Chapter 112

Saturday afternoon, December the 10th; dinner at Pinkie Pie’s.

The party girl had managed to procure an empty house for the event, and so she and Sonata were to be our hosts for the evening. Somehow, through a connection in the party-throwing world, Pinkie had gotten a hold of some tickets for a live show at the Royal Canterlot Theatre —five in total— so she convinced her parents to take her three sisters while she ‘volunteered’ to stay home and miss it.

Obviously, this was nothing more than a master plan to be able to host the dinner that weekend, at which she had something special planned; something they hadn’t done in a long time, and something that Pinkie was clearly quite excited about.

Everyone was to be present, save for Twilight, who was in the midst of dealing with a slew of major exams and lab reports that were due in a short span of time, due to the holidays approaching in the next few weeks.

A couple weeks had passed since the… encounter at my shop. Communication between the lavender girl and me remained the same during those weeks: more or less non-existent. However, she was always present at the Riverfield for training alongside Applejack, which was going well, though I was already having to branch out and customize their individual styles of combat; obviously their powers differed greatly and, like Rarity, I was able to think of some amusing uses for Twilight’s telekinesis —of which the possibilities were practically endless— while with Applejack, I was basically able to train her to fight almost exactly like myself since her strength was nearly identical to mine, maybe even a tad greater.

Speaking of Applejack: earlier in the week, she had informed me that she felt as though she had the hammering down to an art, so I went over there one afternoon for a demonstration. To my amazement, she pounded those nails flush with one hit each, fast, precise, and consistent. After asking her to demonstrate some impromptu tasks chosen at random to test her diversity, she showed perfect control of her strength, and she did it plenty fast, which was really the ultimate goal.

That being said, this meant I could now have the honor of presenting her with the new bass guitar. In typical Applejack fashion, she was bluntly honest with me about not being a fan of the all-black instrument’s style, though she did appreciate the gesture. Once I explained the black being representative of the suits, she softened a bit on the bass’ design, and when I offered to take her to the store to pick out another one, she refused, to my surprise, saying that she was willing to give it a chance.

So now it was early Saturday afternoon, and I was in town helping Rarity with a small repair at the boutique, after which we’d planned on heading out to Pinkie’s house together to meet everyone else, including Fluttershy.

We stopped at Fluttershy’s house on the way to drop Rarity’s car off, then we both took my truck and drove —or sped, really, for fun— to Pinkie’s place from there. When we arrived, I opened and held the door for Rarity while in the midst of an interesting little argument with her; she trotted in with her nose in the air, carrying a casserole dish full of pasta that needed to go into the oven after some modest preparation.

“I’m telling you, Rare, there was nothing wrong with that ruler. You really didn’t need to throw it out.”

“Nonsense. It simply must be bigger than that, darling; it certainly feels bigger!”

I shook my head and shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. I kinda think your eyes are bigger than your snatch.”

“Oh, come now! That ruler was clearly inaccurate, which means I probably shouldn’t be using it anymore.”

“Ugh! What is wrong with you guys, anyway?” I grumbled as I closed the door. “I don’t get it; it’s not that big.”

“There’s nothing wrong with anyone, darling. You are simply a well-endowed fellow,” —she swung her hip to nudge mine, giving me an amorous wink before heading into the kitchen— “and I happen to be a very lucky young lady—with an unlucky taste in rulers!”

“OK well, d’you wanna see if Pinks’ Dad has a tape measure we could use to compare?”

Gasping, she spun around to face me with a grimace, still holding the casserole dish. “We are NOT using Igneous’ tape measure for that!”

With a hearty chuckle, I turned and headed into the room opposite the kitchen in search of the rest of the group.

The place was empty.

I pulled my phone out and texted the party girl.

ME: Where is everybody?

Just as the message sent, I heard a deep hum rumbling its way through the floor: the unmistakeable sound of an electric bass, followed by the muffled crash of cymbals and the screech of electric guitar.

I stopped and listened; the drumming had ceased, but the bass and guitar continued to play on by themselves. A few seconds later, my phone buzzed.

PINKIE: WE'RE IN THE BASEMENT. COME ON DOWN

ME: I thought I wasn’t allowed down there

PINKIE: DON'T WORRY, LIMESTONE'S NOT HERE!

ME: K

“Rare, I guess they’re downstairs. Do you need any help before I go?” I asked, facing the kitchen.

“You go ahead, my love. I can manage. You’ve already done plenty for me today, thank you.”

“Alright,” I replied, stuffing my phone into my pocket as I headed for the basement stairs. I as went down the steps, the sound of an electric guitar came up to greet me, its twang natural and without distortion, playing a very familiar riff that carried a heavy blues influence, one that I —and anyone else not living under a rock— had heard many, many times before.

Then came Rainbow Dash’s voice. “Ohh man, I think that clock is sloooow…”

The riff continued to repeat, accompanied by Applejack’s voice amongst manufactured giggles. “I don’t feel tardy.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as I descended the last few steps, amused by their rendition of the song. When I reached the bottom I rounded the corner to the left, exploring the unfamiliar space to find my way. It wasn’t difficult, and I soon found myself entering a large, dingy room with an impressive-looking home theatre on one side, faced by an old, worn out couch. In the far right corner was a drum set manned by the Pie girl herself, and surrounding her was Fluttershy with her tambourine, Rainbow Dash with a blue electric guitar, Applejack with her new bass, and Sunset, who was the one playing the riff on an orange Gibson Flying-V.

Sonata was leaning on the back of the couch with a keytar slung over her shoulder, watching the girls play.

I brought my attention back to Sunset, who went through the riff a few more times before squeezing her eyes shut and shouting at the top of her lungs: “Class… disMIIIIIIIIISED!”

“OOH!”

The rest of them joined in, slamming my ears with an unexpected and awesome level of volume; the crash of cymbals, the thump of double-bass drums, the Earth-shattering grit of two distorted guitars playing that same riff in power chords, all hammering its way into my head at once while the thrum of that black bass vibrated the floor beneath our feet.

The tempo was fast, and the girls were on time, on key, and on point. It was astonishing to see such perfect coordination and skill, and how easy they made it all look; it was hard to imagine that this was the first time they’d played together after such a long hiatus. For me, it was a thrill to finally see it in person, especially after all the stories I’d heard about this band’s heyday.

