> Raise Your Voice > by TheNewYorkBrony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > A Quiet Contralto > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first time Sunset had seen them again, it was a semi-cold September evening. She had just been returning from an evening trip to the movies with her friends when she saw them. They were sitting inside the local coffee shop, the one that Sunset always went to on her way to school. She wasn’t sure if they could see her when she entered, but didn’t need to make sure when she heard Adagio’s voice. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t little miss Sunset Shimmer. What have we done to have you grace us with your divine presence?” Sunset whirled around to see Adagio smirking at her. Sonata and Aria were sat across from her staring at her intently. Sonata with a childlike wonder and Aria with mild disdain. Adagio patted the seat next to her and Sunset took it. Her smirk grew, and she seemed to enjoy how visibly uncomfortable Sunset was getting. “So...how’s the friendship life treating you? You seem to be doing better than we are. You even got yourself some new clothes,” she said, gesturing to Sunset’s outfit. Sunset was hit with a pang of guilt, and gulped. “I...I’m sorry that...” “Sorry?” Adagio asked, laughing dryly. “What do you have to be sorry for? You’re not the one that had to get a day to day job after decades, centuries, millennia, of getting what you want, all to be taken away by a group of measly teenage girls.” Her voice bit with poison and it made Sunset look away in shame. “But I--” “And you didn’t lose your singing voice, the one thing that you held dear! But ohohoho! Do tell me Sunset Shimmer, how you’re so sorry!” Adagio growled, banging her fist on the table. Sunset was taken aback by her sudden anger. “We didn’t...we didn’t know that the Magic of Friendship would take your singing voices away. We didn’t know that your singing voices were tied to your pendants. I--I’m so-” Sunset stopped herself. “No, you’re right. We’re terrible people for taking away your magic. But you’re no better for making people fight for your pleasure.” “Sowing discord was the only way we could feed. You seem to forget that it wasn’t long ago that you too were making people miserable.” Adagio reminded her. “Yeah, but I found friends who helped me see that what I was doing was wrong,” Sunset replied. “I was able to rise from my past. You're still living in it. What's your excuse?” Adagio’s face twisted into a snarl. “Why you little-” Sunset held up a hand to stop her. “Look, I’m not here to start a fight, okay? I just wanted to make things right.” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “Make things right? How could you possibly make things right? Our magic is gone. There is no possible way of bringing it back.” “Not...necessarily...” Sunset responded. This made Aria and Sonata pay attention to the conversation now. Adagio too, seemed interested. “Oh? Do tell.” “I’m not sure if you all are aware or not, but a few months ago there was an...incident at Canterlot High again where someone who had no experience with powerful Equestrian magic was able to get her hands on it. In the process, she destroyed part of the portal to Equestria, and without us knowing, some of the magic was able to leak through,” Sunset explained. “Recently there’s been even more magic surrounding the school, and it's gone as far as miles away from it. You’ve felt it to, haven’t you?” Adagio’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “Yeah, so? What about it?” “If I can somehow harness some of the magic that escaped from the portal, I can get you guys your voices back. Minus the chaos causing part.” Sunset finished, eyeing them all. “Why should we trust you?” Aria barked, glaring daggers at Sunset. “Sure, you can go on and not trust me, but I’m making an offer you can’t refuse.” Sunset said, her voice steady. “You’re the one who want to go back to your former lives, not me.” She took a napkin and wrote her address on it before getting up to leave. “Think about it, and get back to me.” With that she walked out the door and continued her trek home. “You what?!”  Dash barked. “Why would you do that?!” It was the next day and Sunset had just finished telling the girls what happened at the lunch table. Needless to say, they all weren’t to happy about it. “Why not? They don’t pose a threat anymore. Why shouldn’t we give them a chance?” Sunset replied. Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Um, who exactly are the girls you guys are talking about? These Dazzlings?” “They’re these awful girls who made us all fight with each other,” Fluttershy told her. Rainbow Dash frowned. “Did you forget that they tried to brainwash the entire school, pit everyone against each other, and take over the whole world?” she reminded her, waving her arms. “Yeah!” Pinkie agreed. “Why would you wanna help some big meanies like them?” “How is that any different than what I did?” Sunset asked them. “I did all those things and you guys forgave me,” she said, folding her arms. “But you’re you...and they’re...you know, them, darling,” Rarity said, looking uneasy. “But it's your decision and whatever you decide we stand behind you wholeheartedly.” “Thanks Rarity, I promise you guys, you have nothing to worry about. I can handle them.” Sunset assured them. “Whatever happens, we’ll be right behind you, sugarcube. You know, blah, blah friendship.” Applejack said, patting her on the back. “Yeah!" Pinkie agreed, "unless they use their magic to turn us against each other again, and almost ruin our friendship." She smiled, "but what are the chances of that happening again?" Rarity rolled her eyes. “Well, if it does come down to that we could use one of Fluttershy’s songs to defeat them.” Fluttershy put a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just wrote one about bunnies.” “Yeah, I don’t think bunnies are gonna help us save the day,” Dash told her. “Unless we were attacked by A GIANT LETTUCE MONSTER!" Pinkie grabbed some lettuce off her plate and stuck it on her head. She turned to Fluttershy, "Roar! I'm a lettuce monster! I hate dessert! I'm going to eat you!" Fluttershy let out a high-pitched scream, "Angel, save me!" "Guys!" Sunset yelled, slamming her hands down on the table, "we need to focus right now." Pinkie sits back down and starts to eat the piece of lettuce that was on top of her head, much to the disgust of Rarity and Fluttershy who were sitting next to her. “Anyway, they haven’t accepted my offer yet, so our best bet is to wait and see what happens.” Sunset said. “In the meantime, I’m going to write to Princess Twilight about this and see what she says.” Dear Princess Twilight, You won’t believe what happened yesterday. I ran into the Dazzlings and they were none too pleased about what happened to them. Adagio...most of all. I have an idea, but I need your advice on it. I want to give them their voices back. The girls think it’s a bad idea but I think it might be good for them. If we can gain their trust, then maybe...maybe we can change them for the good. What do you think we should do? Yours in friendship, Sunset Shimmer. Sunset closed the book to send the letter to Twilight and put it on her nightstand. As she did, there was a knock on her apartment door. She got up from her chair in the living room to answer it and was shocked to see Adagio standing in her doorway, with a smirk on her face. “Well? Aren’t you going to let me in?”