Sunata in C (For Champagne)

by BluesyTreble

1 - Champagne And A Housemate

Her left fingertips were purple and blistered as she stumbled home in the starless night hefting her guitar after an evening of what was supposed to be a practice session with the Rainbooms had turned into two hours of trading guitar wizardry with their lead guitarist, her blues-based greasy wail up against Rainbow's shrill, lightning fast sweeps. Two weeks after the whole Dazzlings fiasco, both Principals had organised another musical showcase, this time a public event in compensation after their previous attempt for a music event had its purpose twisted. Upon the news, the Rainbooms had again jumped at the chance of performing, now in public. Since then, practice sessions had doubled and stretched long after sundown, the increased time Sunset had to spend slaving over twenty-two frets and six steel strings had taken their toll on her fingers, and now painfully reminded her to leave the league of 11 gauge strings. Gingerly blowing on her seemingly burnt tips, she doubted if her callouses even existed anymore.

The inside of her head seemed to be nothing but incomprehensible yet conflicting thought-silhouettes and echoes of blindingly fast scale runs and distorted chords, she caught herself by slamming her palm against the window of a cafe. She swept a lock of fiery hair from her soft features to scan her surroundings. She was near home, that she knew by the usually deserted road and well-worn sidewalks, all lit by the occasional aged yellow lamp-post. She also knew she needed a particular fermented brew to clear her mind-mess, and so started for the brightly-lit convenience store flanked by squat red-brick apartment blocks. Once there, she pulled open the poster-plastered glass door and strode to the back, giving the liquor fridge a long, contemplating glance. Hearing the bell of the store entrance ring, she looked back, some champagne in hand, to catch sight of an aqua-haired girl in a hoodie.

Ducking behind the lone shelf that spanned the distance between the back of the store to the counter, Sunset timed Sonata's walk to strafe around the Dazzling Ditz. If she approached her former enemy now, the cashier was guaranteed to not appreciate the ensuing commotion. "Keep the change, miss," She whispered, laying a couple of notes upon the counter, and felt the back of her ears burn as she realised she had squat-waddled all the way up to the cashier's. Straightening both her posture and her face, Sunset strutted out, shouldered her guitar bag and positioned herself in the alley between the apartment block and the store, and stuck her head out, watching for her recently-defeated adversary.

And soon enough, Sonata Dusk walked out cradling a carton of chocolate milk, and turned to face a dimly lit figure clad in a leather jacket and boots, clutching a glass bottle in one hand, her hair, almost black in the poor light, shrouded her face as a pair of glinting eyes stared directly into hers amidst the windblown locks. Sonata simply stood spooked and let the figure grab her collar and yank her into the darkness of the alley. Quickly regaining at least some sense, she recognised her captor.

"YOU!" She squeaked.

"ME!" Sunset shouted back, then facepalmed herself back into the waking realm and cleared her throat. She massaged the bridge of her nose before asking, "What's your name?"

"Sonata." Sonata (duh) replied. "You're not going to laser-rainboom me or something, are you?" She asked before shrinking back. Wide purple eyes studying the fiery-haired guitarist before her.

"No, Sonata. After we broke your spell, you three ran off before we could reach you." Sunset began to explain. "We wanted to help."

"Well, there's no point trying to undo something you meanies deliberately did," Sonata pouted and folded her arms, then stuck out her lower jaw to blow upwards at her fringe. "I mean, this was your doing, and wouldn't undoing your doing be the same as doing nothing at all, since if you undid a doing that was already done, you wouldn't have gotten anything?"

Sunset narrowed her eyes and leant back in confusion, her head spinning worse than before. The Dazzling's rebuttal was barely relevant, but still made some sort of elusive sense only the Zecora the School Counsellor could pry out. Although academically proficient, this had her stumped. She shook off as much drowsiness as she could, and went by what little she interpreted.

"Yes, we destroyed your pendants." She slowly said, "But it was because the power and magic embedded in them were bad for the three of you and this world." She gestured to coax out as much relevant thought possible. "We're not pushing you girls up so we could bring you down again. We're taking away something bad from you so we could replace it with something better, and that something, is Friendship."