As they played through the verse, Rainbow Dash took the reins on vocals—though she could hardly be heard with the absence of a microphone. After going through the chorus once, they moved on to the outro, ending with a long, drawn-out series of slides, strumming and drum rolls, slowing it down incrementally before ending it all with one final —and loud— simultaneous chord.

Sonata stood and clapped excitedly, cheering her new friends’ performance. “YYYEAH! That was crazy, you guys!”

“Yeah, nice,” I added, finally announcing my presence.

All of them turned suddenly, not realising I was there—save for the siren, who’d been facing my direction when I entered.

“Hey, Golds,” they greeted, all at slightly different intervals, except for Fluttershy, who quickly approached for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Dude!” Rainbow Dash called to me as she pointed at Applejack. “That is one sweet-ass Ibanez you got AJ! It could not have been cheap; how much did you pay for it?”

I raised a brow and gave a cocky nod. “I paid just the right amount.”

Dash snorted and shook her head. “Whatever, man.”

I brought my attention to Applejack next. “How do you like it?” I asked as I slipped my arm around Fluttershy’s waist. “Is it starting to grow on you?”

The farm girl held the instrument at each end and tilted it up to look at it. “Eh… ya know that? It kinda is, actually. I didn’t think it would at first, but after playin it fer a few days, I kinda like the shiny look of it.” She looked up at me again. “I think I might end up keepin it. Ta be honest, it meant a lot comin from you; and it’s a good reminder that I can make anythin happen if I keep hammerin away at it.”

I gave her a little bow. “Alright then. But if you change your mind, let me know and we can go exchange it.”

“No way!” Dash protested. “You gotta keep that one, AJ. It looks totally badass on you!”

“Heh, yeah I s’pose it does,” AJ replied, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked down at it again.

“You tried doing any slap on it yet?” I asked.

“I did, actually,” Applejack replied as Rainbow Dash shoved her hands in her pockets and huddled her shoulders. “Heh! And it’s still in once piece, so… yay fer that, I guess,” she finished carefully, wary of Sonata’s presence.

“Why don’t ya show him your moves, Applejack!?” Pinkie squealed from behind the drum set, following up with a little roll on the snare.

Sunset spoke up next. “Why don’t you show him that one we were just practicing? That song has a fucking killer bass line.”

Fluttershy perked up. “Ooh! Um… I like that one,” she agreed softly, leaving my side to stand with her band mates.

Pinkie stood and pointed a drum stick at the siren. “OK, we’re doin it! You’re up, Notty!”

With a smirk, Sunset turned to Sonata and waved her over. “Yeah, get over here. We kinda need you for this one.”

Sonata’s eyebrows rose at the invitation, and her eyes shone with excitement. “For realzies!? YES!” She giggled as she scampered over to join the group, turning the keytar on and then messing with the settings.

“Alright then,” Applejack nodded, lacing her fingers together and then turning her hands inside out to crack her knuckles. “Lemme show ya what this fancy new bass can do; I reckon you’re gonna like thi-“

The farm girl stopped when she noticed Rainbow dash, whose hands were still buried in her pockets, her jaw trembling faintly.

“Don’t tell me yer fuckin’ cold! It’s hotter n’ blazes down here!” AJ shouted with a bemused scowl on her brow.

Dash’s eyes rose to meet her friend’s. “What? Are you serious, AJ? It’s fucking cold, man!”

“No it ain’t!” the blonde argued back as Sonata looked to the ceiling, touching a finger to her chin.

“Hmm…” the siren thought aloud, “that might actually be a good title for this song: ‘It’s Cold, Man!’”

The rest of the girls turned to Sonata, utterly confused.

I made my way across the room to lean on the back of the couch to watch.

“Whut?” AJ bellowed at Sonata. “That don’t make a lick a’ sense whatsoever! Ya can’t just-“ She covered her face suddenly, grumbling. “Ugh… fine. Whatever, it don’t matter. It ain’t got no words anyway.” The farm girl turned back to Rainbow Dash, pointing a finger. “Just be ready, Dash; warm them hands up and let’s go!”

“Fine, fine.” Dash rolled her eyes and cupped her hands over her mouth to warm them with her breath, rubbing them together. “OK. Here we go.” After a final look around the group, Rainbow Dash gave a nod. “Everyone ready?”

The others each returned a nod.

Dash turned to Pinkie and nodded, and she held her sticks up and stuck them together. “Two! Three! Four!”

MUSIC

The music began with some heavy chords played on all instruments, followed by a drum roll and a little bass lick before the verse began; Sonata, using both hands, played the lead with one half of the keytar set to piano, using a soft string section to back that up on the other. Sunset hit some simple power chords at a soft volume, keeping the emphasis on Sonata’s lead.

Fluttershy was unexpectedly spritely on the tambourine; she spun the instrument back and forth so rapidly it was nothing more than a blur at the end of her wrist, and she would occasionally bring her other hand over to slap it for a sharper sound, or even bounce it off her hip, transforming her playing into a lively dance.

Rainbow Dash stood silent, bobbing her head to the music as she waited for her part to begin.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack, however, were the stars of the show. The drums and bass line were mirrored in their rhythms; Pinkie put down a steady, quick beat, while Applejack —holy shit, Applejack!— went straight to town on that bass and slapped it like a disobedient child, using her thumb to hammer the top string and then hooking her index finger over the bottom string to let it snap against the pickup, creating a sharp ping with every pop of the string.

It was not something I would ever imagine the dusty farm girl to be capable of, and yet there she was, her right hand bouncing and hammering on those strings so fast they could hardly be seen. Her left hand danced around that fret board like a spider that’d snagged a fly in its web, her bass line mimicking Pinkie’s beat with such utter precision it absolutely had to be seen to be believed.

After going through the short verse a second time, an ascending set of chords built up to the next part, at which point Rainbow Dash readied her pick and then jumped in on cue. Her guitar lead was high in pitch, yet soft and melodic, and it changed the whole tone of the piece, giving it a much more epic, classic-rock vibe. Sonata had stopped the piano when Dash took over, but her string section swelled to match the intensity of Dash’s lead, supporting it with a smooth, beautiful foundation.

