.

---

“What was that all about?!” shouted Sunny as they sat around the big corner booth.

“What was what? You were here anyways, did you really not want to help out?” crooned Adagio.

“Thanks a lot for the help Sunset. The Saturday breakfast rush is always hard with just the four of us,” smiled Anon.

“It’s… its fine. Just…”

“Sunny, you’ve lived here for a few years now, right? Humans eat meat. You reaaaally need to get over that,” added Sonata as she finished her plate of leftover bacon.

Aria rolled her eyes as she scarfed down her leftover sausage. Being Sirens, natural piscivores, the transition to a meat eating human diet was an easy fit. She licked her fingers clean as she stared Sunset Shimmer in the eyes.

“Sunset.” Adagio’s smile faded. “Whatever is happening, we’ve got to assume it’s been building up to the Friendship Games.”

Sunny nodded. It fit the pattern. Every single magical event, even hers, had centered around a high school function ever since she came to this strange meat centered world.

“Yeah, it seems like everything’s going to come to a head then,” admitted Sunset.

“Well, we’re gonna have to have something ready for them, aren’t we?” smiled Aria, as a flash of negative light surrounded her.

Sunny tried to keep her composure as the Siren transformed into her “pony-upped” form. She failed, of course, as her pupils dilated and her shoulders hunched. She relaxed as she saw Adagio shake her head and snicker at her reaction.

“But… but how are we going to stop them?” cried Sunset.

“We’ve shown we can take on the Rainbooms before, Sunny.”

“Yeah, and you lost!” shouted Sunset, before thinking.

She immediately looked down at the granite table top in shame after realizing what she said about her allies.

“Sunset… you do realize we three would have beaten the Rainbooms if you hadn’t stepped in, right?”

Adagio’s predatory grin penetrated the pony girl as she realized what she was implying.

“We three could have beaten all six of them easily if you hadn’t tipped the scales,” intoned Aria.

“Heh, I think Adagio probably could have taken them on her own,” added Sonata.

Sunset stared dumbfounded for a moment. Adagio had taken out Rainbow Dash on her own. There was a pretty good chance the Dazzlings could take on the Rainbooms on their own, even without her to tip the balance.

“You guys are right!” shouted Sunny suddenly. “As long as we set things up right we should be able to stop them at the Friendship Game on Monday!”

For the first time in a while, Sunset felt light. All the guilt and worry faded into the background as she watched Sonata and Aria dig into their various animal flesh based treats. Then suddenly the queasiness came back as she imagined the talking cows and pigs back in Equestria. Aria’s grumpiness was justified once again as she headed upstairs to clean off her uniform.

---

Midnight Sparkle sat on the bed and ate her pizza as Applejack and Dash raced on their console. Rarity was on the computer working on the design for her throne as Fluttershy seemed to argue with her pet rabbit. She sighed. All she could think about was Aria.

Author's Note:

Yeah, big update gap. Been busy moving cross country. Thankfully I'm moved into my awesome new place with awesome internet access and a nice work gap. I will finish this story, its actually pretty close to the end now, in story time if not real time. Hope people are enjoying the ride.

Comments

[brzy]

6497959 To paraphrase the theme of the cartoon, "the magic was within them all along." Or in the gems. It was never really made clear.

[Eyeswirl the Weirded]

Sonata held her tongue as flames metaphorically leapt from her eyes. She watched Celestia shudder. It wasn’t the tacos fault that they weren’t prepared properly.

“Sunset… you do realize we three would have beaten the Rainbooms if you hadn’t stepped in, right?”

It's always nice to see people remember this, in-universe and out, instead of acting like it had been a clean, easy victory on the Rainbooms' part.
Midnight might still have something up her sleeve here, but I figure worst comes to worst, they'll have Sunset (or even Anon!) to help out, even if it's just by throwing a rock or something while Midnight is charging up her ultra-death laser or whatever. On that note;

Midnight Sparkle sat on the bed and ate her pizza as Applejack and Dash raced on their console. Rarity was on the computer working on the design for her throne as Fluttershy seemed to argue with her pet rabbit. She sighed. All she could think about was Aria.

The big villain of the piece having feelings other than "THE WORLD WILL BE MINE GWAHAHA" continues to be cute.

[Blackshadow of Abys]

Aria rolled her eyes as she scarfed down her leftover sausage

what......