"You see," She continued. "Your pendants may have gotten you adoration and love from everyone else, but those are ill-gained. You'd rather have something that has been earned, instead of corruption-compelled mobs to do your bidding, you'd rather want someone who comes to your side because they want to, and you'll take pride knowing you'd do the same for them. Instead of a seduction and spellbound and an at best minion-master relationship, you've someone you share an almost familial tie with and trust, someone you can look for in dark times to bring you comfort and distraction from your tough times, and are willing to share theirs with you too. That's a friend, someone to take along on your journey in life. The immortality that went along with your pendants wouldn't have allowed that."

Sunset Shimmer gasped for breath. A few seconds passed.

"Oh."

WHAT. That's all you could say??!!!? Sunset had a good mind to clonk the girl over her head with her guitar and leave her unconscious in the alley, but pulled together the massive willpower to abstain. She let out a long sigh.

"Where are your two companions?" She attempted to forget the sheer air-headedness and focused on her task at hand.

"Th-they sorta threw me out..." Sonata mumbled softly, her left hand reaching to grasp her right elbow, bottom lip sticking out and quivering.

"But why?"

"Weeeeeeell," Sonata placed a finger on her cheek and tilted her head, looking up to recall....

---

"It's all your fault we lost our powers, Nata!" A plastic mug sailed toward her head, causing her to duck. The mug hit a wall and ricocheted to clonk her on her rump.

"Ow!" Sonata rubbed her bruised butt.

"Even when YOU sang with us during that battle, we STILL got defeated, Sonata." Adagio snarled as she prodded her sister's chest. "This goes to show how useless you are." Shoving Sonata to the ground, she placed her hands on her hips and paced around their apartment.

"B-b-but Dagi!" Sonata spluttered, tears welling at the base of her eyes.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT." Upon hearing the nickname, Adagio blushed a deep red. "Since we're powerless now, you'll become but another mouth to feed. Aria can make her way about making money, but you I highly doubt. Hence by sunrise, I. WANT. YOU. OUT." She made sure to growl the last four words, her voice hoarse with frustration and anger. Turning on her heel, she stomped away and slammed her bedroom door, Aria following suit, leaving their sobbing sister on the living room floor.

Once Sonata was sure her abusive mean-buttocks sisters were asleep, she emptied her piggy bank of money, made sure to saran-wrap every doorway, and made her way out.

---

"...And that's why I'm here all alone! They threw me out, I even paid some of the downpayment for our apartment!"

"Don't worry about that, Sonata." Sunset consoled the now weeping Siren. "We'll think of how we can get you up on your feet and providing for yourself."

She watched Sonata draw back a foot to kick at a trashcan in frustration. As she swung her left foot out, it hit her standing right foot, sweeping out both legs beneath her and sending her falling smack on her bottom.

"Perhaps you better come home with me, Sonata, we'll discuss your current situation in the morning." She worriedly suggested as her new housemate began to bawl. "Come on, let's go!"

Sonata continued to bawl.

Sunset lay down her guitar case and champagne and attempted to drag the girl up. She immediately regretted her choice as her arms threatened to pull out of their sockets with the effort.

"UUUUGHGGHGHHGHH!! GET UP!" She shrieked in exasperation. Then she remembered Sonata's uncanny resemblance to Pinkie Pie.

"Look, we'll head back into the store and get candy if you get up."

The effect was instant. "Really?" Sonata sprang up on her feet.

"Anything to prevent you from acting like the square root of your physical age."

Sonata cocked her head in puzzlement.

"WE'RE GOING TO GET CANDY, OKAY?" A now exhausted and hungry Sunset Shimmer practically screamed.

"YAY!"

Sunset Shimmer felt her knees buckle as the Siren literally hopped onto her.

Author's Note:

Aaaaaand another project out on the road. I hope Writer's Block doesn't come and beat me down again heheh. I'll fervently try to update this as best as I can.

If there's anything to say about this story, leave it in the comments, please leave a like or favourite if you enjoy this, thanks very much!

Comments

[TheGloriousG]

A nice start, will be watching to see where this goes.

[bjorn2345]

All this is missing is a reference to tacos or "for realsies" and yeah =/

Listen to mythrilmoth. Don't be one of those.

[Riane94]

A good start sire