It was like hearing two songs at once: the melody was soft and relaxing, yet the percussion and bass was hard-hitting and rapid. Despite this, the two tracks blended seamlessly, and I found myself in awe of these girls and the fact that they could mastermind a composition like this.

Once the chorus had reached its final note, Applejack bridged with a nifty little bass riff, which Sonata followed on the strings to bring the song into the coda, and the next verse began anew.

The only thing missing, really, was lyrics—which AJ had noted before they started.

I leaned against the couch, listening and watching as the girls played through two more verses before finally ending the piece. The very second they were finished, Pinkie’s arms fell to her sides and her tongue rolled out.

“Hhhaauugh!” she panted, letting her head fall back. “Out of... out of shape... ...shapey-shape...”

After a few snickers, the rest of the girls looked at me with anticipation laced with a hint of vulnerability as they waited to see what I thought of their performance.

Their apprehension was unfounded, however. Awed, my mouth was hanging open like a trap door, and when I realised they were waiting for a response, I blinked and gave my head a shake, stood, and then brought my hands together in applause.

“Wow, you guys! Ho-ho-holy shit!” I shook my head and stopped clapping to hold a hand towards Applejack. “AJ… that bass line! Seriously, that was fucking wicked.”

“Heh. Shucks,” she replied, giving a bashful rub to the back of her neck. “Like I said, I kinda like this bass.”

I shook my head incredulously as I glanced at Sonata next, whose hands were behind her back, letting the keytar hang across her front. “You know,” —I pointed at the siren— “I didn’t know you could split the keyboard on those things to play two different sounds like that; that was pretty cool.”

Sonata looked like she was about to reply, but Dash cut in to answer for her. “Uh, that’s actually Rarity’s keytar, just so you know.”

“Oh?” I replied.

“Yeah.” Dash slipped her hands into her pockets again. “And originally, you couldn’t do two different effects on it at once, but Rarity let Twilight do some mods to it, so... now you can.”

“Huh, nice.” I rubbed my chin, studying the instrument for a second or two before shifting my eyes back onto Dash. “That guitar lead was gorgeous, Dashie, by the way.”

“Heh! Did you seriously expect anything but pure awesomeness from me?”

I chuckled and shook my head as I placed my hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “No, I guess not. That whole thing was pretty awesome, guys. Outstanding job; really.”

“Yeah. Not too shabby for less than two hours work,” Sunset replied, which drew my attention, as well as a confused look.

“Two hours?”

“Yeah!” Dash shouted, puffing her chest out with pride. “Two hours ago, that song totally didn’t even exist!”

I stared vacantly at the athlete for a moment, then I closed my eyes and raised a hand. “Wait… you guys wrote that whole thing in two hours?”

“Pppppft… yeah!” was Dash’s reply.

AJ rested one hand on the bass and raised the other. “Hang on now, Dash, we didn’t really write anythin; it was Sonata who did most a’ that.”

Everyone’s eyes landed on the siren, who was looking down at the floor, trying to look casual by pointing the toes of one foot into the carpet and swinging her knee back and forth.

“Yeah… that’s true, technically,” Rainbow Dash admitted somewhat reluctantly, causing the siren’s cheeks to glow.

I stuck my bottom lip out and nodded. “Well, still... it’s pretty impressive that you guys were able to play it so well already; but to be able to compose something like that so quickly is... kinda crazy,” I said, prompting those big, maroon eyes to come up and meet mine.

“It was fucking amazing, actually,” Sunset clarified.

“Oh, totally!” Rainbow Dash added, facing me while she gestured to the siren. “Dude, Sonata is awesome at this stuff, and she can play, like, EVERY instrument! You shoulda seen her! She would take my guitar and just write the lead right on the spot, then she’d show me how to play it; then she took AJ’s bass and came up with that bass line, then showed her how to play it, and—well, you get the idea. She went around to each of us and wrote each part like that, and when we all played it together, it sounded AMAZING!”

Sonata’s eyes remained glued to the floor, poised somewhat nervously by all the attention.

“Well,” Sunset interjected, “it took some practice to get it to sound really good, but yeah, it was pretty damn cool. Sonata basically wrote that whole song in one sweep.”

Rainbow Dash was shaking her head, pressing her fingertips to her temples. “Yeah, like… I can’t even! We could never just up-and write something like that.” She faced Sonata, hand raised. “How’d you do that, anyway? Like, how can you write each instrument separately without even hearing them together to see if it’ll even sound good?”

Sonata shrugged, her hands still hooked behind her back. “I dunno,” she said quietly, looking down at the girls’ feet. “I just picture the way it’s gonna sound in my head, and it just works.”

Rainbow Dash paused, the wonderment fading from her features slightly when she noticed the siren’s anxiety. “Hey...” She stepped closer to tap Sonata’s arm. “Why’re you acting so weird?”

Sonatas eyes climbed the rainbow-haired girl’s form slowly, but they stopped before making eye contact. “I dunno,” she shrugged, causing the keytar to sway. “My sisters never liked it when I did stuff like this.”

Dash sneered at the answer. “What!? Why the hell not?”

The siren cowered slightly, dropping her eyes to the floor again. She shook her head and shrugged.

Applejack raised her chin to step in. “Well, ya ain’t with yer sisters no more. Yer with us now, and I think what ya did here today was pretty dang impressive.”

“Yeah,” Sunset nodded as Sonata cautiously looked up at us again. “I know your sisters didn’t always treat you very well, but we’re not like that. You don’t have to be nervous round us.”

Silently, the siren took a moment to glance at each of the Rainbooms until her eyes finally landed on Pinkie Pie, who was still seated behind the drum set. Sonata couldn’t help but feel her chest swell when she saw her new best friend squeeze her eyes shut and give her the biggest, widest smile she’d ever seen.

After another glance around the group, Sonata summoned her courage, drew a breath and opened her mouth to speak. “Thank y-“

The moment was shattered suddenly, when the sharp sound of a throat clearing came from the stairs behind us. Everyone turned to find Rarity standing there, arms folded with a brow cocked, looking quite annoyed.

