Consequences

by shallow15

Suspicion, Distrust, and Revelations

“How the hell did you find this place?” Sunset demanded.

“We have ways of finding out what we want, even without our amulets,” Adagio replied.

Aria rolled her eyes. “I hacked into Canterlot High's Student Directory. Are you going to let us in now? I really don't want to be out in the hall.”

Sunset folded her arms, as her friends appeared in the doorway behind her. Rainbow Dash and Applejack took positions on either side of her. “No, I won't let you into my home. I don't know what twisted little game you're playing here, and I don't care. I have bigger problems to worry about than you.”

“Yes,” Adagio agreed. “You do, don't you?”

“Please let us in!” Sonata begged, causing Adagio and Aria to groan. “Tempest is gonna be pissed that we blew out her tires before coming up here!”

Sunset's eyebrows shot up. “Tempest? As in Tempest Shadow?”

“Mm-hmmm.” Adagio's crooked smile returned to her face. “Do we have your attention now?”

Sunset took a deep breath through her nose then let it out before looking over her shoulder at her friends. “Let them in.”

---

“Celestia, wait!”

Celestia slowed down and pulled over to the curb. “What is it?”

Luna pointed up the street. On the next block, just down the road from Sunset's apartment building, a tow truck wa spulled up to a sedan that was leaning dangerously on one side. Luna pulled out her phone and activated the camera. She zoomed in and nodded.

“I thought so. Look.”

Celestia leaned over and frowned as she saw Tempest talking to the driver of the tow truck. “Agent Shadow is escalating things, it seems.”

“We can't meet with Sunset and her friends now,” said Luna. “She sees us show up and there goes plausible deniability.”

“I know.” Celestia sat in thought for a moment, then pulled back into traffic, taking a left turn at the intersection before Sunset's block. “Rarity didn't happen to give you her number at the mall, did she?”

“She did. I'll text her right now.”

As Celestia drove away from the apartment building, a thought came to her. “Invite her and her friends to tea tomorrow afternoon.”

Luna blinked. “Tea?”

Celestia nodded without looking over. “And it should go without saying that they should be as discreet as possible when they come over.”

Luna returned to composing the text. Tea? Really? Any excuse to break out that damn tea set Mom gave you, sister dear?

---

Chairs were now officially in short supply. The Dazzlings had taken the couch, Fluttershy and Pinkie had taken the dining chairs, Twilight was back in the desk chair, Applejack was leaning up against the wall and Rainbow hovered over next to Sunset.

“What happened to you?” Aria asked, spotting Rarity.

“An accident,” Rarity replied coolly.

Aria snorted. “Sorry I missed it.”

“All right, that's it!” Rainbow snapped, starting forward before Sunset grabbed her arm, holding her friend back.

“Not helpful right now, Dash.” Sunset looked at the three girls on her couch, resisting the urge to pound Adagio's smug grin to the other side of her face. “What do you three--”

A musical chime echoed through the apartment. Sunset stifled a groan and looked over at Rarity. “Seriously?”

“I'm so sorry, darling,” Rarity apologized, pulling out her phone. “I forgot to set it on vibrate. Oh! It's from Vice Principal Luna.”

Rarity quickly read the text and a hand flew to her mouth. She looked up at Sunset. “Tempest Shadow has been staking out your apartment.”

“What?!”

“Like I said, you all suck at being discreet,” said Adagio. “So, we gave her something else to worry about while we came up here.”

Sunset shot Adagio a dirty look. “So you blew out her tires.”

“Only two of them,” said Sonata. “Just enough so she'd be busy with a tow truck.”

“Great,” said Sunset. “Like we didn't have enough problems with her.”

The grin vanished from Adagio's face. “You don't have any idea how much trouble you're in if she's on your tail.”

“And you do?” Twilight asked.

Adagio looked at her, then did a double take. “Wait. You're not her. She didn't wear glasses, and she certainly had better dress sense.”

“I beg your pardon?!” Rarity rolled forward and looked like she was going to claw her way out of her chair to strangle the lead Dazzling.

“Rarity,” Sunset warned.

“I will not let this... this... hussy impugn the hard work Twilight and I have done to create a look that is solely hers and not a carbon copy of the princess! I demand an apology!”

“And I demand you all shut up and listen to us,” Adagio responded. “Because without our help, you are never going to outwit Tempest and I can guarantee she will send all of you somewhere you don't want to go.”

Twilight put a hand on Rarity's shoulder. “It's all right, Rarity.”

“It most certainly is not!”

“No, it isn't,” Sunset agreed. “But I doubt we'll get anything from these three that they don't want to give.” she looked back at Adagio. “How exactly do you know Tempest Shadow?”

“Do you really think you and your little friends were the only ones who tried to stop us?” the siren asked.

“Kicked your butts from here to Las Pegasus, didn't we?” Rainbow sneered.

Adagio ignored the barb. “We've run into her on a couple of occasions. They've never ended well for us.”

Aria snorted and rolled her eyes. “Just admit it for once, Adagio, she outsmarted you and we barely survived.”

“If it wasn't for Cantata,” Sonata murmured.

Sunset blinked as she saw actual regret cross Adagio's face. “Cantata? Another siren?”

“Hardly,” Aria said, but the sadness in her eyes betrayed the hardness in her voice.

“She was our friend,” Sonata said. “The only friend we really had ever since we were banished here.”

“What happened?” asked Applejack.

“Tempest Shadow happened.” Adagio let out a long sigh and looked around at the group of girls surrounding them, before turning her gaze on Sunset. “And if the seven of you aren't careful, the same thing is going to happen to you.”

Comments

[CapNTilfy]

"The enemy of my enemy..."

[DullDragon2070]

It seems we have a temporary truce.

I hope we get to find out more about this Cantata.

[Snowdrifter]

9563347
"... is still my enemy."

-Old Klingon proverb.

[CapNTilfy]

9563558
Touche. But we'll see what happens.

[Tekket]

Goddamn come on!

All the awesome EG fics I've found end right as the dazzlings show themselves again.

I need more!

[shallow15]

9564805
More coming next week.

[Tekket]

9564811
I will be lurking.

I will be waiting.
For more great content!