Sonata’s heart froze when she realised the fashionista was looking at her. She glanced down at the instrument hanging from her shoulders, then back at the indigo-haired girl. Frantically, the siren lifted the strap over her head and held it up for Rarity, who approached and swung her arm to snatch it away, making the siren draw back and wring her hands, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Eyes narrowed, Rarity leaned in and glowered in Sonata’s face, then she marched past the rest of us and plopped the keytar into its case rather unceremoniously. “I was wondering where I’d left this,” she muttered to herself as she closed the lid and snapped the latches. “I suppose I’d better go put it in my car so I don’t forget it again.”

“Uh, Rare? Your car’s not here,” I said, surprised by her surliness.

She glanced at me, then yanked the case from the shelf to head for the stairs. “Not a problem; I shall leave it by the front door then.”

As Rarity passed, Sunset put a hand out to stop her, earning a nasty scowl as a result. “Rare, you gotta ease up. Seriously. Like, I was literally just saying how cool we are compared to the sirens, and now you just made me look like a total ass,” the red-head whispered noisily. “Besides, it’s not really fair for you to treat her like this since she doesn’t know it was you who told her not to come back.”

Rarity sneered. “Well we can’t tell her that; you said so yourself.”

“Exactly!” Sunset huffed. “Which is why you have to quit being so pissy with her.”

“TCH!” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Come on, Rare,” Sunset reasoned. “Leave the keytar here. We were just having some fun.“

“This happens to be MY keytar, in case you’ve forgotten!” Rarity barked, before she covered her mouth to mock her friend. “Oh! But Rarity is oh-so generous! Clearly, that means we are free to rob her blind! Isn’t that right?”

Sunset —as well as the rest of us— stared in shock, our mouths hanging open as we watched Rarity completely lose it.

“That’s how it works, right Sunset? You simply take something that I’ve created and make it your own, hm? Is that it? Fine!” She shoved the case into Sunset’s hands, banging it against her guitar, which caused a shriek of feedback to sound from the amplifier.

“Jeez, Rare!” Sunset scowled, scrambling to gain a grip on the case that’d been so unexpectedly thrust into her possession. “Calm dow-”

“Why don’t we just give her my keytar? HUH?” Rarity growled, gesturing to Sonata. “Let’s just give her everything! My house, my car, my… my fucking clothes!” She glanced at Fluttershy when she said this, making her hide behind her hair. “While we’re at it, why not just sign over the deed to my boutique, HM!? Nothing of mine is sacred, right?”

Sunset had set the keytar case down by then and was putting her guitar on its stand. Then she turned to Rarity with a hand raised. “Rare, come on!”

When Rarity saw Sunset reaching for her, she snarled and jumped back. “DON’T YOU TOUCH ME!” she screeched.

I stood motionless, staring in shock at the fashionista’s meltdown as Fluttershy appeared beside me and clutched my arm.

“You could at least have the decency to let me have my own thoughts, Sunset!” Rarity continued, her finger pointed at Sunset’s face.

The red-head gave a glance to Sonata for a moment, wondering if the siren had picked up on that before looking back to Rarity, clenching her jaw. “Dammit, Rare! You’d better stop this before you say something you regre-”

Rarity clenched her fists at her sides and stamped her foot. “OH SHUT-UP! I AM SO SICK OF YOUR BULLSHIT, SUNSET SHIMMER!”

The room was then doused in silence; the tension was high enough to split that cheap paneling that covered the walls as a crimson-faced Rarity glared at the red-head, huffing through her teeth while Sunset just stared back, utterly speechless.

Eventually, the fashionista’s eyes began to scan the room. Everyone was staring at her, eyes wide, mouths open. Once the realisation of how she’d been acting began to creep in, her jaw slowly relaxed and her anger melted away, replaced by embarrassment and shame.

She stepped back and swallowed, letting her eyes fall to the floor. “I… er… e-excuse me, everyone,” she said softly. Then she hurried out and headed quickly up the stairs.

The rest of us were left staring at one another in complete and utter astonishment.

Rainbow Dash was the first to speak.

“Hoooooly shit...”

Fluttershy turned to look up at me. “What… just happened?”

“Fuck.” I let out an exasperated sigh. “I told her she needed to talk about this with Sunny… before something like this happened,” I mumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Should I go talk to her?” Fluttershy offered, a tiny smirk appearing on her lips. “Maybe she’s stressed; I’ll bet she just needs a little flutter-tongue,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

I didn’t laugh; my mind was preoccupied by what’d just happened.

“Um… I-I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said quickly, her cheeks darkening as she looked down at the floor.

Realising I’d left her hanging, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders to give her a squeeze. “No, it’s OK. I’m sorry; I wasn’t paying attention.”

She rested her cheek on my shoulder, watching the siren stare vacantly at the floor after having that fleeting sense of pride completely shattered. “What do you think we should do?”

I rubbed her arm. “Go talk to her. Get her to settle down.”

She looked at me and nodded.

I raised a finger at her. “None of that flutter-tongue stuff though. She obviously feels like her boundaries have been crossed, so it’s probably not the best idea to get into her personal space like that.”

“Of course not. I was just kidding about that,” Fluttershy replied, turning out of my arm to head for the stairs. “Don’t worry, I’ll go talk to her.”

“Good luck,” I said, watching her ascend the stairs. Once she was out of sight, I approached Sunset to give her a little pat on the arm. “Hey.”

Those turquoise eyes came up to meet mine. After a few seconds of staring, a confused scowl appeared on her face. “What… in the highest order of fuck… was THAT?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, sighing. “Uhh… you and Rare should probably have a talk.”

Sunset raised a brow. “Ya think?”

“Well… I can’t really speak for her, but she has told me some stuff. And uh… I dunno.” I shook my head. “You need to go talk to her. That’s all I can say.”

“Great. I’m sure that’s gonna be a barrel of breezies.“ Sunset ground her teeth and sighed as she watched Sonata, who was now standing with and listening to Pinkie. “I just don’t get what her deal is with Sonata. Like… why won’t she trust her? Or me, for that matter?”

I stole a quick glance at the siren. “It’s… not just about Sonata,” I sighed, looking back at Sunset.

Her expression went blank, not expecting to hear this.

I reached out to stroke her forearm. “Don’t worry. Just give Flutters a few minutes to soften her up. She knows what she’s doing.”

*****

Rarity sighed, her arms folded with her back leaned against the vanity. She had retreated to the upstairs bathroom to escape the roomful of glaring eyes and gaping mouths she had created just moments earlier.

“You’ve sure done it this time, haven’t you, Rarity?” she mumbled softly, cupping a hand over her cheek.

She waited in silence, wondering what to do. Her car wasn’t there, making it impossible to for her to leave without having to face everyone again—definitely not something she wanted to do.

Or maybe she did.

She didn’t know.

Rarity sighed. No, she couldn’t go back downstairs after an outburst like that.

A sharp heartache had begun to set in just as a soft knock came from the bathroom door. Wishing to be alone, she turned her head to let her eyes settle on the off-white panels of wood that separated her from the hallway.

After a long pause, she answered flatly. “Yes?”

“Um… Rare?” Fluttershy’s voice soaked its way through the wood. “Is it OK if I come in?”

Rarity waved a loose hand, gesturing her girlfriend in. “Sure.”

The door opened slowly, and that long, pink hair flowed in through the narrow opening first, followed by the pretty face that Rarity had grown to love so much. A tiny smile appeared on the shy girl’s lips. “Hi.”

A long exhale flowed from Rarity’s nostrils as she looked down at the floor. “Hi.”

Fluttershy paused; then she quietly opened the door just enough to slip into the room, closing it behind her and then leaning against it with her back. After chewing her lip for a moment, she took a tentative step forward. “Are you... OK, Rare?”

Rarity shook her head. “I don’t know.”

The answer worried the shy girl. “Would, um… would you like to tell me what’s bothering you?”

Pausing, the fashionista looked up to the ceiling. “I… I’m not certain that I can articulate it properly…”

“Oh… OK.” Fluttershy stroked her chin with the tip of her finger. “Um… is it OK if I come closer?”

Rarity faced the shy girl. “Of course.”

With a trepidatious smile, Fluttershy made her way across the little room, folded her hands and stood before the fashionista. “How do you feel?” she asked, after taking a moment to consider what to say.

Rarity shrugged. “I feel… used. Unappreciated. Disrespected.”

A faint scowl marked the shy girl’s brow. “But… why? You feel that way because of Sonata?”

“Not… entirely; or directly, even.”

Fluttershy tapped her nails together, cautious of saying the wrong thing. “Well, um… w-why don’t you tell me about it?”

Rarity shook her head and sighed, eyes downcast. “I’d rather not, right now… if that’s alright.”

The shy girl’s mouth fell open; she looked visibly hurt. “Oh… O-OK.” She looked down at her girlfriend’s feet, rubbing her arm. Then she looked up again. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said softly, to which Rarity looked a tad surprised. “When I lent your clothes to Sonata; I was only trying to help. I would have given her my clothes, b-but they’re too big for-“

“No-no, darling,” Rarity cut in, reaching out to take Fluttershy’s hands in hers. “I’m not upset with you, and I’m sorry I said that. It sort of just… came out in the heat of the moment, and… I didn’t really mean it.”

Fluttershy squeezed her girlfriend’s hands for comfort. “It’s OK,” she whispered.

They were silent for a moment.

Rarity let her eyes drift down the shy girl’s body, taking in her height, her curves, watching her breathe; she pursed her lips, then spoke quietly. “You know, Fluttershy,” —she cleared her throat— “when you were gone, and I started the whole thing with the masks, it was exhilarating, exciting; I felt as though I was doing something that mattered. But all the while, all I could think of was you. I missed you, darling, and I wanted so badly to have you back, to show you what I’d done, and to continue it with you.”

Fluttershy kept her eyes on Rarity, listening.

“And...” Rarity continued, “when you came home, I was so excited to finally have the chance to suit-up and go out for a night on the town with you. Oh! It would have been so much fun! Just you and me, all dressed up, fighting crime, helping people…” The small hint of elation fizzled out rather suddenly, and Rarity’s eyes fell to the floor again. “But then… you wanted nothing to do with it. You said you’d had enough excitement, and that you had no interest in fighting alongside me,” —she paused and pursed her lips, trying to hold back her emotion— “and you d-didn’t like the suit I made for you…” Her eyes squeezed shut, squeezing large beads of moisture from them.

“Oh Rare…” Guilt pierced Fluttershy’s heart like a dagger when she saw this, and she wrapped her arms around Rarity’s shoulders and drew her into a hug. “Shhhh…” She rocked her girlfriend gently, letting her weep into the crook of her neck. “Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings; I-I didn’t realise it meant so much to you.” She rested her cheek on the side of Rarity’s head, rubbing her between the shoulder blades. “It’s not that I don’t care, or that I don’t wanna spend time with you, Rare; and I liked the suit. Really, I did! It’s just… the mask was kind of uncomfortable. It would have taken me some time to get used to wearing it.”

As Fluttershy spoke, Rarity’s hands slid their way around her back to squeeze her tightly as she sobbed into her shoulder.

A pause and a sigh later, Fluttershy shook her head. “I’m sorry I’m not as much fun as you hoped, Rare. But… you know that if you really needed help, I’d be there for you, right?”

Rarity lifted her head, just enough to take her face out of the shy girl’s neck, and after a little sniffle, she gave the smallest of nods.

Fluttershy let her cheek press against Rarity’s temple. With her arms still wrapped around her, she continued to rock, hoping to make the fashionista feel as loved as she truly was.

Rarity’s sobbing had stopped by then, but her head remained on Fluttershy’s shoulder.

The shy girl looked in the bathroom mirror, gazing into her own eyes; she studied herself, holding her elegant, young lover, taking in the sight of those long, silky locks of violet as they draped over her slender, yellow forearms, which were crossed over the small of Rarity’s back. She watched a smile slowly materialize her own face, and then she closed her eyes and began to hum the bass line from a song that she knew from her youth.

She started out quietly, then her volume began to build as she synched their swaying with the tempo. Rarity remained silent and kept her head down, but she did begin to sway along to the rhythm.

Finally, after humming the intro for a moment or two, Fluttershy licked her lips and began to sing, directing her soft voice into Rarity’s ear.

She stopped there, but continued to sway.

Rarity found herself wanting to hear more, and she lifted her head slightly, perturbed by the silence. “Why did you stop, darling?”

“It’s your turn, Rare. You sing the next line.”

Rarity paused, sighed and swallowed. Then shook her head slightly. “I’m afraid I… don’t know the lyrics to that one.”

“Do you know the melody?”

The fashionista nodded.

“You can just hum it then.”

After a short hesitation, Rarity drew a breath to steady herself and then let her forehead rest on her girlfriend once again.

Fluttershy smiled and listened as Rarity hummed the next line into her shoulder. They had started to rotate in a circle by then, turning their simple swaying into a slow-dance, gradually making their way around the small room, one revolution at a time. When Rarity finished humming her line, Fluttershy took over.

There was a reserved knock, causing the girls to separate quickly. They stood motionless for a time, staring at the door.

At last, Rarity cleared her throat and answered. “Who is it?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“It’s Sunset,” a muffled voice replied. “Is it cool if I come in?”

Fluttershy glanced at Rarity, who didn’t look overly receptive to the idea, but after running her tongue around the inside of her cheek for a moment, nodded and closed her eyes.

“Yes… I suppose so.”

The doorknob turned, and the door opened slowly. Sunset cautiously poked her fiery locks into room, much like Fluttershy did a few minutes earlier.

Those turquoise eyes locked onto the pair of sapphires that stared back, surrounded by smudges of black make-up.

“Hey.”

Rarity folded her arms. “Hello.”

Relieved that Rarity hadn’t immediately jumped her, Sunset opened the door slowly and stepped inside, looking at Fluttershy. “Uh… hey, Flutters, do you mind if I talk to Rare for a moment? Alone?”

“Oh, um…” The shy girl glanced at her girlfriend. “Sure,” she answered, looking back at Sunset. “Of course. I’ll just be… d-downstairs.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said, forcing a smile as she stepped aside to let the shy girl pass. Once Fluttershy had gone and the door was latched quietly behind her, the red-head drew a breath and faced Rarity.

The girls stared at one another for a moment, barely able to withstand the discomfort.

It was Rarity who faltered first; she folded her arms and looked down at the vanity, sighing.

Sunset chewed her lip and tousled the hair at the back of her head, considering how she could break the ice. Finally, she sighed and let her arm fall to her side. “Mad about somethin’?” she asked sardonically, shrugging.

Rarity glanced up at her friend, but said nothing. For a moment, she looked like she might, but ultimately, she gave up and cast her gaze downward again.

Without an answer, Sunset shook her head and glanced at the floor, then she brought her eyes up, cleared her throat and approached Rarity. She stood next to the tub, folded her arms and faced the fashionista, who leaned on the vanity, opposite Sunset.

The two girls faced each other in silence.

Entire minutes ticked by without a single word spoken.

Eventually, Sunset’s patience wore thin, and she rolled her eyes and groaned. “Ugh… Rare, seriously. What is your problem with Sonata anyway? I’ve told you I-don’t-know-how-many-times that she’s telling the truth; she’s no threat to us, and honestly? Everyone seems to be getting along just fine with her… except you.”

Rarity clenched her jaw.

“Like,” Sunset continued, placing her fingertips to her temples, “I get it. You told her not to come back, and she came back. She didn’t listen to you. I understand that, but you need to get over it.”

“I gave her an ultimatum.”

Sunset paused, not expecting a reply—but she was quick with a rebuttal. “I know that, Rare, but what did you expect me to do? Let you take her out back and slaughter her like a cow after looking into her mind, seeing how lost she was, and that she’d come to us for help?”

“You overturned MY decision,” Rarity replied sharply, leaning closer with her arms folded. “You made the Dark Mistress look weak, like she is too big a flake to keep her word!”

“Ugh!” Sunset tipped her head back and rolled her eyes. “I seriously doubt Sonata’s even thought of that. She’s dumb, remember? Besides, I don’t even think she’s been to town since she came to us, so technically she hasn’t violated your ‘terms.’” She did quotes with her fingers when she said this.

“But what of the other two?” Rarity queried. “Hm? Suppose they think Sonata has returned with no consequence; what then? We might as well send them a formal invitation to come back and-”

Sunset groaned when she heard this, and she smacked a hand over her face. “Rare, what the-... That makes no fucking sense! What is the matter with you!?”

Rarity clenched her fists, glaring at Sunset as she endured the frustration being unleashed upon her; huffing through her nose, she slowly gritted her teeth in irritation.

“You have to stop this, OK? We’re NOT getting rid of her. She’s here to stay, so you’d better get used to it,” Sunset continued, her voice rising to a holler. “And I did NOT appreciate what you did downstairs just now; you almost gave away my mind-reading to Sona-“

“USURPER!”

Rarity’s temper had reached critical mass, and at last, she let it out.

The single word stopped Sunset in her tracks. She stood there, eyes wide, jaw slack, completely stupefied. Eventually, she managed to scrape up enough thought to respond. “W-… what?”

Rarity leaned forward, her face scrunched. “You know exactly what that means, Sunset.”

The red-head blinked a few times, then she gave her head a small shake. “I don’t get it, what are you talking about?” she asked, her tone much quieter, more inquisitive.

“You… you’ve taken it,” Rarity stammered. ”This thing… that I created, that I built; this was MY gig, Sunset, and I welcomed you into it to be a part of the team, and what have you done? You’ve swiped it RIGHT OUT FROM UNDER ME!” She paused and huffed, glowering at her friend. “I have been ousted from the very thing that I made, placed on the back burner while YOU run the show. You and Twilight came along and added that splendid little app for us —because apparently, what I already had in place wasn’t good enough— and you’ve overturned my decisions; decisions that I made while YOU were out on your little adventure, rescuing my girlfriend while I was told to stay home and ‘mind the town!’”

“But… there was a reason for-“

“It just wasn’t enough for you, was it, Sunset?” Rarity continued, ignoring the interjection. “You got to go out on the mission, you got to have all the glory, YOU got to see Fluttershy before I did! And what did I get? Hm? I got to stay home and wait. Oh, but Golds gave me a job, didn’t he? Look after Canterlot, like a good little girl! So that’s what I did, and I did it right: I created a new persona, I garnered a reputation for myself, I put myself on the map. I WAS THE TALK OF THE TOWN!” She leaned back and looked Sunset up and down, sneering. “And then YOU came home, and it simply wasn’t good enough to have rescued Fluttershy, to travel to another country, TO BREAK INTO THE GODDAMN FUCKING CIA! Ooohhhhh no! You saw what I had made, and you just had to have that too! You have to be right at the center of everything, don’t you?” Rarity threw her hands into the air. “We get it! You’re our leader! Huzzah for Sunset Shimmer: the almighty champion of EVERYTHING!”

Rarity stopped at last, allowing herself a breather while she watched Sunset stare vacantly into space.

After a moment and a few blinks, Sunset sank slowly and sat on the edge of the tub, resting her hands on the porcelain next to her hips.

Rarity’s adrenaline had slowed by then, but her frustration remained. Disgusted, she gave her head a shake, speaking softly, but firmly. “I thought for once, we could be equals. No leaders, only partners. I created this thing, not to lead it, but to share it. Besides, if anyone were to lead it, it wouldn’t be you, Sunset; it would be that man sitting downstairs—lord knows he’s more qualified than all seven of us put together. But… like Fluttershy, he wants nothing to do with it, so for now, it’s just us.”

Sunset didn’t move.

“I wanted to work with you, Sunset. Not for you. Things have changed. This was to be a new chapter for us, not a continuation of what we were before.”

Rarity closed her eyes and tipped her head back, feeling as though a stifling weight had been lifted from her chest. A moment passed, and she opened her eyes to look down at Sunset, wondering what she was thinking, and how she would reply.

Sunset was still for a time, and then finally, her eyebrows went up and she exhaled through pursed lips. “Wow.”

Rarity folded her arms. “Hm. Is that all you have to say?”

Sunset looked up at her, eyes filled with sorrow. “You… thought I was taking over the team?”

“What else was I supposed to think?” Rarity chided. “It’s pretty obvious how you rank yourself among us, Sunset.”

The red-head looked down at the floor, shook her head, and then brought her eyes back to the fashionista. “I… I’m sorry, Rare. That’s not what I was trying to do at all.”

Rarity raised a brow as Sunset continued.

“I wasn’t trying to take over; I was trying to impress you.”

Hearing this made the scorn quickly fade from Rarity’s face, replaced by confusion and uneasiness. It’d suddenly dawned on her that there may have been more to the situation than she understood.

“Im… press me?”

“Yeah…” Sunset replied quietly, feeling the same discomfort as Rarity: that they were just now realising they’d both been plodding forward, unaware of the misunderstanding that was happening between them. “I never… I mean, I wasn’t trying to take over; I was just trying to be a part of this amazing thing you started. I never thought your methods weren’t good enough—like the police scanner. Me, Twi and Ingram came up with the app to help... because we thought you would like it. And that night we went out, I wanted to take care of all three thieves myself because I wanted you to see that I can fight just like you and Flutters.” She shook her head, looking downward. “I just wanted to prove that I was worthy. I mean, who wouldn’t want to impress you, Rare? You’ve become something I could only dream of, and you’ve done some amazing things these past few months.”

Rarity’s hand was covering her mouth by then.

“Like… Flutters is home because of you, which is good because Golds and I sure as Tartarus weren’t getting anywhere. And you created this whole vigilante thing; you made amazing-looking suits... that are indestructible! You made the entire city know who you are. You even attracted the attention of ‘Us!’ Me? PPPFFT! I cried in the back seat on the way to Washington, because I was scared shitless about going to the CIA. I had no idea what I was even supposed to do there!”

Rarity chewed the inside of her cheek and rubbed her ear as she listened, feeling guilty for unloading on Sunset the way she did. “Er… well…”

“Well nothing, Rare! You’ve become one of the most amazing people I know: powerful, smart, brave… like, I don’t even know if Golds could handle you in a real fight anymore.”

The fashionista stared at Sunset, shocked by the assumption. “Oh, pssh!” she dismissed, rolling her eyes and waving the thought away. “That is naïve thinking, Sunset; don’t think for a second that Golds hasn’t kept some tricks up his sleeve that he’s not telling us about, just in case.”

Sunset shook her head. “No. He hasn’t.”

Rarity met eyes with her friend, surprised by the reply. “What? How do you know that?”

Sunset raised a hand and wiggled her fingers. “I’ve read his mind, Rare—well… some of it, anyway.”

“Oh…”

“Golds may not be able to see people’s thoughts like me,” Sunset continued, “but he’s been around long enough that he can read them like a book, and he knows that you, me, Flutters and the others are people that he can trust.” She looked Rarity dead in the eyes. “He trusts you, Rare. And me. He trusts all of us. I mean, think about it: do you think he would have taught you the things you know if he thought there was even the slightest chance that you might turn around and use it against him—or anyone else, for that matter?”

Rarity sighed and looked at the floor. “No, I suppose not. He is much wiser than that.”

“And yeah…” Sunset rubbed her forehead. “I was kinda mad at him too, when he said he didn’t want to join us, but really: he’s been through a LOT. Like, more than you can imagine. He’s seen it all, done it all, and honestly? He’s tired of it.”

The fashionista folded her hands and ran her thumb across her knuckles as she listened.

“But the one thing he’s never had is someone who’ll always be there… and now, finally, he has us. Being alone is what he fears the most, Rare; all he wants is to be loved.”

Hearing this prompted Rarity to lock eyes with Sunset, and the two spent a moment staring at one another. Eventually, the indigo-haired girl cleared her throat and looked away, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Uh… anyway,” Sunset paused to rub her temple. “That’s kind of off topic. Um…” She furrowed her brow, brushing her fingers through her hair as she tried to process everything that had been disclosed. Then she looked back at Rarity. “Wait a minute; so… this whole thing… wasn’t really about Sonata?”

“Ehh…” Rarity cringed and looked away. “I suppose I… did project my frustrations onto her a bit, which I admit, was unfair to her—although… if it wasn’t for her, none of this stuff between you and me would have happened.”

“Hmm.” Sunset looked dubious. “I don’t know about that, Rare. I kinda think if it wasn’t this, it would have been something else.”

Rarity stopped for a moment to consider that. “Well… you may be right, I suppose.”

After a short pause, Sunset licked her lips and drew a breath. “So do you think you can make an effort to be nicer to Sonata? And to trust her?”

Rarity scowled, and she folded her arms to hug herself. “I…”

“What?” Sunset asked, slightly frustrated.

The fashionista sighed. “You aren’t considering the fact that I was the only one there that night. I was the one who saw the three of them, Sonata included; they had poor Lyra and Bonbon cornered in an alley... with a knife. Lord knows what might have happened if I hadn’t been there to stop them.”

Sunset took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, rubbing her chin. “Hm… I guess I hadn’t considered that. I can kinda see why you would be wary of her after seeing that, but to be honest, the impression I get is that Sonata did what she did because it was what her sisters wanted.”

“Yes. And that makes her no better than the other two,” Rarity countered. “She knew what she was doing was wrong. She’s smart enough to see the distinction there.”

“I know,” Sunset nodded. “And I totally agree, but Rare: she’s made the decision to change, and she came to us for help. I think that we —and I mean all of us— need to give her a chance.”

Rarity kept her arms folded as she looked downward and chewed the inside of her cheek. “Alright,” she said, after a moment of tapping her foot on the floor. She was being forced to swallow her pride in order to agree to this, and it made her somewhat fidgety.

“And I think you should apologise to her when we go back downstairs.”

Flabbergasted, Rarity’s mouth dropped open and she glared defiantly at the red-head, who rolled her eyes at the response.

“Come on, Rare…”

With a noisy exhale, the fashionista’s reluctance deflated and she hung her head. “Oh, fine then. I suppose if we are to lead by example, then it only makes sense to make it a good one.”

This made Sunset smile. “Now there’s the generous, sensible Rarity I know.” She paused for a moment, tapping her fingertips on her thigh before continuing. “Look, I’m sorry about all this. I wasn’t trying to overthrow you—I mean, other than this whole thing with Sonata. And I never meant to make you feel like I thought I was better than you. I don’t feel like that at all; you’re like… on a whole other level from me, Rare.”

“Nonsense.” Rarity licked her bottom lip and sighed. “And well, I… had I known…” She whimpered suddenly, covering her eyes. “OHH! Why must I jump to such silly conclusions? I’m so sorry, Sunset. I should never have let this boil over the way it did; I should have talked with you about how I felt much sooner that this.”

Sunset sat up straight on the edge of the tub, resting her hands on her thighs. “Hey, I should have talked with you before making decisions about the team—like setting up the app. I wanted to surprise you with it, to be honest, but I never really considered how it might have made you feel. Obviously, I gave you the wrong impression with it. How about: from now on, we all discuss everything that’s going on within the group; any changes in protocol, or the suits, or the tech. Anything at all. Deal?”

Rarity paused, rubbed her chin, and then nodded. “Deal.” She held her hand out for a shake.

Sunset looked at it for a second, then she made eye contact with Rarity. “You really wanna shake my hand? I thought you didn’t want me in your head?” she quipped.

“Ah.” Rarity withdrew her hand quickly. “Yes, I suppose not—for the moment. Good catch.” After a few taps on her chin, Rarity outstretched both arms. “A hug then, perhaps?”

Sunset raised a brow.

Rarity’s arms dropped partway when she saw the reaction. “Ohhh… please, darling. I feel simply dreadful about this whole thing; I misjudged you, and I’ve made some rather odious assumptions about your motives, and I’ve acted terribly about it. Couldn’t you find it in your heart to forgive a stupid imp like me?”

Sunset snickered and shook her head. “You know, if it was anyone else, I would’ve totally kicked your ass for this.” She stood and approached her friend. “But in this case? Yeah. I think I can forgive and forget,” she said, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl.

The pair squeezed each other tightly, eyes closed, sighing contently.

“I’m sorry, darling,” Rarity whispered.

“Me too,” Sunset replied, rubbing the small of Rarity’s back.

The embrace lasted only a few moments, but it felt much longer to the girls. Eventually, Rarity began to notice Sunset’s abdomen pressing against hers, pinning her hips against the vanity. She pulled her head back to face Sunset, wondering if it was intentional.

With their noses barely an inch apart, they gazed vacantly at each other. Then Sunset’s eyelids drifted downward and she leaned in, planting her lips against Rarity’s.

The kiss was soft, yet electrifying, due to its unexpectedness, and after accepting her friend’s flavour for a few intoxicating seconds, Rarity snapped out of it and pulled back, alarmed by the advance. “Er... Sunset, I-”

With a gasp, Sunset’s eyes popped open. She quickly released Rarity and turned away, placing one hand on her hip and the other on her forehead. “Shit! Sorry…” She huffed, closing her eyes. “It’s just… Golds is here, in the house, so… you know.”

Rarity’s brow rose. “Ah… yes. The magic. A pesky thing, that.”

“Mm-hm. The uh... juices are flowing; pretty bad, too.”

Rarity raised her finger after a moment of thought. “Here, darling, allow me,” she offered, producing her phone.

*****

In the basement, the rest of us were hanging out, snacking, and chatting idly. There was a movie playing on the TV, but Fluttershy and I were the only ones watching it. We were sitting together on the couch; my arm was around her, and her head was resting on my shoulder.

A buzz came from my phone.

Grumbling, I arched my back to reach into my pocket, retrieving the device.

RARITY: You are needed in the upstairs bathroom. We have situation with a leaky basement. Chop-chop!

“Hmm,” I sighed. “I was wondering how long that was gonna take. Looks like the talk went well though, at least.”

Fluttershy lifted her head to look at me. “What is it?”

I leaned closer as I lowered the phone, speaking from one side of my mouth. “I gotta go fuck Sunny,” I said quietly, rising from the couch.

“Oh… OK.” Fluttershy crossed her legs and folded her hands on them, looking back at the TV. “Knock ‘em dead, slugger.”

“Will do,” I replied, glancing at my phone when it buzzed a second time.

RARITY: Make that two leaky basements.

Author's Notes:

Song credits:

https://youtu.be/6M4_Ommfvv0

Also, touching moment:

https://youtu.be/1TO48Cnl66w

Rainbooms song composed by: Akari Kaida
Recorded by: Krzysztof Słowikowski